Worried about 10yr daughter

[Brittonhse]

I am very familar with Type 1 diabetes.  My mother was diagnosed at 11 and passed away at 50 from it.  My daughter just recently turned 10 and I have over the years been watching her and her sister carefully because the diabetes skipped myself and my sister.  In the past couple months, my daughter has become very moody, doesnt sleep well(wakes up to drink), always is hungry, would do anything for sweets.  She has not lost any weight, but always looks pale and is tired.  She does now and again have very quick onset of a belly ache (which I can never understand why) to the point of her crying.  I have made an appointment to get her checked this Tues.  My question is, can she be diagnosed from just a urine test?  Or should I request that she do the long diabetes check in a lab? Can diabetes come on slowly or really quick?  This is a child that HATES the doctor's office.  Diabetes had such an impact in my own life just watching a mother struggle with it, I am wondering if I am over-reacting. I understand you all are not doctors, I just would like some opinions on what I should do when I take her to the Dr. and make sure I get what tests need to be run when I get there.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Yes, a urine test will show if sugar is spilling into the urine, which only happens if a person is diabetic. However, a urine test will not tell your doctor how high or low her glucose levels actually are, so I feel certain that he will have to run some blood tests. Maybe not the glucose tolerance test, but at least a random glucose test. Diabetes can come on slowly or quickly, and some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia (which often occurs before the onset of diabetes) are the same as some of the symptoms of high blood sugar. From the symptoms you describe and her family history, it really does sound like a good idea to have her tested.

Type 1 diabetes seems to be most often diagnosed in three different stages of life: sometimes in toddlerhood, sometimes right around the age of puberty (or a few years before or after, which is where your daughter is), and sometimes in early adulthood or late teens. I was 12 when I was diagnosed and I am a very healthy, undamaged grandmother. Please don't worry too much -- treatments have come so very far since I was a child that I believe the days of people dying from complications are over as long as we make the effort to check and adjust our sugars. There are so many insulin regimens available and pumps, too, that there is a good treatment for every lifestyle. I hope your daughter turns out to be very healthy, but if there are problems with her blood sugar, she can live a very normal and long life in modern times.

As for the stomach ache, you may ask the doctor to check for celiac since diabetes does run in the family. Can't hurt to check since he will be probably doing lab work anyway. By the way, I am not aware of any statistics about type 1 diabetes running in families in succeeding generations... diabetic moms have very little likelihood of having diabetic children, from what I have read. The risk is only very slightly elevated from the chance of non-diabetic moms having type 1 children. Hopefully that will make you feel better.

As for her fear of doctors, I would suggest that you make as positive of an experience of her visit to the doctor as possible... maybe plan a special mom-daughter day or activity right after the appointment so she associates something fun with the visit. Those little mental games we play can make a big difference to her attitude.

[Nebraska0204]

Ask them to do a A1C hemoglobin.  It is where they draw blood, send it to the lab and check what her blood sugars have been over the last 3 months.  That is a good indicator.   Good Luck and let us know.


Daughter of a type I diabetic and a type II diabetic myself.