How did you find out you had diabetes?

[Cherrelle DUK]

For many people, a diagnosis of diabetes can come as a shock and that's sometimes due to the fact that they didn't have any obvious symptoms or they related them to other conditions.

What lead you to feel there was something going on that needed looking into?

 

[mikeyB]

I diagnosed myself. I had a few symptoms of diabetes - weight loss, frequent urination, but nothing drastic. So for fun, I went round to my mum (long been T1) to blag a go on her blood testing device. Scored 14ish.

Went to see the GP, and that’s when the spurious T2 treatment started, but that’s another story.

 

[helli]

My main symptom was a desire to go to the toilet every 30 minutes. I was also tired but put that down to losing out on sleep due to the frequent toilet visits.
Initially I called 111 who advised I visited a GP as it could be a kidney infection. GP diagnosed a UTI and sent me home with antibiotics. Two weeks later and still no change to the symptoms, I returned, peed into a bottle and diagnosis was changed to Type 1 diabetes.
They type was determined because I was "too slim to be type 2"!
In hindsight, I realised I also had thrush, had lost weight (and didn't have much to lose) and had slightly blurred vision.

 

[nonethewiser]

Classic symptoms, raging thirst weight loss extreme tiredness, no idea what was going on so went to see Dr, did pee test then told diabetic & sent to hospital, rest is history as they say.

 

[Mark C]

I didn't suspect diabetes at all but went to buy new glasses at Specsavers. They saw microaneurysms on my retina and suggested I go to the docs as it's often diabetes. It was!

 

[EllsBells]

Three years ago, I got my 40 year MOT and the HbA1c score came back as pre-diabetic (post Xmas pie binge at Christmas). I changed my diet for several months and cut out alcohol for a liver function test. In a few months got my levels down to 34 (scores not given to me at that time). Boom.

As time went on I forgot about the pre-diabetes alert and diet and fitness gradually slipped. From early autumn 2020 I was drinking and weeing a lot more - and started weeing during the night. I was really irritable, sleeping very poorly but lots, taking naps all over the place, experiencing low mood and apathy. Then, at the end of October, I got thrush and, after consuming a pizza, raging thirst. After trying to cope with that for several weeks, and destroying night sleep, I looked at the symptoms online for diabetes and ticked some of the boxes. I took myself off to the GP and asked about possible diabetes and low vitamin D - they took full bloods, Vit D level was 21 (insanely low), some damage to kidney and liver function and HbA1c - 88. The diagnosis wasn't a shock but the score certainly was.

 

[Inka]

I’d felt pretty rough for a few weeks, culminating in hardly having the strength to walk upstairs or up a slight hill. Then I lost a lot of weight very very quickly, had a thirst that was driving me insane and constant weeing. Emergency doctor called, blood sugar approaching 30 plus ketones - so off to hospital in an ambulance.

 

[Andy HB]

I really should have realised much, much sooner than I did.

The kicker was when I was going to meet up with one of my sisters and my Dad in London. On the way to the meet up on the train I was suddenly unable to stand without threatening to pass out. Eventually, I had to request medical assistance in the station (Paddington). The medic tested my blood glucose level and basically said that it would be a good idea for me to go to hospital which I duly did!

Prior to all that, I was guzzling sweet fizzy pop almost every day (both because I was thirsty and also had an urge for sweet stuff). As it turns out I had also lost a couple of stones in weight (something like from 20st to 18st) in no time at all. My insulin resistance was so bad I was effectively starving. My ketone levels were also quite high (don't know the numbers, but I kept getting that pear drop smell) and I had difficulty walking anywhere because of a complete lack of energy.

As I said, I really should have realised much earlier that something was wrong!

 

[Christy]

Diagnosed Type 2 last August whilst being investigated for something else. Didn't even know I was being tested. Never heard the expression "high sugars". No symptoms. Totally shocked. Still a bit shocked to be truthful but advised by gp I'm in remission. (Technically, I think it needs to be 2 HbA1c tests 6 months apart for remission?).

 

[Browser]

I went to the doctor as home readings of blood pressure were a bit high. They did the 24 hour BP monitor test. A few days later I got a call to say that my BP, indeed, was an issue but, more importantly, I was told that I had type two diabetes. On reflection, I was peeing a bit more than normal and getting a wee bit more tired getting up the hills on the golf course.

 

[Stitch147]

I was asymptomatic. Went to a health fair in my workplace where a finger prick test came back at 26.7. Sent with a letter to gp surgery how took bloods and my Hba1c cam back at 127!!!
Type 2 diagnosis was given and was put on metformin straight away. I have a long line of diabetes on my fathers side, type 1&2, gp suspects MODY but have never been formally tested for it.

 

[grovesy]

I was having annual tests as I had impared glucose tolerance, and had tipped over into Diabetic zone no symptoms.

 

[Nick Cliff]

A personal trainer identified I had low blood pressure. He was not concerned but advised me to get checked by my GP. I then failed a basic blood glucose test and the repeat test...and here I am 11 yrs later. I've never had other than mild symptoms of low blood sugar requiring me to eat and waking thirsty but needing to pee.

 

[JJay]

I'd had a nasty dose of flu and didn't seem to be recovering. Lost some weight, which I was quite thrilled about 🙂 and a raging thirst - so much so that at one point I chased after the milkman still in my pyjamas begging for every bottle of water he had on the van (our tap water was foul). Rang work - where the Boss answered. "I should be OK tomorrow" I said. His reply: "You don't sound right at all - go to the doctor".

So I did. And the doctor said, "I think we'd better test for diabetes". Ding! At this point I had to sheepishly acknowledge that my brother had been diabetic for the past 10 years and yet I hadn't recognised the symptoms. Called back in to get the test result. "Yes, it's diabetes" he said, and arranged for me to see the hospital consultant that afternoon. And then came the words I've treasured ever since: " As you're young" (I was 43!) "and not overweight" (Oh joy!) "you'll probably be put on insulin".

So I was. There was no Type 1, 2 or anything else, we were either IDDs or NIDDs. Insulin pens were becoming more commonplace and I was lucky enough to get one - but the NHS did not fund the needles. My meter was a very basic clockwork sort of affair, carbohydrate was only counted in 10s and insulin was a twice a day affair of fixed doses, with compulsory snacks at coffee & tea breaks, and before bed.

26 years on and I've embraced new terminology, new treatments and new technology and touch wood remained fairly free of complications. And I'm still in touch with the Boss - I married him!

 

[Ljc]

I was asymptomatic jI found out by accident. I went to Gp as I had a uti, the dipstick test showed yes I had a uti but also glucose .
The uti turned out to be due to an infected kidney stone so not due to diabetes either.

 

[rebrascora]

I was out for a meal and as I was leaving the pub I started to feel really thirsty. Got home and downed a glass of water and then another and thirst was insatiable. Thought maybe the steak pie had been a bit salty but by the next day when I was still guzzling water like a drowning man and peeing for England I started to suspect. Did a bit of online research which pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Cut right back on sugar and sweets (typical naive newby) for a fortnight but was still glugging water and up 4-5 times every night to the loo, so was becoming a zombie. Emailed GP and explained my symptoms and concerns re diabetes. Blood test next day came back 112. Assumed Type 2 due to being a self confessed sugar addict, but weight was dropping off me. 6 weeks of oral meds and progressively stricter low carb diet and second HbA1c came back 114. Started on insulin at that point and tested for Type 1 about 2 months later.

 

[Ljc]

I'd had a nasty dose of flu and didn't seem to be recovering. Lost some weight, which I was quite thrilled about 🙂 and a raging thirst - so much so that at one point I chased after the milkman still in my pyjamas begging for every bottle of water he had on the van (our tap water was foul). Rang work - where the Boss answered. "I should be OK tomorrow" I said. His reply: "You don't sound right at all - go to the doctor".

So I did. And the doctor said, "I think we'd better test for diabetes". Ding! At this point I had to sheepishly acknowledge that my brother had been diabetic for the past 10 years and yet I hadn't recognised the symptoms. Called back in to get the test result. "Yes, it's diabetes" he said, and arranged for me to see the hospital consultant that afternoon. And then came the words I've treasured ever since: " As you're young" (I was 43!) "and not overweight" (Oh joy!) "you'll probably be put on insulin".

So I was. There was no Type 1, 2 or anything else, we were either IDDs or NIDDs. Insulin pens were becoming more commonplace and I was lucky enough to get one - but the NHS did not fund the needles. My meter was a very basic clockwork sort of affair, carbohydrate was only counted in 10s and insulin was a twice a day affair of fixed doses, with compulsory snacks at coffee & tea breaks, and before bed.

26 years on and I've embraced new terminology, new treatments and new technology and touch wood remained fairly free of complications. And I'm still in touch with the Boss - I married him!

I am amazed at how thing were in the past, no glucose meters so having to boil up pee , not being provided with needles .And before that , well it doesn’t bare thinking about .

I consider myself lucky to have developed diabetes in a time glucose meters were available .
Now we have , pumps, nice pens, minute needles, FGMs, CGMs.
I wonder what will be next.

 

[Amity Island]

I diagnosed myself.

There's definitely some benefits to being your own Doctor.

1. No need to book an appointment.
2. You'll get early notice of a cancellation.
3. There'll be no arguments about anything.
4. If the diagnosis is wrong, you've only yourself to blame.
5. No queues.
6. Don't need to wear a face mask.
7. You will be spoken to exactly as you expect to be spoken to.
8. You will be able to read the hand written prescription with ease.
9. They're always there when you need them.

 

[RirisR]

I didn't have any symptoms to speak of it was a general
check up at the Dr's for something or other and was horrified
to find I was diabetic 2 gob smacked would be a better reaction
so for me it was the low fat diet advised and on this for ages
weight didnt go up or down but as I got older the diabetes did and that is how I
came to find this site and the low carb information within 6 months
I lowered the high numbers to half and lost weight for the 1st time in
years so now feeling so much better and hope I have reached the
target set for me at my meeting next month

 

[Pine Marten]

I had no symptoms at all. I'd been having routine blood tests as I'd had high BP for a while, and one day my GP stared at the results on the screen and said, 'Oh, I think you're mildly diabetic...' So I was sent off to have that glucose test where you drink a bottle of gloop, wait a couple of hours and they then tell you the result. The number '12' stayed in my memory, but whether that was my result or not I have no idea, but it could have been. This was in 2007.

I was given some diet sheets at the surgery, which advised eating starchy carbs and low-fat foods, and that was more or less it. Over time I gained weight and was prescribed Metformin. In 2013 I was googling around and stumbled upon this forum. Bingo! The rest, as they say, is history...