Diabetic teen?

[FuckingHateRats]

Posting in chat for traffic, sorry.

I'm taking him to the doctor's tomorrow, but I'm just hoping someone might be able to share experiences of their own I can compare.

My son (15) is KNACKERED. Falling asleep multiple times a day, really tired and lethargic when up. He's so thirsty - gets up during the night to drink, and probably drinks 3-4lt of water a day. He also feels really ill after big meals - the last two times we've eaten out we've had to leave early because he's felt like his heart is racing, he feels really "overwhelmed" (his words), and he's really spacey.

I've got coeliac disease so I'm going to ask him to be tested for that too, but we also have diabetes in the family. We're so worried about him - I think my husband would drive him up to A&E if I'd let him.

Does anyone have any experience of diabetes in a teen, and did it manifest itself like this?

Echo all the calls for A and E now. Make sure you have drinks in the bag, including water for ds. Plenty of snacks for you too.
Chargers and earbuds for phones.
Go straight there please.
Fingers crossed for you both. Let us know how you get on if you can.

My husband is taking him to A&E. I'm staying with our youngest two. I've put this in for him to say:

To tell the doc:

Weight loss

Fatigue to extreme

Falling asleep often

Thirst and drinking water (even through the night)

Dizzy spells after eating (when we went for pizza, burgers). "Overwhelmed, spacey"

Peeing through the night

Mum with coeliac disease

Maternal grandfather with diabetes (don't know which type)

Thanks everyone

Wishing him all the best. Give yourself a big hug. X

Good luck! Hopefully it isn’t but if it is there’s plenty of support. I’m new to this too.

Yes, wishing him all the best. X

Pack some shop bought snacks so the carbs can be calculated. If he's admitted you may need them.

I've sent him with two packets of oatcakes, dried mango and dried banana chips (both were on his Christmas list 😭) and a bottle of water. It was a case of grab and go.

I can't believe I've not done something sooner, I thought he was just burned out from prelims. I hate not being up there with him.

Glad you’ve decided to take him tonight OP. Hopefully he don’t wait too long. Absolutely right to get him checked with those symptoms.

Wishing your son the very best of luck. You've done the right thing sending him.

Absolutely the right thing to take him to A&E. Diabetes in children can suddenly go very pearshaped, and not worth taking the chance.

Get your son straight to A&E NOW.

Poor lad. All the best

They’ll do a fingerprick blood test in triage, it will take 2 minutes and if it’s diabetes it’s an instant diagnosis.

They've done the fingerprick tests, just waiting to hear back.
Thanks everyone for your well-wishes.

Test is back, he is diabetic.

I don't have any further news other than he's very dehydrated and their immediate goal is to get some fluid into him. We'll get more once that's dealt with

It’s good he has been seen quickly. Bless him (at 15 he might not thank a random mum on the internet for that!).

Thank you to everyone who made me realise how serious it was. I can't thnk you enough.

I am sat shaking thinking about the what ifs.

So glad you sent him - did your partner say what the finger prick blood glucose was? Tonight will be drip and stabilise and tomorrow new normal but all will be ok -

Oh my. Oh you lovely people. Well he is in a good place to start getting help. I was the same, wondering why I hadn’t gone sooner. We just didn’t know but the help was got. My lad is now 15 years in and doing well.
They call it the shock diagnosis, even if you have a family history.
You’ll have a lot of information coming your way in the next few days, but your boy will soon start to feel better. There’s help on here and some great Facebook groups for support.
For now, have an un mn hug.

sending you all lots of love xxx

Okay. When a child is diagnosed with diabetes, the next question is do they have diabetic ketoacidosis: this is where the sugar level goes so high that lots of sugar is wee'd out by the kidneys, sucking water out of the body with it, causing dehydration. The high sugar level in the blood stream can't get into the cells, which can make them feel ravenous. The body is desperate for energy, so starts breaking down energy stores to try to provide supplies, which put together with the dehydration ramps up the acid level in the body. If this is the case, the treatment is to start an infusion of fluids, to rehydrate the body, and then after an hour or so to start an infusion of insulin to tell the body to stop breaking things down, and to let sugar go into the cells. There are usually then serial blood tests, checking what happens to the levels of sugar, ketones (breakdown products) and salt levels, to check that everything is gradually normalising. Once those are fairly normal then a switch is made to injections of insulin. (If they're not in DKA, they go straight to the injections).

The most important thing is that they know he is diabetic: there is a hell of a lot of research behind how to correct all this safely, but it can take some time. There is then going to be a lot of homework, learning how to check sugars and ketones, how to give insulin, and learning how much of which sorts of insulin works best for the individual. The diabetes team usually give a lot of support in this phase. He is likely to be in hospital for a few days. But he will pretty quickly start feeling a lot better.

Hope that helps. Best of luck. Well done on getting him to A&E.

Ah, I’m glad he’s in the right place now.

facebook group for support - en-gb.facebook.com/groups/UKCWD/

well wishes here OP - i am glad you went to a and e!

he is in the best place.

@JellyBabiesSaveLives excellent suggestion. X

Well done @FuckingHateRats
it’s a rocky road ahead, especially in the early days but getting a diagnosis is the most important thing xx