I asked my 16 year old to take a day off college tomorrow i dont know if im doing the right thimg or not

[aufolandedonmyface]

my 16 year old started college in september was fine at first but rhe last few weeks has been extremely tired , lost weight not sure if its related or not but it has been a quick loss - she went fr size 14 trousers to size 10 in around 4-6 weeks. She has been just lying down when she gets home , too tired to go to clubs she normally goes to. She struggled to walk around shops even and that was on a saturday so no college. She sleeps well.

i took her to the gp a few days ago
and he made me feel like i was over reacting and kept asking her things like “do you have an eating disorder” . She has had a folic acid deficiency in the past and i really had to push for just a test for that an anemia. she has the blood test next week. She recently had a 5 day heart monitor on after fainting iver a year ago ( it took that long to get it) but tbh she has no symptoms of anything like that.

She is only at college three days a week today is her second day this week and she looks awful. Shes just lying on her bed and has been since 5 when she got home. She was not feeling strong enough to go to an group she normally loves tonight.

I am really concerned about her and ive told her i think she should really take tomorrow off (shes not in friday anyway) and rest. She has the blood test next wednesday.

am i just over reacting here to normal teenage things because the gp made me feel like a crazy old woman!

Just to add to this OP, try to get the GP to focus more broadly than the potential T1. If you go in there asking for tests for T1 and they only focus on that, they might be missing a different potential cause if it’s not the T1.

Best of luck, it’s awful when our kids are unwell.

This is still very high for someone without Type 1 diabetes. There’s other tests and symptoms that need to be taken into consideration. You don’t need to be rude but stand your ground and tell the doctor your concerns and you would like her tested for type 1. This is an autoimmune disease that’s often hereditary so tell them about your mum.
I just wanted to say I understand how you must be worried about your daughter after losing your mum at such a young age but once diagnosed it can now be managed easily. 🙏💐

Also important to remember there are more than two types of diabetes. They behave differently and can present differently.

I can't believe I am writing this in 2025. But can her dad take her?

It is ingrained in doctors that a mother must be overreacting - if her dad goes and says he is worried I sadly expect they will take him seriously.

GP’s can be very generic in their assumptions. Since experiencing the same (wrong) assumptions I don’t accept ‘it’s probably’ anymore. If they don’t actually know and it’s something worrying you then push for more investigation or take her to A&E.

Unfortunately I think there is truth in that, speaking as a dismissed mother myself (have refused to ever see that gp again).

Hope you get some answers OP
when i was young, a couple of people at 6th form got Glandular fever, which was awful. Don't seem to hear of it these days though, unless its been renamed!

if it does turn out to be type 1, although incredibly daunting at first, the tech has come on in leaps and bounds the last few years.

With private medical insurance you are doing the right thing seeing a private gp. You want a full blood count, a thyroid function test, a coeliac test and a test for diabetes.

Being tired wouldnt on its own need all those but coupled with substantial weight loss they need to find the cause.

I was incredibly similar at 16/17 years old to the point my mum thought I was dying. It turns out I was just really suffering with Glandular Fever. If I walked downstairs, I’d have to nap on the sofa before being able to walk back upstairs.
I’d also ask for that to be investigated. The doctor completely overlooked it with me and I was very nearly hospitalised due to the cause not being found for so long.
Good luck today OP!

I hope this all gets sorted for you and your daughter.
I had similar with my middle child weight loss and exhausted.
went privately as GP wasn’t helping , turned out they actually had an autoimmune bowel disorder

OP this sounds exactly like when I had an overactive thyroid at the same age! Please ask for thyroid to be checked

you can disagree all you like but suggesting being type 2 diabetic is a 'luxury' is awful. You should try living with it. You seem to have experience with type 1 but what is your personal experience with type 2? how many type 2s have you supported who are hypo? in what way was a type 1 hypo different to a type 2 hypo?

I genuinely don't mean to be rude - type 1 is awful, truly awful, and I have a child who struggles to accept it. Telling someone off for giving advice on type 1 when you clearly have little experience of type 2 isn't acceptable is just...wrong.

Are you in London? You could go to the private A&E in St John's Wood. You get seen within less than an hour.

@theDudesmummy it’s really good, that place - but isn’t it more for broken ankles and things?

As your DM had type 1 diabetes I would insist having a test for it.

Private insurance means you have to go to private providers that are covered by them. That might be all or some, or they have only reached agreements with some over fees so you might have to pay extra if you see someone not under their agreement. You also need to get prior approval, including for tests.

My DD had glandular fever while in Uni. She’s had a few viruses, all diagnosed- shingles, glandular fever, flu and Covid. The shingles was in 2020 while in school and since then she’s been struggling.

Take her to A & E, this doesn’t sound normal. They will carry all the tests there on the spot; you may have to wait

@Pickledpoppetpicklei have a family member that is type 1 and 2 that are type 2.
Never have the Type 2 diabetics compared their condition to Type 1.
They are very aware of the differences, they know that their grandchild has a non working pancreas, absolutely nothing like their condition and how they manage it.
The pp clearly stated that the type 1 was giving information that was shit, their own words. They have a totally different condition so should not be criticising advice given by someone who actually has the condition being discussed.
Maybe if others were aware of the differences my DC wouldn’t have been asked if they got type 1 because they ate too many sweets, they wouldn’t be told oh my granny had that and reversed it, oh and you don’t look diabetic as your too skinny.
Comparing the 2 causes so many problems to type 1 diabetics.
One is an autoimmune condition and one isn’t.

Get a blood appointment sooner.

How can she get it done sooner than today?? These inane replies drive me bonkers.

Well I could get a blood test today if I wanted one and I’m not even sick. People live in places that this is possible!

They really should give type one and type two diabetes completely different names.

My son is type 3c treated as type 1 even the professionals, get confused with him!

Me too. They thought it was a brain tumour. Turned out it was EBV which caused postviral fatigue/ME. (Only problem then was that people with ME are treated horribly)