To think this is the start of type 1 diabetes

[NeuroSpicyCat]

Hand hold please.

My 13 year old son informed me tonight that he wet the bed last night.

This has never happened before.

His late father had Type 1 diabetes which started around this age.

My son also has a sore tummy (that comes and goes) and sore calves (that come and go).

He seems to have low mood also.

He's always been really thin.

My husband (his stepdad) is driving to A&E with him right now. I’m staying home with the other 4 children. (I can’t drive).

I’m autistic and scared. I’m so worried for him. AI said he is highly likely to be diagnosed given his symptoms and family history, and he’s likely to be urgently admitted to hospital.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

I'm type 1. Diagnosed at age 5, now 39. My Dad is type 1 and so was my Grandad. My Mum knew something was wrong because i was waking up in the night and drinking from the bathroom tap, and peeing very often. Imagine a thirst you cant quench... you would absolutely notice your son drinking and peeing more. Try not to worry, what you described aren't obvious symptoms and even if he does have it, it's manageable. Although not always easy, after a while, it becomes second nature. I have a 5 year old daughter and I worry for her, so I do understand x

That's your choice.

It doesn't make it the right or sensible thing to do. Getting the medical help there & then, that you have been advised to have is a far better option.

Any update lovely? x

Tell that to parents who have ignored the sometimes vague symptoms of T1D and had to deal with a much sicker child, or worse, as a result. A&E thought it was necessary for him to see a doctor. Do you know better ?

You appear to be confused. Triage is to determine the most important/urgent cases and which step is needed next (bloods, xray etc) and then patients are queued in order of who needs more immediate treatment and who needs to see a doctor more quickly.
Triage is not to decide who need to be in A+E and chuck them back out (though I wish it was!)

Absolutely!!

Not to mention that it would be discharging yourself against medical advice and the hospital would not follow anything up. It’s ridiculous - if they had to go back to A&E they would have to go through triage and wait all over again.

But that’s a rare event. If we all acted in the off chance of extremely rare events, we’d never be out of A+E!

Exactly. My son was sent home from a&e because i wasnt educated on the symptoms all i could say was he was extremely thirsty & had bubbly urine (which is sugar in his urine) and tired with sickness, they said it was a viral infection With NO tests. It was to vague for the doctors to pick up on.
It was DKA. He was dying.

I’m glad you sent your son to A and E because you’re worried about type 1 diabetes.

I hope it HAS been a “waste of time and resources” and he’s fine xx

Not as rare as you seem to think.

Bed wetting can be a sign in older children due to excessive urine poduction because of hyperglycaemia. The kidneys try to filter the glucose from the blood drawing large amounts of water with it, which leads to increeased thirst due to water loss. The glucose cannot be used by cells in the body for energy due to lack of insulin, so tiredness and lethargy are common. The body starts to break down fats and then muscle to utilise as energy sources and this leads to ketosis which can cause abdominal pain.
All of this does not mean he has diabetes, but it is best to check it out. DKA can develop quickly in younger people.

I’m not saying don’t seek any medical attention, I just think at gone midnight those mild ‘symptoms’ could’ve waited until the morning when the GP could’ve been contacted.
I don’t run down to A&E often, but don’t most people that go there see a Dr?

They all see a doctor. This poster seems to think triage means the nurse decides who has to leave A+E, but that’s untrue.
I wish it was true though! Because I reckon 80% of people would be told to go and see their GP or a pharmacy.

There is absolutely no way he has type 1 diabetes with a blood sugar of 4.8. No way at all.

I think you need to stop relying on AI instead of medical professionals and possibly get some help for your health anxiety. I say this as someone who is also autistic and worries about my own and loved one's health a lot, and who is a paediatric nurse.

Oh and I forgot to say my mum has type 1 diabetes and I've often freaked out that I've had it a few times in my life. I'm 36 and not been diagnosed yet though 🤞

What was the end result OP?
Im a type 1 diabetic. I developed it while pregnant with no obvious symptoms (baby measured big so went for a glucose test. I didn’t need to take it as my first test was 11 so was sent straight up to the diabetic ward).
I would not have rushed my child to A&E with those symptoms- maybe called 111 (which I have always had good advice from). I didn’t know bed wetting was a symptom and a one off wouldn’t have concerned me. Don’t trust AI - it is not an authority, cannot think for itself or make judgements.
If his reading was 4.8, totally normal, then I’d say it is unlikely, but I guess you must know definitively now.
However, if it is type 1, it is tough, especially for a child, but can be well managed in the majority of cases and it won’t limit his life.

I have friend who is an A&E nurse who jokes how they should relabel the pharmacy in the hospital as A&E then only take the referrals from their into actual A&E and that would half the numbers. But then she also thinks 25% of the hospital beds are filled with people waiting for drugs from the pharmacy before they go home. So I'm not sure it is the best of plans!

OP’s DS has had no increased urination or thirst. It’s a single bed wetting incident.

This attitude from our local GP landed my two year old a week in intensive care with DKA. He could have died.
I was told to be firm and not give him as much water to drink, and no they didn’t think they had to see him in person despite him showing all the classic symptoms of diabetes. Neither I nor DH have any close relatives with T1D so it was very unlikely that DS had it. Nevertheless he does, and he is part of the growing number of kids developing it in this country. It’s not as rare as you seem to believe.

Well, why not? Her DH had taken the child to A&E, she had to stay home with the other children. MN USED to be a place you could get some company/support when you needed it. It's hit & miss these days.

Its sad isnt it? I remember lots of hand holding posts, now its full of middle aged women waving their pitch forks about.

Exactly this. 💯 %

AI gets stuff wrong all the time and I would assume is likely to be overly cautious so people don't rely on it and then die. You sending your son to A and E on these symptoms is ridiculous.

Despite AI, it is always a good idea for a Dr to check out any concerns with a child. You have done the right thing. It is normal to be anxious when your child might be sick.
I hope that whatever the diagnosis, you have good child support nurses/service team in your area. If it is Type 1 diabetes, are you able to reach out to your son's father. He has been through it himself so might be a good support for your son?