Diabetes? Something worse? 😢

[Telllmeitsok]

Please talk my overtired brain down.
DS8 has had a run of illlnesses /
fevers lately. Fevers/ sore throat that last a few days, get better, then a new fever within 5-7 days. Been going on a couple of months. GP says viral as she has a few “well” days in between. I noticed today when I took her picture that she looks thinner and when I weighed her was a bit worried to see she’s lost nearly 1kg since January rather than gaining it as her growth chart would suggest. She’s also tired a lot - comes home from an activity and wants to get into bed which is odd. she does drink quite a lot and has a good
appetite so why is she losing weight? 😢I’ll obviously make yet another gp appointment but I need some reassurance tonight as I know unexplained weight
loss + fatigue are red flags for cancer 😢I’m on my own so just super stressed.

It’s so hard to stress how much of a difference early diagnosis could make if it is T1. The trauma of parents who witness their child in DKA is palpable among T1 parents.

We were lucky to avoid it just because there’s T1 in the family so we it was always in the back of our minds.

Op everyone on this thread with knowledge of Type1 is telling you to go to A&E, a simple finger prick there will tell you one way or another but honestly if it is type 1 the sooner the diagnosis the better

My 10 year old son was unwell from early December last year until the middle of march. The reason in the end was repeated viral infections. He lost weight, had temperatures,was sick, tired and had terrible stomach problems. It was incredibly worrying. He had three blood tests and a stool test and a couple of urine samples. First two tests showed low white blood cell count which you do not want to Google. He is fine now. Back to a normal healthy boy. So I guess I am saying don't look on the black side if you can. Ask the GP for blood tests. Tell them you are worried. You know your child best.

It was everything that @Horsesontheloose has just said. One day we were at the zoo and he begged us to leave to go to the drs he felt so unwell. Poor lad.

Just to be clear if you are worried about diabetes you don't want a referral for blood tests (which will be at a long delay as you mention), you want a fingerprick blood test in the consultation.

If you are worried about cancer then be explicit about that, either they can explain why viral infections are a better fit, or accept your level of concern in which case the aim would be for you to be seen on a paediatric assessment unit within 24h anyway.

OP when I was diagnosed aged 12 my parents said on reflection I had been unwell, up and down for many months prior to going in to dka.

Fluctuations of tiredness, weight loss, infections, nausea but maintained appetite.

Finally diagnosed after after 3 week history of losing atleast 2 stone in weight, spending a few weeks just going to bed after school, lying on the sofa and eventually going in to dka.

Gosh this does sound similar. Thank you for sharing 💞

Thank you. I think I’m probably very unsure what is going on, but I feel something isn’t right. I was hoping the gp would put the pieces together but he clearly hasn’t (yet) so maybe I need to be more
explicit in my concerns.

do you have any friends or neighbours who are diabetic who can do a quick finger prick test for you?
i dont mean to add to your anxiety but undiagnosed type 1 can be deadly. If you suspect it might be type 1 you need an answer ASAP… not next week. Can you get to a chemist in the morning and buy a test kit before school?

I'd take her to A&E after dropping her sibling at school in the morning.

@BrioLover yes, totally agree with this. On reflection I wouldn't even bother with the faff of the gp surgery.
OP just present at a&e and say your child has atleast 2 of the 3 T's of diabetes with many other possibly related symptoms.

Thirsty
Tired
Toilet

Agree but do you have children’s AE in your area as probably better there.

There is an a&e with a children’s ward in it but it’s a 3 hour bus ride (no car) but given all the responses it sounds like I need
to go tomorrow ☹️
if A finger prick test shows it’s not
diabetes, any ideas what I should push for next? If It is more “oh it’s just viruses” I think I’ll scream as it’s a fever every week, losing weight, off school, me off work as need to be home as they’re off school, it feels relentless ☹️

Im taking ds to the dr tomorrow as I think he has type 1.

What was the results of the finger prick test for type 1s? Surely the result will depend on when they last ate.

In a brand new T1 diabetic then blood sugar will be high (usually very high) whether they were fasted or not. You won't miss any true cases this way. Yes you might inappropriately send the occasion normal child who just ate up to the assessment unit with a mildly high reading, but it will become very obvious their sugar is back to normal when reassessed, and they can be checked for ketones if that's not available.at the GP.

Before you subject yourself to this odyssey, I would see whether you can be accommodated as an emergency same day appointment (emphasise your concern over diabetes) as the main thing you need right now is a blood sugar (if high they would likely ambulance you over not force you onto a bus!)

Anything over 13mmol/L is used as a diagnosis if T1. When my dc was diagnosed I got glucose urine test strips from the pharmacy so I could test before we went to hospital. The glucose levels were very high in the urine and showed straight away. We caught it very early but I still headed straight to a&e where we were admitted for three days till we knew what we were doing. Please don't hang around for the gp if you are concerned, T1 is not something that can wait.

@Telllmeitsok is there an urgent care centre you can get to which is closer? They can do the glucose checks etc. and if it is serious they will take her to the closest children's ward. That might be better than a 3 hour journey

You can buy a test kit if your pharmacy won't do a finger prick. You can buy the dipsticks too

Definitely follow up the diabetes angle is the most likely but the only other alternative is not cancer. There are lots of other conditions in addition to cancer they can cause these symptoms. Since you have done your best through primary care to get help out probably is time to try to get seen in a and e
My sister had severe abdominal pain reoccurring infections requiring IV antibiotics, fatigue and significant weight loss dropping to a BMI of 16 in her teens. My mum like you was very fearful of cancer. It took 3 years to get a diagnosis of gallstones. As soon as she had her gallbladder removed all of her health problems resolved!

Once you've checked diabetes you could also ask for a celiac blood test

How are things today OP?

Emergency Gp appt in 20 mins x

Good luck 🤞

Thinking of you both