Diagknowsis

With my A level exams closing in fast I have found it hard to get creative on all manner of things and unfortunately I have experienced, for the first time since diagnosis, writers-block.  Even my usually reliable (https://insulearning.com/2020/03/29/nightmare-on-sugar-street/) vivid sugar driven dreaming seems to have settled into a pre-exam funk.  This has spurred me on to say something important that I have been meaning to for some time and post a long overdue, ever so simple yet transformational snippet of knowledge that you can all use. 

If my parents, family or friends knew what I’m going to tell you about spotting diabetes then my diagnosis would have occurred much earlier.  I am so lucky that I found out sooner rather than later; many are not so lucky.  Please read this post carefully.  This is a serious one folks.

Fortunately for me I discovered my condition during an unrelated doctor’s check-up. This is not always the case. Often many parents and healthcare professionals only find out when a child collapses and a life with diabetes begins with an emergency visit to the hospital.

Worryingly, even before a frightening collapse, the child’s ketones levels (aha another blog methinks – take that writer’s block) may have been dangerously high for some time which could have consequently already caused long lasting damage to the organs.

I am really happy to report that I am currently the healthiest version of myself ever and my diabetes management has allowed me to concentrate on my exams (yikes, must get back to revising). In between revising I have grown a little baby bicep that I am working hard to maintain now that I am able to build some muscle. Soon it’ll be biceps! (plural form).

I would like to share my top, relatively unambiguous, less subjective type one diabetes symptoms with you:

If you hear of a child or of someone displaying any two of the above symptoms, then please suggest that they get checked for diabetes. It involves a straight-forward blood test. That’s it.  Simple. 

Please pass this on.

Glucose upon publishing: 5.9mmol/L

PS I must confess that I’ve used some writer’s licence as I don’t have a sister but Diag-know-bro doesn’t work so well.