The recent post about the death of the little girl in Wales from undiagnosed diabetes gave me a heavy heart. It also sparked a memory of the weeks leading up to my brother's type 1 diagnosis.
I actually profited from my brother's warning signs. In the six weeks or so leading up to his diagnosis, he was devoid of energy. He was also incredibly thirsty, trying to satiate a steadily rising blood sugar wracking his teenage body. I was only nine years old, but recall delivering gallons of ice cold water to him as he lethargically lay on the couch. For each gallon, he paid me $1.00. He proposed the deal out of desperate thirst. I only thought it an oddly-made fortune, and happily watched the rising stack of dollar bills.
As my brother's symptoms worsened, my mom's worry and frustration rose. A eureka moment arrived when she watched my brother drag his feet while playing ping-pong with my dad. Suddenly a thought popped in her head -- could it be diabetes? She called a doctor friend, only to have her notion dismissed. Stubbornly suspicious, she headed to a pharmacy to pick up a urine test strip to measure blood glucose ... this was back in the 1970s, remember those? The pharmacist steered her away from the test strips and recommended my brother get a blood test. Long story short, he was tested the next day. His blood sugar was off the charts. The lab had to dilute his blood three times to finally measure a 990 mg/dl blood sugar. After two weeks in the hospital, he was stabilized and sent home on a new regimen for life.
This article in WebMD clearly outlines the warning signs of type 1 diabetes. Early symptoms include frequent urination, extreme thirst, weight loss,and increased hunger (not always) over a few days or weeks. Rapidly rising blood sugar can also result in ketoacidosis, a deadly condition characterized by flushed/hot/dry skin; loss of appetite/abdominal pain/vomiting; strong, fruity breath; rapid, deep breathing; and possible coma.
Spread the word, we need more awareness on early warning signs of type 1 diabetes.
A particularly bad flu season in Australia has triggered a sharp rise in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, according to a recent report in the Sydney Morning Herald. 
