Examinations, Tests and Investigations

*bump* to top so someone can answer this.

I peed in a pot! then they took some 'long term' blood but the pee pot was how I was diagnosed

I had a stroke and the medics just assumed I knew, which I didn't, so What they did I'm not sure.
Hana

Hi Denise,
I knew something was wrong (picked up on small clues like having lost 2 stone in 5 weeks, drinking jugs of water at a time, peeing for England and continual thrush) so got my mate to do a finger prick test, meter reading was letters rather than numbers (i.e. HiHiHi - over 33mmols with that meter). I then went to my docs the next morning, told them they had to see me because my blood sugar was high (ironically they thought I said blood pressure, and were giving me the spiel about how it didn't matter what my blood pressure was...!). They then did another finger-prick test, dip-sticked the urine which was full of ketones and shipped me instantly to the hospital where they checked blood gases for signs of ketones in the blood (ketoacidosis). 12 hours later I was back off home with a goodie bag and a lifelong diagnosis...
Hope the assignment goes well.
Jen

y

diagnosed in 2004, as an adult in France
Went to doc . Symptons,; weight loss, drinking/urinating , thrush over a period and what sent me to the doctors that day was frightening breathing problems whilst trying to exercise. This was my first visit to him and he didn't know me at all. He seemed sceptical when I said I thought I could have diabetes.... too old for type 1, thin for type 2, but most of the symptoms had been present for some time
GP sent me for fasting blood test next morning,told me if the result was over 126mg/dl (7mmol)to come back to him. ( copies of results are sent direct to patients here )
Fasting glucose was 396mg/dl, (22mol); result faxed to him ,he called me back, phoned hospital spoke to consultant whilst I was there who said I should go straight to the hospital emergency dept.
Met by consultant who took an armfull of blood and then put me on an insulin pump.
Stayed in hospital for 10 days whilst tested for everything.
Tests specifically to do with type 1 diagnosis were C peptide and several antibody tests.(ICA, IA2, GAD, IAA) also a whole raft of others : 24hr urine test/echograph on kidneys, heart, ct scan, exercise stress test, are those I can remember, presumably to exclude other reasons for diabetes and check I hadn't developed any other problems. In the couple of weeks after leaving hospital I also had a retinal check and an echograph on my arteries.
Consutant diagnosed type 1, but from what I have read since it is probably LADA, A form of type 1 in older people where the loss of beta cells is slower than in classic childhood type 1
I have read many times on this forum and others of people with similar histories and similar fasting glucose levels who are sent away from GPs surgeries with a prescription and no futher tests.... some of these are misdiagnosed. I was very lucky to be in a place where full investigations are the norm.

I was diagnosed after a routine blood test with BG of 8.7. I had no symptoms at all so this came as a shock.

Hi Denise,

As your OP was placed in the type 1 section, then are we to assume that you only want type 1 replies? I notice some type 2's are replying.

hi i was peeing and drinking loads i knew this was a sign of diabetes so after a few days went to docs where a blood test showed a high reading so was sent to hospital for tests and put on insulin

I took my son to the emergency department at hospital. I told them he had been thirsty a couple of days before and the nurse did a blood sugar test on a conventional glucose meter. It, of course, came up high. Many tests followed while in intensive care. He was given thyroid function tests and also tests to determine that diabetes was caused by an auto immune problem. Who knows what else they looked for...

Have a look at this thread:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=6845

Loads of accounts of how people were diagnosed...

Daughter was in advanced stages of DKA and admitted to hospital as emergency. They did blood gases, glucose readings, ketones and a whole raft of tests to determine severity. It was enough for them to work on her all night to revive her. When she finally stayed concious she was told the diagnosis and has accepted she is a lifer.