How did you find out you had diabetes?

I had no symptoms at all

Went to see the nurse at my GP surgery about a boil under my armpit. I happened to say to her that I had had a few boils come and go recently. So she checked my blood sugar and screamed, in a eureka type voice "you're diabetic". (Type 2). She sounded really pleased with herself.

Well I had alot of problems trying to convince the doctor that I was diabetic! Was drinking alot only after my evening meal but blamed the warm weather. But it was the weight loss that triggered alarm bells. After frequent trips to the GP surgery over a period of 2 weeks eventually ended up in hospital. The consultant was great and told me never to go to the GP with any diabetic problems as they don't know enough about it. Hospital or Dsn to be first port of call. It explains why they didn't believe me I suppose. (This was only 6 months ago)

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I had gestational diabetes in 1991 and then it went. In 1997 I had thrush a few times so my Dr tested me for diabetes and confirmed I was type 2! I never had the usual symptoms.

I found out through a bout of persistant thrush.

First heart attack, paramedic in ambulance did a test while being transferred to the heart hospital from the local one.

I had an angina attack around 1995, was admitted to hospital ICU for 3 days. At one point a nurse came to me and gave me a glass of milk saying that my blood sugar was too low.
An old chap in the bed opposite overheard and asked me if I drank much, I said yes well I'm partial to a pint or two he said "no, not alcohol, do you drink much water tea etc", I said that I did and his reply was that when I got out I should see a doctor as I was probably diabetic. He said the docs in the hospital probably wouldn't spot it as they were too busy .
On my first visit to the docs on my release I told this tale of the old chap to the doc and he ordered tests which proved positive for T2

Called in by my health fund for not having done blood tests for two years. Thanks to the conscientious nurse who did his job very well I was "got" just in time.

couldn't see properly and a pharmacist at Tesco gave me a blood test then told me to leave shopping and go to a&e

Went for test for cataract opertion they gave me blood test .It was 23. I now have Retinopathy and neuropathy
because I had Diabetes type 2 for years without realising it. know tell everyone go and be tested.

Sweeeeeeeeeet said:

I was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I had all the classic symptoms, weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent urination, etc. I would get really dizzy after eating certain foods with carbs in them. I avoided going to the doctor for the longest time, hoping it would pass. Then I noticed my urine was sudsy and someone told me my breath smelled fruity, and the next thing I know, I'm being rushed to the hospital! The ER doctor said I had DKA and me, thinking I was dying, just stared blankly at him. He explained what DKA was and told me I was very sick. After about a week's stay at the hospital, I feel somewhat better physically, but I'm really upset about the diagnosis. Do all type 1 diabetics get diagnosed after being DKA?

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My diagnosis was somewhat similar. I went to see my GP following three days of vomiting, blurred vision and intense abdominal pain. She had me on the table (that sounds rude, does't it?) poking around and asked if I had my appendix out and various other things. She said I looked poorly and dehydrated (seven years of medical training for her degree and a further two years placement in GP's surgeries to observe!) at which point I relayed to her what I had drunk the previous day: 9 cans of coke, two litres of water, a litre of weakend Vimto...I could see the light bulb moment above her head when she whipped out a glucose monitor and measured my glucose and the meter simply said HI. I was taken to hospital where I found myself in a kafkaesque world. Four hours and despite my constant pleadings for a drink of water I got none. The following two days I was unconscious and once I did regain consciousness I was wired and clipped almost everywhere on my body. They said it was my own fault for not recognising the symptoms! I had no frame of reference with no one in my family had been or was currently diabetic which, they said, was no excuse! These days I inject insulin six times daily plus taking a gram of metformin. My eyesight is weakening, my weight is up and down and my median glucose reading is around 28. What will happen after May7 if the Tories win a majority, despite their rhetoric, the dismantling of the NHS will continue until it no longer exists and we will be paying for life insurance and medical treatments as they do in America.

I had been tired and thirsty for about a week whilst away in the summer.

My dad is type 1 so I told him when I returned and he tested my blood. It was HI so went to the doctors the next day and went home a type 1

all the classic sign at the age or 12 .
me and mum went to the GP and he said i was faking and only doing this to get of school and then he came out with maybe i had malaria.
The east end of London was very multi cultural but i don't think we had mosquito's.

I had been losing weight for about six months (1.5 stone) and feeling tired. Started craving orange juice and fizzy drinks which was out of the ordinary for me, but water wouldn't quench my thirst. Mouth and eyes became very dry and during the last month before diagnosis my eyesight became increasingly blurry. Had Grave's disease previously which was treated with radio-active iodine 12 years ago and thought that it may have become underactive. Saw doctor and had blood test - told to go back in a week for results, but instead had phone call later that day to say blood sugar level was 33 and started on Metformin 3 a day. Went back two weeks later and was then put on Sitagliptin. That was 18 months ago and hba!c has improved, but numbers starting to rise again so trying hard to keep the carbs down as much as possible.

All the classic symptoms...I did think it could be diabetes but waved it off... then chest and arm pain on my left side...my husband call the ambulance they checked my blood sugars...It was soo high it wasn't giving any numbers so I went to a+e and had a blood test and they said I was type 1 ..that was about 4 years ago.. and before I was diagnosed I was really ill with malaria, couldn't eat, drink or even get out of bed ..and only stayed in hospital over night

with a family history of diabetes my docter gave me the strips for testing my urine felt unwell one day tested and it was positive.

I was 18 and all of a sudden had this strange thirst that just couldn't be quenched, I would be planning what to drink next before finishing the drink I had. My mother, who was a nurse, told me I was addicted to the sugar in the drinks, I disagreed because it was all drinks not just sugary ones. She said it was either that or diabetes and she brought home a stick to pee on to prove it wasn't diabetes. She nearly died when it went brown, she rang the hospital she worked at and we were told to go straight there. I was pleased that she was wrong about the sugary drinks (oh how I wish she'd been right now) I had no idea what being diabetic involved I am the only one in our family. I was in hospital for a week, but no DKA thank goodness, the worst thing was them taking blood. I'd never had blood taken and they had so much trouble getting it from my arm that in the end they had to get it from my groin and I was mortified because I was wearing the tiniest pair of knickers imaginable and the doctor taking it was my mum's friend, male and very nervous because mum was waiting outside!! That was nearly 30 years ago and I'm still wobbling along ok.

No obvious symptoms still haven't ...annual blood test cos of high blood pressure so that's how my type 2 came to light last year ..Which is a good thing in a way because I would just have carried on eating loads of carbs etc and been none the wiser until I had symptoms.

Had a health check up and was diagnosed with prediabetes.fast forward two years started having the thirst and wanted too pee all the time,went back to doctors got blood tests done type 2 that's was three years ago

I had to keep going to the toilet, had food cravings (lemon curd/jam sandwiches) and full sugar coke for months, severe mood swings, clamminess, losing weight and shaking hands. Felt really grotty and out of it. Literally 'off with the fairies'. Went to doctors eventually who sent me for blood tests right away.

Went for test cataract operation they gave me blood test. O, MGD,. I had diabetes for years without realising it. So bad.