Hi - I'm newly diagnosed T2 in early August. I had proteinurea during my first pregnancy and was told later that I was borderline diabetic but I was never given any advice about what to do about it, nor was it ever suggested I should have blood tests.
In my late 30's I suffered from chronic fatigue for more than 20 years. I hit the menopause early, had a lot of stress in my life and in my 40's I looked like a stick insect with all the symptoms of diabetes, drinking lots, urinating lots, losing weight etc - yet still no diagnosis. My GP decided I was depressed and prescribed antidepressants and the other symptoms were ignored. I've changed doctors several times but of course medical records travel with you and once you have a diagnosis of depression, they tend to see every symptom you complain of as a manifestation of depression.
In the meantime, I developed IBS, asthma, Meniere's Disease, gastritis, hiatus hernia, gynae probs, angioedema and two episodes of anaphylactic shock which nearly cost me my life. I'm now overweight because these illnesses have prevented me from exercising like I used to.
After all that, I finally got a diagnosis of T2 diabetes and I'm both elated because I'm finally, hopefully, getting the right treatment and I'm very angry because I think had I been diagnosed sooner, I may not have suffered all these other complications and misdiagnoses and be a lot fitter than I am now.
I read recently that there are around 850,000 people with undiagnosed diabetes. And what I want to know is WHY diabetes is so difficult for the NHS to diagnose? And also, HOW do they know there are 850,000 with undiagnosed diabetes unless they can spot it in advance? And if they can spot it in advance - why the hell don't they treat it BEFORE it becomes so severe?
Perhaps a simple lowering of the pass/fail level of the blood test would be all it would take? Maybe people with a level of 5 instead of 6 should be deemed diabetic for instance?
I'm interested to hear what others feel about the length of time it took for them to be diagnosed. How long did you experience symptoms before you were diagnosed?
In my late 30's I suffered from chronic fatigue for more than 20 years. I hit the menopause early, had a lot of stress in my life and in my 40's I looked like a stick insect with all the symptoms of diabetes, drinking lots, urinating lots, losing weight etc - yet still no diagnosis. My GP decided I was depressed and prescribed antidepressants and the other symptoms were ignored. I've changed doctors several times but of course medical records travel with you and once you have a diagnosis of depression, they tend to see every symptom you complain of as a manifestation of depression.
In the meantime, I developed IBS, asthma, Meniere's Disease, gastritis, hiatus hernia, gynae probs, angioedema and two episodes of anaphylactic shock which nearly cost me my life. I'm now overweight because these illnesses have prevented me from exercising like I used to.
After all that, I finally got a diagnosis of T2 diabetes and I'm both elated because I'm finally, hopefully, getting the right treatment and I'm very angry because I think had I been diagnosed sooner, I may not have suffered all these other complications and misdiagnoses and be a lot fitter than I am now.
I read recently that there are around 850,000 people with undiagnosed diabetes. And what I want to know is WHY diabetes is so difficult for the NHS to diagnose? And also, HOW do they know there are 850,000 with undiagnosed diabetes unless they can spot it in advance? And if they can spot it in advance - why the hell don't they treat it BEFORE it becomes so severe?
Perhaps a simple lowering of the pass/fail level of the blood test would be all it would take? Maybe people with a level of 5 instead of 6 should be deemed diabetic for instance?
I'm interested to hear what others feel about the length of time it took for them to be diagnosed. How long did you experience symptoms before you were diagnosed?
