What do you say...

What do you say when someone comes to you seeking advice to determine if the symptoms that one of their children are having could be diabetes.  I often get people asking me HOW did you know? WHAT were her symptoms? WILL she out grow out it? And then every once in awhile I get... "These are my childs symptoms, do you think it could be Diabetes?"  I dont like to freak people out, which is hard to do when I am trying to educate people about this disease.  I try to tell people these are the symptoms,  VERY frequent urination,  LETHARGIC, a giant high blood sugar ATTITUDE, and UNCONTROLLABLE thirst ( I remember asking my daughter before diagnosis if she was really that thirsty after I caught her drinking out of the bathroom sink, and her reply is what sticks with me, "I dont know how to explain it she said, Its not that Im thirsty, it's like I have to have it (water)" Ugh... and that's when I knew. So as much as I dont like to freak people out, I also dont want to tell them what I heard from other people, things like.. your crazy, she is fine,  its hot out of course she is thirsty.  I tell people what the symptoms to watch for, I tell them go buy a $15.00 meter and just check, that $15.00 could save your childs life.  I by no means claim to be a Dr, but I do take the more proactive approach by telling people if its a concern and you are seeing these symptoms just check their blood sugar, it takes only a second.  I encourage them to speak with their DR.'s but I also know of many diagnosis stories that the pediatrician wouldnt even check for diabetes, because they did not believe that is what it could be, and within weeks maybe even days that child was in the ER fighting for their life.  So I find that it is a tight balance between not scaring parents but giving them proactive advice if they are seeing true symptoms of this disease.  I pray that through all the parents that approach me that not one will have to face diabetes in the life of their child