Question:
Recently, I have been noticing many symptoms that are often associated
with undiagnosed diabetes such as constant fatigue, persistent thrist,
frequent urination, and I tend to sweat doing even simple physical tasks. I
am 16 years old. Because of these symptoms, a friend of mine who is a
diabetic helped me check my blood sugar using his monitor (it's a QIC).
Fortunately, the reading was 96 ... this is after not eating for a long
while -- about 5 hours. Just to be safe, I have checked several more times
at different times of the day, and about an hour after eating a normal meal,
it seems to hover right below 140. Right before meals, the glucose levels
seem to come from around 96 to up to around 115 (this is after not eating
anything for several hours).
I have been obese most of my life, and this is still true. However,
recently I have completely lost my appetite, and am only eating because I
know I need to -- not because of hunger. I am wondering if I should go
ahead and get a blood test for the doctor. If not, any ideas about what
might be causing the symptoms mentioned above? Perhaps diabetes is
something that I might need to watch out for in the future?
Answer:
Kyle, if you suspect, then you should get the test. If it is negative,
(you don't have diabetes), you should get yourself as healthy as you
can, and this means changing the way you eat, and also the exercise
you get. Make these lifelong changes. It can only help you.
I can only wish someone had given me this advice when I was your age.
I'm not obese anymore, but it took maybe twenty years to change my
lifestyle. Don't let it take you twenty years, you have so many years
of a good life in front of you.
