September 7, 2009
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Waco, Texas, USA:
For years, I have been getting my daughter tested for diabetes because it runs heavy on one side of the family, is present in both sides of the family. Every test come back negative. She is now 10 years old and, at one time, was gaining a lot of weight. This summer, she lost 23 pounds, which is a lot for a 10-year-old who is not physically active. She loves reading and computers. My daughter has been tested for diabetes twice in the last 10 months and I am waiting for the results of the second test. I know something is wrong, but I am not the doctors or the laboratory so, what else can I do?
My daughter has had bed wetting problems since she was four or five (still does it at times). She is always tired (I thought she was being just lazy), always thirsty (I thought that’s why she was bed wetting), now the rapid weight loss (I thought it was because I changed my cooking habits during the summer). No one else has lost weight. I do not want to sound paranoid but something is wrong even though all the tests are coming back normal. What else could she have?
Answer:
It certainly sounds as if your daughter needs a complete history and physical examination from the same healthcare provider who has seen her before so that comparisons can be made with her previous height, weight, blood pressure, etc. If you have changed doctors, contact the previous clinic and get her records forwarded to the new doctor.
The symptoms are consistent with diabetes mellitus but other conditions could mimic many of the symptoms. Make an appointment for a complete evaluation. In my experience, a “walk-in” appointment often does not provide the doctor with enough dedicated time.
Let us know what you learn after this and the latest blood tests.
DS
