August 25, 2000
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Minnesota, USA:
My 10 year old daughter has shown signs of having diabetes for about a year and a half.I finally asked our family doctor if there was anyway that I could test her at home. He had me test her urine. They showed me what to look for and after two seconds the blue shaded area turned dark brown. Can what she ate during the day affect her test? If she indeed has diabetes, and I have waited this long, what has it done to her system by waiting? She is a very emotional child and isn’t handling this to well. How can I reassure her that everything is okay and she is still the same loving, caring 10 year old she was before the test?
Answer:
If her urine has tested positive for glucose, then it is important that she is checked out right away. You are right that she is the same daughter she always was. Children are not any different with diabetes, they are indeed the same person, but at the same time they need a lot of help and support when a diagnosis is made.
It is important that you go back to your doctor and get things sorted as soon as possible.
JS