My brother has some symptoms of diabetes — he is always hungry, thirsty, and he uses the restroom a lot too. He is six years old and weighs 50 pounds. Is he overweight? Should we get him tested for diabetes? I (his sister) have diabetes, and I have tried testing his blood sugar, but he won’t let me or anyone else even come close to him with my machine. He eats a snack at night before bed around 9:00 pm and goes to sleep around 9:30 pm. Should I check his blood then? (The snack is usually only a cup of cereal or something.)

Congratulations on being such a wonderful big sister. Perhaps you can convince your brother to have a finger poke to test his blood sugar. He might agree if you offer him something in return like playing a game or taking a walk to the park.

You told me he weighs 50 pounds, but I need to know how tall he is to figure out if he is overweight. Usually, people lose weight when they are getting type 1 diabetes. Another idea is to test his urine for glucose or ketones. Do you have urine test strips at home for when you get sick?

Tell a parent or trusted grown up about your concerns. They should help get your brother to the doctor to get him tested for the symptoms you’ve described.

HVS