I have been fearful in actually taking a test it took me a long time to actually get the nerves up to find out if i had it until my health began to fail and then thats when I realized it was time.

This is a lot to take in, and frankly getting my mother to answer questions is nearly impossible. I don't know what type she has, I know that might seem like I don't care, but I've tried asking her questions and like I said she can be difficult, but I do know that she has been overweight for years and that now she watches her sugar like a hawk. I'm not overweight myself, I was but I lost the weight last year, I gained it because I am a heavy coffee drinker and I sweeten my coffee, but now I use splenda. The weight just fell off.

No worries! More than likely she might not even know that there IS more than one form of diabetes. Most people don't! And most doctors unfortunately never take the time to really explain a condition to their patient (assuming the patient is mentally fit to understand).

It sounds like your mother has Type 2 diabetes. This is the form often linked to excess weight. It is more common in the elderly. The good news is, in many cases, Type 2 diabetes can be delayed and even prevented with a healthy lifestyle. As you can see, small changes make a *huge* difference. Congrats on your weight loss! Now you just need to stick with it!

Type 1 diabetes (used to be called Juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes) *normally* appears in children and is sudden onset. This form always requires insulin right away, is not ever preventable, and is NOT linked to diet, exercise, or weight.

Note: If you have any sudden excess weight loss that is unexplained, or have any symptoms of diabetes (extreme thirst, excess urination, etc.) see your doctor right away. I do think you should ask you doctor for a diabetes screening as soon as you can, just to be safe. Following a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a normal weight can go a long way to help prevent some cases of Type 2 diabetes.

Don't be hard on yourself. There is a lot to learn, but know that you are already ahead of the game by asking questions and educating yourself. Your mom is very lucky that she has someone like you, and I think she is in good hands!

Remember this: Small changes make big impacts. That's a huge role in diabetes management. Let me know how Meals on Wheels works out for your mom!

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Pre-Med Student

Its hard to go by symptoms because alot of the symptoms are shared with other diseases aor sickness. So its like if you get to the point where you are unsure about how you are feeling, then go get checked for diabeties. Its better to be safe than sorry.

I think people might not be so worried about being tested for diabetes if they understood how simple a procedure it is really. Only one drop of blood is needed in the doctor's office and if he's already taking blood for any other tests, well all it has to be is added to the order form for tests.

Also, I think people have the idea they will have to start taking insulin right away and that scared them. If they understood that they can start to get better by taking a pill, then the fear of asking to be tested might go down a lot.

Is it possible that you could not hve any symptoms at all and sould just need to get tested due to family history?

According to teh NIH, its nwo becoming stanbard to do a Glucose test. A basic in office may not, however be conclusive.
If you are showing signs often an A1C and test tube test might be required.
Too many times teh use of a hand glucose meter has not showed elevations, and lab tests do via standard lab work.
If teh perosn is showing even basic symptoms its a good idea.

One thing though, Metabolic X syndrowm, pre diabetes will notshow up in hand held units. other tests are needed for that.

Do you have more cases of people developing diabetes or do you have more cases of people being born with it?

That question still has to be answered.
It seems as though, invitro fertilization may have a definite factor. They surmise that the manipulation of eggs, sperm and insertion. Not to mention the artificial stimulation of FSH and other hormones.
So there seems to a preponderance of" born with" caused by outside effects which in effect is caused…
A mobius loop.

Some are definitely genetic. In one study, like in my family you just cant get away from genetics. So again born.
The amount that is caused come a variety of things:
Pancreatic problems, accidents, inoculations that went wrong, Lupus, drug reactions all can create true diabetes.
And now there is a definite differentiation between true diabetes and diabetes: other.
True diabetes is where blood level insulin tests are done and shows either insulin levels that are either present or not present and other blood factors that cooberrate which diabetes a persona may have.
And pre diabetes, borderline and insulin insensitivity.
The last is more common than we think. This is type 2 in most cases, so its often age, disease and factor brought on.

So in answer to your question, they still do

Because the test is so easy, and it can even more easily be done when the blood is drawn for another test, then I can't see why everyone isn't tested.

I suggest that every one of us, who have already been diagnosed, talk to our relatives and take a glucose test for them with our machines from time to time.

As long as we have it in the house, and that relatives of people with diabetes also are high on the list of people who might get diabetes, we might just save the health of someone near and dear to us by testing them ourselves.