Diagnosing diabetes early is 'essential' for all
A KEEN horse rider is reassuring newly-diagnosed diabetics after developing the condition days before her 13th birthday.
As part of World Diabetes Day today, Georgie Frow, from Grainthorpe, is sharing her experiences of the condition with the hope of raising awareness among others.
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Treatment: Georgie Frow, 14, from Grainthorpe, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes days before her 13th birthday. Left, Georgie has been able to continue with her beloved horse riding.
Anne Foster and Jeanette Burson-Thomas, paediatric diabetes specialist nurses for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, are also calling on people to be aware of the signs of the condition in children.
Georgie, now 14, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in December 2010 – a week before entering her teenage years.
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She recalls knowing nothing about the condition at first, but with help from her family, friends and specialist nurses, she now says: "I have diabetes but diabetes has not got me."
She added: "Looking back before I was diagnosed, I should have realised something was wrong.
"I was constantly tired and couldn't concentrate at school, but I thought that was how everyone felt.
"I was also very slim to the point where my music teacher at school said to my head of year at the time that I might be suffering from anorexia.
"It was a shock when I was first told the news, I was scared of going back and forth to hospital.
"I went into hospital weighing around four stone and I was so pale.
"My specialist diabetic nurse, Mary, helped me to understand how to inject myself, test my blood sugar and to learn what foods had what carbohydrates.
"Within the first two days of taking insulin I was feeling better and within the first couple of months I had put on one-and-a-half-stone."
Georgie wants to reassure others that everything will be fine.
She said: "You do worry at the start, but I have been able to carry on everything – only now I am healthy. And friends are great, do not be concerned that they will not understand – if they are true friends, they will."
The key warning signs to look out for in children who may have diabetes are:
Urinating a lot.
Losing weight.
Lacking energy.
Drinking a lot.
Mrs Foster said: "This year, the World Diabetes Day campaign has a special focus on children and young people.
"The aim is to increase awareness of the symptoms and warning signs for diabetes. Also, that in many cases, Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through healthy eating and physical activity.
"For those children who develop Type 1 diabetes, early diagnosis is essential in preventing diabetes ketoacidosism, which is a life-threatening condition.
"If your child is showing any of the signs, then you should seek advice from your GP.
"Diabetes can affect children at any age, but is something that with the right support can be managed well."
To find out more, visit www.diabetes.org.uk
Comments
by crissy21
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 10:22AM
“may 1999 one of my daughters was 11 yrs old, drinking lots, lost weight, peeing lots and sleeping lots, i had an excuse for all symptoms, ie, very active playing for the school netball team, was a warm may that year so drinking lots , therefore peeing lots, put losing weight and sleeping due to being very active etc etc, even though her father has type 1 diabetes i still closed my eyes to the fact, until one day in may my mum all of a sudden said, " could she be Diabetic", it was like a bolt of lightening, why didnt i think of that, the end of the school day seemed never ending until i could do a blood glucose test on her, and yes, she had a very high blood glucose level, i was devastated and so was she. but with the wonderful support of Caroline , Mary and the lovely Dr Abourawi ,We learnt that Diabetes in children is not the end of the world. it is a condition and can be controlled well and must be, she is now a beautiful happily married 24 year old with two beautiful children,”