This article was originally published on Feb. 7, 2022.
When I noticed our 14-year-old son drinking more water than usual, I commented to my husband that sudden thirst may be a sign of diabetes. We’re in the midst of a heat wave, he countered. A few days later our son seemed unusually tired, and I again mentioned the possibility of diabetes. Our son’s summer days were filled with sports and building sets for a play, my husband responded.
After my son told me he’d been up all night going to the bathroom, I finally called his pediatrician. As it turned out, his blood sugar levels tested dangerously high. Already thin, he had lost 11 pounds in the three months, despite eating more than usual. As we headed to the children’s hospital for emergency treatment, I told the pediatric nurse I’d suspected diabetes but didn’t call because my husband kept coming up with logical explanations. “The mother’s gut is always right,” the nurse said.
