Pre-Diagnosis

I am going to start in August 2012, just 3 months ago.  That is when I believe this all started.  

Justin is a happy go lucky 7 year old, getting ready to start 2nd grade, and the soccer season.  

This is Justin at the beginning of the soccer season, weighing about 60lbs.

Looking back now that we know the diagnosis, the symptoms were present for about 3 months.  But it started with drinking all the time, then the running to the bathroom a bunch!  But he seemed to be drinking more the nights he had practice or a game, so we didn't think much of it.  Slowly over the soccer season, it was getting worse, couldn't last a whole practice or game (both about 1 hour) without going several times. He was also tired a lot and didn't want to run around as much as the other kids, I thought he was just being lazy and didn't want to play........I feel bad about that now, cause he did want to play he was just truly tired. 

Slowly over the next few months the weight was dropping off of him, but of course wasn't immediately noticeable.  My husband mentioned one night after his shower that you could see his bones, he's always been tall and thin, so we figured he grew and made sure he was eating more.  Suddenly about 3 weeks ago, he was starving!  Went from a waffle or 2 in the morning, to wanting 5 and a yogurt or 2!!!  It was crazy, but I thought his body was trying to make up the lost pounds.     
  
Soccer season ended the first weekend in November, and the next 2 weeks the symptoms just got worse, and now we had nothing to blame it on.  The teacher mentioned to me that he asked to use the bathroom a lot, and if that was normal for at home too.  I said yes, cause that was the "norm" lately.  Still took note more and more at home, and thought I was really just over-evaluating the symptoms.  

The weekend of November 17th & 18th, is what really just hit me that something was wrong, and I had a gut feeling that it was Diabetes.  The 17th, we went to a birthday party & Justin was not himself at all!  Just grouchy & miserable all day.  The 18th we went to a Nascar race in Homestead, Justin loves race cars.  He was miserable again, just very tired all day and soooo thirsty!  Drank 2 lemonades in about an hour, and they were huge!  He was trying to nap while the cars were racing, it was loud, but he didn't care.  We ended up leaving earlier than we had planned, he was just not feeling well.  The 2 hour car ride home, we had to stop I think 5 times for him to use the bathroom!  I was a nervous wreck & decided I was calling his doctor in the morning.  

     This is Justin at the race on Sunday November 18th, 1 day before diagnosis.  Its so obvious now when I look at pictures.  But the symptoms didn't all appear at once, so individually we had another reason why they were happening.  He was down to about 45lbs here.  This picture just breaks my heart, my poor little guy. 

My poor little Justin, he was trying so hard to be happy that day, but he was not feeling good at all :(