I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 8. It took about 6 months for my parents to realise something was up. I remember they were told by their GP I had low iron - so they were cooking up liver for almost every meal I ate (ugh - I now like it) - and on top of that these horrible liver pills that I couldn't swallow. Instead I would chew them - and I'd be rewarded with a candy <lol> - go figure. I was losing weight as well - my clothing was not staying on quite right - and I was hungry all the time. At one point I had snuck into a friends house when they were away for the w/e - climbed up on their kitchen counter to scout the cupboards for food! I always wonder if they noticed any food missing (they had good food in their cupboards) and I feel slightly embarrassed telling you this - but what the heck! Along with drinking water like a horse - going inbetween neighbours houses to take a pee - wetting the bed at night (my Mum got really angry with me!!!) - well - I think my Mum started to realise that something was not quite right. There was no children's hospital (this is back in the late 60's) close by - so I spent about 2 weeks in a hospital ward with older diabetics (Type 2) - and I think to this day - this is why I get along with the "mature" generation. I did find out later that diabetes was on my Mum's side of the family - my great grandmother had died in her 90's and they discovered she had diabetes then.

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Anna from Montreal
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Diagnosed 1968
Presently using Animas 2020
Oct 2008 - A1C of 5.9

I remember this vividly since it was only last May. My family was getting ready to move and I was probably the most reluctant of the 4 of us to do so. Since I would be transfering schools I needed to get a physical done. The apointment went like this.
"Hello, I am a new doctor here. I am 27 years old and just got out of college," she explained.
So she leaves the room and two more nurses come in to take some tests. One pulls out a glucometer and takes my reading. We put in the blood and it registers as High. Now the nurse, seeming surprised, tests it again to get the same result.
The doctor quickly comes back to ask about me. She asks my symptoms. I told her I have been using the bathroom a lot and drinking a lot. She then comes right out to it and says I have diabetes. Needless to say we were pretty shocked. She tells us to go to the hospital ASAP and bring clothes because I would be staying there a while. My mom, sister, and I decided to have dinner before going to the hospital. We stopped at my favorite restoraunte and I ordered a regular Coke (why, you might ask, I don't know it seemed like a good idea at the time).
Pre-diagnosis, my mom thought that I was only getting nervous because of the big move. However now that I think back on it I do see many of the symptoms such as waking up in the middle of the night to take a trip to the bathroom. I even took a 4 day class trip to Washington D.C. a month before being diagnosed.