Well my diagnosis came as a very unwelcome 40th birthday pressie. I had all the classic symptoms for about six months - weight loss, thirst, hunger, etc but had no inkling it was diabetes. In fact I knew nothing about diabetes. I had upped my exercise & thought that was the cause. And hey, I was losing weight! Everyone was telling me how great I looked & I didn't feel sick or tired. Mum & Dad were due for a visit from Qld & hadn't seen me for more than a year so I thought I better get my yearly check-up so I could reassure them I was fine.
I wasn't. My doctor didn't recognise me at first - I had lost over 12kilos & was weighing in at 47kilos. She asked me if I was thirsty, hungry etc & gave me a finger prick. It registered Hi & she sent me to casualty.
It was surreal - I just was not sick! Doctors kept coming & asking questions about my drinking habits, past weight & telling me I must be Type 2 & I was far too old to be Type 1. At this stage I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. They kept going into huddles & looking my way. No-one had actually given my partner & myself any basic information about diabetes. Once I finally got a bed in a ward I got more info than I could actually take in. It was all such a blur for the first few days - so much to learn. I think the biggest thing that would have benefited me at that stage would have been to talk to someone else with diabetes. And to be told that it wasn't that rare to be diagnosed at an older age. The podiatrist that was sent to talk to me gave me a speech on gestational diabetes!
It took me a while, but I finally feel I have a handle on things. Did a lot of self eduction through the internet & resources such as Reality Check & Hypostasis have been invaluable. Now happily pumping & in control.