(BPT) - Sponsored by Sanofi

Life often brings surprises, and many can be welcome. However, sometimes being caught off guard can be scary or overwhelming. This is especially true when it comes to your health, for example receiving an unexpected diagnosis like that of type 1 diabetes.

People often find out they have type 1 diabetes when they are in a later stage (stage 3) of the disease, which is when clinical symptoms begin to occur. In stage three, the body is no longer able to make enough or any insulin which causes blood sugar levels to rise much higher than the normal range. What happens next is lifelong dependence on insulin injections to maintain target blood sugar levels - and it may carry a heavy burden for individuals and their families alike.

Karim Jones and her family know this feeling all too well. Unknowingly, Jones' daughter was experiencing tell-tale symptoms of type 1 diabetes, including extreme thirst, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. When they went to the doctor, Jones remembered a previous conversation she had with a friend and asked the doctor to test her daughter for type 1 diabetes. It turned out her daughter not only had type 1 diabetes, but she was also in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes.

Jones immediately received a deluge of information about managing her daughter's blood sugar levels, the impact of diet, insulin dosing, and more, which made her feel overwhelmed and uncertain. When the stakes are as high as supporting a child's health, more time to learn how to manage the disease can be extremely valuable. Early detection of type 1 diabetes is possible through screening and this advanced information can provide time to prepare for the future - but early screening for type 1 diabetes is relatively uncommon prior to diagnosis due largely to a lack of awareness. The1Pledge.com has more information on why early screening can be important.

'Knowing in advance, even by just one month, would have made an important difference for our entire family and given us the time to prepare in a way that wasn't so rushed,' Jones shares. 'Type 1 diabetes management requires countless extra decisions each day that I'm responsible for as a caregiver. It's on me to manage my daughter's health, and the mental load that goes along with that responsibility is one of the hardest parts.'

Indeed, advanced notice through a blood test that can detect type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies early can help families in a multitude of ways, including but not limited to:

• Building a multidisciplinary care team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and other supportive healthcare providers to meet with (typically every 3-6 months).
• Learning more about the disease from that care team to better recognize symptoms when they do arise (stage 3) and potentially reducing the risk of going through DKA by up to 50%.
• Developing the skills needed to manage the disease, in the face of up to 10 finger pricks per day to measure blood sugar and an estimated 1,460 insulin injections each year.

'My husband and I agreed that we never wanted to be caught off guard like that again, so after my daughter was diagnosed, our whole family got screened, including our other three children,' Jones notes. 'As a parent, you would do anything for your kids, and when I learned screening was an option after my daughter's diagnosis, I wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to know if my family was at risk. Before we got the family screened, I felt like I was living in fear, worried that if my child was thirsty, it might be a red flag; now that we've gotten the kids screened, I feel better informed.'

Jones continued: 'As a mother who has lived through an unexpected diagnosis, I believe everyone should get screened. About 90% of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes do not have a family history of the disease, which was the case for my daughter. If it's fear of knowing that's stopping you from getting screened, hear me when I say that you don't want to get to a point where your child is experiencing DKA - that is much, much scarier. Knowing in advance may make a difference for your family.'

Talk to your doctor about screening for type 1 diabetes.

Sanofi does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment - information is provided for educational purposes only. Your doctor is the best source of health information. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your health or treatment.

Karim Jones is a paid spokesperson for Sanofi.