Also takes a considerable amount of time for diabetes symptoms to develop. My mum was in her 20s and was in the pub one day with my dad on their third date, when a off duty nurse came up to her and said she noticed my mum was non stop drinking squash over and over and asked how long my mum has been drinking that fast and that much squash, mum said around 2 months, off duty nurse told her that she’s showing signs of diabetes and to go to her GP ASAP, When she called in for an appointment, GP asked get to come in next day, she had a blood test done and was diagnosed a week later.