Meet Collin

Collin was born 3 weeks early weighing 7 lb 8 oz. He was otherwise a very healthy baby boy. I noticed immediately that while most babies could sleep for 3 hours at a time, we were lucky to get 2 hours of sleep due to Collin's need to eat. Collin was frequently ill, developing severe pneumonia shortly after his first birthday. "Things just did not seem right". Try to explain that to anybody, much less a doctor.

 

Collin was not just sleepy; he was frequently unresponsive. However, by the time we would get to a physician Collin would have perked up. I know now that this was his response to being given juice. These "episodes" gradually became severe enough that we know realize Collin was experiencing seizures due to the low blood sugar. During one of our trips to the emergency room, a physician opted to take Collin's blood sugar, testing him at 40. Although we were on the right track from that point, it would take over a year and even lower drops in Collin's blood sugar to finally get the diagnosis of Congenital Hyperinsulinism.

 

Today, Collin is an energetic, rambunctious 4 year old. Although he has a speech delay for which he receives therapy, we are extremely blessed that there were no other permanent effects or damage resulting from his low blood sugar. We test Collin's blood sugar daily, as the specific type of HI he has does not respond to medication. Although there are various other precautions and measures we follow to maintain his health, I realize that we are extremely blessed and hope to educate and assist other families facing the same challenges.

 

Collin wears a medical ID tag and has his significant medical information on-line. His endocrinologist prepared a brief protocol that Collin's pediatrician has submitted to all local medical facilities - in the event that Collin has a blood sugar drop we do not have to waste precious time explaining his condition to the staff. I have learned that time is of the essence. A couple hours can mean the difference between an office visit and an in-patient hospital stay. 

 

We monitor Collin's diet closely to ensure he avoids simple sugars and eats plenty of complex carbohydrates. We no longer have to wake Collin up in the middle of the night to check his blood sugars or force feed him Pedisure drinks (not fun for anybody involved). I recently discovered that a couple glasses of whole milk with cornstarch before bedtime help to maintain my son's blood sugar over night (up to 8-9 hours straight!).

 

Although certain day to day illnesses virtually guarantee blood sugar drops for Collin, they also can occur very unexpectedly. There is no "one" way to approach this disease given the various forms it can take. It is extremely important, however, to discuss any and all medical protocol with your medical professional. If you feel uncomfortable with the doctor or the advice, NEVER hesitate to get a second opinion.