Diagnosing an Adult with Hyperinsulinism
Google search terms: hyperinsulinism, adult diagnosis hyperinsulinism, adult onset hyperinsulinism, late onset hyperinsulinism, adult congenital hyperinsulinism
Setting: BC, Canada (Lower mainland / Metro. Vancouver area) in the very near future (doing the math based on my character's birth date, 2017)
A 43 year old male character needs to end up being diagnosed with hyperinsulinism that is not due to an insulinoma tumour.
He ends up in emergency after suffering a hypoglycemic seizure. Through medical history questioning by the paramedics and the hospital staff, it is known that he has been eating very little for over a month (possibly two) at this point, and when asked about his health as a child he'll describe symptoms associated with a very mild case of congenital hyperinsulinism.
I'm thinking that he's had such a mild case all his life that he's been aware that something's off, but it's never become a major concern until now, and it has taken such a turn now because of his recent extreme change in diet.
Question #1: How realistic is my assumption? I don't care if it's a one in a million case, I just want to know that this is actually possible.
Question #2: How will this be diagnosed, how long will it take to get a diagnosis, and when would he be released from the hospital?
Question #3: What is the short and long term treatment after he's released from the hospital? Is it likely that he'll eventually get back to the inconsequential very mild symptoms that he's always had once he gets his diet back on track (and if so, how long will this take), or has he permanently increased the severity of his symptoms?
Setting: BC, Canada (Lower mainland / Metro. Vancouver area) in the very near future (doing the math based on my character's birth date, 2017)
A 43 year old male character needs to end up being diagnosed with hyperinsulinism that is not due to an insulinoma tumour.
He ends up in emergency after suffering a hypoglycemic seizure. Through medical history questioning by the paramedics and the hospital staff, it is known that he has been eating very little for over a month (possibly two) at this point, and when asked about his health as a child he'll describe symptoms associated with a very mild case of congenital hyperinsulinism.
I'm thinking that he's had such a mild case all his life that he's been aware that something's off, but it's never become a major concern until now, and it has taken such a turn now because of his recent extreme change in diet.
Question #1: How realistic is my assumption? I don't care if it's a one in a million case, I just want to know that this is actually possible.
Question #2: How will this be diagnosed, how long will it take to get a diagnosis, and when would he be released from the hospital?
Question #3: What is the short and long term treatment after he's released from the hospital? Is it likely that he'll eventually get back to the inconsequential very mild symptoms that he's always had once he gets his diet back on track (and if so, how long will this take), or has he permanently increased the severity of his symptoms?