Our New Years Eve was quite eventful and not because we had a raging party. When I got home from work Ashton and Paul were asleep in our bed. I crawled in beside them and fell asleep. When I woke up at 9:30, I was surprised to see Ashton still asleep. I tried waking him but he wouldn't respond. I woke up Paul and He attempted to stand him up to put him in the shower to startle him. Ashton had his eyes open but was unable to stand up. We immediately told the kids to get dressed so we could take him to the hospital, and I called the pediatrician. The pediatrician told us to hang up and call 911. After a moment of shock, I told Paul to call 911. Brad and Nancy took the big kids. I just cried and cried and prayed and cried. He was so still, unable to move, didn't cry and just stared. The paramedics came in and it was all a blur. There were at least 8 men, I felt like they were all asking me questions at the same time. Ashton started to cry as they took his blood pressure and then they took a small blood sample to test this sugar. It was 52. I knew that was low for an adult and I remember saying "thats low right, he needs sugar". They agreed with me, told me to carry him outside where they put me and on the gurney with Ashton laying on my chest. They placed us in the back of the ambulance and called the hosptial where they received orders to give Ashton dextrose. They put an IV in his hand and he cried. I just stared at Paul standing outside of the ambulance looking in as our neighbors gathered around him. He had both hands placed on top of his head. He looked terrified.
We went lights and sirens the whole way. Paul rode in the front. Ashton laid on my chest. By the time we got there, Paul's parents were there waiting. Ashton continued to be lethargic. The nurses gave him apple juice, he drank from the straw and drank 3 cups full. The doctor admitted us. Ashton started to show his true colors once they gave him IV fluids. We continued to check his sugars throughout the night, after he protested and pulled out his IV. I was heart broken to learn his siblings were not allowed to visit. Paul bought me dinner and then went home to ring in the New Year with our older babies. Ashton and I fell asleep and woke up to a new year.
Upon discharge we still had no answers, just a faulty glucometer and a lot of questions.
Ashton was greeted at home with excitement, hugs and energy. We made monkey bread and did our own count down to New Years. Ashton happily went down to bed only to be woken up several times by Paul and I to check his blood sugar.
After seeing our pediatrician, consulting with the endocrinologist and checking his sugars 7 times a day, were found out that Ashton has ketotic hypoglycemia. He processes his sugar much faster than he should. It is also called "accelerated starvation". Hopefully he will outgrow this by the time he is 5 years old. Until then he needs to eat frequently and we need to check his sugars when he gets sick.
It was a rocky first year of 2017, but I am so thankful that this sweet boy is going to be ok. I am thankful that he is healthy.
