I'm not sure if I should respond to this here, since it's an FHL
cross-post.  Sukie, you can forward it to the FHL or to the person who
originally asked for insulinoma options.
 
>I know that May was not that long ago, but there are other surgical
>options, like a partial pancreatectomy, that are associated with
>significantly increase remission times over simple nodulectomy.
>
>With kindest regards,
>Bruce Williams
 
My Sammy was diagnosed with insulinoma in early 1999 (at not quite 5 years
of age).  At the time we did a nodulectomy, but he didn't seem to benefit.
Initially we controlled his condition with diet, then after several months
added prednisone.  In time the pred doses started rising and the benefits
were shrinking.  About a year after Sammy's initial diagnosis we tried a
second surgery, a partial pancreatectomy.  Sammy was almost 6 at the time.
 
The results were nothing short of miraculous.  Before the surgery Sammy's
BG would sometimes drop as low as 20.  He was on prednisone, supplemental
feedings, and was still having attacks up to 2 or 3 times a week.
 
Two weeks after the second surgery his fasting BG was 100, with no
prednisone and no supplemental diet.
 
That was 16 months ago, and Sammy's fasting BG is still 80.  He hasn't
had a single attack since then.  I could never have hoped for such great
results.
 
Of course this is only one case; Sammy may have been exceptionally lucky.
But it sure gives *me* a high opinion of partial pancreatectomies.
 
--
John Rosloot, Caregiver to Sammy, and the New Little Ones
With loving memories of my dear departed Buddy,
and my precious little Cassie-angel
http://www.cs.uregina.ca/~john/ferrets
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[Posted in FML issue 3513]