4/21 Kasha PMPS 405, +5.5 403 - dose question

Well, it was a bad night for a lot of reasons. Highest BG I've recorded since we started this. She's drinking a lot (of course) and still has a poor appetite, but I think I got enough food in her (between some Wellness, FF and cooked chicken) this morning. I didn't want to mess with her dosage, but might have erred on the higher side - either a f.25 unit or a s.5 - somewhere in there. I just want her to stabilize a little now. Hopefully, the antibiotics she got last night will make her feel better today or tomorrow. Otherwise, I don't know what I'm going to do. Not feeling particularly rational right now. :cry:

Yesterday's Condo

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

I'm not quite awake yet but after a little more coffee and getting cats fed I'm going to come back and visit.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

OK, I read through yesterday's thread and looked at SS. She has a UTI so numbers could be wonky from that but more importantly add the 197 point drop in three hours -- that can cause a hefty bounce. I agree with your dose decision this AM but think when the bounce clears adjust it back down.

I'm still in the camp that your Kasha is doing exceptionally well. There are answers to why her numbers are what they are -- that isn't always the case. I'm pretty sure you don't feel lucky but from where I sit, having looked at many a spreadsheet, you are lucky.
It's hard cause I know me saying that probably doesn't help much.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

No, believe me - it helps a lot to hear words of encouragement - especially from people who know what they are talking about.

Outside of this forum, the people around me just think I'm taking this all too seriously or that I shouldn't be testing - like, wouldn't it be easier to just blindly follow the vet's recommendations (which would have had me giving 2 units twice a day and I can't imagine how that would have been a good idea)? A lot of negative feedback around me - so the positive feedback I get on this forum is what keeps me going now.

Kasha and I have been together over 17 years now. I want to do what's best for her.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

You just come here any time you need support. Tell the other people that you are shooting for remission and that takes work.
Does one want to shoot insulin, ever 12 hrs, every day, for years, or does one want to do a whole bunch of work initially to give the cat a chance for remission?

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

Thanks. It's been tough lately.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

Good morning! I just wanted to pop in and say... I totally feel ya on the "others" not understanding. Heck, even my husband wants to argue with me that I'm just putting too much of myself into this and why can't we just test before the shot and give the shot and be done with it. Ummm dude, have you *seen* this cat's spreadsheet? He could have died who knows how many times if I wasn't testing him a lot to catch those big drops he had in the earlier days. I consider every minute of lost sleep and every time I've canceled plans because of Tugger's numbers and every minute of worry and fear to be worth it when I see how much better he is today than he was 6 weeks ago or four months ago. He's a whole different cat today than he was in January (when hubby last saw him, we're a navy family and hubby was in Japan for 2 yrs, just got back about 10 days ago and he has no idea what I've really been through with Tugger's issues.)

I don't even want to talk about the comments I had to listen to from his family on Easter. Not one of them has pets at all so I tried to tell myself they just can't understand, and I was able to comfort myself that D was keeping a close eye on things in case the petsitter had a problem while I was gone. But once again, it was people here who understood and who helped me get through it.

Friends... what friends? I've only got a very few and only one of them has been involved in this thing at all. She's been pretty understanding about it, but she can see the medical sense in it all when I explain what/how/why and what the end goal is. I even got her to switch her three cats to canned food :mrgreen: so I count that as a win!

But all I have to do is come here and suddenly I am surrounded by people who understand this all tons better than me, who have been living it for much longer than me, and they hold my hand when I'm scared or pat my back for a job well done after getting through a low or laugh with me when that's the only thing that will keep me from crying. They didn't let me feel like crap for not getting on the ball with Tugger's treatment sooner and in fact I heard lots of stories about how they went weeks or months or longer treating their cats just on vet advice only to come here and find out the same things I did about diet, how to handle the insulin I was prescribed, how to properly shoot the stuff into the cat, how to properly home test, etc. etc. etc. (Hey, at least he was right that my cat is diabetic!)

I love how supportive it is here, without the folks here to keep me going, I'd have been lost. It's pretty awesome that we have this resource at our fingertips, technology still amazes me. The gifts the internet has given me in the past 13 or 14 years since I discovered it... education, friendships, my husband, my children... I could go on but I won't ;-) I'm just feeling pretty grateful today I guess. Said as I sit on the edge of a chair Tugger is taking up the rest of and steadily trying to push me out with all four feet. A chair he hasn't gotten into in a long time because he wasn't well enough to make the leap up. He even copped an attitude with me this morning :mrgreen: He hasn't acted like an Alpha in a pretty long time either, I'd forgotten he ever used to! I've been reunited with my old Tugger and I couldn't be happier

Just wait till you start noticing the changes in your girl Once she's over this infection and starts feeling better you might find a whole new kitty on your hands too! That's what keeps you doing what you're doing *nods* or me anyway.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

Oh - you just said so many things that resonate with me. Every friend I normally would count on except one has made themselves conspicuously absent when we got our dx, which stunned me when I realized it. Only that one friend would come over and learn to test BG and how to give an injection - but with her schedule (kids and work, etc.) she can't really help with our injection schedule, but it was great to have someone who at least could be something of a backup. And my parents have been great - I showed them how to test BG and they are going to try it when I'm out of town next week so I can get some numbers while I'm away, but they are too spooked by the insulin and the schedule to give injections. My BF (?) has never had pets or been responsible for the life of another living creature and seems to think I'm really making this all too big a deal. I don't feel like he wants to be involved with any of this at all, it's too messy for him maybe. All my attention is focused on the cats right now and that's gone over like a lead balloon, if you know what I mean. I find myself having to choose between taking care of the kitties (and my other 2 cats are not doing well now either) or maintaining a relationship, because I just can't do both all on my own. For now, at least, I'm choosing the cats. I have a responsibility to them, we've been together a long time and I love them to death.

My entire adult life has included Kasha. I don't know how much time we have left but I'm going to take care of her as best I can for as long as I can.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

((Krys)) You are a wonderful bean!

It is hard and many people, especially people who don't have animals as companions, just don't understand the commitment. There are some who try but have a hard time wrapping their heads around managing diabetes -- those that figure you can just shoot and not worry about anything else. One of the vets in the practice I use prescribed a medication when Gabby was having problems with diarrhea. Foolishly, I didn't look it up before I left the office. (A phone with a web browser is a wonderful thing!) When I got home, I looked it up and found it contained sugar. I called back and told them I wasn't going to give the med. The vet said it's "Just a little bit of sugar." My response was to ask her how she would feel if I was feeding her diabetic 1 year old a couple of tablespoons of ice cream twice a day. She stopped talking. My point is that sometimes it takes an analogy, like using kids as an example, to get people to understand. Cats do not directly communicate that their BG is low. Adult humans can notice the drop. We test our cats so we have the information we need to keep them safe. It would be the same with a young child. And our anxiety about our kitties safety is no different that it would be if this was a child.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

{{{Krys}}} You have us now and before too long you'll get a handle on all of this. If the guy doesn't stick through something that means this much to you, well... really? I at least know my hubby will give in to my choices even if he's struggling between his upbringing and his true heart. His dad was one of the ones making those comments, so that's what he was raised with. Yet, he really does love the kitties and Boomer and he wants them healthy and happy... he just doesn't want the responsibility. And he's got to complain about the cost :lol: I let him complain as long as he's not telling me "no" when it comes to pet health. He can say "no" to most other expenses and I won't bat an eye because I tell him no sometimes too. We wouldn't say no if it was one of us humans with the health problem so there is no "no" when it comes to pet health either.

Tugger was practically born into my hands ten years ago last month. He was first of the litter and Tux was next. Their mama cat had her entire litter curled up against me as I laid on my side on my bed, napping between births with her. We've been through h-e-double-hockey-sticks together in these ten years and there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. I'd like to have another ten years, but maybe we can take those a little easier

My friend has learned to test but I've not shown her this dose Tugger is currently on. I think the one time I showed her how to inject he was still on 4units. She is a busy mom too, she homeschools her two girls as well as shuttling them to this and that and she's dealing with elderly grandparents who have health stuff going on so she can't be counted on for specific times but she makes a point to come by and check on things when I go away.

I found a great pet sitter (just up the street, talk about luck!) who was willing and eager to learn to test and shoot because she's a smart cookie and knows it could help her gain clients as word gets out that she's comfortable with it. I have her come in twice a day for shooting and depending on his numbers she will come more often if needed and she stays in constant touch with me via text messages so I never have to wonder how he is. She also has a vet tech housemate so she's got backup if things get sticky and I make sure to leave my laptop browser open and on LL's page so if she has something come up and can't get me she can post here for advice/help. Since she lives so close I have a keysafe out front so she can come at any time if I can't be here.

People here understand why I have such a detailed backup plan even when others don't. They also don't think I'm crazy for marking the tops of every can of cat food in the house to be sure Tugger isn't fed civvie food or that I won't vacuum on dosecrease days because I'm almost convinced the vacuum monster sends his numbers up. It's kind of nice to have friends who are just as weird as I am ;-)

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

What nice posts going on here. :mrgreen:
IMO what your doing speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. As for the others, they could learn a lot from you.
My DH said "well, I guess I don't have to worry about you taking good care of me if I get sick."

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

:lol: :lol: Mine hasn't made that connection yet!

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

An acquaintance of ours was listening to me describe the testing and insulin injections for my two cats and she turned and said
'But, they are ONLY CATS, right?"
is what I looked like

Some people will never understand. But I cannot live my life according to their yardstick. I have to do what I feel in my heart. Just as YOU are doing.
People who care only for themselves cannot really understand. Anyone who does not have even one pet cannot understand...and a lot of caretakers choose the PTS end to their kitties' lives when they are dx. WE have chosen to deal with this and learn an awful lot in the process. We are there for our furbabies and are helping them...In return, they keep giving us unconditional LOVE. That's what it's all about, isn't it?

That's why we keep coming onto the board to BE with like-minded folks. Why try to change others" way of thinking...it's too much to do. and it's almost impossible to do!
So, try to put aside the negatives and come here to be with US....share with us and know in your heart that we understand what you are going through. We are quite a close community here....all working towards healthy kitties. It's a comfort to know this place exists, right? :YMHUG:

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

Thank you all. You guys rock. :smile:

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

I was talking with a coworker and mentioned that I had 8 cats and she asked, "Did you name them all?" I just laughed and bit my tongue when I realized she would never understand just how ridiculous that question was. Some people just don't get it, and they don't have to. We know how we feel and understand what needs to be done, and that's all that matters. Sometimes I wonder how I can even be friends with people that don't have a pet. I ask myself, "Can they be good people if they don't love animals?". Who knows, but I can say their houses don't feel like homes.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet

Yeah, I was talking to my BF (?) last week about how he won't spend time with me at my house with all this going on and I said he could invite me and Kasha to his house (meaning, invite Kasha and I'll come over) and he made a face and said that he always feels like having animals in the house is kind of disgusting. Which is odd, cuz most of his friends have indoor pets - and a lot of them. I guess we're all disgusting... ;-)

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - Dosing question

Should I stick with my normal tiny dosage (approx .25 U) tonight even though she's running so high? If anyone could weigh in on this, I'd appreciate it.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Going to look at SS. BRB.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

That didn't take long -- yes. Hopefully the bounce will clear out the next cycle.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

(((krys)))
as you can tell from the stories told... we understand. we "get it".
consider yourself amongst family...

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

You all bring tears to my eyes - I've felt so very alone with all of this till now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you all!!!!!

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Oh man.. did you name them all.. Jason how DID you keep quiet...

Anyways.. to the point.

One friend, a person who understands and supports you.. recognizes what is important to you, whether they live close to you, or far away.. whether you've ever met them face to face.. a person who actually cares about you.. is more valuable than 100 "friends" who don't really care to take interest in what is important to you..

And there's a whole lot of people around here who care about you (and Kasha of course ), understand, support and recognize what is important to you. You (and all of us) are richer in friends than most could ever dream to be.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Sometimes blessings are disguised in the strangest ways. Through all of this I've found this amazing community And I've seen what some of my so-called friends truly are

I'm trying a new tactic for mealtime tonight - I'm just letting her graze on her canned food and shredded chicken. I think I was getting so stressed about her eating that I made mealtime stressful and unpleasant, so I'm going to trust her to eat enough (she usually goes back to eat after I've given up on her). So - since it's evening I can monitor her and trust she'll eat enough over the course of the evening. She ate a little, but she's definitely grazing. Though she CLEARLY wanted some of my pizza (I broke down and decided to feed myself as well as the cats tonight, since that hasn't been happening very often lately!).

BTW, as for those 8 "named" cats: I help take care of about 30 barn cats in a barn where feline leukemia is endemic and I know each of those feral creatures individually! I generally know who are siblings and which cat had which kittens, etc. What is wrong with people? Maybe they feel about cats and other non-human creatures the way I probably feel about them - LOL...

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Krys, it may be time to think about dumping the BF with a big thud on the sidewalk outside and throwing his clothes out the window in a rainstorm. If he's not there for you with this, what exactly is he gonna be there for you for?

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Krys & Kasha said:

I'm trying a new tactic for mealtime tonight - I'm just letting her graze on her canned food and shredded chicken. I think I was getting so stressed about her eating that I made mealtime stressful and unpleasant, so I'm going to trust her to eat enough (she usually goes back to eat after I've given up on her). So - since it's evening I can monitor her and trust she'll eat enough over the course of the evening. She ate a little, but she's definitely grazing. Though she CLEARLY wanted some of my pizza (I broke down and decided to feed myself as well as the cats tonight, since that hasn't been happening very often lately!).

Click to expand...

I tend to think cats get oppositional and defiant. "You want me to eat now? I'm not in the mood. Check with me later. " (Insert image of cat sauntering into another room, sitting down, and grooming.) You're strategy of not making a big deal over feeding makes much more sense. You'll be less stressed and and Kasha will probably eat. I think the other piece of important information that you can gather with this strategy is that you will know if Kasha will spontaneously eat if her numbers are low. It's very reassuring to me to know that Gabby wants food when her numbers drop.

I'm not sure if a little bit of the cheese from your pizza would be a problem!

ETA: Oops.... Stick with your current dose. There's still some bouncing going on here.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Don't know if you know bu with Lantus as long as food is on board by onset, usually +2, all is well. With early onset cats a little earlier. It's one of the things I liked about Lantus.

Way cool you take care of 80 barn cats -- sad about the leukemia though -- that's a tough one.

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Krys,

You may want to give Stewart Pet Food Flavor Enhancer for Cats a try. It's a powder you sprinkle over food, or you can add water to it to make it a gravy. I bought it for my CRF cat, and although she is eating well now, I still sprinkle it over what she doesn't finish and she attacks the rest like she's never seen food before. She licks the bowl clean, where she would normally leave about 1/4 of her food in the bowl.

I don't know how it affects BG's, but is has worked wonders for me on the days where her appetite isn't quite right. I used to buy it from Amazon, but it seems to be unavailable there at the moment, but I did find it on Ebay.

Edit: I did name all 8 cats to the coworker and asked if she named her kids, but left it at that. She's a nice person, but never had or ever will get a pet. She just doesn't know any better. I did not tell her that we catch all the strays in our neighborhood and get them fixed(12 so far, and we were lucky enough to find one that was already fixed and declawed that we took in and just had his 5th anniversary as one of our 8.), and have names and files with pictures for all of them. Her head could have exploded over that!

Good luck,

Jason

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - PMPS 405

Well, I just got up to check on her and she was licking an empty bowl that was originally filled with shredded chicken and turkey. Yay...

That pet food flavor enhancer sounds great - thanks for the suggestion! I just called my vet and they have 3 bottles of it (I thought I'd seen something like that there) and I can swing by tomorrow and pick some up!

Kasha was a junk food addict - she would eat any people food - including things that my cats growing up would simply not consider food. One one hand, she loves broccoli (not too bad). On the other hand, she grabbed cotton candy out of my hand once, stole cookies (or left tiny bites in them) and no loaf of bread was safe anywhere around her (she would "sample" the loaf of bread from one end to the other - tiny little bites taken a couple inches apart the whole length of it). So - I don't even want to get her started thinking she can have any of my food other than some chicken or turkey...

30 cats - not 80, D (not yet at least) !!!! The sad part is, I found out about the leukemia by adopting a tiny little girl kitten and bringing her home (with her tooth marks in my wrist!). We went to the vet for a checkup before I would introduce her to the others and they thought she was younger than I knew she was. Then they said to bring her back in a month or so and we could test her for leukemia. In 2 weeks, she learned how to use a litter box, learned how to play, purred all the time (even though she was a sassy little girl) and developed a respiratory infection. The evening she started sneezing, I sat with her for hours that night (she was segregated in my attic) and she crawled up into my lap for the first time and slept. She was so tiny - less than 2 lbs at 12 weeks. I took her into the vet and he tested her and confirmed leukemia and also that she was too far gone - the reason she was so small was because she wasn't thriving. She also had a very round little belly that didn't shrink after worming, so I suspect there may have been FIP as well. She had to be put to sleep. At 12 weeks. That was devastating. No more barn cats coming home with me and my cats are never even near the clothes I wear to the barn.

BTW, BF has his own house (pet-free zone) so there's no dumping clothes out in any rainstorm (unless he's dumping my clothes out)!

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

sending you HUGS for support I also love the support I get here since I do not get it at work (I am a vet tech) all I get there are stern lectures about the evils of hometesting one vet is starting to understand and my DH is also extremely understanding since Do Lou means the world to me we show abys in CFA and he was my first kitten born here and was supposedly a dead kitten in his mother she was overdue but he was not and he has always been so close and special to me I would do anything for Do Lou and the help I get here means the world to me now. Hoping your Kasha improves for you very very soon :YMHUG: :YMHUG: cat_pet_icon

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Thank you much!

I just had a minor freakout. Kasha got really sleepy and I went to check her BG (400 @ +1.5 - I can't open up the spreadsheet in google right now). Hmmm, I thought. Until I saw that the bowl of chicken and turkey was licked clean. The SECOND bowl of chicken! Nice...

Hope her numbers go down (slowly and gently)...

I'm going to take a little walk and destress a bit now...

Thanks again everyone for being so supportive. Made my day. That and hearing my vet call and tell me the fructosamine test results looked great and to keep doing what I'm doing (I know, I know - the test was unnecessary but I was starting to really doubt myself and needed the confirmation).

Re: 4/21 Kasha AMPS 514 - highest yet - dose question

Ok - no more posts tonight. BF is coming over...

If anyone checks in before 6:30 am EST (or EDT, whatever we're on now) - Kasha's been running high all night. She ate but her numbers are in the 400s again at +5.5. Any suggestions? Should I up her dose for the morning or still stick with the .25? I'll be at work and unable to monitor during the day.

I hate that she feels icky at these high numbers (she did eat 3 bowls of shredded turkey and chicken though, so her appetite was better this evening).