9/13 Leo AMPS 486 +1.5 439 +3 371 +5 354 +10 423

yesterda's condo

Yesterday's summary
AMPS 423
+3 163
+4.25 150
+6 182
+8 362
+10 456
PMPS 485
+2 433
+5 380
+11 405

I want to raise Leo's dose. I think he bounced his way into a reduction rather than earned it. He's back to the uncontrolled ravenous eating. I have 3.5 complete days to be at home with him and monitor him regularly. Diarrhea again, he had it in the beginning with high values. That's what originally took us to the vet and got the diagnosis.

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486

Morning Lisa, sorry about Leo's diarrhea and AMPS today. Does the diarrhea happen only with the high numbers? Sending Leo some feel better vines and hope he slides down today.

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486

Sending happy and healing vines..

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486

Hi Ann,

He gets diarrhea on and off. I haven't correlated it to high BG, but that's when I notice it more. I will have to pay more attention.

Thanks - Lisa

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486

Sometimes reductions that come very quickly like Leo's last 3 have don't hold but he could also be bouncing from the blue numbers. From the look of his spreadsheet I don't think his body will be used those numbers yet. I'd be tempted to go back up to 1.25 but I think you need some expert advice on this one. Can you add 'DOSE QU' to your subject line to attract the experienced eyes.

p.s. it sounds kind of cute but I don't think they can bounce their way to a reduction. A bounce occurs because of lower BG levels than the kitty's used to with the liver kicking in and causing the BG to go up - it doesn't work the other way with the BG crashing down low because it has been high - insulin does that :smile:

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486 +1.5 439

I'm just getting frustrated with all this. I'm up testing all the time, I work 200 miles from home, and he's so uncontrolled I can't even have a sitter come over for one cycle. I am so damn tired.

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486 +1.5 439

(((Lisa))) it is hard when you're a single bean. I turned into a walking zombie too, but it is still early days for Leo, hang in there. His ss is already starting to show a lot more blue and green. He will get there. One of the hardest thing about managing this disease is having patience...

Re: 9/13 Leo AMPS 486 +1.5 439 +3 371 +354

Hi Ann, Shannan, Viktors Mum -

Thanks for writing. It's been a really hard couple of days and I just feel like giving up on this. But if I give up, I know he starves to death, like he was doing before he was diagnosed. I'm stressed about how we'll do this going forward. I'm home from work again, and I can't keep doing this, and DH travels. So what we're doing right now won't work long term.

Tomorrow Leo is going to the vet for a test. He's had diarrhea on and off since the start with other symptoms. The vet said that he might also have Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, which makes it hard to digest foods because the right enzymes aren't produced to break down the food. She said the test is expensive and the treatment is expensive. We decided not to do the test in the beginning because we didn't know how much of this was due to the diabetes. But maybe this is involved too. Maybe it's why we're having trouble with dosing. But I know if I commit to doing the test, I'm committing to the treatment. I don't even want to know how much it is.

I don' t know. But tomorrow he will get a test. He can't have any food after midnight and no insulin in the morning.

Thanks for stopping by. It helps.

Lisa

Hi Lisa, it must be so hard caring for Leo with all the travel; 200 miles is a lot. We really don't know what a lot of Beans go thru with taking care of their kitties. I can see how much you love Leo. I'm glad you're taking him to the vet as something is going on with the diarrhea off and on, and this could be why the higher numbers, just a guess though! Sending some good luck Vetty vines for tomorrow for Leo and strength for you. Let us know how the Vet visit goes when you get a chance.
If you have questions on dosing or anything, just add the ? emoticon in the subject line with "dose" or whatever the subject. Hugs.

Thanks Ann, I will. Thank you.

Good luck with Leo's vet visit tomorrow. I hope the test gives you some answers. I know it is frustrating when you seem to be making progress and then you don't seem to be. Hang in there. All we can do is the best we can with our work situations.

Please keep in mind that it may be coincidence between the FD and diarrhea. Gabby went through a period like this and it took about a solid month of having her on metronidazole (Flagyl) to finally clear things up. This is a link that describes exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. It sounds like the blood test that's done is an fTLI. (This was the initial test that was done for pancreatitis.) What I wonder is if you can get a B12/cobalamin level run. This is part of a regular blood panel and wouldn't be terribly expensive. If the levels are low, you can follow up with the more extensive testing. (The vet may be able to draw enough blood for both tests and send out the other labs if needed.) I don't know if it's feasible but it's just a thought.

I agree with Serryn (Vyktor's bean) -- I think you may have taken reductions that were too close together. At this point, you can increase at any time you're comfortable doing so.

I'm Gabby's sole caretaker. It can be difficult at times -- especially if I've been sleep deprived. I think it's hardest at the beginning of this process. You don't yet have a handle on Leo's patterns. You've been doing an incredible job of collecting data.

Thank you Carla and Sienne for weighting-in.

Sienne - I read about EPI a bit since the vet first mentioned it, and it could fit. You are right about the test the vet mentioned to me - it looks like the one that is most conclusive but also the most expensive :-(. But at this point, I think we need to rule it out or address is since I believe it is a factor. Especially the really stinky poos, although not all the symptoms match. But enough do that I feel compelled at this point to do the test.

I don't know if his original panel included the two tests you mentioned. But I did mention B12 to the vet because of the FIV and she agreed, and mentioned it could help the EPI if Leo had it, so I started him in injections about 3 weeks ago. Luckily, I can do them at home. She translated the dose into units for a 100u syringe!

I will let you know.

Sienne - I was on the fence about a dose change. Technically, looking at the protocol, he's not allowed to, but I'm glad at least two people here agree a bump to 1.25 isn't unreasonable. I'll probably do that tonight.

Thanks so much for you support.

BTW - I have a DH but he travels too, and that's what makes this extremely hard. So, sometimes it's like being a single bean. And he's not on board with the regular testing. Begrudgingly he does Preshot and +5 values while I am away (3.5 days a week each week). So, increasing the dose this evening and giving him a day or two to respond while I am here would be good.