8/19 Phoenix AMPS 79

Scdal

Scdal

Member Since 2020
What should I do? Should I skip a shot or give a reduced dose? Usually Phoenix will continue to fall until he eats. I haven't fed him yet. I really need help. Please don't suggest waiting 20 minutes and retesting. I have done that numerous times. His numbers will continue to drop until he eats. I need help with the dose of insulin to give him. He is currently taking 7 units. I think maybe I should give 4 units this morning instead of skipping a dose. Please someone respond
 
Scdal said:
What should I do? Should I skip a shot or give a reduced dose? Usually Phoenix will continue to fall until he eats. I haven't fed him yet. I really need help. Please don't suggest waiting 20 minutes and retesting. I have done that numerous times. His numbers will continue to drop until he eats. I need help with the dose of insulin to give him. He is currently taking 7 units. I think maybe I should give 4 units this morning instead of skipping a dose. Please someone respond
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I'm afraid I can't help you as I'm new here. What have you decided to do? Let's tag some more experienced members...
@Briere Fur Mom
@Wendy&Neko
 
I desperately needed help this morning and got no replies. I know people are on the website because one person got 14 replies. I am new to low numbers and really needed advice. Phoenix has now dropped to 70 without his shot.
It seems like people on this forum have their own little cliques and only respond to their little groups. I tried putting 911 on my title once and got chewed out for that. Yes, I am angry. I know this group is made up of volunteers but this forum is meant to help people not just become a chat group. You can use Facebook for that.
 
here's some tidbits I copied/pasted fron the SLGS dosing method sticky.

If the preshot number is far below usual preshot numbers:
  • Do you need to stay on schedule? Then skip the shot.
  • Do you have some flexibility with your schedule? Then stalling to wait for the number to rise might be a good option. Don't feed, retest after 30-60 minutes, and decide if the number is shootable.
  • Repeat until the cat either reaches a number at which you are comfortable shooting, or enough time has passed that skipping the shot is necessary.


While we don't like recommending skipping a shot sometimes it's necessary to keep Phoenix safe. Especially since you're PS threshold is higher following SLGS. If you were following TR dosing method you would shoot this # and monitor.

So just making absolutely sure....is there any diabetic ketoacidosis in Phoenix's history? If so, some insulin support needs to be provided.
 
I know how you feel and it's so very scary. I have found that tagging a few senior member experts works well (type @ then the first part of the name and it should appear as an option to click on). They are super at responding and helping walk you through what to do. I'd send flowers if I could!! I hope your kitty is well. What ended up happening? Let us know when you're able.
 
Briere Fur Mom said:
since you're following SLGS 79 is a no shoot # for you. You seem to know the procedure of stalling to get the rising # which indicates it's ok to shoot. Any history of DKA in Phoenix's past?
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Phoenix has now dropped to 70 without eating. I have gone ahead and fed him. He has no history of kidney disease but has had pancreatitis. The vet does not want me giving him dry food so my only option would be honey or gravy. His numbers usually rise after eating as they should. Do you think it would be safe to give him 4 units instead of 7?
I really hate to skip a dose since this usually puts him on a roller coaster ride with his numbers. Thank you for responding. I am in panic mode. I expected his numbers to keep dropping but not this low so suddenly.
 
First don't panic. Phoenix's #s are dropping from the the 2 hour fasting period. Let me go through the SLGS dosing method sticky to see if there is any notations about shooting lower #s. I don't think there is. I'm going to tag a couple other peeps that may be able to help better than I.
What reason are you're following SLGS dosing guideline?
And if we figure it out for you to be able to shoot...since you're late shooting now, can you afford to be off schedule with Phoenix's next shot? You have to adjust shot time by 15 minutes per cycle or 30 minutes per day in order to get back on schedule.

@Sue and Luci you have some thoughts about this? we're way off schedule now with a low PS # following SLGS. Big dose of insulin 7 units
 
I understand you're likely responding out of fear. I have been there myself. Here's the thing: members are volunteers and I can't imagine how busy everyone is with so many members. Sometimes posts get buried if others have posted afterwards. I don't believe anyone tried to ignore you as these members truly care about our kitties even though they don't know any of us personally!
Here's a few things I have learned along the way:
-use the prefix ?? instead of just in the subject line
-get to know other members through reading and comment on their issues as well; read the advice by senior members. Get to know who they are and when they are most likely to respond because we are all across the world
-tag a few of these senior members when you're really in need, they DO respond!
I know we all appreciate the dedication and it's easy to feel overwhelmed and scared in the moment. I still know that the support here is 1000% more than what my vet could offer and I was in total distress before I took the leap here. The learning curve was overwhelming and I didn't think I could manage it with other serious stressors in my life. However, I try to show my absolute gratitude and awe that these people have been willing to help me get our kitty well again.
I'm glad we got you some help; perhaps with some of these tips the response can be a little faster another time when you're scared.
 
First don't panic. Phoenix's #s are dropping from the the 2 hour fasting period. Let me go through the SLGS dosing method sticky to see if there is any notations about shooting lower #s. I don't think there is. I'm going to tag a couple other peeps that may be able to help better than I.
What reason are you're following SLGS dosing guideline?
And if we figure it out for you to be able to shoot...since you're late shooting now, can you afford to be off schedule with Phoenix's next shot? You have to adjust shot time by 15 minutes per cycle or 30 minutes per day in order to get back on schedule.

@Sue and Luci you have some thoughts about this? we're way off schedule now with a low PS # following SLGS. Big dose of insulin 7 units


This is prolly gonna double post. The board's boogering up or my internet
 
I'm sorry no one got to you in a timely manner. It's VERY important that you know the dosing guideline you're following. We have written information that guides you if no one is available to help. We are ALL volunteers on this board. Most of us try to help in some way but, few feel qualified to offer advice. I'll continue to talk to you on the other thread you created. We try to limit it to one thread per day...add any info to that thread. the reason being...to avoid confusion. there's a lot of peeps on this board. Keeps things straight.
 
Briere Fur Mom said:
here's some tidbits I copied/pasted fron the SLGS dosing method sticky.

If the preshot number is far below usual preshot numbers:
  • Do you need to stay on schedule? Then skip the shot.
  • Do you have some flexibility with your schedule? Then stalling to wait for the number to rise might be a good option. Don't feed, retest after 30-60 minutes, and decide if the number is shootable.
  • Repeat until the cat either reaches a number at which you are comfortable shooting, or enough time has passed that skipping the shot is necessary.


While we don't like recommending skipping a shot sometimes it's necessary to keep Phoenix safe. Especially since you're PS threshold is higher following SLGS. If you were following TR dosing method you would shoot this # and monitor.

So just making absolutely sure....is there any diabetic ketoacidosis in Phoenix's history? If so, some insulin support needs to be provided.
Click to expand...
 
Just remember, the board doesn't always have peeps around. that's why it's sooo important to know the doing method you're following like the back of your hand.
I don't know if you posted well ahead of shot time this morning. Getting say a +10 or +11 prior to PS can clue you in to what you're going to be potentially shooting the coming cycle. so say you got that 79 @ PMPS +11. You could post and have an hour for peeps to have a chance to reply. that's another helpful tip. More testing...i know that's what you wanna hear:rolleyes:
sorry for the grammatical errors. Need more coffee.

So why are you following SLGS? Most peeps that follow that method have dietary restrictions for their kitty so to speak and can only feed dry cat food. Or they work full time and feel it's safer for kitty to be on a less aggressive doing method such as SLGS.
Just curious
 
Just trying to help the best way I can:bighug::)

Since you didn't shoot that doesn't exactly get you off the hook for testing today. Phoenix has a big depot from that 7u. It can still influence #s. So, please do get some test in today;) Data data data:facepalm::rolleyes:

I do think following SLGS Phoenix would have earned a reduction in dose for that 79 this morning. If I remember correctly anything under 90 is a reduction.
I'm sorry if I'm overloading you with info.:oops:


Please ask questions. Anything I can do to help:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Briere Fur Mom said:
Just remember, the board doesn't always have peeps around. that's why it's sooo important to know the doing method you're following like the back of your hand.
I don't know if you posted well ahead of shot time this morning. Getting say a +10 or +11 prior to PS can clue you in to what you're going to be potentially shooting the coming cycle. so say you got that 79 @ PMPS +11. You could post and have an hour for peeps to have a chance to reply. that's another helpful tip. More testing...i know that's what you wanna hear:rolleyes:
sorry for the grammatical errors. Need more coffee.

So why are you following SLGS? Most peeps that follow that method have dietary restrictions for their kitty so to speak and can only feed dry cat food. Or they work full time and feel it's safer for kitty to be on a less aggressive doing method such as SL
Briere Fur Mom said:
Just remember, the board doesn't always have peeps around. that's why it's sooo important to know the doing method you're following like the back of your hand.
I don't know if you posted well ahead of shot time this morning. Getting say a +10 or +11 prior to PS can clue you in to what you're going to be potentially shooting the coming cycle. so say you got that 79 @ PMPS +11. You could post and have an hour for peeps to have a chance to reply. that's another helpful tip. More testing...i know that's what you wanna hear:rolleyes:
sorry for the grammatical errors. Need more coffee.

So why are you following SLGS? Most peeps that follow that method have dietary restrictions for their kitty so to speak and can only feed dry cat food. Or they work full time and feel it's safer for kitty to be on a less aggressive doing method such as SLGS.
Just curious
Click to expand...

GS.
Just curious
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I found that Phoenix does better on the SLGS. When I tried the tight regulation, Phoenix's numbers were all over the place. I kept having to delay shots and his schedule was way off. I was also getting very little sleep due to constant testing. His vet wants me to keep him at one dose for at least 2 weeks to give his system time to stabilize. I agree with him and it seems to be working. I posted yesterday and asked what to do if his BG dropped to 120 - 140 at morning preshot. I thought I was prepared. I didn't expect it to drop this much and really panicked.
 
I certainly understand anxious and scared! I still feel like a newbie even though my cat was diagnosed in October 2019. Many times there are people online that just don’t feel qualified to offer advice in certain situations, just like me.

In the beginning I printed off almost every document and sticky note And put them in a three ring binder so I could refer to them but I still miss things, and one is scared, sometimes can’t even focus on reading. I collect snippets of information and have them on my phone under notes for easy access.

I also have a note on my phone with all the members that are experienced mentors so I have that handy to tag people when I have an emergency. you can find what experienced members are online from the forums page, on the right hand margin if you click on those names you can look and see how long they’ve been a member if they are experienced or well-known, where in the world they are located so you’ll have an idea so you might be awake at the time and those would be the ones to tag.

And using the “??” Or “911” tag on the subject line helps those who are experienced find your post. The option to do that shows when you sre typing in the subject line on the left margin. When you’ve gotten some help and an answer to your question you can take that “911” or “??” off.

I would constantly be in a state of tears if it wasn’t for this group, They have more experience than my vet and fortunately my vet is open to the guidance I receive here because she only has a few clients that have diabetic cats, in fact I am her first client that does home testing and her first patient to use Lantus!
 
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It’s also important to stick with one condo. Please please please read the yellow stickies as much of what has been explained above us there. It gets hectic here sometimes. I just got up. I went back to see your previous post which you did t link and saw there were replies. I didn’t read them but if you don’t follow our guidance with the ? procedure it can be assumed you got the help needed. Those of us helping want everyone to get the help you need. Heck I don’t even have a sugar baby any more. I do remember having to make decisions late at night. I remember having a pj party with just Max and me. I had early own printed out how to treat low numbers and read it over and over. That’s hard at 1:00 a.n. It’s scary to shoot low the first time. I know you didn’t know what to do. Those guidelines help until someone comes on to help you. :bighug:
 
Another apology for not seeing your post this morning - work gets in the way of my steady participation on this forum...

Have you read this? https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

And this? https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/6-26-psa-please-read.231511/

I haven't taken the time to read through all the posts this morning so I could be repeating what's already been said...however these guidelines are important to helping everyone - try not to panic. Easier said that done, I know! Been there done that...we all have to learn somehow.

If you look at your SLGS dosing method, you'll see that it recommends holding the dose for 10-14 days...however, now you've earned a reduction since Phoenix went lower than 90.

Please continue to post and we'll all try to do our best to help you!
 
I understand and appreciate the help I finally received. However, I feel like there ought to be a separate forum for just updates on your cat's progress. I like reading the posts on how great a cat is doing as well. But, in my opinion, the Lantus forum should be for questions only. This way people can get the help they need. I often see posts from people whose questions go unanswered some of these for days. It would help people get the knowledge they need to help their cat instead of getting lost in the shuffle.
 
Another suggestion I have is to read some of the condos where folks have gotten a lower preshot number to see how it was handled. Watch some live while they are managing or being coached. Start responding to other condos. Once you do that they will respond to yours. At the beginning I was only thinking of Max and it never occurred to me to visit others. Look for other high dose cats. Well that’s all I’ve got for now.

Did you test again? Did you shoot ? Did you feed yet?
 
Scdal said:
I understand and appreciate the help I finally received. However, I feel like there ought to be a separate forum for just updates on your cat's progress. I like reading the posts on how great a cat is doing as well. But, in my opinion, the Lantus forum should be for questions only. This way people can get the help they need. I often see posts from people whose questions go unanswered some of these for days. It would help people get the knowledge they need to help their cat instead of getting lost in the shuffle.
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That’s what the “911” and “??” tags are for and they do work. last night when Disco’s numbers were going down in the wee hours, I got one reply from Australia and that helped and comforted me, but of course that member didn’t have time to read through Disco’s old posts and see that someone who knows his particular quirks recommended not reducing his dose unless he goes below 40 so even someone with a lot of experience pops in an offer advice, you have to remember or have a note somewhere in case for your particular cat something is out of the realm of typical. Many times, I have had members read back over my old posts and remind me of things that I didn’t even remember and I really appreciate that. I mean everybody here is volunteers and have other lives and diabetic cats and they are managing to and I’m grateful for this group, in fact I’ve been making a small monthly donation because of their value to me.
 
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Teri (Disco NoFurNo) said:
That’s what the “911” and “?” tags are for and they do work. last night when Disco’s numbers were going down in the wee hours, I got one reply from Australia and that helped and comforted me, but of course that member didn’t have time to read through Disco’s old posts and see that someone who knows his particular quirks recommended not reducing his dose unless he goes below 40 so even someone with a lot of experience pop in an offer advice, you have to remember or have a note somewhere in case for your particular cat something is out of the realm of typical
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For Scdal I understand your anger. I would be too. There nothing worse than relying on a message board during a crisis.
I know I am out of my place here but I check out this forum once in a while.
Something to think about ...I work over on Health. I think I even welcomed you to our forum???
Anyway
I TRY to answer any thread I think needs attention. If I cant give advice from lack of knowledge, I know its important to at least recognize someone in trouble. I at least say I dont know. Then I try to tag someone. Yesterday I had a new person that needed help. I tagged 3 different people to no avail. I have to say I got pretty upset BUT here's the thing. It was just the simple fact that some had to step away to take care of something, some are in the middle of another crisis, some? I dont know but NONE of us would ever deliberately ignore a plea for help. We try VERY hard to take care of everyone that needs help.

Might I suggest, If you have a crisis developing PLEASE add 911 to your thread title. Or? simply NEED HELP. This should get enough attention to where someone can respond OR find help FOR you. I dont know why you got chewed out for adding 911 before; but hey if its a crisis? I'd take the chewing out.

We try very hard to help everyone otherwise I wouldnt be here. I may not have all the knowledge needed for a crisis but I can darn well hold a hand and FIND help. We take this site seriously. Its not a club. These are life and death issues. I hope you take this comment in the spirit in which it is given. We care about EVERY kitty that comes this way. We are here because we want to be.
jeanne
 
I do use the ? sign when I post. I got chewed out by a senior member once before for using the 911 when Phoenix's number dropped very low a couple of months ago. She told me that is was reserved for extreme emergencies and removed it from my post. I asked for advice in a post yesterday about what to do if his numbers fell lower this morning. I expected his numbers to continue to fall but not at such a drastic level. Two of the responses yesterday recommended that I increase his insulin dose since he was high during the day. Thank goodness I didn't do that. I do feel like you learn your own cat's responses to insulin. I need to start relying on my own judgment instead of panicking. Thanks for your reply.
 
Sorry you didn't get help right away. The only thing I can say is if it should happen again and no one responds in a timely matter would be to change title to 911 and in all caps put help needed now. Then when you get response remove the 911.

I know I will probably get flack for this but when your in panic mode (I've been there many times) I ignored the blacklash. Yes 911 should be for dire events but sometimes if you go on your own it could become a dire event and you don't want that.
 
I'm sorry you did not get a timely reply. I'm rarely on in the mornings and certainly not awake enough to put words together with one eye open. That eye still hasn't opened. I do what I can when I can, paying it forward.

I'm not great at seeing patterns in spreadsheets but you are making progress. It's been two weeks since you saw a red, and then it was barely red. The depot will recover from this morning's no shot. Phoenix's numbers are rising. Take a break from testing until +10.
 
Scdal said:
I do use the ? sign when I post. I got chewed out by a senior member once before for using the 911 when Phoenix's number dropped very low a couple of months ago. She told me that is was reserved for extreme emergencies and removed it from my post. I asked for advice in a post yesterday about what to do if his numbers fell lower this morning. I expected his numbers to continue to fall but not at such a drastic level. Two of the responses yesterday recommended that I increase his insulin dose since he was high during the day. Thank goodness I didn't do that. I do feel like you learn your own cat's responses to insulin. I need to start relying on my own judgment instead of panicking. Thanks for your reply.
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Hey I get it! Like I said I dont know why you got chewed out.
also if it gets attention, I would take the chewing out. ;)
 
Lets continue the conversation on the thread need help immediately if you don't mind. Yes, I'm going to say it:p ...it gets VERY confusing replying to 2 separate condos(threads). Maybe the mods can merge the 2 of them.
 
These are replies from the condo thanks for nothing. It gets sooo confusing trying to keep 2 condos straight:banghead::p All my replies will be on this condo;)

Scdal said:
I got chewed out by a senior member once before for using the 911 when Phoenix's number dropped very low a couple of months ago.
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That's unusual. That's what 911 is for emergencies. Perhaps the 911 tag needed to be removed after you got the attention of board members? I dunno.

Scdal said:
I do feel like you learn your own cat's responses to insulin
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That's very true. ECID. Know thy cat. The doing guidelines we have in place are just that...a general guideline. you must learn to know your cat and their cycles in order to apply your best judgement to the dosing guideline. That's not implying to modify the set standards;)
 
I can so relate to how you felt today, Susan. It is so scary and stressful when you're trying to get help and you aren't getting it. I'm sorry that you felt that way this morning :bighug: I have panicked and tried to get help for Butters and watched all the other condos around me get answered, while mine wasn't. I have been in tears. It was an ugly sight, let me tell you. I had to learn how to get help, too. We all did at one point or another.

Sometimes, you simply don't get help because nobody is around who feels comfortable answering your question.

One other thing to add to what others have said: you can also reply to your own condo to get it back up to the top of the heap and hopefully this will get it to be more noticed, too. There are a lot of people in this forum posting their cat's numbers daily, and it is very easy for your condo to fall way down the board just minutes after you have asked a really important question. So keep posting in your own condo to bring it back to the top of the pile when trying to get help, too.

You are here, advocating for Phoenix's health. Do what you need to do to get it. I have used 911 and got help immediately. Just remove the tag right after someone shows up who can help you. I'm only a cheerleader at this point, but if I noticed a post where someone needed help, I'd try my darndest to find someone to help them, too.

Post daily if you can. If you do and I haven't seen your posts, then I apologize! The condos are all very much FD related in this forum, with some lighthearted comments for sure because, you know, it can be very depressing around here what with all the kitties being sick with at least FD, if not other issues on top of that.

And I'd love if you'd put up a pic of Phoenix so we can "see" who he is! Just sayin'. :D
 
Hi Susan,

I'll tag @Marje and Gracie to see if they are around and able to combine the two threads https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/thanks-for-nothing.233823/

I totally understand your concern. We only want the best for our kitties and we often feel so helpless at the beginning... but as we learn more, the anxiety tends to subside.

Your suggestion from your other post recommended that the Lantus forum be only for questions. The reason why members post in the forum without asking questions is so experienced people and not so experienced people can get to know the member's cat at a quick glance. By posting the date, cat's name, preshot numbers and numbers through out the day, we can do a quick check to see how the kitty is doing and if there are any trends. By posting everyday, even if it's just your numbers, forum members get to know you, your comfort level, your cat's tendencies - all of this information can be very helpful.

Secondly, not everyone who is on this forum feels comfortable in giving dosing advice. Even though I have been doing this diabetic dance for almost a year, I'm not comfortable giving others dosing advice because I only have real experience with my own cat who has acromegaly - a different ball game compared to the regular diabetic cat. I would recommend printing out some of the 'stickies' on this website so you have them right in front of you. I have a little diabetic bag with all of Freckle's things including a duotang with some of the stickies printed out.

Third, the '?" mark that others have referenced is actually a little different than what you have currently in your post's title:

When you create a new post you will see this:
upload_2020-8-19_11-52-15.png

If you tap on the red circled arrow you will see the following:
upload_2020-8-19_11-53-29.png

The 911 is for emergencies, the GA means that kitty has passed away and the ? means you have a question. The ? prefix is what people are referring to use when you have a question. It will show up like this in your new thread:
upload_2020-8-19_11-55-15.png

These prefixes will draw experienced people to your thread since they typically scan the forum to see who has the immediate need or question.

I hope that helps?
 

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Judy and Freckles said:
Hi Susan,

I'll tag @Marje and Gracie to see if they are around and able to combine the two threads https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/thanks-for-nothing.233823/

I totally understand your concern. We only want the best for our kitties and we often feel so helpless at the beginning... but as we learn more, the anxiety tends to subside.

Your suggestion from your other post recommended that the Lantus forum be only for questions. The reason why members post in the forum without asking questions is so experienced people and not so experienced people can get to know the member's cat at a quick glance. By posting the date, cat's name, preshot numbers and numbers through out the day, we can do a quick check to see how the kitty is doing and if there are any trends. By posting everyday, even if it's just your numbers, forum members get to know you, your comfort level, your cat's tendencies - all of this information can be very helpful.

Secondly, not everyone who is on this forum feels comfortable in giving dosing advice. Even though I have been doing this diabetic dance for almost a year, I'm not comfortable giving others dosing advice because I only have real experience with my own cat who has acromegaly - a different ball game compared to the regular diabetic cat. I would recommend printing out some of the 'stickies' on this website so you have them right in front of you. I have a little diabetic bag with all of Freckle's things including a duotang with some of the stickies printed out.

Third, the '?" mark that others have referenced is actually a little different than what you have currently in your post's title:

When you create a new post you will see this:
View attachment 55596
If you tap on the red circled arrow you will see the following:
View attachment 55597
The 911 is for emergencies, the GA means that kitty has passed away and the ? means you have a question. The ? prefix is what people are referring to use when you have a question. It will show up like this in your new thread:
View attachment 55598
These prefixes will draw experienced people to your thread since they typically scan the forum to see who has the immediate need or question.

I hope that helps?
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Thank you. Threads combined. I’ll be back in a bit to offer some thoughts as well.
Thank you to all who stepped up to help.

@Scdal Please read this important post and we would appreciate it if you could update your subject line as the post indicates. Thanks very much. It’s just one way you can help us help you.
 
Susan

Our members have been very kind and offered you all kinds of information. I, however, am going to put on my moderator’s hat :)

First, it was only a month ago when Sienne, Wendy, and I all three responded to another plea for help in which you told us in all capital letters that you were not going to shoot below 150. Here is your post to remind you. All three of us posted in great detail to help you with low numbers and how you should handle them.

Second, we understand how scared you were; we have all been there. Every.Single.One.Of.Us. We get it. But this all takes teamwork and that means you as well. We are here to help, support, and teach. You are here to learn so you can help Phoenix and also, hopefully, someone in the future who is in the shoes you are in now.

If you had read the Stickys, your answer to the need for help, along with remembering that you weren’t going to shoot below 150, would have precluded your panic today. Sam and Briere responded to you in 40 minutes and Sam tagged members. Yes, I’m sure that seems like an eternity but you already had the answer at hand.

We are here to help but we have alot of members. This particular comment below is insulting to us all because you really don’t post enough to insinuate that members aren’t responding because they have cliques. You are incorrect. I find that to be a mean comment based on how much I know every member here will bend over backward to help, stay up late, and care for each other.
Scdal said:
It seems like people on this forum have their own little cliques and only respond to their little groups. I tried putting 911 on my title once and got chewed out for that. Yes, I am angry. I know this group is made up of volunteers but this forum is meant to help people not just become a chat group. You can use Facebook for that.
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You did not get chewed out by @Ti-Mousse for using “911” Not in the least. It is your responsibility to read the information we have posted to help you learn how to post to get help. I took the “911” down because you did not even though your questions had been answered. If members see a “911” they rush to help. If help has already arrived, that person who just dropped everything to help you could have been helping someone else.

Why didn’t you get help immediately?
  • it was early in the morning and people are taking care of their own cats, getting ready to go to work, dealing with their kids, etc. We are all volunteers and have lives and, yes, that is the long and short of it.
  • members are helping other members.
  • it’s a pandemic; be patient. Educate yourself; this isn’t the first time you’ve had lower numbers at shot time and you were given alot of advice on how to deal with it.
  • post correctly; no one would have any idea you needed help shooting because you haven’t taken the time to learn the terminology. AMPS tells us you already shot. There is no other information to indicate an urgent issue. People will use “need help immediately” if their cat is vomiting.
  • there’s no date on the subject line; this could have been an old post because not every member gets to every single post every day; in fact, most don’t. The post I linked above has been on the forum since June. If you had read it, it would have given you all the info you needed to know about how to get attention on a post
  • you didn’t tag anyone; you’ve been here since March....you should know how to do that. Most members will do that if they need immediate help. I even have some members PM me and then I get on their condo. I’m good with that.
  • we have a “rule” here that if you help someone shoot low, you stick with them until the numbers come up; some members might not feel comfortable helping with low numbers like that or they know they aren’t going to be around
  • in the mornings, alot of activity is going on and so your thread might fall to the bottom so it’s your responsibility to do as Lyla suggested and bump it up to the top....along with the correct heading.
I’m not trying to be hard on you and we want to help you and Phoenix but I also can’t allow our dedicated members to be insulted. Everyone is a volunteer; you also have to take responsibility for your own actions and learn the proper posting techniques. We have to have those types of guidelines so it’s more efficient and we can help more people. Believe me, I’ve helped in the other forums a great deal and because they don’t post as we do, it can be pretty helter-skelter.

Please don’t send us mixed signals like saying, and I quote "I AM NOT SHOOTING WHEN HIS NUMBERS ARE BELOW 150” and then expect us to jump through hoops we when think you already shot a 79 and there is no other data to tell us that number is dropping. I’ve read your other condos since then and no where did you indicate you had changed your mind and you have not shot below 150 since then. You skipped for a 114.

If you posted every day and ventured out to other condos, you’d learn alot. That’s the beauty of this forum; we learn from each other, we help each other.

Again, not trying to be hard on you but the wonderful members here are bending over backwards and I want you to understand it takes a village. We’d love you to really be part of ours.
 
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I hope you have better luck with 6.5 units this time, now that he's earned a reduction by going under 90.

Sorry I didn't reply when tagged, but it was early for me on the west coast, and several early mornings I am out on the ocean far away from my phone for a couple hours. As Marje has suggested, as moderators, sometimes we have other tasks than helping people with their dosing questions.

Don't be afraid to draw attention to your situation with the subject line. If I see "8/19 Phoenix AMPS 79" - my first thought is that "Susan is shooting lower now". Because there are so many members and cats on this forum, those of us that help others rely on a scan of the subject lines to give us a heads up of someone who might need help. We don't always have time to read each post in detail. That's also why we ask people to keep the subject lines up to date. New people may not know they are trouble, but sometimes experienced members can recognize a pending issue by the trend in the numbers for the day. And yes, sometimes the "chat" also gives us clues, if the chat is about the cat. This message board is a support group for the caregivers too. A lot of people don't have a good support system at home, and other members here become that supportive "family".

In order to help yourself, it's really useful to read other people's posts, especially those with cats diagnosed around the same time, or similar conditions or dosing. Their questions and answers maybe similar to yours. It took Neko forever to get her first below 50, but when she did, no one was around to help. Thankfully I'd spend ages reading other people's posts and seeing how they handled low numbers, so I knew what to do.

And it's not just you, but lately the forum has been particularly bad about keeping the subject line up to date with the latest numbers, removing the "?" or "911" prefix when no longer needed, etc. If I just have 5 minutes to log on, I'll scan for "?" prefixes or text that indicates someone needs help.
 
Judy and Freckles said:
Hi Susan,

I'll tag @Marje and Gracie to see if they are around and able to combine the two threads https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/thanks-for-nothing.233823/

I totally understand your concern. We only want the best for our kitties and we often feel so helpless at the beginning... but as we learn more, the anxiety tends to subside.

Your suggestion from your other post recommended that the Lantus forum be only for questions. The reason why members post in the forum without asking questions is so experienced people and not so experienced people can get to know the member's cat at a quick glance. By posting the date, cat's name, preshot numbers and numbers through out the day, we can do a quick check to see how the kitty is doing and if there are any trends. By posting everyday, even if it's just your numbers, forum members get to know you, your comfort level, your cat's tendencies - all of this information can be very helpful.

Secondly, not everyone who is on this forum feels comfortable in giving dosing advice. Even though I have been doing this diabetic dance for almost a year, I'm not comfortable giving others dosing advice because I only have real experience with my own cat who has acromegaly - a different ball game compared to the regular diabetic cat. I would recommend printing out some of the 'stickies' on this website so you have them right in front of you. I have a little diabetic bag with all of Freckle's things including a duotang with some of the stickies printed out.

Third, the '?" mark that others have referenced is actually a little different than what you have currently in your post's title:

When you create a new post you will see this:
View attachment 55596
If you tap on the red circled arrow you will see the following:
View attachment 55597
The 911 is for emergencies, the GA means that kitty has passed away and the ? means you have a question. The ? prefix is what people are referring to use when you have a question. It will show up like this in your new thread:
View attachment 55598
These prefixes will draw experienced people to your thread since they typically scan the forum to see who has the immediate need or question.

I hope that helps?
Click to expand...
 
The title that is posted now is not the one on my original post. I have a good idea who changed it. I did have question marks at the beginning of my original post this morning. Yes, I panicked and I am sure it is not going to be the last time. I don't have the spare time to sit and post every day. I am too busy and want people who need help to get their questions answered.

To be honest, I think I have had better results relying on my own intuition as to how to handle it. He has been doing a lot better holding the doses for longer periods before increasing. This is what his vet recommended as well. His preshot this evening was 494. I thought this morning that I should probably have given a reduced dose and next time I will.
I very much doubt if I will be posting much in the future if at all. I have been thoroughly chewed out again by a moderator who also changed the title on my post AGAIN. I will miss a lot of you that are very kind and helpful. I love reading your posts.

I don't think it is right for someone to change the title on my original post. Then I get numerous people instructing me to use the ? in my posts.
 
I’m sorry you feel that way. Your condos we’re merged which happens a lot when a member lists two in my day. We are asked to remove the prefix once your question has been addressed. If it says up nobody who looks will know you have a new concern if you do.
 
Scdal said:
The title that is posted now is not the one on my original post. I have a good idea who changed it. I did have question marks at the beginning of my original post this morning. Yes, I panicked and I am sure it is not going to be the last time. I don't have the spare time to sit and post every day. I am too busy and want people who need help to get their questions answered.

To be honest, I think I have had better results relying on my own intuition as to how to handle it. He has been doing a lot better holding the doses for longer periods before increasing. This is what his vet recommended as well. His preshot this evening was 494. I thought this morning that I should probably have given a reduced dose and next time I will.
I very much doubt if I will be posting much in the future if at all. I have been thoroughly chewed out again by a moderator who also changed the title on my post AGAIN. I will miss a lot of you that are very kind and helpful. I love reading your posts.

I don't think it is right for someone to change the title on my original post. Then I get numerous people instructing me to use the ? in my posts.
Click to expand...
I changed your title late today because it remained up with ???? most of the day and that is what we ask members to not do. I gave you plenty of time to change it on your own. It’s just common consideration for other members.

I’m sorry that of all the info Wendy and I tried to give you, that was your takeaway.
 
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