Nico, finally some (short-lived, I’m sure..) decent numbers

Emily Tuomey

Emily Tuomey

Member Since 2020
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SashaV said:
I believe a flat cycle is a warning of an following active cycle. Or that's what I'm told in the LBL forum, and after what I'm seeing Nico fits into that description :oops:
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That’s my understanding (and previous experience) too. The question would be “when?” Nico’s body, unfortunately, likes the element of surprise— and his lows happen when you least expect them. :nailbiting:
 
Emily Tuomey said:
Do a string of flat numbers reflect a kitty who is still bouncing, or a cleared bounce??
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A string of flat numbers can be a kitty getting READY to clear a bounce. Bounce might not clear until the next cycle or 2.
Emily Tuomey said:
You don’t even want to know the stress that was the past four days.... T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E.
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Hope you are doing better now.

Emily Tuomey said:
What made you decide to change insulin, just out of curiosity?
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I kept trying to convince Sasha she needed to change the insulin, but it took some real "nudging" to get her to try the Levemir again.
 
Emily Tuomey said:
Especially in the middle of the night (which, over here, is more often than not)! What made you decide to change insulin, just out of curiosity?
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Exactly my experience too. Always at night.

Well, Deb and I agreed that I've been trying long enough without any results. She kept bouncing, going low at night, I couldn't predict where a cycle was headed.
And..... the reason it took me so loooooong, besides every time we talked about it, Mauer showed good numbers!! But I didn't want to leave Deb... :oops:
The LBL forum is totally different from this!

Except the fact that I'm up every night, also more than once, I'm actually extremely happy about the switch. She was on Caninsulin, Levemir, prozinc and then back to levemir. I'm not constantly afraid she's going hypo on me. Lev lasts so much longer that she won't crash as before. I have a bad feeling today, and I can't sleep.... so I'm watching her! But lower numbers feel more safe now. And that's a relief!
 
Since Nico doesn't seem to hold those dose reductions, you might want to keep the dose the same for now.

Saying hello to Mr. Green is very nice for Nico.:D:D:D
 
Deb & Wink said:
Since Nico doesn't seem to hold those dose reductions, you might want to keep the dose the same for now.

Saying hello to Mr. Green is very nice for Nico.:D:D:D
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We are still falling, but if he’s at 100+ for PMPS I’m gonna hold him to 1.5u and test like crazy overnight— he doesn’t take reductions well, you hit the nail on the head!

+6, 72
+7, 66
+8, 60
+9, 58
 
The beginning of the bounce has come, Nico’s AMPS was 269. I’m just praying that because we didn’t do a knee-jerk, panic dose reduction that it won’t be long or severe; he tends high, so is never in the greens very long, and never within hypo territory— which I guess is a good thing.. we shall see what today brings. Hoping Mauer does well today too!!
 
Emily Tuomey said:
The beginning of the bounce has come, Nico’s AMPS was 269. I’m just praying that because we didn’t do a knee-jerk, panic dose reduction that it won’t be long or severe; he tends high, so is never in the greens very long, and never within hypo territory— which I guess is a good thing.. we shall see what today brings. Hoping Mauer does well today too!!
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269 is a lot better than the pinks you've been seeing!
But he was green yesterday and last night, that's progress!
Mauer is high today. High being hanging out in the blues :p
I guess it's a bounce. But a tiny one!
 
SashaV said:
269 is a lot better than the pinks you've been seeing!
But he was green yesterday and last night, that's progress!
Mauer is high today. High being hanging out in the blues :p
I guess it's a bounce. But a tiny one!
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I feel like I should be jealous of all these kitties with low(er) numbers, but I also know that comes with its own set of unique challenges.. apples and oranges. Just hoping my sweet boy stays out of those pinks for at least a cycle or two. He’s totally blissed out in his box at the moment (and yes, the Christmas tree is still up :joyful:), sleeping with a smile:
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Emily Tuomey said:
I feel like I should be jealous of all these kitties with low(er) numbers, but I also know that comes with its own set of unique challenges.. apples and oranges. Just hoping my sweet boy stays out of those pinks for at least a cycle or two. He’s totally blissed out in his box at the moment (and yes, the Christmas tree is still up :joyful:), sleeping with a smile: View attachment 60051
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Exactly... having a cat in the lower numbers isn't a walk in the park either. But it has to be done no matter what.
Aaaaw he looks cute!! Box kitty!
I sang a Christmas song yesterday, in a bit it'll be Christmas again! :D:D:D
 
Em, you are still doing very well managing Nico's dosing cycles.
While it's very hard to do, keeping the dose as is and monitoring can help you make some real progress.
One of many sayings we have here, "Shoot low, to stay low."
Of course, you have to have enough test data and supplies in order to do that.

Em. We're proud of you, very proud of you.
 
Deb & Wink said:
Em, you are still doing very well managing Nico's dosing cycles.
While it's very hard to do, keeping the dose as is and monitoring can help you make some real progress.
One of many sayings we have here, "Shoot low, to stay low."
Of course, you have to have enough test data and supplies in order to do that.

Em. We're proud of you, very proud of you.
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Awe. Such words, completely unexpected. <heart swell> It’s all just part of the job, but I am thankful to all of you for teaching (and continuing to be patient with) me the ropes! Feline Diabetes sucks, but it’s nice to have people in our corner. :smuggrin:
 
SashaV said:
HA! Green! Way to go Nico! :D:stop:
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Shelley & Jess said:
...my money was on green (but didn't want to *jinx* it :p)

WooHoo!!!:)
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SO GOOD (and thank you for not jinxing it, Chell!). It was nice to have a bunch of green, but no near hypo/full hypo scares. We were back in the pink this morning, so we shall see where he goes from there..
 

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SashaV said:
Em, are you doing anything special every other week?
Seems he has two high weeks, one great, then back.
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Interesting. It looks like it might be more like ten days, but nothing special that I can think of.. we’ve had some weird food things (tried out Kitten Friskies, then removed), a new vial of insulin opened, etc that were all since the beginning of the year but not sure they were all 10-14 days apart, and if so totally coincidental. Could it be that his pancreas has a timer..? A fit bit? Ha! “Too many steps.” “Cheat day!” :joyful:
 
Maybe @SashaV could talk you into trying one of the L insulins, either lantus or levemir. Her Mauer has done better being on one of those longer lasting insulins. They can sometimes, but not always, help to give a more smile shaped curve without the wild bounces.
 
Deb & Wink said:
Maybe @SashaV could talk you into trying one of the L insulins, either lantus or levemir. Her Mauer has done better being on one of those longer lasting insulins. They can sometimes, but not always, help to give a more smile shaped curve without the wild bounces.
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He is a great candidate! I didn't have all these colors in Mauers SS, so I think it would be a better choice.
You could make a post in the forum asking advice on switching, to what insulin and so on.
 
And Mauer doesn't bounce in the same way anymore. Now a bounce is blue!
But I think you have a lot to gain, Em.
You're still relatively new, within the 6 months.. give lantus or levemir a real chance now.
 
SashaV said:
You could make a post in the forum asking advice on switching, to what insulin and so on.
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I may need to pop over there tomorrow and take a peek around. To be fair, Nico’s vet did recommend Lantus to begin with but as both Lantus and Prozinc have similar statistical results (at least within my vet’s clinic) I opted to try the cheaper one first— Prozinc.
Deb & Wink said:
Maybe @SashaV could talk you into trying one of the L insulins, either lantus or levemir. They can sometimes, but not always, help to give a more smile shaped curve without the wild bounces.
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Nico has a follow up appointment with the vet, and will be out of insulin in early April, so that may be a good time to discuss changing it up for him then.
Deb & Wink said:
Order from Canada, Marks Marine Pharmacy if you decide to go with Lantus or Levemir.
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Thank you! The cost is certainly a factor, especially since I’m only working part time until COVID is a little more well-managed through the vaccines and people used to personal precautions and social distancing.
 
Em, I wouldn't wait.
Research says the sooner a cat is treated with long lasting insulins and TR, the better chance to go OTJ. It's 84% within the first 3-6 months. Long-term diabetics is 34%
So I'd do it sooner rather than later!
You could look in the supply closet forum :D
 
SashaV said:
Em, I wouldn't wait.
Research says the sooner a cat is treated with long lasting insulins and TR, the better chance to go OTJ. It's 84% within the first 3-6 months. Long-term diabetics is 34%
So I'd do it sooner rather than later!
You could look in the supply closet forum :D
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I really appreciate all the help and suggestions, but I’m extremely overwhelmed right as of the moment — a lot of life stuff needing more emergent attention, unfortunately— so, I’m gonna need to shelf this idea for a bit. I’ll go look in the supply closet, but otherwise I just really can’t. I may try a tighter food regulation for a few cycles and see if he has a high food influence or not, but that’s the best I can do. I’m really sorry. :oops:
 
Emily Tuomey said:
I really appreciate all the help and suggestions, but I’m extremely overwhelmed right as of the moment — a lot of life stuff needing more emergent attention, unfortunately— so, I’m gonna need to shelf this idea for a bit. I’ll go look in the supply closet, but otherwise I just really can’t. I may try a tighter food regulation for a few cycles and see if he has a high food influence or not, but that’s the best I can do. I’m really sorry. :oops:
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There's no pressure and no need to be sorry! :bighug:
We just wants what's best for you and Nico. If you're ready to give it a shot in two months, then he'll be ready in two months. You need to be and feel ready too :bighug:
I waited a long time to feel ready, and that's just how I work. You can't take care of Nico, if you don't take care of yourself first! :bighug:
 
Still riding the yellow train, hard to predict his overnight, but I’m personally hopeful for some decent sleep! A couple of updates: I decided to try fasting Nico from 3am/pm to 7am/pm (instead of 5am/pm to 7am/pm) to see what his food influence is and exactly how it effects his numbers. Though I’m nervous about his weight, so will have to monitor it closely and revert back to his normal schedule is there is any weight loss— he is a grazer, always has been. So, we started that today and I plan on a few cycles with that change, then reassess. The other update is that I was able to get my hands on one pen of Lantus through the Supply Closet, but is that enough to trial him on it before seeing the vet? I’m not sure how soon it will arrive either. Any advice welcome! :confused:
 
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