3/7 Miles AMPS 281

Chris and Miles

Chris and Miles

Member Since 2020
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/3-6-miles-amps-412m-2-383-pmps-437-2-328-4-239.244215/

Sorry @Wendy&Neko ... I know I mustn't get blase and I think from this morning's measurement that clearly Miles did have a more active cycle, but - I thought he'd be (hopefully) okay and went to bed.

In retrospect I should have tried switching to a syringe in an evening when I was more awake than the morning, but I should not have ALSO increased the dose at the same time.

Two big problems (?):
(1) I don't think I still understand what the cycle is supposed to look like. The tiny image of a graph in the article on the site didn't really illuminate me much
(2) If I look at all my past readings, Miles had lots of active cycles with a dose of just 1.0u.
 
Morning Chris! Nice start for Miles.

Chris and Miles said:
In retrospect I should have tried switching to a syringe in an evening when I was more awake than the morning, but I should not have ALSO increased the dose at the same time.
Click to expand...
You are probably right. But here you and Miles are so it's okay :bighug:

Chris and Miles said:
(1) I don't think I still understand what the cycle is supposed to look like. The tiny image of a graph in the article on the site didn't really illuminate me much
Click to expand...
Wendy may be by when she gets on but I'll see if I can help a little bit - a "typical" cycle is in The Basics sticky - with that said, Lantus is also very good at keeping cycles flat. E.g., I shot Jax at 53 last night and he had a gorgeous cycle (I've also been at this for a bit and had lots of help from the board here to be able to shoot that low). FWIW, I would personally worry less about a "typical" cycle since nadirs can (and do) move around - I'd just keep focusing on patterns and how low kitty is going.

Example of an ACTIVE, but NOT necessarily typical Lantus/Basaglar cycle:
NOTE: Until kitty is pretty well regulated, the description below is NOT not what you'd consider a "typical" Lantus/Basaglar cycle. It takes time and patience for kitty to achieve a "typical" cycle! The example below is what you're working towards (a nice shallow curve). A relatively flat cycle is the ultimate goal.

+0 - PreShot number.
+1 - Usually higher than PreShot number because of the last shot wearing off. May see a food spike in this number.
+2 - Often similar to the PreShot number. Onset begins around +2 for most cats. You'll probably see an active cycle if the +2 is the same/similar OR lower than the preshot number. Continue testing!
+3 - Often lower than the PreShot number.
+4 - Lower.
+5 - Lower.
+6 - Nadir/Peak (the lowest number of cycle. NOTE: ECID. Not every cat has a mid-cycle nadir. Adjust the hours on this example to fit your cat.)
+7 - Surf (hang around the nadir number).
+8 - Slight rise.
+9 - Slight rise.
+10 - Rising.
+11 - Rising (one of the quirks of Lantus/Basaglar/Levemir: some cat's blood glucose numbers dip around +10 or +11... not to be confused with nadir).
+12 - PreShot number.

You'll hear a lot of us say to get a +2/+3 - here's some reasoning behind it...you'll also refine your testing as you have more data:
  • If the +2 is about the same as the Pre-shot, usually kitty is going to have a fairly "normal" cycle...slowly dropping to nadir and then slowly heading back up until the next PS
  • If it's higher than the PS, that can indicate the beginning of a bounce and those are the cycles where you can usually get by without testing as much
  • If the +2 is lower than the PS, that's your "early warning"....those are the cycles where it's important to try to get more tests in...but if you can't, you might want to leave some higher carb food down for kitty
Hope that helps a little bit. I'd get a +2 again today :bighug:
 
Going to take a minute to digest that post.

I just tried to give Miles a shot and I am quite sure that it was a fur shot. Do I try again or not? :-/ (To clarify, I think I missed the tent entirely - found a wet spot on his fur afterwards. Of course... I could have got part of this wrong, I have to admit, even though I feel sure.)
 
Chris and Miles said:
Going to take a minute to digest that post.

I just tried to give Miles a shot and I am quite sure that it was a fur shot. Do I try again or not? :-/ (To clarify, I think I missed the tent entirely - found a wet spot on his fur afterwards. Of course... I could have got part of this wrong, I have to admit, even though I feel sure.)
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Quickly replying just to say do not shoot again under any circumstance. It’s simply not safe. You all will get better at all this with time :bighug:
 
Just set an alarm next time. No need to stay awake.
IF you one day get an active cycle it would be smart to have slept before hand, so you don't fall asleep when Miles is a critical place.

Never ever shoot twice. And Chris, I know how much you want to understand and do this right, I really do. But it's a steep learning curve, you simply can't know everything. You just waste a lot of energy trying to make sense of things, that maybe shouldn't make sense in the first place. Don't doubt yourself so much, we're here to keep you and Miles safe, and we'll tell you if and when, to pay close attention, and if you do something wrong - but I seriously doubt that'll ever happen. Try to live a little, otherwise this can be absolutely consuming. Enjoy life and Miles and his lovely sister :bighug:
I hope you don't take it the wrong way, cause all I want, is to help you. That's what we all want :bighug:
 
Ahh, no, I don't take that the wrong way. What I find harder is the tougher talk even when it's true.

I cannot say I have had many good nights of sleep since Miles was diagnosed. Not because I'm staying awake worried but just because his hunger and probably also the change to oh so delicious wet food prompts him to wake me up earlier than before. And I have I guess resisted going to sleep earlier although I started trying to do that this week.

Instead of sleeping 11-7 Miles generally wakes me around 6:15. This morning it was 6:30 and I feel like there might have been a little less desperation on his part but I could have been imagining it.

I should be in bed lights out at 10:30. But if I set an alarm for 11:30 (because that's +4) I don't know if that single hour is going to give much value in terms of rest.

I'm not sure how I have managed to miss recording so many PM+2 or +3 but looking at my spreadsheet every single time since 2/21 when I recorded both the PMPS and a +2 or +3 Miles has had an active cycle, even though I don't think 1.0u dose was actually dangerous on any of those nights. If I don't understand what's dangerous and what's not or don't in any case understand more, how do I understand what actually requires setting alarms and night-time checks and what doesn't? If I had done so on every one of those nights I would be dead to the world, unable to work or think straight.
 
PS I hope you understand that the above is not directed at any of you. It is just my frustration and the way that I am. I always want to understand why I am doing something and not to just do things by rote. :/
 
Well, I for one can't sleep without getting up. Every single night. The fear of Mauer going too low is to much. And I'm not really seeing anyone who sleeps through the night without testing, perhaps those who doesn't realize how typical and dangerous it is? I don't know. But there's no way around it, and you don't need to do a +4 every night. If you get a +2 and it looks fine, set an alarm for +6. Trust me, it becomes a habit before you know it. I'm not even fully awake when I test Mauer o_Oo_O
So let's say you've got a +2, nothing special about it so you go to bed and set an alarm for +6. That 4 hours of sleep, up and test, and if he is low, you'll have 4 hours of sleep!!!! If you stayed up for the +4, and he started going down fast, you'd loose the whole night. And there's no catching up, cause the cycle starts again the minute the other cycle is done. My point is, work with it :bighug:
I'm one year in, I haven't slept through in 9 months :woot:
What I hate the most about this, I never ever know when the low is going to hit, I never know when I wake up, if this is the time I'll be staying up. My mind has convinced me, if I sleep through, then that will be the night she goes low. I have OCD, so it's kinda my thing. At least I'm no longer obsessing about my electric kettle :oops:
I really wish someone could make a guarantee that she won't bottom out, but no one can..
My friends and family can't feel that my sleep is so interrupted as it is, neither can I anymore. It's just a habit now.. and it will be for you too :bighug:
 
Chris and Miles said:
how do I understand what actually requires setting alarms and night-time checks and what doesn't?
Click to expand...
You'll build data for your kitty and get to know his patterns and behaviors. Also, the longer you do this dance, the more comfortable you'll be.

Also, what time is your shot time? I shoot at 6:45 and generally am awake until +3 and often awake until +4. I only set alarms for later if I think it will be an active cycle (see the bottom of my post #2 above). While I do test a lot, I do not stay up all night every night. Last night was active for Jax but the previous two were not (I did not test past +3). Additionally, if you lean on the board and post your numbers and questions, people can help you decide to set an alarm or not.

You'll figure all this out. It truly is A LOT at once and a super steep learning curve. Hugs to you and Miles and Ella :bighug:
 
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