? 6/2 Jessi, AMPS 289, +2.25 215, +4 101, +4.5 81, +6.5 120, +7 193; PMPS 321, +2.25 245

Are you able to get a test with the hand held meter?

How many hours after insulin was the 56? Please update your spreadsheet

don’t feed too much, a tsp will do.. if this is early in the cycle you don’t want to fill that belly
 
She had already eaten a half a can of her usual because it was past time for her, then I added a second half for her but I don't think she finished it. These are 80 g cans.

She is purring but clearly a little off.

56 was at +2.75

testing with a glucometer is very hard and stressful with her
 
Thanks for updating you sheet.

She’s got a tiny food bump. Keep monitoring closely, you still have a few hours until nadir.

looks like she’s earned another reduction. New dose is 0.75u

Can I ask, is she ok with blood tests? I’ve seen the Libre read much lower than the meters quite often, 20-30 point even. The Libre is a handy tool but when you get those lower numbers it’s a good idea to do a check with the blood meter to verify the number.
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Thanks for updating you sheet.

She’s got a tiny food bump. Keep monitoring closely, you still have a few hours until nadir.

looks like she’s earned another reduction. New dose is 0.75u

Can I ask, is she ok with blood tests? I’ve seen the Libre read much lower than the meters quite often, 20-30 point even. The Libre is a handy tool but when you get those lower numbers it’s a good idea to do a check with the blood meter to verify the number.
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Down at 54 now on the Libre

Blood test is a very big deal with her and we have very little experience with it. I just made one attempt but unless I wrap her in a towel and hold her down with a lot of force, which will terrify her, it won't happen, and even then it's unlikely I'll be able to get the blood drop on the meter

I know the Libre reads lower usually but it's still kind of scary
 
Stefania S said:
Down at 54 now on the Libre

Blood test is a very big deal with her and we have very little experience with it. I just made one attempt but unless I wrap her in a towel and hold her down with a lot of force, which will terrify her, it won't happen, and even then it's unlikely I'll be able to get the blood drop on the meter

I know the Libre reads lower usually but it's still kind of scary
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Absolutely, if you can’t get that blood test, we need to treat those lower numbers as if they were true.

Will she eat a tsp of LC food?
 
Since you do have the Libre, I would try to condition her to be ok with the test, it’s the perfect time.

When we first started, Gus was not the happiest about it all. We ended in a small bathroom, I brought all the supplies, sat down with him let him wonder a bit, lots of pets, treats. He’d eventually start to get more comfy and lay down with me. I’d play with his ears, use a rice sock (let him sniff it) to warm his ears… we basically would do everything we would do for a test, minus the poke.. I even had a pen cap to simulate a poke. This didn’t only help him but me too.

Eventually I worked up the courage and tried the poke, he was a little taken by it but shrugged it off pretty quick. Each non poke and poke sessions got easier and easier for both of us.

Also remember that they feel your energy, if you’re nervous they’re like why, if you’re scared they are too. I would actually talk Gus through every step I took, calmly. Some folks will sing a little song - I just figure that would scare Gus more than the poke, so we talked calmly instead
 
Stefania S said:
She just ate almost an entire can of LC food, so I don’t know why it’s not having an effect
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Like I said it only takes a tsp to bump them.. you could (but shouldn’t) give a full can and it would do the same thing for the same amount of time. This is why when you’re seeing lower number you only feed small portions because you don’t know how long you’ll need to continue feeding them
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Like I said it only takes a tsp to bump them.. you could (but shouldn’t) give a full can and it would do the same thing for the same amount of time. This is why when you’re seeing lower number you only feed small portions because you don’t know how long you’ll need to continue feeding them
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Ok, now I know for next time, but what do I do right now?
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Since you do have the Libre, I would try to condition her to be ok with the test, it’s the perfect time.

When we first started, Gus was not the happiest about it all. We ended in a small bathroom, I brought all the supplies, sat down with him let him wonder a bit, lots of pets, treats. He’d eventually start to get more comfy and lay down with me. I’d play with his ears, use a rice sock (let him sniff it) to warm his ears… we basically would do everything we would do for a test, minus the poke.. I even had a pen cap to simulate a poke. This didn’t only help him but me too.

Eventually I worked up the courage and tried the poke, he was a little taken by it but shrugged it off pretty quick. Each non poke and poke sessions got easier and easier for both of us.

Also remember that they feel your energy, if you’re nervous they’re like why, if you’re scared they are too. I would actually talk Gus through every step I took, calmly. Some folks will sing a little song - I just figure that would scare Gus more than the poke, so we talked calmly instead
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Do you mean I should do this right now?
 
Stefania S said:
Do you mean I should do this right now?
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I don’t mean at this moment but it’s ideal that you have a Libre … perfect time to get used to blood pokes ;) I just want to share how we got over the hurdle of learning to test.

If you want to give it a try, it wouldn’t hurt though.
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Let’s see what that number is in 15mins from the last test but see if she’ll eat any in the meanwhile
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She ate a little more, basically the leftover of the can. After a moment she got up and started walking around the house. She actually looks quite alert. It's weird. just moments ago she was all conked out. I got her up to eat and move a little and now she's looking almost spry.

But this is the longest one of these dips has ever lasted, at least as far as I'm aware. There could have been other moments while I was sleeping or before I got the Libre.

So what now...keep waiting...feed higher carb food...

these numbers are holding still, 55 as I'm writing this
 
Stefania S said:
She ate a little more, basically the leftover of the can. After a moment she got up and started walking around the house. She actually looks quite alert. It's weird. just moments ago she was all conked out. I got her up to eat and move a little and now she's looking almost spry.

But this is the longest one of these dips has ever lasted, at least as far as I'm aware. There could have been other moments while I was sleeping or before I got the Libre.

So what now...keep waiting...feed higher carb food...

these numbers are holding still, 55 as I'm writing this
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Rinse and repeat.

she’s flat and holding it, which is worth a small happy dance ;)

if she drop under 50, you’ll give some gravy (since she’s iffy on food, all we need is the gravy from the high carb food).

I’ll be around, I’m out in the garden but I’ll keep checking in. Keep us updated
 
spry didn't last long, she's conking out again, I mean, she's awake, but eyes closed and seeming a bit off
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Rinse and repeat.

she’s flat and holding it, which is worth a small happy dance ;)

if she drop under 50, you’ll give some gravy (since she’s iffy on food, all we need is the gravy from the high carb food).

I’ll be around, I’m out in the garden but I’ll keep checking in. Keep us updated
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ok, I guess it's another night of no sleep for me...I wish I could do a happy dance but I'm just so tired...

She likes her wet food fine it's just that she's full. I didn't know that a spoonful had the same effect as an entire can. How does that work?

I also have LC treats I could give her. And I have medium carb food but we haven't tried it yet. Oh, and then there is there is her absolute favorite, corn! If all else fails I can give her a little pureed corn and she laps it up.

Should I give her a few treats or just wait now?

Thanks for being there, it's nice I'm not doing this alone.
 
Remember, it does take some time for food to break down and get into the bloodstream. Save the MC food and treats for now.

It's not unusual for her to be working on a nap either. Cats have a routine....Hunt, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. Doesn't matter if it's a pride of lions after snacking on a zebra or a housecat just eating a can of food.

As long as her numbers stay above 50, I'd try not to worry too much.

Update us in about 15-20 minutes unless she starts to act "drunk", staggers, acts like she's blind or collapses. In any of those cases, rub some Karo (corn syrup), honey or pancake syrup on her gums and let us know.
 
Stefania S said:
She ate a little more, basically the leftover of the can. After a moment she got up and started walking around the house. She actually looks quite alert. It's weird. just moments ago she was all conked out. I got her up to eat and move a little and now she's looking almost spry.

But this is the longest one of these dips has ever lasted, at least as far as I'm aware. There could have been other moments while I was sleeping or before I got the Libre.

So what now...keep waiting...feed higher carb food...

these numbers are holding still, 55 as I'm writing this
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Hi, Stefania! Kim asked for a few others to keep an eye on you and Jessi too.
I had also used the Libre on my guy, Max. I was looking at your spreadsheet and notice a note you had about sleeping through alarms and missing a test. Do you not have the ability to see a graph with your Libre? I used the app on my phone but I know the Libre readers can show a graph.

As for trying ear sticks like Kim suggested, I actually had to use the Libre because Max would attack me if I tried to test his ear. I can go over with you what I did to eventually get success, if you are interested at a later time…right now, let’s just make sure Jessi keeps holding steady!
 
Wait, so why do we do a happy dance when we're in these low numbers?

Isn't this hard on her body to go so low like this? She sure doesn't look like she's enjoying it.
 
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Chris & China (GA) said:
Corn?? Sounds like she never read the book "All about cats"!

Chapter 1. Cats eat meat and fat....grains, fruits and veggies are for the humans...LOL
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I know, I never give it to her. I just have it for emergency. I found out by chance years ago that she loved it because I was eating corn on the cob and she was sniffing it. I just let her smell it like I do with lots of objects and she suddenly bit into it. She wouldn't let it go. It was just the bare cob with almost nothing left on it, but she was like a dog with a bone. I didn't do that with her ever again because I knew already about carbs and cats back then. But that's how I found out she is a corn junkie!

What can I do, she's adopted, who knows what they fed her in the years before she came to me!

So if I need to get her BGs up fast, that's a sure bet. ;)
 
Stefania S said:
Wait, so why do we do a happy dance when we're in these low numbers?
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Healing greens :) the more time spent in the green the better. Each time the body will get a little more used the lower normal numbers and the liver won’t panic and release stores glucose and hormones that cause the bouncing

Corn… lol.. silly kitty
 
Stefania S said:
Wait, so why do we do a happy dance when we're in these low numbers?

Isn't this hard on her body to go so low like this? She sure doesn't look like she's enjoying it.
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Like Kim said, they help heal. The goal is to keep them in the low blues and greens, then greens as much as you can. The fact that you took a reduction just a day ago can be good and bad. It could mean her pancreas is starting to so something, but the bad part is back to back reductions don’t always stick. If her numbers stay lower, then yay. If they go back up, you the bring the dose back up (that’s called a failed reduction).
It was a scary feeling to see my guy in blues and greens at first, but then I got used to them. If I saw a yellow, I’d freak out. Odd how the tables turned. :D
 
Rebecca & Max (GA) said:
Hi, Stefania! Kim asked for a few others to keep an eye on you and Jessi too.
I had also used the Libre on my guy, Max. I was looking at your spreadsheet and notice a note you had about sleeping through alarms and missing a test. Do you not have the ability to see a graph with your Libre? I used the app on my phone but I know the Libre readers can show a graph.

As for trying ear sticks like Kim suggested, I actually had to use the Libre because Max would attack me if I tried to test his ear. I can go over with you what I did to eventually get success, if you are interested at a later time…right now, let’s just make sure Jessi keeps holding steady!
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Yes, there are graphs for sure. I use the App too. In fact, I have been wanting to understand them better. It often seems like the sensor is recording even when I'm not scanning and charting a graph with this information, is that what you're talking about? But when I asked a Freestyle rep about this he said no, it wasn't so. I guess he didn't know what he was talking about. I wondered why I was told I needed to make sure I scanned at least once every 8 hours. So the sensor keeps gathering levels and charts them on a graph even while I'm not scanning, right?

As for testing, I'm definitely open to trying again, but it is VERY challenging. Jessi doesn't ever attack me, EVER, she's a very unusual cat that way. But what she does is use everything she's got to get away. She becomes a wild thing twisting, turning, jerking, jumping...whatever she can do to get out of my grasp. She is terrified of being restrained and becomes afraid easily if she thinks anything will be done to her. And when she gets to those levels of fear, it sticks, it becomes a trauma, a bad memory and it takes days or weeks to subside. And in the meantime she will run and hide from me all day long and be hyper vigilant. So that is why I opted for the Libre.

The only reason I can even do the insulin shots is that if I get it right she barely notices and I don't have to hold her down. But if I start trying to test her, even the shots will become a struggle.

Still, I am willing to try out new approaches because I know it would be better if we could use the glucometer.
 
Stefania S said:
Wait, so why do we do a happy dance when we're in these low numbers?

Isn't this hard on her body to go so low like this? She sure doesn't look like she's enjoying it.
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Greens are scary at first, but it means they're in the zone where the pancreas can heal and hopefully get back to work soon!

They also become addicting once you get used to them....and then you're heartbroken if they're in higher blues!

Check out my China's spreadsheet link. She was the most tightly regulated cat for several years before she passed from what they think was cancer.
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Healing greens :) the more time spent in the green the better. Each time the body will get a little more used the lower normal numbers and the liver won’t panic and release stores glucose and hormones that cause the bouncing

Corn… lol.. silly kitty
Click to expand...

Green is a much better color than RED. On the Libre these numbers are fire engine red!
 
I'm giving some HC food, ok? This is the lowest ever and the Libre doesn't even give a number it just says LO
 
And now I can't get a scan, it's telling me to try again in 10 minutes! great!

Now I wonder if the sensor is dying. They told me that as it dies it can show super low numbers, if that's what's going on then I have no way to know if the numbers are true.
 
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sounds like the Libre is kaput...which is one of the main reasons we aren't big fans of it. They hardly ever last 14 days and we've had then stop an hour after placement and there is no "free replacement".

Since we don't know for sure what her BG, we'll have to go by how she's acting. If she was really low, she'd probably be desperately begging for more food.

How's she acting?

Do you think she'd let you test on her pawpad instead of her ear?
 
She's acting fine actually. I just gave her a little HC food, I couldn't hold out any longer.

Paw pad is worse. She protects her paws much more than her ears. It's also 3 am here and I am exhausted. I can't imagine it will go well to try pricking her ears right now. I would have to use a lot of force to hold her down and even so, it would be hard to get that drop of blood on the test strip.

Just tried again and Libre is giving me 74 now. I guess the HC worked. It's crazy that her normal LC food didn't raise the numbers at all. It wasn't like that before. So maybe these numbers aren't accurate. I don't know....

Now what do I do...I really need to get some sleep, I'm feeling ill from sleep deprivation accumulated over months now. How long until I know I can go to sleep do you think?
 
Stefania S said:
And now I can't get a scan, it's telling me to try again in 10 minutes! great!

Now I wonder if the sensor is dying. They told me that as it dies it can show super low numbers, if that's what's going on then I have no way to know if the numbers are true.
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One thing you can try is to gently press down on the sensor. It may or may not help, but it did help one of Max’s when that happened. It may not be the battery dying but rather the filament may have moved up out of the skin a bit.
 
Rebecca & Max (GA) said:
One thing you can try is to gently press down on the sensor. It may or may not help, but it did help one of Max’s when that happened. It may not be the battery dying but rather the filament may have moved up out of the skin a bit.
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It didn't change the reading to do that. Actually, I just did it again and now it's showing me 93 and rising!

She is hungry now in a normal way. I would like to give her some of her normal LC food. I could also give her more HC. I'm having trouble typing this message because I'm falling asleep. Soon I won't be able to do much for her. I may need to just put some food out and go to sleep. I just have to decide which food, LC or HC or some of both.
 
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Do you have any medium carb food? If not, you can mix a little LC with HC and feed her, leave some LC out if you want and call it a night.

Just another reminder that next dose is 0.75u, reduction was earned tonight. well done. I hope you can rest well and regain your energy
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Do you have any medium carb food? If not, you can mix a little LC with HC and feed her, leave some LC out if you want and call it a night.

Just another reminder that next dose is 0.75u, reduction was earned tonight. well done. I hope you can rest well and regain your energy
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Ok, so you think it's safe for me to go to sleep now as long as I leave some food out for her? I'm so exhausted these days that once I hit the pillow almost nothing wakes me up. Except Jessi, that is. ;) and occasionally my alarm clock!

I think I will do what you're saying mixing the two. That way I am sure she will eat them because she likes both. A little is a spoon or two?
 
You can give her a few spoonfuls at this point. We want her to have access to it if she wants it.

We are approaching mid cycle now or just over and I think she should be ok.

May as well leave out MC too (I said LC earlier)
 
Hi all,

since I started this thread in the wee hours of morning of 6/2 I probably shouldn't post a new thread today, right? Just use this one and change the title to include the usual info?
 
Gus the Furminator said:
Do you have any medium carb food? If not, you can mix a little LC with HC and feed her, leave some LC out if you want and call it a night.

Just another reminder that next dose is 0.75u, reduction was earned tonight. well done. I hope you can rest well and regain your energy
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Thank you! We did the reduction. I rested 3.5 hours, not exactly regaining energy, but it's something! LOL! Would love to nap now but I see her numbers going down so...not sure I should sleep. Laundry instead maybe...:confused:
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Wow, not much of a bounce. Feed a little MC to slow her down. 10-15% carbs.
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Feeding now. It's a mix of her LC with Fancy Feast, like I did last night. I think FF might be a little lower carb here than in the States. Checking now. But it worked well last night without spiking much.

No, I take that back, FF is super high carb here too!

I just gave a little mixed in with some of her food. She ate some, not a lot. She seems to lose appetite at a certain point as the BGs go down and then in other moments gets more hungry. I think she just feels weird so she doesn't even know if she's hungry or not...her instinct is to curl up and sleep. I try to get her moving around and interacting so I see how she's doing.
 
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And now the sensor won't give me a read, yey! :arghh:

How I know she's ok right now is when I do a pretend ear poke to test the waters she pops her head up shakes it vigorously and looks disturbed like she's about to get the heck away from me if I do anymore. Yep, she's still fine.
 
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