1/27 Jasper amps 121 +3 46 +4 59 +4.5 62 +6 96 +7 117 +10 185

Ok Aaron. You did the right thing feeding Jasper when you got that low reading of 43. Jasper is safe right now but you need to keep an eye on him for a bit to make sure he stays above 50. The carbs will help boost him but they will also wear off eventually. This may be an active cycle given that low occurred this early. Don't feed anymore right now and retest Jasper again in 30 minutes please.
 
Aaron and Jasper said:
I don't know why you're making the decisions you are
Click to expand...
If you're referring to the advice to drop the dose to 0.25 u tonight it's because of that lime green 43. If you're using a human meter anything below 50 will code lime green and is a cue to reduce the dose if you're following the TR (Tight Regulation) guide. If you were following the less aggressive SLGS (Start Low Go Slow) guide you would reduce if a BG is below 90 regardless of the type of meter you use.

Over the last several days the issue of TR versus SLGS hasn't been addressed because the goals were to get Jasper out of a risky hypo situation and get you dosing and tracking more consistently to see where his good dose range is currently.
 
I understand the lime green. I'm more referring to the lack of independence in this whole situation now, and the sort of proactiveness that will not be available to me at work. I get on here, give numbers, wait for a reply, follow said advice (most often right on cue after waiting for the reply.) It's tiresome and I feel like I'm not getting ahead of anything. You guys are keeping him alive during the times that I can be here all day.
 
Aaron and Jasper said:
I'm more referring to the lack of independence in this whole situation now, and the sort of proactiveness that will not be available to me at work.
Click to expand...
This is very understandable. You had a big scare when Jasper had hypo symptoms and now you're on a steep learning curve. You're learning what's needed to both keep him safe AND optimize his BG numbers. You've learned that dosing isn't set and forget. Hard lessons to be sure. It can be a knife edge at times and we all have to find that precarious balance. The stakes are higher when you have to be away at work and can't monitor to the extent that some others can. In your situation you can't skate as close to the edge - you need a bigger margin for safety's sake.

Please don't beat yourself up! You've come a long way in a very short time! :)
 
Aaron, which reading did you misstype here?. Do you mean the earlier 43 should have been 46 or that the last reading of 62 should have been 46?
 
I leave 20 minutes after his am on Mondays, tues-fri I could get up to +2. Those times don't leave any allowance for deliberation on the digital end, however; or for any surprises coming from him. I usually don't get off until around +9 or later and still have to commute home
 
Sorry for being MIA.

My suggestion for tomorrow morning is to shoot and feed high carb mixed with low carb (high doesn't last as long as low, but would push him higher before the onset of insulin). This is what Marje had you do on Friday when you had the green AMPS.

As for you not knowing what to do without us giving you advice, I'm sorry for giving you the reins before you were ready. I wanted you to be ready when you had to return to work tomorrow.

Is there anything you still have questions about?
 
"ready" is relative. Ready for what? There's no standard anymore. I have three food choices, one of which I was told originally I shouldn't use(hc) (glad i didn't throw the glyco away,) and changing dose suggestions.
I understand varying carbs and what that means but that doesn't help me come feeding time.
Are you saying that you guys wake up and determine/ augment your cats intake and insulin every day?
No I don't have any more questions I guess I can't word anything correctly
 
Aaron and Jasper said:
No I don't have any more questions I guess I can't word anything correctly
Click to expand...
Don’t get frustrated ;)
OMG Aaron, I feel your stress. B.e.l.i.e.v.e me. Been there :eek: :(.
There is so much to “know“, (hurry, faster, hurry :woot:), so much to study, so much to get/understand in an unrealistic amount of time; times like this :(.
Hang, hang, hang in there. @Krystina & Nelli, Jasper and, so many selfless others here on, this forum are workin’ with yah... yes Jasper too :cat: :bighug:
 
That's a great number at +6 so let's give you and Jasper a break and test him again at +9 today.

The data you get today will help us help you feel more comfortable about how to look after Jasper going forward. You have been quite clear about your concerns and I can hear your frustration and want to help.

I have to go out shortly, but I have some thoughts to share with you so I will send those along here when I get back.
In the meantime, a couple of questions to help with the plan......
What time is it where you are now?
Will your Grandma or anyone else be available to feed Jasper tomorrow or the rest of the week while you are away at work?
Do you have an timed autofeeder for Jasper?

We want to help you put a plan in place to ensure Jasper stays safe and you can comfortably go to work.
 
Aaron and Jasper said:
"ready" is relative. Ready for what? There's no standard anymore. I have three food choices, one of which I was told originally I shouldn't use(hc) (glad i didn't throw the glyco away,) and changing dose suggestions.
I understand varying carbs and what that means but that doesn't help me come feeding time.
Are you saying that you guys wake up and determine/ augment your cats intake and insulin every day?
No I don't have any more questions I guess I can't word anything correctly
Click to expand...
Things change. Diabetes is not static. Therefore, how and what we feed changes. I don’t believe you were ever told to NOT ever use HC. I believe you were likely told that the glycobalance isn’t the best choice as it is 14% calories from carbs, I believe, it’s expensive, and the ingredients are not great. But Jasper is your cat and if that’s what you want to feed him, then you should because the dose can always be adjusted to account for it.

It is incumbent upon you to learn all you can about FD by reading the stickys at the top of this page. You’ll see that there is an outlined way we approach dosing depending on whether you are doing Tight Regulation or Start Low Go Slow. You need to read those two and decide which works better for Jasper because, up until now (at least since you’ve been back), we’ve been going based on TR as it gives the best chance of remission. So, there is, in fact, a “standard”. It’s just the standard is not and never has been to keep shooting 2u cycle after cycle after cycle even when he’s dropped below 50. These are all things we could have been teaching you in the last several months. I understand very much that you hit some hard times and that makes it difficult to post here routinely but the info was always there even back when he had DKA.

Aaron and Jasper said:
I understand varying carbs and what that means but that doesn't help me come feeding time.
Click to expand...
You have to learn how he responds to carbs. I suggest that you start writing down what you feed him and when in the “Remarks” section on the SS. That way, if he gives you a low number and you feed something very specific, then you know in the future how that worked for him and whether you need to try something different. By and large, you’ll be feeding LC food except when his numbers are dropping fast or are going low. Then you’ll need to up the ante. This is where you have to learn about him. For example, when we first got here, we were advised to get HC food 17-20% for the low numbers. That did not work for Gracie....she was more carb sensitive than that so the most I ever had to use for her was 10-13% with occasional drops of syrup if she went really low.

Aaron and Jasper said:
Are you saying that you guys wake up and determine/ augment your cats intake and insulin every day?
Click to expand...
No. Members are either following TR or SLGS and, based on whether the cat earns a reduction or needs an increase per one of those methods, the insulin dose is adjusted as stated in those methods. A reduction is earned if the BG drops under 50 under TR which Jasper did today. The reductions are typically 0.25u; thus the suggestion to lower his dose to 0.25u today. I believe if you’d gotten a +2, you likely would have caught that drop before it got too low and could have fed to bring the nadir up and potentially held onto the dose a bit longer. However, with your work schedule and the fact that he did drop lower, then we need to be cautious and be sure you take the reduction to keep him safe.

Members feed based on what the numbers are telling them. The goal is to feed LC to the greatest extent possible; however, as I explained above, if the numbers are dropping fast esp early in the cycle or are relatively low, esp early in the cycle, it’s best to feed something more than LC food.

Instead of feeding him just a couple times a day, it might be best if your grandmother can feed him smaller meals earlier in the cycle or perhaps you can get an auto feeder set up to open at specific times.
 
Last edited:
Hi Aaron, I just got home (sorry didn't expect to be this late) and I see you got some more information while I was gone. Are you feeling any better about things now? You were not crass or despairing in any way. You were being honest and sometimes that is difficult in group situations like this so you are to be commended for doing so.

I'm glad to hear your Grandma will be able to feed Jasper during the day. If Grandma can't be available for any reason, then you can freeze some food in an ice cube tray and leave some frozen cubes out for Jasper to snack on later. You won't know exactly when he ate them but you will know he has food should he need it.

I am guessing your current shot time is around 11:30am/pm. If that is correct, would it be possible to make your shot time earlier? You'd have to work it back gradually so no changing it right now but moving it back might give you an opportunity to get a +1 or even +2 test on Mondays when you now leave right after shot time and time to get more tests if needed Tues to Fri. It might also give you a little time to get some advice here should you need it. Just something for you to think about.

I too suggest you read through the stickies and if you have any questions, let us know. For now, do not give Jasper insulin if his pre-shot test is below 50 and in that situation your best option would be to ask for help here.

I hope that helps and if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. Everyone here really wants to help you keep Jasper safe and healthy. :)
 
Aaron and Jasper said:
Post hours won't work if I take it back because I have to keep the twelve hour schedule
Click to expand...

If you are referring to backing up the shot times, yes you'd still have to keep the 12 hours schedule. I'm not clear what you mean by "post hours". If you now shoot at 11:30 am/pm and wanted to back the time up to say 10:00, your new shot times would be 10 am/pm. Does your different work day schedules make that impossible? If so that's fine. It was just something to consider. If it won't work then you do what does work.

Looks like Jasper is bouncing again. Make sure you only give the reduced dose tonight of 0.25u. If you have any questions about drawing up that dose let us know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top