1.30 Bubba-80, +3-129,+6-187,+9-173, PM-124

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Bobbie And Bubba

Bobbie And Bubba

Member Since 2015
Yesterday

Last night @8.5, he started to go low again -53, LC and HC carbed him up and got him to 70 and then gave him .75 oz of MC just for insurance that he'd stay up to shoot 2.5 hours later. I shot a solid 4.5 this AM instead of a fat one. Is he asking for another reduction? .
 
Nicely handled.
Haven't got a clue regarding the reduction. Seems like you had to work a bit harder to make sure he was up, but perhaps not as hard as when he earned reduction?

Interested to see what the Bubba gurus have to say;)
 
GTS said:
Nicely handled.
Haven't got a clue regarding the reduction. Seems like you had to work a bit harder to make sure he was up, but perhaps not as hard as when he earned reduction?

Interested to see what the Bubba gurus have to say;)
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I didn't have to work hard at getting him up, the concern is if I had not checked on him then we would have been in shark country without the LC,MC & HC. He got a midnight smorgasbord!
 
So here's the headache....

Every time you alter a dose, you have to start the cycle count at a dose over again. I tend to look at the numbers for what they are. It makes sense to try to get a feel for whether a reduction-worthy number might be in the cards but I never reduced unless I had a number below the cut-off (unless it was an unusual circumstance.) In addition, if you take this as a one time reduction and raise the dose back up tonight, you may end up with a few cycles of wonky numbers since Lantus likes consistency.

The other issue is that even though you reduced this AM, there is carry over due to the depot not having had time to adjust to the new dose.

There's no way to know if numbers would have tanked without your intervening. Bubba may have surfed along. A different strategy would have been to try some LC and re-test in 30 min. to see if his numbers flattened out.

 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
So here's the headache....

Every time you alter a dose, you have to start the cycle count at a dose over again. I tend to look at the numbers for what they are. It makes sense to try to get a feel for whether a reduction-worthy number might be in the cards but I never reduced unless I had a number below the cut-off (unless it was an unusual circumstance.) In addition, if you take this as a one time reduction and raise the dose back up tonight, you may end up with a few cycles of wonky numbers since Lantus likes consistency.

The other issue is that even though you reduced this AM, there is carry over due to the depot not having had time to adjust to the new dose.

There's no way to know if numbers would have tanked without your intervening. Bubba may have surfed along. A different strategy would have been to try some LC and re-test in 30 min. to see if his numbers flattened out.
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I probably over reacted for two reasons: it was 2AM and I am still so sick with this upper respiratory crude and didn't want to play around. Thanks for your input Sienne, I appreciate it.
 
I hope you'll feel better soon! I don't give dosing advice - but to me it sure looks like Bubba wants to race down the dosing scale these days. Lots of nice numbers, even on reduced doses. :D
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Is he asking for another reduction?
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Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
So here's the headache....

Every time you alter a dose, you have to start the cycle count at a dose over again. I tend to look at the numbers for what they are. It makes sense to try to get a feel for whether a reduction-worthy number might be in the cards but I never reduced unless I had a number below the cut-off (unless it was an unusual circumstance.) In addition, if you take this as a one time reduction and raise the dose back up tonight, you may end up with a few cycles of wonky numbers since Lantus likes consistency.

The other issue is that even though you reduced this AM, there is carry over due to the depot not having had time to adjust to the new dose.

There's no way to know if numbers would have tanked without your intervening. Bubba may have surfed along. A different strategy would have been to try some LC and re-test in 30 min. to see if his numbers flattened out.
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Bobbie And Bubba said:
I probably over reacted for two reasons: it was 2AM and I am still so sick with this upper respiratory crude and didn't want to play around.
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I totally agree with Sienne. A reduction wasn't earned, so-to-speak, but over carbing and taking a reduction isn't always a bad idea when you're not feeling well.

Bubba has recently become tightly regulated. He's a late nadir cat with what one could say has pretty much of a reproducible nadir. That means, given his current data (it may change), those +8s are important when he's tightly regulated. The down side is those +8s are occurring in the middle of the night with your current shot schedule. I also think it's important to note, if Bubba played like most other Lantus kitties (mid-cycle nadir), we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. :)

Options/solutions for your consideration... they may or may not alleviate some of the stress and sleep loss from night time lows:
  • Run him higher overall. Reduce the dose enough so he'll have a green-blue-yellow spreadsheet. This will give you breaks between lower number cycles. This move can be temporary or permanent depending on your goals.
  • Change your shot time. Move your shot time forward several hours in an effort to be awake just prior to nadir (in each cycle).
  • Skipped or substantially reduced the doses: While generally frowned upon for several reasons, if I were too sick to handle Alex I would either skip or greatly reduce her dose. I didn't do either too often, but didn't hesitate when I felt it necessary. A tightly regulated cat gets back on track in no time at all and the caregiver gets a good night's sleep.
  • Are you using a timed feeder? At one time you talked about getting a timed feeder, but I don't know if you ever did. I always tried to give Alex one of her allotted food portions a couple hours before nadir in an effort to prop up the cycle a little bit (I was her timed feeder). That strategy might be worth trying with Bubba.
Food for thought.
Ideas are off the top of my head. Others may think of more...
 
Hey Jill, I did get a timed feeder and haven't had to use it too much as right now I am home all the time for the most part.

As far as changing the schedule, I think for right now it's okay because I usually have to have a potty time around +8 anyway. It's just when he starts going down it's a problem when I have to stay up with him to steer him while I am sick, ugh.

I did just get a +6 -18 7, hmm bouncing or that tiny reduction made a difference. Should I fattening it up for PM?
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
It's just when he starts going down it's a problem when I have to stay up with him to steer him while I am sick, ugh.
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Bobbie And Bubba said:
Should I fattening it up for PM?
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I'm with Lydia on this subject:
Lydia & Rosie AKA &Basil said:
I hope you feel better. Sometimes, the decisions have to take into account what's best for the kitty and for the bean.
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The decision is up to you Bobbie. Only you know how you feel and what you need.
There's no shame in taking care of yourself. Truth is, taking care of one's self is admirable. If you don't take care of yourself you might not be able to take care of Bubba, and Mom, and DH, etc., etc.?

It's a decision that doesn't have to be made til shot time. Think about it and do what's best for you.

 
Jill & Alex (GA) said:

I'm with Lydia on this subject:

The decision is up to you Bobbie. Only you know how you feel and what you need.
There's no shame in taking care of yourself. Truth is, taking care of one's self is admirable. If you don't take care of yourself you might not be able to take care of Bubba, and Mom, and DH, etc., etc.?

It's a decision that doesn't have to be made til shot time. Think about it and do what's best for you.
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Okay, I'll see what's up at that time. Mine has turned into a sinus infection and I can't even think straight! Thanks Jill and I hope you are feeling better. :bighug:
 
Yeah, I have used it while I am home to make sure it opens as programmed and to see what he'd do. You should have seen the first time he and Forrest were on the cat buffet waiting for their meal and it opened. Forrest jumped in mid air like a cartoon! It was funny to me, not to him.
 
Try the feeder, this way you can figure out a nice schedule. Even though your home using every day can give you a little more time to get things done. And during the night you can get some uninterrupted sleep now and again.

Sorry to hear about your sinus infection. I know that all to well. I had gotten a lazy boy chair so at least I could get some sleep. For over 40 yrs I suffered continuously with sinus, and rhinitis. It was very unusual for me not to be congested. Funny how moving to PA ended it all. I was told it was environmentally induced sinus and city water????? Never heard such a thing. But when I go back to NJ to visit father. I'm clogged up within a couple of hours. So I think having woods, trees, grass, open windows in place of traffic, asphalt, cement, exhaust fumes, closed office building really did make a difference. Maybe had 2 sinus episodes in 7 years.
 
Woodsywife said:
Try the feeder, this way you can figure out a nice schedule. Even though your home using every day can give you a little more time to get things done. And during the night you can get some uninterrupted sleep now and again.

Sorry to hear about your sinus infection. I know that all to well. I had gotten a lazy boy chair so at least I could get some sleep. For over 40 yrs I suffered continuously with sinus, and rhinitis. It was very unusual for me not to be congested. Funny how moving to PA ended it all. I was told it was environmentally induced sinus and city water????? Never heard such a thing. But when I go back to NJ to visit father. I'm clogged up within a couple of hours. So I think having woods, trees, grass, open windows in place of traffic, asphalt, cement, exhaust fumes, closed office building really did make a difference. Maybe had 2 sinus episodes in 7 years.
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You def made a good trade off for environments. The last several nights I have propped up to sleep too. Using my neti is helping, just used again and this time no visible gunk came out. :) that was probably TMI.......sorry. :oops:
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
You def made a good trade off for environments. The last several nights I have propped up to sleep too. Using my neti is helping, just used again and this time no visible gunk came out. :) that was probably TMI.......sorry. :oops:
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I've used that. I was so blocked it never came back out. Also tried the personal Vick's steamer. Even took it to work with me. It just didn't stay hot long enough.
 
Hi Bobbie, I hope you're starting to feel better. These sinus infections can really knock us out. I think I'm finally on the mend. Still a little congested but hopefully that's all that's left. Yes, you need to take care of yourself, otherwise you can't take care of everyone else. I said the same thing to myself when Marshmallow was sick last summer, but it's hard to put into practice, I know. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

Looking forward to seeing how Bubba likes his new dose of 4.5! Look at him run down the dosing ladder!!
 
granadilla said:
Hi Bobbie, I hope you're starting to feel better. These sinus infections can really knock us out. I think I'm finally on the mend. Still a little congested but hopefully that's all that's left. Yes, you need to take care of yourself, otherwise you can't take care of everyone else. I said the same thing to myself when Marshmallow was sick last summer, but it's hard to put into practice, I know. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

Looking forward to seeing how Bubba likes his new dose of 4.5! Look at him run down the dosing ladder!!
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Thanks Shane and I hope I didn't do him a disservice shaving his dose this AM. Depending on what he gives me tonight, I might go back to a FAT 4.5. It is crazy what difference a tiny amount makes, isn't it?

Today was actually my worse day. Tuesday I have an appointment with my chiropractor who is also my homeopathic doctor. I will have her do homeopathy instead and maybe I can get seen Monday. You are right about taking care of ourselves. It is a panicy feeling to think that you don't even have time to go see a doc when your are sick. This has whopped me! I am glad that you are feeling better. These sinus infections take time to clear and make your whole body achy. ugh...... Thanks for the hugs!
 
PM-124. He did give a nice 49 point drop between +9 and PMPS. I took him back to a FAT 4.5. It is amazing the difference that little bit makes. Let's see what happens. Depending on where he is at +2 I might try the auto feeder tonight to prop his nadir a bit. If @Jill & Alex (GA) sees this, what do you think the best time for that food prop would be? If he is really high, I won't bother tonight. My goal: to keep him tightly regulated and down the dosing ladder. I am going to bite the bullet and keep plugging away. ;) (where is the wounded soldier icon)???
 
Today's cycle you probably were seeing action from the 4.5f you shot last night. I think today's lower dose only slightly influenced the cycle. See how he went up before today's onset? That was on last night's dose.

I am trying to see if Bubba is like Neko on Lantus. If her +2 or 3 was quite a bit higher than preshot, then the nadir was later than if they were about the same. Since tonight's +2 for Bubba is higher, I am thinking he might go low later. My first thought is that you want to set the feeder for a couple of times, maybe + 7 and 8. How many slots do you have in the feeder? If you have more, a +9 might be good too.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Today's cycle you probably were seeing action from the 4.5f you shot last night. I think today's lower dose only slightly influenced the cycle. See how he went up before today's onset? That was on last night's dose.

I am trying to see if Bubba is like Neko on Lantus. If her +2 or 3 was quite a bit higher than preshot, then the nadir was later than if they were about the same. Since tonight's +2 for Bubba is higher, I am thinking he might go low later. My first thought is that you want to set the feeder for a couple of times, maybe + 7 and 8. How many slots do you have in the feeder? If you have more, a +9 might be good too.
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I have 5 slots in the feeder. Do you think .75 oz or 1/4 can of FF enough or too much for each feeding?
 
What have you been feeding on the nights you are up? I'd stick with what's been working so far. Get a before bed test and see if that changes your mind on amounts/number of carbs.

Sending vines - I hope you can shake that bug. It's overstayed it's welcome.:bighug:
 
Bobbie, this won't work for tonight because we're already coming to the end of the day, but ideally what you want to do is take the total amount of calories fed for the day and divide it into however many portions you ultimately want to feed. Reason being: we don't want kitties to gain weight (unless they're underweight) when managing the curve with food.

Tonight you could just go with how much food has been working to prop him up.

Here's the deal... It takes some experimenting til you "get it right", so don't rely solely on the feeder without getting a spot check.

Some light reading on the subject: Using Food to Manipulate the Curve
Ignore the second paragraph in blue (a quote from Libby) about front-loading the cycle with food because it does not apply to Bubba at this time. Because Bubba has a late nadir, we want to prop up the end of the cycle.
 
Jill & Alex (GA) said:
Bobbie, this won't work for tonight because we're already coming to the end of the day, but ideally what you want to do is take the total amount of calories fed for the day and divide it into however many portions you ultimately want to feed. Reason being: we don't want kitties to gain weight (unless they're underweight) when managing the curve with food.

Tonight you could just go with how much food has been working to prop him up.

Here's the deal... It takes some experimenting til you "get it right", so don't rely solely on the feeder without getting a spot check.

Some light reading on the subject: Using Food to Manipulate the Curve
Ignore the second paragraph in blue (a quote from Libby) about front-loading the cycle with food because it does not apply to Bubba at this time. Because Bubba has a late nadir, we want to prop up the end of the cycle.
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Sounds good, and thanks! Hitting the hay and will get a +8. I will play with this.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
What have you been feeding on the nights you are up? I'd stick with what's been working so far. Get a before bed test and see if that changes your mind on amounts/number of carbs.

Sending vines - I hope you can shake that bug. It's overstayed it's welcome.:bighug:
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yes, this bug is bugging me now. Hitting the sack and will get a +8 tonight and play with the food portions tomorrow depending on how tonight plays out. Thanks!
 
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