10/7 update on Boris - a few simple questions please

[Patti and Merlin]

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26566

Again - it's been a couple days since I've posted. 2 very long days at work. boris continues to do well on 0.5 units Lantus. I think it's his parents who flip out a bit as you will see....

Monday - Joe and I both worked. Boris started out at 84 but then went to 62 and 52. Joe got worried leaving him along all day (we're both gone long days) - fed Boris a WHOLE can of Wellness - which of course Boris was extremely happy about! Then Joe decided to stay home after all. Well Boris went into the yellows after that! Had one of us known we'd been home - the greens wouldn't have bothered either one of us - it's just we don't know enough yet about what Boris will do - and we worry. I mean we think he'll be fine but still - there's that "what if...."

Soo...after the above Boris did come back down nicely to blues then greens again. Joe left for work yesterday with Boris at 98 and I came home to a 67 about 10 hours later. Joe tried to feed Boris a little extra before he left for work but surprisingly Boris wasn't interested. So we can hope Boris "surfed" all day (am I using that term right here?)

Since being home late evening and now this AM - here's a little recap:

PMPS = 67
+2 = 80
+3.5= 79
+8 = 91
AMPS = 77.....0.5u given

A question - and as I write it - I almost really know the answer - I think what messes up both myself and DH's thinking - we were so used to using PZI and "waiting for the rise" to dose....that we want to WAIT for that to dose sometimes! I know that's what happened to DH the other AM. Boris went down @ +12 so he waited till +13 when Boris went up again. BUT Lantus doesn't work that way. It's a steady "even" kind of working insulin. I know that in my head ( ) but yet it still takes getting used to after so many years of working another way! So there are times where we are going to see this up/down of numbers then when testing Boris on this - right?????

And shall we continue to stick with the 0.5 units? I know he hit the yellow's because of us and the greens are fine by us too - just wondering?

 

[Pat+Raja+Shadow (GA)]

Boris is doing very well...except for those yellows... :lol: You will have to get used to not basing the shot on the preshot number per se. We look at the nadirs with Lantus and that determines the dosing mostly.

I am wondering if you have been leaving food for him while you are away? There are timed feeders that you can get. Others simply freeze food in ice cube trays and leave a puck or two out. It defrosts and then they have something to eat during the day.
If you are in doubt about a low preshot, you can always post and talk it over. There are ways of shooting a low number if you will be home of course....
It is good to know that he reacts nicely to food....what a nice rise he got out of the can of Wellness... ;-) His numbers are looking good on this dose....maybe the weekends are good times to get a curve done if you will be home.

 

[Patti and Merlin]

Thank you Pat

I am going to look into getting one of those timed feeders and also I think on the days when BOTH of us work (I typically only work 2 12 hour shifts/week) - we will put Boris in a room by himself with some food then. We have 6 other kitties and 2 dogs so we can't leave him out with everyone else with food or.....well I think you get the picture! ohmygod_smile :twisted:

This is not for drama or attention or anything but our lives changed a lot this year. We've had to get used to things being different in our household. We brought Boris home in Jan - we had my mom living with us the last 7 years - and she would often give the cats a little extra food during the day - especially if we worried about anyone. We lost her in March and much changed for our animals and for us. Also 3 months after that we lost one of our cats too. Many of our animals are older and we're learning about CRF and liver disease in others. So it's been a challenge in a ways - to keep all of them eating and healthy. PLEASE - I don't want to sound like a drama queen. Hmmm - there was a point to all of this but somehow this simple mind already forgot..... @-) :lol:

Well enough of that - duh - but timed feeder - yup - on it - and put him in room alone when we're not here with extra food - got it

and remembering to look at NADIRS NOT PRESHOTS! OK - :thumbup :dizcat

 

[Pat+Raja+Shadow (GA)]

I am sorry to her of your loss ((((Patti))))
I realize that many days you do not get to record the nadir though...and the preshots are all you have to go by...
Here is the link to a starred post that Libby wrote. It is floating around and I have to bump it up again:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key= ... DP03TAGzQQ

If there is a lower-than-usual preshot, you might just want to post and get opinions on what to do, ok? Please read the post and come back if you have any questions, ok? You do have many challenges there, and I am wishing you well with each and every one... :YMHUG: