11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, +4.75 320, + 6.5 372

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Linda for Weezer

Linda for Weezer

Member Since 2011
All is well in Weezer World once again.

Yesterday’s Condo

Prayers for all of our friends in need of healing, strength and comfort today.

Recap of yesterday
AMPS 321 Relion Micro / 177 FSL
+6 323 RM / 177 FSL
PMPS 407 RL / 260 FSL
+4.5 287 RM / 222 FSL
+6 279 RM
+9.5 336 RM / 227 FSL

Yesterday was the Day of Reckoning. As the understanding of how long Weezer was so high really settled in, DH and I walked around in a gray cloud of despair. As the day wore on I realized we were already moving up the dosing ladder at full speed (thanks to my advisers). So the only things that would have been different if we had known all along what her true numbers were, is we would have worried more and she would have been shinier. It seems our worry is directly related to the length and intensity of the cuddle brushing sessions. Weezer positively glowed yesterday! Her condition didn’t deteriorate with our new understanding. She is still the same sweet kitty, playing a bit more, eating and peeing a bit less, overall getting better.

I apologize if my gloom leaked onto any of you. Unless you are also using the FSL and took the opportunity to check the accuracy of your tests results. In that case, your kitty may also be extra shiny today and you may be moving forward with a fresh look at your data.

This morning is cycle 6 at 5 units. Tonight we will increase. I have a question on the amount of increase. I see in the protocol that high dose cats move at ½ U instead of ¼ unit. At what point do we consider cats high dose? Should our increase be ¼ or ½ tonight?

A huge thank you to all for the encouragement and advice I can always count on.

Wishing a kitty day for all, plenty of purrs, play, sunny spots and lots of love.
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

:YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

No advice just hugs....you are doing such a great job. Weezer is blessed to have you and DH caring for her. Your attitude is wonderful and I can't wait unitl you start to see the results of all your work.....then we will party!!!!
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

it can be so frustrating and even a bit depressing fighting the FD battle. Hang in there, Weezer will eventually respond and soon you'll see lots of blues and greens!
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

I guess I have a different spin on the meter issue. Every meter has it's pros and cons. Some, like the FSL are more accurate in the lower ranges. Other meters may be more accurate in the upper ranges. If I had to pick, I'd want a meter that's more accurate at the lower end of the cycle. Accuracy at lower ranges keeps your cat safe. Regardless of the higher number, what it's telling you is that you need to give more insulin. You knew with the yellows and blues that Weezer needed more Lantus. If the numbers are pink, you still need more insulin. (I'd also point out that the FSL got a good rating by
Consumer Reports.)

We begin thinking about high dose after 6.0u. It's also at about that point that we'd encourage you to get Weezer tested for high dose conditions (e.g., acromegaly, insulin autoantibodies/resistance).
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

Hang in there , Weezer will find her perfect dose. :YMHUG: cat_pet_icon Just keep brushing!
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

No advice. Just :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: I hope Weezer finds that magic dose soon. Hang in there!
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

I, too, don't have any advice to give you. Is she completely on the raw food diet now, or are you still in the transition period? Hang in there, girl. :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

Hugs from Maggie and me, too! You're doing such a wonderful job with Weezer, and I know you will have her on track soon now with the knowledge of the meters. It's great to hear how well she is feeling. Have a nice Monday.
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

Hi guys .. don't apologize for feeling frustrated and discouraged .. every single one of us doing the sugar dance has felt that! One of these days you'll find weezers magical dose, and she'll be in the best numbers for her little body .. just hang in there!
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334

Awwww I'm sorry to hear you were feeling frustrated Linda, unfortunately that comes with FD, kitties on the other hand couldn't care less!! Don't you wish that someone made a meter that was like 90% accurate ALL the time? I'd definitely buy it.

I hope Weezer comes down for you soon.
 
Hi Linda,

According to Rand and Roomp Protocol generally a high dose is 3u or above and you increase by .5 ,
Sienne may be referring to a Modified Version as 'modifiers' generally only increase by .25 (unless nadir >300) and don't take into consideration doses higher than 3u. Even at above 3u they increase by .25 but move it along a bit faster when nadir is less than 200 (3 to 5 days instead of 5 to 7 days) . Hope I have this correct , please correct.

A 6u dose is a threshold where additional tests should be considered. I am giving it about 2 weeks and then make some decisions. I base this on:

FELINE DIABETES MELLITUS: WHAT DIET SHOULD I CHOOSE & HOW DO I MANAGE PROBLEM CATS
Jacquie Rand BVSc DVSc Dip ACVIM; Rhett Marshall BVSc, MACVS,


Now about those cat(2)_steam meters.

Pinky gets alot of FSL yellows.

I went through all your concerns with the FSL meter a few weeks back. It was reading so low compared to others. I was very upset to think that all those yellow #s were possibly higher pinks and reds. We talked about it here.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55702

I did get the control solution and it read in the 'normal' range albeit very low normal. Normal was considered 83 to 125 and my meter read 84. (I just tested it again and it read 93.) So it does read very low in their normal range.

I agree with Sienne, regardless of the meter you used you would have been increasing at this stage of the game. If a person got alot of high 'blues' you might be staying a bit longer at a dose but eventually you would be increasing even then.

For most people , they don't have to worry about their meters and there is also a 20% variance with the figures anyway BUT.....

I still find it frustrating to look at these great variations between the meters with apparently no pattern that I can figure out.

I still use the FSL. I justify it somewhat with the following: (NONE of this matters to anyone unless you are questioning your FSL. )

Rand and Roomp dosing protocol was based on meters configuring whole blood NOT PLASMA EQUIVALENTS. They say a PE meter reads 10% higher (I found 11% higher at diabetic sites, more after eating) so technically a high reading with a ReliOn Confirm is off by at least 10%. ( You would substract the 10% from the reading) :YMSIGH:

FSL is a plasma equivalent meter too but for some reason reads low anyway so don't substract anything. So the difference between meters is not quite as bad as it appears if you substract 10% from ReliOn. At times, though, FSL reads even lower still. ohmygod_smile I just factor that in when considering dosing. For me , it hasn't made any difference anyway --I still always had to increase. I just don't see any great regulation at any dose.

I also am quite sure I wouldn't trust FSL with low or green numbers either. I wouldn't panic at a low number unless I verified with another meter. I would panic with a ReliOn as , remember, it reads a bit high. What a pain I know.

What is really confusing, is the cheap , old type FSL strips (no butterfly) I got off Amazon read higher. But I don't really like them--they don't draw blood well and get errors to boot.

For now I guess I will stick with FSL and compare once in while to ReliOn Confirm.

Elaine and Pinky
 
Re: 11/21 Weezer AMPS 334, dosing question

Sienne and Gabby said:
I guess I have a different spin on the meter issue. Every meter has it's pros and cons. Some, like the FSL are more accurate in the lower ranges. Other meters may be more accurate in the upper ranges. If I had to pick, I'd want a meter that's more accurate at the lower end of the cycle. Accuracy at lower ranges keeps your cat safe. Regardless of the higher number, what it's telling you is that you need to give more insulin. You knew with the yellows and blues that Weezer needed more Lantus. If the numbers are pink, you still need more insulin. (I'd also point out that the FSL got a good rating by
Consumer Reports.)

We begin thinking about high dose after 6.0u. It's also at about that point that we'd encourage you to get Weezer tested for high dose conditions (e.g., acromegaly, insulin autoantibodies/resistance).
Click to expand...
Based on my experiences with the FS, I would have to respectfully disagree because Morgaine has gotten much worse while i happily believed she was regulated. she now has neuropathy. when the FS read 140 she was 247 or more. Whenever it read in the blues she was much higher, often beyond the renal threshhold.So the only reliable numbers for the FS are the lows. That, to me, puts a cat in danger of greater damage to their vital organs like kidneys. Not sure how the FS got such a good rating but it sucks, BIG TIME! This human diabetic thinks it is a dangerous meter to rely on for cats or humans.

sorry to be so blunt but i feel that strongly about this issue and I want to be sure we all know that we are using the very best tools we have available to us.

Having said that, Linda, you are doing great and in your case, because you are working on getting regulated, it really wouldn't have made much difference. You would still be slowly working up the dosing scale whereas I believed we were fine and had stopped increasing her dose for the most part.
 
Skybar, what you wrote about Morgaine is very scary indeed.

I guess if the meters (no matter which you are using) are indicating increases it doesn't matter so much.

Though one is deluded into thinking it isn't quite as bad as it appears. (ie yellows vs pinks and reds)


But it really matters a great deal if you think kitty is finally regulated and it is not.

Elaine and Pinky
 
Linda, please try not to worry. :YMHUG: I can't open spreadsheets on my work computer, but wasn't Weezer up to around 6 units on Humulin? If so, then I'm not surprised to see flat numbers on Weezer's spreadsheet on 5u of Lantus. He probably just hasn't hit his breakthrough dose yet. All this tells us is that he might not have been way over dose when he was on Humulin. No worries, he'll get there.

I can't comment specifically on dosing until I get home and can study your spreadsheet. What time is your shot due?
 
Linda, I can certainly understand your frustration because i am also having meter issues. It is just so crazy that so many meters are so off from each other. And I'm sure it is a little depressing thinking that Weezer's numbers may not be as good as you thought they were. We all can relate here so don't ever worry about complaining. You are in a supportive, loving place here on FDMB! Big hugs to you and Weezer.
 
Just stopping by to offer our support for Weezer totally understand the FSL meter issues cat(2)_steam cat(2)_steam sending Weezer some yellow and blue vibes...
 
I'm glad Libby commented. I think her point is well taken. If you haven't seen her post about meters today, I'd also suggest you take a look at that.

Elaine/Pinky said:
According to Rand and Roomp Protocol generally a high dose is 3u or above and you increase by .5
Click to expand...
This is based on the research protocol. We generally don't suggest that people raise the dose by 0.5u until a cat is above 5 or 6.0u of insulin. This is for safety purposes. Often when there's a breakthrough, numbers can come down fast. Increasing by 0.5u could easily put a cat over dose and this could be challenging for someone relatively new at managing their cat's FD.

Rosalie/Morgaine said:
Based on my experiences with the FS, I would have to respectfully disagree because Morgaine has gotten much worse while i happily believed she was regulated. she now has neuropathy. when the FS read 140 she was 247 or more. Whenever it read in the blues she was much higher, often beyond the renal threshhold.So the only reliable numbers for the FS are the lows. That, to me, puts a cat in danger of greater damage to their vital organs like kidneys. Not sure how the FS got such a good rating but it sucks, BIG TIME! This human diabetic thinks it is a dangerous meter to rely on for cats or humans.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with what Rosalie noted. However, at 140, I would still increase a dose. While that may appear to be below renal threshold, I would still want to see numbers within normal range or below 100. There may be issues with the FSL as both Elaine and Rosalie have pointed out. My point, though, was that you have more of a window to make a change if your meter is reading lower than if it erred on the side of reading higher. I would prefer that a meter gave me a reading of 30 and I intervened when I may not have needed to than having a meter that told me Gabby's BG was 60 and I did nothing and she was actually surfing in the 30s. That was my point.
 
Hi!! Thanks for your support this am...
I just cannot get into this meter discussion-It is making me crazy to see everyone toiling over these meters, and the numbers and which witch is which!!
I chose my meter by how much blood was needed for a test, to keep her comfortable, ease of operation, and accuracy...I tried other meters, but settled on one..That has guided me for a very long time..
I hope everyone can someday agree on one meter that does it all..
Meanwhile, I see everyone's point.
Hoping Weezer comes down tonite or tomorrow
You are working so very hard to help Weezer--
Weezer thinks he is doing great !
Look at the Whole Cat!! He doesnt even know there is anything wrong!
Giving you supreme Hugs you are sucha good momma bean!
May your breakthrough dose come really really soon!
 
ok, here's my thought on dose.

I think you have room to increase by 0.5u if you want. Weezer has remained relatively flat, his dose is relatively high so a 0.5 increase is reasonable, plus you test plenty to catch a breakthrough when it happens. If he was starting to show some movement in numbers, I would suggest slowing down, but so far I would say you're fine increasing by 0.5 as long as you'll keep monitoring the way you do.

Don't worry, ok? You're doing everything right.
 
Hi Linda & Weezer,

Roni is right: you have to consider the whole cat, and she seems to be doing well. I'm sure you will find that breakthrough dose.
I started to worry about the FSL too. We switched to it last March because it got good ratings. Now I think that the yellows that were creeping into Rusty's SS since the summer were really pinks. I still have my Relion and may go back to it, but since Rusty has been having lots of green lately, maybe it is best to stick with the FSL if I deed it is more accurate at low numbers.???????
Did you see Rosalie's report on her conversation with Abbott? He thinks it is a strip issue. Whatever. With all this doubt, maybe it is best to carry on without FSL!!

See you tomorrow,

Ella & Rusty
 
Linda, we certainly understand your frustration and sadness. That's why this board exists, to share the whole experience of FD. I really don't know how we would manage without it. Badly, I guess. :lol: :lol: You are doing a great job with Weezer. She is a very lucky kitty. :smile:
Liz
 
What a great discussion today on your condo. I do hope the .5u increase starts to bring your little Weezer girl down.

You and DH have great attitudes!!!! You really do and you don't bring us down...you have lots of positive input everywhere in LL.

Good luck and hugs!!
 
Hi guys - ok weezer... what are you doing on the pink floor.... time for some yellows and those blues. Maybe you and Mannie can find them together. Good luck with the new dose - I hope it helps Weezer find the lower floors. And i agree with the others - you are doing a great job - yes!! Understand all too well the frustration - we've been at this a long time. In that regard I agree with what Roni wrote about meters..

Have a great night - and Weezer?: think down!
 
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