12/03 Dusty AMPS 215, +3 189, +6 273

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Michelle & Dusty

Michelle & Dusty

Member Since 2012
Hello! I'm new to this. Yesterday was *sort of* my first day of both tracking and testing. I say sort of because I had a fur shot in the morning and so don't think Dusty got much, if any, of the insulin. But it's a new day and so far things are going well!

She got one unit of lantus. I have a bit of trepidation because 215 is the lowest I've seen her and still I gave her the insulin. I'm going by what I've read that we newbies should give insulin for readings over 200. And I'll be working from home today, so I can keep a close eye on her. I'll be taking a +6. Might also take a +3 just to see where she's at and *how* close an eye I'll have to keep on her for the rest of the cycle.

For the record:
Yesterday's readings
AMPS 302
+6 320
PMPS 268
+3 264

At the moment she has the canned food equivalent of free feeding. If I notice she's hungry she'll get a bit of food. This is to try to avoid huge meals at any given point in the day and because I don't want her to feel starved while she's still suffering from the effects of unregulated diabetes.

My biggest Dusty-related task for today is to call and talk to my vet and let her know what I'm doing. I was sent home Friday with the lantus, some syringes, and instructions to give Dusty 3 units every 12 hours. After lots of advice and reading on here, I've changed that to 1 unit. So I need to let her know that and that I'm doing home testing. I'll also talk with her about doing the upcoming curve at home rather than at the vet. She's a lovely person so I think she'll be amenable to all of this. (And, since I live in a fairly isolated small town with limited options, I really need her to be OK with it.)

Let me know if I'm posting the wrong information here. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all and joining this really wonderful and supportive community!

--Michelle
 
Re: 12/03 Dusty AMPS 215

Welcome to Lantus Land!

Dusty is a beauty! (I have a soft spot for multicolor cats -- none of my clothing or belongs are safe!!).

Unless Dusty is LOTS bigger than she looks in your photos, 3u would have been way too high of a dose. There is a formula for calculating the initial dose of Lantus: initial dose = 0.25 x ideal weight in kilograms. This usually works out to a dose somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.0u.

On this board, we use the "no shot"/post and ask for help number at 150, rather than the 200 on the Health board. Lantus is more gentle than some of the other types of insulin and you have about a 2-hour window before you see the onset of Lantus. Thus, you have some time to intervene, if necessary.

If you've not already done so, I'd encourage you to read over the starred, sticky notes at the top of the Board. There's an overwhelming amount of information in those notes and in the embedded links. It will help you to get more up to speed. There are also links to information you may want to share with your vet. I'm also attaching a paper that was published in one of the leading vet journals that describes the dosing protocol that we use.


Please let us know how we can help. The people here are incredibly generous with their time and information. Read our condos (aka our threads) and look at our cats' spreadsheets -- it's a great way to learn. I hope you'll be posting on a regular basis.
 

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Re: 12/03 Dusty AMPS 215, +3 189

Thanks so much for the welcome! Dusty is indeed a tortie. She is just about the most beautiful cat I've seen. Though I suppose I'm a bit biased. :smile:

I have read some of the stickies. Am trying to work through them slowly to ensure maximum retention. Thanks so much, too, for the dosing protocol. I don't have my vet's email but when I talk to her I'll try to get it and send the email her way. In the meantime, I'm back to reading the stickies, the threads, and the wonderful profiles and spread sheets in an attempt to get halfway up to speed on all of this.
 
Re: 12/03 Dusty AMPS 215, +3 189

There's a huge amount of information to integrate. Asking questions, as they arise, will help to solidify your learning. We're all here to lend a hand.

Gabby is a tortie, as well. I also had a male calico who's photo is in our Profile.
 
Just off the phone with my vet, who was perfectly fine with my home testing and my more conservative approach to dosing (ie starting at 1 unit rather than 3). Hurrah! I'll be doing the curve at my house rather than at the vet's and will just have a check up with the vet next week to check Dusty's weight and make sure everything is OK.

I'm looking forward to the insulin settling into her system as I admit I'm baffled by the numbers. I mean, had I not done the +3 I think I would have worried I hadn't successfully injected her this morning, given that her +6 number is higher than her AMPS number. Weird.
 
It will take roughly 5 - 7 days for Dusty to form a Lantus depot. I wouldn't be concerned about the +6. It may be that Dusty has an early nadir but it's too soon to know whether that's the case. For example, Gabby's nadir is at around +3 most of the time -- but not always. The nadir is not a fixed point. It can vary from day to day or even cycle to cycle. Getting random spot checks can end up giving you more information than always testing at specific times since the nadir can move around.
 
Thanks! Yes, I think I've been holding that +6 as a magical number and need to realize that it's not. That and ECID needs to become my mantra. :)
 
hi Michelle
glad to see you and Dusty made it over here to Lantus Land :RAHCAT
There's usually someone on the board and we have some resident experts who will definitely give advice as needed.

Use the icons at the top of the post if needed - Question Mark (obvious and people do scan the board to answer questions as quickly as possible) and the 911 if you need urgent help, eg. low numbers.

Great that your vet is on board and you have support there as well.

And visit lots of condos (posts) - great reading and great learning too!

Denise
 
Re: 12/03 Dusty AMPS 215, +3 189, +6 273; PMPS 309

Denise - thanks so much!

I've spent much of today (far, far more than I should have!) reading the various condos. It's been really great to see the ups and downs and ways to incorporate this process into normal life. (I'm fairly lucky -- I teach at a college and am currently at the end of a semester-long sabbatical. So while I have to do some research, I can do it at home where I can keep an eagle eye on Dusty. I think that's been central to my sanity these last several days! Hopefully by the time I have to teach in January, things will be more routine.)

I think I'm finally getting the hang of the process of testing and dosing. It took about 10 minutes all told tonight, but I was able to both on my first try and, while Dusty wasn't precisely thrilled, she fought less than in previous attempts. So: progress!

I think we *may* be going to the vet tomorrow, though. I haven't seen evidence of a poo from Dusty for the last few days. But she's not acting constipated - she's eating and drinking fairly normally and isn't howling at the bathroom and straining. She is lethargic, but she's also got unregulated diabetes and is going through a fairly stressful transition to insulin. So I'd expect that behavior. (And not terribly lethargic. She still gets up and walks around, jumps up on the couch for cuddles, etc.) But, still, no sign of poo. And, given the amount she's been eating, that's really not good.

My question: Does anyone have thoughts about how to get her to at least try to go? I added 1/8t Miralax to her afternoon meal and she gobbled it right up. But I don't think that's an instantaneous fix. As I said, if I don't see anything by the morning, she's headed in to the vet. Poor kitty. :(
 
Hi Michelle

I want to welcome you and Dusty to LL! I also love tortis and Dusty is gorgeous. Great profile. I was excited at first because I thought you were still in Tucson. I'm glad Dustys VF is under control. Yeah....nasty stuff, that.

As Dusty is settling in and filling her depot, you might want to test at +3, +6, +9 to start collecting some data. And then as she starts to settle in, we will probably have you get some +2 tests.

We are all here to help you with as much information as you need about FD, moral support, and a variety of other things.

I don't use miralax but I believe those that do mix it with water. Also, as the depot fills and she starts to use the insulin you inject, she should start feeling better and getting back her energy.

I'm impressed you are reading condos and looking at SSs. It will help alot. And ask questions....anytime...we are all here to help.
 
Thanks, Marge! I hope you're enjoying all of that beautiful weather in Tucson! Now is the time of year when it is really awesome to live there. :smile: (In contrast it is wet, windy, and dark here in Washington.)

I'm planning on doing a proper curve, I think, on Sunday. That will give her a week to have settled into the treatment and, hopefully by that point her depot will be a bit more established. I'm also reticent at this point to test her too often just because I don't want her to start to hate it. Hopefully with a few more days practice, doing it 2-4 times a day, I'll have the technique down and pain will be at a minimum.

I am *so* looking forward to when she starts feeling herself again. This came on so gradually that I at times forget that she's not always been so quiet and tired.

Have a great night out there, and enjoy those beautiful stars!
 
Yes...we've been having amazing weather and we live up by Ventana Canyon ....no lights and unbelievable stars :-D

If you want to wait a bit on increasing the tests, you can. Most of us don't do curves....spot checks are more helpful. If you test, in a few days, at the times I suggested, it will be fine. You can pick another day and get the +2, +4, +6, +8 tests.

You'll all get the hang of this. My Gracie will sleep through tests in the middle of the night :-D
 
The change in Honey, after her numbers came down and steadied, was dramatic.

For quite a while - years, I would say - she hasn't really wanted to play. Then, in the last 12 mths, she didn't want to be cuddled or even come to sit with us. She just sat by herself under the bed or under a bush in the garden, even on nice, sunny days. I thought it was old-age although she's only 10!

Now, she's like a kitten again - running around, up and down the stairs, meowing to play and carrying her wool balls with her. She's taken to swiping and jumping on the other 2 cats who are completely stunned by this change in behaviour. Now she's sitting next to me on the sofa, purring in her sleep.

Its wonderful :-D
 
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