2/3/13 Angie PMPS=135 +3=72 +4.5=121

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GraceAndAngie

GraceAndAngie

Member Since 2013
Hi everyone,

Angie is doing really well. She had a dip last night without an insulin shot. I was told by Dyana and Sienne that it could be her pancreas working! Yay! I was also told to test her again in two hours but was asleep (again). I've moved her test time forward 3 hours (by not shooting last night) and am prepared to monitor her better in the evenings from now on.

Her number isn't very high this morning so I am going to watch her closely.

Today so far
AMPS - 122, insulin 0.25 IU

Yesterday recap
AMPS -------- 151, insulin 0.25 IU
+2 ----------- 110
+4 ----------- 68
+5 ----------- 85
+10/PMBG - 151
+2 ----------- 81

Yesterday's condo is here.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS 122 +1=180

Does the +1 of 180 mean that she was using her insulin storage tank for last night's after-dinner drop?

I was worried that maybe I shouldn't give her insulin at an AMPS of 122 but the protocol said to over 100 so I did. Does the 180 show that she needed the insulin support but the insulin hasn't kicked in yet?

I'll be testing again at +2.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180

Hi Grace :smile:

I'm no expert, but I think last night was a combination of depot effect, and Angie's pancreas reacting to the food a few hours previously.
Today's +1 probably means exactly what you said - Lantus usually takes a few hours to start working, and the depot might have been
partially drained last night and needs to refill. I think it was a good decision to shoot :-D
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38

Angie is low again. I've given her 1 teaspoon of high carb wet food. I'll test in half an hour.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38

Come on up out of the 30s, Angie girl.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38

She came up by +5 to 110. I gave her some low carb food to keep her up. Testing again now.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38 +5=110 +5.5=

The +1 probably reflects a food spike.

By any chance did you re-test at +4.5? While that 38 is certainly a possibility, to have numbers jump to 110 in 30 min. with only a teaspoon of HC food seems like a big increase. Did you give Angie just HC food or was it a teaspoon of corn syrup?
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38 +5=110 +5.5=

No, I didn't retest. Do we assume that it wasn't that low and it was a faulty strip? I gave her cat food chunks with gravy - no syrup.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38 +5=110 +5.5=

That's a really good question! Looking at Angie's SS, the drop by +4.5 is certainly possible. The jump up to 110 seems unlikely, though. I'd be tempted to say that you should take the dose reduction because we just can't say for certain that there was a bad strip or that it was a bad test. I'd rather see that Angie was safe. If the reduction doesn't hold, just bring the dose back up.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie AMPS=122 +1=180 +2=133 +4.5=38 +5=110 +5.5=

Ok. 0.1 units is going to be a challenge! Next time I'll retest.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie PMPS=135

Today so far
AMPS - 122, insulin 0.25
+1 ---- 180
+2 ---- 133
+4.5 - 38, 1 tsp high carb food, did not retest, may be faulty because of quickly going higher after
+5 ---- 110
+5.5 - 119
+6.5 - 104
+8 ---- 95
PMPS - 135, insulin 0.1

I've been battling an auto-immune disease for about two years and finally had to quit my job in November last year. I have had a strong improvement this month but, after pushing myself to stay up with Angie, feel like I'm close to crashing again. I can't afford to let myself get so sick again - it won't help me and then I wouldn't be able to look after Angie properly either. I know that good rest is key to my health - as it calms down my immune system. I can't keep going like this for much longer. I've been napping during the day as much as possible but it's been hard because Angie's numbers have required a close watch most days. I'm not functioning properly - I feel constantly sleep deprived, am having trouble making decisions, remembering things (including testing and insulin), am getting shaky, and am not keeping up in other areas of my life.

Very shortly, something will have to give. Last year I was sleeping 14 hours a night and could hardly move if I was woken up earlier than that. If I get back to that, I won't be able to look after her properly at all but also, I will put myself back months of recovery. I can't afford (financially or emotionally) to do that.

I don't want to put her at risk but is there a way of looking after her that will require less frequent testing - even if it's not going to get her better as fast? I note that some people test far less often - is that because their cat's are more stable? I feel very sad to ask this when she seems to be doing so well.

confused_cat
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie PMPS=135 - help? I can't keep it up.

Hi Grace,

(((hug))) Dealing with a diabetic cat can be incredibly challenging and overwhelming. When I first came here, I was overwhelmed by everything -- testing, shooting, worrying... it was really the worry that stressed me out the most. There were days that I doubted I could do this. But I did, and it is possible. It takes some time to get used to the whole routine, and to learn about how your kitty responds to insulin, and to really become comfortable with all of it. For what it is worth, it does get easier. Once you have enough data on Angie, you will be able to better anticipate and deal with low numbers. I know it's very stressful in the beginning, and I understand that you have other personal issues that make it even more of a challenge for you.

I can't offer advice, but I can offer support and encouragement. Ultimately, you need to take care of yourself. If you're not well, you're not going to be able to provide care to Angie, so you need to make you a priority. There are ways to work her treatment into a schedule that suits you best.

Usually, I don't stay up too late for the PM cycle, because I work long days and need sleep --- a lot of us here do. I often leave extra food out at night to make sure Kismet surfs through the night safely if I can't stay up to test. I try to always get a +1 or +2 before bed, just so I have an idea of what his cycle might be like. If it looks like he might go low, I will set an alarm. If not, I just go to sleep and won't test again until AMPS. There are many other people here who test less frequently and are able to treat their cats effectively.

You're right, she is doing so well! Those are beautiful numbers for a cat on micro-doses. Please don't give up! You're not alone in this, we are here to help you in any way that we can. I hope you're able to figure out a better plan so that you're able to take good care of yourself while still providing Angie with excellent care.
 
Re: 2/3/13 Angie PMPS=135 - help? I can't keep it up.

Thanks Courtney. The support and encouragement from you guys has been so amazing. I read all your condos (even though I don't comment often) and see how much commitment there is to looking after your cats and supporting each other through difficulties.

I will never give up on Angie. She is my best friend and has been a part of my family since I was a teenager. I was just hoping that it could be done a slower way in which I could look after us both.

My partner gave me a big hug and is making me a cup of hot chocolate (a big treat as it's not on my getting-better diet). He suggested that I give it a few more days before I make any changes and see if I can catch up on more sleep in the mean time. I've just moved her shots to 6 am/pm so that I can watch her evenings a bit easier and get more sleep.
 
Hi Grace, Is your partner able to help out at all with testing? That would certainly help alleviate some of the burden on you.

I hope you're able to get some rest and are feeling better. Also, wanted to bump this post up to get some more eyes on it. Maybe one of the other members will have some suggestions for how often you should test Angie:

This is a post from Marje from someone else's condo a few days ago that outlines a typical Lantus cycle:

There is nothing set in stone that you have to get a +2 test. It's a good test to get because it will usually give you an idea of what the cycle will look like. A typical lantus cycle looks like this:

+0 - PreShot number.
+1 - Usually higher than PreShot number because of the last shot wearing off. May see a food spike in this number.
+2 - Often similar to the PreShot number.
+3 - Lower than the PreShot number, onset has started.
+4 - Lower.
+5 - Lower.
+6 - Nadir/Peak (the lowest number of cycle).
+7 - Surf (hang around the nadir number).
+8 - Slight rise.
+9 - Slight rise.
+10 - Rising.
+11 - Rising (may dip around +10 or +11).
+12 - PreShot number.

If the +2 is much higher than the PS, it's likely to be a quiet cycle; if its similar, you should expect a typical (active) lantus cycle where the numbers come down to nadir; if its much less, you should expect a very active cycle with an early drop in numbers.
Click to expand...

Based on this explanation, it might be a good idea to grab the +2s in her cycles, and see if you can anticipate what the rest of the cycle might do. This method might help you scale back on testing some. The thing to remember, though, is that every cycle is different and they are not always predictable. The frequency of testing really depends on the kinds of numbers you see from her.
 
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