bettyandhank
Very Active Member
Hi ALL-
We are so grateful to have you here. So many questions but not enough time to be here and post/read as we need. I really am so unclear about this disease and where we are. I just had a sick baby who I want to feel good and be well. This has been a full time job and i can't imagine keeping this up forever. i do read your posts and feel miles away from where you are in terms of understanding. Like being in kindergarten amongst multiple PHD's.
The vet was not very informative. No conversation about the relationship of food and the insulin, other than a lo carb/high protein diet which we were already doing. He is basically on canned now w/ only a few pieces here & there of Evo. He needs to eat. He'd lost weight and too rapidly. I'm not sure how much before our 1st vet, but maybe +/- 2lbs. and another 1 lb subsequently. he seems to be holding his own w/ the weight now.
There was some basic shot training, no discussion of target numbers, etc..Took a few tried to successfully test, but have that down now. I know his ears are sore and just hate hurting him. I am not great at the shots..have not gotten comfortable. With such a low dose, & my inability to get all bubbles out no matter how much i thump or tap, I wonder if he is getting his full dose each time. You should see me staring over my glasses at the plunger trying to figure out which section of the ring end of the plunger should be where- front, middle, back of line. It's such a teenie amount, I hope he's getting it.
I don't have enough understanding to see what our numbers are telling us. I am making sure he eats per instruction. His appetite is modest but reasonable. if i coax he eats a few bites. He ultimately needs to lose weight, just not now and not so rapidly.
We have had moments like yesterday where he looks really good and like he is on the upswing & feeling better. I do not want this to be forever, and have read somewhere here that what happens in the beginning is so important in terms of chance of remission.
This vet would have had me bring him back in 7-10 days for a curve. My tendency will be to do this at home instead. This is not our long term vet, and there wasn't tons of communication. I will need to call about that. She was worried about fatty lipidosis and wanted him to eat (of course recommending the crappy vet diets OR lo-carb) She was insistent I not mess w/ the dose. I was not clear leaving there if he was considered DKA or not. He had 'scant' ketones in his blood- none in urine. I have lab results from 2 weeks earlier FYI if interested or noteworthy.
For any of you that were here Sunday, you may recall he had a really low number Sunday AM so we skipped a dose. That may have affected our momentum. Otherwise, today will be one week on Lantus.
I finally made our spreadsheet. I am not techie and had not had the time to mess w/ it. I'd been keeping a log w/ notes on how he is, when he eats, shots & tests on a word doc. I have attached the SS here (i think) CAN YOU PLEASE look and tell me what you think of where he is relative to what you would think after 1 week.
A couple other questions.
The vet had said ideally shots would be within 1 hour either way...up to 2 hours if necessary. Someone here said that is not ok for Lantus and needs to be within 20 minute windows. Can I clarify if that is concensus on the board? I cannot see for the long term making it every single day within 20 minutes of the shot time. it may work most days but not every. What is the latitude? (with the understanding you want to try to be on time) And what happens? We have been close so far..within say 20-25 minutes or so each time. Sometimes right on the nose.
Also I saw Sienne's post about the time change which was great info. However, i was already wondering what to do as next week friends are in from UK
and i will be gone for hours getting in late several straight days. I have no idea how to maneuver this. It is the exception and not the rule, but we are so new at this and he is not regulated. Both the above questions play in here. Do we go ahead and move our schedule this week for DST and then AGAIN for next week due to my not being back in time?
And/or, what are my latitudes if needing to be late (but not sure HOW late before leaving) for a couple nights? How do we allow for this?
Due to everything happening at once, and i mean EVERYTHINg, there is no way we will be able to do a curve or back to vet in this next 2 weeks or so.
We are on such a low dose that it is probably ok. the 1st vet wouldn't have done a curve for 3 weeks anyway.
I was running out of newbie supplies and down to only 3 strips (more ordered- on the way) so testing PS now. I ruined several. The financial part of this is overwhelming. I am already $620 in for meds, supplies, vets, food, having just been diagnosed. I cannot believe the cost of everything and don't see how i can keep this up. dealing with it all just takes all my time.
Due to all the above, i may not be able to try a real curve (with some guidance) for a couple weeks. I can do some mid day checks in this next week while I am home.
2 vets in and no real discussion about any possible cause or underlying issues, 1st vet noted he has a FORL (bad tooth) that needs to come out at some point.
I wonder if there is any infection or connection as i read there can be with DM. Also not being clear on the ketone issue & wonder if he's ok. They didn't elaborate. I sensed i got him there as he was right at that door. He does seem to be feeling better a week later. I guess i could be doing the ketone tests at home if it seems a good idea. Are there some common sense things I need to be doing now, other than testing and shots? ..& making sure he eats (LC)?
If his counts are as they are (see my chart), while he is getting regulated, is damage occuring? My sense was he does not have astronomical numbers relative to what they could be, but yet i am not clear on whether damage has occured. Basically , just start insulin and call us for a curve in 10 days or so.
I have to run out but will check back this evening. Thanks so much for looking at his charts and your advice. We have so much to learn.
betty & hankie-licious
We are so grateful to have you here. So many questions but not enough time to be here and post/read as we need. I really am so unclear about this disease and where we are. I just had a sick baby who I want to feel good and be well. This has been a full time job and i can't imagine keeping this up forever. i do read your posts and feel miles away from where you are in terms of understanding. Like being in kindergarten amongst multiple PHD's.
The vet was not very informative. No conversation about the relationship of food and the insulin, other than a lo carb/high protein diet which we were already doing. He is basically on canned now w/ only a few pieces here & there of Evo. He needs to eat. He'd lost weight and too rapidly. I'm not sure how much before our 1st vet, but maybe +/- 2lbs. and another 1 lb subsequently. he seems to be holding his own w/ the weight now.
There was some basic shot training, no discussion of target numbers, etc..Took a few tried to successfully test, but have that down now. I know his ears are sore and just hate hurting him. I am not great at the shots..have not gotten comfortable. With such a low dose, & my inability to get all bubbles out no matter how much i thump or tap, I wonder if he is getting his full dose each time. You should see me staring over my glasses at the plunger trying to figure out which section of the ring end of the plunger should be where- front, middle, back of line. It's such a teenie amount, I hope he's getting it.
I don't have enough understanding to see what our numbers are telling us. I am making sure he eats per instruction. His appetite is modest but reasonable. if i coax he eats a few bites. He ultimately needs to lose weight, just not now and not so rapidly.
We have had moments like yesterday where he looks really good and like he is on the upswing & feeling better. I do not want this to be forever, and have read somewhere here that what happens in the beginning is so important in terms of chance of remission.
This vet would have had me bring him back in 7-10 days for a curve. My tendency will be to do this at home instead. This is not our long term vet, and there wasn't tons of communication. I will need to call about that. She was worried about fatty lipidosis and wanted him to eat (of course recommending the crappy vet diets OR lo-carb) She was insistent I not mess w/ the dose. I was not clear leaving there if he was considered DKA or not. He had 'scant' ketones in his blood- none in urine. I have lab results from 2 weeks earlier FYI if interested or noteworthy.
For any of you that were here Sunday, you may recall he had a really low number Sunday AM so we skipped a dose. That may have affected our momentum. Otherwise, today will be one week on Lantus.
I finally made our spreadsheet. I am not techie and had not had the time to mess w/ it. I'd been keeping a log w/ notes on how he is, when he eats, shots & tests on a word doc. I have attached the SS here (i think) CAN YOU PLEASE look and tell me what you think of where he is relative to what you would think after 1 week.
A couple other questions.
The vet had said ideally shots would be within 1 hour either way...up to 2 hours if necessary. Someone here said that is not ok for Lantus and needs to be within 20 minute windows. Can I clarify if that is concensus on the board? I cannot see for the long term making it every single day within 20 minutes of the shot time. it may work most days but not every. What is the latitude? (with the understanding you want to try to be on time) And what happens? We have been close so far..within say 20-25 minutes or so each time. Sometimes right on the nose.
Also I saw Sienne's post about the time change which was great info. However, i was already wondering what to do as next week friends are in from UK
and i will be gone for hours getting in late several straight days. I have no idea how to maneuver this. It is the exception and not the rule, but we are so new at this and he is not regulated. Both the above questions play in here. Do we go ahead and move our schedule this week for DST and then AGAIN for next week due to my not being back in time?
And/or, what are my latitudes if needing to be late (but not sure HOW late before leaving) for a couple nights? How do we allow for this?
Due to everything happening at once, and i mean EVERYTHINg, there is no way we will be able to do a curve or back to vet in this next 2 weeks or so.
We are on such a low dose that it is probably ok. the 1st vet wouldn't have done a curve for 3 weeks anyway.
I was running out of newbie supplies and down to only 3 strips (more ordered- on the way) so testing PS now. I ruined several. The financial part of this is overwhelming. I am already $620 in for meds, supplies, vets, food, having just been diagnosed. I cannot believe the cost of everything and don't see how i can keep this up. dealing with it all just takes all my time.
Due to all the above, i may not be able to try a real curve (with some guidance) for a couple weeks. I can do some mid day checks in this next week while I am home.
2 vets in and no real discussion about any possible cause or underlying issues, 1st vet noted he has a FORL (bad tooth) that needs to come out at some point.
I wonder if there is any infection or connection as i read there can be with DM. Also not being clear on the ketone issue & wonder if he's ok. They didn't elaborate. I sensed i got him there as he was right at that door. He does seem to be feeling better a week later. I guess i could be doing the ketone tests at home if it seems a good idea. Are there some common sense things I need to be doing now, other than testing and shots? ..& making sure he eats (LC)?
If his counts are as they are (see my chart), while he is getting regulated, is damage occuring? My sense was he does not have astronomical numbers relative to what they could be, but yet i am not clear on whether damage has occured. Basically , just start insulin and call us for a curve in 10 days or so.
I have to run out but will check back this evening. Thanks so much for looking at his charts and your advice. We have so much to learn.
betty & hankie-licious
