? 3/7 Max amps 365 +2 359 +3 288 +3.5 177 +4 160 +5 160 +6 117 +7 111 +8 112

[Max & Lori]

I believe Max is trying to go back to old habits of diving and bouncing again. He did this last time when the depot had built up on the 5.5 units, then I had to drop it back for a bit. I gradually have moved him back to 5.5 units so we could see more green and prevent any toxicity from occurring with him. It’s just too hard to pull him out of toxicity when it happens. My concern is what you can see on his SS on 2/22 and 2/23 which starts a viscous cycle. But then again, look how yesterday was, just beautiful. So, my question is should I have used 70 as his reduction point and dropped his dose back to 5.25 units last night? @Wendy&Neko @Marje and Gracie @FrostD I’d really like some opinions. Thanks in advance.
Also, I don’t prioritize myself over Max (I know that’s wrong), but we are having some beautiful 70 degree sunny weather here and I really am enjoying getting back into my morning walking and running outside. It’s kind of hard to do when I’m running back and forth back into the house, testing and feeding Max during that. I’m a much nicer person when I have my workouts. My point is I’d like to have him in a more gentle cycle, yet still seeing at least some green. I’m feeding higher carb food ahead of the drop when I see it trending that way. I know that’s a lot to ask, but is it possible to have that goal with Max or am I just trying too hard? Anyway your ideas are appreciated so much.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Nice to see Max get over that bounce so quickly.

I found with Neko, that I needed her regular nadirs to be in the 70's or better, for her to minimize the pinks. You have to experiment with Max to find out where that ideal nadir point is with him. Also, when she wasn't dropping dose once or twice a week, so active SRT action, I kept the reduction point at 50, otherwise she tended not to hold the reductions. Again, this is ECID and you need to know what works for your cat.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with prioritizing yourself over your cat. And I'm super jealous of those temperatures. Snow here is melting rapidly, been a really cold start to March. Does Max eat from an autofeeder? There is nothing wrong with aborting an active cycle by leaving higher carb foods out for him to snack on, if there is something you need/want to do. Acros don't need to be in green numbers to heal their pancreas, it is the tumour that causes the diabetes. HC earlier on might slow the drops too, or maybe you need to try MC. It's experiment time. I used to treat myself occasionally, and just tried to minimize the damage. I'd also sometimes back off the dose for a couple days, so I could catch up on sleep. Note to any lurkers, these are suggestions for Lori and Max only. Special circumstances with an acrocat who has had SRT.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

One other thing, I tested less than you do. Test strips are expensive in Canada. I used to order from the US, but it was a process that took time. I spent quite a bit of time trying to learn Neko's BG patterns. Note, patterns happen over several cycles, not just one. I'd play "guess the BG" before I poked her, to see how well I was learning to predict. I'd also ask myself, what could this poke tell me that I didn't already know. Less pokes = more time between pokes for you.

 

[Max & Lori]

Thank you Wendy. I think the thing with me is that Max may stay on a particular pattern for a little bit, but he is definitely not predictable. Those reds and blacks upset me so much and I’ve learned the dives are generally what causes that. So I think I’m just paranoid about the dives. I am always experimenting lol. That’s why I test so often. I’d like not to, but I keep thinking he’s eventually going to get to a point where I feel I don’t have to. The test strips are not expensive here, but I’ve been going through them fast lately. I will figure it out though and come up with something that’s better for me and Max both. He’s such a good sport through it all though.
Hope that snow goes away quickly up there. We didn’t get any snow this year and I am glad. I’m a spring and summer girl. I thrive in the warm sunshine and hate the cold! Thank you again!

 

[carfurby (GA)]

 

[FrostD]

I'm not sure why I'm just now noticing by a 530/530 schedule?? You are a better person than I am (or maybe that's just sleep deprivation talking at the moment lol). The benefit to that is the funny business is easier to keep an eye on, but perhaps with weather changing a slight shift is in order?

A lot of us have multiple competing priorities - the kitties, kids, work, family, etc and we just do the best we can. So if you need something to help keep your own boat afloat, go for it!

 

[Max & Lori]

Believe me, I understand multitasking. Finished my degree married, raising 3 small kids. I just have old habits of putting my own needs last when it comes to taking care of others, even the pets (we have a dog with medical needs too). The kids grew up, and the pets filled the empty nest. Now grandkids are added to the mix. I’m thankful for it all and love what I have with all my heart, just always looking for ways to do better. I’m hard on myself, type A personality, that’s just my nature. I am super thankful for the ideas and opinions I get from here. I’ve learned way more than I’ve ever wanted to know about acromegaly in cats for sure. I guess it’s just good to be here and feel like I’m not the only one going through all of this with a cat/cats. Everyone is very committed and does a wonderful job. Great people here to learn from. Thanks so much.

Another old habit is getting up early and getting on with the day, taking care of Max, the grandkids, etc. Wouldn’t change it for the world though.