4/15 CRYSTAL AMPS 284 +4.25 256 +10 301 PMPS 311

[suki & crystal (GA)]

yesterday

Hi all, not much to report on Crystal. We have been out a large portion of the day so not much in the way of testing. Back to her pinkies, so will definately be giving her R tomorrow morning. Our plans for the weekend have changed and so I wont now need to do the 18 hour dosing on Saturday/Sunday, so that's good, downside is that we have house guests here instead of going out......

Sad day for all of us in LL with the loss of dear Milo, prayers and thoughts with Meredith.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Yuck, stinky pinkies again! Come on down Crystal - blue is much prettier on you. Good luck with the R trial again tomorrow.

I'm sure Crystal will be happy to have her regular meals this weekend, even if she's not so keen on the visitors.

 

[suki & crystal (GA)]

AMPS 300 so gave 2.5u R - now wait and see. Around all day to monitor, bbl.

 

[Sandy and Black Kitty]

Hello there

Glad to see you are honing your R skills. I've just caught up from 04/04 , when you asked about using more R vs. increasing L.
I agree with Julie and Wendy that it is a good idea to try using R more liberally (both frequency and amounts).

With Acro you have the variable of pituitary hormone activity fluctuation.
If Crystal has IAA as well (which I suspect) you have the variable of not ever really knowing how much of what you shoot is actually 'free' (unbound) and in circulation, available for Crystals body to use. And there is the issue of IAA being self limiting.
A picture is worth a thousand words-

This graphs BKs average total daily insulin month by month. That decrease from 45u (October 2008) to 27u (November 2008) was "the break" and it happened very fast.
However, it did not feel like the 'free-fall' the graph depicts, because all I had to do was lose the R.
No depot = no PJ parties.
It would be several months before he tasted his first HC.

He did not have his first L decrease, which was 0.25u, until 12/4/2008, 4 days prior to his first dental.
Thats when I felt the free fall - the downward momentum was crazy - 3 solid months of constantly trying to rein in wild horses, night and day.

On 04/06 you commented-

I think I am going to have to use the R much more frequently than I have been in future but obviously only when I am around to monitor.

It will not always be that way. The more you use it the more your sense of how it works with Crystal will develop.
You may notice that the 12 hour cycle patterns are part of larger patterns/cycles. Another nice thing about holding the L dose (it makes it easier to see any larger patterns). It caught my eye that since 04/03, Crystal has been seeing blue every 5th day. Interesting.

Julie summed it up nicely in your 04/11 condo:

Looking at the last 4 times you used R:
4/6 amps 324, 1.5uR dropped her 56 points by +5 and then the Lev onset.
4/8 amps 259 1.5uR dropped her 81 points by +5
4/9 amps 328 2.0uR dropped her 108 points by +5
4/10 amps 349 2.0uR dropped her 76 points by +5

This is important to track as it will help you determine a scale as well as track the inevitable changes to that scale.
The more you work with R the easier it will be to make on the fly R dosing decisions (and leave the house without fear!)

It will also help when faced with the emotions of a cycle like 04/13/AM:

Frustrated with Crystal stuck in the pinks, so increased dose of 2.5uR given this morning - wait and see how she does on this, paws crossed

04/13 amps 349 2.5uR dropped her 129 points by +6
Careful - you may be getting close to her counter-regulatory defense systems 'don't step over' line. Frustration can cloud good judgement.
24 hours later. . .

174 at AMPS Nice surf overnight, that was definitely a good R dose yesterday. See how she goes without R this cycle.

I think it's a good idea to have an R free cycle from time to time. Follow your developing instincts on that.

And from 04/14'
From Suzanne -

I know you don't know about IAA, although I'm guessing we are assuming she has it. With IAA, onset can move around.

From Wendy -

Variability in nadir is not uncommon with IAA. I've seen Neko nadir anywhere from +5 (her onset) to +15,
It is interesting how R seems to really extend the duration of the Lev - a lot of her nadirs are later in cycles with R, especially those that get her into blue.

Important characteristics of IAA to be mindful of when making dosing decisions.

Learning to go with the flow is key with high dose conditions - however it does take time.
The nice thing is that time passes, with no effort required on our part

 

[suki & crystal (GA)]

Thank you Sandy for looking in on us, it's great to have your input on Crystal's progress. I have to read it through several times to take it all in, but am still a bit confused. what works one day doesn't work so well the next time. Like this morning, I really didn't know with an AMPS of 300 whether 2.5uR was the right amount, but it's only through trial and error (not too many errors I hope!) that I will gain the experience. I just hope I don't make a mistake and overdose her, that's why I tend to err on the side of caution.
My that was some drop of BK back in October 2008 - it would have scared the hell out of me. Hopefully by time Crystal breaks, if she does, I will be a lot more confident about R dosages. There have been times when I have left the house whilst using R but I'm in a panic to get back to check she's okay. Doesn't help that DH has no idea, or inclination, to test her in my absence or would he even recognise the signs of hypo, some cats don't appear any different even when they are dangerously low. We just have to slog on but at least I know I have the best possible advice from members that have been through it themselves, and survived the angst, and are happy to pass on their accumulated wisdom, for which I am enternally grateful.

I should really start a new post for today, which I'll do now.