4.9.15 Queenie ~AMBG 60 skipped, +18 67, +19 93, +24 85, PMPS 109, +2.5 48, + 3.5 73

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Chris & Queenie

Chris & Queenie

Member Since 2015
I am seeing that Q likes to keep dropping lately after I think she's hit her nadir. So, as for what to do next...She tested a respectable 130 at +5 yesterday after a skipped shot and a PMPS of 312, but I guess in retrospect that coaster was traveling to fast to pull back up. I think I am noticing that her swing is still much longer than 12 hours and the dose I'm looking for is still somewhere south of 1.5U but I'm hoping some of you will chime in here with advice.

After the discussion about TRP vs. SLGS I came to the conclusion that I probably am comfortable somewhere in the middle, long term. I will be around for the next several days though so I could probably keep a close eye without a problem (which means a stall rather than a skip and more of the TRP approach).
 
No dosing advice, but I would change your subject to read "AMBG" vs "AMPS"....the BG is for blood glucose and the PS is for preshot, so when using PS, it is assumed that you shot the number. It just makes it easier when ppl are doing a quick look at who may need help etc.
 
now what? this is good news, I think. I skipped the Am shot at BG60 and now at +18 she's at 67. Other than being a bit peckish, she seems absolutely fine.
 
Lantus works best if you shoot those lower numbers - if you're not able to shoot because you feel like they are too low for your comfort, then you may want to reduce the dose so you can shoot every 12 hrs. I would say the 1.5u looks pretty good, but reducing the dose knowing that you might have to go back up in dose is better than skipping and stalling every day. If you want to reduce for that reason, I'd probably try 1.0u and see what she does with it.

Can I make a suggestion about your spreadsheet? It's become pretty confusing. The column before the light blue dosing column is always for the number you shoot. So if you have an 18 hr cycle, still use that column and write something like this, using 4/8 as an example:

AMPS.............U
+12=270
+16=285
+18=312.........1.5

The hours between AMPS and PMPS are always related to how many hours after the shot, not your clock. I think that's going to make it easier to see what's going on.

You can shrink the font to help it fit into that cell if you need to.

I just gave Bananas some info on how things work when you shoot low - I don't remember if I've already given you these or not, so sorry if it's a rerun. I'll just copy and paste the links here for you to have a little reading time.

julie & punkin (ga) said:
I agree with Ann - what you may not know is that Lantus works best at lower numbers. When a person shoots a number that's more in normal range, the blood sugar may stay completely flat for the rest of the cycle. Here's some info you can read to psyche yourself up for doing that:

Shoot Low - Charlie
Shooting a Dropping Number, post #6
Shooting & Handling Low Numbers - Becoming Data Ready and What to do with a lower preshot?

The 0.5u looks really good, but i'm guessing she's high in that pm cycle, and 12 hrs without insulin help isn't good for her body. If you want to change the dose to 0.25u both morning and evening i think that would be ok. It's important to shoot the same dose every 12 hrs for a while to get control of her blood sugar around the clock. Of course, it means getting a before-bed test for her safety too. For some cats, all they need after diagnosis is some insulin help to get their blood sugar back into normal numbers and a switch to low carb canned or raw food.

If you post at your pmps, one of us can look at her ss and help you figure out how to move ahead. The tradition on here is that if we encourage you to shoot, we'll also stay with you so you know you won't be on your own if you do get low numbers. You'll want to always have some of that gravy food you mentioned, something like karo syrup or honey, and plenty of test strips (at least 20) - which are supplies you should really have all the time anyway.
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Thanks Julie,

I have read the shooting and handling low numbers one a few times. And again, I feel I need to put the brakes on just a little bit which is why I'm stalling on shooting the numbers in the 60's. I tried to follow your advice about the spread sheet but it makes me more confused. However, I made a copy and will work with it a little more to see if I can figure it out. I have a system going that makes sense to me and for now I don't want to transition until I can make sense of it. Please!!! don't give up on me though! I do want your advice and i will try to get my SS in line better. I am just super, super busy right now and trying to keep Q safe without having so much anxiety on the shooting of low numbers. That's why the discussion came up in the first place. It seems like she's moving really quickly and I just want to feel like I can keep up and catch her if she begins to really drop. Overall I am very encouraged, and I'm glad to hear you say that maybe I should just consider a lower dose (1U) and just hold it there for a bit because that had crossed my mind AND that would probably eliminate the skipped shots and back to back 18s. Is there someone else who has done the 18/18 or skipped shots lately whose SS I could look at?

Thanks so much!
 
Well, it's time for a shot ...it's been 24 hours....and still I'm getting an 85 ~ 5 hours ago I got a 93 and figured we were on our way back up. I know this is a safe number to shoot, but I can't help feeling nervous. We just took two reductions in a row and skipped two shot within the past 5 days. I have to straighten out my SS, but these skipped shots are really messing with my ability to get my head around how to note the times.

I'm hoping someone can chime in here. Seems like with the skipped shots in the mix we've taken much more of a reduction that just .5.
 
What dose would you feel comfortable shooting? We like to keep kitties on some insulin as long as safely possible to help the healing process.
 
Chris & China said:
How about you stall, don't feed and see where she's at in 20-30 minutes

"Giving herself insulin"??....LOL
Click to expand...
Chris & China said:
How about you stall, don't feed and see where she's at in 20-30 minutes

"Giving herself insulin"??....LOL
Click to expand...
Chris & China said:
How about you stall, don't feed and see where she's at in 20-30 minutes

"Giving herself insulin"??....LOL
Click to expand...
Hi Chris, I really just about gave her a shot.... I took her number and put down her food to be sure she would eat then I got cold feet. You guys probably think I'm a whimp! She's also been rather peckish today. I would not say she's feeling bad, she's just not all that interested in eating. She will if I "remind" her. A new little twist for Q.
 
Everything on the spreadsheet is counted from shot time. Shot times should be 12 hrs apart most of the time, unless noted differently.

I think 1.0u is reasonable, Chris. It might let you get shots in every 12 hrs and that's going to be best for her.
 
OK guys. I'm going to do the 1u and moving forward I'll try to keep the SS more "proper". I have created a copy and was trying to "fix" it so I could play with it and not lose my brains.....
 
julie & punkin (ga) said:
If you want to pm me your sign-in information I can fix your spreadsheet for you. I'd need your sign in and password.
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Thanks Julie. As soon as I finish up feeding the other cats I was going to give it a go. I was having trouble earlier because when I used the + sign it ran a function and then gave me an error. I get the idea of what you need, and I get why. You do so much already, let me take a crack at it first.

I just gave the 1 unit, I just wish I wasn't so nervous. It's just too normal looking today.
 
boshand.gif
way to go! for your first time shooting a green number, you are hereby awarded Balls of Steel! ;):D
 
Chris & Queenie said:
Well, it's time for a shot ...it's been 24 hours....and still I'm getting an 85 ~ 5 hours ago I got a 93 and figured we were on our way back up. I know this is a safe number to shoot, but I can't help feeling nervous. We just took two reductions in a row and skipped two shot within the past 5 days. I have to straighten out my SS, but these skipped shots are really messing with my ability to get my head around how to note the times.

I'm hoping someone can chime in here. Seems like with the skipped shots in the mix we've taken much more of a reduction that just .5.
Click to expand...
Don't worry about feeling like a wimp. :) You are not alone in that. I did however earn myself a BOS award and surprised everyone. :D:cool: My Lucy tends to surf in green and blue numbers occasionally way past the next dose time and I am learning now to stall less as I become more confident in dosing at lower numbers. I have also skipped probably too many doses due to my anxiety about Lucy's tendency to have lower numbers at dose time and even numbers that drop beyond the dose time with no insulin dose. So if I am going to be out all day I have sometimes skipped doses or given a reduced dose which I know is not ideal in terms of aiming for remission but it is a balance sometimes between keeping Lucy safe and my own mental well being. Other times I have lowered the dose because I have had surgery and been worried about not being able to stay awake to do glucose tests which happened the other week. Occasionally I have skipped a dose or reduced a dose so I could go to a social event and have struggled with a bit of guilt for doing that. I would love for my Lucy to be able to go off insulin but regulation is okay too. I have my own chronic illness I live with and it is a challenge I would rather not have but it is okay. Having lost my Rosie to lymphoma last year I will take diabetes regulation any day over lymphoma. We are all trying hard and trying to balance all of the things we have to do and need to do too. Some of us are more anxious than others but we all love our cats and want to do the very best we can for them and you are doing that. All the best to you and Queenie too. :bighug:
 
Yeah I hope so too, I feel she must be reacting to the lantus a little more dramatically than the typical model. she just tested a 73.
 
yep. got the gravy and the syrup right here. How often to I want to push the HC? So far I've given 1tsp gravy and about 6 drops of maple syrup.
 
Ok, thank you Julie. I will test again in an hour. After that I'll check in every 90 minutes if she seems to be holding. I assume I can feed her the regular low carb stuff whenever she wants it....yes? I guess we will tackle the question of where to go next with the dose 12 ours from now.
 
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