5/21 Alex AMPS 182 PMPS 282

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Happy Caturday Everyone! I mean "happy to still be here" :lol:

PHEW !!!

Alex is doing well. I am having a difficult time with his numbers now that I've been trying to get him down to bid again. He still seems to have a 'longevity' problem which doesn't bode well for me if I ever get a job outside of my home..... :-| I mean the numbers aren't as bad as they used to be, but I'm try to pretend that I'm not here at +10 and can't help him bring down his ps number. After not seeing those pinks and reds for a while this is distressing. I've been playing with the dose (because I know I can) to see what kind of results I'm going to get and it seems that 3.5 is too little while 3.75 seems to be too much as it makes Alex bounce too much...so I'm at kind of a loss.
He is at 3.5 Lev bid now and I'm thinking that after a day or two when I can assess this more clearly...that maybe a drop or two over 3.5 might work? Even to get his ps down to the yellows as opposed to the pinks would be welcome.

For those that don't know me, I don't expect Alex to ever go OTJ...he has too much going on for that to happen. But to keep him at a level where he can at least heal is my goal..(below 240 which he was for the most part until I switched back to bid), stay as healthy as he can and be happy, and to remain ketone free. I have worked very very hard at this and I feel it slipping away from me and it's very frustrating. Sorry for the vent. If push comes to shove, I will go back to doing what worked. Just trying to have some sort of life as I haven't since 9/2009. But I love my guys..I guess they are my life

Getting nervous as Jackson's surgery is a week from today...... nailbite_smile . He also seems to be on the verge of megacolon and laxatives don't seem to be working for him. If anyone has any ideas other than Lactulose or Miralax I would truly appreciate it. I have been giving him enemas for the last 3 weeks and although it helps him, it's not pleasant for either of us :-|

Other than that, Alex has on his purry pants today, all p's are in order and both boys are taking their morning nap.

Reaching out to MJ and sending prayers to her and Butthead who we all love very very much! :YMHUG:

Have a great day everyone... :razz:

One Week Ago

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

Alex is doing great TODAY. I am sending all kinds of vines that he keep going in this direction.

As for sweetheart Jackson...gosh, I wish I knew. I feel like I remember people talking about something that tends to give kitties the runs, but what is it??? Maybe that pro-biotic you sprinkle on the food?Maybe someone else will read this and read my mind for me, since I seem unable to do that.

Hoping you get many purrs today. Hugs.


***WRONG. See below.

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

Alex is doing great TODAY. I am sending all kinds of vines that he keep going in this direction.

As for sweetheart Jackson...gosh, I wish I knew. I feel like I remember people talking about something that tends to give kitties the runs, but what is it??? Maybe that pro-biotic you sprinkle on the food? Maybe someone else will read this and read my mind for me, since I seem unable to do that.

Hoping you get many purrs today. Hugs.

Thanks Kathy....I'm going to pick up some pumpkin for Jackson tomorrow but he has to eat it for it to work
As for Alex...no, his ps numbers are generally too high again. I sent a pm to Jill to ask her to take a look. I hope she sees it...otherwise I don't expect that anyone will give me much advice as no one has even read this...except for you of course Maybe cause it is such a sad day today and we are all focused on MJ and Butthead...as it should be. Maybe cause I don't have time to come on here often these days between work and mom being sick.... but I try to help where I can.
That's all I can do.

Love to Kitty and to you :mrgreen:

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

Back at ya!

I'm not sure anyone knows much more about Alex than you do at this point. Have you ever posted in the high dose forum? Alex isn't high dose, but people there have so much experience with challenging scenarios.

Always thinking of you and your mom. More hugs. Vines, white light, snowflakes -- the whole enchilada.

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

But fwiw, I do think it's the fortiflora that people have said can lead to diarrhea. So.... pumpkin a la fortiflora?

I HAD IT BACKWARDS! Fortiflora can lead to constipation. I was corrected below. Didn't want anyone to read this and think otherwise.

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

responding to your PM here...

really sorry to hear you have so much on your plate, caryl! as far as alex's dose... i get what you're doing and why, but lowering the dose so he won't bounce so much is an old pzi trick. it doesn't work too well with lantus/levemir.

since you don't have that new job yet, what if you were to go back to 3.75u and hit the beginning of the bounce with R? if all goes as it's *supposed to*, the R will take the edge off the bounce which in turn will help give the lev something to grab onto. with any luck at all, this method could help flatten him out and lower his range before you get that new job. just throwing it out there. you may have already tried this.

jackson --- i'm sorry i don't know of anything else to use besides miralax or lactulose. kathy mentioned a connection between probiotics and diarrhea. i found just the opposite with my alex. if she doesn't already have diarrhea/loose stools, giving her probiotics will constipate her.

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

kathy mentioned a connection between probiotics and diarrhea. i found just the opposite with my alex. if she doesn't already have diarrhea/loose stools, giving her probiotics will constipate her.

No one listen to me ever!!!!!!! ohmygod_smile ohmygod_smile

 

[Ann & Maggie11 (GA)]

Hi Caryl, I've heard pumpkin helps, but it as you say, if you can get him to take it. Sorry I wish I knew more and could help. Miralax sprinkled on wet food always helped Maggie. I used Fortiflora only when she had diarrhea to control it. Maybe if you put help needed in your subject line, but now I see Jill responded.

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

responding to your PM here...

really sorry to hear you have so much on your plate, caryl! as far as alex's dose... i get what you're doing and why, but lowering the dose so he won't bounce so much is an old pzi trick. it doesn't work too well with lantus/levemir.

since you don't have that new job yet, what if you were to go back to 3.75u and hit the beginning of the bounce with R? if all goes as it's *supposed to*, the R will take the edge off the bounce which in turn will help give the lev something to grab onto. with any luck at all, this method could help flatten him out and lower his range before you get that new job. just throwing it out there. you may have already tried this.

jackson --- i'm sorry i don't know of anything else to use besides miralax or lactulose. kathy mentioned a connection between probiotics and diarrhea. i found just the opposite with my alex. if she doesn't already have diarrhea/loose stools, giving her probiotics will constipate her.

No, I get that. So if he gets to green at like +5 or 6 and bounces to the 400's by PS or +2 or 3 next cycle...when do you think is a good time to bring him down? As soon as I see it? I know that if I see a n upward trend into the 300's by +10 that is a good time to give him some r....bit I'm a little sketchy about the beginning of a cycle because I was always told to wait until after +6 but I'm not so sure if that matters? The one thing I am sure of is that Alex peaks at +5-+7 and that is a good thing to know. For an inconsistent kitty..he is consistent when it counts...TG

I agree about probiotics....I give them to Alex when he has diarrhea or loose stools....not for constipation. He went a little today from a combo of lactulose and miralax..I was told not to give both...but while neither seems to work alone..they seem to at lest work a bit better...together(not mixed together..just in the same day)

Thank you, Jill

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

kathy mentioned a connection between probiotics and diarrhea. i found just the opposite with my alex. if she doesn't already have diarrhea/loose stools, giving her probiotics will constipate her.

No one listen to me ever!!!!!!! ohmygod_smile ohmygod_smile

I do I swear

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

No, I get that. So if he gets to green at like +5 or 6 and bounces to the 400's by PS or +2 or 3 next cycle...when do you think is a good time to bring him down? As soon as I see it? I know that if I see a n upward trend into the 300's by +10 that is a good time to give him some r....bit I'm a little sketchy about the beginning of a cycle because I was always told to wait until after +6 but I'm not so sure if that matters? The one thing I am sure of is that Alex peaks at +5-+7 and that is a good thing to know. For an inconsistent kitty..he is consistent when it counts...TG

i know you're not afraid of using R. you've used it enough to be comfortable.
since alex consistently nadirs between +5 and +7 you're ahead of the game. you know when he'll nadir. as you already know, you just don't want the nadirs of each insulin to coincide.

how long does it take for R to clear alex's system?

while i have a basic understanding of the use of R i don't have hands-on experience. for that reason, i feel more comfortable asking libby to come by to offer advice. let me see if she's still up...

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

No, I get that. So if he gets to green at like +5 or 6 and bounces to the 400's by PS or +2 or 3 next cycle...when do you think is a good time to bring him down? As soon as I see it? I know that if I see a n upward trend into the 300's by +10 that is a good time to give him some r....bit I'm a little sketchy about the beginning of a cycle because I was always told to wait until after +6 but I'm not so sure if that matters? The one thing I am sure of is that Alex peaks at +5-+7 and that is a good thing to know. For an inconsistent kitty..he is consistent when it counts...TG

i know you're not afraid of using R. you've used it enough to be comfortable.
since alex consistently nadirs between +5 and +7 you're ahead of the game. you know when he'll nadir. as you already know, you just don't want the nadirs of each insulin to coincide.

how long does it take for R to clear alex's system?

while i have a basic understanding of the use of R i don't have hands-on experience. for that reason, i feel more comfortable asking libby to come by to offer advice. let me see if she's still up...

It's usually out of his system in 4 hours. When I was starting tid and I was testing doses....I would see him start to climb at +6 and a little r(.5) would bring him down nicely for ps @+8...and that would even him out. I don't use it just to bring numbers down..I'm all over that . AND happy to say my little chubby man doesn't need it for that reason anymore I guess I'm really only used to using it recently to bring him down enough to give the Lev a nice place to take over which is usually at the end of a cycle. so maybe end cycle testing is key for me.....If Libby can give suggestions that would be swell!

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Hi Caryl, I've heard pumpkin helps, but it as you say, if you can get him to take it. Sorry I wish I knew more and could help. Miralax sprinkled on wet food always helped Maggie. I used Fortiflora only when she had diarrhea to control it. Maybe if you put help needed in your subject line, but now I see Jill responded.

Aww thank you Ann. I appreciate your trying to help just the same Miralax used to help Jackson too. Maybe after his surgery he'll start eating more. He may be hurting which could be affecting his appetite. These kitties just don't tell us these things. KWIM? ohmygod_smile

 

[Libby and Lucy]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

No, I get that. So if he gets to green at like +5 or 6 and bounces to the 400's by PS or +2 or 3 next cycle...when do you think is a good time to bring him down? As soon as I see it? I know that if I see a n upward trend into the 300's by +10 that is a good time to give him some r....bit I'm a little sketchy about the beginning of a cycle because I was always told to wait until after +6 but I'm not so sure if that matters? The one thing I am sure of is that Alex peaks at +5-+7 and that is a good thing to know. For an inconsistent kitty..he is consistent when it counts...TG

I think you have the right idea by wanting to give R as soon as you catch the bounce. Since you know he nadirs between +5 and +7, you would probably want to avoid giving R between +2 and +5 *unless* he is obviously bouncing. If he is going up up up then you don't really have to worry too much about a nadir in that cycle...

Looking at Alex's spreadsheet, I think if you wait until he is already red, then it is probably already too late to give R. By the time he is red, he is about ready to start coming down on his own. You want to learn to prevent him from getting that high. That means giving the R at a time when without it he would be rising fast, in hopes that it will help slow down or stop that fast rise. I would definitely give R if you see an upward trend at +9 or +10, to see if that will help keep him from getting all the way to high pink or red.

If you wait until he is already red, you might get into a situation where the R is working AND the bounce is clearing on its own at the same time. That is the kind of situation that can get you into trouble with R because he can have too much momentum behind the numbers.

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Re: 5/21 Alex AMPS 182

No, I get that. So if he gets to green at like +5 or 6 and bounces to the 400's by PS or +2 or 3 next cycle...when do you think is a good time to bring him down? As soon as I see it? I know that if I see a n upward trend into the 300's by +10 that is a good time to give him some r....bit I'm a little sketchy about the beginning of a cycle because I was always told to wait until after +6 but I'm not so sure if that matters? The one thing I am sure of is that Alex peaks at +5-+7 and that is a good thing to know. For an inconsistent kitty..he is consistent when it counts...TG

I think you have the right idea by wanting to give R as soon as you catch the bounce. Since you know he nadirs between +5 and +7, you would probably want to avoid giving R between +2 and +5 *unless* he is obviously bouncing. If he is going up up up then you don't really have to worry too much about a nadir in that cycle...

Looking at Alex's spreadsheet, I think if you wait until he is already red, then it is probably already too late to give R. By the time he is red, he is about ready to start coming down on his own. You want to learn to prevent him from getting that high. That means giving the R at a time when without it he would be rising fast, in hopes that it will help slow down or stop that fast rise. I would definitely give R if you see an upward trend at +9 or +10, to see if that will help keep him from getting all the way to high pink or red.

If you wait until he is already red, you might get into a situation where the R is working AND the bounce is clearing on its own at the same time. That is the kind of situation that can get you into trouble with R because he can have too much momentum behind the numbers.

Thanks Libby!
Can doing this help me to try to figure out how to get him to do it on his own? Maybe to help figure out what dose might be the right one for him? My hope is to get to the point where he has cycles like he had today...without r. Today was beautiful for Alex. I could live with days like today forever. He was safe, he was happy and he wasn't pink or red..what could be better? Do you concur that I should raise him to 3.75 in the morning or maybe a fat 3.5?

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

You can listen to THIS, though: You are doing such a great job for Alex.

 

[Libby and Lucy]

I don't know if doing that will help Alex learn to do it on his own, but it's worth a try. It might take some experimentation with timing of the R, but hopefully you'll be able to use it to help him stay flatter.

I agree with going back to 3.75. That dose looked like it had some potential for him. Nice nadirs.

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

I don't know if doing that will help Alex learn to do it on his own, but it's worth a try. It might take some experimentation with timing of the R, but hopefully you'll be able to use it to help him stay flatter.

I agree with going back to 3.75. That dose looked like it had some potential for him. Nice nadirs.

Then that's what I will try! Thankies Ms. Libby :mrgreen:

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

You can listen to THIS, though: You are doing such a great job for Alex.

Oh Kathy Thank you! You know I love you as much as I love Bruce ! I am doing a great job with Alex. He has gone from a skinny, growly sick cat to a chubby(seriously) happy, purry boy. And I know that I did that.

When I visited my mom at the nursing home on Mother's Day she surprised me. When Alex first got sick and I would cry about it and complain that Jaime wasn't doing enough she would say "Caryl, maybe Alex is just too sick. Maybe there is not so much that can be done". Even when he was diagnosed with HCM..same thing only Jaime wasn't as negative as the cardio doc. either was my mom. But Alex was so sick and so scrawny. My mom remembered me saying that Alex was going to get better and she told me I sounded like a child. I told her that well may be but I love him and if I can't make him better I will go down trying.

On mother's day she said to me "I can't believe it but you did it"...and I asked her what I did. She said "you made Alex better. For all intents and purposes by yourself. You have been his mommy and his doctor and not much else for the last 18 months but you did what you said you were going to do and that's amazing". I started to cry and said "it's the best thing I've ever done in my life"..and she said "yeah..it is".

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

There are so many dimensions to your Mother's Day story, and all of them wonderful! I'm so happy you had that moment with your mom, and that acknowledgement. Love triumphs. As it should.

:YMHUG: