5/24 Munchkin AMPS 279, +2 304, +4 274, +6 292

[Munchkin's Reagan]

5/21 Condo

Good afternoon everyone,

Life got a tad more complicated than we were expecting the previous two days with my Aunt's surgery so unfortunately I ended up having to skip 4 doses. So I'm guessing we're pretty much starting over insulin wise. I need to figure out a better plan for in the future. How does everyone come to terms/deal with life when it just gets in the way? I was so absolutely torn and felt split in two the last few days because I had to make the decision not to give Munchkin her insulin because I couldn't be here.

On a side note, would Munchkin's #'s for today generally considered the same number, so far? There's been very little, to no change? Also, I'm struggling with getting air bubbles in my syringe. Is there a link to tips that could help?

Thanks in advance! I hope everyone has been having good days!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

This is a post from the "old" board. A member who is no longer active, Greg (and his cat, Carmelita) posting this information on getting rid of air bubbles:

here's what greg/carmelita wrote:

We use the BD Demi+ syringes, and hold them with the needle pointing at the ceiling for most of this process.

For each shot, we do these things:

1. Throw away the plunger cap and move the plunger a couple of times. (Jojo told us that spreads the plunger lubricant)

2. Make sure the plunger is all the way to the needle end, uncap the needle, and insert the needle into the insulin cartridge.

3. Pull the plunger back pretty far, maybe the 4 or 5 IU mark. The vacuum inside the cartridge "fights" this; it goes slowly.

4. The insulin will start moving into the cylinder very slowly, watch to see how much is in the syringe.

5. When there is about .5 IU more insulin than needed, withdraw the needle from the cartridge without moving the plunger.

6. This causes the insulin to move down to the plunger (away from the needle), and the air goes up to the needle end.

7. Put the cartridge back in the fridge; do the rest of this over the sink.

8. Press the plunger to expel the excess air at the top. (don't skip this step, even if there are bubbles! The less air is in the syringe when you flick on it, the easier it is to form a single bubble that can be pressed out.)

9. If there are any bubbles at this point (often there are not), flick the syringe to bring them to the needle end.

10. Twist the syringe while pressing the plunger slowly to expel any remaining air, and to "dial in" the desired dose. This way, you can see if the bubble is sticking to the side, because you're rotating the syringe and looking at it from all sides.

11. If there's a bubble stuck to the side of the needle collar, draw a tiny bit more air in to join it, and then rotate the syringe the opposite direction to last time, while pressing the plunger. This spins the bubble together and hopefully centers it on the needle hole so you can squeeze it out.

12. Because we do micro-dose, when dialing in doses, we try to hold the syringe so the angle on the needle is facing up. This way, the little drop of insulin that forms there can be pulled back into the needle without bringing air, if we accidentally dial the plunger in a drop too far.

That's it, ready to shoot. Now... find the cat.

Ella, Rusty's bean, also has a method that I didn't bookmark (sorry).

I have used a vet tech to give Gabby her shot when I've needed a hand. There are usually tech's from my vet's office who are looking to pick up a few extra dollars who can cat sit. For skipping, Munchkin's numbers don't look too bad -- and yes, it's pretty much been flat yellow.

From the comments on your SS, you might want to make sure you're adding water to Munchkin's food. Also, you might consider giving some Miralax to make pooping easier. (You use 1/8 of a teaspoon twice a day mixed into food to which you've added water.)

 

[Munchkin's Reagan]

Thank you greatly Sienne & Gabby! Those instructions helped tonight. I'll also go search for Ella's post.

We're going to have to find a new vet..woohoo, yay. :YMSIGH: Ours is so far and none of the vet techs live our way apparently. But I'll tackle that next week. We do have a ER not too far, just in case.

I have seen the Miralax suggested to others before, but wasn't sure if it would help with Munch having IBD. But I'll definitely pick some up, along with mixing in extra water. I knows she's not dehydrated, or I should say dehydration wasn't an issue last week.

Hope your night is well!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

You can certainly check with your vet about the Miralax but I don't think it's an issue. You could post with something like "Miralax & IBD" in your subject line to see if others have had any experience.