6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162, +11 168

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cmcd65

cmcd65

Member Since 2011
Well it was a blue night almost till the very end. I shot her regular .75 and we shall see what happens today. Thanks to all who were with me last night!

And just for clarity sake: I slept past Boo's +11 this morning. I took it just after +11.5. Then I wanted to get a little closer to my original +0 (after our famous 17 minute stall last night), so I actually shot her a few minutes before what should have been her +12. Since the read and the shoot were so close together, I did not poke her again. Thus my last reading and my AMPS are the same and we are back to my normal 6:00 +0. Clear as mud?! :-D

Now I will be here for a good +2 before I leave this morning.

Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293

Hi guys ... how exciting for the blue night! Glad to hear you are back to your regular shot time as well ... now let's see what boo can do today .. have a great day guys!
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293

Morning Carla, I don't think I've visited your condo before, so hello, and you deserve a big pat on the back. I just got caught up on yesterday's condo, and you did great with Boo. I liked your comment about a dream team helping you, and so true. What would we do without the wonderful, helpful experts on LL? Jill says not to call them experts, but I can't think of a better word! Are you working today? I hope you are a ~O) ~O) ~O) drinker. Have a wonderful day.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293

Hi Peter and Ann! Yes, I'm not sure what Boo and I would have done without this resource. I'm trying to learn all I can so I won't wear our Dream Team out every night. Boo has been stubborn with bouncy numbers, but I'm hoping that will level out soon.

I hope both of you are having a great morning! And, yes.... ~O) INDEED!

xoxo
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293

Funny story: Last night/this morning (approaching Boo's +9) one of my other cats, Moses, (who I have to admit isn't the sharpest tool in the box) woke me up by pawwing my arm with vigor. She (yes, Moses is a she... long story) was meowing and needing me to WAKE UP. Well, in my bleary headed sleepiness, the first thought I had was that Moses had somehow become some sort of brilliant diabetic alarm dog-cat and that she was trying to tell me Boo was in trouble with her BP. Turns out the little poop was just hungry. :-x She and my other civvie, Paulie Walnuts, have had to get use to a lot with the new feeding schedule and food. I didn't hold it against her.... but I got tickled when I jumped to such an outrageous conclusion. Boo was sleeping dreamily next to my bed and Moses was running to her bowl. :lol:

xo
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307

Good morning Carla! Looks like you had another exciting night last night! Hope you get some rest today!
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313

No rest for the wicked, Melissa! Off to work! :smile:

Will be back to test at lunch.
xoxox
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313

Natalia & Enana said:
~O) ~O) ~O) You did great last night. She is bouncing from those blues :-D

Have a great day!
Click to expand...

She's been so all over the place that I didn't even consider a yellow box a bounce! ;-) She has so much pink and even a few reds on her SS.... yellow and low pinks are oddly comforting to me at this stage.

xo
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313

Hi Carla:

I love your comment about the Dream Team; any time you have Jill, Libby, and Sienne on your condo, you definitely have the Dream Team!!! They are all amazing.

So now that we're past it and everything was lovely, I just want to caution you about shooting dropping numbers. Last night, Boo was high enough and there were plenty of people around to make sure you could keep her safe. I felt it was a chance for you to build some confidence in your ability to control her with food (was keeping my fingers crossed that she would respond and she did). But shooting dropping numbers is typically only done by beans who have a lot of data and know their cat really well. You were at the lowest number with the biggest drop that I would have felt ok about you shooting. I had my reservations but we want to let you make the decisions knowing we are here to back you up and help you out. While wanting you to learn to make those decision, if I had thought you were risking her safety, I would have most definitely recommended you stall. I think you did a really, really great job last night and I do think it showed how you and Boo could work together on this!! Great progress!!

Anyway, keep that in your back pocket, for the time being to not shoot any number with a bigger drop than that and definitely do not shoot it if it is a lower, dropping number. At least not until you have tons of data.

A couple other quick things that I didn't see until later last night because of cross posting:

1. I know I recommended you get up and get one more test and later I saw that Jill had told you to do the +5, put down some food, and get some rest. I'm glad you followed her advice and not mine. Like I said last night, I tend to be overcautious about testing because Gracie's numbers turn on me. I had one night that her PMPS was 360, +4 147, +6 179, +8 147, +10 88, and +11 42!!! While she typically doesn't drop like that on me during the night, it is not uncommon for her to come back down but I know her trends and what to watch for like Boo licking the sofa! :lol: :lol:

2. Mike made spaghetti by my secret recipe. It was yummy and we use soy protein instead of meat. He is also a southern boy...from Kentucky!!

Have a great day. I am so happy for you and Boo....I am so glad you found us. And BTW....I think Boo is absolutely adorable!! I love her markings.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313

Marj, thank you, as always, for taking time to write that.

Here is my concern.

There will be VERY few times when I have time to stall.

I know this is asking the impossible probably, but this is what I need in an ideal world. I need a plan that will allow me to safely shoot my cat and not monitor round the clock. I will always have +1 and +2 (if I don't stall). On many occasions, but not every day, I will have a +6 available. Then I will have to get a PMPS and shoot without monitoring again until +4.5 or after.... and then I HAVE TO SLEEP sometime too. And EAT. I cannot stay up every night until her +6 or after to test and still function in life.

I KNOW my life is not ideal for caring for a FD. I love my cat so much it hurts my stomach and my heart to think I would ever harm her in any way. But I have to keep living. This schedule above does not allow for grocery shopping, checking on my parents, dinner out, weekend trip to check on my sick sister in law, going to Walmart to get more test strips or cat food! It allows NO wiggle room and that is not going to work. I love my cat... but I also love my aging parents and the rest of my family.

I have to figure out a way to safely take care of Boo and continue to live.

Is that an unrealistic expectation? If so, I need to be making some decisions.
Thank you for considering my concerns. All opinions, public or private, welcome.

xo
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313 (life question)

(((Carla))): you have so very much on your plate and caring for a FD cat is not easy in many cases. You have to take care of yourself first; that is the priority and being stressed all of the time over all of this and not getting any sleep is not taking care of you.

I think the best thing is for Jill, Libby, or Sienne to work with you on a dose you can shoot that keeps Boo a little higher but still gives her some insulin. IMHO, the TR protocol is going to be really difficult for you and that's ok!!! We can still help. They have much experience with similar situations that beans have and they can offer you suggestions. I really think that's the best course of action. I am in awe of all of those who do this alone...they are tops in my book and that includes you.

So let's get them involved to help with the dosing. How does that sound? It's worth a try to see how she does before you have to consider other options.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313 (life question)

Thank you, Marjorie. I think that would be a splendid place to start.

Your kindness and acceptance continually touch my heart. Thank you for all your help.
xo
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313 (life question)

What about ordering her food online (ie. PetFoodDirect.com , for instance)? I'm currently switching Blackie to Evo 95% Chicken & Turkey, and it's a bit cheaper for us to order it online from them than to drive 50 miles 1 way to get it. If anything, it may save you a trip to the store, depending on where you live and where the store is located. And/or it may free up some time for the other things in your life. Plus, they have the Autoship option, too. It's a thought. :)
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313 (life question)

Carla: you're welcome!!! Every single one of us truly cares about all the cats and beans in FDMB...

Angela has a great suggestion and I'm sure others will come along with good ideas, too. I've sent Jill a pm to see what she can come up with.

Have a great day. I have to get to work...YIKES!! Will check in late today to see how your PMPS is.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313 (life question)

Angela & Blackie & 8 Others said:
What about ordering her food online (ie. PetFoodDirect.com , for instance)? I'm currently switching Blackie to Evo 95% Chicken & Turkey, and it's a bit cheaper for us to order it online from them than to drive 50 miles 1 way to get it. If anything, it may save you a trip to the store, depending on where you live and where the store is located. And/or it may free up some time for the other things in your life. Plus, they have the Autoship option, too. It's a thought. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you, Angela... Fortunately, I do have a wonderful pet store very close to my house (like 2 blocks away) and I can get almost everything I need there. I was more making the point that with the schedule I have right now (working 14/15 hours a day and living alone), I don't have time to go to Target to buy toilet paper and toothpaste... much less the hours and hours that proper protocol demands for constant home testing.

Boo is transitioning nicely to FF and that is available almost everywhere, so I'm lucky.

Thank you for taking time to respond. I'm really trying to work this all out. :smile:
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313 (life question)

carla, i think as you get more data and learn more how boo reacts to insulin and food, some of the issues you are anticipating will disappear.

for example, punkin has turned out to be fairly flat in his numbers. he's got acro (a tumor on his pituitary gland that causes a need for increasing amounts of insulin), so while that changes the overall picture i don't think that changes the fact that he doesn't have any swooping. i can tell if he's going to drop by the +2 or +3 number.

i'm home most of the time, but if i weren't and i were in your shoes (my parents both recently passed, btw) i would check the +2 and if i had to leave and the number was similar to the preshot (flat) or rising, i'd probably either use a timed feeder or put out catsickles and go ahead and go to work. there are other people doing this without help who also work many hours - and there's at least one that has a drama queen quick dropper kitty.

if i saw the number was dropping, i'd leave a catsickle made of higher carb food and some low-carb mixed in.

you have to take care of yourself. for the first couple of months (we joined here in feb) i woke up every morning wondering if punkin was still alive. that doesn't even cross my mind now. you need to sleep at night and you need to take care of the other things in your life. as you get more confident, you'll see that it's completely possible.

have you ever heard the quote about the 10 troubles marching at you down the road? i'll see if i can find it for you - maybe you'll like it too. hmmm, i must not have it exactly right because it's not popping up on google. basically it's that when you see 10 troubles marching down the road towards you, 9 of them will go off the road before they get to you.

it helps me to remember to only deal with what i have to today - because i'm very much a pre-emptive worrier. why wait to worry if you can worry now!?! :lol: anyway, my point is that i think once you have more experience and more data you will have more confidence about how to take care of boo.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

Julie, how sweet and lovely of you. Thank you for your message. I am looking at something totally foreign to me. It helps to hear from people who have been through it, in it, and are making it work. Much appreciated.

xo
Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

Carla,

I know it all seems very overwhelming for you right now. Believe me. I thought that I would never have a life again after the diagnosis. However, there are a lot of things you can do that will make things more manageable. Julie gave you a great great list.

It will get easier once you learn Boo and know how her BG reacts. Some are fast droppers. Some aren't. I can't be around to test during the day. You will learn some little tips or tricks that will make you feel more comfortable.

We free feed because the automatic feeders scare the carp out of him. I leave a full can of FF out before I leave for work and that has to last the two of them during the day. (Turnup, my female civvie, eats like a bird so Tarragon probably eats 3/4 of that at least.) However, if Tarragon test lower at AMPS, I will leave a MC or HC snack out for him as well. Julie mentioned catsicles and those are great too, especially if you will be gone for more than 8 - 9 hours.

Also, I always add a considerable amount of water to their food, almost 1/2 and 1/2. Tarragon has a history of UTIs and this makes sure he gets water. It also helps him think he is full and he doesn't eat as much so he doesn't gain too much weight. He has not had a UTI since I started doing that and won't eat his food without it swimming in water anymore.

Once you know Boo's nadir and what each hour usually brings, you can kind of predict where Boo will be headed when you test. This can help you in deciding what to feed, when, and how much. MC and HC food will come in handy when you know you can't be there or when you really have to get sleep. You have to take care of yourself first.

I know it is a lot to take in and seems like all you do right now, but it will get better. The unknown is always scarier than the known.

Hang in there! You are doing great! (((((HUGS)))))
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

Thank you, Melissa. One of the things that is KILLING me is how miserable Boo acts and looks. She has always been the fat, grumpy queen of the house. Now she hides and cowers and sleeps with her eyes open in a weird stare. She' s losing weight and doesn't groom herself anymore but won't sit for me to brush her (which used to be her favorite thing). She growls and cries and has strange behavior, and i know she can't help it. I feel like I'm jumping through hoops and still she has an unhappy quality of life. It's eating me alive. (Lost 12 pounds in 8 days as of this morning).

I'm so torn. Every day I just want it to be over so we can both stop hurting. It shreds my insides to see her so unhappy. I'm unhappy too.

Thank you for your encouragement. I need talking off the ledge quite often these days, it seems.

Carla
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

She has lost 12 pounds in 8 days?? Loosing weight that fast in cats might bring Feline Hepatic Lipidosis.

When was the last time you took her to the Vet?
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

Natalia & Enana said:
She has lost 12 pounds in 8 days?? Loosing weight that fast in cats might bring Feline Hepatic Lipidosis.

When was the last time you took her to the Vet?
Click to expand...

Nope.. that would be ME who has lost 12 pounds in 8 days. I certainly have it to lose, mind you, but this is a very unpleasant way to do it. Boo has dropped 3.5 in a month... which is a lot, I think.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

That is how Tarragon was when he was diagnosed. He had went from 13 pounds to 7 pounds in a couple of months. He was really skittish and hiding all the time. His fur was oily and he had a ton of dandruff. He's black so it was really obvious. He just registered HI when he was first tested. It will get better. I promise. I know it doesn't feel like it but everything you are doing will make a difference in the long run. They don't become diabetic overnight and their bodies have gotten used to the higher numbers. It will just take awhile for Boo to get used to being back down again.

No worries. We have all been on that ledge with one foot dangling more than once since we have been here. I have been talked down many times and will again, I'm sure. I am just thankful that I found this group. My friends and co-workers start to glaze over when I talk about Tarragon and have no idea why I am doing what I am. It's just a cat for goodness sakes! :shock:
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

Ohhhh...Well, that's not good for you either! Same thing happened to me :? {{hug}}

Was Boo overweight pre-diabetes?
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

Yes. She's always been a big girl. She had the 3+ pounds to lose too, but I hate that they came off this quickly and this way. She weighs just under 10 pounds now. (she was fat).
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

what melissa said is so true - boo didn't get this way overnight and it won't turn around overnight - BUT, it will turn around and the Boo you used to know will return. Roisin and Fax have just gone through this in the past month - others too. Someone told me early on that it's a marathon, not a sprint - and I repeat that to myself regularly. Boo will turn around, be confident of that. all the data-gathering you are doing IS helping her, even if it doesn't seem like it yet. it really is.

we've all been in your spot! and in a little while you'll be able to reassure someone new as well. really. give it one month and see where you are then - i think you'll be surprised!

btw, the greasy hair/non grooming - i bought some pet wipes at the pet store and they've made all the difference. when punkin look greasy i pull them out. when his hair looks better i feel better because i think he's doing better! :lol: go figure, but it works! i think re-starting to groom themselves seems like the last thing to improve.
 
Re: 6/29 Boo AMPS 293,+1 307,+2 313,+6 162

((((((Carla)))))

It will get better and the old Boo will return, I promise. I know when I first adopted Maxwell, I wanted so much for him to be my big cuddly boy, I wanted to take all his suffering away and make him happy, to erase the sad look in his eyes. And even though he went OTJ fairly quickly for me, I still remember it took months before he would purr or make biscuits. But oh the joy of thatfirst night that he leapt up on my pillow, doing his happy feet dance and purring loudly. Now he still isn't a real cuddly cat, he's just to regal for all that fawning over a human... :lol: But he tells me over and over again that he loves me. Its in the little kisses he gives, in the way he jealously guards my pillow at night (never sleeps on the pillows during the day, but don't let another cat try...It's HIS). And whie I've had him less time than most of the rest of the fur gang, he and I have a much deeper and different bond now. We are partners and equals not owner and pet. You and Boo will get there, it just takes time, patience and resolve.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
I'm about to shoot a skinny dose, but I'm going to have to step away from the Board tonight, sweet people. I'm not holding up well under the pressure of it all... not the board... the pressure of the testing and the monitoring and the disease itself.

Thank you for being so sweet to me today. I will check back in tomorrow.
xo
Carla
 
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