7/21 - Cleo - AMPS (198); +3(87); +6(112); +8(149); +10(188)

[Kathy-and-Cleo]

Yesterday's (7/20) Cleo Condo

Happy Caturday! I'm very happy that Cleo's AMPS is down below 200 today! Not under it by a whole lot (2 points), but still in the blues! I also am going to be able to do some pretty good monitoring of Cleo today and tomorrow, so hopefully we can get some more information on when she's actually hitting her nadirs and what level they are at.

I found Cleo in one of her old haunts this morning - the middle of the couch on her favorite red blanket. I don't know if that means she's feeling better or not, but it is sort of comforting to see some of her normal behaviors resurfacing.

 

[Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)]

Re: 7/21 - Cleo - AMPS (198)

I found Cleo in one of her old haunts this morning - the middle of the couch on her favorite red blanket. I don't know if that means she's feeling better or not, but it is sort of comforting to see some of her normal behaviors resurfacing.

Hi Kathy,
This is another one of those "whole cat report" things that are nice to see. I read in yesterday's condo that Cleo was having potassium "issues" and I can relate to that because Bob had a long struggle with low potassium. He did a lot of just laying around early on in the treatment. The way it was explained to me was that low potassium causes overall muscle weakness and fatigue and that's exactly what I saw with him. He needed supplements for weeks, and in his case, he also had dehydration issues, so the easy way to take care of both things was for the vet to add potassium to his sub-q fluids which I had to give him dozens of times over the course of a couple of months.
Bob did a lot of "ground floor" living for weeks. I can remember the day that I first saw him manage to jump up on the sofa, and for me it was a landmark event. As his levels came up to "normal", it was evident in his activity level. His favorite place to be was up on the bed, and we had an antique cast iron bed frame that was abnormally high off the floor. He was OTJ and still getting potassium supplements by the time he conquered that hurdle, but that was the day I knew for sure that he was "better". That was also when he started paying "fetch" again, which he hadn't done for months.
When you see Cleo doing "old" things she hasn't done since she was diagnosed, take that as a really positive thing. And always include those things in your WCR. It's the little things you notice that are a big deal, and tell you as much (if not more) than the meter readings do.
Glad to see Cleo is doing so well lately!
Carl

 

[Kathy-and-Cleo]

Re: 7/21 - Cleo - AMPS (198); +3(87); +6(112); +8(149); +10(

Hi Carl,

Thanks for the kind words and very happy to hear Bob did recover and get back to his "old self", even if it did take longer than one would like!

Cleo seems to have had a happy day, mostly laying in front of me on my desk and "helping" me use the mouse (by shoving her head into my mouse hand).

Her numbers looked good to me today throughout the AM cycle. I'm wondering since she still seems to be coming down each day if I should stay at 1U for a few more days before jumping into an increase? Especially since her nadirs are already down in the mid-double digits. I will monitor her early cycle a little closer tomorrow, since it seems like she hits nadir early rather than late.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Re: 7/21 - Cleo - AMPS (198); +3(87); +6(112); +8(149); +10(

Her numbers looked good to me today throughout the AM cycle. I'm wondering since she still seems to be coming down each day if I should stay at 1U for a few more days before jumping into an increase? Especially since her nadirs are already down in the mid-double digits. I will monitor her early cycle a little closer tomorrow, since it seems like she hits nadir early rather than late.

I agree -- Cleo had a lovely cycle today. Actually, Cleo's nadirs are in the upper greens -- the lowest was an 80. You have room to increase.

The Tight Regulation Protocol is aggressive in that its goal is to get your cat into a normal BG range as quickly as possible. The sooner your cat gets into normal BG numbers, the better the chances are for remission. The trade off with holding the dose is that your cat's body adjust to being in higher ranges and it's harder to get the numbers down and there's a greater likelihood of bouncing. It's entirely your call as to whether to hold the dose or increase. If you're thinking about increasing, you can do so at any time. You've held the dose for sufficient time.

With regard to nadir, I don't disagree with your observation. Just be aware that nadir isn't a fixed point -- it can change.