8/17CairoPMPS 184 +2/156

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Jeannie & Cairo

Jeannie & Cairo

Member Since 2014
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=123652

My alarm didn't go off last night for a +8 ... AND, the second alarm didn't go off to wake me up this morning. That's what I get for trying to set alarms when I'm dead dog tired! Fortunately, I woke up on my own early enough this morning. Cairo seems very happy this morning. She gobbled down her food quickly and, as usual, looks like she wants more. Thanks for all the warm welcomes and for being on call last night. Are you guys ready for my questions? :razz:
 
Re: Cairo AMBG 147

Morning, Jeannie,

That's a very nice number this morning :smile:
Was that before or after Cairo's breakfast?
(And I'm presuming she's not had insulin this morning...?)

Eliz
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

I tested (got the 147), then brought her food in and gave her an insulin shot while she was eating. So, the 147 was on an empty tummy.
 
Re: Cairo AMBG 147

Okey dokey...

That's quite a low preshot number. Are you OK for monitoring Cairo today (I know you got to bed late last night... I-) )

(And I'm sure there will soon be lots of Lantus folks online soon to answer your questions! ;-) )

Eliz
 
Re: Cairo AMBG 147

Just had a thought, Jeannie,

You may want to edit your subject line so it says Cairo AMPS 147 (instead of AMBG (ie, so it says 'morning preshot number', rather than 'morning blood glucose level' (indicating no insulin given yet)) just so folks can see that you have given the insulin shot. (Sorry, we have a lot of jargon here... :roll: )
Your post will attract more attention that way.

You're doing great!

Eliz
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

I'm here to LEARN Eliz! I'll change it. I'm ok monitoring her today. Tomorrow will be tricky (back to work...yuck!) So, is there anything I should be doing differently so she doesn't have such a low pre shot number?
 
Re: Cairo AMBG 147

That preshot may be fine, Jeannie.
But Cairo is new to insulin so we don't yet know how she'll respond to it. I'm sure her response today will tell us a lot.

There are some very experienced Lantus folks on this forum (I'm not one of them; I'm a PZI user just keeping an eye here until Lantus Land wakes up!), and they will be able to help you with dosage. :smile:

Eliz
 
Re: Cairo AMBG 147

Elizabeth and Bertie said:
You may want to edit your subject line so it says Cairo AMPS 147 (instead of AMBG (ie, so it says 'morning preshot number', rather than 'morning blood glucose level' (indicating no insulin given yet)) just so folks can see that you have given the insulin shot. (Sorry, we have a lot of jargon here... ) Your post will attract more attention that way.
Click to expand...

I was just going to suggest the same thing :)


Jeannie

One other "house keeping" item....we set a link to the previous day's condo in the new day's condo, so people have easy access to go back and look at any issues or concerns that may have happened the previous day. Since each condo has a link the previous day, someone could go back to your first post if needed and read EVERYTHING so they are well versed. Here is your condo from yesterday:

Cairo's Condo from 08/16

I will try to describe how to do this as best I can
1. go to your previous day condo and cut and paste the http link from the address line
2. paste into your new day's condo
3. highlight the web link and then click on URL button across the top, below the subject line
4. to name the condo something other than the web address go to the first and change the second ] (which will...in between the ] from the web address and the put whatever you want to name the condo....

Here is
[ url=http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=123652] Cairo Condo from 08/16[/url] I purposely put a space at the beginning of so that the coding would show.... ...w button to see if it worked.... an example:
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

I am fairly new myself, but I might recommend getting a +1 (even though it may be influenced with a food spike) as well as a +2 just to see....

As Cairo is new to Lantus it might be nice to get a few extra tests in just to see how she is reacting to it...
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

Ahhhh, I see! Well, I think if WE are up, then it's time for THEM to get up too! :lol: ...I do appreciate the company, support and peace of mind that someone is out there in case I have an emergency. Thanks!
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

As for the other's being up when we are....

While I have don't have any kids, I have learned that like with newborns, you get your sleep when you can.....whenever I get a permission slip from Skooter to sleep, I try to take :)
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

Hi Jeannie, what a great start for Cairo today. Since this is only her second day, you'll really need to monitor her a lot today. Do you have MC,HC and Karo handy JIC? Today is a great opportunity to gather data on how she reacts to the insulin. Please just update your subject line and Cairo's ss so we can quickly see if you need help.
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190)

That +1 is a food spike and it does happen a lot, but with the lower pre shot you got, it can still provide some valuable info....

Now your +2 is the best version of a crystal ball you will get....remember that if the +2 is lower than the pre shot, you may be in for a more active cycle, but as Laura said, since Cairo is new to Lantus, this is a great day to collect data :)

I am sure someone more experienced will be on shortly who can explain the depot portion of Lantus and how that plays into everything....
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190)

Hi. I haven't had time to look at yesterday's condo but did see the ss. Just a suggestion but when you get a low +6 it's a good idea to check one more time in another hour to make sure Cairo is still not heading down. The Nadir, lowest point, isn't always at the same time. It can be +5-+7 and rarely a little before or after. If Cairo were still heading down you would not want to go to bed until you are sure she has hit nadir when she has a green number. That is because if Cairo were to go below 50 you would want to feed and test until in the 60's to keep kitty safe. Sorry I haven't had a chance to see if a boy or girl.

I saw you were about to get a +1 which is great and get a +2 as well. If the +1 is lower than the amps or the same, then it might be a more active cycle again like last night. If the +2 is coming down again it might be an active cycle. Don't be shocked if the numbers start to rise which would be a reaction to the green number last night.

Another thing to add to your ss is the dose of lantus you are giving each day. I'm going to have a look at yesterday's condo now.
 
Re: Cairo AMPS 147

JeannieB said:
So, is there anything I should be doing differently so she doesn't have such a low pre shot number?
Click to expand...
Actually, low PS are a gift as they're perfect opportunities to keep your kitty in good healing numbers. You want to make sure to not feed 2 hours before your shot (unless of course kitty is low during this window and needs food to keep the numbers up) so as not to have the PS influenced by food. Typically for newbies with very little data on their kitty, it's recommended that you post for advice before shooting if the PS is below 200 (or sometimes I've seen 150 mentioned).

Jeannie, Have you seen the sticky on handling low numbers?

ETA: For easy reference, here's the link Handling Low Numbers and an excerpt from the sticky:

If your cat is testing in low numbers and you are not getting a quick response to your post, there are several things you need to do. (Low numbers are under 50mg/dL or 2.8 mmol/L.)

Depending on how carbohydrate sensitive your cat is, feed approximately a teaspoon or less of gravy from high carb food or high carb food only.
(If you have a cat with GI issues, using a couple of drops of syrup plus low carb food is an alternative.)
Test again in 15 – 20 min. Depending on the numbers, give more HC food.
Repeat the above steps every 15 – 20 min. until your cat tests in the 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) or above range for 2 consecutive tests. Continue to feed in small amounts to keep numbers in a safe range.
Test in 30 - 40 min. and repeat the test and feed process until there are 2 consecutive tests where numbers are stable or rising.
Test in an hour and follow the same steps.

DO NOT become complacent. If number have risen after one or two tests, it’s important to continue testing. Numbers may bobble up and down as the HC food and/or Karo wear off. DO NOT get one test where your cat has risen from low numbers into the 50s and go to sleep or leave the house. You are putting your cat in a risky situation. When in doubt, leave HC food out.

In the case of an accidental overdose or should there be symptoms of hypoglycemia, even if you have caught this in the early stages, you may need to monitor for literally 16 or more hours. Lantus and Levemir are long acting types of insulin. This means if your cat is over dose, you will need to stay alert for hours in order to closely monitor and to keep your cat safe.
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190)

Hi Jeannie. I'm caught up now. I copied the shooting low numbers sticky and have it right by my computer. It came in handy the first time Max dropped under 40 in the middle of the night with nobody awake on line to advise me.

When I saw your ss I thought you had been giving lantus for awhile. The condo informed me that it was your second day. That is why it's good to put the units given on the ss and link the condos. Cairo is responding really well and you are doing great as a caregiver!!

Elise
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190)

Wow! ...feeling overwhelmed! @-) This list is for me more than anything...kind of like my "To Do" and "recap of the conversation" list.

1) I will print a copy of the shooting low numbers handout tomorrow (at work) and keep it with me at all times!
2) Today (8/17) is the 2nd day of giving .5 units of Lantus . I thought I made a purple line (with notes) indicating that, so I'll go back and edit that if I did it wrong.
3) I also thought I "did" indicate units given but I'll go back and check that as well.
4) I'm currently working on linking the previous days "condo". I think I did it but I'm still struggling on how to change the name of it. If anyone can see it in my original post, let me know so I can stop stressing over that.
5) I do keep a "low numbers" emergency kit near where I test and feed.
6) I did try to test last night at a +8 (that was my intent anyway) but my alarm didn't go off and I slept through it.
7) MrZ posted asking if I had MC (I don't know what that is) HC (high carb. content food--yes, I have this) and Karo (yes, I have this)
8) My plan is to test each hour today for gathering effective data, however, during the week I can only test at +1.5, and +7 (I'm home at that point for the rest of the evening so I can test again at +8, etc. but there will almost always be a jump from +1.5 to +7 (I just can not get away from work except during my lunch).
9) For Molly, I was just joking about getting other people up since WE were up (haha). I realize that everyone here is from around the world and in different time zones (I'll keep my stupid jokes to a minimum :smile:

Thanks for everyone's support and for teaching me. I love to learn and I want the absolute BEST for my girl! Keep throwing ideas, do's/don't's, suggestions, and any other helpful info out there for me!
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190)

Oh I knew you were joking, but seriously get your sleep when you can :)

The link worked.....you do not need to rename it if you don't want to, but if you want to I can try and help you with that, just let me know :)
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190)

Welcome, Jeannie.

I can understand why you're feeling overwhelmed. There's a huge amount to absorb at the beginning of this journey, In addition, each of us does things a bit differently and everyone is sharing their experience. What you're getting a sense of is one of the important aspect of treating FD -- every cat is different (ECID). What may work for my kitty won't necessarily be the best approach for Cairo.

Keep in mind that the Shooting Low sticky has a couple of parts. One section addresses how to become data ready to deal with low numbers. The other sections of the sticky deal with shooting low pre-shot numbers and how to manage your kitty's numbers if they drop below 50.

MC = medium carb food. LC = below 10%, HC = above 15% so medium is in between. To be honest, I don't use MC food. My cat is sensitive to the gluten in HC food so I steer her numbers with Karo. Alternatively, if you vary the proportion of the gravy from HC food with a small amount of LC, you can come up with MC. It won't be as exact if you have cans of MC food in the house, though.

FWIW, I encourage people who are new to LL (Lantus Land) to get a +2 test. Your +1 usually reflects a food spike. Ordinarily, your +2 and pre-shot numbers are about the same. If the +2 is considerably lower, it suggests that you could have a "busy" cycle. What a typical cycle looks like is listed out in the New to the Group sticky. If your plan is to get a curve today, you don't need to test every hour. You are doing great if you test every 2 or 3 hours providing Cairo's numbers don't dictate otherwise. You're doing great with testing. I hope you're giving Cairo a treat every time you test.

Keep the questions coming!
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

Don't stop with the dumb jokes!! We love dumb jokes here! The dumber the better!!

This disease is full of serious stuff...if you have something to share that might make someone giggle, share it!

Doing great today...and your link to your prior condo is fine.

I wouldn't test every hour today...a typical curve is every 2 hours. If there's a reason to test more often, save the pokes for then. You're going to have plenty of opportunities to poke in the near future!!

Looks like today may be a more "normal" cycle for Cairo, with the caveat of her being so new, we really can't know for sure what "normal" is going to be for her.

Glad to see more of Lantus Land is waking up and welcoming you too!

MC is "Medium Carb"....LC is below 10%..Medium is usually 11-15% and HC is anything higher....You don't necessarily have to have separate MC food....if you mix a teaspoon of LC and a teaspoon of HC and you're going to get a MC
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

Thanks for translating all that Chris! I wholeheartedly agree about laughing once in a while, that's one of my coping mechanisms versus crying. I completely understand that this is a very serious disease. I'm not going to test Cairo again until 9:30 (which is a +4). Is there anything else I should be watching for today? As usual, she seems like she's starving (she can be very dramatic)! So, I'm going to give her snack a little earlier than usual today.
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

Hi again. Max was never one to demand food until he became diabetic. Now it seems I get a wake up call between 4-6 a.m. Especially if he is running high or low. He is relentless at that time when I can't feed him :lol: I confess sometimes I test and if high feed him a little 100% freeze dried chicken or turkey if I really need some sleep. We aren't supposed to feed within two hours if insulin so guard against shooting a low number artificially influenced by food. Once you have enough tests in you will know if that is safe for Cairo.
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

Nothing special to watch for. You're doing great so far!

If you want to spend the time (it's not at all necessary though) you could save a lot of lines on your spreadsheet to go back and put each day's results from when you weren't shooting on the same line, just like you're doing now, instead of having a separate line for AM and PM results (give you something to do besides watch Cairo sleep.....LOL)

Here's a little something I think you'll enjoy too...It's titled "Dear Mom"
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

Chris, I never saw that letter to mom before. Thanks for sharing it, so cute and so true!!
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

I love the "letter to mom" it was one of the first things I read when I joined this site.

Sienne mentioned to give Cairo a treat every time I test but here's my concerns with that.
1) If I have a treat she won't sit still or quit bugging me until I give it to her (she wants it BEFORE I test)!
2) If I give it to her before I test she tries to run around a look for more and won't sit still for the test
3) She sits very nicely as is without treats.
4) I always pet and love on her until she purrs before and after testing (which she LOVES) and I always kiss her test site. She currently doesn't have a problem with me testing that way.

I do have a quick question though about testing. She doesn't like me to test her right ear and she's fine with me testing her left ear but my concern is that her ear will build up scar tissue (or some medical term like that) since I'm testing it quite frequently. I CAN test her right ear but she fights me and it hasn't learned to bleed like the left one does. Can I just keep testing on the left or should I try and get her comfortable with the right as well?
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161),

China's a "left eared" kitty too..I can poke her right ear until the cows come home and not get enough blood so I only poke her left.

It's possible that if you keep trying on both, the other ear will "learn to bleed" too, but as long as you always put some pressure on the poke each time to make sure it stops bleeding, she should do just fine.

Also, a lot of us use Neosporin Ointment with pain relief. A little dab at night and the next morning you can hardly tell they've been poked!

If Cairo loves getting the extra love and kisses for her "treat", that's great! Whatever works for your special kitty is fine!
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161), +4 (115)

Yep! Got lots of room to drop before we'd worry about it

Mr. Greenie is pleased :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161), +4 (115)

I'm a little bit afraid to ask but... who the heck is Mr. Greenie (although, I AM glad he's pleased!) :razz:
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161), +4 (115)

Oh never mind! I "JUST" figured it out! Moving a little slow this morning!
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161), +4 (115)

I've been doing this sugar dance with Gabby for quite a few years. I've always tested on her right ear. Keep in mind, you can move along the outer edge of the ear so you're not always testing in exactly the same spot.

The issue with treats isn't so much that it's a food-type treat. There have been some kitties who love to be brushed and that's their treat. You want testing to be associated with something positive. So if lots of pets and attention and kisses works for Cairo, you're good to go. Gabby is very food motivated so treats work for her.
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161), +4 (115)

Ok, thanks Sienne! Others have posted the same thing about making sure I give her a treat so that was a bit confusing. It makes more sense about making it a positive experience verses a traumatic one. I watched a you tube video where a lady had to sit behind her cat and pin him/her down. There was lots of growling, hissing, scratching and lots of emotions running wild. I almost cried. I felt very bad for the cat to have to experience that multiple times (or even ONCE) a day :cry:
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147. +1(190), +2 (161), +4 (115), +6 (15

We are 152 at +6. I feel like these are really good numbers. I know it's really early but could this be a positive sign?
 
Re: 8/17 Cairo AMPS 147 +1/190, +2/161, +4/115, +6/152, +8/1

Hi again. Just checking in to see how you are doing and the answer is GREAT! Yep, surfing nicely.
 
Re: 8/17CairoAMPS 147+1/190,+2/161,+4/115,+6/152,+8/149,+10/

Thanks so much for checking in on me. I just did the PMPS and she was 184 (I can't fit it in the tag line though), I didn't know if I am supposed to start a new thread or just continue here. She seems happy and eating like a piggy cat. I do have 2 questions:

1) Probably a silly question but, is it ok if the insulin gets on my skin? When I squirt the air bubble out sometimes it gets on my skin. It has a very medicine-y smell and I just wanted to make sure that I'm not absorbing any of it. Or, if it matters at all. I do wash my hands before and after drawing it out.

2) How strict is the 12 hour rule? What I mean is, if I typically shoot at 5:30am/5:30pm could I shoot at, say, 5:25am or 5:35am (If I need to)? Obviously, I'm going to do everything in my power to shoot at the correct time but just curious how strict the timing has to be.
 
Re: 8/17CairoAMPS 147+1/190,+2/161,+4/115,+6/152,+8/149,+10/

You can delete out all your AM cycle stuff and start with your PM cycle stuff as you have a link to your spreadsheet. Some people will also do a message that is a "AM recap" so you can still see all the AM numbers...

I get it on my hands every so often...it smells like a bandaid to me....as for shooting, it is best to be within 15 minutes of the last shot.....If you look at Skooter's SS, sometimes he gets his shot at 0600 or 1800 and sometimes at 0615 or 1815...
 
Re: 8/17CairoPMPS 184

Pay attention to that smell! Occasionally you might give what we call a "furshot" ....when the shot doesn't quite get into the cat....One of the quick ways to know that might have happened is you can smell that awful smell!

We try to keep the dosing as consistent as possible, but a few minutes here and there aren't going to make a big difference. We do try to keep changes to less than 15 minutes per cycle though
 
Thanks, that's what I needed to know! So far the 3 shots I've given seem to have all gone in. It's such a small quantity, I think the only way I would know it didn't go in would be by the smell and maybe a little wet fur.

Her PMPS was 184 and her +2 was 156. I can probably check her one more time around 9 or 9:30 but I am a walking zombie right now and really need to get some sleep.

Tomorrow I go to the +1.5 in the morning then +7 schedule. We'll see what happens.
 
I think you'd best wait and see where she is at +3.5....that +2 is a lower number than her pre-shot

She may have other things in mind for you tonight....Like your first PJ party!
 
Just popping by to see how you're doing, Jeannie.
And, gosh, what lovely numbers on that SS!

I do hope Cairo lets you get some good sleep soon...

Eliz
 
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