Re: 8/18 Josie AMPS 394
Good morning, Angela!! So glad you've decided to join us over in Lantus Land!! You'll find the folks here are like a family and the collective knowledge is a godsend in helping folks manage diabetes treatment for their furkids without needing to over-rely on vets. I think the most amazing thing about this forum is that it truly equips you with all the information you need to be the best possible advocate for Josie's care... sessions that you do have with the vet can become conversations rather than mere "we know everything, you must do what we tell you to do" sessions. On top of that, until you feel knowledgeable (and even after!), you'll have an almost 24 hour support network to help you make the best decisions for Josie in terms of her insulin needs.
I know several of us have mentioned the Relion meter. It sounds like cost is a major issue for you, and other than the vet bills, the test strips are, at this point, your major expense. You mentioned that you prefer not to shop online, so the Relion strips are going to be the best bang for your buck, and the meter is only $9. What is the vet charging you for test strips now? I'm guessing it comes out to somewhere between $1.00 and $1.20 per strip. The Relion strips are $20 for a 50 pack, or you can also get a 20 or 25 pack (don't remember which) for $12, which, for the 50 pack comes out to $0.40/strip.
I know how much of a difference that can make, because 8 months ago, I was in your shoes with a vet telling me that the AT was the only option for testing Willie. She was wrong, and your vet is too. To put it in perspective, for each Relion strip that you use instead of an Alphatrak one, you could buy a large 14 oz can of Special Kitty wet food, which would almost feed all of your cats for a day! Plus, if you are hometesting every day and you learn how to follow the protocol here, you'll be drastically cutting back your veterinary costs as well. You've already found the Lantus pens and the Walmart syringes as an option (and without having to plunk down huge sums for AT strips and vet visits, you can get the big box!). I'm assuming you got the box of 5 pens already... when you are ready to refill later this year, you should call around to both Costco and the outpatient pharmacies at your local hospitals... many of us have been able to purchase lantus pens one at a time, which doesn't save money but does allow us to spread the cost of the lantus out over several months.
I recommend printing out all of the stickies and putting them in a folder or binder. There is so much important information there, but as you've learned, it is a LOT to absorb. I found it was easier to have print outs so I could take my own notes on them, highlight, etc... when I needed a particular piece of information (like, "How to Shoot Low Numbers"), I didn't have to try to figure out which sticky I had seen the information in... it was right in front of me in my book. On the cover, I put the phone number and address of the closest emergency vet, so that if I ever had an an emergency, I wouldn't have to dig.
You should also create a kit for times when you have to deal with low numbers (and we all have been there!). Put in your box a bottle of light corn syrup or honey, some small cans of high carb wet food with gravy in it and some extra test strips. The dry food will raise numbers, but slowly... the corn syrup will work very fast, but will wear off just as quickly, whereas the high carb food will raise the numbers, but will generally be more effective at keeping them up.
Please continue to ask questions... you'll be amazed at how quickly you become a pro at all of this!!
