8/9 Jimmy chewing up and spitting out dosecreases (not literally)

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Susan G & Jimmy G

Susan G & Jimmy G

Member Since 2017
Jimmy. Jimmy. Jimmy. Please take kindly to one of these doses!

Looks like I can use those original syringes I had marked with big and clear 5U, 10U, etc. No fine dosing here. Remaining calm and patient. Remaining calm and patient. :banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
Your chart is depressing. Sorry. Cmon Jimmy! Yum is doing well but I too try to focus on being calm and patient. Patience patience patience. Darn diabetes.
 
Unfortunately, high dose kitties will do that to you. Everything is sailing along nicely, then they speed up and make a course change. Nothing to do but chase after their insulin needs as fast as you safely can. You WILL reign him in again.:bighug:
 
MJW said:
Your chart is depressing. Sorry. Cmon Jimmy! Yum is doing well but I too try to focus on being calm and patient. Patience patience patience. Darn diabetes.
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I know right? Little bugger is taking me on an emotional roller coaster ride.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Unfortunately, high dose kitties will do that to you. Everything is sailing along nicely, then they speed up and make a course change. Nothing to do but chase after their insulin needs as fast as you safely can. You WILL reign him in again.:bighug:
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Thanks Wendy! Three days is painfully a long time when I know after cycle 3 he's not responding...don't suppose there's some secret fast track/exceptions to increase with high dose kitties other than the TR 6 cycles?
 
:bighug::bighug::bighug:It is so difficult to see those colors on a SS. Work the juice please Jimmy!
 
LizzieInTexas said:
I think that is one of the hardest parts. Many of times I have sat at my desk and cried. Quietly and privately. Try and remember Jimmy is more than his numbers. How is he feeling?

Just hugs :bighug::bighug:
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Thank you - yes. He sure is. He is actually quite well overall (some constipation issues that we're working on) but he is himself - hanging out on the sundeck. He's become quite affectionate since starting this journey - he's particularly affectionate during testing times. Lots of head bumps. We've had a few birds fly in the past few weeks - and I've never seen him move so fast...lol so that bit of exercise helps. I play with him everyday - but he's not the jump up and catch kinda kitty - more like the I'll lay here and swat at it...but it all counts. Thank you for your kind words - and GO YUM! What success he is having! Way to go!
 
Yum is just SO STUCK. But she is regulated. We are very lucky. I have nothing to cry about, but...the morning number starts the roller coaster every day.
 
There is a fast track for kitties who have never seen blue. At least Jimmy has seen good numbers in the past and now you are just playing catch up.
 
Bronx's dad said:
Don't feel so bad, at one point I had to buy 50u syringes.
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I've been following Bronx's journey - he's doing pretty good. How did you decide to start the R? Did you ask vet or did they suggest it? Are you pleased with how the SRT went? I'm working on trying to find a vet who will help with the MSU tests....so far it looks like I'll just be getting blood drawn somewhere and I'll be responsible for getting it to them. I am trying one more place/clinic to see if they can ship the blood.
 
Susan G & Jimmy G said:
How did you decide to start the R? Did you ask vet or did they suggest it? Are you pleased with how the SRT went? .
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Started R thanks to this board. After hearing about it here, I did ask my 2nd vet (1st one gave up after we hit 3u of Lantus) and he was ok with it and also familiar with Acromegly and even knew about the TR protocol. There are some pros here who guided me in the beginning on using R. We were stuck in flat high numbers forever and Lantus/Lev needs a low # to "grab onto", which R allowed. Just have to be careful using it, can cause bad bounces and just a little can be too much.

I did try the trial drug Cabergoline before doing the SRT, it actually may have started working towards the end, Marvin on here is doing great on it and went into remission! Besides the 6 cats on the official trial in the UK, there are a few here in the US trying it, one kitty on the Acro FB page said her cat went from 110u Lev to 70u after Cabergoline. There can be side effects on Cabergoline, it is a drug that was designed to end a pregnancy in a cat or dog and was designed to administer only once.

So far I am a little disappointed with the results from the SRT but they said it can take 4-6 months to see results, we are in month 3. However, Bronx is at half the amount of insulin he was pre-SRT, but he was showing good signs even before the treatments, and I attribute that progress to the Cabergoline. Colorado State University is supposedly the best place to get the SRT, I had it done in NJ. There is also a treatment called Cyberknife which is more precise than SRT, but also more expensive. And in UK the RVC is the best place for the surgery to remove the tumor. Wendy had SRT done twice on Neko since the tumor can grow back. Here is Leo's story of SRT, Jeff did a great job on updates: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/leo-leoberry-the-high-doser.163717/. There can be side effects with SRT.

Wendy is the best person to answer any questions about Acromegly, SRT, treatments, pain medications, etc...
 
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Susan G & Jimmy G said:
I'm working on trying to find a vet who will help with the MSU tests....so far it looks like I'll just be getting blood drawn somewhere and I'll be responsible for getting it to them. I am trying one more place/clinic to see if they can ship the blood.
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You need the IGF-1 test and Insulin Autoantibody done from MSU. Because there are specific instructions for the preparation and shipping you would not be able to do this yourself even if you obtained a blood sample. ANY vet should be able to do the draw, preparation and shipping since outside labs are required for many different tests.

You should have your vet or the techincians contact MSU for full details. I have never heard of a vet clinic that could not ship samples to an outside lab :eek:

https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Misc/Contact_Us.php

Here are the shipping options:

https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Shipping/


ETA When I requested these two tests (from Canada) I talked to my vet about them and because she was not familiar with the process she called them and got the specific instructions from MSU
 
Tuxedo Mom said:
You need the IGF-1 test and Insulin Autoantibody done from MSU. Because there are specific instructions for the preparation and shipping you would not be able to do this yourself even if you obtained a blood sample. ANY vet should be able to do the draw, preparation and shipping since outside labs are required for many different tests.

You should have your vet or the techincians contact MSU for full details. I have never heard of a vet clinic that could not ship samples to an outside lab :eek:

https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Misc/Contact_Us.php

Here are the shipping options:

https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Shipping/


ETA When I requested these two tests (from Canada) I talked to my vet about them and because she was not familiar with the process she called them and got the specific instructions from MSU
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Thanks Mary Ann. I spoke to MSU and they said I could mail them directly with the sample...I have the insulated materials needed and the vet has the viles/tubes they require. Basically doing it this way will have the results coming back directly to me and not the vet. Which is fine as I continue to seek out a vet with high dose experience. I have a call in to Tufts Vet outside of Boston and am waiting to hear back.
 
If you think you want to start R, we suggest that you set a "date" with one of the experienced users on this board, and they will "sit" with you the first couple of times you use it. As Paul said, it's equally important to know when not to use R as when to use it.

Good luck finding a vet knowing about acromegaly. Mine didn't, but she was willing to work with me at learn and I was OK with that. Not even sure she knew about SRT. But Neko's acupuncture vet (different clinic) had had a few patients go to either CSU or private clinic in Alberta for SRT for cancer treatments.

SRT can take up to 2 years to see complete results. Actually even a little more than that. The radiation neuters the tumour cells, so it's not a fast process. Having had SRT, Neko got down to tiny doses and fairly regulated. I was happy with that until the tumour came back. That can happen in humans and when I asked around, Dr. Lunn at NCSU said she'd heard of just one other cat that happened to. Also check out Polly's SS. It's been not quite 3 years since she had SRT and she's on and off insulin with just tiny amounts when she's on.

Only hypophysectomy (surginal removal) really solves the problem - but it's available in a few places and you do want it done by an experienced vet surgeon.The medical treatments (cabergoline and paseriotide) are newer. The latter was really expensive when I looked into pricing two years ago. 5 years ago when Neko was diagnosed, there was only one option - SRT. There had been a lot of progress made in that time.
 
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