9/28 - Harley - Curve Day

RobinHarley

RobinHarley

Member Since 2018
We had a rough month. Mom on life support, doing the best we could with 1 shot a day because we were never home except my once a day to shower and give him a shot and refill his free feed food at the time. Long story short... mom came off life support, and shortly after off the ventilator... and shortly after is home! <3

So back on track we go...

But I started a new job and my foreseeable future schedule is leaving the house at 7am, getting home at 5:30pm/6pm M-F. I have felt uncomfortable with this because I was unsure how to address upping/lowering insulin when I cannot spot test anymore and or get nadirs. Through help of some members they suggested just picking a day to do a curve and I go off the curve. So I am picking Saturdays as my curve days, so if I have to up a dose I have Sundays to watch him closely. I still have a concern though... if his nadir is above 145 today still... I don't want to up him to 4.25u only for the reason I know too much insulin can act like not enough and he has NEVER been on this much insulin. How do I know today he isn't recouping from a bounce and will have higher numbers? So I am giving him insulin for an inaccurate reaction... I'm just super worried I no longer get to spot test... I've been afraid the entire time he is on 4u that some of the days I come home his high 300s and even the couple 400s have been because he is bouncing. :(

Any other suggestions? No one else home to test him during the days... just me.

Anyway... curve day it is... :)
 
RobinHarley said:
I know too much insulin can act like not enough
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You know that's a myth, right? There is nothing in the literature about too much being not enough - not enough is not enough. IF the curve indicates that he's hitting nice low numbers during his cycle you can determine dosage based on those low numbers. If you work all day, you may want to set an alarm around his nadir and check (yes, I know...ugh) then to see how low he's going at night.

Check frequently tomorrow as well...the more tests you have, the better you'll be able to see how his dose is working. Try not to focus too much on AM/PM pre-shots as those are typically the highest of the day.

@Chris & China (GA) - I believe you might have some words of wisdom for Robin? Thank you!
 
Yes, setting an alarm at night is one solution! I do it almost every night. It's tough on your system though.
I was thinking, is there any way you could ask an experimented cat sitter to come once a day around +6 to test for you, just for one week (5 days) for a start?
 
Penelope and Mačka said:
Yes, setting an alarm at night is one solution! I do it almost every night. It's tough on your system though.
I was thinking, is there any way you could ask an experimented cat sitter to come once a day around +6 to test for you, just for one week (5 days) for a start?
Click to expand...

Something I could look into but we live in a very small town and I don't know if we would have anyone. But maybe people willing to learn.



So... below 90 is when you would reduce a dose? +4 he is 119, so I know I won't be upping a dose now, correct, even though it isn't at +6. I would be holding it until next curve day.

(just typing out the thoughts in my head - in case anyone sees an error)
 
Per SLGS that is true - in the beginning - for kitties and their beans that are new to this...however you have a good bit of data now and from what I can see it doesn't look like he's getting anywhere near 90 since the first of the month. If you're unable to test (due to being at work, and hence unable to feed the lowering blood glucose readings, then yes, that's the protocol for SLGS - however, you're home and with frequent tests, if you see him falling near that number you could add a tiny touch of MC to his LC - keep encouraging him to eat small meals and snacks to maintain the higher numbers. With SLGS - it's going to be pretty tough to get him into a 'green' since that's any number less than 100...and then you're going t push him right back up out of it. Which I would find terribly frustrating...just about the time he gets to the good range of 50-100 you're going to decrease his dose and cause the numbers to go higher again...so it's up to you about allowing his numbers to go down a bit lower and not to panic and decrease his dose but to find that you and he will be alright if his numbers start to be below 100...

You may want to consider TR for when you're home - more frequent feedings, no dry food...don't decrease unless he goes below 50 three times or one time below 40...you can go back to SLGS when you're not going to be home at all...you may want to re-read the protocols and find something that will do the two things: help him get his numbers down AND help you be comfortable with the better numbers - yes, those green numbers... :)
 
I had been directed in the past not to go back and forth that it would do more harm then picking one and staying with it. But I agree, it's frustrating to see him keep going back up. Also I've seen and had enough practice with lows now I feel comfortable in the 50s, I only start worrying when we get in the lower 40s and I don't see him coming up.

For now, until this time next year, my schedule will not change. So Saturday and Sundays will be my only days home and the week is 7am-6pm gone. I see for nadir today he went down to 90. My plan is to keep him at the 4u then. That he is doing okay on it. Also I will spot test well tomorrow and I will start setting an alarm for a bit at around +6 to test him in the evenings on and off through the weeks.

Thank you all for your continued support!
 
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