? Advice 01/03 Molly AMPS 146

Adrienne & Molly (GA)

Adrienne & Molly (GA)

Member Since 2019
Is there any full time people who work? I'm getting stressed and not sleeping. Worrying about Molly. What's the safe point where. I don't have to come home to test at lunch? or get up in the middle of the night to see if she's ok?
 
Hi. I’m not familiar with your cat and can’t go back to read your other condos. It’s best to link them for that reason. Looking at your ss you have tons of data. I used to use my +4-5 test at night to determine when to call it a night. You could also leave a little food out. For the days are you using an auto feeder? There’s a sticky on how to work and do TR. I was fortunate that I wasn’t working and quite frankly would have been scared too if I was. Read that condo fee r more ideas. :bighug:
 
Hi Adrienne, Could you please modify your title to include the date/ cat name / AMPS ### and then your question. It will help us keep all the condos organized by date, etc.

I know @Bellasmom works full time and manages Bella with his FD. Also, @Sarah and Blaze has a full time job - there may be others...perhaps others will chime in.

I work full time, but work from home - so I have to set timers all day to remind me to test - otherwise I'd get caught up in work and wouldn't remember to test her.

Many people will try to get a 1+ before leaving for work and as many tests at night or weekends as humanly possible.

Do you have an auto-feeder?
 
Sorry to hear all this, bella and I do TR and this is my schedule
1. Get up at 4.30am
2. Test and feed
3. Shoot at 4:45, if his amps is low is always get a +1
4. I also do a +2 right before I leave and then I leave food down according to his number
Hope this helps
I also go to bed early because I get up so early
My work schedule is 7:30 to 4pm
 
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/01-03-molly-amps-146.223783/
I have already created a thread this morning. Link is attached above sorry about the two threads but I just looking for advice. Where I'm burning out! I have a auto feeder.
My schedule is alarm goes off at 5:45am
Test Molly and feed
Depending on BG If she is low I test again at +1
leave food out for her, I test at lunch +6
My work schedule is 8-5pm
 
Adrienne & Molly said:
Is there any full time people who work? I'm getting stressed and not sleeping. Worrying about Molly. What's the safe point where. I don't have to come home to test at lunch? or get up in the middle of the night to see if she's ok?
Click to expand...
Hi Adrienne!
I work full time and follow TR also. My schedule is:
Wake up at 5:30am, test, feed, shoot. On work days, I always get a +1 test to see if I need to leave MC or HC for Blaze. I have the Petsafe 5 auto feeder and I ALWAYS put LC snacks in the auto feeder for +3, +6 and +8 or +9 for the day time cycle and night time cycle. If his morning +1 BG is lower than normal, I will put some MC on top of his low carb snacks and spread them out so he gets 4 or 5 small snacks, instead of his normal 3 snacks. If I have enough time on my lunch, and I’m worried about his BG, I will go home on my lunch. But I don’t always have enough time to go home on my lunch due to living about 25 minutes from work, so it’s not an option for me to go home on lunch every day. I work until 5pm so I’m usually not home until PMPS, some days I’m not able to get any extra testing during the day besides AMPS, +1 and PMPS. It is what it is, there’s nothing I can do about it since I work.

As for the evenings, I do PMPS at 5:30pm, feed and shoot. I don’t usually get an evening +1 unless he’s low at PMPS. Most times I will get a +2 or +3 and decide then whether I’m going to test anymore or go to bed. I’m not able to stay up late on work nights, even 10:30pm is pushing it for me when I have to be up early for work. So if he’s low around the time I’m getting ready for bed, I will do the same as if he’s low during the day, I put either MC or HC food on top of his LC snacks in the auto feeder and split it up into 4-5 snacks to be available throughout the night also. I won’t go to bed if he’s near 50 or lower, until he’s in safer numbers though, sometimes that happens. But I will get him up into safe numbers and leave the Mc or Hc snacks in the auto feeder and head to bed. I have a hard time setting alarms and actually waking up in the middle of the night to test, I usually turn the alarm
off in my sleep:facepalm: so I rely on that auto feeder and always get a before bed test.
 
Hi Adrienne

I work full time and have an hour commute to and from the city in the morning and evening. I use an auto feeder as well. I'm still trying to find the right dose for Freckles, so haven't had to worry about her going low. I have a place in the city that I have made arrangements to leave her during the day if the need arises (no one is there during the day, but at least I can run over during my lunch and check if need be).

My schedule looks like this:
Wake up at 4:45 am
Do outside chores until 5:15
5:45 am- test, feed, shoot
6:00 am leave for work (I carpool and if need be I can stay at home another hour and drive by myself into the city)
5:30pm - return home
I use the weekends to catch up on my sleep, plus I'm learning how to have a 30 min power nap (I'm terrible at napping but I'm trying! lol)

I'm getting the Freestyle Libre attached to Freckles on January 10 during her dental appointment. This should give me more data to work with.

Is there a dependable significant other, friend(s), relative(s), neighbor(s) that you can train on testing to help you out if need be? Looking at techniques such as meditation, yoga, breathing, mindfulness may also be helpful?
 
Sarah and Blaze said:
Hi Adrienne!
I work full time and follow TR also. My schedule is:
Wake up at 5:30am, test, feed, shoot. On work days, I always get a +1 test to see if I need to leave MC or HC for Blaze. I have the Petsafe 5 auto feeder and I ALWAYS put LC snacks in the auto feeder for +3, +6 and +8 or +9 for the day time cycle and night time cycle. If his morning +1 BG is lower than normal, I will put some MC on top of his low carb snacks and spread them out so he gets 4 or 5 small snacks, instead of his normal 3 snacks. If I have enough time on my lunch, and I’m worried about his BG, I will go home on my lunch. But I don’t always have enough time to go home on my lunch due to living about 25 minutes from work, so it’s not an option for me to go home on lunch every day. I work until 5pm so I’m usually not home until PMPS, some days I’m not able to get any extra testing during the day besides AMPS, +1 and PMPS. It is what it is, there’s nothing I can do about it since I work.

As for the evenings, I do PMPS at 5:30pm, feed and shoot. I don’t usually get an evening +1 unless he’s low at PMPS. Most times I will get a +2 or +3 and decide then whether I’m going to test anymore or go to bed. I’m not able to stay up late on work nights, even 10:30pm is pushing it for me when I have to be up early for work. So if he’s low around the time I’m getting ready for bed, I will do the same as if he’s low during the day, I put either MC or HC food on top of his LC snacks in the auto feeder and split it up into 4-5 snacks to be available throughout the night also. I won’t go to bed if he’s near 50 or lower, until he’s in safer numbers though, sometimes that happens. But I will get him up into safe numbers and leave the Mc or Hc snacks in the auto feeder and head to bed. I have a hard time setting alarms and actually waking up in the middle of the night to test, I usually turn the alarm
off in my sleep:facepalm: so I rely on that auto feeder and always get a before bed test.
Click to expand...

I have a auto feeder but it's just two dishes. I suppose I could put her LC snacks in the other one. I find sometimes when I go home for lunch. She's not hungry and she won't eat her food til med afternoon. But today at lunch time she ate. I work 11 min drive outside of the city. But the highway can be slippery in the winter time. It takes more time to get home and back to work. Like for today she's good and I really didn't need to go home for lunch. I'm trying to not worry so much about her.

I'm the same in the evening I test Molly at +3 and I go to bed. I do leave food out for her just LC. But if I happen to get up in the night. I know she's low because she meets me at the bedroom door. But I'd like to have a night where I can sleep. Not having to get up and test. I may have to put some HC mixed in with her LC.

Thank you Sarah for responding it's a big help. To know that there is Mom's out there, who work and take care of a diabetic cat. It can be stressful!
 
This is the kind of autofeeder I have. The timer can be set for up to 10 feeding times.

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Judy and Freckles said:
Hi Adrienne

I work full time and have an hour commute to and from the city in the morning and evening. I use an auto feeder as well. I'm still trying to find the right dose for Freckles, so haven't had to worry about her going low. I have a place in the city that I have made arrangements to leave her during the day if the need arises (no one is there during the day, but at least I can run over during my lunch and check if need be).

My schedule looks like this:
Wake up at 4:45 am
Do outside chores until 5:15
5:45 am- test, feed, shoot
6:00 am leave for work (I carpool and if need be I can stay at home another hour and drive by myself into the city)
5:30pm - return home
I use the weekends to catch up on my sleep, plus I'm learning how to have a 30 min power nap (I'm terrible at napping but I'm trying! lol)

I'm getting the Freestyle Libre attached to Freckles on January 10 during her dental appointment. This should give me more data to work with.

Is there a dependable significant other, friend(s), relative(s), neighbor(s) that you can train on testing to help you out if need be? Looking at techniques such as meditation, yoga, breathing, mindfulness may also be helpful?
Click to expand...

You can have the Freestyle libre attached to a cat?
I have no one to or wants to be trained to help out. My husband is scared to and our family lives on the other side of the country. My friends don't want to learn. I am on a cancellation list for a lady. Who is willing to watch Molly if there is an opening.

I'm actually looking into yoga to work with my schedule :).
Thank you Judy for responding
 
Yes - My DH wasn't too excited to learn either. He has learned to test, but has not given the insulin yet. However, after the other night when DH hit a vein when testing and there was literally a blood spatter scene everywhere in the bathroom, I'm not sure he'll be jumping up and down for joy when I ask him to test again (lol). (It took me almost 2 hours to stop the bleed!). I think it is perfectly normal to be scared to do this but knowing that everyone has the best intentions in mind helps. I've also reminded DH that there have been LOTS of times when I didn't want to do something for him but in the end I did. (There is always the possibility of DH, kids or myself getting diabetes then there is no choice of opting out - that's another conversation I had with DH).

There is more and more information available about attaching the Freestyle Libre to a cat. My vet has never done it, but is willing to give it a try. Here is a link to some information that @Crista & Ming gave me.
 
Judy and Freckles said:
Yes - My DH wasn't too excited to learn either. He has learned to test, but has not given the insulin yet. However, after the other night when DH hit a vein when testing and there was literally a blood spatter scene everywhere in the bathroom, I'm not sure he'll be jumping up and down for joy when I ask him to test again (lol). (It took me almost 2 hours to stop the bleed!). I think it is perfectly normal to be scared to do this but knowing that everyone has the best intentions in mind helps. I've also reminded DH that there have been LOTS of times when I didn't want to do something for him but in the end I did. (There is always the possibility of DH, kids or myself getting diabetes then there is no choice of opting out - that's another conversation I had with DH).

There is more and more information available about attaching the Freestyle Libre to a cat. My vet has never done it, but is willing to give it a try. Here is a link to some information that @Crista & Ming gave me.
Click to expand...

Perfect something to think about thanks for the link :)
 
My DH was not helpful in the beginning and did not want to learn to test or give insulin either but I broke down one day because I needed help. I was so overwhelmed and stressed. I told him that there were going to be times where I would be out of town or get home after 5:30 and I NEEDED him to learn. And he did. I can go to the gym after work now and know that he can handle the pm routine of test, feed, shoot. I’ve gone out of town a couple times and have left him in charge. I have to lower the dose because he won’t commit to testing as often as I do, but at least he can handle amps, feed, shot and PMPS, feed and shot. It’s such a relief knowing that I can rely on him. I also found a a pet sitter who learned who to test and give insulin, so if we are both out of town, I can have her come to our house too.
 
Adrienne & Molly said:
I have a auto feeder but it's just two dishes. I suppose I could put her LC snacks in the other one. I find sometimes when I go home for lunch. She's not hungry and she won't eat her food til med afternoon. But today at lunch time she ate. I work 11 min drive outside of the city. But the highway can be slippery in the winter time. It takes more time to get home and back to work. Like for today she's good and I really didn't need to go home for lunch. I'm trying to not worry so much about her.

I'm the same in the evening I test Molly at +3 and I go to bed. I do leave food out for her just LC. But if I happen to get up in the night. I know she's low because she meets me at the bedroom door. But I'd like to have a night where I can sleep. Not having to get up and test. I may have to put some HC mixed in with her LC.

Thank you Sarah for responding it's a big help. To know that there is Mom's out there, who work and take care of a diabetic cat. It can be stressful!
Click to expand...
Yes you are not alone! There’s lots of us full time working diabetic cat mama’s! We do our best to keep our kitties healthy and safe, you can do it! And I’m always here for you to chat or ask questions!

Also, if you look at my SS, I have been off for for two weeks for the holidays so there are a lot more tests on there than I’m normally able to get. I go back to work Monday so it will be less testing during the work week for me.
 
Let me know if you have questions about the Libre!

I hope one day DH will be open to learning how to help you with Molly. My mom was also very against testing Ming even though she was an RN! Our vet then was against testing so she felt I was going against doctor's orders. I had many crying arguments with her and I knew deep inside her heart, she knew that testing and feeding multiple meals a day was the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, it took a really bad bout of DKA and pancreatitis and confirmation by another vet and IM specialist that testing at home was the right thing to do. Now my mom is my saviour and hero. I COULD NOT do this without her and my sisters - I'm out of the house for 12 hours a day because I have 11 hour work days. My youngest sister learned to test Ming last year and she was only 15. She's still very scared to give insulin so I don't make her do it in case something goes wrong.

Anyway, maybe telling DH about how others got over their fears and other reasons for not testing/shooting might help him be more willing to learn. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

As for when I stop worrying about Ming dropping: it's really about gathering enough data and learning your cat's patterns. The only solution to this is data gathering and time. Sometimes I'm really confident with leaving Ming and going to sleep with a dropping number because I've learned from the data that he should be ok (of course... the inevitable surprise happens sometimes and I'm always glad I catch those lows).

But of course, you need to take care of yourself first. And if you feel like you can't function and need to sleep, you still have several options and solutions available to you to keep Molly safe while you're at work or resting. You could always give a higher carb food content, MC for example, and call it a night/day. Or you can shave a dose if you know you'll be gone for the entire cycle and don't feel safe. I'd try my best to avoid these but you have to do what you have to do.

Also I think I had this conversation with you already? I'm also in BC! Where in BC are you?
 
@Crista & Ming I hope I can convince DH to help me. It’s been over a year now that Molly has been diagnosed. But with the lower numbers lately it’s been good but stressful. DH knows I’m tired and stressed. He’s been helping out around the house.
He’s worried about me!
I’ve thought about leaving higher carb food. On the nights she’s lower. Just so I can get some sleep then I feel guilty,

There are days I just need to vent. Today was one of them. I love my Molly and would do anything for her, but I’m tired. I’m hoping the weekend I can get some extra sleep. I really appreciate everyone commenting today on this thread. Offering suggestions and understanding.

Yes I’m in BC in the northern part Fort ST. John. What part of B.C. you from?
 
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