Celle Update

[Melissa and Celle]

Hey, I kind of miss you all over here since I've been posting on relaxed Lantus lately.

Celle was doing really well, but not so much lately. Any insight into what has been going on would be appreciated. Was I right to reduce when I did? Am I right to go back up, or might I need to reduce more?

You'll probably also notice that the sitter situation isn't working so well for me. I gather though I'm lucky to have a sitter at all. Having to come home from my parents (3.5 hours away) on Christmas day was a real downer.

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

Yeah, it sucks when you have to build your life around the 12/12 schedule - or anything close to 12/12. Why wasn't the sitter able to give the shot? I take it you were not planning on coming home on the 25th, but did because she didn't get her shot? That's too bad.

I think that I would not have dropped from 3.5 to 3.25 and then 3u the way you did. I would have held 3.5 a bit longer because of all the factors with skipped shots etc. I also think the step from 3.25 to 3 was too soon, so going back to 3.25 is good. You might need to go back to 3.5u in order to regain the decent numbers.

On the days when she drops to around 50-60 does she eat less? Is she more active? Maybe she actually needs a skinny 3.5u - something in the 3.35u-3.4u range. I would think that small changes like that from that big a dose wouldn't make any difference, but I have no experience in that range.

 

[Melissa and Celle]

Why wasn't the sitter able to give the shot? I take it you were not planning on coming home on the 25th, but did because she didn't get her shot? That's too bad.

Right, I was really not planning a 4-hour drive on Christmas to come home. The sitter said that Celle got in a big fight with one of the other cats when he tried to eat out of her dish. I've never seen this happen, and I really don't understand why this would have happened if they were all given their own dish of wet food. Then she said she waited an hour for Celle to calm down but still could not approach her. It doesn't make any sense to me, but unless I wire the house with cameras, I'll never know what happens when I'm gone.

I think that I would not have dropped from 3.5 to 3.25 and then 3u the way you did. I would have held 3.5 a bit longer because of all the factors with skipped shots etc. I also think the step from 3.25 to 3 was too soon, so going back to 3.25 is good. You might need to go back to 3.5u in order to regain the decent numbers.

I got worried about the 49s especially, and an 88 pre-shot really freaked me out. But should I have not been so worried? What WOULD be enough to reduce the dose? I agree that in hindsight it looks like that was a mistake, but I do also worry that I didn't reduce fast enough and she's bouncing. I guess that's not so likely. I didn't see any bouncing to 400s when the numbers were so great. It's hard to believe she's dropping even lower now from what her +3 values have been.

On the days when she drops to around 50-60 does she eat less? Is she more active? Maybe she actually needs a skinny 3.5u - something in the 3.35u-3.4u range. I would think that small changes like that from that big a dose wouldn't make any difference, but I have no experience in that range.

Well, one things that has occurred to me is that these great numbers happened when I was home from work all week. So, while she seemed the same to me, I assume her schedule is rather different than when I'm not home at all. She's probably more active when I'm around because there's a certain amount of following me around. Then again, weekends aren't uniformly great, so who knows?

I can't tell how much she eats because of the other cats. One thing I'm curious about is the idea that if she feels her blood sugar going low, then she'll eat. Sometimes these low numbers were right after I had woken her up from a nap, so I'm afraid this trigger doesn't really work for her.

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

I guess you either trust the sitter or you don't. Not sure what reason she would have to make things up, Have you gone away before? Maybe Celle just doesn't like strangers.

I hear you on the low numbers and the low PSs. You do have to do what you are comfortable with. I would only shoot a low PS if I had data telling me it would be ok. But except for those numbers below 60ish she was having good number over the whole cycle. Since you don't want to be aiming for, or knowingly allowing, numbers below about 75-80 (IMO) just backing off a hair might work. It looks like a whole .25u reduction is too much.

Maybe she is more stressed when you are not there? Could the other cats bully her when you are gone? I think that Jeddie is doing a lot better, anxiety-wise, since I have been home all the time. If I ever get another 9-5 job outside the home he will have some adjusting to do. That's one of the reasons I want to make this freelance gig "work" - meaning "get more jobs to work on". I like staying home and having my own schedule, but it also makes dealing with the cats so much less worrisome.

 

[Melissa and Celle]

Maybe she is more stressed when you are not there? Could the other cats bully her when you are gone? I think that Jeddie is doing a lot better, anxiety-wise, since I have been home all the time.

That's a good thought. Celle is bullied a bit. It doesn't seem so significant when we're around, but we can always just defuse the situation so easily. When we're not here, it may be a lot different.

Thanks for the advice Sheila.