Frankie:3.22 PMPS 429

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: Frankie: +10 317 AMPS 298

Nope

Not yet.

I'm not going to be a very happy camper, if he is much higher then 317 at +12.

He clearly needed insulin at +10 (very late in the cycle, peaked maybe at +6, on his way up)



Miriam and Putty said:
Did you shoot at +10?
 
Re: Frankie: +10 317 AMPS 298

Hi Jay,
I saw the comments on your ss and do understand your frustration. But you did have pretty much of a 'flat curve' yesterday. Not much of a 'curve' at all on Saturday.( I know that you have a life and so do we all but if there isn't much to go by then it's hard to figure out what should be done next). Whether or not you were happy about the numbers is another thing, but it was flat. Frankie didn't fluctuate much all day.
People ARE trying to help you!. While I'm sure it's not impossible, it is very difficult to try to evaluate what little data you gather during the week and make educated decisions on whether or not a dosecrease is called for. And no one will advise you to do so because if something happened to Frankie and he 'tanked out', who would want that kind of responsibility? You just started Lantus a few weeks ago. There are some of us who have been on it for months(myself included), a year, more! who are still not where we would like to be , but haven't lost hope. You really should take the time to look at spreadsheets of other people(have you)? Look at my Alex's some time..there are days when I want to pull my hair out. Look at Kathy and Kitty. Kathy works all day too and believe me when I say that she has had as much angst as you, if not more and Kitty is now down to .5 U bid.(He started at 10Units)! If you want more ss's to look at let us know and I'm sure anyone would be happy to provide success stories for you to look at that started much the same as Frankie...if not a whole lot worse :) The point is, you're not alone and we all follow protocol and many many cats are regulated and even OTJ as you know! Frankie's PS this morning was pretty nice. Unfortunately you won't know what happens from there. if he goes into the 100's, it would be irresponsible for one of us to suggest an increase even if his preshot is pink.

You really need to be patient. If you want to keep using Lantus and benefit from the wonderful insulin that it is, then keep reading the protocol. You should NOT shoot at +10 because you feel that is when Frankie clearly needs his shot. This is Lantus and that's not the protocol ( which by definition means the plan for carrying out a scientific study and I know you know this). Doing it ones own way has been proven time and again to backfire on those who have tried...that's why people are advising you not to do that.

I saw that my last cat's vet(The owner of Feline Health in Manhattan, the 2nd oldest cat's only hospital in NYC) is a fan of FDMB on Facebook and I wrote him a note telling him that I have a diabetic now and what he wrote back to me is : "Hi, Caryl. Glad to hear all is well with you. So you have a diabetic cat now. That has become a much more prevalent disease in cats over the past 10 years. I've actually had very good success at stabilizing and in a fair proportion of cats reversing diabetes on Lantus insulin."

I know other people have told you this ad nauseum, so just add me to the list. You have to go slow with Lantus , but in time you'll have Frankie at a place where you won't feel so anguished.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it :razz:
 
Re: Frankie: +10 317 AMPS 298

Hi

My comments are borne out of my total frustration as you may be able to tell.

Whatever data I have collected only shows one trend, that its "all over the place".

We are at 2.5 per and I wont be able to doing anything (raise or hold) till the weekend. We'll see. If his numbers start stabilizing and I can see some sort of pattern then I can make more intelligent decisions.

Right now, my gut tells me that I'm underdosing him, maybe by 1/2 unit give or take.

We are staying the course.

I'm on a quest for the Holy Grail of a dose, so that we can get on "cruise control ,(test/feed/shoot and forget, not having to worry that he will tank out) which will keep Frankie out of harms way, lower his sugar and allow me, to have some sort of life again, other then work and testing him every 2 hours.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm expecting too much.

JayI
Caryl and Alex said:
Hi Jay,
I saw the comments on your ss and do understand your frustration. But you did have pretty much of a 'flat curve' yesterday. Not much of a 'curve' at all on Saturday.( I know that you have a life and so do we all but if there isn't much to go by then it's hard to figure out what should be done next). Whether or not you were happy about the numbers is another thing, but it was flat. Frankie didn't fluctuate much all day.
People ARE trying to help you!. While I'm sure it's not impossible, it is very difficult to try to evaluate what little data you gather during the week and make educated decisions on whether or not a dosecrease is called for. And no one will advise you to do so because if something happened to Frankie and he 'tanked out', who would want that kind of responsibility? You just started Lantus a few weeks ago. There are some of us who have been on it for months(myself included), a year, more! who are still not where we would like to be , but haven't lost hope. You really should take the time to look at spreadsheets of other people(have you)? Look at my Alex's some time..there are days when I want to pull my hair out. Look at Kathy and Kitty. Kathy works all day too and believe me when I say that she has had as much angst as you, if not more and Kitty is now down to .5 U bid.(He started at 10Units)! If you want more ss's to look at let us know and I'm sure anyone would be happy to provide success stories for you to look at that started much the same as Frankie...if not a whole lot worse :) The point is, you're not alone and we all follow protocol and many many cats are regulated and even OTJ as you know! Frankie's PS this morning was pretty nice. Unfortunately you won't know what happens from there. if he goes into the 100's, it would be irresponsible for one of us to suggest an increase even if his preshot is pink.

You really need to be patient. If you want to keep using Lantus and benefit from the wonderful insulin that it is, then keep reading the protocol. You should NOT shoot at +10 because you feel that is when Frankie clearly needs his shot. This is Lantus and that's not the protocol ( which by definition means the plan for carrying out a scientific study and I know you know this). Doing it ones own way has been proven time and again to backfire on those who have tried...that's why people are advising you not to do that.

I saw that my last cat's vet(The owner of Feline Health in Manhattan, the 2nd oldest cat's only hospital in NYC) is a fan of FDMB on Facebook and I wrote him a note telling him that I have a diabetic now and what he wrote back to me is : "Hi, Caryl. Glad to hear all is well with you. So you have a diabetic cat now. That has become a much more prevalent disease in cats over the past 10 years. I've actually had very good success at stabilizing and in a fair proportion of cats reversing diabetes on Lantus insulin."

I know other people have told you this ad nauseum, so just add me to the list. You have to go slow with Lantus , but in time you'll have Frankie at a place where you won't feel so anguished.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it :razz:
 
Re: Frankie: +10 317 AMPS 298

My comments are borne out of my total frustration as you may be able to tell.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm expecting too much.


Jay, you have heard this countless times, but it bears repeating yet again.

YES - you are expecting too much. You are expecting Lantus to work the same way PZI did and the reality is - these are two very different insulins, without different protocols and methods of working.

You need to relax and allow the Lantus to do what it is supposed to do, WITHOUT attempting to force it to do what you THINK it should do. If you follow what we are telling you and the Lantus protocol AND give it a fair chance, you will see that in time (NOT YOUR TIME TABLE), you will find what you are expecting and seeking - the right dose for Frankie and your ability to "have a life" too.

So, what does this mean? This means, that you need to stop fighting us, the Lantus and the protocol and instead, start listening and following the directions being given.

If you continue to change doses and shoot at off hours, NOBODY on this forum can safely advise you on what to do, how much to dose and when to dose. You have only been using Lantus since March 5 - that's only 18 days. And if you look at your ss, in these 18 days you went from 1 unit to 2.5 units - this includes skipped shots, cycles with absolutely no testing done, that it is hard to know what is truly working and what is not.

You are not giving the insulin time to work, you are not holding to one dose level and you seem to get upset (frustrated) when one BG test doesn't go the way you think it should go.

Yet, the one thing you are full of is complaints. We can only help you, if you allow us and IF you follow our advice. If you are unwilling to do that, then sadly nobody is going to feel comfortable telling you what dose to shoot, because there is too much concern that you could be endangering Frankie and nobody on this boards wants to feel responsible for that. I know I certainly don't.

We all get that you work long hours, you want a life and you want Frankie healthy, happy and regulated.

We all want the same thing. There are many, many people using Lantus who work long hours, are able to have a life AND still follow the protocol.

So it is really up to you. Are you willing to work with us - stop complaining, follow the protocol and dose at the time and amount we recommend?

I apologize if this comes across harsh or too strong, but I think this needed to be said.
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284

Hey 2 yellow PSs today. Maybe, he'll be blue at +6.
Sometimes a new dose will cause NDW (new dose wonkiness) for a few days. Sometimes a new dose takes 3 days to show what it's going to do. Maybe, you're getting closer :smile:
 
Re: Frankie: +10 317 AMPS 298

First let me say this..
To the rest who read this, yes I know this is nasty. I didnt ask her to reply to my post tonite, she did it unilaterally and it p--sed me off to no end. People like her think as do Condo Commandos that they can push everyone in their little world (here) around.
Again my apologies to all else who read this.

You offer Frankie and I nothing but negative comments, no advice, only that I can't do this and I cant do that, with a holier then though attitude loudly coming through, (as if your s--t doesnt stink as well) nor offer any alternative course of action in a civil way. There was absolutley no need for you to respond to my post which had very little to offer tonite other then his PS numbers. My ss comments are my thoughts at the time. If you get offended by them dont read them.

Why then did you reply tonite only to critisize me,still offering nothing.

Lets see, oh wait.

I know.. there are lots of people including me who thought this "sand box" was big enough for all to play in, unless of course you think you own the sand box and its your rules that govern the sandbox. It maybe news to you, and it may bust your bubble, BUT YOU NEITHER RULE OR OWN THIS SPACE, amd you might well consider to learn how get along with people in the sandbox.

I'm fighting for Frankie, and if I continue to do so, what are you going to do, kick me out of your sand box. Go for it, I dare ya.

Here's a really good idea. Why dont you block me, as I am about to block you, so you cant see my posts. Oh but wait, that would take all the joy out of this for you, wouldnt it.


To the rest who read this, yes I know this is nasty. I didnt ask her to reply to my post tonite, she did it unilaterally there was absoultely no cry for help on my end, I dont care how much experience she has, I have gotten along nicely without her criticism for the past 5 years and 52 before that, I can get along for the rest of my life without it was well


Hillary & Maui said:
My comments are borne out of my total frustration as you may be able to tell.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm expecting too much.


Jay, you have heard this countless times, but it bears repeating yet again.

YES - you are expecting too much. You are expecting Lantus to work the same way PZI did and the reality is - these are two very different insulins, without different protocols and methods of working.

You need to relax and allow the Lantus to do what it is supposed to do, WITHOUT attempting to force it to do what you THINK it should do. If you follow what we are telling you and the Lantus protocol AND give it a fair chance, you will see that in time (NOT YOUR TIME TABLE), you will find what you are expecting and seeking - the right dose for Frankie and your ability to "have a life" too.

So, what does this mean? This means, that you need to stop fighting us, the Lantus and the protocol and instead, start listening and following the directions being given.

If you continue to change doses and shoot at off hours, NOBODY on this forum can safely advise you on what to do, how much to dose and when to dose. You have only been using Lantus since March 5 - that's only 18 days. And if you look at your ss, in these 18 days you went from 1 unit to 2.5 units - this includes skipped shots, cycles with absolutely no testing done, that it is hard to know what is truly working and what is not.

You are not giving the insulin time to work, you are not holding to one dose level and you seem to get upset (frustrated) when one BG test doesn't go the way you think it should go.

Yet, the one thing you are full of is complaints. We can only help you, if you allow us and IF you follow our advice. If you are unwilling to do that, then sadly nobody is going to feel comfortable telling you what dose to shoot, because there is too much concern that you could be endangering Frankie and nobody on this boards wants to feel responsible for that. I know I certainly don't.

We all get that you work long hours, you want a life and you want Frankie healthy, happy and regulated.

We all want the same thing. There are many, many people using Lantus who work long hours, are able to have a life AND still follow the protocol.

So it is really up to you. Are you willing to work with us - stop complaining, follow the protocol and dose at the time and amount we recommend?

I apologize if this comes across harsh or too strong, but I think this needed to be said.
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284

maybe. :lol:

Dyana said:
Hey 2 yellow PSs today. Maybe, he'll be blue at +6.
Sometimes a new dose will cause NDW (new dose wonkiness) for a few days. Sometimes a new dose takes 3 days to show what it's going to do. Maybe, you're getting closer :smile:
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284

Hi

Yeah...patience...patience

Wasnt that a GunsN Roses tune?

Caryl and Alex said:
Numbers look good tonight, Jay. Just stay patient. They say it's a virtue (whoever 'they' are).... ;-)
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284 +3 221

Jay,
I hate numbers, and curves, and testing all the time. I can't see patterns and sometimes I am pretty frustrated too. Just take a peek at Shadoe's ss and you will see where I am sitting. I still try to stick with the protocol, making sure we don't jump around with the doses and taking into consideration the shed needing to fill or drain. I think sometimes the changes you make now may not be realized for quite some time, partially due to the effects on the shed.

OK what's important here? Frankie. How's Frankie doing? If you allow it, you will drown in the numbers and lose sight of the most important thing here, and that's Frankie.

How has the change affected Frankie? Eating habits? Litter box habits, drinking more or less, etc. How is Frankie at testing time, likes them or not?

Like I said, the numbers really suck sometimes, but try to focus more on Frankie and you may find that even with the crappy numbers, Frankie's doing better.

And that's what's most important: Frankie.
So hang in there, Jay. It's darkest just before the dawn. One day it's all crap and then Frankie will turn the corner and you will start to see big improvements, when Frankie's ready.
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284 +3 221

it has been 7 cycles on this dose, you can increase to 2.75 whenever you are ready.

Since I know you prefer to wait to increase on weekends when you can watch the cycles, may I suggest that you increase on Thursday (morning or evening) or maybe Friday morning? Most cats go higher the first day after a dose increase, so by increasing on Thursday you would get that effect out of the way and hopefully be seeing the good numbers on Saturday and Sunday. Plus if there aren't good numbers on the weekend, you can fit another increase in on Sunday so you're squeezing in two dose increases per week instead of just one.
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284

Jay said:
Hi

Yeah...patience...patience

Wasnt that a GunsN Roses tune?

Caryl and Alex said:
Numbers look good tonight, Jay. Just stay patient. They say it's a virtue (whoever 'they' are).... ;-)


That's not the 'they' I meant but yes, as a matter of fact it was, and I LOVE that song!
"All we need is just a little patience"...

Do you own that CD? You and Frankie can sing the song together :lol:

What Gayle said..at this point unless Frankie is in danger, what matters is that he's happy and purring and that all his P's are in order. It's too early for his numbers to mean all that much. What is it that everyone says to me when I start getting over wrought? Look at the big picture! You'll get the consistency you want but (here comes another cliche), Rome wasn't built in a day, right?
If you think about the numbers too much you'll drive yourself crazy @-) and that defeats the purpose of all of what you're doing to help your kitty, right? Frankie needs you healthy too :razz:
 
Re: Frankie:3.22 AMPS 298 PMPS 284 +3 221

Good morning.

We all crashed out very early last nite.

Both of them are both lovingly annoying.

The only thing thats changed that I have noticed is how they both eat. Its not the insuln it could be that they are both getting older and their appetites have changed. Their litter is still being tracked all over my apt and looks exactly like it did a few months ago (wait, I change it weekly and scoop it daily, dont get the wrong idea here) Drinking water has slightly increased, as its is a function of him being high, and Chubby eating less wet and more Evo (I have had to get something into him). everything else is status quo.

I try not to focus on numbers either and try to keep them both as healthy (gvien Frnakies condition) as I can. I hate testing with a passion, he doesnt seem to mind (why should he, he knows he's going tro get fed right after) I have ruined more pairs of slacks from his claws when he is on my lap with his ear in my hand that I could open up a "slightly damaged mens slacks" dept at Macy's.

Its the constant testing that gets me totally focused on his numbers. The anticipation of what his next number looks like in another two hours. Is he dropping or rising or hanging out at a number, looking for patterns., We all know that drill.

When I switched, I was informed that I base his dose on his nadiir, as opposed to pre-shots as that is the protocol. That in turn gets me into testing mode looking for his nadir, which sometimes is looking for a needle in a haystack, which then begats more testing, which leads to more frustration, Compound that with some here who's advice is lacking of advice just heaping on admonishments to an already stressed brain. My own.

Just as you I am trying to keep as close as I can to the "protocol", but I wont jump off the Bklyn bridge on blind faith alone and the belief in someone's advice. The advice could be wrong, no one here is an expert, and ecid, If thats the case, they wont have to clean up the mess that I allowed to be created by listening, and they can hide behind their monitors, leaving me to deal with a not so pretty picture.

I am very happy that I have been able to keep him around an addtional 5 years after his diagnosis, and hopefully we can for another 5 years.


Gayle and Shadoe said:
Jay,
I hate numbers, and curves, and testing all the time. I can't see patterns and sometimes I am pretty frustrated too. Just take a peek at Shadoe's ss and you will see where I am sitting. I still try to stick with the protocol, making sure we don't jump around with the doses and taking into consideration the shed needing to fill or drain. I think sometimes the changes you make now may not be realized for quite some time, partially due to the effects on the shed.

OK what's important here? Frankie. How's Frankie doing? If you allow it, you will drown in the numbers and lose sight of the most important thing here, and that's Frankie.

How has the change affected Frankie? Eating habits? Litter box habits, drinking more or less, etc. How is Frankie at testing time, likes them or not?

Like I said, the numbers really suck sometimes, but try to focus more on Frankie and you may find that even with the crappy numbers, Frankie's doing better.

And that's what's most important: Frankie.
So hang in there, Jay. It's darkest just before the dawn. One day it's all crap and then Frankie will turn the corner and you will start to see big improvements, when Frankie's ready.
 
Jay--stop all the blah blah and start to really follow the program--No one here sets out to fight with you, but I was on with you the day you came, & told you the same things as now--Patience and consistancy there,Buddy!!! It's what works for 40,000 cats or however many cats have passed thru here..
You just got Libby's advice for a dose increase to 2.75--So let's take it slow & see what this dose can do--OK???
There are much more successes than failures here--Just needs time & trial & error--
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top