Re: Hank AMPS 359- *?
I am going to have to change vets. (please see yesterday's post) We went to someone we had not been to in years. The vet we'd seen there in the past was not in so we saw someone new. She was very nice, but at that point he was rather sick, so we were more dealing with making sure he ate, getting his insulin started, etc.. Put him on 1U bid Lantus & said to come back for a curve in 7-10 days and I guessed it would then be with the former 'primary' I had not seen in 4 years.
People were mostly nice, did not go over everything, there's just so much. I was not clear on feeding relative to shots, what targets #'s to shoot for, rules re: when NOT to shoot, etc...she just impressed not to alter the dose. I'm still not clear on whether he was DKA. We had a tech go over shots and meters which took awhile. As I was waiting to check out, someone came and sat by me whispering something about the time of their normal appt. being 30 minutes, ...ours had gone long, hope we'd gotten our questions answered. They charged me for an extended plus a tech appt, plus 2 labs. I vaguely recalled this as by then we were in information overload with everything just starting out.
The next day, a receptionist called me with some info, and wasn't keen on my home testing wondering if the Dr. had said that was 'ok'? This is a very reputable clinic, but expensive. She said to listen to the Dr. not the internet.
i called that Saturday as I'd had some trouble w/ the shots and to ask a tech a question and to get a copy of our results from our visit they had forgotten to send.
On Sunday, as you may recall, we had our first PS low number and uncertainty about shooting. They were not open so sought guidance here and at after hours emergency clinic who said to be sure to let our regular vet know. We got busy & didn't call them back for a couple days, and things were ok.
This is a cat who is NOT regulated. I am on a total learning curve without a road map. we are learning as we go, from reading everything possible and all the advice and feedback here.
Yesterday, yet another low number..it is a business day so i call there..give the info. to whichever receptionist answered..she was going to check but Dr. was in a room..said she'd call back. I mention the time sensitivity if we were going to shoot. She calls back & says don't shoot, he could be bouncing back & gives a rule of thumb range per the Dr. I mention the numbers have been all over the place since we were there, this was just today's snapshot. i am charting etc..
She then calls back a 2nd time a little while later to correct what she had said saying the Dr. recalled our meters being 40-60 pts apart (mine higher) so raised the range to 100-200 don't shoot/ above 200 shoot, under 100 call them.
I mention that now that I am testing, i will probably wait but do my own curve here. Also tried to clarify whether to go to the original Dr. who'd seen Hank several times in the past (who is part time now) or proceed with this Dr. who fit us in. She said they'd check w/ the primary & maybe have her check chart and call me.
A little later, my phone rings again and an ofc. mngr called me to say there would be no more phone time, they were on the phone 1 1/2 hrs w/ me... and was rather curt. I clarified that I had only phoned in once when his counts were low for direction being totally new to this and having been told specifically not to alter the dose. The other 2 calls were initiated by them..she had called with response & instructions, then again to correct something she'd said earlier. But it was NOT 1 1/2 hrs!! I was so shocked by her tone and call. I explained that i didn't want to hurt him by doing the wrong thing. She thought I was expecting another call back. I told her that was not my understanding but that they wanted me to send in my numbers chart to look at..possibly the 'primary' might call once back in the office. She kept asking, are my question now answered, but not in a pleasant way. I stated the obvious, that we are new to this and I certainly didn't mean to intrude. Every days is different. She said to email in the future, and gave the email address to the staff. Again, very curt. I mentioned that the rules for when to shoot or not hadn't been discussed prior to today. They gave those & directed to call if under 100. She says...don't you have Karo?
It all rubbed me wrong. I don't think it is the Drs, but certain admin. people. Obviously the money managers are watching everything. i don't recall this from my earlier experiences there.
I moved on yesterday, but it left a bad taste. Today I got yet another call from another manager..this time the one who'd whispered in my ear the day we were there. I was so foggy that day w/ all going on I hadn't really thought much about her...it was a sour note on an otherwise ok experience.I sort of shrugged her off. At the end of the day, it's all about Hank for me.
Well, she calls to say that I phoned yesterday taking 2 1/2 hours of their time... NOW It's 2 1/2 hours! What? I'd just called once in the AM. i tried to correct explaining there is a discrepancy...OMG..I was so taken aback. She says they will not see Hank again or take calls from me. I literally was not allowed an opportunity to speak. It SIMPLY DIDN'T HAPPEN as she said..but she would not allow a reply and was off the phone.
I liked this earlier vet I'd gone to here...but I NEVER recall anything like this or feeling someone in the background watching. I remember not ever feeling they remembered us, buffering the vets by phone,being pricey, etc.. the vet I saw did call us at the end of the day a couple times as i recall in the past. I don't think it's the vets...and if this primary one I went to before knew, she would be aghast. But how could you get to her?
We are in a terrible quandary. Hank is NOT regulated. We are barely past our first week in. I don't really know what I am doing and every day brings a new turn. Someone said yesterday their auto mechanic gave better service than that when mentioning getting this call. You don't want to feel intrusive, but what do you do when you are uncertain about something w/the prescribed meds? it's so early in the game. We don't have it all figured out.
My thought was, once out of our emergency status last week, to try to get in w/ the other vet there until he was regulated for consistency,...figuring there were both good & bad up front pople there. I was certainly not feeling the warm welcome, but it could have just been this one receptionist. What must she have said? 2 1/2 hrs..are you kidding me? Caller ID says otherwise. they called me 3 times,(now 4) i called once.
I'd love to just be mad & say 'screw them'..but it is scary.
Now we are homeless at a really awful time. I don't want to take him around from place to place. Nor can I afford new exam fees over and over. I want to find his home and someone to see us through this. There was another vet we were going to try, but at the time I called they couldn't get us in for 3 days and I felt he wasn't doing well then and needed to get him in sooner somewhere. Turns out that was right as he had scant ketones. This other vet I learned has a diabetic cat herself. I am not clear on how they do it at that ofc. either. They will make a new patient appt and ask those type questions then, not for prospective patients. I need to know wherever we go that communication is welcomed not discouraged. You'd like to at least know their approach and philosophy, do they believe in home testing, etc...
I called this other vet clinic back today and this same Dr.i would have wanted to see is leaving for vacation, out all next week, w/ no available appt. until March 24th. 12 days from now!
What do we do? I have a diabetic cat, some test strips, some insulin, and no clear path besides that. There is no one to call if something goes wrong.
I am swamped right now and friends in town from out of the country next week. They aren't staying here, but i will hardly be around while they are in town.
I was already concerned if it would be okay to just continue as we are at this dose for now then to do a curve once they left anyway.
But we would have had a place to call (or so i thought- apparently not encouraged) if anything went askew.
We are operating without a net here.
I do not want to move him all over the place. Should I make this appt. for the 24th? I've already made/cancelled once before when he started getting sick before our scheduled time and I had to get him in here instead. I'm afraid if that would happen again, it would not be good and I don't want to rock that boat.
That appt. on the 24th could be gone if we wait too long.
The other vet recommendations I'd gotten are SO much further away. For something long term like this, it just did not seem a viable option. He does not do well in the car, and this time hyperventilated and panted & yowled all the way home. And that was somewhere fairly nearby. i can't see adding 30-40 min. round trip to that.
Do ya'll think you could help us through this next period with basic diabetes 101 type questions and understanding numbers and what to do with shots relative to them, timing, etc.. and we set this next appt. hoping all goes well in the interim?
I'm not exactly sure what our next steps would have been anyway. It has just been day by day so far. I suppose we have to look at his dose as we go and
would need guidance for that.
It is nearly end of day friday...almost no time left for any other arrangements to be made.
What do we do???
Advice? please!
thanks,
betty
