Lisa & Leo
Member Since 2012
Click Here for Leo's 9/7 Condo Extraordinaire, wild Roller Coaster Ride!
Yesterday was a wild ride - one of the most stressful and yet exciting green water rafting experiences with 3-4 foot seas. HOWEVER - this is the first time I chose to shoot so low, knowing full well I'd probably be committed to a day of frequent testing and micro-meals. I thought I'd share with you a summary of our adventure, lessons we've learned, and a couple illustrative pictures along the way.
THIS IS OUR STORY. IT IS NOT DOSING GUIDANCE. ECID. YMMV. ABCEDFG.
Many MANY thanks to all who helped, guided and stopped by just to cheer us on. Most especially to Emperor Karre the Magnificent, to deigned to take time from his busy day to personally oversee and approve our efforts, under the guidance of his most awesome bean, Jane.
NOTE: This Condo is NOT a substitute for the Stickies on Shooting Low, Dealing with Low Numbers, etc. It is OUR experience USING these tools. This summary is for me as well as anyone else who finds it useful. Writing this out helps *me* realize what happened and how I would change it the next time. [Ed: "Next time" was two cycles later!] Karo figures prominently in this story, as I learn to recover from very low greens. (However, my next challenge is to learn to use different carb % foods to anticipate/temper these huge bounces, and to detect and slow them without pulling out the big guns.)
But Step Up to Disney's Newest Ride (you must be 2 inches tall to ride this ride.)
Leo's Wild Rollercoaster and Green Water Rapids Adventure
AMPS 88
+1 40 --- 2 tsp HC + 2 drops Karo
+1.3 35 ---2 tsp HC + 3 drops Karo
+1.7 51 --- 2 tsp HC
+1.8 59 --- 1 tsp HC + 2 drops Karo (added the Karo in anticipation of a drop ... which he did as predicted!)
+2.2 45 --- 1tsp HC + 3 drops Karo
+2.5 48 --- 1 tsp HC + 3 drops Karo
+2.75 61 --- 1 tsp HC + 1 drop Karo
+3 78 --- 1 tsp HC + 1.5 drops Karo (little oopsie on the chaser droplet. But he'll probably need it's surfing power.)
+3.5 79 --- 1/2 tsp HC + 1/2 tsp LC
+4 99 --- yay! 1 tsp LC
+5 85 --- 1 tsp MC
+5.75 65 -- 1 tsp HC
+ 6 51 --- 1 tsp HC
+6.5 53 --- 1 tsp MC
+7.25 49 --- 1 tsp MC
+8 59 --- 1 tsp of MC
+8.75 60 --- 1 tsp MC
+10.75 100
PMPS 103
+1 141
+2.5 127
+5 102
+11 145
Lessons Learned
Karo raises BG quickly, but wears off quickly. Leo's "Karo Cycle" is about 2 hours. Meaning it will start raising his BG in about 15 minutes, but the effects wear off in 2 hours. This is the Don't get complacent admonition. We boosted him with drops of Karo mixed with HC (High Carb) food at +1. He did dips at +2.2 before we popped him back up again. His last Karo was at +3 and he cruised to 99! Yay! He's out of the woods! NOT HE'S NOT At +5.25 he had solidly fallen back to 65 as the Karo headed out of town, and by +7.25 he was at 49. The Karo was gone.
From the How to Handle Low Numbers thread...
Steering the cycle - foods and cycle goals. Steering BG with various carb percentage foods can be very effective when you know how your cat reacts. In case of emergencies, you must have many cans of High Carb (HC), Medium Carb (MC) and Low Carb (LC) food available, plus a HHHHHHHC carb product like Karo or honey. You can see the fine-tuning we did with teaspoons of food after each test. You can make various carbo amounts of each tsp by combining different foods, Karo, etc. I made MC using LC+HC a couple times until I found an MC food.
Each post-test micro-meal required careful thought about a) how Leo reacts, b) what part of the cycle he was at, and c) where's he's going, and our goals for the cycle. (The gurus around here can add to my list.)
Let's look at these three:
a) I'd compared how Leo reacted to HC/MC/LC food during previous surfs into low greens. Because I had a detailed history (like the one above), I could quickly (in my deer-in-the-headlights brain freeze) compare previous responses with his current response. Of course, that means you need a previous response! So start taking data (BG values, food given, and behavior) now.
b) Leo threw a BG of 40 at +1. So we had nearly the entire cycle to go! We knew he'd be falling even more, so that's why I pulled out the Big Guns ... HC and Karo. I'd used this combination before and knew it would pull him up soon but not blast him through the roof if done thoughtfully. Karo is given in DROPS. (Note - you see he threw a 49 after +7, and my response to this lower number was VERY different than when we went that low in the beginning of the cycle. Since he was past his nadir at that point, but still low, we gave MC instead of HC+Karo. Where you are in the cycle matters greatly.)
c) Leo is newly diagnosed and we went up on his dose, and are working back down as his pancreas and liver are Getting the Memo. We wanted a dose decrease based on two roller coaster rides in the previous 2 days. Leo has been Bouncie-Bouncie! So I didn't want to slow the curve - I wanted him to dip below 50 to earn a dose reduction. I was prepared to spend the entire day with him because I knew he'd drop. I had plenty of strips and Jane to guide me so I shot him at 88. Leo did not disappoint! He earned that dose reduction in the first hour! In other situations, the gurus might suggest a different course.
Don't be afraid to make an absolute MESS in the kitchen. Here is a picture of the debris trail after getting Leo through the AM cycle. What's less obvious to see are the spatters of hugely sticky Karo on the counter tops, floor, my shirt, Leo's tail...
Surfing The Wild Greens - the Debris Trail
Don't immediately throw down breakfast (dinner) after the AMPS or PMPS BG test. Because based on that value and +10 or +11 you already took, you may want to stall if he's heading downhill. Feeding screws up your ability to perform a stall. I screwed this up twice in the last week or so and whacked myself in the forehead for it. Look at the BG value, look at the SS, and THINK about the right thing to do. Delaying his meal while you ponder, ask for advice here, etc., is worth doing the right thing. Remember, you can delay up to 15 minutes "for free" and even longer if you're willing to adjust his shooting schedule in subsequent cycles. So there is no emergency (unless there's an emergency with the BG value itself!). Yesterday, I delayed an hour and 15 minutes then shot the whole dose. Today I'm "paying the price" by pulling his shoot time back 15 minutes a cycle. We'll be back on track tomorrow night. Not a terrible commitment.
BOS. Stands for Balls of Steel. Needed when deciding to shoot low green (and falling) numbers.
Ask questions in real-time about what might happen next. After Leo had eaten his umpteenth micro-meal, I asked Jane what to do if he starts refusing food. She suggested pureeing the food, getting pure gravy, etc. So try to get your brain one step ahead..."If his BG is higher next reading, I'll do THIS. If his BG is falling next reading, I'll do THAT." If there is discussion of this versus that, remember what you do this time, and do the other next time. A tsp of HC versus a tsp of MC can make a difference when trying to control a nice smooth surf. Then you can compare responses to see which might be the better path in the future.
A low/green cycle is a GOOD THING! I've had problems with this concept, because until yesterday, I tripped accidentally across very low greens at unexpected times and was up all night steering him. It didn't dawn on me until later (and after beatings by Jane, Marje, Sienne, Dyana, Carl and others) that this is GOOD! It means REDUCIE! Earned reductions lead the way to getting OTJ - Off The Juice.
Bean Carbs. Relatively speaking, cereal is LC, beer and wine are HC, ice cream is HHC, and Karo is human food-grade HHHHHC and can be main-lined with coffee as needed. Steering an entire cycle is hard work. Don't forget to eat. And don't ignore the other four-leggers in the house because they need love too!
Shooting through the bounce: If kitty starts a huge bounce later in the cycle, you can "Shoot through the bounce" at the current dose rather than taking the reduction right away. This is because the current dose can help with the bounce after the liver does a mega vomit of glycogen that is quickly converted to glucose as evidenced by a rocket ship into the Black Abyss. See Leo's 9/25/2012. 36 to 586 in one cycle. Yikes! I should have shot through the bounce and didn't. Grrr. However, THIS TIME, since Leo didn't really bounce (shocker!) I decided to take the reduction immediately. I was very tired and didn't want to cat-sit all night. This time it was the right choice and he surfed blues. YMMV. Your Mileage May Vary. ECID. But remember to THINK about this option before automatically filling the syringe with the new lower dose and firing away the next cycle.
Acknowledge your audience! When a 911 is thrown, you will have helpers, cheerleaders, and lurkers. Say HI and THANKS to everyone who comes to visit your Condo and provide support during your times of Stress and Wonky-Brain. Those little messages go a long way to making you take a deep breath and laugh. And return the favor in their time of need. Unless you are dead-to-the-world in your own post-recovery unconsciousness. People seem to be very understanding around here. :smile:
Keep your Condos clean and up-to-date. Cut-and-paste your entire (growing) list of test results and corresponding food given, and paste it into each new response you post which includes new information. That way people can immediately see what's happening and jump in to help. Also make sure your Condo links to your previous Condo (so people can quickly look back to what happened previously) and keep your subject line updated with values. Yes, its a lot to think about when numbers and food are a-flying. But you get personalized help more quickly.
Leo's Lessons Learned
1. Demand to be fed according to your desires. Beans generally do not acquiesce, but occasionally will provide delivery service when prompted.
Bowl clattering to the floor in T-1 seconds...
2. After 25 ear sticks in one 12-hour cycle, you are allowed to add a special zing to your play-bites. Really, your bean won't mind. Those Bad Words are really directed at other felines sharping claws the couch. Plus, it makes you feel better to let loose without being disciplined this time.
Or find a piece of furniture most closely matching your fur color and pattern and Hide In Plain Sight.
3. If your bean is using an alarm clock to get up for the next BG test, use your magic Feline Powers of Space-Time Manipulation and reset the alarm for a much later time. This will buy you at least another 90 minutes of lancet-free Zzzzzz's.
Other Fun Photos from our Wild Roller Coaster Condo!
Karre's Powerful Countenance. After Jane sent us a Sparkly and Colorful Poem especially for us, Karre stepped in to oversee our adventure.
Leo's Humble Homeage of Karre's Gift of Oversight.
Hope you enjoyed a recap of our adventure!
Lisa and Leo (aka, fart cat, Little Stinker, and Mommy's Sugar Baby)
Yesterday was a wild ride - one of the most stressful and yet exciting green water rafting experiences with 3-4 foot seas. HOWEVER - this is the first time I chose to shoot so low, knowing full well I'd probably be committed to a day of frequent testing and micro-meals. I thought I'd share with you a summary of our adventure, lessons we've learned, and a couple illustrative pictures along the way.
THIS IS OUR STORY. IT IS NOT DOSING GUIDANCE. ECID. YMMV. ABCEDFG.
Many MANY thanks to all who helped, guided and stopped by just to cheer us on. Most especially to Emperor Karre the Magnificent, to deigned to take time from his busy day to personally oversee and approve our efforts, under the guidance of his most awesome bean, Jane.
NOTE: This Condo is NOT a substitute for the Stickies on Shooting Low, Dealing with Low Numbers, etc. It is OUR experience USING these tools. This summary is for me as well as anyone else who finds it useful. Writing this out helps *me* realize what happened and how I would change it the next time. [Ed: "Next time" was two cycles later!] Karo figures prominently in this story, as I learn to recover from very low greens. (However, my next challenge is to learn to use different carb % foods to anticipate/temper these huge bounces, and to detect and slow them without pulling out the big guns.)
But Step Up to Disney's Newest Ride (you must be 2 inches tall to ride this ride.)
Leo's Wild Rollercoaster and Green Water Rapids Adventure
AMPS 88
+1 40 --- 2 tsp HC + 2 drops Karo
+1.3 35 ---2 tsp HC + 3 drops Karo
+1.7 51 --- 2 tsp HC
+1.8 59 --- 1 tsp HC + 2 drops Karo (added the Karo in anticipation of a drop ... which he did as predicted!)
+2.2 45 --- 1tsp HC + 3 drops Karo
+2.5 48 --- 1 tsp HC + 3 drops Karo
+2.75 61 --- 1 tsp HC + 1 drop Karo
+3 78 --- 1 tsp HC + 1.5 drops Karo (little oopsie on the chaser droplet. But he'll probably need it's surfing power.)
+3.5 79 --- 1/2 tsp HC + 1/2 tsp LC
+4 99 --- yay! 1 tsp LC
+5 85 --- 1 tsp MC
+5.75 65 -- 1 tsp HC
+ 6 51 --- 1 tsp HC
+6.5 53 --- 1 tsp MC
+7.25 49 --- 1 tsp MC
+8 59 --- 1 tsp of MC
+8.75 60 --- 1 tsp MC
+10.75 100
PMPS 103
+1 141
+2.5 127
+5 102
+11 145
Lessons Learned
Karo raises BG quickly, but wears off quickly. Leo's "Karo Cycle" is about 2 hours. Meaning it will start raising his BG in about 15 minutes, but the effects wear off in 2 hours. This is the Don't get complacent admonition. We boosted him with drops of Karo mixed with HC (High Carb) food at +1. He did dips at +2.2 before we popped him back up again. His last Karo was at +3 and he cruised to 99! Yay! He's out of the woods! NOT HE'S NOT At +5.25 he had solidly fallen back to 65 as the Karo headed out of town, and by +7.25 he was at 49. The Karo was gone.
From the How to Handle Low Numbers thread...
Steering the cycle - foods and cycle goals. Steering BG with various carb percentage foods can be very effective when you know how your cat reacts. In case of emergencies, you must have many cans of High Carb (HC), Medium Carb (MC) and Low Carb (LC) food available, plus a HHHHHHHC carb product like Karo or honey. You can see the fine-tuning we did with teaspoons of food after each test. You can make various carbo amounts of each tsp by combining different foods, Karo, etc. I made MC using LC+HC a couple times until I found an MC food.
Each post-test micro-meal required careful thought about a) how Leo reacts, b) what part of the cycle he was at, and c) where's he's going, and our goals for the cycle. (The gurus around here can add to my list.)
Let's look at these three:
a) I'd compared how Leo reacted to HC/MC/LC food during previous surfs into low greens. Because I had a detailed history (like the one above), I could quickly (in my deer-in-the-headlights brain freeze) compare previous responses with his current response. Of course, that means you need a previous response! So start taking data (BG values, food given, and behavior) now.
b) Leo threw a BG of 40 at +1. So we had nearly the entire cycle to go! We knew he'd be falling even more, so that's why I pulled out the Big Guns ... HC and Karo. I'd used this combination before and knew it would pull him up soon but not blast him through the roof if done thoughtfully. Karo is given in DROPS. (Note - you see he threw a 49 after +7, and my response to this lower number was VERY different than when we went that low in the beginning of the cycle. Since he was past his nadir at that point, but still low, we gave MC instead of HC+Karo. Where you are in the cycle matters greatly.)
c) Leo is newly diagnosed and we went up on his dose, and are working back down as his pancreas and liver are Getting the Memo. We wanted a dose decrease based on two roller coaster rides in the previous 2 days. Leo has been Bouncie-Bouncie! So I didn't want to slow the curve - I wanted him to dip below 50 to earn a dose reduction. I was prepared to spend the entire day with him because I knew he'd drop. I had plenty of strips and Jane to guide me so I shot him at 88. Leo did not disappoint! He earned that dose reduction in the first hour! In other situations, the gurus might suggest a different course.
Don't be afraid to make an absolute MESS in the kitchen. Here is a picture of the debris trail after getting Leo through the AM cycle. What's less obvious to see are the spatters of hugely sticky Karo on the counter tops, floor, my shirt, Leo's tail...
Surfing The Wild Greens - the Debris Trail
Don't immediately throw down breakfast (dinner) after the AMPS or PMPS BG test. Because based on that value and +10 or +11 you already took, you may want to stall if he's heading downhill. Feeding screws up your ability to perform a stall. I screwed this up twice in the last week or so and whacked myself in the forehead for it. Look at the BG value, look at the SS, and THINK about the right thing to do. Delaying his meal while you ponder, ask for advice here, etc., is worth doing the right thing. Remember, you can delay up to 15 minutes "for free" and even longer if you're willing to adjust his shooting schedule in subsequent cycles. So there is no emergency (unless there's an emergency with the BG value itself!). Yesterday, I delayed an hour and 15 minutes then shot the whole dose. Today I'm "paying the price" by pulling his shoot time back 15 minutes a cycle. We'll be back on track tomorrow night. Not a terrible commitment.
BOS. Stands for Balls of Steel. Needed when deciding to shoot low green (and falling) numbers.
Ask questions in real-time about what might happen next. After Leo had eaten his umpteenth micro-meal, I asked Jane what to do if he starts refusing food. She suggested pureeing the food, getting pure gravy, etc. So try to get your brain one step ahead..."If his BG is higher next reading, I'll do THIS. If his BG is falling next reading, I'll do THAT." If there is discussion of this versus that, remember what you do this time, and do the other next time. A tsp of HC versus a tsp of MC can make a difference when trying to control a nice smooth surf. Then you can compare responses to see which might be the better path in the future.
A low/green cycle is a GOOD THING! I've had problems with this concept, because until yesterday, I tripped accidentally across very low greens at unexpected times and was up all night steering him. It didn't dawn on me until later (and after beatings by Jane, Marje, Sienne, Dyana, Carl and others) that this is GOOD! It means REDUCIE! Earned reductions lead the way to getting OTJ - Off The Juice.
Bean Carbs. Relatively speaking, cereal is LC, beer and wine are HC, ice cream is HHC, and Karo is human food-grade HHHHHC and can be main-lined with coffee as needed. Steering an entire cycle is hard work. Don't forget to eat. And don't ignore the other four-leggers in the house because they need love too!
Shooting through the bounce: If kitty starts a huge bounce later in the cycle, you can "Shoot through the bounce" at the current dose rather than taking the reduction right away. This is because the current dose can help with the bounce after the liver does a mega vomit of glycogen that is quickly converted to glucose as evidenced by a rocket ship into the Black Abyss. See Leo's 9/25/2012. 36 to 586 in one cycle. Yikes! I should have shot through the bounce and didn't. Grrr. However, THIS TIME, since Leo didn't really bounce (shocker!) I decided to take the reduction immediately. I was very tired and didn't want to cat-sit all night. This time it was the right choice and he surfed blues. YMMV. Your Mileage May Vary. ECID. But remember to THINK about this option before automatically filling the syringe with the new lower dose and firing away the next cycle.
Acknowledge your audience! When a 911 is thrown, you will have helpers, cheerleaders, and lurkers. Say HI and THANKS to everyone who comes to visit your Condo and provide support during your times of Stress and Wonky-Brain. Those little messages go a long way to making you take a deep breath and laugh. And return the favor in their time of need. Unless you are dead-to-the-world in your own post-recovery unconsciousness. People seem to be very understanding around here. :smile:
Keep your Condos clean and up-to-date. Cut-and-paste your entire (growing) list of test results and corresponding food given, and paste it into each new response you post which includes new information. That way people can immediately see what's happening and jump in to help. Also make sure your Condo links to your previous Condo (so people can quickly look back to what happened previously) and keep your subject line updated with values. Yes, its a lot to think about when numbers and food are a-flying. But you get personalized help more quickly.
Leo's Lessons Learned
1. Demand to be fed according to your desires. Beans generally do not acquiesce, but occasionally will provide delivery service when prompted.
Bowl clattering to the floor in T-1 seconds...
2. After 25 ear sticks in one 12-hour cycle, you are allowed to add a special zing to your play-bites. Really, your bean won't mind. Those Bad Words are really directed at other felines sharping claws the couch. Plus, it makes you feel better to let loose without being disciplined this time.
Or find a piece of furniture most closely matching your fur color and pattern and Hide In Plain Sight.
3. If your bean is using an alarm clock to get up for the next BG test, use your magic Feline Powers of Space-Time Manipulation and reset the alarm for a much later time. This will buy you at least another 90 minutes of lancet-free Zzzzzz's.
Other Fun Photos from our Wild Roller Coaster Condo!
Karre's Powerful Countenance. After Jane sent us a Sparkly and Colorful Poem especially for us, Karre stepped in to oversee our adventure.
Leo's Humble Homeage of Karre's Gift of Oversight.
Hope you enjoyed a recap of our adventure!
Lisa and Leo (aka, fart cat, Little Stinker, and Mommy's Sugar Baby)
