Newbie Nervous about Going Green

[Jenna Josie]

We're nervous about our first green. We shot at 197 (b/c so close to 200) 4.25/4.5 hours ago, and we're near what we think is the beginning of her nadir though only have one curve to base that on. Josie is at 96. We are new and nervous and in need of wisdom. Her numbers just over the few days we've been testing have been coming down, and it just seems fast. (She started Prozinc on 6/19.) We didn't expect a green so soon! The change seems to be correlated to the transition to low-carb FF (from high-carb FF), but there's just not enough data yet to feel any sort of confidence . . .

Will of course watch her very closely over next few hours. Of *course* this would happen the night before a holiday when the vet is closed . . .

(She did just post-test eat a almost every bite of a 3 oz. LC FF, her normal +4 meal.)

 

[Djamila]

Hi Jenna! Deep breaths. You're not alone, and Josie looks perfectly safe to me. give me a sec to look closer at your spreadsheet and I'll post more.

 

[Djamila]

I'm guessing it's near your bedtime at this point? If she just ate a can of food, I feel pretty confident that she's just going to surf along for a few hours now. She could drop another 50 points and still be safe at this point. It would be great if you can get a +5 test to make sure that hunch is correct, but I do understand it's getting late. How are you feeling about staying up a bit longer? If you can't, let me know and we can talk about alternative options.

 

[Djamila]

@Caitlin M - Any chance you're around this evening? I'm heading to sleep soon and hate to abandon Jenna if she needs some support tonight.

 

[Jenna Josie]

I can definitely stay up! We *will* get a +5 (even if she throws a fit about it like she did last night). And also a +6.

Djamila, you are the best. THANK YOU!! I know we don't have much data yet, but just having your experienced eye run over what's there is a great comfort.

 

[Djamila]

I think the faster you can get Josie off the HC food and treats, the better. She's showing some really good signs to be getting these numbers so quickly. Getting rid of the high carb things may bring her BG down into better ranges.

The temptations treats are often used around here to treat hypo episodes if the cat's number aren't increasing with regular food. That gives you an idea how high in carbs they are. It usually only takes a couple of them to start raising the BG numbers. They are handy to have around in case you get a lime green too early in the cycle, but not great for a regular thing.

I'm going to sleep as it's past my bedtime, but if you do end up seeing a number in the 50's tonight, give Josie 3-4 Temptations and they should bring her right back up. A number in the 50's is perfectly safe, but since this is her first night in those ranges, and it's late, I'm going to recommend giving her carbs if you need to so that you can get some sleep. Just don't go overboard or she'll be sky high tomorrow.

Also, if you get a number that makes you worry, and Caitlin hasn't checked in, post out in the Main forum, or even on the Lantus/Levemir forum as those places are busier and there is usually someone lurking even during the night who could help.

Some notes on low carb treats:

Bonito flakes – these are sold in some grocery stores as a human food. They are tissue-paper thin bits of fish and are easy to sprinkle on food to get a kitty to eat. They last forever and are the cheapest option.
https://www.amazon.com/Kaneso-Tokuy...&qid=1516455184&sr=8-3&keywords=bonito+flakes

Fortiflora: This is marketed as a probiotic, but from everything I’ve read it doesn’t work well for that. What it does work well for is getting a cat to eat. You open a little packet, sprinkle a little on top of the food – kind of like how we salt our food. Each packet lasts several days, and there are 30packets in a box. I often say that Sam would eat a shoe if I sprinkled this one top, and lots of cats feel the same way. It should be noted though that Atticus doesn’t go for it. It doesn’t deter him, but it also doesn’t entice him. But for cats that like it, a little on food is as good as a treat.
https://www.amazon.com/Purina-Forti...TF8&qid=1516455209&sr=8-2&keywords=fortiflora

The next two are expensive, but they are good quality and they are more what you would consider a typical treat – something your kitty can actually bite into:
https://www.amazon.com/CATMANDOO-Fr...atcorr&keywords=freeze+dried+salmon+cat+treat

https://www.amazon.com/CATMANDOO-Dr...r=1-6&keywords=freeze+dried+chicken+cat+treat

These next ones are probably my personal favorites as they look like what they are. Sometime a little too much so though in the case of the chicken hearts. It is an actual dried heart. I usually have to cut them into a couple of pieces since they are a little bit big and hard for the cats to bite into on their own. They also have little minnows that are the whole fish. And a variety of other options. Often the dog treats are a bit cheaper, and since it’s a whole, dried protein, it doesn’t make any difference if you buy the cat or the dog versions.

https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-F...05&sr=1-4&keywords=vital+essential+cat+treats

 

[Jenna Josie]

Thank you, Djamila, especially since it's past bedtime!

+5 = 80

Edit: okay, so that was a bit of an unnecessary freak out! *blushes* +7 = 93. On the plus side, at least now we know what the bottom of the cycle looks like lol

 

[Jenna Josie]

I did not to give her a shot this am. 179 and then 171 after a 20 minute stall, and we were near the end of our hour window since we hit snooze once or twice. Ate great, all low carb.

 

[Rachel]

Quite a night you had! And it looks like Josie is doing great!! So glad Djamila was here for you.

 

[Caitlin M]

Hi! So sorry I didn't see this last night, but you and Josie did great! Djamila and Rachel always help me (still!) as well so I'm glad you got some great insight! I'll check my settings to make sure I get an email if I'm tagged- what time zone are you?

 

[Jenna Josie]

Hi Rachel and Caitlin. Yes, we're super-grateful for Djamila's wisdom and comfort (and willingness to stay up late for a stranger!).

Caitlin: I'm on Central Time, so two hours ahead of you.

 

[Rachel]

I'm on Central Time too! What time are your shots (sorry all the questions...it's good info to know roughly when we might need to check on you. If we know when you'll shoot, one of us usually tries to pop by if we can just so we can see if you need anything).

Trust me...there are no strangers in this forum! We're all a big sugar cat family!

 

[Djamila]

Edit: okay, so that was a bit of an unnecessary freak out! *blushes* +7 = 93.

Please don't worry about this at all! I think we all get really nervous when we see our first few greens. It's that unknown factor - since it hasn't happened before, we don't know if they are going to surf, or keep dropping. And those stickies around here that warn about hypos with the bold print and bright red letters make us all feel like our kitties are going to instantly fall over dead if they get a low number. Of course there is reason to be cautious and to monitor, but when you know how to home test, you'll see and be able to intervene before anything bad happens. You did a great job last night taking care of Josie, and now you have a little hint about how she responds which will help the next time this happens.

Pretty soon you're going to get greedy about seeing those greens and want more and more of them!

 

[Jenna Josie]

We are testing/shooting in the 6:30-6:45 window, which is a goofy time. This is because I am *not* a morning person but quickly realized that the 8:00 we started with was not going to work if we have a standing obligation requiring us to be out of the house by 6:15 every Sunday evening! So the 6:30-6:45 zone allows me to pretend I'm still sleeping in most days while still not having to move her tests/shots more than one or two 15 minute increments in the tests/shots leading up to and following Sunday evening obligations.

Although we didn't shoot this am, I took a BG at what would have been +6 out of curiosity and desire for data: 264

And yes, Djamila, it is a bit of a roller-coaster! I flipped out over a green, but if/when she gets back into the pink again for pmps due to not shot this am, I'm going to be distressed about that, too lol! But it is *very* good to know she seems to tend to flatten across that four-hour span.