PZI Roll Call

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Grayson & Lu

Grayson & Lu

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Good afternoon PZI friends!

Most of you don't know me, it's been a while since I came here frequently, but I'm Lu-Ann and Grayson is my super-sized extra sweet boy. We started here on PZI back in January 2012 and made lots of friends - Baxter, Linus, Sneakers, Klinger, Kitty, Copper, Cassie, and many others. After several months of VERY flat SS numbers, known as "swimming in a sea of pinks", we had bloodwork done at Michigan State University that suggested Grayson had Acromegaly (giantism) and Insulin Resistance. An ultrasound confirmed organmegaly (enlarged organs), another one of the indicators of Acro, and we switched to Levemir for some really aggressive dosing to get him to where he is now. We just celebrated his 9th birthday, which for Acros (well, at least for me) was a huge milestone. Early info I had read is that the organ, bone and soft-tissue growth associated with Acro can cause complications, and untreated, most don't live more than 12-18 months. Grayson was treated with a special kind of radiation at Colorado State University to kill the pituitary tumor that causes his acromegaly, and is doing well. It was quite a roller coaster ride, however, as you can probably imagine. He's still a high dose kitty, but is significantly less than when the tumor was active, and making him a ravenous beast (12-14 cans of FF per day) as it was spewing insulin-like growth hormones.

While we were in Colorado for treatment, I was able to meet several friends from here. Linus' mom came to meet me in Ft. Collins, and I had lunch with Klinger's mom Marcy and Oliver's mom Sue! After "knowing" them for 7 months, it was nice to put a face with the names of people who had been here for me on those sleepless nights, giving me support when I was questioning EVERYthing. Last summer I also met Sneaker's mom Heather and Lucian's mom Debbie. I tell you all this so you know it's okay to become friends with folks here. The group is not only for support for our kitties, but also (and equally) important for us. We are not in this alone. And whether FD-related or not, it's amazing how much our kitty friends can be there for us. We all gave Jenn support when her sister had treatment near my home town for a rare form of breast cancer. Ironically, one of my close friends developed the same type. They really stepped up to help her get through options and knowing what to anticipate. Both are now cancer free and doing well! You just never know how much your friends here will step up when you need them!

So, in an effort to give all of you some support, and maybe even give Sue a little break to spoil her grandbaby occasionally, I'd like to get to know a little about each of you. How about we do a roll-call and you tell me a little about your kitty. Just the basics - where abouts you're located, how old is your kitty, how long since FD dx, what dose you're shooting, any extremes with dosing you've had, if they're prone to go low, if you're having a hard time regulating, any other medical conditions they might have going on, and if so, what you're doing for them.

Going through the forum, here's some of the kitties I'd like to know more about (and if I missed you, please jump in!):
Lucian
Chuck
Jose
Cassie
Fred
Angel
Jack
Merlin
Gracie
Simon
Eddie
PJ
Tommy
Bee Gee (love them!)
Nemo
and Miss Kitty.

And post a picture if you can!

Lu-Ann
 
What a great idea, Lu Ann, and so glad you will be around to help out!

I am a old timer (and Senior Citizen as well) I came here over 6 years ago when Oliver was diagnosed with diabetes. My vet had left town for Christmas and we were alone with Science Diet dry food, PZI insulin with a suggested dose of 4 units and no inkling about hometesting. We got on the site and my DH and I learned to home test (took a long weekend of poking), changed the food to Fancy Feast and quickly started giving less insulin. Oliver was off insulin in 6 months and we had another lovely year with him until he developed heart disease. He rapidly declined. Once he became disinterested in his beloved food, we knew it was time to say goodbye.

We adopted a new kitty, Niko, who is my aviator. He is a Russian Blue mix, very mellow and sweet, and not diabetic.

But somehow I stayed here. I have tried over the years to learn more, to give advice when I can, to cheerlead and handhold. I have "met' many wonderful people, though only a few like LuAnn, in person.
 
I forgot to add a couple of things...

Because Grayson's SUPER-sized appetite, I had been spending a fortune on canned food... for him... but most of my others were still eating dry kibble. In June of last year, we had our annual "tune-up" (shots/vet appt). Herb was acting "off", but I couldn't put my finger on exactly what, so he and another had bloodwork run. You can imagine my surprise when Herb came back with a high BG! (see, even the experienced miss things sometimes!). As I did with Grayson, I switched food immediately, and he was on insulin for just ONE WEEK! Sometimes the diet change is just about all that's needed! Now everyone in my household eats canned food. No more surprises - at least FD surprises! ;-)
 

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Hi! I'm Jen and my sugar dude is Eddie!

I initially found FDMB when I was researching what foods to feed our newly diagnosed kitty, Eddie. In the process, I discovered the vast wealth of information here. My very first post here was something along the lines of "why is my cat's BG continuing to go up, even though his dose is going up?" Like many of the new arrivals here, of course, Eddie's dose was too high, which we discovered when we first started home testing.

Eddie was on ProZinc from mid-December 2013 through April 4, 2014, and we then switched over to Lantus. Eddie did fairly well on ProZinc, but we decided to see if Lantus would help him get flatter smoother cycles. I can't even begin to express how helpful Sue has been from day one in answering my million and one questions. :-D Even though we are no longer using PZI, I still check in on our PZI buddies, and I also try to pitch in and help with dosing questions when I can.

Thanks Lu Ann for coming on board to help! :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

There's a couple other PZI kitties that I'll toss on the list for roll call off the top of my head:

Hidey and Samantha (recent remission)
P and Melissa
Spider and Nathan

Here's a picture of Eddie hanging out in his re-purposed doll bed that his grandma bean made for him.
 

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LOVE the bed Jen! Good to meet you!

Eddie is a HANDSOME fellow!!! I've got 3 "orinch boyz": Paulo, Peaches & Herb.

I had met a friend-of-a-friend at lunch one day, who had sent me an e-mail about 6 mo prior to Grayson's FD dx, asking me to vote for Donna's Asher (PZI) as "cover-boy" of a recipe book fundraiser for FD kitties. When I got the dx, I e-mailed her 20 questions! She called me back with 20 answers - and 20 more I didn't know to ask. WHAT A GODSEND!!! Kim (Kitty GA/Chewy OTJ) helped me hometest and was very patient as I had many challenges with G. Sue was here helping me as well as Carl, Robin and others. What an amazing group this is!!!
 
Hi,

I'm Elizabeth from England and I only occasionally visit the PZI forum here because, although I do use a PZI insulin, I currently use an unusual PZI (Hypurin bovine PZI, made in the UK) that has a longer duration than Prozinc etc. It follows slightly different 'rules' to the Prozinc in the US, so I don't feel I have any real experience to contribute to this PZI forum. Only a handful of us on FDMB use Hypurin PZI, so we only comprise a teensy weensy minority of the folks here; not even enough to warrant our own forum; so we're sort of 'homeless' here! And it does actually feel lonely sometimes...

A bit about Bertie:
He was dx just over 7 years ago. Started on Caninsulin, then switched to Insuvet PZI which was discontinued soon afterwards. Then switched to a 'human' PZI called Hypurin Bovine. We have always used a sliding scale.
Bertie is an extremely tricky diabetic who has had 3 hypos.
His numbers vary a lot throughout the year due to (I think) his pancreas working on and off.
During the winter he responds poorly to insulin and his BG is usually high. He then has shots every 10 to 12 hours.
From late spring to early autumn Bertie's numbers are pretty good and he can often go 24 hours on a shot (and up to 36 hours).
The transition periods between his 'good' spells and 'bad' spells (late autumn and early spring) are very difficult to navigate because of his pancreas switching on and off: This is when he is most prone to hypo.

So, that's us! :roll:

Eliz
 
Dear Elizabeth,

We would never want you to feel homeless! Please consider this forum your home. Your PZI and ours is very similar in terms of dosing and adaptability. You are such a vital poster on Health and so incredibly helpful to new diabetics in the UK. We would value and appreciate your posting here also, and hope you will post here anytime you have a question or concern that we could help with.
 
Gracie was rescued last fall when her owner was given an ultimatum to euthanize her by his spouse. They hadn't been able to treat the diabetes, nor feed low carb, for at least 8 months, so she was underweight, her coat was awful (dry, patchy), and she needed a dental.

Because my schedule can be erratic with chorus rehearsals, we went with ProZinc which is a bit more flexible with dose and timing. Gracie is back to a good weight, just had a dental, and seems to be stable on around 1.2 units morning and night. She does seem to have some allergies, possibly to chicken, and also to some dust mites and stuff. I may try allergy shots for her.
 
Ditto what Sue said, Elizabeth - you ALWAYS have a home here! Look at me - I've been away and they still haven't run me off! :lol:

7 yrs of treatment - that's AWESOME!!! It shows your dedication to him that you've had such a long run of success, and only 3 hypos. My vet was impressed that in the two+ years we've been at it, and extreme Acro/IAA-dosing, that G hasn't hypo'ed. Both of us are a testimony for home testing!

Has Bertie ever been seen at RVC? One of our acros was in a drug trial there, using pasireotide to kill the pituitary tumor. She went into remission for over a year! And there was recently a post on FB about their efforts to get FD kitties into remission. Not sure which insulins they are using, but it referenced care for the diabetics that sounded amazing! I know Ingrid had to jump through a LOT of hoops to get Lantus for TC. But she, too treated successfully for several years.

Anyways, glad you're here!

Lu-Ann
 
BJ - how good of you to take in Gracie! I agree - having had a little more experience since I was originally here, I really see ProZinc as an asset to FD kitties. I SO miss the flexibility that I had with it, though I've been able to adjust my shooting schedule to work better for me.

Glad to have you here!
 
Cassie (and Benny) and I live in Athens, WV. Cassie will be turning 14 tomorrow (estimated b-day; I figured I could remember tax day). He was dx'd in 8/11, so we've been sugar dancing for over 2 1/2 years. Early on was tough--he went DKA in the first week; it took a while to transition to wet food because he wouldn't eat it; we even dosed tid (3x/'day) for a while because his cycle ran so short. It took almost 2 years for me to get Cass were I'd consider regulated; he's a very bouncy boy. He's currently on 0.8u bid, but (fingers crossed) I'm debating a reduction. We've dosed anything from 1.2u down to 0.4u but he seems to do best in the 1u ballpark.

Here's my favorite Cass pic: (this is pre-dx, so he's kinda chubby)
 

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Hi Lu-Ann and all the Prozinc kitties, moms and dads. My name is Cindi and I have Merlin who is 16 1/2 years old and we live in Phoenix, AZ. Merlin is actually my daughter's cat and I will be taking care of him for the next two years. Alex, my daughter, found Merlin in a humane shelter. Someone dumped him in the shelter's parking lot. He was two years old and very, very shy. He was are only cat for awhile and very slowly he started to come out of his shell. Eventually, within five years, he accumulated two sisters and one brother; Slugger, Taylor and Kita. Slugger's mom was found in a city park's bathroom, pregnant. Taylor was in a shelter and Kita was found in the desert.

Alex and I hiked the Appalachian Trail last year and was gone from home for six months. We heard in the last couple of months (before our return) that Merlin was losing weight (he was not overweight). When we got home in October, Alex took him to the vet and found that he had diabetes. She took him home and started shots and testing however with little information. She did some research on the net but unfortunately, did not find this forum for help. Then, unfortunately for Merlin, Alex moved to Hawaii March 4. Within a couple of weeks, I found this site.

Merlin has been a perfect patient. He lays in front of me when it is time to test. He is always telling me when he is hungry. He is a talker. He has neuropathy although not confirmed by the vet. I have been giving him Methyl B12 (2.5 mg in am and 2.5mg in pm) from GNC for over four weeks now. He can still walk and jump but he is very weak and has no muscle content in his hips. I have not seen any improvement but he has not gotten any worse. I test him for ketones periodically. He also has asthma however I have not had to treat him in over five months. He has been on doxycycline two times in the past five months for a cold although I think he may have allergies. He seem to always have a runny nose and sneezes. I give him lysine daily for his cold/allergies.

We started testing with an AlphaTrak2 but just this week, switched to a Relion Micro so I am getting used to those numbers and my new sliding scale. It has been very hard trying to get his numbers low. He is one to drop very quickly in the +3 timeframe and has high AMPS and PMPS numbers. He is a good eater. His water consumption has decreased in the past month as well as his food consumption. I suppose I should set up another vet appointment, since it has been six months. I would like to have his teeth checked. Every time, we take him to the vet, we ask about his teeth and they said that they appear to be ok. I am also not sure if Prozinc is the insulin for him. I see a lot of users on Lantus and I do like the idea of always giving him the same amount of insulin each time, however, I don't know if that is for him with his swings. I would be interested to know which insulin has the best results for remission. Anyway, my main short term goal is to improve his doses (see more green), neuropathy and to gain a few more pounds (currently at 9.3 lbs.).

I think I covered everything. Thanks Lu-Ann for asking about the kitties on the Prozinc site. This was a great idea.
 
Hi everyone. My name is Jenell and my much loved sweet boy is Jack. He has a civie sister named Chloe. They are both 9 years old. Jack was diagnosed in January after my boyfriend noticed he was losing weight. Jack started on an oral diabetic med (yeah...I know) and did ok for about a month but then he was hospitalized in February for DKA - during a snow storm nonetheless! Jack started on Prozinc insulin after that but has been very difficult to regulate. He was hospitalized again in March for DKA and was also diagnosed with triaditis and possibly lymphoma. We started him on Prednisolone and Chlorambucil in addition to Prozinc.

Trying to get Jack regulated has been such a challenge. I've lowered his dose from 4 units BID to 2 units BID. He's gained some of his weight back and even caught two mice on Thursday :) But Jack looks a little puny again as of this morning. My heart sank thinking he may be headed down the DKA path again. I've been testing BG at home daily and testing for ketone when able. I told myself that I would not put him through another hospitalization. We will see how he does tonight and tomorrow.

But I've learned so much from all the wonderful people here on FDMB. Sue, Jennie and BJM have provided me with so much guidance and I feel very grateful for all your help. You have all been so welcoming and nonjudgemental, and most of all patient. I'm not sure if I'll be able to continue posting on here if Jack gets sicker. But I will let you know how things shake out. Thank you all so much!
 

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Re: PZI Roll Call- Terri, CL, LD & George

Hi everyone!
I'm Terri and my PZI sugar girl is named Chicken Little. She has been diabetic for 2 years and 4 months. I have been a member of this board ever since. We have been through a lot and had tons of help and made many friends. I could not have done it without each and every one of them and I also learned so much from so many folks on the board.
We went through UTI infections with the help of Ann and Tess. In May of 2013 I lost my boy George and made it through many days and nights of tears with the help of Simon and Simons mommy Joyce and Carl and Polly. I finally was able to get blood from CLs ear after a YEAR of patient help from Sue and Oliver!! And had tons of help for Chicken Little and for the Little Dog from BJM. She has a wealth of knowledge on many issues as does Sue and Oliver. I've shared joys and sorrows of so many members of this board that I feel like we know each other well. The loss that Carl experienced but like the Phoenix rose from the ashes to adopt and love again with beautiful Polly. Sharing in the happy ever after story of Gracie adopted by the big hearted BJM and saved from a death sentence. So many joys and so many sorrows. The loss of a well loved board member and the loss of so many loved doggie and kitty members. Beautiful memories captured by the talented Mr. Carl in pictures and on video for us to keep forever. I could just go on and on with the thanks and with the stories but they are to numerous to mention. I've been blessed to be a part of it all. Thank You everyone
cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon cat_pet_icon We are a pride!!
 
Terri, so great to hear from you. I always like to hear how CL is doing. Janelle, what a lovely picture of Jack in the garden enjoying the sunshine. I have an idea about his numbers and will post on your last thread.
 
Hi. I'm Janet and my sweet cat is Dimitri. He turned 15 on the last day of March (I just got finished with his profile.) We currently live in North Florida,
but will be moving to East Texas once our house here sells.

Dimitri is on PZ for now, but my plan all along was to switch to Lantus. If I could just get the right syringes! I quick shipped some from drsfosterandsmith, but they don't have the half-unit markings. So I'll keep looking.

I have been steadily increasing the PZ, but this morning Dimitri surprised me with a good reading, so I got nervous and cut his dosage by 0.5 units and just checked his sugar again and got another good reading. :RAHCAT So it looks like the PZ is working.

I just wanted to say I appreciate the encouragement and help I've gotten here and hope I can pass some of that along.
 
Janet, Terri & Jenell -

SO good to see your posts and hear your stories! Yes, the support from people who totally get us is wonderful - especially if some of your friends are being not-so-supportive, when we're dealing with one of the most challenging things we ever do. I think we're lucky to develop the bond with our extra sweet babies, while even more fortunate to have the friends we found "in the trenches" as well. Friends for life!

Glad you are all here!
 
Hello! My name is Rachel. My sweet Gypsy was on ProZinc for several months. She continously caused head scratching with her numbers. She reacted better to lower doses for a cycle or 2 then jumped back up. She was a super sweet girl! Used to purr as the vet examined her....the vet once told me she really needed the purring to stop because she couldn't listen to her heart! She crossed the bridge in January but I like to point out that diabetes never beat us! Due to the help here, we were on the road to beating it.

I have been hanging around but not posting much. However, I miss everyone so I want to help where I can! Trying to pay it forward in honor of my sweet girl!
 
Hi Lu-Ann and Grayson!

Thank you for starting this! I enjoyed reading about everyone that has posted so far. This was a great idea!

My name is Rebecca and my sugar buddy is Jose. He's roughly 9 years old and was diagnosed FD in July 2011. After his diagnosis I moved him from my parents house to my place while I was away at school. He was started on 4 units of ProZinc and my vet never mentioned anything about home testing. I switched Jose from his HC dry kibble to LC canned Fancy Feast and was still dosing 4 units. In less than a month Jose woke me up in the middle of the night seizing from going hypo. I thank God that Jose sleeps next to me every night and that he woke me up. Over the next 2 years his doses changed after curves done at the vet.

We recently moved back in with my parents after I graduated from college in December. During my down time from job searching I began researching more into FD after getting frustrated that Jose seemed to be unregulated again and found info about home testing and joined FDMB. Since then I have reduced Jose's dosage from 3 units at the end of February to around 1 unit now and it looks like it will continue to be lowered. It seems that the curves the vet was getting were high due to bouncing as well as stress. Jose is a "poster child" for the importance of home testing! I am so grateful that I have found all these wonderful people that have helped me the last few months.


Recently I have noticed that Jose's PM cycles need more insulin to keep lower than his AM cycles. I think this us because he us fed in the AM at AM+6 and in the PM. To get his cycles more even I am going to be purchasing an automatic feeder so I can feed him smaller meals 4 times a day rather than 3 times.

Just yesterday Jose had a dental and needed 4 teeth pulled. He had 9 teeth pulled in 2012 also. Here is the update I posted about that. Now that his bad teeth are removed I am hoping that his need for insulin will decrease even more.

Aside from the FD and bad teeth Jose is doing pretty good!
 
Thanks for adding your info Rachel & Rebecca!

It's great to see people return, even if they are no longer caring for their beloved kitty. Gypsy was fortunate to have you, Rachel!

Rebecca - Jose certainly looks like he's on the path to OTJ! The dental may just the thing to tip it in his favor. Fingers crossed that that's the case.

I'm always so impressed at the positive changes we all see in our kitties once we find this group! The value of everyone's "in the trenches" experience and access to input 24/7 makes it the best possible place to be when there's a sugar kitty in your home and heart.
 
Alright, Deb - looks like you & Lucian are MIA! Time to tell us about your special guy!!! And your crazy roller coaster ride with him!
 
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