Ragnar - shot at 12:30 AM, 11:30 AM, no numbers

[Shirley and Ragnar]

Ragnar woke up and came out around 12:30 - I think I lured him out by getting ready for bed, and will remember that next time. (He sleeps beside/ON me.) No time to check him, I shot 1/2 unit at 12:30 midnight.

I tried and tried to get a reading before his 11:30 AM shot - and I mean TRIED until I was turning that poor little ear into hamburger. He was so good about it, too. I got two "insufficient blood" readings with the Contour meter when it certainly looked like a lot of blood; wonder if we need a different/better meter. I used the Softclix lancing device, set at 3.5, with the center just inside the edge of the ear (back of ear), just as always. Same technique got so much blood earlier that I was wishing he could donate it! Warmed the ear with his rice sock, massaged blood into the vein; don't know what was wrong. I might have to get an Illumavein and use the lancets freehand.

In any case, I gave him a conservative 1/2 unit anyway, and he's fine today but we have no new numbers. I'll check him pre-shot, with the other ear of course. I assume that to do an accurate full curve, we wait until the reservoir is full, which Dr. Jen said would take about a week. I don't want to poke more holes in his sweet little longhaired ears until the resulting data will be meaningful.

Blessings!

Shirley and Mr. Sleepyhead

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

glad you were able to shoot ragnar last night.
since you shot an hour early and weren't able to get a preshot number, i encourage you to get a mid-cycle number or two. shooting early is as much as increasing the dose. you might want to get a nadir check.

if you're having problems, peeps on health can help with refining your testing technique and answer questions about meters.

we're a pretty numbers driven forum. i'm afraid we're not going to be as much help to you and ragnar as we could be until you get a google spreadsheet up and running. kwim?

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

If u r really having problems with the ears you may want to try paw pads. I haven't used them so can't give input. But it is an option

I don't thinl u have a bad meter rather maybe its the device. I can never fogure them out and freehand instead and find it much easier. Maybe try that too.

Peeps on health can advise about paw pads


Oh and welcome back. Sorry u had to return. But we r all here for u and rangar

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I use a Contour meter and have, only on a rare occasion, not had enough blood. It's a very reliable meter. I do think that the Walmart brand, Relion, may use less blood than the Contour. You may also need to set the lancet device for a deeper poke or use a lancet that is a lower gauge (i.e., the lower numbered gauge has a wider diameter so it's a bigger poke)

I'm glad Ragnar finally made an appearance. I hate when they hide!