RUMPELTEAZER - 3-17-13

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misty1477

misty1477

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Tested @ 9:10AM 296

Just got home from work. cat(2)_steam

Will feed right now.

Shoot ?????????????????
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
How long ago? A test within 10 minutes should still be valid.
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She took a little break and just had a little bit more. I will test now. She is ready to kill me for all the poking !!!!
 
Glad you could test. She is still going down so we don't want to shoot. If you can, get another test in a couple hours. I would not shoot until she is in the 300s and then less than last time. (get some advice first) I thought you might need to starting "chasing" the numbers until you get a shootable one, and that her cycles would last longer and it looks like that might be her pattern. This is most likely because her pancreas is working, at least part time. (good news)

I'll be gone until afternoon. If you think you should shoot, maybe BJ will check in.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Glad you could test. She is still going down so we don't want to shoot. If you can, get another test in a couple hours. I would not shoot until she is in the 300s and then less than last time. (get some advice first) I thought you might need to starting "chasing" the numbers until you get a shootable one, and that her cycles would last longer and it looks like that might be her pattern. This is most likely because her pancreas is working, at least part time. (good news)

I'll be gone until afternoon. If you think you should shoot, maybe BJ will check in.
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I will test again at 12:20PM.

Seems like I will never get her on a schedule with my work schedule....I am soooo stressed out. Everything is so erratic. I am trying to do a million things at once when I get home. But nothing is getting accomplished. :roll: :roll: :roll:

I have Keto-Diastix in case I need them.
 
I know it is hard to see it this way, but her numbers are GREAT news. She is going down long after the insulin should be gone so her pancreas is working, at least some of the time. She is needing a tiny bit of insulin and (anti jinx) I think, heading off it completely.

But it is also a hard, challenging time. Her numbers are not very predictable and we are trying to be careful with dosing to keep her out of the low ranges. That certainly is stressful. And with your schedule, even more difficult.

Hang in there. This shouldn't last too long. You will probably be skipping shots often.

Take a couple hours off. Some sleep for you, some Neosporin and an extra snack for her.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I know it is hard to see it this way, but her numbers are GREAT news. She is going down long after the insulin should be gone so her pancreas is working, at least some of the time. She is needing a tiny bit of insulin and (anti jinx) I think, heading off it completely.

But it is also a hard, challenging time. Her numbers are not very predictable and we are trying to be careful with dosing to keep her out of the low ranges. That certainly is stressful. And with your schedule, even more difficult.

Hang in there. This shouldn't last too long. You will probably be skipping shots often.

Take a couple hours off. Some sleep for you, some Neosporin and an extra snack for her.
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I am really trying to be calm so I don't stress-out my cats....they are very in-tune to my moods.

Time for junk-food/comfort-food today.....box of glazed donuts from Dunkin' Donuts. No sleep....doing laundry & trying to catch up on 2 weeks of reading newspapers. I always put Neosporin on her ears after testing and a little snack.

Have to get my grocery list ready for tomorrow.... almost out of FF. No way I am going back out of my house today !!!!

This may sound REALLY CRAZY.....but....I keep thinking about testing the rest of kittys to see how their BG levels are. ;-) Knowing my luck one or two or whatever will show up with FD levels or something. :roll:
 
Good numbers and descending.

You did 0.25 last night in the 400s and she's still dropping - nice!

Practice the drop count in 0.5 units of water, 'cause I think you're going to need to do that unless she's over 400.

(Soory for the delay posting. My power was out this morning and the phone needed charging.)
 
191 and 205 are within 20% of each otherN so essentially the same; not different going up until at 240.
 
misty1477 said:
This may sound REALLY CRAZY.....but....I keep thinking about testing the rest of kittys to see how their BG levels are. ;-) Knowing my luck one or two or whatever will show up with FD levels or something. :roll:
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Hi Misty, I'm Lu-Ann. My Grayson started out over here, but due to other conditions (Acromegaly & Insulin Resistance) we changed to another insulin. I have a "house full" of cats, and some are, ahem, what you might call "healthy" :o as in OVER 20#. Grayson has an excuse, as Acro is also refered to as "Giant's Disease" - but not the rest. ANY time I see dandruff, a "looks like a teddy bear exploded" coat, any missed litter box, or just because they are a big guy or gal, I get my meter out and test them. They aren't NEARLY as cooperative as Grayson (after 15 months of testing!), but each one always consistently comes back in normal numbers. It does NOT hurt to be proactive and keep an eye on their sugar levels, so I encourage you to test them... and remember the treats!!!

I've glanced over your spreadsheet. While on ProZinc, my "do not shoot" number was 250. I also consistently saw a 30 point food spike with each can of chicken or turkey Fancy Feast. I could pretty much bet on him being consistent from that angle.

I've read through this thread, but not your previous posts, so you may have already gotten some of this advice already - or other PZI people may have other suggestions. It appears you're already mini-dosing - I assume with needles with half-unit markings. I only did mini-dosing for a brief while, then went up to the high doses that G needed after that just to move an inch. During that lo-dose time, however, I used the U100 needles and conversion chart for the small doses. That might be beneficial to you as well, given such responses to 1 unit. They enable you to make .2u incremental dosing.

The other thing that might be good for Rumpelteazer would be a sliding scale. Others may want to jump in here, as I did not use one, and perhaps you need to have a little more data under your belt before doing so. What it does is bases the dose on the preshot number. So, for instance, you may not shoot anything under 250. 251-275 you might shoot 1/4u; 276-300 = 1/2u; 301-350 = 3/4u; and 351-up = 1 u. This is just an example, but it helps you see what a sliding scale can do.

You already know that you need to shoot a rising number. BJ already said, there are meter variances that often make a number that looks higher to be really pretty much the same. Not that you want to wait to hit reds before shooting, but that you can catch the number when it's clearly on the incline. I wasn't as confident in my early meter as I am in my current one.

One more piece of advice on a personal note: When he's high, take advantage of it. GET SOME REST! I know you have a million other things to do, but you can only help him if you can function yourself. I walked around in a daze for what seemed like months. I had a friend comment that the "Old Lu-Ann" was finally back. You've got to take care of yourself... sometimes other things have to wait.

I've also found that a different shooting schedule worked best for me. For all but the last few months, I shot at 6:30 am/pm. Levemir doesn't kick in for the first 4 hours, so now I shoot about 10:00 am/pm right before bed. I usually get about 6-8 hrs sleep, as his nadir is typically at +9. I wake up and check him when he's most likely coming down. I work closeby, so at 10 am I just pop home for 15 min to test/shoot/feed. Libby (Doug & Libby with Hershey - now posting over on Lantus TR) used to shoot Hershey at 3:00 due to Doug's work schedule - so by the time Libby was getting up, she could keep an eye on his numbers. It's important to find what works best for you, and if you have someone helping you (I did not). The old schedule, it wasn't uncommon for me to wake up several times overnight to test. THAT wore me out!

I'll pop in again soon and check on you guys. In the mean time, get some rest!

Lu-Ann
 
Hi Lu-Ann.....

Wow...you have BIG kittehs. :lol:

The other thing that might be good for Rumpelteazer would be a sliding scale. Others may want to jump in here, as I did not use one, and perhaps you need to have a little more data under your belt before doing so. What it does is bases the dose on the preshot number. So, for instance, you may not shoot anything under 250. 251-275 you might shoot 1/4u; 276-300 = 1/2u; 301-350 = 3/4u; and 351-up = 1 u. This is just an example, but it helps you see what a sliding scale can do.
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I like your info on the 'sliding scale', but your "for instance" would not be exactly the same for every one.....correct? I cannot seem to find EXACT sliding scale parameters. Where do I find this info? BJM posted some info yesterday from Dr. Lisa's posting, but it did not give me info on how to EXACTLY calculate the sliding scale.

It's important to find what works best for you, and if you have someone helping you (I did not). The old schedule, it wasn't uncommon for me to wake up several times overnight to test. THAT wore me out!
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It is difficult to deal with this on my work schedule...if you read all my previous posts you can see why. You get 6 to 8 hours sleep???? What's that???? :roll: Before this FD issue I used to get 5 to 6.....now I am getting 2-1/2 to 4. :YMSIGH: I do not have anyone to help me do the testing/feeding/shooting. it seems like I am always whining on my posts about how my life/schedule is really messed up now. I am trying to refrain from doing that....my posts should be ALL ABOUT RUMPELTEAZER....not my stupid stuff. ohmygod_smile >>>> I almost started to type stuff about my crap. :roll:

I am still confused about the +/-20% thing ... I am not a stupid-person ... but I just can't seem to get it for some reason. :roll: Also, knowing when to shoot and when not to makes me confused....I don't want to do anything wrong. If you read my prior posts, you will see that if I had listened to my vet and done exactly what she said to do.....my sugar-baby might have died!!! :YMSIGH:

Thanks for posting....hope your Grayson does well. :smile:
 
It'll be difficult to get a sliding scale until we get some more solid data.

Plus, Rumple has had 2 hypo events and now is very sensitive to insulin. To be able to shoot consistently, the drop method may need to be used.

Speaking of which - Misty, how many drops of water can you get consistently out of 0.5 units of water? We need to know this to advise on dosing.
 
BJM said:
It'll be difficult to get a sliding scale until we get some more solid data.

Plus, Rumple has had 2 hypo events and now is very sensitive to insulin. To be able to shoot consistently, the drop method may need to be used.

Speaking of which - Misty, how many drops of water can you get consistently out of 0.5 units of water? We need to know this to advise on dosing.
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I get 3 drops using ProZinc syringe. Is that good?

BTW...I will be testing Rumpelteazer again at 6:10PM. That will be +9. No shot today...had breakfast. Gave her tsps. of FF as treat after tests.
 
If you get 3 drops in 0.5 units with a U-40 ProZinc syringe, then 1 drop is less than 0.25 units.
If Rumple is in the 300s at shot time and rising, how about trying 1 drop?

And do I recall correctly that you have ordered some U-100 syringes? If not, getting some of those will really help in giving micro-doses.
 
BJM said:
If you get 3 drops in 0.5 units with a U-40 ProZinc syringe, then 1 drop is less than 0.25 units.
If Rumple is in the 300s at shot time and rising, how about trying 1 drop? I was hoping to test/feed/shot at 7:30PM tonight. I will test and post here before food/shot....she might be real close 300 by then....okay?

And do I recall correctly that you have ordered some U-100 syringes? If not, getting some of those will really help in giving micro-doses.
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I have not ordered the U-100 syringes. I will have to check them out in a day or so....I am totally broke until I get paid. Vet bill+insulin+other FD stuff put a major dent in my budget :sad:
 
I think your timing sounds okay.

It was Robin, I think, who said you could get a bag of U100 syringes at Walgreens for $10. (You want the half unit ones) Not a whole bunch, but it might be enough for a few days and is easier than trying to do drops. (Although drops will work if that is what you can do.)
 
306 @ 7:25PM SHALL I DO 1 DROP or NO SHOT ???

FEEDING now.... they are ready to chew on my legs !!!
 
Okay. What time do you leave for work?

Leave out some food for her. And tomorrow, remember to get a test, wait 20 minutes and retest, without feeding, so we can be sure she is rising, not fallling.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Okay. What time do you leave for work?

Leave out some food for her. And tomorrow, remember to get a test, wait 20 minutes and retest, without feeding, so we can be sure she is rising, not fallling.
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I leave at 1:00AM (that's if I don't oversleep again!!).

Leave food out now or before I leave for work?

I will have to leave food (FF + dry) out for the rest of the gang too.

Will do your suggestion in the AM.

Good God In Heaven.....I am giving her 1 DROP????? What the he** would be happening if I did what the vet said ??!??!??!?
 
I would get a test about 9:30pm, just to make sure she isn't crashing.

Food to leave out when you are gone so she can bring herself up if she needs to. She has no access to dry, does she?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I would get a test about 9:30pm, just to make sure she isn't crashing.

Food to leave out when you are gone so she can bring herself up if she needs to. She has no access to dry, does she?
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it is 8:30 now...I was on my way to bed. I will set an alarm for 9:30 to get up & test. :YMSIGH:

I will leave out some FF for her. I hope the others don't chomp it down. I will keep the dry food bowls covered like I always do when I am not around to make sure she doesn't eat it.
 
I just texted my daughter to call me at 1:00 to make sure I get up. It is very hard to function on 2 to 4 hours sleep every night. I cannot sleep during the day...I am getting worn out. :sad:
 
Anyway....what if I tested her before I went to work and she was crashing....then I would have to stay with her. At least if she goes down at 9:30 I will still have a couple hours before I have to leave.
 
Is there someone who'd be willing to learn how to test and shoot to help you out? Family, friend?

And again - if you have to sleep, it is better for her to be high for a while, than hypo, so skip if you need to catch up on sleep.

And look at today's and yesterday's levels. The 0.25 brought her down to yellow/blue numbers. One drop, twice a day, may keep her from going too high, be possible to dose every 12 hours, and allow you some sleep. As you learn her responses better, you' ll be more able to determine how low you can shoot a dose safely.
 
I have no one to help me .... closest person would be my daughter but she lives a half hour away. Wish I had a normal job.
 
BJM said:
The 0.25 brought her down to yellow/blue numbers. One drop, twice a day, may keep her from going too high, be possible to dose every 12 hours, and allow you some sleep. As you learn her responses better, you' ll be more able to determine how low you can shoot a dose safely.
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That is the point..... "learning her responses better"....but they are so wacky. I AM trying to learn them.
 
Misty, hopefully you're snoozing as I type this....thought I'd answer the +/- 20% thing. Sometimes it helps when told different ways.

The meters aren't 'clinically' exact but give close enough results for dosing decisions. That would make a test meter and strips MUCH more expensive. Each reading can vary up or down by up to 20% even with the same drop of blood. One test may say '100', the next test from same drop may say 110, the next one may say 90. Those are all within that same '20%'. Here's the math:

100 - 20% is 20 - aren't I good? teeheehee..sorry...
so that 'same' reading can be as high as 120 or as low as 80.

It normally doesn't vary that much but that's the meter's 'limits'. The higher the number the higher the 'variance' allowed.
50 - as low as 40 or as high as 60
100 - as low as 80 or as high as 120
200 - as low as 160 or as high as 240
300 - as low as 240 or as high as 360
400 - as low as 320 or as high as 480

Hopefully this helps a bit....your need to understand this deals with 'what's about the same' with RumpelT.

You've got your hands full right now but WOWOW - You're SO LUCKY!!! I can just taste 'OTJ' here soon...what a dream that would be for us! Been doing this dance for 20 months now...let's not even THINK of what might have happened if you had followed the vet's advice!!!

BIG HUG! I sure hope you got some sleep.
 
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