Sam - Month 4

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Djamila

Djamila

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Starting off the first day of the fourth month.......with a fur shot :banghead:

Took a +4 and he's pretty much flat, so at least it isn't rising too much at this point.

You would think at this point in the journey I would have better luck with these things :rolleyes:
 
He has some nice numbers going! And today isn't looking so bad for a fur shot, annoying though they are. The times I've done it, I wanted to kick myself.
 
Blair & Freya said:
The times I've done it, I wanted to kick myself.
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Yup. This one was so blatant that I probably could have re-shot, but I know it's a big no-no, and honestly I was a little curious to see what he would do on his own for a cycle. I'll definitely be more careful tonight! If he didn't have that crazy thick undercoat it would make it so much easier!!!
 
I went to the store this weekend and found myself a new pair of patience pants....

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Hi team! So I got a feeling of foreboding a few days ago, and today's numbers seem to back it up. It looks like Sam's BG is starting to creep back up, and he isn't responding to the insulin as well. The vial is old at this point, so it could be losing it's punch a bit, but it also looks like he isn't anywhere near being ready to go it on his own without insulin. So in light of needing to get a new bottle anyway, I'm thinking of switching him over to Lantus. Any thoughts pro/con about making the switch?
 
Hmmm...his numbers today really look the same as they have to me. Blue preshot, nice green nadir...and 160 is basically the same as 130 really.

I don't really know about Lantus Djamila. You could surely try it...I just don't know enough to know if it would be better than what you're getting on Prozinc or the same? I think I would go over there and ask them. I've never suggested a switch when someone is getting low numbers like you're getting..only when they were getting high numbers and we couldn't seem to get them down, but now that I think of it, getting low numbers that won't seem to go down is about the same isn't it?

Basically what I'm saying is I'm no help to you on this question. :joyful: @StephG @Bobbie And Bubba @Sharon14 you've all switched over...any thoughts?
 
I agree with Rachel. The pattern seems pretty consistent to me. If it was me I wouldn't change anything at this point.
 
I switched Colin to Levemir because he's a high dose cat (acro), so I can't really shed any light on a switch for you. I do think your SS is a pretty mix of blue and green that would make many of us envious...
 
Hey Djamila! His numbers are pretty good for such a low dose. I see where you did a NS the night before last and that is when his numbers starting to creep up a bit. Yesterday's and today's nadir was barely green. I would maybe tap him up a bit to .a fat .40 if you can monitor him and see if you can get him to bring it down overall a bit more. And he is so close......... in light of a FS and a 3 NS all in 9 days time.

The one real plus for Lantus is that you would be able to shoot lower numbers more comfortably ( after you have some data to see how he responds to Lantus) than you can with ProZinc which to me was a big plus. The Lantus curve when they are regulated is rather flat unlike the ProZinc curve that resembles a smile.

If you decide you want to give Lantus a try, post over in L & L and see about a starting dose. Usually it is the same dose as on ProZinc.
 
I am debating the switch as well but have another month or two to really think :bookworm:. If Maury was where Sam is, I'd probably stick with Prozinc since it's such a tiny dose but if he does start creeping up as you suspect, then it might be worth the switch. I'll probably be shortly behind you guys! :bighug:
 
If I didn't feel like this vial is needing to be replaced, I wouldn't be thinking of moving right now. I'm just thinking that if I'm going to have to buy a new vial anyway, and he isn't ready to go OTJ at this point, then maybe I'd rather invest in some Lantus instead of another bottle of prozinc. It's just so expensive around here! That being said, there is still a lot left, so maybe I just give him a bigger dose until it's a little lower in the bottle, and then switch at that point. That would also get me closer to school being out for the summer. It would be a lot easier to switch when I can be home with him more.

PS If you look at my spreadsheet, just ignore the crazy high PMPS. He was under a lot of stress at the time I did the test. He went with me to my mom and dad's house and he did not exactly have a fun time. He was shaking in the car which he's never done before, and then it all fell apart once we got there. Poor little guy! He usually travels really well, but today was definitely not good for him!
 
Okay, now he's just messing with me.

Just kidding about the high numbers, Mama! I think I'll drop like a rock tonight, okay?

PMPS 136 (totally normal, gave the same dose as this morning which had done very little during the AM cycle)
+1 Starts acting like he's going low, but it's only been an hour so I think he must just be in a mood and decide to ignore him.
+2 I'm about to walk out the door. I never test at +2. But something tells me to check. 52. Give him a mess of HC food and leave (I have to bring my neighbor home from the hospital - it's close, but still scary to leave him)
+3 Back home - 60 - give him a little EVO just for fun -- because who doesn't love a little kibble? (only like 10 pieces)
+4 71 - He should be rising on his own now.

So what do I do tomorrow?!?! I'm leaving at +1.5 in the morning, and will barely make it home in time for PMPS. I think 0.5 is a good dose right now -- just not when I can't monitor him. Grrr...y'all know how much I hate changing doses!!!
 
Woah! Sam, what you doing? Did you hear your mom talk about getting more insulin and decided to surprise her to prove that the bottle is still fine???

Maybe give 0.2 if he's in the same range this morning?? I know, I hate changing doses too, but clearly that was (for whatever reason) too high of a dose all of the sudden. Even if you were home, I'd be inclined to reduce since that almost-hypo number at +2 is NOT desirable...but since you won't be home...gah! So maybe stick with 0.2 for similar preshot...or you could skip. I hate to suggest that one, though, because we all know that isn't desirable either!

Okay, I'll just tell you what I would do if he was mine. I'd check his number, if above 130, give 0.2, get that +1.5, and leave food out so he can raise himself up if needed. If under that, I would probably skip. That's just me...do whatever YOU feel good about!

PS - I know you already know this, I just figure hearing from someone else might help since for whatever reason, it's a LOT harder when it's your own kitty looking at you! Had to be talked off the ledge before (once made someone reassure me that NOT shooting a green PS was the right thing to do because though I had advised others not to do it...somehow I panicked when I got one!). :)
 
It is so much easier to give my logical thoughts to other people, and then get caught up in my own emotional thoughts!

I'm glad I checked this before I shot. I was honestly thinking of just giving him a 0.4 again and assuming that last night was an anomaly. So I went with a 0.2 which might have been a little closer to a 0.3 (oh, these tiny doses!). I don't think it will be enough, but better safe than sorry since I won't be home.

He always has food, but I am leaving him with a bit more than normal. I do think his nadir has shifted earlier the last couple of cycles, so more like +3.5 instead of +4.5, so hopefully the +1.5 will let me know what he's planning before I leave.

If only I didn't have to work...
 
Whew! Exciting! He needed to remind you that he's a cat, Djamila, and won't willingly follow rules or let you get complacent. :smuggrin: And you're right - having to work gets in the way. Retirement makes it easier but I still want a regimen that satisfies the requirements of keeping Teasel safe, getting his BG down to acceptable levels and allowing me the freedom to do other things.
 
Ugh. 156. That's why I hate these safety reductions :mad:. Okay, off to work. At least I won't have to worry about him going low, right? We'll get him back on track.
 
Merp. You know Djamila, you can ALWAYS ignore what I say and go with your own gut! It won't hurt my feelings...and you know I sometimes tend to the more conservative, which is why you are great to balance me out with the more aggressive approach. Please always always feel free to ignore what I say!!

With luck that was just a food spike and he'll head nicely into the upper greens and then present you with a beautiful preshot again tonight!
 
Rachel said:
Merp. You know Djamila, you can ALWAYS ignore what I say and go with your own gut! It won't hurt my feelings...and you know I sometimes tend to the more conservative, which is why you are great to balance me out with the more aggressive approach. Please always always feel free to ignore what I say!!

With luck that was just a food spike and he'll head nicely into the upper greens and then present you with a beautiful preshot again tonight!
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No, for safety's sake the lower dose was the right decision. I would have given him the full dose if I'd been home, but going 12 hours unsupervised, it was better to keep him safe. I just have to remind myself that his "bad" numbers are still pretty good.
 
@Yong Sam is supposed to be 11 pounds. Would you mind figuring out his calories? I've always just gone with the visual approach: Hmmm....he looks chubby (cut back on food). Hmmm....he looks skinny (add more food). Not a very precise system ;)
 
Huh. He eats (at most) 200 calories per day. I guess that's where activity and metabolism factor in as well, huh? He doesn't run around much. He's a bit of a coach potato - despite the myriad of toys he is offered on a regular basis. He prefers to just watch Atticus chase the feathery/lazer/mousy things around.
 
Djamila said:
Huh. He eats (at most) 200 calories per day. I guess that's where activity and metabolism factor in as well, huh? He doesn't run around much. He's a bit of a coach potato - despite the myriad of toys he is offered on a regular basis. He prefers to just watch Atticus chase the feathery/lazer/mousy things around.
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Bet his eyes are in great shape, LOL.
 
I'm really conflicted tonight. Sam is at 90 right now. We are stalling which is always super fun (sarcasm). What if he doesn't rise? I think what I really need is someone to tell me not to shoot on a high green. @Rachel , weren't you just saying somewhere that you had this dilemma one time? I shot on a 113 the other day, and that's basically the same thing. If I skip a shot, I know he's going to rise in a few hours. But shooting on a green is stupid, right?
 
Djamila said:
I'm really conflicted tonight. Sam is at 90 right now. We are stalling which is always super fun (sarcasm). What if he doesn't rise? I think what I really need is someone to tell me not to shoot on a high green. @Rachel , weren't you just saying somewhere that you had this dilemma one time? I shot on a 113 the other day, and that's basically the same thing. If I skip a shot, I know he's going to rise in a few hours. But shooting on a green is stupid, right?
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Shall I say "yes" to that? Better too high for a day ... Or you can try what I did with Teasel a few times when he was on ProZinc: feed him his dinner, wait 30 - 45 minutes, retest and shoot then.
 
Lol...too late. I gave him a teeny tiny dose (Note to future readers: Do NOT try this!). I'm going to keep a very close eye on him, I promise, and if he ends up getting some gravy he'll be the happiest cat alive anyway! My money is on a rising number through +2, and then a totally safe green at +3 which seems to be his nadir these days.
 
Whoops! So sorry, Djamila, I missed you earlier! We've been having some internet issues due to a pretty bad storm we're having. I have been there and had to get Sue to tell me not to shoot (but I was heading right to work then so I couldn't have monitored). I would have said don't shoot BUT this is you. You know what you're doing, you know how to steer if needed, and you've shot very low numbers before due to Sam being Sam. :) I'd be worried if most people did that, but with you I'm not. Skipping would be sad since you really want to get him back OTJ. Let us know how he does!!!
 
Thanks, Rachel. I would never recommend someone else do this either! I know it's risky. And would never ever even consider it if I wasn't going to be sitting here with him all evening.

So far so good though - he's at 116 which is pretty much the same as his pre-shot.

I know it's crazy to shoot this low, but I felt like I had enough data to predict what the cycle would do. And to predict the consequences if I left him without insulin right now. We'll find out if I was right or not in a few hours!
 
Hey Djamila. I present to you on behalf of FDMB the Coveted Balls of Steel and for whatever it's worth, I would have done exactly what you did tonight by reducing the insulin, feeding and shoot. You know what to do to keep him safe. Just what is the lowest number ProZinc should shoot? I don't remember, never got to that point on ProZinc.

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I am humbled and honored by this prestigious award.

We'll see in a couple of hours if I've earned it or if I should have received the "gee, that was dumb!" award ;):p

There isn't a defined lowest number for Prozinc. I have always said I wouldn't shoot below 120 because 120 is a healthy, non-diabetic number. However, Sam rises mid-cycle if I don't shoot on the low numbers, so right now I'm basing it on my estimation of his nadir. Lacking a crystal ball, that means I'm guessing and going with my gut. :nailbiting::eek::eek::eek:
 
Djamila said:
I am humbled and honored by this prestigious award.

We'll see in a couple of hours if I've earned it or if I should have received the "gee, that was dumb!" award ;):p

There isn't a defined lowest number for Prozinc. I have always said I wouldn't shoot below 120 because 120 is a healthy, non-diabetic number. However, Sam rises mid-cycle if I don't shoot on the low numbers, so right now I'm basing it on my estimation of his nadir. Lacking a crystal ball, that means I'm guessing and going with my gut. :nailbiting::eek::eek::eek:
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Your gut has served you well in the past. Feeding the curve tonight through the nadir to help him surf along will keep him safe. You are experienced at this dance. ;)
 
Lol congrats on the award!!!

You do have tons of data on Sam and you KNOW he will rise...and since this is his second time around, you gotta do what you gotta do. I think you made the right choice. :) I'm excited to see what numbers he gets tonight!
 
Whew! 81 at +3, and he's usually been rising by +4, so that should be about it for the night. That was kind of nerve-wracking! Thanks for all of the encouragement tonight, everyone! I was kind of expecting y'all to just tell me I was insane! o_O

I don't even have words for how much I appreciate this community! You are all absolutely the best companions one could wish for along this journey!
 
Wowwww! That's awesome how that worked out, Djamila! Sam did great and look at that nice blue preshot it gave you this morning!

As for being insane, well...we're ALL mad here! But considering how Sam is stubbornly staying right on the edge of OTJ, I think what you did was perfect (to clarify to anyone who might be lurking and reading this post: Sam is on his second round of FD and Djamila is one of our most experienced caregivers here. Please DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME).

Storm safely passed and I stayed tucked inside listening to my weather radio announce flash flooding in the area! Glad that's over...it's always a little nerve wracking!
 
So glad you stayed safe! A friend of mine was caught up in a flash flood a few years back and only narrowly escaped. Those things are terrifying!

Sam certainly is being a bit stubborn about this whole thing! I think he just likes the attention! ;):rolleyes:
 
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