SOOO frustrating!* WARNING -VENTING*

Status
Not open for further replies.
nckitties3

nckitties3

Member Since 2013
I just wasted 2 strips, couldn't get enough for a reading and I don't have them to waste and I know I need a mid reading. He decided to fight me the whole time, even though he had fresh cooked salmon to munch on, he must be feeling a little better, he's back to being uncooperative.
I'm just so mad over the strips, I know I won't get the ones I ordered before Wednesday at the earliest and I NEED this midway reading to keep track. I'm so frustrated.
At least with a child you can explain what you're doing and why. He won't let me hold the warm bottle on his ear, I try to 'milk' it and he pulls away, I could just scream!
I'm down to 4 strips and will have no choice but to buy more and I just don't have it to spend, I'm tapped out, it's already cost me over $800 with the vet and everything, just in the last week. And of course, that's when I lose my job. Anything else want to fall in my lap?!?!
I guess I'm going to have to do the towel wrap, I can't afford to keep throwing money away because he won't be still long enough for me to warm his ear and do what I need to do, if he gets mad, so be it.
OK, I'm calmer now, but still seriously miffed over this. I just checked, it's only 1 rebate per household, so getting another one is out of the question, I'll just have to do with what I got and wait for my order to come in, if I run out, I run out, I just won't be able to check him, I'll keep the dose the same and do a curve after I get the new ones. No choice in this one.
I remember what a friend used to say in times like these....." I'm so mad I could chew up nails and spit out chain!!" Now I understand it!!
 
{{Hugs}}

Slow, deep breathing may help you feel calmer.

Focusing on 1 thing at a time may help you feel more in control.

For the employment thing, post in Community about what you do and want to do, and if you're up for moving, and folks will see how they can help, from resume review to letting you know of job postings.

No cost, supplemental methods of monitoring:

Water and food consumption indirectly give you info on diabetic status: high = not regulated, barring other medical problems; normal = more likely controlled.

Urine ouput volume is a clue too: lakes = not controlled (again, barring other medical conditions) vs cups (more normal)

Behavior: Playing? Purring? Grooming? Absence suggests not well and presence suggest doing well.
 
I hear you... Sometimes those strips drive me nuts too. Save the ones you have for now for preshot tests since those are most important and use the other tools BJ mentioned in the interim.

My old meter was great, it hardly needed any blood but it wasn't accurate and I was told to get rid of it. My new meter is much more accurate but needs like 3billion gallons of blood for its measurement or it gives you this very annoying beep beep beep and at 50c a strip (I am in Canada where it's expensive) I sometimes want to throw it out the window.. Especially when it's 3am and I am tired and pmsing....

But it's so worth it once you get them regulated...to see them happy and playing .... Sometimes you just need that second glass of wine . Lol.
 
Just don't be tempted to give the kitty the wine :lol:

Are you heating the ear and giving treats?

hang in there honey.
 
I lost the first reply, the page wouldn't load.

I did get a +8, 249 I think, which is a little higher than pre-shot. I really wanted the +6, but I took what I could get. As much as I need to hang on to every penny, after losing my job Thurs, I know I will go buy more, just because NOT knowing his BG is not an option. I'll do a curve end of the week, when he's been on this dose and low carb diet for a week and then have the Lantus experts look at the SS and give me some advice. That is, unless his numbers are crazy high or low, then I'll adjust, but for now, I plan to keep him right where he is, 1 unit twice a day and try to get, at least, one +6 reading a day. I'm sure I'll have the new meter and strips by then, too.

To avoid the commercial carb treats, I had a 4 oz piece of, wild caught, salmon in the freezer, so I sauted that and flaked it for his treats. This is the first day with no carb treats, too. Well, no, he had them this morning early, for his test, but not since. Even though he eats every 4 hrs or so, it is only 1/4 can w/couple tbsp water added and he doesn't clean the bowl, eats about 80%, so I think that's ok, about 1-1 1/4 a day and it's canned, 50+ protein, 6 carb, 9 lives flaked tuna and egg, went by Binky's list for the cat foods.

His water intake and output is much closer to normal now, I don't have to fill the bowl every day, although I dump it and put fresh and he's not flooding the litter box anymore.

I did have to use the towel for the test, but he didn't fight me at all, it was quick and he ate his treat afterwards, so he couldn't have been too traumatized or he would have shot off and ignored the treats. I think I will stick with that system for a while, it's fast, it works and he didn't seem to mind it. Yes, I did heat the ear, he fought me last time, which was why I couldn't get enough for the test. Everything went fine with him wrapped in the towel. :)

Have no chocolate! But DO have wine..... hmmm there's a thought. ;-)

Thanks All! HUGZ!
 
It can be so frustrating at first. The nice thing is that you can come here and vent, and everyone will understand and commiserate.

Could you give the cash to a friend and have her apply for the rebate and then give it to you?

Have you looked at your private messages? Both Libby and Lu would be willing to help - perhaps lending you a meter and strips or some syringes until yours arrive?

We used the towel (kitty burrito)with Oliver at first and thought it helped. We also spent our first weekend poking the poor kitty without getting a drop of blood. The fact that you have gotten some tests already puts you far ahead of many of us.

Wine, breathing, chocolate - whatever works. You're among friends. :-D
 
Sounds like a rough time of it. Hang in there. And this is a great place to vent. We've all experienced a lot of stressors, fears and frustrations having a sugar baby. Sorry to hear about the strips. they are so not cheap and its frustrating when you aren't able to get the tests. One time I had damp fingers when pulling out the strips and wasted it that way. UGH.

For testing we just used a wet washcloth. I'd warm it in the microwave for about 10-11 seconds and then would sit next to Fur Ball rubbing his ear for a bit. He never seemed to be too bothered by it, especially since I now just rub his ears and chin all the time. I wonder if that could be helpful for your kitty.

Hope your evening goes better. Its all worth it if you can get them stabilized. they will feel so much better and there

Karen
 
I could do that with the rebate, but I might as well go ahead and get the strips, with my luck the new one would get lost in shipping and I'd be back at square 1. This way, I'll have a few reserved, in case I need then.

I've never rubbed Lucian's ears much, he likes his cheeks rubbed and pulls away when you mess with his ears, but I've been rubbing ears on all the cats now, just in case. :)

Everything went smooth with the kitty burrito, so I'll stick with that, whatever works! That was the problem, he wouldn't let me warm his ear, so I couldn't get enough for a sample, but in the towel, he just laid there, not much he could do and it was over in like 1 minute, he had his salmon treats and that was it. I'll do it again at 7:30 before he eats and then he has his shot at 8....the shots are the easy part for both of us.

Thanks All! HUGZ!
 
Good news! When Boots first got her diabetes, I used my neck warmer because it's what I had, didn't think of the rice. ended up while heating her ears, heating her heating neck & upper back,as well.. probably feels good on her arthritis. so it became a treat for her to get the heat.
 
I found my messages, thank you so much.

I've got stuff ordered, new meter and strips, just haven't gotten them yet. There are those, much worse off than me, that need the supply closet, of course, this time next month, may be a different story, keep fingers crossed I find a new job soon. :YMSIGH:

I think I will stop at Goodwill and see if I can find a pair of baby socks and do the rice thing, might be more comfortable than a bottle, to his ear.
 
lol AAAh she's will love the soft heat. Go to cvs or rite-aid and get one those back or neck moist heats.
They are pretty cheap, big enough to warm more of their body. You will be thanking God for the peace. :-)
 
I dug around and found a footie sock and did the rice thing, seemed to work ok, he just doesn't care for his ears messed with. Got his PMPS which is 246, so will get his shot at 8, as scheduled. He was on the same food yesterday, but with the higher carb treats, today he hasn't had them since early this morning, numbers are better than yesterday.

Thanks to everyone, don't know how I would have got thru the last two days without all the help. Time to get off here and watch a little tv before bed, been on here all day reading and I'm so grateful for the knowledge and information you've made available, Bless you!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top