Testing All Night?

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Louellen

Louellen

Member Since 2015
I am noticing a lot of members who seem to have their SS charts filled with numbers all night and day. Some, I see, test every couple of hours throughout both day and night and not just when in low numbers but, seemingly on a regular basis.

I'm wondering how you all do it and manage to work or deal with whatever you have to do all day?

I'm asking because most times when I ask a question about Morrigan, I'm given the advice that I don't test enough and then, see many member's SS numbers that seemingly mean that they are testing every 2 hours all day and all night. I feel less-than so to speak because I have a cat that requires 2 of us to get a test and doing this every hour to 2 hours (unless in crisis mode) just wouldn't be possible for us to continue doing...especially, since hubby won't test.

How do you all do it and function all day or work or whatever??? (This is a sincere question with total admiration for your devotion and abilities...not sarcasm in ANY way!)
 
Some folks don't work outside the home. And, if you've a cat with other issues, it can become a compulsion to check frequently because things are in flux so much - ex with renal disease, appetite and vomiting can alter glucose levels; with hyperthyroidism, there may be increased glucose levels and insulin resistance. etc.
 
I'm a online graduate student so I'm home all day basically so it's no problem. I don't know how I could do it if I was working.
 
I was able to test until fairly late in the PM cycle when I wasn't working. When I was working, it was really difficult - to be honest there were a lot of days when I felt like I was only barely functioning because I'd only had maybe 3 or 4 hours' sleep (and I really tried to make my last PM test +8 at the latest). The only thing that saved me I think was that the work I was doing at the time was less mentally taxing than the work I used to do in the UK so I could pretty much make it through on auto-pilot without messing up. What worried me more a lot of days was driving to and from work when I was that tired - if I fall asleep at my desk, that's bad (well, really really bad actually) but if I fall asleep when I'm driving that's even worse!! Fortunately it never happened - I'm not really sure how I did it apart from knowing that I didn't have a choice!
 
Some people get somewhat addicted to the data. When I started on FDMB people didn't test quite so often - if you look at punkin's ss, you'll see that most of the time I tested about 5 times per day - both preshots, both +3 and sometimes a +5ish to see what the low point was. I have noticed a LOT more people testing a LOT more often than when I began, but it's truly not necessary.

You don't have to test every hour or two or three or four, even. You do need to know how low the dose is getting the cat, however, and there isn't really any way to know that without getting some tests in the mid-cycle, say between +3 and +8. I posted some ideas that might hopefully help you in your thread in the Lantus/Lev group.

The reason people suggest testing more is that tests are all we have to go on when helping someone. We're all lay people, and if we're looking at numbers we can explain the "why" of whatever dose change we might suggest. Without the data, we don't have anything to base our suggestions off of. Preshots are typically the highest point of most cycles with Lantus, and dosing decisions are based upon the low points of Lantus curves, so the preshots don't give the data that can help make a dose decision. If that makes sense.

The older insulins were based upon preshots, so you could get that preshot and then decide how much you were going to shoot.

Lantus and Levemir are depot insulins, which changes everything because of how they work in the body. Did you start on a different insulin? Maybe that's why you're thinking dose decisions can be made from the preshot test.

For me to help someone with dose, I feel comfortable with even 3 tests per day, especially if one of them is in the pm cycle. I'm also comfortable with a curve once a week. I just don't want to screw up by trying to be helpful anyway, even without enough data, and tell someone the wrong thing because I don't have enough to base a suggestion on. What if I endangered someone's cat that way? It's something that has to be considered when you're stepping out on a limb to help people you don't even know. There is a responsibility there that has to be respected.

Edited to add: Here's a great link that explains how Lantus works - that might be helpful. Make sure you read the link on "Lantus & Levemir: What's the Difference?"
 
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manxcat419 said:
I was able to test until fairly late in the PM cycle when I wasn't working. When I was working, it was really difficult - to be honest there were a lot of days when I felt like I was only barely functioning because I'd only had maybe 3 or 4 hours' sleep (and I really tried to make my last PM test +8 at the latest). The only thing that saved me I think was that the work I was doing at the time was less mentally taxing than the work I used to do in the UK so I could pretty much make it through on auto-pilot without messing up. What worried me more a lot of days was driving to and from work when I was that tired - if I fall asleep at my desk, that's bad (well, really really bad actually) but if I fall asleep when I'm driving that's even worse!! Fortunately it never happened - I'm not really sure how I did it apart from knowing that I didn't have a choice!
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Luckily (yeah right) my time in the Air Force really accustomed me to NEVER getting over 3-4 hours of sleep lol. I've been out a few years now but 3-4 hours of sleep is normal for me :( My step father's fell asleep at the wheel 5-6 times. Crashed each time, not too smart. Need more sleep!

I'm hoping once I figure out Luna better to only get 3-4 tests in a day. She's been 'OTJ' before so I hope we can get back there, and we weren't even home testing back then!
 
That's a very good question. Luckily, I have a job that I do from home since I am the caregiver to my 88 year old mother with Alzheimer's. My last job I worked a 10 hour day so testing frequently would have been out of the question. I realize that my situation is a big plus to caring for a diabetic cat too. And I have often thought the same thing "How would I have done this in my old life" Do what you can, especially before you shoot to keep our kittie safe. I do agree with Julie and Pumkin that you can get addicted to the data. Especially while you are trying to regulate the diabetes.
 
pevsfreedom said:
Luckily (yeah right) my time in the Air Force really accustomed me to NEVER getting over 3-4 hours of sleep lol. I've been out a few years now but 3-4 hours of sleep is normal for me :( My step father's fell asleep at the wheel 5-6 times. Crashed each time, not too smart. Need more sleep!
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I'm really not sure that's something I'd want to get too accustomed to! ;) Fortunately, no matter how tired I am I do seem to have the ability to "switch on" alertness for driving - though I don't much like having to do it just in case!! I just hit the unfortunate situation where the first job I'd been offered since moving here coincided with Rosa's last few weeks on insulin - I couldn't really turn down the job and, as it reached the point where Rosa couldn't be tested during the day, I couldn't really skip night time shots either. But we all survived...I'm not sure I'd want to do it again though!!
 
I'm smiling at all of your stories as it reminds me of being up all night and day with a crying, colicky baby again (as I once did and wouldn't have to do that again either! LOL) I would put bread in the cupboard and her teddy bears/toys in the fridge some days...total lack of sleep. But, at my age now (nearly 60)...I can't do it anymore. I want to but, I can't handle it...or, at least, my body and mind won't let me anymore. :( I have to tell my mind that I'm not in my 30's anymore LOL ;)

I really admire all of you for what you're doing and how you've all done it. Of course, I AM up a lot of nights until 3 and 4 a.m. because of lower numbers and fretting about what to do (though she's been high enough that I really didn't need the panic mode reaction and could have slept).

Thank you for the link @julie & punkin (ga). I am going to read that.

As for the reason why I only take the pre-shot numbers and some odd in between numbers or during a curve...well, 2 reasons.
1) Morrigan is a difficult cat to deal with and it takes 2 of us being around to do it so, the vets have told me (3 of them now) that the most important are the pre-shots and when I can...do the curve and get some odd numbers in between now and again but, don't go nuts over it.
2) Morrigan's lowest time of the day, seems to be at the day +12 where I'm now getting questionable shooting numbers. (Vet said NOT to shoot anything 10 and under, between 10 and 11, feed, re-test and if over 11, give full dose).

When I've been able to keep hubby awake long enough to test and hold a writhing, hissing, swatting, biting cat for me, (heaven help me some days), I've gotten night time +1, 2 and 3 numbers and they've been heading up again. The day time curves I've done and the vet has done in clinic all along have been pretty flat. So, from what I have gotten (except for a night +5 to +8 span) it seems that the Day +12 is her lowest of the day. And because of our schedules, we shoot and test pretty late at night so, we're already exhausted (hubby has high BP, diabetes, stent in his heart and HE needs his sleep and rest but, Morrigan can't be done on my own). But, even then, I struggle with it as I've done the day curves and in between testings and it's pretty much the same range and very little dip until the +12 (shooting time). So, I don't see the sense in keeping hubby up and lacking in sleep to do much more nor, does the vet see the sense??? I just know that I'm a walking zombie some days from being up so late, watching her then, not being able to fall asleep and not getting more than a couple of hours. I can't function and heavens...I don't want to crash our car!!! LOL

But, I DO admire all of you who have done this and of course, if Morrigan needs it...we would do it.

I appreciate you all sharing that with me as I feel a bit better about not being able to test like that all day and night. And, yes...I can see where it can become an "obsession" (of course, when numbers aren't low enough to warrant so many tests). I feel a bit better about this now. Thank you! :)
 
@Louellen I can't add much more than has been said already but want to say as a single, nearly 50 year old mom with a 7 year old daughter (what was I thinking??) a dog with heart disease, 9 pets total and a full time job, I had to laugh when you spoke about putting the teddy bear in the fridge and the bread in the cupboard! I know exactly what you mean.

I test when I can but I am very very lucky I don't have a hissing, swatting, upset cat to deal with. I'm one of those people semi-addicted to the data - I think it gives me the illusion of control I crave. I have no idea what I would do if I had a handful like Morrigan. Actually, yes I do - I'd do the best I can like you are and I think Morrigan is a lucky cat to have such a devoted bean. You are doing a great job - try not to worry too much if you can.
 
I couldn't agree more - we all do what we can, when we can. Morrigan is a very individual case - she's one of the few cats who never has become accustomed to testing. ECID - you've tried everything you can to calm her down and it doesn't work with her. And yes, I was data addicted with Rosa...partly because that's just how I am, and partly because she did love to pull fast drops on me when I wasn't looking so a lot of days I felt that I had to test a lot. :rolleyes: I tested more than a lot of people! You're doing an AMAZING job with Morrigan - she clearly feels well enough to fight you over testing, which says a lot in itself. And I completely agree - there aren't all that many people out there who would persevere with trying to test a cat that fights it the way she does...you're a very, very special Cat Mom to keep going the way you do! :) :bighug:
 
Wow...thank you all so very much for this reassurance as I've been feeling like a "bad Mom" to Morrigan because I can't achieve what some of you are doing.
It's so reassuring to know that getting numbers is important BUT...NOT the be-all and end-all of treating her...frankly....because I can't get more as easily or without help. (And, she will ONLY allow hubby and not a neighbour to help...she RUNS when someone else comes in!!)

I think I will have to settle with the idea of doing what I can, when I can and not putting her or us through more than we can handle for all of our sakes. It's no life for any of us, when we're all riled up over testings.
I actually find myself, opening my eyes and shaking at the thought of testing and shooting. The 12 hour span between shots during the day is more tolerable but, it feels as though it's a blink of an eye and I'm testing and shooting a rather upset cat again. LOL It takes me an hour to stop shaking afterwards each time STILL!

I actually had the fill-in vet for our vet (now on vacation until Aug. 8th) say yesterday, "wow...you're so detailed....we don't see this! Most people don't home test, let alone record like this! I even know how many times she's used the litter box and her caloric intake. Our charts aren't this well kept!" Made me laugh with a sigh of relief that someone thinks I'm doing ok with this and now...all of you are saying so as well. :)

Thank you! I hope this also helps other members who are new or struggling with a difficult cat too. :)
 
I can add a suggestion if you haven't heard it/tried it already.
finding a treat that really gets their attention is key to cooperation.... that's why you hear of so many kitties who come running at test time. it can be freeze dried meats, deli meats, cooked or raw shrimp, bite of tuna ( freeze the rest of the can in ice cube trays) cheese, dry food, whatever.... just make it only for test time.
it becomes a positive association.....

my other suggestion is ( and it may take finding that special treat first) is how long has it been since you tried testing
without dh holding down....
in the beginning, i had someone holding mine down for shot time which turned out she was more willing to fight it
when there were two of us....
if it's just me, i'm getting cooperation now.

Granted some cats are just stubborn and you do the best you can....
 
Hi Louellen - I find that as I get older, I seem to need more sleep -- and it is tough for me to test throughout the night. I only do so if Lulu is low and I'm afraid she may go hypo. I usually only test preshot, and once or twice throughout the day, once before I go to bed unless she is heading low. Or when I change her dosage, I'll test more frequently to get an idea of how it's affecting her.
Lulu growls as she's being tested and injected, but she's never bitten or scratched me, thankfully. I'm the only bean here, so it would be really tough to test a cat who was absolutely uncooperative and not afraid to show it :eek::eek:
 
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