New and stressed!

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Wendy D, Mar 3, 2018.

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  1. Wendy D

    Wendy D New Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    My boy was just diagnosed with diabetes & kidney failure. (He's the black & white one in the middle of the pic). 100_1085.JPG I'm a nervous wreck as I've never had a "special needs" cat, dog, or any other pet and I am almost 52! It terrifies me to have to give him shots, have to hook him up to the iv for the sub Q infusions daily...geez! And I've raised two human kids!! I'm not afraid of needles and the like, just afraid of injecting him and somehow hurting him. I know it's almost impossible to do that unless I inject incorrectly, but my brain can't seem to grasp the rational side of injections. I just gave him his first at-home injection, crying the whole time. His condition has been very costly thus far (almost $1000 and he was just diagnosed three days ago), but I would never consider giving up on him because of cost or "inconvenience". I know I'm not alone in this feeling of stress, nervousness, and anxiety, and in a few months, I'm sure I'll be a "pro" when it comes to injections, feedings, and such. How does one overcome this fear of hurting their furbaby until they get used to doing it? As an aside--it doesn't help my stress levels having my mom recently diagnosed with a-fib and heart failure. There are other things going on in my life simultaneously as well (like these two things aren't enough! When it rains, it may pour for most people, but for me, when it rains, it turns into a hurricane/tsunami.) Seems the tires are falling off one by one and I'm the one driving the (caregiver) car.
     
  2. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

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    Aug 16, 2015
    Hi Wendy welcome to you and your boy (name?). Your right we’ve all been where you are and it will get better! It’s possible that the kidney problems are due to dehydration and his numbers may improve when he’s fully hydrated. Come over to the Main Forum and tell us more about your kitty. What are you feeding, what kind and how much insulin, are you hometesting (easy to do and highly recommended) and if he has any other medical conditions. Hope to see you there!
     
  3. Sean & Rufus

    Sean & Rufus Well-Known Member

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    Jan 10, 2018
    Hi Wendy! Welcome! It is tough at first, but you'll get used to, as with anything in life! He's lucky to have a mom like you to love him and do anything you can to help him! Best of luck and hopefully things get easier for you soon :)
     
  4. Tanya and Ducia

    Tanya and Ducia Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2017
    I recite the "I hurt you (by testing) to avoid the greater harm to your life and health (Hypo, ketones, and such) Mantra until this day. It helps. I also remember vividly my girl in hypo - convulsing, foaming at the mouth, etc and feel that poking an ear in a safe. painless spot is by far lesser evil that the unknown BG level whilst on a dose of very potent hormone. Works.

    I had no clue cats can possible have diabetes - let alone injections, needles or SQ fluids - I am fine with it all now and I feel that my fear was the greater burden on my back than the FD care procedures were.. :rolleyes::rolleyes: Just give it some time to settle down, post anything yo are worried. need to learn about on the Main Forum - and you'll get access to an unprecedented level of knowing, understanding and practical expertise in handling FD daily.

    I have read the same sentence many, many times on this Board and often enough to mention - the "failure" part was often an exaggeration.
    Cats did fine for years to come with proper care.
    Cheer up! You are in the best place to get help. See you o the Main Forum!
     
  5. Sean & Rufus

    Sean & Rufus Well-Known Member

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    Jan 10, 2018
    How true is that! Kidney failure is used incorrectly by a lot of vets. Kidney failure is when there is hardly any hope left. What most cats have is kidney disease, and any cat over 8 has some degree of kidney disease!
     
  6. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    That’s a lot to throw at you all at once. I want to reassure you that diabetes is very treatable and not a death sentence. We are here for you if you need us.

    Post your lab reports on the main health forum if you'd like some suggestions.

    It will get easier
     
  7. Wendy D

    Wendy D New Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Thanks all! His name is Oliver and he's such a good boy during his treatments. He takes it like a trooper and loves the new food he gets as a result of all of this. I'll get through it I'm sure--just hate the newness of it all.
     
  8. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Jul 6, 2017
    :)Welcome! I like your pile of kitties.
     
  9. Wendy D

    Wendy D New Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Thanks! I have one other, but she's camera shy. She's heard the camera adds 5 lbs and at 19 lbs, she thinks she doesn't need to look any bigger. :)
     
  10. sassycatlady

    sassycatlady Member

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    Dec 11, 2017
    Hi Wendy -
    Welcome to the board. I just wanted to respond to the concerns about SubQs to address the kidney issues. I had a kidney kitty for many years and eventually mastered the SubQ technique, but what really helped me with taking care of him and learning all about the importance of hydration was Tanya's CKD site. It is chock full of great, reliable, trustworthy information (akin to this site) and I *highly* recommend you visit it. There is even a message board like this one if you have questions/concerns and awesome, experienced members will chime in to help. Think of it as CKD - Chronic Kidney Disease - rather than "kidney failure" (which is an outdated term). Like others here have said the term "failure" implies imminent demise which isn't usually the case with these guys. CKD is a chronic, progressive disease and symptoms can be managed quite well with fluids, food, and when warranted, medications. I know it's really scary and intimidating at first (especially dealing w/kidney disease AND diabetes at the same time), but take it one day at a time and slowly work your way up to glucose testing and administrating SubQ's. It's not going to always be successful at your first attempt but with time and patience you will get it. Your cat will get used to it - it doesn't hurt them at all (though they will probably complain for awhile ;) ). And we're all here behind you, 100%, b/c we have all been there. So, feel free to ask questions and get the support you need here. It's a welcoming place. And information is power, I always say (I'm a librarian, so I'm all about trustworthy, life-changing information!). People are always in awe what I do for my cats (SubQs, glucose testing, insulin injections), but it's really because of the the information - and support from others - I have read and acted on that made it possible. Anyone can do this. You just have to want to.
     
  11. Wendy D

    Wendy D New Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Thanks! I feel a bit more comfortable with giving him the insulin injections twice a day. However, he does not like being hooked up to the iv for his dehydration issues. I can't tell you how many times he's managed to wiggle just enough to cause it to come out. On the bright side, my floors should be nicely hydrated by now. I've pretty much given up on that and started giving him Pedialyte, which he seems to like for whatever reason.
     
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