Re: Cupcake - I am afraid of withdrawing insulin

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by Cupcake, Nov 14, 2013.

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  1. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Morning here :coffee:

    Well, it seems he wants to stay green for a while... I have no comments and lost as always. I think it is too early to rejoice. Maybe it's just a short period of green numbers... :shock:
     
  2. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    Re: Cupcake - Greeen? :O 1U BID? What's thaaat???

    BEAUTIFUL numbers for Cupcake!!!

    But now is where you need to watch him closely with your meter. Anytime you get a reading below 50 you will want to reduce his dose by .25u.

    It definitely looks like he wants to give you an OTJ party for Christmas. :D

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  3. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Re: Cupcake - Greeen? :O 1U BID? Reduce???

    Oh, Mel, my husband and I are more than excited! We do not want to shout hurray!!! too early. We just watch and... and can't believe it! :eek: :shock: :eek: :shock:
    What do you think about 0,75 BID? Should I reduce his dose?
     
  4. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    Re: Cupcake - Greeen? :O 1U BID? Reduce???

    Yes my dear, reduce his dose to .75 b.i.d. If he goes into the 50s again. Reduce again. ♥

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  5. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Re: Cupcake - Greeen? :O 1U BID? Reduce???

    Oh, Mel ohmygod_smile
    I'm just a stupid human-being running around with glucometer and syringes in my hands, waiting to see some blues, yellows and pinks... :eek: :shock:
    What's going on here? We haven't passed throug all the stages of the protocol yet! I expect him to see in the phase 3 (stabilization), not phase 4 (reducing), not to talk about remission!!!
    I am still prepared for hard work waiting ahead!!! :shock: :shock: :eek: :D
    And he's looking at me calmly right now... :eek:
     
  6. Dana & Thomas

    Dana & Thomas Member

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    Re: Cupcake - Greeen? :O 1U BID? Reduce???

    Labas Ruta,
    It looks as if Cupcake is not waiting till Kucios, to get off of the juice. He is looking good; I hope he is playing and being himself again.
    Danute
     
  7. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Re: Cupcake - Greeen? :O 1U BID? Reduce???

    Danute, labas vakaras!
    Yes, Cupcake is very active, playful and happy, however, I cannot say the same about myself. I got used to all the diabetic procedures, I even got used to my permanent stress... And now I'm so afraid of stopping giving him insulin, I even had a nightmare tonight. I dreamt that Cupcake's BG has risen again ;( It was a living nightmare! I think that if I stop giving him insulin his BG will rise again and I'll be forced to start everything from the beginning...
    I know it sounds crazy. I should be crying out of joy now. Should I stop his injections? Do you mean we need to start OTJ trial period? Oh, nooo....

    I feel like it's unsafe to shoot, but it is unsafe not to shoot at the same time :(
     
  8. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    May 26, 2010
    Sweetheart even if he fails the OTJ trial all that happens is you start insulin again. But if you give insulin when he doesn't need it he could hypo and die.

    My Maxwell was only on insulin for two weeks before going OTJ. And the first of this month he's been insulin free for 3 years and counting..

    Just stop Cupcake's shots and keep testing like you are. If he gets above 200 then start him back on a very low dose. But if he stays between 40-130 on his own...We PARTY!!

    Remember when I said some cats waltz and some Tango and some just don't like to dance? Well Cupcake looks like he is tired of dancing. This is a cause for celebration!!!

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  9. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Dear Melody,

    are You saying that I must stop his shots right now? Tonight? And restart them only in case his BG is above 200? I shouldn't give him his PM shot tonight, should I? :? :?
    Maybe I could keep him at 0,25U? I'm reading the Protocol now and it says that a reduction is necessary in case when a cat regularly (every day for at least one week) has its lowest BG in the normal range and stays under 100... Oh... ohmygod_smile

    It's so nice to read about such a lucky Maxwell's story! I was prepared for a longer fight! :D :D
     
  10. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    Yes I would test but not shoot tonight if he is still green. Then test again tomorrow morning like normal if again below 130 no shot.

    You can also do this: Test then feed him wait 2 hours and test again if his BGs stay in the normal range you have a working pancreas :)

    He should rise a little on food but drop right back down again on his own if he is making his own insulin again.

    If he stays in normal range for 14 days then he is officially OTJ.

    Hope you have lots of good pictures of him because when we have a kitty go OTJ there is a really nice lady that makes them an OTJ video so we can all share in his party.

    I'll see if I can post a link to the one she made for Maxwell.

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  11. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Mel,

    I think I'm crazy because if someone was in my shoes he or she would cry out of joooooy! :razz: As for me, I'm staring at my computer's screen and do not know what to do...
    I cannot feed him and then retest because he has his food 24/7.
    Photography is my passion, but I ceased photographing since my precious Cupcake got ill... But yeah, I do have some shots! :)

    One more thing: I'll never forget this forum. And I'm not going to leave you all (especially You and Danute)! You were here when I needed support so very much! I do not feel I could give lots of advice for others except to listen to one's heart. But I am overwhelmingly thankful and will never find those "right" words to say thanks. If you would live in Europe, I'd sent you my special cake, but I'm afraid it'd go bad till it reaches your destination :mrgreen:

    eeehhhhrm.... can I give him 0,25U tonight? ohmygod_smile ohmygod_smile

    P.S. Sorry for my grammar mistakes, if any :roll:
     
  12. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    Lol Your grammar is actually better than mine. lol We Americans are extremely bad at watching our grammar and spelling. :oops:

    And you never know one of these days I just might make a trip back to Europe. As I am French by birth although I was just a babe in arms when my family left France. And have only been back once since becoming an adult. Plus my son is married to a lovely Polish girl and they use to live in Germany but my son is military and is now stationed in Hawaii, but my daughter-in-law keeps wanting me to accompany her on a trip home to Warsaw to see all the European Castles, in fact both she and my son are trying to talk my husband and I to redo our wedding vows in one of the grand cathedrals in Germany, since they were not able to make our wedding the first time because of the Iraqi War.

    It is really up to you hon, you hold the syringe. But if he was mine I would wait to see if he can pass his OTJ trial first. I stopped Maxwell's insulin when he was still in the low blues, but I am more frightened of hypo than I am of not giving insulin since my first diabetic girl Muse died of a hypo overnight. So I tend to error on the side of caution. If you are comfortable giving .25u tonight then do.

    But my heart tells me Cupcake is done dancing.

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  13. Dana & Thomas

    Dana & Thomas Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Is that a raguolis or a napaleonas? I can make napaleonas, but there are very few people that can make a raguolis, though people do have them for weddings. Last time I had raguolis was exactly six years ago--my sister and her husband adopted a brother and sister from Kaunas and they brought one home. I was planning on making napaleonas for kucios--do you know if I can make it ahead of time and freeze it?
    This has really gotten off topic. But you have done amazingly well by your sweet Kupkis.
    Now on a very serious note, be careful of shooting when he is low. In 2008, just a few days before my husband and I were to leave on our 25th wedding anniversary cruise, I came home from shopping and found Thomas looking like a rag doll. He was just floppy--I measured his bg and it was LO; on my glucometer that meant he was below 1.1. I rubbed maple syrup on his gums, and then gave him ice cream. It was night and I knew that he could not make it to the emergency vet, and it was up to me. When he revived a bit, I let him have a bowl of ice cream. I am telling you this because that was the most scary time I ever had with Thomas; too low is much harder to handle than too high. But even though you may think that you have not learned lots to share with others, you have.
    Danute
     
  14. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    May 26, 2010
    I have to agree with Dana...Too low is much scarier than too high and can become fatal much faster.

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  15. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Melody,
    What a nice international story you have in your family! Polish girls are very pretty and diligent ;-) Oh, and it's nice to find out you are a French. I studied French when I was a shoolgirl, but it was so long time ago. I still can remember the French song "Sur le Pont d’Avignon" :D
    Thanks for your compliments regarding my English. I was a high achiever in my schoolyears and English was one of my favourite subjects, but now I'm old :mrgreen: and sometimes it's hard to remember all the tenses, you know, what I mean: if.. would... have been... ohmygod_smile :mrgreen:

    Danute,
    I guess you have in mind "Šakotis", not "Raguolis". I'm not as traditional as you might think :) My special cake is English "Brownie" :mrgreen:
    Sadly, I do not want to upset you, but you definitely shouldn't refrigerate "Napoleonas". It will lose all its taste if you do.

    I'm sorry to hear those scary stories of hypo :( I'm sorry about poor Muse :sad:

    Well, let's have a glass of brandy (it's Friday evening here!), refrain from shooting for a while... But no talks about any official OTJ trials please :mrgreen:

    P.S. Have you ever seen such a stupid human-being who is not happy about a possible OTJ and is expecting to see some yellows or pinks? :mrgreen:
     
  16. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

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    Jan 31, 2013
    I think the whole idea of stopping the insulin can be scary for many people Ruta. To think that our cats can actually heal their pancreas and don't need insulin anymore is amazing. I was afraid too.

    The first time I stopped giving Wink Wink Nudge Nudge (yes, that's his full name) insulin, it was because he had gone low too many times for my comfort level. He kept dropping into the 30's and 40's and I kept dropping the dose by tiny increments. Finally, I told myself, enough is enough and I really needed to stop the insulin for a short time, to let him stabilize. I was going to only stop the insulin for a couple of days, let the depot drain and start him back up on insulin at a very low dose, maybe 0.25. Somehow, it turned into my first attempt at an OTJ trial, with some people here encouraging me to try a trial

    I decided at the end of this first OTJ trial, that I was not happy with Wink's numbers, got a couple of 130's- 140's. I wanted to see more consistent greens, not so many blue numbers, so I put him back on a very low 0.1U dose for a couple of weeks. Plus, he got another UTI and was back on antibiotics and those UTI's always pushed his numbers higher. I wanted to make sure Wink would have a strong remission and be able to be diet controlled for as long as possible.

    I probably would have kept him on that tiny dose a bit longer, but the shelter insisted on my taking him to the vet for a curve and they had me bring the insulin vial with me and did not give it back to me! They vet said he did not need insulin anymore. :eek: :shock: :eek: I thought to myself, this is scary, what if his numbers go high again? What am I going to do? Now, I HAD to do an OTJ trial, Wink's 2nd trial and he made it this time. He got almost all green numbers, only a couple of low blue numbers at the start of OTJ trial 2.

    It was scary to me to think that I had no insulin on hand if Wink went high, over 120-130. It's been 8 months now, celebrated that 8 months on 11/12/2013 and he is still not needing any insulin. He has been diet controlled all this time which simply amazes me. I never expected this remission to happen when I took Wink in to foster. The diet change and more consistent dosing really helped him, along with being out of the shelter environment. I was just trying to get him better care in my home instead of the shelter.

    I have not officially adopted him yet, but I'm thinking about it. Maybe, this will be my Christmas present to myself this year.

    I hope that sharing Wink's story with you will help you to make a decision on the insulin for your beloved Cupcake.

    ETA: I still test Wink at least once a week. I want to catch those BG numbers if they start to go higher and get him back on insulin if he needs it.
     
  17. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    Ruta

    I was scared to when I stopped giving Maxwell insulin see while he was on insulin for two weeks I wasn't the one giving it to him. I only personally gave him two shots before I stopped. See I adopted him from this very board as a diabetic sight unseen except for a picture because his owner was sick herself and her family was going to kill him for being diabetic. But he was in Boston Massachusetts and I am in Hastings Nebraska so another lady from this board acted as his foster mom while we got him a flight to Nebraska.

    She had him for those two weeks then put him on a plane out to me. Like you I was ready for a long fight. Maxwell had different ideas, he just wanted a good diet and a safe home to call his own.

    Now his foster mom and I are great friends even though we have never met in person and talk often on the phone... We even now laugh about how she didn't pack him right and he broke in shipping. (Broken is what we call a kitty when they go OTJ) lol

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  18. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Wink Wink Nudge Nudge (whaaaaat a name!!!), I'm touched by your devotion and willingness to help others. Your incredible story have already found a place in my heart, thanks for your answer and support!
    Oh, Mel, Maxwell's story is... is inimitable!

    I have some stories to tell you too :) Let's leave it for the next time :) I'm still holding my syringe and looking for someone / somebody to give a shot!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
    Ok... I'm skipping his dose tonight. Or... maybe I'll give him a 3U shot to ensure he'll never go high again (ok, ok, it's just my humour :oops: )
     
  19. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

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    Lol if you are so insistent on giving a shot. Fill the syringe with Vodka and give it to an orange. ohmygod_smile.

    Mel, Maxwell, Autumn and The Fur Gang
     
  20. Cupcake

    Cupcake Member

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    Oct 8, 2013
    Mel, I choked on my brandy when I read your post (sooo happy my keyboard is still working)! Had a lot of loughing!!!!
    Well, I have some Vodka, I do have syringes... but no oranges or lemons :mrgreen: Sooo... Just three shorthairs are my targets atm. I've even checked my healthy civilian (Sir Ivory Isero). Hiz BG is 88! I think it's too high a little bit, maybe I should give him a 0.25U shot????

    :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

    Nighty night, my guardian angel :* Ok, I officially declare Cupcake's skipp, but no OTJ trial. Let's see his BG tomorrow morning...
     
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