2/16Ravan/amps139/+2 211/+6 217/pmps389/+4 301/+6 200/+8 153/

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by JoyBee&Ravan, Feb 16, 2019.

  1. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
  2. Judy and Boomer

    Judy and Boomer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2014
    Love seeing all these greens and blues Ravan! Good job!
     
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  3. carfurby (GA)

    carfurby (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2012
    Nice surfing yesterday. I hope you see more green today.
     
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  4. Barbara & Uncle (GA)

    Barbara & Uncle (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2016
    Ravan is looking good, nice run of healing numbers yesterday.
    Hope today brings more :bighug::bighug::bighug:
     
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  5. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

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    Feb 17, 2018
    Looks like he's going to bounce!:arghh: +2 211 He didn't have any Big drops or real low #'s I can not understand sometimes why the bounce?
     
  6. Barbara & Uncle (GA)

    Barbara & Uncle (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2016
    IDK, maybe someone more eagle-eyed than me can spy a reason by looking at Ravan's spreadsheet, but I can't see anything obvious.
    Maybe it's just a blip and not a major trend upward today, I guess time will tell
    I know you've probably heard this before but it's true, some cats are just more bouncy
    When I look at Ravan's spreadsheet, I see a lot of progress. I hope you can feel good about that :bighug::bighug::bighug:
     
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  7. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    What a great day he had yesterday! All greens :D And last night wasn't too shabby either. It does appear out of place that today he would bounce when on 2/3 he had an AM and a PM cycle of all greens and decent cycle the next day with no real bounce. The only thing I can think is that this is a consistency issue. Those dang syringe markings can be off as much as .25 of a unit. Without calipers, it is really hard to be consistent. Didn't you say you got some? I'm so convinced of their importance.

    Not trying to nag....
     
  8. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

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    Sep 6, 2015
  9. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

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    Feb 17, 2018
    Yes, someone here was so kind to send me calipers she no longer needs. I've been so exhausted & so far behind in my house work I just haven't tried them yet.
    I guess once I get the hang of it ,it will be easy but I'm trying to figure out how do I do it without a light under the syringe? I watched the video by Marje & she has a light box under it?
     
  10. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Do you have a small lamp that you could put at your testing area. That's what I do and use 3.0 reading glasses AND a magnifying glass before I am satisfied that the dose is where it needs to be.

    And you are right, once you get them set up it is so much easier and takes all the guess work out of the equation. It's like anything else, it's a learning curve and feels uncomfortable at first, but then it becomes second nature.
     
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  11. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2015
    I don't use a light. I do it over a white paper towel though.

    Wasn't @Marje and Gracie creating a list of the settings for different syringes? I don't remember if I ever saw the list.
     
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  12. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

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    Feb 17, 2018
    If you find out please let me know.
     
  13. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    I always draw the insulin into the syringe while holding it up under a bright light. I don't get how do you draw up the insulin & hold the calipers at the same time?
    I know I've heard not to squirt any insulin back into the pen but I'm not in a financial position to just squirt it out in the air everytime I draw insulin. A pen usually lasts me 4 months.

    Now I'm having a problem buying just one pen. The Osco drug was selling me one but now they won't open the box & neither will nearly every place I called today!
     
  14. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Here's how I do it. I get my syringe ready by taking the plunger up and down a few times to move the lubricant around. Then put the plunger back up to the top of the barrel. I then take my calipers with the dose set and see where it falls on that syringe just as a visual. Then draw up the insulin under the lamp with my readers on and fine tune where it needs to be according to the calipers with my magnifying glass while still wearing my readers. :eek: So, you are not holding the calipers while drawing the insulin.

    I understand about not wanting to waste the insulin, but the lubricant in the syringes can contaminate the insulin when you shoot it back into the pen or vial. And that will compromise the integrity of the insulin possible shortening the life span. I have gotten pretty proficient in my draw where I most of the time don't even to squirt any out and if I do, it's not more than a .50 unit. I find that using the calipers first to see where I need to stop drawing really helps. And I draw the insulin under my lamp very very slowly so I don't over draw.

    Check your local Walmart pharm some sell one pen at a time as does Marks Marine Pharmacy, that is where I got my last singe pen and they beat out Costco and Walmart prices even with the S/H charge. You do not need to be a member of Costco to use their pharmacy.


    ETA: I got ahead of myself. After you move the plunger up and down to move the lubricant around, keep the plunger down lower by a few units than the dose you are on. THEN check with the calipers where visually the dose will fall. THEN move the plunger to the top of the barrel. Doing it that way keeps the black plunger out of your visual field while checking with the calipers first. I am making sense?
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2019
    Reason for edit: ETA
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  15. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    Ravan is on 1 unit to squirt out .5 is not acceptable! That's half his dose!

    Walmart & Costco here will not open a box to sell one pen.:(

    So you're holding the pen & drawing the insulin,then laying the syringe down & checking the insulin with the caliper ?

    When I go to Marks Marine Pharmacy & type Levemir The only thing that comes up is Box of 5 pens?

    Can I ask about how much did it cost for one pen & shipping?
     
  16. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Joy, I was forgetting you are using Lev not Lantus. I was quoting single Lantus Pens. It's worth a call to Marks and ask if they will sell one pen. I am sort of remembering that I had to ask about single Lantus pens.

    That is the MAX that I ever have to express out. Most of the time I draw right where I need to be or maybe have to squeeze out a drop or two.

    After I draw, under my lamp I hold the filled syringe and the calipers in a vertical position to check where I am.
     
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  17. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    One pen was around 85 dollars. If Marks won't break up a box, how about you post here if anyone is willing to sell you one of their pens? Someone just might be willing to recoup some of the $$ they put out.
     
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  18. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    I just called Meijer's Pharmacy They'll sell me a pen for about $100 I ordered it & can pick it up tomorrow, I kinda waited till last min to get another pen I'm really low. Next time I might get one from the Supply Cabinet I heard someone named Alan sells Levemir?

    I read that China was one of the best regulated cats Did Chris use calipers? It seems most of the people here don't? I'm not sure i understand why a small difference in the insulin dose would cause a bounce?
     
  19. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Oh good! So glad that you are able to get a pen. Yes, Alan sells Lev, he used to sell Lantus and that is where I always got mine until it was too difficult for him to get.

    Yes, China was a well regulated cats along with Bubba. I do believe that Chris also used calipers.

    The calipers help with consistency in getting the correct amount of insulin into the kitties each time. Not over, not under, just right.
     
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  20. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

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    Feb 17, 2018
    Why does it cause a bounce if it's not Exactly the same??
     
  21. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

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    Sep 6, 2015
    I just pull up a little more than Ollie needs. Then measure with calipers (my kitchen light is very bright, actually to bright for me) holding syringe in left hand perpendicular over white paper towel and calipers in right hand. Fine tune and check with calipers until it's right.
     
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  22. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    So you're squirting out some each time you give a shot?

    Do you know why it's so important to get the dose exact?
    And why would a slightly different amount cause a bounce?
     
  23. Amanda and a Loudogg

    Amanda and a Loudogg Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2017
    I don't think it would really be a bounce per say, but say the small inconsistencies of eye-balling doses could mean Ravan is getting too much one cycle and/or too little. It's my understanding that this could effect the depot and he could get, say, randomly lower numbers a couple few cycles later that seem out of the norm or some higher numbers that don't fit. I've frequently wondered about that with Lou here and there. I bought some calipers, but I just haven't started using them yet. I think after a while it all comes out in the wash anyway. Ravan has been doing so well, maybe he just wanted a break from the beach today. (Is that really a thing?! :rolleyes:). I hope he gets back to business soon!
     
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  24. LizzieInTexas

    LizzieInTexas Well-Known Member

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    Jul 25, 2016
    Got to be careful shipping in/to cold weather places. If it freezes it is ruined.
     
  25. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    I ordered from the Meijers Pharmacy near me I'll pick it up tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!:):bighug:
     
  26. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    I don't mind a "Break" once in a while, but does he need to try for the moon pmps 389!!:eek:
    astro cats.jpg This photo is hanging above his Litter box. He has aspired to be the first Kitty on the Moon for quite a while now. I was hoping he was over his obsession but i guess not :rolleyes:
     
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  27. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2015
    Yes I do squirt out. I pull up a bit more and it helps get rid of bubbles.
     
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  28. JoyBee&Ravan

    JoyBee&Ravan Well-Known Member

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    Feb 17, 2018
    I really cannot afford to waste any insulin. So that's not an option for me!
     
  29. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    I did already. It’s listed on the original Dosing with Calipers post. :)
     
  30. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

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    Sep 6, 2015
    I see it now. Didnt it was there. Thanks.
     
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  31. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    You’re welcome :bighug::bighug:
     

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