4/3 Viamo, AMPS=372, +2=303, update on his BG, food and dosage

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Ok, I think it has been more than a week since I last posted here. The situation has not improved with his BG levels, they have actually returned back to poorly regulated levels, at least judging by his preshot numbers. He is also extremely hungry all the time, which worries us a bit.

Many factors might be to blame. Especially we haven't been measuring him other than at preshots, and we haven't changed his dosage (currently 5U) in over seven days. It's frustrating that after reaching good levels Viamo always seems to jump away from them and we need to increase his dose constantly.

We have just bought a new set of measuring strips, so today I'm running a test every two hours just to get a picture of what his values are at the moment, and most importantly, to know in what range his nadir is. It will most certainly be over 200, so it'll probably be time to increase his dose.

Another thing: we've run out of the canned food we werr using for the last couple of months and it has been discontinued, so we're feeding him a homemade mix of chicken parts until we find some other reasonably low-carb, canned, balanced food.

Confession: I'm probably writing less here because it stresses me a lot to think of all the things that we have to take care of with Viamo, and it's even more difficult during our lockdown (which is mandatory here in Argentina). Words of motivation (or relatability) are welcome.

 

Looks like he was bouncing today. Not the best day for a curve unfortunately. Or the best way to decide to change his dose. I'm not sure why you increased from 4.75 to 5 units. The 4.75 was getting some rather lower green nadirs. If you cannot test as much as TR needs, it might be better to follow SLGS for dosing instead.

Sorry you've run out of the good canned food. Could you put a note in the Remarks section of the spreadsheet on the day you had to change his diet? Maybe that is impacting his dose needs?

I think a lot of the world is in lockdown. I was lucky to find a pet food delivery company that delivered right to my house, so I don't have to go out shopping. Lockdown can really help the situation, it is here. It's a small thing we can do to help others.

 

You are right, and now I see that I messed up, because there was no reason for that increase. It was done by judging only his preshot numbers, which is not correct. This means we might be giving him a higher dose than needed –potentially three quarters higher than what works. This comes from not measuring him mid-cycle.

What would be the correct thing to do now? He got pretty good numbers today with 5.50U, so he'll probably be bouncing tomorrow anyway. Now that we're on lockdown I'm willing to measure a lot more during the day.

 

If you can keep testing, at least four times per day or two per cycle, you can continue this dose. If he goes below 50, then you'll know the dose is too high.

 

Hello Teo. Hope that you and your mom Ana and the rest of your family are well.

Yes, it's scary and hard to take care of a diabetic cat, and even more stressful during lock down, like many of us are in. Our lives have been upended, with this covid19 virus and we need to reevaluate how we navigate, how we handle, how we change and go forward with everything we want to do and everything we need to do from this point on.

What do you do as a stress reliever? I connect with nature. That can be as simple as looking out my window at the birds and enjoying the rainy day or taking a few minutes each evening to watch the sunset and listen to the world around me as night falls. That gives me hope. Hope and the realization that life goes on. I "treasure every day", no matter what it brings.

I'm also keeping in email and phone contact every day with some close friends. Even if we can't see each other in person, we still connect with each other at least once a day. It's later in the fall there for you in Buenos Aries. Notice the changes that are going on around you, as the seasons progress.

Find things to enrich your life. Maybe try something new that you have never done before. Maybe try something that you used to do, that for whatever reason you stopped doing. Find ways that you can take your mind off the world for a bit. Reread a good book. Watch a movie with family. Cook a special meal. Reach out and see if you can help anyone else during this time. Maybe you are going to the store, and someone you know is looking for a much needed item. Offer to keep your eyes open, and pick it up for them.

I'm scared every time I have to go out to the grocery store to buy more food, or pick up a prescription at the pharmacy that can not be delivered. So many of us are relying on home delivery for much that we need in our lives right now. But I keep positive, keep an upbeat attitude, and protect myself as much as possible.

Hope. There is hope. Remember that above all else.