6/18 Boris AMPS 211, +6 200

learjetta

learjetta

Member
Yesterday's condo here.

I was going to try to get a second BG last night, but didn't make it - my husband already thinks we test too much, and I can't test him on my own. I tried on my own last night but he really fought me. I'll try again tonight. But I'm much encouraged by this morning's AMPS of 211. He hasn't been that low before breakfast in a long time. I'm hopeful that this will be the new normal.

I was supposed to call the vet the Thursday before we left for the wedding, but didn't since they were going to want to change his dosage right before we left and I didn't want to argue. My new plan is to call them this Thursday, hopefully with much lower numbers due to the diet change. Otherwise they will want to go up to 3u, and I'm not willing to do a whole unit increase. So far phone conversations have only been with the vet tech, and they always end up in conflict.

This vet seemed very open to things like changing up Boris's diet, so maybe I just need to make an appointment and go in person so I can speak directly with the vet and bypass the tech. Take a copy of the SLGS protocol, and hash it out.

I hate, hate, HATE feeling unsupported in this.
 
Nice start for Boris. I hope he heads down and surfs. I hope if you meet face to face with your vet they will be willing to work with you.
 
Boris is looking really nice this morning!

Re: testing by yourself - You will get there! sometimes I wait until Mowgli is passed the eff out, he typically doesn't even notice. Otherwise positive reinforcement with LC treats will go a long way! Don't be discouraged, you're doing really great :D

Re: Your vet - definitely bring the information of SLGS, explain that you're worried about potential of Hypo events, show them your spreadsheet so they can see all the great data you've pooled together so far, your vet could even end up learning something new ;) In the end... YOU decide how much insulin you give your cat and how much you test him, you aren't hurting him by testing him and you're doing your due diligence to ensure that Boris isn't being put in a dangerous situation.

Re: Support - You have all of us who have all been in your situation at one point or another, at home, no doubt it is very frustrating when the people around you don't see value in how you decide to care for Boris, but they probably haven't done all of the research that you have and they probably aren't as informed as you. Most people I talk to had no idea that cats can go into remission from diabetes! We are all going through the same trials and tribulations! we will celebrate your and Boris' success' and everyone here will be here to empathize / sympathize with you when something doesn't work out :) Eventually your friends and family will see what progress Boris has made and they will hopefully get on board :D

I think you're doing such an awesome job, it IS hard when you don't have full support from your vet and loved ones, but in the end you can be really proud of yourself because you know you put in the time effort and energy to keep Boris safe and healthy... not everyone would do that, Boris is really lucky :bighug:
 
AmandaE said:
I think you're doing such an awesome job, it IS hard when you don't have full support from your vet and loved ones, but in the end you can be really proud of yourself because you know you put in the time effort and energy to keep Boris safe and healthy... not everyone would do that, Boris is really lucky :bighug:
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Thanks! I needed that!

I called the vet's office, and my attempts to schedule a follow up visit with them regarding Boris's diabetes were stonewalled. They insist I call back with numbers for dosing advice. So I will wait until Thursday, and call back with his numbers.
 
learjetta said:
Thanks! I needed that!

I called the vet's office, and my attempts to schedule a follow up visit with them regarding Boris's diabetes were stonewalled. They insist I call back with numbers for dosing advice. So I will wait until Thursday, and call back with his numbers.
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It's difficult to remember sometimes, what hard work it is staying hopeful and trying to keep your pet healthy. I forget it sometimes too. I think you should always post when you're discouraged, I get discouraged a lot, and feel like Mowgli is backsliding, but as soon as you put it out there someone will be there to remind you how far you've actually come in such a short amount of time. And you will start seeing it in Boris too: drinking less, putting on weight, peeing normal amounts.. you'll be thankful you took an involved approach :)

Patience pants need to be a real thing.

Are you very strongly tied to your vet? would you consider looking for a more collaborative one? For me, vets have been pretty uninvolved with Mowgli's treatment. My initial vet started him on 5u of Caninsulin when the website says not to pass 2u for an initial dose for the first couple weeks :eek: My current vet is more supportive, but because of my job I cant make it to the vet without taking time off, so it's harder for them to be collaborative. So far, I have felt well supported here and have had valuable insights and feedback from members :)
 
AmandaE said:
Patience pants need to be a real thing.
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Indeed!

AmandaE said:
Are you very strongly tied to your vet?
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I'm not, no. I'm not sure how to go about finding a new vet who will be more collaborative though... that's a big issue around here. This vet is a new vet for us, and we don't have a working relationship yet. I'm really hoping we can find a way to collaborate, as the idea of finding yet another vet is really daunting. And as you said, taking time off work to see the vet is difficult, making it even harder. This vet seemed open to modifying his treatment (not insisting on diabetic "prescription" food, happy with us home testing), yet the phone calls with the vet tech have been difficult, especially when Boris was bouncing during his last curve. The vet tech insisted I increase his dose that night to 3u, and I pushed back (and rightly so as he went down to 59 that night!). The call the following day was even more difficult, as she was insistent I only spot check Boris's BG a couple times a week :eek:, and not to change his dosing unless instructed to by them. I basically said I'll be testing at least 3x a day until he's regulated, but I'm willing to discuss dosing changes.

I figure I'll call in Thursday and give the receptionist the numbers (though I'm not sure which ones since we're supposed to be spot checking - I may just call and say I emailed a link to his spreadsheet). When the vet tech calls back, if it doesn't go well I'm going to ask to speak directly to the vet. If that goes poorly, well... I guess we move on.
 
learjetta said:
The vet tech insisted I increase his dose that night to 3u, and I pushed back (and rightly so as he went down to 59 that night!). The call the following day was even more difficult, as she was insistent I only spot check Boris's BG a couple times a week :eek:, and not to change his dosing unless instructed to by them. I basically said I'll be testing at least 3x a day until he's regulated, but I'm willing to discuss dosing changes.
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I remember this from when you first started posting! Ludicrous! I wonder if there is anyway you could get your vet's email information, maybe that could be your direct line to them so that you can bypass the vet tech and not have to worry about starting to look for a different vet. Especially where this one has been supportive in a few ways.
 
AmandaE said:
I wonder if there is anyway you could get your vet's email information, maybe that could be your direct line to them so that you can bypass the vet tech and not have to worry about starting to look for a different vet. Especially where this one has been supportive in a few ways
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That would be the ideal scenario. IMO giving Boris's numbers to a receptionist who then passes them on to a vet tech, who confers with the vet and then calls me with dosing advice is an error prone way to do things. By the time it gets to the vet the information has been filtered by 2 other individuals, and who knows what the vet is actually being told. Kind of like the game telephone, you know? Nobody would do it maliciously, but there's a lot of room for error and misinterpretation.
 
learjetta said:
That would be the ideal scenario. IMO giving Boris's numbers to a receptionist who then passes them on to a vet tech, who confers with the vet and then calls me with dosing advice is an error prone way to do things. By the time it gets to the vet the information has been filtered by 2 other individuals, and who knows what the vet is actually being told. Kind of like the game telephone, you know? Nobody would do it maliciously, but there's a lot of room for error and misinterpretation.
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Definitely, not to mention you already know that the tech is skeptical of your methods! I think there is actually definitely a chance she may selectively provide information, even if the intent isn't malicious
 
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