9/17 Tomcat PMPS 256, +2=140, +4=60, +5.5=77

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Hello all.....

did you all hear that? yup, that thud was me falling over backwards and just staring at the ceiling in disbelief :shock:

and now all I am left with is sadness and WTH????? :sad: :?:

I did test Tom twice....no such luck. a yellow is a yellow no matter how many times you test it....YUCK

Well, now what do I do, I ask myself...holding that insulin bottle?......I have no clue how to go back up that dreaded ladder.....we have been so lucky and fortunate that Tom has taken his reductions like a champ.....but his numbers this time at his new dose of 1 unit has been a tad wonky and he has had higher values that I haven't seen in over a month.....he has thrown me some very high numbers (for him).....and I am just not sure why? other than the obvious: 1 unit just ain't enough lady...face it!

so I INCREASED.....1.25. god, you don't know how badly I wanted to increase much more than that....but I didn't.

so here are the questions:

1. I have tried over and over to figure out the protocol when increasing .......and I still am not sure when to do so? was I right to increase tonight?

2. how long do I hold this new increased dose before I increase yet again?

3. should I have increased before tonight?


thanks all


~kelly

 

Re: 9/17 Tomcat PMPS 256

Kelly, congrats on doing an increase. I wouldn't have done it because of that 256, that's just one number. However, I might have done it because his numbers seemed to be creeping up on the dose of 1.0 unit. Sometimes they just need a little reminder. Another popular saying around here, sometimes you have to go up to go down. Actually, I might have waited one more cycle before increasing. Sometimes cats go high before they go low and I would have wanted to make sure it wasn't one of those kind of cycles. Hope you are fully stocked tonight just in case. Of course, he could show NDW and go up. His prerogative - he's a cat.

Tom was getting decent numbers at 1.0, but as you say, they seem a little high for him. I think an increase was OK. Per the protocol, you hold the dose for 6-10 cycles before going up again, unless he drops below 50, in which case you go down. You were getting numbers in the 60's, so it would have been a hard decision going up before now.

 

Re: 9/17 Tomcat PMPS 256, +2=140, +4=60

Thanks Wendy,

It is a hard call........should I have or should I have not. but considering I did.......no going back now.

Tom has pulled a Papaya tonight and has dove down :mrgreen: ......phew.

But this leaves me with yet another question:


*If his AMPS value is a "normal" blue/green for him....say less than 150....shall I go back to the 1 unit...or keep the new 1.25 dose until he earns a reduction?

thanks everyone......

~kelly

 

Re: 9/17 Tomcat PMPS 256, +2=140, +4=60

Kelly:

I'm sorry to see Tom popped up but, as Wendy said, it's one number. I doubt that 60 is from the new dose but you never know. One thing to remember...we dose on nadirs with only a little consideration given to the PS. But I do understand why you would want to increase the dose; I've done the same thing myself and my justification is Gracie is on lev so her PS often IS her nadir :lol:

I know this is difficult to see a number like this when Tom has been doing fantastic. It's just a blip. Who knows why he would toss out a number like that. I am known for my itchy finger on the syringe so I've been trying to hold the dose ONE more cycle past when I think I should raise it when I'm undecided. I've actually had to say to myself "put down that syringe and step away from the insulin!". :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Think of it this way: if he's getting green nadirs framed by blue and you want to see a little more green, you could increase a bit; add a little fat and see what happens. But if you are happy with the nadirs and the numbers on either side, hold the dose. Just remember if he's already in green nadirs and you fatten the dose, you need to be able to stay on top of the testing....and you do

I would not be surprised if Tom earns a reduction before too long so just hold the 1.25u dose until he does. IF he starts trending up to nadirs higher than you want to see, then add some fat but give him at least ten cycles on the 1.25u unless he earns a reduction or starts getting into high numbers consistently. anti jinx

I probably would not have increased before tonight. Sometimes there can be a difference in absorption that can play into numbers trending up a tiny bit. But, really, as long as you are there to test, it would not have been incorrect for you to fatten the dose a bit to get more green. Sometimes they just need a cycle or two at a little higher dose to "kickstart" the green again. I've done that before

Try not to beat yourself up. It's a learning process and we all, at some point, wonder if we should have raised the dose and didn't or did raise it and shouldn't have. You and Tom are both doing fantastic. And Tom is back in :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: tonight! YAY!!!

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Re: 9/17 Tomcat PMPS 256, +2=140, +4=60

Wow, we've become part of the vocabulary :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now I'd like to see Papaya pull a Tomcat and see some more green

I hope the increase doesn't take long to bring things back to where you like them - have a super evening!