I don’t understand, feel like nothing is working

hi everyone:
I feel so defeated right now. I feel like no matter how much or little insulin I give marmalade he is still not having decent numbers or when I think I’ve made some headway his numbers getbecen higher and higher, can someone help me understand. I am so frustrated will it r ever get better?

 

It's been a month. You have barely started. I didn't even see a yellow number until I was three months in and up to 3 units.

 

Patience is one of the hardest parts of this sugar dance. You saw some pretty greens last night, and today’s highs are probably a bounce. You’ll get there

 

Just keep going. I’ve been at it three months and feel the same. Gradual increases following SLGS and I am finally seeing some lower numbers.

 

Remember, the sugardance is a long marathon, not a sprint. We all want our cats fixed now, but it just doesn't work that way. Give it time.

 

I'm still pretty new here and I'm going to chime in to be patient.

Folks are fond of the acronym ECID - Every Cat Is Different - and that's absolutely true. I've been at this off and on since July, although only actively taking Jester's BG regularly for about a month now.

I think one of the reasons those of us who are new are anxious for results is that all our lives the concept of "cats are easy to take care of" is the cliche.

Once our kitties are diagnosed with a chronic condition, that flies out the window. We crave normalcy and to be able to go back to that "easy to take care of" time.

I've been assured by local friends who've gone through this that it will get easier. It just takes some time.

It'll be a new normal eventually, of course, and it won't be as "easy to take care of" as it once was. But be patient with your kitty and yourself.

 

(((Mary)))

We can all relate to how frustrated and dispirited you feel right now. Try to remind yourself that it took time for Marmalade's body to run at too high a BG level and it will take time for his system to be 'retrained' to recognise and be comfortable with healthier BG levels. (Easier said than done, I know only too well.)

May I recommend a set of super-duper Patience Pants! (We do a roaring trade in these here at FDMB. )

I just had a quick gander at Marmalade's spreadsheet. While there's not yet much data it is clear that his BG does lower in response to the Vetsulin. Indeed he showed a HUGE drop of over 400 points (yikes!) between AMPS and +6.25 on 17 December. If he's been doing similar drops that you haven't caught with testing then his BG might be bouncing a bit in response. (Note: It may take a few days for a bounce to clear; speculating here, but some bounciness may account for the quieter, 'flatter' cycles with just yellow mid-cycle BG levels).

Note also that Vetsulin's peak period of effect where you are most likely to catch a nadir BG is typically anywhere between +2 and +7 (on average nadir is likeliest around the +3 to +4 mark). If you are in a position to grab a test during these times it would give you a better picture of how low the Vetsulin is taking Marmalade. Vetsulin can really yank numbers down early in a cycle but again typically it does not have sufficient duration of effect in cats to keep BG down for more than a few hours mid-cycle, and BG starts to rise steeply again in the second half of the cycle. Commonly by +8 the dose is all but worn off. (FYI, Vetsulin is marketed under the brand name Caninsulin in the UK. The clue's in the name; it was initially used for treatment of canine diabetes and, because they have a slower metabolism than cats, this insulin has a much better duration in droolers. That said, some cats do well on Vetsulin; there's no 'one size fits all' when it comes to diabetes treatment.)

Fret not! Keep up with testing and recording your results in your spreadsheet and keep a close eye on Marmalade's evening nadirs (get a before bed test each night for safety - he may be a kitty that tends to run lower on the PM cycle). When you have a little more data you and your vet will be able to assess the general trend(s) in Marmalade's response. Remember that, should Vetsulin not do the trick, there are other longer-acting insulins available for kitties. It takes time, but it does get better.


Mogs
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Yes Mary, it does get better! It doesn’t happen overnight...it takes time and a lot of patience. You and Marmalade are in the best hands with everyone here on the forum. You will get frustrated, discouraged, and want to give up. Keep asking questions, keep testing and building your data. You and Marmalade got this!

 

Mary, one thing that might help you not feel so frustrated, be a little gentler on yourself and have the patience to do this "dance" for the long haul is.... Marmalade! Remember that you're treating that beautiful kitty that you love so much. Try not to put too much energy into bg numbers that you really can't control and focus on how M's mood and quality of life is. That's helped me tons! All the extra loving we get with our sugar cats makes it worthwhile. The tests are critically important and the ss is an important tool, but as is always said, ECID. So hang in there, keep pushing, be kind to yourself, and let Marmalade make you smile!

 

Thank u all for your support and reassurance, it is nice to confirm that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Good news updated SS shows marmalades BG tonight of 81, yaaay.

 

You are making good progress with Marmalade. It takes time. Marmalade's spreadsheet already shows some good responses to insulin. We go slow with dosing changes here, to keep our kittehs safe. I'm not a fan of vetsulin, but a lot of kittehs are getting it.

 

I can totally relate to how you feel @mary hornbeck Check out my kitty's spreadsheet. He had high, flat numbers for quite a while & I'm finally starting to see some blues & I got a green a few days ago. But he's back in the yellows again so I just increased today & hoping this dose might give us more than 1 day of greens. Keep at it! It definitely takes time.

 

First- give your self a hug. Remember to refill your cookie jar during this time! If that takes taking a few hours out for coffee with a friend, or a movie, or date night on the couch with a home movie and a glass of wine....take time for you.

Second - as everyone above stated - patience is a virtue with the disease. Life may never be the same (meaning twice daily shots on a timetable this is not yours) or it may mean remission with spot checks. Either way, it is a journey and ECID.

Third -Marmalade looks like a lovely kitty. He is more than his disease and definitely more then his numbers! What is that one quality or personality trait that makes you love the dickens out of him? Don't lose focus of that. I have refocused on Jones vs. his diseases and that help me be less stressed, which helped him be less stressed - only took me 9 months to get to that point. I do the best I can by him each day, like you do Marmalade, that is the best we can do.


And this is for you.....