Off schedule by an hour - Chloe

I've had the busiest week and yesterday, the 13th, was the craziest. I slept in a bit this morning and didn't give Chloe her shot until 7:30 am. Boy, was she ever mad at me for being late with her breakfast! Otherwise, it looks like she's getting stable on the Lantus. I hope this won't throw her off.

 

Please do a curve, Roberta.

 

Oh, okay. I have no life.

 

Not sure what you mean by this, Roberta. Our pets rely on us to do what we need to do to keep them safe.

 

What I mean is that in Tucson, we have a very small window when the weather is not too hot or too cold and this is it. All sorts of events happening and I can't go.

 

I'm a bit perplexed here Roberta.
Life sucks sometimes, but as a "caregiver" to our felines they RELY on us. We generally have to miss out on some events.
If Chloe were better controlled and monitored and on a routine there wouldn't be this huge issue of instability with her.

I have missed my fair share of events with friends, or even school events. Does it suck? Yes, but we can't be selfish. It's not always about us. I guarantee our felines did not chose one day to develop FD to make our lives miserable. Who really wants to be poked in the ear, food monitored. I know I wouldn't.

It takes a lot of extra planning and patience with our felines. When I planned my trip out of state--I had to plan to pay an extra fee to have someone come in a pet sit for me, as my neighbor didn't feel comfortable with the testing and shooting. I had to find someone who knew how to test, shoot and feed and monitor and most importantly someone who I and my feline could trust. I also had to arrange a "what if" scenario. It was frustrating, but worth it to ensure she remained safe while I am away.

Our cats NEED the commitment from us.

 

This.

 

And you only need to be home every 2 hours to test. You can leave the house IF you have the ability to make yourself go home. You could take one day and schedule a relaxing day on the porch or find a good book to read but set alarms so you know when you need to test.

 

I’ve kind of felt this way, but I don’t mind. I know when this get figured out it will be easier. And to get her stable I’m willing to give up some other time. I should have ridden today but declined because of Gretchen. It’s ok. It’s not a permanent thing for me once she’s stable more.
I’m so glad I’ve done this this weekend. I thought I was giving fur shots and was getting real frustrated to find that it’s the insulin bounce. I wouldn’t have known that if I’d gone riding and not stuck to a curve.
Don’t worry...I’m new also at this, but for now this doing a curve on my 3 days off has been huge insight for me.

 

Okay. I've done a curve. She stayed in the yellow all day.

 

I knew I'd get a big lecture from you. You needn't have bothered.

 

This can be an indicator for an active cycle coming up. Chuck did this on prozinc and still does it on lantus.

I would continue the curve as late as possible tonight. A +3 and +6 on the pm cycle might show if she stays flat before an active cycle or if it's just not enough insulin.
I know I have said this before, Chuck was getting nice PS tests then staying high throughout the cycle.
The Pm +3 and +6 will show you if she's doing something similar.

 

Some questions to think about:

• Why do you think she was higher and flat today?
• What might possibly come after a run of flat yellows?
• What's your next step?

 

I'm sorry you feel it is a lecture. We care about Chloe and want to see her thrive. You can ignore my "lecture", but in the end Chloe is the one who suffers.

 

Chloe is not suffering. She's doing quite well, thank you.

 

@StephG What do you mean by an 'active cycle'? Is she going to bounce?

 

I have no clue, but my vet said that a run of similar numbers is a good thing.

 

Hi Roberta,
Chloe suffers when she isn't well regulated and does her steep bouncing.
It certainly doesn't feel good for humans when they bounce; therefore, it probably doesn't feel good to our felines either. It's like us eating a ton of sugar . . . we spike up and then we come down and get that crash.
It is exhausting and hard on the body. I'm not just speaking in terms of Chloe, but any cat or human. Unregulated diabetes in general whether it be a cat, or human is difficult to deal with; however, with the right system in play it can be manged. It just takes dedication.

 

If you moved Chloe's shot time, you have a couple of options. You can move the time 30 min closer to your usual shot time once a day. (Your shot would be due at 7:30 PM this evening so you could move it to 7:00.) Alternatively, you can move the shot 15 min earlier at every shot time. These are the two safest options. Depending on where Chloe's numbers are, you could simply shoot at your usual time. Keep in mind, though, that a late shot acts like a dose reduction and an early shot acts like a dose increase. So, if you shoot an hour early, you will need to keep an eye on Chloe's numbers to insure that she's in a safe zone. In addition, due to the change in shot time, you may see some less than ideal numbers since the depot will be destabilized. I didn't notice if you had indicated the late shot on your SS. It's always helpful to make a note since many of us open spreadsheets for every kitty we visit.

An "active" cycle means that there's a reasonable chance that numbers will drop and you will need to "actively" monitor. For many of our kitty's, a flat yellow cycle is a heads up that our kitty is catching her breath (so to speak) before numbers start to drop.

I'm wondering whether Chloe's crying during the night (looking at the note on your SS) was due to her numbers dropping. Seeing those blue pre-shot numbers does make me wonder if her numbers were low mid-cycle and the crying was her way to get your attention. Given a PMPS of 167 and the following AMPS of 123, I do wonder how low Chloe's nadir was.

I really want to encourage you to get at least one test in addition to your pre-shot test every cycle. It's especially important to get a test during the PM cycle since many cats tend to experience lower numbers overnight. It looks like you've been pretty good with getting those PM tests. I'd just push to get tests especially when you're seeing a lower than usual pre-shot number.

Many of us know how hard it is to be the sole caretaker for our FD kitty. It does mean sacrifices. Personally, I would make those sacrifices in a nanosecond if it meant I still had Gabby here with me. There's a link in my signature called "Gabby's Legacy" that talks about the bond that silently forms between us and our FD kitties. The text is in the 7th post in the thread.

 

Lol. I totally feel you... which is why I don’t post here much. The way i look at it, if my cat is alive and happy, I’m already doing a good job. (As opposed to on the street, in a shelter, or dead the way he would have been if i didn’t take him). Just remember that not everyone on this bord has a full time job and take their advice with a grain of salt. I’m an hour plus/minus sometimes, and no one has died yet. We were even close to coming off insulin in the beginning, until i allowed myself to go on vacation. But keeping your sanity is an important part of the process too. Hugs.

 

Having a full time job has no impact on the advice given on this forum. All advice and input is given in good faith and based on experience. Everyone's schedule is different but the goals are all similar.
You're lucky that you haven't seen any negative effects "yet" from shooting an hour plus or minus.
In Chloe's case, shooting late isn't ideal because she's prone to ketones and needs the best control possible. She also reacts well to insulin most of the time (not when bouncing) so trying to stick to the schedule is best in her case.
Stuff happens and we have times when the shot must be late or early, @Sienne and Gabby (GA) gave great advice on how to get back to normal shot time.

 

Yes. But I won’t be made to feel guilty because i am not the “ideal” cat parent everyone else on here is. I am like known to be THE cat lady, and i can’t believe I’m saying this but not everyone’s life can revolve around their cat. We all do the best we can. Some of the comments on here are pretty harsh towards the cat owners . People are stressed enough as it is having a diabetic animal without all of that negativity.

 

Most of us understand that and try to work with the care givers schedule giving them advice that is realistic.
I don't work full time but am quite busy with the rest of the stuff in my life. Other animals, Dr appts, and family. We all try to do the best we can.

 

I also want to add that there is also a difference between a busy life and a selfish life.

Most of us, myself included work full time & are the primary caregiver for our cats.

I was able to only give 1 shot sometimes due to my prior commitments with school and work. All of the ladies in Prozinc-land were more than understanding of my schedule. They didn’t judge. They juts offered support and provided me with suggestions and tips.

Nobody is here to cast judgements. We just understand the difference between not listening/don’t care vs not understanding.

 

What does "selfish life" even mean? I don't think there's any selfish people here, just given the fact that they spend time out of their life on this forum. There's nothing selfish, however, about sleeping in for an hour, or going out on a Saturday. The caregiver's mental health is also important, because if you're not taking care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of anyone else effectively.

 

For some reason, everyone seems so worried that Chloe will have another DKA. I've been testing for ketones every other day and it's always been negative. I can tell that Chloe is doing fine. I even caught her playing with a toy the other day. Fuzma, however, has been acting strangely the past few weeks. She's been living on top of the kitchen cabinets. I don't know where she's been peeing and pooping and I'm afraid to look.

 

Oh, no! Is she being given a hard time by the other cats? How many do you have again? I have 3 and it's like a whole orchestrated dance to get everyone fed and taken care of.

 

Several years ago, Fuzma was severely mauled by another cat who has since passed. He and my other male cat would always chase her into her room. He passed, too, but somehow the habit was passed on to Chico and Cheddar. But lately, she's been standing her ground and they've been leaving her be. They can't get to her when she's on the kitchen cabinets. She's been watching all of us from there and will come down for meals now. I'm very proud of her.

 

Well, I never said anyone in this group was/is selfish, AND I never said one isn't allowed to take care of themselves mentally either.

A selfish life could vary by person and circumstance. I consider one selfish (in terms of FD) if one were to purposely neglect treatment (testing, curves, shooting--missed mediation, not taking to the vet when medically necessary). Did I say that was being done? No.

I'm all for taking care of yourself mentally and physically. I know being the primary caregiver can be mentally and physically exhausting. We all need a break, or "me" time. If the me time, or breaks become too frequent then maybe one needs to examine the care they can adequately give the person/animal. If one finds it such a bother to test, or treat then we have a problem.

I'm just saying . . . know your limit.

If I didn't care I wouldn't be here. None of us would be here. Of course that is up to interpretation per individual.

 

Continue testing for ketones. Early detection is important.
Unfortunately, some cats are prone to ketones and dka. Chloe has proven herself to be one. That is why we all worry about ketones.
She developed them in the 200s so it's probably much easier for them to develop in anything above yellow.

 

@Teenuh You're very young and a bit on the judgmental side. I doubt that anybody on this forum is selfish and doesn't care about their cats. Chill.

 

I DON'T KNOW. That's why I'm in this forum. I did a curve, now YOU tell me!

 

You’re at the point in treating Chloe’s FD whether with ProZinc or Lantus that you should have a level of understanding that allows you to answer these questions for yourself. That’s why I asked them.

 

These questions have been answered by a few of us on this thread too.
It makes it look like you aren't really reading close enough and retaining the info we are sharing. I KNOW it's a lot to remember but you must try your best. I wanted to say try "harder" but I thought it sounded too harsh. But then again, the other way sounds like I'm saying you're not trying your best. I have some down right embarrassing memory issues myself but have studied and studied to remember as much as possible. The stickies are there to look back on too.

This forum really is a blessing. The combined knowledge of members (a few vets on here too) is almost endless. It can be a crutch on which we lean too hard on as well.
We can get frustrated when we are constantly repeating the same things over and over. We try our best to adapt the explanations and help for each other.
We aren't telling you to quit your job or your life. We are trying to give you tips on working in the tests that Chloe needs to determine the best way to care for her.
I don't think age really matters. (I'm only 34 and have the memory issues of a 60+ year old. Physical problems of an 80 year old!) If there are physical disabilities we try to find out what works and how to change something if it doesn't.
In the end, we are passionate about FD care and the sugar kitties.

 

I'm "young", so what? You are "older", so what? This isn't a tit for tat game.

I'm sorry you feel I'm on the judgmental side.

 

Sigh...
Looks like this thread is headed in the same direction as Chloe's last thread. I understand what everyone is saying... both "sides". I get it. However, this can't go on. Since this has all been said before (here and in the P forum), the best solution I can think of is to only offer advice/suggestions as well as the reasoning behind your advice when asked. It'll be up to Roberta to ask for help and then choose what she follows and what she discards.

From one of the awesome bulleted points in Suggestions to Advice Givers:

"Don't act as if you're entitled to tell people what to do. You can offer help and advice, but it's up to the other person to decide what advice to take for their cat. They won't always agree with you -- that's life. If it makes you crazy, move on to someone who is interested in what you have to say."


If anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears.
Please send me a PM so we can return the focus of this thread to Chloe.