What did I get myself into? (resolved/you are all wonderful)

There seems to be a lot of pet owners who recommend Lantus - especially in light of Vetsulin going away.

Zarley has been on Lantus for only a few days and I already miss Vetsulin terribly. I don't mean the last vial of Vetsulin (the one that made his numbers go crazy), but the Vetsulin he was on for a year -- the one where I just had to give him the same dosage at the same time morning and night and test him every few weeks or so after he was regulated to make sure he stayed in the 100-250 range. My otherwise carefree, happy cat.

Now "we're" on Lantus, and I expected to monitor him closely (every few hours) for the first few days, but the more I read these boards and see spreadsheets, it seems that this isn't just a "first few days" thing. This seems like a "for the rest of the cat's life" thing. I've already spent each day (and night) in a state of panic, worrying about him going into hypo. I'm literally afraid to leave the house. I'm afraid to go to sleep each night. I'm poking that poor cat in the ears every two hours (or more often when I see his numbers go low). I can't live like this and it's not fair for me to force him to. I was thinking earlier - it would be like someone telling you to check the air in your tires every three hours. No one would be able to deal with that for very long. I'm single, have a full-time job and freelance jobs (to keep my head above water) and am going to school. I'm exhausted. If all day long is spent testing the cat, I'm going to get fired. If I'm up all night every night I'll end up in the hospital. HOW are any of you managing?

I just want Zarley back in the 100-250 range. I don't want his numbers below 100 or anywhere where I'm worried they'll go lower. I don't want perfection. I just want him out of the BG danger zone. I don't understand about sheds or overlap or how Lantus is supposed to work -- and I've read and re-read all the documentation on this board - it's just not sinking in. I'm used to higher PS numbers and a six-hour nadir. With Lantus it's like Russian Roulette. I have no idea what the drug is doing or supposed to do other than he could go into hypo at any random time. I have to test him again in two hours (9:30 pm EST) and I'm afraid of what the numbers are going to be. I actually want his numbers to be high (and isn't that a horrible thing to say), because if they aren't, I'm either going to be afraid to give him a shot or if I do give him a shot, I'll be afraid to go to sleep all night again. I'm sitting here crying my eyes out.

I just want him on a consistent dose of something I can give him morning and night and otherwise just allow him to enjoy being a cat. It sounds like I can't do that with Lantus. Isn't there anything out there that is just twice-a-day consistent dosing? As I always promised him, if I can't give him a good quality of life, I will have to put him down.

Please, someone help me.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

For every person that's here, the front end of the Lantus learning curve (and I suspect this is true for Vetsulin) is completely overwhelming. I suspect you've forgotten what getting started on insulin was like way back when Zarley was first diagnosed.

We can help to make the protocol, shed, etc. understandable. Let us know what explanations you need.

I work full time. I do have some degree of flexibility with my hours but I am working, as well. I'm the only one who cares for Gabby so there's no one else to test or shoot. Probably looking at my SS will scare you to death because I'm a testaholic. I like data -- it's an occupational hazard. To be honest, Gabby doesn't seem to mind. She knows that tests mean treats and/or food. Most of the kitties here are fine with testing and will sit and purr when tested or come running to their "spot."

You've not seen some of the SS of people who aren't the testaholics but have cats that are doing exceptionally well or who are long term diabetics and very stable. Some of those long term Lantus users are only here on Saturdays because they don't want to take up space on the Board since there are so many new people. Take a look at Kathy and Kitty's SS or J.D. and Dyana's -- she works long hours and has to work at adjusting shot times. If you can't get tests during work hours, test when you can and on days off. And yes, there are nights when I'm up late -- sometimes by choice and sometimes by necessity.

Most of us work for those green numbers. They promote the pancreas to heal. We also have learned, from experience and observation, that those lower numbers can be easily steered with food. For every frantic yell for help that you read, there are others of us who will see a low number and not worry or not ask for help because we know it is easily managed and it heralds a decrease in dose. Our kitties are improving.

We have all stood in your shoes. Let us know how we can help.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy,

we need you to calm down and take a deep breath, I hope you will come back and talk it out, ok?

I don't know how to convince you that Lantus is by far a much better and healthier choice for Zarley than Vetsulin.
Other than bumping all the OTJ threads in the last month alone to the front here, so u can see IT IS possible...we had kitties last month go off insulin after being on it from 2 years to 2 months.

Many here work and do the majority of the testing in the evenings and on weekends, I mentioned to u the other day - don't feel bad about this if u can't monitor during the day.
The experienced people here know what to look for in SS, if ur ever in doubt about the dosing u can always ask and u will be given options that YOU are comfortable with, but the important brave step is yours to take, and u have to gather up your faith in Zarley that he WILL be ok.
Many here will leave for work, leaving plenty of yummy food out for the kitties to graze, they grab that out the door test as an extra bonus to build up the data and to reassure that kitty is ok.

I know how scary this is, we have been in your shoes as well. I've cried my eyes out too, I took a leap of faith and trusted these wonderful people in this board and the rest is history.
Please come back and let us help and to lend a few words of encouragement and support.

Zarley is an incredibly lucky kitty to have you, as you are to have him in your life. We know you love him dearly, as we love our own kitties.
We have been through this too, and pulled each other out of it to start fresh and with a clear mind and to reach our goals of a happy healthier kitty.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

tracy, I know where you are sitting right now. Just wanting to get back to some sort of normalcy, like when you were on vetsulin. But that wasn't normal when you first started out on it either, not from the days from pre diagnosis, right? And that was scary and you overcame that and learned how zarley was going to do on that dose and that day. And you WILL learn it again on lantus. I know it doesn't seem like it right now, with trying to learn something new (I also made the switch from vetsulin to lantus)

It's ok to be frustrated and it's ok to not understand and it's ok to cry. And it's ok to come here and ask for help. Trust me. Theres to many people on this board willing and able to give you whatever help they can.

Please take a deep breath and trust the people on this board.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Vetsulin vs Lantus

Check out our spread sheet. See how stagnant we were on Vetsulin? I finally made the switch prior to Thanksgiving - and not because of the FDA - but because I was tired of being stagnant. See how we had almost immediate results on Lantus?

I'll be honest. The switch scared me half to death. I posted constantly on the ISG before every single dose because I was afraid I would make a mistake and kill Stash. (My husband thought I was being ridiculous even though he is very supportive and knows how to do everything.) The most difficult issue I faced was wrapping my head around the fact that while Vetsulin is dosed by pre-shot, Lantus is dosed by Nadir. With Vetsulin I could shoot, and not give the next 12 hours a second thought. Not so with Lantus, especially of an evening. See how we started at 1u bid? We got down to a skinny .5u before health issues caused an increase back up to .75u. And the only way you know about the deceases/increases is by testing.

Had I to do it over again, I would have made the switch in early 2009 when I first started thinking about it. Actually, looking back at my very first FDMB post I saw that my vet mentioned Lantus, but I opted out because of the cost. Now I realize that although the initial $$$ output may be more, overall Lantus is very cost effective.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy,

I know where you are coming from. I sort of feel like I have lost my life testing Sami, and monitoring her, but that is my CHOICE! Not everyone here on this board tests so aggressively, you need to find what works for you. Some people don't test at home at all so any testing you do at home is better than none.

Please understand that I am still very new to Lantus myself, but since no one else was responding I thought I would at least give you my thoughts.

To start with, Low Carb wet food is the best diet for your kitty. If you haven't converted to low carb wet food you should do that as soon as possible. You can find a link to the food chart in my signature.

Second, although I haven't implemented this yet, I have been told that a twice daily feeding schedule is also the best approach. Since I haven't see the affect of this I can't speak on this, but this is what I have been told.

Third, go slow with the dose increases until you know how your kitty reacts. Yes, in these early days you might be testing more often, but you should be able to reduce the amount of tests over time. My suggestion on this is to start low and only increase on the weekend when you have time to monitor. If you are not going to monitor on a daily basis I would highly recommend only increasing by a drop at a time. I know it could take much longer to get to the optimal dose, but hopefully this will keep your kitty from going too low too quickly. Also understand that if you increase too quickly and you don't test on a regular basis you might send your kitty into hypo and you might not be able to catch it before it does damage.

I have talked to a number of people off this board who use Lantus, including one of the vet tech's and none of these people test at home. That is not my choice, I feel like I need to have more information then a test at the vet every few weeks. Again this is my choice. The bottom line is you need to find what works for you.

I hope this information helps you decide what to do. I can tell you that the advice I have received on this board has helped me to stablize Sami, so I highly recommend you stick around and at least listen to the advice given by some of the experts on this board. In the end you might decide that it is still too much for you, and that will be your choice, but at least you will understand your options.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

I work at home but not for myself. I am required to be on the phone with customers during my shift. I've been making excuses to log off the phones once an hour but won't be able to do that much longer. But I can't do my job properly if I'm worried that Zarley's going to go into hypo while I'm "busy" doing other things. I'd never forgive myself.

With Vetsulin, when his numbers got to the 200 range within a few hours, that wasn't good - because that meant trouble since he hadn't even approached NADIR yet. With Lantus, when I see his numbers in the low to mid 100s range, I start testing him more often (someone here said you even have to test every 15 minutes sometimes). I can't test him every two hours for the rest of his life. His ears look sore as it is. And if I don't test him every few hours, how do I know if he's close to going into hypo?

To sum it up, I am in a constant state of panic that I'm going to kill him.

Added (Sherri was posting while I was writing this). You wrote: "The most difficult issue I faced was wrapping my head around the fact that while Vetsulin is dosed by pre-shot, Lantus is dosed by Nadir. With Vetsulin I could shoot, and not give the next 12 hours a second thought. Not so with Lantus, especially of an evening. See how we started at 1u bid? We got down to a skinny .5u before health issues caused an increase back up to .75u. And the only way you know about the deceases/increases is by testing."

I had no clue (and that is what is really scaring me). I thought I was going by preshot.

I can't stop crying. I'm trying. It's just not happening. I'm going to go look at some of the spreadsheets some of you mentioned.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy, I know you have been reading... and it is a lot to absorb. But read the Lantus "stickies" again (the starred items at the top of the ISG). When possible, I attempt a +3 and +6 test - that is how I collected data to know that we could decrease Stash's dose. It is also how I have learned that if Stash is below the comfort zone at/around nadir I can feed him some MC (medium carb) food and he will "surf" (stay at a level BG for a while). Also, if he is lower at PS than normal and I am not going to be around to test, I make sure he's got plenty of food to snack on as need be.

You will be able to wrap your head around this. And it will all become a part of your daily routine. Just remember you have to breathe.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

There are many of here who were Vetsulin users....I used Vetsulin too....for my two kitties. I switched also to a longer duration insulin...Levemir...similar to Lantus.
I read your condo today where you just wanted to vent...you said no one needed to reply...but I understand your stress today. The dentist and all that broken sleep last night all lead to a not-so-good feeling.

I am glad that you posted again and that you are getting good replies from everyone. They are sending hugs across the miles to you. :YMHUG: We all love our kitties as you love Tracy.....So we are here to help you and to give you the support you need right now.

Have you ever experienced a low number on Vetsulin? Vetsulin acts quicker than Lantus. It leaves the kitty with absolutely no insulin at all after a certain amount of hours. Lantus stays in a reserve and it is very good for the cat's pancreas to have that support for the entire cycle.

Your fear last night of Tracy going hypo caused you to not sleep at all. Well, when you test at certain times, you will then be able to go to sleep knowing that your kitty will be fine. We will help you and tell you when to leave food out for her to eat if she needs it...
You will not have to be testing all the time at 15 minute intervals....at certain times, our kitties do go lower than normal and then they earn a decrease in the amount of inuslin at the next dose time....others are here to help at times like those.

When we gather data on our spreadsheets, we can then see how our kitty reacts to the insulin. Home testing allows us to know all the time what the numbers are. Once you get enough data on how Tracy reacts to Lantus, you will be more relaxed. You will be able to see what each dose is doing. It will be a more gradual reaction ...kind of like a wave that rises and falls instead of the steep ski slope of Vetsulin numbers....does that makes sense? Can you picture a gentle wave of rising and falling numbers?

Everyone here has been through the beginning part of the FD....we were all frightened that we would inadvertently hurt our kitty. We learned by reading all the information and keeping an open mind to what others were saying....we are a community here ...we all lean on each other and share our experiences. I am sure you will find comfort and help within this forum...and you will be helping Tracy feel better and better. It is manageable and I do hope that you will believe this....hold out your had to us here and believe...k?

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

I don't mind testing am and pm and once a day. But every few hours isn't do-able for me OR him (which is where today's meltdown started).

I don't understand even how much insulin I'm supposed to be giving him. I want to give him less - not more. He's on a skinny 1u (and since I'm not used to the U-100 syringes, I go a bit under the line - I could be giving him closer to .75 for all I know. He went down to the 80s today and it scared the hell out of me and I'm afraid to give him a shot tonight because I don't know what amount to give him.

I've seen several people mention "one drop" or just giving "a few drops." How?

(Also I just changed my user name - I had no idea I could add Zarley's name to my original user name).

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

I know this may sound inconceivable now, but I was doing supervision by phone yesterday and testing Gabby at the same time. There are any number of beans here, myself included, who would give anything to work from home and be able to have their kitty around - and not just to test! To be somewhat graphic, you have to be able to use the bathroom when you're working. Grabbing a test probably takes less time than a pit stop.

If you didn't love Zarley, you wouldn't be here. If you didn't love him and want him better, you wouldn't have posted and reached out a hand. I have no doubt, over the course of the next few hours, there will be people stopping by your condo to grab on to your hand, give you multiple shoulders to lean on, and pass along a virtual box of kleenex. This is an incredible community of people who you've stumbled on to. You will get through this and get a routine going. You'll look back on today and be able to pay it forward by telling another overwhelmed, new to Lantus-user what these first few days were like and how you got through it.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Check the stickies at the top, I too was confused how to do this but there are illustration there to help out. What I do to get to 1.25 units is I start with a solid 1.5 and then take 2½ drops off that. I then use a magnifying glass to make sure the plunger is in a similar position to the previous shot. I hope this help.

Here is a link to the Fine Dose Pictorial Guide

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

All of that would be the ultimate reward for what I am going through. Twice before this board has helped me through some really rough patches. I got through them and both times went AWOL - until I needed help again. Lesson learned, there.

Thank you everyone.

I still don't know what to give him tonight. The same skinny 1u I've been giving him the past few days no matter what his PMPS?

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy - I see one 1/30 you gave Zarley two shots of 0.5U but the next day you started on 1U. I apologize for asking this because I have not been following your condo's. Was it suggested that you go up to 1U because of the red numbers?

I am also a newbie and not giving advice that I would want you to follow unless others with more experience agree, but perhaps you can go back to 0.5U and stay there for a while to see if Zarley's body gets used to that dose. I agree that you do not want to continue to see him in the 400's but maybe that will not be for more than one or two cycles. Cycles are the 12 hours between the AM and PM shots. So in one 24 hour day you have two cycles.

I can understand how scared you feel not knowing yet how he is going to react to the insulin. But 1U for just starting out might be a little much (since he dropped into the 80's last night). Another thing that I noticed with my cat is that after about 6 hours the numbers don't drop as much. Every cat is different. On the day's that you are working you could maybe get one test in there somewhere at different times of the day? Once day out of the weekend you could try a "curve" if you wanted to gather more data. The curve consists of testing every 3 hours from the AM shot to the +12. At the beginning I used a day out of the weekend when I was home to get more data.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

First and foremost, you need to be comfortable with what you're shooting. All of us want Zarley to be safe and to be on a dose of insulin that is effective. If you are not comfortable shooting 1.0u, you don't have to. You can start lower but we'll encourage you to stick with the dose so you can work your way up or down in a consistent manner. It is that consistency that is ultimately important with Lantus.

Try to get the Vetsulin logic out of your brain! Repeat - green is good! Numbers in the 80s are VERY safe. A nondiabetic cat's BG is between 50 - 120. There are some beans here who have tested their OTJ cats and have gotten numbers in the 40s - the cats aren't on insulin. Some of the civies are in the same range or run consistently around 60. You need to keep in mind what normal BG is.

Right now, because you don't know how Zarley typically responds, you may need to do what is feasible to gather data. I would have retested in an hour after a number in the 80s when I was first here. Now, an 80 at +6 or 7 is not a worry. Yes, Zarley had a big drop. No doubt those drops were there with Vetsulin given it's a harsher, shorter acting insulin than Lantus. You wouldn't have seen the drop is you weren't testing. Now, you have data. You know.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy, there's no one saying you have to test every two hours. The idea is to gather as much data as you are able; if you can't do it, fine. If Zarley can't do it, fine. Work with what you **can** do. Soon, you'll get comfortable doing that, and manage to increase yours and Zarley's comfort zone. And it will expand from there. The data is a great tool...but it can come in bits and drabs; it can come over time.

And I totally understand what you mean about seeing a higher number and being "happy". It's sacriledge, you know? But it also means at least a few stress free hours, maybe some good, solid sleep...a bit of the 'old life' back. I'm right there with you, darlin...right there.

I would tell you that soon, you'll be fine, and this will be all old hat. And I'd be right. But what I really want to say is that it will be all right; take this at YOUR pace; and remember that the cat is the leader in this dance. If Zarley's not freakin', then you shouldn't be, either. Deal? Someday, you'll be posting to another newbie and reassuring them they can do it...but until then, borrow the faith of this board in you, feel the hugs and purrs, and take it at your pace.

Hugs. Big hugs. Take a breath, wipe the tears away, go snuggle Zarley for a bit. You've gotten through these first few days; and it will get easier. I promise.

Best-
Michele

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy - if you want to get some more advice on what dose to give tonight, you could change the subject line to something like "DOSE ADVICE PLEASE". I know you are still seeking advice on what to give tonight.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

I tried the "dose advice" thing before. No one answered. I can't expect people to be at my beck and call. I'm floored all of you answered this thread. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

I think I'm going to lower the dose first. I never gave the lower dose a chance. The vet (the same hateful one who told me Lantus will definitely kill the cat) told me to start out at 1u. Most people seem to start out at 1u. So I thought, "Okay, just like Vetsulin, you start out at 1u." But as Sherri said, I need to get the Vetsulin thinking out of my head. Shooting the 1u is scaring the crap out of me right now. I don't know enough about this med or what it will truly accomplish. Again, I don't mind home testing. Just not every hour because I'm terrified I gave him too much and going to kill him. I feel like I just got a new car and I'm trying to to drive it 60mph without cruising in it first. He was doing well last night but out of fear I was going to send him into hypo, I gave him higher carb wet food. So ..no big surprise, high numbers this morning.

One last question (and yes you have ALL made me at least stop crying). I've been sitting here reading everything from profiles to spreadsheets to stickies. I think I may print out this entire thread and re-read it. This overlap thing. Does that mean if his numbers are on the rise they can severely drop again right after the next dose because too much insulin will then be in his system? Never have I done any testing after a PM dose of insulin so that's new to me.

Thank you thank you thank you everyone.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

No the overlap at the +12 is not enough to cause a severe drop. It just means that there is always at least a little bit of insulin in the system. The cat will not go without insulin during the cycle, but it does lose it's strength at the time of the next shot.

BTW - I was scared too and chose to start Webber on 0.25U. It has not even been a month and we are on our way back down. Take a look at out SS, but beware I test alot. :mrgreen: But maybe not as much as Sienne (jk).

But again I would get some experience eyes to give you the okay to drop from 1U to 0.25U. You don't want to end up with ketones.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Hi Tracy. Right now I have the luxury of being home all day and while I do some work for one person, I don't have a shift or a schedule that I have to stick to - so it's easier for me to test whenever I want. Even though you have a shift you have to adhere to, you are home with Zarley and that's a plus. I can image that changing him to Lantus is somewhat like the very first time you put him on insulin. If you think back to that time, you might find you had some of the same fears you have now. I can't imagine that any of us don't have some fears when starting insulin for the first time or switching to a new insulin at some point.

After getting the hang of it, I'm able to test Mally in about the same time it would take me take a bathroom break. It took a bit of fumbling in the beginning, but I got there - and, I've only been at this about a month.

As for Mally, I'm not sure she's all that normal when it comes to insulin. I can't say for sure because I don't have the experience with Lantus to back up that statement, but once she went off her ear drops with steroids, she earned dose reductions pretty fast. I tested a lot to gather data on her and it did help when it came to understanding her different patterns. And after reading a lot of the condos here I was able to get a better perspective on what to expect and how to deal with lower numbers. Of course, being new, I did reach out for help when her numbers dropped because I wanted to have someone there with me to help with the situation. And each time there was always someone here and for that I will always be grateful.

I understand your fears but I also believe you will do great with Zarley once you begin to understand his patterns on this new insulin. You will feel more relaxed and more confident just as you did after starting him on Vetsulin.

Good luck and know that everyone here is always willing to help!

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

If you're coming into this with advice from your vet like that, no wonder you're on the edge. I would be, too...thinking I'm going to kill my cat...

Well...let's see. There are several thousand cats that Lantus has not killed; and that Lantus has, in fact, helped heal. Some mothers' children, I tell ya...I'd like to wallop your vet for you. Throw him out like yesterday's trash.

As for your overlap question. No. That's how an immediate or regular insulin works...takes effect in sometimes as little as 15 minutes, and the numbers can drop; then the insulin wears off, and the numbers pop up high. Now, with Lantus, there is an overlap - where the circulating insulin is less than is needed but not gone, and you shoot more into the system. The difference is that Lantus can take up to two hours to work...so you don't get that elevator drop (for the most part) if you're on the right dose. So the overlap is making sure there is continuous insulin present, but since it's made very differently, it doesn't take the immediate effect of Vetsulin (or Humulin, which I started on). And frankly, I see the risk of clinical, sypmtomatic hypo as much greater on insulin other than Lantus, because it does have a drastic effect on BS numbers, whereas Lantus does not.

Does that make some sense? If not, let us know, and someone will explain it. Hang tight, Tracy...just hang tight. And I'm glad to hear you've stopped crying. It's really hard to read a syringe with tears in one's eyes...I've tried that. LOL.

Best-
Michele

ETA: just so you know, I popped over to your spreadsheet, and you had 4 sets of eyes on it. Just thought you should know...

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Hi,
I consider myself new here on Lantus Land and started with Vetsulin initially and did not like what it did to my cat in the first two weeks and decided to change to Lantus by reading on the success rate. I am single and also have a full time job. I know what you are feeling because those thoughts have went through my mind initially but it works and the group here is great for advise and believe me somehow everything clicks. Skippy dipped several times in the 30's & 40's and he was not spastic or anything (just hungrey)..I calmy opened some HC food (don't feed him the whole thing, just a table spoon) and his BG went up etc. Now I give him LC and see how it works. I have experiemented with his food this past year and know how much to leave out just incase he goes low during the day and also I LOVE MY SLEEP and can not spot check after 11 pm and he is fine at night. Trust me it is workable and you get RESULTS with Lantus with the possibility of remission! Good Luck you landed on a great place Lantus Land ;-)

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Then go to .5u and see what happens. But you need to be willing to stick with that dose a minimum of 6 cycles - don't react to a high preshot number (that Vetsulin mindset!) and if you get a nadir that is below 80, feed a spoon of MC food, then test again in a half hour so that YOU are comfortable that the number is going up.

Tricky question, and I'm not sure I'm the one to answer it. OUR experience is based upon a sometimes not-perfect 12/12 shot schedule. An early shot is the same as an increased dose because there was still Lantus built up in the shed. On the other hand, a late shot could be the same as a decreased dose because the shed had to empty out somewhat to make up for the missed 12 hour injection. Hope that makes sense.

 

Hugs, Tracy!

In Lantus Land, we say ((((Tracy))). :smile:

it will get SO MUCH BETTER! I felt everything you're feeling in the early days. It's true, there's a lot to learn, and Zarley will have some adjustments.

But you will get it figured out. You have wonderful, experienced people to help.

Look at Kitty's spreadsheet, and see how far we've come.

Hang in there. Lantus is a great medication.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Hi Tracy,

I only have a few minutes to post but I feel your stress! I thought my life was going to end when Tizon was diagnosed and to boot, I had to switch insulin (from PZI, but same same for this argument). I was awarded the trophee for best dramaqueen.

Just like you I printed all the threads and read them over and over again. Yes the learning curve is steep, but YOU can do this. I work full time and couldn't count on my husband at all, and I managed.... and I also didn't test every second of every minute. You work with what you can and that's OK!

For now... you have enough to worry about, so don't worry about learning about the overlap... leave something to be learned on another day.

Take care of yourself. We are a community on this board and we will look after you and Zarley.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Tracy,

I do know how you feel. I feel as if my family and I have evolved so much since we joined this family.

I will be honest here and say (at the risk of offending my now-friends here), that at first, i thought I had found a little colony of crazies. I read. I tried to understand and felt confused. Testing every couple of hours? Measuring insulin in drops? Thinking you were going to get a remisson? It seemed a little--well--demented. :lol:

Then, one day, I was home alone, doing one of the random spot checks we did on Basil, and I got a 568! Just a couple of weeks before, I had gotten a 42 and that had been on a lower dose. I was feeling confused, helpless and scared. I came here. That was December 22.

I followed the directions, telling myself the whole time that it was "just for now" and we'd be back to normal in no time.

When I first got readings from Basil in the 70s, I panicked. I was afraid to shoot, but I got a lot of help. Now, I am used to those numbers. I welcome those numbers. My whole family gets excited when we see 60s and 70s. We are comfortable now, we know it is good and we are as in control as we can be.

Before we came here, when we were shooting blind and giving much larger doses (up to 3 units at one point) Basil dropped to 44. He was just dragging. He vomited. He scared us and we gave him karo syrup and didn't know if it would happen again. But now we are pretty confident that we know his rhythms a bot better and that we can guide him with food.

You know what? It's not ideal. Basil not having diabetes--THAT would be ideal. But if I can't make that happen, this, I believe, is the best thing to do for him. And if we are lucky, maybe he will go int remission. ANTIJINX!!!

So, I hope you can find a comfortable place here, one that works for you and for Zarley. Many people do not have pets because they can't imagine how they would fit pet care into their lives. People who have pets know better! This is just a different level of care, but one you can make work for you.

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

I started this post in tears and ended (between the comments on some of your spreadsheets and the comments here), laughing. I truly needed that.

You've ALL made me feel better.

I will ask for advice next time intead of letting it all build up.

*breathing*

 

I have tried to post 2 times in this thread and each time, it disappeared.

Since everything seems fine, I guess i don't need to add anything.

 

You & Zarley will do just fine..you will adjust & work this all out--For Zarley and for You!
An Fd cat can have a wonderful life & so can you.Dont Panic, it's how most of us feel coming on here..The support is amazing, we all help each other--You are never alone. I'm here for quite a while..Please check out my SS. Moonie has had yellow, blue, & green numbers for almost 2 yrs. now...We have our routine, & we do it happily..Breathe, be calm because cat senses your anxiety, ask questions, & be patient & consistant--
It will all come together..HUGS to you & Zarley :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)

Here's what I thought I posted earlier :?

Anywaaaays, I think people recommend Lantus cuz it works. I started on Caninsulin, like vetsulin, and it was crap; just look at our ss. Shadoe was not feeling or acting any better and her numbers were crap. I switched to Lantus and I got a brand new cat out of the deal. Shadoe is so much like she was a few years ago.

You don't need to test every couple hours.... I wish I could remember what I said in that other reply.

You work from home, so you can see with your eyes if Zarley is having problems or not 'acting normal'. Honest, if Zarley's numbers are going really low or high, you will know. If Zarley started meowing more or differently, or constantly licking lips or panting or limping or whatever, you would see it and could do something. If Zarley is just romping around and doing normal Zarley stuff, then I doubt there would be reason to worry and need to test frequently, right? And if you DO see something odd, there is always someone on the board who can help you, day OR night, so you will not have to go it alone. Otherwise, let Zarley be Zarley!

I am one of many who work during the day, just like you. Here's my normal day during the week.
I am up at 5am, catch a +11, then get ready for work. At 6am, I get Shadoe's amps and shoot, then leave for work. Travel time one way for me is 1hour. On most days, I don't get home till pmps time, so I can do ZERO testing during the day. I try to catch a couple tests in the evening, or the very least a test just before bed.
On the weekends, I have more time so that's when I do any curves.
Because it takes a few days for the shed to fill, when I have a dose increase, I try to increase at mid week so that I can be around on the weekend for any changes.

What else, you mentioned those teeny doses, like 0.1u. Those freak me too, but they can be done, and many do. If you want to keep one of your syringes, you can practice with water. Think 0.5u is 5 drops, so 0.1 would be one drop. Draw up a 0.5u then practice squeezing out 4 drops. Easy peasy with practice, like anything else.

There's always someone around on the board, so you don't have to worry about no support.

To know the road ahead, ask the man coming back.

 

Looks like you are feeling a bit better so I will give you a big (((hug))) before bed.

Hope you feel a bit more like you can do it...because you can!

 

I thought I would post and let you know that it is all doable. I work 11 hour days 5 days a week and sometimes I work 13 hour days...and I manage.

I didn't read this entire thread, just your posts, so I may be repeating some of the advice I'm about to give...

If you can, on the weekend or day off, do a curve to see when your kitty's nadir is...it is usually +6 for most kitties but mine is +4. This curve helps tremendously

Once you've figured when the nadir is see if your kitty get hungry and eats at that low point...if so, good thing, feeding the curve means kitty is smart enough to eat when numbers dip.

My baby eats a ton when he drops...so I test him...and his numbers usually reflect his hunger.

Once you've been on Lantus for a while and you relearn you cat's behaviors it will be much easier to deal with.

If you look at Buddy's spreadsheet ignore the yellow numbers the last few days...something is up with him but I'm not sure what...

My goal is to get him off insulin, that is why I strive for lower numbers, but many people strive for what you are looking for...once you find that dose that is perfect, you can begin to relax a little

If you have any questions about work schedules and testing etc...feel free to ask

 

Re: What did I get myself into? (advice, please help)