Why I changed Sparkle's Spreadsheet

Wow, that was a crazy day yesterday and I thank everyone who was there with thoughts and suggestions, explanations and humor.

I have looked at many, many spreadsheets over this last month here at FDMB and with the help of Marje, got one set up and have used it.

It makes sense to me that it makes it easier for everyone to read when using +1, etc using clock times would be a nightmare for people trying to interpret another person's numbers. However, for me personally, it would make it so much easier to use clock times so I didn't get confused filling the SS out. But for the benefit of sharing, I will not change that.

I was very confused in the beginning at the day going across the sheet and I misinterpreted that as a day= a cycle. While I can see that there might be a benefit to seeing how everyday's am or pms stack and look in relationship to other day's am's or pm's, to me it would just make more sense to have a day be on two lines so that each cycle has it's own line. In that way, each cycle also has its own comment section. It also makes the SS shorter across, another thing that for me would be simpler.

I also learned yesterday that I had no idea what to do with data when I stalled and shot later. Someone said to use the +13 etc, but I don't have that. I'd like to have a few extra boxes at the end of the cycle to be able to handle that situation in the future.

The reason I have added the time's now by the preshot is because I am going to try to get back on my midnight/noon schedule and my understanding is I should go back 30 minutes after 2 cycles until I am back on schedule. I had to make the time notations for ME while I had a handle on how to go back after a stall. It not only tells me when my new shot times are according to clock time, but it also reminds me to calculate the correct + space to put subsequent tests in.

So I am not intending on using the PM part of the SS as it is currently built. Marje has kindly offered to rework my SS and I hope to take her up on it.

We all have to do what works for us. We are individuals with different perspectives, needs and level of understanding. I'm trying to find a happy medium for myself and for the good people who are so helpful here.

I guess while I am on the subject of data. I do not have a color printer, so when I attempted to share my SS with my vet, not only did it print too small, but the colors printed in grayscale and the BG numbers were not readable. My vet said it was useless to her. She also did not seem willing to spend the time signing up here and being able to access my SS. I'm not sure I could email her the SS? The colors make the whole thing so much easier to see the big picture at a glance. Love them.

Sparkle is on a lot of meds and I like to chart attitude, activity and food. I feel by making the SS shorter with each cycle having a line, I gain a more logical way to chart the info for that cycle and also more space.

And lastly, while I know many people understand the nuances and abilities of Excel, I don't. It isn't even on my computer. I have looked at other available free software that can literally show me graphic curves and show graphic representations of the data in other formats all with the touch of a button. I have found one that I really like and it uses clock time, is simple to do input and can also show meds, food and activity separately or on overlays. You can view the information daily or any other date range you want in multiple formats (way more than I would ever use and some not relevant to felines on Lantus-like averages). It is also simple to understand and printable in a way that I can share with a vet who has never had a patient do home testing.

I think the SS is a very valuable tool, but I also think my hand charting is valuable because it is old school, (like me) and is the absolute simplest way to at least get the data written down, especially when I am exhausted.

So yes, I am using the spreadsheet, hand charting and inputting into another system. It takes time, but it allows me to communicate to the people who can best help Sparkle. It works for ME.

 

Your spreadsheet is, of course, your choice. I just want to say that I believe having a non-standard spreadsheet will reduce the number of people looking at it and increase misinterpretations since all the others are the same as far as a day on a line.

For times, take a look at Rosie's SS. I added a line under the + lines with the times. If those times change by much, I can always insert a new line along the way with the changed times on it.

I'll be honest with you, not to be mean or hurt your feeling but just as data for you--I found your SS so hard to read, I skipped it each time I tried.

Best of luck!

 

What works for you is the one to use. I added times to my ss. I kinda get lost with the +1, +2 as the day goes on. These ss are on Google sheets which I find not user friendly but maybe it's because I'm use to excel. In the beginning I couldn't figure out for the life of me why once I entered info the enter key didn't work. So now I know it's the arrow key. And sheets doesn't have alt-shift key for stacking a cell at least if using tablet or phone. I can't enter anything in comment column unless on desktop. So on a day like today I have to use 3 devices to get it all in. On a normal day I have to use 2 devices, and there are times I thought I entered but didn't on one of them and I think I'm losing my mind. Do what works for you.

 

You should be able to e-mail your vet the link to Sparkle's SS that you pasted into your signature line. Then your vet can go online and see Sparkle's SS as you update it.

 

I can set the SS up for your vet to be able to view it. I just need her email address.

While you can see that I did modify Gracie's SS to add some remark columns, the rest is standard and for a reason....as Lydia pointed out. Those helping are helping a lot of people and looking at a lot of SSs. This takes a long time. We can't just glance at a SS and provide solid suggestions. Think how much more time it would take us if everyone had such a different SS as you are suggesting to do. Also, in order to see how the dose is working, we look at waves of action. This is much much harder to do if you have the a.m. and p.m. cycles on different lines.

The SS has to serve your needs but also has to be so others can easily read it in order to help you.

I'm happy to work with you to figure it out. Just PM me.

 

One option might be to make a copy of the page on a new tab, and then modify the copy, but leave the first page in standard form. You would still have to enter data twice, though. There are also options to add notes to each cell which show up when you put your cursor over the dark triangle in the corner. See @FRAN M.'s SS for examples of that.

 

Back in our day (FDMB class of 2008-2009) at the time we joined the ss method for tracking had not yet been developed. Never mind tablets or smartphones...We all tracked our data something like this:

01/01/2008
AMPS - xxx .5u
+1 - xxx
+4 - fed 2oz FF
+5 - barfed up a furball
+6 - xxx
+7 - ketones negative
PMPS - xxx
etc etc

Shortly after we joined the ss came onto the scene - IMHO implementation of the ss was a giant leap forward. However my first 'go to' method was writing (as above) using a steno pad with one sheet per day. I would then transfer the info onto the ss using the standard conventions still in use today.(I still have all 21 months of steno pads!)

My $0.02...
The ss conventions we use today are the best practice. Period. It's the common language that allows those who are willing to help do so. Myself included.

So please use it in the way it was designed. When things get crazy busy around here and you find yourself in need of a fast assessment, you will be glad you did.

 

I'm one of those people who open a SS every time I stop to read someone's thread. That translates to my opening a LOT of spreadsheets. If I have to spend time trying to figure out how every person has modified his or her SS to meet their unique way of looking at things, I'd waste a good deal of time and probably lose my mind. Frankly, when people have made modifications and it takes me more than a second or two to figure things out, I will close the SS and move one. And, frankly, of the people who post regularly, I'm one of the most experienced people on the Board. I strongly suspect if you maintain the SS to fit your needs, you will get far less input regarding your questions about dosing because people won't be able to figure out what you're doing.

It takes a while to get used to a particular way of doing things. At the moment, the SS may not seem intuitive. It really is.

The SS is not an Excel document. It's a Google spreadsheet. They are different software. You can e-mail the vet the link to the SS. Whether she wants to print it out or not is up to her. I've worked with several vets over the years and they rarely printed out Gabby's SS. (It's 6.5 years of data and probably a ream of paper -- who besides me would want that?)

 

I used to keep a written list AND the ss here. I no longer keep the written list; the google sheet is all I need. I use a laptop; I always have Boomer's ss open on one tab and his convo on another. When it's testing time, I test and then immediately type the reading into the ss and then carry on and feed. I am the main caregiver but when DH does it on occasion when I'm not here, I just fill it in when I get home. Easy peasy and always up to date. I email my vet a link to it prior to any appointments. And it even converts the Canadian measurement for me!

 

You haven't hurt my feelings at all. I appreciate the feedback. Since I only changed the spreadsheet last night, I did wonder what was so hard to read, but once I get it reformatted, it will be easier for me. Right now there are too many extraneous lines.

 

Thank you so much for the support. Our SS's aren't on Excel? Well, that makes sense! I always wondered why I could use it when I knew I did not have Excel. So Google Sheets is something entirely different. I've never used any spreadsheet program so it is all Greek to me. Thank goodness Marje set this up. The data share is one of the most important parts of this board. Still, I do need some tweeking. I don't think it is going to make it impossible for someone to read when it gets cleaned up and I get back to regularly scheduled times. The extra data is for me so I can keep on track for these next few days and even then, I still messed it up today.

 

So it can be emailed. My vet loves email! I'll have to see how to make that work. I do notice that I am getting more comfortable with the SS and think in time I will drop the paper charts too. I just need a comment section that is larger and comments to only apply to one cycle, not two.
Thank you for sharing!

 

Somehow you can give the link and or permission for your vet to look at it. My vet can only get it on his phone which is hard to see the large picture. So I also do it in excel on my pc and email it to him every week. When I do that i print out the current page and write in the data during the week. It's helps me to see the color pattern.

 

I added a row for my local times at the top of the spreadsheet to make my daily entries easier. I edit the row when the schedule changes.

When needing to remind myself of an upcoming shot being off-schedule, I put the intended time in the PS box for that cycle.

Make notes for each cycle by adding "AM" or "PM" to the note. You can also put notes in each grid box that will show when you hover the cursor over them.

How to share Google documents

 

I love the colors! Helps me see the picture so much better.

 

Wow! All good info. Thank you so much!

 

added more to last post

 

A&P, you have lots of info on your spreadsheet. I like it. It is also good to know I'm not the only one that oversleeps.
Do you have any thoughts on why or what the benefit is of having the spread sheet go across for a whole day instead of just a cycle? Is it to see AMs and PMs at a glance or to make the spreadsheet more compact so you can see more numbers at a glance or some other reason, like that's how the first writer did it and everyone has copied it since?
Enquiring minds want to know (Mom). Sparkle could care less.

 

I see so many posts that come up way before mine and last night I got an email about a post, but could never find it here, even after waiting and refreshing a number of times. Is that normal?

 

Because having them all the same makes your spreadsheet easy to compare to the data some people have spent years and years internalizing so that are able to evaluate it at a glance. Maybe there were other ways to do it from the outset, maybe not. But that's how it was done. In my mind, reinventing the wheel and asking for someone to help you fix your flat? Not a great idea. I think you are inadvertently endangering your cat because when the heat is on, it is going to be too easy to make a mistake.

 

If you look at my ss you see I added the times at the top. Smokey day starts at 7 am. I put his meal in the box next to his test. I test at 10am and his meal for 10 am is written in the box next to it.

On days like today I have to put meals in comments (done on desktop) or sometimes I will put meals in row below (if done on tablet). I need to record his meal because of the weight he lost and his vomiting. He is fed every 3 hrs around the clock. A few do customize but basically the ss is same for everyone so all can understand.

 

My thought on this, going across covers a 24 hr period. If done going down it would be to hard to see and you would have to do a lot of scrolling just to see previous week.

I wish it would go with the current date in top (reverse) with previous days below. I see this getting extremely long as the year goes on. I don't think there is a better way that will please all.

 

One modification I made to BKs ss was to separate each week with a header line row. It made it easier for me (and others) to see progress and changes and count cycles. I also modified row hieght, column width and font size so all pertinent information was visible in the +hour it occurred. That helps avoid a lot of side scrolling -a personal preference.

 

@Woodsywife -- Many of us who have done this for a long time put each year on a separate tab. That way, the SS doesn't become overly long. There was a lengthy discussion of having the most recent info at the top. The problem is that you don't see the trends over time. If you have to scroll to the bottom, you're forced to view the SS as a whole. When I would change tabs, I wouldn't do so until I had a week or two of data so people weren't looking at a row of numbers in isolation.

 

Well put, Lydia.

 

I added a row for my times as well, made it really easy to pop the readings into the correct cell on the SS. Check out the link in my signature.

 

Sienne, I was not criticising (lack of another word) the ss. Just voicing how it would be impossible to please everyone. Once I printed it out in color is when I realized how powerful it was for me. When I have to use my phone to enter the daily data is when I find it awkward of scrolling down.

I don't understand what you are trying to say in your last sentence.

 

I email my spreadsheet to my vet directly from gmail.

 

Nice..I am not a good judge since I am very used to my hospital charts where different times and terminology is used. I would LOVE to find a graph to chart( and compare) BG's..I did one by hand for awhile but thought there should be one online that you simply jot numbers into..couldn't find it. I am glad to know someone knows that those little black dots have notes under them. I do not see anyone else using them on their ss. For me times, meds, diet, lab results should hit me as soon as I look. Now, I am getting use to FDMB terminology ...It's getting easier. Your ss looks great!!!

 

I don't see your little black dots.

 

I've never understood people overlaying the time across the +s - that stops making sense as soon as you have a delayed shot which is bound to happen at some point. I just note the shot time in the units column. That helps me keep track of when + whatever is on that day and also allows everyone to easily see any changes to shot time. The + system can be a little difficult to get used to but within a few weeks you'll probably find you think in +'s first and the actual time second!

One reason having the whole day across one line is so good is that a lot of kitties have different patterns in the am and pm cycles and having them (eg the am cycles) on top of each other makes that easy to see. For notes I just start with AM: .... For any am specific notes and then PM: for pm specific notes. If you hit control enter that will start the next part on a new line within the same cell so I do that between the am notes and pm notes.

It really is important to have fairly uniform spreadsheets. I'm another one who has given up on trying to analyse some spreadsheets because they've been changed so much that I can't work out what's going on or the columns have been made so wide that I can't see the whole spreadsheet at once. It makes it very difficult

 

I am another person who opens every spreadsheet when a person has a question. You are new enough that perhaps you haven't learned yet how to "read" a spreadsheet, but the 24 hour cycle in the spreadsheet is invaluable in being able to see how the cat's blood sugar is - what it's doing in relationship to the shots, and comparing the current situation to the past several days.

The depot that makes Lantus and Lev such good insulins for cats has an important part to play. It can take 3 days for a depot to reduce once the dose is reduced. While that may be Greek to you right now, you'll understand it before too long, so just understand that to the rest of us, those prior 3 days are important when one is asking for dose advice. One cycle is less important than the previous 3-4 days worth of cycles. Seeing those previous 3-4 days, laid out in a 24 hour row, are essential for being able to easily help people.

In my opinion, the spreadsheet is the most valuable tool we can use to help other people, and to learn to understand the action of the insulin in our own cat. We look at the color changes over the flow of the past several days - those colors are another essential part of the spreadsheet. Some people want to change the colors as well. I've also seen quite a few people recently who have added columns with the extra information, like the shot times, or even a +12 column and another preshot column.

People can do whatever they want with the spreadsheet, but I think it diminishes its value and usefulness by making the changes, like those you've made and the ones I've mentioned above, and I agree with the others who have said that it will make it more difficult for people to be able to help you. I think it's a mistake to change it.

I really think if you give it a little more time you will learn how to use it as is, and you'll realize how beneficial the current spreadsheet is. I'd encourage you to use your comments/notes column more extensively to note things that are helpful to you, and perhaps keep other notes, on your own notepad.

By the way, I have yet to see a vet who really cared about the spreadsheet. We are far more excited about them than vets. I wouldn't even bother sending it to your vet.

 

On every box, doesn't the black tiny triangle show up in right hand corner? Maybe I am the only one who can see it? If you right click the box, you can add a note that is invisible until you hover over the box. Except for THE Relion BG =69....first time AlphaTRAK was even lower.THAT
I JUST GOT...many boxes have an AlphaTRAK BG or time,etc...I did not anticipate the 60... And will perform another BG in an hour..since these big drops makes me nervous.

 

My vet laughed and said he thought he was in ICU...didn't ask to see another one. AND I HAD A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING THE SS..BUT NOW, KNOWING WHAT THINGS STAND FOR, IT MAKES ALOT OF SENSE!!

 

@julie & punkin (ga) Vyktor's vet loves his spreadsheet. He was way excited the first time I showed it to him and wished all his diabetics would keep one. It is really handy for us in communicating about how Vyktor's doing too. I speak American and he speaks World as far as the numbers go but we both speak in the same colours so a quick update might be - he's going well and running in blues and greens or he's not doing so well he's giving me pinks. If the vet is interested enough it should impress them.

 

I think I should say that to my DVM!

 

Good to know, Serryn. I tried with both of Punkin's vets to bring in updates (and yes, mine printed out really tiny at first as well) and they looked but really didn't understand things. And weren't interested in learning - which takes some time and explaining, and vets often don't have extra time in their appointments.

If a vet is interested, that's great. Just wasn't my experience.

@FRAN M. I see your notes in your spreadsheet.

 

I see a couple of reasons. One is that AM and PM cycles can be (and often are) different. Having them mixed together on the spreadsheet make it harder to see that. The other is space. To stack them, someone has to scroll through 14 lines of your data just to read one week, a month will be impossible to read and see a pattern with the days wrapped on multiple lines. Your last comment sounds like the spreadsheet hasn't ever been thought through, just copy and pasted. It may not make sense right now while you are still learning about depots, onset, nadir, overlap, etc.. but there is a reason for the layout and it becomes more clear as you start to understand things more.

My biggest concern for your spreadsheet is as others mentioned, the nonconformity will reduce the amount and speed of help you get. If you come on the board in an emergency and people can't read your spreadsheet clearly (or misinterpret it) because of the changes, you could get little or no help, or worse you could get bad advice because someone didn't read one of your changes correctly.

Because 5 of my diabetics have been fosters I have worked with a variety of vets. Sending the link has always been how I communicated and I'd also send it to the shelter. Most of the vets have loved them once they decided to trust I wasn't a wacko

 

No I don't see the dots at least on my tablet.

 

I can't do anything on the Ipad except I can add "notes" but not actual BG numbers in the box. I had to go back to my pc. Thee's an app for the sss..I did not k ow that!!

 

if you are using an iPad, there are things you can do with the Sheets app that you can't do in Safari. Also, if you have trouble on the iPad editing the subject line in your posts here (can't get to the end) that goes away with a Bluetooth keyboard.

 

Interesting! I must have really lucked out with my vet. Took a copy of Menace's spreadsheet with me to her last appt. and my vet asked if she could keep it because she was so impressed with it. So kudos to the brilliant mind(s) who came up with the format! Some vets do actually appreciate its value!

 

I guess I lucked out, too! My vet had the link to Alex's spreadsheet and would even check on Alex's progress on his own. Sometimes he'd give me a call a call out of the blue to double check on how things were going based on what he was seeing on her spreadsheet. He thought the spreadsheet was great!

 

I think we have cloned vets. Mine sends me emails every so often just to check in and see how things are going. I won the jackpot when I found her!

 

BKs vet #3, who we stuck with, understood the ss however the dosing sent her into a panic. So much so that she was not going to continue to provide an Rx.
The printout became part of his file at the practice , which is good.

 

The vet students to whom I have shown Cinco's spreadsheet have LOVED it. The older vets not so much. However, all the vets I deal with now have a healthy respect for my knowledge of my cats' health and my commitment to their care. That's thanks to what I've learned at FDMB.

 

My vets loves the ss. He will call me if I haven't sent it in awhile. He can only get it on his phone though.

The associate there is familiar and was surprised when I said it was their copy. Except I only bring the current page when I go. Maybe I should run an entire copy.

 

The kindle doesn't have an app for sheets. I've tried it doesn't support it. I can look at ss but can't enter data. My phone does not copy the entire title link, but my kindle can. It's easier to type from kindle than phone. My desktop let's me enter comments, format a cell, (which can't do on kindle and only limited on phone) print, add rows etc. But it freezes up a lot when in Google docs so it takes forever to get anything done. My pc does not like google. So I have to jump between all 3 devices. So get lost between them.

 

I can guarantee you that every time I look at your SS I'm going to give you a hard time for not testing at night. The SS is too hard to interpret with two lines per day and, as others noted, if there's a critical situation, it will be very hard to give you fast information if people are spending an inordinate amount of time trying to sort out your data. I'm not willing to try to wrap my head around a new format for one person when the current spreadsheet works well for everyone else. If you prefer a different format, use paper and pencil for yourself and provide us with the necessary data on the form. Otherwise, do what you want but it's at your own risk.

 

I'm going to make my last comment on this and go away. Just look at how much time and energy has been spent on this already. And why? Because people are worried about this kitty.

People volunteer generously of their time and energy (and money) to support others here. They ask little in return: follow a couple of conventions, do your share of supporting others at a level appropriate to your knowledge and experience, and chip in a few bucks every so often. I will be blunt and say I find it arrogant to refuse to conform to those conventions and still expect help. I'm not saying you are a bad person, but really, look at what's happened here already.

 

Take a look at some of Grayson's SS tabs (those from 2012-2014). Like you, I personalized my SS, but instead of doing every 12 hours, or using much of the notes section, I added a row above each. That way, I could indicate when during the cycle meds or fluids were given, what kind of food and how frequent, etc. So food-wise, G ate Fancy Feast classics 99.9% of the time. He was allergic to red meat, so he either had chicken, turkey/giblets, or one of the seafood varieties. C-1 means 1 can of chicken. T-.5 is 1/2 can of turkey. OW ocean whitefish. etc. Most of his meds were at shot time - Miralax, thyroid med, ear drops, etc., so those were coded in my shorthand where given.

My vet had a difficult time understanding as well, but once I explained it and went through it with her, she caught on well.

Because I printed hard copies, I modified the colors into pastels which printed & read much better, not to mention didn't suck up toner as much.

You can also see where I had extended cycles, so I could adjust the +13 or +14 by just making the note in the box above it.

You may wish to try it one of these ways, as it might be easier for others to be able to read & recommend. Also, you can go into your SS and do the "share" link (only you can edit) which you can e-mail to your vet. That way he/she will get the benefit of the color copy.

 

I spoke to the vets at our local ER when I was in with Grayson, Peaches and Buddy at various times. Several of them were there early on, and I had spoken with them (at 1 am when it was quiet) about Grayson's Acromegaly, IAA and management of a high dose cat. One of the vets was the regular vet at an office in Wake Forest, NC, about 45 min away. She was the regular vet of Debbie (formerly on PZI) who I had met a few years ago with another FDMB mom. She was very familiar with Debbie's SS, and totally got it. The other vet was intrigued by the fact that at one quick glance you could see how the kitty was doing. She became a convert that night!

I guess a big part of having the discussion with your (or any) vet, is timing. Them having enough not to be rushed, and us having enough time to do "show & tell". It also facilitates the vet offering other FD clients the suggestion to come here. So if the opportunity presents itself, seize the moment!

 

So first of all. I just wanted to say that I am sorry if you feel ganged up on here. In my opinion, You can do your spread sheet any way you want and in a way that makes sense to you. I get why they are saying to stick with the format...It's because it makes it easier for them to understand. My suggestion is to maybe maintain 2 spreadsheets. One your way and one the conventional way and eventually maybe the conventional way will make sense to you as well. But that way you can interpret the data and you can have data for others to help you interpret.

I have been a member of this board on and off again for over 10 years and I am on my 3rd insulin dependent cat.( I'm cursed) This is not the first time I've seen members at odds with one another. I'm certain that it will not be the last I think everyone on this board is to be admired for their commitment to caring for their pets. This is not an easy road. Maybe we should give each other a break every now and then.

I will say what I have always believed. Take care of your cat the best you can in the best way that you can. Poor Spaceman is like the kid I had late in life...I'm way more laid back about his care than I was about the other two. But he's happy and healthy-ish and I didn't dump him at the pound and we are trudging along our road together.

Last...I'm in Dallas too! What part are you in?

 

I tried to find a "graph" to plot BG's /times/day on Google docs...??I could not figure it out. I do not have excel on this laptop. I went to Youtube to find one but none. However, there are many spreadsheets by Excel shown and instructed on YouTube.

 

To create a graph in Sheets, first, arrange the data you want to graph in rows and columns. (the standard spreadsheet layout may not be optimal as is)

Then, highlight the data and click Insert Chart.

 

First, I have got to learn how it is all done. X axis glucose Y axis each day with 4 times..I don't even understand what is being asked of me on the supposed graph-I tried the google doc listed as line graph "investment" ..Obviously need to study some..Thanks!!!

 

Describe how you want it to look.

I may be able to figure out what you need to do from there.

 

Wanted to stop by to check on you because I'm concerned some comments and concerns may have driven you away. I noticed Sparkle's spreadsheet is no longer published to the web.

Can we start over? Try to get something figured out?

 

I already sent her a PM offering to do this. She hasn't responded. I told her I could do two tabs on the SS. One could be color coded as we need and the second could be formatted for no color but it would also be formatted to auto fill the numbers from the first one.

 

@Marje and Gracie
I can see the spreadsheet today, 02/19/2016, 7:10 pm my time.

 

I cannot see it

 

I also don't see it and I created it...

 

I have a feeling she left

 

I hope she comes back .... she said she was "old school" and I think it can just be overwhelming ...... maybe she needs a few days to take it all in.

 

All new people need time to take it in and learn at their pace. I know I was unaware the ss was in sheets and then took awhile to figure it out. Knew nothing of home testing and was told I didn't need to. I could go on. It's extremely overwhelming and if your still in shock from the dx and trying to remember everything the vet said ...... well I for one will be more sensitive to them. Until they get to "know" FDMB, to them the vet knows more than a group of people you never met regardless of their experience and knowledge. Trust has to be built first.

 

Thank you for all of the interesting thoughts, whether, negative or positive to my changes.

Yes, I understand you are all volunteers and awesome ones at that, but life moves forward and new ideas create the future. Nothing stays the same. I'm pretty sure when this board went from written info to SS's that there was an outcry and people who couldn't or wouldn't adapt got left behind or just chose to walk away. Humans, in general, don't like change, but that doesn't mean change is bad. The ideas that are outrageous at one time (Home blood testing done by pet parents? Are you out of your mind?) are often the commonly accepted standards at a future time.

This is a Forum, not a CONFORUM. Conforming to the pack does not invite discussion, new solutions and progress. When an individual is pushed to conform instead of being encouraged to try something that makes their situation better because it creates an inconvenience for the pack or may even encourage other people to make the change, it is called bullying. (and those people who sent me such private messages know who they are.)

The SS is a tool that is very flexible. To discourage anyone from utilizing a tool to best fit their needs because it somehow makes it harder for others to use the tool, is small minded and actually a bit selfish.

I feel that the best win/win is that I do not share my SS here. Heavens, I wouldn't want someone who is in too much of a hurry, to give me wrong information. I mean heck, I've only been on this forum for a couple of weeks and I've gotten 3 very bad pieces of advice and that was way before I began changing my spreadsheet. If changing to a 12 hour format, which logically follows a 12 hour cycle and allows for comments to be written for the 12 hour cycle that they are in regard to, makes the spreadsheet too difficult to interpret, then I don't want to cause confusion and have any volunteer waste their time.
Sorry. That's what I feel is best for Sparkle, myself and my vets. (I can, share individually as I see fit.)

Now that I am using this format and DID not have to resort to adding columns or lines for the additional information I wanted to record (which in my opinion really makes for a cluttered SS), I'm loving it. I've also felt free to make a few other changes and to take all the tutorials on Google SS's to make my own changes. I'm loving that too. As for the scrolling issue, maybe it's just me, but scrolling across a page constantly to see the whole day and read the comments was much more aggravating. My SS is compact and yes, you can still easily see AM/PM variations.

If you want a chuckle, now that I am deeply in to researching FD and stomatitis in veterinary level research papers and articles, I discovered that if they use a spreadsheet for data, they use a 12 hour format. Why? Because it is logical. The preferred format is still graphic curves and yes, there are programs designed specifically to do that for blood glucose.

There is a very interesting thread available on this forum regarding not using the designation “dose advisor” which apparently was once used. It was dropped for the possibility of legal liability for the owner of this board. Some people did not think it was that big of a change, other people were very upset. In the end, the change was adopted. I am VERY glad there are no “dose advisors” on this board. I do believe there is another law called “practicing medicine without a license” that needs to be kept in mind. I hope that people who feel the need to look at hundreds of spreadsheets in a day to give “advice” remember that the data there is only a small part of the picture of any cat’s health. If something as simple as changing the from a 24 hour format to a 12 hour format suddenly makes it too difficult to accurately read and understand the data and can produce possible mistakes that can have dire consequences, I question the ability to understand the data at all and even more so, question the “advice”.

Ultimately, I will transfer all my data to a BG specific program that I have found because it is very simple to input, intuitive, and with the click of a button you can see that data interpreted in many ways. Don't worry, I won't throw a wrench in the system here and mention any alternate forms of data recording by name. (Wouldn't want to hit the hornets nest again! I'm still recovering from some of the stings.)

A Short Story:
No Chicken Little, the sky is not going to fall down if people start to modify their data tool to suit their needs. I mean, heaven help us if people go en masse to a new way of doing something! It has happened in the past so I understand your fear. People were using the good old pen and paper and writing their information to each other and then they started sharing it (shock!) though this never-going-to catch-on internet thingee and then, (gasp!), someone suggested using a spreadsheet program to manage data and people did go to it in droves and guess what Chicken Little? The sky did not fall down!

Oh, and Chicken Little, my dear, if you and your friends feel the only way to stay safe is to run away together and hide from the big, bad Change, then I am very sorry. It is a beautiful world out here, and really, Change doesn’t hurt. There are great places to be when you are brave and can surf the waves of Change. There are beautiful lagoons and lakes and fun kitties and even rainbows. So take my paw, Chicken Little, and let’s be friends and support each other when we are scared or confused and keep working to make things the best they can be for kitties with feline diabetes (and their beans).
(I'd like to say this story was written by Sparkle because it would be cute, but the idea of that made Mr. Cranky Pants, well .... cranky.)
Pepper +13

 

I'm glad your willing to stay or lurk. How is Sparkles? Love the short story.

 

I think we all need to always remain cognisant of the fact that the caregiver using the SS on this site 24/7 is the one who, first and foremost, has to be comfortable with it, and technology just isn't one size fits all. Hopefully in the future, instead of berating someone who finds the "accepted" SS difficult to use for whatever reason, we can agree to work with them to make adjustments instead of insisting on status quo. After all, if the format doesn't work for the caregiver, they could run the risk of inputting incorrect data and that creates a safety risk too! Just saying.......

 

You are right, Pepper...change can be good, no doubt about it. And, of course, everyone is certainly welcome to record their data in whatever way works best for them.

BUT, with regards to the SS and how it functions within the forum, it is unfair to ask volunteers to interpret what someone else feels logical. Maybe it would be possible if there was one stray SS that didn't follow the forum standard, but imagine if the hundreds of members we have from all over the world each had their own version of the SS, and then expected everyone else to be able to interpret that data in order to help them figure out what is going on? That is an unreasonable demand and expectation, since what Person A thinks is logical might be complete Greek to Person B. The reason the SS is "standardized" here, so to speak, is so that we can help as many people as possible within a reasonable timeframe, and without pulling our hair out trying to figure out someone else's logic. It is NOT because we want an army of conforming FD soldiers, but it is geared towards helping people as a group.

So I would say, sure...if anyone needs the spreadsheet in a different format, then of course that is what they should use. But, if it causes a delay or lack of response here because someone who otherwise could be helpful can't understand the CGs data format, then that is a possible trade off.

And, of course, we are happy as can be to give detailed explanations about the "whys" behind the SS format at any given time.

 

I'm glad to see a post from you. I'm sorry things got so overboard. I hope you and Sparkle are doing well. I hope you'll stick around and ask for advice if you need it and think it will be helpful to Sparkle.

 

I didn't make the current SS format but it worked great for us for over 5 years. As someone who deals a lot with excel and Google SSs here and professionally, I'd love to see what you've come up with and how it works. Why don't you take this opportunity to post it so we can actually see if there is a better format. If you want us to open our minds, then walk us through it.

It's always been my personal philosophy on this board that I wouldn't take advice from anyone who doesn't post a SS and, in order to keep a kitty safe, I am not comfortable offering any suggestions to someone who doesn't have a SS. No, it isn't a requirement but I won't endanger a kitty based on what I have to imagine.....I'm pretty visual as many others are as well.

I actually have to laugh....not at you or your post but the fact that no one who knows me would ever use the word "conform" as a descriptive but if you feel you want to dump some/many/all of us in that group, hey I can live with that.

 

The same goes for me Marje. . . lol!

I agree. Bring it on over to the "Think Tank"

I'm all for improvements. Open it up for peer review.

In the mean time the fact of the matter is that it very often gets really crazy around here...much like a busy ER.
Many kitties arrive with FD and more...DKA, kidney problems, heart problems, FIV, pancreatitis just to name a few. . .and caregivers who are stunned and frightened....and are getting lousey advice from their vet to boot...
They need help - lots of it - and time is of the essence.

I was one of those caregivers when I arrived here.
Did I follow the recommendations of the FDMB wise ones of our day - you bet I did.
That's why BK is alive and, in spite of being the last cat anyone here including myself thought would ever get OTJ, did just that.
6.5 years and counting.

Yeah, I followed.

And then with the support of the fine folks here, BK and I blazed a trail.
We went where no kitty and bean had gone before, leading the way for others

There is a time to follow and a time to lead.
The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

I echo Sandy and Marje.
Michael would not be alive if not for FDMB and the amazing people who volunteer their time to keep our kitties safe. Thank You FDMB!

 

I have hesitated to respond because I just do not understand the hostility ....

That being said I really hope that Sparkles will continue to do well however mama wants to manage her health. Please know that the people here are not trying to hurt you feelings. We are very passionate about the love we have for our cats and YOUR cat too. My first night my Drevon dropped lower than I expected a person I never knew and will probably never meet stayed up with me til 3 am to be sure Drevon was safe. Who does that?? Thank you @Chris & China

As for me I cannot even put into words the gratitude I have for this forum. We had no hope and now we not only have hope but a real chance of remission and most of it is on my shoulders (doing it right) which means the wisdom of this forum has us much further than I could have imagined.

I am so grateful to all who have helped me and I would do my ss in Chinese if that was what was required to get informed advice. Thank you all--not only the experts but the friends I have made along the way who offer support and a chuckle when times are so frustrating... imagine calling you vet with that frustration I am not sure they would take the call... we are in such a better place than we were a few months ago. There is no amount of gratitude I can express for the words of wisdom and support I have been given. Even with the dose advice it is always said "you hold the syringe" which empowers you and that is always a good thing. Thank you so much FDMB

 

@Sparkle and everyone

I started a Think Tank post on "Options for tracking glucose tests - the spreadsheet and other ideas", if you'd be willing to discuss what you find helpful, would like to tweak, to remove, etc.