Woohoo! I did it!!!

Just did my first glucose test & it was A LOT easier then I thought. It helped that she was half asleep too! Didn't even flinch. Didn't get enough blood the first time so I just moved higher up the ear. I felt like I was blindly piercing her ear bc the lancing device cap (?) is so big compared to how small of an area next to the vein. I think I hit the vein though & can see a little pool of blood around it. Is that ok?
So it's been about 6 hrs since her a.m. Insulin -2 units of Novolin N & I got a 146 from the Relion Comfirm. Would this be considered her Nadir? She was 234 Monday at the vets & then he increased the dose from 1unit to 2 units. We go back again Monday for another test. I'd appreciate any feedback~

 

wow! brilliant job!!!!!
There might be some info on nadir and numbers on the Novolin section in the insulin support groups if there is one. I found info I needed for lantus in the lantus area.

 

Yay jillmerg!

 

Kudos to you on your first test! That was the hardest part for me - though it gets easier (and 3+ yrs of experience helps too!) Glad she was easy to test.

146 is a good number. It will be most valuable to you when you have others throughout the cycle and over a period of days to see how much she's responding to the insulin.

My mom was recently dx w/ diabetes, and I have a really hard time hearing her numbers without having them in a spreadsheet so I can get a big overview. I hope you'll continue to get numbers at various points throughout her cycle. Initially you can just write them down, and report them in your thread. There's a link to set up a spreadsheet, like those in our signatures. If you need assistance setting one up, please let us know and someone will direct you to the link.

Welcome to the group and again, CONGRATULATIONS on that first test!!!

Lu-Ann

 

Way to go with the testing!

Can you remove the cap to see where the tip of the lancet is aiming? I do that with my lancet device (the one that comes with the Alphatrak meter). Another option would be to just use the lancet (if that's possible for your setup) and freehand the poke.

 

I'll try messing with it & see if it comes off. I don't know if I'm ready for freehanding yet! I'll let the device be the mean one for now! - it does seem like it would be easier though.
Our vet uses the alpha trak with a blood sample from a syringe from the leg. Do you know what the comparison is between that & the relion confirm. He wanted me to get that but it's so much more $ & I would like to practice with the cheaper one first & make sure I can at least do it.

 

I just freehand poke. The lancing device that came with my meter makes a lot of noise and that bothered my cat more than the poke. Also a nurse friend of mine who used to have a diabetic cat told me to get the thinnest lancets possible which I did and they work.

 

Congrats and welcome to the vampire club.

 

Success feels so good! Well done!

 

Welcome to the vampire club you might not want to go with too thin a lancet just yet until her ears have learned to bleed well. I use the lancet device with Vyktor but I poke from the inside out. After a little practice i learned exactly how much of the hole I needed to see sticking out from his ear to get a nice drop.

 

Disregard what I said about thin lancets. Others here with more experience than me suggest larger ones. They work for me but maybe Billy bleeds well .

 

Congrats on your first poke! My first time was a total NIGHTMARE! I've found that poking the foot pad worked much easier for me, and Goof tolerated it better. But it sounds like you've got it under control.

 

Welcome to the Vampire Club!

 

LMAO!!! (And I don't do that very often these days.)

That is exactly how I think of my lancet device.

 

Congratulations on your first poke! That's a glorious moment, isn't it? We can all relate! If you're using the lancing device that comes with the Relion meter, it comes with a blue cap attached. That cap comes off, and the kit comes with a clear cap that you can replace it with. The clear cap makes it way easier to see where you're actually poking. I didn't notice the clear cap at first inside the package, but it was rolled up in a bit of plastic inside the kit.

With regards to comparing the Alphatrack to the Relion, check out BJM's Glucometer Reference Numbers guide. If you're using a human meter, just report your results as is. No need to try to do any math to convert the numbers or anything like that. Most of us here use human meters, and the dosing guidelines on this board are generally written with reference to numbers obtained on a human meter.

 

Thanks for all the help, you guys are great! I tried the clear cap on the device & that helped to see where I was poking her ear. Her pre dinner check didn't work out but I did get a 1:11am read & it was 75. Made me nervous since she had a hypo seizure a couple wks ago & was in the 70's & then 60's at the ER . But that's the vets test...it would be lower than what I would get, right?! So far -
2U at 7:50am & 1/2 can purina dm
meter check at 1:53 pm / 146
2 U 7:50pm 1/2 can DM
Meter check 1:11am / 75

 

Hi Jill,

Have I understood correctly that the 75 was about 5.25 hours after the shot?
And you're using Novalin?

Eliz

 

Hi Jill,

If the vet was using an animal meter, their meter would read higher than the human meter.

So, today, using the + nomenclature, it looks like Princess's numbers have been as follows:

AMPS: (?) fed 1/2 can DM
+6 (approximately 6 hours after shot): 146
PMPS: (?) fed 1/2 can DM
+5.5 (approximately 5.5 hours after shot): 75

Does that sound about right?

I don't have any experience with Novolin N, but as I understand, it usually peaks before +6. Hopefully others will jump in if I'm wrong here. Here's a link to the Primer on using N insulin. 75 is a great healthy number, but Princess may continue to go down. How long ago was your last test? If at all possible, I'd suggest that you try to grab another BG reading within an hour from your last test.

 

I was just about to look for that, Jen. You beat me to it!

Seconding what Jen said.
Novalin usually peaks early, but it would be good to know that we are definitely past the peak of the cycle.
That 75 is a super-duper number, but we don't really want Princess dropping much lower at this point.

Congrats on the hometesting!

Eliz

 

...Also, Jill, we don't know how much Princess's blood glucose has actually dropped, because we don't know what the blood glucose level was prior to the shot.
If it's dropped lower than Princess is comfortable with, and/or it's dropped too fast for her, then you may see the blood glucose level bounce up high after this. It may not happen, but if it does then don't worry about that, it's just part of the process sometimes.
.

 

Yes, Jen that is today's info. I'm just starting home testing. From the info I've read about N it does seem to spike & drop. I want to see how she us on it. It's been a few yrs w/out any problems. We had a house fire right before she was dx (2010) . Our young retriever would chase her & we had to keep them separated , I was pregnant with my 4th & then the dryer fire! We stayed at my parents for a few weeks we let her stay with grandma & papa after we went back . They have been treating her but my father recently had foot surgery and mom works so we were watching her & decided to keep her here. The dog is now calmer & thing have been good. Just trying to get her levels back on track , and educate myself better so I can get her healthy again . I'm just paranoid after seeing her have a seizure! She seems normal now so I think I'll test her and try to sleep

 

Good for you for starting to home test! That seizure means that that dose was too high. Cats' insulin needs can definitely change, even after years of treatment. Testing will help give you a much better idea of what her insulin needs are currently. Let's see where your next test is at.

 

She wasn't acting normal so my mom brought her to the vet & her blood test showed high 700's! She had an abscess & lost a tooth. I told my mom to see about switching her food to wet & the vet did hills dry to DM( which is even lower carbs. ) Over a couple wks time she was increased to 4 units & had an office nadir of 127 . I think between the food & the inf healing the 4 U was way to much for her . So we started back at 1 & now 2U. That's what she was previously at / before all this happened.

 

Ok, she's now 117 at 3:39am
I can sleep now!
- Thanks !!!

 

The food change is a big part of their numbers. Transitioning slowly is preferred, or, in my case, I did the food switch BEFORE starting insulin. I think a lot of vets continue to increase doses when the kitty is still eating high carb food. Most "high dose" kitties are just carbed up, and NOT resistant to the insulin. Good for you for dropping back dose. Hoping you got some sleep!

 

Your blues & greens look good. Don't be surprised if you need to drop back even more. I have one kitty that went OTJ in 1 week after the food change; and a foster that did the same a few years ago.

 

Very true. Our vet practice gets an external expert to review some diabetic cats BG data. The initial opinion came back that Saoirse - then on 3 IU BID of Caninsulin - would be insulin-dependent for the rest of her days. But then she was on Hills w/d dry at the time (prescribed by previous vet practice). Saoirse flew down the dosing scale after the change to low carb wet food (and her momma bean was very glad to be home testing!). Saoirse has been diet-controlled since November last.

Those blues and greens are very encouraging, Jill. C'mon Princess!

 

Thanks! Im still trying to get her AM & PMPS but shes just to crazy at feeding time. Any other time shes perfect. That would be great if she ever was OTJ . She was obese when dx, 23lbs. , maybe even 24lbs.! Now she's down to 15lbs.!
She was prescribed Hill w/d dry too, she LOVES the Purina DM so much more now. I'm still trying to figure out how to get her SS to update & I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing. I'll have to have my husband take a look later.

 

It's great that she's getting on well with her wet fuds!

 

Wink was on the Hill's W/d dry food too. Once I transitioned him to low carb wet food, it wasn't long until he went OTJ.

Keeping our fingers and 3 sets of paws crossed that the same can happen for Princess.