BG 53 - gave karo syrup & 20% cat FF

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Jill & Pansy Panini, Aug 14, 2019.

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  1. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    I also posted in the lantus forum.

    I have her FF 20% carb beef & gravy dinner, which she ate enthusiastically.

    Tried rubbing some karo syrup on her gums. Not sure how much got in. She was alert and wiggly. Now after dinner and the excitement of the mark application, she is resting in her bed.

    Any advice? How soon should I recheck her BG?

    Thanks for your help,

    Jill
     
  2. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    She was 53 before any insulin?
     
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  3. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    She got no shoot, right? Test in 20 min from the time you gave the honey. Chances are good she won't go any lower since it's so long since shot time.

    Did you take a second test to make sure the 53 was accurate?
     
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  4. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    that was her PMPS, right? if I'm reading your spreadsheet correctly ...

    you did the right thing -- they'd tell me to check in 20 minutes, that's probably what you'll hear too
     
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  5. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Correct - 53...so NO insulin given.
     
  6. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Correct. And I won't be giving her insulin tonight. And shouldn't i leave out food all night?
    Getting ready to do another test now.

    thank you all for helping! I will post the results.
     
  7. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    I didn't think to retest...took the number at face value. I'm a newbie to all of this...
    Will test again...Getting supplies ready...
     
  8. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    every so often you get a bad strip or for some reason it doesn't read right -- at the moment you just want to take care of what it says
     
  9. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Jill, is everything OK? Did you manage to test again?
     
  10. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Pansy's BG is 181 at 6:45 PM.
     
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  11. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Yes...181
    Delayed because the vet called
     
  12. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    That's a relief. I was worried something had happened.
    Your kitty has earned a reduction in dose down to 0.25 units.
     
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  13. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Don't be surprised if she bounces up high because of the low number today. Still take the reduction.
    Keep asking questions if you are not sure.
     
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  14. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Pansy Panini (great name) has a history of low numbers and no shots.
    Did you switch to the low carb fancy feast pates after diagnosis?
    Switching to a low carb food can make a big difference in overall numbers, as much as a drop of 100.
     
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  15. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    I don't know what that means. She has been getting .5 units Lantus because this happened last week. Are you saying .25 units? That will be tough to gage!
    Vet called and said shoot tomorrow if 250 or more in the morning.

    I have been listening to the vet...who said .5 units as long as preshot BG was over 100. But the info on here says no shot of under 150 if you're a newbie.

    So scary and confusing.
     
  16. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Jill, if the emergency is over, could you please remove the 911 icon on both of your threads? I'm so relieved Pansy is ok. :cat:
     
  17. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Yes you definitely need to take a reduction in dose after having had the BG drop to 53, otherwise you risk Pansy dropping really low again which is unsafe.
    Yes, reduce the dose to 0.25 unit (1/4 unit) and you will have to eyeball it. Do you have a magnifying glass.?
    If you are unsure if you can give the insulin or not in the morning, post and ask for help.
    Things that will help you decide in the morning are....
    is it over 200
    can you be there to monitor the BG levels,
    do you have plenty of higher carb foods at home,
    do you have plenty of test strips.
    Is Pansy eating well

    Keep asking questions if you are not sure of anything. We are happy to help.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2019
    Reason for edit: changed 150 to 200 because only recently swapped to Lantus and fairly new
  18. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Long story! Diagnosed on 6/19...BG high...500. Tried vetsulin, with gradual increases, numbers still high. Switched to Lantus on 7/17. increase from 1 to 2 to 3 units...BG readings at vet's stayed high. Changed vets...had glucose curve done on 7/26...high numbers per the vet, though I didn't see, I think 350 - 500. Directed to Dr. Lisa's website and advised to switch to low carb food, which I did. Took P in for BG (I was too scared to do) on 8/6 at 10 AM - which is 4 hours after shot. BG was 47. Get tech said this was low and she would talk to vet. Told P could hang out at the clinic or i could take her home and give her a meal. I took her home and feed her. Completely clueless. At 5PM, prior to her evening shot, a voice told me to test her BG. First time I did this successfully. It was 43...called vet, was told to go to the ER. Treated with dextrose and I fed her high carb food out of my hand (I had an emergency kit - I knew that much). BG went up to 171. Went home and checked BG at 11PM (96) and 3:00 AM (103). Left food out all night, also per ER vet. on 8/7, took readings all that day...declared in remission. On 8/8 I noticed P was drinking lots of water...got readings of 349 and 271. And on 8/9 AM, BG was 370. So we are starting again.

    I think I need to enter this in the spreadsheet. I have a kindle which doesn't play nice with spreadsheet. I have to enter data with my phone. Not sure I can add lines.
     
  19. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Oh geez...how do I do that? I will look for instructions...
     
  20. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    I figure it out and removed 911 from both posts.

    Thanks for teaching me forum etiquette!
     
  21. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Thank you!
     
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  22. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    You are doing well! It is hard in the beginning. But you have come to the best place to get support. Keep posting and asking questions!
     
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  23. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    If you are not going to be home to test during the cycle tomorrow and the numbers are not very high you may be better skipping. Best thing is to take the BG 1/2 hour before insulin is due and ask for guidance. Make sure your subject line says you need HELP to get attention
     
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  24. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Thank you so much for the advice - thanks to all of you who responded. This is so stressful!
     
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  25. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    couple of things I use when eyeballing .25 (actually .75 the last couple of weeks) -- even with syringes with half unit markings it takes a fine touch

    I got a bright light with LCDs, to illuminate the syringe from the side (so the light hits the syringe but not my eyes)
    I got a pair of cheap reading glasses 3.25 power (you may find only 3.00s) from the Dollar Tree, put them both on since my eyes are possibly older than I am

    pull a little more insulin into syringe than you want to wind up with, flick any bubble up to the top, then turn the syringe horizontal, carefully twist so the plunger creeps forward -- it helps if you turn the barrel of the syringe so the markings are at the side rather than straight below you, and tuck that plunger end halfway between the half unit mark and the zero mark -- you can see the line the plunger end forms, right between the marks

    that's just what I did, you'll find the technique which works for you
     
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  26. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Okay, two things stick out.
    A lot of cats read much higher at the vet – which is another reason to home test.

    Switching to low carb food can dramatically change the dose needed.

    It is much better to slowly go up the dosing scale than to fly down the dosing scale by the seat of your pants. Vets tend to increase 1 unit at a time. It is recommended here that increases be no more than 0.25 units at a time. Increasing the dose by a large amount means that you can very easily fly right past the correct dose for the cat – sometimes too much insulin looks like too little. The only way to know for sure is to go up slowly and home test.

    Syringes with half unit markings can help. Make sure they are for U100 insulin (orange cap – Lantus is a U100 insulin) and not U40 (red cap – used for vetsulin).
     
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  27. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Jill, thinking about the Preshot number. Because you are fairly new and only just swapped to Lantus from Vetsulin and have very little data I think your Preshot number should be 200 until you get a bit more data. I have changed the number to 200 in the previous post.
    So in the morning the Preshot number should be 200 or above to give the insulin. Once you get more data it can be lowered.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2019
    Reason for edit: corrected spelling mistake
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  28. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Also if you are able to get some tests in during the cycle that will tell us how well the insulin is working.
     
  29. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Ok...thank you for the guidance!
     
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  30. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    I learned about the difference low carb food can make after the hypoglycemic event. So now we're starting all over again with the insulin. Vet wanted to start at 1 but I suggested .5 after I posted here about a low preshot number and another forum member advised it.

    I am amazed at the knowledge that is plentiful here but seems to be lacking with the vets.
    I had 1/2 unit syringes (U100) in 29 gauge but lost that when I got 30 gauge needles. I guess I need to look again.

    Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. I am really freaked out and every bit of information helps.
     
  31. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Vets get very little diabetes training (think hours, not days — and that is for all animals).

    Lantus dosing is based on the nadir (usually mid-cycle) and not the the preshot numbers. If you can start to get a few tests in during the day and evening or if you wake up during the night, that would help tremendously in figuring out the dosing.

    If you are looking for dosing help in the morning, you can put a question mark in the title of the thread. Same place you found the 911.
     
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  32. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    check at Walmart, I'm using 3/10, 31 gauge, 8 mm U-100 syringes, their ReliOn brand, price around $12 for 100 -- doesn't say on the outside of the package but these DO have half unit markings -- they aren't always in stock so make sure you buy another box before you run out (DH has to go to two other WMs to find them for me, would have been several days before they restocked)
     
  33. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Should I leave high carb food out tonight? Or the usual 3% carb Fancy Feast?
     
  34. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    yes, we recently switched to Lantus from Vetsulin, the two insulins take different handling in figuring out the dosing -- you learn to think in chunks of several days and the patterns you find, rather than reacting on a day to day fashion --
     
  35. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Oh...the 8 mm...the really short needles? I am used to the 12 mm needles. Pansy cried out when injected.with the 31 gauge shortie so I returned them. Now I have the 30 gauge, 3/10 cc, 12 mms needles...but no half units! Pansy seemed more comfortable with the 30 gauge vs the 29 gauge. Any improvement helps! I will see what Wal-Mart has. Thanks for the tip!
     
  36. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    using the grab and roll towards his head technique, I almost never get a fur shot, usually he doesn't notice, or may make a chuffing sound, but rarely do I hear a yip or cry or plaintive meow -- one thing that helps is to make sure the pointiest end goes in first, rotate the syringe til you see the shiny glint off the needle, that put the bevel in the right place, seems to make a difference (same thing with a lancet which is also beveled)
     
  37. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Thanks! That makes sense. I was going to do more testing on Saturday. I sure feel sorry about all the poking I'm doing!
     
  38. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    just tell yourself, you're saving a life -- those pokes may sting momentarily so luckily cats have forgiving natures, live in the moment not the past
     
  39. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Oh my! I am looking at a syringe and trying to gauge .25 units when there are only 1 unit increments. You're amazing to figure this out! I really need to find syringes with half unit marks.
     
  40. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    the other possibility -- especially if you have a Harbor Freight store in the vicinity -- is to buy a pair of digital calipers and use them as a guide to measure the small doses

    there's a video and description of how to use them on here .. let me see if I can find the link -- http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dosing-with-calipers-updated-w-videos.79851/

    the shorter ones are easier to use , DH got me an 8 incher which is more awkward, my Mark I eyeballs with magnification work better for me at this point
     
  41. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Wow...difficult to understand...doing .25 is gonna be tough.

    What about 1 shot per day instead of 2?
     
  42. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    nope, doesn't work, causes lots of problems, BG goes all over the place, and the Lantus depot never fills properly
     
  43. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    I have confidence you will do it fine -- it takes time, and patience which I don't have much of, it's a step by step process but with Lantus you also watch where you've been to see where you need to go -- everyone on the Lantus forum is dealing with some of the same situations and you get a lot of help and encouragement
     
  44. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Ok thanks
     
  45. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Pansy was at 53 at 5 PM and treated with high carb food and karo syrup
    181 at 6:45
    154 at 9:30

    Should I leave out low carb or high carb food? Or...?
     
  46. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Since Pansy did not have a shot tonight, 5:30pm is considered +12 (12 hours since insulin)
    +12 5:30pm 53
    +13.75 6:45 181
    +16.5 9:30 154

    What you are seeing is the high carb gravy and karo wearing off.
    Give a LC snack now, then leave some LC food out for her when you go to bed. Test at bedtime, just to be on the safe side.
    If you get up during the night, take another test. It all helps fill in the blanks.

    I wish it were 9:30 here. It's 1:15 for me. You did great tonight. It's a steep learning curve.
     
  47. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Thanks for the support and kind words - she had some LC food and there's more out for her. I am so tired...it's 10:20 now. I just now had some fruit for dinner. She's next to me and I hope the fruit sugar gets to her by osmosis or something.
    I am wondering if she plummeted today because I fed her FF that was 0% and 1% carbs. Yesterday she had FF and friskies which are 3 and 4% carbs.
    I
     
  48. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I don't think so. Both are considered low carb. Tomorrow morning, her numbers may be sky high. It's called a bounce. It's the body's response to numbers it is not used to. Do ask for guidance.
    • Bouncing - Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).
    Fruit is awfully healthy. I would have done chocolate for dinner after all of this. :rolleyes:
     
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  49. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I'm heading off to bed now. Holler if you need to. There are members on the west coast and some in Australia who will be up. G'night.
     
  50. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    goodnight and thanks again!
     
  51. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    I started with the Kindle and had to enter info on the phone too. It's not ideal, but it's doable. You have had quite an introduction to FD and all that goes with, but now you are learning and have lots of information and support.
     
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  52. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Not a problem, it's just when we see that red 911 hearts start beating a little faster. Many of us have been there and remember how frightening it can be. You are doing well and I hope you get some good rest tonight.
     
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  53. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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  54. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Hi Janet,
    Thanks for the info - but this is a short needle. I tried using this and it didn't go well. Other people have mentioned the grab and roll.technique - or maybe it's called the roll technique. I didn't do it properly i guess...I was intimidated by the fur and the needle was so short! Can you use the roll technique? If so can you describe it? I didn't see it on youtube.
    Jill
     
  55. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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  56. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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  57. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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