9/6 Smudge: AMPS 386, +3 279, +6 492. +9 386, PMPS 453, +2 377

[allicatmeow]

AMPS 386

Yesterday's: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-5-smudge-amps-359-3-293-6-303-9-325-pmps-299.281228/

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

don't despair. Dose just increased so there could be some NDW going on. (New Does Wonkieness)

Also, he was only just diagnosed less than two weeks ago. It took months of .25U increases for Hendrick to hit that breakthrough dose and that is not uncommon. Honestly, sometimes the toughest thing about FD is the mental and emotional battle. My heart would sink a little every time that meter beeped and the number was high. And it got pretty depressing as it seemed for a while like even as we increased, it didn't help.

Take @Diane Tyler's Mom and her sugar boy Tyler. He went into remission after TWO YEARS of battling. Can you imagine how mentally tough she had to be to just stay the course? She is an inspiration to me for sure.

This takes a ton of patience and don't forget self-care! Give yourself a treat too now and then. And a big hug.

 

[allicatmeow]

don't despair. Dose just increased so there could be some NDW going on. (New Does Wonkieness)

Also, he was only just diagnosed less than two weeks ago. It took months of .25U increases for Hendrick to hit that breakthrough dose and that is not uncommon. Honestly, sometimes the toughest thing about FD is the mental and emotional battle. My heart would sink a little every time that meter beeped and the number was high. And it got pretty depressing as it seemed for a while like even as we increased, it didn't help.

Take @Diane Tyler's Mom and her sugar boy Tyler. He went into remission after TWO YEARS of battling. Can you imagine how mentally tough she had to be to just stay the course? She is an inspiration to me for sure.

This takes a ton of patience and don't forget self-care! Give yourself a treat too now and then. And a big hug.

Your comment has me in tears (good ones). This is far more emotional than I expected it to be. My CKD kitty wasn't this intensive to stabilize. I just want him to feel good and I guess he is with his giant appetite.

That meter beep definitely makes my heart race every single time. The hope for good numbers always feels out of reach. I hope we can find his dose soon, like you had said, I feel it's not far off, but the anticipation is brutal.

TWO YEARS. What incredible dedication and patience. That is inspirational. Mental toughness is an understatement.

I guess when I head to the store later for some more FF Classic Pate, I should grab some Ben & Jerry's for myself.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@allicatmeow
Hi Alli , you're doing a great job, Kyle @Hendrick Cuddleclaw is right,
Smudge was just diagnosed , you will hit that breakthrough dose.
It was actually 2 years and 4 months to get Tyler into remission
He's now been in remission since 1-24-21 ( knock on wood)
I know it's hard to get discouraged but keep the faith .
Smudge will get there
I hope you got Ben and Jerry's for yourself
Hang in there and keep your chin up
Smudge is a handsome boy
Have a good day Alli

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

Let me tell you, the one night I forced myself to stay up late and get a reading at 12:30am, and the number was 49. JUST enough to qualify for his first ever reduction on a human meter. He had hit 50 several times before that but never below.

I was a blubbering mess. I cried and hugged him and said "I knew you could do it buddy. I knew it!"


I can't even think about that night without my eyes welling up. I don't have children, we tried but the universe decided it was not to be. Hendrick is my boy.





dammit where's that tissue box

 

[allicatmeow]

+3 @ 279
AMBK 0.3

@allicatmeow
Hi Alli , you're doing a great job, Kyle @Hendrick Cuddleclaw is right,
Smudge was just diagnosed , you will hit that breakthrough dose.
It was actually 2 years and 4 months to get Tyler into remission
He's now been in remission since 1-24-21 ( knock on wood)
I know it's hard to get discouraged but keep the faith .
Smudge will get there
I hope you got Ben and Jerry's for yourself
Hang in there and keep your chin up
Smudge is a handsome boy
Have a good day Alli

Wow, that's a long term remission!!! And a great prediction that what you are doing works for him and he can stay that way.

It is easy to get discouraged, because I just want to see some consistency, but he bounces all over the place! I guess the consistency I should focus on is that he is happy, he eats REALLY well, and he is such a love. I am lucky that he has accepted everything I do to him without a peep (or a hiss or a swat) because I was essentially a stranger that saw him here and there when visiting my mom. He accepts me!

I think B&J Phish Food sounds good today. Thank you for all the positive words and encouragement.

Let me tell you, the one night I forced myself to stay up late and get a reading at 12:30am, and the number was 49. JUST enough to qualify for his first ever reduction on a human meter. He had hit 50 several times before that but never below.

I was a blubbering mess. I cried and hugged him and said "I knew you could do it buddy. I knew it!"


I can't even think about that night without my eyes welling up. I don't have children, we tried but the universe decided it was not to be. Hendrick is my boy.





dammit where's that tissue box

I can guarantee I will be a blubbering mess just like you!!! I love how much you love him. He is so lucky to have you (and you him)!!!! Sending hugs and tissues.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Iguess the consistency I should focus on is that he is happy, he eats REALLY well, and he is such a love. I am lucky that he has accepted everything I do to him without a peep (or a hiss or a swat) because I was essentially a stranger that saw him here and there when visiting my mom. He accepts me!

Yes that's what counts also that he's happy, and he's a good eater
He sounds like a real love bug
Have a nice day Alli

 

[allicatmeow]

492 @ +6. Help???
I know "NDW" but that'd the highest I (and possibly the vet) have ever seen.

@Hendrick Cuddleclaw
@Diane Tyler's Mom
@JL and Chip
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

I would suspect NDW here yes.

I mean - that is a somewhat unusually high BG for him, but he's had high reds before. I don't know if I would worry too much about it as a one-time BG number. Trends are more important.

also more important, are ketones. If he stays in higher BGs for too long that helps produce ketones. I see this morning he was a 0.3 that is great. As I mention often though -- I'm not one of the expert gurus so lets see what others have to say.

 

[Angela & Cleo]

Oh @allicatmeow {{Alli}}
As @Hendrick Cuddleclaw Kyle pointed out, keep an eye on the ketones.
Can you give us a Whole Cat Report (WCR)? Peeing, Pooing, Playing, Preening and Purring? Hows Smudge's appetite?
I understand how devasting seeing a high number can be. When Cleo was first diagnosed, she would give me BGs in the BLACK. I was beside myself in tears.
Aside for NDW, maybe, just maybe, this is the high before the low. Sometimes, right before kitty clears a bounce the BG goes higher. Here's hoping that its either NDW or the high before the low.

 

[allicatmeow]

Oh @allicatmeow {{Alli}}
As @Hendrick Cuddleclaw Kyle pointed out, keep an eye on the ketones.
Can you give us a Whole Cat Report (WCR)? Peeing, Pooing, Playing, Preening and Purring? Hows Smudge's appetite?
I understand how devasting seeing a high number can be. When Cleo was first diagnosed, she would give me BGs in the BLACK. I was beside myself in tears.
Aside for NDW, maybe, just maybe, this is the high before the low. Sometimes, right before kitty clears a bounce the BG goes higher. Here's hoping that its either NDW or the high before the low.

Hi Angela, full kitty report? You got it!

Peeing & Pooping - yes, just cleaned it and had both in the box (2 pees & 1 poo), all is good.
Playing - he doesn't really know how to play, so this is not easy to judge. I will say that he is curious and wants to roam out of his quarantine room badly!
Preening - yes definitely. I have to regularly steer him away from his wound, but he has been cone-off all day and left it be.
Purring - yes very much so. Any time I pet him, I get immediate rumbles. If I come in the room, even for a test and he knows it, rumbles!
Appetite - fantastic. Maybe too fantastic? He ate more than normal this morning and that could account for the spike (maybe?). He was a SUPER hungry boy. I try not to limit that too much because of the ketones issue, he needs to keep eating and drinking well. I believe I read here that he should be eating 1.5x his normal caloric intake due to previous DKA and he would still be well within 1/2 his daily intake for the morning.

 

[allicatmeow]

I would suspect NDW here yes.

I mean - that is a somewhat unusually high BG for him, but he's had high reds before. I don't know if I would worry too much about it as a one-time BG number. Trends are more important.

also more important, are ketones. If he stays in higher BGs for too long that helps produce ketones. I see this morning he was a 0.3 that is great. As I mention often though -- I'm not one of the expert gurus so lets see what others have to say.

You may not be one of the expert gurus, but you sure are my cheerleading squad! That's just as important to me.

 

[allicatmeow]

386 @ +9.
Back to where we started I guess?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I should grab some Ben & Jerry's for myself.

I always recommend chocolate for the caregiver, but whatever works for your treat.

NDW is usually over by the end of cycle 3, if not earlier. Due to the depot style nature of glargine, you might not see what a dose can do until cycle 4 or 5. This part of the waiting game teaches you patience. The good news - ketones are the same or lower.

One other possibility for higher numbers today is that he went lower than he's used to last night and is bouncing today. But no tests after PM last night? Yesterday during the day was the 6th cycle after blues on the 2nd. It could have been that he broke a bounce last night and came down some.

I will say that he is curious and wants to roam out of his quarantine room badly!

Why a quarantine room?

As for long term remission, George of @Gill & George is a good example. He first went into remission in 2016. He had a couple medical issues (bad teeth, steroids) knock him out, but Gill got him back on the remission track. Here is his spreadsheet to give you an idea of the turnaround in numbers that isn't uncommon for a newly diagnosed cat. He's over 20 now and living the good life.

 

[allicatmeow]

NDW is usually over by the end of cycle 3, if not earlier. Due to the depot style nature of glargine, you might not see what a dose can do until cycle 4 or 5. This part of the waiting game teaches you patience. The good news - ketones are the same or lower.

One other possibility for higher numbers today is that he went lower than he's used to last night and is bouncing today. But no tests after PM last night? Yesterday during the day was the 6th cycle after blues on the 2nd. It could have been that he broke a bounce last night and came down some.

So keep calm and keep on, you're saying. I guess I didn't even consider if that cycle yesterday broke the bounce, then this could essentially be ANOTHER bounce from (assumed) low numbers. What a basketball game.

Why a quarantine room?

I have a 15 year old CKD cat named Penny, who is close to end stage kidney failure. Smudge was my mom's neighborhood stray and not actually mine. Introducing them will be a very long process, so Penny doesn't stress and cause issues with her CKD. Also, Smudge's wound is still very raw and healing so slowly, keeping him quarantined reduces the amount of things he can rub his wound against when it itches. He comes out for daily walks multiple times a day and Penny watches him from her couch perch. She actually purred today seeing him, which was unusual for her. He sometimes comes to work in my home office with me, but doesn't like to stay long (yet).

As for long term remission, George of @Gill & George is a good example. He first went into remission in 2016. He had a couple medical issues (bad teeth, steroids) knock him out, but Gill got him back on the remission track. Here is his spreadsheet to give you an idea of the turnaround in numbers that isn't uncommon for a newly diagnosed cat. He's over 20 now and living the good life.

Going through this now. Thank you, it is helpful to see others journeys when they are newly diagnosed. Helps me to take deep breaths.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Sounds like a good go slow introduction for Smudge. Good to hear he's not there 100% of the time.

When I was new, I found it very helpful to look at spreadsheets of other recently diagnosed cats. Plus to read their posts. There tend to be a lot of common questions, and even some not so common. I learned a lot by looking and reading. And made friends by stopping in and saying hello.

 

[Gill & George]

Hey Smudge and Alli,
George)now 24) as Wendy says, is still in remission.

We had a sea of red and pink to begin with. We just stick to the TR protocol and forged ahead, my
Goal was regulation to begin with. That's what we focused on.

Once he was regulated we hoped for remission, but we kept patient, and we got there in about 6monthd.


He fell out due to a tooth issue once and a second time a steroid shot, but we got him back OTJ reasonably quickly and he's stayed there.

It's been 7 years since he first went into remission.

Dont despair, FD is intensive to begin with, bit it does get easier, and there is a bond with your FD kitty like no other.

Hang in there

 

[allicatmeow]

Hey Smudge and Alli,
George)now 24) as Wendy says, is still in remission.

We had a sea of red and pink to begin with. We just stick to the TR protocol and forged ahead, my
Goal was regulation to begin with. That's what we focused on.

Once he was regulated we hoped for remission, but we kept patient, and we got there in about 6monthd.


He fell out due to a tooth issue once and a second time a steroid shot, but we got him back OTJ reasonably quickly and he's stayed there.

It's been 7 years since he first went into remission.

Dont despair, FD is intensive to begin with, bit it does get easier, and there is a bond with your FD kitty like no other.

Hang in there

Hi Gill! Thank you for coming to Smudge's journey. with such a wonderful comment. 24?! That is just incredible. You've done such a wonderful job for him.

I went through your whole sheet and seeing all you did with his remissions and relapses is amazing. Your dedication is admirable.

I worry I won't truly be able to do TR like so many of you stayed so dedicated to. Seeing how intensive it is to night test - it's just not a possibility for me to be up and testing every few hours. I see so testing at midnight, 2am, 4am... I just don't know how anyone here did it and lived a normal working life. Unfortunately my husband cannot help either. I am going to try my best to do what I can for Smudge though. He deserves that chance at remission.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

The key message from Gill is to focus on regulation first. That's a prerequisite to remission. And if he doesn't get to remission, regulation is a pretty good place to be. BG's are much more predictable, for me it meant less testing. Though I still did 4-5 tests a day unless she was diving. But it opened up my world to more activities and trips (with her).

 

[allicatmeow]

PMPS 453

The key message from Gill is to focus on regulation first. That's a prerequisite to remission. And if he doesn't get to remission, regulation is a pretty good place to be. BG's are much more predictable, for me it meant less testing. Though I still did 4-5 tests a day unless she was diving. But it opened up my world to more activities and trips (with her).

Baby steps, right? I hope for regulation over this year's fall and some steady numbers through winter, when there's less to do and a lot more staying home. Remission is of course the goal, but some predictability would be nice!

 

[allicatmeow]

377 @ +2

 

[JL and Chip]

Baby steps, right?

Yes. Sometimes we want results right now and it’s hard to be patient. High numbers stress us out, we want to do something immediately to “fix” it, but it’s important to remind ourselves that being steady and methodical is best. Even after being around all these years, I still had to remind myself of that at times.

You’re doing great. You’re catching on fast, not being impulsive, and seem to have a realistic grasp on what you can handle. As for how overwhelming this all seems at first … yes, it’s a lot. But it gets easier. Wendy’s suggestion to look at other newbie spreadsheets and questions really does help establish expectations about what is “normal” in the trajectory of treatment.

I often liken learning the ropes of FD to a Polaroid photo (if you’re old enough to know what they are, lol) — everything is unfamiliar and gray at first with no clarity or perspective, then slowly rough outlines begin to appear, and finally the image becomes clear and suddenly makes sense. Someday you’ll look back at these early days and think “wow, that was a heckuva ride” but you will understand exactly how far you’ve both come and, hopefully, smile at it.