Soccer update 2/4

Hi everyone!
I'm still having trouble with the ear sticks. We did fine the 1st few days... no issues at all. Now, he's tired of being messed with (and feeling better) so things are deteriorating. I tried using the lancet-pen last night (and this morning) and both times, went back to a free-hand poke (after 3+ lancet pen attempts... the blood drop was SO SMALL from the device... too small for even my COntour meter). *I*, on the other hand, pricked my finger numerous times throughout all of this... so now, I'm jumpy too! LOL!

In any event, PMPS was 106 last night so no insulin. AMPS was 176 this am. I was torn between 0.2 and 0.4 units, but went with 0.2 to be safe.

Hope everyone has a great day today!
Michele

 

You are getting some awesome numbers! Even if it's difficult, please keep testing before each shot. Now that Soccer is going so low, you don't want to risk hypo. If you continue to have trouble with the test, you might try the clothes pin trick. http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_ ... _peg_trick It has worked for many others getting tests. Then the kitty gets used to it and doesn't need the clothes pin anymore.

You're doing great, Michele.

 

Thanks, Ele, for the encouragement. I won't shoot before checking BG... no worries. I'm extra-cautious because I'm not home all day and can't go home *everyday* for lunch.

 

milking technique explained

Once you poke their ear sometimes you will not see any blood. Then you have to "milk" the ear. The milking technique is what takes some practice. The only way I can describe it is to set your thumbs on your index fingers with the tips of your index fingers and the tips of your thumbs touching. Then push your thumbs forward. You can vary the angle of your index fingers so that they make a straight line away from each other or make a "V" in wither direction. I think I may get the best results when the "V" is a considerably wide "V" [not an upside down "V." Hope this makes sense.

What size lancets are you using? I like 28g lancets. These are the ones I buy from Hocks:
http://hocks.com/hocks-healthcare/hocks ... 80001.html

Technically one should not push the blood out - but it is just fine to do.

 

Re: milking technique explained

30g

I wonder if that's part of the problem.

 

Yea, when I started the 30g wasn't cuttin' it [pun intended]. Then also you need to make sure you get the ear nice and warm. You'll see the veins start to get bigger. You have to be patient, it take a while for the little guys to warm up. You should start to feel the warmth come though the ear and into your palm.

Also, it takes some practice to get the right setting on the lancer [I call it the clicker]. I like the one that came with my OneTouch Ultra mini. A setting of "4" of "10" - "10" being the deepest - seems about right on it. Some come with a clear cap that one would only use of they were sticking the paw. It just allows deeper lancing I think. Anyway...

I think I asked before just just to double check and make sure you are not aiming for the vein but the sweet spot between the vein and the edge of the ear? Even though I thought I had read everything when I got started, somehow I didn't get it right when I started... :roll:

 

If anything, I'm going too far to the margin of the ear.
Come to think of it, the 1st few days, I was using lancets from work... I didn't look to see the size. WHen I purchased my own this weekend... I just grabbed what Walmart had on the shelf. Maybe the ones from work were bigger... hmmmm...

 

Some people swear by the 31g lancets, but I tell ya, I really struggle with them. I'm going back to 28s with the next box. Now I usually poke 4 or 5 times and then have to milk it a lot to get enough. Mr. Bix does not care for it!!!! With the 28s a lot of the time the blood would pop right up, or if I did have to milk it, it was just a little.

I also found with him that after a day of many tests I needed to take at least a couple days and get the 2 PSs only. Usually a couple days was enough to give him & the poor ears a rest, and then I would go back to spot testing after that. Of course sometimes you need to test for safety, but much of the time I was an overtester, so it was a matter of just limiting it to essential testing for a few days til he was recovered.

I also have found that a lot of extra attention w/o testing goes a long way in reducing his grumpiness level when I do need to test. I think what's important is to keep the testing as a blip on the screen in the course of the day, rather than as the thing that stands out, if that makes sense. And then he can keep it in perspective, or forget about it, or whatever it is cats do.

 

I think it's so interesting what we all prefer and get used to, and how much of it is just a matter of what we first started using. I didn't have luck with the 28 gauge lancets (the first ones I tried) and went to 33 gauge and never looked back. I am not convinced now that the initial problem was with the lancets and not with the tester, but I have a good thing going now and I'm not going to change. I swear by the BD Ultra Fine lancets, freehand. I have never used a lancet device and can't even fathom how one works, actually.

Buzz's poor ears are almost raw lately, and I have been using the Neosporin + pain reliever both BEFORE the test(to get the blood to bead up) and AFTER (so it can sit on her ear and soothe). She had a TON of tests today (9 within 2 hours, plus her normal daily checks) and her ear is hot but it doesn't look any worse than normal. I swear by the Neosporin. I mean, it's not a miracle cream, you can tell her ear has been poked a lot, but it certainly does help her.

You really are getting great numbers, Michele. Keep it up!