Wondering How Rags is Doing

New insulin? New Vet visit? Any news? Hope all is ok.
jeanne

 

Hi Jeanne,

Looks like no one has heard anything from her. I was wondering also. I know that some of us were following all the posts on that thread, but we are hoping that the cat, especially, is okay.

Sad to think of all the time that the original posters that were helping her so much, may have been for naught.

Jean and Charcoal (GA)

 

I hope everything is okay, too. I was following along in the background.

 

I for one am hoping the vet visit went beyond fantastic. That the vet listened to Hope and Deb during our conference call on Friday and realized how poorly the N insulin was working for Rags and switched to another insulin with a longer duration. That the vet had enough time on what the vet described to us as "Saturday is a hectic and chaotic day in the clinic." The vet told us "I remember Becki [surname removed by moderator]. I want to have more time to talk to Becki. I'll try to reschedule the appointment for during the week when the clinic is not so busy".

Yes, we are concerned that we have heard nothing from Becki, hopeful that everything is well, and optimistic that Rags is getting the best of care and advice after visiting this new vet.

The two main points in getting Becki to find a new vet were:
1. to get a better insulin with longer duration.
2. to get a vet that will work with Becki and listen to her instead of saying 'do it my way'

Once these two things occurred, DCIN would be able to step in and help provide some financial support. DCIN can not get Becki a better insulin until Becki has that new prescription from the vet. Sort of a catch-22 situation. Once DCIN can legally step in and provide support, I bet a lot of us here would jump in and make some targeted donations to DCIN for Rags insulin, supplies and care. I know I was going to.

Becki, for reasons known only to her, has decided to stop updating her spreadsheet and has stopped publicly posting on this board. Members for whatever reason, stop posting. We have to accept that.

I have to strongly disagree with this

We have all learned a great deal from helping Becki and Rags. We have learned that vets are stilll prescribing insulins that work poorly in cats and can advise new members on this board on some of the better insulins available. We have learned that it can be difficult for some people to grasp all the details in this sugardance and try to find a different way to help them. We have learned that members like Becki are truly committed to helping their cats. We have learned better how to manipulate the food intake with these insulins.

I know Becki will take care of her Rags, her Ragu, the best way that is possible. Becki will never rehome her cat. I used to tease her to get her to listen and say 'Maybe you want to find Rags a different place to live. He can come live with me." She always told me "no way".

Yes, it was a huge time commitment to help Becki and Rags. We learned that not more than one person at a time could be posting in her thread. We learned to PM each other and bounce ideas off each other. Doing this, we gave her the best advice available in little driblets which seemed to work best for Becki's understanding. We were not talking over each other on her public post and getting her confused. There were often 100 -150 PM's back and forth among the team members every day. Someone would cover the morning hours, another the afternoon, another the evening. Granted, we could not be there every minute of the day but we would coordinate who would be there if someone else had to step out to go buy cat food for their own kitties or something.

It was exhausting and very wearing, on us, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I liken the support we gave to Becki as being on hypo watch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks. This is probably the most detailed, intensive effort we have ever made on behalf of a member.

We were able to teach Becki, slowly but surely. We may not have been able to give her the absolute best of resources because there are so few people on this board that use or have used the NPH insulins (Humulin, novolin N) so that our knowledge base is very thin. This can be a very dangerous insulin, dropping a cat into hypo territory very quickly, so we were cautious in our advice. Remember one of our mottos "Better too high for a day than too low for a moment".

We were starting to see some glimmers of hope in the last couple of days, like the insulin had started to help some and maybe the pancreas was healing a little bit. Because of this, we had to change our approach once again and get more tests and wait or stall before deciding on the dose. This sugardance is fluid and everchanging and you have to change how you are doing things so quickly sometimes.

I knew nothing about these insulin types when we first started to help Becki. I know more now, and when I see someone with these insulins prescribed for their cat, I try to discourage them and give them reasons why there are better insulins available. Sort of "'head them off at the pas" by arming them with knowledge. Knowledge I have gained from helping Becki and Rags. Yes, these insulins are cheap but they have such a steep drop and zoom up in such a short time that the cat must be feeling pretty horrible for most of the day. I hope people can find the extra money to pay for insulins with a longer duration like prozinc, or lantus, or levimir but know it is not always possible. It all depends on what you are willing to sacrifice in your life. Even then, there may simply be no way to swing the finances.

Personally, I would sell all my possessions to help my cats. It's only stuff after all. I'd get a second job, cut back on things I buy, economize in every way I can think of.

Did we do everything perfectly in our dealings with Becki and Rags? Of course not. Personally, I'm still working towards that state of perfection in my life and never expect to reach it if I lived 1000 years. There are always things we can learn and try and I will not stop doing that, to become a better person.

Too many people try to switch vets if they are not getting the best of advice. I think it is time for us to push back at out vets and tell them we want to do more to help our kitties at home like home testing. I think it is time for us to start educating vets about all the wonderful new resources available to help our diabetic kitties. Time to ask for better insulins. Time to educate more vets instead of giving up on them so quickly. We have lots of knowledge to share on this one specific disease, lets do it. Ask them for copies of the vet research they are quoting, ask for copies of the Merck vet manual on diabetes management or whatever online resource they are using to decide on the treatment for our cats. Provide us with independent studies that show those vet prescribed diabetic diets they are recommending to us are better for our cats than the readily available low-carb options we are feeding.

Because of Becki and Rags, I keep my eyes out on Feline Health for people prescribed the NPH insulins. I keep my eyes out and look for people that may have been given too high an initial starting dose or are increasing too quickly. I keep my eyes out and share my knowledge. I will continue to do that even if the member can not, for whatever reason follow our advice. I will provide moral support and share in the sorrow of someone losing their cat, or the joy of a cat going OTJ or a cat struggling along for whatever reason.

That is the least and the best that we should expect of our FDMB family here. To be there for each other, in any small way we can.

Deb & Wink

 

well said Deb - now please put wink's avatar back and reinstate your name.....

 

Hi Deb,

A great post, and I am glad that you and the others learned so much from Becki and Rags working with the N insulin.

I did not write my post in stone, and anyone who knows me on this board, knows that I was not saying what I did to downplay what you and the other posters did. I was trying to say that anyone that has that many people concerned about them, and their cat, should at least have taken the time to thank those who cared that much and put so much time and effort into helping them.

It is great that it became such a learning experience for you and anyone else following 'yo hon's posts.

I say 'Cheers!' to all of those people on this board that go out of their way to help and encourage folks with their diabetic cats! So, by not hearing anything from Becki and Rags, I for one, am happy that you are happy with whatever the outcome has been.

Jean and Charcoal (GA) cat_pet_icon

 

Jean, I knew you were not downplaying what we had done to help Becki.

We are all a bit worried because we have not heard from Becki. I don't think she realizes how many people there were sitting on the sidelines, encouraging her in this journey. Many people were anxiously awaiting news after her vet visit. You can't imagine, or maybe you can, so many horrible reasons I could think of as to why she has not let us know things are ok.

Even just a "We are fine" with no other details would be ok. I'd love to hear the whole story but she will tell us when and if she thinks she can.

You can not imagine the number of vets we called, trying to find one that was supportive of home testing, willing to prescribe another better lasting insulin, someone not too far for Becki to drive, someone Becki could work with and that would be supportive of Becki. We really thought this was THE ONE.

Keeping my fingers crossed here.

 

Thanks, Deb, and glad to see your name and avatar of Winks back again.

Jean and Charcoal (GA) cat_pet_icon

 

Yes, I too am really worried about Becki and Rags both. I hope they both are well and I hope Becki will post here soon to let us know how things are. It was amazing to see all the people working together to help her 24 hours a day. Just amazing how much people here care and the lengths they go to to help another member.

 

I have also been wondering how they are doing. I have been following the posts. I am not experienced enough to have given her dosing/testing/feeding advice, but I did post a few times with words of encouragement. I noticed in her profile that she did log-on a few times over the weekend, but no posts/topics ever appeared. My last PM to her on Sunday is still in my 'outbox'....guess she didn't read it yet.

I just hope & pray everything is okay.

Misty & Rumpelteazer

 

Thank you Deb, Hope, Carl...and ALL the others (too many to name) that help. I've been here since 2006 and STILL have problems getting my thoughts together the way you guys seem to in an instant. This place wouldnt be the same without all your collective knowledge, undying loyalty and generous time.

Becki if you read this, You and Rags have become part of this family. Yes you have found your way into our hearts. We wish ONLY the best for you and Rags.

I know for a fact that there are people willing to help . We may not have the knowledge but there ARE other ways to help. I pray you decide to use this valuable resource. We are here for you.

All my best,
jeanne

 

Becki,
If you see this... please check your PM inbox. I have no idea how many PMs you have gotten since joining. But there is a maximum number of 250 in your inbox. If you get more of them once you hit 250, they will be "on hold" until you delete some older ones to make room for the newer ones. It could be that people like Misty have sent messages that you can't see because your inbox is full.
If that isn't the case, then please respond to someone by PM so that all of us will at least know that you and Rags are still alive.