5/15 Esse AMPS 310 +5 231

Lauren & Esse said:
Yesterday's thread!

One month on insulin!

I wish we had enough data to bump him up to 0.75u again, I hate seeing all these pinks. Am I just being impatient, and maybe 0.5 is enough and he just needs more time to get used to it? Or are we just stuck here in the pinks until we can do a full curve/get a Libre?
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Hi Lauren, you may want to use the drop down DOSE button and ask for "dose advice" in your header to get some guidance!
I hope Esse comes down for you and out of those pinks!

Is there a reason for no night time tests? Just curious what he's doing in the evening to give you more information.
Wishing you both a safe surf! 😻
 
... you may want to use the drop down DOSE button and ask for "dose advice" in your header to get some guidance!
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I thought about it, but it's definitely not urgent and other folks seem to have a lot going on today. Thanks though!

Is there a reason for no night time tests? Just curious what he's doing in the evening to give you more information.
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This is a big gap for sure! We've both been having a crazy couple of weeks at work, plus all the stress of getting the cat used to testing etc., and after we test the cat at 9:00p we are usually asleep by 10:30 at the latest. 😩 We definitely want to get more nighttime data, just need to stay awake a liiiiittle longer to get it.
 
Hi Lauren!

I am not even remotely experienced enough to advise on dosage, but a couple of thoughts:

1) I think those overnight tests if you can get them will help you get a better picture. I can absolutely relate to the struggle to stay awake for post-dose stuff (since I have the Libre that's not an issue, but for his snacks at +1, 2 and 3.) It's possible Esse's PM cycles closely resemble his AM cycles, but it's also possible they're wildly different. In our case, Xander often has a very active AM cycle and then a bounce PM cycle. Once in a while it'll go the opposite way. If you're really struggling with being able to get overnight data, then maybe the Libre really would be a good option for you, even if not your primary testing method. You could just utilize it to fill in the blanks. I think that's what @Briana + Binx are currently doing, so maybe she would have some insights for you about using it as a backup and not a primary source of information.

2) Another thing that muddies the waters is all the potential furshots. That's something that obviously reduces over time (and again, I can relate to having a difficult kitty!) so please don't take that as some sort of criticism - purely pointing out that when we're not sure how much insulin actually made it in, it's hard to know if the dose is effective or not. Especially since this whole system is like a butterfly effect and every action can so easily impact the next several cycles. Does that make sense?

Sooo much in the beginning is just a big old question mark. I hated staring at my spreadsheet and trying to make sense of things, it was so overwhelming and I felt like I never had the "right" data to make any real correlations. That's another thing that just improved over time by way of having more data to look at, but also people here have often been incredibly helpful with pointing out things that I may have missed or misunderstood.

3) Just as an overall note on "patience": It is not one of my virtues. Like, at all. 😅 My thread yesterday probably proves that (although that was more of an overall progress thing and not specific dose thing), so you're probably thinking "What could I possibly learn from you?" Which is fair! Haha. But I have seen firsthand that sometimes it takes a truly surprising amount of time to see the effect of a change (circling back to the butterfly effect!). And on top of that, something that I've only learned very recently, is that there's this phenomenon of a "breakthrough dose." For some people it seems like no dose shows a real, lasting improvement, and they have to keep climbing the dosing ladder up and up and up. But then suddenly, literally like a flipped switch, something works. There are always ups and downs after that too, but it really seems like things just suddenly get so much better all at once. I'm pretty tired at the moment so I could be misremembering, but I think if you go look through the spreadsheets of some of our other lovely members, you'll see this exact thing happen! Check out @Mary & Jude , @Helen + Noogi , @Briana + Binx 's spreadsheets. That helped me a lot to hold on for that "breakthrough!"

And a last note, which again, I need to take my own advice on too: It can really help to zoom way out and look at the overall picture. When I feel like I'm getting absolutely nowhere I try to do that and when I see all the red and black and pink at the beginning and look at how little of those three I have now, even if I'm not doing great, I can see there's definite improvement.

I'm sorry this wound up being so long-winded. I hope something in it was of use!
 
No, this is all really good, thank you!! Seriously--very reassuring to hear from people at all stages of the journey.

1) I think those overnight tests if you can get them will help you get a better picture.
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The details on what's possible at night definitely help me understand why it's important. Knowing that, I agree, I don't want to change the dose until I have a couple numbers there.

2) Another thing that muddies the waters is all the potential furshots.
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Totally get it, and it's just sooo hard to tell. I can literally never feel the liquid on his fur, even when I'm 100% sure I missed. So I'm going based on how 'right' it felt and how strong the insulin smell is. I'm erring on the side of caution when I make a note of it, even if I very well did get it all in. (And never shooting twice, obviously.) Just to have that data point, you know? And my technique has definitely improved and I think will continue to improve! But yes, absolutely makes sense that we can't super rely on anything until we have a solid number of days where we're confident there were no furshots.

3) ...they have to keep climbing the dosing ladder up and up and up. But then suddenly, literally like a flipped switch, something works.
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Haha, I'm impatient to start climbing that ladder! But soon!
 
Brianna & Xander said:
If you're really struggling with being able to get overnight data, then maybe the Libre really would be a good option for you, even if not your primary testing method. You could just utilize it to fill in the blanks. I think that's what @Briana + Binx are currently doing, so maybe she would have some insights for you about using it as a backup and not a primary source of information.
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Yes! Brianna is right - I’ve been using both the Libre and Freestyle Lite handheld meter right now. I have flexibility with work, but it’s so much better for me to be in-office, so I’ve been trial running using the Libre to monitor his curves while I’m at work. It’s been super helpful for understanding the overall curve and especially when he’s diving, but I’ve found I still need the handheld numbers to truly understand where Binx is at. The handheld is how I started so those are the numbers I understand. I will say - the two sets of data can be confusing if you’re not super familiar with the numbers you’re looking at. Can’t hurt to give it a shot though if it could make your life easier! It’s certainly saved me a few times over.
 
Lauren & Esse said:
Totally get it, and it's just sooo hard to tell. I can literally never feel the liquid on his fur, even when I'm 100% sure I missed. So I'm going based on how 'right' it felt and how strong the insulin smell is. I'm erring on the side of caution when I make a note of it, even if I very well did get it all in. (And never shooting twice, obviously.) Just to have that data point, you know? And my technique has definitely improved and I think will continue to improve! But yes, absolutely makes sense that we can't super rely on anything until we have a solid number of days where we're confident there were no furshots.
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Something to consider, if you haven't already: I was constantly getting furshots too, until I shaved a tiny patch of fur where I give injections (I only do the flank, so just a little patch on each side). It made all the difference. The only time I have furshots now are if he flinches so much that he pulls off the needle, but even that's rare. It looks a little funny, but it's totally worth it lol

Lauren & Esse said:
Haha, I'm impatient to start climbing that ladder! But soon!
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I totally get it! lol Another thing to consider then is switching to TR, but you would definitely need the PM tests for that. But you can increase much more quickly instead of hanging out at an insufficient dose. It's part of why I switched!
 
Brianna & Xander said:
Something to consider, if you haven't already: I was constantly getting furshots too, until I shaved a tiny patch of fur where I give injections (I only do the flank, so just a little patch on each side). It made all the difference. The only time I have furshots now are if he flinches so much that he pulls off the needle, but even that's rare. It looks a little funny, but it's totally worth it lol
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Me too! I do this and agreed - game changer. Even the grip on the skin/fur I find is better so I can hold the tent still. Poor Binx looks silly, but oh well.
 
Briana + Binx said:
Me too! I do this and agreed - game changer. Even the grip on the skin/fur I find is better so I can hold the tent still. Poor Binx looks silly, but oh well.
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Sooo much better. I don't even have to grab much skin (I had been grabbing a lot with the fur because you just can't frickin' SEE.

Looking a little goofy is a small price to pay for consistent insulin! Our vet shaved it for us first and it was such HUGE strips that he looked ridiculous. 😭 Here's a comparison between before and now lol

20250103_172450.jpg
 
Brianna & Xander said:
Sooo much better. I don't even have to grab much skin (I had been grabbing a lot with the fur because you just can't frickin' SEE.

Looking a little goofy is a small price to pay for consistent insulin! Our vet shaved it for us first and it was such HUGE strips that he looked ridiculous. 😭 Here's a comparison between before and now lol

View attachment 96
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And they take so long to grow back!!
 
This is great! That's been one of our issues, Esse doesn't have much loose skin in the areas we're "allowed" to touch (he's actually pretty fit for an older diabetic guy). So shaving a patch might be helpful.

I also think I'm going to email the vet today to ask about prescribing a Libre. She was very excited that I told her I'd be home testing at all--something she hadn't even suggested, which is crazy in hindsight--so I imagine she'll be receptive.
 
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