6/27 Esse AMPS 389 | Feline Diabetes Management Board

6/27 Esse AMPS 389

Lauren & Esse

Lauren & Esse

Member
Yesterday's thread!

If you just looked at Esse's numbers from the Contour meter yesterday and heard nothing else about our day, you'd be like, "Wow, what a great day for Esse! They're really doing it!"
1751031561499.png

But the reality is that the Libre "urgent low" alarm (<55ish) went off every 15-30 minutes from AM+4 to around PM+4! My cortisol levels for the day were probably a perfect inverse of his Libre graph--was already having a tough day at work and having my phone buzz constantly (and hearing his phone ringing downstairs) while in already-tense virtual meetings was awful. We reduced his dose for the PM and gave a bit of HC kibble just to ensure he'd get into a level that was safe according to the Libre so we could sleep and I could avoid the panic attack I felt bubbling up. I knew a bounce was coming and finally around 1am it seemed likely it was happening and our day could be over.

We're going to have to do some brainstorming about how we can use the Libre data productively on the days like that where he's actually in good numbers. I actually do think we could turn the volume all the way down or silence it, and then maybe use preset reminders to check at +2, +6, etc. and make sure he's doing okay and seeing how the graph is trending. It seems like a little bit of a boy who cried wolf situation. Is 50-60 on the Libre always going to mean he's actually 60+, and we only need to worry if the Libre says "LO"? We may have to gather more data to figure that out. I thought the whole point of having the Libre would be to reduce the amount of manual testing we need to do, but it certainly wasn't the case yesterday. I don't want to risk his safety but I also don't want to ruin every good day with a bunch of stressful testing and med/high carb snacks. 😅

Thanks for listening to my rant. ❤️ I appreciate the folks who caught my late updates on the thread last night and responded.
 
That sounds really stressful and frustrating and unfortunately not uncommon. 🤗

I like your idea of those couple key manual checks and then using the Libre data for trends. I loved the idea of the peace of mind the libre would provide but it actually drove me more anxious and crazy. Low didn't really mean low and high didn't really mean hi 🤪.

Gotta have accurate data to get them regulated or hopefully into remission. Maybe figuring out that variance range for Esse will help.
 
Yes, that's exactly how I feel!! I am very data-oriented and remission is my goal for sure but I'd like to remain sane on our journey to get there.

I just wish he could tolerate more than a couple tests a day, then we'd only need the Libres when we're out of town. We were getting pretty good at doing 2 or 3 a day but each one takes two people, 10-20 minutes, a high value treat, and some swatting and squirming--I thought it wasn't sustainable to do 5-6 per day. But now after yesterday, I'm like, how different is it really? If I'm going to be crying and sleepless regardless, which is the better path? (Rhetorical question of course.)
 
Now that I see more people using Libre for their kitties I can see both pros and cons of it. Definitely stressful with the alarm going off constantly especially if the kittie keeps dropping or tends to sit in the lower numbers.
Hopefully you can use the Libre and it's data without loosing sanity. Good luck.
Happy Furrrrrriday 🐾🤗🐈💕🌺
 
Question: is this issue of the LO and HI how it is for human users of the Libre too? Or is this because the device is made for humans and is being used for cats? I so wish one of these companies would come up with a device made solely for cats/dogs.

Anyway, hang in there Lauren! I hope you have some good luck in deciding what to do.
 
I think part of it would be true for humans--e.g. the sensors tend to read low if they're compressed, like you're laying on it for too long. The app has lots of disclaimers saying "not for medical decision making" or "verify with a blood glucose meter," because they read serum glucose and not BG. But most of it is just that they're not meant for cats, the safety guardrails aren't built for them and the ranges aren't calibrated for them. @Staci & Ivy was just saying on her condo that she thinks the sensor isn't sure what to do when they read low for too long and that's why they can kind of get stuck there or error out.
 
Aww, I'm sorry Lauren. I can totally relate. Those alarms are so stressful. And they're so loud that (at least for me) they triple the stress because you keep being startled by what basically amounts to a frickin' air raid siren right next to you.

I don't know how you're able to change the volume of the urgent alarm. On my own phone (and from everything I've read) it's not attached to the alarm or media volumes, so it can't be changed. In my hours of research for this exact reason, every discussion I read says it's not an option and the only way to lower the volume or turn it off is with some deeper tinkering. My partner did that for us but we ended up switching it back because we could only turn it off and not lower the volume and obviously we needed it. You must have a lucky phone that allows it because it seems like no other ones do. I've considered wrapping it in something like Staci has mentioned before but it's so finicky about signal that I haven't risked that yet.

Mary & Jude said:
Question: is this issue of the LO and HI how it is for human users of the Libre too? Or is this because the device is made for humans and is being used for cats? I so wish one of these companies would come up with a device made solely for cats/dogs.

Anyway, hang in there Lauren! I hope you have some good luck in deciding what to do.
Click to expand...
Yes, while looking for solutions to the volume of the LO alarms (they are ridiculous) I've come across human users having the same problems. If they get laid on they go low, and humans using them get the same problems with them going into error mode because it's confused by big swings in a short time, or low numbers for an extended period. Sometimes it'll also be annoyed if it's just in a bad spot or if the filament got bent or something like that.

Normally the Libres are great. They're phasing them out for the 3+ this year and there have been batches of bad ones in the past, so I wonder if all of us are just getting the crappy, "we're done with these now" batches. It's not normally like this.
 
Brianna & Xander said:
I don't know how you're able to change the volume of the urgent alarm. On my own phone (and from everything I've read) it's not attached to the alarm or media volumes, so it can't be changed. In my hours of research for this exact reason, every discussion I read says it's not an option and the only way to lower the volume or turn it off is with some deeper tinkering. My partner did that for us but we ended up switching it back because we could only turn it off and not lower the volume and obviously we needed it. You must have a lucky phone that allows it because it seems like no other ones do. I've considered wrapping it in something like Staci has mentioned before but it's so finicky about signal that I haven't risked that yet.
Click to expand...
Oh wow, maybe I shouldn't feel so bad, then. Esse's phone is an old Android (Pixel 2) and it does seem directly tied to the alarm/notification volume settings. It was actually turned all the way down (but still audible) when we started because that's how the phone was set when I used it for myself years ago. I turned it up after that because I was afraid it wouldn't wake me up, but now I'm reassessing, clearly. I haven't tried turning it off yet but I'll let you know if we're successful--if we decide to try.
 
Lauren & Esse said:
Oh wow, maybe I shouldn't feel so bad, then. Esse's phone is an old Android (Pixel 2) and it does seem directly tied to the alarm/notification volume settings. It was actually turned all the way down (but still audible) when we started because that's how the phone was set when I used it for myself years ago. I turned it up after that because I was afraid it wouldn't wake me up, but now I'm reassessing, clearly. I haven't tried turning it off yet but I'll let you know if we're successful--if we decide to try.
Click to expand...
Interesting! Xander's phone is also old (but a tiny bit newer) - it's the Pixel 3 XL. 🤔 I guess we were one away from having the ability to change it. lol
 
Lauren & Esse said:
Yesterday's thread!

If you just looked at Esse's numbers from the Contour meter yesterday and heard nothing else about our day, you'd be like, "Wow, what a great day for Esse! They're really doing it!"
View attachment 710

But the reality is that the Libre "urgent low" alarm (<55ish) went off every 15-30 minutes from AM+4 to around PM+4! My cortisol levels for the day were probably a perfect inverse of his Libre graph--was already having a tough day at work and having my phone buzz constantly (and hearing his phone ringing downstairs) while in already-tense virtual meetings was awful. We reduced his dose for the PM and gave a bit of HC kibble just to ensure he'd get into a level that was safe according to the Libre so we could sleep and I could avoid the panic attack I felt bubbling up. I knew a bounce was coming and finally around 1am it seemed likely it was happening and our day could be over.

We're going to have to do some brainstorming about how we can use the Libre data productively on the days like that where he's actually in good numbers. I actually do think we could turn the volume all the way down or silence it, and then maybe use preset reminders to check at +2, +6, etc. and make sure he's doing okay and seeing how the graph is trending. It seems like a little bit of a boy who cried wolf situation. Is 50-60 on the Libre always going to mean he's actually 60+, and we only need to worry if the Libre says "LO"? We may have to gather more data to figure that out. I thought the whole point of having the Libre would be to reduce the amount of manual testing we need to do, but it certainly wasn't the case yesterday. I don't want to risk his safety but I also don't want to ruin every good day with a bunch of stressful testing and med/high carb snacks. 😅

Thanks for listening to my rant. ❤️ I appreciate the folks who caught my late updates on the thread last night and responded.
Click to expand...
Welcome to my world Lauren.

I use an old iPhone 8 for Ivy, which is a much older phone and there is no way to turn the volume down for the Libre Lo alarms.

So, I guess be thankful if you are able to turn down the volume to a decibel where you can manage not losing your mind.

As Brianna has mentioned, I’ve also read online of humans who use a Libre and the LO alarm is excruciatingly loud when they are in meetings at work, etc.
And there’s no way to adjust that sound. I know that it’s a safety feature of the Libre, but it’s hell for the User.

As you mentioned, yes, I’m having one of those days with the Libre, which obviously she’s surfing lower and if the Libre was reading, I’m sure it would just be reading LO.
Alas, I’m still getting no readings since around +4 this morning.

I feel your pain and understand your frustration. It’s good when it’s good, but it can suck at times 😫
 
Uh I’m so sorry Lauren! What a stressful day you had. Glad you were eventually able to get some rest 🤗 Always take care of yourself because if you’re not feeling well, it makes it even harder to take care of our fur babies.

I went through the same thing you are right now when I used the Libre with Binx. I was still actively testing with the handheld because the numbers reported pretty differently and I found he had bigger swings on the Libre - which makes sense when you know the lows are lowww and the highs can be highhh. The Libre was great for viewing trends and helping me understand how Binx curves (pretty unconventionally but never rapid dives… mostly). Ultimately I decided it wasn’t worth it for me to keep up with both - it was confusing, expensive and stressful. Now I just use it if I’m gone for a while (rarely). Luckily Binx does well with tests though, unlikely Esse where you have to have two people and it takes a while with fuss.

Not saying you should abandon the Libre, that was just my decision and my options were easier, which I know doesn’t help much. So I’m sorry. Regardless how you move forward, you can always play out options and change your mind whenever. You’re not held to anything.

Hope you find the right solution and of course, here whenever you need to rant! We all need to sometimes 😅🥰
 
Brianna & Xander said:
I don't know how you're able to change the volume of the urgent alarm. On my own phone (and from everything I've read) it's not attached to the alarm or media volumes, so it can't be changed. In my hours of research for this exact reason, every discussion I read says it's not an option and the only way to lower the volume or turn it off is with some deeper tinkering. My partner did that for us but we ended up switching it back because we could only turn it off and not lower the volume and obviously we needed it. You must have a lucky phone that allows it because it seems like no other ones do.
Click to expand...
Brianna & Xander said:
Interesting! Xander's phone is also old (but a tiny bit newer) - it's the Pixel 3 XL. 🤔 I guess we were one away from having the ability to change it. lol
Click to expand...
I asked my boyfriend (a software developer) about this because it got me curious. He knows for a fact that iPhones only added the option for apps to have "critical update" notification overrides later, not with the early versions, and suspects the same thing is true for Android. So that's probably why you can't turn down the volume for the Libre app for the Pixel 3 XL but we can on the Pixel 2. I.e. technically our phone is too old to have that "feature," although in this case it feels like a good thing that we're missing it.

In your prior research, had you found the third-party Android app "Juggluco"? Looks like it would basically replace the Libre app on the cat's phone but allow for custom notification ranges and even schedules for different ranges. Still sends data to the LibreLinkUp app and LibreView website. Not the prettiest UI, lol, but it seems to have a loyal following on (human) diabetic forums.
 
Lauren & Esse said:
I asked my boyfriend (a software developer) about this because it got me curious. He knows for a fact that iPhones only added the option for apps to have "critical update" notification overrides later, not with the early versions, and suspects the same thing is true for Android. So that's probably why you can't turn down the volume for the Libre app for the Pixel 3 XL but we can on the Pixel 2. I.e. technically our phone is too old to have that "feature," although in this case it feels like a good thing that we're missing it.

In your prior research, had you found the third-party Android app "Juggluco"? Looks like it would basically replace the Libre app on the cat's phone but allow for custom notification ranges and even schedules for different ranges. Still sends data to the LibreLinkUp app and LibreView website. Not the prettiest UI, lol, but it seems to have a loyal following on (human) diabetic forums.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I wonder if that would apply to the earlier iPhone 8 I’m using as Ivy’s phone, hmmmm.
 
Lauren & Esse said:
I asked my boyfriend (a software developer) about this because it got me curious. He knows for a fact that iPhones only added the option for apps to have "critical update" notification overrides later, not with the early versions, and suspects the same thing is true for Android. So that's probably why you can't turn down the volume for the Libre app for the Pixel 3 XL but we can on the Pixel 2. I.e. technically our phone is too old to have that "feature," although in this case it feels like a good thing that we're missing it.

In your prior research, had you found the third-party Android app "Juggluco"? Looks like it would basically replace the Libre app on the cat's phone but allow for custom notification ranges and even schedules for different ranges. Still sends data to the LibreLinkUp app and LibreView website. Not the prettiest UI, lol, but it seems to have a loyal following on (human) diabetic forums.
Click to expand...
Ooh, interesting. That makes sense.

I have actually tried Juggluco and I didn't like it (and it also ended up messing up my LibreLinkUp connection and was a whole thing). In the end I just ended up going back to the main crappy apps lol My partner is in a similar field (not software development, but IT engineering) so we tried to make different things work, but no luck so far.
 
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