tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82320505244504336842012-02-16T01:29:32.644-08:00A commentary about how living with a diabetic cat has an effect on nearly every aspect of my life.Nancynoreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-84951482816718240282008-10-04T11:54:00.000-07:002008-10-04T12:06:26.103-07:00

Isabella died on Sunday September 21, 2008.I've been waiting for the right time and the right inspiration to write this final entry but I don't think that time will ever truly come. So today, on the day that I buried Isabella's ashes, I am closing this blog.I want to be clear about one thing: diabetes was not the cause of her death. Although I don't specifically know why she declined over her

Nancynoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-42675908991689302112008-09-16T17:58:00.000-07:002008-09-16T18:05:14.428-07:00

Isabella's been having a tough time the last few days (and consequently, so have I, dammit). I took her to the vet, practically a drive-by, to have blood drawn. In and out. No appointment necessary. No big deal. Or so I thought.Then the next day she stopped eating and started looking all mopey. Now I admit it takes me a while to catch on, but I finally noticed the pattern: go to vet, cat gets

Nancynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-29464583558908176012008-09-11T18:00:00.000-07:002009-12-31T15:15:02.477-08:00

Today on the Feline Diabetes Message Board I commented that taking care of Isabella's diabetes is a piece of cake. That may come as a surprise to people who are new to the diabetes game. It can seem overwhelming at first. It was overwhelming at first, but now, after two years, I've got it down. It's part science, part art, part obsessive-compulsiveness, but you too can manage your kitties

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-48598201705188388682008-08-30T17:58:00.000-07:002008-08-30T18:11:38.350-07:00

I've definitely been doing this diabetes stuff too long. How do I know? I know because I'm not even paying attention to what I'm doing any more. This morning I almost gave Isabella a shot of insulin in her ear instead of using the lancet to test her sugar.Hello! Not a lot of sub-q space there.

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-70904434618551305382008-08-28T15:03:00.000-07:002009-12-31T15:16:23.938-08:00

I was scanning through the hundreds and hundreds of messages in the Lantus insulin section of the Feline Diabetes Message Board and was struck (again!) by the breadth of support there. There is always someone around to lend a hand or an idea when things are going badly or to stay up all night with someone whose cat is skirting the edges of hypoglycemia.Jiminy, I don’t even stay up all night with

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-85845195817679927972008-08-13T17:00:00.000-07:002008-08-13T17:38:33.653-07:00

You know the Beatles song A Day in the Life? The one with the line: now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall? That’s been my theme song the past little while, much to Isabella’s dismay.You see, Isabella is doing really well on Lantus, her new insulin. Her blood sugar has been consistently lower than ever, sometimes staying in non-diabetic ranges for hours at a stretch. I

Nancynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-20867310926115279762008-08-13T16:35:00.000-07:002008-08-13T17:36:17.257-07:00

Diabetes isn’t the only area of Isabella’s messed up life that’s going well. Her cancer is growing so slowly that it’s almost a non-issue. I think there are three tumors at the moment, the largest about the size of a small grape. None are visible just by glancing at her. But really, the happy thing is that she’s not experiencing the explosive growth I know fibrosarcoma is capable of.

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-51628929025083023102008-08-02T19:07:00.001-07:002008-09-05T14:51:09.047-07:00

I work at a hospital, so I have lots of interaction with medical people. (Disclaimer: I am not a medical people.) About a year ago, the director of the ICU was in my office asking for information about something or other to do with diabetes. Better regulation of hyperglycemia in critical patients or something of the sort, I don't specifically remember. Bottom line is that in talking to him about

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-15059643012758785212008-07-23T08:11:00.000-07:002008-07-23T08:13:54.627-07:00

I’ve finally done it. I’ve finally made the switch from PZI insulin to Lantus for Isabella’s diabetes.I had been all set to talk to the vet about changing when Isabella’s cancer came back. That really threw me – all of a sudden I wasn’t sure I should bother trying to learn a new insulin if she was just going to die anyway. So I hesitated. I procrastinated. I stopped caring about her numbers.Then

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-27080192411380216872008-07-10T20:51:00.000-07:002008-07-10T20:54:45.070-07:00

Once upon a time, it was all I could do to focus on anything but Isabella’s diabetes. I worried about it all day. I surfed the web and asked questions on the Feline Diabetes Message Board. I tested her relentlessly. I obsessed over her blood sugar, made spreadsheets and graphs and scales of insulin doses.But no more. Something has changed.Isabella now gets tested twice a day before her shots.

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-35890671972024376942008-06-24T11:10:00.000-07:002009-12-31T15:17:20.866-08:00

Taking care of Isabella’s diabetes is, and always has been, an exercise in compromise. Isabella is a headstrong cat. She knows what she wants and she’s determined to get it. She knows just as clearly what she doesn’t want. For my part, there are things that I want and don’t want too. Sometimes those two worlds collide, and if not managed properly, it gets ugly.What Isabella wants, mainly, is food

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-41628609205122432242008-06-08T17:57:00.000-07:002009-12-31T15:18:19.664-08:00

One of the fun things Site Meter does while tracking my blog traffic is show how people got here. For instance, I know that a few people read posts via a site feed like RSS. A few follow the link from my signature line on the Feline Diabetes Message Board. Some come from AOL search or MSN search. But the vast majority -- truly the bulk of people who land on this blog -- get here because of a

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-58544851471392049932008-06-01T14:33:00.000-07:002008-06-01T14:44:42.671-07:00

A few days ago I prepared to test Isabella as usual. I got out the meter and lancet-clicker, put a test strip in and then something distracted me. I turned back to find Isabella messing around with the test strip - not with her paws, but with her mouth. Drat.I pushed it into the meter, expecting an error message (she's pulled this trick before) but all was well. So I assumed that she hadn't

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-58299529036396731562008-05-23T21:19:00.000-07:002008-05-23T21:30:53.565-07:00

I'm a little aggravated by a phone conversation I just had with my vet's office. Maybe my expectations are too high ... well, let me lay out the situation so you can judge for yourself.The Basics:Isabella is diabetic. Isabella has a recurrent vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma which seems to make her limp. Isabella's vet (Dr. H) prescribed metacam, an NSAID, for pain. This drug can be quite hard on

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-61480053943852015012008-05-14T17:05:00.000-07:002008-05-14T17:08:11.730-07:00

I solved a couple mysteries over the past couple days. First was The Messy Wall Mystery. The second was The Riddle of the Rotund Kitty.You see, as Isabella has dropped weight over the past year, the formerly slim Casey has plumped up like a Ball Park frank. (New nickname: Rotundo.) I've cut his food ration and given the extra to Isabella to no avail - she's still scrawny and he looks ready to

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-1497741563928215972008-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:002008-05-03T20:40:07.021-07:00

Like many things, feline diabetes comes with its own lingo - words and phrases that might be confusing to strangers but make diabetic cat owners nod knowingly or laugh out loud. I've taken a stab at compiling a list of these words along with definitions. Did I miss anything?Baileys scale: A guide to how many shots of Baileys Irish Cream it will take to cope with the cat's antics, ranging from one

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-31626259713931609952008-04-27T15:01:00.000-07:002008-04-27T15:08:30.974-07:00

I never thought I'd see the day when Isabella's diabetes seemed the least of my problems. Well, her problems, technically - but let's not quibble over semantics.I may have mentioned in passing that Isabella had a bit of cancer a while back. It was a vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma, a tumor that develops at vaccination injection site. In her case, the tumor was high on her right leg, just about

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-21979434875386129302008-04-06T19:30:00.000-07:002008-04-06T19:36:41.831-07:00

I have mentioned once or twice that Isabella’s personality is a bit challenging. Some may say that’s an understatement. I just like to call her quirky. Whatever the label, Isabella is a cat who knows what she wants, and even more importantly, what she doesn’t want.As a general rule, what she doesn’t want is anyone else in her house. Or anyone else touching her. She’s pretty good at letting people

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-84883965901578444372008-03-24T19:43:00.000-07:002008-03-24T19:53:05.656-07:00

Casey is my other cat. The one you don’t hear too much about. The innocent bystander. The civilian. The one with normal blood sugar.Normal blood sugar. Oh, how I wonder what normal blood glucose looks like in a normal cat. Lately, I’ve been wondering that a lot.I guess things with Isabella aren’t exciting enough, so I’ve been looking at Casey’s tender, un-poked little ears with longing. Would he

Nancynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-54410394721660243552008-03-17T19:21:00.001-07:002008-03-17T19:23:06.257-07:00

The web is a resource for all the strange-but-true things in the world, and then some. Today, for you crafty types, I present something I’ve never seen before: a complete digestive system created entirely by knitting.From tongue to anus, it’s all there. I especially like that bright green gall bladder (because gall bladders really are green). And the pancreas – how can such a pretty little

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-53039241957081392052008-03-09T16:50:00.000-07:002008-03-09T17:00:08.967-07:00

I’m at a crossroad with Isabella’s diabetes. It’s been nearly 18 months since diagnosis, and her blood glucose is really no better now than it was the first day. I’m seriously considering a switch to a different insulin – Lantus – to see if that will help. Unfortunately, I can’t just go to the drugstore and get Lantus; it requires a prescription. A prescription requires the vet’s OK, which makes

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-40248485845162728172008-02-27T09:50:00.000-08:002008-02-27T10:00:25.369-08:00

A few weeks ago I was at work surfing craigslist for jobs* (show of hands: who else looks at other jobs while at work?) when I saw a listing for a company that is developing a non-invasive blood glucose monitor. I’m sure I’m not remotely qualified for whatever opening they were advertising, but boy, the idea of testing Isabella’s blood without actually having to see Isabella’s blood is mighty

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-401005005690794722008-02-19T16:41:00.000-08:002008-02-19T16:56:56.198-08:00

Since I try to have a new entry in this blog once a week or so, I’ve been searching my brain and my life for something to write about. A couple of weak ideas came up, but nothing that really resonated, which made me mentally complain about how dull things are. My feline diabetes life is currently so routine that it’s unremarkable. But on the drive to work this morning, it dawned on me: Dull is

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-17914137766962822512008-02-12T19:07:00.000-08:002008-02-12T19:23:00.120-08:00

I wrote a while ago about my growing collection of glucose meters. I’ve planned all along to donate them to my vet for her to give to people just starting out. A consolation prize, of sorts. Your cat has an expensive, chronic disease. Here’s a parting gift.Anyway, with that in mind, I typed up a little information sheet called “Feline Diabetes Hints, Tips, and Tricks.” I sewed up some ear-warming

Nancynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-86173611330764450232008-01-30T08:10:00.000-08:002008-01-30T08:18:01.314-08:00

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the world to the five stages of grieving in her 1969 book On Death and Dying. According to her theory, anyone dealing with grief or tragedy goes through the stages of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, and Depression on the way to landing in the world of Acceptance.Feline Diabetes is like that, and then some.The average person, upon learning their cat is diabetic, cycles

Nancynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-45402469509068815492008-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:002009-12-31T15:23:51.870-08:00

You’d think after all this time treating Isabella’s darn diabetes, that I’d be able to separate my ego from her blood sugar. You’d think that regardless of the number her meter spits out I could dispassionately respond with an appropriate insulin dose. You’d think I’d be over wanting her to be regulated or wishing she needed only a tiny little bit of insulin. You’d think that I’d stop, already,

Nancynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-74313560891815377752008-01-16T18:40:00.000-08:002008-01-16T18:49:51.393-08:00

Diabetes has imposed subtle changes in my life and lifestyle, and it's also left its mark on Isabella. A few observations on how she's changed since her pancreas went on strike:1) She doesn’t smell as nice any more. I used to call Isabella my “good-smelling cat.” I’d bury my nose in her fur and take a big whiff -- she just had a nice scent about her. Sort of like fresh laundry, only more cat-ish.

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-71227500224136743182008-01-07T17:49:00.000-08:002008-01-07T17:55:03.853-08:00

A co-worked invited me to dinner today, as a thank you. Since I’m always up for a meal, never mind a free meal, we set about choosing a day, time, and place. I suggested a time that would allow me to run home, feed the cats, test Isabella and give insulin and still easily get to the restaurant. My friend suggested an earlier time that worked out better for her, and pre-diabetes, would have worked

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-13120505429003515002007-12-31T17:24:00.001-08:002008-05-24T14:28:49.087-07:00

I’m stepping back in time a bit to tie up some loose ends. Back on November 17 I started a post by saying that Isabella was sick and I was waiting for the vet to call, but I never reported the outcome.At the time, I didn’t write about it because I was upset and worried. As days and weeks passed and everything returned to normal, I let it go. So, six weeks late, here’s Isabella’s story from

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-76104935525909359252007-12-22T20:06:00.000-08:002007-12-22T20:13:45.819-08:00

I just had my first experience with diabetes customer service.Isabella’s blood tests have been really flat today. This-can’t-possibly-be-right flat. Her first test this morning was 279.Followed five hours later with 271.A couple hours after that? 283.And just now: 283. Again.I’ve seen her numbers stay flat before, but really, this was crazy. So out came the control solution to test the meter and

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-6377466693448695112007-12-18T17:55:00.000-08:002007-12-21T16:24:02.413-08:00

I had a holiday party for some friends last Sunday. It went down something like this:My cat, who likes things her own wayWatched my gathering friends with dismayThe hell with good cheerI don't want you hereSo she blocked the route to the buffetAlright, the poem might be a slight exaggeration, but it’s pretty close. Isabella employed a several Mean Cat battle tactics during my holiday shindig. She

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-67965436607979736452007-12-12T17:50:00.000-08:002007-12-12T17:53:09.846-08:00

In my blog index, a section only I, as the blog owner, can see, are several “draft” posts. Most are just a title, something to remind me of an idea for a possible entry. Place holders of sorts. One of these draft entries says just “TV Guide.” It’s been sitting there for months, taunting me, challenging me to flesh it out. The idea – which seemed so fruitful when I saved it into the index – is to

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-14958221985699506752007-12-05T07:53:00.000-08:002007-12-05T07:59:29.769-08:00

A couple days ago, I met Mike, Jennifer, and their newly-diagnosed diabetic kitty Max. Max had a very rough introduction to diabetes – swinging from ketoacidosis (a life-threatening side-effect of uncontrolled high blood sugar) to hypoglycemia (complete with seizures) in the course of one week. If anyone needed to learn how to test their cat’s blood sugar – and pronto – it was these guys.When

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-58545012847670231492007-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:002007-12-05T08:05:45.192-08:00

I want to apologize to all the spouses, roommates, brothers, sisters, and children of anyone who reads this blog and who has had to endure the singing of O Pancreas, over and over and over, for the past week.Apparently, once the song gets in your head, it stays. And it has to be sung. Repeatedly.Just ask my cats. Or poor Wally, in Minnesota who has listened to Dan.I'm sorry. Really. But the

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-78435816837784727472007-11-26T21:31:00.000-08:002007-11-26T21:34:56.234-08:00

Thanksgiving is barely past, but we are skidding headlong into the Christmas season. So don’t blame me if I get a carol or two rattling around in my head. And, please, don’t blame me if, while I’m swimming, I start to change the words and make a carol about my favorite subject, the object of obsession, the source of great fascination and frustration… my cat’s pancreas.It’s a completely normal and

Nancynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-65167730721055249052007-11-17T11:49:00.000-08:002007-11-17T11:54:06.125-08:00

I’m sitting here on a Saturday morning waiting for the vet to call me back. Isabella started vomiting last night and is really not well at the moment. So while I wait (and hope that it’s just a passing intestinal bug) I’ll document my growing obsession with my blog statistics.Let me be frank: this blog is not exactly setting the world on fire. In fact, I’d like to thank everyone who reads it –

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-24859644288140318852007-11-11T16:45:00.000-08:002007-11-11T16:53:56.639-08:00

We experience moments absolutely free from worry. These brief respites are called panic. ~Cullen HightowerThat quote sums up life with a diabetic cat. My life, anyway. Could be that I’m an anal-retentive control freak worry wart, or maybe all people with diabetic cats feel this way. The point is, I worry. At the beginning, it was constant. Now, a year into this adventure, the worry is toned down

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-66620390690565038542007-11-08T10:50:00.000-08:002007-11-08T10:54:56.890-08:00

I just got back from a trip to the big apple. NYC. The most awesome place on earth. There was no point to the trip besides the fact that Virgin America had an airfare (San Francisco to JFK) that was too amazing to pass up. Never mind the million and one things I could do to improve my house (or my cat), I spent the money on a random trip to New York.It was a short trip – only four days – but it

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-61999952194624148742007-10-27T19:49:00.000-07:002009-12-31T15:31:42.047-08:00

This is a post I wrote on the Feline Diabetes Message Board a few months ago. Since I'm in a creative drought I'm re-posting it here - with a nod to Kerri at Six Until Me, whom I stole the idea from in the first place.To Isabella’s Pancreas:I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m the person who’s taken over for you since you decided to put your feet up and take a break. Now, I realize that a

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-81815081728489776342007-10-20T08:53:00.000-07:002007-10-20T08:57:51.544-07:00

My father asked me to drive him to the airport earlier this week. No problem, I assured him, what time?? He hemmed and hawed. Well, the flight leaves at 8:30 … how about 6:15? In the morning? Yep, 6:15 am. No problem, I still assured him, knowing that my cat demands her breakfast at six sharp. I’ll be up already.So we agreed, he would come to my place at 6:15 (I live closer to the airport), leave

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-42992066057697852032007-10-09T16:56:00.000-07:002007-10-09T18:17:54.179-07:00

I spent the past weekend on a 3-night cruise to Ensendada, Mexico. My cousin organized the trip in honor of her youngest son’s 21st birthday, and my sister and I basically invited ourselves along. (The birthday boy and I do share the same birthday though, so I figure that lent some legitimacy to horning in on his celebration.)I lined up the pet sitter, packed way too many clothes for three days,

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-51321601685030185172007-09-28T09:43:00.000-07:002007-09-28T09:53:46.363-07:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of Isabella’s diabetes diagnosis. We’ve gone through a lot in the past year, that cat and I. She has shown enormous patience and adaptability (plus a good measure of her usual snarkiness) and I have learned to let go of the idea that I can bend this disease (or this cat) to my will.The past year breaks down like this:739 injections (plus 16 more from the pet

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-49031858009512525392007-09-19T09:54:00.000-07:002007-09-19T10:02:46.552-07:00

What has Isabella’s diabetes done for me lately? Well, it’s turned me into a cesspool of trivia, for one thing. I can spout off facts about things most people never give any thought to. Useful? Maybe not. But in my fantasy life, all that minutia could translate into big bucks, given the right situation.Such as … say, an appearance on a certain game show?(Cue theme music.)Alex Trebec: Good morning

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-59543726818549978802007-09-14T08:07:00.000-07:002007-09-14T08:14:58.293-07:00

I got a consumer survey in the mail yesterday. I’m a sucker for surveys. Those guys call on the phone? I’ll talk to them. Survey in the mail? I’ll complete it and return it. I’m the perfect target for marketing people who want data.I opened the survey and searched carefully though all the bits of paper in the envelope, Sometimes there’s cash in there, as an incentive. No greenbacks in this one,

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-27205635749889034702007-09-08T11:37:00.000-07:002007-09-08T11:47:09.886-07:00

My cat is a nag.I’m sure most cats are nags. Wanting to go out. Wanting to get fed. Wanting a belly rub. Isabella is a nag in those ways (except the belly rubs; she’ll take you out if you touch her belly. Casey is the belly-rub beggar around here.) and in one other way: she nags at me for her tests and shots.The routine is to feed, then test and give insulin in the morning before work and in the

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-8025790671434111542007-09-01T20:44:00.000-07:002007-09-03T18:02:56.848-07:00

I’ll bet you never realized caring for a diabetic cat has the same resume-building potential of a grad school education. Well, think about it. There are myriad high-level skills required to keep a furry diabetic going from day to day, and every one of them can be translated into a well-paying job. Just look at this list:Budget Management: Isabella’s diagnosis meant all sorts of new entries on the

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-81005513253415370202007-08-24T19:12:00.000-07:002007-08-24T20:43:38.692-07:00

Isabella's diabetes is all about data. Well, technically I guess Isabella's diabetes is all about her health, but managing the diabetes keeps me focused on numbers. What's her blood glucose? How long ago did she get insulin? How much insulin did she get?I've got all those numbers jotted down in a little notebook that I keep near the diabetes box. Page after page of numbers, each one representing

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-6198829494769058062007-08-15T20:16:00.000-07:002007-08-15T21:39:49.831-07:00

One thing about feline diabetes is that it requires a commitment. My cat, previously so self-sufficient, now needs a pancreatic stand-in - and that's not a job that allows vacation days. Because Isabella's pancreas has put its feet up and retired, I, or someone else, has to be at the ready with insulin at least twice a day.When the Isabella's vet broke the diabetes news, I swear I felt a tether

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-33013815596559627922007-08-07T09:49:00.000-07:002007-08-07T10:56:35.691-07:00

As I've mentioned several times, the Feline Diabetes Message Board is a site where knowledge and helpfulness abound. If there's something going on with your diabetic cat, you can bet that someone else on the board has seen it and can help you with it. 24 hours a day, there's someone around to offer advice, support, solace, whatever.I like reading the board. I learn a lot and it can make me laugh.

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-78026931626682529072007-08-06T13:39:00.000-07:002007-08-06T14:02:01.037-07:00

In the previous post of random observations from last week, I forgot to include the absolute high point. The pinnacle, as it were. Get ready to be astonished and amazed: I found Fancy Feast at the Grocery Outlet for 33 cents per can. I bought everything they had. Hah! Take that, expensive-cat food-maker-people. I want to be clear: that's the highlight of the diabetes week -- not my whole life. I

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-47295739138553198202007-08-04T18:48:00.000-07:002007-08-04T19:17:33.214-07:00

A few observations from the past week:1) Last night Isabella was driving me nuts at about 2am. She does this sometimes - wanders in and out of the room meowing, scratches at the dresser, climbs all over me and wants to knead at my neck, paws at the covers, bites, and is generally a pain in the ass. I usually ignore her. Last night, I decided to test in case she was low, even though she was 12

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-27007573996815761642007-07-29T15:50:00.000-07:002007-07-30T17:52:30.604-07:00

I just did something really stupid.I had Microsoft Money open to balance my checkbook when I thought: hey, I wonder how much I've spent on the cat since she was diagnosed?Some things are better left alone, know what I mean?But what's done is done and I may as well blog about it. So here it is, in all its glory, the current total of what I've spent since that fateful day last September when

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-89245152819941649392007-07-23T13:35:00.000-07:002007-07-27T11:29:35.450-07:00

Man, I've been grumpy and frustrated about Isabella's diabetes the last few days. Once again, her blood sugar is running high and my patience is running short. That poor kitty hasn't been under 200 since last Thursday - barely under 300, actually - and it doesn't seem to matter one tiny little bit what I do with the insulin.I think the reason I get so grumpy is because I'm an optimist. Bah! you

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-15143209365221933682007-07-21T10:02:00.000-07:002007-07-21T10:04:59.128-07:00

It's finally happened. Isabella's diabetes has dealt me the lowest blow. A slap in the face, even. And I don't like it one bit.It started innocently enough: A minor squint. A subtle shift to better light. Then I found myself struggling to see the minuscule drop of blood forming on Isabella's black ear. I turned the ear this way and that frantically searching for the telltale glint. The final blow

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-73175066113984380832007-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:002007-07-27T11:30:58.992-07:00

Feline diabetes is, at best, an unpredictable disease. There's a saying on FDMB that "every cat is different," meaning that the way MY cat responds to insulin (or food, or the vet, or anything else) is different from how the diabetic cat down the street will respond to the same things.In my house the saying is more like "every day is different." The cat doesn't vary, but everything else sure as

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-38719693055293700362007-07-13T12:14:00.000-07:002009-12-31T15:39:49.177-08:00

Feline diabetes is a big disease. After it invades your cat, it invades your life - leaving almost nothing untouched. It can be tragic, frustrating, annoying. It can be the dull ache behind your temples or the nagging in your gut. It's always there, no matter where you are, so you just deal with it.Along with the dull ache, though, kitty diabetes bring lots of opportunity to laugh. Stuff happens.

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-70267999710096979802007-07-09T15:57:00.001-07:002007-07-09T21:48:42.051-07:00

Last Saturday was an interesting day, diabetically speaking.Isabella started the day at 280-something. Pretty typical. I fed and shot 2 units as usual. Then I decided to test her three hours later. I hardly ever test in the early part of her cycle because I know she doesn’t start responding to the insulin until about 4 hours after the injection.Turns out, I don’t know nothin’.At her +3 test she

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-3732526277435383402007-07-04T15:48:00.000-07:002007-07-04T15:58:47.571-07:00

Jess recently wrote a post on Wilson's blog about her favorite diabetes tools. We all have our favs, that's for sure. I'm partial to the Freestyle Flash meter - despite its reputation of being wildly inaccurate at higher numbers - because it takes such a teeny tiny amount of blood. In the early days I was lucky to get any blood from Isabella at all (though she had very little problem getting

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-52505328464805673922007-07-01T13:58:00.000-07:002007-07-02T17:42:11.725-07:00

1:17am: Hey! The lady's arm is out from under the covers. She knows that bugs me, but I can fix this. (CHOMP) Screech! "Punky! You bitch!" Ah, that's better. Me on top of the covers; her, underneath. Just how I like it.3:44am: It's been a while since I slept on the couch. I know the lady worries when I'm not on the bed; she wants me nearby in case I go low or something. Too bad. I'm moving. She

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-44016795082578087052007-06-25T09:28:00.000-07:002007-06-25T09:41:42.175-07:00

Isabella has always been a food-oriented cat. When she was a wee kitten I provided a full bowl of kibble for her grazing pleasure. And graze she did – to the point that when she saw the vet for her one year check-up and renewal of her vaccinations, I was scolded about her bulk.I had made my cat fat.Well, I didn’t want a fatty for a cat, so her eating plan was switched to a once-a-day measured

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-85274012200292348982007-06-22T08:58:00.000-07:002007-06-25T09:54:02.669-07:00

Last week I caught myself blathering on to my best friend about the differences among veterinary insulins. Truly blathering. Somehow, realizing how I sounded and how little she must care about the details of dealing with my cat’s disease, I cut myself off before she hung up on me.I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to be the freaky cat lady who only talks about her kitties and their

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-75669023874472473142007-06-18T15:35:00.000-07:002007-06-23T09:28:31.670-07:00

Did you just buy a brand new SUV? Are you bothered by that pesky "new car smell?" Well, here's a quick way to eliminate all traces of that odor and replace it with a scent that is unique to your car (and save gas too!):Step one: Wait for a hot day, then pull into the garage, but leave at least one car window open.Step two: Go into the house and forget about car (and window).Step three: Insert one

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-22404714858378589072007-06-13T09:31:00.000-07:002007-07-14T13:21:12.616-07:00

I’ve been toying with the idea of trying Tight Regulation (TR) to keep Isabella’s numbers lower overall. TR involves shooting insulin as needed, rather than on a twice-a-day schedule. So, if she’s rising 6 hours after her last shot, give insulin at that time instead of letting her blood sugar keep rising and then trying to drive a much higher number down. It also involves developing a dosing

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-28271685777095660282007-06-11T09:33:00.000-07:002007-06-23T09:34:56.665-07:00

Isabella saw the new vet last Tuesday. Oh My Goodness – what a difference. I brought lots of BG charts for her – showing the kitty’s response to various insulin dosages. To me, they all looked the same: jagged peaks and valleys of un-regulation. The vet looked them over and then looked at me.“Actually, these look pretty good.”Huh? I was stunned. Old Vet would have chastised me and implied that I

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-45708440744771768992007-06-02T20:40:00.000-07:002007-07-14T13:23:22.099-07:00

Isabella has an appointment on Tuesday with a new vet. I have high hopes that this one will be a little more clued in about managing feline diabetes than her current vet.No that the usual guy is bad – not at all. It’s just that I’m the only client he’s ever had who uses hometesting to monitor blood sugar. He can’t look at the numbers I give him and make sense of them because he just doesn’t have

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-20583410597795887382007-05-31T10:44:00.000-07:002007-06-25T09:28:16.726-07:00

Sometimes I just want to be done with this diabetes thing.Like when the alarm goes off at 6am. Every day. No matter what.Or when I’m almost out of insulin and wondering if there’s enough left to get to the next credit card billing cycle before having to spend the hundred and fifty bucks for more.Or when the meter reads 350.Or when Isabella wakes up in the middle of the night and scratches the

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-209761133030974612007-05-28T17:45:00.000-07:002007-06-23T10:50:40.385-07:00

I’ve been noticing lately how I think differently about time depending upon what I’m doing.Holiday timeThis holiday weekend, for instance, was all about days. Days and days without work (four of them, to be exact). Days of glorious weather. Days without commitment. I cared little about the hour, because I had all these days stacked up, without much I needed to accomplish. Those days are drawing

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-20906919925235606282007-05-18T15:30:00.000-07:002007-06-23T10:52:32.072-07:00

Today’s paper carries an article about the arrest of a diabetic man who caused a horrific car accident while in the throes of hypoglycemia. He is charged with “driving under the influence of insulin.” No kidding. The prosecution alleges that he injected himself with too much insulin about 2 hours before the accident. What is unstated is that the driver should have known better.Two young people

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-19977091085823850392007-05-04T07:33:00.000-07:002007-06-23T10:56:02.159-07:00

She's doing it again.My diabetic cat is giving me high blood glucose numbers. As in nearly 400. After several weeks of staying in the 200s or lower, I had the audacity to think that maybe I'd found the right dose: 1.7 units BID. Not 1.6 units. Not 1.8 units. But 1.7 units. Now those dreaded high numbers are showing up again. High numbers can mean she's not getting enough insulin. Or high numbers

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-21487608449717394232007-05-01T11:49:00.000-07:002007-06-23T10:58:20.257-07:00

It was what, two weeks ago, that I blogged about how I get blood from Isabella for her twice-a-day glucose tests?Well, toss all that out the window, because things have changed. We have a new system now and it’s a lovely thing indeed.A few weeks ago I started wondering why the folks on the Feline Diabetes Message Board always instruct newbies to poke between the vein and the outer rim of the cat’

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-54867884553981941992007-04-28T17:42:00.000-07:002007-06-23T11:05:40.341-07:00

Sometimes, it’s really hard to avoid taking Isabella’s blood glucose numbers personally. Really, really hard.As I’ve blogged before, when Isabella was first diagnosed as diabetic I naively assumed that it would be a simple matter of insulin in, blood sugar down. Higher number, more insulin; lower number, less insulin.But it’s not like that at all. Well, it is sort of like that – insulin does

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-4010624851622424982007-04-21T07:17:00.000-07:002007-07-14T08:38:36.673-07:00

Isabella coughed up another unexpectedly low number yesterday afternoon: 133. Last week when she gave me a number too low to shoot, I waited until her blood glucose rose higher then popped in about 1/3 her usual dose. The next morning her glucose was in the mid-300s.So last night I tried a different approach. when I saw the 133 on the meter, I decided just to skip her evening dose altogether. (

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-52649064486181127772007-04-18T07:51:00.000-07:002007-06-23T11:09:07.987-07:00

As I’ve said before, a major element of managing Isabella’s diabetes is testing her blood sugar before each insulin injection. If you’re familiar with feline diabetes, you may have seen this video, where Mark demonstrates a blood test on his cat Buddy. Pretty straightforward, right?Sure, for Mark and his robo-cat.*Around here, the twice-a-day blood tests have a slightly different look. Oh, the

Nancynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-20823190534901388552007-04-13T22:06:00.000-07:002007-06-23T11:10:39.700-07:00

Today after work, I tested Isabella’s blood sugar, like I always do. For the last two months her glucose has been stubbornly in the 300s, maybe with an occasional dip into the high 200s. Today: 127Now, I don’t know why today it’s 127. But it’s because of these random low numbers that I keep subjecting my cat to the twice-daily blood-letting. 127 means no insulin – at least not right away. If I

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-37902152315633287402007-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:002007-06-23T10:48:33.584-07:00

The results are in. (Drumroll, please.)Serving Isabella the same food at the same times every day did not smooth out her blood glucose numbers. She's still up, then down. Up, then up again, then down. I have to admit to feeling smug about this. I gave the report to the vet, along with a 12-hour BG curve, and said I thought a dose increase was in order. The curve (in which the poor cat’s blood

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-5926096246459657372007-03-16T13:48:00.000-07:002007-06-23T09:20:28.768-07:00

I’m seriously frustrated with my vet. The cat’s vet, actually. I took Isabella in for a check-up this week. I dreaded going because her blood glucose numbers have been high lately. Consistently high. I’ve spent the last month tweaking her insulin dose and getting nowhere. But, knowing I had an appointment coming up, I picked a dose and stuck with it for ten days prior to the vet visit. He (the

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-82750744636664420232007-02-18T17:55:00.000-08:002007-06-23T09:17:25.718-07:00

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for people living with diabetes. Type 1, Type 2, no matter. If you’re coping with that disease, day in, day out, along with going to work and raising your kids and doing the laundry and all the other crap that comes with a normal life, then I bow at your feet.You, my friend, are amazing.I don’t have diabetes but I do live with it. Diabetes has

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-21538471310860339942007-02-05T09:13:00.000-08:002007-06-23T09:14:42.282-07:00

I’ll bet that you watched the superbowl yesterday, didn’t you? I planned to watch, or at least keep one eye on the game while I did other things ( being as that I was in a couple pools, and all). Technically, I did as planned: I kept one eye on the score while I did other things. It’s just that the “other things” got seriously out of whack.Let me set the stage: The weather in the bay area was

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-90613087533080650002006-12-21T13:19:00.000-08:002007-06-23T09:10:24.270-07:00

Having a diabetic cat meant a bunch of changes around my house, largely centering on food. When, how much, and (very important) what. Diabetic means low-carb. It was out with the old food, and in with the new. Out with the old treats and in with freezed dried bonito tuna flakes. These changes have been very popular with the kitties.But I realized last night that the bonito flake supply is getting

Nancynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232050524450433684.post-90681571535096864382006-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:002007-06-23T09:05:03.335-07:00

This blog is to be about my experiences caring for Isabella, my diabetic cat. But before diving into that, I'll introduce both of my cats and their considerable quirks.IsabellaOh, so aptly named, for she is the Queen. I adopted Isabella from the Humane Society as a wee kitten. She was so cute – a tiny little black and white fur bundle with a perfectly symmetrical mask-like marking on her face. I

Nancynoreply@blogger.com0