Cancel August, Please.

What started out so promisingly dwindled into a morass. I believe that Scruffy's got something going on with his ears again - especially the right one. Numbers have been horrible. Horrible. New R and Levemir made virtually no difference, although I am curious about the fact that I accidentally used the old vial of Humulin R this morning, and it seemed to have a whole lot more activity than the new vial of Novolin R......

I took him to Dr. G. yesterday. It was another episode of vicious hissing, spitting, clawing and biting. I don't know if there's a reason why Scruffy has suddenly become such a lousy patient. He was always so tolerant of everything a vet wanted to do. Maybe he's holding the two dentals against Dr. G, or something. Whatever, it was not possible to use the long tube-ish instrument to look into his right ear, which seems to be the primary source of distress. I've been using the Malaseb Flush almost every day, to Scruffy's extreme dismay, and until tonight, I haven't seen any sign of the brown waxy stuff that used to be in his outer ear. There was a tiny bit tonight. Dr. G. gave me two syringes of a thick yellowish metacam to give him every other day until Monday, in the hopes that it would perform some anti-inflammatory function on his ear, and that reduced pain would make him more pleasant, I guess. He gave him the first dose in the office, which didn't seem to have any particular effect. I don't think that reducing pain is the solution to this, personally. I believe that its original cause was the weeks of Clindamycin when he had the dental in the middle of July, and that now we're going to have to do something to treat that.

It's clear that there's something seriously wrong now. Scruffy's just not himself. He hardly sleeps on my leg any more. He's going off by himself more and more to nap, instead of laying in his kitty pi. While I haven't noticed anything particularly odd about his appetite, he has lost three ounces in the two weeks between vet visits.

I tried to call today to see if the veterinary dermatologist who treated his ears before might have an appointment available, but they're already closed until next Tuesday because of Labor Day. Not a very good time of year to need veterinary treatment, I guess. I am seriously concerned about this whole situation. I think he needs to be examined - and I have no idea how that can be done, given his unpleasant behavior at the vet's - and I think he has to have some sort of treatment to get rid of whatever's going on with his ear. We've wasted a whole month now with terrible numbers and a miserable cat, and I'm scared to death of ketones and DKA.

Not going well at all.

After a few really good days, things have continued to deteriorate, diabetes-wise. Probably in other ways, too. I don't even want to think about it.

For the most part, Scruffy's numbers have been horrible. Make that Horrible, with a capital H. On the 20th of August, I picked up a new prescription of Levemir, and a new bottle of R, which was Novolin, instead of Humulin. (I assume it doesn't matter. Well, actually, it hasn't mattered, because things are just as stinky as they were with Humulin....) We've had whole days of sitting in the upper 300's. Preshots in the almost-500's. Hardly any movement from morning to night, unless it's UP.

My new theory - I always have a theory, but never seem to prove anything - is that this is some sort of beginning ear torment again. I think it's related to the two weeks of clindamycin he had prior to the dental in July. He's not digging and shaking his head the way he did when his ears were really bad, and I've been checking them; there's not a lot of sediment or that greasy brown stuff inside them. But there is clearly some discomfort. He fusses when I hold his ear to test him. And, oh, how he hates those ear drops. The stuff actually doesn't smell all that bad. I use the cotton-ball-saturated-with-ear-drops-and- squeezed-into-his-ears-technique. If you can call it a "technique." Mostly, I just try desperately to hang onto his chubby little body with the churning claws while he's ferociously attempting to get away from me before the drops by some freak chance actually get into his ears. Then he shakes his head and soaks us both, and the curtains, and the floor, and the windows. It's not pretty. To make matters worse, he really holds a grudge. Once we've done the drops, he won't get back up on the window ledge voluntarily, even though that's where he eats twice a day. And where the water is. And where he can look out the window. Doesn't matter. He's mad and he's not gonna go there.

Anyway, about the lousy numbers. I started the new vial of R and the new pen cartridge of Levemir. I started at 1 unit of Levemir, because I did think that maybe part of the problem is that I've been sort of jumping around with dosages and Levemir doesn't seem to care much for that. I'll give it a couple days, and then go up. Back the last time that things were going well, he was getting 1.25 Levemir bid and no R. I guess that should be my goal. Or not. I don't need any of this right now. I'm in a panic about Milkshake and bottlefeeding him four times a day. I've got pills and insulin and blood testing and feeding and whatever, and I'm just afraid I'm not doing a good job with any of it.

We seem to have hit a snag.

Nothing like posting two totally opposite things in one week. Geez. Things were going pretty well, back when I said that they were (the last part of July), but the last couple of days, PS's have been high, and he's jumping back up again higher and earlier than I would have expected. I think his ears are still bothering him, and he's either got a cold, or he's having a herpes attack. Lots of snorting and snuffling. At first, I thought I'd just increase the Levemir a half unit or so and see if that helps, but it doesn't seem to be doing the job. (Plus, the stuff expires this month, if that means anything.)

So, this morning, I gave him a smidge of R again, along with 1.0 of Levemir. And at +2, it doesn't seem to be doing much of anything..... Rats.

The Animal Communicator

Dale and Hope and Linda and Wild Thing gave me an appointment with Morgan, the animal communicator, for my birthday. Dale recorded the conversation, since I don't retain stuff any more, but that meant I wasn't concentrating on remembering what Morgan said so much because I knew I'd get the CD later..... She didn't hazard a guess how old Scruffy is, or ask him how old he thinks he is - now, that would have been a good question, huh? She did say that he understands that his diabetes means that I have to keep poking him, and he's okay with that. And he likes his fur shaved, which is good, because I like it short, too. Easier to give him his shots, and to watch the bump, and none of those awful knots and mats. She said he described often feeling like he was in a haze and being jerked around when he was on PZI, but he likes Levemir, and for the last couple of weeks, he's been feeling really good. (She actually said that he's singing to himself that song "I'm Walking on Sunshine! Whoa-OoooH!) :) She said that he's got a couple of vertebrae that are really out of line, too, (same thing she said about little Milkshake), and suggested a massage therapist or chiropractor for him. I said I've been giving him cosequin because I thought it was arthritis, and she said he doesn't think it is, and he'd prefer I stop the cosequin. (It smells like something's on fire - not pleasant; I don't know if it tastes as bad as it smells or not.)

It was a really interesting experience. I just wanted her to tell them I'm doing the best I can....

August numbers

Starting with the last day of July:

7/31/07
AM PS (+9) 375 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+1 411
+5 121
+7 81
+9 77
+11 78 fed
+13 99
+14 122
PM PS (+15) 209 fed, .5uLevemir
+1.5 285

8/1/07
+7.5 123 fed, threw up
+9 133
+11 118
AM PS (+13) 209 .5uLevemir
+1.5 310
+6 396 fed
PM PS (+9.5) 451 1.0uLevemir
+2.5 427

8/2/07
AM PS (+10) 344 fed, threw up 1.0uLevemir
+2 310
+5.5 220
+11 91 fed, threw up
+12.5 82
+14 93
+15.5 119
PM PS (+16.5) 150 .75uLevemir

8/3/07
AM PS (+6.5) 511 ????? fed, 1.0uLevemir
+2.5 407
+5 314
+7.5 215
PM PS (+11.5) 170 fed, .5uLevemir
+5.5 250

8/4/07
AM PS (+12.5) 381 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+2 383
+7 152
+9.5 95
+11 81 fed
PM PS (+13.5) 178 .5uLevemir
+2.5 398

8/5/07
AM PS (+10) 414 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+2.5 400
+6.5 250
+8.5 128
PM PS (+11) 152 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+5.5 356

8/6/07
AM PS (+12.5) 380 fed, thin .5uR and 1.0uLevemir
+1.5 333
+6.5 164
+9.5 86
+10.5 80 fed
PM PS (+13) 116 1.0uLevemir
+4 114

8/7/07
+8 53 fed
+9.5 80
AM PS (+13.5) 428 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir (forgot to check him)
+2.5 271
+7 331
PM PS (+8) 389 fed, 1.5uLevemir
+5.5 288

8/8/07
AM PS (+12.5) 164 fed, threw up 1.0uLevemir
+4 190
+6.5 207
PM PS (+11.5) 439 fed, .5uR. 1.0uLevemir
+4 294
+6.5 390

8/9/07
AM PS (+13) 440 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir NEW CARTRIDGE OF LEVEMIR
+3 374
+6.5 108
+8 81
PM PS (+11.5) 132 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+4.5 242
+6 203

8/10/07
AM PS (+12.5) 188 fed, threw up 1.0uLevemir
+4 150
+7 63
+8.5 47 fed
PM PS (+11.5) 140 fed, .5uLevemir
+4 358
+6 408

8/11/07
AM PS (+13.5) 458 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+4 304
+9 235
+10 178
+10.5 165 fed
PM PS (+11.5) 146 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+3 83
+4.5 102
+5.5 184

8/12/07
AM PS (+11.5) 286 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+4.5 384
+6 354
PM PS (+10.5) 417 fed, threw up .5R, 1.0Levemir
+4 131
+6 75 fed

8/13/07
AM PS (+11) 178 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+5.5 106
+7 57 fed a little
+8 91
+12.5 97
PM PS (+13.5) 102 fed, threw up fat .5uLevemir
+3 137
+6 289

8/14/07
AM PS (+12) 452 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+3 226
+6 65
+7 92
PM PS (+10.5) 180 1.0uLevemir
+1 fed
+5 376

8/15/07
AM PS (+12.5) 472 fed, 1.5uLevemir
+4.5 333
+7 325
PM PS (+13) 262 fed, 1.5uLevemir
+2 373
+5 309

8/16/07
AM PS (+13) fed, 1.25uLevemir
+2.5 225
+4.5 171
+5.5 168
+8 189
+9.5 229
PM PS (+10.5) fed, 1.25uLevemir
+4.5 349

8/17/07
AM PS (+14) 440 fed, 1.5uLevemir
+4 306
+8 83
+10 89
PM PS (+12.5) 169 fed, threw up 1.25uLevemir
+3 340

8/18/07
AM PS (+10.5) 373 fed, 1.25uLevemir
+6 362
+9 360
PM PS (+10.5) 369 fed, 1.5uLevemir
+4 361

8/19/07
AM PS (+13) 396 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+5.5 204
+8.5 133
PM PS (+10.5) 141 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+3 409
+6.5 460 .5uR

8/20/07
+11 296 fed
AM PS (+13) 452 fed, .5uR NEW VIAL OF NOVOLIN R
+2 349 1.0uLevemir NEW (UNEXPIRED) CARTRIDGE OF LEVEMIR
+5 (+4) 371
+8 385 fed
PM PS (+11.5) 467 .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+4 361

8/21/07
AM PS (+11) 343 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+3 347
+7 389
PM PS (+10) 395 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir, ear drops
+3 260
+6.5 280

8/22/07
AM PS (+13) 254 fed, threw up 1.0uLevemir
+2.5 183 ear drops
+7 52
+8 62
PM PS (+10.5) 171 fed, thin 1.0uLevemir
+4 456
+6 430

8/23/07
AM PS (+13) 485 fed, 1.0uLevemir
+3.5 377
+7 316
+9 281
+9.5 fed, 1.0uLevemir, ear drops
+5 431

8/24/07
+12 AM PS (+12) 424 fed, threw up .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+6 221
+8 192
PM PS (+11) 301 fed, threw up
+11.5 1.0uLevemir
+3 316

8/25/07
AM PS (+12.5) 384 fed, threw up .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+5.5 147
+6.5 149
+9 254
PM PS (+10.5) 446 fed
+11 .5uR, 1.0uLevemir, ear drops
+6.5 221

8/26/07
AM PS (+13) HIGH
retest (+13) HIGH fed, .75uR, fat 1.0uLevemir, ear drops
+1 595
+3 313
+6.5 131
PM PS (+11.5) 136 fed, 1.0uLevemir, ear drops
+3 326
+4.5 436 .75uR

8/27/07
AM PS (+11.5) 367
+12 fed, .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+7 294
PM PS (+11) 357
+12 fed 1.5uLevemir
+3 371
+6 388 .5uR

8/28/07
AM PS (+12) 245 fed 1.5uLevemir
+4 373
+6 329
+9.5 239
PM PS (+10.5) 299 1.5uLevemir, ear drops
+4 342
+7 350

8/29/07
AM PS (+12.5) 374 fed .5uR, 1.5uLevemir, ear drops
+4 259 (vet gave .3ml metacam during appointment)
+7 273
PM PS (+11) 470 fed .75uR, 1.5uLevemir
+4 342
+7 350

8/30/07
AM PS (+12.5) 374 fed .5uR, 1.5uLevemir, ear drops
+3 357
+8 295
PM PS (+12) 350 fed 2.0uLevemir
+5 420

8/31/07
AM PS (+11.5) 504 fed .5u(old)R, 1.5uLevemir
+4 219
+4.5 179
+5.5 139 fed
+6.5 155