Sunday, October 2, 2022

Neville's Complete Picture

In response to yesterday’s entry, Roberta asked how Neville’s ‘curve’ went.

Neville is a good example of the erratic nature of diabetes. I detailed another of his ‘curves’ – and explained their meaning - in August, but have not described his diabetic history. When he first came to live with me – in fact, the reason he came to live with me – his blood-glucose numbers were in the mid-teens; certainly not a high range. He almost immediately seemed to go into remission, his numbers being in the single digits for more than half a year.

Then his diabetes returned, though, for another period of six months, it responded very well to small amounts of insulin, a typical ‘curve’ beginning in the mid-teens and dropping to about five or six: a very good response.

Then, it changed again, and he rarely began a cycle lower than the high teens or low twenties. Insulin would drop his numbers to nothing lower than ten or eleven. This has remained the pattern, despite gradually increasing doses of insulin, and it was repeated with yesterday’s curve.

I am not worried about Neville. As with Tucker, back when diabetes was the worst he had to fight, a relatively high nadir is not indicative of a poor condition. Neville is not drinking great amounts of water – less than he used to, now that I think of it - nor is he urinating often. He can jump well, insisting, rather annoyingly, on not using Tucker’s Tuffet to leap onto the library couch (even though Horace has used it right from his arrival), which demonstrates no rear-end weakness. In other words, his continued imperfect ‘curves’ are the sole source of dissatisfaction with his diabetic treatment. And as in Renn’s case, there is little point to another veterinary visit when nothing more can be added to his treatment but an adjustment in his insulin dosage - which I feel I can determine on my own – and a change in diet, which has been attempted previously with indifferent results.

So, while the Nevsky frustratingly refuses to show a laudable ‘curve’, the ‘curve’ itself does not show the complete picture. And I think, for the moment at least, that picture is the image of decent health and moderate contentment.

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for letting us know how Neville's curve went. Diabetes is a very difficult disease to control, but since Neville does not seem to have any of the other symptoms of hyperglycemia it appears that you're doing a great job controlling it.

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  2. Seems that Neville would be considered as being stable. At least for now. Hope it remains so.,

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  3. You've had more than your share of experience treating diabetes in the cats. Neville is in good hands and hopefully we'll continue to live many more years with you. I forgotten how long he's been there now. 3 years?

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    1. Very good memory. Neville came to live with me in September of 2019.

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    2. It's been that long?! He still seems to me like a "new boy."

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  4. Has Neville been with you for three years already? Time flies....As for his blood glucose numbers--I remember reading, years ago, in reference to other cat health issues: Treat the cat, not the numbers. Which you are doing admirably.

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  5. You know more about Neville than the vet, and you have the knowledge to make the correct decisions for his quality of life.

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  6. You definitely are doing the best for Neville and letting him live his life. He sure looks happy and content in the photo.

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  7. That's good to hear, he's seems like such a sweetie.

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