Mom, you should not read this not because I don't think you can handle it but because you don't need to. I love you now go away. Really go away now. Thanks!
Things I have learned in the past 24 hours.
I can give insulin injections to my cat. I never thought I could give an injection to anyone.
Giving an injection is much easier to do than I ever thought, especially when I know I'm making someone better.
Once we get home I need to trust my instincts. Even if 95% of me says I have seen similar things before. If 5% of me is flashing a warning light call someone. Even if I have to be the crazy cat lady it has never stopped me before.
Sitting across the desk from a diabetic does not make me any more likely to understand and see the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Even when the vet talked specifically about them.
It is just as easy to think that a tough day at the vet's could be the reason why Gus looks wiped out, not low blood sugar.
Gus gets really glassy eyed when his blood sugar is dropping.
Gus' blood sugar can drop 220 points in 5 hours. Far into the danger area.
I thank God that something woke me up and made me check on him. And that the tired little voice in my head started screaming something is wrong.
Cats can have seizures when their blood sugar gets too low. In Gus it starts off with leg twitches and move into full body rigidness that scare the Holy living day lights out of me!
Non-responsive is my least favorite word, ever.
One way to raise blood sugar in a cat is to give them karo syrup or maple syrup. Doing this while Gus is non-responsive is so very hard/impossible. Rub the syrup on his gums.
Always know who and where the emergency vet is BEFORE you need to know it at midnight with a seizing cat.
Thank God that my husband can stay level headed and drive while I talk to Gus and tell him, he is a fighter he can beat this.
I can pray and pep talk at the same time. God knows what is on my heart!
It is an awful thing to watch him seize and not be able to do anything about it. And alternately when he was not twitching, to be wondering if he is still with me. If we're going to make it in time.
I don't cry when I'm trying to save Gus, I do shake. Boy do I shake.
I am going to break down soon and cry, till I can not cry anymore.
If you counter act low blood sugar with the proper treatment Gus will come out of everything amazingly quickly. I am talking 5 to 15 minutes of treatment and he stopped having seizures, was up walking and recognizing us.
Once D and I have that much adrenaline pumped through us it is very difficult to get back to sleep for the remaining four hours. We will both be awake three to four times during that time. We're exhausted and elated that he is alright.
My vet will call me on his day off to make sure everything is alright. I still love my vet.
I do want to say I don't blame my vet, diabetes is an amazingly complicated disease. We had one awful night but it is not my vet's fault. (If you disagree with me I ask that you kindly keep it to yourself for the time being.)
Gus is like me when he gets home, walks around to make sure everything is Ok, eat, pee, then finally go to bed exhausted.
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| This is an old picture not from tonight. |
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