Listening to the Voices in My Head

I miss you. I catch myself watching and waiting for you to come out of your hidey-hole in the closest. Or waiting for you to come into the bathroom when I'm 'busy', to demand pats and pets. Looking for you in the window, 'solar charging'.

I miss the feel of your light landing on the bed, and the delicate way you would start walking up my foot, ankle, leg, hip, side, to sit on my arm/shoulder to bat and paff me on the cheek, or nose. Or to gently bite my cheek, purring so hard.

I miss you peeking at me over the curtain, meowing because it was "Time to eat!". I miss that when you were standing at the side door, you would look at my reflection, right into my eyes, and know that was me, meow to be let out to sit on your cushion. I miss you knocking on the door to be let back in. I miss you meeping at me when I said "Echo, bedroom light on" thinking I was talking to you.

I miss how you never left my side when I was sick, or would stay with me after I got home from being at the hospital, and how you would let me 'cry in your fur' when I was down.

I miss you in a myriad of small ways, that has left a hole in me, that will take a long time to heal.

I miss you.



#Keito

A few weeks ago, after a bout of chemo therapy, the vet told us to just feed Keito whatever he wanted, when he wanted.   I wish I had known he hadn't read Keith's entire medical history, because that was probably the worst possible instructions to give us.  I thought he knew Keito was diabetic, and instructed accordingly.

What 1 week of following his instructions was Keito going into acute hyperglycemia, on top of being treated for lymphoma. He spent a week at the vet, and he was doing so well. Alert, active, after insulin, and IV glucose, and regular feeding.   But what we weren't told is that what that did to his diabetes is made it uncontrollable.

We have brought him home for the weekend, according to Dr J, to say goodbye, to get or last cuddles and loves in, because she believes Keito is just giving up.

But when we brought him home, he demanded to be fed, and even though he only ate half of the cat food we gave him, he chowed down on the fresh roasted chicken I gave him.  This morning, it was the same routine, my legs swung out of bed, and he was there snogging my toes, meowing, following me into the bathroom, pestering me while I was... umm sitting to pet him, causing him to slide all over the tile floor.

He then followed me out to the kitchen, demanding to be fed, ate about half of the food that was given, but two hours later ate some more.  Then I got some cuddle time with him. Relaxing, purring and drooling.

He's not ready to do, no matter what Dr J thinks or said.  I'm hoping for the best though, but preparing for the worst, in case this bright behavior of his is just the final spark of the loving being that is our beloved Keito.

“Hey! Where’s my dinner!”



If it wasn’t for him having to have an insulin shot after his morning feed, and having three scheduled feeds through the rest of the day instead of just two feeds and letting him graze on kibble, and the way he chases after “The Red Bug” aka laser dot, you wouldn’t know he was a 14yr old moggie with diabetes. Vets have said his heart/liver/kidney/lung functions are fine. No sign of arthritis, sight and hearing is fine, and even his teeth are good conditon.

His BGL is always high first thing in the morning because he needs insulin shot after his first feed. What we want are good fructosamine levels. (Glucose attaches to hemoglobin)




Keitos' is in the 'good control' level, just missing the Excellent Control. (Insert happy applause here.) Will aim for excellent control over time, but very pleased with results, as he is a 14 year old moggie. He is happy, in good health, other than the diabetes, so we aren't aiming for 'perfect' numbers of a 4 year old cat.

No need to recheck for six months unless we have a problem.

All seems to be going well. Keito is slowly putting on weight, which is a good thing. He is also quick stepping and jogging, rather than being shaky and tottering when walking. He is once again, very interactive, occasionally mooching a bit of chicken from one of us. We are careful about the amount given him, as he is on a feeding schedule. Well, as much as you can schedule a cat to do anything.

No more having to haul him out from under Alan's bed insulin shot, or hunt him up for his next feed.

Routine is as follows:

Let Loki out into back yard.
Feed Keito, set timer for 30 minutes. Prep 1 UI injection.
Feed Trance and Ziggy.
Keito's done eating, let Loki in and feed him, letting Keito into back yard or into the enclosure.
30 minutes later DING. Let Keito in, pick him up, put him on the washing machine, pat pat, pet pet, tent skin, put needle in, draw plunger out, no blood, inject. Pat pat pet pet, let Keito go where he wants. Takes all of 30 seconds, if that.

Also, all we have to do is say "Keito, time to eat!" and he comes out from where ever he was sleeping.

So, is Feline Diabetes a bit scary? Yes, but it's manageable.



Keito took over Wing 's side of the bed last night. The bald patch from his recent vet visit. He was supposed to get a BGL curve test, but because there was a goof up on his morning injecting (new vet nurse didn't get the insulin in the syringe, but in her defense, getting that one IU in there, and it NOT being just an air bubble is damned tricky), so he's going back again this upcoming Wednesday. I have the mop at the ready. A Mop? Because whenever he sees the pet carrier, he gets scared and 'panic pees'.