Powerpoint Slide Count Variable in VBA

I am creating a Powerpoint in vba. My plan is to set up the code such that each subroutine creates a certain slides. However I need to pass through the slide number to each subroutine in order for it to create the proper slide in the right position. I am having trouble defining what the .Slides.Count is in excel vba. I understand it is technically a Long, but somehow I was able to pass it through as an Integer in another patch of code that is no longer working.

My questions are:

1. The .Slides.Count function. Is that technically a Long or an Integer. If it is a Long, why is it defined that way? Is it because integers have a cap and longs do not?

2. How should I pass the .Slides.Count variable through into my subroutine that creates a new slide? As an Integer or Long?

I have some example code:

Sub CreatePres()

Dim ppApp As PowerPoint.Application
Dim ppPres As PowerPoint.Presentation
Dim ppSlide As PowerPoint.Slide
Dim ppTextbox As PowerPoint.Shape

Set ppApp = New PowerPoint.Application
ppApp.Visible = True
ppApp.Activate

Set ppPres = ppApp.Presentations.Add
slidesCount = ppPres.Slides.Count
Set ppSlide = ppPres.Slides.Add(slidesCount + 1, ppLayoutTitle)
ppSlide.Shapes(1).TextFrame.TextRange.Text = "Hello world"
ppSlide.Shapes(2).TextFrame.TextRange.Text = Date
slidesCount = slidesCount + 1

Call slide2(slidesCount)

End Sub
Sub slide2(i As Integer)
Set ppSlide = ppPres.Slides.Add(i + 1, ppLayoutTitle)
ppSlide.Select
ppSlide.Shapes(1).TextFrame.TextRange.Text = "Hello world"
ppSlide.Shapes(2).TextFrame.TextRange.Text = Date

End Sub