#1508 After Dark: 8 Seconds to Dublin
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Em, 28, juggles type 1 diabetes, bipolar highs and lows, ADHD, and alcoholism while battling her parents for custody of her kids—chaotic, raw, and impossible to look away.
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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.
Speaker 1 0:00
Welcome back friends to another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.
Em 0:14
Hi, my name is Adam Millen. I am 28 years old. Was diagnosed with type one diabetes six weeks before my sixth birthday.
Speaker 1 0:23
Nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. I know this is going to sound crazy, but blue circle health is a nonprofit that's offering a totally free virtual type one diabetes clinical care, education and support program for adults 18 and up. You heard me right, free. No strings attached, just free. Currently, if you live in Florida, Maine Vermont, New Hampshire, Ohio, Delaware, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa or Louisiana, you're eligible for blue circle health right now, but they are adding states quickly in 2025 so make sure to follow them at Blue circle health on social media and make yourself familiar with blue circle health.org. Blue circle health is free. It is without cost. There are no strings attached. I am not hiding anything from you. Blue circle health.org, you know why they had to buy an ad. No one believes it's free. This episode of the juice box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g7 the same CGM that my daughter wears. Check it out now at dexcom.com/juice, box. Today's episode is sponsored by the tandem Moby system with control iq plus technology. If you are looking for the only system with auto Bolus, multiple wear options and full control from your personal iPhone, you're looking for tandems, newest pump and algorithm, use my link to support the podcast, tandem diabetes.com/juice. Box. Check it out. Hi.
Em 2:04
My name is Millen. I'm 28 years old. Was diagnosed with type one diabetes at our VH Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario, six weeks before my sixth birthday in June, 2002 so I've had diabetes for if you do the math, I don't want to do it, but a pretty long time.
Speaker 1 2:25
Yeah, yeah, you're 28 now, you said
Em 2:28
I'll be 29 July, 31 Leo, oh,
Scott Benner 2:32
I don't know what that means. Leo, what does that mean?
Unknown Speaker 2:35
It means I bring the fire. You're
Speaker 1 2:38
trying to say you're a big pain in the ass. M, is that? Is that? What's going on
Em 2:42
here? I've worked really hard as a diabetic. I've been a single mom, put herself through college. I was planning to go back to school, but I just went through a divorce. That's been pretty messy, but that's okay, you know, I got arrested with a blood sugar of 16, and then the police in my local municipality were denying me insulin. So when my EMS buddies rolled up, they gave me insulin right away. You know, I've been institutionalized twice in my place of work, and it just made me stronger. It made me work smarter, a little bit harder, but I know when to dial it back as well. So I'm just proud to know what I know, and to never give up and to keep grinding for sure, Scott
Speaker 1 3:21
and I want to go through all of it, so let's dig through so what do you mean? You were institutionalized twice. So I
Em 3:29
work with my mother and my ex husband. We work for the same institution, but I grew up working in healthcare after I finished my diploma for office administration with health services when I got diabetes, you know, there wasn't a lot of this technology. We didn't have these podcasts. We didn't have parents like you, you know, who gave their daughter and other parents and children hope and tips to take care of diabetes. You know, I was diagnosed by a woman who followed me through my entire pediatric course. So when I see a new diabetic child, you know, my heart, it just goes out to them. You know, there's so many barriers to access to education and diabetes. You know, my educators will bring me in, and they'll be like, What do you think you should do? And I'm like, I don't know. You know, why am I here? You know, I can test my blood sugar by checking my pulse. I can test once a day or none at all. And I can tell you, you know, I started getting complications as a rebellious teen, because I grew up with a mom who was like, you cannot eat sugar. So then I would go and I would binge eat in private, and my weight was always fluctuating, but I was always an active kid. For me, I think growing up as a bit of a rebel with diabetes, when someone told me I couldn't do something, I just did it in excess amounts, you know, like being bold with insulin, my insulin needs have cut like in a third recently, I've lost 70 pounds since October, which was ironically, when I. Got married when I was institutionalized, it was because my parents had lied in a court of law, which is okay, we're sorting that out in court with the custody of my children, who I love more than my life. As I'm sure you can relate. You know, your daughter is type one diabetic too, right? Yeah, and as an adult, I'm sure you respect her choices. You know, my mom is always saying things like, don't get a piercing. Don't get a tattoo. Well, I have a piercing. I have tattoos, and I know how to heal them, because when my blood sugar goes high, I can feel it, you know, I can feel capillaries in my eyes with blood vessels leaking. I can feel, you know, when I was institutionalized, they were withholding insulin. Medical Doctor actually got involved. He went to medical school with my endocrinologist, my adult one. So she's always been super respectful of me. You know, I'm really close with her and her husband, who's her receptionist, because we live in a modern world now. So, you know, I used to insulin ration as a university student, and I dealt with a lot of alcoholism and addiction, because, you know, when you go to university three and a half hours away from your parents and you're with a bunch of Toronto kids, well, what are you going to do? You're going to drink to excess, you're going to party. But I was always getting great marks until I wasn't I overslept. I underslept. I didn't know when to take a break, and I'm a musical theater kid when I go on a ramble, it's just because I'm so passionate in in diabetes education and patient advocation and care. So I'll throw it back to you there. Scott, yeah.
Speaker 1 6:33
So, so what's your diagnosis like? Is it a mental health diagnosis?
Em 6:38
Yeah. So in 2016 I was diagnosed with an active addiction. This is a bit of a tough subject, but I had been sexually assaulted at a party. A good childhood friend of mine at the time, had brought me to a party. I don't even remember what I was drinking, what I was doing. I just remember being afraid and feeling alone, and then, you know, she left me there with a bunch of guys I didn't even know. And, you know, they took my phone, they took my bag, and I was in the north end of where I grew up. But I something in me just said, don't call your mom, because she's going to be disappointed. You know, as I grew up in high school doing theater, what did we do? We drank a lot. I drank a lot of sugar coolers, right? Because we didn't have all these sugar free coolers. I grew up in bars as a half Catholic Irish drinking lots of whiskey, so every time I would drink it would be fine for a few hours, but then later in the night, you know, I'm vomiting, I'm blacking out. I'm, you know, my mom is yelling at me, telling me I pissed her off. And that's good and well, but there were no consequences in the morning to my actions. You know, if I was grounded, it was okay. Now you go do whatever you want. So when I raise my children, who thank goodness, take a break
Speaker 1 7:51
for a second, let me ask you a question. Okay, so like, Does your mom have any mental health stuff? Your mom or your dad?
Em 7:56
Oh, oh yeah, my dad has dementia. God love him. You know, he smokes a lot of weed. He was born in 420 of 56 so I really love my dad, but, you know, there's just a lot of history there, and it's not stuff we'll get into. But as it relates to diabetes, you know, my godmother passed away in November from cancer, and I attended her open casket service with my brother. All the photos at this were pictures in my childhood home. They were us growing up together, and my mom was like, Well, I'm not friends with her anymore. I'm not going. And I said, Well, I had the courage to go. I had the courage to see her children pay my respects. And you know, grief is not linear, and especially with diabetes, like she used to come pick me up from school. She had an oxygen tank, and she would feed me sugar and take me shopping and do all the things that my mom didn't want to do with me. I do love my mom, but, you know, she's an Irish Catholic. She doesn't she doesn't believe in therapy, I was actually doing therapy with a young type one diabetic therapist, and we were laughing, because at the end of every session, she'd be asking me about the difference between libre Dexcom, you know, I like to make it old school with diabetes. I like to live on survival instinct some days, because when I have a sensor on, well, then I stopped feeling the highs and lows, you know what I mean? Why is that? Well, I think I get so used to the technology, you know, like I love to turn my phone off. I love to write. I wrote a book of poetry in November called purposeful pain. And it's just through everything I've experienced in my lifetime with addiction, alcoholism, but primarily it goes right back to diabetes, because, you know, as kids, we want to rebel, and my heart really goes out to young type one diabetes now in early diagnosis, and my good friend of mine, who I got on the podcast, her son is three, and I was one of the first people she called to tell me he had been diagnosed. And you know, I was bullied a lot as a kid. I was bullied for being overweight. I was bullied for being one of the guys when you grow up with two brothers, and then you go on. To have two kids who are boys. You know, you don't really feel all that feminine. You live in that rebellious, hyper masculine. I'm going to do what I want, and people can tell me to eat a slice of humble pie, but I'm just going to have the cake and eat it too. Kind of thing, right? Like, I don't believe in Can I point
Speaker 1 10:17
something out? Yeah, I asked if either of your parents had mental health issues, and I've been to a funeral. Now I've been to like I and I heard your dad had dementia, which I'm sorry for. But does he have any mental health issues? Is he? Does he have bipolar disorder? Does he have this? Is there any of that in your family? Let's talk about the tandem Moby insulin pump from today's sponsor tandem diabetes care, their newest algorithm control iq plus technology and the new tandem Moby pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with auto Bolus that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options, tandem Moby gives you more discretion, freedom and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it out at tandem diabetes.com/juicebox when you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's going to help you learn about tandems. Tiny pump that's big on control tandem diabetes.com/juicebox, the tandem Moby system is available for people ages two and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range and address high blood sugars with auto Bolus. You can manage diabetes confidently with the powerfully simple Dexcom g7 dexcom.com/juice box. The Dexcom g7 is the CGM that my daughter is wearing. The g7 is a simple CGM system that delivers real time glucose numbers to your smartphone or smart watch. The g7 is made for all types of diabetes, type one and type two, but also people experiencing gestational diabetes, the Dexcom g7 can help you spend more time in range, which is proven to lower a 1c The more time you spend in range, the better and healthier you feel. And with the Dexcom clarity app, you can track your glucose trends, and the app will also provide you with a projected a 1c in as little as two weeks. If you're looking for clarity around your diabetes, you're looking for Dexcom, dexcom.com/juicebox, when you use my link. You're supporting the podcast, dexcom.com/juicebox, head over there. Now,
Em 12:47
you know, that's a great question, because when he started, his mental health started deteriorating, and my neighbors reached out to me. They were worried about me, you know, because I used to babysit their kids. So my dad has been, he's been out and about in the neighborhood. He's been muttering to himself, you know, he forgets where he is. My neighbor told me he went over to her for an hour to talk about selling my car. I have two vehicles in my name, right? And he was driving my cars around. He was driving a car around with no license. And you know, I kept trying to make amends with him over it, because, you know, that's my dad. He worked really, really hard when I was a kid. He used to write manuscripts for airplanes, but his dad actually had bipolar disorder, and this was, yeah, yeah. So my dad was born in the 50s, and back then, you know, wait, I gotta ask you
Speaker 1 13:37
a question. Your dad wrote, your dad wrote manuscripts for air. Is there, like, a whole section of the world that, like, where airplanes are actors I don't understand. Like, what do you
Em 13:46
know? Literally, like, he, he worked for Bombardier, which was a Canadian company. And actually, in 98 my little brother was born in Seattle, so the company took us out there, and then they brought us back to Canada. And I remember when I was diagnosed, like I can remember everything from that time. I call them the finger pokes, those awful hospital things that just like, cut deep, right into your finger. And my dad was really scared of losing benefits. And, you know, he worked so hard. He worked two jobs, actually, in Toronto. He also was a janitor for a school board, so my mom was a stay at home mom, so she raised us, and then, you know, I rebelled a lot as a young kid with diabetes, I took over my own care at the age of nine, and she let me, so I'm really grateful to my parents for that. Did
Speaker 1 14:34
she have any health issues, mental health or otherwise? Well, none
Em 14:37
that I can diagnose, because I'm not a professional. I don't let my parents interfere in my, you know, privacy. I attend regular physician appointments. I got like, 10 doctors in my phone, and I try to follow up as much as I can, because, you know, I have a full license. I drive with glasses at night with an astigmatism. I go to regular eye doctor appointments. So it's really important to. Diabetes, that we don't neglect our self care, and that we have firm boundaries as adults as well. And children can have boundaries too, but I know parents care. So
Speaker 1 15:09
then, what about you? What are all the diagnosis that you have? Your type one? Do you have anything else? Yeah.
Em 15:14
So I was diagnosed in 2016 with bipolar disorder under active addiction. I was taking lithium for a long time, and I took it through having my first son, and he was born with, it's called a ventricular septal defect. So he was born with a little hole in his heart. You know, he was followed by a cardiologist while he was still, like in my stomach in gestation. He was born eight pounds, nine ounces, and they said, Oh, he's really long. He's a toddler. And then my second baby, I lost him in a miscarriage, and I named him Grayson. And that was 2021 so that was with the father of my second or third child, who is named Owen. And my first son is Evan. So Owen was born two years ago, on the 17th he'll be two, and he's my rainbow baby. You know, he is stubborn. He was 10 pounds at 36 in six weeks, because on the gram side of the family, you know, we gave him my ex husband's last name. They had big babies, like my ex sister in law, is tiny, but she was having big old babies. And how
Speaker 1 16:21
were your blood sugars? Your a one seeds during the pregnancy, they were okay. I remember my
Em 16:25
first pregnancy. I went in. I knew I was pregnant, but I was 21 and I was scared to tell anybody, because I was still in university. So when I moved home, my mom was like, I know you're pregnant. Like, there's no like, I was taking tests and hiding it from people. The father of my first son, you know, is not was never in the picture. I raised him alone. So I remember going in and my a 1c, was like, 11, and they're like, you gotta your baby will be born with complications. And I said, Okay, so the next month I went in, my ANC was five, because I knew I had to get my together as a mother. And it wasn't just about me. You know how to do it, though, I know how to do it. You know, with all the stress in my life, my last day a 1c was 7.8 and my family doctor was like, I'm shocked by this. Like, they were like, We're shocked with everything you have going on that you kept your blood sugars in control. I said yes, because I finally learned that no is a full sentence. No, I'm not going to extend my shift. No, I'm not going to extend a 12 hour shift. No, I'm not going to pick up another one. Because, you know, when I worked overnights in an in emergency rooms, I couldn't eat at night. You know, I feel sick at night, so I would try to eat during the day and sleep during the day. But then, you know, you got all those lows because you're taking too much. I take Tracy, but daily, and then I take fast acting, so whatever I can get my hands on with my benefits, or sometimes I just buy insulin and submit it later. Insulin rationing is like a really scary thing that I used to do, but I'm lucky to be in Canada, the New Democratic Party actually just made it free for diabetes to have access to insulin, and can't be denied it based on financial need. Tell
Speaker 1 18:05
me a little bit about how old were you when they gave you the bipolar diagnosis? And how does it like, yeah, it's kind of like, seasons, right? Like, like, yeah, yeah. Like, where are you right now? Yeah. So
Em 18:16
for me, I was 19, going on 20. You know, a bipolar disorder. There's a lot, I know, a lot of type of diabetes who gets active in addiction and alcoholism, and then they get diagnosed with that. And even I've had the same psychiatrist since then, and he kind of, he said to me, You know what? I think you were misdiagnosed and you shouldn't take lithium. When I had my last pregnancy with my little guy, what I did was I reached out to him. I said, I'm not taking lithium. He said, No problem. What do you want to do? I said, I'm going to wean off it. He said, No problem. So that's what I did. And by the end of my pregnancy, I was on no mental health medication, and I was already dealing with what I called pre Partum Depression. I was going to work every day. I worked right up until the last month, January 17 of 2023 was my last day at work. And then one of the OB, GYN, said, You need to stop working. And I was huge, like I had three pounds of fluid. At my last ultrasound, they thought he was going to be 13 pounds. So I had a C section scheduled.
Speaker 1 19:18
So, em, let's go back to the question, though you're delightful, by the way, I love you. You are not listening to me at all. No,
Em 19:25
I don't listen. No. Good early direction.
Speaker 1 19:29
What are the seasons of bipolar? Which one are you experiencing right now?
Em 19:35
So for me, this is not mania. For me, if I was manic, I would be racking up debt. I would be, you know, going around and doing whatever I could, like, I just remember being manic and like, I would just literally be cycling through people through the night, like I would go to one house, someone would, like, pick me up. I'd leave all my belongings with them, and then go to another place. You know, I've. Had people tell me, you're what? Your life isn't worthy. You know, you're a diabetic who works in health care. And I'm like, Yeah, but maybe that means my life is worthy. So mania, like, I could be manic right now, if I'm excited, right? But if I was manic, I'd be sitting here talking in code. I would be like, 333, but for me, you know, I just, I tell it how it is, because life's too short,
Speaker 1 20:24
so hold on. So if you were having a, if you're in a manic phase, yeah, I'd feel like I was listening to someone who was just speaking a different language. And you would be making sense. You you would think you were making sense. Yeah, okay. And then yeah. And then, like, right now, yeah, you are keywording like you're keywording yourself. Yeah, I say something, you get maybe a sentence into it, and then you hear a word in it. You follow the word, and while you're explaining that, you hear another word and follow that word exactly,
Em 20:55
because that's how my brain works. You know, I was actually just told I had ADHD as well.
Scott Benner 21:00
So, I mean, I'm not surprised, if I'm being honest.
Em 21:04
So my diabetic nurse was like, I don't think you have any of that. I think you're just traumatized from diabetes. And I was like, Well, what is it, you know? What is it?
Speaker 1 21:12
So, how does it impact your life? Yeah, I heard what happens when you're manic when you're not? Do you have a moment where you can you see yourself, like, do you look back at a manic episode and go like, Oh my God. Like, or is it like, it never happened?
Em 21:23
No, I definitely when I got sober again, like, I'm just past two months sober, it was really important for me, because my last drink, I ended up blacking out so bad. Like, my ex husband was the one keeping me alive. He was checking my Dexcom. I remember waking up that morning, and I crawled to the shower, and he was going to work, and I called him, and I said, You need to come home. And he's like, no, no, I'm at work. I said, No, no, you need to come home. I couldn't look my children in the face. Manic. Emily would have woken up, kept drinking, not given a what happened? And then she would have been like, on a Benner, right? Like I saw my son yesterday. I hope I see him again tonight. But for mania, like, what I would be doing right now is telling you, oh, I'm flying right now to where you are, and we're gonna we're gonna do this in person. We're gonna do this. We're gonna do that like that is mania. Anyone can have a manic state of mind. Anyone can then go, oh, and I'll proudly tell you I take lurasiddone, which is La TUDA. It's an off brand version, and that is helping stabilize me as well as I had a cancer scare this past year. My white blood cell count was elevated from taking lithium. And then they're like, We don't know if you have cancer, from diabetes, from substance abuse, from this or that. So I just went, Okay, so I think, you know, when you're 28 and you're a young mom and you hear you might have cancer, you're gonna start acting a little crazy, right? So I'll throw it back to you, Scott,
Speaker 1 22:51
I don't know. I'm exhausted. Hold on a second. You mentioned the podcast early on, right? So, yeah, it's been valuable for you.
Em 23:00
It has, you know, but I, I was really bad, like, I hated listening, right? Like I was in, I was active in the groups and, like, what's really important is the message that comes. Like, you have moderators, you have people who have sent me episodes, have given me advice, because when I got back on a pump, well, I dealt with insulin, pooling and tunneling. I've tried pumps and I hated them. Like, if I could only have one technological advance in diabetes, it would be a bionic pancreas that worked, or a Dexcom sensor, or this or that. So for me, like, I've rebelled my whole life with diabetes. Like I would go to a party during two excess and people would be like, are you diabetic? And I'd be like, nope, nope. I would lie. You know, I wouldn't want to listen. You know, even people, like in medical professions, they don't, they don't have any formal education and diabetes. So I'll throw it back to you there, like,
Speaker 1 23:54
if you didn't have the bipolar, yeah, do you think the drinking would be the same? Do you connect the two of them?
Em 23:59
Yeah? Because once I stopped drinking, like, this time around, I said, Well, I had been in I had been sober before, right? Like, I was sober for my pregnancies, anytime I'd see a positive test, and I would always know, very early on, I know my body very well, so as soon as I'd see a positive test, it'd be no more booze. And then, like, my ex drank a lot when he wasn't with me, and I was like, You know what? I'm doing the hard work here, you know, I birthed a 10 pound baby for you, and you, you know, held money over me. You lorded power over me. And then I realized this year, like some things about myself, like I'm bisexual, but I've never dated a woman, you know, he was always like, you're just diabetic, you're just bipolar, you're just a loser, you're just a psycho. And words hurt right? Like, if you stay with a man for just under four years, and every day when he has no formal education, he's telling you you're a loser. Well, what are you going to think of yourself? Young women shouldn't be with men or anybody for that matter. Matter that don't fill their cup up, right? Like, mothers, especially, we can't be pouring from empty cups. Like, how am I going to be driving my kids around if my blood sugar is low, I don't I pull over and I eat the Tim bits I got them, which are Canadian? Don't
Speaker 1 25:14
worry, I know what Tim bits are. I've talked to a lot of Canadians. Let me ask the question again. I think we might do a fun thing where I ask you the same question till we get an answer. Okay, do you think that drinking is a result of the bipolar?
Em 25:28
Yeah, like, I definitely like that is how I got diagnosed, right? Because when I came home from university that summer, my grandfather had died the year before in Ireland, I sat with him in a home run by Catholic nuns. And I just remember being like, where the did all the time go, you know, he was a sergeant major for the Dublin infantry. So for me, what did we do? We went to the local it's called the quarry house in Dublin, and we got drunk. And everyone paid for us to get drunk. Like, I remember sitting next to his open casket, and me and my little cousin went out and got high because I'm like, I don't want to look at that my dead grandfather. I want to numb this pain, right? So for me, I think, like, people misuse and abuse words like this, but like, I'm proud to say this, I don't give a blind what people think of me? You know, I'm Irish Catholic, if that doesn't make you an alcoholic and then an addict, I don't know. What does
Speaker 1 26:26
em Do you think that drinking is a direct relationship to bipolar disorder? Yes? Why?
Em 26:35
Because I think like self medication, right? What do diabetics do? We take insulin, we check our blood sugars, you know, I I love when I run into a young girl with diabetes, and she's like, arguing with her mom, and her mom's like, No, you can't have that ice cream. And then she's like, Okay. And then, you know, I see them part ways in the mall, and then what does she do? She's with her friends, and she's eating like, a kilo of ice Okay.
Speaker 1 26:59
Hold on. Stop, stop. Though, how does the drinking self medicate the bipolar? So
Em 27:04
if I was not taking medication, right, I would be buying a bottle and drinking that entire bottle, because
Speaker 1 27:10
it finishes sentence, because it what does it do for you? It self medicates. Does it slow things down? Does it No,
Em 27:20
it speeds things up, and then later it slows things down, which
Speaker 1 27:24
is valuable? What is this? Is the slow up or the speed down? Valuable for you both,
Em 27:28
you know, because what is bipolar disorder? It's called manic depression. So I have days where I'm like, at the top of the roller coaster, and I'm like, Oh, this is like a carnival.
Speaker 1 27:38
Then the drinking adds to the party. Exactly, okay. But then
Em 27:42
when the party's over, what are you left feeling holy. I don't know what my blood sugar is. I blacked out. I woke up in a field, and I have no idea what happened to me. And all my friends are laughing, right? Who are not diabetic?
Scott Benner 27:54
Are you hyper sexual at any point during it? Oh,
Em 27:57
always like I would party. And you know, I didn't care who I was sleeping with. When you grow up chubby, if a guy gives you the time of day, you're like, Okay, you know, you have no standards for yourself. Like, it breaks my heart when I see little chubby girls and they're like, you know, I'm fat. And I'm like, What is fat? You know, one man is going to love your body the way it is. Another one's gonna say he wouldn't touch you with a 10 foot pole. And you know what? Who cares?
Speaker 1 28:25
So did you end up with guys that sometimes liked you and sometimes just didn't like you? They were just there for you, for for easy sex. Oh,
Em 28:33
my God, I'll never forget being in university, and I was in an all girls dorm, and I was I had a really good friend. She had just moved there. She had been sexually assaulted in her old dorm, and I moved out of a dorm due to bullying. And so, you know, what did her and I do? Well, we drink, and then we'd be on these apps, you know, like Tinder, bumble, whatever it is. And then I remember, I invited a guy over, and we were intimate, and while we were in the middle of having sex, he literally said to me, you are not pretty enough for me to be seen in public with. So I literally said, Okay. I stopped it, and I remember crying and going to her room, and she came and freaked out on him. She screamed at him. She was drunk. And then what did he do? He just went, Okay, and he went home and then messaged me and said, Well, I have Asperger's, so I can say that, but I'm like, Okay, why? Like, do you think if I went around and said to a type one diabetic, I'm not giving you a juice box because I'm diabetic, would that make me a good person? No. So this is my whole thing with it is like people use anything to numb pain. They use medication, they use insulin, they use sex, they use drugs, they use alcohol. And this is why, when I talk, I start to ramble. But if I was manic, I would, literally, I would just start rapping for you, because that's what I do. I use music as therapy as well.
Scott Benner 29:50
What kind of rap would I be hearing? Oh, you'd be hearing
Em 29:53
my mom by Eminem, or forever, or, you know, like I really. We love Jelly Rolls music, and I was going to go see him in March, but I ended up trading his concert tickets with someone because I knew if I went to a concert as a health care worker and seeing people in active addiction and drinking, then I would do that right, because I got to work my life one day at a time. How long has it been since you've drank something? December 5 at midnight was the was the last time. Yeah, it's been two months.
Speaker 1 30:26
That's awesome. What are some benefits you've that you've noticed from not drinking, I'm
Em 30:31
more alert. You know, I went back to the gym. I knew how, like, I was trained in crisis intervention in a Midland Ontario emergency room. So when a man started to threaten me, like my ex husband, you know, he tried to break my wrist, and that's okay, it was just a sprain, so I had the courage to drive and go get an x ray, like old me would have just had a drink over that. You know what I mean,
Speaker 1 30:55
good for you? Like, yeah, you lost a bunch of weight recently. How did you do that? Yeah,
Em 30:59
you know, after my wedding in October, I was, like, heavily overweight. I was eating in excess at night. You're a mom, you know, you're not eating through the day. I would be working eight hour shifts, and then I would literally be, like, chugging iced coffee, eating donuts. Not to get political, because I'm kind of apolitical. But if
Speaker 1 31:16
you can go from donuts to political, I'm gonna be so impressed. Go ahead. What are you gonna say
Em 31:21
the day Trump got elected, I was smoking a cigarette outside the back of my work place, crying, and then I bought all our female co workers donuts because I said, What the is going on with the world, that a black woman cannot be president, and that we have to go back in time, and we have to look at women who were silenced with money, with power, with sexual assault, and all my friends were like, you don't look okay. And I'm like, I'm not okay, but it's fine. Everything's fine. That was my life. Like, literally going through the worst of my life, I'd walk into a room and smile because, you know, I know how to act like I'm okay, but like in sobriety, No, nothing's going to be sunshine and rainbows. That's not life. Life is still going to happen, whether or not I think
Speaker 1 32:06
I'm confused about something, yeah, what are you confused you were married four months ago, but you're not married anymore.
Em 32:12
No, I never certified the marriage because it was an abusive relationship.
Speaker 1 32:16
So How long had you been with this person before you had some sort of a ceremony?
Em 32:19
We met on a dating app in january 2021 which was COVID lockdown. So I don't know how it worked for you guys in the States, but for us, like police were like, you're not allowed to leave your house. And then people would be like, we met up. I drove out. He was about 40 minutes south of me, and he had no car jobs. So I was like, perfect. I'm gonna leave my kid with my mom and go for a drive. And then here I was with this man, you know, he met my son shortly after, and I was like, Okay, I'm gonna watch this man like a hawk, because I don't around when it comes to my kids. Like, as a parent, I think you probably feel the same way, like, if your daughter called you and needed you, you'd show up, right? So for me, when I met him, I was like, you're gonna get a job, you're gonna get your license, you're gonna get a car. And we were like, on and off for four years. February 10 would have been our four year anniversary, but we had a messy separation before that. So the things that I thought, yeah,
Speaker 1 33:18
do you ever stand in front of a priest or a judge and get married. We
Em 33:22
stood in front of a wedding officiant in a park in Barrie in October.
Speaker 1 33:27
That can't count. It's Canadian, so like, yeah, all right, so you Okay, so you've you tried to make a more of a commitment four months ago, but now it's over, and he's the father of your the baby you lost, is that
Em 33:42
right? And my second Yeah, and my last shot and your last
Speaker 1 33:46
shot. Listen, this is gonna sound like a dig, but it's not. I'm so impressed with myself that I know that I can't begin to tell you. I swear to God, I'm like, Oh my God, I am following you, yes. And being serious, like, do you know like talking to you like this, yeah, if I'm really gonna listen, it's incredibly difficult.
Em 34:05
Oh, it's, it's difficult for me. Like, you know, my brain is like, just like going through a grocery list of what I need today, like this is what women do, no,
Speaker 1 34:15
but, but, but listen. You started with, I met a guy. He met my son soon after, you know, Scott, that I protect my kids because you must also, I don't even know, like, where that leap came from. Yeah. And then it just, you are. It's, oh my God, I feel like I'm on one of those roller coasters, the jerks you the left and the right, then up and then down. And I'm actually holding on, like, I swear to God, talking to you is like riding a bull. I'm gonna name this episode eight seconds. I'm naming this episode eight seconds for sure. Okay, oh, my God. Does anybody remember the Luke Perry movie eight seconds where he was a bull rider? Anyone at all? Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I'm calling this episode eight seconds now, but at the same time, I don't think you know you're doing this. Yes, but you were giving such a great insight into your like your situation, and how your brain works, and how your life, you know, functions because of that, that I think that anybody who is listening to you and knows someone who is in a similar situation as you, I think this could give them a ton of compassion, because I know people like you in my personal life, and I watch them eventually be discarded by even people who love them, because it's just so fcking exhausting
Em 35:32
it is. You know, my parents, after my ex tried to break my wrist, my mom kicked me out of my childhood home. I've been living in hotels, and she's just told me she'd pay one for me for a week. You know, I had to meet my son with her in a grocery store, and I gave him Valentine's Day gifts. We gave out boxes of Smarties to some kids, and then my mom's like, I already got him Valentine's first class. I said, I don't care, because that's what I do as a mom. I'd show up for my kids pouring from an empty tank, I'd be like, I need to get gas. And they'd be screaming in the back seat that they didn't get enough Tim bits that day. You know, I have brought them to meetings to support my addiction, and I've done that sober, and I have been uplifted by strangers and thinking I'm alone in this world. I'm not alone, and if any type one diabetic who listens to this Wednesday feels like they're alone. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off, because by all accounts of like, how I used to drink and do drugs, I should be dead if
Speaker 1 36:31
I spoke to other people in your life. Yeah? Like if I talk to your mom or that guy or whatever, yeah, people you've worked for, do you think they'd say, No, M sweet. She's just got problems, and this is how they manifest. Or do you think they'd just be like, do you think they'd have a completely different view of you than you have of yourself? Absolutely,
Em 36:49
my mom is pretty harsh, like she was like, You did this to yourself. You chose to be with a man who assaulted you for four years, who drained your bank account like, that's what my mother said to
Scott Benner 37:01
me. She ignores the mental illness part of it, yeah,
Em 37:03
like she's like, You need to go back on lithium. And I'm like, I'm 28 years old. When I was diagnosed, I was still an adult, and I walked myself into that emergency room, and I was drunk and high, and I laid on the floor, and then I woke up in holding when I got brought by local municipality to the emergency same emergency room, my blood sugar was 20, and that emerged doctor that used to buy me coffee. He was like, just tell me you're high. And I'm like, No, I'm not high. I'm sober. He formed me so that means they put me on a 72 hour hold, and then I stayed under a lockdown in solitary confinement for a week. So I was alone in a room surrounded by people in mental health crises, being denied insulin, denied food, eating hospital food, like, if that's not enough to make anybody seem crazy, I don't know what is.
Speaker 1 37:53
What's the answer? Like, you've been in that situation. You've worked in that situation, right? Yeah. And you know, you know who you are. You know what your ailments are. How should they have treated you? Like, what would have helped you? You
Em 38:06
know what? I don't live in the yesterday, like, basically, my mom should have understood. Like, I told her I went to get an x ray on my wrist, and she just went. That was your fault. But we grew up Catholic, Irish, right? Like my nanny. She's 90 years old, sitting in Dublin, Ireland, right now she's still kicking. She had seven children and a bunch of miscarriages because there was no birth control back then. I actually tied my tubes after this 10 pound baby. I said, I'm not doing this to my body again. And you know, my ex, he wanted three kids. I came from a three kid household, and so did he. But I said this like life is too short. How am I going to be a career woman? How am I going to go back to school and have two kids who are young and they need me, and we're
Speaker 1 38:48
going to do it again. We're going to do it again. What could they have done for you that would have been valuable? They
Em 38:53
couldn't have believed me. They could have protected me. They could have supported me. Because
Speaker 1 38:58
in that moment, it doesn't matter if you're making like, if your brain's making something up or not, it doesn't matter, right? You're still feeling it was a lie. Yeah, wish it was right. You're still feeling it the way you're feeling it.
Em 39:09
And feelings are valid. You know, my little guy just got diagnosed. He's six, with ADHD, and I tried to put him on medication, and now my parents are trying to withhold that, but last time I checked he was in my sole custody. And when I go to a court of law and we go through Crown Prosecution, because that's what's happening, and I'm proud of that, all the facts are there. I know every officer's name my dad would call, God bless him, with his dementia, and he goes, she's attacking me with needles, my four millimeter needles that are enclosed in my purse.
Speaker 1 39:41
So if you're gonna go, do you have to go speak for yourself at some kind of a hearing?
Em 39:46
Yeah, it's gonna be virtual, which is great, because I teach patients how to use technology. So when I get frustrated with technology, I stop and I ask for directions, or I write it down, or I use my wits. Yeah,
Speaker 1 39:58
may I I'm gonna suggest that you make us think. You know, that says stay on topic and put it in front of you, because Absolutely, I'm gonna write it down, yeah? Because I I asked you what they could have done for you, and five seconds later, I was in Ireland with your grandma,
Em 40:11
yeah, because she would be disappointed in her daughter, yeah.
Speaker 1 40:15
But I don't even know how we got to that. And what could they have done for you? My mom, them this my grandmother, like Bob, like, I'm telling you, like, if you go in, if you do that, I don't think they're gonna let you have the kids if you do that.
Em 40:28
No, for sure. Like, but I stay active in my program. You know, I live in love and service. I do what I need to do to stay sober. Because, you know, when you're arrested with a broken wrist or a sprained wrist, and then you get released immediately. Well, most people would have ended up in a bar, right?
Speaker 1 40:46
Well, no, I wouldn't have, but I don't have your problem. My point is like, is the lithium the answer?
Em 40:53
I'm under physician care, and I take Latuda, so that's the lithium is not the answer, because lithium actually elevates the white blood cell count, but if someone is prescribed lithium, that's none of my business. That's called the privacy and health. Stay
Speaker 1 41:07
on you. Stay on you. Okay, so the lithium is not, not an answer for you. That's awesome, like you have the Latitude. Latitude is helping you with with some of the bipolar stuff. What would help? What would help with this piece of it? Believing in women, no, no, it ain't gonna help you because I'm believing you, and trust me, we're not getting we're not getting anywhere proof,
Em 41:24
proof in a court of law, the facts I have, the videos, I have the text message, that
Speaker 1 41:29
stuff's not going to help them. Think that you're going to be a good caregiver.
Em 41:33
But it's not up to my parents. It's up to a court of law to decide. I understand
Speaker 1 41:36
that, but what I'm saying is, is that if you go in there and you're a little slower and thoughtful and stay on topic, I think that's going to be really valuable for you. Absolutely.
Unknown Speaker 41:46
I'm going to write out points, yeah,
Speaker 1 41:49
because what we like, what we've gone over here in the last like 45 minutes, is that whether you're a lovely person or not, it can be difficult for people who are not struggling with the things you're struggling with to see you for who you are and how you feel, because I think they're just reading what you're giving them. You know what I mean? Yeah. Well, let me
Em 42:07
tell you three things that I've done in my sobriety since my parents have turned their back on me. One, I've bought coffee for homeless people and given them cigarettes. Two, I've supported people in early sobriety that have told me they needed help. Three I've called wellness checks on friends who were on heavy drugs, telling me that they didn't think their life was worth living. I showed up for them, and then they showed up for me in turn. But as a mother, you know, we don't show up for people. Are
Speaker 1 42:36
you telling me that you've been successful at looking out for friends and you think you could be successful looking out for your kids. Absolutely,
Em 42:43
I've never left my kids. I picked them up every day from school until they were removed from my custody. Temp, No,
Speaker 1 42:50
you were so close to completing that thought though, like that was good because you, you numbered it, and that really helped you, because you, you said three things, then you gave me three things, and I felt like what you were trying to say was, look, I've helped people in my life. I'll be a good caregiver to my children. And you were just, you were a split second away from getting it out, and then you pivoted,
Em 43:10
right? Well, that's how my brain works, right? It doesn't work that
Speaker 1 43:13
way. Yeah, no, I understand. I'm just trying to tell you what I think the reality of that hearing is going to be, yeah, yeah. Because if you put me in charge of judging you, and I didn't know anything about you or anything else. I just was hearing you for the first time, I'd be like, I don't know, this lady's got type one diabetes. She's fighting with bipolar. She hasn't been drunk in two months, which is awesome, but it's not exactly, you know, two years every question I'm asking her, I end up in Dublin with her 90 year old grandmother.
Em 43:39
Well, that's why, you know, like, I'm Catholic, so, like, I have faith, you know, I have faith in myself when people, you know, bipolar, like I I've been on off medication too, and it's I still go and attend regular appointments. I go to my medical doctor, my family doctor, and, you know what, the right people believe in me. And
Speaker 1 43:58
those are good points. Then those are the points I think you should make. Then, you know, like, seriously,
Unknown Speaker 44:02
because witnesses, right? Well,
Speaker 1 44:05
I mean, people who have seen you do these things over and over again and feel confident that you'll do them with your kids. Well,
Em 44:11
a wise man, his name is Adam, once said to me, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results, right?
Speaker 1 44:21
Yes, but what does that have to do with what we're talking about? Tell me
Em 44:25
everything. Everything is a diabetic, you know, like I in sobriety, I remember everything. So then I want to talk about everything, but I don't have to talk. I can stick to the point which is what I'm going to do on my court date. I
Speaker 1 44:39
wish you a ton of luck. I hope that goes your way. Thank you. Yeah. How old are your kids?
Em 44:43
Evan will be seven in October, and Owen's almost two. What does Evan like to do? Everything. He loves McDonald's. He loves shopping. He loves Pokemon. He loves sports. I got him into soccer. I. Paid for him to take skating lessons, and he was too afraid to let go of the bar. What kind of a Canadian can't skate? I mean, I can skate, I just can't stop. So I just slam into the boards like Sidney Crosby, and then I do it
Speaker 1 45:11
up. I can't do either. But what does he enjoy in school? He loves
Em 45:15
math, which, like, you know, I love math. I love reading, writing. He loves it, too. And I got him into speech therapy, because since he was three, he's had a speech impediment assessment. And, you know, I used to translate for him. You know, I speak sign language, I speak French. So people can listen to this and say whatever they want about me, let them.
Speaker 1 45:35
I don't think anybody's gonna say I think, I think you're very brave to come on here and share your stuff like I really do. I've asked a number of questions I haven't gotten answers to, but, yeah, I have one that I'm really interested in. So like, stay with me. Okay, here, let me ask it this way. Tell me the three things you did to lose weight. I
Em 45:52
started eating like, six meals a day, grazing snacks instead of, like, eating all my calories at night. I stopped smoking weed, because, you know, when you get high, what are you going to do? You're going to get the munchies at two in the morning, and then you're eating like an entire bag of chips. I lost some dead weight, which was my ex husband. That's what I did
Speaker 1 46:13
when your mental burden with that relationship went away. That also helped you maybe not to overeat as much and and that helps you lose weight. He lost 70 pounds. Yeah,
Em 46:22
it's awesome. 70 pounds. That must have felt great. That whiskey weights hard to get off. You know, we got engaged at a whiskey tour in Dublin in March, and then I planned the wedding, and I spent about, I want to say, 40 grand on this man. In the last few years alone, I haven't seen a penny back from him in child support or anything my parents are paying for my children, and I drop off gifts. And, yeah, that's, that's the reality of my life. Don't be sorry. No, no,
Speaker 1 46:49
I listen. You deserve compassion. And it's a it sucks, like it really, listen, I don't care what you're struggling with. You know, a boy, don't need to take, you know, advantage of that. And then, and also, like, listen, it would be nice if they would say, like, you know, all right, I'm, I'm having, you know, some easy sex with this girl who called me from a nap, but I don't need to get her pregnant, you know. I mean, like, somebody could try a little bit, you know, I'm saying so somebody
Em 47:17
could pay their own bills. You know, he was driving around my cars under the influence, and he didn't even have a license. Scott, he was lying. He lies a lot, yeah, and I don't lie. I blow whistles, and then I know when to stop. And then so I like to do lists. I like to write. But you know when your right hand and your right hand dominant was snapped, and then you're putting Voltaire and extra strength on it, and you're still sober. Well, there's a song by Nickelback. It's called Never again. It's about domestic violence and substance abuse. Because as I got more sober, he got worse, and, you know, we work in the same place, so I started telling women how he treated me, and they were shocked. They said he always sings your praises. I said, that's in public, but behind closed doors. So that's why I tell women in domestic violence situations, open the door, yell for help, call someone you trust. Don't make the same mistakes that I did, because you will have regrets. But we don't have to live in regrets. We can find the solution every day. And if you can drink responsibly, power to you, I cannot. Most diabetics can't if they don't know when to
Speaker 1 48:24
stop, right? You don't think type ones can drink responsibly. I think
Em 48:28
they can. I went out to dinner with co workers. I had a glass of wine, but then when I was at home, I was drinking the bottle alone, right? And they're like, Oh, you had a good night. You only had one glass of wine. And I'm like, hahaha, yeah. Because what do we do in addiction? We lie, you know, we say I'm fine, and then people are like, well, what are you doing? And then we sit in a room full of anonymous people, and you know, that's not something to be discussed about either, right? Like my program is not allied with anything. So for me, I show up because people have told me, people have kicked me out. They've told me I'm nothing. They've called me crazy and delusional. And to them, I say, keep coming back.
Speaker 1 49:06
Well, listen, I've only heard you say one crazy thing, and I'm gonna bring it up. How the hell do you think you know who your blood sugar is by your pulse. I
Em 49:14
can tell when your pulse slows down. My blood sugar is usually high. When my pulse is rapid, it's usually low, but not every time, not every time, but it's also like, heightened emotion, right? So if I'm like, in the middle of having sex, and then, you know, I'm exhausted after well, do I have a low blood sugar, or did I just do a physical activity? Right?
Scott Benner 49:33
Exhausted? What are you doing?
Unknown Speaker 49:37
Not to be discussed on this podcast. You
Speaker 1 49:41
know, when I get out of the harness and I'm exhausted, let me just tell you something, yeah,
Em 49:45
when you, when you uncuff the pink, fuzzy handcuffs, and you turn off Sabrina Carpenter, or the sex playlist you were playing, you know, I love Sabrina Carpenter,
Speaker 1 49:55
girl from the from the Grammys, the little like blonde girl me
Em 49:59
every. I know, yes, the little blonde girl, because she was an actress,
Speaker 1 50:03
I don't think I could have sex to that song. I'm just saying, Well, you know,
Unknown Speaker 50:07
Scott, we all have our vices.
Speaker 1 50:11
Oh, my God. All right, I shudder to ask you this question, but is there anything we didn't talk about that you want to
Em 50:16
if there is a young type one diabetic out there, and I don't care your gender, but I'm the only one we did the genetic testing, so I'm the only one in my family. I'm the black sheep. If there's a young girl out there with diabetes and you know she's being bullied or letting people tell her that she's nothing, or that you know her mom is making her feel like she has to eat in secret. Be bold. Live your life. Live your life on your terms, and understand the consequences of your actions, because life is short. And as diabetics, you know we can live our whole lives and we never know. When you know complications arise, you keep trucking and you keep your chin up, you keep your head up. And my Both my grandfathers fought in the world wars, so I wasn't raised to submit to powerlessness. I was raised to have hope, and that's the message I want to give today to anyone out there who needs it. I have
Speaker 1 51:08
a statement and a question go. My statement is, is that I've decided that I'm not calling the episode eight seconds. I'm actually calling the episode eight seconds to Dublin. Hey, I like that. It's literally an awesome title. It might be my favorite. Whatever I prove my question is, is that I'd like to understand, if I could how the podcast, like, this thing that I've delivered to you, like, I want to know how it how it's helped you. Well, I probably should ask for you to tell me the five ways that it's helped you, but tell me how it's helped you. Yeah. So number
Em 51:38
one, when you grow up without technology, you kind of rebel against it when it fails, you know, ripping pump sides out, ripping sensors out that are bleeding. You know, taking a wooden spoon to a sensor because it got stuck. So the technological aspect of it, two the different opinions, because, like, it's not just like you and one other person sitting on a podcast chat, and you have different people every day. You have different expert those are important too, because opinions are important, but the right opinions are what matter. Three would be the Facebook group. Now I do. I haven't been as active in it as of late because, you know, I tend to argue with people and be that keyboard warrior. One mom's gonna say, I eat vegan and I don't eat anything like this. Another mom is going to say, oh, we'll need protein and we food restrict. People can do whatever they want, but they should never tell their kids to eat disordered. Because what are kids going to do when they're not with you? They're going to abuse insulin. They're going to but that's not for me to say either you need what you need four would be the education and the differences in that. Like, I hate when I hear people say, wow. Like, I was taking 60 units of Tracy, but I take about 36 to 40 now. People are like, Wow, you're so fat. Well, yeah, when you had a 10 pound baby and you got a lot of belly fat, you need all that insulin, or it's not going to take you through the next level. And then I want to
Speaker 1 52:57
second for a second, you're doing great, but I'm going to conversate with you for a second. Have you tried a GLP medication for weight because, yeah,
Em 53:04
I was on Metformin, but I have no gallbladder that came out in my last pregnancy.
Speaker 1 53:09
No, not the pills that get injectable, that go for weight, step bound. Or
Em 53:13
you guys use ozempic heavily in America, but in Canada, you can only get ozempic for free if
Speaker 1 53:19
you're type two diabetic, there's no version of it for weight loss, not that we would have to pay for it. Benefits. Don't want to cover it. The reason I bring it up is I have an episode. It's not that old. Now, a mom came on to talk about her kids bipolar. Yeah, they found, I'll find it for you. They they found a number of things that helped, yep, and they were able to lessen a lot of the bipolar symptoms, but then the kid went on a GLP for weight, and then it ended up being valuable with some of the bipolar stuff too.
Em 53:57
Well, that's what I take the medication, as advised by my psychiatrist. But let me tell you, I was in with my Endo, and we were trying to do ozempic. We were trying, I was on Metformin. Oh, my God, I could not poop like Metformin was insane. It made me feel so sick
Speaker 1 54:13
if they ever try anything like that again. Yeah, you need to add, like, a little magnesium oxide to your day, and that should help. Good point.
Em 54:19
I'm actually taking zinc and magnesium, and I take daily vitamins because I have a type one diabetic friend. She's a personal trainer, yeah, so we always check in that way. Specifically
Speaker 1 54:28
magnesium, there's a number of different forms of magnesium, but oxide, specifically will help you go to
Em 54:34
the bathroom. Perfect. Yeah, we all need to poop. Yeah? They say
Speaker 1 54:39
everyone does it. Yeah. I wish I could find it here. I'm not finding it, but I'll, I will find it for you, and I'll get it to you.
Em 54:46
No worries. Cool. All right, you were pretty great at this. I'm pretty good at making statements. Scott, how
Speaker 1 54:53
do you feel when it's over after an hour of this? Are you tired by it? Is it invigorating? How does it feel? You know?
Em 54:59
Why? It's, it's tiring because, like, I'm an over share, right? You never know who needs to hear your message. But I, I think there's power in, oh my god. Like, I'll go hang out with a friend and then have coffee, and then I'm like, Oh my God, this was exhausting. Why? Because I don't like being alone, but I do like being alone sometimes, and I like to go to the gym and and talk with people who are like Jesus, I don't know how to judge you. Well, you know what? It's everyone judges. I'm Catholic. Thou shalt not judge, though. So I'll leave it at that.
Scott Benner 55:27
Well, I know you're Catholic because you told me 853 times.
Unknown Speaker 55:30
850 times. I'm just trying to explain. What do you
Speaker 1 55:34
think being Catholic has to do with some of the things that are happening to you? Well,
Em 55:38
my aunt was beaten black and blue for years, and then when my, uh, uncle, or sorry, my great aunt, so when he died, you know, his family didn't want a service, but she had one, because that's what Catholics do.
Speaker 1 55:52
But how does that impact you? How does that whole Catholic experience impact you? I
Em 55:56
think it's because I'm a bit of a rebel, but I have a cause now. So I advocate. You know, I bought a magazine about diabetes education, and I plan to give it to a police officer next time I see him, because you can't deny someone insulin.
Speaker 1 56:10
Are you telling me that being Catholic makes you an advocate? Hell
Em 56:13
yeah, it does. Because I'm half Irish, full throttle. All right, man. All right.
Speaker 1 56:18
All right. I'm definitely calling this one eight seconds to Dublin. That's all that. It's the best title of a podcast episode I've ever dreamt up. I
Unknown Speaker 56:26
love it. I approve signed, sealed delivery. I am
Speaker 1 56:29
the person who wrote butthole adjacent and, oh, I love it. The frozen urine of diabetes, I wrote both of those. And I think that frozen urine as I'm freezing in my car. No, I'm gonna let you go so you can turn your heater on, more than anything. Okay,
Em 56:43
that's what that northern Canadian attitude is for, Scott. But you alive when
Scott Benner 56:47
you're when you're the bloods freezing inside of you,
Em 56:51
slowing down, and you're like, ooh, but that's what the remote start is for. I got a 2025, CRV, which is a good car, but you're not as good as your car. You're just as good as your brain. It's
Speaker 1 57:01
awesome. All right, I'm gonna let you go. You were terrific. Thank you so much for doing okay.
Em 57:04
Thanks, Scott, you take care. Say hi to Arden. I will wish you all the best. Go test your blood sugar. You're very nice. All right, have a great day. Okay, take care. Bye. Bye.
Speaker 1 57:18
Dexcom sponsored this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. Learn more about the Dexcom g7 at my link. Dexcom.com/juice box. Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast was sponsored by the new tandem Moby system and control iq plus technology. Learn more and get started today at tandem diabetes.com/juice box. Check it out. Earlier you heard me talking about blue circle health, the free virtual type one diabetes care, education and support program for adults. And I know it sounds too good to be true, but I swear it's free thanks to funding from a big T 1d philanthropy group, blue circle health doesn't bill your insurance or charge you a cent. In other words, it's free. They can help you with things like carb counting, insurance navigation, diabetes technology, insulin adjustments, peer support, Prescription Assistance and much more. So if you're tired of waiting nine months to get in with your endo or your educator, you can get an appointment with their team within one to two weeks. This program is showing what T 1d, care can and should look like currently, if you live in Florida, Maine Vermont, New Hampshire, Ohio, Delaware, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa or Louisiana, if you live in one of those states, go to blue circle health.org. To sign up today. The link is in the show notes, and please help me to spread the word blue circle health. Had to buy an ad because people don't believe that it's free, but it is. They're trying to give you free care if you live in Florida, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Delaware, Alabama and Missouri. It's ready to go right now. And like I said, they're adding states so quickly in 2025 that you want to follow them on social media, blue circle health, and you can also keep checking blue circle health.org to see when your free care is available to you. Okay, well, here we are at the end of the episode. You're still with me. Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app. Go to YouTube and follow me or Instagram. Tik, Tok. Oh gosh, here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page you don't want to miss. Please do not know about the private group. You have to join the private group as of this recording, it has 51,000 members in it. They're active talking about diabetes, whatever you need to know. There's a conversation happening in there right now, and I'm there all the time. Tag me. I'll say hi if you're living with type one diabetes. The after dark collection from the Juicebox Podcast is the only. Place to hear the stories that no one else talks about, from drugs to depression, self harm, trauma, addiction and so much more, go to Juicebox podcast.com up in the menu and click on after dark there you'll see a full list of all of the after dark episodes. Hey, what's up everybody? If you've noticed that the podcast sounds better and you're thinking like, how does that happen? What you're hearing is Rob at wrong way. Recording, doing his magic to these files. So if you want him to do his magic to you, wrong way. Recording.com, you got a podcast. You want somebody to edit it. You want rob you.
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