#1748 Tandem Kids: Oliver
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Scott talks with Oliver, 13, about growing up with type 1 diabetes, playing soccer, using the Tandem Mobi pump, and how diabetes feels normal—just a little extra work. LIVE from Friends For Life.
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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.
Scott Benner (0:00) I attended my first ever Friends for Life conference in July 2025. (0:05) And while I was there, I interviewed eight children of various ages, all who wear a Tandem pump. (0:10) I wanna thank Tandem Diabetes for sponsoring this short episode of the Juice Box podcast. (0:16) Check them out at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. (0:22) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise.
Scott Benner (0:28) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. (0:35) The episode you're about to listen to is sponsored by Tandem Moby, the impressively small insulin pump. (0:41) Tandem Mobi features Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. (0:46) It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom, and improved time and range. (0:50) Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox.
Scott Benner (1:08) You ready to go? (1:09) Hey. (1:10) How are you?
Oliver (1:10) Good.
Scott Benner (1:11) Cool. (1:11) What's your name?
Oliver (1:12) Oliver.
Scott Benner (1:13) Oliver. (1:13) How old
Oliver (1:13) are you? (1:14) 13.
Scott Benner (1:14) 13. (1:16) You have type one diabetes?
Oliver (1:17) Yes.
Scott Benner (1:18) Yeah. (1:18) When were you diagnosed?
Oliver (1:20) When I was two.
Scott Benner (1:20) Two. (1:21) You play any sports?
Oliver (1:23) I mean, play indoor soccer every winter.
Scott Benner (1:26) Indoor soccer? (1:26) Yeah. (1:27) What part of the country are you from? (1:30) I'll help you. (1:32) I live in New Jersey.
Scott Benner (1:33) What part of the country are you from?
Oliver (1:34) Oh, I live in Illinois.
Scott Benner (1:36) Illinois? (1:36) Oh, so you have to play inside cause it's freezing in the winter. (1:40) Gotcha. (1:41) What, position do you play?
Oliver (1:43) Goalie and defense.
Scott Benner (1:44) Okay. (1:45) It's a lot of running?
Oliver (1:47) A little bit.
Scott Benner (1:47) Little bit. (1:48) How do you handle it with your diabetes?
Oliver (1:51) Just gotta check it before I go out, and then every time I come back in, I check it.
Scott Benner (1:57) Yeah. (1:57) Do you disconnect from your pump to play? (1:59) No. (2:00) Oh, you leave it on? (2:01) What pump do you have?
Oliver (2:02) The Moby.
Scott Benner (2:03) Moby. (2:04) Awesome. (2:04) Now how long have you had that?
Oliver (2:07) Since last year after Adventure Life.
Scott Benner (2:10) Okay. (2:10) Did you have a pump before that?
Oliver (2:12) Yeah.
Scott Benner (2:12) Yeah. (2:12) Which one?
Oliver (2:15) Omni five five.
Scott Benner (2:16) Okay. (2:16) And you switched to the Mobi? (2:18) Yeah. (2:18) How come?
Oliver (2:20) I like the wires, the wired ones better than the
Scott Benner (2:24) Okay. (2:25) Tubeless ones. (2:26) You wanted the tubing? (2:27) That's awesome. (2:27) But with the Moby, you can wear it while you're playing still?
Scott Benner (2:30) Yes. (2:31) So do you clip it onto, like, your uniform or do you use the, the whole use
Oliver (2:35) the catches.
Scott Benner (2:36) Yeah. (2:36) That works well for you? (2:37) That's awesome. (2:38) Tell me one thing you love about the Mobi.
Oliver (2:40) It keeps my numbers in range more than the Omnipod and also I come down way faster than when I'm high than the Omnipod.
Scott Benner (2:52) That's awesome. (2:52) Do you notice any times where diabetes is easier? (2:55) Like, if you're more active or your number's better? (2:58) Is it like
Oliver (2:59) It just keeps me in range a lot more than Omnify did.
Scott Benner (3:03) Yeah. (3:03) Good for you, man. (3:04) That's awesome. (3:04) I'm glad you found something you like that's working for you. (3:06) It's really cool.
Scott Benner (3:07) So when you're running around, you're still getting your insulin and Control IQ is doing its whole thing
Oliver (3:13) for you?
Scott Benner (3:13) Yeah. (3:13) Okay. (3:14) Does it, generally speaking, do a good job for you?
Oliver (3:17) Yeah.
Scott Benner (3:17) Yeah. (3:18) And what do you do? (3:19) Like, when you say when you take breaks, you check, you check, like, on a CGM, DexCom?
Oliver (3:22) Check on my phone.
Scott Benner (3:23) On your phone. (3:24) Right. (3:24) Do you ever do a finger stick while you're playing?
Oliver (3:27) Not unless I'm not reading, like, no signal or something.
Scott Benner (3:31) You count on the CGM and the Moby to do their thing. (3:33) Yeah. (3:34) It's awesome. (3:35) Is your mom at your games usually? (3:36) Yeah.
Scott Benner (3:37) Yeah. (3:37) Does she scream like a lunatic? (3:39) Sometimes. (3:40) Sometimes? (3:41) Yeah.
Scott Benner (3:41) What's it like to, like, stop a ball when somebody kicks it at you? (3:45) Is it exhilarating?
Oliver (3:46) Yeah. (3:46) Sometimes.
Scott Benner (3:47) Yeah. (3:47) Do you ever, like, catch the ball and think, I am I'm doing this. (3:50) I'm the man. (3:51) Like, no? (3:54) You don't, like, parade around a little bit?
Scott Benner (3:55) You don't take a half a second to show everybody I've got the ball. (3:58) It's not the net. (3:59) Like, come on. (4:01) Sometimes. (4:02) Yeah.
Scott Benner (4:02) Love it, man. (4:03) That's awesome. (4:04) Do you have any other interests outside of school?
Oliver (4:06) I play bands.
Scott Benner (4:07) Oh, no kidding. (4:08) What what do you play?
Oliver (4:09) Saxophone.
Scott Benner (4:10) No kidding. (4:11) You wanna hear a story?
Oliver (4:12) Sure.
Scott Benner (4:13) I wanted to play the cello. (4:14) They were out of cellos. (4:16) They gave me a saxophone. (4:17) I was terrible at it. (4:18) I stopped playing the saxophone.
Scott Benner (4:20) Are you good at it?
Oliver (4:22) Decent.
Scott Benner (4:23) Decent? (4:24) Do you like it?
Oliver (4:25) Yeah.
Scott Benner (4:25) Yeah. (4:25) They say it's about practice. (4:27) You have to keep practicing if you wanna be good. (4:29) Is that true?
Oliver (4:31) Yeah.
Scott Benner (4:31) You get better as you practice? (4:33) Right. (4:33) Brothers or sisters, Oliver?
Oliver (4:36) Two brothers and a sister.
Scott Benner (4:37) Two brothers and a sister. (4:39) Does anybody else have type one?
Oliver (4:41) No.
Scott Benner (4:42) No. (4:43) Okay. (4:44) Do you remember there's no way you remember anything about being diagnosed, right? (4:49) You were two, you said?
Oliver (4:50) Yeah.
Scott Benner (4:50) Do you know how old my daughter was when she was diagnosed? (4:53) I'm gonna make you guess. (4:56) Four. (4:56) She was two. (4:57) Alright.
Scott Benner (4:57) So you play soccer. (4:59) You enjoy soccer. (5:00) You're in the band. (5:00) You play saxophone. (5:02) Has diabetes gotten in the way of playing saxophone at all?
Oliver (5:06) No. (5:07) Not really.
Scott Benner (5:08) That's awesome. (5:08) Do you feel like when you're around other people, because you've had diabetes your whole life, you don't remember not having it, imagine, right? (5:16) Do you share with other people around you about it?
Oliver (5:18) Yeah.
Scott Benner (5:19) Yeah? (5:19) Friends or anybody?
Oliver (5:21) Normally just friends.
Scott Benner (5:22) Friends. (5:23) Do they have a pretty good, understanding of it?
Oliver (5:26) Sometimes. (5:27) Depends on the people.
Scott Benner (5:28) Yeah. (5:29) Do you have friends that you trust to help you if you're, like, low? (5:33) Would they know what to do? (5:36) Maybe. (5:36) Maybe?
Scott Benner (5:37) Yeah. (5:37) It's do you go on sleepovers?
Oliver (5:40) Not yet.
Scott Benner (5:41) No. (5:41) Is it because of the diabetes you haven't?
Oliver (5:43) Mostly. (5:43) Yeah.
Scott Benner (5:44) Yeah. (5:45) It's what do think that noise was? (5:47) That's crazy. (5:48) It's like a spaceship. (5:50) Did you hear it?
Scott Benner (5:51) It wasn't just me. (5:51) Right? (5:52) Okay. (5:53) Do you wanna go do stuff like that or and it's stopping you or do you not really care?
Oliver (5:58) It's not really stop me. (5:59) It's just I don't really do those go, like, sleepovers.
Scott Benner (6:03) Not a thing you would do, really.
Oliver (6:04) Yeah.
Scott Benner (6:05) Okay. (6:05) Alright. (6:05) I gotcha. (6:06) Okay. (6:09) I'm gonna ask you a different question.
Scott Benner (6:10) I'm gonna pivot. (6:11) The noise got me. (6:12) Took me off my game. (6:14) You know what I mean? (6:15) You ever had that happen?
Scott Benner (6:16) You have a thought that gets knocked out of your head? (6:19) So since you don't remember your diagnosis, can you tell me what it's like to grow up with diabetes?
Oliver (6:25) I mean, it's just like any other, growing up, but it's a little more work.
Scott Benner (6:33) Feels a little it's completely normal to you with a little more work. (6:36) That's not bad. (6:37) What kind of work? (6:38) What do you what do you think the extra things are that you do?
Oliver (6:41) Trying to keep blood sugar in range and not trying to go low or high.
Scott Benner (6:45) Yeah. (6:46) How do you how do you manage that? (6:48) Like, what is it what are some of the things you do to stop those things from happening?
Oliver (6:51) Give insulin or eat something if I'm going low or give insulin if I'm if I'm high.
Scott Benner (6:58) Is it hard to, like, you're doing something, like, I don't know, playing a video game or hanging out with your friends or something and you need to, like, bolus for something or does it is it hard to stop what you're doing?
Oliver (7:11) Not really.
Scott Benner (7:12) It's not a big deal. (7:13) But you just pick up your phone and there it is. (7:16) Right? (7:16) Yeah. (7:17) How do you control the Mobi?
Oliver (7:19) It's just an app on my phone that
Scott Benner (7:22) Okay.
Oliver (7:23) I press bolus and then I put in the carbs or gives the insulin.
Scott Benner (7:29) Is it hard? (7:31) No. (7:32) Something you're and and do you think, are you confident when you're using it? (7:35) Like, you're like, you know you're doing the right thing? (7:37) Yeah.
Scott Benner (7:38) Does your mom or parents or anybody help you with your diabetes or you No. (7:42) Yeah. (7:43) What do they help you with most?
Oliver (7:46) Getting the insulin, like, when I'm not paying attention to my numbers
Scott Benner (7:50) Yeah.
Oliver (7:50) Or when I I don't wake up when my phone beeps, so I have to wake up and get insulin.
Scott Benner (7:57) What's your favorite low snack?
Oliver (8:01) Gummies or juice.
Scott Benner (8:02) Yeah. (8:03) Gummy like gummy bears or Or Like
Oliver (8:05) fruit snacks.
Scott Benner (8:06) Fruit snacks. (8:06) Yeah. (8:06) They work pretty quickly. (8:08) Yeah. (8:08) What kind of do you have a certain kind of do do you have a certain kind of juice that you like?
Scott Benner (8:13) Doesn't matter. (8:14) Do you prefer the juice to be cold or room temperature?
Oliver (8:19) Cold.
Scott Benner (8:19) Cold. (8:20) My daughter will only do it if it's room temperature. (8:23) She doesn't want cold juice when she's low, but you like it cold. (8:27) Alright. (8:27) So you keep yours in the fridge?
Scott Benner (8:29) Yeah. (8:29) Ours are stashed all over our house. (8:31) Do you have juice boxes everywhere?
Oliver (8:34) We do the, bottles. (8:37) So Oh,
Scott Benner (8:37) little bottles? (8:38) I'm gonna embarrass my daughter now. (8:40) My daughter's 21. (8:41) She still does the Bert and Ernie juice boxes. (8:44) You know, the ones I'm talking about?
Scott Benner (8:45) Yeah. (8:45) So those are her favorite ones, and they're, like, a really good size. (8:48) So, like, it's just enough to kinda stop her low. (8:51) Is there anything about diabetes that you find difficult?
Oliver (8:55) Not really.
Scott Benner (8:56) No. (8:56) If you did, what would you do? (8:58) Like, if you hit something that was hard for you, what do you think you would do?
Oliver (9:02) Try to find a way around it.
Scott Benner (9:04) Yeah. (9:04) Do you think you'd share with your parents that you were having trouble? (9:07) Yeah. (9:07) And they're helpful. (9:09) That's awesome.
Scott Benner (9:10) Brothers or sisters, anybody else have type one? (9:13) No? (9:13) Do you have advice for other kids?
Oliver (9:16) Mhmm. (9:17) Mhmm.
Scott Benner (9:17) Like, another kid that had type one. (9:19) Pretend for a second that I am do you think, forty years younger than I am right now? (9:25) What would make me your age? (9:27) 30? (9:28) Why won't you guess my age?
Scott Benner (9:30) Seriously, Oliver, tell me, why won't you guess? (9:33) You don't know. (9:34) Alright. (9:34) It's fine. (9:36) I'm 54.
Scott Benner (9:37) Okay. (9:38) So let's say 40 year younger me rolls up in here, I have type one. (9:42) I say, what's your best use of advice? (9:43) What would you tell me?
Oliver (9:46) Try to keep the numbers in range.
Scott Benner (9:48) Yeah. (9:48) Do you find yourself thinking about it all the time?
Oliver (9:52) Sometimes.
Scott Benner (9:52) Yeah. (9:53) Does it bother you? (9:53) Like, does it make you upset that you have to think about it?
Oliver (9:57) No. (9:57) Not really.
Scott Benner (9:57) No? (9:58) Okay. (9:59) Would you describe growing up with diabetes as something that's taught you something? (10:05) Like, do you have any, like, weird lessons, like, something you know about life now? (10:10) No.
Scott Benner (10:10) Do you think you're a tough person? (10:13) Yeah. (10:13) Do you think it's helped you be tough? (10:16) Yeah. (10:16) I bet you it has, man.
Scott Benner (10:17) Walking around here so far, you've only been here a couple days so far, but you're seeing kids and adults everywhere with CGMs, pumps, right, pumps like yours, different kinds of stuff. (10:27) Does that make you any feel any kind of way? (10:29) Is it is it uplifting or just feels normal to you?
Oliver (10:32) Normal. (10:33) A lot of kids in my school, there's like seven or eight kids that have diabetes at my school, so
Scott Benner (10:39) You all know each other?
Oliver (10:41) I know a few of them.
Scott Benner (10:42) Yeah. (10:43) That's interesting. (10:44) So it's something you're accustomed to. (10:46) Yeah. (10:46) It seems to me like you don't have, I don't know how to put this.
Scott Benner (10:51) You're not bothered by having diabetes. (10:54) No. (10:55) That's pretty awesome. (10:56) Do you know why? (10:57) Is that like your personality?
Oliver (10:59) I mean, I've grown up with it, so Yeah. (11:01) I mean, it's just a part of me now.
Scott Benner (11:03) Yeah. (11:03) It just feels completely just like every other day and every other thing. (11:07) Right? (11:07) That's awesome. (11:08) Do you talk to anybody about it?
Scott Benner (11:09) Like, is it ever hard? (11:11) Do you ever go to your mom and say, like, this is difficult and do you guys chat about it?
Oliver (11:15) Not really.
Scott Benner (11:16) No? (11:16) Do you never feel that way? (11:18) Does she ever look like it's hard for her? (11:21) Yeah. (11:23) As long as the food's in the house.
Scott Benner (11:24) Right? (11:24) And they keep the heat on and everything. (11:26) Yeah. (11:26) Are you having fun? (11:28) You are.
Scott Benner (11:29) That's good. (11:29) I can't tell if you're having fun. (11:31) I mean, you're smiling a lot, so that that tells me fun. (11:34) But are you are you nervous?
Oliver (11:36) Little bit.
Scott Benner (11:37) Little bit still? (11:38) That's okay. (11:38) I don't want you to be nervous. (11:40) Ask me a question. (11:42) I'll answer anything you ask me right now.
Oliver (11:46) I don't know.
Scott Benner (11:47) You don't wanna know if I have a pet maybe or something like that or no? (11:51) Okay. (11:51) You do you have any idea who I am? (11:54) Perfect. (11:55) I'm nobody.
Scott Benner (11:56) Okay? (11:56) I am just the guy sitting here talking to you about your diabetes. (12:00) This is the way it needs to be. (12:01) Alright. (12:02) Tell me one thing you want people to know about type one.
Oliver (12:07) I mean, it's just like any other being a kitten.
Scott Benner (12:11) Yeah. (12:11) There's nothing nothing different or bad for you. (12:14) That's really awesome, man. (12:15) I love that you have such a great attitude, seriously. (12:17) It's awesome.
Scott Benner (12:18) I think we're done now. (12:19) I can't believe you didn't wanna ask me about my pets, though. (12:21) I'm not gonna show you a picture now, just so you know, because you weren't interested. (12:26) You would love it. (12:27) You would have loved my pet.
Scott Benner (12:29) You'll never know what it is. (12:31) Alright. (12:32) I hope you have a great time here today. (12:33) Thank you so much for doing this with me. (12:34) Thank you, man.
Scott Benner (12:35) That was great. (12:37) The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. (12:41) Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi with Control IQ plus technology at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. (12:51) There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com. (12:55) If you'd like to hear about diabetes management in easy to take in bits, check out the small sips.
Scott Benner (13:01) That's the series on the juice box podcast that listeners are talking about like it's a cheat code. (13:07) These are perfect little bursts of clarity, one person said. (13:10) I finally understood things I've heard a 100 times. (13:13) Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I needed. (13:16) People say small sips feels like someone pulling up a chair, sliding a cup across the table, and giving you one clean idea at a time.
Scott Benner (13:24) Nothing overwhelming. (13:25) No fire hose of information. (13:27) Just steady helpful nudges that actually stick. (13:30) People listen in their car, on walks, or rather actually bolusing anytime that they need a quick shot of perspective. (13:37) And the reviews, they all say the same thing.
Scott Benner (13:40) Small sips makes diabetes make sense. (13:43) Search for the Juice Box podcast, small sips, wherever you get audio.
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