#1788 Born to Run - Part 1
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Endurance runner, pharmacist, and foster dad Zach shares his adult LADA diagnosis, mastering insulin, exercise, and mindset—learning confidence, vigilance, and control just nine months into type 1.
Key Takeaways
- Fostering and Love: Zach describes the unique bond with his foster child as an unconditional, "agape" type of love, driven by a deep desire to give to a child in need, recognizing that reunification with the biological family is often the primary goal of the foster system.
- The Morning Struggle: Scott shares his feelings of "resentment" towards diabetes, discussing the early mornings spent standing quietly in his house, unable to fully engage in tasks or leave for fear of an unexpected low blood sugar.
- Empathy Through Listening: The podcast has fostered profound empathy; Scott emphasizes how hearing the experiences of those living with diabetes, such as the anxiety surrounding pre-bolusing, has deeply informed his perspective and the content he creates.
- The Complexity of Weight Management: The discussion touches on the multifaceted nature of obesity and metabolic issues, acknowledging that environmental, cultural, and behavioral factors play significant roles alongside personal responsibility, with GLP medications offering a potential avenue for addressing these systemic challenges.
- Choosing the Right Pump: Zach emphasizes the importance of patients independently researching insulin pumps to find the system that best fits their lifestyle, which ultimately leads to better buy-in and satisfaction.
Resources Mentioned
- • Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
- • Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
- • Tandem Mobi: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
- • Touched by Type One: touchedbytype1.org
- • Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
Introduction
Scott BennerWelcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.
ZachMy name is Zach. I'm 36 years old. Professionally, I'm a pharmacist, educator, and researcher at a university. And personally, I'm a husband, a dad, an endurance runner, and a foster parent. And as of about nine months ago, I joined the type one club after being diagnosed with LADA.
Scott BennerHow would you like to share a type one diabetes getaway like no other? Join me on Juice Cruise twenty twenty six. You may be asking, what is Juice Cruise? It's a week long cruise designed specifically for people and families living with type one diabetes. It's not just a vacation. It's a chance to relax, connect, and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere. We're gonna sail out of Miami, and the cruise includes stops in CocoCay, San Juan, Saint Kitts, Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility, and exceptional amenities. You're gonna enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type one diabetes. I'm gonna host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea. There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining, and modern amenities all throughout the celebrity beyond. Your kids can be supervised, and there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge. Not just the the kids going on vacation, but maybe you get the kickback a little bit too. There's gonna be zero judgment, real connections, and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise 2026. Please come with me. You're going to have a terrific time. You can learn more or set up your deposit at juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. Get ahold of Suzanne at cruise planners. She will take care of everything. Link's in the show notes. Link's at juiceboxpodcast.com. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the juice box podcast private Facebook group. Juice box podcast, type one diabetes. But everybody is welcome. Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. Today's episode is also sponsored by Dexcom, the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears. You can learn more and get started today at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox.
ZachMy name is Zach. I'm 36 years old. Professionally, I'm a pharmacist, educator, and researcher at a university. And personally, I'm a husband, a dad, an endurance runner, and a foster parent. And as of about nine months ago, I joined the type one club after being diagnosed with LADA.
Scott BennerI'm gonna pat myself on the back to start off, Zach. Long time listeners are not a surprise to people who just started listening or wondering what's wrong with me, but that's okay. I looked at my calendar last night before I went to bed because I had to set my alarm. And I said to myself, I'm recording at 9AM tomorrow. 9AM? Nobody picks 9AM. Right? And then I thought swear to god, my next thought was, what's this gonna be? Some super healthy person or something?
ZachOh my gosh. Oh, man.
Scott BennerAnd then you pop up like, I'm an endurance runner. And, by the way, you're a go getter. Like, how many kids do you have?
ZachI have two biological kids, and we have a foster child.
Scott BennerThat's my point. And if that wasn't enough, you were like, hey. I'll take another one. Send it over. No problem. I was like, of course, you're up at 9AM working. You're a go get you are you are. Right, Zach?
ZachI am an early riser. I try to get up before everyone, because that's the only way I can get some stuff done by myself, and I get into the office early. It's true.
Scott BennerYeah. I just I'll tell you right now. I knew all that by the fact that we were recording at 9AM.
ZachHey. Had you had 7AM, I probably would have taken it.
Scott BennerWell, that's why it's not there. Okay. Even as I get older, surprised at how my family's vibe for not going to bed early has not changed. Like, I'm 12:30, 01:00 is about when I go to bed.
ZachNo. It's not.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's pretty much it. And if I have I have to get up early, just get up early.
ZachYeah. Wow.
Scott BennerLike, I had take my son to the airport yesterday.
ZachUh-huh.
Scott Benner05:00. He's like he's like, what did he say? We gotta leave by 05:30. I was like, we? Like, alright. And he's like, do you want me to have to pay for parking at the airport? I was like, well, no. Not really. So I'm like, oh my okay. So I I set my alarm at five, but then I don't know. I live my life. I do my stuff. Like, I make the podcast during the day, but I also cook in the house, and I'm also the did somebody call me recently? They'll laugh. I'm the grocery bitch. So, you know, if, like, if somebody runs out of something, I'm the one at the store. And then I come home, I work a little more, the the website and, you know, the Facebook stuff and everything. And then I don't have any time for myself, so my time for myself comes at, like, really late at night. Yeah. But I like getting
Zachthat late at night? Do you read? Do you do you veg out on Netflix? What do you do?
Scott BennerRead. Zach, listen. You're lovely. Okay? I read one book about Randall Cunningham about forty years ago and a couple of other books. My reading list is very strange. Like, I've read meditations. I've read I love a little book that's not really a book, called This Is Water. I read that a fair amount. I'm I'm not a reader.
ZachOkay.
Scott BennerI just thought it doesn't I don't it takes so damn long. It's I do walk any part of the day where I'm not speaking to a family member or making this podcast. I am listening to somebody explain something to me in my ears.
ZachOkay. Do you listen to it on normal speed or one what's your preferred speed rate?
Scott BennerNormal speed because I also enjoy it as entertainment.
ZachI love that. Yeah. That's, that's good advice.
Scott BennerI also, oddly enough, don't like books on tape.
ZachOkay. No audiobooks
Scott Bennerfor you. I don't want somebody reading to me.
ZachOkay.
Scott BennerDamn it. I can't read. I don't deserve it. You understand? But but nevertheless, later at night, it depends on what time of the year it
Zachis. Okay.
Scott BennerBecause if it's a certain time of year, then the I will put a baseball game on somewhere.
ZachYeah. But
Scott Bennerthen I'll sit with my laptop and make something for the podcast or the website or something like that too. My life is definitely going by too quickly. Something's wrong. But you're but I still feel like I'm cramming a lot into it. Like, I feel good about it. Like, I how about you? At the end of the day, do you feel like I'm exhausted, but in a good way, but I'm I'm sad to go to sleep? Do you have that feeling ever?
ZachI have had that feeling at moments in my life. In the current season, most of the time when I I hit the pillow at night, I am ready to hit the pillow at night, Scott.
Scott BennerHow old are those kids?
ZachSo eight, seven, and then our foster child is nine months old.
Scott BennerOh my goodness. Yeah. Is that like a helping a friend thing, or were you in the system and somebody called you?
ZachYou know, it it has been a kind of long time just desire for my wife and I. And about a year and a half ago, embarked on the the journey to become foster parents. And we had a couple of, families that we helped out for, like, a weekend and things like that, but, our current foster child is our first long term placement. So it's been a a relatively recent, endeavor.
Scott BennerI'm gonna enjoy this conversation, I think, for a number of reasons, but one, because you started interviewing me right away. I'm gonna I'm gonna figure out why that's your inclination. But first, how old were you now when you were diagnosed?
ZachSure. So, I was diagnosed actually just nine months ago. I was 30 when I first noted something was off, but, nine months ago was my diagnosis.
Scott BennerWow. Maybe that was your payback for fostering a baby.
ZachYeah. You know what's funny? I got diagnosed, then two weeks later, we got our foster child. So it it was a it was a very full 2025 for us.
Scott BennerNo kidding. And you hadn't had a baby in five years at least. Right? So that's
ZachSeven years. Yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Okay. Well, what did you notice first? How did you figure out you had type one?
ZachYeah. So the first thing I noticed was actually just my lab work. I was 30. I was a hundred thirty five pounds running marathons, and my a one c went from five to 5.7. So I think most would look at and think, oh, you know, no big deal. But, technically, it's prediabetic, and I'm I'm in the health field and knew enough to be concerned. And so that was my first kind of cue ever since then. My wife and I have joked that I was on the fast track to diabetes, not knowing that it would actually come to to fruition. But what really kind of clued me in from a symptom standpoint was about a a few months prior to my diagnosis, I noticed myself getting up three, four times a night to use the bathroom, usually before midnight, constantly fatigued, which I attributed just to to children, but in hindsight, it certainly wasn't.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachAnd so kind of the classic symptoms, to be honest with you. I got kind of fed up with it after I did a I did a race locally, and I felt terrible during the the event. My heart rate shot up to over 200, and I just something wasn't right. The following weekend, I told my wife, I said, I'm gonna order a glucometer and test strips and see what my glucose is. And I enjoyed my favorite Thai meal that evening, which is chicken pad c u. And two hours later, checked my glucose, and it was four fifty nine. Jesus. So at that moment, I knew I had diabetes.
Scott BennerNo kidding. Hey. The week between the race and the bind the meter, was that your like like, were you getting your head right? What was that week for?
ZachYeah. It was it was me connecting all the dots and being like, no. Like, I need I'm something's not right. I can remember journaling just around that time that I was gonna stop eating snacks late at night. So I thought, oh, well, maybe that's what's causing my symptoms. And in hindsight, I'm like, that was so foolish. So in some ways, Scott, you're right. It was me kinda getting my head right and and just coming to the conclusion that something's not right. It's not just me, you know, eating too many sweets at night.
Scott BennerYou pull that meter out the first time and and the blood drop comes out. As you're reaching for your for the drop with the meter, you know it's gonna be high?
ZachYeah. I thought it would be around one fifty, one eighty because I just had, you know, this huge timing. And when I saw four fifty nine, I gasped. My kids were watching a movie. They thought I'd hurt myself. They didn't know what was going on.
Scott BennerReally? Audibly. Audibly, they get it shocked you. Yeah. Yeah. Which you go into the hospital, or did you wait to call the doctor the next day?
ZachNo. I didn't. So, actually, I had a couple colleagues who are also pharmacists and specialize in the diabetes space. And I talked with them about it. After I got off the phone with them, I decided I would check my ketones. So I I got some keto strips from Walmart and checked my ketones. They were negative. And so I felt comfortable just waiting it out so I could get to my primary care the next day.
Scott BennerYeah. Your vision was still okay, everything like that?
ZachYou know, Scott, that was one of the things that after my diagnosis, I looked back on was like, oh my goodness. That's why every afternoon after lunch, I could hardly see the screen. My vision was blurry. I was like, I don't know what's going on. I'm getting old here, Scott. And lo and behold, like, it was just I could trace it all back to the hypoglycemia.
Scott BennerOkay. Yeah. Well, no. It's not not, not unexpected. Out on a limb here, you eat pretty well, I imagine.
ZachI mean, I I think it's relative. I will say that my wife makes sure I eat well. She has a a a plant based diet, and so I'm the kind of indirect, beneficiary of her diet. She does most of the cooking in our house, and so whatever she makes, I eat, and it's usually pretty, pretty healthy.
Scott BennerVery amenable. That's nice.
ZachYeah.
Scott BennerYeah. You don't need to I
Zachwill say
Scott BennerDid you fight back at all when it started?
ZachNo. Oh, I did. I did absolutely fight back. Yes.
Scott BennerLike, that's just a carrot. I I I
ZachRight. Yeah. I I was definitely opposed at first, but over time, she's kind of, helping for me with some of the evidence, but also I can I can see the the benefits myself on this side of my diagnosis?
Scott BennerListen. I'm aware of some people who are, like, real, like, legit vegans who are super healthy and Mhmm. You know, save themselves from a a number of different ailments along the way. Yeah. Yeah. Well, okay. So you go to the primary, they set you all up. Now, I guess, the the way your mind works and, you know, I'm assuming you're a dedicated, structured, scheduled person. I mean, you're writing you're journaling. And so and you're you're a runner. So are you a runner because you love running or, you know, Zach, it's time to be honest. Are you out of your mind and you're trying to keep the voices down or what's the running about? You can manage diabetes confidently with the powerfully simple Dexcom g seven, dexcom.com/juicebox. The Dexcom g seven is the CGM that my daughter is wearing. The g seven is a simple CGM system that delivers real time glucose numbers to your smartphone or smartwatch. The g seven is made for all types of diabetes, type one and type two, but also people experiencing gestational diabetes. The Dexcom g seven can help you spend more time in range, is proven to lower a one c. 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 one c 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. Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. We talk a lot about ways to lower your a one c on this podcast. Did you know that the Omnipod five was shown to lower a one c? That's right. Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system, and it was shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they switched from daily injections. My daughter is about to turn 21 years old, and she has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four. It has been a friend to our family, and I think it could be a friend to yours. If you're ready to try Omnipod five for yourself or your family, use my link now to get started. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Get that free Omnipod five starter kit today. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. Are you out of your mind and you're trying to keep the voices down, or what's the running about?
ZachYou know, I started running in high school. And if I'm being honest, when I started running, I realized I was kinda good at it in high school Mhmm. And ended up running in college at a a d one university. And ever since then, I've just kinda continued it as a way to kinda stay sane, have some time to myself, and stay healthy. I view it a little bit differently on this side of the diagnosis, but, for the longest time, it was just I I think it's good to do hard things. And for me, running was one of those hard things that helped me grow kind of mentally and gave me a space to, do something therapeutic for
Scott Bennermyself. That's awesome. Yeah. You you ran in college?
ZachI did. Yeah.
Scott BennerSo a friend of my son's was, like, a prototype. He looked like I don't know how to put this. He they look like they build him in a Russian lab for an eighties movie. Do know what I mean? And Yeah. Long but strong, gliding, you know, just so fast. He went off to college, you know, got picked up by a big school. He couldn't even make the team. And it was, like, tenths of seconds. It was it was it was insane. Like, you know, I still see him now. It's gotta be seven years since they left for college in their back end. He still as he runs through the town, I think he's just there to make people feel bad about themselves. You know? Seriously. I'm like, is he gonna go fight Rocky after this? It's it's really something. But you what kind of running did you do? Were you a sprinter? Did you distance?
ZachYeah. I was long distance runner. I don't know how familiar you are with, the steeplechase, but it's a a long distance hurdling event. People know it by, you know, you kinda YouTube steeplechase falls, and you'll see some pretty epic falls that, most people remember the race by.
Scott BennerZach, why did I think of a fake rabbit being chased by dogs when you said that?
ZachYou know, I'm really not sure, Scotch.
Scott BennerOkay. My brain put the wrong words together with pictures. I was like, that's not right. Okay. So we understand how you eat. We understand how you, like, kinda how you run your life and everything. Was diabetes, like, one of those things? Like, are you gonna be the story where you're like, I met the challenge, Scott. I figured it all out, and everything's fine, or did you struggle with it? Or how how's the last nine months gone?
ZachI would say the the last nine months have they've certainly been formative, Scott. I have embraced it. I you know, some people, I think, have a really hard time embracing the life change that comes with it. I think because I'm in the health care and because and I had some some prior knowledge about diabetes and diabetes management, I I kind of knew a lot of what to do. I just lacked the confidence of doing it. I have to give a little bit of credit to you in the Juice Box podcast because some of that confidence building came from hearing experiences, from you and and some of the people you have on the show. So a lot of it over the last nine months has just been confidence building, and, you know, so much of diabetes is trial and error, figuring out what works, how much insulin to do for what meals and when, those sorts of things.
Scott BennerK.
ZachAnd then relearning exercise. That's probably been the the single biggest change for me is relearning how I exercise and how I can do it safely. But, honestly, you know, when I look back on it, I feel like I'm in a pretty good spot now. My a one c is 5.4%, most recently, and I feel like I'm I'm kind of getting into the the groove of things.
Scott BennerOkay. Well, I wanna hear about the confidence in the exercise, but first, I'm gonna share this with you. I just went to click on your intake form so that I could just see what you wrote, you know, when you were signing up to be on. But I clicked on yesterday by mistake, and I didn't realize I clicked on yesterday by mistake. When I started reading, I wanna talk about the stress of coming out as a gay woman. And I thought, how is this gonna be Zach's story? This is insane. And for a half a second, I was super excited. I was like, oh my god. This thing's gonna take such a turn. It's soon And I was like
ZachI'm sorry, Scott.
Scott BennerDon't be sorry, Zach. And then I was like, no. Wait. That was yesterday.
ZachYou know, Scott, the number of listeners are gonna be way less with my story as
Scott BennerWell, I mean, listen. Imagine if you could tell a story about how you came out as a gay woman. That would really have, like, lit this on fire. But instead, let's talk about how you built your confidence up and then how you use that to I mean, relearn relearning exercise is a big thing. And if you think you figured it out in nine months, I wanna hear that story, like, front to back.
ZachOkay. Alright. Well, I'd say, biggest confidence builders for me were so bump and nudge, listen to some of your all's comments around kind of small movements, getting the, getting things moving in the right direction as opposed to larger just focusing on, you know, single boluses. So the bump and nudge concept really stuck with me. Prebolising. So, you know, as a health care provider, I know how to counsel my patients to prebolise, but as someone with diabetes taking insulin, it scared me. And so hearing, just stories about prebolising and the impact, that that has had and how to do it successfully was really, real important for building my my confidence. K. And then just hearing stories about people that were able to just attain really good glucose control and doing it safely. You know, we hear about the a one c goals of six and a half percent or 7%, and that's great. But it was also really good to hear stories of people achieving, an a one c of less than 6% and and being able to do so, responsibly and safely.
Scott BennerOkay. Yeah. So confidence comes from hearing other people accomplishing a thing that at the time is frightening to you because it seems very unknown?
ZachYeah. Absolutely. That's a really good way of putting it.
Scott BennerIt's funny. I'm listening to you and thinking about having made that that thing. Like, I don't know the first time listen. I if people listen for any length of time, this is not surprising to But, like, I didn't sit down and think, I have to come up with a phrase that allows people to understand that, like, small amounts of insulin make small movements. I just said I don't know. I just bump it around. Sometimes I nudge it. Like, you know what mean? Like, and it just I I really wish there was more to it than that. And but I have seen it help people exactly the way you've described. And I realized as you were talking about, I'm like, oh, it's like the rule of small numbers is what I'm talking about. But I had no idea that that's what I was talking about when it occurred to me originally, if that makes sense. Yeah. But I really do sometimes think that the benefit of me not having a classic education or a classic or or or an an an educated ability to reach for other words. I think that just proved that out just now in the last sentence because I was looking for vocabulary and it came out as 17 other words.
ZachYeah.
Scott BennerI think that because I didn't I don't have that, but I was having the experiences. Like, I had to force myself to explain them to myself. And then when I said them out loud to people, I had to explain them that way. And I think that's what dumbs them down. Like and I and that's not the right phrasing, but I think that's what makes it accessible for people.
ZachScott, it's so true. Yeah. One of the things that we as as health care providers, are kinda fall victim of is this notion of, I mean, an expert blind spot, meaning that as you learn something and as you kind of live that experience and you gain a knowledge in it, it becomes a kind of automated thought process for you. And you forget those intermediate steps that are needed to arrive at a similar conclusion. And what you're describing, Scott, is you don't have that background knowledge, so you're describing it step by step and in simple terms. And in so many ways, that is actually more effective in terms of of educating others. So thanks for what you do, and what you said is spot on.
Scott BennerNo. I appreciate it. I'm I'm basically, I'm captain exposition for diabetes. Like, don't know if people know that. I said that to I said that in in my in front of my family the other day. I was like, no one knows that phrase? And I'm like, it's the person on your television show who has no value in the story except to come on the screen and tell you all who are watching what's about to happen or why things are happening. They lay out the exposition because they don't have time to act it out. So Yeah. So I'm explaining that and I could watch Arden go, oh my god. I'm like, yeah. That's where that, like, not too handsome, but not ugly character who's pleasant enough comes on screen, looks in the camera, and goes, do you mean that happened because the car was red and they stole the money from the bank? And you go, that is why it happened. And, like, like, they're not actors. They're they're the guy off stage, you know, given the the screen direction. And so that you can hear it is that they I think that might be what I'm doing.
ZachThat's a great analogy.
Scott BennerIt just occurred to me just now. Was like, oh my god. Is that what I'm doing? I'll tell you what makes me pleased is that a person like yourself I mean, did you say you're a pharmacist?
ZachI am. Yeah.
Scott BennerA fair amount of education there and and a lot of science and that and that your brain and my brain probably, you know, don't work exactly alike. That you heard the thing I said and that it was valuable for you, that makes me happy because it's been my intention all along to not leave anyone behind across the spectrum with what I'm saying. I feel like I may I I feel pretty comfortable that I've accomplished that. It's a nice feeling.
ZachAwesome.
Scott BennerYou understand how to time your insulin. You understand about using the right amount and not just, like, blindly put in this much because the thing says so or whatever, you know, not to let things drift away. You can bounce them back, get them back again. But then you go out to run, I'm imagining, what do you low immediately?
ZachYeah. I remember shortly after my diagnosis, I had just started, basal insulin with meals, and I had a really small bowl of spaghetti, like, maybe 60 grams of carbs. And, normally, I would have way more. You can imagine as a runner, I I consume quite a matter of of carbs and calories. And so I was trying to figure things out, but I went with a small bowl of spaghetti. I bolus for it, and I ended up over 400, which I could not believe, and I was furious about it, Scott.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachAnd in my kind of anger in the moment, I told my wife, I'm like, I gotta go run off some glucose. And I went for a run expecting my glucose to drop from maybe 400 to 300. And, Scott, within twenty minutes of starting my run, I went from 400 to under 200. And by the time I finished my forty minute run, was I sitting at one forty. And that was kind of an moment for me. I realized that not it's not an additive effect of insulin and exercise. It's really a synergistic effect, almost like a multiplicative effect when you combine the two. So I realized it was a powerful tool, but I also, in that moment, realized, like, holy cow. This could get dangerous really quick if you're not careful.
Scott BennerYeah. And you can manipulate it. Like, you know, like, I'm assuming now you run with no active insulin?
ZachThat's exactly right. Yeah. I run only fasted in the morning.
Scott BennerYeah. Right. So you you saw what was happening, and you thought, like, okay. I see how this touches this and that touches that. What do I take out of this equation so that the other thing doesn't move? It was that simple. Right? Exactly. Yeah.
ZachYep. Yeah. I mean
Scott BennerTough to wrap your head around sometimes. But
ZachIt is. And there's so many moving kind of variables within the equation. You know, I do endurance running or aerobic longer, durations of running, but others might walk and do shorter durations or do high intensity training, and each of those influences it so much differently. And so while I feel like I have gotten it down for what I do, if you were to take me and put it in a a different scenario where I was doing, let's say, a high intensity interval workout Mhmm. Well, that would change the the dynamic of things pretty quickly.
Scott BennerYeah. Plenty of people bolus to lift.
ZachYeah.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. You start building muscle, and and people are needing insulin during that time.
ZachMhmm.
Scott BennerAnd yeah. And if that listen. And when you leave the hospital and the entirety of your direction is like, count these carbs to put in this insulin and eat, and you're gonna get high anyway because nobody told you you're pre bolus. Everything's already off kilter. You don't understand what it's very difficult to cause and affect things if you take out the all the inputs that the doctor gave you as things that are possible to be changed. Like, because I think that is what goes wrong is that, like, people get direction and they're like, okay. Well, those are the constants. That's the concrete right there. And they never quite think about, like, what if I change something about what was said to me? And Yeah. And then you're on you're only fighting you're only on the reactive side at that point then. Yep. The the insulin, the food, whatever, is doing what it's doing to you. And instead of trying to control that, stop that from happening, or manipulate how it happens so that it happens in the way that you'd like it to, you're just busy playing defense trying to keep everything from catching fire.
ZachYep. That's a great way of putting
Scott Bennerit. Yeah. I'm just saying, like, instead of running around the house with a garden hose, like, what if we just didn't light the house on fire?
ZachYeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Scott BennerLike, once it occurred to me, it just made so much sense all at once. Yeah. You know? But until it did, I was lost, like, really lost. Yeah.
ZachWell, Scott, let me ask you this. What you know, thinking about your experiences with Ardith, one of the things that I struggle with is, like, spontaneous exercise. Like, Thanksgiving, flag football game, we're gonna go out. I know I have a bunch of insulin on board for my Thanksgiving meal, and I know with almost a 100% certainty that I'm gonna drop low at some point. And I just kinda have to live with that and stop when I need to stop. Or if I wanna go out and shoot basketball with my son and I've eaten, I know I'm gonna have to, you know, probably stop after ten to fifteen minutes.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachHow did you handle that? How did Artis handle that? And the kind of spontaneous exercise piece. That's probably the biggest thing I'm still figuring out.
Scott BennerNo problem. First of let me tell you so it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable later, but Arden with an n.
ZachOh, I'm sorry.
Scott BennerArden. No. Don't apologize. And, it's a weird name. We've yanked it out of a book. Well, listen. I think part of that answer is not is is not gonna feel good, but I do think that's to some degree, that's a little bit of the game. Like, you know, like you know what I mean? Like, it's I don't know. It's like saying, like, I I don't like that girls are throwing themselves at me, but I'm a professional baseball player. Like, this is what happens. Like, I, you know, I I just you can't avoid that part. And so you're sitting around Thanksgiving dinner. You got a bunch of insulin going and everyone yells, we're running outside. Yeah. You maybe you're gonna get low. And Yeah. You know, can you can you get ahead of it? What a weird thing to say because, like, there's no way you wanna add food at that moment.
ZachRight.
Scott BennerRight? So you're just like, well, I hope for the best. And then I think it's more about vigilance, honestly. And I don't know that people wanna hear that, but, like, I think that you thought problems again by just never letting them occur as best as possible. So, you know, you don't run outside to play flag football going, I'm gonna throw this up to God, and hopefully, it's gonna be fine. But, you know, later when I get low, I'm gonna be pissed because I have diabetes. Like, just pay attention. You know? Like, look once in a while. Am I dropping quickly? Well, you know, alright. Great. It's 87. I'm looking at the graph. The graph's you know, looks like it's running downhill. Let me drink or eat something now to stop the load. Don't just sit there and wait to be low so that you I don't know why. Like, I I don't understand people's minds well enough because I watch it happen with my kid. I watch it happen with other people. I they know they're gonna get low and they just sit there like, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen. It's like, I can't believe it happened. You know, like, it's I don't know. It's like driving at a wall, not putting your foot on the brake, and then being pissed at the wall when you run into it. So it's a really weird thing. Now having said that, a lot of these algorithms are gonna go a long way to trying to stop that. So I as soon as you asked that question, made me think, are you on an automated system? I don't think you are.
ZachI am, actually. I started about, three weeks after my diagnosis. I started on one. Actually, I do pump trainings now.
Scott BennerOh.
ZachAnd so I am on one, and it does help. But if I have I if I have active insulin from a bolus, that's where I always run into trouble.
Scott BennerYeah. Well, no. For sure, you're going to. I don't see a ton of way around it, to be perfectly honest. Yeah.
ZachI love your word though, vigilance. And I I think that is that's a great, a great way to think about it.
Scott BennerAnd listen. I we we could, you know, start talking about the psychological side. If it's unfair, it sucks, I could see where you would burn out from it. Like, there's a lot about that answer that's not that doesn't take the entire picture into account. You you know? But in that moment running around outside, I don't I mean, that's it. Manly, you have diabetes. You've got active man made insulin and you've just randomly decided to go outside and start running around. You're gonna have to pay attention if you want this not to be a problem later. And I think that's where you probably see the parents. It's probably where you see the parents and the adults when they're together in a community. Like, that's a that's an interesting spot because an adult is gonna very rightfully so say, I don't wanna have to pay attention to that. I've had this thing for twenty years. I just wanna go outside and throw that football. This isn't fair. It's not right. People around me don't understand. It can be embarrassing. I don't want people seeing me looking at my phone. I I listen. I've I'm almost up to 2,000 episodes. I know what you guys are thinking. Like, as best as I can, I agree with it all? And then sometimes they see a parent and they're like, oh, look. You just it they're helicoptering, which is thankfully a term that doesn't get used much more because it was irritating. But, you know, like, they're paying too close of attention. Like, those kids are never gonna have a life. They're never gonna have fun. You're ruining it. Like, that and that parent's thinking, I'm just trying to stop the kid from getting dizzy while they're throwing the football around.
ZachYeah.
Scott BennerIt's interesting to see that sometimes the two sides understand each other, but but often until they have some conversation and spend some time together, they don't right away. I'm trying to tell everybody there's a ton that you can both learn from each other. Like, as a as an adult, like, you do have to be vigilant about not just your diabetes and that blood sugar and that number, but about your mental health and the longevity of the time you're gonna spend doing this. A parent could learn from that and they should that, you know I think the problem is it gets said wrong. Like, go, oh, like, you know, what will doctors tell you? Like, you're gonna make yourself crazy, chase imperfection. That's not really what's happening. I'm trying to stop my kid from having a low blood sugar. I'm trying to stop my kid's blood sugar from bouncing around so that they can have a reasonable, experience as a human being. I'm not trying to be perfect. I'm in the game I'm in, and I'm doing my best to play. By the way, you guys didn't even tell me where the pieces and the cards go. I'm trying to figure out monopoly without instructions right now. And you're telling me, oh gosh, you're putting so much effort into it. You're making you're trying to be perfect. And then on the flip side, an adult who's been through a lifetime of this horse shit and who knows that, you know you know what? Honestly, my a one c went from five five to six two and I'm still okay. Or you know what? One year it was six two and the next year it was six seven, then I got it back down to six three and like, you know what? I'm alright. They have that context. And I would like it if parents knew that part, but the problem can be for some people like, for some knowing that's gonna be a relief. Right? And it's gonna be a lessening and but some people are gonna take it as I don't know. They're gonna take it as a pass to stop thinking about it. And then they're gonna their kids' situation is gonna tumble away. And that happens to pick sometimes to adults too where they say, look, I can't be in my face constantly, Scott. I just wanna go run around and throw that football. But once you give it away a little, for some people, it runs off a cliff. And then the next thing they know, wake up and their a one c is nine and a half and it's ten and they go, it's fine. And then, you know, ten years later, they go, why do my feet tingle? If you're me in the middle, what's the right way to talk about it so that you don't so that as few people as possible have terrible medical outcomes or terrible psychological outcomes? And I think that should be the goal of doctors too. I I'm gonna jump out a window. Like like, I you know, like like, I you know, I don't know how it's gonna go for you. You know what I mean?
ZachWell, I I think, you know, at the heart of of some of what you're talking about is acceptance, like accepting that, okay. This is part of life. And I feel like I'm there. I've accepted that. And I I know others, you know, that can be more of a journey, in some ways. But I I've accepted it and am okay with it. But I'm still kind of figuring tips, tricks, techniques to kind of manage the the the moments where I get low or or can't exercise in the way I want to. But as you said, that's just that's part of living with it.
Scott BennerYeah. I'm sorry to come back to it, but, like, this is it.
ZachYeah. Yeah.
Scott BennerThe rest of it's going to be your wiring at how you respond and what level of this you're willing to deal with. Yeah.
ZachYep.
Scott BennerAnd it take took me a long time to hear enough stories to realize that some people don't wanna hear that. You know? They wanna know, just tell me where to put this number so my kid's okay. And that's not always the your kid might be Zach and your kid might be somebody else, and you're not gonna know. All those little babies are not gonna be what we used to say president of The United States. That's not really a great way to go anymore. But, like, but, like, you know, all those and and so I've pivoted to saying, like, some of those little beautiful babies you're holding, they they grow up to be addicted to meth. Mhmm. And you don't know who's who or what path people are gonna get put into. And, you know, it's not gonna be just as easy as like I put that number in a spot and it's definitely gonna be okay. There's still a lot more to to think about and be aware of and, you know, some people have the bandwidth for it and some people don't. Some people just don't have the motivation for it. Like, it and Yeah. I don't judge anybody. Like, it's just it's who you are, you know? And you got this unfair thing. So I don't know, man. It's a bummer. Why'd you why did you why did you get a foster kid? Is this a religious thing? What's going on?
ZachIt's a religious thing. So, certainly, my my wife and I, you know, we do have faith and and are spiritual. But, honestly, a lot of it has to do with just in when I was growing up, particularly in high school, I had some really influential people in my life that took me in, during some hard times, and those are coaches, mentors, people in our church
Scott BennerNice.
ZachAnd in our community. And I just I saw the impact of really taking someone in under your under your wing, or in your house and and helping them. And so for whatever reason, you know, my wife and I have been married for fifteen years. And ever since we got married, we we've said that we wanted to adopt our foster. And so, yeah, it's just been a long standing desire.
Scott BennerI think it's lovely. Also, I'm gonna tell you, I think most people have that conversation. Very few people follow through. Mhmm. So what gets you past like, it gets easy to talk about. You know what we're gonna do? You know what would be great? What gets you to actually like, how do you I don't know. I'm trying to figure out how you get from the part that everybody talks about to the part that very few people do. Like, what's the process to follow through?
ZachYeah. That's that's a really insightful question, Scott. I think, you know, for us, we had we were leaning towards adoption, but we felt just financially that it was a bit prohibitive. And then when we looked at the foster system and just saw how broken it was and how much need there was for foster parents
Scott BennerMhmm.
ZachWe just we felt like that was a place we can make a good, meaningful impact.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachI I think the deciding factor for us was our our biological kids had reached an age where they were more self sufficient. Right? So, I mean, they're they're still they still need a lot of care, but it's not like they're newborns. And and so we reached a place where we knew we weren't gonna have any more biological children, and we felt like, we were ready to take the next step in foster care. And, honestly, it's something that really aligns with our values, Scott.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachAnd so when we make these kind of big life decisions, so much of it, I think, should hinge on how much does it align with our values. Sure. We could do a lot of other things with our time, and with our energy. But in this phase of life, we're okay with, more than okay with giving that to a foster child because it's something that we really value. And so yeah.
Scott BennerMy parents fostered a boy before they adopted me. Really? And by the way, I don't think I've ever said that before. What's up, Russell, if you're out there? But and I didn't really know him, obviously, because he was a little older, and he wasn't around for, you know, forever. But, yeah, my my mom couldn't get pregnant. That's what they told her. And so I think they were, you know, trying to adopt. That wasn't going well. They fostered Russell for a while, and then I think I came along. And then suddenly, whatever happened to you know, my mom suddenly could have kids. And now, you know, I spent the last I I spent last night ninety minutes talking to my brother on the phone. Was awesome.
ZachBut Nice.
Scott BennerBut I I've always even looked back on that as, like, this is a real kindness. Like, that's a formed like, you have a babe that you know, your foster is a baby. But you bring an older person, that's somebody who's already been you know, they've been forged by somebody already and and you bring them into your life and and do your best to to it's a it's just a it's a really kind thing to do. Like, I don't know why you didn't just get a chameleon, but, like, I mean, this
ZachWell, Scott, I mean, you know, I appreciate you saying that, but, you know, my wife and I were pretty clear up front with what our kind of boundaries are and what we were and weren't comfortable with. And, you know, you gave a really good example. Like, there's such a need for people to take in foster children that are older. Mhmm. But that was not something that my wife and I were willing to do mostly because we have, you know, a seven and eight year old. And so we have to be mindful of how that kind of shapes and molds them too.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachBut it's so important just to be really, really deliberate about what those boundaries are when you go into foster care. So it can and it will burn you out if you're not careful, thoughtful, and intentional about it.
Scott BennerWhat's the expectation? Is that the baby will be there until it's placed with an adoption or that it could be with you long term?
ZachYou know, Scott, foster care is all about trying to to reunite with, you know, biological mom and dad if it's safe, to do so. And so, usually, in the first year when you take in a foster child, that is the ultimate goal that they're shooting for. And, obviously, that's contingent on biological mom and dad, doing what's needed. And so, once we reach a point to where we kind of reach a fork on the road, like, yes, we're on the right trajectory or we're not, That's where they start to make decisions about, alternative placement plans, whether it's adoption or guardianship, etcetera. And so we're kind of in the phase of we're just we're gonna love on our foster child for as long as we can. And if we're presented with an opportunity to to to keep them long term, then we'll cross that bridge when it gets here. Mhmm. Or we're just taking it one day at a time.
Scott BennerIt's a process then, and you're just kinda along for the ride.
ZachYes. Yeah. Yeah. You definitely have to relinquish control in many ways.
Scott BennerIf if, you know and let's hope. Right? A few months from now, you get the note, hey. The parents have got a place to live. They got it all together. Baby's going back. That's gonna be heartbreaking, imagine. But after a period of time, do you think you'd say, okay. Send another one over, or do you think is that gonna hinge on how painful it was for the baby to leave, do you think?
ZachI think there is no question that if our foster child left, it would be very, very hard, not just for, you know, my wife and I, but also for our two older kids. However, you know, humans are resilient, and we we know if there are other opportunities that we would probably that we would probably pursue those after a time of kind of healing and working through the grieving process.
Scott BennerYeah.
ZachI know many foster parents who have had placements for, you know, one, two, or more years, and then the child leaves, And then they they say, you know what? I'm gonna take a six month or a year break. I'm not gonna take any foster children during that time, and then we could come back to it with kind of a fresh mind.
Scott BennerTwo questions. First of all, we do that sweet, sweet cash the steak gives you. I'm just joking. It's probably not enough to pay for a diaper, but, like, what's the do you think the the cost to you is a month for fostering the baby? This episode was too good to cut anything out of, but too long to make just one episode. So this is part one. Make sure you go find part two right now. It's gonna be the next episode in your feed. This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. Dexcom sponsored this episode of the juice box podcast. Learn more about the Dexcom g seven at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. 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 subscribe in your podcast app, go to YouTube and follow me, or Instagram, TikTok. 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 wanna miss please, do you not know about the private group? You have to join the private group. As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. 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've ever heard a diabetes term and thought, okay. But what does that actually mean? You need the defining diabetes series from the Juice Box podcast. Defining diabetes takes all those phrases and terms that you don't understand and makes them clear. Quick and easy episodes. Find out what bolus means, basal, insulin sensitivity, and all of the rest. There has to be over 60 episodes of defining diabetes. Check it out now in your audio player or go to juiceboxpodcast.com and go up into the menu. Hey. Do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free. Juiceboxpodcast.com. Click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A one c and blood glucose calculator. People love that. That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months. A list of great endocrinologists from listeners. That's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community, and, we have a a fantastic thing there, American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire bold beginning series in ASL. So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way. Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on support. While you're there, check out the guides like the pre bolusing guide, fat and protein insulin calculator, oh gosh, thyroid, GLP, caregiver burnout. You should go to the website. Click around a little bit on those menus. It really there's a lot more there than you think. If you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording. Listen. Truth be told, I'm, like, 20% smarter when Rob edits me. He takes out all the, like, gaps of time and when I go, and stuff like that. And it just I don't know, man. Like, I listen back and I'm like, why do I sound smarter? And then I remember because I did one smart thing. I hired Rob at wrongwayrecording.com.
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