#1800 Super Diabetic - Part 1

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Katarina was shredded, misdiagnosed as type 2, and quietly falling apart. From parking lot naps to finally demanding antibody testing, this is her late-onset type 1 wake-up call.

Key Takeaways

• Adult Misdiagnosis is Common: Adults, even those in peak physical condition, are frequently misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes based solely on age. Antibody testing is essential for an accurate Type 1 diagnosis.
• Hyperglycemia Causes Physical Strain: Chronic high blood sugar leads to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can manifest as deep, internal "organ pain" often mistaken for general aging or back issues.
• The Psychological Impact of Diagnosis: A sudden diagnosis at age 28 can trigger significant mortality fears and grief over a perceived loss of lifespan, despite modern management erasing many of these risks.
• Advocacy and Second Opinions: When medical providers dismiss symptoms or suggest "lifestyle" fixes for an athletic individual, patients should insist on specific diagnostic tests like antibody and C-peptide levels.
• The "Invisible" Onset: During the honeymoon phase, oral medications like Metformin may appear to work temporarily, but viral illnesses like COVID-19 can accelerate the total loss of insulin production.

Resources Mentioned

• Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
• Touched by Type 1: touchedbytype1.org
• Tandem Mobi & Control IQ Plus: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
• Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
• Defining Diabetes Series: juiceboxpodcast.com/defining-diabetes
• Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Opening and Juice Cruise 2026

Scott Benner (0:00)

Welcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.

Katarina (0:10)

Hey. My name is Katarina, and I am a type one diabetic.

Scott Benner (0:17)

How 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 twenty twenty six. 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.

Sponsors and Name Nuances

Scott Benner (1:43)

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. The episode you're about to listen to was sponsored by Touched by Type one. Go check them out right now on Facebook, Instagram, and, of course, at touchedbytype1.org. Check out that programs tab when you get to the website to see all the great things that they're doing for people living with type one diabetes. Touched bytype1.org. Today's episode is also sponsored by the Tandem Mobi system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. Tandem Mobi has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The podcast is also sponsored today by the Eversense three sixty five. The Eversense three sixty five has exceptional accuracy over one year and is the most accurate CGM in the low range that you can get. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox.

Katarina (2:51)

Hey. My name is Katarina, and I am a type one diabetic.

Scott Benner (2:57)

Katarina, I am happy to meet you, and I am even happier that all those years ago, I started setting up the beginning of the podcast the way I did because for lover money, I would not have pronounced your name correctly.

Katarina (3:11)

I guess I should have started with that. Yeah.

Scott Benner (3:14)

It popped up in front of me. Right? It's just—and and we're not sharing your last name, but your last name just does not let into your first name. I don't know if that and makes—and it popped up, and I'm like, chat or chat. I guess I just wanted to say the h really badly, you know. So anyway, there's a little secret for people who haven't been listening that long. The reason that the podcast starts with somebody going, hi, my name is—is because I was tired of saying people's names wrong, so I just figured I'd make them say it first. And that way, I would—I'd be able to—I do it all the time, by the way.

Katarina (3:49)

That's brilliant.

Scott Benner (3:50)

So, anyway—alright. So, Katarina, you have type one. Yes?

Katarina (3:53)

Yes. I do.

Scott Benner (3:55)

How old are you?

Katarina (3:56)

I am 33 years old.

Scott Benner (3:59)

It's a good age. It is. It is—like I'd killed two strangers to be 33 ago, just so you know.

Katarina (4:06)

I'm not mad about it.

Scott Benner (4:09)

How long have you had type one?

Katarina (4:10)

I was diagnosed when I was 28 years old.

Scott Benner (4:16)

Oh, I like this. Not for you. I like it for the story. So do you have brothers, sisters?

Katarina (4:24)

I have two brothers and a sister, and no one in my family, no one like, none of my grandparents, aunts, uncles. I think I have, like, a great great aunt who had type one. But no one even has, type two diabetes.

Scott Benner (4:45)

You just—you're like, you were incredibly healthy people except for cat over here. And—yeah. Yeah. So—and do—do people call you cat?

Katarina (4:53)

I—No. Prefer them not to.

Scott Benner (4:56)

Tell me what to say. It's just Katarina every time.

Katarina (4:59)

Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner (5:00)

It doesn't shorten to anything? To gym or anything? Nothing?

Katarina (5:05)

No. When I go to Starbucks or a coffee shop, I I say CC.

Scott Benner (5:12)

So—What do you say at—what's the chicken place?

Katarina (5:16)

Chick fil A?

Scott Benner (5:17)

Yeah. What do you do there?

Katarina (5:18)

CC. Yeah.

Scott Benner (5:20)

Can I—can I share something? As a test of my wits, I—and listen. To say that I'm at Chick fil a maybe five times a year is about accurate. It's usually to pick up for somebody else. But when I'm in that line, I never say my name. I always—but I don't preplan a name. And—and the—the quality of the name that I come up with goes a long way to how happy I am with myself afterwards. I'm like, the last time I was there, I said Corey. And I'm like, Corey? I was like, so disappointed in myself for, like, twenty minutes after. So much so that when I picked it up, she goes, Corey.

Scott Benner (5:56)

And I went, that's not actually my name. And she goes, this isn't your order? I'm like, no. It's my order, but it's not my name. And then I—I make up a name every time I come here. And she goes, right? And I said, I do it to see what, like, kind of fun name I can come up with. And she—she looks at me—I mean, we've known each other for eight seconds, me and this lady, and she goes, and you came up with Corey? And—and I was like, I know I've been disappointed the whole time I've been in the line. She goes—she just goes, you should be, and she hands me the bag and walks away.

Scott Benner (6:24)

It's awesome. Anyway, alright. Katarina, that's what we are. I'm not—yeah. I mean, I'm not gonna push you on the Cece thing. Although, it does make me think of new girl, and then I get very happy.

Katarina (6:33)

That's literally when I started using the nickname because I really liked Cece, and I had straight across bangs at the time. And I was like, she's so beautiful. I wanna be just like her. And people were asking me, oh, what's your nickname? And so I was like, just call me Cece, even though it has nothing to do with my name besides that it starts with a c.

Scott Benner (6:56)

So I took a lot of problems for my daughter when—when, one day, she said, which one of the new girl characters is your favorite? I really thought about it. And I was like, I think Cece. And she's like, what? She's so—so upset with me. It's like everybody else feels like more like a caricature as it goes on. I feel like she's the only person who grows as the show goes on.

Buying a House and Life Insurance News

Katarina (7:19)

Interesting.

Scott Benner (7:20)

Yeah. So, anyway, this isn't either here nor there. Are you—so you're—so you don't have a lot of family background with with medical issues.

Katarina (7:28)

Right.

Scott Benner (7:29)

Tell me how your type one presents. How do you first start noticing it? Because it must be an interesting story.

Katarina (7:35)

Yeah. So this was back in 2020. My husband and I, we had just got bought a house, and so we were applying for life insurance. And I was like, okay. No big deal. I'm super healthy. Like, we're both super healthy. Nothing to be concerned of. And they took the blood sample. And, like, you know, within the week, they're like, you are super diabetic. There is no way you're getting life insurance. And I was like, what? Like, taken totally aback. And the reason why I bring up that it was COVID was because normally in January, I get, you know, like, my physical, and I had—or, I guess, my birthday is in March. So, normally, in March, I get my physical, but that was right in the middle of COVID. And so I had skipped it for 2020, and then lo and behold, there was some pretty big underlying issues that were unfolding. Everyone asked me, like, oh, like, did you have any symptoms? And I'm like, all of them. I—I was chugging water, peeing all the time. I went to—and this is the crazy thing—I went to an ENT doctor because my throat felt like it was closing up. And they were like, oh, you're just very anxious because nothing's wrong with your throat. But it was just that my body was, like, shutting down.

Scott Benner (9:16)

You're either anxious or dying. We're not sure—we're gonna go with anxious. You are a bit of a—a conundrum, aren't you? Can I—may I make a snap judgment after seven minutes and six seconds?

Katarina (9:29)

Oh, go—go for it.

Scott Benner (9:30)

Okay. 28 years old married looking for life insurance. It is a very responsible thing to do. But yet your first name is Katarina, which makes me think that you grew up with a couple of hippie parents. Right?

Katarina (9:45)

Oh my gosh. No.

Scott Benner (9:48)

I mean, I'm onto you already. I know what's going on. Alright? So—and—and so, like, how did you—and I'm gonna—can I guess? Is the boy that you allowed to marry you, like, super straight lace?

Katarina (9:59)

Yes. Absolutely. Right. He's the one that keeps me in check for sure.

Scott Benner (10:03)

Right. Because you looked at your parents, you looked at yourself, and you're like, one of us is gonna have to pay the bills, and I'm gonna need to find a boy that thinks about that stuff. Is that about right?

Katarina (10:12)

Absolutely. I got—you took me—but we can go now. I understand you completely. So alright. So because—I mean, it doesn't make any sense. I really—can I just share with people? I'm making a judgment on your last name. But you got some old Jewish hippies parents. Right?

Katarina (10:30)

My dad is German, and my mom is first generation Greek—Actually.

Scott Benner (10:36)

Oh, look. Yeah. See, I was wrong. I can be wrong. It's fine. But I—so I—it's funny because I laid over a couple that I know over top of your life, and I was like, oh, this is what her parents are like for sure. Like, your parents smoking a bunch of weed and everything?

Katarina (10:51)

They—I feel like, no. They're not about that, but they—both of my parents are artists. But they—they're a little bit more straight edge, but I think that's because, like—they had kids. They—they had kids. So they went into survival mode.

Scott Benner (11:10)

They're not artists who don't smoke weed. Let's just say that. Okay? They're artists who hid their weed from their kids really well. Okay. Anyway, I'm sorry. So because I'm just dying—like, a 28 year old getting life insurance? Like, what the hell? You're like, we gotta get all of our ducks in a row.

Katarina (11:34)

That's—that's all my husband.

Scott Benner (11:36)

This is the most Caucasian thing that anyone said to me this month so far. I just wanna be completely clear. That was fantastic. Alright. Okay. So I'm so sorry. So okay. So you—you're super diabetic from the test that they get back, and you've got all the symptoms so much so that you're going to other doctors trying to figure out what the little things are going on with you. So you're chugging water. Your throat feels like it's closing. Did you end up with a thyroid issue?

Thyroid Issues and Family History

Katarina (12:03)

No. And that is actually in my family history. So I'm keeping an eye on that, and it's, like, kind of surprising that—I think that's, like, most shocking out of all of this.

Scott Benner (12:16)

I don't know. It's like—I'll be getting thyroid issue. Like, like, don't worry. It's coming. So you do have autoimmune in your family?

Katarina (12:22)

Yeah. And my—my—my cousins, there's, like, a couple of them who do have some autoimmune diseases. But none of my siblings do.

Scott Benner (12:38)

That's okay. Extended family makes sense to me. What—what are we talking about? Celiac? Are we talking about vitiligo? What do we got?

Katarina (12:45)

Ep—epilepsy and MS.

Scott Benner (12:48)

I don't like epilepsy. It's autoimmune. But—but usually no. Don't think so. I don't think so.

Katarina (12:56)

Then I'm just making that up.

Scott Benner (12:57)

You're too busy managing your four zero one k to look things like this up, I can see. Well, not you, but the boy. And so hold on a sec. I would be great at speed dating, I just realized. Let's see. Is there's no way. Sorry. I'm typing. Can't type and talk at the same time. Epilepsy is not autoimmune.

Katarina (13:24)

Okay. Alright. I really thought it was.

Scott Benner (13:27)

It's okay. Well—Listen. You're—you're busy. You—you—you have two kids, don't you?

Katarina (13:33)

Yes. I do.

Scott Benner (13:33)

Okay. What was the other thing you were talking about? MS. MS. That one is autoimmune for sure.

Scott Benner (13:44)

Would you like me to check just so you can feel terrible about yourself if it isn't? No. Wait. I'm just kidding. It is.

Katarina (13:52)

Can you imagine—worrying me. Gosh. This whole time I've been telling people, oh, yeah.

Scott Benner (13:57)

They walk away and they go, she's sweet. Don't worry about it. It's fine. At least she's pretty. Oh, so rough. Anyway, but the—okay. So but there's—there's, hypothyroidism. Is it Hashimoto's to people—are people diagnosed?

Katarina (14:20)

It's hyper—wait. Hold on. The one where that makes you sluggish. Is that hyperthyroidism? Right?

Scott Benner (14:27)

Hypo.

Katarina (14:29)

Hypo. Yeah. So hypothyroidism. Yep. Yeah. Like, my mom's side is all has thyroid issues.

Scott Benner (14:38)

Tired? Yeah. Yeah. Do they take medication for it?

Katarina (14:42)

Yeah. My when my mom started, it was just, like, night and day difference in her energy levels. Which is, like, really nice to see. You know? It's always a little bit sad, and that's kind of how I felt with my diabetes too, just getting diagnosed. Like, oh my gosh. I'm dying. And then being—actually addressing it, getting the right medication, and it's like, oh, you are doing so much better now that we've addressed the problem.

Scott Benner (15:12)

Yeah. I you know, I had a conversation with somebody last night who's in a situation where they can't afford a medication for someone in their family. Ugh. And three of them need it. They can afford to get it for two of them. And I was listening to the converse—this is a private conversation, but I was listening to the conversation and you could hear they were like, well, the youngest one has time. Like—and I thought, oh, this is so sad. Like—yeah. Because I know how valuable it is when you get your answer. And you can look back in hindsight and see what you'd been missing out on or had been limited by. Yeah. It's just—that's definitely not—not fair. And—and it sucks. Like, you know, your—your mom's running around. It's like, mom's always tired, she's exhausted and doesn't know why and feels bad about it on top of everything else. So, anyway, well, I hope you don't get hypothyroidism.

Katarina (16:03)

Yeah. Me too.

Scott Benner (16:04)

Yeah. Me too. Thank you. You're very welcome. Oh, you're—it should be a card, like a greeting card. I hope you don't get hypothyroidism. Happy birthday. I should just start sending those to people. That's hilarious. So you're—have kids or don't have kids at your diagnosis time?

Eversense and Tandem Mobi Break

Scott Benner (16:22)

This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five. Get three hundred and sixty five days of comfortable wear without having to change a sensor. When you think of a continuous glucose monitor, you think of a CGM that lasts ten or fourteen days. But the Eversense three sixty five, it lives up to its name, lasting three hundred and sixty five days. That's one year without having to change your CGM. With the Eversense three sixty five, you can count on comfort and consistency three hundred and sixty five days a year because the Eversense silicone based adhesive is designed for your skin to be gentle and to allow you to take the transmitter on and off to enjoy your shower, a trip to the pool, or an activity where you don't want your CGM on your body. If you're looking for comfort, accuracy, and a one year wear, you are looking for Eversense three sixty five. Go to eversensecgm.com/juicebox to learn more.

Scott Benner (17:27)

Let's talk about the Tandem Mobi insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology and the new Tandem Mobi 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 Mobi 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 tandemdiabetes.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 gonna help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The Tandem Mobi 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.

Starting a Family and High Sugars

Katarina (18:33)

I don't. Okay. So we had been married for a year, and we were kind of talking about it. Like, when do we wanna start? And then I get this news. And so that kind of tables everything, and we're just, like, very focused on getting me healthy. And that's, like, even on the doctor's suggestions too because we were like, oh, like, we kind of wanted kids, and the doctor was like, "well, I don't even know if a baby would survive in your body at this point. Like, your sugars are so high." Oh. And so, yeah, I I worked really hard to get my sugar levels in a good place.

Scott Benner (19:23)

Mhmm. How long did that take?

Katarina (19:26)

You know, it—it was only about, like, six months to a year where I I was, like, really buckled down. And it's funny. I I know you've had other people you've talked to who have also, like, been diagnosed later, and they get diagnosed as type two. But—can I paint a picture of what I looked like when I was diagnosed?

Scott Benner (19:54)

Okay.

Katarina (19:59)

So I have always been very athletic, and I was in peak shape. I was, like, very, very lean in an athletic body fat percentage, so very shredded. I call my doctor to get further testing done after this, and she's like, "oh, you're type two. You just need to lose weight."

Scott Benner (20:28)

You're like, "lose weight, lady. I got abs."

Katarina (20:31)

Yeah. I—yes. Literally. And I was like, "from where on my body? Do you want me to cut off my arm? Like—I'll lose weight. I don't have weight to lose."

Scott Benner (20:43)

I might call your episode "very shredded super diabetic." And so you—I—wait. Wait. So does—does this doctor physically know you? Have they met you?

Katarina (20:53)

No. Oh, okay. Had switched. And so I had switched my, like, primary care because I got a new job during COVID, and she never met me in person. It was all online. And so finally, I, like, requested, like, let me come in so you can physically see me. She—she looks at me, and she was like, "that's kinda surprising. Well, here, start taking metformin." And I'm like, even still? What? Like, just because I'm 28 years old, you're gonna write me off as type two diabetic?

Scott Benner (21:31)

Well, did she—did you have any confidence? Like, when she says take metformin, I mean, are you at the point where you're like, "you might not know what you're talking about"? Like, did it—

Katarina (21:39)

I was very skeptical—

Scott Benner (21:41)

Okay.

Katarina (21:41)

But I also was so taken aback by having diabetes that—Okay. It was—it was like, "okay. I guess I'll start this." Because the way she—she even presented it was like, "you need to get on medication right away." And metformin, you can—like, you'll probably be taking this for the rest of your life because she was under the impression I was type two, But it won't—it won't, like—you could get off it if you need to or, like, switch it up or something.

Scott Benner (22:16)

I—I don't—yeah. I don't—I—none of that makes sense to me. Everyone needs a healthy amount of, "no. I don't believe you." Like, you—yeah. Not not enough where you're like that person who's just, you know, saying, like, every time somebody says something, like, "you're wrong." Like, not like that. But just enough where you can stop and go, "I don't trust you enough. I don't know you well enough yet for me to make a big decision about my health just based on this thing that you've randomly said after you've been wrong about two things already." But I get your point. Like, you just—you're dizzy by the whole thing. Right?

Katarina (22:49)

Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. I was—I was so shocked. And it's funny in retrospect, looking, like, looking back, I could just feel what I was feeling. But my husband and I, we would, like, go on walks every evening, and there were so many times where I would just be sobbing to him because I was just in total shock. And I was like, "I'm gonna die before, like, we start a family." It just felt like all of a sudden, I was immortal up until this point, and then it—like, life really hit me. Like, "oh, wow. Out of nowhere, I just get this, like, disease, and now we have to change our whole lives around it."

Marriage and Cheesy Love

Scott Benner (23:37)

Yeah. And he's thinking, "oh, I picked the wrong girl. I dated a girl before this. She didn't seem to have anything wrong with her." And so, like, I mean, she was annoying, but not like this. The—but does that pop into your head too? Because you're not married that long. Do you think that he's got buyer's remorse? I I know that's not how I should say it, but, like, do you—does that worry you?

Katarina (23:58)

You know, he was so supportive and still is. I should never say was, but, like, especially during that time, it makes me—like, thinking back, I'm—I fall in love with him all over again just to be super cheesy.

Scott Benner (24:17)

That's nice.

Katarina (24:18)

He—he was immediately like, "okay. Like, there's been some studies done that say, like, keto can help with type two diabetes. Let's try a low carb slash keto diet"—and which we did, which is not the thing that you should be doing when you're actually type one. But he was, like, very supportive through the whole thing. We did make a ton of lifestyle and diet changes, and he was just, like, holding my hand through the whole thing.

Scott Benner (24:55)

He's willing to make adjustments with you and all that. Hey. Did you just say you shouldn't do keto if you're type one?

Katarina (25:02)

You know, it was—

Scott Benner (25:04)

I mean, those people are gonna come get you. I just want you to know. And I have nothing to do with this. I just wanna say—no. No. I just wanna say out loud. It's not gonna be hard to find her. There can't be that many Katarinas, and I'm not part of this. Okay? No. I'm just kidding. I—you—you can do keto and have type one.

Katarina (25:21)

Well, I think because I—I had an experience where I kind of was, like—when I was doing keto those first couple months, I—or, like, let's be real. It was, like, a week that I lasted.

Scott Benner (25:38)

I had four chicken breasts got, and when they were gone, I gave up. Okay? Yeah.

Katarina (25:45)

Give me my carbs.

Scott Benner (25:49)

Oh my god. But—But he was willing to, like, make adjustments with you and try things.

Katarina (25:53)

Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner (25:54)

That's awesome. I mean, I was just asking if you had, like, an underlying concern that, like—because you hadn't been married that long. And it is a big switch in—I know, bait and switch is the the wrong way to say it, but it—it could feel that way to the other person. Like, this isn't what I thought I was getting involved in. But he sounds like a good guy, and and you—you love each other, and you're all good. So that's not a problem. Also, you said it sounded cheesy to say I could fall in love with him all over again. I want you to know, this August, I will be married for thirty years. And it doesn't sound—no. No. That's awesome. We're just—we're trying to outlast each other. That's all. Nobody wants to give up first. My point is is that last year for my—for my birthday, my wife said to me, and I believe this is a quote, "I didn't have time to get you anything. Happy birthday." So—so my point is is, like, I don't think that sounds cheesy. I think it's nice. You know? And then two times a year, my wife says, "I love you." It's always very touching to me. Just hang in there for a little longer. Wait a year in your fifties. Oh my god. And you're still trying to pull off Katarina? That ain't gonna work either, by the way. You'll be CC by then. Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. I don't know why. I think your laugh just makes me happy. I'm not sure what's going on exactly. Do people generally like being around you, do you think?

Katarina (27:20)

I—I hope so. I I feel like I—I have a plenty of friends and really good company that I hang out with.

Scott Benner (27:30)

Yeah. No. You're making me not like my friends. I'm like, ugh. These people aren't trying hard enough is what I'm thinking. So okay. So you're trying a bunch of things. You're kinda—you're still whacked out of your mind a little bit trying to, like, make sense of all of it. I mean, the—when you say you're out for walks crying, is it, gosh, what I've lost or what I don't understand? What do you think is making you sad right then and there?

Lifespan Anxiety

Katarina (27:54)

It just feels like my lifespan has been shortened in front of my eyes. And it does seem—it felt like the odds were against me. Like, we had all these dreams of getting old together. You know?

Scott Benner (28:12)

Oh, you didn't think you were gonna live as long?

Katarina (28:15)

I—like, I want to live till I'm 100 and be super healthy and then—

Scott Benner (28:25)

And rich. And I'm like—right. I want a spaceship and a giant penis. I got a lot of things I want. Yes. Yes.

Katarina (28:34)

Alright. And then when I find out I have diabetes, it's like, oh, this is, like, something that, like, it just—if I—I don't know. In—in the moment, it really felt like, "oh my goodness. Like, that just took twenty years off of my life, and it's gonna be something I'm dealing with for the rest of my life." Mhmm. And all of those things are still true, but I'm not as emotional about it. And it does seem like I am able to have more control than I was giving myself credit for.

Scott Benner (29:21)

Do you not have Google? I do. Oh, okay. By the way, that sound—whatever that was—I would marry you. That's delightful. I—I did—that—that's how you got the guy right there. You were like, I do. And he was like, alright. That's cute. Let's do it. So listen. Does type one shorten your lifespan? It's all you had to type into the thing, and it would have said, "no. Probably not." And—and—and, you know, and they would have told—like, listen. Biggest factors: chronic high blood sugars, severe hypoglycemia, DK, smoking inactivity, poor access to care.

Katarina (29:58)

I'm looking at, like, what is the average lifespan of a—and I was at this time, I still thought I had type two diabetes. And so "what is the average lifespan of a diabetic?" It doesn't matter type one or type two. Okay.

Katarina (30:17)

And then, you know, I get into the, like, dark part of the Internet where it's like, "you're probably gonna lose three limbs and go blind."

Scott Benner (30:26)

Would you make it to Reddit? Are you on Reddit? Is that what you kids do?

Katarina (30:30)

No. No. I not know how to use Reddit.

Scott Benner (30:33)

I mean, it's a—it's a message board. It's not that hard. So but then—oh, so you just got into people online talking about the worst things that had happened to them. Yeah. Yeah. And you thought that must be the rule, not someone—

Katarina (30:48)

And I was looking up averages too, like, "what's the average lifespan?" And it was, like, ten years shorter than someone who doesn't have anything. And so I guess you kinda think, like, okay. That kinda makes sense.

Scott Benner (31:07)

But Listen. Type one diabetes—this is my Googling—does not automatically shorten your life—or control over many years can, but good consistent management can largely erase any gap. Are plenty of people living right now in their sixties, seventies, and eighties who are complication free or minimally affected who have had type one diabetes for most of their life, and they're older now. Imagine, you know, the next thirty years of algorithms keeping your blood sugar in check and you know, all that stuff. Yeah. You'll probably live to a 100.

Katarina (31:38)

I hope so.

Scott Benner (31:39)

Yeah. I mean, I don't think I will, but I think you could. And then, you know—and by the way, I don't—do you know a lot of older people? If, great grandparents or great grandparents? Yeah. How's their life? Oh—

Katarina (31:56)

you know, it's actually really sad because both of my grandparents are widowed. So it's like my dad's dad is still alive, and my mom's mom is still alive. And I think they were doing great up until the point their spouse passed away. Yeah. And how old are they? Oh my—oh. They're eighties? I don't not know. Yeah. Late eighties. Yeah. I'm gonna say wrong, I'm gonna be totally embarrassed. So next question.

Scott Benner (32:26)

Do you think that lady is really looking for twenty more years of this—is what I'm asking you? Like, maybe you're—Right. Right. Maybe your goals will change then. Fair. Yeah. It's weird, isn't it, as a young person to recognize that there might be a time in your life that you've been here for so long that you're just like, "I could go now."

Katarina (32:45)

I'm—I'm a good life. Yeah. I'm done. This was good. I'm done. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. It's hard. I can't fathom that right now. I mean, I realize that's how people feel at some point, but I can't wrap my head around that. When I was 28, like, I would not have been able to for sure. You know?

Katarina (33:03)

Yeah. It—it—it definitely came as a shock. But, no, that's a—that's a good point. I think, especially, like, when you're younger, it's like, there's so much out there, so much to learn, so much to do, so much to see. Mhmm.

Scott Benner (33:17)

Well, that's back when—that's when you're not peeing when you're sneezing and having trouble wake standing up. You know what I mean? Yes. Yeah. Exactly. That's when you've never called a friend to say, "hey. I'm stuck on the toilet." Once those things happen, you start looking for exit ramps. You're like, "okay. I—maybe this is enough."

Katarina (33:35)

Yeah. Yeah. Like, sitting on an airplane for over five hours is just like, "nope. Not gonna happen for me." So—Yeah. You know, like, when you're—I don't know. My—my grandma was such an avid traveler, and now she's just like—she lives in Northern California. And making the flight down to Southern California, she's like, "not for me."

Scott Benner (34:00)

Yeah. You can FaceTime with grandma if you wanna see her. She—she's not leaving. Yeah. No. I mean, that's just what age does. Like, I don't think he'd even mind me saying this. Like, I have a neighbor who's in his seventies, and, you know, we're just in New Jersey and he—he visits—he and his wife visit their son in, like, the Michigan area. And he said to me about a year ago, he said, "Scott, the—it's getting hard to make the drive." Like, just—just the drive is getting difficult for him. Like, he said, like, know, things are moving a little fast and, you know, I don't feel as comfortable on the highway anymore. Like, you know, all that stuff. And he's completely with it. Like, you know what I mean? Like, there's nothing wrong with him. And he's just a little older and, you know, his reflexes are a little slower, and it's, you know, it's nerve racking. And he said then because it's nerve racking, it's exhausting.

Katarina (34:46)

Yes. Absolutely.

Antibody Testing and COVID

Scott Benner (34:47)

I Anyway, I told him. Was like, get him one of those cars, drives itself. You'll be fine. Yeah. But not—not the point. The point is is that you're panicked, you're young, you see your life changing in completely different ways, and you're getting a misdiagnosis at the moment as a type two. How long does the misdiagnosis go on for?

Katarina (35:05)

So that was in October. And then finally, I'm—I had been asking my doctor pretty much, like, right away. "Hey. Can I get tested? Like, can you test my antibodies?"

Scott Benner (35:20)

You learned that online? The Internet told you that?

Katarina (35:22)

I had talked to a friend who was a doctor who was like, maybe you should, like, ask about this. And I—I asked and asked and asked. And finally, I got COVID in December 2020. And the metformin had kind of been like—I was waking up—my sugar levels between ninety nine and one thirty, and that was fine for, I guess, like—

Scott Benner (35:54)

Everybody said it was okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Katarina (35:57)

And so then in COVID, I was waking up regularly 02:50, and it never went back down. And that's when I started being like, "I think this is a problem. Like, this is late January, and I'm still, like, haven't gone below 200."

Scott Benner (36:21)

Yeah. The honeymoon was ending for your type one. Yeah. Yeah. And you're—you're counting on metformin. Is that what that—was happening?

Katarina (36:29)

Yeah.

Scott Benner (36:29)

Did you lose more weight on metformin?

Katarina (36:31)

I did.

Scott Benner (36:32)

Did you get an eight pack? A rail. I was gonna say, how much better could you get? Was it messing with your activity? Because you said you're athletic. You must be working out and stuff like that too.

Katarina (36:43)

You know, it was—so it did help a little bit because I was very sluggish. Like, some of the other symptoms—basically, after lunch, I would have to go to my car and take a nap because I physically was so exhausted. Like, my blood sugar levels were through the roof, must have been, that I couldn't—I couldn't get through the day if I didn't take a nap. Oh. And I thought, this isn't a problem. This is just what everybody deals with.

Scott Benner (37:15)

Oh, really? Yes. You're—you're in the parking lot at your job, like, snoozing, and you're like, "this is okay?"

Katarina (37:21)

I didn't think anything of it. I was just like, "well, I—it's—it's probably because I'm so active." I I don't even know, like—

Scott Benner (37:29)

What you were thinking about. Reasoning—was. And—

Scott Benner (37:32)

Did you feel foggy? Did your mind feel foggy?

Katarina (37:35)

Yes. All the time. Okay. And when I went—when I would go to sleep at night, my organs hurt. And 28 year old me was like, "it's just because I'm getting old."

Internal Pain and Dehydration

Scott Benner (37:50)

Your organs hurt. Please put that in context for me.

Katarina (37:53)

Like, it felt like my kidneys—I—because I imagine—it was, like, in my—it was in my back, and so I'm imagining my kidneys. Mhmm. And then, like, just it felt crampy and in pain. I—like this dull pain that was always there, and it kinda makes sense. Like, your kidneys would be impacted because they're, like, trying to filter out all this sugar, and they're getting bogged down. And so—

Scott Benner (38:29)

And you're just like, "well, you know, I'm 28. This is what happens."

Katarina (38:32)

Yes. Yeah. Yes. You're asleep in the parking lot with four addicts that you work with at lunchtime thinking this is all completely normal.

Katarina (38:46)

I think I was the only one. It really did—I feel—feel like—nobody sees me. You're like—in—in that movie Dune walking through the desert by yourself just waiting for, you know, the earth to swallow you up. So are you, at some point, gonna tell me you were in DKA, or did someone finally figure it out and give you insulin?

Katarina (39:07)

So I—I asked to get tested, asked to get tested. And finally, they were like, "okay. We'll test your antibodies." And, like, again, a week later, they were like, "oh, wow. You're actually type one." I'm like, "thank you."

Scott Benner (39:27)

Just so you don't think you're crazy, I did a little, ISR overlords about that—that organ thing. And it said if you've undiagnosed type one diabetes, you could be dehydrated, which puts your organs under strain. You know, you were—you were obviously—had lost more weight. So, like, electrolyte imbalances, reduced blood volume, fluid loss in general, that can feel like deep internal aching pressure or a dull widespread pain that doesn't feel muscular. That sound familiar?

Katarina (39:57)

Yes. Absolutely.

Scott Benner (39:59)

Also, ketones, ketoacidosis perhaps could be like a—what they're calling, like, a "chemical irritation." Irritates the tissue, triggers inflammation, affects nerve signaling. People describe it as quoting, "my insides feel raw." Everything hurts, but I can't point to one spot or, like, a heavy sick pain rather than a sharp pain. Yeah. Wow. That—is what's happening. Okay. Well, here's a little more for you just so you can feel better. Your liver could be dumping glucose, producing ketones, processing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. It's overloaded—that could cause the liver to swell. Your right upper abdominal discomfort could come from that or a sense of internal pressure or soreness, not a stabbing pain. Also, your muscle and tissues are breaking down. So—Without insulin, your body starts to break down muscle, fat, protein, which will feel like deep aches, weakness, or a flu like "everything hurts" sensation. And then let's see. Nervous system distress. This can distort pain signals and body awareness making sensations feel bigger, more diffused, or hard to localize, which actually leads to people saying "my organs feel like they hurt." There you go. Yeah. You weren't crazy. You're just sitting in a parking lot by yourself. That's all. My gosh. But you—you know what? It—you know how many people—go—you—you listen to podcasts. Right?

Katarina (41:22)

Yeah.

Scott Benner (41:23)

Yeah. This happens to people all the time. Yeah. Really terrible. Yeah. Yeah. I feel very fortunate. I never had to be hospitalized, so we were able to, like, get me on medication. But yeah.

Scott Benner (41:37)

A relief to hear you had type one?

Katarina (41:40)

It was. It—it would—it made so much more sense because I just kept questioning, like, "type two, really." Like—and—and then I'd have friends who—it pisses me off, but also it's like, okay. That's kind of warranted. But they were like, "well, you do eat a lot of carbs, so it—you—you kinda deserve it."

Scott Benner (42:08)

So—really? You got that from people you know? Yes. My god. So you have a—you have a general misunderstanding of what it means to have type two. They have a bigger one. And—apparently aren't afraid to, like, share their misgivings with you.

Katarina (42:22)

Oh, yes.

Scott Benner (42:23)

Lovely. These people you knew a long time, I hope?

Katarina (42:26)

They were coworkers, like, year.

Scott Benner (42:29)

Oh, they're parking lot zombies. I see. Oh, that might be your title. Well, that's terrible, by the way. I—I—have you disconnected your friendship with them at this point, or how did you handle that?

Katarina (42:43)

Oh, you know, it's just something that—it's like—

Scott Benner (42:48)

You think it was like, well meaning, like, they were joking with you?

Katarina (42:51)

Yes. Yes. And as you kind of pointed out, I do laugh a lot, and so it's like, brush it off. That's fine.

Scott Benner (43:01)

Is that really who you are, or is that a—a psychological thing that you do to stop from crying?

Katarina (43:07)

Do you—do you wanna unpack this right now? Because—should I start crying on the podcast?

Scott Benner (43:12)

Which—which—which is it? Is that you—are you coping, or is it, like, just how you feel?

Katarina (43:17)

No. I think—I think I'm generally pretty—now I have no idea. Now I'm gonna second guess myself, and I'll be thinking about this for the next month. Yeah. It'll give you something to do when you're living to a 100. Go ahead. No. I think I'm generally a pretty, like, positive person. Yeah. For the most part. Do you have any trauma in your past? No big ones? No. Drinking, drug use in your house, parents hit each other, nobody's been to prison?

Katarina (43:51)

No.

Scott Benner (43:52)

Happy go lucky person?

Katarina (43:54)

I—I would say I am very blessed compared to so many other people I meet. Putting into perspective, like, there is nothing I—have that really is that bad. So—

Scott Benner (44:19)

The Joe Walsh song applies to you. Life's been good to you so far?

Katarina (44:22)

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Gotta say so.

Scott Benner (44:24)

Yeah. So this is what happens. So—so this is what happens when you raise a child reasonably. They can actually laugh about things—unlike when I—the way I was raised where I have to laugh to hide my feelings. Is that right? That's fine. I don't mind. I like wondering about stuff like that. I really do. Like, I think it's important to wonder, like, are you laughing to stop from crying or are you laughing because you're generally amused? Because I see both sides of it. Like, I—I feel like I have a pretty good sense of humor. And, like, if somebody were to come up to me and, like, in the middle of me struggling with, like, a diabetes diagnosis that I couldn't get together, they were like, "well, man, you do eat a lot of carbs." I'd be like, "fair enough." You know, like—like—and—and I don't think I'd hold a grudge about it. But in other situations, like, I do laugh sometimes because it's hard for me to be, like, honest about how I feel, you know. So, I mean, I'm sure we all do that at some point, but generally speaking. Okay. We're fine. So you've been to therapy already?

Katarina (45:23)

Yeah.

Scott Benner (45:24)

Yeah. No. I know. I can tell you have been. Because your parents sent you, like, pre—they—your parents are like, "why don't you go to therapy before you have a problem?" Just make sure you understand how to talk to people. Am I right?

Katarina (45:39)

Yeah. I—my parents have been very supportive my whole life.

Scott Benner (45:43)

No. I can tell. Yeah. This is what you get. You get decent parents. It is—it is funny. Like, there are times where I'm like, "do I have an—like, buried trauma that I just, like, haven't unpacked?" Gonna have trauma in a second because you sound far away from the microphone. What just happened?

Katarina (46:02)

Oh, sorry.

Scott Benner (46:03)

That's okay. Can you hear me?

Scott Benner (46:05)

Yeah. Get in there. Okay. So you're not—you're not sure if you've got trauma?

Outro and Part Two Teaser

Scott Benner (46:17)

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. The conversation you just heard was sponsored by Touched by Type One. Check them out, please, at touchedbytype1.org on Instagram and Facebook. You're gonna love them. I love them. They're helping so many people at touchedbytype1.org. Head now to tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox and check out today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. I think you're gonna find exactly what you're looking for at that link, including a way to sign up and get started with the Tandem Mobi system.

Scott Benner (47:02)

The podcast episode that you just enjoyed was sponsored by Eversense CGM. They make the Eversense three sixty five. That thing lasts a whole year. One insertion? Every year? Come on. You probably feel like I'm messing with you, but I'm not. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card?

Scott Benner (47:56)

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. 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. 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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