#1895 Laying Pipe
Laying Pipe
A year after her toddler's Mother's Day diagnosis, a first-time podcast listener went from terrified to thriving numbers and confidence — proof you don't need to be a diabetes veteran.
Jump to a moment
- Strong management is possible fast. One year after her daughter was diagnosed at 3½, Melissa reports a 6.7 GMI with about 79% time in range on Omnipod 5 and Dexcom — her whole reason for coming on was to tell the newly diagnosed you don’t have to be a “veteran” to do well.
- The signs before diagnosis: increased thirst and urination (peeing through overnight pull-ups), lethargy, sunken eyes, and confusion, with a fever finally sending them to the ER. New-onset type 1 can escalate quickly.
- Melissa’s “bold” ethos: when a number is high and trending, correct it and figure out the why later instead of sitting and staring — and pre-bolusing (she cites ~40 minutes for a banana) makes the biggest difference she sees.
- Easing device-change fear in a young child: distraction tricks (a percussion massager, a “clicky pen” tapped on the leg), decorating pods with stickers and paint, and modeling pride turned screaming pod changes into her daughter showing off her “bump.”
- Access took persistence: a family connection helped skip a ~4-month endocrinology wait to Riley Children’s in Indianapolis, and telehealth now covers most visits with local bloodwork. Multiple people — ER nurses and a friend with type 1 — pointed her to the podcast.
- Omnipod — the tubeless pump her daughter wears (Omnipod 5)
- Dexcom — the CGM Melissa calls “my buddy”
- Bold Beginnings Series — for the newly diagnosed, with Jenny Smith (verify slug)
- Diabetes Pro Tip Series — foundational management series Melissa re-listens to (verify slug)
- Riley Children’s Health — Indianapolis; her daughter’s pediatric endocrinology (verify URL)
- Juicebox Podcast Facebook Group — community around type 1 (verify URL)
- Juicebox Podcast — all series and free resources
Every word of the conversation
A Mom, One Year In0:00
Here we are back together again, friends, for another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Hi. I am Melissa, and I am mom to a four year old type one diabetic.
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 or becoming bold with insulin. 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. Today's podcast episode is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the MiniMed seven eighty g system and their new sensor options, which include the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed seven eighty g system? You can do that at my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox.
Today's episode is also sponsored by the Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter. Learn more and get started today at kontoornext.com/juicebox.
Testing. Can you say
testing? Testing.
Awesome. That's working. Now you won't be the next Victor Garber. Yeah. Go ahead.
Introduce yourself the way you want to be known. I don't think you need your last name. If you wanna use it, I wouldn't stop you.
Oh, no. I'm mm-mm. Okay. You're
like, no. I won't be telling people my last name. Thank you for bringing it up.
Alright. Well, here goes. Hi. I am Melissa, and I am mom to a four year old type one diabetic.
One Year This Past Weekend2:37
How long has your four year old first of all, hello, Melissa. And Hello. How how long has your four year old had type one?
One year this past weekend.
I just this morning interviewed a gentleman from England who's, I think, 16 old or it has had it for, like, four months now or something like that. Jeez. She like, he told me a story that while he was telling me, he got choked up. Mhmm. I stopped him, I said, listen.
If it makes you feel better, I'm crying too. So it was just this terrible extra when it's, a little kid. Just hard to hear, I think. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, today might be a day for tears because
Awesome.
I get choked up. It's hard for me to still talk about it sometimes. Okay. It's only been a year, so I think that's fair.
Yeah. How old are you?
How old are you? You? What year is this? 42.
You're 42. But you have a four year old?
Yeah. Yeah.
How old were you when got married?
Not yet. Actually, getting married this August.
How old were you when you let that boy make you pregnant? 38?
38 with that one, but then
Melissa, you're gonna be fun. We're okay. I okay.
Yeah. Which times have 18 old.
Oh, yeah. With with Yeah. Oh, wait a minute. How many kids do
have Two and no more.
Same guy. You said it like you were like, it was such such such a a flashback. Same guy.
Well, I mean, I'm not married, so that's, like, obviously everyone's first question.
Gotta be. You know what I mean? So Yeah. We have a third so had you had you been married prior? Nope.
What happened well, how did may may I dig in? What happened to yeah. Unburden yourself, Melissa. What happened in your life that you didn't meet a guy until you were 38 that you would even let do that, and then you didn't marry him right away? Like, what's how'd you get to all that?
Unburden Yourself, Melissa4:16
So I think well, I know I'm, like, a little bit weird in a I think I think in a good sense, but I don't know. I've had a couple, what, three, like, decent length relationships, but I was engaged once in my very early twenties. And then that was a it was very obvious mistake. So Okay. Broke that off early on.
And then what what's the next long relationship?
Let's see. My late twenties.
Mhmm.
I was I had friends that had kids right out of high school, and I at that point, like, always wanted kids, and I always wanted to have the, you know, happily ever after. But I was just having fun. Like, I worked in a restaurant. We went out to the bars every night.
Mhmm.
You know, it was just a good time.
I I've been married for thirty years this summer. I don't know if I
have Congratulations.
I don't know if I have a happily ever after. I suppose I was just
Well, I've come to realize that maybe it's not like I mean, not all the time. I'm very happy.
Sure.
Me too.
Yeah. Too. We were watching the boys last night, and Arden Arden says, if mom had Homelanders powers, you'd be dead. You said you're right. You're right.
That's fine. So okay. Early twenties, Melissa. How was she Mhmm. How was she quirky?
The Unfiltered Tomboy Plumber5:59
I hope this doesn't offend anyone. But okay.
So I hope it does.
I was
But go ahead.
Yeah. That's true. Whatever. I was very tomboyish, like, played softball my whole life.
Mhmm.
I ended up becoming a plumber by trade, and then I I always had guy friends and not, like, girlfriends.
It was
kind of a running joke that I was a lesbian by other people, not me. I'm like, no. No. I promise. Like, women are great.
Love them. They're beautiful. Yeah. Nice boobs. But, no, I don't wanna touch them.
Not down for that. But but but you you you, as the kids say, coded gay.
Yes.
Okay.
Very much so.
Alright.
Yeah. Yeah.
And then and then how was late twenties, Melissa, quirky? Did it change at all?
Maybe. A little bit. I think I got a little more reserved in a sense because I was in, like, I don't wanna say a shitty relationship. It was it yeah. It ended up being not it was he was a little mentally abusive, never physical.
He had just small digs, small digs. So it kinda shut me down some, I think.
Wait. You said small digs. Right? Yeah. Okay.
Alright. It wasn't. So it's like, what is she it's like, what is she about to say? So so wait. So he would, like, what?
Like, just try to looking back, he feel like he was trying to keep you down a little bit or change you, or what do you think was happening?
Yeah. I think he was trying to keep me more, I guess, submissive, maybe, in a sense.
To thoughts and ideas or sexually, or what do you mean?
Yes. All.
All all the above.
Yeah. Looking back, like, of any ex I've ever had, like, I'm still I don't wanna say friendly, but, like, I don't have hatred towards, like, if I saw them, I'd be like, oh, hey. How's it going?
What's up?
If I saw this guy, I'd probably find a rock or something and throw at him. Like
Was his mom's domineering towards him? Do you do you have any idea why he felt like he needed to control somebody? So Okay.
I don't so I believe let's see if I remember correctly. His dad was actually out of the picture because he was in prison.
Oh, that's one of Yeah. That's one of the things that
get Yeah. So he did grow up with a stepdad. And, like, I think I I only met his parents once, that was a surprise on them. We drove from the Midwest to Virginia. And then when we got there, they're like, oh, who's this?
I'm like, oh, cool. You didn't tell your family I was coming.
Awesome. Do they know who I am even? Why is this so weird?
They did not.
Oh, how long had you been dating when he drove you across the country to spring on them that you were
Probably two years.
Oh my god. Really? Now when that happens Yeah. You're standing in Virginia and you realize all this, you go, okay. I guess I'll break up with him as soon as we get home?
No. Because I think at that point, I was so, like, already beaten down. Not physically, but,
like Yeah.
You know? But, yeah, I think I was just and, like, he had two small children that I was, like, in love with, so that was a part of the Oh. Part of the reasons that I stuck around. Can I
tell you what I told a lady the other day while we were recording? Sure. If somebody else didn't like it, you might not like it either. You know what I mean? Like like Right?
Careful. You know? I I I don't wanna generalize because there are plenty of women who are horrible. But but, you know, girls, like, put I have a I my daughter's twenty twenty over. Please be careful.
You you know? When they're when they're yelling, that's not okay. You know, when you're making up excuses for them all the time, not okay. You know? When they seem really, like, perfect, but they've been divorced three times.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Not okay. Yeah. Anyway, well, I'm sorry. That sucks. But but okay.
But how were you quirky then? Because you you said I was a little weird. You mean weird, like, coded lesbian, but we're straight? No.
I guess let's see. Weird I don't know. I say I don't have much of a filter.
Mhmm.
So, like, those a lot of those thoughts that some people just internalize and keep to themselves, I would, like, say out loud. Okay. Like, I don't know. I couldn't even come
up Melissa, I say things constantly that people look at me strangely about. I have no idea what they're talking about.
That's true. When I listen to your podcast, I there are many times where you've said something, and my eyes are just like, woah.
Right.
Oh, okay.
That's cool. But you would but you would say it.
Absolutely. Yeah.
How come it's okay for you and not for me?
It's not. I mean, it is okay. It's just I'm not used to other people being the same.
I it's and I by the way, I'm not a person who says, like, oh, I know that I'm being offensive or outside of what people say usually, but too bad, deal with it. Like, I'm not I don't feel like that at all. I genuinely don't see what's wrong with it. And I don't mean like I don't understand the world. I don't understand why we can't talk like that.
I really don't. Like, I I think everybody would be better off if they just said what they thought and everybody knew how everybody felt. And we were being honest about things. We weren't Yes. Go you know, like, one of my favorite things that happens on the podcast is people will come on and talk about their horrible health care.
And then I'll ask them about the doctor and go, oh, the doctor's fantastic. And I'm like, I don't understand. Like, you just described, like, multiple things going wrong with your health that could easily be helped by somebody else. And I Mhmm. I assume you're about like, when someone does that and I ask the follow-up question, my assumption is they're gonna explain to me what their doctor's not doing, how it would
be more helpful for them if they did these things so that it can
be like a learning experience for other people. But instead, what they go is, no. He's great. I'm like, that's not possible. It's like if I I I told you before we got on, like, there was somebody here painting a wall in my house.
Imagine if he showed up and I paid him, and when he left, the wall wasn't painted. And I said, how's the painter? And he went, oh, he's terrific.
No. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't get that at all. But, nevertheless, like, I don't think that words hurt people.
I agree with that.
Yes. So, I mean, you can choose to be hurt by them, I guess. But I I mean, I've had people say pretty terrible things about me, and I'm still okay.
Hey. Same.
Yeah. I I well, trust me. I get it more than you do probably. Because my
You things you talk to more people than
you do. My things in the world. You you know what I mean? So anyway Yes. Yep.
Right now, early thirties, Melissa.
Yes.
What what happened there? How did you shift again?
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Becoming a Plumber15:30
Early thirties is when I became a plumber. My stepdad was a plumber and asked me I was doing the waitress thing, and they were like, oh, what are you gonna do with your life? Blah blah blah. I'm like, I don't know. I like waitressing.
And then he was like, hey. You wanna help me put in a water softener one day? And I'm like, yeah. Why not? So I went.
He had me using a flame and soldering stuff, and I'm like, well, this is cool. And, yeah, that became my my trade for about ten years.
Ten years. Like like Yeah.
Working on your own, or you worked for a house? Or what do you
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I worked well, his his company. Okay. Family company.
But
They could put you in a van, send you to someone's house. You could swap out a hot water heater, plummet, new construction thing, stuff like that. Yep. And you learned that all on the job?
Yes. Well, I went through the whole, like, four year apprenticeship also.
Oh, you did? But yeah. Yeah. But why'd you stop doing that then? Because, you know, it was because of the joke about the lesbian laying pipe.
Was that it?
Oh, it's no. Because I I was so I learned very early on that you had to give all the guys their, like, more shock than what they will say to you. Oh, okay. You won't get yeah. I was
Oh, okay. So if you're quiet and demure, they're gonna be rude around you. But if you can be if you can be worse than them, it shuts them down.
Yeah. Oh. Yes.
Interesting.
Yeah.
But you didn't mind that dynamic?
No. Because it was great because that's, like I was able to say whatever I wanted in, like, the most harsh, not safe for work
Mhmm.
Way. Like, it was cool.
Kinda kinda freeing. You couldn't say that
in the
restaurant when you were, like No. Bringing people their pancakes. Yeah. No. No.
Interesting. No. Okay. Alright. So you're so, I mean, you're not weird.
You're just what? You're you're outspoken maybe? Is that how people would think of it? I by way, I don't Yes.
That would be.
Yeah. I don't know how regular people describe me. But sometimes when they say stuff, I'm like, I don't see myself that way at all. It's interesting. Okay.
So okay. Then you finally meet this guy, the guy that you've allowed to knock you up twice. And Mhmm. On purpose, by the way?
First time. Yes.
And so you guys are like, we've been together for a while. We're gonna have a baby. We'll get married at some point. Like, that was the vibe.
Yeah. Okay. Cool. Yeah.
Nice.
Yeah.
And okay. So then make that baby, it pops out. Make another baby eighteen months ago. Wait a minute. First one gets diabetes how long ago?
A year ago. Mother's Day weekend of last year.
Mother's Day weekend of last year, your your toddler still gets diagnosed while you have a newborn?
She was about, what, year? Nine months?
Yeah. My gosh.
Not quite a year.
The Week Before Diagnosis18:33
Okay. So what what was the, you know, what was the first thing you noticed? What what got you to the doctor?
So we had just gone through potty training. So she was peeing a lot anyway because that was, like, the whole thing in the potty train. You drink a lot of water. Drink a lot of water. Make you pee.
She hadn't peed overnight in a long time, but then she was, like, peeing out of her pull ups. And then that was probably for a couple weeks. She'd wake up in the middle of the night to go pee. She'd come downstairs and just be like, I need water, or I'm hungry. I'm like, why are you hungry at 2AM?
This makes no sense.
Yep.
And then that last week, she had let's see. Wednesday, she was acting normal. Thursday morning, she was just, like, super lethargic, just, like, sleepy. Like, super sleepy. I'm like, well, maybe she's just you know, the weather's been nice.
Like, we've been outside more. Like, maybe she's just tired. Yeah. We all get tired. Friday comes and still lethargic.
Her eyes seemed a little sunken. Mhmm. Still peeing a lot, and there was a lot of confusion. Like, she couldn't quite like, if we asked her a question, it would take her a second, and you could tell that she was basically forcing herself to interact with us.
Okay.
I'm like, okay. Well, maybe she's coming down with something.
Maybe I am maybe I am weird, and the kids identified it.
I know. Right?
She's like she's like, look. And this lady brings food, so I'm not gonna say too much. But, you know, I'm sorry. Yeah.
Well and she's a kid that doesn't complain. Like, actually, just yesterday morning like, she usually gets up at, like, eight.
Mhmm.
Yesterday morning, like, 06:30, she's she's like, I'm I wanna go downstairs. And I'm like, let's cuddle. We we co sleep.
Mhmm.
I'm like, let's cuddle. Usually, that's my way of, like
Laying in bed longer?
Go back to sleep for a little bit longer, kiddo. So she's like, no. My tummy hurts. I'm like, what? Like, you don't complain about things.
What is this? So came downstairs. I think she went to the bathroom, and then she felt better. But then she's still, like, blah. So I took her temperature, and it's, like, one zero one point nine.
I'm like, no. This is the first time that we've had a temperature since diagnosis.
Okay.
So I'm like, oh my god. What do I do? What do I do? What do do? Give her carbs so I can give her insulin.
Was
it even a problem?
She did have ketones yesterday evening, and then this morning, she had moderate, but I think that's just because overnight. Mhmm. Because the the second pee of the day, she was negative.
Okay. You you've got ketones with urine?
Yes.
Okay. There's a cool blood meter that does it too.
Yeah. I've been I asked for a prescription because my insurance covers basically everything, but they didn't cover it. So I just haven't bought one yet Okay. Because it hasn't been an issue.
They didn't they don't cover that?
I know.
That's interesting.
I don't know. But Okay. Oh, so back to
Friday. You. Yeah.
Yeah. So oh, no. So okay. So Saturday morning, it was, like, what we're is our Mother's Day. We're gonna do it Saturday because for some reason, they don't do stuff on Sunday and Mother's Day, like, in the towns.
So we went to breakfast, and, of course, she had waffles and syrup. And she was, like, in great spirit Saturday morning. And then waffles and syrup, and then we go to, like, a Mother's Day market afterwards and walking around. And, usually, she's, like, wants to touch everything, wants to be like, do everything, walk around, run around. Like, she's all over the place.
Yeah. But she just wanted to sit in the wagon with her baby sister. And we're like, okay. This is something is really not right. So we leave there, and it's around nap time.
She falls asleep in the car immediately, but she has very labored breathing. So we're like, okay. Let's go home. He stays home with the baby. I take her to the ER, and it was like, as we're checking in, like, I didn't even finish giving them all the information.
And they're like, why don't you come back to triage? Like, skipped the waiting room, went straight back. There was one nurse that was, like, doing all the vitals. He's like, before we do anything, we're just gonna do a blood sugar test. And I'm like immediately, I'm like, ah.
Straight Back to Triage22:47
Oh, you thought diabetes?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I had, you know, the old Google and chat GPT.
Mhmm. In in your family at all?
The Aunt Who Went Blind23:34
Yeah. I had my dad's sister, so my aunt, she was diagnosed in the seventies, in her thirties.
She
only is fifteen year later fifteen years later that she ended up passing.
In her mid forties? Yeah. Wow.
From the diabetes. Yeah. Lost digits, fingers, toes, lost her eyesight. I'm I'm guessing that she it was undiagnosed for a long time, but it was a long time ago too.
Yeah. Also, it's type one. It can only go undiagnosed for a certain amount of time. At some point, it's more about using enough insulin for what you're eating. You know?
Yeah. Yeah. Jeez. No one knows I don't know how with her being blind, I don't know how I don't understand how they I don't get it. I don't my mom's tried to tell me some stuff, and I'm like, I
About how they manage it. It could even
manage it. Not make sense to me that they were able to, like, manage anything back then. Like, it's hard enough now. Like You know, I have
cutting edge technology, and this is very difficult. You know? Imagine the seventies. Scott, is that Yeah. I I almost thought how long ago was that, but I know how long ago that was because of how old I am, and that's, you know Right.
Yeah. 55 years. She was blind.
Like Wait. The whole time or from the diabetes?
I she lost her eyesight very early on.
Really?
Yeah. Like, had a seen eye dog and everything. Like, when I say eyesight, like, they took her eyeballs out.
Oh, see
She had she had glass eyeballs.
No kidding. Gosh. That's a tough life.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And she was a nun. Even worse.
No kidding? Yeah. Yeah. How do you No. Never mind.
Are you guy are you guys Catholic? The whole family? Yeah.
I mean, yes.
Yes. We are. Thank you.
Yes. Baptized Roman Catholic. Yes. But I am probably the I've got four siblings. I'm really I don't I'm not not practicing right.
Particularly religious. I I wish I was a nun so that when people offer me things, could say, none for me. Thanks. Don't I think I would just do I think I would do cringey stuff like that all day long. I really do.
I don't ching.
Yeah. I I think I would do pretty much all the time. Wow. Okay. So it's a little bit in your background.
The doctor says blood sugar is checked. You know diabetes. It all kinda falls together for you then what you've been seeing, you know.
Yeah. I mean, was still very shocking because I was, you know, in denial. But, yeah, her when they when he showed me the thing, it was $6.95, and I was like and there were, like, three other nurses right there and because the teaching hospital. But they were I'm not saying they were excited, but they were all, like, you could tell they're patting themselves on the back a little bit because they knew.
We're figuring it out.
And they weren't they weren't being, like, rude about it or anything. But it was just, like, I could tell that they were, yay. Yeah. Figured that out. Immediately.
Yeah. Woo hoo.
They see you more like a black
first time. Yeah.
Yeah.
That was the very first time. Like, the one nurse that took her blood sugar was like, you need to listen to the juice box podcast.
Listen to the Juice Box Podcast26:44
Really?
I'm like, do what? Yes. You're gonna
somebody just Yes. Can you imagine the ridiculousness of what I've built? You're, you know, you're in an emergency room. Somebody just told you your four year old has type one diabetes, and and they're like, here's a podcast for you. You're like, did that seem strange?
It did. Right?
Well, looking back, yeah. I mean, at the time, I was like, sure. I don't know what you're I don't I don't listen to podcasts. I don't like podcasts. I'm not a podcast person.
I do not like podcasts, but this one applies to me. So
Yeah. Turns out you just needed the right one. That's all.
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
There's gotta be a podcast for girls who plum.
My sister has tried to tell me, like, many times, like, you need to do YouTube channel. You need to do TikTok. You need to do all this debt. And I'm like, I probably should've, like Oh, man.
Like, girl, like, showing you how to, like, do plumbing stuff?
Yeah. She's like, you could be called the ponytail plumber.
You know, that only works one way with today's Internet. Right? Yeah. Tanks is involved. So Yeah.
Yeah.
Only fans. Only Jesus.
What does the world come to? Oh. Wow. Okay. So kids diagnosed in the and somebody says, listen to the podcast.
You, I've assumed, don't, like, download it right away. But
On the second day, I did. Second day in the hospital.
Tell me. Tell me. How'd you go from work?
I is not I cut you off. I'm sorry. Tell me. Oh, wait. No.
You're fine.
No. No. Well, I'll start over. So, like Yes. You go from day one of, like, I don't listen to podcast to day two.
Okay. Give it to me. What happens in that twenty four hours?
Because there are about three other people that told me to listen to the podcast.
Oh, in the hospital or in your life?
Yes. In the hospital. What hospital? One in my life.
What hospital is this?
It's in South Bend, Indiana.
Alright. Hey. Thanks, everybody. What's up, guys?
Yeah. Yeah.
Invite me out. I'd love to do a talk.
Right?
Yeah. Not during tornado season. Is that where there are tornadoes?
Occasionally. Okay. We do. Yes. More in the country, not really in town so much.
Okay. I saw a house in Indiana the other day. You know how, like, if if you look at one house, eventually, your Instagram will just show you a new house.
Is it? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
This it was a mansion. And and and the price was so low, and I'm like, I don't understand what's happening. And then I clicked through, and there's like, Indiana. But, oh, I got it now. Usually, that's West Texas.
You ever see the West Texas house?
Oh my god. Yes.
You know. Right? You're like
So jealous. Yeah. Yes.
How would you like to live in a mansion for $12? I would. Thank you. Where do I have to live? West Texas.
Oh, okay. Sounds dry.
Mean, I like warm weather. So
I'll tell you. I'm gonna south. If these people stop arguing with me, I'm going to Tennessee. Right. By these people, I mean my children and my wife.
My brother has a house in Tennessee.
Does he?
Yeah. He owns an Airbnb.
I seriously am thinking about leaving.
I am.
I can hook
you up.
Yeah. No. I don't mean for now. I'm I wanna leave. Like, I wanna sell my house and go there and live.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's it's nice.
Is it?
It's pretty. Yeah. Yeah. It is. Have you not been?
Yeah. I've been once. I went once, looked at a house, and said, that's fine. I'll stay here. Thank you.
I'm very easy to get along with.
Right. It's honestly, if you don't like snow, besides maybe once every few years, It's great.
Don't want snow.
Mild winters, mild summers from what I understand.
Yeah. That's what I'm looking for. Somewhere where some of my animals could live outside even maybe. Right, buddy?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. I just like to live outside. He can't understand me. He's a dinosaur. But anyway, I'm sorry.
So a number of people come up to you in the hospital, say, hey. Give it a try. You're like, oh, hell. Okay. I guess I will.
And then what's the rest of the time in the hospital like? What happens when you get out? Do they start you with technology? I wanna know about that stuff.
So the hospital we were okay. So we were there admitted Saturday. We ended up being discharged Tuesday evening. I mean, it's a whirlwind of information, so it was like, ah. And I had it in my mind that, you know, she's gonna go back into DKA, like, as soon as we get home.
Like, ah, this is it was, you know, as with everyone, was very scary.
Frightening. Yeah.
We left with a Dexcom. Thank god. I don't like, when people talk bad about Dexcom, I almost take it personally because I'm like, this is, like that's my buddy. Like, stop talking about my buddy that way. I love my Dexcom.
Like, it's a lifesaver. So there for all the all the teaching, all the education, I end up my my sister is an ER doctor down in Indianapolis. Mhmm. And she was, like, the first person next to my kid's dad, the first person I contacted when we're in the hospital. And she's like, oh, like, did they say DKA?
I'm like, yeah. That's yeah. That would be basically the first thing they said. So she was, like, kind of a driving force of getting me into an endo down at Riley Hospital, which is, like, the big children's hospital in Indiana.
Mhmm.
And when when the diabetes educator of the hospital we were in was, like, trying to get us an appointment because they wouldn't let you discharge until you had an appointment with an endo.
That's probably good. No.
Yeah. Absolute like, I hear all these stories of them, like, hospitals just letting people go, and I'm like, that is not my experience.
They're like, you go see an endo. How am I supposed you'll figure it out.
And Yeah.
Yeah.
So they were like, oh, well, you can't get into Riley. That's usually, like, months wait. And I'm like, well, let me let me try. And so then, like, I got in touch with my sister and her one of her good colleague friends was the ER doc at Riley Hospital. And she's like, hey.
You need to get my sister's daughter in. And she just emailed the endo, and I was like, hey. Send them. Call them and set up an appointment. So they called me, and we got in that next week.
And it was when the educator at our hospital tried calling. It was like a four month wait. And they're like, you're not gonna get in. You're not gonna get in. I'm like, well, I have an appointment next week.
So A
four month wait. Yeah. That's really something, isn't it?
Because she was so young. Yeah. Because she was three and a half at the time. And there that was the closest that had a pediatric for under four. No one else would see her.
Like, that was local.
Mhmm. Did you have to travel? Almost. Do you still travel to go to Arundo?
Once we've been down there twice, but they're totally fine. Our like, my management has been, I think, stellar. Oh. So we've been doing Zoom.
And they're they're able
need blood work.
Yeah. I mean and they can do that locally where you are, really. You don't Yeah. Need to travel for that. What do you mean your the management's been stellar?
How long she had to hype on now? Year?
A year.
Okay. Yep. And and what what are outcomes like so far?
6.7 and 79% in Range34:21
Let's see. I wrote all this down because I knew you're gonna ask. So currently, her the GDI or whatever it is on Dexcom has her at 6.7.
Nice.
And we average around $1.44.
Wow. That's great. And she's
I'm in range
I'm
in range. 79%.
79. She's not in school right now yet. Right? No. Okay.
And you are you home with her?
Yes.
Yeah. I was gonna ask you, what did you do after the plumbing?
So I went from doing the manual labor to working at a plumbing wholesaler. So instead of installing toilets, I sold the toilets. Okay. And that is where I met my man. He was he was my boss.
Is he older than you?
A little bit. Is it in, six years?
It it like, six years. I was gonna say, is it was this inappropriate? Would HR not enjoy this if they heard about it?
At first, no. We actually I I worked there up until I had my first kid.
Okay.
The the diabetic. And we he was so terrified to contact his like, the own it's a family run. I mean, it's a big company in Indiana, but it's a family run. But he was very nervous to tell them that
He knocked up the girl that works at the front desk?
Yes. Basically. Yeah.
Worry. We did on purpose.
Right? Yeah. Basically. And they were something? No.
No. Okay. Okay.
No. But they were, like, totally, like, is it is it is this a healthy thing? Is this is this like, you're not gonna get in trouble. The company is not gonna get in trouble. And he's like, no.
Like, we're like, we've lived together since COVID. Like,
it's She's not here against her will.
We're going on, like, five years being together, and they're like, okay. Great.
Awesome.
Yeah. Us pictures.
Yeah. Leave us out of it. Thank you.
Basically. Basically.
Well, you know, the truth is is that and not to pivot in a really crazy direction, but I think a large percentage of people meet their mates at work.
How else do you meet people?
I don't know. Like, I I remember graduating from high school, and my cousin goes, well, that's the last time you'll meet a new girl. And I went, wait. What? And then I was like, oh, he's right.
Because we all work in a sheet metal shop, and there's not girls here. You know? Although I did briefly do something with the daughter of the girl that showed up at the lunch truck. So, I mean, I guess that's a work from patients.
Right. So
I don't feel like that's a thing I ever said out loud. But seriously though, like, it's it's hard, you know, like, to meet people. And then, you know, the the whole world leaned in a certain direction over the last couple of years. Now, like, suddenly, you're not able to talk to anybody or, you know, what if I offend someone or say the wrong thing? You know, in the end, I think it's if a if a handsome guy with some money talks to you, it's romantic.
And if a creepy guy or if if a pimply guy with no prospects talks to you, it's creepy. You you know, it's sometimes
A conversation for my brother.
Oh, why why? Is he creepy, or is he not?
No. He's not creepy at all. He's great. He's 50, and he's he's still he will be a forever bachelor. But he's come across the if he is friendly to a woman, then he's being, like, offensive and sexual harassment.
But he's like, how am I supposed to talk to people? Like
Yeah. No. No. No. We we I think we might have overcorrected in there a little bit.
Yeah. You know? And then and everybody complains nobody dates anymore. Like, well, you won't let anybody talk to anybody.
So Right. Yeah. Yeah.
It's gotta be a middle ground somewhere, which I assume we'll find soon once people are completely tired of dating apps, which has gotta be
The Internet goes away.
Yeah. Which has gotta be coming soon. Mean, nobody seems to everyone who you talk to does not enjoy them, But they feel like they have to use the the dating app. So
Yeah. That's luckily, I've never had to
Yeah.
Thankfully.
Yeah. Oh, no. Not you. You're you think like a boy. You probably just run out there and take over.
Right. Slap everyone on the
ass.
Yeah. Yeah. Hey.
Let's get going. Let's sell some toilets, if you know what I mean. So do you guys still work together,
or you're not you're not there anymore?
So this was this is a I don't know. Not a silver lining. Work perk, I suppose. I work part time from home. Same company.
You can sell toilet from the house?
I do, like, order entry stuff. So That's awesome. Good for you. Yeah.
Right. It's a nice little setup. Nice. How come my shower was tripping this morning? Once that it dripped is it the handle?
Did you so if it were me, I would turn it on and off Mhmm. Few times, like, aggressively. And if that didn't fix it, you probably have some dirt kept up in there.
Okay. Like, in the where this where the seal In
the handle.
In the handle. Mhmm. Mhmm. Alright. Well, if you live closer, I'd have you come out and take care of it.
I'm definitely not gonna do it because all I think of is, like, water just everywhere in the house.
Oh, I mean, it's a possibility.
Yeah. That could happen.
That's I so many people are like, oh, hey. Can you come over and do this? I'm like, no. No. I can't.
I am not insured. Mhmm. I am not licensed at this point. I will not touch any plumbing in your house because if something goes wrong, I will not be health licensed.
You're definitely gonna blame me. Sorry. And then what am I gonna do? Yeah. I hear you.
Okay. Well, okay. Kid comes home, has good ear. You feel like you're doing well. Tell me how you got to doing well.
Like, I mean, was the education at the hospital? Oh, wait. It's not it's just me?
I just had this just you.
Mhmm. This this happened the other day. I was explaining this to somebody. I'm like, I I genuinely ask. I wanna know what they heard in the hospital.
I wanna know all this. And then sometimes people are like, oh, I learned it with a podcast. And I was like, and it sounds like I'm asking, so they'll say that. But I really don't know what anyone's gonna say. So I'm glad that's the case.
Tell me how you figured it out then. What'd you do?
So I don't know. So the first I remember the first episode. I don't remember which one it was, but it was one where it was just like a like, someone talk you talking to me. Like, you're talking to a parent or whatever. And, like, the verbiage, I was like, mind you, this is day two.
Yeah.
I'm like, I don't I don't understand. I don't okay. This isn't for me. I don't maybe down the road. And then a buddy of mine who I used to work at the restaurant with, I had called him, like, that week because he's he's been he's type one, had been for probably around twenty years or so.
Okay.
And he's like, you really need to listen to the Juice Box podcast. Nope. You know, I tried, and it's not for me. He's like he's like, you have he's like, there's, like, the gold beginnings, and he's, like, listing down, like, the the list of the ones of the episodes. And I'm like, I don't know.
I'll try. And then he
oh. Are you are you ordering poem?
For it. I just thought you were ordering
a poi after typing.
Oh, no. That's my pen. Oh. It's just completely lost track of what I was saying.
Well, let me talk for a second because Sure. People who are like, yeah. Why don't you not talk as much? But that's fine. I just teared up.
Like, the idea that you were in Indiana and your kid gets diagnosed and multiple people in the hospital come up to you and kinda whisper in your ear, try this podcast. And then you try it, you don't have a good, you know, you know, it's not doesn't feel right for you, which I understand. And then you go to a friend who has type one and that's an adult. It's not a he's not a nurse, he doesn't work at the hospital, he's the guy living with type one IVs and he knows the show. And I really felt like, oh my god.
Like, I'm I really am doing a good thing. Like, it it's working because I can't tell if it's working from here. I don't know if that
It is.
Yeah. Yeah. But it's hard I don't know if that makes sense to people listening because, you know, I mean, if I if I if I owned a lawn mowing service, I showed up at your house. When I was done, I could look back and go, I cut the grass. Like, I see that I did it.
You you know, I Right. I can't see what's happening. And so to hear stories like this is is really fulfilling. So I appreciate you telling me this. Thank you.
Hey. Anytime.
No. So he talks you into it? He's like, stop thinking and do?
Yeah. Well, he was telling me this is where I lost my thoughts.
I got you back to it. Sorry, professor.
You did.
Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.
He was trying to explain to me the tug of war. Mhmm. And I'm like, I don't like, I he kind of makes sense. But then I listened to the the episode, and I'm like, oh, I'll be okay. Okay.
Okay. So it made sense when I said it. Yeah. I've practiced. I know how to do it.
Yeah. Well, and I've listened to a lot of the series, like, since then, like, over and over because I find that once I, like, listen to it and, like, put it to practice, and then maybe a month later, go back and listen to it again. I'm like, okay. I get it even more.
Yeah. You hear something else that makes sense all of a sudden that didn't make sense for you. Yeah. No. I agree.
That is exactly how it works. So you are a podcast person?
Just this one.
Is there nothing else you're interested in learning about?
Tried other ones. I've really I've tried them. Well, I like this. Maybe I'll like another one.
Oh, but the people suck.
I can't, basically.
You know, I'm a talented communicator.
Yeah. You're a wordsmith. Mhmm. It's fun.
Thank you. I just laugh because I just I always imagine that somebody this is someone's first episode. And they're like, what a what an asshole. Right. Keep listening.
You'll learn to like me. Or you won't. And then you hate listening, that's good for me too. So whatever you need to do Right. It's alright with me.
Well, that's really wonderful. I'm I'm thrilled. So you what? You learned about getting settings? I mean, here's my here's my hope.
I hope that what you heard was nothing works without good settings, and I need to understand the impact of the food, and timing's really important, and then the rest of it just worked out for you.
I mean, that's the goal. Yeah. Settings, I think that we are I think we're pretty okay on settings right now.
Mhmm.
Bananas and the 40-Minute Pre-Bolus45:08
It's more with her being for Like, it's hard to pre bolus.
Yeah.
And when I do get to, it's like
How much easier this works?
Amazing. Like, I'm really good at bananas, surprisingly enough. Mhmm. Really good with bananas because she knows she has to wait about forty minutes that she wants a banana.
We're
gonna get this Everything else.
In the other direction, and then you're gonna eat this banana just so you know. Well Yep. Yep. That's so that's that's really great. Like, I I was just talking to the gentleman before me before you, where, like I said, he's got, like, a, you know, a 16 old.
And I said, you know, the best thing I can tell you about pre bolusing is if you're remembering to do it, you're scared because you're not sure what they're gonna eat, put a little bit in. And then as soon as you see the rest of it go in, then do it. Just having a tiny bit on your side is a big deal. You
know? Yes. Yeah.
I still can't get that through to my own kids sometimes. But by the way, pre ballsing is a difficult thing to to to remember to do even. You know?
Yeah. I feel like that is like, she'll eat peanut butter and jelly almost every day. I know that that's 25 carbs. And as like, I'm giving her the plate a lot of times. I'm like, goddamn it.
I forgot. I could have at least gotten a five minute pre bolus.
So but but and it's tough when you see the difference because there's a huge difference.
Yes.
Huge. And and it's you know? But you know. And I think that really is the most important part. You have the ideas down.
And if you don't get to do it every day, that's one thing. But knowing that you should be staying, you know, motivated to to do better and and and to to meet those kind of, like, measurements, you'll get there. You you know what I mean? You really will.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's
How does she handle the diabetes? Like, is it does it seem impactful to her?
Every three and ten days. What
do you mean?
So she well, whenever we have to she's on Omnipod.
Oh, I know. Sorry.
Sorry. I had to clear my throat.
You're fine.
So she she's fine, basically. I mean, we we poke her do it well, we do her toe, not her fingers. Mhmm. But, like, when we have to poke her toe to double check the Dexcom, she's she's the one that wants to do it. She's like, can I do it?
Can I do it? I'm like, hell, yeah. You can do it. Nice. I want you to do it.
But and she's gotten a lot better when we changed the pods. It was
Look at My Bump47:38
Scary for
I think yeah. Scary. I think it was more like this, like, clicking.
Then when the scene goes in? The anxiety because of
she let like, I I paint the pods with, like, acrylic paint markers and, like, make it look cute. She picks out her stickers.
Yeah.
She loves all that part, but just just the last couple weeks, she has not fought to change it. Like, it has for the last year, it has been
Easier.
Her dad holds her and hugs her, and she, like, screams every time we change a pod. But she was doing that MDI, so I'm like, well, I'll take the once every three days over the
Every time.
To seven times one day.
Yeah. And do you think it hurts her, or do you think she's scared?
I think she's scared.
Okay. And do you think with the clicking with the pump, it's the anxiety of, it's coming. It's coming. It's coming?
Yes. Okay. Yeah. I have been so I got one of those, like, percussional massagers. Mhmm.
To, like like, as I'm holding, like, pinching up the skin, like, I'll have her hold the massager on her leg to kinda divert the the feeling.
Oh, good idea.
And we have progressed from there to I just give her, like, a clicky pen Mhmm. And, like, have her hit her leg with the pen.
Okay. To kinda, like, make her more, like Yeah. Kinda give her practice at feeling about thinking about it.
Yeah. Yeah.
I it is not for me to tell you how Arden accomplishes her GLP shots, but I hope she'll come on here one day and explain it to you because there's a similarity to what you just said with the with the percussion thing.
Mhmm.
Yeah. Just kinda confuse your brain for a second.
Right. Yeah. Just divert the
The attention.
What's happening.
Yeah.
I do give my brother so my oldest brother, the 50 year old, he she loves him because he's just he's a funny guy. Like, he plays with her. She loves him. And we had to change her Dexcom and her pod while he was here a couple weeks ago. And it was the first time that she did not, like, lose her mind because she was like, watch.
Watch. Watch this. Watch this. Watch this.
Oh, she went to show him. Oh. Yes. Well, that's nice.
Like, she's very like, she's she seems afraid of the devices, but she seems to be also very proud of them. Because she's always whenever we're out in public and someone notices, she'll be like, look at my bump. She calls it a bump. Mhmm. She'll be like, look at my bump.
Look at my sticker on my bump.
Trying to share it with people too.
Yes. Oh, that's nice. Because we
don't healthy.
I try not to be negative about it around her because, you know
Sure.
They're sponges right now. So she doesn't really hear much negativity about the diabetes. It's more just, like, she doesn't like changing devices.
She doesn't like changing devices.
Mm-mm.
Okay. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's hard to blame her. I I I heard Arden. Arden went out last night with Kelly late.
I was like I was like, where are you guys going? And they said, we're getting going for salads. It was, like, 09:00. I'm like, oh, okay. And I don't really ask a lot of questions anymore.
I'm like, okay. Cool. And and they took off. They came back in the door, and I I'm like, Arden's, like, changing her pump. And I'm like, what happened?
She goes, my my pod expired. Like, blah blah blah. And she's, you know, stuck it on. I'm not looking at her. She's in another room, but I can hear her.
You know? And she just goes, oh, this one's gonna hurt. That's what she said. But I it was it's funny because she stuck it on and and somehow talked herself into believing that that was a bad spot that she put it. Mhmm.
It's interesting all that little psychological stuff that goes around the insertions of these things. I'm telling you, Mike, it's it's really fascinating Because she didn't she has no idea. Like, that's a senseless statement. Do you know what I mean? Like, if I just randomly put my hand on you somewhere and said, oh, do you think this, when we poke you with a needle, will hurt more or less here than usual?
How would you know? Which you know what I mean? Right. Like but she she had herself believing it would, and then I sat there kinda quietly, you know, during the insertion process. Like, I don't know.
It just seems disrespectful to make a ton of noise while somebody's trying to do something like that. Mhmm. And so, like, sat quietly, and it installed. And I didn't hear her say anything. And I thought, I wonder if it didn't feel the way she was going to or if it did, and she's muffling it.
And Mhmm.
I couldn't I didn't wanna ask her. Like, I didn't wanna, like, it just felt like it would have been the wrong time to ask. You know what I mean? Mhmm. But anyway, it's just I think it's all very interesting, like, the psychology around the insertions.
There's a lot more there than than probably people would expect. Well, anyway, that's cool. It's good that she's out showing people her stuff too. I think that's great.
Mhmm.
Yeah. How does it feel for you when she's putting on? Do you feel sad about it or anxious, or does it bother you?
I the only time I get feelings about the devices are, like because she's a four year old. She likes to run around with just her underwear on. Like, I will see, like, her her Omnipod and the Dexcom, and I'm like, I'm never gonna see her, like, extremities with no devices. Like, it's always gonna be there. Like, this is very sad.
But then she probably, like, kicks her sister or something, and that feeling goes away very fast. So
Well, here, maybe this all of you. Arden was she's it's it's the finals time. So she's here studying. Her boyfriend was here. He's studying or writing a paper for his final.
They're both seniors in college. And they're sitting next to each other on the sofa with their laptops. And Arden's pod is on her arm, right arm maybe. And he's sitting next to her, and I looked over and saw all that. And then I saw the pod.
And it was probably my first inclination to feel badly for her. But then I let that go and I said, this guy doesn't seem to care at all. You know? Like, here he's been here for a while now. And he he doesn't seem to have an opinion about it one way or the other.
And she doesn't she's not sitting there right now feeling like, oh, I'm sitting next to this boy, but I have this device on my arm. She's not thinking about that either. So it's more about I I mean, I I think it's much less about how it feels for you and more about what how it feels for her. I guarantee you I'm sure. Yeah.
She's probably not gonna care. You know? No. Interesting. How does your husband handle all this?
Or you're the guy that you're considering allowing you to marry you after you had to get That boy. Yeah. That boy.
He's it's he's a great dad, and he helps. He's a great dad and a great partner, but I am definitely the caretaker
Mhmm.
Which is fine. I hyper fixate on things more than he does. Like, he's only he's he came home from work to watch her. And, like, right now, her blood sugar is two eighty nine. And I have to, like, text him and be like, hey.
Bullis. Bullis. Bullis. Don't let it get that high. What are you doing?
Well,
he's like I He's almost 50. Right?
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
You're like, yeah. Threw him with an old guy, I didn't think about it like that. But now
Great.
But but but he's probably was he married previous to being with you?
He yes. He was actually, when we first started chit chatting, he was just finalizing his divorce.
Oh, are you a homewrecker? Yeah. No. No? No.
Okay.
No. Mm-mm. No. I met them I met him after.
Yeah. Afterwards. Very nice. That's what I would think though. And so but but does he have kids, other kids?
No. No? Okay. What's interesting? It's like because it's a late he's a late in life father then.
He and his ex wife had tried, but nothing ever came to fruition.
Oh. So Think that's part of the reason why they didn't make it?
I don't know.
Interesting. Don't ask too many questions?
That's I don't I don't think he completely knows.
Oh, someone told him to leave?
No. Like, I know. I think his wife got kinda weird. I don't I'm speculating on anything about Should she
become a plumber? No. What what do you mean? What weirdly?
Like, she got from what I have gathered, she kinda, like, got interested in, like, guns and, like, her personality really changed, I guess. Okay. I again, speculating, and I can say this because he won't listen to the podcast. He I I think she was cheating on him. But, again, speculation.
Oh, and then some boy got her into guns.
I think so.
I see. I think so. Do feel sad for him that he doesn't know? No. Are you happy to No.
I mean, it all worked out, man, for him.
Yeah. But yeah. Because you're so wonderful.
Yeah. Yeah. Like yeah. We've got two two great kids, one with a stupid chronic disease, the other one's a little psycho, and, you know, me who might be going through perimenopause. Not sure, but maybe.
You'll know when when when the ceiling fan is is is cooling the room to minus two, and you're like, it's so warm in here. And he's
Oh, yeah.
Hiding under the bed. My my wife the other it's now a running joke in my house that when we get in bed at night, I put the blanket over my head. Like, to keep the air off of me. It's, like, too it dries my eyes out.
I said, said, I'm
like, there's so much air. Like, what is it?
What is it? Know? Wind tunnel.
And the thermostat for the upstairs is in our room. So, like, nobody else is heated or cooled properly because our room is always reading it like, you know, frigid temperatures. So, you know, either the heat's running way too much for the rest of the house or the air conditioner never comes on for anybody else depending on the time of it. Right. And everyone's just very happy to think that this maybe will be over soon.
But it's been years now. Not been fun. Have you
I ugh. I'm not looking forward
to that. Don't forget to ask about the estrogen patches at some point if it becomes a thing.
I will. I'm already, I need to get on, like, the Lexapro kick. Like
Are you are you sad?
I get bouts of unexplained anger. Oh. Like
At who?
I also have
Go ahead.
Anyone. Does
it matter?
Anything. It could be the high chair that I just walked by and ran into, and I'm just like, this a metaphor. Get out of my way.
Is this, like, you think hormone shifting?
I think yes. Yes. Because I do not recall this before having children.
Tanya, ask about that estrogen badge. I don't wanna say this like this because it feels like it would be insulting if she heard it, but my wife is way more normal since she got one of those.
Yeah. But I'm totally for modern medicine, so I am
I mean
It's just the doctor.
Really nice the last years. God. Yep.
I Nothing wrong with that.
No. I'm the exact right and wrong person to make a podcast. I realized that just now. Like, the reason you're all listening is because, like, I can't believe you said that. That's awesome.
And and, also, it's gonna come back to bite me at some point. This is gonna be in a deposition one day.
I I saw nothing. I heard nothing. These these are AI voices. So Your
honor, he said I was more normal, and that's one of the reasons why I'm leaving. But now she's just god. Every word I reach for seems wrong, but she just seems more balanced. Like, less highs and lows kinda thing.
Yep. Yeah. I I believe it. I know many well, not many. I know enough women that have been on one medication or another, and it's like, wow.
Yeah.
You're a really great person now.
It's like I remember hating you before.
Go there for a while.
There's this lady in my town. This is, like, 10 years old, but there's no way she'll hear this. But she was just, like she was just a bitch on wheels. Like, nobody liked her. She was she was just nasty.
Like, about everything in every situation all the time. Like, times when it just wasn't called for or even necessary. Mhmm. She did a she did an apology tour after she found out she had hypothyroidism and got on thyroid medication.
Oh, wow.
She went around the town and, like, met people and was like, hey. I'm super sorry for how I was before, but turns out my thyroid was super imbalanced, I feel much better now.
The Apology Tour1:01:04
I did an apology tour to every person I knew that was type one diabetic.
Oh, how many was that?
Let's see. One, two, three. At least five people that I was, like, actively friends with in the last thirty years.
Wow. Where do you live near? A power plant? What's going on there?
I don't know. And so one of the girls that she is a diabetes educator, actually, through the hospital through my Endos hospital. And I've known her since high school. She was diagnosed in the eighties when she was, like, two
Mhmm.
Two and a half maybe. But, yeah, she was the first person, like, diabetic that I contacted. I'm like, Amy, I'm sorry. I don't like, she played sports in high school. Like, I remember seeing her pump and, like, you know, I remember seeing her do things like shots and or, like, the pump or, you know
Yeah.
Finger sticks. And I've been like, I I had no idea. Like, I had no idea. I thought it was just like, you carry insulin, you carry sugar. You take one or the other.
Like, who knew?
Did she seem
to Who knew?
Did she seem to appreciate that?
Yes. Everyone that I have and then it's few people through the years that I've known, and I have, like, reached out. And I'm like, I'm so sorry for, like, downplaying it. Like, I had an aunt, but, like, she was two or I was two when she died. So I don't like, I remember her presence, not so much her.
Yeah.
I remember her seeing eye dog. Mhmm.
Cool dog, probably.
Yeah. What was his name? Arthur.
Arthur.
Yeah. But, yeah, I have apologized to every diabetic that I know, and I'm like, I just I didn't know. Like, I apologize for the downplay.
Like Well, you didn't do it to the face
of the what you don't know.
Yeah. But you
didn't No. Not at all.
This is this was in your own mind.
Yeah. Oh, yeah. This is totally a me thing.
Yeah. With
no one else.
Good to hear, though. Like, so now all of us are listening thinking, like, oh, everyone is thinking this.
Right.
Maybe. Which is probably not true, everyone. But I bet you more people than you think are Yeah. Are downplaying it in their minds, and they're like, oh, they complain all the time about nothing. It's just this.
You know?
Right. Yeah. Like, oh, your blood sugar is high. Like
Yeah. Stop complaining. You're like, I can't Yeah. I'm dizzy.
Oh, you get to drink you get to eat sugar. Oh, it must be tough.
Yeah. Look who's complaining about getting chocolate in the middle of the day.
Yeah. Yeah.
No. No. I I see I can see how that could be. Well, that's nice of you to do. It didn't take you long to figure that out.
No.
I mean, it was within a week or two of being discharged from the hospital, and I was like, yeah. I need to throw some words out there.
Good for you. It's very nice. Well, what I know this is seems late as we've been talking for an hour now, but was there a reason you wanted to come on, or have we hit the reason? Or have I missed anything?
An Ounce of Hope1:03:58
I'm sure. I don't know. I think the main the only reason main reason is to give an ounce of hope to, like, the new the new diagnoses that you don't have to be, like, a veteran of diabetes to, like, get good management. Like, we're not perfect, but, like, the being bold part is, like, I like, again, her blood sugar right now, two seventy one going angled down. But, like, if I were downstairs, I'd probably give her, like, one and a half units just to, like, let's get this going.
Like, stop being so high all the time. Like, you don't like, just do it. Yeah. What the afraid. What the fuck?
You know
Go ahead. I'm sorry. Don't be afraid.
You know how to fix it. Right? Like, if you you can you know how to fix it. Like, have a juice box. If you get too low, like, trust the process.
Yeah. Just be a little bold and Yeah. And and have have enough tools to stop a problem and but don't sit and stare at don't sit and stare at terrible blood sugar results.
Yeah. Don't sit at look at it and be like, ugh. Why is it doing this?
Mhmm.
Why? Why? Just fix it and then figure it out later. Like, just do it. Just do it.
I'm glad you've come away with that. And that your a one c, especially a year end with a, like, a young kid like that is fantastic.
Yeah. I can't wait until we can get her, like, on a normal like, she eats normal foods on a normal basis.
Yeah. What pump is she using? Wonderful. Omnipod. But Omnipod five or Omnipod dash?
Five. Five. Yeah. I
I'll tell you that's getting a zhuzh up pretty soon.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah. The Omnipod five algorithm is close to being updated.
Oh, really?
I think that's the thing you probably shouldn't tell anybody I told you.
I mom's the word.
Trying to think about what I've said and done and been told. Anyway, it's common. They're gonna lower have they said this out loud? Hold on. Hold on a little bit.
Let me let me just just check here. I've signed a number of NDAs in my lifetime. I don't wanna Bro. I don't wanna be on the wrong side of any of them. Let's see if I can substantiate if they've said that.
There's no way they haven't said this out loud. Yeah. This is their website. Right? Hold on.
Yeah. They announced that insulin announces FDA five ten k clearance of Omnipod five algorithm enhancements that redefine insulin delivery and simplify the bot experience. New 100 target glucose setting offers more custom offers more customization and tighter glucose management. Enhanced algorithm, helps users remain in automated mode to improve their user experience. But, know, sometimes you get kicked out of automated.
I think that's what it's talking about. Hold on. Most requested new features enable health care providers to more effectively modify diabetes therapy to meet needs of people with diabetes. That sounds like a lot of PR talk. I know the person that wrote that.
She's a talented writer. But, actually, if you saw me in a a commercial for them recently where I talked about
I did.
Yeah. That. The girl that wrote that, and she's so good. Everybody's given me a ton of credit. They're like, you seem so natural.
Like, you have no idea what she wrote was so like she wrote in my voice. And like, she's really good. You know? I I I won't say her name on her, but I I'm a big fan of hers. So anyway, yeah.
It seems like it's online. So what I will tell you is that you're gonna be able to target 100, that they've made enhancements to the algorithm, and that I expect that should be out pretty damn soon. Is Go ahead.
Is it still gonna be the Omnipod five, or is this like
No. That'll be on that's Omnipod five with just the zooshed up algorithm. Cool. I will say this. It this the interweb says Insulet announced that the next generation Omnipod six will launch in 2007.
With clinical studies and FDA clearance is targeted for 2026, which means it's in testing now. The updated system will feature a universal pod compatible with all major continuous glucose monitors and advanced adaptive learning algorithms. So it sounds like they're gonna zhuzh it again in 2027. That nice?
It is nice.
Yeah. I I
It makes me think of so my friend that is the diabetes educator, when she was diagnosed, her parent the doctors had told her parents, like, basically, she's not gonna live to her twenties.
They say that
She is in her four
Wait. Who did they say that to?
The her parents when she was in the when she first got diagnosed.
Okay.
Like, two years old. And they're like, don't expect her to live to her twenties. But now when we were diagnosed, there were so many people that are like, oh, now is the best time to have diabetes. You couldn't have picked a better time. Okay.
Thanks.
What about next year? Comic pod six is available. Would that have been a better month?
Yeah. Yeah. Kidding.
They take their point, though. Like, you know
Yes. No. I do. And it's it's like, I technology, I love it. Like, I can't imagine.
I cannot imagine doing this without it.
Yeah. No. I I hear you. I think it's gonna be I think these things are gonna continue. Hopefully, these companies all stay solvent and, you know, and their the the fight between them for dominance continues because that's I think the only thing that keeps them, you know, innovating is the idea that somebody else is gonna get ahead of them.
So, you know, have them out there fighting with each other and making better stuff, and and hopefully, that stuff will help everybody. Be pretty awesome if Yep. If at some point, you know, AI gets a little more involved and maybe you can start making adjustments, you know. May maybe there will be an algorithm that makes adjustments on the fly, and it's not just reactive to, you know, the way it works right now. Mhmm.
I think it's really it's a, you know, exciting time for sure. It's hard to say you picked the best time because it just sounds like
I know.
It sounds like, well, no. I should have picked no time if I was picking.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. But that's really, really give
it to myself,
not her. Yeah. Can I tell you that I get so many bizarre emails, and then you don't answer them, and they just keep emailing? Really? Hi, Juice Box podcast.
Type one diabetes. Oh. I wanted to send you one final note, which means I've already emailed you three times regarding our neuroscience and yoga conference encore. I completely understand the timing or fit isn't right. I mainly wanted to close the loop and be sure you had the opportunity to take a look if it's felt aligned to share with your community.
Please tell stuff up please tell your people about stuff that we're doing that we charge money to people for. This is my whole day. It's, like, ignoring people who want to take advantage of you guys.
You sound like a big deal, mister diabetes.
I might be. But that's not the point. The point is please stop emailing me because I'm not gonna email you back, and you're really you're bothering me. And as soon as I teach my my my overlord how to, like, just completely take you out of here.
To scan your emails?
I just swear to you, I get I get bombarded with people who are like, I wrote a book. I did a thing. I made an app. This lately, this kid, boy, every way you can contact a human being, this kid has tried to contact me. Okay?
Yeah. I've made an app. I'm like, I I'd like god bless you. I hope your app helps people. I hope it's I don't wanna I don't wanna know about it.
Like like, it just if it works, come tell me then. Don't tell me about the thing you just launched that you're like, you I've been at this a long time. This is the nine millionth app somebody's told me is gonna change the face of diabetes for people. And then I ignore it, and then they come at me from a different way. Then they try DMing, then they try this thing, and then they have somebody in their family do it.
They try to post in the Facebook group. It gets blocked. They come in with another account, try to do it. It's just exhausting. Just stop.
Like, I hope your app is awesome. I wish you a ton of success. You're not selling it through my audience. Like, that's not gonna happen. So, you know, because so what?
So 50 of you, a 100 of you can take a flyer on this app? That that person makes a bunch of money, and then the app falls apart six months from now, and it's gone like every other one of them ever has? I've I've seen apps by bit like, backed by companies that don't last. Like, you in your living room, like, you make it work and then tell me about it. Come back and tell me I've I've 10,000 users.
Then I'll say, well, let me hear about your app because that sounds valuable to people. Anyway and I know you wrote a children's book. Leave me alone. Okay?
I'm happy Facebook page. Put it on the Facebook page.
Don't do that either. You're not allowed to do that either.
Oh, yeah. That's true. You're not
can't sell in the Facebook group. It's not a fucking billboard. It's a Facebook group to help people with their diabetes.
Or they can start their own Facebook group.
Yeah. Do that. Leave me alone. Yeah. I've written a book about beeping.
I'm like, ugh. Again? You're the ninetieth person to do that. What a unique, good idea you've had. But by the way, like, I I genuinely, like, one on one, if you came up to me on the street like, hey.
Wrote a children's book. I'd be like, that's really cool, and I'd be interested in hearing more about it. But it's not a podcast episode. You know? Right.
It's a thing you say once for three seconds, then I go, okay. Now what do we do? So, you know, the what do we do for the next fifty nine minutes? Anyway, I don't like peep you know, listen. It it's not here to, like, shill too.
I heard you do plenty of shilling with the with the advertisers that you don't need more.
Oh, right. Yeah.
It would say it
I don't skip through those ever.
Thank you. I really I I listen. Truth be told, like and I I work with some really great people. People who are out there really fighting for you guys behind the scenes, you would have no idea and you probably don't believe it. They're really working really hard.
Especially some companies are loaded with type ones in their departments. And so people are out there really trying hard. And they're lovely people, etcetera. But if you asked me, if you gave me a magic wand and said, you like to make the podcast with or without ads? I'd say, oh god, without, please.
Like, you know, like it's a whole like like, most of my life is spent, you know, talking to advertisers and and then setting up business arrangements and making sure that they're happy and, you know, making sure that I can keep making the podcast. It's it's a lot, and I don't wanna be doing it.
It's a necessary evil.
Yeah. It also doesn't change the podcast at all. Like, the content side of it, like, I'm not doing anything differently. I mean, can you imagine if this is me tamped down? So, like, you know, I'm not doing anything differently or holding my tongue on anything.
So does that part doesn't matter to me. It's just the rest of it. The you send it I got a note the other day. It's May 14. I got a note the other day from one of my advertisers, and I sent them an invoice in on January 2.
Oh, jeez.
It's not paid yet. I'm still I gotta pay my I got I still my electric bill comes every month. You know what I mean? And and Mhmm. And then you're just like, hi.
Are you gonna pay this invoice? Like, oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
It's coming. It's coming. Okay. Or somebody reaches out and they're like, hey. We wanna buy ads.
I'm like, that's great. Like, you know, there's time considerations. We don't have a lot of space left. Like, this is gonna be and you don't hear back from them. Like, six weeks later, they're like, hey.
We're ready to go. I'm like, wait. Well, now I'm not ready.
Start the process over, guys. Come on.
Start over. Like, the podcast is made in advance. Like, there's an episode that's up today that, you know, was probably I probably put it online four weeks ago, and it sits in a queue and waits for its turn to go up. Like, you can't put an ad on that one. You needed to put an ad on that one eight weeks ago, not today.
So then they're like, well, we want our ads to start running in June. I'm like, well, then you should have reached out in April. But you know this already because we've worked together in the past. And then suddenly, it's like, anyway, all that I'm not complaining. Like, I used to work in a sheet metal shop.
You you've been a bummer. You know what I'm talking about. Like, it's Mhmm.
Oh, yeah.
I'm fine with it. Like but it's just like, ugh. It's a lot. Like and and it's not their fault either, by the way. They're they've got stuff on their end that's holding them up and and whatnot.
But, nevertheless, this I'm not our can you imagine if I was complaining about making a podcast, Jack? And maybe I'm an asshole. I mean, honestly, like, it's so easy, like, compared to, like, a real like, a real job. You know what I mean?
Yeah. Mhmm. Can
I ask you a question? I feel like we're done. Sure. So I'm gonna ask you a question real quick.
Okay.
Because you're pretty newly diagnosed.
Mhmm.
If I were to put, like, a twenty one day kinda self guided thing together to help you through the pro tip series. You think you would have used that? Like, once a day, like, got a little, like, affirmation, a little thing to think about, got you ready for the next day, and then you just step through it at your own pace.
Yeah. Absolutely.
That would have helped. I'm not gonna charge for it. Like, I know people are like, oh god. He's trying to find a way to make money. Like, I'm absolutely free.
Like, I'm not I'm not I wouldn't ask any.
I don't know if it would have been, like, more or less help, but at this point, like, anything I think it changes so often. Like, the diabetes changes so often that anything any new tip that I can, like, try to soak in and help you.
Even just to, like, be I think it's very I don't know. I I what I'm trying to do is, like I don't know. I'm not trying not to out anybody. I certainly think people should be able to make a living any way they want to. But there are people selling coaching stuff for diabetes.
It's really expensive.
And Oh, yeah.
And there's it it's just they they don't know anything different than I know. You know what mean? And Yeah. Or that anybody else knows or that you maybe couldn't figure out by googling. If you try at this point, you Google.
The podcast pretty much is where where Google's getting it from. So, like, you can get it anywhere you want, really. But but in the end, it seems like they're charging people to hold their hand. And and I again, I don't like that idea. Like, I I prefer if you got to keep your money because diabetes is already tough enough.
And and so I I thought, well, why don't I just set something up that does that, but then just not charge anybody for it? Just let them have it.
I mean Yeah. Why gatekeep?
I well, I mean, I have bills, but, like, I I I make money. I'm okay. Like, I don't need to make more. You you know what I mean? Like, I don't need another dollar from I mean, there are times I I well, as I I daydream about what if everybody just sent $5 one time, and then I could just maybe move to an island.
But that's fine. That that's not what I'm I don't want that.
Hint hint, everybody.
What are you doing? Put some money in the mail. My god. Right. No.
But although somebody told me recently what they paid for coaching, and I was like, stop in the middle of the conversation. I'm like, everyone send me $40 right now. This is ridiculous.
Right. I was like, how much are they making?
But I just think it's, you know I don't know. I I worry that somebody wouldn't use it. But the idea would be that you kinda like join a class, and you start when you wanna start. And every day, you get an email for, like, 21 days. And that email just kinda lays a little idea out for you.
You know, gives you a little bit of an affirmation, a thing to think about. And and the episode will list too if you want, but you don't even have to, and then just take that into the next day and, you know, do a noticing, an affirmation, you know, an optional deeper dive, and then on and on and on like that to kinda help walk you through the kind of the big ideas of the podcast in the pro tip series, for example.
Yeah. I think as a newbie, that would probably be because I I didn't know at the very beginning, like, where to start. I mean, bold beginnings, that wasn't obvious enough. But Mhmm. Go ahead.
Apparently, at the time, I think that would be if you had something like that aimed towards, like, the the newly diagnosed Yeah. It would be very I mean, yes, bold beginnings is very obvious. But and I think your website's different now than what it was
I've changed
year ago.
It's much better now.
And Yes.
It's yeah. And I just actually, just had added, like, a clinician share portal to it so, like, doctors can go to this one link and print out handouts or so I just went to it so I could look at it. But I could click here, print a handout for a patient. It'll it'll print the bold beginning series. I could also click email, text, or copy and get that same information texted, emailed, or copied.
So the doctors who are, like, trying to share it with people but are end up, like, whispering into their ear or telling to go find something Yeah. They could actually give this to you now. And it's it's it's a very simple thing to do. And and then if you scroll down farther, every series in the podcast offers that same sharing thing at the bottom. But at the top, it's bold beginnings, pro tips, small sips, defining diabetes.
That's it.
Yeah.
Yeah. So, hopefully, people will try it. I don't know. But I'm thinking maybe maybe I'm gonna add this this bit to it about the the walkthrough. So I'm in the middle of it.
I'm kinda crafting it right now, so we'll see. But I appreciate your feedback.
Great idea.
Thank you. I'm full of good ideas. I just am by myself.
You're kinda smart.
I am. Don't tell people.
Kinda. Kinda.
Don't tell people. It's embarrassing.
I'm not.
Alright. Listen. Melissa, you were fantastic. I appreciate you doing this for me.
Thank you.
Mhmm. Good luck with the kid and the marriage. When are we getting married?
August 22.
Oh, big thing? Which
Yeah. Kinda. I mean, like, 150, 180 people ish.
Sounds big to me.
Yeah. I like that. Expensive.
It's expensive. Yeah. Tell them to bring money, but say don't yeah. I don't need a dish. I need I need I need a couple $100 in that card.
Basically.
Cover your meal plus a little more people. You know how to do
it. Yeah. It's like $35 a head. Come on. Just
Is that what it costs? Money.
Yeah. That's kinda like the low end.
Okay. I think then I I would play. If you're bringing two people, it's $200 per card.
Yeah. Yeah. Something like that.
You think they're gonna cheap out because you're adults?
My parents are.
Your parents are like, we spent that money already, honey. I gotta be honest with We didn't think you were getting married.
Basically. Yeah. Yeah. We all I mean, I'm in my forties. My sister, she got her first kids when she was 38 also.
You guys are all doing it like that?
Well, just me and her, my brothers. There's none that they know of.
Yeah. You're saying your brother the the ladies don't they don't they don't come in too close.
They wonder because he's, again, in his single in his fifties.
You think they wonder if
he's gay? Marriage. I don't know.
I mean, they thought you were probably.
I yeah. Maybe it's
I mean, a 100%.
Right? Maybe it's a family thing. I
don't know. You're like you're like, I'm getting married. And your dad looked at your mom, went, oh my god. And then handed her $10, and you realized he lost the bet.
Oh, my dad said, when are you getting married in the Catholic church? I'm like, ow.
Really? It's still bad? I got two kids with that. Well, I'm not married. We we we gotta pretend on that still?
Yeah. There's a lot of hypocrisy with that one. How old is he? 83.
Oh, hell. You just better hurry up and get married.
Yeah. Well, that's basically the reason we're doing it because Oh my god. My parents are both so old. I'm like, well, I wanna have, like, wedding pictures with them. But now I don't even know if my dad's gonna come to the ceremony because No.
He's because it's against his religion.
Are you serious?
Maybe. It's possible.
Here's a question I have. I'll leave you all with this as you go off onto your day. What the is wrong with everybody? There.
Right?
Yeah.
Cheese. Right?
Christ. But it one life. You get one life. Okay? Yeah.
That's what you're gonna do? Unbelievable. Alright. I hate you all.
Alright. I'll see you. Basically.
Alright. Hold on one second. Okay?
K.
I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed seven eighty g automated insulin delivery system, which of course anticipates, adjusts, and corrects every five minutes 20 four seven. It works around the clock so you can focus on what matters. The JuiceBox community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, visit my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. Having an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away.
Contournext.com/juicebox. That's right. Today's episode is sponsored by the Contour NextGen blood glucose meter. Hey, kids. Listen up.
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