#1908 Every Day Without Diabetes Is a Gift
Every Day Without Diabetes Is a Gift
Three of her four kids have type 1 diabetes. A Montana mom on antibody testing, TZield, and the family motto — every day without diabetes is a gift.
Jump to a moment
- Alarms are a heads-up, not a rule — Scott’s phone alerts at 120 and Arden’s alarm is set at 130 so a small, early correction can turn a rising 130 back into a 90 with less insulin. It was never about “staying under 120.”
- Natalie’s daughter was diagnosed at 11, days after COVID — her instinct to drive an hour to the bigger hospital in Billings, arriving with a 600 blood sugar and severe dehydration, likely saved her daughter’s life.
- Antibody screening found markers in two more of Natalie’s kids. “They say knowledge is power, but knowledge can be a burden” — she wishes the counseling had come before the test, not after.
- TZield (teplizumab) can push off stage 3 type 1 — about two years on average, sometimes far longer after one 14-infusion course — but insurance required her daughter to “fail” an oral glucose test to very specific numbers before covering it.
- The family motto: “Every day without diabetes is a gift.” Natalie’s daughter, the one already on insulin, put it simply — if treatment buys even one more day without diabetes, it’s worth it.
- TZield (teplizumab) — The therapy Natalie's kids are pursuing to delay stage 3 type 1 diabetes
- TrialNet — Free antibody screening for relatives of people with type 1 — how Natalie learned about her other kids
- Friends for Life — The family diabetes conference where Natalie and Scott crossed paths at the fireworks
- Juicebox Podcast Facebook Group — The 83,000-member community discussed throughout this episode (verify URL)
Every word of the conversation
Welcome — Meet Natalie0:00
Welcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.
My name is Natalie, and I am a type one diabetes mom to three kids with type one diabetes.
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 enjoy was brought to you by Dexcom, the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears. You can learn more and get started today at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. The episode you're about to listen to is sponsored by Tandem Moby, the impressively small insulin pump.
Tandem Moby features Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom, and improved time and range. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. Natalie, is nice to have you on the program today.
Thanks for having me.
Oh, it's a pleasure. Are you kidding me? What brings you here? What made you reach out?
You know, honestly, just trying something new, putting myself out there, I guess.
Cool. Well, that's a good reason to do this. And you're you said you're you're up for the ride today. Right?
I am. Yeah. I mean, I'm a little nervous, but, you know, it's it's you. You're easy to talk to.
So Well, no. You you don't understand. You need to go look at social media. I'm a horrible, horrible person. I don't understand what you're saying.
I have read a few things about you lately, but I do try to defend you.
You don't need to, but that's very kind of you. When you defend me, you will just be seen as a cult member.
It is true. And you know what? Honestly, call me a cult member. Mhmm. I'm in.
I you know what's so, Natalie, we'll we'll reveal this in reverse. But I've had an interesting week where I was out in public a couple times meeting people, giving little talks and saying hello and stuff like that. Yeah. And when the first person walks up and says, hey. You know, I just wanna thank you for everything.
You think, that's very nice. And then you look and there's someone standing behind them waiting to talk to you, and you go find that person. And then there's a person behind you and off to the side. People who show up and say, I just want to come out and say thanks. You know, I've I I'm pretty sure I know what you're gonna say on stage, but I wanted to be supportive.
Like, all those things for what you've, you know, what you've done and like, you're standing there trying to, for me, contextualize what what you've done means. This just means that I I bought a microphone and learned how to record myself and said, these are the things I've been noticing and, you know, it kinda grew from there. Anyway, I I think I I I don't even know how I gosh. How do you say this exactly? Because I don't wanna be I feel badly for anybody who's struggling with anything.
Right?
Yes.
But with anxiety or mental illness or or things that, you know, are are just super serious like that that I don't always know that the person struggling realizes they're struggling. And Sure. You know, it sounds kind of probably sounds pompous. Have no idea. But, you know, the the Facebook page, the group takes in people constantly, about a 150, about every 72, we think.
Wow.
And you will pretty quickly see that a lot of people just lurk in the background. Some people speak. Some people are there trying to pimp their businesses. We have to weed those out. There's some people who are trying to take advantage of people.
You weed those out. Luckily, that's few and far between, especially when now I think the group just hit 83,000 members this morning. Right?
Wow.
But once in a while, people pop up and you think, oh, they're struggling with sort some sort of I don't know. We wanna call it mental illness, but they're really struggling. You know? Yeah. You see it.
Like, it's pretty easy to spot, and we try really hard to be even extra supportive of those people, especially when they make posts that are a little rambly or a little Yep. You you know, like like that kind of thing. There's this person that, I don't know, a year ago, a year and a half ago, fit the bill. You know what I mean? And you're like, oh gosh.
I hope I hope this person's okay. We tried so many different ways to support them. And then as always seems to happen, eventually, once once you're not their answer, they turn on you. Does that make sense? Mhmm.
Managing an 83,000-Member Community4:26
Yeah. And then we still try to be supportive. Like, we are not like quick. Not, like, people who are, said something and you're banned. Like, you're really hard.
And there's a great group of people helping with the the board, you know, that I you know, aren't me, and we all kinda have the same vibe, and we're trying really hard to make it a great place for as many people as possible. So people get banned once in a while for being unstable. Like, there's just really no other way to say it. Right? So I I was introduced to one of those people again today through something someone sent to me, and that person indicated that they have an eating disorder and are experiencing multiple mental illness issues
Oh, no.
Because of the podcast.
Oh, no.
But I was like I was like, what now? I was I was like, oh, no. Like, what are all those other tens of thousands of people saying it's good for me? I I I'm spreading mental illness. And my gosh.
Scott. Yeah. Yeah. I was like and by the way, I was not flippant when I first saw it. This is me a couple hours later.
When I first thought saw it, honest to god first reaction, I said, I I I thought the person's name out loud. And I thought, oh, you know, blank. I'm so sorry. You're this is happening to you. You know, like, genuinely because this is a thing I watched happen in the Facebook group.
People tried to be supportive. We tried from different angles. We tried different voices, male, female, like, you know, different perspectives. Really trying to help this person get to something. And by the way, on paper in front of you, they seemed that they were doing really well.
Anyway, you might be wondering how I am spreading mental illness to this person and giving them a needing disorder. Well, it would I am very curious. Yeah. Yeah. Well, no.
No. It's do it with a magic wand and spells I use. Oh, okay. And that's how I got the cult to form. But but no.
No. So it's either a purposeful misreading of something I said or it's a misunderstanding that they didn't get. But if you listen long enough, you'll hear me say that Arden's alarms are set at her high alarm's set at 01:30. Okay. And on my phone, they're set at 01:20.
That's to give you the heads up that something's going up. Yes. It's not because we're trying to stay under 01:20 all the time.
Right.
Alarm Settings, Explained — 120s, 130s, and Small Corrections6:45
Right? And so somebody will hear that then not hear the rest of it. And then Right. Think, well, I have to stay under 01:20.
And Oh, no.
That's just not obviously, it's obviously not what I've said. I've said it so many times, it would be hard to misunderstand me on, like, by mistake. But whatever.
Right.
And Right. And contextually, I'd be happy to lay out Natalie right now. By the way, you'll get to talking in a minute. But
Oh, no. I'm loving this.
Oh, good. Oh, you're having fun? Good.
Because because actually, one one of my questions for you was how do you manage the Facebook group so well?
Oh, well, we'll get to it. Oh, well, I guess I I didn't know that was one of your questions, but I guess that's where we're starting.
You're not managing it well if you're causing melt
mental illness. Well, you know, when you're spreading mental illness the way I am, it's it's more difficult. So, anyway, my the way I think about the numbers, just, you know, very simply and candidly, is I like to know at 01:20 because I like to have a heads up to know that it's possible that Arden's gonna hear about a 01:30 soon. Right? Yes.
And then and then from there, okay, at 01:30, she gets alarmed. Now why? Because it's much easier to turn a 01:30 back into a ninety with a smaller amount of insulin than it is to wait till your alarm goes off at two hundred or 02:50 or wherever else put people put alarms. Right? Because then suddenly you're using more insulin, more insulin.
It makes it, more likely that you're gonna get low later. You'll get misbalanced between the food in your system and the insulin that you've put in, whatever. Right? I just find it's like a kind of a law of small numbers thing. Like, the less you use, kind of the more stable it it seems to be.
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The more time you spend in range, the better and healthier you feel. And with the Dexcom Clarity app, you can track your glucose trends, and the app will also provide you with a projected a one c in as little as two weeks. If you're looking for clarity around your diabetes, you're looking for Dexcom. Dexcom dot com slash juice box. When you use my link, you're supporting the podcast.
Dexcom.com/juicebox. Head over there now. This episode is sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. And today, I'm gonna tell you about Tandem's newest pumping algorithm. The Tandem Mobi system with Control IQ plus technology features auto bolus, which can cover missed meal boluses and help prevent hyperglycemia.
It has a dedicated sleep activity setting and is controlled from your personal iPhone. Tandem will help you to check your benefits today through my link, tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. This is going to help you to get started with Tandem's smallest pump yet that's powered by its best algorithm ever. Control IQ plus technology helps to keep blood sugars in range by predicting glucose levels thirty minutes ahead, and it adjusts insulin accordingly. You can wear the Tandem Mobi in a number of ways.
Wear it on body with a patch like adhesive sleeve that is sold separately, clip it discreetly to your clothing, or slip it into your pocket. Head now to my link, tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox, to check out your benefits and get started today. Now I will also say that I've said in the past and will say again, if after a meal, I see a blood sugar hit one sixty and it's going up, I think, uh-oh, we might have missed this bolus.
Yeah.
And at one eighty, I consider that a high blood sugar. Right? And so Yep. That's it. Now is it a rule?
Do you have to live your life that way? Is every meal or every excursion a do or die situation? No. But that's unless you have a mental illness, and then maybe you you say, oh, these are the hard and fast numbers. And if I miss these numbers, I'm blah blah blah.
Anyway, that happened. That's how I gave the person, apparently an eating disorder and multiple by the way, I wanna I I don't wanna quote them because I don't wanna out anybody, but multiple mental illnesses are are are from the podcast. Now, like like you said, there are nice people that jump in and go, that podcast saved my life. I don't know what you're talking about or blah blah blah. Right.
You know? But it's just really interesting because the minute it happens about a hand so to to kinda pivot back to, like, managing a large, community. Yeah. I don't know most people's names. Right?
Like, I just it's it's impossible. You don't know sometimes you, like, see an avatar that, like, catches your eye and it sticks with you or something like that. But there are a handful of people, I would say fewer than 30, who if you said their name out loud, I will I will immediately know who they are. And it is nine times out of 10 because they are patently out of their minds. Okay?
And that we You
can't forget their name.
Well, it's because nice people trying to help you for free spend their time Yes. Trying to navigate your mental illness. And, like, so you stick with them a little bit. Yep. And I don't use the mental I don't use the phrasing mental illness lightly.
I'm I'm not saying, like, everybody with a, you know, like, feels a little anxiety. I'm I'm talking about, like I mean, I don't you you know what, Natalie? I see where you live in the country. You get what I'm saying. Right?
I I get what you're saying a 100%.
Sometimes, I feel you. You're not okay, and that's okay, by the way. I'm I'm by the way, I've also done hundreds of episodes with people who actually have mental illness where I think you would see that I'm incredibly supportive of them. And and yeah. It's and I think thoughtful even about it.
And I've tried hard to learn about it, and I've tried hard to spread people's stories out about them. But when you get into this situation where you're just like, look. You are we're gonna try to help you. And you can see that the group is also trying to be helpful, but there's a point. There's a moment, right, when you're singing on the sidewalk turns into into the the the mailbox where we gotta go, okay.
I'm sorry, but you can't put your tent up on my sidewalk. You know? Like, do you know I mean? Like, we're done now. And so I don't know what how to help you, but, apparently, I'm not gonna be able to do it.
So
Well, don't you think the ones that are harder to help are the ones that don't even recognize they have a mental illness?
It has to be. I mean, when I Because Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Mean, at least if someone says, hey. I know I have anxiety or I know I'm what I'm saying is crazy, they acknowledge it. You know?
We we can work with that.
It it also gives it it gives you the sense that there's some self awareness about it.
Yes.
Right? And and and and being super serious, and I don't mean to be cavalier about it. Like, if you if you genuinely have mental illness, you're probably the last person who's gonna know about it. And Yes. And that's even well and good.
Right? But you can't online, everybody seems, I don't know, everybody seems to find their group because it's funny because this person's comment was under another post of a person who also did not seem, from my perspective, incredibly stable. Yes. And so, you know, I I think people find each other a lot. Like, there's people who don't like me, like, really, I would say, like, people who come off very angry, they seem to find each other.
There are people who come off crazy. They seem to find each other. There are like, which is nice, by the way. It's go find your people. You you know what I mean?
Yep. But I'm not an entity. I'm a person. Like like, I know I put myself out here with the podcast, so it's on me. You know?
So I'm I'm not arguing. I understand I understand the game, and I understand the world that I've put myself into. But, you know, also, you should understand that I didn't put myself into this
Right. Purposely. I think the online world is just so wild. It's like I and I'm always constantly fighting myself because I wanna be part of it, and I wanna make a difference. And, you know, I wanna do all the good things for the type one community.
Mhmm.
And then you see the negative sides, and you're like, woah. I'm out. I don't like this.
Well, it's not even see, it's funny. I don't even think of it as negativity. I think of it as just a a few people who are a little off center. Yes. All got together somewhere, which again Yes.
God bless them. But, like, they need to understand that they're talking to themselves.
Yes.
Thirty Hours of Driving to Atlanta — and a Nonprofit Born From the Podcast15:32
Right? Like, I have you know, listen. One of the things I did this weekend was I went to this event. It's funny as I'm being chastised online. I I drove my ass from New Jersey to Atlanta and back again to appear at an event for a few hours.
I drove thirty hours in three days. Now, Scott, you could have flown. I could have. I had something to do in Tennessee. I made a stop.
I decided to drive. That's not the point though. Had had this thing in Atlanta not existed, I just wouldn't have done the thing in Tennessee. Okay? Right.
I just I never would have gone. Someone called me and said, can you come out and speak for one hour at an event across the country? We will not be paying you. And I said, wouldn't miss it. Oh.
And right? And showed up and room of people, 100 people, maybe hundred hundred and twenty, a few more than that. Beautiful group of people. Right? In this lovely setting.
And I looked out on that crowd, and these were people who were looking for community. Some of them were lost. Some of them were found, and I'm not a religious person, but some of them got through some you know what I mean? Yeah. Came out the other side and were showing up to either celebrate what happened to them or to be supportive of other people.
That's what I was there trying to do. And, you know, I spent I was supposed to be there for an hour talking to the to them, and then I was supposed to spend an hour talking to the kids. And it was a group between they were, like, between seven and 15, the group of kids. Right? And so I really, I had two scheduled hours of speaking.
I was there for six hours. The other four hours were standing there just talking to people. People who approached me, I wasn't running up to them, and and and that took four hours. A young man who came up to tell me that he started a nonprofit who just translates type one diabetes content into another language so people in the Ethiopian and Eritrean community can have access to it. He's telling me all about this thing, and then he says, I started this because of your podcast.
Wow. I should have said to him, no. You misunderstood the whole thing. I'm just spreading mental illness on people. And, like but but anyway, like, there there's that what a wonderful moment.
I almost cried standing in front of him. Right? Like, he he said to me, he's a young guy, right, in in his twenties, and I'm standing there. I'm 54 years old. I've been making this podcast for twelve years now, writing a blog before that.
I've been trying to help people with diabetes since 2007. 2007, I started writing the blog. Never took an ad or dollar from anybody for years and years and years and years. They would offer it to me. I said, no.
A pump company came to me one time and said, we will give you free pumps for your daughter.
Oh my goodness.
And I said, we have insurance.
Oh my goodness.
I don't need free pumps. I said in return, could you find a way to gift them to somebody else? We spent nine months trying to get through the legal process to do that. It wouldn't work.
That's amazing.
Couldn't do it. We couldn't give them away. So when that they we got done, they said, listen. We tried our hardest. Like, I've tried with legal 10 different times.
We can't give the pumps that we wanna give to you to somebody else.
Wow.
Do you want them? And I said, no. I have insurance. I don't need them. Thank you, though.
Why the Podcast Has Never Charged Listeners19:00
And then eventually, I started writing for Omnipod's blog. Okay? I would write six pieces a year, and I think I made a thousand dollars for each piece. I think I made $6,000 a year. That that was the after making the blog my blog for 02/1450 nine years of writing a blog, and I was I was tearing down a fat $6 a year writing for someone's blog other blog.
Okay? Oh, wow. You're rich. I'm I'm just yeah. Let's do the math.
Okay? My yearly income could be in the tens of dollars. Now so now so I'm doing this I I would never take an ad. I wouldn't put an ad on anything. I started making the podcast.
The podcast is hard to make. So it's not easy, and it's time consuming in a massive way. I mean, the editor alone is a grown man who makes an income that I pay. You you know I mean? Like, so there's there's so I gotta start I'm like, look.
If I'm gonna make this work, I gotta find a way to make money off of this somehow. Like right?
Yeah. Absolutely.
So when I start doing it, you know what everybody's advice was. Right?
What was that?
Charge people.
Oh, lordy.
$10 a month, $5 a month. You've got a thousand people listening to you. Charge $5 a month. You make $5,000. Like, do this.
Like, that. Right? And I kept having the same feeling over and over again. I don't wanna take money from people. Yeah.
If I just don't want to. And
And that's and that's what I love about you is and it's it's you know, in this in the space you have, you I mean, I think all of I I would want you to make money in a way, but it is nice that as a type one parent or, you know, if you have type one yourself to not have to pay for that is huge because you're allowing us to have free access, basically. But I think it's okay to make money off of ads or other in other ways that aren't taking from us. Know?
Yeah. And let me be clear. I do. Right? But I'm not taking I'm not gonna reach into your pocket and take $5 for you to learn how to pre bolus.
Yes. It's ridiculous. I love that about you. Yeah. It's just I love that.
Also, the things we're talking about aren't even that deep, like, to be perfectly honest with you. Right? Like and and then and I'm I'm candid, and I say that out loud. Yeah. I've watched other people take my words and turn them into coaching services
Wow.
And charge, like, crazy money off for people. And and, again, if you wanna pay somebody $3 to be coached for a few months
Oh, yikes. But god
bless you. Like, if that's what you want to do, then go do that. I'm also not telling you you shouldn't do that. I'm not telling you the person who's doing it, they shouldn't have a business. It's fine.
It's fine. I don't give shit. It's fine with me. I'm just telling you it's not a I I don't wanna be involved in it.
Yes. I agree.
So I found a different way to pay my bills and to make and to make this a living. Now why is that important? It's important because, I don't know, did you enjoy the conversation with doctor Wachowski about the, Eladon trials?
Yes.
Okay. Yeah. Took me six months to set that up.
Which is so crazy.
Yeah. And and and to, like, and to get him scheduled and rescheduled because the man's busy. He's, you know, transplanting things for people. So we had to reschedule a number of times. I had to work with his admin.
We had to go back and forth. I got, questions for him that I wanted to like, I had to get together, like, questions I wanted to ask. I had to ask those questions, had to record it with electricity and the Internet and all the things that it takes to make a podcast, and then it has to go out to the editor. And the editor has to do what he does to it, and then it has to then it has to go online. It has to be supported by social media and a website and a group online.
It my job is not hard, but it is constant. Yep. Okay? And if you don't if you don't incentivize me to do that, meaning Yes. You don't make it possible for my house to stay warm and for my tree monitor that I see running around right now to have little frozen pinky mice to eat once in a while as a treat.
I can't do that then because I have a family and I need to live too. Right? Yes. When you and and you'll and I've seen people try to do it and and it's gonna sound strange, try to do it without it being a business, but eventually they get bored.
Yeah. And I think you get burnt out.
Well, yeah. Because you you do because you have a regular life and you're trying to do this thing. Like, if you asked me to do this and go to my job, you wouldn't have the podcast. And Yes. And if you're out there thinking right now, well, Scott, I didn't ask you for the podcast.
Okay. I can't argue with that. But my argument would be that I am doing a thing that no one else is doing. Yes. Right?
Like, I'm recording with Natalie today, who is not a person who would normally find herself on a podcast or have a voice to say the things that I eventually match up we're gonna let her say. And so
I mean, basically, I'm a nobody, and you've invited me on here.
Well, yeah. I don't mean it that way, but yeah. Right? Like like Yeah. You're giving a voice to the voiceless.
Like like Well yeah.
And and, also, you haven't done all of this work for, you know, what you say, twelve years, and then suddenly come to the type one community and say, now you guys owe me. Here's a GoFundMe. Give me some money.
Well, you're bringing up a specific thing, and I don't like to out people. So that won't be things that I will talk about directly. But, don't do that. As a No.
And that's and that's what I appreciate about you. Thank you. You know, I'm not coming on this podcast. I mean, I did have to take off an hour or two of work, but I, you know, I'm not gonna record this podcast and then say, now you guys owe me.
It's just such a strange idea to ask people to pay for like, yeah. I'm I'm making a thing. I think it helps people based on my historical experience. And based on the fact that somebody asked me to come to Atlanta when I got there, there were a 100 people there who were like, oh my god. It's you.
Like like so I assume that that, like, means something. By the way, it's also very strange for me, and it's not a thing you're ever gonna get accustomed to is to have somebody come up to you as if they've seen you in a movie or something like that. It's
a weird thing. I don't know if you remember, but, last year at Friends For Life, we were up in the bar watching the fireworks, and you were
You guys were on the other side of the glass? My wife and I were out on the patio. Oh my god. I do remember that.
And we were pretending to take your photo like you were a movie star.
Yes. Well, I am not. And if you would have taken that photo, when you looked at it, you would have thought, oh, yeah. No. He's not that that doesn't work.
Well, I I think you
are a movie star to some people. Fair enough. You you it's you're lovely. But the the the the point is is that there are not an unending line of people in the world trying to make content for people specifically with type one diabetes who are not asking you to pay them.
Yes.
Right? And so and who are putting a professional level of effort into it seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year. Yep. So you so as as I like to say in my personal life, I hear you complaining, but I'd prefer if you just said thank you. So or don't say thank you.
No. No. No. Or don't or don't say thank you. You know what I mean, Natalie?
Like, just just don't listen. I don't care. Like like, great like, I mean, if it helps you, that's great. If it doesn't, I don't understand why you would spend your time with
it. Yes.
And and by the way, if something I'm saying is making you feel unstable, I don't mean to be overly simplistic, but stop
listening. Don't listen.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a like, listen. Maybe people need to understand this.
If It Hurts, Stop Listening26:42
If you take a pin and you stick it in your leg and it hurts, and you pull it out, you stick it in again and it hurts, I'm gonna tell you, stop sticking your leg with the pin. Okay? That's the problem. It's not the guy that made the pin. Correct.
It's your dumbass sticking it into your leg. Now if you're can't help yourself, I it's also not my fault. Do you know do you know what I mean?
You have lots of great advice on the and, you know, your guests have lots of great advice, but, you know, you kinda have to pick and choose what works for you and what doesn't.
Oh my god. You I
mean, you have to make that choice yourself.
I I don't think that every like, I don't think that everything I'm saying needs to be applied by every person nor would I assume that you would do that.
Right.
But if you find yourself in that position of feeling like everything was said to me today has to be done, again, this is a great time for you to stop and say to yourself, I need to find a person who loves me to help me because I might not be okay. Yep. Right? And and I don't know how to help a person with that. I hope my sincerity is coming out in this last couple of moments here.
You're you're not okay. You need help.
Yeah. And I'm I'm just realizing there's there's not a lot of self awareness out there sometimes. You know, a lot of that requires someone to really truly self reflect.
It's also it's not a it that that's a a a failure of every person. Yes. I am not I'm not good at self reflecting all the time. Like, the healthiest person you can find in the world struggles with that. If you're also having sincere mental health issues, those things are going to get even more difficult.
Yep. Right? And I get the only thing I can tell you for sure, I don't know how to fix it, but the only thing I can tell you for sure is that it's not my fault, and I am not in charge of how you feel. Yes. I'm making a podcast.
Like like, it's if you walked outside to your neighbor and your neighbor said something that made you uncomfortable or made you think, oh, I'm not doing something or whatever, And then it makes you upset later and you and that upsetness manifests in some sort of a mental health issue. Did your neighbor do it to you? Like, why is it because it's on a podcast that's different?
I think someone people just wanna blame somebody else. I don't know.
I don't know either. I don't I don't don't I I I I mean,
it's easier to blame someone else than to truly look at your own self and say, maybe something's wrong with me.
I I'm a I'm a person who, I consume a fair amount of content. As a matter of fact, I'm a if I'm not with my family, I'm a headphones on person. Like, this morning, I mean, I was up for two hours before you and I recorded this morning.
Oh my goodness.
So this I know. Well, you live on a different coast. Trust me. It wasn't that early. Yes.
And so I I got up and I managed the Facebook group first. Looked at incoming hold on a second. Arden is bothering me. There. Oh, nice.
I at I looked at incoming requests to be members. You pick out there's a couple of spammy ones. You can find them real quick. Don't let them in. Yeah.
Let the other 30 or 40 people in accumulated overnight. Done. I checked the board real quick for my mentions. Some nice people are out there, you know, saying that the podcast was helpful to them. I try to thumbs up that kind of stuff or respond.
I search the group real quick for what people are talking about today because part of how I make content is, you know, what's in the zeitgeist? What are people struggling with right now? Or what are they, you know, what are they excited about? Get that together. I gotta go feed the dogs.
Now while I'm feeding the dogs, I am listening to a person whose political opinion I don't particularly agree with most of the time talk about the war in Iran because I wanna understand a different perspective than my own. I listened to that for twenty minutes. Then I listened to two videos about how to use Claude code better. Then I listened to a video about, apparently, Tesla's have improved something they call smart summon. Do you know about this?
No. I guess, there's a function they have that doesn't work really great. It that is starting to work better. But when it gets done, the idea is going to be that you walk out of a store, open up your app, tell the app where you're standing, and the car comes to you.
It's like valet parking?
Yes. But the car just unparks itself and comes to you.
Wow.
And then eventually, that will lead to something called I I forgot what it was called. But you'll eventually, you'll be able to pull up at a door and then dismiss your car, and your car will go park itself somewhere.
Oh my goodness.
Right? And and I was was, like, a ten minute video. I thought that was really interesting about how that that all works. I thought that was interesting. I moved on.
I have a couple of more videos that I wanna listen to later today. I'd like to listen to a little bit of my own podcast today just to check for audio quality and stuff like that. Yeah. Like, I'm always trying to take in information best I can to try to just make make my day easier, the things that I do more valuable. I I'm a person who believes that, like, we have a lot of access to a lot of technology, but in the end, we don't really do much with it.
That's so true.
You know? And I think that's kind of a shame. And if you're gonna spend time with it, I don't I'd like my time to be as productive as possible.
Yeah. Now I love that.
Why did I tell you all that, Natalie? Because in the course of a day of listening to sometimes ten, twelve pieces of information made by other people, I hear stuff that I think is interesting, stuff I disagree with, things I think are wrong. I have all kinds of different reactions to them. The only reaction I never have is to say, oh, that person's an idiot or a moron or trying to hurt me, or I just think it's a person with a microphone or a camera who's saying, this is the thing I think. Yep.
And and I go, okay. And then I decide what I think of that, and I move on. What world do I'm trying to imagine a world where I pick my phone back up, go search out other people who don't like the guy who made the video about the about the Claude code, and then get together and spend my day talking him in comments. Get a It's job.
I mean, she's a say, Claude sounds like they need more to do during more productive things to do.
Take a walk. Get a job. Make a friend. Hey. Not for nothing.
Go jerk off. Okay? But leave me alone. Seriously. Oh my gosh.
Maybe if you what? Is it make a friend. Make a make a pretend friend. I don't care. Draw a picture.
Picture nose. Leave me alone. I didn't ask it's for the weird assumption that by by by the mere fact that somebody put something out in the world that they're inviting you to to to critique them is strange. You know what's funny? And this is a supposition on my part.
Let me take a drink. The people I saw complaining in this latest thing, they all had a way about them. They seem to fit together visually. I don't know what dress, hair color, stuff like this. It it's again, they feel like they're a group of people who found each other, which, by the way, I'm very supportive Now now the the my point in saying is they seem like a very liberal group.
Okay? Also, would tell you, I'm a very liberal person, but the not but maybe not in the ear expander blue hair way. Okay? But I'm a but I'm a very liberal person. Come talk to me personally about my politics, about the world.
I think you will find that I am a very live and let live, people should succeed kind of person like the like, anyway, this is not the point. The point is is that these this group of people seem like the kind of people, the group of people who would see a video of paparazzi chasing Ben Affleck and say, that's not fair. Leave Ben Affleck alone. Okay? It's not Ben's got his own problems.
He's he's an alcoholic. Stop pointing a camera at him. These seem like people who would defend Ben Affleck, not the paparazzi. Okay? Yeah.
Maybe I'm wrong, but, I mean, if you listen to the podcast long enough, Natalie, you should know that my generalizations are spot on. I'm very, very good at picking people. And, like, I'm telling you these
You are.
These people would be very defensive of people's rights. Ironically, when it comes to me, they're the paparazzi.
Oh my gosh.
Right? Look what he's doing. Everyone look. It's wrong. He's bad.
He made a cult. You're out of your
double standard.
Well, it's just fascinating. It's fascinating. Wait. Wait. Wait.
You see in politics all the time. Right? No matter what side you're on Yep. We point and go, look what they're doing, and then we do the very same thing. Yep.
But then we say, no. It's okay because it's righteous when I do it. See, when they're when they're doing it what you don't understand, Natalie, is they're taking the time to make sure that people know that I'm a cult leader, okay, who spreads mental illness. And when when when, the paparazzi do it, they're just terrible people.
Yes.
Yeah. So I hope you heard all this, whoever you are. Go find a therapist. Okay? And pay them.
And when they tell you what's wrong, don't ignore them because Yeah. You're the last person who understands what's wrong with you right now. Also, I'm the last person who understands what's wrong with me, just so you know. Okay? Alright.
Now
Oh my gosh. I
love it. Are you saying you have a kid with diabetes 30 later? What's going on?
Harper Turns 17 — and Honey the Service Dog Turns 236:42
Yeah. How old? I was she is actually, today is her birthday. She's 17.
Get out of here. Happy birthday. Yeah. Oh, what a wonderful age. She must treat you terribly.
Go ahead. I'm sorry.
You know, she's a pretty I mean, there there's definitely rough days, but for the most part, she's a pretty good kid.
Awesome. That's awesome news. Well, how old was she when she was diagnosed?
So she was 11 years old.
Oh my gosh. Okay. Yep. I you know, it's funny. I try not to say rough time because I think all times are rough times, but that might be a rough time.
Yes. Yeah. So so really quick too, it's not only her birthday, it's also her service dog's birthday today as well. So her service dog is Honey, and she's two today.
So How you work that out?
You know, I think I I guess it was fate. I don't know.
That's crazy. Honey honey. That's fair.
Honey honey. Honey honey honey from
What? Like what? Honey what?
Like from Winnie the Pooh, h u n n y.
What's that? That's that song lyric. Honey honey come rad d k n what's that from?
I don't think that's from my generation.
No. I don't think so either. I I don't know. It's not important. I'm not gonna find it in my generation.
By the way, very insulting. That's fine.
Sorry. I'm sorry, Scott.
It's okay. Well, that's so when she was diagnosed you have other kids. Right?
Yeah. So she got diagnosed in 2020, you know, great year. We had all just had COVID, and it was in we actually all got tested positive for COVID on Halloween.
Okay. I guess you had trick treating.
Yeah. They were devastated. And, you know, of course, this was when nobody knew what was truly going on. So we were like, we can't go trick or treating. We're gonna, you know, spread this to everybody.
So we actually did reverse trick or treating that year. We put a bowl out and said, we're under quarantine. Leave take or leave a candy if you want.
That's a great by the way, that's a great idea. Do people leave you candy?
People brought bags of candy.
Aw. See how nice that is? That by by the way, in certain circles, that would be seen as spreading illness. They brought you candy. It's bad.
They were probably cult leaders for the Mars company. Oh my gosh. It's
and, you know, it's ironic. It you know, some people would be like, that's what caused her diabetes.
You know? For sure, there's gonna be 20 people who's gonna say that. Oh, well oh, so that what an what a nice thing, though. And what a smart you know, you're a good mom. You think of that?
You know, I I try I do the best I can.
No. That's very that's very thoughtful.
I'm I'm not a perfect mom, but I try to be a mom.
Oh, yeah. No. No. No. I'm not perfect at all as you heard.
Yeah. Yeah. We know Scott. Oh my So
Go ahead. By the way, I'm sorry that we started with your thing, with my thing and then got to your thing. Usually, I try to do your thing than my thing when I these break out this way, but this will be interesting to see if this works because
It's all good.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I'm I'm just yeah. Like I said in the beginning, I'm here for whatever.
Alright. Well, you're lovely. So so tell me about the diagnosis a little bit and how how she got started, where we're at today.
Diagnosis During COVID — the Drive That Saved Her Life39:57
Yeah. So, you know, the day she got out of quarantine, it was a it was either Wednesday or Thursday. She went back to school, and then the next day she came home and was still tired and not feeling the best. And, you know, again, nobody really knew much about COVID or what, you know, the protocol is and what the symptoms are, the lingering symptoms. So I just thought, you know, this is, you know, just she's still recovering from having COVID.
And then by Saturday night, she was vomiting in the middle of the night. And, again, I thought, this is weird. This is some after COVID thing. By Sunday morning, which fun fact, my husband was a pastor at the time, She was standing at the toilet, threw up everywhere, totally missed the toilet. And I'm, like, you know, upset.
I'm, like, you're 11 years old. How did you do that? And I still feel guilty about feeling that way. But she so I put her in the shower to rinse her off, and she just was not something was off. She wasn't very coherent.
And we live in a rural town, and so our hospital here is not the best. And so I called my husband at he was at church at work, and I said, I think something's really wrong. Let's this must be an after COVID thing. Let's drive her to Billings, which is an hour away. And, you know, they'll be able if she needs a special medicine, they'll be able to treat her there.
So honestly, it's it's crazy, but I'm like, I think that's what saved her life was my fear of the or the unknown of COVID. Mhmm. That's what made me drive her to a hospital an hour away. And, you know, she was throwing up on the way there. And by the time we got to the her tongue was, like, shriveled up.
And I told the nurse at the triage desk, I said I mean, this was how much I didn't know. I said, I think she just is really dehydrated and needs an IV.
Well, she might have been.
She was very dehydrated. Her tongue was just shriveled up. I mean, it was I've never seen anything like it.
Wow.
So they took us right back, and a doctor came in immediately, and he said, we're gonna check her for diabetes. And I'm like, what? No. This is a COVID thing. Like
Mhmm.
You know, do you just there must be some medicine you can give her, and she's gonna be fine. He poked her finger, and it was 600. And he said, I'm sorry, but she has type oh, I don't even know if he said type one. I think he just said diabetes. And I just said, oh, wow.
Okay. And from there, you know, we got transferred to the PICU, and that was the start of our
That's it.
Crazy journey.
Shriveled tongue and a PICU. Yep. Yep. And see, what you're tell just so I make sure I I understand, you think that if you would have waited long enough that you would have actually ended up at a local hospital, you're not sure how able they would have been to be helpful to her?
Yeah. So we've had other people in our town that have been diagnosed, and they were life flighted. And some of them, I mean, they didn't even they'd really didn't know that they had diabetes.
They were just like, this person's so sick. We don't know how to help
them. Yes. Okay. Yes. And so I I really think if we would have waited any longer, I don't know that she would have been with us.
Well, good instincts. Good for you.
Yeah. Look at you. Well and and I'm the type of mom that's like, you know, you're sick. We'll wait it out. Like, I'm not I don't like to rush to the doctor.
Mhmm. And so, yeah, I do I I think a lot about that because I I did I did have a medical background. And so I don't know. I've just I don't like to go to the doctor. I feel like they're always judging me.
Why?
Well, okay. So for instance, I just which I guess we'll get into this. So I have two other kids that will also have type one diabetes. Technically, they do have type one diabetes. They're just not on insulin.
But I took my daughter is supposed to start TZLD two or three weeks ago now.
Mhmm.
So on a Sunday, Easter Sunday, she had a stuffy nose, and I knew she was supposed to start treatment that Wednesday. So I said, I'm just gonna take you to the doctor just to be sure, like, this is you've had a stuffy nose for ten days. And I want her to be well. She has to be well to get t zealed. So I took her to the doctor, and the doctor's like, oh, this is just allergies.
And so you feel kinda dumb. You're like, wow. I brought you to the doctor for allergies. Well so she gives us this regimen of Claritin and all a neti pot and all of this. So Wednesday, we show up for TZealed, and they're like, we just really quick need to do a COVID and RSV swab.
They swab her nose, come back in, they're like, yeah. She's positive for both. I'm like, okay. Great.
But how does that make you feel judged? Why doesn't it make you feel like I was right?
That's true. That's true. But I just I feel like it's like you take them in first. So, again, when I took my daughter in for COVID, I'm like, she's just dehydrated. And then they're like, actually, she was almost dying.
And then I take my daughter in for, you know, a stuffy nose, and then turns out she I don't know. Maybe I just have PTSD.
Well, I would say you've you've exhibited a couple of really thoughtful responses medically. I would trust yourself a little bit.
I I think I should by now.
How old are your other So
I have, my oldest son is almost 19, and then Harper is 17, Ben is 14, and then Maddie is 13.
Oh my god. You've been making these kids forever. How old are
you? Yeah. Yeah. I'm 43.
No kidding. Hold on second. Gonna do some quick math. Twenty four twenty four. You were 24 when you had the first one?
Yep. Mhmm.
See what I did there? Yeah. Would a cult leader be able to do math in his head like that?
Absolutely not.
No. I don't know. Maybe they would be. Because you gotta keep track of all the all the people's wives that you're having sex with. Right?
Yeah. Exactly.
And the days that you're doing it and everything. So it probably did some math. Wouldn't that be insane if at the end of this, it all just ended up that I was just trying to get all your wives to come here? And what a great story that'll be one day.
I'll start a Facebook page of conspiracy theories about you.
You know what? I would appreciate that. It really helps. I'll tell you the what the what the people don't realize is that listen, I'm I'm gonna talk about them instead of to them for a second. What they don't realize is is that the social media only it only appreciates negativity
Yes.
And and crazy. So it draws eyes to them that they wouldn't normally get. They think they're drawing eyes in that are going like, oh, I agree with you. But what they do is they draw in sane people who go, oh, look. A crazy person.
And Yeah. While that's happening, you say something bad. Forget me for a second. You say something bad about the widget you bought online. This thing sucks.
They ripped me off. Blah blah blah. And 43 other people go, no. I have that thing and it works great. And then all the same people that the algorithm draws in go, all they learn from it is the thing you were trying to tell people not to do.
They go, no. I think that's the thing I'm gonna try. You are what they call an anti what's the word there? That you whatever it is you're trying to do, you're doing the opposite. Yep.
Yeah. So thank you because the more people who complain about me, the bigger the podcast gets.
Perfect.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. I I have you ever heard me tell you about when I wrote the book? And then wrote a book in 2013. This is not really important. It was on the Katie Couric show, Pimping It.
She did some stuff online with me in the book. And then one day, I was the 50 I was in the top 50 of all authors on Amazon.
Oh, wow.
I did not know how that happened because I'm not famous. I wasn't with a giant publishing company. There wasn't a lot of media behind it. Nothing like that. But there I was on the bestseller list on Amazon.
And I'm like, what is happening? So I spent days trying to figure out what happened. Right? And then turned out eventually that, Katie Kirk had put up a story about me being on her show wherever, like I forget if it was, like, AOL. This is how long ago it was.
It was, like, al.com or Yahoo News or something like whatever was really popular back in the day. Yep. And I at first thought the article blew up the book, but it wasn't what was happening. What was happening was is in the comment section of the article, people were arguing about whether or not I was gay.
Oh my god.
Right? Because one faction of people said that straight men aren't stay at home dads.
Oh my gosh.
So you're you're closeted. It's impressive that you've tricked your wife into believing that you're not gay. It's like this whole thing. Then other people would come in and argue and be like, I I think it's possible for straight people to take good care of their children. And like and then they would fight.
Oh my gosh. Right? So while those people and by the way, I appreciate the people that stuck up for me in that scenario, but you're as crazy as the other person because why in the Yeah. Were you having this conversation with this person who said something Yeah. Ridiculous.
Okay? So anyway, while these well meaning and not well meaning crazy people were fighting with each other, they were drawing in eyes from reasonable people who were buying my book. So if you wanna say, like, it really is hard for me to put into words, but every time a person tries to denigrate me online, you really are just making the thing grow. Yeah. And you hear that and you think that that's me trying to, like I don't know.
You're you probably think I'm trying to, like, double cross you into not saying bad stuff about me anymore, but I really don't care what you say. So go out there and say the craziest you can think about, and that'll just make more people listen. Yep. Because they're gonna look at your crazy ass and think, well, that crazy person thinks that. I probably should think the opposite.
You don't understand. You're the best marketing tool I have.
Yes. Yes. Oh my goodness.
So I start know
I Yeah.
Go ahead. Do the whole thing. Anyway, sorry. Back to your kid. I Good.
You have something to say. Sorry.
Oh, I was just gonna say, I you know, last I don't know. A few six months ago, Facebook decided to tell me they were I could be monetized. And Okay. And, you know, I share I'm I share what I share no matter what. So whatever.
I'm like, okay. Whatever. I don't know what this means, but we'll give it a try. And it's you start to realize you have to create if you want to actually make money on that platform, you have to create drama and things that bring people in, and that's just not me. Like, I just wanna post genuine things, and that's that doesn't sell.
You have no idea how difficult it is to run a positive thing on Facebook and make it successful. Yeah. It's All day long, we work we think about different ways to try to, like because, basically, you're trying to you're it's counterintuitive to what the algorithm wants. Yeah. Yeah.
They don't
I mean and
Go ahead.
And I don't wanna brag, but, in December, I made $20. So I'm really Oh. I'm really doing good.
Look at you. Knocking it down.
Did you wanna know why I made $20?
Are you thinking of getting a second house?
You know what? I'm considering it.
How'd you make $20?
The the video that I made that did the best was a video about our town had had this crazy wind, like, 96 miles per hour, and all these trees around town fell down.
Mhmm.
And I made a video of all these trees. I I mean, I made the video just to show people in our town, like, this is crazy. Sure. And it went viral.
What does that mean? How many views?
I like, I I think it was, like, 800,000 views.
Really?
So yeah. But it's still that many views and I made $20.
Oh, yeah. No. No. There are some people with millions and millions. I love the creators who do that.
Like, here here's my thing on TikTok, how much money I made. And they have millions of views. They made, like, a thousand bucks. And I was like, oh my god. You could have panhandled a thousand dollars if you tried hard enough.
Like, it's just really it it's very, interesting.
Yeah. I I think I'll keep my day job. Mhmm.
You yeah. Also, by the way, people might be bored by this, but it's a big part of my life. Facebook is only gonna pump out stuff like that that's upsetting. Right? Yes.
Also, they don't want you to leave Facebook. Your video was not asking them to leave Facebook. Right. So they promote that. So you kinda think, like, wow.
800,000 people found my tree video interesting. What the truth of it is is that 800,000 people were shown the tree video because Facebook knows that Yes. They like when people are like, weather scared is, like, its own industry. And then on top of that, your video doesn't ask for them to do something or leave. My problem is is that I'm like, hey.
Look. I've got this interview here today with doctor Wachowski. I don't know why I'm bringing this up twice. Go go go look at it. Yeah.
And that link takes you out of Facebook. They want you in Facebook.
Yes. Right?
The mall doesn't want you leaving the mall.
So true.
Right. So like So true. So that's what how it's that's how you're being manipulated by Facebook. Yeah. Yeah.
They're just trying to keep you there long enough to serve you another ad. That's all. Yep. Yeah. Yeah.
Anyway, and then they and then they so they use the content creators to bring in people.
Yes.
And then they show your stuff to people for a while to get you excited about it. Then they take away your they take away that. And then they send you notes telling you that if you pay them, they'll make sure people see your posts.
Yep. What
a scam.
It is.
It's similar to how my wife got me to marry her when you stop and think about it. That was a scam too. Now that I'm thinking about that. Was. Whatever.
So anyway, when you get out of the hospital, it's, you know, six years ago. CGM Yeah. Get that right away?
So, yeah, they gave us a CGM about a month. It took us about a month to get one Okay. Which, I mean, looking back, I don't know why. I feel like now with my, you know, my next two kids, their diagnosis, I'm gonna be a little more pushy.
Well, yeah, when do you so what'd you do? You did, like, I don't know. What did do? Trial net or something like that? How do you know about your kids' markers?
Testing the Other Kids — Antibodies, Times Two55:05
Yeah. So I guess I should go back a little. So, you know, our daughter got out of the hospital, and I I don't know if the doctor told us about it, but they were like, hey. There's this test that you can do to test your other kids to see if they also have the markers for type one. And so my daughter was diagnosed October 15.
And so in December, I'm like, oh, okay. Yeah. We should do that just to be sure. And in my mind, they were there was just no way that that was gonna come back positive. Mhmm.
I mean, I don't I don't know why I went into it so naively. So we tested them and got the results, and our one child had two antibodies at the time and our other child had three antibodies at the time. So to find to hear that info only two months after our daughter's diagnosis, it was I mean, it really threw me into a downward spiral. Because, you know, we barely even had had a hold on our daughter's diagnosis, let alone realizing, oh, now we're gonna have three kids with type one diabetes. So for a long time, I regretted testing them.
It was it it took me honestly four years to accept that I was gonna have three kids with type one diabetes.
Talk about the regret part. What made you regret it? Just that you have to think about it all the time now?
Yeah. So I just don't think I was prepared. I think when they told me to test, it was just so neutral. It's like, yeah. Just test them and it's a great thing to know.
And you find that out and it's not a great thing to know.
It would have been a great thing to know if you found out they didn't have any antibodies. Yes. Exactly.
Exactly. So I just think I wasn't prepared. I wish that there had been more counseling before we tested. I wish they would have said, you know, you just had a daughter diagnosed two months ago. Why don't you wait a few months?
This might be more than a human being is supposed to deal with?
Yes. Mhmm. Yes. So I think it just it was you know, they say knowledge is power, but I think knowledge can be a burden. And I think for me, it was a burden for a long time.
Do you can you see that there might be people that would've felt good about knowing and it's just not your personality, or do you think it was just so overwhelming getting the, basically, the news of three three diagnosis in in, you know, different stages of it happening that was just more than one person can handle?
I think it was too much too soon. Because I do think it's important to test, and I'm not I'm definitely not anti testing. I do think I just I wished at the time, and I think they're getting better about it now too and just saying realizing there is a mental aspect to knowing.
Mhmm.
And, you know, just I think it's important to discuss that first. And I do I have had other moms ask me, you know, should I test my child? And I just I try to give them all the info. You know? Here's here's where it was hard for me, but I I mean, now it so that was five years ago that we tested them, and we're just now you know, our daughter is gonna start t z old on Monday now, hopefully.
TZield and Delaying Type 158:44
Yeah.
Hopefully, no more COVID and RSV. So that was five years ago, you know, five years of knowing this was coming. And I am I am very glad now to know that info. I just think it was a lot at one time. Mhmm.
T cell just yesterday announced something. Yes. They changed the ages. Do you know what it was?
Yes. It said age one and up.
Oh oh, wow. So now Which That's so and a one year old now could could get antibodies and and receive T cell to put it off. How long did they tell you what's the hope? How long are they hoping to push off the the diabetes?
You know, they won't say for sure, but they said what they've seen is it's it's pushed it out, you know, anywhere two years seems to be the average.
Mhmm.
But they've seen people, you know, at seven years and some that still are, you know, no onset.
After after one treatment, which is thirteen infusions. Right?
14 infusions. 14.
Sorry. Okay.
Yep. So, you know, you know, the last five years, we've come. I tell people our family motto, which I made this up, so it's not really I just decided the family is gonna take it on as our motto.
Okay.
But every day without diabetes is a gift. And so, you know, with TZeal because I've had people ask, you know, why delay the inevitable? And I I had those same exact thoughts, but when I talked to my daughter who is on insulin, you know, she said, if I could have one day less without diabetes, it's worth it to me. And so we've taken on that motto, like, we're gonna try TZEAL, then if it gives us one extra day without being on insulin, then we're gonna take it.
Okay. So Hate your insurance covers it. So,
Insurance Hurdles on the Way to Treatment1:00:38
yes, that was quite the process. And that's that's another frustrating thing about tZealed and your insurance. They all wanna want you to meet specific parameters. And so I've actually felt like she's been in stage two for quite some time, but according to insurance, you know, they wanted her to fail an oral glucose test, and your ending number has to be at a specific number. Even if it's still considered high, if it doesn't meet that number that they want, then they tell you it's a normal like, you pass the test.
So That's not a thing that the the drug manufacturer says. It's a thing the insurance company says.
I I think so. I'm at least in my experience with our insurance, that was they wanted her to fail an oral glucose test, but the ending two hour number had to be a specific had to be, like, one forty four or higher. And then you also have to had a fasting glucose of one ten or higher. And then they wanted an elevated a one c, but our doctor kind of she was able to bypass that a little bit because her a one c was, like, right on the cusp of, like, being abnormal. I think it was, like, 5.7.
Okay. Did you have to talk your kids into this, or was it a thing they wanted immediately?
So, you know, originally, when we tested them, we just poked their finger and they did the, you know, trial net. I don't think any of us knew what pursuing TZLD meant. So, no, I didn't really have to talk them into it. They've kinda just rolled with the punches, and they're like, okay.
Like so yeah. I don't You talked about, like, psychologically how you felt realizing this about your three kids. Right? Yeah. But can you tell me how the the the kids felt?
Like, so I wanna know, did the kid with type one feel guilt? Did the two that have markers, are they nervous, or are they comforted by knowing? And the fourth one who doesn't have anything, are they just like deer in headlights, or what what's going on over there?
Well, it's funny. The fourth one that doesn't have anything, he was actually born with what's called Hirschsprung's disease. So he had his whole own medical journey before all of this even happened.
And
that his medical journey, I thought, was the worst thing in the world and difficult. And then type one came into our life, and it was like, woah. You know? Totally different ballgame there.
So so that one doesn't feel like he got away with something because something's happened to him as well.
Right. I got it. Yeah. He yeah. Absolutely.
Well,
that's fair. You could probably probably prior to the diabetes, was like, oh, it's all on me. Like, something yeah. Yeah. It's it's Yeah.
He's like, finally, someone else.
You guys got reslotted. You know what I mean? Yep. Yeah. Oh my gosh.
Well, my god. Isn't it I I mean, I know this is a big idea that's really not that deep, but it's it's so crazy to think of how few people actually make it through life without, like, a major medical thing. Like, because I
think Right.
I think we all believe, like, the idea is, like, you're gonna be born and then something dire happens at the end, probably just old age, and it's over. And, you know, then you realize at some point along the line, like, I am gonna get sick. Right? I'm gonna sneeze and cough and probably get the flu once or twice. Like, okay.
Well, that's not too bad about you know, it's modern times. That doesn't kill anybody until it does. And then, you know, and then things get you know, if you're lucky, nothing else happens. But people's if you you really stop and look at people, there are there are there are not many people who are just getting through life without medical concerns.
Right.
And, you know, it's I don't know. It's one of those I feel like it's one of those odd things we think we're promised that just ends up not being the situation.
Well, and I you know, when I was choosing when my husband and I were choosing to have kids, you know, you hear mom say, you know, they go for their ultrasound and they say as long as they're healthy. And it's like, I've actually tried to to to not push that narrative because it's like, no. As long as your kids are loved and wanted because nobody is promised a healthy life. And I when I chose to have four kids, never in my mind did I ever think they would each have a chronic lifelong illness. You
know? Yeah.
So you can sit there and say, oh, as long as they're healthy, well, what if they're not? What are you gonna do?
Well, then we're done with them.
Yeah. Just see you kids.
Throw that one in the pile. I I yeah. I've Yeah. Did you have do you have any health issues, your husband?
So no. Not really.
Okay. I mean, I Autoimmune in your extended families?
Yeah. So my mom does have Hashimoto's and, but really, that's it. I think someone on my husband's side might have had Crohn's.
Mhmm. I was gonna ask, anybody pooping after Thanksgiving?
Yeah.
Yeah. Right? Where does uncle Bill go after after the turkey? Possibly. Yeah.
Thought he was getting high, but he was just he was just shitting upstairs. So I hear you. Okay. Wow. And then you got three is the Hirschsprung's autoimmune?
No.
So no. It's a congenital defect
Mhmm.
Which they I mean, they don't really know. Usually, it's, like, spontaneous when that happens, I think. But it also can be genetically linked, which I feel like they say that about type one. You know, it's like, oh, it can be random, but then I'm like, well, I have three kids with it. So there's gotta be some genetically.
No. It's random. Randomly, all three of your kids got to talk about that basically.
Oh my god. That's terrible odds.
Yeah. Did you buy a lottery ticket after this happened? You thought maybe I just like, things that are really uncommon happened to me or no?
Yeah. You know, I I've thought about it. I have.
Should Scott Move to Montana?1:06:58
Should I move to Montana? This is the other question. I can't handle the winters. Is that correct?
Yeah. Okay. But have have I heard that you lived in Montana before?
No. No. I thought of guy I I I got invited to the speaking thing out there. I was so excited about it then it fell apart.
Oh, why?
I don't well, because coordinating big things like this is hard.
Well okay. So which brings me to this point. I feel like Montana is so weird for type one diabetes support. Like, it's very few it's few and far between. Like, we need more stuff out here.
Yeah. I mean, that that's the way in a lot of places though. Yeah. Like, it's just if you're not it's funny. If you're not in a major, like, metropolitan hub, then Yes.
The idea of putting it together something where people have to travel to it Yep. Sounds good in theory. And you'll even get people to say, like, don't worry. We're gonna come. But then on the day of the everyone wakes up in the morning and goes, are we gonna drive forty five minutes to talk about?
I don't think so. And then Yeah. My ass is standing in Montana and nobody shows up. You know what I mean?
Like Well, and, know, in Montana, the weather is unpredictable. So, you know, yesterday, it was 80 degrees and today, it's supposed to snow. So if you want me to drive 80 miles to hear you speak, but it snows, I'm probably gonna skip it.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, then that's exactly the point. So then these institutions don't do stuff like this.
Right.
Because it's also I mean, it's I spoke at Hofstra a week or two ago, last week, and, you know, I think there are about a 100 people in the room. It's a really nice turnout, And they were thrilled with the turnout. I was standing there going like seeing some empty seats. And so, you know, it's it's a tough feeling when you when you travel somewhere. Yeah.
I spent six hours traveling that day. By the way, did not charge anybody any money. I drove three hours out and three hours back and spent a few hours while I was there. I left my house at one in the afternoon and returned home at 9PM to talk to these people because I thought it was a I thought it was a a nice thing to do, and I was excited to be you know, I was happy that the that the hospital was, you know, inviting me because, you know, I've talked about this before, but I've probably been invited to talk at a dozen hospitals over the handful of years recent handful of years. They never follow through.
That's crazy.
Eventually, you get the invite from, like, a lower level person who loves the podcast and thinks, this would be really great. And then eventually, it gets high enough up the ladder where someone goes, so what's his degree in? And they go, he's got a podcast. And then someone goes, we're not letting a guy with a podcast come here and speak. And then this one was great because the person, Maggie, who is an endo and I think will be on the podcast at some point, she persisted.
And she went to her, you know, leadership and said, no. Listen. Like, pay attention to this. Like, I think you're gonna like this. And then they got together with me on a Zoom, and we talked, and it worked out.
And I'll tell you what, it was great. And I said some things that I bet you the staff was slightly uncomfortable about. I bet you there were people on the staff that were probably like, oh god. Thank god someone's saying this. I can't say this at work.
Yeah. You you know what mean? Like, there's a lot of that going on, but what I saw were the people in the room were genuinely thrilled and and and had a great time. And, you know, hopefully heard a thing or two that might make their life easier. Yeah.
I mean, which is really the only goal. But it's that that thing is it's gotta be put together. It's gotta be run. It takes months to plan. There's food.
It's expensive. Like, it ain't easy. The thing I just did with Touched by Type one, like a small army of dedicated people put something like that together. It is Yeah. You don't just all show up at a Popeyes.
You know what I mean? Nope. Although, gotta tell you, that would work for me. You know what I mean?
We don't have a Popeyes in Montana.
So I'll have a little mashed potatoes with gravy before I go. Oh, they're delicious. Anyway, I just, I know that Yellowstone ruined your state, but you know, it's hard not to watch it on TV and just be romantic about standing outside and looking at a few 100 acres.
I know. I know. So You yeah. I mean, is there anything we can do to try to talk you to coming back here?
Well, somebody's just gotta do the thing. Like but and then I'll come because I wanted to see we were gonna I was gonna do I was gonna bring my family, and we were gonna do a national park while we were out
there. See?
The whole thing just fell apart.
So I'm, like, an hour away from Yellowstone. That's what could be your personal tour guide. I would drive you through Yellowstone.
Oh, I don't wanna get sick, and it sounds like everybody around you is ill, so I'm not doing that. But, no. No. But you're very nice. I just wanted to come in.
It was supposed to be a couple days too. Like, it was an event. Yeah. I just don't know what happened to it. It just died on the vine.
So anyway, actually, it makes my point not to throw shade on the people that couldn't pull that together because I don't mean that. But Yeah. It makes the point I I I kinda started with earlier. Like, you think that, like, making this podcast is easy? No.
No. Making these things are not easy. And when you try to get somebody to volunteer to put together a podcast or Yeah. A newsletter or get together, their life's gonna get in the way. It has to be tied to their I don't know if you all understand why, you know, why why a system of money works so well, but it it motivates your ass to do something.
Okay? So
I mean, I was trying to make content just for fun, and it was exhausting. And I made $10.
No. Oh, exhausting is not the word. It's just and and wait till you make something that you really love and you put it out there and no one sees it.
Yes. You're
like, oh my god. I'm not doing that twice. Yep. So you need somebody that's either crazy enough to keep doing it or being motivated in the right way. And for me, like Yeah.
Clarity is I'm sitting in my house. My wife has a job, and her and I make money and put it into a pile, and then we pay for the house. And Yep. For our our insurance, our car insurance, and our the gas that makes my stove cook the food and the food itself, like, you know, how this all works. Right?
Yep. Yeah. Yeah. So we
you can't just ask somebody to put this level of, like so if I guess the point is if you're out there going, like, Scott, you do it wrong or I don't like what you do or whatever, I would say to you, you go do it. That's a good idea. I'm not being flippant about it either. Seriously, you're probably right. Maybe I maybe you'll do it better or different or in a way that'll help a different you go ahead and get out there and do it.
And until then, until you're willing to put in twenty years of effort to have this conversation with Natalie, I my message to you would be, shut the fuck up. Okay? Like like, either what what what's what's that phrase? Or get off the pot? Is that the one?
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. That's an old one now. That's the thing I can hear my
I do know that phrase.
Do you know that one? You know why it's like that? They used to shit a pot. Oh
my gosh.
That's right. Imagine being alive then with diabetes. Oh, man. In a pot and then throwing the pot out the window. Like, it's so, like, on the side you know, it's on the side of the house.
Is that why vines grow up? Oh god. I hope
Oh, my gosh. I don't have vines on my house, so we're safe.
No no poo on your house. Oh, my gosh. Very recently, I told a story on the podcast and I got done, I was like, why did I do that? And it was about how I once or maybe more than once peed out the window of my house because I didn't feel like going down. I feel like cars.
But I feel like a lot of guys can, like Also,
I I mean, you're you're lucky you can do that.
Natalie, also, there's no there was no screen in the window. I just wanna be clear about that.
Okay. Oh, good.
This is a straight shot. Good. There's do you watch shrinking on Apple TV? No. And one of the characters pees off his roof a lot, and I'm just like, right on.
It's free. That's Scott. I would I would do. I don't think I would now, by the way, but back then, I was on the I was in the attic of a house growing up. Like, it was like, had to go down, like, two sets of flight like, floors to go to the bathroom.
Oh my goodness.
That's awesome. A lot. Yeah. I never I never pooped out the window. Just wanna say that.
Oh, that's good. Okay. Yeah. But, anyway, if you if you have a a complaint, forget me about anything, you go do it. Yeah.
If you're so smart, go do it.
You know? I think, you know, when like, on social media, that's my I feel like you just have to have, like, whatever your goal is and stick to it. And my goal has been to support other moms.
Very
nice. It's not you know, yes, I'm monetized, but like I said, I'm making $10. But if I've helped one mom feel supported or, you know, whatever, not alone, That's my goal. Yeah. And so I'm gonna stick to that, and it is what it is.
And it it listen. And you don't get involved in all the rest of it. Yes. Like, I the person I saw another person say, like, you know, Scott just bans you if you don't agree with him, which by the way is is patently untrue. We have a shockingly low number of banned accounts in a group that has 83,000 people in it.
And Yep. And what I when I saw that person say that, I'm like, I didn't first of all, I didn't ban you. Another person admitting the page got sick of you and banned you. Like and you weren't banned for disagreeing. You were banned Which for being out of your mind too many times.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So
Which, by the way, I love your admin team. They're all wonderful.
Aren't they wonderful people? Yeah.
They are.
Yeah. Seriously.
They don't just they don't get enough credit.
No. Or and they're not getting paid. So there you go.
Yeah. Weird.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They're just lovely people.
By the way, there you go. Lovely people who had a good experience with the podcast. Saw that it was valuable for others and thought, I wonder how I could facilitate helping more people the way I was helped. And then I've gotta wake up to see that this has been characterized as me building a cult and spreading mental illness. Thanks a lot.
Jesus Christ. Gosh. What's the saying?
You guys cut cut Scott some slack.
They don't have to cut me slack. Again, if they argue and say crazy things, it really does help. So I think I'm complaining on a human level. Yeah. But on the thing level, it's just part of it.
Yep. It really is.
It's it's like having to have a gas station, you know, near the place where you're fixing cars. That's just it's the cost of doing business. The cost of doing business is that crazy people are gonna say crazy things. Yep. So nothing you can really do about that.
But, anyway, no good deed goes unpunished is Great. Not a saying that just came out of nowhere. There there must have the very first person who tried to help another person must have thought of that.
Oh my goodness.
The 'Content Creator' Rant1:17:26
Oh, you know, it's funny you said you you you you monetized the thing and you were like, oh, I might make content and everything. While I'm being, you know, course towards crazy people, let me let me make this point too. You're not a content creator. I'm a content creator, and I wouldn't call myself a content creator because it's embarrassing. Okay?
Like like, if you're not embarrassed by it, I really I I wish for you a time machine to see if you could go back to the seventies for ten minutes and live there. Where where you would realize that you having an account on a social media thing and saying something about something over and over again does not make you a content creator. I don't care if a thousand people see it. That's a thousand of how many billions? It's it's statistically in it just it's insignificant.
And not that you should maybe you're helping those thousand people and right on go ahead and go and you should do that, and I mean that. But you can't consider yourself a content creator with that.
Correct.
I'm barely a content creator. Yep. I'm in a niche inside of a niche inside of a niche. I'm not health care. I'm not diabetes.
I'm type one diabetes. I'm in I'm inside the six different bubbles inside of a bubble. You are talking to 10 people. Yes. Stop putting content creator in your bio.
It's embarrassing. Okay? Oh, god. If your parents saw that, they'd get in a time machine and go figure out when they then made you and they'd stop. Because they'd be like, didn't realize I was gonna raise a 40 year old person who would think that their TikTok is a business because it isn't.
Oh my god. Don't it's is this really that hard to understand? I feel like I'm losing my mind. Okay.
It's like, you know, if you wanted to be an author, you used to have to, like, have a publisher and you had to go through the process. Now anyone can even be an author. And
I I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna sound snobby, but when people tell me they wrote a book and it's self published, I think, no. You didn't. Yeah. Yeah. You made a PDF, but congratulations.
Good job. Also, not a small undertaking. And I imagine that a lot of self published books are really awesome, but but that's a hobby. Yes. You didn't write a book.
You write a book when a publisher comes to you and says, will pay you an amount of money to hand us a transcript. Yep. And if we turn that transcript into a book, then you have written a book. And and, like and does that sound snobby or old school or, like, I don't know. Maybe it does, but that's how my brain works.
You're if you're talking to 10 people, you're not a content creator. You're Yeah. You're I used to have a Facebook that talked to more people like that before I had any of this because I had 25 friends. Right. But anyway, that's the joking aside about it, that that, like, feeling that that's what you're doing is insane.
Yeah. If if everyone was a content creator, then what would the rest of us be doing? We already have an economy that's just based on passing the same money back and forth to people for goods and services. Like Yeah. Somebody get out there and do something for Christ's sake.
I'm already taking up the the stupid job. Like, you go go take a piece of wood and turn it into something. Like, they my god. Ugh. And your colorful glasses and they're like, stop it.
Like, stop crying poor. You're wearing $9,000 worth of clothing in your picture.
Oh my goodness. Yeah.
I could go on. I bitch about people forever if you want me to. Seriously, I should stop making a diabetes podcast and just make a podcast where I complain about people. I really do think it would be more fun.
Oh my goodness. It probably would be.
Then they could yell at me, and I would be like, yeah. Right on. You should. I'm gonna ask. Alright.
Wrapping Up — Hard-Won Common Sense1:21:11
Natalie, listen. Oh my goodness. I know I've I've I'm ruining people's lives, but I have to actually go eat then come back and record again today. So Okay. I gotta roll.
But would you say that I'm sorry I talked a lot? I'm gonna say that first. But because
Hey. It's your podcast. You can do what you want.
Natalie, why are you so mentally, stable? What happened to you? Were you raised by Republicans, Democrats? I wanna know the whole thing. Oh my gosh.
Give me five minutes. How did your how did your family make you a reasonable person?
You I I can probably say it's not my family that made me it was my hard work and working on myself because I was not raised
Well?
The easiest way.
Oh, okay. Alright. Well, then look. Then that's even a better story. Somebody Yeah.
Somebody didn't hand you this common sense. You went it's hard fought.
Yep.
Yeah. Please, everyone, take a minute. Be quiet. Put your phone down and try to try to think through things a little bit. Like Yeah.
It's not that hard. A person making a podcast is not making you feel a certain way. Yeah. That that's that's you. Yep.
Okay? Oh my god. Alright. I I've done enough here. I can't I can't be this smart for too long.
It makes my brain tired. I gotta go. Alright.
Go eat go eat some food.
Yeah. I'm gonna have I might have a Cheerio today. I'm in a very lazy mood.
Oh my goodness.
Have you ever been lazy and not wanna cook, but you're hungry?
Absolutely. This is my day.
I might have a Cheerio. That's why
I had kids. Some of my kids actually like to cook. I'm like, hey. Yeah. Go make me something.
Arden cleaned the the kitchen the other day because she was like, I wanna do my homework down here, and it's messy. So she cleaned it all up, and I got home. Oh my gosh. I was like, kitchen was so clean. I said, wow.
The kitchen's really clean. And, and Kelly goes, yeah, Arden cleaned it. And, we were like, sucker. And she's like, yeah. Oh my gosh.
Yeah. You had to get them to do back in the day, you could just force your kids to do anything, but there's rules now.
Yeah. Yeah. Now they there's you're supposed to give them a choice now.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's and then by the way, find it to be a mistake.
Yeah. Oh my child labor laws. You're just asking them to cut the lawn.
Yeah. Exactly.
Natalie, I'm gonna go because I my gosh. I find you very lovely and, this could just go on forever. Dexcom sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Learn more about the Dexcom g seven at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care.
Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi with Control IQ plus technology at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com. I can't thank you enough for listening. Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the juice box podcast.
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