#1909 Life Over Numbers
Life Over Numbers
Her son was hours from a coma at diagnosis. Lockdown took his freedom, and a letter asked for help. How one family found its way back — life over numbers.
Jump to a moment
- Active kids can mask type 1 for months. Priya’s son arrived at the ER with sugars of 44 mmol/L (roughly 800 mg/dL), ketones past four, and hours from a coma — after doctors had repeatedly waved off her concern. Trust your instincts.
- Lockdown isolation plus lost autonomy hit her son hardest about a year after diagnosis. He asked for help the only way he could — a letter to his mom. She calls it one of the worst days of her life, and the moment everything got reprioritized: online therapy, a full work-from-home job, and constant communication.
- Taking the burden off the teen changed everything — once AndroidAPS was running, Priya slept properly for the first time in three and a half years. Her advice: caregivers need their own care plan, not just the child’s highs and lows.
- “Basal is literally the unsung hero.” Re-test basal after growth spurts, get settings right before blaming the pump, and head into sports with as little insulin on board as possible.
- “Life over numbers” — her son manages mostly on his own now, and the outcomes away from home aren’t perfect. That’s okay. Small experiences, even the ones mom saw coming, are how teens learn to own the space.
- AndroidAPS — The DIY automated insulin delivery system Priya's son uses with Dexcom
- Lifeline Australia — 24/7 crisis support in Australia — call 13 11 14. This episode includes a discussion of a teen's mental health crisis; support is available
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US) — For US listeners — call or text 988 for free, confidential support
Every word of the conversation
Welcome0:00
Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast. 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.
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Meet Priya — Six Years Into Type 11:42
Hi there. My name is Priya, and, I'm a mom to a 17 year old type one. And, we joined the type one family around a little over six years ago.
Six years ago. Your daughter or son?
My son.
Your son. How old is how old is he?
He's, 17 now.
Now. Okay. Wow. Are there other, type ones in your family or other autoimmune issues or anything?
No. He's the first one. First type of the rank.
And do you have other kids? Just one. You have this one. Okay. So he's around 11.
What do you see happening? What gets you thinking about him not that he might not be feeling well?
He was quite an active oh, he's always been quite an active kid, and he used to be involved in soccer and taekwondo. So he had his taekwondo grading veins, and I'm like, he's he's lost weight. But, okay, maybe he's been too active. We're going into holidays. I'll feed him like there's no tomorrow.
We're going to school holidays, and two weeks and three weeks, and I see he's starting to drop weight. And I'm like, something's not right. Let's go to the doctor. The doctor is like, no. Should be fine.
You're just being paranoid. Nothing really happening. It was around the time when COVID was just appearing in the headlines. So I'm like, yeah. Maybe it's sad.
Maybe he's unwell. Alright. Okay. Three weeks in, and he's he dropped about ten, eleven kilos, which is, like, what, maybe 20, and that almost small little boy looks really gone.
Yeah.
Keep going back to the doctor, and they're like, alright. Cool. If you insist, we'll do some tests. But look. He he looks okay.
I'm like, no. He doesn't look okay. And, yeah, the reports come. They they miss the most obvious. They don't check for sugars or anything else.
And I'm like, go in the evening for the review. Actually, like, look. You know what? I'll give you a referral. Maybe now a couple of weeks, he'll be fine.
But then if not, take him to a pediatrician just to keep your mind at ease. We come home. I'm like, no. Let's go to the ER. Something's not right.
Now my mind went in a very different direction. And I said three weeks, such a drastic weight loss. Something's not right. Let's go to the ER. I'm sure I'll get some support there.
Described the symptoms to the triage nurse. And, like, in thirty seconds, they literally grab hold of him, and he they I remember the words they say. Things like get get the ER bed ready, endo on call. I'm like, what the hell is happening here? And yep.
That's just history. We were in DKA.
DKA at Diagnosis — Hours From a Coma4:39
Hey. Going into the hospital, what did you think was wrong with them? What were you imagining?
Oh, so I had I had a few friends of mine while screwing up who had some aggressive cancers and, like, literally disappeared from the face of earth. So that was the first thing that came to my mind that, oh, what's going on here? Oops. I'm sorry. I swear.
But oh. You can can swear if you want. Don't worry.
Sorry. So, look, honestly, that was on my mind. And as a teenager, I had a friend of mine who, again, four weeks, brain some some brain tingle and goodbye. Yeah. That was really driving me nuts.
And so when they said it's not that and it's diabetes, I actually sighed relief that, okay. We can manage this.
Okay. Where, where you where do you live?
I'm we're currently in Australia.
Okay. How is the how how do you find the health care there?
Good. When when you go to the point wherein you go to the ER and it's a really life threatening situation, damn good. But for anything else, you need to you need to have really good insurance cover, to be able to afford private. Otherwise, for anything that's not life threatening, you're waiting too long.
Okay. Alright. Well, that sucks. So okay. Well, they, was he in DKA?
I mean, is it a thing you found pretty quickly? What was this day like on Monday?
Look. His sugars were 44. His ketones were past four. Yeah. They said, look.
He he was probably hours away from coma, and they weren't actually interested in getting his sugars down as much as they were interested in normalizing his potassium levels. Yeah. Because that's what was going in the towards the dangerous territory.
Right. I think how do they talk about, like, like, you're acidic, right, or something like that? Or there's something they have to Yeah.
And and if they bring the sugars down too soon, the electrolyte imbalance can actually have a more negative impact on the body. Mhmm. And so I think over a span of about maybe the first seventeen, eighteen hours, they got him down to twenties.
Okay.
It was a very gradual trickle down.
Yeah. I for people listening who don't know, 44, millimoles is just about 800. Yep. Yeah. So for for you in American and other places.
So yeah. And how long do you think it had been going on for?
I retrospectively think it was going on for at least seven, eight months.
Oh, wow. That's
Yeah. So he, he went overseas, for two weeks by himself, school camp, two weeks to Japan. That photo that I'd taken on, at the airport on the day, oh my god. He had that gaunt look. And I which is why he didn't have a honeymoon period at all because he was running literally on empty on this file.
Do you with hindsight, would should you I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I'm just trying to understand the depth of it.
No. 100%. I should have.
You should have seen something.
You don't even have 100%. But the thing is he's such an active kid, and and I think he was bouncing back. And the activity now on hindsight, when I understand that there is insulin sensitivity that comes out like crazy when you're so active, he his pancreatic cells were, I think, getting a lot of, rest just for the activity driven insulin sensitivity.
A lot of people talk like that. Like, I was super active. I think it bought me more time, that kind of thing. Jeez. How did he take it at 11 years old?
Okay.
So
the diagnosis part of it, I think he took it pretty brave. He he started his shots immediately. He's like, no. No one's no one's touching me. I'm doing all the shots myself.
And the the only one who was allowed to basically interact and manage was me. So he and I had a really good wavelength even prior to diagnosis, and it's only strengthened since then on. But look. Going back to school, we tried to keep his routines as normal as possible. We continued with soccer because that was his life.
The only question he asked the endo the following day is, will I be able to play soccer? And he's like, yeah. You'll be able to do whatever you want, including flying a plane. I don't know why he said that back then, but he said, yeah. You'll be able to do whatever you want.
And that's what gave him the confidence that, okay, it's not the end of the world. I'll be able to get back to the field. So that told me that come what may, soccer needs to be a part of his life. So I need to work this out to the point that he continues business as usual for him.
Definitely easier than getting him an airplane. That's for sure.
Yeah. Definitely. Yeah. But the the thing is it happens at such high frequency. It's like he's trailing six days a week sometimes.
Right. Right. Hey. Does that put it into his head? Like, you said you don't know where that came from when the doctor said even fly a plane because they're trying to pick something that they think of as, that people think they can't do with type one.
But does your son now talk about being a pilot ever? Oh, never. Never. Okay. Alright.
I just I'm wondering how many doctors are making little type one pilots by telling them stuff like that.
Not at all. He's like, I'm gonna, earn all this, ridiculous amount of money, and I'm gonna be flying business class. I'm like, dream on, pal. Come on. Get the bloody ball and the goal first.
Yeah. Just you know, why don't you work on this soccer thing? And once we do this, we'll move up to something else.
Yes. Exactly right.
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But did you know that if you don't see the email and you're set up for this, you have to set it up. They don't just randomly call you. But I'm set up to be called if I don't respond to the email because I don't trust myself a 100%. So one time I didn't respond to the email and the phone rings at the house. It's like ring, you know how it works.
And I picked it up. Was like, hello? And it was just the recording. It was like, US Med. Doesn't actually sound like that, but you know what I'm saying.
It said, hey. You're, I don't remember exactly what it says, but it's basically like, hey. Your order's ready. You want us to send it? Push this button if you want us to send it.
Or if you'd like to wait, I think it it lets you put it off, a couple of weeks or push this button for that. That's pretty much it. I push the button to send it, and a few days later, box right at my door. That's it. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514.
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Why Priya Came On — Normalcy Does Return12:45
Well, what made you wanna come on the podcast?
A couple of things I wanted to talk about. As I see, like, reflecting on my own experience, in the initial diagnosis phase or yeah. And when I say initially, it goes on for the first two, three years, till you wrap your head around so many things, was the uncertainty. And how do I put it? You see all these posts online, and you're like, oh my am I ever gonna get there?
And I just wanted to provide my insights on, yes, you're gonna get there. It's not gonna be pretty. It's gonna be ugly. It's gonna have dark circles. It's gonna have what the hell am I doing kinda days.
But then, yes, you do get there, and normalcy does return.
It's like running a like running a marathon with no shoes, and you're and you're bloody and and exhausted. You pooped your pants a little bit, but, you know, you get you get to the end, and you're like, I did it. How about that? Oh my gosh. Yeah.
How long do you think it took you to get to a place where you felt like even that you were kinda cresting that hill? Like, thinking, like, oh, maybe there's some, like, light at the end of this tunnel.
It came in phases, to be honest with you. When we were on MDI, I think, we had some really good control, that got some confidence in. Then we moved on to different kinds of pumps that got some more autonomy in. I think maybe around the two or a three year mark is when, things started, like, you know, this is it. It's not going anywhere.
So
Two or three two or three years?
Yeah.
Okay. So Well, oh, let's talk about the time leading up to that then. Leading up to two or three years, how how did you feel? Like, can and was it in did it happen in sections? Did you progress once in a while, or was it just one drudgery that you can't tell one minute from the next?
No. It wasn't definitely one drudgery stretch over time. For me, I was a primary caregiver, so it was the constant exhaustion of holding the fort and managing decisions, managing the household. That's what got to me, I think. Seeing the toll that was sometimes, taking him by surprise.
I think the first year, we we breezed through. And not having a lot of honeymoon period was kind of better because the honeymoon and the lows were really throwing us off. But I reckon in combination with COVID, all the shutdown, being in social isolation is what didn't go well for my son. Okay. And that drove him to a point wherein it was like, that's it.
I don't think I wanna continue this anymore.
The Hardest Chapter — His Letter Asking for Help16:05
Did he that was Did he feel suicidal at points?
Yeah. Really?
He did.
Wow. So Did And that took me by surprise. Sorry.
No. No. No. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the conversation will go this way.
So he's 11. He's diagnosed right at the beginning of COVID. Right at the right around the point where my wife was telling me, there's people sick overseas. I think we're all gonna have it one day, like, that that time. And then and then what do you mean by the like, what what what parts do you think got to him?
Was it the psychological, I don't want this to be my life, or was it more about the process of what to do? Were people making fun of him? Do you think do you think he even would have felt any of that stuff if he was out moving around the world? How I mean, you've obviously had time to think about it. I'm wondering what you've come up with.
Yeah.
Look. I think if he continued business as usual, it wouldn't have had that impact on him, But his routines were taken so look. This diagnosis does cause kids to mature overnight. They take the autonomy away from the kids. And a teenager or a preteen, they're all about autonomy.
They're all about making decisions themselves. And for an active kid to not be able to get up and run after a ball because he's got oodles of iob, that was something I think that got to him. Again, we couldn't step out. We had some ridiculous restrictions about five k is not here, not there. We had more shutdowns than I think any other state in the world Mhmm.
Which I think was a big contributor to him withdrawing in a shell
Yeah.
At that point in time.
Yeah. Australia really didn't mess around. Right? They you guys were you were stuck in your house. You went outside.
The cops came and got you. Right?
Yeah. Well, maybe that's a story that went out, but, yeah, it it pretty close.
Yeah. Okay. Well, it's it that's how it felt, though. You really felt like you couldn't leave your house. Like, I used to go out all the time.
You you know, like, you'd, like, go for a ride or you'd go to a store that you had to go to or something like that and, know
Look. There were instances that people were dropping on each other, which was pretty. But eventually, people just got fed up and, started doing what they were doing, but that that took its own sweet time.
Yeah. It certainly did. So in that time, he's isolated in your house. Also, an only child. Right?
Yeah. Then you and your are you married?
Yes. I was back then. So yep.
Okay. Well, we took care of him. But but, like, but but so so so you I hate you're laughing because that is what happened. Okay.
Stop it.
I can't wait to find out how COVID ruined that. But but so but the three of you are in that house by yourself, and then and he's got nobody his age even. And you two are probably working from home. Is that right? Or is one of you working from home?
One of, so I had a bit of flexibility back then, but then we were primarily site based. So we continued going in and out, trying to manage our shifts in such a way so that someone was at home at all points in time.
Yeah. Yeah. That's not good. I have a an acquaintance who, as soon as COVID hit and the lockdown happened, he said to me, I'm gonna get divorced. And I thought and I was and I I thought he was joking.
You know what mean? Like, I thought he was being like, oh, no. We're gonna get trapped in the house, and we're just not we're gonna fight. This guy had been married forever and ever and ever. Like, he was older.
You know? And I couldn't figure out what he meant, but it turns out what he meant was is that the ladies he had on the side probably weren't gonna understand that he couldn't come out anymore, and then that was gonna become a problem. And he didn't feel like he was gonna be able to not do it, and then eventually he'd get caught. And by the way, all that happened. So Oh my
Classic. Love it.
It's so funny, like, when something like, you know, COVID hit. Like, I was, right away, was, oh my god. Where how are we gonna get our food? What are we gonna do? And it's fun to think that some people are, like, how am I gonna get to my ladies?
And, like, isn't my wife gonna notice now when I call these girls? And, like, if I can't go to work and I'm not gonna anyways, is that what happened to you or what happened to you?
Okay. Going back to no. Nothing of that.
Okay. You
mean the relations shift side or what are we talking about here?
Nothing that much fun happened to you.
No. No. Nothing of that sort happened.
Alright. Sorry. So when so what could you see happening? Like, did you over focus on him? Was he spending too much time thinking about his diabetes?
Do think he had spent too much time in his own head?
I think it was the latter spending a lot of time in his own head withdrawing, and not not being his usual self. And and, you know, as a parent, like, you know, what's what's the what what does normal look like? What are the extremes? And then when you're going past the extremes and, look, I'm very grateful that we we had good communication to begin with, and he he actually wrote a letter to me. And he said, look, I don't think I can talk to you, but I wanna tell you something.
And could you please read this when I'm not when I'm in one of my online classes, etcetera? And I'm like, yeah. Sure. And that sinking feeling when you have this chat, you're like, oh, I don't know what am I getting into. Yeah.
And that's pretty much it what it was. And he had described it that, like, this is what I'm thinking, so on and so forth. And I don't mean to, but I don't think I can continue anymore. I I, that was probably one of the worst days in my life.
I would think. Yeah. Preet, he was 11 when this happened?
No. He was probably around 12, 12.
Okay. By then. So he had been been with us now for a year, year and a half. And Yep. I knew
that's when it hit him.
Such an articulate thing to do at that age. Like, how do he Yeah. I you know, how do you know to do that, do you think?
I have no clue. See, he's he's always been quite, a mature soul. We call him the, old man at home. Okay. And he's always been very sensitive, very thoughtful, and this was his way to, I think, ask for help because he somewhere obviously didn't wanna execute that, and he didn't he was he was covering it up.
He was holding the fort.
What Priya Did Next — Support, Therapy, Stepping Back22:40
Right. Right. What did you do? Like, when when you mean, after you read that, I imagine you cried. But then after that, what did you do?
I reached out a couple of girlfriends, type one moms that we used to talk to, literally 2AM at nights when we were doing our finger pricks and not getting the right outcomes. And I I reached out to them and said, this is what I'm dealing with. What do I do here? Got a bit of support from them. Honestly, what I did from their own reprioritized everything, took a backseat, focused on them, started reading up things, started looking at therapy options, realized we don't have good therapists over here.
At least back then, we didn't have a lot of therapists easily available. COVID made things even more harder. We found a therapist in US, and we consulted him online just to get things under control. Wow. I quit my job at that point in time and took another job, which gave me a full 100% work from home option.
Okay. And I needed to be there Yeah. Just to ensure safety till the time we navigate through this phase.
Yeah. Did this I'll be serious now about the other thing, but did this put a strain on your marriage?
Not this in particular, but I would say chronic diagnosis does put a strain on caregivers, partners. Right? Because we're we're constantly in that operational phase of cup counting of your whatever. I mean, so many other variables that throw that. I don't think, we take time to think about ourselves and what do we need Mhmm.
As a as a couple.
I remember being in the hospital a few days into Arden's diagnosis, and we were in some class. I don't know if it was carb counting or just, you know, like an educational class. Mhmm. And I realized that that all the moms were sitting around. There's a big conference.
A lot of people had been diagnosed, and I would bet you there were eight families there. And, like, all the moms were sitting around the table, and the husbands were standing behind them. And I was seated at the table. My wife was stood behind me. I real and because because I was a stay at home dad at the time, and I and that I I didn't realize that in the moment.
Actually, it's a a thing that struck me later. But we walked out of that room after getting the, you know, I don't know, the education we got, And we're walking through the hallway going back up to Arden's room in the hospital, and my wife says, do you think she'll be able to have a baby? And she was only she was only two. And I said, I don't know. Do you think we're gonna get divorced?
That's that that's that's how it felt when we walked out of the of of the education. You you know? Anyway, it it just it's such a shift for every every every direction your brain works in, everything you think is happening in your life, etcetera, just all stops and and and fractures and and goes into a million different directions. So my question is is do you think prior to diabetes happening, do you think this is ever a note you would have gotten from him? Like, if he doesn't get type one, does he write that letter to you?
I don't think so. No. I honestly don't think so. He's quite a fun loving, resilient guy, active out and about. But, look, not not wanting to talk about
About that. You know?
That.
You know what? Can you tell me, though, before we move on, like, what do you know what part of it what part of it was troubling him? And, like, how and what did you do to, like, to mitigate it?
Freedom, Autonomy, and AndroidAPS26:28
So, what I realized is the as we kept talking about it, he had made peace with the fact that this is him, but not totally because he needed the the freedom to be able to do what he wants to do. Okay. And the and he wasn't getting that and was being held back. And, obviously, look, we would have had some conversations to say, okay. No.
Not yet. You've got so much IOB, so on and so forth. And maybe, we need to start planning things better. And, again, when you're exhausted, you're the most articulate Mhmm. Or emotionally aware people around each other and go goes both ways.
I think, communication was the key for me here to keep talking. Let's let's talk what's happening, what's what's going on, name it, and let's let's try to work, it out. For him, it was freedom to be able to do. And that's where I think we we took the next step and went into the algorithm side of things and the DIY side of things. And I would say taking that burden off him, putting it on autopilot I actually slept after three years for the first time, three, three and a half years once the loop not the loop.
Sorry. Android APS was running. Yeah. Was a different person after sleeping.
Yeah. I know.
So, yeah, that's that whole cumulative effect just changes you as a person.
I try to tell people, and I don't think anybody believes me when I'm saying it sometimes. You you know, like, it really does just creeps up on you. You don't feel it coming. And then one day, you are just a vastly different person than you were before. You're having very strange reactions to things, and the whole time you think it's reasonable.
Really is like it's not you you don't think, oh, I'm acting crazy right now or it's just not how it feels. You know? The the lack of sleep thing is is is very, very impactful. So you got Because
you are in
Go ahead.
I'm sorry. Hugo?
No. No.
No. I was saying because you're in a crisis mode, actual and perceived. You're throwing your body in a crisis mode as well Mhmm. Just by running on empty. And it it all has a magnified impact.
It doesn't have to be that bad, but the thing is we don't create as much awareness. And and I I would say these things need to be a part of the diabetes care plan, not just just managing your highs and lows. Parents need to have their own care plan for them to consider what are you gonna be doing. This is what you're gonna be coming up with.
Sure. You know, otherwise, everything just kinda falls apart and your life heads off in a direction that it doesn't need to. But you but you do have to be aware of it. And and and I think the awareness being upfront is helpful because by the time you get exhausted, I don't know how you're even supposed to think about that part. You you know, like, how do you start how do you start looking after your mental health after you're exhausted?
It's it's it's you know, it it adds another layer.
It's counterintuitive.
Yeah. It certainly certainly is. So okay. Well, you said you got a therapist in The US. Is he still seeing the therapist, or is that a thing that was just took care of something and you and you move forward?
I think it was just at that point in time to help us tide over that period. And we we started then doing work ourselves on what matters, what doesn't matter. And I I think since then, we've we've been on the bend.
Okay. Yeah. And you did you keep your work situation the way it was? Did you decide that was the way to do it?
No. I went loopy working from home. So after things, more loopy, let's say. Yeah.
No, Scott. I lost my mind. Thank you for asking. Yeah. So You head back to work at some point?
Yes. Absolutely. Because I think as much as I say I'm an introvert person, I still need to bounce off people's energies. We need to see people. I mean, after all, we are social beings.
So Yeah. Yeah. I had to once the lockdowns were lifted, he went back to school, had some structured routines back. I'm like, alright. Cool.
Now I can back off. Mhmm.
Okay. Oh, it's awesome. And he does well for himself. I imagine he manages his own diabetes mostly?
Yeah. I of now, he I would say I am maybe 20 or 30% involved. It's all on him, and he's like, no. I got it. We're fine.
Yeah. That's awesome. What is he still using Android APS?
He is. He is. And I don't wanna change.
Yeah. It works well. You like it. Yep. Awesome.
Awesome. With that is that with Dexcom or Libre?
With Dexcom.
Dexcom. Okay. Oh, that's cool. So if I asked him now to describe his life with diabetes, do you think he'd just say like, how do you think he'd he'd characterize it?
He'll just roll his eye up and be a typical teenager. Like, what's there to talk about it?
Yeah. Nothing here. That's pretty cool. That's it. You know what?
That's really great, isn't it? To to see how far he's come. Yeah. Yeah. Yep.
How Mom Is Doing — and Letting Teens Learn31:41
About you how about you though? Like, what's the what's the mental health aspects for you? Like, he he says just diabetes, but do you do you do you have you gotten to feel that way, or are you in a position where you still do you mourn something? Where are you at with all that?
Look. I think the mourning part, has dwindled a fair bit, but it's it's never gonna go, is it? No. It'll be so. You you never, you don't give birth to a child thinking, okay.
This is gonna be the first eleven years is gonna be awesome, and after that, I'm going to be
A zombie?
The mom to a
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. A zombie and a mom to a type one. But, look. And and again, that's that's life. It doesn't come as a straight line.
So I wouldn't say I'm mourning, but, yes, it does hurt. Some days, it does creep up on me.
Right. Yeah. I I find it's when something happens that it just feels, like, wholly unfair maybe or that, like, you see something happening to her that I just think, like, oh, this isn't right. You you know? And and then that feeling when you get to the end of it where you're like, oh, there's nothing I can do about this.
Just you know? Yeah. And then it all becomes about how you manage your your expectations and your you know, every and everything else that comes with that. It's a it's a balancing act. I don't think it stops.
I mean, if it I hope it makes people feel a little better to know that it's probably a thing that you'll recalibrate every once in a while. You know, kind of Yeah.
It's sorry. It's just like, literally, you know, every four and a half minutes is gonna be five minutes, flick of a wrist. Okay. You know what? It's trending well.
Okay. Continue business as usual. No further action required.
It'll be okay? It'll be okay? We just had a conversation, like, yesterday where we were heading out and I said, hey, Arden. Listen. I don't really wanna get in the middle of your business here.
I said, but, yeah, that pump site is is going bad. And, you know, it's gonna expire in, like, six or seven hours anyway. You know, we're we have this whole day. We're planning. There's food later.
I really think, you know, you should change your pump. And she's like, you're wrong. And, like, there's part of me that's just like, I I know I I'm a 100% sure that I'm right. And I and I and I know that I know why I know all the excuses or reasons she's gonna come up with about why I'm wrong. And I ended up I ended up being right.
And there's no joy that comes from that at all. Like, all I found myself thinking is I wish we did not have to have that conversation.
Yeah.
You know? Feels like it takes a little piece out of our relationship every time every time we do.
But, honestly, Scott, I think, they they need to go through that experience. Like, you've you've seen that that pattern for, I don't know, thousands of times. I've seen that pattern maybe a few hundreds of times, and you you you can preempt what's coming. But the thing is, as a part of handing over the reins to them, they need to start seeing these patterns and say, okay. You know what?
This is what happened, and mom was right, and this is what happened. Thus, let me act now rather than wait. Two minutes now is gonna save the entire day. Right. Not just day I'm about.
It was gonna be this. I asked that, by the way. I was yeah. I Yeah. But it's hard not to say, like like, I know I'm right or trust me.
Like, it's all that. It's just kinda difficult. You just sorta go, like, you know, like, okay. Well, we should do it anyway, you know, and let's see how it goes. Mhmm.
It's but I'm sorry. I cut you off. You're gonna say something.
No. I was just about to say, I think one of the best things, we as parents can do is also to step back because, ultimately, they need to start learning and owning the space depending on, obviously, age and other variables related. And when it comes to some nonnegotiables, we are still the parents, but I think these small experiences build a lot of confidence in them as well.
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I think so too. And and I take your point. Like, they I have those experiences, so I see it coming a mile away, but she needs to have them too.
Or Mhmm. Or she's not gonna see them coming a mile away. And one day she and I and I know she will. By the way, she you know, taken out of context, I don't know how this would seem. She's doing fantastically.
You know? And
A 100% sure she is.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm I'm thrilled how well she's doing. But it's tough too because then sometimes when you bring something up, all that I'm thrilled about how great you are, it gets lost.
You know what I mean? And and and everything feels like, oh, I'm I make mistakes or nobody believes in me or, like, you'd be surprised how quickly it could, like, slip into that direction. So really something is your son still playing sports?
He is.
He's and and how does he manage on his own pretty well, I guess?
Soccer With as Little IOB as Possible36:28
So the key that we've learned, thanks to the podcast, is, going into Bazel, going into a game with as little IOB as I can.
Mhmm.
Especially when it's the practice sessions, very little IOB. And when it's a hard game, I'm on the sidelines using his phone and bolusing. So And and that that really sorry. You go?
You said even especially in practice sessions, you mean because the the adrenaline is not the same as it is during a game?
That's right. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It's it's hilarious to see, like, he's he's going for the run.
So he's he plays a and a winger position. And then he's going in literally for the kill, and he doesn't get it right, and the coach is shouting. You can see the straight arrow up in the next refresh. It is so hilarious to see that. And I say that I'm not a main person, but I'm like, okay.
I I should have expected that, and I should have done something about it.
At least you know he's trying. He he's out there and he cares. Right? Putting some real effort into it.
Yeah. He
will he leave for university, or what's the plan moving forward?
So he actually wants to go overseas and have a go at soccer. So that's, and the only bargaining point is, okay. Complete your year 12, get your VCE done, and then let's talk about it.
But is he that good, or is he just delusional?
Okay. This is be going online, but I would say, look. There are many other better people there. He he wants to try his luck.
That's okay. Something good about that.
He he's not bad. He's not bad. Yeah. But then, I think he wants to take a punt.
Okay. I'll tell you right now. I've said this before. I don't think he'd mind me saying it. My son was younger.
If you looked at the teams he played on and said, hey. You know, pick the kids who are gonna play college baseball for four years. You I don't think you would have chosen. You know? And you you don't you don't know what's gonna happen, especially when they grow, like, at the end and that Yeah.
You know, to get that that whole, like, man physique going when they're 18 or 19. There's a lot changes. So very, very cool. Well, good
for him. It's just I I'm like, let's see.
Yeah. Is that a thing you actually think you'd let him do?
Look. I'll have to cut the cord at one point in time. Yeah. And, I don't know.
Chris, like, just
hope he's not
that good. I maybe
Hello. Maybe.
I'm just waiting for him to figure it out, Scott. That's all.
He's gonna hate me when he
hears this. Of course not. No. No. I I think he should you know, people should follow their you know, like, it's easy to tell people to follow their dreams.
There's part of me that would tell you maybe pick something you're good at and do that. But, you know, if you have the opportunity to follow a dream, I don't see the harm in that at all. You know? Yeah. My son says over and over again, he's not sure he would've went to college without baseball.
And it's something that's served him very well since he's done it. So, you know, it would have changed the course of his life greatly. You just gotta follow your heart a little bit. You know? So you and I I feel like you and I have known each other online for a long time.
Is that true?
That is 100% true. Yeah. I have reached out to you so many times. You've you've pointed me to the right, episodes, etcetera. So yeah.
Definitely. I have been in the group as well for some time. Yeah. Not not as active off late due to a few things, but then definitely been there.
Finding the Podcast — 'I Wish I'd Come Sooner'40:02
Awesome. What what how did you find the like, what value did you draw out of the podcast or the group or both?
Sure. So I'll I'll start with your first question. How did I find, maybe about a couple of months into diagnosis, there was another kid at school, and his mom reached out to me and said, hey. If you're not doing anything, let's meet up at school on a Sunday. I've learned about your diagnosis.
I'm also type one mom, but totally understand if you are not available. Oh my god. I I grabbed the opportunity. I'm like, wow. I can talk to someone.
Let's go. Yeah. Was meant to be maybe half an hour coffee catch up lasted for nearly three and a half hours. And she, at that point in time, spoke to me about this Chewsocks podcast. And I made a note of it, didn't think too much about it as you normally do.
Right? And then when you don't get the desired outcomes, and then you're chasing numbers, and you're getting or you're doing fantastic when your blood sugars after breakfast is 16. And they're like, no. Don't do about anything. It's just the excitement of going back to school.
You're at your wit's end. And I'm like, alright. Cool. Let's see what this podcast is all about because I'm not getting what I want over here. And I know these levels are not okay.
And that's how I literally came to the podcast out of sheer desperation. And as cliched as it may sound, I wish I'd come there sooner.
Well, Well, that's very nice. But I think that's what happens to most people because who who in their right mind is saying to themselves, you know what I wanna do? Wanna listen to a podcast about diabetes. It's gonna be awesome. Nick, that's not a thing that you I you know, I that that that pathway of somebody told me about it and I didn't look.
And then one day, I got so desperate that I thought, I guess I'll try a podcast about that. And then you find it and it ends up being the thing that that that other person promised you, then you have that feeling of, oh, I should have come here sooner. But, you you know, like
100%.
Yeah. It's just how it works, really. Like, it I think you'd have been insane if you would have left that meeting and gone, oh, I should go home immediately and start listening to a podcast.
I Today, if someone talks to me about any podcast, I'm like, let's go. But that was the first time I was even getting introduced to podcast. I didn't have the time to listen to people talk about things. Oh, that's interesting. Then.
Yeah. That's interesting. Also, it's interesting to me too because I've been I've been listening to radio or podcasts for so long that I there are days when I think about this and I think, like, this must almost be over. I've gotta be at the end by now. You you know?
But, like, instead, I I meet people who are like, oh, I just started listening to podcasts recently. I didn't I didn't I don't think I properly realized that there are new people coming into it all the time. And, you know, I I started measuring it against how long I've been listening to stuff. But that that's that's great. I actually think I drag a lot of people into podcast that don't normally listen to them as well.
Because I I seem to have a lot of listeners who when you ask them, like, what other podcasts you listen to, they're like, I I don't really listen to another one. So, you know, I don't think they were gonna find their way to podcast without the diabetes in some in some situations. Anyway, well, that that's great. Did he like, when you learn something and you wanna try it, did you just go try it? Did you explain to him what you were doing, or has that changed as his age has changed?
So he has never heard your podcast. I'm sorry. Oh, I've heard You yeah. But, it's like, I trust you. You do whatever is best for me.
And then I started trickling, that information bite sized pieces to him. So he's without having even heard your podcast, he knows exactly, like, what your core principles are and, what we need to start looking when things are not going our way.
Awesome. So you think if he and I sat down and started talking, he'd he'd know a lot of the things I was gonna say to him already?
A 100%. Absolutely.
That's great too.
One thing I think
Go ahead, Jolene. Sorry. No. My fault. Go ahead.
Basal Testing — the Unsung Hero44:16
One thing, I'd like to call out to people, is I can't stress enough on Basils and Basil testing. And how you get to Basil testing is another conversation. But then the when you think things are not going your way and if you can get your Basil's right, Basil's literally the unsung hero here.
Yeah.
It does most of your heavy lifting throughout the day.
100%. Basil's not right. Nothing else is gonna work. Right?
Nothing's gonna work. Absolutely. And and the moment we'll have a couple of weeks of things are not looking off, okay. You know what? Step on the scales.
You've grown. You've widened. You've whatever kind of thing. Alright. Cool.
Time to do a Basal test Mhmm. And let's get this back here online.
Gotta just get the settings right, and then everything just works so much better. Hey. There's something in here making noise. Give me a second. I'm gonna I'm gonna move something out of the room.
I'll be right back. Okay? Sure. I'm only a couple of weeks away from having an honest to god recording studio. I'm pretty excited.
So that Oh, indeed. That's amazing.
Yeah. Yeah. I built I I I had a we had a basement that wasn't finished, and I got it sectioned off and and, you know, put rooms in and everything, and they just painted it. So I have to go pick out some carpeting to put down and getting closer. So I'm getting excited.
Nice. Yeah. So Excited. Sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off.
But sorry. We were talking about Basal testing and settings, and you can keep going.
Yeah. Sure. So, honestly, if there's one key takeaway people can use from this, recording would be looking to basal testing, work out your creative ways to get your kids too fast, for however long, and you will reap the benefits of that long term.
Yep. You Yeah. Got you have to have your settings right. There's just no there's just no way around it. You can't you can't be using too much or too little insulin and then saying the pump doesn't work.
It's because of what I ate. It's it's it's until your settings are right, you're not gonna know what if there's a problem. There might not even be one. And No. True.
Yeah. He can't how does he do with pre ballsing? Is he good about it?
At home, yes. Because we we do have a structure, but then when he's outside, he pretty much manages it himself. He'll go to the city with his friends, etcetera. You obviously don't get the same level of outcomes, and that's okay. I mean, like, life over numbers is where we've landed on.
How'd you figure that out? What happened that brought you to that?
He's also a kid. Right? And he's also a teenager. So he he's like, yeah. I'll I got it.
You can see my levels. You know what's happening. I've got a drink. I'm not gonna go low.
Okay. Just just sensual just sensible, like, ideas about how to keep yourself safe and the knowledge that he's gotta live his life. You can't always be just thinking of this constantly. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. That's pretty smart.
Mhmm.
How, does he split time between you and your ex?
No. He's with me all the time.
All the time. Okay. So there's no there's no problem there where one person's doing it one way, that kind of thing?
Oh, no. Not at all. No. I I look. My ex, we we are in good amicable talking terms.
So and there wasn't ever an issue with regards to management where he had his different thoughts. So that way, we were quite on the same page.
Oh, very nice. Yeah. I I can't imagine how difficult that is to, you know, to have a partner who's fighting against every one of those decisions, especially when they're happening constantly, you know, know, over and
over again. True.
It's really interesting. True. Okay. Well, what else do you have? What what made you want I don't wanna ask it like that.
I feel like I I'm in a weird position where I feel like I know you, and I know I don't. So but it's it's it's a little awkward to me. Like, I feel like I have, like, just a history of, like, chatting with you back and forth in different places and getting messages and stuff like that that, that other people don't have. What else what am I not asking you, I guess?
Puberty, Enzymes, and Kids vs. Pills48:23
Okay. So puberty has its own challenges. And just when you think you know diabetes, your basic rules stay the same, but then it throws so many different flavors that you you need to be quite open to trying different things out just because, the your Basils were right maybe two months ago. You may have had another growth spurt, and thus another basal test is not gonna kill you. It's only gonna make things better.
It it throws it throws golf balls in ways which is quite different, and and I would assume it's it's quite different for girls versus boys because with girls, it's cyclical. So you can somehow I I and I say that without having any knowledge that you may be able to work out a pattern from week to week, but there are no patterns when it comes to boys. And and something just hits you like a ton of bricks, and you're like, why? What? And then you forget, okay.
He's also a boy who's growing up, and it's not just diabetes.
Yeah. Right. Or he's eating he probably eats a ton. Right? That's that age where they eat a lot.
And Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and they're getting bigger all the time.
They're building muscle. Like, all that goes into it. There's adrenaline and and, you know, then going out and playing hard at soccer. Like, you know, two things feel like they're probably combating each other at the same time.
Yes. Absolutely. And and then if you throw in weightlifting because now someone wants to become muscular, not just or or not muscular as in beef up a big a big time, but then have that right level of presence, that requires a different management strategy versus being on the field when it's training time versus being on the field when it's game time.
Yeah. Yeah. There's just so many variables. But you're saying it we may I'm imagining that with a with a female, you can almost chart it out at some point. But use your hope, I guess, or your your wonderment.
That's my hope. And and, honestly and look, being a a lady myself, I understand no two bloody cycles are the same, and that has so many other variables. And often think that, oh my god. How's this gonna work out if I had a daughter with type one? And, obviously, that's that's a no.
No. I'm not going there at all.
You're like, you're like, I don't wanna go back. I don't wanna go back to feeling that confused. Not doing that. I'm not doing that anymore. What does he excuse me.
Not what? But does he have any other autoimmune issues himself as his thyroid issues or anything else? Just that.
Just that. We we have tested him for celiac a couple of times just because his tummy symptoms, seem to be persistent. But, look, his his reports come out as normal or not indicative. So Yeah.
Yeah. Hey. You've listened long enough. Did you try the, like, digestive enzymes to see if that helped him?
Yes. And now all the ones that I have ordered, I'm the one who's finishing it because he doesn't want to take these things.
They we're oh, why are kids such a pain in the ass about supplements?
Oh, don't worry.
Oh my god. Every one of them. Except except by the way, let me just say this. Except for my daughter's boyfriend, he just listens. I'm like, here.
Take this. These are good for you. Like, take a bite. He's like, oh, thank you. Takes them every day.
My own kids know what he's doing. Right? He's just trying to be the good boy just so that you are okay with him hanging out with your daughter.
Come on. Gonna make him healthier so that he can. But, of course, that's what he's doing, but I don't why don't they listen like that, I'm saying? Like, how come they're not afraid?
I don't know.
Also, this whole psychology about not being able to take a pill, if I'm not careful, I'm gonna start a podcast just about that to figure out what that's about. Because, man, it's hard to get people to take a pill. Mhmm. You know?
Unless and until they want to, and then usually that happens when you're past mid forties and you're you you find yourself crumbling. You're like, okay. Now what can I lay my hands on?
That's desperation is what that is. Yep. What is that about people like, you know, like, even, like, something simple like vitamin d, vitamin b twelve, something like that. Like, you get a blood test back. Oh, I'm b twelve deficient.
I'll take one of these every day. I don't wanna take one of those every day. What? I don't understand. You went to the doctor because you didn't feel well.
You got a blood test. The blood test told you b twelve. Here's the b twelve. No. Thanks.
I don't I I don't I really don't understand. I think It could
be possibly because you don't see the impact immediately. Right? So it's it's a slow build. It's a slow burns. And in today's time and age when, yeah, our attention span is three and a half seconds now, you want things to happen now.
And your vitamin d and vitamin b twelve is not gonna have an impact today.
It is really difficult to say to somebody if you just take this every day for twelve weeks. You're you're a ranger. Yeah. When you don't know that you're when you don't know you have a deficit because it it drifted away so slowly, how am I supposed to put that kind of effort in taking a pill? Which, by the way, just I don't know.
It seems silly to me. I don't know if it's a generational thing. Don't know how old you are. But, you know, to me, I I the way my brain works is I'm lucky to be in a country where I can afford and be in a situation where I can afford this, a country where I can get ahold of it, a place where I can afford it, the opportunity to use it, like, would I not say yes to that? It it
But Scott, as a 16 year old, would he have taken it?
I don't know. I might have. I think maybe I was like an old man, like, back then. I don't know exactly. I wish I could find out.
I really do. Yeah. Because you're probably right. But, man, it's frustrating still. You you know?
Just take your is it vitamin d? Take the damn thing. So do you think the enzymes were helping him, and he just doesn't wanna take them?
Yeah. Definitely.
Not a little prick. You know what I mean. I
know. Hey. And I end up ordering all these things from bloody your side of the world, so it costs me an arm and a leg and maybe a few pancreatic cells.
Can you just force him to do it? Is there not, like, a a financial could could you, like, hold, like, heating and cooling over his head? Say, how do you like it when the house is nice and cool? Maybe it's not gonna be anymore that you take these enzymes with your food. Or or
Okay. So there is a bit of bribery going on in our life, and I pick and choose my battles. So enzymes are not way up there.
So when you say to him, this stops your belly from hurting, you know we've done this, and that's true. And by the way, here's the, you know, here's the science behind why your body might not be making enough, enzymes to break your food down. And he then experiences the a a relief. Can you have that conversation? Does he cut you off before you have it?
Yeah. He pretty much cuts me off, and he's like, no. Nothing to look here. I'm fine. And then I don't know what the resistance is.
I'm I'm thinking maybe it's not really that bad, which is why he's not coming to the party. And if it was, we would have had a chat about it. So I'm okay. Cool. I'm not gonna push it.
Yeah. I don't know. I think I think for some people, I think they don't want to feel like they need something. You know what I mean? Like, there's, like, that sense of, like, I'm okay.
I'm not broken. I don't need anything. My body does what it's supposed to. I don't wanna think about I don't know exactly, to be perfectly honest with.
Or it could even be that, you know, I like, nah. I don't wanna get get dependent on yet another thing to sustain what should be normally done. It that could be the psyche behind it.
'I'm Not Gonna Cheat' — GLPs and Outsourcing Blame56:01
Yeah. Maybe. I don't know. I I watched another person tell me this weekend that, you know I mean, a person who I look at and I think I think they're just gonna stand up one day and their aorta's just gonna come detach from their heart and they're gonna shut off. And their doctor suggested a GLP to them.
They said, no. I don't I don't I'm not gonna I'm not gonna cheat. Cheat? You're telling me. Yeah.
I know.
What are you talking about? You're gonna die. Like, you know I'm not cheating to stay alive. I I wanna be clear. I'll cheat to stay alive.
I just wanna say I just wanna say that rest
Isn't that the whole point? If you have high blood pressure, you take medications to bring it down. Is it that not cheating then? Mean, don't get that.
I that's the I didn't wanna get too involved in it, but, know Okay.
Fair enough.
Yeah. When I was I was just standing there and I thought
that Do each their own.
A conversation is not gonna go in a positive direction. But no. What a great point. You know? What do you mean cheat?
Do you wear a seat belt? You you know? Like, why cheat? Hey. If you have an accident, you get thrown out the windshield.
That's that's the cost of doing business. That's all. Now you're gonna cheat and wear that seat belt? Cheater. I don't know.
He's talking. I'm like, I don't know what you're saying. I I I mean, there's appears to be no common sense in this conversation. And I'm okay with it when it's a 16 year old doesn't have common sense. This person, 50.
You you know?
Yeah.
So my gosh. Like, get to it. Okay. Well, I'm sorry to I'm you know, listen. I'm I guess I'm not sorry to to know you're having the same exact experience raising a child that everybody else does and that your parents probably had.
Yeah. Exactly. Not the end of the world. It's okay.
Right. Right. It's interesting. It really is. Okay.
Well, I I I liked when I asked you what I have haven't I said because like I said, I feel too comfortable with you. So what else haven't I said?
That's it. I mean, look. I I would just say, guys, focus on yourself. It's okay to take time to replenish, and call it out, ask for help. Yeah.
You don't have to do it by yourself.
So for you personally, sleep was a big deal for you.
100%.
It sounds like you leaned on other people. You sought sought out professional help when it was necessary.
Yep. Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah.
And then for him around the diabetes specifically, basal, make sure your basal and your settings are right. Don't exercise with insulin on board if you can help it. Right? And let him be a kid. Don't don't hold him down too tightly.
No. That's a lot of good lessons you've learned in a short amount of time. Have they helped you in any other parts of your life?
Your podcast and just going through this has actually helped me understand a fair few other things that I would normally not focus on. And and I can't even pinpoint if you ask me for examples, but it's like you're when you're when you're listening to other people and then something clicks and you're like, oh, okay. I haven't thought about x y zed or blah. So your podcast is not just, I think, about diabetes. It's just about life.
It's it's about yeah.
Thank you.
So many other different things.
That's how I think of it too, but I don't know how it comes across other people. You know? I I just think that the conversations about what's going on are valuable to hear because, you know, somebody's having an experience or I'm having one or I've been through one already and you're you haven't been through it yet or you bring somebody else on that has some something to add somewhere. Mhmm. And then, I mean, I think the other thing, if I'm if I'm being honest, is, like, I don't really think you can make a compelling diabetes podcast that's just about diabetes.
Don't know how long could you possibly listen to that for. You you know?
True.
Yeah. And and and you have to be able to, like, see some of the other impacts. And there are so many. There are just so many, like, interesting psychological things that happen to people as a matter of course, and you can see how they impact diabetes or other parts of your life. I I love and I love talking about stuff like this.
I really would start a podcast about why people don't take pills. I don't think anybody would listen to it, but I would be I would be endlessly fascinated by it. Seriously, I'd like to get I'd like to get the guy that said I'm not cheating and just make a podcast with him and talk to him talk to him forever about it. I would I would I would argue him into circles. I I I swear to you, I'd badger him into taking that GLP medication.
Why didn't you do that? It's gonna be fun listening to that. I come on. Let's do it.
That's what you want me to do is get that person on and just beat the hell out of him.
100%. Why not? I mean, get the popcorn out.
Alright. But it I'll just call the podcast, what's wrong with you? And then colon. And then and then and then the topic. And then we'll just make a whole series of what's wrong with you.
And then
Oh my god. Do it. God, do it.
God, listen. I got time. I gotta be honest with you. I do I do. But the problem is you have to have people on with enough you have to have somebody on who is simultaneously unaware of what they're doing and self aware enough to talk about it.
That's a that's a thin Surely. That's a thin line to find people there. You you know what I mean?
Come on. 8,000,000,000 people. You're you're telling me these samples are not walking the planet?
Come on. They are. Alright. So if you're out there listening, what's wrong with you? That's what we're looking for.
This is my new this is my new series. What's wrong with you? And then you bring up oh, this might be a good idea actually for wait a minute. Maybe I was maybe I was kidding and maybe I'm not now. So you pick something you know is wrong that you can't overcome, and then I tell you how to do it, and then we talk about it for a while.
And you see if I can break and see if I can break you from your holding. You know what I mean? Whatever thing
you're holding. Self defeating prophecies, that's been a thing for such a long time.
Mhmm. Okay. Alright. I'm in. I'll do it.
I actually had I had a great conversation with a kid yesterday. He's funny. I called him a kid. He's, like, 29. But but he's been on a couple of times.
Right? He came on a second time. And and the first time he came on, he was talking about pump that he was using. He didn't like how it was working, so he went to another pump and it was gonna be great and everything. Then he then he asked to come back on, and I said, oh, sure.
He comes back on, and and he's trying to tell me how that second pump sucked. So he went to a third pump. And I was like, well, that's the one you're on now? He's like, no. No.
I got rid of that one. That one sucks too. Now I'm trying this one. And I went, hey. And I went, is it possible you're the problem?
And and then we were we were having that conversation and I don't know, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes into it, said, would you mind? Could I talk to you like I'm your father for a second? And he said, I wish someone would.
Oh.
Yeah. And then I just I I don't even think I podcast it with him after that. I think I parented him after that. And he was, like, grateful. It was interesting.
And then sent me a message sent me a message that night. I wish I had it. And with a graph. And he just said, turns out when I do the things I'm supposed to do, this is easier. And it was a nice flat a nice flat graph.
And I was like, yeah. Meanwhile, by the way, with this Internet the way it is, he's running around telling the whole world, you know what pump sucks? This one sucks. That one sucks. This one he was up to five pumps that suck.
He had hit them all. He was on to tell me that the MiniMed seven eighty g sucked. And he only knows that because he tried the Beta Bionics pod and it sucked. And he only knows that because he did Omnipod five and that sucked and he did tandem and that sucked. And I was like, I I I just stopped him.
I was like, because you have to from my perspective, what am I supposed to do? That's a as an adult coming onto a podcast, they wanna talk about how their pump doesn't work right. And inside of ten minutes, I'm like, that's not the problem. But do I say that? You you know what I mean?
Or do I let him, like, ramble on about, like, you know, all the problems he's having with his pump? I just couldn't stop myself. I was like, I don't think that's the problem.
And and then that was a common thread leaving the whole Yeah. You picture.
Yeah. The only thing that's in every one of these stories is you. And, you know, and I see people online all the time. Like, this thing sucks. I'm like, well, listen.
It might not be the greatest, but it certainly doesn't suck. Like, if you're having that much trouble with it, like, it's possible there's some confusion user confusion involved in it. And then it's often just timing an amount of insulin after that. They they just don't have the right settings and they're maybe don't time it well. Don't understand the impact of fat.
That's a big one sometimes. You know? Yeah. That's pretty much it though. But it's interesting the way people's minds run away.
Like, this thing is terrible. The thing doesn't work. I'm like, okay. As I
It's easier to outsource the blame. Right?
Yeah. Outsource the blame? Outsource blame. I wish that had anything to do with your episode. I would definitely call it that.
That's a great that's a great phrase. I might start doing it in my personal life. I mean, outsourcing blame, but but that's it. Hey. One quick question.
Why do Indian men walk with their hands behind their back when they're out on walks?
Oh, I think that's a separate podcast in itself.
But it's a thing though. I'm not wrong. Right? Am I wrong? I'm I'm not I knew I was right because I tried bringing this up once before, and somebody said, don't know what you're talking about.
Said, liar. No.
No. It is. Yeah. Mean, let's let's paint a picture. Droopy shoulders, slight pot belly, lightly looking down with hands on their back.
Okay. Well, yeah, that's exactly what I'm talking about. But but but what is but the Sorry.
All you guys out there Sorry. But that's what you're saying.
Podcast is fairly big in India, in case you're wondering. But but no. But the the the hand yeah. I I just I I thought it was cultural at some point, but I don't know what it is. But it's just it's a thing for sure.
And I'm I'm aware. Alright. I'll keep asking till somebody has a real answer. But
I don't have. Sorry.
I like how willing you were to be cruel about it right away.
Hey. Maybe that's counterbalance happening because there's a lot of weight up front, so maybe they're throwing their weight on their hands.
What? Listen. The little round belly is pulling him forward. He's trying to throw his weight backwards with his hands.
Look at you.
I feel like you're talking right to your ex right now, by the way. It's a very, very, very
That may or may not be true.
Wrapping Up — Thank You From Australia1:06:29
Well, did you have a good time? Did was this what you were hoping for?
I I did. Thank you so much. Look. I really wanted to thank you for all that you've done for so many years, and I know you're gonna continue doing that. And the amount of lives you have touched, it's unbelievable.
I mean, honestly, yeah. That that's that's why I wanted to come and say thank you to you. We wouldn't have been where we are
I appreciate it.
Without your podcast.
I appreciate that very much. And I'm very willing to take that because as I told you before we started today, already got yelled at by the Internet today. So I I need a little bit of a bolster. So that was I was it was very nice to hear because I got yelled at today by somebody who I was like, I don't understand what's happening right now. It's like, I like you so much.
I don't know what's going on. But it happens. I I when I first met Isabelle who helps in the in the Facebook group. Mhmm. I told her she was telling me she was being very effusive when I first met her about how much the podcast had helped her as, a newly diagnosed, you know, adult.
And I said, don't worry. One day, you you you'll hate me. And she said, what? I said, everyone does eventually. I was like, I think it's like the I think it's the curse of being, like, a reasonably public person.
Like, you it starts with you know, it starts somewhere at some point it gets to some, like, you know, gratitude or infatuation. And then eventually, I'm gonna say something you don't like and then you're gonna decide I'm gonna ask. I was like, don't worry. It's coming. She goes, no.
I don't think so. Well, now she and I have been doing this together a long time. Maybe it won't be her. But but sometimes it just I feel like, you know, I talk so much. Eventually, I'm gonna say something to make you upset.
And Mhmm. Yeah. You know? So, anyway, it was nice to hear that from you, and I really do appreciate it because
I Look. If people choose to harp on that one thing that didn't sit well with them and choose to ignore the 99 that was good for them, that's a choice. Yeah. And it's okay.
There's nothing you can do about it. I actually you know, I'll tell you can I tell you how I learned that lesson as a younger person? Mhmm. I've I've been fairly clear fairly clear about it, like, the entire time I've been listening to podcast. But I listened to Howard Stern my whole life, like, through high school, like, you know, into my job.
I had terrible jobs where I was listening to the radio all day long. And I'd laugh at all kinds of things he'd make fun of. And then one day, he made fun of being adopted. And I found like that I I I got upset. I was like, oh, that's not funny.
And then I thought, well, wait a minute. I laughed at all the other stuff. Like, right now, there are a bunch of people out there who aren't adopted who are cracking up at this little joke. Like, am I being sensitive or is this not funny? And I I came to the conclusion that I was being sensitive and that that, you know, I had to accept that funny was funny even if it even if it touched me in a way
that yeah.
That that I didn't like. Anyway, it's happened to me in my early twenties, and I I never forgot it. I thought it was an important lesson. I held on to it. So anyway Yeah.
Amazing. And that's your key takeaway. Not many people take, such key learnings from such, and they choose to be grumpy and hold a grudge. And, again, that's a choice.
Yeah. Well, I was very I had plenty of time to think about it. I was standing in a sheet metal shop watching my life drift away. I had plenty of time to think. So I thought if I ever get out of here, I'm gonna need some common sense to get through my life, but maybe I'll start piling it up and see if I can't get out of here.
But, anyway, I I really do I really do appreciate you coming on and for all the support you've given me over the years. And and I'm happy to know that this has helped you and your son, and and I appreciate you sharing that with me. Thank you very much.
Yeah. Thank you so much. I echo the sentiments about the support.
Oh, well, you're wonderful. And tell people you're because it's Australia, it's, like, six. You got on it, like, 05:30 in the morning. So we we appreciate the extra. Also, let me just say to all the no shade on the Australians that can't seem to figure this out, but many Australians missed their recording date thinking it's the following day.
So I appreciate you understanding the calendar. Thank you.
I I kept getting reminders, which was really helpful.
Did the my system did that?
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Look at me. Alright.
I know.
I act like an adult over here. What do you think of that? Anytime I act like an adult, it surprises the hell out of me. So I'm glad that it worked. Thank so much.
A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com/juicebox.
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