#1733 To The Moon And Back - Part 1

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Born into the Unification Church, Laurel candidly discusses growing up in a cult, mass weddings, and why she eventually left to protect her children. This is Part 1 of 2.

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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.

Scott Benner (0:00) Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.

Laurel (0:14) Hi. (0:14) I'm Laurel. (0:15) My 14 year old son, was diagnosed with type one diabetes about a year and a half ago. (0:21) So we're still pretty new in the journey.

Scott Benner (0:24) If this is your first time listening to the Juice Box podcast and you'd like to hear more, download Apple Podcasts or Spotify, really any audio app at all. (0:33) Look for the Juice Box podcast and follow or subscribe. (0:36) We put out new content every day that you'll enjoy. (0:40) Wanna learn more about your diabetes management? (0:43) Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu and look for bold beginnings, the diabetes pro tip series, and much more.

Scott Benner (0:50) This podcast is full of collections and series of information that will help you to live better with insulin. (0:57) If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box podcast private Facebook group. (1:03) Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes. (1:06) But everybody is welcome. (1:07) Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me.

Scott Benner (1:12) If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. (1:21) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:26) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. (1:30) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. (1:35) Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections.

Scott Benner (1:46) Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. (1:50) At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. (1:53) Terms and conditions apply. (1:54) Eligibility may vary. (1:56) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (2:01) The podcast is also sponsored today by US Med. (2:05) Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. (2:11) Get your supplies the same way we do from US Med.

Laurel (2:16) Okay. (2:16) Just introduce yourself. (2:18) Me to say, hi. (2:20) I'm Laurel.

Scott Benner (2:21) That's it. (2:21) You did it, Laurel. (2:22) That was awesome. (2:22) Thank

Laurel (2:23) you. (2:24) Perfect.

Scott Benner (2:25) Laurel, why am I talking to you today? (2:26) What do you have? (2:27) What do you have? (2:27) You have a thing? (2:28) Did something in your body attack something else?

Scott Benner (2:31) Do you have a kid who had a problem? (2:33) Why are we doing this?

Laurel (2:34) I I have a kid. (2:35) My my 14 year old son, was diagnosed with type one diabetes about a year and a half ago. (2:41) So we're still pretty new in the journey.

Scott Benner (2:44) Your 14 year old son. (2:45) Now the photo of you on this machine Yeah. (2:49) Makes me think that you got pregnant when you were seven. (2:51) Is that correct?

Laurel (2:53) Not quite. (2:54) I was 25.

Scott Benner (2:56) Wait. (2:56) No. (2:57) You're 39?

Laurel (2:58) I'm 42.

Scott Benner (3:00) Is that a recent photo?

Laurel (3:02) That's, it's about five or six years old. (3:05) It's it's an older photo.

Scott Benner (3:07) Fill it up.

Laurel (3:07) That that not that old.

Scott Benner (3:09) Oh my gosh. (3:10) Good for you.

Laurel (3:12) Thank you.

Scott Benner (3:12) Yeah. (3:13) You must be thrilled. (3:16) Right?

Laurel (3:16) Thanks. (3:17) I appreciate it. (3:17) Yeah.

Scott Benner (3:18) Do you do you not look in the mirror and just go, ugh, things are going my way?

Laurel (3:23) I mean, I I don't feel bad about myself in any way, but I definitely feel like when you're looking at yourself, you you notice all of the things. (3:32) I always have people say, like, oh, you you look so young. (3:35) Like, I thought you were in your twenties, and I'm like, like, I can see all my wrinkles and stuff, but it's fine. (3:40) If the woman in

Scott Benner (3:41) this photo brought me a lunch at a restaurant, I'd be like, let's tip her a little extra so she can get through grad school. (3:46) Like, that's that's how you listen. (3:48) Talk about the way you see yourself and being old. (3:51) May I Yeah. (3:52) Can we digress in the first two minutes?

Scott Benner (3:53) Let's do that. (3:54) Sure. (3:54) Also, for everybody listening, Laurel got a great story, so just hang on. (3:58) Okay? (4:00) I'm in the, the grocery yesterday, wandering about picking up a thing or two that I wanna be honest, Kelly made me go get.

Scott Benner (4:08) So but I don't mind because my day is kinda interesting. (4:11) Like, I can kinda go out for a little bit in the middle of the day sometimes and I like getting up and moving around. (4:16) So I'm out. (4:17) I'm walking around. (4:18) I think I'm coming from the vegetables headed over towards where the breads are.

Scott Benner (4:22) This lady is walking towards me. (4:26) I don't know how to put this exactly. (4:28) She looked oh god. (4:30) I am embarrassed. (4:31) She looked me up and down and then gave me the face.

Scott Benner (4:35) Do you know what I mean, Laurel? (4:36) Like Uh-huh. (4:37) Yeah. (4:37) Like, maybe if we ended up having sex in her car behind a dumpster behind the grocery store, that'd be a good way for her to spend her afternoon. (4:44) Now this is not a thing that happens to me a lot, but it happens once in a bit, so I know what it looks like.

Scott Benner (4:49) Here's the problem. (4:50) Yeah. (4:50) Well, Laurel, hold on. (4:53) No one get upset when I say this. (4:55) Okay?

Scott Benner (4:57) She was too old to look at me that way. (4:59) And it made me feel really bad about myself.

Laurel (5:03) Oh, no.

Scott Benner (5:07) I was like, what is happening right now? (5:10) Why does grandma want me to come with her? (5:13) And so so Arden first things first is I immediately text my family in a group chat. (5:19) I say, I've just been hit on by a woman so much older than me that I I really am just I feel sad for myself right now. (5:27) Because either I look her age to her Mhmm.

Scott Benner (5:31) Or I'm what passes for young and hot in her world. (5:35) And that's not true either. (5:37) I've got felt so Arden responded back. (5:39) She said, dad's got the raisins hitting on him, which I didn't know was a thing. (5:43) No.

Scott Benner (5:43) I think so. (5:44) Did you know that? (5:45) Did people do people call older people raisins?

Laurel (5:47) I knew what she meant. (5:48) Oh. (5:48) I haven't heard that, like, as a general term,

Scott Benner (5:51) but Maybe she made it up. (5:52) I have no idea. (5:54) And I thought, okay. (5:55) I'll I'll get by on this. (5:56) But, no, like, four hours later, I found myself on the phone talking with Isabelle about something for the Facebook group.

Scott Benner (6:01) And the last ten minutes of our conversation were me complaining about this older lady hitting on me in the grocery store.

Laurel (6:07) Oh my goodness.

Scott Benner (6:08) I felt I listen. (6:10) First of all, thank you. (6:11) Anybody who finds you attractive, I'm very appreciative of that, etcetera, so on. (6:15) Yeah. (6:15) But I looked at her and I thought, she's a lot older than I am.

Scott Benner (6:20) And it pushed into a part of the, like I don't know. (6:24) Like, part of me was like, hey. (6:25) Good for her. (6:25) You know what I mean? (6:26) And, like and the other part of me was like, oh god.

Scott Benner (6:29) This is the my life's over. (6:31) That's exactly how I felt.

Laurel (6:33) Listen. (6:33) Women have been out here being hit on by men forty years older than us for since the beginning of time.

Scott Benner (6:41) So I mean, like, so I was all for feminism. (6:43) I didn't realize this is what it meant, that I'm that I've gotta go outside and feel like, oh, why does this old lady wanna touch me? (6:52) And, like and but that's what it feels like. (6:54) Oh, gosh. (6:54) I didn't even think of it this way.

Laurel (6:56) There you go.

Scott Benner (6:57) Is this what happens when I say hi to a 30 year old girl? (7:00) They're like, no. (7:01) I'm not doing it with you, you old like, do you think even if I'm being nice.

Laurel (7:07) Being creepy about it.

Scott Benner (7:08) Listen. (7:09) I try not to I I don't imagine I'm being creepy. (7:11) But,

Laurel (7:11) like Right.

Scott Benner (7:12) But do you think, oh, maybe she wasn't being creep maybe she had gas. (7:16) Maybe that was the look on her face. (7:18) Or maybe maybe she was, like, looking at me and then, like, her brain was like, oh, I think our depends needs to be changed. (7:25) And, like and then it made her make a face and I mistook it for for lust. (7:29) Is that possible?

Laurel (7:30) Anything's possible.

Scott Benner (7:32) Okay. (7:34) Alright. (7:34) That's enough of me. (7:35) By the way, this is the last time I talk. (7:37) Wait till you guys hear what happened to Laurel.

Scott Benner (7:41) We'll get back to your kid with the diabetes later.

Laurel (7:43) Oh, really? (7:44) Okay. (7:44) Oh, yeah. (7:44) That's not the most interesting part of that's like the most normal part of the story.

Scott Benner (7:48) No kidding. (7:49) Let's like, I usually I'd I'd backload your story, but I love this too much. (7:52) So and sorry about your life. (7:54) But why don't you tell me how old you were when when what happened happened to you and walk me through it a little bit?

Laurel (8:03) Okay. (8:04) So I was actually born into a cult. (8:07) I my parents joined the Unification Church in the seventies. (8:12) Have you ever heard of us?

Scott Benner (8:13) And But I'm gonna find out all that.

Laurel (8:15) Known as the Moonies.

Scott Benner (8:17) Oh, my god. (8:18) Really?

Laurel (8:19) Yeah. (8:19) Yeah.

Scott Benner (8:20) Your parents, how old were they when you were born?

Laurel (8:22) I think my mom was, like, 30 in her early thirties. (8:28) But but my parents both joined in the seventies, like, in their twenties. (8:34) And then they were, you know, fundraising around the country, selling flowers and all kinds of things on the side of the road and living in vans. (8:44) And then then they were matched by reverend Moon, who was the leader, where he basically he's he's famous for the mass weddings for people who don't know.

Scott Benner (8:54) Sun Mang Moon. (8:56) Is that right?

Laurel (8:57) Sun Mang Moon.

Scott Benner (8:57) Yes. (8:57) Sun Man Moon. (8:58) Okay. (8:58) Go ahead. (8:59) Yeah.

Scott Benner (9:00) Yeah. (9:00) Yeah. (9:00) So

Laurel (9:01) and he would just basically, like, match people up. (9:05) My parents literally were in a giant ballroom, and he, like, pointed to my mom and then pointed to my dad and was like, you two. (9:15) And that was it. (9:16) And so then they were technically, like, engaged for about three years, and then they, you know, got married in a big mass wedding at Madison Square Garden in 1982. (9:29) And then I was born in 1983.

Scott Benner (9:32) So Do you think they played that music? (9:34) Hey. (9:37) Like, they all came out, like, you know, the basketball games? (9:40) Great.

Laurel (9:41) No. (9:42) I don't think so.

Scott Benner (9:43) Okay. (9:43) So let's see if you I'm gonna ask you a question. (9:45) We'll see if you have the answer to

Laurel (9:47) it. (9:47) Okay.

Scott Benner (9:47) What was wrong with your parents? (9:48) How did they end up in that situation?

Laurel (9:50) So my dad was he had gotten married, like, right out of high school. (9:58) He was really, really young. (9:59) He had had a kid. (10:00) So I have an older brother who's, like, eleven years older than me. (10:04) And and then they very quickly, like, got divorced.

Laurel (10:07) And so he was kind of, like, wandering and lost, and he was out hunting in Montana. (10:15) And then, you know, some you know, ended up meeting some people that, like, invited him to a thing and you know?

Scott Benner (10:23) Your half brother went with the mom? (10:26) Yeah. (10:26) We call him Lucky. (10:27) Right?

Laurel (10:28) Yeah. (10:29) Yes and no. (10:30) You know? (10:31) It it's yeah. (10:32) Different circumstances, but he, sure, did not grow up in in the cult.

Laurel (10:36) So

Scott Benner (10:36) Tell everybody. (10:38) Why are you comfortable calling it a cult?

Laurel (10:40) Sure. (10:40) Sure.

Scott Benner (10:40) Yeah.

Laurel (10:41) Yeah. (10:42) I mean, that wasn't always the case. (10:44) Obviously, growing up, it was it was really difficult even, like, hearing the word, I felt like was painful because it it was sort of this reminder of, like, how other people viewed us. (10:58) And, you know, as a kid, I didn't know that it was a cult. (11:02) It was just you know, you believe your parents.

Laurel (11:04) You believe everybody around you that tells you that this is normal and this is good and everybody else is wrong. (11:10) Okay. (11:11) So hearing that word was, like, you know, accusatory and and felt really bad.

Scott Benner (11:17) Mhmm.

Laurel (11:18) It took several years after I had really left and processed it to to to start using the word. (11:28) And and and and part of that was really, like, going through the process of deconstructing all of the things that I had grown up with and, like, learning about how cults work and learning about other types of coercive control and and things like that and and looking at sort of the different scholarly writings about it and stuff and and sort of understanding that.

Scott Benner (11:54) Accusations, like, ran the gamut with him. (11:56) Right? (11:56) Like, authoritarianism being Mhmm. (11:59) Brainwashing people, like, Yeah. (12:01) Taking money.

Scott Benner (12:02) Right? (12:02) There was, like, financial exploitation. (12:04) Yeah. (12:04) He ended up he landed in jail in

Laurel (12:07) In the eighties.

Scott Benner (12:08) In the eighties. (12:09) Yeah. (12:09) Okay. (12:09) For Yeah. (12:10) You know, for what?

Laurel (12:10) Tax evasion.

Scott Benner (12:11) Tax evasion. (12:12) Okay.

Laurel (12:12) And and then some sort of misappropriation of of funds and stuff. (12:16) I mean, my parents, along with all of the other, you know, first generation members, were fundraising on the streets. (12:23) And all of that money was going back to him, going back up to the top. (12:28) You know?

Scott Benner (12:28) He wasn't donating that to a higher, situation. (12:31) I don't imagine.

Laurel (12:32) No. (12:32) He was build he was, like, buying mansions and running businesses. (12:36) And also a lot of those businesses were, you know, employed, the church members. (12:41) They called it the I always called it the church growing up. (12:43) So if I say the church, the cult I use it interchangeably, but

Scott Benner (12:47) Sure.

Laurel (12:47) That's what that is.

Scott Benner (12:48) So tell me how old you were when you left, and then explain to me what it was like growing up there.

Laurel (12:56) Sure. (12:57) It's hard to pinpoint an exact time of when I left because it was it was a really some people have, like, a a really sort of drastic cutoff where they just say, like, no. (13:11) I'm done and leave. (13:12) For me, it was much more of, like, as I grew up and

Scott Benner (13:18) Kinda gradually?

Laurel (13:19) Little by, yeah, little by little. (13:21) It was like yeah. (13:23) It was like, you know, death by a thousand cuts, sort of like chipping away at at things. (13:28) But for sure, there was a major shift when my kids were born.

Scott Benner (13:32) Oh, wow. (13:33) Went that far. (13:34) Okay.

Laurel (13:34) Yeah. (13:34) I was actually married in the church as well. (13:37) Like, I my husband grew up in, the same, and and so we were married and had kids. (13:44) We're still, like, part of the community, but not kind of I guess, you would call it, like, if it it was, like, a cultural Catholic type of thing if you were you know, it was like, oh, we still hang out with the community, but we're not, like, super into all of the dogma and stuff. (14:00) But, yeah, when when my kids were born so I have an older son too, and my younger one's the one with type diabetes.

Laurel (14:06) But, yeah, when my kids were growing up, it really just switched of, oh, I don't wanna put my kids through the things that I went through. (14:15) I don't want them to grow up the same way that I did.

Scott Benner (14:18) What what would you say are some of the, I guess, lowlights of what you mean by that, how you grew up? (14:25) I used to hate ordering my daughter's diabetes supplies. (14:29) I never had a good experience, and it was frustrating. (14:33) But it hasn't been that way for a while, actually, for about three years now because that's how long we've been using US Med. (14:40) US Med dot com slash juice box or call (888) 721-1514.

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Laurel (16:42) I grew up I went to public school, which is there's a there's a huge range of of people. (16:49) Some kids were you know, did homeschooling and other there's a huge gamut, but I I went to public school.

Scott Benner (16:56) Mhmm.

Laurel (16:56) And there was nobody else in my town. (16:58) My parents we we lived in, like, a really small town, rural area, and there were no other, like, church families around. (17:05) So I had this really weird experience of sort of, like, having this split personality of where I was in in school, I had to, like I felt like I had to, like, lie about all of the church stuff and, like, pretend to be and fit in there. (17:23) And then when I would go to church events, I would have to, like, pretend to be what they needed to be and and not associate with sort of the the way that I was with my friends there. (17:38) And so, like, I had this really sort of split sense of identity where I didn't feel safe in either place.

Scott Benner (17:46) Right.

Laurel (17:46) And then, you know, there were also you know, as I got older too, the demands of the cult itself. (17:55) You know, I grew up with in really strict purity culture, which a lot of other people in sort of fundamentalist religions grew up with. (18:05) I wasn't, allowed to date at all. (18:09) I wasn't, you know, allowed to have premarital sex, any of that. (18:12) There was also a really toxic sort of relationship with sort of, like, mind and body stuff.

Laurel (18:21) Part of the theology was, like, that you it's mind over body. (18:27) Right? (18:28) So your body is evil, and you should be able to, like, suppress your body's needs and stuff. (18:37) And so a lot of like, I went to camp as a kid. (18:39) They they used to do summer camps.

Laurel (18:41) We would have to do things like wake up at 06:00 in the morning and go do exercises before breakfast. (18:49) And they would have us do these exercises where we had to do everything exactly the same, like a military type of drill. (18:55) Mhmm. (18:56) And if anybody messed up, we'd have to start all over again until we got it right. (19:00) And this was all before breakfast.

Laurel (19:03) Like, we weren't allowed to have breakfast

Scott Benner (19:04) Yeah.

Laurel (19:04) Until we got these drills right. (19:06) You know?

Scott Benner (19:07) Your parents are all in the whole time, or did you ever feel them waning, or were they

Laurel (19:14) So my parents are interesting. (19:15) They they've always been all in on, like, believing in the theology and stuff and and in reverend Moon and all of that. (19:31) But they haven't always agreed with sort of how things are run or, like, what's happening with the organization. (19:37) And because my parents live because we grew up, like, a little bit outside of the central area where Moon was living at the time and where there was a lot of, members, they could sort of, like, get away with stuff without anybody really caring. (19:55) So there there were plenty of times where my parents would just be like, you know, some sort of order would come down.

Laurel (20:02) Oh, all the families have to go do this or all of the the parents have to so one example is so this was right before I was born. (20:11) My mom worked at a a church nursery school.

Scott Benner (20:16) Mhmm.

Laurel (20:17) But the nursery school is basically reverend Moon at one point said, all of the the moms have to leave and, like, go on foreign missions and go to other countries. (20:28) So they would leave their babies in these nursery schools, and, basically, they became, like, orphanages.

Scott Benner (20:36) Where was he sending the women to?

Laurel (20:38) To other countries to go witnessing, and fundraising and, like, spread the providence.

Scott Benner (20:44) Mhmm.

Laurel (20:45) And and my mom worked at one of these places, and she was, like, taking care of all of the babies and stuff. (20:52) And then from that experience, she was like, I don't wanna I don't wanna do that with my own kids. (20:58) You know? (20:59) So she, like, had a friend or so when she was pregnant with me, she had a friend, like, in, like, the head office and that helped her, like, get her name off of some list or something, and then she was able to, like, avoid it somehow. (21:13) So, like, you know, the

Scott Benner (21:15) For you.

Laurel (21:16) Done stuff like that.

Scott Benner (21:17) Yeah. (21:17) She did For you, you did she did it. (21:19) Yeah. (21:20) Are they in still, or are they alive? (21:22) I'm sorry.

Scott Benner (21:22) They

Laurel (21:23) are. (21:24) They are. (21:24) And they're, you know, as

Scott Benner (21:26) because didn't like, parts of like, he maintained some control from prison, but his family kinda took over the family business at some point. (21:33) Right?

Laurel (21:34) Well, he was only in prison for about eighteen months.

Scott Benner (21:37) Oh, that's not bad.

Laurel (21:38) And yeah. (21:39) And then he got released and and then, you know, continued on for years after that. (21:45) You know, the prison thing only really made everybody double down and actually got a lot of

Scott Benner (21:50) Oh, because he's being persecuted, they thought. (21:53) Yeah. (21:53) Exactly. (21:54) Exactly. (21:54) Gotcha.

Laurel (21:55) And he even got a lot of, like, other Christian ministers and stuff, rallying around him saying, like, this is religious persecution. (22:04) You know? (22:05) And, you know, he's built up business empires. (22:08) He bought the Washington Times. (22:10) A lot of people don't know that the Unification Church owns the Washington Times newspaper.

Laurel (22:15) True World for food, which is, like, The Americas. (22:19) That's where, like, all the sushi restaurants get their fish is True World Foods. (22:23) That's a Mooney owned business as well. (22:26) Oh. (22:27) Yeah.

Laurel (22:28) So it's a huge empire. (22:30) Now, though, there's so much stuff that's happening. (22:33) Like, you go down so many rabbit holes with you.

Scott Benner (22:35) Just whatever you think is most interesting. (22:37) So you're fine.

Laurel (22:38) Mean, after so he so reverend Moon actually died in 2012.

Scott Benner (22:43) Mhmm.

Laurel (22:43) And then after he died, the church splintered into a few different groups. (22:49) So two of his sons are, like, splinter groups now. (22:54) One of whom is has been in the news before as well. (22:59) He's in Pennsylvania. (23:01) He it's like the gun church called Sanctuary Church.

Laurel (23:05) Sean Moon is his name. (23:08) And they, like, they they got in the news because they had, like, a blessing ceremony with AR fifteens, and it happened right after the Parkland shooting, I believe.

Scott Benner (23:18) Okay.

Laurel (23:19) And so they ended up in, like, national newspapers after that.

Scott Benner (23:22) The wrong kind of attention.

Laurel (23:24) Actually, that when that happened in god. (23:28) That that was probably 2017, 2018, some somewhere around there. (23:34) That was, like, my final straw. (23:36) So I had for years and years sort of just been, like, receding into the background and and, like, you know, stop going to church on Sundays and and and slowly sort of talking to myself and being like, I don't believe in this anymore, and I don't wanna do this and, you know, and just sort of going through that process on my own. (23:55) And then that during during that, when that that all happened and and that blew up in the news, I was like, I don't even want to be in any way associated.

Laurel (24:06) Like, that's when I started being loud and saying, like, I am out and telling other people Yeah. (24:11) I am out.

Scott Benner (24:12) So how do you well, how do you decide to do that when your husband well, actually, let me ask one other question because it Yeah. (24:18) It's been getting away from me. (24:20) I think because of my life growing up watching eighties, television, I assumed you all lived on a piece of ground somewhere where you were doing farming. (24:28) But people had their own homes, and then they come together just for church?

Laurel (24:31) Yeah. (24:32) In the seventies when people joined, they were, most people were living in, like they dropped out of school or from wherever they would live in, like, church centers and stuff.

Scott Benner (24:42) K.

Laurel (24:43) There were maybe some places where they were on farms, but mostly not. (24:47) They were in, like, old, old, you know, buildings that they would convert into, like, a church center.

Scott Benner (24:55) Okay. (24:56) I mean, because when I start my I wanted to know, do I have to have a big piece of property, or can I I make people pay for their own house? (25:02) Because what a scam. (25:03) Like, you're in my cult, but you have to pay for your own house.

Laurel (25:05) I know. (25:06) I know. (25:07) Well, so what happened was, yeah, there was a lot of communal living when people first joined because they were all, like, you know, teenagers or twenties. (25:15) They were, yeah, hippies Yeah. (25:17) In the seventies.

Laurel (25:19) Then once he started matching people up and people getting married and having families, then it's harder to do that. (25:26) So

Scott Benner (25:27) Was there any

Laurel (25:28) And then he

Scott Benner (25:28) I'm sorry. (25:29) Is there weird sex stuff in this cold or no? (25:31) Like, does he get to have sex with your mom or like that kind of stuff?

Laurel (25:34) For sure. (25:35) There's weird sex stuff.

Scott Benner (25:37) Did this touch you ever, the weird sex stuff?

Laurel (25:39) Only in the sense that we knew about it and, like, I was exposed to some of those ideas and and things at, like, an early age that I probably shouldn't have been.

Scott Benner (25:52) I'm known about.

Laurel (25:53) I definitely know

Scott Benner (25:55) Your friends?

Laurel (25:56) My friends. (25:57) Yeah. (25:58) Yeah.

Scott Benner (25:59) Well, high high level, what's that look like? (26:01) Do they just pass you around, or do do you do you not get to say no if somebody tells you you're hooking up with somebody? (26:07) Or, like, what's it look like functionally?

Laurel (26:09) Well so it's, you know, sex cults are there's, like, two sides of the same coin. (26:15) Right? (26:15) So there's, like, a sex cult where it's, like, totally free and open, and it's like everyone have sex with everyone. (26:21) Right? (26:21) And then the other side is the purity culture side where it's like, we are going to control your sexuality no matter what.

Laurel (26:30) But it's still an obsession on sex. (26:34) So for us growing up, it was it was that intense control. (26:40) So we were told that any any kind of sexual desire at all was sinful. (26:47) Like, even just having a crush on somebody was bad. (26:50) So we learned how to suppress those things.

Laurel (26:52) And then when we, had to go when we had to I remember, and a lot of people had to do this. (27:00) So so when my husband and I we had a we had a an interesting process. (27:05) So when when I was older, all of our parents were matched by Moon. (27:09) But then as my generation kind of grew up, Moon was like, I'm not gonna do this anymore. (27:15) Parents, you do it for yourself.

Laurel (27:16) So it was more kind of like a family parent matching sort of situation. (27:21) It was a little more casual. (27:23) My kids around my age, that was, like, the first time they were doing it. (27:27) So my parents didn't really know. (27:29) They were like, I don't know how to do this.

Laurel (27:31) So they were just like, who do you like? (27:33) Like, who are you friends with? (27:34) Do you like

Scott Benner (27:35) me now? (27:35) It turned into normal right away.

Laurel (27:37) It it turned a little

Scott Benner (27:38) bit A little more normal.

Laurel (27:39) A little bit more normal. (27:40) Yeah. (27:41) Because so my husband and I had known each other. (27:43) We were friends for, like, a year and then knew each other. (27:46) So and and then we sort of, like, dated for two years before we did, like, the church ceremony, like, blessing and everything.

Laurel (27:53) So it it it was more normal than, like, what my parents went through or other, people went through. (27:59) That's my dog. (28:00) Sorry.

Scott Benner (28:00) No. (28:01) A dog? (28:01) Are you serious? (28:02) I I didn't know. (28:03) So wait.

Scott Benner (28:04) Can you explain to me, please, like, what does it mean to, like, quell your desires? (28:08) Like, you said Yeah. (28:09) When you said it, like, it was obvious. (28:10) You just do the stuff. (28:11) Like, what what's the stuff?

Scott Benner (28:12) Oh,

Laurel (28:14) I mean

Scott Benner (28:15) Like, you're mean, at some point, you're 16, 17, 18 years old. (28:17) See Sure.

Laurel (28:18) You see

Scott Benner (28:18) a boy, you're like, that kid's cute. (28:19) Then how do you make that go away?

Laurel (28:21) Okay. (28:22) Well, when I was a teenager, I for sure started, like, pushing back and sort of testing the limits. (28:28) And I I of course, I had crushes, and I I also just wanted to, like, be normal and Mhmm. (28:34) You know, go out with people the way my friends did or even just talk about it the way my friends did. (28:40) And so I I would sometimes, like, have a boyfriend in quotes for, like, about a week, and then I would feel so guilty and so horrible.

Laurel (28:52) Like, I'm the worst person ever, and this is terrible. (28:56) Because we were told this was not just bad for us, but we believed that all of spirit world, all of, like, our ancestors were, like, counting on us to, like, be perfect and then, like, restore them so that they could have a higher place in spirit world. (29:14) And so

Scott Benner (29:15) Spirit World was the real name of it?

Laurel (29:17) Yeah. (29:17) That's what that's what they called it, spirit world.

Scott Benner (29:19) Yeah. (29:19) Everybody just so you know, in my cult, I'm gonna do much better with the naming structures on things. (29:24) Okay. (29:24) Yeah. (29:25) Yeah.

Scott Benner (29:25) Don't you worry. (29:26) Don't you worry.

Laurel (29:27) Pick a pick a more like, interesting name.

Scott Benner (29:29) I mean, we're gonna make it sound more believable. (29:32) That's for sure. (29:32) Okay.

Laurel (29:34) Yeah. (29:35) No. (29:35) Spirit World was it was very it was

Scott Benner (29:37) Don't they sell Halloween costumes? (29:39) What is that what am I thinking of? (29:41) I mean, that might Spirit World? (29:43) That would be Spirit Halloween. (29:44) Yeah.

Scott Benner (29:44) Yeah. (29:44) Yeah. (29:45) Yeah. (29:45) Yeah. (29:46) I mean, come on.

Laurel (29:46) So we believed in in Spirit World. (29:49) And so, like, if you were having these desires, it was like you were being attacked by evil spirits or Satan or whatever, and you would there were things called conditions. (29:59) So if if you were doing something bad or some you know, you were struggling, that was, like, a a term, like, person's struggling. (30:08) You know?

Scott Benner (30:08) Mhmm.

Laurel (30:09) You could do certain things to, like, make up for it or, like, to, you know, do that mind over body thing. (30:16) So we were told to take cold showers because anytime that your body is uncomfortable, then the evil spirits don't like it, and then they, like, fly away or whatever. (30:25) So you would take cold showers or you would do bowing conditions. (30:29) So we learned how to do, like, the Asian full bows. (30:33) At a very young age, we would wake up at 05:00 in the morning every Sunday and, like, do a bow to reverend Moon and his wife's picture and, say, like, a pledge and everything that was part of, like, the family traditions.

Laurel (30:46) Mhmm. (30:47) So you could do, like, bowing conditions where you would do a 100 bows in a row.

Scott Benner (30:51) That'll take the horny right out of you. (30:52) That'll just that's higher you right out. (30:55) Like a

Laurel (30:56) For sure.

Scott Benner (30:57) I was thinking of flicking my bean, but I'm just I gotta give up. (31:00) I'm so I'm exhausted from the bowing.

Laurel (31:02) Yeah. (31:03) Your knees start to hurt. (31:04) You're just

Scott Benner (31:05) yeah.

Laurel (31:06) Not good. (31:07) And then there's the more extreme cases of, like, kids being sent to, Changpyang, which is the place in Korea, which was sort of like the Mecca, the spiritual place. (31:23) And back when I was growing up, it was just like this out in the Korean countryside, and they would do this thing called onsu. (31:33) Like, basically, ritualistic beating. (31:35) Like, you'd be in a circle with other people, and you'd have somebody behind you and somebody in front of you, and they'd be, like, tapping on you really hard and to a drumbeat and you over and over and over and over again.

Laurel (31:47) And, again, this was, like, getting the evil spirits out, and you would do it all over your body. (31:52) You'd move down all over your body. (31:55) Yeah. (31:55) And you would usually there were there were certain periods of time that you would go to Chongqing. (32:01) It was, like, twenty one days or forty days or a hundred and twenty days.

Laurel (32:05) He was very into numbers, So, there was a lot of, like, numerology number, stuff involved with everything we did.

Scott Benner (32:15) Yeah. (32:16) Well, I mean, you've gotta you've gotta use your time somehow once you're bored with breeding people to see what what colors their hair come out at. (32:23) Like, I mean, because I mean, on it's honestly that the pairing people really did make me feel like he's like, you know, if I took this puppy and put it with this puppy, I wonder if we get

Laurel (32:32) And and he was not I mean, he was very obvious about that. (32:37) Like, he put he wrapped it up into this thing of saying, like, oh, the excuse that he gave or or the thing that you would say as a church member is, like, oh, he wants world peace. (32:50) And so he is doing that through marriage, like, uniting people from different cultures that used to fight with each other. (32:56) So, a lot of couples would be, Japanese and American or German and Jewish, Korean and Japanese. (33:05) Like, these cultures that have, you know, famously sort of yeah.

Scott Benner (33:12) You all fight with each other. (33:14) Marry each other instead. (33:15) I Yeah. (33:16) I So, like, if

Laurel (33:16) if you all marry each other, then you can't, you know, not love your family. (33:22) So that'll fix everything.

Scott Benner (33:25) So in my cold, I could make, like, could make, like, an Omnipod wear, marry, like, a like, a tandem wear. (33:31) Right? (33:32) Yeah. (33:32) And then the and a Medtronic person with a pump, they'd have to they'd have to wear a Dexcom. (33:36) That's how I would that's how I would throw them together, make them do their thing.

Scott Benner (33:40) Oh my gosh. (33:41) But it's interesting to me Yeah. (33:43) The transition for you out of it is Yeah. (33:47) More recent than I thought it would be. (33:49) Like, there was part of me that when you started talking, I thought, like, you're gonna tell me, like, you know, you were 18, somebody gave you weed, you were like, I had sex in a car and left the cult, but that's not like you got put together with somebody, married somebody there, made kids, and how and your kids were born in into it as as well.

Scott Benner (34:05) Right?

Laurel (34:06) Yeah. (34:07) Yeah. (34:07) Okay. (34:08) Technically.

Scott Benner (34:08) We had time, but but you boogied pretty quick after that.

Laurel (34:11) Yeah. (34:12) I again, once my kids were born, it was sort of this, yeah, this this, light switch of, like, oh, I don't wanna expose my kids to that. (34:21) Yeah. (34:21) Yeah. (34:22) And I and I have to and I have to figure this out.

Scott Benner (34:24) The husband went along with this?

Laurel (34:26) Yeah. (34:26) You know, it's been a different process for him, but he's very supportive. (34:32) We've talked about it a lot over the years, you know, and we've always agreed on, like, how we wanna raise the boys and stuff. (34:41) And it's complicated because we're we're never going to be able to completely sort of separate ourselves.

Scott Benner (34:50) Why?

Laurel (34:51) Because our we want to stay in contact with all of our family members. (34:57) You

Scott Benner (34:57) know? (34:58) Oh.

Laurel (34:59) His parents, my parents, brothers well, my sister is out. (35:03) She left way before I did. (35:05) She she was the more typical sort of she left, like, right after college and was like, yeah. (35:10) No.

Scott Benner (35:12) I'm gonna go to college. (35:14) I'll be never coming back. (35:15) Thank you.

Laurel (35:16) Yeah. (35:16) Yeah. (35:16) Yeah. (35:17) Basically.

Scott Benner (35:18) Parents not talk to her?

Laurel (35:20) They do. (35:20) They do. (35:21) Okay. (35:22) And they've come a long way, but it was very hard for them in the beginning with her. (35:27) And, I was always sort of the middle I was always sort of in the middle.

Laurel (35:33) I would, you know Yeah. (35:34) Talk to them on the phone, and they would be crying and talking to me about her. (35:38) And then I would talk to my sister, and she would crying and talking to me about my parents.

Scott Benner (35:42) You ever sit with your parents and go, hey. (35:45) We're in a cult?

Laurel (35:46) Yeah.

Scott Benner (35:47) And then what what's the response?

Laurel (35:49) Not that direct. (35:53) I've I've brought up, you know, I brought up things like my my mom working at the nursery school

Scott Benner (36:01) Mhmm.

Laurel (36:02) And and sort of talking to her. (36:04) I've talked to her about that and and said, like, you know, I have friends who were left there for three years. (36:11) They didn't even recognize or know their parents when their parents came back to pick them up. (36:16) You

Scott Benner (36:16) know? (36:16) Mhmm.

Laurel (36:18) Because they were left there as babies.

Scott Benner (36:20) And you say to your mom, does that seem right to you? (36:22) And she says Right.

Laurel (36:23) And and my mom, yeah, she she gets this pained look on her face. (36:30) She feels sad about it. (36:32) But, also, she's sort of feels like, well, that's what we had to do, and it was a sacrifice. (36:37) And that's what we were told to do.

Scott Benner (36:40) Can I ask a difficult question? (36:42) It might be difficult for you to answer. (36:44) And

Laurel (36:44) Sure.

Scott Benner (36:45) It's not some people are gonna think I'm judgmental, but I'm trying to I'm just trying to get to the court, and I mean this Yeah. (36:50) A lot. (36:50) Are your parents are they dumb? (36:53) No. (36:54) I'm being serious.

Scott Benner (36:55) Like, are you, like or do you look at them and go, wow. (36:57) They're challenged. (36:58) They have trouble, like, they're getting through the rest of life too. (37:01) Like, does that do other things fool them, I guess?

Laurel (37:04) No. (37:04) Not at all. (37:05) My parents are very smart.

Scott Benner (37:06) Mhmm.

Laurel (37:07) You know, growing up, they listened to NPR. (37:09) They're very, like, intelligent people. (37:11) They're engaged politically. (37:13) Like, they're not dumb people, and most people who join cults are not dumb people. (37:18) That's, like, a very that's a very stereotypical sort of thing.

Scott Benner (37:22) I'm trying to get to it. (37:23) So then what happens? (37:24) How does how does an otherwise bright person get I was gonna say hornswoggle, but I'm not it's not eighteen fifty, so I'm not sure why I would say it.

Laurel (37:31) I know. (37:33) So a lot of the research has shown that the most common reason that people sort of fall for cults is because they're in they are at a point in their lives where either something has happened or they're they're in a state where they're vulnerable.

Scott Benner (37:51) Mhmm.

Laurel (37:52) Right? (37:52) So this is why call it cults recruit on college campuses because it's the first time that people are away from their homes. (37:59) They're out on their own. (38:01) They're, like, in a new environment. (38:03) They're trying to figure out life for themselves for the first time.

Laurel (38:06) My mom was dealing with depression before she joined. (38:09) Like, there's a lot of stories of people who are dealing with addiction before they joined and then joining that cult to that community because, another thing a lot of people in the ex cult world say is people don't join cults. (38:23) They join a community. (38:24) You join something that you think is a good thing. (38:26) And so it's like, wow.

Laurel (38:27) This thing helped me get sober, or this thing helped me, like, gave me some meaning and gave me some community.

Scott Benner (38:33) I'm already running a cult then.

Laurel (38:36) Oh, you absolutely are.

Scott Benner (38:38) Oh, I just I just haven't I just haven't paired you all up yet. (38:42) Something to look forward to in season fifteen when I get, I run out of ideas. (38:46) Don't you worry.

Laurel (38:46) No. (38:47) If you if you wanted to I mean, it's all about group dynamics. (38:50) Right? (38:50) Yeah. (38:50) If you if you wanted to, you could I've I have total faith in you.

Laurel (38:54) You could absolutely

Scott Benner (38:55) Oh, well, listen. (38:56) I let me stop you for a second, Laurel. (38:58) Yeah. (38:59) I'm gonna give myself a lot of I'm not giving myself any credit here because it's just not a thing I would do, but I could definitely do this. (39:05) Like, you're all I've I've said it before.

Scott Benner (39:07) I'll say it again. (39:08) You're all just lucky. (39:08) I'm a decent person, and I wanted to help people with diabetes. (39:11) Because if I wanted to make a bunch of money and buy property and get get myself into the, raw fish business, I could have done that too. (39:18) Yeah.

Scott Benner (39:18) So it's just a person who kinda sees how the world works Yeah. (39:22) Says to themselves, what do these people need? (39:24) What can I offer to them? (39:26) And then Yeah. (39:26) Then the then the then the the disruption there is then Right.

Scott Benner (39:30) That person goes, and I'll just be, like, you know, I'll be cruel. (39:33) I'll be I'll be worried about money before people. (39:36) And I'm just like, I just would like to see people with diabetes feel better.

Laurel (39:39) Yeah. (39:39) And it's exploiting it's exploiting people's genuine, need for community and, idealism. (39:48) Like, you know, my parents were told, like, we want peace. (39:51) Like, this was right after the Vietnam War and all of these things. (39:55) So they were like, we want we wanna love people.

Laurel (39:58) We wanna, you know, bring peace. (40:00) We wanna make a better world. (40:01) Like, these are the things that they Yeah. (40:04) Were told. (40:05) And once there's a thing called love bombing that actually the moonies coined that term, and it's something that's used widely throughout cultic system and just in in culture in general now is love bombing.

Laurel (40:18) And that's when a new person comes, you love bomb them. (40:22) You all of the people know that this this is the new person, all of the members, and they just you are the most interesting person in the world. (40:30) We're so happy to have you here. (40:32) You just feel amazing. (40:35) It feels amazing.

Laurel (40:36) So you basically called in the beginning.

Scott Benner (40:37) So so you sort of take common decency and then rev it up to a thousand. (40:46) Yeah. (40:46) And then overwhelm people's senses so that they feel like, oh, I have finally found this thing I've been looking for. (40:52) I've been addicted. (40:52) I've been ignored.

Scott Benner (40:54) I was molested. (40:56) And now I found people who are just gonna me. (40:58) And then you suck them in, get them feeling that, and then make them have sex with, like, a monkey Right. (41:04) And then take their money.

Laurel (41:05) And then and then well, there's still a Sorry. (41:08) There's a longer process until you get to the monkeys, but, you know, it's

Scott Benner (41:11) But get to the monkeys, Scott. (41:14) That's not day one, my friend.

Laurel (41:16) It's not day one. (41:17) You know, it's it's little by little. (41:19) And then, know, sort of by the time you're down to, like, oh, yeah. (41:23) I'm gonna let this person pick my spouse. (41:25) You're already so deep in it that

Scott Benner (41:28) It all makes sense.

Laurel (41:30) You're all in. (41:30) You're all in at that point.

Scott Benner (41:31) Also, pot committed. (41:33) Right?

Laurel (41:34) Yeah.

Scott Benner (41:34) Yeah. (41:34) They they they say, that's a real common, like, human thing. (41:38) Like, once you once somebody said out loud, I'm for a thing, they have a lot of trouble, like, publicly backing out of it again.

Laurel (41:47) Yes. (41:47) And so then all of those sort of psychological processes like cognitive dissonance Mhmm. (41:52) Kick in where your belief is so rooted to your identity that if somebody challenges it, it's like they're challenging your whole identity. (42:05) No. (42:06) And you cannot handle that.

Laurel (42:08) And so you have to your your brain can't hold sort of these two opposing views at the same time. (42:14) And so

Scott Benner (42:15) So politics find

Laurel (42:16) a way to rationalize it. (42:17) Yes.

Scott Benner (42:17) Politics as a cult.

Laurel (42:19) Absolutely. (42:19) Right. (42:20) Because then it

Scott Benner (42:20) it describes when by the way, I've seen these these little interview videos on, like, all sides of, like, belief. (42:27) So don't Yeah. (42:27) Don't think I'm talking about yours or the other one. (42:29) But Yeah. (42:30) You know, when you get somebody together and they say you say, like, why are you here?

Scott Benner (42:33) And they go, I'm here for a, b, and c. (42:35) And then somebody goes, well, actually, that's wrong. (42:38) He and here here's the and you can see them, like, see the the I don't know, the the proof in front of them, and you can watch in their eyes as they go, oh, hell. (42:47) I'm wrong about this. (42:48) And then they double down.

Laurel (42:50) Yeah. (42:50) Yeah. (42:51) Yeah. (42:51) Okay. (42:52) That's very common.

Laurel (42:53) That's that's why it's a lot of studies have been done. (42:56) It doesn't work to present somebody with facts or to say, hey. (43:01) You're in a cult because

Scott Benner (43:04) They're not gonna see it.

Laurel (43:05) They're not gonna see it. (43:07) They're not able to. (43:08) There there's that cognitive dissonance. (43:10) There's that defense. (43:12) Also, cults and other they build up these walls to sort of prepare you for the persecution.

Laurel (43:18) They're like, oh, these people, this is what they're gonna say. (43:20) And so that feeling of like, oh, if they say this, it's just because they wanna persecute us or they're there's all of these.

Scott Benner (43:28) They pre prep you so that when the common sense comes at you, you go, I was I was told the devil would come and be dressed like this. (43:35) Yes. (43:35) Right? (43:35) Like that feeling. (43:36) Oh.

Laurel (43:36) Yes. (43:37) And also, when somebody confronts you and you get that horrible feeling and it feels unsafe, it's that idea of persecution. (43:46) Right?

Scott Benner (43:46) Mhmm.

Laurel (43:46) And you want to run back to where it's safe and where people don't judge you or confront you, and that's the cult.

Scott Benner (43:53) How great are your kids to love bomb you? (43:55) You were able to push through all this just for them? (43:57) I mean, these are very handsome children, or what's going on here?

Laurel (44:00) I think so. (44:01) I think they're great. (44:02) Yeah.

Scott Benner (44:03) No. (44:03) But seriously, like, what do you have you you must have thought about this. (44:06) Like, what I mean, it's nice to say, like, I didn't want my kids to be there. (44:09) But I'm sure there are plenty of people who, you know, for example, left their kids in that orphanage, for the lack of a better term, didn't wanna live their kids there, but did it anyway. (44:18) So Yeah.

Scott Benner (44:19) What is it just happenstance? (44:21) Is it that you went to a public school? (44:23) You tried dating a little bit? (44:25) Did you have just enough of the outside world in you to be like, I this smells wrong to me, or, like, are you special? (44:31) Like, you know what I mean?

Laurel (44:32) Right. (44:33) Yeah. (44:33) I think I think it's a lot of those things. (44:37) The fact that I was born into it is also a different experience. (44:40) I know and not always the case because there's definitely people who were born into it who have stayed, and I stayed a lot longer than I should have.

Laurel (44:49) You know? (44:50) People leave when when they can, when they're ready to leave. (44:54) Yeah. (44:54) It's different when it's something that you didn't choose.

Scott Benner (44:56) What are the things you're getting from it? (44:58) Because you're an adult, you have your own home, you're making your own babies, all that stuff. (45:01) Like Yeah. (45:01) Why do you is it just is is in your mind, is it just church? (45:05) Or no?

Scott Benner (45:06) You see it's something bigger.

Laurel (45:09) So when I was younger, I absolutely believed in all of the things I was being taught. (45:16) Right? (45:16) And as a child, you know, that's sort of, like, part of the psychological process is, to trust your parents because you have to because that for safety reasons. (45:27) You know, again, it was like I was in I had the order sort of the split personality of, like, part of me knew that certain things were wrong or that certain things didn't feel good.

Scott Benner (45:37) Something didn't smell good. (45:39) Yeah. (45:39) It might have been it might have been the sushi.

Laurel (45:41) It was definitely the sushi. (45:43) Yeah.

Scott Benner (45:44) You. (45:44) Thank you very much. (45:45) Thank you, everybody. (45:46) Thank you. (45:46) If I was on stage right now, this is when I'd be waving while you're all laughing.

Scott Benner (45:49) Thank you. (45:50) Sorry. (45:51) Go ahead.

Laurel (45:52) And then part of me was, like, this is the community that I'm in. (45:56) There's you're surrounded by other adults and other kids and other people who all believe or you think they all believe the same thing, and they're telling you this is true and you know?

Scott Benner (46:07) Is that true, do you think? (46:09) Do you think they all believe it, do you think everybody's just there going like, it's too late now?

Laurel (46:14) I think it's a mix. (46:15) I think there's I think there's a lot of people who are true believers. (46:19) I really do. (46:20) And then there's other people who are sort of just hanging on because it's their whole they gave up everything else, and this is their whole life. (46:29) This is their whole community.

Laurel (46:31) To leave, is is much harder than it seems because there's such a huge cost in leaving. (46:39) Like, you lose all of your friends maybe.

Scott Benner (46:41) Do you think there are people who are just completely thrilled with being involved and have absolutely not one regret or argument and that and it's not because they're they're they've been hornswoggled, which by the way, looked up, and it's crazy that I know this word. (46:57) I mean, unbelievably odd things in my head. (47:00) Yeah. (47:00) Like, do you think do you think there are people who are genuinely happy?

Laurel (47:04) You know, I think there are. (47:06) And I think for the most part, those are the people who are not sort of in the inner circles or higher levels of leadership. (47:14) They're just sort of, like, normal members living their lives and, like, maybe going to their local church and being part of their community. (47:21) Mhmm. (47:22) But they're not, like, doing sort of all of the the big level things Stuff.

Laurel (47:29) Or or sort of in the inner circle where they know

Scott Benner (47:32) So no different, Lind, like, if I was Catholic and I went to church, but I wasn't, like, all in on everything. (47:37) I just showed up on Sunday, looked nice, threw in a couple shekels, I was on my way. (47:41) Like, that kind

Laurel (47:42) of that happens. (47:43) So There are there are members that that feel that way. (47:45) And that's how I felt that's how I felt

Scott Benner (47:48) How you felt?

Laurel (47:48) For many years Okay. (47:49) That I was in that place, you know, before I

Scott Benner (47:51) was parents are in at a formative time in the in the I don't know what they call it. (47:56) The cult, the church. (47:57) Like, they're they're in. (47:59) So they're they're dug in. (48:00) Right?

Scott Benner (48:00) They're that's before social media, before the Internet, before you like, you they heard something, and they were like, that well, if that's what you say it is, and that's what it is. (48:10) And then that's and then you're dug in before anything gets thrown in your face. (48:13) You you're younger. (48:15) Right. (48:15) You have actual, like, you know, like, normal, like, childhood rebellion that probably got probably got pointed at your parents and at the church at points and times.

Scott Benner (48:25) Maybe you didn't make it to the cold shower once or twice. (48:27) And so you had a little too much time to think, that kind of thing. (48:31) Okay. (48:31) Yeah. (48:31) I see it.

Scott Benner (48:32) Alright. (48:32) By the way, it's possible I heard it from Yosemite Sam and Looney Tunes is what is what the Internet tells me.

Laurel (48:38) Or in Spoggle?

Scott Benner (48:39) Yeah. (48:39) Yeah. (48:39) Apparently, that maybe is where I got that from. (48:42) So

Laurel (48:42) That sounds right.

Scott Benner (48:43) Oh, my god. (48:44) I felt so you know how I felt? (48:46) I felt as old as that lady at the grocery store yesterday when I said that. (48:50) I was like, maybe she was right to hit on me. (48:52) I give off I give off Hornswoggle energy, apparently.

Scott Benner (48:57) She's like, this guy looks younger than me, but he might just be a dye job. (49:02) Yeah. (49:02) Because, yeah, that's I might have a nice dark head of hair. (49:05) It's the secret to life if I'm being honest to everybody. (49:07) You gotta yeah.

Scott Benner (49:09) Whatever you believe in keeps your hair dark, say thank you.

Laurel (49:13) Yeah. (49:14) It's the best. (49:15) You know, I actually feel like I have an interesting relationship with aging because when I fully left and then sort of so also leaving and then, like, leaving in your mind or, like, two different things, like leaving

Scott Benner (49:31) Yeah.

Laurel (49:32) Physically and then and then all and then, like, healing from that is different. (49:37) I've been in therapy for many years. (49:39) Oh, I that. (49:41) Yeah. (49:41) Yeah.

Laurel (49:42) And so

Scott Benner (49:42) You must have taken a belt and tied yourself to your therapist.

Laurel (49:45) I mean, listen. (49:47) You're like, you

Scott Benner (49:48) you can't go. (49:49) I've got an

Laurel (49:49) appointment with her this afternoon.

Scott Benner (49:51) So You're damn right you do. (49:53) So, your parents, any autoimmune stuff with your parents? (49:56) Watch me pivot this into a beautiful two parter. (49:58) Go ahead.

Laurel (49:59) I was like, how are we gonna get that?

Scott Benner (50:00) Don't you worry. (50:01) It's not my first day, Laurel. (50:03) I'm gonna have you paired up in ten minutes making me money. (50:07) I by the way, also, when we're done here, I'm gonna need you to go across the ocean and tell people about the podcast for me.

Laurel (50:14) Okay.

Scott Benner (50:17) So is there any autoimmune in your parents or, like, their sides of the family, anything like that? (50:30) This episode was too good to cut anything out of, but too long to make just one episode. (50:35) So this is part one. (50:36) Make sure you go find part two right now. (50:38) It's gonna be the next episode in your feed.

Scott Benner (50:43) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. (50:47) Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. (50:58) Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. (51:03) At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. (51:05) Terms and conditions apply.

Scott Benner (51:07) Eligibility may vary. (51:08) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (51:14) US Med sponsored this episode of the juice box podcast. (51:18) Check them out at usmed.com/juicebox or by calling (888) 721-1514. (51:27) Get your free benefits checked, and get started today with US Med.

Scott Benner (51:32) Thank you so much for listening. (51:34) I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box podcast. (51:38) If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. (51:45) Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. (51:50) If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend.

Scott Benner (51:56) And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. (52:01) Would you like a Christmas card? (52:09) If you're living with type one diabetes, the After Dark collection from the Juice Box podcast is the only place to hear the stories that no one else talks about, from drugs to depression, self harm, trauma, addiction, and so much more. (52:26) Go to juiceboxpodcast.com, up in the menu, and click on after dark. (52:31) There, you'll see a full list of all of the after dark episodes.

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#1732 Squooshie Pushie

You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio -  Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or wherever they get audio.

Diagnosed at 63, Brenda battles incompetent doctors and self-teaches LADA management. Tune in to discover the absurd medical advice and feisty encounters behind the title "Squooshie Pushie."

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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.

Scott Benner (0:00) Welcome back, friends. (0:01) You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.

Brenda (0:11) Hi. (0:12) My name is Brenda, and I had a shocking diagnosis about nine or ten years ago out of the clear blue sky of being diabetic.

Scott Benner (0:25) If you've ever heard a diabetes term and thought, okay. (0:28) But what does that actually mean? (0:30) You need the defining diabetes series from the Juice Box podcast. (0:33) Defining diabetes takes all those phrases and terms that you don't understand and makes them clear. (0:39) Quick and easy episodes.

Scott Benner (0:41) Find out what bolus means, basal, insulin sensitivity, and all of the rest. (0:45) There has to be over 60 episodes of defining diabetes. (0:48) Check it out now in your audio player or go to juiceboxpodcast.com and go up into the menu. (0:54) If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast private Facebook group. (1:00) Juice Box Podcast, type one diabetes.

Scott Benner (1:04) But everybody is welcome. (1:05) Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. (1:10) If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. (1:19) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:23) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan.

Scott Benner (1:29) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears. (1:36) Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. (1:40) Today's episode is also sponsored by the Omnipod five. (1:44) And at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox, you can get yourself a free, what I just say, a free Omnipod five starter kit. (1:55) Free?

Scott Benner (1:56) Get out of here. (1:57) Go click on that link. (1:57) Omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:00) Check it out. (2:01) Terms and conditions apply.

Scott Benner (2:02) Eligibility may vary. (2:04) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:09) Links in the show notes. (2:10) Links at juiceboxpodcast.com.

Brenda (2:12) Hi. (2:13) My name is Brenda, and I had a shocking diagnosis about nine or ten years ago out of the clear blue sky of being diabetic.

Scott Benner (2:26) How old are you today, Brenda?

Brenda (2:27) K. (2:28) Age is not a big thing in our family, so I have to think about it. (2:34) 71.

Scott Benner (2:35) You're 71. (2:36) And you and you were diagnosed with diabetes at, what, like, sixty sixty one, 62?

Brenda (2:42) Well, it was a journey for them to figure out what was going on.

Scott Benner (2:48) Mhmm.

Brenda (2:48) So I got my official diagnosis of being type one when I was, like, 63.

Scott Benner (2:56) Wow. (2:57) Well, how did it start? (2:58) What what were the first signs? (2:59) What got you to the doctor, and what did they think was going on?

Brenda (3:04) As far as I can remember, I had no symptoms. (3:08) Nothing.

Scott Benner (3:09) Mhmm.

Brenda (3:10) And, I just always went for a physical every year. (3:14) And so I went and did the blood draw and went to the doctor's appointment. (3:21) And, of course, if it's not on a piece of paper, it can't be real. (3:25) Right? (3:26) So she's looking at the piece of paper and all of a sudden goes, oh, you're diabetic.

Brenda (3:34) And I'm sitting there stunned. (3:37) I go, what are you talking about?

Scott Benner (3:38) Mhmm.

Brenda (3:40) And I guess my glucose test for part of the physical, you know, you gotta fast. (3:46) At that point, I remember it was one seventy two, and I'm just flabbergasted.

Scott Benner (3:53) Yeah.

Brenda (3:54) And she just looked at me, and she goes, I prescribed a prescription. (3:59) Get it. (3:59) Start taking it. (4:01) Eat more fish, less rice. (4:03) Don't let the door hitch on the ass on the way out.

Scott Benner (4:07) And she was telling you what type did you have? (4:09) What was she trying to tell you?

Brenda (4:12) Well, she didn't say a type, but I'm assuming since I seem to remember that the prescription was for metformin based on everything that I know now that because of my age, they were just assuming I was type two.

Scott Benner (4:32) Okay. (4:34) And you were given metformin and sent on your way with, hey. (4:38) Eat more fish. (4:39) That kind of a thing?

Brenda (4:40) Yeah. (4:41) Just basically, don't bother me. (4:44) Take the pill and go away.

Scott Benner (4:45) That's such a shame.

Brenda (4:46) It is. (4:47) So much fun.

Scott Benner (4:48) Yeah. (4:49) Well, how long did you go on like that?

Brenda (4:51) I think it was for a couple of years. (4:55) It's hard for me to remember the exact dates because also at that same time, I had a lot of family tragedies going on.

Scott Benner (5:04) Okay. (5:04) Like what?

Brenda (5:05) My brother had been finally had gotten diagnosed with Crohn's, severe Crohn's. (5:14) Mhmm. (5:14) I mean, he couldn't even leave the house for decades.

Scott Benner (5:18) Oh gosh.

Brenda (5:19) Luckily, he lived with my parents, and so he had a backup. (5:24) But, I mean, he lost so much weight, and they told him, yep. (5:31) I knew that was gonna happen. (5:33) That's okay. (5:33) Let me let me shut this up.

Scott Benner (5:35) Brenda told me before we started, my blood sugar's a little higher than I like it to. (5:39) I think it's because I'm excited.

Brenda (5:40) So It could be. (5:41) Yeah. (5:41) I'm very excited.

Scott Benner (5:43) Good. (5:43) Good. (5:43) Good. (5:43) I'm glad. (5:44) And Your brother's wasting away, it takes them how long to figure out about his Crohn's?

Brenda (5:50) Several years. (5:51) Oh, that's possible. (5:53) They even told him things like, oh, well, you're allergic to garlic, and you're allergic to this. (5:59) And my folks were taking him back and forth. (6:01) Well, he couldn't work, and I I don't know why they hadn't gotten him into the VA because he had been in the military.

Brenda (6:11) Mhmm. (6:12) They finally did that, and they finally figured out that he had Crohn's. (6:17) I guess they were doing a colon

Scott Benner (6:21) Ostomy. (6:22) Colon. (6:22) Colonoscopy?

Brenda (6:24) I call it something else. (6:26) I don't know if people wanna hear what I call it, but

Scott Benner (6:29) Wait. (6:30) Wait, Brenda. (6:30) What do you call it?

Brenda (6:31) It's easier for me to remember that it's the butt camera test.

Scott Benner (6:35) Gotcha. (6:35) Butt camera. (6:36) I'm with you.

Brenda (6:37) That works. (6:38) And so they told him he had Crohn's, and they were trying to treat him through the VA. (6:45) And what I remember was at some point, because he didn't share a lot of stuff with my folks

Scott Benner (6:52) Mhmm.

Brenda (6:53) That he actually had to be kept overnight at the VA twice while they gave him, an intravenous drug to help with this.

Scott Benner (7:07) K.

Brenda (7:08) Now we're not sure. (7:09) We think it was Humira, which was, like, ten, twelve, maybe almost fifteen years ago. (7:16) He's been dead for about ten years now.

Scott Benner (7:20) Okay.

Brenda (7:21) And at the point that I was going through my stuff, he was all of a sudden diagnosed with liver cancer out of the clear blue sky.

Scott Benner (7:33) Yes.

Brenda (7:34) And the VA had him going to Manhattan to get tests without letting people know my folks could have taken him to a very good facility fifteen minutes from their house. (7:48) So it was a bit of a

Scott Benner (7:51) Brenda, this is happening around when you're 60, 61 years old? (7:55) Yeah. (7:55) And how old was your brother at that point?

Brenda (7:58) He's basically a year younger than me.

Scott Benner (8:01) And your parents were still helping him. (8:03) How old were they when that was going on?

Brenda (8:05) Oh, jeez. (8:06) I wanna say late seventies, early eighties.

Scott Benner (8:09) Okay. (8:10) Okay. (8:11) Alright. (8:12) And is there are there other autoimmune issues in your family? (8:15) Because I'm hearing type one.

Scott Benner (8:16) I'm hearing Crohn's. (8:17) Like, what else is going on?

Brenda (8:19) Just about everybody's got it by well, not my kids as far as I know, but my dad, my mom, my brother, myself, my sister, thyroid issues.

Scott Benner (8:31) Mhmm.

Brenda (8:34) Not sure exactly what type my mom dealt with. (8:36) I'm assuming it was low thyroid, basically, her whole life.

Scott Benner (8:41) Okay.

Brenda (8:42) And then what I what I had tried to go through with my doctors initially was I was pretty sure that I was suffering from the beginnings of Graves' disease. (8:57) My sister had gone through it in her early thirties, and they had told her, oh, you're going through early menopause and all this other BS. (9:06) And then my mom finally told her, hey. (9:09) Have your doctor checked for Graves. (9:11) Now why she said that, I don't know.

Brenda (9:15) With parents that age coming from the Midwest, nobody shared anything.

Scott Benner (9:20) Mhmm.

Brenda (9:21) So a lot of this came out of the clear blue sky.

Scott Benner (9:25) Okay.

Brenda (9:26) But at that point in time, my thyroid was playing hide and go seek. (9:32) They would test it, and it would be, oh, you're perfectly normal range. (9:37) Alright. (9:38) My heart would be racing. (9:40) I was losing weight.

Brenda (9:42) So everybody thought it was because of my thyroid. (9:45) Mhmm. (9:46) And then I had my physical, and they said, oh, you're diabetic. (9:50) Now I wasn't losing a tremendous amount of weight, and I had been trying to lose a little bit of weight, but I wasn't tired. (10:00) I just would have my heart would start racing once in a while.

Scott Benner (10:04) Mhmm.

Brenda (10:05) Let me see. (10:07) Then we were dealing with my brother. (10:09) They said, okay. (10:10) He's got six months to live. (10:13) And the next time I saw him, I looked at him and I was thinking, oh, no.

Brenda (10:18) You'll be lucky if you have six weeks to live. (10:21) Well, basically, two weeks later, after being in hospice for a week, he was dead.

Scott Benner (10:28) That was the cancer?

Brenda (10:30) Yeah. (10:30) Yeah. (10:31) Yeah. (10:32) And I blame the VA at that point in time. (10:37) They they just they screwed up.

Brenda (10:40) I mean, somebody did something wrong. (10:43) You don't have a doctor from the VA call your parents and apologize for his treatment.

Scott Benner (10:50) Oh, that happened?

Brenda (10:52) Oh, yeah. (10:52) Yep.

Scott Benner (10:54) And and so while all this is going on in your life, it's slowing down you kinda paying attention to your diabetes. (11:00) So you're what are you doing?

Brenda (11:01) I'm trying.

Scott Benner (11:01) Yeah. (11:02) But you're taking the metformin, right, and just going along. (11:06) Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. (11:09) Did you know that the majority of Omnipod five users pay less than $30 per month at the pharmacy? (11:15) That's less than $1 a day for tube free automated insulin delivery.

Scott Benner (11:20) And a third of Omnipod five users pay $0 per month. (11:23) You heard that right. (11:25) 0. (11:25) That's less than your daily coffee for all of the benefits of tubeless, waterproof, automated insulin delivery. (11:31) My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four years old, and she's about to be 21.

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Scott Benner (11:58) Terms and conditions apply. (12:00) Eligibility may vary. (12:01) Why don't you get yourself that free starter kit? (12:04) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (12:10) You can manage diabetes confidently with the powerfully simple Dexcom g seven.

Scott Benner (12:15) Dexcom.com/juicebox. (12:18) The Dexcom g seven is the CGM that my daughter is wearing. (12:23) The g seven is a simple CGM system that delivers real time glucose numbers to your smartphone or smartwatch. (12:31) The g seven is made for all types of diabetes, type one and type two, but also people experiencing gestational diabetes. (12:39) The Dexcom g seven can help you spend more time in range, which is proven to lower a one c.

Scott Benner (12:44) The more time you spend in range, the better and healthier you feel. (12:48) 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. (12:56) If you're looking for clarity around your diabetes, you're looking for dexcom. (13:01) Dexcom.com/juicebox. (13:04) When you use my link, you're supporting the podcast.

Scott Benner (13:06) Dexcom.com/juicebox. (13:09) Head over there now.

Brenda (13:11) I'm taking that, and after that doctor treated me like that, I thought, okay. (13:18) Okay. (13:19) There's gotta be someone who can help me figure this out better. (13:24) So I changed over to a doctor that my neighbor suggested, and I thought, okay. (13:33) Let me go to this lady.

Brenda (13:36) Well, let me tell you, that was a mistake. (13:41) She was into just controlling things with your diet, and I thought, well, okay. (13:48) We'll see. (13:49) If this is type two, that's what they say to do. (13:52) Mhmm.

Brenda (13:53) And very much into no meat, a lot of vegan stuff, which actually, when I changed my diet, I just naturally ate not very far from what she was recommending.

Scott Benner (14:11) Okay.

Brenda (14:12) And that went on for about a year or so, and I kept asking her, could you check my by that time, I knew about t three and t four because I was doing research.

Scott Benner (14:26) Mhmm.

Brenda (14:28) And she kept refusing to do it. (14:32) And the last time I saw her, she'd done blood work, and at that point, my a one c was 5.5. (14:41) And she looked at me and she goes, oh, you're cured. (14:46) And I'm thinking to myself, you are okay. (14:50) Now as I get older, I curse more.

Scott Benner (14:53) That's okay, Brenda. (14:54) Brenda, you can curse. (14:55) Go ahead.

Brenda (14:55) And I was like, I'm sitting there thinking to myself, you are a and lunatic lady. (15:03) There is no cure for this

Scott Benner (15:07) And did she do you think she really felt like you were cured, or do you think she

Brenda (15:11) would She did. (15:11) Did she? (15:12) She was all excited and, oh, we don't have to check your t three and t four. (15:18) It's not necessary and blah blah blah blah. (15:22) Meanwhile, I'm sitting there, and I think my heart rate had gotten up to one seventy.

Brenda (15:27) And she goes, oh, I'm more concerned about your heart. (15:30) What's going on? (15:31) Why is it doing this? (15:33) And I thought, why the fuck do you think I came to you? (15:38) I mean, come on.

Brenda (15:39) So that was doctor number two. (15:43) Oh, and she had me stop taking the metformin, so I wasn't taking it. (15:47) And so then I thought, okay. (15:50) Time for another doctor. (15:52) This lady is obviously a quack, went on to doctor number three.

Brenda (15:58) Well, at that point, my brother had passed away, so I was my folks lived in Jersey. (16:05) Mhmm. (16:06) I live in kinda like Upstate New York. (16:10) So I was going back and forth. (16:13) Didn't have a CGM.

Brenda (16:15) Didn't have, you know, nothing. (16:17) Mhmm. (16:17) I've been trying to remember if I was using insulin at that point. (16:23) I have a feeling I wasn't. (16:26) So I was down at my folks' house going through my brother's possessions because they wanted me to basically appraise things and give them ideas on how to market, it, try to regain some of the money they spent on hospice, his funeral, and his cremation and such.

Brenda (16:50) Mhmm. (16:50) So I was down there, and I seem to remember that particular trip. (16:57) Yes. (16:57) My husband and I think one of our kids had shown up with us to help and some other relatives. (17:04) And, of course, all of a sudden, on the clear blue sky, my heart started racing.

Brenda (17:10) And I was literally, when I got back, supposed to do blood work and see this new guy for a physical the first time. (17:21) And I I just said, I know it's my thyroid. (17:24) I know it is, but it wasn't stopping. (17:28) And I told my husband, I said, shit. (17:31) I don't wanna have to go to the hospital in an ambulance.

Brenda (17:35) Mom and dad just cremated my brother. (17:39) And, but I said, I think I gotta go. (17:42) So I went to the hospital, and I told him, alright. (17:47) I'm pretty sure it's my thyroid. (17:49) I'm gonna get checked for blood work next week.

Brenda (17:52) Well, you go into the ER. (17:55) They do a bunch of blood work. (17:56) Right? (17:57) Because when you're old, they always wanna make sure it's not a heart attack. (18:02) And so they were checking for that, and they also did my thyroid.

Scott Benner (18:06) Mhmm.

Brenda (18:06) At that point, my thyroid was off the scale.

Scott Benner (18:11) Yeah.

Brenda (18:11) It was definitely high. (18:14) And then, of course, they always come in and jab you later in the day. (18:19) They kept me overnight. (18:21) It's also ragweed season here. (18:23) So

Scott Benner (18:24) No. (18:24) You're fine. (18:24) Hey, Brady. (18:25) You you don't apologize. (18:26) You clear your throat or take a drink as much as you want.

Scott Benner (18:29) Don't worry about it.

Brenda (18:30) And so, basically, twelve hours later when they did my blood work again, the thyroid and everything was normal.

Scott Benner (18:39) But

Brenda (18:40) I finally had it on a piece of paper.

Scott Benner (18:43) Yep. (18:43) Yeah. (18:44) Now somebody will listen.

Brenda (18:46) I demanded that before I left that day. (18:50) I said, I wanna print out. (18:52) I need that to prove what's going on. (18:56) So

Scott Benner (18:57) Yeah. (18:58) And you went back to the third doctor. (19:00) You didn't go back to the hippie lady who thought she cured you

Brenda (19:02) Oh my god.

Scott Benner (19:02) With sit ups, right, or something. (19:04) Yeah. (19:04) Right. (19:04) Right. (19:04) Okay.

Brenda (19:05) Yeah. (19:06) Awesome. (19:06) I went to the third doctor, and when I had first seen him I think this was my second visit with him. (19:14) I had written on there, you know, diabetes question mark, and he said, well, what do you mean? (19:19) And I go, well, there's something going on with my thyroid.

Brenda (19:23) And because I knew that the thyroid could potentially mess that up.

Scott Benner (19:27) Mhmm.

Brenda (19:28) And so when I went back the second time and I had the piece of paper and I could prove there was something wrong with my thyroid, he looked at it and he goes, oh, maybe there's something here. (19:42) And I thought, no shit, Sherlock. (19:46) Good. (19:47) I didn't even know that endos existed.

Scott Benner (19:50) Mhmm.

Brenda (19:51) And so he suggested I went to a local endo, and I thought, okay. (19:57) Fine. (19:58) So I went in there, and he did some blood work. (20:04) And he was the guy that said, eventually, he had me as a type two also, but he was looking at the thyroid also. (20:15) And I don't know the name of the test, but I guess there's some kind of a like, an antibody test that you can do to, diagnose Graves'.

Scott Benner (20:28) Okay.

Brenda (20:29) And so he had done that, and he goes, yes. (20:31) You have Graves'. (20:32) And I said, okay. (20:33) Fine. (20:35) I remember we were home one night, and I get a panicky call from him.

Brenda (20:41) Oh my god. (20:42) You're type one. (20:43) Oh my god. (20:44) Run to the pharmacy. (20:45) Get this.

Brenda (20:46) Get that. (20:47) Start taking it. (20:48) And it was like, what the what is going on?

Scott Benner (20:51) Yeah. (20:51) Yeah.

Brenda (20:52) Got that. (20:54) I basically had no training on what to do with the insulin. (20:59) They just said, do this before you eat, and then eat right away.

Scott Benner (21:04) That's it? (21:05) That's how they told you to take insulin?

Brenda (21:07) Yep. (21:08) That was it. (21:08) And they had also said, well, you have to go to diabetes education. (21:15) And this was before I got the panic phone call one night. (21:19) Mhmm.

Brenda (21:20) And so I'm sitting there and I'm going, okay. (21:23) I was mostly interested in the nutrition part. (21:26) And when they got to that, it was pathetic. (21:29) But it was quite obvious that it was a type two education, went on for a week, and I thought, okay. (21:37) He only agreed to treat me if I go to this.

Brenda (21:39) I'll go to this BS and sit here and waste my time. (21:43) By that point, I had lost about 30 pounds in a month, and I was down to one fifteen. (21:56) And before I got older and started shrinking a little bit, I was almost five foot eight.

Scott Benner (22:03) Okay.

Brenda (22:04) And it was like, okay. (22:06) When is this gonna stop? (22:07) Oh, it'll stop. (22:08) It'll stop soon. (22:10) And it's like, are you out of your mind?

Scott Benner (22:12) It's not stopping because I'm dying.

Brenda (22:14) No. (22:14) Yeah. (22:14) Yeah. (22:14) Yeah. (22:15) Stopping.

Scott Benner (22:15) Right. (22:16) Right.

Brenda (22:17) I was not incredibly thirsty. (22:21) I had a dry mouth, but I would just rinse it out with some water and I'd be fine.

Scott Benner (22:27) Mhmm.

Brenda (22:27) I think I was peeing a little bit more than usual, but nothing that I knew that was a symptom. (22:36) Not like what I know now. (22:37) Yeah.

Scott Benner (22:38) Yeah. (22:39) There Brenda, were there other symptoms that you didn't know to look for now in hindsight?

Brenda (22:45) I honestly don't think so.

Scott Benner (22:46) Think so. (22:47) You were just it was a slow onset, probably like a lot of onset.

Brenda (22:51) Yes.

Scott Benner (22:52) Yeah.

Brenda (22:52) And then, you know, thank goodness for your podcast, to tell you the truth. (22:58) I was doing some research having been I'll tell you. (23:03) I was an auctioneer for more than fifteen years, and you gotta know your research. (23:10) So I'm pretty damn good at research. (23:12) Mhmm.

Brenda (23:13) And I was going forward a few years, and I had been, then I went to a different endo because my first endo, I can't remember what question I asked him, but I do remember his answer was that's because you're not a doctor. (23:32) And I thought, well, you. (23:35) I asked you a question. (23:37) I just wanted an answer. (23:39) I didn't want you to tell me how wonderful you are.

Brenda (23:44) And he had also started to shift where he was only paying attention to the thyroid, and he was shifting me off to a PA to deal with the diabetes. (23:58) A PA who, the first appointment, couldn't bother showing up. (24:05) The second appointment finally showed up forty five minutes late and then started reading my record while I'm sitting there

Scott Benner (24:13) answering

Brenda (24:15) questions. (24:16) And I said to her a couple of times, are you not allowed to see the notes from my previous visits? (24:24) Oh, yeah. (24:24) Yeah. (24:25) I can see them.

Brenda (24:26) And I thought, well, why the hell are you asking me these questions?

Scott Benner (24:29) Yeah.

Brenda (24:30) Obviously unprepared. (24:33) And she finally looked at me and said, oh, I can see you're the kind of person that wants all your answers and questions in a nice tidy box. (24:43) And I looked at her, and I said, no. (24:45) But I expect you to at least have taken the time to read my record so you're prepared for this meeting.

Scott Benner (24:52) Right. (24:52) Yeah. (24:52) What were you doing for the forty five minutes? (24:54) You were late.

Brenda (24:55) Yeah. (24:55) Yeah. (24:56) Well, she didn't like that, so that was quite obvious to me. (25:00) Okay. (25:01) Time for another doctor.

Brenda (25:04) So found someone else who she was a little blunt, but you know what? (25:09) At least she knew what she was doing. (25:10) Mhmm. (25:10) I didn't care at that point.

Scott Benner (25:12) I imagine you didn't.

Brenda (25:14) And so we drive now about forty five minutes to an hour to see, the same office. (25:21) Oh, with her and, again, still no CGM, no idea of a pump. (25:28) Though my husband, you know, you go through this, and I think your brain shuts off. (25:34) You really ought to go to these visits with someone else's and extra pair of ears.

Scott Benner (25:39) Yeah. (25:39) I think that too sometimes.

Brenda (25:41) So I always take my husband with me. (25:43) And at that point, I was on insulin, using the quick pens, Hubalog and then Lantus at night Mhmm. (25:55) And using a sliding scale. (25:58) And still, I was told, okay. (26:01) Prick your finger before you eat.

Brenda (26:04) Take this many units based on the number. (26:07) Make sure you eat basically right away.

Scott Benner (26:11) Mhmm.

Brenda (26:12) Have your food in front of you. (26:13) I never ate so much cold food in my life for those years. (26:18) Let me tell you. (26:20) And so she was pretty good. (26:25) Still no CGM, but yeah.

Brenda (26:27) That's right. (26:28) He said that she had suggested a pump, and I'm thinking in my brain, I didn't say this out loud, and I my first thought was, how the hell do you sleep with a cell phone attached to your body with a cord? (26:45) And then my other thought was, how do you have sex with this thing on? (26:49) What's going on? (26:50) So I said no.

Brenda (26:53) Plus, having been in IT for at least forty years, I really didn't trust something that I couldn't control. (27:02) Nobody ever told me that I could interact with a pump and control what it does. (27:08) Mhmm. (27:09) So I said no. (27:11) And went to her for I don't know.

Brenda (27:14) I think I was seeing her for about a year or so. (27:18) And then all of a sudden, she just left in the middle of the night, took off.

Scott Benner (27:24) No more doc. (27:25) Just gone.

Brenda (27:26) Yeah. (27:26) Just gone. (27:28) Don't know where she went or why or what happened, but it was like, oh, wonderful.

Scott Benner (27:35) Brenda, I wanna be clear. (27:37) You when you first were intersected with the idea of having an insulin pump, your thoughts were, I don't know how I'm gonna sleep or with that thing, so I'm not interested. (27:46) Yeah. (27:46) No. (27:47) Okay.

Scott Benner (27:47) That's right. (27:47) Okay.

Brenda (27:48) That's right. (27:49) These are important things in life. (27:51) Yeah.

Scott Benner (27:52) You're you're right. (27:53) They are.

Brenda (27:54) They really are. (27:54) Everybody who's married as long as we've been married, and they go, oh, sex isn't important. (28:01) You're out of your mind.

Scott Benner (28:04) Oh, you said that yours you know, it's funny we started recording. (28:08) You were like, this could end up being an after dark episode. (28:10) I thought, wonder how that could be. (28:12) But here we are.

Brenda (28:13) Oh, we haven't we haven't even gotten into what would really make it a after dark.

Scott Benner (28:18) Don't worry. (28:18) We'll keep going. (28:19) I'm not stopping you. (28:20) I I just want I just wanna make sure I understand along the way. (28:23) Like, by the time you're using the sliding scale and all that stuff, you understand that you have type one at that point, or is that not been

Brenda (28:29) I was being treated as type one. (28:31) So I kept doing research and learned about LADA. (28:39) And I thought, you know what? (28:40) This sounds more like what I have than just a straight up type one. (28:45) Mhmm.

Brenda (28:45) Oh, and I forgot to tell you, the only person I ever knew in our family with type one was a cousin, and I now I know she was type one. (28:55) But we were very young, and the first time I knew that there was anything wrong with her, it was around Christmas time, and we were little kids. (29:06) And she was gonna eat some nuts. (29:11) And I remember her mom whipping into the room, slapping it out of the kids' hands, and saying, don't you eat those. (29:19) Now this is back in the had to be sometime in the first part of the sixties.

Scott Benner (29:26) Okay.

Brenda (29:27) And then I do remember seeing a syringe and giving her a shot, but nobody ever explained what was going on.

Scott Benner (29:35) Mhmm.

Brenda (29:36) Oh, gosh. (29:36) She died a horrible death. (29:39) She really didn't take care of herself and, I guess, even amputations, and she died very young.

Scott Benner (29:47) Do you remember how young?

Brenda (29:50) I wanna say before she was 60.

Scott Benner (29:52) Oh gosh.

Brenda (29:54) Yeah. (29:54) And just really bad, really bad. (29:58) Now I know her sister and I think her brother are also type ones. (30:05) Oh. (30:05) Never knew that.

Scott Benner (30:07) Nobody's talking about it.

Brenda (30:09) Nope. (30:09) Nobody's talking about it. (30:11) I believe I have at least one other cousin who's a type one, but this is all in the past year or two that I have even found this out.

Scott Benner (30:21) You've digging around looking?

Brenda (30:23) Well, just happened to see something casually mentioned on Facebook by a cousin who keeps me in the loop Mhmm. (30:33) Because, apparently, I'm not supposed to know some stuff about one of my siblings.

Scott Benner (30:38) I

Brenda (30:38) see. (30:38) We can get into that. (30:40) In the meantime, I'm on to doctor number four. (30:45) And by the time I got to him, I was on the sliding scale, and I'd been using the pens, and I was kinda I had never been taught how to carb count, but I knew how to read the labels, and I thought I had an idea.

Scott Benner (31:04) Okay.

Brenda (31:05) And it was almost like I was starting to develop a sixth sense where I would look at a meal and go, well, the sliding scale says that I should take okay. (31:19) I'm gonna switch this.

Scott Benner (31:21) Which device is that that's beeping, by the way?

Brenda (31:23) That's my phone. (31:25) I use Dexcom six

Scott Benner (31:28) Mhmm.

Brenda (31:29) And the Omnipod five now.

Scott Benner (31:31) Nice. (31:32) Brenda, can I ask a question that'll help reset us a little bit? (31:35) You said something earlier about the podcast and you finding it, but you're also saying that you've had this going on for ten years now. (31:42) How long ago did you find the podcast?

Brenda (31:44) A little more than two years ago.

Scott Benner (31:46) Okay. (31:46) So it's more recent for you because I just recently bumped into somebody online who expressed to me that they've been listening since the beginning, And that threw me for a loop because that was 2015. (31:58) And they said

Brenda (31:59) I wish I had found it back then.

Scott Benner (32:01) Yeah. (32:02) It's interesting, isn't it? (32:03) But but oh, I'm sorry. (32:04) Didn't mean to I didn't mean to

Brenda (32:05) That's okay.

Scott Benner (32:05) Yeah. (32:05) Yeah. (32:06) Yeah. (32:06) So

Brenda (32:07) then the next doctor I had been getting into a routine where I was using the sliding scale, but I would look at stuff and think, well, the scale says I should take ten units, but I have a feeling that nine or 11 would be better.

Scott Benner (32:29) Right.

Brenda (32:31) So I was starting to do that kind of stuff. (32:34) And me and my husband, I said, you know, it sure would be nice if I could do something besides full units, if I could just do, like, maybe a half a unit.

Scott Benner (32:49) Sure. (32:50) Sure.

Brenda (32:50) But but I can't do it with this pen. (32:53) And so started looking around, and I think at about that time, we first saw an ad on TV for the Omnipod.

Scott Benner (33:03) Okay.

Brenda (33:04) And I thought, oh, okay. (33:07) This has been around a while. (33:08) Why hasn't anybody ever told me? (33:11) I think at that point, I had finally been told about a CGM just because I was at a visit with my last doctor. (33:23) He happened to be wearing one and showed it to me, but it was a Libra.

Scott Benner (33:28) Mhmm.

Brenda (33:29) And now I think he had said once that he was diabetic, but I can't remember for sure. (33:37) Either way, that was the first time I even knew that CGMs existed, and we're talking maybe less than four years ago.

Scott Benner (33:46) Okay.

Brenda (33:47) And so I said, you know, I'd like to try that. (33:51) So I did. (33:53) Well, unfortunately, Libra was a total disaster for my body, and I had was not taught how to use it anyway. (34:02) So I switched over to the DexCom six

Scott Benner (34:05) Mhmm.

Brenda (34:06) Which is not perfect, but seems to work better with me than the Libra did back then.

Scott Benner (34:12) Okay.

Brenda (34:13) And then I saw this Omnipod thing. (34:17) And so I contacted him at the well, I saw him at the next visit.

Scott Benner (34:22) The Omnipod five, you you were talking to the doctor about it?

Brenda (34:25) Yeah. (34:26) Yeah. (34:26) I was there at my visit. (34:29) I said, you know what? (34:31) I think I'd like to try this.

Brenda (34:35) And he looks at me, and I've been dealing with this for years. (34:38) And he goes, well, yeah, maybe it's about time. (34:42) And I thought, no shit, Sherlock. (34:45) Well, by then, they had also treated my Graves, and they finally he said, well, you'll have to take a pill every day. (34:52) I said, you have me taking a pill every day anyway.

Brenda (34:55) What's the difference? (34:56) Let's duke it and get it out of the formula. (35:01) Just kill it. (35:02) So I did the nuclear pill thing.

Scott Benner (35:05) For the thyroid?

Brenda (35:05) I'm sorry?

Scott Benner (35:08) For your thyroid.

Brenda (35:09) Yeah. (35:09) Yes. (35:10) And I thought, well, now that's interesting because the day or two ago, I was listening to the podcast episode about the lady whose young child was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer.

Scott Benner (35:23) Mhmm.

Brenda (35:23) And the things they told her about that radioactive pill, I was never told, and I thought, oh, that's interesting. (35:30) I'm glad I didn't kill anybody.

Scott Benner (35:33) Oh, I remember that. (35:34) Yeah. (35:34) Yeah. (35:34) Yeah. (35:34) Yeah.

Brenda (35:35) Oh, yeah. (35:36) Yeah. (35:36) I'm listening to it, I'm going, oh my god. (35:39) Why didn't they tell me that

Scott Benner (35:41) stuff? (35:41) Yeah. (35:42) Especially because you're active still. (35:43) Right?

Brenda (35:43) Oh, yeah. (35:44) Yeah. (35:44) It's like, I guess I should I should stay away from him for a while.

Scott Benner (35:49) Brenda, I thought for sure when that when that doctor showed when you were talking about the Omnipod with the doctor, I thought for sure you're gonna say, well, yeah, it's about time, but I finally found an insulin pump I can have sex while I'm wearing. (35:59) So, you know?

Brenda (35:59) Well, no. (36:00) Didn't I tell him that because, you know, we're old. (36:02) We're not supposed to think about that stuff anymore.

Scott Benner (36:04) But that was in your head. (36:05) Is that right?

Brenda (36:06) Oh, yeah. (36:06) Yeah. (36:07) It was. (36:08) I thought, oh, this is the way to go. (36:10) I've got that from him, and oh, you'll love this.

Brenda (36:14) My Omnipod training, I already had the starter kit, and I was waiting to go for training. (36:19) So we do a special trip to go training. (36:22) But in the meantime, I'd already turned it on and looked at it and fiddled with it. (36:28) In fact, it was your podcast episode. (36:31) This was before you did the the newest ones on Omnipod.

Brenda (36:35) This was back in the, I don't know, May or something like that. (36:41) I

Scott Benner (36:41) The first three from the, Pro Tip series for Omnipod.

Brenda (36:44) I found you through Reddit, believe it or not.

Scott Benner (36:48) I believe that.

Brenda (36:49) Because I was doing searches for Omnipod.

Scott Benner (36:52) Mhmm.

Brenda (36:53) And people were talking about it, and they said, oh, you ought to go listen to this podcast. (36:58) And you had three episodes about Omnipod, and I listened to that, and that was when I finally learned that you can control what these things do.

Scott Benner (37:09) Yeah. (37:10) That's something.

Brenda (37:11) And I thought, okay. (37:12) Because having been in IT, the last thing I want is somebody software to control my physiology because I know how bad things can go. (37:23) And so that's what helped me decide that I wanted to get the Omnipod.

Scott Benner (37:28) Okay.

Brenda (37:28) So we go back to the office, and here's my training. (37:34) Give me your controller. (37:35) I said, that's okay. (37:39) I can punch it in. (37:40) Tell me what to do.

Brenda (37:42) Well, she didn't like that. (37:44) But she did tell me numbers and things, didn't explain what I was doing or why with car ratios, what they were. (37:54) I'm still not a 100% sure what the correction factor plays into as far as which part of the algorithm, automatic versus manual, things like that. (38:08) Insulin onboard, all these things that I know kinda what they mean nowadays, I was not taught. (38:15) No.

Brenda (38:16) What she said was, okay. (38:19) Take the insulin. (38:20) We're gonna fill up the pod, and it beeps. (38:24) And she goes, where would you like to put it? (38:27) And I go, well, how about we try on my thigh?

Brenda (38:31) And she said, okay. (38:33) Pulled it down. (38:35) And I said, well, what are you looking for? (38:37) And she goes, what you wanna do is you wanna find a squishy spot and put it on, and then you start it.

Scott Benner (38:46) Okay.

Brenda (38:49) See you later.

Scott Benner (38:50) That was it.

Brenda (38:51) That was it.

Scott Benner (38:52) Squishy and go.

Brenda (38:53) Yep. (38:54) I

Scott Benner (38:56) wonder why everybody sucks at their job. (38:58) You ever wondered about that?

Brenda (38:59) Oh my god. (39:00) Well and then I found out about a week or two later because I was gonna call her to get some advice about something about it. (39:08) She was gone. (39:09) Just gone.

Scott Benner (39:10) Oh, another person just gone.

Brenda (39:12) I Yeah. (39:13) I must I must have that effect on him.

Scott Benner (39:15) Burton is like, I make a lot of people quit their jobs. (39:17) Oh, it must be. (39:19) Also, I have to tell you, all I really find myself hoping is that Omnipod hears this, and then they do a, a line of, commercials where it's just people talking about how much better having sex with Omnipod is. (39:31) That's that's

Brenda (39:32) It is. (39:33) It is. (39:34) It makes it a little more convenient. (39:37) And

Scott Benner (39:38) Brenda, I really hope that one day I see you on television going, Omnipod helps my then you tell your story. (39:45) That'd be awesome.

Brenda (39:46) I that'd be fine with me. (39:48) I have no problem speaking in front of people.

Scott Benner (39:50) I know you will. (39:51) You're a you're a you're a treasure. (39:53) I I'm learning, Brenda, as we're as we're talking here. (39:55) You really are awesome.

Brenda (39:57) Well, to tell you the truth, I'll give Omnipod credit. (40:02) I think they're CDEs. (40:04) They have educational people.

Scott Benner (40:07) Yes.

Brenda (40:08) You know, it was the little things that she could have told me, like pinch up your skin before you tell that thing to stab you. (40:16) Mhmm. (40:16) Never told me that. (40:18) Use an over patch. (40:20) Never told me that.

Brenda (40:22) But I think the first time I called Omnipod, I was on the phone with them for at least an hour getting information.

Scott Benner (40:29) Yeah.

Brenda (40:29) And it it helped tremendously

Scott Benner (40:31) I'm glad.

Brenda (40:32) Several times.

Scott Benner (40:33) Do you think they should, change the button on the, on the screen to stab me? (40:38) And then when you wanted to insert?

Brenda (40:40) Yeah. (40:42) Might as well.

Scott Benner (40:43) Be be clear. (40:45) Yeah. (40:46) Oh my gosh.

Brenda (40:47) The one thing I I wish they would change, maybe one of these days, they'll give Android software as much

Scott Benner (40:58) Love as iPhone?

Brenda (41:00) As iPhone. (41:00) Yes. (41:01) Yes. (41:02) Yes.

Scott Benner (41:03) Hope all the companies do that, by the way. (41:05) I wish they would

Brenda (41:06) Oh, I wish too. (41:07) Yeah. (41:07) I wish Dexcom, get your act together. (41:11) You got the g seven app working. (41:14) Let's get the g six app working under the newest Android OS because I would love to update my six year old phone, but but I can't do it yet.

Scott Benner (41:27) Because because your g six won't let you?

Brenda (41:29) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (41:30) Have you called them? (41:31) Have they told you it definitely wouldn't work?

Brenda (41:33) Oh, it says it on their website. (41:35) It's not supported still.

Scott Benner (41:37) I don't know if supported and works is the same thing.

Brenda (41:40) And, I think Omnipod put out something on their website. (41:45) I can't remember exactly what the app was doing. (41:48) They tried it, but they had to pull it back in June Okay. (41:53) Because it kept glitching. (41:56) I can't remember.

Scott Benner (41:56) You guys better get on it. (41:57) You don't want Brenda calling you. (41:59) She'll she'll get on the phone and she'll be like, listen. (42:01) Listen, motherfuckers. (42:01) Get this thing fixed.

Brenda (42:03) Yeah. (42:03) I tell you that's why, in high school, my kids wouldn't tell me a lot of stuff. (42:07) No. (42:08) Don't call them. (42:08) Don't don't call them.

Brenda (42:10) I go, by god, I am gonna call them. (42:12) I'll tell them what to do. (42:14) And I would like Omnipod. (42:17) I understand software folks. (42:20) If your controller or your app, whatever you're using, understands that you're in the Dexcom warm up period.

Brenda (42:30) Stop giving me an alert every hour that you haven't gotten a signal. (42:34) Isn't this obvious why?

Scott Benner (42:37) You're saying you know already.

Brenda (42:38) Yeah.

Scott Benner (42:39) Yeah. (42:39) You know that's gonna be the FDA, Brenda, not them. (42:41) Right? (42:42) The FDA is gonna make them do that, I imagine.

Brenda (42:44) Oh, they have to do that?

Scott Benner (42:45) I would think so. (42:46) Yep. (42:47) I'm gonna I'm gonna guess that if you're promising people that your insulin is being, you know, automated like this and it's not being that you there's probably an alarm that has to go off. (42:59) I would think that that's I mean, I don't know that they would or wouldn't wanna do it on their own. (43:02) Well, it's

Brenda (43:03) The alarm goes off if you're not getting any readings for an hour.

Scott Benner (43:07) Sure. (43:08) Yeah. (43:08) Because it because for every person like you who's paying close attention, there's probably a 100 people who aren't paying close attention, and they get an

Brenda (43:15) alarm. (43:15) True. (43:15) Yeah. (43:16) I guess so. (43:18) But, anyway, where were we in my story?

Scott Benner (43:21) I don't know. (43:22) Your story is awesome, though. (43:23) You are you're getting an you're getting an Omnipod in your story.

Brenda (43:27) I got the Omnipod, and that was my wonderful instructions.

Scott Benner (43:33) Squishy Home. (43:34) Squishy and go.

Brenda (43:36) Yep. (43:36) Yep. (43:37) We get home with it, and I thought, okay. (43:40) This is great. (43:41) I don't have to do needles, and the day's going on.

Brenda (43:46) And I'm getting higher and higher. (43:50) I got up to more than 400. (43:54) I'd never been that high as far as I know.

Scott Benner (43:57) Yeah.

Brenda (43:58) I thought, what the fuck is going on?

Scott Benner (44:01) Right.

Brenda (44:03) So I called and they go, oh, oh, take this manual shot and replace it. (44:10) And I thought I didn't think I had to take shots anymore, but okay. (44:15) So I put another one in the same general area, found a squishy spot, just slapped it on, and started it. (44:23) Well, the second one did the same thing, and I thought, well, this is a I'm not gonna say I know.

Scott Benner (44:28) No. (44:28) What'd you say? (44:29) What what'd you think

Brenda (44:29) this I was gonna say, what the is going on now? (44:32) Yeah. (44:33) And so I took them off, and then it was like, okay. (44:37) Okay. (44:38) I'll try another one.

Brenda (44:39) And then I I thought, I'm gonna go out to Reddit and see what's going on. (44:45) Mhmm. (44:45) And people were talking about different problems, and then I saw a picture of what a bent cannula looked like.

Scott Benner (44:54) Okay.

Brenda (44:55) And I thought, oh my god. (44:57) So I went and looked. (44:58) I had one of the old pods still, and I looked at it, and I thought, these first two pods bent. (45:06) Jesus. (45:08) I just can't win.

Brenda (45:09) So then I figured that out, and I think I had talked with Omnipod, and they were telling me about the pitch up.

Scott Benner (45:15) Yep.

Brenda (45:15) And so I haven't had that happen since. (45:18) But, yes, it was not much fun starting out with it and took it several months to, quote, unquote, learn me. (45:29) It was not as easy as people make it sound to use the device

Scott Benner (45:35) Sure.

Brenda (45:35) And use it well. (45:36) In fact, I bet you almost a year.

Scott Benner (45:39) Yeah. (45:39) Brenda, tell me what it is that you had to learn that made that that eventually made the Omnipod five valuable for you and and not frustrating. (45:47) What what did you have to learn about?

Brenda (45:49) I had to teach myself the carb ratios, what that meant

Scott Benner (45:54) Mhmm.

Brenda (45:55) And how it affected things. (45:57) Well, thank god for your Facebook group too because I got onto that, and people were talking about MDI MDI. (46:05) And I thought, what is that? (46:08) And so I finally said, you know, this might sound dumb, folks, but what does MDI mean? (46:14) And then they told me, and I went, oh my god.

Brenda (46:16) I didn't even know that. (46:19) Isn't that ridiculous?

Scott Benner (46:21) You start wondering then what else don't you know. (46:23) Right?

Brenda (46:23) Yeah.

Scott Benner (46:24) Yeah.

Brenda (46:24) And so through the podcast, especially the stuff that you and Jenny do and the the pro tips and everything, I have learned, or I think I've learned an understanding of the insulin to CAR ratios. (46:42) I'm not quite sure when the correction factor is used. (46:47) Basically, all the terminology, I've had to learn myself.

Scott Benner (46:52) Yeah. (46:52) Well Brenda, let me stop you. (46:54) The correction factor is how much how far does one unit of insulin move you? (46:59) So if, gosh, if your blood sugar's 200 and I'm just gonna make up numbers, right, and one unit moves you 50 points and you wanna be a 100, then two units should move you from 200 to 100. (47:11) That's what the correction factor is for.

Brenda (47:14) But that's if I override what the machine wants to give me, and I just do that as an extra bolus. (47:21) Right?

Scott Benner (47:22) You're you're well, it's part of how the algorithm is thinking. (47:26) I would think that it's more concrete. (47:29) That idea would be more concrete in manual mode for you or on an insulin pump that does not have an algorithm running. (47:35) Because the algorithm is considering things that I I'd be perfectly honest with you. (47:39) I don't know everything that it's considering before it makes a decision.

Scott Benner (47:42) Yeah. (47:42) Yeah.

Brenda (47:42) My understanding is that it really doesn't come into effect much at all with the automatic mode bolus calculation before a meal that it really doesn't come into play. (47:59) So I'm not absolutely sure where it comes into play, but I do know I I went to the Omnipod because I could do fractional units.

Scott Benner (48:10) Right.

Brenda (48:12) And because of your your podcast, I have gotten more comfortable with doing corrections

Scott Benner (48:20) Awesome.

Brenda (48:21) When I think I need them, but then I've I've gotta be it's it's kinda odd. (48:27) I use more insulin per carb for breakfast than any other meal.

Scott Benner (48:32) That makes sense to me, though. (48:33) That's pretty common for people.

Brenda (48:36) And then, like, at dinner, not much at

Scott Benner (48:39) all. (48:40) Okay.

Brenda (48:40) Oh, maybe we ought to get through the the list of doctors again. (48:45) I'm not done.

Scott Benner (48:47) Okay. (48:48) Keep going. (48:48) What happened next?

Brenda (48:49) I'm currently in the process because my last endo, he finally retired.

Scott Benner (48:56) Mhmm.

Brenda (48:57) And it was like, oh my god. (48:59) Here goes the common sense. (49:00) I have to train another doctor, and I just got done. (49:06) I'm gonna see the next one in a couple of weeks, and they usually do blood work before you go. (49:14) Right?

Brenda (49:15) I finally got them to understand that they need to do an a one c. (49:20) And I told my husband, I go, oh, this doesn't look like it's gonna go well. (49:25) Just finally got them to understand that this morning. (49:29) And it's just, I want him to test my c peptide again also, which I had done about a year ago, and, apparently, my pancreas is still squirting a little bit of insulin out.

Scott Benner (49:42) Oh, it's getting involved still.

Brenda (49:44) Yeah. (49:44) Isn't that odd for so long?

Scott Benner (49:46) Not really. (49:47) No. (49:47) I've heard I mean, I've heard every variation of that story. (49:50) So, I mean, it doesn't shock me. (49:52) Maybe it's not as common as people think, but doesn't shock me.

Scott Benner (49:57) I'm realizing as you're talking, I hope you never get mad at me.

Brenda (50:00) Okay. (50:01) That's what people say. (50:03) My husband has said, you know, you're the only person I know that you can tell someone to go to hell, and they don't realize it for at least twenty minutes.

Scott Benner (50:15) Okay. (50:16) Go ahead. (50:17) So keep keep going. (50:18) Get me to the

Brenda (50:19) because I I tell them. (50:20) I go, oh, yeah. (50:22) This is even better. (50:23) So we're on to this next doctor, and I finally got them to understand for the blood work. (50:29) They're gonna do a TSH.

Brenda (50:31) They're gonna do a t four. (50:33) I don't know why they're not gonna do a t three. (50:36) I'll just take what I can get right now. (50:39) And they finally realized this morning, they go, oh, okay. (50:43) So we'll do an a one c.

Brenda (50:45) Don't know if they're gonna do the c peptide, so we'll just take the small win and see what happens when I meet this lady for the first time.

Scott Benner (50:56) K.

Brenda (50:57) In the meantime, I'm also working on a new primary because don't ask me a question if you don't like the answer, mister doctor. (51:09) Okay? (51:10) For some reason, they called us. (51:11) I was in the middle of getting ready for vacation. (51:14) I wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything I needed, and the phone rings.

Brenda (51:21) And I thought, well, that's weird. (51:24) Did we forget a appointment or something? (51:27) And the lady said, oh, well, I wanna I wanna get my next appointment set up with you for your physic for your what is it? (51:36) Since we're on Medicare, they're pushing this every six months crap.

Scott Benner (51:40) Yeah.

Brenda (51:40) Whether you need it or not, I think it's just to pay their mortgage, but whatever. (51:45) Mhmm. (51:45) And so I told her, she goes, do you have time to talk about this now? (51:50) And I said, no. (51:51) I really don't.

Brenda (51:52) And I go, what's it about anyway? (51:54) Well, to do your six months checkup in when did she wanna do it? (52:00) November, which is like two months too soon. (52:03) And I thought, okay. (52:04) This isn't right.

Brenda (52:05) Mhmm. (52:06) I said that's when I usually get my physical. (52:08) Oh, well, they're basically the same. (52:11) I said, no. (52:13) They're not.

Brenda (52:15) And she goes, yes. (52:16) They are. (52:16) And I go, they really aren't. (52:20) Okay. (52:21) Well, call us when you get back.

Brenda (52:23) I go, fine. (52:24) Fine. (52:24) I will. (52:25) And I hung up. (52:26) And I thought, you guys, this is not a good sign either.

Scott Benner (52:30) Yeah.

Brenda (52:30) Because it felt like this doctor had been basically calling it in for the past year or two.

Scott Benner (52:37) Mhmm.

Brenda (52:38) And so they called again. (52:41) And I said, listen. (52:44) I'll call you when I get back from vacation. (52:47) I'm really busy right now. (52:48) Can I call you back?

Brenda (52:50) Sure. (52:51) And this time, they had it right. (52:53) They wanted to do the six month thing in January. (52:56) Okay. (52:56) No mention of my physical, just that.

Brenda (52:59) Mhmm. (52:59) And he goes, okay. (53:01) Fine. (53:02) Call us when you get back. (53:03) I said, okay.

Brenda (53:05) Well, then a couple days later, I get a message through the portal. (53:13) We were just calling to make better use of doctor blah blah blah's time to make sure we take care of you. (53:22) And then the next sentence was, and we do not appreciate you being disrespectful to our staff.

Scott Benner (53:29) That was on your machine? (53:31) They left that they left you that message?

Brenda (53:33) Uh-huh. (53:33) Well, no. (53:34) In my medical record portal, it was a message.

Scott Benner (53:37) Oh, oh, a written message.

Brenda (53:40) I've said to my husband, I go, what the if they wanna see disrespectful, I'll bring my full jersey out, and they'll see disrespectful. (53:51) They don't know disrespectful. (53:54) I just I I couldn't believe it. (53:59) And I thought, okay. (54:00) That's the last straw I need.

Brenda (54:02) Now I need to train another one of those. (54:05) So I'm going to see a new primary. (54:10) I just haven't told them yet to change my records, but I will.

Scott Benner (54:16) Brenda, you like some people. (54:19) Right?

Brenda (54:20) Yeah. (54:21) If you're makes sense. (54:26) But, you know, I I really have no Time for bull. (54:31) Yeah. (54:32) Yeah.

Brenda (54:32) Or, you know, incompetent incompetent people. (54:35) Yeah. (54:36) And, you know, if you don't want an honest answer, why are you asking me the question?

Scott Benner (54:44) I think too, you know, pretty obviously, I think you're right about the other thing. (54:48) Like, right, there's a certain amount of time in between hold on. (54:51) There's some banging going on in my house. (54:53) I I was I there's a gentleman painting downstairs, and I was like, just, you know, for this hour, please don't bang. (54:58) He said, oh, no problem.

Scott Benner (55:00) I think that there's an amount of time that they can schedule more appointments, and you're right. (55:04) They can bill Medicare for them. (55:05) So they wanna get you on they wanna get you on the books as soon as possible so that when that time frame passes again, they can get you back on the books again because there's a certain number of times they can bill for a year and they wanna get them all. (55:17) So Yeah. (55:18) Yeah.

Brenda (55:19) Yep. (55:19) Yeah.

Scott Benner (55:19) And they're bugging you while you're trying to go on vacation. (55:22) And then when you say, hey. (55:23) Just cut me a break here. (55:24) I'm trying to go on vacation. (55:25) And they say you're being rude to them.

Brenda (55:27) Yeah. (55:28) Well, they they sent me that message and I thought

Scott Benner (55:32) Well, I know what you thought. (55:33) I've been talking to you. (55:33) I've been talking to you for fifty six minutes, Brenda. (55:35) You thought of yourself. (55:37) Know what you thought.

Scott Benner (55:38) Morons. (55:39) Yeah.

Brenda (55:39) You know? (55:40) And it's like, I don't think I was rude because when it comes to insurance, yeah, November wouldn't have been six months.

Scott Benner (55:50) Mhmm.

Brenda (55:51) You know? (55:51) It's like, what is your problem, people?

Scott Benner (55:54) Yeah. (55:54) Well, also, you might have been talking to somebody on the phone who's younger, maybe a little less, accustomed to the, the time you grew up in. (56:02) You know what I mean? (56:03) And, maybe they don't have the maybe they don't have the intestinal fortitude to to deal with somebody pushing back at them.

Brenda (56:11) Well, I said it very nicely.

Scott Benner (56:13) I imagine you did. (56:16) I do.

Brenda (56:16) And I was like, I've tried to be nicer when talking to people who are morons because my children go, oh, you can't say that. (56:27) Well, then don't ask me a question.

Scott Benner (56:29) Okay? (56:29) I can't wait to be 71. (56:31) That's all this is teaching You

Brenda (56:33) know, ever since, you know, my my brother went through that terrible death

Scott Benner (56:37) Yeah.

Brenda (56:38) And then, oh, less than a year later, my mom died.

Scott Benner (56:42) No. (56:43) I'm sorry.

Brenda (56:45) Yep. (56:46) And that's where the lunatic gets involved. (56:51) But, anyway, hopefully, I'll get these new doctors trained

Scott Benner (56:55) Yeah.

Brenda (56:55) And have them do what they should be doing.

Scott Benner (56:59) Tell me a little bit about how you're doing right now. (57:01) Like, so you said you found the podcast a couple years ago. (57:04) You're learning, you know, new phrases and ideas and concepts, and you're getting more comfortable making corrections and everything. (57:11) Can you tell me where your a one c is today?

Brenda (57:13) Oh, right this minute? (57:15) I don't know. (57:16) The last time I had one done, I was I looked up some stuff because I knew you were gonna ask a question.

Scott Benner (57:23) Yeah. (57:24) Yeah.

Brenda (57:25) In April, it was six point six.

Scott Benner (57:28) Good for you.

Brenda (57:30) Now nowadays, the Clarity app, if I look at it, it says I'm gonna come out to be 6.3 or 6.4.

Scott Benner (57:42) That's awesome. (57:43) Good for you, Brenda. (57:44) That's really great.

Brenda (57:45) Oh, I work hard at it.

Scott Benner (57:46) I bet.

Brenda (57:47) And that was, oh, the thing that I would like to understand better, you and and other people on the episode say things like, well, I remember you saying if you could hold it at one eighty, you could hold it at one twenty. (58:04) Mhmm. (58:04) And so I've tried. (58:06) I lowered my my high alarm to one seventy, and it doesn't go over that too much. (58:14) It is right now because I'm thinking about all this crap I've had to deal with in my life.

Scott Benner (58:21) Sure. (58:21) Sure.

Brenda (58:21) And, oh, yeah, that's really getting the adrenaline going. (58:25) Let me tell you. (58:26) Mhmm. (58:27) How do you do that without the alarms going off all the time? (58:30) Because I've tried it, and I'll dose for my meal and I'll eat.

Brenda (58:38) And maybe I don't go above my high limit a couple hours later, or two or three hours later, all of a sudden, I'm fighting a low.

Scott Benner (58:49) What are you eating? (58:50) Oh, a low. (58:51) Yeah. (58:52) Okay. (58:52) So you're having the up you're having the situation where you're putting your insulin in, you're prebolising your meal, you're eating, you're not getting higher, then later on, you get low.

Brenda (59:02) Yeah.

Scott Benner (59:02) That's probably too much insulin.

Brenda (59:05) Well, but then I would go high.

Scott Benner (59:07) If you so if you took away a little bit of insulin, still did the pre bolus, you say then you'd get higher. (59:14) Yeah. (59:15) Tell me about where your blood sugar is when you start to when you pre bolus your meal. (59:20) Like, where where is it at?

Brenda (59:21) I try I well, I like to have it the lower, the better, but I try to have it down to at least around one twenty before I eat. (59:32) Mhmm. (59:33) Anything.

Scott Benner (59:34) So are you telling me you're one twenty, you bolus your meal? (59:37) How long do you wait before you

Brenda (59:38) At least fifteen minutes.

Scott Benner (59:41) Okay. (59:41) Are you fall is your blood sugar falling by the time that's happening?

Brenda (59:46) Generally.

Scott Benner (59:46) Okay.

Brenda (59:47) A little bit, it'll start.

Scott Benner (59:48) I mean, if I'm hearing your problem and understanding it right, I would probably try taking away a little bit of insulin, but doing a longer pre bolus.

Brenda (59:59) Oh, yeah?

Scott Benner (1:00:00) Yeah. (1:00:00) And then that way like, so imagine if you're starting to eat at 01:20 and you're going to one eighty. (1:00:07) If you started eating at ninety, you'd probably only go to 01:50. (1:00:11) Does that make sense?

Brenda (1:00:12) Oh, I see.

Scott Benner (1:00:14) Yeah. (1:00:14) And then and then on top of that, if you actually are using too much insulin, which is why eventually you're getting low because I assume the algorithm's taking away basal trying to make up for the bolus and it can't, eventually you get lower. (1:00:27) If you use less to begin with, hopefully, that time that time will be enough for it to rebound and not make you low later. (1:00:36) Does that make sense?

Brenda (1:00:37) Okay. (1:00:38) I could try that today.

Scott Benner (1:00:40) Yeah. (1:00:40) Give it a shot. (1:00:41) I mean, you know, if you get panicky or you worry, like, just start eating. (1:00:44) But, like, you know, I don't know

Brenda (1:00:46) get so tired of eating. (1:00:48) I just am naturally not a snacker.

Scott Benner (1:00:52) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:00:53) So that's the other thing I gotta get used to doing.

Scott Benner (1:00:56) You're you're making me feel like the the the last part of my life's not gonna be fun because I'm already irritated by eating too. (1:01:02) I just

Brenda (1:01:02) It's it's like, I literally get tired of chewing. (1:01:06) And as far as buffets go, it is such a waste of money on me. (1:01:11) It always has been my whole life.

Scott Benner (1:01:13) So you you have that experience where is it just do you feel like, my god. (1:01:16) I've been alive for so long. (1:01:18) I've eaten this thing so many times. (1:01:19) I'm just sick of it.

Brenda (1:01:21) No. (1:01:21) No. (1:01:22) Just in general, I've never been a gigantic meal eater.

Scott Benner (1:01:26) How about that? (1:01:26) Okay. (1:01:27) Okay. (1:01:28) You know, very and and, you know, it's interesting then. (1:01:30) So you lost a bunch of weight at your diagnosis.

Scott Benner (1:01:33) Yeah. (1:01:34) Did it all come back? (1:01:35) Are you around a hundred and forty pounds now, or did how did that change?

Brenda (1:01:39) No. (1:01:39) Jeez. (1:01:40) Something like that has happened to me at least twice. (1:01:44) I can drop weight just naturally even before this diagnosis. (1:01:49) Oh.

Brenda (1:01:49) If I would run a fever for around twenty four hours, I could drop at least 10 pounds in a heartbeat.

Scott Benner (1:01:57) Isn't that something?

Brenda (1:01:58) Yeah. (1:01:59) My whole life.

Scott Benner (1:02:00) You're lighter now than be before you were diagnosed?

Brenda (1:02:03) It took me the first time, like, about a year, year and a half to gain my weight back.

Scott Benner (1:02:09) Okay.

Brenda (1:02:10) And I generally try to run, like, around one twenty five to one thirty.

Scott Benner (1:02:15) Okay. (1:02:15) Okay. (1:02:16) And that's about where you are now? (1:02:18) Yeah. (1:02:18) Oh, so you put some back, but an amount that you that you're comfortable with?

Brenda (1:02:22) Yep.

Scott Benner (1:02:23) Yeah. (1:02:23) So were you were you overweight at one forty five?

Brenda (1:02:26) Maybe.

Scott Benner (1:02:27) A little bit. (1:02:28) A little bit. (1:02:28) Okay.

Brenda (1:02:29) For what I generally would run at.

Scott Benner (1:02:31) I gotcha.

Brenda (1:02:32) In fact, I had gone oh, this is maybe twenty years ago. (1:02:37) I had gone for a physical and didn't realize that I actually weighed one sixty. (1:02:43) I mean, I never paid attention to my weight my whole life. (1:02:46) Mhmm. (1:02:47) I told the doctor, I go, oh my god.

Brenda (1:02:49) Let me tell you what I eat in an average day. (1:02:51) And he goes, okay. (1:02:53) That doesn't make sense. (1:02:54) Went and checked the thyroid to see if it was low. (1:02:57) Everything came back normal, so I just started kinda keeping a closer eye at what I ate.

Brenda (1:03:06) And before my diagnosis, it had taken about a year, but I had slowly dropped at least 20 pounds. (1:03:14) But then that month or so before my official diagnosis, I just, it was like just falling off of me like water.

Scott Benner (1:03:22) Yeah.

Brenda (1:03:23) It didn't matter how much I ate.

Scott Benner (1:03:24) That's the high blood sugars at that point, plus probably the the the thyroid too, maybe.

Brenda (1:03:30) Yeah. (1:03:30) Yeah. (1:03:31) That's what everybody thought it was, the thyroid.

Scott Benner (1:03:33) Yeah. (1:03:33) That's why they that's why they missed the, the high blood sugar probably a little bit too

Brenda (1:03:38) It could be.

Scott Benner (1:03:38) Along the way.

Brenda (1:03:39) Because they didn't look for it.

Scott Benner (1:03:40) Yeah. (1:03:41) Because they thought they had their answer. (1:03:42) Yeah. (1:03:42) Right.

Brenda (1:03:43) I did too. (1:03:44) I thought they did too. (1:03:45) Sure. (1:03:45) I don't I don't blame them for that. (1:03:49) And, I mean, we could go on for hours how many times I've been misdiagnosed for different things throughout my life, so I kinda take what doctors say with a grain of salt.

Scott Benner (1:04:00) Yeah. (1:04:00) He had I mean, in the end, you did the thing that I think people have to do is you have to keep trying to figure it out for yourself.

Brenda (1:04:06) Yeah. (1:04:07) Yeah. (1:04:07) I did. (1:04:08) And I and I still do, and now I gotta train two new doctors, so I'm not looking forward to it.

Scott Benner (1:04:15) Well, I think it's possible that your kids would tell you that you get what it the you get more results with honey than with what's that saying?

Brenda (1:04:22) Oh, I start out that way.

Scott Benner (1:04:24) Right. (1:04:24) That's not till they let you down that you give it to them. (1:04:27) Right?

Brenda (1:04:27) Oh, yeah.

Scott Benner (1:04:29) How's your husband? (1:04:30) Is he scared of you, or where where does he sit?

Brenda (1:04:33) Oh, I don't know. (1:04:35) He should be, but he probably isn't.

Scott Benner (1:04:39) Alright. (1:04:40) Brent, is there anything that we haven't talked about that we should have? (1:04:42) Anything you wanna add to your story?

Brenda (1:04:44) I don't know. (1:04:45) Do you wanna talk about the dark side of bipolar?

Scott Benner (1:04:49) Is that with, somebody in your family, extended family. (1:04:53) Right?

Brenda (1:04:53) Yeah. (1:04:54) Sibling.

Scott Benner (1:04:55) Well, so you said there's a lot of other issues in, you know, in in your in your health line, you know, family ways. (1:05:01) Let me stop you for a second. (1:05:02) You said, don't know about my kids, though. (1:05:04) So are are you not like, did they not make you aware of their health issues? (1:05:10) How old are they too?

Brenda (1:05:13) Well, as far as I know, they don't have any

Scott Benner (1:05:16) Okay.

Brenda (1:05:16) Health issues.

Scott Benner (1:05:17) They're not struggling with anything then. (1:05:18) Okay.

Brenda (1:05:19) No. (1:05:20) Not that I know of. (1:05:21) I mean, your kids get to be a certain point, and they don't tell you everything.

Scott Benner (1:05:26) Is that strange?

Brenda (1:05:27) Is it strange?

Scott Benner (1:05:28) How does that feel as a mom the day you realize, like, something's happening at their house and I don't know about it anymore?

Brenda (1:05:36) Well, there's not much she can do. (1:05:38) Right?

Scott Benner (1:05:39) Yeah. (1:05:39) Does it make you sad though in the Are you like, oh, I I can't like, does it feel like you're losing something, or are you happy to see them kinda, like, you know, mature or spread their wings?

Brenda (1:05:49) Well, if it's something that you've dealt with in your life and you kinda know a solution, it would be nice if they would ask for your advice.

Scott Benner (1:06:01) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:06:03) But, otherwise, I think people that are parents, you've gotta realize that sooner or later, it's their life.

Scott Benner (1:06:10) Yeah. (1:06:11) Right.

Brenda (1:06:11) And they have to make decisions whether it's good or bad. (1:06:17) I'm just glad that my kids haven't done, as far as I know, half the stuff that I did in high school and college.

Scott Benner (1:06:24) I don't think we have time for all the things you may have done.

Brenda (1:06:27) We don't because I am a child of the sixties and the early seventies, if you can imagine what it was like.

Scott Benner (1:06:33) I feel like I can. (1:06:34) Well, do you think that your sibling's story about bipolar, do you think it impacts your story? (1:06:39) Do you think it's something people need to hear, or is it just something you wanna get off your chest? (1:06:44) How do you feel about it?

Brenda (1:06:46) Well, I know that you've had a couple of episodes with people who are bipolar.

Scott Benner (1:06:52) Yeah.

Brenda (1:06:53) And it is not an easy thing to deal with.

Scott Benner (1:06:56) No. (1:06:57) No.

Brenda (1:06:58) I don't think you've had a story where someone in a family is affected by the bipolar sibling.

Scott Benner (1:07:07) So this is how it impacts you. (1:07:08) Tell me about it then.

Brenda (1:07:10) Well, you know, my and I know other friends who have bipolar siblings, and it seems like they have a similar trait. (1:07:21) Mhmm. (1:07:22) And, you know, people maybe you shouldn't use my name because I don't want anybody coming after me, but the other side of the coin is how they treat their siblings. (1:07:33) Mine in particular is very manipulative and will only show this side to the siblings, but not to my parents who think that she was made out of gold Mhmm. (1:07:50) Got anything she wanted in the universe, and we all had to struggle for things, has threatened the family, me and another sibling, saying things like, well, I'm gonna go off my meds and get a gun and come visit you, and then we'll see what happens.

Scott Benner (1:08:11) Oh my gosh.

Brenda (1:08:12) Oh, yeah. (1:08:12) And I really believe it might happen. (1:08:15) Somehow has and my parents always felt sorry for her. (1:08:20) I don't know exactly why. (1:08:23) So, basically, after my mother passed and my dad was convinced to move out of Jersey to be with her, he has done things like bought her a brand new house and vehicles and put her name on Holly's accounts and his will and everything in the universe.

Scott Benner (1:08:47) Gosh.

Brenda (1:08:48) And that just came out of the clear blue sky. (1:08:51) I do understand why, but I know that she makes it extremely difficult for us to communicate with him, or to even visit.

Scott Benner (1:09:05) Yeah.

Brenda (1:09:06) So it is difficult.

Scott Benner (1:09:08) Are you saying you think she's controlling his decisions at this point? (1:09:12) Oh, yeah. (1:09:12) Yeah. (1:09:13) And move moving his whatever he's been able to save or anything to her?

Brenda (1:09:17) As far as we know, probably myself and my other sibling who was involved because he had called us once and said, oh, I need your Social Security number. (1:09:32) I'm setting up a special fund for you and your sister to be beneficiaries, blah blah blah. (1:09:38) Mhmm. (1:09:39) Said, okay. (1:09:39) Fine.

Brenda (1:09:40) Whatever. (1:09:41) And then we're told a year later, her name has been put on everything. (1:09:47) So my thought is if you think she's gonna give us a dime, you're out of your mind.

Scott Benner (1:09:54) Is it can I ask, Brent? (1:09:56) Is it a lot of money? (1:09:57) Is it hundreds of thousands of dollars? (1:09:59) Is it millions of dollars?

Brenda (1:10:00) It could be.

Scott Benner (1:10:00) It could

Brenda (1:10:01) very well be.

Scott Benner (1:10:02) Yeah.

Brenda (1:10:03) And it's not that myself and my husband, we managed to set up our stuff, so we're fine.

Scott Benner (1:10:13) Okay.

Brenda (1:10:13) And we will be fine until the day we die unless there's an apocalypse or something.

Scott Benner (1:10:19) Yeah. (1:10:20) Right.

Brenda (1:10:21) But my other sister is the one who could really use some financial support.

Scott Benner (1:10:28) It doesn't feel like that's gonna be available at that by then.

Brenda (1:10:31) Oh, I don't think it's gonna gonna happen at all. (1:10:33) Yeah. (1:10:33) I really don't. (1:10:35) I mean, this person did things like, my mom was at home in hospice towards the end. (1:10:43) Me and my other sibling, we were trying to do what my dad wanted.

Brenda (1:10:46) She did he didn't want a lot of people there so he wouldn't have to deal with more company. (1:10:54) The sibling with bipolar was there. (1:10:57) That could be another whole episode Yeah. (1:11:00) Dealing with her.

Scott Benner (1:11:01) Well, does she have any other health issues, the one with bipolar?

Brenda (1:11:06) Not that I'm aware of.

Scott Benner (1:11:07) Okay.

Brenda (1:11:09) Interesting enough, and she didn't officially tell her siblings, I also happened to find out through this cousin that apparently she's been going through a I'm not sure exactly what she would call it, Changing into a male. (1:11:31) Oh, she's she's Out of the clear blue sky.

Scott Benner (1:11:34) You're she's trans.

Brenda (1:11:36) Well, I think so.

Scott Benner (1:11:38) Okay.

Brenda (1:11:38) But we're not supposed to know about this.

Scott Benner (1:11:41) I see.

Brenda (1:11:41) Though, apparently, everybody else in the family does.

Scott Benner (1:11:44) Yeah.

Brenda (1:11:45) And it's been going on for a few years, and I thought, oh, what a novel way to use dad's money. (1:11:54) I mean, this is a person who is extremely religious her whole life

Scott Benner (1:11:58) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:12:00) And absolutely hated anything to do with homosexuals or trans or anybody like that. (1:12:11) So it

Scott Benner (1:12:12) It feels like a pretty big pivot.

Brenda (1:12:14) I yeah. (1:12:15) Yeah. (1:12:16) Huge to me.

Scott Benner (1:12:18) That's it's incredibly

Brenda (1:12:19) Who knows?

Scott Benner (1:12:19) I will tell you this that, you know, I've been shocked over the years of making the podcast of how many people, you know, you've heard, like, how many people like, oh, I have a bipolar uncle or sibling or something like that. (1:12:31) And I've always just brought it up because I've don't really know the, you know, very much about it, but I always think about, like, all these autoimmune issues and, inflammation. (1:12:41) And I just wonder how it's affecting people. (1:12:43) And I think it's, you know, it's not quantifiable, obviously. (1:12:46) I'm not running a study over here, but my gosh, more people have mentioned bipolar in their family than I I would have imagined while I'm interviewing people.

Scott Benner (1:12:55) So that's that's probably why you thought to even bring it up because I've talked about it like that before too.

Brenda (1:12:59) Well, yeah, and it was very stressful situation. (1:13:02) And I've heard you people talk about having viruses and then all of a sudden getting type one.

Scott Benner (1:13:09) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:13:10) And I was the one in the family. (1:13:15) Everybody else would be dropping like flies sick. (1:13:19) I never got sick from, like, anything.

Scott Benner (1:13:22) Yeah. (1:13:22) You probably have a, you know, an aggressive immune system.

Brenda (1:13:26) Yeah. (1:13:27) Yeah. (1:13:27) And maybe that's what got me in the end.

Scott Benner (1:13:30) Got a little over aggressive at some point. (1:13:32) Yeah. (1:13:32) Well,

Brenda (1:13:33) I mean, your podcast is gold. (1:13:36) I swear to God.

Scott Benner (1:13:37) I appreciate that. (1:13:38) I'm I'm so happy it's been helpful for you. (1:13:39) And I'm really impressed with you. (1:13:42) You know, you don't live your life like an like an old person who's, you know, can't take care of themselves. (1:13:47) But I mean, still, like, to find a podcast at, you know, 68, 69 years old and and listen through it and learn things and and make additions to your life is really impressive.

Scott Benner (1:13:58) Really is.

Brenda (1:13:59) Oh, good. (1:14:00) I ought to copy that and send that bit to my children so they'll know that.

Scott Benner (1:14:05) No. (1:14:06) Yeah. (1:14:06) Well, listen. (1:14:06) You you're you're alive long enough. (1:14:08) Your kids don't think much of what you're doing probably.

Scott Benner (1:14:10) But, like, I I think it is. (1:14:11) I think it's really incredible that at your age, you found a a problem for yourself. (1:14:17) You ran to so many different people who were not trying to you know, weren't helping you with it in the way that you were hoping to be helped, and you decided to go out and take care of it yourself, you actually did it. (1:14:25) It's really cool.

Brenda (1:14:27) Well and I feel like I'm still learning because I was never taught. (1:14:32) All I knew about insulin was that if you take too much, you're gonna kill yourself.

Scott Benner (1:14:37) Mhmm. (1:14:38) Yeah.

Brenda (1:14:39) That's all I knew.

Scott Benner (1:14:39) Right. (1:14:40) And that's a hard way to figure out how to do it.

Brenda (1:14:42) Yeah. (1:14:43) Yeah. (1:14:43) And so when I do tweak it and stuff like that with the Omnipod, I'm probably more conservative than I need to be.

Scott Benner (1:14:53) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:14:54) But I have noticed when I start to fall, oh my god. (1:14:58) It is fast.

Scott Benner (1:14:59) Happens quick. (1:15:00) Yeah. (1:15:00) Well, listen. (1:15:00) We obviously, big picture, we want you to be safe. (1:15:04) Right?

Scott Benner (1:15:04) Like, the we don't want you having low blood sugars where you can't take care of yourself or that's really important. (1:15:11) And

Brenda (1:15:11) Well, yeah. (1:15:12) Yeah. (1:15:12) Exercise is a big struggle also.

Scott Benner (1:15:16) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:15:17) I mean, just walking upstairs, taking a shower, and walking back downstairs, I have dropped as much as 80 points in twenty, thirty minutes. (1:15:28) Yeah. (1:15:29) It's crazy.

Scott Benner (1:15:29) Yeah. (1:15:30) It's I mean, I guess it really isn't. (1:15:32) But let me, you know, let me tell you about something while I have you here. (1:15:34) Joanne Milo, who's been on the podcast before and is gonna be back on it again, has launched a a website. (1:15:40) It's t1d2100.com.

Brenda (1:15:43) I joined that. (1:15:44) I joined it.

Scott Benner (1:15:45) Good. (1:15:45) Good. (1:15:46) Good. (1:15:46) I'm glad you found it. (1:15:46) I'm gonna have her on to talk about it pretty soon.

Scott Benner (1:15:48) Older I mean, she's an older person. (1:15:50) Joanne is. (1:15:51) She has type one diabetes, and they're trying to put good content out there and information for people who are living with type one into older and older age.

Brenda (1:15:58) Yeah. (1:15:58) I joined the Facebook group too.

Scott Benner (1:16:01) Good. (1:16:01) Good. (1:16:01) I'm glad. (1:16:02) She's awesome. (1:16:02) Joanne's awesome.

Scott Benner (1:16:03) You'll see when she comes on.

Brenda (1:16:05) I'll tell you when I was first diagnosed, it was like, oh my god. (1:16:11) I just lost twenty years of my life.

Scott Benner (1:16:13) Why why you thought you were gonna die earlier?

Brenda (1:16:17) Yeah. (1:16:17) Oh, alright. (1:16:18) And that was the impression that I was given from the doctors.

Scott Benner (1:16:21) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:16:22) So after I found your podcast and there were a few episodes with people who'd been living with it for twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years, Every time I hear one of those stories, it gives me encouragement.

Scott Benner (1:16:38) Aw. (1:16:38) That's wonderful. (1:16:40) That's really great. (1:16:41) Yeah. (1:16:41) No.

Scott Benner (1:16:41) No. (1:16:41) It's wonderful for you. (1:16:43) It it it makes me feel good to know that that's happening for you.

Brenda (1:16:46) Because my family is like, hell, my dad is still walking around, and I think he's 95.

Scott Benner (1:16:53) No kidding.

Brenda (1:16:54) And his mom just missed a 100 by a few months even if she was the meanest thing on earth, but she lived long. (1:17:03) So in general, we live long lives.

Scott Benner (1:17:08) Yeah. (1:17:09) Yeah. (1:17:09) You you don't wanna lose out on that or have it diminished.

Brenda (1:17:13) No. (1:17:14) As long as I can keep walking around, I wanna make it to at least 95.

Scott Benner (1:17:20) I agree with you. (1:17:21) I say the same thing. (1:17:21) I wanna be able to go to the bathroom and and move around and think, and if that I'll do that for as long as I can. (1:17:28) You know?

Brenda (1:17:28) Oh, yeah. (1:17:29) Yeah. (1:17:29) I mean, with the exercise, I I hope I can. (1:17:32) I'm kinda working on it, and I hate to do it, but it seems like I have to start out high in order to not go too low while doing minor things, like weeding for fifteen or twenty minutes outside.

Scott Benner (1:17:49) Mhmm.

Brenda (1:17:50) It's really bizarre, I think.

Scott Benner (1:17:52) Gotcha. (1:17:52) Right?

Brenda (1:17:53) I started doing, tai chi, which is gentle. (1:17:59) I don't even really consider it exercise. (1:18:02) Mhmm. (1:18:03) If I go into the class at, like, I don't know, one eighty, one ninety, at least at the end of that hour, I'll be down less than a 100.

Scott Benner (1:18:15) Yeah. (1:18:15) That's quick. (1:18:16) Well

Brenda (1:18:16) It's wild.

Scott Benner (1:18:18) You tried the activity, setting on the OmniPod five?

Brenda (1:18:21) That's even if I'm inactivity.

Scott Benner (1:18:22) Even if you're inactivity. (1:18:24) How about

Brenda (1:18:24) Even if I'm inactivity.

Scott Benner (1:18:25) How about eating a little something that'll stabilize your blood sugar before you go out like, you know, like a granola bar or maybe a piece of toast with peanut butter on or something like that?

Brenda (1:18:35) Make sure I generally eat lunch before I go. (1:18:39) Mhmm. (1:18:40) And I'll shortchange it maybe five carbs or so just in case.

Scott Benner (1:18:45) Right.

Brenda (1:18:46) And then I always make sure I have crackers or something with me.

Scott Benner (1:18:49) So you're doing a little so so it's kind of a double thing. (1:18:53) So you're eating, but you're also a bolus thing. (1:18:54) So you're outside weeding, for example, but you do have active insulin going. (1:18:58) And you're taking off five carbs. (1:19:00) Maybe try a little more.

Scott Benner (1:19:01) Like, you know what I mean? (1:19:02) Like, maybe maybe move that insulin down even more before you head outside to to activate even if you're covering food. (1:19:10) See what happens.

Brenda (1:19:10) I know. (1:19:11) I just hate going what I consider high. (1:19:13) You

Scott Benner (1:19:13) know? (1:19:14) I know.

Brenda (1:19:16) But that's what it is. (1:19:18) I mean, when I told my one doctor about this, he goes, just eat a cookie.

Scott Benner (1:19:25) Yeah. (1:19:25) Well, he didn't have any big answers for you. (1:19:27) Doesn't sound like I'm gonna stop you here and and say thank you because, Brenda, this has been terrific. (1:19:32) I'm gonna go eat some lunch, and then I'm gonna record again in a little bit. (1:19:34) I really appreciate you doing this with me and telling your story.

Scott Benner (1:19:37) It was fantastic.

Brenda (1:19:39) Oh, good. (1:19:39) I hope it's interesting, and I hope your Rob guy doesn't have to

Scott Benner (1:19:44) Do too much?

Brenda (1:19:45) What does he do? (1:19:45) Take, yeah, take too many words out?

Scott Benner (1:19:48) He's not gonna take him out. (1:19:48) He's gonna bleep where you cursed than where I

Brenda (1:19:50) cursed. (1:19:50) You got me going. (1:19:52) It's your fault.

Scott Benner (1:19:53) I listen. (1:19:54) I like I I gotta be honest with The first time you cursed was delightful, so I was happy you kept doing it.

Brenda (1:19:59) Oh, ever since my brother and mom died, it's like I just flipped the finger and cursed at everybody. (1:20:04) It's like, I don't care anymore.

Scott Benner (1:20:07) Okay. (1:20:08) Well, I'm I think you should keep being you. (1:20:10) That that this really was fantastic, Brenda. (1:20:12) Thank you so much for doing this. (1:20:14) Will you hold on one second for me?

Scott Benner (1:20:15) Okay?

Brenda (1:20:16) Alright.

Scott Benner (1:20:24) Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, and the Dexcom g seven warms up in just thirty minutes. (1:20:32) Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. (1:20:37) The podcast is also sponsored today by the Omnipod five. (1:20:40) And at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox, you can get yourself a free what I just say, a free Omnipod five starter kit. (1:20:51) Free?

Scott Benner (1:20:52) Get out of here. (1:20:53) Go click on that link. (1:20:54) Omnipod.com/juicebox. (1:20:56) Check it out. (1:20:57) Terms and conditions apply.

Scott Benner (1:20:58) Eligibility may vary. (1:21:00) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (1:21:05) Links in the show notes. (1:21:06) Links at juiceboxpodcast.com. (1:21:11) Hey.

Scott Benner (1:21:11) Thanks for listening all the way to the end. (1:21:13) I really appreciate your loyalty and listenership. (1:21:16) Thank you so much for listening. (1:21:17) I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. (1:21:23) Oh my, did I get lucky.

Scott Benner (1:21:25) The Celebrity Cruise Line reached out to me and said, how would you like to come on a cruise before your Juice Cruise so you can get a real good look at the Celebrity Beyond cruise ship and share some video with your listeners? (1:21:39) I said, thank you. (1:21:41) So that's where I might be right now. (1:21:44) If it's December, let me actually find a date for you. (1:21:47) I'm not a 100% sure.

Scott Benner (1:21:48) I think I'm going in December right before Christmas. (1:21:52) Like, you know, like, I don't know, like, December. (1:21:55) I'm sorry. (1:21:55) I know this isn't much of a that. (1:21:57) But if you wanna see video from me on the cruise ship, my wife and I are gonna head out and really check it out to see what it's all about to grab some great video for you.

Scott Benner (1:22:05) Get it up on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook so you can see what you'd be getting if you came along on Juice Cruise 2026, which, of course, leaves from Miami on 06/21/2026. (1:22:17) We're gonna be going to CocoCay in The Bahamas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis. (1:22:22) Do not miss it. (1:22:23) It's a great opportunity to meet other people living with type one diabetes to form friendships, to learn things, and just swap stories. (1:22:30) It's a relaxing vacation with a bunch of people who get what your life is like.

Scott Benner (1:22:35) And trust me, there's a lot of value in that. (1:22:38) Juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. (1:22:42) Come check it out and go find my socials to see what that ship looks like. (1:22:46) There's also a video at my link that's, kind of a ship tour with the celebrity beyond. (1:22:50) And let me tell you something.

Scott Benner (1:22:51) If this ship is a tenth as nice as this video is, I am in for a great time, and so are you. (1:22:58) Juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. (1:23:02) Come along. (1:23:03) Have a podcast? (1:23:04) Want it to sound fantastic?

Scott Benner (1:23:05) Wrong way recording.com.

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#1731 Medtronic for the Win

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Diagnosed 49 years ago, Linda shares her philosophy on "borrowed time" and her incredible feat of running 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days—three separate times.

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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.

Scott Benner (0:00) Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.

Linda (0:14) I am Linda Carrier, and I live in North Carolina. (0:19) I'm a long distance runner and a type one diabetic for forty nine years.

Scott Benner (0:25) Hey. (0:26) Do you need support? (0:27) I have some stuff for you. (0:28) It's all free. (0:29) Juiceboxpodcast.com.

Scott Benner (0:31) Click on support in the menu. (0:32) Let's see what you get there. (0:33) A one c and blood glucose calculator. (0:36) People love that. (0:36) That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months.

Scott Benner (0:39) A list of great endocrinologists from listeners, that's from all over the country. (0:44) There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community, and we have a a fantastic thing there. (0:51) American Sign Language. (0:53) There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire bold beginning series in ASL. (0:58) So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way.

Scott Benner (1:02) Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on support. (1:05) While you're there, check out the guides, like the pre bolusing guide, fat and protein insulin calculator, oh gosh, thyroid, GLP, caregiver burnout. (1:14) You should go to the website. (1:15) Click around a little bit on those menus. (1:17) It really there's a lot more there than you think.

Scott Benner (1:19) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:24) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. (1:30) Today's podcast episode is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the MiniMed seven eighty g system and their new sensor options, which include the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. (1:44) Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed seven eighty g system? (1:49) You can do that at my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (1:54) Today's episode is also sponsored by the Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter. (1:59) Learn more and get started today at kontoornext.com/juicebox.

Linda (2:05) I am Linda Carrier, and I live in North Carolina. (2:10) I'm a long distance runner and a type one diabetic for forty nine years.

Scott Benner (2:15) And, Linda, is it true you're here to give me advice on where to move into my retirement because North Carolina is on the shortlist?

Linda (2:22) It is. (2:23) It should be. (2:23) And, yeah, because I I actually live in Pinehurst, which is the, you know, golfing capital of the world pretty much, in The US. (2:30) And we moved there because we retired, and it is perfect. (2:34) It's a small little town and just beautiful, and you can pretty much golf year round.

Speaker 3 (2:39) And Okay.

Linda (2:40) You know, there's so many golf courses.

Scott Benner (2:42) The humidity and the hurricanes. (2:43) These are what my biggest concerns.

Linda (2:45) Alright. (2:46) Well, I can tell you in Pinehurst because it's it's probably probably an hour and a half, two hours from the coast. (2:52) So when there's hurricanes that come through, it'll get a little windy and, and dump a little bit more rain, but but you don't have the damage like you see Mhmm. (3:01) In news. (3:03) I will say the humidity, which I moved from Seattle, so there's they don't know the definition of humidity there.

Linda (3:10) I lived there for almost thirty years, but moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina. (3:15) And the humidity, especially in, like, July and August, is is bad.

Scott Benner (3:20) Okay.

Linda (3:20) So you just you just basically learned to you know, if you're gonna go golf, you golf early in the morning or later in the afternoon. (3:27) And then, you know, I mean, they just go in air conditioning during the bed.

Scott Benner (3:33) Aren't you super active with running, though? (3:35) How often do you run?

Linda (3:37) I run almost every day. (3:38) Running in the humidity is hard. (3:40) Yeah. (3:41) It's really hard. (3:42) And so I was running outdoors a lot, and you'd have to carry multiple bottles of water.

Linda (3:48) So a lot sometimes I would I would call my husband. (3:50) Right? (3:51) And I would say, I'm over here. (3:52) Can you bring another, you know, another bottle of water? (3:55) Because you can only carry so much.

Linda (3:57) But then I, you know, I started running a little bit later in the morning because I took a part time job working on a golf course. (4:03) By the time I get home, there was too much traffic, and we don't really have sidewalks here in the Pinehurst.

Scott Benner (4:10) Okay.

Linda (4:10) You know, Southern Pines kinda area, not a lot of sidewalks, so you're running on the road. (4:14) And with that kind of traffic, and especially with the retirement community, you know, you don't want target for them.

Scott Benner (4:20) Well, it was like you got a lot of geezers out here. (4:22) They're gonna pick you off. (4:23) You gotta be careful.

Speaker 3 (4:25) Exactly. (4:25) Because they can't see me. (4:26) Right? (4:26) I was like, oh my god. (4:27) I'm not

Linda (4:28) paying attention. (4:28) Whatever. (4:29) A slow movement. (4:30) Right? (4:30) Slow reaction time.

Linda (4:31) So so I started running on a treadmill, but I'm running in a in a garage. (4:36) So I've got multiple fans blowing.

Scott Benner (4:38) Oh my gosh. (4:39) You are committed to this. (4:40) Okay. (4:41) Alright. (4:41) Let's find out more about all this.

Scott Benner (4:42) You just talked me out of North Carolina, but I appreciate it. (4:45) Now, although I'm not running anywhere, if I'm being honest, But still, you were diagnosed with type one at what age?

Linda (4:53) I was 14.

Scott Benner (4:54) No kidding. (4:55) How how do you remember the year or how long ago that was?

Linda (4:58) That was forty nine years ago.

Scott Benner (5:00) Forty nine

Linda (5:00) years I was 14. (5:03) Just had now hit in forty nine years, actually, because it was November. (5:06) I can't remember the exact date, but I for some reason, I think it was November 14. (5:10) My sister had been diagnosed seven years earlier when she was eight. (5:14) Really?

Linda (5:14) So I yeah. (5:15) So I knew, you know, kinda we we knew the signs. (5:19) You know? (5:19) So when I stay in the signs, I I was diagnosed earlier than she was, obviously. (5:25) But, like, five years later, my brother was diagnosed.

Scott Benner (5:27) So Woah. (5:27) How many well, hold on. (5:28) How many brothers and sisters do you have?

Linda (5:30) I have seven. (5:31) Or I have six. (5:32) There's seven of us kids. (5:33) And so

Scott Benner (5:34) Or three for six. (5:35) Wow. (5:35) Half of you. (5:36) Oh, let me ask you. (5:37) Is there other autoimmune in your family?

Scott Benner (5:39) Your mom, your dad, grandmother's, grandfather's? (5:42) I'm looking for celiac, anything like that. (5:45) Hypothyroidism?

Linda (5:47) Yeah. (5:48) Nothing in, in in the like, my parents' family that we know of. (5:54) However, the nieces and nephews now have I have a niece and a nephew who have celiac. (6:01) Mhmm. (6:01) And So I think, you know, it's all kind of somehow related.

Linda (6:05) Yeah. (6:05) Like, vitiligo, eczema, anything like

Scott Benner (6:10) Nope. (6:10) No. (6:11) Wow. (6:11) That's bizarre.

Linda (6:12) Yeah. (6:13) Oh. (6:13) Yeah. (6:13) Yeah. (6:14) The doctors at at for a while there thought it was some you know, something to do with a, you know, hereditary type thing, but they started then and even in my neighborhood, we had a couple kids come down with it.

Linda (6:25) So over the years. (6:27) So we lived in a very Catholic community, and so there were a lot of families with, you know, kids you know, the probably the number of kids were somewhere between five and nine, you know, per family. (6:37) So we had a big, you know, neighborhood of children.

Scott Benner (6:40) Linda, a lot of Irish English backgrounds?

Linda (6:42) Yes. (6:42) Irish English. (6:43) Yep.

Speaker 3 (6:43) Yep. (6:43) Okay.

Scott Benner (6:44) Alright. (6:44) There's I see a lot of autoimmune running in the Irish, and English backgrounds when I talk to people. (6:49) That's interesting. (6:50) Yep. (6:50) I once Yeah.

Scott Benner (6:51) Interviewed a woman who grew up near a dump and, like, everybody on the street had diabetes.

Linda (6:56) Oh, see. (6:56) They were saying they thought it could be environmental as well, a combination.

Scott Benner (7:00) Ain't that really something? (7:01) Mhmm. (7:02) Well and your brother and sister are still with us doing well, or how's it going for them?

Linda (7:07) My brother's doing well. (7:09) My sister ended up with cancer, when she was 42, and she died within ten months of being diagnosed. (7:17) So Sorry. (7:17) And that, you know, that was so so hard. (7:20) You know, when you think about you're only you're not only dealing with type one diabetes, but then, you know, with the cancer and what it does, the chemo and radiation and all that stuff that does to you.

Linda (7:30) You know? (7:30) It's and hard to manage her diabetes even while she was on a pump Yeah. (7:35) But still extremely hard. (7:36) And this was, you know, twenty years ago. (7:38) I I just thought, you know, that's that seems so unfair.

Linda (7:41) Right? (7:41) That you have you know?

Scott Benner (7:43) I remember being incredibly upset when my daughter got a thyroid diagnosis on top of her type one diagnosis. (7:49) Yeah. (7:50) Mhmm. (7:50) Just feeling like, hey. (7:51) You feel like that coyote when the the boulder falls on him, then the and then the roadrunner runs by and picks at your face a little bit.

Scott Benner (7:57) You're like, hey. (7:58) It's not enough. (7:58) You know what I mean? (7:59) So oh my gosh. (8:01) What were, expectations for you when you were diagnosed?

Scott Benner (8:04) Like, I've you know, I mean, you say forty nine years ago?

Linda (8:07) Yes. (8:08) Forty nine or, yeah, forty nine years ago.

Scott Benner (8:09) Like, '75, '76?

Linda (8:12) Yes.

Scott Benner (8:12) Oh, the bicentennial. (8:14) Like, I've had people women especially, by the way, diagnosed a long time ago tell me that their doctors one one woman was told by her doctor to drop out of college and go home because she wasn't gonna live long enough to need her degree, and no man would want her. (8:27) So she should go off and live her life. (8:29) And it's actual direction from a physician. (8:31) So, like, I'm wondering, like, in that time period, what was the messaging to you?

Linda (8:36) Yeah. (8:37) So the messaging to me was, we wouldn't live long. (8:40) Right? (8:41) So but it was more about not being active. (8:44) Right?

Linda (8:44) Because I was I was very active. (8:45) I was a kind of a little hyper kid. (8:47) Mhmm. (8:48) And as soon as I was diagnosed, my my parents and the doctor and everybody was like, okay. (8:52) You you cannot continue to play baseball and softball, and, you know, you should you should learn to love reading more, you know, be like your older sister and just or or your younger sister and, you know, learn to, you know, paint and draw and and read.

Linda (9:06) You know? (9:07) And and and but, you know, even when when I got diagnosed, I actually looked that up. (9:12) And I remember as a as a kid when my sister was diagnosed, I was seven. (9:17) So it was probably when I was eight or nine, I heard overheard my parents talking about how sad they were that she wouldn't probably live much into her, you know, adult years, right, after teenage years. (9:28) She was kind of a brittle brittle diabetic, and so she was, DKA when they were able to identify that she had diabetes, like hours away from going into a coma.

Linda (9:37) Mhmm. (9:38) You know, so she already had some some issues there. (9:41) But when I got diagnosed, I decided to, you know, back in the day, you know, look at the encyclopedias, you know, and and try and do some research to find out, like, how long do people actually live with type one diabetes? (9:54) And I couldn't find anybody who had had it past twenty years. (9:57) Thought that, oh, okay.

Linda (9:58) You know? (9:58) And for someone who's 14, you know, twenty years seemed like, you know, I'd be, like, old by the time I died, you know, at 34. (10:04) I remember dating my husband, and and, when he asked me to marry him, you know, I I basically told him, I said, you know, I'm probably going to be dead before I'm 34. (10:13) So, you know, if you're okay with that, you know, that's that's good. (10:17) And he was like, as much time as I've got with you, that's I'll take it.

Linda (10:21) You know? (10:21) And and here I am now, you know, 63, you know, and it's like

Scott Benner (10:25) A young woman in love and and thought you weren't gonna live much longer.

Speaker 3 (10:29) Right. (10:29) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (10:30) Was there any, I don't know, evidence in your life that was pointing towards this, or was it just the fact that your parents were worried that your sister would pass and that you couldn't find record of somebody living very long with type one? (10:42) Was that all?

Linda (10:43) Yeah. (10:44) The latter. (10:44) There was nothing. (10:45) I was not I wasn't having any issues. (10:48) I didn't you know, I wasn't losing any toes or fingers, and my diabetes was in control, but but I couldn't find anybody.

Linda (10:54) Then I thought, well, eventually, it'll just die. (10:56) You know? (10:57) And I Yeah. (10:58) Sure died, but it was like, somehow, they just don't live after twenty years of Can I ask you, did that put you

Scott Benner (11:03) in a mindset of YOLO? (11:06) You know what I mean? (11:07) Like, I you only live once. (11:08) Let's go. (11:09) Or did it put it didn't it didn't make you sad.

Scott Benner (11:12) It made you, like, let's go for it.

Linda (11:14) Right. (11:14) Absolutely. (11:15) Yeah. (11:15) It didn't make me sad. (11:16) I think it's mainly because, you know, everybody dies, but I knew that.

Linda (11:20) And it was just more about what can I get done before I die? (11:24) You know? (11:25) What can I do? (11:25) What I'm gonna live. (11:26) You don't wanna leave something behind.

Linda (11:28) I wanna make sure that, you know, I get I I don't leave any you know, I'm not I don't have any regrets. (11:33) Yeah. (11:34) Right? (11:34) What I was most worried about is is dying with with regrets of not doing something. (11:38) And so yeah.

Linda (11:39) So that that's how I I pretty much approached it, you know, and that

Scott Benner (11:43) I think that's wonderful, by the way. (11:44) And and I'm wondering, like, does that fit the rest of your personality, or was it something you adopted when you were faced with this? (11:53) Does that make sense? (11:54) Like, were you like a a glasses half full person before this?

Linda (11:57) Probably. (11:57) Yeah. (11:58) I'm trying to think what I was like before I was 14.

Scott Benner (12:00) Yeah. (12:01) It's a long time ago. (12:02) If you don't have a if you don't have a quick answer for it, you probably don't remember. (12:05) And I'm taking my, experience on, trying to remember what happened last week. (12:09) So Right.

Scott Benner (12:11) But I just I was wondering, like, if it if it shifted you or if you were that person. (12:15) I I try to figure that out when I talk to people all the time because you do you do speak to people who have your attitude and you speak to people who are, you know, struggling and have trouble finding a happy attitude. (12:26) And I'm always wondering if it's nature, nurture, decision, like, or somewhere in between, but it's okay if you don't know.

Linda (12:33) Yeah. (12:33) I I think I've always been like that, but, you know, I'd have to probably, you know

Scott Benner (12:37) Really think about.

Linda (12:38) Yeah. (12:38) Somebody yeah. (12:39) I have no idea, but I I think so. (12:41) I don't think it actually really changed much. (12:44) I mean, I I will say that there are things that happened in my life, in our life, my husband's life, that has reconfirmed, you know, that life is short, and you just have to really, you know, live your life to the fullest, you know, with his best friend dying at a very young age and, you know, and just even with my sister passing away and she had some regrets.

Linda (13:03) You know, you you just kinda reconfirms. (13:05) And it's like, yeah. (13:05) I always have that. (13:06) Right? (13:06) It's like because I mean, life gets in the way and you're working and you're doing stuff and, you know, and then you're you know, when you get opportunities, I I always do the best that I can to, you know, grab every opportunity that's presented in front of me.

Linda (13:19) Yeah. (13:19) Because I think, you know, it's like, you only live once and, you know, it's like.

Scott Benner (13:24) I feel like wasted time is maybe the biggest sin you can commit.

Linda (13:28) Yes.

Scott Benner (13:28) Yeah. (13:29) Really, really something. (13:30) Okay. (13:31) So what was management like back then? (13:33) You know, 14 years old, were you, like, shooting insulin once a day?

Scott Benner (13:39) Unlike other systems that will wait until your blood sugar is a 180 before delivering corrections, the MiniMed seven eighty g system is the only system with meal detection technology that automatically detects rising sugar levels and delivers more insulin as needed to help keep your sugar levels in range, even if you're not a perfect carb counter. (14:01) Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes and their MiniMed seven eighty g system, which gives you real choices because the MiniMed seven eighty g system works with the Instinct sensor made by Avid, as well as the Simplera Sync and Guardian Force sensors, giving you options. (14:21) The Instinct Sensor is the longest wear sensor yet, lasting fifteen days and designed exclusively for the MiniMed seven eighty g. (14:30) And don't forget, Medtronic Diabetes makes technology accessible for you with comprehensive insurance support, programs to help you with your out of pocket costs, or switching from other pump and CGM systems. (14:43) Learn more and get started today with my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (14:50) Contournext.com/juicebox. (14:54) That's the link you'll use to find out more about the Contour next gen blood glucose meter. (14:58) When you get there, there's a little bit at the top. (15:00) You can click right on blood glucose monitoring. (15:02) I'll do it with you.

Scott Benner (15:03) Go to meters. (15:04) Click on any of the meters. (15:05) I'll click on the next gen, and you're gonna get more information. (15:08) It's easy to use and highly accurate. (15:10) SmartLight provides a simple understanding of your blood glucose levels.

Scott Benner (15:14) And, of course, with second chance sampling technology, you can save money with fewer wasted test strips. (15:20) As if all that wasn't enough, the Kontoor Next Gen also has a compatible app for an easy way to share and see your blood glucose results. (15:30) Kontoornext.com/juicebox. (15:34) And if you scroll down at that link, you're gonna see things like a buy now button. (15:38) You could register your meter after you purchase it.

Scott Benner (15:40) Or what is this? (15:41) Download a coupon. (15:43) Oh, receive a free contour next gen blood glucose meter. (15:48) Do tell. (15:49) Kontoornext.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (15:53) Head over there now. (15:54) Get the same accurate and reliable meter that we use.

Linda (15:57) Yeah. (15:57) So I actually, gave two shots a day mixing insulin like regular and NPH in a syringe, in the morning and at night. (16:06) And then what was hard for me is because I'm not much of a of an eater, or a foodie, and and it's very hard when you're giving couple shots a day. (16:15) And, you know, in insulin back then, you know, like, with the long acting or short acting, it peaks at certain times. (16:21) So you pretty quickly learn that when you're given your shot before school, that you definitely have to have something you know, you have to eat something around, like, 10AM, so I'd have couple grapes or whatever.

Linda (16:35) And then you have to have lunch at noon because your sugars would drop. (16:38) You know, your glucose, know, would just drop. (16:40) And so you had to be on this, like, regimented schedule of eating something at 03:00, dinner at 05:00. (16:47) You know? (16:47) Just and and I hate I am not as, like, that tight of a scheduled person.

Linda (16:52) And so if I had to say anything I hated about it, it was that. (16:56) It was it was always having to, you know, just, like, know you had to even if you're not hungry. (17:01) You know, my mom's pushing the peanut butter sandwich in front of my face. (17:04) I'm like, I'm even hungry. (17:05) You know?

Linda (17:06) And it's like, eat. (17:07) And you knew you had to because your, you know, your sugars were dropping. (17:10) I did that until we got married and moved to Sweden. (17:15) So I lived in Sweden for two years. (17:17) And there, the doctors were just trying out the NovoPen where you got rid of the the actual mean, I still had to do one long acting, so I'd have a, you know, an injection I'd have to do in the morning.

Linda (17:29) But then I used this NovoPen, which is just regular, insulin, and you can, you know, just give it when you're eating. (17:37) You know? (17:38) So it was like, that was so freeing. (17:40) I remember, like, this is like heaven sent. (17:42) You know?

Linda (17:43) I was Yeah. (17:43) That was the best thing ever. (17:46) You know? (17:46) And I did that for a couple years until I moved to Seattle. (17:51) So after Sweden, I was mid twenties, 26, 27, something like a 28 when we moved to Seattle.

Linda (18:00) And it was there that I got, an endocrinologist who was an actual type one diabetic and started showing me the insulin pump and and how it's different and all about it. (18:13) And at that same time, my sister had just gone on to the insulin pump, and she was using the Medtronic one and so was he. (18:21) So I was like, So I started asking her all kinds of questions, you know, because who not to ask your doctor and your sister who were on it, you know, what the pros and cons were.

Speaker 3 (18:30) So that's

Linda (18:31) kind of where I started it. (18:32) Yeah.

Scott Benner (18:32) Before we jump into that, I'm gonna ask a deeper question. (18:35) I'm sorry if this isn't what you were expecting today. (18:37) But do you think that because by nature, you didn't like the scheduling and, you know, it was it was harder for you to eat when you didn't want to, etcetera. (18:46) Can I ask you, did you find yourself looking for control in other aspects of life to make up for being out of control in that situation, or was that never an issue for you?

Linda (18:55) I don't know. (18:56) Probably. (18:56) Because that's I think that's typical. (18:59) You know, when you feel you can't control one thing, you try and control something that's that you can't control. (19:04) So I probably did.

Linda (19:06) I was running at the time a lot, and so that probably was where I could control, you know, what I did and how I did it, even though it wasn't, you know, still, you know, what they would recommend. (19:19) And I think maybe with some schooling and stuff, maybe. (19:22) Probably. (19:22) I don't know if I can think to one specific thing, but I know I do when I can't control one thing, I do tend to grab control of something else. (19:31) Yeah.

Scott Benner (19:31) I mean, everybody does. (19:32) I was just wondering if, like like, if you recognize because you're you're I guess you're not an older person, but you're, you know, you're an older person. (19:39) And you probably had some, like, moments to, you know, where you've looked back and and tried to apply some hindsight to your life. (19:45) And I was just wondering, like, is the running a thing you could control? (19:48) Or you sounded passionate about the idea of not liking being on that schedule.

Scott Benner (19:52) Because, you know, I know other people have had diabetes time, you know, distances as you have. (19:56) Some of them loved that scheduling. (19:59) It fed right into their personality, and others, no. (20:03) You know? (20:04) So I'm just very interested by all that.

Linda (20:06) Yeah. (20:07) No. (20:07) I hated it. (20:07) I hated it, and I and it probably I mean, because I've been running since I was a a kid, you know, like, five, six, seven years old, and and I probably did more of that. (20:18) And I do know that when I can't control something, I do tend to look for something I can better control.

Linda (20:24) So just so that you

Scott Benner (20:26) Did an insulin pump end up helping you with that?

Linda (20:29) It did. (20:30) Oh my gosh. (20:31) Yes. (20:31) That was, like, that was, like, heaven sent too, I thought. (20:33) Because even with the, you know, the NovoPen thing I used, you still had the daily injection in the morning with your long acting, and then you had the multiple you know, so if you ate two times a day, you had at least two more shots you're giving.

Linda (20:46) So you had, like you're still stabbing yourself three times a day at a minimum. (20:50) Mhmm. (20:50) And with the insulin pump, you know, you apply it once every three days. (20:55) You know, at the time I, you know, started it with them, I think it was a Paradigm pump. (20:58) And I thought, oh my gosh.

Linda (20:59) This is even this is even more free. (21:01) I'm like, this is awesome. (21:03) You know, but you had the other challenges of and the thing I was concerned about was, like, what do you do with it? (21:07) You know, it's the size of a pager. (21:08) You You know?

Linda (21:09) How do you how do you run with this thing? (21:10) Where do you put it when you have a dress on? (21:12) What's when I'm doing any kind of other sports. (21:14) You know? (21:14) Right.

Linda (21:15) Where do I you know? (21:16) Or when I'm showering or when I'm sleeping, you know, what what happens to this thing? (21:20) How do you you can't really disconnect from it. (21:22) So, you know, that's why I use my doctor and my my sister. (21:25) You know?

Linda (21:26) Like, how do you you know? (21:27) Even relations with your husband. (21:28) What do you do with this thing? (21:29) Know? (21:29) It's like, you know, it's like you know?

Linda (21:32) And so that's that's a quick solution. (21:34) Right? (21:35) You'd I mean, people had all kinds of things. (21:36) And, you know, nowadays, there's all kinds of tools and, websites and all kinds of stuff about, you know, like, almost like garter belt type stuff that you can put the pump in your, you know, something around your thigh so that it doesn't show on your dress or

Scott Benner (21:51) Yeah.

Linda (21:51) You know, you know, pocket in your bra. (21:54) You know? (21:54) There's all kinds of things that they didn't have twenty twenty five years ago.

Scott Benner (21:58) Right. (21:59) Right. (21:59) Hey. (21:59) At what point in this process do you realize you're not gonna die when you're 34?

Linda (22:04) When I hit 34.

Scott Benner (22:06) Really? (22:06) So you got that pump, and then you lived another almost decade thinking, like, well, it's easier, and that's awesome, but I'm still out of here soon.

Linda (22:14) Right. (22:14) Exactly. (22:15) Wow. (22:16) And we we celebrated when it was my 30, I'm like, I am still alive. (22:20) You know?

Linda (22:20) So Linda, let me stop you for

Scott Benner (22:22) a second. (22:22) Did you feel like you were an egg timer because of I mean, was your health really poor? (22:27) Like, is there any no. (22:28) There was nothing leading you to the idea that you were gonna expire. (22:31) You just thought, like, like, a light switch is gonna flip and you're gonna go and fall over?

Scott Benner (22:35) Like, what what did you expect, I guess, I'm asking?

Linda (22:38) I kinda did. (22:38) I I kinda like well, I actually thought, you know, that something would happen. (22:42) Because my my dad told me, I remember him talking to both my sister and me about it. (22:48) So I was probably right newly diagnosed, and Kelly had had it for seven years or so. (22:54) And so I remember him telling us because I I had a lot of questions.

Linda (22:57) I was asking, like, you know, what you know, why why do people die from this? (23:01) How does this work? (23:01) You know? (23:02) So I was doing a lot of research and and just trying to verify what I was understanding. (23:06) And he told me that the the long term effects of having type one diabetes is what kills you.

Linda (23:16) And he said it was the the wide variances of high blood sugars to low blood sugars or just your body always you know, you get sick and your blood sugars are up and your, you know, your glucose levels were up. (23:27) And, you know, it was that constant up and down, you know, in the the like, climbing mountains. (23:33) You know?

Scott Benner (23:33) Has a variability.

Linda (23:35) Yeah. (23:35) He says it not wears. (23:36) He says it not just wears on your body. (23:38) It wears on every organ you have, every, you know, your brain, your liver, your kidneys, your, you know, everything. (23:45) And so in my head, you know, maybe not the brightest person, but I thought, oh, eventually, you know, like an organ fails and then you just die.

Linda (23:52) Yeah. (23:53) And so I I wasn't sure. (23:54) Right? (23:54) I was like, I'm not not sure what it is. (23:56) And and I did know you know, I've obviously was doing some of this research, but I didn't know that that's usually the cause of, like, kidney failure and, you know, people losing their, you know, their their toes or their legs, you know, because of the poor control.

Linda (24:10) And so I was one thing I I had absolutely and that's know, if you wanna know about what I was gonna control, if I couldn't control my eating, was I control the you know, like, what my blood sugars were. (24:21) And so I was a little, you know, type a personality type with making sure that they weren't Right. (24:26) Swinging. (24:27) Right? (24:28) I mean, they're always swinging, but not wildly.

Linda (24:30) And so

Scott Benner (24:31) Did you open your eyes on that morning of your 30 birthday and think, Okay.

Speaker 3 (24:36) Yeah. (24:36) I did. (24:37) Pretty much. (24:37) I well, maybe I'll be the

Linda (24:40) first one living past day or

Scott Benner (24:41) twenty years. (24:42) I'm gonna be in an encyclopedia one day.

Linda (24:44) Exactly. (24:45) But then does that go away? (24:46) Like, do you

Scott Benner (24:47) give it away? (24:47) Like, oh, I guess I'm okay, or or is it a continuing learning experience? (24:52) Like, you're using a pump now. (24:53) You have better control. (24:54) You have less variability.

Scott Benner (24:55) Do you just think, like, well, maybe the damage that I've been worried isn't accumulating as quickly or isn't accumulating at all? (25:02) Like, where did it put your mindset then?

Linda (25:04) It put my mindset at that I I think I'm living on borrowed time. (25:09) And as much as I can do to continue to live on this borrowed time, you know, I'll do. (25:16) And I do think that, in my own personal opinion, I think that as long as I control my glucose levels, you know, and just making sure that they're not wildly swinging, I think I get extra time. (25:30) And so it's like my my reward. (25:33) You know?

Linda (25:33) So I I just kinda that's how I look at it. (25:36) I just always think I'm living on borrowed time. (25:37) And so if I am, then that's allowing me to to do things and, you know, and and doing some of the things I wanna do. (25:44) Like, you know, I was bungee jumping in, you know, New Zealand a few years back, and I'm, like, loving every minute of it. (25:50) And I'm like, okay.

Linda (25:51) I could die if these things came off, but I'm like, I'm on borrowed time. (25:54) Awesome. (25:54) You know? (25:55) So

Scott Benner (25:55) Oh, it's free. (25:56) You find it freeing.

Linda (25:58) Yeah. (25:58) I do, actually. (25:59) Yeah. (26:00) How about that?

Scott Benner (26:00) That's really interesting. (26:02) Was your husband bummed when you didn't die? (26:03) Did he think, like he's like, oh, I thought I wasn't gonna have to be married this lady forever, did he seem happy too?

Linda (26:09) I know. (26:09) I think I think he's happy that I'm still around. (26:11) Yeah.

Scott Benner (26:11) I imagine. (26:12) Tell me about a one c's on a pump in the early days. (26:17) How things have changed moving forward? (26:18) When did you find a CGM? (26:20) Like, how have you because you're a person who's coming along with technology, which I think is important.

Scott Benner (26:24) So how are you finding yourself staying connected with these changes that are being made? (26:31) And when do you decide, okay. (26:33) I'm gonna try another thing? (26:35) How do you open yourself up to that, I guess?

Linda (26:37) I kinda worked in technology too. (26:39) So so I understand a lot of the technology, and I'm I like to embrace it, but I'm not one that will be the first one in front of the bus. (26:48) Mhmm. (26:48) Right? (26:48) Like, I'm like, I will wait for that bus to pass a couple times and make sure it's not too close to the curb and, you know, whatever that might be.

Linda (26:54) Right? (26:55) I let other people try it first because it's something that, you know, that that needs to work well. (27:01) I will look at so, like so when I got the pump, you know, that first one, didn't have a CGM, obviously, so you're still, you know, checking your your glucose levels and, and then managing it like you should. (27:12) And being a type a personality type, you know, I was I was really controlling it. (27:17) I will say when I started upgrading because I've always been on the Medtronic pump.

Linda (27:21) Very loyal. (27:23) I loved everything about it. (27:24) And so I'd be like it. (27:25) You know? (27:26) If it's not broken, why why change?

Linda (27:28) But I do look at the different ones, like the ones that are you know, it doesn't have the tubing or the, you know, three days on your arm and, you know, that kind of stuff. (27:36) I do look at all that stuff, and I I make the decision based on if it would work for my lifestyle, you know, and how much insulin I take and that kind of stuff. (27:44) And so for right now, I've I've stayed with the Medtronic pump and the with the tube and all that. (27:51) I will say that as the CGM started coming out, I did go with the CGM, the early one, and that had a long needle needle. (28:01) And so and I'm on the thin side.

Linda (28:03) And so it was really hard to find a place that you could put it that, wasn't into a, you know, like, into a muscle or through blood vessels and, you know, just so I didn't use it as much, but I did like the technology of it. (28:19) And then as soon as it started changing where it was easier to insert, easier to use, I embraced it fully. (28:26) And then as soon as it started getting into where it was the with a loop technology, right, where it'd feedback to the pump, I'm like, oh, yeah. (28:32) Give me this. (28:33) Right?

Linda (28:33) So I mean, you still always being a control freak or a type a personality. (28:37) I always will check my, you know, my blood sugar, you know, once a week now. (28:43) Used to do it, like, every day, but the technology has has allowed me to stop, you know, poking my fingers four times a day. (28:51) This technology I'm on right now, it checks it every five minutes.

Scott Benner (28:54) Yeah.

Linda (28:54) So I don't go low anymore at night, where at the in the past, even on the older pumps, my husband would wake up in the middle of the night and just check my chest or my back to see if I was sweating, and then would wake me up and say, you need to drink some juice. (29:09) As soon as I got this pump, he even told me he's like, oh my gosh. (29:13) You know, it's it's so freeing for him.

Scott Benner (29:15) Yeah.

Linda (29:15) I know it's working. (29:16) He says, even if I do wake up and I put my hand on you, you're not, you know, you're not a sweat ball. (29:21) And, and then it you know, if if my blood sugars do drop, you know, it'll it has this alarm that would wake up the neighbors. (29:27) I rarely even have that anymore. (29:29) I mean, rarely, rarely, rarely.

Scott Benner (29:31) No. (29:31) I know. (29:31) Linda, give me a second. (29:32) So do you think that you were low a lot while you were sleeping? (29:37) Absolutely.

Scott Benner (29:38) You are. (29:38) Okay.

Linda (29:39) Yeah. (29:39) And that's usually when I dropped was at night. (29:42) And no matter what I did to change, you know, to try and get it to so I didn't drop at night, I always dropped at night. (29:49) Mhmm. (29:50) And I don't know what that is, but it's it was just me.

Scott Benner (29:52) When you watch those algorithms really work, to me, that's when my understanding, like, I don't know, like, scaled up. (30:00) Like, I used to so my daughter's 21. (30:02) Right? (30:02) And she was diagnosed when she was two. (30:05) And I think I figured out about the time when she started using the CGM, and I started realizing, like, what I was seeing happen and how the insulin was impacting her and how some foods would impact differently than others and

Linda (30:18) Yep.

Scott Benner (30:18) Started getting a bigger picture. (30:20) I started acting like an algorithm, almost texting or being like, hey. (30:23) Can you do a temp basal decrease here? (30:26) You know, like, let's do a 50% decrease for two hours. (30:29) Let's do a 20% increase for thirty minutes.

Scott Benner (30:32) Boneless again. (30:33) Like, we were doing all that. (30:35) And then I did that for years, kept her a one c very nicely in the low sixes. (30:39) Then she got on an algorithm, and I could see it working in front of me. (30:43) And I was like, oh my god.

Scott Benner (30:44) That thing's doing what I was doing.

Linda (30:46) Right. (30:47) Exactly.

Scott Benner (30:47) And then I was like, oh, I'm gonna sleep. (30:50) And then I oh, and then the sleep came back, which is what you're talking about too is awesome. (30:54) Like, just any regaining of sleep is just really incredible. (30:59) And so I was like, wow. (31:01) That's the thing I've been doing for all these years.

Scott Benner (31:03) It's doing it automatically now.

Linda (31:04) Yep. (31:05) And we love that. (31:06) I'll I love it. (31:07) My husband loves it. (31:08) You love it.

Linda (31:08) Yeah. (31:08) Your daughter probably loves it. (31:10) It's amazing.

Scott Benner (31:11) Well, she does she didn't grow up when you grow up. (31:13) She doesn't even know she loves it.

Linda (31:14) Right.

Scott Benner (31:15) Just trust me. (31:16) If somebody took it from her, she'd like, hey. (31:17) Woah. (31:17) What's going on? (31:18) But she doesn't know it's her normal.

Scott Benner (31:20) And so that's interesting for you because you live through other normals to get to this one.

Linda (31:24) Mhmm. (31:25) And this normal is and I'll tell people all the time, especially for newly diagnosed people, this is almost for me, at least from knowing what I was like, you know, what I was going through at the age of 14 to where I'm at today, is like I I feel like a nondiabetic 99% of the time because I don't even think about it. (31:44) I mean, it's it's hooked to me. (31:45) Right? (31:46) So I I know it's there.

Linda (31:47) My old pump, used to call Chatty Cathy because it always beep at me. (31:51) Beep beep. (31:51) You know? (31:52) Calibrate. (31:53) Have you you know, your blood sugar's up.

Linda (31:54) Your blood sugar's low. (31:55) You know? (31:56) How would it be? (31:56) You haven't touched me in two hours or whatever.

Scott Benner (31:58) You know? (31:59) My

Linda (32:00) gosh. (32:00) Chatty Cathy here. (32:02) Taking it out and do you know, and hitting the buttons and doing that. (32:06) This one, I rarely ever have to do that. (32:08) Right?

Linda (32:08) It's like you know, because it keeps everything pretty normal for me, you know, except for when I'm eating. (32:14) Obviously, you have to, you know, give some some insulin. (32:16) I don't get a bolus. (32:17) But but I rarely it's like it's almost like being a nondiabetic again. (32:22) It's kinda weird.

Scott Benner (32:23) So Yeah. (32:23) Let me ask you. (32:24) I mean, Medtronic's come out with mean, I you're still with Medtronic pump. (32:28) Right?

Linda (32:28) Yes. (32:28) Yes.

Scott Benner (32:28) Absolutely. (32:29) Use the seven eighty g?

Linda (32:31) Yep. (32:31) Seven eighty g with a g four sensor.

Scott Benner (32:33) Okay. (32:34) And now they've got new sensors coming. (32:36) Will you try different sensors?

Linda (32:39) I probably will. (32:40) But right now, I have no concerns with the g four. (32:43) It works for me.

Scott Benner (32:44) Yeah.

Linda (32:45) I know there's some people that it doesn't, and I don't know I don't know why. (32:49) I mean, we're all different. (32:50) Right? (32:50) So it works for me. (32:51) I rarely have the only time I ever have an issue is if I hit into a, like, a muscle or a, get a bleeder.

Linda (32:59) I rarely ever get, I think, maybe once or twice if that I've ever had at work. (33:04) It just says change sensor.

Scott Benner (33:06) Okay.

Linda (33:07) Very, very rarely. (33:07) And so it works for me. (33:09) I do like the newer sensors in that it lasts longer. (33:14) You know? (33:14) So they're this one lasts for me, at least, it always lasts to seven days or six and a half days sometimes depending on I'll change it if I you know, depending on the timing.

Linda (33:23) But it always lasts the the the amount of days. (33:25) But the fifteen day, I was always you know, I'm always like,

Scott Benner (33:29) That doesn't sound bad. (33:30) Right? (33:30) Yeah. (33:30) Yeah. (33:31) I imagine you'll change if if you wanna change.

Scott Benner (33:33) And and if you have something that's working for you, then that's perfect too. (33:36) Right. (33:37) What about, like, if they were to come out with other pumps? (33:40) You know, would you be interested in a version that looks different than the pump you have now, or you're pretty happy where you are?

Linda (33:48) Like, there's a couple things I always I put on my wish list if I, you know, if I ran the world. (33:52) I would love this pump to be thinner, smaller, or any pump to be thinner and smaller. (33:57) Now my brother had had changed a couple years ago to a different pump, and his is thinner and smaller, but he's been having a lot of issues with it. (34:04) But and I I don't have any issues with mine. (34:07) And it's, you know, size of a, like, a pager if anybody even really knows what a pager is anymore.

Linda (34:12) But you know? (34:12) So it's not that big. (34:13) But I would love to have something that's a little bit lighter and smaller, maybe thinner. (34:18) It doesn't have to even be, like, too much smaller, but it'd be good if it was thinner. (34:23) Right?

Linda (34:23) Because then you worry about it showing through your pants pocket or your your bra, you know, or wherever. (34:29) And I would love to be able to I think with the technology, I and I know it's I know it's coming eventually, but I would love to be able to turn off or be able to release an alarm, give a bolus or your phone Okay. (34:44) Or something instead of having to reach into you. (34:46) You know? (34:46) Because when you're at a dinner party as a woman and I'm you know, I've got my pump tucked into my bra, you know, in the front of my dress that has a high neck, you know, I have to almost go into the, you know, go into the bathroom, right, to reach under and try and grab my pump and, you know, and and bolus for the dinner we're gonna have, right, and tuck it back in and, you know, and and I would love to be able to just sit like normal people and just be able to, you know, to do what I needed to do.

Linda (35:12) Right?

Scott Benner (35:12) Yeah. (35:12) Make some quiet adjustments. (35:13) It's funny. (35:14) I thought you were gonna, like, say, oh, I you know, I hope I hope Medtronic makes a patch pump or something like that, but that's not really your it's more functional stuff for you.

Linda (35:21) More functional stuff. (35:22) Yeah. (35:23) That's that's more important to me than than, yeah, like, the patch pump. (35:27) I mean, that'd be awesome. (35:28) But, you know, but I if I still had to, you know, I don't know, wherever you put your patch pump.

Linda (35:33) You know? (35:34) If I had to, like, go around and roll up my sleeve to be able to do something

Scott Benner (35:37) you'd to have to at that point. (35:39) No. (35:39) But I do. (35:39) I am picturing you reaching down the top of your sweater, like, rooting around at dinner while everybody's looking at you. (35:45) Yep.

Scott Benner (35:46) So, I mean, I I take your point. (35:47) I kinda wanna, like, ping pong a little bit over to all this running you do because now we have, like, a we have a really good idea of where you started and where you, you know, where you've gotten to as far as how you manage. (35:59) But you've also talked about being low a lot overnight back in the day and everything, but you've been running through that whole thing.

Linda (36:06) Yes.

Scott Benner (36:07) I guess I'm really interested to know what you figured out in the beginning and how it's changed over time.

Linda (36:13) So at the beginning so I've been running as a kid, and then I didn't stop running even as after I got diagnosed. (36:19) I started probably running more when I was in my, probably early late twenties, early thirties

Scott Benner (36:27) Mhmm.

Linda (36:28) And running my, like, first half marathon, that kind of stuff. (36:31) And so I wasn't on a pump until I was, getting ready to run my first marathon. (36:36) So when I was just doing insulin injections, I would usually if I just went out for a six mile run, I didn't think anything about it. (36:44) I would just take some candies with me and just go. (36:47) But I had no idea what my blood sugars were.

Linda (36:49) You know, I knew what they were before I started, but I didn't know, you know, during the run if there was any kind of issues. (36:54) And so but I always had something with me. (36:56) I was more worried about it being low than I was about it being high. (36:59) So I always carried some kind of, you know, like, Skittles or something with me.

Scott Benner (37:03) Yeah.

Linda (37:03) I you know, at night, I would have a couple issues, you know, with running, you know, like a half marathon. (37:11) I quickly learned that you expend a lot of this energy and you're burning your sugars and that kind of stuff. (37:17) And so I'd eat right after. (37:18) It'd be great. (37:20) But within the next twelve hours or twenty four hours, my blood sugars would drop a lot.

Linda (37:25) And then I didn't really notice I didn't really know that why that was happening other than, you know, I thought, well, maybe it's because I've, you know, exercising a little bit longer, but I'm thinking, what? (37:34) It's been twenty hours. (37:35) Why is my blood sugar still low? (37:37) And, apparently, you know, I was talking to my endocrinologist, which is very important for anybody who's a type one diabetic. (37:43) Get a good endocrinologist and trust that person and make sure that they know about the technology.

Linda (37:48) But, you know, I had an endocrinologist, and they were telling me that that's, you know, you're still burning, you know, twenty twelve to twenty four hours after the fact. (37:56) And so I had to make sure I was eating a little bit more maybe pasta or something, you know, eight hours later. (38:04) You know, just get something in you so that it's it's balancing it out. (38:07) And so it kind of put me a little bit back to, like, you know, when I was giving individual injections, you know, back when I was 14 and I have to stick to that schedule. (38:16) I was like, oh, this kinda sucks.

Linda (38:17) Well, then I went on the pump, and that was very freeing. (38:21) And then, you know, and then you could see, you know, and it would it would drop. (38:24) I could adjust it, you know, so I'd give half the amount of insulin for the next twenty four hours. (38:30) So I would put it at 50%. (38:32) And then all of sudden, that was great.

Linda (38:34) You know? (38:34) And then I back and put it back to normal. (38:36) You know? (38:37) So, you know, the doctor, my endocrinologist at the time was the one that was, like, messing around with that and making sure I could do that. (38:43) So I didn't change it.

Linda (38:45) I didn't change anything while I was running, but I changed it afterwards Yeah. (38:49) Because usually where I had my issues. (38:51) And then, obviously, when I get on this, you know, seven eighty g, you know, with the g four, you know, sensor, I now can run a marathon where all I do during the whole race is I will take at the water stops, I'll drink like, I'll take you know, they have Dixie cups of, like, Gatorade or Powerade or whatever and water. (39:10) And so I will pour a little bit of the water and pour the Gatorade or Powerade or whatever in it. (39:15) I'll take a sip of that you know, like, whatever it is, two ounces, and keep going.

Linda (39:19) And so at every water stop, that's all I would do is take a little bit of that Gatorade with some water, just water it down a little bit. (39:26) And and I almost always will end the race at, you know, about 01:10, 01:12, something like that. (39:32) Right? (39:32) And and then even after the race, the pump because it's looking at you every five minutes. (39:37) Right?

Linda (39:37) It'll just adjust automatically. (39:39) So I don't have to, you know, make any for me, at least, I don't have to make any adjustments to the pump even twenty four hours after the race.

Scott Benner (39:47) Well, it's doing it then. (39:48) Yeah. (39:48) And and but do you find yourself getting low 20 you know, in the hours after the race?

Linda (39:54) Not usually.

Scott Benner (39:54) Not usually. (39:55) And how many and and I guess this is the part that'll freak people out. (39:58) Tell people how old you are again.

Linda (40:00) I am 63 years old.

Scott Benner (40:01) How many of these marathons have you run?

Linda (40:04) I am running, well, I have run 95, so I'm running my ninety sixth on Sunday.

Scott Benner (40:11) Wow. (40:11) Can I tell you my running story?

Linda (40:13) Yes.

Scott Benner (40:14) I was going into the grocery store yesterday and these two older people were walking out. (40:17) It was a windy day. (40:18) And they pulled out their turkey and the receipt blew away and the old man yelled, damn it. (40:22) And I said, do you need that? (40:24) And he said, yeah.

Scott Benner (40:25) And I ran it down and I got it for That was it. (40:28) That's as much as I've run-in the last six months, I just want you to say. (40:31) And I was pretty proud of myself, honestly, because I didn't pull anything. (40:34) You were doing it a little differently. (40:35) By the way, they were grateful for that receipt.

Scott Benner (40:37) I I wonder what they wanted the receipt for. (40:39) They were so upset. (40:41) Maybe maybe it had, a coupon for a free it's around Thanksgiving. (40:44) It's like a free bird coupon on there or something. (40:46) I don't know exactly.

Scott Benner (40:47) Anyway, this is not the point, Linda. (40:49) But I got that thing. (40:50) No problem. (40:51) Now you you're doing it differently. (40:53) You are I mean, there are you traveling the country and doing this?

Scott Benner (40:57) Is this, a thing? (40:58) Explain to me what you're doing here.

Linda (41:00) So I've been running marathons for twenty five, twenty seven years, something like that. (41:04) Ran when I ran my first one, I was just, like, shocked that kinda, like, you know, when I hit 34 or whatever, shocked that I was still alive. (41:11) I was like, oh, it didn't kill me. (41:13) I'm I'm still alive. (41:14) Okay.

Linda (41:14) Let's see if that was just a fluke. (41:16) And so I started running. (41:17) I ran another one, like, a year later. (41:19) But I really like that distance. (41:21) And so as I continue to run, probably run one a year.

Linda (41:24) You know, I was working, going to school, that kind of stuff. (41:27) And so as I continued, you know, just running, social media started. (41:33) And as soon as I got on to any of the social media sites, you know, it could be Facebook or Instagram or, you know, x or Twitter or whatever it is. (41:41) Yeah. (41:42) That's when you that's when I started seeing things like the world marathon majors, where you could run Chicago and New York and Boston and London and Berlin and Tokyo and now Sydney.

Linda (41:55) And I thought, oh, that'd be really cool. (41:57) And so I thought, okay. (41:58) Go. (41:58) Let me see if I can do that. (42:00) And so I finished all those in 2015.

Linda (42:03) I'm still running marathons, and I, you know, I obviously was trying to qualify for Boston. (42:08) That's why I got, like, qualified for Boston three times. (42:10) And one of those was for the, world marathon majors. (42:14) And then I continued. (42:15) You know, you still see these social media stuff, and then I see you know, I'm I'm learning more about ultramarathons, and I thought, oh, this is really cool.

Linda (42:23) Yeah. (42:23) People run 50 miles and 100 miles and even longer and, you know, even multiple day, you know, stages of races. (42:31) And so I decided when it was my fiftieth birthday, I wanted to run a 50 miler. (42:37) So that month of my fiftieth birthday, I ran a 50 mile race in Washington State, one of the what was that one called? (42:45) Mount Sai Mhmm.

Linda (42:46) Marathon. (42:47) So I did that, and it didn't kill me. (42:49) I thought that's great. (42:50) And then I saw in, gosh, 2017, '20 no. (42:55) 2015, I saw I've been on Instagram, but it was, the World Marathon Challenge.

Linda (43:04) And this is running seven marathons, on seven continents in seven days. (43:09) And it was the first time in 2015. (43:11) And I followed it for that entire week of these people going from one continent to the next. (43:15) And, you know, it was like, you go to bed, they've already got one done. (43:18) And then you wake up, and they've run another one.

Linda (43:20) And, you know, I thought, my god. (43:21) This is fantastic. (43:23) So I followed him. (43:24) And then the next year, they were doing it again. (43:26) And I remember telling my husband, like, wow.

Linda (43:28) This must be a thing. (43:30) He retired in 2017, and I was telling him, he's I was like, oh my god. (43:35) They're doing it again in 2017. (43:36) And he said he goes, why don't you go ahead and sign up and see if you can do that? (43:40) So I I did.

Linda (43:41) I applied. (43:42) And they basically said, oh, you're a type one diabetic. (43:45) Get get approval from your doctor. (43:47) In the meantime, we're moving from Seattle to Pinehurst, North Carolina. (43:51) So I had to had to get a new doctor, a new endocrinologist.

Linda (43:54) And so when I met with her and told her kinda who I was and what I do and, you know, and she's like, yeah. (44:00) They we don't usually deal with extreme athletes. (44:03) I'm like, I'm not extreme. (44:04) I'm like, I just I just like to run. (44:06) But she's like, oh, no.

Linda (44:07) You're you kinda do extreme stuff. (44:09) And so but she didn't run screaming from the room. (44:11) So she's like, alright. (44:12) Let's see what we can do if you're gonna do this. (44:14) And so we did everything that we needed to do and and got accepted to run this race.

Linda (44:18) And so I did it in 2019 and, ran seven marathons, seven continents, seven days. (44:24) And some of the things, you know, when running that, you have to worry about, like, you know, you're in Antarctica. (44:29) You know? (44:30) I don't want my pump to freeze, you know, when I'm in Antarctica and need it for the next six days. (44:35) So, you know, you had to, you know, figure out how to to work around some of those challenges.

Linda (44:39) And then, you know, within six hours or whatever, we're in Cape Town, South Africa, and it's, you know, a 100% humidity and 92 degrees. (44:46) You're like, okay. (44:47) I don't want the pump to overheat either. (44:49) Right?

Scott Benner (44:50) So Yeah. (44:50) Yeah.

Linda (44:50) You know? (44:51) So you have those kinds of challenges along with running, but I've always been kind of into this running. (44:56) And then along the way through all of this, I saw where they do this run a marathon in all 50 states. (45:03) So while I was running other marathons, training and doing whatever, I was checking off the states. (45:09) So I travel around the country in US, right, in different states and checking off those states.

Linda (45:15) So I just finished that 50 state, marathon in Twin Cities, Minnesota, sponsored by Medtronic. (45:24) It's a marathon sponsored by Medtronic. (45:26) And I thought, what better way to finish, you know, this 50 states wearing the Medtronic pump running a race sponsored by Medtronic. (45:34) Right? (45:35) And I thought, I'm just gonna do that.

Linda (45:37) And so it it worked out perfectly. (45:38) And so I I just finished that. (45:41) And so I just look I always look for challenges. (45:43) And so Yeah.

Scott Benner (45:44) I'm struck by how different people are because you found these people, this group of people online, and you're like, this is inspiration. (45:50) I would have turned to somebody and said, I found a group of crazy people online. (45:54) They're running all over the place. (45:55) But you were like, no. (45:56) No.

Scott Benner (45:56) These are my people. (45:57) By the way, 50 states, what's the time frame? (46:00) How many years did it take you to run 50 different marathons in 50 different states?

Linda (46:05) Gosh. (46:05) Well, I didn't I really wasn't paying any attention to it. (46:08) So

Scott Benner (46:08) I In years?

Linda (46:10) I I've been running, like I ran in, like, Seattle, like, I don't know, eight times because I lived there. (46:14) Right? (46:14) So in Portland, like, a couple times because I really wasn't really thinking about the 50 states until probably it might have been around in 2015, so I had to go back.

Scott Benner (46:24) You've been focused on this for a decade. (46:26) I can't how I can't how you my god. (46:28) Why are you a special person? (46:30) This is now my new question, Linda. (46:31) Like, how did you focus on that for a decade?

Scott Benner (46:33) How do you decide to go did your husband go with you seven continents? (46:37) Seven days? (46:38) Seven days. (46:39) Like, where you just, like I I've talked to somebody who's done this before. (46:42) Like, you know, on a plane, you land, you run, you get back on a plane, you land that just like that.

Scott Benner (46:47) Right?

Linda (46:48) Yeah. (46:48) You do. (46:49) And, and I've done it three times actually. (46:51) I'm not Wait.

Scott Benner (46:52) Stop. (46:52) No. (46:52) Linda, stop. (46:53) You've done seven continents in seven days three times?

Speaker 3 (46:56) Yes.

Scott Benner (46:56) Alright. (46:57) I'm gonna ask a different question. (46:59) What's wrong with you? (47:00) Tell everybody right now.

Linda (47:04) I know. (47:04) My husband, all he keeps saying is you're not normal.

Scott Benner (47:06) I'm like Well, yeah.

Linda (47:09) I'm like no. (47:11) It's it's fun. (47:12) And it's a he did go with me the third time. (47:15) So because he, you know, he he looks at me as, like, somebody with type one diabetes, and he understands that. (47:21) But he also sees me I'm always running.

Linda (47:23) And he's he told me after watching this, the World Marathon Challenge, the third time, and he was watching all of us run this thing. (47:32) He goes, wow. (47:33) I didn't realize how hard it was. (47:34) He goes, you always make things look so easy. (47:36) You're like, I'm going for a 20 miler.

Linda (47:38) And I go, okay. (47:39) I'll see you in I'll see you in a little bit. (47:41) And he goes and does his thing, and he's like, and then you're you're done. (47:43) And and we go and get something to eat, and then we go about our day and play golf or whatever. (47:47) He was like yeah.

Linda (47:49) He goes, I didn't realize how hard that was. (47:51) And Did you guys have kids? (47:53) No. (47:53) And that's why we do some of this stuff. (47:55) Yes.

Scott Benner (47:55) Oh, I was gonna say because, like, where are you getting all this money from? (47:58) My kids are sucking me dry. (48:00) Was that on purpose? (48:01) Was that, I'm gonna be dead soon. (48:02) I don't wanna have children thing?

Linda (48:04) I don't know. (48:05) It was more about a little bit of it was. (48:07) Right? (48:07) Because I I really worried about having kids and leaving them, you know, and having my husband to raise them. (48:14) And so that that did play into a lot of it.

Linda (48:19) And then we both had jobs where he traveled a ton for his job. (48:23) I mean, he could be he worked for Boeing. (48:24) So he could be gone months at a time. (48:26) And I thought, man, if I died, you won't have those children.

Scott Benner (48:30) So many of your decisions are made around whether or not you expire out of nowhere. (48:34) I mean, it sound like you're incredibly healthy. (48:35) Do you have any complications?

Linda (48:38) No. (48:38) I've not had any. (48:39) Even my eye doctor's like, she every time I see her, she's like, it's amazing. (48:43) I can't even tell you're a diabetic with

Scott Benner (48:44) your eye. (48:45) You're running so far. (48:46) It probably the diabetes can't catch up to you to grab on, I would imagine.

Linda (48:49) I tell people I'm running away from it. (48:51) Know.

Scott Benner (48:52) Well, that's isn't it exciting though to know that there's a generation of kids right now that are gonna get diagnosed at 14 who will never be told your life is gonna be shorter?

Linda (49:02) Right.

Scott Benner (49:02) Who won't be told you can't run, you know, who are never gonna have the fears and the concerns that you grew up with.

Linda (49:09) Right. (49:09) Yes. (49:09) I I know. (49:10) It's it's amazing. (49:11) And and, I was talking to a a kid, and I wanna say he was, gosh, like, maybe 20.

Linda (49:17) He was diagnosed, I think he said when he was two, 18, two years. (49:22) And he, he also has the same kind of outlook that I do. (49:26) And he goes, you know what? (49:27) He goes, the difference between you and me, he says, is that he goes, and what I see with other people who have been diagnosed, you know, like, maybe in their teens or even their twenties, you know, later in life, he says, most of them mourn their prior life. (49:42) He goes, I see that a lot.

Linda (49:44) They all mourn what it was like before they had die diabetes. (49:49) And he says, I don't know any different. (49:51) So this is my he goes, so this he goes, so I have nothing to mourn. (49:55) He goes, do you find that? (49:56) And I'm like, no.

Linda (49:58) I I don't. (49:59) You know? (49:59) I was like,

Scott Benner (50:00) anyway seen it go all different ways, Linda. (50:02) Like, I really have. (50:03) Like, I I take this point. (50:04) I've recorded, like, over 2,000 times with people with type one diabetes, and we'll and I'll probably do another 250 recordings in 2026 and the year after and over. (50:14) And by the time I get done doing this, I'll probably have recorded with, like, 3,000 different people.

Scott Benner (50:18) Wow. (50:19) I do find that people take their situation, then look at the opposite, and then make a decision. (50:25) Oh, that must be why I'm this way. (50:27) But that person who said that to you, I've talked to people who are in that exact same situation who have the exact opposite takeaway. (50:33) So I I don't know.

Scott Benner (50:34) I think it's so personal that and you don't even realize why you feel the way you feel sometimes. (50:38) Mhmm. (50:39) That makes sense?

Linda (50:40) Yeah. (50:40) I yeah. (50:41) I absolutely agree with you. (50:42) Yeah.

Scott Benner (50:42) It's not a crazy way to start your decision making process. (50:46) Like, my daughter's too. (50:47) She doesn't remember not having diabetes, but she is also not thrilled about it. (50:51) You you know? (50:52) Like, it's she's not running around going like, no big deal.

Scott Benner (50:54) There are places in her life that it really impacts her, and it's Yeah. (50:57) And it's difficult. (50:59) And there are parts of it that she just skates through. (51:01) I don't know. (51:02) And if she was a slightly different person, if that was my son and not my daughter, he's got a different personality, he would he'd intersect with it differently too.

Linda (51:09) That's true. (51:10) That's very true. (51:11) Because even my brother, he he was in denial for the first probably five, six, seven years. (51:17) Yeah. (51:17) Like, he just thought he was didn't need insulin.

Linda (51:19) He wouldn't give it. (51:20) I'm like, what are you doing? (51:21) You know? (51:22) Until his until his case started having his retinas detach. (51:25) And then he realized, oh, boy.

Scott Benner (51:26) Figured it out then. (51:27) Yeah. (51:27) Yeah. (51:27) I bet. (51:28) Real quick.

Scott Benner (51:28) Yeah. (51:29) So what was he doing? (51:30) Giving himself basal and no bolusing?

Linda (51:32) Yeah. (51:32) He wasn't doing any of it. (51:34) No.

Scott Benner (51:34) Oh, was he did he have Lada maybe back then and they didn't know it? (51:37) Was he, like, a slow onset?

Linda (51:39) No. (51:40) He was diagnosed pretty early. (51:41) My my parents, because they were you know, they had seven kids, so it was three of us, right, that had it. (51:47) But at the time, it was just two of us. (51:49) But after after my sister was diagnosed, my mom used to because back in the day, you didn't have, like, a little machine that you could poke your own finger and put blood on a, you know, stick and within, you know, twenty seconds or whatever.

Linda (52:01) You used to have to pee in a cup, use an eyedropper, put a tablet, in the in the eyedropper, put so many drops of urine on it, and it would turn a different color. (52:13) You would compare that to the scale on the back of this bottle that the tablets came in to see kind of what your range was, but it could be, like, 60 to 200. (52:23) Mhmm. (52:24) You know, $2.00 1 to 400. (52:26) You know?

Linda (52:26) So you never really knew what you were in, but my mom would have us, she would do that about once a month with all of us kids. (52:33) So we knew, my mom would know pretty quickly because and then she obviously recognized the signs, which I think today when you hear these kids that are dying, because the parents don't know or the or the doctors even do not know the signs of type one diabetes. (52:48) And that with all the the available, you know, information and the tools that we use for that kind of stuff, for someone to not be aware of the signs of that is is just it's just baffling to me. (53:03) And I think as as a group and I and I keep trying to do this too is try to bring awareness because not just within my, you know, my immediate friends and family because I think they pretty much know. (53:15) But, you know, you we've gotta expand it out even further because it's you know, when they're thinking your kid is, you know, wow.

Linda (53:22) You know, might be because it's hot out. (53:24) They're really thirsty now, but then because they're drinking a lot. (53:26) Now they're peeing a lot. (53:27) You know? (53:27) It's like Yeah.

Linda (53:28) You know, just know the signs. (53:30) You know? (53:30) But but he knew. (53:32) We caught him early, but he just was in denial. (53:35) And so my parents would make him give his, insulin injections because he was still on injections at the time too.

Linda (53:42) If he could get away with not doing it and he'd fake it, he would. (53:45) And I don't know if he was because he was afraid of needles or I don't know

Speaker 3 (53:49) what I think he was

Linda (53:49) just in denial. (53:50) Yeah. (53:50) It was the most bizarre thing. (53:52) I was like, wow. (53:53) You got two sisters with it and are dealing with it, and you, like or acting like it didn't pertain to you.

Scott Benner (53:59) So one of my bigger takeaways is that, you know, sometimes people get labeled as noncompliant. (54:05) I don't think people are noncompliant. (54:06) I just think that I think it just everyone's personality is different. (54:11) Their struggles are different, and they react to things differently. (54:15) I don't think anybody doesn't want to be healthy.

Scott Benner (54:18) You know? (54:19) I just think there are a lot of other implications and reasons why we act the way we act, and I don't know that we can always take credit for them. (54:26) Like, I don't know that you can take credit for being, like, a runner who's doing all the things you're doing any more than your brother could be at fault Right. (54:35) For what he did. (54:35) Exactly.

Scott Benner (54:36) What I mean? (54:36) Mhmm. (54:36) Yeah. (54:37) And it's why I'm sorry. (54:39) It's why it's nice that this technology exists.

Scott Benner (54:41) Right? (54:42) Because no matter what side of the spectrum you're on, at this point, it can we could slap a CGM and a pump on you. (54:49) You can live a nice long life.

Linda (54:51) Right.

Scott Benner (54:51) Yeah. (54:51) You know, a a healthy life, a life free of complications, and then you can decide how much effort you're gonna put into it after that.

Linda (54:58) Right.

Scott Benner (54:59) But just having the gear on really I mean, it it just propels you into a a different world that did not exist when you were diagnosed.

Linda (55:07) Right. (55:07) Yeah. (55:07) That's exactly true. (55:08) Yeah. (55:08) Because, I mean, if you take a kid now that's diagnosed and and he's like my brother.

Linda (55:13) Right? (55:13) You put a pump on him and a CGM. (55:15) I mean, I don't even have to some of these people don't even give a bolus when they're eating. (55:20) Right? (55:20) Because a pump will make up for a lot of it.

Linda (55:22) Right? (55:23) So you're not you're not gonna

Scott Benner (55:24) You could end up easily in a with an a one c in the sevens and Right. (55:27) And not be that engaged, honestly.

Speaker 3 (55:30) Yeah. (55:30) Exactly.

Scott Benner (55:30) I mean, I'd be better for you if you were pre ballistic your meals and and doing all your things. (55:34) Like, I'm not saying otherwise. (55:36) But I'm saying that given, you know, given due respect to the fact that there are a lot of different people with a lot of different struggles and a lot of different brains, and this technology is life changing for an entire, worldwide community of people living with type one diabetes.

Linda (55:52) Absolutely. (55:53) Yeah. (55:53) I just yeah. (55:55) It just is I I'm I'm thankful. (55:57) Right?

Linda (55:57) I just every day, it's like I'm thankful. (55:59) And I and I'm kind of excited about what's coming up. (56:02) Right? (56:02) What new things can people think about? (56:04) Because even, you know, twenty years ago, I never would have thought that the pump with the CGM and that it would be in this closed loop system that, you know, could almost make it feel like you weren't even a diabetic anymore.

Linda (56:14) Right? (56:14) I I just never even I've never even it didn't cross my mind, and now you've got it. (56:20) You know? (56:20) It's like, what else can they do? (56:22) You know?

Scott Benner (56:22) It's like expectations, Linda, and I know not a lot about much, but my expectations are that, with the help of coders and AI, that they're gonna find better and better ways to make these algorithms work and that, you know, outcomes can get better, you know, moving forward and probably more quickly than you imagine right now too. (56:41) Like, you Right. (56:41) You've really lived like, your your life's been like you're I don't know. (56:45) How much older than me? (56:47) I'm 54.

Scott Benner (56:48) Right? (56:48) But Mhmm. (56:49) You've lived through such a shift in technology in your life and not just through medical stuff. (56:54) Right? (56:55) Like, you're young enough now to, like, still look up and say, hey.

Scott Benner (56:58) This AI thing's crazy.

Speaker 3 (57:00) Right.

Scott Benner (57:00) Right? (57:01) And it and you live through the Internet. (57:03) You know how hard it is to tell people that, like, I didn't have the Internet for a big chunk of my life? (57:08) You know, you try to explain that world to them. (57:09) Or I just got interviewed the other day by a college student who was like, you know, tell me about your media consumption when you were younger.

Scott Benner (57:15) I was like, media consumption. (57:17) I was like, my friend, it was ABC, CBS, and NBC. (57:20) And if I wanted to consume it, I sat in front of it when they told me it was on and that was that. (57:23) And he's like, well, what if you wanted to watch it again? (57:25) I was like, I don't know.

Scott Benner (57:26) Like, that didn't happen.

Speaker 3 (57:28) Right. (57:28) Yeah. (57:28) Didn't happen.

Scott Benner (57:29) Yeah. (57:29) And I told him, said, you know, I can sing the the Mounds Almond Joy song from the commercial because every year in October, I made sure to sit in front of my television to watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special. (57:42) Yes. (57:43) And that company always bought an ad on it. (57:45) And so, like, that's how I know that mounds, you know, mounds don't you know, that whole thing.

Linda (57:51) And, like and I was like,

Scott Benner (57:52) but then that's it. (57:53) Like, I was like, you know, you saw a movie in a theater and if you missed it, it was gone. (57:56) You never saw it.

Linda (57:57) Right. (57:58) Exactly. (57:58) Yeah.

Scott Benner (57:59) The way things have changed now like that, the way it's gonna apply to this stuff, I think is gonna be insane. (58:06) Like, I I

Linda (58:07) think You know what I mean?

Scott Benner (58:08) Like, I don't know that you're not gonna live in a world you, even though you even though you died thirty years ago, Linda, I don't know that you're not gonna get to live in a world. (58:16) My daughter's definitely gonna get to live in a world

Linda (58:18) Absolutely.

Scott Benner (58:19) Where she's gonna open up her phone one day and say, hey. (58:22) I'm having pizza, but it's at Pizza Hut, not at Domino's. (58:26) Don't forget Pizza Hut hits us differently. (58:28) It's already gonna be 10 steps ahead of her because it's gonna have location on and know where she's at. (58:33) Yep.

Scott Benner (58:33) Like, I don't think that's crazy. (58:35) So I

Linda (58:36) know. (58:36) I agree. (58:37) I totally agree with you. (58:39) And I also think that, you know, it's like, you know, you talk about how we how we learn things and, you know, and, like, the social media type stuff, you know, I was talking about earlier. (58:48) I'll tell you one of the things that I have really because I'm a I'm a Medtronic ambassador.

Linda (58:53) Yeah. (58:53) Yeah. (58:54) And one of the things that you know, when we get together with some of these other people who have type one diabetes, the things that you can learn from these other ambassadors and other type one diabetics that I never even would have thought of. (59:07) Right? (59:08) So, like, I was just over in the New York City Marathon, and we're supporting a couple of these runners that were type one diabetics.

Linda (59:15) And the majority of them were running their marathon for the first time. (59:18) And one of them, I was talking to her, and she's like, she puts her pump, you know, in the back of her, like, her, like, sports bra somewhere in the back. (59:26) And I'm thinking, how do you do that? (59:28) Right? (59:28) And how do you you know, it's like, what's you know and and we're all, like, turn you know, talking about the different patches you wear to cover your CGM when it's really hot and sweaty.

Linda (59:36) And, you know, there's so many things that, you know, as the technology changes that I haven't yet, like a lot of these were using some of the new sensors. (59:46) And I you know, obviously, I'm I'm like for them to try them out first.

Speaker 3 (59:49) I'm like

Scott Benner (59:49) I heard you say that earlier. (59:50) Yeah. (59:51) Yeah. (59:51) I know.

Linda (59:51) And I'll I'll use them. (59:53) You know? (59:53) And then I'm like, I'll let you try them out first. (59:55) But I start asking you, start asking the questions. (59:56) What do you like about it?

Linda (59:57) What don't you like about it? (59:58) What do you do? (59:58) You know? (59:59) How does it how does it do? (1:00:00) And how do you you know, when you're running, what do you do?

Linda (1:00:02) And you know? (1:00:02) But you learn so much from people that are in the community as well. (1:00:06) Yeah. (1:00:06) You know? (1:00:07) Not just the and I think companies like Medtronic, right, they also get that feedback, and they could they use it, I think, you know, to to make it better and easier for for all of us.

Linda (1:00:18) And and that, I'm also very appreciative of. (1:00:21) And you get a lot of you know, you get surveys from all kinds of people, you know, even beyond type one. (1:00:25) You know? (1:00:25) What's what works for you? (1:00:27) What doesn't work for you?

Linda (1:00:28) You know? (1:00:28) Medtronic. (1:00:29) I mean, different different people. (1:00:30) And I think it's all about, you know, trying to get the technology to do as much for you, you know, so you do live a hassle free, you know, worry free life that I think we all deserve. (1:00:42) Right?

Linda (1:00:42) And just

Scott Benner (1:00:43) Yeah.

Linda (1:00:43) You know? (1:00:43) Because we, you know, got diagnosed with this disease. (1:00:46) You know? (1:00:46) It doesn't mean our life ends. (1:00:48) It doesn't mean we have to stop doing anything.

Linda (1:00:50) Right? (1:00:50) But if anything we could do to to share, you know, what we know, what works for us, that might work for one somebody else, and they can use that then to maybe create, you know, newer technology that can make it easier. (1:01:04) You know? (1:01:04) I mean, if you're know, if you got a lot of, you know, technicians or, you know, software engineers that are men that aren't type type one diabetics, they're creating these devices to, you know, better control our blood sugars, but it's you know, it doesn't fit in a tight fitting dress. (1:01:20) You know?

Scott Benner (1:01:20) Yeah. (1:01:21) Or it doesn't think or if it didn't think about the fluctuations from hormones from your cycle or whatever. (1:01:26) Exactly. (1:01:27) And, Linda, you're you're preaching to the choir. (1:01:29) I have a I have a private Facebook group for the podcast that has 76,000 active members in it.

Linda (1:01:36) Oh my gosh. (1:01:37) Wow.

Scott Benner (1:01:37) It does a 120 to a 160 new posts every day and 8,000 likes and comments every twenty four hours.

Linda (1:01:45) Oh my god.

Scott Benner (1:01:46) To say that I believe that community and the connection to other people is maybe half of it, it might be an understatement. (1:01:54) I think I from my from my point of view, you need good tools, good direction. (1:01:59) Yeah. (1:01:59) You need the, the ability to make changes to your settings on your own Yeah. (1:02:03) And the confidence that comes with it.

Scott Benner (1:02:06) And then you need the understanding and connection of other people who understand your situation. (1:02:12) That is really most of this thing. (1:02:14) If you have those things, you are way, way ahead. (1:02:17) You're almost golden.

Linda (1:02:18) Yeah. (1:02:18) Yeah. (1:02:19) I agree.

Scott Benner (1:02:19) Yeah. (1:02:20) I I I believe that a million percent.

Linda (1:02:23) Yep. (1:02:23) I agree.

Scott Benner (1:02:24) Is there anything I have not asked you that I should have? (1:02:27) Anything that you were gonna hang up and go, I cannot believe we didn't talk about I mean, have you been to the moon? (1:02:34) I mean, you're seven continents seven days three times. (1:02:37) Are you gonna do it again? (1:02:38) Are you gonna give up?

Scott Benner (1:02:39) Like, at

Linda (1:02:40) what at what age do

Scott Benner (1:02:41) you go, hey. (1:02:41) You know what? (1:02:42) I'm done with this.

Linda (1:02:44) No. (1:02:45) I can't imagine. (1:02:46) I I I I've always told my husband if I end up, like, you know, having a heart attack on a on a race and I'm a few meters from the, you know, the finish line, drag my ass across there and put on me. (1:02:57) You know? (1:02:58) Bury me with it.

Linda (1:02:59) But but, no, I'm not I'm not giving up. (1:03:00) And I think, you know, I think it's one of the reasons why I'm in such good control is because I am very active. (1:03:07) Always have been, you know, so I didn't stop once I got diagnosed. (1:03:10) Yeah. (1:03:11) And then, you know, and I and I think it's important.

Linda (1:03:13) And then, you know, I'm gonna you know, after I'm right now trying to run a 100 marathons. (1:03:18) So I'm only a couple away, but I'm gonna finish and I'm trying to finish my hundredth running the Sydney marathon in August year. (1:03:27) And then I'm I just saw a new race that was called the deepest marathon in the world, and it's in some kind of mine in Sweden. (1:03:38) And so I was like, I might have to check that one out.

Scott Benner (1:03:41) I'm not gonna bother asking you what your favorite Netflix series is because I don't think you watch televisions.

Linda (1:03:48) I I don't. (1:03:50) Don't. (1:03:51) Watch t I rarely watch TV. (1:03:53) But yeah. (1:03:53) But it's like you know, so I'm gonna just be over the next you know, after I'm done with the 100, I'll probably look for things that are a little bit, you know Yeah.

Linda (1:04:01) Unique. (1:04:01) You know? (1:04:02) Like, I I do wanna run North Pole. (1:04:03) So I'm gonna if I do North Pole, probably do this deepest marathon, I'll probably I wanna definitely do Athens, Greece because that's where it all started. (1:04:10) So I haven't

Scott Benner (1:04:11) Does it go through the ruins and everything in Athens?

Linda (1:04:14) I don't know where I have I've not actually looked at the route, but they say it's supposedly the the first the route that actually started the whole marathon. (1:04:21) So

Scott Benner (1:04:22) Your life is way better than mine. (1:04:24) Let me just say now that Medtronic, if they need somebody to do a podcast with you after you've run one of these, like, on location, I think I should be asked. (1:04:30) There's a couple of play not not did you say Antarctica? (1:04:33) Not there. (1:04:33) But you have a you have a great life.

Scott Benner (1:04:35) This is really awesome. (1:04:36) Good for you for making that life for yourself after somebody told you weren't gonna have one. (1:04:39) Really wonderful. (1:04:40) Really, really lovely.

Linda (1:04:41) I know I'm like, I wasn't gonna live this. (1:04:43) Woe was me, and I'm gonna die in a couple years. (1:04:45) I'm like, nope. (1:04:46) I'm gonna I'm gonna enjoy every minute I'm on it. (1:04:49) Right?

Scott Benner (1:04:49) So That's beautiful. (1:04:50) It really is. (1:04:51) Linda, I appreciate you taking the time spending this day with me.

Linda (1:04:53) No. (1:04:54) Thank you for asking.

Scott Benner (1:04:55) No. (1:04:55) It's a it's a pleasure. (1:04:56) You were you're just delightful.

Linda (1:04:58) Oh, thank you. (1:04:59) You are too.

Scott Benner (1:05:00) Oh, you didn't have to say that, but it's true. (1:05:03) Hold on one second for me. (1:05:04) Thank you.

Speaker 3 (1:05:05) Okay.

Scott Benner (1:05:13) I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed seven eighty g automated insulin delivery system, which, of course, anticipates, adjusts, and corrects every five minutes twenty four seven. (1:05:23) It works around the clock so you can focus on what matters. (1:05:28) The Juice Box community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. (1:05:33) To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, visit my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. (1:05:43) I'd like to thank the blood glucose meter that my daughter carries, the Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter.

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Scott Benner (1:06:22) If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple podcasts, please do that now. (1:06:30) Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. (1:06:35) If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. (1:06:41) And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. (1:06:46) Would you like a Christmas card?

Scott Benner (1:06:52) If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast private Facebook group. (1:06:59) Juice box podcast, type one diabetes. (1:07:02) But everybody is welcome. (1:07:03) Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. (1:07:08) If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook.

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Scott Benner (1:07:41) Not a 100% sure. (1:07:42) I think I'm going in December right before Christmas. (1:07:46) Like, you know, like, I don't know, like, the December. (1:07:49) I'm sorry. (1:07:50) Know this isn't much of a that.

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