#285 She Is Having a Baby! Second Trimester
Part Two of a Four Part Series…
Samantha is 24 years old, newly diagnosed with type 1 and pregnant. I'll be talking with Samantha after each trimester and after the baby arrives.
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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, and welcome to Episode 285 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today is part two of my conversation with Samantha Do you remember her? She's pregnant has type one diabetes, first on the show back in Episode 259, where we learned all about Samantha's first pregnancy that did not end with the baby and her diabetes diagnosis. And her new pregnancy, which is what we're talking about now in this four part series. So if you have not heard Episode 259, pauses, head back, listen to that one, and then come back. But if you have heard that, welcome back, this is my update with Samantha update. Number two, there'll be two more, we're gonna get one more right as she's about to pop, and another one, about three months postpartum. So this is going to be a nice conversation that goes right through Samantha's pregnancy, to give you the full picture of what's going on. Today, we're gonna find out about the baby's gender name, food cravings, things that are going on around the house, how Samantha's blood sugar has been behaving and what position she can no longer have sex. And that's right. past all the important questions. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Dexcom on the pod and dancing for diabetes, you can go to dexcom.com Ford slash juice box to find out about the G six continuous glucose monitor, or my Omni pod.com Ford slash juice box to find out about the tubeless insulin pump that Arden has been wearing for over a decade. And don't forget to check out dancing for diabetes.com to see everything that that beautiful organization is doing dancing the number four diabetes.com. Before Samantha and I get started, please let me remind you that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. And always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. or becoming bold with insulin.
Unknown Speaker 2:16
Samantha?
Unknown Speaker 2:17
Hi, good morning. Feel. I'm sorry.
Samantha 2:22
I said Good morning. How are you? Can you hear me? Okay. I can Yes.
Unknown Speaker 2:28
So
Scott Benner 2:30
I want you to know, this is nerve racking for me now.
Samantha 2:36
See, I'm I'm feeling better about this one.
Unknown Speaker 2:39
No data. Last one.
Scott Benner 2:42
So my assumption is and we're recording. So you know, and I think I might leave this little bit in
my assumption was because of your first experience, your recording that last one probably felt nerve wracking, right? Like, a little like, I'm gonna put this out in the world. And what if it doesn't go the right way? Is that how you were feeling a little?
Samantha 3:23
Oh, I didn't really worry about how it was gonna go. Like, I think just recording it because like, but I get it. And then after that, I was like, I don't really care what people think.
Scott Benner 3:34
Nice. So I now realize and this is a please. I hope this doesn't sound morbid. But now I realized like, were you really mean like you're Yeah, like the expectation of course. And I'm assuming everything is just gonna be delightful. You know, babies are born constantly, and they're all 10 fingers and 10 toes, etc. But like, there's part of me that feels like we're recording a cross country. roadtrip, except what we don't know is that, you know, when we get to California, there just be zombies there. And like, and I and I feel like, I don't really worry about it. But it sticks in the back of my head a little bit.
Unknown Speaker 4:09
Like every time we get real time. Yeah. Now
Samantha 4:12
I'd give you a heads up though. Who wouldn't?
Scott Benner 4:15
Go Can you imagine that? We're 45 minutes into the third one. And you're like, Oh, my house caught fire. My husband left me and you know, like, I'm just Oh, anyway, I now I'm like festively interested in your happiness. Well, hopefully I can live up to the expectations. I'm 100% certain you're going to I just I don't really find myself worrying about things very often and that one thing. Like it's been sticking in my head a
Unknown Speaker 4:45
little bit. Okay, I hope she's okay.
Scott Benner 4:48
Just I want this girl to have a perfectly happy life. I do not want to get to Episode Four. And you know, like the sad music comes on and it says, Oh man, Sam never answered the fourth. I never heard from perfect I don't know where she's at. Yeah, so anyway, that's all like, I'm not even saying about your pregnancy or your man. I'm just like anything like if you get abducted at the mall now I feel like it's my fault.
Unknown Speaker 5:11
But that would make it more interesting. Certainly what I could probably get on NPR with that.
Unknown Speaker 5:18
Okay.
Scott Benner 5:20
All right, let's recap. You are preggers, right? Yeah. How far along are we now?
Samantha 5:26
I will be 24 weeks tomorrow. Tomorrow being
Scott Benner 5:31
Thanksgiving. Yeah. Congratulations. Do you feel like you've hit any kind of a milestone yet? Or is it just the slog at the beginning? Like what's going on with? Like, how do you feel in the mornings and throughout the day?
Samantha 5:44
Um, I'm definitely getting progressively more uncomfortable. This like been? Because I'm getting like, it's there's no question that I'm not if I'm pregnant or not anymore. I, I got to the point a couple weeks ago, where people started asking me when I was due. And I was like, well, you don't even know if I'm pregnant.
Scott Benner 6:07
Or used that. See I already I'm fascinated by this. You so even though you feel like they've obviously are sniffing you out is pregnant. Right? And you're still thinking I don't look pregnant. You're out of your mind. Yeah, yesterday,
Samantha 6:19
I asked way. And I said, so like, Did you like look at me? and think, oh, maybe she's not pregnant? And he just told me? No. He's like, you're definitely pregnant. And I was like, Okay, here we are. I bought my first pair of maternity pants this weekend. Elastic all
Scott Benner 6:38
the way around them?
Samantha 6:39
Yeah, it's in full swing now.
Unknown Speaker 6:42
Good for you. I mean, listen, I think acceptance in many forms of life is the first and best step. Yeah, what was your hope that you would just be like model fin throughout the nine months, and the baby would pop out your ear when it was over? What were you really hoping for? No, I knew I was gonna get like, big. I mean, I'm not huge, huge, but I'm bigger. Because I was getting bigger than I was. With my last pregnancy, before I even got to the point of where my last pregnancy was. So I was like, this is gonna, it's just gonna keep going.
Scott Benner 7:16
My expectation and my understanding from talking to the ladies. And let's keep in mind that I have been a stay at home dad for over 20 years that most of what I do during the day is just me in a cluster of women. So is that after you have one or two, like, by the time the third? stretchy, your body just goes, Oh, I'm pregnant now. And it just goes to the size it's supposed to be? And it's just like, everything's cool. Any weird stuff happening yet? Have your feet grown?
Samantha 7:44
I don't think so. I haven't, I haven't noticed that. I'm just getting it. I can't lay on my back for a long time anymore. So that's a difficult sleeping has become more difficult back pain or
Scott Benner 8:02
acid reflux, which is,
Samantha 8:04
um, like, why I can't lay on my back? Yeah. Oh, just because the baby is squishing all my organs. Gotcha. See? So I'm laying on my back. And I'm like, Oh, this is very uncomfortable.
Unknown Speaker 8:15
Are you? Have you been thinking about? like big ideas yet? Have you hit that part? Where your brain starts exploding? And you're like, what about college? And like, have you have you skipped way ahead in your brain yet? No, my, my ob keeps saying that we need to have a pediatrician. I'm like, I don't even know where to start for their.
Unknown Speaker 8:38
Well, you finding one. If
Scott Benner 8:40
you go on Facebook, and you watch everybody complained about their pediatricians and whoever seems to complain the least that's your pediatrician.
Samantha 8:48
So I have to join some mom group.
Scott Benner 8:51
Can I be honest with you? Yeah, close to your house.
Samantha 8:54
Oh, yeah. Every I I drove like five minutes to work. I can't. I don't like driving. I'm not gonna pick someone far away.
Scott Benner 9:02
Everything about life is close to your house. When when, when Cole used to play like travel baseball. People be like, Oh, he's with a good team. How do you do that? You know, how did you forget what that team of like, I don't know if this is a good team or not. I don't care. It needs to hit three criteria he has to play. It needs to be close to my house. And inexpensive. That's it for the rest of its BS. Like, I don't care. I don't care like about the rest of it. You know? I think that too. I mean, listen, don't go to a doctor who, you know, seems scary or has like a hook or arm or something like that, like, you know, but I mean, any of them reasonably close to your house that takes your insurance. I think you're good.
Samantha 9:44
Yeah. I'm sure I mean, and then after the first appointment, if I don't like him, we can always switch totally
Scott Benner 9:49
bail on him. Look him right in the eye and be like, You're freaking me out. I gotta go somewhere else. Sorry.
Unknown Speaker 9:54
You won't be saying my child again. I will
Scott Benner 9:55
tell you right after you. You lose a little bit of that. That night. A skier once the kids there, you know, yeah, like, you know, right now if you were at a playground and just saw somebody doing something rude to another kid that looked like that kid was gonna get knocked off, you sit back and go, Oh my god, I hope that kid doesn't fall off the sliding board. You know, but when it's your kid at the top of the sliding board, you're gonna fly across the space cursing and throwing hands at people.
Unknown Speaker 10:21
Like Yo,
Scott Benner 10:22
knock my kid you'll just you'll be fine. That's a it's interesting that there is going to be a moment when in the like, in the just a flood of hormones, you're going to worry about like world peace. And you know, you're gonna start saying like, I heard droughts gonna be a problem in 50 years. You like stuff like that? Start getting consumed by it. How is has your interactions with your husband? Have you guys stayed the same like or is there any weird like parenting transformations coming over yet guys sometimes get weird when the the responsibility gets real like you like switch over from like, Oh, that's the guy I used to hang out with and do fun stuff with and now he makes wants to make sure we're warm and safe and can pay for food. Like it's a it's a strange switch that gets thrown. Have you noticed?
Samantha 11:18
I haven't noticed that he's pretty responsible already. So
Unknown Speaker 11:23
it's another line?
Samantha 11:24
Yeah, I haven't I guess it hasn't happened yet. Or at least it hasn't happened outwardly yet.
Scott Benner 11:31
I didn't mean like that. He's right now like, you know, doing bong hits in your kitchen. And like, and you're expecting him to stop doing that when the baby comes? I meant like, there's this. Like, I don't know how to characterize it. Exactly. But I imagine people listening who have had it happen to them can like know the feeling. It's a horror, like a horror falls over you that like it's your you feel so responsible. Yeah, at least it happened to me.
Samantha 11:56
I do. I do tend to say things like, you can't do that when the baby's here. I need to stop now.
Scott Benner 12:03
That's interesting. Do you have an example?
Samantha 12:06
I'm just like driving, is he? When I'm in the car with him? He kind of sometimes has road rage. I'm like, you can't do that. When your child is in the back of the car.
Scott Benner 12:19
I would say then how's the kid going to learn how to drive if you're not willing to?
Samantha 12:25
Cuz I don't do it. You don't do it. I don't have road rage. I mean, maybe I just don't drive enough.
Scott Benner 12:30
I have to say I'm now interested in what what qualifies as road rage?
Unknown Speaker 12:35
Like name calling? Oh,
Scott Benner 12:37
that's just a way to pass the time. I don't find that rageful at all. Does he critique everyone's driving?
Samantha 12:44
No, it's just, it's just when it affects him?
Scott Benner 12:47
Oh, oh, no. I'll look seven cars ahead and think to myself, why is that person making that left turn that show? like, Whoa, who taught them how to drive, you know, as if I'm any better of a driver? But no, I'm happy to critique anything within my visual stimulus. You know, like, Can I tell you something? This is a little off of your pregnancy for a second. But I take Arden into school every morning. And we're going into this entrance. And I'm watching people make this kind of like there's people leaving the school trying to make a left or right. And people going into the school in that same, you know, thoroughfare, both making a left and a right in. I'm in the line trying to go in to make a left. And I'm watching people come out and they're trying to sneak through traffic to make a left. And I said to Arden on a Tuesday. These people are getting more brazen as the school year goes on. They're not looking anymore. They're just going on hope someone's getting hit here. And she's like, What are you talking about? Like a car coming from the opposite of us is going to hit a car making a left coming out of the school. It's going to be the car coming out of the school left fall? And Arden's like you're out of your mind. A couple days later, I see it almost happened. I lay on the horn and save a life. Maybe not a life. They're going 30 miles an hour, but I'm still telling you I saved some damage. Arden's immediate response when she hears the horn. The second the horn starts, oh, Dad, stop, stop. I'm like, first of all, you don't know what you're talking about. You're over there trying to jam your contact lenses in your eyes. You have to jump out of this car. And so I'm like, I'm gonna calm down. I'm like, I just stopped those people from hitting each other. And she looks at me. Like she doesn't believe me at all. And I turned to her and I smiled very Riley and I was like, I'm a hero. Say something about that.
Unknown Speaker 14:37
She told me you are they owe you? Uh huh.
Scott Benner 14:40
She refused to anoint me a hero. But you know, when she started seeing the, the, the, the genuine genius and my ways it was two days later when people crashed right into each other. And Yep, right in front of us, because they don't know how to drive and I think your husband is just trying to point that out to them. And if he could get to them in their ear. He could probably help them, don't you think? I mean, I wouldn't doubt it. But you call that road rage?
Samantha 15:08
Yeah, I'm just a very I don't know, calm person when I drive. When I drive. I don't know. I mean, sometimes if somebody, if somebody, like cuts me off and I'm about to hit them, I get mad at them. But I got like a very momentary thing.
Scott Benner 15:24
Yeah, no, no, I am. Has your husband ever gotten out of the car and physically threatened somebody? Yeah. Has he ever began driving 15 to 20 miles an hour faster than he was driving to get back in front of somebody?
Unknown Speaker 15:36
Probably.
Scott Benner 15:37
Okay. He's got like half road rage. He's fine. He's 100% fine. Don't worry about him. Absolutely fine. I one more right, and then we'll move on to your pregnancy. I'm a small kid. I don't know how old eight, nine years old sitting on the Senate. Like, you're not old. So you don't know this. But cars used to have bench seats across the front. And in the newer fancier versions that there was a middle section that would fold down so the driver could put their arm on it. I would sometimes sit on that thing in the middle while my dad drove. Because it was like, you know, it was like 1979 and nobody cared about my life. You know me like my seatbelt literally was my dad reaching out and grabbing me? You think that's a joke? I'm 100% being drunk. I've had my face pulled right back from the dashboard of the windshield by my father who was just like, gotcha, bring you mad, you know, like that. So a guy cuts my dad off. And it's really egregious. I still remember to this day, it wasn't like we were on back streets. And like these sprawling back streets that went kind of on forever, you know, where there's homes, and this guy comes flying up on us we're going you know, 2530 miles and he comes flying up on us and whips around us and cuts us off and keeps goes really crazy. My father, chase that person down, cut them off, stop their car.
Unknown Speaker 17:01
Oh, man
Scott Benner 17:01
looks at me, puts the car in park takes a drag off his cigarette and says to me, Scott, one day far into the future, you will have a child with type one diabetes, and they should use an insulin pump called the Omni pod. Isn't that crazy? My dad was a time traveling soothsayer. He wasn't actually but I guarantee you if he was, he would tell me to use the AMI pod. And I know that because I've watched my daughter live with and without on the pod. And I know that life is better with it being untethered, right being able to pump insulin, make decisions about extended boluses and Temp Basal increases and decreases stuff that if you're on MDI right now you might not even know about. But when you get to the on the pod, the whole world is going to open up to you. Like Try to imagine a meal right where you really feel like you need six units, but you need four of the units sort of now sooner, but two of them you really need later. You know, like in a scenario where food might have more fat or protein and the rise that your blood sugar has, it doesn't happen for hours sometimes after the meal, you could do an extended bolus that would break up your your meal and so on and toast some now some out over time to huge impacting tool. I also love being able to do temporary bazel increases and decreases for those moments in the day that don't need quite as much bazel insulin or more basal insulin than they normally does at that time period. This is the flexibility you get with Omni pod. And not only that tubeless so you can wear it while you're exercising bathing swimming, you never lose that connection to your insulin. so important. And you can try the Omni pod today absolutely for free and with no obligation by going to my on the pod.com forward slash juice box and getting the pod experience kit tried today with no obligation my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box with links in your show notes with Juicebox podcast.com takes a drag off his cigarette and says to me hold this hands me his cigarette. I am now about nine years old holding a cigarette by the tip out in front of me hoping the ash doesn't fall on my hand. That's the extent of my knowledge of how to manipulate a cigarette at nine. Luckily, yeah. And my dad gets out very calmly walks up to the car. And I see him go taps on the on the guy's window. And so now I'm like, huh? So I start leaning out the window so I can hear and I hear my dad go roll down the window. Oh man, and I thought he's gonna kill this guy. And I've never really seen my dad do anything similar to this before. And after a couple of child things the guy for reasons I still can't understand as an adult and definitely didn't understand that a nine year old rolled the window down. My dad. My dad leaned into the car. His top half was gone for 20 seconds. He came back got in the car took this cigarette back and said to me, Well, he'll never do that again. And I was like, yeah, right on, and I never will either. You know, like, I'm never going to disrespect you again, just in case you were wondering, you know, like, I'm not 100%. Sure. But I would I realized later, is that my dad saw, like the policing of our neighborhood as partly his job. And I think you would call that road rage.
Unknown Speaker 20:28
I don't know what you turned out. Fine.
Scott Benner 20:30
Did I? I don't know about that. So have you been thinking about parenting ideas? Like the things you want to do you got to that point yet? Or is it more about like, I just need to get through this? And is it more about your diet and your blood sugar and stuff like that right now?
Samantha 20:47
Well, no, we talk about parenting stuff. Like, I don't know, I, we kind of talk about stuff like that, like throughout our relationship. Because when we met the, like, the thing that we like both connected on is the fact that we wanted a family. And that was really important to us. And so I kind of like think that the parenting talk was just like, woven into our relationship. From early on.
Scott Benner 21:11
I completely identified with that. there's part of me seeing Kelly was I used to think she's gonna be a good mom. But that felt really important to me, even when I was like, younger, like 2021 years old, I thought, like, I don't want to, I don't want to like hook up with a girl who like one day is, you know, doing questionable stuff with my children, and I'm trapped, and I can't get away. Yeah, you know, I never want to have to pull a kid aside and be like, yo, so I obviously chose really poorly. We're gonna, we're gonna pack a bag and get out of here after she falls asleep, right? Like I didn't want I didn't want that situation. Yeah, but so you guys just sort of like something happens. And you you'll comment on it like, hey, wouldn't the kid if we ever have a kid and it gets older? That's something I'd like to do or something I'd like to not do. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 21:55
yeah, we talked about that. That's nice. Good for you.
Scott Benner 21:59
I think that's really wonderful. Actually. I like the pre planning aspect of it.
Samantha 22:04
Hey, I mean, we wanted to make sure that we're on the same page before we throw a kid in the mix.
Scott Benner 22:10
Well, look at you being responsible. Not everyone is you know, sometimes Yeah. Not everyone. Sometimes. You're like, I'm way not responsible, but others. So how have you been making out with your blood? sugar's Is it is it? I mean, tell me about a little.
Samantha 22:27
It's been constantly changing. And it's pretty. I mean, there's, there's like, a week span where like, things are good. And I'm not trying to chase, figuring out what my bazel should be. I've noticed it's my bazel that always needs. And it's a little bit frustrating, because sometimes it changes every day. So then I spend part of the day trying to figure out what my bazel is supposed to be. But I can get that steadiness and not go high or go low from eating. And like this last week has been really rough yesterday was terrible. I couldn't I don't even think I figured out what my bazel was supposed to be before I went to bed. That was high all night. And well, I for me, and so it's just been changing a lot. I haven't hit the insulin resistance that is supposed to be coming soon. I like as an overall generalization. I've been eating less insulin than like pre pregnancy. So I'm still a little bit insulin sensitive for the most part. But sometimes it changes where I do need more. And I think it has to probably do with where my pot is played also,
Scott Benner 23:46
absorption inside. Yeah, yeah, I just spent two days with Arden with her pot on her leg. And it was just, it just didn't go well. And the entire time. I'm trying to make adjustments though. I'm really thinking. I think it's the site.
Unknown Speaker 24:03
Yeah, you
Scott Benner 24:04
know, like, I just don't think we're getting absorption where we chose this time as well as we could be. And it's it's incredibly frustrating because I take your point, like it's a feels like you're spend the entire day trying to figure out your blood sugar.
Samantha 24:20
And it's hard because I like need to eat because I'm hungry. Yeah. And like if I just didn't eat, I could probably figure it out really quickly. But like, I can't not eat. So I'm like eating but then trying to figure out what my bazel is supposed to be but then chasing the blood sugars from my bazel being off and
Scott Benner 24:38
is that um you're like it's exhausting. I was wondering is it I'm searching for a word but is it nerve wracking like because you're in that space where you're thinking I'm supposed to keep my blood sugar really stable and you know, on the the more normal side for the baby, but the baby also needs the Food which today is making my blood Do you get caught in that loop? Is it scary?
Unknown Speaker 25:04
I, I think
Samantha 25:08
when I think I get most worried when I'm having, like, because a low I can always fix pretty simply just by eating. And then the highs are what really bugged me because I feel like that I'm hurting him. And I'm worried about that, even though like a high for me is probably a bit lower than the highest a non diabetics blood sugar gets. It's still like in my mind, like, I shouldn't be that high, right? Even though for that moment, it's probably okay, so it just gets a little bit. It's just a little bit anxiety. I put a lot of pressure on myself. So that doesn't help.
Scott Benner 25:47
Yeah, I can't feel I can see that as being a situation where you get into your own head and you're just you have these two, like fighting ideas, and they're both making you anxious in a different, like, similar but different way. Yeah. And then you're worried about little Scott the whole time. Yeah. Not gonna be the name. I know. But it doesn't matter. Have you thought about some names yet? Yeah, we have a name. Dude. That's gonna definitely stick them we're good.
Samantha 26:12
Yeah, cuz we picked out last time we picked out a boy and a girl name. And we obviously use the girl names. So we still had the boy name leftover. And we still like it a year later. So I'm just realizing
Scott Benner 26:23
did we not know it was a boy in the last time? No. Oh, hey, everyone. big announcement. Samantha's having a boy? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you could tell I don't plan this podcast, or I wouldn't definitely set that up better. But that's so cool. When did you find out you found out like, right.
Samantha 26:41
Yeah, we Yeah, probably like the week after we did the first podcast.
Scott Benner 26:46
Okay. Wow, was it? Were you Everybody good? I mean, obviously, you're getting one or the other. It's not a huge thing.
Samantha 26:56
But were you like, okay, you happy? Wayne was super excited. You wanted a boy. And I was, I was. I don't know, it was a weird feeling. I just recently, maybe in the last month, have gotten really excited about like the baby in general. And I think I'm finally like, I was finally let myself like, get excited. If that makes sense.
Scott Benner 27:24
No, of course it does. Do you feel like you've passed some sort of a threshold?
Samantha 27:29
I did. I realized last podcast I misspoke. And with how far along I was with the last pregnancy. And I was actually I think I said like 25 weeks, and I was actually 21 weeks. And I feel really bad about saying the wrong number. Because like, after I had listened to the podcast, I like did the actual math. And I was like, Oh man, I was wrong on that. But
Unknown Speaker 27:52
no one knew but oh, that's okay.
Samantha 27:55
Now everybody knows no, yeah. But so once I got to like 22 weeks, it was just like this. Wait, I think that lifted off of me because it was like, I'm gonna have starting like new experiences now. It's gonna be a kind of separated itself.
Scott Benner 28:13
I mean, it's like, probably not to trivialize it, but you never get stuck on a video game. You couldn't get past a certain spot and you keep playing and playing and playing. And then one day you move past the board, you're like, Oh, I'm doing it. It just feels like probably before then you thought maybe this is as far as this goes, you know? And, and now you're like, oh, maybe that was more of a fluke. And this is just what's going to happen, which I'm assuming is, is your situation, you know? Yeah, that's just, uh, it's really interesting. So it's very kind of you to talk about it. I
Unknown Speaker 28:47
never mind if it if it
Samantha 28:49
helps one person then that's enough for me. That's very cool.
Scott Benner 28:53
So okay, so your insulin needs haven't really gone up yet. You're not worried about lows because you could be your Are you always hungry?
Samantha 29:00
Most and most the time? Yeah, yeah. My the my hunger has increased a lot in the last couple weeks
Scott Benner 29:07
as your palate changed or use using similar foods that you enjoyed before pregnancy.
Samantha 29:13
I'm eating similar foods that I enjoyed before pregnancy. I haven't had any, like cravings. I don't think yet. I mean, there's some things I don't know I always thought cravings were like this intense need for something and I haven't had that yet. So
Scott Benner 29:30
I don't know like I mean, I only have my wife as an example. You know, I don't have like 20 Kids spread out around the country with 16 different women or something like that. So I only have my wife as an example. But she just was more as she got more and more pregnant with my son she was like junk food oriented. We should we did lot of takeout like like drive thru stuff. But with Arden It was like all like vegetables and like, she felt that way about it. And she all she had to say was that she just felt like that's What you wanted to eat?
Samantha 30:01
Yeah, I feel sometimes. I mean, when we're deciding what to eat, some things don't sound good, and I won't be able to eat it. But for the most part, I'm eating normally, as I did before, just more
Scott Benner 30:14
excellent. We I'm just gonna glance over this. Not too not too deeply, but everything like you guys still rolling along in the bedroom the same as that hasn't started to feel weird yet.
Samantha 30:27
Um, we I mean, the positions have changed. Oh, because I'm, I can't lay on my back and I can't lay in a third like positions for longer than I just, I'm just very uncomfortable laying down in general.
Scott Benner 30:44
Yeah, doesn't matter how good anything else is that's happening. We're not good. I don't know. Maybe it's, maybe it's maybe you're just using the baby as an excuse like, Oh, this again?
Unknown Speaker 30:53
Yeah.
Samantha 30:54
I mean, I will say that there's times where I'm more like into like, wanting to like, like I'm initiating things more often.
Scott Benner 31:06
The dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor is a small wearable sensor and transmitter that sends your glucose numbers to a smart device or receiver every five minutes. And it's easy to wear and easy to use. Try to imagine seeing your blood sugar, the speed and direction of it in real time without having to prick your finger. That's right, you do not have to do finger sticks with the Dexcom g six. So get started with the Dexcom g six today and let Dexcom help to make knowledge your superpower using the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitoring system. My daughter Arden has been using the Dexcom for it feels like forever at this point. To be perfectly honest with you it is hard to know how we would do what we do without the dexcom. And what is it that we do? Well Arden's agency has been between 5.2 and 6.2. for over five years with zero diet restrictions. We make decisions about her insulin, using the information that comes from the dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor. It's amazing, right? Like Think about that. waffles, potatoes, rice, bread, Chinese food, pizza, all the stuff that seems like Oh, I can't eat that makes my blood sugar go way too high. Well, when you have the dexcom you can use the insulin more artfully and keep things like that from happening. Now. These are our results, of course, and yours may vary. But I feel incredibly confident telling you that you should go to dexcom.com forward slash juice box and find out more right now about the dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor. There are also links in your show notes at Juicebox podcast.com. After you get your dex calm head over to dancing for diabetes that's dancing the number four diabetes.com you're going to find a small organization that's getting bigger every day. And that organization is helping children to live well with Type One Diabetes, they are raising funds for a cure all through the art of dance, dancing the number four diabetes.com Okay, I love the sponsors, but the ads are out of the way now. We're gonna get going again with Samantha. All right, I love the sponsors on the pod Dexcom dancing for diabetes, but that's enough of that. We got to get back to Samantha. We still have to find out the baby's name a little more about how she's handling her blood sugar's bunch of other stuff. Plus, you know, we're right in the middle of this conversation about sexy pregnant time. We don't want to miss that. You guys ready? homestretch? Oh, how does he seem about that? Is he like excited? Like a little boy Christmas?
Unknown Speaker 33:46
Huh? Thanks. So yeah,
Scott Benner 33:49
he doesn't say See, maybe that's where I go wrong. He doesn't actually say out loud. Oh my god, getting this girl pregnant was a stroke of genius. Does it mention that as you're walking into the bedroom that like no, like, I might make an announcement like Wow, thank God I knocked you up. Well, good for him. He sounds like an adult. So positions have had to change but for similar reasons. You can't lay or you can't you can't just be on your back at all.
Samantha 34:16
Yeah, yeah. And obviously, obviously we have the problem with like, I don't want like laying on my decks calm. So depending on where my decks calm is, if my pod is in a spot where it's sensitive, then I don't want to be touching that and
Scott Benner 34:30
there's a lot going on. So you're basically standing on one leg and bouncing about a dresser. Well, that's nice. I think it's I think it's a you know, it's it's a lot to get around, obviously. But, you know, sounds worth it to me. And plus, how great is it you can't get pregnant? Yeah. Don't you have that thought? Which by the way is completely ridiculous because you are pregnant and you wanting to be pregnant. But you're just like, ah, I can have sex as much as I want. I'm not gonna get pregnant.
Samantha 35:05
Yeah, I like saying I hope I don't get pregnant.
Unknown Speaker 35:09
Do you have a good job? Because I don't
Scott Benner 35:16
like it. I lost my train of thought. I'm not looking at I hope everyone listening realizes you're probably like, yeah, we completely realize, Scott cuz you're rambling. But I'm not looking at any notes. So it's not like I have a thought coming up. So if I lose the train of the conversation, I have to start over again. And I just made myself laugh. The thing I thought to say, I can't say so I have to stop and start over again. Okay, so we know about the kid, the baby, the baby. I'm going over my notes. I
Samantha 35:47
want to know his name.
Scott Benner 35:49
I don't know. Should we tell people?
Unknown Speaker 35:51
I don't know. I don't have to. Well,
Scott Benner 35:53
I mean, I think we can. But let's, um, let's wait a little longer so that they have to listen all the way to the end. How
Unknown Speaker 35:59
about that we'll tell you
Samantha 36:00
will tell everybody the name at the end of the podcasts.
Scott Benner 36:03
That now your understanding better? Yeah, that's that's what was always my goal, really? Because I'm thinking the next time we do this in three more months when you'll be Geez, how long? How far along? Will you be the next time we record?
Samantha 36:16
I think we're doing it in February. So I'll be like 35 weeks. Okay.
Scott Benner 36:23
Hold on one second. For a 64. So you just got to be about ready to have the baby. Yeah. Okay. So my goal is to get all the info out of you this time, just in case the next time we talk you're just like, I don't know, man.
Unknown Speaker 36:43
And pregnancy brain. Yeah,
Scott Benner 36:45
I can't think and I'm standing on one leg right now up against my dresser to record this because I can't sit down. You know that that whole thing. And and and the talk of your lovemaking turns into. I'm just like, do it again. See if it comes out. I'm expecting that conversation could go much differently. But so how about the little stuff like baby room? Are you starting to buy stuff?
Samantha 37:11
We had a lot of stuff from last time. So we will not we Wayne built the crib a couple weeks ago. So that's bill, and we're trying to get things like kind of situated for the most part in there. He has the week of Christmas off. So that's his
Unknown Speaker 37:30
ask that week. Oh, you made a list for him. I just said get the baby room ready.
Scott Benner 37:36
I hate when there's a list on there. Really makes me feel like a child. Just the one thing that I know. But I'm just saying Be careful as you get older, when that starts turning to five, six things, just know that Wayne's gonna look at that and go, I don't need you to tell me to cut the lawn but thank you so much. As your as your anxiety builds that if the lawns not cut, your baby won't have a good life. My dad, you have no idea what very likely may happen to you after that kid comes out. I and you know who really doesn't know, Wayne who wished for a boy but should not have? Because Yeah, that kid
Unknown Speaker 38:10
is gonna like jump out into the world. And you're going to look at it and think that's my new boyfriend. This guy over here. old boyfriend. I've already told him that he this kid is going to get whatever he wants.
Scott Benner 38:24
What Wayne doesn't realize in the moment is the there's a finite amount of whatever. And when you're giving more whatever to the baby, there's less whatever for Wayne. He doesn't realize that at the moment. I'm just hoping he's taking copious notes about your sex right now so that he can recall it later in his life.
I'm sure that won't happen. So when you said he built the crib, you just meant he took it out of the box and put it together? Right? Like Wayne didn't like take a tree and fashion it into it. Oh, no, no, no, he just put it together. Because I just like wow, what a handy guy though it was when you use the word build. I was like, he must be out there with like a plane and uh, you know, like, some stain and stuff and just making a whole thing but I found putting the crib together to be terrible. I was back home. Oh,
Samantha 39:15
it was done when I got home. Do
Scott Benner 39:17
you know what else thinks? And may I say practice frequently prior is getting that car seat into your car? Oh, yeah, it's not easy.
Samantha 39:27
Oh, we have I don't know how different car seats like baby car seats are from normal car seats, like for older kids. But I got my nephew's car seat down. So
Scott Benner 39:36
you figure it out. Are you talking about like the booster seat thing?
Samantha 39:40
No, I don't think it's a booster seat. I don't know. I don't know. Man and stuff. I don't know.
Scott Benner 39:45
Just don't whip it out of the box and try it the day you need it. Just that's all I'm saying. Because it gets frustrating. And even they have those latches now in the seats, but then it's hard to get that seat belt tight enough to hold it down. And then in your mind if it moves tiniest little bit. You're like, well, that's gonna kill the kid. So I can't do that. And you know, like, so you're out there over and over again, Drake, I just, I have a horrible recollection of putting in my car seat. Sometimes fire stations or police departments help if you're really bad at it. Or hospitals, but I hope you're not that bad. You don't feel seemed like you'll, you'll see. What are your? Um, do you have any any concerns that aren't baby related right now like things you're that you find sticking in your head?
Unknown Speaker 40:32
Um,
Samantha 40:35
I that aren't baby related?
Scott Benner 40:37
Yeah, like it has like something else become incredibly important. Are you all the sudden worried about your 401 K, or like a leak in the roof that you've been ignoring for three years or something like that? You find yourself thinking like that? Are you? Is it just pretty focused on the baby?
Samantha 40:53
I mean, I get full. I think that all my thoughts are like, in connection with the baby at at in some way, like we are air conditioning and our heater were broken when we first moved into this house. And we just got it fixed a week ago, because we thought that the baby needed to have temperature regulation available to them. If
Unknown Speaker 41:20
you didn't interpret the baby does.
Samantha 41:22
Yeah, like if we weren't having a baby, we probably wouldn't have fixed it because it was just so dang expensive. But because the baby was going to be here, we wanted to fix it before. So that if it was too hot or too cold in the house, or I mean California weather is pretty moderate, but just in case we needed it for him.
Unknown Speaker 41:41
Gotcha. Home protection. Yeah, you want a gun? No, do you think about it? I have a BB gun. And we have two dogs.
Scott Benner 41:49
Okay, I don't own a gun. I just by the way, if any of you can figure out where I live, I do own a gun. So don't come here. But But I don't own a gun. And and so I just don't know, like I that's something I never considered in my life. Right? I'd never once in my life stood in my, you know, stood my foyer, my living room as I was getting ready to go to bed and thought, what happens if someone breaks in tonight? How exactly will I handle it? I've just always assumed like that happen. And then you have a kid you're like, Okay, now I have like an escape plan. If someone comes into the house, I know what window I can throw a kid out of the fall won't kill them. If the place catches on fire. You can like there's literally like, like all these bizarre things. Now, I don't know if that's just me or not. But I find myself taking the big things that could go wrong and walking them through in my head as practice that mental illness. I'm not sure. I know. But I now have like contingency plans for many, many things. Like I've literally sat my children down and said, Okay, listen. If you ever hear there's a shooter in your school, I don't care what they've taught you. If you're on the first floor, jump out the window and run to the woods. Okay, and, and my kids are like, what I'm like, I don't care what happens. I want your ass up out the window and sprinting in a zigzag fashion to the tree line. Okay. And they're like, Yeah, but then they never do anything when it like come. So I don't think they're, they listen to me. Do you know what I mean? But I've found myself thinking about weird stuff like that, ever since I've had kids.
Samantha 43:26
I haven't got there yet. I think the extent of getting there is that we sleep with our bedroom door closed right now. And I told Wayne that we're going to have to start sleeping with it open when the baby is in his room, because I have to be able to hear everything that's going on in the house.
Scott Benner 43:43
And you likely will. My wife could have three versions of the flu and have been on for 48 hours and finally falling asleep and noises in the house. And she's just like, Did you hear that? And I'm like, wait, why? Like who were you? Like, you know, like, I have to wake up and I'm like, She's like, there's a noise downstairs. Like we have dogs. They're not barking. And then the She goes, What if they're dead? Cuz he killed her? And I'm like, well, then I mean, he's gonna kill the dogs. He's gonna kill us to like, I don't think there's anything we can do about it. We don't have a gun. And like, but even like the kids like, did you hear Arden just like snore or rollover? Did you hear cold walking asleep? She hears everything when she's in it. I'm fascinated by it.
Unknown Speaker 44:27
I hope so that's how that's just a mom thing, then I believe it is I think you're gonna just get that like, like on day one. Like you just download it all it's a you'll get a code when it pops out and you just
Scott Benner 44:39
you type a code into your phone and then you'll hear things while you're sleeping. Exactly. That's exactly how that works. I actually think that might be similarly to how it actually works because it was I always felt like visually, you know, like at the beginning of a movie where a guy has to fly a plane but he doesn't really know how to fly it. You see him like throwing all these switches around looking at a Like, I feel like someone just crawled into a hatch in my wife's back and threw on 25 switches that weren't on previously. And now she just knows how to do things that she didn't know how to do before. It's very strange.
Samantha 45:14
That's what having a baby does to you.
Scott Benner 45:17
It also made her feet bigger. But maybe that won't happen. Yes, ma'am. It's a very possible,
Samantha 45:21
hopefully not because my feet are already pretty big.
Scott Benner 45:26
That's an admission to make in front of thousands and thousands and thousands and 10s of thousands of people.
Unknown Speaker 45:32
Well, I'm tall. So how tall? Are you? five, nine?
Scott Benner 45:36
As is my wife. Are you hoping for tall children?
Samantha 45:40
Well, he is already he's in the 79th percentile,
Unknown Speaker 45:44
even when
Unknown Speaker 45:45
you can tell that. Yeah,
Samantha 45:48
they measure him and everything. So I didn't know before they told me this. But 50% 50% percentile is normal. So he's at 79 already. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, please slow down. Yeah. How's he
Scott Benner 46:03
getting out?
Unknown Speaker 46:04
Have you thought about that yet? every moment of every day.
Scott Benner 46:09
You would enjoy talking to Arden who will say she's the man of a boyfriend or a boat. Like there's boys that like I think want to ask her out at school, but she's scary. So they leave her alone. But even around the house, like I'm gonna tell you once at least every two months, Arden will randos say I am not having a baby because I don't want something like that coming out of my vagina. She just she really steadfastly is not up for that idea at the moment in her life. If she was actually pregnant, I think she would probably think about it 24 hours a day.
Samantha 46:42
Yeah, I do. And then especially when people say, Oh, you're getting big.
Scott Benner 46:47
I know. I'm not like no, he's normal. Okay. He's at least he's 50% which is a coin flip. But 79 so is Wayne tall.
Samantha 46:57
Yeah, he's six. I mean, yeah, it's one.
Unknown Speaker 47:02
Okay, maybe 6162? You're five. I mean, he's taller. He's taller than me. So
Scott Benner 47:07
what about women in his life in your life? Do they have big babies?
Samantha 47:12
Um, you know, we've asked our parents how, like, big, and, like, weighing wise and lengthwise. We were and like, we I always forget me. Oh, no, it's not gonna make me feel better.
Scott Benner 47:27
No, it won't. You should ask them to lie to you. I have a friend. I swear to you. I'm almost 50 years old. I have a friend who had her first baby near the time I had mine. So our kids or I could have just said our kids are similar age. I don't know why I went through all that. But she had a really big baby. And she still sometimes talks about it. So I think it was like, devastating.
Unknown Speaker 47:50
Yeah, sorry.
Samantha 47:52
As soon as I go in labor, I'm gonna please give me the epidural now. And don't stop.
Scott Benner 47:58
Have you spoken with your doctor about like your CGM and your pump? And like how that how that how is that
Samantha 48:04
all that kind of get hit? I made it very cool. I, I made sure I by saying I'm going to handle my own diabetes management when I go into labor. Right is what I said to her. And she said that there shouldn't be an issue. And I was okay. Because I've heard bad stories with like, the hospital not letting people wear their pumps. And they want to stick them on IV and like, I don't want, like, I don't trust them to do it. And I'm doing fine. So if there's anything I need to sign now saying that I'm responsible for my own diabetes, and let's get that going. Because I'm not going to let somebody take over. I mean, my I think Wayne will have to do it at some point, because I don't know how coherent I'm going to be. Yeah, but I don't want the hospital doing anything. For my diabetes. Good for you.
Scott Benner 48:57
Does he know what to do? Or is this something you guys are gonna have to go over?
Samantha 49:01
Um, he, I mean, he knows the overview of how to give me insulin, and he knows what my target ranges and he knows that it will do the calculations. Like if I'm eating, but he needs like, more of a crash course. Yeah, if you actually take it over, I've been begging him to like, take over my diabetes for a day.
Unknown Speaker 49:27
That's a great idea.
Samantha 49:28
But he doesn't want to do on when I'm pregnant. So
Scott Benner 49:31
too late. Seriously, it's too late now he has to, because otherwise, you're gonna have to hire five crisis actors to come in and like, one of them's gonna have to kick you in the back. While while one of them's whispering in your ear. This giant thing is gonna come out of your vagina and then three other people are screaming, and that should pretty much approximate like the lead up to the baby coming out and end someone's gonna have to act as one of your mothers who won't leave the room has to be told to leave
Samantha 50:01
Well, I already told everybody that Wayne was the only person in the room with me,
Scott Benner 50:04
even in the lead up, like in the hours and hours before, you know, let them hang out. But when it starts happening, they're going.
Samantha 50:10
No. Because what if they don't leave when it starts happening
Scott Benner 50:13
happened to my wife, one of the major screw ups of my life. As far as my wife is concerned, I believe it is number 643 on her list of things I've done wrong. My we got in the, we were there for a long time, like, you know, 810 hours for my son. And you know, it turned into like a hang, just to repeat. Seriously, they're just people in and out and, and then all the sudden it started happening. And I felt panicky.
Unknown Speaker 50:47
Yeah,
Scott Benner 50:48
never told my mom to get out. And so, and I didn't, and I don't know why it didn't occur to her. Like maybe the same thing happened. Like, I don't think my mom was like, Hey, I'm gonna hang out and see, you know, Kelly give birth. I think it just happened really quickly. And it was startling. And, you know, yeah.
Samantha 51:06
And it's like, oh, man, it's happening, right? Yeah. Do you kind of freeze,
Scott Benner 51:11
and then I didn't like immediately get her to leave. And then it went on for a couple of minutes. And then Kelly gave me the eyes. Like, I know, in my heart, she was like, you'll get your mom out of here with her eyes. Like I know. That's what she was saying. And then I got caught in that like, I don't know, if I felt panicked or badly. Like, I can't remember how I felt. But I didn't do it. So mom was just there for the landing, you know? And it was fairly hard to find for Kelly, I think. But anyway, I can.
Samantha 51:44
I don't for me, I don't like I wouldn't mind if they were there. But I'm just going to be like so, like, stressed out about the whole situation that I don't need additional people in the room
Scott Benner 51:55
that you feel responsible for.
Samantha 51:57
Yeah. And I don't want their people being in the room. Like, if our parent like if my mom was in there, and his mom was in there, or if my sister was in there, I feel like Wayne would want to focus on them. And I need him to focus on me. Mm hmm.
Scott Benner 52:10
Yeah. Well, in that moment, like there's exactly what happened. Like I, I was in a weird situation where my wife was asking me one thing, and I didn't know how to say that to my mom. And I've never, by the way in my life had trouble telling my mom like anything. Like we have a real clear relationship. If If I would have just looked up at her and been like, Beth, what are you doing in here to get out? I think she I think she would have would have snapped her out of it. And she would have been like, Yeah, why am I here? And she would have just left, you know, but it didn't happen that way. And as recently as four days ago, Kelly reminded me of it. Keeping in mind that Cole is going to be 20 in a couple of months. She still, she still reminded me of it. Having said that she did just say to me the other day. I really can't hold a grudge, can I? And I was like, Oh, you're an absolute professional at it. We joked about her losing her memory one day, and she said, How will I hold my grudges? If I can't remember things? Yeah, it's not it's it's scary.
Samantha 53:08
At least you know, so.
Scott Benner 53:10
Oh, she's completely aware of it. I like to say that Kelly is still mad at me for the very first thing I did wrong to her. You know,
Unknown Speaker 53:18
and she can tell you what that was. She can I have
Scott Benner 53:20
no clue. But she can guess because it's written down. Some I actually said to her. In the extension of that joke. I was like, well, when you lose your memory, you could make a list. And she goes great idea. But then she gave me a dirty look, because she knows I was making fun of that. She makes lists. She's a list. Do you make lists?
Samantha 53:39
Um, no, I Yeah.
Scott Benner 53:43
Do I get disturbing? here's, here's what I think about life. You'll do the things that need to be done and the things that don't get done. Apparently, the need to get done.
Samantha 53:57
And until you get to a point where you're like, Oh, do
Unknown Speaker 54:01
I do it?
Scott Benner 54:02
Well, then you do it now? No, it's never too late. You're fine. It's not like I'm talking about putting air in the tires before driving or something like that. That would come to the top of the list. I would do that. I am telling you. I feel like what I just said over the last 30 seconds was infuriating to every female that heard those words.
Samantha 54:20
I like putting reminders in my calendar. That's, that's like my type of list.
Scott Benner 54:25
I do that. I think that's a good thing. Yeah. Now my wife is just like, she's got a list. It's in her head. And then when she doesn't want her head anymore, she puts it on paper. Then when it goes on paper, it becomes my list. And then I just I hate it. Like I don't even like taking a list to the grocery store. Oh gosh, because my brain doesn't work like that. Like I just I just roll up and down the aisles and I snatch up stuff that I know we need and I'm out. And if I miss something all good. The grocery stores, you know, five minutes from my house. I'll just go back if I need to. It's not like you're not there. Pretty much all the time anyway. But she's like, when she makes me the list, I end up going up and down aisles like 1000 times. Oh, no. Adds like a half an hour to my shopping trip. And yes, I'm the one that goes shopping. I do everything really I'm a stay at home. I'm a stay at home parent, like I do all the things. What are you gonna do with that? Like, how are you going to take care of little baby boy? When when he's here, what's your plan?
Samantha 55:27
Um, so I'm really lucky. My boss has told me that I can bring him to work with me. So he'll be Yeah, he'll be going to work with me until he becomes mobile. And on wrangle a bowl,
Scott Benner 55:41
then you know what? I'm in a closet?
Samantha 55:44
Yeah, probably like a drawer in my
Scott Benner 55:46
shirt. If you take the sharp stuff out of it. I don't legally, anything wrong with that. Remind me of what you do that you can have a baby with you.
Samantha 55:54
I'm a paralegal.
Scott Benner 55:56
Haha, your boss is out of his mind.
Unknown Speaker 56:00
She, she,
Scott Benner 56:01
yeah, look that was sexist of me.
Samantha 56:04
I'm sorry. I can. There's two partners of the firm one is a male and one's a female. But I will be sharing the office with the female
Scott Benner 56:12
though. See, now that makes more sense that a woman said it to you and not like, there's no way a guy would have been like, just bring the baby to work.
Samantha 56:20
Well, he knows.
Scott Benner 56:21
But it wasn't his idea.
Unknown Speaker 56:23
Oh, okay. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 56:26
Like, if you left it just to him, he'd be like, can't we put that kid in the closet or something? Money he made a joke that he'll be coming in the office less when the baby?
Scott Benner 56:37
I don't think that was a joke, Samantha, but I hear what you're saying. Like, he was just he was speaking His truth out loud is what he was doing. Um, yeah. So your job would allow for you to have time with the baby. Are you breastfeeding? Is that part of this?
Samantha 56:50
Um, well, I mean, the biggest part is that we won't have to pay for child care. But I do plan on breastfeeding. But I also plan on bottle feeding right away because I want Wayne to be able to feed him. Because I can't do it all. Yeah, too much. Especially if
Scott Benner 57:10
you're so your bottle, you'll bottle feed breast milk. You're thinking?
Samantha 57:14
Yeah, if I have enough? If not, then I'm all these formulas. I'm no, I don't mind our kids. That formula. Both of them. Yeah, my sister was only formula and she turned out fine. So I don't see. That was in the 90s. I mean, I'm sure formula is even better. Now. Keep in
Scott Benner 57:29
mind, you can't see her thoughts. But other than that, I hear you saying I don't know that she's dreaming all day of doing something terrible to the squirrels in her front yard or something like that. But I don't think that by the way, it's important to note in episodes like this, again, that I am able to come up with bizarre examples that have nothing to do with my consciousness. So I have not considered any of the things silly that I've said so far as I've never thought of murdering a squirrel is I guess, is what I'm trying to say. But yeah, so I get your point. I think Kelly tried to breastfeed Cole for a little while. And it didn't. It went okay for however long it went. And then he kind of weaned off. But with Arden. It didn't work out as well. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I forget why. But it was something to do with nipples. I'm pretty sure. Like, I'm not kidding. And it's just a long time ago. So I can't remember. But yeah, I think that's plus, overnight, like seriously, in an attempt to sleep. There's a lot of getting up and feeding in the big.
Samantha 58:32
Yeah, I think overnight, I probably will do most of it just because it'll be the easiest when we're like getting out of asleep rather than like going to get a bottle ready. But at other times, I want to be able to be like, hey, you go feed your child.
Unknown Speaker 58:47
Yeah. And let me smell.
Samantha 58:49
And also, in all honesty, I really am going to need a drink after I get this child out of me. Gotcha. Oh,
Scott Benner 58:58
you're not sure how long you'll be able to keep the breast milk pure. before it turns to whiskey. What are we thinking here?
Samantha 59:05
Why fear? I'm going through the withdraws. Are you? Yeah, and I was I mean, I wasn't like a huge drinker before, but I miss it.
Scott Benner 59:18
Do you think it's possible you were a bigger drinker than you thought you were? Probably.
Samantha 59:24
Yeah, the people that are listening who know me are like, Oh,
Scott Benner 59:28
yeah, Smith. I'm not sure you saw that correctly. And by the way, there's something wrong with your sister. I can't believe you don't see that. Sorry to your sister, I'm sure is a lovely person. So okay, so we we figured out your husband has road rage. We figured out that you're you haven't hit like that really hormonal spot yet where you're worried about like, bizarre things that can never happen. Probably. We figured out that I apparently have a lot of female hormones because I still think about those things. To this day, I will make this point about that. I think that my time has, you know, being a stay at home dad for this long has proven to me that there are not gender specific things. There's just responsibilities, specific things. Like, you know, like, if you're in charge of this, then you're the one who cares about it. Like, you know, women don't like doing the laundry. It's not it's not a women's task to do the laundry. You don't I mean, like, it's just traditionally, years ago, you know, moms were home, the laundry machines at home, the laundry needs to get done. You trust me, my wife, if she needed to use our washer, she'd have to go online and watch a YouTube video and figure out how to turn it on like she doesn't Wayne does the
Unknown Speaker 1:00:41
laundry? Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:00:42
Right. So the point is, is that I worry about, you know, escape plans, because that's sort of my part of it. You know what I mean? Like, I think if my wife was at home, and I was at work all day, she'd be like, what am I gonna do if this place starts cooking? You know, like, but it's kind of falls to the person who's there? Yeah. Are you guys? I know, you imagine a split scenario, right? Where you're both pretty involved. But does one of your jobs take up more time during the day than the other?
Samantha 1:01:12
Like, our workshop?
Scott Benner 1:01:14
Yeah. Are you like, literally out of the house longer one of you than the other?
Samantha 1:01:17
Um, yeah, my work is a lot more flexible than his, like, his is very, like, nine to five and mine is.
Gives me leeway.
Scott Benner 1:01:30
So it'll probably be so when extra stuff happens, extra stuffs gonna fall on you probably
Samantha 1:01:35
Yeah, most likely, just because I'll be able to get away from work because I can work from home ultimately, to if I needed to. So if things come up, I'll probably be the one to handle it. Gotcha.
Scott Benner 1:01:49
So, once the baby is too old to just kind of hang out with you at work, is it? What's your next plan? is a daycare? Do you have a family member? What are you doing for,
Samantha 1:01:59
um, it might be like, live between because I really want him to go to daycare, just so he can get the socialization of being with other children. Um, but financially, we will probably get help also
Scott Benner 1:02:15
super expensive.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:16
Yeah, it is very expensive.
Scott Benner 1:02:19
daycare is quite literally the reason I'm a stay at home dad.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:23
Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:02:24
we were younger. And I didn't know I wasn't making very much money. And you go to daycare, and they tell you how much it is for the month. And I remember saying to my wife, like, I only make $300 more than that. Well, am I really gonna work 30 days, you know, every 30 days to make $300? You know, Mike, like, that doesn't make any sense. You know, and, you know, I set it up as like a financial thing back then. But in my back of my head, I was like, I might never have to work if this goes well.
Samantha 1:02:54
Like if I play my cards, right? I think
Scott Benner 1:02:56
I think Scott doesn't have to shave anymore. But honestly, no, it it didn't occur to me that way. I just felt like wow, we're gonna like, put this kid in daycare. And there's no financial, like, it's making a bunch of money. And we just stopped. And, and no kidding. Like, my son's gonna be 20 in February, and I quit my job like a month before. He was born in 19 in 2000. So I haven't like if you told me I had to go to work today. I'd probably cry and chained myself to a heavy piece of furniture. So you couldn't get me out of the house. I just be like, I'm not leaving. You can't make me go. But it is a it was out of that necessity that we did that. Yeah,
Samantha 1:03:42
that's an AI if I could if I could stay home. I would like to, but it's just not feasible for us even with how much daycare is. But we probably we won't have to go into daycare full time. I'll either work from home a couple days. Or we'll have like Wayne's mom, watch him if she's available. So it won't be a full time kind of thing.
Scott Benner 1:04:06
Yeah. They're pretty local for you.
Samantha 1:04:09
Yeah, his his family lives very close to us.
Scott Benner 1:04:11
That'll be helpful. We weren't close to either of our parents close enough for them to be helpful. And I can definitely see where that would have been nice. Once in a while. It used to be like, Hey, we're gonna go out
Unknown Speaker 1:04:21
just for an hour and want you to leave.
Scott Benner 1:04:23
Yeah, yeah. Hey, we thought it would be illegal to leave him here by himself. So you're gonna come over and you still feel guilty about all the things you did wrong to me when I was little, so you're gonna do it. So get over here and let's go. All right. All right, Samantha. Here we go. Ready? Coming up on an hour. Your name is Wayne. Wow, her name is Samantha. And the baby's name is going to be
Samantha 1:04:47
Harrison.
Scott Benner 1:04:49
Harrison. Nice after Harrison Ford or someone in your family?
Unknown Speaker 1:04:54
No, it's after Harrison Ford. Really? I got it right.
Unknown Speaker 1:04:58
Yeah, I walked down the aisle to a Star Wars Song. So we're kind of Star Wars people. So this kid's lucky His name is not anagen or something like that, then, oh gosh, no, no. Everything.
Scott Benner 1:05:12
Is Harrison the like, boom, like you knew right away or did you come to it? And if you came to it what other names got discarded along the way?
Samantha 1:05:21
Um, I think we, oh gosh, I mean, we've had this name for a while. I think we've kind of always wanted to be Harrison. his middle name is going to be with him because Wayne's middle name is Wayne and he just goes by as well name. So Oh my
Scott Benner 1:05:36
God, I thought you were telling me Wayne's name was Wayne Wayne for a half a second.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:42
Like Wayne's middle name is Wayne. I was like that screwed up and then I realized what you were saying. He goes
Samantha 1:05:50
yeah, he'll have the same middle name is.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:53
I'm an idiot. If any of you listening to this.
Samantha 1:05:59
I'm sure there's somebody out there. That's like but wait.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:03
Yeah, no, no. It's probably just me. Okay, so
Unknown Speaker 1:06:10
I'm sorry.
Scott Benner 1:06:15
I'm laughing at how stupid I am. Harrison Wayne. Very nice. is Wayne a family name?
Samantha 1:06:22
Uh, no.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:23
Well, maybe no, it is now. It is now. It was Yeah,
Samantha 1:06:26
it is. Now I my middle name is the same as my mom's. So if we ever had a girl, we were going to use my middle name. So since we were having a boy, I wanted to use his middle name.
Scott Benner 1:06:36
Very nice. Is there any reasoning behind this? Because it's like Bruce Wayne, Batman. Cuz me You just told me Harrison Ford. Because the Star Wars so now I'm thinking
Unknown Speaker 1:06:47
for Wayne. Like when you hear Wayne, do you think Ooh, Bruce Wayne?
Samantha 1:06:51
Well, we his favorite is Batman. Okay. I don't know if it's because of the name or because he has that like, which came first? I don't know.
Scott Benner 1:07:01
I don't know. I have no idea. What do you think you're like, I wonder what movie will be big that Harrison will watch and then like, you know,
Samantha 1:07:08
20 gonna be so weird. That's what we think about too. We're gonna be like, wow, this is gonna be there. Like, he's not gonna know who Harrison Ford is?
Scott Benner 1:07:17
No, he'll probably just think of him is that old man who crashed that plane on the golf course.
Samantha 1:07:22
Not even though because that was even a couple years ago. Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:07:27
he's not even gonna know the story of when the Millennium Falcon fell on him and broke his ankle, right? While they were filming the new movies. He just won't be like, he'll be like, I don't know, my parents are weirdos. Like, that's probably how it's gonna go. You know, like you're having this whole beautiful moment. But in truth, that kid 15 years now is gonna be sitting around with his friends. They're gonna be like, what do you named after using big? I don't know, some dumb movie.
Unknown Speaker 1:07:51
Actually, now the Disney plus exists. I bet you maybe he'll, uh, it'll be a totally different thing, though. That's what it'll be. It'll be crazy. Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:08:00
my thought is is like, like, What movie is gonna impact his life that you know, 2530 years from now and he's having a baby. He's gonna think you know what, I want to name my kid after this. You don't mean like, it's so cool. There's the thinking like artisanal art and talks like this a lot. But she's like, there's gonna be a movie 15 years from now. And there'll be a character in it. And I'll like the name, and I'll name my baby after that. Like, like, she has those kind of like, like, like bigger thoughts.
Unknown Speaker 1:08:27
Yeah. And I'm like,
Scott Benner 1:08:28
yeah, that's that's really weird, isn't it? She goes, Isn't it weird that that movie hasn't been made named yet or made yet but my baby will be named after it.
Unknown Speaker 1:08:37
It's like, yeah, I'm like crazy thought.
Scott Benner 1:08:41
This kid's not to do drugs at all. She's completely okay. Yeah, you know, coming up with these weird thoughts on her own. But that is variable. Well, congratulations on having a really cool name for your baby. Thank you. or will there be baby like other Star Wars themed stuff in the room? It's gonna have to be right i think
Samantha 1:08:59
i think we're gonna do baseball theme.
Scott Benner 1:09:01
Yeah, you said that before about the baseball but I don't know the Star Wars part.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:05
What about a baseball bat a little bit too much.
Scott Benner 1:09:08
What if you find a baseball bat that looks like a lightsaber? Let's try for
Unknown Speaker 1:09:11
that. Oh.
Scott Benner 1:09:14
It will not be cool. be something that you and Wayne love the baby will tolerate as he gets older and other people looking in from the outside will question you about
Unknown Speaker 1:09:24
what the?
Scott Benner 1:09:28
I like our conversation, Samantha cuz I feel like they go off the rails pretty easily.
Samantha 1:09:32
I know. I feel kind of bad. We didn't talk about diabetes.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:35
Well, we did. But
Scott Benner 1:09:36
yeah. You don't need as much insulin. Now. You'd rather slap below them BI. You just said everything. I mean, honestly. All right. Look, let's go. Is there something about diabetes? You should have said that you didn't. Oh, there's not right. Because it hasn't been that difficult.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:53
Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:09:54
okay. Because it's ever changing.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:56
Right? Yeah, cuz it's just changing.
Scott Benner 1:09:59
But you What are you doing? And you're using. I mean, I guess it's the frequency of the changing that makes the problem.
Unknown Speaker 1:10:05
Yeah, right.
Scott Benner 1:10:06
Are you getting tired of it? Is it is it making you upset? Or have you been? Oh, yeah, yeah, you have you had like, why the hell do I have diabetes moments?
Samantha 1:10:15
Oh, yeah, I have those. Probably more. Probably more. I was gonna say once a month, but it's sometimes it's probably more than that.
Scott Benner 1:10:23
Yeah. But it's been more frequent with the pregnancy.
Unknown Speaker 1:10:26
Um,
Samantha 1:10:29
me Yeah, yeah. Just because everything so like, I was so used to sleeping through the night every night before I got pregnant. And now I'm not and it's because of my dexcom alarms. So that's really frustrating.
Scott Benner 1:10:43
Because you're trying to stay in that lower tighter range.
Samantha 1:10:46
Yeah. And well before to like, I could post it at all night. And now it's like, I like last night. I was iron all night. And my alarms keep going. And sometimes I sleep through the alarm So then I'm higher for longer than I want to be. which affects like, me. Overall. It was just
Scott Benner 1:11:08
that affects you how,
Samantha 1:11:10
like, I like I'm very tired right now.
I just you just your mood changes.
Unknown Speaker 1:11:18
So in frustration too. And
Samantha 1:11:21
yeah, and it's just when I'm I for that long. Like if I'm high for over an hour. It's just like, I'm done for for like probably then. The rest of the day.
Unknown Speaker 1:11:31
What are we calling? Hi.
Samantha 1:11:33
Last night I was at like, one.
Scott Benner 1:11:36
I'm sorry. You cut out? 150. Wow. Yeah. And that's in your life. Hi. And for pregnancy? It's high.
Unknown Speaker 1:11:43
Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:11:44
So is it that you're so accustomed to having a lower blood sugar that even a 150 makes you not feel? Well?
Samantha 1:11:50
Yeah, if I'm over 120 I don't feel 100%
Scott Benner 1:11:55
No, I get that. Geez, you can't take it back. Now. That's not how being pregnant works. Just so you know, like it's in there now. So you're, you're stuck. Yeah, like this for a little? Do you think they'll be like you talked about like, you know, having wine after the baby comes? Do you think you'll be able to keep up this? Like the the management for your diabetes that keeps you under 120? That you like, do you think you'll be able to do that when the baby comes? Are you worried about that at all?
Samantha 1:12:24
Um, the only thing that I'm worried about is that I'll be so preoccupied with the baby that like, I won't fix like a low soon enough. I'm worried about my lows after the baby's born. Because, like the high makes me feel crappy. But like it can be dealt with. If like the baby needs something that I can push it aside for a second, but with the low, like, if I don't deal with it, I'm a little bit worried that that's when I'm going to start having like issues.
Scott Benner 1:12:55
Yeah, I get that. I don't know if you heard Alex last week on the wheat episode, the afterdark episode, but apparently, you can make those Hi, symptoms go away. Yeah, we probably should say we're joking about that. In case typhus just heard me joke about that and thinks you're gonna get Oh, yeah, get loaded.
Samantha 1:13:14
Don't worry. anybody listening, I will only have a glass of wine after the child has gone to bed. And my husband is present
Scott Benner 1:13:22
until you can teach a kid to pour the wine and then yeah, then when they've got some real usefulness in your life, that's when it's good. By the way, I'm just so I'm gonna take a stand right here. I don't like it when people make their kids pour alcohol. No,
Unknown Speaker 1:13:36
I don't know. It makes it feel. I don't think
Samantha 1:13:37
I was ever I ever had to do that.
Scott Benner 1:13:40
I was a kid. Mommy never sad sent you for a glass of make mommy feel better? No,
Samantha 1:13:45
I never I didn't know that was a thing. That wouldn't even come to my mind having my child do it boys fetching beers,
Scott Benner 1:13:52
like stuff like that. I'm okay.
Samantha 1:13:53
I've heard
Scott Benner 1:13:54
I'm not judging you all. I'm just saying it makes me uncomfortable. So, of course, I you know, I haven't had a beard. 15 years so my top of my my situation is different. Maybe, but I just I don't know. It makes me feel weird. Yeah, so Okay, I have a I have a overarching question for the baby. Do you in the back of your mind have like a dream for him? Like how like, do you see as like, how is life supposed to go? What you want him to do? Or have you thought about any of that stuff yet? I know it's Oculus, but I'm wondering if it's bought. I
Samantha 1:14:29
mean, we would love it if he played baseball. Of course that has the dream but like if he's just like not a brat. That'd be great.
Unknown Speaker 1:14:38
Good luck.
Scott Benner 1:14:42
just just just know that if the if you have another one, and they're both boys you're gonna get it's gonna be tough.
Unknown Speaker 1:14:51
Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:14:52
My poor mother still looks a little dizzy. From from me and my two brothers to be perfectly Yeah, there's just No, there's no, I don't know, there's no break in the
Samantha 1:15:04
I think when you have more than like, if you have to have either gender, it's just a lot.
Unknown Speaker 1:15:10
Yeah. Oh, I believe so you need to break different ways.
Scott Benner 1:15:12
Yeah. I like that. We got a boy and a girl. And then we were sort of like, Okay.
Unknown Speaker 1:15:17
All done that was it that worked out?
Scott Benner 1:15:19
Yeah. And you can see where they're, like you said, like they have different ways of approaching things. And it breaks up so that there's not the same thing happening all the time in the house. Yeah. Where my brothers and I were just living in Texas, and my mom was, my poor mother was just like, I just need to get through this. So they move out.
Samantha 1:15:39
She's like, counting down the 18 more years.
Scott Benner 1:15:42
Yeah. Oh, and the worst part is we are spread out so far. There was no respite for her whatsoever. Like I'm, I'm 40 This is embarrassing. I mean, they're 47 or 48. I'm not sure if you're on 7181 91 2001. I'm 48. And oh my god. So I'm 48 makes my brother 43 and my other brother 37. We're all five years apart.
Samantha 1:16:08
Oh, dang. So she just as soon as things got calm. She was like, let's do it again. Oh,
Scott Benner 1:16:13
like I was married. And my brother was in high school still. You know, and my mom was just looking at the last one. Like, Oh, God, like I'm not gonna.
Unknown Speaker 1:16:22
I'm not gonna make it.
Scott Benner 1:16:24
I'm not gonna make it. This one's gonna. This is gonna take me right to the end of my life. Oh, having kids is wonderful. You've made a wonderful decision. And yeah, you're gonna love it. It really is exciting. Have I bummed you out about children? I haven't right
Unknown Speaker 1:16:38
now. I'm very excited for you.
Scott Benner 1:16:41
I'm so happy for you. Thank you. I'm really it's very cool. I'm a little disappointed the kids names not Scott, but whatever.
Unknown Speaker 1:16:48
Yeah, I mean, you could do it out there. Did you? Did you try? No, didn't. But
Scott Benner 1:16:53
that's disappointing. I have to tell you like even if just jokingly you would have said it. It would have been nice. Sorry, I have another person who has contacted me recently. who's considering it.
Unknown Speaker 1:17:03
Oh, man, I'm finally on a list somewhere.
Samantha 1:17:06
That's something
Scott Benner 1:17:07
Yeah, it's not going any further than that. It's got a such a terrible name. There's no way anyone's gonna like think it's like, Scott. What is that? It's this just you don't I mean, there's
Samantha 1:17:19
not many people are named Scott. Yeah, well, cuz I think I know.
Scott Benner 1:17:26
Why do you think that is exactly Samantha you think because people hear and go Wow, what a great name. But I don't want to go with it. Is it short and lacks poetry? It's Kurt. You know what I mean? Like not Kurt the name but it's Kurt like it's short. And it's it's hard. It's just not a? I don't even think anybody calls me Scott my life?
Unknown Speaker 1:17:45
No, I don't think so.
Scott Benner 1:17:49
I'm going through what Kelly calls me and maybe once in a while. are no call me Scott. Sometimes when she's trying to get my attention. I don't even know that I think of my name is being Scott to be perfectly honest.
Unknown Speaker 1:18:03
Oh, there you go.
Scott Benner 1:18:04
Yeah, I'm just, I get it when people don't want to use it. It's fine. Maybe you should use my middle name. I'm not saying my name. That's how the middle name is. My mother did me a solid. My, my dad wanted to name me after her. His father, who had like passed away unexpectedly right before my birth hit by a train in case you're wondering like his car on the tracks. He probably killed himself. And this is the cover story that they tell people I don't know. Okay, but, um, but I'm adopted. So I don't feel a lot of connection to the fact that That's horrible. But anyway, the man has a he had just a terrible name. And my dad wanted to name after him. I guess out of, I don't know, respect or whatever it was gonna be. And my mom, like, like, stood up and was like, You are not naming my kid that. And I was like, Thank you mom. Like, like, seriously, but then, like, she let it be my middle name. So
Unknown Speaker 1:19:03
sounds terrible.
Scott Benner 1:19:05
I'll tell you. After we tell you what we're gonna say goodbye now. And then also, I'm going to write and then I'm going to tell you my middle name. Alright. So thank you so much for doing this. I will see you. Thank you.
Samantha 1:19:18
Yep, we'll see in February.
Scott Benner 1:19:21
Isn't this fun? Like being pregnant with Samantha and Wayne and baby Harrison. I'm having a good time. Harrison. I like it. Thank you to the sponsors Dexcom on the pod and dancing for diabetes for sponsoring the Juicebox Podcast. Don't forget the links are available in the show notes of your podcast player. They're available at Juicebox podcast.com. Or you can type them with your fingers. My omnipod.com forward slash juicebox dexcom.com forward slash juicebox. Dancing the number for diabetes.com
#284 Defining Diabetes: Brittle Diabetes
Defining Diabetes: Brittle Diabetes
Scott and Jenny Smith, CDE define the terms that are at the center of your type 1 diabetes care.
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Pandora - Spotify - Amazon Alexa - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public or their favorite podcast app.
+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
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
This episode of defining diabetes is brought to you by in pen by companion medical. In pet is America's only FDA cleared smart insulin pen and app system that eliminates guesswork with its integrated dosing calculator. And that's about the least of what it does. Check out in Penn today at companion medical.com. There are links in your show notes at Juicebox podcast.com. In today's episode of defining diabetes, Jenny Smith and I will define a term that impacts your life with Type One Diabetes. Now you know, Jenny Smith from integrated diabetes calm, she's in all the pro tip episodes and ask Scott and Jenny, you know, Jenny, stop it. Don't act like you don't. If you want to hire Jenny, you can check her out at integrated diabetes calm, Jenny would love to have a private conversation with you. Let's see if she can help you with some of your diabetes questions. But for today, Jenny is going to help me define brittle diabetes.
Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. And always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan for becoming bold with insulin.
At the end of this episode, I'm going to include a little I want to call it an outtake with me and Jenny, it might not be an outtake, it's a preamble, some chatter we were having before we started, you know, doing the defining diabetes thing. It's fine. And he's a hoot.
I would like to define brittle diabetes. And I am super interested in what you're going to say when I ask you, if it's actually a thing, or if it's an old timey term for I don't know what's wrong with you. It does have a definition, right?
Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:07
There is a definition and as far as like the old timey thing, I would say that that's more that's more appropriate, brittle diabetes. Used to be termed to or used to be something doctors called someone with diabetes that they just sort of threw their hands up and their blood sugar's were all over the place. And there was no, you know, do this and it works and whatnot. I mean, on a day to day basis, we know the variables that can go into management. So I think in today's world with technology and CGM, and being able to follow things, a good number of people who probably would have been called brittle, ages ago, or maybe even in the past five or 10 years with a really old doctor who isn't clearly up on what could be being done. I think they may have been called brittle. But in today's age, with what we can follow and track, many times, we get people who come to us even and they say, no one's been able to help me kind of get this contained. And we look at things and we start with like the basics that we've done before. And in the pro tips, kind of starting with beads, and looking at boluses. And looking at food impact and things that some people may have never really looked at before as the impact and how to pay attention to them. So we can kind of then you're not brittle, you just haven't had good information given to you about how to manage more consistently right. Now, I would say I hate the term, I hate the term riddle. But I would say that there are some people with long term diabetes, like you know, ages and ages, you know, 50 plus years, maybe, who may be at a point that there is there are potentially other complications in the picture. And that can make management of diabetes itself a little bit more cumbersome. And so you might appear a little bit more I guess, brittle. Again, I hate to use that term, because it's, it's, it's old. But when you've got other things like heart disease, or kidney disease, or even things with like neuropathy that might limit or change how often you could be active, or energy levels, all those things can impact blood sugar control. So it's not so much that it's, oh my gosh, I'm just going to throw my hands up and there's nothing to do about my blood sugar because I just can't management manage, nothing ever work. Sometimes its management of a couple of things to get the management of diabetes, more stable.
So
Scott Benner 5:00
with you on the idea of I hate, I hate it even bringing it up, because the first thing I think about is someone who's been living for such a long time with a doctor telling them, there's nothing you can do about this. You're just a brittle diabetic. And they're really buying into that and living a life around it and then turning this on and hearing someone go, that's not a real thing. Like, I don't want them to have that experience. Right. Right. But I also know that we define it, it's almost like taking a diagnosis away, it's like telling them Nope, you're definitely you know, you're crazy to think that your ups and downs, are, you know, something that you're doing wrong, because it's not, you've just not been given enough information to manage exactly, but at the same time, we we've already defined a couple of terms that, you know, bristle people, and I've get a lot of good feedback about I'm glad you tackled this idea. So I want to do this. So, you know, googling it comes up Rare Disease info.nih.gov. So this is the government saying that brittle diabetes is a term that is sometimes used to describe hard to control diabetes, it is characterized by wide variations or swings in blood sugar, in which blood glucose levels can quickly move from too high to low. And that's a fairly new, that's from 2017. That's not an old. Right? So I've always seen it as a, it's a, it's a give up from a doctor, it's just like, I don't know what's wrong, you're brittle. You know, like, like, you know what it reminds me of I and I hate to say this, but 50 years ago, if a woman 50 years ago, probably longer than that. Now, if a woman was emotional, they'd say what like, Oh, she has the vapors. She's prone to, you know, they mean, like, what that really meant was, some lady was saying something some guy didn't want to deal with. And they were like, Oh, you know how she gets, you know, like, you know, it must be hurt. Right? Like all that stuff that kind of like dismissive stuff, which I think really means my wife's trying to talk to me about her feelings. And I don't want to so let's just say she's crazy and get out of this conversation. And I don't think this is much different in that. It sounds to me, like, Doctor see these crazy numbers, right? Imagine it. Imagine no technology, you go in with your meter, and your meter says 35. And then it says 400. And the doctor doesn't know what to say. And the insulin is not as good as it is now. And you can't glucose monitor with a CGM,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 7:18
and the person hasn't had any notes. Because it's three weeks ago, when that happened. They're like, I don't know what happened three weeks ago,
Scott Benner 7:24
they're working off whatever bad advice they got 30 years ago from an endo. I mean, imagine what they tell people today, imagine what they were saying to people 30 years ago, it must have been just like, Hey, you stick that in there. And if you get dizzy, have a candy. You don't anybody was probably similar to that. Right. And so I, I shudder to think that there are people living today who think they're brittle, when I really believe it's possible that they just aren't aware of how to use their their insulin
Jennifer Smith, CDE 7:51
well, and even that definition that came from NIH in 2017, is there's no definition to why the variability could be there. The ups and the downs, we all have variability at times. And if you're, as we've kind of gone through, and many of the things that we've talked about, if you're not, if you don't pay attention, and make some notes about things or keep track of some things, or look at your data, you could feel very brittle, you could feel like nobody's ever going to be able to help me my blood sugar just does what it wants to do. And there's no rhyme or reason to it. And you know, whatever, I've just got bad diabetes.
Scott Benner 8:29
I think we got the bad griddle, Jenny, right, it just means like, easy to fall apart. Like the idea of something better, like a brittle bone, or a brittle twig or something like that. If you don't hold it with kid gloves, and don't move, it's just going to explode and fall into dust. Right? And it's just, if you're living right now and thinking you're brittle, please go back and listen to the prototype episodes. Because it's very possible. I mean, in less than, I hope this isn't the case. But unless you've gotten to the point, with your health, like Jenny described earlier, where there's where there's a lot going on, that's not positive. I mean, still, then you're not brittle, you just have complications, you know, like, it's so anyway,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:10
and there is different management then for complications and the diabetes component there. You know, I used to work when I worked as an inpatient diabetes educator and dietitian, there is very different management for people who have chronic kidney disease or who are on dialysis or those complications. They bring something in I also used to work on a cancer ward. And there are people who have diabetes and also have cancer that brings into the picture a whole host of fluctuations that happen. That doesn't mean you call the person brittle, but it means that there's something there to manage to help them also manage the diabetes.
Scott Benner 9:48
Yes, excellent. You know, your wife is upset in 1925. She doesn't have the vapors
Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:55
that she probably needed a hug or just to sit down and actually talk to somebody right
Scott Benner 9:59
should be affected. I opened his mouth and didn't cheat on her, she wouldn't be so upset. So anyway, I know you made me just now think of Nicole who was just on and I don't know if you've ever heard her Nicole's episodes, but Nicole came on prior to getting a kidney to kidneys, and a pancreas transplant. And then she just came on recently to talk about how it's going after the transplant. And one of the things she brought up is because her management was not great by her own admission for a very long time. She has gastro precice to Yeah, he actually has to consider her medications. right because of the gas or priestess like what if the, it doesn't get picked up in the right time? And that's just one of the things you just said. Like there's adjustments that need to be made based on your situation. Right, right. So, so Nicole's stomach isn't brittle. Nicole has no bruises, and she needs to do something a certain way. Correct. I like that. We did this one. Okay. Awesome.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 10:51
Yeah, it was good, too. It was definitely good to bring up because I think it's still it's still talked about too much. It is.
Scott Benner 10:59
Yeah. When I first said it to you, I had the same feeling in my stomach as I had when I said hey, Jenny, let's define non compliant. And you looked at me like really? Scott, should we do that? And I was like, No, no, we should. It's gonna be okay. And you're like, yeah, this is good. We're going down with the ship here, aren't we buddy? Okay,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:15
so that was a good one to noncompliant because I hate that word.
Scott Benner 11:20
Huge thanks to Jenny for coming on the show. As always, don't forget that you can hire Jenny right at integrated diabetes comm there are links right there in your show notes. If you want to check out Jenny may think there are links at Juicebox podcast.com. And of course, you can just go to integrated diabetes and give her a shout. Thanks also to in pen for sponsoring this episode of the Juicebox Podcast Do not forget, all you have to do is go to companion medical.com. And there you can find out where you stand with your diabetes care plan because the in pen app displays your active insulin, blood glucose and the last insulin dose. It also reminds you when to take a dose calculated recommend your next dose and warns you if your insulin is expired or has been stored outside of the recommended temperature range. Having an M pen is like having an insulin pump. But it's in a pen. Get it in pen. You get it you can get more Jenny and the diabetes pro tip series other defining diabetes episodes and of course, the Ask Scott and Jenny episodes. If you just can't get enough, Jenny, that's where you can find her here on the Juicebox Podcast. And now you're used to hearing Jenny say smart stuff about diabetes. Get ready to listen to her talk about other stuff where she sounds more human. We've been trying to figure out for Arden all year which is incredible. For network
Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:59
I don't know where you went
Scott Benner 13:01
where network connection and you were gone.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:03
are gone. All of a sudden
Scott Benner 13:05
you're like a little Blippi today. Kick your heels Yeah,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:08
I don't it's it's pretty windy outside here today and kind of overcast so that might be I don't know whatever happens in the atmosphere of cloud
Scott Benner 13:18
do you get your internet through satellite or you get it through like your cable system?
Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:23
I don't know I've got a little box in the corner of my office and whatever
Scott Benner 13:30
admit what I just said you is gonna end up at the end of one episode where people will feel better knowing that there are some things you don't understand at all.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:39
Have any no idea why
Scott Benner 13:42
he knows everything? Like how do you get your internet NO NO IDEA starts looking around the room like so. Anyway that was great. I
Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:52
come in and got a little I've got a little cable thing box in that I think I'm assuming it's the Wi Fi converter whatever it does thing Yeah, I I have no idea. Are you not surprised now that I could like like build a loop and actually make it work and understand it's working.
Scott Benner 14:10
I'm a little concerned that people are running around the country in the world doing things with their insulin just that you made up in your head?
Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:16
No, no, I promise not that. If you ask you this set up all of the internet connections and everything no probably not going to get done. I'll figure it out. Like I can read directions. I'm a direction follower. I got that from my dad. Everything that he brought home you took out the directions and you started with a like all like shelving units and stuff. All he got all of the Tupperware containers out and he put them all like by size and color and everything he organized them and we need one of a and we put it in the a hole and one at well. That sounds kind of weird, doesn't it? The
Scott Benner 14:54
no this is staying Yeah. Jenny just in case you're wondering. This is gonna be like the beautiful like last five minutes on episode people. Like just leaving the stupid stuff you say this is gonna be one of those that stays in.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:06
Anyway that I learned my organization of how to put things together from my father, he was very, very organized
Scott Benner 15:12
for clarity. Jenny learned how to put things in the a hole from her dad. So I like him to hear this.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:22
He's not unfortunately, who passed away? No, it's okay. He passed away about 10 years ago, he had, he had kidney cancer. So
Scott Benner 15:31
I'm horrified to tell you that I wasn't sorry to hear that he was passed. I was sorry to hear that he couldn't hear what you just said.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:37
nature of what I said yes. And he would have, he would have liked it because he had the greatest dad jokes. Like in the world, my dad had a great sense of humor, so he would have loved it.
Scott Benner 15:50
To do something here on the Mac, right? Okay, so I just want to prove to you all that Jenny's a real human being she's not perfect. But she has a great sense of humor. And she does not know how her internet works. At the end here. You know, just let me tell you that podcast just hit 500 reviews on iTunes, which was really touching little plateau, for me. Quite a little milestone. Most of them are really good, which is also very nice. I want to thank you too, because the podcast just hit 1.2 5 million total downloads for the whole show, which is a really incredible thing. And I've probably said before, but it the first month of the podcast back in February 2015. I think there was something like 1000 downloads that month. And now I can't, you know, get 1000 downloads like every couple hours. As a matter of fact, by the time you hear this episode, November of 2019, will become the most downloaded month in the history of the podcast. And that happens a lot. Where the next month like we're one month does better than the last month over and over again. That really is to do with the podcast being shared by listeners. I have no budget for marketing. And I can only hope that when the podcast grows, that means that you found that helpful, or entertaining or thought provoking or something and told somebody else about it. Which I really I didn't expect that either. I know when hindsight it seems obvious, right? Somebody will like it, and they'll tell somebody else. But in the beginning I I really didn't think that would be I don't know, I just didn't imagine. And you know, reflecting here just a couple of hours past Thanksgiving. I'm really thankful for it. Actually, I was looking through my photographs. So I'll leave you go back to your life after this. I was looking through some photographs from two weeks ago. And I was in Kansas City at the jdrf type one nation event. I did four talks that day. Right. It's a think the thing started at 9am. And it was over my for for for those hours, I was speaking in a room. Not concurrently, although almost. And the first hour was just sort of thinking about your diabetes differently kind of talk, I sort of introduced people to the idea of the podcast. But then in the second hour, I talked about, you know, kind of the tools that we talked about here and give people sort of like a one hour if you can imagine, like the whole idea of the podcast on one hour. It's me talking pretty quickly on stage. After that, I did a q&a, where we talked through people's like real life issues. But at the end of the day, I sat down with the teenagers who were were at the event. You know, at first, um, they looked like teenagers coming into a room being told that, you know, this old man here is going to explain, you know, something to you about diabetes. And they sort of all came in like they know, somebody promised them something if they just came and said still. Maybe they had been a cost, you know, but in a couple of minutes. I got them talking and I got them laughing and started talking to them about their health and how they could possibly feel and you know, 10 more minutes later, a couple of more taking notes, and asking questions, and then the quiet ones in the back got engaged. And I don't know I was thinking about what I was thankful for today and you know the things in my life aside, my family and the people I love you guys for listening. I just started thinking about those kids. And I was really grateful that they listened. Anyway, I don't usually say what I'm grateful for Thanksgiving. But I think I'm grateful for you guys sharing the podcast to the point where it got me invited to an event in Kansas City, where I met a few kids whose lives might be different now. Because you told somebody else about the show, I'm going to put a picture of those kids up on my social media. So if you're listening to this, it's going to be right around. Thanksgiving on my social media. You can find the date scroll back.
If you're listening to this later, okay, this is me being all serious and quiet. Thanks so much for listening to the Juicebox Podcast. There'll be another episode on Tuesday, and every Tuesday and Friday from now until at the very least, the end of 2020. Because all of the sponsors are back plus some new ones. So huge thanks to them. Huge thanks to you guys. Hope you have a great rest of your 2019 keep listening to the show and sharing it and I'll keep making it. Hey, one last thing I need some new equipment to record with. So buy some t shirts maybe or a sweatshirt or something maybe at Juicebox podcast.com. Or you can make a donation to the podcast if you want just scroll down and you know every episode, there's a spot there to do that. Anyway, I'm not begging, I just need another microphone, a new preamp, my computer's starting to get to the end of its life. So there's gonna be some expenses coming up in the next couple of months. And if you would like to help with them by you know, picking up a sweatshirt or dropping five bucks on me or something like that. That'd be really cool. If you can't, please don't think twice about it seriously, I don't want you to feel bad not even for a second. Just keep enjoying the show, sharing the show. And I will I will take care of the rest. But But if you're just sitting there right now thinking I got a couple dollars I can handle that. I'm not going to stop you as they say, but I would be very appreciative
About Jenny Smith
Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Biology from the University of Wisconsin. She is a Registered (and Licensed) Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Trainer on most makes/models of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems. You can reach Jenny at jennifer@integrateddiabetes.com
Please support the sponsors
The Juicebox Podcast is a free show, but if you'd like to support the podcast directly, you can make a gift here. Recent donations were used to pay for podcast hosting fees. Thank you to all who have sent 5, 10 and 20 dollars!
#283 After Dark: Weed Edition
Type 1 diabetes and the Sticky Icky.…
ADULT TOPIC WARNING. Frank discussions about weed with Alex, a type 1 diabetic who smokes daily.
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Pandora - Spotify - Amazon Alexa - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public or their favorite podcast app.
+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
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, and welcome to Episode 283 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by Dexcom on the pod and dancing for diabetes, you can find all the sponsors on Facebook or Instagram. But if you want to go right to the source, you got to go to dexcom.com forward slash juicebox or my omnipod.com forward slash juice box. Now that's going to be to find out more about the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor. And of course, the tubeless insulin pump and that Arden has been using forever the Omni pod. And if you want to know more about dancing for diabetes, well that's dancing the number four diabetes.com.
In Episode 274, the podcast Mike came on and talked about drinking with Type One Diabetes. And today Alex is here to talk about smoking with type one. Now I hope you understand I'm not talking about cigarettes, right? I'm talking about the doobie. Houdini reefer a spliff. You get what I'm saying here grass but asparagus, your Aunt Mary ganja marijuana pot. Some of you might notice chronic dank, I prefer weed. Anyway, Alex is gonna come on and talk all about his life. He happens to be a frequent
Unknown Speaker 1:24
smoker.
Scott Benner 1:26
This one went way different than I thought it was going to. And honestly maybe one of my favorite episodes.
Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. And always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. Becoming bold with insulin are sparking up that sticky icky
Alex 2:03
Hello, Alex.
Scott Benner 2:05
Hey, before you even get comfortable, I'm going to test you Okay, I'm going to say three words. You tell me what comes after it. Noise noise noise go.
Alex 2:14
No, each noise noise? I don't know what no Jay and
Scott Benner 2:18
Silent Bob. All right. Okay. You're out ox. Not just kidding. You're just young Alex. That's what you are. I am
Alex 2:25
26
Scott Benner 2:27
No, seriously, how are you doing?
Alex 2:29
I'm doing good. I actually am high right now. I'm not wheat high. But um, blood sugar high. There's gonna be a lot of that. Like, which high am I talking about? But, uh, yeah, I was just I ate something and I always get I after even if I dose to carb ratio thing, but I also um, I have I'm type one diabetic, but I have Addison's disease as well. Okay, which means I don't produce adrenaline. I don't produce cortisol. And I don't produce aldosterone. And I took my pills before I ate. And normally I don't eat this early, though, is kind of messed up, but it's not a big deal. Um, it'll come down eventually.
Scott Benner 3:11
What pill did you take?
Alex 3:13
I took hydrocortisone.
Scott Benner 3:15
And that's what's that help with that's supposed to help with.
Alex 3:18
It's like cortisol replacement. Okay, I have like a baseline of them. And I just take them replace that. I there was a portion of my life or life with Addison's that I. I made my doctor upset. And I told him because he told me that my hydrocortisone ever affected my diabetes. And I disagreed with him because I had researched it before that. And I had another doctor when I first got diagnosed tell me that it does. And this other doctor tried to tell me it didn't. So I challenged him. And he gave me a cease and desist letter. And I'm going to go find another doctor. For my endocrinology. The reason why I chose that doctor in the first place is because he said he would take care of my diabetes in the Addison's together. And unfortunately, he couldn't do that. I found a doctor since then that can't, there was like two years of my life that I didn't have any doctor for either. Because he couldn't handle me revolting. And my doctor now embraces my honesty, and my directness and she, if I have an idea, or if I have a different, you know what I mean, different ideas that she has, yeah, you won't challenge me. She'll just let go go home, look him up. And then on the next meeting, or she'll call me on the next time, and we'll have a conversation about it then rather than immediately saying, No, I don't know that kicking me out or not wanting to have the conversation. Let me ask you,
Scott Benner 4:47
when you talk when you said, revolting, did you mean like, Did you like sail a boat up to his harbor and drop tea in it and stuff like that? Or? Ellen skora. Did you punch him in the head or you just you mean you resisted what he said and yeah, I don't Yeah, gotcha.
Alex 5:01
I yeah, I was just very I'm very direct when I don't agree with something being that this is like my life my choice like the doctor, it's kind of a hard thing being younger, like I got diabetes when I was three years old. And have had it ever since then Addison's when I was 15. So I kind of had to grow up at a young age. And I've got my voice, my, my strength. From that, you know what I mean? Because going into these doctor's offices all the time, doctors kind of want to tell you what they know, rather than I want to hear what I know about it and work together on it. They're more it's more of a one sided type thing. And I don't, I don't rock that way. I want to know what's going on what's going on my body? And do I have to have that. And since like, this time, back in the day, because there was a time for my HPA when C was at 15. And I wasn't taking care of my diabetes. And I've always had this until end of position on my no diseases, that I'm not going to be like, let them get in the way of my life. I'm going to do what I want when I want. And without a sense, particularly when I was diagnosed, I was on when I was 15. It was my 15th birthday that I got out of the hospital. And it was on a Sunday. And that's all I wanted for my birthday that year was to get out of the hospital. Because on that Tuesday, I was supposed to go snowboarding. And I did like, the thing with Addison's is that it's like a life threatening disease. Like if you break your arm or have any serious trauma to your body, got to get a shot and don't potentially die. But the doctor was like, Oh, you shouldn't do that you're new to this disease, you could have an issue and, you know, it could be the end of you. Um, but I was like, Nah, I'm going I'm going to snowboarding and not you know, he's not gonna hold me back. And I got to do what I got to do. Like, I'm still young, I'm still free. There's, these are. When you look at me, you don't see these diseases. I look like everyone else, right? So I'm not going to, like, make it look like I'm, you know, short, or like, less than when I go do what I do. And if it doesn't work out, then at least I'm living.
Scott Benner 7:07
Nice. Hey, so let's ask a couple like baseline questions and get going. You said it a second thought? No, no, you're good. You're diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. How old?
Alex 7:15
Three years old?
Scott Benner 7:16
Three years old? That's 23 years ago, right?
Alex 7:19
Yep. Okay. 23.
Scott Benner 7:21
Was there any existence of type one in your family or other endocrine issues?
Alex 7:26
No, not at all.
Scott Benner 7:28
Okay, not on both sides. Three years old. 23 years ago.
Alex 7:34
It was very different times back then. So you say how did you start? So basically, when I got diagnosed, I was in San Diego. I was in a camping trip with my mom. And I had just been at my grandma's house in LA. And she was cleaning up and like the toilet seat. I was obviously three years old, so I didn't, didn't have perfect aim at the time. And the rim of the toilet seat was like sparkling like dancing like diamonds. My grandma, she's a very clean woman. So he noticed it right away. And when she was cleaning, and it kind of stood out to her she had read a diabetes forecast magazine, her my grandpa and I knew something was up I told my mom and she was like are when we get back from our camping trip, I'll look into it. And on the camping trip I there was a bathroom across the street from our campsite, like across a little road or whatever. And she kept having to walk across the street which it was very noticeable how many times I was going to the bathroom. And we only had so much water at the campsite. So I was consuming all the water and pissing it all out. Wasn't was you know, a red flag for her and long story short, we went to the hospital and they wanted to diagnose me there but being there my mom was a single mom. He couldn't spend her time in San Diego like it wasn't we were only there for like a trip. Yeah. So basically, he denied the doctor's health request or like denied service, whatever. bogie back to Orange County which is like an hour away from San Diego and then did it there and got me diagnosed in orange or in Mission Viejo. And you know, lived with it ever since. But back when I started insulin injections you I mean, long term short term and the whole nine yards. And my doctor was actually in LA too. So we would it was always like a baffling time to handle my diabetes.
Scott Benner 9:21
Let me ask you this, just for a second to clear up to finish up the thought. sparkling sparkling toilet seat was sugar appearing in your urine.
Alex 9:29
Yes, sir. My blood sugar when I was diagnosed was my mom said like 1300 to 1400 Jesus. Yeah, was pretty bad. That's why I was very, like, prominent.
Scott Benner 9:40
No kidding. Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's insane. Yeah, that's the biggest number anyone's ever said on here. Just so you know, you've won the prize.
Alex 9:49
Well, I didn't even now like my blood. Thank you for that. I really appreciate that. Or something. Uh, my blood sugar gets high. Like, even with the Insulin, I'm on a pump. You know what I mean? I just get high really quick. Like, I ate a BLT two pieces of bread before, like, I was like at 7am this morning, and my blood sugar shot, like I had pre dosed, you know, 20 minutes before. And it just immediately shoots up. It's like super quick, but I probably already had diabetes for a good while, obviously, since it was so high, right? And I don't really complain on I mean, you just, I've always been wanting to just take heat
Scott Benner 10:28
Aleksander, this isn't while you're on but let me ask you a couple of questions, your print your your Pre-Bolus, in 20 minutes outside of a sandwich, which is crazy. How high are you getting after that?
Alex 10:37
Uh, my blood sugar was 250. On my Dexcom are like, actually 192 right now, but it was 250 on my like, blood sugar, my contour test kit. Um, but there, I've noticed what the Dexcom that they when you're shooting up fast, like when you're flying up. It can't capture the cap, it can't capture, like the top end of where you're about to get at. Before you get there. So you get
Scott Benner 11:04
Yeah, of course. Hey, so let me ask you a question. After you get high like that. Do you come back down on your own? Or do you have to correct with more insulin to get back down?
Alex 11:14
definitely have to correct I definitely have to correct okay. It's been, it's been tough. What my goal, my focus right now, in these three months from the last time I saw my endocrinologist is I have a problem with emotional dosing. Like I'm high, and I'm like, you know, I'm staying high. And I'm trying to step down, try to step down, and it's not coming down. quick enough for me, you know, so I just keep, here's another two units. Here's another unit and just try to like, you know, bring it down. Yeah. And it it eventually ever. No. I mean, if I see it starting to come down, I'll stop. But I just hate being high. Like, No, I'm not. Yeah, but like, thing that I've had it for so long. If I had to choose high or low, I would choose low any day. I've had some, like,
Scott Benner 12:01
how's it go for hours and hours? Yeah, more work than fixing a tough flow. Right.
Alex 12:08
Yeah. And the I've tried the 679. I mean, the closed loop system and all that. Right. And I've I have the tandem now with the basal IQ. And I got the dex calm. And I've you know, I've been with all the new like, tech and whatnot. And the 670 I thought it was gonna be the game changer, you know? And it just
Scott Benner 12:29
didn't help
Alex 12:30
you know, it did not at all and actually sent me to the hospital multiple, multiple times, Hey,
Scott Benner 12:34
you guys can put that in an ad Medtronic. Congratulations. So another Yeah, of course, man. Let me ask you another question. Okay. It's been like, find a time in your mind. It's been a few hours since you ate and a few hours since you've had insulin. Where does your blood sugar sit stable when it sits stable without insult food?
Alex 12:55
It's perfect. 100 you know what I mean? 100. Like, one 100. And it'll vary up to like 110 and then come back down to 100. It's perfect. And that's when I first got to my doctor. Now. That was her first goal. Yeah, let's get a baseline. Don't eat what I mean. And if you do eat, let's see like this. But her thing was don't eat breakfast, don't eat lunch, eat dinner. And then once we figure out dinner, and then we can start with breakfast, don't eat lunch, dinner, only breakfast and see what it does. Yeah, and just have me not eat. And I was totally game for it. Because like I said, there was a time where I didn't care about my diabetes, and I was
Scott Benner 13:31
just living and you're trying to care now.
Alex 13:33
Yeah, I'm really trying to care. Now, like I said, my highest was at 15. And now it's at like, six, five, know what I mean? And it still has room to improve. But that's all me, like, once I took it over from my mom. But I'm almost like my main caretaker for a while. And I was like, I'm gonna take this over. And recently, I've actually paid for everything myself now to is there's that that's a portion of diabetes that is left on or like not really talked about is how expensive it is. for younger kids. I mean, I know. You don't have diabetes, but your daughter does. And I'm sure that right now. She's trying to get a job. She's trying to do her thing, like trying to get her education so that she can afford it one day. But she's being that we have parents, we get it at a young age, that have that hustle and drive to be able to get the money, be able to afford these things. And there's a time where we got to do that too. And I think as these companies progress and technology gets better, and that should be something that I don't I mean, receivable like for everyone, there's this guy that I met playing basketball, and he had a baby and he was probably like 30 or something. And he had a baby and he had a pump. He had a note sensor and all that living his best life. And when the baby came, he couldn't afford the baby and his pump and sensor. Like he couldn't afford both at the same time. Okay, so he, he gave up his pump to be able to afford his kid. Yeah, and I was just like, totally really blew me away cuz I was like I've never even once had to think about giving up my technology, or like someone else's like for money. Let me give you
Scott Benner 15:10
an honest statement from a person who has two children and is probably more than two thirds way done with his life. Don't make a baby till you can afford it. Yeah, exactly. I'll be right there with you. Yes, you can help it don't do that. Yeah. So listen, going back to your Bolus, though, for a second if you're, if you're doing a nice little Pre-Bolus. And you're going to 250 and you have to correct to come back down. In my mind, your insulin to carb ratio for that meal is not right. And so a good place to begin would be to make that sandwich again the next day. Take the bullets that you used and add a good deal of your correction to the initial bolus. And that should stop the spike without making you low. Mm hmm. So it's more sometimes it's more about the impact of the food like Do you ever have a time where you do a Pre-Bolus? Count the carbs, right, and you don't get high? Like do different foods affect you differently?
Alex 16:03
So my BLT is like my, I guess, my glory food at this point. Typically, all I eat is Chipotle, a a chocolate label, and I get the exact same thing in it every time. Okay, because what you're just saying, and my other thing that I eat is blaze pizza, I get to build your own. I actually just switched over to cauliflower crust, um, but I do those meals, if I'm going to eat out those are the two meals that I eat, right? And then I eat salads and stuff at home basically like protein carb ratios. I just got into, like you were saying, like trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. Yeah. Um, but yeah, no, I definitely agree. I just, I'm a sandwich person. I really enjoy sandwiches and sushi. I used to love sushi. But
I've had to kick the bucket. Well,
Scott Benner 16:53
I don't think you can't have a sandwich. I just think you have to figure out how that sandwich is impacting your blood sugar and get the Yeah, the insulin moved. You know, so they kind of the impact of the insulin covers the action of the carbs, or, you know, the actually the insulin covers the impact of the carbs. I mean, yeah, well, they're peaking at the same time and
Alex 17:11
bright the thing today, the thing today was I had just taken my pills, and I went to get a sandwich. So I was doubling up. The hydrocortisone naturally makes me high. And I normally take that around like 10 Yeah, like 10am or whatever. So I was a little bit early on that. So basically, at 10 I'm going to get my I increased bazel with my pills, but I since I already took my pills out, so I'm gonna probably crash down at like 10am. So it's kind of like I was just hungry.
Scott Benner 17:41
I just ate. Do you think the scheduling threw you off more than anything else?
Alex 17:43
Yeah, yeah, it wasn't it like, I, I wake up early, but sometimes I don't eat early. I was just watching the sunrise and going because I can see the ocean from my apartment. Nice. So I was just kind of I normally don't get up this early. So let's just pick a song. Right? Yeah. Good for you. Yeah,
Scott Benner 18:00
I hear you. All right. So Alex, let's tell everybody while you're on the podcast. Yeah. So did you How long have you been listening to the show?
Alex 18:08
Honestly, I had listened to another diabetes podcast, and I'm, when I'm at like, when I work, I listen to podcasts because I'm trying to expand my mind while I'm at the office. Right? Um, but not that long. Not that long. Probably like, three episodes before I heard the after dark one. And I was like, Oh, this is me. Okay, so
Scott Benner 18:25
so you're a pretty new listener, and you hear the episode? Yeah, we're talking about drinking with Type One Diabetes. And I say at some point in there, I need like somebody who legitimately smokes weed a lot. Come on and talk about that. So it's very nice of you to put yourself out like that. Let me let me now the same preamble that I made during the drinking one, I've never smoked weed. Really? Yeah, man. And and so I don't know what I'm talking about. But that's why it's perfect that you're here because you can you can help me understand it and, and we can we can get some kind of context. So let me ask my first question. How old were you the first time you did it? The Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor will make knowledge your superpower it is FDA permitted to allow for zero finger sticks has customizable alarms and alerts smart device compatible Android and Apple. I see iOS, you know, you can share your data with up to 10 followers 10 count them with me 123456789 that's a lot 10 their Siri integration and it's indicated for use in children two years and up. Do you hear Siri? Shut up Siri. Hey Siri, stop. I love it when you tell Siri to cancel and it says there's nothing to cancel but it just asked you something. Cancel me and stop talking to me. It's enough. Being hocked in China by my phone. That's bad pronunciation. By the way, in case you're wondering, back to Dexcom, Dexcom, g six continuous glucose monitor, find out which way your blood sugar is moving right the direction and the speed and doesn't have to just be you like the person with diabetes. It could be a loved one a child, a friend, a sister, a long lost. I don't know milkman like say you're like from the 1920s and used to have a guy that brings your milk and somehow he's still alive, even though he's probably an adult back then. He's 143 now, but he has type one diabetes, and you're still worried about him. That guy's got a dexcom g six. Your milkman from the 1920s and you have like an iPhone or an Android, you could help him know what his blood sugar is, like crazy. That's like time travel right there. You need a dexcom continuous glucose monitor. Please take it from me. Go to dexcom.com Ford slash juice box to get started today. psych another ad. This one's around the pod the Omni pod tubeless insulin pump. Mm hmm. To make me happy thinking about it. My Omni pod.com forward slash juice box. Here's something about the Omni pod I've never considered before I saw it online just today. Someone said Do you remember trying to run with your insulin pump and it would pop off your belt. And then it would just be like some swinging sickle of death whipping around from the tubing in the air while you're furiously reaching for it hoping it doesn't pull out your infusion set. I thought I can picture that. But I don't have any experience with it. Because my daughter's always used a tubeless insulin pump the AMI pod. Another reason why Omni pod is terrific is because they'll let you try the system out, they'll send you a free no obligation demo in the mail. You can try it on and see what you think you don't have to just take my word for it. To get that free demo, go to my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box, you fill out a tiny bit of information about yourself on the pod, we'll send you the demo pod right to your house. And don't worry, it's non functioning right. So it's not like it's gonna, you know, can't give you insulin or anything like that. It just gives you the experience of wearing it. You could even shower with it or, you know, do whatever you're going to do with it, to see how it fits into your life. Miami pod.com forward slash juicebox. There's also links in your show notes at Juicebox podcast.com. And after you do that, head over to dancing for diabetes. Find out more about that organization dancing the number four diabetes.com all the sponsors information is available at Juicebox podcast.com. And they're always links in the show notes of your podcast player. dexcom.com Ford slash juice box Miami pod.com. forward slash juice box dancing the number four diabetes.com. All right, no more ads. Lots of show left. Let's get back to Alex. He's gonna tell you by the end. I'm just like this kid. Love him. What do you say?
Alex 22:54
So I knew you're gonna ask this. And it's always the question. Um,
Scott Benner 22:58
let's wait. First, your mom's a lovely person that she loves you. She's a really good parent. How old? Were you last time you got high?
Alex 23:03
Well, I had smoked with my stepbrother when I was in third grade.
Scott Benner 23:07
Okay. Does that make you eight or nine?
Alex 23:10
Something like that? Yeah, I don't know. I just know I was in third grade because I went back to school on Monday. And I was like, No,
Scott Benner 23:18
I demand
Alex 23:20
for basically like my parents were having a party and my stepbrother isn't the best influence. You know what I mean? I took that what you just said, yeah. He, he was like about to leave like the party. And normally like he would stay for him because he likes to party. But he was leaving. And I'm like, David, let me come with you. And as followed him out of the house and walked across the street. We lived right across the street from the school that I went to. My mom always wanted to be close. In case I needed something at the school. She would always be like literally a walking distance map like the school to the house, okay. He walked across the street to the school, went to the lunch yard and he was smoking. just handed it to me. And I smoked I hadn't. I was just one time one puff or whatever. And didn't smoke again till like freshman year. And ever since freshman year, just every day if I can. Do you
Scott Benner 24:06
have a recollection of it when you were nine? That one puff?
Alex 24:10
Uh, I remember everything up to it. But after it wasn't, too. I know nothing really after to clear Yeah,
Scott Benner 24:18
yeah. So and then back to your freshman year that makes you about 14
Alex 24:22
right? Yeah. 1415 Yeah.
Scott Benner 24:25
So my first question, I guess is what do we call it? Like, am I good? was saying smoking weed or do I sound ridiculous?
Alex 24:34
No smoking weed smoking pot. I mean, that works. I call it pot. Yeah, weed. I mean, okay.
Scott Benner 24:38
Yeah. All right. And you're in California. Yes, yes. And is it Have you traveled much? Is there a lot of truth to the idea that the the pot in marijuana in the apartment with a pot in California is at a different level? Power wise.
Alex 24:57
Yes, without a doubt. I got some weed when I was in Indiana, I've got some weed in New York, I got some weed in Georgia. I'm in Tennessee, I got some. Yeah, none of it. None of it was really hitting like that. I mean, if basically, you want some good weed in any of those other locations, you just got to pay more. I mean, like, they'll have a, like, exports, California. I mean, like on the black market, I guess you could say like sending it out to wherever you need it, they'll get it to you. It's just how much you're willing to pay and how much risk you're willing to pay for that. For it to get. Um, but yeah, I, we definitely have an easier and it's easier to get it out here. Like I can have weed in the time that this podcast takes. I can have wheat delivered to me like I don't even have to leave the house and I can literally sit open up another tab and order it. And then you're doing this like I don't have to try to get it you know what I mean? Like Uber smokes something Exactly. We have things called weed maps. And you there's businesses on there that you can just call or they have online menus and stuff. It's super easy to
Scott Benner 26:06
see cell phones are important. Okay, so tell me this because I really don't understand. I have no, I have no context at all. Do you smoke for pleasure? for medical reasons for both for one the other like, what's your main like, when you think about? Like, I'm going to smoke now? It's to do what are you trying to like? What are you trying to accomplish? I guess.
Alex 26:32
Same thing people do when they drink. I mean, I'm not a drinker. For me, I've never been the one to drink. And I enjoy it to like calm down or enjoy myself. But I'll tell you, I'm like a medical standpoint. When I'm high like my blood sugars are and I smoke a blood sugar being high is less. I mean, it's not as demanding on me. Like, for me the when I'm high my blood, or my body just doesn't feel good. You know? I mean, it's tight, right? Just like you're treading water. Um, but we just kind of I can focus on something else, I can do something else. I mean, I'm not having to only focus on my high blood sugar. And there was a time where I was recreational, like, recreationally doing it and enjoying it, abusing it, you could say like, they're like, when I was younger in high school and past that. I used to smoke blunts, like, one after another 1520 in a sitting up box my car like five, six months and open the door and just billowing smoke and it was a good time. You know, like I really enjoyed it. I never thought anything of it. Until like the abuse portion came into play when I was probably like, two or three years ago. I was smoking blunts, you know, consistently just killing them. It was backwoods particularly. I had smoke switchers before that but backwoods were the thing that I was really into, and they like they're good. But I kept throwing up. And I didn't understand why it wasn't necessarily after the blunt. It was more in the morning, like consistently every morning throwing up. And I didn't understand it didn't understand it. My doctor was like, Oh, you have hyperemesis and I'm like, I don't think so yada, yada And long story short, it wasn't the weed. It was the bunch. It was the tobacco usage. It was making me just not have a good morning. And
Scott Benner 28:30
we cut back what you're doing there. If I'm understanding right as you're buying basically going to inexpensive cigar that might be sold at like a convenience store. You're splitting it packing it with wheat and smoking it right.
Alex 28:41
Yes, yeah. Well, the backwoods you don't split them. I'm going to roll them but yeah.
Scott Benner 28:46
And so but you're getting that tobacco from what I'm gonna call like a cheaper car that's probably not meant to be inhaled to begin with. It's probably all right. So you're and how old were you doing that?
Alex 29:02
I mean, any like, freshman year till like a year or two ago, Alex, you have the Constitution
Scott Benner 29:06
of a horse. That's a I can't even imagine me smoking just one of those cigars as a small child and not just turning green and falling over. That's that's something else. Okay. So okay, so
Alex 29:19
I was like,
yeah, the environment that I was in and like it was it was what what you know what I mean, this is what's gonna happen yeah, like I didn't, I wasn't going to drink so like when we're at parties or something like kicking it like out in high school. I'm not a drinker. I was always this like, quote unquote, sober one that was going to drive home so I feel like with when I smoke a blunt at the party, whatever, kick it like, you know what I mean? People rolling up for me, and, you know, we're hanging out and then it's time to go, I'm not going to be the one that's crazy. I'm going to be more level headed and being that I have diabetes as well. Alcohol, like the A woman said on the after dark one of the alcohol, you got to kind of prepare for that an hour, two hours, like From now on, I mean, like, how is that gonna affect me in the future with the weed? It's, you know, I'm going to be the same. Like it's not going to change my alter my mind to the point where I'm in capacity. I mean, yeah, I've had I have drank alcohol, like four times five times on a, like five times where it affected me negatively. And I just wasn't into it. You know what I mean? Like that's,
Scott Benner 30:31
you're not a drinker.
Alex 30:33
Yeah, just not a drinker. And I'm not trying to like, save this is this one's better than that one. But what's the
Scott Benner 30:39
difference? In your tea? In your perspective? What's the difference between the high you get from drinking and the how you get from smoking?
Unknown Speaker 30:46
Um,
Alex 30:48
the first two drinks aren't bad. No, I mean, the first few drinks you're killing like, I remember I was in Vegas one time with like, friends. And I had three Bud Light. platinums. And I was chilling. I mean, like, it was good. I was having a good time. Everyone's smiling. We're all you know, turning up. And the homie came up to me with another Bud Light platinum, those already opened. And it was like a glass bottle. So you had it as soon as it opened. You can't like reseal it. Yeah. So I was like, Yeah, sure. I'll take one and then four turned into two more. So I was six in. And I was just on I mean obliterated. And most people that drink like they build a tolerance and six beers really isn't much. But they are someone that doesn't have a tolerance. It really messed me up. And I didn't take care of my diabetes. And my friends. It was like the morning time and they came into my room and we're like, yo, let's go, let's go get some food. And I wasn't there. And like my friend came in to like him up close on me, was trying to get me to wake up like shaking me and stuff wasn't reacting. And he like, pops open my eyes, like grabs my eyelids and tries to look at them. And he said they're just black, like, black like my pupils weren't overly sized. And so he knew something was wrong. So basically, he was looking for my keys, found them bugging me to the hospital. And it was out of song at Addison's crisis in the low blood sugar. It was just, I mean, a whole situation. Yeah. And
Scott Benner 32:16
that masked by the drinking so you couldn't tell it was happening. Right?
Alex 32:20
Exactly, exactly. And I was already like, quote, unquote, drunk, but I was I passed out. I didn't, I wasn't thinking about that. You know what I mean? Like, and I was too incoherent to push through it and solve the issues with my, my weed No matter how much I smoke, like 1516 blunts, and I'm still able to look at my pump and be coherent and be like, Oh, I'm high, or whoa, I'm low. Like, let's do something about this. And Eve. But even then, with that being said, like, there's been parties that I've been at, like, I remember this one time, I'd got off work. And I've been working since I was 15. And got off work. I've always had money. So I had a car. So I'm going over to that party up over in Coto, which is like maybe 1520 minutes from the house. And I remember pulling into the driveway, going into the house. And that's it. But I guess what I did was I went into the house, I changed and got back in my car drove over to Coto pulled up on the homies, I was like yo Mimi outside and pulling up. And when I when the homies came outside, I guess I was ready to fight them. Like I was trying to fight them, like being real aggressive. And I'm, I'm naturally not an aggressive person. So they're like, what's going on here. And I was like, I was not properly like, my wording was all slurred. It was really terrible. And they knew something was up, I've my, like, I've known for a good, good while at the time, they basically shoved me back in the car in the passenger seat. They drove to the hospital. And, you know, he got me what I needed. But I have no recollection of that. Like at all. They ran red lights, they were really like on their way to the hospital, in a standard car. And I've always told them like, if I'm in like a weird, weird mindset or whatever, run the red light, like enough, a cop pulls you over. Don't pull over, just keep going to the hospital and handle it when you get there. And I'll help you out when I get my mindset back or whatever. Because it's my life is important. And I'm sure the cop will understand. I hope
Scott Benner 34:27
when you're high no anger, no feeling like you want to fight people, you're able to take care of your blood sugar. I mean, you just said earlier, but you're a person who just recently decided like I'm going to take I'm going to take really good care of my diabetes. You have a six and a half a one C which is an amazing, obviously improvement over what you had. You have you have no trouble taking care of it when you're smoking.
Alex 34:48
Oh, and Nope, not at all. I mean, I I smoke much less now. Like I smoke a bomb. And it's you know, I mean maybe point 1.5 and a bowl. It's a big bowl piece but uh yeah No nothing at all and like the only time where it could be an issue is like the time after you smoke like the munchies that you know people talk about. For me, I try to like all smoke, smoke, smoke smoke throughout the night or whatever. And then I'll allocate like, Okay, this is time to eat around like dinner time or whatever time I feel but I don't try to just eat munching on I mean just consistently munching try to find I. Yeah, like I'll allocate it for I've smoked this much. It's time to eat now. Or like if I am trying to snack while smoking or whatever. Let us know what I mean. like celery stuff that isn't carby as well, but I think that I'm trying like a new I'm trying to be healthier diabetic. I didn't know that carrots had sugar in them or like carbs in them. And
Scott Benner 35:48
by eating carrots and yeah, Alyssa Yeah.
Alex 35:51
Yeah. And it was Arab while I was like carrots Really? Like I was trying to be a good person. I didn't know that character could get you like that
Scott Benner 35:57
character. Good. Free. Just need a little insulin for him. But see, figure it out. You do it next time. It'll be Yeah, be less insulin than something. Yeah, that's really heavy with carbs.
Alex 36:08
Yeah, no, it's but I being like, I never used to care about diabetes when I say that, like I never used to care. And I've mean, I would care but it was I wanted sushi. I was going to eat sushi. Like I got my first pump when I was in fifth grade. And it felt like the gates were open. Or I mean, like it felt like freedom is with the insulin needles and the multiple, multiple daily injections and you're kind of like a tethered to you, he's always got to kind of go back to the home base. With the pump. I had three days where I could do whatever I wanted. I still never slept over. I was never into sleeping over because I enjoy the safety of my house or I enjoyed the safety of my mom's house. Um, but the Yeah, freedoms were endless. And I again, I was abusing it. Like I was just going doing whatever, and not really focusing on what the negative impacts could be. And when I got Addison's, it was kind of the same thing like that. I'm just gonna live like, I don't, I don't need to let it hold me back. But there's a fine line with that. I mean, was there a D live
Scott Benner 37:18
thought back then that you weren't going to live as long so you were going to live? Like happily? Or was it not even that well thought out? Was it just,
Alex 37:27
it really was I always I used to always say, like, I have a shorter life expectancy than others. You know what I mean, especially with these two diseases, like I could be, I could be gone tomorrow. But, um, if you like the law of attraction, I've recently like, read the book and like, been more positive about that. Is that a day it's gonna happen? It'll probably happen. So I, I have to live as long as I can. I mean, do whatever I can to live the best life and what they there's like this saying that, find what makes you happy and figure out how to make money doing it. Mm hmm. And I've recently I've been car washing forever, but I love carwash, I love cleaning. And some people may not find that to be enjoyable, but I really love cleaning. Like it makes me feel good. Okay. And specifically, car washing is really enjoyable. For me. Everyone has a car. I mean, most people have a car. And
Scott Benner 38:23
in California, they all seem to have one.
Alex 38:25
Yeah, exactly. But the like getting a little piece of everyone's car being able to wash it. And I specifically love really dirty cars. And, you know, it's just, I love it. And if I can do that once a day, nothing's that serious and finding that able to enjoy that and working in the diabetes around that my Addison's disease around that, because even car washing is really challenging with the diabetes or Addison's like it's really fatiguing on the body. And I used to only be able to do one car, like one car and I was just looked after. Yeah. Now I can do like this. Last weekend, I did four cars. I did three cars on a Saturday and I started a clay bar on a Friday night. And then after the three cars on Saturday, I went back down to San Diego and buffed and polished this one car spent 16 hours on it looks beautiful. And in the course of 24 hours I did four cars you attribute that your blood sugar being lower now that you're able to do more work. Yep, being more like on it. Like when I was down there, the homie that I was doing the work for. He bought me pizza and I love pizza. But I ate my like two pieces or whatever when I first started like those four everything was groovy we're working hard and not blood sugar starts to go back down. So I one more piece of like kick differ a little bit see how it was like reacting to me. And then you know what I mean? Like, more patience with it rather than just binge eating and boring with the aftermath. You know what I mean? Why do you
Scott Benner 39:54
like baby steps, man, it's exciting. It really is
Alex 39:58
just trying to do whatever I can And I think that I do smoke weed, people tend to have this negative connotation around marijuana usage like people are lazy people or bombs or whatever. And realistically, it's your choice. I mean, same with the diabetes, like you can not be a responsible diabetic or whatever, quote unquote. But as long as you're doing your baseline stuff, you can always throw in a little bit more, throwing a little bit more energy, whatever. Do
Scott Benner 40:23
you think you could take the the concept that I'm high, so I'm lazy and will yourself to be lazy a little bit because I'm thinking about these are famous people who have jobs, washing cars, but some of the really productive people in Hollywood are out about their smoking. Kevin Smith, yeah. Joe Rogan. Seth Rogen, maybe? Maybe is everybody named Rogan. Hmm. And you know, like, like, seriously, like those guys are, they're prolific. Like really like Joe Rogan is putting out what is probably the most popular podcast in the world. And not down he does it every day. And if you go listen to it, these are, you know, they're cogent conversations. You might disagree with some of his perspective, but he's not mumbling through a two hour podcast going, Hey, man, you know, they mean like, he's, he's listening to people talk. He's involved in every conversation. He's going, I mean, I don't smoke, but I don't think I have a qualm about it. Do you know what I mean? Like, I don't listen to you and think, oh, Alec, shouldn't do this. Like you just described to me a life that you seem pretty happy and where you're taking care of your health, you're gonna take getting yourself some money, you're doing something you enjoy. I don't know how to, I don't know how to make a problem with what you just said.
Alex 41:39
Right? You know what I mean? And I definitely agree. And I've thought, by default, like, get other people to, like, believe that and understand that. And you're right, like these thing that it's more public. Now. It's legal people can talk about it. I think that that's the first step. But like, even with this, like I have, I do my car wash. And that's my personal thing. But I have a nine to five like Monday through Friday, like an office job. And we just got actually bought out by another company that's based out of Florida, and Florida. It's not as legal as it is in California. And they they follow the federal guidelines, whatever, go to them. There. You're not supposed to be high at work, or you're not like the average is 50 nanograms, and I asked the HR person I was like, how do I measure how much 50 nanograms is, is for alcohol? It's point 08. Like if you come in to work with the alcohol level of above point 082 and Saturday at home yeah. But I can't measure 50 nanograms four nanometers or whatever it is
Scott Benner 42:39
never heard of it. But I would know
Alex 42:42
Yeah, well, I'm there. They've been trying to get better with it and like actually have specifications on what your limit is. But from what I understand about 50 nanograms, whatever it is that I smoke, what like if I smoke once, and I haven't smoked at all in the 365 days, if I smoke once, in this month, it'll be 30 days before my we love number. Yeah, is below 50 nanograms nanometers, whatever. It's, uh, you know what I mean, it's kind of hard to judge it or to have like, a limit on it and like the business world, and, like, be on the same level as everyone else. Right. And that's the part that I think is kind of a bummer. But as far as medically on I mean, like, it's making big strides, like huge strides. And I'm not trying to be like a weed for everyone advocate or whatever, but it's nice to be able to relax and ponder your mind. I think some people are like afraid of it. I mean, afraid to like see what's in there. What what could come up, they don't get high or whatever. But for me, like being that I've had to deal with diabetes, Addison's for literally like my whole life, and it Addison's at 15. Like That was my freshman year in high school. This was back a big time in your life. Right. And I was focusing on a disease. Yeah, the the weed kind of, you're allowed to venture in your head and, like, sit down and just be you for a little while. And like, I I kind of enjoy being in my head. Not not. Sometimes it can get a little dangerous, but I enjoy kind of puttering around in there, especially like, I read this book by David Goggins. And it. Yeah, he's like a beast. Like this guy. David Goggins is nothing to play around with. And he, it was super inspirational, like, everything is, like, gotta go, like, there's nothing that's going to hold you back. Nothing like the 60% rule or 40% rule, whatever. Yes. Like, when you think you're done, like, you're gonna quit, you're tired of it. You still have like 40% left and or like 60% left in the tank that you haven't even tried to use. Like you there's still more that you can do. And when I feel like I'm weak, I'm tired. I'm not like when I'm high or I'm low, and I'm just like, given up You got you can do more. Yeah. And that's why I do my nine to five work. And then I do my carwash and after, like, go hard, like, this isn't no disease is gonna hold me back like I got a, I got to get my money and I'm gonna be successful in something. And these diseases are very challenging. Don't get me wrong. Yeah, like they they can be very, very difficult. But as long as you have the right mindset, I think mindset is a big thing right now, like mental health is a big thing. taking that time to focus on yourself. And these last two years of my life have really been about that, like, I don't hang out with anyone if I don't need to know what I mean, I'm really about me. And I not letting anything get in the way of it. How is
Scott Benner 45:46
it dating? When you smoke? Do you have to meet somebody who also does? Or is does that make you incompatible? If you don't?
Alex 45:54
Um, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have to have anyone that you know, I mean, I don't. I for for me, I like people that are that can talk to me and they can really have a good conversation. I don't need weed to do that. I just enjoy weed. But I don't like no, it's not a requirement for me at all. I'll just have a conversation if I can have a conversation with anyone have a good one and feel good about it. That's a winner to me. What about
Scott Benner 46:24
my trout? Is this the is the is the pot to you? Is it because of anxiety and pressure and stress in your life? Like there's a like the only like, there's something makes you that like that. Like you're not getting to that place like being in your own head without the without the pot which is I don't like a problem. But so you can you not get to that place without it.
Alex 46:50
Um, if I don't smoke, it's like a frantic, like my I am very analytical. My brain is running all the time. So it allows me to kind of slow down and grab things and be more focused on like, hyper focus on those things. Right. But I don't need the wheat for that. But I think that it does help me and it's also a coping mechanism. Like I said, like when people drink? Yeah, I smoke like it's just the same you wind down at the end of the night or whatever. And you enjoy time. And I'm like watching TV is easier. After like a bowl or like a blonde or something. Because you're
able to just move everything that's in your head.
Scott Benner 47:31
Just make it go away. And then you can Yeah, exist for a little while.
Alex 47:35
And I don't when I say like get it out. I'm not saying like completely ignore it. Like right now I'm about to buy a truck for my car washing. And I need all the like the stuff to go on the back of it to make it like carwash and worthy. When I'm not high, like I can do those things. I'm gonna buy this truck today hot, like not high. But when I it's easily like overwhelmed. Like it's a lot to have to deal with that I got overhead now. But when I smoke I can. Okay, Phil, Let's relax. Let's look at this from a mean, armour standpoint. Yeah, I'm able to make a list of all the things that I need, you know, get it more. It not not as the bigger picture, just focus. All right, this is the stuff I need, right a price for everything and get a goal set, get the truck start hustling out of it, and start knocking off these things on the list. So it's less like when I'm like when I wake up in the morning, and I don't smoke whatever I get my day started I still have the mentality of which I'm high if that makes sense. Like I'm still like, Okay, calm call the start the day chilled.
Scott Benner 48:38
When you Yeah, yeah, smoking gun. But you know, who I imagined in my mind is nodding along with you right now wondering where they can get weed, or the people who get in bed at the end of the night and have to do something to make their brain stop running. And some people just can't do that. Like, you know, it's it's difficult for some people.
Alex 48:57
Yeah, and that's a big thing with like diabetes is that we're always having to focus on something. You know what I mean? There's never really a time when we're just chillin.
Scott Benner 49:05
Yeah. And if you're a person who can't let go, then that's, that's constant. That's a constant pressure on your system to I'll tell you a story that maybe you don't know. So the the film director, Kevin Smith, he had a heart attack maybe two years ago.
Alex 49:19
Yeah, I heard on the podcast, right.
Scott Benner 49:20
And he had what they considered to be like a Widowmaker. Like, they get kills, like something like 98% of people got complete blockage. But he described that while he was going through the heart attack, he was so baked, that he couldn't get upset. And so he didn't freak out. He didn't panic. He said, actually, when he thought about it, he started going through his life and he thought I've had a pretty good life. This seems fair if I die now. So he was that relaxed, and they got him to the hospital, performed a surgery, you know, he's fine. But the doctor later told him, you probably made it through the heart attack because of how high you are. Which is such a crazy thing to say to a person but he was just like, you didn't appear to have any ability to be upset and make it worse. So you could kind of live at this baseline block with this base this blockage until we could get it out for you. It's very, it's crazy. I mean, it's a very unscientific answer, obviously. But that's, that's, I mean, probably a testament to it. Do you? Do you take wheat in any other way? Do you do edibles or vapor? Or do you prefer to smoke? And do you worry about smoking?
Alex 50:27
Um, I have done the edibles. I've baked them myself. I bought them. And I've vape I've dabbed I, I'm not worried about the smoke per se. Although any smoke in your lungs is not good smoke. You don't I mean, anything you're putting in there. Like what even if people say it's clean, we can't kill you or whatever. It's still smoking. Your lungs are not I mean, that's still going to cause damage in some way or another. But I'm not too worried about it. I've been at it for a while now. And the bat The worst thing for you? I would say like because blunts, like amongst the weed community, weed, society, whatever it is. They're really popular. I mean, people are smoking backwards, left and right. And amongst my friends, like all of them smoke backwards, and I I'll poke around with them. But if I can choose not to, or if I can, I mean, just hit a bowl or something. I'm going to do that. I would love to do that. But in a social environment, you got five or six people all trying to smoke. The blunt is just, oh, it's a lot easier. It's more convenient. And you didn't you're not trying to pass a ball around. That's how bongs get broken. But, uh, I'm not really scared of smoke now. Although, although, the popcorn lung with the vaping and stuff. That's a little bit scary. Yeah, a little bit scary. And I have, I just actually replaced my battery on my cartridges. And I was smoking it kind of steady there for a couple days. And my chest was hurting. I was like, man, I don't know if I
Scott Benner 52:01
shouldn't do this. Yeah.
Alex 52:03
Yeah. But the thing with the vaping, like, the little handheld, the cartridge is, it's so much more convenient. If you think about a bomb, you got to break the wheat up. Got to put it in the bomb. And you got this big ol foot long, bigger bottom. That is now in front of you know what I mean? And as far as evidence goes, like, if you're in a car or something, Obama is not the way to go. You know, and like the vape the handheld you can just tuck it and you don't really have it or and like a public place like Vegas or like a public arena, more concealed or like a restaurant and sealed. So it's kind of like for the situation. But uh,
Scott Benner 52:42
yeah, listen, what I've learned from this is blunt save bongs. And I think that would make an amazing t shirt. Well.
Alex 52:49
I mean,
yeah, I guess it's, it's more like the personal preference. Like some people just can't smoke blunts. Like, I've heard stories where someone had a blonde, and their whole mind got messed up. And they're never try to smoke weed again, like off of one blind because they just their chest couldn't take it. And I think it's you got to build a got to build like a tolerance to it or not a tolerance but like a and get used to it. You know what I mean? Because it's sometimes a little tough, but they have joints, they have the papers and stuff. That's probably like the more natural way to smoke it, but the lighter being filled with butane, that butane you're inhaling some of that. So it's kind of like a given a take, but I don't think I'm afraid of it. Because if I was I probably wouldn't be smoking. Hmm.
Scott Benner 53:30
What about other drugs? do you have? Do you use any other drugs? Or is this we'd kind of where you live.
Alex 53:41
weed is the only one that I do. You know, when I was a kid, in high school, I was again, like really a lot of like mental stuff like I was, I have a lot going on in my head. And the school actually told me to take Xanax and Adderall. Like, they really recommended that they had a meeting with my mom and all that. And I took them for 30 days. And I was like, okay, like, I'll do what you say like I've, I tend to be receptive. But if I don't like it, I will stand up and say no, but at the 30 day script, I filled the script. And I didn't take the second round, because it just wasn't, I didn't enjoy it. Like I'd already smoked. And I felt like the Adderall and the Xanax were cool. But if I'm going to be in like a box in my head, I might as well be smoking weed on me because it was like an artificial box that they created. And I just really didn't like it. So I sold the other 60 pills or whatever, the six the 30 Xanax and the 30 Adderall and just never touch them again. And that was right before. Like, I don't know if you're aware of these drugs, but Adderall and Xanax are pretty popular. You know, I mean, like, people use those things. And I just, I couldn't I couldn't do it. Know what I mean? Like I'd rather be a self created box. I don't I mean, like, if I'm going to smoke weed. I can stop at any time. Like there's nothing that's and some people are Really addicted to these annexes and all these street drugs. And I've seen it like cocaine or I mean, I've seen all those things in that like, well, amongst my peers, and it's just not, not cool. Not I mean, like,
Scott Benner 55:12
you made me wonder you made me wonder how many people are walking around with a Xanax prescription who would say that, you know, people shouldn't smoke weed,
Alex 55:20
you know, and the thing like, that's what I was kind of, I was getting going, I hope to talk about with the pumps and stuff like not just because I don't like the Medtronic, 70 or whatever, doesn't mean that someone else can't love it. Don't I mean for spend some time, if that pill works for you, great. But at the end of the day, if you're dependent on something like that's gonna tether you back, like you're not able to see the world. If you're on a 30 day script. You know what I mean? Like, and that's one of the bummers about these pumps and like stuff like that is you're, you're tethered. Know what I mean? Like you had a conversation with someone on on your podcast that, like a world traveler, she was going everywhere. I think it was, like Everest lady, I know that Everest lady had to, like prepare for it. But a woman in India, maybe Yeah, but like, all these people have to like, if they're in a different country, they have to now figure out their supply chain to get those drugs. Not I mean, like not drugs, but just prescriptions like all these, all these things require, like a postal address. And if you're always moving to get those things, and you got to stack up, you got to really prepare for that trip. And I think that when you're addicted to something, whether that's alcohol or pills, because that's really the thing is most of these drugs aren't supposed to be like long term use, other than like insulin or something like that. But then x is supposed to help you for the time being, and you're supposed to wean yourself off of it. And I think that that's the toughest thing for people is to get themselves off of it. But I also grew up. Like I said, my brother smoked with me when I was in third grade. And it's a he had a problem. I mean, like, he's an alcoholic, still has a problem with it. And both of my parents are, quote, unquote, like, alcoholics are both functioning, you know, I mean, they both work. Yeah, they both love it. But as soon as five o'clock hits, and they're both not working, they're quick to open a beer quick to crack a bottle of wine, no judgement here. But it's like, I can't do that for myself. And when I see other people doing it, I don't want to be around them. And that's with the bills too. When you when you don't have
Scott Benner 57:25
pot in your system. Does it bother you? Or are you in charge of the next time you smoke?
Alex 57:32
Um, I'm not like it doesn't bother me now. Like I can. Like I went down, I went on a cruise and the Caribbean or whatever, it was, like seven days. And I didn't smoke the entire seven days. Although I got weed on one of the islands. I didn't even smoke it. You know what I mean? Like, alright, I got it. Or my butchers eating because it's hot. But I got the weed. And I was in the van. And I was just like, do I want to smoke this? I mean, like, it's been probably like, goes by probably like five days at that point, right. I was like, I'm not gonna smoke some dirt weed from an island that they probably imported this weed here. Like, I'm just gonna wait till I get home and get some real weed because this was all like brown. And it wasn't really like the best looking tree. I mean, the guy did me a solid and got it for me. But it wasn't really what you were looking for.
Scott Benner 58:20
Yeah, I mean, because it wasn't quality. You just didn't bother doing it. It's not like you You didn't like your Jones and you have to I The reason I asked is I just was on a plane the other day. And my seatmate got on the plane, sat down, was felt nervous to me, got up, ran to the bathroom, came back was nervous happened, his feet happened his feet. Then he kind of interlocked his hands and started rubbing his wrists with his fingers. And he just I'm like, whatever this guy needs. I hope somebody gets it for him soon, you know. And then the cart came down and he bought a can of tomato juice and two bottles of vodka. He knocked it back real quick. His legs stopped tapping. He wasn't grabbing it himself anymore. And he was okay. He, he was in trouble looking for out. Yeah, you know. And so I think that people, you know, and I don't know why, listen, let me tell you the truth. I have a son who's a sophomore in college, I have a daughter who's a sophomore in high school. I do not want them to smoke. I really directed them throughout their lives not to do it. And if I found out they did it, I think I'd be upset. And I don't know why.
Alex 59:27
So let me say that go ahead. And like, I don't have any kids. I'm 26 and I'm not looking to have any kids anytime soon. I mean, I would love to like don't get me wrong, but I'm trying to get I'm trying to get some life experience of ours. But uh, I think like when I when I first smoked with my brother, he smoked. And he said to me, do you know what you smoked? And I was like, No, I just smoked it because he's
Scott Benner 59:52
gonna say I said, No, I'm nine.
Alex 59:55
Yeah. But he said don't ever smoke something that you don't know. Like, Ask the person or look at it yourself determine what is in that that you're smoking. And he went on, I think he told me a story or something. But I remember that little chunk. That's the only thing that I took from that situation could be a lesson. Yeah. And I think that the, even if you don't smoke your whole life, whatever, smoking once you don't I mean, like, knock on wood probably isn't gonna kill, you know, I mean, try it, see how you like it. But I'm not saying go take a line of coke or, you know, I mean, but I think people should venture out and try new things if they don't like it great. But like, or
Scott Benner 1:00:33
I have no objection to it whatsoever. None. Like I don't even as you say that I you know, I don't think I think I said on the drinking episode that I saw Snoop Dogg and Joe Rogan on the Howard Stern Show. And they were like an advertisement for smoking. I was like, these guys make this seem like a great idea. And, and they looked, listen, they seemed fine to me. Now, having said that, I can't imagine a day where I was always doing something like that. I have to be honest with you. I have a hard time remembering your drink water throughout the day. I don't know that I could remember to smoke. And like even that, I think it's similar reason. I mean, I'm not a cigarette smoker. But even the idea of giving the way the time to it seems odd to me. But then as my pointed out in the drinking episode, I'm not a person who has a trouble relaxing. So I'm not I'm not looking for, like that thing you describe about getting in your own head. I can do that whenever I need to. Oh, really? Right. So I don't have that barrier. If I had that barrier, I cannot understand I can hundred percent think that this would make a lot of sense for me if I was that person.
Alex 1:01:39
But yeah, I can stop and shoot things away. I don't have trouble going to sleep. I'm not stressed out or nervous. Like those kinds of things like some, some fairly bad stuff has happened to me in my life. And maybe I've just trained myself not to freak out. Or maybe I just got lucky. I don't know. But did you? They talk about compartmentalization. Like nothing. It's so low to where you never, it never comes up in your daily life. Nothing triggers it. But when you start to, like, if you smoke, or do some mushrooms, I haven't. I've my bugs that I've ever taken. I've, I've done the Xanax. I've done the Adderall, smoke some weed. I've done two lines of coke. And that's like, that's my, what I've done with that. When you do those things, like I can always start like you dig into yourself, you figure out what's there, what's not. And I think that some people have this like defense mechanism where they just compartmentalize it, like my mom is very much that way. She doesn't even like talk about stuff, or and if she does, it's more stuff that she'll he's willing to talk about. And if it goes too far, she just cuts it off. But being open to those things, I think makes people better. And they're not, like scared about it or scared about their past like, yeah. But the, I think Joe Rogan has talked about like the smoking before, like a certain age, because you're more developed on me smoking before I think 26 is not good for you, being that you're not fully developed, and it starts altering your development stages or whatever. Yes, um, and I, I wish I had heard that when I was super young, so that I did like, I was smarter than my brother, and didn't let him influence me. And then also when I was a freshman in high school, like not to do those things, focus on school more, because in school, I, I wasn't the best student. And I was a good student, like I did my work and stuff. But when it was a time to raise my hand or ask a question, I did it every single time, like I wanted to talk. And I want it to be the center of attention. Now looking back on it. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to do.
Scott Benner 1:03:48
You know what I mean? But if you think you were too mellow to focus on school, like don't think some things in life need a little anxiety? Like the the idea of like, I gotta get this done, or something's gonna go wrong for me.
Alex 1:04:01
Yeah, I mean, I was never to stress about school itself. Like, I didn't care. Like I cared about school. But I was more of like, a, like, if I like I don't I had a limit of questions in classes, like I was, I was allowed to ask three questions in a classroom, because I'd asked like 50 in a class and the teacher started getting upset and didn't, didn't want me to ask questions anymore. Like, I was very involved. Like I had overly participation points to the point where she was like, somebody
Scott Benner 1:04:30
else answer. Yeah,
Alex 1:04:31
yeah. And it wasn't like, I would wait, like if anyone else was going to answer no one did so I was like, Alright, boom, I'll answer. Like, I was very focused on the class, but that was looked at as a negative but also, like, I was also that person in the school. Like there was one time we had a an hour and a half classroom like a classroom session. We had a break right after about to go into another hour and we did block periods. Mm hmm. Um, I went out I got my my food at the right food. sensory thing, whatever. And I went down to sit at the tables, and the janitor guy was spraying off the tables and Lino, and I'm like, you couldn't have done this an hour and a half ago, like we had a whole time where no one was out here. You choose to wash down the tables right now. And he didn't like, like, yeah, spraying them down. So I sat at the end of the tables that he was spraying, I was eating. I'm like, spray me, like, go ahead, if you have $10,000 in your pocket to pay for a new pump does when pumps weren't waterproof yet. Like, and I held my shirt up with my pump in my hand, I was like, spray me, go for it, please. And it created a crowd of people around me. And I got in trouble for that, because he wanted to spray down the tables, and was had no problem spraying me. He did it me what. And you know what I mean? Like I've not type of person to where I think something's wrong. I don't have any problems standing up for it. And I did that in the classrooms as well. And teachers didn't really like that, because I would read ahead. And if the teacher made a mistake, I would challenge her on her mistake and see how she responded. It was always like a test for the teachers. And I know, it is what it is. But looking back on it. I wish I would have just stayed below the radar. You know what I mean? Because being that I was like, really upfront, they didn't really like that. But I had an incident like it was before cell phones. I actually had cell phones in high school, but I was dosing on my pump or like looking at something on my pump. And the teacher walked by, it's going to be real slick, and grab the pump out of my hands and like walk like she grabbed it and kept walking. And I was like, obviously, I'm attached to the pump. So I kept following her. Because I didn't want her to rip it out of me. And like Why are you following? Like, why are you following me? And I was like, Look, it's attached to me, like, Oh, I'm sorry. And I still got in trouble for that. Like, it was just ridiculous. And I was at a brand new school. We're the only class at that school. We're we're the first freshman year, the first sophomore year, like and so on. We had classes below us, but we never had one above us. And we were kind of the guinea pigs for that school. And they just, and I was very direct like with that incident when the teacher pulled the pump out of my hands. He she got an earful. No, I mean, like, I'm gonna defend myself and all costs. But once I once I got older, it was I'm not ruling like I just got a car washing ticket for car washing in the street. Took the dude's hand told him Thank you know what I mean? Like an older man. Hey, listen, you're maturing. Yeah. Yeah. And that's, that's a big thing. But I also think, though, like, with the schools, the the 504 plans and things like that, like, yeah, those are really important. Because Because people understand
Scott Benner 1:07:37
because that woman would have known she couldn't have grabbed your insulin pump.
Alex 1:07:40
Yeah. And like education is very important and not to discriminate for a kid because even when I was 1516, like in high school, they they shouldn't. Like they I got out of the teacher yelled at or whatever. The first thing shouldn't be like, okay, you're suspended. You're this go to the principal's office. It should be what's your blood sugar up? I don't I mean, like, what's your blood sugar at? You have anything? Like? Did you take your pills as well, like real questions that aren't just immediately like, you're in trouble? Like, it shouldn't? Never immediately be like that, like, let's figure out some baseline stuff where you at? And then determine was this a normal Alex type situation? Or was it just your high or you were low, you were frustrated about this like, because I think that the school system being that it's kind of like under budgeted or whatever. The teachers think that they just kind of breezed past certain situations. And I felt like that really affected my education. When I was younger, that I was always out of class. I was basically the last two years of high school senior year, I think junior year is that the last two years, they I went to fresh start, I taught myself in school, because at the end of sophomore year, they asked me like, they told me you're either going to get expelled, or you can go to fresh start come to school, like one day at one class that day. And it's an elective, so you don't have like any, because the English and math and all those stuff. I was too serious of a class like don't like they weren't, like oppressing me and telling me what to do and stuff and I never liked that. But I'd freshman year, or like the fresh start really gave me a freedom. And that allowed me to get a job, like work and really be a functioning member of society. But the school system, they didn't they don't allow freedom. Yeah, they don't allow creativity. They don't allow you to be you. And I think that especially as a diabetic, like I'm not looking for special ed or anything like that. But there should like there should be someone in your court
Scott Benner 1:09:45
understands and yeah, could advocate for you. Maybe in a moment. Yeah, couldn't help yourself.
Alex 1:09:50
And I will say amongst my years in school, like my elementary school, I had a woman named Heidi in the health office and he had my back but she also was a very strong woman. She would call me out like, yo, that was your bad. Like, I can't defend you on that you messed up. It's good. And like in middle schools, a woman named Romeo. He, like really loves Keith Urban. I'll never forget that. But she, she had my back. She always had my back whenever she saw me in the office or whatever it was like, Hey, how you doing? Whatever. It was super cool. And when I high school, I had a woman. Like, when I got Addison's disease, they had to switch all the nurses and the district because I needed a registered nurse to be able to give me my like, emergency injection, okay. And she had my back like, She's like, I have medical alert bracelets. And she's the one that ordered the medical alert bracelets. I didn't order them. She ordered them and told me to give her the money or whatever. And I'm like, that's like, how do you? How can somebody try to ask that? Like, that's like, the best thing you can do over an event? They're doing more
Scott Benner 1:10:53
than eight. Yeah, yeah.
Alex 1:10:55
And she was a cool, like, person. Like, I remember one time, I had to do a drug test at school. And I was like, yo, like, I don't think I'm gonna pass. He's like, okay, just kick it. hang out here for a little while. And do whatever you got to do. Like, she wasn't stressing on it. She was. Just let me do my thing. And it was like, the coolest thing like, I don't know, I just some people really stand out to you. Yeah, type of situation first.
Scott Benner 1:11:18
So I also Oh, I'm sorry.
Alex 1:11:20
The last place, most recent situation that really stood out to me for medical stuff was on my last like hypoglycemic episode, I had the EMTs paramedics like it at my house, whatever, they're rolling me out. And when you're coming off of a low, you're kind of like in and out of it, like, rebuilding your consciousness, whatever. And are, like I was getting pushed through my living room. And the god like, I kept throwing up, like, that's what I do when I'm low. Like, I just throw up. But this guy was like, you've been through this before. Why aren't you being like, like, that was like screaming, my head hurts so bad. And I was throwing up, like, stop, stop doing this. Like, just stop, like, take, like, buckle your shit up right now. So that we can roll you into the bus. So you're not like throwing up on the stairs as we're taking you downstairs. He was like really aggressive towards me. And mind you like I was only my eyes were and yours. Were only awake for that little bit of second. And I heard that and I like pass right back out. And it really, I woke up I still remembered it. So I was like, Oh, this is important. And that's what kind of got me on this healthiness was like, that dude was really mad. Like, he was upset that I was like, yo, like they had come in. In a matter of like, four months, the paramedics had come like four or five times it was when I was on my 670. But uh, I've,
Scott Benner 1:12:41
I've heard of someone I know, as a paramedic in a place there where heroin is a big problem. And they go save people with Narcan all night long, like, it's their whole job. And, and when he talks about it, he, you should just feel how sad he is. When he when he talks about it. It's, it's terrible.
Alex 1:13:03
It really is tough. Like, just on my end, when I wake up and I see all these people's faces. They all have this, like, sour look on their face, when they're watching someone potentially die. Like they don't know if I'm gonna live or not like once they give me the dextrose they can kind of assume that I'll be fine. But, you know, it is tough like and coming out of the like, I've had multiple multiple hypoglycemic episodes, where I'm completely blacked out I have no recollection of, and I when I first look sorry, these people's faces, and they're all just intensely focused on you. And I'm like, What happened?
Scott Benner 1:13:36
Even though it's their job? It's still impacted. Yeah, it's hard for them and but you're you're saying that since How long ago? Was that, that you had that experience that made you think like, I'm gonna do better?
Alex 1:13:46
That one wasn't exactly a year ago.
Scott Benner 1:13:48
And since then, you're on a completely different path with your diabetes.
Alex 1:13:52
Yes, sir. I completely different like, like I said, I used to love sushi. I could eat $100 a sushi by myself. And I would dose like for like for, like 40 units of insulin to eat my, my sushi. And it was I love it. But there's no like what I've dumbed it down to and diabetes. Is it as diabetic, have a carb allergy who are allergic to carbohydrates? Like if you don't have your, your mouth, you know? Yeah, if you don't have your insulin and stuff, you're going to get messed up. So reduce your carb intake. Eat more protein on I mean, eat stuff that isn't going to affect your blood sugar. Right. I see how that works. No, I mean, well, and I
Scott Benner 1:14:35
can I tell you, I think you should try the pro tip series that's inside the podcast. They started Episode 210 That goes for it goes for about 10 or 11 episodes. And it's it's management ideas broken down in real, like easy to understand conversations and I think you would after listening to you, I think you would take a lot out of it. I think you I really think you'd be real would really benefit from it. Can I ask you a couple other questions about this past year before I let you go cuz I've got you longer than I told you, I would.
Alex 1:15:07
Oh, you're good, man. I'm just chilling. Thanks. Thanks.
Scott Benner 1:15:10
So in this last year, and you've got a one see the way you do like, I'm looking for best practices around smoking with diabetes. Like is there anything he said, You don't really have to plan for anything. But you do think about like, when you get munchie later, but is there anything else that that is really helping you keep your blood sugar intact while you're smoking?
Unknown Speaker 1:15:31
Um,
Alex 1:15:33
well, I removing the tobacco, I don't think that tobacco is good. If you don't have a tobacco like if you smoke cigarettes, go for it. But cooking clean, preparing for it like allocating some time. If you if it's like your first time, maybe smoke a little bit earlier in the day, or I mean, and don't as soon as you get that hunger fix. Don't, don't dig into it. You're I mean, wait until you're actually done smoking, you've smoked all the weed, and then give yourself some time to eat. And don't, don't eat the first thing that you see. Know what I mean? Like the first thing that comes to mind, don't eat that. Give a little bit more thought to it. You're not like some people, like allow themselves to get so high that they're just like, spacey or whatever. You know, he you can still be like, coherent enough to be like, Oh, I shouldn't eat that. I mean, there's no amount of weed that's gonna like, destroy you to where you can't know what you're going to eat. Like same stuff that as if you were sober every day, you know? I mean, it's I don't Yeah, I don't really prepare for it. I just what I do. Best practices are getting some good weed. Don't get some poop weed. You know what I mean? Getting get some solid weed. It's not like a poo pie. And, you know, yeah, I don't really because we we didn't have any sugar in it. But you could smoke endless amounts of weed and weed. The weed directly isn't ever going to increase your blood sugar. In fact, you said I feel like it helps it be a little lower. Sometimes probably bone. I wouldn't say lower it just man when I'm high. It's not the does your blood
Scott Benner 1:17:05
sugar is high. You don't feel that? Yeah. feminism. Yeah. Because it's,
Alex 1:17:08
it's taking it away in some way. But I'll tell you the CBD stuff. Yeah, like I've done drop the little droplets or whatever. Does I've never I doesn't really I don't really have a feel for it. You know what I mean? It doesn't doesn't change how I feel or anything. But at the topicals CBD topicals I really enjoy those after a car wash on my legs and my like feet and stuff. I really enjoy that because the CBD stuff. If you get a good milligram it kicks.
Scott Benner 1:17:34
Yeah. Well, so what about the idea of being more relaxed? lowering your anxiety and that might lower your, your blood sugar your your Yeah, needs to? If I could,
Alex 1:17:46
yeah, okay, that could be I had a
maybe like three, three ish years ago, three and a half years ago. I I was like, in a really sour place. You know, I mean, I was just really overwhelmed with life and everything. And I don't want to get too graphic, but I was just done. You know what I mean? Like, I've had this stuff forever. And I was I was just done. So I gave my I did hit the max bullets on my pump twice. Like, I think it was like 50 units, I took an Ambien and I was just ready to go to sleep, and not wake up. And I enjoy weed. So I was like, I'm gonna hit a bowl and then pass out edible. And I was like, it totally changed my mindset immediately. I was like, Man is maybe not the best thing to be doing right now. Like, it totally like, again, like I said, totally changed my mindset on everything. And I start eating, you know, I mean to over 50 units units. I just called me back down. It brought me back to like, a centered place to where I was able to, like live life again. Right?
Scott Benner 1:18:51
That's a fascinating, okay. All right, Alex, I'm gonna ask you to do two things, right? Yeah, I'm going to ask you at the end here to talk me into trying weed and, and then talk me out of wanting to try weed. So start by talking me into it. Like, why would I? Why should I try?
Unknown Speaker 1:19:09
Um,
Alex 1:19:12
well, I've never taught anyone in Dubai. Like,
Scott Benner 1:19:14
everybody here was like, yo, here it is. Let's go.
Unknown Speaker 1:19:17
Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:19:18
But you're talking to a person who has no desire to do it, but doesn't see any problem with it either.
Alex 1:19:23
So the best thing I could say, if you want to, like you drink No, not at all. Oh, wow. Um, I guess it would be like the best like coping mechanism. Like if you've had a long day or whatever, maybe not consistently, but for like a celebration or going to try something new, like on your next vacation or something and you want to have a little bit of a different feel, and maybe try some wheat. Um,
Scott Benner 1:19:48
what about my back hurts with it with that make that go away?
Alex 1:19:52
Yeah, I mean, it's gonna temporarily like while you're high, you're not going to not going to be the main focus, but when you're not high, it's going to come back on I mean, I, it's your personal choice. I wouldn't, I wouldn't tell you to try it. But if you were trying to try it and come smoke, no, I mean that you can come up to the crib and I'll smoke with you. I think that's one of the things like if you're going to be a
Scott Benner 1:20:16
be with somebody I trust, maybe they can help
Alex 1:20:18
me with the wit underscore, like you're gonna need like a shaman like not to need someone to kind of like, hold you back. Because if it climbs, like, there's been times where I haven't like when I haven't smoked for a little while, and I smoked again and you smoke and you're like, Okay, it hasn't hit me yet. I'm going to smoke again. But it's like getting in there where they
Scott Benner 1:20:37
bet it's like stacking until you can stack Yeah, you're telling me?
Alex 1:20:40
Yeah, exactly. Okay. If you're like, you have no tolerance, whatever, but if you have a tolerance, you can. Yeah, yeah. But um, I don't I, I feel weird trying to convince you to smoke. No,
Scott Benner 1:20:53
I mean, I didn't think you were going to I just want to see what Yeah, say
Alex 1:20:56
that I, I will say that I can provide a safe place for you to smoke. And, you know, I mean, real calm, got a lovely view. And that's what I mean, the best thing I can do, but I think it's, you can't abuse it. That's the biggest thing. And this is I kind of going into me talking you out of it. If you do want to smoke, great, do your thing. But when you find yourself at 35 years old, and you've been smoking since you were, you know, 15 or whatever, and you haven't done shit with your life. That's the time where it's time to sober up. Not I mean, that's the time where it's, you got to make the choice like, what what is it for me? That I'm not doing my best? You know what I mean? Like, you're looking into yourself and saying, Is this really the best for me? Can I be better without this? You know what I mean? Or is our blunts not good for me? Maybe I do. What do I got to try the bomb? Nothing. So set in your ways to where everything is? For sure. Do you? I mean, like that's, do you see a time when you don't smoke anymore? Ah, you know, I've always said that. I will always like smoke in some form or another. But recently, you know, like, I've smoked less than less. Just because I haven't had time to or I get home and I'm so tired. I just hit one bowl, and I'm just like, out go to bed. But um, I'm sure there's a time where I was like, kind of slow down. Or I might get like, when I'm 50 or something. I get super into it. You know? I mean, like, it's
Scott Benner 1:22:19
like just starting over again. Yeah,
Alex 1:22:21
yeah, you know what I mean? Like I, I would love to be able to smoke forever. And I don't necessarily get lazy. Like when I was down in San Diego polishing and buffing this car. I was smoking the entire time. You know what I mean? It doesn't make me less than it just sometimes it's kind of a deterrent, like you're talking about with like relationships and stuff. Yeah, maybe that girl doesn't want me to smoke. So I'll give it up for I don't care. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I've been in a relationship where the girl wasn't like she was down like we were smoked together and stuff, but it wasn't best for me. So she's like, yo, maybe you should quit for your doctor like so you can figure out what's going on. Right. And sometimes that's like, someone that you can confide in and you trust and they think that they have the best. What is it best interest for you? Yeah. Yeah, like that's, we know what it may be the biggest thing, what I wonder
Scott Benner 1:23:13
when you're talking is is just the act of getting high and taking away your inhibitions. Just let you go in the direction that you mean to go in any way. Like if you're going to be a person who lays around doesn't do anything. Maybe this takes the guilt away, that you have about sitting around. And so you're just able, and if you're a productive person who wants to get going, maybe it clears the way in your head to get going.
Alex 1:23:34
Yeah, I would say it clears the barriers. Because with my like, even this truck that I'm about to buy, I'm so scared about this truck. Like it's 5900 bucks. It's a POS. But,
Scott Benner 1:23:46
you know, for you it's a big investment. I
Alex 1:23:49
mean, 59 really isn't that much like I can pay that off relatively quickly. It's just it's now pressure to carwash. No, I mean, before I was doing it off the trunk or in the driveway. It was just fun, you know, but now if I get this truck, now I have to pay that 59 back. I have to get the stuff for the bed. But when I smoke, it's like, okay, I don't have to do anything. I get the truck, and I'm gonna watch cars. Normally, it brings me back down to like, this what what needs to happen? What I mean? Like, yeah, for me,
Scott Benner 1:24:19
that pressure keeps me focused. Like, one of the things I love the most about having ads on the podcast is it keeps you know, like, it's a lot of time. And so I'm able to look at my wife and say, Look, there's some money here. Like, it's not like, I'm not like I'm just upstairs being like, I'm gonna help people, which would be nice, but it takes up a lot of time. So it's an income that makes the podcast reasonable to do. But the second thing that I'm really pleased about because I want to do the podcast is that I owe ads to people. And so the other day, uh, two days ago, I had a terrible day, like everything in my life went wrong from every angle, and I still had to get the podcast out.
Alex 1:25:00
So those are some of the best days.
Scott Benner 1:25:01
Yeah, I got a lot done. But But moreover, if I didn't have to if I didn't have those ads, I probably would have just thought, well, I'll just put it out Wednesday. And who knows if that isn't the beginning of the end for like, maybe I'll do it next week. And and I like I like that I have, I think that truck might be that for you. Like, it's, it's gonna make you, you know, get up and go wash some cars to make some payments on your truck. And maybe you'll start seeing a building, maybe, you know, maybe you talk five years from now. And you'll have a fleet of vans running around California, right, you know, cleaning people's cars.
Alex 1:25:33
Yeah. Well, and being that you brought up the ads, what I'll say is, I think it also helps the companies like Dexcom and Omni pod. They're benefiting because, one, they have a paid interest into the podcast. But not only that, they'll probably listen to it, they probably have someone that's dedicated to listen to it, like we paid this money. What are we getting out of it? And it brings them data don't I mean, it brings them real diabetic stories that they can maybe apply to their products, you know what I mean, apply to their marketing plans, see how they can reach the people better? You know what I mean, from there in
Scott Benner 1:26:06
as humbly as I can. I will say that I think this podcast is doing multiple different things for multiple different people.
Alex 1:26:12
Yeah, and I will say that, like the like, being that I got this back in 1995, where literally, the dose, like carb ratios and stuff, I had a sliding scale, like I took a picture of it on my Instagram. But it's a like, it's come a long way. And I like there's some times where I'm really upset. I just want it to be cured already. But there's some times where I'm I'm just super appreciative because it's like coming from a 670 G, where it does it's auto mode, it's branded as auto mode. And then does it do auto mode? is kind of a bummer. Yeah, I mean, like, it doesn't do it very well. But like, I'm I my first pump was a paradigm pump in fifth grade. My second pump was a 530. And the one after that was a 670. I love the paradigm, I love the 530. But they just dropped the ball in the next one. And I was so set, like I was loyal, like Medtronic, and I didn't want to change. I was super happy with them. But I was kind of forced to change. And I'm going into the tandem and the dexcom combo is just killer. You know what I mean? It's not perfect. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. The sensor could be a little bit better. And I've there's a
Scott Benner 1:27:27
I don't think anything's perfect, Alex and I do think it gets better. I think Dexcom of all of the companies Yeah, they are. They're moving like breakneck speed making, making improvements. And I'm just I'm super excited next year for, you know, all these closed loop systems that come out, you know, on the horizon and whatever tandems going to do and like by and hopefully Medtronic will fix their deal. You know what I mean? Like, give people I just think, I just think, being that I've got the short end of the stick with the Medtronic device. And like their response, like after I've gone to the hospital, you know, a couple times. They're like, Oh, just trust it. This trust it. And I was like,
Alex 1:28:06
okay, like, I don't understand how I can trust something that I literally, like, now I still have a problem going to sleep at night. Because I'm afraid I'm not going to wake up because of their device. You know what I mean? Like, that's a tough thing to like,
Scott Benner 1:28:20
lost that edge that trust. It's hard to get that back. Yeah, yeah, you just make that leap.
Alex 1:28:25
With the tandem? Yeah, I, I, I don't use the basal IQ system, I use the auto suspend. So I don't get low, like I get low, but even on their auto suspend, tandem pumps, the brakes, they, they suspend you for a little bit, pull off the suspend, see how you do suspend you for a little bit, pull it off and see what you do. You're never suspended for more than like, five or 10 minutes or 15 minutes at a time. But if they need to, they still have the two hour like they'll suspend you for the two hours to shut it off. But Medtronic is like if they suspend. They don't unsuspend until you're in a different like zone and then but the problem is if you're suspended, and then you calibrate, like like basically if I'm asleep, and it's Ben's auto suspends. It's a two hour max. And then it needs to calibrate. I'm now back in full bazel. And I don't have CGM breeding, so it can't resuspend and I'm sleeping. You know what I mean? Like, that's a recipe for disaster and it has led to disaster multiple times. And how, like, food, what was the test market? I thought that was okay. Know what I mean that like what diabetics were you talking to? That thought that was okay, I say
Scott Benner 1:29:38
this. And I don't find myself defending Medtronic very often. And if they were trying to get it through the FDA, and they were trying to be the first ones, they had to err pretty far on the side of caution to get the FDA to say okay, well, and
Alex 1:29:49
you know, my thing is like now all these other companies are trying to get into the market. But the first thing that should always be the first and every one of these companies minds, is the end user know what I mean? The End diabetic that has to live with this product. Are they going to like, you know what I mean? And I'm not talking about the the two year diabetic that just got diabetes, they're still fresh in that honeymoon period or whatever. I'm talking about the 20 year diabetic that has seen those ups and downs, it knows how that stuff's going to react and can see like, okay, maybe what if we tried this or this, like, the variables, we've seen more variables being that we've had it so much longer, right? You're able to like, troubleshoot them quicker, like, yeah, maybe make
Scott Benner 1:30:28
it a little bit better on your side. Yeah, I completely agree. There's got to be a ton of user definable concepts in the algorithms or then you're just going to be with this one size fits all thing. It's just not going to work for most people. And, and you just like you said, you get somebody who maybe it's just been diagnosed for a little bit there a one sees like eight or 910. And they're like, oh, now it's now it's seven consistently. And they think this thing's amazing. Because that, but you're a person who now I mean, now you're, you're, you're feeling it now. Looks like you're sniffing sixes, you're probably thinking about fives. And you know, to me, like you're starting to think like, I think I could do better here for myself. And I'm gonna keep trying.
Alex 1:31:06
Well, I'll tell you, I wasn't. My doctor is chillin on sixes. She's happy about that. I bet. But when I heard you, and you're like, not you, but like, you talk about your daughter being at like, fives or something. I was like, Huh, can I get two fives? You know what I mean? Like, and I, when I was a kid, I wanted to go to this diabetic camp or whatever, like dumb, get together thing. And my mom was like, you want to go to fat camp? And I was like, No, nevermind, come on.
Scott Benner 1:31:35
I've never put you off.
Alex 1:31:37
Yeah, and I've never been into the diabetes community at all.
Like, you're here. Now again.
Well, that's the thing is I've, I've opened up and I've put it on my Instagram, like I've openly saying, I'm a diabetic, and I'm not I mean, I'm reaching out to people. I got actual, like, friends on Instagram that are diabetics that I can like, yo, how would you think about this or like, and that changes the whole aspect of diabetes for me. And it's a bummer that I'm not like my mom's not diabetic, that I was allowed. I allow allowed someone to get in my head. That's not a diabetic to, you know, put on like, she wasn't trying to make fun of me. She was making a joke about it. But I took it serious, like, what is that fat camp? Like? Is that what I think it is, you know, and I let something like I let her opinion be my opinion, until I was old enough to be like, that's not my opinion, I am going to try that. And I think that that's sometimes being that as a young kid, like people like jdrf, juvenile diabetes, like you get it at a young age, and you're surrounded by your parents that are going like they have diabetes to pretty much at that point. And it's like, if you aren't able to reduce your thoughts or like, reassess some thoughts that you've had, you may not find the treatment, that's best for you know, what I mean, to be able to get into the fives or the sixes, like, that's a the community is huge. I mean, like, it really is. It's just nice to talk to someone. I've actually said that to Dexcom, and tandem and Medtronic that some of the best treatment isn't just like, a key change your basal rates can change your carb ratios, do this or do that. And sometimes it's just talking, I mean, just having an open a line of another diabetic or someone that knows enough about the disease to be able to respond in
Scott Benner 1:33:26
a way that can help you. Yeah, yeah, I was, I think you threw your hat into the ring. I think this is gonna do that for somebody else now. So I sure hope so. I think I really do.
Alex 1:33:36
I don't want to be defined as like a weed, smoking diabetic, but I do smoke weed, don't get me wrong. But I think that for anyone else, like it's not just weed, you could be a yoga, diabetic or whatever, like people are super into yoga right now. And it's like, that could be your thing. That could be what helps you through diabetes, or your Addison's or whatever disease you might have, or whatever, like it's, it's really, whatever works for you. You rock with it. You know what I mean? Like, and for me, I enjoy car washing, but I do the nine to five, you know, I mean, I'm, I do a lot of different things. But when I find like a new like, I love doing random stuff, like I just placed my mom's rubber boots seal on her washer, right? Totally, totally a challenge. But I wanted to challenge myself and it was like kind of a meditation because the whole time I was being challenged, but I had to finish it because I had to do laundry. Like that's, that's pretty serious. But going out of your realm trying something new maybe you want to skydive, you don't I mean, and you haven't really done it yet and you're inching around about it. To take the next step. Like if someone asks you to go jet skiing or something and you didn't think about doing that that day. Maybe that's what could be dirt like what what could be more fun or whatever you got going on.
Scott Benner 1:34:53
Fox I'll tell you what I have to go because I have real I have work to do. But I really love talking to you and I want to say this When I had you on it, when you reached out, we corresponded a little bit back and forth. My my hope was just, absolutely, it just came true. Because I think that people who are not involved in you know, the culture of weed and smoking pot are going to think one thing about you when they start listening. And I think that by the time they get to the end, they're going to realize, like you just said, you're not, you're not just a person who smokes pot, you're not a diabetic, like who smokes pot, you're really a fully realized person who has all kinds of things going on in their lives, is overcoming problems is growing and maturing, and you're a full person. And I really appreciate you taking the time to explain your life like this. So that people who have preconceived ideas, maybe won't have them anymore. This was really helpful in a lot of different ways. Thank
Alex 1:35:53
you very much. I appreciate that. And I appreciate the platform, be able to even do this. I was low key scared to like, come on here. I didn't know what it was gonna be like. But I definitely appreciate it. I would love to do it again, or continue this or if anyone wants to talk or whatever. I'm totally willing to talk about anything. What's your outcome couple. I'm like, ooh, donator. What is the donator is like my main Instagram that I use all the time. fo b, n o h, and then later na D er, majors like my nickname, people. My name is Alexander. But when I got my license when I was 16, the DMV switch the A and the en andere to Nadir was Alex Nadir, all my friends call me that. You can call me that too.
Scott Benner 1:36:37
Later. I appreciate it. If I ever decide to get high, I'm gonna find you.
Alex 1:36:41
Awesome. Sweet. Yeah, and I really enjoyed this. Thank you for having me on here. This was a super cool experience. I think you're really killing it. And I look forward to more of them really more of these after dark, some more of any of your pod.
Here, you have a really great voice
Scott Benner 1:36:54
for it. I have to say, Oh, thank you. Well, Here's what's coming up on afterdark. A sex from a male perspective. I've set up I've got a set up for sex from a female perspective. And I have a now clean addict who's going to talk about living with diabetes, while they were while they weren't clean, while they got clean. And how it almost impacted them to not be cleaning how their diabetes almost impacted them not to be cleaned again.
Alex 1:37:28
Oh, wow. Yeah, those are gonna be attention. Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:37:30
So they're gonna, they're, they're really great. I'm very happy for people who are willing to talk about this. This is stuff this is a real thing. You're not the one guy in the world who has diabetes and smokes. Right, right. There's I mean, it's a lot of them.
Alex 1:37:42
We do, like diabetics are still like real people, or I mean, like, we still do real stuff. And I think this, this kind of phase that you have going on with your podcast is going to be huge, like for that that. Like, they're not alone. Like you were just saying, like there's other people that do that, too. And they have questions. And this might be the platform to answer those questions. I mean, for anyone?
Scott Benner 1:38:01
Yeah, I think you just have to let people talk and tell their truth. And yeah, and let them be honest, so that other people can hear because a lot of people are going to hear their thoughts in yours. And it's going to make them feel better. So I could keep talking to you forever. So let's say goodbye. Thank you very much.
Alex 1:38:17
Thank you. Thank you as well.
Scott Benner 1:38:18
Yeah, take care. Have a great day later.
Alex 1:38:20
Good to see you later. Bye.
Scott Benner 1:38:24
Thank you, Nader for coming on the show and sharing all this. I just felt when I was done talking to Alex. I don't know, I felt I felt like my mind was open. I don't know if I'm getting high anytime soon. But I understood his life better. And I think that's amazing. In that vein, I think it's amazing that Dexcom on the pod and dancing for diabetes sponsor the Juicebox Podcast the way they do, I think I can announce that they will be back for 2020 as sponsors of the show. Thank you very much guys. But moreover, I appreciate that they've never once even hinted they'd like to control the content of the show Dexcom on the pod dancing for diabetes, they've never come to me and said, Please don't talk about this subject or you know, somebody says this, don't put it in. No one's ever said that. And that's just one of the reasons why I can put on great content like today with Alex and it's sponsored, keeps the podcast free to thanks so much to Alex for showing the human side of his life on the pod Dexcom and dancing for diabetes for their steadfast support of the Juicebox Podcast.
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