#456 So Many Issues
This is a story of resilience
Caitlin's daughter has type 1 diabetes and much more.
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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 0:10
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Episode 456 of the Juicebox Podcast. Yes, that's right. Episode 456 is here for your pleasure. Today we speak with Caitlin. I don't want to tell you too much about this because the notes I made for this show just said, Let me find it for you real quick. Like I make a little note for myself after I do the Edit, it said Caitlin. edited, meaning I'm done with it. So many issues. Please remember while you're listening to those issues that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, please always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan, or becoming bold with insulin.
This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries g vo hypo Penn Find out more at Gvokeglucagon.com/juicebox. This episode is also sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. And you can find out more about that meter and much much more at ContourNextone.com/juicebox. And please don't forget to check out the T one D exchange T one d exchange.org. forward slash juice box. I use the word more. I almost said more. I use the word more and more than I wanted to while I was talking about the Contour Next One, but it's a really great meter. So don't let my horrible alliteration stop you from going to Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox.
Caitlin 2:14
My name is Cate. And I'm the mother of three kids. My oldest of whom is type one diabetic, amongst other things, but I don't really know what else to say I'm you know, typical busy mom in this super crazy time trying to, you know, figure out how to keep everyone healthy and alive.
Scott Benner 2:35
That seems like all of our lives pretty much.
Unknown Speaker 2:37
Yeah, pretty much. Hi, I'm
Scott Benner 2:38
Caitlin. And I'm just like all of you.
Caitlin 2:41
Yeah, exactly. I mean, I don't really know, I listened to the podcast, and I wasn't. I kind of felt like intrigued and I wanted to talk to you because I mean, everyone's story is a little bit different. And I know in our case, it was it obviously flipped our world upside down. But it wasn't as much as I've heard from other parents because I guess we'd already had moments where our world was completely flipped upside down before. And I thought that's what was interesting to me. Okay. And I kind of wanted to share.
Scott Benner 3:16
Do you have any autoimmune issues or your your? Is it your husband or sperm donor? I don't know who that guy is. Is he? You know, are you married? I guess?
Caitlin 3:25
Yes. I'm married. Okay, gotcha. Almost, almost 12 years, or 13. I've lost track at this point after 10. It's like what?
Scott Benner 3:33
I got you a card for our anniversary. Wait, why?
Caitlin 3:37
I don't even think honestly, last last time. Last anniversary. It was like Happy anniversary. I made I made a cake.
Unknown Speaker 3:43
Did you That was nice.
Caitlin 3:45
And that was it? Because we were just both too tired to do anything.
Scott Benner 3:50
That's totally not romantic. My last anniversary was Hold on a second. I think 24 years. It was, by the way, it was two months ago. And I'm not I'm not 100 I guess definitely 24 years. Let's just say it was definitely 24 years. And my anniversary gift from my wife was I came downstairs and she said she goes hey, I'm like yeah, she goes. I really did want to get you a card. I said what's that just, I just didn't have time. I was like, Oh, can I actually found that to be sweet? I was like, Oh, she was considering getting a card out my sister. So the cake will disappear soon too. But But my point is, is that any Is there any autoimmune at all in the history of your family line? either side that you're aware of?
Caitlin 4:42
Um, I guess the only thing I know of is my sister who has a thyroid issues. Okay. And other than that, there was nothing.
Scott Benner 4:51
That's a yes. So was your sister. Do you know much about it? Was she hyper thyroid? hypo?
Caitlin 4:57
Yeah, and she was diagnosed in her Mid 20s,
Unknown Speaker 5:01
gotcha.
Scott Benner 5:03
any real issues managing it? Like, is she in a puddle on the floor somewhere? Are she
Caitlin 5:08
functioning? Well, she's functional. You know, she has two kids of her own. And I know that time was rough because your thyroid is just very different when you're pregnant. But other than that, I think, you know, a few adjustments here and there, but everything usually works. Okay.
Scott Benner 5:23
Well, she had two kids. So she really one of those kids, where she's incredibly careful, one of the other but
Caitlin 5:30
she wanted those kids she definitely did. She worked sounds like she worked for them. Like to I like to say that. You know, if I pushed her a bit, maybe,
Scott Benner 5:39
would you do you had a kid? And she's like, Oh, I didn't know we were in a race.
Caitlin 5:44
Well, you know, a little sibling rivalry. I like to joke about that. But no, I mean, I'm the younger one. Now by two and a half years, and I had all three of my kids before she had one. Oh, so maybe there was a little pressure, but I don't think it was that. I mean, you know, her husband was in school, and he wanted to finish school before starting a family. And I was just like, why would I wait?
Scott Benner 6:06
Well, you don't have to wait for her to go first. Do you
Caitlin 6:08
know exactly. Why would I wait, like I couldn't go to school and be pregnant? What are you talking about?
Unknown Speaker 6:13
Well, you did it. Congratulations.
Caitlin 6:16
But why? That's the question. Yeah.
Scott Benner 6:18
I mean, what did you really win? Honestly, you won this story. So here we go. So what was your daughter? Right? Yeah. And how old is she now?
Caitlin 6:31
She is 11. Almost 12.
Scott Benner 6:33
Okay. Real quick. Before we start, you have the thing Jenny has sometimes when you're making a point, you're tapping something, which is cool for you, but don't do it for me. Okay. I'm not tapping. You're not having anything you're not doing like though. No, no. Okay. All right. Well, then I'm having a stroke. Call 911. This is my address.
Caitlin 6:52
It might be my microphone. I tested it yesterday, but I don't think there's any noise on it.
Scott Benner 6:56
Or you're super clear. I'm sorry. It just felt like you were tapping something. But okay, but Jenny's gonna stay more still. I
Caitlin 7:01
was picking my fingernail. I'd have it.
Scott Benner 7:04
Wouldn't it be amazing if that was it? I cracked my knuckles the other day. And then when I went back to edit, it was there. It was just like, click like, like, give us a call. Geez, I'm gonna stop doing that.
Caitlin 7:14
range was sounds that the microphone picks up?
Unknown Speaker 7:16
Yeah, Yeah, no kidding. I'm sorry. There it was, again, you're not moving or anything's happening?
Unknown Speaker 7:22
No. All right.
Scott Benner 7:23
Okay. Don't worry about it. I'll stop thinking about it. We'll keep going. Because your kids got 8 million issues, and we need to get through all of them. We don't have enough time for me to be dilly dallying about other stuff. So what was the first thing to come up? And how old was she?
Caitlin 7:37
Well, the first thing was at four months old.
Scott Benner 7:41
Holy crap. You didn't choose your first one.
Caitlin 7:45
Yeah, I just waste any time on that one. I mean, they everyone likes to say I didn't waste any time, you know, getting married and having kids either. But no, I was feeding her her cereal. The first time I fed her the cereal that you know, just add water and you mix it and it's got whatever. And she was doing what any baby would do dribbling it mostly over her chin. But some of it got in her mouth, I assume. And after I fed her, I was cleaning her up because they make a total mess. And I was noticing like something was weird. And she was looking kind of read. And she wasn't happy. And like something in the back of my head said there's something wrong here. And you should maybe take her to the doctor. And I was like, No, no, I don't have to do that. There's nothing wrong. It's like it's just cereal. And like maybe five minutes later, she was getting cranky. And I'm like, No, what, you know, I'm going to be the Paranoid parent. First kid, I'm going to go to the ER, yeah. And I put her in the car and I drove to the ER. And that was like, maybe 10 minutes away from my house. And I picked her up by park the car, picked her up in my arms and walked into the emergency room. And as I walked in, she was what she was screaming at that point. And as I walked in, she went gray, pale and lost consciousness. Oh, kidding. And I went up to the nurse. I'm like, I know, I'm supposed to take a number but like there's something wrong. And she's like, what happened? I'm like, I fed her cereal. And now she's like, there's just like, that's not normal coming here and they call the code. Wow. And they rushed her into the back and stuck her with a ton of needles and put an IV in and I was like in total shock. And so that was my first like, brush with death moment with her.
Scott Benner 9:31
Your first one. Yeah, there gonna be more. Oh, there's more because that almost killed me. I just
Caitlin 9:38
Well, honestly, I thought like I was super paranoid. It ended up that she has an antibiotic allergy to dairy. Okay, and because the cereal had milk powder in it, that she had a reaction to it. And it was really bad. So I was given an epi pen for my four month old baby and told that here's a console for an allergist Don't give her anything with dairy in it, and you can go home.
Scott Benner 10:04
Wow. Okay, listen, let's take a short pause here because I don't do this often but let me just get a piece of clean paper on my notepad and put this off to the side where I can get to it because I have a feeling I'm gonna lose track. So hold on a second. Dairy for months. First almost died. Got it. All right now. You, you call your husband from the hospital or how does that go?
Caitlin 10:31
Well, he was there when I was feeding her. So he knew I was going
Scott Benner 10:35
Oh, did but did he come to the hospital?
Caitlin 10:37
No, he wasn't there that time. He is he watching sports going to work? Or? I'm not sure. Anyway, I called him I think he came right afterwards. Because you know, even when I left I'm like, I'm probably just being paranoid, but I'm gonna go take it just to be just to be sure. And I'm glad that I left at that moment. Because had that happened when I was in the car. I don't know if I would have arrived to the hospital with a baby that was alive in time. That's because her blood pressure went just it bottomed out. Wow, her her heart, like almost stopped basically. And, I mean, they brought her back really quickly. And it seemed like okay, that wasn't so bad. You know, she's fine now. I mean, I left like, that night from the hospital. They watched us for the whole day and put her on monitors and everything. And then once everything was finally sent her home, so it was like okay, no, I have an epi pen. I know how to use it. I used to teach first aid and CPR. So I know how to do this. I got this like no dairy. What's you know how hard to find?
Scott Benner 11:35
Yeah, by the way, I would have never had another baby If I was you. Like that would have been it. Um, but
Caitlin 11:40
actually, that did come into the conversation. Yeah, when we found another one. But the other one happens so fast.
Scott Benner 11:47
So you know what I'm really, you'll never know for sure. But I think after you left for the hospital, your husband immediately called his mother and said, Mom, I don't know what to do. I think Caitlin's crazy. She took the baby to the hospital because she gives the baby cereal. The Baby got a little red. And now she's gone. And yeah, he'll never admit that to you. If he ever had that thought in between the time you left for the hospital and when he found out what happened. But but that's well listen. Good for you. I mean, a lot of this podcast is talking about trusting your instincts. Right? So Exactly. You really did save her life. Do you hold that overhead? Now she's she's getting older.
Caitlin 12:27
Oh, I have a lot more to hold over her head. So that that's like the minor thing though.
Scott Benner 12:31
Okay, so seriously, so then you go home, you just avoid dairy. Does that go well? Or did you? I mean, did you run into more problems?
Caitlin 12:37
I mean, it's so hard at first because you don't realize like everything that has dairy in it. And it's not just like everyone's like, Oh, you know, you can't eat lactose? No, but it's the protein and dairy. And it's an everything like all those whey protein powder shakes, that's dairy powder, that's dairy protein. They put whey powder in hotdogs to increase the protein content. They put it as a preservative in some meats, like it's everywhere. So it was kind of like, wow, I have to go back to relearning how to read labels and calling companies and figuring out what's in their food. And did it come in contact with something because like it, it was so nerve racking. It's to begin with, and I had to find the what we'd like to call the hippie store that has all the green organic everything. Yeah, because the cereal that the baby cereal that I used for her could only be bought at those stores. No regular grocery store had it.
Unknown Speaker 13:34
Oh my god. And so our learning curve, how old you are at that moment.
Caitlin 13:39
I was I guess 23
Scott Benner 13:42
Oh, holy. I didn't expect to curse. But that's crazy. 23
Caitlin 13:49
Yeah. Yeah. I said why wait? Yeah, but you have a little background. My husband's 13 years older than me. So there was a son of like,
Scott Benner 14:01
a second. Caitlin. How do you work this out? What's going on? How long did you date? Alright, hold on a second. Everybody.
Unknown Speaker 14:06
Going back.
Unknown Speaker 14:09
We get to come up.
Unknown Speaker 14:10
I knew it would come up. You
Scott Benner 14:11
brought it up. Caitlin. By the way, Caitlin said in one of her emails to me, I'm craving adult interaction. I thought oh, she's gonna be great on the podcast. So you're good spill. How did this happen?
Caitlin 14:22
And I'm craving adult interaction so much, so much more since COVID. Exactly. To specify. Well, I met I met him at a friend's birthday party. And, you know, at that time, I was like, 21 and he was 34. So I
Scott Benner 14:41
just thought it'd be fun.
Caitlin 14:44
As matures women, I don't know if you've noticed that. Oh, we kind of hit it off.
Scott Benner 14:48
You let me take another sideline with you for a second standing in my yard. The other day, I see my neighbor who's like 63 and we're talking and out of I don't know where the conversation went. But I said it was like, you know, I really think I'm turning into a person. He goes, what I said, long, I just turned 49. I said, I feel like I'm, I'm starting to mature, like I really do. I think in the last five years, I'm really pulling it together. And I wasn't kidding. I really meant that, like, I think I'm finally forming into a human being. So I take your point, so you had to reach up into the 30s to find somebody who could talk to you like they were 21.
Caitlin 15:23
Yeah, pretty much. But also, I mean, I had a lot of life experience at that point, probably more than most.
Unknown Speaker 15:29
So what does that mean?
Caitlin 15:32
I was in the system for a bit before I turned 18. And then, you know, I'd gone to foster homes and such, and I'd had jobs and I got into a car accident that kind of made me realize that I had to do something important with my life and kind of grow up. And I'd actually met him like four months after my car accident. It wasn't a huge car accident. But still, it made me think
Scott Benner 15:57
this episode is gonna be two hours long. So my car basically, in the system, you met the foster system?
Unknown Speaker 16:04
Yeah. Did you? Well,
Unknown Speaker 16:06
I mentioned your parents,
Caitlin 16:07
Dad near the end of it, but was followed by a social worker for like three years.
Scott Benner 16:13
Because something someone did to you or because something you did to something else. Do you end up with
Caitlin 16:20
a hard time describing it really, I don't know. I just, I didn't get along with my mother who I lived with. And so we had some issues with running away because she just didn't get me. And then I ended up like, my dad wasn't sure he could take me. So I ended up in a group home, doing a little bit of time in juvie, but mostly because they just didn't know what to do with me. Yeah. And every time they put me somewhere, I would do something bad and get kicked out. So they're like, well, you're going in there because they can keep you locked up in there.
Scott Benner 16:51
Well, part of the country.
Caitlin 16:53
I'm in Canada.
Scott Benner 16:55
Oh, my goodness, this is so wrong. Canadians are supposed to be nice. Let me write that. Well, wait, I'm just saying that those people were nice. But you're apparently you and your mom didn't get along? Well, I thought if there was a fight in Canada, that it just devolved into. Eating maple syrup with a spoon and everybody laughing. That's not what happens.
Caitlin 17:14
No. And I didn't take out my dueling glove either.
Scott Benner 17:18
I've never seen a Mountie
Caitlin 17:20
our personality is kind of never dived. And I I don't know, I don't I don't really want to go to No, I'm not asked don't go
Scott Benner 17:28
any farther than you want to. But I hear you had problems with your mom, you ended up in that situation. You wrecked the car, I'm assuming under some sort of influence. Am I right? No, no
Caitlin 17:38
actually just drove it. I was just driving a little bit too fast on an exit ramp and my tire blew out. And I wrapped it around a pole at 70 kilometers an hour. And luckily, it was the passenger side that hit first because the passenger side was in my lap.
Unknown Speaker 17:54
Oh my god.
Caitlin 17:55
So if I'd hit the other way, it probably would have been a lot worse. I didn't break anything. But looking at it afterwards. And, you know, I was like, Okay, wait, like, I need to figure something out and find a plan for my life. Because just going to work and going home. And that's just not enough for me, I need to do something worthwhile.
Scott Benner 18:14
Wow. So that was your moment where you're just like, Alright, I'm going to, I'm going to be a productive part of this world. And for myself, maybe and if not for everybody else.
Caitlin 18:23
Yeah, and not reproductive. That wasn't the original plan. I gotta say, just because, you know, if you like you had a car accident, then you met a guy and you had a baby. It didn't quite go exactly like that. Well, let's
Scott Benner 18:34
get back to this party, Where, where, you know, the superstar hits you up, and you're getting along and everything and how you're married in a couple of years.
Caitlin 18:47
Yeah, it was actually really fast. I don't know, we just had a pretty good connection right away. We conversation was really easy. We both had different, like very different life experiences. But we were both kind of in the system for a bit and had trouble with our parents. And, you know, he was in the military before. So he had a lot of Army stories and stuff, which was cool. And we realized when we were chatting that, you know, we lived pretty close together. And we have similar goals in life. And we just didn't start off with the intention of dating. It was just chatting, and then we went to dating and then I don't know, it took like two months for me to move into his house. Because I mean, at the time, I was just living in my dad's basement. So I mean, I was happy to get out of there. And then then, a few months, I guess into it, he proposed maybe nine months after we started seeing each other.
Unknown Speaker 19:49
Wow, Caitlin,
Caitlin 19:50
and then, you know, a few months after he proposed I got pregnant. And then we're like, okay, so our plan to get married the year later just got pushed up a year, right. And then We planned we planned a wedding in like two months.
Scott Benner 20:02
Wow. And then some handful of months later, you really are a very mature person standing in a hospital with a baby who's unconscious?
Caitlin 20:13
Yeah, exactly.
Scott Benner 20:15
Probably maturity another 10 years. That moment. Hmm.
Caitlin 20:18
Wow. Yeah.
Scott Benner 20:19
Do you know what I mean by that? Like, I feel like that sometimes like there's sometimes things that happen, they just level you up, I guess for you know, I don't know how to say it otherwise, but you just go from one level of understanding maturity, whatever to another one in a split second. And I would think an unconscious baby would would do that for you. You probably went from 23 to 30. In that afternoon,
Caitlin 20:41
I feel like it like I'm 35 now but I feel much older.
Unknown Speaker 20:45
Yeah, yeah,
Caitlin 20:46
I have that feeling. You know, I've been through so much. No, one thing that though, like, especially big allergy like dairy. One thing it does is it teaches you that you have to start from scratch and I never really was a big person that cooked. I liked the pre prepared things that I could just toss in a pot and mix the sauce in with the pasta or ordering in we used to eat out or order in a lot. And all of a sudden all of that was gone. Yeah. So I had to learn to cook. I had to learn to bake because I was like, Well, my kids first birthday. They're going to need a cake. And I can't buy a cake from a bakery. I can't buy a cake from a grocery store because they're all made with like dairy. I need to find something. So I learned to bake. I couldn't use one of those boxes, the cake boxes. Okay. And yeah, so all of a sudden, it was just like, I had to grow up really fast. So
Scott Benner 21:37
you're pretty clean eating household then right? But you you you know everything that's in your food.
Caitlin 21:42
Yeah, knowing it and caring about it are two different things, though. I gotta say. How do you mean? Well, I know what's in the food. And just as a little background, it's not only dairy that she's allergic to, we found out through multiple other reactions. She has a few other allergies. And we found them out usually all in the same way. involving you know, epi pens and emergency room visits and stuff. But we like she has a lot of food allergies.
Scott Benner 22:11
What other things is she allergic to? Or would it be easier to list the things she's not allergic to?
Caitlin 22:16
Well, they're just, they're just major things. I mean, she's allergic to eggs.
Unknown Speaker 22:19
Okay.
Caitlin 22:20
Also, she's allergic to Sesame. She's allergic to peanuts. And she's allergic to beef blood,
Scott Benner 22:30
if that makes sense. Beef blood so she can eat well cooked beef.
Caitlin 22:34
Yes. But sometimes it gives her stomach issues. But nonetheless, she can eat beef in theory like a spaghetti sauce. It's fine. We're so good. Because I've learned to cook with horse meat. And I really didn't like horse meat.
Scott Benner 22:47
Hold on a second. Write that down. is me so? Beef blood, because there's a protein that gets cooked out.
Caitlin 22:55
Exactly. Okay. It gets transformed when it heats to a certain temperature.
Scott Benner 23:00
What What about eggs? Do you know what her interaction her bad interaction is with all these things? Like you said protein for there's a protein in the dairy one and the beef is there. Like what about eggs, sesame and peanuts?
Caitlin 23:12
Well, it's the the sesame oil yet again, it's all a protein. So there's a protein in the sesame oil that she's allergic to. For the eggs. She's allergic to it. The the yolk the white end when it's cooked, because some people can tolerate cooked egg but we tried that and it didn't work. Okay. We tried it at the hospital. Just clarification the allergist did a test about it and she failed the test.
Scott Benner 23:35
Well, this is my this. You knew what I was gonna ask you because I'm like, how do you test and you test every food? Like is is like the first five years of our life just like okay, touch this. Get in the car. Oh, wait, you're okay. Get back out of the car. Like how do you test the food like that?
Caitlin 23:54
Well, it was a nerve racking for the first I mean, the dairy was one thing. And then at nine months, she was nine months old when we introduced the egg. And she had the reaction to that. And after that I got like, almost like PTSD. And I don't like overusing the term but I woke up in night sweats, wondering if she was alive. So I'm gonna call it PTSD because it took me a few months to get over it. But I was always worried every time I introduced a new food that the reaction would wouldn't appear instantly because it can take like eight hours. And I was worried that she wouldn't be alive when I went and got her in the morning because she would have had a reaction overnight. And she's just a baby. She can't even get out of her crib.
Scott Benner 24:34
So every time you feed or something new that happens again and again and again over and over and over and it looks like five times. You came true. Did you end up in the hospital each of those five times eggs? sesame excetera
Unknown Speaker 24:50
Yes.
Unknown Speaker 24:51
Same experience was
Caitlin 24:52
she out? Um, it wasn't exactly the same. It strangely the the egg one was like Just projectile vomiting. I can't really say it any worse. And she was red and swollen everywhere, but she didn't like pass out or lose consciousness. But we had the epi pen at that point which made it better. Okay. And I mean, giving an epi pen to a baby isn't. It doesn't feel right. But it worked. And the first after the first time I did it, it was like, Okay, I can do this epi pen, Call an ambulance go to the hospital. Wow, I'm
Unknown Speaker 25:25
sorry.
Caitlin 25:26
That's so that was I mean, that was her childhood.
Unknown Speaker 25:30
Really? Kind of yours too.
Caitlin 25:35
I was I was I lost my childhood long before that, at that point. Well, then whatever sounds sad, but actually, I don't mind. I don't look back and say oh, what if? Because, you know, it is?
Scott Benner 25:45
It is what it is. So I don't want to dig too far into this. But do you enjoy being the kind of parent you wish you would have had?
Caitlin 25:54
Yes. Okay. I guess I do. And sometimes I feel like, I'm not doing the best job that I could or I'll notice myself saying things that I promised I would never say to my own kids when I before I had them. But I think we all do that. Like oh my gosh, I sound like my mother. Yeah, I think at some point, yeah, I've
Scott Benner 26:13
done a few things that I think my dad did. And but Kelly's good at calling me and being like, Yo, what are you doing? Man, you know, and stopping me pretty quickly, which is very helpful. Because in the moment, sometimes those things feel like they feel right, because they're kind of all you know. Okay, so Hold on. Let me clear my head for a second because my I just had three questions. They take us in three different directions. Um, does she have anything else besides food allergies?
Caitlin 26:45
Well, she has diabetes.
Scott Benner 26:46
Yeah. When did what came next? I guess after the food allergies should be the question.
Caitlin 26:51
What we figured out all the food allergies. And then in grade one, we figured out she had ADHD, like really badly, and I had my suspicions. How do
Unknown Speaker 27:01
you figure that out?
Caitlin 27:03
The teacher said she couldn't sit down for more than 30 seconds at a time. And she flew off the handle very quickly when anything was like went not to plan. She also had like tactile issues, like she doesn't tolerate certain fabrics of clothing. Or like seams in her socks. She doesn't like those things. Unfortunately, she also doesn't like the feeling of a medicalert bracelet or any of those medical IDs. And we've tried lots, but she won't wear them.
Scott Benner 27:38
Is ADHD considered autoimmune or is is our
Caitlin 27:42
separate. So that wasn't really autoimmune. It just kind of made everything a little trickier. Like for the food allergies, she had to know not to touch anyone else's food. Because she always had her own food. Yeah. But when you don't have like great self control, and you don't think through your actions.
Scott Benner 28:05
It's hard not to want to throw a medium rare steak at your siblings. I hear what you're saying. Yeah.
Caitlin 28:10
Well, I mean, we did have a case where she grabbed the milk cup from her sister when she was younger. And we she knew that she wasn't allowed to, but she just picked up the wrong one, even though it was a different color glass. And she drank out of it. And that was another ER visit.
Scott Benner 28:26
I tried to imagine the military like, scenario that happens, like she grabs the milk and everybody just gets up going to the hospital and then everybody just goes to their positions. And is it just like a very orderly situation? Get that you get the epi pen, I'll get the car running. I mean, you know, one of these got to clear the caribou out of the driveway so you can get moving and stuff like that. And so
Caitlin 28:52
all the 10 feet of snow out of the driveway.
Scott Benner 28:54
Yeah, I mean, gotta call a Mountie. There's a lot to do.
Caitlin 28:59
Yeah, and the Mountie has to saddle his horse.
Scott Benner 29:02
Listen, you're making my point for me. A lot of problems really, you got to wait till the third periods over. What if it goes into overtime?
Caitlin 29:11
We can stream on our cell phones up here. You know, we can't leave
Scott Benner 29:15
now. Pawel bored, he's got a hattrick Alright, so the ADHD can lead to issues like that. Is there something to do for the ADHD?
Caitlin 29:28
She has she's on medication for it, which helps her a lot during the day to concentrate there are side effects to it, which are not ideal, but we have to deal with them. Because the alternative is that she doesn't go to a regular school. It was at the point where the school was like she you have to get this under control or we were going to have to send her somewhere else because we cannot handle her.
Scott Benner 29:50
Okay. So the medications so that she can stay in school but you see side effects that you don't like what are those
Caitlin 29:58
mood changes as She's like her behavior is better, but she's not as happy. Okay, she's in, she's still very oppositional that doesn't really help with the opposition. And it cuts her appetite. Very like a lot during the day. You should
Scott Benner 30:16
put her in a car and drive it into a pole.
Caitlin 30:19
I don't think it works at that age, though.
Scott Benner 30:21
Okay. Well keep it in mind as a backup plan. Stranger as right. Alright, well
just keep in your head. You know, it's not it's not advice, but it's a it's an idea. Okay, so
that's unpleasant, and I'm sorry about that. What comes after the ADHD?
Caitlin 30:44
Then it would be the type one,
Unknown Speaker 30:46
then you get diabetes? Yep. How old when that happened?
Caitlin 30:50
Um, that was two years ago, actually. Almost exactly. So September 2018.
Scott Benner 30:57
When that happened? Did you just think yeah, of course she had IV. Or, or what? Were were you in the in the ability to accept things as they come?
Caitlin 31:09
I think actually, that's, that's funny, because that's what seemed to surprise the doctors so much. Like, because just the way we accepted it. I mean, not to say we were happy about it. And we weren't like, Oh, well, of course, something else is going to go wrong. We were We were upset. But at that point, we were like, okay, but this is our life, and we have to deal with it. Just like everything else that's changed in our life. It's just a little more. So you know, what's it? I mean, it is a big deal, but at the same time, like, I'm not gonna trade my kid in because they have medical issues, right? Which is the funniest thing like, Oh, well, how do you do it? I get that all the time. How do you manage? Well, what's the alternative? You know, it makes me feel like like, what's the alternative to managing my kid dies? Yeah,
Scott Benner 31:52
right. I'm not gonna do I can't not do it. But it makes me feel like, you know, those old war movies where the young guys are huddled in the, you know, huddled with their clutching their gun and crying. And there's some Western guy who's just wandering through while people are shooting and shelling, like, just like, whatever. This is how it goes. People shoot at us, and doesn't seem to flinch. It sounds like you're just you're hardened at this point. You just, you can deal.
Caitlin 32:19
Yeah, I think that's it. Like, really. I mean, we had our suspicions that were weird things that were going on. At first, I thought it was the ADHD medication she was on. Like, she had times where she was just like writhing on the floor and screaming that she wanted something, which was super out of character. I mean, even for an eight year old.
Unknown Speaker 32:43
When water,
Caitlin 32:45
like water or just that, like, I don't know what to do, I need to run but I don't want to run I need to run but I don't want to run. And just like I don't want to go outside. But I want to go outside and just this total, like need to move
Scott Benner 32:57
was the most was the that's interesting. Do you think it's possible that the effects of the high blood sugar was fighting with the ADHD?
Caitlin 33:07
I'm thinking so actually, like looking back on it, I thought it was just that she was going through a hard time with like adapting to a schedule change or whatever, right. But looking back, I'm thinking like at those times, her blood sugar was probably really high. And we just had no idea. So she felt terrible,
Scott Benner 33:23
couldn't move. But our brains telling her we can't sit still.
Caitlin 33:28
Yeah, because it needs to burn off energy. Because she had like the excess of sugar. Like I think that's what it was, but and it only happened occasionally for maybe like two weeks. And then we went on vacation. And we went camping. So for two weeks, she was running around all the time. And we were outside at the beach in the water and like snacking constantly, but at the same time like burning off stuff.
Scott Benner 33:54
But you're in Canada, how do you go to the beach? Is it just like icebergs and like some sand and with rocks?
Caitlin 33:59
You know, Nova Scotia is really close to Maine. Oh, I
Scott Benner 34:03
see. You're not Antarctica. I don't I gotta get a map, I think really take a hard look. I can actually
Caitlin 34:12
if the border were open, I'd be able to drive to the US in less than two hours.
Scott Benner 34:16
Oh, yeah, your kid could run there. 90 minutes. Just so you know,
Caitlin 34:20
is a lot faster than me. And I'm not proud of that.
Scott Benner 34:24
somebody tried to get my son to go to Maine to go to college. And he took a call with with a coach and he got off and he's like, the guy was trying to sell me on the idea of they go hunting. He's like, I don't want to shoot anything. I don't want to have to hunt just to play baseball. And I was like, I don't think you do and he goes to really good school. And I said yeah, I'm like, I think it's in Canada, though.
Caitlin 34:50
but not quite.
Scott Benner 34:52
Yeah. So he's like, I don't I I'm not it's too cold. I was like, No, I hear you. So anyway, I know where Maine is. I just didn't know that. I didn't know you live near there.
Caitlin 35:02
I'm sorry. I'm in Quebec. Not far from Montreal.
Scott Benner 35:05
Okay. All right. reference point. Yeah. Well, then you even laughed. I made a bird a reference. He was Vancouver. And you still know Canadians, you know everything about hockey. Seriously,
Caitlin 35:18
I was being polite.
Unknown Speaker 35:19
You don't, don't don't
Caitlin 35:20
really follow hockey. To me, like, the only hockey player I'd love to hear about is Max Domi. And that's because he's the guy. And he's, he's type one. And he plays for the Montreal Canadiens.
Scott Benner 35:34
So if I y'all skate the ice, you won't immediately I'll shoot the puck afterwards. Nothing like that. Okay.
Caitlin 35:40
No, I don't skate either.
Scott Benner 35:43
I don't either, like
Caitlin 35:44
winter, and I don't like maple syrup.
Scott Benner 35:45
You kind of get the hell out of Canada. I seriously, I'm looking I want to retire. Somewhere where it doesn't snow when it's not humid. Other than that, I don't care what the place is. Do you think that place exists?
Unknown Speaker 36:00
No,
Scott Benner 36:01
yeah, I don't either. But that's what I want.
Caitlin 36:04
Unless you want to go to like Saudi Arabia.
Scott Benner 36:09
Doesn't snow not humid. I also don't want to be in prison for no real reason. So I
Caitlin 36:16
thought the only country that came to mind really quickly, I'm not very good at geography. I have to
Scott Benner 36:20
admit, I don't know anything about the political setup of Saudi Arabia. But I have to imagine that I would do something to get myself thrown in prison pretty quickly. So I'm gonna have to take a hard pass on that. But I seriously I, I either that or I need like, 5 million more people to listen to the podcast every month so that I can own a house somewhere. I I'd like to have a summer house and a winter house maybe. But I don't think that's in the cards. Anyway, well, we'll work on it. That's my dream is summer house winter house, I really want to avoid humidity and snow. That's all I have. And you know what will happen? I'll finally get to that I'll send to this place where I can have a summer house and a winter house. And then I'll get old and I won't be able to travel. And then I'll just be pained by the fact that there's a house somewhere that's not humid in the summer, and I can't get away.
Caitlin 37:09
That's really depressing thought.
Scott Benner 37:11
Yeah, that's what's gonna happen. Anyway. Okay. So tell me about how you manage type one with the other stuff. Does the other stuff impact the type one management?
Caitlin 37:22
It definitely does? I mean, I'm sure everyone goes through it at the beginning. In our case, when we went to the ER, her blood sugar was and I didn't bring my calculator I promised I wait,
Scott Benner 37:36
wait, hold on a second. If you just go to computer Juicebox Podcast calm right at the top, click on a one cm blood glucose calculator, you will be taken to a handy dandy little device. So you tell me a number. I'll click on m m o l, you say a number and then I'll I'll translate it for you.
Caitlin 37:58
42.6 42.6
Scott Benner 38:02
was an A Oh my goodness. was a 767 blood sugar, which translates to a 28.4 a one say?
Caitlin 38:11
Yeah, that was her number when we went into the ER
Scott Benner 38:26
de veau hypo pan has no visible needle, and it's the first pre mixed autoinjector of glucagon for very low blood sugar and adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Not only is chivo hypo pen simple to administer, but it's simple to learn more about. All you have to do is go to G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. g Vogue shouldn't be used in patients with insulin, Noma or pheochromocytoma. Visit je Vogue glucagon.com slash risk. You know not all devices are created equal. For instance, there are a lot and I mean a lot of blood glucose meters available for you to purchase. But sometimes we don't think of it that way because the doctor just writes a prescription and they usually write the prescription for the blood glucose meter that I don't know they normally write prescriptions for doesn't make it the best one doesn't make it the most accurate doesn't make it right for you just makes it the one they are accustomed to talking about. Well, I'm here to talk about the Contour. Next One blood glucose meter. It's simple. This meter is incredibly accurate. It is small and easy to carry, but not so small that you'll drop it. There's a bright light for nighttime viewing. The screen is easy to read. And if you want to pair it with their Bluetooth app on your Android or iPhone, you can and if you don't want to, you don't have to. Can I tell you a secret? We don't use the app. I just love the meter and so does Arden. If it's in her purse, if it's in my pocket, the test strips are incredibly, incredibly accurate and allow for second chance testing meaning should you swoop in there hit a little bit of blood but not enough, you have time to go back and get more without impacting the accuracy of the test. We're wasting the strip. That's all you need to know in my opinion, Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox. Go there check it out. There's actually a ton more on the site. But today, I'm just want to make sure you remember that meter rocks. Contour Next one.com forward slash juice box. Last thing, please consider visiting T one d exchange.org. forward slash juice box and putting your information into the system. Okay, what am I saying? T one D exchange is gonna ask you to take a short survey. I believe it took me about seven minutes, you're going to need to be a US resident with type one or a US resident who is the caregiver of someone with type one, you answer super simple questions about diabetes. That will in no way make you feel uncomfortable. I was like these are easy. I can answer these. Now when you do this, it's completely anonymous. No one's gonna know it was you. And it is 100% HIPAA compliant. T one d exchange.org. forward slash juicebox. Why do you want to do this? Well, in my opinion, it's because past participants like you have helped to bring increased coverage for test trips, Medicare coverage for CGM, and changes in the ADA guidelines for pediatric a one c goals. And I personally am excited to imagine what your participation and mine will eventually lead to, isn't that cool? You answer some questions, they dad it up, and then they go do good stuff in the world, you can be part of that without ever leaving your house, you can do it from your phone, your tablet, your laptop, you cannot do it by smokes. But maybe if you give them enough data, they'll figure out how to do that. I don't think that's going to be true. You know, I'm gonna take that last part back no matter how much type one data you put into the T one D exchange, we're not going to figure out how to connect smoke signals to computers. And just real quick data for those of you who prefer data over data back to the show.
Caitlin, you're a bit of a neophyte on this. What you should have said after that was What's the address of that? calculator? That's amazing. And I would have said it to Juicebox Podcast comm forward slash conversion. And then you would have told the story about the rest of it. Go ahead. got
Caitlin 42:34
very sorry. No, no, no,
Scott Benner 42:35
no, it's it's your Canadian. You have no way to know. Go ahead.
Caitlin 42:38
Well, I do listen to it. So I should have known.
Scott Benner 42:42
I didn't know I was gonna pimp in there for a second. You were like, oh, it will just keep telling the story. Trying to tell people about the calculator. Caitlin, come on. I was thrilled you're from Canada.
Caitlin 42:53
No, so that was what her blood sugar was. When we went to the hospital. She's and that was that was that wasn't right after a meal. That was like five hours fasting.
Scott Benner 43:05
Oh, my goodness. She's She's got diabetes. Yeah.
Caitlin 43:08
So it was bad. And they basically brought us into the back and checked and she wasn't MDK apparently we she was really close, but not quite. So they gave her an injection. And they watched us for a few hours. And they sent us home
Scott Benner 43:22
to have a private room at the ER. That one was Yes. No. I mean, like one with like your name on.
Caitlin 43:29
At that point. I know some by name.
Unknown Speaker 43:32
Yes. Hey, you want to get Kaitlyn Oh, whoa.
Caitlin 43:37
No, I try to avoid it at all costs, but that her file is definitely thick. Every time I go there.
Scott Benner 43:43
The computer slows down. You can hear the hard drive clicking. It's like trying to bring the information up. Or do you have computers in Canada? Right?
Unknown Speaker 43:54
Yes, yeah, I'm on one now. Oh, fancy. Yeah.
Scott Benner 43:59
But honestly, there are 15 raccoons running on a wheel outside to make your own electricity, though, right.
Caitlin 44:06
Raccoons are a little above my budget. What are you using? mice?
Scott Benner 44:10
Oh, well, that's that. I mean, they're easier to feed. Exactly. Yeah, that's fine.
Caitlin 44:15
So you steal the neighbor's bird feed.
Scott Benner 44:18
Why isn't your neighbor like 10 miles away? Don't you have to get on an ATV to get your mail or something like that?
Caitlin 44:23
Well, mice run fast. Oh,
Scott Benner 44:25
well, you ride the mice. Now we're doing now we're getting somewhere.
Caitlin 44:30
I'm trying to play along here but it's not working.
Scott Benner 44:32
I have no idea why your mom didn't like you. I'm just kidding. Sorry. I wasn't even funny.
Unknown Speaker 44:37
And yet I'm laughing with the alcohol but Okay,
Unknown Speaker 44:40
we're gonna Oh, okay. I got you. I said, Well, yeah,
Caitlin 44:44
so the note so they gave her the injection of I guess fast acting and then they gave her a small snack. Which they actually had me go through their cupboard of food and I picked out a little baby food pouch of applesauce. Cheerios, because that was all that they had that she could eat. And she had that. And then they tested her blood sugar, like three hours later said, Okay, we're good. It went down enough. Now you're going to come back first thing in the morning, and you're going to go here, and you're going to talk to your doctor. And this was Labor Day weekend. So like we went in Friday night, she got back from school. And then we were there Saturday morning, first thing in the morning, and we met her endocrinologist. And we started the whole like, crazy. Everything.
Scott Benner 45:31
That's so yeah, that really sucks. Labor days. The only weekend I feel comfortable taking three days off in a row.
Caitlin 45:38
Yeah, it's this weekend, and I'm so happy. Yeah. Except it's kind of like a bittersweet thing, because it's now the diversity weekend. So
Scott Benner 45:45
yeah, no kidding. ruins picnicking and everything. Well, I have a question that's got little to do with what you just said, but it popped into my head. I think I'm gonna lose it if I don't. How much food do you travel with when you leave your house?
Caitlin 45:59
Well, a lot. Yeah, like we went camping. I took the kids camping this summer, my husband was still working because he couldn't get time off. It was a new job. So I took them camping out by Lake Huron. And we drove all the way. And my van was packed with food. Because I never know what I can get when I'm somewhere else. So like, she has like special chocolate. I have to buy specific brands of certain things. And I never know what's available. So I'm always packing everything.
Scott Benner 46:34
You're a hoarder, I would imagine. And
Unknown Speaker 46:36
I have to be Yeah, right. I
Scott Benner 46:38
on purpose. He did the other two kids have anything going on?
Caitlin 46:42
Um, luckily, no, my second one is allergic to peanuts. But at that point, they're like she's allergic to peanuts. I'm like, Oh, good. They're like, Oh, good. I'm like, like, I'm like only peanuts. I'm really not worried about that.
Scott Benner 46:54
Did you like smack her and say, Listen, you got to try harder.
Caitlin 46:59
I was super relieved. And then like my, my youngest, my son, he's not allergic to anything. So I was like, Okay, I guess Third time's a charm, they say and that worked that time. So
Scott Benner 47:09
what's the what's the age difference between the three kids?
Caitlin 47:14
Get again, you're gonna be like, what? 15 months between the first two? I understand. 18 months between the second two.
Unknown Speaker 47:20
You really don't like the cold?
Caitlin 47:21
No, my body doesn't like birth control. Oh, oh,
Scott Benner 47:26
you like your husband? I see what you're saying.
Caitlin 47:28
Yeah, it's, uh, let's just say it didn't work for me.
Scott Benner 47:31
You want to try putting him in a colder room? Because you might you might just avoid him.
Caitlin 47:35
I'm fixed. I can't have any more kids. I don't. That's why do you want it? You're so young. I'm like, I have three. I have nothing. I have nothing against adoption, if I want one later on. But I do not want to have more.
Scott Benner 47:47
He would he said Why do you want one? You should have touched milk on your oldest and been like, here, watch this.
Unknown Speaker 47:55
I don't want any more kids.
Caitlin 48:06
They don't like to do the surgery before you're like 30 or 35? Because they figure you might change your mind? And I'm like, No,
Scott Benner 48:12
yeah, I hear I said I see their side of it. But you can mean three kids is three kids. Yes, a lot of kids.
Caitlin 48:20
I do have six weeks a year where they follow an age. So my son is turning nine in October. And so for six weeks, I'll be able to say my kids are 1110 at nine years old. which always makes people kind of like jaw drop.
Scott Benner 48:38
Yeah. Or judge you quietly in their mind probably
Caitlin 48:40
always judge me. Or they get the impression that they're all from different parents, like all have different fathers.
Unknown Speaker 48:48
Oh, because they think at least one of you should have been saying
Caitlin 48:52
I'm young, you know? Yeah. I don't know. Like, no, it's I've been married. They're all the same father and I'm still married. Yeah,
Scott Benner 48:59
no, I mean, you're one of those. It's interesting. It sounds like you're gonna be married forever. And listen, I I'll be honest, like I've said on here before, like, the way my wife and I got married. The fact that I told you earlier that we have been married for 24 years, I think is is fairly astonishing and uncommon, to be perfectly honest. And, you know, we were very Yeah, we were super young. And, and she said to me the other day, she's like, what were we doing? I was like, I was a huge mistake. We really, we're always telling our kids like 30s a good age to start thinking about getting married. You know, you have kids when you're 55 That's it. That's how you handle it. I don't know if the kids are offended when we tell them that.
Caitlin 49:44
Oh, my husband seems to be on the on that hole. Well, you can date when you're 30 thing.
Scott Benner 49:49
Well, he he thinks so. Cuz he's lucky. He reached back 10 years to get a girl. Exactly. Yeah, he's like, I think he can wait till you're 14. Grab
Caitlin 49:57
yourself a nice 29 year old Usually you marry up for money, but I made a mistake there. You just went for the bank the bank statements.
Scott Benner 50:05
You just went for a good conversation. Gotcha cheap. I'm just saying, Hi, I know you're gonna hold out. Well, we didn't get to one thing that I don't want to skip over it. But from your email, eczema, she has eczema as well. Yes, she does. Now that's autoimmune, right? Yes, it is interesting.
Caitlin 50:27
Which means like, at this point where I actually forgot, but yeah, when she was a baby, it was really bad. Funny, I guess a funny semi related story was that we had a dog when she was born. And the dog loved the baby, and was so protective of the baby. But her eczema was so bad. And it was like, we'd be like, it was read. And it was just like dripping.
Scott Benner 50:57
Yeah, like, fluid, right?
Caitlin 50:59
Yeah, baby scratch, and we couldn't keep her hands off of it. And so we thought she was allergic to the dog. And so we actually found a better another home for the dog, which broke my heart. But we didn't like just dropped them at the pound or anything. We rehome him through a rescue. And we kept them until he went to his new family. And his new family sent me pictures. And so I knew he was in a good place. So I felt better about it. And we found out after the fact, when she had a reaction to egg, that it was actually the dog food she was allergic to wait a minute, every time the dog would touch her. He had traces of the food on his mouth or on his nose, or on his fur. And it was actually that she was reacting to the egg and his food.
Scott Benner 51:46
Oh my god, your life is crazy. By the way, this story would have been better if you said wolf dog. But that's neither here nor there. So keep going.
Caitlin 51:56
So she was a really big dog. So she
Scott Benner 51:57
wasn't allergic to the dog as so much as alerted to what he was constantly touching and being and that was enough. Yeah, could you in hindsight, would there have been a dog food you could have gotten that would have stopped that?
Unknown Speaker 52:12
Yes. Oh,
Scott Benner 52:14
you're sad about that. Right?
Caitlin 52:16
Yeah, but I mean, at this point, my dog like the dog is definitely dead.
Unknown Speaker 52:21
The episode, the dog is definitely dead. I think it's the name of this episode, Kate.
Caitlin 52:28
I mean, he was in Newfoundland and newfoundlands live like maximum like nine to 12 years, but 12 years is the max
Scott Benner 52:35
just timewise he
Caitlin 52:36
my daughter's like 12 and are almost 12. Yeah. So he would have been like 1415 by now. Well, that said,
Scott Benner 52:43
I just realized, as you were telling the story, I'm like, Oh, I bet you there was food that would have allowed them to keep the dog.
Caitlin 52:50
But I mean, looking back, it probably wasn't the worst thing in the world anyways, because it gave me more time to spend with my kids. I was gonna say and not have to worry about the dog and the dog for because newfoundlands talking about like 160 pound dog with long fur that draws a lot. But like, the sweetest dogs, they're like, many dogs. Yeah, they love kids, and they're super tolerant. But it's a lot of work to take care of a dog that size too.
Scott Benner 53:14
I agree as a person who was outside five minutes before I recorded with you going oh my god, Basal just go to the bathroom and get in the house. I gotta go upstairs. In the same time, I'm like, Am I pressuring this dog to do his business? I wouldn't like if someone was outside of the bathroom door going like, come on, Scott. Hey, Scott. Come on. I was doing it to the dog. Like we gotta go, man.
Caitlin 53:38
As an aside, we live in an apartment. We only have one bathroom. So five people one bathroom. I know how that feels. Oh, my gosh.
Scott Benner 53:44
How did the caribou get out of the parking lot? They must get all stuck because of the cars. Have you ever seen a caribou? Just Yes or no? Caitlin? Oh, yes. Oh, do you call them reindeer? No, I would. For no real reason. I would just be like Santos nearby. Okay, so food allergies, eczema, ADHD, type one diabetes. I missed asthma, right?
Caitlin 54:17
Yes.
Unknown Speaker 54:18
Ah, how does that
Unknown Speaker 54:21
manifest like I
Caitlin 54:25
we just noticed one doctor's appointment that there was a little bit of like, her lungs didn't sound clear. And that she was coughing a little bit and they said, Well, she probably has asthma. Do you ever notice that she's short of breath? I'm like, Well, sometimes. And so they prescribed her inhalers. It's never been anything that's led us to go to the ER, or anything like that. It's really just when she's doing intense physical exercise, or when she has a cold.
Scott Benner 54:53
It's interesting that your Mendoza line for illnesses. It's never sent us to VR, so it's not really a problem. That's that that was it. Just make a statement.
Caitlin 55:01
It's a strange baseline, but it's what we know. Yeah.
Scott Benner 55:05
So how does all of this I mean, let's talk about her like a person now, instead of a case study, like, how does all of this impact her?
Caitlin 55:16
Well, I mean, personality wise, she has a, she's not the most outgoing kid. And she doesn't like being different, because she's always been different. I mean, in daycare, when she was doing daycare, she, she had a packed lunch from home and everyone else had the food that they were serving at the daycare. And at school and kindergarten, she had to sit apart from everyone else in the lunchroom to make sure that there was no chance that she comes into contact with anyone else's food and kids throw food. So she's always felt different. So she doesn't like talking about these things at all. Okay, she doesn't like, just come out and say, you know, I have diabetes. And this is what diabetes is. And sometimes I have snacks. And sometimes I have to give myself insulin. And it's just the way I am when she's not comfortable doing that. So she likes to keep it all inside, which is really hard for her. And I'm hoping at some point that she becomes more confident to just, like, tell people about it. But I can't push it. I tried to actually, I think her teacher the first year that she was diagnosed, because it was the first year, the first week of school, that it happened, we didn't have a plan beforehand. Like she had been in school three days. And that's when she was diagnosed. So we kind of went in, she didn't miss any school. After the long weekend, she was right back at school. And it was kind of like, Okay, this is what we're dealing with. And the teacher got a little bit too proactive and tried to explain to the class, what she has, like what diabetes is, and it embarrassed her so much, because she didn't even understand what was going on at that point. Like it was new to her and she didn't want to talk about it. And there was a teacher telling everyone about her medical condition. Yeah, I think that actually just made it that much worse for her.
Scott Benner 57:12
Jenny and I just did an episode about talking about diabetes to people outside of your, you know, circle who don't listen to that. Yeah. And you just made me think of when I think I think I said in the episode, like the difference between what people need and what you think they need is sometimes, you know, a pretty big difference. And you don't know what other people want. And sometimes you try to help and you make it worse. So,
Caitlin 57:37
yeah, I know the teacher meant well, yeah, of course. And I mean, I've explained to her it's it's probably easier for you to explain at the beginning of the year to your classmates. why sometimes in class, your phone is beeping or why you're taking out rockets and eating rockets are those are Skittles or Smarties. Sorry, those are Smarties. You guys rockets are Smarties.
Scott Benner 58:01
Why don't I change the name just because a different country
Caitlin 58:03
because Smarties are actually like m&ms here. Well, yeah, it's a different brand of m&ms. Smarties is m&ms rockets are smart chocolates. So
Scott Benner 58:15
all right. I mean, jeez, who came first?
Caitlin 58:18
I think the Smarties like the chocolate thing with the candy over it came before which is why when your Smarties came here, they called them rockets.
Scott Benner 58:25
So we ripped you off.
Caitlin 58:27
I have no idea sounds like that's what's going on. I could probably Google it. No, don't if this is gonna be like a who got it. First thing I don't I don't want to get that far.
Scott Benner 58:35
Because I could get I could get absolutely enraptured by it. And just you know, we can talk about
Caitlin 58:40
like, the history of candy. Yeah,
Scott Benner 58:42
candy naming more specifically, not even the candy. I'll be like, Mars bar. Next, Caitlin. Where's that from? The podcast will be 19 hours long. And I'll be like, oh my god. Do you guys remember $100,000 bar? Why'd they change it to 100? grand? Which to you is probably m&ms but God Who knows? You don't I mean? Well, that's, I mean, that's really not great, obviously. And it's so she's trying to keep it private. Is that does that how does the ADHD conflict with the needs of diabetes? Or does it?
Caitlin 59:27
I don't know if it necessarily does, it's, it's harder to say because I can't expect my 11 year old to be on top of everything all the time. Sure, but she's very forgetful. So she'll forget her PDM and I have to just as opposed to nagging her. Okay, make sure you have all your stuff packed. I have to go and check it to make sure that she did because she's forgetful. The medication that cuts her appetite during the day is definitely a problem because that impacts her energy levels and also changes the way that we dose Insulin,
Scott Benner 1:00:00
because you can't get her to eat if you're in a panic situation.
Caitlin 1:00:04
Exactly. Like she's, I've had to threaten her with glucagon before. Like, I don't care if you're hungry, you're gonna eat it. Or like you've been dosed for it. You said you were gonna eat it, you cannot change your mind now. Okay, which actually, we don't Pre-Bolus anymore. I know. It's terrible, but we can't put that
Scott Benner 1:00:21
medication. It stops her from having any hunger at all.
Caitlin 1:00:26
Yeah, or it sometimes makes she says it makes her feel queasy to even think about eating. I'm sorry, which we're trying to figure it out with the doctor to see if maybe there's another one that won't impacted as much. But that's, there's a lot of different medications for ADHD. And they all work a little bit differently. So it's a trial and error, unfortunately, on that sense,
Scott Benner 1:00:46
yeah. Well, how does her? How does our agency usually run? And are you? Are you at least able to keep things kind of stable, or what happens?
Caitlin 1:00:58
Um, it's not as low as I'd like. But on the other hand, since starting her pump, we haven't had an official agency done. Because COVID
Unknown Speaker 1:01:07
yay. Okay.
Caitlin 1:01:08
So now all of her appointments that we do, they look at the, the numbers on the PDM that we upload, they look at the Dexcom. And they say, Okay, well, you know, do you notice this trend? And I'm like, Yeah, I've already fixed it. Do you notice that? Oh, yeah, no, we've adjusted the basil. So we're good. What doesn't really have anything to add? Really?
Scott Benner 1:01:27
Do you use clarity? Like, what's the estimated a one see through clarity?
Caitlin 1:01:31
It's never been right. Okay. I think I was always worried about that. I think the first time that we went in the a one c estimation that they had was like, 9.8. And it was actually 7.40. Wow. So I never really look at the number because I know that for us, it's really it's always been off. And I don't know why I know. A lot of people say it's right on for them. But maybe it's just because for, for my daughter, it just fluctuates so much. Yeah, I think her blood sugar sometimes goes up really fast, and then down really fast. And like, it's really hard to keep her on a steady line.
Scott Benner 1:02:13
You know, the next time I have somebody from Dexcom, on who understands that, I'm going to ask that question, because we have the similar, you know, I see things to people talking. And for us, it's always pretty close. You don't I mean, like within a not even just a percentage point. Like, you know, last point for something like that. That thing's usually pretty spot on for us. And yet I hear other people say the same thing like, oh, the estimation I get is is never what my one see is an off to find out why that is? That you know how that happens. That'd be interesting to know.
Caitlin 1:02:48
Yeah, I think our endocrinologist said, it. It seems to be about the amount of insulin on board that she might be quite high for me, like in 16, which I'm sure you can use your wonderful calculator. 11.7 a one c 288. blood sugar. Yeah, it can go up pretty high like that, but then it'll go down very soon afterwards. And that might just throw off the numbers in the a one C.
Scott Benner 1:03:15
Okay. So you can go from like 288 to, you can go kind of from like an 11 to a seven or even farther down.
Caitlin 1:03:23
even farther down. Okay. Really fast. Wow. Which makes the management a little bit tricky.
Scott Benner 1:03:29
Yeah, well, but you're not Pre-Bolus thing. So that's kind of to be expected. To be honest, you're shooting up because of the food and then crashing down because of the big Bolus afterwards, I imagine.
Caitlin 1:03:38
Yeah. And also activities a big thing too, because with a kid that's hyperactive, like if she's gonna eat breakfast, usually her breakfast is pretty, it's pretty much the same thing every day, so we can count on her eating it. She hasn't had her medication yet, so it hasn't cut her appetite. So we'll Pre-Bolus breakfast. But she could have that breakfast. And if she's gonna go down and play video games, because it's pouring rain outside, then she's gonna spike and she's gonna stay high. And if she's going outside to ride her bike with her friends, then she's gonna drop low on the exact same dose, the exact same carbs.
Scott Benner 1:04:17
Wow, that doesn't seem
Caitlin 1:04:19
like what works one day doesn't work the next day for her right. And so ratios are all over the place. Because of what she's doing. And we, I mean, we've tried adding extra snacks or, you know, doing temporary increase in the basil to compensate when she does video games and it works more or less. But there are those days where she's planning to do something and then hope she changes her mind and then goes through something else and it throws us off completely. Because her mind is like a ping pong ball.
Unknown Speaker 1:04:50
Yeah. Wow.
Caitlin 1:04:53
She's never doing the same thing two days in a row. So it's really hard to get that baseline to see what works for her. So we have to accept a little bit more. You know, I understand as much perfection, I'd love to see her in the sixes. We're in the sevens, but we're below eight. So I'm okay with that for now. Okay. And we're heading into puberty.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:12
Yeah, it's gonna get worse.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:14
Terrible. She, I
Scott Benner 1:05:15
need more. Did you think about using? Like Omnipod? Five when it comes out? Let's try and an algorithm doesn't
Caitlin 1:05:23
have the dash here yet. Oh, Canada cheese. I
Unknown Speaker 1:05:26
forgot. I don't
Caitlin 1:05:28
even have the dash here. Alright, so still on the old one.
Scott Benner 1:05:31
Are you interested in an algorithm when it's available to you?
Caitlin 1:05:34
I'm actually considering looping. So
Scott Benner 1:05:37
I'm just wondering if if something that would if I don't know like, I don't know if your scenario would be helped by that or not, but interested to find out.
Caitlin 1:05:47
I was I looked into looping. I haven't officially like gone through all the papers and stuff for it yet. But because it would help when she's out. Or when she's at school, at least it can make those little changes. So I don't have to constantly text message her saying you need to do this.
Scott Benner 1:06:03
Are you like limiting basil a lot and like doing Temp Basal.
Caitlin 1:06:08
I don't really usually do Temp Basal. I'll just be like, give yourself an extra point two, five.
Scott Benner 1:06:14
So you're kind of bumping at the at the number. Okay.
Caitlin 1:06:17
Yeah, exactly. So I'm
Unknown Speaker 1:06:19
trying to push down usually. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:23
Are you okay?
Scott Benner 1:06:25
I'm gonna I just want to know if you're okay.
Caitlin 1:06:27
I'm good.
Scott Benner 1:06:28
You are. You just you're like you're not like secretly, like a heroin addict. Or, like, in the middle of the night, you don't leave to do high risk cooking or something like that just to do to escape. There's nothing crazy happening to you like, how are you coping? I guess is my question.
Caitlin 1:06:46
Well, I mean, it. Diabetes in itself is very stressful. It's probably the most stressful of everything. Because for allergies, I control what comes into the house, I make the food. And in general, if something's going to go bad, it's going to go bad right away. And I'll see it right away. But diabetes, I know, there's such long term impacts of everything. So I sometimes I'll fall asleep, and then she'll go high, because she had more protein at dinner. And I won't wake up to adjust it because my alarm goes off, but I ignored it. And then in the morning, I'll feel terribly guilty. But yet again, I need to sleep sometimes. And it's, it's hard. There's always parent guilt that you have about everything. And every decision you make when you're a parent, even if your kid is like perfectly healthy without any problems. It just adds an extra layer to it. So I guess it's just extra guilt. Finding time for things that I used to do. Before all of this, it's harder. like finding a babysitter isn't as obvious anymore. There's like one parent, one person that I can leave my kids with. And that's Grandma, and right now is COVID. I can't leave them with grandma. Yeah, no, cuz they're going to school.
Scott Benner 1:08:09
Oh, yeah. Well, Canada. Yeah, they sent him right out there like you go get him. How is How is COVID? there? Are you guys? Everything's coming back to normal or not yet?
Caitlin 1:08:22
Well, it the numbers were really high for a bit. And then they dropped back down. And they're starting to increase again, I guess because people are getting tired of staying home. They did reopen businesses. And so people are more in contact with each other. So I mean, nothing compared to what you guys are going through at all. But in the province of Quebec, we're getting like 100 and something new cases a day. It's 100. At one point, it was over 1000. Yeah. So it's definitely better than it was. But it's still enough to make me wonder that, you know, maybe we shouldn't be leaving the kids who are in school with 400 other students with grandma who has COPD. I just
Scott Benner 1:09:02
put an episode up yesterday. That's with a teacher. It was recorded right now. And by the way, I guess for context, it's September 3, but Kayla and I are talking right now. And we were talking about, you know, going back and I said I don't see how this is going to go well at all, but I guess Okay, let's, let's see. But you know, Arden's not going back to school. She's doing it remotely. And my son, my son's doing college remotely. He's like, quite literally down the hall right now getting an econ degree in his bedroom. So
Caitlin 1:09:31
no, what if it was an option? And maybe if I didn't work full time,
Scott Benner 1:09:36
Yeah, I know. I understand that. I understand the you know, the limitations for most people. I mean, I I do this so I can do this here. And that kind of opens up our options for keeping the kids with us. Oh, my gosh, dude. Alright, but you you just you just I'd like how are you hating on you said I'm okay. I'm good. That's I either you're lying to me or you're good. I don't know which one it is. But either way, I'm I don't. I'm not judging you. I'm just like, it's it's a lot. You know, it's also interesting to hear you say that the diabetes is, though, is the worst part of all this?
Caitlin 1:10:15
Yeah, it's the hardest to manage. It's not that it's like worst was the bad words won't kill her instantly. And if she has peanut butter, it would kill her within like minutes. But it's easier to avoid peanuts than it is to avoid eating.
Scott Benner 1:10:32
Well, it's true.
Caitlin 1:10:34
And we had, like, I think around the time that I sent you the email being like, I wanted to chat about this, like we were having huge power struggles with food. Okay, that was one of the biggest things that we were having. And one of the times we decided that that's when we we couldn't Pre-Bolus anymore. Is that one of the only things like she, in her, I guess her personality, she likes to control anything that she can, because she has so little control in so many aspects of her life. And that started like with the food allergies, because she couldn't control what she ate. So she wanted to control when she ate and how she ate. Now with the diabetes, it adds it added the extra well. Now what you eat is important, but also when you eat and how you eat it. So everything about it is important. Yeah. So we have to have the control. And she resented that for the longest time. And so what would happen is we'd sit down and she'd be like, Oh, yeah, for sure. I love this. I'm going to eat it. And then we dose her for it. And then she'd say, No, I'm not hungry. Now I want toast. Because she loves bread. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 1:11:47
just to make the change, like
Caitlin 1:11:49
chicken and vegetables. That's what everyone's having for dinner, you're gonna have that. She's like, No, I'm not. You already gave me my insulin make me toast. And I was like, What?
Unknown Speaker 1:12:02
Caitlin? I'm gonna send you a link.
Caitlin 1:12:04
And so we got to this point where? Yeah, we got to this point where it was like, okay, the we have to come up with some way to work this because I can't sit there and threaten you with a glucagon injection. Or pour corn syrup down your throat, which we've done a few times. Because she just so demand she hated corn syrup. That was the only thing that we could get into her for carbs that were quick, when she was already been given the insulin and she was going down, but she suddenly refused to eat, because she wanted us to make something different. And I was like, No, okay, it's either this or I'm giving you a quarter cup of corn syrup.
Scott Benner 1:12:47
Oh, my God, that sounds terrible.
Caitlin 1:12:50
Okay, maybe not a quarter cup. That's a lot. Maybe like an eighth of a cup? Yes, it's a lot of sugar. And it's
Scott Benner 1:12:54
not your fault. Use a different system of measurement. So
Caitlin 1:12:57
I never understood ounces. Nope, totally strange. But so you're Yeah, I
Scott Benner 1:13:03
mean, that's really stressful. What you just said like, I felt stressed when you were saying it. So I don't know about like doing it must be. And I think everyone listening knows that pressure, who's had at least a smaller child or somebody who just refused. Like you're standing there at someone's, you know, literally crashing down with all this insulin going and you're just you're just like, you have to eat you have to you have to you have to and it's just such a panicky feeling. You definitely are not at your best in those moments. And and I think I've been there for certain. And, and your thing is compound that like 15 times over. I was going to say, if I send you a link, and you please have her get on the schedule for six years from now to record the podcast, because when she's 18 I really want to talk to your daughter.
Caitlin 1:13:50
Much Did your mom actually miss you? Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:13:53
Hey, siddhis Kaitlyn lady, right?
Caitlin 1:13:57
This whole thing that she did, like, how did that work for you? Are you even still alive?
Scott Benner 1:14:01
No, I just want I mean, her perspective on all this stuff. One day is gonna be fast. I don't imagine she'd be somebody who'd want to come on the podcast, but this is really interesting. And her perspective would be would be incredible, actually, because you're just doing the best you can. And you have obviously a lot of roadblocks and listen, she's she's in school, like you kept her in school. That's amazing. Right? She's her a one sees lower. She's, you know, as healthy as you can as you can accomplish right now. That's amazing. There's a lot here. I mean, you guys are doing you're just doing more than than I think anybody could expect. So it's really great. I you should be congratulated. I'm sure nobody's I don't know if anybody's ever taken the time to say to you like well done, but this is, this is well done. You are, You are the ringmaster of quite a show and you're and I can I can
Caitlin 1:14:59
It's not a show is a circus.
Unknown Speaker 1:15:02
I was gonna say you get the whole thing, right. You're all three rings. circuses don't even exist anymore.
Caitlin 1:15:09
No, not really. I don't know. They have like this horse thing. It's not as though Cirque du Soleil is still around, though they went bankrupt. I don't know how that's gonna work after COVID
Unknown Speaker 1:15:20
Yeah, it's not.
Caitlin 1:15:23
Not at all. Yeah. So, no. And it's it's interesting, too, because I think we've started on this. And then I got sidetracked because I do that very easily. Do you have ADHD? After the you know, when they take you in and they start doing all those the lessons after diagnosis? Yeah. And they're teaching and they have all these handouts pre prepared, and the nurse sits down with you. And in our case that we weren't in the hospital, so they didn't do it in the hospital. We went in, like two days or two mornings every week for like, a month. And they did the trainings and little bits. And they're like, Okay, well, here's some great idea for carb free snacks. And here's some good things like protein things. And I was, I would look at these sheets. And I would say, okay, nope, nope, nope, nope. Okay, cucumbers are okay. Nope, nope. And we just went through the list. Like, I can't, like I had to reinvent the whole thing. Yeah. Because that they're like, Okay, well, you know that. Some when you're maintaining blood sugar after a low, and it's going to be more than an hour, you give like some crackers and peanut butter or cake? No, we can't do that. Yeah. You know, or we can try this. No, we can't give yogurt. And this yogurt that's made with soy. It spikes her too fast. And it doesn't maintain for quite as long. So it doesn't act in the same way. So there's not always like a direct replacement for all of these things. So we had to kind of reinvent the diabetes wheel.
Unknown Speaker 1:16:53
Because for her, yeah.
Caitlin 1:16:56
And like, I'm on a few forums, and I keep seeing these things pop up, like oh, what are suggestions for this? And I have so few it's like, okay, you can have pepperoni sticks, or jerky? other CARB free snacks, vegetables.
Scott Benner 1:17:13
Yeah. Like, by the way, a lot of vegetables have carbs in them. And we tend not to think of it. So yeah,
Caitlin 1:17:19
but negligible. Like they're not the carrots of the world, but more like the cucumbers. And that's all she eats. Yeah. She doesn't like carrots. She likes red peppers, but they're too curvy.
Scott Benner 1:17:30
Is there even a way to quantify her diet? Or there's not right, like you just it's a bastardized diet that just fits for her.
Caitlin 1:17:38
Exactly. Okay. I mean, sometimes, like when I'm looking up recipes, I'll go like vegan, I'll type in vegan because it doesn't have the dairy or the eggs, for sure. Right? A lot of them have nuts and peanuts, because they want the extra protein. Or they have those fancy flowers that we can't use because they most of them are contained or may contain sesame's and others like traces of that. So I kind of melt together different recipes and like, Okay, I'm going to try it without this, or I'm going to add this instead. And you learn to adapt regular recipes, to not have that, like most any baking recipe that has milk, you can put soy milk instead, or almondmilk. But it's like the eggs. Not always the same. There's not they have egg replacement powder, but it doesn't work the same way as eggs do. Gotcha. So you have to find out different ways to do things. And it's just being creative, I guess. And a lot of trial and error. I was
Scott Benner 1:18:37
gonna say, how many meals Have you made where you're just like, Oh, god, this is not edible. Don't touch this.
Caitlin 1:18:44
That's usually like the day before I do groceries. And I'm like, I don't have much in the fridge. I'm just gonna toss a lot of this into this into the pan and stir fry it and serve it with rice. How about that?
Scott Benner 1:18:54
Wow, do do you do two meals? Or does the family pretty much all eat the same?
Caitlin 1:19:02
It depends. I usually like to cook one meal, because it's easiest that way. Yeah. But because of her allergies. My other two kids don't have those allergies. Sometimes they want things that she can't eat. And I'm not going to say like I always said from the beginning. I'm not going to take her allergens out of the house, because then nobody could eat anything. So I have milk in the house. We have eggs, I have peanut butter. We have lunch that we don't really have anything with sesame because sesame seeds get everywhere. But pretty much everything else we have in the house. And so sometimes I'll put a lasagna in the oven, and I'll make her like a submarine sandwich for dinner. Because she loves submarine sandwiches. It has her favorite ingredient bread.
Scott Benner 1:19:50
I love bread every listen. It's hard not to love bread. I have to be honest.
Caitlin 1:19:54
Yeah, that's it. She doesn't like pasta. Okay, so anything that's pasta, if you have Do you want anything pasta? like then? You know she'll have to have something else but she's gotten used to it. You know, we occasionally order pizza. I'm so lucky we don't have to deal with the pizza problem that I keep hearing about. Because we never have to dose for for pizza.
Scott Benner 1:20:15
Well, wait out Why? Because kids can eat cheese. She can't eat cheese, so she just doesn't touch the pizza at all.
Caitlin 1:20:22
Yeah. Okay, so have something else. All right,
Scott Benner 1:20:24
you'll never have to be involved in in the pizza Bolus.
Caitlin 1:20:28
Exactly. We got this, uh, this other pizza that was made without dairy. It has like, actually the same cheese replacement that she uses that she likes for her sandwiches and everything. But she did not like the pizza. So that's better.
Scott Benner 1:20:45
Wow. So is there any? Does any of this? Obviously the doop doop, I guess I'm gonna ask a stupid question. Because I don't know the answer to people grow out of allergies. That doesn't happen, right?
Caitlin 1:21:00
It does.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:01
It does. Yeah, it
Caitlin 1:21:02
does happen. The dairy, especially the egg, it can happen. Peanut isn't so common. But she's been tested for it. They said at the levels that at the severity of her allergies, chances are that she would never outgrow them. And actually, we had an allergist appointment a few months ago when they test her for everything. And she's still allergic to everything. So it looks like it's there forever. She's not one of those lucky kids that's eventually going to be able to eat it. And she doesn't qualify for all of those, those therapies that desensitize you. Because of the severity of her allergies with
Scott Benner 1:21:42
treatment, it wouldn't make it go away. It would just maybe lessen it a little. And if you just stay away from it, it's not a problem.
Caitlin 1:21:48
Exactly. It's easier to stay away from it. Because, I mean, I've looked at the protocols for them and gone through it, but they treat with steroids and steroids are gonna make our blood sugar terrible. So we just said you know what it is? It's just gonna be there for a while. And if when she's an adult, she wants to do it. That's fine. But we don't have time right now. Well, I don't think it's worth the risk. Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:22:10
I that sounds reasonable to me. How about the ADHD is the hope they're just a different medication that doesn't impact their mood, the same way.
Caitlin 1:22:19
Ah, I'm hoping that she learns to deal with it. I know that, that sounds really awful. But as much as medication helps, the ultimate goal is to be able to understand the way that your own brain works. And to learn to adapt the way you do things so that you can do things in a very similar way and be as effective as anyone else. tool to help that. But it's not like the crutch.
Scott Benner 1:22:49
So the hope here is the time and maturity and understanding kind of come together and, and help a little bit with that.
Caitlin 1:22:56
Yeah, and then maybe she won't need maybe as strong of a medication. Or maybe she'll go on to a different one. She's also tiny. I have to say you always said that art and like I listened to the podcast from the beginning. Thank you. I have to say I skipped a little bit in the middle. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa,
Scott Benner 1:23:10
whoa, slow down a second. First of all, for people listening, it's not okay to skip. You start at the beginning of every episode. That's the deal. Okay. I watched your season. I listened to I watched the entire season on Netflix. That was not good. And I and I did it. Anyway, there were five seasons of a show. When I got to season three. I was like, This is terrible. But I soldiered through and I expect the same from all of you. But okay.
Caitlin 1:23:35
I skipped a few in the middle. But I did read like the headlines and a lot of the ones I skipped were like the the update to dex columns and all of those. Oh, they were just older. That's fine.
Scott Benner 1:23:44
You know those things? I didn't mean to jump down your throat. I'm sorry. That's fine.
Caitlin 1:23:47
I just to put it into context. I didn't mean like they weren't interesting. Although they were terrific to be like, I just wanted to be more
Scott Benner 1:23:54
up to date. You just didn't need to hear the announcement about the g4. Yeah, gotcha. I had I've never used right and it's not available anymore. I don't think so. Alright, that is acceptable halen. Okay. So and I guess too, so maybe there's a little hope with an algorithm based pump. Pick there is there is incremental gains to be made for you in here. Some of its time some of its technology some of its hoping, I guess. maturity Yeah. Wow. Oh my God, if one more thing goes wrong, is that the end? Are you just gonna like put some stuff in a bag and be like, Okay, well, goodbye.
Caitlin 1:24:37
Oh, man. I mean, it's always on your mind, right? Because you always have this thing in the back of your mind like okay, my other two kids, they don't have anything else. What if you know my oldest got diabetes, but my son is in the same grade as my oldest was when she when she got diabetes? Is he gonna get it two. And a few weeks ago, he was like, I'm so thirsty and he was drinking a ton of water. And you're not I chased him around the house. For 20 minutes with the meter until I wrestled him to the ground, and I got a blood sugar test. Because I was just so paranoid that Oh my God, he's gonna get diabetes too.
Unknown Speaker 1:25:09
Yeah. Now you mentioned you was really
Unknown Speaker 1:25:12
thirsty. He was just thirsty.
Caitlin 1:25:15
Like, I guess he hadn't had any water all day. And then all of a sudden, he went to the bathroom, and he's like, six glasses of water just down to them. And I'm like, how can an eight year old drink that much water?
Scott Benner 1:25:24
Now I can understand you being concerned? How about the like you said the worry about Michigan when she was younger? Is that gone? For the most part, you don't wake up in a sweat anymore? Do you?
Caitlin 1:25:36
know not so much? I think sometimes. There is that some of those days where I wake up and the first thing is like, wow, I slept really well. And then the second thought that goes into my head is Oh, crap. I have to check the Dexcom Did I miss anything? Yeah, so it's like, it's always the next thing in my head. Like if I slept? Well, it means that maybe I missed an alarm.
Scott Benner 1:25:56
I hear it. I've had that thought. Yeah, I've listened before all the technology, you wake up and realize you slept soundly through the night? And I think I go God is Arden. Okay, that would be like the first thing I felt like that I sleep through something. Now it's to be perfectly honest, like she wakes up at the same blood sugar every morning. But quite honestly, I you know, but there's a lot of years of, of practice in. Yeah,
Caitlin 1:26:27
actually, her blood sugar's great overnight recently, but I'm not. I'm because everything in her life has been kind of like a little experiment. The doctor was always there. The endocrinologist was always saying, Wow, you're so you're so quick to learn this stuff. You're so good at making your own adjustments. I'm like, Well, that's because I've had to adjust everything else in our lives. Yeah, that's what you do going like, Okay, I'm not sure. Like, maybe I think I need to increase the basil between this time and this time, and I would just do it.
Scott Benner 1:26:56
Yeah, you have time for something. I'll
Caitlin 1:26:57
go back to it.
Unknown Speaker 1:26:59
Exactly.
Caitlin 1:27:01
Well, I if she goes low, the Dexcom is gonna beep and I'm gonna know and I'll treat it and then I'll know like, okay, that wasn't the right thing to do. It's one
Scott Benner 1:27:09
of the most amazing aspects of diabetes that I've, I've, I've never really understood, which was that idea of like, well, we'll just wait three months until someone tells us something else. And I get the fear. But I never I, you know what, I guess I kind of misspoke there. Like, I had it too when I was, you know, first add it. But since then, since I've kind of gotten away from it. It's the thing that never ceases to amaze me. Like, it's the one thing that I think, Wow, how do people get caught in that? How did I get caught? Not even. But it's because it seems so obvious. blood sugar's high, use more insulin, right? blood sugar's low, use less insulin, you know, like, like that. That's sort of an idea. And it's fascinating that it continues to happen over and over and over again, day after day after day, and nobody can change. I'm helping a person right now. And I've explained this thing to them three days in a row, and every day they understand it. And then the next day, they don't do it. It just keeps happening. It's fascinating, you know, and they'll get to it eventually. But it's just like, You understand, right? Like this happened because of this. So you still need to do this. Yes, Yes, I understand. Next day. Did you do that? No, I just didn't have the nerve over and over again. So good for you that you just were like, I don't have time to. I gotta just do this, you know?
Caitlin 1:28:36
Yeah. I mean, they say like, the, I think one thing that the hospital was really great at at the beginning, when we went through all the trainings was teaching us to adjust it on our own. It wasn't just like, this is how you're supposed to feed them. And this is how much insulin you have to give. But they said, okay, but if you notice what I have to call for one sec. I know you're gonna edit that out. So we're good.
Unknown Speaker 1:29:01
You have a lot of hope for me, God.
Caitlin 1:29:02
So I know that. Like when I see a trend for three days of her going higher or lower at a certain time that that means there's an adjustment that needs to be made. And they showed us how to do that. And they gave us suggestions on it. And when we did the class for the pump, they did the same thing. They said, Okay, this is what, like, this is how you change it. And this like if you see a high here, this is where you want to adjust it. Because remember, there's a four hour action. So if the kid is going low at 2pm every day, maybe you want to adjust the basil that's before it.
Unknown Speaker 1:29:35
That's encouraging,
Caitlin 1:29:36
you know, instead of the one that's like at two because that's too late, the insulin is just going in, then it's not the one that's changing it.
Scott Benner 1:29:42
Yeah, that's good to hear. It really.
Caitlin 1:29:44
They taught us like really well, I was really confident in that. But obviously there's I know that there's people that go through the same trainings as us that won't be as competent in it. And that's just a personality thing. I think I mean, my husband's military or former military, so He wants to like he's like, okay, let's just do it. They told us we can do it. Let's do it. Let's try it. Well, not everybody, and that'll be like, okay, you know, I think like, I think I want to try this. I, I don't know if it's gonna be good. We'll see. But you know, make sure you can hear the alarm tonight because if I'm sleeping too much, I want to make sure you like wake up.
Scott Benner 1:30:18
Yeah. Listen, not everyone has your life experiences either. Caitlin, those those you? We went through a training ground for this stuff. You're You're as ready to do these things as anybody you know.
Caitlin 1:30:27
Oh, yeah, I did the boot camp.
Scott Benner 1:30:29
You certainly did. Look
Unknown Speaker 1:30:30
at the boot camp. Listen,
Scott Benner 1:30:31
how old were you the first time you ran away?
Caitlin 1:30:35
I'm 14. Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:30:37
that's ballsy. You know what I mean? Like, seriously, it really is like, Look, I better off somewhere other than here. I'm going. That's not that's not a not something a 14 year old I think. Does lightly
Caitlin 1:30:51
plan the runaway very well. I didn't really know where I was going. I just left.
Scott Benner 1:30:57
I'll just walk in this direction. Did you bring food?
Caitlin 1:31:00
Yeah, I brought some stuff with me. Nice change of clothes. New socks. You know
Scott Benner 1:31:04
why? Yeah. You don't want your feet to get
Caitlin 1:31:06
my bank card.
Scott Benner 1:31:07
They say your bank card or your 14? Yeah, you do
Caitlin 1:31:12
not like a credit card. Just like interact debit.
Scott Benner 1:31:15
Yeah, but you had some money in the bank?
Caitlin 1:31:17
Yeah. Get out of here. Oh, I had I had like a I walked. I used to walk a dog for an old blind guy. I walked a seeing eye dog cuz he was getting too old. And the dog was getting stopstopstop 20 bucks a week. I
Unknown Speaker 1:31:35
don't know why that struck me. You. It's a seeing eye dog. Its whole job is to walk. It needs to be watched for. Other than that to
Caitlin 1:31:43
while he was getting fat because the guy was like 90. Like he left the house like once a day to do groceries?
Unknown Speaker 1:31:50
Did you have to let the dog
Caitlin 1:31:53
and the The company said like weren't You're too old. We're not going to give you another scene I dog when this one goes. So he wanted someone to walk it to help keep the dog healthier for longer so that he'd have them?
Scott Benner 1:32:05
I say, did you have to let the dog lead you while you were walking so that it could kind of do what it was supposed to do?
Caitlin 1:32:11
No, as soon as they're like, as soon as the dog isn't on a harness. They're like a regular dog. Oh, when you put on the special harness, then they're working and they know they're working. But when I would walk them, I'd walk them on a regular leash. And he was like, just, I'd take them to the park and we play fetch. And
Unknown Speaker 1:32:25
that's fascinating.
Caitlin 1:32:27
Like, it's completely different. Like he's very well trained. And he would come when I call them and everything but he was like a regular dog when he wasn't when he wasn't on the hardest,
Scott Benner 1:32:35
like how to work in play mode.
Unknown Speaker 1:32:37
Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:32:37
that's that I find that I'm so glad we found. That's really great. I'm gonna end on that, because I don't think we're gonna learn anything more interesting than then service dogs have, like, different years. That's, that's really cool. Did we not go over anything that you want to talk about?
Caitlin 1:32:55
I don't know, oh, there was something I don't even know if it's like relevant or related or anything? Let's find out. But there's this like one thing when I'm on these groups, and I think it carries through to like all these type one groups. Okay, but I'm on and you have to understand them on groups for, you know, differently wired kids also, and I want groups for allergies. So I have all these different Facebook groups. And I don't read everything because there's so much stuff. But there's just one thing that just it blows my mind when I see it. And I understand. But people just generally get so up in arms about people making jokes about diabetes. Like this comedian is terrible person because they made a joke about diabetes. And we're going to boycott it, because it's horrible what he said. And like, you would never joke about someone else's disability or whatever it is. They all follow kind of the same line of thinking like, you wouldn't joke about that. Why is diabetes so funny, right?
Unknown Speaker 1:33:58
And this bothers you.
Caitlin 1:34:00
Yeah, it bothers me because, and I don't know if it bothers me, but I like to try to explain it and I gotten kind of tired of trying to explain it that you like we as people who live with people that have type one diabetes, or we're caregivers for people with type one. Or maybe we do have type one ourselves, we live that so when someone says something that's hurtful, or a joke, that's like a joke, this just out of off color for us. And it, it hits the wrong way or it rubs us the wrong way. We only noticed it because that's what we live. Right. But there's plenty of people in my other forums for allergies where this guy was joking about, you know, kid couldn't eat ice cream, because they had an allergy. And that's so stupid and it exists everywhere. If and these comedians are making fun of everybody. Yeah. But if you don't live it, you don't notice it.
Scott Benner 1:34:57
Right. That's a very rare sponsible way to think of it a very mature way to think here's what I think about humor, okay? It's very simple to me. Everything has to be able to be funny. Because of the exact point you said, like I noticed a comedian that I like, and for years, he would make fun of adopted people. And the first time I remember it hitting me right in the center of the chest. I was like, Oh, I'm adopted. That's not funny. And then I thought, Oh, no, wait a minute. If I wasn't adopted, what I've laughed at that. I would, so it is fine. And I just have a sensitivity to it. And so I just at that moment, said to myself, if you're going to appreciate humor, then funny is funny. The if it's funny, it's funny. And if it's not, it's not. But there's no in between. It's either funny, or it's not funny. And you can't pick and choose, you can't say, well, that's funny, right? But that's not it's not funny to be adopted. But it's super funny. To have a seeing eye dog need to take a walk, you know, like that, because that just doesn't work that way. And if you're trying to make it work that way, you maybe shouldn't avoid humor all together, because it's not. I mean, I get the like, my disease isn't your punch line kind of feeling. And the people who it's striking, are having such a hard time probably at that moment that it's hard to hear. But I have to say that if you put me in charge of the world, I think I would have agreed with what you said. I think you just have to let let comedians be comedians, and sometimes they're gonna say stuff that's offensive to you. And you know, what's the option? They don't ever say anything offensive to anyone. And then comedies gone just like that, you know,
Caitlin 1:36:43
you can turn it off, you can opt to not watch the show again, you can do whatever. But writing them letters about how you're a poor kid isn't the shouldn't be the butt of your joke. It's a little over the top. Because something needs
Scott Benner 1:36:59
to be the butt of the joke, or there won't be a joke.
Caitlin 1:37:01
Exactly. Like we're always laughing at something. Yeah, everything. Nothing's important. I've laughed at everything in my life. I've had to at some times, because it's a way to de stress. And you know what, sometimes I hear these jokes about diabetes. And I laugh at them. I mean, yeah, it hits me on a little more personal level, or the kid that has an allergy. And you know, well, maybe the kids shouldn't be alive or Darwinism or whatever. I laugh at it. Because, you know, I got to admit, in the back of my head, I'm a very like cynical and kind of dark person. I have a dark sense of humor. And it's funny. I mean, of course, it's my kid. It's different. But I can see how it's funny.
Scott Benner 1:37:41
Yeah. Well, it's the somebody's saying
Caitlin 1:37:44
you should go out and do that. He's a comedian. Yeah. It's a way of venting. It's a way of just expressing yourself. And you might not agree with it. And you might not just like anything, politics, you don't agree with it, or like, it's you. It doesn't mean the other person's wrong. Everybody has they don't agree with you. Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:38:02
well, people are multifaceted. They have different experiences, their context is different. And so they're going to find some stuff one way and some stuff another way. It just gets weird when you start telling people what they can say. Because it bothers you.
Caitlin 1:38:17
And it's a slippery, very slippery,
Scott Benner 1:38:19
I will admit, by the way, some comedians are just not as good as others. And so you can have someone tell a joke, and it comes off really poorly. And another person can craft a similar joke where it feels more well thought out and constructed and told, and they do hit differently. Like some of it's just, you know, and people were just being mean to be mean. That's probably hard to take. But there are some comedians who just go with mean, and there's, you know, some people like that, too. So just Yeah, like you said, like a avoided if you don't want to hear it, but also to hunt it down, just to be upset about it. As you know, if I didn't hear it, but you put it on Facebook, and I'm like, oh, man, I'm outraged. Like, you're outraged, like you didn't even know.
Caitlin 1:39:05
Yeah, we have or had a comedy festival in Montreal. That happens every year. That's a
Scott Benner 1:39:10
that's one of the best comedy festivals in the world.
Caitlin 1:39:13
Exactly. And there's a show called the nasty show. And the comedians go there. And from what I understand everything is very just very nasty. And it can be funny, but occasionally, we'll get like a news thing afterwards, like, Oh, this joke offended me because of this. And I'm like, it was the nasty show. You can't like pay for tickets to go to a show called the nasty show, and then complain that the joke was nasty
Scott Benner 1:39:37
come out of the me like this was very, very nasty.
Caitlin 1:39:40
Like, you have to expect it. We put it right in the title.
Scott Benner 1:39:45
Put it we put in the title. It's not a ticket. Well, I will say this about online discourse is that it's very cyclical. And if you're not around it for a long time, like I have been, you don't see it. It seems like there's this world war. Something's happening for the first time. But it's happening for the 9,000,000th time. And it's going to happen again, when you're gone. And someone new is going to come in and have this experience over again, there's only a certain amount of experiences to be had in the world. And you're watching people have them for the first time, over and over and over again, it happens in politics, every, every generation in politics. This happens, like you'll watch a TV show from the 80s to the 90s, that, you know, was a dramatization of politics. And you'll think, Oh, my God, that's amazing. The topics they're covering are the same exact topics that we're worried about today. And I'm like, yeah, cuz there's only so many topics. It's not being it's, it's not, you don't I mean, it's not magical, that they were talking about school integration in the 90s. And you're still worried about school integration. Now. Life is glacial, like, our, our existence is a blip. And, you know, the way you get to real change is over massive amounts of time, that far exceed a lifespan. And so, as every new generation comes in, they experience the same problems, they go about them slightly differently, because their context is different. And the older people look back and go, Ah, we were dealing with that in the 60s, like, yeah, and you still are, except you gave up on it now, because you have a vacation home. So this guy is going to talk about it. And it's just going to keep happening and happening and happening. And that slowly drags progress forward at a speed that none of us can actually say. And that's why people repeat themselves, in my opinion, although I'm a guy with a podcast, and I could be 100% wrong. So but that's what I say. So that's it. So I duly noted, Caitlyn would like all of you in the Facebook groups to calm down.
Caitlin 1:41:50
Keep calm and carry on.
Scott Benner 1:41:52
Here's the funny thing, Caitlin, those people who you see who are upset will one day mature into people who look back and go Hmm. I remember when I got upset about that. But turns out comedy is comedy. So everybody's just learning, you know?
Unknown Speaker 1:42:07
Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:42:08
This was good. I really appreciate you doing this. Thank you so much.
Caitlin 1:42:12
Thanks for talking to me. Yeah, I
Scott Benner 1:42:14
mean, even though you were Canadian. I did it.
Caitlin 1:42:16
I mean, I've heard you talk to other Canadians too. And those caribou jokes that was kind of waiting for them. Well,
Scott Benner 1:42:21
it's the only Canadian reference. I have Mounties. caribou jokes and hockey. I don't know anything about Canada. I mean, what do you know about America?
Unknown Speaker 1:42:31
Um,
Unknown Speaker 1:42:32
nothing. See.
Caitlin 1:42:35
I was gonna go into it. But no. I mean, honestly, most of our news is American anyways, because we just kind of like, you know, this nice thing happened in this community. Look what's happening down there.
Scott Benner 1:42:48
Why are there so many knife attacks in Canada? kaylynn.
Caitlin 1:42:51
Because we don't have guns.
Scott Benner 1:42:52
That is that that's why people stab each other because they don't have guns. Right?
Caitlin 1:42:55
Well, no, we shoot each other too. But we're just not as angry people. You know, they probably started off being like, would you like a slice of cake? stab, stab, because they were. Yeah, I'm
Scott Benner 1:43:05
telling you that the it's that I brought this up before but there's this amazing Twitter feed. It's about this one section. I don't even know where it's at. But they they cover the crime in this one section of Canada and just people stab each other at an alarming rate. That's the only crime. It's always just like, you know, man's naked in the kitchen thinks he's a bird. And then it's you know, stabbing. And then if somebody gets down like that, it's fascinating. But anyway,
Caitlin 1:43:32
I'm not gonna very strange part of Canada. Man naked in kitchen thinks he's a bird. Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:43:39
I saw that one time or I'm making it up. It's hard to know. But anyway, there are a lot of weird things. It's just very, I don't know. And then I have this feeling that that's what Canada is. Which of course it's not.
Caitlin 1:43:51
It's probably just the focus of our news. It works a little bit differently. You guys like the big sensational headlines?
Scott Benner 1:43:57
You guys want
Caitlin 1:43:59
a little bit of everything?
Scott Benner 1:44:00
Yeah. Kid found an old big wheel still works. wishes that was a Green Machine. Like that kind of thing. You're like, Oh my God, that's amazing. I remember Green Machine. But we call them rockets. Alright, kailyn get off of here. You must have something to do.
Caitlin 1:44:20
I'm supposed to be working. But it's okay. Well, thank
Scott Benner 1:44:23
you. I really do appreciate doing this. I sincerely
Caitlin 1:44:26
thanks for thanks for your time, of course.
Scott Benner 1:44:38
A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors. gvoke glucagon. Find out more about Gvoke Hypopen at Gvokeglucagon.com/juicebox. you spell that? Je VOKEGLUC AG o n.com. forward slash juicebox Don't forget you can find the T one D exchange at T one d exchange.org. forward slash juice box. And of course, that Contour Next One blood glucose meter is waiting for you right now at ContourNextone.com/juicebox. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back soon with more. Who is will w e apostrophe Ll it implies more than one person. I am the only person here I'll be back soon with more. I should have just said I will I will sound better like the show is an entity but it's not an entity. I'm literally the entirety of it. Where is it? If you collect me in the show together is that will. Again not will like will Robinson or I died and left well, but well, like will w e apostrophe. Oh.
Unknown Speaker 1:45:55
Let's try it again. Both
Scott Benner 1:45:55
ways the wood works better. Thanks so much for listening. I'll be back soon with more Juicebox Podcast. Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back soon with more episodes of the Juicebox Podcast doesn't matter. Is it just in my head? I don't think it matters.
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#454 Touched By Type 1
With founder Elizabeth Forrest
Elizabeth Forrest has type 1 diabetes and is the founder of my favorite type 1 charitable organization, Touched By Type 1!
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or their favorite podcast app.
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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
Friends Hello, and welcome to Episode 454 of the Juicebox Podcast.
Today we're going to be speaking with Elizabeth, who has had Type One Diabetes since she was a child has just become a new mother herself, and is the founder of touched by type one. Today Elizabeth and I are gonna chat about how we met her Foundation, and living with Type One Diabetes. I think you're gonna like it. Please remember, as you're listening that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. were becoming bold with insulin. If at any point today, you become interested in learning more about touched by type one, you can go to touched by type one.org. They also have a Facebook page. They're on Instagram. And generally speaking, there wonderfulness is available everywhere that they are touched by type one.org that's touched by type the number one.org.
This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries g vo hypo Penn Find out more at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. This episode is also sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. You can learn more about the meter, and so much more at Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox links to all the sponsors and today's guests are in the show notes of your podcast player and at Juicebox podcast.com.
Elizabeth Forrest 2:07
I am Elizabeth forest. I have Type One Diabetes was diagnosed in 1999. This is year 22. For me, I am a chief operating officer of a law firm in Central Florida and for fun have run a nonprofit for many years called touched by type one.
Scott Benner 2:26
Because that's what people do when they have the very low impact job like they look for. They look for other things to do in their spare time. How in the heck did we meet? Do you remember? I don't think I do.
Elizabeth Forrest 2:41
Yes, I do. So through the nonprofit through touched by type one, we had a committee meeting for the first ever conference we were going to put on. And one of our committee members who has also been on the podcast, Samantha Arsenault, who was incredible. She said, Oh, you've got to listen to this podcast. And so we're listening. And she said that we need Scott to speak at this first event. And so we reached out and you came to Florida and you spoke at the first event. And here we are,
Scott Benner 3:16
I will tell you that the Sam is somebody I still keep in touch with. And she was on the podcast so long ago that I think her episode only has like two numbers and it's in it she was in the 50s or something like that. And it's still it's still an episode that people use all the time it as a matter of fact, somebody referred me back to it the other day, like I was talking on the private Facebook group to somebody about an insurance problem. And someone jumped into it. Oh, yeah, you have to go to this episode with Samantha, because she has an uncanny grasp of how health insurance works for people. It's it's fascinating how she understands that it feels to me that she just sat down one day and taught it to herself.
Unknown Speaker 3:59
Yes, absolutely. That's what it seems like.
Scott Benner 4:01
Yeah, she's just like, I'm gonna understand this now. She really does. And I still to this day will, like privately, like tag her in something. And I feel bad every time I do it, but I'm just like, I bet you Sam could help.
Unknown Speaker 4:17
Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 4:18
I do the same thing. I we send people to her.
Scott Benner 4:20
And then she just takes care of it. And then I hear back from somebody a month or so later is like, Oh, we got the insulin pump. It's all good. Now, Sam, she fixed it. Yeah. So I have to thank her. My recollection, I have like a couple of like spotty recollections. But one of them was that I chose to rent a car for the first time I was there, because you guys were like getting an Uber and I was like, I don't do that. So by the way, I still don't do that. I'm still the only pain in the ass who shows up at your event and is like, I will get in a cab and you will reimburse me but I am not like I'm not doing this. But I decided to rent a car and I think I put it on myself. I didn't and I took care of it. So because of that I made it like as cheap as possible, and I just remember regretting that the entire time.
Unknown Speaker 5:06
Yeah, absolutely. That would definitely happen.
Scott Benner 5:08
Yeah, the entire time, I thought I really should have just gotten it and
Unknown Speaker 5:13
make it so much easier. Yeah.
Scott Benner 5:15
But your your event grew. And I have to thank you like, let me let me stop for a second and say thank you. And you know, by extension to Sam, I, you were the first people who were like, come to our thing and talk. Yeah. And so that's a risk on your part. And I remember having that conversation back then where I was like, Look, I can do a really good job of this. But here's the thing. I've never done it before. So
Elizabeth Forrest 5:40
Well, what's what's really neat about kind of anything, and everything we've always done is if we don't believe in what we're talking about, or we don't believe, and have tried and tested what we're bringing to the table, you know, what are we doing? And I remember having had type one diabetes, for as long as I had at that point, I can't remember how many years ago that was. But when I first listened to the podcast, and was kind of reading more on the blog, and really understanding what was your concept? I was like, This makes so much sense. Why has no one told me that as hell have I not figured this out yet. And then I told Samantha, we absolutely have to have him at our events, more people need to understand this. And it's, I mean, it's been a game changer. For me. I remember, I think I texted you after my next endocrinology appointment, after I had started kind of being bold with insulin, right. And it was a dramatic change. And, I mean, we'll talk about it, but it played a major part in having a very healthy, very successful pregnancy. And I my agency is still continues to go lower and lower every time and it's the lowest it's ever been in almost 22 years. That's really
Scott Benner 6:57
good. That's excellent. I love that. I remember, I can picture where I was standing in my kitchen. When I got a text from you which and to be fair to everybody unite, don't have some like super close personal relationship. Yeah, we know how to text each other. Because once a year, I come to Florida and I talk, which by the way, your thing has grown and grown the last time I did it in person. I mean, my goodness, it was in a giant place.
Elizabeth Forrest 7:24
It was a wonderful hotel, we had hundreds of people there the my opinion, the best speakers, we could we could have gathered in one setting. And it was such a fun but informative and impactful event. So I can't wait till we can do those again.
Scott Benner 7:39
Do you think I realize you're not you don't have a crystal ball? But do you think it's 2021 or 2022? Before stuff? Like that happens again?
Elizabeth Forrest 7:47
I think for I know for us for touched by type one. It'll be 2022 at the earliest?
Scott Benner 7:53
Yeah, yeah, I don't see trying to squeeze something in this year. Because even if suddenly like if magically, everything was just okay. Which obviously, that's not how things work. Even even if that happened, I don't know how you would put something like that together so quickly. Yeah,
Elizabeth Forrest 8:06
you know, and we're all such in the high risk category. Our lives are impacted by so much already. There's no need to add stress and things we don't even know about. I mean, we're all everyone in this world is learning about COVID-19 more and more every day. So there's no In my opinion, there's no pressure to rush something when our lives are at stake.
Scott Benner 8:27
At this point, after putting this much effort into helping people with type one, you don't want to your your long lasting feeling to be that Elizabeth was the one that figured out if you bring 300 people to type one together, they all get COVID and dropped it right.
Unknown Speaker 8:39
I don't want to be that person.
Scott Benner 8:41
That's that won't look good on your tombstone at all. No, definitely not. So I appreciate being you know, being patient with it. I and I tell you 100% whenever you start it back up, I'd be thrilled to be there. Awesome. Yeah, absolutely. One of the not one of the it's the best event I've ever been to. So thank you. No, it's terrific. Anyway, so you are how old when you were diagnosed?
Elizabeth Forrest 9:05
I was 11 years old. Hmm,
Scott Benner 9:07
you're definitely not 11 anymore. You said 20 years. So you're 33
Elizabeth Forrest 9:12
I turned 33 this year later in November. Yep.
Scott Benner 9:15
Is anyone impressed that I was able to put the 22 above the 11. And in my head, add to it one and two and one that quick? I'm not
Elizabeth Forrest 9:21
a math person myself. So yes.
Scott Benner 9:23
Like I said, I'm always like joking. And then people are like, I am kind of impressed. It's just plus one do it again. But so 33 give it a long time. Tell people a little bit. I know you probably tell the story more than you. At this point. You can probably tell it your sleep. But how did you start helping people with type one like what was the first thing you did?
Elizabeth Forrest 9:43
The first thing I did, I was a very, very, very, very and can't emphasize how much shy child but through the diagnosis of type one and having to be more comfortable speaking around adults and talking about Type One Diabetes for mild Safety. I got comfortable talking more. And I was in a dance program at a local Magnet School in Sanford, Florida. And we had put on a dance production through that school already. And so when that happened through the class curriculum, I thought, why don't we do this again, and invite our friends and family to the school theater, charge a few dollars, and whatever we collect, we'll give it to a diabetes organization. And we have fun in the process. That was the first thing we did. And I know it was a rather large idea at the time, but I was very lucky to have people around me that bought into it. I thought, Yeah, that's a great idea. Let's do it. I mean, I was a kid when I came up with it. But that spun into a huge event, dancing for diabetes is the name. And this past year in 2020, we celebrated our 20th annual show. With COVID precautions in place, it was a virtual shows very different than we've ever done. But it started really tiny all those years ago and grew into this huge production and later, a much larger, more comprehensive nonprofit organization that reaches a lot of people. So the first thing was dancing for diabetes, you did
Scott Benner 11:22
something? That's I mean, literally, from a small child's idea, by the way, anything else you ever tell your parents, they should diversify their 401k? No, I think we need to protect ourselves a little more. I'd like to get you a will data separate one. It is a big I mean, it's a huge idea. Like it's easy to say stuff out loud, I guess is my point like, Yeah, but then to make it happen, is, is a different level of focus and drive.
Elizabeth Forrest 11:52
Absolutely. But again, I mean, I have to give credit to there's so many people involved, and, and the fact that my school principal said yes. I mean, if he could have said no, most people would say no. But he said yes. And here we are. So it's it was definitely a little luck as well.
Scott Benner 12:08
Yeah. And you have to run into the right people on the way. This has nothing to do with that. But when I was in high school, a friend of mine, who was maybe a year or two older than me, told his English teacher one day that he wanted to start a landscaping company. And then he needed 20 $500 to buy a truck and a mower and a trailer to get started. And the English teacher gave him the money. And a number of years later, he had to buy the English teacher out of the business for $25,000. And to this day, the man runs one of the largest landscaping companies in the northeast.
Elizabeth Forrest 12:44
Are you hearing these sounds? No. What's wrong? Okay. Okay, my computer just made a sound. I'm sorry. I wanted to make sure you weren't hearing it in the background. No,
Scott Benner 12:54
I'll bet you If I hear noise, don't worry. Okay. But I just think that I think about that, like, he didn't come like he just be. I mean, he was like an 11th grade, you know what I mean? And he found a partner and bought a truck and turned it into a massive Corporation.
Elizabeth Forrest 13:09
I think that's awesome. It's so impressive. And there's so many stories like that. And it's pretty inspiring to hear those sorts of things. Because then people get ideas if Oh, I can do that, too. And maybe, maybe it's different, because something completely different. But it gives people the idea of you know, what is what is what am I good at? What can I bring to the table? And what can I create for good.
Scott Benner 13:30
And it's so different than, like, now I hate to say nowadays that, that I gotta find a better word than that. But like, you see somebody like, I'm gonna do a thing, like, what are you doing? Like, I got an Instagram account, and I'm gonna change the world. I'm like, Huh, I don't think you're going to. But that's not how all that works. You have to, I wish people would never understand probably the level of detail that goes into to something like that. So tell me a little bit about like when you set up, you know, when you know, how soon before I show up in Florida? Do you guys start thinking about it? for that year? Oh,
Elizabeth Forrest 14:03
gosh. We started a year in advance on on our conference on the show. In and those are things well, the show we've done it 20 times so far. So it's something that's relatively turnkey for us other than COVID throwing a wrench in but even when we have done a good job of creating a pretty good template, we still start a year in advance of thinking and brainstorming and what more can we do? How can we make it better? How can we reach more people? So minimum a year in advance?
Scott Benner 14:35
You do constantly have that feeling? Like Like, the way I describe it for me personally is excuse me what once you once you see that you have a thing, whatever it is that idea or a thought or something you can hold in your hand that make someone's life better. The next thought is how do I reach more people? Yeah, right right away. it's it's a it's a it's a burning feeling inside isn't it?
Elizabeth Forrest 14:58
It is Yeah. Because I know that there's, there has been so much productive positivity through through what we do. And it's like, you know, there's so many people that don't have access to, to really great resources or information, let alone the programs that we can help them with or the people we can connect them to at the very least. So it's we're constantly thinking, how can we reach more people? And how do we do it?
Scott Benner 15:23
Yeah, it's, um, it's a driving force behind me. Like, I always just think as long as the feedback is coming back from the podcast, the way it is, it's it's incumbent upon me to find more people to at least give the opportunity to hear it like I don't exactly I'm not trying to force it on anybody. Right. But they should know, like, because you said something earlier, like, why would know, like, Why is no one ever told this to me? Which is, is is insane. Because, you know, a couple of years ago, I don't know how your health was prior to the podcast, but it sounds like it got a lot better.
Elizabeth Forrest 15:59
Yeah, I mean, it was I would say I was average, and for being in this world so long, it shouldn't be average. It should be better. You should learn more along the way, but it was there wasn't getting any new information or any new help. I was also looking for it and so that I think that kind of comes with diabetes burnout at some point, you know, you get kind of in a point of being settled and Okay, and I'm getting by, but I was approaching a point in my life where I was thinking, Okay, how, how do I get better? How do I make this better? I talked to people every day, all day about type one diabetes, I need to be on the top of my game. So it was timing for me.
Scott Benner 16:54
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If I gave you a simple choice between having an accurate blood glucose meter, and one that wasn't as accurate which one would you choose? Well, I think you're right I couldn't hear you. But I think you're saying Scott I would take the more accurate blood glucose meter this seems like an easy question. And it is also easy could be getting that Contour Next One blood glucose meter head to Contour Next One comm forward slash juice box when you get there, you're gonna see big words that say, What do your test strips really cost you? Maybe too much. Insurance may not be the best way to buy test strips. Find out if contour next test strips over the counter might be cheaper. Can you imagine cheaper? How much money can you save? Go find out at Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox. While you're there, you can look into the possibility of getting a free Contour Next One meter by clicking on the meters and strips savings link where you will also find out about their test strip choice card. That's right, the contour choice card. There's a lot to find out here at this website. I would like it if you go take a look. When you go use my link in the show notes. Contour Next One comm forward slash juicebox. This meter is going to be easy to carry. Easy to hold in your hand. It's going to have a bright light. When you're using it the dark. It's going to have an easy to read screen. There's an app that you can connect to your phone to use it to give it even more features or you don't need to use it with the app. That's your choice. It's the bomb diggity, the bestest meter that Arden has ever used. It's also the most accurate one that we've ever had. Contour Next One comm forward slash juicebox g Volk glucagon comm forward slash juice box and of course, even though we didn't talk about it right here, because we're talking about an all episode long, let me just throw in touched by type one.org go find out what Elizabeth built, but first, finish listening to how Elizabeth built it.
I feel like I should be telling you something here. top of my head. I like submarine movies. I don't know if you do or not but I really do. My favorite modern one is Crimson Tide. I think
is the idea of talking about management directly? I'm not saying that I've, I'm genuinely not trying to say like, I came up with something, but I'm, it's uncommon, like I've found it in the space to be uncommon. I think that i think that that's part of the reason why the podcast excelled, is because I felt like one of the places that people were lacking was they would always tell you like, Oh, yeah, I know, it's hard to have diabetes, or you know, I have burned out, you have burned out, like, it was always a lot of that, like, here's what's wrong. And let's all commiserate a little bit. So we feel like we're not alone, which I genuinely feel like is a is a massive value for people. But I always thought that the people who were doing well, like who really had it, like kind of dialed in. I never, I never saw people like that. But I couldn't imagine that they didn't exist. So how come they weren't out in this? If there's a space? Like, why not be in the middle of it and ring a bell and tell somebody? So I just don't know, that doesn't happen more?
Elizabeth Forrest 21:12
Yeah, I don't know, either. And, you know, one of the bigger things for me with being bold with insulin is, I think it really opened my eyes to the fact that I could be in charge of my type one diabetes, and I could think outside the box, and I could be ever evolving. And I shouldn't be settling for what I've was told 1015 years ago, and still trying those same things and seeing the same results. And I think it was kind of like an eye opener, a light bulb went off of Oh, I can do this differently. And up until that point, no one or nothing out there led me to think that i think that that's a huge part of everything you do is just opening your eyes that you can think outside the box.
Scott Benner 22:01
Yeah, I've just I don't know another way to say it. Like it wasn't on purpose. Meaning like, I, I always did look at the space and think, I don't know why more people aren't just saying what works like I was I started seeing and I'm like, I'm gonna say it. But I think it's more. It's something that I can for myself, trace back in my whole life. Like if you were to come up to me when I was eight years old, and say, you know, Scott, this is my friend, Jim. And my dad was introducing me to someone and then Jim ended up being an idiot, or an ass or something like that. I would not curtsy to Jim because he was older than me. And then my dad would pull me aside later and say something like, you know, you got to be respectful. He's older than you. And I always thought to myself, like, why does that matter? Right? Like, why? Why? Because he's older than me. Do we have to pretend he's not a dumb ass? Like, like, I don't I don't get that part of it. Right. And so I've just never really felt like, I don't think that I live in a space in my head where you telling me this is as good as it gets? And I just go okay. Yeah, you know, that's great. Yeah, I just feel like what's fight back against it and see how far we can beat this thing back. And around diabetes. You know, I really do kind of believe and I hope, I mean, I guess I should knock on some wood. I hope I never find out. But I don't know if I would have gotten type one. If I would have come to any of these ideas. Or if I would just be another person kind of lost in the sea of average I'm getting by this is okay. Hopefully, like that would have been good luck. You know, I think I think it was because it was for Arden. And I just was like I can't let her live like this, you know? Right.
Unknown Speaker 23:37
Right. Well,
Scott Benner 23:38
anyway, I appreciate you having me down there. That was a really big deal for me. Because, you know, someone said, Look, we have a thing and this guy saying something reasonable. And it was it wasn't easy, right? Like, let's be honest. Like I stand up in front of a group of people. And I say a lot of things to them that they've never heard before. Yeah. So you I can't imagine there wasn't a little bit of hand wringing on your side real like, somebody stand in the back of the room. Make sure he doesn't say something.
Elizabeth Forrest 24:06
Well, I definitely set upfront for your session, because like, I need to hear it. I need to know what's going on. And I loved every minute of it. Great. That first one? Yep.
Scott Benner 24:15
But honestly, had I gone wrong? Was there like a hook on a long pole that was gonna yank me off?
Elizabeth Forrest 24:20
No, I had a lot of faith in you. There was no backup plan.
Scott Benner 24:25
So I get a text one day from you. And it's, I think you're telling me that you're in the parking lot of your endocrinologist office, and you're telling me about your a one c? I'm never going to forget that. Because after we kind of went back and forth real quickly, I'm not good at those conversations. I don't think cuz I'm always like, like, there's a little voice inside of my head that goes Yeah, well, you've just probably Pre-Bolus to get your basil right. And it's not that big of a deal is a good job, you know? And so I feel like I'm bad at those conversations, but it made me smile. I thought it was really terrific. And then you know, When the text conversation feels like it's going to end, but you get one more, and I got this one that said something like, if you remember, you'll tell me, but it was sort of like, never tell my husband that I told you this before.
Elizabeth Forrest 25:11
Yeah, I think so. Because normally I'll leave and I'll tell him and yeah, I told you first, you're the first to hear it
Scott Benner 25:17
really stuck in my head. And first of all, it was it was, it was heartwarming, like, I was like, wow, like, I did, like, here's how it feels like, if you're going on, like I did said, or something, something that led to a person who I know, you know, professionally, to reach out to me personally and say, Hey, I just want to let you know how this is going.
Elizabeth Forrest 25:37
And well, I mean, you know, this is someone with type one, it's just, it's so impactful to have finally found something that makes sense, right. And it wasn't overly complicated and wasn't very involved. But it just it took some a new a new approach to thinking about it. And it made a huge difference in my health, which, obviously, our health affects so many things. But it was just like, I don't even know how to describe it. But the feeling of having had Type One Diabetes for so long at that point, and something new coming in and fixing it. There was just, it was great. And I just was so appreciative that the podcast is out there. The blog is out there. The information is out there. You're out there doing all this and trying to reach as many people because I'm healthier today because of it. I'm healthier today because of our Dan essentially. Yeah,
Scott Benner 26:32
I I try to tell her sometimes, but she's still not old enough to. She's still 16. So she's like, Yeah, tell those people they're welcome. And oh my god. I like when people are like you should bring her to an event. I'm like, Yeah, I don't think so. Like, that's what you're looking for. But really try to imagine my sarcastic like wit inside of a 16 year old girl who's not alive. Yeah, who didn't raise a girl with Type One Diabetes, so she doesn't have any of those soft feelings that I have. So funny. It's um, I'm forever gonna wonder. And I'm going to try to help her as long as I can, obviously, but she grew up in a world where, like, she just doesn't have in her mind. She doesn't have any of the things holding her back that other people who grew up with like, I'm not kidding you. Yesterday Arden's I say the words Arden's period too much on this podcast. But artists definitely premenstrual right now. And she got on her online schooling, she comes downstairs, and she says, I'm not hungry. And I'm like, okay, but I'm very hungry. And I was like, okay, but nothing in the house seems right. And I was like, Oh, god, it's gonna be one of these, like, you know, and I was like, so we're going through everything. And she finally says, here's what I want to do. And I'm like, okay, she goes, I want grapes. a banana. And chicken is like, yeah, and she goes, Yeah, and I'm gonna have chips with it. And I was like, Okay, now, health issues aside, like with this food choices. I never thought, well, she can't eat that. And more importantly, to me, she never thought I can't eat. I can't do that. It never occurred to her. And I guarantee you, she's had diabetes since she was two. If she was 16, and we didn't figure out the things we figured out, she would have those thoughts, and then swallow them. Oh, absolutely. Like, absolutely, yeah, I'm gonna have a banana and grapes and chips and chicken. And then she thinks, no, I have diabetes, I can't do that. And I think that's where the, where some real problems come in, like, Oh, yeah,
Elizabeth Forrest 28:42
I mean, I, I think that I understand it now. And I look at it differently. But for the majority of my life, food was medicine. It was a, it was a tool that I had to use at different times for different reasons. And that leads to a whole other set of issues and topics to or could, I should say, but But yeah, I mean, you know, it's, we talked about this amongst ourselves that touched by type one, that, you know, it's a blessing and a curse to be diagnosed so young, because, you know, with the, with the right family and the right resources and information, by the time you're more aware of what's going on around you, it's kind of second nature, but at the same time, you know, you don't want your kid you don't want yourself to have had Type One Diabetes for that long, or to have it period. So, you know, I can I can remember times without type one, but unfortunately, most of my life is, is with type one.
Scott Benner 29:41
Yeah, I the only time I can feel myself, I'm gonna use the word frustrated, but I don't mean it that way. When feeling frustrated with an interaction between Arden and diabetes and food, is when I see her go, Oh, nevermind. I can't have that right now. I feel like I let her down that she thinks that and we don't like it. We are very obviously not limiting with one sheets. Also, I think I should be clear Arden doesn't have potato chips and bananas and chicken. Like for lunch usually, but it just, you know when those those hormones hit people, and when I say people I think I mean women. It's fascinating. Like she's like, you know, it sounds good and like, that doesn't set okay. Yeah. But But if I see her say like, oh my blood sugar's you know 150 I can't have that. And then I'm like, are no, no, you can just here's what we have to do if she goes no, forget it. That makes me feel sad. And I think it comes out as frustration because I'll stop. And I'll say, look, we can do this. Like, I don't know, like, Alright, your blood sugar got to one. I know that sounds crazy to some people, but like are your blood sugar got the 140. And it's not where we want it to be. But we're gonna make a big Bolus right now, I'm going to crush that 140. And I'm going to use it as a Pre-Bolus. And we're going to go right into the food. And you can do this, like you can be eating this food in 10 minutes. And most of the time, she'll go for it, but it's when she says no, I don't want to wait. That I'll say, well, then don't wait. Let's just do it, then. Like I like I would rather her blood sugar be higher than for her to have that thought.
Elizabeth Forrest 31:10
Sure. Yeah. That's, that's the best way to approach it.
Scott Benner 31:14
It just makes sense to me. I can't believe that. I even have common sense. But around this I actually, actually. So what are you trying to do with touch by type one? Like, what's its goal? Because when I do like, Listen, I know it's no secret anybody's listening. You buy ads on the podcast, I think after I was down there, the first or second time, you reached out to me and said, I want to find out if I can get an ad on the podcast. And I was excited. I tell people all the time, I genuinely mean it. There are a number of advertisers on the podcast, I feel 1,000,000% comfortable standing behind every one of them, whether they're a device and what they do, or if they're, you know, a medication and how they work or an organization and what it does. But I have a hard time telling people what because I'm always just like, just go check it out, you'll see like, they're helping people find out. But what would you you know, what's the longer idea of what touched by type one is,
Elizabeth Forrest 32:12
so it really is connecting with people that need us. And that's what it comes down to at its core. We've all found through our different experiences, that different programs or services or resources weren't available at different times or for specific people. And so we just want to eliminate all that all that and, and get the information out to those that need it or that wanted, I should say. And if if we can connect with one more child or one more adult that was just diagnosed with diabetes, and give them the tools and resources so they can independently thrive with diabetes we did. We did everything we could have ever imagined. And so it's really just connecting with people so they can have a good experience. So they don't have to think their Type One Diabetes diagnosis is going to limit them from anything. And I it's how I've lived my life is I don't let Type One Diabetes get in the way. It's it's a huge part of who I am. And it's led me to a lot of interesting experiences and people, but it does not stop me from anything. And I want that for everyone. I want everyone to go after whatever it is they want. I like
Scott Benner 33:22
it. It's not when you talk about it, it doesn't feel like a corporate pamphlet. I don't know, I don't know. Just like we're gonna do good things for people who have type one diabetes.
Elizabeth Forrest 33:33
Yeah. And we're we're, we evolve every day. I mean, it's, we have such a great group of people that are connected and, and part of different committees and on our board. And we always talk about Okay, what more can we do? Like I said before, but what's what's not happening in our community? Or who are we not connecting with? And how do we do that? And what information is missing? And we're constantly listening to people in our communities to find those answers out. And all of our programs are because of that, because we were listening to what other people needed, right? Because we all have our own experiences and have different needs. But that doesn't mean those are the same for everyone else, either. So we are constantly evolving and changing to make sure that we're providing what people want. Because if they don't need what we're offering, or what are we doing?
Scott Benner 34:26
Yeah. And if and if I don't offer the thing that they want, I hope they can find it somewhere else. I have to say I've, I've taken that. So I started a Facebook page at the behest of people listening. So I always had like a public page where I'd just be like, there's an episode out or you know, that kind of stuff. But I'm not very social media focused. To me, the podcast is is the thing. And so enough people asked for a private group so that they could find other listeners to talk to and I just thought like, okay, like, What do I care, you know, like I was like I'm making for you. So I built this private group and You know, a builder takes 20 minutes, and you put it together. And I think it's been up, and not for a year even. And there's like, almost 10,000 people in it. And they're just all helping each other. And at first, it made me uncomfortable at first I was like, Oh, no, like, am I? Like, I'm not really sponsoring this. But like, what if somebody says something in here, I don't think is right. But so many people who listen to the show came into it, that it just, it's fascinating how quickly they come to a consensus together, they don't fight. It's it. And I never imagined how valuable it was going to be. And some days I watch it, do things that I know, I don't accomplish with the podcast. And that just made me feel like, wow, like, Look, the podcast made this thing, we've brought these people together, and these people are solving problems for each other. I could not I'm only one person, like I could never have done all this. It's very cool to watch it. Grow. I that's there's a better world,
Elizabeth Forrest 36:03
you you created a community. And and that's what people need. And that's what people want, when they want to kind of take charge and see a better outcome. And one of our board members is always talking about how you know if I could change my daughter's diagnosis to never happening? Sure, absolutely, I would. But look at this great community that we've been a part of, because because of it, it's kind of the silver lining. And so I see see that Facebook page as your silver lining as well. And one of many, but creating a community is so impactful on so many people one that they want. Yeah,
Scott Benner 36:41
yeah, it's so difficult when you're driving the bus to see everything that's going on in the bus like and saying, I can look over my shoulder sometimes and think like, that's really good. But I don't have enough time to, like really dissect it and look at it. I just think it's running well. And that's great. And let it go. I have to be honest, it's something about bringing enough like minded people together on a subject is why it runs smoothly. Because, you know, sometimes there's stuff that flares up in the world that's political or social or something. And you can see for a split second, these people don't have a lot else in common besides this diabetes thing. But look at how they get together on the diabetes thing. Very cool.
Unknown Speaker 37:27
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
Scott Benner 37:29
Yeah, I just I love it. And you're doing it in a it's funny that, you know, I used to think when I very first started, like doing an ad, I always thought like, well, I'm doing an ad for an organization. It's a local organization in Florida. And then the last time we were together, you told me like, I'm starting to, like you started to hear from people outside of your area. And
Elizabeth Forrest 37:52
oh, yeah, we have with with some of our programs, we reach people beyond Central Florida. And so we have people that are connected to us now and have been for a while all across the country. And we connect with people more so in the past year, mostly because of COVID. internationally. Now, I mean, I don't, I don't want to dive, unless there's time to dive too much into some of our programs. But the one I will say is our D box program is a free kit to those recently diagnosed, has a ton of information has material samples, products and programs that we believe in wholeheartedly, that are productive and living with Type One Diabetes, but we offer this program for free to anyone that wants one and and we've been able to reach so many people that way and get them this information that they might not have been able to get without this program. And last year 2020 we distributed about 2000 boxes across the country and had so many requests internationally. But you know, we're a we're a relatively small nonprofit organization and to provide something for free right now. We can't do it internationally as well. But we're we're working on something that we'll be able to reach across the globe Pretty soon, which is pretty exciting. So excellent.
Scott Benner 39:14
No, I it's just really, to me, it's it's a it's uplifting, and I will never forget the first time I was at your thing, and there were kids dancing in another room. I'm like I slipped in there for a second. So like I go in, and I realized that I have no connection to dance. I can't dance. First of all, I'm and my children don't dance. I've never been around it. And I walked in. It's a completely new experience for me. And these kids were just they were joyous. Like they had so much life in their face and they were having such a good time and the people who were directing them and helping them. Were having such a great time. And then I really looked at I was like, man, all these kids have diabetes. Like this is really cool. You know? It just really felt great. So I know there are tons of people who love dance. And so I'm like when they you guys have to see their program like I would imagine if you're a dance person, this is just the craziest thing that I started seeing video over the years. I was like, this thing's amazing, like, I
Unknown Speaker 40:15
think so.
Scott Benner 40:16
Like Elizabeth pull this all together from like her house when she was like nine or something like
Elizabeth Forrest 40:22
it has evolved that is for sure. It is not the first show. Our most recent show is far from the first show that was in my parents driveway.
Scott Benner 40:31
It's come a long way. You know, it's funny, as you told the story, I was like, she's not getting to the part where it happened in their driveway.
Elizabeth Forrest 40:38
I always forget to mention it. I don't know why. But I guess I imagine I relate the first show with being in the theater. And so even the first show that was in the theater is drastically different than what it is today. But But yeah, I mean, this show literally did start on my driveway, my my dance class came over to my house, we warmed up, surrounding my swimming pool in the backyard. And when all of the family and friends that were in the front yard lined along our very long driveway with like a grill going face painters, it was this very interesting little event we put together. But my I remember my dance class, warming up by the pool, and then walking from the backyard to the front. And we performed two or three dances on the driveway for everyone that was there is like entertainment. And and that is what led to the idea, along with having produced to show through the school of let's call it dancing for diabetes and put on a show. But yeah, it started on my driveway. It's so crazy to think back to that time.
Unknown Speaker 41:46
You remember how much money you raised that day?
Elizabeth Forrest 41:49
I think we raised like, maybe $1,000 maybe we had we had things like you had to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar. I mean, it was it was so different than everything we do now. But it's really cool that it started that way.
Scott Benner 42:04
Yeah, I would say so. I mean, like last time, we were all together. I thought like this is like this is like walking through Disney World. There were a lot of like, there's just a lot of people there. And there were people coming from distances. And yeah, I have to say like I do a fair amount of speaking things. And that's the thing that like always shocks me is that when somebody says they traveled a distance to get there, I just think wow, like that's how desirous they are of like camaraderie community help, whatever it is they're looking for. It's so valuable, and at the same time unavailable to them that they that they can make a day travel a distance, you know, spend the night in a hotel, sometimes I've seen people do
Elizabeth Forrest 42:45
yeah, I mean, not not 2020. But in 2019, we learned of a family that had traveled from Connecticut, to come to Florida, in Orlando, to to attend our show downtown Orlando in a theater. And I want to say they heard it on the podcast. And maybe I'm just connecting the Northeast with class, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure the connection was there. And that was that like blew my mind that they traveled that far. And then in 2020, when we basically when I made the decision to still ensure dancing for diabetes would continue but do it safely. Through a virtual show, we had people able to tune in again for free from anywhere in the world. And we had people viewing from 22 different countries and until we reached more people and watching our show production than we ever have. And that was really cool. And you know, it's another positive that came out of 2020. But it was incredible to me that so many people got to see the show, which is a baby of mine to an extent, and that we reach so many more people than we ever have. And that was just really cool.
Scott Benner 44:02
It's just the greatest thing. I did an online thing last year for like a small group is like 30 people. But they were all in Japan. And I was just like, I'm like, how is this happening? Like, I don't know that people would understand completely but I didn't start a podcast and go you know, what I'll do is I'll start a podcast about my ideas around type one diabetes, and soon it'll just be listened to all over the world. Like you don't think that's going to happen, you know, and I interviewed a woman recently he is living in Israel. Oh geez, I just didn't I just interviewed a woman from Iran recently. Australia, New Zealand like those like the obvious places like, I can't believe how big the podcast is in England, and stuff like that. And when that happens to me, like there's a moment where you're just like, Oh, it's working and that like the the business part of it feels good. But then you really stop and think that these people like who are living a life similar to yours. My daughter's there everywhere. And you know, you're still only reaching the ones that can be reached like there are plenty of places in the world that people have Type One Diabetes right now. And they don't have internet access, or they don't have a cell phone to listen to this with or the time or again, how would they even find out about, you know, about touched by type one? Or about a podcast or something like that, right? I just Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 45:22
no, I am,
Unknown Speaker 45:23
I
Elizabeth Forrest 45:24
can tell you with 100% certainty that when I was a middle school student, I never imagined having that show, whether it was on my driveway or the school, that it would ever evolve to anything near as close to what we have today. And I always tell people, if you have an idea, you know, as little as it might seem, because that seems really small to me at the time. Do it, try it? If it works, it works. If it doesn't, you tried, and you never know where it's gonna go. But yeah, I definitely understand your thought of never imagining how big it would grow. I can definitely relate.
Scott Benner 46:01
What is it like, personally for a second, like taking the organization out of it and everything? Does it feed you in a certain way?
Elizabeth Forrest 46:09
Oh, absolutely. It is. It's kind of, it's a hobby for me at this point. It's fun, it inspires me because I get to see whether it's daily or on a monthly basis how productive and impactful it is. And it just it really just brings me so much joy, to know that we're doing something so good, despite something so awful. So yeah, it touches me personally, all the time, when I take a step back and reflect on everything.
Scott Benner 46:39
Yeah, I can't imagine it wouldn't. I mean, I can tell you that at the beginning of the episode, where you said that you felt like what you learned on the podcast, like led to a healthy pregnancy? I don't that that makes me feel like I always like it makes me uncomfortable. And then so I joke about it. And I'll be like, you should have named your baby after me. But that's really just to deflect from the fact that I have a lot of emotions around it. And I I don't even know how to respond to something like that. You know, but what what do you end up having a little boy, right?
Elizabeth Forrest 47:09
Yes, we have a little boy, he is just about five months old now. So it's been quite an experience and journey so far, a wonderful one. But when I could have never really fully prepared for
Scott Benner 47:22
what would my name have had to have been for me to get a baby named after me? Because my name is things. That's the problem, right? Like, no, it's
Elizabeth Forrest 47:31
not a bad name at all. And I mean, this is going to sound like an excuse. But we did name our son after my husband, his father, who's also named after his father. So he's a third. So we were kind of keeping it in the family that makes you feel bad. I
Unknown Speaker 47:47
mean,
Scott Benner 47:48
you know, maybe I got a note from somebody recently that said, we're not going to name our baby after you. But I think they're going to name their pet after like, my last name, but I was like, I'm totally taking that.
Elizabeth Forrest 48:01
That's nice. I mean, pets are part of the family. So that's a big deal, at least to me,
Scott Benner 48:05
I honestly was thrilled. I was like, this is a major accomplishment for me. Someone's dog is named with my last name. I was like, I've winning, dammit. But now it's just so it described to people a little bit like you've had diabetes for a good long time you had it? Where are you? Like you said, you were doing just Okay, you've had it where you were doing better? And you've had it where you're doing better, and you're pregnant? What's it like to go from? Like those? those segments? I guess? Like, what's it like living at? Okay, first of all, what's the downside?
Elizabeth Forrest 48:38
You know, it's, it's kind of, for me, it was I felt like I was in a rut. And I felt like, I couldn't see the light to get out of just being okay. And in every other aspect of my life, I'm not someone that just settles for. Okay, so that was really frustrating for me. But I will say that, getting out of it and finding resources and a way to make myself better. I feel like that was almost like a reset button, and kind of a new chapter in my diabetes life. And one, there was a point years ago, someone asked me the question, does diabetes get easier with time? And I said, No. And I said that, throughout my life, like everyone's life, we were constantly evolving and changing and growing. But there are things that happen in our lives that force us to change and to grow for, for better or for worse. And, you know, when you're a teenager, and you have to learn how to drive a car, and then you go off to college, you're dating, you're interviewing for jobs, I mean, diabetes has a play and all that. And so learning those things are new and challenging, but then throw diabetes into it. And that's a whole other layer of a new challenge. And so diabetes Constantly part of the mix. And so that's why I say no, it doesn't get easier. You might learn some things along the way. But then there's more to learn in life itself.
Scott Benner 50:10
I found for me that it didn't, it doesn't get easier, but I got so much better at it, that there are times when it can feel easy. And I'll take Yeah, you know,
Elizabeth Forrest 50:20
definitely I agree with that,
Scott Benner 50:21
I'll take that as a win. Like, I it's always gonna be a grind, right? Like, it's always gonna be the same stuff over and over again. And there are definitely days where you're just like, oh my god, like, How could my infusion set have gone bad? Like right here? Like, like, right, you know, like, I'm looking at art. And I'm like, now like, not now like, Oh, my God, all right, like, but you don't say those things out loud anymore. And eventually you don't feel them. You just see the you know, oh, the pods out of insulin, let's change it. And you do it. And you're right back to it again, and you just go back to life. It doesn't, it doesn't take a big chunk out. But I'll tell you, the IRS prior like a long time ago, just something like a you know, a pump change, or something like that. You're just it felt dreadful, like ah, and I and I don't feel like that anymore. And I don't think Arden does either. And it's not because she got accustomed to it. I think it's because we chose to think about it differently.
Elizabeth Forrest 51:18
Definitely, you know, and I was just going to say, I don't know if it's the same for you. But my kind of thought process on it all has been that, you know, diabetes throws curveballs. And you can do the same thing one day, and it's different than next. But those moments where I have to wake up in the middle of the night and change my sight because something's not working. Or today, my salad spiked my blood sugar to this amount, those sort of moments where you have to rethink the next move. Even though everything up to that point has worked. I feel like I've been able to apply those sort of lessons and thoughts in my non diabetes life, if one exists, if one could exist. But whether it's work or back when I was in school, it's it kind of teaches you an interesting life skill of adapting. And I always try to find those sorts of tools and lessons when I'm especially working with the kids with diabetes in our dance program is, you know, this is awful. This is horrible. I wish I didn't have diabetes. I wish you didn't either. But we have it. So what can we do in a positive approach to live better with it? And, and part of that is your mentality and thinking, Okay, this bad thing just happened? Well, how can I make it better? And I just I think it's been an interesting approach for me coupled with that your tools of living better?
Scott Benner 52:39
I have to say that, at one point, I'm always kind of evolving how I think about it. And at one point, if you said to me, like, Scott, I only have a couple of seconds. Like, what's the secret here? I would tell you got to get your basil, right? You have to learn your Pre-Bolus time, you have to understand the impacts of different foods. And I used to stop at that. And now there's a fourth thing, and I think it's that you have to remain flexible. Yes, absolutely. It's it. There's an agility that's mental, that you You just have to embrace. And it has to be that dammit, a salad has never made my blood sugar go up before but this time it did. So stop thinking about the salad. Now start thinking about the number How do I fix it without causing a low do that thing? Move forward? Exactly right. Just like that not not stand around for three hours going? This doesn't make any sense. My blood sugar shouldn't be high. This has never happened with salad before. Oh my God, is this going to be a thing that happens with salad now? Like you can't like you can't fall down that rabbit hole. Because the truth is the next salad you eat, it's probably not going to happen that way.
Unknown Speaker 53:43
And so exactly,
Scott Benner 53:45
right. Right. And and if Listen, if you want to try to dig into why one salad in six months, major blood sugar pop up, I'm sure you could figure it out eventually. But in the moment that is not valuable for you it is it is absolutely the opposite of valuable. it's maddening. And so you know, stay flexible. It's get your basil, right? figure out, you know, the lead time your insulin needs to work, and it's going to be different from one meal to the next, you know, to the next. And then you know, learn the difference between 10 carbs of rice and 10 carbs of watermelon and etc, etc. And then stay flexible. Because when we started really talking about variables, like when, so when I made the pro tip series, I started up I got Jenny side privately and I was like, Jenny, listen, like I want to take these ideas I talked about on the podcast, I was like I make them a little less scattershot. The way I talk through them. Like I think they should live somewhere in the road episodes. Could you come on and like, like be my equilibrium a little bit so I don't get carried away talking? And she's like, sure. And then she started getting involved. And I was like, Oh my god, she's like, brilliant at this. Like this is fantastic. And so at one point, I was like, Is there anything I'm not talking about that you think I should and she's like Well, I'm glad you asked and Gina and she gave me a couple of ideas. So some of the pro tip episodes are our journey building on to the pro tips as well. And the one thing she said is like, we have to talk about variables for people. Because some people will, you know, you see it online, sometimes they'll make this list of things that you know how people like to be like, like, Oh, my diabetes is just easy, I count my carbs. And I do this except if this happens, and then they make this long list of things. And the inference is that there are so many variables, I couldn't possibly know them all. And that's true. But I think like, what's the next part of that sentence? And I think is, so you don't really need to know them all. You need to know what to do when they pop up. Exactly. Right. And you need to know like this, like, quick, you don't want to have to sit around for an hour rain, you know, figuring it out.
Unknown Speaker 55:48
Yeah, you know,
Scott Benner 55:50
you said something earlier that I wanted to loop back to for a second if I can, you are a go getter, like you are not a sit still person. And you know, I think that, you know, you said earlier, you're an attorney and you run a nonprofit, like, this is obviously not a person who's, you know, who's just happy to like, sit around for a whole Saturday afternoon watching the sun. So I really want to ask, like when your blood sugar wasn't doing what you wanted it to do? Like, how does that impact you personally, when that's your personality?
Elizabeth Forrest 56:22
Well, let me say this first. I'm not an attorney, I am the Chief Operating Officer, I run the firm. I've been at this company almost 10 years. So I manage attorneys, but I'm not one. And a lot of people think I am because of my position. So I just want to clarify that. But to go back to the question. So. And the question is just because I lost my train of thought on
Scott Benner 56:44
when you're a person who does what you do, right? So and you're a person who is very driven inside? And and and you still have results and things like that when
Unknown Speaker 56:55
you're
Scott Benner 56:56
putting that kind of effort into diabetes and not getting those results back. How does that impact you psychologically? I
Elizabeth Forrest 57:01
guess? Yeah. So I would say how it affects me now is definitely different than how it affected me 678 years ago, so 100% it's frustrating, because I am absolutely someone that goes after something gets it done, I have goals, we're going to reach it. Whatever needs to happen, we're going to find a way to get to that. So when you use that same thought process for diabetes, which will do whatever it feels like doing, I remember one one comment my endo asked me years and years ago, I have a great relationship with Him been seeing him a long time. But he asked me one time, you know why your blood sugar is so high. And my immediate response without thinking was I have diabetes of type one diabetes. That's why they're so high and it does whatever it feels like. And he laughed. But my, my thought process and now is that I just keep trying something else. So I'm frustrated. But if my blood sugar's high, then I'm going to give myself another little bit of insulin, I'm going to go grab a water, I'm going to set a timer to look and see in 510 20 minutes, has it come down at all? Or I'm going to look at my site. Is that okay? Did I eat something weird today? I mean, these thoughts are constantly going through my mind of what can I do next, if this doesn't work? And and so I find myself being less and less frustrated, because I kind of have the tools in my toolbox now that I never did before. of, Okay, this didn't work, well, maybe this will and eventually it works. And if it doesn't, the next day comes along. And it's a whole whole other set of challenges with diabetes. But I think that I just I looked at my toolbox a lot. Yeah,
Scott Benner 58:51
I that's terrific. It really is I use you just were talking about like setting a timer and looking back in 10 minutes or so. There's so much of I did this I made a Bolus here. I know what I want to happen and what I expect to happen. If that doesn't happen. It's not happening. So I have to do it again.
Unknown Speaker 59:10
Right. You know, I
Scott Benner 59:11
have to I have to re address it. I know people be like, Oh, well you're stacking insulin. And I always say like, you know, it's not stacking if you need it. That's bolusing you know, like there's a difference. There's a difference. It's a theoretical, like you have to really kind of pick through it like you can't just keep giving yourself insulin over and over again because it will jump on you at one point yeah,
Elizabeth Forrest 59:30
of course do the wrong well one thing that I think scares a lot of people a definitely scared me and something I quickly got over and listening to your podcast is if if you can fix it with a juice box or Gatorade in my case or a fruit snack, do it. What's the worst that's gonna happen? It's gonna drop really low, but I'm monitoring it. I'm not ignoring the fact that I've diabetes. So if I can fix it with something nearby, I'm going to keep giving myself a little bit more insulin with certain amount of time in between, because because I can't and so that when I understood that concept, I definitely saw a little bit more results to have of not being scared of below. I was always terrified of lows I still am, I don't want to get low in the middle the night and not realize it. But knowing that you don't have to be all the time is really empowering. And then I will just say because I know that a lot of times even listening to the podcast and listening to other speakers, sometimes it could sound like the other person knows exactly what they're doing. I right now my blood sugar is is high. I'm 171 Today has been so challenging. I couldn't tell you why. But I have right now my agency is about 5.7 when I was in a few weeks ago, so not every day is perfect. But most of the time, I'm in a certain range. And so I think that's really important for other people to hear. Because when people are doing well, they don't necessarily talk about what's not working or what's bad or that because people want to see the good, but it's really important to know that you don't have to be perfect to be better at diabetes.
Scott Benner 1:01:13
I try to tell people all the time that at least twice a day Arden's blood sugar will make it to 160 sometimes 180 or something like that. And her a one C is still in the mid fives consistently. Yeah, the difference is the little pieces like you've been talking about for you know, throughout the whole hour. It's it's not like just going Oh, my blood sugar's 180. And then not thinking about it again. It's Oh, it's 180 I'll bring it back down. You know, not that I wonder blood sugar, it'll be 180. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that if it should happen, you can't just go Okay, well, diabetes, and then walk away and leave it there,
Unknown Speaker 1:01:45
you got to do something, you have to do
Scott Benner 1:01:46
something about it. It's just it's a it's not a difficult concept. But there's something about the way standardized diabetes education is has been built over the years. That makes it feel like oh, it went up, it'll come back eventually. And I used to think, well, maybe it's different now. Because, you know, glucose sensing technology, like, you know, Dexcom, and stuff like that. But now I wonder more if it wasn't the just in the past, because that stuff didn't exist. And the idea was, well, if he's has too much, you're gonna burn yourself out. So don't test too much. Just test. Count your carbs, give yourself in some wait three hours check again, correct that if it's high, you know, if that whole thing didn't just come from the idea of, you can't, the concept of Well, you can't really control it anyway. So you might as well not burden yourself with it. You know what I mean? And if somehow that doesn't end up morphing into the direction that people get current day, that really isn't as valuable anymore. So I don't know. Like, I just think that at every one of these events, you know, I go to I eventually will meet one family whose kids blood sugar is just insane. It's like over 400 most of the day, and you talk to the parent, and they just they don't they don't understand why. And I don't see how, as long as that exists in the world, anywhere. I don't see how you and me and anybody else who has a voice that's valuable. wouldn't try as hard as they can to reach a bunch of people. Absolutely.
Elizabeth Forrest 1:03:22
That's exactly what we're all doing. Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:03:25
So So watch this, you're gonna be very impressed. It's not written down anywhere. Watch this. If you'd like to do something great for people living with Type One Diabetes, you should check out touched by type one.org and find them on Instagram, and Facebook. I was that it's not bad. Awesome. I can do that in my sleep. Elizabeth. Just
Unknown Speaker 1:03:45
that's so cool. I wouldn't. I wouldn't. I wouldn't be surprised if Kelly wakes me up one day and goes oh my god, fine. I'll go to touch by type on.org Leave me alone.
Unknown Speaker 1:03:54
Fantastic. I
Scott Benner 1:03:54
really appreciate you doing this. How can you have listened for the past hour and not love Elizabeth the way I do? It's not possible. So now follow through good at touched by type one.org and figure out what's going on over there. See if you can get involved. If you can get help. Or if you can help touched by type one.org. And thanks so much to you guys for listening, for sharing the show for leaving the great reviews for helping out so much in the private Facebook group for all the things you do to support the podcast. You have my sincere thanks. We'll be back very soon with another episode. If you wait until after these ads, I'll tell you who the guest is going to be.
A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors g Vogue glucagon, find out more about chivo hypo Penn at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash Use box, you spell that GVOKEGL Uc ag o n.com forward slash juice box. Go find out about the blood glucose meter that Arden's using that I find to be the most accurate that we've ever seen. Contour Next one.com forward slash juice box. Don't forget to look into the test strip savings program. Find out if you're eligible for a free meter. do all the things that that website offers. It's going to be good for you. Okay, thank you for listening to the two ads. Next episode Jenny's back, Jenny's back, back from space. Yeah, she's
Unknown Speaker 1:05:50
back. Back again. Jenny's back journeys back journeys back journeys back
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#453 How We Eat: Low Carb
Type 1 Diabetes, Low Carb eating
Susan has type 1 diabetes and lives a Low Carb lifestyle.
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or 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 friends and welcome to Episode 453 of the Juicebox Podcast.
Hey, I've got a treat for you today. It's another in the how we eat episodes. So going back to Episode 373 was called how we eat vegan cat. Number 400 how we eat carnivore diet with Dr. Paul Saladino. Episode 405 was how we eat plant based Episode 439 how we eat gluten free and today how to eat low carb with Susan Susan as Type One Diabetes and a real passion for low carb eating. This episode is going to outline all of that for you, and much much more.
Please remember while you're listening that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin.
This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the dexcom g6 continuous glucose monitor and you can find out more about the glucose monitor that my daughter has been wearing for the geez forever. She's 17 she started wearing it when my God let me look real quick Hold on. Okay, I'm back that's a lot of googling and searching on my own site but Arden got her first Dexcom on June Fourth 2010 which means that Today is March 15 2001 Arden has been wearing a dexcom continuous glucose monitor for 11 years. Find out more at dexcom.com/juicebox you will not be sorry. Keeping up with the theme from today I look to see that Arden's first Omni pod was delivered on February 2 2009. To our house by FedEx, I have a little thing here that says the FedEx driver just delivered Arden's first supply of Omni pods today. Arden is very excited facial begin her trial period. And then over the next 45 days, we'll make ourselves comfortable with the pump and then do a live sailing test blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. There's a lot that happened back then. February 2 2009 to march 2021. So plus 10 1922 an ardent has been working on the pod for 12 years, you can get a free, no obligation demo of the Omni pod sent directly to you now or find out if you're eligible for a free 30 day trial. like think about that you can either get like one pod to trial on to see if you like it, where you can get 30 days of the dash to actually use for free. Are you kidding me? You should check that out properly to find out if you're eligible for that 30 day trial. Or just get yourself a free no obligation demo at my Omnipod.com/juicebox there are links to all the sponsors in the show notes of your podcast player. We're at Juicebox podcast.com. When you click the links you're supporting the show.
Susan Keuter 3:39
My name is Susan Keuter, cuter than my sister.
Unknown Speaker 3:44
That's how people remember my name. Do you believe
Unknown Speaker 3:46
that? That's how she introduces herself as well?
Susan Keuter 3:48
Absolutely not. Not and she rolls her eyes and she'll hear this and she'll call me she'll say you have to stop saying that. And I live in Arizona, where it is currently 63 degrees to all you winter folks. And I I'm a rock star mom and me, me and wife and a substitute teacher and county advocate and a political badass and type one diabetic for 37 years.
Scott Benner 4:22
Wow. Okay, and we are going to talk extensively about how you eat. Yes, but before we do, I think it's possible that you and I need to make sure we understand our relationship. So here's how I here's how it would not come to a surprise you I would imagine to learn that I don't really know everybody who's on the Facebook page or listens to the podcast or anything like that. Right I do my best to pay attention. And I do start to like the you know, the people's little pictures like I start to recognize them or names or something like that.
Unknown Speaker 4:58
And then they change them right yeah, no, but You.
Scott Benner 5:00
So I know you backwards. And I'll tell you how, like, I first know you as a person who came into the Facebook group, the private one, and was just doing and is doing an amazing job of sharing how you eat with people. Okay, really. And so I'm like, I'm paint Oh, please, it's my pleasure. I'm thrilled you're doing it there. And you don't eat in. You know, you're not eating like a standard American diet, and you do a very good job of talking about it without making people feel badly about it and all this stuff. Oh, I've always been really thrilled with how you do it. And then one day, I'm looking at that little picture and I'm like, happy Damn, that looks like the lady I met in Arizona one. Right. So I am. So I like I kind of blow the picture up a little bit. And then I'm trying to remember so for people who don't go to things to speak, and I'm no like, you know, I do it a little, but I'm not. It's not like I'm out there doing it every day. Era, Arizona was a specific situation for me, because I needed to get back to be at my son's first ever college baseball game. Right. So I got I did some talking in a couple of different rooms that day. And after the last one, they told me like, you know, get down off the stage. You can stand here for a minute and collect yourself and then we're taking you to the airport. Yeah. And so I'm a little disheveled. Like, I'm not gonna lie to you. Like I'd only been in Arizona for probably 24 hours. At that point. I was already heading back to the airport to leave again. It was a long flight. And I get kind of pulled out of a room. And there you are.
Unknown Speaker 6:33
Okay, wait, but I didn't pull you out. No, no, someone
Scott Benner 6:35
else pulled me out. Okay, thank you clear Susan did not like me.
Susan Keuter 6:40
I was not trying to kidnap you or not at all.
Scott Benner 6:43
I believe Vicki was like leading me out.
Unknown Speaker 6:45
Vicki, our mutual friend,
Scott Benner 6:47
right. And Vicki has been on the show and done a terrific job on the show a couple of times. And so she's I'm just being whisked away. Like I'm just, I'm a rag doll. Like, take me wrong going get me to the airport. And we get out there. And I don't remember the conversation like word for word. And I was really beat up. I remember being told that you eat low carb, and that you might not like me. And that's really all I knew.
Susan Keuter 7:13
And and, and I would say that that is an accurate memory.
Scott Benner 7:18
Good. Good. So I like so we're clear. But now you know me differently. Do you like me now?
Susan Keuter 7:24
I'd like you better have That's excellent. Okay,
Scott Benner 7:27
great. This is gonna be fun. So you have, I would say you hold fairly closely guarded feelings about carbs and people with type one. Is that right? I do. Why don't you tell me about it?
Susan Keuter 7:44
Well, I've been diabetic since I was a freshman in college. I was diagnosed and now y'all know how old I am. Okay, so I was diagnosed, when my parents were living 1400 miles away from me. I was in a town where my college was go big red. And I sat on an exam table in a student health. And he said, You're type one diabetic. And I said, Okay, I have a math midterm in three hours, can you just like, give me a shot? Or give me the RX? And let me go? And he's like, Oh, no, no, no, no. So the next day, I had to come back and meet with like, an endocrinologist who I think was the visiting endocrinologist at student health. And he was old, white haired, and I'm sure had been practicing very successfully in my small town of for lots of years. But he looked at me and he said, there's a cure 10 years down the road. And I'm like, sweet, I can wait that long. And he said, but the cure is not going to be for everybody. He said, The cure is going to be for the healthiest, best controlled and most willing to do what it takes. And I'm like, I can do that too. I mean, I'm a Cornhusker. And I'm a freshman living alone. I can do this. Just tell me what to do. Yeah. And he said, eat lots of meat. You know, protein. And I don't even think he called the protein back then. But he said, stay away from cookies and cakes and pop, which is what we call it in Nebraska. And fruit, and grains. He said they're horrible for diabetics. And I'm like, okay, I can do that. I mean, I'll eat a pork chop and a hamburger. That's fine. I can do that. He said, No potatoes, no starches, and I'm like, Oh, wait, hang on. It's just changed.
Scott Benner 9:47
What about a big potato? What do you say? No,
Susan Keuter 9:50
no, what about a baked potato? And he said, you can have it he says because you're going to be taking insulin, he said, but it's going to be easier. If you avoid those foods.
Scott Benner 9:59
Okay? And this is
Susan Keuter 10:01
okay. And then he ended it with. And I say this today, because yesterday was the inauguration and he said, you can have cake. The day you get married, and you can have champagne. The day a woman is elected to the White House.
Scott Benner 10:19
He was trying to tell you not to drink I think,
Susan Keuter 10:21
well, maybe. But what college person drinks champagne?
Scott Benner 10:27
Yeah. And that was 37 years ago. Yes. Okay. Yes, I'm 11 for borrow one. Borrow another one. Hello. I'm doing some quick math here. 11 keeps on 678 910 oh my god dammit. Eight 910 819 84. Yes, yes. I use the pen for that. Just, I think.
Susan Keuter 10:51
Yeah, so, um, so that made sense to me. Now, I left that doctor's appointment. I mean, he also told me some horrible things. He said, You're really young. He said, and your parents live far away. He said, you probably should go home at the end of this year and just assume that you're going to stay there because college is going to be very hard. And no one's going to want to marry a diabetic. So you're not going to be married. He said you should go home, move back to Florida, and focus on taking care of your parents the rest of their lives.
Scott Benner 11:26
Wait, you said 1984 1954? Exactly. Wow.
Susan Keuter 11:31
So you was he was very old. He I mean, he was geriatric endocrinology. I understand. He was a little white haired man. And, and I was like, well, screw that man. I am the first person to take on a challenge. In any group, you ask everybody, I will raise my hand first. And I'm like, I'll prove him wrong. And he said, you're probably never gonna have kids, which is another reason no one's gonna ever want to marry you. And he said, work will be very difficult. So career choice, you're really looking at just more jobs than careers. And this is this is to an 18 year old who's sitting away from her parents in a tissue paper gown on an exam table.
Scott Benner 12:19
Yeah, horrified.
Susan Keuter 12:21
Well, and I left and I had to drive home to my dorm. And I'm like, Well, that was that was kind of a crappy way to end my day.
Unknown Speaker 12:32
Did you believe him?
Susan Keuter 12:34
For a moment I did. But then, my grandfather was type one diabetic, as was his mother. Um, so the first person I call after my parents is my grandmother who lived in Nebraska where I was going to college. My grandmother did. And I called her and I'm like, I'm, I'm type one, just like your husband wants. I never knew my grandfather. He died when my father was three. So I said, so I said, I'm type one, just like if she was distraught and hot. And I mean, all the emotions. But he, he did great things in his life. And this was a lot of years ago. He was born in 1919. And died in 1945, or 46. But he was an Olympic track athlete. He went to medical school, he was a successful ob gyn in his town. He was, you know, he, and she's like, if anybody can do it, Susan, you can.
Scott Benner 13:37
Now you're getting some better advice. At least that's excellent.
Susan Keuter 13:40
And so why my grandmother was terrified, and she felt guilty. And it was, you know, all the emotions, like I said, she gave she built on what the doctor said in the first half of our visit, which is, if you want that cure that's coming down in 10 years, because we know it's common. We just didn't know when to start the clock for the 10 years. He said, it's only going to be for the best of the best. It is He says, he talked about complications. And he's like, they are not going to waste a cure on somebody who's got complications, and I'm not editorializing here about complications and cures and all kinds of guys. That's what he told me as a teenager, right? Right. Now I understand. No, I so I raised my hand and I'm like, Listen here, dude, the line forms behind me. And I'm sitting here on the floor in my closet with my hand in the air, just so you know,
Scott Benner 14:32
in case we have to bring this up in court ever.
Susan Keuter 14:37
So, so I took that and now, two days later, I had to go to a diabetic class at a hospital in our town and I was the I was the youngest person by probably 30 years in the room and I was the most close to my normal healthy weight. And I was the only type one so That was my way of saying I was in a group of morbidly obese type two diabetics who already had gross complications, amassed.
Scott Benner 15:10
And that's where they stuck you for your learning.
Susan Keuter 15:11
And that's where they stuck me.
Scott Benner 15:12
Yeah. Because there was,
Susan Keuter 15:15
right. So they're talking about breakfast of oatmeal and orange juice and half a banana and an English muffin with margarine on it. And I'm like, Well, that doesn't sound anything like what he told me two days ago. And she says, Oh, no, you're type one. She says, I don't teach type ones. And I'm like, Oh, okay. So I kind of left, they're gone. I'm on my own. But I remembered what the doctor said. And I've remembered it for 30 some years. Now, have I always followed it? No. Because let's face it, I was a teenager in college,
Unknown Speaker 15:53
right?
Susan Keuter 15:56
But I did a lot of self experimenting. And you know, we as diabetics are a living science experiment every hour, or every day or every week. And I knew that if I just had a double hamburger and ask the lunch ladies in my in my dorm, to to leave the barn off and just give me extra pickles and extra cheese. I had a much better afternoon.
Scott Benner 16:24
And what was the insulin you use? back then? It was was it regular and empty? It was right.
Susan Keuter 16:28
It was it was regular and NPH. But I think I even started I was looking trying to look it up last night. I think it was Len Tae l e n t
Scott Benner 16:39
and no meter, right? Like no portable meter.
Susan Keuter 16:42
Oh, no. And actually, I left the doctor's office with the little cups and sticks in the tablets for your urine and everything. And then my mother flew up the next week to be with me. And that week, we got a phone call while she was there saying you can now buy a home meter. But it
Unknown Speaker 17:03
was something that you had
Susan Keuter 17:04
only tested my urine for a couple of days ago. Um, but I had a meter and it was $600. And I picked it up at the Walgreens on Oh Street. I'll never forget walking in there. Okay.
Scott Benner 17:15
So I have to tell you, yes, you were diagnosed. My best memory four or five years prior to my friend, Mike, who if you listen to the podcast, you know, passed away about a year or so ago. And as horrifying as I find what you went through, and I do based on the technology back then in the insulin back then I imagine that you are in the condition you're in today. Because that person said those things to you and I hate to prognosticate. But if somebody would have scared my friend Mike like that, I think he might be alive still.
Unknown Speaker 17:47
So yeah, right.
Susan Keuter 17:49
I would I would absolutely agree. And I and I mean, this doctor in my memory is very love hate. I mean, yeah, he talked about amputated feet and blindness, and no children and no husband and, and blackened fingers and all of that. But he also gave me the best advice
Scott Benner 18:10
that was available, then.
Unknown Speaker 18:12
That was available, then
Scott Benner 18:13
yeah, it's hard not to. If you're listening, it's hard. Maybe for you not to feel emotional about that, that the harshness of the advice, but you have to remember the timing of it. The timing of it is no no fast acting insulin, no meters that you can just check with constantly to see what your blood sugar is. this was this was somebody trying to tell you like, Look, we are going to approximate insulin in your body. And the fewer carbs you take in the easier this is going to go. Right. Gotcha. Yeah, I mean, and you are. I mean, we don't have to guess right? 37 you're probably in college. You're probably about 58 right in there. Did I do it that I hit it right on the head?
Unknown Speaker 18:52
Oh, no.
Scott Benner 18:55
Are you laughing because I picked the number that's much higher or much never mid
Unknown Speaker 18:57
50s? mid 50s. Okay, yeah.
Scott Benner 19:01
So you were in high school when you were five? I understand. I was. But no, but but my point is, you've lived a very long time. So So I guess I guess we can all understand that as a as a teenager you weren't perfect about it. But kind of skip ahead a little bit to where it became just a normal thing for you just this is how I
Susan Keuter 19:24
mean low carbon general
Scott Benner 19:25
carbon generally when would you say that you just settled into it and this was just your play?
Susan Keuter 19:30
Well, I I was very much settled into it. And I mean, we didn't call it low carb than it was back when do we were doing starches and exchanges and all that BS. We didn't call it low carb. I just knew that if I indulged on Italian night at the dining hall, I didn't sleep because I was hot and sweaty and had headache and my mouth hurt. I did better if I enjoy On ribeye night,
Scott Benner 20:02
I think it's great. I think it's great for people to hear that that was the thought process for you. It wasn't that, you know, I tested a bunch and I saw these numbers, I chased them around and all the things that people feel now when their blood sugar goes up, and they have this technology to see things, that it was just really if I eat Italian night, I'm gonna feel sick later and be sweaty and not feel good.
Susan Keuter 20:23
Right. Right. And, and I was a student in college, on top of living living by myself, which meant not you know, it had you got to get yourself up and you got to get yourself over to the dining hall and Damn it, you got to get to class. Yeah, right, whether you want to or not. And, and that's easier to do if you feel better. Right? That's easier to do if you sleep
Unknown Speaker 20:44
well, right.
Susan Keuter 20:46
And so that doesn't mean that I didn't go to the movie theaters and eat popcorn at the time. And that doesn't mean that I didn't have hotdogs at Memorial Stadium. But when I could, and when I told my doctors at the time that I was doing this, they're like, Why? Why are you doing this?
Scott Benner 21:06
Oh, man yelled at me when I was wearing a paper dress.
Susan Keuter 21:09
Exactly. But I but but it came down more to it. I'm kind of a wimp. And I'm lazy. And I don't like feeling bad. And I like it to be easier.
Scott Benner 21:23
And if this just did, listen, I have to be completely honest with you. I don't subscribe to a way of eating, you know. And I nobody in my family does either. And I don't have any trouble in the world with how people eat. This is why I've been doing these conversations. I think it's also why it's fairly unique that online on in Facebook, that you operate completely well inside of a Facebook group where people are there to learn how to use insulin, so they can eat carbs, like whatever whatever they want.
Susan Keuter 21:54
Well, I will tell you, Scott, that I'm when when I don't know when I hit 65, I'm probably going to publish a book from all the nasty messages.
Scott Benner 22:04
But But yeah, but I'm certain that people are, are initially shocked because you probably feel to them like that doctor felt to you. Although I have to be honest with you, I think I think you do a very good job of talking about I have seen other people talk about it. And if you were like them, I would have asked you not to do it. But and you're not I just I think you're a very, you're a mirror, you're like, Look, this is how I eat, here's the food, here's how I make it, these are my results. And that's to me is just a smart idea for everyone to understand. I'm not saying anybody should be I try to say this in every one of these episodes, I don't care if you don't eat chicken, or if you don't eat fish, or if you're a vegetarian, or you don't eat, none of that matters to me, I don't imagine that even if I knew the perfect way to eat, like, let's pretend for a second there was one. And it worked for everybody. I couldn't even imagine how to make everyone believe that. So it's always been my idea that however you eat, I'm just hopeful that you understand how insulin works. So you have a real chance at it.
Susan Keuter 23:07
And I think that's why I like you more than I did two years ago at that February type one summit. Because I've I've listened to more of your podcast and I've picked up on that. You You really do want the best for people using achieved through proper use of insight.
Scott Benner 23:25
Yeah, however much that means whether you use five units a day or whatever, and I
Susan Keuter 23:29
appreciate that. Thank you.
I do however, also subscribe to the fact that insulin is one of the most dangerous injectable liquids we have.
Scott Benner 23:40
Or you definitely hurt yourself with it. Yeah.
Susan Keuter 23:43
And that's what scares me. And I know we're not you know, we are supposed to hate it when people say oh, how much basil? Is your five year old using? or How much? Because you can't we need what we need. I get that and I say it all the time. Don't look at my bezels look at your basil and make sure yours are dialed in. Yeah, don't look at my Bolus. But it does it there are times that I'm taking a break at school and I refresh my Facebook page and I see somebody who's put up a picture of their PDM or they're t slim and they've got six and a half units on board and a temporary Basal right dialed in, and I get nauseous.
Scott Benner 24:22
But so I want to know why though. And if you don't know that's fine if it's just a guttural reaction. But is there something that happened or was like what put you into that mindset? Because I genuinely believe that somebody who is diagnosed today who finds the podcast comes on has the technology to see everything will probably never feel that way. But you do and I'd love to know why. Not because
Susan Keuter 24:50
it will but it just comes back to the food. Because if you don't eat if you don't eat the huge amount of carbs, right Some people are sharing that their kiddos eat when you don't need those huge doses, and that's where the danger comes in.
Scott Benner 25:09
Do you expect that that's how people eat every day?
Susan Keuter 25:14
I don't know. I mean, when? No, I mean, do they eat the the waffles in the cream cheese and the maple syrup and the orange juice? No, I don't. I mean, Lord, I was a mother for a lot of years. Well, mate, I'm still a mother, but they don't eat breakfast for my kids for lots of years. And I didn't cook like that every single day before school. Right? But you know, like the cereal. I mean, seriously, there is very little redeeming nutritional value in any bowl of cereal.
Scott Benner 25:43
Yeah, it's terrible for you. It's 100% terrible for you, right? And
Susan Keuter 25:47
people work so hard to try and figure out how to keep their kids so that they can eat it.
Scott Benner 25:55
So that's not how I see what they're doing. And let me see if I can give you my perspective. Okay, I think that in a 16 week football season, they're trying to go 14 and two, right? That's what they're shooting for. And when they beat the Texans, or some other team, that's an easy win. They don't get in line and tell anybody about it. But when they take down Tom Brady, then they throw up a picture on social media. They're like, yeah, look, what we did. We beat Brady, I beat Aaron Rodgers this week, I think they show the real big wins. And I think that the skills that they get beating Brady, are then put into play in the weeks when they play the Texans. So if you can crush a waffle, and not cause any kind of a spike, imagine how well they're doing on the days when they're having, you know, a BLT, I have a BLT and a little bit of a salad or, you know, avocado toast or something like that these things, then are no trouble for them at all. They just show up, put their pads on and run these things over with no trouble. So I mean, I don't bother sharing when I you know, keep a line flat, that's 20 carbs in a meal. Because that's just, that's just easy at this point. Right? You know what I mean? Like, that's how I see now. And I want to expound and say,
Susan Keuter 27:17
Well, wait, wait, I want to interrupt you. I'm sorry. Don't be sorry.
So you said a meal with 20 grams of carbs. And you kept a straight line, or a level. And I hate that I hate it when we talk about flat lines. Because seriously, that's death to me. But so what if you ate that way all the time? And And what if I could share with you my amazing waffle recipe that fits into that category?
Scott Benner 27:46
No, I think that for anybody who wants to do that, that's terrific. What I'm saying is I go back to I don't know that I could impact everyone in the world to do that. And it's my expectation that more often than not, even though it's completely unredeemed calories, and I agree with you, a box cereal is what some people are going to eat. And if someone if someone doesn't teach them how to use insulin for that cereal, they're still going to eat the cereal. And then they're going to struggle with their health. in in in multipliers of ways. My idea is, I can't teach everybody how to eat. I can't, but I can share what I found that works for managing those things. If those are things are what you choose to eat, I think the problem becomes is that from, from our perspective, similar to yours, and I don't think you but from my perspective, similar viewers, it's easy to see like, oh, that guy, he's pushing eating poorly. Or he he wants you to use a ton of insulin. I don't, I don't none of that matters to me. I don't care what you eat. I'm just saying I'm just saying everyone's gonna eat a different way. They at least deserve to understand how the insulin works.
Susan Keuter 28:55
And and I would say that the education you do, teaching about basil testing is vital when the capital V for diabetic success and diabetic control, even though I don't like that phrase either control. It's vital. So you teach about that. And you teach about Pre-Bolus seen and you teach about extended Bolus and I think and it is important because Lord knows that the medical culture, endocrinology, diabetic dieticians, diabetologists, whatever the heck that is. They are lacking grossly.
Scott Benner 29:43
I believe that the general the general teaching is begins with an idea of these people don't have a working pancreas, their blood sugars are just going to spike. And then then it becomes the idea of like, Well, you know, we just don't want to go to Hi are we don't want to stay high too long. To me, it seems like showing up at the game and saying, oh, we're definitely going to lose. And I don't think that you have to have type one diabetes, eat carbs, and have poor health outcomes. Lately, you know what I mean. And it's not to say that I don't disagree with anything that you're saying, I think it's completely obvious that if you eat fewer carbs, managing Type One Diabetes is incredibly easier. Like it just it just is there's there's there can be no way around that I've never tried to make the point that it wasn't. Right. But But and to hold two things up at the same time that are now two years apart from each other. If I come in there and try to have this more thoughtful conversation, when I'm going to show up and speak at a jdrf event, for example, there are 500 people there who I'm not going to get the message to that. There is a way to put insulin in the way of carbs and create less spikes and fewer lows. Yes. So if you don't want
Susan Keuter 30:58
to turn off a lot of people, especially the mamas who are sitting there,
Scott Benner 31:02
yeah, because they don't want their kids lives to change. And and that's even reasonable. So so it's a weird thing, because I have to come in like a ninja, say enough, that makes you believe that there's a way to use insulin correctly. And enough to make you believe that there's information out there, whether it's my information or someone else's that you can go find that might lead you down this path. And I have to get out and be reasonable. And if I start with, don't get me wrong, if you eat absolutely no carbs, this will be easier. Not only will it maybe turn some people off, but maybe it'll just give them the idea that well then that's not possible. And while I think you live very happily eating the way you eat, there are some people eat that way and are tortured by it. And so I just want people to have options, that's all.
Susan Keuter 31:45
No, and options are good. And and do I occasionally make a decision that goes against my normal day to day life? Absolutely.
Scott Benner 31:57
What's absolutely that's this isn't
Susan Keuter 32:00
one of very few and far between. But what is it? Like? What
Scott Benner 32:03
is the thing that just makes you all screw it? I mean,
Susan Keuter 32:06
most recently, it was a margarita out at a restaurant.
Unknown Speaker 32:10
Yeah, that sounds right.
Susan Keuter 32:13
And it was just it was like, you know what I said? I said, I'm not supposed to say, I'm not supposed to drop an F bomb. My husband said that before I walked into the closet, don't drop an F bomb. I can said to heck with it. I said I'm having a margarita. Right. And I was probably halfway through. And dex was going off. And I'm like, this is not going to end well. And he's like we're leaving. Because cuz I know how this goes. He says then you just beat yourself up the whole night. And our whole evening out is ruined. And and he says so let's just go just put the Margarita down and let's go home.
Scott Benner 32:46
But if I was with you while you were having dinner, I think I could have Bolus for the Margarita.
Susan Keuter 32:51
And and, and I did I mean, I tried to Yeah. The problem is, is that and I don't see it as a problem. It the problem with people that say and I talked to them all the time. Well, we eat really low carb on the weekend. But then once we get back to school, he he you know Katie bar the door. And that's hard.
Unknown Speaker 33:15
Much harder, well, around,
Scott Benner 33:18
you're so so much different. So what because because your settings are so much different. If you're eating low carb for a number of days, you're Basal you lower your ratios for meals or lower, then all of a sudden you shift back you don't see it coming, you're not ready with the settings then everything jumps up on you.
Susan Keuter 33:32
Right. And so even though I ordered what my restaurant where we were in what's called the skinny carb, I mean a skinny Margarita. I you know, I looked it up online and I bolused and I waited until it came and blah, blah, blah. It I still was just off the charts.
Scott Benner 33:48
Yeah. My chart. Can you Yeah, I was gonna say can you give perspective for that? How many carbs were in it? And where did your blood sugar get through? That was a lie.
Susan Keuter 33:55
I Bolus for 32 carbs. And I my alarm start going off at 120 I mean, I was watching it. So I knew it was going up but but I was I was diagonal arrow up at 120. And I think I topped out at 160 I had a temporary Bolus I was I was walking I you know doing everything I could to get it down and I got it turned around real quickly. Yeah. Um, but but I don't feel good. It's and that's the other thing is I I'm very sensitive because I'm so keyed into my range.
Unknown Speaker 34:32
Sure. I'm,
Susan Keuter 34:35
literally if I wake up in the middle of the night, and I feel hot. I know it's because my blood sugar's over 110
Scott Benner 34:42
No, no, I believe that I have to be honest. I mean, for me, 145 is the top of where I would want Arden to be after a meal. And I'm not one of those people who tries to keep an incredibly flatline I just think that you know I want to CGM. I've seen the natural kind of Rise and Fall of my own blood sugar and I Over 145 is where I start thinking like I messed this up somehow. And Right, right, and I tried to bring it back in what I'm saying is using the Margarita as an example, your basal rates are set up for a person who eats low carb, and then you tried to just Bolus for something that was liquid sugar.
Susan Keuter 35:18
Absolutely. No it was on like I said, I'm it was a it was a bad day.
Scott Benner 35:22
But but had you an hour before that jacked your Basal up a little bit and been like, okay, Mama gonna live like this now for a little while, then I think your Bolus works better and you don't get into the 160s is my point.
Susan Keuter 35:32
Yes. And probably but I mean, it was this was the spur of the moment decision, of course, of course. And so and i basil test about every other month, where I fast from dinner on Monday to breakfast on Wednesday. Okay, and so I turn off basil IQ, and I let it ride. Just so I show my basil for how I eat and how I live and my activity level and my job and all of that I my bezels are set perfectly for me.
Scott Benner 36:03
Can I ask a question? Is there anything about the podcast that's valuable to you in a low carb life? Like, have you are you employing anything in your life that you've gotten from me or this podcast?
Susan Keuter 36:14
I love listening to people's stories. I don't I use the T sun. And I only use basil IQ. I don't use the control IQ. I'm only two and a half years into my Dexcom. So I mean, I don't I don't need tips on my pumps, or Dexcom or anything like that. I love the connection to people because I love hearing stories because we all have different stories me to
Scott Benner 36:46
know I'm glad I really am. And and I hope that I'm sure I haven't so far, but because we're halfway through, I'm just gonna say it out loud. I hope you I hope you just remain happy. I hope everybody's happy. Like I'm not over here thinking like, Oh, I'd like to dangle a pizza under this person. So like, I don't think that way. I'm just
Susan Keuter 37:03
and the thing is, is you could like seriously if that I I'm not one of those people that because this is how I eat. I can't have Doritos in the house. Right? And I can't order I mean, my husband when we order pizza we order from a place that has a keto crust, and I order that one and he orders the double pepperoni, New York style. And that's how it goes. Yeah.
Scott Benner 37:25
Oh, it
Susan Keuter 37:26
doesn't bother. I mean, I I make sugar cookies every Christmas for dozens and dozens of people. And I don't have one. I can do that. I realize that not everybody can.
Scott Benner 37:38
Yeah, no. I mean, I get 100%. Right. People's level of resolve around food. Yeah, yeah. And how much of it? Do you I would characterize this as probably being true, but you have so I would imagine little sugar in your system, that you're not getting hit with that, that kind of more and more drug related like the like they What do they say like, more addictive than some drugs? Right. And so, and I I've had that happen as well. And by the way, I'm a proponent of every once in a while just going I'm not going to eat for a day or so. And just you know, just stopping for a while. You know, I made handmade pizza this week. Yeah. And I knew like and they're just little like you know 230 gram balls of dough and it's it's cold fermented and made out of, you know, better flour digests very easily. I watched it not really impact anybody's blood sugar too terribly at all was terrific. But at the same time, I think Bob and I make pizza eat pizza, have some leftover pizza and then probably on the third day Scott's probably not going to eat on the third day, you know, like, or I'll be five pounds heavier when I wake up the following week, so I just I
Susan Keuter 38:50
do I'm a big proponent of of fasting. Intermittent fasting overnight fasting basil testing fasting. I know you can't do it with kiddos. I totally understand that. But there's there's I personally believe that being in a fasted state is it has some definite benefits. Yeah. Energy burst. I can. I'm like the Energizer, Energizer Bunny, because you're running on on ketones. And that's a good thing.
Scott Benner 39:19
Right now I take you know, as a person who doesn't have diabetes, I take very seriously the idea that a number of generations back and not that long ago, people didn't get to eat every few hours. Every day. Yeah, exactly. They stayed alive just fine. So yeah, I believe in that as well. Can I ask about um, before I really dig into how you like what you cook and how you doing everything, which I'm going to add in a second. hormones, periods when you're low carb. Is that still difficult?
Susan Keuter 39:50
I will tell you that. I was diagnosed freshman year in college. I have been menstruating since high school. I have never noticed a change to my insulin needs. My blood sugar's because of my hormones.
Scott Benner 40:11
Okay, but you've only you've only had a
Susan Keuter 40:14
I only have worn a CGM for two and a half years right now I wasn't a 12 to 15 finger pokes a day for years and years and years. But I really never noticed that.
Scott Benner 40:29
How were your a onesies during that time? Would you mind share? Back in the day kids, they call that a cliffhanger. But unlike when I was a child, and you had to wait all summer, to see who shot Jr. I'm going to get back to Susan in just a couple of moments. All right, like this is simple. You go to my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box, you have a couple of options when you get there. One is super simple, you get yourself a free, no obligation demo pod sent to the house. This is an insulin pump from Omni pod that is not functioning but you get to wear it, you get to sleep in it, and shower with it and do whatever else you're going to do with it. To see what it would be like to wear an omni pod. From there you can make a decision about trying more is one option you have there at my omnipod.com forward slash juicebox. Another would be to find out if you're eligible for a free 30 day trial of the Omni pod dash. What I know what you're saying? I could use it for 30 days for free with insulin it you might be able to you could be eligible, go find out my omnipod.com forward slash juice box. Now why would you do this tubeless. There's no tubing within the pod think of an insulin pump in your head. You think of this controller that's attached to a bunch of tubing that gets stuck to an infusion set. And then you've got to connect the controller to like your belt. I mean, if even wear a belt I saw I've seen some ladies have to clip it on their bras. They're hiding everywhere. But if you get a shower with a tube, it's on top. I mean people take showers every day, right? Well, you have to disconnect your tube insulin pump from your insulin, but not with the Omni pod that on the pod gets right in the shower with you. Like a little shower buddy. The matter of fact I don't know why they don't call it shower, buddy. I mean, I guess cuz Some people think beds, or so that's probably bad marketing on the pods better. Anyway, my on the pod.com forward slash juice box, check out the possibilities. See if you want that free, no obligation demo sent to your house, maybe you're gonna get that 30 day free trial period of the Omni pod dash. The possibilities are limitless. Go find out my Omni pod.com forward slash a juice box. Now you're gonna want to dexcom continuous glucose monitor to you just do I know you're sitting there thinking like I don't want to be a robot. I don't want my Alright, I here. But try it dexcom.com forward slash juice box. Why do I say this? Not because I want stuff hanging off you. But because the data that comes back from the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor is unparalleled. Because the safety that the alarms affords you is amazing. And because you can share your data or your child's data with up to 10 followers, if you want to imagine that a spouse, a school nurse, a well meaning person at the Public Library, whoever you want to give your data to you can they can maybe I don't know I've heard people on the show say oh my father has it in case I get too low. It gives me a call if I don't answer, blah, blah, blah. Like there's a million different ways. But this data is crazy exciting. Because you get to see how your blood sugars react to insulin to carbs to stress to life, and then make adjustments that benefit you dexcom.com forward slash juicebox go get go get it just are you arguing with yourself right now? You're in your head like I think I'm right. I think the guy on the podcast has talked me into it, but I don't just try. It's amazing. It is life changing. Get your Dexcom get your on the pod and then get back to Susan. No, wait. You don't have to pause it. Just do it after the show. I guess. There's links in the show notes. There's links at Juicebox Podcast comm when you click on my links, you're supporting the show you're helping to keep it free. I appreciate it. If you do just that.
Susan Keuter 44:37
My first agency that I knowingly took was in 1990 when I got married and moved to Arizona and went to the Mayo Clinic for the first time in my agency was 6.2. Well, that's very, very first time and they ran it again because the endocrinologist who was the head of indicado ology at the time said, Oh, that That can't be right. And then two appointments later I asked him if I could ever get pregnant. I said, because I've always been told I couldn't get pregnant. He's like, Oh, you can definitely get pregnant. And he said, but I'm going to want your agency lower. And I said, Okay, what number and he said, 5.5.
Unknown Speaker 45:23
And I'm like, Okay,
Scott Benner 45:24
well, so what did you do there? You use more insulin, or you ate fewer carbs?
Susan Keuter 45:30
I probably Yeah. Just, I mean, I that was the same year I started using human log.
Scott Benner 45:36
I was gonna say, when does the when does the fast tracking insulin common?
Susan Keuter 45:39
Yeah. So 1990 brand new doctor, big old fancy Mayo Clinic, new husband, new puppy, new state. And I'm like, hey, let's try a new insulin. And so that was probably my biggest experience into kind of unbridled carbohydrate intake. Because what did they preach? All the insulin work so fast, you can eat anything. It's going to take it, it's going to, you know, whip it into submission. And I'm like, okay, but wait, you also want my agency lower. Right? You just gave me this faster acting insulin.
Scott Benner 46:22
So it was kind of confusing, and a perspective issue too, because every medical person you talk to every one of their experiences has been with regular and mph, and they were like, this stuff is magical. This is jet fuel compared to that, not compared to how quickly carbs hit you.
Susan Keuter 46:36
Right. Right. So, um, so I, I, that was probably 19/91 couple years of marriage was probably my biggest excursion into standard American diet. Okay. And I'm sure my I'm sure my agency got above seven.
Unknown Speaker 47:00
You I'm sure it did.
Scott Benner 47:01
We were thinking the National Guideline back then. I don't even know what it was. But if it was in the eights, I wouldn't be surprised. Yeah, right. Um, it's only seven now. Right? or seven? What? I think the ADA just moved it again. I was surprised at how high
Susan Keuter 47:14
yesterday to under seven for children. And that's the first time they've done that. Yeah, yeah.
Scott Benner 47:20
And I stood up and clapped. Yeah, that's great. People don't realize it's funny when I, when I'm telling people about the T one D exchange, I'm like, you know, they got you know, guidelines lowered for bah, bah, bah, I know people here that don't think that's a big deal. But it is a big deal. Because those guidelines are what the doctors take to learn how to think. As crazy as that sounds like they're like, Oh, I'm supposed to be telling them this now. And then they do. I wish everyone
Susan Keuter 47:45
and my and my doctor rolls my eyes. And I know that she has she's type one herself. And she has to cover her own ass in her medical notes, and my chart. And so sometimes the message I get from her face to face is different than the message that's in an email or written down in my chart. And I get that. It bothers me that an organization that takes money from a lot of insulin makers is setting the standard setting the guidelines, setting the rules, so to speak.
Scott Benner 48:22
You know what, though? You would think if they wanted you to use more insulin, they tell you to keep hearing.
Unknown Speaker 48:26
Like, well, but they they've so weird, conglomeration,
Scott Benner 48:31
I'm not I'm not disagreeing with you. Yeah. I, I have definitely been in situations where the words coming out of someone's mouth. weren't the words being written down on the piece of paper at the
Susan Keuter 48:41
same? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. And I and yeah, that was the one drawback to tell them it is. I'm like if these are being recorded, she's obviously saying she's pointing her finger at me and chastising me. And I'm going What happened?
Scott Benner 48:56
Susan, this is far too low. And she's writing looking up at you and mouthing,
Susan Keuter 49:01
exactly. Anything. And of course, to all of my friends. I say she's just jealous.
Scott Benner 49:08
So, um, let me let me you have always come off to me as a reasonable person. And very reasonable.
Susan Keuter 49:15
Don't ask my children. But yes,
Scott Benner 49:16
I want to be sure to them. You're a lunatic. But that's not what I'm saying. If I could magic wand, and make you in college today, and you were sitting at a table, not with a guy who told you, hey, you're only a baby machine and your baby machines busted. So you're no good. If that wasn't your world, if you came in today, and you met a doctor, and that doctor said to you, Hey, I'm gonna put a glucose monitor on him and give some insulin it works pretty quickly. What I need you to do is use your insulin in a way where you know the actually the insulin impacts the carbs as they're trying to impact your blood sugar. If you do that, I think you can keep your agency in the fives, neat, whatever you want. You think you'd be a different person 37 years from now.
Susan Keuter 50:01
Um, I, the problem is, is that it's not that cut and dry. Okay? Why? Because we know that it's not just carbs and insulin. We know that it's not. If I can just look at a label of chips ahoy and see that two cookies is 28 grams and inject three and a half units and be fine. It would it would work. But it depends, or breakfast did I have? What's my stress level today? What's the weather outside? How did I sleep last night? How much insulin do I already have on board? How much longer? Is it going to be till I eat next time? Do I have a headache? Is my husband irritating me? Do I have to go to work tonight?
There's so many variables. Right, right.
And so it is not just a one plus two equals 300%. It's all those subscripts and superscripts. And powers and integers that I don't understand. Let me ask is that that goes into the equation?
Scott Benner 51:06
Of course no, 1,000,000%? It does? Have you listened through the pro tip series all of them?
Susan Keuter 51:12
At least not all of them? No.
Scott Benner 51:14
Because I would say that to the best of my ability. I have covered all of that. And I realized that everyone's brains not going to work the way mine does. And me just saying to people you have to stay flexible, might end up meaning something different to them. That does to me. But But Susan, if I could show you the correspondence that comes to me privately, I think you would agree that a majority of the people who want to understand how to do it and try to find a way to stay fluid through all those variables, those people do end up figuring it out.
Susan Keuter 51:51
And that makes me so
Unknown Speaker 51:53
happy too.
Susan Keuter 51:54
It truly does. Because ultimately, I don't care how your daughter eats. I don't care how all those people that comment on my fat head dough cinnamon rolls, pictures, I don't care
Unknown Speaker 52:07
how they look really good.
Susan Keuter 52:08
But if they are, but if they want to try something, and if they subscribe, and I say this a lot and I say it half jokingly and my daughter rolls her eyes loudly at me when I say I'm grumpy. I'm old, and I'm lazy.
Scott Benner 52:23
Well listen, I understand you that this podcast exists because of my laziness. And the thing that you just said, because I can't just look at two cookies and say it says 28 put in 28 that's definitely going to work. I just stopped counting carbs altogether. I just started thinking to myself, two of these cookies is going to impact you know, three units. And I stopped thinking about the carbs. And I started thinking about impacts and learning, you know, from repetition and practice and stuff like that. I honestly believe that's the only sane way to get through a life where you have type one and you're giving insulin for carbohydrates. Because if you try to stick to the math of it, it's gonna occurs. Tell your husband I did it's gonna be every time. Yeah,
Susan Keuter 53:07
yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, see, now you open the floodgates there, it's on.
Scott Benner 53:10
I'll just, I'll just edit it out. That's fine. Although I let me say sidebar. I got a note yesterday from a woman who was very concerned that I joked about cursing with a young kid that I was interviewing and I had to, I had to email her back and say, I just need you to know that the boy, I talked to him afterwards, and I made sure you understood. Plus, his parents are very happy with how it went so or, but she was reaching out the defendant. And so I thought that was really lovely.
Susan Keuter 53:36
Um, it was lovely. And very few things are underrated more than a well placed f bomb. I've always told my children that. But no, it's if carb counting was an exact science. It would be great. Yeah. My son in law has a disease called PKU. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 54:03
I don't know if you know what that means.
Scott Benner 54:04
I will was I'm googling and you're talking.
Susan Keuter 54:06
But it means it's it's what our newborn babies their heel prick with the little round bandaid on their heel in the delivery room is so with that blood tests tests. And he cannot eat naturally occurring protein of any kind.
Unknown Speaker 54:20
Okay. Well, I
Susan Keuter 54:21
mean, I mean, he's allowed to limit a hard limit, like, you know, 10 grams of protein a day or as he aged, it got different or you know, whatever.
Unknown Speaker 54:33
And
Susan Keuter 54:35
the repercussions of that disease can be immense.
Scott Benner 54:41
I'm seeing that. Oh, yeah.
Susan Keuter 54:42
And, and so when when I'm with my kids in Nebraska, my daughter and son in law in David and I make a great pair because he eats all the carbs and I had all the protein and we're just great. Like, jack sprat could eat no fat His wife could eat no lean. But um, he has a new drug that is just been approved. And now all of a sudden, he's being allowed to eat protein naturally occurring. I mean chicken and beef, and now is his formula. And there are times that I look at and, and he grew up in a household. He had siblings, and parents and grandparents and cousins and friends. And they all ate chicken and steak and hotdogs and cheese and butter and eggs. He couldn't. He survived. He's just fine. He's a very well adjusted healthy, adult male, right? And the reason the reason I like bringing that up is because people are so quick, so quick to say, I can eat anything I want. Of course you can. Of course you can. If your mouth opens, you can eat anything, you damn well, please.
Scott Benner 56:03
And that feeling of like, I want to be normal. I want my kid to have a normal experience. Right?
Susan Keuter 56:07
But But who's defining normal and see, that's where I get it. I just, oh, it's a good thing that Facebook does not have like live feeds, because I read these things. And it's like, kid first diabetes second. Well, but here's the problem. Diabetes does come first.
Scott Benner 56:29
It's tough thing to ignore. That's for certain, but I would say that the person that's defining normal, is them. And then I would say that going from there using social media, I think. So I've, you know, I've been at this quite some time. And I can tell you that one thing that I know for certain is that, like a snake shedding its skin, the people on social media around type one diabetes, or a lot of things are there not long lived in the space, and you mostly catch newer diagnosed people are struggling people, right, that those end up being the people. So I need help, right? want help? I don't know what's going on. And so the messaging or the questions that you hear from them are very repetitive, and they're very specific to that time of diagnosis. So I've tried to imagine what happens to them when they leave. So imagine you show up online and you're like, Listen, you don't know anything about nutrition and you're eating a bowl Lucky Charms every morning for your whole life, right? It's just how it's always been. My blood sugar is going to 400 staying there for six hours, blah, blah, blah. Imagine if they were were met them by a person who said if you stop eating Lucky Charms, it'll be okay. Well, they're like, I don't know what else to eat. This is what I eat. I To me, it's akin to, you know, when Katrina came, and they gave people a heads up and they said, Look, get out of here, you're gonna die in a flood. And some people didn't leave, they did not leave because they didn't want to die in a flood, they didn't leave because they're, they've been living in a place where generationally, they didn't have an opportunity to own a car, maybe or something like that. They just couldn't leave or couldn't imagine leaving or whatever. So if you just give people the stop eating cereal, that I imagine won't work for most people. And those people will disappear, they won't get good information, and they'll eat the cereal the rest of their lives and have a one season attends, and no developed eating disorders and complications. And they'll be a written off statistic. Whereas I've come to look at the space as a place where you get you get an opportunity, in a very short time to put people into a different path. And then what they do with it after that I don't feel responsible towards nor do I think
Susan Keuter 58:49
I would agree with that. Yeah. And so that's why I say thank you for not kicking me off the Facebook group.
Scott Benner 58:55
No, that's why I like you there. See, I'm confused by people. Listen, I'm confused why people feel like they need to argue I don't understand tribalism. I'm not good at I'm on this team. And you're on that team. I don't understand why people even think that way. I don't care why they do. What I when I see you what I see is a person who eats low carb has had diabetes for a very long time has been very successful with it, and is willing to share it with other people. And if if, and that to me is terrific. And yeah,
Susan Keuter 59:28
that's, that's really that's my motivation. It's an Oh, I get the Oh, I mean, I don't even talk about ranges and an A onesies anymore because you're bragging you're just bragging you're just showing off. That's impossible. That's that's not natural. That's not normal, like okay, well, it is normal and it is natural, and
Scott Benner 59:48
I think it's easier. Um, you've been talking to people who are newly diagnosed and have bumped into other people who are newly diagnosed who are saying reactionary things because of the emotion No state that they're in in the moment. And I think it's happened to you so many times, that it just feels like that's how it is. what I'm telling you is imagine those people, nine months from now, when they've learned to Bolus for Lucky Charms, and heard the message that maybe Lucky Charms isn't good for them. Yes, you don't I mean, and I don't I'm not trust me, I'm not on you in any way. I think what you do is really great. And you're on hearing, I tried to make the point the other day, a person thought I didn't respect their opinion. I was like, why you wouldn't be on the podcast? If I didn't? What do you think I just have to have people on here? I was like, I've got I've got choices. You know, it's, I think that what you're doing inside of my facebook group is one of the most aspirational things I've seen happen online around diabetes in a really long time. We literally have the Hatfields and McCoys sleeping in the same bed. And not only are they having sex, but they're happy. And yeah, yeah. And I think that's amazing. I wish there'd be a pescatarian that would come in and start talking about how they I don't even know what that means. Is that a religion? Or somebody that doesn't?
Unknown Speaker 1:01:03
I don't know. I think it's a it's a faith. Yeah, I think
Scott Benner 1:01:10
it's hilarious. I just think that that's an uncommon thing. And I also believe that that Facebook group is working like that, because people are coming through the podcast, with a level of understanding already. So they're not. They they're all kind of similarly focused. And so they get along a little bit. I mean, try to imagine I don't, I want to be genuine. And I tell you that I don't poke around other people's Facebook pages. I don't listen to other people's podcasts. I don't know what other people are doing. But I can imagine that if there was a very popular, low carb Facebook page, and I just showed up one day and said, if you don't mind, I'm going to very politely talk about how you can use insulin and eat higher carb foods here, that I would be immediately ushered out the door.
Susan Keuter 1:02:01
Well, it would depend fate, Facebook page, or Facebook group, or things if you came to my Facebook page and said that I would be like, Yeah, well, it's not always a good decision to have boatloads of insulin on board. If you were in a group where there could be a conversation, like we do in your juice box group, right? I'd let you talk. I'd let you talk in mind. But I don't have a group I have a page. I just don't think most people what
Scott Benner 1:02:25
I think and take it away from food or diabetes for a second. I think if I showed up on a on a Mopar place where they were talking about dodge motors, and I just you're constantly talking about how great I thought Ford motors were, I think they'd be like, that's not the place for this get out. I did it that way,
Susan Keuter 1:02:42
you can also understand, I've been doing this a lot of years. A lot of years. I mean, I even though I was a teenager, like I seriously don't have, I have a hard time remembering what it was like to not be checking blood sugar or thinking about what was coming food wise, or activity wise, even though I was a teenager, but I have been doing it for a long time. And I'm good at it. And I'm not ashamed to say that I'm good at it. I have zero complications. I have normal aylan C's I have normal eyesight. I've you know all my fingers and toes. I'm pretty dang healthy. I crushed cancer two years ago, my endo said I'm going to make all of my breast cancer diabetic patients eat low carb, because you did amazingly well.
Scott Benner 1:03:33
That's cool.
Susan Keuter 1:03:35
I did all that. I do it well. But ultimately, ultimately, what I want is everybody, especially our youngest members of this damn exclusive club, to have normal blood sugars. That's what I want. So if people have figured out a way, using your tips, using your advice, adjusting, testing, all that kind of stuff, ultimately, that's what I want. period because that means health, right? That means health. And when that cure comes in 10 years, and the people that made the cure are standing around the corner, handed it out, and they're gonna want the healthiest and the most adaptable to a new routine, etc, etc. The line frickin stand starts behind me. But I do believe with every fiber of my six foot tall height, that
Unknown Speaker 1:04:43
eating lower carb
Susan Keuter 1:04:46
is just easier. I can say better. I believe it's easier. And that's why I do it.
Scott Benner 1:04:53
Now I don't see how it wouldn't be you're eating fewer carbs. You're using less insulin. When you use less insulin. You have fewer lows and more stability. small
Susan Keuter 1:05:00
numbers. Yeah, I mean, there's bigger room for mistake. I mean,
Scott Benner 1:05:08
yeah, you know, you and I are saying the exact same thing. And we have slightly different words in one of our sentences, you're saying, This is easier if you eat fewer carbs, I'm saying, This is easier if you figure out how to balance the impact of the insulin with the action of the food, or the actually, the insulin with the impact of the food is really all on. It's the same thing. And, and taking diabetes out of it for a second. Listen, you'll be leaner. And if leaner is healthier, you will be leaner if you eat fewer carbs. And if you and if you eat. If Listen, if you take processed food out of your diet, it's better for you. Like these are things we can't argue about. Like they're it's not, it's not arguable that red dye number something and a bunch of words you can't pronounce are better if you don't eat them like that. Right? That's just reasonable. But I'm also telling you that I understand people are going to eat those things. And I don't want them to have a high blood sugar after they do. Yeah, yeah. So I pick the
Susan Keuter 1:06:10
the end game is the same,
Scott Benner 1:06:13
right? It's just that this is the thing I'm good at talking about around diabetes, just as you're you're very well suited to talk about your thing. I mean, if there's another way to do something, I'm not saying there isn't. I'm just saying I don't know how to talk about it. And where we kind of run into trouble sometimes is once you reach scope, like when you actually are reaching people, there can be a feeling of I have to keep these people here. These are my numbers. These are my clicks. They're my likes, they're my downloads. I don't think that way, if someone listens to this episode and goes home and eat low carb, I want to listen that damn podcast anymore. Good. Good on, like, I think that's terrific for them. But okay,
Susan Keuter 1:06:54
you don't have to know how to dose for protein. You, buddy, listen,
Scott Benner 1:06:57
I think God would help you. Yeah, I think the podcast would help you otherwise. So I'm just saying if they should come to that, like if somebody right now is having a moment where they're like I'm getting out of here. This is terrific. I would not think of that as a loss listener. I would think that I think of that as one more person who I can sleep well at night thinking is going to live well. Right, right. And so I do think there are places, you know, on Facebook that prize their numbers, and they don't want you learning something that might take you out of their space. And I met that Yeah, and I just don't feel that way. I think whatever works for you works for you. There's, you know, it's funny, there's a it's funny in that on the Facebook page, you subscribe to a tone that I'm very comfortable with you having access to the people who I've collected together. I hope that makes sense. But that's not the tone that you hit me with an heiress.
Susan Keuter 1:07:54
You know, right. Because it was because I knew I knew you. You were flitting around the room am amped up on caffeine. I assumed passing out your little magnets that said Be bold with insulin. And I was sitting there going, Are you shitting me? Like, that's his slogan?
Scott Benner 1:08:15
I didn't make it up. The people listening did I
Unknown Speaker 1:08:17
understand?
Susan Keuter 1:08:19
But and I'm like, being bold with insulin. It is a frickin dangerous liquid.
Unknown Speaker 1:08:25
I know.
Unknown Speaker 1:08:26
You can't take out once you put in.
Scott Benner 1:08:29
I know. I know. I know.
Susan Keuter 1:08:30
But I sat at my table with my friends who similar minded to me. Yeah. And I'm like, how about Be gentle with carbs? How about Be gentle with carbs? And I sat there snarkily. And that's why Vicki kidnapped you and drug you over to me or drugged me to you. And? And because I mean, I get it. I get it.
Scott Benner 1:08:56
Yeah, no, I wish I wish we had time in that moment to have this conversation at the same time. I'm glad we didn't and that things went the way they did. We're having it here. And not to say that we were in any kind of like, you know, Bloods and Crips kind of a feud.
Susan Keuter 1:09:08
Or no, no, no, don't anybody under No, no, no, you came over to me very kindly. And you said, Hey, I heard you eat low carb. And and I don't have a problem with how anybody eats. And I'm like, and neither do I. Yeah. I said, but I think there's a better way to do it.
Scott Benner 1:09:22
No, no, it's a great example of how not all of the information can lead to feelings that are not accurate for what's really happening. And I'm in a weird position where they tell you bring something so that people can find your website and I can only afford magnets so they're cheap. Like relatively speaking, and I've learned that I'm I'm the you know, I'm but what is it the bottle washer, the brush cleaner, whatever. Like I have to do everything when I got to go give the talk and hand out the magnets and do all the things and in my heart, just know when I'm going around that room, I'm thinking I hope This makes sense to this person and that they go find more information that will help them because everything I say in that hour is not going to fix your situation.
Susan Keuter 1:10:08
Oh, no, there's no one. It's not fixable in an hour, right period. Yeah, you just can't not, you can hardly it's hardly introduce a ball in an hour, right.
Scott Benner 1:10:17
But now that you know what the podcast is, unless you were in such a haze of hate that you couldn't think, did I do a pretty good job in an hour of like, synopsize? it?
Unknown Speaker 1:10:26
synopsize? Yes, yeah,
Scott Benner 1:10:27
right. That's all you can do. If I start talking about one topic, the entire hour will get eaten up by that topic. Right? So it's been my finding that if you take a person who's completely believes that their blood sugars are just gonna bounce around like this forever, and you show them a graph, and you go, look, here's a person whose graph looks like this. Then they listened to the podcast spoke to him for a little bit, and then their graph looked like this. Yours could to an actor. Yeah. And it's important while you're explaining it to them, even though people don't like to hear it to tell them. My daughter's a one C has been between five, two and six for seven years. And she doesn't have any dietary restrictions. I'm not saying you shouldn't have diet restrictions. I'm just trying to put in one sentence into someone's head, that all the things that you think are impossible might not be Let's go find out what those things are together. It's just I've boiled the whole thing down to T shirt slogans so so that I can get them out on time. And no lie. You've listened long enough. Now, you know that the titles of the episodes are almost meaningless. And so I something
Unknown Speaker 1:11:31
more fun and very funny. I'm
Scott Benner 1:11:32
really hoping that I get a good one. Oh, see, yours is the Halloween stuff. So you're just it's just gonna be how we eat low carb. See, though you have to give me a subtitle, the subtitle I will think of a good subtitle but
Unknown Speaker 1:11:44
other than our sister, but
Scott Benner 1:11:47
I'll put that in there for you. But what happened was that very on in the podcast, when I was just sort of talking my way through it, I was just, I was by myself in this one episode. And I just said that I realized at some point that I needed to be bolder with the insulin, like it wasn't a catchphrase, it was something I said, in a long line of other sentences. Write and then I go back and edit it. And when I'm editing, I hear something. I'm like, Oh, that's the title. And I put it in there. And then no lie, Susan. Years later, I started seeing people referring to themselves as being bold with insulin on other social media platforms. And the first time I saw it, I thought, I can't be a coincidence. Yeah, right. And then so I kind of picked around a little bit actually reached out to someone I was like, Where did you get that from? She's like, I listened to it on a podcast. She didn't know it was me. And I was like, cool. And then I watched it grow and grow and grow. And then much like how people eat what I took from that was, this is resonating with people. So this must be meeting a need for them.
Unknown Speaker 1:12:48
Yes. So then I started saying and meeting a need.
Susan Keuter 1:12:52
Yes, there. There are so many needs and and there needs. The medical community needs to teach people how to Bolus accordingly. For however you're eating, yeah, they need to teach them about dosing for protein, they need to do some about or talk to them about dosing earlier before a meal and doing a correction bolus, and they need to stop freaking people the hell out about stacking up insulin. And but they also I think, I think what makes me sad, and what literally brings me to tears after talking to some people is that nobody talks to them about any other ways of eating. But I do know I didn't say I'm in medical community, health endocrinologist you're sent to after you leave the ER or life flighted with your eight year old.
Scott Benner 1:13:46
You talk to any doctor privately and ask them what's the first thing they should be telling the person they'll gonna tell them that it's about how they eat, but nobody does it because no one listens. And so they don't waste their time on it. They go right to they go right from preventative, which eating well would be preventative. And they go right into, well, let's manage the lifestyle that you have. And I think that I think that people deserve at least that much. And then maybe they can get their blood sugar's together and feel some you know, control in a good way, and then start making decisions for themselves because maybe I always kind of dream that sometimes people will eventually go Okay, look, I can Bolus for a pop tart. But that doesn't maybe mean I should eat a pop tart. And I and I tried to mention that as frequently as I can, that that you cannot confuse health with being able to manage insulin.
Susan Keuter 1:14:46
Like just because yes, yes. shouldn't confuse you can eat that too. You should eat that.
Scott Benner 1:14:51
Right. It's the line from Jurassic Park when Jeff Goldblum says you know something about like, just because we can doesn't mean we should and so I could probably I probably is the I could there's not much I can imagine my daughter could could ask me for food wise that I can't control with insulin, I have a really advanced idea of it right? But that doesn't mean that I sit her down with like a feed bag. Oh my god, just keep eating,
Susan Keuter 1:15:18
you know, like that. Think you give that impression, I've never gotten that impression I tried. But it's the other line that I love is you don't know what you don't know. And I don't know how many dozens and dozens and dozens of people I've talked to face to face in my own town. When I travel. When I email and message with people that they didn't know that reducing the number of carbs they eat, could make a difference. Because they were assigned in the hospital to 60 grams of carbs a day and a 25 gram carb snack between two meals and before bedtime. And I like and you're wondering why you're a one sees double digits.
Scott Benner 1:16:04
The one thing that doctors at diagnosis don't do that they should is lever that we leave you with the impression that this is preliminary management. And this is going to change.
Susan Keuter 1:16:15
Yep. But But people here. You don't have to change anything right now.
Scott Benner 1:16:19
You don't have to change anything, right? Don't just eat just how you did. I always use as an example that I was given handed novolog for my daughter and the words were This is her insulin. And I have since found that a different insulin works better for but it was very difficult in my own mind to make the switch because amandla white coat told me this was insulin I didn't even imagine there was other insolence.
Unknown Speaker 1:16:45
Right? You know,
Scott Benner 1:16:46
for years, I didn't know there were other companies making other insolence in the beginning. And that's the same thing. You're saying that someone tells you something and in that horrible moment of your life, it sticks to you like gospel. And what if you get bad information now that that bad information stuck to you that way? Okay, so let's take a couple if you have a couple extra minutes I know I've got you over time I'm sorry. As I'm just happy I got out of Arizona imagine how you could have shot me if you wanted to. Oh, no, no, I
Susan Keuter 1:17:13
don't carry gun I
Scott Benner 1:17:14
just met the gun was there seem laxed and so when people are shooting plants on the side of the road, I assume I'm not safe anywhere. But I'm also I have to say that as soon as I landed in Arizona, and I was in a car leaving the airport, you know, Vicki's with me in the car. We don't really know each other all that well. And I'm immediately just like, oh, look at all the cactuses like,
Unknown Speaker 1:17:36
cacti everywhere.
Scott Benner 1:17:38
I love them so much. So I was immediately an idiot talking like that. But I'm sure help me understand how you're making things and I'm not being reductive. I just don't get it. Like I eat in some low carb food before that's supposed to mimic higher carb foods. And while some of them seem okay, to me, there have been some that have hit my tongue and I've like I've like stuck my tongue out. Like just try to knock it off because I was afraid of it slid off my tongue. I taste it more. So how do you do that? Like, how are you making? Or do you not know the difference? Because you haven't had sugar in forever? I I?
Unknown Speaker 1:18:15
Um,
Susan Keuter 1:18:17
I am I think what they call it is an avoider. Like if, if, if you're given the chance to abstain or avoid. I think that I don't remember what that's from anyway. I just I mean, we my children were young. I didn't buy Oreos. I mean, we didn't have birthday cakes. Okay, because it was just easier for me to just not have it. Sure. It was just it as long as I could avoid it. It was fine. Now I'm better now that I'm older so I can buy Pringles for my, my husband and my granddaughter does eat applesauce, applesauce every once in a while. But I don't it doesn't bother me. So now I can say I'm I do. Okay, abstaining. But I don't have a sweet tooth. Literally. I could be sitting here next to a Baked Alaska with hot budge and cakepops. And I know I'm sipping water. They I don't have a sweet tooth. I really
Scott Benner 1:19:20
don't. That is important to say because some people don't. And it is easier for them. It's well
Susan Keuter 1:19:27
and and it's I mean, I think it's just because I abstained for so long, right? I mean, I just didn't have it. Why would I bring chips all into the house for my children and husband? I can't have any
Scott Benner 1:19:38
Yeah, no, I I don't have an addictive personality around certain things that cripple other people like if you give me a pack of cigarettes, I would not enjoy it, but I could smoke them all and never have another one. Right and and I don't drink but if I could have a beer easily, and it wouldn't make me think I should have another beer. Right? And so that's just my brains wired. That way, but sugar for me is tough. Like if I I need to limit my sugar during the during a day in a week, and if I lean into sugar too much off off a cliff. Yeah, that absolutely happens to me.
Susan Keuter 1:20:13
And I think that that most people that follow a standard American diet
Unknown Speaker 1:20:17
do
Susan Keuter 1:20:18
yeah. And you know, I hate I hate the phrase. I've used hate a lot so far. I don't mean to do that. Um, I hate the phrase, a cheat meal. Did you cheat today was today a cheat day? Oh, I, I fell off the wagon. I cheated.
Scott Benner 1:20:33
But it's the language of a person who doesn't want to be on the wagon that they're on?
Unknown Speaker 1:20:36
I think so. Yeah.
Susan Keuter 1:20:41
And so I don't cheat. I just, I just made a decision that wasn't the best for me at the time. And, and I can admit to it,
Scott Benner 1:20:48
I have an avoidance I use so if I feel my like the need for like sweets, I grab, I have a bag of I have two bags of chocolate chips, like high quality chocolate chips in the cupboard. And I take some semies and some milk ones and I mix them together and I eat them. And that's enough for me, but it's not super processed. Like if I would have taken it. If I take a handful of m&ms in that scenario. Yes, then I start heading off the cliff. But if I take just pure chocolate, I'm okay. And then that's like it's like methadone for food. For me. I just take a little bit of it and keeps me off the rest of it is how it feels. But if I catch myself feeling that way at the grocery store, and buy some like sugary candy or something like that, yeah, I'm not mindful of it. I'll spend the next two weeks stopping myself from eating candy.
Susan Keuter 1:21:39
Right, you know, which just shows the power of sugar. Yeah, that's what that does. I mean, you're a grown man with a decent amount of intelligence behind you. I'm going to assume what you project on the internet. So you know that that's what happens. But you are still swayed by it? I mean, it's it's powerful. Is it powerful drug? It is
Scott Benner 1:22:02
decent amount, by the way is neat is neither insulting nor complimentary. Sorry, no, no. I felt like you did it on purpose. I was just
Susan Keuter 1:22:13
I mean, I always assume the best. That's my mama bringing me up that way. You always assume the best and everybody I that? Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:22:19
You're very tired. I think I'm bright enough. And I think that that doesn't help me in that situation. Yes. Okay. Yeah, it would be like saying that, you know, somebody with a 160 iq couldn't do heroin. I don't think that's true.
Susan Keuter 1:22:33
Oh, no. Okay. All right. I see your analogy
Scott Benner 1:22:35
there. So it could happen to anybody, in my opinion.
Susan Keuter 1:22:38
Okay, but so you've tasted some things that are baked low carb, I'm assuming you mean like low carb brownies or low carb bundt cake, or low carb cheesecake,
Scott Benner 1:22:47
or some of that pre packaged stuff that some of those companies Hawk when they're like, there's no impact on your blood sugar. That's not what it's like, you know, that kind of thing.
Susan Keuter 1:22:55
So many of those things. They're just lying. I do think that there are some amazing recipes out there. And made with supplies and ingredients that I didn't have 30 years ago or 25 years ago when my kids were children if my kids were children, and I had coconut flour and almond flour, and monkfruit sweetener, and they would have had birthday cakes. Okay, but instead they didn't. And could
Scott Benner 1:23:28
I have one of those cakes and not see the difference? Or what I noticed that it's different, but it's still sweet and there's no aftertaste.
Susan Keuter 1:23:37
I mean, I don't know I my 79 year old father here over Christmas, and I made cinnamon rolls three different mornings. And finally on the last one, I'm like, you realize there's no flour and sugar in these?
Scott Benner 1:23:50
No, cool. And that's something Have you shared that recipe online.
Unknown Speaker 1:23:55
Yes, yeah.
Scott Benner 1:23:55
All right. I'll try that I'll make I'm gonna make your
Susan Keuter 1:23:58
time somebody posts. I want to have a Cinnabon this weekend. How do I Bolus for it? which is of course, an open ended question that leads to 22 more questions. I always post a picture. And that's when I get the hate mail.
Scott Benner 1:24:12
Well, yeah, because well, but keep in mind too, that those two things are in congruence, which is they're not asking you for a replacement for they're literally saying, I'm gonna have a Cinnabon. How do I keep this from but it's also your opportunity to jump in. There's a guy named john on the board who listens and I love I think he's a great guy. And he I think he comes from the very same place that you do his he's just not quite as soft about it. And so he so it feels a little more friction he when he does it not once in a while, I'll send him a message and I'm like, john, I love you. Just dial that back just a little bit.
Susan Keuter 1:24:47
Yeah, and I and I know I mean, my, one of my biggest weaknesses, there's only two, one of them. One of my biggest weaknesses is my filter. And it's the pep talk I got from my husband, this He's like, no f bombs and just you know, rein it in. And
Scott Benner 1:25:03
what are you holding back while we're talking? Yeah. Why are you holding anything back while we're talking? No, I don't think you are.
Susan Keuter 1:25:10
Well, I mean, sometimes I do some. Oh, the last time I got kicked off of a message board. And I've gotten kicked off of one I just got kicked off one last night. While I slept, somebody kicked me out of their new group. Because I tell when when and it's always the mamas. And it's always the mamas under six months in debt to diagnosis, and they're like, what he's, you know, the, the Froot Loops or the or the pop tart, or the, the peanut butter and jelly uncrustables in the lunch box with the Frito lays and the Cheetos and the juice box. And I'm like, oh, if you can just like how about this? How about eggs and some turkey sausage links on big skewers. So they're kind of like corndogs. And it's, it's, I don't want to eat that way. Or I can't do that. And I'm like, well, then that's you being lazy.
Scott Benner 1:26:03
So I will tell you, that's
Susan Keuter 1:26:04
where I get in trouble. When I say lazy.
Scott Benner 1:26:06
I bet you aren't an eight like that for a few years in like younger elementary to middle school, where it was all just whatever, you could easily kind of pack together. And that's not how she eats anymore.
Unknown Speaker 1:26:18
Right? Good. Yeah. It should.
Scott Benner 1:26:22
But yeah, but her palate has morphed as she's gotten older. And she's
Susan Keuter 1:26:27
a teenager. She's I mean, her palate should morph. Yes.
Scott Benner 1:26:30
You know, sometimes when she has like hormones going, she can't stomach the idea of eating meat. Yeah. And then a couple days later, she's like, you know, having a piece of chicken. Right? It's really it's, it's all super interesting. But, um, let's see now. So where you would say that's lazy because you could build a better mousetrap and make a better lunch? And it's there. You don't know that either. They could be working three jobs and have no money. You don't even
Susan Keuter 1:26:57
You're right. You're right. And and that's, that's another avenue where I get hate now.
Unknown Speaker 1:27:03
Yeah, like,
Susan Keuter 1:27:04
I try not to post pictures of ribeyes because you're like, like, okay, let's focus on hamburgers.
Scott Benner 1:27:10
Well, everybody's are expensive.
Susan Keuter 1:27:11
Like, no, but I mean, and and, and, but I'm a Nebraska girl. So I mean, I like red meat. Yeah. But they don't have to be revised. They can mean hamburger and ground turkey and ground pork and pork sausage. I mean, there are so many ways to skin this cat.
Unknown Speaker 1:27:27
Yep. Well,
Susan Keuter 1:27:30
you know, eggs is one of the cheapest, cheapest sources of protein out there.
Scott Benner 1:27:37
I probably have an egg like at least every other day of some kind or another.
Susan Keuter 1:27:41
I'm not a dietitian, tell me once at the Mayo Clinic that I was allowed four eggs a week. And I'm like, I think I had five for breakfast.
Scott Benner 1:27:52
I have to say that I'm really proud that there's a space that I had that I created where you talk and it's cordial. And that some people can come in and find out more. And some people can leave it and walk away from it. I honestly the way people communicate now. Nowadays, I'm just so amazed that it not amazed. I'm genuinely proud that it works that way. I love what you do. I don't think what your husband's saying, when he says tone it down. I here's what I hear if I said that to you. If I was making that same statement, what I would say is, you know, just try to remember that not everybody's where you are and show them what you know when they'll take it or leave it but you can't judge them afterwards like that.
Susan Keuter 1:28:35
But and then I will interrupt you a multiple time is this is this is where then I I start getting my feelings hurt. Which happens it's easy to do is when somebody messages me like oh my gosh, that looks so good. Can you send me the recipe and I copy and paste once again the link and the this and I give him my little tips and and then and then they're like, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna try it and then and then. And then they're like, I can't keep this up. I can't do it. Right. And, and I'm like, I post almost all of my food that I eat. Seriously, most of it is the most mundane, boring, non recipe required. stuff. I mean, I don't have cookbooks. I think I have one low carb cookbook. Because seriously, I'm just making dinner. grilled meat roasted meat stew, meat, BBQ meat, whatever. airfryer, veggie roasted veggie pan fry or saute a veggie and put a salad with it. And when did that become so dangerous?
Scott Benner 1:29:51
Well, I think there's been time consuming and difficult. Right, right. Well, I don't know. But I also don't like I don't know. I don't know their life though. So I don't like
Unknown Speaker 1:30:00
No, right?
Scott Benner 1:30:00
I have no idea, I can tell you that I have a job where I get up in the morning, I take care of my dogs and my family. And then I record a podcast and I edit a podcast and I do some things. There's also been times in my life where I've had to get up at five o'clock in the morning, drive an hour to get to a job where I worked my ass off and could barely hold myself up when it was over at the end of the day and had no money to show for it. And so, I mean, it for somebody it is for every
Susan Keuter 1:30:27
job. So what here I am, again. So what, what if you're paying a lot of money for insulin? Because your kid is using a ton of insulin to cover what
Scott Benner 1:30:43
if I've got insurance? And it only cost me $20? Well,
Susan Keuter 1:30:45
I mean, I assume? Yeah. Okay.
Scott Benner 1:30:48
All right. So So I think the point is, is that it's just not everything's not right for everybody, and you might not be right on it. And you you might be 100%. Right, and that doesn't change the rest of the conversation, I think,
Susan Keuter 1:31:04
right? And so what I love when I love talking to people, when they say, I'm going to try this for a week. And then usually the first thing I say is, you know what, try it for a day. Start with one meal. Okay, start with a meal. It's a good idea. And I said and I every time I give somebody or link it on the on your page, to the low carb recipe for pancakes and waffles. I'm like, don't make a big production about this mom. Don't be Hey, Jr. We're trying something new tomorrow. It's different. It's not going to be Eggo. I mean, don't make it. It's a sales job. That's what we have our job as parents is salesmanship
Scott Benner 1:31:45
I have to say that we don't use a syrup called carries. It's very like a low carb syrup. And if you gave me real maple syrup, or like any off the shelf, like pancake syrup, everyone in my family would probably get a brain freeze from it. Like Like we you know, you'd probably like oh, my God, all the sugar, like, like you just like, we definitely couldn't do it. And that's a switch we made like throwing a switch when Arden had diabetes, like Alright, we'll just you know, we'll buy this one instead of that one. And it does make a difference. I can see where people would be shocked by it. But But yeah, you can't go from Mike and ikes to low carb and not think that somebody is not going to go This isn't as much fun. Yeah, like, of course, it's not good. But
Susan Keuter 1:32:28
I have I have a hell of a lot of fun, Scott.
Scott Benner 1:32:31
No, I imagine you do. And by the way, I put a mic and like in my mouth the other day and spit it in the garbage because I was like, What is this? It was laying around that I popped in my mouth. And I'm like, this doesn't even taste like anything. It's the weirdest thing ever. And I and I would probably in my mid 20s have grabbed a little box of Mike and ikes leaving a 711 at lunchtime and not thought twice about it.
Susan Keuter 1:32:50
Mm hmm. You know, as soon as they figure out how to make low carb, good and Pliny's. I'll be all over again. Right? Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:32:58
Okay. Well, I genuinely I know. I kept you long. I apologize. I love this conversation. I'm very happy that you did it. I want to thank you for your time. You know, of course, thank
Susan Keuter 1:33:07
you for letting me speak because I ultimately you and I have the exact same goal, you know, every diabetic to have normal numbers.
Scott Benner 1:33:17
And I don't think that most people it's possible. I don't think that most people with a message that's even similar to yours doesn't have the same goal. I think that some people are better at delivering it than others. And when it ends up being like, eat like you're proselytizing, then that's where I think it gets contentious among people. Like I think that I think you're not, I think you're you're accepted very well. And in my group, it because I'm surprised that you get kicked out of other groups. If you're not if you're acting the same somewhere else, then I don't get that. But there are people who will proselytize. And then that's where you start getting divisions and people start yelling back and forth and trying to make points like, Well, yeah, but you're spending more money on insulin, you're like, well, but like, when that starts happening, you're lost. Like, like, no one's coming out of that. So I think long form conversations help that too.
Susan Keuter 1:34:09
Well, and I mean, I've done this a lot of years. I keep saying that. I've done this a lot of years. And if if something that I say or if something that I share or or an idea that that gets repeated can help somebody miss some of the steps that I did. Like, yeah, I mean, I've had the ambulance called two times in my life traumatizing Yeah. If I can make sure that see I'm gonna start getting choked up here.
Unknown Speaker 1:34:45
wasn't gonna cry, you're gonna cry crying,
Susan Keuter 1:34:47
I can make sure that every single newly diagnosed kiddo could never see the inside of an ambulance. That would be the best day for me. And if so, thing I say, could help that. Then I'm gonna keep saying it. I agree even even if 90% of the people go, Oh, God, here's Susan, again with her three day meal plan.
Unknown Speaker 1:35:11
Well, let me that's fine.
Susan Keuter 1:35:12
I don't care. I don't care that those aren't. That's not my audience.
Scott Benner 1:35:16
Let me agree with you. First of all, I agree. Second of all, I think you can do that and eat carbs if you want to. But I think if you can't, then not eating carbs and accomplishing it is a great idea as well. I think whatever works for you is what works for you. I also don't want you to imagine that the crap you get from some people, I don't get to,
Unknown Speaker 1:35:38
I'm sure you do. I'm
Susan Keuter 1:35:39
sure you get it tenfold.
Scott Benner 1:35:41
I agree. Well, I have a lot of people like to write me long letters about what I don't do, right. And so what I've learned to do is exactly what you just said, that I've seen that more that there are people who are helped by this podcast. And as the podcast grows, and the scope of it gets bigger. My imagination tells me that means that somebody heard it, it helped them and they told someone else about it. And say that's what that growth tells me if the if the podcast were to stay stagnant, or to drop off, I would think, okay, my message is not resonating with people. And I might just stop making the podcast I don't know. But as as it continues to grow to me that says there's value in it, and value in it. And so when I get a letter from someone who says, I don't like the way you did this, you talked over this person, you didn't let this person say something, blah, blah, blah, I say to them, maybe I did, I'm not perfect at this, there are times I do a better job than not than others. But also, you have to admit that there's something about my sensibility that makes this Listen, double, because you can put great information in things and people don't listen to it. You can write something, it's amazing. They might not read it. So I think they're, I believe that. It's as much about how you deliver the message as what the message is. And that's what I try to stick to. And I think that's what you are good at. And it sounds like with that gentleman in your house getting better at every day. I think by the time you're 220
Susan Keuter 1:37:12
you have a much bigger audience than I do. My little Facebook page has like 600 likes and you have a bigger audience. What's your pitch? Tell people? The T one D Mimi. Oh, cool. Yeah. Yeah. But, and every time I'm like, I'm just gonna not post anything this weekend. It's It's okay, whatever, no one's reading. And then I'll get a message that has me blubbering at my kitchen table. Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:37:36
Well, listen, I agree. I'll tell you right now, if you want to take your most popular recipe, that's the easiest to make. I'll put it on my blog for you. Like I would I would love to show it to somebody I'm happy to I'm I don't. This how we eat episode. Episodes to me are about saying there are a lot of different ways. The also, by the way, you pointed out really well earlier that just because we're branding, everything right now, doesn't mean it's all new under the sun. like nobody said you were low carb in 1992. You just took the roll off of your cheeseburger.
Susan Keuter 1:38:07
Exactly. Exactly. Right. And that's Yeah, because I figured out I mean, kind of let me Let's face it, Scott, I was doing your job. 35 years ago, I was figuring out there that are insulin that I was supposed to take as I took my first bite wasn't covering my hamburger bun. Yeah. So Screw it, take the hamburger bun off. I
Scott Benner 1:38:28
don't care. Let's make it easier. Look, there was the guy. I had a guy on six in the last six months who was talking about just eating like a carnivore diet. And while he was talking, I heard him I thought like, Huh, this works for somebody great. Like, I don't think I'm gonna do it. But I understand.
Susan Keuter 1:38:46
Right? Didn't you try it?
Scott Benner 1:38:47
I did try it a little bit after a while. I'm like, I don't want all this meat. But yeah, I
Susan Keuter 1:38:53
couldn't do that. Because that's, I don't need that much fat and, and I like I miss I love veggies. I mean, I Oh, veggies. Like,
Scott Benner 1:39:00
I don't need that much fat as important. I'm sorry, we'll let you go. But there is I've learned an amount of as crazy as it's gonna sound sugar. And it's not a lot. But if I go completely off sugar, my insides don't work as well. I need a tiny little bit but not like pouring it on things. I mean, like, I need stuff that has a little like a, you know, if you make a, you know, tomato sauce, it might have a couple of tablespoons of sugar in it. You know, like, like, that kind of thing. Okay, just a little bit of it is better for me than none. And when I go completely off sugar, I don't do as well. And I'm not saying
Susan Keuter 1:39:37
we haven't gone off of it long enough.
Unknown Speaker 1:39:39
It's possible.
Scott Benner 1:39:40
But you're saying no, I 100% could believe that. But I also too, and I got other stuff to do. No, I'm sorry.
Susan Keuter 1:39:47
And I'm all for like, I mean, what i say i'm i'm grumpy. I'm lazy and I'm old.
Unknown Speaker 1:39:52
That's
Susan Keuter 1:39:54
mine works for me. And I wish I wish more people would be open to at least trying it out. trying it with their kiddos. I had a kindergartener in my class last week T one D. I went into the teachers lounge at lunch and just put my head down and cried.
Unknown Speaker 1:40:13
They had blisters all over the place already. I
Susan Keuter 1:40:15
saw what he had for breakfast, I saw what he had for snack. And I walked him into the lunchroom and opened his lunchbox with him. Yeah, and Hey, knauz ating physically nauseous because of what those numbers look like to me. And I I do not blame his mama. Absolutely. I do not blame his daddy. Definitely don't blame him.
Scott Benner 1:40:39
I think that most people will figure out how to eat at some point. I really do.
Unknown Speaker 1:40:44
Like, I hope so.
Scott Benner 1:40:45
I hope so. So I think I'll leave you with this idea. The people you see online are a very small fraction of the people that exist.
Susan Keuter 1:40:54
Oh, they are definitely right.
Scott Benner 1:40:56
So there are plenty of people who have that problem, they get help, they figure out how to do it. And then I think they move on to a part of their life where it's not an issue anymore, and they don't have to worry about it. So that's always my knock on wood hope. But I really really this was terrific. I really appreciate you doing this. And I want to thank
Susan Keuter 1:41:14
you. I mean, it's getting hot in the closet now. So
Unknown Speaker 1:41:16
I'm gonna open the door. Now let you out of the closet.
Scott Benner 1:41:22
A huge thanks to Susan for coming on the show and talking about eating low carb and of course the rest of her story. Thanks to to Dexcom makers of the G6 continuous glucose monitor and on the pod makers of oww the Omnipod actually it's insulin who makes Omnipod but I don't usually say it like that. Because Dexcom makes the G6 but on the pod makes the Omnipod isn't that interesting branding information? Not really right? MyOmnipod.com/ juicebox get your free no obligation demo or see if you're eligible for that 30 day trial of the Omnipod dash and of course at dexcom.com/juicebox. You can learn all about and get started with the Dexcom g6.
I know that we mentioned the Facebook group for the podcast a couple of times. It's called Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, just search it there's a couple of questions that make sure you're not like a spammer and then you're in. That's it. Thanks so much for listening. I'll be back soon with more episodes of the Juicebox Podcast.
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