#974 Diabetes Magnet
Rebecca is the wife of a type 1, mom of a type 1, mom of a Trialnet participant trying to prevent type 1, and a sister of a steroid-induced type 1.
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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 974 of the Juicebox Podcast.
On today's episode I'll be speaking with Rebecca. Now in Rebecca's words, I am the wife of a type one mom of a type one mom of a trial net participant trying to prevent type one, and a sister of a steroid induced type one. That sounds like an episode to me, kids. While you're listening. Please remember 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 healthcare plan, or becoming bold with insulin. You want to save 40% off your entire purchase of sheets and towels and clothing. At cozy earth.com you can by using the offer code juice box at checkout. You can get a free year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first order at drink ag one.com forward slash juice box and of course support the sponsors Dexcom. What else je Vogue hypo pan you know there are links are in the show notes all of the great sponsors that have been with the show forever. click on those links in the show notes if you're going to make a purchase. And don't forget to find the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook type one type two doesn't matter to me. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Dexcom Dexcom, of course, makes the Dexcom G seven and G six continuous glucose monitoring systems dexcom.com forward slash juice box my daughter is wearing the Dexcom g7 and we love it. Go check it out@dexcom.com forward slash Juicebox Podcast is also sponsored today by us med us med.com forward slash juicebox. That's to get started. Or you could call 888721151 for get your free benefits check today. And you'll be on your way getting your diabetes supplies the same way we do from us med us med.com forward slash juicebox
Rebecca 2:20
Hi, I'm Rebecca. I'm from New Hampshire and I live with two type one diabetics. My husband Matt was diagnosed back in 1975. My daughter is nine who just diagnosed last year and then my son Jack who's 12. He has five antibodies and is currently in trial net. And then the wildcard is my my little sister is 30 and she was just diagnosed with type one in January this year. So like 10 months ago. Alright, so I have all these diabetics in my family.
Scott Benner 2:55
I missed one Matt, diagnosed in 75. He's your husband and there's another. There's a daughter,
Rebecca 3:01
daughter, Kate, who's nine and she was diagnosed last June.
Unknown Speaker 3:06
Okay, a little over and then
Scott Benner 3:09
Jack is 12. He's in trial now because he's got he's got all the markers. Markers. He's getting diabetes for Christmas. Probably. Yeah, no, no, no, no. What do you think?
Rebecca 3:19
I hope? I don't know.
Scott Benner 3:22
Valentine's Day. What do you think your sister's 30 type one? And you're here to say that no one should live in New Hampshire. Is that correct?
Rebecca 3:31
Well, my sister lives in Maine. So no one should live in New England. I don't know. Or no one should hang out with me. Because I feel like in the last 18 months, it's just been like, don't talk to me because you're gonna get diabetes.
Scott Benner 3:41
Interesting idea, Rebecca, you're the problem. Is that right? Yeah.
Rebecca 3:45
I feel well, I when I emailed you, I said I feel like a diabetes magnet. Because in the last 18 months, it's just been a whirlwind. And all I talk about is diabetes. So it's like, why don't I go talk today about diabetes with Scott because that's what he does for a living.
Scott Benner 3:58
Apparently, that's what you do with all of your time as well.
Rebecca 4:00
I do I have a full time job. But I feel like my part time gig is you know, diabetes support.
Scott Benner 4:05
What do you do full time? Maple syrup?
Rebecca 4:09
No, I'm a data analyst. Oh, federal government. So
Scott Benner 4:13
how do you like that?
Rebecca 4:14
I like it. I work from home. That's great.
Scott Benner 4:17
Can you get my son a job please? He's sending out so many applications. No offense. I'm not going to interview you unless you get my kid No, My son just graduated with quantitative econ degree.
Rebecca 4:31
Yeah, so as well as picking around Federal Government tiring. So have them look at look for jobs.
Scott Benner 4:36
I certainly wouldn't government actually someone else who's listened to the podcast sent me a suggestion of the same thing. Said they. They said I work for part of the government. I'm not comfortable saying online, but we're hiring and I was like, oh, what part of the government is that thing? Yeah.
Rebecca 4:54
Yeah, typically, we don't say that. I'm not I won't say it either. But yeah, having Google Oh, All right, great medical benefits, you know, so if he if he ever gets diabetes, don't be good to go,
Scott Benner 5:05
Rebecca. I'm keeping them away from you. That's for sure. No kidding. Oh, all right. All right. Let's figure this out. You. See, here's the interesting thing. Your husband is not related to your sister.
Rebecca 5:18
That is, that's why she's the wildcard or again,
Scott Benner 5:21
maybe why you are. You're like the house nobody moves into because the electrical lines. Oh, my God. Do you feel? Do you ever feel guilty for not having diabetes?
Rebecca 5:36
Um, yeah, I actually did try on that for myself, because I'm 44. And you have to be under 45 and have all these relatives. And I'm like, Well, I have all these relatives. So why don't I you know, poke my finger and do trail net? Of course, I have nothing. I have no antibodies. I'm healthy. I have no thyroid issues. I, you know, I'm perfectly I have nothing.
Scott Benner 5:55
But though, but my question is, do you ever feel bad about it?
Rebecca 5:59
I do feel bad about I would take everyone's diabetes from from them. Just to make their life easier. That's I feel like that's what I do instead. Since I don't have diabetes. I'm like, Well, I tried to take people's a little bit of stress off them if I can.
Scott Benner 6:12
Oh, they got they got a sucker on the line. Now, Rebecca? Yeah,
Rebecca 6:15
I know. Yeah. You should look at my follow app on Dexcom. To just
Scott Benner 6:24
do the beep sometimes make music.
Rebecca 6:27
I actually have to change everyone's logos to different sounds. So I wouldn't get confused on if it's my daughter at school who's like my number one priority. You know, my husband can take care of himself and then my sister is new and hers is a baby cries if the baby cries, I text her like, Hey, you, okay?
Scott Benner 6:43
So if the baby cries, it's your sister. What's your husband sound?
Rebecca 6:47
It's like a like the siren. It's like II. Okay, your husband
Scott Benner 6:51
is the British ambulance.
Rebecca 6:53
Yeah. And then my daughter is just the regular low because we you know, when she's home, she has her phone. So I didn't want to change it. I'm used to that sound.
Scott Benner 7:00
Gotcha. Oh, my God. How old was your husband was diagnosed he was it wasn't 7570 times
Rebecca 7:05
two and a half. Oh my god. You had pneumonia. And he was in the hospital and they just poked his finger or did something. And he was diabetic. You didn't have DKA you just had pneumonia.
Scott Benner 7:18
Is there other autoimmune in his family? Yeah,
Rebecca 7:21
his family is littered another littered with a bunch of dirt like rheumatoid arthritis. His aunt had type one and rheumatoid arthritis. His mom has like Wagner's granular math, that ptosis or something which is like a weird autoimmune disease,
Scott Benner 7:37
or the other one's normal. Hold on a second. I feel like rheumatoid arthritis is pretty normal. Because you hear ads for it on TV. Hold on. So what's the other one? Her mom the mom
Rebecca 7:46
Wagner's Wagner's granular mitosis. It's like, inflammation in the blood vessels. Hers kind of manifested in the lungs, which is how they found it.
Scott Benner 7:56
Yeah, first I guess I got Wegmans when I was Googling it first.
Rebecca 7:59
No. Wagman
Scott Benner 8:03
wait granule low mitosis. Yeah, Wagner's that word is a rare long term systemic disorder that involves the formation of granulomas and inflammation of blood vessels, which is called vasculitis. It is a form of vasculitis that affects small and medium sized vessels in many organs. Commonly in the respiratory tract, lungs and kidneys. What's the impact on her life?
Rebecca 8:28
She's good. Now. She I mean, the acute onset was pretty severe. I mean, she was hospitalized. But she's, I think she takes medication for it. And it's manageable. But it's on the list of autoimmune, just kind of rare. And then you have rheumatoid and type one has had type one.
Scott Benner 8:47
You came up with a new one today. Congratulations that you know. I mean, we should have music and confetti should go off behind you. But I don't
Rebecca 8:56
know my mother in law. She could come along and chat about it. Well as she's She's a superstar because she she raised my husband and her husband her head. So my father in law also has type two. He was actually the first Omnipod user in our family. So what type two?
Scott Benner 9:10
Oh my god. How much money do you think like collectively you guys spend on diabetes here? 5050.
Rebecca 9:16
I'll actually did the math because my sister and I have been chatting with local people, you know, this whole insulin cap price cap. I was like, so how much do we actually spend? Because I was curious. And just my family. So my daughter my husband's diabetes costs $39,000 a year? Yeah, I bet those and then well, I mean, ours is like a fraction because we have good insurance. But like I actually like, looked at all of our receipts. And I was like, Holy crap. I'm so glad we have insurance. No, kids, we didn't.
Scott Benner 9:46
If you didn't, you wouldn't have CGM 's and insulin pumps for sure. And you know,
Rebecca 9:50
exactly right. And we've been through that like throughout like before we hit good insurance before it good jobs. You know, I've been with my husband 25 years. So we've been through all the phases of diabetes care and Yeah, we used to buy vials of insulin over the counter.
Scott Benner 10:03
I remember I remember. You needed a prescription for the needles, but not for the insulin.
Rebecca 10:10
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Like we go on vacation, forget a vial and we just go to CVS and ask for it. It's pretty cheap. Yeah, it's not cheap. We
Scott Benner 10:17
didn't send enough insulin. It's not cheap anymore. We didn't send enough insulin with Arden to college because we didn't the one. I've been saying this a lot lately, but the one thing I failed to prepare for sending her to school was that basically eating in the cafeteria was going to be like eating in a crappy restaurant every day. Yeah, so she's using more insulin. And so she texted me the day she goes, Yo, I'm not, I don't have enough insulin. I was like, I spent way too much. But I was like, okay. So I look in the refrigerator, I have a couple of vials. And I was like, but I was gonna order it, have it to the house, and then, you know, send it back with her when she went back again. But I was like, Okay, I'll hold on. And I, you know, I contacted the Endo. And the endo said something that shocked the hell out of me, Rebecca. She said, You haven't been here in a year. And I was like, that's not true. Like, that's definitely not true. But I realized that the COVID thing, oh, rolled everything into you, like, Don't come here, like zoom with us. And then when you walk out when you're in person, the last thing they do is they go, hey, when do you want to come back? And when you pick a date, except when you leave a zoom, nobody asks you when you want to do this again. And I thought, oh, but we've been working so hard on Arden's digestion issues and her hormonal stuff over the last year. I feel like I've been to the doctor every five minutes. And so I just like, Oh, I'm so sorry. You know, like, and she's like, Well, I'm not supposed to give you the script. And I was like, well just do it. Anyway, because Arden's in Savannah, and you know, I'll make an appointment. So I made an appointment. And then I had to find a, like a, like a pharmacy. So I said to Arden, I was like, hey, what pharmacy Should I send your prescriptions to? And she responded, I don't know. And I was like, Well, is there one near your dorm? And she said, I don't know. And so I pulled up a map, and I'm like, There's one here. But, you know, the town can get sketchy in certain directions. So I'm like, I don't want to just send her to, you know, a warzone. So I'm trying to I'm trying to figure out, I'm like, Well, how about where you get your groceries? I say they have a pharmacy? I'll send it there. And she goes, if you think so. And I was like, Okay, I see I'm in this on my own. Just, you know, but you know, they're gonna send her a script for her, like three months supply of insulin. And then I don't know how the hell we're gonna get it back here when she comes. Oh, my gosh. Anyway,
Rebecca 12:40
you okay, you can fly. She can fly with all that.
Scott Benner 12:42
Oh, let me just tell you, Rebecca. She does not want to fly home after the quarter is over. Okay? Because she needs to bring clothes with her to swap for the season. She told oh, yeah, we have to drive to Georgia to ship her to bring her clothes back.
Rebecca 12:57
Okay, we'll bring a bit cooler. We get together. And I
Scott Benner 13:01
pushed my wife on this. And I was like, We don't like just make her fly. And Kelly's like, what she really wants to swap her clothes. I'm like, you just make her fly. FedEx is for leave us out of this. Anyway. Anyway, so I want to know, I'm going to pick through your husband a little bit because that's a long ass time to have diabetes. So does he have any? Any impure effects from type one?
Rebecca 13:27
Yeah, he does. Like yeah, he's he has some retinopathy, that he gets laser treatments for. It's not to the point where he's blind or as even impaired vision.
Unknown Speaker 13:39
But, um, but they saw it and then get ahead of it.
Rebecca 13:43
Yeah, yeah. So they do laser therapy, and they kind of like Zapple zapped a little blood vessels that are popped in. So he does that. Every year or two. He needs those that he has some neuropathy and his feet and legs. Yeah, other than that, I mean, he has a trigger finger, which I guess is pretty common. With type ones.
I think his 20s his teens and 20s. Were a little rough. He was two, which was like the 80s and 90s. If you think
Scott Benner 14:16
Yeah. Are you a trophy wife, Rebecca?
Rebecca 14:19
Um, I mean, I met him when I was 20. He was 25. I mean, no,
Scott Benner 14:23
no, I was trying to do the math. Right.
Rebecca 14:24
We were still kids. We were still kids. You know, I just he was a friend of my college roommates, older brother and I we just met
Scott Benner 14:33
at a granola party.
Rebecca 14:35
I mean, not really know
Scott Benner 14:37
how New England are you do you need to comb your leg hair or like,
Rebecca 14:42
no, no, no, I was actually this was in New York. I went to Syracuse and we met Syracuse
Scott Benner 14:47
Syracuse, like like Syracuse, this New York event. I mean
Rebecca 14:51
Well, it's not New York City. Feel like you say Syracuse people know where
Scott Benner 14:55
I know where it is. 100% Okay, so Alright, so you guys have been together for A long time he's had diabetes for almost 50 years.
Rebecca 15:03
Right? You just turned 50? Yeah. Wow. That's good for him. That's, uh, and I thought I knew a lot about diabetes, because, you know, I was married to it. I, I mean, I've been around for a long time. I mean, I've been dealing with it's type one, but he was 25 when I met him, so he kind of dealt with his own stuff, you know, you're not a kid, he, he had it together, which I thought, you know, he just took care. And then my daughter is diagnosed. And I'm like, wait a minute, I don't know anything. And all these numbers that I like, I didn't know. 200 was bad. Like, I knew high blood sugar was bad. I knew her cute get grumpy and like the 203 Hundreds. I'd be like, check your blood sugar. And I knew what low was. I knew how to deal with that. But I like in the real, like granularity of it. I did not know anything. That's so I don't even know what a woman's body when she was.
Scott Benner 15:48
That's interesting. So when you met him, if you can remember back that far, because I'm having trouble remembering back that far. But do you do you recall? Like when you're like, Okay, I like a guy. He has diabetes. He uses insulin. Like I understand that much. He must have gotten a low at some point. So you had a feeling for that. But what did you expect the impact on your life was going to be?
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Rebecca 19:25
my life yeah. I mean, I mean we we just deal with like he taught me i when we first met and started dating, he taught me like where his glucagon was and like how to mix it. And like where he kept it and then he would showed me how to test his blood sugar. You know, we partied we were 20 Like, like he's like if I pass out test my blood sugar was like, okay, you know, drink too much
Scott Benner 19:48
didn't scare you. You didn't think like
Rebecca 19:50
no, I'm a really chill person like nothing. I'm pretty good at emergencies like it's fine. Like you're a chill
Scott Benner 19:57
data analyst. Yeah. Yeah, okay, so you, you wouldn't be a good actuary,
Rebecca 20:02
then? No, but like, I picked his I remember we were, we were partying once and we I picked him, he he, I thought he just fell asleep. But he was snoring really loud and I wouldn't wake up. And so I picked his finger, he was like 500. So I actually at that point he was on NPH are an MPH and it had taught me how to mix them. So I drew it out, mixed them and shot them up. And we woke up two hours later, and three hundreds and I was like, I must have done the right thing.
Scott Benner 20:28
I'm a wizard.
Rebecca 20:32
But like, overall impact, like we didn't get married. We just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We didn't get married for like 10 years. And we just, I don't think I ever thought about it. Like, we were gonna have kids with diabetes. Okay, are you a hippie? Am I hippie? No, I don't think so. Sure, my parents would think so. I'm sure my parents would call me that, I think in the 90s I was definitely like, into fish and you know, going to those big concerts, but I don't think I'm definitely on hippie. Now. I'm like a suburban mom.
Scott Benner 21:06
Do you think your parents have a curfew as a vagabond in, in private?
Rebecca 21:11
Ever? No. Well, my sister lives on a farm like 37 acres, or 67 acres up in Maine. So I think she's way more on the hippie spectrum than I am. So
Scott Benner 21:21
when Cole was recruiting for college baseball, a main team tried to get him to play there. And they called here. And I remember just watching him on the phone for half an hour. He had this look of horror on his face the entire time. And he gets off the phone. He goes, Well, here are the highlights. And I was like, okay, he goes, the field is heated, and so are the dugouts. And he goes, Why would that be necessary? And I was like, not sure he was. Yeah, he was I mean, the actual turf. The turf is heated. And I was like, what God Rebecca, you
Rebecca 21:53
know, will melt. You know, come on, it still snows into May.
Scott Benner 21:57
He's like, that didn't sound good. Then he goes, then there was a big selling point where the coach said, we all go on a hunting trip together after the season. And calls like, do I have to shoot something to play baseball in college? Because I don't want to do that either. And I was like, Yeah, I don't think this place is for you. Anyway, it sounds like he was
Rebecca 22:14
I grew up in Maine. I love it. But New Hampshire is great. Yeah, it's not that far from from New Jersey, really? The weather? I feel like it's, I don't know, cold and icy and
Scott Benner 22:23
oh my God, when we went on that tour up there, there was a school in Vermont that wanted him to play there, too. And we went there to work out in the wintertime in an indoor facility and just walking from like, the hotel to the car. He's like, I'm not coming here. And I was like, No, I didn't. I didn't think you were like, just finish the workout and we'll get the hell out here. Anyway, you Okay, so your husband's got all that going on? You don't know who's gonna curse? You don't know anything about diabetes, basically. And and that goes on for decades like that? Yeah.
Rebecca 22:57
Like, so he just took care of his stuff. You'd go the Endo. I never asked what to say when he was again, like he just took care of his stuff. You know, like, he's a grown up.
Scott Benner 23:06
Is that how you wanted it?
Rebecca 23:08
Yeah, I mean, he didn't he that's he's always been kind of private about is diabetes. Like he didn't? Really I mean, he would give insulin, you know, give shots in public and that's fine. But he never had tech. You never had a pump. Still doesn't have a pump?
Scott Benner 23:25
does pretty well.
Rebecca 23:29
This year, Oh, tell you about? I can tell you. That
Scott Benner 23:33
story told me.
Rebecca 23:35
Well, so we well, when my daughter was diagnosed, I think really quickly she realized like, Hey, why doesn't dad have this Dexcom thing. And, and she would ask them about it. And also like he he would always Bolus like rate when he ate, like, at the same time and, like they teach us you know, with kids like Pre-Bolus Yeah, like, and she's like, why doesn't Daddy Pre-Bolus Why doesn't daddy have a tech Dexcom so I think we have a chat like, hey, you know, you're a role model for her. We gotta you know if you're gonna if we're gonna make her Pre-Bolus You need Pre-Bolus
Scott Benner 24:11
Yeah, So Kate, Kate's like diagnosis kind of forced him into the into the President with taking care of is that right?
Rebecca 24:17
Yeah, yeah. And also, we went to Disney for the first time in May. And we were talking about that whole trip and that's actually what triggered he actually got the libre to first is no game the libre two and he used that for Disney. And then we just he just got the Dexcom and I think July okay, because the labor two is garbage. No, offensively. They're not a sponsor, but
Scott Benner 24:43
well, they're not. They're not now.
Rebecca 24:47
No, they're just for him. It wasn't great. It just, it was always off and the alarms are not helpful. Like they just kind of alarm on that he's high or low. It doesn't give you a number. So he switched over to Dexcom I'm in July, and I think he likes it. I mean, he doesn't. He doesn't like stuff stuck to him, but I am. I think he does help with the lows and now he can see his highs. Like how, what happens overnight and what happens between meals and
Scott Benner 25:13
I just I left him in the gutter back and it was not at you. I was picturing the low level PR person that I'm sure the libre people forced to listen to this podcast.
Rebecca 25:24
like crap. We're not sitting at their desk
Scott Benner 25:26
going no, stop. No, stop, stop.
Rebecca 25:33
I'm curious about that new one, though. That like gives the libre every minute. Yeah, it's tiny. Yeah,
Scott Benner 25:39
now they're getting there. They really are. I mean, it's you can't it cannot hurt to have competition. That's for sure.
Rebecca 25:44
That's what I was thinking. Yeah. So now he has a he has a Dexcom. His agency is seven, which I think is the best in his adult life. I remember numbers. So he I remember like, yeah, like 15 years ago, him telling me a number like eight or eight and a half. And I don't know what that you know, I didn't have context. So I was like, Okay,
Scott Benner 26:06
did you not want to know, I guess
Rebecca 26:08
again, he was just took care of it.
Scott Benner 26:14
I'm not coming down on you. I'm just trying to find out. And so like, here's what I guess what it was my question here. So you weren't pressing to find out? You could have used the internet to learn, right? But you cut off? Yeah, you were just like, whatever. And now like, but he's got a seven like if your daughter had, what's your daughter's eighth one? Say? Six and a half. Okay, if your daughter took care of herself the way your husband did? How many towns would you burn down to find out? Yeah.
Rebecca 26:42
Well, and then again, like he has a mom. So
Scott Benner 26:46
this is her problem.
Rebecca 26:50
That's a thing like you when you're someone's wife. You're not their mother. Like, that's
Scott Benner 26:54
really making me laugh for some reason. That's her son. Not mind. I just need that guy to buy stuff. Maybe you've been married a long time. You don't even need him for sex anymore. Really? So he just basically fixed the bathroom. You don't I mean?
Rebecca 27:13
Yeah, he's, he's remodeling the kitchen right now.
Scott Benner 27:17
Is anyone else ever amazed when I say things that I have no idea about? And people are like, oh, yeah, that is actually happening in my life right.
Rebecca 27:25
Now, no, but I think like my daughter's diagnosis really did I think he said he was I mean burnouts, a real thing. And I think he was kind of in a burnout place. So no, I
Scott Benner 27:36
understand. So do you think it read,
Rebecca 27:39
rejuvenated? His like, oh, yeah, I gotta be a good role model for her.
Scott Benner 27:42
Right. Do you think he uses a pump at some point?
Rebecca 27:45
I don't know. I keep pushing it, because I think it would help. He has some crazy swings. And I was like, wouldn't be great. If you could turn off your basil right now.
Scott Benner 27:54
Oh, oh, I see passive aggressively trying to get him to use a pump. Yeah, that's excellent.
Rebecca 27:59
Well, now that I know stuff, because in the last 16 months, I feel like I got like a crash course and diabetes. And I was like, wow, I knew nothing. Zero before this,
Scott Benner 28:08
Rebecca. Have you guys been together too long that you can't just use the girls to make this happen? You don't I mean? I don't understand. If I was a woman, this is how I handle everything. I know it's wrong to say but I know I would. I know I'd be a girl who would like tie up a shirt and wear a push up bra and ask for the kitchen to be remodeled. I
Speaker 3 28:30
know. I know.
Rebecca 28:36
If he wants to get a pump, because I'm happy with the Dexcom I feel like the Dexcom goodly be life changing.
Scott Benner 28:41
So I bet he comes along to it at some point. Yeah, I really do.
Rebecca 28:46
And I think the Omnipod five, so my daughter has Omnipod five and I think I like I'm selling that to everyone I know. And I think that that that technology may entice him.
Scott Benner 28:56
Good, good. That's excellent. Okay, so let's find out about your daughter's diagnosis. I mean, did you ever think, well, my husband has type one diabetes, there's people on his side of the family with type one. Clearly our kids are gonna get type one or did you not think of it that way?
Rebecca 29:12
No, I thought even when I was pregnant, I like Googled it. And it was like, when I Googled it, it was like 7% or 10% or something. Whatever, I read that 10% I'm like, Oh, 10% No biggie. I can handle that. And so I when they were little my kids were little every time they would get sick or they would wake up from like a night tear and just screaming for no reason we would poke their finger and test their blood because I was like, you know, if you're throwing up or you're screaming for no reason there's something wrong and I mean, their blood sugar's were fine. And my daughter eat so. So she's in first grade and she, we I think we even poked her finger, like three or four months before she was diagnosed. Just I think she got sick. We poked her fingers she was fine. And then that It was the end of the school year she had in her first week of summer camp. And she was at summer camp that whole week. She had been, you know, running around, like crazy, you know, at summer camp, and I was thinking, she's really tired. She's She was really tired. She was wetting the bed like, epically. And I was like, Oh, she's so tired. Like, she's not getting up in the night. That's, you know, crazy. And then the last day, we're driving her up to summer camp, and she gets out of the car, you know, to bring them over to the counselors, and I put her water bottle back in her bag. And I'm like, Honey, did you drink your entire water bottle on the way here to the cabin thirsty? That's like, really weird. And so that's what clicked in my head, like, oh, wait a minute, like, so when she got, but I didn't. You know, I was like, Oh, well, she's fine. We'll check her blood sugar when we get home. Well, that night, I forgot about it. And then at night, we gave her pizza. And we'd every Friday, we'd give pizza. And then at that time, I was a call. Yeah, I heard. She drank all that water. I need to check her blood sugar. So we pulled out our extra meter and checked her blood sugar and just said hi. And I just like, I instantly knew I was like, Oh, she's diabetic, like, but you know, at heart, like, like, I just knew, yeah, but it's like nine o'clock at night. So I guess called the nurses line at the pediatrician cuz I'm like, what do we do? Do we go the doctor? She's fine. Like she's jumping around, you know, but she's not throwing up. She's not like, what do we do? So we get called the nurse nurses line left a message. They left they didn't get back to me till the next morning. And they're like, You need to go the emergency room. And of course, then I felt like the worst mother ever. Because I was like, I just
Scott Benner 31:29
did you have no, like input on this?
Rebecca 31:33
Oh, no. I mean, he was like, I mean, it was just that night that we were talking about it. And you notice she's drinking a lot. And then when we took the high I was like, what do we do? And he's like, I don't know, what do we do? Do we go to the emergency room? Do we go to
Scott Benner 31:45
Rebecca, make a ton of money. That's all I'm saying. Also, I like mine.
Rebecca 31:52
My only solution was well, I'll just leave a message at the pediatricians office.
Scott Benner 31:59
Again, you guys are funny. Can I ask two questions? I loved your phrasing. This isn't a question give pizza. We give pizza on Friday. That was a fascinating like, like sentence structure.
Rebecca 32:08
That my mother my husband would call it a main ism. Because I mean, I feel like we we cut out a lot of words. My mom does the same thing. It's fantastic. Loves to mock me.
Scott Benner 32:18
We give pizzas like what in the hell? And also how do you get away with smoking weed when you have a government job? I don't understand. I don't smoke anyway. That's insane. That's not true. Are you drunk right now? Are you drinking? What's going on? Rebecca? I love you. This is the this is your you've got this new england vibe about you? How is that actually a thing? It's fascinating. Oh, no. It really is fascinating.
Rebecca 32:43
You like I've lived here too long.
Scott Benner 32:45
There's there have been other sisters that grew up around you that have been on the podcast? Have you heard them? I don't think so. Okay, at the end, I'm going to tell you who they are. Because there's a moment where I'm like, am I talking to one of those girls right now? Like I couldn't. You guys have like a very specific way about you? I love like the kids blood sugar's high. And you're like, I called someone.
Rebecca 33:07
Well, then, of course, the next morning that, you know, they call me back and they're like, Oh, you need to go to the emergency room now. And I'm like, Okay, I'm like, she's fine. Like, I mean, she was we were eating breakfast. I actually did check her fasting. I was like, oh, I should. In the morning. We checked her fasting. She was like 260 I was like, Oh, we really need to do something. So when they called me back, they're like, Oh, the emergency room because I was thinking oh, we just need to I just need an endo this kidneys insulin. Like I was kind of. I don't know. I didn't know what I know.
Scott Benner 33:35
I love you. I really do. I swear to you, I would when your
Rebecca 33:40
kids not lethargic. I'm the kind of mom like, you know, they have a fever as long as they're not lethargic. And they're not throwing up and listless. You know, they're fine. They'll they'll get their, their system will figure it out. It's when they're acting funny. And she was acting funny. She was acting normal. I
Scott Benner 33:55
should have married you. I swear to God, like I get my balls broken by a type A woman every 36 minutes. You're just like, it's fine. Don't worry about it. We'll see you tomorrow have pizza. Let me give pizza. Oh, I swear to God, I'm gonna go
Rebecca 34:10
eat strawberries and a bunch of breakfast in the we took in the emergency room.
Scott Benner 34:14
I'm gonna go smother my wife with a pillow and then I'm gonna come back and make a serious proposition to you. Okay, because I am tired of having my feet held to the fire.
Rebecca 34:22
I think my husband would have a problem with that.
Scott Benner 34:25
Well, I could take him down. He's got to hire a one. See, I think I can get him. No, but But okay, so you're at the hospital with her. You don't know what to expect. I also
Rebecca 34:37
and it's COVID so we're I was that's the other thing. I was like, I didn't went to the hospital because you know, middle of COVID and COVID would be way worse than diabetes at this point. But they got us right in her blood sugar was like, or 95.
Scott Benner 34:52
So like after that breakfast. Yeah. What do you have for breakfast again?
Rebecca 34:55
I was strawberries and you know, just real pure
Scott Benner 34:59
sugar. Like from Jesus or sugar Yeah, now she can't even eat cereal. So it's, I was thinking when you saw the 260 number, your husband was probably like, that's fine.
Oh, by the way, he's Zoey and Roxy are the girls I'm thinking of it's Roxy. Okay, Episode 376 and a follow up episode 522. If you don't listen to them and think, Oh, I live across the street from those people, I'm gonna be completely surprised, although I think they're from Vermont. But at this point, I'm thinking this is all the same thing. So
Rebecca 35:29
it's all the same thing. A lot of people think they're all the same. Yeah, so they got us right in. And then they did a saline drip and did some labs, and I mean, federal hot dog. It was really surreal. And then the pediatrician comes in, and she's like, well, she's not DKA. She's. And she said, Your, she said, your husband has type one. So you know what to do. We're gonna give you Hema log and basic lar, and discharge you and I was like, wait, what, what? And they actually said, Well, your husband is type one that he knows what to do. And he actually they got the gave us one of those carb counting sheets with them how to do a calculation for both your carbons, linen, your correction, insulin, and then they FaceTime with my husband, and it was like a test. Like, could he fill it out? Okay. He did, yeah, we pass. We could do the math, they gave us a really pulmonary ratio, like current ratio and correction factor. And pass the test. I can do math. Great. Thank you.
Scott Benner 36:39
I'm surprised the two of you are alive. What do you think of that?
Rebecca 36:42
And then they discharged us and they're like, well follow up with Endo. On Monday. I was like, okay, so we had two days of just like, giving my daughter insulin and
Scott Benner 36:52
not really knowing why or how or anything. Well, I
Rebecca 36:55
mean, we knew I mean, we fall I mean, we knew how to count carbs. We knew how to give insulin, but I was terrified. I was I think I poked her finger, every hour, because I was like, wait a minute liquid if she. But honestly, it was such a really planetary ratio that it barely got her in the two hundreds the whole weekend. Right? And I guess that's what they want to do. They want to bring you down look slightly, right? Well, you don't,
Scott Benner 37:16
I'm sure. I'm amazed at how, after all this time, it's just really fascinating. After all, this time with your husband, like you really had the exact kind of like, experience that everybody has, when their kids diagnose like, you're just like, I don't know what I'm doing. Please don't trust me with any of this. And you know, what
Rebecca 37:35
he did? Like, when we got home, I was at the ER with him because they only allow one person in the ER, I was at the ER with my daughter. You know, we're FaceTiming with him occasionally. And then when I got home, then he's like, he taught her how to give an injection. I mean, my daughter has watched injections her whole life. So that didn't freak her out. I mean, poking her kind of freaked her out. I think the worst part for her was the fingerstick. Like, you know, doing. Doing the tests. Yeah. No,
Scott Benner 38:00
I hear. Do you think? Was there any comfort in it for her that her dad had it?
Rebecca 38:05
Yeah, I think she I think she. Yeah, she's like, we're the same now. And yeah. When she was seven?
Scott Benner 38:12
Yeah. What does she think? I
Rebecca 38:14
mean, I think she was held. We say that again?
Scott Benner 38:16
A year later. Is it still striker the same way you think?
Rebecca 38:20
Um, I think so. I think she's, I think that the novelty has worn off for her. So she was on MDI for like six months. And then, of course, I listened to the podcast so I I did that 30 day trial for dash so we did the dash party in January. I know my my sister calls me fan girl because I like literally listened to all your all your ads. Oh, she's like, is there an ad that you haven't like, bought into? Because I did the trial not because of you. And then I was really mad because my son.
Scott Benner 38:48
The reason you know your kid is gonna get diabetes one day. Yeah. Okay. Well, first of all, how your sister Shut up, because I don't do the ads. You don't get the podcast, so I don't know what she thinks I'm doing over here. But I gotta I got bills to get an amen. Yeah. So yeah, so we
Rebecca 39:03
did dash with her. We did the 30 day trial, a dash. And then when Omnipod five came out. We had just changed insurances. And I was like, Oh, they're not going to cover it. And they covered it right off as soon as it was available in May, June, and we got it. first of July. Good. Wow. Good honor.
Scott Benner 39:21
Yeah. Okay, so let's, let's finish up. Although I'm gonna ask about your sister at some point. By the way, I meant to get to the on the pod five like a half an hour ago, but I swear to you, I love you. So we could do this forever. Doesn't matter to me if we ever talk about Omnipod vibe. So let me just make sure I understand the the timeline. Your daughter was on MDI for six months or so. On the dash on the pod dash. By the way, I don't usually do this but omnipod.com forward slash juice box and then and then from dasht in July, which is now August, September, about three or four months ago. You started on the pot five Yep. Okay, then obviously, it's the first algorithm. You guys are an amazing test case because you don't you've never used it before. She's fairly newly diagnosed. How are you finding it? Well, how first how was the transition from dash to Omnipod five.
Rebecca 40:14
I like jump for joy because we weren't getting great. So she came out of honeymoon, or I guess we still technically honeymooning. But in December, she was still in MDI. And she went from like, 10 units a day to like 20 units a day, in like a couple of weeks. And it was like a train wreck. We could not get her numbers down, and then she started dashed the next month, and we got it. I mean, we got it better. But we still that first agency in March was seven. She was 6.6 on MVI. And then I think the combination of coming out of honeymoon and just figuring out the pump. She went up to seven, and I feel like on dash, we kind of figured it out. But we still were like fighting with her. Getting her basil, right? And kidding that she gets a lot of every night nighttime spikes for hormones. She's grown like four inches in the last year. Yeah, it's, um, I feel like we never got a great, we got great results. With Dash, there's just a lot of fiddling, and it's just a lot of work, a lot of thinking. And then when we went to Omnipod, five in July, I felt like I could breathe again, because I wasn't up all night correcting, I wasn't, you know, then you'd overshoot and have to then correct lows, I feel like Omnipod five really gets all those lows. It also just simpler like the system is simpler. So there's, I like the in automatic mode, it takes away your temp, Temp, Basal and extended Bolus, because then just caregiving is easier, both on my part. And then when we give our caregiving to the school and to family members, all I have to tell them is like put in her carbs. And if she beeps high, try a correction on the pump. And it's very simple. And then won't you you know, you always teach them how to deal with low blood sugar. But the system itself is just simple. Like there's one button. I feel like then that's probably how they designed it just really simple.
Scott Benner 42:04
No, they made it for you. They really did. Yeah, yeah,
Rebecca 42:07
they made it for me and caregiving, like caregiving, I know people are, you can definitely get better numbers by settling but like you really like if you need simplicity in your life. Yeah, this was by far, so simple. You know, coming from the dash to write the Omnipod. Five, and we were getting, we're getting better results for way less effort. I mean, I feel like if we fiddled more, we could get her into the low sixes or fives. But, you know, I was ecstatic with the 6.5. You know, just
Scott Benner 42:37
No, I, I understand. And I actually, you know, first of all, there's no judgment for anybody's desires about their health, like, whatever you are shooting for is fine with me. But I've been making the point, I think for years now. While some people argue with me like, well, you know, I don't know, there's like a hierarchy. That's like a, you know, a drop down list of how hard people want to work or how much effort they want to put in like that you don't I mean, there's, there's different people, some people are fiddling constantly, and they're happy to be involved in that. Some people would prefer for it not to be so intensive. And some people would like it to just be like, Look, this thing does the thing, and I let it go. And whatever happens happens. And I like that, that everyone is represented in here. And I think only pod five is is set up exactly for that. It is set up for people like you who are like, look, I do not, I can't like I can't be fiddling with this thing constantly, like let it make some of the decisions. And I think you're the I think you're the majority Rebecca.
Rebecca 43:36
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I would love for it to be easy. I mean, we still correct a lot, especially at night. It does not keep up with those hormone spikes. We I mean, we correct between nine and 12 at night, every hour and a half, two hours just to keep on top of it. Because it just it can't candle it and I know it's for safety reasons. It's not going to dump this week when she was on dash her basil between 9pm and 12pm was five times per day, basil.
Scott Benner 44:00
Yeah. Oh, no. So I got like I said earlier, I don't know if it's when we were recording or not but artists at school and sick right now and has her period. And over the last like three days I've given her like she and I have like together talked about and given amounts of insulin that no one would tell you to do. And most of the time that's just keeping her under 200. Exactly. Yeah. And the like the algorithm based on your settings would never know like, you know, you can say like I was talking I interviewed somebody yesterday, using the 670 G six, eight iPhone Jesus, why does Medtronic name their stuff like that? Like why not just call it something like Shazam, so I know what the hell it is. But it's whatever their newest algorithm is. It's available only overseas right now. And as I'm talking to her, the girl goes lucky. You still have to be involved in these things. She's like, I'm afraid people think you're gonna put an algorithm on and never have to be involved. Again, that's not the case. It doesn't matter if it's tandem control like you on the pod file. Over the Medtronic, you need to be involved. It just the level that you need to be involved changes pretty significantly. And it does if we're being honest. You know, hormones are tough. So it could end up being easier for prepubescent kids and men, I'm guessing, you know, over women who get their periods. So, you know, anyway, but it sounds like you love it.
Rebecca 45:23
I do love it that mean, there's some things I the the hormone spikes can't handle. I don't love the activity mode on it, we don't use that. It's a little too good brings the target up to 150. And I think it lowers the algorithm or makes the algorithm less strong. We actually use when she goes cheap. My daughter's a dancer, and she's sometimes at dance class for like five or six hours. And we'll just move our target to like 130 for that period of time.
Scott Benner 45:49
Yeah. So the back when they're done. Yeah, the activities too aggressive. So you just you pick a higher target instead of though? Yeah, the one that
Rebecca 45:56
right. So she's at 110, most of the time. And then we do want 30 for dance. And that seems to work that we tried activity mode a couple times. And it just she would go one at 200 Just kind of creep up too much. Too much. But it works. That little tweak worked. And it's a little bit of a pain, because if you forget about it, you're like, Wait, why? Why is she creeping up?
Scott Benner 46:18
So so how when do you turn it on prior to dance? Or when dance starts? Or how do you handle that prior
Rebecca 46:23
to dance? Yeah, usually on the way there, I'll just go into the target glucose setting in there. And I'll just roll it up to one to 130. And then usually when she gets home, I'll roll it back to 110. But that's a manual thing that can't put a timer on that. I guess that you can put time slots, but she doesn't have to answer every day. So I do I do it manually.
Scott Benner 46:43
Oh, wait a minute. I didn't know that. You could time slot targets.
Rebecca 46:47
You can Yeah, you can. So you have kind of like a different overnight target. Different school target.
Scott Benner 46:52
I don't know. I don't know that. That's a great feature. Yeah, yeah. Except for you're saying you can't use it in this specific situation because she doesn't dance every
Rebecca 46:59
dance every day at four o'clock. I could Yeah, she doesn't.
Scott Benner 47:02
Okay, so. All right. So now you have like a year's worth of experience with diabetes. And you said her agency's like six and a half. That's excellent. Jack has how many?
Rebecca 47:17
Key? Well, the original trial net, you know, figure poke said three antibodies. And then when the Joslin diabetes Center in Boston called us, we came down for like a follow up, and they ended up finding five antibodies. So that was like three months later. And now he's in the pathway to Prevention Study, which is so he goes every well he was going every three months now he's going every six months, where they're you do an oral glucose tolerance test, every every time we go down to two hour test where he drinks 100 gram glucose drink. And then they test his blood sugar throughout the two hours. And the first time we did it, I thought I had another diabetic because they they came back with his his post to our glucose was 200. And I guess if you have two of those tests that 200 in a row that's diagnostic, clinically diagnosed as diabetic. And I was like, oh, but that so that was in March. They brought us back a month later, because they're like, We need to redo it because if he is diabetic, we know you need to go see the Endo. So we went back, he did the oral glucose tolerance test again, he was 173, which after the two hours, which is impaired glucose, which is like, I don't know if you've had people talk about the three phases of diabetes onset, but phase one is just just antibodies. Phase two is antibodies and impair glucose. And then phase three is clinical diagnosis. So he was kind of in that phase to this in April when he went back. And they're like, well, we'll just we'll have them back in three months. He's not diabetic yet, but just you know, watch him if anything happens, you know, you know what to do call the ER. Now go to the ER and then we just went in September and did his test. And he was his to our oral glucose tolerance test was 130, which is normal and his agency was also normal. So the only thing we added after talking to the endocrinologist at Joslin is we added vitamin D, a high dose vitamin D, and we audit added some high dose of fish oil, which there are some case reports that say it can extend honeymoon and it can also extend if you're predisposed can not prevent onset, but like delay onset. So at this point, we're just kind of trying to delay onset with whatever we can. He's 12 So if the endocrinologist said if we could get through puberty, that spike of hormones at puberty, get him on the other side of puberty before he's diagnosed, we'll just be in a better place. So that's where we're Right now we're just heat index, vitamin D fish oil. We get our oral glucose tolerance test every three months. And
Scott Benner 50:07
well, I have a question when you when you tell him this, how does he respond?
Rebecca 50:13
Ah, he first was like, I'm not going to do a study, like I use 11 At the time, and yeah, you know, I mean, he's a classic gamer kid 11. Like, just he was like, now, I'm not gonna do that. I'm like, Well, Jack, I mean, this, originally, we pose it as this study, you might be able to prevent type one, because at the time, we thought he might be able to get into one of the clinical trials for the prevention drugs that are out there. Yeah. So that's how we we posed it to him. We're like, hey, you know, if we can do these tests, maybe you can qualify for some medicine that would then prevent Type one from happening. And then you wouldn't get type one like, Dad and cape, so. And then he was like, oh, yeah, let's do that. And now he's, he was a little unsure about the first oral glucose tolerance test, because they had to put an IV in, but now he's pretty used to it. We've been on there three times. And he's pretty used to the vitamins. We tell him like, again, the vitamins might delay or prevent diabetes, but we're not sure. Again, I'm not holding out hope. Like, this is like a magical cure. But no, at this point, anything that helps.
Scott Benner 51:18
Yeah, no, I understand. I'm wondering more about, like, his, like, he knows he's, at some point in his life likely going to get diabetes. Yes. And but what's that? Like? I'm sure you had to tell him that.
Rebecca 51:30
Yeah, yeah. And we're still at the point where, like, you don't have diabetes yet. That's what we keep telling him like, then then we're gonna do everything we can to prevent that, but we might not be able to. And that's what we tell them. I'm like, we're not. So do you not gonna, I don't I never pose it. Like you're gonna get diabetes because of this, because that would terrify an 11 year olds, but
Scott Benner 51:48
no, no, I'm wondering if like he's using his kind of, you know, like, his age and his ability to just go like up, you know, anytime anything 15 minutes or longer from now is in the future. So, yeah, I just, I don't think about it, or do you think it like, have you seen any, like impacts on his psyche? I guess what I'm wondering,
Rebecca 52:08
no. And he's, he's a really anxious kid. And that's part of the reason why we talk about it. The way we do is he's, he has, like generalized anxiety. So he has anxiety about things. So we talked about it. We give them the facts, but we're not I'm not going to worry him unnecessarily.
Scott Benner 52:26
Oh, no, I wouldn't expect. I'm just wondering if how he responded, that's all
Rebecca 52:29
and he's fine. I mean, he seems fine about it. He's, he's, he. He likes his trips. Jocelyn. We get a Subway sandwich afterward. I think that's probably why. I mean, we have subway in our town. Don't think we're live so far away from real. We don't
Scott Benner 52:44
think subway is a treat. That's what you're worried people are gonna think right now.
Rebecca 52:49
Yeah, so no, he seems I honestly we talked about it, but I think he just doesn't want think about it. Like I think, again, like what you said, like, it's not gonna happen to him today. So he's not gonna think about it
Scott Benner 53:01
right. Now. That's how I imagined it would go. Honestly, I just was wondering,
Rebecca 53:05
when it happens, it happens. We're not I mean, yeah. Yeah, we'll deal with it with with what it comes
Scott Benner 53:11
by getting a part time job to pay for the
Rebecca 53:16
God that's like, do they have like a punch card? Well, at this point, my daughter and my husband are on the same. You know, they're both ANOVA log and they both have Dexcom. So we kind of just entered change the pile of supplies. Yeah. And actually over the summer, I plopped in old libre on on Jack just to see and I wore one too, because I like it. If you wear one, I'll wear one. And just fascinating. He actually had he didn't get over 100 The whole summer. You know he was eating eats? Typical 11 year old 12 year old.
Scott Benner 53:45
How were you? How were your blood sugar's when you were looking?
Rebecca 53:48
I mine are low. I like barely get over 70 You know, just sitting around and then, you know, I might get to 90, but really try. Yeah, that's something which is crazy, actually, that really, that really helps you kind of understand how the body works. And I don't, I never really freaked out about 70. But like, I really don't freak out about 70 anymore.
Scott Benner 54:10
No, yeah, no, I think wearing a CGM. If you don't have diabetes gives you a lot of insight into what your goals are when you're managing insulin. It did.
Rebecca 54:21
And those spikes are normal like, okay, yes, my daughter and husband spiked way more than I do. But like, I don't have a flatline either. Like, you know, I go up 3050 points and come back down. Like, yeah, like, that's pretty normal. Like,
Scott Benner 54:36
I think, I mean, if I can, I think the the idea about avoiding spikes with diabetes isn't that you are so worried if a blood sugar goes to 140. The problem is, is that the 140 turns to the 180 and the 180 turns to the two
Rebecca 54:48
stays there. Yeah, yeah, I get worried about with it stays there. If it goes up comes right back down. Right. I don't get too worked up about this, quote, quote, Spike. It's if it goes up and stays there, and then I'm like, wait So that's something else. Yeah.
Scott Benner 55:02
I think of the spikes more as indicators for like, generally speaking how well I'm doing with the insulin. Yeah, you know what I mean? So it's,
Rebecca 55:10
and then the hit of the food, like, we've kind of dialed my daughter's breakfast into just a handful of things that we know, she doesn't really go over 150 Because I just can't send her to school with her, like, pushing 200 Because she, when she gets over 200 She just is not in a good learning space. So we we have a handful of foods that you know, she eats bagels and waffles and English muffins or whatever, for breakfast, but we know how to dose for them. And I can you know, she just goes up to 141 50 comes right back down and hangs out. 110 pretty much
Scott Benner 55:40
all day long. Yeah, that's cool. That's, it's a man. So that
Rebecca 55:43
Omnipod five is really great for that. And then I know, like, I'm not worried about it over shooting on the bottom end, like, you know, maybe going down to 70. Because I know Omnipod will kind of dial down or Basal if if I if I missed it, you know,
Scott Benner 55:57
how many how many, like, serious lows has she had on all the power five?
Rebecca 56:02
Um, oh, God, I don't even think she had one actually a couple of days ago, but it was, we were in the car and we were eat, we ate McDonald's. I mean, we eat really healthy suffering. We were having McDonald's on the way home from visiting my brother. And she was like, I'm gonna have a cookie too. So we dose for the McDonald's and the cookie. And she didn't actually end up eating the cookie. And we got home and she hit 70. And I'm like, oh, you know, have a glucose tab. And and then she kept going on, like, what is going on? And we finally started going back through her dosing. And then I saw a 26 carb dose that my husband put it in while I was driving. And I was like, what was this 26 carbs? And he's like, Oh, that was a cookie. And I'm like, Hey, did you eat the cookie? And she's like, No, and I'm like, Oh, well, there it is. You have 26 carbs. For 26 carbs. We now No, but so that wasn't an Omnipod problem. That was us. misto. You know, right. This dose that she didn't eat the cookie, Rebecca. But other than that, no. Like, like she's,
Scott Benner 56:59
well, that's great. So I mean, that's not a low that's you guys. bolusing too much. But
Rebecca 57:04
exactly. But all the lows, I think she's had a couple that might hit the low 60s. You know, we do a glucose tab. Actually, that's what we've learned from you like what they treat, they say you need 15 grams of carbs. I'm like, Okay, I'm seven, eight year old does not need 15 grams of carbs. One. Yeah, right. It's one glucose tab usually is what does it for her? Sometimes we need a juice box. If if it's like a down arrow, down arrow then all
Scott Benner 57:31
it depends on the situation. Also, this sucks that this cookie story was about your daughter because I was gonna respond. Rebecca, Don't you hate it when they don't eat the cookie? But it's so inappropriate, because it was about your daughter. So I let it go. But I'm bringing it up now. Because it's allegedly that's all.
Rebecca 57:48
No, it's, I feel like Omnipod five that's like, if lows are an issue. Those are definitely that's where it shines. That's yeah, I agree. Yeah, the fact that it could just dial down enable dial down the the Basal away from the controller, which is even great. Like she was at the waterpark this summer, way away from me away from all our devices. And it just did its thing like it would like she's going on waterslides. And she's in the water. And it's talking to the Dexcom the whole time. And it
Scott Benner 58:15
can't be said enough that the algorithm lives on the pod. And the pod in the Dexcom are talking to each other and the controller or any other accoutrements, which there are none off. But the controller does not need to be anywhere near those two devices for them to work.
Rebecca 58:30
And that's also one of my favorite parts. Like she does not need to be tied to anything. So you know, yeah, so just put those stretchy wraps around it when she's in the water and let her go. That's
Scott Benner 58:40
excellent. Look at you. You've got this all figured out. Now, you went from not knowing anything to really being on top of this.
Rebecca 58:47
Well, some sometimes I have to say this podcast has helped a friend of mine. It was like a friend of a friend that Sunday that she was diagnosed, texted me on Facebook and was like, Oh, my friend, friend's son is diabetic. You should talk to her. So I messaged her and she's like, You need to listen to the Juicebox Podcast. I was like, What the heck's the juice? Yeah, I started listening to it that Sunday. So she had been diagnosed the day before. And actually that Monday, we went into the endos office, and I actually had heard a Dexcom ad. And we went into the Windows Office that Monday and they're like, What do you need? I'm like, I need a Dexcom.
Scott Benner 59:18
Oh, Rebecca, I appreciate you saying that. This is for all the sponsors. If, again, I know you're listening. I don't get credit when Rebecca goes to the doctor's office and buys Dexcom or when she gets an Omnipod five from the Endo, but I still sold it. So don't call me and Hawk me in China about clicks. Okay. That's so I'm sorry.
Rebecca 59:38
No, I knew about Libra because my husband had had gotten a Libra a years before. So I knew about Libra and actually, that's I was like, I'm gonna go in and ask for Libra. I didn't even know Dexcom existed. And then when I I'd heard a couple, I listened to a couple of the newly diagnosed episodes and I'm like, Oh, this Dexcom thing sounds awesome.
Scott Benner 59:56
Okay, yeah, I'm gonna edit this out and send it to people. They leave me the hell alone. Don't get us there. Listen, the advertisers fantastic. I've really good relationship with them. I just, there's this one aspect of it that it's not quantifiable. You can't capture that. Yeah. And you can't be captured. And we all agree that it can't be captured. But then when it comes time to pay someone were like, Well, what about the clicks? And I'm like, Well, what about the agreement? We have that I'm probably selling a ton of them in the freaking doctor's office, like, oh, yeah, I know. But I can't show that to my boss. And I'm like, I don't care. So anyway, that's basically the conversation. You people don't know how much work I put into keeping this podcast going. I'm telling you, it freaked. It's upsetting something,
Rebecca 1:00:37
obviously, the ads work because I'm like, you know, I think I've clicked on everything you've ever sold?
Scott Benner 1:00:41
Yeah, hey, you've gotten Athletic Greens yet, I just started with them. Athletic greens.com forward slash, just
Rebecca 1:00:50
be like, I'm doing all this work for you. You don't even have to do ads for this show.
Scott Benner 1:00:53
I really do appreciate that. Now, listen, I won't go into a long conversation about it. But cuz I still want to ask about your sister. But you don't know. It seems like you just you pick up your phone, and there's a guy talking to you. But I work about 70 hours a week on this podcast, I can't have a job, the ads have to work. And and then the advertisers have to keep coming back. You know what I mean? Like they it's year after year, or as soon as they don't come back, it's over. And that's you know, so there's a lot of pressure on my side to keep everybody happy. And I am. I don't take ads from just anybody, I could do that. And it would make my life easier. But I don't. So I stick with products that I know are great that I know you guys need. And, and then it's just there's a whole business side of this that I just I hate obviously, if you listen to me long enough, I really am. I'm not cut out to be in business. I'm cut out to make this podcast. So I was in a meeting the other day. And it ended. It tried to imagine I was in a meeting with two people from a PR company that work for a company. And then I was the that also in that meeting, were two people from the company. I know that's hard to understand. But there's a company I was meeting with them. They hire a PR company to manage stuff that happens. We're setting up an episode that I think is going to be great for you guys. And we're talking about how it's gonna get set up and regulatory things and what can't be said. And like, these are just mind numbing meetings. And it ended. And I realized that I had said fuck twice in that meeting. Because I don't belong in business is what I'm saying.
Rebecca 1:02:36
Well, it's obviously working. I mean, I wish they could count. You should like do a survey. Like how many of you have gone to your endo asking you for a Dexcom or Omnipod?
Scott Benner 1:02:43
Yeah, that's, that's your math brain. But what will happen is the number will come back and they'll only want to pay for that number. And I'll be like, well, the whole world didn't hear the survey. And they'll be like, there's no way to get around this. It's actually in their defense. It's an unwinnable situation, because they give me a link, and they can track the link and I can't Yeah, and then I have a link that I can track. But if you guys type it into a browser, then I'm not tracking it either. So I have no leverage, either. It's just a very weird position to ban. But it obviously works because I mean, this podcast is freakin huge. I don't want to be argued with this. What I'm saying Rebecca, don't trifle with me. All right, but you them. All right now. Are your sister diagnosed at 30 years old? Is that right?
Rebecca 1:03:32
Yeah. Well, yeah. Just before she turned 30, January of this year. It was kind of a it was funny, because at Christmas time, I saw her Christmas. So just a week before she was diagnosed, and she were, you know, having Christmas. We do Christmas Eve with all the siblings and we're having big meal and she was complaining how thirsty she was. And I was joking. I was like, Well, I've Kate's metered. You want me to test your blood sugar. And she's like, Haha, like, because I obviously, like you think everyone has diabetes? And I'm like, No, really, I'll test you. And she's like, No, I'm fine. And then she texts me the fourth of January. And she texts me she's like, I'm, I'm at my primary care. My agency's 14 I have diabetes. I was like, what? And they were like they're sending hold you? Yeah. I was like, well, if you'd listened to me, well, then they would have ruined your Christmas, right. But I was like, she's like they're sending me to the ER, I was like, well do and her husband is a technician. He works like in the northern part of Maine. So he's not there during the week. He's only there on weekends. And her I knew her husband was probably four or five hours away. I'm like, do you need someone to meet you at the ER and she's like, that would be great. So she was sent to the ER, and I live two hours away. So I started driving. I dropped actually I dropped my daughter off at dance class. I got in the car. I texted her I was like while you're waiting listen to this podcast and I actually texted her your first you know, newly diagnosed episode. Like while you're waiting Listen to this
Scott Benner 1:05:00
Episode Episode 210. Rebecca is the most popular episode in
Rebecca 1:05:04
Yeah, so I texted her that said, like, actually I listened to your podcast on the way up as well, that two hour drive. I didn't listen to that episode, I listened to a couple other ones and yeah, I met her I met some Well, it's of course it's COVID Again, I got to the ER, the nurse comes out. She's like, Yep, she's okay. She's on a saline drip. I've never seen this before. And I'm looking at this nurse. And I'm like, she's like, She's crazy. And she's like, never in my 30 years. Have I seen this before? And I'm like, What are you talking about a woman with a high blood sugar? Like, she's like, No, no, she just, I don't know what my sister is tiny. She's like 110 pounds. So they were they basically diagnosed her with type two diabetes, 110 pounds 400 blood sugar? or can anyone see type two diabetes? And I'm like, uh, are you sure? They're like, so when they finally discharged her though, they're like, she's they said, I have type type two diabetes, they want me to go get a meter and make an appointment with an endo. And I was like, that doesn't sound right. Like that, just so literally, I picked her up, we went and got sushi. We picked up a meter at CVS. And we went home. And I'm like, You need to call the Endo, like seven at whatever time they open 7am in the morning and demand that you go see them. Because this doesn't sound right. Your blood sugars are really high and they're not coming down. This does not sound like type two diabetes. I mean, we have, we have a couple type two diabetics in our family or our family. Right. And my father in law is of type two. I'm like, this doesn't sound like type two. And like the acute onset of it does not sound like type two. So let's go see an endo. So that next more I stayed overnight at her house next morning. She got into the Endo. I went with her but her husband actually finally got home and went to the Endo. Whether the only it was that was the only person that could go in I waited in the waiting room. And I guess the endo was one of these. I don't want to I don't want to swear but like aihole endos. It just literally came in hot was like, you don't have diabetes. And she's like, What? My agency is 14. My blood sugar is over 400 What do I have? He said it's due to steroids because she was getting steroid injections for a bulging disc disc. And there is a you can get hyper glycaemia from steroids. Yeah,
Speaker 3 1:07:19
but 400 Yeah. And I was like, Okay, well,
Rebecca 1:07:23
I mean, if that's it, fine. But he she started she had actually been having gastro some eyesight issues over for three to six months. He's been had, she'd like explained some other symptoms she'd been having for three to six months. For six months. Right. Yeah. And I think finally, by the end of the conversation he did he did labs, and he did prescribe insulin. He so he did actually do full antibody workup. And did actually she did leave with humulin. Actually, no. He will log and basic are
Scott Benner 1:07:57
well are doing anyway. What does she used what how's she doing? Does she still listen to the podcast?
Rebecca 1:08:03
She she does you actually I think is on your schedule for February. Oh, cool. She does. Cuz she actually she does. She's doing okay. She got rid of that Endo. Because he was just not helpful at all. He was he gave her a sliding scale. Just really crazy stuff. She does have three antibodies. So yeah, she's type one diabetic. She's actually in the topple study. Now. He's actually at Beth Israel. Deaconess, today, getting her. There's a 48 hour observation period after your first injection of the plasmids. So she's a we're big sciency family. So she's, she's a PhD candidate. And she's like, I'll, I'll do any trial that would, you know,
Scott Benner 1:08:46
ya know, how
Rebecca 1:08:47
about the situation. So I want to say she's in the topple study.
Scott Benner 1:08:51
I'm pushing that right now. Trial note is paying me to push that right. Yeah.
Rebecca 1:08:57
So she just got her first infusion. And yeah, it's supposed to slow or stop the immune system from attacking her beta cells because she actually still has quite a bit of Basal beta cell function. She's been honeymooning pretty hard. After that acute diagnosis, where she was on quite a bit of insulin. Now she's down to like 10 units a day. And, but she's pushing like an agency of 5.8. Like she's doing great. She's on a Dexcom. Good for her. Yeah, she's Yeah, she just announced she's doing this topple study. She's really hopes that because it was as an adult onset. And just having that endo experience and like the nurse telling her that she's crazy, and she's never seen anything like it before. I mean, she just had a much different diagnosis story than we had with my daughter. My daughter was very cut and dry. They were super nice. They were the endocrinologist and the diabetic educators we saw were fabulous. And we got great care and I feel like maybe where she lives or maybe just the endocrinologist he saw and her age, they just treat her completely different. Like you're not a diabetic and you know, we're gonna Give you a sliding scale and like a sliding scale like what does that?
Scott Benner 1:10:03
Well, here's what you've brought up. Don't go to the hospital in the woods. That's the first. Okay. Also sushi and Main. How is that? Yeah, okay. Yeah, that threw me for a loop where you were like, we
Rebecca 1:10:18
have a lot of great seafood and we're right on the coast great ports.
Scott Benner 1:10:22
I assume the food part and that I got but I wasn't sure about sushi. And the most important thing you've said today that people should take away from this, honestly, is listen to the ads. We think that's your best message.
Rebecca 1:10:39
I'm gonna talk for an hour and that's
Scott Benner 1:10:42
no doubt in my conversation. I'm fascinated by your, the trajectory. And you know about it all being around you but not being you.
Unknown Speaker 1:10:52
Me. Yeah.
Rebecca 1:10:53
So now my sister I chat. So my sister says on like her support system, because they really, again, she doesn't have a great support system. You know, this is new to her. She's like, she's like a you're the, the most knowledgeable person I know about diabetes. I'm like, really?
Scott Benner 1:11:09
In trouble. Let me just tell you right now,
Rebecca 1:11:10
I know. Because I was like, obviously, six months or you know, 18 months ago, I knew nothing. So. But she's, you know, she's actually created her own little Facebook group for adults with diabetes in Maine. She has like 20 people or so just because he shook the support system for adults is just not existent. Yeah, don't you she would be a great, I hope she does end up going on at your show. Because she's, she'd be a great person to chat about topple study alone would probably be interesting.
Scott Benner 1:11:36
Yeah. I mean, if she's on the schedule, then she's there. Yeah. And I would like to hear about that study. 100%. But I don't we're not be pimping out her Facebook group trying to what do you try to take people for me? I only have 20 people. 30,000. I can't afford to lose them. Okay. I've just, that's nice. I think that those local groups are really wonderful. Because then
Rebecca 1:11:58
I think they're hoping to actually get together and chat in person.
Scott Benner 1:12:01
That's what I was gonna say. Because they can actually, I mean, like for them, they'd have to get on four wheelers and pickup trucks and probably spent a couple days going to a centralized location, but it's nice to be local to somebody and be actually able to meet them in person. That's wonderful. Yeah, that really is cool. All right. Well, this was good. Rebecca. You did a good job. Yeah. Do you feel like you did a good job?
Speaker 3 1:12:24
I think so. Yeah. You're still nervous? No, no.
Rebecca 1:12:30
Give me more questions.
Scott Benner 1:12:31
You do? You don't want to go. Okay. Now, hold on, Rebecca. Let me get a drink. And then we'll figure something else out. All right. We'll do you. I'm good. No, let's do one more thing. You won't do one more thing? Sure. All right, hold on. I want to go back to the part where you said this is your husband's mother's problem. I love that. That was my favorite part of the podcast so far. So
Unknown Speaker 1:12:59
if you
Scott Benner 1:13:01
are all right, if your daughter gets married to a guy who doesn't understand her diabetes, will you be okay with that?
Rebecca 1:13:09
I think so, as long as he understands like the the highs and lows, like the emergent things that she can't you know, the things that she can't take care of.
Scott Benner 1:13:17
Okay, because I just did an interview with somebody recently. It's not out yet, but it'll be out well before yours is where the person the woman in the relationship needed emergency help. She was basically in bed with a low, but thought, how did this go? Her pump was beeping at her. She thought it was because the cartridge was low or empty. The husband was leaving for work early in the morning, she stops him and says hey, can you please fill out my cartridges and bring it to me, I don't feel like going and doing it. He does that. And when he comes back, he finds her fairly unresponsive. And so he knows enough to hit her with glucagon. But then doesn't do any of the things afterwards that needed to be done. So he like hits her with the glucagon and then goes out into the other part of the house to call his work to be like hey, I'm gonna be late my wife needs help with stuff like it was that low energy did not call nine one didn't really even like go back and sit with her. Just thought of it as I know this sounds horrible to people who understand it better. But keep in mind he really thought he was doing what he was supposed to do. He didn't understand like the bigger impacts that could have happened. And I'm just saying I don't know I think everybody needs to know
Rebecca 1:14:34
Yeah, I think what you definitely need to know what the what could happen like the worst case scenario how to deal with those. Right How to give glucagon what you know, if you're unresponsive stay with me. Come on.
Scott Benner 1:14:47
Let's see now see to you. That seems obvious but you but you said things today that sounded obvious to other people that you didn't know about. And this is my this is my point is that I understand not one wanting people to be up in your business? And but I mean, once you're married, like, I don't know, I think you just have to just be open about it. You know what I mean? Yeah, it just that's what I hope and I, and unless you can get your mother in law to help your husband was something and then I think that's genius, by the way, the power involved, although Do you don't want that right?
Rebecca 1:15:20
Oh god no, no, no, she's a wonderful woman.
Scott Benner 1:15:22
No, oh, no, I'm sorry, I did you misunderstood me. But that was hilarious. What I meant was, What I meant was when your son is 35 years old, you don't want to be in charge of something about his life. Right?
Rebecca 1:15:35
True. But also like, again, you're an adult, like you can you can definitely take care of 90% or even 95% of your diabetes. Like to be I mean, yeah, you got to give people credit. Like most people, most adults with diabetes can take care of their stuff. Like it's really just not even 5%, probably less than 1% of the time you you're going to need help. Help me like emergency help, emergency help, or like a reminder or whatnot. Well,
Scott Benner 1:16:08
let me play devil's advocate from it. Your husband talked about being burned out for a long time. What if you had some of the the burden? Maybe he would not have burned out like that? Is that possible?
Rebecca 1:16:20
I don't Yeah. I don't know. I mean, you really the you know, the dynamic relationship? Do you have to be conscious of that you? If your wife nagged you constantly? Yes. Bye about something? If, if Are you saying she does?
Scott Benner 1:16:36
It's her whole job? Oh, my personality? No, it's not a nag. Nag is the wrong word, constant input on what I'm doing. And what's the difference? I don't know, constant input. Like why you don't want an input this way. Now, if I mentioned something to her, if I'd be like, Hey, why are you doing it like that? She will judge me.
Rebecca 1:16:59
I mean, I can't even count on it. I can count. I mean, probably 10,000 times we're like, Hey, did you take your insulin to take her insulin? Like? Yes, I, but I wasn't like, what's your aim and see what you know, your blood sugar right now? Like, I wasn't sitting over his shoulder while he was poking his finger? You know?
Scott Benner 1:17:14
No, look, I'm not judging. First of all, I'm not judging you. And I'm not saying there's a right way to do it. I'm just asking questions. Yeah,
Rebecca 1:17:20
I just Yeah, I just, I don't know. I feel like you know, when you're, and again, I didn't know what I didn't know. Like,
Scott Benner 1:17:28
yeah, no, I know, you're a much more informed person today than you were a year and a half ago, for sure.
Rebecca 1:17:36
Oh, sure. And actually even says, he's like, well, well, and now he's like, you get it now. And I'm like, Well, I don't know. I don't I don't have diabetes, so I don't fully get it. But caregiving for someone with diabetes, at the level you need to care for a child. I definitely get well, well, that all the numbers mean and all that.
Scott Benner 1:17:54
That's an interesting statement from him. Did he think, why am I going to bother sharing it with somebody who doesn't understand it?
Rebecca 1:18:00
Maybe. And I but I also, I mean, I'm a I'm a sciency. person, I probably would understand if I if you wanted me to like if you wanted to share that much with me. You
Scott Benner 1:18:10
know what blame here is? This is his fault. I gotcha. All right. Yeah. He's I like it. He should have asked Damn it.
Rebecca 1:18:17
Yeah, yeah. You can edit this all out?
Scott Benner 1:18:20
No, what do you hear me? This is fantastic. He's not gonna listen. And your sister's not gonna tell him? She hates him anyway. I mean, not hates him. But
Rebecca 1:18:28
no, he doesn't actually I've sent him a couple episodes about complications and other things. And um, yeah, he had to say does not listen. Are you Catholic? Rebecca? I am not my mother is so maybe I have this like, I liked
Scott Benner 1:18:41
the way your Catholic guilt. Yeah. Like you're like, I could guilt him remotely with a podcast. This would work.
Rebecca 1:18:49
Maybe it wasn't to this one. How many of you are using
Scott Benner 1:18:51
the podcast that guilt people digitally? Is that
Rebecca 1:18:55
true? I have sent him several. Like, or one. There was one with a dad on it that I was like, I wonder if you'd get this? Because he was a stay at home dad for a long time. I was like, This guy's a stay at home dad and you might get him.
Scott Benner 1:19:08
This guy's a freeloader, so no, I'm just kidding. I wasn't there.
Rebecca 1:19:11
anymore. He was a stay at home dad when our kids were little though. Oh, that's
Scott Benner 1:19:14
nice. He seems like a good guy. Yeah, I'd be thrilled to talk to your husband.
Rebecca 1:19:19
Yeah, I don't know if I could give him no way he do it but I got a not a chance doesn't need
Scott Benner 1:19:25
to be him. Any guy like your husband?
Rebecca 1:19:29
Yeah, all his dark ages have diabetes. And all the crazy thing he did is in his 20s and not having the information because there were no CGM. Sure,
Scott Benner 1:19:36
no. I mean, even just the even just the the overall attitude towards diabetes. I'd love to pick through that with somebody who's had it for decades. I think it's interesting. So anyway, all right. Well, Rebecca, you were terrific. Thank you very much. Thank you. I really do appreciate it. Would you hold on for one moment for me?
Unknown Speaker 1:19:54
Yeah, sure. Thank you.
Scott Benner 1:20:03
Well, let's thank Rebecca for coming on the show and sharing her story. And of course, we want to thank the sponsors Dexcom, makers of the Dexcom G seven dexcom.com. Forward slash juice box. And us med us med.com forward slash juicebox or call 888-721-1514. There are links in the show notes of all the audio players you're listening in right now. And at juicebox podcast.com, to us med Dexcom, and all of the sponsors. When you click on those links, you're supporting the production of the show and helping to keep it free and plentiful.
If you have type two or pre diabetes, that type two diabetes Pro Tip series from the Juicebox Podcast is exactly what you're looking for. Do you have a friend or a family member who is struggling to understand their type two and how to manage it? This series is for them. seven episodes to get you on track and up to speed. Episode 860 series intro 864 guilt and shame episode 869 medical team 874 fuelling plan, Episode 880 diabetes technology episode 85 GLP ones metformin and insulin and an episode 889 We talk about movement. This episode is with me and Jenny Smith. Of course you know Jenny is a certified diabetes care and education specialist. She is a registered and licensed dietitian and Jenny has had type one diabetes for over 30 years. Too many people don't understand their type two diabetes. And this series aims to fix that, share it with a friend or get started today. Once there was a time when I just told people if you want a low and stable a one C just listen to the Juicebox Podcast. But as the years went on, and the podcast episodes grew, it became more and more difficult for people to listen to everyone. So I made the diabetes Pro Tip series. This series is with me and Jenny Smith. Jenny is a Certified diabetes Care and Education Specialist. She's also a registered and licensed dietitian and a type one herself for over 30 years and I of course am the father of a child who was diagnosed at age two in 2006. The Pro Tip series begins at episode 210 with an episode called newly diagnosed or starting over and from there all about MDI Pre-Bolus Singh insulin pumping, pumping and nudging variables exercise illness, injury surgeries glucagon long term health bumping and nudging how to explain type one to your family. Postpartum honeymoon transitioning all about insulin Temp Basal. These are all different episodes setting your Basal insulin, fat and protein pregnancy, the glycemic index and load and so much more like female hormones and weight loss. Head now to juicebox podcast.com. Go up in the menu at the top and click on diabetes pro tip. Or if you're in the private Facebook group, there's a list of these episodes right in the feature tab. Find out how I help keep my daughter's a one C between five two and six two for the last 10 years without diet restrictions juicebox podcast.com Start listening today. It's absolutely free.
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#973 Diabetes Myths: They are Hiding the Cure
A brand new series examining the myths surrounding diabetes.
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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 973 of the Juicebox Podcast
just like that Jenny's back, and we're gonna do another diabetes myth today, today's myth is that there's a cure and they're hiding it. They, whoever they are, are hiding the cure from you. They have it, but they won't let you see it. We're gonna talk about that today. While you're listening. Please remember 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. Save 40% off your entire order at cosy earth.com and use the offer code juicebox. Get a free year's supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first order at drink ag one.com forward slash juicebox and please don't forget to use the links for on the pod decks comm us med all the sponsors. They're right there in the show notes of your podcast player and at juicebox podcast.com. Jenny Smith works at Integrated diabetes and you can hire her at integrated diabetes.com Don't forget to check out the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes doesn't matter if you have type one, type two Lada doesn't matter how you eat, everyone is welcome. Great conversations happening right now. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by touched by type one, and I'm about to speak at the next live touched by type one event. Sometime during this episode. I'm gonna give you all the details about that free event that's coming up soon in September of 2023. Come out and see me while you touched by type one.org. Okay, we are recording. Alright, Jenny, we are back to do another diabetes myth. And because yeah, you and I were just chit chatting. I don't have the document open. So just give me a second here to open that up. And let's see what we have done so far. A lot. We have done. We have we're getting through it. We're doing we're doing well. We did last week we did. The big one was that there are no diet restrict or excuse me that diet type ones have a specific diet restriction. And we talked all through that. So then we did complications are inevitable that blood sugars don't alter how you think. So today? Oh, you're ready to be snarky. Huh, good. I think we're gonna have to be a little snarky during this one. Okay. That there is a cure for diabetes, and it's being hidden from us.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:55
Oh, yeah. So that's such a hard one. Yes, honestly. And I don't I mean, it's, it's like a deep, dark, scary rabbit hole. If you're going to go down and talk about that. I mean, we know what we know. What I find astounding, personally, and kind of professionally or clinically, is that there are really cool things that come out, right? Like if this proved to be beneficial, yes, rats, or whatever they're studying it in. But we're planning to move into human trials. And you never end up hearing about those. And where did where did this product go to? Or where did this, you know, procedure? Where did it end up? Why is it not going any further. And there may be a very good reason that it never went to human trial that it never went any further and thus we never hear about it again. Right? But I think that's where maybe the myth comes from is, you hear something here like, wow, that's gonna be awesome. And then five years later, it's gone. It's a poof, gone. Where did the person disappear to?
Scott Benner 4:11
So what it reminds me of, and so I listen, I'll just say right now. That's it. That's a conspiracy theory. Right? Like, that's genuinely what that is and letter of the law. None of us know for sure. Maybe there are five really wealthy people who have been cured of their type one diabetes, we wouldn't know about it if that had happened. But it seems unlikely to me. But I think it gets perpetuated. First of all, because I think people's minds, like thinking about conspiracy stuff. I think it's kind of fun, right? But there's that story. I think everyone's heard a version of a story like this growing up. The one that was told to me was that, you know, decades ago, a guy invented a light bulb that never burned out. And he was super excited. And so he took it to a big probably General Electric or something like that went into a meeting. I had all this stuff, they're here with my light bulb samples, here's my, my work all my notes. I've made a light bulb that won't burn out. And they said, thank you very much, wrote him a check, took all this stuff and lit it on fire in front of him. Right, right. So that's the story that they told. And it's a, I don't know if it's a real story, or if it's a wives tale, but it's the idea of like, why would the company make light bulbs that don't burn out, they sell, they sell light bulbs, they want to keep making light bulbs. And then that's what happens around this. Why would a pharma company, you know, put themselves out of business, they're selling insulin. But here's the here's the thing, though, the people who sell the insulin, they're not the people who are looking for ways to cure diseases. That's not That's not the job's not the business they're in. Right, right. Now, somebody's gonna say, Okay, well, yeah, but they pay it off people and they're doing I don't know if that's happening or not. Let's be honest, that nobody knows for sure. But the way I always end up thinking about it is is that I don't know, when large amounts of people are involved in the conspiracy. It's difficult to keep it quiet. Like, you know what I mean? Like, do you think if there was a way to think about it? Yeah. Like, if there was really a cure for diabetes? Someone wouldn't whistleblow that. You know what I mean? Like, it would just take one guy with type one to know that to be like, Yo, and then I don't know.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:24
No, I yeah, I, I can see both sides. Yeah, I really can see both sides, I can see the standpoint of, as you said, the person or the business side of it selling, not really having any idea what's going on in the research side, they're just selling a product. I mean, it is a business, right? Well, whether it's technology or a medication or whatever, it's a business, sell the medication, right, get more users of this brand of insulin versus that brand of insulin, right. And I don't think any company wants to put themselves out of business. But that doesn't mean that they're going behind the scenes necessarily, and preventing research that could prove to many, many people an increase in quality of life from not having to manage like we do
Scott Benner 7:22
so. So oil companies aren't trying to figure out how to make electric cars, for example, but that doesn't mean that they're falsely propping up the gasoline industry. They're just that's not where they're putting their efforts. So that's the one thing so you know, people said, Hey, there's a secret cure, and Big Pharma doesn't want you to know about it. This is the thing that comes up so frequently online, like people, there are a number of people who are ultra sure that this is being kept from, it's why I put it in here, and I brought it up. Now, the next person says that it's even a myth that they're even working on a cure. And they say they again, like who the hell help, as you know,
Unknown Speaker 8:03
they right.
Scott Benner 8:04
But there are plenty of researchers out there working on cures for all kinds of things. Do they think they're going to come up with one? I don't know. I really don't know. Maybe they're just dorky lab, people who are going to make a living off of working on stuff for a lifetime. And maybe they literally think they're gonna get to it and etc. But it's happening. I've actually spoken to the people who are doing it like there are people working on it. I don't know that that means they're gonna figure it out. Right. And so I think that where that kind of comes like to ahead is the thing that almost everybody has been told, right. And I mean, I'm sure somebody said it to you and you were diagnosed, they said it to me when Arden was diagnosed, don't worry, a cure is like five years away. Touched by type one is a longtime sponsor of the Juicebox Podcast. And they are the people who gave me my very first chance to speak live to people living with diabetes. And I'm back at their event again, this year. Now go to touched by type one.org. Click on programs, then go to annual conference. And you're going to see that our free conference for individuals of all ages and backgrounds is coming up on September 16 2023. And the registration is open. The button is here and you can click it click on it. Click. I did it. It's free. What'd I just say? Registration is free. The entire day is free. I think they even feed you touched by type one.org. And I'm going to be there giving my talk he talks and guess who else I hear is going to be there. A little bird told me Jenny Smith is going to be there and know what is this? Jenny and Scott in Orlando on September 16 2023 for free. Are you kidding me? What are you people doing still listen been touched by type one.org. Get over there. It can it fill up? I think it could you know what I'm saying? Like don't wait. Yes. Do we know where that number came from?
Jennifer Smith, CDE 10:15
That's, I have. I've looked, honestly, I've looked where did it because when I was diagnosed, so many years ago, it was five to seven. That's what they're saying. That was the consistent thing that I heard all the way up until the point that I left for college. I heard five to seven years, five to seven years. So where did this random like? And where's their research? Like? Where are they getting it from? to actually pull a number like five to seven years? We're going to have a cure? I don't know. Yeah, they pulled it out of the atmosphere is? That's my honest belief. So
Scott Benner 10:55
my, my expectation is, it's an amalgam of things. So at some time, somebody must have said, well, there's this thing we're working on. And when we get over this last problem, it'll take us about five more years to get it out to the general public, right? And then someone hears that and goes, Oh, it's five years away. Correct. And then it's whisper down the lane. And then before you know it, you're in a room with a nurse who has been a nurse for two weeks, and she wants to be comforting to you, I guess it could be He, they want to be comforting to you. And they say a thing. This is where I think this comes from, I think it's meant to be comforting. That's really what I think, you know, yes. So
Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:33
absolutely. No, that's a very valid point. I think that's also what my, what my doctor, when I was first diagnosed, was probably trying to comfort my parents. And, you know, I was old enough at that point, to also have an understanding of what life with diabetes was going to look like and was in, you know, what I had to do. And so maybe it was also for my earshot, to hear something that was good. Like, you're not going to have to deal with this forever, just hunker down, and do what we're telling you do for a little bit of time. And then you'll get here, right?
Scott Benner 12:11
And then five years from now will tell you just it's probably just five more years like that. Yeah. Now the unintended, like significant health consequence of telling a person that this thing they were just diagnosed with, is going to go away in five years. Do you? Are you thinking the same thing? I'm thinking it's people then don't take care of themselves? Because they think it's temporary?
Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:32
Could be Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's the reason that when I heard that, from the beginning, I never really, I never took that, despite it coming from a clinician in a white coat in a very professional, you know, office space, my age, I just didn't take it for anything. I was like, I hear this great, whatever. But mom and dad are taking all the education that they were putting in, you know, to effect and teaching me how to use it incorporate into my life. And that was, that was what I did. The idea of something that was so unknown in what it could potentially be five to seven years from now. I don't think I even really considered that it was just do this, do this. And it means that I can do the other things in life that I've always been doing, and that I always want to do. But I think you're right. If somebody hears that in just a short time, maybe I don't have to really pay attention, because eventually, something's going to take care of this for me. So I just have to make it through enough.
Scott Benner 13:41
I've heard that from a number of people I've interviewed, it's one of the sadder things like Oh, it got away from me because I thought it wasn't going to be forever and then my health got worse and that and I didn't know really how to take care of it. So it all snowballed from there. Listen, generally speaking, I think people would think of me as cynical. I'm not cynical, I think of myself as realistic. Except this got the better of me when art was first diagnosed. So in a normal situation, if you told me don't worry, people are going to come up with a matte like they're going to, like, make a thing on the Earth that doesn't exist anymore, I'd say probably not. You know, like, as a species, we're not running around, inventing things constantly and making diseases go away. I wouldn't believe that. But when Arlen was diagnosed, and she was just a baby, the first time I saw one of those, those online things about a mice, you know, we cured a mouse and we're gonna move to human trials. We just have to fundraise a little bit like you know, it made it sound like they were just a check away from it happening. I went to my wife and another room, I was crying. Like I said, I said to her, how lucky are we that Arden was diagnosed with type one diabetes just a year before it was going to be cured? And that's actually how it felt. And so I for years, I go online around that time of year when everybody's out fundraising and I remind people this is just just this is them doing business, they're trying to make money to keep their lab going. They are not almost to a cure.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:06
Right, which is, I think it's fair and very important, to be honest about that, to be honest about we are fundraising for the company is the labs that are actually doing the work. We don't know how far they are in their work, but we have to continue their work. So your donations, your fundraising, will allow them to keep moving further in their research. But it doesn't mean that anything is right around the corner. No. And I think that's the hard thing. That's the hard thing to swallow, when you may be writing a cheque that you think is going to further it by leaps and bounds or sooner,
Scott Benner 15:48
yeah, plus, you have to make a decision about where to send that money, because and all those people are involved in a sales, that's a sales job to them, but they don't say come up with an idea. They think if we can put enough money into this, and time and effort, we're gonna get to something, most of them are going to be wrong. Like most of them are going to get to the end of their research and go up that didn't work. This didn't work or something else is going to come out of it. I think it's it's funny, though, because as I looked through people's comments, you know, 10 years ago, somebody told me 10 years, that was an 87, this person says 63 years, I've had type one diabetes, and people have been telling me since I was a teenager, it's gonna go away. Right? But where I get like, kind of sad, is that this person writes that a curious five years away, please stop blowing smoke up my ass, right? And you think, Okay, this is a person in line with what you and I are talking about. But then the rest of what they say My husband used to say there's no money in a cure. And I think that's how people feel. I don't honestly think that's right, though. I think if you could cure type one diabetes, there's money to be had. And, and my example will be prevention bio. Came up with tz yield, right? Yes. Which just is at this point, they just think it slows the onset of type one diabetes, right? By a fair amount? Yeah, no, no, it's exciting. But that's not my point. My point is that prevention BIOS sold themselves to Sanofi diabetes for $3 billion. That's money it like, I don't know, I don't have a billion dollars. So like, so there is money in that kind of stuff. Right? You know what I mean? Like it's, and I that's, I think,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 17:29
the point that you're also making is that it's not a fault of the company to further what they're trying to do and who they're trying to reach, there is still there's a goodness component there to what they're trying to do. And just because they sold and made money on it from a business side, they also sold to a much larger company that could potentially potentially propel it forward with much more strength than the small little company could potentially do
Scott Benner 18:00
those people, we're never going to be able to move it like that. Yeah, it's you need big entities that have the pockets to say, let's take a shot at this and see what we can do a company that if it doesn't go right, isn't going to fold for the $3 billion that they spent, which is crazy, right? But which
Jennifer Smith, CDE 18:15
then folds everything that they have worked to put together thus
Scott Benner 18:19
far. They also make insulin and other things. And I think similarly, in that vein, like, Listen, I'm, I'm not a cheerleader for the JDRF one way or the other. But when they started saying, you know that they were focusing on supporting people with diabetes, and helping them be healthy. I thought that was terrific. But that was met with a lot of backlash from people who were like, No, you promised a cure. Right? Like and that and they said, look, I mean, we're gonna start putting money into other things. And that made people upset, but some of the money they put into it led to some of these algorithms and to see GMs and great, not on this curse, but a lot of good stuff. Yeah,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 18:58
absolutely. Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. I mean, in terms of fundraising, fundraising, can go many different avenues, right, it can go for more money to a particular scientists doing something that's really proving to be valuable thus far, and some of the money might go to support programs that bring families together so that you get to know other people who have diabetes, as well. And some of the money might go to, you know, underserved in a way that gives them more education and gives them more opportunity to understand and live well. So you have to look at the broad scope of where donations may go is not all going in one direction, nor do I think it should.
Scott Benner 19:44
But I just listen I personally believe that you know, I hear people sometimes complain about like, oh, the CEO of this company, they give you seen how much money they make, and I'm like that's, that's the person you want in charge of this. Like a person who wants to make money knows how to make The Business powerful so that it can make money like you want what the good that comes from that, that, you know, in health, but you can't have like some, like, you know, some lady smelling like petroleum oil can't, it might isn't going to make the whole thing happy. She was like, I want everybody to have everything for free. That's great. We got to build an infrastructure, we gotta hire people, we need to sell something so we can afford to keep the lights on like that all has to happen to right. But you know, back to the idea of the cure thing. And I get it. Like I get when people say that I get when people speak the way I talk, I'm not like, I'm not defending it one way or the other. I started off by saying, that wouldn't surprise me if there were aliens in a bunker somewhere. And that fiber optics were from something we learned from a spaceship and that Bigfoot didn't exist in Canada and etc, and so on. Like, if you showed me that stuff, I'd be like, ah, that's crazy. But yeah, okay. Yeah, I totally get it. Right. Yeah. And by the way, if those things don't exist, I get I get the flux that we're in here. But right, my bigger point, I think, is that for your overall health and happiness, whether it's true one way or the other, it's not healthy for you to sit around angry thinking, someone's keeping this from me. Because if they are, you're not getting it anyway. And if they're not, you're just worried about something, you're
Jennifer Smith, CDE 21:20
worried about something. And I, you know, I think the first time I can remember, like in my life, or my history with diabetes, of thinking down this conspiracy Avenue, was when I went to a, it was like a science based presentation. The JDRF had a group that provided new new technology information and what could be coming down the pipeline. It also had new scientific, like exploration into not necessarily cures, but more therapeutic kinds of things. And there was a scientist who came, and he presented on something that I think it was called smart insulin. And he, his presentation was phenomenal. To me, it was the idea of taking like an injection of Day of one kind of insulin that based on almost like a almost like a thermometer gauge in your body, the insulin would turn on at a certain level of glucose saturation. And it would turn off its effect based on a lower level of glucose in in the body, right? And it my first consideration to where did this go, because he had really good research. And then a year out, I went back and I remembered the presentation, I looked up information and like, where's the Cisco? Like, it's gone, like, go thinking, well, either somebody like stomped on this, or it proved to not be beneficial. So they didn't get to go forward with it. But I don't know. Like, where did it go? Who knows? So that was my first thought into.
Scott Benner 23:05
But some of the people here are thinking, yeah, yeah, well, it showed some promise. And one of the big insulin manufacturers came in and bought it and set it on fire because they don't want that. Meanwhile, you could sell smart insulin the same way you would sell other right. But anyway, I all finished with this. nearly 15 years ago, I did an interview when I only had a blog with a company who was working on implanting cells in a pouch and the pouch would stop your immune system from getting to the cells and attacking it. They make this little insertion put the pouch under you and it would this thing would act like a like a pancreas. Right? And when I was interviewing them, I said, so I said, just pretend for a minute. We got it all figured out today, right today. When do we see this? And he's and he really thought and he goes have 15 years maybe? And I was like I'm like, Wait, not what I meant was all the science is done. It's good. When do people hold it in their hands? He goes, Yeah, about 15 years. And he's like, you know, manufacturing, procuring the cells he'd like we'd have to start places to, you know, make the cells like all this stuff. And by the way, that thing still exists. I interviewed somebody in a trial for that recently. It was a blind study. So she wasn't sure if she got like, they cut her open, they cut some people are gonna put fake pouches in them, right? Because that's how the studies were. But she's like, I had the cells, I was barely using any insulin a couple months into it. So so it was working. And now other companies are figuring out ways to do that. And like, I mean, one of the big ideas there, the problem was at first, like your immune system would come after the cells. So they actually made a mesh that your immune system kind of like couldn't see through. But the cells could work to get out. I mean, I don't know all the technical words, but But point is is that it takes So long as time. And so like, I don't,
Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:03
not to mention approval, I mean, you have a, you have to have enough data points of information to even submit for potential approval for something like this. I mean, you know, things like insulin pumps outside the body or one thing, something that you're actually having to be invasive and cut into somebody, which could potentially trigger a reaction that you don't know is coming from that individual, you're gonna you have to have enough research that says in, you know, 99.9% of people, it has no detrimental effect
Scott Benner 25:36
also, no, it's not a forever thing, you have to get opened up, and it has to come out and they have to replace it sometimes. So like, there's a lot there. But and it's funny at the time, I asked my daughter, what would you think of that? And she said, I wouldn't do that. And I was like, okay, she goes, I don't want to go to a doctor's office every six months and have an incision made to like, she's like, I don't think I would do that. The first I would agree with her. And the person who had it done said it was fantastic. So even like, can you imagine working for 25 years to come up with something, you bring it to market? And people go? No, no, thanks. Anyway, I don't know what's real and what's not. But what I think is that you don't do yourself any favors by torturing yourself about one way or the other. Correct. What I usually tell people is that when they asked me if I think there'll be a cure for diabetes, which is a question that oddly, I get asked a lot. I say, I don't think there will ever be a cure in my lifetime. But I live like, there. I live like there won't be I hope, like there will be. So I take care of my daughter as if this is what that what it is. This is what it is. Yeah. And but I don't ever lose hope of it. Like it wouldn't surprise me. You know, like if somebody figured something out eventually. But you know, in a world where, you know, people have inflammation and they have joint pain from inflammation, and we can't figure out how to stop that. Like, this seems like a much bigger problem to me. So Correct. Anyway, yeah. Appreciate you doing this with me.
Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:05
Of course, yes.
Scott Benner 27:11
Jennifer Smith works at integrated diabetes.com. Go check her out, will you won't you, won't you please. I don't even I don't even know what I meant to say there. And don't forget touched by type one.org. The big event is coming up on September 16. It is free for everyone who lives with or is touched by type one. Head over there now and get your spot. Go hit that Register Now button. Do not wait. It will fill up. It has amazing speakers at it. I mean, of course it's gonna fill up. Wait, do you see when we're all in a room together? How much fun is going to be touched by type one.org I'm going to ask you to check out the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, go become a member get involved in the conversation. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. When you support the Juicebox Podcast by clicking on the advertisers links, you are helping to keep the show free and plentiful. I am certainly not asking you to buy something that you don't want. But if you're going to buy something, or use the device from one of the advertisers, getting your purchases set up through my links is incredibly helpful. So if you have the desire or the need, please consider using Juicebox Podcast links to make your purchases
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#972 Glass Half Full
Karen has type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto's.
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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 972 of the Juicebox Podcast.
On today's show I'll be speaking with Karen, she's an Air Force veteran, a doctor practicing family medicine she has type one diabetes, and Hashimotos. While you're listening today, please remember 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 are becoming bold with insulin. Interested in getting started with Dexcom dexcom.com forward slash juicebox want to save 40% off of comfortable sheets clothing and towels cozy earth.com Use the offer go juice box at checkout. If you're looking for a free year's supply of vitamin D, and five free travel packs with your first order, drink a G one.com. Forward slash juice box links to all of the sponsors are in the show notes of the audio app you're listening in right now. And at juicebox podcast.com. When you click on my links you are in fact supporting the show. And I cannot thank you enough for that. I do have some time left here. So let me remind you about the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes 40,000 members and climbing every day. There's a conversation happening right now that you would love
this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod makers of the Omni pod dash and the Omni pod five, use my link to get started Omni pod.com forward slash juicebox Omni pod is tubeless and reliable and the insulin pump that my daughter has been using for 15 years Omni pod.com forward slash Juicebox Podcast is also sponsored today by another device that I see around my house. That contour meters. Oh goodness me. Today's episode is sponsored by the contour next gen blood glucose meter, contour next.com For slash juicebox. A meter should be a couple of things. It should have a bright light, it should be accurate, it should be easy to hold and easy to read. If you agree, then you also want a contour meter contour next.com forward slash juicebox.
Karen 2:24
Hey, everyone. My name is Karen. I always say I'm the good guy, not the bad guy and I am 27 years old. I was diagnosed with type one diabetes when I was 23. I am currently in my second year of training in family medicine. So I'm basically in my specialty training. I'm a doctor. I'm also a Air Force veteran and married to an active duty Air Force officer who's currently stationed in Las Vegas. And yeah, that's me.
Scott Benner 2:58
All right. So you're okay, you're 27 you're an Air Force that you've had diabetes for about four years. You already have your MD But you're still working towards it or you are? Or like where are you at in that training? I'm sorry.
Karen 3:15
Yeah, so I went to four years of medical school, so I graduated two years ago. And then once you complete medical school, you generally do a couple years of specialty training, and a specific area of medicine. So some people will go into surgery, some people go into pediatrics, some people go into internal medicine, I My specialty is family medicine. So we like to say we take care of all age, basically from birth to grave, it's the whole age group that we take care of. So I have the pleasure of getting to take care of members of an entire family, which is just a really unique part of our specialty. So I am an MD But I'm in my second year of family medicine training.
Scott Benner 3:58
This seems brilliant to me. Almost like it's funny that the parallel I was about the choose, I need to pick a different one. Hold on. I was almost like, like an online model, like business model. Like if you ever, ever heard somebody say like, look, I don't need 20,000 customers, I just need 1500 People who are who come see me every month. And so like you you might end up with like a smaller group of people, but actually stay with them for their whole life is that about how that ends up going?
Karen 4:31
That is potentially how it can end up going if you stay in the same area for a long period of time. Some of my more senior like faculty members have taken care of families for like 40 or 50 years and you know, they take care of grandma, they take care of mom and then even you know moms babies and so it's you can literally take care of multiple generations of my family
Scott Benner 4:56
that can see the benefit in that too like just off the top of my Add if your grandmother has hyperthyroidism, and you come in and you show you're showing signs of it may, the doctor might like kind of like light up a bulb in their head faster than if you just came in. And they didn't know any of your family history like that. Central. Yeah. Interesting. What made you what made you choose that? What made you want to be a doctor? I guess first of all?
Karen 5:23
Yeah, so I think it's like a really long story. But coming out of high school, I always had more of a personality trait of caring for others, and really wanting to take care of others. And that just kind of slowly developed over my time when I was in college. And now it's just most more so like, I really do enjoy taking care of people from a health perspective and helping people live the happiest life that they can live through their health is what brings me a lot of pleasure and joy. And I think that's one of the reasons why I went into medicine because as we invited me, as we kind of get older, a lot of things that prevent us from really enjoying life to the fullest is our health. Unfortunately, you know, some people struggle with like, you know, chronic pain as they get older or chronic disease. And if I can help people live a better and healthier life so that they can have a happy, more functional life as they get older. That just brings me a lot of pleasure and happiness.
Scott Benner 6:23
But it's such a I mean, it was it's obviously the answer you're hoping for when you ask somebody that question, you know, not like, Well, Scott, I enjoy being in power. And and I know for sure, because I know a handful of doctors, they wouldn't tell anybody to become a doctor at this point. So it wasn't because people were telling you, it's great to get into right.
Karen 6:44
Yeah, I mean, we work a lot of hours, we obtain a lot of debt. Yes, that's true. But I'm lucky family medicine we actually don't get we don't have to deal with that very often. We're one of like the least the specialties that deal with that issue the least often.
Scott Benner 7:03
Oh, that's really interesting.
Karen 7:06
So I think, Oh, I'm
Scott Benner 7:07
sorry, I spoke every
Karen 7:10
Oh, no, I think it's just because we have a really good continuity of care with our patients. So they we know them, they know us. So it's, I feel like that is probably a contributing factor. So
Scott Benner 7:22
explain. Explain to me. You graduate from high school. Do you go right into the Air Force?
Karen 7:27
Yeah. So I went to one of the military academies. I went to Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Are you familiar with the Naval Academy or West Point?
Scott Benner 7:38
I've seen a lot of movies and television shows where they talk about them. So yeah, familiar enough. So essentially,
Karen 7:45
that's where I went to, that's where I got my college degree from. I essentially went to a military college is kind of the way you can put it and one of the main officer training programs into the Air Force, okay. And it does tend to like ROTC. So that's where I went, and my college was paid for. I had to, like wear a uniform to class every day, we had to like March information. But I had lots of other really cool opportunities there that you just wouldn't get anywhere else in the world. Yeah, that's where I went and I got my commission there and graduated, got my degree in biology, got a scholarship to medical school, and kind of went from Air Force to medical school here in North Carolina.
Scott Benner 8:31
How long are you in the Air Force for? Are you are you still active or?
Karen 8:36
No, so that was at the diabetes is what ultimately, my Airforce journey? Yeah, what
Scott Benner 8:43
am I thinking they booted your ass right out of there. Okay.
Karen 8:49
So I made it into my second year of medical school. And that's when I kind of started noticing that something wasn't right. And that's when I was diagnosed. And I went through about a year and a half to two years of the medical evaluation board in the Air Force where, you know, if you something like this comes up, they like put you through a whole process where they see if you can, you know, even be in the military anymore. I think my process was prolonged because of COVID. Okay, yeah. And also, I was in a weird reserve status at the time. So there wasn't it wasn't as clean as a process. If I was on active duty,
Scott Benner 9:27
before the diabetes, was it your intention to stay in the reserves after you served your time?
Karen 9:32
I mean, it was my it was definitely my intention to be in the active duty Air Force as like a military doctor. That was my intention. So I would have graduated from medical school, gone from reserve status back to active, you know, done my residency in family medicine, but what I've done it through the air force,
Scott Benner 9:52
you know, Kevin, I've heard this story a number of times, and this is the first time it didn't make sense to me. Why the heck couldn't you be at Dr with type one diabetes, like just don't send your warzone. If they're that worried, do you know what I mean? Yeah. Did you make that argument?
Karen 10:09
I did make that. Unfortunately, the way the military views it is, I mean, what's an important part of, you know, our military is being prepared to go on deployments. And unfortunately, being on insulin makes you not deployable, because they out in the field can't safely keep insulin refrigerated. What happens if I hear the event?
Scott Benner 10:35
I want one of you has to stay back in Colorado and take care of people or whatever. I don't like this. Okay, that's fine. They'll Miss Yeah,
Karen 10:43
I, I think some things may change into the future. I think they recently, I heard that there was an Air Force Academy graduate, who got diagnosed with type one when he was at the academy who ended up commissioning. So I think things are changing. I was jealous. But I mean, he was in a different position than I was he had a lot more resources and leadership support to kind of help him get through that versus I kind of went through this entire process on my own. Because I was basically kind of a civilian at the time that this all happened, although, I was still considered a member of the Air Force.
Scott Benner 11:23
Okay, so you're, like halfway through medical school, when you get diagnosed? How does it present? And I'm dying to know how much of your, you know, education helped you, or if you were just as lost as everybody else when you were being diagnosed?
Karen 11:38
Yeah, so I will say I was completely lost. People think you're really smart of your medical school. But it's surprising, like how much you don't know. And I, you know, I'm still learning as much as I'm learning now. But so essentially, so I was diagnosed in August of 2018. So it's just at the kind of the beginning of my second year. And that's summer, I was like, I was thinking about it before I was talking to you. I just did not feel right that entire summer, prior to August, it first kind of notice just like some changes to my exercise tolerance, just seemed to be getting fatigued more quickly. And I was like, well, maybe I'm just like, really, really out of shape. Who knows. So I kind of was dealing with that for I'm not sure maybe about two months. And then I went into some training up in Ohio, for my Air Force stuff. So I was required to complete some training. And I did get a really, really bad viral cold there. I know, classic story. Got back from that training, went home to my parents house in California. And he came back and was, you know, getting medical school started back again, we kind of had a small break, and still having like, tiredness, then you know, it's started feeling more thirsty. And I was like, well, it's the fan in my room. It's July and
Scott Benner 13:04
the fans drying you out? Is that where you went to?
Karen 13:07
Yes. And of course, I started paying more because they're drinking so much water as the damn fan. Yeah. And then the hunger started, I was eating a lot. I was like, Well, this is so great. I'm hungry. I'm not gaining weight. Wonderful. And then in it was like two weeks into August, I noticed I stepped on the scale one day, I was like, wow, I've lost 15 pounds. That is not normal. And I all I've been doing is eating and continuing to my normal lifestyle. So that does not make any sense.
Scott Benner 13:45
Does that put your brain towards cancer? Once you finally say, Yeah, that's what happens. Right? You think I'm losing weight? And I shouldn't be Oh, God, I have cancer.
Karen 13:55
Exactly. And ironically, we're in the cancer unit of my medical school education. So I was terrified.
Scott Benner 14:05
Like, guess what, everybody gotta get some first aid experience off a Karen in a second. And so who exactly you go to the doctor, do you? This is interesting. You go to the doctor and you try to figure it out on your own.
Karen 14:15
So I did go to the doctor, I initially went so I went to my family medicine primary care doctor. And I thought it was my thyroid because I also have we didn't know until after I was diagnosed with type one that was Hashimotos. But I had hypothyroidism that I was diagnosed with when I was at Air Force. And so I was like, oh, maybe my thyroid is like really active. And that must have caused my 15 pound weight loss.
Scott Benner 14:42
Well, you know what, that's reasonable. I mean, I don't know about 15 pounds, but it's reasonable to think that your weight got knocked off course by thyroid. Okay.
Karen 14:50
All right. So I went and we checked my thyroid and that was, you know, that was fine. And then another two days went by and this by this time, it's a Friday. As something just wasn't sitting right with me. So I was at school and I was telling my friends about what was going on kind of had like a little bit of a breakdown because I was really scared. Sure. And we went, and we were calling a bunch of clinics around town trying to find a clinic that was open for me to go see somebody. And of course, I mean, I will, you know, agree with this Friday afternoon to get into a doctor's office very difficult. So we ended up talking to one of those school administrators or people who was one of the family doctors nearby. And I told her what was going on? And she's like, you know, does diabetes run in your family? I was like, No, it does not. And I hurt I sure hope that's not what's going on, because I'm gonna get kicked out of the Air Force. And she's like, Oh, okay. Like, I don't think that's what's going on. I think she was just trying to reassure me. And she ended up holding one of the residents at the family medicine clinic that I currently train at over for like a late afternoon appointment and sent me over there. And so I got into the office, they checked my blood sugar. It was like, in the four hundreds and my agency, I don't remember what it was, but it was definitely greater than 12. Oh, wow. When they checked it in the office?
Scott Benner 16:13
Well, okay. Well, that sucks. And so right away, I don't have cancer, but I'm out of the Air Force.
Karen 16:21
Yeah. And that was legitimately my first thought. And I said the F word. And I called my it was Max, my who's married to now but he was my boyfriend at the time, called him immediately. And I couldn't imagine what it must have felt like for him to be on the receiving end of that phone call. Because I was very upset and wasn't even thinking about what my health like was like that this was very serious. Because I frankly, I didn't know like, I was like, told my blood sugar was over 400. And I'm like, Well, what does that mean? Like, that's really high. But But yeah, is it was it?
Scott Benner 17:00
I don't know. You're probably so overwhelmed. This is gonna be a stupid question. But I mean, was there ever a moment when you thought, Jesus, I'm in medical school? And I didn't, I didn't know about any of this.
Karen 17:10
I think about that a lot. Now, I'm like, How did I not know about but not at the moment? Right. Right. And I will, I hadn't had my endocrinology block yet. I hadn't later. But yeah, I had no idea. Like, I had no idea what a high or low blood sugar was, like, the first year of medical school is much more like basic sciences based versus clinical based. So I just had no context for any of that information.
Scott Benner 17:39
Yeah, in fairness, Arden's going to fashion school. And she said, I don't think anything about fashion is happening in my first year of college. And not much. Not much different. Right. Like you're getting the basics down and, and the whole thing, and your was your boyfriend at that point.
Karen 17:55
Yes. Maybe we had been together, I think for about three years at that time.
Scott Benner 18:00
Okay. So he under so he very uniquely understands the loss of of the of the Air Force, whereas somebody else who's not serving wouldn't have, right and was there ever conversations like oh, well, like stay in the air force together. Like that, it kind of put a wrench in what you were thinking about doing. Beyond the obvious stuff.
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Karen 22:00
I think yeah, I think we did mention that we were both going to do our Air Force commitments I didn't. At this point. I don't know if we would ever thinking about doing a career. But that was definitely a part of our plan was for us to eventually I would complete my training, we would either I would continue with my commitment in the Air Force, and he would finish up his or we would do it together. So did it kind of change things. But ultimately, I think, you know, in the end, if you want to look at the big picture, everything kind of works out the way it's supposed to be. And I think it would have been very difficult for both of us to stay in the air force in the career fields that we are the Air Force, I mean does try their very best to keep spouses and families together. If you're you know, your both of your jobs can be placed at the same base, but knowing what his job is he he's a pilot and what my job would have been being a physician it would have been I think kind of very difficult for us to be at the same place. So I think you know, everything kind of works out for the way it's supposed to and this was not a great way to get out of the military but maybe it that that was the silver lining of it all is to me it makes our lives a little bit easier.
Scott Benner 23:13
Did it impact how you were paying for college though? It did. She's had cost diabetes cost you more than everybody else? Like everybody's like insulin is expensive here like yeah, plus medical school. Oh, wow.
Karen 23:27
Exactly.
Scott Benner 23:27
Oh my god. Oh, that's super sucks. Oh my god. Terrible. I would but you don't know. I'm so cheap. I would have been in the hospital people would have been like you have diabetes. My brain would have went oh my god, I'm out of the airforce. Oh my god, I gotta pay for medical school. Like I would have been like in 30 seconds to that thought like, Oh, no. Oh, that sucks. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Okay. Oh, it's not okay. What do you mean? It's okay. It's horrible. I mean, half of medical school. Can you tell me where you're enrolled?
Karen 24:02
I went to Wake Forest School of Medicine. Sounds expensive. It was very expensive, but I had a great aunt she she
Scott Benner 24:13
well, you're really hot. You're like a glass half full person. Huh? I am. Yeah, I would definitely be like this is both I am being screwed in every direction right now. Like you didn't you didn't have any. Oh, well, I'll ask you. You didn't have any feelings like that? Are you did?
Karen 24:31
Oh, I did. I I was very angry for a long time about about like, what happened the like how like, life is unfair. I had like my life planned out. I served my country. I was going into medicine. Like why did this happen to be? So I did go through that. Oh my god. I only really recently kind of I only went to two sessions but she was is very helpful. I saw a psychologist who specializes in managing adults with chronic illness, specifically cystic fibrosis and type one. And she was very helpful in kind of getting over those feelings. And like, coming to acceptance that my life has changed. This is my life now. We're not going backwards. All we can do is move forwards. And now I feel much more at peace. Yeah, what happened?
Scott Benner 25:29
Well, that that person must be a genius because I just Googled it. And we're talking mid 60s a year. Am I right? Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Those people better get good and sick when you become their doctrine come every week.
Karen 25:44
Yes, please go to your appointment. Yeah,
Scott Benner 25:47
you might you might be the first doctor with a tip jar out front. Feel you've got an excellent service. Nothing wrong with putting its money in the jar in your way. Karen's got bills. Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry. Okay. To go backwards really far for a second. The idea of calling someone to Karen is only a few years old. Isn't that right? Yeah, right. Yeah. Did it kind of started around the time of the lady in the park? Right, where she acted scared of a guy and the guy was like, I'm not even talking to you. And then she like flipped.
Karen 26:21
I call the police. Yeah, like, it's
Scott Benner 26:22
right around that time. I think it's right around that time, like 2020 or so. Did that actually have an impact on your life?
Karen 26:30
Not really. So I always feel like Karen has been one of those names that people joke about a lot. Mostly if you think of mean girls. Oh, have you seen them?
Scott Benner 26:40
Listen, Karen, let's not make me admit on the podcast that I've seen Mean Girls. Okay. But yeah. Are you gonna admit it? I've definitely seen me girls. Yes.
Karen 26:50
So I always feel like Karen has always been one of those names. It's always kind of been on the route end of a joke. So it's been this way my entire life. But yeah, the Karen thing that happened back in the light would have Yeah, like you were saying 2020 Now I just kind of get out in front of it. And people think it's funny. I'm like, I'm carried on the go guide. So I get out in front of it before anybody else can own it. I just Oh, my name.
Scott Benner 27:13
Your Why are you so um, pleasant? I'm being serious, not being sarcastic upbringing, scared of Jesus. Somebody, like Did something happen? Like, seriously, you're a really pleasant person. But tell me how that happened to you? No, no, no. Yeah. First of all, you're welcome. It's it's, I think it's a hell of a compliment. And I mean it. But I mean, like, I'm not as pleasant as you. But why not? Like, if I grew up in your house? Would I have been? Is it just your disposition? Like, I'm serious? You don't know Do you
Karen 27:44
probably get mixed up. I mean, I think it's like a mix of like the environment. And like, what I've experienced in life kind of up to this point, I feel like I've experienced a lot of different things. And for 27 year old upbringing, for sure. I don't come from a religious background at all. But my, my mom always taught me to kill people with kindness. So
Scott Benner 28:06
you're not acting when you're talking though? This is who you are.
Karen 28:09
No, this is who I am. Like, I really like I prefer to treat people nicely and kindly and give people the benefit of the doubt, I feel much more happy about life, if I think positively about it. I mean, there are times that I get into a place where I'm just upset and angry and mad. And that's where Max comes in. He's very helpful. But I just find that you know, things generally work better if you come at something with a positive attitude and try and work the problem. That's something my dad always said to me. He's like, Well, you know, here's what's in front of you find a way to work the problem like this didn't work. But what else might work?
Scott Benner 28:51
If I met a person that was that suck days, a person who truly sucks? You've met somebody like that? Yeah. Could I say I'm positive that this person sucks, or that doesn't count as being positive? I think you could say that. I don't think I'm not by the way. I don't think I'm not a lot of the things that you mentioned, too. I just, I don't know. There's like a cynical side of me that, that looks for that stuff. And it just it's fascinating to me when people don't do that. Like I actually think I'm good at like a number of things. Because I'm always wondering, on some level, like who's trying to get over here, who's screwing us like, like, what, you know, what's the angle? Why are they saying that and you don't have you're not encumbered by any of those thoughts?
Karen 29:40
So much, but I will say there's a disadvantage to that. Okay. Well, you know, there's always I think there's always good I think there's goods and Bad's to all personality types, but at least you have some level of suspicion and questioning, or sometimes I might just look something over and be like all as well. So I think it's, you know, less than Maybe something I guess sometimes I don't always. Yeah, question and have a critical mind all the time when maybe I should. And so I might miss something that you might pick up on. Yeah.
Scott Benner 30:10
Like, you're having a great time in a group and then when you leave, you're like somebody stole your shoes. And you're like, how that happened. And
Karen 30:16
exactly, where's my money go?
Scott Benner 30:19
That's crazy. Nobody's told my buddy, we were just hanging out that guy over there was smoking crack, and I don't understand what happened. Yeah, he was lovely. Alright, so Okay, I'm getting all this. I understand you. The the, you have Hashimotos? You said, is that correct? Yes. Okay. And is there any other autoimmune in your family?
Karen 30:41
So none that we know of. So I also had psoriasis when I was very little. So that was the first kind of autoimmune issue that may have been like a warning sign. So I had that when I was two, but no one else in my family that we know of has any autoimmune disorders other than myself, okay. I'm a fraternal twin. She's completely fine. I also have an older sister who, only two years older, who has no issues at all that we know of
Scott Benner 31:14
on curse can on believable. Are you serious? Right, I'm trying so hard to get you upset, and it's not working. But that does that. Does that hurt a little bit? Ah, you know, Karen, I married the wrong girl. You are so pleasant. She. I mean, you're way too young, and everything. But still, if I could get into a time machine, I go try to find you like 17 I'd be like, Hey, what's up? We should be friends. Because you're gonna grow up to be a lovely person. And I want to be around this. Oh, my God. That's no kidding. So how about for years? I'm sorry, twins as a sister or brother?
Karen 32:01
I forget. Yes, sir. Certainly half sister. Yeah.
Scott Benner 32:05
And so do you think they feel bad?
Karen 32:08
I think they do. Really, especially because a lot of these health things didn't come up until I was in college, and we were all separated. So I think part of them feels they do feel bad. You know, my family would always make jokes to kind of, I think, lighten up the situation, they always say, Well, we're so glad it's you. Because we couldn't, we couldn't do this, like we couldn't handle the things that you have to do. You're a strong person. And, you know, like, that's all well and good. But I do that I honestly do think they feel for my situation, and all the things that I've gone through. And I think they hope that it doesn't happen to them. I hope it doesn't happen to them. But I just, you know, I kept them on alert. I'm like it, you know, I have these things going on. They might show up later in your life, you know, just be aware that are related. And you know, if something could happen, who knows Karen
Scott Benner 33:00
behind your back, they think of you as the Ghost of Christmas Future. They're like, keep keep her out of here with those stories about what might by the way, it's a lovely thing you're doing by keeping them abreast of what's going on. And and because then they might have a chance if they do see something to see it sooner. Or you the right, let's be honest here. Are you the smartest of the siblings? Where's that doctor thing doesn't necessarily make you smart.
Karen 33:26
I don't think I'm like intellectually, the smartest, I think I maybe I think my older sister is like, the smartest. But I think I have I think I understand people and can really hear people out in a unique way, maybe. And that might be why I was drawn to family medicine. Because it's a lot more social and talking with people and hearing like their views about medicine and trying just to meet them where they're at. But I think I'm very good at picking up new skills and I'm very committed to what I do. I just think you're all qualities that make a good physician. I mean, people will tell you, you don't have to be the smartest person in the room to be a good doctor. You really have to care and and obviously know the medicine and other things. But I don't think I'm like the intellectually the most like the smartest person in my family. Although my family members might disagree just because of the academic stuff I've completed thus far.
Scott Benner 34:24
Are you a little worried that you're going to spend the rest of your natural life fielding fielding questions from your friends and family about their elements? Oh, I'm
Karen 34:31
already doing it. I find people ask you all the time where people feel like they have to come and explain their health to you. Oh, really? Oh, it's weird that like, oh, I have this going on. And they just like want to like share everything with you.
Scott Benner 34:48
Like if you were a mechanic and the their carburetor was dirty, you feel like they would be like, Oh, the cars running rough. Like that kind of thing. Like that. You think they're telling Oh, no kidding. I have. One of my close friends is that As a physician, and anytime I asked him about, I start, my first sentence is just like, hey, I'm really sorry. And I realized that not everyone does this to you. And we talked about it sometimes. And he's like, everybody, everybody does it. Like, it's like everyone I know who has a question. It's like, Hey, I'm coughing, what's going around? Or can you look at a picture of this? You know, like, that kind of stuff. And I'll tell you when you're friends with a physician, you have to really stop yourself. You know what I mean? Because it feels easy. Like, oh, well, you know, Karen on I'll just text are real quick. I saved them for really like, like moments. Gig if I'm asking something's something's wrong anyway. It's gonna be your whole life. You might as well just get it. Yeah, you guys will get a burner phone right now and just give it to your to your husband. Although you're not going to care, you're the nicest person I've met in the last six months. So you never killed anybody? Nothing? No, nothing big like that. You're hiding?
Karen 36:03
No. Oh, I wouldn't try going hunting, though. I think at least once just to try it is to try it. I've never done that.
Scott Benner 36:10
Now. I have to know. I know. We haven't talked about your diabetes yet. I'm assuming we will soon. Honestly, I don't know. But what was it like? Being in the Air Force? Because you're commingle right men and women? And and you are? You're just incredibly pleasant. And you're kind of are you a small person? Like stature? Wise, are no, Are you tall? No.
Karen 36:32
You're tall? About 510? Okay,
Scott Benner 36:34
so you're taller. Okay. But what's it like? Well, I mean, what's that whole thing? Like do is there is I mean, obviously, there's got to be a boys club is to try to get into it, or you don't care about it, or they crass and you have to be crass and return or like how did that whole thing go?
Karen 36:50
I hear the boys club thing. I think that's definitely I don't know, if that's all related to the military feel like that's present in a lot of organizations. I'm sure. Even in medicine, I will say that you will come across that. But trying to think it's been so long since I was there. But I always felt very promoted by my leadership to pursue leadership within my squadron. You know, they, I feel like the Air Force does a particularly better job at I think elevating women than maybe some of the other forces. I don't know if that's true, generally, a more female friendly force for my understanding compared to the other ones in terms of like percentages if you look at it, but I don't know if it's just because the academies are a place of like leadership development, that they do try and promote, like, equal opportunity between everybody. But I never felt like I had to, like, act differently. Okay, I think we all learn ways to kind of blend in, to blend in and work how to how to work best with people, and how to, you know, if I'm trying to achieve the means how can they communicate in such a way that will get my vision across? But I think you learned that with working within a lot of different organizations, as well as how do you best communicate with people that may be different from you?
Scott Benner 38:17
Does does the fact that you're dating somebody in the Air Force? Does that put like a force field around you? That keeps the creepy away? Maybe does the guys know? Like, is that something? You might not? Yeah,
Karen 38:31
I mean, I don't I didn't have a serious Max was actually my first like, mostly big serious relationship. And we didn't start dating until we were juniors in college. And we were best friends for three years before then. I think honestly, just being kind of like a taller like person like you're taller female. Or maybe just pushed away a lot of people for a while. I'm not quite sure. Hey,
Scott Benner 38:54
that's, that's no kidding. Right. Like guys are intimidated by taller women? Yeah, I think so. They don't hit on you as much. They don't think of you like, like, I'm not wrong about that. Right.
Karen 39:06
I would agree with you. And also, like when you're stuck in a military, like you're in a military uniform all the time, your hair is up all the time. People don't always see you outside of that. Yeah, model where you're kind of everyone's like, you know, you're doing your duties throughout the day look like it's hard to see people outside of that. Sometimes I see. Yeah.
Scott Benner 39:29
Interesting. You play. Did you play any sports in high school?
Karen 39:34
I did. I played basketball, which I think was another thing that might have kept people away just because that's a little bit more of an aggressive sport. So I don't know if people thought of me is Karen's the basketball player.
Scott Benner 39:46
That's it. I mean, my my wife's five, nine. And yeah, and I mean, they're obviously taller people than her but generally speaking throughout the day, she's the tallest woman I see anywhere. And she would say that through high school. Cool, like everybody was sort of a little like, you know, it was hard to find a guy that was taller than her. And they did seem kind of like, you know, a little scared to talk to her. And that stuff, I luckily have like, no filter whatsoever. So I'm not tall, and I was able to just like, just ignore that fact. But I mean, it's, it's not lost on me that, and I'll tell you where I was, I was somewhere giving a talk. And I was trying to move from room to room. And a bunch of people kind of descended on me as they were like, you know, carrying in a diabetes setting. I'm like The Beatles, if I walk outside, nobody knows who I am. But in that thing, like people were kind of flocking, and we were taking a lot of pictures. And at one point, I kind of had like, grown women on either side of me, and I thought I should have married someone shorter. I feel so tall right now. And I feel so like, it's a bizarre thing, and not something I normally think of it, but I felt more masculine. I felt like doing it like seriously. Anyway, I don't know, it just it just occurred to me, we are so far away from the fact that you have diabetes. So this is your fault for being delightful. You're a unicorn. As far as your attitude goes, You're a doctor. And we're in the Air Force. So there was too much to talk about this. Let's go. So I'll bring it back to diabetes, because we should probably talk about a little bit diagnosed it was out of nowhere. Do you start with MDI? Do they give you a pen? Do they give you a pump? Do you? Does anybody talk to you about CGM or sensing technology? Anything like that?
Karen 41:33
Yeah, so I was really lucky. So one of my clinical skills instructors in medical school was an endocrinologist. So she was one of the people that like taught me like about the physical exam, like how do we like talk about patients and think about clinical judgment. She was kind of like, one of those types of teachers. She was an endocrinologist. And I texted her basically, immediately once I found out what was going on. And while it was in the hospital, said go in the hospital eventually, because I was in DKA, when they diagnosed me, she got me hooked up with an endocrinologist almost immediately, and a diabetes educator. So I had that was, I had, like, immediate follow up coming out of the hospital, did MDI while I was at the hospital. So they started me on, you know, long acting, I was on core genes and basically on Lantis, you know, the short acting with meals with way too much coming out of the hospital. But that's okay. The only reason why I knew was my roommate at the time, her boyfriend was also a type one. So he had just been transitioning, I can't remember if it was from G four to G five or G five to G six.
Scott Benner 42:48
It was three years ago.
Karen 42:50
It was yes, it
Scott Benner 42:51
was the G G five to G six. Probably.
Karen 42:55
Yeah, I remember I had to wear them for you know, you had to what was it? Yeah, it was changing it every seven days.
Scott Benner 43:02
Yeah. Yeah. I think the five was every seven days for sure.
Karen 43:07
Yeah, I mean, I think that sounds right. So I was really lucky because he found out immediately what was going on. And he's like, I have all these extra decks cones, because I'm on the new decks calm. Take them, here's how to put it on. Here's how to make it work. So I got out of the hospital and basically was on Dexcom homeless immediately, which helped me find out that my baby's hole, my insulin was way too much. I didn't eat like, like two pieces of toast, like in peanut butter before bedtime in order to avoid going low. Okay. And then I had immediate follow up, basically right out of the hospital, which was helpful. And I think I got the Omni pod within at like, gosh, I had it been like, less than three months. So I got a really quick
Scott Benner 43:53
Wow, yeah, that is fast. So you were in the very beginning, though too much basil, you were feeding, you're feeding the insulin basically trying to keep up. The CGM helps you see it. And so you have a CGM pretty early on. Yeah, you'll see you get to see the impacts of your, your insulin of your carbs and everything and make good decisions from there. Do you take to it well, or did you struggle with it? Are you still struggling with it? Are you doing great? Like, how did that part go?
Karen 44:22
I think I took to it Well, I think I was kind of in a state of mind where I was like, I was in this fight. And I was like, I'm gonna figure this out. I was having my fighter brain. And I think I took to the technology well, in terms of kind of, like, okay, I can see what this all is. I think I learned how to figure out the Omni pod really well. I think my medical knowledge definitely helped. Because I could understand, you know, like, I needed to take insulin. I could see the effects on my blood sugars. I didn't really start getting, I think understanding like Pre-Bolus and things like that. Until a couple of months later, but my first initial agency, after I started everything and kind of got going, we got it. I mean, we kicked we got it down really? Immediately. I think my first day went see back in the office was a 5.3. So whether that was from Lowe's or whatever, but I also found your podcast very quickly. Oh, I did. Yeah. I just Googled around and somebody had mentioned, oh, you should look up outcasts. And I was like, okay, so I like went on the internet and eventually found your podcasts and I started listening to it. I was like, oh, like, Omni pod. I'm like, I have an omni pod. And that I learned to Pre-Bolus for you. And then my endocrinologist is like, Yeah, you should Pre-Bolus Like that will help and avoid some, like post meal spikes. And so I think, with all of that, I think I got a really good understanding of, you know, how to use insulin, you know, make feel competent to make adjustments to the system on my own. In learning what like the insulin to carb ratio was, what does sensitivity factor mean? I think I'll talk to that pretty quickly. I think it was just based on my personality that I was, you know, this is your this is my life. I have to figure this out. I'm going to figure this out. I can figure this out. And I feel like I did. I did that
Scott Benner 46:30
sounds like it for sure. Also, there must be a little bit of professional pressure to write because you can't, like how are you going to be a doctor who can't take care of their diabetes?
Karen 46:39
Right? Yeah, nobody can ever put that pressure on me. But I can definitely, I don't think
Scott Benner 46:45
anybody put it on you. You had to think about it, right? Like you're gonna be a fraud if you can't do that.
Karen 46:50
Right. Like, I'm a perfectionist to, which doesn't help.
Scott Benner 46:55
Now that I know, but I would have guessed that way if you would have asked me, so. I don't I don't know why exactly. It just what does that mean, though perfectionist? Does it mean? Everything in your house is exactly where it's supposed to be. And we take our shoes off at the door, or when you get into a project, you finish it, you finish it? Well, you do it right. Like where does that touch your life.
Karen 47:16
So I think it definitely, when I do something I want to do to the best of my ability sometimes. And ultimately, if I do end up finishing something, it's a very good product. But sometimes it can prevent me from starting things, when I anticipate that it's not going to be a successful outcome. So that's that side of it. My house isn't perfect, but when I go and complete a task, I've always wanted to be at that, like the prot end product to always be at the highest that it possibly could be. And if it's not, then sometimes in my mind, I'm like, Well, you know, oh, it could have been better. Even though it was good.
Scott Benner 47:56
You're not gonna treat your patients that way. Are you caring like Oh, no. Too late for you? Forget it.
Karen 48:00
We care. For myself. I'm like, Oh, I didn't do a good enough job. But sometimes good enough is good enough. Like perfect isn't, you know, always like you don't need to achieve perfection to to be good enough. You
Scott Benner 48:14
don't have to explain that to me. I have. Yeah, if you set the bar low enough. You'll never trip over. And everything seems like a success. I put my socks on. Yay. i Yeah, let's keep it simple. Okay, so you get a CGM. I mean, eventually you ran out of free CGM. You had to get it yourself. And, and you've got a pump. Are you still using Omni pod?
Karen 48:44
I am. So I'm actually about to start Omni pod five here in a couple of weeks
Scott Benner 48:50
looking. Nice. So you're gonna go automated, which is, I think a great decision, especially for me. So where you're at right now in your training? Are you actually you're in the hospital now? Right working, aren't you?
Karen 49:06
Yeah, I do. I do a mix of things. So where I'm training in my family medicine program. We do a mix of inpatient medicine, so hospital medicine, and then outpatient office medicine. So my first year of my training, I did a lot more inpatient hospital medicine. So I did all my rotations in the hospital. On like a normal medicine. Floor I rotated through the pediatric emergency room and pediatric inpatient team. I did adult emergency room, adult medicine to intensive care units. What else did we do? Those are the big rotations I've done that I did during my first year and now that I'm in my second year, I think about half my time is in the hospital. half my time is in the office doing like my continuity Club. Next,
Scott Benner 50:01
do you have any trouble being on your feet all day? Or are you pretty good at handling that
Karen 50:06
sometimes if it's like a really more active day, and this is where I'm hoping the automated part can help, you know, struggling, if you're, for some reason, the day becomes more active, having to deal with some low lower blood sugar. So we've been on our feet for a long period of time, like on rounds, or something that can be a struggle from, from time to time, I haven't had as much as us during clinic because I feel like I have a little bit more control of things. But it can't be that way. When they're, you know, you go a longer time without eating, because you're rounding with your attending, or, you know, for some reason, the day becomes a little bit more active than you were anticipating. But I just generally try and carry like glucose tablets with me in that type of instance. And really, if it comes to the point where I'm like, I'm Whoa, I need to sit down, I always have people who can, who are willing and more than able to step in to help to allow me to do what I need to do to fix something. If that was ever the case. It's excellent.
Scott Benner 51:05
What made you want to come on the show?
Karen 51:09
I really love this show. And I feel like I kind of have a unique story. So I wanted to share my story. And I just hear so many people come on here. And I know I've found what other people say I always might hear a phrase that I pick up and I find that personally helpful in my life. And I really just wanted to come on to like, share my story to give back to the community. Talk with you and just, I don't know,
Scott Benner 51:34
I'm delighted. I'm delighted that you like me, because you've 100% feel like somebody when I was younger would not have liked me. So I feel like I'm growing as a person. Or at the very least, so I've always
Karen 51:49
liked to I've always, I've never I know some people I've heard I like when I listen to your podcast. You don't have comments and
Scott Benner 51:59
too bad, but I don't think so. And so you hear my sarcasm? Yes. Yeah. Even though you do you employ sarcasm in your life at all?
Karen 52:08
I don't think I have the gift of sarcasm. Unfortunately.
Scott Benner 52:12
It is a gift card. It really is. Yeah. Just so much intent and tone and phrasing. I don't know.
Karen 52:20
It's funny to like, sometimes it is really funny. I wish I could be funny like that. But,
Scott Benner 52:25
you know, my family doesn't think I'm funny at all. Well, can I tell you something too bad. I'm gonna say something that happened the other day to me. And I don't know if this was this is gonna sound like, like, it's like in a salad bowl or not to people. But for my entire life, like the first time I remember this happening as an adult. I was maybe 18 or 19. It was during a heatwave. And we didn't have any air conditioning. So my friend and I, Mike, Mike and I, we bought a baby pool at the at the Kitty City. Does anybody remember toy stores, there was a toy store near us called Kitty City went down there, we bought this plastic plastic baby pool. We brought it home. I think we took it to my house, filled it with water brought out like a TV tray, like drug A television outside, put it on it. And we just sat in the damn pool all night to stay cool. And watch TV. And we're watching Seinfeld first run. And I don't know if you know, do you know a lot of people who like are like, like, honestly funny. And once you know them for a while you'll realize like they run lines on people or they'll use stuff over and over again or like their stuff. They say like I have things I say sometimes. And if you don't know me, you wouldn't know that I would have said it 50 times in the last 10 years or something like that. My wife like I can see the look on my wife's face. Like she's like, Oh, he's gonna launch into this one. You don't I mean, and so we're watching Seinfeld. And this thing that I've been saying forever, just is happening in front of me on television. And I turn to Mike and I go, I swear to God, if I find out you're selling my ideas to people, I'm going to be pissed. And he's and we launched in very quiet, and he turned to me and he goes, You gotta try to get into this somehow. He goes, that's literally your bid. He's like that. He's like you like, you know, you, you. That's how you that's how you tell it. It's Tony's like that whole thing. Anyway, two nights ago, I'm scrolling on the I don't know, you know, whatever, one of those things. And I land on a Louie CK bit. And he and Louise telling us this thing. And it's like word for word, a joke. I tell like for years and I thought, am I as funny as Louie CK. And I was like, because that guy obviously makes questionable decisions with his penis, but it's really really funny. And so do you know what Louie CK did? I don't want to say it in front of you, Karen. I feel like it won't go well. Do you know? Oh my god. Alright, it turns out Karen, that if you knew Louis, and you were hanging out like in his dressing room after Have I don't know, something Louis might announce to the room that it is his intention to take himself out of his pants and handle himself and you should leave if you want to. Apparently, that was. Go ahead. laugh again, Karen. I didn't realize you were gonna laugh that was so nice. Do it again. Well, I'll get you up again. Don't worry about. And so anyway, that's a horror, obviously. And but the guys know, he's a really funny comedian. And so anyway, so he's running this like bit on stage and this little thing, I'm just walking past and it's like, word for word. I'm like, I do this, like, I do this thing. And I'm like, so my idea that I had like, a few years ago, and Louie's idea are very similar. Like, am I could I be a professional comedian? I was like, I gotta quit this podcast and find out. You didn't mean? Like, this party has taken up way too much of my time. So I could like, although I probably probably make more money than than a starting comedian. Maybe I can't afford to do that. But anyway, the point is, I don't know what the point is. Karen, I think the point is, I think my parents are like, Well, my parents didn't have Jesus character. You have no idea. My parents really did not think I was funny. And my family like, like our dad, I laugh together, we have the same. We have the same sense of humor, basically. But once somebody says, I'm funny, she goes, No, he's not. It's so interesting. Like, she won't give me credit for it. Anyway. Yeah, I think my point is, is that I think there are people getting away with being professional comedians, and they're just, they're funny, but they're not like, like, you don't I mean, like, they're not all Dave Chappelle. You don't have to like chapels humor to know that as far as a person who can deliver a story, in a funny way, the man's like a. He's like at the top of a class. You know what I mean? Anyway? Do you like stand up at all?
Karen 56:50
I don't listen to a lot of stand up. No. Have you ever been to a
Scott Benner 56:53
live show? No, not at all. You should try that. I should even like we just did one. Who did we just do? It? Why can't I remember what we just did? I had the COVID Recently, Karen. Oh, no. I'm coming back out of it. You know what I mean? But it took it took its toll on me. Anyways, the worst part? The vacillating fevers. Okay, like, oh my god, I'm dying. I'm so hot. Oh, my God, I'm so cold. And they would happen in the middle of the night you couldn't sleep. So like 11pm that would start at like 6am you could fall asleep. And by that you were just laying in a pile of your own white human sweat. And just like going like, Oh, God, I can't believe it. But I'm actually going to go to sleep now that I'd sleep till like 9am Wake up and make the podcast. And then like live a whole day. And then just, it would all it just went over and over again. And then every time we think it's over, it's not over. And then it turned into bronchitis. Nice. Yeah. So we literally watched sick for two months here.
Karen 58:04
And just like I feel like it bounces back and forth.
Scott Benner 58:06
Oh, yeah, we gave it to each other. And oh my god, we gave it to each other. Like we needed antibiotics to get out of it. Like it was just like, a horror. And I think it is I think it's messed with. I mean, I'm okay now, I think. But I do think that six months from now, when people are hearing the podcasts come out. If they really pay attention, you might hear where I was sick while I was interviewing people a couple of times. Because I was just a little like a, like a maybe an hour or something like that. Anyway, you could be funny. Do you ever say anything? That's funny? Are you ever funny by mistake?
Karen 58:43
Maybe from time to time, I can't think of anything funny to say like off the top of my head. But I think maybe within my group of friends, like, amongst my like friends that are also doctors. I mean, we have things that we say that we think are funny. But if anybody was listening to our conversation, they'd be like, What the heck are they talking about? Or they might think we're super dirty or lame? Or gross? I don't know.
Scott Benner 59:03
I would love to know if you're actually funny. If you all just have the same bad sense of humor. I would love. I'd love to be a fly on a wall in that room. Yeah, to hear what we're talking about. You want to see a funny television show. Somebody should pay Arden and I to watch other people just see if they're funny or not because we would be funny and horrible to them as we were judging them. Anyway, John Mulaney I just popped into my head I saw John Mulaney live recently. And I'm telling you, like, I think stand up like recorded like on Netflix can be like it's I think it's a little dollar on television that it is alive. So anyway,
Karen 59:42
I mean, I feel like that's the same thing with music. It's always better live. Oh, yes, you're there and you're in the moment you're with the energy with the people like it's just better
Scott Benner 59:50
see in the movies the same way right? Like you just like yeah, a bunch of people you can feel that you feel like you can feel each other in the room, you know? So anyway, Mulaney was funny But I don't know. I don't know where we got how we got here. What do you, I appreciate you wanting to come on. And I want to like highlight what you said a moment ago about just picking up tidbits from other people's conversations. I think that's a super important part of why the podcast helps people are why they like it or whatever, that you can't just like, he just can't expect to interview like 10 people and get all of the information out that someone needs, you're always going to be missing something like Jenny and I recorded a show the other day that just went off. And it was we did a we did. ketones. Thank you, Jesus, I am the worst person to tell you what's going on in this podcast. But I'm just I'm so far like ahead of where you guys are sometimes, like, my head's not there. But it was Isabel, she came through the through the community. And she's does such a great job of seeing what people like where people's gaps are, and coming to me and saying You really should do an episode on like this topic. And she's, I mean, as far as I can tell, she hasn't been wrong yet. So she came to me and she said, look, there's plenty of information about illness, ketones, like spread through the protests, and a couple of other places. She's like, but put it all in one place. And let's make it part of the bowl beginning series. And when she said that I was like, but I already finished the bowl beginning series. And at the end of it, I told everybody, that's the end of the bowl beginning series, and she goes, you're gonna have to tell them that you were wrong. And I was like, alright, so but just that kind of stuff is super valuable to like, like targeted stuff, where you just like, I'll listen for 45 minutes and understand how to clear my ketones out when it's over. Yeah, I still think that picking stuff out of conversations is a big part of why I tried to have so many of them. And why I hope that this is entertaining on some level, because it's diabetes. And if you just came on and droned on about diabetes, I can't imagine anybody would listen to it, you know, like, even if it was rock, rock solid information. How do you find just as interesting? You're still learning about medicine, and you're still formulating your ideas about how to talk to people about it? How do you find the pro tips and those other targeted series? Where are they valuable for you? Did you get anything out of it even about how I talked to people about their medical stuff,
Karen 1:02:20
I think it's things that I probably maybe have gotten out of it. I mean, it's just always being open minded to your like hearing what people say and knowing that you know, when people come in, and they may be pushing back on you trying to explore where that comes from, knowing that everyone kind of has like a story behind like, you know, like where they're at with their health or something like that, in terms of like medical knowledge or like diabetes, because it's a very type one focus, I mostly deal with type twos that are on oral or like once weekly injectable medications. I wouldn't say from like that standpoint, it's necessarily been helpful. But I think definitely, from the perspective of just like understanding people, and where they're coming from, it's definitely helpful to hear like people's stories and the experiences that they have, that have colored their experience with the medical system, to having a better understanding that people come from different places. And most of the time, there's some level of like fear and misunderstanding and just wanting to hear where people are coming from so that I can understand them. And maybe we can find a place where we can meet in the middle ground, where like there are things that are definitely medically indicated. And I will let you know what those things are, but also noticing that things are working in progress, and you can ultimately get to the same place with time.
Scott Benner 1:03:46
I think we it's funny, you're not asking, but if you asked me, Scott, you've spoken to 800 people have a medical condition, maybe more. And what do you think I would tell you not to try really hard not to assume you know, where how somebody got to where they are, what they know, or what they are, what what their expectations are, and you shouldn't ever apply medical expectations to them because they might have different expectations for themselves. Yeah. And that I think that will end up being really helpful for you because I've done a handful of interviews with type twos, and over whelming Lee the story is I got type two diabetes, somebody pushed a protocol on me. I didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't know why I was doing what I was doing what was supposed to be happening, what I was looking for. I didn't even know what outcomes were. Were hopeful what how outcomes were acceptable, like, you know, what should I be shooting for? And then the doctor just looks at me and if my agency falls into some sort of a range, they go, everything's fine. And if it doesn't, they say, you know, try hard or, or lose weight or exercise or something that's, that's vague, and maybe doesn't take into account what, what their situation is like, it's easy to say to people, like just lose weight, or just do this or whatever the thing you're gonna say to them is, but it might not be easy to them. And it's very difficult for those people to speak up in that moment. Yeah. Like, that's kind of what I've learned talking to people.
Karen 1:05:24
Yeah, I think what's hard, too, is our appointments are, are they're just so short now. So it's like, almost like, for me, like, there's so many things that go into the management of chronic health conditions. It's not just, you know, it's like, it's lifestyle in medicine, and all these other things, that, you know, it could take a whole 1530 minutes appointment just to talk about lifestyle. And there are certain, like, more like lifestyle medicine doctors who can, who may be able to focus a little bit more on that. But I think we all would love to have more of that time, especially in like primary care, to talk to patients about, you know, those types of things in their lives, that, you know, what, what is impeding them from being able to achieve the outcomes that they want. But it's so you know, we only have so much time, and I think that that's a, that's something we all kind of deal with a lot as health care providers is that if you can only start on medication at something, but sometimes the things that, you know, the best way to deal with anything is to put the two together.
Scott Benner 1:06:26
I think, too, that I understand that the visits are short. But I think that that gets met sometimes by physicians with like, look, I have X number of minutes of information to to deliver, but I have this many minutes to do it in, there's not enough time. So it's not going to work out. But But think about that, think about it like this, like you listen to the podcast, right? Like I Why? Why do people listen to this and then do well with their diabetes? It's because I figured out and made the assumption that that and then tried it with my daughter and then came forward and said, Okay, look, these are the T shirts, slogans you need to know, to manage your diabetes is there more to it definitely is. But you need to Pre-Bolus you have to understand the impacts of your food glycemic index and load, you have to be fluid, you have to Bolus for fat and protein. You shouldn't look at a high blood sugar and just go I hope this comes down. You know, like, you know, I'd rather stop a lower falling blood sugar then fight with a high win, like these sorts of like, I hate to say it, but their T shirts slogans that in the moment are like, oh, yeah, I my blood sugar's 300. I should want this to be down. And or like, Well, how do I make that decision? Well, you have to learn to trust that what you know is going to happen is gonna happen, like, I went to great lengths to take something really complicated and make it simple enough that you can get a good launch into it. And then you start seeing some progress and some success. And it makes you want to learn more about it. And it makes you want to fine tune it more. And I think I can't I'm I'm betting on you. I think there's a way to get people into that room in that limited amount of time. And you are smart enough to figure out what your T shirt slogan should be to get them moving in the right direction. I'm putting I'm hanging this on you. You said people didn't pressure you about some people. I'm pressuring you. I want this. You're my you're my emissary in this field. And I get going. Get out there. Does that make sense to you?
Karen 1:08:31
Yeah. And it makes me wonder how can we do the same for other things that people deal with? How and and I think there's something unique with this might with this podcast kind of maybe reminds me of are we do have these like things called like group medical visits, where it's like a group of people with the same thing who come together. And it's like a normal doctor's office done with a group. So I wonder if there's something unique to the fact that this is almost like a group experience of people who have, they have the same thing as you talking about what they do. And people just I think as humans we are, you know, we're connected. Individuals, we live in societies, and maybe there's just something uniquely different about being in a group and our ability to receive and accept information, as opposed to when you're singing in a doctor's office, which is a can often be a power relationship where you are maybe feeling like the prey and the Predator, you know, or like,
Scott Benner 1:09:38
Mom and Dad, there's a hierarchy and you're at the bottom of
Karen 1:09:41
it. There's a hierarchy. Yeah. And I wonder if there's just some thing uniquely different about being in a community of people who deal with what you deal with and our ability to receive and understand and implement information pitch
Scott Benner 1:09:57
that idea to a hospital a few years ago, I It's like, instead of bringing everybody in for 20 minutes, once you bring everybody in for two hours and put 20 people in the room, I said, Well, HIPAA violations and like they argued with me, I was like, it's a great idea. It sounds like you guys might be doing something like that, which is smart. I do think the last piece of it, which is privacy, like you want to have a group, you want to have a group experience, but you went private that a lot of people want privacy through. I think that's why the podcast is helpful. Because you feel like you're talking to everybody who's listening to everybody, but you are in your ears, and you're by yourself, and nobody knows what you're listening to. And, but I think you can do it. Karen, I'm so sorry, I have to jump are you I would I don't put you off, though, make sure that you told me everything you want to tell me.
Karen 1:10:40
I think we did. I do want to one person I want. I want to thank somebody, I do want to thank my husband for being so wonderful. I think he's a really big reason why I've been able to do all the things that I want to do. We don't get to live together. Because of his because he's in the Air Force and stationed a different place. But I think a lot of my calm and ability to be who I am today is because he's very much my personality type two. So whenever he hears those, I'm gonna make him listen to it. I just want to say thank you to him, because he could have just gotten up and left me when all this stuff happened. And he's always been my best friend. And he didn't. And he helped me a lot.
Scott Benner 1:11:23
I don't usually do personal shout out to the podcast, but that was touching. Very nice. Well, yeah. Way to be a good guy, man. And like, not be a deck and not be scared. And you know what I mean? A little bit, because I take your point, I asked people a lot actually. People have died dating age. I was like, Do you worry that this would would kind of push people away from you or scare them or whatever? It does happen. There are plenty of people who are like, Oh, you have one? Look over there. And then they're gone. And you turn back around, you know? And yeah, that's that's good stuff. Well, you obviously must really love you.
Karen 1:11:58
Yes. And I love him too. He's my best friend. And I think a lot of what he does for me and for a lot of people, you know, goes without being faint. And I just want to put that out there.
Scott Benner 1:12:11
Hey, listen, let's give him a little ego boost to super sexy. He flies a plane.
Karen 1:12:17
Yeah. He points to drones. Oh, wait, wait, he's not up in the thing. No, but he still wears a flight suit. So that's,
Scott Benner 1:12:26
I didn't know. Is he a pilot? Like, I know he's a pilot if he flies to Trump, and is he a pilot? Like you guys like, like pleasure flying together like us? Does he have a?
Karen 1:12:37
No, he doesn't have his private pilot's license. And I think kind of a little terrified to go up in the small planes are the ones that always
Scott Benner 1:12:45
well, there's the answer. She loves you but not that much. She and I get in a plane. Carrying this was really, really a treat. I appreciate you doing this. And I'm so sorry. I know. We moved the time around a bunch of times. And but you were really flexible. And I appreciate it.
Karen 1:13:00
Yeah, well, I just, this was really great. I've been I've been looking forward to this and thank you so much for letting me come on the podcast
Scott Benner 1:13:07
pleasure. Seriously, get out there and find a different way to help people. Okay, and then and then call me back. Especially then tell me what it is later. Like,
Karen 1:13:15
I will try I'll try and figure it try like
Scott Benner 1:13:18
Listen, buddy. I just need to build some people. I gotta buy a house leave me alone. Actually, I don't I gotta pay off my Yeah, like listen, after we pay the 125 i Oh, Wake Forest, then we'll talk about it. Wake Forest couldn't cut nevermind, they could have cut you a break. All right, hold on one second for me.
I of course want to thank Karen for coming on the show and sharing her story. And I'd also like to thank the contour next gen blood glucose meter for sponsoring this episode. You know who else sponsored the episode? Omni pod, go to Omni pod.com forward slash juice box to get started today. And don't forget contour next one.com forward slash juice box links in the show notes links at juicebox podcast.com. Honestly, that the show was sponsored by these two companies, that's why the recording exists. That's how the editing got paid for. It's how the hosting for the show exists. It's It's why you get the podcast. It's why it's free. So I really appreciate it when you support the sponsors. If you have type two or pre diabetes, that type two diabetes Pro Tip series from the Juicebox Podcast is exactly what you're looking for. Do you have a friend or a family member who is struggling to understand their type two and how to manage it? This series is for them seven episodes to get you on track and up to speed episode 860 series intro 864 guilt and shame episode Oh 869 medical team 874 fuelling plan, Episode 880 diabetes technology episode 85 GLP ones metformin and insulin, and an episode 889 We talk about movement. This episode is with me and Jenny Smith. Of course, you know Jenny is a Certified diabetes Care and Education Specialist. She's a registered and licensed dietitian, and Jenny has had type one diabetes for over 30 years. Too many people don't understand their type two diabetes, and this series aims to fix that. Share it with a friend or get started today. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.
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