Scott Benner 11/8/23 Scott Benner 11/8/23

#1057 Weight Loss Diary: Seven

Scott is taking Wegovy for weight loss. This is diary number seven.

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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 1057 of the Juicebox Podcast

Welcome back, everybody. This is my seventh week Ovie diary. I appreciate you listening to them. I'm losing weight, sometimes quicker, sometimes slower, always with new things being revealed to me. While you're listening. Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, please Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. If you're looking to start using ag one, you can drink ag one.com/juicebox That's my link. Use that link. Get a free year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first order. If you want to save 40% off of comfortable things like joggers and clothes and pajamas and towels and sheets, you can do that at cozy earth.com When you use the offer code juicebox at checkout, you will save 40% off of your entire order. And don't forget the diabetes Pro Tip series that begins at episode 1000 and goes to Episode 1026. All right, let's find out how my last I don't know how many like six or seven weeks of we go we have gone have we gone? I should say

Have we gone he is the funniest thing I've said in like a week. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by us med us med.com/juice box or call 888721151 for us Metis the place where Arden gets her supplies from you know how people have places where they get their diabetes supplies from like insulin test strips meters, or what else pumps CGM? Yeah, like distributors who do that stuff. Anyway, US met.com/juice box that's where we get our supplies you could to today's podcast is also sponsored by touched by type one. Now touched by type one's big dancing for diabetes event is coming up really, really soon. I think it's on November 11, you have to go check their website touched by type one.org There's still time to get tickets to that live event in Orlando, Florida, or just check out the website and see all the great things they're doing for people living with diabetes. Well, I'm back. And I'm not thrilled, but I'm not upset. I guess that's something. I'm opening up my app here so I can tell you a little bit about this week's journey. My glasses on and go to trends on my app. Going back seven days today's the 26th makes something physical 21st

Is that right? That's right, isn't it? 22nd Seriously, I'll just pull up a calendar real quick. The 19th was a week ago. Oh, interesting. All right. So on the 19th I was 190 7.4 came in here told you all about it. It was fresh off of a weekend where I was away. And now I've been back for a week had a little head cold. And the tingly arm thing by the way gets very slowly better. I found the source of the pain inside of my elbow is very sore still, like amazing. I guess I must have just slept right on it on the plane. And anyway, the the feelings coming back very slowly. It's a little scary but feels like it's going in the right direction. So I'm not too worried. Anyway, on that Tuesday, the 19th I was 197.4 pounds. I had lost some weight over the couple of days while I was traveling, etc. But man I woke up the next day 199 I was like oh, but then it came back when 97.8 and that held for a couple of days. 21st The 22nd Now 23rd and 24th I didn't weigh myself I was like skinny now what do I prepare myself for? I should have done that. But I'm also not skinny. But it was today is Tuesday. And on Sunday my wife left for a business trip and on the way home from dropping her at the airport. I stopped and picked up you know about a guy by myself. I picked up enough food to get me through four days till my wife got back I bought a turkey breast pack of chicken wings. I ate shrimp that I'm going to saute and a piece of tuna. It's like that'll get me through for days. Anyway, I let off on Sunday with the chicken wings, which were dry rubbed kind of heavily salted pretty much. And man I woke up the next day, a pound heavier almost went from 197 Eight to 198 Six just for the chicken wings. It no sauce. Keep in mind, there's a little hot sauce on it, but no sugar and nothing like that. It was the salt. I got on the scale the next day. It's like, ah, the salt the chicken legs. But then yesterday when I got up, and I had to have lunch, I just ate the rest of my chicken wings because they were yummy. And I'll be damn I am 190 9.8 this morning. Not something that really to me is crazy. That's over two pounds. Just eating over salted food that is now has me retaining water. I'll tell you it this whole thing teaches me a ton every day about paying attention to what's going into your body and, and whatnot. Anyway, that's pretty much the story. I'm going to we go over it up here and be on our way things are running well as far as the the elimination systems going. I got all that moving nicely. And nothing poor to report here. So I'm just going to inject and I'll see you next week

here looks good.

I'll tell you one thing, putting the chicken wings on the last two days of the week, the week over the week. That was a bigger mistake, because the medicine wanes as like the week goes on that I would I again I'm not a doctor and I haven't researched this but that just seems like it's what's happened. So chicken wings salty during the weighing of the medication, probably not a great idea. We'll see I fully expect to wake up two days from now and weigh two pounds less again. So we'll see what happens. And then I'll come back in seven days and let you know us med.com/juicebox or call 888721151 for us med is the place where Arden gets her diabetes supplies from and you could too we get Omni pod and Dexcom from us med but there's so much more. US med has actually all the latest CGM is Dexcom G seven and libre three you can also get the libre two or the G six. You can get Omni pod dash Omni pod five. That tandem pump. They got everything over there. US med is the number one distributor for FreeStyle Libre systems nationwide. You always listen to this. This is incredible. You always get 90 days worth of supplies when you order from us Med and it comes with fast and free shipping fast and free shipping over 1 million diabetes customers since 1996. That's what US med is up to. What are you doing? Are you are you doing it right now? Are you calling 888-721-1514? Going to the website us? med.com/juicebox do it get your free benefits check and get started today. They probably take your insurance because us med accepts Medicare nationwide and over 800 private insurers. Ah I know this is an ad, right? I know this is an ad and you're like Scott's gonna tell me a story and it's gonna sound great. And I'm gonna think about going to us Matt and but he's probably just trying to trick me and listen to me. Email arrives. Do you want to reorder your supplies? Click? Yes. Then they're just here. They're downstairs right now. Right inside the front door. What what came last? Oh. On the pods? Do you want to reorder your Omni pods? Yes, I do. Done That was it. And then I get these beautiful updates like about shipping your orders on its way you know, it's out on the truck like this whole thing. Front door here it is could not be simpler. Us med.com/juice box are amazing supporters of the podcast and they do a great job delivering your supplies. Give them a try. You don't like the internet, use the phone 888-721-1514. Okay, that's it back to the weego V diary. No more ads. Just you know, support the podcast whenever you can. There's links in the show notes and links at juicebox podcast.com. To all of the sponsors. Well, I'm back it's October 3. I didn't exactly go the way I was hoping but it didn't go poorly either. And I have a little more insight than I had I'm now thinking that the weight loss I had was from I took a steroid pack, and I really think it dehydrated me. So this isn't how everyone does steroids, but not steroids. But this isn't how a steroid pack impacts everyone. But it impacts me that way. When I start taking a an oral steroid medication, I've done it a few times my life, I pee like crazy for the first 24 hours. I actually think I peed out two pounds, because I'm back now this morning, I was 190 9.4, which is still down from 190 9.8 last week. But I actually think that's what it was, I think it was just water weight, just crazy enough. I think I got rid of it with the steroid pack, and it came back with the salt. And I think I confuse those two things a little bit when I was talking last time. So anyway, um, 190 9.4 Today, I feel terrific. I got to shoot my week over there's not a lot to report this time. I didn't eat very much this week. I think that's a problem. So I'm going to thoughtfully eat some more food this week. I don't want to say get back on track, because I just don't see it that way. I think it's just an up and down thing. And I'm losing weight as I go, I can tell you this, I just saw a friend for lunch, a person I have not seen in a very long time. And we opened the door. And he said, Oh my God, you look like your little brother, which was very cool. Then we spent a little time talking about this. He's actually a physician and he was really thrilled for me. Anyway, we go V 2.4 milligrams, said milliliters the other day to somebody and I was like, I don't think that's right. milligrams. Let's put it in, shall we? I'm gonna go to the other side of my stomach this time. My stomach, which by the way is a little weird, the way it's getting smaller. I'm deciding now I'm going to tell you something that I think is potentially embarrassing. Give me a second to shoot this and then I'll make my decision and then we'll be done. Here looks good. About here

am I going to tell you something embarrassing? Oh, hell, I guess so. So my stomach was round enough before that, if I looked down, I saw my belly button. And my belly button was big. I used to get made fun of actually by my family. And now when I looked down my belly button is not as obvious because it's, I guess it's lower. Not up at like, I don't know how to put it exactly. Anyway, when I look down, I don't immediately see my belly button when I'm standing. And it's much smaller. Like if if I was hiding things in my I was not hiding things in my belly button. But if I used to hide things, my belly button, I cannot hide them in there any longer. So there's an interesting little factoid for you and I'll see you next week. Hey, hey, hey, what do you say October 10. And I'm here today to share big news with you about my weight loss journey. Allah I ran out of rhymes there at the end. Don't worry. None of that was planned. So I'm surprised and went that long. October 10. A week ago was October 3. Now, let's talk some numbers. And then deets as details about food ready. I'm opening up my way machine app. That's the app that pairs to my scale. And the weighing machine tells me that when I was here with you last week, on October 3, I weighed 199.4 pounds. You may remember from moments ago as you were listening. Let me take a drink today and this deserves a drumroll on the nose 196 I lost 3.4 pounds since October 3. How do I do it? Well, I take we go V 2.4 milligrams, injected once weekly, which I'm going to do right now and then tell you about what I've been eating and a supplement change. Finding some fat on my belly to put the govia in. There is much less of that. I've taken the cap off and I will now stick the needle party up to my Bing Bing and here we go.

Okie dokie Lee. Here's how my week went. On Tuesday, I injected right on Wednesday. I gained weight that was upsetting. I woke up one day Oh no. Excuse me. I lied. I lost a little I went to 198, eight, on the fifth. I was two days after my weigh in. Next day, I'm moving 10 Eight. See, I'm not weighing myself as much anymore now 10 Eight, I weigh myself again 10 eights yesterday, I was 197. So I didn't weigh myself that week. Now you might ask why. I was frustrated. I really was. I was frustrated. And my son came home for a short visit. And a I don't know how much of this I should say, but I'll just say this like this. My wife's boss came in from out of the country. And she stayed with us for a few days. So we were crazy here, Kelly and I were like, you know how it is it cleaning in corners that you're like, oh, I don't know if that corner is clean. And we got to put this away and oh my god, is this been sitting here for three months? How can we never got rid of this? This we're making our house look like we're human. And we're doing that for like days. We're working all day. And then in the afternoons, we're wandering around and cleaning stuff up. I wasn't weighing myself. I was kind of, again, irritated by my weight last time. But on, let me get the date right here. Looking at my calendar, sorry. So I weighed myself, I had lunch with a friend that day, it was the first time I was able to really talk about, you know, we go be with somebody who I've never talked about it with before. Now, the next day on the fourth, I do an interview with this 14 year old girl who has diabetes. She has been on the show before, I'll get the episode number and tell you here I think I think her episodes called bugs in your belly or something like that. Or she came on last year or wishes her name Orisha. And she's telling me about how she eats and how clean sheets and all this stuff she does. You know, does a green drink every morning and healthiest little 14 year old kid you've ever seen in your life, right? Anyway asked her to come back on I just so happened to record with her last week on the fourth. Today again being the tab. So six days ago. And while we're talking she's telling me about this probiotic she takes and you should try it Scott I ordered like while we were talking I was like alright, you know, if you're not going to take medical advice from a 14 year old kid, where can you get medical advice from right? So I would her her stuff. It comes the next day because Amazon and I start taking you out right away. The fifth, the sixth, seventh, the eighth and ninth, the 10th. That's how long I've been taking this thing. I'm not ready to tell you about it yet because it hasn't been that much time. But I can tell you what the like, you know people talk about, I started taking a probiotic and the bloating left my belly. Well, when you're fat, you don't know if your belly is bloated or not. How could you even tell? Right? So but I'm watching that happen now like this stuff. Really lovely. I'm gonna have a good report back about it. I think in a month or so. Not the point. Elimination picks up, things are going on. I had nice process going through me again. But but but but my son comes in Saturday morning. This is just two three days ago on the seventh. He's here now he's got friends over. We're barbecuing for them. There's ribs. You know, I think all the salt like you know what happened to me when I was eating the salty wings last time. Plus, my wife's boss comes in same day, like I'm telling you I got up early Saturday morning, pick my son up from an airport, drove him home, got back in my car, drove to a different airport picked up another person and international flyer. And we get back and settle in. She's hungry. So we go out. And now we're at this restaurant. And my goodness, I have linguini it has shrimp in it, it has mussels in it. There's bread on the table, I'm eating the bread, because the farther away you are from your ego, the injection kind of the more you can eat a little bit. So I'm eating like pretty regularly. And all I could think is I am going to gain weight. I mean just everything about my life in the past says this is going to happen. I did my digestive enzyme with the food, which was nice. I had a very nice experience eating the pasta, and the bread and everything all went really well. Elimination was still fine. But now we're leaving that restaurant. Oh, is that a cupcake store? Now we're a dozen cupcakes in my house because my my son's got friends over the bosses there. Does I mean chocolate and candy on them and they're, I mean just nothing healthy about them. Nowhere. If I would have pulled the wrapper off the cupcake and ate the wrapper. That would have been the best thing I could have done decision wise. But I have a cupcake that night like at nine o'clock at night. Like a causing a hazard you know hazard. You don't know yet. But anyway, eat the cupcake. I wake up the next morning. Hello. I lost weight. I was like wait a minute made the linguini I ate the bread. I had a cupcake. I lost weight doesn't make Get a sense, right on whatever that was on the eighth when I weighed myself 197 pounds I was down, you know, a pound eight since the last time I checked on the fifth. Well, then I wake up on the ninth. Now I'm reinvigorated to, you know, weigh myself again. But now there's been ribs. And what else ribs a whole bunch of stuff, but I wake up the next day 190 6.2 That's yesterday. I was like, my goodness. today. I'm 196 I wake up, but what I ate yesterday, I had a deli sandwich. If I would have thrown it at you. I could have given you a concussion. It was. I got up in the morning I had two eggs. Right. Two eggs. I think I folded a little bit of Parmesan cheese and the tiniest little bit. Little shaved right. And then the sandwich. It's I mean, I'm looking at my hands. No, you can't see that. It's great for podcasts. It's a softball, like a child sized softball. So the bigger ones, you know, they make them big so they can't beat each other with them. Like a big softball, plus maybe another inch. In this kaiser roll. I put roast beef and turkey Provolone on it had some mustard, a couple of other dishes and dashes like you know, salt, pepper, oregano, that kind of stuff. Right? I eat half of her lunch on with a handful of chips. Who am I potato chips. Get out of here. I'm eating like a like a regular person. That night, which is last night ate the other half of the sandwich. And I'm like, Let's have another cupcake. I have another cupcake along with my sandwich with chips. I'm eating until like eight o'clock at night watching a sporting event on the television. And I think I had chocolate chip cookies too. And I woke up later this morning. God bless with govi All right, I don't I'm not a god person but I think if there's a God he's pretty focused right now on will go V and and other weight loss medications. And and who else my blessing while I'm doing this would go v and this probiotic which I'm not 100% ready to tell you about yet. But my goodness gracious. Scotty on to something now. If I come to you 193 Next week, I'll be singing when the microphone comes on. Hey, everybody. Hello. It is the evening on October 17. I'm telling you what the evening because I always record these first thing in the morning. I get up on Tuesday. I weigh myself take a shower. Come in here record my COVID diary today. I like I didn't forget, I weighed myself. I put the wig over you right here on my desk. Something happened and I never got back to it. So it's like 12 hours later. I've never taken it to sleep before. Anyway, I'm gonna take it tell you something real quick. But yeah, to hear. Where am I gonna put this? Up the side

there feels right.

Okay, two things. First thing is I met somebody at a store today, today yesterday. And they were like, I forget how it came up. But I, they were like you lost weight? And I said yes. And I told them how much. And they asked questions about it. It was interesting to watch somebody's face to face, listen to the conversation. And I thought oh, I hope people are, you know, enjoying the diaries like that. And maybe post online. So I put a post up on the Facebook group. I'm sorry, I'm so loud. Like, I don't know how to do this because it's evening. I apologize. I put a post up on the Facebook group, which got a ton of response and so many people who jumped in and were either thank you for doing this because I really have been considering doing this and it's nice to hear the diaries, a lot of people telling me how much you guys enjoyed these episodes. And I have to be honest, I wasn't certain I just you know, I put them up and I hope you liked them. But I got a lot of terrific feedback. I also met a lot of people online who are also using ozempic We go V Manjaro or something like that. A lot of great stories out there. I think I'm going to do a couple of them. So you know if you have type one and you're using one of these GRPs get a hold of me if you want to be on the podcast, I think it would be really cool. Anyway that post was terrific. I love meeting everybody and seeing the kind of like community and and friendship I didn't realize there would be but I guess in a Facebook group that large. We could probably post about anything and find people who are who are affected by what you're talking about or or have thoughts about it. Anyway, let me get out my app. It is October 17. I guess that means that the last time I did this was on this Seven. Yes. I mean that just know the 10th dusk got where to go on the 10th. So today, why don't you go back to the 10th 1010? Where the hell is that? You would think it's after the knife. It is. Okay, so last week when I reported to you, I was 196 pounds. And today, after a week of how do I say this, my wife went to a farmers market and brought fudge back. We found something and by we, I mean me, found something that makes it through the thing that kills the sweet taste on the weego V. And that thing was fudge. I ate too much fudge this week. How much? I don't want to say I'd be embarrassed but if it wasn't a half a pound, I'd be surprised. So I had a little pieces of fudge throughout the day for a week. You know, this week I also ate shrimp. I had some pasta, chicken wings. Yes, smoked chicken wings. A couple of things like that one. And there's like a bunch of noisy stuff here. I gotta get rid of I really don't seem to know how to make a podcast if it's not in the daytime. Pretty good. Eggs wraps. I had a lot of steak with my eggs. These couple of mornings ate a lot of yogurt this week at one. It took my vitamins. And I started a new probiotic, which again, I'm not ready to talk about yet because I've only been on it for a couple of weeks. Anyway, I weighed myself this morning, and I weigh 196 pounds. I didn't gain any weight this week. I didn't gain any weight. Didn't lose any weight. I'm pretty good with that. I have to be honest with you. I know how I ate this week. And the idea that my my weight stay where it is absolutely fantastic. I had a waffle at a restaurant this week. I still just weigh 190 in that amazing. Like, don't get me wrong, I want to lose more weight and I need to lose more through my midsection. Mon mostly. Yeah, not my legs, my legs are done. My like I said tighten my thighs. My legs are done. My arms are fine. The top of my back is fine. Maybe my lower back and my love handles still there's weight there. I'm guessing it's around 15 pounds around my midsection still not the point. The point is, I had fudge, I didn't gain weight. To me. That's the point. That's all I got for you this week, other than to say, there are a lot of you out there. I didn't realize it's very cool that you're enjoying this, please keep coming with the feedback. And like I said, if you want to be on the podcast and talk about using the GLP to lose weight, or you know for your diabetes or whatever, let me know just email me right through the website. juicebox podcast.com. I'll see you next week, which will be I can do, I can do the math. Actually, next week will be the 24th. And then that following weekend, I'll be an odd, Austin. I'm doing a big talk with Jenny and Austin. So yeah, that'll be interesting. 24th And then on Halloween, you'll see me again after my Austin trip. I'm interested to see interest, see how much I can lose this week. And if I can keep it off or add to it while I'm away for because I'm gonna be away for like four days as a flight and air and a couple of other things. Alright, cool. I'll talk to you soon. Well, this is been a hell of a week. Tuesday, October 24. may tell you what happened this week. So Arden's away at college, and she wasn't feeling well. And I been talking to her. We've all been talking to her. I'm sorry, I'm getting my weight at the same time here. But it was kind of getting worse as time was going on. I don't have my glasses, so I'm gonna hold this phone pretty far away from my face. But Thursday, she contacted me and said, What are the chances I have appendicitis. And we looked at her symptoms, and they were very close to appendicitis. And so I sent her to the emergency room, which is a story unto itself that I'll probably tell on the podcast at some point, maybe just not here. She does not have appendicitis. We hope because I guess she would have burst by now she did. But the hospital was not great. A lot of confusion a long time being there ignored her because she was young, you know that kind of stuff. Anyway, she comes home with no answers that night. spent the next day trying to recuperate from, you know, being smacked in the face with morphine that they gave her when she got to the hospital and didn't really get any better throughout the day but in the late evening it got worse and bad enough that it One or two o'clock in the morning on Saturday night, no Friday night, Saturday morning 1am or so. She's back on the phone with me. And now she's got pain in different places and I'm sending her back to the emergency room. And then I get on a plane, like overnight and fly to her. She's, I mean, she's okay. We don't have an answer to her problem yet, but she's not in an emergent situation. This is neither here nor there. This is for me to tell you that. I woke up on Friday morning when I expected to at 8am I live my life. And at midnight when I thought I was going to sleep Friday night. Instead, I kept going. So I got Ardan off to the hospital. I bought a plane ticket, I drove to the airport. I slept in the airport for maybe two hours I got on the plane, I slept on the plane. I landed went right to the hospital, spent a number of hours in the hospital with her got her home. Took her with me to a hotel checked in by the hall. That's not true. We had to go do some other stuff, get her stuff together. By like I'd say two or three in the afternoon. We were both like passing out like we just actually at one point pulled the car over and just like fell asleep together for like an hour. And then I got her back to the hotel. And you know we had all these big plans about what we're going to do but instead she fell asleep at eight o'clock and slept throughout the night. I'm going to tell you that from midnight Saturday morning till Sunday morning. I ate a handful of candy which I grabbed because it had sugar in it. I thought I was gonna pass out so I was not eating. I'm telling you all this because I was also not hungry. We go V is insane. Never hungry once through that whole thing got up Sunday morning. Let her sleep in. Around noon got lunch. I had a turkey sandwich and some crackers Parmesan crackers. I don't think much else a yogurt. And then I don't think I eat the rest of the day. And wait, that's not true. I had some gummy bears in our room. I ate some gummy bears that night. Still not hungry. up Sunday morning. That was Sunday. I woke up Monday morning still in at were artists because I was trying to stay with her while she recuperated and I had a half of a waffle because I got to Arden's dorm room and they had waffles. And then I ate a chocolate chip cookie like seven hours later. And then I had some of the crackers at the end of the night. That was that was it. But I didn't eat for days basically. And I still got home today, Tuesday in time to do my week. govi injection. Let's do that now.

And I was woozy. I knew I needed food, but I wasn't hungry. Anyway, I had a few ounces of steak with a couple of eggs in a wrap. And now I'm here recording this for you. So anyway, I weighed myself today. But I weighed myself after a plane flight and a full day and I've been drinking liquids and everything. Although I didn't eat anything. I did weigh myself before the eggs and steak. And I was 194.2 pounds, which I think is a pound to less than last time. But I got to figure out what the hell was seven days ago. The 17th. It looks like on the 17th I was 196 Oh wait, and I'm 194 to now. Oh, I'm almost two pounds lighter than I was last Tuesday. But the truth of it is, I don't actually know how much I weigh right now. Or how much if it's going to come back on when I get back on a regular eating schedule, which I'm absolutely going to do. I'm not even proud of myself for what happened this weekend. Don't get me wrong, but it was so hectic and crazy. And I was worried about art. And the last thing I was even thinking about was eating for myself. So anyway, I've lost about two pounds this week. I'm guessing that won't hold for next week. But we'll see. And I'm traveling this weekend. And I tend to eat less when I'm traveling. So who knows what the hell's gonna happen anyway. Arden's not better but she's okay. We're still searching for answers for her problem. I know I've been vague about that. It's not diabetes related. So please don't worry about that. If that's one of those things that sometimes freaks people out. Anyway, we dove is amazing. I have not been hungry in days and I have not basically eaten in days. So For any of you who are fighting with that, that food voice, this stuff is it's the tits as they say, Yo, what's up everybody? I think this is gonna be the last entry for this episode. Today is October 31. Happy Halloween? Well, things are going well. Well, well, well. In fact, I have one observation from this week, maybe two, I'll give you my numbers. And we'll get you out of here. So, today's weigh in October 31 194.8 pounds. It is not the lowest I've been. But it's very, very close. And I have some interesting observations. So last Tuesday, when I weighed in, what was that the 25th? You know, I'm sorry, I really should look at these things before 24th. When I weighed in on the 24th, with you. I was 194.2 pounds. And I thought, Wow, that's crazy. But I also just gotten back from an unexpected trip, where I was on a plane and then a hotel and I wasn't eating right. And I actually do remember thinking this is probably not my real weight. And sure enough, just two days later on the 26th after I got back to my eating regimen, I was 196 pounds even. So last Thursday, 196 where I think is about where I belonged. And that sounds weird. But on the 25th I hadn't eaten well, for a few days I traveled unexpectedly, was in a hotel, not doing anything I supposed to be doing excuse me on the 24th but on the 17th when I spoke to you before that, I was 196 and then I had that week and craziness and I thought I don't think I really lost weight. I think this number is you know from running around crazy anyway, might have been right. But today I'm 190 4.8 and I think this is a real weight. So very cool. Let's go over them real quick. My BMI is 28.8 body fat 26.3 body water continues to rise as we would expect as I lose weight 53.2 my skeletal mass is going up you would expect that BMR is going down fat free body weight dropping. slowly, very slowly. Down to 140 3.6. subcutaneous fat 22.8 This is all from the Renfrow read fo r e n p h o scale that my wife bought visceral fat holding it 12 My muscle mass is holding pretty steady. It's at 130 6.2 bone mass super steady 7.2 protein rising metabolic age still 56 but I have lost 38.6 pounds so far since I started back in March was March. Right? Does anybody know? I don't even know at this point. Yeah, wow. March 28. Goodness, that's a lot a lot of weight I lost. There we go. He's terrific. Actually on this crazy on these kinds of weekends. You know, it actually makes dealing with hunger a lot easier. Or this past weekend I was in Austin giving a talk for the JDRF in Austin. And oh, thanks anybody who came out by the way, it's really great. But again, like you're in a hotel, different city, not really eating a ton of food. Never hungry. Absolutely fantastic. Able to keep my nutrition up but without having to you know, try a bunch of different foods. Some of them I was like, I don't know how like this some stuff was greasy. Not for me kind of thing. You know, traveling food. Not great. But while I was gone this weekend, Matthew Perry died. The guy from friends if you haven't heard him, sorry if I'm the one telling you would be odd if you hadn't heard by now. But it occurred to me, like you guys hear me on here all the time saying, like, I think of myself as my thoughts not as how I look, I think that it was possible. I didn't know I was heavier during my life because it's not how I judge myself, etc. But a few months ago, I remember seeing Matthew Perry in an interview like a video interview. And I do remember thinking God, He doesn't look good. And I didn't. I mean he's obviously you know, kicked a fairly terrible narcotics habit that I think was with him for many decades. And that's amazing. But I remember looking at him and thinking like, God, his skin looks like it's hanging on him. He looks like he gained a bunch of weight and lost weight and just didn't move. Well didn't sound good. When he was talking. I'm hearing now maybe he's got COPD had COPD, I'm not sure. Anyway, my point is that his body looked he looked a wreck to me. And I noticed it right away. I, and I saw him and I thought, oh God, Matthew Perry doesn't look good. But I must have looked like that before. And, and I didn't notice it. It's fantastic. Anyway. You know what I write that off as this kind of intellectual? I'm not my body. I'm a collection of my thoughts, but my thoughts don't exist without this body. So I don't know, seeing Matthew Perry seeing him die, reminding myself that I've said I'm not, you know, I'm who I am and my thoughts, not my body. It just made me think without this body, my thoughts aren't important. So, I mean, I think that's obvious and everything, but I felt like I needed to say it here. Anyway, thanks for listening to these. I'm getting great feedback on them. I'm glad you appreciate them and you're enjoying them. We go V 2.4 milligrams, getting ready to go in and hold on a second

that one pinched a little bit. I ain't gonna lie to you. Oh, all right. So I am going to go live my life. Make this podcast for you. I appreciate you listening. And I'll restart my week Ovi diary, excellent will be eighth. On the seventh on Election Day on election day. I'll shoot my week over one more time and, and tell you all about it. Thanks. So listening. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.

I want to thank all of you for listening to my diary. It really does help me on this journey as it gets longer and longer. And so many weeks and months passed when I started. reporting back to you is really good for me. So thank you for listening. I also want to thank us Med and remind you to go to us med.com/juicebox or call 888-721-1514 Get your free benefits check and get started getting your supplies the same way we do from us med Lastly, I'm going to thank touched by type one remind you that the dancing for diabetes show is coming up very soon, and that they're doing amazing things for people with type one diabetes, all you have to do is look at touched by type one.org. The after dark series from the Juicebox Podcast is the only place to hear the stories that no one else talks about. From smoking weed to drinking with type one perspectives from both male and females about having sex with diabetes. We talk about depression, self harm, eating disorders, mental illness, heroin addiction, use of psychedelics, living with bipolar, being a child of divorce, and honestly so much more. I can't list them all, but you can by going to juicebox podcast.com. Going to the top and clicking on after dark. There you'll see episode 807 called one thing after another episode 825 California sober. Other after dark episodes include unsupported survivor's guilt, space musician, dead frogs, these titles will make you say what is this about? And then when you listen, you'll think that was crazy. juicebox podcast.com Find the after dark series. It's fantastic.

#1056 Professor Holly

Holly has type 1 diabetes and is a med school professor.

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

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 1056 of the Juicebox Podcast

Welcome back everyone. Today I'll be speaking with Holly. She's 47 years old and has had type one diabetes since she was seven. Holly is a mother, a wife and a med school professor. She even has a husband with a really interesting story. So get comfortable. And remember while you're listening that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan, or becoming bold with insulin. Would you like to save 40% off of comfortable items like joggers, hoodies, sheets and towels. Go to cozy earth.com and use the offer code juice box at checkout to save 40% off of your entire order. And don't forget the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes a group with now 43,000 people in it someone in there just like you or someone you can help with. It's a wonderful community. You should go check it out. Last little reminder that Juicebox Podcast Pro Tip series for type one diabetes is completely remastered and available at episode 1000 through episode 1026.

This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by ag one. You can have the same delicious drink that I enjoy every morning by going to drink ag one.com/juice box with your first order. Expect a free year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs. Get your foundational nutrition at drink ag one.com/juice box. This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries. G voc hypo Penn Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash juice box.

Holly 2:10
My name is Hollywood Aman. I am a mom of two amazing kids. They're 16 and 11. I'm a scientist and a professor in the med school like here in Quebec City, Canada. And I've lived with type one since the age of seven and I'm now 47.

Scott Benner 2:27
Seven to 40 years.

Holly 2:30
Yep. Okay. hope you appreciate I aged on purpose to make the math easier for you.

Scott Benner 2:34
Thank you. It's why we waited for a birthday to come. Because if you would have been like I was I was diagnosed at seven and I'm 46 I would have been like oh god, hold on. Tell me again. What do you do for a living?

Holly 2:48
I'm a professor.

Scott Benner 2:50
Okay. Your kids have any autoimmune stuff? No.

Holly 2:56
Just me. Okay, you

Scott Benner 2:58
okay? Just type one or do you have something else?

Holly 3:02
I also have Hashimotos.

Scott Benner 3:05
Taking T for? Yeah. Does that do it for you? If it seems here? Yeah. Energy is good. All that stuff? Yeah. Cool. All right. Have you been Canadian? Your whole life?

Holly 3:18
Canadian my whole life? Okay, I've lived other places. But you were born there. I was born here. I've moved around a bit. I'm not from Quebec. Originally. You can tell from my accent. Okay.

Scott Benner 3:29
Blanca. All right. Where do you want to start? I've been I haven't done this in 10 days. It's up to you. I just had a practice. I just got back from vacation. And I was like, well, that's life. We know a lot about our work good now. All right, podcasts. Other people have diabetes. Even scientists, people in Quebec, sometimes scientists, people have diabetes. So I guess let's just go to the beginning for so what what do you remember if anything about your diagnosis?

Holly 3:58
I remember my mom crying a lot and comforting her. And then I was hospitalized for a month. Okay, which was a long time even then I think, wait a month, like a month? I lived in the hospital for a month. Do you

Scott Benner 4:12
recall why?

Holly 4:13
So I what I was told was that they had to stabilize me.

Scott Benner 4:19
So they're stabilizing techniques don't work that well? I guess not. I'm, I'm just checking very quickly. It's 2023 right now. I go back 40 years it was 83. Okay.

Holly 4:33
All right. Even back then. No, that was a long time. I can talk to a lot of other people who've been who were diagnosed around the same time or? Yeah, it was a long time.

Scott Benner 4:41
No, no, for sure. Maybe your parents were like, This is amazing. Can you keep her longer place? You don't know but the kids are pain. maybe who knows? They see your dad grease and bombs. She needs to be here another week. Don't you think?

Holly 4:57
We can't deal with this at home.

Scott Benner 4:59
You Yeah. Three more days. Do you remember anything about your care?

Holly 5:05
I remember that. I mean, in terms of in terms of what I was taking,

Scott Benner 5:09
do you mean? Yeah, and how your family.

Holly 5:12
So I remember, I started with either one or two needles a day, I remember going to two. I remember, I was on two, very shortly afterwards, but I don't remember if I started on to where I started on one. But it was like the classic, you know, beef and pork. Cloudy and clear. I remember testing my urine. That was really fun the test tubes in the bathroom and they would, you know, you would drop in, one of them took two drops of urine and five drops of water. And one of them took five drops of urine and 10 drops of water, and then you drop in the tablet and the fears. They change colors and you compare them to the chart.

Scott Benner 5:49
Does that clear the test?

Holly 5:52
So the clinic test was the strip's and they came late. I believe it might have been Clintus. I don't know.

Scott Benner 5:57
No, no, I know. I'm, I'm amazed that you remember that much of it. So then you're Are you one shot a day or two? How do they start? Yeah,

Holly 6:05
thank you. I think I start with two because I definitely remember doing you know, the the breakfast shot. So it was like, you know, 45 minutes before breakfast, and then the supper shot, which was about 45 minutes before supper.

Scott Benner 6:17
Okay. All right. measurements of your health. Any idea what they were looking for? Nothing.

Holly 6:26
I went to the hospital every three months. They took some blood. That's all I know. Okay. And even see wasn't even like, you know, when was he when he developed? Wasn't it like 79 or something like that. So they may not have even had it. I grew up in Saskatchewan. Oh, yeah. Just north of north of North Dakota and Montana. For anyone who is less, less familiar with Canadian geography.

Scott Benner 6:46
I just like that. I like for people to hear that there was no measurement. Like your measurement of health was what standing up? I don't know. Yeah, right. She's alive. We did it. Come back.

Holly 6:58
Here. I wasn't, you know, I was a little kid. So they might have been telling my parents more than that. This is not a conversation I would ever have with my parents. So.

Scott Benner 7:07
Okay, so you did not talk about diabetes with your parents whose child?

Holly 7:12
Oh, I mean, in terms of like, how am I doing? Ah, no, we talked about that. I mean, I would not have this conversation now. Oh, we would never talk about it. What Why do you think that is? Because I mean, my mom and I don't talk much anyway. And my dad basically left it to my mom. And then she left him when I was eight. And then he moved back to Europe when I was 13. So it wasn't really

Scott Benner 7:35
involved. All right, she left him that's why we don't talk to her.

Holly 7:40
Ah, no, we had a you don't have to tell you. I love my mom. Sure. I love my mom. So this is not a therapy session. Right. But we had a difficult conversation a couple of years ago, and haven't really come back together on that.

Scott Benner 7:56
Oh, I see. So one of you doesn't matter who brought up something. I'm gonna guess it was you. You brought up something that had been bothering you your whole life and it didn't land well. When you have diabetes and use insulin, low blood sugar can happen when you don't expect it. GE voc hypo pen is a ready to use glucagon option that can treat very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes. ages two and above. Find out more go to G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash juicebox. G voc shouldn't be used in patients with pheochromocytoma or insulinoma. Visit G voc glucagon.com/risk.

Holly 8:37
We wanted her to test for COVID Oh, and she did. And we thought it was fine. And then the last night of our visit there she got really upset at me about the fact that she had to test for COVID That's it. Yeah. And but it's so when I talk to people who don't understand diabetes, the way I explain this is my my sister has asthma and was allergic to cigarette smoke. It was always said, you know, she shouldn't be around smoke. My mom smoked all the time. Sure, in the car in house, all that sort of stuff. So take that same attitude map into diabetes. That's sort of what I got. Okay. So,

Scott Benner 9:21
you know, my sister can't be my sister can't be around cigarette smoke. And she's like, why not? I'm fine. I

Holly 9:31
think she tried to quit and she did succeed at one point for anyway. It's complicated. And I lived

Scott Benner 9:37
in Saskatchewan. I do heroin, just so you know. Because it sounds cold.

Holly 9:43
It's very cold. Mo for sure. I plug in your car

Scott Benner 9:47
to keep it warm, not because it's an electric car.

Holly 9:49
So it will start again. Yeah, this is back in the day pre electric car.

Scott Benner 9:53
Yeah. So there's heaters on the engine block and you'd plug it in to keep the oil from becoming Hard, correct? Yeah, heroin right into a vein. That's what I do. I'd be like, I gotta get out of here. Or I'd worn that carbon drive south until I did something, though. What the hell does that mean? It's you

Holly 10:13
know how you know how in places so when I lived in Toronto for a while Toronto winters are technically warmer than Saskatchewan. And I think New Jersey is pretty similar to Toronto, right? I mean, sort of like it's it's cold and gray and slushy. You know, whereas in Saskatchewan, it's cold, but it's blue, and bright and sunny.

Scott Benner 10:32
It doesn't matter to me, I'd get the hell out of there. And Tuesday. Okay, so Oh, that's interesting. I

Holly 10:37
was seven years I supposed to go? I don't know. I mean, you were

Scott Benner 10:41
making better decisions than your mom, you should have tried it and so on. So, okay, so you're not nearly the first person I've spoken to who who's had like a real family remoulding. Around COVID. Like, very interesting. Like, it's not uncommon at all. There's a woman I wish she'd never come on here. But her family like, like, just disintegrated over it. Like just, you know, and it wasn't like in your things really simple. It's not like your mom was like, I don't think COVID is real. And you're like, I think it is it wasn't even that argument. It was like, I just need you to put a swab in your nose to make sure I'm not gonna get COVID Because I have diabetes. Yeah. And that pissed her off enough. How old is she?

Holly 11:22

Okay, seven years, he would have been 69 or 68. And

Scott Benner 11:28
I'm just trying to change. Yeah. I was trying to figure out why she won't come back around. Yeah,

Holly 11:34
I don't know. I don't know. No, it was my kids were going to visit her. And my youngest was still too young for vaccines. And we know that my eldest does not have the genes for type one, or at least the, you know, the common. The Attilio subtypes that are associated with type one because he was enrolled in trigger was a newborn. But my youngest had never been tested. I mean, trigger wasn't. Trigger wasn't running at that time. So

Scott Benner 12:02
you were basically saying to your mom, listen, I don't want my kid to get COVID and then end up this kicking a diabetes thing in. So just stick this swab in your nose and let's check to make sure you don't have it. Did you pay for the test? No. She she was out the 12 bucks. You're saying? Maybe that was the problem? That she did bring that up real Oh, stop. It. She really? Yeah. She that's great. I just imagined her mind. She's like, my cigarette smoking didn't hurt the girl. Like they said it was going to there's no way that this could happen. Wow. That's fascinating. All right. Anyway, thanks for telling me that. That was a great year. We'll be right back up again. I know how to make the podcast again. Alright, so you haven't spoken to your mom in a while? Yeah.

Holly 12:50
I'm sad about it actually. Like it's Oh, no,

Scott Benner 12:52
I would imagine. Do you want to? You want to talk more about it? Go ahead. No. Okay. I

Holly 12:57
didn't know if you want to unburden unless you want me to send you a copay afterwards.

Scott Benner 13:01
I wish people would send me $40 After I made a podcast with him, but that hasn't happened yet. Okay, so you manage the way you did for how long? Like when did you go to MDI, every day that I wake up, I drink he won. He won, of course, is a foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole body health, drink, ag one.com/juicebox. I drink ag one every morning, just a cold glass of water and a scoop of delicious ag one, mix it up and drink it down. It's the perfect start to my day. I gave ag want to try initially because I was tired of taking so many vitamins and supplements. And I wanted a single solution that supports my entire body and covers my nutritional bases. I wanted better gut health. I wanted a boost of energy. And I hated taking all those pills and vitamins. So if you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with ag one. Try ag one with my link and get a free one year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase. Just go to drink ag one.com/juice box that's drink ag one.com/juice box, check it out. There's links in the show notes and links at juicebox podcast.com.

Holly 14:17
So what do you count as MDI? Like, is to just two needles count? No, right. So I'm so that was mph, right when I was about so I got my and then I got my first so here, here are the things I remember. And I'm gonna I'm just gonna guess about how old I was. I remember getting a blood glucose meter around age 11. Okay, all right. That was the big brick. Yeah, super. You would put the put a big drop of blood on and blot it and wait 60 seconds and then close the meter. I remember that one human synthetic insulins that was a big change. And I think I was I would have been about 1314 15 around there. That's you getting Lantus. Then No Lantis did not come until much later. Okay. Yeah, no, I actually never even I never even got a. I never even took lintas Because I moved to a pump in 2004 and

Scott Benner 15:12
went right to a pub. Here in Canada. I forgot. So

Holly 15:15
yeah, Lantis was later coming here. So, yeah, but I've moved off of mph on to a took lenti Ultra net MPH is terrible. It was just terrible. And so I tried everything else. lenti and ultra Linsay. Were the two.

Scott Benner 15:32
How was it not helpful day to day? Like What Did mph not allow for you?

Holly 15:37
Um, it's just really variable in terms of how it absorbs you never really know when that peak is gonna happen. You know, and I've never needed a lot of insulin. So small variations. We're all we just like, kick my behind.

Scott Benner 15:52
You think you were a low a lot as a child.

Holly 15:55
I was I there was a lot of glucagon in my childhood

Scott Benner 15:58
really? Like, like seizures. And

Holly 16:02
I don't know if I had a lot of seizures. I know I did have one seizure because I was hospitalized for that. But I would wake up, it'd be about usually about 1030 I'd had glucagon and I was barfing. Wow. And I would barf all day and miss the whole day of school.

Scott Benner 16:19
And this was common for you. Common? Well, you mentioned in your note that you don't feel your lows. Is that still Yeah, that's still the case. That is still the case. How, what age did you lose the ability to feel them?

Holly 16:34
So it was about 20 years in. So I would have been about 27 ish. But it's tough to say when it started. You know, I have? I have. It's funny. My husband and I were talking about this the other day, because there was one point when I sort of realized I'm like this something, something weird is going on, we were on a canoeing trip. And we had to get across a lake. It was really windy, was bad weather. It was it was in May. And it was snowing. And it was just we were like What are we doing out canoeing in May. And we had to get across this lake. And so we're just paddling. And all of a sudden, I'm crashing low. And I didn't feel it coming at all. And I you know you're in a canoe, I can't get up and go get my bag or anything like that. But I always had those, those gels tucked in a pocket of my life jacket. And you know, the cherry gels. And they don't even claim to be delicious. They just say pleasant cherry flavor. That's the level to which they aspire. Yeah,

Scott Benner 17:37
we're just gonna go for not horrible here and see, see what we can do. You'll be able to choke it down. That'd be a better marketing plan. If it just said it doesn't taste horrible. Better than pleasant actually. Also, I'm not sure if people are paying attention to what level but this lady lives in a place where it snows in May. So I don't know why you would stay there again. That's ridiculous there flowers and green grass in May here. Do you have a car?

Holly 18:05
It was not normal? We were not expecting the snow on that.

Scott Benner 18:09
Alright. Alright, that's fair enough. So what do you see you do the gel? Does it actually stop that? Or is

Holly 18:16
it works? I mean, obviously I survived. Right? Yeah. But I mean somebody

Scott Benner 18:18
paddling furiously to get you to a bag.

Holly 18:22
I don't recall. Like, I just remember squeezing the gel and like rubbing it in my cheek. And then, you know, continuing to paddle you just sort of keep going. Mainly, I mean, I can still function physically when I'm low. It's the cognitive

Scott Benner 18:36
stuff that goes buried at that point.

Holly 18:39
We were not married. No, we were we were I think we were engaged at that point.

Scott Benner 18:42
Yeah, that's how you know he likes you. And that's over. Really? Like, wow, he's he didn't just get in the car and drive.

Holly 18:51
I mean, driver's license at that point. So you know,

Scott Benner 18:54
oh, because Saskatchewan. Why would you need that?

Holly 18:57
Right. He grew up on a commune. What the hell were Ontario? They have that in Canada. Oh, yeah.

Scott Benner 19:06
How was he your Is he your age? Did you have the cradle what's going on?

Holly 19:10
No, he's so he's 50. I'm 47. Oh,

Scott Benner 19:13
okay. Here's he was a little older. He didn't have a license in his late 20s. What kind of commune was it? We'd?

Holly 19:20
No, it was. That would have been great. They probably would have survived. They sold organic food. And the kids had to do all the weeding.

Scott Benner 19:31
So his parents were his parents were hippies.

Holly 19:34
I think they were want to be hippies. It was a religious commune.

Scott Benner 19:37
Oh, sell it. Gotcha. Did they wear deodorant?

Holly 19:44
Oh, no. Never asked you would they wear deodorant? Now? You were dating him?

Scott Benner 19:47
Did he wear deodorant? He did. All right. Okay. I didn't think Canada made that stuff. What hippies? Yeah, hippies. Like, there's Canadian hippie

Holly 19:59
group. Okay. It does they did have sites around the

Scott Benner 20:02
world. Do you not want to tell me what it was called?

Holly 20:05
It was called the divine Emmis emissaries of the Divine Light.

Scott Benner 20:09
Alright, hold on. First. I'm googling Canadian hippies. They had them. Okay, you guys got that too. Now hold on to one of the white light.

Holly 20:20
emissaries of divine light. I don't know if it's still I believe they might still have one site that is still in existence. One or two? Wow. I know they had one. So I know he lived for a while in Colorado as well.

Scott Benner 20:34
There on the web. Yeah. So I mean, if you've got a website, you're real. Is that something? Good?

Holly 20:42
Oh, no, I was just gonna say commune. I mean, he's amazing. And I do think that there's something to be said for growing up with the idea of, we're all in this together.

Scott Benner 20:54
Ya know, I would imagine. I mean, just as long as the leader doesn't try to touch you weird or something. Great. Are his parents alive? I'm sorry. This is the Yeah, they're fantastic. And they don't do stuff like this any longer. But they're just really lovely people.

Holly 21:09
Just really lovely people. They're not together his dad. His dad was actually one of the last people who stayed in the location where my husband grew up. And his mom met her current partner there. They've been together for 30 years.

Scott Benner 21:23
Wow. Yeah. So he his mom, and that they just traded off and she went a different way. And he stayed behind, trying to keep the ship from going down. I guess that's great. Well, yeah. Oh, very weird. I love this podcast. I don't know why. Every time somebody says something like, that's crazy. Yeah. Very cool.

Holly 21:44
So many people have such, I mean, I think most people don't think their own life. Is that interesting. But when you listen to stories about people's lives, so many people have these interesting stories.

Scott Benner 21:54
Oh, yeah. You're all out of your mind. If you don't think your lives are interesting. You're just not asking the right questions. That's all I guess. Yeah. All right. So where did this start? Oh, you're hyper

Holly 22:03
awareness in the middle of a canoe? In the snow?

Scott Benner 22:07
I guess my question is, what are the implications of that as an adult?

Holly 22:12
I mean, the main implication for me is it makes it difficult to drive.

Scott Benner 22:16
Okay, because out of nowhere, you're just too low to function in your head.

Holly 22:21
Yeah. Well, so I ended up. So I got a Dexcom. Very early, they weren't available yet in Canada. But I was working in the US. I was doing my postdoc at the University of Michigan. And so, because of that, because I have a sensor, I'm able to do things like drive, but prior to that, it was really scary. Yeah. Right. And I would, you know, always test before I drive, and then I would pull over at least once an hour to test and data.

Scott Benner 22:49
So wow, did you ever have trouble? Um, no, because I've followed the rules. You were so ahead of it. Yeah. Yeah. How does it so it impacts that way? Is it? Yeah, this is gonna sound strange. Is it kind of nice. Like, when you hear other people talk about being dizzy at 65 and stuff like that? Are you kind of, I still get oh, you still have oh, man present?

Holly 23:11
I just have no warning that it's coming. I see. Okay, it's more like i. So it's not that I don't feel any low ever. Although, I've been incredibly low. And just feeling nothing. So you know, I think the lowest I've ever been, and just, you know, I, my Dexcom is going bananas. And I feel fine. Would have been about you know, what around to so 36

Scott Benner 23:38
Wow. Yeah. I mean, that's low.

Holly 23:40
But I still do get low still do impact me. And particularly, I get really sad. You cry. Sometimes, so. And mostly it's just like, everything sucks for three or four hours after I've been low.

Scott Benner 23:56
Oh, Tom, are you serious? So yeah, you get a low even like, like, how low do you have to get before the world's not good for hours afterwards?

Holly 24:04
It's not really a number doesn't seem to be tied to a particular number. But it happens with some frequency. And I was already pretty motivated to avoid lows. But that is definitely an additional motivator.

Scott Benner 24:15
Oh, that's interesting. So you know, what's the level of sadness? Are you unable? Like, I'm really sad. Did like just lay around in a pile or?

Holly 24:23
No, I keep going up because I have a life and I have to do stuff. Yeah. But I'm, I'm very much aware that I am sucking it up. And then I'm going to be fine in four hours. And these thoughts that I'm having are just the low. Everything's gonna be okay.

Scott Benner 24:37
Wow. So it's not just like, it's not like a feeling of just like, Doom or dread or unhappiness, it's total despondency. Like, and it touches things get meaning that just because you know it's happening because of the law. You can't say. I know this lamp is pretty and I'm sitting here thinking about throwing it away because I'm so said that I bought this lamp. Yeah, there's no distinction in there.

Holly 25:03
No, I am very. So I have the meta thought that I am aware of what's happening. I'm aware that it's happening because I'm low. And then I'm going to be okay. Yeah, but I'm still feeling the feeling. Wow,

Scott Benner 25:15
that's XR. Does it impact relationships? Like do you is like, do we know we don't talk about stuff during that time.

Holly 25:22
So I do request that to not be asked to make decisions when I'm low.

Scott Benner 25:26
Okay, because you'll follow the feeling

Holly 25:29
more I have real difficulty making choices. That's crazy. Like, it's just it feels impossible to decide anything.

Scott Benner 25:36
Yeah. Like, yeah, like, you have dread, like real, like despondent feelings. And that's something. Are you ever afraid you'll hurt yourself during it? No, no.

Holly 25:46
I have responsibilities to my family.

Scott Benner 25:48
I mean, like, could you like, could you like tumble like, I don't know. There's no world peace. I wish there was more food. Why are there more commons where people make food? And then you're up on the roof looking down at the ground? Like, could it go that quickly? Or? No,

Holly 26:04
I don't think so. I think like, because I am aware of what's happening as it is happening. It's just, it's really unpleasant, even though I know why it's happening. And that is going to stop.

Scott Benner 26:14
Yeah. Wow, that's really interesting. No one's ever said that before. You're on a first I don't think anybody's had a low on a rowboat. married a guy who grew up in a commune or describe sadness after being low life? That's really good shoe. What else you gonna say?

Holly 26:27
I don't know. Let's find out what sound you got?

Scott Benner 26:30
Yeah, that's a good question. I ever I have a meeting later this afternoon, where I have to listen to the people that helped my mom where she lives describe why they didn't help her again. And then I get to sit there and try to be. So my wife tells me, I have to be polite during these conversations, because I'll put the people off, and then it'll make them harder for them to help my mom, I want to hold them accountable. And I'm not good at holding them accountable with pleasant words. Like outside of

Holly 26:59
gender element there, though.

Scott Benner 27:01
I think it's, I think it's because they tried to kill my mommy. And I'm not I'm not okay with that. And on the podcast. It's interesting. Like, there's a, there's a dynamic at play that most of you aren't aware of, but like, I'm a really direct person. And like, if I was in charge of a group of 20 people in a, you know, in a business situation, we would be a very effective group of 21 people. If I worked in that group of 20 people, I would be a despised human being, nobody would like me. So my wife said, There's no way you could have a real job. She's like, people would fire you immediately. And I was saying, but that's why the podcast works. So well. I said, Because I tell myself what to do. And then I do it. Right. And she's like, Yeah, not everybody does the thing at their job that they're supposed to do. And I'm like, so when they don't do it, it's not okay for me to point out to them that they're not doing it. She goes, No, we have to speak nicely, where they know, we know that they're not doing it, but we don't make them feel bad about it. And I was like, Are you sure? Like, because I would just like to tell them? Do your fucking job? Like, is that not okay, so anyway,

Holly 28:09
so I might not say to your fucking job. But I do think so. I do, I suspect. I'd be curious for you to hear your wife's perspective on this. But I'm willing to bet that you could get away with saying things that she probably can't because of the gender, the gender dynamics. Well, I tried that the legs are allowed to be forceful in ways that women aren't I understand

Scott Benner 28:30
your point. I also think that it's, I think that there's also an aspect in my regular life, that sometimes I have to be cognizant about the doesn't exist, and which is that here, I make, like when you come to record with me, you trust me already. Like, right, so like, so I'm kind of the leader of the of the like, I'm the leader of the commune. And, and when I tell you to take off your pants, it's for Jesus, you don't question it?

Holly 29:01
No, you only get to tell me to weed the garden.

Scott Benner 29:03
Yeah. Okay, sure. And then

Holly 29:07
what job I get to do, and those sorts of things,

Scott Benner 29:10
what guy can have my wife off to if she's

Holly 29:13
okay? Which sister wife, I'm going to be friends.

Scott Benner 29:16
I just have this, like, so I'm accustomed to being a trusted source in this situation. And then you get into the real world, where like, you're in a room with four people were like, I don't know what your stupid podcast is about buddy. And I have no idea who you are. And I forget that, like, everyone's not just going to be thrilled that I'm there. Because I do live a portion of my life or when I show up people are like, it's the guy and I'm like it is it's me. And like and like we're all good. And I am a very like, I am a very pleasant person. But I'm also direct to the point of I think it would surprise people that listen that if you if you were to screw me in my own life, I wouldn't care about how you felt in our altercation or in our but But what I'm Interview,

Holly 30:00
it's pretty clear, I think people should be surprised. I would not be surprised. But in

Scott Benner 30:04
this, I'm always coming from the perspective of, like, Tell me more. Why is that? Like, I'm interested in the interviewing more. Because if I just said everything I was thinking, I guess these interviews would be like, like, I don't? How do I put this? You're getting, like, 23% of me on the podcast, and you made the best 25 You would not enjoy the whole 100%? Cuz I would just be like, how the hell did you get in that boat without something to help yourself?

Holly 30:34
It was in the pocket of my life jacket,

Scott Benner 30:38
there'd be more of me going What's wrong with you?

Holly 30:40
What's wrong? Responsible?

Scott Benner 30:43
It'd be more of me on the podcast going? Did you consider thinking? It's stuff like that. So little bits of that, intermingled in the conversations is actually big people like it. And it's helpful because I interact, right. But when I, but when you don't do a thing you're supposed to do with my mom's care. And she ends up in the hospital and literally almost dies. And then we get back, she somehow makes her way through it. And we're sitting in the meeting, trying to figure out how to not let this happen again, and the answer is if you did your job, it wouldn't have happened. And then they get on and say, You know what, we needed a plan. And I said, you had a plan, you didn't follow it? And they said, Yeah, but we're gonna make a new plan. And I said, Are you going to follow the new plan? And they were like, Well, what we and they just kept pushing the idea of, we need a plan. And I started off very nicely, I remind everybody who was on the call, but when it started, I was pleasant. But about the third time that they insisted that the problem wasn't them. It was that the plan wasn't right. I said, No, you guys have to stop. I was like, that's, that's not what happened here. And I just am not good. I've said this in the podcast, I am not good at sitting in a room where you're lying to me, and I know it, and I'm lying to you. And you know it, I just, I can't do that. So in today's meeting, I've been told, just to sit there very quietly. So I'm gonna be like, the heavy in the room. Like, imagine we're in a room collecting money from your gambling debts. And you say, Who's the guy in the corner? Because you think the guy in the corner is gonna break your hand. I'm gonna play that part today. I'm just gonna say hello to everybody and then not say anything. And then all the nice people in my family are gonna nice it up for me.

Holly 32:27
Anyway, good luck to them.

Scott Benner 32:28
Thank you. Because I just made that happen. That sucks. Oh, it was terrible. Like, I'm not kidding. Like she was in the hospital, delirious, throwing things, not herself, minute to minute didn't remember what happened a minute before. You know, the first four days in the hospital, they're like, you know, my brothers. And I got together and talked about her funeral arrangements, like like that. And then I'm on a call with somebody who's like, well, she's great. I'm like, Yes, but I still had to get on a call with my brothers and decide if my mom was going to be cremated or buried. And now we're all gonna sit here and pretend it. It's all fine, we'll make a new plan. So anyway, I yelled at them a lot. And got things in line. That call did not go well, from that point, from their perspective. And at the end, I they were like, well, what do you want to do? And I said, No, I'm not in charge. Like, what do you want to do? Like I don't, I said, I said, Actually, I think what I said was, Do I ask you to come to my job and do it for me? And they were like, what? And I'm like, I'm not doing your job, you do your job. That's all I want from you. You do your job. Don't kill my mom. At one point, my brother reminded me. So my mom got a UTI. Okay, she's at and almost killed her. My brother reminds me that at some point during the conversation with the people, he says, Scott, you told them the entire story of mom's life in 35 seconds, leading up to her beating cancer last year, and then said, If my mom dies from her ASPI and dirty, I'm not sure how well I'm going to handle that. And there was a pause. And he said, and then he goes, and then you said, So cancer couldn't kill her. But you guys are going to. And anyway, my wife says, I can't say that in meetings with people. So

Holly 34:17
I would I think your wife is correct. That is probably probably not going to engender feelings of hey, let's go the extra mile for this family.

Scott Benner 34:29
I thought they would just do it out of fear. And by the way, they did for three weeks. For three weeks. They did what they were supposed to do. And you know why we're having this meeting again, because they stopped doing what they were supposed to do. And my mom got that was only found out because we were paying attention very, very closely at this time because we know, accreditation. I mean, it's a state. It's a facility that is accredited by the state. And you know, there's actually

Holly 34:56
if I were if I I mean, I'm not a lawyer Hey, and not in that situation don't even know what state it is. But you know, that is usually what they're afraid of. They're not afraid of individuals. They're afraid of the accreditation board.

Scott Benner 35:09
Yeah, one woman in the call. I remember her saying, no one's ever spoken to me like this before. And I said, Oh, I'm sorry. This is the first time I've had to deal with someone trying to kill my mom. Am I not being polite enough? I didn't, it would have made a great podcast. Holly was not a great personal meeting between caregivers and family. I lost my temper. And anyway, I will not apologize. Point being we got off on a tangent. I didn't mean to do that. Okay, so you

Holly 35:39
are saying your whole podcast about tangents?

Scott Benner 35:41
Yeah, but I like to pretend that that's not what it is. No, okay. I act like this is part of the diabetes. This is the stick. I'm like, Oh, how did we get down this road? You want to know the truth? Everyone listening? Here's the truth. You can't make an entertaining podcast about diabetes completely.

Holly 35:58
Doesn't work. That's why I like yours. It's very funny.

Scott Benner 36:02
Thank you very much. Why am I reading here that you dropped out of school? What school?

Holly 36:07
I dropped out of university and and went to work on a sailboat.

Scott Benner 36:15
Alright, so now you're the second person that's worked on a sailboat on the podcast. Oh, really? Yeah. One girl. I thought I did for you. This girl. It would happen so long ago. She found it in a magazine.

Holly 36:29
Oh, she went to school on a sailboat. I remember that way. Right? Right.

Scott Benner 36:33
They took her to the Bahamas, like I think she flew to the Bahamas and then came back up the coast or something like that. And her doctor changed her insulin during the the trip. And they they mailed it to a port where they knew she was crazy stuff like that.

Holly 36:48
I loved it. So no, mine was mine was not that organized. Say I just I needed to. I needed a break. I had been, I'd spent two years at university in at Queens, which will mean something to people in Canada, but it's this very waspy school. And I worked there both summers too. So I hadn't left this college town for two years, I needed to do something different. And I also needed to make money. So so I could keep going to school. So I dropped out, planning to come back. And I did end up coming back, although it was mainly because I broke my ankle. And so I had to go back to school. Whereas if I hadn't broken my ankle, I probably would have taken the job I was offered to crew in the South Pacific. And then I'd be having a very different life.

Scott Benner 37:34
Wow. Instead, you came back and finished what degree

Holly 37:38
my first degree, my undergrad degree was in engineering and math and mechanical engineering. And then I worked as an engineer for a while, okay, and then went back to grad school and got a that funding basically to do some work in health related to health. I was still in engineering, but I was doing more human computer interaction, and then did a postdoc in social science and health. And now I'm faculty and in med school.

Scott Benner 38:04
Wow. Tell me what the lore of the boat was that almost got you to leave all those impressive things that you just said,

Holly 38:12
Oh, well, very impressive, because they're because of the way our society is structured. But I mean, there are, I don't know, what's your fun, going places is fun.

Scott Benner 38:22
Forget what society thinks though. Like you were on your way to being like a, like I'm looking you know, you seem safe indoors. You know, your hair's been washed, you're having decent life is what I'm saying. And you were very grateful. But if you think if you didn't break your ankle, you would have just taken a different job and go on a completely different path. I was like, it wasn't drugs. It was just boys. Was it? Nothing. It was just the thing. You liked it.

Holly 38:48
I just liked it. Yeah. So I wanted to go somewhere. I wanted to be somewhere else.

Scott Benner 38:54
So how long did you do it for before your ankle?

Holly 38:57
So I was on the boat. So I I had a period of time where I was working at a manufacturing plant to make more money. And then we left for Florida where the boat was dry, docked, thinking December and I broke my ankle and it was it was about four, four or five months.

Scott Benner 39:15
Okay. All right. So it was still romantic notion. You hadn't been there that long, maybe two years into it, you would have been like, Okay, I want to be an engineer. I didn't want to work for that. I didn't want to work on that boat for very long. Oh, about a bigger, nicer, happier experience. You

Holly 39:30
know, just different different captain.

Scott Benner 39:32
Oh, what's that? Is that politics? Is it

Holly 39:36
so the captain of the boat so the boat that I was working on? Was my I was first mate and cook. And so I did everything that the captain didn't want to do. It was a little 47 foot sailboat, and he would have his friends come and they would stay on board for two weeks at a time. And they would pay enough just to cover sort of costs food fuel Yeah, you know, my pathetic salary, stuff like that. And he was from East Germany, he had defected and moved to Canada and made a bunch of money in real estate, and was very particular. And so he would do things like, you know, call me over after I'd cleaned the clean this the soul, so the floor inside the boat, and when he was inspecting it with a flashlight, and he would show me the spots that I'd missed.

Scott Benner 40:27
Oh, lovely. So I used to do graphic design for a guy who would spend the first 27 days of the month brainstorming, which we later learned been drinking during the day. And then he would spend the last 72 hours standing over my shoulder. Like watching me work so that I'd meet his deadline. And I'm good under pressure because of that. Oh, well, you know, skills, but it was, it was unpleasant. I got him fired. Did I ever tell that story on here? I don't know. That's such a good story. If I never told that story, somebody write me a note. Because I'll tell you. Yeah, he screwed me and I screwed him back. Yeah, sort of like the meeting at that day. It probably wasn't smart enough to push me the rest of the way. Anyway, not the point. Okay, so you end up back at school? And now you? I mean, what, what is your, I guess, tell me a little bit about your job right now, my current job, or the one that talks directly to the other thing you want to talk about which you said to me and your note that you'd like? It says getting doctors to provide better diabetes care. I have some academic work on this. And I have some funny stories personally. So oh, gosh, do you remember writing that?

Holly 41:42
I vaguely it was a really long time ago, it was at least Yes, I do have I do have work on that. So my postdoc, so my current job, my current job. I'm a I'm a professor at a med school. And so I do primarily research, I teach a little bit, I mostly teach health professionals. So doctors, nurses, you know, physiotherapists, people who are in training to become health professionals. And I do a little bit of continuing professional education to so people who are already practicing. So we did do a study where my postdoc, and I, and another and a med student, did video interviews with people with diabetes, type one and type two. And ask them a bunch of questions. And one of the questions we asked was, What could health professionals do better? What could they do to provide better care to people with diabetes? And then we took all those video interviews, and we stitch them together into sort of like a learning module. And then we tested it we trialed it with with med students, and it helps them respond to clinical scenarios of people with diabetes better. So what's your

Scott Benner 42:48
opinion of when people have poor interactions with doctors, doctors that appear not to know how to help them? Why do you think that is? Why can I figure out more than a doctor can figure out

Holly 43:02
about management about anything? About anything?

Scott Benner 43:05
Why do I go in? And why do I go in and say, hey, here are my symptoms? And they're like, Hey, take this. And then in then I go home and go, no, no, that turns out, this is impacting that. And I don't need a medication for the second thing, I need the first thing to not happen that's happening because of this. Here's how you stop it. And then I have to go back to them, explain it to them, and then smile like a puppy and hope they write the right prescription for me. Why is it work that way? Oh, gosh,

Holly 43:32
I mean, I think so you're talking about your experience in the US system, which is a different a different system than other countries. But I do think that it is common for people to have negative experiences in healthcare systems. There are a lot of reasons it happens. Some of them are the fault of system level factors. So things like there is not enough time. Right? Right. So especially in primary care, those health professionals do not are not paid enough to be able to pay their nurses and pay their staff and that sort of thing and run a clinic in a way that would allow them to spend the time with people to really get like to really unpack what's happening with that person, because it takes time.

Scott Benner 44:18
Yeah. Here's my idea. Tell me if it's yeah, I held this idea for a while I've said it to a couple of people using diabetes as an example. I think instead of you coming to a 1520 minute, 30 minutes if you're lucky. appointment where you come in, and then the first couple of minutes is spent with that I forgot Hello, while they're trying to like look at the chart and remember who the hell you are, you know, and then it's how's it going? They don't care. They're just looking at what your last day latency was and what they talked about the notes they made about you and you're sitting there thinking that this is like one of your best friends the whole world and they're busy going like that. I don't remember this person at all. And like that part ends. There's the first five minutes, then how's it going? And then you say the things you've been holding inside the whole time they go. Ah, uh huh. Okay. Yeah, well, everything looks fine here. And then and then that ends and what scripts do you need? That's really why you're there. What do you need? Do you need insulin? Do you need insulin? Do you need test strips? Do you need a CGM? Tell me what you need. Where do I send it? Like, this is what it is? I think we should this is gonna sound weird. So I'm just gonna say we should all just sign a HIPAA waiver, go into one room, spend the whole day, all of us. So if the doctor sees 20 people a day, in eight hours, then there should be a six hour supposing them with those 20 people where they've done that, why wouldn't Why not more, every time on Tuesday, he should do it with the next 20 people. And on Wednesday,

Holly 45:53
you should talk to you should talk to the people at the courier unit at Mayo Clinic. Okay. Victor mentoree, his group has done this. So one of my good one of my best colleagues here, Angela, she worked with him for a long time. And she ran. She ran a trial of this in maternity care, it works really well. They've done it in type two diabetes care, it works really well. Not quite what you're talking about. But but pretty similar, right? So this idea of group based care, where you do go through, and you do look at people's labs and that sort of thing. And then you and then people ask questions. And I think you're right, because, you know, it happens all the time. Because you could people ask questions that you didn't realize you had until someone else asks it,

Scott Benner 46:38
you can basically replicate the podcast and what it does for people in real life. Because then everyone would ask somebody will ask a question. They'll get their answer. Five people who had the question didn't know they had the questions, they'll get the answer. Five people who had the question would never have been able to raise their hand because they're, for whatever reason, they get the answer. Somebody else asks you keep going. There's people around the side of the room to do breakouts, if you need somebody to talk to. It lasts all day, you get a lunch, it'd be beautiful. Is it because we can't bill for?

Holly 47:09
I don't know enough about how us Yeah, why. But billing problems would definitely be one of the issues. The issue around I mean, I don't think it works for everyone. But I think you're right, I think yeah, it would work for a lot of people, maybe not all day, but like half a day.

Scott Benner 47:25
Couple years ago, before it right before COVID, I was getting ready to go on. Like, I must have spoken at nine things and like a calendar year. And I hadn't done it a while. So I just let a listener find, like a space near me. And I told people, I'll be here to talk about diabetes on this day. Because basically, I need practice given my thing again, and talking to people. And I think someone found a church, they like shook the space out of them for free. I showed up, no one murdered me that was delightful. And you know, there at the end, maybe 4050 people came to this. And I still know a number of them. Like they still listen to the podcast. And in like two hours, you can just like pick someone up and move them to a new a new place in their understanding. You know, I'm thinking about a woman who drove I don't know if you know, the, the geography enough, but a woman who listened still whose son is now an adult, but then three or four years ago is probably a high school students still, she drove from Long Island, like out on Long Island in New York, to a place in Pennsylvania that somebody found for me that I was close enough to that I could make it to and spent the night like, put like a whole thing into it, you know, and her I just talked to her recently, her son's doing terrific. You know, like so I just think that 20 minutes at a time when the first five minutes is like, hey, and the last time and it's just like, tell me what scripts you need. Hurry up. I don't think anything really happens. So I mean, I don't see anybody really being helped. Yeah, I see people being maintained. Yep. You know, I see. I think that's fair. Yeah, I see people being they get lost. And because you really are left to go home and fill in the spaces on your own. And listen, I'm just gonna say it plainly. Apparently. I don't know how to otherwise do that. I guess I could have nice this up somehow. I don't think some people are capable of filling in the gaps. Right? And even me, who you might be like, Oh, he understands diabetes. Like look at the look at the opportunities I had, like, like my wife. I was just stay at home father. I had time, right that I wrote a blog. So it was important for me to pay attention to diabetes, then I made this podcast so it's important for me to take these diabetes like you don't mean like I I'm immersed in it constantly, like I used to say all the time. Like the podcast is more valuable for me than it is for you. But then I keep the podcast going and try to give it back to you again. But you all are really allowing me to stay immersed into it. I just think that's what people need any more time they need more conversations, they need to hear other people. And you need to hear things said in a bunch of different ways. So that one of them, like flips your switch, you know, anyway, yeah, no, I agree. Also that I'm writing to me, I said that I'm right there, why won't these people?

Holly 50:20
Right, and there are there have been I mean, there have been trials of that form of care that do show promise. I don't know enough about the funding model to understand why it isn't adopted more widely. I do know, it's really, really hard to implement new things in healthcare. Yeah, like, just ridiculously difficult. There's a whole science, it's called implementation science. Like people have whole careers in how do you get people to do the right thing in healthcare? Which is depressing as heck

Scott Benner 50:51
yeah, I'm gonna pull something up, first of all, because I want to talk to you about it. But you almost you almost booted just now. Thank you very much. Did I keep very close to giving me a Canadian about

Holly 51:02
you're very close to it? I could switch into French if you prefer. I know

Scott Benner 51:06
people listening who would prefer that, but I would not. Because I can only cancel like nine after three years. So I will

Holly 51:14
give you my husband's best best joke. Okay, back for a while now. Why do why do people in France only eat one egg for breakfast?

Scott Benner 51:24
Because one egg is enough. There you go. Thank you. Well, then, three years, three years in high school. Yeah, I ran a survey, fairly informal survey of people who listen to the podcast. I did it with, with a with a Hopkins student who was lovely and wanted to help the podcast somehow. So she helped me get it together. And when we first started doing it, and I'll brag here for a second, she said, How many people do you want to take the survey? And I said, I don't know, like 500. And she goes, you're not gonna get 50. And I said what she was big institutions have a lot of trouble getting people to take surveys. And I was like, are why one five? Yeah. So I got 1100 people to respond. And I could have kept going, I could have kept going. But I was like, at this point. It's actually just for my ego, because we have enough data. So we stopped. I'm not going to go through everything with you. But she written it up. Not yet. She she would love to see that or be great. Had a parent pass away unexpectedly. So but no, so we're working towards it. Your level of education, you know, the background stuff, What's your connection to diabetes? parent and caregiver I have type one was almost 5050. So for all the people who were like your podcast is just for parents because you're the parent. Not true. I knew it wasn't. It was Yeah, I knew it wasn't but nobody listens to me. You know, everybody using CGM or pomp. So how are you doing? It? Is our family history type one, type two, we go through those sorts of things. Do you have other autoimmune diseases overwhelmingly, thyroid, autoimmune thyroid, celiac, were wanting to others. Eight 766 of the respondents had something other autoimmune that wasn't on the list of like 10 things that I gave them to list. I threw in bipolar disorder because of my I know it's not technically auto immune. But I don't know how many people have to tell me that they're bipolar and they have type one before I'm interested 2121 people out of 1100 listed bipolar. Anyway, what was your your beginning a one C and your lowest a one C right. Before you begin listen to the podcast. You know, what was your highest? What was your lowest? Before you began listening to the podcast, and just highest 10 Lowest seven two highest seven six, lowest seven to highest 13? Lowest 8.9 highest 5853? It's all over the place, right? Like there's there's no there's nothing where you say Oh, only people in this scenario are listening to the podcast. How often do I get my Atrio uncIe checked? Most people do it every three months. Only a handful of people don't track there. Ha are there HBA one see, after beginning to listen to the Juicebox Podcast How did your agency change 960 People improved 175 same eight went up. And I just had somebody write to me and say it's unfair. I put went up because it was the right answer. But I was honeymooning and so my once that's normal. Yeah. And I was like that's terrific. But but she goes to tell me in the in the message. She's like the only reason why a one sees in the fives is because of the podcast, but it just went up because I was honeymooning prior, I was like okay, and then everyone beginning to listen to the podcast and now what was your one? See after three months after this thing? These numbers are insane. seven to five Half and a half, six to five and a half goes on and on and on. Like it really is. It's terrific. And I'm trying to child it. I don't know anything about what I'm doing. Do you have not gotten that from the podcast yet?

Holly 55:14
But I'm sure like, you can run a little like if you had an academic and academic partly like the students. Right? What is she doing a masters or a PhD?

Scott Benner 55:23
Think she just finished her master's in public health?

Holly 55:26
Is she going to do a PhD?

Scott Benner 55:28
I think she was thinking about it when I was talking to her. Okay. Yeah. So,

Holly 55:31
you know, like a little pilot RCT of randomized controlled trial of people who are, you know, randomly assigned to listen to like the Pro Tip series? Yeah. And then people who are randomly assigned to does the ADA have a podcast, you have to do something sort of semi equivalent.

Scott Benner 55:49
There's nothing equivalent to this podcasts as well. I know, but you have to give them something.

Holly 55:52
Okay. Right. You can't just say Comcast versus nothing.

Scott Benner 55:56
Okay. I understand. I see. I take any fact I do, too. I take your point. I'm trying to figure out everything. So what is my health care team? So everybody lists who they see for their health care? And then you get into, I asked this question, what motivates people to make positive changes? Overwhelming, either a health concern or a loved one? Right, like 979, you could answer more than once. 979 health concerns for a loved 1707 everything else. So the podcasts,

Holly 56:28
selecting from from predetermined options, they could choose

Scott Benner 56:31
health care, health concerns, loved ones, pregnancy, the podcast, other print or online materials, clinical education received from a medical professional connection to diabetes community, other 790 of them listed the podcast.

Holly 56:46
That is amazing. That's great. So I do think it's funny, because I've heard you say this before about people doing people making changes for someone else. And so I just wanted to plant the seed for you that it can people can do things for other people. And sometimes, when someone else comes into your life, what it helps you realize is that you are worthy of care. Yeah. Right. So it's sort of like,

Scott Benner 57:12
I hope they get that out of the conversation. I just, I always ask it that way. Because I want them to realize that they were in a situation that was not optimal, that they could have fixed it anytime on their own, but needed a next year, like a, like an influence to make them go, oh, I should take better care of myself. I just think that's a very human thing.

Holly 57:34
Yeah, I do. But I also think, well, I don't know. And I mean, obviously, we're all influenced by our own experience. But for me, like a big a big thing has always been that, you know, like, I've always tried my best. But I didn't always know what I was doing. I went, you know, years, I went over a decade without having any diabetes professional. Yeah. 10 years, right. And so knowing it, the belief that I am worthy of care is a really core important thing. And not everyone gets that like, not everyone. Not every child grows up feeling that way. And so I think that that also influences how people live as adults with type one.

Scott Benner 58:18
Yeah. I just made a note for myself. I'll talk to Erica about that in an episode. The therapist I talked to, yeah, yeah. Let's see, I there's one thing I want to one other thing I want to tell you out of that, where do you learn how to operate your diabetes devices? Average answer 5.6. It's out of out of six 5.07. From the podcast next closest 3.53 From a medical professional.

Holly 58:48
Yeah. Well, they don't they don't spend a lot of time on this stuff. Like, I always think I've always said this, that I get the what, from my health professionals. But I get the how, from the diabetes community.

Scott Benner 59:00
Yeah. But they don't tell you that that's not the lit, they don't at the end, they don't go, Hey, I didn't tell you nearly enough. You have to go find out the rest on your own.

Holly 59:09
So I've definitely gotten that. And I've had some really good endos over the years, but the endos would never be the people to talk to you about your devices. That would be this. That would be the the nursing staff, the diabetes educators. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So if you don't have that kind of care, right. So when I've had that kind of care when I've been going to a, you know, a shop that has the setup to really support people with type one, then I get better care. Yeah, but at other times, I haven't always had that.

Scott Benner 59:40
Who addresses your psychological needs around diabetes management, the podcast overwhelmingly, you know,

Holly 59:48
well, it's amazing to hear other people's stories. Yeah, I really was.

Scott Benner 59:51
I really didn't recognize that at the beginning. Oh, yeah. I really thought this podcast was going to be me being like, Listen, Pre-Bolus Yes. Then here's why. He did. Try to understand how pizza hits you, and then understand how that's everything else. And like, and I didn't, it wasn't the people told me, like, seriously the people would come on, it was the first time that an adult was going on and on about how valuable the podcast was for them. And I just was like, obviously, the Pro Tip series, just fix them all up. And she said, No, I knew all that already. And I was like, what? Well, I don't understand how the podcast helped. She goes, I don't really either. She's like, just hearing people talking about it everyday made me want to do a better job. And I was like, Oh,

Holly 1:00:33
I think so. A couple of things. I think that hearing other people, at least for me, and I don't know if other people experienced this. But I started listening to diabetes podcasts, including yours. When I was, you know, I been looping for a few years at that point, I'd lost a bunch of weight. So all my settings were off. And I've been sort of tweaking them, but they weren't quite right. Like, you know, when you know, when your settings are, like close, but not there. And everything's just like, it's not smooth. Sure. Yeah. And I headed in and I'd started perimenopause. So like, everything that used to be really predictable, just went completely to insert expletive. Right. Right. And so I was having a hard time. Something that was helpful about listening to stories, was just like, I'm not the only person who's working hard at this. Now, I'm not the only person who is giving energy to this. And I resented it. Like, I didn't want to have to give energy to this. I've so many things that demand my energy. I didn't want to give energy to diabetes. But I knew I needed to, and hearing other people also giving energy to diabetes made me feel better.

Scott Benner 1:01:46
Yeah. I can't believe how much that's true. Actually. Like, it just it certainly is. It's overwhelmingly true. Just absolutely. There's something about that. You saying you didn't want to give energy to it? You think that was a conscious feeling?

Holly 1:02:04
Well, I was consciously aware of it. Yeah. But it wasn't like it wasn't like, I made a conscious decision that I just I was, you know, I was so I mean, you know, heading into perimenopause, you know, you know, like that time of life when you know, you've got I am, I love my job. And I love my students, but it's a lot of work. Ya know, I love my kids, but they're a lot of work, and diabetes, a lot of work. And I only have so much time

Scott Benner 1:02:29
right now. That's kind of what I was trying to eliminate is that I don't think that people, I don't think that they consciously say I'm not going to take good care of myself. I think they want to. And then there are other things that seemed more emergent. And maybe it's partly because of time and effort and desire. Maybe it's because they grew up not feeling valuable. And they don't think they're, you know, deserving of the effort. You know, I don't know. Anyway, I don't know how the other things gonna work so well. But do you frequently listen to other diabetes? Podcasts? No. 1071? So Wow.

Holly 1:03:07
Did your did your student explained selection bias to you?

Scott Benner 1:03:11
Yeah, I do understand that. I know that this isn't a real thing. Right?

Holly 1:03:15
That's a real thing. What are you talking about? That's a real thing? Well, so you just you have to like anytime you run a survey, right? What's really important with surveys is your sampling frame. Right? And how you get people to how you invite people to take the survey, who sees the invitation, who decides to participate, that sort of thing. So you can't claim that the survey population is representative of the larger population of people with type one. Right? Right. But it's not it's it's a real thing.

Scott Benner 1:03:46
My wife is, you know, she's delighted and telling me that she loves making me unhappy. I don't know why I think it's because we've known each other a long time. And so I wasn't an

Holly 1:03:57
image sounds different.

Scott Benner 1:03:58
I wasn't unaware of that. I also don't think she delights in making me unhappy. It just feels that way. Do you ever point something out? And you're like, I shouldn't have said that.

Holly 1:04:09
Yeah, I was

Scott Benner 1:04:11
just teasing. But. So I get that, that people like, voraciously clicked on the link, because they love the podcast already. But I think the point I wanted to make out of that is if you listen to the podcast, apparently this is how you feel. If you've enjoyed it, and it's an it's struck you, right? I'm not saying that if you randomly if I randomly went out and grabbed 1000 People who had diabetes, and gave them the podcast that they'd all love it. I'm sure half of them would hate it. And you know, some of them wouldn't like me or some of them wouldn't jive with how I I know that would all happen. I don't know that. That's important. Because when we're talking about this many people, right, even if it was one in 10 Even if one in 10 people had this experience, then that makes the is very, very valuable those other people, because you what you want to think is, well, those other nine people will find something else that will help them. But that is not necessarily true. It's helpful. And I hope that the online material helped them or they read a book and it helped them or, or another podcast, whatever. Right. But I don't know, like, I just don't know, I don't know another place where you could grab 1100 people who, like if I put up a survey that said, hey, I want you to take a survey about your doctor. And it's got nothing to do with me. I don't think 1100 of them would so overwhelmingly say yes, I found help from this doctor and the rest. And so I am completely aware of what you're saying. This was kind of more for me than anything else.

Holly 1:05:49
I think you know, my beautiful. Yeah. So thank you, oh, well, cuz you've poured your heart and your life into making this.

Scott Benner 1:05:56
I just wanted to see like, because then the other thing was at the end, someone said, Hey, can you put a place where we can like leave a message? And I almost think all these numbers. I don't know how important they are. I think you should read the messages. Oh, you know,

Holly 1:06:13
I'm sure I can't because I'm sure the ethics, the IRB approved it. So I'd particulars around who gets to see the data. But it sounds amazing.

Scott Benner 1:06:21
I'm just the one looking at it. Like nobody else has seen it. But if you saw the feedback, like, like, people start in such a hole, and then they go to a doctor and say helped me. I don't know, like there. Unless I'm wrong. You shouldn't. That story should never end with Oh, and then I found a podcast and everything's okay. Now, that seems wrong to me. Maybe that isn't maybe that's how maybe that's how this is going to work? Like, you know. Yeah, I don't know, in the future.

Holly 1:06:50
People in healthcare settings are constrained. Right, and what they can say and what they can do. That isn't to say they couldn't do better. Yeah. Right. Yeah. But yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I do think I mean, so let me let me give you a compliment that, because I review a lot of papers, and a lot of grants. And a word that often sort of bothers me, when academics use it is empowerment, right? We are going to empower patients, because very often, especially in grants, when I am reading this grant, and they're saying we're going to empower patients. Often what it means is, we're going to figure out a way to make these patients do what we know they should do. That's often the underlying subtext of what they need. And I think what you are doing is actual impairment, because you don't really care. You just want to help people. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:07:48
that's the first thing. I think it's really lovely. She said, Well, thank you, you're very nice. The person who helped me she's like, you know, like, academia is not going to care about this. And I said, oh, did I give you the impression that I cared about that? And, and she's like, what I'm like, I don't care what the establishment thinks of it. Some people will. Yeah, and that's lovely. But like, overall, she's like, you know, she's like, they're, they're not, the questions aren't exactly asked correctly. Like, in the end, I'm like, I don't care. I'm like, it's not, I'm just trying to check to make sure I'm doing what I think I'm doing. That's all because it's gotten too big now. Like, you know, like, when it was smaller, I could like talk to more people and like, okay, you know, I see, there's a group of people feel this way, this group through this, I could, I could kind of feel like it's too big now, like, I don't, I need to make sure the ship is still going in the direction. I think it's going in, and I can't I'm not trying to diss I'm not trying to help everyone. I don't think that's possible. I'm trying to help the people who intersect well with the information. That's all and, and look for ways to, I'll tell you what people do not like, it's easy to say, I asked him about different series, the series that get the worst grades are about how people eat, and about the afterdark stuff. But people also love the afterdark stuff. So what they said in the survey, and what I see in the downloads did not coincide.

Holly 1:09:16
Well, I think that's quite I mean, I think what you're what you're speaking to, is that not everything that you put out is going to resonate with everyone. Sure. Yeah. Right. But there are there are people who, who, with whom those different things may resonate. I think my favorite episode was in the how we it was like a vegan cat. Yes. It was so funny. Oh,

Scott Benner 1:09:37
thank you. Well, please.

Holly 1:09:39
Was that a family?

Scott Benner 1:09:40
I don't remember it was how we Yeah. Vegan cat. Yes.

Holly 1:09:44
Oh, it's killed myself. Like I listened to it while I was reading. I almost fell down.

Scott Benner 1:09:48
Well, thank you. That's very nice. There's party here. I'll share this with you. I don't think the people listening are the best arbiter of what they should hear. No, because they because they don't if they knew they wouldn't need it. Does that make sense?

Holly 1:10:04
Maybe? Yeah, no, that's a fair point. That's your point.

Scott Benner 1:10:06
You don't? I'm sorry. I was gonna say a person who knows what they need, does it? They don't go looking for answers about it.

Holly 1:10:14
Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, no one should ever ask questions, though.

Scott Benner 1:10:19
No, it means that it means that I'm in a unique position to know what will help you before you know what will help you.

Holly 1:10:28
Hmm. Yeah, I don't know. That's not impairment, though.

Scott Benner 1:10:31
No, it's not. But it helps me it helps me structure the podcast. Yeah. And then after that, you do whatever you want with it. And that's where I say like, go like, you're an adult, do your thing. Like, you'll be okay. You can do this. Like, that's where all the empowerment comes into. But if I, if they needed to see my left hand, and I showed them my right hand and empower them, that wouldn't help them. So I'm like, here's the stuff like, look at this stuff. I know you don't want to listen to I know, nobody wants to listen to the idea that the food they take in is very impactful on their health. Like that's not a thing, like a lot of people don't want to know that they want. I think that I think some people do think there's a large section of people who are very in tune with what they I also think there are a lot of people are like, look, I got diabetes, and I really want to eat a Hohoe. And I need this to work out for me. And please don't tell me not to eat the Hohoe. Like, I'm going to eat it like so help. Yeah. And so I

Holly 1:11:26
do that. I do. I don't know. I do. I don't know. Sorry, my I just keep. So I had, I had my first colonoscopy last week. So my perspective on eating has completely. I did not know how much fiber made a difference in my life until I had to eat really low fiber for a week.

Scott Benner 1:11:47
Oh, yeah. And then everything slowed down and was unpleasant. Well,

Holly 1:11:51
so I like a very healthy high fiber, mostly vegetarian diet. And my fiber went down by 74%. And my insulin to carb ratio went up by 70%.

Scott Benner 1:12:05
Yeah, there's a strong correlation between people who eat very like vegan like that, and not eating a ton of events that you can take it a lot of carbs, and still have low variability and things like that. Oh, yeah. Oh, I see what you mean. Okay.

Holly 1:12:21
Yeah, but I didn't I you know, it just I knew intellectually, that fiber is great. Fiber is good for you. And it's good for blood sugar management, but I'd never seen it in my graphs. Until, you know, I'm stuck eating white toast and eggs. And all of a sudden, I'm going all over the place. So they

Scott Benner 1:12:41
need to eat.

Holly 1:12:43
So here the deal is you have to eat low residue, and like, they gave you the list. And I'm like, what, like, there's nothing on this that I actually eat. So I probably could have done more I could, I was just, I was just like, Okay, I mean, eat toast and eggs and yogurt.

Scott Benner 1:12:58
And you so you got like fat from the, from the yogurt more so than normal, you got the spike from the toast. And it's not easy to deal with. And so what I meant was, is that I don't think people like to be hit in the face with the reality that that less processed foods will lead to easier days. Yeah, with diabetes. I think that's the thing that I think that it's important to deal with this the way I talk about it, which is you're going to eat however you want to eat. That's not up to me. I think you need to just understand how insulin works with your diet. Like that, to me is the best thing you can do. But then when I put out the how we eat episodes, I think people saw it as like, don't tell me how to eat. And I was like, I'm not telling you how to eat. I'm telling you. This is how this lady eats. Like, yeah, and here's her story. Maybe you'll find something in it.

Holly 1:13:49
I will say the title like how we eat was a little weird. I'm like, what? Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:13:53
well, how we, everybody. This is how everybody eats. This person needs this way this person needs that way.

Holly 1:14:02
I think what it evokes is an eye in the type one community when you meet people who have who are very much about how they eat. They're not always the most enjoyable people to talk to. So that might be part of what's coming out. They're like the people who are just like, let me tell you about my eating style. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:14:24
no, no, I somebody telling you about their eating style was like listening to a like a reformed like alcoholic explain. Yeah, drinking. Just like I yeah, I don't. I don't. It's fine.

Holly 1:14:34
There's some there's some zealotry out there. Yeah, it is not. And I'm really happy for people who have something that works for them. I just, you know, Oh, yeah. And I think sharing that information in a way that's like, hey, this really works for me is great. I worry sometimes about the everyone should do this.

Scott Benner 1:14:53
Yeah, I've learned that the Internet doesn't work the way people are scared. The internet works. But I mean, what do I mean? Okay? There's a there's a phrasing that people use. I've noticed online that and they say that like, it's this thing that is definitely happening in the world because I saw it, I saw it like three times definitely is happening. It's like when somebody tells you this code for Dexcom CGM is bad. It's a randomized code that gets put on. It's not like there's a box of CGM somewhere and they make it like this code number. And all of them in there have the same. I don't know, they act the same way. But people think that way. So you see,

Holly 1:15:34
what's a calibration? It's it's basically it sort of like a fudge factor.

Scott Benner 1:15:38
Yeah. But my point is, they get these four digit codes, right. So so so somebody will come out and say, I noticed that this number isn't good. And they'll literally they'll come to that conclusion, because they have one that didn't last 10 days, and had that number on it. And online, they saw somebody else say that there's didn't last that long. And it also had the same number. So see if the number

Holly 1:16:00
or well they would be coming from the same batch, wouldn't they

Scott Benner 1:16:03
know, I think they're randomized. I believe they're just random,

Holly 1:16:07
random. Why would they why would they have a random number?

Scott Benner 1:16:11
It's no, I'll talk to him. But it's the code that it's just the code that connects the CGM to anyway, I used the bad example. Here's my next exam. Yeah,

Holly 1:16:20
I think you're trying to make the point that people draw large draw very generalized conclusions from like, minor interactions online, and they assume that everything is like that. And it's not.

Scott Benner 1:16:31
So I know, a lot of people who eat low carb who aren't crazy. Yeah, me too. And just because the same 10 People are ringing a bell and lighting fires and telling you, you have to eat low carb, or you're killing yourself doesn't mean that everybody who eats low carb feels that way. But it feels like that when you're online that's happening. And yeah, I think it can it can, you know, it feels like, look, you know, every time I mentioned this, there's always an argument. And I always say like, Did you not notice you're always arguing with the same five people? Like, it's, it's not like the whole world's against you. And every time you say it out loud, we learned that the whole world doesn't agree with you. It's these five people who just believe that they're using their online influence, to say something that is very important to them, right? Like they are struggling, and they're not now. And it's because of this thing. And it turns into proselytizing. They're like, you have to do this, because it worked for them. And it's not to say that it won't work for somebody else. It might it's the veracity comes from they think it saved their life. You know, and like, like I might have, and it very it very well might have been there's nothing wrong with it. But you can't do what you just said like you can't let the masses think there's one way to do a thing. Because the first time you tell somebody, if you don't eat like this, you can't control your blood sugar. If that person's like, well, I can't eat like that. Then they just give it away, then they're like, well, then I guess I don't get to. I don't get to I don't get to be healthy. You know, because I'm not going to eat this way. And I think they give up. And that is important. It's the one thing I don't allow on the Facebook group is you can't tell people how to eat. On the Facebook group. If somebody comes on. It's like, look, I'm trying to Bolus for a Slurpee and a pretzel at a 711. If you know how to do that, tell them and if it is your inclination to tell them not to eat it. You can't do that. Like that doesn't help. Their eating. It's too late. Yeah, now that now if you can tell them how to Bolus work great. And if you can't, then shut up and leave. And so I'm

Holly 1:18:40
very impressed at someone who can Bolus first locrian a pretzel Did

Scott Benner 1:18:43
I hit we when we were in on a trip with our family? Just now. We all went to a movie one night, and art and standing there and she goes, I'm going to get that Mountain Dew. I see. Like, yeah, she was I am I'm getting that. And I was like, Okay, so the girl comes over and she goes, Do you want the artists like what sizes they come in? And the girls like large and medium? And artists like oh, okay, I'll get a large. Well, I don't know what world these Oh my god. I mean is as big as my monitor. It was like, like, two people had to carry it. It's just juice. This is this giant thing. And I was like, Can you Bolus for that? And she's like, Yeah, I think so. And I was like, Okay, so that's awesome. gave herself an insane amount of insulin. And then when and basically, you're basically doing it. I don't know how to explain this. I do not explain this. It's um you know, when you have a high blood sugar and you put an insulin to push it down, right? Yeah. Okay. Or you have a low blood sugar is probably a better example. You have a low blood sugar and you put food in to push it up. So you create the possibility of the low without with the Bolus. And then you feed it up with the Slurpee, right. Instead of trying to think about how do I conquer the Slurpee. Yeah, with insulin, I think about it as how do I conquer the insulin with the Slurpee? In that? It's a it's a slight difference. But it's important, right? So she just gave herself a, and you ask like people would be like, well, how much? I don't know, a lot. Like, because how many carbs are that? I have no idea. How are we going to find out? I have no idea. So you just give yourself a bunch of insulin, and then you keep feeding the insulin. You wouldn't do that in your regular life. But to conquer this one thing? Yeah, this is how you do

Holly 1:20:32
it. It's like holiday holiday management. Right? Here, when you hear people say, like, an extra insulin. And then

Scott Benner 1:20:38
I'm gonna, I'm gonna jack up my basil a little bit today, because I'm going to be grazing all day. Like, it's the same kind of idea. It's just finding a balance between the insulin and the food.

Holly 1:20:46
It's interesting now for old time, like, those of us who are old, like, you know, I grew up in the, you eat these foods at this time. Right? Right. So it's an interesting transition.

Scott Benner 1:20:59
Also, not for nothing. But for many of the people who tell me they grew up the way you do. They all have your body style. Like your fit. Yeah, I'm right about that. Right. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so are Jenny talks about it Jenny's fit, like she she ate, she ate? Well, diabetes, because of the technology of the time, including insulin. diabetes forced her to eat well, and that's just how she eats now. And now we're in a situation where it's 2023. And, you know, nutrition is not the same as it was. And by the way, maybe it wouldn't have been the same for Jenny. If she didn't have diabetes, I have no idea, right? But it's not the way it's just not the way it is anymore. Like there's so much processed food, people have so much access to food, there's so much snacking, like that kind of stuff, because it's all available, available available. My stance is just what I said earlier. Like, I don't know that it's right to eat hohos. Like, probably you shouldn't. But in a world where you have diabetes, and you're going to anyway, you should know how to do it without hurting yourself long term, like, blood sugar wise, I'm not saying the Hohoe still not hurting you, which is another thing you have to say to people like, just because you Bolus for it well, doesn't make it not a HoHo.

Holly 1:22:14
Like, right. In addition to in addition to blood sugar, you still have, you know, a cardiovascular system that you may have heard about. Yes.

Scott Benner 1:22:21
And that is a problem like for diabetes is that and I've tried to bring it up as much as I can think to. Yeah, just because you Bolus for it without a spike, and without getting low later doesn't make it a healthy decision. You just stopped it from being a bad diabetes issue. Yeah. Right. And so anyway, there's a way to I get to say all that. I blend it all into the podcast. Yeah. Because if we just settle all at once people get pissed. Yeah, you know,

Holly 1:22:45
so have you, Jenny ever done an exercise? More on exercise? I would love to hear that. We have an exercise process. You did? I did not like it. Yeah. You didn't like her. And I love you. And I really liked your podcast, but I what was wrong with it? I don't know if that was the one. But I will tell you a story. I was heading out on a run. So I run a lot. And I was running, I was heading out on a long run. So I'd had food and I Bolus for it. Before I ate because I was about to run like 2025 kilometers. Yeah. It's takes me about two hours. And I'm listening to podcasts and one of one of yours comes on. And I remember this, I was coming around the corner. And I heard your voice in my ear say, I think you just shouldn't exercise with active insulin on board. And I said out loud, BLEEP you, Scott, how about I just don't live my life then. Some guy walking by it's like, I don't usually talk to podcasts while I'm running. But no, I do think I do think that it is easier. It's easier to exercise without active insulin on board. But then you have to structure your whole life around when you're going to eat or when you're gonna have insulin and that sort of thing. And it makes it very difficult to have an active life.

Scott Benner 1:24:00
Yes. So that's a that's a painting with a broad brush statement. Like because you're Yeah, if you asked me how to do it. Yeah, I wouldn't say that to you. Because you're a person who goes out and runs like some insane amount of distance. Whatever you just said sounded horrible. I don't drive that far. And like so what you just did that? Hey, you just drove that I just drove like 1500 miles round trip. Yeah, but But my point is, like 15 minutes in your car. i My point is, is that is that most people? There's a spot where I'm no better than a doctor really? Who tells you like, here's the launching in place, you're gonna have to figure out the rest of it yourself. Because I don't know everybody's level of exercise. But

Holly 1:24:39
Jenny was like, like, I knew who she was before I heard your podcast, cuz she's known. Yeah. Like she was on the board of set of when I don't remember the name of it, but it was like women athletes with type one. Right? Right. So she knows what she's talking about. I would love to hear like an issue about what she does. How does she manage her blood sugar or On the activity that she does,

Scott Benner 1:25:01
what if she just jumps on and says, I just make sure I don't have any active insulin when I'm running. But if she said that, thanks. So I do think there are people who are like, I mean, I had Chris Freeman on recently. Yeah. Right. He's talking about, like, sucking down goo packs, and like, you know, eating certain things beforehand and keeping his blood sugar higher while he's doing stuff, but not too high. So it doesn't impact how he is. It depends on how much effort you want to put into it.

Holly 1:25:27
Now, that's true. Yeah. But I do think I mean, I think one of the things, and it's very, it's much more old school, right? But you can also use exercise to essentially beef up your insulin. Right? So if you've got a kid who's spiking after a meal, so not tied to play in the play in the yard for a while, you know,

Scott Benner 1:25:47
a lot, some people get pissed about that, when you say that. Oh, really? Yeah, I once watched some, I don't know, because people sometimes tell them what to do. I was gonna say unstable. But I don't know, I just remember, I remember a big, like, it depends on how the information is presented. Like I've had a person on the podcast, who would tell a story about like, I had to run around the house 10 times that of a cookie, like you go, right. Or my mom would make me run up and down the steps five times, and then I could have a snack. In context. People are like, that's great. But one guy one time gets online and says, Hey, I bought my daughter, this mini trampoline to help with their high blood sugars. And before I knew it, people were like, I don't know, like the woke mob got a hold of him. And it's just like you're forcing her to exercise. It only takes one unstable person to say something to draw out for more unstable people to make it seem like the entire internet is full of unstable people. And then one guy who's just like, I just wanted to tell you that there's a $20 Trampoline at Toys R us.com. Please leave me alone, you know, like, like is, is is caught in this thing. So I do know that some people have a sensitivity to that. And what I tried

Holly 1:27:01
different from the you know, you shouldn't need that.

Scott Benner 1:27:05
No, I think everybody's got a sensitivity to something. Yeah. Not that I don't care about their sensitivities. But I don't. I'm just from the wrong generation.

Holly 1:27:15
I'm not I mean, you're about we're about the same age. I'm 51.

Scott Benner 1:27:19
So, same, there are plenty of things in the world that make me uncomfortable, it would never occur to me to ask someone not to do them. If they were like, if it was their thing, you know, but there are plenty of people.

Holly 1:27:32
I just wonder if everyone knows, right, like, you know, that if you you know, if you inject close to your big your big leg muscles, and then you go for a walk, right, that correction factor is gonna hit you,

Scott Benner 1:27:47
right? I have somebody I just recorded with somebody who talked about the heel raises, like you Oh,

Holly 1:27:54
yeah. soleus soleus Caffrey.

Scott Benner 1:27:56
Yeah, how that can help burn blood. Right. And, and that's cool. Like, I'll put that

Holly 1:28:01
I saw that paper that made that paper made made the rounds of the sort of bro science,

Scott Benner 1:28:07
right? 100%. And I'm not saying that it's like, gonna make your blood sugar go from 300 to 150 or something like that. But if you're sitting at your desk, and you do that, and it takes 20 Points off your blood sugar, like cool, you know, and there's a reasonable amount of bike. Yeah. And if it doesn't do that for you, cool. Like, I don't care. I'm like, I'm the girl wanted to say it. Oh, my God said like, it's fine. But I took a risk having her on. Because she's going to be it hasn't been out yet. But she's a person who wears a CGM who doesn't have diabetes? Oh, so so she's gonna come on. Look, there are some stuff she said that was like that kind of like, like, I think. I think there's a difference between bro science and ahead of the curve. Yeah, we also, we also always made it clear to you, but we don't always know which is which at the time, but it doesn't hurt to say them out loud. Like, I mean, she's talked about apple cider vinegar, and how it how it she wasn't talking about type ones. She was talking about general health. And I said, like, what am I going to like? A lot. A number of people who listen to this podcast said, Hey, this girl has been really helpful to me. Okay. Can you have her on the podcast? I'm like, Yeah, sure. I don't know if what she said is right or wrong. Who cares? Like just like, yeah, like so.

Holly 1:29:24
I will just tell you that when I was a teenager, and we moved cities, I did not get set up. I did not. So my mom did not set me up with any diabetes care. But I was encouraged to repeat mantras, about the sweetness of life. So if your podcast goes down that road, I'm going to stop.

Scott Benner 1:29:43
That's where you'll go. Well, you know, somebody asked me that somebody asked me to do affirmations once. Like, could you have short podcasts of just like daily affirmations for people? And I was like, I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see. I decided with the podcast says here's what the podcast is. It's how I learned to take Care diabetes, do what you want with that. I think type one diabetes is mainly timing and amount of insulin. That's basically what I think it is. I think

Holly 1:30:10
it is. It's just that's that can be really hard to figure out

Scott Benner 1:30:13
unless you turn the whole thing into a bunch of T shirt slogans that everybody can understand. Remember when they need, which is what I feel like I've done? Yeah. And I also know that the conversations are very important, like in this survey, like you'd be surprised people, like I thought people would be like, This is what I want to hear. This is what I want to hear. I love it when two people just talk about diabetes, or I want management conversation, but I let them choose as many as they wanted. And what I learned is that overwhelmingly, they like both did they don't have a preference.

Holly 1:30:46
It's I really liked the ask Scott and Jenny ones

Scott Benner 1:30:49
do. Yeah, we do this. We have. Trust me. We have questions piled up actually, it's so funny. You said that. Yesterday, I said to my wife, I wonder if I could do like ask Scott and Jenny's and put them behind, like a paywall. And so that and then let them out after they're older, because I'm looking for ways to create, you know, some sort of more income like I'm trying to help Jenny's who like, I'd like to be able to gesture and make any money to come on the podcast at all. Like so.

Holly 1:31:19
Although she does I mean, it doesn't it must drive great interest in Integrated diabetes. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:31:25
she's the probably the most, she's probably the most popular person who does what she does in the world. But I think it takes six months to get in with Jenny at this point because of because of the podcast. So its own the business, right? She's lovely. And she doesn't own the business. So it's not like she's piling up money. She's just working harder, get anything. Anyway, so I was thinking about that, but it's nice to hear

Holly 1:31:46
you get a finder's fee, some sort of commission.

Scott Benner 1:31:48
I've mentioned that to her. Like, maybe you want to get a piece in I mean, so anyway, that's between her and whoever she works for. I don't know, I don't know what we talked about.

Holly 1:31:58
It's always sad when something that was free become goes behind a paywall, but I do I mean, I totally understand I

Scott Benner 1:32:04
wouldn't put the whole show behind it like literally just like, like bits and pieces that eventually would come out in the public anyway. Or maybe just I've also thought about pay walling like cursing people. If any idea how many people want me to curse on the podcast,

Holly 1:32:18
that would be that would be smart. I think that would be

Scott Benner 1:32:21
maybe just one word. Nobody believes anything out. And you hear my story about my mom and her dirty ass and I'm and all the words that I used while I was yelling at those people.

Holly 1:32:32
Maybe it's your record that call with them. Oh, okay to listen,

Scott Benner 1:32:37
I'll tell you what, like a car wreck you'd we'll look at it. I was like, but after it was over my brother's like you Okay, and I'm like, how was I not? Okay, I have the very unenviable ability to be angry and make sense at the same time.

Holly 1:32:54
How was that unenviable? That's great. Well, it's

Scott Benner 1:32:56
for me, it's great for the people on the other end, it's bad. So like imagine I unenviable is the wrong word. If you and I were in an argument, and I was agitated, talking quicker than I usually do. Yelling and making sense. How do you keep up with that? Oh, I could keep up you could and then a lot of people that some people can't. And so like I I try not to overwhelm situations because I know. Yeah, I know I can. So I'm joking. I might not be able to keep up. Oh, it's off put my also have a deep voice. So just over the phone. Yeah, I sound like a, like you mentioned earlier like sometimes people listen to men over women. Oh, yeah. Right. And so then you add a deep voice to it. I'm authoritative. I trust myself. So you don't hear a lot of I don't do a lot of things where I'm questioning what I just said. I don't use language to put you in a better position that I'm in. When I'm in having a conversation like that. By that's why when my wife's like, you have to let them feel and I'm like, can't we just point out that they suck.

Holly 1:34:02
And move on to practice because you have a practice meeting. We did it in the car and get all your emotions out.

Scott Benner 1:34:08
We did it in the car yesterday, my brother my brother called I was in the car with Callie, we were driving home from the vacation. And for like 45 minutes. They were like, you can't say that. Don't say that. Don't say that.

Holly 1:34:19
And I was like, no, no, I mean, like an actual practice where they let you say it all. And then you debrief.

Scott Benner 1:34:25
Oh, I said it all and then they debrief me in the car. So it's okay. Anyway, what I decided is I'm just going to treat this situation like it's a podcast. Yeah. Where I wouldn't like purposely insult somebody. Yeah, although sometimes I say some stuff on there sometimes where I'm like, I should have said that. But that often.

Holly 1:34:46
Has anyone ever been offended or upset about it? Right? No. There's a dynamic when you're just joking with people, you know, they feel and it's not I think people like that. I like that.

Scott Benner 1:34:58
We're gonna be done the minute The first thing I'm going to ask you when we're done is your Are you okay? With everything we talked about? No. And if you were to say to me like, I hated this, like, Don't ever let anybody here and I'd be like, All right, I mean, it sucks for me. But I one time, one time, I can tell you afterwards because but one time and conversation took such a strange turn, that it wasn't a fault of any it wasn't. Anyway, I didn't do anything wrong. And it just that we both got to Unreal. Like we shouldn't let anybody listen to that. And I was like, Yeah, I agree. And that was the end of it. So. So it got deleted. Is there anything we didn't talk about that we should have? I don't know. What? Yeah, what about

Holly 1:35:45
one on your podcast has ever explained standard deviation really? Well, even the guy from Dexcom. So he knows what he's talking about. But he's not

Scott Benner 1:35:52
great at explaining. He was a nerd. Like diabetes nerd.

Holly 1:35:57
I mean, as a nerd, I respect what he was trying to do there. All right.

Scott Benner 1:36:03
Find somebody who can more colloquially describe standard deviation.

Holly 1:36:07
Yeah, no, I'm being very nitpicky. My podcast is amazing.

Scott Benner 1:36:10
I'm amazed that you came. I said, my podcast is amazing. I'm amazed you came up with something.

Holly 1:36:16
It is. No, it's I really appreciate it. And I don't you know, I was saying how I found it when I was struggling. You know what, I started with the pro tips. Yeah. And it was not, it wasn't the content, because it wasn't that I didn't know that stuff. It was that I was exhausted. And I needed and I really appreciated the structure of it. I'm like, Okay, I have to do some stuff. I have to work on my set. Okay, basil. All right. This week, I'm gonna focus on basil, you know, and it was just really helpful. So thank you.

Scott Benner 1:36:45
I'm glad I tell you. I was with Arden for like, eight days this week, right. And about two days before it was done. We were at a restaurant. I said, I think I wanted to. I said, I think you know this, but you're doing a very good job with your diabetes stuff at college. And she's like, she didn't really say much. And I said, you do just an exceptionally good job. And I know how difficult it must be. But But I just want to tell you how great you're doing it. And she said, thank you. And I said, I knew I should require no, Arden wouldn't cry if you were stabbing. So by the way, that's not an invitation for someone to stab my kid, please. Anybody pleased? So then, I said, you hear me? Right? And she was Yeah. I said, I'm really it's exceptional what you're doing. And she's like, Okay, I said, having said that, there are two things you're not doing that I need you to do. And I said, You are not Pre-Bolus thing well enough. And she goes, I know I'm trying and I said, I know you are try harder. And and she's nice. And she's like, what else am I not doing? And I said you're not correcting highs quickly enough. And she's like, I get busy with work. And I said, I know. Just she still wasn't she looping? Yeah, she is. But she's eating at a college and the food's terrible. And then she's not Pre-Bolus eating enough. And like in time distance on our Pre-Bolus She's not afraid of insulin, like so. Like, she just doesn't have a long enough Pre-Bolus. And she's seeing a spike. And then she's letting the loop handle it. Which is cool, because it ends up okay, but I'm like, don't do that. Like, it's not as fast as you do it. She's had a small rise in her agency. But I mean to say that it's I think it's like six, two or six, four or something like that.

Holly 1:38:32
college kid. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:38:34
it's amazing. She's doing terrific. But I'm like, we could get back in the fives if you just did these two things. And and she and I said long term health. You know, I'm not pushing her about it. Like I'm getting too slow. But I'm like, it's important for your long term health. And I said, also, you're sitting down trying to do something for three hours at school, and your blood sugar is 180 or 200 for an hour and a half. Like that's not valuable for you. It's making it more difficult for you. So that's it for her.

Holly 1:39:02
I find your focus better woman higher,

Scott Benner 1:39:03
do you really? Yeah, she gets more like hyper focused.

Holly 1:39:07
Like I'm like, Alright, I'm gonna write this paper and it's gonna get done.

Scott Benner 1:39:11
It's like your Adderall is the high blood we see now you earlier said we shouldn't say things that people could misconstrue. Now we're like, leave your blood sugar high to get a nice Adderall effect. No, I.

Holly 1:39:23
I mean, I'm very honest about you know, like, I don't see any. And I do think it's important for parents to understand that, you know, some no one ever asked me, right. How do you feel in your high? Right? No, and had they asked I would have said I feel really good and relaxed and not scared.

Scott Benner 1:39:43
Yeah, no, I think my bigger concern with her being higher in the evenings while she's doing work, isn't it's not the blood sugar as much is it that when it's over and she's refocused on her diabetes, she makes a Bolus then she goes to sleep. Oh, yeah. And so it creates like Have time at three in the morning where you're not sure. Like if somebody should be paying attention or not. So like, I'm more about like, don't get high, so you don't get low. And so

Holly 1:40:09
I say, I think, like to you and to other parents, it's really beautiful. What you do for your kids? What else you're like, oh, no, that level of support? Yeah, is and I think as an adult who didn't always get that, as a kid, I see how beautiful it is. And I don't know if the kids will ever be able to see it. Because they'll always have had that and they will. They won't know any different. Yeah. But as an adult who didn't get that as a kid, that is beautiful. That level of

Scott Benner 1:40:40
support. That's very nice to you to say. And I forgot your perspective, which was from a woman who smoked in front of your sister was good. But not it's very nice. I listen, maybe one day, I don't know. I'm gonna make so many podcasts. I used to think my kids will listen to this after I'm dead. And now I'm like, I bet you my kids look at that and go I can't take him for that long.

Holly 1:41:00
So it's kind of amazing. No, I mean, it's gorgeous.

Scott Benner 1:41:04
Yeah, it's my it's like a little time capsule. I kept for them. Yeah. Anyway, all right. I'm gonna go yell. It's I mean, I'm gonna go listen to some people tell me how they tried to kill my mom again. And I'm gonna refrain from mentioning that part of it out loud. Good luck. Thank you very much. Hold on one second, I will tell you.

A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, GE voc glucagon. Find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. you spell that GVOKEGLUC AG o n.com. Forward slash juicebox. I also want to thank ag one and remind you to drink ag one.com/juicebox. Get your free year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs when you use my link for your first order. I also want to thank Holly for coming on the show and giving me such a great conversation. Don't forget the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group. And those diabetes protests that began in Episode 1000. A diabetes diagnosis comes with a lot of new terminology. And that's why I've created the defining diabetes series. These are short episodes, where Jenny Smith and I go over all of the terms that you're going to hear living with diabetes, and some of them that you might not hear every day, from the very simple Bolus up to feed on the floor. Don't know the difference between hypo and hyper. We'll explain it to you. These are short episodes, they are not boring. They're fun, and they're informative. It's not just us reading to you out of the dictionary, we take the time to chat about all of these different words. Maybe you don't know what a coup small respiration is, you will when you're done. Ever heard of a glycemic index and load haven't doesn't matter. You will know after you listen to the defining diabetes series. Now, how do you find it, you go to juicebox podcast.com up top to the menu and click on defining diabetes. You'll be able to listen right there in your browser. Or you'll see the full list of the episodes and be able to go into an audio app like Apple podcasts or Spotify and listen to them at your pace. Download them into your phone and listen when you can. The defining diabetes series is made up of 51 short episodes. That will fast forward your knowledge of diabetes terminology

#1055 Sugar Free Friends

Alex has type 1 diabetes.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 1055 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Let's see what we've got for you today. Alex is married with children. She's had type one diabetes for 34 years diagnosed at three years old. Wow, that's crazy. Alex and her wife have fostered children and also have a child themselves. Ooh, artificial insemination. There's all this good story. What do we got here? You know what, I'm not giving the rest of this away. No, I'm not telling you the rest of this. You have to listen if you want to know. 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 are becoming bold with insulin. Check out the Juicebox Podcast, private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes 43,000 members strong. Over 120 new posts every day. There's a conversation happening right now that needs you. wants you or would benefit from your experience or presence. What am I saying? Go to Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. Join the group. Find your community. I'm not going to put any ads on this episode today because I want to take this time to tell you about the series within the podcast. There is so much that you may not know about if you're a new listener, for instance, the after dark series. There are gosh I don't even know dozens of after dark episodes going all the way back to Episode 274. stuffs about weed sex depression, self harm, psychedelics, heroin addiction, all this stuff with people living with type one diabetes, go to juicebox podcast.com. Go to the top click on after dark to see a complete list. There's also asked Scott and Jenny episodes. Those are questions sent in by listeners that Jenny Smith and I have answered an entire series of algorithm pumping episodes. Find out about Omni pod five tandem T Sanaya. Control IQ all the loop Iaps it's all in there. They mean so much. We're going to hear from a tandem pump trainer we have that you want to hear from Kenny Fox gives a three episode tour de force about using loop. I've got a three episode series with Omni pod about starting your Omnipod five. There's the bold beginning series for people who are newly diagnosed. It's sort of like the Pro Tip series, but not as intense. It's great for people who are newly diagnosed or a little timid bold beginnings. Go check that out. How about defining diabetes definitions for every diabetes term you can think of? It's kind of hard to do something when you don't know what it is. So with defining diabetes, get short, fun episodes that define those words for you and help you to put them into context, defining thyroid, the diabetes Pro Tip Series, Episode 1002 1026, completely newly remastered? Absolutely. I don't say this very often. You listen to the Pro Tip series. And understand that a little bit. You're looking at a one C and the sixes you understand a lot. Low sixes you really understand it. I bet you getting the high fives. I'm talking about no diet restrictions, diabetes pro tip.com, or episode 1002 1026. In your podcast app, there's the variable series, mental wellness type two pro tips, how we eat, and so much more. Use the website juicebox podcast.com. Look around, see what's there. And if you need something specific or you can't find something, go to the private Facebook group and ask there are group experts in there that would be happy to answer your questions or tag me. I'd be happy to answer as well.

Alex 4:08
My name is Alex. I am a wife, a mom and have been type one diabetic for 3434 years now.

Scott Benner 4:20
Wait, and you just told me you're 37 before we started recording? Yep. Well, you were three you're diagnosed

Alex 4:27
just after my third birthday, like 10 days after I turned three.

Scott Benner 4:33
I'm interested, okay. 34 years ago, I just real quickly. Sure, man, I absolutely. It's 2023. So basically, I just have to I just have to subtract 11 from 100 which is 89. So you were diagnosed in 1989?

Alex 4:56
Yes, march 21 of 89 to be He is specific.

Scott Benner 5:01
Let the people who are listening just soak it up for a second. Just Let's be quiet. There's the backwards s way my brain works around that, by the way,

Alex 5:10
what how to the end result? I mean, math is definitely not my strong suit either. So you got there faster than I would have been able to?

Scott Benner 5:19
Seriously with my broken idea of mathematics that's like, well, it's 2023. So I'll take 23 off and 10 off is 90. And then one more is 80. It got there. I'm incredibly embarrassed by that. Okay. Well, you must not have known much it was happening then. Right. So I guess my first thought is, what's your first kind of recollection memory of having diabetes,

Alex 5:44
during the whole, diagnose, process, and kind of give that whole story because it really goes into if a parent thinks there's something wrong with your kiddo, like, you need to be your kid's advocate. Because when I was diagnosed at night, like you said, like, diabetes wasn't as prevalent in kids, so they weren't testing me for it. So the earliest memory I have is actually going in to an MRI machine, because they were doing like bone scans, because I couldn't walk more than like 20 feet without wanting my parents to carry me knowing now because obviously, like my body wasn't working, I couldn't walk anymore. So they were testing me for like, leukemias, blood cancers, like bone diseases. I just remember being I think I was probably still two, maybe just three at the time thinking, what is this very scary, loud machine?

Scott Benner 6:48
Wow. I can't imagine that. You remember that? That's fascinating to me.

Alex 6:54
I think it was just so like, it was a very white Stark room. And then, like an MRI. So like, this huge machine that you go inside. So as a kid, it must have been just on the brink of traumatizing enough that it just stuck in my brain. Because yeah, you know, childhood amnesia. There's no real reason I should remember that. But I do. And then snippets of the hospital, but not very much. Like I really don't remember too much about diabetes until entering like, kindergarten.

Scott Benner 7:31
Okay. And then all that plow banging from the MRI machine to

Alex 7:36
probably Yeah, like it was probably just a pretty freaky experience.

Scott Benner 7:39
That's incredible. Well, hey, you didn't have bone cancer. That's good.

Alex 7:43
That is a positive. Absolutely. All that they've tested me for I will honestly take diabetes.

Scott Benner 7:52
I guess that's a, that's a valuable way to think of it. Hey, quick side note. You don't have to tell me where you live. But you've said kiddo. Are you near the Wisconsin? Chicago, Minnesota area?

Alex 8:02
Milwaukee area?

Scott Benner 8:03
Yeah. i Okay. Are you impressed? Alex?

Alex 8:07
I am very impressed. That's, that was really good.

Scott Benner 8:11
I've never heard somebody use the word kiddo with frequency. Other than my sister in law who's from Wisconsin.

Alex 8:19
That's amazing. Okay, I do remember hearing you say your brother lives in Wisconsin, or at one point did I'm not sure if they're still here? Yeah.

Scott Benner 8:28
They're close to you. Okay, cool. I mean, I'm more impressed with the kiddo thing than I am with the math thing. And so I just need a second to soak up how good I feel right now.

Alex 8:39
I'll be honest, that's pretty impressive. You can you narrow that scope down pretty close.

Scott Benner 8:45
Alex, I am so uniquely qualified to make a podcast because I pay attention to things that I don't think anybody else cares about.

Alex 8:54
What your podcasts fantastic. Oh, I love the whole thing. And you are always pretty spot on with your very good educated assumptions and guesses like people, I think are always pretty impressed with that.

Scott Benner 9:09
Oh, I can tell you like me because you didn't call it generalizations and assumptions. Listen, I you know, you see things that I've times you know, absolutely is a rule. And I've never heard anyone say kiddo before except for her.

Alex 9:27
All right. Well, I you know, I will probably say it a couple more times. So I'm glad and at least doesn't put a face to a name but you can at least now know a little bit about me without knowing much about me. Alex

Scott Benner 9:39
is like you can't find my house but you have a little more context. That's excellent. So your early remembrances of diabetes? Do they come in forms of conversations with your parents? Like I'm trying to figure out how often frequently and in depth your parents discussed your childhood with you?

Alex 9:58
Yeah, they've always been really Oh, have been anytime I've asked questions. So I know this is always a conversation about is it, quote unquote better to be diagnosed earlier or later? For me, I don't know, any other world. So it was always just part of what we did. So I think they always did a very good job of involving me in a conversation that was age appropriate or my interest LED. So as I got into grade school, they kind of more explained the whys in the woods. And we were very fortunate that my mom connected with like three or four other moms. So I knew a small population of other type ones, which I think made it a little bit easier to know that I wasn't alone. But that oh, I'm not the only one going through this. So I can, like, I'm trying to think if there's a specific, like turning point that I realized, like, oh, like, this is what that means. But I don't really I think they just always were good about leading me into knowing what was going on. What should I be listening to my body for? I mean, it's definitely weird being you know, a four year old going off to kindergarten, and mom coming in halfway through the day to do a blood sugar check. But

Scott Benner 11:42
I never really see your mom built like a little playgroup at Disney Kids for you to

Alex 11:48
have Yeah, pretty much grew up. So I don't know if they'll hear the podcast, but shout out to my sugar free friends. That's what our parents referred to us as

Scott Benner 12:01
sugar free friends. Yeah. Would have been helpful if you would have just said sugar free kiddos. So I could have named the episode but All right, we'll keep going. So I'm struck by the date of your diagnosis, because 89 is still basically like it's near the transfer between like, when people were like some people were doing most people doing regular and mph, and then faster after insolence were coming. And meter technology was still janky. And you know, like, so you started on? management wise, in my opinion, like an unfavorable footing. So how quickly did you get to faster acting insulin?

Alex 12:42
That's probably later in grade school, actually. So when we left the hospital, I was on regular and Len Tay. And yeah, thinking about it, I don't think I think they gave me like Novolog or human log, probably? Probably like eight or nine years later.

Scott Benner 13:04
Oh, no kidding. So almost the late 90s later night, yes. No, human log was definitely available then.

Alex 13:13
Yeah. Or which one came first. And with insurances I've flipped flopped on those more times than I can count. But I do remember that being a pretty in my mind, cool, pivoting moment, because it definitely opened up to not eating very scheduled times and very scheduled carb amounts. And he's through grade school. Like, I think I had the same lunch minus a couple of variations. Probably until the, you know, late 90s. So I can remember that being a really sounds kind of ridiculous, but a really exciting, changing point.

Scott Benner 13:54
Wow. Yeah, no, I hear that from people. You're in your, you know, the age isn't important. It's people who who went from mph, regular Ultra lentil stuff like that one day, and to faster acting. So you were eating to a schedule prior to this, right? Yep. Yeah. For nine or 10 years? Yep. Till you were like 12 years old?

Alex 14:19
Yeah, probably probably about that. Like, yeah, middle school age.

Scott Benner 14:23
Can I ask a question? Of course, the whole thing is me asking a question. So when I say that it's ridiculous.

Alex 14:29
You can ask anything at all. If there is something that I won't answer, I will very nicely tell you that. How about that?

Scott Benner 14:35
That's fine. Oh, that I appreciate it. And I expect from everybody, by the way, but here I'll give you a little secret. If I say Can I ask you a question? That's me buying myself time while I'm still formulating my question. Perfect. Good to know. Here's another one for you. Episode went up today. There's an ad for in the beginning for a contour meter. Right. And I wanted to say that the meter was very accurate. And I wanted to I was going to say it was super accurate. And when I said the word super, I could not remember the word accurate. So I could have gone back and re edited it and just said it's super accurate. But instead I went it's super duper Uber, super, super accurate.

Speaker 1 15:22
I couldn't find accurate my head. And then I listened back to it. I was like, oh, that's silly. I'll leave that in. But anyway, the part I was fumbling over is, I want to ask if you're a clean eater, lean person, but then I got certain that if you weren't, it would feel insulting. But I'm trying to get to did eating to a schedule lead to a lifetime of careful eating. That's my question.

Alex 15:52
Yes, and no. So yes, it did. For all of my life, pretty much through elleven, say high school, and I was a very athletic kid, I played soccer, basketball, softball, I was constantly in a sport all the time, my parents, God bless them. And then I reached college, and played soccer and basketball for my college had a wonderful time. But I'll admit, like, I did kind of go off the rails a little bit, because it had been not ingrained. But a very learned, you know, eating is very important. And all the things doctors and parents tell type one, it goes with, you know, you got to be careful, and you got to carb counting all the stuff that we know. But I kind of took it as Oh, I'm free. Now I don't have to do all of this. Always taking care of my diabetes. I did always respect that importance. But definitely, definitely took it as a little bit more. Yeah, I can eat more fast food. And if everyone else is going out for pizza, cool, I can join them. And I'd say it wasn't. Say there's probably like a good eight years of doing a lot of that before pulling things back on track going, you know, I just need to go back to being a little more diligent. Yeah. But yeah, I think there was a little bit of a

Scott Benner 17:30
well, you know, what I noticed too, watching my son in college is that when you're playing a sport in college, you can almost do anything it feels like because you're just burning so many calories constantly. So you know, you can eat a little, I don't know, crazy ecology, and it doesn't hit you the way does people who are not, you know, running active. You said you played two sports played a winter sport and a spring sport.

Alex 17:58
Fall in winter. Yes, I played soccer in the fall. And then there was always a little bit of overlap leading into the basketball season.

Scott Benner 18:07
It's a lot of running through, unless you're the goalie.

Alex 18:12
No, I'm not the goalie or goalie was phenomenal. But I I played typically left midfielder. So that was a lot of running.

Scott Benner 18:21
Is this in a position where you shoot on the goal frequently or no? Yes. Okay. Can I ask a question? I'm being super serious. Now. The goal is so big, and the ball is so small, and a person is so small. How do they miss the open space so frequently? It's a good

Alex 18:39
question. And if I had the answer, I would definitely have been able to score a lot more. But if you're a college level goalie, you are a superhero in my mind. So our team so I played for Alberto college. And the goalie we had while I played was a ninja like she covered so much ground. And if anybody is listening to this elbow college did not have a strong soccer program for the first couple of years that I was there and then we have built up from there. But there was one game. This is not an exaggeration, but we were playing on I think the stats were they had like 80 shots on goal and our goalie let eight in. So just picture this poor college kid diving and jumping like she was exhausted. She took a beating that day we played that was you know, one of the better teams in our league. But how soccer goalies are? I think one of the most underrated people in sports that to them. That's not an answer to your question, but that's not

Scott Benner 19:59
have an answer to my question. It feels like here's what soccer feels like. To me. It feels like somebody gave you a tennis ball stands you 15 feet from a garage door and says here hit the garage door and you throw it backwards. That's how it feels. So much space. And anyway, hey, by the way, do you feel prepared to live a life of personal and professional distinction and meaningful engagement with the world? Because that's what Alvarado college is known for it says online.

Alex 20:26
You know what, it's a it's a great school. i Yes, I would. I would say that.

Scott Benner 20:31
Excellent. Well, then good for them. That's amazing. All right. I'll get past that. And I'm not soccer bashing. Listen, I like Ted lasso like everybody else. Okay. But it's just such a big space.

Alex 20:46
It's a bass soccer real? Yes. When you break it down that simply it does seem like it should be a much scoring game,

Scott Benner 20:54
I want to say I would not be able to do it. It's just not me going. I I'm assuming it's very difficult. It's just it doesn't make sense visually, while I'm watching it. That's all I'm saying.

Alex 21:04
No, I get that I can respect

Scott Benner 21:05
that. Like, even with the running around, I think to myself, there's so much space on the field. Why don't you run where there nobody is then put the ball there. Guys never understand what's happening. It looks like chaos. To me, I recognize that it's not, my brain doesn't make sense of it. That's it.

Alex 21:21
That's all and I'll be honest, that was my team's approach. For the longest time. I am not nearly as athletic today as I was back then. But I was fast. I'm not going to run a marathon. But I will get from point A to point B faster than anybody else. So the coach would yell, run for the border, which was codeword for launch that ball and do an open space. And Alex will go get it. And that is all I did. So it is a little bit of organized chaos. You're not wrong in your approach.

Scott Benner 21:55
Thank you. I also don't understand watching golf. But that's for another day,

Alex 21:59
either. Other podcast.

Scott Benner 22:03
But while you're in college and running around crazy, you also let go of the building your diabetes building blocks. Is that correct? Like you just sort of you're not eating on a schedule anymore. That's as specific you don't have to, which is terrific. But then suddenly does it. Like I guess my question is, do you think that hurt you in the long run? Or do you think that it was just a part of growing in the process?

Alex 22:30
I think it was a part of growing. I think every kid at some point, diabetes related or not? It is biologically ingrained in us to push back and everything that our parents teach us. It's an important part of growing up. And I think, for me, that was my kind of pushing back that was is maybe silly as it sounds like my rebellion. Sure. Like, oh, I don't have to listen. No. So I think I think it didn't help me in some cases. But I think all the years before that. I was at least able to kind of get back now. I am not saying I eat perfect or regimented right now, but I can weigh like, I don't want to go back to what I did in college. So it's easier to stay on a better track.

Scott Benner 23:23
Yeah, I mean, people rebel, like that's, I think, pretty obvious in common. And I mean, my go to example is always like when we graduated from high school, all the Catholic school girls we knew either cut their hair, if their hair was long or grew their hair forever short. It was it was just it was just like, they were like, I'm going to now I'm going to make a decision is what it felt like to me. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I gotcha. Okay. All right. So I tell people all the time. I love speaking with people in their late 20s, who had diabetes when they were younger, because you get to hear them grow up with it and, and hear the struggles they have as they're breaking free of like their help with their parents. But my first question for you is, first of all, you have an extra 10 years on this. So I think this is going to be really valuable. But how involved were your parents before you left for college?

Alex 24:10
They were very involved. Right up until high school, and then it was a little bit more on the peripherals. So by the time I went off to college, it really was completely in my hands. So my mom was primary diabetes caregiver. It was the 80s 90s mom had a little bit more hands on at home dad went to work in, you know, brought home brought home more of the paycheck. So my mom felt more of the diabetes burden. And then in high school, I took a little bit more of the control. Again, I was out a little bit more doing sports, things like that. It just wasn't as feasible for her to be so hands Then the good thing is I went to the high school that she works at. So I would at lunchtime go in and do a blood sugar in her office and things like that, at least made it a little comfortable feeling. But because technology wasn't what it is now, there was no importance because of course, it was always important, but the data wasn't as readily accessible. So I think it made it easier for her and for AI to give me a little bit more control.

Scott Benner 25:33
When you left for college. Was there a feeling of like, I can call my mom if I need to? Or was that not even a concern? Did you? Were you worried about leaving for college? I guess that's my question.

Alex 25:45
No, I really wasn't. Part of that was because I went to school close to home. And it was only 15 minutes from my house. So I lived at home freshman and sophomore year. So even if I wasn't constantly checking in, I knew that if I needed anything, she would either be home at night when I got home from classes and practice, or she would be a phone call away. I needed her and leaned on her a lot more when it came to finding a good doctor or how to navigate any of the insurance stuff. So the day to day care I felt pretty confident in but she was always there to help if I had questions or something really kind of stumped me

Scott Benner 26:35
right. Now at that time. There's no CGM, so the can the can. What am I asking? You have a CGM now? Yes. Okay. So, do you look back at that time and think, Wow, I can't believe how lucky I got. When you describe what you're concerned about leaving for college. Your your concerns? Were not the same as what I thought about when Arden left. But I can see Arden's blood sugar in real time. So like, was your I mean, like the junior mom sit around and be like, you know, if you get low, like, was there a lot of worry about lows?

Alex 27:14
I'm sure for her there was. But for you, she did a really good job of not letting me see probably how nervous she she truly was. I think now that I'm a parent, I'm sure she was probably up at night, you know, really concerned. And I always share with her what my eight onesies are, I always have I know, she wants to know more. But at the time, I didn't see how it would be important for her to know, like, you know, all of that wasn't readily available. So I feel, you know, at that time, I probably could have and I'm sure she would have appreciated that. But she was really good at just going Yep, you know, like, go out do this. I'm here, you know, for anything you might need. But yeah, now being a parent or kind of looking back on it. She probably wanted to know more about what my blood sugar was doing.

Scott Benner 28:15
What was what was your focus then? Long term, short term for your outcomes and goals? Like what were you trying to keep? Were you trying to keep your blood sugar anywhere, or were you just trying not to be dizzy? Like I'm trying to understand, like, what the what the goal was,

Alex 28:32
the goal was to stay in range. I think that what range meant at that point was probably closer to like 90 to 200. I think my range at that point that I was aiming for was definitely broader. But being very in tune yet with my body, I knew that showing up to a game or practice anything under 90 obviously was dangerous and wasn't going to be helpful for me or my team. But anything over 200 I was going to feel like garbage and not be able to perform as well either. So staying in something of a range for me definitely was important. I even if I wasn't eating very healthy. I didn't sit in the two three hundreds and I wasn't okay with that. So I definitely brought myself within range. Now, is it the range that I try to keep myself in now? No. But again, you know, college, you're invincible and you think you're on top of the world.

Scott Benner 29:36
It's just very interesting to me that if back then you didn't know what was happening in between your finger sticks. So if Did you find yourself low frequently or no?

Alex 29:49
No, not really. Not Not really too bad. I if I had to put a reasonable guess on it. I would say I was probably Living quite often in like the 151 60 range based on, like what I remember. And I mean, that was a long time ago, there's no way I can tell you what my blood was on any given day. But I think I did a pretty good job, it was always important for me to stay somewhat what I would have defined in range at that point. And that's tricky, right? Because there's still doctors today that say anything below 180 is good. But certainly tighter now. But at the time, I think I was for what I understood diabetes to be was living in a pretty healthy space.

Scott Benner 30:36
That's it. I mean, it's all fat. Like I when Arden left, my my thought is always a low blood sugar that she can't help herself for is my concern. That was that was my concern when she left, right. And that's even interesting to say, because I mean, Orton doesn't get low that frequently. So you know, it's not like she's low every day or something. And I'm like, Oh, it's just gonna keep happening. And just the randomness of it is what concerns me, ended up being the bigger concern is the quality of the food at the college, which is suspect, and

Alex 31:11
perhaps a lot of carbs lot of refined.

Scott Benner 31:16
Processed, fried, refined, carb heavy, like repetition like even that she's like, I'm so sick of all this. It's bad food, and I'm sick of it. And I'm like, Yeah, I gotcha.

Alex 31:29
Yeah, she's got to be, you guys. Gotta be getting ready to bring her back home pretty soon. Hey,

Scott Benner 31:35
so yeah. So she does quarters, though. So she's completing her third quarter or her first year. I know, that sounds crazy. You don't have to do the fourth quarter to complete the air. But it's both the years broken up into quarters. But these last two, there was no real break in between. So the first time she went away, she was gone for a quarter. And she came home for a while. And then she went back. And that was the beginning of January. And now she's not going to be home until the beginning of June. So she's gonna be gone like a solid five months. And it's the longest she's ever been away from home. Okay, so we're starting to hear from her. Like, I can't wait for summer. I want to come home. Like that kind of stuff. You know, which I completely understand. The other day I was, she was FaceTiming. So she was making a skirt. And I was editing the podcast. So we just fake and we talked for a while. And I said, I was joking with her. She's like, I got to do this. And then I have to go over to the fashion, you know, building to do this. And I'm like, right. She's like, it's gonna be late tonight. And I was like, Well, I have to do this. And this this. She was here but in our house. She was look at this little tiny room I'm sitting in. Yeah. And I was like, I know. She's like, I'm trying to so sitting on a stool in front of a coffee table.

Alex 32:59
That's yeah, I guess I got about how limiting college dorm rooms.

Scott Benner 33:06
I'm like, in this tiny little space. It was four of us in here. And she's like, I like these girls. She's like, What if I didn't like them? And I'm like, Nah, now. So, but it just my concern. I never thought about, like the other stuff. Like, I just think that as the time goes by, and the management changes, people's understanding gets deeper. And so their concerns change too. And and there's part of me that that feels like I could see the time when you grew up as just limited information. So you wouldn't know any better almost just like ignorance that you're just you know, it's not your fault in any way. But then it's interesting to hear you talk about it because if I knew what I know now and then you took me back to 1997 and set and I had to send Alex off to school I'd be like Well she's obviously going to die. That's the last I say goodbye to Alex everybody and and not the case obviously.

Alex 34:04
No, I get that I can see where knowing everything we know now and everything we have, if that would all be taken away. It would it would be living in the dark ages. I absolutely respect and I mean I think

Scott Benner 34:18
you're okay right now you don't have any kind of long term health issues.

Alex 34:23
No, I'm doing doing really well. 15 months ago gave birth to a very healthy little boy and everything went very smooth that way. There was one period of time later in college where my eye doctor wanted to keep an eye on a couple blood vessels that she said we're looking a little a little more spotty, but since tightening everything up and making a couple other changes, she says everything is not only stopped where It was but has actually gotten better. That was really the I'll say the closest thing to what I'll say is a true complication or a you know, the the ones you hear about, but otherwise no, I'm, I consider myself in pretty good

Scott Benner 35:12
health. That's excellent. How many kids do you have?

Alex 35:15
So we've got one daughter, who is 20. And she joined our family a little bit later in life. And we've got a 15 month old son, and then we fostered for a while. So one of our foster daughters we see on the weekend. She's not currently in our home, but we're like a mentor, or so we are quite often

Scott Benner 35:40
nice. Yeah. So I'm hearing you. You abducted a child. And you made a baby. I gotcha. Grab it at the ball. Just come with us kind of a situation. Almost. Yeah, least you're taking good care. It's funny when you said 20. Like, you start doing the math. And I'm like, Alex didn't say she had a baby in high school. That's not this. Yeah. And then very easily understand. Well, that's lovely. How old were you when you started fostering children.

Alex 36:09
So she, let's see, okay. My wife and I, we're actually just kind of having this conversation. So we've started fostering five and a half, six years ago, and then met our daughter five years ago. And then she seemed to officially like full time move in with us about three years ago. Oh, that's lovely. Weird. That might be off on that. But she, she has been with us for for quite a few years. Now.

Scott Benner 36:40
That was certainly no 2023 minus 37. But it wasn't terrible. No. She was about 15. When you met her,

Alex 36:49
I lost that whole 2020 just feels like it's gone. So take with a grain of salt. If she's listening to this, and goes, geez, man, I've been here for five years. I'll feel terrible, but

Scott Benner 37:00
it's fine. It's a lot of pressure. There's like due dates all but she was around 15 When you met her? Yes. Okay. That's beautiful. So now I have another question. Yep. How do you decide who carries the baby? Rock Paper, Scissors, please? No, I wish it was paper, scissors. Okay, there was other ways Go ahead.

Alex 37:21
For a lot of families, it probably does come down to it being that simple. My wife has some health stuff that just would have made that process a little bit more tricky, a little bit more medically intensive. So having the conversation on who would have the best chance of staying healthier and having a healthy baby. And it was me.

Scott Benner 37:50
Yeah, that's what I didn't want to say. I'm like, how did you end up being the good choice? This is what I was wondering. I was like, well go with a type one. This will be the way to go. So

Alex 37:59
this is the winner here.

Scott Benner 38:01
I bet you that's the first time you ever won like a race like that. You were like why

Alex 38:06
wouldn't diabetes put me at the advantage point. Right,

Scott Benner 38:09
exactly. That's wonderful. Okay, so very cool. So the youngest is just 15 months old. That's really, that's a great time. Will you consider TrialNet?

Alex 38:20
Yes, I we will definitely be doing that. And that has been a funny process, because we've got some friends. He's type one. He has two kids. And he's had the, the information. He's had the box, they call him every six months going, Hey, when are you going to send this in? And he's terrified of it. He you see, he's afraid of what he will or won't find out. And I respect that. And up until even delivery. My wife and I were both like, if it happens, it happens. We know what to look for. And then our son was about three months old. And something came minorly unhinged. And I'm like, we like how old can he be before we do this? And then it became a Well, geez, now I gotta wait till he's two and a half, like, what are we gonna do? But just out of curiosity, I listened to one mom on your podcast, who? Honestly, it's what made sense. In my mind. She said it's not knowing the like, when is it going to happen, but she was able to use it as a teaching point, and help her son understand it before the diagnosis landed. And I thought that's a really cool approach. You know, if that made sense to me, and then I saw a conversation on your podcast about you know, when were people diagnosed, and so many of the people said almost exactly three months after COVID and it was right at the time. Our little one had COVID So, I did tell my wife, I'm like, we're gonna do a blood sugar check. month three or four after like, I just need to put my mind at ease. Yeah, he was perfect. He was 78. Like, there's nothing could have been better. I mean, we'll definitely do try

Scott Benner 40:17
on that. Okay. Yeah. Hey, so when you were looking for a donor, were you just like, look, just there can't be any autoimmune issues in your family. That's what I would have been like, I don't care what they look like, I don't care. I don't know how much money they make. Just please. Not even I don't even want like a sore stomach after a meal. My thing

Alex 40:37
is, yeah, so we went through a bank in Illinois. And for me, it was very important that we picked features that actually complimented my wife. So it worked out perfectly, because he does look like the two of us. So whoever he's with, like, people, if people don't know us, they would assume like, Oh, that's my Oh, that's

Scott Benner 41:01
cool. Oh, I didn't think of that. That's such a wonderful idea. Yeah. Cool. No, excellent, good. Well, I'm glad that cost money by the way.

Alex 41:13
It does. We were very fortunate that we did not need to do a lot of the medical components that a lot of a lot of straight or lesbian families have to go through. We were pretty lucky that we could simply order and you need doctor's approvals, and you have to fax in this like ream of paper to the bank that basically says your doctor is giving permission more or less that you're healthy enough to try. But we were able to attempt at home and things went

Scott Benner 41:50
really well. Alex I was gonna joke about that. But it's a do it yourself kit.

Alex 41:55
It can be oh my

Scott Benner 41:57
god, be honest. The funniest thing that's ever happened to you?

Alex 42:01
It was. I mean, yeah, like that is

Scott Benner 42:04
nerve racking, I imagine but it's hilarious, too, right?

Alex 42:07
Yep, absolutely. I are very, I don't wanna say silly people, but like, we're very relaxed. And it was just it was a weird kind of like, knowing like, what like what are we like? This is an at home science experiment. Like it's just very bizarre but very cool.

Scott Benner 42:25
I'm about to go write a movie where this is the main scene. Nobody steal my idea. Okay.

Alex 42:31
This is yours patent pending.

Scott Benner 42:33
Oh my god. That's I just My mind is picturing so many different odd things that just I would have been laughing the whole time if I was one of you. Oh my god, I got you. I got you in the bicycle position yet abs like oh my god, I got her going. I don't want to touch it. Oh my god, does it. I never mind. My last question is not appropriate.

Alex 43:04
But we can talk out there that's totally fine. Just want

Scott Benner 43:07
to know how close to an actual turkey baster does it look like is what I'm asking is

Alex 43:11
it looks more like a like an at home chemistry set as weird as that sounds. So yes, like everyone says turkey baster but like think much more like high school chemistry classroom.

Scott Benner 43:23
Okay. Now I'm going to ask you a question that I'm serious about this gonna sound like I'm joking. I'm not being salacious. I really want to I really want to understand good job, Scott way to go down this hole. Or not, I didn't mean that stop. Sorry.

Alex 43:39
Unintended there

Speaker 1 43:40
wasn't even intended. I was gonna say path. And then I was gonna say rabbit hole. And I just said the worst thing I could have said, is it best? Is the alright, that's my question. Is it best to be aroused? While you're doing it like or is there like physiological function around that? Or is it just as easy as like, put it in? And we're done? We

Alex 44:02
have. So we did a little bit of homework. Like, it's not super, it's not difficult to find information online. But it's also you got to weed through just like anything like what's reputable and what's not. So they did say that there was higher likelihood. If, if that, you know,

Scott Benner 44:21
things up a little bit, got things go? Yeah, that made sense to me. But I wasn't sure. And then there was probably a very polite adult way. I could have asked that question, but I actually scaled it down pretty far from the juvenile thought I had. So I think I did pretty well. No. Yeah, I mean, that makes sense to me. And so because not, not for nothing too, but if you're if you're paying by the delivery, you want to get it in, get it go in the right way as quickly as possible to

Alex 44:51
pretty much I mean, it wasn't I have friends who are LGBT and straight who have spent lots of money and attempts to get get pregnant. And I mean, it can add up very quickly. I will say our first attempt, or getting pregnant was not our first attempt. So there was some money spent. But, you know, just like, heterosexual people have to try, you know, multiple times sometimes to it, you know, it takes what it takes.

Scott Benner 45:22
Yeah. So do you, if you okay? If so if you try once that doesn't work? Do you go back to the bank and say, Hey, we want more from the same guy.

Alex 45:30
You can Yep. So you. I mean, it's kind of I mean, it doesn't I guess sound ridiculous. But like, yeah, you kind of fill out an order form and either call or email or fax I think are different ways you can kind of do things, you can have it shipped. So there's like a window of like a travel range that they'll deliver.

Scott Benner 45:54
Think about that the next time, you wouldn't be mean to your UPS guy. Right? Cut him or him or her break. You know, they mean their login sperm around them.

Alex 46:05
The package car driver, they're now thinking, jeez, how much have I delivered?

Scott Benner 46:11
Guy was there every day for a week. Every time something comes to my house, I say to the guy, I'm gonna go back inside and say to my wife that you come here, you said you come here a lot. And he goes, I don't feel that way. And I go, I'm still gonna use you as an excuse. Yeah, I'm like the guy said, he this the house. He goes through the most. It's upsetting to him. He really wants a break. I'm just trying to get another buy things online. But it's not working yet. Okay. So you. So you do that. Now, and it is in the back? I mean, there's no way around it right. It's in the back of your head. You were diagnosed at three. Yeah, so the baby comes near like, by the way you didn't chase called the baby Scott. No, no, that's fine. And do you like do you listen to this podcast? I do. Yeah. Cool. That's nice. How did you find it?

Alex 47:02
I think it was in something that like highlighted the top podcasts in different genres. And it was either diabetes specific or like health care something. But am I like, that's really cool. I'm driving, you know, more for work, and then dropping our son off at daycare. So I started listening and really enjoyed it. So I am happy to be able to be talking with you for for a change.

Scott Benner 47:36
I'm good. That's excellent. Your note says that you want to talk about advocating for yourself. And I have not let you get to that yet. So

Alex 47:46
no, that's okay. Right. What I love about the podcast is he, you ask questions, and we just go from there. So even if we would never have touched on that, it wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world.

Scott Benner 47:57
We've learned a lot already today. Like I mean, we've learned from a person who was diagnosed very young, and in a different management time heard about going to college, we've heard about, like, at home insemination, which my goodness, I was gonna joke about that, but I did not realize it was an actual real thing. So I learned something there. And yeah, and I just have a Yeah. Did you wear rubber gloves? I'm just kidding. Did you? Uh, wait, did you?

Alex 48:24
No, no, we did. I was thinking about like, the thought that came in my head is why we weren't rubber gloves. But yeah, like that would be a question, but we did not know.

Scott Benner 48:32
So Alex, here's the end of the insemination questions for me and then I move forward. Are you are your wife Goldstar?

Alex 48:41
We are not

Scott Benner 48:43
okay. That's why you're not scared. I say okay, I got it all. Now. I figured the whole thing out. That's fine. How many people right now are like I don't know what that means? Probably a lot. Yeah. Not me. I know a lot of useless stuff. Do I? Do I tell them

Alex 49:01
asking that question. You know, I'm gonna let people wander. Either wander or check it out? Primarily because like if someone in my family listens to this, I don't want them being like asking like so. Who was it?

Scott Benner 49:15
Oh, so you're, you're you're Hoh. So it happened but it's not like a It's not it's not like you are with guys for a long time. It's just the thing that happened at one time.

Alex 49:26
Right? Yeah. Well, that's that's actually a very good way of summing that up. Okay,

Scott Benner 49:30
can I ask another question? Sure. Were you testing it? Oh, like were you like let me just make sure that it started happening. You went Oh, yeah, no, I'm sure that's enough. We can you can go home.

Alex 49:45
No, it was not taking away from the experience. It wasn't a casual like encounter or anything like that. It was more or less closing a chapter for me and this guy. So, it wasn't like, you know, I mean, like people totally fine if like people are out there, you know, having kind of meaningless relationships. For me. It wasn't bad. It was definitely like a closure piece that me and former boyfriend needed to kind of put in place

Scott Benner 50:17
to us. So prior to the boyfriend, did you think you might be gay? Or you never had the thought?

Alex 50:24
No, I definitely at that point, it was very much like a two year ish kind of window of questioning and we weren't together that whole time. Like, I don't want it. I don't want people out there going to use this poor guy.

Scott Benner 50:38
Oh, my gosh, Alex, did you help him out? Otherwise?

Alex 50:46
He's happily married. I think he's got a kid or two.

Scott Benner 50:48
No, I'm sure he's thrilled to be away from you. That's not what I'm sorry.

Alex 50:52
Yeah, we can talk more about that off air and people aren't gonna you know, that conversation. But ya know, neither one of us are gold stars. Okay, which I'm sure.

Scott Benner 51:02
got it figured out. Yeah, for sure. It's so Oh, that's interesting. I do have more questions. Like, did you like, did you just like, oh, you put in so much time, where you tried to give them a like a favor at the end? Or were you really like, I'm just wanting to know, if you were like, let me find out. I'll do this and see if I'm really it's not for me. You know,

Alex 51:22
I'm trying to like,

Scott Benner 51:23
I like to you don't remember?

Alex 51:25
Back? They're like, Well, I'm that's yeah, I mean, like, that wasn't? Yeah, it was it was a meaningful experience. And also, I think I had like known more than that, that I was a lesbian. So I think it was just more. I don't want to say like, yeah, like confirmation, but kind of, maybe kind of a little bit. I'm not exactly sure,

Scott Benner 51:51
Alex, I know. I know how to handle this. If there are any guys out there listening who are gay, but try to Lady to make sure it was real. Please get a hold of me because you'll be way more fun to talk about this with analysis. That's what I want to do. Okay, hopefully, I'll get a nice note from someone. You're being like an adult about this. I don't need that. I need ridiculous.

Alex 52:17
Hey, we can you know, even better yet next time you're visiting your brother. Let's go out from Mexican. I'll pick you up from the airport. We can talk about anything you want. Oh,

Scott Benner 52:25
my brother's being punished for moving to Wisconsin? I don't see him. That's all. He should have moved somewhere warm. If you want to see me. Do you understand? Fair enough. For all of you telling us about the lakes. It's not enough. I've seen the ocean. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah. I heard the legs. People tell me the legs are lovely. And then I really shouldn't see them. And I'm certain I'll visit my brother. Now that my mom's out there. I'll go.

Alex 52:52
Okay, okay, so so your mom's out with

Scott Benner 52:57
after her? Her cancer ordeal that so my mom was oddly getting ready to move to Wisconsin. And because my brother moved when he was young for college, and then ended up staying. And my mom's like, you know, I think I want to spend the last bit of my life with Brian. And I was like, Yeah, it sounds. I mean, definitely let them have you when it's really hard. That's the best time for us to say goodbye. But But no, it's sad. She moved but she's having a different experience with him and his family, which is all lovely. But I mean, I can get away with telling my brother to come back here or let's meet somewhere for a vacation. But I'm not like I can get away with asking my 80 year old mom to do that. So I guess I am going to end up with He tricked me into going to Wisconsin I guess. He got you honestly, I was supposed to speak in Wisconsin, right as COVID was happening. Obviously shut down pretty quickly. But yeah, I missed. I missed seeing Wisconsin by like two weeks because of COVID. Okay, would have been there anyway. What have we not gone over yet? Oh, the advocating piece? Like where have you found yourself having to do that?

Alex 54:05
Whether you are the type one or a mom or dad or caregiver? I think it's just so important to be able to stand up for yourself in anything. I mean, diabetes? Yes, of course. Because it could have very serious side effects. Or, you know, I mean, going low or staying too high. You know, we all know that there's so many dangers in that. Then I think once you're out of the terror of like that new diagnosis and you kind of get a rhythm and you're like, Okay, this isn't always going to be scary. I think it's very easy to then discount, like, how important it still is. So, I mean, I went through college in high school without any sort of, like 504 plans weren't really a thing. I to a private school, I was very lucky that my teachers were just accommodating. But college like no one in like any student housing or anything like that knew really that I was diabetic. And I know that you can now go and let people know like what accommodations you need. And I think just because I didn't utilize that doesn't mean it wasn't important. I think you need to advocate for what you need. And I think it will lead to so many more in our community having better mental health and better just conversations about it as a whole, I think a lot of us, you know, hide it without even meaning to, and I don't think it has to be that way.

Scott Benner 55:46
And I actually said something a second ago, that I'll push back on, but in a in a way that you'll understand in a second. You said like, you know how dangerous or concerning lows are like everybody knows that. But I just got back from a speaking engagement in person where I was fairly stunned by the amount of people who did not understand the implications of low blood sugar people who either had type one, or were the spouses of a type one, they just didn't know. There was really something I was stunned, obviously. And then in the middle of a talk that I was giving about something else. I took five minutes to educate everybody on that. So I was like, not the favorite person for five minutes. You know, I'm like, like, No, I'm like, blood sugar's go down, they get too low, you have a seizure. If they can, and you go low, then there's not enough sugar in your blood and your brain shuts off, and then you're gone. And then somebody said, but then you drink your juice. And I went, No, no, no, you're just gone. And a lot of like, shocked, looks in the room, but I just I, I saw it happening. And I thought, well, someone's gonna have to tell them. I didn't relish it being me. But I just thought it's, I mean, we're all here. Like, let's do it. Now. You know, we talked everybody through it. I told him like, like, it's not like, it's obviously definitely going to happen or anything like that. But it's a possibility. And I just think you should know about it. So then that move the conversation to glucagon. I was stunned by the amount of people who don't have glucagon. If they have it. They don't carry it with them. You know, I don't know. It just threw me off. So.

Alex 57:27
And I, I appreciate that pushback. Because yeah, I guess I take it for granted that that is something that I know. But to that point, there are probably lots of people who don't understand how it works, even living with it, which is scary to

Scott Benner 57:43
think then you find somebody who does know about it. They're like, Yeah, I've never used it. So then it's that like, well, then people are like, Oh, well, then what do I need it for? Like you need it for? It's like wearing a seatbelt? Honestly, it's you don't wear a seatbelt for all the times you don't crash your car. That's not how it works. And I don't know, I think I got through them. And the people that were in the event were very kind afterwards because a couple of people complained, you know, like, he's in there talking about dying. And I'm like, well, first of all, I wasn't talking about that this came up. And I you know, I told you that the reality of it. But the people that run the the event were like no, like, we appreciate that you did that. And that must have been difficult. And thank you. That's a cool, cool, level headed people. Excellent. So that was pretty cool. Did you like being pregnant? The experience of it?

Alex 58:32
I did. I really enjoyed it. I know not everybody has that experience. And I respect that. But I really enjoyed it. That doesn't mean it was smooth sailing the entire time. But I we are not having more children. But I would I would be open to hearing again.

Scott Benner 58:53
No, I mean, I just talked to you a minute ago. And there's just a picture of you pregnant with a look on your face that made me think Man, she loved that. Like it wasn't

Alex 59:01
the one or quite honestly. Yeah. So

Scott Benner 59:08
when you're about halfway through being pregnant, right about there. Yeah.

Alex 59:12
That would have been October and our son was born end of January. So that's actually at the diabetes camp that I volunteer at. Tell me about that. It's a really great experience. I know camp is not for everybody. So I'm not saying everybody should go. And if it's something your kid would benefit from, it's how I describe it to non diabetic people. Is it is the coolest, heartbreaking experience that I do every year like it's so cool because there are up to 150 kids for one week, who are all going through the same thing. They all understand what it means they're not having to re explain what their low blood sugar means like it Just they get to be a kid and the diabetes gets to go on the background. But it's heartbreaking. Because inevitably, about halfway through the week, I look around and I go, Jesus, there's 130 kids here, and they're all diabetic like that, that breaks my heart. So it's a really cool experience. Wisconsin Lyons camp, is who hosts it in Wisconsin. They have a beautiful campground, they have amazing staff. It's a really great week for the kids. And they, some of them come the first time never seen another type one kid, and they leave with like a core group of like best friends and I, I can't say enough good things about it. It's so

Scott Benner 1:00:42
great things just happened. One, you said, Wisconsin, very Wisconsin, which I enjoyed you were like your That was fantastic. And then the thing about the way you said, you know, they don't have to explain things to other people, right, because everybody already knows. I thought a little more about that, as you were talking. And that's a lot about language. Like you don't show up at a gathering and have to explain to people that you're breathing, you don't mean that it's an we're to look at them and think, Oh, I'm breathing. And they're breathing, but I'm doing it differently. And they don't understand that like no, that all just that all fades away, right there. Yeah, that must be the best part of it. And that the other thing that you talked about, about the kind of the heartbreaking nature of it is actually, Arden is done at her children's hospital now because she is an adult, and they told her to get out. But they actually said you need to find an adult and they didn't say get out. But that's what they meant. This Yeah, semantics. So we go to what had gone to a satellite office for a really major Children's Hospital. And I hate having to go to the appointments at the Children's Hospital. Because you just walk in, and so many different disease states, so many little kids, so many tired parents like, like smiling when their kids are looking at them. And when the kids aren't looking and they just look like they're gonna run their head through a wall, like that kind of thing. And I find it difficult to be there. So yeah, yeah, it's just somehow amazing institutions that are helping so many people, and I find it to be like, it's like the saddest place on earth. I just can't, but I have trouble being there. So the satellite offices for me, it's just the way better. Anyway. Well, that's very nice. How long have you been donating your time to the camp?

Alex 1:02:39
I have been volunteering with them this 10 or 11 years now.

Scott Benner 1:02:45
That's really nice. Okay, I love how to you're just at the right age where you apologize to everybody before you say anything. I enjoyed. You didn't say I enjoyed being prednisone. I know some people don't like it, but I enjoyed it. And you're like, I know some people don't want to go to camp. But if you don't have to do that, hear Alex. It's okay. Just say what you think. I appreciate that. Yep. We're not gonna. We're not We're not worried. There's no woke mob coming for you, Alex. It's fine.

Alex 1:03:13
No, and it takes so much to offend me or push me a little too far. So even if they did come back, fine.

Scott Benner 1:03:19
I figured you could I tried in the middle and you were fine. So there's just this whole moment, my brains like, we have to understand better how they made the baby. I don't know. I mean, it just has to be Oh, my gosh, no. Well, somebody's not talking about I'm sorry. You got me. Too, delighted by you. I've lost my, my professional edge. Do I have a professional?

Alex 1:03:47
You do? And I think you're you're maintaining it pretty? Well, I think the two of us just seem to have a good time. And we're having a good conversation. I mean, yeah, you know, lived my entire life with diabetes. So I'm sure if you ask enough questions, you'll hit on different things if you wanted to.

Scott Benner 1:04:05
Okay, well, I do want to know then, what the difference is between modern management and what you are accustomed to till you were 12, like it rearview mirror kind of description of diabetes, where it's common, why it's important.

Alex 1:04:23
I hate to think that people are being diagnosed at the intense numbers that we're seeing. And I think, if you are going to be diagnosed now is the better time than any. And I know that's weird to say, because I'm sure in five years we'll have even more insanely advanced technology, but I really enjoy that I was able to grow up and kind of go through life with the management I had given. There were some hurdles of course, but I think because it also allows me to not hyper fixate and my CGM. So in 30 years I've been with Medtronic tandem. I'm currently on the Omnipod. Five with with Dexcom. And I really love it. And my first closed loop experience was with Medtronic system. And I'll be honest, I went into it thinking I'm gonna hate it. Like, I have gotten my thoughts where I've gotten it this far. Why do I need the machine to do it for me, and I let go of that control really quickly, a lot faster than I anticipated, which I thought was really cool. And if my system were to fail, at some point, I have the skills where I'd be able to move on in, you know, fix it until they got replaced. So if I needed a new controller or Dexcom went haywire, I'd be able to make it a day or two, with very little struggle. I mean, like, I'd probably grumble about it, like, Oh, I got to do shots. But I'd be able to do it, and it would be okay. So I think for me that that really worked out. But I think it's amazing. We you know what we have, I think it's incredibly helpful. I say that I'd be able to put things away. But if my son were to be diagnosed tomorrow, I would be calling everybody to get him on a Dexcom as fast as I possibly can. So I love and respect everything that is out there. And I enjoy knowing that I've got a lot of skills in my pocket that I think some kids don't we did an activity at camp a couple years ago with the cabin I was working with and said, Okay, your pumps don't work right now. You guys have to do the math to figure out your carb counts and insulin for for the dinner. And I was a little scared. Everyone was like deer in headlights. They looked at us like, Well, no, our pump does that. And we're like, we know, but like, if your pump failed right now. And I like but our pump does

Scott Benner 1:07:08
that. That's not gonna happen lady plus the UPS guy. I don't know if you heard he brings everything. So it.

Alex 1:07:15
And that's, that's basically. So we like walked him through like how to, you know, figure it out. And then obviously, we let them use their pump to see you know how close and to actually give the Bolus. But I did leave that conversation going, you know, what we, I think we have to do a little bit better about at least letting them know how the pump is getting to these results. But they were they were 13 and 14 year old girls, and most of them

Scott Benner 1:07:40
didn't know what their acitivity was or what it how it translated to decisions or anything like that.

Alex 1:07:47
Yeah, so I mean it and that's okay. You know, if you don't need the information, you don't need it. Like there's no point in having it necessarily for like a what if and, you know, I would assume mom or dad has that information. But we just thought it'd be kind of a fun, quote unquote, activity, you know, for one meal, and, oh, the pushback we got was,

Scott Benner 1:08:08
I don't know how to get away, leave me alone. Well, I work when we make adjustments to art in settings, which we haven't, in a while, things have been going very smoothly. So I probably should have said that. I'm not, I'm not superstitious at all. And I still was like, Oh, God, don't say I shouldn't said that out loud. But like, That's why I'll text her and I'll be like, hey, you know, we're gonna make some changes in your pump, like, just FaceTime me for a second. And like, now, by the way, the screen sharing on FaceTime even, like, you know, she's making changes to like, our loop algorithm. It's all like, right there. And I'm like, Okay, so we're gonna make your insulin sensitivity 43. And I know, you know, and I just say the same stuff over and over again, I'm like, I know that we're going from 44 to 43. But just remember, that's making it stronger, not weaker. You know, let's make your Basal this at night. Because we're seeing this happen. I just figure if I keep saying the why I'm doing it as I'm doing it. Like, she'll have no choice but to understand it. You know, like, I'll kind of like, trick, I mean, not for nothing. I'm basically tricking her to take care of herself, like, sort of like the way I'm tricking all of you into doing it. By like having conversations and bringing stuff up here and there and letting it drop in and fade away and bring it back. And I think it's working but I am now fascinated if I said to her, like do a meal. But you know what she swags Boy, that's not a word I ever use to people no swag. She guesses her carbs. So well. I bet you she could do it. But But if she had to know the math of it for a correction, I think she'd come up with the answer, but I don't think she'd know why she was at the answer mathematically. That makes sense.

Alex 1:09:47
No, that's, I feel like I mean, she's had it 16

Scott Benner 1:09:54
She's almost 17 years. In a couple a couple more.

Alex 1:09:59
I feel like some of It does become just so second nature. I mean, how can it not after day to day and like so many times throughout the day? I think that was yes, I can I can get her if she's not doing the math, she could at least come close, probably within a half a unit. I think that makes sense to me.

Scott Benner 1:10:19
Let me ask you this, right now appear to know what you do for a living. Are you willing to talk about it?

Alex 1:10:25
Absolutely. I'm surprised it took this long.

Scott Benner 1:10:28
When I was a kid, and we were young, and we're graduating from high school, and people are getting ready to go to college and go into work and stuff. My buddy's like, I'm going to become a funeral director. And I'm like, yeah, and he goes, Yeah, man, for sure. And I was like, why? And he goes, I have a job right till the end. And I'm like, what he goes, people aren't gonna stop dying. I'll always have money. It's like, Well, okay, rock solid thought. And so. But here, I'm going to tell you his best story, that I want to hear that I want to give your best story. He was once preparing a body. And he found things stuffed in the person's throat. And they came to he saw he solved a murder. Oh my gosh. So while he's preparing the body, he saw something way down in the throat. And he got it out. And then what ended up happening was a young This is such a crazy story. But a young neighbor of an older person murdered this older person by like shoving a rag down their throat and something else. And it was so gone from sight that they just assumed the person just died. Wow. Oh, my friend solved a murder.

Alex 1:11:45
That's good for him. That is cool, fantastic. Child.

Scott Benner 1:11:50
Have you ever solved a murder? Alex? That's what I'm asking.

Alex 1:11:53
I have no, I have not solved a murder. I feel like I need to step up. My game.

Scott Benner 1:12:00
Did you just think oh my gosh, I've never looked down everybody's throat. I wonder how many murdered people I didn't find?

Alex 1:12:06
No, you know, I mean, okay, so I don't work in the prep room is often anymore. If anyone in the prep room is listening to this, they'll be like, you never work in the prep room. It's been a long time. So I'm not the one who typically gets people ready for their services I used to, and I did really enjoy that part of, of the profession. But no, now I'm gonna ask our team like, Hey, why aren't we solving any emergency?

Scott Benner 1:12:35
Why is nobody trying hard enough? Are you being you're just what's it like? Being around deceased bodies? I don't even know how to use the phrasing wrong. Probably. Right. I was gonna say dead bodies. And that seemed harsh than deceased bodies seems I mean, just the deceased, right? What should I say? First of all?

Alex 1:12:55
No, you're good. I would say this is probably the softest way of saying that because

Scott Benner 1:13:01
I've watched my friend who he lives in the funeral home above the funeral home, which is not uncommon. By the way, if you've seen six feet under on HBO,

Alex 1:13:08
I lived in the home, I work at this. There's a beautiful apartment in this space above our funeral home that's reserved for the apprentices typically. So when I was an apprentice and early director, I lived up above there, it's got its pros.

Scott Benner 1:13:26
Or the cons that there are six bodies in the basement at all times, or what's the cons, ultimately, that

Alex 1:13:33
even if it's not your weekend on call, if there's a funeral, like you're expected to, you know, get the flower door open and kind of if something happens, you're the one that kind of has to attend to it, which fortunately, things don't typically happen. But you'll get, you know, a call on the weekend to go, Hey, I've got a family dropping off clothes, can you make sure the doors open? You know, tomorrow at noon? It's like, sure didn't have plans or anything. But yeah, I can make that happen here.

Scott Benner 1:14:00
So what's always stunned me about his life is that, you know, he moved in there, he's had three children, they raised his children in that house, they're so comfortable with death, like just and not in a morbid or creepy way. It's just a, it's just such I've always thought of it as a good thing. Like, they're just like to see little children playing hide and seek around caskets, or like, you know, or when you have an event with a bunch of people to get together. And it's his turn to host. And you're having dinner in the same room where there are services because that's where the space and the tables are and stuff like that. Like it's a really different experience, but it becomes very normal very quickly.

Alex 1:14:39
It does, and I think so one of the foster kiddo who we still see on weekends, if they, when they were living with us, no, probably like nine or 10 at the time, and because they were at an age to understand kind of What I do not maybe the specifics, but they've at least heard a funeral directors before. And there was one day I came home from work, and they asked, so who died today? And it was meant in a very, like, I'm trying to connect with you and ask about your day. But we're like, okay, that's, Let's not ask that. Like, that's not, that's not the question that we're gonna go with. But I am a firm believer that you shouldn't shield children away from death, that at an age appropriate level, there needs to be a conversation. And if there's not, that's how you end up with 30 year olds who won't go to a funeral. And I think that's really hard for a lot of people. Because you, you know, you want to protect your kids. And I understand that. But shielding them from everything doesn't exactly prepare them, you know, for later on. So what is your way to story? Oh, that's a good one. I don't know that it would be many people weirdest, but it was day one on the job. So it really sticks in my head. We had a family whose loved one passed away, he was probably in his late 30s. And they donated his his organs and tissues. And what that means, sometimes is that they will take your arm and leg bones as well. So I had to watch right had an opportunity to watch how they dress this guy who is really nothing more than his trunk and appendages. But those were replaced now with PVC pipes to hold shape. And I remember thinking, what the heck did I get myself into. And I think I'm going to do this for a really long time. So it was weird enough that it definitely will always stick with me as like first day on the job. This is what we're leading with. But not enough that it scared me off.

Scott Benner 1:17:04
Here's the thing that has so far in my life of all the things that my friend has shared with me. The thing that's, like, weirded me out the most. Is that for women of a certain breast size, he stitches the he stitches the breast together so they stand up in the coffin.

Alex 1:17:26
Yep, yeah. You that yeah, that's like a trick of the train. Yeah, there's

Scott Benner 1:17:33
that was just so I just see it though. I was like, Oh, okay. Is it? Can I ask a question? Why do you have to embalm a body to cremate it? You know, you don't have to?

Alex 1:17:45
Okay. No, you don't. So at least in the state of Wisconsin, if the only reason you would have to be embalmed is if you were having an open casket service more than 24 hours after a person passed away, or if they were being sent out of state. So in order now, minus any religious reasoning, so if someone passes away in Wisconsin, and is going back home for a funeral, we would have to involve here before getting them on the plane

Scott Benner 1:18:16
to cost the UPS body across the country.

Alex 1:18:21
Right now, you're looking at about 2500

Scott Benner 1:18:27
Oh, Mom, you're getting buried in Wisconsin?

Alex 1:18:31
Yeah, right now. I mean, that also depends. So I mean, we have milk. So I work in South Milwaukee. And South Milwaukee has a pretty strong affiliation with like lacrosse, a lot of people from the lacrosse area moved to this outside of Milwaukee for a lot of factory jobs. So we oftentimes are going anywhere, you know, from lacrosse to the cities. And we'll weigh out the cost difference. Like if it's going to be cheaper to drive, like to lacrosse or Minnesota. We'll just make the trip. So sometimes, driving is easier. I think we've driven to Indiana. Yeah, like for your mom's example, I don't know that it's going to be more cost effective to drive her back East. But yeah, it'll end I mean, it depends on gas prices and airline flights and stuff like that.

Scott Benner 1:19:30
I just want to be cremated. I have to be honest. I Yeah. You know, what just happened that was really funny is that apparently Lacrosse is a town in Minnesota. But when you started saying it, you said a lot of people from lacrosse, like moved here and I'm like, wait, people who play lacrosse showed up in South was kind of like, Alright, no, no, that doesn't make sense. So then I then I started thinking, Is she mispronouncing the, I think there's a cos in France like is maybe she's mispronouncing that. And then eventually I'm like Oh, there's just another town called the cross some Crosse, Wisconsin. Okay. My brain just kept stepping through the conversation trying to find out what you were talking about. And I was all over the place. At one point, I thought, isn't there a clothing manufacturer with a name like that? Like maybe people who work there moved there for the job?

Alex 1:20:18
wasn't very clear. Yeah. along the Mississippi and the Wisconsin side, but

Scott Benner 1:20:26
wait, now you're really freaking me out the Mississippi rivers in Wisconsin.

Alex 1:20:29
It Yeah, it starts up but goes right along, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and then all the way down.

Scott Benner 1:20:36
Holy Hell, we're learning stuff today. Okay. See, ya. By the way, I'm at a point now I don't even know what this is about. There's no way this they I can't name this episode, anything. It's ridiculous. We're all over the place. I love it, though.

Alex 1:20:49
We'll come up with something. And I should I do love the funeral directing. I am very happy to still be a licensed director. I'm, I'm actually in the process of going back to school. But I don't think I will ever not be somehow involved with funeral service.

Scott Benner 1:21:07
I'm going to ask you a weird question that I think relates to something diabetes, we'll see if it goes for you. i Oh, okay. So I'm going to I don't know what the position is that to talk about it. But like, so I make this podcast to help people, right. But it's a business too. And it makes money. And it makes money through advertising. So there are times when you're in meetings, talking about advertising, and it feels wrong to be talking about it because it's people's health. Right. And so I'm always very conflicted. Anytime I sit in the meeting, and they're talking about like, penetration for the podcast, listen through rates, like how far are they listening through? Do they share it? What states are you like, strongest? And like when there's questions like that, I just, I'm like, my mind is gone. I just want to help people. This is how I pay for it. It's okay, I make my living this way. It's all right, like, but it always feels wrong. You're oddly in a sales position as a funeral director. And I'm wondering how you, like, how do you deal with that moment?

Alex 1:22:07
It is really tricky. And one it's some point someone in my life made a very simple, but poignant statement of you can't spend other people's money. So the good thing is we are not like a commission based, like funeral home. So whether you buy the cheapest or most expensive stuff, it does not matter to me, even if it was commissioned, it would not matter to me. Whatever works for your loved one is what I'm going to do for you. My job is to make I want to see you happy, because you're never going to be happy with a funeral per se, but kind of like me. You guys hopefully know what I mean.

Scott Benner 1:22:54
Yeah, no, I understand. I just, it's, you're in a unique position to know how I feel. So I was wondering about that.

Alex 1:23:01
Yeah, no, it's definitely it's definitely weird. And money definitely needs to be discussed. But yeah, like, it's, it's very strange. I can't say enough about rearranging like, you know, if, if you're in a position to do so, that makes it a lot easier for your family, and for the funeral home. Like you get to say what you want, you get to pick your stuff out. And then it does make that money conversation a lot easier.

Scott Benner 1:23:33
Okay. Have you ever seen an argument between, like children, like one of them wants to bury mom was something expensive? And the other one's like, don't put that in there? Either. They

Alex 1:23:41
every family's got a dynamic, and that's fine. I mean, my family has their own dynamic, too. But oh, yeah, like we've had people walk out of arrangements we've had, like you. It's always sad when someone's passing is viewed by a family member is a paycheck. And if you can see for those people, even when they're trying to not make it seem like that, you can tell, oh, you're, you're not choosing to do what your parents wanted, because you're hoping for a bigger payout like that. That sucks. Like, that's hard.

Scott Benner 1:24:18
You know, one of the things that I've learned in the last couple of years that threw me off, which seems similar, is that when my mom after my mom's surgery, she had to go to like a facility where she could rehab but also they could help take care of her right. And this place was also like it's a home where people end up sometimes living for the rest of their lives. The stories from the staff, that people come in big smiles, they drop off their parents, and I'll see you tomorrow mom, blah, blah, blah, and then they never come back. And not just not I'm not saying they don't visit. They ghost the place. They don't pay the bill. They literally just abandon their parents there. That's a freak one occurrence.

Alex 1:25:01
That is terrible. That is just horrendous.

Scott Benner 1:25:05
I just I didn't know what to think of that. And my buddy helped me find a place for my mom, my buddy's a funeral director, because he said, Listen, you can tell a lot about these places about how the areas of the building that the public can't see are kept. And it's like, I come in the back, I come in downstairs, this place is very clean. The people are respectful behind the scenes. This is a place I think that's how we ended up picking where my mom went.

Alex 1:25:33
Absolutely. I have people periodically asked me questions about, you know, Mom's going on hospice, you know, is there somewhere you would recommend? And usually let them know where I would not recommend? But you have to, you know, you got to be careful, because people, yeah, you know, you got to be careful on how you make recommendations. But I, yeah, people. And I tell people ask away, I will let you know if I would not trust my family member somewhere.

Scott Benner 1:26:06
No, no, it's interesting to get like a backroom view of it. And from a funeral directors where I got it from, which is both sad and obvious, I think at the same time. Yeah, that's fair. Yeah. Okay. All right, Alex, you're terrific. I am, I'm in the position where I feel like we could do this forever, which eventually, it'll get too long. Not for me. By the way, I could easily listen to a three hour podcast, but not everybody is me. So I stopped them. Right? Yeah. Some people like there's no short ones, or they've been getting long lately. Like, Oh,

Alex 1:26:38
okay. Yeah. And then one setting. I mean, you can get caught

Scott Benner 1:26:41
breaking a little. That's all I listened to something this morning. And I paused it to do this. And we go, pause, just make sure you come back and get through the ads. Because if you don't get to the ads, and my listen through rate goes to hell, and then it's hard to you know, anybody support the podcast? I don't mind if you fall asleep listening to it, as long as the player keeps rolling. And those of you while I'm making my pitches as those of you who listen and a spouse listens, and you listen on the same device, you're killing me. Okay. Oh, my God, downloaded on another app for the other is two people. I deserve two downloads. i Oh, my goodness. Alex, nobody understands my problems. What do you think people will remember about this episode when I when I blurted out that I'm not bringing my mom home because it cost $2,500 to move her.

Alex 1:27:34
We've got a lot of different points in this.

Scott Benner 1:27:39
We went, we went from like, we went from a lesbian couple artificially inseminated themselves at home in a DIY situation to how you bury people and stitch their breasts together, so they look nice. And I used to hold about the pipes in the in the oh my god, this is all

Alex 1:27:57
points. People could be like, well, this lady's not for me.

Scott Benner 1:28:01
No, I think you were terrific. Yay. No, this was wonderful. I had a great time. Are you kidding? Stop it. I'm the arbiter of what's okay. By the way, I get to decide. You don't like it? Don't listen. Although please keep listening. I'd really again, nevermind. Anything. I forgot to ask you anything you want to say?

Alex 1:28:18
I don't think so. I think we we did a good job. I think if anyone is able to take anything out of our wonderful conversation, I hope if there's newly diagnosed families listening, I hope they feel a little bit better knowing your kiddo is going to be okay. Like,

Scott Benner 1:28:38
no 100% and bind to a foster child like you're fostering children. Like I don't I don't I'm not that kind. I know. I'm not. I want to think I am. But I don't know. I don't think I know I'm adopted. How bizarre is that? It's a strange thing. Could I do it? It didn't? I don't know. It never came up in my life. That's not the point. The point is, is that it seems it seems like such a kindness to me. Like I almost feel like I don't know that I'm that kind. In case there's not a lot. It's a lot of right.

Alex 1:29:15
I mean, because of the trauma that is involved in fostering and adapting world. It actually led my wife to the career that she's on. And she helps keep families together ultimately is what she does. She helps families who who need help in navigating their kids behavior. She She does some really cool things. I've a lot of people say they couldn't do what I do as a funeral director. There's no way that I could do what she does. So you're right. I mean, fostering is a is a wild and intense thing to do.

Scott Benner 1:29:57
The first time my kid was like, really annoying. I was like, Oh, well, I now I know why they the they make you love them so much like so because I want them to leave. You know, it's very upsetting.

Alex 1:30:10
And if you don't always necessarily like, oh, well,

Scott Benner 1:30:14
no, I actually liked my son. I'm just saying the first time he did something where I was like, What the hell is this? Like you realize like, well, it doesn't matter. Like, he can't go anywhere like, you don't I mean, like we're gonna figure this all out. But when it's somebody else's child, I'm wondering if you're like, Wow, this didn't work out, you can go now. But but a lovely answered on the list. By the way, I can tell what a good time I'm having with you. Because the funny part of my brain is still working, because you're saying something very serious. And you're like, that's what, what led my wife to the job she's in and my brain thought human trafficking?

Like no, that would have people would have been like, Alright. Oh, that's fun. That's money. Thank you. I don't know. Like, again, I've said it before. I'll say it again. I'm letting you hear about 40% of my thoughts, the rest of them would really throw you off. Nevertheless, thank you so much for doing this. Can you hold on one second for me? Absolutely. Thanks.

Hey, I really want to thank Alex for coming on the show and sharing her fantastic story and having such a good time with me. And I just want to remind you about all of the great content that lives inside of the Juicebox Podcast, go find it. Look on the private Facebook group, check out juicebox podcast.com. Go up to the menu at the top. There's so much great information. Actually, I didn't mention it earlier. But in the private Facebook group in the feature tab. There are lists of all these episodes with corresponding episode numbers on them so you could find them very easily in your audio apps. Speaking of that, podcast is completely free. Just subscribe on Apple podcast Spotify, or wherever you get your audio and dig right in. I don't talk about this stuff with frequency but the Juicebox Podcast is number 16. Today in the United States of America medicine category on Apple podcasts. It is number 16. It also ranks in I can't count all these but the last time I looked over 45 Other countries that's top 200 And over 45 other countries. Number 16 In the US, number 80 in Sweden, number 67 in Ireland 60. In Denmark 92. In New Zealand, it's 199. In Switzerland today it was 180 in Saudi Arabia the other day it's an Austria, South Africa, Portugal, the Philippines, Argentina were 83 today 62 In Malaysia, 58 and Romania. Oh my gosh. Number 12 and Bahrain, number 56. In Oh my gosh. Sorry, that confused me. I'm in. We're in the top 200 of all podcasts in Bahrain, we're number 15. In Qatar, Bulgaria, Iceland, Egypt, Romania, Slovenia, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Finland Hungary, Simcoe, Singapore excuse me, Israel, Argentina, Hong Kong, Philippines, Portugal, Poland, Belgium, India, South Africa, Austria. It goes on and on and on Japan, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Australia, France, anywhere you can think of this podcast is being consumed. I don't even speak Italy. You know what I'm saying? It's crazy. Last thing I'm going to tell you is this. I'm just gonna scroll down here to reviews I'm gonna go to the most recent reviews. This one's from five days ago. Most of us living with or supporting someone with type one diabetes have an occasional wonky glucose day, the day when all the tools in the toolbox don't seem to help. The day when we go to bed with small voice in our head that says we'll try again tomorrow, the wonky days or when I turn to the Juicebox Podcast. The next one so helpful, easy. And excuse me so helpful especially for newly diagnosed people. My seven half year old son was diagnosed with type one three years months ago. The first thing I did was turn to social media for support every single group I joined suggested the Juicebox Podcast. I love Scott's we go V diary. I love the weego V diary as part of the podcast. This is the best resource for type one diabetes information my young adult child was diagnosed last year it's so important to me that I learned all I can on it on the podcast is a game changer. This type ones need Juicebox Podcast I've been a diabetic this says for 40 years. Oh my god Scott has hit a home run but this podcast type one for 40 years diabetes educator with nursing background twin Mom who works in the diabetes world here, this series has answered. So much has answers and so much more. It's always real talk. I've learned laugh related, shared and maybe shed a few tears. That person's talking about the Pro Tip series juicebox podcast.com diabetes pro tip.com 26 episodes. Listen to them. Let this get easier. It's free. Just go check it out. Tell a friend if you enjoyed it. Tell your doctor literal Lifesaver excellent podcast heavenly bits. huge help. This person doesn't like me but we'll skip over that too much information never so helpful entertaining and informative. Life changing Game Changer masterclass and type one diabetes management. Scott is the same that's not true. I'm not a same great resource game changer. Life changing funny and relatable. Why am I just finding this? Someone here called me a chauvinist? I don't think that's true. A Game changer. So helpful life changing information. My my I'm coming to write a review because my brother in law has certainly learned so much from your podcast. He looks incredible and feels great. Thanks for making this content available to everyone. I could do this all day with you read these over and over again. And about every 50 somebody really wouldn't like me, this person calls me self centered. That seems unfair, but whatever. Actually, two of the people that don't like me are from Great Britain. Do I not go over in the Great Britain as well? Hold on, let's scroll. I'm sorry, at this point, no Great Britain number 88. It's just two wackos. Nevermind. What am I saying here? Please check out the podcast. There's so much information inside of the show. That's why it's broken up in those series in digestible ways for you. I really think that you can get the agency and the time and range and the happiness and the health that you deserve and want. I think the answers are inside of the show. I hope you go find them.