#1131 Drive the Bus

Megan has type 1 diabetes; she also once ran away from home to get married.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1131 of the Juicebox Podcast

Megan is 34 years old she's had type one diabetes for about two years. And this conversation goes in a number of different directions. We talked about hypothyroidism PCOS type one diabetes mismanagement from physicians maternity leave DKA Metformin, keto diets, shaky doctors, and the fact that Megan ran away when she was 17 to Mexico to marry her husband. Please don't forget 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. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout that's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com.

Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the contour next gen blood glucose meter. This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you at contour next one.com/juice box. This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries G voc hypo penne Find out more at G voc glucagon.com forward slash juicebox

Megan 2:01
My name is Megan Della Torre and I live here in San Antonio, Texas and I am a recently diagnosed type one diabetic.

Scott Benner 2:08
How old are you? Megan? I am 3434 Recently meaning this year. I

Megan 2:14
know like I literally was probably 31 going on 32 Whenever I got diagnosed, and it was by chance I wasn't even like I didn't have I guess the typical symptoms are not that I was aware of the over typical symptoms because I have family members that they are diabetic, but they're type two, or that they even know of and I've I've encouraged them to go to the doctor and just tell them like you know, get the test done to see if you are type one because I was misdiagnosed but they're the gosh darn stubborn. But anyways, I found out when I was about 31 or 32.

Scott Benner 2:49
Okay, what's your ethnic background? I

Megan 2:52
am Caucasian, but I am married. I married a gentleman that is from Mexico. So I had to learn Spanish and I have a very Spanish last name.

Scott Benner 3:01
So Megan, like I was like, so it was meaningful. Because if you have a lot of type two in your family, I actually just put an episode up yesterday, with somebody with a Spanish background. It was really common in their family. And I thought I'll dig that out. But you and I are looking at each other today. And I'm looking at you and I'm like, that's a white lady. But you rolled through Toro like you weren't and I was like, I don't understand what's happening. I guess it would have been no no one.

Megan 3:30
Even though people I work with whenever they find out that I speak Spanish fluently because I actually funny side note I actually ran away with my husband when I was 17. My parents didn't want us to be together. And so I lied and said I was going somewhere else. And I crossed over the border into Mexico with my husband and lived there with him for two and a half years. Oh, Megan,

Scott Benner 3:47
you're gonna be a lot of fun. Okay, so, yes. So my brain doesn't work, right? I'm trying to imagine the Mexican family that sat around pregnant was like, let's call the baby Megan. Played, it doesn't make any sense. No.

Megan 4:04
To make any sense. Here, my mother in law and my son's name because his name is Braden and she called him but I then she doesn't know how to say it. So I felt terrible naming him and not very Spanish name. I'm

Scott Benner 4:14
thinking this is the equivalent of we would have named Cole Javier. And so yeah, anyway, now it all makes sense to me. Okay. Well, I mean, honestly, before we talk about you, before we talk about your diabetes, your household and you're dating a man 3434 Now 17

Megan 4:32
We started dating when I was 16. And then when I was 17, he wanted me to go with him to Mexico and he is 10 years older. So he thought that my parents agreed to it and they did not. I laughed. And I went with them and I called my dad when I got across the border and I was like, Hey, I'm not really at the beach. I actually went to Mexico and I'm not coming back,

Scott Benner 4:52
because I'm gonna have sex and marry a 27 year old guy.

Megan 4:58
Sounds like he's in love. My wife and I love him dad. And he's like, well have fun with that one. Don't come back to my house. I was like, okay, whoa,

Scott Benner 5:06
wait a minute. Can I be booted you? Well? Yeah,

Megan 5:09
my dad is very military, like he was in the military for like 28 years. So he's like, he literally got so angry. He was like, my house is not a hotel. Once you're gone like that, that you're about to be a team. Like, if you're making this choice, you're gonna settle with this choice. You're an adult. So

Scott Benner 5:25
even he was trying to get you to change your mind and come home.

Megan 5:28
I think he was trying to scare me, because over there in Mexico at the time, it was when the cartel was starting to get pretty bad. So I think he was just really worried about my well being, but like, in a very ugly

Scott Benner 5:40
I was gonna add, so I have a question. Is it the Mexican part or the 27 year old part that bothered him?

Megan 5:47
No, I think it was just the fact that I went to another country and I didn't listen to what he was telling me to do because he loved my husband. Always had

Scott Benner 5:55
Oh, okay, there's no prejudice here. There's no like, it was just like, Well, why did you do that?

Megan 6:00
It was just like, I I just was headstrong teenage knee, I guess and just thought that this was the best idea in the whole entire world. And I mean, now it's a funny story that we all laugh about. But back then, man, it was not the funny of mad at me. Yeah,

Scott Benner 6:14
my wife got kicked out of the house for going on vacation with me. Oh my gosh, for that far apart in age. I don't think I've ever told that. I've ever said this on the podcast. Probably not. Okay, I'll tell you. Go for it. People are like, What's it like having a podcast? I said, there's this moment where you pause and think I shouldn't tell anybody this and then you keep talking. And that's having a podcast. Yeah. So my wife's in college. She stressed out. I'm not dating her for I mean, that long, maybe a year and I'm visiting her and recognizing Hey, this girl is not okay. You know, like she's overwhelmed and everything and I said I don't have a ton of money. I was like, I have a little bit. I bet we could do one of those like, quick three day getaway things where you jump on a plane, couple hours later you're on an island, you know, two days later you're back home again. But you know it was a listen we couldn't I couldn't afford to go and to eat it was one of the other so we packed like canned goods in our luggage like I'm not kidding like we probably tuna fish with us to the Bahamas. Right? And and we you know, we jumped on a plane and it just to get her away like she just laid on the beach to be perfectly honest. You know what she laid there she relaxed. We had a couple of meals and we came home again. Months and months and months later. She was home for a holiday I want to say Thanksgiving. And her mom snooped through all of her belongings which apparently was fairly common. And found the remember they used to do the customs forms on the airplane. Yeah. And you'd have to fill out like if you declared anything. So Kelly being like a diligent type a Catholic girl she fills the even we're not claiming anything. She fills the form out very diligently. I remember on the plane taking the forum being like and throwing this right out and like what she's like, you know, filling it out. Where are you coming from? Where are you going like all this stuff. She kept it in her bag. And her mom found it. And so her mom came to her and said did you go to the Bahamas and not tell us and Kelly goes if you take insulin or sulfonylureas you are at risk for your blood sugar going too low. You need a safety net when it matters most. Be ready with G voc hypo pen. My daughter carries G voc hypo pen everywhere she goes because it's a ready to use rescue pen for treating very low blood sugar and people with diabetes ages two and above that I trust. Low blood sugar emergencies can happen unexpectedly and they demand quick action. Luckily, G voc hypo pen can be administered in two simple steps even by yourself in certain situations. Show those around you where you storage evoke hypo pen and how to use it. They need to know how to use Tchibo Capo pen before an emergency situation happens. Learn more about why G vo Capo pen is in Ardens diabetes toolkit at G voc glucagon.com/juicebox. G voc shouldn't be used if you have a tumor in the gland on the top of your kidneys called a pheochromocytoma. Or if you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma visit G voc glucagon.com/risk For safety information. The contour next gen blood glucose meter is sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. And it's entirely possible that it is less expensive in cash than you're paying right now for your meter through your insurance company. That's right. If you go to my link contour next one.com/juicebox You're going to find links to Walmart, Amazon Walgreens CVS Rite Aid Kroger and Meijer. You could be paying more right now through your insurance for your test strips and meter, then you would pay through my link for the contour next gen and contour next test strips in cash. What am I saying? My link may be cheaper out of your pocket than you're paying right now, even with your insurance. And I don't know what meter you have right now, I can't say that. But what I can say for sure is that the contour next gen meter is accurate. It is reliable. And it is the meter that we've been using for years, contour next.com/juicebox. And if you already have a contour meter, and you're buying test strips doing so through the Juicebox Podcast link will help to support the show. No. And she pulls out this customs form and holds in her face. And she says, well, then what's this? And my wife goes, Oh, yeah, it's the customs form from when I went to the Bahamas. And boom, she kicked her right. Oh, no, right there. She

Megan 10:56
just tear. But why though, just because she left the house or went on vacation or out of the states or when power

Scott Benner 11:03
move? My best guess?

Megan 11:05
Oh my gosh,

Scott Benner 11:06
I think she thought she was gonna buckle and be like, I'm so sorry. And like, kind of like fold. But what she, what she didn't count on was that if that had been happening to Kelly through her life, from her parents, that that kind of power thing. What they didn't count on was because I was a couple of years older than her. And my dad left when I was 13. I had been running a family for 10 years already. Like I if you throw a problem in front of me, I don't go Oh, no, I fix it. Right, Kelly called me and I was like, that's fine. You can come live with me. And I didn't like it to be honest with you. I wasn't looking for my girlfriend to live with me. I just I'm a I don't know, I fix things like so like, you know, took her in. And I mean, there was always this part of me that thought like, we'll work this out. Like, this isn't gonna go on forever. You know what I mean? Man, I don't know. Like, I mean, we got married a couple of years later, I got her through college, like she couldn't pay for college anymore. Like her family literally told her we're not paying for school anymore. That's it. They transferred her student loan debt into her name, and just laid it on her. Like, they tried really hard to like, force her home. But I was just like, I could handle that. Like, like, you know, like, so we kept going. I don't remember how old she was then. I mean, maybe 21 Maybe 21. But she didn't see your family again for like, maybe a year or so after we got married. Like so it was like, it was just ridiculous. Anyway, I resonate with your story, because there's this moment when parents just go to say something ludicrous. Like her mom could have just said, Why did you feel the need to go away and not tell us? And you know, and right. I'm sure my wife could have been said to her, hey, well, you know, you've been unreasonable in the past and I thought you might be unreasonable. I don't know why I thought that that you know, like, but instead she just was like, No, I'm doing it. And so And trust me, I didn't drag my wife there. I didn't kidnap her. But she wasn't like, Yeah, fuck my parents. Let's go. She was nervous right up until I got her on the beach and the sun hit her. And then she was like, Okay, this is okay.

Megan 13:05
Yeah, because she's not thinking about that anymore. She's enjoying the moment. Finally.

Scott Benner 13:09
Yeah, so anyway, I saved your short term ruined her life long term saved it again. It's all fine now.

Megan 13:16
Okay, as long as there's a good story,

Scott Benner 13:19
I just love that you were like, I'm not coming home. I live here now with my the love of my life, a 27 year old guy.

Megan 13:27
I know, hey, we're still together. So it's even better? I think and I don't know, it worked out. And no, it's amazing. One of those things to tell your kids whenever they get older. Yeah, after

Scott Benner 13:36
they're too old to do that. You don't want to tell you don't tell them when they're 12?

Megan 13:42
I know. No, I don't think so. Because my son will ask me all the time. He's like, how did you guys meet? I don't understand. And he's only nine. And I'm like, cuz I was best friends with his cousin that we went to high school together. And that's how I saw him. And I would go over there like a lovestruck little teenager, and I'm like, I'm gonna marry you one day. And he's like, this girl's weird. Like, she's this weird 16 year old little kid. That and then we went on one date, and it was history from there. So

Scott Benner 14:06
look at your phone. All right, so you're 34 Now you've got type one diabetes. Tell me about your presentation. So it

Megan 14:13
all started. We went through it was really weird. We actually went to Vegas during the pandemic. And I thought my coworkers actually started telling me hey, you should try keto diet because I had gained a significant amount of weight after having my son. I mean, I literally I've always been about maybe 130 pounds. I'm only five five. So after I had my son, I jumped up to about 262 70 and my coworkers. Yeah, it was that I had gotten diagnosed after having him I got diagnosed with hypothyroid and PCOS. And so anyways, I started a new job. My coworkers started telling me hey, you should try keto diet. That's what we're on and that works. That's great and whatever, right? So it kind of went hand in hand. It was perfect. Like timing because at that time, not knowing I was diabetic, it started kind of helping me. Well, I started feeling weird symptoms anyways, but I started having to go to the bathroom a lot more like ridiculously, where I wasn't even drinking anything. And I was constantly having to go to the bathroom and I'm like, Okay, this is weird. The middle of the night, I would get up and I would do it. And my doctor was like, no, no, it's okay. Like, you're on a keto diet. This is pretty normal. But I had gotten to the doctor so often, they didn't think to do lab that guess at the time, it wasn't something that was striking them as odd. And so we came back, and I started doing gardening outside with my husband, and I'm like, hey, my stomach hurts really bad. Like, I can't sit down and I can't stand up. I'm uncomfortable. I need you to take me to the doctor. Like something's wrong. This doesn't feel right. And so he took me to the emergency room on the corner. And he's, the doctor came back in and was like, you're diabetic, right? And I'm like, No, and they're like, No, yeah, we're not asking like, we're telling you your blood sugar's like 850 Oh, my God, I'm like, Oh, my Yeah. And so they're like, we're gonna start you on some insulin right now. But we're gonna send you home after that. We have to just you start talking to your family physician. I'm like, okay, so I let them know. And then they diagnosed me right there in the emergency room as a type two, no questions asked no, like, Hey, this is kind of weird that you're this high. All of a sudden, when I had just maybe gotten my labs done with my family physician, like three months prior to and nothing came up. And they had done my blood glucose and everything. So nothing stood out to them. But I called my family physician, they brought me in, and then I ended up doing bloodwork with them. And I had high cholesterol, which it was like to the point where I should have had a stroke. They didn't run any other tests other than my blood glucose. And it came out that I was like three something that present day. And so they started me on Metformin. And then they started me on cholesterol medication. But then as the Metformin at first it started working, but again, I was on a keto diet. So it kind of was helping because I wasn't eating any carbs. I was literally restricting myself down to weight even less than what my doctor was telling me. I was maybe in taking all of like 20 grams of carbs and a whole day. And so I had started I went from about 260 I started losing weight, I got down to about 190 but it was like in less than three months. Well,

Scott Benner 17:18
you haven't the pounds in three months. I literally it

Megan 17:21
was like within it was so noticeable. And it made me so sick that like I literally everybody kept saying it was the keto diet, that the keto diet was making me feel like that because and I was restricting myself from carbs that that's why I felt like I did but not knowing it was because I guess my sugar had been high for so long, that coming down from that or being that high that it was like almost like an alcoholic being weaned off of alcohol.

Scott Benner 17:44
You were using insulin at that point or no, just Metformin? No, just that format your blood sugar so high that you're probably in decay or close to it the whole time. Right.

Megan 17:54
So check. Yeah, so check this out. So they put me on Metformin, and it was working at first, like I said, with the keto diet and everything. And then my biggest thing is I'm not like, I'm not a sweet drinker, like I don't drink Coke. I don't do juices. I don't do anything like that. But my my biggest thing was always candy. So I thought I did it to myself. I'm over here thinking like, oh my god, I'm a type two diabetic. And it's the candy that did me and like, I'm a terrible person. And so I'm very OCD. And so I started restricting myself on everything. So I started dropping weight, like significantly. I started running every day, I started like, getting into mad exercise, and then the Metformin no longer started working anymore completely stopped. So they added on, I think it was first Sega, and then they changed it to guardian. So then I ended up being all in all at the very end of it all. I ended up being on five different medications for my diabetes, but not insulin. Well, my main doctor, yeah,

Scott Benner 18:53
give me a sec here. No, I just want to make sure you went to urgent care first, right?

Megan 18:58
Urgent Care first and then my family physician when

Scott Benner 19:00
you go to the family physician, do you tell them I have type two diabetes? They told me that an urgent care? Yep, yeah, I, I can't I can't stress enough to people if you're listening. Don't go tell them what's wrong. Let them try to fix you. It's nice to hear people like work through the problem. Now I'm not blaming you, but you set up a narrative when you walk in. I have type two diabetes. The guy up the street just told me and now that's the path you're on. You don't I mean,

Megan 19:26
exactly. Yeah, exactly. And so I think by even doing that as well, well, I was actually lucky because the lady that was physically treating me at the time at my family physician, she ended up going on maternity leave. And then I ended up getting another nurse practitioner that stepped in and she is amazing. And she started getting very curious about like what was happening with me because my sugars were all over the place. She put me on a FreeStyle Libre and then she's like, Okay, if something isn't right but we're gonna keep trying to figure this out because your sugars at this point like i She was really persistent. You want me you'd be on insulin. I said, no, like, I'm type two, I'm not going to be on insulin, like, I'm gonna get rid of this, I'm gonna reverse that I'm gonna get it under control. And so she's like, Okay, well, the next step is insulin, I'm just letting you know. I'm like, okay, so I got it under control for the most part. But then I started that high exercise like high intensity weightlifting. And so then come to find out when I was doing it, my liver was dumping glucose. So my sugar would die rocket when I was working out, right. So for like, months at a time, I would literally like in the morning, and then to top it all off, I have Dawn phenomenon. So when I would wake up in the morning, my sugar would just skyrocket for absolutely no reason, whatever it may be, and then it would come right back down. And then it would be normal levels, and then I would work out and it would skyrocket again, and then I would be fine the rest of the day.

Scott Benner 20:53
Yeah, you know, what I want to say here is that Jenny and I are make, I don't know how much of the podcasts listen to but Jenny and I are making this series right now that's aimed at doctors and patients at the same time. So to tell doctors kind of the things they should and shouldn't do, and to tell patients the things that they should expect or kind of push back against like, it's, it's a, it's a, it's gonna, it's going well, and I think it's going to be a great series that comes out next year. But we're talking a lot about language. And it's interesting where that doctor goes wrong with you. When you say I don't want insulin, you see insulin as an escalation. Is that the word? Yes, an escalation, right, like like, Oh, my diabetes is bad, but it'll be worse if I'm using insulin. She agrees with that. That's the problem. Like you could have dieted away your type two diabetes, if that was your goal. And taking insulin at the same time, those two things are not mutually exclusive at all. But you thought they were I understand why you thought that, because that's the narrative in the world. But that a doctor agrees with that is insane. Like the next thing she should have said was, no, no, you can do both of these things at the same time, then we'll take you off the insulin. Yeah, just that makes me upset. I think because my head so far into it, making that series right now. This is a classic story. And fascinating. You're telling it really well, I didn't mean to cut you off. I'm sorry. No, you're good, other than to say, Megan, I'm not a doctor. I'm like the furthest thing from a doctor. And you had hypothyroidism and PCOS before your diabetes onset. I don't know how anybody with eight minutes worth of like knowledge doesn't know to look for type one. Now. You have autoimmune autoimmune already, right now.

Megan 22:27
Yeah. So like, in hindsight, it's kind of wild because I like get kind of mad, like at the situation, looking back at it, knowing more now. But like even leaving the emergency room that day, I was like, looking back at it. I'm thinking they didn't give me anything to tide me over until I find my doctor. They didn't give me any sort of like paperwork that said, like, Hey, this is how you can try to help yourself or like any sort of guidance, I guess. So here I am. panicking and doing the worst thing ever, which you're looking at Google your I wasn't even like looking at things that are like reliable, it was bad information to get go. And so I'm like, over here, thinking the worst. And I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna die. Like it's my head's gonna fall off if like, you know, like the works in Google, even like, come up with like, all the worst scenarios. So. So back to the whole dieting and the exercising it actually come to find out. I have a I work for a transportation for district for school district. I'm a manager and so we have to hold a CDL. And I had done a physical for work. And the girl told me after I did the urine sample, she said, Are you diabetic? And so the I Am and she goes, you might want to call your doctor, I just did the strip and you were spilling a massive amount of ketones at the strip is black. And I've never seen that and I was like, Okay, well, like let me call my doctor. I don't even know what that means. And so she's I call my doctor, she called me back and she's like, don't worry about it. You're on a keto diet. I'm like, okay, she goes, Are you having any symptoms? And I'm like, I mean, now that you say it, I the only thing I've noticed is that my sugars are really high. I lost my appetite and I keep feeling like I can't breathe. And that

Scott Benner 24:12
trip by the way, my my ketones aren't high the test strip when it died.

Megan 24:16
Exactly, like it just went up in smoke. It dipped in the fire up, like incinerated. I mean, like, so I'm sitting here like, okay, cool, like, I'm good. I'm like, I'm in my mind thinking like as a dummy, like, okay, like, cool. Like, you're no, you're the doctor, you're gonna tell me the truth. And so I'm thinking great. I'm doing a great job at this keto thing, right? No, not even two weeks later. It's the first like week of school, which is like chaotic, and so we're literally like, It's a Thursday night. I make dinner for everybody. And it's like fresh in my mind. I literally made this keto. Like rap list, pork, whatever. And I was like, within 30 minutes getting sick. Mm. And I'm like, Oh my god. So I dump it out because I'm not the type of person that gets sick and I'm very careful with my food. So I was like, Okay, I just gave everybody food poisoning. So here I am dumping pork out. And my mother in law was like, but that didn't taste that nothing's wrong with it. Like, where are you doing that? And I was like, I just got sick. And she's like, Okay, well, you know, I don't think it was the food go lay down. You don't look good. And I was like, okay, so I went laid down, got sick again. And it kept going, but it wasn't like a normal kind of sick where you feel sick. It was like, I literally was like, throwing up and it was like, not even the right kind of color wasn't even like a bio color.

Scott Benner 25:32
Oh, dying looks different than regular being sick. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Megan 25:38
So here I am, like thinking, Oh, my God, you know, I'm driving the bus and the pandemic. I've never gotten COVID yet. And so I'm thinking God, I got COVID or something like, I don't know what COVID is, like, I know you get cold like symptoms. And that's it. And I'm thinking, Oh, my God, these kids got me. But then it still kept happening. And I'm like, anything other than like, what it really was right? And so I ended up finally, I come to work, sick. And my boss was like, No, you don't look right. Like, do you need to go home and I'm like, Okay. I don't remember driving home. I remember laying down at home and my husband finally woke me up and I was still getting sick. And he said, I want to take you to the doctor's, something's wrong. Like I'm scared for you. And I sat up. I went to go from our bedroom to the couch, and I couldn't breathe. And I couldn't have I couldn't catch my breath. And I thought, I think I'm dying. Like I literally

Scott Benner 26:35
got that one. Right. Yeah. And

Megan 26:37
so they took me to that stupid emergency room again. And the doctor came in and was like, I need to send you out immediately. You are DKA and you are paying to pancreatitis, and I'm like, Oh, my God. And I was like, I don't even know what that means. What is that? And he's like, you could potentially die because your organs are already starting to try to shut down.

Scott Benner 26:58
It's just, I'm just keto.

Megan 27:01
Yeah, I know. I was like, No, I just been exercising. Like, no. I know. And I'm like, How is this possible? And so he's like, but this is the crazy thing is like it was only my sugars were only high after I would get done working out. So my sugars on my FreeStyle Libre, were telling me I was at like, 90% for my sugar. Like all like I was pretty much always in range.

Scott Benner 27:26
But the range is also up to like, 200, right? Yeah, exactly.

Megan 27:30
You don't know. It was like, exactly. It's crazy, like, so when I ended up in the ICU. And they kept me in there for two days. And my now my endocrinologist is treating me he actually was the one that treated me for hypothyroid. But I, you know, dumped on me, I stopped going to go see him because I thought, you know, I'm healthy. I'm fine. He came in and he said, Oh, it's you. And I was like, Hi. And he goes, so I want to test something. And I said, Yeah, and he goes, I have a sneaky suspicion. But I'm not going to tell you until I get done doing these three simple tests on the audit should have been done, I think from the get go. And I said, Okay, he came back within an hour. He said, I need to talk to you and I need you to understand something. I said, what he goes, You were misdiagnosed, you're not type two. And that's not something you're reversing, you have type one and he goes, it's type one ladder. And he's like, it's a late adult, like onset of diabetes. He's like, but you, he goes, You were born with it. But something set it off and triggered it now, as an adult and he goes, your pancreas is literally kaput, like there's nothing that's going to do for you anymore, right? He's like, so there's no more medication. He goes, I'll keep you on Metformin if you want to. Because he goes, I know you're very careful with your weight. He said, I really don't want to he goes, but we're gonna do insulin right now. And so from there, like even when I was in the ICU, they were having it was so bad. And I was so sick. I was on there for like a week and a half. They have an insulin drip on one arm and a sugar drip on the other.

Scott Benner 28:55
Trying to get a balance though. Exactly.

Megan 28:59
Because they didn't want to bother me out because my sugars were fine. But I was so DKA and had been DKA for over like a couple of weeks, I guess.

Scott Benner 29:08
For Yeah, to flush that part. Hey, amount of time between the first visit to the local place where they said you had type two and the day where somebody told you to type one how much time was in between there.

Megan 29:22
One year? Wow. One year to the date.

Scott Benner 29:26
Right. And because it's Lada and it's a slow onset, you didn't just drop dead by the way, if it would have happened faster, your one year would have happened sooner and you would have hopefully run to the hospital and then okay, but your body kept helping and then stopping helping and then back and forth like that. Isn't that crazy? And I just don't even understand. You know, you use that phrase in range. And I thought that's the maybe the worst phrase that that people talk about. Like I don't just mean with diabetes either, like thyroid. Oh, don't worry. It's in range. Oh my TSH is four that's in range. But I have all these symptoms, but it's in range. And so you get these people in. I mean, in positions of power in medicine who don't really understand the details, and they just they pull up a chart and go, No, it's green on the thing. You're fine. Like, I mean, that's how you that's your understanding of this, like, great. Oh, my God, Jesus. If one kid, right? Yeah, yeah. You know, your husband had to save you. Because as much fun as it was when you guys were younger, now he's like, I'm never getting the girl 10 years younger than me. Now I really gotta hold on to her. I know. I'm gonna need her to take care of me. I know get off the sofa. You're not dying. Meghan get up.

Megan 30:43
That's pretty much that and it's funny that you say that because that's exactly what he said. He goes afterwards he goes, who's gonna take care of me if you're not here? And I was like, Oh, my God, I'm terrible. He's typical Marchesa.

Scott Benner 30:55
I don't know what that means. But I know how boys think so. Like, typical

Megan 30:59
like Mexican man, I guess you could say like, he's like, how in Mexico, their culture, like the women take care of their men. He's typical. Like, now you better get up because he was gonna make my food for me tomorrow because he would burn water if he had the opportunity.

Scott Benner 31:11
My wife got a little lippy the other day. And I said, Listen, I'm losing weight now. So I think I'm not scared anymore. I could turn this around in two seconds. I can find a nice lady. And so be careful. Also, my daughter, Arden, were driving in the car, like the last time she was home. I don't know where I've said this once in the podcast, but if it's Here she goes. You know, if mom dies, I could see you with a nice Indian lady. And I went, Yeah. And she goes, yeah. And I said, why she was I don't know, I just see it. And I said, Why are we painting a picture where mom dies? She does. I don't mean, like, you know what I mean? Like I said, I don't understand this conversation at all, but okay. And then so we found that dark really fast. We went back and told Kelly as a keynote, I said art and said that if you die, she can see me with a lovely Indian woman. And Kelly laughs and she said something like, Oh, please, she goes, You are such a catch. For like a middle aged woman with type one diabetes. They're gonna be lined up at the door. And I was like, oh, yeah, you're right about that. You imagine, you're having trouble dating, you're in your 40s got fired? She goes, she's like, you're gonna be taken care of some woman's type one for the rest of your life if I die, and I was like, Oh, you might be right about that. Oh, my God, not the point. The point is I got your husband was like, Oh, pretty much. I know that a light bulb went off like oh, shoot, like in a little accent. Oh, shoot, I think you're sick. That's fantastic. All right. So this doctor, I mean, saves you from this problem. What happens when you go back to your doctor who for a year has been telling you the wrong things? Do you ever go back?

Megan 32:45
I do. So she actually like I think she felt very bad because I was not in her defense. I really wasn't symptomatic to even being DKA because I really wasn't other than that not really having an appetite. I'm not really a big either. Anyway, so I think that's probably what deterred her from even having like the thought of like, something is wrong with you. But she literally told me I am so sorry. Because had I known sooner or even had like any inclination that that's even what it was she goes, but you are not symptomatic. Like not typical symptomatic for DKA or anything. Also,

Scott Benner 33:23
I think being keto masked a couple of things along the way, right gives an airhead at least.

Megan 33:29
Exactly what my thing is to is like, again, I mean, in her defense, I didn't even have pain. They were asking me like, Do you have pain and like because pancreatitis I got apparently is supposed to cause the legs severe pain, and I had no pain at all. Nothing and so it was just the only thing that they did when I got there was they started making sure that I was comfortable. They were giving me the insulin they were coming in every hour take in my blood. And that's basically it. I mean, I was just waiting for them to tell me I was good to go. And I didn't have any sort of symptoms Other than that,

Scott Benner 34:01
any trouble eating pork? Today? Does it make you sick? Oh, yeah,

Megan 34:06
I can't even anything like that. Even honestly, like I tried to stay keto diet, but then I'm like, You know what? Screw it. Like at this point. There's no point like of even trying to maintain something like that. It's not especially because like if I do a keto diet, my sugar will drop so freakin fast because it's damn Omni pod that I'm like, I can't do it.

Scott Benner 34:24
You're on the algorithm using only about five. Yeah,

Megan 34:27
my doctor I finally gave in because I was doing I was on a chemo log pen. And then on a actually because of your podcast, I was I was understanding how all of that works. But like Bolus thing and all of that. So I thought it was doing a great job. But he told me that with how severe everything was, when that happened to me, He really really wanted me to be on an Omnipod so that I'm not having to think about it or try to like gauge it myself. And he's like, just take all the thinking out of it and just let that thing do it for you. And if you have issues after that, then we'll come back and go over He says that he's like what I really really want you to be on on Omni pod. And I was like, I feel like this is for your benefit, not mine, but we'll go for it. Whatever you say. Now I'm not trusting doctors so much. Yeah,

Scott Benner 35:08
I was gonna say your you've different thoughts now when people say things like you might be wrong and trying to kill me. So yeah, well, I mean, I get it like, Wait, are you in Omnipod? Fi or only pot dash v pod five, five. Okay, so the algorithm is running for you. And yeah, and when you eat keto on it, you had trouble. God,

Megan 35:26
yeah, if I even like try to follow any sort of like strict low carb diet, like I literally will drop so fast. And it doesn't even it's within like, maybe, I don't know, because I'm pretty, I'm pretty terrible if I restrict myself because I literally will, I'll go i There's no middle ground. For me. I'm either zero to 100, or like nothing at all. So I literally if I go keto, I'm like not in taking anything all day long. I'll try to maybe do a bare minimum of like, 30 grams of carbs. If I go over, I get mad at myself. Yeah.

Scott Benner 35:54
So that's what I was thinking. If you're wearing that device, and eating, not keto, and then all of a sudden jump into it really drastically, it's going to I mean, it's thinking about your needs from yesterday. And if your needs changed significantly, then that's where you're going to be real quickly. So I'm sure if you stayed with it for a little while, and you were strictly keto, I don't see why you couldn't run that system. And pretty well, actually. But the problem is, if you bounce back and forth from very drastic to not drastic, then it's going to, you know, it's almost the same as Have you ever heard people talk about, like, Oh, my kids super active during the week, and not during the weekend. And you know, so they get higher blood sugar's on the weekend, because the algorithm by the way, this wouldn't, I don't even really doesn't matter what algorithm it is, but like the algorithms thinking, activity activity, and then all of a sudden it goes away, and then it comes back. And yeah, it's, I take your point. So I mean, I don't know, like, I ate very low carb once, when I was younger. And we did it to lose weight. Back before people called it keto, and stuff like that. There was a, you know, there was a doctor, and they give his name, he had a book, it was really popular. And basically, I just came home, we were really young. And I said to my wife, I was like, I think if we don't eat carbs, we'll lose weight. So like, you know, I grew up incredibly poorly. Like, I didn't know what the hell I was doing. And she wasn't much better off as far as nutrition went, you know, I remember making a lot of chicken wings and things like that. And like, you know, eating stuff, like eating just a lot of like, you know, meat and stay away from carbs and losing a bunch of weight, like, you know, this, you know, back then it was crazy. The internet is white people name things. I don't know if people know that like when you're younger, right? You know? Yeah,

Megan 37:36
I don't think they realize that either. Someone came up with a brilliant idea of calling it something in the mid just flew with it. Everything's

Scott Benner 37:41
branded now. Because it has to be because else How are you going to talk about it online or have a website for it or something like that. So now it's like, I'm keto. You know, back then that was called not eating bread. You know, you know, I'm saying, we call everything something now because it needs to be named, because it's being scattered. It's being cataloged online, you know? Yeah. So there's nothing new in the world. It's just we give it names. Now, I always find that even right now, like, from the most drastic things to the simplest things from like, I don't know from like Israel, Palestine to like, how do you eat? I love it when younger people like feel like they've just like, I don't know, they're like, oh, you know what I've noticed? I'm like, yeah, we've known about that for 400 years. Thank you. I'm glad you picked up on it today in April. I know, please run to the internet and tell them how you figured everything out. Exactly. So funny. All right. Well, you're alive now. That's good. Here's an Omnipod five Dexcom je six I imagine no freestyle Omnipod. Five doesn't work with freestyle.

Megan 38:41
I know. But it's about two and the guy told me that they are in the works of progressively like, getting towards where freestyle is going to work with Omnipod. He told me to give him a couple of months and it will be so I gauge it based off of what my freestyle says. And then I enter in the information on my little device that comes with

Scott Benner 39:00
occupied Wait a minute, you're running the algorithm, but you're feeding the number in constantly. Yes, that not exhausting a

Megan 39:07
little bit. And it's kind of irritating because I'm still I mean, it's almost like having the pen so if you think about it, because I'm still having to gauge it, but I just enter in like, however many carbs that is I can pause it if I want to I can there's lots of different things that you can do on it when it's being read manually. And so instead of it being you're

Scott Benner 39:27
in manual right now, yeah, okay, cuz I'm like you're frying my brain. I'm like, You cannot run that algorithm without being attached to a G six is like what is she talking about? Like that? There's no I just now I'm starting to Google. I'm like, that's not possible. I'm gonna have to say no to that. But okay, you're in manual. And you're, I say she's just running a regular pod right now. It's, it's basically like you're using dash because you're in Omnipod five and manual. I got it. Okay. So you've gotten away from the algorithm? Because you're switching from Dexcom to off libre, was that a financial decision? Or why did you do that?

Megan 39:59
I never Did Dexcom I always stuck with freestyle? I never liked Dexcom to be honest with you, but now it's caught my attention because I don't know, I guess it was more so that I just got stuck on freestyle comfortable with it. And I'm scared to do anything outside of that with everything.

Scott Benner 40:14
No, that's fine. But what I what I want to say is you've never used Omnipod five in automatic. Never know. Okay, so you're I got it now. So you went from MDI, to pumping. And you are getting low on when you're eating keto. Because you're you still don't know what you're doing with a pump. Like you're not

Megan 40:37
counting down. Almost like having a pen. Even when I was with the pen. And I would do it I was oh, Kay. Because I was, I don't know, like, I would get told like by some people, oh, you need to gauge it based off of like your net carbs, or total carbs, like everybody's opinions and differences and everything on like, how you should be dosing yourself. Yeah. And so I finally asked my doctor, and he said, it's whatever works for your body? Because some people, if they just dose themselves off of net carbs, and they're fine, keep going with that. Some people may be total carbs and whatever. And it's like, it just depends. Because like, for me, I can't do sugar free stuff. Even sugar free will spike me quicker than anything and other people. They're fine. Megan,

Scott Benner 41:20
have you listened to the Pro Tip series? On the podcast? No,

Megan 41:24
but I just had someone that just got done telling me about that the other day on the Facebook, they were they encouraged me to listen to it.

Scott Benner 41:31
You should you're not. There's stuff about how insulin works that you don't know yet. And I think so I'm just gonna plug it here. It's episode 1002 1026 in the player. And I think if you listen to that, you might have a number of lightbulb moments that will help you. And Oh, heck yeah, because understanding your settings better and how to use insulin is gonna set you up much better for when you actually turn on the pod five from manual to automatic, because if your settings are, I'm telling you right now, there's also three episodes about setting up Omni pod five, it's in the eight hundreds, it's a it's a protip series about Omnipod five, overview settings and something else, if you set that on a pod five up in automation, with bad settings, you're gonna you're in for a storm, it's not going to go well, like so like you have to have good settings. And if you don't know how to use insulin right, then your settings are wrong. And then you're gonna go into automation have a lot of trouble. So I'm being serious, take some time, listen to the Pro Tip series, have your aha moments get your settings better, you're gonna have better outcomes, you can probably go back to keto if you want to, or whatever you want to do. And then once you move to automation, you're gonna have a much better time. I also think I'm going to either call this episode driving the bus, or those little suckers got me sick. I think it's driving the bus. It's my favorite part of the ladder. But just I don't think Apple will let it be in the would let that happen. Because like that's, that's what I imagined you I imagine you at work sick as a dog looking around going, Oh, these little suckers got me sick.

Megan 43:05
I won't even lie. That's exactly what I was thinking. I was like, Danny got me sick on a bus and I'm over here dying and they don't even know. And they're all sneezing and coughing. And I'm like, Oh, poor little Johnny.

Scott Benner 43:15
Hey, that's for nothing. Can you? Can you say these little girls got me sick in Spanish.

Megan 43:20
And no, I don't even know how to say that. That that I could like off the top of my head cuz you have me on there?

Scott Benner 43:26
Well, you're still nervous. We've been doing this for 45 minutes. Yes.

Megan 43:29
After two emails I posted. I'm thermo. I think that's how you say one more time as the student emails my postman and I think

Scott Benner 43:42
that's wrong. I can't wait for somebody to send that a thing and said she just asked if my ups package was ready.

Megan 43:47
Oh my God. They called my mom something.

Scott Benner 43:53
Why are you still nervous? You're doing such a good job of telling your story.

Megan 43:55
I don't know it's just because I get really nervous talking to people about it. Because now I have people here at work actually. And it's really sad that like, oh, and to top it all off, just to put this as a side note. My the funny part about all of this and it was like the worst thing to ever happen during all of this chaos. Literally after I got diagnosed with diabetes, my husband got diagnosed with type two.

Scott Benner 44:22
Well, geez, least you know what to do for that.

Megan 44:25
I know and the great thing was that at that point, we were able to say like Okay, are you type one and they misdiagnosed you? And then it turned out he was just I do but I was actually because he's not the greatest eater? He just, I mean, it's no no same to like the culture at all. But I mean, tortillas are not exactly like the most healthiest thing and just the food in general. I mean, they use what's called Manteca, which is basically like the lard or like the grease and so they cook everything and then that's not healthy either. So it's very like fatty there. really like a highest sugar, high carb kind of diet. And so like, I mean, shoot even him in the morning with the down and he would have they call up on Tuesday, which is like sweet bread and coffee. And he I mean, that's like 40 grams of carbs right there and a little piece of bread and you're talking what are you going to eat for the rest of the day? Like, you know, hi. So I had to kind of reteach him. Is he listening? Oh, my God. Yeah, he, when he first found out his agency was like, Oh, am I do when I first found out my agency was like, almost out of 15 Oh, geez. Wow, that, yeah, so and when he first found out though, he was lucky because he was only like an eight something. So he was able to get it down. And now he's within, I guess you would call it like normal range. He's only like at a 5.2. So he's managing it really well, which is good.

Scott Benner 45:49
I mean, cultural ideas around food are very impactful for diabetes, both type one, type two, what I mentioned earlier that I have this episode that went up the other day. It's this girl's like, she's type two, she's 27. She's had type two diabetes, like legitimately had type two, just like 15 years old. And she's talking about how her parents cooked. And it's exactly what you just described. She said we were broke. It was a lot of like pasta noodles, bread sandwiches, like, you know, she said, if I actually got money, my idea of like going and eating fancy was like going to like the convenience store and getting an Arizona iced tea and a bag of chips. She's like, that was like, a night out for me, you know, and it she just said very culturally, the food is just it's tough. You know, and they, yeah, it's tough, you know, and you get used to it. And you think that's what food is, because you've been eating it your whole life. You know, it's hard. It's really difficult. I'll tell you, I don't know that without, without we go v if I ever would have like, flipped it around for myself. I did not eat a lot. And I wasn't like a really terrible eater or anything like that. But I also don't eat well. Like, I don't eat veggies. I hate vegetables. Like I like, like my parents. I mean, I grew up where if you didn't eat your food, it was there in the morning for you again. And I don't know if you've ever tried to eat a cold green bean 24 hours later, but it's upsetting. And so like, I have a lot of a lot of tactile issues with vegetables. I don't like the way they feel in my mouth. I don't like it. It's obviously childhood trauma from my terrible parenting that I was receiving around food. But that's not the point. We grew up broke. My parents didn't know. Like my mom opened a can of green beans and dumped them in a pot and warmed them up and handed him to you. She thought she was like, she thought she was serving up cuisine. You know what I mean? Like, so I'll eat meat, bread, anything dry, crunchy. I'm all good with that. But you start like if somebody asked me to describe broccoli, I was at a dinner with adults. And they were like, you don't want that. I was like, I don't like broccoli. And people are like, you don't like broccoli? And I'm like, no, no. And I started telling him about how it feels in my mouth, which got a lot of weird looks, but whatever them and I was. So I said if I had to describe broccoli to you, I would tell you, it feels like little balls in my mouth. Because the florets have those little like, and they come off in my mouth. And I hate that. Like, it's upsetting to me. Like they feel like they're everywhere inside of my mouth. And people are like, people are like, just chew and I'm like, No, I can't do that. Like I want to go You and I are looking at each other which is like odd because usually I would just mind this for like audio, but stuff like that my mouth. I can't even spit it out. Because I have to I'm like, like, I just wanted to, like, please fall out of my mouth. So I hate the way a lot of food stays. Now could I fix that? I'm a reasonably intelligent adult, I should be able to go get good vegetables, make them for myself every day and eat them. But I don't. Like, you know, and I don't have you making my food for me, telling me shut up and eat this, which is what's gonna end up saving your husband by the way, it's gonna make you pissed that Unborn is gonna save. So I know because my wife and I grew up in the same situation. So although she eats vegetables, fine, but it's still not her first thought. You know, like we just have I think I explained to Abby in that other episode, that even now, as adults who can actually afford to go grocery shopping, we still must look like just I said, I think I said rubes who found $200 in the grocery store. Because you don't because we're just like, Look at this. You remember what you were broke and it sticks to you? Like, you know, yeah, yeah, it's anyway. I don't know what

Megan 49:38
money though. I mean, food is just expensive in general anymore. I mean, it's so much easier to go grab the cheap shit than it is to even go out and grab all the good stuff. And I mean, yeah, that's being honest. I mean, every week we're spending like probably 300 If not more on food just to be healthy and it's like at the end of the day, how worth it is it like I mean, obviously your health is worth it but it Should crazy and it's like, they're setting you up for failure, basically, you know, like, they almost want you to be sick.

Scott Benner 50:06
This is gonna sound strange, hey, this existential conversation about the cost of things while putting air in my tires the other day with a gentleman who was also putting air in his tires. I'm basically having a podcast wherever I go. So. So here's the here's the lead into this, and then I'll get you to the story. This is gonna sound you know, this is this is right here. This is my brains, like don't say this, but here we go. This really old Iraq, Z 28 pulls up, but it's in great condition. Right? It's like a, I don't know how old they are. Now, they got to be almost a 40 year old car, right? Like, so this is a car that would have been amazing in the 80s. Or like, right, so and it's in great condition. And then this woman gets out of it, who also looks like she must have been amazing in the 80s. I don't know if that makes sense. So this very hot, 50 year old lady gets out of, I'm assuming would have been a really hot 20 year old girl 30 years ago gets out of a car, that would have been a really hot car 30 years ago to say, it was like they got out of a time warp. It's fantastic. That started the conversation between me and the guy with the air in the tires. And somehow that got over to honestly, I don't know. But this is very insightful about how this podcast goes. But somehow we got to what food costs and how things have changed. And I told him, I said, if you were in my brain, and walked into that convenience store, and just walked through and looked at the price and everything I was like, you'd be incensed. I'm like, I'm, like viscerally angry when I see what things cost. I was like, I was like you at this point. These kids think a 12 ounce can have something to drink being $4 is reasonable. Yeah, that cost 30 cents to make if you're lucky. And they're just like, Yeah, four bucks isn't bad. I'm like, they're just they're there. I bought King chocolate chips recently. And I'm in the grocery store. Why am I cursing about chocolate chips? Here. Here's the tissue box. Because I picked it up to put it in my cart. And as I was reaching to the car to put it in, I went, this doesn't weigh enough. And I went, what the hell. And I brought it back and I flipped it over that goddamn company, put the price up, kept the bag the same size and took two ounces of chips out of the bag. And I was I've been buying these chips for 10 years, I was like this bags to Light as He charged me more and gave me less chips, you sons of bitches. And nobody's mad. And I'm like, see, we've loaded everybody into this happy thing where everybody's like, nice to each other. Like you need a couple of people like me running around going motherfuckers are ripping us off. And like, you know, like in the kid don't know, he's gonna go in that store. He's gonna buy a cat or something. He's gonna grab a sandwich. He's gonna pay 20 bucks for it and not think twice about it. You know, I say you

Megan 52:42
just hit the nail on the head. It's because they don't know. They don't know, like, what it was before. And now I don't know when it changed. But we've all been asleep. And it's just changed. Yeah, like, almost overnight. It was.

Scott Benner 52:52
They used COVID. They're like, stuff's harder to make. Now it costs more. And we were like, alright, well, I mean, like, COVID I guess it's okay. Yeah, exactly. I just kept going. It's that those young people thing, like, I am, like, with my kids all the time. I always make a point about $20. Like, because the moment my kids don't think $20 is a lot of money. I think they're in trouble. You like I really do. I think they're in trouble. It's bad enough. Like, you know, you're married. You get married and have kids, there's a moment where everything costs $100. Like you don't buy anything, it's not $100. And then one day, it's $1,000. You're like, I never buy anything. It doesn't cost $1,000 I need a new phone. It's $1,000 I have to pay the electric bill that's $400 and I have to go food shopping, boom. $1,000 is gone. Like like that kind of stuff like it. It's fascinating. But you get accustomed to it the next generation isn't going to know any better. They're going to think that my house is worth the 2 million. It's happening. It happened to people in California 40 years ago, you're in a city rancher. It's not $4 million. It's if if a contractor came out and built your house, maybe cost them 50 or $100,000 worth of materials to put your house up. They probably pay a bunch of guys next to nothing to do it. And then you're gonna pay them $4 million for it like, Okay, go ahead, I guess. Yeah, go ahead if you want I guess like it's, I built a house. Like I bought my wife and I bought a crappy house. Like, I mean, if I told you that with the house of my wife and I bought, we got married, we had an apartment. We bought a condo. We got lucky in the condo appreciated. So we were able to get out of it with some cash enough to put down on a house. This is how the American Dream is supposed to work. And so we put it down on this like, terrible house and it but it was on a great piece of property. We're like, alright, we're paying for the property, not the house and we had this like very youthful idea like we're going to make enough money to build a better house here. By the way, that was not as easy as hey, maybe it was a lot easier to say it than it was to accomplish it. I lived in a house for, I don't know, 810 years, where once we tore it down, we learned that the walls were insulated with crumbled up newspaper, that when things like we weren't, we once opened the drawer to our, our utensils where our knives and forks were I swear to the face of the drawer had broken off so many times like the the front plate where the handle is had pulled off so many times that we couldn't get it to go back on anymore. So do you know what we did, we moved the utensils to a different drawer, and then put something that we never used in that one, and then it didn't have a front on it anymore. Like, we were like we were properly broke, you know what I mean? And in this really terrible little house. And then one day, we made enough money to basically tear down the house and build a new house on top of it. Now that sounds like I'm rich, but I'm not, it was only 1000 square foot house to begin with. So not very big, you could stand in my kitchen and look catty corner across the house, right into the far corner of the master bedroom, the master bedroom, which by the way, is our dining room now, which is how small my bedroom was not the point. The point is, the only way we're able to afford to do that is that we knew the builder. And so we knew this gentleman who had been building houses his whole life, and an older man with a real reputable company. But they hit a downturn. And he was getting ready to lose his foreman because they didn't have any work. So I was able to basically pay him what it cost him to build my house, because it kept all of his guys working for six months. So basically, we did each other a favor. Basically I floated him alone to keep his business open for six months. And in return, he built a house for me, if that makes sense. So yeah, no. So I build a house for like, that should. I mean, honestly, I didn't that back then it should have cost a half a million dollars to build it. And we built it for like $120,000 Oh, that's nice. When you finally see those things happen. You're like, so this was $120,000 project, materials, paid off, his guys did everything he needed to do made money, right. And he would have charged me a half a million if he was in a better situation. Anyway, that's what I think of when I pick up the chocolate chips. I was like, why are you what are you doing to me? And the kids? They don't know. Because they grew up and everything's so expensive. It's just what they think is right? Then they go get jobs where they're getting paid, like kids are getting out of college money. Well, yeah, they're making crap. And they're just like, they're barely dragging through it. And then when they start moving up, it's fascinating. What they don't think is a reasonable amount of money. And I guess now it isn't anymore. So I don't know. The point is that all leads to bed eating and situations like this, where two generations from now, someone's going to be saying, oh, you know, the culture. Like, you know, my husband like, seriously, 4050 years from now it's going to be an Irish guy telling his wife like, oh, you grew up like this, and blah, blah, blah. Like right now you're saying, honestly, right now you're saying my husband's from Mexico. He grew up probably with poverty, and this is what it were put him. It's gonna happen to everybody. And then this is gonna get worse and worse. So I don't know. It's upsetting. I'm getting old. It doesn't matter. I'll be out of here soon. Really have a little bit to kick the bucket, whatever. I mean, I'm 52 You know what, I got 15 years solid years. I don't mean I'm gonna die. I don't mean I'm gonna die in 15 years. But when I'm think about it, when I'm 67 You think I'm going to be running around making a podcast?

Megan 58:36
Over Hey, you never know. Just keep going on with it. And so that you're no more like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Look at him. You just came out with a frickin Netflix. It's like how old he is still relevant. Maybe you'll be relevant. 1520 more years. I

Scott Benner 58:51
just heard a really great interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger. But he was just like, talking about how he got through things and how I mean, when you really look back then he's in Austria having this dream of like going to America and even just the idea of getting here was ridiculous, you know? And he did it. So all right, you're right. I'm Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'll be fine, by the way, exactly, said a massive heart surgery and I think he's on steroids. So I'm gonna have to get some stuff together.

Megan 59:20
You're gonna have to amp your game up a little bit. But I mean, you'll get there.

Scott Benner 59:24
What should I start with? Probably, like low, like do some testosterone first, right? Like talk a doc and like, help me get a little solid?

Megan 59:31
Yeah. And maybe start dating an Indian woman after your wife dies, and that'll get you on another level. The food I heard.

Scott Benner 59:38
Well, culturally there foods not much better for you. So actually, Indian culture type two. Pretty big problem.

Megan 59:47
Oh, yeah. I'd imagine so because they just I mean, again, it's the poverty and they don't have any sort of knowledge either to even know that what they're eating is not healthy for them. And that's what it's what's out there. What they're able to have them what convenient for them at the time because if you don't have money you're gonna get whatever you can with what you have even if someone here in America on the system look at if like a woman is on WIC or something, even what's available to them for food aid with food stamps and stuff. It's not the greatest of food.

Scott Benner 1:00:15
It's also culturally it doesn't matter. Like I listen, I know a couple of like, if they're affluent, but they're, they're comfortable Indian families, and they still eat like they did when they grew up. Because it's it's just like your husband. It's in his head. Yeah, it's got

Megan 1:00:29
a comfort. Yeah, you don't want to go outside of it. Also people,

Scott Benner 1:00:34
they defend their team. I don't know a way to put that didn't mean like, you could say to somebody, Hey, that's just a box and noodles like, and it's got sauce on and you're eating bread with it and drinking a sugary drink like salvare bad for you. And they'll go like, Oh, my mom used to make this. This is what we do. You don't you mean? Like a what's the what's the sports world equivalent? Oh, people in Green Bay? Were giant foam cheese on their head. Because, right? You'd think they'd step back and look and go. But you know, that looks ridiculous. I probably shouldn't do that. But no, it feels cultural. And like, important. You know what I'm saying? And yeah, and they're proud of it. Yeah, exactly. I don't know that eating those noodles and wearing that thing on your head are any different is what I'm saying? You know, yeah, I

Megan 1:01:19
don't think so either. But even in

Scott Benner 1:01:20
Philly, like, the things that like I grew up with that I think are like, culturally, like, not just acceptable, but exciting. I'll tell you this. I'm gonna tell you a story. Okay, so I'm telling someone else's story. But it's my reaction to the story. That's important. I grew up right outside of Philadelphia. And I recently saw this baseball player, like a retired guy. I don't even think he was in the league that long. tell this story about his rookie year. He said, he's playing baseball in Philadelphia against the Phillies. He's out in the outfield. He's a rookie. And he said, this woman like in her 40s Like someone's mom is screaming at him. The entire game. I don't know the guy's name. We're just gonna say it's Megan. Okay. Megan, won't get me mad again. Look at me. She screams at him for innings. Megan, look at me, look at me, look at me. He doesn't look then he hits a homerun. And he said he's kind of feeling himself. So later in the game. Hours later, he goes out in the outfield. And he gets the nerve to turn around and look at the lady. Megan, look at me. And he turns around and looks at her. And without pause. She says I'm gonna ask your mother. And I heard that story. And I was like, Good for her. Because I tend to because where I grew up the way I grew up, I'm like, this is fantastic. She did it. Like she like, and that's a horrible story. Megan, do you understand me? It's a horrible, terrible story. That woman should not have done that. It's, it's not right. And my reaction to it was I love that story. And that's cultural to me. Like, it really is like, I hear that story. I don't just hear funny. I hear the whole thing. I hear the story that I told once on here, where there was a baseball player running off the field while I was at a Phillies game. I got the guy, the guy who lost an incredible amount of weight. It was like actually like to the point where you looked at and he's like, Well, good for him. Like he's really pulled himself together. I had that thought watching the game like this is good for him. But when he's run off the field, I yelled his name. I think it was Lance. I'm like Lance Lance Lance. He looks up into a crowd of people. And I said, I liked you better fat. And he put his head down and slunk into the dugout, and 30,000 people looked at me and they were like, yeah, and they screamed and yelled, like, I'm like, I shouldn't have done that. But it felt like, it didn't just feel right. It felt necessary. And like, but that's how I grew up. Anyway, that's me relating that story back to the cheeseheads relating it back to you eating bad food. I hope you all see the connection. Somehow, some way and if that lady's listening, brilliant, by the way, I miss told the story a little bit like he turned around and looked at her. And she actually went finally you looked at me. Thank you. I'm gonna ask your mother.

Megan 1:04:14
Okay, that's pretty brilliant. I'm not even from the East Coast. And I like that. I don't

Lija Greenseid 1:04:19
even know what that means. Like, like, other than she just said the what she thought was the worst thing she could say to him. That would be the most upsetting to him. And why? Because he was in shouting distance over. And he's somehow on the other team. It's, I don't know, it's like

Megan 1:04:35
some sort of sopranos or something.

Scott Benner 1:04:39
Well, isn't it funny you say that because yesterday, a woman my wife works with a woman to tell the story Meghan this episode is full of like stories I've never told before. I like it. Well, well my wife works with who I've never met before in person but know through zoom comes to my house because a couple of people my wife work with are going to carpool to this to another state to go to this conference together. And she's in the house. And somehow we start telling the story about when I used to work at, I'm going to keep this a little vague. I used to have a job, okay? Where I was in a marketing department, where I did the graphic design. And the way I got that job is a great story, because I have no graphic design skills or education, but I was still able to get the job. Anyway, I worked for this person who was out of their mind. And I do want to credit them because I work very quickly now because of them. Because they would, we had deadlines, monthly deadlines, and he would go around for 28 days, not do any work, and then come running at you with a month's worth of work. And it was due three days from now. And when he would get nervous that it wasn't gonna get done, he would literally stand over your shoulder with a cup of coffee and stare over your shoulder while you worked. Like so I can work under immense pressure. I'm really good at it. Like seriously, like, you could stand next to me with a gun, I could still make this podcast, I'd be like, Alright, I'm good. One month. He comes to me and says, This is a long time ago before people understood computers and everything. I wrote something at home. And then I emailed it myself at work, but I want to keep writing it. But my computer's zipped it up. So zipped it into a zip file, which I don't even know if it's the thing that people understand anymore. And he said I don't know what to do. And I said, Oh, I have a piece of software on my computer. I can unzip it for you. Email it to me, I'll unzip it. I'll send it back to you. So he does, and it's none of my business. I unzip the file, I put the document in an email, I send it back to him, I delete his email, I go back to work, because I don't I don't care. He comes running around the corner. 45 minutes later, where's my email? And I said, I sent it back to you like an hour ago. He goes, No, I saw that. Where's the one I sent you? And I went, I deleted it. And he goes, we'll go into your deleted files and delete that too. And I went, Okay, I'm like, 2425 you don't I mean? So I deleted it. And he walks away. But as soon as he walks away, I'm like, Yo, what the hell was in that file that he doesn't want me to see. And then I thought good thing he doesn't know. There's also a copy of my sent items. And so I went and I opened it up and I read his document. Now his document was a manifesto, like a rambling manifesto about the company, the CEO, the head of marketing. The other person, he worked for marketing the head of human resources. They're, like he like, destroys these people in this rambling document that he's only writing to himself. Like it's not being it's insane. Okay. I take that document, I immediately save it onto a disk. I immediately email it home to myself, and I sit on it. I don't do anything with it. I don't care. I just keep it. Why I don't know. Back then. I just did. Well, a year later. My wife is pregnant. And he's still doing the same. Every week, every month. Hold off, don't do the work. Don't do the work. Hurry up, hurry up, do it. And one day I'm working. And he goes, if you don't get this done, I'm gonna fire you. Kelly was pregnant with call. And I thought, oh, no, no, no, you're not. So I whipped out that document. I read reread it. I hadn't read it in a long time. He calls the head of human resources. Like some I forget how he put it like some like sycophant, with their head up to the CEO or something like that. I printed it out. I printed it out. I went over to human resources. I knocked on the door of the director's office. She don't know who the hell I am. I opened I'm a kid. She's a grown lady. I stick my head and I go, can I talk to you for a minute? And she goes, Yeah, sure. I said, I came in, I sat down. I said, I told her that story. And then I said, so this is what he wrote. And I'm inclined to give it to you. But you got to promise me, you're going to fire him. And she goes, I can't promise you that. And I went, you know what, that's fair. There's no way you could promise me that. I'm going to go on faith. So I hand it to her. And I sit there and she's reading at her assistants looking over her shoulder. They're reading it, she gets down. She gets that I remember this so vividly. She goes, who's the sycophant with a head up there? So they went Oh, Joanne, I think if you reread that, you'll see you're the sycophant, with their head up. And she goes back and reads it and she goes, yep, you're right. Thanks for coming, Scott. We'll take care of this. Anyway, the next day at noon, he didn't have a job anymore. And we learned that the reason all this was happening is he was an alcoholic. He was a raging drunk. So he'd spend the whole month drinking like he'd say he was going to meetings, but he would just go to bars. And then he would pull his head out of his office for three days and do his job and then scream and yell at us to get it done. Anyway, he shouldn't threaten my job. He'd still be working if he didn't do that. I tell that story yesterday in my kitchen To a woman I've never met before, who's not from around where I grew up. And she goes, you know, that's some gangster Sopranos. And I went, what is? And she goes, what you did, and I was like what I did. I was like, I just defended myself. And she goes, Wow. And she wasn't put off by me. But it was it threw her off. And when you just said that some Sopranos? I was like, oh my god, is that who I am? And I don't know it.

Megan 1:10:28
I think it's like whenever the lady he's having an affair with called the wife at the house. And she's like, I'm gonna kill you. Like she had the balls to call like that. Do you have the balls to like, no, don't call my house telling me you're having an affair? Oh,

Scott Benner 1:10:41
no, no, no, like, if one of us is going down, it's not me. You should have sent me that email last year. I like it. So I just anyway, after she said that, I started rethinking a lot of things. Because recently I had someone tell me, this is gonna crack you up. She goes, you're very direct. And you know, my first thought was, am I I didn't even I really had like an existential moment. I was like, I'm very direct. I don't know that about myself. And anyway, a lot

Megan 1:11:09
of people from East Coast are though, but like, I swear, I'm like, meant to live over there and not down in Texas. Those people in Texas are definitely they don't appreciate that. I like that kind of humor. Like when you see people on the commercials, or they're like, I am walking here and they slam their hands on the cabinet. I love that. That to me is like I would love being around people like that, like be angry all day. Like, that's great. Keep it out. But

Scott Benner 1:11:32
I'm not angry. It's just he tried to take my job. So he had to die. Like I don't know another way to put that. I don't even know that. That sounds unreasonable. I mean, I don't know what I would have done had he not screwed up, you know, all those months before and sent me that document. But he I don't know what I would have done. I might have just quit Monday read

Megan 1:11:51
the new. Have you heard the new abbreviation for Corona and find out that's what he did.

Scott Benner 1:11:56
That's what he did. Definitely when he did. Push the wrong person is what he did. But like, but anyway, like to think, again, this kind of goes back to how you're wired, when you grow up, and how this can impact your eating and your health. Being very serious. I don't know that I'm a direct person. Like, like, I don't know that about myself. I'm just me. Like, I'm the way I grew up. And the people I grew up around and the situations and circumstances I came up around, and that other people who didn't grow up where I am would step back and go, Wow, that's aggressive, or that's very direct. I don't like I don't see myself that way. No, isn't that interesting? Like? So?

Megan 1:12:35
I think it is because you don't see yourself and other people. But you know what, though? I've learned the older that I get? I mean, I'm not. I would like to think I'm not that old. I'm only 34. But I think that the older I get, the more that I realized that people nowadays are very, very sensitive. And they say things to other people like that are judgy. And it's like, do you see yourself as well, though? Like, they don't want to hear it about themselves? But they want to tell you Yeah, or they want to try to tell you like, Hey, you're aggressive and you're direct? Like, what are the matters of bothering you?

Scott Benner 1:13:03
I took it, I actually thought about it. Like afterwards, this person who said that, to me is like European, you know, they they don't like they don't live here. And she didn't also say it like, Oh my God, you're a vicious monster. She was just saying like, well, you're more direct than I am. Or the people that I grew up around, like you just said something I would not have said out loud. And but then she said, but it didn't hurt anything. And actually now we all are like, we all have a clearer understanding of the situation. Whereas before you would have had your thoughts that you kept private to yourself. And I would have had my thoughts that I kept private, and we all would have just kind of wandered and never gotten to this point. You just like walked forward and said it. And I was like, Oh, is that wrong? And she goes, it's not what I would have done. And I was like, but it's not wrong. I think now I'm like, in my 50s like examining myself, but then as time passed, I thought is this is probably why the podcast is popular. Like when people ask me why it is and I'm like, I don't know. Like I really don't know. Do you know what I mean? Like so I maybe it's just

Megan 1:14:06
fresh to I think it's a fresh thing? No, because not a lot of people are honest like that anymore. And a lot of people don't just you only live once so right not to say it. What does it hurt? You know? Yeah, I look at it. Well,

Scott Benner 1:14:18
Megan, I went off on a tangent today, but that's fine. And I enjoyed it my podcast, I can do whatever I want. You have anything left? I know you're at work, you have to get back to work. So I have one question for you about work. And then I just want to ask you is there anything we didn't cover that you wanted to know

Megan 1:14:35
just I think that the only thing I can say is thank you like to you because just listening to your podcasts and also like your Facebook group. It's helped tremendously and the people I work with even and my endocrinologist I think it's just amazing because like you said earlier when you referred me back to certain episodes, I mean, they do help a lot. It does make a light bulb go off for me and I'm able to kind of I understand that disease because it's scary. I have days where I'm fine. And then other days where I'm like, so freakin exhausted just thinking about like waking up in the middle of the night because the damn thing beeping or you know, the phone going off telling me I'm higher and low. And it's just, I'm so grateful to have your podcasts and for you being direct and aggressive and things like it is. And I don't think that there should be any other way to anybody talking like that on the podcast, just saying,

Scott Benner 1:15:29
Thank you. I appreciate the call. I'm very happy that that's valuable for you. I swear to you go listen to the Pro Tip series. It'll change your management things will be more stable. And I think you'll you'll be happy that you did. Now here's my question. How often do you get to drive a school bus?

Megan 1:15:44
It just depends. This year, I haven't actually had to drive it. But last year, we were hurting really bad. I had to know every single day. Oh,

Scott Benner 1:15:51
you had to get out of the office and run around for them. Oh, no, kid. Yeah. Oh, that's interesting. It's fine. Yeah. You know, back when I was a kid, my school bus used to go over this like hill. It was like a like a train. So it had to slow down and then speed up and then the back. I don't know if they're probably designed better now. But if you sat in the back couple rows of the bus, when it went over the hill, it was like a springboard. So if you know about this, so as like they still do it. Yeah. So as it goes over the hill, you just bounce in your seat. And if you're lucky enough to catch the up on the bounce, you fly up into the air. And I one time watch the kid do it. And he flew up in the air so far. He went over a couple of seats like turning over in the air and came crashing down in the aisle. And we were all like, it was so great. Oh my God, no, that would make children cry.

Megan 1:16:45
Oh, no, I've done that before. I've actually cuz there was a dip in the road. And I didn't know that there was a dip in the road. And I'm driving and I'm going the speed limit and I hit it and the kids all I thought because where the drivers mirrors I like the them going all the time. They're like, Can we do it again? I was like, No, you can't do it again.

Scott Benner 1:17:03
You really can. I there was a school bus driver in my town that winter, like jail. Like they had like, some sort of an accident. That kid got hurt in the thing. And I and my daughter got off that Boston said like, I didn't do anything wrong. And you know, and they they put him in jail for a couple of months. It's I mean, it's terrible. Yeah, but anyway, I

Megan 1:17:23
take a lot of that. That's serious. I

Scott Benner 1:17:25
mean, you probably should take seriously Yeah, but it's a serious

Megan 1:17:29
equipment, right? Yeah, no, I just I think sometimes though, it just it's sad. Because you've got that many kids on the bus. I don't think people realize that that those buses hold 71 passengers. Yeah, a lot of kids imagine being in a bus with a small pack space like that was 71 Little kid screaming

Scott Benner 1:17:44
kids that are trying to get you sick. Little. Exactly. I can hold on one second. Thanks for doing this

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#1130 Grand Rounds: Human Story

Scott and Jenny discuss the human side of diabetes.

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.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1130 of the Juicebox Podcast

Welcome back to the Grand Rounds series today Jenny Smith and I are going to be discussing the humanity of type one diabetes, that healthcare is a human story. We don't want doctors to forget that part as they're helping us and treating us. 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. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com. All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout that's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that it really helps the show

this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the insulin pump that my daughter wears Omni pod, learn more and get started today with the Omni pod dash or the Omni pod five at my link Omni pod.com/juice box. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by touched by type one touched by type one.org. And find them on Facebook and Instagram touched by type one is an organization dedicated to helping people living with type one diabetes. And they have so many different programs that are doing just that check them out at touched by type one.org. So what are we doing today, Jenny? We are going to do? We're going to do a topic that I don't like, I don't like what I have typed above it is its moniker. So we have to like hammer this out. First, I just have the word humanity and mentality which, you know, aren't that descriptive. I think they're meant to lead us in a direction. But I don't know that they're a good title for an episode. So when you think about doctors needing to consider the humanity of the person that they're speaking with. And I think what did we mean by mentality when we wrote this down?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:52
I don't know about mentality. But I do know, I remember sending you either an email or a text about us remembering to discuss that. Like healthcare is a human story. It's not just all about data, it's not just all about numbers and lab results and that kind of stuff. There's, there's a person behind all of this, and you have to remember that maybe in their you know, when you're talking to them, how their mental health is affected in the way that you discuss something with them,

Scott Benner 3:24
right. And when you talk about that, it makes me want to expand on that. They're not just, they're not just the person that's in front of you. They have relationships and responsibilities and other problems and joys in their life and all these other things. And you're asking them to do this incredibly, a difficult and time consuming task that feels like of course, you know, the outcome is life and death, you know, to them, of course, and, and they need to go fold this in to the rest of their life when they get home. You know what I mean? You can't just I don't know how they how you, you know, I'm saying

Jennifer Smith, CDE 4:04
and folded it in a way that's very, it's not like folding in a medication for your heart. Right, right. It's not like taking a pill every morning at six o'clock and be like, Oh, that's it for the day. Not until six o'clock tomorrow. Do I have to take another medication? Right. folding this in is really like it becomes a piece of you.

Scott Benner 4:23
Yeah, yeah. You have to like Teach them that the routine is what makes it feel like take a pill at night am like so like What do you mean what I mean by that is sure it's simple to send someone home and say take one of these you know dinner, make sure you eat first. Great, right? Even by the way people have a hard enough time with that.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 4:44
Right? Absolutely. Thus the pill minder apps and all

Scott Benner 4:50
with the days Oh, by the way, the first time you get a pillbox is my experience, but you go ooh, I'm old. Damn. It happened. I have a box with my five Consider, but yeah, like people have a hard enough time remembering to take a pill with a meal. And then one miss day turns into two miss days. And then that thing happens. I watch it happen here in my own house sometimes. My daughter said to me the other day, she takes vitamin D, she needs to write she has to her vitamin D level drops without it. And she misses it for a couple of days. And she goes, I haven't taken this in a couple of days. And I feel fine. Right? Yeah. And I'm like, well, that's not how that works. But what happens when I don't Bolus for my meals, but my blood sugar goes up to 200. But it comes back down, but I feel fine. And I feel fine. Right? Yeah. So okay, so there's that part of it, why don't we go through some of the feedback, and we'll find out as we go. The first thing is from a listener that says, this can be very difficult, and mentally and physically exhausting. And you and I kind of translated that into like, you know, offer people grace, which I know is a is a hot thing to say nowadays, you know, to give someone grace, but what do you think that means for you? I mean, you're personally diabetes, what are you looking for from a doctor?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:04
Right. So you know, from a doctor, the piece when I talked to my Endo, especially who's she's super great. And even her nurse practitioners really nice. Grace is not being nitpicky, from their angle of picking out just the one particular day, which was just your like, Crap show of a day, right? Well, what happened here, like, clearly, there's a wider picture. And as a clinician, you can see the scale of how things have been. So instead of picking things apart, you do have to give a little bit and if something is brought up, in that case, by the person to say, Hey, don't pay attention to this, or, you know, I was on vacation for these days or whatever. But you do have to have a little give and take back and forth in order to work together, you know, person with diabetes and care team. I mean, my doctor always asks me, What is it you know, we need to pick apart today, what is it that you really need from me today? And I think they are as a person with diabetes, you have to be ready to come to your clinician as well, with some thoughts

Scott Benner 7:12
that they ask you. You're a person who people come to and ask that question of all day long, like help me, when you go to your doctor, you ask them for help. Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod. And before I tell you about Omni pod, the device, I'd like to tell you about Omni pod, the company I approached Omni pod in 2015 and asked them to buy an ad on a podcast that I hadn't even begun to make yet. Because the podcast didn't have any listeners, all I could promise them was that I was going to try to help people living with type one diabetes. And that was enough for Omni pod. They bought their first ad. And I use that money to support myself while I was growing the Juicebox Podcast. You might even say that Omni pod is the firm foundation of the Juicebox Podcast. And it's actually the firm foundation of how my daughter manages her type one diabetes every day. Omni pod.com/juice box whether you want the Omni pod five, or the Omni pod dash, using my link, lets Omni pod know what a good decision they made in 2015 and continue to make to this day. Omni pod is easy to use, easy to fill, easy to wear. And I know that because my daughter has been wearing one every day since she was four years old. And she will be 20 this year. There is not enough time in an ad for me to tell you everything that I know about Omni pod. But please take a look. Omni pod.com/juice box, I think Omni pod could be a good friend to you. Just like it has been to my daughter and my family.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 8:55
Absolutely, there are things that I bring in as questions in my I've gotten to the point of knowing that my questions really have to be what I can't do myself or what I've got relevant, like questions about that I'm not able to take care of because my own diabetes management clinic. I don't really need my endo for that. But there are other pieces to that other considerations, especially as you get older, when to have these types of evaluations for like heart health, and this type of an evaluation for this firm, Women's Health kind of perspective. And those are all things that I expect them to have a good answer, not that I have no clue about them. But I want a little bit more direction. And so I can come to my doctor absolutely with questions. Do I send even though I look at my own reports, I send my reports to my doctor because if they don't have in between information to keep up with things, then it's kind of like a load that you're piling on their plate, three, six months worth of data and you expect them to figure something out about it. Right.

Scott Benner 10:06
I'm glad to hear that that's your answer. But I also wanted to ask the question to point out that, you know, for all the people who you're like, Oh, they're a nurse, they understand it, or that person's a doctor, I don't need to explain this to them. That's not the case normally. So you know, you can't just disregard somebody because you think they might understand it's right. Yeah, I think that's important. Also, isn't it interesting. When you show somebody a report a graph with, I don't know, a one seat, it's in the low sixes and not a lot of variability and looks great. But there's a couple of bad days here. Why is it your thought to say, Oh, my God, what happened here? Instead of? Wow, so much of your time is so well managed? Congratulations. Like you don't I mean, like, you picked up the one problem. That's what the person remembers when they leave? That is, yeah. And it

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:00
is human nature to pick for the bad. Like, you see, I do it a lot with all the people that I work with to, you know, they come in either having emailed a bunch of things that they definitely are, we got to zone in on this, you know, and whatever. And I see those questions, and they're important to address. Absolutely. But I also really tried to look at the wider scope, and say, if we could filter out these, these incidents that you think are the majority of the time, you'd actually see that like, 80% of the time, you're doing a phenomenal job, like look at all of this, and these little, these little blips that you don't want, that have become what you're highlighting. They're not the big picture.

Scott Benner 11:42
It is fascinating, isn't it? That as people it's not our inclination to, to gravitate to the things that are going well? Yeah. It's just really, it's not it's not the only place that happens. But it's one of the places where it's, it's really important. So if you're a doctor, and your mom always picked on you, like, don't do it other people. Oh, I mean, I wish all my doctors respected my desire to understand my disease. And there are treatment options. So this is a person telling me, I want to be included in this. And it's not enough for me to be even doing well, I need to understand how we got here. Right? Yeah, I need autonomy. I need. Because that's not just about management. I think that's about psychological comfort to it is

Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:28
yeah, absolutely. And I think that all goes along with meeting the person where, where they are, as well as where, what are their goals? What are your targets? You know, I as a clinician may have targets and ranges and things that I want to help somebody get to. But you have to know where is the person starting? And what what are their immediate goals? And how can we bring things together so that they kind of both meet in the middle? In a way, right? And understanding is a big one, then, for people who have this particular goal, and you really would like to see them get a little bit further. What do they understand about how to get there?

Scott Benner 13:12
I think that maybe far too often, a doctor or it doesn't have to be adultery, any personal interaction, right? between two people. I have an intention about what I'm saying. And you hear something else. And listen, here it is bare bones. It was pouring rain here last night, and it's trash tonight. And my wife had thrown a bag of garbage on the back step. And that's not the direction of where the garbage gets taken out. So it's raining, it's late. I'm like, I gotta take it. I waited all afternoon thinking it would just stop for a second. So I could just bet Okay, now I'm all bundled up and everything. And I say to my wife, I'm gonna get wet, and I am complaining. I'm like, I'm gonna get so wet. But anyway, I'm gonna go out to the trash. But I'm gonna walk around the back of the house to get this one bag of trash that she put out back. Instead of bringing it through the house. It's been outside, it's been raining, and she's mopping the floor in the kitchen. So in my mind, what I was thinking was, I don't want to bring the bag of trash to the house because she's just mopped it. I don't want to make a mess of it. But when I said, Oh, I gotta go all the way around the house to get the bag. I'm gonna get soaked. She thought I was complaining about the fact that I was going to get wet. And I was confused. I stopped and I was like, Wait, what's happening right now? Like, I'm seeing this nice thing. And she's taking it wrong. Or maybe I'm saying it wrong. So I stopped and I just said, Hey, I want to be clear. I'm not upset about getting wet in the rain. I'm trying to save the clean floor that you just made. And I'm gonna go back out. When I said I was gonna be all wet. I meant I didn't want to walk all wet through the house. I'm trying. I'm trying to respect what you're doing. But that simple little moment between two people who've known each other for like 30 years, there was that confusion. So when you look at a person and in a healthcare situation, they go Hello What happened here? Right? You might mean, hey, this graph looks terrific. We just got one little problem. Let's fix it. Let's fix. You didn't say that the way it's taken. Yeah, right. So you didn't say that, or they didn't hear that one way or the other. If you walk away from that conversation having not clarified, you now have a problem. And you'll never get you'll never get rid of it again. So

Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:20
well, and I think what you really what you just sort of pulled all together, without probably thinking about it is the word communication, right. And that's what all of this, all of these that we've kind of put together. Now, they're all about the right type of communication. And communicate communication means that there is an understanding from both parties. And as the clinician, you have to make sure that what you're trying to either teach or discuss is not only being received the right way, but also that there's an understanding that's taking place so that there isn't miscommunication where somebody then gets irritated or angry or walks out. Thank you. Ah, I didn't get any of my questions.

Scott Benner 16:06
Right. Here's the next thing on our list. Let me see if I'll say something, you tell me if you agree with it. Okay, if you're a type two, using insulin, or you have type one diabetes, your management is pretty much the same. take insulin, big picture, not very, like not granular big picture, you're gonna take insulin for food, you're gonna have a background insulin, pretty much the same. Yes, you and I talking about it here. We get what we're saying to each other, right? Yes. But if you say it like this to them, This person says, I was told by my endocrinologist that it didn't matter if I had type one or type two, my treatment would remain the same. He asked me why it mattered to me. Why does it matter to you, if you have type one, or type two diabetes? It's going to be the same either way? I wouldn't have said that to a person. But I was comfortable saying what I said to you. Right? You know, like, why would you add on that little thing? At the end? Why does it matter to you? I almost cursed who would say that to a person. It matters to me, because it's me. Because

Jennifer Smith, CDE 17:07
it's me. And because I think that that clinician is also missing the grander picture of we know, in the diabetes community, despite many people not wanting lines being drawn, there are very hard lines drawn between I have type one, no, I have type two, and the community is learning to work or the communities are learning to work together, which is great. But there still are very drawn like, no, no, I have type one is not type two, and that clinician

Scott Benner 17:44
is not seeing the picture. Yeah, well, you know, I'm probably gonna say something I don't mean to share with people. But whatever I'm trying to help. So to Jenny's point, I've tried very hard, I've had this podcast for like, 10 years now. And I've tried very hard to have a one tent mentality about diabetes. And I do it pretty well on Facebook. And I do it pretty well, here, I don't have a ton to share about type two. But you and I put together a really comprehensive Pro Tip series for people with type two diabetes, a great primer, something get you going if you don't understand that your doctor is not being very helpful. And Jenny knows this, and only a few other people in the world know this. But I knew when I was producing that material, that I was going to lose a certain percentage of my listeners for presenting type two material. And I did, I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 18:32
put out a type as you've been seeing mainly as a type type one. And

Scott Benner 18:36
but I think, moreover, that there are a number of people with either type one or type two diabetes, that do not want to be associated with the other side. And so most of 2023, I spent rebuilding the listeners I lost from just offering type two information. And by the way, don't get me wrong. It wasn't like, here's three weeks of type two information. It's in the course of a five day period, which I put out five episodes, for like eight weeks in a row, one of the five episodes had type two information. And it angered or annoyed people to the point where I lost, I think about 600 listeners, right, which is good. I think

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:15
it had started as you kind of mentioned with the comment from this clinician to this person, right? That's unfortunately that's where it kind of gets lost is how you're maybe how you're diagnosed or how you're told about it. And honestly, the lines in terms of the types of medications now are very blurry between type one and type two. Yes, there are some very well and very specifically defined meds that are really type two or the reason and the how they were in the body that you wouldn't use in type one diabetes, right. But now a lot of the meds that are available despite them being classified or whatever, you know, prescribed as a type two, they're finding an awful lot of benefit in type one. And so I think we've got this line that's getting blurred, that despite being two distinct conditions, for different reasons, management is kind of crossing over, honestly.

Scott Benner 20:18
Yeah. And I think what Jenny's saying, like, without saying it is that you're gonna see GLP medications used more frequently with type ones in the future. Yes, I'm gonna have people on the show this year, handful of people who are type ones who, you know, maybe started for weight reasons, they got weak ova or something. And then they started seeing all the impacts on their, on their health. We're seeing people using it for like, PCOS symptoms, and they're having a significant reduction in their insulin. So yeah, it's possible that maybe this issue goes away moving forward. But for the moment, just look up, see sports, politics or anything else. People like being on a team? And yeah, you know, so and by the way, that part of the conversation aside, how about, he asked me why it mattered to me, that might not have nothing to do with that person wanting to be on Team type one or team type two? And maybe it's just I'd like to know what's happening to me, please. Right. You know,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 21:14
and honestly, as we've said, there are now I just said, there's there is a distinction between the reason between type one and type two in the majority of cases, right? And so for somebody to say, Well, I just really want to be in one or the other. Because there is a different community aspect, as well, in either one or the other.

Scott Benner 21:37
How about I'd like to look out for the rest of my family and see, you know, maybe I maybe I could be going back to my sister and saying, Hey, listen, you have a kid, like, look out for this, because I have type one diabetes now or, you know, who knows? Like, there's so many reasons why. I have some feedback here that says, I want the doctor to know that when I go in, in with a problem, it isn't always related to my diabetes. So that point is a good point. But for this specific conversation, I think what that means is Don't look at me and just see diabetes, please don't go, oh, that's a diabetic. If they're complaining about this, it must be because they have diabetes. Maybe it will be. But I think you make a mistake when you do that. And I can only relate a personal anecdote. But when my daughter was young, I taught myself. This was before CGM, so she'd come home from school, I didn't know where her blood sugar was. I was worried out of my mind, about the 20 minutes that was between when she texted me, I'm getting on the bus and my blood sugar is this. And when she actually got home, I first had to stop myself from standing at the door, like, oh, my god, are you okay? You know, and then I realized I can't ask her what her blood sugar is, when she comes home right away. It's dehumanizing. It really is. And you you might not think it to hear it out loud. But it is you are it's a dehumanizing thing to have someone look at you and say, What's your blood pressure? what's your what's your blood sugar? What's your but like, it's like, I'm a pull person here, you know, and so I take this person's point. But in that specific example, if someone comes to you and says, I'm having headaches, don't treat them like a diabetic having headaches. I mean, maybe you can in your mind and like be looking for things. But also they get real people sick too, which is a thing. People with diabetes, say because, right, it's so misunderstood, you know?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 23:37
Well, and those are the cases that I think some people because they have gotten to have a relationship with their Endo, and maybe don't really use their primary care as often because they just don't get sick, or they don't have some of those minor things, sometimes a lot of endos or endocrine nurse practitioners or whatever, they may actually feel some of these questions that are, I've got a headache. And so they are in one particular field of care, you know, diabetes, and obviously the other kinds of things endocrine takes care of, but they have to think first is this relative to diabetes. So those questions may come out from the clinical side of consideration. But then their job is to also say, you know, what, everything looks really great, you know, in in your numbers in the data that you've given me, and I think that this is a consideration for your primary care. I'm going to refer you back here, or I'm going to refer you to ask for this type of, you know, clinician to seek out and get information from because you can't expect your endocrine team to manage all of your questions. Their job is to consider will this have impact on your diabetes? And if not, I'm going to refer you. Do you

Scott Benner 24:58
know that there have been times We've taken my daughter to a specialist for something else. And I'll tell her when we go in, do not mention your diabetes. At first, like, let's explain what's happening, get their unbiased opinion of what you've said. And then we can layer that on afterwards. But that's just I've just found if you walk in and go, I have type one diabetes. And that's it, you're done. Like, they're going to just their brains gonna checklist down, find the thing that fits and not bother thinking about your issue. Now you tell them at some point, but I'm like, let's get it out first, and let them really consider it. Right, you know, they'll get a confirmation bias, and they won't even know what's happening. Right? This is something this person says, I wish that my doctor understood that shaming and judging me and other patients for not checking our blood sugar as frequently as they think we should, is absolutely not the way to get them to check their blood sugar more often. It makes me resent coming to the doctor.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:54
And from an explanation standpoint, or a clinician, again, there you are, it's really important for you to explain more about why you're asking for this, right? Not the blame game of, well, why aren't you or I don't see enough information here. It's what's going on? That's a problem. Right? What else in your life is kind of deterring the ability, you know, to get this information, and from a clinical Is this the reason this would be really helpful, you've brought in these other questions and these other things that are bothering you. And if I had a little bit more information, I might be able to say whether or not diabetes is really a piece of this or not, right? So,

Scott Benner 26:44
you know, it occurs to me while we're talking that if if you are listening to this, and you don't know you and I, it could almost seem like we're doing some Ultra woke like, be nice to me or like, you know, we're not, we're not, we're trying to sit, we're trying to say, the way you start is the way it finishes. And that people are going to be obviously unique and different and hear things in a ton of different ways. But there is a way for you to approach everyone, whether it's, you know, me or you or a little kid in a way that you can get the information you need from them, help them and not leave them in a situation where they're resenting you as they're walking out of the office. Like, even if you're right, like, I want to say that like even as a doctor, if what you're hearing right now is I need to know how often they're checking their blood sugar. This is very important. I think it is too. I'm not saying it isn't? Yeah, I'm saying that the way you get that information can go a long way towards building a good relationship. And by the way it you know, it might sound like I don't have time to figure out every person that comes into this office, I know exactly how they want to be talked to. But that's not really the case, there is a way to approach this, that covers everybody. And you don't have to have 1000 different statements to get you to your answer. There's there's ways to talk to people where you don't leave them feeling badly about your interaction. So that's what I'm talking about.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:09
As a clinician myself, I always consider it from how do I want to be approached when I come in for my own visits, right? And, again, the reason that I like the team that I work with is because it always seems to start the way that I actually start a visit or a conversation with the people that I get to work with is like, how are things tell me about your family? And what's going on? And like, oftentimes, like the first five ish minutes or so is just how are we like, how are things going in the past month since we last talked or emailed or whatever. And that's what I expect when I come in, you know, I know clinician visits in office, they're limited in time. So there's only so much that you can expect them, you can't give their whole life story for three hours. And then finally get to what you need to get to. But there is that human side of connection, that may very likely open the door to them providing enough information for you to then give them what's really important.

Scott Benner 29:07
Well, what you end up giving them eventually to is this autonomy to make decisions? Yes, which is what you want, you know, you want to give them confidence, and enough tools. And you know, like lead them in the right direction. Once they go do something and watch it go well, and then they get excited and do a better job. And then before you know it, it's commonplace, then they're just going to be in there asking you for their prescriptions, and hey, how are you? How are the kids and let's go, and everybody's healthy and happy and what you want. It's doable.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 29:37
It is doable. And I think that those tools, you made a good like connection there and those tools that you may use to give somebody they change based on the person. And if you spend even five minutes in a visit, in which you start to get to know somebody's life, and what's going on the tools you pick out of your toolbox to help them they're going to be specific Add to that person's need, you're not going to tell them to do this when their time constraints are ridiculous in their day. And even though you want them to do something that's time consuming, you can now say, okay, they don't have time for this, I have to, I have to figure something else out, that's going to be relevant to get them to do what I think is important, but that they can do they

Scott Benner 30:18
need a win, too. They do. They need a win to build on, everyone needs a win to build on. So you got to you have to find a way to give them one. It doesn't fit here. But I just had an experience with somebody yesterday. And that's what I figured out. I was like, she's just she's drowning. Like, she just needs to take four breasts in a row where she doesn't feel like she's drowning, and it's gonna get better. And I'll tell her this one little thing that will move her in a better direction. And sure enough, two days later, the content and tone of her message. This is by the way, I'm not even speaking to this person is just typing the content, the tone of this lady's message shifted in 48 hours, and now she feels empowered. That's it. Right? Not that hard. By the way, this one is written like it's from a listener, but I think this is huge Eddie. Oh, don't tell your newly diagnosed patient that you need to see them again in three months only for them to go out to the counter and find out you're booked out for five months. Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 31:15
that's really annoying. Yeah, it is. And I think it's the reason that many offices, again, endocrinology, specifically, there are not enough endocrinologist, there are just not and when you break it down even to pediatric endocrinologist, they're even less, right. And then thankfully, we're now bringing in more nurse practitioners and PAs into endocrine practices. So that, you know, if it's six months until you can see the endo will maybe in three months, you can see the PA or the nurse practitioner and you do kind of a handoff back and forth every three months. But you're you're right. I mean, if you've been told to check in, and the check in point is going to be six months down the road, instead of two or three, you're left hanging in this in between void of, well, who is going to help me here? Am I even gonna get an answer back is somebody going to look at my information? This

Scott Benner 32:14
is Jenny talking about it from like a maintenance, like a management perspective, I'm going to talk about it from a psychological perspective. You just told me, it's very important for me to come back in 90 days, then I walk outside and the girl that things like we can see you in June, I was like, June, it's December, she said for me to come back in three months, we can't do that, right? Is that important? Is something bad gonna happen. She said, 90 days. And you leave people in turmoil, always causing them turmoil and churning up their guts and then sending them on their way to be by themselves. It's confusing very much is, I wish my doctor would not have connected food with guilt, because that was a mistake that lasted a lifetime. Yeah. So it does suck. But as bad as that is to do to a person who doesn't have diabetes and isn't using insulin, it's maybe 50 times worse to do somebody using insomnia, you freeze them. And either cause I mean, you cause an eating disorder in one way or the other. They either restrict their food, or they just go woohoo, I'm not going to pay attention to this. Right? It's terrible. Like you can't do that. There's a

Jennifer Smith, CDE 33:20
and a major, a major part of your diabetes management is tied to food. It's insulin. Right? So now that you've tied this piece that's necessary, I mean, two pieces that are necessary for human life, right? We've got food, it's a basic necessity, we have to have food, not too much, just enough. But you have to have the insulin to get the food in the right place in your body. And so now when you connect them in a negative way, they say, Well, you know this all about this food, and oh, there's too much here and oh, look at that. And all these blood sugar changes that we don't want to see. Oh, this must have been a really horrible meal. You see, though, oh, that was the bring in? Well, gosh, should I just eat lettuce or nothing at all? Yeah,

Scott Benner 34:02
there's an entire movement right now of us identifying a problem. And then blaming the person that's happening to you could ask an eight year old at this point, what's the problem with food and American? They're gonna be like, Oh, it's processed and not good for me. Blah, blah, blah. And then you know, you go don't talk to my kids. Your kids don't know Jenny, raise those kids. They think a carrot is candy. And so but but you know, most people are gonna say, oh, yeah, I know there's a problem in the world processed food, fast food. It's troublesome. So much soda. You know it, our bodies can't handle it. Everybody understands it. But then when you get to the How to functionally help somebody, that's their problem. They're eating it. Have you ever driven around America and tried to stop and getting some deed? Good luck finding something I'm using we go V for weight loss. So now all of a sudden, I realized that in the past, if I was traveling, I would just eat what I could get my hands on. Even if it wasn't something I would Normally, but now I'm very careful not to eat like high, like anything that's fatty or greasy, even once in a while. And I have found myself going, there's nothing for me to eat here. And then going to another place and going, there's nothing for me to eat here, there's no food, I'm gonna have to go into a grocery store and get an apple. I can't physically walk it. We've set up a society, where this is how food has gotten restaurants, convenience stores, those sorts of things, and then fed people a ton of bad food, and then told them in the end, it's their fault for eating it. It's all they have. Right? You know, so I don't know how that happens. Like, how do you say to somebody, or you live in a volcano, your problem is your feet are hot. Thanks. Can I suppose to do with that? You got shoes that don't get hot? Can I? Can you hang me from the ceiling? Is there a like, don't tell me the problem. I know the problem. Give me an answer. Anyway, that's

Jennifer Smith, CDE 35:58
no, that's 100%. Correct. And I think there are too many. I mean, this is a hot, this is a hot sort of piece in my mind that it bothers me when when clinicians who have no nutrition educational background, dole out blanket statements. Yeah. Right. Because one, you have to be blind to be completely or, you know, unaware of what's going on in our food society. The majority of the stuff that people call food, or that is readily easily available, is it's not hard, right? And I wish there was an easier way to define it. But it's also the reason when you go in a grocery store, the grand majority of that grocery store is not stuff. That's really great for anybody to eat. The tiny little natural food section.

Scott Benner 36:54
That's the food. The rest is tastebud Playland there. Yes. Yeah. But but that's fine. But then don't as the doctor slip into bro science and be like, it's your fault. Right. Great. Thanks. Do you want me to do I make $250 a week? Could you help me? Yeah, hey, I don't know what to do it anyway, it's you're blaming people for a thing that you can say they're in control of, but if you look at the big picture, they don't have any. Yes, they're in control, but they don't have any choice. And so it doesn't matter. They're doing the thing that that's keeping them or at least they're eating, and they're staying alive. You know, and they probably were brought up thinking that it was good. Anyway, cheese. All right, now I'm all upset. Don't tell people they're non compliant, there's a free tip. You can think it if you want. And I know you probably have to chart it for, right, but you can't let them say it either.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 37:48
Well, and that's the thing too, with today's you know, II charts and everything that are readily available, and even electronic medical records that now we have access to as the person who has the health condition, right? When I log in, I can absolutely read everything that was written in the doctor visit, right. So I think that word in an overall it should be totally removed. Because I think there are very, very, there's a very minimal amount of people who that truly would even apply to, and even that minimal amount, it's very likely the fact that they're not, they're not by choice, non compliant. It's there are things in their life, that are not allowing them to know enough about what to do, even in the simplest way that could make things better. And that's your job as a clinician again, to get to know them, and figure out how to help,

Scott Benner 38:46
right. And also, by the way, there are going to be times where you give information to a person that knows better than you. And then you think they're non compliant for not listening. And if you think that's a crazy statement, then I'll introduce you to the 1000 people who've told me that they've lowered their a one C safely and in a healthy way and then go on to the doctor, the doctors tried to tell them to put it back up again. So you know, that actually happens to people as well. Caretaker burnout, you should include that conversation when you're talking to parents or people who are helping adults with diabetes that this and this kind of leads into the other part I want to I want to finish up here with is that I understand that the doctors might be burned out as well. Yes, you know that they have this compassion fatigue, maybe, you know, and that it's hard to like, I would imagine it's hard every 20 minutes to be like hey, how are you? What's going on with the family? You know, like I just did this with the last person being so needed like that being so needed from you not fake by the way if you fake happy people read that in two seconds, like Oh, absolutely, yeah, you can't fake the happy like you have to really mean it. And you have to have if there's good communication skills, and you know all For people real empathy, not like, right, you know, I know I'm supposed to say I feel bad for you. I know this is hard, but you know, and

Jennifer Smith, CDE 40:08
something that I've found to within that realm is the ability, the ability of the clinician to connect as a person to. Right. A lot of times, we've heard that term like white coat syndrome, right? And to take that down a notch and bring a comfort level in, when you're asking about somebody, many times they'll ask, well, how are you? And that's not a well, how are you? I just want to know that you say, Well, I'm okay today. Most often, they're really they're interested, right? And if you, if you give yourself a personality, or if you give a little bit about you, and how your life has been and whatever, you don't have to give where you live and where your kids are going to school or anything, buy real, something, something real, something that's that's connectable, right? That makes you, I guess, and the information you want to provide a little bit more receivable.

Scott Benner 41:06
Yeah, sure. You be a real person, although, yeah, some of us are going to run into doctors who are fantastic doctors, because their personality lends themselves to understand science and sit and study for years and everything. And maybe sometimes that doesn't lend to like, you know, personality, personality. Yeah, like, like, like a real life. Not that they're terrible people, but they just might not be like gregarious, and, and inviting sometimes and stuff like that. I mean, it can happen to anybody, but I'm just saying, I've met a couple of doctors who were brilliant doctors who, you know, you're in there, you're like, oh, was this heart? Yes. Great doctor, but hoof. I mean, what's the way to say that like, no bedside manner, what that really means is they lacking communication. But I don't come in and say, Hey, I fixed your toe, I put the ligament back on there. Let's do the exercises come back in six weeks, it's gonna be fine. You know what I mean? Like, this is a bigger thing. It's a lifelong thing that this last little bit here is this person says, sometimes it's like, they don't realize that I've been living in this body longer than they'll ever spend hurriedly glancing over people's notes while rushing into an office to talk for five or 10 minutes. Yeah, don't minimize my experience. You know, and I don't believe a physician rushes in and out, looks at your notes, tries to help you and thinks I'm minimizing this person's human experience. Right? They don't think that but no, this is how it's received. You just wouldn't know that. So in the end it Jenny, this is why you'll hear people say over and over again, if you can find an endo who has type one diabetes. Bolus? Yeah, yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 42:48
absolutely. Or, you know, a clinician in their office that they are using for their education piece, right, either a certified diabetes, you know, educator or they're working with a, an, even a dietician or a nurse in their office that participates in some of the education that they have type one diabetes, and those are the ones that I hear from, in terms of the people I work with that I really love my office because of this one person, right? They really get it or they're always taking my calls, even though I know I call a lot. They're taking my calls, and they're getting me some information or some answers, you know, so, listen,

Scott Benner 43:28
I've heard this story a handful of times. And it's always lovely. It's like you said, like a nurse practitioner who has type one, or somebody else involved in the practices in the room, maybe when you're talking to the NFL, and they'll walk you out and down the hallway. They'll lean in and go Juicebox Podcast, and people and people people go want to go you want to listen to the podcast, it's called juice write it down juice by know what the doctor just said. But listen. So yeah, having somebody who really gets it is very helpful, but I appreciate you doing this with me. Thank you very much. Thank you.

A huge thanks to touched by type one for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. Check them out on their website touched by type one.org or on Facebook and Instagram. A huge thanks to Omni pod, not just my longest sponsor, but my first one Omni pod.com/juicebox If you love the podcast, and you love to Bolus insulin pumps, this link is for you omnipod.com/juice box if you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes

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#1129 Colloquially Confused

Melissa is a teacher and a married mother of two. Her 14 year old daughter has type 1 diabetes.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, welcome to episode 1129 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Melissa is a married teacher and mother of two, her youngest child, her daughter has type one diabetes and today we'll tackle a number of different topics including how her daughter didn't initially want an insulin pump. 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. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout that's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, but everybody is welcome type one type two gestational loved ones. It doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes, and you're looking for support, comfort or community check out Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by ag one drink ag one.com/juice box. When you use my link and place your first order you're gonna get a welcome kit, a year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs. US med is sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and we've been getting our diabetes supplies from us med for years, you can as well us med.com/juice box or call 888-721-1514 Use the link or the number get your free benefits. Check it get started today with us med.

Melissa 2:12
My name is Melissa. And I am a mother of two a boy 16 And a girl 14. And my daughter is the one who has type one diabetes. And I'm a teacher and a married we have a dog. And we live in the Midwest and everybody in our family is blond haired blue eyed. We all look exactly the same. And my daughter was diagnosed in 2021. June 15.

Scott Benner 2:46
Okay, Melissa, do you have a car?

Melissa 2:47
We have? A couple a few actually. Yeah,

Scott Benner 2:51
actually, when you mentioned like when you started listing other things you own like dogs and stuff. I thought maybe we could go through your possessions.

Melissa 2:57
I just figured I'd give you a picture. You know, quick quick yeses

Scott Benner 3:00
and noes. A television in the living room. Yes. Okay. You have a bed the bedroom? Yes. Excellent. Does the dog poop on the grass? Yes. All right. I got your life. Don't worry. I'm all good.

Melissa 3:12
What kind of teach your son our son picks it up? Because

Scott Benner 3:15
he really Cooper? Yeah, God can I tell you Kelly hates it, but I don't pick up dog poop. So I have a theory about dog poop. I think rain takes care of it.

Melissa 3:24
It will if you let if you let it go long enough or snow.

Scott Benner 3:29
And Kelly thinks that I should not cut the lawn without picking it up. But I don't do that. I would say if I bet you if Kelly and I went to therapy. Inside of the first three sessions, she would mention that I don't pick up the dog poop before I cut the grass. Oh

Melissa 3:45
my gosh. Well, it's fertilizer, I guess. Right? That's how I look at it. I bet you those spots are nice and green. I'm

Scott Benner 3:50
just trying to get your kid out. I happen to do that. That's all. So kids need to do something. What kind of teacher are you?

Melissa 3:58
I teach? Well, I can teach Spanish and phys ed for middle school. And I have been teaching phys ed mostly for the past couple of years. 22 years teaching Spanish for 20 of them and to the past two years visit

Scott Benner 4:15
did those kids ever actually learned Spanish?

Melissa 4:18
You know? I mean, they do while they're sitting in front of me. But then if they don't go out middle school, so if they don't go on and take it in high school, then they'll say I don't remember anything. I hear you know, I gotcha. Parents come in at conferences and be like I had Spanish all through and I don't remember a thing. It's like Oh, good.

Scott Benner 4:38
I have to tell you. I took French for three years. And I know North means nine so Oh,

Melissa 4:44
that's not French. Is it? Or is it? Yeah, is that German and French?

Scott Benner 4:49
Nine. I'm pretty. Oh my God. Are you telling me the one? The one thing I know might not be right.

Melissa 4:53
No, I do not know French or German. It just sounded German. All right,

Scott Benner 4:56
Melissa. That's enough of this. So We're gonna move on now. daughter was diagnosed at what age? She was 12 Okay, it's been a few years then. Yes, couple years now. All right. Was that string COVID Still? Or was that sort of the end of COVID?

Melissa 5:11
It was the end. We still had masks on in the hospital. And you know, they wouldn't let my son come back. Just my, just my husband and I. But yeah, it was past COVID. But we still had protocol. I guess. I'm

Scott Benner 5:26
gonna jump right into this because in your description of why you wanted to come on the show. You're like, honeymoon. Crazy. Oh, honeymoon. Yeah, no one's ever been that specific about it. So let's just find out a little bit about the diagnosis and then jump into the honeymoon. Okay, what did you notice about your daughter that got you to a doctor or hospital. I partnered with ag one because I needed a daily foundational nutritional supplement that supported my whole body health. I continue to drink ag one every day because it works for me. Ag one is my foundational nutritional supplement. It gives me comprehensive nutrition, and it supports my whole body health. Drink, ag one.com/juice box. When you use my link to place your first order, here's what you're gonna get a free welcome kit that includes a shaker scoop and canister, five free travel packs, a free year supply of vitamin D, and of course, your ag one. So if you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with a G one. Try ag one and get a free one year supply of vitamin D and five free ag one travel packs with your first purchase. Go to drink ag one.com/juice box that's drink ag one.com/juice box, check it out.

Melissa 6:44
All right, well, at the time, I hear a million people well, not a million, but 1000s of people on your podcast say just explaining away the symptoms. Because I would say the first thing we noticed was that she had dropped a little bit of weight. But she was running track and swimming all at the same time for school and then swimming for our club. So it would make sense that she would drop a little bit of weight, I thought and then it was the end of the school year in the summer. And noticing that she's been thirstier and wanting to like eat ice all the time, but it's hot. And she's doing two sports at once. So made sense. She was becoming super moody. And she's 12 Well, maybe that's what happens when, you know, you start to be like a preteen or whatever. And so all of the things that just just figured it was just normal stuff. But I remember specifically one time the after it was the last day of school. So the next day Saturday, I was taking some things to the laundromat. We have a washer and dryer but like the bedding was you know,

Scott Benner 7:54
I love that you were just like, Hey, I can't afford I can afford my own washer. I just want to make sure everyone knows I got one in the house. But this is for the big stuff. Okay,

Melissa 8:03
or the dog the washer dryer.

Scott Benner 8:05
I just can't I can't fit that or is this? Is this a humble brag that your comforter is so thick and lush. It doesn't fit in a regular washing machine? No,

Melissa 8:12
it's probably because we let our dog on our bed and it was so gross that we had to take it to the laundromat. I mean, let's be honest.

Scott Benner 8:19
Someone else's washing machine. Alright, there's some honesty. Go ahead what else we got? Yeah,

Melissa 8:27
so my daughter and I went to the laundromat. And I saw someone from work. You know, a lot of people that I work with live around where I live. And he was there bringing some like hunting gear, I guess, or whatever, to the laundromat. And my daughter was like, so short and rude to him. And I was like, What is wrong with you? Why in the world, you know, like, he was like, Oh, you're getting ready for a vacation? And she's like, Yeah, go to hell. Yeah. And that's not like her at all. And then we sat down, like waiting for the laundry and she fell asleep. And I was like, well, there's something wrong. Yeah, I think there's something wrong, but I didn't want to scare her. And then we had family come into town the next day, and my brother in law from Louisiana, was in town and was like, What's wrong with her? And I'm like, Okay, there's something wrong. So what do I take her to the doctor and say, I think there's something wrong but really there was nothing you know, I just felt so weird taking her in but I did anyway,

Scott Benner 9:27
let me jump in for a second did she did you think something like mentally was wrong? Or did you think physically because I mean, she like

Melissa 9:34
maybe both like, we went to like a party and end of the year pool party and she just like looked so upset the whole time. I thought, oh my god, what is wrong with her? You know, you know, what's the matter? Nothing. I might add, you know, that kind of answer. Like the night before I took her to the doctor or made the appointment. I did like Dr. Google searches and said to my husband in the morning, right before I made the appointment, my doctor's office. So awesome. And they didn't like that day got her in. And I told my husband, I think she has type one diabetes, but I had no idea what that was I just saw, these are the symptoms I didn't look into, you know, anything else. And he's like, oh, okay, you know, he didn't know either. So, took her to the doctor that morning after swim practice, she went to swim practice, got her out, went straight to the doctor. And I distinctly remember her drinking a sprite on the way. So that probably didn't help things. And he said, definitely not type one diabetes, but let's do. Let's check it out. Just in case. Let's get everything going. And you came. Yeah,

Scott Benner 10:42
I liked it. He put himself on the line there. That was like, Sure. I was wrong.

Melissa 10:46
Yeah. And he's our like, he's the family practitioner, you know. So he's all of our all four of our doctors since my son was born. So 16 years. And then he came back and his face was white as a ghost. And he was like, Okay, well, scratch that. It is and you're going to need to go straight to the Children's Hospital. Please don't go home. Call your husband on the way. I won't make you take an ambulance if you promised to go straight there. And I was like, What in the hell? Yeah. You know, like, Yeah, I thought she had this but the hospital seriously told so naive also,

Scott Benner 11:23
don't don't pass go don't collect $200 Don't slow down like don't

Melissa 11:27
don't get closed. Don't do anything. He's he said, like, prepare for a stay, you're going to be there. And I'm like, I'll only

Scott Benner 11:34
not put you in an ambulance. If you promise to drive directly there that would have freaked me out. I would have been like, Oh, yeah. And

Melissa 11:41
she's looking at me. Like, what? And I'm just like smiling. Like, it's gonna be okay. You know, don't worry. And then, so we get to the hospital. And she's drinking that sprite still, because she's so thirsty. And I'm like, we can't stop for anything else. No idea. That probably that's a horrible idea. And then we get there and walk into the emergency room. And she's just leaning on the counter, like, elbows on the counter header hands, staring. And our doctor apparently called ahead, and they were like, waiting for us. Took her back. And it all began from then but I swear as soon it was one of those things where like, as soon as she started getting insulin, I am assuming like the life interface came back. Sure. Instantly, but come to find out she had lost like 20 pounds. Yeah,

Scott Benner 12:32
Melissa dying is hard on you. And that's what's happening. Yeah,

Melissa 12:37
I we still like now what now what we can kind of I hate to say joke, but I'd be like, whatever come across a picture. And I'm like, You were literally half dead in that picture. Yeah. 100% didn't know. Yeah.

Scott Benner 12:48
So is there any other type one in your family? No. Okay. No other autoimmune stuff.

Melissa 12:55
Just thyroid, my mom and my sister. Okay, and that is it. That's Mr. Has Hashimoto. Right, I believe. And my mom, I'm not sure what she has, but she's been taking thyroid medication as long as I can remember. Yeah.

Scott Benner 13:10
So she probably had Hashimotos before they knew how to test for the antibodies. My

Melissa 13:13
son has a peanut allergy, which I think some say is also possibly autoimmune.

Scott Benner 13:20
Yeah,

Melissa 13:21
hold on a second. I don't know our doctor has mentioned it a few times. I know you're gonna Google

Scott Benner 13:26
it. Your doctor also said that that kid didn't have diabetes. So let's take a look. He's an awesome doctor. Oh, yeah. Sounds amazing. allergy. I listen, I think most allergies are immune responses. So let's see but are they calling it Peanut allergens can trigger a potent and sometimes dangerous immune response. I don't think that alright, let's be more let's be more clear is a peanut allergy and autoimmune disease

Melissa 14:09
and no, I don't

Scott Benner 14:11
see it. I got an interesting article from like 10 years ago peanut allergy turned off by tricking immune system. I'm not going to read that one. But NIH article from 111 immunological similarities between selected autoimmune diseases and peanut allergies possible new therapy? Yeah, they're not calling it an autoimmune disease. But I think that the way it works is the link got them and he's got them looking at ways to help it that relate to autoimmune anyway. Anyway, yeah. Okay, so the Son peanuts

Melissa 14:45
and we thought that was bad. Like we thought him having a peanut in all like all nut allergy was bad. You know, like, oh my gosh, this is the end of the world.

Scott Benner 14:54
diabetes will straighten up your perspective on that. Oh, yeah. What if your dog eats peanuts, Craps in the yard, your son can't pick it up that is that correct?

Melissa 15:01
He can be around it. So, get out of that.

Scott Benner 15:05
I'm never getting that kid out of picking up that. Okay. That was my last try kindling. See peanuts. Let's not go down that road. I don't even know. Okay, so here we are in the hospital life's coming back into her face. How soon before she's kind of herself again, like in her head. I used to hate ordering my daughter's diabetes supplies. I never had a good experience. And it was frustrating. But it hasn't been that way for a while, actually for about three years now, because that's how long we've been using us med us med.com/juice box or call 888721151 for us med is the number one distributor for FreeStyle Libre systems nationwide. They are the number one specialty distributor for Omnipod dash, the number one fastest growing tandem distributor nationwide, the number one rated distributor in Dexcom customer satisfaction surveys. They have served over 1 million people with diabetes since 1996. And they always provide 90 days worth of supplies and fast and free shipping. US med carries everything from insulin pumps, and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGM like the libre three and Dexcom G seven. They accept Medicare nationwide and over 800 private insurers find out why us med has an A plus rating with the Better Business Bureau at us med.com/juice box or just call them at 888-721-1514 get started right now. And you'll be getting your supplies the same way we do.

Melissa 16:49
Now that was it's been a long journey. I feel like it just took a while for her to come to grips with it.

Scott Benner 17:00
Yeah, so it was hard to accept. Yeah. Is that still going on to some level?

Melissa 17:05
Yeah, I think so. But it's I mean, it's way more I don't want to say like nonchalant but way more in the background, I guess now than it was, you know, two years ago. It's just been so like, up and down. So for example, she came home from the hospital, she was on 12 units of Lantis. And I think her carb ratio was one to 10 When we first came home, okay, he came home from the hospital. And the next day she went to swim practice, and not fully understanding what that was going to do to her, you know, like, like, it does, you can't just do 12 units Atlantis and a one to 10 carb ratio 24 hours a day when there's swim practice involved. You know what I mean? Like the activity level that she has going on every day makes things crazy on top of whatever else she had go on. So it was nuts. And like I was on the phone with the diabetes educator at our hospital every single day for almost an entire year, either on the phone or messaging with them. Was

Scott Benner 18:11
that because things just were not going the way you expected? And you and she's getting low from activity and that kind of stuff.

Melissa 18:17
Yeah, things were not going the way that I was we expected them to go at all and like even like sometimes our educator would be like, gosh, she is honeymooning so hard. Let me get back to you. I'll call you back like in an hour or whatever. Like, you know, it was always like a big like up in the air. I never felt like we could just nail something down and go with it.

Scott Benner 18:40
And she's MDI at that point.

Melissa 18:42
Yeah, she was for like six months. She was absolutely against a pump. What's at all at all? Like, no, don't even talk about it. I don't want to hear about it. I don't want to see one. I don't want to think about it.

Scott Benner 18:55
Yeah. Do you ever look back? She's using a pump now. I assume? Yeah. What was the just that new thing? Like I don't want to something attached to me feeling?

Melissa 19:03
I think so. She just did not want anyone to know. She did not want anyone to talk about it. She did not want to be treated differently. She wanted to like pretend like it wasn't happening. I think she dealt with it. She was she's amazing with it. Yeah. But she doesn't want to discuss it.

Scott Benner 19:20
Okay. What about the other side of the like, that's how she handled the news and what's happening to her, but what about the stuff you saw with her being short with people falling asleep that all go away pretty quickly? Oh, yeah. Yep. So her personality came back. Her personality

Melissa 19:37
absolutely came back. Yeah, she stayed like a little bit more closed off because she had this new thing she didn't want anyone to know about but she was not rude and nasty anymore. You know, she did come back. She bounced right back.

Scott Benner 19:51
No more ignoring people. They're like so you're going on vacation. Leave me alone. Yeah, okay. So alright, so that all comes together. Now, looking at her insulin use now versus your honeymoon period. Is it significantly different?

Melissa 20:08
Oh, yeah. So we, like I said, we started at like 12 Lantis went to 10 carb ratio. And then she slowly within like a six month period went from point A was the what I just said to the endpoint in six months, she was on point five Lantis. So we're drawing it with a needle out of the pen. And like, one to 85 carb ratio, basically like,

Scott Benner 20:34
Oh, wow. Oh, wow. So she had like, like she was in DKA. has had a need that that's pretty, I mean, one to 10 and the insulin that what do you think she weighed a diagnosis, I know she weighed 83 pounds. Alright, so those, those numbers all just like kind of make sense. But then over the next couple of months, her needs dissipated significantly.

Melissa 20:59
And then disappeared. She went on the dash for about a month, she finally agreed to go on a pump. Because it was like, our the educator was like begging and begging, please go on the pump because it felt like sometimes she needed a little more basil. Sometimes she needed none. Like the point five was making her eat constantly, sometimes. So he was like, please go on this pump so we can get you the basil that you actually need when you need it. You know, so the dash, that was amazing. But it only lasted for like a month and she was going low for like 2448 hours straight. And he finally said take it off, take the pump off and let's see what happens. And she went without insulin for about eight more months.

Scott Benner 21:44
Okay, now, Melissa, this is what I'm going to ask you during that. Did you ever have that unreasonable feeling of oh my gosh, they were wrong. Three days? She didn't know that. Yeah. Okay. So tell me a little bit about that. Yeah.

Melissa 21:56
So I think that was what messed us all up. Because we were like, Okay. And everybody they made a mistake. It she she had this was like an acute type one diabetes simulation, because maybe she had COVID. And it's she's fine now. And I truly believed it. You know, like, I was like, they're wrong. It can't happen. I'm sure it can. I still listen to the podcast all the time. Because I knew in the back of my mind, I'm like, Okay, you're being crazy. You can't forget how all this works for when this does come back, basically, you know, and it did. It came back. And here we are. I think

Scott Benner 22:33
that it is one of the least talked about things about a honeymoon. That is the hardest to deal with. Is Yeah.

Melissa 22:42
And that's kind of why I never heard really anybody come on and really like hash that out. In it is bitch. Yeah. When it comes back, it was like, it was almost worse than the first time I would say it was almost like being diagnosed twice. Yeah,

Scott Benner 23:00
I had. I don't remember how long into Arden's diagnosis, it was if I'm being honest. But it might have been a fair amount of time. And I don't know what happened. But there was this one day that turned into two days, where Arden just did not need insulin. And I don't know what it was like we were feeding the tiny bit of basil that she was getting constantly. I wasn't injecting for food. And, you know, the first day you just feel like this is horrible. Like, because it just throws everything off. Yeah. And in the second day, I thought maybe she doesn't have diabetes. Yeah, yeah, maybe this was all been just a big mistake, and she doesn't have diabetes. And then moving into like, through that second day. I, you know, happened to know our pediatrician. And I had the wherewithal to say, I like when I call them, I knew how crazy I sounded. And, and I knew that I was just hoping. And I was like, I'm gonna say something to you. And then after I say it, you tell me I'm wrong and get me off the phone. And he and he goes, okay. And I was like, Arden hasn't used insulin in two days, and I don't think she has diabetes. And if you could hear sadness and silence. Oh, yeah, I could hear the sadness in his voice without him saying anything. Yeah. So anyway,

Melissa 24:26
I think we had like two endo appointments. Without insulin, you know, and they would like, make it a point to reassure me and be like, you know, this is it's coming back. Just we don't know when, you know, because they even were like, well, yeah, I don't know. But there's one other person we had that is kind of like this, you know, I felt like how can there only be one other? This is it. We're the one but yeah,

Scott Benner 24:53
exactly. The whole world experiences this in one way. We're gonna be the one and that's how Oh, desperate you are? Yeah, you know, like it just to be rid of it. Anyway, I think it's a thing a lot of people must go through. And I don't think it gets talked about a lot. And I don't think it's easy. So anyway, give it some voice here, and maybe it'll help people to know. Alright, so how long does this go on for?

Melissa 25:17
I feel like I will never forget how long this I think it was like eight months, though. It was a long, long time. So she's going into ninth grade. And at the beginning of eighth grade, it you know, it started to creep back in, like, I remember them saying, well, if she wakes up consistently, because she were her Dexcom the whole time still. So if she wakes up, you know, it consistently above 126, you know, three days in a row, call us. And I thought, okay, oh, my God. So this is like three days of dread. 121 2125 She's waking up at one, I think 150. And I was like, crap, I think, you know, I think this is it. And it just kind of like slowly crept in, while she started to like really kind of restrict carbs at that time to, which was not healthy.

Scott Benner 26:07
Oh, so was there a situation where she kind of got it into her head that she could stop the diabetes from coming? Yes. Sorry. Has that stuck to her as well? Did she develop an eating disorder or anything from it? We

Melissa 26:20
right away, called I, she right away had video therapy appointments. Because I was not ready to let that be like another obstacle that was going to be like a thing. So we really just like hit that hard. She was very resistant to that. But it helped a lot. And she just kind of like turned it right around and said like, hey, if it's common, it's common. So I'm

Scott Benner 26:45
glad because you can see where that would happen where you start to get it into your head. Like I could stop this. Oh, yeah, I

Melissa 26:50
even was, I mean, I hate to even admit, but I was like, I one foot on board. Like, let's try it, you know, but well,

Scott Benner 26:59
by the way, there's nothing wrong with like, in that situation, there wouldn't have been anything wrong with eating a lower carb diet to try to make things last a little longer. But you can't get that magical thinking in your head that you're going to somehow if you've eat few enough carbs never get diabetes.

Melissa 27:14
I know. And plus she like I mentioned, she's she's got swim practice two hours every single week day. You can't lean like she was starting to she's like, I'm I can feel that I'm not strong. And like, I think this is like not healthy.

Scott Benner 27:31
Yeah, you're not she wasn't eating probably right. Yeah, by the way. It's not like, however, you know, like a teenage girl is like, well, I'm going to limit my carbs and make sure my macros are right. And I really she was probably just eating low carb stuff that didn't have a ton of nutrition of it. And she's going backwards. So yeah. Oh, man, that sucks. When it finally happens, those three days in a row calm, you're over 125 You get back on insulin. How long does it take for her then to go to like an amount of insulin that you you see now and think of is normal? did happen quickly? Or was it still a slow transition?

Melissa 28:05
It's been a slow transition. I feel like I really don't know what wouldn't be normal, you know, for her age and her like, activity level and stuff. But it is a constant ebb and flow still to this day. She's on the Omnipod five, which is a absolute Godsend for what her situation is because she will go from I just looked on her controller like someday she's got six units of Basal. Someday she's got 13 units of basil. Wow. No kidding. Sunday, she uses 30 units total Sunday she used yesterday was 19. The day before was 30. Yeah, yeah.

Scott Benner 28:47
I is that wrapped around? Hormones Do you think?

Melissa 28:53
I think it's a combo of hormones and activity. Like as the week she has two hours of swimming every day, every weekday, and she's got the weekend days off. So as the week ramps up, her needs are less and less those days. And then the weekend hits and they're more and more and then it just flows back to needing less and less and then more and more like every seven days.

Scott Benner 29:19
That sounds like a great time. Yeah.

Melissa 29:22
So it's like I do have different basil profiles. I know I totally know that the basil and the correction factor and everything does not affect automated mode. Get it but we are flipping the manual mode all the time, especially on like Sunday when I'm deprived five isn't quite sure what the hell is going on. I can't catch up. Then I have like the least active Sunday Basal mode that we flip it to because

Scott Benner 29:51
her activity during the week goes way up, her needs go down and then the activity goes away her needs go back up and then it doesn't to the higher need You'd then she sits still doesn't have higher need. I gotcha. Okay. And

Melissa 30:04
then depending on when that pod change falls, it could be like one of those days where Sunday is like, amazing because she's like, I don't, it just depends. So we utilize every single feature that that Omnipod five friggin has to offer. Yeah, constantly

Scott Benner 30:21
I do things that I don't think it would occur to people, like if Arden has a pod change coming up. And she, for some reason is in a situation where her needs are less. I'm like, ooh, change your pod now, because new sites don't work as well. So maybe we'll get out of this low blood sugar by changing the pump here. Whereas I think most people would think of it as Oh, when I change my pump site, sometimes my blood sugar gets higher, and it's hard to bring down. But if you can coordinate that with a moment when you don't have this, I know it's, that's pretty, like specific. But after you do this for a while, you find ways to make all kinds of stuff like that. Oh, yeah. Yeah,

Melissa 30:57
we've we've done pad changes. I'm like, we'll change it. Right before?

Scott Benner 31:02
Yeah, like it just before swimming, because then it'd be like doing a Temp Basal down or something like that. Yeah. You just have to think about, it's hard sometimes to keep it all in your head. But there are ways to match up the impacts you're getting with variables, where they'll actually help each other instead of hurt each other. Yeah.

Melissa 31:21
And when that the pod, I'm like, ooh, we're on a roll. It's only Wednesday. We don't need much. Let's get it changed today, you know, or, I don't know. Yeah, I totally know what you mean. But we definitely work with it.

Scott Benner 31:33
The other day, I could see Arden's needs were going up because of hormones. She's home from school, and the pod was coming towards the end. And like the effectiveness, the effectiveness of the pod was waning, it was also fighting with the need, I'm thinking like, put a new pot on here. Like just do it a little sooner, this is a perfect time to get a fresh pot on because of the need. And I mentioned it and I got it, I got ignored, nobody listened to me. And then when we all paid the price later when her blood sugar shot up, because she ended up changing the pod like in the throes of this need. And then we had to like, then we had to put extra effort in, but had had we just changed the pod like eight hours earlier, we would have missed it. And I hope one day that Arden sees those things the way I see them, and I'm sure she will. But you know, for now, it was just a good experience. Like, like, an example. I guess, that um, that we could have done something differently that would have helped. So anyway, yeah, timing is huge. Yeah, it really is a big deal. What made you want to come on the podcast?

Melissa 32:39
Well, well, first of all, I love it. I have learned everything I know, basically, from your podcast, I think I've listened to those. Another thing I've had those math episodes like 820-820-1822 are the like golden gem. I use those all the time because I like actually, I haven't used them in a little I haven't changed her Basal rates in the manual mode in a little while, maybe like three weeks now. So I feel like maybe we're like nestling into a spot. But for since they came out, I have been changing her manual mode settings constantly. Like I wouldn't when she started on the Omnipod five, her settings, her carb ratio was like a one to 60 and her insulin sensitivity I think was 180. I want to say okay, so like it was so weak, everything, you know, anything would move her up or down. But now her sensitivity I think is 55. And her current ratio is six one to six. Okay. Yeah, so some days like, maybe like the carb ratio, we, I don't know. Like some days her Basal is like 3070. Some days, it's 5050. Some days, it's 4060. It's never actually very constant. But I feel like that's just because we were using every mode activity mode, auto mode, manual mode all day.

Scott Benner 34:10
I love how you're just like switch, switch. Go back. We do. Yeah. What's your best advice for going from manual back into auto? How do you do that without causing a problem?

Melissa 34:21
The reason why I would go into manual is if I know that her needs are like if we're going from a Sunday where she used like 35 units and it's a pad change and we're going to an activity Monday, she ain't going to need that and it's going to cause a lot of lows. So I go to manual and go to her highest activity Basal rate and let that go for a you know let that go for a day. I know that the pad is usually for like three it's sometimes we stay in manual mode for like three days straight. Okay, depending on when the pad changes, but I usually we go to auto mode at night. which is awesome because she would have lows almost every night because of her activity level. And she does not have lows at night, though. Like it keeps her some nights around 120 don't love it. But if we don't use man at all mode, then there's no Basal rate that will keep her because it changes every hour. You know, like in auto mode, some, like two hours in a row, nothing. The next hour, point three, the next hour point six, the next hour, nothing. How would we manage that? Yeah,

Scott Benner 35:33
I have to tell you, I think what I'm getting most out of this conversation loving is the kind of like joyous way that you're flexible, because I could see talking to a different person and have them say the thing is supposed to do this. And you know, just because we're throwing crazy variables at it all day long. I still I just wanted to keep up. No. And that might not be the case for everything. But I love how you're just like, look, it basically it's two tools. And one, I can use it like an insulin pump, like regular old in manual mode, I can go over to auto mode and do this. And I can make it work for our situation and you don't seem angry about it or like irritated. Why are you nice? What's going on? Well, I'm

Melissa 36:16
so grateful for it. Like Like I just said it night. How in the world would I even know what Basal rate to choose for her at night? Like, you know, like, it would be insane. I'd be up all night. I feel like trying to I'd be I'd be doing all the work myself.

Scott Benner 36:34
Yeah, don't worry, I've done that in the past. Before I have to.

Melissa 36:37
I mean, we've done that too. But it's just so like refreshing to know, okay, I know at night, even though it's going to keep her a little bit higher. Sometimes. I would rather that than have her be like at 40 because it's pumping out point six. And she didn't need that for the two hours in a row or something.

Scott Benner 36:57
I just liked the way that you kind of go with it. It's nice. Sometimes you hear people complain so much about things. And you know, I somebody the other day was like, my Dexcom never last and always last eight days or nine days. And I'm like, Oh, that's terrible. Like, you know what happens? Like you have to call the company and they replace it. I'm like, Oh, yeah. Like, okay. It's horrible. Like, like, what if they just told you it lasted eight days? Would you be happy then? Like, like it like, you know what I mean? Like, I don't? Yeah, I never know what people want. It's a it's a very unique situation, this idea of having diabetes, right from person to person to person. And yet these companies make these things that overwhelmingly work for such a wide swath of people. And it okay, you got to make some adjustments or figure out things. I don't know how you can be upset by that. Like, I think it's because they don't know the the alternative, maybe maybe they're newly diagnosed, they just don't. And that would make sense to me. But trust me, I'll put you on some like, regular and cloudy or something like that from the 70s. And see how quickly you're not thrilled if your Dexcom doesn't last 10 days or your pump has to go from manual to auto once in a while. It's just, it's interesting. I like listening to you talk about it.

Melissa 38:13
Oh, well. I mean, I don't actually mind talking about there was a point in time when I would never I couldn't talk about it without sobbing about diabetes in general. Yeah, just in general, just even thinking about it would just I would, I'm done. I'm over. I can't talk about it. I can't believe this. Why is this happening to my daughter? She doesn't deserve this. I'm over that. Like, I'm just so grateful that we have what we have. She went home actually. She went home with Dexcom from the hospital pharmacy. Yeah. I didn't even know it existed. But my husband is well, he was a football coach at the school that my son goes to. And one of his players, who is a police officer now has type one and was diagnosed right after high school. And he i My husband is like one of those guys who's like, Hey, I know a guy I got a guy and so he had a guy of course who he's like, Hey, wait a minute. I remember this guy's got type one diabetes and called him and he said get a Dexcom right away. So I like told the nurse while we were still in the hospital What about continuous glucose monitor? And she told us like there's a libre, there's a Dexcom which one would you like? Pick Dexcom went home with it. That guy came over that night. The night we got home and put it on her and yeah.

Scott Benner 39:39
Nice. Yeah. Yeah, that's really cool.

Melissa 39:41
Our our like, I hear so many people say that they their endos making them wait for this and wait for that. But ours was like as soon as you feel comfortable. Let's think about a pump. Like they did not want us to wait for anything. Yeah, they weren't saying no Dexcom they just I'd like yeah, sweet. Let's do it. Some,

Scott Benner 40:02
some doctors just, they have these arbitrary rules. And I think sometimes they come from insurance too. Yeah, possibly a good doctor says, Look, you know, I run into sometimes and insurance won't give people a whatever, if they haven't blah, blah, blah for six months or whatever. So they just, they don't bother doing it anymore. Meanwhile, other people have different insurance. So, you know, we're lucky, we're so lucky. Yeah. And they changed in them, the doctors end up changing their ideas about around the insurance, instead of just saying, Look, we should ask for this for everybody and let the insurances that will cover it cover it and the ones that don't won't, you know, but let's why are we getting away from talking about it? You know, I That's terrific. Good for you. Good for her actually having that right away. And she had that, but didn't want to pump right away. But she saw the value in the CGM. Is that right?

Melissa 40:55
Yeah, she Yeah, she saw the value in the CGM, she that you know, let her be more normal. I mean, she already had a phone course. So, you know, it was just nothing, just this tiny little thing. And she normally she would keep it on her arm, but with swimming every day. It's works a little bit better if she keeps it on her stomach. So she tries to keep both things on her stomach. But lately, her stomach has become a little bit sensitive. Okay. I don't know. But it works better. Just everything stays on better if it's like concealed under her suit.

Scott Benner 41:33
Yeah. What's the management like in the house? Like, are you helping? Is your husband helping? She's doing it by herself?

Melissa 41:40
She is at 50. She does. She does it by herself. She did all the shots by herself. I mean, the lady the nurse was in the hospital was like, okay, honey, talking to her. Like she was going to be like, all nervous. And she was like, I'm going to be doing this forever. You just give me the thing. And she just, you know, shot herself in the leg and never looked back. She's you know, I'm not a baby. I'm going to do this. It's fine. I'm not afraid. Just give me the thing. What about

Scott Benner 42:06
decisions about like the amounts of insulin or these things you're doing when you're going from manual to like Baba is that you? A

Melissa 42:13
lot of it is I'll text her, you know, and say switch to auto switch to manual, highest. So it's your lowest activity. You know, I will text her just that stuff. If she's not with me, but she manage it. I mean, she does most of it on her own. I don't like oversee. If she's going down for you know, breakfast or lunch. I tell her how many carbs are in her lunch, like at school. And I just put a little sticky note in her lunch. And then she does what she does. And sometimes they'll say, oh, maybe you did you underestimate? Did you not? You know, little questions like that. But yeah, she pretty much does it on her own. Sometimes she'll just like hand me the controller. And I know that she's done and she wants me to do it. You know, but for the most part, it's on her own. I oversee and you know, like, I'm a partner with her. But

Scott Benner 43:05
what about her Lowe's, she handles? She sees a low and stops it on her own or you get involved there?

Melissa 43:10
Yeah, I think so. Sometimes she says already did you know like, I'll text her and say to Skittles, she keeps getting her Skittles or her, you know, like low in her little bag. I'll say like, Hey, a couple Skittles. And she's like, already did you know? For the most part, sometimes she's like, wait, what? Why? You know, but Melissa, do

Scott Benner 43:31
you think she'll ever get to the age where and I'm quoting now? Oh, my God, chill T F out. Which I think means. And so because I got that text the other night.

Melissa 43:42
We're there we're at a point to like, the Oh my god. OMG I got it as just a stop sign. I get

Scott Benner 43:53
I haven't gotten that one yet. I love that. That's great.

Melissa 43:56
Or, like, if especially if it's in school, she doesn't have very many, very many lows really, actually. But you know, like in school, she's like, I can't text now. I'm talking on my watch, you know, or whatever. But it's like a partnership. I like my huge thing. I don't know if it's like overbearing or what but I like from the very beginning. You You don't have to do any of this alone. Like you. You need a break. Give it to me, I will do whatever you need or want me to do. I don't like expect her to I do it all if she if she wanted me to, you know, I would do every last drop of it if she wanted me to. I don't she's 14 she's got how many more years left to this. I'm fine doing it for her for now are with her. You know,

Scott Benner 44:42
I agree. I think it's a it's a thing that you can be helpful with along the way. I also think that I've talked to enough people, as adults who look back on their childhood and end up saying, I kept telling my mom I knew what I was doing, but I didn't and a will Yeah. And so I think that's important to keep in mind too. Yeah,

Melissa 45:02
I mean, like, I feel like it hurt being 12 diagnosis, it was like we learned it together wasn't like, you know, she was two years old like you. And she's not going to learn any of it, you know, how in the world, so it's just you, but we kind of like have been learning together. And it's just kind of like a joint effort.

Scott Benner 45:22
I guess. Can you tell me a little bit about how the podcast is helpful to you?

Melissa 45:28
Oh, my gosh, yes. First and foremost, I think it was like a mental. It just gave me some mental people like peace of mind. We know nobody. Well, besides the there's a police officer, you know, one of my husband's friends. But like, there's no kids that we know, nobody that she knows, has type one diabetes, or it has to deal with, you know, anything on the level that she's got to deal with it. We know of, you know what I mean? So and there's no parents who I can talk to or anything. So this is like, the community of people I don't know, but totally relate to, and just made me feel so much more like comforted, even though I don't know anybody, you know? Yeah. So just to hear, like parents struggle with it. And parents feeling guilty and doubting themselves. And along all the feelings I was feeling is just like made me feel so much. I don't want to say better, but just like less, beating myself up, I guess. And then just the knowledge, like when the Omnipod five episodes came out, so helpful. Listen to them. I don't even know how many times on my walk. My dog is like, lady, who is this guy? Because I would, you know, like, I don't really wear headphones on my walk. Just my phone's going in my pouch. And so he hears your voice every for an hour and a half every time we're walking. Just you want

Scott Benner 46:51
me to start telling him where to poop? Maybe we can get it all in one place. So the kids job will be.

Melissa 46:55
I would love it just right on the side of the house. All right over there. Go ahead. Yeah.

Scott Benner 47:01
Well, it will make you feel good to know this, then hold on one second. I am looking at an email that is setting up a meeting for tomorrow. And it says Hi, Scott, I hope things have been well with you. I don't want to use anybody's name. But I know you've been chatting with us about your next Omni pod series for the podcast. And things are coming together on our end. It's time to get together. We'd like to get your ideas and set up an outline for the conversation. So there's going to be more on the pod content coming next year. So yeah, I they found that very helpful, and so did a lot of people and those episodes have been downloaded a lot. So actually, those three episodes are collectively up to about 150,000 downloads.

Melissa 47:47
Oh yeah, because they're on their website. They're on the Omni pod. Like when you set up your Omnipod five. There you are.

Scott Benner 47:55
Yeah, isn't that weird? Because yeah, it's weird to me just say no.

Melissa 47:59
No, yeah. Well, I did. I did get my husband to listen to those episodes. My because my daughter went to Washington, DC. Oh my god, this was huge. She went to Washington DC with her school in June. And if you want, it's gonna probably make me sound like a nut in a bag. But we're talking like months and months of mental anguish over this. I was a ball of nerves for months leading up to this trip that she took. Because, I don't know. I was just so scared for her to go. And she killed it. She did awesome. Thanks to the Omnipod five. I mean, she ran a little higher than she would have at home but do that automated mode. Thank the Lord. So for that

Scott Benner 48:46
you just threw me off with not not in a bag? Because I'm like, is that a thing people say? So. Um, alright, so it is actually a crazy person, so a nutbag is a crazed male or female so I think you may have meant it made me sound like sound like enough back if you said that I wouldn't have paused I would just I

Melissa 49:08
am famous for screwing up like really easy to remember phrases so really probably supposed to be not back yeah,

Scott Benner 49:15
you're you're colloquially challenged? Yes. Oh, by the way. Oh my god, I'm gonna definitely name the episode colloquially challenged. But so nuts in a bag is a reference, but it's not what you meant. Yeah.

Melissa 49:32
Most people know by this. They know just know nobody mentions it. Sometimes I husband's like, oh my god, or I can't think of the word so I just like something comes out of my mouth. And usually like my husband and kids know what I meant, but they're just rolling their eyes. You just get it wrong a little bit. A little bit, actually, for whatever. Like trying to get situated for here. I was asking my son Where are your air pods? And I don't know what I said. But he poked his head out of the bathroom and said, Why is it so hard to say air pods? I have no idea what I even said.

Scott Benner 50:07
Alright, I don't know, I have somebody I'm related to who I want out here because I think people listened that would know this person. But they very frequently used words in the wrong places. And I, I love going, it's not what you meant. That's not the word you're meant. I know. I

Melissa 50:27
know what I meant. Yeah,

Scott Benner 50:28
I know what you're trying to say. That word doesn't mean that my

Melissa 50:32
husband's line he just is like, that's not what that means. You just move along. Like that. You know what I mean?

Scott Benner 50:41
That's fantastic. Anyway, there's also some dirty phrases here about nuts in a bag. I don't want to tell you about but you meant not that. Guess what I'm saying? Crazy Lady. Yeah. So she you were really nervous to send her away? Obviously, young shouldn't be by herself. But it went really well. Yeah,

Melissa 50:56
it went really, really? Well. Yeah, she had a blast. And we just did the manual mode, auto mode, this Faisal that basil, are you walking right now? Are you you know, that kind of thing? Well, and

Scott Benner 51:08
if you didn't do that, just on that trip, do you think she would have been okay, just left it in auto? Do you think it would have been fine to? Probably

Melissa 51:14
but my anxiety levels? Well, yeah, I have very hard time with the numbers on the Dexcom. And just letting things go sometimes, like, you'll probably cringe, but let's say it's 150. Let's say it's 150. And I will say to her, correct. And she's like, Oh my God, it's fine. You know, like, and then I won't know if she's going to if she corrected or not. Because to her, she would rather be 150 than correct and go low.

Scott Benner 51:44
Yeah, I wouldn't want her to go low. But I also understand what you're saying. Like if I saw if I saw a stock 150 Like, it doesn't make me cringe. Like I'm not cringing when you're thinking about it. But it did put me in my own head, I would be like, hey, this, whatever we're doing is not working right now. So you need more insulin here. We have to break this number is how I would put it. And back in the beginning. Like I won't lie to everybody. Most of back in the beginning, I would see the number and think, okay, yeah, because then there's going to be complications, and you're going to die. And it's going to be my fault. And like, you're not going to be happy. And like, I get that. The truth is as it moves on 150 for a little while. It's not the end of the world. But staring at it for hours and hours and hours is not necessary, either. So you gotta find a middle. I'm trying to make my podcast but the world's coming to an end outside. Hold on a second. What? In that give me Hold on a second. Unbelievable, Melissa, do they not know what I'm doing here? I'm making a living

Melissa 52:42
by How dare this thing? No, no, hold

Scott Benner 52:45
on. So I think this is the I don't know what this is an indication of. But there's a piece of machinery outside right now. Going down the street picking up people's like lawn scraps. And this piece of machinery is overkill to say the least I believe it could be used to knock over a house. But instead it's picking up brush so it'll be gone in a second. And I think that people in my township overspent on this thing 100,000,000% Like you know when you're like you look at your fire department and they have like this like amazing ladder truck that goes up like 200 feet and you think we don't have any buildings at all. Why

Melissa 53:24
did they buy it you're driving in this pothole, pothole.

Scott Benner 53:28
Take the ladder truck money and fill the potholes. Would you please yeah. And meanwhile, I'm watching three people watch the machine pick up the stuff and I'm thinking if they were helping, you wouldn't need a machine the size of a mountain to do this. Instead of them just all standing and staring at it while it is so loud. Can you hear it? Or no? I can a little bit. Yeah. But it's insane how loud it is. I wish I could describe to you the earthmover that is outside of my my residential home right now. Like I don't live in the middle of nowhere like Melissa, wherever you're at. I don't know. You're like God's country there. Where are you at exact not exactly, but like, right.

Melissa 54:08
We are I mean, I don't mind your Midwestern. Yeah, we're I've Michigan. Yeah, it's not. I feel like I don't hear very many people from here. Like I don't know anyone. I feel like nobody says they're from here. We don't know anybody. Like Are we the only people we can't be because it takes me. I know there are other people and I

Scott Benner 54:31
just recorded with Robin the other day. She's a an adult with type one and she lives in northern Michigan. She has like a lot of property and everything.

Melissa 54:39
Oh, you know what I do know someone I totally forgot. And I just I just told him about your podcast. And he for his son. Yeah, we went to high school together. It's a son. That's right. Well, they were diagnosed right around the same time he's a few years younger but he was on vacation and needed a something about the T slim and got it nice through the pipe. Cast I was he was like, thank you so much for telling me. I

Scott Benner 55:03
just want to give you an update, we've now used 37 gallons of diesel fuel and four people's man hours to move what looks like an amount of brush that my father would have just lit on fire and made go away. But he can't do that anymore because bad for the air.

Melissa 55:18
Is it one of the as everybody gets like hanging on to the side of it as it drives away? Oh, no,

Scott Benner 55:23
you're not imagining a large enough piece of equipment. There's a thing out there that if a war broke out, they would probably use this to help fight is is how big it is. And it is backing up and going forward and backing up. And going forward by three people are just he's now trying to pick up four branches with a machine that's meant to like knock over like concrete. And it's too delicate of an operation. And if one of them would bend over, pick the branch up and throw it. This would have been over a while ago. But instead, it's still happening. And it's such a motor like it's vibrating my chest. I know you can't the microphones doing a good job of keeping it down. But it's still like what are they? when it takes off? It's going to sound like a spaceship leaving I think I seriously don't understand what's happening. I don't have time to get involved in local politics, Melissa, but if I did, I would start right here with this.

Melissa 56:19
Like take a picture of this right here. What is this

Scott Benner 56:23
could have handled two guys in a pickup truck and instead there is an earthmover

Melissa 56:30
send my son over he can pick a kid

Scott Benner 56:32
picks up crap like a like a champ. He could definitely do this though. So anyway, all right, hold on. Oh, we're getting towards the end. So let's make sure we do everything you love me. That's important to mention. The podcast has been really helpful for you. That's cool. You're a little anxious. Do you think that's gonna get better?

Melissa 56:50
Yeah, it has gotten so much better.

Scott Benner 56:54
Good. Yeah. Good. Yeah. Yeah, it's not gonna stay like that. getting better and better, I

Melissa 56:58
think. Yeah, you know, Oh,

Scott Benner 56:59
hold on the things back. It's backing up now. Oh, good. Amazing. What is I am I'm gonna go look one more time. Hold on up your back. Okay, it looks like they're done. They've, by the way back traffic up on the street that doesn't have traffic on it. So that's how long they've been out there

Melissa 57:14
now. Oh, you can't even get by it. It's

Scott Benner 57:16
that big to drive around? I'm almost I feel like you're not listening to me this thing. The man driving is 19 feet off the ground? Oh, my God, that's hilarious. I don't I don't know. How did that happen? It's almost like they it's like when you find like a local police department and they have a SWAT team. All of a sudden you're like, what did you need a Humvee for? We got the budget like, Oh, okay. Okay, sorry. Your anxiety? I think it's something that's really obviously comes to most people in the beginning. And oh,

Melissa 57:56
yeah, I can imagine but but it should.

Scott Benner 57:59
The way I think about it as your experiences build on each other. And you get more and more confident. And you see things work more and more times like that stuff should go if it's not, you should talk to somebody but like, I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to everybody. But if but it should dissipate over time. Once you start getting some, you know, certainty, I guess.

Melissa 58:20
It's like one of those things where people say, Oh, it's it'll get better. And I'm just like, screw you know, it won't. How could this get better? Yeah, you know, there's no way. But here we are

Scott Benner 58:32
someone online the other day said something about does it make you sad to see a device on a child? And it makes me sad all the time when I see whatever they were talking about. Oh, my kid. And think

Melissa 58:42
I might have seen that. Yeah. And it was a little kid on a couch.

Scott Benner 58:45
Yeah. And it was a big thing. Like it went on for a while a lot of people got involved. I jumped in. I was like, hey, that won't bother you after a while, like, I don't know,

Melissa 58:54
sharing that exact statement. And like I scrolled right through and thought, yeah, you're right. It won't. I mean, yeah, it's sad. But also like, in my now I can't even believe I'm saying this. But yeah, it's sad. But look at what you have, like, you got all these things to help you out there. You've already got them on your kid. You got the pad and the Dexcom you know, awesome. Yeah, I

Scott Benner 59:19
think it's very reasonable.

Melissa 59:21
I can't imagine like, first of all, I can't imagine if my daughter was younger, because and I just feel like it would I would have been so much not to say so much more sad. Is that horrible to say? Because she was 12 but, like, maybe too young to like, communicate about it, you know, just like this is happening to you. You have no idea oh my gosh, this is like 20 times more awful. Whereas she was able to like we learned together like I said, you know, which I feel like we like had each other.

Scott Benner 59:50
I think I think what happens is that no matter when this occurs in your life, there are different reasons to be sad and different in different reasons to be hope. polling, there's things that you can point to, like, Here, watch. My daughter was two. So a lot of the stuff we did, she didn't really know about, like, she didn't know she had diabetes, like she's just how things were. So that is a positive way, if you juxtapose that against a 12 year old, who lived 12 years without diabetes, now suddenly having to do all these things and understands contextually, but you can flip those things around and make the arguments in reverse. You know, and so the truth is, is nobody wants diabetes, and it sucks. And there are things that are better or worse about it, depending on the age when it happens. But to judge it all against itself is it's kind of always

Melissa 1:00:38
Yeah, like, it's the weird thing where you're all like, the same in the same boat, but maybe like in the same water, but in different boats, you know, think about any way you want waving at each other like you, okay, kinda you, I

Scott Benner 1:00:52
think some of it's not within your control, like, you know, to see, like, I didn't want my daughter to have a pump, because that's like, we can't put something on her. Everybody has that thought, you know, and then once you do it, and you're like us isn't a big deal. And it really helps in a lot of other ways. So cool. And then one day, you're just accustomed to it, it's no big deal, or, you know, somebody will get online and be like, I can't believe that my XYZ expired when I was trying to, please, you'll just get used to that. It'll be part of what you do. And it won't be a big deal at one point. And you'll learn to like appreciate the fact that your life is I don't know how to say this exactly. But you got to be able to do hard things in life. And sometimes chat challenges are really like what make you I'm not saying I wouldn't give away a different I prefer a different challenge that didn't involve health. But yeah, like, come on. Yeah, yeah. It's also not up to you. So you got this thing. And then from there, you can decide to meet it head on, and let it make you grow. Or you can decide to let it run you over. Yeah, and do the other thing. And for the people in between who have actual, you know, issues that where they can't create that kind of like resistance, then you you you hope they find help and find other people to help prop them up while they while they figure out a way through it. But for most of most people, you get to decide how you react to things. So, you know, anyway, yeah,

Melissa 1:02:19
I guess as with everything, you know,

Scott Benner 1:02:21
it's up to you mostly.

Melissa 1:02:24
Give it a shot? No.

Scott Benner 1:02:26
I mean, you might as well go for it. It's better that way than the other way. I mean, if you've got a choice to make make the choice that might end up with, you know, some positive outcomes. I think,

Melissa 1:02:37
yeah, that's a work. I mean, it's easier said than done. It takes a lot of work to feel that way and think that way, I think you know, and actually do it.

Scott Benner 1:02:45
If you're a dumb boy like me, you just just be like, You got rocks in your head, you just say I'll do it. Don't worry, I'll be fine.

Melissa 1:02:51
I know I'm an over thinker. So yeah, I don't

Scott Benner 1:02:54
think about enough. I don't think about anything enough to be upset about for too long. The key to life is to just be like a boy and just go it'll be alright. And go. No, I wish and wish or not, but I'm sure there are women to think like that, too. Oh, God, is somebody gonna be upset by that? You know what I mean? Stop it. Disclaimer. There's just sometimes you can get to in your own head, I guess is the way you can think about it. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Anyway. All right, Melissa, this was terrific. I really appreciate you doing this with me. Well,

Melissa 1:03:26
thank you. Yeah, I appreciate you doing that with me too, especially since I messed it up. I think it was maybe last week. I have to admit,

Scott Benner 1:03:33
my schedule is so busy that you popped up today. And I created the file. And I was like, I already have this file. Like why do I have a file with his name on it? Now I'm like picking through my email. I'm like, Oh, this was rescheduled like days ago, and then I'm like, I'm not gonna show you gonna show. I'm like, I must have done this. How do I not remember this? What did happen the other day I forget. I'm

Melissa 1:03:57
a paper and pencil planner person. And I wrote it down for the eighth. I don't know why. That's right. I wasn't

Scott Benner 1:04:06
I texted you. I'm like, Hey, you're gonna get on this and you're like, it's on the eighth and I'm like, It's not

Melissa 1:04:10
okay, and listen to this one. So I don't even remember when I made this schedule this long time ago. Right? How many months ago and every like month I put it down in the bottom of my notes until I got to like right in August. Like I just kept putting it to the next month so I've seen this date like for months, because I just I can't forget to put that in August. Thank

Scott Benner 1:04:35
you very consistently wrote down the wrong date. That's excellent.

Melissa 1:04:38
Yes, that is my life right there. In a nutshell so prepared but so unprepared I

Scott Benner 1:04:45
wish I could ask you just general sayings that you get wrong. Do you have any I

Melissa 1:04:49
couldn't even think of one right now. I know like I was trying to like real quick think before when we were talking about it, but I don't know.

Scott Benner 1:04:56
I thought that just just from your personality. I thought she's not gonna even be But to like recant the ones that she gets wrong. No, that's great. That's fantastic. All right. Well, Melissa, I again, thank you so much for doing this. I appreciate it. Okay, thank you. Hold on one second. Okay.

Arden has been getting her diabetes supplies from us med for three years. You can as well, US med.com/juice box or call 888-721-1514. My thanks to us med for sponsoring this episode. And for being longtime sponsors of the Juicebox Podcast. There are links in the show notes and links at juicebox podcast.com. To us Med and all of the sponsors. A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, ag one drink ag one.com/juice box, you can start your day the same way I do with a delicious drink of ag one.

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