Scott Benner 8/9/25 Scott Benner 8/9/25

#1597 Advice for T1 Parents from T1 Adults - Part 2

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Adults living with type 1 diabetes (from the podcast's private Facebook group) share their thoughts with type 1 parents.

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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 back to another episode of The Juicebox podcast.

If you're looking to meet other people living with type one diabetes, head over to Juicebox podcast.com/juice. Cruise. Because next June, that's right, 2026 June, 21 the second juice Cruise is happening on the celebrity beyond cruise ship. It's a seven night trip going to the Caribbean. We're gonna be visiting Miami Coke, okay? St, Thomas and st, Kitts, the Virgin Islands, you're gonna love the Virgin Islands. Sail with Scott and the Juicebox community on a week long voyage built for people and families living with type one diabetes. Enjoy tropical luxury, practical education and judgment, free atmosphere. Perfect day at Coco Bay. St, Kitts, st, Thomas five interactive workshops with me and surprise guests on type one, hacks and tech, mental health, mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, personal growth and professional development, support groups and wellness discussions tailored for life with type one and celebrities, world class amenities, dining and entertainment. This is open from every age you know, newborn to 99 I don't care how old you are. Come out. Check us out. You can view state rooms and prices at Juicebox podcast.com/juice. Cruise. The last juice cruise just happened a couple weeks ago. 100 of you came. It was awesome. We're looking to make it even bigger this year. Hope you can check it out. 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 healthcare plan or becoming bold with insulin. Every once in a while, I see a post on the private Facebook group for the Juicebox podcast that makes me feel like I wish everyone could see this, and today that happened, so I'm going to give you a ton of highlights from that post. Don't worry, I'll get through it quickly. I know Scott reads you the internet might not be your favorite thing, but trust me, this is valuable. The original poster asks for adults who were diagnosed as children to answer a couple of questions, is there something you appreciated that your parents did to help you as a child? Is there something your parents didn't do that you wish they had done? And so far, I'm seeing in under two hours, 86 replies. I don't know if I'm gonna read you all 86 of them, but maybe, who knows? Let's see, my parents involved me in my own care very early. They let me be a kid, but they also understood that this disease was lifelong, and in order for me to understand it as best as I can, it was best for me to get involved. I'm glad they did that for me. They never pressured me or anything, but they did a good job being honest with me about the disease and the care and letting me take part in it. They also taught me it's okay to say no to food. Sometimes, I think a lot of people, especially in the US, have horrendous relationships with food, and they feel like they need what they want, and they want all the damn time, and then sometimes wonder why their diabetes is hard to control. Sometimes they told me no, and I'm glad they did, because now I can say no to certain foods in certain situations easily, and it doesn't phase me at all. It's just food and it will still be there later or tomorrow. And I'm grateful for all of this. Thank you. Next one. I was diagnosed at 13 in 1995 the only thing my parents did immediately after diagnosis, like while we were in the hospital, was learn to do my injections, because I refused. I was so thankful to them for taking that off my plate. My mom sent me to diabetes camp my first summer with diabetes. At the time, I was terrified and I did not want to go, but I'm glad I did. I learned so much the first day, including having reverse peer pressure to do my own injections. I saw a six year old doing their own shots, and I felt like I should know how to do it as well, so I just did it. I attended the same camp Clara Barton and I'm still friends with a handful of girls I met the very first summer. This person goes on to say my parents were hands off other than the shots, and I didn't know I had a choice about it. In their heads, diabetes was my thing. I'd have to live with so it was better for me to figure it out while under their roof instead of after I had moved out. Did it make me take a lot of responsibility at a younger age, it did, but it also made me incredibly confident in myself and my ability to take care of myself. It taught me advocacy and adaptability and that I can lean on others when and if I need to. Isn't that awesome? She goes on to say, My parents always allowed me to be the final say. And my decisions in my care. Did I want to go on a pump, stay on shots, try new insulin? I did a lot of my own research and discussed it with them, but at the end of the day, my decision to this day, 30 years later, my mom still celebrates my diagnosis day with a card and a little note about how proud she is of me. Some years have been more difficult than others, so her little notes of encouragement and showing me that she sees me and how hard I work. That was lovely. Made me emotional. Thank you for sharing that. Let's see. Wow, this is a great post. You have some awesome insight on a bigger picture. I'm 37 and have lived with type one diabetes for 32 years. My parents did a great job, even before Dexcom and pumps of never letting me use my diabetes as an excuse to not to do something through adulthood. I've always had that mindset. It may take more prep, but I've been able to do things that I've wanted to do. I hated that they restricted food. Learned to Bolus for tough foods together, so they'll have the knowledge to do so without you and talk about alcohol and drinking effects on your glucose. So I'm an ICU nurse, and I can't tell you how many patients I've treated that could have avoided a hospital stay with that knowledge. Another great insight. I was diagnosed at 13. I'm now 39 so this might be different for those of you who have younger kids, but my mom had me get involved right away, gave myself my first shot, checked my blood sugar all the time. She was right there. Knew how to do everything, knew what questions to ask, but she wanted me to be as independent, responsible for my care as possible. Person goes on to say, I felt ownership over myself and what was happening to me. I didn't feel like the doctors or my mom were telling me what to do, and without her stepping back and letting me handle it at 13, I would have felt like I was just another thing I had to do, or that my parents were telling me to do. And I have talked to her about this since becoming an adult, and she said it was really hard, especially in the beginning, to not just do everything for me, because that is an instinct of a parent, to protect your kid at all costs, to make things easier for them, but she knew it was going to be the right thing for me, having something medically wrong with you, you can feel so out of control, and it's very easy to not feel autonomy over your body. So having the tools to feel as in control as I could was so important if I needed her. My mom was there. She was at every appointment. She knew how to do everything. She goes on to say that back in the day, we used to have to eat at certain times of the day because of how the insulin worked. So I had to eat my breakfast at 8am I used to babysit late nights, and my mom would make me breakfast and bring my glucometer insulin to my room, wake me up to do everything. I would eat and go back to sleep.

She was my support, even though she wasn't the one doing it all. That's another one. I'm gonna cry making this damn episode 45 years type one, diagnosed at six, also the parent of a type one, teaching me to be independent and able to advocate for myself is the best thing my parents did for me and that I'm doing for my daughter, let them live and learn and be there to support them when they make a wrong choice, but don't make them feel bad, because in time, they will figure it out on their own. It was a long time ago for me. There wasn't any technology, but what helped was that my mom included me in decisions, not that I made the decisions, but that she would work through the food counting and the insulin amounts with me. She also kept a journal of food insulin and just as importantly, how I felt, be it cranky, drowsy, sick, or whatever. We didn't have a CGM or even finger sticks when we started out in 75 so connecting how I felt with the BG was important. This person has had diabetes for 50 years and still carries an A 1c of five, seven, and they say knock wood. No complications yet. I was diagnosed at five, and one of the best things my parents did was to let me figure things out with them. It's another one saying the same thing. I was only a child, and I was fairly bad at being a child. Even at five, I was fairly bad at being a child. I don't know what that means. It's funny, even at five. So I wanted to learn and manage and treat my own hypos, inject myself and etc. I had been at school for six months and thought I knew everything. My mom was also not an alarmist, and treated my diagnosis with calmness and a lack of fuss, as did her parents. My father is a little more alarmist, but he did a good job of masking it. However, his side of the family were quite hopeless. They irritated me profoundly with their random fussing. My mom also told me that a lot of adults are a bit stupid and had learned incorrect things about diabetes, and I might have to put up with this for a while. No, it's awesome. She taught me to swear in lieu of lollies and chocolate. This was a bit fabulous, because I had a thing that other kids didn't even if I couldn't eat the same treats they did. It was in the 70s, and the diet was quite restrictive. She says, I now swear and eat chocolate and maintain a very tidy HBA 1c and A time and range. I also have. Good mental and physical health. The absolute best thing that happened in my early type one years was that at my friend's sixth birthday party, my mom and I had worked out some good options for me to eat, but Caro, my mom's friend, quietly told me that all the jell orange quarters were sugar free and that I could go mad if I wanted to. I nearly cried with relief. I had already taken on a lot of responsibility. It was my choice, and I was doing my best to get things right, but Kara had just made my job so much easier. That's awesome. You guys are really sharing. This is lovely. Hold on. I see this person has a slightly different perspective, very interesting. Ready? I've always had the mentality that if I was going to have to do this for the rest of my life on my own, I might as well get as much help as I can while I was living under my parents roof, I will say I didn't get as zoned in on my diabetes care until I was like 23 when I started to see small but reversible complications. My a 1c has always hovered around seven and a half to 8.2 for 20 years, and I'm still trying to get it lower. My suggestion is to ask your kid what they need from you. Show them this group and put the podcast on when they're around. If they are still young enough, send them to camp, if they're old enough to take on some responsibility, let them or make them, but don't ever be mad at them for a mistake they do with diabetes. They are already feeling the mistake and the consequences before you realize it be caring and annoying. She laughs. Remind them to Bolus, remind them to check blood sugar. I grew up with just the basic pump and finger sticks, so there was a lot of nagging, but I really don't mind. They never restricted food. There's a dosage for every food, and we were capable of eating it. Now, healthy food options should be taught to everybody. Just being type ones can eat whatever they want. That doesn't mean that they should eat the things that people think they shouldn't all the time. Moderation and proper nutrition education is key. Protein and fat is a must. Intermittent fasting has helped my insulin uses go down. My blood sugar leveled out, and the average time and range has now gone from 10 to 60% over three months. That's awesome. Good luck to you and your kid. I appreciated that my parents never restricted what I ate. I was always told I can eat whatever. I just need to give insulin for it. As a young girl, I think that helped my entire childhood not revolve around food, counting carbs, sugars may be high sometimes as part of the disease, we don't always need to be perfect. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 14, and now I'm 46 my parents made me do it from the beginning. My mom was a nurse. She knew the basics, but I did my own injections, glucose testing, et cetera. One thing that both my parents did that helped me was they immediately switched to drinking water and diet soda. They let me be a normal teen. I played sports. I went to France in the summer after my senior year, I went out with my friends. I worked all summer long, and I know they worried, but their worry didn't get so bad. They didn't allow me to do stuff. We still ate cake on my birthday and had pizza on Friday nights. Type one here for 20 years when I was diagnosed in my teens. Looking back, I will always be grateful that my parents taught me from diagnosis that my care was my responsibility. They were there every step of the way, every appointment, etc. Because of this, I am so much more involved, invested, versatile, responsible, accountable, proactive, grounded and humble in my care. For example, should my insulin pump break down, I am able to easily get back to being MDI, the internet and all the conveniences of tech go away. I know the fundamentals of bolusing and carb ratios, corrections, etc. My parents did not micromanage me, or at least I don't think they did. This person says that all families are different, but I think my advice might be to let go a bit and let the child learn. I understand that can't be done for a very young child, a toddler or baby, etc. And every person is different. Some are definitely more independent than others, but I guess once a child gets the grasp and the understanding of what to do. You have to let go a little bit. This person was diagnosed in 1983 someone posted episode 392 advice for type one parents from type one adults. So this is an update to that episode. If you want to go listen to that one as well. I am totally for this, because I feel like I'm ruining my kid. This person says, just diagnosed two months ago. Probably just normal parent guilt, but it's on a whole other level. I'm glad to be hearing from other adults with firsthand type one perspective. Look, they get some support here. You're not ruining your child just by caring and posting. This shows you're an amazing parent. I agree. I wish mine would have sought help for their fear and anxiety surrounding me. It took years of therapy as an adult to stop feeling like a problem. Oh, I've been waiting 62 years to be asked this question. Well, then this is going to be hell of an answer. I think my answer is that my parents were great. It's just that I realized that things look different from my perspective, and I wasn't sure my folks knew that i. I hope that makes sense, my parents encouraged my independence so that I was able to take charge of myself at a fairly young age. At the same time, they would quietly pitch in on tasks that I had trouble with until I didn't. They made sure I never felt like an object of pity. I know my diagnosis was much harder on them than it was on me, but they managed to set a positive tone and live by it. It was basically a normal kid like life, but with hard candy in my pocket, and I think they sent me to camp. It must have been easier back then fewer tasks and benchmarks. Okay, this person says diagnosed in 87 at age nine. From the get go, I was taught how to manage, how to draw up insulin, measure, food, etc, what portions looked like for situations when I wasn't at home, how to treat it low. My parents gave me agency over my own body and over my diabetes. They never made a big deal about it. I was never told I couldn't do something. Never denied a sleepover or a party or a hot dog at school. I didn't miss school for lows or highs. I had no accommodations unless I was actively experiencing a Hypo. I am so glad my mom never said she wished it was her instead of me. She actually became a type one at age 50, many years after my diagnosis, and I never thought to myself, Oh, now she'll understand what does that success look like for me. Now I have three adult kids a degree, no complications yet, no diabetes, anxiety, nothing I see as a true impediment to getting the life I want. I don't pray for a cure. I have never once felt sorry for myself or asked why me. I am deeply, deeply grateful that my parents gave me the gift of independence. This person jumped in because I commented about an hour into this, and I said, I'm going to make an episode out of this post. And a person said, Oh, I think that's amazing. I'm the parent of a 10 year old daughter diagnosed in 2024

I'm also a nurse practitioner, and it is amazing what I didn't know and how much I've learned in the last eight months. My biggest struggle is preventing the prevention of resentment. Because of our daily battles, I want my daughter to feel like a normal kid, yet she often resists what that means fixing highs, late pod changes, etc. I read a post by a member months ago that said she resented her parents for all the pressure they put on her and the control and the constant nagging, I don't know how to find that happy medium. I don't either. That's why we just talk about it. I'm struggling, and I feel like I'm drowning at times. I take on complete management myself. My husband doesn't do anything. It's 24/7 as we all know, but I want her to feel as little stress as possible while being as independent as she wants to be with their own management. I love advice on helping to decrease the resentment and how to foster the trust and care and relationship without causing a strain as the age. I'm including that here because that's the middle right. Like you know, you can hear from all the people that you know can look back in the rear view mirror and say, here's what my parents did, and it really worked for me. There are just as many people whose parents did that and it didn't work for them. There are just as many people who were more involved, and, you know, did things longer, like there's no one size fits all answer for this, some kids will respond well to what you've heard. Some won't. My mom would tell you that she tried really hard, and I wouldn't listen to her. It was not until I found a reason to be responsible for my health that I started to care. You can lead a horse to water. I hope I can be a cautionary tale for kids now, but they really need to find their own path and a reason to care. I was diagnosed at 14. So I was very independent. From the beginning, my parents learned about how to give shots, but never gave me any, not that I wanted them to. They were with me at all my classes. Learned the basics, but after that, probably the first year, they didn't keep up. I've always been doing this myself. It is definitely not their fault, because the doctors always told them that I was doing great. I really wasn't doing that well, I had an A, 1c in the eights, and I never asked for help. I wish they would have taken more time to learn about how to help me, not lecturing me, because I definitely wouldn't have listened, or just time to keep up with the technology so that I had someone to lean on if I needed it. That being said, they have been my biggest supporters since my diagnosis and after the initial fear of low blood sugars, they never bug me about numbers. If I would have asked for help, they would have tried their best and still would. So basically, even if your kid is easy in quotes and does everything themselves, you should still learn about management and how to live with diabetes. They might not appreciate it in the moment, but they will later. I love this post as a type one adult. I appreciate your curiosity and willingness to listen to those living with the disease. I'm so glad this is going to be an episode Me, too. I was diagnosed at 50. Mean and loved being independent. I would have absolutely despised having my parents on my back about my diabetes, even when they would make comments I would get frustrated. But the key problem was they weren't educated about it. They didn't really try to learn the disease and the nuances of it. They just knew sugar equals insulin, low sugar equaled eat. That's what they know. Maybe they had been more educated and approached from the viewpoint, I might have been more open to it say that the other downside to them not being educated was that I wasn't given opportunities to become educated. I struggled with my sugars until I became an adult and took charge of my own. All this to say, I think there's a bit of resentment when you have an older child who craves independence and already feels pulled down by their diagnosis in their life, and they have a parent who is breathing down their shirt. But there's also a blessing in having a parent who cares enough to learn with you. I think there are so many gray areas, and you really need to know your child best. Take their cues when they're ready to be more independent, let them let them make small mistakes, let them become educated. Let them learn their body cues and when they're ready, let them go on and do the things on their own. They won't live with you forever. And a well educated diabetic is more important than a well educated parent. I was diagnosed in 1994 at age 16, but because my mother and grandmother both had type one, I grew up surrounded by it, and my parents worked with diabetes educators to help me get dialed in. I took over most of the management fairly early, because I knew it would be necessary if I wanted to go to college. I have a weird experience with this. I wasn't type one as a child. I was diagnosed in my late 20s, but I was raised by a parent with type one. It wasn't intentional, but it taught me a lot about how I wanted to manage and how intentional I am about handling burnout and stress related to diabetes. He faced a lot of different challenges than I did due to available technology, so his options were limited, but his relationship with diabetes and the complications and outcomes he's experiencing really impacted how I handle diabetes for myself, we have a pretty open relationship, but he's always been fairly closed lipped about his diabetes, and sometimes I wonder how different his relationship with diabetes would have been if he had a social support structure like we have now, with social media and outreach programs. I was three, and I can actually remember my first time my mom and dad held me down to give me my first needle. It was horrific, but if they hadn't, I've kept going, I wouldn't be here. My mom gave up her life to give me mine, and I am ever so grateful. Once I started doing it myself, I really understood all the anxiety and worry over something you can't always control, and respected her more for it. It is a hard and tiring job, and when you've got a healthy support system, it makes it a little easier and a little more fun. Type one for 33 years, diagnosed at 12. It was hard, and I felt alone and hated so much. My mom helped me, but still, to this day, doesn't understand the things I felt, but I'll say that I wish my mom helped me longer. It was learning for all of us at first, but after a year, I was left to do it on my own. I'll also say I've been married for 23 years, and my husband may not feel what I feel, but he has helped me since the first day we were together, and he helps me not give up and not feel alone. This person says I am sending lots and lots of love to everybody. I'm 57 and a type one since my teens. I think it's wonderful to have both perspectives. I am 100% complication free. I love telling that to people to confront them, but I can't claim to have been diagnosed as a young child. And the most surprising thing about this group is the level of regret and guilt parents feel. I'm a mother of four, and I understand those feelings would be completely normal. I just never considered how my own parents felt at my diagnosis. Personally, I would say, understanding the physical side of things, being tolerant of lows and out of range, because I don't always feel fantastic, but don't change your goals for your kids because of this disease. They are still strong, beautiful, capable people. I don't ever want anyone's pity, understanding. But understanding is awesome, though. I believe that we all need to find a way to do everything with diabetes that's been my life. How can I do this? I haven't missed out on a thing, and I'm a kinder, more compassionate person because of type one. That's very nice. Type one adult diagnosed at 12. I appreciate that. My parents let me be my very independent self. I gave myself my shots, calculated my carbs, did my math, check my sugar. I was older than a lot of the kids that I see here in the group sometimes, but I didn't have any restrictions on food either. One thing I did not appreciate was being treated differently. I wasn't allowed to go to friends houses for sleepovers or after school events very often because my parents worried about me. It is possible that it's different now, since they have Dexcom and follow apps, but when I was diagnosed, that was not a thing. I also wish my parents would have advocated for newer technology. I feel like they just went with it and so. Pump, and that was it. I had the same one for 10 years before I got my own insurance. I've only had a Dexcom for the last four or five years, and I just feel like the advocacy was not present enough. I was diagnosed at 12 in the 80s. I took the bus to my diabetic clinic myself, dosed myself alone in our bathroom, and never knew what was going to be on the plate for dinner. School. Teachers did not know I had diabetes. I managed all my lows, bought all my low snacks. There was no glucagon. That's what was going on at the time. My mom let me handle it,

but she was there when I asked for help, which was few and far between. I was nine at diagnosis. To be fair, she was a teenage mom with two young kids who lost her husband at a young age, so I was pretty independent from the get go. I don't know if mentally, it was something she could have dealt with at the time if she had to manage it all, she was an emotional mess. When I was discharged from the hospital, I knew how and when to check my blood sugar, give injections which insulin I needed for what I could carb count fairly well, and had a notebook paper cheat sheet I kept with me in my insulin case until I memorized the carbs that I ate most. I knew what to do on sick days and that it was my responsibility and decisions that would make or break my outcomes. No one could do it for me. She let me yell and scream and be mad, but also confided in her about being scared and feeling different. Though no one treated me any different than any other kid, because I wouldn't let them my diabetes was never allowed to be an excuse, to be honest, the only thing my diabetes ever held me back from was a career in the military because I couldn't pass the health check. I wish she didn't worry as much as she did, but it's in her nature. I didn't understand that until I had my own kids. So my advice, they can handle what you let them, but you have to give them a chance. Don't let their life or yours be dictated by this disease. This person says, Thank you so much for sharing your stories. I have tears rolling down my face reading your thoughts and experiences. As a parent of a newly diagnosed type one who's 13 years old, I promise to carry you all with me in support and try to guide him. Thank you through the original poster for this thread, I hope it's just as meaningful to others as it is to me. Diagnosed as a teen, my parents loved me, supported me, and attended diabetes education classes with me, but they let me handle my diabetes on my own. This set me up for success in college and beyond. The other things parents did right? I wanted to go to diabetes camp, but we couldn't afford to, so my mom found a scholarship through Lions Club, going to diabetes camp as a teen, soon after diagnosis, changed the trajectory of my life and helped me in so many ways. Yes, there are some risks associated with sending kids to diabetes camp. For me, the benefits were immense, and now I have lifelong diet buddies. Okay, well, I've gotten to the end of the 96 comments, but I will now refresh it and see what else there is before I stop. That's just been good. You guys are smart. I'm proud of this group. Let's see. Maybe this is the end. Yep, that's it. I made it. So in three hours, 96 people commented. Other conversations broke out. I think I read you pretty much everything. It's been a half an hour, as Scott reads the internet, that's probably enough, right? Going to take all of the information in this post and find a way to turn it into a blog post. So check for that at Juicebox podcast.com We'll call it a companion to the episode. You'll find it. Thank you so much for listening to me read the Internet. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox podcast. You

and don't forget, if you enjoyed this episode, there is another episode that was made years ago on the same topic. It might be interesting to hear that one as well. It's episode 392, called advice for type one parents from type one adults, I think I'm just going to call this one advice for type one. Parents from type one adults. Part two, not the most imaginative, but not bad either. I might find a way to combine all these into that blog post I was talking about too. 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. Diabetes on Facebook. If you or a loved one is newly diagnosed with type one diabetes and you're seeking a clear, practical perspective, check out the bold beginning series on the Juicebox podcast. It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal insight into type one our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate life with type one, you can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juicebox podcast, the bold beginning series and all of the collections in the Juicebox podcast are available in your audio app and@juiceboxpodcast.com in the menu, the episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording, wrong wayrecording.com,

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Scott Benner 8/8/25 Scott Benner 8/8/25

#1596 Hot As Balls

Nicole from Perth shares her 25-year type 1 diabetes journey — from pancreatitis at 13 to DKA, loss, GLP-1s, and thriving with CGM, Omnipod, and hard-won perspective.

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Scott Benner 0:00
Friends, we're all back together for the next episode of The Juicebox podcast. Welcome.

Nicole 0:15
Hi. My name's Nicole. I am from Perth, Australia, and I have had type one diabetes for almost 25 years now,

Scott Benner 0:27
my diabetes Pro Tip series is about cutting through the clutter of diabetes management to give you the straightforward, practical insights that truly make a difference, this series is all about mastering the fundamentals, whether it's the basics of insulin dosing adjustments or everyday management strategies that will empower you to take control. I'm joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal experience, and we break down complex concepts into simple, actionable tips. The Diabetes Pro Tip series runs between Episode 1001 1025 in your podcast player, or you can listen to it at Juicebox podcast.com by going up into the menu. Nothing you hear on the Juicebox podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. The episode you're about to enjoy was brought to you by Dexcom, the Dexcom g7 the same CGM that my daughter wears. You can learn more and get started today at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox, the episode you're about to listen to is sponsored by tandem Moby, the impressively small insulin pump tandem. Moby features tandems, newest algorithm control, iq plus technology. It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom and improved time and range. Learn more and get started today at tandem diabetes.com/juicebox

Nicole 1:57
Hi. My name's Nicole. I am from Perth, Australia, and I have had type one diabetes for almost 25 years now.

Scott Benner 2:06
You're from Perth? Yes. Do you know what people from Australia most commonly do when they're on the podcast? I've heard a couple that, yeah, they always get the day wrong. Like, I sit down to record. I'm like, okay, meanwhile, like, it's 9am for me, that's as early as I record. And you it's What Is it midnight for you,

Nicole 2:25
and nine o'clock, 9pm 9pm

Scott Benner 2:27
for you. Okay, so it's nighttime for you, and most of the time I sit down, and then every time it's from somebody from Australia, they're not there. And I send a note, and I send a note, and I go, Hey, you know we were supposed to record. And they go, no, no, that's tomorrow. And I'm like, yeah, no, it is tomorrow, today, here or like, and I don't even know how many of that works, so I get confused by it, and then we just laugh and we try it again, yeah? Anyway, 25 years, and you are how old? Yeah, I'm 53 three, so you got it when you're

Nicole 2:57
28 Yes, yes, okay, oh, 29 Yeah, okay, all right,

Scott Benner 3:02
are you a mom?

Nicole 3:04
I am, yes. Now, were you then? Well, that's a long story. Okay, that's part of my story. So

Scott Benner 3:12
then go ahead and tell me that story. Hell. Jump right. Well, how's that part of your story?

Nicole 3:18
Well, I think my story probably starts earlier than that, probably when I was 13. When I was 13, I got very sick one day and ended up in hospital. I had severe stomach pains. My parents, like, ended up rushing me to the hospital, and I had did the tests, and they were like, Oh, we think you have diabetes. Ended up not being diabetes. It was pancreatitis. Okay, so, yeah, I was in hospital for about three weeks.

Scott Benner 3:53
Three weeks almost done, yeah, yeah, were you on death's door? What's going on? I

Nicole 3:58
Yeah. I was Yeah. I i when they rushed me in, and it was probably about six days, I was very, very sick. I remember one night, the the one night when they kind of said to my mum, oh, look, if she if she doesn't, the fever doesn't break and she doesn't get well overnight, then we're going to have to operate and take out her pancreas. Hopefully it will only be, we might only have to take half of it out otherwise, you know? And, yeah, I remember, like, at 13, I was looking up, and they had all these fans on me trying to, like, bring my temperature down and all this kind of stuff. And I looked at looking over at my mum, and I've never seen her so scared. I could see on her face that she was really scared. But yeah, it did break overnight that night, so yeah, and then they kept me in hospital for, I think, in that another week or so, because I'd lost so much weight that I was already very skinny. And, yeah, I'd lost so much weight, so they were trying to. That me up and yeah, get me get me better.

Scott Benner 5:03
So what was the onset of that pancreatitis like? Was it instant, very quick, or

Nicole 5:08
it was instant? Yes, I remember it was like it was New Year's Day. We'd gone down to the beach. When we left for the beach, I was okay. I was just feeling a bit off. By the time we got down to the beach. I was in severe pain. I just laid on, like, lay down on my towel, and I couldn't really move much at all. And then by that night, yeah, I was in severe stomach pain. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything. Yeah, they ended up calling in a locum doctor, and he said, like, get it done. But he did it, like a urine test, and said, No, you need to take it to the hospital right now. Yeah, it was very sudden, and they never found out what what it was, either they did tests afterwards to, like a endoscopy and CAT scans and all sorts of things, and never actually found a cause

Scott Benner 5:58
for it, like viral or, like, you don't know what brought along law, no, don't know. And then don't know, that's 13. How long? What's the recovery time? A few weeks,

Nicole 6:09
a couple Yeah, a few weeks.

Scott Benner 6:11
And then you just keep going and never think about it again. No, no, yeah. Were you sick more as a child after that? Or was that this one time thing?

Nicole 6:21
No, it was just a one time thing. Okay, one time thing. Yeah,

Scott Benner 6:25
interesting. And you think that's where this may have all began? Well,

Nicole 6:30
I don't know. It's just the pancreas. It's possibly no one's ever said that, like I've mentioned it before, to doctor, to my endos and that kind of stuff. And they've kind of just gone, oh, yeah, that's interesting. You don't know, do you,

Scott Benner 6:44
yeah? Well, I have, I have a little thing here I was doing while you were talking. So, yeah, if you get something called pancreogenic diabetes, it's acute or chronic pancreatitis, and it can happen because of physical scarring or loss of both exocrine or endocrine tissue. They say a clue that it's not classic type one could be that you have little or no digestive enzymes. Did you have any trouble with that? Did you digest food poorly through your life? Yes, really. So it says here, a key clue is that it's not a classic type one diagnosis, little or no digestive enzymes, low C peptide, but no autoimmune antibodies. Have you ever been checked for the antibodies? Is that That's you. That's me. Well, our overlords on my computer say that that's probably what happened to you. So so we'll see if they don't take over the world and blow it all up, maybe they know something about this. Well, that's interesting, isn't it? It sucks, because there's no other autoimmune in your family,

Nicole 7:49
right? No, no, no. That's not just a

Scott Benner 7:51
random illness you picked up probably got bit by one of those spiders. Possibly, possibly, damn right? They're everywhere. Tell people they're everywhere. Yeah, everywhere. Yeah, you live in a Jurassic Park over there. Tell

Nicole 8:04
people, yep, yep. We do. Yes, lakes, spiders, lizards, kangaroos.

Scott Benner 8:10
Are there no planes. Why won't you leave?

Nicole 8:13
Oh, yeah, there's planes here. But I love it too much. Is it

Scott Benner 8:17
a good place to have you ever lived anywhere else? No, I haven't. No. Have you visited other places? Yes, yes. Where have you been that's anywhere equal to Australia or something that makes you feel as comfortable?

Nicole 8:29
I've been to New Zealand. Don't know that it's equal,

Scott Benner 8:34
but not bad, not bad. Yeah. People in New Zealand are like, hey, it's not bad here. It's not Yeah, yeah. But so you're you just, you love it there, yeah, nothing wrong with that. How's the weather like right now? It's summer's coming here. What's happening there? Yeah,

Nicole 8:49
Winter's coming here. I see. So we're about, well, it got to 18 today. Oh, you use

Scott Benner 8:56
that other system, 18. What does that mean? I'll figure it out. You keep talking. So it's cold there today.

Nicole 9:02
Yeah, it's getting cold. Yeah, okay, and we've had kind of a late onset to winter, but yeah, it's, it's getting here. You'd never saw snow, though, right? Oh, once, but not here. Where was it? It was on the east coast of Australia, up in the mountains.

Scott Benner 9:17
Yeah, in the mountains, you can get some there. Okay, I got it? Oh, 64 so that's cold for you. 18, yes, okay, yeah, I call that a spring day. Little chilly, yeah, yeah, do you have pants on the coat?

Nicole 9:31
Just pants in the jumper. Yeah, interesting. So summer is like a hot day in summer, would be 4546 okay? 4546

Scott Benner 9:45
in like the 80s or 90s, I get you all right. I'm doing my math. I got you all right. So it's not that different from here, although it just doesn't get that cold. It gets cold for you, but it doesn't get cold compared to how it gets cold here I see, yeah, well, I think you're lucky, because the cold is terrible, though, apparently, if it doesn't. Cold enough, then the spiders don't die, and then they get, yeah, they get bigger over time, and they're as big as your face. Oh, no, the big ones don't hurt. Yeah, it's the little ones we're scared of. Yes, the little ones awesome, the ones you can't see coming. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Have you ever had a snake in your toilet? No, no. Have you heard of people who

Nicole 10:18
have, I have, I've had one at the front door.

Scott Benner 10:21
What I see the other day over is it on the TOC tech or perhaps Instagram, this guy's ring camera went off, and I think he was in Texas, and there's just like a five foot bull snake going up the side of his house, and it just tripped his ring camera. And they're harmless, I guess, but nevertheless, do people get constricted to death in Australia, ever?

Nicole 10:43
No, no, no, not so much in the pythons. They have them as pets here. Oh, do you have any pets? No, no, no. You're like, I can go outside. Not snakes. I've got a dog and

Scott Benner 10:55
that's all. How about I? What do you got crocodiles? Right? Anybody ever get chomped up by a crocodile?

Nicole 11:01
Oh, not in Perth. We don't have many here, the top half of Australia.

Scott Benner 11:05
Okay, all right, so you're okay. I see what. I'm very worried about these things. As you can tell, I would not be okay. I would definitely, I'd be in a panic most of the time, just walking around thinking like, when is one of these snakes or spiders gonna end my life? Probably right now, but you don't think about it. No, no, not really. All right, I guess I'd be okay then. So 13 years old, this happens, kind of move on. Nobody thinks twice about it. Now you grow up, go through school,

Nicole 11:33
yeah. Do you go to college? Yep, no, I left school and got a job,

Scott Benner 11:38
okay? And yeah, what kind of work were you doing in your 20s? Admin, work. Okay, so you just out in the world chugging along. And then how does the diabetes present for you?

Nicole 11:49
Well, I then, like, made a boy. We decided to live together. And, you know, do what you normally do.

Scott Benner 11:57
Argue about where to get dinner, yeah,

Nicole 12:00
yeah, we do that. But, you know, it's getting on to like, 2025 26 now, I'd always wanted to be a mum, so Yeah, time was getting on. So we decided that, yeah, it was time we we tried to have a bait, you know, start having the baby. Took a while to get pregnant. That took like two years or so, tracking my cycle and doing all that kind of stuff. We were trying hard. Okay, took two years. Yeah, it finally happened. Yeah, it took two years. We finally, it finally happened. All was going well, I didn't have that great a pregnancy. It was, like, lots of morning sickness, that kind of stuff. I got to about 27 weeks and started having, like, I'd be walking around work and I couldn't go anywhere without a bottle of water. A lot of the normal, like, signs of diabetes started happening, but because I was pregnant, you're just like, oh, well, I'm, you know, I'm drinking lots of water because I'm pregnant.

Scott Benner 12:57
Yeah, if you pee a lot when you're pregnant, right? You just think, Oh, the baby's on my bladder. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, you still working that far into the pregnancy? Okay, okay, yeah,

Nicole 13:06
I was still working. Funnily enough, I was actually working in a nursing home. So I was surrounded by registered nurses and nurses. The first time I'd ever come across type one diabetes. One of our residents was a type one, yeah. She often. It was a bit of a controversy, because she was often high cowing, and they were having to give her glucagon quite a bit. And looking back now, it's kind of Yeah. That was a bit worrying, yeah, but yeah, they no one saw anything. And I just by about 27 weeks, I got sick. So I went into my my GP doctor. He saw me, he was like, Oh, I think you've got a virus. You've got, like, the flu. Go home lots of rest, have some rest, drink lots of water. So I went home that night, and just steadily got a lot worse over that night. I I started getting in it, in quite a lot of pain. I don't think I slept much at all that night. When I got up in the morning, my partner got up to go to work in the morning, yeah, he got up to go to work, and I then, when he went off to work, I called my mum, and she came and picked me up and she took me to the hospital.

Scott Benner 14:19
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Nicole 16:44
Yes,

Scott Benner 16:47
Nicole, explain the female ability to hold a grudge. It's an amazing superpower, isn't

Nicole 16:52
it? It is quite amazing superpower, yeah. Well, to be honest, I kind of forgotten a lot about that that time, yeah, it was, yeah, it was, it's a bit of a blur till right

Scott Benner 17:04
now, when I brought her up, and it brings it all right back again, and you can murder him right now,

Nicole 17:12
I have been thinking about it, and I've talked a bit to my mum about it as well. Yeah, like, she filled in some, some of the blanks, because she came to me, she came to visit me the night before, she was worried. Okay, so, yeah, she was ready to take me to the hospital in the

Scott Benner 17:25
morning. Yeah, how many kids does your mom have? Five, five. So, yeah, yeah, four girls and my brother. Yeah, nice. She knows what to do. So she got you to the hospital. Now, when you get there, is it a is it a right away thing, or do they have to struggle to figure out what it

Nicole 17:40
is? I got in there, and I was having the breaths by then, two small respirations. Yep, that's them. So they looked at me, and they said, Oh, how long have you had asthma for? And I said, Well, I don't have asthma. So, yeah, they brought me in pretty quickly, then took me in and did an ultrasound. Then they told me that the baby was passed. Oh, yeah, from the DK, DKA, basically they said the my blood had poisoned him. Poisoned his blood. So, yeah,

Scott Benner 18:16
Nicole, now I feel bad about joking about the boy. No, that's good. No, it's terrible. I'm so sorry. Yeah, I mean, it's a long, long time ago, but I'm, I'm still very sorry it is didn't stick with you through a lifetime, losing him. Yes, yeah,

Nicole 18:32
particularly as I feel, I almost feel responsible because it was me that I should have known. I should have gone insane. Now, I should have I know logically, I tell myself it's not my fault, but I still feel like it is. I

Scott Benner 18:50
understand, yeah, when you listen to the podcast and you hear so many people tell stories like that, where you know they they feel responsible for a thing that is clearly not their responsibility, or a thing they could have known about. Do you? Yeah? Do you have compassion for them, but not for yourself?

Nicole 19:05
Absolutely, I do still feel that compassion for myself when I but I still feel it and then tell my give myself the compassion,

Scott Benner 19:14
but then the but it doesn't, it doesn't dissipate. For you, the fear, yeah, it doesn't dissipate. Yeah, people are weird. I mean, the way our brains work is strange. Oh my gosh. So what happens then? I mean, I don't want to walk you through it step by step, but how does that get managed? That's, I mean, that was seven months in, right?

Nicole 19:32
Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, six months in, yeah. It's, it's all a bit of a blur. There, they put me in the ICU and got the ketoacidosis under control, and then they had to wait for my health to recover before they could induce the labor. How long? So that was a week. Oh, geez. So, yeah, I was a week in, yeah, a week in the maternity. 80 Ward, learning how to control, how to handle type one

Scott Benner 20:04
diabetes, gosh, see a therapist after something like that. I

Nicole 20:08
didn't straight away. I did later on, which was very helpful, Yeah, I

Scott Benner 20:13
bet, I mean, that week of being being pregnant, but not, you know, knowing the baby's gone is, I mean, that's, that'd be, it was terrible, yeah, taxing in a way that a lot of us wouldn't understand. My gosh, so you're learning your diabetes in the hospital during that and then you have to have that procedure, and then you go home.

Nicole 20:33
Yeah, yes, yeah. Like, so then, yeah. Then tell me that I have to wait. I have to wait until I can try again for another baby. I have to get my blood sugars under control, all that kind of stuff.

Scott Benner 20:48
You understand yourself to have type one diabetes. At that point,

Nicole 20:52
I did Yes, and I think at that point it was all I didn't grieve that process or accept that process, because all I was focused on was starting my family again, starting again, and trying for another baby,

Scott Benner 21:07
right? What happened to the baby? And the idea of like, let's get going and get this. Yep, happy again. Doesn't really let you absorb the diabetes diagnosis. Yeah. Does that stop you from understanding it, or does the imperativeness of wanting to have a baby again make you does it force you to take care of

Nicole 21:27
it? Both, because they told me that before I could get pregnant again, I needed to get my a 1c down under six. That forced me to do that. But at the same time, I wasn't focused on learning anything about diabetes. I think because I was diagnosed as an adult, I didn't, I didn't get any training. Yeah, I didn't get any training at all. Like I said, I was like shown what to do in the maternity

Scott Benner 21:51
ward. Probably not their cup of tea there, I would imagine, no, no.

Nicole 21:56
The adult endos here really don't know that much. So they just prescribe, pretty much, just prescribed the insulin, and that's it. I was given one appointment with a diabetes educator who sat there pretty much and told us the difference between type one and type two and what to do with a glucagon. And that was almost it was. That was all my training.

Scott Benner 22:19
Not a lot of direction. I mean, 20 some years ago, how do you figure that out? Back then, if you need that information, where do you get it

Nicole 22:26
from? I didn't really. When I left the hospital, they gave me mixard pens, which was a mix of 7030 I pretty much did it with I ate to the insulin. Oh, so I did it with my diet.

Scott Benner 22:42
Yep, you shot the insulin and then just ate the food, and then they kept you from being too low. Yeah, yeah. How was testing back then? Like, were you testing your blood sugar with any frequency, oh,

Nicole 22:54
before a meal, and I think it was an hour, two hours after a meal, and that was

Scott Benner 22:59
it. That was it. Do you have any idea of what kind of like outcomes you were having.

Nicole 23:03
I did get my a 1c down to about six, and within probably about four months, I fell pregnant again. So I did. I did well in that, that first part, yeah, I

Scott Benner 23:14
know this is a long time ago, and is the process of trying to make the second pregnancy. Is it joyful, or is it scary?

Nicole 23:23
A very scary. Once I actually fell pregnant, it was very scary. Okay, I worried at

Scott Benner 23:29
every step, and then then your diabetes on top of all that. Yeah, yeah, what were they telling you? Your goals were for pregnancy, for your type one.

Nicole 23:38
Once I got pregnant, I was testing before a meal and then every hour after a meal. Okay, if my blood sugar started to go up for three days in a row, then I would increase my insulin the next day for by one unit. My dose. Right up until two years ago, I was basically, I don't even, wouldn't even say it was a sliding scale. It was I'd go into my Endo, and my dose was three units before each meals and 30 units of long acting. And that, that was it. There was no correcting, there was no counting carbs. I was never taught any of that. How long did you do that? For 20 years, until just recently, yep, what the heck? How did that happen? Because I never got any education at all. Were you using fast tracking insulin? I was using Nova rapid.

Scott Benner 24:34
Okay, okay. Well, what changed a couple of years ago? Did you meet a doctor that was like, hey, you know, there's a more modern way to do this. Oh,

Nicole 24:42
no, kind of okay. What changed was continuous glucose monitors were approved here or approved to be subsidized here for adults, okay? Because before that, it was only under 21 under 18, that they were approved for and for adults, they were quite a. Expensive, the same with pumps. So I was on MDI for that whole time. Okay, I had before that. I had a endo who was a little bit different, so he was like one of the leading endos in Perth, and back in, I think it was about 2011 2012 by Etta came out, and then was approved for type twos. He decided that was too good a drug, and he gave it to all his type ones as well.

Scott Benner 25:30
Oh, you got a GLP. I got a GLP. So how long ago was that? Tom?

Nicole 25:36
That was 2012 I went on by ITA. And then when trulicity came out, I was changed over to trulicity. And then when ozempic came out, I was changed over to ozempic. So

Scott Benner 25:48
13 years ago, you got a GLP, but you were Yes, but you were MDI officially,

Nicole 25:54
yes, yes.

Scott Benner 25:55
Interesting. It's interesting where you got the modernization from.

Nicole 25:59
On one side, that have no modernization, like no tech, or anything like that. But that was he went against the norm. He actually decided that, like, he just put the authorizations through without telling the authorities kind of thing, yeah, but he

Scott Benner 26:15
never thought to give you an insulin pump. No. And how long ago did you to see Jim

Nicole 26:21
as about two years ago, same doctor. No, he retired. He retired.

Scott Benner 26:25
Okay, so this guy saw something that he thought this would be valuable for my type one patients. He kind of went out on a limb and got it for people, but he didn't know. Would have been nice if you knew. Yeah, it would have been expensive for most type ones. Okay, adult type ones here, yeah, for for a pump, or a pump or CGM, yeah. Okay, so it's just not, it's not the way it worked. Yeah, I see Yep. Your outcomes pretty good through that time, through those years, up till 2012 Yep,

Nicole 26:52
my one Cs were around seven. Not fantastic, like, like now, but not bad, but not

Scott Benner 26:59
bad. Yeah, yeah. And did the GLP, the first one help with that at all?

Nicole 27:03
Yes, each one helped a little bit more.

Scott Benner 27:06
Progressively got better. So tell me the first trulicity was the first one, or biota, no,

Nicole 27:12
which was on a day, a shot a

Scott Benner 27:15
day. Yeah. And do you remember what the impact was? It reduced

Nicole 27:18
my insulin needs by a small amount, but it also stabilized, like the weight gain. It stabilized all that. And it, I think, even though I wasn't testing very often and I didn't have a CGM, so it was very difficult, by my a one saying that I think it did still, like smooth those highs and lows out a

Scott Benner 27:39
lot. Highs aren't so high, the lows aren't so low. You don't use quite as much insulin. Talk about your weight for a second though, like, was it at a place at that point that something needed to be like you felt like you needed to do something?

Nicole 27:51
I was probably about five kilos over where I wanted to be. Okay? I wasn't overweight or anything like that, but it was something I was always worried

Scott Benner 27:59
about. Did that take that weight off or just hold it at bay? It

Nicole 28:03
helped me lose about, probably about three or four kilos, and then it held it there, nice, which is what it's done pretty much the whole time,

Scott Benner 28:11
right? It's interesting, because you have experience with these three different drugs. So I'm going to have fun. I think we'll have fun picking through this. So how long are you on that one, till you move to the

Nicole 28:19
next the biota, I think, was about three or four

Scott Benner 28:23
years, okay? And then you move the trulicity. Is there any increase in impact, only

Nicole 28:30
a small amount. And the main thing with trulicity was that I went from a once a day to a once a week,

Scott Benner 28:37
okay, yeah. And so you didn't have to inject it every day, but it was helping about the same. Yeah, okay. But then ozempic, when did that? When does he move you to exempt? Thank God he didn't retire before ozempic came out. When did he move you

Nicole 28:52
to that? Ozempic was around 2019

Scott Benner 28:56
Okay, wow. Yeah, that's fine, yeah. So you're saying, Nicole, that the internet knowing something doesn't mean that's when it first existed. Interesting. I love how everybody thinks that it was epic. Came out, like, a year and a half ago, because that's when they heard about it on tick tock.

Nicole 29:11
Oh, yeah, again. So, yeah, it was been a while for type twos. It's been around a what? Long time? Yeah, a while.

Scott Benner 29:18
So now talk about like you went from by added trulicity to ozempic. What was the the change in impact then

Nicole 29:24
ozempic was, was, was better than trulicity. But if you went from ozempic to biota to ozempic, there was quite a difference, yeah, in the holding the weight gain and the holding the the blood sugars, like level and that kind of stuff,

Scott Benner 29:40
yeah, yeah. I want to hear about it. So did you lose more weight on ozempic? I did.

Nicole 29:44
It was kind of like, probably the same as what like with the weight loss now, where, where you increase into it, into the next level, where, you know, it kind of flattens out, you're on it for so long, and then you kind of plateau, yep, and then you lose, go up to the next one, and you lose a bit. More, but I didn't have a lot of weight to to lose anyway. So

Scott Benner 30:04
what weight was there to lose? Is gone

Nicole 30:07
now? Well, not really now, menopause and and then I was off it for a while because of the shortage. Oh,

Scott Benner 30:16
so tell me how long you were on it and then how long you were off it.

Nicole 30:19
So I think I started in 2007 and then think the shortage, the shortage might have happened. It was it 2020 or 2021 2022,

Scott Benner 30:29
and you couldn't get it. Then, no,

Nicole 30:31
then I couldn't get it. By that time, my endo had retired, and I got a new Endo. I remember the first, my first appointment with this new Endo. And I walked in there, and he said, Oh, you had Dr such and such. And I said, yep. And he said, I just got off a he because he was one of the top end days, he did a, like a training session, like a zoom training, training session with a with a lot of endos. And he told all these endos that all my patients are going to be coming to you now, and all my type ones are on pick, so they're all going to be asking, be asking you for them. Pick, he, I think I got one script from him, and then there was a shortage, and I couldn't get it

Scott Benner 31:09
anymore. Okay, so that, what's the fall off like, when you stop taking it, does the weight come back?

Nicole 31:15
Yes, okay. Weight comes not really, really bad. Okay. There was a bigger impact on my blood sugars, though.

Scott Benner 31:24
Yeah. Does those EMP impact your hunger, or did you not have an issue with that? It does impact my hunger? Yes, you would say you had, like, prior to that, like hunger that didn't make sense at times. Oh, yes. Okay, absolutely. Yeah. And so, do you think that the decrease and then subsequent increase in insulin needs. Was it multifaceted? Meaning? Was it some about your weight, some about your intake, some about insulin resistance. Or do you think it's not touching you in all three of those places?

Nicole 31:53
It's touching me in all of those? Yeah. Okay. Well, it did. It

Scott Benner 31:57
did, yeah. And then so tell me that you go off it slowly, like, let's take a I forget the actual Half Life is, like 20 days, maybe, or something like that. So it's out of your system in a few weeks, and then your insulin needs start to rise up again. Yes, yeah, by how much do you remember?

Nicole 32:15
Well, I can, I can say my a 1c within 18 months, my a win, a 1c went from the low sevens to up to the nine.

Scott Benner 32:24
Your a 1c in 18 months, went from low sevens to nine when they took you off the ozempic.

Nicole 32:29
Yep. Geez, yep. But there was other, like, other things going on at the same time, which because at that time, I was going through a divorce. Oh, okay, and that impacted my mental health as well, and I wasn't looking after my diabetes.

Scott Benner 32:46
I see, yeah, that's uh, taxing. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, is that a late in life from your first Marriage Divorce? Yes, yes, yeah, it's a long time, right? You were married for a long time, 20 years. Yeah. Geez, was Can I ask, was the divorce you're doing, or his or mutual? It was my doing? Okay, that's taxing in a different way. And then you, when you get over, I'm guessing, overwhelmed, but when you get impacted by that, what? How does that impact your diabetes? Well,

Nicole 33:17
I was working a lot. I was probably having a few drinks every night and forgetting to take my long acting and I'd wake up sometimes and, like, then get back out to work so, and I wasn't testing my blood sugar either. So

Scott Benner 33:31
now you had diabetes for a long time before this happened. Had you not been through other tough life things before? You know what I mean? Like, I mean obviously, yeah, losing the baby, but you lose the baby when you're you're just diagnosed. I mean, like, Yeah, after you're diagnosed, had things not happened before? And did you? Did you give up on your your health during those things too? The

Nicole 33:50
last half of my marriage was very toxic and very taxing, but I think what saved me was the temp how it made it easier to manage my blood sugars.

Scott Benner 34:01
Ah, you weren't used to having to put as much effort into diabetes anymore, because ozempic made it easier. Yeah, I agree with you that it makes it easier, by the way. If you have, yeah, I want to say this, if you have insulin resistance, if you have, do you ever feel like you might have had PCOS at any point in your life or no

Nicole 34:19
possibly, but not to an extent that it was very

Scott Benner 34:22
painful or had a lot of, yeah, so I'm saying, like, if the things that the ozempic impacts, if you're getting those things, you could see a, you know, a pretty significant decrease in insulin needs, like you said, spikes and lows. You know, it lessens your hunger, so it lessens your intake, if you lose extra weight, that helps your your your insulin resistance as well. All this stuff helps. And then, not that you're lazy about it, but like, diabetes got easier, and then, boom, they take away the ozempic, and you decide to get divorced. And all this stuff kind of piles up on itself.

Nicole 34:59
Yep, I see. Yeah, so something I didn't have to pay that much attention to. All of a sudden I did have to pay attention to, but I had other things going on in my life as well, so

Scott Benner 35:08
it was taking that attention away. Yeah, I see, oh, it's interesting now in like, sitting here talking about it. Now, fair enough, but like, were you aware that any of that was happening while it was happening?

Nicole 35:19
I think in the back of my head, yes, I was

Scott Benner 35:22
just didn't have the space to handle it, yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah. How long did it take to get divorced? Took

Nicole 35:29
about three years before the final orders came through, and everything was, yeah,

Scott Benner 35:33
yep. Did your blood sugar suffer through that entire time?

Nicole 35:37
The first part wasn't too bad, because I was on the same so half of it I was on the Zen pick for which helped me to just coast through it. Yeah, it was the last half. As soon as the Zen pick was gone, it just spiraled a bit from

Scott Benner 35:51
there. Well, I hope you're happy. Novo Nordisk, look what you did to Nicole. Yeah, these things are important to people, like all the you know, forget ozempic. Like the things you count on are important to you, and being able to afford them and have access to them is important. And when it's not there, it's not as simple as just, like, oh well, like, you know, we had a shortage, or this thing broke or something. It's really affecting people, not that they don't know that, maybe, but, and you're back on it. Now

Nicole 36:18
I am, so I'm getting it off label, so I'm paying full price for it. Oh,

Scott Benner 36:22
but yeah, what's that cost in Australia? And what's your money worth?

Nicole 36:26
Okay, well, it's costing me 170 a month. 170

Scott Benner 36:30
what rubles, I don't know you guys use. You guys just have dollars. That's awesome. Is that the equivalent to an American dollar? No, no, oh, Australian dollar equals point six, five of the United States dollar. So it's not quite half as but it's close. So you said, How much 100 What 171 70? So you're paying about $85

Nicole 36:57
a month, or a week a month, a month. Are you able to afford that? Yes, yeah, I make sure I can afford it

Scott Benner 37:05
like I've lived with glps and I've lived without it. I sold my soul to the devil, and he gives me $85 a month, and now everything's good again. I'm with you, Nicole, there's not much I wouldn't do. Yeah, I know what it's done for me and for people around me. Yeah, I chopped down George Washington's cherry tree right in front of him for, uh, first on those empy, I guess to that year and a half gave you a lot of perspective on what it was doing for you as well.

Nicole 37:29
Yeah, it did, yeah. But then I, I also, before I got back on the exam pick, I actually got a CGM, which just blew my mind and opened my eyes up to a whole new world, yeah? Because the other thing I'd never even heard about was pre bolusing

Scott Benner 37:47
really. Well, I mean, yeah, your MDI, there's no CGM. Like, kind of makes sense, right? Like, everything's a little behind, yeah,

Nicole 37:55
yeah, my, my Endo, the one, the previous one, at one point, he said to me, he didn't use the word Pre-Bolus, but he tried to get me to do that, but he made me come home. He said, when you've got someone home with, you just do a little test. So take your insulin for your meal, and then every five minutes, take your blood glucose, take a finger stick and record it, and then work out how long it takes for your insulin to start acting. If it takes 15 minutes for every meal, that's how long before you meal you you need to do it to your insulin.

Scott Benner 38:33
Okay, let's start all of them. Yeah, but when, when did that start?

Nicole 38:39
That was, I don't know. I can't remember exactly when it was. I did it for a while, but it didn't always work. So it didn't stick, because it was, well, as you can imagine, it's kind of daunting to not know when that drop is going to happen, and it and where you're starting from, what your curve is, all that, all that kind of stuff.

Scott Benner 38:59
Sure. No, yeah. It's like, somebody blindfolding you, putting you near a cliff and saying, just wander around. You probably won't fall, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The CGM changes the whole thing for you. It does, yeah, you see it happening. And then, then you can it's not like, you're not like, testing every I mean, imagine how many times you'd have to do that to build up some belief in how it's going to work, right? And, yeah, yeah, oh, wow. Okay, so the CGM, if I made you give one thing back, the CGM or the GLP, what would you keep? CGM? You'd keep the CGM, yeah, because it's seeing it as everything really is, yeah, yeah, you can. You could work it out without the GLP, it would be, you'd use more insulin, etc. Other things would happen. But

Nicole 39:46
so I got the Omnipod as well at a similar time. So with those two, I got my a 1c down to about six and and the podcast, of course, oh,

Scott Benner 39:56
but how do you find it, though? Because you're not, you're not a young person. Person like, who, like, tells you, you know,

Nicole 40:02
my endo suggested a pump to me, and I thought, realized that I could get, like it was all fun, like it was funded by my insurance and subsidized the as well through NDSS here, so made it more affordable. So I was researching, they had the three pump. See, they had Omnipod tandem at ipso Med, and I was went looking online for like experiences on what people thought of them, and that's how I found the podcast. Yeah,

Scott Benner 40:34
wow, that's awesome, and that, and it's all these things together, these basically tools, right? Like the Omnipod, the CGM, the GLP, my voice, they're all just tools, right? Yeah, yeah, put them together, and suddenly you're having some nice success. Where's your a 1c,

Nicole 40:49
today. Did you say in December it was at 5.8 look at

Scott Benner 40:53
you. That's awesome. Congratulations. Yeah. Do you have any long term health issues from type type one?

Nicole 40:59
No, I have had a frozen shoulder Other than that,

Scott Benner 41:03
nothing else, nothing else that's great. Good for you. How do you describe yourself to people now, like post divorce, post having all this technology to help yourself with the are you in a different place than you were five years ago? A better place? How do you think of yourself?

Nicole 41:18
Yeah, yes, definitely a different place. I'm happier, I'm more settled, I'm healthier, yeah, yeah. Are you dating? I've tried dating. How'd that go? Oh, not very good.

Scott Benner 41:32
Did you find some guys that made you go like, Oh, if I'm gonna put up with this, I could have kept

Nicole 41:37
the other one. No, no, oh, no. Happier on mine,

Scott Benner 41:41
the first guy wasn't good, huh? No, I wasn't good. I'm sorry. Okay, what is it that you're, like, my our age? Like, how old are you again? 53 Oh, yeah, at our age, Nicole. Like, what was hard about dating? What made it something you were just like, I'm not doing this.

Nicole 41:57
Oh, it's the apps and the I don't know. There's a different mindset out there nowadays. A lot of, most of the don't know if it's just the men, because I don't date women so, but they're, they're just after casual things. And yeah, so you

Scott Benner 42:14
went out in the world and found out that 53 year old guys are just like 18 year old guys, true,

Nicole 42:19
yeah, without the ambition to have a family and settle down and all that kind of stuff.

Scott Benner 42:24
Yeah, and so, oh, I get you. Are you through menopause, or are you still involved in it? Involved in it? What a weird way to say that. Sorry,

Nicole 42:32
not too sure. I've had a hysterectomy. I think I'm through the other side,

Scott Benner 42:36
pretty through the other side. So interesting. You're not the part of your life where you're trying to build a family. You have kids, right? How many kids do you end up having? Three kids, three kids. You got three kids, an older person like, you know, meaning you're not 20. Sex isn't the same, like, weird fun that it was when it was younger, right? It's a little more. What utilitarian trying to get to the end is that the idea, am I missing? No, did you want it to be fun? And it wasn't?

Nicole 43:03
No, that part was okay. Oh,

Scott Benner 43:07
Nicole's like, that part was good. I was good with that part. Yeah, okay. What's the part that wasn't okay?

Nicole 43:13
It's just the connection. And what people want. They just want to go out and hop from person to person and have have a little bit of fun and nothing meaningful.

Scott Benner 43:24
Yeah. So the sex was okay, but you were trying to build something with somebody, and you couldn't find interest in

Nicole 43:31
that. Well, that's where I'm at now, yeah,

Scott Benner 43:33
does the diabetes impact? It like Do or do you not bother telling them? Or

Nicole 43:39
no, I'll wear it proudly. Now, up until about two years ago, I'd only ever met one other diabetes, which was a kid that was like my, my child's age in school. Okay? So I never had any community, never knew anyone else with diabetes, type one diabetes. So now more people are wearing dexcoms and and pumps and that kind of stuff. You kind of see them out and about. So, yeah, I've been to restaurants and seeing people and been approached in the shopping center. So are you aware of Dexcom? How is that kind of thing? And it's kind of nice,

Scott Benner 44:16
yeah, just to have that feeling it's nice. It really is. Does it help online too. Like to meet on people online.

Nicole 44:22
Oh, yeah, definitely, yeah. You know, you're the first

Scott Benner 44:26
lady from Australia I've spoken to who I don't feel has what I would call a delightful mental illness. This is no disrespect to other people, but, like, I used to get, like, a lot of high energy people who are just like, I'm like, wow, that was a lot. I thought it was an Australian thing. I guess maybe it was, unless you know a lot of those ladies and you know what I'm talking about. No, not really. Oh, awesome. Then it's just a was just a coincidence, yeah, possibly, yeah. Listen, you're not representing your country and I'm not representing mine, but let me apologize for getting your reporter shot with one of those rubber bullets. Yesterday. Sorry about that. I'm sure it wasn't you that did it. No, it was not me. I was not even on that coast, but that poor lady is just out in the street. She's like, I'm reporting. Oh

Nicole 45:10
yeah, you look at the guy who the cop, who, I'm not sure who it was that did it. It looked like he actually turned around and aimed for it. Wow,

Scott Benner 45:19
I know I'm dying to hear from him, because, like, it can't be, you're not wrong. They were standing in a line, and it almost looked like you looked and went, Hey, there's a lady from Australia. You're doing a report. I'll shoot her in the lake. They just kind of, like, turned her was like, thump. She did go down hard, by the way, that That must hurt like a son of a bitch, yeah, I'm sure, yeah. But I would love to hear the expert. I wonder what he thought was happening. You know what I mean, like, because I don't believe that he was like, Oh, I'll be just shoot a

Nicole 45:43
reporter from Australia right now, especially when there's cameras on her as well, exactly like,

Scott Benner 45:47
I wonder if it's going to be one of those things where he's like, I didn't mean to do that. Like, I didn't even mean to pull the trigger. Sorry or not. Anyway, it wasn't fun. You know, it's one of those things, Nicole, it's not funny. And yet, I mean, if you see the video, it's a little amusing, not to her, obviously, I think it's the reaction that's amusing. Not the not the not the action. You know what? I mean? Yeah, yeah. She just looks like something, just like bitter. And she's like, Whoa, what the hell. Probably a hell of a I had the same feeling for I have when I see a baseball player get hit in the back with a pitch. I'm like, oh, that's gonna leave a mark. Yeah, it sucks. What made you want to come on the podcast?

Nicole 46:23
Well, the community. And I didn't really know anyone that was type one, so I want to add my voice to what's become my like, my community as well. Oh, that's

Scott Benner 46:36
wonderful. That makes sense. It makes a lot of sense. Am I not letting you be effusive enough about how much this podcast means to you. Is it a big deal for you?

Nicole 46:44
It is a big deal for me, actually, yes. It keeps me grounded in my diabetes like I listen every morning on my way to work, and it keeps it in the front of my mind and thinking about diabetes without actually thinking about it. It it keeps all those little catch phrases that you have, that you hear on and off all through the podcast. It reminds you every day,

Scott Benner 47:10
yeah, and you saw that drift away during your divorce, and you don't want that to happen again. Yeah, yeah. This sentiment that being like, just listening to a podcast once a day. It's not like someone's yelling in your face, take care of yourself, you know what you're supposed to be doing. Like you don't get that feeling like, the shame, feeling like you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing, or whatever, or somebody like, you know, talking to you like a school mom or something like that. Yeah, but it's enough just to keep you connected to it without you focusing on is that right?

Nicole 47:46
Yes, that's right, excellent. But it also gives me a great feeling with not just the diabetes, but putting some of the theories into into life as well. Like I remember your graduation speech that you give to all anyone that

Scott Benner 48:03
graduates, oh, this is water. Yeah, this is water. Yeah,

Nicole 48:07
you mentioned that on one of your one of the podcasts, and I thought, I'll just go and have a listen. So I listened to it, and that resounded with me quite a lot, yeah. And that brought that into my life as well, like, into my into my work life I had recently, I had someone kind of came at me a bit and accused me of something, and in the email that he she C like 10 people in like she was trying to cover her own and put put blame on me. Now I could have come back and, like shame to in front of everyone. And I just sat back. And I thought, No, I don't think I'll go. I'll just sit back. And the next day, I thought of that, that speech, and I thought, well, what's going on in her life, that

Scott Benner 48:49
she's Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nicole 48:53
So yeah. I thought about that speech, and I thought, well, what's going on with her, that she has to defend herself and just gave her a little bit of kindness instead, and now she's, like, not doing it anymore, and she's, she's quite lovely.

Scott Benner 49:07
Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I think I'm a reasonably common sense person, yep. And I don't get rattled normally. You know, when I think about bigger ideas, I can kind of hold a few thoughts in my head at the same time. And I'm not, I'm not brilliant, like, I certainly I hear, sometimes I hear people starting to talk about, like, political things, and I'm like, I get lost, like, you start getting into that sixth level. And I'm like, I can't keep all this straight anymore. Yeah, I'm certainly not brilliant. I think that if you listen to that Pro Tip series, or any of the stuff that I talk about, about managing diabetes and exchange some of the words for other things in your life. I think it works for almost everything. Yes, anybody who gives me credit for being good at diabetes, you should actually just be giving me credit for, I don't know. I think I'm a clear thinker. And then I apply that to I had to. I applied that to. Diabetes, and that's why it worked out, not because I certainly didn't know anything about diabetes.

Nicole 50:04
Yep. And you can hear that. You can hear that through the podcast in different aspects, like good that this is water.

Scott Benner 50:09
Yeah, no. You know, it's funny. There's this moment in one of the series that I did with Jenny where I said, Oh, I want to talk about something that I came up with. And she goes, Okay, what is it? And I said, I said, I call it over bolusing. And I start explaining it to her, and she goes, Yeah. John Walsh called that super bolusing in a book he wrote 20 years ago. And I thought, well, first of all, lucky me, I don't read I've never heard that book. I mean, I know who he is. I know the book pumping insulin. I know it exists, but I've never read it. No one's ever said to me, Hey, you should try a super Bolus. It's a thing that I just figured out one day, and then to hear her tell me that's a thing that people who really know what they're doing about diabetes do i That made me like, that actually gave me confidence. That made me feel like, oh, what I'm seeing is maybe, right, you know, like, because I didn't know, I was just guessing. I'm just guessing. I'm just trying to help my kid. Yeah, I don't know what I'm doing. You know what I mean? Like, I'm thrown into this problem. I take who I am and I apply it to it. I get my goals, I get what I'm trying to avoid, and I make as decisions as well as I possibly can. And then here we are. And then one day I say, you know, I have this idea, like, you know, sometimes when you can't Pre-Bolus, what if you Bolus for the food and then went into the future in your mind and said, What is the spike gonna look like from not pre bolusing, and how much would it take to kill the spike? What if we put that into the Bolus and didn't Pre-Bolus, we could super Bolus, it stop the spike and not get low later. That made sense to me, you know. And then you try it one day, and it works like, Huh? And then later, you know, 10 years later, some lovely lady tells you, yeah, that's the thing, you know. Have you ever read pumping insulin by John Walsh? And I'm like, No, so it's so cool. I'm just happy. Honestly, I'm happy for you. I'm happy for my daughter. I'm happy for the other people who listen. If you got me when I was 20 and said, Hey Scott, you know you're going to help a lot of people making a diabetes podcast, I'd be like, That's how my life ends up. You

Nicole 52:13
know, where I'm working now, this sheet metal shop.

Scott Benner 52:15
Are you really? I am really. What do you do there?

Nicole 52:19
I'm the office manager, bookkeeper, so I don't work out in the in the factory, but you get an air conditioner.

Scott Benner 52:27
Yes, yeah. That's all you need. That's excellent. We used to come up with reasons to have to go into the office to look for a blueprint, shake it, stand in the air conditioner for a minute. The guys do that still. Yeah, they do, yeah. Oh, my God. It's like, you just walk in. You're like, oh, I don't think I'm gonna die if I stand here for 20 more seconds. It's so hot in that building, and everything's hot, dirty, and it's horrifying. I did enjoy working there. I have to say,

Nicole 52:50
Yeah, I love it. It's the guys are great. People work for that. Work for their they're great.

Scott Benner 52:57
You know, you said that some of the best guys I ever met my life worked there, yeah? Like, really good, solid dudes, you know, yeah, yeah, welders and fabricators. People did paint shop stuff. Like they were all just reasonably, you know, good people worked hard, yeah, yeah. I just talked to a guy recently who I worked with there, and he's like, it's so crazy to me, like he's retired now, he's in his late 60s, you know? Oh, wow. And I'm like, oh, that's nuts. Like you were like a 35 year old guy when I had that job, like, talking about raising your kids and like, stuff like that. And now I talk to him on the phone. He's like, we'll talk sometimes while he's in the car and he's coming back from like, his like grandchild, like karate class or something like that. And I'm like, oh, it's nuts, man. He was so this guy, I had to give him a lot of credit. He's one of the funniest people I ever met my life. His name was Bob, and it used to get like I said it was, it was hot as balls in there. And that saying is important, because every once in a while you'd walk through the shop and just see Bob, grab the front of his pants, yank it out, take a bottle of talcum powder, and just shake it down his pants and jump up and down real quick, and then go back to work, there'd be little talcum powder puffs on like the floor, because they would go down your pant leg. Then, yep. Anyway, go to college, get it.

Nicole 54:21
I'm gonna be careful. Now, walking out the workshop,

Scott Benner 54:24
you see any white on the floor? That is definitely where someone has powder in there, that's for sure. Yep, is there anything we didn't talk about that we should have? No, I think that's that's all good, good, good. That's awesome. I'm so happy for you. I mean, we didn't really say it out loud, but just the slower pace that Australia got technology, got CGM cover for people like you. Seem like a nice person. I don't imagine you do. But does it make you mad that you didn't have these things sooner? Sometimes, yeah, yeah, but it's okay, because you don't really have any, you don't have any outcomes that you're not looking for. So yeah,

Nicole 54:58
and I got, like. Well, I did get the same pick, which I think helped you a great deal. If I hadn't have had that possibly could have been a different outcome.

Scott Benner 55:07
Yeah, what's that doctor's name? Would you be willing to say it? Retired, Dr Stan. He was thinking way ahead of the curve. He did you a solid. He was, Yeah, no kidding. I mean, it's, you know, 2025 now halfway through 2025, it's, you know, five, six years after somebody started talking to you about glps, they've obviously gotten a lot more effective. And I think we'll continue to I bet you it turns into a daily pill sooner

Nicole 55:31
than later. Yeah, that'd be good. Not that I mind an injection. But, well,

Scott Benner 55:35
some people do, though. But like, do you notice it wanes after day four or five? Yeah, yeah, right. It would be nice if it if you had a little more even coverage. You know, we're still arguing with people now, like, it's been five years since, you know, trulicity and by Ed and all that stuff. And I think the outcomes are obvious, and yet you'll get online and some people still say, like, Oh, that's not for type ones, or you're cheating. Just don't eat as much. Like, you know what I mean, like, that kind of stuff. Like, yeah, it's just not that easy all the time. You know, no, and you got one life, and it doesn't last that long, Nicole, so I don't, I don't like you suffering. Yeah, I like it. I like it being, uh, I like it being happy for you, you know, yep, all right. Well, you were awesome. I appreciate this. You probably got to go to bed. Yeah, it's getting late, right? You got to get up tomorrow and watch those guys do whatever. Well, it's winter time now, actually, working in a shop during the winter is awesome because, yeah, right, because it's so cold outside, the building is in no way. There's no insulation in the building, so the heat, kind of the cold comes in from outside, and the machines kind of off balance. It's almost kind of nice and toasty. Not bad, actually. Yeah, that part I remember

Nicole 56:39
fondly, not so much in the office. It's cold in the office.

Scott Benner 56:42
Well, yeah, you got to get out there

Nicole 56:44
with Yeah,

Scott Benner 56:46
yeah. Just constant banging and clanking, right? Yeah, you don't hear it after a while, though, it's interesting. No, yeah, that's right, yeah. And the shears, like, you know, coming down and cutting a plate. It's like, just, I can hear it. My God, I lived through it so many times. I'm gonna let you go, Nicole, because it's late. Hold, it's late. Hold on one sec. Hold on one second. For me, today's episode of The Juicebox podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g7 and the Dexcom g7 warms up in just 30 minutes. Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox, today's episode is sponsored by the tandem mobi system with control iq plus technology. If you are looking for the only system with auto Bolus, multiple wear options and full control from your personal iPhone, you're looking for tandems, newest pump and algorithm. Use my link to support the podcast, tandem diabetes.com/juicebox, check it out. I can't thank you enough for listening. Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of The Juicebox podcast. 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. Hey, what's up, everybody? If you've noticed that the podcast sounds better and you're thinking like, how does that happen? What you're hearing is Rob at wrong way. Recording, doing his magic to these files. So if you want him to do his magic to you, wrong way. Recording.com, you got a podcast? You want somebody to edit it? You want rob you?

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#1595 Shooting Star

Allison’s 8-year-old daughter, Molly, was diagnosed with T1D last February and is one of only three documented adolescent acute esophageal necrosis cases.

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Scott Benner 0:00
Welcome back, friends to another episode of The Juicebox podcast.

Elle 0:14
Hey everybody. I'm Elle. I've been type one for 25 years, but I just started really getting involved and leaning into my diabetes in January, and I'm just so excited to be here and to tell you guys about it. If

Scott Benner 0:28
this is your first time listening to the Juicebox podcast and you'd like to hear more, download Apple podcasts or Spotify, really, any audio app at all, look for the Juicebox podcast and follow or subscribe. We put out new content every day that you'll enjoy. Want to learn more about your diabetes management. Go to Juicebox podcast.com up in the menu and look for bold beginnings, the diabetes Pro Tip series and much more. This podcast is full of collections and series of information that will help you to live better with insulin. 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 healthcare plan or becoming bold with insulin.

The episode you're about to listen to was sponsored by touched by type one. Go check them out right now on Facebook, Instagram, and of course, at touched by type one.org check out that Programs tab when you get to the website to see all the great things that they're doing for people living with type one diabetes, touched by type one.org today's episode of The Juicebox podcast is sponsored by the ever since 365 the one year where CGM that's one insertion a year. That's it. And here's a little bonus for you. How about there's no limit on how many friends and family you can share your data with, with the ever since now, app no limits.

Unknown Speaker 2:01
Ever since,

Scott Benner 2:04
this episode of The Juicebox podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. Omnipod five is a tube, free, automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a 1c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox at my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and Conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox

Elle 2:34
Hey everybody. I'm Elle. I've been type one for 25 years, but I just started really getting involved and leaning into my diabetes in January, and I'm just so excited to be here and to tell you guys about it.

Scott Benner 2:46
Awesome. El, you're 25 years into type one. But how old are you? I'm 3737 so you were 12 when you were diagnosed.

Elle 2:52
I was 11, about to be 12. I got diagnosed in March of 2000 and my birthday is in April, so a little less than a month with diabetes before I turned 12. Gotcha, you have kids? Are you married? Yes, I'm married, and I have two children. I've been pregnant three times. I had a miscarriage before I had my first son, and the miscarriage was just due to, like, really uncontrolled diabetes.

Scott Benner 3:13
Okay, let's talk about your diagnosis. Then, do you remember anything about it?

Elle 3:18
I sure do. How'd it happen? So I was a competitive dancer. I literally lived in the dance studio. I was there probably five, six, maybe even sometimes seven days a week, there for hours at a time. It was competitive dance season, and I pretended to be sick because I needed a little break from dance. I just was like, damn, I just want to be home and I want to watch TV and I want to veg on the couch. And I, you know, my parents rule of thumb was, unless you have a fever or you're throwing up, you are not missing school, you're not missing dance. I didn't really know how to fake a fever, so I made myself throw up, and it got me out of dance. So I said, All right, we're going to do this again. And I did it for two more days. And then finally, on the third day, my mom was like, we're going to the emergency room. Went to the emergency room. We were in triage. I'm thinking, this is a field day, like, this is another day off. I'm so excited. We get to the ER, we're in triage. They prick my finger sugar 600 and the nurse is like, Did you give her insulin today? And my mom's like, what the heck do you mean? What is insulin? What are you talking about? And shortly after that, I got transferred to another hospital, and I was there for about two weeks. This was in the two, you know, 2000 so we didn't have CGM, we didn't really have pumps. So I was there for a long time getting stabilized and learning how to eat and inject and check my sugar and all of those things. So do

Scott Benner 4:36
you think, in hindsight, do you think that you felt run down and sick, and the way your brain thought about it was like, I need a break from all this dancing.

Elle 4:46
Well, I definitely had symptoms of type one leading up to my diagnosis, which I think why it was so easy for me to throw up, because I always felt nauseous, I was always tired, I was always thirsty, I was always hungry. I had all the symptoms like they were. Black and White. I even wet the bed at age 11, but my parents were going through a really crazy divorce, so it got overlooked as anxiety. It got overlooked as, oh, she's just anxious about what's going on. Because my parents had just separated. They were living in different houses. It was a huge life change, yeah. So it got it really did get MIS, misdiagnosed and overlooked, because my parents were like, No, something's up. But, like, they couldn't put their finger on it. And I never threw up. Up until that point. I was always nauseous. I always said, Oh my God, my stomach hurts. Oh my god, I'm so tired. But nobody ever took me to the doctor to get it checked out. You know? They were just like, well, you know, her parent, you know, we're going through a divorce. Like, it's probably just that

Scott Benner 5:38
the making yourself vomit. Did you like, have to? Like, how did you accomplish? It

Elle 5:41
wasn't very hard, because I my sugar was so high, and, like I said, I always felt nauseous, so I literally just stuck a finger down my throat and it everything came up. Whatever I had eaten came up. And I don't know if

Scott Benner 5:52
you're looking for a break, basically, yeah, so you fake, literally, you vomit to get a break, and then your mom, like, hey, like, you wouldn't have known at that age, but, like, vomiting three days in a row is very, very concerning. So your mom's like, all right, fine hospital. So you got yourself diagnosed by mistake, by pretending to be sick when you actually really

Elle 6:10
were exactly I always say dance was like my it was my saving grace during my parents divorce, and it literally saved my life. Granted. It was because I felt like I needed a break from it. When I tell you, for our dance recitals, I had like 12 dances lined up. There was some dances I was getting changed behind the stage because I didn't have enough time, because I had to go back on. Like dance was my entire life, yeah, and it literally saved my life. Because even though I needed a break from it, I think maybe subconsciously, like you said, like my body was just feeling run down. And think about it, 600 blood sugar, yeah, pretty crazy.

Scott Benner 6:42
You were pretty beat up at that point. Okay, okay, so now you're out of the hospital, and your parents are not together, and it's 25 years ago. So I mean, what was your management expectations at that point? What were they expecting you to

Elle 6:56
do? So first was nutrition. They took me to a nutrition class while we were still in the hospital, learned to count carbs, basically, calculate a dosage, go through all of that. So we get out of the hospital, and I remember, like, my mom goes to the grocery store, she comes home, like, our first day, our first full day home, and she just, like, lays all the food out on the table, and she starts crying, and she's like, there's carbs in every like, I don't even know what to feed you.

Scott Benner 7:21
I gotta tell you, it's so funny, like, there's carbs, and anything crying happens to everybody, yeah? Like, absolutely, it happened to me in the in the grocery store. I was like, It's okay. We'll go and we'll get something that'll be okay. And then you're walking around, you're like, and there's this terrible feeling of just like, how are we gonna eat any of this? Okay, so you're, I'm sorry. Your mom's your mom's crying around the grocery

Elle 7:40
mom's crying about the food. I remember, you know, like I said, we didn't have CGM, so, like, we would have to wake up in the middle of the night, check the finger, give a dosage. Back in that time, we had a mix mph and n to get a long acting insulin. It wasn't even like, you know, Atlantis or chase, but it was like you had to mix it yourself. So it's like, it's kind of crazy just to see the progression of how things have changed with diabetes. Yeah, it was scary. It was a lot of work. And not too far into my diagnosis, I was 11, turning 12. I kind of had the independence, and my parents just kind of fell off with my care. Honestly, it was like, once they they realized I knew how to check my sugar, I knew how to give a dosage. I knew I had to eat, you know, give insulin before I ate. They kind of were just like, okay, she got it, and that was kind of it. It's kind of sad actually, that I always say, like, I feel a little neglected, and I think that's where the bad relationship with diabetes comes in, because it was always like, in the beginning it was, there was so much care, and then once it was like, okay, she's got it. She's got it. She's confident. She knows what she's doing. It just kind of like, fell off.

Scott Benner 8:44
So how long do you think that took before they were like, Oh, look, she's good.

Elle 8:48
Probably like, three or four months. But I will say I've always been very independent, like, just as a child, like, I always just like, you know, I played by myself. I mean, I have siblings, but I was just always very independent, right? And I had an older sister, who was very like, motherly towards me. So I was very lucky in that sense, that I always had my, you know, an older sister, but probably, like, I don't know, I would say anywhere between three to six months, and it was just, and then you never heard from them again. On it, well, not that I never heard from them, but it was just like, it wasn't a priority anymore,

Scott Benner 9:18
okay, so meaning they thought, like, we figured out the thing we're supposed to do. It's happening now on a cycle. It doesn't need focus any longer.

Elle 9:27
Basically, yeah, it was, like, every three months. How did that leave you feeling horrible? I still to this day, do not have a great relationship with my mom. You think it's because of this? I think it's a big part of it. I personally feel, and I don't want to say anything to offend my parents, but I feel like this happened while they were going through a divorce, and they were very selfish with their divorce, that there was no focus on my health, that it was just basically all of them. But think about it, trauma responses can trigger diabetes, too. So it's like, did this trigger. It is this, like the trigger that happened, so I feel like I have just a bad connection, just to that in general.

Scott Benner 10:06
What do you think your mom would say if she heard you say that?

Elle 10:09
I don't know. Honestly. I mean, I've said it to my dad. Me and my dad are very close, but me and my mom have always had just, like, a really hard relationship, and that's why I say. I don't want to offend her, because me and her still don't really talk a lot, so I don't want to offend her, but now as a mom, I'm

Speaker 1 10:24
gonna get emotional. I'm sorry. Take your time,

Elle 10:29
just like now as a mom, I just don't I feel like the way she was as a mom, has made me a better mom. If that makes sense,

Scott Benner 10:36
okay, is she? Is she like, she's alive, she's well, like

Elle 10:40
she's she's alive. She reach out. Yeah, we reach out, you know, holidays, birthdays, things like that. Lately, we've been trying to connect a little bit, because she's not in the best of health. So, you know, I do try to reach out. Hey, how are you? You okay? I always feel like I was more the parent to a parent, you know,

Scott Benner 11:02
she have anything going on that would cause that she had medical issues when she was younger. She drank, drinking anything like

Elle 11:07
that. My mom was sober all the time, like I think she had a hard childhood being raised, and I think that that was just the only way she knew how how to be with me. Okay, so how old is she now? My mom is going to be 68 I think,

Scott Benner 11:25
okay, 68 almost 70. I don't know a lot about a lot, but I can tell you that you should work on forgiving her and moving forward, because if you don't, she'll die one day and it'll it'll haunt you forever. Yeah, you know, I think sometimes people get confused about, like, you know, what does it mean to forgive somebody? You have to go explain to them what they did so that they agree with you, and then, you know, they say they're sorry. Like, I don't know that. That's how it works.

Elle 11:54
Well, this is my thing. I feel like I need my mom to say she's sorry, and she's just the person that won't Why do you need that just for and you know what? My husband says that too. My husband's like, why do you need her to say you're sorry? What is it gonna change? And I'm like, You know what? Maybe you're right. Did

Scott Benner 12:10
she do it on purpose? Do you think she was malicious? I don't think she

Elle 12:13
was malicious. I think that during my parents divorce, she used my health as a way to, like, kind of hold something over my dad. You know that she's the one doing all of this, like, my dad was involved, but I saw my dad on the weekends. I was with my mom, primarily during the week, so I think it was just like, I remember, like, being diagnosed, and they're screaming in the hospital room at each other, and I'm just like, Hello, can you guys, like, stop worrying about yourselves? How

Scott Benner 12:36
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Elle 14:48
Well, my dad had a drinking problem, and it got physical between them and my mom, not that she's ever said it, but I've caught my mom having so you know, we used to live in the time of like a cordless phone. In a landline. So my mom worked downstairs from our apartment. My family owned a business in town. My mom had the cordless phone downstairs. I had the landline upstairs. The phone rang. I answered it. My mom was chit chatting with a friend, and basically had said that she was unfaithful to my dad. And I heard the conversation, and I just after that, I was just like, wow, you know,

Scott Benner 15:21
so your dad drank, got physical with your mom, your mom then cheated, and then you heard about it pretty much, yeah, okay, and now you're mad at her for cheating on him. Why are you not mad at him for hitting her? I'm

Elle 15:35
mad at both of them, to be perfectly honest. I'm mad at both of them, but my mom has just this way about her that, not that I can understand why my dad would get physical, but it's like she kind of like pressures it and then victimizes it. If that makes sense, I'm not saying what my dad did was right. I'm not justifying that at all, right. But, you know, my mom was a second wife, so she had a lot of you know, my dad loved his first wife, you know, and they just didn't work out. And I just don't think that my dad loved my mom the way he loved his first wife.

Scott Benner 16:07
Oh, gosh, that's all very well, but that's all very like, complicated. It is, it is. So then my point is, you can't go back in time. No, nobody can, right? So you're only all you can do is move forward from where you are. If you asked her to apologize, she'd probably be like, for what?

Elle 16:25
No, exactly, that's what it is, too. I don't even think she realizes the the damage that's been done. And my father has apologized to me. You know, my father's like, you know, I know I made some horrible decisions. Like my dad has. Me and my dad have a great relationship because we've gone through the motions of that, but my mom, I feel like, will never admit that she had a part in their divorce, and I feel like she just thinks like she's the victim, and that that might not be the case. But

Scott Benner 16:52
before you and I started recording, we were talking and I shared with you that I've recently learned that a person who's in the diabetes space, who I think of as like an awesome force in this space, somebody who I'm very supportive of anytime I can be I have a very good feeling about the work that they do for people with diabetes, that I just learned recently, that this person who I have a lot of respect for and have not, not one ill feeling For that person believes that I don't like them, yeah, and therefore then goes around telling people that I'm a bad guy. And so my point is, by sharing that little like, it's not, not a real deep look into what's going on there. But my point is, is that, like, do you remember how you responded to me? Isn't perception crazy? Yeah, exactly. Uh huh. So think about your mom and your situation, and say to yourself, isn't perception crazy? It is, what do you get out of not having a relationship with her? You just get to feel what like you're right.

Elle 17:55
I feel peaceful. I just feel like even okay. So, like I said, me and my mom have always had, like, a very, like tough relationship. So I feel like anytime I give a pass or we patch things up, something happens where she triggers something in me and it I see red and I just want to explode. I feel like loving her from a distance is just kind of the way I deal with it.

Scott Benner 18:21
Yeah. I mean, listen, that might be how you end up dealing with it. I'm not saying otherwise. I would tell you that. You know, you have you said you have two kids. How old are they? Six

Elle 18:29
and two boys, girls. I have one boy who's six and a daughter who's two.

Scott Benner 18:34
Imagine if one day one of those kids talked about you the way you're talking about your mom right

Elle 18:38
now, I know, and that's why I always say, I feel like my relationship with her has made me like a better mom, because I never want that to happen.

Scott Benner 18:45
Ah, but you know who gets to decide if that's true? My children, that's right. I know. Yeah. Wait till they decide. It's a crazy thing. It's a crazy thing. So what's the best bet? Forgiveness? Yeah, it is.

Elle 18:59
It's it's hard to forgive. It's hard to forgive when, and I think that's why I need that sorry, so that I am able to forgive her. But the thing is, I'm not gonna ask for a sorry, but I'll probably never get it, because I don't think she thinks I need a sorry. If that makes sense, it's

Scott Benner 19:15
a shame you're not Canadian. They apologize constantly.

Elle 19:17
That'd be awesome. I'm good. I'm good in Jersey.

Scott Benner 19:21
So, okay, so All right, so that. So we have a pretty good feeling for who you know, for what your situation is there with that,

Elle 19:27
getting diagnosed diabetic, in that, that mess, was just not ideal.

Scott Benner 19:31
No, you know, it's obviously bad time, like, yeah, probably not perfectly suited for the situation to begin with your mom, not at all. And then, you know, put her in this situation. Who knows it sucks, like I'm not gonna say otherwise, and I'm sorry, that's your situation and hers, by the way, having said that, so you had to grow up taking care of yourself and your diabetes,

Elle 19:53
basically. Yeah, it felt that way. I'm sure, looking back, my mom thinks she did a lot and she did, I'm sure she did. Yeah, but I remember taking care of myself as soon as I like, like, I said I was able to I was just kind of like, fell into my lap, and I just went running from there, right?

Scott Benner 20:08
I hear you listen the other day, Arden, I was talking to Arden about something, and she goes, you don't even know what you're talking about. And I was like, Wait, I don't know. And I was like, I don't know how to respond to that. Like, I'm like, what I'm telling you is 1,000% correct. I've gotten this information from 25 different doctors and 1000 different people living with diabetes, and like you can trust that this idea is right. But in the end, she still, I'm still her father, and once in a while she looks at me like us old guy doesn't know what he's saying. So how old is she now? 21 she's almost 21 Yeah, yeah, yeah, a new phase of life. Yeah, it's all so exciting. It is okay, so you're but I want to figure out what's going on. Like, when you're growing up feeling alone, whether you are or not. Like, what does that do to you and your your relationship with

Elle 20:55
diabetes? Oh, my God, I had the worst relationship with diabetes, because, again, diabetes wasn't as not to say popular, but not so many people had it. I went to a private school growing up. I was the only person that had it up until, like, my last year, a friend. I still talk to her till this day, we went to high school together. We connect sometimes on Instagram, like just chat, keep each other up to date. We were pregnant at the same time. So like hardly anybody had it, like hardly anybody I knew had diabetes. I'm the only person in my family with diabetes. Nobody else has type one. I didn't know anybody with type one, so it definitely made me feel super isolated, super alone. I hid it as long as I could. So in elementary school, you know, obviously I would have to go to the nurse before snack and lunch and dose and check my sugar there. But once, I was in high school, I went to a public high school, which was very different from what I grew up. Going to, you know, there was a little bit more freedom. I could go to the bathroom and check my sugar there. Nobody knew I had diabetes. I didn't have a CGM. I didn't have a pump, so it was very easy to hide, and I just felt like, well, if I hit if I hide it, nobody can ask me questions. Nobody can make me feel different, nobody can make me feel isolated, and that's just kind of what I did up until I went to college. And how did it change? In college, I had even more freedom. I lived it. I went my first year in college, I was in Miami. I had a roommate. My parents would ship my insulin to my apartment, and that's when I really started going out. The nightlife, you know, over in Miami is obviously way different. I didn't have a curfew. I could eat whatever the heck I wanted, so it was just very different. Cocaine, no, not in Miami. No, Miami. That's not right. I have I, I'm not gonna lie. I there was a time where I was like a party animal in my 20s. Thankfully, it's nothing. I got addicted to. I tried it, realized I didn't like it, and went about my business. But no, Miami was just a lot of drinking. In Miami,

Scott Benner 22:47
are you taking care of your diabetes then, like, and, I mean, you're doing something, but what does

Elle 22:52
that look like? So I was, I wasn't taking care of my diabetes the way I should have. I was not checking my sugar. I maybe checked it in the morning when I woke up. So I will say, kind of checked it like a type two. I checked it in the morning. I checked it at night. I would do my long acting insulin and maybe short acting insulin before a meal, maybe. So my a, 1c during that time was probably like 10, like horrible, horrible care neglect, just not covering meals, even, yeah, no, hardly ever. And while that's happening, I mean, you can look back now, like, what did you think you were doing? So I actually had a conversation with a friend recently who was like, Well, if I, if I acted like it wasn't there, I thought it wasn't there until, you know, the DK hits in and then you're like, oh, like, yeah, I have diabetes. That's kind of when she said that, I was like, wow, that was like, life in the in my early 20s, that's what it was. Did you ever end up in the hospital? Mm, hmm, yeah. Oh, yeah. 2008 I was 20 years old. I had just come back from Miami. I dropped out of fashion school, and I was literally partying, not taking care of myself, and I ended up in a diabetic coma for a couple days, just because I also didn't have insurance after Miami, because I dropped out of school, I didn't have a full time job, so my parents insurance didn't cover me any longer, so I was basically rationing insulin, trying to survive. And I ended up in a diabetic coma for a couple of days, and then I was like, well, I need to get my ass together and, like, get it together and figure it out, because I'm going to die if I

Scott Benner 24:20
don't tell people what that means. Like, you were unconscious for days.

Elle 24:25
Yeah. So my best friend and I, we were supposed to go to, like, a family party. Her uncle is my sister's Godfather, so our families are very close, and it was, I believe, her cousin's communion party, and they live in, like a pack on. We lived in Hudson County, so she's like, I'll pick you up. We'll drive together. I was like, okay, cool. She said that morning, I wasn't answering my phone, which is very unlike me, and she came into my house and she said I was on the bathroom floor passed out. My lips were blue. I was breathing cold air. And she called my mom, and she was like, she is like, down and out on the floor. Like, what do I do? And my mom was like, did she have her insulin? She was like, What do you mean? I didn't even tell my friend at this point that I had diabetes. That's how well I hid it. And she took me to the ER, and I was in a coma for a couple of days. And I always ask them, like, how long was I in that coma for? And literally, nobody knows. They were like, we don't even we didn't even count the days. We were just trying to keep you

Scott Benner 25:15
alive. Geez. And now, Did that scare you into taking care of yourself? Or no, 100%

Elle 25:20
it did okay. 100 so I did. I got myself together. I started checking my insulin, checking my sugar, giving myself insulin. I was on pens at this time, but again, I didn't have insurance, so I was, like, trying to get into, like, you know, the programs that they have. I was going to, I'm sure you're familiar with it. In Jersey. I was going to university hospital. They would give me, like, samples. And I was there, like, every three months, checking and, you know, getting myself together. I did fall off a couple times where it's just like, I want to eat this and I, you know, I don't feel like going to the bathroom and taking insulin, but it was never as bad as it was before the coma.

Scott Benner 25:55
Okay? And so that's almost 20 years ago. It's like 17, not 17 years ago. Yeah, describe the difference between now and then. How do you manage yourself now and what do you think the process was to getting you from there to here?

Elle 26:11
So like I said, I did have a miscarriage in 2017 my husband and I started dating in 2016 He's the first person I ever dated that I was very upfront with Hey. I told him, on our third date, I have diabetes. I'm like, if, if that's like, you know you're out and you don't want to deal with me. You want to run for the hills. I completely understand it. He looked at me, he laughed. He said, My mom has diabetes. And I said, what does she have? Type two? And he was like, yeah. I was like, yeah, not the same. I'm just like, so

Scott Benner 26:37
here's the joke. He didn't know why he should run from you, but the diabetes is the least of

Elle 26:41
it. Exactly. He was thinking, like, he had no idea, and he was just like, no, like, I get it. I like, you know, whatever wanted to stick around. It's funny because after I told him that, literally, like, 20 minutes, I saw my first shooting star ever in my life, and I was like, Wow, maybe this is like, meant to be. So after that, I still wasn't on a pump, I still wasn't on a CGM. And then my husband and I got pregnant just very spontaneously. It wasn't a decision that we made. It just literally happened. And I was shocked, because an endo after my coma told me, good luck getting pregnant. You're never gonna have kids. Your Diabetes is So, you know, not taken care of. So I never even thought that I could get pregnant. And then I got

Scott Benner 27:20
pregnant. But that's like, nine years later, though, right after the

Elle 27:23
Yeah, this was okay, so that was 2008 This was 2016 so eight years later.

Scott Benner 27:29
So tell me something so between the 2008 incident and you getting pregnant the first time, you're trying harder, but that's not saying a lot, because you were, like, literally not bolusing for meals sometimes. So, like, right? So what did that time look like for you? So

Elle 27:44
my husband was kind of like, what's your sugar? Did you take your medicine? But there would be times where I would just, like, fall off, you know, like, it would just be, like, so exhausted for how

Scott Benner 27:53
long? What would a break look like in time, like, if you just stopped taking care of yourself as well? Did that go on just for a day, just for a meal, it was, oh, it

Elle 28:02
would probably just be, honestly, around the time of my period, I would just be like, lazy and just not want to do anything. I would want to eat all the junk. But it catches

Scott Benner 28:10
up to you. Yeah? Once a month, you'd be like, I'm not doing

Elle 28:13
f this. Yeah, basically, okay. And again, very easy to do. I wasn't on a pump, I wasn't on a CGM, so I felt like that kind of hindered my diabetes a lot, because I was like, if I'm, you know, I'm not. Now I look at my Dexcom a million times a day back then, I didn't even know what my sugar was sometimes, and I would just go about life like, like, nothing, you know, very scary actually, thinking about it and talking about it. Now I'm like, I was really playing Russian roulette with my health. Like, what was I thinking?

Scott Benner 28:40
Yeah, I know. Listen to looking backwards is sometimes very educational. Yeah. So are you telling me that your first wake up call that got you from, like, literally not bolusing for meals half the time was 2008 but then the next one is 2007 the miscarriage that gets you, that brings you, like, levels you up again.

Elle 29:01
Yep, the miscarriage changed my life completely, because after that finding out, and it's crazy, because I found out I miscarried, like, literally a year to the day that I met my husband, and then I was like, Okay, I need to get it together. That was August 28 I had to have a procedure done because me and my husband, ironically, were going away to Mexico to celebrate our anniversary, and the doctor was like, I can't let you go over there and miscarry naturally. She's like, I just can't do it, especially as a diabetic. God forbid something happened. So she was like, I just feel comfortable doing a DNC, if you're okay with that. And I said, that's fine. Like, what's the recovery like? And she's like, you'll be okay. She's like, we just can't go in water. I was like, ma'am, I'm going to Mexico. But whatever, it worked out. We went during a hurricane, so we didn't really go in the water much. Anyway, when we came back from Mexico, I went to the doctor that week, and I got on a pump within a couple of days of that. So I was like, I need to get it together. Because after I miscarried, I was like, I want a baby. I knew I could get pregnant. And that was just like, my goal. I was like, I. Have a baby, and my husband was all on board. He was like, let's do it. Let's get you healthy. Let's try again.

Scott Benner 30:05
And while you're talking about it here, you can reflectively see this was a show, right? Oh, yeah, yeah. But did you know? But did you know it was while it was happening?

Elle 30:15
I did. Okay. This is gonna sound absolutely insane. I did, but because I had done it for so long. For me, it felt normal. It felt normal. I felt like I was as long as I was waking up the next morning. I felt like I was doing okay,

Scott Benner 30:29
yeah. That's, you know, that's the most human thing anybody's ever said, yeah, yeah. I felt

Elle 30:35
like, as long as I always say, I wasn't living, I was surviving. At that time, my body was in trauma all of the time, you know? Yeah, and then when I did check my sugar and I would see, like, 350 I'd be like, Wow, that's really high. Like, imagine if I was just I kept going without knowing, you know what I mean, I was always shocked when I looked at the meter and it was high, because I never knew what my sugar was.

Scott Benner 30:56
You were shocked by it, even though you weren't shocked. Yeah, I'd be like, Oh my God, oh, my God. Let's pause for a second to ask you, did you functionally understand how all this worked, like how insulin worked, why you were taking it, how foods impacted different glycemic

Elle 31:11
you saying that? No, I didn't. I think that I was so young when I was diagnosed, and again, this was like dark ages of diabetes, right? We didn't have internet, like the way we do now. We didn't have Tiktok or Facebook or even podcasts. We didn't have resources at our fingertips the way that we do now that I don't, I honestly don't think I did understand it. Yeah, I remember, in 2008 after coming out of the coma, I was at the clinic at University Hospital, and I started crying to this one doctor, and I was like, I just wake up and my sugar is high. He's like, Honey, you have diabetes. I was just like, it's so frustrating, you know? And I was like, wow. Like, that's what really clicked for me. I was like, my sugar is high in the morning because I'm not producing insulin. Like, it really took me a while for it to click for me. Like, this is really a serious thing,

Scott Benner 31:58
yeah. I mean, it took you along. It took you a couple of different setbacks to to see it. So do you think that it was easier to climb out after the miscarriage? Like, is it, I want to have kids, so I need to figure this out. And was it easier to figure out because you had the support of a person who's like, Okay, we'll do it together. 100% my

Elle 32:16
husband is the most supportive person when it comes to my diabetes. He is every morning, he texts me, good morning, babe. What's your sugar? Or he'll look at the app. You know, he's just very probably the most supportive person I have. Actually, after our miscarriage, I was on the I got on the Medtronic, the 670 G that was in September, in December. I didn't know that this could happen. My cannula bet in the pump, and I went into DKA, and I remember him coming home from work, and I'm like, over the toilet, I'm like, I need to go to the hospital. I was like, I have ketones. I've been throwing up. I'm so dehydrated. And he like, didn't really know what DKA was, but he like, didn't waste a breath. He packed a bag. He literally picked me up out of off the bathroom floor, took me to the hospital, stayed with me. And he was like, Babe, this is terrifying. I'm like, I know. I'm like, but this is diabetes. But he was like, what? Like, what happened? He's like, you haven't ate anything bad. He's like, you've been dosing for insulin. He's like, shocked, yeah. And I think that's when it really woke him up. And was like, wow, this is like, this is a serious thing, but crazy,

Scott Benner 33:15
isn't it? Just to think that, like, you can do everything, right, but if a tube gets a kink in it, you could still end up in the hospital.

Elle 33:21
Yeah, that that happened to me, actually, last week. Same thing. Well, I forgot to put the Omnipod in manual mode. So I work four to 12. I got off of work at midnight. I had my my pump in manual mode because I did an extended Bolus for my meal before that, forgot to put it in automated mode. And my manual mode I'm typically I run low. I go in the 40s the 50s. So I had just switched my rates, just so that I don't drop that low. In case I ever forget to switch to automated. And I wake up Monday morning my sugar just reads high, like, high and just like, What the heck. I throw up. I check my ketones. My ketones are the darkest color on the strip. And I'm like, this isn't even something I could have avoided. Could have avoided. I was sleeping for seven hours. You know what I mean? So I think stuff like that just makes you realize that diabetes really like I always say, the most offensive thing you can say to a diabetic is you just have diabetes, because it's so much more than that. The littlest things can really throw off your whole flow.

Scott Benner 34:20
Life is fragile, and you know, there's a lot of processes between you and health, especially when you have type one. There's an example that's not the OmniPods fault. You didn't put it back and automate you. You made your manual settings too weak, and then you didn't go back into automated and there you go. You wake up and you know, you've got ketones in there, and they're significant. Did you have to go to the hospital for that? Or did you know how to manage through it

Elle 34:42
on your own? No, I went to the hospital. He did. And what did they IV, nothing. Insulin, drip, IV, fluids, electrolytes. I was out the

Scott Benner 34:49
next day. Okay, do you think that'll happen again? Do you have that feeling of like this is a thing that's going to keep happening to me? Or do you feel like you can get a process in

Elle 34:59
place? Well, no. Because now I have integrated in my head that before I close my eyes, when I check my sugar, I grab my pump and make sure it's in automated mode. Now it's like another, you know, put it on my tab, type of thing for diabetes, like another thing I have to make sure about now before I go to bed, yeah, you know, do you feel

Scott Benner 35:16
like your husband is in place of what you wanted from your

Elle 35:19
mom? No, actually, you know who I feel like is in place of what I wanted as a mom. It's the type one moms I connect with now online. Online,

Scott Benner 35:28
yeah, and you tell people, you know, we haven't even said anything. Tell people how you do that.

Elle 35:33
Oh, so a couple weeks ago, it's actually 19 weeks ago, I decided, after like that huge Tiktok ban, that if Tiktok came back, I would start a Tiktok account and just dedicate it to diabetes content and making connections and building a community, because growing up, I never had that, and I feel like that's where I really missed out, sure. And I just kind of was like, I want to see eyes as like a new diabetic coming into this community. And I made a Tiktok account, I've made some really great connections, and I got live access on that account pretty quickly, which you need a certain amount of followers, which I didn't even have that amount of followers, and I got live access. So I went on, and I just started talking about diabetes. I started telling my diagnosis story. And people were just coming in. They're like, Hey, I have type one for this many years. You know, I was diagnosed here. I'm on this pump, I'm on this CGM, and just, like, really, just, you know, genuine communication, yeah. And then the next day I went on, I did diabetes trivia, which people were coming in. I'm like, Oh, all right, more people are coming in, more connections, some of the same old faces from yesterday. And then I said, How funny would it be if I, like, open up my tick tock boxes and we do like, a live like, you know, back in like, covid days, PE, that's all people were doing, yeah. And I was like, We could call it something corny, like type one Tuesdays. And then the light bulb went off, and I was like, All right, let me reach out to some of these connections I've made and see if they want to join me. And I'm thinking, nobody's gonna show up. And the first type one Tuesdays was the following week. I believe it was February 11. All of the boxes were full, which is nine boxes, so eight people that I really didn't know, including myself. And then there's like a queue, you know, people requesting to come up. There was like 20 people in the queue. And I was like, wow. Like, this is not what I thought it was gonna be. It was like, so much better. I was like, gonna be grateful if one person showed up and we had like 20 people trying to, you know, come in and talk, and it really just, like, opened up my mind. I was like, All right, well, this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna keep doing this. So every week I reach out to people to see kind of like it's, I call it like a podcast on Tiktok. I bring people up, we talk, we hang out. I open up the boxes, you know, nice. It's like a little therapy session. Yeah? No, it definitely is awesome, yeah. But the moms that I've I've made connections with on type one Tuesdays. You had Shelby on recently with Paisley and and tracker. She's a really good friend of mine. I don't know if you know little Bane on Tiktok. He's a little two year old about to be two year old. Me and Marley have become really great friends. Jomo. You've had Jomo on a couple people you've had on, I'm like, very close with, but like the moms I connect with more, because not only are we very close in age, but I see the way that they care for their kids. And I'm like, That's exactly what I would have wanted. Yeah, you know, and that's where you're finding that, that feeling from, I feel like it's very healing. You said that kid's name Bane. I think his mom's scheduled to come on. Yeah, she is next month. I think, Oh, awesome. That's great. She's become one of my really great friends, like when I was in DK, she's like, elle, you need to get to the hospital right now. And then I got out of the hospital Tuesday and I was like, Oh, I think I'm gonna do type one Tuesdays tonight. And she's like, You need to rest. Like, okay, you're right.

Scott Benner 38:28
It's awesome. You need somebody to tell you what to do. Sometimes I'm very stubborn. I was gonna say everybody needs other once in a while, somebody just to look in the face and be like, I don't know what you think's happening right now, but yeah, calm down for a second so we can figure this out. Yeah, for real, your kids, do you worry that they might get type one? Do you have other autoimmune in your family?

Elle 38:47
So there's no Well, my mom had not. My mom, my grandmother, had a thyroid issue. So when I, you know, obviously, at all my appointments, I make sure they're checking my thyroid, but no other autoimmune issues. I'm the only one with type one. So I did okay. This is kind of where I'm, like, conflicted a little bit. So I got the trial net kit to test both of my kids. It arrived, and I just felt like, this feeling of like, maybe I don't want to know, maybe I don't want to know if they have antibodies yet. I said to my husband, I said, I feel like, just because of the way I am, I'm a very anxious person. I'm like, if I know that it's an underlying issue, I feel like it would make me more anxious about everything I said, whereas if I see a symptom, like, if I see like my kids are sleepy or hungry or extra thirsty, I have the means to check their sugar. I have meters. I have strips. I can always check and go from there. So I have the trial net kit. I do worry about them getting type one, especially like my son, like, a couple weeks ago, he was just downing water, and then there was one point he had an accident. I was like, get over here. I was like, we're checking your sugar, but his sugar was fine. But I do do that. Like once every once in a while, I do check their sugar. Probably, like once every two months I check their sugar, but, I mean, I have the. Can't. I can always send it if I feel differently, but I just feel like, if I know, like, there's an underlying, like antibody, that it would I would be a paranoid, neurotic freak.

Scott Benner 40:09
There's two. There's definitely one or two ways to think about it. Hey, are you sure your mom didn't have a thyroid problem or doesn't not that I know of Yeah. I mean, her mom did, right?

Elle 40:17
Her mom did. Yeah, my grandma did. Do you? I don't, thankfully, knock on wood, but you know, it's like in threes. It's graves, thyroid, diabetes, celiac, so it comes in fours.

Scott Benner 40:29
But like, do you? Do you have any symptoms of thyroid issues? No, thankfully not. No good. And your mom, how about anything else? Like your mom, have any mental health stuff?

Elle 40:37
Not mental health. I think that she she she could benefit from therapy, but has never done it. I'm very big into therapy. Now. I started going to therapy probably my first year of college, and I still go to this day. I'm still in therapy. I feel like there's not enough therapy for me, for for the trauma I've dealt with. You

Scott Benner 40:55
mentioned your mom is having health issues. Though. What are those issues are you? Can you tell me if

Elle 40:59
they are? Yes. So recently, she had, like, a really bad gallbladder incident where she had to have that taken out. She was on oxygen. Recently, both of my parents heavy smokers, so probably emphysema. COPD, I don't really know if she's ever gotten a diagnosis of that. Gosh, I think in the beginning of May, she had an accident where she fell and she, like, fractured her ankle very badly. She's already needed three surgeries for that. So sorry. That's terrible, very fragile. Yeah,

Scott Benner 41:27
yeah, that's crazy. So when you think of coming on a podcast to talk about your diabetes, what is it you hope to leave with people when, when this is over,

Elle 41:36
what I'm doing now is kind of like what I hoped for as a child, like somebody that gets it, understands it, doesn't sit there and portray like a perfect diabetic, because I am nowhere near that. And somebody who like, I think the most wholesome comments I get is when people, you know, doing type one Tuesdays, people come in like they see you on the FYP, you know, and if they hear what you like, they're gonna come in and they're gonna chat with you, I feel like once I started type one Tuesdays, the comments that I started receiving, the the ones that I that brought tears to my eyes, would be like, when people would be like, you know, I haven't really been taking care of myself for the last week or so. Like, it's just feeling so overwhelming. But listening to what you were saying on type one Tuesdays, like, I made sure I took my insulin today. I made sure I checked my sugar, like things like that. You know, just kind of like being somebody I wish I had during the time when diabetes felt

Scott Benner 42:29
rough. You've been in that situation too, where you haven't given yourself insulin, right? Yeah, how many of the people who are talking to you on social media do you think are are similar to you, like their stories are similar to yours, because, like, I have a fairly big community, right? And especially on Facebook, I don't hear a lot of people telling me I don't take my insulin, right? Is it because I'm attracting people who think about diabetes the way I do? That's true. And is that what's happening to you? Are you attracting the people who like vibe with you, whether you whether you even know it or not, because I've never thought of it that way, actually, until you just said something. Just now, it's not like, I'm like, Oh, I have said to people in the past, I think that Facebook group follows my vibe, meaning, like, you know, be cool to people. And like, everybody's got a story, let them have it. Like, you know, let people talk, you know, try to share what you know works with other, each other. But like, I wonder if the underlying vibe is also, like, people who are trying, aggressively trying to be healthy. Yeah. Do you think that's happening? Do you think you're attracting people who will say, Oh, gosh, I don't take my

Elle 43:31
insulin a lot. I don't think it's obviously I'm taking my insulin now. And like, you know my a, 1c, is great. But I think that my story might resonate with people who are maybe not not taking care of themselves, or maybe just going through that temporary diabetic burnout, you know, because that happens, people think like, Oh no, diabetic burnout isn't a real thing. It's all in your head, but it is like having something attached to you at all times. I know there's times where I get sick of it and like, when my Dexcom expires, I'll leave it off for an hour or two now just to get some like, Oh, my arms are free. You know what I mean? There's people probably going through that burnout that, you know, just like, oh gosh, somebody who understands it, somebody who gets it. So not saying that my community is people who aren't taking insulin. I think what's great about my community is that I am connecting with people who are so on top of their care, now that I am influenced by them, you know what I mean, like, so we have, like, a little type one Tuesday chat, and there's a gentleman in there who shares every unicorn he gets. And when I tell you, this guy's got 667, unicorns a day, and I'm like, man, like, That is impressive. But there are people. There's a young girl who comes in who she's like, I love Dr Pepper. I can't stop drinking Dr Pepper. My sugars in the four hundreds. And I'm like, Girl, put the Dr Pepper down. It's a very eclectic group of people we have, but so there was just a message, and I'll read it to you. This was literally the first week after type one Tuesday. She said, Hey, l, I happen to join your live tonight. For the first time. I've been struggling to find another t1, To connect with currently going through a tough time with my sugars and your life helped me feel not alone. Thank you for sticking around and like that was like, the first message that, like, choked me up. I was like, Oh my God. Like I just started this as a passion project, not thinking like I was going to help anybody. And just like that one message alone made it worth it for me. You know what? I mean.

Scott Benner 45:18
Listen, I got an email in 2007 from England, and I was writing a blog. And I don't even know if I knew it was a blog at that point. Like, like, you know what I mean? Like, it was pretty much before blogging was really a thing, and I was just literally writing on a piece of software that was on my computer. And I never forget, like, I opened up that software. It was called I web, and the selling point of it was you could write something and people online could read it. And I was like, Oh, that's awesome, but that's how old I am, and how new of an idea it was back then, right? And, like, a month into it, I get a really nice letter from the UK, and this woman's just like, your blog is really helping me and my daughter. And I was, like, awesome. Like, half of me was like, a blog, like, what I didn't even know what I realized I know what I was doing really, like, I'm being serious, you know, yeah, and that was the first time I felt it 2007 and at some point today, I'm gonna go online and I'm gonna read dozens of those notes, and it doesn't get old. Is what I'm done, is what I'm telling you. It's awesome. It really is fantastic. And it her message to you, like, thanks for sticking around, like, and doing this thing. Like, that's the part. I think that there's times I'm most proud of that part. Like, is the keeping it going, the consistency? Yeah, because that's the hardest part. It's very difficult once you get into the other side of it. Like, how does this all get, like, financed and, you know, like, how is it possible that, you know, on Tuesday, at 130 in the afternoon, I'm recording something with you that somebody won't hear for two months, right? The way you finance it and keep it going and everything that's boring and whatnot. Well, I'm talking about the getting up every day and having one of these conversations, or sometimes to or, you know what, yesterday, I'll, you know how many times I recorded an episode yesterday? I can only imagine. I made three yesterday. Yeah, I was gonna say yeah. So yesterday I recorded with I recorded something with Jenny that you won't hear for five months. I recorded something with the president of Dexcom that you'll hear on Saturday. And I recorded a conversation with a woman in her 40s that you'll probably hear a number of months from now. To say that that was my entire day, that would be a lie. I also did a ton of social media. I did like all these things that it's so that somebody can come say, Hey, I appreciate that this information was here when I needed

Elle 47:37
it, right? There's a lot of behind the scenes that people don't see. It's massive, actually. Yeah, it's, it's great. I didn't realize it doing this just, like, for fun. And then I was like, Well, I got to get this ready and this ready and have a topic, and have people lined up. And, you know, there's just so much that goes on that it looks easy because it's so well put together, but there's so much that goes into it.

Scott Benner 47:59
Yeah, fun is, like, the last word I would use to describe it, yeah, I'm having fun talking to you. And like, Thank you. No, no, no, you're you're lovely. And, you know, there's other parts to it, like, you'll see the longer you keep going, like, there's part of me that, like, there's like a gamification to it, even just to keep me, like, keep me attached to it, right? Like, that's where like downloads come from. I know I'm reaching people because of the reaction I get back. Yeah, of course, honestly, it wouldn't matter what the numbers said like and I got

Elle 48:26
it going on for so long, if you didn't resonate with mostly everybody,

Scott Benner 48:31
well, I'm saying the numbers, they're not even important like you. You could make an argument. Well, they're important to the advertisers. Trust me, the advertisers care if you click on a link, right? So if you're clicking on my link, they're happy with me. They don't care if I have 1,000,002 million, 3 million downloads this year. They don't care, as long as their links are getting clicked, right? So they're they're being satisfied, they're fine. My point is, is that I don't care about the downloads, like, I care about the feedback. You know what I mean? Like, I know I'm doing well when I hear from people. Yeah, that's the most important part, but then how to keep that going for tomorrow and the next day? Like, it's simple to say, like, Oh, it's a podcast. Well, I'll just make one a week. Well, you can if you want, but you have a hobby, then you don't have a podcast. Yeah, and every day that you're not putting out content is a day that people aren't being drawn into the community, is a day that you might not find that girl who wrote you that note,

Elle 49:19
which is why I was so nervous about taking off last week. But when Marley was like, elle, you need to rest, yes, and it's true, because even my friend Jomo, you know, when I started this new job in March, he was like, elle, you have like, five full time jobs, like, how are you managing it? And I'm like, I'm not. I'm literally running off of fumes right now. I don't know how I'm doing it, yes, but it is by the grace of God that I'm still doing it. I'm still showing up, I'm still putting out content. I'm still having, like, you know, things where people can interact, like, in my stories, like, it's another full time job this social media. And I think, you know, from people behind closed doors, it looks very simple and it looks easy to also do, but it's, it's a lot, you

Scott Benner 49:59
know, I. Be I'm completely honestly, I'm looking at my whiteboard right? I'll tell you right now, ever since tandem, Omnipod, Dexcom, us, med contour, next gen, cozy Earth, T, 1d, exchange, touched by type one and Medtronic, if it wasn't for them, I couldn't do this, and I would, and I wouldn't do it, because I don't know how you're doing, what you're doing, and you're not doing nearly as much as I'm doing. No, I'm not right. If I had a full time job and two little kids and I would and diabetes, I wouldn't be on here going, like, hey, come find me on, you know, diabetes Tuesday. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I would type one Tuesday. I'd be like, I'm tired. Yeah, you know, you said it a couple of times. It probably looks easy from the outside. And I don't know if it looks easy to people or not, but what I can tell you is, is that the thing I'm doing takes about 1000 times more effort than you imagine. No, I believe it. I believe it. It's overwhelming, and still it is, the numbers, the, you know, the downloads. I'll say it sometimes because I'm proud of it, but like, you know, I've been in the top 30 of the US medicine category for like, seven years.

Elle 51:10
I remember when I told my dad I was going to do this podcast. He Googled you, and he's like, Wow, look how high up he is

Scott Benner 51:16
on the podcast. Why is this guy talking to you? Yeah, my dad was so excited. Well, I'm happy. I'll tell you that. Hi, I'm happy to talk to you. Is it okay to share that you tried to be on other diabetes podcasts, and they didn't, they didn't respond to you. Okay? So before we started recording, I was like, I was so surprised you responded to me because I reached out to other diabetes podcasts that are not nearly as big as yours, and they were not interested. And you know, I didn't answer you then, but I'll answer you now, because you just said you're surprised to be here. I don't know what those people are looking for, but I'm just looking for regular people to talk about their diabetes. Yeah, that's all I care about. I don't need to talk to somebody who's been on 17 different YouTube channels and 10 different podcasts. And, you know, I don't care about somebody who's gonna spend next week while all those people are at Ada, buttering people up and trying to get content deals, and they're, you know, making videos like running around talking about all the, you know, all the manufacturers new stuff, so they can go out and show for those companies, so that they're, you know, they hope to build a relationship with them. Like, that's, I see what's going on, right? Yeah, while those people are doing that, I'm gonna be on a cruise with 100 listeners, getting to know people, like one on one, like building my understanding of what, like, an actual community in person connection means, because I'd like to build on that going forward. And for those of you who are now going like, oh, yeah, sure, Scott, but you're getting paid for that, I'm going to tell you something right now. I'm not going to make $1 off of that cruise. I'm going on that cruise. It's going to be me and 100 listeners. And when the person who coordinated it said, like, we have to build in private time for you, we have to build and rest, I said, I am going to speak with every person on that ship at length before we

Elle 53:01
get off of it? Yeah? And I think that that's what makes the biggest difference. Yeah, I don't

Scott Benner 53:06
care if I'm exhausted when I get off of that ship. And I don't care that. Like, you know, we didn't sell it out with 500 people, and I didn't make some money off of it. Like, I don't she got paid. Everybody's getting their thing. It's going to be a great time. We got some brilliant touch by type one. And Omnipod sponsored it so that we got some nice stuff to give people. I've got Erica coming on and doing a live talk, you know, over zoom. I've got Jenny coming on doing a live talk over zoom. Did I want them on the ship? I did. If 200 people would have come on the cruise, would we have had them there? We would have maybe we'll get it accomplished next year, that'll be great. But if not, I don't care. I care about meeting those people, and I care about them meeting each other and building some sort of a relationship outside of online. You know,

Elle 53:53
I think that's the biggest thing, is making that connection. Because, like I said, I've obviously didn't have a community growing up of my own, and I feel like, had I had that, I feel like my relationship with diabetes would have been 100% different, because now I don't look at diabetes negatively. I always looked at it as like a character flaw, really. I was like, wow, I hate having this disease. Wow. I hate that. I'm so, you know, different than everybody else. I hate that I can't even just eat this cookie without checking my sugar. I'm sorry. I'm like, very eager to keep my diabetes in the forefront of everything I do. And I'm like, Wow. 25 years later, I've had this in my back pocket the whole time, but I feel like there's a reason for sure that it's happening now, like there's a specific reason why it's happening now, do I know what it is? No, but maybe it's for you know, to meet you and go on the cruise next year that you know, like we're both from Jersey. How funny is that I

Scott Benner 54:46
know? I well, I wish you a ton of luck. I I think what you're doing is awesome. To show you what I think people don't understand about conversations like you shared some incredibly insightful and personal stuff about growing up through a divorce. About growing up with diabetes, about like, you know, like, those are that story is uniquely yours.

Elle 55:06
I think that's what I love about it. I feel like there's, you know, obviously everybody has a diabetic story, but I feel like nobody's story is very close to mine, in a sense. And I feel like I've never really shared my story. It's funny, because I was getting ready to do this podcast, and, you know, my friend said to me, you're always the one interviewing everybody else. You're getting interviewed for the first time. How do you feel? I'm like, it's just bizarre, because I've never really told my story this much in depth. And, you know, really, I'm, I'm feeling it, and I feel like every time I go through this process of, like, you know, just talking about even my diagnosis story, I'm like, it's, it's healing for me, which I feel like I needed,

Scott Benner 55:42
also the best way to connect with people. So you should do more of that on your thing. And those people who turned you down like, I hope they listen to this now and went, Oh, I could have had that conversation. I could have had that conversation with her, because I don't listen. I don't know how obvious it is if I'm like, ham fisted or I'm good enough at this that you don't see it coming, but I'm sitting here staring at a spot on the wall, listening to you right like I am trying to hear what you're saying. I'm trying to imagine the parts of your own story that you don't even understand. Like I'm trying to ask more questions to get you down that road. And I mean, I feel like I did a good job of pulling stuff out of you that, like, maybe they wouldn't have gotten, but at the same time, like, I don't know, I see what some of them put up for their content, and I'm just like, God, I would never do that. There's

Elle 56:27
so many doors that have opened up that I feel like the closed ones are okay, because I feel like, in a way, it's a little bit of protection, if that makes sense. You know how? So just because I feel like, obviously I'm very in tune with, like, I put God in the forefront of everything. Like, when I started type one Tuesdays, I said, God, if this is what I meant to do, like, give me a sign like, I'm very, like, sign driven. And I feel like, once I did it, like, things started opening up. Like we spoke previously, you know, I've had, now I have brands reaching out to me. Hey, can you post a video with this? We'll give you an affiliate link. And granted, I don't do that for the money, but it's the first time that somebody's taken interest in me, and what I'm doing to want to work with me in that way. And I'm like, Wow, I've never had that before. Yeah, I've done Tiktok shop, but that's Tiktok sending me a free sample. It's not people interested in me. Hey, you know, like, it has nothing to do with Tiktok. It's for their brand. And I'm like,

Scott Benner 57:20
I would take from that, if I was you, that you're you're making inroads, and the people are noticing what you're doing.

Elle 57:25
Yeah, yeah. And that's what I'm saying, like, doors are opening that have not opened before, and that's why I'm just, like, so happy to be doing what I'm doing, because it is a passion project. And obviously I hope to have, like, a bigger scale of type one Tuesdays in the future. Do I know what that's going to be No, but I'm going to ride it to the till the wheels fall off and just keep doing what I'm doing. And, you know, something happens, and it's in the will of God for me to be doing what I'm doing, then I'm just going to keep doing it. I kind of take my lead from God, but I feel like people saying no or not responding to my you know, wanting to be on their podcast, it's like, well, then that's not the place for you to be. That's not where I want you to be. And

Scott Benner 58:03
I would say, keep doing what feels right to you. This is awesome for you. Tell people your Tiktok

Elle 58:08
handle. So my Tiktok handle is t1, diaries, T, 1d, I, A, R, I, E, S. My name is L. And every night, every Tuesday night, at 10pm on tick tock, eastern standard time we go live and we talk to different people. Sometimes we have a bunch of diabetes in the box, and we just, honestly, just shoot the and just talk about it. Sometimes it's about how hard it is. You know, DKA, whatever the topic is that week, we'll just kind of go in together. And there's always a really great community, and it's a lot of fun. We have a good time doing it.

Scott Benner 58:37
Well, I'll tell you what. When yours gets on my calendar, if you, if you would like, I would come on and do your No way, sure. Of course, that'd be love

Elle 58:46
to have you on you will you come up in a lot of our chats, a lot of people you know are drawn to you and your content and your podcast, and you know your fan favorite over here on type one Tuesdays. I would

Scott Benner 58:56
love that. Awesome. Yeah. Well, we'll work it out in the future. I would love to be a supporter of what you're doing. So just Thanks, Scott, yeah, let me know. Okay, all right, hold on one second for me, this was awesome. You were terrific. Thank you.

This episode was sponsored by touched by type one. I want you to go find them on Facebook, Instagram and give them a follow, and then head to touched by type one.org where you're going to learn all about their programs and resources for people with type one diabetes. The podcast episode that you just enjoyed was sponsored by ever since CGM. They make the ever since 365 that thing lasts a whole year. One insertion every year. Come on. You probably feel like I'm messing with you, but I'm not. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox Summertime is right around the corner and Omnipod five is the only tube free automated insulin delivery system in the United States, because it's tube free, it's all. So waterproof and it goes wherever you go. Learn more at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox That's right. Omnipod is sponsoring this episode of the podcast, and at my link, you can get a free starter kit. Terms and Conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. If you go a little further in Apple podcast and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend, and if you leave a five star review, ooh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card? Hey, kids, listen up. You've made it to the end of the podcast. You must have enjoyed it. You know? What else you might enjoy? The private Facebook group for the Juicebox podcast. I know you're thinking, uh, Facebook, Scott, please. But no, beautiful group, wonderful people, a fantastic community Juicebox podcast. Type one diabetes on Facebook. Of course, if you have type two, are you touched by diabetes in any way? You're absolutely welcome. It's a private group, so you'll have to answer a couple of questions before you come in, but make sure you're not a bot or an evildoer. Then you're on your way. You'll be part of the family. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording, wrong wayrecording.com,

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