#1921 Yo Gabba Gabba
Yo Gabba Gabba
Diagnosed at two, Gabby returns with seizure stories too many to count, somatic therapy and EMDR, ADHD in the middle of a national stimulant shortage, and a just-do-it case for modern glucagon.
Jump to a moment
- “Too many to count.” Diagnosed at two in 1999 — before CGMs — Gabby’s childhood lows meant a mom waking to strange sounds, the old Lilly red-box glucagon kit, and more than one morning waking up in an ambulance in her own driveway.
- Therapy rewired the panic, not the diabetes. Somatic therapy and EMDR — bilateral stimulation, tapping, those vibrating hand pods — helped her go from seeing seizures every time she closed her eyes to being low without panicking.
- ADHD and insulin are a hard mix. Forget to pre-bolus, pre-bolus and forget to eat, crash, drink seven juices, bolus again — and the medication that helps has been trapped in a national stimulant shortage running since 2022.
- Hyperfocus has a price. An hour of total focus on a class or meeting is an hour where the Dexcom never gets a glance — for Gabby there is no multitasking, only the one thing.
- Her glucagon message: just do it. Modern options are faster and easier than the old kits, and the worst case is running a little high. She once caught an accidental 12-unit bolus in her pump history and gave herself Gvoke on the spot — no seizure.
- T1D Exchange Registry — US residents 18+ with type 1 can complete the survey and help move T1D research forward.
- Gvoke HypoPen — The premixed glucagon Gabby used on herself after an accidental 12-unit bolus — no mixing, no hesitation.
- Mental Wellness series — Juicebox episodes with therapist Erika Forsythe on anxiety, trauma, and living well with type 1.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:00
Welcome back my friends to the diabetes show that never ends. Remember this, nothing you hear on the juice box podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise. Always consult physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. Kids, I'm not kidding. Go to t1dexchange.org/juicebox and see if you're eligible to fill in that survey because when you do, you are helping to move type one diabetes research forward.
You need to be a US citizen 18 or older and go to my link, t1dexchange.org/juicebox. Do not forget to do this, please. Thank you. Today's podcast is sponsored by US Med and Tandem Diabetes Care. What a pair.
I'm a poet and didn't even know it. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Tandem MOBI system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. Tandem MOBI has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. You can get your diabetes supplies from the same place that we do.
And I'm talking about all your favorites, Dexcom, Libre, Omnipod, Tandem, Ilet, much, much more. Go to usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from US Med. Yeah. Alright.
I said testing. Testing. Can you do it? Testing. We're done.
Let's go. Introduce yourself.
Meet Gabby — diagnosed at two2:03
Hi. I'm Gabby. I am 29. I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was two. I'm currently using a Dexcom g six.
Why are you laughing?
Because g six.
Oh, because it's because you're almost not using it anymore.
Oh, hopefully, you didn't just hear my alarm. Oh. But, yeah, g six and Tandem Mobi.
Tandem Mobi g six. You're gonna have to move the g seven pretty quickly. Right?
Yeah. I've tried it.
Yeah. Oh, you have one? You've been getting a roll? Okay. Alright.
I have I have a new supply of them sitting.
You found a supplier? You got a guy?
Yeah. CVS. You know?
Did you say CVS?
Uh-huh.
Oh, Gabby. We're gonna get along fine. Okay. So you've had type one since you were two. My daughter was diagnosed at two.
Yeah. No. It's crazy. Your earliest memory of diabetes?
Oh, when I was I have no idea, but two, three, four, you know, whatever. And my earliest, I think, memory is my older brother being like, you have to drink it. Just drink it with one of those little juicy juice boxes. And I wanna say it's because I was, like, 27, but I could be making that up. I don't know.
I was low.
Okay. How old is your brother, compared to you?
He's eight years older than me.
Oh, so you even if you were only four, he would have been do you think he was babysitting you, do you think was the whole family gathered around you? Like, how does your memory paint the picture?
Have absolutely no idea. That's the whole that's the whole memory, honestly.
Yeah. That's the whole one. Drink it. You gotta drink it. Yeah.
Is that the last time anybody's ever said drink it, you gotta drink it to you? I bet you know.
Absolutely not.
Gosh. That's
Also, you know, eat it.
Eat it. Eat it. Just shut up. We're get we we can't leave until your blood sugar's higher. Let's go.
That kind of stuff. How many brothers and sisters in total?
That one plus the sister that is just two years older than him and of the same dad and then so two on my mom's side.
Yeah. But you're you're starting to confuse me. Hold on a second. So you have a sister who's the oldest of the three of you?
Yeah.
And your father is her father? No. No. Her your father is not her father?
Correct.
But your mom is her mom? Correct. Gotcha. So your mom had a baby when she met your dad?
Yes.
Got it. And then your Only me. Oh, wait. Your mom had the your brother and your sister before you? Yeah.
Oh, okay. I got it.
And then my dad, same.
Oh, you're okay. So there's five of you in total?
Yeah.
And you're the I found Baby? You're the I found love baby.
Common denominator.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Or you're the I got sick of that one, and I found this one baby. Whatever you wanna think.
I mean Yes.
Is that what you mean?
Many, many years.
Yeah. Is it weird being much younger than your sib because now you're 29, so your brother's, what, older. Yeah. Do have anything in common with them at all?
Always have been.
You're like, it has not been exponentially changing in the last ten years. No.
No. Right.
Do you have anything in common with them?
Buttoning. I'm sorry. Do I have what?
I'm sorry. We're talking over each other. But do you have anything in common with them at all?
Yeah. I mean, recently, my brother and I have argued more about him being just, like, typical boy who's now boy dad.
Was you guys see each other for me?
Not necessarily, like, typical. Like, I got angry at him for being, like, ballet is for boys. I mean, that not opposite.
Oh, so he didn't he said ballet is not for boys, and that got it made you mad?
Yeah. Including, like, in front of his boy children that then repeated and will go repeat to their peers.
Doing that thing. Yeah. I gotcha. Stereotypes. That was for some boys.
I've seen them do. Yeah. But, I mean, you're I mean, different dad. Right? And ten years older.
But are you guys still close? Like, do you do a lot of family things?
Yeah. I'm closest with my, sister on that side.
Okay.
Because they were the most there when I was growing up, and they were just kind of, like, a good bit older than me and closer in age with each other. So in childhood, they were the one, like
And your family
arguing with each other. Yeah. I was just, like, the baby.
Your family structure is interesting.
Yeah.
Yes. Hey. Are your are your parents still together? No. So maybe it wasn't the other people.
No. How long did they make it? How old were you?
Four.
Holy. That's that's not very long at all. Nope. They're like, this time will be nope. It wasn't.
I gotta go. Like, got who'd you grow up who'd you grow up with?
Really both, but a little bit more with my mom.
Okay. But can you imagine you married somebody, made two kids, decided it didn't work, that happened to your spouse too, ten years later you make another baby thinking like, oh, we got it this time and two years into it that kid gets type one diabetes? Wouldn't you be wouldn't you be like, oh my god. Nothing is working out. You know?
Yeah. My gosh. Well, how did it work out for you? Like, how was growing up with it?
Growing up with it: shots till ten8:00
Well, being two, it's all I knew. So there's that with
But what are your
I feel like your family has the same Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. No. I know. But I guess I'll I'm kinda asking you Gabby, I'm kind of asking you, like, do you have memories of friends being supportive or was it challenging?
You know, what were your expectations for your health? Were people leaning on you all the time? Were there restrictions on your food? Like, what was that whole like, do you have any memory of it at all?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
Okay.
Uh-huh. A lot. It was not restrictive. It was, like, some rules and regimens, but not, like, terribly strict or anything, like, ridiculous in my even though I knew nothing else, but as you grow, you know?
Yeah.
But definitely not, like, diet or activity activity or or whatever restrictive in, like, any way. It was two years old was 1999, so it was, like, shots till I was 10.
I have always disliked ordering diabetes supplies, and I'm guessing you have as well. It hasn't been a problem for us, though, for the last few years because we began to use US Med back then, and you can too. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514 to get your free benefits check. US Med has served over one million people living with diabetes since 1996. They carry everything you need from CGMs to insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies and even more than that.
I'm talking about all the good ones, all your favorites, Libre three, Dexcom g seven, the pumps like Omnipod five, Tandem, and the Islet pump from Beta Bionics. They have even more than that. You gotta go check them out because the stuff you're looking for, they have it at US Med. (888) 721-1514. Or go to usmed.com/juicebox to get started now.
Use my Slink. Use my Slink. Use my link to support podcast. That's usmed.com/juicebox. Now let's talk about the Tandem Mobi insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care.
Their newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology, and the new Tandem Mobi pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with Autobulls that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options. Tandem OBI gives you more discretion, freedom, and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it out at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. When you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's gonna help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control.
Tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The Tandem Mobi system is available for people ages two and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range, and address high blood sugars with Autobolus.
The combos, the different stuffs. Just
You doing
Prick your finger. Do your best.
Yeah. Prick your finger. Do your best. Were you doing regular in Miles hour at any point?
Yeah. In the beginning.
In the beginning, you were.
Mhmm.
How involved were at what point I guess my question should be, at what point do you feel like your parents are hey. This is your thing. So go get it.
Very, like, gradually too.
Okay. Nice.
In some ways, it sounds like a little bit I don't know. I wanna be, like, a little bit sooner than, like, you or Arden, but in some ways, it's just it just feels different entirely because technology time was slightly
Yeah. You were
you were
you were before her by
Yeah.
By maybe eight eight or nine years before Arden.
Mhmm.
Yeah. Yeah. So so just there wasn't a lot to do is what you're saying. Right? Like, you just had to draw up some insulin and give yourself a shot.
Yeah. Yeah. I started a regular pump situation when I was, like, And both parents were very like, they would sometimes go, both of them, to a doctor appointment or to, like, the pump training
stuff. Mhmm.
And then at, like, either house would be, you know, little nuance differences, but they're both trying and helping and
They're on the same on the same page, basically? Yeah. Yeah. So it wasn't a drastic difference for you from one place to the next?
No. No. Not Yeah. Definitely little differences, but nothing huge and crazy.
Yeah.
At, like, 10 or whatever starting pumps, we used to do where at each site change, one of them would help me do, like, the whole insulin cartridge thing.
Mhmm.
And then I would do the site insert, and that kept going for a little while.
Yeah. Just trying to get you like, they brought you into it slowly. You're talk you you said earlier, it's kinda the way I talk about it, just the very slow handoff.
Yeah.
Yeah. And do you feel like that worked out for you? I mean, do you feel comfortable as a a young teen and as an adult?
Yeah. I think I just wish all of the technology
Yeah. No. I know. Happened.
You just Obviously.
Yeah. You just made me think, like, I hope I can do this for another decade. Like, I wanna talk to
Oh, yeah.
I wanna talk to 29 year old Gabby who was diagnosed and handed a CGM in the hospital.
I do too.
Yeah. Yeah. I really do. I wanna hear that story. Like, so I'm gonna try to hang out long enough to do Yeah.
I might have to do a sit up though or something. I don't know. Seems like a lot. But Yeah. I I kinda wanna pivot to your note because I think there's a lot in your note, and I think it's pretty specific.
So Mhmm. Let me just ask. Did you have a lot of seizure experiences growing up?
Yes.
What's a I
don't know if you remember that we talked before.
Yeah. You had a yeah. You did a glucagon you did a glucagon story. Right?
No. This is gonna be glucagon stories because we didn't really get into that.
Oh, because we didn't get into it. What what what We did
get into a little bit how I have had, like, too many to count.
Too many to count. Okay. What was your last episode called? Do you know?
Tilt a Whirl.
Tilt a Whirl. Oh, because your life is a mess.
Uh-huh.
By the way, I don't remember the conversation. I just know what that Mhmm. What that title makes me think of. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So okay. So let's talk about it. Like, you know, I mean, tell me a little bit about those experiences of having low blood sugars that are that lead to to, you know, full on seizures.
Tell me about the glucagon use. And then I wanna really move into the therapy thing that you have here. So, like but take but take your time. Okay?
The seizures start young15:49
Yeah. The the questions of the, like, parenting and both of them participating and, like, giving and transitioning, like, as nicely as possible Mhmm. Is is part of all of the seizure stuff too because they my first, I think, was when I was like I don't remember actually. But the first that I, like, know for sure, I think, was either third or fourth grade.
Mhmm.
When I went back to school and got a little art class cards being like, oh, feel better to me.
But wait. Did the did the seizure happen at school, or did it happen
at No. Just overnight, and then somehow it was known that that was why. I don't know why anyone knew that.
But Well, listen. I've been alive a while. Your mom told somebody.
Well, yes. I know that.
Yeah. Moms love to tell stuff like this, though. And as you get older, you see your mom on the phone, you're always like, why you're, like, signaling across the room, like, why are you telling someone that? Like, wait. Stop.
Yeah. Anyway okay. So it it gets out. We'll pretend we don't know how. And then you you you return to a bunch of our classmate cards, which was that nice, or was it like, oh god, everyone knows?
No. I think it was nice. I think it maybe wasn't the first one somehow. So I think
Okay.
Somehow the like, in memory of, like, young child forming memories. I don't know. So I think it was kind of nice of, like, oh.
Yeah. Well, that's not that's good. It's good that you took it that way. You know?
They knew and
Wanted to say something nice to you.
Found out in a nice way.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So so these were happening a lot. Do you know why they were happening a lot?
Do you have any, like, rear facing, like, way to break it down?
Way to break it down. Not really specifically. But over the whole beginning ish, meaning what we call childhood, it was always overnight asleep where, again, like, no CGM, try your best. Mhmm. Mhmm.
Overnight lows and the red-box glucagon18:07
Where try your best means, as you described, of your life a very long time ago too, where my mom woke up because she heard a weird sound Yeah. And then when and there Gabby was half of the time. And I remember multiple times, like, waking up in an ambulance in my in my driveway.
Multiple times in your life, you've woken up in an ambulance in your driveway. Did your mom use glucagon on you all those times, or what were they doing?
I'm not sure about all, but I think so in general. Mhmm. Definitely some of the times. Yeah. And some of those, like, overnight in, like, 2,000 I don't know, before ten, was the Lily Redbox
Yeah.
Where she had to somehow successfully manage the mixing and the re pull the new liquid stab with her medical librarian background. And, I mean, it worked.
Yeah. Did she does she do you and her talk about it as adults? Does she have memories about it?
Oh, yes. For sure. Do we talk about it? Not really. Not, like, far
Why do you think? You think it's upsetting to her still?
To some slight degree, yes.
Yeah. Has it changed your relationship? Is she worried about you all the time or, like, more so than the other siblings?
Absolutely. Yeah. Has it changed our relationship? Not, like, over time, but I think in general, absolutely.
You think it's for the better or for the worse?
Oh, Scott. I just I mhmm. I think it is what it is, and we learn and grow.
Okay. I just meant, like, do you think it made you closer, like, girlfriends, or do you think it made you, like, more more like you're gonna say the opposite. Is that right? Okay. Alright.
That's fine. Closer, sure. Girlfriend, best best friend, no.
No. Does it make you feel like she's watching you too closely and as you become an adult, that's uncomfortable?
It did. Yes.
Okay.
I don't feel like that now.
How long did it take you to get through that?
Not necessarily time, just, like, life evolution of literally not being in the same, like, space and therefore control being just different.
Are are you saying you moved out and you got some time and space away from each other and then that stuff sort of dissipated?
Yes.
Did dissipate, or did you go to therapy? Both k.
For sure.
Did she go to therapy?
Yes. I don't know if there's been any or a lot or what kind of things for this relating to this. I'm not sure.
No. Sure. You weren't there, but she's she's sought therapy Yeah.
She's had therapy a few times differently throughout life.
Okay. Alright. I'm hearing it. How old were you when you moved out?
College.
Okay. And then after college was over, did you go home or did you stay did you go find a different place?
Both. So I went to college for freshman and sophomore, like, dorm life, and that was in Philly. And my mom with no one of the mix else but pets moved, slightly closer, like, towards actual Philly.
Mhmm.
I guess technically in Philly. So so in my third year of college, I moved with her to stay there and just take trains into school Mhmm. Which was a
You don't like that?
A challenge in some ways.
You had nothing had dissipated by then?
Not quite. No.
You know, you're like, Everybody who fills in the form, like, it takes your phone number. You're one of the only people that has, like, the area code the area code that I grew up in. Yeah. Mhmm. It made me feel warm when I saw it in the notes because I don't have that one anymore.
What was I gonna say? Oh, okay. So alright. So you went away to college.
So then that was my third year. I, like, stayed, like, quote, at home, which was not really, like, at home, but sure. At a new home. Yeah. And then was like, I can't do this.
Because. Say because and then finish that sentence. Why Because
Yeah. Of, honestly, our relationship in many ways, but diabetes obviously being a part of that, but not the only thing because of how my siblings, relate and understand and firsthand feel, the, like, dynamics.
Wait. Wait. That's a lot of buzzwords. Your your your family doesn't relate well to your diabetes or to each other, and you just didn't wanna be around it?
No. No. My my siblings relate to not doing well with living with our mom.
They relate to not doing well. It's not a good place for anyone to be.
Yeah. Together.
Okay. Are you are you trying to save your moms?
Together for a short time.
Are you are you trying to save people's feelings when you're talking? Is that why you're
having trouble? Okay.
I need you to be a little less obtuse. Okay? So because I'm I'm trying to pick through what you're saying, but, like, you're not I mean, you're saying it without saying it, so you might as well say it is what I'm saying. And that's a lot of the words saying in the same two seconds. So you don't really come home after college.
I mean, you do for the third year, but you're commuting. Yeah.
I'm commuting to school. So then the fourth year, I'm like, let's change this. So then I go just more into Philly and further from school, but, therefore, stay there for the next few years post school.
Are there seizures in while you're living alone or while you're living in that situation?
Not at that point.
Were you
using Later on? Yes.
Okay. Were you using different technology in college or not yet?
A little, but not at all, like, largely successfully. No. Definitely.
Were there fewer seizures in college because your blood sugars were higher? Do you know what your a one
c's were? But college also was dance major and me doing 12,000 things with working, rehearsing, volunteering, and a million.
So you're running around a lot and you and you were less aggressive with your insulin because of all the activity?
Yes. A little. But then, yes. So my a one c is, like, definitely a little bit higher from college for from college through college. But I had, I believe, one seizure during my freshman year, and then one during my junior year, I believe.
How do they get handled in college? Like, is it like, mean, does somebody come help you? Is it they somebody call an ambulance
Seizures in college26:47
for you? Unique, I guess. The freshman year one was in my dorm, and I literally reached, like, down the side of the slightly raised bed in the dorm room to, like, wake up from sleep and reach to the side for, like, a juice or whatever.
Mhmm.
And lost it right then, fell to the concrete floor, and woke up, I don't remember, a little bit later. My roommate was there and got our RA Mhmm. Who was a nurse, so that was just a good job life. Yeah. But she just, like, sat there with us trying to have me drink orange juice because I guess I stopped after a second.
And
You were coming out of it.
Was trying to drink juice, which I don't remember.
Yeah. So So have you have these happened oh, I'm sorry. Cut
it I don't remember actually if that moment if people were, like, called, but I don't think I went there. I don't think that time I went to any hospital situation. I think my mom was just called and
Just kept going?
Went went back to her
house. Yeah. How about at that point, junior in college, any or or I'm sorry. That was probably your your freshman year. That was freshman year.
Yeah. Once you're in an apartment by yourself, does it happen again there? And then what do you do in that situation?
It does not happen in there in, like, new independenter. I mean, I wasn't fully alone. I had roommates, but do they know stuff? You know? They're not.
So that was definitely the time too when I was like, I'll be higher overnight. Whoops.
Yeah. Just to keep that from happening.
Yeah. But especially because that, like, few years was the most, like, some type of anxiety stuff.
In in school?
No. When I, like, moved into first roommate apartment.
Okay.
Like, just further from school.
Can I ask you, like, in in all the times that this happened, was there ever a conversation about, like, well, we could try to make adjustments or do something different? Like, was there an effort made to keep it from happening, or was it just like, oh, I guess this is something that happens?
I almost don't know how to answer that because, like, yes. But in some ways, what could be done?
What what could be done? What do you think could be done?
In all honesty, I don't know because which is why, you know, it happened last, March, like, this past.
Wait. It happened re because it's June now. You're saying it
last one.
Yeah. You're you had one in March. Okay. So now let's go to that one. So it's March, and you have a CGM and using Control IQ.
And so you're pretty much stacked up as best you can be with technology. How do you how do you think how do you think that came came on? Wait. Why wait. Why are you you think the Dexcom was a problem?
The March seizure and a suspect G730:45
Yeah. So I was wearing a g seven.
Okay.
And I absolutely think that one's a problem. And I should probably call Dexcom about this, but, I have not done that yet.
Well, Gabby, this is you're 29.
Mhmm.
And this has been happening since you were how like, you think three or four. Right?
I don't remember the first one.
Yeah. Like, since you're a little kid. So this has been happening for twenty five years is my point. Right? So is like, I'm trying to figure out, like, what is it about either your physiology or your the way you use insulin or your activity or whatever.
I mean, I don't exactly know. But, like, you know, you you're having you had more low blood sugar incidences or seizures than, you know, if I randomly collected up the last 10 people that I interviewed collectively. So, like, is there any like, the doctors try to help you? Is there any, like, research you've done? Like, is anything there you at all have come up with?
The simple answer is no. The the things that have been tried
Mhmm.
Include only once, which, like, maybe it just needs to be done again. I don't know. But once, I think I
was
17, I got everything that you can test, like an MRI, a CT, an EEG. Okay. And they were trying to see from any or all of them if there was, like, a focal point of brain why seizures happen.
I mean, I think the seizures happen because your blood sugar gets low.
Auto? Exactly. It's only
I don't know what an EEG is gonna I don't know what an EEG is gonna fit for Yeah. Yeah. But I I mean, honestly, I can't there's, not a research scientist, but I'm having trouble, like, understanding why an EEG would help you understand why your blood sugar gets low a lot. I mean, do
you Well, that wouldn't help the blood sugar, but that would say, like, there's this thing in her brain that's gonna say we're gonna have a seizure instead of just, like, exist.
Oh, you they're wondering if you have a seizure disorder and it has nothing to do with your blood sugar?
I mean, it has to be related.
I would think so. That's what I'm saying.
Everyone knows that I've only had them in this, but I don't know. Still at the time, whoever was trying to help was like, let's go just test this and, like, make sure.
Do you know what kind of doctor that was?
I do not remember.
No. And how long have you been, like, I don't know, like like, legitimate, like, out on your own, like, job, live in your own space, don't rely on your mom for anything. How many years has that been?
Since since pretty much going to that apartment, like
Your junior year?
Was, like, 2018.
Oh, okay. Alright. So teen. Okay. So 2018, you've been at this by yourself.
Do you have a a mate, a spouse, a roommate, anything anybody that lives with you with consistency?
A mate. You
know, you like, a person who has sex with you. Understand what
I'm folks. So come on. But for real, please get some more Australian.
Get what? Get more you want more Australians?
Yeah.
They are great.
So random. But anyway No.
No. You but you must you listen a lot. The Australians are always fantastic. There's no doubt. I I've I've never interviewed somebody from Australia where I didn't get done and go like, wow.
That felt like I was on a roller coaster. That was awesome. So no. I I hear you. But I meant, like, you know, sexual partners, like, people who are around a
lot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No.
Yeah. Okay. Go ahead.
Back in 2018, I had three roommates, and that continued for, like, a few years with a few different roommate iterations. And then I had, like, one or two years of two, I guess, of actual studio solo. And now for a good while, I've had a partner who lives here. So
Is that person experiencing your life in a way that they can say, hey. I'm noticing something here. Like, maybe we should look into this. No. What do they know about your diabetes?
They know everything. Okay. He's been there during
He's seen a seizure?
Yeah.
And there's no, like no. He didn't go, like, you know what I noticed? Like, this, that, like, I don't like, Gabby, we can't let this keep happening to you because one of these times, you're gonna have, like, a dire outcome. Don't you think? Yeah.
Aren't you worried about you must be worried about that. Right?
I was incredibly anxious about that in, like, 2018 or so ish. Yeah.
Until you got lobotomized? What happened? How did you stop worrying about that?
Well, that therapy, honestly. Therapy, think, mostly.
What kind of what kind of therapy was it? Tell the people.
It wasn't, like, worry either. It was, like, anxiety where I was gonna go to sleep, and I would, like, see myself.
Oh, yeah. I mean, if I'm you, I don't I I probably just take toothpicks and jam my eyes open and never sleep. So, like yeah. So you what is it any kind of special therapy? Is it just talk therapy?
What'd you do?
Somatic therapy and EMDR36:26
Somatic therapy where it's, like, all about body and what's happening with it and what it's experiencing and how to like, many ways to, like, reregulate.
To to reregulate?
Yes. Like, to ease the nervous system and sort of undo some automatic responses and, like, understand and process.
What do they do that? How do they do that for?
That anxiety of, like
Yeah. Yeah. But how do they do that?
Low and I'm panicking. And is that helpful? Probably not. So maybe I could be low and not panicking.
Oh, that's cool. But, Gabby, how do they rewire that? Is it through drugs or therapy or, like, talk?
Talk mostly, but including physical experience within the talking. So, for example, with this one therapist before, which was also, like, 2018, I think, to 20 ish. Mhmm. We kind of stopped because COVID was really making it not at all the same because the I think helpful part was being there in person sitting on her couch across from this lady in her chair. Mhmm.
And some of the, like, explaining and witnessing, was then also managed with some different tools like, there's EMDR. Yep. Oh, I I don't I can't tell you what it stands for right now.
Is that is that about the rapid eye movement?
EMDR. Is
that is that what they did? I can look it up because I don't remember anymore.
I don't remember, honestly. But it's, there's, like, bilateral stuff. There's, like, rhythmic stuff. So the one example that's clearest that I remember the most, is a, like, one of the many EMDR DMR oh my gosh. EMDR tools.
Several times, I sat in there, and she gave me these two little, I don't know, pod thingies that were connected just via wires to each other Mhmm. Like, right and left. And I held them in my two hands, and the wires connected to, like, power as they do.
Yeah.
But that power being vibrate, right, left, right, left, right, right, left, right, left. And that sort of bilateral stimulation.
It rewire you?
Does some
Some oogabuga? Like, some magic? It makes your trauma go away?
Yeah. I mean, I'm not the therapist and, you know, I thought I also might be one day, but, yeah, I can't explain it super, super well.
No. So you did vibrating hands and EMDR.
The one that I remember the most of the two hands. Yeah. Okay.
Hey. Can I just tell people
for situation could also be, like, you're tapping your own, like, knees or shoulders rather than holding the two tools?
Okay. Just quickly, EMDR, eye movement desensitization desensitization and reprocessing, structured therapy, trauma therapy, where a person briefly focuses on a painful or traumatic memory while also doing bilateral stimulation, usually following a therapist's finger side to side with their eyes, though tapping or sounds can also be used. This idea is to help the brain refill the memory so it exists but doesn't hit the nervous system like it's happening in the moment.
Mhmm.
That and that worked.
I think so.
Think about a scary, horrible thing that happened to you. I'm gonna vibrate your hands. And you were like, ah, I'm good.
I mean, not like that.
But, like, it took some time and you felt better.
Yeah.
Yeah. How long how much time? Years.
Well, I was only with her for, like, two years. Okay. But that felt like a whole season that ended up being incredibly helpful. Mhmm. I say ended up because at the time, it's like, okay.
Well, I walk out and I just, you know, feel what I feel and don't feel as as you just joked like, okay. I'm good.
Like, better. Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah.
Yeah. In the much grander scheme.
And and what is your trauma? Is it mostly the seizures, or is there other things? Are there other things?
Collapsing in Center City41:52
No. I would say that's, like, the main thing, because they have included, like, being in public, being I mean, I guess I always spoke with people. But, yeah, in public. Okay. One was on the streets of Center City, Philly.
You just had a seizure.
Yeah. And somehow, the world works out by that time, which was in, I think, that, like, junior year of high school. That time, I took the good old NFL. I took the subway from Drexel to Center City to meet my mom because she was working near Center City. Mhmm.
And we met and went back to her car at whatever work lot, and she drove back to her house. That's all true. What's in the middle is that the second that we met up, I collapsed.
Oh, I see. So you met up, passed out right there, she put you in the car and took you home?
Well, she called an ambulance, but I had already
had lots
of sugar. Yeah.
Okay. So is that from just walking around then and all the hustling around the city that made you low, you think?
So that's from that's from why why no one's, like, helped and found, you know, boop, you're good now. Because college was dance, so was all of the exercise, every possible, like, physical variable that you could have
Mhmm.
With everything in variety of, like, intensity, timing, dancing at 9AM and 9PM, being stressed and lacking sleep and all that fun stuff. Yeah. And the dance sometimes going boop, plummeting.
A lot of it happening together. And you've never found, like,
And, like, how you fuel that.
Yeah.
So that example of oops. Center City. Hey, mom. That happened right after literally March 20.
And you haven't found anything that helps with this, like a certain way of eating or putting your pump in a different mode or changing your settings? Nothing is helping? Are you not trying those things?
I mean, I am now that we, like, have more of those things, and they're definitely helping.
Good.
Yeah.
You feel like you're a little lost? Like, far as settings changes, etcetera?
Less now for sure.
Why? Why do you feel less now?
I definitely feel like I was some.
Yeah. What helped you not to feel that way?
Why Dexcom, you know, even though I didn't finish saying where I think that one was a messed up life. But, anyway, that one j seven this past March. But in general, obviously Yeah. Dexcom usually, overall, super helpful, obviously. And Moby and all of the help that it can do.
Mhmm.
What else was I saying? But there just hasn't been like a here it is.
Answer that just pops up.
It's what it is. Yeah.
And you've gone do you have an endocrinologist?
Yes.
Oh, Gabby, you're gone. I mean, you're here, but you disappeared. Gabby, Gabby, we everybody know that Ramon song? She's back. Hey, Gabby.
You just disappeared for a second. That's all.
Am I back?
Yeah. I just asked if you had an endocrinologist and you were getting the right answer.
Yes. Yes. I do.
Okay.
None of them have really, like, helped with it in all honesty, and they've kind of, like, threatened taking my license away. Just, like, got scared sounding themselves without being helpful really about it.
Okay.
And I don't like, put it on me and us, honestly.
Yeah. Do you have any idea, like, what you need to be more successful? Like, is there a thing you're like, oh, I need that, but I don't have access to it, or do you need a an idea?
No. I don't think there's a thing
That you're aware of?
ADHD, out in the open47:30
Yeah.
Okay. Do you have ADHD?
Yes.
Okay. Is there any medication that helps you with that?
Yes. And I can't access it because of the world's shortage.
You can't access ADHD medication?
Yep.
Are you sure you just didn't try to do it and then forgot to keep going?
Yes.
Oh, I'm just teasing you. Okay.
Hold on
a second. No.
Get it because that's real.
I know. Yeah. What's the medicine called?
So I've tried a couple of the last and recent that for some time was great was recently Adderall. And I was successfully doing a Adderall extended release, And in my last check-in, my brain doctor said, let's see if we can find you access to the version that's just not extended release, but that just still has not come through.
So why do we not want the extended release?
We don't not want it. We just want anything that we can access through any pharmacy.
You can't get it at all. You can't find it anywhere. Yeah. I don't understand.
Yeah.
What what wait. And it's been for how long has it been like this?
Just, like, a month or so. Like, I had it previous to that, like, solid two months. And then before that was also, do we? Don't we? Do we?
Don't we?
Yeah. So there's still a stimulant supply. By the way, if all you people out there who are using this stuff off label would leave it alone, then poor Gabby could think straight.
Yeah. Like Yeah. It's addicts actually, like, literally need it.
I hear what you're saying. I hear what you said.
But it's it's difficult for the people that need it that would have difficulty doing the extra steps that we have to do Mhmm. In order to try to get it. Like, we're not the people that should have all of the extra steps, and yet we do.
The shortage has been happening since 2022.
Yeah. I've spent I mean, I was probably not even diagnosed in that year, so there's that. Yeah. But I've spent a good chunk of time calling pharmacies and being like, hey. I'm just reaching out to see if you have any stimulants in stock of any sort even.
You sound do you think you sound like a like a like you're drug seeking when you do that, or you just they they they they under because
I mean, once legitimately calling the pharmacy being like, I have a prescription Yeah. From my psychiatrist. Mean, they have only been like, we have nothing in stock. Sorry. Bye.
That's it. Because because there's I'm looking it up here. Adderall XR, there's, Midias, Medias, Adzenys. Who names this crap? Dynavel XR, Vyvanse, I've heard of.
Mhmm. Different stimulant family from those Concerta, Ritalin, Focalin, Astras, Jurnay PM, Daytrana patch. I mean, Jesus. My god. There's, like, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.
Finding 11 different ways to give people speed. You would think that, like I mean, that's what we're talking about. Right? And
so Yes and no.
Are people are people abusing this? Is that why it's available? Hold on. I have a I have a little breakdown here. Break it down.
Breaking down the stimulant shortage51:14
Demand went way up where people are being diagnosed treated for ADHD. So a stimulant prescribing rose a lot over the past decade. FDA DEA says stimulant dispensing increased 45.5% from 2012 to 2021, and that high prescription volume has strained supply. There's a manufacturing problem that started the whole thing. A shortage originally began after a manufacturing delay at one of the makers.
FDA, DEA said the the delay later resolved, but the system was already stressed, and then there was a ripple effect. Hold on. There's more.
The system was stressed.
It says the system was stressed. The DEA said that. Active ingredient supply issues. There has been a a big under the hood problem. In 2026, JAMA Health Forum analysis found that the shortage lined up with a major drop in US imports of raw amphetamine, the active ingredient used in many ADHD meds.
The authors argue this is, in the, the the article. The shortage looks more like a supply chain failure than a simple too many prescriptions. The DEA quota rules make ramping up slower because amphetamines are controlled substances. Manufacturers can't decide to make a ton more tomorrow. The DEA sets production quotas.
The twist here is that the FDA said manufacturers only sold about 70% of their allotted quota in 2022. So quotas don't explain the shortage, says the FDA. And generic XR makers backed out or limited supply. So current shortage page for amphetamine extended release product list some generic XR products as back ordered. So it sounds like there were people that were gonna make generics, then they backed out of it.
Mhmm. Okay. It means fewer company strength that are carrying the load. Simple answer is this more demand plus fragile ingredient supply plus controlled substances, production rules, manufacturers not producing consistently, and pharmacies can't reliably get it. But in the end, what's the problem?
Little kids in college, are you using it all up to get better grades? Is that what we're thinking?
I don't know, honestly, because I, like, don't know of that happening, like, in legitimate, true ways that are problems, first of
all. Mhmm. You haven't met the right people. Well I there's plenty of people who Yeah. I think there's plenty of people who don't have ADHD that have a prescription for this.
Yeah. Yeah.
I think there's also a a wild amount of people that
Have
ADHD. And can't. Yeah.
Yeah. This is a this is like a tragedy, honestly.
Honestly, yes. Yeah. Yeah.
I wonder why I wonder why the the
It's legitimately horrible.
I wonder why the some of the makers of the generics like, why won't they follow through on it? That seems like a a no brainer. Right? There's supply or there's demand. Right?
Mhmm. Okay. Well, I mean, listen. I like you a lot. I think that's obvious, but talking to you is hard
It's wild.
Because of your ADHD. Yeah. I mean, it's not it's a it's a it's you might call an exercise and persistence. You you know what I mean? So if you're if just if just conversating like this is difficult for you, then I'm trying to imagine what it's like for you to take care of your insulin.
Uh-huh.
Yeah. And and are some of these lows precipitated by just your inability to, like, just Yeah. Focus on Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Like, what do you think?
Oh, yes. Absolutely. Because I yep. I've done every version of, forget to pre bolus. Okay.
Up and down. Pre bolus, forget to eat. Mhmm. Mhmm. Crash, drink seven juices before your actual meal, and then give insulin for your meal again.
Yeah. Yeah. I like the way you laughed. You're like, It's just like it just keeps happening. So what's the answer?
I mean, would the ADHD meds, like, really put a big like like like, I don't know. Would it would it take a knockout of the this problem for you? Would it help?
I don't know. I mean, it definitely excuse me. I don't know I'm dry.
You're fine. Do you wanna take a drink?
Was helpful. Yes.
Gab Gabby, do you wanna get a drink?
Yeah. I have a I have water.
Can I tell you something? I've never done this before in the history of the podcast. I'd love to pee. Can I pause for a second? Wanna be the you wanna be the first person to be on an episode where I leave the room to go to the
bathroom? Sure.
Alright. I'm gonna pause, and I'll I'll I'll hit record when I get back. Give me Alright. Good luck. Give me I'm gonna just give me a minute.
Scott’s first-ever bathroom break55:55
I'll be right back.
Oh. Scott's gotta go. Scott's gotta be. First time in twelve whole seasons. This is history.
He's washing his hands. We hope. We pray. 1,900 episodes, and he picks today. So hold your bow.
Let's hold the phone. Let's get back to Scott. So hold your bow. Let's hold the phone. Let's get back to Scott.
Twelve seasons. He washed his hands. Probably. Let's get back to Scott. Okay.
I'm back. You there? Yep. I've been, eating a little low carb this week getting ready for the cruise, you know, in case somebody catches a photo of me from the wrong angle. And, hey.
You know what I'm saying? Got it?
No. Heard. Yeah. Yeah.
And, that that that puts me in a situation where I'm a diaphorescing. I don't know if you know the word, but I'm
a big
I'm peeing more. I'm gonna hold on one second. Do you take a would you take a generic of, like, a Ritalin Concerta thing? Would that help you?
Yeah. I tried Concerta for a while.
And any good?
Kind of plat eaued. Oh. So we just stopped, and then we tried a different thing.
Okay. So that that didn't help you. So the methylphenidate generic wouldn't help you then? I don't even know how you're supposed to
I mean, it might again because it it did a lot in the beginning. And then, even after a couple increases, we did not go to the max, but
Are are they are they Correct.
Or then it just stopped helping.
Are they in shortage too?
I'm not sure, but I have been told by several pharmacies at different times that they don't have any stimulant of any kind. So I think yes. I think maybe not to the same degree.
This maybe because of where you're calling? Is this like a local problem?
I not that I know of.
Alright. Hold on a second. Hold hold on a second. We're gonna do we're gonna do a let's call it a test here. Alright?
Hold on. I'm gonna call Walgreens. I don't think I can let you hear the first part because you can hold on a second. Okay. Okay.
Okay. Alright. Here we go.
How can I help you today?
Can I speak with a pharmacist?
Okay. You want the pharmacy, but I can actually help you with
I do not want your oh my god. Just let me talk to the pharmacist. Terrible. Gabby, why would they do that? I I asked for the pharmacist once.
Do I not know what I'm talking about?
Welcome to my life, Scott.
Oh my god. Hold on a second. Yep. Pharmacist.
Normally, I transfer you, but the pharmacy is closed right now for a meal break until 2PM. You can call back later to talk with someone.
I'm making a podcast now.
Medical emergency.
It's not a medical who would call Walgreens with a medical emergency? By the way, I find this so ridiculous.
Tomorrow, we're open from 9AM.
It's not helping me now at all. I don't I love that one. If you're calling with a medic I love when you get a message, like, you're calling with a medical emergency, what the hell would I call you with a medical emergency for? Right. You imagine if you're, like, having a heart attack, you know, I think I'll call Walgreens.
Yep. Yeah. Alright. Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I mean, I I can't stay on the line with you for another half an hour. But, like, I'm gonna find out, and I'm gonna call later, and I'll put it on the recording so people can hear.
But am I gonna do that? It sounds like a thing that I just promised that I'm not gonna do.
I know that sounds like work that you
have to do. That sounds like
But that's my life. That's literally my life.
Sucks.
Oh, Gabby, will you call this and this place? Okay. Try this one now. Yeah. Try this one now.
Try this one now. Okay.
I'm trying to I know some people who work at companies that make some of this stuff. I just sent a text out to somebody to see if they know anything about it. It'd be nice if they looked at my text. So I don't know how well I know them, obviously, because they're not like, oh, Scott's texting. Let me immediately look and see what's going on.
Can you stop everything else?
I have some people who treat me that way, and I to those of you out there, I appreciate it. I'm But gonna see if I can get somebody there. So so you've been without this med for, like, a month? Mhmm. You're not self medicating anyway.
Right?
Just coffee.
Does that help at all?
It just helps a lot in the early parts because I just cannot get it together.
In the morning, it helps you? Yeah. Do you have trouble paying your bills?
As any human. But you
know? Do you have any trouble paying your bills, Gabby?
Are you asking me if I'm poor or if I'm, like, not
really nice? No. No. I didn't ask you. I'm asking, do you get a bill when you go?
I'll do this and then just forget.
I mean, yes. But I have not had any, like, problems with it, if that makes sense.
Okay. Do you ever get so exhausted while you're doing something you have to stop and nap? Is that not an ADHD? I'm I'm trying to, like I'm matching your symptoms up against other people that I know.
No. Except, like, during if I'm not currently already doing something, then yes.
Explain to me a situation where that would happen.
What executive function feels like1:01:38
Where it's midday and I need to do x, y, a, b, all of the list. And executive function is like, nah.
You can't do it.
We're not gonna do any of
that now. When you say executive function, explain how you think of that to a person who's not doesn't have ADHD or doesn't know anything about it.
A little like the tilt a whirl, but more so, like, how you get into the tilt a whirl. So it sometimes feels like if you took my brain, you could find all the things, but they won't necessarily be able to come together and work together, like, at the right time, especially, or without.
Gabby, I'm gonna stop you. If you pointed a gun at me right now and made me tell you what you just said, I have no freaking idea. I can't I couldn't follow that at all. What executive function. Really listen.
Really focus for a second. Okay? When you say to somebody, my executive function's messed up in 10 words, what does that mean? What's happening in your head right now while you're thinking about it?
There's there's just no come together into the sentence structure.
No come together. So you you have thoughts, but they're scattered and you can't find a place to dive in to start. So you just pick a word, you start going, and then how does it feel? Let me see. Does it feel like I'm trying to go off of what you just said.
Does it feel like you're in the middle of a giant globe, And it's one of those globes where people, can pretend to parachute, and there's words flying all around you, and all those words would make your thought, but you can't lay your hands on them, and you can't and if you could, you couldn't put them in the right order? That seemed like a a description of it or is there
Yeah. I could pull the words. I often can't pull them into one string.
Okay.
Meaning a sentence.
There's part of me that wants to take the the what I'm telling you is gobbledygook that you just spit out from the total world to when I stopped you and give it to, like, a large language model and say this is a person with ADHD. Do you have any idea what they were talking about? And then see if it spits back something that you would agree was what you were trying to say or not. Have you ever tried that? No.
That sounds like it would be fun. Like, just have you talk into a thing and then tell it, I have ADHD. Can you make any sense of what I just said? What do you think that I was trying to say? Mhmm.
That's just me. I don't know how we would do that exactly. I'm thinking about it right now. I don't know how to pull it off on the podcast or I would. Yeah.
It's wild because I know that I'm like this and people have to, like, decode me sometimes. Yeah. And I also say words to people as directions as the main part of my job.
What's your job?
I teach Pilates.
Is that simpler, though, because it's, like, simpler, like, statements or because it's a thing you know and you're really good doing Can
be for part one. For part two of what you said, yes, hopefully.
Yes, hopefully.
Part three, practice of many, many, many, many years now.
Mhmm. And so it's kind of like a it's not a thing you have to think about. It's a rhythm.
It's a rhythm and it's I mean, I 100000% absolutely think about it. And when I think about it too much, it's actually worse. You know?
Okay. Yeah. So
Because then I'll then I'll, like, disappear and my brain will go into those directions that are not one string into a sentence yet because I, like, care so much and get so excited about, you know, the person's questions or whatever or, you know, what you're feeling in your body or how to do an exercise. Right? That if I think about it too much, then there's, like, too many of the words that are not strung together yet.
Wow.
Does that make any sense?
I mean, not really, but I appreciate you trying. Like, I mean, I I get I get what you're saying. Like but if I but if you ask me to rewrite it as a cogent thought from my perspective, I I can't do it. Like, I I hear what you're saying and I get the feeling of what you're trying to tell me, but I don't have a concrete explanation in your words. Does that make sense?
Yeah. I think so.
Yeah. I oh, this is how how does this, impact your, your personal relationship with this boy that you talked about? Does he have ADHD too? Do neither of you know what's happening?
I don't know. We have a wild experience where we don't know if he does because he's never been tested. But he's had one psychiatrist that he now hasn't seen in a little while who gave him a very, very, very, very, very low dose Mhmm. But still gave him an Adderall prescription because he simply was like, hey, lady. I'm having trouble focusing at work.
And she was like, okay. Try this. And I was like, what?
I need it. How come you can't steal his? I know first of all, that's not right. You shouldn't share other people's medications, but I assume you thought about it.
So Oh, he's taking mine.
Does he really do do you feel like he needs it? Does he feel like he needs it?
I don't know, honestly.
This is the problem. You're all running around high out of your minds on this Adderall. Is that what's going on? Is that what No.
No. No. No. The problem is also that he's running around high in sugar.
So Does he got diabetes?
What has he got? Yes.
You found it. Does he have type one?
That's the question.
You're not sure? Wait. He's got you gotta be sure if he's got type one or not.
He is officially diagnosed with type two, but that was from such a long time ago. But, of course, like, older than 20, and has not since been otherwise diagnosed differently, but has been managed with more ins like, with insulin and then more insulin and continues to be high and not know how to do it properly.
Your mom have ADHD too or just you?
For sure.
Your mom does too. Is that why you guys have such a hard time getting along, do you think?
That's totally probably some of it. Sometimes, yeah.
Is that feel have you ever thought about
Like, in in, like, unknown wise, like, growing up of, like like, she now agrees with my sister and I that we have the same. It's all yeah.
I I have a feel like, I I there's part of me that wants to make two robots. One's you, one's your mom, and have her try to talk to each other. And then I'm gonna make that a TV show, And that's it. Like, you know how Love Island, you can't stop watching?
Mhmm.
Do you watch Love Island?
You know, I just restarted the UK version.
I had a feeling you knew about it. And so and just your age and everything. So, like, I wonder if a if a if a third party would watch you two talking to each other and think they have no chance. That one doesn't know what they're asking, and that one doesn't know what they're being told and vice versa. And then it just gets frustrating because you get frustrated all the time.
Right?
Not necessarily with myself or my
No. I mean, with your interactions with other people. Like, when you try to say something to somebody and it's and they answer you in a way that makes you think, like, go ahead. They are not following what I'm saying. Is that frustrating?
Yes. But most of the time, I think I can clarify.
You don't think people are being polite?
No. I think people will tell me and be like Good. No. Please try again.
Make sure you have people around you who will do that. Yeah. Yeah. Because I I have personal relationships with people who have, like like, what I would call crippling ADHD. And there is a moment sometime where you just go, oh, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Because you think we're never getting to this. Like, I my life's not long enough for me to get this description out of them. So I just you I have found myself just, like, nodding along sometimes.
I feel bad. You feel bad when I'm doing it, but, like, I don't know what else to do.
That's hard.
Yeah. It I mean, listen. I mean, it's harder for you, but, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not I can't imagine if I was like, well, your ADHD might be tough, Gabby, but it's it's much harder on me. So, no, I'm not I'm not saying that.
But I mean, situation sounds hard on both of you.
Yeah. No. It is. Then I it's what I was starting to wonder about you and your mom. Like, that's such an unfair thing.
Not I mean, it's not anything it was, you know, anything you can do about it or anything. But I try to imagine two people who are, like, desperately trying to connect with each other that can't.
I don't know if we've really had that much disconnection about her because of that. I think it's more, like, how it shows up, like, less consciously. Mhmm. Like, since I could manage bringing my own bag somewhere. Gabby, do you have your checker and your juice and a snack?
Mhmm.
That's the our version of KeyWallet phone.
Yeah.
And, like, on the other hand, that's us leaving. And then my mom's like, oh, I can't find my keys. Where are my keys? Blah blah blah. And then my brother goes and finds them.
And then when he has when he's, like, older and tired of finding her keys, He gets her a key chain that says, my keys, I have not lost yet. And he gets her a tile where you can, like, click and find them.
Yeah.
So that was way back, like, 2012 or something. But that version is my mom being like, hey. You have to remember all these important things, and I'll remember them for you too, like, when you're younger especially, but I'm sure she also probably still walks around with a juice box sometimes.
Yeah.
But then she goes, oh, I can't find my keys. So with that and with me as a child experience in experiencing all of that continually, I never lose my keys. My mom and I actually just talked about this.
Just the thing you were actually able to, like, get get together.
Because I was, like, actually aware of that being a thing Oh. From being so little to, like, becoming a person
Yeah.
And deciding the keys are gonna go in this spot next to the door. In every version of a door, there has to be a single spot that they go in.
And that and that pattern building helps you.
Exactly. Yeah.
Yeah. But that's hard to do in, like, a personal conversation. But you do find what you find a way with the Pilates to do it a little bit, and you have found so you have found ways to set up almost, like, scripts of I'm thinking of you almost like a computer now. Like, you have a prewritten script, and you're you you follow kinda like that metadata file, and then you get an outcome that you need Because you don't have to think about it, you just do it in steps. Is that right?
Some, but I'm very much more flow than that. Okay. And it's it's just the focus difference. Like, as you said, like, it was speed somewhat, and I was like, yes, but also many other things.
I got lost. You lost your way. Right? Yeah. Gabby, we can stop.
You're probably tired. And, also, I have to tell you, I really like you. I think you're delightful. I and this is incredibly interesting. If people wanna understand ADHD, they should listen through this, because they will when it's over, and you're very kind to do that.
By the way, also, you have no, like, ego about it. You're not upset talking about it. You didn't get I really appreciate that. It's a very honest conversation.
Mhmm. It's my life.
This is my But I
was just gonna say hyperfocus.
Hype oh, hyperfocus is what you were looking for?
Yeah.
Isn't it funny when you were looking for hyperfocus but couldn't find it?
Mhmm.
Yeah. There's like an irony in it.
It's great.
Yeah. Yeah. It's great. You're like, yeah. Yeah, Scott.
It's awesome. Thanks. Sorry.
No. I mean, it's it's awesome feeling, meaning not awesome. We're sarcastic and silly. It's not fun to feel like I was so hyper focused for the full hour of this work meeting, this Pilates class, this Pilates private, this dance class, whatever is, like, the thing. And we're done with that one hour.
Yeah.
And then we're back to life being Scattered. Full and round. And we realized that for the whole past hour, we didn't look at Dexcom. We didn't think am I high or low? We didn't think whatever else.
Oh, you're so focused on staying together for this work meeting, as an example, that you you weren't able to do anything else.
Anything else.
I see.
There is nothing else.
Gotcha. So if if you make the world small enough, you can focus.
I don't make it, though. That's the thing.
It happens? Yeah. Because you needed to in that moment?
Yeah.
But you can't multitask. You can't leave what you're focused on to think about your blood sugar because if you do, then you'll spin in that direction. Is that right?
Yes and no.
Okay.
Because I often do. Like, I'll glance and be like, k. Cool. Or I'll start feeling low and see, oh, okay. 70.
Let me get a go glow gummy. 100% everyone everyone should get glow gummies.
Gab Gabby, can I tell you something? I don't know that I should say this out loud yet, but I'm just going to. I think there's gonna be a juice box podcast glow gummy flavor. What? Yeah.
I think so. I think that might happen.
What does that even mean? What would it be?
I don't know. We have to figure that part out yet still. Interesting. Yeah. I we might be we were talking about perhaps going online and letting people vote on the flavors that she hasn't made yet to see if we can decide on what a Juice Box podcast flavor would be.
Fascinating. Fun. Right?
Yeah. I have no suggestion because I love all their flavors. Orange is my least favorite.
Mhmm.
But it's fine.
Is the orange mango?
No. There's an orange, like
Okay.
An actual orange.
Then there's mango. But that's
the mango
That's the Omnipod
flavor. The same. Yeah.
Yeah. I think I don't think I should talk about her business because it's not my business, but I think there's more. I think there is a tandem flavor now.
There is. It's blue raspberry.
Yeah. I think there's gonna be others
good too.
There's gonna be others coming too.
That's awesome.
Yeah. And one of them might be Juice Box podcast.
That's really cool.
Yeah. Right? She's lovely. I'll have her on the podcast.
I no. Please. They I don't know that I've I've had them for so long or for so such an extent they've, like, prevented anything crazy, but they've absolutely helped including helping, like, the anxiety of, like, this is gonna work so fast Mhmm. While being way more enjoyable.
Yeah. Also, they're they they're really, like, stable. Like, you can keep them in your car. Right? They don't get all mushy and everything.
There's a lot of I'm gonna have her on to talk about it. So, yeah, we we met she and I met a year ago, and then we had some miscommunication where we both thought we weren't emailing the other. And I swear that happened for, like, eleven months where I was like, I wonder I thought we were having, like, such a nice time talking. We met in person, I guess. Like, I guess she didn't feel the same way.
And she said to me, I thought the same thing. And I don't know what how we got messed up, but Yeah. I I'm really happy. Like, she reached out again. And as soon as she reached out to me, I was in the car, I was like, don't I was like, don't DM me.
Like, call me immediately. I don't want there to be any confusion. Right? So we got on the call and I just said, I thought you hated my guts. And she's like, what are you talking about?
And I was like, I'm like, I emailed you, like, ten months ago and you haven't gotten back to me. She was like, I've answered you twice, you haven't gotten back to me. I thought you were mad at me. And I was like, oh my god. This is like a rom com.
This is awesome. Yeah. So I said, no. No. Like, let's meet like, I think we met, like, the next day.
We were both at the same event. And I was heading to it. I was heading to the ADA, and she was there already. And, and I was like, no. We'll meet.
So we met, chatted for five minutes, and I was like, oh, what a funny like, I'm so happy this worked out like this. She's so lovely. Mhmm. And, and then she, you know, she was like, I don't think we started talking and and, you know, kinda came up with this idea. So we'll see what happens.
Hopefully, all that'll actually happen.
Yeah.
Yeah. I'm going to, I have a, an ability to find out about three of the generics for you. Oh, cool. I'm gonna find out about them, and I'll email you if I learn anything anything valuable. Like, if there's a way to get it through the company or, like, I I although I don't think they do the amphetamines through the direct to market stuff.
Mhmm. But I'm gonna see what I can if I can figure something out, I'm gonna let you know. And, I mean, if I can't, I'll send you a note and say, I'm sorry. I wasn't able to figure anything out.
Okay. Cool. Thank you.
You're welcome. That's great. I'm gonna go, and now I have to go live my life, and that means I have to check-in for my cruise. I have to go pick up a pair of reading glasses because I'm old. And I think I need to buy dog food because I'm leaving the house, and I know that no one else will get dog food, those poor dogs will just die while I'm gone.
So Mhmm. They won't really, but they'll go out and buy the wrong dog food.
I thought you're gonna be like, the dogs will go out and and get their own food.
Yes. I've trained the dogs to get their own food. It's I I don't bring it up much because I don't wanna, you know, I don't wanna brag. But I but I have taught dogs to do it. They can also drive buses now.
Taught them how to drive school buses. So That's great. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm on top of all that.
No. No. My family will, like I don't think they know where I get the dog food from is what I'm saying. You have any idea how many times I stay in this house? You know, I'll be dead if it wasn't for me.
I say it a lot. Okay? I look at people. I go, you'd be dead if it wasn't for me. My wife, who doesn't know to clean the soap dish in the shower because she's so blind and she showers only in the morning usually.
So I'm like, she she comes in the other day, and she's like, what are doing? Like, I need the shower. And I'm like, I'm cleaning because I'm done washing myself now. Now I'm cleaning the shower. I said, I'm cleaning because if it wasn't for me, you would have died from some horrible virus by now from whatever was happening on this damn soap dish.
She's like, I can't see that. I'm like, well, that is not an excuse. Put your glasses on and look at it once in a while. It's horror. It gets horrifying.
You know what I mean? Yeah. Anyway, Gabby, thank you for doing this. I'm calling this one Yo Gabba Gabba. I I don't care.
Glucagon: just do it1:22:32
Well, can I just say a last thing about glucagon?
No. No. Of course, you can't. Go ahead. Just
I was hoping to have more, like, I don't know, productive feeling, you know, because I've seen a lot of, like, questions and people so nervous to use glucagon or just, like, when do we use it? Do I not? Do I do it? And I've been there and had my mom mostly say, just do it. And mostly, that's been right because if you do it and then nothing happens, you might go a little too high.
Mhmm. And that's the only thing that's gonna happen if you didn't, like, fully, you know, need it need it. But all of the modern ones are all so much better, so much easier. Even if there's pain, it's honestly, obviously, but truly, absolutely worth it to have whatever that second or a little bit or a lot of bit of pain of whatever kind to have such a quick thing that you know is going to work immediately.
Yeah.
And that's every type. I have had every type, I think, used both on me and by myself.
You think you you're saying you're trying to tell people, like, look. If you think it has to happen and you're by yourself, like, do it. Don't
Yes.
Yeah. Right. Don't don't have a seizure if you if you can at all avoid it.
Yeah. Yeah. Yes, I've done it on myself by myself. I mean, the most cognizant example was that I was going low, and I looked back in my pump history, like, what the hell is happening? Why am I going low right
now? Mhmm.
And it's because I accidentally bolus, like, 12 units
Oh gosh.
Instead of two maybe. And I saw 12 units, and I said, okay. Here we go. And I went, g vogue, thigh. Okay.
Done.
You just did it right away?
Yeah.
You didn't think you did? I mean,
I think I was, like, drinking a juice, like, seventy, sixty, and I was like, what is going on? There's no reason for
this. Yeah. And then, oh, it too was late to have, like, a Yeah. You you you had pre bolus too much at that point. You weren't gonna be able to get ahold ahead of it with food, you didn't think.
Yeah. I mean, I could probably keep trying to drink juice, but I was already drinking juice and then was like Oh, that's a lot.
Yeah. And low and dropping. Gotcha. No. I mean, I hear you.
Hey. You wanna hear something crazy before we go? I get a report about, like, SEO, which is, like, search engine optimization, like, stuff that, like, what drives people to my website. It's kinda boring. But every once in a while, like, you're thrown off by, like, the randomness of how the Internet connects you for no reason.
I get a lot of traffic on the search term, does Kevin Costner have cancer?
What?
Which is crazy because I've never, of course, talked about that in in in in any way. So, like, we have to go look just very quickly. There's gotta be something with Kevin Costner in the title in the episode. Okay. I have an episode called Kevin Costner.
Oh. Episode 14 o four. Melissa initially planned to share a glucagon story, but she recently learned she may have cancer. So the conversation shifted to that.
Oh my god.
So Google sends people to they must be so disappointed when they get to that.
And Also first.
Also, why are so many people googling, does Kevin Costner have cancer? Also, I have another episode with the words Kevin Costner. How is that possible? A year and a half before that, this one's called blame Kevin Costner. What the hell?
I must have a fetish. Alright. I was really watching Yellowstone a lot during that time. Who knows what exactly? Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you with that.
But, for all of you who are wondering about Kevin Costner's health, I have no, knowledge of him being sick. So, good luck and god bless. Why would anybody Google that? Alright. I gotta go, Gabby.
Hold on a second.
Okay.
It seems that the podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi with Control IQ plus technology at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com to Tandem and US Med who also sponsored this episode of the juice box podcast. Get started with US Med at usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Get your free benefits check and get started today with US Med.
The same place that we get our diabetes supplies. Usmed.com/juicebox. Links in the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com. Click on those links, baby.
Support the podcast. I might as well let you know that the juice cruise is on sale again for 2027. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. Out when we're going. It's in July.
I can tell you that much for sure. We pushed it back a little bit so we could help other people, hit the window where their kids were out of school. It'd be a great cruise five days, I think. You you'll go find out. Juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise.
Join me and the whole crew on the cruise. The juice box podcast has been in production since January 2015, and in that time, I have amassed just a fantastic catalog of information for you. Defining diabetes, bold beginnings, the diabetes pro tip series, small sips, fat and protein, algorithm pumping, mental wellness, ask Scott and Jenny. The diabetes variables, defining thyroid, after dark. There's even an Omnipod five pro tip series.
Come on. Pregnancy, how we eat, grand rounds, cold wind, GLP meds. What else do you want from me? And if you'd like to get going now with this podcast, boy, oh, boy, you have not picked a better time. You haven't because we have a diabetes myth series and there's even a type two pro tip series.
All of this all of this is free. Free. That's right, Scott. Free at juiceboxpodcast.com. Go up to the menu, click on a series.
They're all right there. Or you, of course, could use your Apple podcast app, Spotify, or wherever you get audio. Every episode is listed on the website along with its episode number so you can search for it in one of those apps. I've done everything I can do, baby. There's transcripts.
You wanna read the podcast? Go read it. What do I care? I'm not your mother. You do whatever you want.
Juiceboxpodcast.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your audio, baby. Go get your audio. Why'd I say baby so much? I'm just realizing now this all seems like it's something you can't believe, but I swear to you, it's a great podcast. You'll really like it.
If you want, go to juiceboxpodcast.com/reviews and read what other people have written.
Read the full disclaimer
© 2007–2026 Juicebox Podcast. All rights reserved.
#1920 Jenna is 28 and Still Amazing
Jenna is 28 and Still Amazing
A ten-year follow-up neither Scott nor listeners saw coming: the guest from 2015’s “Jenna is 18 and Amazing” returns as a nutrition PhD student studying hospital food — and Scott doesn’t realize it until the final minutes.
Jump to a moment
- A ballet teacher caught what daily life hid. Jenna’s mom saw her every day — it was her dance teacher, whose brother had type 1, who said “she’s not okay” after watching her sit down mid-routine.
- She took charge at 13. With busy parents who gave her room, Jenna reasoned her way to fewer carbs, ran a roughly six-month honeymoon without insulin, and built the independent management style she still uses.
- “I was my own CGM.” Five years of 20 finger sticks a day before her first sensor — today she calls the CGM a godsend she can’t imagine living without, paired with Omnipod 5.
- Advocacy is a learned skill. Semester after semester of telling professors what she needed — and not settling for less — taught her to speak up, a habit she now applies everywhere, including first dates.
- Her dissertation targets hospital food. At Emory, Jenna is enrolling 80 inpatients to document nutrition and shared decision-making, chasing a startling statistic: roughly 25% of patients experience hospital-acquired malnutrition.
- Jenna is 18 and Amazing — Episode 34 — Jenna’s first appearance on the podcast, October 2015 — the episode this ten-year follow-up pays off.
- T1D Exchange Registry — US residents 18+ with type 1 can complete the survey and help move T1D research forward.
- The Diabetes Link (formerly College Diabetes Network) — The organization Jenna joined in college and served as a fellow with during her gap years.
- Small Sips — Bite-sized, listener-voted takeaways from the podcast on insulin timing, carbs, and balancing highs and lows.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:00
Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Juice Box podcast. On today's episode of the podcast, there will be nothing that you should take as advice, medical or otherwise. So please please consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. The t one d exchange is looking for you. If you're a US resident, 18 and older, you have type one diabetes, please go to t1dexchange.org/juicebox and complete the survey.
If you do, you will be helping type one diabetes research to move forward. Thank you. I've got two OG sponsors for you today, Omnipod five and Dexcom. That's right. The episode that you're about to enjoy was brought to you today by dexcom and the DexCom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears.
You can learn more and get started today with my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. And this little slice of podcasting perfection is also brought to you today by the Omnipod five. The Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that has been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. You can learn more and get started today at my link omnipod.com/juicebox. At that link, you can get yourself a free starter kit right now.
What did I just say? Free. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.
You'll find those links in the show notes of the podcast player you're listening in right now and at juiceboxpodcast.com. Testing. Testing. I'm recording my voice. How about you?
Testing. Testing.
You're good too. You can start whenever you're ready.
Meet Jenna — sixteen years with type 12:17
Alright. Hi, I am Jenna. I've had type one diabetes for sixteen years now, and excited to talk more about my experience.
Sixteen years. And how old are you?
I am 28.
28. You've had diabetes for hold on a second. Since I'm doing it in my head. It's so you were 12?
Yes. 13.
13.
Thirteen. I think I'm, like, I'm coming up on sixteen.
Coming up on sixteen.
Maybe at the end of tail end of fifteen years. Wow.
That's an interesting time. 12, 13? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
It is.
I
mean, it's like it's one of those big transition times in life, and it is definitely interesting to walk into it with a chronic illness diagnosis.
So Yeah. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yes. I have a younger sister and an older brother. No one else with type one in the family.
Okay. Other autoimmune stuff for you or them?
I have hypothyroid, but it's not autoimmune.
Mhmm.
And no other autoimmune stuff in the family.
Are you take taking Synthroid or something equivalent?
Yep. Okay. Yeah.
And do you feel like that's managed pretty well?
Yes. It's much simpler to manage than type one.
I mean, are your are your levels where you want them to be? Are you having any symptoms?
No symptoms. No. I'm good on that front, thankfully.
Yeah. Were you diagnosed, as a child with that, or was it later?
That was about a year later.
About a year later. And you don't have kids. Right?
Very similar.
No. You know how I know that? How? There's a lightness in your voice. I'm not kidding.
That's hilarious. No. No. I'm not kidding. There's a I can tell you don't have children.
There's just that I don't know what happens, but you're but life just takes you down an octave after you've had to raise a kid. You just Wow. Well You can
I'll concern myself for Warren.
You can feel it in someone. You look around today. You you'll you'll see it real quickly. There's there's a lightness. It it says I don't have any real responsibilities, and I'm not worried if another person dies.
It's, it's some yeah. Yeah. That's something. Anyway, I knew immediately. I knew nothing about you.
I could tell as soon as you started talking. I was like, well, she doesn't have any kids.
That's so funny.
Yeah. And you're either not in a relationship or in pretty, like, lighthearted one that you're happy with.
I am not in a relationship.
Yeah. No.
Well, you're good, Scott.
Jenna, listen. It's a profession. It's a calling. You understand podcasting? It's not just it's just not just you don't just buy a microphone and you're a podcaster.
That's so funny.
Trust me. I know what's going on. Alright. Let's see what else I can figure out. What were the first signs of type one?
What got you and your family to a position?
First symptoms at dance camp5:17
I was I was seeing rhythmics gymnastics at the time, and I I think the first symptom was drinking a ton of water. So it was summer camp, and I remember noticing that I was drinking a ton of water, but I thought that it was just, you know, I'm in summer camp, and I'm very active.
Yeah.
But then I started to lose weight. And then a couple months later, I was super, super tired, and then I was just falling asleep in the car, which it like, I'm not a napper. That's not normal for me.
Like an old you're like an old man on the sofa when you're, like, 13? Just nodding out everywhere? Gotcha. Okay.
Exactly.
I'm that old man. By the way, can I say I tried to stay up and watch something with my son the other night, and I just feel this, like, hand on my chest like this? He goes, are you asleep? I was like, it's after It's after midnight.
After midnight, that's definitely fair.
I thought it was fair. Okay. I'm sorry. So you're peeing, drinking, falling asleep. Keep going.
Mhmm. And I think it was actually I was in ballet at the time too. Was actually my ballet teacher who told my mom, like, she is not okay. Like, there's something wrong. And her brother actually also had type one.
Mhmm. I don't think she suspected type one, but she was basically who queued my mom into, like I think it's hard because my mom saw me every day. You know? She wasn't picking up on the changes as much. But I was like, we would do we would be doing some sort of dance routine, and I would just have to sit down.
Okay.
And my teacher was like, she's not okay. And then I also remember having a really bad heartburn, which I had never had before. So I
was gonna say it's not a thing, you know, a thing you usually hear a 12 year old talk about. Right?
Right. Yeah.
When when you say rhythmic gymnastics, am I talking about, like, ribbons on sticks? Or
Yes.
Yes. I got the right thing?
Yep. You got it.
Gotcha. You got it. Do you still dance as an adult?
No. I don't. I would like to get back into it, but I have not yet.
Is there a way for kid or for adults to do that?
Not rhythmic like, most adults don't do rhythmic tronastics because it's quite intense.
Because they you have break your old ass trying to do that. You know? Yeah. That
that would be tough. But I did baller and dance Oh. Later in my teenage years, and that's something I could do as an adult, which I think would be really fun.
Okay.
I haven't I haven't gotten back into it yet. I did do some swing dancing Wait.
What what
couple years Yeah.
What got you out of, like, all of that? Was it just age, or did diabetes slow you down?
With the
Just the dance and the ballet and everything. Can you believe the number one prescribed automated insulin delivery system is now even better? Omnipod five is now stronger than ever with algorithm updates, including a new lower one hundred milligram per deciliter target glucose option designed for more time in range and with fewer interruptions for more time in automated mode. That's right. The number one prescribed automated insulin delivery system just got better.
Request a thirty day Omnipod five trial today at omnipod.com/juicebox and experience the enhancements firsthand. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. The Dexcom g seven is sponsoring today's episode of the podcast, and it features a lightning fast thirty minute warm up.
Oh, thirty minute warm up time. That's right. From the time you put on the Dexcom g seven until the time you're getting readings, thirty minutes. That's pretty great. It also has a twelve hour grace period so you can swap your sensor when it's convenient for you.
All that on top of being small, accurate, incredibly wearable, and light. These things, in my opinion, make the Dexcom g seven a no brainer. The Dexcom g seven comes with way more than just this. Actually, up to 10 people can follow you. You can use it with type one, type two, or gestational diabetes.
It's covered by all sorts of insurances, and this might be the best part. It has alerts and alarms that are customizable so that you can be alerted at the levels that make sense to you. Dexcom.com/juicebox. Links to the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com to Dexcom Omnipod and all the sponsors, but you can remember it.
Dexcom.com/juicebox. Check it out.
Yeah. After I was I don't think ballet or rhythmic gymnastics was what, like, I truly loved.
Okay.
And so when I was diagnosed with type one, I think it did kinda set me on a different path in life in general.
How so?
And, well, it it definitely, made me much more focused on health. And, like, now I'm now I'm studying nutrition, and that's a whole another story that we can get into.
But Yeah.
I became very focused on my health and very interested in, like, psychology and the human condition and things like that. Okay. And I think so I think it's just kind of like
You pivoted a
little bit. Yeah. Yeah. I pivoted a little bit.
So is it fair to say that, you know, you were involved in these things as a child, and maybe it's something even your parents put you into or you had an interest in when you were younger. And then all of a sudden, when something slaps you in the face and your life shifted, you you cut away the things that didn't feel important to you?
Yes.
Yeah. Exactly. What happened? Okay. Well, that's interesting.
What was it like I'm so sorry. I know we've only been talking for five minutes, but, did you have a period when you were diagnosed, or does the thing you developed into type one ended that overlap with, like, any kind of a honeymoon? Or like, I'm looking for how you handled hormones through that time.
A six-month honeymoon without insulin11:41
I had a honeymoon period for I actually had quite a long honeymoon period. So it was maybe, like, six months or so when I did not use insulin at all.
At all?
Yeah.
Okay.
At all. And I think I I very quickly also went on to a ketogenic diet, and so I think that helped a lot with that. But I had, like, a very unusual experience with the honeymoon period, and it's pretty long.
Okay. Well, I wanna hear about that, but I first, let me ask you. Who how'd you get to a keto diet? Like, did is that a thing your parents figured out or you?
A 13-year-old takes the reins12:32
That was something that, I think my parents queued me into a little bit. I was mostly, I was mostly the one in charge, though, so to speak, because parents were pretty busy with work. And I I guess I was interested in taking care of it to a certain extent. I mean, I guess I would have to be to have taken the reins. But I think I just use a very simple logic of, like, well, if I eat fewer carbs, I need less insulin.
That led you to that idea.
Yeah. So that would make sense.
Is that a thing you still do today?
Now I eat let's see. It's basically like a low carb diet except for I add fruit because that gives me energy just like having some of those sugars Okay. In my system. But I I still don't eat any, like, grains or wheat or things like that. So
And that's just to keep the carbs down. It's not because you have celiac or anything like that.
Yeah. I mean, I don't I don't have celiac. I've been tested for it. I don't have celiac, I also don't feel good when I eat grains. Like, it gives me brain fog.
It makes me bloated. It makes me very insulin resistant. So it just it's never worked well for
me.
Okay. I don't know why, but because of that, I've always stayed away from
Avoided it.
From it.
Oh, it's yeah. Smart. It's cool. It's interesting that you figured it out as a kid too, you and you stuck to it like that. It's pretty cool.
Your parents were busy with work. Can we, like, pivot for a half a second? Was that bothersome to you? Did you need help and felt alone, or we did you feel comfortable? And if so, were you actually having good outcomes, or were you just having the outcomes of a 13 year old who was trying?
I I think it was overall good because I kind of learned how to take care of it myself really young, and that's always been my personality. Like, I'm very independent and like, to understand things myself and take charge of situations in general. And I don't think it would have worked well if my parents were, like, telling me what to do.
Is it would would that would that, give me some insight into the rest of your life with your parents, or was it just around the diabetes that you would have felt that way?
I think that would be true overall, but my parents are very good at not
Doing that.
Not, like, interjecting a lot. They give me a lot of freedom with
Is that
what I do
in a time. Is that because you pushed back so much that they learned, or are they just, like, into? It sounds like you might have beat them into submission. Is that was is that what happened? I
think no. Not quite. I mean, I have had some disagreements with them when there are when they have strong opinions because I also have strong opinions. But, in general, they have really given me a lot of freedom and flexibility to do kind of whatever I want, and I think that works really well.
Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about what it meant to you as a kid to have them listen to you and and kinda follow your lead a little bit?
Yeah. I guess, let's see. My mom has been the main one who has been involved in the type one management.
Mhmm.
I think, overall, I've I've always erred on the side of being, like, overly cautious with my management. And just because, like, my health is super important to me, of course, and I wanna be healthy as long as possible. And so I always really wanted to have my glucose numbers, like, as tight as possible. And I think that my my issue in relation to type one has always been more, like, being overly anxious about it, like, overly cautious, overly anxious. And so my mom in particular has been super great at, you know, helping me feel like, you know, it's okay.
Like, it's okay if your blood sugar goes into the two hundreds every once in a while.
Jenna, are you anxious in general?
I would say so. I would
say so.
Would say so.
Looking back, yeah, perhaps. Yeah. So your mom's not. Is your dad? Or is your mom, but she's just good at telling you it's okay?
I think that's a good question.
Oh, I know.
Don't worry. I don't think my either my parents are that anxious. I'm probably more anxious than both my parents.
How about your sister or your brother?
I I still think I'm more anxious than they are.
You win? I'm a I win, Scott.
I think I win.
I'm the winner.
I think I win on the anxiety front.
And you're the only one with type one?
Yeah.
Your anybody else have Hashimoto's or or I'm sorry. Hypothyroidism in your family?
My sister also has hypothyroid.
Okay. Is she anxious at all?
Not I wouldn't say, like, intensely.
Not intensely. Okay.
Alright. Yeah. Yeah. Like a normal level.
What is what's a normal level of anxiety?
I'd like you know.
I'd like you to describe that. That's awesome. Okay. So I I get I think I get the vibe, but your parents were a little hands off. You were doing a good job.
Were you a good student too?
Homeschool, then the shock of college18:42
Yeah. I wasn't I wasn't all that, like, interested in school until college. I was homeschooled in high school. Really?
Yes. Do you prefer that, or did you had you have you ever gone to public school? Private?
I did not go to I was not in the public school system at all until college.
Oh, wow. What what was that like making that shift?
It was very shocking. Very shocking to the system. It was it was really it was hard. It was a hard transition. I was at a private school when I was younger, so really young, like preschool and grade years.
I went to the Washington Waldorf School in Bethesda, Maryland, and it was very much, like, focused on the arts and nature and things like that. It was very wholesome and very nice. And then I was I was homeschooled all throughout the rest of middle school and high school. And it was I think it was really good for me, especially in relation to type one because I really got to focus on my health I'm figuring that out.
Yeah.
And then when I went to college, I had I already kind of had it figured out. And, I mean, as much as you can ever figure out type one,
but Yeah.
It was much
more in the
background.
You knew what you were doing in the background, all that stuff. Was this shift to homeschooling, was that religious, political, like, situational? Do why did that was that just how your parents grew up? Like, how does that happen?
Well, it happened because my sister and I were doing rhythmic gymnastics when we were young, and, my one of my teachers one time got upset that I didn't do my homework in, like, fifth grade or something like that. And it was because I was at a gymnastics competition over the weekend. And she just she kind of disciplined me about it, and I don't think my mom loved it. And so
so mom said Okay. Oh, you're not doing that. I'll just teach the kids myself for the next seven years.
Yeah. Exactly.
So this is why you and your mom have disagreements sometimes when you said strong opinions. That's, I mean, that's a fairly do know what I mean? That would be like be like if I tried to park at the grocery store and I somebody, like, stole my spot, and I was like, that's it. I'm not eating anymore. I'll show all of you.
That's a big that's a big that's a big move. I would love to hear that from your mom's perspective. I bet you there was she probably was pissed for a while about something. It might have put her over the edge. It's awesome.
I think the school we went to when we were young is very much, like, in your early years, they tried to have it not focused on, like, doing homework and
Okay.
More focused on being outside and things like that. So I think my mom probably wanted to preserve some of that. So
Sounds like she did. And and Yeah. And you Absolutely. And you headed off to college with a real firm idea of how to manage your diabetes, and then you have that shock. I can you just tell me one thing?
Because you're like, it was very shocking. What's one thing about getting to college that really hit you in the face?
I think I just kinda felt like I was all of a sudden in this huge system that I had never experienced. And I I just I think if you're used to that growing up, like, you don't it's probably not shocking, but for me, it was like, oh my god. I'm in a class of now thousands of people. I really have to, you know, look out for myself, get help when I need it. Like, there's there's just like this
Everything about the way it everything about the way it works was just different for you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. And it was much more like I don't know. I mean
Did you enjoy it?
I did end up loving college. I mean, I found I found smaller communities within college where and that's how I got into research and some teaching and stuff like that. But, my first semester and maybe my first year was very, very much a shock to the system. I I had to adjust a lot.
Were you isolated?
I think a little bit because I went into college as a transfer student also because I was doing some community college on the side. Mhmm. And so
Little behind, didn't come in with a group, like that whole thing.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Hey. Did you maintain the person you are there, or did or is there, like, some crazy shift? Like, you know, some people get out of private school and, like, they cut their hair or grow their hair or do something crazy or, like, just start smoking or do you know what I mean?
Like, did or or you just did you just kept keep being Jenna?
I just kept being myself, but I very much kept to myself. So I think that's part of how that happened. I mean, I in college, I was literally always in my apartment or in the library studying. Studying. I was yeah.
Okay. Well, you sound, that's where I would want my kid, by the way, just hidden somewhere. But then you you like you said, you found your community branch down. Then what did you end up doing through college, and is that still what you're doing now as an adult?
Nutritional science, NIH, and a PhD24:35
Yeah. I majored in nutritional science, and I also did some research on the side. So I was in a in a lab studying viruses, and then I was doing some research on the gut microbiome brain access, which was really cool. Interesting. I really enjoyed that work.
Yeah. And
I was thinking that I would go to medical school after college, but then I found like, I just found this passion for what I was doing in college, which was really research and learning and teaching. And I thought, you know, I shouldn't let this go if I love it so much. And so then I did a couple more years of research at the National Institutes of Health in their post baccalaureate program, and then I decided to do a PhD in nutrition, which is where I am now. So
You're working on your PhD right now?
I'm working on my PhD right now.
Jenna, have you ever had a job?
I am
not really so jealous. I'm so jealous. Let me just be jealous for a second, though. Oh my god. It's awesome.
I've been a student for such a long time.
Do you think you'll I mean, is it a thing that like, how do you how do you like, for people listening who don't understand that, like, is how do you finance your life during this?
Well, I guess I'm just very lucky with family support.
Nice. And then I hear what you're saying. Dad got bags. Yeah. Is that what you're telling me?
We're good? And then as
a PhD student, you do got a little bit of a stipend.
Oh, wow. What do you think how how do you believe this will all culminate one day? Like, is there something like, what have you learned? What are you interested in? How do you think you'll point it at the world eventually?
Who do you think you are? It's a
great question.
It's a great question. Jenna's like, better figure it out. I'm 28.
Studying hospital food and malnutrition26:43
Yeah. Yeah. I I I do not know exactly how I'm going to point it. Yeah. I am doing my dissertation work on diabetes care in the hospital.
Mhmm.
Collecting data on nutrition in the hospital and shared decision making, which is part of person centered care. So that's kind of where my focus is right now, which I like. I I love being involved in diabetes research, and I've always kind of tried to give myself the space to not go into diabetes.
Mhmm.
But it always keeps coming back all throughout college. Like, in college, I did the College Diabetes Network.
Oh, they're awesome.
Yeah. Yeah. They're great. And then I did their fellowship in my gap years, and I did diabetes camp, and it's just been a continuous thread. So I I would love to stay in the diabetes space, but we'll see what happens.
Super interesting. How long did it take to collect the data about nutrition in the hospital? Eight minutes? Because there's
I'm still doing it.
No. Is I mean, what are you learning besides the food in hospital seems terrible?
So we haven't analyzed the data yet. I can't like, from seeing what they're serving in the hospital, yeah, it's very it's not ideal. No. But I started the study in November, and we're still collecting data. I enrolled the fiftieth person yesterday.
So Wow.
We're enrolling 80 people in that study.
Just to to and what's the goal of the study? Is it just to collect data and then you figure out what the data tells you afterwards, or does it have a specific goal?
So, yeah, the goal is really to just figure out what is actually, like, happening in the hospital because, right, there's not good there's there's data that says there's mountain there's hospital acquired malnutrition, and I think the latest statistic is around twenty five percent, which is really shockingly high.
But
there's no data on, like, why that's happening or how that's happening.
Can I float a theory? Is it because they're buying crappy food?
Yeah. I mean, I'm sure, but, like, there's no the thing about research is you have to show everything to change it.
I gotcha. So Well, then once you have that research, can you pressure hospital systems to do a better job? Like, how does the like, what's the back end of this world like? Like, you know what I mean? Like, once you have the information like, there's a I have a feeling sometimes that people put all this effort into something, then they publish the paper, and they go, well, there it is.
Do something with it, then nothing happens with it.
Yeah.
Yeah. Like, what
No. That is a huge problem with research.
Yeah. Like, so do you, like how do you, like, go into the like, as an example, like, you know, diabetes type two, for example. Like, people I've watched my mom in the hospital with type two or prediabetes, and everything they gave her was ridiculous. Yeah. And so, like, do you I don't know.
Like, do you how do like, do you go to the ADA? Do you say, hey. We've got this research? Like, I just wonder about, like, how do you and if you're not the person to answer that question, like, how do you meet a person who understands the other side of this, who can, like, take the research and go out in the world and, you know, use it as a cudgel and bang it over people's heads till they make changes?
Yeah. I think that's what I'm trying I mean, it's it's that's definitely something that our group is really trying to do, like, make sure that all the research turns into changes that are Yeah. Useful for people.
Action or something that somebody's using at least to make a decision down the road. I mean, it can't look. I'm just guessing, but I don't imagine the hospital believes that they're buying super healthy food and they're just being they're confused about it. In your research, they'll go, oh, no. We didn't know.
Sorry. You you know, like so it's gotta be about money. It's gotta be about
Yeah.
Preparation, about storage. Like, I'm imagining it's that stuff. Also, hospitals are, you know, don't think they're really what we imagine them to be, most of them. They're, you know, they're money making systems, and they they they have a product, and the product is trying to make you better. So Right.
You know, it's it's really sad. Have you ever had to be in the hospital yourself?
Thankfully, I haven't been in the hospital since I was diagnosed.
Nice.
I'm lucky in
that respect. Well so, like, when you can you make any pronouncements about what you see? Like, think about like like, let's take your professional life and kinda stick it in the background for a second. You're a type one. You've been living with type one for sixteen years.
You are you having great outcomes? Is do you have a one c's in the fives? Are you like, is your weight where you want it to be? You're metabolically healthy?
Yeah. Yeah. I am I am gratefully you know? I mean, I've I'm healthy. And my a one c has been in the fives and sixes for years.
I mean, I I don't I think I had some sevens and eights after I was diagnosed Yeah.
I imagine.
The most part.
Yeah. But what's your what's your as an adult now, the way you're living today, tell me a little bit about your setup. Are you using technology? How are you eating? And, you know, what would you if if you bumped into another type one and they were like, look, Jenna, you can't hurt my feelings.
Tell me what to do. Like, how would you talk about it to people?
Her setup today: Omnipod 5, Dexcom, “keto plus fruit”32:33
So I use the Omnipod five, and I'm still using the Jack Dexcom g six, although
Not much longer. Soon.
Yeah. Not much longer. But the g six for me is, like, I I just prefer the trend line and stuff, but I will have to switch to g seven soon. But, yeah, I use Omnipod five and Dexcom. And I I think for me, nutrition is a super important part of my daily management.
And so I basically eat like a I would I would call it a ketogenic diet plus fruit. Mhmm. And for me, that works really well because it keeps the insulin resistance down. And I find when I eat grains and stuff, I just go high and stay high and it gets very sticky and it takes a lot of insulin to get down. And then once it does get down, I crash.
To me, it's just a whole disaster. It it doesn't work well for my body.
Okay.
I don't know if that would help everyone. You know? Like, I think it's really hard to give other people advice because
Yeah. I
think it could super
Jenna, I don't even give people movie reviews because I just assume they don't like the same stuff I do. Yeah. But but but Yeah. So interestingly enough then, so if you're saying that you can't tell people like, this is what I do, Go do it, and you'll be okay. What can they do to figure out what will work for them to give them similar outcomes?
I I mean, I just I would eat foods and see how it impacted things. If it wasn't in a way that I liked, I would avoid them. You know? I mean and I'm not perfect by any means. Like, you know, if I'm out with people or this or that, like, I might eat something that doesn't go perfectly.
But in general, I try to, like, tell myself, you know, okay. If it's on a daily basis type of thing and the meals that I'm eating on my own are going to be the ones that are, like, as good as possible for my health.
Can I ask a question about your can I ask a question about your eating?
Yeah.
Are there any things you're not eating right now because they don't work well for your diabetes or even how you feel that you're just in the back of your head like, god. I want one of those. Like, are you are you limiting yourself in a way that's uncomfortable but necessary? Or has it you know what I mean? Or has it changed for you?
Is it not a thing you think about anymore?
I think it's turned into a thing where I prefer the way that I feel Mhmm. And can function to such an extent with the way that I eat that I don't I don't want that stuff anymore. That kinda messes me up.
Yeah. Do you I I have to tell you. I've I I might have I I think I've lost track now, but I might have been on a GLP for, like, three years now. And Okay. I think that is one of the absolute, like, gifts that it has given me that now I can look at a at a food item and say, I know that's not gonna go well for me and not be tortured by it.
And, yeah, torture is maybe a heavy word, but not, like, give in and just have it because I like it or because it's there or something like that. Like, I will walk past food I like because it just doesn't feel like a good decision, and it does not feel like a burden. But I think in the past, it I would have had that feeling of, like, oh, something got, like, taken from me, if that makes sense. Yeah. But you just have that naturally?
Interesting.
I guess so.
Yeah. You don't know because it's just how you are. You should test yourself, see if your GLP levels are naturally high. Are GLP levels a thing? Somebody get in there and figure that out.
What do you, I mean, how is all this GLP medication impacting your research and your livelihood? Because it's fundamentally changing how people eat.
Yeah.
Yeah. Are you bumping into it? Is it is it is it interesting, valuable, problematic for what you're trying to do?
It is. It is. Well, I don't know. I'm not that focused on it, honestly, because No. Okay.
I'm more focused on the, like, what is being, given to people in the hospital. And I guess medication stuff isn't as interesting to me in general. And I I think that would be because my research is mostly on, like, the nutrition content of the food in the hospital. But I think that if I were more looking at, you know, like, what people are choosing to eat and not choosing to eat, that would be a much larger consideration.
Yeah. Okay. So it's interesting, actually, because I'm wondering if the GLPs I mean, there are now people in the hospital. Right? They get sick for other reasons.
They're on GLPs, and they probably haven't been eating a certain way. But then they all everyone at the at the moment, like, standard of care is, like, they make you stop taking it for most stuff that you go into the hospital for. And Mhmm. I want but I it's interesting to me. Like, if you don't have context for it, I'm thinking of a of a hospital like Trey.
Right? And right now, Scott, on day three of his shot, I don't think I could, like, stomach any of that. And I don't mean, like, it would make me sick. Think I'd look at it and be like, I'd prefer not to eat this. Right?
But if you took me off of that for a week or two threw it in front of me, I'd probably be like, oh, chocolate pudding. Like, you you know what I mean? And I and it would I wonder if there are people in the hospital who are, like, in there having lived one way, but now all of a sudden another way. And I wonder if that will drag them back in that direction when they leave or I mean, I don't know. It's not a question you can answer, but it is just interesting to think that, you know, like I don't know.
How like, I guess, let me ask you this. Like, what's the average hospital hospital stay for a person? How long is somebody average in the hospital for?
That really depends on why they're in and what's going on. I mean, like, if someone's waiting for a procedure, like a surgery or something like that, they'll be in longer. You know, if they're if, you know, they have something that requires, they wait for dialysis or I don't know. There are there are so many variables that impact that, and that's actually a very tricky part of doing inpatient research studies because my study has a requirement that they're in the study for two to ten days, and it can be really difficult to gauge, like, the the one day it might be saying they'll be in for four more days and then they end up, know, plans change and they're discharged the next day or they end up staying for ten days. Like, it's very variable, and it's it's a little it's a very tricky part of inpatient research studies.
Oh, no kidding. Yeah. I mean, it doesn't sound easy. How many people in your like, you have, like, a group of people doing this?
Yeah. So our group is maybe around, like immediate group is maybe around seven to eight or so people. But for my dissertation research right now, it's mostly me doing it. I have one of the postdoctoral researchers was helping me a couple months back, but now we have a lot of other studies going on.
And Mhmm.
So it's a it's a relatively small group, but then there's also a ton of collaboration. So that's that's kind of expands the number of people are that are involved, but those here are, you know, like, on the ground and doing the data collection as a smaller number of people.
I see. I wanna ask you in a second, I'd like to ask you about you wrote in your note about, how how you learn to advocate for yourself, and I wanna hear about the ways that that came up. But I'm gonna ask one last question about your research first thing and because based on what you just said about how the collaboration works, how much, if at all, are you using AI models to help you?
With the research right now, Not much. I do we are looking into, you know, like, AI to detect macronutrient content of food. That's kind of a big thing right now and maybe making some twists on that and developing a sort of app or something like that. But right now, not much.
But even the back end work about, like, keeping keeping everything straight or being able to query your own research or using it for any of that?
No. No? Not right now. I think in the, the electronic health record system, it's you know, they're very protective over
Oh, what you can attach it to. I see. Oh, oh,
oh, yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of, like, PHI considerations when, of course, when you're working with people. So it's you have to be really, really careful.
Tell people PHI? PHI means?
Protected health information.
Okay. Okay. So so I'm I'm pivoting here. But, like, what what happened in your past that you thought, like, I have to advocate for myself or I'm not gonna get what I want?
Learning to advocate for herself42:12
I think that I learned a lot of that through I think through college was a big time for that for me when I was getting accommodations and talking to professors about it and just going through that process, I think, every semester with every professor, you know Mhmm. Emailing them and sitting down with them and telling them what I need. And, you know, of course, you have to, be willing to tell them what you need and not settle for anything less than what you need. And I think that was a really good experience for me.
I see. Just just having to, like, have the conversation. I have type one diabetes. This is what it might entail. I could use help here.
Did anybody ever push back? Say, well, I don't care if you have type one diabetes. Too bad.
I can't remember any experiences like that. No. It was great. I mean, I they were really, really awesome, and I would usually take my exams in the testing center where, you know, I could I could have access to whatever I needed. I think that having access to a phone with the CGM was always a little bit you know, people would ask about it, of course, which is understandable, but, I never got a ton of pushback on it.
Yeah. They were they worried you're gonna cheat. Right?
Probably. I mean, if you have access to an iPhone.
Yeah. And, Jenna, you would never cheat. Tell them.
I would never.
Of course not. This was didn't have to look at me. I was never going
to cheat.
Oh my god. What do you have you lived with and without a CGM or no? Have you always had one?
Five years as her own CGM44:09
I didn't have a CGM for the first five years, which is now looking back, I have no idea how I did it. I mean, I would poke myself, like, 20 times per day. It was
Yeah.
It was very intense.
Yeah. No. Because you were taking, like, really careful care. You were younger. You were on your own, and so you were creating your own data points even then with your blood sugars.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I I I always joke around with people that I was, like, my own CGM.
Yeah. No. I know. I you know, we actually one time, it was during COVID. You know, everybody did this.
But during COVID, I would do, like, weekly Zooms with people. And at one point, they got a like, there's, 300 people in there. It was crazy. And this one lady, I don't remember her name, she was like, I I only have a meter. And we had her, like, draw out a graph and then just plot her blood sugars, and then she connected the lines.
And I'm like, it's not perfect, but it gives you an idea of which way your blood sugars are moving. And it was really helpful. It was, like, super helpful for her. Like, she came back the next week, and she's like, hey. That made a big difference.
I was like, awesome. But yeah. I mean, CGM I mean, it's another level, right, of of being able to see you know, get ahead of stop things before they happen. I mean, it's such a big deal. I I really hope that Yeah.
I I you know, I was listening to an interview with Lilly's CEO the other day where he he was talking about GLPs, but he was talking about that what he would like to do is get it to, like, more scale. Like, he's like, I don't know if he means what he said, but he was like, I don't need to make as much money on it. I need to get it more hands was the idea. And I thought, boy, I would love if if some diabetes device manufacturers thought like that. Like, maybe we can take a little less for it, but make the money up on, you know, on selling more of it.
That kind of thing. I don't know enough about business to know how to do that. But, boy, you know, you know, just imagine not have imagine if I came and took it from you right now. Like, how would that change your life today?
The CGM?
Yeah. I just come back. I go, you can't have it anymore, Jenna. There's no more CGM for you. What I mean, you lose your automation.
You lose all of your reference points. Your a one c probably goes up a point, I would imagine, and adds a ton more work to your life. Right?
I mean, I rely on the CGM, like, in a way where I cannot even imagine living my day to day life without it. It's it's a godsend. I mean, especially with sleep and, you know, my mom still follows me and being you know, running around on the hospital floors and, like, I just I have to have it. And then, yeah, with AID, I mean
Yeah. You just don't wanna lose it. You know what I mean? It's so awesome. Yeah.
Yeah. I was just thinking now. Like, Arden went out last night, so I'm I'm I I haven't looked. But did try to imagine. Like, I mean, she's 22.
Don't get me wrong. But she went out last night. I think, you know, she went to a club. She went with friends. Like, you know, like, she's, you know, she's out for a while.
I think she got home maybe around midnight or so. And I'm looking here. She got a little low before she left, and then she ate dinner around 06:30 or 07:00. And since then and now it's 10:00 in the morning. Her blood sugar's 71.
It has not been under 70 or over a 110 in the last sixteen hours. Wow. You know what I mean? Like and that's all just technology, really. It's it's Yeah.
Algorithms and CGMs and it's a it's just it's a it's astonishing how good it is.
No. It's so it's it's incredible. I mean, that's what allows it to be much more background for me these days too. I mean, part of the reason why I think homeschooling was good and, you know, it's great for my health is at the time, I was doing finger sticks and pen injections. And so, I mean, that just requires so much more oversight than having AID and
Oh, please.
You know, a CGM.
Oh my gosh. Hey. Yeah.
Thinking
about nutrition. So I don't know if you've ever heard it, but, like, Jenny and I like, Jenny's a CDCS, and she's got type one for, like, thirty eight years. Right? And she's a nutritionist too. I or whatever She I don't know.
She's RD, registered dietitian maybe. Mhmm. Sorry, Jenny. I've only known her for, like, fifteen years. I'll I'll commit it to memory eventually.
But but, you know, we've been doing these, like, bolus four episodes recently where it's a thing I avoided for a long time, but people are always like, just want you to tell me how to bolus for this. And, you know, so we kind of talk we talk our way through it. But as we talk our way through it, you know, we're picking through the nutrition of these items, like, online while we're doing it. And a lot of food is astonishingly horrible. Like like Yeah.
Really, like, genuinely. Like, I don't know. Like, sometimes I'll read the ingredients. Like, I don't know what any of this is. Like, any of it.
Or they're they sound like chemicals or, you know, binding agents or thickeners and stuff like that. It's just crazy. Right? Yeah. But my takeaway has been that, generally, I don't think that's what people think.
Like, you know what I mean? Like, when somebody takes a I usually say ho ho because I think it's funny. But when, like, someone takes a ho ho and takes a bite of it, I don't think that they're thinking, I'm eating thickeners and shelf stabilizers and colors and chemicals. And I know this is wrong and really unhealthy for me, but damn it. I'm just gonna do it anyway.
Like, I don't think that's I don't think that's how it works. So, like Yeah. I find myself thinking all the time. I don't know you have an answer to this because I don't either. It's like, I wonder how you could, like, meaningfully help people to understand what it is that they're fueling themselves with.
And if and even if they knew if that would would make a change for them or I mean, is it gonna take something like a GLP to change, like, the population's, like, addiction to, like, some of these foods? Do have thoughts about any of that?
Addictive food, access, and produce prescriptions50:34
I mean, this I actually think about this a lot because it's it's it's a big impediment to people eating well, like the addictiveness of food. These foods are designed to be addictive. And, like, how do you fight that? Especially because a lot of the foods that are very processed and have a lot of ingredients that could be harmful to people are less expensive
Yeah.
And more available. And it just creates a situation where it's extremely difficult to know how to, help people eat better because a lot of it comes down to access because eating well is really expensive and inconvenient because it takes time, and money and stuff like that. So I I think that there needs to be way better nutrition education just to start. Like, that should be a part of education schools
Yeah. For sure. I I just I don't feel like it's going to be. Like, there's gotta be you're gonna have to reach people at a certain age before it's just, like, ingrained in you. Like, because look.
Yeah. I mean, listen. You you you have family events at holidays. Everybody does. And there's some stuff at these events, like, you know, when you start mixing your family, like, when you, you know, you get, you know, married or something, you end up at some, you know, some guy's house for Thanksgiving, and someone brings into the room I'll tell you the one thing that shocked me.
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows melted over top of it at Thanksgiving. Like, as an ex and as an example, like, someone brought that in like Simba. They were like, like, the it's here. You know? And everybody's like, And I was like, what is that?
Did you melt marshmallows on food? And, like, you know, like, they're just one of those things where I was like, and no disrespect to anybody if that's what they do or anything. My point is is that they grew up with it. They think it's an imperative almost. Like, not Thanksgiving if we don't if we don't soak sweet potatoes, a generally healthy food, in brown sugar and then melt marshmallows over top of it.
If we don't do that, then then the pilgrims lost. Like, is is you know, is that it's what did they do any of this for? And and so when you, you know what I mean? Like, when someone starts a thing and makes it part of your life, like, imagine Jenna comes on and goes, oh, don't eat those. They're gonna be like, go to hell.
It's Thanksgiving. And and I don't know that it's ever done on purpose. Like, I again, I don't think someone made the sweet potatoes with marshmallows and went, I'm gonna poison my family. Just like when my mom Right. Went to the to the dollar grocery store because we were broke and would buy a canister, and canister is the right word for it, of powder.
And then she'd mix it with a gallon of water and be like, here's your juice. Or it or they'd call it fruit juice or lemonade or something like that. And then, you know, like, you were supposed to put, like, I don't know, 10 scoops in for a gallon, but, you know, it was sweeter if you put in 12. And then, like, and then that just sat in my refrigerator for my whole life. And every time you were thirsty, that's what you drank.
You you know what I mean? If you go find my mom, Jenna, and say, hey. Did you know you were poisoning, Scott? She'd say, no. I bought it said, like, real fruit juice on the front of it.
Like, I swear to you, I don't think it's a thing she did on purpose.
Oh, for sure not. Yeah. No. It's what's it's what's accessible, and it's also very cultural and
Yeah. You know. It's just it's Social. I don't like you're beating it is what I'm saying. I I'm listen.
I'm I'm on board. Like, I've said it before. I'll say it again. I sprayed the GLP out of planes. Like, just just put it on everybody and and and give them a month of not, like, wanting that stuff and see if it does for them what it's done for me and a lot of other people, which is just, like, really I I can't I can't say it's rewired me because I I have not been off of it.
I wouldn't know what happened if I stopped taking it for a month. Like, if a month from now, I would just be like, I'm gonna eat a bag of jelly beans now. Like, I don't know. You you know what I mean? But I don't know.
I I just I wonder if there's an actual, like, pathway that goes education, you know, more stability financially for food. Like, that sounds nice. Like, it sounds academic. It doesn't sound real world to me.
Mhmm.
You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. But but maybe you'll figure it out. Is it gonna be you?
Yeah. It's very tricky. It's very tricky. I mean, there's a lot to work through. And if nutrition is always difficult because it's it's so cultural and
Yeah. No. For sure.
And then it's comfort and everything. But I think there I think there really is room. And, like, for example, produce prescription programs are a super great thing. I are you familiar with them at all?
I've heard those words, but if you explain it to me, I would appreciate it.
Yeah. So it's basically where people's doctors essentially can give them prescriptions to get a box of produce every week.
Oh.
And they're becoming more widespread. And when you talk to people who are in these programs, they really like it. Like, they they love having access to more produce. And so I think that people like it. It just needs to be prioritized at a higher level.
Mhmm.
And then, you know, there will be more access to that type of thing, and I'll be able to help people more.
That's what I said. Yeah. As long as they don't put brown sugar on the sweet potatoes that comes in the
Exactly.
I mean, honestly. Exactly. Brown sugar and marshmallows. Think about it. Sugar sugar and then a different sugar.
Like, we'll just put it on the potatoes. So what's the point? Just eat the marshmallows for god's sakes. Yeah. You pass it.
Come across that dish at Thanksgiving. I don't know that I've ever had it, but I have seen it.
Yeah. I know. Listen. I'm not a Philistine. I've I've eaten some crappy food in my life.
But, like, that was just one that, like, I'm using it as an example, did not exist in my life. And then I went to someone else's house and, you know, the the, you know, the takeaway was, like, this is this is Mecca right here. Like, we don't have Thanksgiving if this doesn't exist. I was like, oh, okay.
Well, exactly. That that's the cultural component. You know?
Yeah. Like, it's You know those crappy sorry for everybody who's there's, like, the, like, the the the you know, the the rolls that come in the roll and you crack them open and they expand?
Yes.
Yeah. Jenna's like, I know them. I don't eat them. But, like yeah. Yeah.
But, like and then there's some that are, like, more like cinnamon buns. They come with icing. Right? Mhmm. Yep.
The way my wife grew up, it was not the morning of a holiday if they didn't exist. Like, that was a treat in her life. And so now once we're married and have kids, like, well, we you know, it's Christmas morning. Like, we need to have these, like, poison bombs on Christmas morning. And then and then and they are tasty.
Like, I'm not gonna say otherwise. They're not a high quality, like, tasty, but, like, it's sugary and sweet and etcetera. And then Art now Artin has diabetes. You know? And every morning on Christmas, I'm, like, pre bolusing, like, while she's asleep and cooking the muffin things that when it comes out, I can actually, like, intersect the insulin with the the hit from the stuff.
And and I became really good at it. But point being is it would have been way way cooler if we didn't do it, but we couldn't stop doing it because it was like telling my wife it wasn't Christmas. It's really interesting. She's a bright lady. I if you met my wife and if you met my wife, talked to her for three hours, and then I told you that story about her, you'd be flabbergasted.
You'd be like, that intelligent woman thinks this about these muffins, but it's how she it's beaten into her head from growing up. You know?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. I know.
It's tricky. I actually feel kinda bad for my siblings because after I was diagnosed, Christmas completely changed for us. My my mom was very adamant that we would do much less sugar. You know?
They probably looked at you like, that's the girl that killed it right there. She ruined it for everybody.
It was like we made a lot of changes right away and you know? So
We we you were happy about them. Everybody wasn't?
I don't know. Like, I don't feel I don't remember having a strong opinion about it at the time. Now, of course, I'm grateful for it. But Yeah. At the time, I don't remember having a super strong opinion about it.
And I I always used nutrition as a way to help myself through diabetes. So I think I just kind of saw what they do were doing and thought, okay. I should I should focus more on nutrition.
Has the diabetes been difficult for you over the years? And if so, in what ways?
I think yeah. I think that, of course, there's some anxiety associated with it. I don't know that it's more anxiety than you would really expect. I mean, if you're asking someone to live with a chronic illness that requires a lot of monitoring, I think it's normal to have some anxiety with that. So I think for me, it's probably mostly been a stress thing.
Like, I'm certainly carry more stress than I would otherwise.
Mhmm.
Although, I think it's hard to kind of parse it apart at the same time because I think it also gives me a lot more perspectives, and then I'm less stressed about small things. And so I don't know.
I I overall. I Yeah.
Go ahead.
I I I take your point being that, like, I don't freak out about little stuff anymore. Like, I feel like I've I feel like I've I've said before, I feel like I have the perspective of, a 100 year old person because of the diet because of the diabetes. You're like you're like, you know, something something other people freak out about. I'm like, oh my god. I don't even have the time to be upset about that.
So Yeah. Yeah. It it does that for you. But, also, what I'm hearing you say is that, like, the the focus is ramped up, and this isn't maybe how you would be living your life if it wasn't for diabetes. Or do you think you would've do you think this is who you are and you just would've pointed this at something else if it wasn't type one?
I don't think I would be as focused on, like, my goals to help people if it weren't for being diagnosed with type one. Like, it just I felt like I was a little bit lost. I mean, granted, I was, like, 13, but I don't remember having a super strong kind of focal point. I think it's giving me a stronger focal point in life in general
Yeah.
And a lot more perspective.
And that's a positive that's a positive for you. You don't feel like you were dragged down a path you wouldn't have chosen? You just you feel happy that it kinda showed it to you and you were drawn towards it?
Yes. Yeah. I do. I I'm really I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now. Nice.
So yeah. And, of course, it's it's challenging to live with in many ways, but, you know, there are also ways that it makes the rest of life less stressful. I don't know. It's it's interesting. I I it's very I always think type one impacts every single part of life, so it's hard to parse apart what's type one, what's life, what's me.
Because it's all the same it's all the same thing at
this Yeah.
Kinda gives you one hand takes from the other too. Yeah. Yeah. Has it you said you're not dating right now. Is that a type one thing?
Is that a time thing, or is that a preference?
Dating with type 1 — bring it up early1:03:07
I think that's a time thing. I've just been, like, so focused on school for the past, I don't know, eight years or something.
Gina. Eight years? When's the last time you were on a date when I had a good time?
I go on dates. I go on dates.
You do? But Okay. You do those
me now.
You do it the way the kids do it nowadays?
Yes. Oh, absolutely.
You just swipe, and then you show up somewhere and you're like, you don't seem like you're gonna murder me and then you stay? That kind of thing? Is that about it?
That's about it.
Are you in are you in the DC area?
No. I'm in Atlanta.
Oh, you're in Atlanta? Yes. I was just there. I did a talk I did a talk for touch by type one there. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Nice. Nice. Yeah.
I my my son lived there for a year.
Oh, okay.
Yeah. And so you're at school there? Will you tell me what school you're at, or would you prefer not to say?
I'm at Emory. Emory University.
Oh, okay. Awesome. It's about to get hot there. You're gonna be alright?
I love the heat.
Oh, nice. Oh, you're I love the heat.
Here. Yeah. That's perfect. Yeah.
You think you'll stay there even after school?
We will see. We will see. I am not quite sure. I do really like it here, so I would I would be very happy to stay, but I'll have to I'll have I'll have to see what's going on at that point. I'll probably graduate in a year or two and then figure it out.
Let me ask you a very Atlanta specific question. Do you ignore the boys with the bottle of water, or do you buy them? Or do you not drive in Atlanta?
I ignore.
I do I do too. I look away. I feel better. Yeah. I think it's because they're holding a single bottle, and I'm like, I don't know.
Doesn't seem like it's in a package.
That's fair. That's That's fair. Fair.
No. By the way, I've seen the most horrendous traffic I've ever seen in my life is in Atlanta. And I once saw someone in a four wheel drive vehicle get annoyed at the pace of traffic, And they wanted to go from the middle lane to the left lane, but they went too soon, too fast, cut it too late, and drove up and over the back end of a small car. Leaving that car dis I swear to you, it all happened right in front Leaving that car disabled, they got in the left lane, zoomed away. About 200 feet later, I realized there was an officer in the middle.
I pulled over and I said, hey. I just I pointed. I was like, I just watched that truck hit that car back there. They're disabled, and you could get them. And I'd be happy to be a witness.
And he looked at me and he goes, not my job.
And I
and I was like, okay.
I know. The driving in Atlanta is crazy. And I kind of I'm lucky in that I don't drive that much, like, everything. I live very close to work and everything, but Atlanta does have a reputation for its traffic.
I mean, it's been my experience, and I was there going off a a number of times for a year. Also, there's that little open air mall where the theater is. You know what I mean? Like, that big AMC theater, and it's sort of like, am I
What area is that in?
It's right I mean, it's right near where they made The Walking Dead. That's all I know.
I think I know. I think I know what you're talking about.
Anyway, I like it. I think it's nice there.
Although, maybe not. I'm not sure. I like I feel like I only know school and the hospitals here.
No kidding. How long have you been there? How long have you been there? Jen, did I lose you? Oh, we lost her.
She's she's there, but she's not there.
Oh, sorry.
There you go. You're back.
One second.
You're fine. Can
you hear me?
Yeah. I can.
Okay. Yeah. Sorry. I got a call and everything went
a bit. That's okay. How long have you been in Atlanta?
I moved here in twenty twenty three, to start my program. So it's been about three years now.
Okay. Alright. Well, I want you I want you out in the world more meeting people, but, if that happens eventually are you interested in having kids, and do you ever think about them having type one, if so?
Yeah. I do like kids, and I guess it yeah. I I've thought about it, but it doesn't deter me. I don't know. Like, I what can you do at a certain point?
You know? I mean
You just gotta live.
Right? Do, yeah, if I do have kids with type one, at least I know how to manage it.
Yeah. No. I hear that. Do do Yeah. Put do when people okay.
So I have one last question for you, then I'll make sure I've covered what you wanna talk about, and I'll let you go. So when you date people and you meet them for the first time, you're not sure if you're ever gonna see them again. Do even tell them about the diabetes?
It usually comes up in conversation just because it's so tied into what I do.
Okay. And you're at a meal sometimes when this is happening too. Right?
Yeah.
Yeah. Now do coin flip, and I'm not trying to make it sound like you're going out with a ton of people, but, like, for every 10 people that you have a first date with, how many of them do you think go, oh, I'm not interested after they hear that? Does it shut some people off?
I don't know, but I you know, that's one reason why I like to bring it up early.
Yeah. Just you don't wanna
Because yeah. I mean, if someone has an issue with that, then I need to know ASAP.
So you don't waste time? Right. Yeah. Yeah. Gotcha.
Yeah. And then are there some people who over mother it? Do they do they get too interested too fast? You know, like, hey. Hey.
Hey. Easy. It's kinda private. I don't really mind it if someone has a lot of interest in it. So You wouldn't notice it that way.
Yeah. But, also, I don't
think I've had that experience too much. Most people are pretty pretty respectful about it.
So That's awesome. Yeah. That's cool. Well, I I always help people. Like, I think when you find somebody who really gets it, is interested, it's not off putting to them.
Like, that's a good indication you might be with a a reasonable person. You know? So Right.
Yeah. It's a good it's a good screening tool.
Awesome. Oh, it's it's pretty cool. Is there anything that I didn't ask you that I should have or anything that didn't come up that you'd be disappointed later when you think back on this?
No. I think we just about covered it.
Did you have a good time? Yeah. That was awesome. Oh, cool. Well, I'm glad.
Thank you. What made you reach out? Do you listen to podcast?
The reveal: Jenna was episode 341:10:02
I was on it when I was 18. And then, yeah, and then we were we did this, like, you know, ten year follow-up.
Jenna, how did you not mention that the entire time we were talking? What episode were you on when you were 18?
Oh my gosh. Which episode was it? Let me see. 35.
We were on the episode Jenna? Are you serious?
It's not. Wait. Is it the one before? It was 34. 34.
Wait. I'm looking it up on my website right now, which, by the way, has a new and improved search tool. Jenna is 18 and amazing. This is insane. I oh, you got you gotta give me a couple of minutes now.
Hold on. Jenna is an 18 year old college student who is diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of 13. To say that Jenna has it together is, well, the understatement of all understatements. Seriously, I hope my kids turn out half as well. Heck, I wish her parents raised me.
That's what it says on the website. And now you're oh my god. Like, I'm so sorry. Like, you know in your note, you didn't mention that at all. Right?
You know I don't under you listen. You know I don't know what I'm doing. Like, you can't leave it I'm not an adult. You can't leave it to me.
I'm sorry, Scott. I thought you knew.
No. I have to tell you something. I like better that it went this way.
Yeah.
I I really do. Did you, at any point, while you were talking, think he does not remember me?
It's it crossed my mind.
Well, you were right. Oh my god. Well, how are you? How you been?
What You know, it's it's been crazy. It's been ten years, which is honestly bizarre. Like, I can't believe it's been ten years.
Well, not only that, but it was I mean, I have to look now to tell you when it like, let me find out when episode 34 went up. I gotta go into a different system to find that out, but give me one second. Hold on. Blah blah blah. Oh, a lot of downloads today.
Alright. I'm sorry. That's not why we're here. Wait one second. Good day.
Thanks everybody for listening. Episode 34. I've been making this so long. There's, like, 20 episodes that have the number 34 in it. You were holy hell, Jenna.
You were on this podcast in October 2015.
Isn't that crazy?
I started making it in January 2015.
Oh, really?
No. Kidding. How did you end up on the podcast back then? Do you have any recollection?
I think I reached out to you.
No kidding. You're a little go getter. Yeah. Yeah. I see what's going on.
Okay. And then oh my god. Like, you're making me feel, like, accomplished. I appreciate that. Thank you very much.
Like, it it it feels like I, like, did something, keeping it going and tying it back together like this.
Yeah. Yeah. No. You did.
Jenna is 28 and still amazing. It's definitely a good a good title for this one. What do you think you'll be doing when you're 38?
We'll have to see. I'll have to be back on, and we'll have to see.
Shannon, you don't have one guess? You don't know where you'll be in ten years?
I don't want to make any guesses I always see something I can't predict. But yeah. So I don't know. But I'm thinking right now to stay in academia, so we'll see. We'll see what happens.
You like teaching people, or you just like the learning part?
I like all of it. I like the research. I like the learning. I like the teaching. So yeah.
That's pretty awesome. Well, I'll be there. This is, like, such a genuinely nice little surprise at the end.
I'm glad.
Do you know if I wouldn't have asked you that last question, I never would have put this together?
That's so funny.
Okay. Well, I I mean, we started strong with me impressing you with my knowledge of your life just by the tone of your voice. And, we've ended it with, I would imagine, a fairly disappointing moment for my for my organizational skills.
It's all good.
Oh my god. That's awesome. Well, it's nice to talk to you again. Seriously, this has really been really cool. I, I I really do like that it happened this way.
I know most people won't believe that, but I like that it happened this way because I would have gotten I would have gotten too focused on the what's changed thing instead of just talking to you. So Yeah. Yeah. I fair. I really like this.
Okay. Well, I'm gonna have to re you know, let you go. You probably have, I don't know, hospital food to, like, vomit while you look at. I mean, what's the most vile what's the most vile thing they make in a they give in a hospital or somebody? What's the thing that when you look at it, you go, I don't understand why they would hand this to a person, let alone a person in a hospital?
Well, I I think the thing that always surprises me is the number of, like, white dinner rolls and desserts, like cakes, like chocolate cake or chocolate pudding for dessert.
Yeah.
Yeah. Like, the dinner rolls with
Yeah. You're you're not moving around. Your body's ill. You're shitting in a pan. Would you like a piece of chocolate cake to sit in your gullet for a while?
Awesome. But, yeah, you know, I wanna get out of the hospital. Thank you. What gets me out of here? Give me quinoa.
Yeah.
I yeah. I gotta go. I don't like quinoa. Don't know what the hell it is, but feed it to me and get me the hell out of here.
Oh my god.
That was fascinating.
It needs a lot of help.
So Well, I I appreciate your time very much, and I I I can't thank you enough for doing this. I guess I'll I'll see you in 2036.
There you go.
Alright. Let's do it. Cool. Put it
on the calendar.
K. Put it on the calendar. Listen. If I can keep this thing going ten more years, I would a 100% do that, first of all. And secondly, that would be quite an accomplishment.
Do do you know ever both. Nothing. I this podcast is one of probably fewer than 200 podcasts that has been going as long as it is and has as many episodes as it does. It's, like, really incredibly uncommon. So maybe I'm Congrats.
Yeah. Maybe I will do it. Although, I will be 64 at that point.
So I think you can do it.
I don't know, Jenna. Did I seem like the same person that this is a good example. Like, do you re are you experiencing me the way you remembered, or do you not have much memory of it?
I I feel like you're the same person. Yeah. Awesome. And I've listened to a lot of the episodes. So
Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Oh, that's how I make my listeners. I just have them on the podcast.
It's a it's a it's basically like a Ponzi pyramid scheme. I'm just I just I make listeners by interviewing.
I mean, it's a good way to do it.
Hey. What works works. You know? Alright. I will, hold on one second.
I need to talk to you before we're done. I'm gonna hit stop now. Thanks again.
Thank you.
Heck of an episode today, wouldn't you say? Let's thank Dexcom and the Omnipod five for sponsoring. That's right, my friends. We were sponsored today by the Dexcom gseven. Dexcom.com/juicebox.
Head over there right now. Look into that fifteen day Dexcom g seven. Fifteen days is a long time. That's like half a month. Don't check my math, but I'm pretty sure I'm right.
And let's also thank the Omnipod five. My goodness gracious. Omnipod five tubeless. That beautiful algorithm's updated now with that new 100 target. Get in there.
Find out more about it. Omnipod.com/juicebox. You want some tubeless insulin pumping? Yeah. You do.
By any chance, have you tried the small sip series? It's curated takeaways from the Juice Box podcast voted on by listeners as the most helpful insights for managing their diabetes. These bite sized pieces of wisdom cover essential topics like insulin timing, carb management, and balancing highs and lows, making it easier for you to incorporate real life strategies into your daily routine. Take a deep dive, take a sip, and discover what our community finds most valuable on the journey to better diabetes management. For more information on small sips, go to juiceboxpodcast.com and then go oh, actually, we changed the website.
Let me see. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com. And from there, oh, there's these two little lines on the right side top. That's the menu. And click that, then click series.
Then there's pro there's small steps right there. Pro tips to top, bold beginnings, bold bolus four, asks that. There's a lot of them there. There's actually a little search there too. Could you just type small sips into the search?
Oh, wow. That search works great. Look at that. And then you could go right to, like, all results for small sips. Oh, and that takes you to the FAQ.
You should check out the FAQ page too. I think that's juiceboxpodcast.com/jbfaq. Seriously, that thing's amazing. Actually, the whole website is I mean, have you, like, seen it? You should you should go check out the website.
The website rocks. It is a potpourri, a never ending cornucopia of support for you and your diabetes journey. That's right. It really is. What else we got over here?
Oh, I don't like the way that works. I'm gonna fix that. Note to self. Change the change the masthead on the frequently asked questions page. Yeah.
I don't like that. Fix that. Oh, Claude. Oh, hell. I forgot to say thank you.
Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back again very, very soon. What is that noise? Stop it. Stop.
Can you hear that? It's my chameleon squeaking. Are you squeaking? Are you rubbing the branch against the don't tell people I have reptiles. They'll think I'm weird.
Thanks so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. Look at me. Get all deep in there with another episode of the juice box podcast. You can hear it.
What was that? Oh, I'm getting alarms and alerts on my phone. I was gonna get real deep and tell you about the juice box podcast.
Read the full disclaimer
© 2007–2026 Juicebox Podcast. All rights reserved.
#1919 Hurricane Levi
Hurricane Levi
Tendai's son was diagnosed at four in Zimbabwe. She pays cash for sensors, counts carbs on food with no labels, and found this show through a WhatsApp group of African parents.
Jump to a moment
- The signs were textbook — and easy to talk yourself out of. Levi, then four, went back to bedwetting, drank constantly, and lost weight until he was lethargic on the living-room floor. Tendai hesitated to take him in, worried a doctor would wave off “drinks water, pees a lot” as nothing. By the time they went, he was near DKA and admitted for close to two weeks. Her point for other parents: trust the pattern and go.
- Care in Zimbabwe means assembling the pieces yourself. Tendai covers insulin through her employer’s medical aid and CGMs through her husband’s; early on they paid cash — roughly $75–$90 for a single 14-day sensor. A senior nurse scolded her four-year-old that sweets were “why you’re here,” and, tellingly, the pediatrician’s best advice was to go find other parents, because he only knew the textbook.
- No food labels, so everything is observation. Most food is organic and unlabeled, so Tendai learns by watching — how much insulin pairs with a portion of sadza, the staple maize porridge, versus rice or pizza. She credits the podcast for finally making basal, bolus, timing, and insulin-on-board click after the hospital sent her home unsure of the difference between the two insulins.
- She found the show through a network of African parents. A mom in Harare pointed her to the podcast; their WhatsApp group, which includes parents in South Africa, now recommends it to every newcomer. Scott is visibly moved to learn the show’s Zimbabwe ranking is real people. Separately, a private school told her they “already have a child with type one” and didn’t want another — a heartbreak she pushed past.
- Practical moves, offered as things to raise with her doctor. Levi’s split NPH (Protaphane) basal is dated; Scott suggests asking about a modern once-daily basal like Tresiba, which could add stability and likely lower an A1c currently in the 8–9 range. He also suggests, carefully and with a doctor-first caveat, using an AI model as a sounding board to talk through dosing. None of this is medical advice.
- Bold Beginnings series — Scott and Jenny Smith for the newly diagnosed — basal, bolus, timing, and the fundamentals Tendai had to piece together.
- Diabetes Pro Tip series — Episodes 1000-1025 — the management foundation Tendai credits for making it all click.
- A1C / blood glucose estimator — The tool Scott pulls up on-air to convert Levi's target range and A1c.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:06
Friends, we're all back together for another episode of the Juice Box podcast. 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 beginnings series on the juice box podcast. It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over thirty five years personal insight into type one. Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. Hey.
Nothing you hear on the juice box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by MiniMed and the Kontoor Nextgen blood glucose meter. MiniMed, of course, the innovators behind the MiniMed Flex system, a small, sleek, and discreet insulin automated delivery system controlled from an app. Nothing comes close to freedom you can feel.
To learn more, visit minimed.com/juicebox. There is one blood glucose meter in this house, the Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter. That meter is on my daughter's person right now and at all times. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you at kontoornext.com/juicebox.
Meet Tendai and Levi, in Zimbabwe1:36
Hello, Scott. My name is Tendai, and I have a six year old son, Levi, who has type one diabetes. And we live in Zimbabwe.
Tendai, it's nice to meet you. Am I saying your name right?
Yes. Yes. Awesome.
Is Levi your only child, or do you have others?
Levi is my second child. My first daughter is 17, and Levi is six.
Oh, wow. Look at you. Mhmm. Yes. There other people with type one in your family or Levi's father's family?
Anything like that?
No. There's no history of type one in in mine and my husband's family.
Okay. And and how long ago was he diagnosed?
So he was diagnosed in December 2024, just before Christmas.
Oh my. So so it'll be two years this Christmas?
Correct. Yes.
I almost said how old was he when he was introduced to type one diabetes, which is ridiculous because I've asked I've said the word diagnosed thousands of times making this podcast. And I was like, I I I I stopped myself. You'll hear me fumbling through it. Was like, why was I gonna say that? Well, so he's what was he about for when he was diagnosed?
Yes. He was, he just turned four in August of that year.
The signs, and talking herself out of the doctor3:07
Okay. And leading up to the diagnosis, things you noticed, or did it it come up very quickly? Was it a slow onset?
Oh, yes. We we we noticed the the usual signs that everybody talks about. So Levi was had been fully potty trained by that age. Mhmm. But I did notice he he went back to bedwetting.
He was drinking tons of water, and and then he started to lose weight.
Mhmm.
As well as towards the towards the end, I did notice some some weight loss. Although, it wasn't until, my mother-in-law mentioned it to me because when you're living with somebody, it's hard to see weight loss. You you get used to that until you don't notice it anymore.
Sure.
But I did notice that he had lost quite a lot of weight. And then, also, by the time I decided to take him to the hospital, he was now, you know, just lethargic, and he would because he's an energetic child. Levi is quite quite a handful Mhmm. Bowls of energy. But at that time, he started to, you know, become weaker.
He would just lie down and fall asleep even in this middle of the living room on the floor. Uh-huh. So I did notice that something was wrong, but I I needed just to mention this because I feel like maybe some people may identify with such a thing that when I was seeing all these symptoms, it did occur to me to take him to see the doctor. But then I couldn't get myself to do it because it was very strange to me to go to the doctor and say, well, my son's not eating much. He's drinking lots of water, and he's going to the bathroom frequently.
Because in my mind, I thought that would come across as, you know, ridiculous. So the doctor would say, well, if he's drinking water, then obviously, he's going to pee more.
Mhmm.
You know? So that's what stopped me from going to the doctor earlier than I should have. At the time we went, I think he was he was close to DKA because we had to rush to the hospital, to the nearest hospital, And then they booked him in, and we were in there for, I think, just a little over a week, close to two weeks.
Mhmm. Two weeks? Mhmm. Really?
Yes. Yeah.
How long between when you when you talked yourself out of going to the doctor and when you actually went to the hospital? How much time was in between there?
I think that took probably a few days. Three to four days.
Okay.
Because I made the decision the night before when he looked just weak. And then I said, no. I've got to go to the doctor, and I went the very next morning.
Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah. How far was the hospital?
It was, I think, a ten minute drive.
That's okay. Close close to your house or to where you live.
Okay. Yes.
Well well, that's crazy. So out of nowhere for you, it just he was fine one day. The next day, he seemed tired, peed a lot, drank a lot. And then sometime later, you thought he looks, like, weak, ill, close to death? Like, what was the thing that pushed you over the edge?
So he had been, you know, he'd been sleeping a lot more than usual. Like I said, he's very energetic because if he's not jumping all over the place, then something is wrong. So at that point, he was just, you know, sleeping most of the day and not active at all. Mhmm. Then when I was feeding him supper, usually, he would feed himself.
But that particular day, he wouldn't eat. He wouldn't even sit up at all.
Just lifeless. And that mhmm.
He was basically lifeless. I tried to I force fed him, and he threw up a couple of times. And then I thought, nah. Let me just let him sleep it off. I'll rush him to the doctor the following morning.
Mhmm.
And your daughter at that point is maybe 13?
Yes.
Yeah. So do you do you go as a family to the hospital, or do how do you? The Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter is sponsoring this episode of the juice box podcast, and it is entirely possible that it is less expensive in cash than you are paying right now for your meter through your insurance company. That's right. If you go to my link, contournext.com/juicebox, you're gonna find links to Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Kroger, Meijer.
You could be paying more right now through your insurance for your test strips and meter than you would pay through my link for the Contour Next Gen and Contour Next Test strips in cash. What am I saying? My link may be cheaper out of your pocket than you are paying right now even with your insurance. And I don't know which meter you have on you right now. I can't say that.
But what I can say for sure is that the Contour Next Gen meter is accurate. It is reliable, and it is the meter that we've been using for years. Contournext.com/juicebox. And if you already have a contour meter and you're buying test strips, doing so through my link will help support the podcast. Let's be honest.
Most of us would love to spend less time thinking about diabetes. That's exactly what MiniMed had in mind with the new MiniMed Flex system. It's small and sleek. You can control it from an app, and it uses the trusted smart guard technology that automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes. Less juggling, less micromanaging, more freedom.
That's the MiniMed Flex system available now at minimed.com/juicebox. There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com to Contour, MiniMed, and all of the sponsors. When you click on my links, you're supporting the podcast and helping to keep it free and plentiful.
Nearly two weeks in the hospital9:44
No. At that time, I just because I woke up earlier than usual. So I say to everybody, it was it was actually we call them national holidays here in Zimbabwe. So it was unity day, and everybody was home. Schools were closed.
So I said, I'm gonna rushly by to the to the to see the doctor, and I'll be back real quick. I didn't think it was going to be anything. Mhmm. I thought maybe he was just gonna prescribe him something and would come back home straight after because he was still fairly mobile. He wasn't completely out, but he was, you know, just really weak, but he was conscious.
Mhmm.
So I thought maybe we're gonna get a small prescription and, you know, rush back home. Yeah. Then when I got to the doctor, he he started asking me all these questions, which I was just thinking, okay. You know, what what what do these questions have to do with anything? Then midway through the interview, then he says to me, look.
I'm not certain, but I think he may have he called it adolescent's diabetes Mhmm. At that time. And I thought, what what is that? I've never heard of such a thing. And he says, yeah.
Anyway, I need you to to get to the nearest hospital because this was the the doctor's surgery.
Sort of like a what would we call that? Like a like a urgent care or something like that? Or Yes. Yes. Right.
And then they and that doctor's telling you, I need you to get to the hospital. They transport you to the hospital, or you have to get yourself there?
He said to me, do you are you good to drive to the hospital? And I said, yeah. Of course. I think I can drive because I still wasn't grasping exactly what was going on. And he didn't give me that much of a sense of urgency, but he did say, you get to the can you drive to the hospital and get there quickly?
And I said, yes. Mhmm. There wasn't a lot of traffic, so I did. And he says, okay. Can you get there now?
And I'm going to follow I'm gonna close the the surgery, and I'm gonna follow you in my own car.
Did that scare you then?
It did.
Yeah.
That was the sign to me that says, okay. So this is this is bigger than I thought it was.
Yeah.
And so on the way, I called my husband and said, look. This is what the doctor is saying. So I'm rushing off to to the hospital, the biggest hospital in the area that we live in. And I also called my parents, and I called his parents as well. And everybody met us there within, I think, twenty minutes.
Yeah. The doctor wanting to escort you over made you think, oh gosh. This is really I mean, he's he's closing the place up and following my my car.
And Exactly.
Yeah. And then starting to think about, like and he asked me, am I okay to drive? I bet what wait. What? Like and then Mhmm.
Yeah. Wow. So there's this Yeah. There's this heavy thing over you that you can't quite conceptualize yet, but the the clues are starting to pull it together for you. And your whole family showed up.
Your parents came. Everybody was there.
My parents were actually making their way from another town, which is far away, but my my my husband's parents actually leave. I think it's a two minute walk from from the hospital. So they were there before the hospital had even finished checking him in.
That's nice. Yeah.
Yeah. So, yeah, the support system was there Right. Quick.
“This is why you’re here” — and a rare honest doctor13:22
But then how is the how is the medical system? Like, I mean, were were you there two weeks because that's how it is there or because it's not great or because he was so poorly like, was he not doing well? What what's the reason for the long stay?
Okay. So now with with with hindsight, I think I can put it this way to say being in a third world country, Zimbabwe. Right? I think our medical system is not is not that bad. Mhmm.
But it could be better. And now, there's certain things that they do really well, you know, in our country, like, with things like I don't know. Maybe they really did well with COVID. They do well with, you know, immunizations and others, you know, pandemics and HIV and whatnot. But with, in particular, type one diabetes, I think it's still something that is being discovered for the most part because I'll tell you one incident that happened while we were at the hospital.
I think this was maybe day three or four. So we were in the children's ward, right? And being in the children's ward, obviously, there are other children with different conditions. And being Christmas time, most of these kids were getting treats and all these snacks and, you know, nice things. Meanwhile, our our doctor has put Levi on a strict diet at that point.
So he was not having, most of his favorite foods. He wasn't having snacks. He wasn't, you know, having everything else that other kids in the same room were having.
Oh, okay.
So then there's a there's a senior nurse who was just doing her rounds. I think she was just going around looking at the patients. And then she sees me struggling with Levi. Like I said, Levi is, you know, is a handful. So he was really giving me a hard time.
He wants he wants sweets or whatever because he's seeing everybody around having those. And I'm saying, you can't you can't have those right now. And then so she comes in. I think she meant well. She wanted to help.
Then she says she's trying to talk to him. And she says to him, look. You can't have sweets. This is why you are here in the first place. Oh.
So
Awesome.
Can't have sweets. And she's a she's a senior Mhmm. In that hospital.
Who thinks that your four year old who's being diagnosed with type one diabetes is there because of his poor life choices?
Exactly.
Gotcha. So
that's that's the dynamic already. You I I'm sure you get the picture.
Sure.
And, also, our pediatrician, when when he was now when we were about to go home and he's great. We're really happy with everything that he's he taught us. But I have to give him credit for something that he said to me when we were now leaving to go home. He said to me, look. I know the textbook stuff about this condition.
And he said to me, I need you to to get in touch with other parents that have kids with this condition because they're going to tell you things that I can't tell you. I don't have a child with type one, and I don't live with the condition, you know, on a day to day basis. So there's certain things you're going to learn more out there than I can ever tell you.
Well, that's that's good honest inform that's good honest information at least. Yeah. But not Yeah. Not incredibly encouraging, I would matter imagine when you're in the hospital. And the people in the hospital are like, listen.
We don't know the first thing about this. So can you go make a friend who knows about it? And you're like, probably not.
Yeah. That's yeah. It it it gave me mixed feelings, but I've noticed that, yeah, she definitely this whole this world is it's it's a crazy world to be thrown into. Sure.
No matter where you are.
She couldn't possibly know. You don't know what you don't know
Right.
As far as this condition Hey.
You understand. You listen to the podcast. Right?
I do. Yeah. I do listen to it as often as I can.
Yeah. So then, you know, when I talk to people from Canada, I tease them, and I ask them if they ride a polar bear. So it would be unfair if I didn't ask you if there's, like, lions walking around where you live. You
know, I, no. Unfortunately,
they are
not this heavy. I wish they were. Do you? We We we do have in my country, we do have, you know what they call the big five in terms of wildlife.
Okay.
Biggest, game. So we do have a lot of that, apparently.
Can I guess? You have to yes. Sure. Hippos, elephants, rhinos. I'm not gonna get the other two.
Giraffe?
Lions.
And lions. Did I get them?
Yes. Yes.
Yes. I've been to the zoo. I know what's going on. Yeah. Yeah.
Oh, wow. That's and and, like like, roaming naturally, or are they in preserves? Or how how is that handled?
Yes. They are in game reserves.
Wow.
Just in selected areas around the country. So you're you're not going to see them roaming. But but there are certain you know what? What they call them we call them rural areas. There are certain rural areas where you're going to find that elephants do roam freely, and they you you could probably see an elephant just a few feet from your your yard in in other places in the country like, I think it's, I don't know, Binga, is it?
I'm not sure.
Do people keep
them? Geography is not good.
No. Your geography is don't worry. You're asking the wrong person. I'm trying to imagine what time zone you're in right now. What do people keep them ever on, like, farms or on their property, or is that not a thing that happens?
No. No? They they wouldn't. They are protected, obviously, by the government. So they would be they just roam freely.
You wanna hear the weirdest thing?
Specific areas. Yeah.
You wanna hear the weirdest thing about America ever? Do you do you know that Texas has the has more big cats in it than that are privately owned than anywhere else in the world? Oh, really? Isn't that weird? People in Texas
People keep them as pets.
Yeah. Tigers and lions in Texas. I mean, let's go. That's strange. Yeah.
I thought so too. Nevertheless, it's absolutely true. Well, okay. So you're you're at the hospital for, you know, a a bit of time. Are you actually able to cobble together a plan while you're there, or are you just in a panic trying to go out and meet a friend who has diabetes?
Two medical aids, and paying cash for CGMs20:45
So during our stay, our doctor gave us like like I said, he gave he puts my son on a on a diet. He recommended the diet that we should follow, and then he also gave us some reading material just to get to know what's going on and how this condition came you know just information about the condition. So we did have that support because, obviously, the meals were were provided by the by the hospital, and he would come in and see us three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening, just to check check on everything, Also, to to keep keep tabs on the readings because we were not on we didn't have a continuous glucose monitor during our time in the hospital. We were we were just using the the glucometers to test your sugar levels. Yeah.
Are the are the tools provided by by the government, by the hospital, or do you have to acquire them privately? How does it work there?
Okay. So here, we have we have medical aid. I think you call it medical insurance, same thing. So my medical aid from where I work, I work for a bank, it doesn't cover. They don't provide CGMs, but my husband's workplace does.
So we've been fortunate enough to get those from using his medical aid.
Okay. Yeah. Here, you could only use one. So if usually, a family is covered under one person's employment, that that's great that you have two opt I guess that's not completely true. I've I've seen people do it both ways.
So you were able to put your son on your husband's aid, which got him the CGM?
Yes.
I see.
And then on my aid, that's where we get the insulin and
Oh, that's interesting. You can get some from yours and some that that's actually very reasonable. It's what is it expensive for you? I can I pick in a little bit? Like, what what's a good income where you live?
What's an average income?
I want to say if you're going to be comfortable, have everything taken care of, you could probably do well with maybe 1,200, 1,500 US dollars a month
Okay.
Take home. But then I say that with a bit of reservation because, obviously, it depends on your lifestyle. Some people can get by with 500.
Okay. But you have I mean, you're a family of
just depends Yeah. On on your choices.
Yeah. And you're a family of four, but living with his mom or your mom?
No. It's just the two of us and not two kids.
Oh oh, I oh, so okay. I I misunderstood at some point where the a parent was. So you're a family of four. You're both making an income?
Yes. Yes. We're both And making an income.
And does and is diabetes manageable for you? Is it impossible? Is it somewhere in the middle?
I think it's somewhere in the middle. I think we I think we're doing better now than we were last year and then than we were in the first year.
Okay.
It's helped to listen to the podcast every day because there's definitely things that I I have discovered that I I didn't know about. I like, for instance, I didn't understand the difference between the two injections that we have to give him. We he's he's on multiple daily injections.
Right.
So he's not on a pump. But when we first came out of the hospital, it was really confusing to me which which the differences between the injections because we give him two. He's got a short acting. That's NovoRapid. And then he's got the long acting, which is Protofen.
The two injections meant you know, they were they were the same to me at first.
Right.
So it was only when I listened to your podcast and when I talked to my sister-in-law, who's a nurse, and she explained as well to me, okay. So this is what this one does, and then this is what this one does. But then there's also things like the things that you explain on your podcast about, you know, policing and basal and timing and everything and how to balance those two. That was a bit of a mystery in the beginning. It was just a mess how I think we were handling it.
But I think it's gotten better now. There's still a lot of room for improvement because I'm yet to to master the calculating the carbs, I think.
Is that because our food's not labeled properly, or how how why does that cause you an issue?
Mhmm. Because our our food here in Zimbabwe, it's it's mostly organic. It's easier to find organic food than, the processed foods. So, being organic means there's no labels.
You
basically have to you say that you know or you don't know or you are guessing at least how many carbs or how much protein or fat is in a particular, meal that you've you've pre prepared. So I think that's where I'm I'm yet to to really try and zero in on that and master that.
Counting carbs on food with no labels26:37
And Yeah. Is it are you able to use the Internet to help you, or how do you are you is it trial and error?
I've tried the Internet. Yeah. The Internet has helped. This it has definitely helped, but also is most most of it has been trial and error just by observing. I can observe that our staple food here, we call it Sada.
I've observed what salsa does and what the quantities are and how much insulin work well with what quantity of salsa.
And that's all like a it's a that's like a porridge. Right? Like a cornmeal porridge?
Exactly. But it's thicker.
Thicker. Okay.
Mhmm.
And something yeah. I believe it or not, I actually, I'm doing a little bit of, like, research because I wanna be able to talk to you about it. And I just asked it it might surprise you. I asked Chad GPT for five common meals in Zimbabwe. Sazo Sazo was the first.
And then it lists and then it lists it with beef or chicken or goat. Uh-huh. Ready? Hold on. Murawu Andovi, leafy greens cooked with peanut butter.
Is that right?
Yes.
Yeah.
Exactly. Yeah.
Yeah. And so these are things that you just contextually you just have to guess. So do you know even like, did they give you settings for him, carb ratio, basal? Or do you have to figure the whole thing out, or did they at least get him set up by his weight to begin with?
No. That that part, I really had to go onto your your website to try and figure things out on the and then to also Google the rest of the stuff.
Are you using, like, my settings estimator and things like that?
I used that one time
Yeah.
When I was trying to because we had we had a disaster with pizza one time, and I just went and I said, no. No. No. By the way, they have something on there. So let me go and try and, you know, work it out.
And I went there, and I think it worked well. I may not have given it the amount of time that I
should have. To give it more time.
I think I need to give it more time
Yeah.
Because it doesn't look like it it's too difficult. I'm just yeah. Just got a full plate on my on right now, things to do with school and everything. But I I think I'm gonna crack it. If I give it more time, I'm sure we'll be on top of things pretty quickly.
I'm sure you will too. I have to just to take a turn here for a second. This conversation, you're filling my heart up so much today. Thank you so much.
No. Great.
No. I really to hear that this has been valuable to you in a place on the globe that I never even imagined anybody would hear this at is, it's it's very fulfilling to hear this conversation. Like, it's I I I really do appreciate you taking the time to do this. You know, when I try to quantify what I do, it it's difficult. Like, I don't always understand it.
And sometimes people might hear me on here saying, like, you know, the podcast is and it is. It's the it's the best downloaded diabetes podcast in the world, in The United States by leaps and bounds. But and but in, like, 45 other countries, it ranks. And we've we we are it ranks in Zimbabwe. And there's part of me that when I see that, just assume that's a bot or, like, you know, something, but it's it's you and, you know, maybe others too.
I mean, in fairness, it could just be you. But it No. No.
Let me tell you. I heard about you from another parent of a child with type one. You know, these people that I started to connect with following
No. Tendi, shit. You're gonna make me cry. Hold on a second.
So I'm I'm in a city called Vulawayo in Zimbabwe, and this lady is in Harare. That's the capital city. So she said to me, can you go and listen to the juice juice box podcast? And then in the WhatsApp group that we have with several parents, I'm not sure how many we have, but there's quite a number of us. Yeah.
This it includes parents from South Africa as well. And everybody does mention, you know, recommend, especially when we welcome a new parent into the group. One of the first things that parents say there are you need to go and check this podcast out, and it's got a lot of information. So, yeah, I don't think you have the slightest idea of your reach in terms of helping people to understand this condition and manage it better.
A WhatsApp group, and finding the podcast31:32
Well, thanks to you. I have a much better idea. And you did make me cry a little, but I just not a lot. So I I would tell my family my eyes are just watering, and they're like, you know, you're crying. And I'm like, I don't know.
It doesn't feel like crying yet. Well, gosh. That that's that's really amazing. I really do appreciate you sharing that with me. So around cost, I just wanna make sure again, like, you feel comfortable with it, but is it a lot of out of pocket for you, or is this the medical aid cover it all?
Yeah. It's it's there is a lot of out of pocket because in the beginning, we we we did have to pay cash for the for the CGMs before I knew that I could get medical aid to pay for it. So in the first couple of months, we were paying cash for it.
Tell me. When you bought CGMs, how many zig is that to buy them?
Okay. So so interestingly, we actually don't use a lot of SIG in in this country, especially in the in the part of the country that I'm in. We mostly use the United States dollar.
Oh, you're using US dollars there? Oh, okay. Well, then I don't have to figure it out. Good. What what were you paying for CGMs?
It
It's it's $90 in some places. Seven between 75 and $90 depending on the pharmacy that you you you you've gone to.
For how many?
That is one.
Oh my gosh. For for seven days?
No. Fourteen fourteen days. Most of them last fourteen days.
They last fourteen days. Okay. So but so you're paying, like, $200 I mean, somewhere between a 150 and $200 a month for two CGMs.
Exactly.
Yeah. Gosh. Okay. So you're using what the leap you're using Libre there?
No. No? We we're using we use LYNX.
LYNX. I don't know it.
And it's a really good one.
Okay.
And then there's another one called Sinocay. That's the one we started off with, then we moved on to Lynx. I did get a Libre from from a relative from England.
I would Then
we tried it.
Shoot, Hendi. Yeah. I thought I heard a little bit of British in your accent, like, ten minutes ago. I should have said something. I would have seemed like a genius.
Damn it. But
I don't know. I don't think I don't know what it was, but my country was colonized by Britain. So maybe
That's it. That could be it.
But I've never been there. I've never been to
No kidding. Okay. No. So you had somebody send you a Libre, but you so you have two two CGMs there that you like that I've never even heard of before. So DexCom doesn't make it into into that part of Africa.
I wanted to try out the Dexcom. I even have one, which we also got from from the same relative. But then I think I need to somebody said I need to change my Google account
to Africa. Yeah.
Because there's no support services in ZIM. Same thing for Libre. So those those people in ZIM who use Libre have configured their settings to make to make it look like they are in South Africa.
Yeah. I was just gonna
can download the app.
Yeah. Yeah. I was just thinking. I I just heard I don't think it's out yet, but I did this interview with this lady. Her son was diagnosed in South America on a ski trip, and she had type she has type one, the mom.
So when she flew to meet him at the hospital because he was there not speaking the language, being diagnosed as, a teenager. Right? And, she flew there to help him. She put a bunch of her supplies together, brought them down, and then tried to slap a Dexcom on him, but it wouldn't work because her app was was coded as she lived in America, so it wouldn't let her start it. And that's gotta be the same problem.
I see. I wonder why they do that.
Yeah. It doesn't. It sucks. It really does.
Yeah. We're already paid for it. What do you care?
The desk phone.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know?
I don't I don't want to see them go to waste because we've got three of them right now that we can't use because of this problem.
Right. Not something
gonna hold on to them and then figure it out.
Yeah. So now he comes home. He's diagnosed. Does is he in school at that point? How do you manage all of this?
So he was in preschool at the time. Mhmm. And I I had to quickly message his teacher just before schools opened in January. That that was the second week of January. So I told her, and I said, so this is the this is what's going on with Levi, and I'm going to need help with a, b, c, d.
And they were very, very helpful. I have to say They was open to to learning about everything that was going on, and they reacted very quickly.
That's lovely.
So luckily, my employer was able to give me the time to work from home whilst we tried to to to
Figure it out.
Get to understand and figure the whole thing out. So I had, I think, about a month of working from home and being able to go to school and react as quickly. However, I wanted to mention that when when he was now coming into into primary school
“We already have a child with type one”37:05
Right.
So he started primary school this year. And I was looking for I decided to change him and put him in a smaller school than the one we originally wanted to take him to. So I had an interview with the the headmaster of the school. I think it was the deputy head or something. And I said, look.
Could we please have our son come here? It's a it's a very one of the most popular private schools in Laulauayo here. And I explained to him what the condition was and and everything. And to my absolute horror, he said to me, look. We already have a child with type one, and we're not we're not jumping up and down to get another one.
We're not we're not too keen on this. Why don't you keep that kid? My Yeah. God. That's gonna break your heart.
Yeah. Yeah. It's a strain on our teachers and all this and all that. So so we went back to the big school where we had we had already planned to take him since he was a baby. And to my surprise, they were, you know, more welcoming and more receptive.
Of course, there's they they had a healthy amount of fear
Mhmm.
And, you know, just hesitation about, okay. Can we do this?
So did they
really been helpful.
Yeah. The school he ends up at, did they have background in this, or were they just willing to learn?
No. I think I think there could be one or maybe one or two other kids, but they are older kids. So the teachers don't have to intervene as
much. Involved.
Yeah. They have to with with Levi who's six. Yeah. Six in August.
It would be interesting to hear from that that deputy headmaster, like, what what what makes it such a struggle? Like, maybe that child comes there with no I mean, to, like, listen to what you left the hospital with. You weren't sure the difference between basal and bolus insulin. Right? That maybe that kid's in that situation, and they're like, no.
You don't understand. This is a shit show. And and they don't they we can't do two. You know? And, yeah, that's it is very interesting.
It's a lot. It is a lot because I've asked the teacher his teacher right now, she has to help him with injections. I had to ask her because, of course, now I'm trying to get him to to inject himself. He can he can inject himself.
Oh, awesome.
If you mhmm. If you of course, you have to measure out the units for him. Mhmm. But she still has to help with that. She has to communicate with me when she sees the signs of a of a hypo.
Yeah.
And I have to call her when I get the the alerts to say, okay. He needs an injection now or things like that. But they've been really great with that.
That's awesome. Hey. Is there a cultural belief about lifespan or health with type one diabetes? Is, like, did you get the big speech in the hospital? Like, his life's gonna be different or shorter, or do they tell you anything?
No. No. They never told us any of that. But there is no shortage of, of advice that you get in myths from society about how it can be cured by, you know, by this plant or that diet and things like that.
Are you in the Facebook group by any chance in mind?
Yes. I've yes. I am.
There's a post in there the other day. Some lady said she was on a vacation, and I I I forget if it was an Uber driver. Somebody told her if the kid just sat in a cold, dark room, it would go.
Oh my gosh.
So do you get a lot of you get a lot of that around there? A lot a lot of a lot of grandmoms telling you how to handle it?
Yes. We do get a lot of that.
Yeah.
So I always try to explain that. Look. There's a difference. There's two two types. And so the other one is reversible.
The other one isn't.
Myths, and one test strip a day41:03
Yeah. I I just I asked because it's been a long time ago now. And by a long time ago, ten years ago, I did a talk in the Dominican Republic. I did a diabetes talk in the Dominican Republic. And while I was there, the the the, you know, the community there was sharing a story with me about a thirteen year old who had passed away from, like, advanced issues from type one diabetes, and and the child had only had it for five or six years.
But that's how that's it's sad, but that's how little the understanding of the management was in the air. It was almost like, well, you have it, but, you know, I think I if I'm if I'm not mistaken, they were allotted one test trip a day.
Oh, no.
Yeah. So so really difficult. But so you you I mean, you you described where you live as as third world, and I don't know what that means. Like, I I I find myself think sitting here thinking, like, you described an amount of money that you could live on for a month that some people here pay for their car payment. And and so I was I'm like, I I know I don't have context for for your situation.
You know? Mhmm. But I so I was wondering, do people hear type one and go, that's like, I was wondering if maybe you heard, you know, death sentence and thought, no. No. I'm gonna go figure this out on my own.
Or
I don't think I don't think my mind went there Mhmm. At first. I was I was taking it one day at a time, literally, because I also don't remember a lot of what was going on during those days. It was all a blur.
Sure.
But I was just taking it one day at a time. I never thought beyond the next couple of days. Mhmm. Yeah. Do you think that could have helped.
Yeah. You think that, I I mean, do you have context for if you didn't go out into the world to learn about this, what would following doctor's advice get you?
Yeah. We we would we would be struggling.
Okay. You mean
I think we would be.
What what do you think the struggle like, what do you think the struggle would look like?
Just to understand what is even going on.
Okay.
Because it's a lot with with diabetes. So we got basic information. Like I said, it was what he called textbook information.
Mhmm.
And that that had nothing to do with you understanding that rice does that that sugar levels react differently to rice than to salsa than to pasta than to pizza.
Right.
And there was nothing said about insulin on board. There was nothing said about, you know, even the ratios, the carb to insulin ratios, or things like physical activity at school. All of that
Nothing at all. To you know? So the basic information they gave you was his pancreas isn't making insulin anymore, and you're gonna need to inject this?
You inject five units of this one in the morning
Oh gosh.
And in the evening, and you inject five units of this one thirty minutes before every meal. And you test and you correct and
And that's got yeah. Are they testing his his a one c?
We we've gotten it. We've we've we've had that done twice since his diagnosis.
Yeah.
I figure we're getting the test once a year.
What what what was his last day once a year? Do you know?
It was eight, nine.
Eight or nine. Okay. And then on Nine. And on his does his CGM give you information about about, like, time and range or an average a one c?
Yeah. It does. It gives us time and range. It give it gives us, you know, the average glucose level over the last three hours, six hours, twelve, twenty four. Then, of course, you get the the reports once it's it's done Mhmm.
The the fourteen days.
Settings, winter sensitivity, and the numbers45:30
And what are your goals? What are you trying to accomplish? What are you trying to get to as far as as far as those outcomes go?
We're trying to be in range maybe I I I think 100% of the time would be very ambitious. I'm just trying to get to maybe be in range maybe 80% of the time.
Mhmm. What what what's the range you're you're trying to stay in?
So we're trying to stay between five and ten. Okay.
Five.
If that's if that's okay.
Hold on a second. I have to pull up my little my little a one c estimator available at juiceboxpodcast.com. And five and ten. So somewhere between 99 and a 180, you're shooting for. Mhmm.
Right around there. Yeah. Okay. Mhmm. 90 and $1.80.
Okay. Well, I mean, that's a very reasonable range. Are you having luck with that, or is he I mean, if his a one c is eight or nine, he's higher more than you want him to be. Right?
Yes. Definitely. There's lots of work to be done. Yeah.
And what would you say that is? Is that your understanding of the insulin? Is it the food? Is it the time you're able to spend with him? Like, what do you think I is
think it's the time that I'm able to spend with him because I'm only with him when I get back home from work. Mhmm. And then he's at school from from seven up to twelve, and then he's with the nanny from the until I get back home.
Is he experiencing many hypers? Any a lot of lows, or is he mostly higher?
It's a it's a combination of both, to be honest, because sometimes it it has to do with maybe he went to school and then they went for swimming. Mhmm. Or he went and did some type of sport, and then the the particular teacher or coach that was with him during that time didn't know to watch for the for the alerts, and then they didn't give him the the glucose tablets that he needed.
So he can get he can get low and stay low. And are you mostly are you not being as aggressive with insulin because you're worried about him getting very low when he's away from you? Or
Yeah. Sometimes I'm conservative because the the another thing is that I've noticed it's winter here right now.
Okay.
Just started the winter season, and I've noticed that he's more insulin sensitive for some reason.
Some people talk about that.
Yeah. To pull it back a little bit, and I'm still trying to figure figure out what the right dosage should be. Yeah. And I think I changed it yes just yesterday.
And what insulin is he using right now?
We're using NovoRapid and Protofen.
NovoRapid. Okay. And how how much does he weigh?
He's twenty twenty two kgs.
Okay. And and you're so you're shooting does that basal insulin go in once a day?
No. We gay we give him basal in the morning.
Yeah.
We give him for the morning, I I give him between between seven and nine units of, the basal. And then in the evening, I give him five.
So they have you're splitting it because that's the directions for the medication or because it's what you found worked better?
That's what the doctor told us to do.
The doctor told you know, can you spell the name of that that basal insulin for me?
It's p r o t o p h e n.
Got it. Yeah. So they say it it I wonder if that's Levemir. Hold on a second. I'm gonna try to find out.
Okay.
Is because if they're asking you to split it it's not Levemir. It's Miles per hour. Okay. So he's using Miles per hour and NovoRapid. Mhmm.
Do they not do you not have available something like hold on. List basal insulin's available.
I know people who use Tresiba.
Yeah. That's what I'm wondering about.
You know, I kept meaning to ask him about it because I I I haven't heard of other people who use Protofim for basal Yeah. As
I think the reason I didn't recognize the name is because it's so old. Most people don't use it around here anymore. If you have access to Tresiba, I would switch to that.
Okay.
The basal insulin conversation50:56
Yeah. That would be one injection every twenty four hours.
And Oh, really?
Yeah. And I would wonder if you wouldn't see a fairly reasonable reduction in his a one c too.
Okay.
Yeah.
Alright.
Yeah. I think that would be a a great idea for you, actually. I mean, ask the doctor and see what they say.
Yeah. I kept meaning to ask him, but the last appointment, I think it slipped my mind. I'll give him a call. Thanks for that.
No. Of course. Did hey. Treat that like that's an important thing to do because because I think it really could end up being meaningful for him.
Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
And save him a shot at the very least a day.
Yeah.
Yeah. Are are there pumps there? Are you thinking about pumps?
We've thought about pumps, but right now, we we had to shelve it because I for me, it was just having aside from the cost, of course, because I don't think our medical aids would cover pumps.
Okay.
Because they're already bulking at the CGM. So Really? Yes.
Okay.
It it was quite
A fight.
I had to do a lot of research to get them to cover that. I think they may have been hoping I didn't know that I was entitled
to it. Oh, I see. There's a lot of whistling and looking at the ceiling. Yes. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So it
happens a lot around GA. If if you don't know your entitlements, you might miss out on things Mhmm. That you should be getting. So you really need to do your research, and so we got them to cover that. And I think pumps I don't even know if there would be support.
I don't know anyone who is on a pump, I think.
I see.
One or two other parents in Harare, but they may have had to go to South Africa to to to get set up and and all that. So I know very little about
that About about a pump.
And the costs.
Well, I would tell you that whether you can get a pump or not, if you can get your hands on Tresiba as the basal insulin, I think that would be a big deal for him. Okay. Yeah.
Alright.
For real. Because you are I mean, listen. You're educating yourself. You're paying attention. You're doing the best you can with the communication tools you have for during the day when he's not with you.
People are looking out for him for the most part. With that much effort, I think you should be seeing I think you could easily see an a one c in the sevens. And
Okay.
And if that's and if that's the case, I'm I'm asking myself what's holding you back, I think it might be the Miles per or or, you know, or not having a more modern basal insulin. And Tresiba is maybe like, I did a little bit of googling here. It looks like you can get, what you're using now. You can get Lantus, Basagar, some might might be Semigle, Glargivin, Levemir, Tresiba, but I think if you're asking me, I'd shoot for the Tresiba.
Okay.
I don't think you want I you know, Lantus would be great if you could get it. Levemir, you might have to split the way you are now doing one every 12 to get really good effect out of it. But, honestly, any of them, Lantus, Levemir, Tresiba, would be better than what you're doing, I think.
Okay.
Alright.
Just trying to write that down
so that I I would go Tresiba first. If you can't get Tresiba, ask for Lantus, l a n t u s. If you if you can't get Lantus, see if they have Levemir. Although, I'm hearing it's being discontinued in America, but I don't know if that means it's being discontinued in other places.
I see.
Yeah. So k. I I honestly, I think that'd be a big deal for him.
Oh, great. Yeah. We'll we'll definitely
Add some more stability to his background insulin, add more stability to his blood sugars. I would bet it would balance out his time and range and give you a a more of a fighting chance when you're making decisions.
Great.
Alright. Let yeah. Yeah. We're not done yet, but let me know if you're able would you send me a note and let me know if you're able to get ahold of that?
Yeah. Sure. Okay. I'll give you an update because
Thanks.
We actually scheduled to see him this Saturday. Oh, awesome. A conversation we're going to have.
Awesome. Tell him the guy from the Juice Box podcast said to give it to you. And if that carries any weight in Zimbabwe, I'm running for president. What do you think of that? So
It does. Trust me. It does.
That that's crazy. I can't wait to go downstairs and tell my wife about this after we're done. I tell my own kids stuff, and they don't listen to me. And you're telling me that people in there in Zimbabwe going, like, you gotta listen to this guy, Scott, on that podcast.
You should come and maybe have a few conferences because I'm sure you would be surprised with the turnout.
No kid. I I was surprised in in the Dominican. I spoke at a big I spoke at a big event there. It was really it shocked me. But it was so long ago, I I it's kinda out of my out of my it's been so long since I was there.
It's hard to remember. I actually the one thing I'll tell you is that I got there, and I had this whole talk set up to give. And I I looked around at my surroundings, the you know, where people lived, what the level of, income seemed to be, what and I thought, oh, my talk is completely wasted here. I had to I actually, was supposed to go to dinner that night. Instead, I went back to my hotel, and I I sat down and rewrote everything I was gonna say because they Oh.
They would have had no context for what I was gonna say. And, yeah, it was real you know, for similar reasons back then, availability to to technology and and, the way they even think about it. It was all just it was different than how so much different than how I thought about it that I thought, oh, what I'm gonna say isn't gonna be helpful. So I changed my I changed my talk up. But, listen, if anybody wants to fly me to to Africa to give a talk Lovely.
I'm in. Yeah. Like, I would are you kidding me? How many shots am I gonna have to get to go do that? They're gonna make me do a bunch of inoculations?
I don't think so, really. You may I don't know. You may get a malaria shots, I doubt, though.
I I can handle that. I would I get to go on a safari while I was there? I would like to do that.
Oh, yeah. There's you would I think you would love it. Yeah. If you love the outdoors and
Yeah. I do.
And animals and and nature. Yeah. There's really some some beautiful places to to visit.
I'm looking at my list of advertisers right here trying to think of which one would wanna send me to Africa. I'm pretty sure none of them are is the answer, but I'm putting the call out right now. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, okay.
So he's in school. There's some struggles. You're getting through them. You're getting good support from the school, which is awesome. How involved if this is cultural, I'm not sure what my question is, and I don't wanna cause you a problem.
But is your husband involved in his care too? Is it all on you? Are you guys splitting it? How do you do that?
Yes. He's he's involved in the care, a lot, more so on the financial side, only because I I think I've had I've really had a a tough time relinquishing control over this thing because I I obsessed over it in the beginning and getting all the information and and all that. So I felt I'm I'm only now starting to to release a little bit of of responsibilities even to my daughter. She's she's great.
Mhmm.
She also helps quite a lot. But, yeah, everybody's involved. My husband is a bit, you know, hesitant with the injections, but he's good with everything else. Okay. The alerts and just keeping an eye on on everything.
And, also, our parents are great.
Yeah.
Mother-in-law has been awesome. And my sister-in-law
Not scared to help and give insulin and stuff like that?
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
That's great. Hey. Do you have guilt? Do you feel guilty about it or anxiety from it? How would you describe why you're holding on so tight?
I think it's anxiety. Because when when I when I was researching about it, I at first, I did ask myself what I could have done wrong that led to to this condition. But when I when I realized what it was, I didn't have any guilt at all, but I am anxious, especially with, you know, the the these long term effects that come with with poor management.
I'm
really anxious about that. But, yeah, I think I'm I'm one person who likes to do everything myself.
I have
a tough time delegating.
Were you like that before the diabetes too?
Yeah. I've always been like that.
Yeah. Do you have are there any other autoimmune issues in your family? Do people have hypothyroidism or celiac or anything like that?
My brother has hypothyroidism. Yeah.
Mhmm. Have you ever been tested for it?
No. I've never.
Make sure they test make sure they test Levi once a year for it. Okay?
Okay.
Yeah. Alright. You wanna watch for that. Symptoms are, you know, unexplained weight loss or weight gain, hair loss for you could be brittle nails, weight gain. No matter how much you sleep, you can't feel rested, always always cold, heat intolerant, stuff like that.
Okay.
Yeah. Alright. So make sure you're you're paying attention for that because it's once you get one, it's not crazy to get another one. Didn't surprise me that your brother has hypothyroidism, for example. Mhmm.
So, you know, just keep keep an eye. Anybody anemic?
My mom.
Your mom is? Yeah. Mhmm. Again, not totally surprised. So One.
Yeah. Autoimmune issues
Both ties in.
Yeah. Autoimmune issues can kinda run-in families. You don't always all get the same one, though. Okay. Yeah.
And anxiety, while not an autoimmune issue, is a thing that I like, from my personal experience talking to so many people, I see a lot of anxiety in families who have type one.
I had anxiety myself, but that was I think that was linked to that was in the few months before I got diagnosed with with epilepsy myself, I used to have a lot of anxiety.
Did you?
But I think that was because of stress from work.
Mhmm. Yeah. Well
I didn't think that was connected.
What what's more stressful, work or that diabetes? Hard to tell some days? It's hard to tell. Good
question. I really couldn't make up my mind. But I think that's the the diabetes was stressful when I didn't know what what I was doing. But I know that it's something that I can I can perfect at some point? Yeah.
Not perfect, but get as close to perfection as possible. And the fact that I I have some sort of control over, you know, how things may go make makes it less stressful than work, I think.
You've said a few things while we've been talking that I I'm I I don't wanna ask because I think it sounds distasteful to ask, but it feels like you're mimicking some of my words back at me. So are you learning those ideas from the podcast?
I don't know because maybe it's possible because I do listen to to your podcast every morning when we're getting ready, you know, in the morning to go out. We we usually have your podcast playing, and, you know, that could be that could be it. Mhmm.
Well, that's just it's all good things about, like, you know, just having expectations for, you know, getting better at this over time and stuff like that. Like, it it's nice to think that you're you're finding value in it at all, honestly. Does your husband ask like, does he make fun of you for listening to a podcast from a guy in New Jersey? He does. Right?
You know what? He he has he has several times, something has been said on the podcast, and he's he's looked at me and said, can you replay that? Can you rewind? I didn't hear that.
Well, you know me. You're making my day. I have to tell you. Yeah.
I think it could be a joke and something that you would have said that
Oh. You know, The guy part of me. He likes that part. I gotcha. Okay.
Yeah. I gotcha. Well, that's like, hey. However however you get them listening, who cares exactly? Right?
Hey. How old are you? I didn't ask you in the beginning.
I'll be 40 in July.
You'll be 40 in July. Oh, happy birthday. I'm I'm July too on the twelfth.
Oh, nice. Yeah. Nice.
Yeah. Do you find any of that zodiac stuff to be true about Cancers?
No. I've never
You're not emotional or, like like, have you ever read, like, the I I don't believe in a straw I wanna say I don't believe in astrology at all, but Arden read me something the other day, I was like, that all does really sound like me.
I've never I've never paid attention to any of that stuff, actually.
Me either.
Been in front of me.
Until yeah. The other day, she just like she's like, hey. Does this describe you? And she read a whole bunch of stuff, and I was like, oh, I think it does. Then we read some other ones.
I'm like, these all this I think these are just written so they describe everybody. But but They're generalized like that. Yeah. Are you getting sleep? Are you sleeping okay?
I think I sleep okay.
You're not worried about Right
now, I'm not sleeping much because I'm also studying. I'm doing further studies, so I I don't get to sleep because of that.
But the diabetes isn't keeping you from sleeping?
There've been days. There there've been days, especially in the beginning when we couldn't figure a lot of things out. But now I know I know what to do, especially with the CGM. The arrows tell me how to how to react or how to respond to an alert Yeah. Which usually keeps us good for the next few hours.
Especially if I'm with him, I'm able to to get ahead of of it so I can get some sleep.
Good. Good. You know, I have to tell you, like, I I I I I try I don't wanna be, like I don't wanna say something that sounds stupid, I guess. I'm trying to be careful here. But you have you have an AI model?
Do you have, like, chat GPT there or something you can use to break down the the food? Because that's gotta be like, it just occurred to me. Like, why don't we why don't we do this? Can you give a nutritional breakdown for salsa? I need fat, protein, and carbs.
Let's see what happens.
Okay.
I'll give a plain serving estimates, and salsa changes a lot depending on how much maze or meal is packed into the portion, it says. And now it's looking online for answers. So let's see what happens. And while it's doing that, I'm gonna ask a different model, the same question to see if we get a reasonably similar answer. Alright.
So I I did chat GPT first. It says that a 100 grams cooked salsa should be between twenty and forty five carbs, between two and five grams of protein, and it only has about a gram of fat in it. A medium serving, which they're calling 45 to 55 carbs. So four to six protein. Okay.
So the wide range has become a size that can be soft or thick. Water adds weight, but not calories. So a wetter size that has fewer carbs per 100 grams than a dense one. So that might be helpful to know too. If it's denser, it might have more carbs in it if it's wet or less.
And then I used I also used something called Claude. I don't know how many of these you guys have there, but, a rough nutritional breakdown for a typical one cup serving, which is about 240 to 250 grams of cooked salsa. Again, 40 to 45 carbs, four to five proteins, and fat, one to two grams. So does that is that about what you imagine, or is that helpful information?
I think this is helpful. I've never I don't think I've ever broken it down like this.
I have to tell you. I just it makes a ton of sense to me because do you guys eat boda? Am I saying it right? What? Or Capenta with Sada?
Capenta is not a favorite of mine.
No? Okay. Well, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just going by I'm just giving you a list of what's been sent back to me. But what I think is, no kidding, if you have access to ChatGPT, it's as simple as give me a nutritional breakdown for the food and ask for fat, protein, and carbs.
Do know it's it's actually quite funny because I use chat GPT almost daily for my school. Yeah. I never thought to to ask for a breakdown for for food.
I would give it a I'd give it a shot. And and if you go if you wanna go back to my website, there's a a bolus estimator there. So you could if you you if you know his settings, his insulin to carb ratio, his sensitivity, you can plug that all into that little estimator and then put in the carbs, the fat, the protein, and it'll give you a suggestion about where to start with the bolus.
Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy. I never thought to to prompt charging p t about that. But I did go to to your the calculator thing on your website.
The only thing that that threw me off was how to how to get how to determine sensitivity.
His insulin sensitivity.
So The metrics. Yeah.
That number is
only know that he's more sensitive or he's less sensitive, but the numbers
don't move. So what you what you would do there is that's how much how much how many how far, like, what number does one unit of insulin move him? So when you put in the the the fast acting insulin, like, I guess the the question here would be if his blood sugar is oh, I have to bring up the I have to bring up till I can talk to you in in your I'm not good at talking in millimoles. Hold on a second. If let's say his blood sugar was let's say it was 10, and you wanted it to be so for people listening, it was a 180.
His blood sugar was 10, and you wanted it to be 80. How much insulin moves him from one eighty to 80? Do you know? Do have a guess?
So that's from 10 to Four.
Yeah. To 10 to, like, four and a half. So think about it like five. How how much insulin moves in five millimoles? Wow.
Because there's also the time factor to say how quickly does it get him there. Right?
Exact maybe time a day for his activity and stuff like that? Mhmm. Yeah. So
Okay. Maybe if I if I give you the if I give you the correction scale
Okay.
Does that does that give you
Maybe but first
a better picture.
At first, tell me what does he weigh? How many kilograms does he weigh?
Twenty two. Twenty two. So
he's about forty nine pounds, maybe forty eight pounds. And I so you're not using a a a modern basal insulin yet. So there's a little bit here that I don't know. But my the guess here from this is that a unit of insulin moves him about a hundred and forty six milligrams per deciliter, which should be let me find out how many millimoles that is. I know the people who know this are like they just know it because they do the math real quick.
So a hundred and forty six would be about eight millimoles. Okay. Yeah. So would a unit move him about that far, do you think? Oh, wait.
I have it here. I'm so sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Eight.
My my my estimator does that. I did I never clicked on it before. Oh, it works. Congratulations. So there's, like, there's a settings calculator here, that helps you guess by weight about what settings would be.
So Oh. So my point is is that if to to check, you could check to see does one unit of insulin move him about eight millimoles. If that's right, then you understand his insulin sensitivity to be one to eight.
Okay.
Okay? And and then and then you can you know, when you use the calculator, that's about the sensitivity you would put in. And his carb ratio is what do you think? Like, how many car like, the how many carbs does a unit of insulin cover for?
Let me see where I look. One second.
Take your time. Because this has a guess based on his weight, so I'm interested to see how close this is to your reality.
Okay. So I well, on average, maybe if if we give him if if he's having a meal with maybe thirty thirty calves
Mhmm.
That could go with roughly two two to three units.
Two to three units. And that's
the short acting Okay. Of the the normal rapid. Yeah.
And that's probably because you're not getting a lot of backing from the the background insulin. Oh. So it's possible it's hard to talk about right now because you're using that, but it's possible that if you can get him moved to Tresiba, what you're gonna find is that he's gonna use about six units of Tresiba a day. Oh. And then then you might find that a unit of insulin covers about 40 carbs for him with the basal insulin.
With the NPH, I honestly don't know how to talk about that. Like, I'm I'm not sure. But if you're finding if you're finding that it it takes two units to move him for 30 carbs, then at least that calculator could probably give you an idea of, like, well, about how much is here based on your settings. And then you could, you know, you can hold that up against what you've been finding. And my thought here is what if you what if you say, oh, well, I would put in, I don't know, three units for this meal, but this this estimator is telling me it's more like four and a half.
And maybe that's why his a one c is eight and not seven or not six. Do you see what I'm saying? But, again, I might hold that thought until you shake that Tresiba out of that doctor on Saturday. I think that's that's that's the that's the way to go. If you wanna point your anxiety at somebody, point it at the doctor and ask for Tresiba.
So Yeah. See what you can get.
Definitely going to ask for it.
Yeah. I mean, it would be a big deal. And and listen. Once you have that hopefully, you get it and it works well for you. Go tell your friend group too in case they're doing the same thing because you're managing with insulin that we don't really even use here anymore.
Okay.
You know? Yeah. And if you have the other stuff available, then then I say go for a more modern Bazel and so on.
Okay.
Yeah. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you wanted to? I don't wanna skip anything that you wanna talk about.
No. I think, yeah, I think I got everything out that I wanted to.
Good. I wanna tell you and people listening, I'm not telling you to let an AI model manage your your insulin. But a person in your situation, I don't know why you wouldn't at least try to get a background from it and say, look. My son is this old. He weighs this much.
Using AI as a sounding board1:16:50
He takes this this insulin at this time of day, this much. He takes this he takes another shot of twelve hours later, that much. This is what he's using for meals. Remember that. And now here's what we're eating.
Can you help me bolus for this? And see if it can and see if it can give you some direction. Yeah. I don't Okay. I don't listen.
Again, everyone should talk to their doctor first. But
Of course. Yeah.
Thank you for saying that. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical, or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. But I'm seeing some people online who are doing this, and it's helping them a lot. A lady put up some graphs the other day, and she's like, I didn't know what to do. I had trouble understanding the podcast.
I've been talking it through with a large language model and look at my kids' graphs. So, basically, just treating it like a sounding board for what and and giving it as much information as they could about what was going on, and it was helpful for her.
It's interesting because I just I don't know why I never thought of
it Yeah.
This whole time.
Yeah. Maybe maybe because it's a little silly, but it works. So for a lot of people, so maybe it's worth the shot.
Makes a lot of sense.
Sure.
Yeah.
Listen. I was in a store the other day. I had to buy lumber, just two by four, you know, to build something with. And I got there and realized I'm like, I don't wanna buy extra. I just wanna I wanna be able to make you know, I don't wanna have a bunch left over.
And so I I opened up my phone, opened up ChatGPT. I was talking to it in the store, and I was like, I'm building a frame in this area. Like, here, here, here. It's gonna have four sides, then four legs, and then four other sides. I'm gonna make a stay a stand out of it.
I don't wanna buy extra two by fours. Tell me exactly how many I need to get these pieces out of it. And it did the math in, like, a split second and told me. And I was like, right on. And then I bought four two by fours, and I left.
So And and I and I even said to her, I was like, hey. Are you accounting for all the cuts I have to make? Like, not just giving me, like, the number of inches I need, you know, or the amount of distant and it said, no. I already I already thought about all that. I was like, oh, awesome.
So, anyway, I don't wanna get replaced in Zimbabwe by chat GPT, but I do want I do want you guys to be healthy and happy. So I think any any tools you can find that are valuable, you should use
them. Yeah.
You know? That's also hey. What time is it there? You're about eight hours ahead of me?
Right now, it's 07:21 in the evening.
Okay. You're six hours ahead of me. Okay. I could I wasn't sure if you like, you said you weren't good at geography, and I couldn't figure out if you were East, West, or Central Africa. So
Neither can I? Trust me. I don't even know where Harare is from where I am. So
Do you not get to leave ever? Have you ever been to another country?
Yeah. I've been to I've been to South Africa. I've been to Botswana, and I've been to Mozambique.
Mhmm. Have you ever left the have you ever left the the continent?
Nope. No? Not yet.
Is there a place you'd like to see?
Yeah. Of course. I want to see, you know, I want to see New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, France.
Those places will flip you out. I listen. I watched my I watched somebody once come into New York City through the subway from the airport. So Okay. I got to walk up from underground into the middle of Manhattan with them for the first time.
Mhmm.
And they walked up out of that hole, and their head just kept going back and going back and And going the bill the she she was from she was from Wisconsin from the middle of
Oh, okay.
And she's like, oh my god. This is insane. I've never seen anything like this before. Until you see all those skyscrapers stacked on top of each other, it is it's only a thing you can it pictures don't do it justice when you're standing on the ground. Really So, it's really if you make it over here and you can get a look, it'll it gives you a different perspective.
That's for sure.
So you're telling me that, this person from Wisconsin, the difference between where where she's from and
Manhattan was starkly, shockingly different.
Still shocking.
Okay. Yeah. There's the 100 story buildings there, and they're just one after another. And you're this tiny little speck on the ground looking up at them. And Wow.
Cars are going in a thousand directions. All you can hear are cars, motors, tires, people talking, feet moving on a breezy day. There's this really interesting thing that happens in Manhattan that the that the wind only goes in one direction. So you could be walking down one road, be in a wind tunnel, then get to another, like, to an intersection, and it just stops. And but but it's just a very different place to be.
So, yeah, I've never been to Vegas, but I am going next year, for my for the first time to see it. I'm gonna go see a concert in the sphere. Oh, okay. That big like, have you ever have you seen that? The it's like this giant building that's literally in a sphere, and you I'm going there next next year to see Metallica, I guess.
Never heard of that. I I know there's a there's a Las Vegas Strip. I don't know.
Yeah. That's all I know. I think that's just casinos and hookers. I'm not really sure if that's anything else. You might wanna skip that.
You might wanna skip that. Unless you're I don't what know you're looking for. So maybe you maybe it's up your alley. I have no idea. But It's
just to see, the most common places that we hear that that America is famous for.
Yeah. But New York will it's different than any other place, but it is very it is very much, I guess, an American icon in New York City. Yeah. Philadelphia is pretty awesome, but it's nowhere near, New York. I hate to say that because I'm from Philly.
But
Ah, okay.
Yeah. Alright.
I have a friend who's who says she stays in Philadelphia somewhere. Mhmm. An old high school friend of mine.
No kidding. Yeah. No. I'm very I'm close to there now, actually. I don't wanna tell people exactly where I am, but I'm within an hour of Philadelphia.
Because I have had people send things to my home before, which I appreciate it. Thank you all. But it freaks me out, so don't do that. Okay? But but, nevertheless, I really do appreciate you doing this with me.
This has been a lovely conversation. I hope you found it valuable.
I did. Thank you very much.
Naming the episode1:23:37
Yeah. I appreciate it. What should we Beau, of course. What should we call this? There's no way that I I at one point, you said you said you said that we had a pizza disaster.
I thought, is Zimbabwe pizza disaster too good? Is that too much of a title?
You could call it hurricane Levi. Yeah. Because we spoke about, you know, how energetic he is, and sometimes that's what I call him.
What do you call him? Say it again.
Hurricane Levi.
Hurricane Levi? Okay. I know you've mentioned it, like, four times. That kid does you were like, he's a handful. He is a
handful. I I think I should have had him because my kids are far apart in age.
You're a little tired.
Had him in my twenties when he was younger.
Well, let but let's be honest, Azil. Is he more like you or your husband?
He's more like my husband. Definitely.
I see. So you got two little boys. You're you're wrangled over there. Yeah. Yeah.
Well well, thank you so much. If you hang on the line for just one more second, I'll I'll tell you a couple of things about how this will come out. But but you're all done, and I do I really do appreciate it. Hold on one second. You.
Of course. So it's a pleasure. Something new just arrived from MiniMed. It's the MiniMed Flex system. Think about everything people love about MiniMed technology, designed for great outcomes, helping keep you in range, and made to be easy to use.
Now in a pump that's the size of two stacked vials of insulin. MiniMed Flex is fully controlled from an app, designed to stay tucked away, empowered by the proven automation that helps over six hundred thousand people manage diabetes day and night. Order today. Minimed.com/juicebox. Having an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away.
Kontoornext.com/juicebox. That's right. Today's episode was sponsored by the Kontoor Nextgen blood glucose meter. It's the meter my daughter uses. She has it on it right now, and you're one click away from having it too.
And don't forget using JuiceBox podcast links helps support the show. Friends, 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 am joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal experience, and we break down the complex concepts into simple actionable tips. The diabetes pro tip series runs between episode one thousand and one thousand twenty five in your podcast player, or you can listen to it at juiceboxpodcast.com by going up in the menu.
If this is your first time listening to the juice box podcast and you'd like to hear more, download Apple Podcasts or Spotify, really any audio app at all. Look for the Juice Box podcast and follow or subscribe. We put out new content every day that you'll enjoy. Are you tired of scrolling past clips that last five seconds? Are you an adult?
Would you like to have a long conversation? Juicebox podcast is the place to be. Follow and subscribe. I'll be here tomorrow with another episode. I hope to see you again.
Read the full disclaimer
© 2007–2026 Juicebox Podcast. All rights reserved.