Scott Benner 2/6/24 Scott Benner 2/6/24

#1124 Fifty Fifty Custody

Ethan's ex told him about the podcast and they are both active in the management of their type 1 daughter.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, welcome to episode 1124 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Ethan and his ex have a 14 year old daughter who was diagnosed with type one diabetes when she was 11. Today I'll be speaking with Ethan to learn more about his daughter who's very athletic plays volleyball and spends her time 5050 Between her mom and dad's house. Nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com. All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout that's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cosy earth.com. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that it really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode

this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G seven made for all types of diabetes Dexcom G seven can be used to manage type one, type two and gestational diabetes, you're going to see the speed, direction and number of your blood sugar right on your receiver or smartphone device. dexcom.com/juicebox This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries. G voc hypo Penn Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash juicebox.

Ethan 2:09
I'm Ethan. I am a proud parent of a type one athletic daughter who's 14 Getting ready to start high school. Again, very athletic. She's a great volleyball player. And this is our we're embarking on our third year of this new lifestyle change of diabetes

Scott Benner 2:34
event. She was diagnosed when she was 11.

Ethan 2:39
Yeah, she went into DKA in September 2020 2020.

Scott Benner 2:42
Wow. Okay, we'll talk about that in a minute. But first, tell people what you said before we started recording

Ethan 2:52
that this was a fairly year ago I've ever seen something on Facebook posting. I think there's like three questions more like along the lines of, you know, being a parent of, but I don't remember the gist of it, honestly. So I tried to look it up. I'm like, Okay, well, let's just do this. This is a diabetic podcast. So let's go for it. But yeah, I don't really remember the

Scott Benner 3:15
context of it. The schedule is so far out in the future that so here's what ends up happening is I start getting pressured around this time of year, like mid mid July, August. And people are like, I want to be on the show and be on the show. I'm like alright, well, my schedule is full like right now. Ethan, if you signed up to be on the show today, I think I don't have an opening until third week of January. February is almost full already. So that's the situation we find ourselves in. And so because people are trying to jump on the schedule, because it fills so quickly, their length of time to be on the show like just the record is sometimes it's sometimes it's a year after you sign up and then six months after that for your episode. It takes 18 months to hear your voice on the podcast basically.

Ethan 4:06
Oh wow. Really? Okay, so that's okay, I was gonna I was actually going to send it to the end like when when would the expected to have this run but

Scott Benner 4:13
your daughter should be able to listen to it at her wedding? I think for sure. So and I've tried a couple of things to pare it back like I've stopped like I'm not gonna take any more like you know recording for a while and then I just the emails keep coming. I want to talk about this. Oh my god that's a great idea. We should we should talk about I'm gonna have to start putting out episodes twice a day. Yeah, to keep up with but anyway, I appreciate you keeping the appointment even though you were half not sure what it was about anymore. Anyway,

Ethan 4:46
I just remember seeing it and it was a responded to you. It was a schedule. And yeah, you know, a year later here we are at the state was a fast year.

Scott Benner 4:58
It helps you realize that life moves by too quickly. Yeah, exactly. Alright, so your daughter is diagnosed at 11 years old. 2020 NDK. Now, my question is, did you see it coming? Or did it completely surprise you?

Ethan 5:12
It's a great question. Actually, around this time 2020 She started to, to drop some weight. And but you know, it's one of those things that we, you know, her mom and I kind of chalked it up as she's going through a growing spurt, type thing, you know, and, but keeping an eye on it. And what what happened was the night before she actually went into GK, or about a week or so, but definitely the night before, I started noticing that she was drinking a lot of water. And the afternoon before she went in, this was this was a Monday evening. We went to go grab something to eat. And as we're waiting for food, I had ran over to the to the grocery store next door, and she asked me, she's like, what's going on? Like, you know, I just stocked up on water, you're drinking like a fish, you know? And she got home he ate she actually ate more than she ate me, which, you know, sometimes that can be easily done, but not really. And I was like, wow, you know, and I but again, I grew up watching her, like, dropped this way again, thinking because she didn't have like this, this crazy growth spurt in there too, as well. And then, that night, when she was going to bed, I had actually told my mother, I had said, you know, I think she's diabetic. She's like, when I go, she's drinking that this water. I'm just like, there's just something that's not, I'm kind of getting a strange sense that I think I think she needs to be checked. And then that next morning, I was actually I work from home and I was I was working in, and I wouldn't check on her. Because she was she was just starting off because this was COVID Still, there's still during a pandemic. So she was homeschool. So she wouldn't get on live for another few hours, like at least know that three hours by time I was up. So so there was some gap. And luckily, you know, grandma was available and had went to go, she was actually leaving for work. But something held her around that day, that morning and went in her room and had seen that she actually had gotten sick and then that's where I was just like I just kicked into, I have to take her in, you know, not you know to chalking it up with a stomach bug or anything like that. I'm like she has to go in. So at that point, when she got to the ER which was during the pandemic was kind of difficult to get her in as well because it was like you know, is it COVID Like that this is I would COVID was so far away from my mind at that point. I was and I don't have any experience with diabetes but it was just that instinct there.

Scott Benner 8:04
What made you think diabetes though the day or two before

Ethan 8:08
don't her water intake

Scott Benner 8:09
but that that told you something so you knew a little bit about it?

Ethan 8:13
That's pretty much yeah, that's kind of all like exposure wise, but the water intake I thought was was our water intake had like triple like it was the she drinks water we know but not the way how she was okay,

Scott Benner 8:29
all right, so Okay, great. So you snap into action you take her to the hospital I imagine and and COVID makes it a little weird but you get in what are the what do you learn about our blood sugar after she's admitted

Ethan 8:41
after she was admitted because we had to kind of keep swapping in and out I wasn't in there when her her first diagnosis of her blood sugar's I can't remember exactly the range and it's remember getting a sheet because she was actually the she had to get transferred to a children's hospital. And which was about an hour away. So we were waiting for transport and that's where I got the kids. They're only leaving one parent at a time. I don't want my came out and said she's Yeah, they they. They diagnosed her as being a diabetic.

Scott Benner 9:11
Are you guys together? No. One co parent. Okay. So she was with you? When when when you figured it out? Do you have like time later to go back? Like because of the co parenting situation? Was your ex thinking? Um, if she was your ex I'm sorry. Was she was she thinking the same thing? Did she notice stuff going on? Were you communicating it? What was that process like prior to being at the hospital? We

Ethan 9:39
both knew there was the the weight loss and the eating more. I had not yet voiced my concern. Like I said it was at night the night before it's we're like it triggered and we have to get around so I hadn't even made that call yet. This was like, while I was really just thinking this lesson 12 HOURS. Here we go, I think. Yeah, yeah. But leading up to that, you know, she had like she's, you know, like I said earlier, we were kind of chalking it up as to like, she's going through, you know, her gross for being a kid. Yeah.

Scott Benner 10:12
You just think she's stretching out right. Yeah. Losing losing weight because she's getting taller. Yeah, I think that's what everybody thinks. So, okay, so she was in DKA. So did they keep her for a number of days?

Ethan 10:23
Yes, she was in. Pick you for four days.

Scott Benner 10:29
That seems about right. Now, when she comes home, she go to her mom's she goes to you.

Ethan 10:36
When she got discharged, she came. We have a 5050 split. When she got discharged, she came home to me for for the for that for our scheduled visit visitation.

Scott Benner 10:44
That's what I was gonna say like, did it happen to fall on your day? Is that how it worked out?

Ethan 10:48
Yeah. If you happen to her discharge happened to fall during my time? Yes. So

Scott Benner 10:52
then how do you guys learn about this? You learn about it. I don't know what your relationships like I guess. But are you in the same room learning about this? Are you gathering information and sharing it back and forth with each other? How

Ethan 11:05
does that we were actually in we were both there spending the night? I think there's only one night to where we actually were not in there together. But we're both learning it they had us both on the same schedule. No. Crash Course of the same Yeah,

Scott Benner 11:20
that's good. It really is. Because I think when the the information gets disseminated to one person, I don't know. It's tough, right? Like you don't know what, you don't always know what to share. And, you know, there's a lot of questions. And if you're not the same house, when the questions arise, it might be difficult. So, it

Ethan 11:35
we still do that to this day through, you know, like I said, three years into this, if there's any questions or any like, you know, because this is this is that thing, this is that, unfortunately, the thing with diabetes, it's every day every second. So there is the, you know, the reassurance that we do co parenting that we give each other about, you know, you don't can't feel bad if, or don't be too hard on yourself, if she has a pattern to where she is kind of high or she's low. It just, it is kind of winging it, we do have a good exchange communication of okay, this is her what her pattern was for, like the last five days that she was over there, or here. This is what I'm experiencing. Either she's resistant or She's sensitive, just kind of watch out type thing. Yeah. And then you know, it's that first night, like for last night because that was her first night home for five days. And you kind of have to get used to what's been going on for the for the first couple days. But again, it's nothing that static because it's it's

Scott Benner 12:37
changes constantly. It

Ethan 12:38
really exactly right. I mean

Scott Benner 12:41
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Ethan 15:17
It doesn't matter what she's eating or whatever it just, it's just, you just kind of had to adapt to it. You know, just it was it

Scott Benner 15:25
was your co parenting situation harmonious before the diagnosis?

Ethan 15:31
We were getting there. Yes, yeah.

Scott Benner 15:32
Okay. Has it gotten? I don't care how it was. My question is, does it has it gotten better? Or worse than the diagnosis?

Ethan 15:39
It's gotten better, actually. Because I think we had to kind of put everything aside and realize, you

Scott Benner 15:44
know, that's our team. Good for you. Is seriously and to your, you know, to your I don't know what to call our former partner.

Ethan 15:53
Sheila, she listened. So I'm pretty sure I'll tell him when this one comes out. Yeah, she's actually the one who told me about you. Smosh.

Scott Benner 15:59
That's great. Well, I just I'm really impressed with how you're handling it. Is this what I wanted to say? But I wasn't sure if you were married or not. So I don't know if I'm saying x or if I'm say, anyway, doesn't matter to me. But I think it's been handled really well. It's impressive that you move forward so well. And that you've that you've not just kept it harmonious, but made it better for your daughter. It's really wonderful. Do you guys have other kids together? No. Okay, so this is the one now do we have we figured out? Are there autoimmune issues on anybody's family sides?

Ethan 16:31
Um, not? On my it's more thinking on hers, but it's not. I think it's a second would be my daughter's second cousin. So I don't think who's was also type one. Okay. But I think that from based on if I remember correctly from a doctor is like, that's not a an actual connection. Because

Scott Benner 16:50
the doctor can say whatever he wants, it seems like I can actually

Ethan 16:54
sound something like if it was not on the maternal side, I can't remember. But it was like, maybe there's two different too far of a distance between the second because yeah, it would be your second cousin.

Scott Benner 17:05
Does your daughter have any other autoimmune issues?

Ethan 17:07
Not that I'm aware of right now? No.

Scott Benner 17:09
Are you looking for something to knock on effect? You're like, Wait

Ethan 17:12
a minute. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Scott Benner 17:15
No, why? Okay, that's terrific. So what was her management? Like out of the hospital? I'm assuming like MDI, would they give her pins or needles?

Ethan 17:27
That's a good question. We actually, were I kind of talked about this all the time about how good of a program that we see, you know, some people on Facebook or other groups that are who are trying to adjust and adapt so they can kind of say, how I kind of chalk it up as they tell us old school to where it was John. It was pins. Yeah, she was on pins. And then she didn't get her her CGM, or go to go to the pod until like six months, six plus months after.

Scott Benner 18:03
Okay, six months was the CGM first. The CGM was ferocious. Okay. And then she got a pump soon after.

Ethan 18:11
Clearly close. Yeah, they're probably pretty close on top of each other. Yeah.

Scott Benner 18:16
What leads you to get those devices? Is that your doctor saying you should do this? Or is it you checking out? You know what other people are doing?

Ethan 18:25
It was more of a research and just trying to be really kind of being really realistic of having Hey, this there is this tool, you have to understand that this technology is not going to always be 100%. But it does give you some peace of mind, especially with her going back to school. And being away. How are we going to have visibility on and helping her helping her assist remotely? Yeah, and that was that was a decision to go with the pod and CGM.

Scott Benner 18:53
It's a great idea, honestly. Okay, so she's going into high school now. You said she's playing sports? How is she making out during activity? Yeah,

Ethan 19:01
she was she was playing volleyball. About a year or so or two before? Maybe two before she like before diagnosis. And she, you know, she hasn't let it stopped or stop or at all? Yeah, she, I mean, this kid is, is constantly working out trying to improve her game. She just stayed, doesn't she? It's hard to get her off the court. But managing it she does really good. There is a like I said that's the other thing was having the ability to see with the CGM and her with her her pump to see what's going on. But knowing, okay, you're going to go from, you know, one clinic or from 290 minute to two hour practice, to another practice. And I mean when I say that when I say another word, sometimes there's probably 90 minutes maybe in between. Yeah, so it's like trying to kind of carve But begin where are you at? And, you know, I get it too. I was actually you know what you were, you're not real pilot 100, you know, but you kind of you have to kind of refuel that. So that's still a learning curve, but it's gotten better, you know. But then also during games and stuff, even though with the technology, sometimes she loses connectivity in because she plays a club ball. And with all the Bluetooth interference, it's not pleasant sometimes because you just have to really kind of go off of her feelings or how she's looking. Because you won't see the you won't stay connected all the time. What pump is she using? She's using the

Scott Benner 20:41
Omnipod dash dash, okay, no algorithm. No, no. Okay. So, alright, so you're using the connection just to see what her blood sugar is? And do you find that volleyball is like an adrenaline thing? Is her blood sugar tried to get high? Or does the activity bring it down?

Ethan 20:59
That's a great question. The beginning was like when I said in the beginning, like, I would say the first six, seven months after like, when she had her first season. It was anything was was bringing her blood sugar's out. I mean, just like, Okay, you're going high. Let's go for a walk. You know, it was just to go for a brisk walk for 10 or 15 minutes it was bringing her down. And I would say now for like the last two years, it's been the complete opposite with what I think when she hit her. When her hormones her teenage hormones started coming in and everything playing a factor. It actually became more of a resistance. She doesn't go down as easily when she's in, in very heavy sports.

Scott Benner 21:46
Okay, yeah, no, I was gonna say she's right at the age where I was assuming that that was happening. So you're gonna see it, it changes pretty significantly. Yeah,

Ethan 21:56
she's not dropping like she she you know, coming out. It's not, you know, that's not the the out anymore, you know of, okay, you're kind of high. Let's go ahead and do something and get you moving. Or no, the only time that that seems to work with activity is really kind of like throwing her in a pool.

Scott Benner 22:11
Swimming. That's it. Yeah. Makes her job. Yeah, that's me. That's a lot of anaerobic activity. The dash is

Ethan 22:20
really just kind of just sitting in there. Oh, really?

Scott Benner 22:22
Oh, she's just chilling out and relaxing. Yeah, just

Ethan 22:25
chilling out and relaxing. She can start to drop. That's interesting.

Scott Benner 22:29
Okay, so let's see. How do you set your your Can I quit? What should I call your ex? You're sure you're like, what?

Ethan 22:41
How to deal with it later, right?

Scott Benner 22:44
There's nothing to do I just want to use the right phrasing. I don't know the lady the like the person. I don't know. How did her mom find the podcast? Did she tell you about

Ethan 22:54
Facebook? I honestly think he just on social media, possibly Facebook. And

Scott Benner 22:59
I'm assuming it was valuable enough to her that then she told you about it. Correct? Yeah. Do you listen?

Ethan 23:05
I've listened to a few. I'm not an avid listener, but I have listened to a few of them. Don't ask me which ones right now. Because I have to be able to tell you

Scott Benner 23:14
they were they more management based or conversational? They were more conversational if I remember correctly. Interesting. Okay. Is her mom doing stuff with her management that she got from the podcast? And then you kind of go along with it and it's working. So you're like, that's fine.

Ethan 23:32
I know it was I believe there was one podcast where it was the how was it a bit about like, not being afraid of of Ebola seen you know not being afraid of insulin?

Scott Benner 23:47
Was that is that something you were struggling with?

Ethan 23:51
The lifestyle i mean i There are some times to where I can be a little hesitant on giving her and that's one thing to that's good about the that I personally like about the the Omni is it's you know I can just increase her when she needs to be increased or you know I'm we're not afraid to change set any of her Yeah, any of the settings her Basal she knew her Basal needs to be increased or you okay, you're going higher or even suspending or I mean, that's one thing you know, especially with her being active, depends on what range she is. Maybe she needs to be suspended for for duration or okay. Yeah, she suspended that case. She's going back up. Okay, let's turn it back on. So yeah, there's that definitely that flexibility

Scott Benner 24:32
is incumbent upon me Ethan to tell you that if you want to suspend Basal insulin, you should do a Temp Basal decrease of 100%. Because if you suspend insulin, it won't come back on. So you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you turn off basil forget to turn it back on. So you can do a Temp Basal and then set it for an amount of time and then at the end of the time it pops back.

Ethan 24:55
Absolutely correct. And that's actually what we kind of just use that jargon is suspended In short, it is it is a set Temp Basal that we're actually doing.

Scott Benner 25:05
I'm just, you know, cuz we're making a podcast and everything, covering the bases. Yeah. Don't suspend your Basal people like, cuz it won't come back on, you have to do tasks, right? Yeah. All right. So you like the flexibility of the insulin pump? Would you call yourself? If I had to say one of you? Was the main caregiver of diabetes? Would it be you or her mom?

Ethan 25:25
I think we're actually pretty equal. Okay.

Scott Benner 25:29
You think you get you guys do you have basically the same style of management, there

Ethan 25:35
is some difference to where, like, I think there's, there's, there's a slight difference on how we address winds went to over I wouldn't say over Bolus, but to give me an extra Bolus or give me extra insulin. Like I said, I more to be a little timid, of, and concern with the lows. Not in saying that she's not but a little bit more of a, I would say a little more aggressive than I am when it comes to that. So there's that slight difference there. But like I said, either, but we are completely equal when it comes to making the judgments that our daughter needs at that time.

Scott Benner 26:15
I have to tell you, this is very interesting. Because I've I've recorded with people who are, you know, separated divorced, whatever, co parent kids, and you listening to you talk, you're, you're it feels like you're like walking through like a field of landmines. And there are women who come on, and I'm like, so you know, does your axe and they're like, no, he's an idiot. And I'm like, Okay. I know I'm generalizing. But it just feels like, more often the ladies are willing to be like, you know, direct and guys are always like, no, she's lovely. Everything's fine. Like, I'm not trying to say she would let a low blood sugar. I certainly didn't mean that's when you made me laugh with the like, no, no, she doesn't do that. Like you corrected yourself. But I understood what you meant, like nobody's letting your kid be low. But but your your, your ex is more aggressive. And you're more timid about it. Now, is that a personality thing? Or is that something that you've had an experience with? With insulin? It's made you feel that way?

Ethan 27:16
Well, that's a good question, because I've experienced her getting sick twice. afterwards. And what Well, there was one that was really bad to where she came home from school. She had this like, grayish look on her when I picked her up from school and she said she was feeling fine, but I can again, just when those instinct things like something was kind of off and later that that evening, the he had an exorcism, Exorcist, sewed the delivery like, and so yeah, I mean projectile. But no, she's not gonna be having saying that. But she did. And it was having to bring her back up. Yeah, because she was low and okay. And she's not wanting to eat. So I'm on with her Endo. Like, and right before she did that I was I taught her and because I'm like, How do I deal with because she's not like, I know, I had to bring her up. And I did check for ketones and she had moderate ketones at the time. And I'm like, Okay, I ketones me and she needs insulin. She doesn't want to eat how do I get carbs in her? You know, she's not wanting any juice. She's just been and I get it? She was filming? Well, yeah. So her endo had told me all you guys gotta gotta keep bringing it up. And I'm actually I was I was on the phone with her. Grandma came out and said she's getting because I was I think the inner light said, If she starts to vomit, and call her back and just watch it because that can be me hurt. Her ketones gotten large. And as I was hanging up, that's where I got the she's getting sick. And and that was one that was really when I say she was low. She was in like the 50s If I remember and trying to bring that up, and then knowing I have to give her insulin.

Scott Benner 29:01
So she was sick. She was like what we call real people sick. It wasn't like the she had an illness of some sort. And then she, by the way, when you said we had an exorcism, I was like, how are these people like doing exorcisms in their house? Like what do I have to ask about next? And then you were like exorcist and I was like, oh, okay, I know what he's talking about. It's all about bombing. So, but But are you guys, but you had this experience? And it was scary enough to that it's stuck. Yeah. Yeah. But she's not sick all the time. So what stops you from being more aggressive on days when illness isn't an issue?

Ethan 29:37
Because of the unknown of how fast you can possibly drop? Is

Scott Benner 29:41
that happened frequently? Or was it just overtime?

Ethan 29:44
It's just me. That's a personality thing.

Scott Benner 29:48
That I'm gonna have to leave you to what are we doing here? I'm just kidding.

Ethan 29:53
That's just me and I you know, that's one of those things like I last night, I mean, I think it is You might sleep last night because she was she had what I would call a stubborn eye and not you know, being aggressive with giving him I mean, I was increasing her. So you know, as increased nursing, that's how she was going to react and she started going down, and then all of a sudden, it's like, okay, we're heading, you know, her trajectory is going in the correct right direction. And then all of a sudden, it's like, Nah, ha, ha, playing with you. I'm going back the other way.

Scott Benner 30:26
Yeah, how many episodes or something did you get through last night? Exactly.

Ethan 30:29
Say it again.

Scott Benner 30:30
How many episodes of your new show did you get through last night? What? While you were sitting up fighting with the blood sugar? Were you watching? Are you watching something? Exactly?

Ethan 30:39
No, I was actually I was just on social media. I was yeah, it was just kind of just scrolling through social.

Scott Benner 30:45
Well, so. So you're doing that thing. You're you're kind of just nickel and diming that the high blood sugar because you don't want to cause a lobe and then you get a little movement. But then whatever is forcing the blood sugar up is still there. So you haven't overwhelmed it yet? It's coming back up. It's probably dinner. Right? Was there a fat or protein and dinner? Here

Ethan 31:05
was protein and dinner for sure. And that's what I was thinking to him. Okay, this is dinner and but she also has kind of its tendency to wear around a certain timeframe. Between like three and six to her, she'll show just kind of drop, you know, her blood sugar's were start to go down. And you know, this is one kind of anticipating that happening. But then I'm going okay, why don't I just give her more instead of constantly increasing? Yeah. What's happened to questions in this going? Yeah, so I tend to do more of the sets, increasing or just adjusting her or basil increasing instead of just going okay. What is it actually wanting me to give her? You know, it's wanting to be the giver? You know, it's saying he wants to units, do I do that? Do I cut sometimes I kind of cut it in half. Because sometimes it's because, again, when I'm getting that is, it is a tool. It's a great tool, but it doesn't know exactly what, what was ingested. Yeah, right. High protein was more sugars, what kind of carbs was, so it doesn't obviously know that. So that's where I feel like you have to come in with that factor of, okay, this is what she actually had. And it's like that, it's it's kind of help, you're helping me, it's your tool helping you but then you have to help it too. Yeah,

Scott Benner 32:21
you have to you have to be the one to understand the impact of the food. You know, because if dinner had, you know, protein that got digested late and push blood sugar back up, if it had fat in it, that slowed down digestion kept the food in your stomach longer, like that's that, like if she's getting lower every night at 3am? Is it possible that like, is she having a snack before bed? Or something that's sitting in her? Or do you think that you're maybe seeing growth hormone early in the evening that you're being more aggressive with? And then she's getting lower later? Have you figured out what it might be?

Ethan 32:53
Not, there's nothing to really kind of figure that out, like, Okay, this is your certain pattern, what you're exhibiting because it can also depend on what she did that day, or his activities, you know, due to conditioning, and how many practices does she go to she Less is more, because that also takes plays into it too. Because sometimes it's like, as soon as she lays down, it's like, she's settling. So she's starting to drop, you know, yeah. And I kind of we got discharged or we was getting trained, there was that rule of thumb of kind of, you know, putting, making sure her blood sugar's are like 120 Plus, and I actually have a colleague of mine who's I think she says, She's type 1.5. Like, goes by that rule of thumb to have, you know, going going to sleep it at 120 Plus,

Scott Benner 33:46
and they're drifting down every night. wordstat Again, does the blood sugar drift down every night? Or does it stay in the 120? Sometimes?

Ethan 33:55
It will, it can fluctuate. It does it really? Honestly, it does. She's active all night. I mean, there's a good pattern to where she'll stay like 100 between maybe like 80 and 100. But then there's the patterns to where she'll stay between 100 and like, 140. Okay.

Scott Benner 34:15
Yes, so sometimes leaving are high is necessary, and sometimes it's not. Yeah, it

Ethan 34:22
sounds like a lot like I'll leave around 140 Or maybe even like, 160 depends on the time. I always have to look at the time like, Okay, is it it's 1030 She's 160 Do I just give her a little bit of a thumping freeze? And let's see what happens like around 1:32am. Okay, it's time for him to adjust again. Yeah, I

Scott Benner 34:40
guess all the activity is really the linchpin. They're trying to figure out where it's when it's happening. Doesn't happen constantly. There's a lot of activity doesn't mean there's activity every day. The activity on top of different meals probably looks different later, too. So yeah, boy, it's a lot. I commend you for paying it. added to it. And it's, I mean, it's hard to find patterns and stuff like that is what I was gonna say. So like, you have to just kind of pay attention. So you see, like, there's, I don't know, hints that happened along the way, like you said, like, at this certain time, if what's happening at 10pm Looks like this, then I might leave the number one place or the other. You know, what else I'm thinking? Is that it really feels like I mean, it feels like an algorithm could help her. Because if you don't have to, you know, like you're leaving it at 120 in case she falls, but if an algorithm sees her falling, it's going to take the insulin away anyway. So you might be, maybe that is the situation where that would be really helpful. Have you ever thought about it?

Ethan 35:48
I mean, I could actually be completely wrong. She her I think there is a certain period. Yeah, she is there. There are I was completely incorrect. There are certain periods in her program to where it will do the adjustment,

Scott Benner 36:05
as well. Well, so is she using all the power five already? Yes, she

Ethan 36:09
is on the phone. Oh,

Scott Benner 36:10
I thought you said that. Well, you did say dash but it's she's on Fox.

Ethan 36:14
I'm sorry. She's on she's on the dash. But there is so that's wrong. Excuse me, for me, me and Pete novice here. But um, yeah. There's certain years. There are certain periods throughout the day when her program to where it will give her we'll make that adjustment for

Scott Benner 36:31
All right, hold on, we got to pick through this evening because something don't make sense. So I'm the pod dash does not have an algorithm, it won't shut off basil automatically turn it on, on the pod five gives insulin takes insulin away as it's trying to keep you in a range. And Omnipod. Five would be trying to think of how you could differentiate the two?

Ethan 36:55
Well, it doesn't shut off. But I know there's there's a certain point to where it will give her an increase if it needs to. When I programmed it.

Scott Benner 37:05
It'll give her an increase.

Ethan 37:07
I mean, let me see. We're I think you're

Scott Benner 37:09
just not using the words that I'm expecting to hear. But I'm just there's some like, do you mean you've done like a Temp Basal increase?

Ethan 37:17
No, hold on a second. So okay, yeah, we're probably just not using the same.

So she has it was, oh, I'm seeing this. It's a target. Target. Target BG and correct. Above. So if she is 19. Above it says it will correct. And that's turned on. It's called her Bolus Catholic. Calculator.

Scott Benner 37:39
Okay, oh, I see. You're just using, like different language than I expected, I'm sorry. So in her settings on her dash, there's a, the Bolus calculator either gives you insulin or doesn't give you insulin based on the target you have set. So for instance, if your target is 110, but you're 90, and you open it up, it's not going to say give us give yourself more insulin. If you're 120, it might ask for more insulin, depending on how much insulin is on board. But that's not an algorithm what I was talking about, like, yeah, on the pod five, would actually it would make boluses and take basil away and add basil and stuff like that on its own. Like literally like aggressively it would it would give and take away insulin to try to keep her in a range. There's an analyst there's episodes about it, you should check them out and see what you think. But that might help like an actual algorithm making a decision about insulin completely on its own. The way I thought about it for her was instead of putting her to bed at 120 because you think she's going to drift down. You don't worry about that. And the algorithm will just take away her her insulin to try to keep her at a stable number. So I don't know it's it's worth looking into. Okay,

Ethan 39:04
well, thanks for that. Yeah, yeah, I mean, I LD we have a scoped for anytime soon to move over to the five so I haven't done I'll be honest, I haven't done my due diligence on on that actual product. Yeah,

Scott Benner 39:18
yeah, I wouldn't look into anything I wasn't thinking of getting I was just saying I like as you're describing the overnights I thought we algorithms are maybe the best overnight, because there's no extra food, right? You're not eating and they do they do a really good job. sleeping overnight aren't used as she's using loop three right now. But her overnight is like last night was so incredibly stable. Like it's hard to put into words how stable it was. It's pretty awesome, actually. Yeah, take a look when you get a chance save, you know, I'm not saying run out and do it or anything like that, or they even have to but it's worth understanding. For sure. Absolutely. How, no, of course how was your conversation? is with your daughter about diabetes they how do you think she thinks about it? And what is it as a parent you're considering when you're talking to her?

Ethan 40:08
Yeah, it was definitely the beginning the adjustment. She's, he is. He's my inspiration to be honest with you. I mean, I could imagine this happening to me at her age and having to deal with it and going to school, but try to keep an open dialogue. There's definitely good days and bad days or good weeks and bad weeks. She's coming along great with with an understanding the management She surprises me sometimes like she's like, Okay, this was on Bolus and myself. I'm like, dang, you, you landed? Great. You mean? All right. You know, like, okay, you know, and then there's the occasional questions like, Okay, this is only half what do you think I should do? And, you know, we figure it out. But she is, she has she, like I said, she is my inspiration. I tell her.

Scott Benner 41:05
She mind that our friends know.

Ethan 41:08
Her friends, she has a good supporting cast of friends. There is the occasional dismissive Oh, she just wants to, to blend but I always tell you know, she's, she's special. But her she's, she had to get used to that, you know, and realize that she has to let those in her circle, understand, understand what's going on with her. Okay. And, you know, one of the things to explain it to her, I said, it's something very similar to someone who has a peanut allergy, you know, you're out with your friends, and you don't want to hand them a Snickers bar, you know, because they're gonna react to that, or someone who has any other type of reaction, you're going to want to know you're going to need to know your circle is going to eat and understand. Yeah, so yeah, I mean, her circle is, is a very supportive that she has, and that's I commend them too, for, you know, for her being as young as they are, and in supporting their friend out. Yeah.

Scott Benner 42:08
So while she wants to not think about it at times, she's not hiding it from anybody.

Ethan 42:14
Now. No, I mean, you finally gonna get any for this when she was just telling me. I think this was in seventh in seventh grade to where we're talking about the alerts. Oh, because I was I was writing a program, actually. And I had said, I see I see what your settings are. And what I mean by the settings is her phone alerting her. And she was just telling me yesterday that one point, or alert had went off, and she kind of charted up there as it was an Amber Alert. She liked the teacher think it was amber alert there for a second.

Scott Benner 42:47
So be beep oh, there's like, yeah, it was a kid in the Volkswagen. We're supposed to be looking for this. She just didn't want people to think that. Yeah, I mean, I get that, like, nobody wants to be singled out, like by anything.

Ethan 43:03
It's already kind of a challenge, you know, middle school, sorry, difficult as it can, is, you know, that, you know, let alone and then adding something else on top of it, and to where you're, you have these little sidewalk on my cyborg sometimes too, because, you know, gadgets owner, people seen seeing it and her having to adjust to that. So she's, we've got through that period, I think, to where she's more, she's more open about it now. And they especially like, say with her being, being in sports, she had to be very open about hey, this is what's gonna happen with me. Yeah, or, yeah, with her coaches and her teammates.

Scott Benner 43:45
I think it's a it's a process, obviously, but it's a delicate age. 1112 1314 year old girls, right. And she's, you know, finding her way through it. It sounds impressive, that she's figuring out how to manage it. That, you know, her friends know about it. That's terrific. Does she hide her devices? I mean, like, I don't mean like, what do I mean? I was No, I

Ethan 44:09
get what you're saying. In the beginning. It was there was some some don't want to bring attention to it. Let's just say it that way. But now she's she's, she's getting comfortable. She's gotten comfortable with it. She has golfer that's excellent. Yeah. And she there's more to get comfortable with but she's, you know, it's and like we were she was just a camp last week and another volleyball camp and there happened to be a another another player who is T one and you're able to see the device. So you know, we've seen that when we're as we're traveling around in her world and volleyball. There are some so it's like, yeah, see that their sport and it you know, yeah, rockin it's you. I

Scott Benner 44:50
saw a woman wearing it. I don't think this is FDA approved. But I saw a woman wearing her G six on her forearm, the top of her forearm yesterday and I I was like, wow, that's like, but it's right there. You know, I thought that was kind of cool it I asked her about it. I was like, Hey, do you wear the G six there? Often she wasn't she started telling me the other place. She wears it. She's like, Yeah, sometimes she's like, I get good readings here. I was like, no kidding. Cool.

Ethan 45:14
I seen one that posted a picture to where she had it like, on her between her shoulder blades, like right below her neck. Oh, yeah. Yeah, my dad does not look comfortable with. But works, right? Yeah, she says she got really good. She gets her best readings there. I always think I kind of she lay down and I get a compression.

Scott Benner 45:36
Hey, how tall is your daughter? Exactly? Are we going to make some college money off this volleyball thing or what?

Ethan 45:42
That's the goal, right? She is. She just wanted to doctors a few few days ago. She's five, eight and a half.

Scott Benner 45:48
Oh. Oh, how tall are you? Not at all. How about her mom? Not at all. Do you think five eight might be a good five eighths tall for a younger? Yeah,

Ethan 46:00
she's definitely in the in the setters range for sure. So yeah, she's been playing for FIFA. She's been playing travel. I think this is going into her third season. Now. She's been playing for a while she's double champion back to back champion in her middle school.

Scott Benner 46:17
Does she want to play call? Does she want to go to college? Yes,

Ethan 46:20
yeah, she we actually last Saturday. Yeah, or two weeks ago, she went to a program to meet with it was one day, but you meet with college recruits. So I kind of thought maybe it was going to be cuz she's only going into, she'll be entering high school here in like two weeks, actually, two weeks. Um, I thought maybe it was too soon. But we just went for it. And it was surprised. I was surprised with how many other players that are in her graduating class of 2027 that were there. Ready to go

Scott Benner 46:56
coast, my son started. I think he started talking to college coaches, maybe when he was 15, closer to 16. That, that that summer. And it felt like it was enough for them to like see you and say like, oh, you're athletic, or you definitely look like a baseball player or something like that. You should come back next year. And then when he was 16, that's when it was like, it was intense for a while. There's a lot of like, how do you do it in? In volleyball, though, like in, in baseball, you show up and play in? Like, you know, tournaments? Or recruits? Do they show up and play volleyball together? How do they do that?

Ethan 47:36
Yeah, for that one for that Pacific Pacific specific program. There were I think there's like eight different universities that showed up. And then they just broke them down into teams, based off of actually I really don't even know. I think it's kind of like at random. It didn't but but what you you're actually signing up on the preferred position, top two positions that you play, okay. And then And then each coach you're like spinning you're spending x amount of time with each university recruit recruiter there and they're teaching you based off your skill level on how they would actually teach their in their program. And then they get split up for the for the rest of the Pearson's like five hours to where they're actually playing that with that coach and then playing against the other others, the other universities in their teams, so

Scott Benner 48:30
their small team, you have to pay for this or is it very nice

Ethan 48:34
it is what's free run here? Or

Scott Benner 48:37
you're in California, right? Yeah, yeah. start charging for air. Exactly. Okay. Yeah. I mean, the things that cold did, generally speaking, were not free. But they were. Yeah, they were, they weren't overly expensive that I think it it felt like you were paying, like helping pay the coaches for their time, basically, is what it is what it felt like, I think it's kind of how they make some of those like assistant coaches make a little bit of their income that way, you know, some of them are not making a ton of money to coach in their colleges. So

Ethan 49:11
exactly. Some of them are in now. This is like their, their second or second job. Exactly. So but that's a lot of it with travel too, I believe. Yeah. having to pay for the for that expense. But yeah, this was not a free program. She actually enjoyed it. There was a lot, a lot of feedback. And then beans being told or they were told to her. If you're going into your freshman year, your first year. It's it is that summer, like you're just saying that 1516 tour. That's where the tapes are gonna start coming in and that sort of conversations are going to be like you can make you can reach out, but you're probably just going to get that. Thank you for reaching out. Oh, yeah. Because I don't think they can actually legally

Scott Benner 49:56
talk to you until you're certain age. Yeah. Listen, the best the best thing I can tell you is that if there's two things you can do, you have to be a real honest assessor of, of her and take a lot of video. Those are really the things you can do. So, I spent a lot of my time pointing a camera at my son until a baseball game to him then, and laying out a lot of dead stuff, and you know, in the video, but in the end, he was able to, I think he got as much interest through video that we made as he did through being in person. So like, you start sending them videos and saying, like, hey, look, I'm going to be at this thing this weekend. And I come say hello. And then they'll watch your video. And if they like it, they'll say, yeah, come find me. That's how it kind of worked there. It was baseball was little it was I mean, I don't know how different it is really, you're trying to get somebody to notice you in a sea full of people doing the same thing. So exactly. Yeah,

Ethan 50:55
that's there's different programs that I seem to where you can actually do a, you know what tournament, you're going to be in jail. You know, whoever you're reaching out to you just kind of like send them a note. I will be at this. And then they'll fill actually, if they're interesting, because they didn't explain this. They will find you on the court. They'll figure out what court are you can you say, Hey, I'd be at this tournament. I'll be on this court. This is what time this might position and they still feel that way.

Scott Benner 51:23
I mean, I they say that I would say that it's more your job to get yourself in front of them. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, it's it's because they can't be everywhere all at once. And they might I mean, listen, you could I remember a day where we're Cole made this like, incredible catch and centerfield. And he followed up with like, this insane throw, and nobody was there. And then the next day, people showed up and the ball like just never once came to him. And that was it. Like he just was standing out there. So taping them no, I had the video. So after the weekend was over you you sent out he sends an email to those guys this Hey, Coach, you know, I noticed you weren't at the game where you know, this happened, blah, blah, blah. But here's me doing this and this. And that kind of stuff really helped them by the time Cole was rolling, he had a good 15 or 18 colleges interested in him. Like once he really got it moving. But we did that a lot with video. Honestly, it was a lot of it was a lot of effort on our side. You know, because they all show up to see the same stuff. And you know, I I watched Cole playing a game once in Florida maybe where there were no lie 40 college coaches at the game, they played them. So they brought they brought our kids in basically to be sacrificial lambs against this like, like national team, like a baseball team made up of kids from all over the country. And the pitcher was in thrown in the 90s. And they were only like 16 or 17 years old. So there were like 40 coaches standing behind home plate with radar guns, trying to see how hard this kid to throw. Now he could not locate a fastball to save his life. But they did not care. They loved him. The he couldn't throw strikes, he was ineffective. Our team was beating them handily. And even though our team showed up and beat this collection of like studs, they didn't pay attention to one kid on our side, they paid attention to the kid who threw the ball really hard, even though he couldn't throw a strike. It's interesting what they get enamored with is what I'm saying. So you need to bring you need to remind them sometimes you also need a person to do this, not just the guy who's there was 90 miles an hour. And yeah, that sort of thing. I don't know if she really wants to do it. And she's a good student. I guarantee she's a student. Yeah. Good.

Ethan 53:53
She gets that from an excellent student. Well,

Scott Benner 53:56
that's a big deal. I mean, and we did save a lot of money off of college. I only want to say how much but it was a lot. So you know, it can help if you if you get the right situation. Yeah,

Ethan 54:11
that's definitely her. Her goal is to play college ball. They were talking about, you know, scholarships, and you know, what's the possibility? And obviously, it all depends on if it changes from you know, your D one private to D one public in Chem three. So that's it's all you know, it's that fluctuates, right? But yeah, but that's absolutely her goal. And I always told her when she started that I will support her. However, whatever that means that they you know, she's this is what she wants. I I mean, I was actually I played I played basketball when I was in high school and stuff, but I only play Dooku once a year. And what reason why I end up playing Dooku I know we're kind of going off topic here. I played I played yuku is I didn't have that tape. When I was actually talking to a university, and had asked me, Hey, can you send me over tape? I'm like, What's that? Yeah, how

Scott Benner 55:11
am I doing that?

Ethan 55:13
And, you know, he's like the coach parents like, that didn't happen. So I got actually got invited for a one day. It was like a one day showcase play. And I remember when I came out during the during the game, I got asked if I was actually the MVP of my team. And I'm like, No, actually, I said, you know, but what I'm getting out with the tape, is that something that stood with me, because I realized that that I only had this one shot and I that was the best that best I've ever played. Don't even know where it came from, to tell you the truth. Like I was channeling something else. But the tape when I had heard the No, I don't have this. Yeah, like you that hesitation on the other end of the phone. So yeah, when uh, when recently my daughter started really talking about this. I'm like, I will make sure that you are tape.

Scott Benner 56:11
Sure. Yeah. Good. Good for you. It's, it's nice. And actually, now that Microsoft is out of college and doesn't play baseball anymore. Like still once in a while, like in my, you know, in my pictures, I'll pop up and see him like in a photo standing on a field or playing or something like that. The other day, I watched him hit his like, last college home run in a video. Like stuff like that. It's nice, you know? So you guys have a good time. Plus, I'll tell you a ton of good time spent in the car. Like the driving to and from games and stuff like that is? I remember very fondly. So

Ethan 56:50
yeah, there's been we've we've done a lot of travel. I mean, we went to Salt Lake City, this this last season up to Washington. So you know, it's the travel, as expensive as it can be. It definitely has the memory.

Scott Benner 57:05
Memory, trying to think about what the hotel room costs, just trying to remember the lovely conversation. Yeah, the car.

Ethan 57:11
Oh, my God, and it's rather you're doing good or bad. You're like going?

Scott Benner 57:16
Oh, yeah, yeah, there's nothing like flying somewhere to lose. That's fun.

Ethan 57:22
Yeah, we're gonna see a couple of those so far. It's like, Oh, man. But

Scott Benner 57:26
But that's why also, when you're collecting video, you can still play well, in a situation where the team does not do well. And you still might have something to share at that point. So absolutely

Ethan 57:38
not, there's definitely that then there's also the character building, even though she's not gonna like it when I say that. But to overcome that adversity, you know, that versity that you're going up against to kind of keep thriving and pushing each other. That's that goes a long, long way, in my opinion. Oh, yeah. Because of what is being, you know, there's no give it up. You're fighting as long as you guys are fighting together, you know, and trying to bring them to morale up as a team, that there is to me, that's the big takeaway. Oh, for

Scott Benner 58:06
sure. Yeah. Oh, Ethan. Most of these, like, most of those girls aren't gonna end up playing volleyball in the Olympics. You know what I mean? So, exactly, you're gonna

Ethan 58:15
see something that's definitely going to carry over into that work into your

Scott Benner 58:19
real life? Oh, for sure. Like, I think the more the most successful kids I know, now, in their early 20s, were the kids who lost at baseball, more like the kids that were super successful. Like, I don't know what they took from it, they won baseball games, but they didn't have a ton of life lessons at all. And you also get in the real world, like, I don't know how valuable it is to be like, I can hit a baseball, like good for you, that doesn't help me at your job. You know, like, maybe the I work out hard, or I'm consistent. Like that stuff's all valuable. But I mean, the losings far more valuable than the one, I think,

Ethan 58:55
absolutely. And totally agree. You know, it's just like, how do you overcome this, you have to figure out how to overcome this together. Because something can happen at work, or something can happen in your personal life and you know, in her family, and you have to figure out how to communicate and overcome it. And it's challenging, you might not be in that headspace because you're upset, you're frustrated, you're playing bad, your teammates playing bad, but how do you support and so I keep instilling like, how you have to figure out how to support that.

Scott Benner 59:21
Yeah, we're gonna do this again, tomorrow. This went terribly. And we're gonna get up tomorrow and do it again.

Ethan 59:26
I always say short term amnesia. Short term amnesia. Just keep going out there. Yeah, just keep going and get the next one. Get the next one.

Scott Benner 59:32
Perfect life lesson. Honestly, it's the way you have to take care of diabetes too. You can't you can't have a bad now Ethan now I finally have brought this all the way around to you being scared from the one time your kid was sick. Don't you have to forget that and move on? Yes,

Ethan 59:48
yeah, I see what you did there.

Scott Benner 59:52
Took me a while even but I did get to it. Honestly, I thought I was gonna get it done 10 minutes ago and then we we went off track a little bit but Yeah, but seriously that, you know, sports life, diabetes, it's all it's all the same really, just, you know, you gotta get back at it. So I don't know, I don't want you to leave in your kids budget or 161 20 overnight if it doesn't need to be. Because you're

Ethan 1:00:16
absolutely like I said, I'm I'm always adjusting that and seeing what she's gonna do. I don't want her be in a pair to know she feels she's feeling bad either. But, you know, and but, ya know, I do have to figure out how to, I mean, for one that one thing is she is, she's kind of like, in the middle of me and her mom, like, she'll be more. Okay, this is what I'm gonna, I'm gonna do, I'm gonna go ahead and be a little Orbitz which is good for her. Because at the end of the day, and a few years when she guys go off to college, we'll still be watching from afar, because who knows where she'll be at? Yeah. And it's going to be completely on her so that it's more, even though I might be hesitant and reserved. At least she's not,

Scott Benner 1:00:57
well, you'll grow with it, too. I mean, you're not going to be the person you are right now for for the whole time. I also think for you for your sadly in your sleep. If you could make one more slightly aggressive Bolus at night, instead of like little ones, little ones, little ones and sitting up for hours, that'd be better for you, which would be better for her. You know, like, you could actually, like knock a number down and get some sleep. Yes, yeah, I don't want you to sit up all night meant that the no sleep thing. I'll tell you from my experience, the no sleep thing in the beginning. I was like, Oh, I can do this. Like, this is what needs to be done. And I can do it. But I'm just going to tell you that after a while it's untenable, and you just can't keep it going anymore. And now you're just gonna not know how to handle the high blood sugar overnight, and you're gonna pass out and be asleep. A lack of sleep has such a horrible impact on a person. And it's very incremental the way it comes over you so you don't notice it happening. Just one day you're exhausted. And yeah, that's your new normal. And that sucks. So anyway, I don't want that for you.

Ethan 1:02:03
Appreciate ya.

Scott Benner 1:02:04
Ethan. You were terrific, man. Is there anything we haven't talked about that we should have?

Ethan 1:02:09
Now, this is actually great. I mean, this is actually my first podcast doing this so that you're terrific. Thank you for the experience. Of course. No, it's

Scott Benner 1:02:17
my pleasure. I appreciate you wanting to do it. I appreciate your ex making you do it. Why did she want you to do it?

Ethan 1:02:22
No, actually, I just I just recently told her about it because it popped up saying hey, yeah, I'm doing this podcast, by the way. Oh, she

Scott Benner 1:02:29
didn't know you reached out. Yeah,

Ethan 1:02:31
I reached out. I had seen her on Facebook. Nice. Good for

Scott Benner 1:02:33
you. You enjoyed it. You enjoy doing this? Yeah, absolutely. How come your headset sounds so good. You're like gamer headset?

Ethan 1:02:41
No, actually, from for I just conducted my first interview as a podcast host last week, so I do what I do for I'm into technical marketing. Okay, so yeah, I create content videos and stuff like that. So that's why Oh, no

Scott Benner 1:02:57
kidding. Good for you. That's actually what you sound terrific. So you're off to a good start there. Thank you. I appreciate it. Hold on one second for me. Okay.

A huge thanks to Dexcom for supporting the podcast and for sponsoring this episode dexcom.com/juicebox Go get yourself a Dexcom g7 right now using my link. A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, G voc glucagon, find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com Ford slash juicebox. You spell that? G VOKEGLUC. Ag o n.com. Forward slash juicebox. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, but everybody is welcome type one type two gestational loved ones. It doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes, and you're looking for support, comfort or community check out Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

#1123 After Dark: Clean and Sober

Kat is nurse who is now clean and sober. She grew up in an alcoholic household and began using cocaine at the age of 12, Her daughter has type 1 diabetes. WARNING: sudden mention of sexual assualt and other sensitive topics.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 1123 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Cat grew up in an alcoholic household, she began doing cocaine at the age of 12. And that led to using meth. Her 15 year old daughter has type one diabetes and a few other issues. And it looks here like oh rd and called in a couple of times Hoback at the beginning of using the Dexcom G seven art and had a concern that she didn't know how to fix while she was away at school. It looks like we took care of it on the podcast. Nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink a G one.com/juice box. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, but everybody is welcome type one type two gestational loved ones. It doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes, and you're looking for support, comfort or community check out Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook

this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by cozy Earth cozy earth.com use the offer code juicebox at checkout to save 40% off of the clothing, towels sheets off of everything they have at cozy earth.com us med is sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and we've been getting our diabetes supplies from us med for years. You can as well. Us med.com/juice box or call 888721151 for use the link or the number get your free benefits check it get started today with us med My

Kat 2:13
name is Kat I am a single mother of a type one diabetic who is 1515

Scott Benner 2:23
Oh cat my whole whiteboard is dirty. And my my yp thing is on hold on my thesis little tiny eraser is embarrassing. No one can see it. And it's embarrassing. No erasing this giant whiteboard with like a half inch eraser that I have here. Hold on, you'll be all right. I've been editing like a lunatic for three weeks, so that my wife and I can go visit our kids. Oh, sweet. Oh, I basically made the backroom stuff for the podcast. I basically did three and a half weeks of it in a week and a half. So I'm a little Have you slept? No, not really. Anything so I'm getting to it though. I'll sleep I'm driving to where the kids are. How's that sound?

Kat 3:07
As long as you're not driving,

Scott Benner 3:09
I'll be driving. Okay,

Kat 3:11
so then you can't do that.

Scott Benner 3:14
Alright, cat 15 year old type one. Diagnosed how long ago?

Kat 3:19
And 2018. Okay, do the math you want me

Scott Benner 3:25
to seems like five years ago?

Kat 3:26
It was five years.

Scott Benner 3:28
Okay. So any diabetes in the family? Yes,

Kat 3:34
my will after she was diagnosed, we figured out that my grandfather's brother who died when he was young from diabetes was obviously type one. But it wasn't really talked about. And then a month after she was diagnosed my what would it be? My cousin first cousin. There you go. He was diagnosed but he was like 34 Okay. And then, three months prior to my daughter being diagnosed, I found out that the Son I gave birth to who I gave up for adoption was diabetic. Oh,

Scott Benner 4:14
that's a twist. Can't can't wait to throw a twist in in the first couple of minutes. This is how this how you come correct. Everybody who's listening. Don't Don't slow walk me on this stuff. Get it right out there. Wow. At birth given up for adoption? Yes. Wow. Okay. Okay. That's something. I'm sorry. Were they twins? No.

Kat 4:37
God, no. That would be horrible.

Scott Benner 4:43
Oh, to split. Oh, I see there. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay, so how old is the adopted child older than your 15 year old?

Kat 4:52
Yes. So he just turned 18 Okay,

Scott Benner 4:57
got it. How Do you know when he got diabetes? How did you find out?

Kat 5:04
So, we had an open adoption. Um, so I'm in contact with his, with his mother. And she she'd let me know. She let me know three months before my daughter was diagnosed, but he was diagnosed maybe a year before she was.

Scott Benner 5:21
Okay. So about nine months into his diagnosis, she reached thought to reach out and tell you, yes. Okay. And then, just a few months later, your daughter's diagnosed?

Kat 5:32
Yes. And that I think that was really the way that not the way we found out but my mom kind of clued in to it. When we she was my daughter was having all these issues. She was like, Do you think it could be this? And I was like, No. Like, she's she's not overweight and all of these things. And then I looked up, type one diabetes, and she was just having all of the classic symptoms.

Scott Benner 5:59
Question. That's for my interest and probably not for my child's different fathers. Same fathers.

Kat 6:06
Different fathers. I don't know the father of my birth son. Oh,

Scott Benner 6:12
okay. I don't think I want to ask about that. I don't right. Oh, wait, no matter. Really? Okay. All right, cat. Why don't you know the father of your birthstone?

Kat 6:24
Well, no, I was. I was a troubled teen. That's what it comes down to. I put myself in a predicament at the beach on a family vacation. My grandfather just passed. I didn't care what was going on. I was using drugs and alcohol and just wanted to find a place to have fun. And somebody offered to take me to like a beach party. And we went I was offered a drink. And I don't remember anything after that.

Scott Benner 6:53
I'm sorry. How old were you? I was

Kat 6:56

Oh, gosh.

Scott Benner 6:58
Okay. Does your does the boy know that?

Kat 7:04
No, I don't know. The boy. Yeah.

Scott Benner 7:07
Would would. Would the adopted parents know the story or? No? I told them. Okay. All right. Well, you just sobered the whole thing. Right up cat. Okay. It's okay. I'm so sorry to hear that. But it's fine. But for diabetes purposes. Looks like the type one comes through your family line as my was kind of what Yes. Initially trying to get at before we found this. But you so but you have your daughter when you're 17? Is that right? No, no.

Kat 7:38
I had her when I was 19. Okay, sorry. Okay. 19.

Scott Benner 7:43
Would you have considered yourself still a troubled teen at 19? Or no,

Kat 7:47
by 19? I had, I was in a relationship with somebody who I thought I was going to marry. I had already been to rehab for mental health and addiction. And I think I was in a more stable place. So I would say yes.

Scott Benner 8:07
Gotcha. There was that that took me in a big circle. I was like, Oh my gosh. But I got I understand though, you were like you would made a ton of improvements, but probably weren't as improved as you saw yourself. Is that fair? Oh,

Kat 8:23
100% Yeah, yeah.

Scott Benner 8:25
Wow. Okay, so Geez, you're only you're only 34

Kat 8:30
I am.

Scott Benner 8:31
Well has a big life. And fun. Can I tell you something? Sure. I just started a diabetes podcast. I didn't know it was all gonna go like this. And last week, people will. People will have heard the episode that I'm going to reference right now. By the time by the time yours comes out. Last week, I interviewed a 73 year old woman who had diabetes type one since she was 40. She was misdiagnosed. She had all kinds of trouble. It took a long time for them to figure out she had diabetes so her blood sugar's were kind of like high all the time. She thought she had mental health issues because of how like, you know, oddly, her brain was working but turns out her blood sugar was just high. She divorced her husband because of this never had children because of it. embarked on a three year lesbian relationship came back out of that. And like she's telling me this whole big story. And we're maybe 45 minutes into it. And all I could think about was like, wow, like if you live long enough, like look at the perspective you gain because this woman was so happy and and just healthy and and you know what I mean? Like really interesting. And then I don't know what happened. We must have gotten to the point where she was so comfortable while we were talking. She discloses that she was molested at 10 years old by a by a family member. Wow. And if my takeaway I'm telling you right now, my takeaway after speaking with her for that long was people can get through anything really impressive, like just the like where she is now compared to all of the things that she had gone through, you would think that would create just a broken person, but it didn't. It really can. It can. Sure it can. Yeah, but like, I'm just fascinated that anybody could have gotten through something like that. And hers. Her story was just, it's incredible. Like, it's gonna be shocking. While you're listening to it. Like it's gonna come out of nowhere. And it really ended. It shocked me. I didn't know what to say. Because she was because she was also I don't know, if everybody knows older people, but you lose your like your filter a little bit like she did. She was very just direct about what happened to her. And I was I was so stunned. I couldn't talk. So it was it was really something but I'm asking you now because in my mind, you've had a few of her experiences. And I'm wondering, you know, they're about at 34 How far to free and easy 73 year old cat Are you? The podcast is sponsored today, by the place where I kept my oh gosh, my sheets, my towels, some of my clothing. A lot of the things that I stay warm are comfortable with cozy earth.com I'm wearing a pair of cozy Earth joggers right now, I've recently gotten another pair in a different color. I sleep on cozy Earth sheets. They're so comfortable and soft and temperate, temperate, meaning I'm never hot or cold. Which is really saying something because my wife loves to turn that giant fan on but they keep me nice and warm without making me like sweaty or moist. You know what I mean? Want to be moist while you're sleeping. And then of course, the waffle towels I use every day to dry off my bits and parts. After I've showered cozy earth.com use the offer code juice box at checkout to save 40% off of your entire order. I'm not saying 40% off of one item, I'm saying 40% off of everything you put in the cart, cozy earth.com use the offer code juice box at checkout. diabetes comes with a lot of things to remember. So it's nice when someone takes something off of your plate. US med has done that for us. When it's time for art and supplies to be refreshed. We get an email rolls up in your inbox says hi Arden. This is your friendly reorder email from us med. You open up the email. It's a big button that says click here to reorder. And you're done. Finally, somebody taking away a responsibility instead of adding one. US med has done that for us. An email arrives, we click on a link and the next thing you know your products are at the front door. That simple. Us med.com/juice box or call 888-721-1514 I never have to wonder if Arden has enough supplies. I click on one link. I opened up a box. I put the stuff in the drawer. And we're done. US med carries everything from insulin pumps, and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGM like the libre three, and the Dexcom G seven. They accept Medicare nationwide, over 800 private insurers. And all you have to do to get started is called 888-721-1514. Or go to my link us med.com/juicebox using that number or my link helps to support the production of the Juicebox Podcast.

Kat 13:52
I think I'm pretty much there.

Scott Benner 13:53
Wow. That's so cool.

Kat 13:55
I yeah, I I mean, just life throws curveballs at you. And you either deal with them or you don't what helped you get through all that? My daughter probably the fact that I'm a single parent, I don't have another choice.

Scott Benner 14:12
But you know other people just are bad parents in that situation. They don't take the choice you took you don't know why

Kat 14:18
you well. I wasn't always like this though. Oh, definitely not. All right. So I mean, I've I've relapsed after being sober for 10 years. You know, I've I've definitely made mistakes along the way. But I don't know you just get older and something just clicks in you. Yeah. You're like, All right, enough is

Scott Benner 14:36
enough. Were you ever a 22 year old girl and Black Sabbath t shirt in an arcade holding the baby?

Kat 14:42
No. Black that was not my thing. But no,

Scott Benner 14:48
I'm sorry, was it it was an inexpensive shirt.

Kat 14:51
No, it'd be more like Tupac or something.

Scott Benner 14:54
I gotcha. Oh, that's. How about that? Well, good. I mean, listen, I'm gonna congratulate you but does it Feel like luck. Does it feel like hard work? Or does it feel like a blend?

Kat 15:06
I think a blend. I don't think I'm fully done growing in that aspect. But I'm trying, I'm getting there. And I need to quit saying, I'm sorry, you're

Scott Benner 15:17
fine. I don't care what the hell you say keep talking. You're doing great. I have three words written down in front of me. But if, or excuse me, so an arm. But so those are the words that I say, No, those are the words. I try not to say. Oh, yeah, I tried a lot. Um, I use when I'm thinking sometimes, but I don't know. I think it's the pressure to talk because I'm being recorded. Because in real life, I don't say it. Yeah. So I could see that. Yes. So is a connecting word. And I just need to like I know other connecting words, but I get lazy. And I say so a lot. Anyway, see there? I could have said so. But I said anyway. Good job. Yes. Thank you very much. I'll be good at this. By the time I'm done doing it maybe was just fascinating. Like, did you have good family support? Like, am I picturing you and your Tupac shirt? Your mom at home like June Cleaver? Or is your mom at home having her own troubles?

Kat 16:20
I had amazing family support. Complicated. My dad is an alcoholic functioning. My mother is currently going through rehab of for alcoholism and mental health. So it's, it's shifted a little bit but I'm my extended family, my aunts and everybody, my brother. Just constant support

Scott Benner 16:46
for nice. That's excellent. So I'm gonna tell you, I think that alcohol is probably the most dangerous substance I've seen people use. I mean, it's awful. Yeah, I mean, I guess heroin, maybe you know, or, like, yeah, in that kind of like, legal,

Kat 17:01
the worst legal. Even, like,

Scott Benner 17:04
when you get up into the, the opioids, then obviously, there's another danger there. But I mean, you know, things that people do to alleviate their pressure and stress, you know, we like drinking like drinking really men just, it just gets some people in a way. You know, and and the impact it has on their children is always, always there. You don't you don't grow up with alcoholic parents and not have a big bag tied around your neck that you're dragging. That's for sure. Well, okay. Why the hell are you on this podcast? Cat just the freak me out on a Monday morning? Or you got more further than that? What did you? What did you decide that you wanted to come on for?

Kat 17:44
I don't know. You know, it was one of those things where you signed up because you thought it was a good idea. And then you were like, What did I do? Yeah, one of those moments, my wife

Scott Benner 17:53
has that look on her face a lot.

Kat 17:57
No, I just thought it was just interesting how I've the combination of finding out how my childhood diabetes had to do with my mom connecting it to us just being told about my son having my birth son having been diagnosed. So I just thought that was interesting.

Scott Benner 18:17
It is it is but so you think that basically hearing the story about him then planted the seeds in your head so that when your daughter started to get sick, you saw something you maybe never would have seen otherwise? Oh,

Kat 18:30
no, I didn't see anything. He was your mom. My mom. Yes, no, my daughter was hours from being dead. Oh my gosh, he looked like an I don't want to offend anybody. But she looked like, you know, the emaciated bone. Just skin and bone that you see in third world countries like it was. It was shocking. And I just kept telling my family like, I know something's wrong. Like she's, where are her muscles. She's so athletic. And she had no muscle. And it was always, you know, the usual she's growing her her weight hasn't, you know, come back from her growing inches and blah, blah, blah.

Scott Benner 19:11
How quickly do you think that transformation happened?

Kat 19:13
I think about two months. Because I remember the last like picture I saw of her was in July at my aunt's birthday party, where she looked quote unquote, normal. And then after that, it was just downhill

Scott Benner 19:31
happens really quickly. Shocking. Yeah. Yeah, it did. And it just, it's just slow enough that people around you can say things like, oh, it's probably a growth spurt. But you could tell. No. But you're also what like what stops you from? From like, I don't know, moving this to an emergent problem like calling a doctor or something like that.

Kat 19:54
It's because she was not. I'm a nurse and I know what I pulled over my A parent's eyes and I'm not going to be you know, that same parent. So, like, I would never let her stay home from school, because she was eating. She didn't have fever. You know, none of the signs were there where you know something's wrong. So I just didn't clue in on it. There was an excuse for everything. Issues. You can excuse everything away. Is she a good kid? Amazing. Yeah.

Scott Benner 20:25
Is it a failure? Like you can't stay home from school? I know. You're gonna make a bomb. Yeah. You're not inviting 20 boys over here. I'm 12. Like, so? You just you're defending against the things you remember in your life? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It was interesting. But she's not like that, right?

Kat 20:45
Not at all. I don't know how she's my child. Or she's way better

Scott Benner 20:49
at hiding it than you are. I'm just kidding. Oh, that's right. Yeah. So you were like, press on get going. We're not giving. And yet she was she was on her way out. What was her? You know, her blood sugar when they leave took her in? How did you end up with the hospital.

Kat 21:09
So it started with my daughter throwing up at school, but she had PE first Ariat her first period. So I was like, Well, she didn't eat anything. Of course, she's gonna throw up. And then she had soccer practice after school. And she threw up there. And I was like, well, she just ate of course, she's gonna grow up. And then she just didn't feel well at all. And my daughter cannot take medication at all. Like, her gag reflex is awful. And I said, Okay, if you take medication, I won't let you go to school tomorrow. I won't make you go to school tomorrow. So she took it and she slept that whole entire day. Not one time did she wake up? But the next day I told her like, you don't have fever, you're gonna gonna go to school. And that's when my mom stepped in and said, hey, you know, like, she really doesn't feel well. Why don't you you know, let her stay home. Let's take her to the doctor. But because of my job, I'm a home health nurse. I have patients that I've already scheduled. And so I couldn't take her. So my two aunts who are amazing. They took her to the doctor's office. And as soon as they saw her, they rushed her to the hospital. I was actually draining along when I got the call that she was diabetic.

Scott Benner 22:18
Why you just named the episode Aqua alone. Good job, cat. Fantastic. Do you think people know Jethro Tull? Probably not right? Doesn't matter.

Kat 22:29
I have no clue what you're talking about. He's

Scott Benner 22:30
gonna say you don't know, either. I'm still writing it down. Well, that's crazy. And you know, what it really highlights to me is how the idea of death is the last thing your brain will consider. Because I mean, come on. She threw up in the morning. She threw up in the afternoon. She slept an entire day away. And you were like, go to school? Yeah, yeah. But it's just because your brain won't your brain doesn't go there. It's the same thing when like people smoke, or they're like, I won't get lung cancer. Like, it's, it's that thing. Like even when presented with it. People will say no, it's not going to be me. And so it's a perseverance gene. I think it's why we we persist as as a you know, as humans, but it also in these specific circumstances, makes people press on when pressing on is not the right answer anymore. But yeah, your mom, huh? Good for her. Yes, yeah. And she didn't have any trouble. She didn't have any trouble telling you sometimes in a, like a mother daughter relationship. She might have thought that and kept it to herself.

Kat 23:38
I'm sure she was very scared to tell me. But I'm thankful she did. You

Scott Benner 23:44
mean after all the stuff that happened while she was raising you? She was probably like, I don't need this kid flipping out. Can you tell me for certain that you have stood in your kitchen screaming at your mom and your lifetime?

Kat 23:56
Oh, I can't tell you how many times you wish you could go back 100% It's still happening at the current moment, but only because of the things that my mom's going through right now.

Scott Benner 24:09
Is she having health issues? Mental health issues

Kat 24:13
and addiction. She's literally in rehab right now. Oh, I

Scott Benner 24:17
see. Oh, wow. Now you're Oh, wow. Hey, what did they what do they say? Now the master becomes the apprentice and the apprentice becomes that what is that? Exactly? The student becomes the teacher. So the thing she was watching you do urinal watching her do, huh? Wow. But she didn't have these issues earlier in life.

Kat 24:38
I think the alcoholism, yes. But my dad was an alcohol alcoholic. So everything was focused on him. And I think hers just kind of went to the wayside and then she had like a mental breakdown. And Christmas of last year, and it just increased everything. The alcoholism increased, which then affected her mental health, which then my brother and I stepped in and got her some help. Gotcha.

Scott Benner 25:15
Were they just propping each other up while they were together with the alcoholic stuff? Like they were just looking out for each other keep at it, like, are they functioning, very

Kat 25:25
functioning? Yeah, that's, that's the worst is a functioning alcoholic because they don't see wrong in anything they're doing because they're still able to hold a job, they're still able to, you know, make money and, and do the everyday things that everyone else does.

Scott Benner 25:39
That's the same thing I just said, except focus a different way. Like they they think like, it's okay, we got a goal and I'm getting up in the morning I do the things I'm supposed to do. It's not me, you know, they don't see the end, they don't see the end. Like if you go back 15 years and tell your mom like, Hey, you're gonna have a breakdown and like, you know, have mental health issues and blah, blah, blah. She goes, oh my god, I got this all together. It's interesting. Yeah. 100% Yeah, I'm sorry. That's that's a lot. And you're able to hold on to your sobriety while this is all going on. I am six Why do you think what do you what what keeps you where you're at? My

Kat 26:16
child? Just, I mean, there's no other option. It's not that it's not there. I do work every day to curb the the cravings and thoughts and once and all of that. And it does get easier over time. But it's just I mean, I've seen it I've seen it just destroy my family in a different form. Obviously, I was into drugs and my alcohol is usually the the substance that is affecting many of my other family members. But it's does the same thing. It just tears everybody apart.

Scott Benner 26:49
When you were younger. What what kinds of drugs? I

Kat 26:53
started with cocaine. And then in rehab. I switched to meth.

Scott Benner 27:01
Yeah, there you go. Yeah, jump right in cat. Yeah, no. skipped right over all of the stuff that like you were just like, Wait, I don't wait. It's not enough. I'm gonna go right there. Yeah. Wow. And

Kat 27:15
then I think because my dad smoked weed that I was just like, I'm not doing that. I'm gonna be better than him and not smoke weed.

Scott Benner 27:23
I'll do an upscale drug like, okay, yeah, good for you. Wait a way to pull together. I heard you laugh under your voice when you said in rehab I started using.

Kat 27:33
Because it's crazy. I think about it now. And I'm like that. It just is. It's, it's sad, honestly, because it's a place where you're supposed to go to get better. And it's the place where I found more connections, I found people who were like me who are going through similar things, who had their own dealers and their own connections. And then we were just a bunch of people. If you weren't in the mindset of actually getting better. We were just a bunch of people with all these connections. Now, ya

Scott Benner 28:02
know, it's like the Lions Club for meth. You're like, yeah, these guys all get together in a room drink coffee and like, trade phone numbers. Wow, that's fascinating. And then the people and there are people that are really like on the right path, and they just don't. You don't bother with them. The other people are running. You can tell business. Yeah. And it's and it's all money focused, I would imagine, too, right? Like you're trying to sell or, you know, sell so that you have more like, oh, wow, it's just, it's all the same thing. It's the same thing is the as the functioning alcoholic thing, except you're trying to be a functioning meth user. How long does that work for by the way? And do you have? Oh, God, I do have all my teeth for you.

Kat 28:46
I don't know how long that lasted. That's crazy.

Scott Benner 28:48
What's the difference? Between I can't play with a mask? And what's the difference between the highs from cocaine to meth?

Kat 28:56
So what my memory sucks because of it? I think I have a little bit of brain damage going on because of it. But I think that the the transition from cocaine to meth was necessary because the, I mean, I was using so much cocaine, that it was falling out of my nose because my nose was so inflamed that nothing else could go in. And so the need to do more and do more was there and mess. You know, like, surpass that. So

Scott Benner 29:28
let's talk about delivery. Yeah, yeah. Wow, that's interesting. How do you How does I mean? I'm assuming there was a rock bottom moment. How did you get out of it? I guess like what precipitates getting out of it. I

Kat 29:44
don't recall the exact moment but nothing happened. I just, I actually so I went into rehab after having a breakdown from not having Any more cocaine. I contacted my mom and she said I was freaking out. And she called my therapist and my therapist put me in, but it was it was, what, two or three months after I gave my son up for adoption. So it's a thought it was due to depression. They didn't know about my drug use until I entered rehab. And the therapist kind of brought it out of me, and then he snitched on me, which I thought he couldn't do because patient, Doctor confidentiality, saw

Scott Benner 30:33
that on Grey's Anatomy, and you were like, I'll be okay. I can tell them.

Kat 30:36
Yeah, apparently, it's out words.

Scott Benner 30:39
I didn't realize that this was all happening when you were so young. Yes, yeah.

Kat 30:44
And a funny not but not funny. The place I went, is currently where my mother is.

Scott Benner 30:53
Did full circle did you get like a punch card? Like a referral service? Do you know? I asked? Can I get anything for free? If all of us come?

Kat 31:02
Yeah, we'll keep you in business.

Scott Benner 31:04
Is it possible to have a relationship during the life you're describing? I know, you said you're a single mom over and over again. But like, did you try? Yeah,

Kat 31:13
cuz I have bouts where I was not using. I mean, I was sober for 10 years. Until I decided Mali was the thing that I wanted to try. It wasn't out when I was using. So let's give it a go.

Scott Benner 31:26
Where does that come from? Where does that try to find that thought for me. You've been sober for 10 years, your kid you're doing your thing. It's all going right. And then one day, you're like, hey, you know what I should do? Molly.

Kat 31:39
I had, I had a bad influence. My best friend. She was is an addict. And I think she just allowed me to give myself the okay to do it. She came back into my life. Like when I was sober. I cut her out of my life because it was too much. And for some reason, she comes around every once in a while. And if I let her in, my life turns to shit. Yeah. And that's exactly what happened. I let her in. And then she's, you know, in that state, and it just kind of sucks you back in? And what and? I mean, it just took over again.

Scott Benner 32:19
Does it look fun? Or inviting? Or how do you like when you see her? Hi, what are you? What's the thought? It

Kat 32:24
looks like a mess. It's not it's not a pretty sight, but I'm not her. So our our two ways of, of how we are when we're using are completely different. So I am more of a functioning? Well, I would think I thought of myself as more of a functioning user until I couldn't stop using.

Scott Benner 32:44
Yeah, I was gonna say that's the interpretation from a person who called her mom to call her mom to complain. There wasn't enough cocaine. So mom, I need help. Okay. Like, you know, I just can't get enough coke. So I called my mom again. That's, yeah, I guess while you're doing it, you don't know. But when you're hearing it as the person who's so stupid, yeah, you're like, Oh, wow. That's, it's like, it's like, if you ever heard that there's a great, a great audio clip online. Back before the internet was so like, full of video and stuff like that, where this guy just calls 911. And he's like, hello, I'm dead. And they're like, yes. And he's, he's just he's tried to like, eat like a pot Brown. He's like an older man. He had a pot brownie for the first time he calls the cops to tell them that he died. And that it's because he ate weed and he needs help. Yes, I have heard that. That's great. In my mind, that's you call it your mom.

Kat 33:43
Pretty much. Like who's the last person

Scott Benner 33:45
I should tell that I'm using cocaine to? I'm gonna go with my mom. And then and then I'm gonna complain about availability. Wow, that's crazy. Did your nose hold up? Did it didn't collapse that

Kat 33:56
I have hold on my septum. But yeah, that's good.

Scott Benner 34:01
You know, the comedian Artie Lange? I do not his his whole nose collapsed. It's it's just it's the

Kat 34:08
it's the crazy you're about to say fantastic. I

Scott Benner 34:10
know. But I didn't mean fantastic in the way of like, it's amazing. Fantastic. Like, it's fantastic in in how like, insane. It is. Like, yeah, like, by the way you can use fantastic in different ways. I didn't mean but I did stop myself because I was like, I don't want to explain what I mean. But it's just it's so crazy. And just unlike anything I've ever seen in my life. And, and yet, it doesn't matter, right? Because when your friend comes along with the MOLLE you're like, I won't. I want it up like that. Not me. Not me is how is the phrase that gets everybody into trouble. I won't get pregnant. It's okay, go ahead.

Kat 34:52
You can just you think you can just try a little and you'll you'll be okay. And some people can and that's and that's very uh, setting, but some people can actually do that. Gambling

Scott Benner 35:02
is no different than this either. It's all sort of the same stuff. Yeah, just make a bet. placed one bet. And then the next thing you know, it's three weeks later, and you're like, cool. I'd

Kat 35:13
like to gamble too. Yeah. Well, I

Scott Benner 35:15
bet you do. Call on your Yeah. Call it but so this sounds like a family thing.

Kat 35:19
Oh, yeah. Yeah. My brother had a gambling problem. Yeah, I think addiction is just like, embedded in my family.

Scott Benner 35:26
Is it wrong for me to ask what genre you are? Your family? You know, I mean, guys, Irish. You Italian? What are you? Exactly?

Kat 35:34
We are Polish. English. I think there are some Irish in there.

Scott Benner 35:41
Okay. All right. All right. Okay. So I love so far my favorite part of this conversation is that you thought you were going to be interesting on the podcast, because of the way your mom figured out that your kid had diabetes. Holan Ardens. Colony? This never happens. Give me a second. Yes, sir. Our exam, right. I'm recording. Is this like a big thing? What do you need? You have a tie that a question. Okay. Can Can people hear it? Can I record it? Or do you want to keep it private? Good. That means switch your it's your Dexcom. Yeah, well, you're into your grace period, which means like 12 hours ago, it would have told you or something like that. But it only takes it only takes 30 minutes to warm up. So just pop it on. All right. Good luck. God, God, God, what do you got? Hold on. Sorry, I can't I'll be right back on. I'm in the middle of talking to cat. She's living a life of addiction. And she's clean now. And now we're talking about your Dexcom? Don't be sorry, it's fine. You're fine. You just need to switch your Dexcom the g7? You can but yeah, you can you can you're not going to have numbers for 30 minutes. If you do that. You can also put the new one on. And then 30 aren't good luck. Bye. I have a diabetic question.

Kat 37:01
I thought she had been wearing the g7

Scott Benner 37:03
or second one. So she didn't know that. Yeah, so she's had g7 on one time while I was there for a trip just to test it so that we'd know. She could switch on our own college while I wasn't there. Then she made the switch. So her like her first one, she switched out, you know, 10 days. This one apparently she got there into like finals now. And everything like she's running around like a lunatic trying to keep up with with school. And it sounds like the the new g7 has a grace period, which is kind of terrific. Because you know, otherwise, this one would have shut down at the end of 10 days. So she just gets this notification like your grace periods over in an hour. But she's got to be at class and our she's like, what does that mean? Like it means to get a change. What she wouldn't let me tell her is that the grace periods over and an hour, so she's gonna swap them real quickly and then not have data for a half hour, she could actually put a new g7 on, wait 30 minutes, then swap them. And she'd never be without data. But that seemed like that as she was rushing through the door, and I heard doors banging and everything. And she's running back to her room to get a Dexcom. I think perhaps that might have been too much information. So I'll cover that when I see her in a couple of weeks. Anyway, I said like I'm talking to cat and cats like blah, blah, blah. And she goes well, I'm sorry, but hold on.

Kat 38:27
It's very important.

Scott Benner 38:28
She doesn't she doesn't call me and it wasn't a FaceTime. That's how I knew like she actually needed something. Cuz Yeah, she's trying to connect quickly. Whereas when they just want to chat like they pop up on FaceTime and stuff like that. So anyway, no worries. My amusement is that you thought the the interesting part of this conversation, but was about your mom, but did you really think that you listen to the podcast? Of course I do. You knew we were going to talk about this then. Yeah. Did you want to talk about it? Do you think? I don't care? If it I mean, like subconsciously, did you think I'll go on that podcast and we'll talk about this stuff? I'm trying to figure out if people come here for therapy. Yes.

Kat 39:05
You know, I did just sign up with BetterHelp. So I am definitely in need of therapy. Cat.

Scott Benner 39:11
Did you use my link better? help.com forward slash juicebox? I sure did they give you 10% off your first month of therapy when you signed up? They sure did. Wow. That's amazing. Thank you.

Kat 39:21
It does amazing. Thank you. Yeah,

Scott Benner 39:23
let me know. I'd love to know how it goes actually. Well, yeah, it was it's one of those things. A lot of companies come to me and they want to buy ads, which is cool. Like I'm happy about that. But I try to keep this stuff very focused on what I think the listeners might generally need or want. And this one just like I just kept thinking, therapy, you know, as many people as I speak to who I kind of quietly in my head think this person needs to go to therapy, and I never really say it out loud. I always think like access to it must be the biggest problem for people like that actually, like getting up off your ass and go into someone's office and sitting down probably feels like a bridge too far. And I thought, Yeah, I wonder if this like virtual therapy thing isn't isn't good for people. So anyway, hopefully, hopefully it all works out and it's good. A good experience. Yep. Yeah. So you just want to talk to somebody, I need to talk to somebody, because if not, go ahead what happens?

Kat 40:19
I'm going to hurt my mother.

Scott Benner 40:24
When I thought you're gonna Okay, wow. I'm

Kat 40:30
trying to finally like being an adult, you know, and I've tried to set boundaries with her and it's just not getting through. And I'm, yeah, I think everybody needs therapy. Everybody should have like a required therapy session once a month or something. It's very necessary.

Scott Benner 40:49
I'm using weego V to lose weight. Right. And by the way, I got up this morning, and I'm down like, I think I'm like 19 or 20 pounds now. Crazy in two months. Right. And I just that thank you, I, I feel so much better. And like all this other stuff, right. But I recorded with Erica the other day, who's the therapist, because I was experiencing this hollow feeling around food, which threw me off because I'm not like a foodie to begin with. And but I guess I don't spend as much time prepping food, shopping, cooking, eating, cleaning up like that whole, like everybody knows, like, although a ton of work that goes into food, right? And I'm not doing that any longer to that degree. And I started feeling like I was missing something. Like I honestly had like a hollow feeling. And I asked Erica to come on to talk about it. And we're talking about it. And like 45 minutes into the conversation we're somehow talking about, like, when I was a kid, and like all this stuff. And she's reminding people like, I'm not Scott's therapist. But all I can say is that probably every thought you're having, you know, maybe one in two of them stems from something you don't consider. So yeah, yeah. Anyway, I feel really good. And I know. But it was nice to talk to her. And now, by the way, like that hollow feeling that I described, since I spoke to her. I haven't had any more. Yeah, that's crazy. Oh, yes. So makes you wonder what would happen if your, your parents would have talked to somebody? You know, 50 years ago, the first time they were like, I have to drink to get through a day? Mm hmm.

Kat 42:34
Yeah. Just so that was normal back then. Oh,

Scott Benner 42:38
sure. Oh, yeah. That was like get sick, or there were cigarettes. And for your nerves, right? Like I would I would? Do you know, I grew up with people who said they smoke cigarettes to calm their stomach. Well, that's a very common thing you would hear from people I just smoke a cigarette, it calms my stomach down. So, you know, I don't think it's crazy. Then people's understanding of every everything just changes so greatly, like generation after generation. Like I was talking to Jenny and like a diabetes like myth episode. And I said, if you would have told my mom that the like, the sugar water in our refrigerator when I was growing up that we drank by the gallon, day after day after day, right? If you would have told my mom that wasn't good for you, she would have looked at you and like pointed to the label and said there's there's lemons, lemons, grown trees. You don't I mean, look, there's a picture of a lemon on it. A lemon is a fruit. I'm giving you something healthy. Yeah. So yeah, people don't don't get it. But now you're you're caught in the middle, like you, you get it, because now there's more information in the world and you understand, but you also grew up with them. So I'm assuming your life's goal. Like if I asked you what your life's goal is around parenting, I think you're going to say what I'm thinking, but I'm going to ask you anyway. You just you, I felt pressure. Not a lot of pressure. But here's what I think. I think you're trying very hard for your daughter not to grow up the way you grew up. Yes. 100%. Right. Is it? Is it working?

Kat 44:08
I think so. I mean, I think the proof is in the pudding of her just being such an amazing person that nobody in my family understands how she's my child, because everybody my family knows me. So it just doesn't those who just don't add up.

Scott Benner 44:22
Well, that's so that's your level of like, of measurement. You're like people think that's not my kid, so that's a good but don't you think here I'll be your therapist for a second cat. Okay. Couldn't you have been that person with the right upbringing? I don't know. You could have been. You definitely.

Kat 44:44
Then it would have been something else.

Scott Benner 44:45
Maybe? I don't know. Like, do you think that the the addiction thing is burned into your brain or do you think it's something you learned? Both

Kat 44:57
I grew up in a very small town there was nothing to do Oh, besides get in trouble.

Scott Benner 45:02
Yeah, that that one baffles me a little bit like the small town lot of drugs thing like Midwestern like, that kind of like thing like, right like why is it when you're in a small town? It's like well, there's nothing to do so we did math, which is a hell of a way to go into a movie. And and like, oh, I grew up in a big city and we're always partying so we did this. Like, like, it's the is the boredom that crazy? Yeah. It just goes on and on day after day, hour after hour, not Yeah,

Kat 45:35
I mean, there, there was the only thing there was to do in my town was go to Sonic and hold that

Scott Benner 45:41
thought. Hi, yards. What's up? Okay, go ahead. It says the sensor failed. Okay, well, then just follow the instructions and start a new one. I mean, I don't know. I'm not there. I don't know what happened. Right. Yeah. Replace this answer. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So we're very new with this one. So I don't know if there's a workaround for that. So I would just start another one. Yeah, yeah. That sucks. I know. You're, you're short on time. Okay, go ahead and do that. Good luck, by when it rains candidate pours.

Kat 46:32
Of course, when she has finals. She's

Scott Benner 46:34
like, I'm all done. It says like, you know, I did the whole thing. I paired the Bluetooth blah, blah, blah. It's all ready to go. And then like seven minutes into the warm up, it said sensor failure. And I don't know if that's a thing that would have like, gone away. Like, you know, because sometimes Yeah, but these things like it. Can give it a second. Yeah, yeah. It'll just be okay. I don't know what hell let it go. Wait, just swap it. I have extras here. I'll bring an extra receipt or in a week so I can bring an extra one with me. Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. Sonic.

Kat 47:08
Sonic. Yes. Yeah. That was about the biggest thing there was to do. Yeah, we had an outdoor volleyball court. So it was like, better than most people Sonics. But when the whole city is there, or the town? You know, it just that's, that's all you have to do?

Scott Benner 47:25
Do you think that if there was more to do, there'd be less drug use?

Kat 47:29
Possibly. But you're just stuck in like, the small town is great to grow up in but you got to get out or you'll never get out. Like you get stuck. And it's just generation after generation just gets stuck. They're doing the same jobs, the same family jobs running the same, you know, family operations, and it's just so stagnant. But they're just so afraid to leave?

Scott Benner 47:51
Yeah, it's boring. Yeah, your brain just shuts off. I got it. Okay. And then you drink. Or you try coax like bracing? Right? Like, zoom? Yeah, yeah. Okay. Wow. And when is the first time you used? How

Kat 48:10
old? Maybe? 12.

Scott Benner 48:14
Wow. Wow, that's crazy. Where do you get it from it? 12 anywhere?

Kat 48:21
Yeah, I mean, I it started with my friend, that best friend of mine. That's not a good influence person to have. Yeah. It started with her. Just having connections with her. And then you kind of

Scott Benner 48:36
you always have access to it, then that old like parenting chestnut of like, keeping the bad kids away from your kids. It's really a good thing to do.

Kat 48:42
It's really a good thing to do. Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner 48:45
How many friends? Do you allow your daughter to have one?

Kat 48:50
No, I mean, it's just, she's just different. Even though she has like some friends where I'm kinda like, yeah, she reminds me exactly of my old best friend. My daughter is not influenced by any of that she could care less. She's like, not into boys. She's just about school and sports. It's amazing.

Scott Benner 49:11
It's not exactly birds of a feather flock together then like it's, it's, it's a little bit of, you know, once you're there, how do you handle it? Yeah, and some people hate

Kat 49:20
I mean, she'll, she'll call me if she's uncomfortable, you know, and want to come home. Just again. I don't know how she's my child.

Scott Benner 49:28
Hey, I don't know if this is an uncomfortable question. But her father is he an addictive personality?

Kat 49:33
No. Okay. I don't think he ever did drugs or anything.

Scott Benner 49:40
Or anything.

Kat 49:44
For actually here, I think he was addicted to porn, so maybe he does.

Scott Benner 49:49
I was gonna say like, you were the bad influence in his life.

Kat 49:51
I actually met him. afterwards. Our rehab group had a party at his apartment. That's how I met him. Your

Scott Benner 50:00
rehab group had a party at his apartment. But that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Whenever the rehab group gets together, I think you go No, thanks. I can't go. What are you? What are you all is just looking for for customers? I gotcha. Well, yeah, it's like a built in Salesforce. Yeah. Really? Is that something? But if you gave everybody money, like if you like you thought about Utopia from it where you've money wasn't important. The boredom would still be there. So yeah, what your

Kat 50:34
real money? I was gonna say 12

Scott Benner 50:37
Were the like, that was the thing. I was like, how did you afford a 12 years old? I just feel bubblegum. I was like, I can't, I don't know. Five cents. So

Kat 50:46
I just never ate lunch. But I always needed lunch money.

Scott Benner 50:50
I see. You used your lunch money for cocaine when you were 12. I did. That's something else. You shouldn't be on this podcast should be should be on like 2020. No, thank you, or I should be getting more of respect as an interviewer one or the other. Okay, wow. That's crazy. Okay, so hold on. That one got me. Like I literally like I do remember being like, pinched, pinched for like shoplifting bubble gum once. And my parents they punished me. I sat in a room for a week, a week, in a bedroom with no television. No radio. No nothing during my summer vacation. That's how my parents handled me shoplifting like 20 cents worth of bubblegum.

Kat 51:41
You're not supposed to get caught.

Scott Benner 51:43
You know what? Looking back, I am disappointed in myself. I'll tell you what, I worked in that 711 As a teenager, I never caught anybody stealing anything.

Kat 51:58
Yeah, you really suck at that turns

Scott Benner 51:59
out I'm no good on either end of that problem. Oh, that's hilarious. But I'll tell you what, like at the end of those seven days, they let me out of that bedroom. Felt like it felt like they opened the doors at Rikers Island for the first time. Like, I was like, I will steal anything. Thank you for letting me out.

Kat 52:21
Maybe that's what my parents should have done to me. Yeah,

Scott Benner 52:24
that's the 70s right there. They were like you're a problem. Get in there. Like lovely. They fed you. I'm glad there was a room now that I'm thinking about it. Could have been in a closet who would have known? They did feed me. Although, I don't know. I'm thinking back on myself. I probably could have skipped a meal or two back then it might not have been a problem. The way they were feeding me sugar, water and bread with cheese. Here have more bread. Yeah, I have some bread with cheese and a glass of sugar. Thank you. Let's find a way to blame them cat. Maybe my brain wasn't working right because of my nutrition. Oh my god. So you had some money? That's craziness. Wow, did you move you didn't get away, you're near your mom.

Kat 53:07
I did move. I moved out of the small town when I was a sophomore, to be more competitive in sports, because we didn't have a lot of scouts coming down to the small town. And that just allowed me to have more I saw i i moved to a very, like, I would say like rich white school. And the first day I was there, I was going in to take my entrance entrance exams. And some kid walked up to me and offered me drugs. And I was like, and I was like, I was like I y'all do that here. Like I I was just in disbelief. And then I'm like, Well, of course they do. They have more access to it. They have money, they can get these things. But it was just so shocking, that I left this small town and came to a place that had it even worse.

Scott Benner 54:00
Wow. What What sport were you trying to excel in?

Kat 54:04
Everything? Volleyball soccer track.

Scott Benner 54:07
We had all that coke energy, I guess so.

Kat 54:11
Yeah, you know what? It never really affected me. I don't know how I really don't know how I got through it. I shouldn't be alive right now. But I know

Scott Benner 54:18
we're joking about it. Because it's kind of horrible. But like it's yeah, interesting and, and fascinating. Yeah, so you got there. And did you think this will help me like, oh, by the way, you facilitated a move as a sophomore?

Kat 54:32
Yeah, so we had volleyball tryouts. And I didn't make a team and my dad, which is crazy because I was the best person on the team. And the coach didn't like me, because I had an ego. But after they didn't put me on a team, literally that same day, my dad went up there yelled at them, made them cry, and we moved

Scott Benner 54:56
crazy drunk energy your dad had something like that. He's like we're getting out of here. Like that's it over this. Maybe your dad really thought like, maybe he was trying to do. I mean, it's hard to look back and see people doing things. So obviously wrong and believe that they were still had good motivations too, but maybe your dad was like, I can get her out of here. Like maybe he was trying to save you, you know? Maybe Yeah, it's hard for you to think of it that way. Because you probably think he's an asshole. But like shitting Apple, the function? Yes. Oh, look at you trying to rename the episode again. To try but I can't put an S hole in the title. So isn't it something if you don't have a functioning asshole, you're in a lot of trouble. You really are. No kidding. But then in that situation, not what you're looking for. Boom. Okay, so you go to another high school. Okay. All right. That's enough. I can't take any more of your life. Let me ask you about diabetes stuff. Literally, your, your Friday, I'm going to be doing cocaine before this is over. So recommended. No, don't worry, I'm good. I'm not going to be doing that. diabetes stuff. So you're raising a kid for the last handful of years. Whereas type one you didn't have much to knowledge of it. You're, you know, you're prone to, you know, kind of turning to drugs if you have problems and things like that. So can you talk a little bit about after her diagnosis, like what was her able and see like, how high was her blood sugar when you guys figured it out? And then how have you been managing moving forward?

Kat 56:35
So in the hospital, she was like, 600 700. So Ray, once he was around, like 13, or 14, we had, I think, the luck of the draw, honestly, the doctor that was on call when my daughter was admitted, is still her current doctor. And she's amazing. She set us up for success. You know, we got the JDRF backpack and all of that stuff which had a an omni pod and it I don't think it had the Dexcom information in there. But we left the hospital on just pins and a glucometer. And then I notified my my birth son's mother, you know that my daughter just got diagnosed and the first thing she told me was good index calm. So she was the one who informed me about the ducks calm. So we were on the Dexcom shortly after that. And we stayed on MDI for about a year and then we switched to the Omni pod and use that up until two months ago when she finally switched to the Omni pod five.

Scott Benner 57:40
Wow, how are you finding that? Ami pod five.

Kat 57:43
Good and bad. Yeah. So her her school struck? I don't know what she what happens to her when she goes to school, but it just cannot keep up with her. Like we're just feeding it insulin, and it just doesn't touch her when she's at school.

Scott Benner 57:58
How long has she been using it?

Kat 57:59
The five? Yeah, about to about two months. Okay.

Scott Benner 58:02
Did you listen to the episodes about setting it up before you set it up? I did. Okay, and so you feel like you were pretty 5050 Basal Bolus and pretty aggressive with total daily insulin. So

Kat 58:15
did I change? I turned up everything. I turned up her carb, insulin to carb ratio I, I turned up everything made everything more aggressive. And it just doesn't matter. So

Scott Benner 58:25
is it you think? Does she have maybe a lot of adrenaline at school school mean a lot to her?

Kat 58:33
Yeah, it's gotta be what it is. And it's not the same thing every day, like on the ad days where she has obviously the same things. It's different than when she has V days. So it it completely is affecting her by what she's having at school. What subjects is what I'm assuming? Yeah. Okay. But when but when we first started, it was over spring break. And it was working perfect. So I really think it is just her school.

Scott Benner 58:58
Just gonna say so she's home. And there's no pressure from school. There's no adrenaline, anxiety, whatever it comes from school. I don't know who like who she is. And like, maybe she's just trying real hard and like, jacked up. So when she's at home, it works great when she's getting that. It's not touching it because it doesn't see it as carbs. And it has no way to get in front of it. Yeah. And you're correcting all

Kat 59:22
the time. It's it's a it's it's just funky how they have it set up. Like she'll have locker right after not even an hour after she eats lunch on some days. And it's just, it's just lucky.

Scott Benner 59:37
So does she find herself bolusing a lot and what numbers are we asked that we can't get away from? Like, what

Kat 59:44
is not not crazy, like just a higher than I would like like if she's sitting at 150 I'm trying to get her to have it come down before she gets to lunch because I know. Lunchtime. I'm gonna give her less than she needs because she has soccer right after which she can't have so much in her system that is going to make her go low, but has to be high enough that the stuff she does have in our system will keep her stable. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:00:07
so the higher blood sugar running into the meal running into the activity is throwing your timing off for everything. So you're getting out of time with the insulin and your impacts. Yeah, but 150 I'll see you definitely listen to this podcast. You're like, it's it's terrible. It's 150

Kat 1:00:23
I'm anal about it too. But I mean, it's it's gotten stuck higher. But it's normally it's just if it's over my comfortability, then I'm bugging her to Bolus

Scott Benner 1:00:36
Do you see it happening as soon as she gets to school because for Arden, like you drop her off at high school and her blood sugar started to go up.

Kat 1:00:42
Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:00:43
yeah. Could you try bolusing for it? As she gets there?

Kat 1:00:47
It's not It's not every day, though. That's the there's no, there's no pattern to it. And she has she doesn't have periods, like are irregular periods, I would say. So you we can't ever catch those. So I don't know if it's, you know, her hormone time, because she's obviously still having the hormones. She is just so athletic with zero body fat that she's just not menstruating. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:01:12
You said that's not a ton. Okay. Hey, you want to do something with me for a second? I guess we don't have to dirty or anything like that. I just, I'm gonna do something that you guys might not expect. I'm gonna go to my own Facebook group and try to find help for Arden with her Dexcom problem.

Kat 1:01:32
Oh, my goodness, because it's really, it's

Scott Benner 1:01:35
a meta situation right now. Arden is switching? Oh, hold on. She's asking me a question to give me a second. are just switching her g7 and getting this message? Anyone know how to fix this?

I'm not lying about this Facebook group is pretty great. I know. Yeah. So are you in there?

Kat 1:02:17
I am. I'm a spectator. That's perfect. Most

Scott Benner 1:02:21
people are I think. I think that's the way to go. She

Kat 1:02:27
Yeah, he just grabbed the information you need. Next one.

Scott Benner 1:02:40
So I think people probably think like, oh, they're a sponsor. He's not going to say anything bad. Like, first of all, I don't think this is bad. I think there's just something happening. I don't know what to do. Because it's so new. Yeah. Yeah. But also, technology is not perfect. But anybody like I don't care what pump or glucose monitor Dexcom whatever. It's all just technology. You know, Jenny and I were talking about that the other day, how interesting it is that like, if you think of all the technology in your life, it all none of it works the way you want it to like you buy things for your living room and your kitchen and your bedroom. You're always like, Oh, my God isn't doesn't exactly do blah, blah, blah. But when it's a medical thing, people are like, it should be perfect. I mean, yeah, it's pretty great. You don't mean, perfect is, is going to be an issue. I don't know how you're gonna do that. Sorry. So we'll see if anybody gets back to me. I

Kat 1:03:28
just talked. So that's her, like, first time changing it out. I hope it doesn't sway her.

Scott Benner 1:03:32
Like her third time changing it. I'm gonna guess. Literally, I don't know. But I'm gonna guess that this is going to be some sort of a thing where she should have like, put the other one away from her father when she did it or something like that, that maybe confused between the two of them or?

Kat 1:03:52
Yeah, yeah, we're in the microwave.

Scott Benner 1:03:55
I've heard people say that, right? Because there's a Faraday cage on a microwave. So again, and if she would have started it while we were here, I'd have a firmer understanding of it right now than I do at the moment, although at least the graph she put up is very respectable. Because she took a screenshot, and it's got like her last three hours on it. And then and it says that it has and it says sensor failed. So are you switching her g7 and getting this message? Anyone know how to fix this? She already removed one. And the next one did the same thing. Thank you. All right. Well, we'll see what happens. In real time. We'll see how impressive this Facebook group is.

Kat 1:04:35
Oh, yeah, you're gonna get a response very soon. I don't

Scott Benner 1:04:40
know it's become so popular. Like sometimes I don't. People don't even realize it's me anymore. People joke with me all the time. That that I'll say something and somebody will come in and be like, I don't know who Scott is or why we why we all care so much. Like it's okay. Back when it was smaller people who I was, but it's fascinating because you know, the group, the group has two very important things. It has mass of people. So you you, you can actually get an answer. And and it's nice people are nice. And that's a big deal. Because yeah, you know, I've seen it go the other way. Yeah, I've got a response already. Yeah, but I'm trying to, we hit okay and start a new sensor with a new sensor. What does she have the new sensor on? That's coming up?

Alright, I answered. I said, the new one is on. Let me tell Arden to. I said, I'm looking into it. I'll get you an answer for now open your loop and test every hour. Does anybody want to guess if it'll test every hour? No, but I'm gonna guess no to. So? Well. We'll stay on top of that. Yeah. We'll say it's all going to be fine. Well, that's the other thing too is that I think that there are plenty of people who would hear this and be like, Oh, my God, like it's a disaster. And it's not a disaster. It's just, it's what this stuff is like you have diabetes. It's how it goes. how it goes. Try reentering the session, the sensor number. That's not an answer. Besides, I did it already paired with the new sensor code? Yes. And then this happens a few minutes later. It's like, it's like I have live chat bots to talk to know and extremely impressive. They understand what's happening. And I'm trying very hard to keep our conversation with you and I going at the same time, which I think I'm starting to fail, because now I'm texting art and talking to you and messaging with two different people on Facebook.

Kat 1:07:00
That's right. Men aren't supposed to multitask. Hey, you

Scott Benner 1:07:03
know, my wife says that all the time as I'm doing four things at once. She's like, you can't keep things in your head. And I'm like, Okay, I'm like, I don't know. Hold on a second. Is there more coming? Or feedback?

No, not yet. Okay. Why are people not living on my schedule?

Kat 1:07:27
So I don't know. It's lunchtime. Yeah. Everybody should be available.

Scott Benner 1:07:31
So my expectation for your daughter is that she's experiencing like, she just is she like a good student? She wants to get good grades, that kind of thing? Yes. Yeah. Do you have any, like interpersonal problems at school? No, no, then she's probably just that I'm aware of. Yeah, I guess she's probably just like, it's adrenaline and, you know, stress. Yeah, that kind of stuff. But she

Kat 1:07:53
does take a hard caseload.

Scott Benner 1:07:56
Okay. Yeah. So she's trying to like She probably feels the pressure that and then it impacts your blood sugar.

Kat 1:08:03
Yeah, yeah. We only put the the Omnipod five on because she's going to Europe for the summer. And I'm not going with her. And I want her to be able to be better managed while she's there. Because my aunt's that she's going with the same two that took her to the doctor when she got diagnosed. No, nothing about it.

Scott Benner 1:08:24
Oh, great.

Kat 1:08:28
Wonderful.

Scott Benner 1:08:28
So what do you how do you think that's gonna go? I

Kat 1:08:31
will get less sleep than I normally do. Because of the time change.

Scott Benner 1:08:35
You think you're gonna be managing basically from a distance? Oh, absolutely.

Kat 1:08:38
Yeah. Do you find out or it's not self sufficient and management? How long are you going to be with them? They're gonna be in Europe for like, six, seven weeks. Wow.

Scott Benner 1:08:47
Is there no way they could spend a couple hours or days with their before the trip locally? I

Kat 1:08:54
mean, they, they do. I mean, they're with us all the time. It's not that

Scott Benner 1:08:58
they're seeing it. Okay. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like, did they follow her CGM. Now?

Kat 1:09:03
No, they used to when she was like, she was first diagnosed, and she would spend the night over there. I would hook them up to it. But they're there. So I'm just not trying to put too much on them. I'm just going to do it from afar. Gotcha.

Scott Benner 1:09:21
Yeah, because I was thinking like, could they follow along and maybe for a couple days you could text like she just ate this and we use this much insulin so they could kind of see how it happens.

Kat 1:09:29
Oh, no, no, that's not gonna work. It's all right. Okay,

Scott Benner 1:09:33
well good. Do you think it's gonna go well, yeah,

Kat 1:09:35
I do. I like I think the the time we had the the five on before she went to school was really good. So I'm just hoping that that returns

Scott Benner 1:09:45
Well, I'm gonna guess that on. I been on vacation, right? She should have like because you say it doesn't happen at home. So I bet she has more of a more of that kind of experience on vacation than she does at home. Unless something stressful hops on vacation, but I mean vacations. Yeah. And so on. The one thing I would ask is, Is she going to go right from school to vacation? Or will there be a little break before vacation? So have about a week? Good. You know, I'm asking that. Yeah. Because if you're being real aggressive at school, and they go right to a more like, it's gonna be low. It could be low than Yeah. Especially with the activity and the walking around. And I'm guessing flying and things like, yeah, yeah. Very cool. You have enough supplies to send whether you got that all straight? I do. Will she have glucagon? She will. Excellent. Which one do you use to evoke? Oh, the hype open? Yeah, it's the best one. Because I use Bolus because it's I do think it's the simplest Yeah, that's Well, that's exactly why I like it. Yeah. And I hear about the burning in the nose and stuff from the other thing sometimes. And I mean, I guess in in a real emergency situation, you would take some burning, and you'd be like, whatever. Absolutely. But still,

Kat 1:10:55
I think it's I think it's about the the ease for other people, because obviously other people are going to be using it. So the I think that's the target is you have to have them be able to use it. So an epi pen like function is so much more familiar to people than what it was previously or a nasal spray.

Scott Benner 1:11:17
Yeah, no, I agree. I mean, we never carried them when they were the old like Lily red boxes. We didn't carry them with us anywhere. I was like, yeah, what am I gonna tell you hoping someone's gonna, especially if you're by yourself, what are you hoping someone's going to find that on you and go, Oh, it must be this thing. Yeah. Not a lot of hope.

Kat 1:11:36
It's not going to work. Okay.

Scott Benner 1:11:38
Well, alright. So otherwise you think she's, she's had, I should just ask the question. How was she? With having diabetes? Like, was there a transition period? That was tough for has it been okay, so far? Does she burn out? A

Kat 1:11:54
little bit of everything. I mean, when she was first diagnosed, she did really well, she gave her shot herself, her first shot in the hospital. And then, you know, there are just moments where I think, mentally there are some things going on, like, you know, depression and stuff like that, where it all starts to build up and then she just blames diabetes. But I think for the most part, it's just, she doesn't remember life before it. So it's just become part of who she is now. And I think it's just becoming more more regular for her.

Scott Benner 1:12:28
Okay. Yeah, that's, I mean, sounds like depression, like, bummed out or actual like, no, yeah, like, bummed out. Yeah. Like not like clinical depression. I don't know. No sense to me. Does she have any trouble with kids? Like, people never give her does she get bullied or hear crap about? Nothing like that? No. Cool. So because she's got this little great circle of friends that she Yeah, it's interesting. Well, good for you know, she really does. That's wonderful. It's a hell of a story. Honestly, cat, I'm impressed. The path your life took and where you're at right now, are you? Do you ever stop and think, Wow, I can't believe I'm here.

Kat 1:13:08
All the time. Yeah. Because

Scott Benner 1:13:10
it just seemed like, Did you always think you were on your way to like, some poor ending?

Kat 1:13:17
I've always felt had this, like, weird feeling that my life would be short. Not to say that it's still couldn't quote unquote, but yeah, I've always had this, like, need to do things, because I've just felt like my time is short.

Scott Benner 1:13:33
Really? Yeah. That sucks. Is that a? Is that a pressure that that has disappeared? Or do you still feel that a little bit?

Kat 1:13:47
I still feel it a little bit.

Scott Benner 1:13:49
What do you think? Like, do you? Is it trying to figure out how to ask this question? Where does that feeling come from though? Because it just because of circumstances and you just consciously think, you know, with drugs and alcohol and addiction and stuff? Like there's no way I'm going to make it the whole way? Yeah,

Kat 1:14:06
it's that easy. And I think I think it stems from there, but it's just this feeling of always had. Okay, I don't I don't really know how to explain it. But yeah, obviously, the abuse that I put myself through, like, at some point, is it gonna catch up to me? It has to right. No,

Scott Benner 1:14:22
it sounds like you're doing okay. Doesn't it? I mean, you're, you're in your 30s Right, so I think you're gonna be fine. You just have to help so you guys gotta keep that one girlfriend away from you.

Kat 1:14:37
She's she's actually recovering right now. She's been I think, like a year sober from heroin. Well, she's doing well. Oh, good

Scott Benner 1:14:46
for her. Well, that's, that's that's a difficult road. That's impressive. Yeah, it really is. Now, how do you know that? Are you in touch? No,

Kat 1:14:56
I don't. I do not keep in touch. Third, just because I know what happens when I do, but she she will reach out to me and she just apologized like she's probably in her. What is that phase and addiction? It's a man's not coming, Gary go. Yeah. So she's making amends. And she had sent me a message. And just explained everything to me then. And I just told her that I was proud of her and congratulations and get

Scott Benner 1:15:24
the hell away from me. Yeah, we have pretty much you don't want to push her in the wrong direction. So you just very politely get back to her. Yes, yeah. Yeah,

Kat 1:15:35
cuz it's tough. I know. It's tough. And it's a little hard for me, in my circumstance right now with my mom. Because I did it like I, I did it. And I went to rehab. Yes. But it did nothing. For me. It actually made me worse. And I just just something clicked in. I got better. And I don't understand why she can't. So my empathy for that is not there. And that's why I think I need

Scott Benner 1:16:03
Well, I would think as well, you need to work through things, because it's going to stick in your head that your mom, it took so long for your mom life to fall apart that you're going to, I wouldn't want I wouldn't want you to think oh, I'm just 20 years away from what's happening to my mom right now. Yeah.

Kat 1:16:21
And she was the only stable parent we had. Right. So it's like really rocking our mind and my brother's world right now. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:16:29
no, I would imagine. I mean, the one thing you thought you had you were like, This is my stable point. And she's Yeah. And she's in rehab now to what what drugs for your mom?

Kat 1:16:40
Just alcohol. But it's she's more mental right now. Then, the alcohol.

Scott Benner 1:16:48
Is she does she detoxing is that where some of this is?

Kat 1:16:52
No. And she she didn't know she she already detoxed and ended up in the hospital because she she got sick from detoxing. So now after she's detox, she hasn't to our knowledge re relapse. So now it's just working on the mental side that caused her to increase her her consumption.

Scott Benner 1:17:15
I see. Wow, that's something all right. Cat, is there anything we haven't talked about that we should

Kat 1:17:20
have? Yeah, I'm kind of disappointed in you. Why would I miss? You didn't ask you about my family. And if they have any autoimmune diseases, you get

Scott Benner 1:17:31
in four minutes. Cat, you were pregnant. You threw me off. Okay. Are there any other autoimmune issues in your family?

Kat 1:17:40
Well, yes, there are. No, but I did want to bring up but my daughter does have eczema. And she is lactose intolerant. She's got exercise induced bronchoconstriction. So it's like asthma, but only with exercise. But she also has a TMJ thing, which, which was explained to me as autoimmune, which caused her to have this massive jaw reconstruction surgery at the same time that her TMJ is were getting fixed. So that was interesting to me. And I the only way that I came about that was from you had somebody else on your podcast that had that exact same surgery. And it made me ask my daughter's doctor about it, which in turn sent us to her having this massive surgery.

Scott Benner 1:18:32
That's my fault. You're saying? I'm sorry. Is that a good thing? It was like a thank you kinda okay. Then you're very welcome. That was

Kat 1:18:42
That was crazy. And then just recently, she has protein urea. And that was within the past week or so.

Scott Benner 1:18:50
In her so she her kidneys, numbers coming back different. Yeah,

Kat 1:18:55
she just has protein in her urine. So they put her on Lisinopril, which is for blood pressure, which kind of confused me. But it's also something that my birth son had when he was first diagnosed. And the endocrinologist said that she does see this contains a lot where it's not ongoing, it does dissipate, and they don't really know why. But it's happening. I have

Scott Benner 1:19:20
this on the internet, although TMJ is not an autoimmune disease, its symptoms can be the result of one. That's weird. Hold on a second. I can't just say that, but it just makes making me wonder.

Kat 1:19:37
I think I think the way that he explained it to me was some something in vitro like when when the when the child is developing. For some reason, people who have autoimmune diseases, this ligament does not form correctly, it's stretch it ends up being stretchy or too, too tight or what have you like it has something to do with the development not so much an autoimmune disease. That's how it was kind of explained to me

Scott Benner 1:20:05
like seconds talking here about how it can be like, secondarily a systematic impact. How about that? Yeah.

Kat 1:20:13
And then also migraine, she also has migraines, and they're just now finding out that that's probably linked as autoimmune. How old is she? She's 15.

Scott Benner 1:20:26
She's doing okay. Yeah. It's a lot.

Kat 1:20:31
She was having some some symptoms the other day, and I hadn't yet told her about the kidneys thing, because she had finals. And I just didn't want it to be like another thing that she had to deal with. But she was having some symptoms. And I told her, you know, that it could be from this. And I explained to her and she's like, Oh, great. You know, like, I'm lactose, my pancreas isn't working properly. And now my kidneys are failing. But she, she laughed about it. And that same day, I happened to tell her about her half brother that she didn't know about, because it would have it was his birthday. And he reached out to me, and it just kind of came full circle was like she's old enough to understand. You know how it happened. And I've just always felt this guilt of like, when I'm going to tell her how they're going to feel. And how did she take that? Amazing, she cried, but she cried because she was so happy that I trusted her and telling her about my life.

Scott Benner 1:21:37
That's a big thing to tell a kid. Yeah. Hey, have you had her thyroid check? Yes. You know what your TSH is?

Kat 1:21:46
It's, it's, it's in range. And I mean, in range, like under two your definition? Yeah, it's, it's, it's below one. Oh, it's like zero point something. Yeah, I

Scott Benner 1:21:58
was. I was reading a little bit about migraines and autoimmune and like, obviously psoriasis type one. Hashimotos graves, rheumatoid arthritis. Like, let's see, in all cases, the root of the problem is with the immune system, but because different antibodies are formed in each disease. Yeah. It's interesting. I didn't realize that about the migrants.

Kat 1:22:22
Yeah, but it's more than just found that out. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:22:25
it's more it's, I mean, this makes it sound like it's about the core, the comorbidities of autoimmune issues, but your daughter, I mean, the thing with the Listen, the thing with the kidney testing, like that can go up and down. Like they're gonna keep after that and check it right. Like, yeah, maybe she just got tested after like some high blood sugars or like, are they really think that she's having a, like a problem that's gonna be with her? No,

Kat 1:22:51
they don't think it's gonna stick with her. They put her on the low dose, like she explained to me that the sugar, you know, was the sugar molecules were being released into her kidney and they poked holes in her kidney and kind of like the, like you how you explain it. It's like, what is it? How do you explain it?

Scott Benner 1:23:13
Sort of just like it's the sugar molecules are too big now. It's, it's it's breaking through the the tissue and creating because they think it'll heal up.

Kat 1:23:23
They do that. So the medication is supposed to re Deuce the amount of pressure in her kidneys so that it stops releasing the protein. And

Scott Benner 1:23:33
then put her blood sugars are are where they're good, right? What's your one sees?

Kat 1:23:37
Yeah, so her a one seen? We just had it done. She was 6.6. And I was expecting it to be worse only because the school thing. But but like in the summer, it's normally around in like, 5.5.

Scott Benner 1:23:50
Okay. I gotcha. Well, I mean, you don't need me to tell you, but obviously, more stability, lower numbers. You know, yeah, you're gonna have better luck with those other things. Oh, wow. Yeah. All right. Well, gee, did I let you down in any other ways cat or is that it? Well, I don't know. You'd be in my kitchen. You don't I mean.

Kat 1:24:16
The only other thing I will say is that we had some issues with her insurance. And it took me months to get it figured out. But the way that the insurance wasn't aware that the way that they structured their plans as far as the Pharmacy Benefits affected insulin pumps, and so I it took me a long time, but I did, it brought to their attention that they they had an issue. And so they restructured their whole plan to incorporate the pharmacy benefits for insulin pumps and CGM so that it doesn't affect anybody else. Okay, so that was yeah, that was really cool, although it took freakin forever to do

Scott Benner 1:24:59
look you We're out there helping other people to do what I can. That's fantastic. Could you Wow. All right, cat, you were terrific. I really appreciate you coming on and doing this. Thank you. Yeah, this is wonderful. If you hold on a minute, I can tell you a couple of things you'll need to know and ask you of course, if you're comfortable with everything that we talked about and all that stuff, so hold on for me. It sounds good.

A huge thanks to us med for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. Don't forget us med.com/juice box this is where we get our diabetes supplies from you can as well use the link or call 888721151 for us the link or call the number get your free benefits check so that you can start getting your diabetes supplies the way we do from us med. I'd like to thank cozy Earth for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and remind you that using my offer code juice box at checkout will save you 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com That's the sheets, the towels, the clothing, anything available on the website. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

#1122 Zinc Transporter

Doug has type 1 diabetes, anxiety and depression.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends. Ooh, what happened to my voice there? Whatever. Welcome to Episode 1122 of the Juicebox Podcast

when you go to the doctor with back pain, you don't expect to leave with diabetes. But that's what happened to Doug. He was diagnosed two years ago. And today we're going to find out all about it. I have a note here for myself to call this episode zinc transporter. I wonder what that's about? I really don't remember. Nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com. All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout. That's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. Don't forget to check out the Juicebox Podcast private group, public page Instagram account and tick tock it's all at Juicebox Podcast you'll find it you notice search. If you've been listening and enjoying but you aren't subscribed, you're following in an audio app. Oh evey is mirror you have to follow and subscribe. How did you like my English? I don't think it was good. Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the contour next gen blood glucose meter. This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you at contour next one.com/juice box. This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries. G voc hypo pen. Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash juice box. My

Doug 2:04
name is Doug. I'm 41 from Central Jersey and I was diagnosed about two years ago with type one.

Scott Benner 2:11
I don't usually like to do this, Doug, but could you and I'd be doing this in person.

Doug 2:15
We probably could. I'm near like the Pennsylvania border. I moved I'm from North Jersey but I kind of got tired of like that. Super fast paced, very angry sort of, sort of vibe up there. So I moved down to like Central about a year and a half ago and I'm loving it. There's like I got a bison farm down the street. You would never think this was jersey. It's crazy.

Scott Benner 2:35
People make fun in New Jersey. I gotta be honest, I guess it's because all the pharmaceutical companies, but I don't. I don't know why. It's gorgeous here.

Doug 2:45
They don't know this area. I think they think of like the Turnpike, like Newark Airport, you know, all that kind of stuff. Yes. Like, they would never think this jersey. So it's like a little hidden gem? Yeah,

Scott Benner 2:56
no kidding. Do you ever think just going a little farther into Pennsylvania and saving all the taxes? You

Doug 3:01
know, it's funny you say that I've been I've been looking at that exact thing because they just keep raising the rent because they tell me that like a lot of people keep moving here from the north. And so the demand is just getting busier and busier. And so I was just looking in like Allentown to see you know, the price and the prices are significantly lower.

Scott Benner 3:18
Well, the and the taxes are significantly lowered when my wife and I are getting out of here as as possible.

Doug 3:23
The one thing I would say is you gotta watch out for the roads over there, though. There's potholes everywhere. It's like, your car might explode, but you'd be paying less taxes

Scott Benner 3:29
I can I can I can regain tax money and then lose it again on an accident. Exactly. It's incredibly interesting, because what you just said, people come from the north. The north is basically people who work in the city. Those people make exorbitant amounts of money. And then they move a little south and they see a house that's, you know, a million dollar house and they go oh my god, I didn't know this was gonna be so cheap. And you're like, my house is not worth nearly this much. But I'd Yeah, I'd be happy to sell it to you. Yeah, that would be. It happened a ton during I knew a realtor that during COVID made his lifetime during COVID Because you're so busy. I mean, oh, because New Yorkers were coming down south buying $200,000 houses for eight $900,000 Because they wanted to get out of the city that badly. And the money didn't mean anything to them. That's amazing. Yeah, people in the rest of the country right now are like what the hell yeah, it's, it's also keep in mind that a bagel in New York City is $15 So you got to make a lot of money if you want to live there. Did you live? What was that? I was just gonna ask did you live right in the city or were you in Jersey?

Doug 4:45
I was in Jersey I was in Hackensack and Bloomfield. Okay, so just close enough to like, all the prices but then not really close enough to like, do fun stuff in the city very easily or date people in the city. So it's kind of just the worst. I Out of all worlds, and I don't need were you there for work? Well, I work for a hospital system in North Jersey, so I was there. But like most of my job, I have a couple jobs. But most of my day job is mostly remote. So I didn't need to be there. It was more just like my family is there like my brother, sister, mom and dad and stuff. So I had just been there kind of my whole life, but I was never really happy there. And I had a couple of friends that actually lived down in this area. And they used to come here on weekends. And I was like, this is like a vacation. Yeah. And so you know, I just rent, I don't own anything. So when my lease was off, I was like, you know, screw it. Let me just try something. And I will say, I'm happy I did it. It's just, my friends give me a hard time because I'm 41. And I'm single. And they're like, So you moved to an area from an area with like, all the people you could ever meet to an area with no single women. And so like they call that like a duck decision. In logical that I do

Scott Benner 5:54
so well, Doug, when you're more relaxed and have extra money, the ladies will flock to you.

Doug 6:00
I'm gonna I'm gonna hope that's the case. Don't

Scott Benner 6:02
forget to go outside or that won't happen, by the way. But you have. I have sort of two thoughts and then we'll move on one. Anyone who's ever heard my friend Adam Needleman on the show, who's who's a pediatrician. We'll finish this episode. Really put Doug's voice in your head, then go listen to Adam. Okay, you guys have a very kind of classic Jersey accent? Do we really you and he sounded almost exactly like it's freaking me out. Actually. I'm

Doug 6:32
gonna definitely listen to that. Because I feel like I've listened to almost all your episodes, and that one doesn't ring a bell. So I'm gonna go back and check it out.

Scott Benner 6:37
I swear to God, it's he was on talking about a couple of things over the years. One time it was COVID. I don't know how much of that will even be accurate now, because it was like as COVID was happening, and people were like, What should I do, but it's just a fascinating anyway, um, but it's always interesting. I'm going to try not to call you out. And while we're doing this, that's that Michael won't take offense 25 years ago. The other thing I want to tell you is that my wife got a job in Manhattan. She we never lived in Manhattan, she didn't stay in Manhattan very long. She didn't like it. We looked at an apartment. There we were kids, you know, and the apartment. I don't know a way to say this. If you put a king sized bed in the bedroom, there may have been a foot and a half at the foot of the bed to the wall, and three and three feet on one side of the bed to the door and the other side would have been up against the wall. Then you'd walk out into another room that was a little larger than that, that encompassed your living space. And a kitchen where the toilet was in the kitchen. And 25 years ago, that apartment cost $1,100 A month.

Doug 7:48
25 years ago. Holy

Scott Benner 7:49
cow. Yeah. And my wife, I grew up in the suburbs. We were like, we're not doing this. And wait. We like how long did you live there for we never moved into the city. We could not bring ourselves to spend that money. Okay, for that same amount of money. We bought a condominium in New Jersey. And we were like in our early 20s.

Doug 8:11
I can't believe that that long ago it cost that much. Yeah, that was insane.

Scott Benner 8:15
And then by the way, the condo appreciated like two years later, and we bugged out and made money.

Doug 8:19
So you don't you're not you don't regret that you didn't move in there.

Scott Benner 8:24
I think I'd be broke. Living in that apartment still and my children would be feral. That's what I was concerned about. So like, you're right,

Doug 8:31
you might have like, torn an ACL trying to get out of bed at some point, though, because there's just no room absolutely

Scott Benner 8:35
insane. Anyway, it was holy cow Craziest thing. And now, listen, now apartments overpriced. My son's, my son's in Atlanta. Now he won't be there very long. So I can tell you that because by the time I you hear this, he'll probably be gone. But his apartment is $1,300 a month. And it's probably three times as big as the one in New York that Kelly and I saw those years ago. And I'm still going to tell you his apartments and credibly overpriced.

Doug 9:06
Yeah, I can relate my mind is to the same deal. It's just I like to actually increase mine last year by like 600 bucks who said to nowhere, it's like what? Yeah, what can you do? But yeah, it's it's tough.

Scott Benner 9:18
I'll tell you that. I mean, Cole's not, you know, he's not raking it in or anything like that. And still, we're putting him in touch with a financial planner to try to get him to a point where you can own a house. Because otherwise, I mean, 15 1314 1500 is gonna go to 3000 in his lifetime. You know what I mean? Oh,

Doug 9:40
I think that's a great advice if you guys can help him do that early on. So

Scott Benner 9:43
I don't know what how it's gonna work out because like I said, he's not making that much money, but I figured, like, put him in that direction, maybe all figured out as he gets older now.

Doug 9:50
You know, I was wondering because I listened to all your stuff. So I know he's done with baseball. Is he? Is he missing like kind of a having a competitive outlet or did he find something new to do as Uh, you know, an athletic pursuit.

Scott Benner 10:02
He is playing pickup basketball in the city. Oh, cool. Yeah. So he, he's in a really tough situation like he's home right now, just for a couple of days. So it's the all star break while we're recording this. And because of that he had a few days off. And then he tacked on a couple of days to it and made himself like a little five day break where he could come home. Nice. So what I'll tell you is that he moved to Atlanta to take a job, and it was a job that's going to build his resume. It's great experience. I mean, you couldn't have turned it down if you were him coming out of college. But he moved to a place where he's completely and utterly by himself. Like, that's hard. Yeah. And so his buddies are all still here. They're all still getting together. He's watching them over like text chains like do things. And he is like he's by himself. And he gets to the job is not surprising to me. But over producing for them, so they move him out of the job that he was brought there and give him a higher up job. But because of that his schedule is completely different than all of the other people his age that came into the company. If you take insulin or sulfonylureas you are at risk for your blood sugar going too low. You need a safety net when it matters most. Be ready with G voc hypo pen. My daughter carries G voc hypo pen everywhere she goes, because it's a ready to use rescue pen for treating very low blood sugar and people with diabetes ages two and above that I trust. Low blood sugar emergencies can happen unexpectedly and they demand quick action. Luckily jeuveau Capo pen can be administered in two simple steps even by yourself in certain situations. Show those around you where you store G vo Capo pen and how to use it. They need to know how to use G vo Capo pen before an emergency situation happens. Learn more about why G vo Capo pen is in Ardens diabetes toolkit at G voc glucagon.com/juicebox. G voc shouldn't be used if you have a tumor in the gland on the top of your kidneys called a pheochromocytoma. Or if you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma. Visit G voc glucagon.com/risk For safety information. That contour next gen blood glucose meter is the meter that we use here. Arden has one with her at all times. I have one downstairs in the kitchen, just in case I want to check my blood sugar. And Arden has been at school, they're everywhere that she is contour next one.com/juice box test strips. And the meters themselves may be less expensive for you in cash out of your pocket than you're paying currently through your insurance for another meter, you can find out about that and much more at my link contour next one.com/juice box contour makes a number of fantastic and accurate meters. And their second chance test strips are absolutely my favorite part. What does that mean? If you go to get some blood, and maybe you touch it and I don't know, stumble with your hand and like slip off and go back, it doesn't impact the quality or accuracy of the test. So you can hit the blood not good enough, come back get the rest without impacting the accuracy of the test. That's right, you can touch the blood come back and get the rest and you're gonna get an absolutely accurate test. I think that's important because we all stumble and fumble at times, that's not a good reason to have to waste a test trip. And with a contour, next gen. You won't have to contour next.com forward slash juicebox you're gonna get a great reading without having to be perfect. So even the people he met at work is scheduled doesn't line up with them.

Doug 13:59
And it's like a result of working so hard because that was like his main focus because he was kind of by himself.

Scott Benner 14:05
I think it's a result of he's a really bright kid. He picked it up really fast. And they saw that they had brought him in for like a low level task. And they were like we can give him a lot more to do. So he was supposed to go down there and kind of have like this, you know, Vagabond lifestyle where he'd show up at work at like two in the afternoon and work till 10 at night or show up at five and work till midnight. And the next day it might be like 1pm till 8pm is going to be all over the place. He's going to work a couple of baseball games every day like pro games, and instead they gave him an office task that needs to be partially completed before the day starts. So my my 23 year old son who has never had a job before, is getting up at five o'clock in the morning starting at six and he's done it too. So not only is he exhausted when he gets home because he is not going to bed to get up at five o'clock in the morning. But he gets home everyone else He's working all night that he knows. And he's by himself in this apartment. So, yeah, that

Doug 15:05
does suck, but he's gonna I mean, it's such a good experience at the same time. It's a double edged sword, I guess. Yeah,

Scott Benner 15:09
no 100% Like, I know that and he's gonna get out of there. I'm actually taking him to the airport later today, where I'm going to, I'm going to talk to him before he goes and just tell him like, look, it's almost over. You know? Yeah, it was like, it was like a year posting the job. And he's got enough experience now that he can look for something closer to home that, you know, will will again build on to his experience. He's like, I can't stay here. He's like, they're not going to give me up fast. And often. I'm now just doing a task. So well.

Doug 15:37
It's amazing that he's he's done it and like that's kind of in the past now. And no matter what he does in the future, it can Becky I started off with busted my ass.

Scott Benner 15:44
Yeah, the really cool. Yeah, no, I think so too. As to your initial question. Because Cole is such a task oriented person. He was playing baseball to play more baseball. So when playing more baseball wasn't a goal. And I do I do honestly mean like he, he wanted to, you know, he was trying to diversify his talents. And he was pitching at the end. And I guess I've said it on here before, but his fastball was up to like 90 to 93 miles an hour. Wasn't really Yeah. And but he just was never, like, you know, his story is, is is simple. He grew late, he grew the rest of the way in college. So when he was recruiting, he looked small. He looked really skilled and small. And so a lot of places passed on him, he ended up going to a smaller school because of that. And then in his freshman year, pops up, gets more height and puts on a bunch of weight. And you don't see it as much, right. And so now all of a sudden, he's six feet tall, he's carrying 200 pounds while he's playing. He's pumping a baseball like crazy. And nobody sees them. He's in the middle of nowhere at a little school. And then the politics come in. And then kids whose parents make a donation to something are standing in your position while you're sitting on the bench. Because nobody cares about baseball here. It's not a thing. And, and then he's starting to talk about like, well, maybe I should transfer. But he's also a really good student and a bright kid. And he's taking a tough degree that you can't just get anywhere. So while we were trying to figure out putting him in the portal and getting him somewhere where he could actually continue that degree, but play better baseball COVID happen. Yeah, so just awful time. And then they shut down college sports. So while everybody else was sitting around, Cole was training on his own, and continuing to get better and better. And then they came back for his junior year, but they came back to this abbreviated like, 12 game season. And he said, if I go back for that, I lose a year of my eligibility. And I only played 12 games. So I'm gonna go back as a senior play a full season, and then hold two years of college eligibility afterwards. Except then during that time, he got hurt. Got it, then he had to spend all that time coming back from being hurt. And by the time he came back from being hurt, he got the play half of his senior season, where he was electric, like, amazing. And then it ended. And he didn't have enough time on the field to attract somebody at a big enough place to make it feel worth his while. So all of the grad school offers he got we're still at. They were medium sized schools now. Like they looked at him on tape. And they were like, Yes, please. And then they'd be like, send your stats. And then he's like, look, I only played like, half the season. And then like, Oh, that's not enough stats for us to go on. He said, Well, there it is. He's like, here's the video, I recorded everything I did for half the season. And he just couldn't get interest in a place where he thought he had an opportunity. And so and so then the rest of this is, I can't believe we're talking about this stuff. One day, he'll hear this when I'm dead. And he'll be like, that is what happened. So then he starts looking for jobs out of college decides I'm not going to go play in grad school. And he's trying to get jobs in Major League Baseball, which eventually becomes obvious, he just doesn't have enough experience for that they're hiring even at really low level people are being hired with a lot of experience. So so he's like, Well, I'm gonna have to go get the experience. But before you figure that out, he had applied and had moved through three rounds with the Phillies. He had moved through something with the Yankees. He was in the middle of moving through something with the Tampa Bay Rays when they gave him a task to do on his own. Okay, and the task that the rays gave him was look at the Rule five draft coming up and pick a pitcher and a position player that you think we should take in the Rule five draft Oh, wow. So cool. Has to examine the entire league, you know, by stats and his own have theories, he comes up with his options for them, he turns them in, he actually ends up choosing the position player that they took in the Rule five draft, which was amazing, but didn't matter. They didn't contact him about the job. But the thing that wasn't

Doug 20:15
enough of like a successful guess, task complete now, because

Scott Benner 20:18
he's 23. And he didn't have any experience. And they're literally hiring guys in their 30s, who have been piling up experience in other sectors in data. And then yeah, it's just they it's a cream of the crop situation, there are 500 people applying for like an entry level job that pays $15 an hour. And so like, they just have too many options. So anyway, that's what he figured out and he went, got this shot. But while he was doing that thing for the raise, he, like, kind of called me over one day, and he said, Hey, look at all these pictures. And he laid them out in front of me. And he's like, they throw just as hard as I do. And I'm like, right, because they're my size. It's like, some of them are taller, but I haven't I'm carrying enough body, like, right, he has, they all throw secondary pitches as well as I do. And I'm like, Alright, he's like, I've been looking at video of them, like all this stuff. And he goes, and nobody cares about them. They're on a trash heap, and they're already in the league. And I was, and I'm like, right, he goes, I don't have a chance. And I said, I mean, like, you know, I'm, I'm a dad, I'm like, I don't know, call doesn't mean you don't have a chance like blah, blah. Meanwhile, you know, if he's listening back to this, then I'm gone. And he misses me. And he's 40 years old. Like, what you probably didn't have a chance, you know, but I wouldn't told him that if he wanted to go do more training, I would have helped him do that. Like all that stuff. Like, I didn't have I have a tiny bit of success in my life. Part of what I do with it is I allow my kids to follow their heart. You know, it's really refreshing. Yeah. So but anyway, the problem ends up being is that he's so like, intellect like his, the way his intellect works. He suddenly was like, oh, there's no path with an ending that I desire. And that then just immediately became not an option to him anymore.

Doug 22:04
What an interesting way to come about that. He saw it himself and kind of acknowledged it. That's really interesting.

Scott Benner 22:11
I thought, it's one of the more proud moments I've had as a parent that I've never even said out loud to anybody. That yeah, he any. And it's not that he didn't miss baseball. But he just said, Okay, well, then I can't waste my time doing this thing that doesn't have a real opportunity to work out.

Doug 22:28
It's such a healthy way to, like, approach it. Good job. I

Scott Benner 22:33
am. Yeah, no kidding. It was crazy. And and I spent a little bit of your time telling that story. Because I think that's that's the that's the podcast story right there. Like, you know, understanding and not beating like he's not wasn't not willing to do the work. He wasn't not willing to take a risk. He was not willing to put that much effort into something that had such a low chance of working out. That's really great. Yeah. So anyway, thanks the Tampa Bay Rays. I appreciate it.

Doug 23:02
Well, nice start by you by instilling that like ability in him, you know, not everybody can recognize that kind of thing. So something you did raising him, taught him to think that way. So that's cool. I

Scott Benner 23:13
have no idea, man. But I was just like, I was heartbroken, by the way, because I watched it come over his face. Yeah, like, and I don't mean about baseball. Like I watched him realize, oh, there's a thing I love. And it's not going to work out. Right here. Yeah, it was really something. So. Anyway, diabetes,

Doug 23:32
Doug, how that happened. diabetes. Well, my my diagnosis story. Yeah, please. Sure. Well, everybody's interesting. So like, I remember, it's funny, because everyone I signed up for this. It was like, what, a year ago or something. And I haven't had this very long. So it was all so new at the time. But um, I. So I'm 41. And when I was, I guess 35. I started on a career change. So I am a web developer right now. And I still am full time. But I went to, I started going to school, on weekends for occupational therapy. And it was like a three or a four year program. And I had to do a bunch of prereqs. And I was working myself because I was working like crazy at my day job. And then I would study during all the weeknights, and then I would go to school on Friday night, Saturday, Sunday. And that kind of progressed for three years. And then I had to eventually when I graduated the academic part of my program, I had to quit my day job and do an internship, like a clinical internship to different spots for three months each. So I'm going through all this stuff, and it's really stressful. I'm a pretty anxious person as it is and so I also was really just trying to do a very good job because for years I had been struggling like what am I gonna do with my life? Like I'm a very, I like to help people and I never really felt like I was doing enough of it. And that's kind of where the return to school came from. So I was like, Alright, I'm not going to screw this up. I'm gonna really bust my essence and do well so I put it lot of pressure on myself. And so, long story short, I eventually graduated. And I took a job in the Bronx and was working at Montefiore. And it's like, I was commuting from, like I said, North Jersey into the Bronx every day, which is stressful in of itself. And then I'm working in a hospital and just seeing some crazy stuff and putting all my experience to work. And I'm loving it, because I'm like, finally get the chance to help people in doing this really important, sometimes scary stuff. But that's when I start to get really sick. And so you know, I don't know anything about diabetes at the time, I started actually having like a backache, because as a therapist, a lot of what you're doing is getting people out of bed in the hospital. And I'm like, I can't lift these people, like I'm gonna fall over, and then I'm gonna make them more injured. So I eventually go to the doctor, for a back back issue, thinking I'm just gonna get some pills or whatever, and I go take a urine test. She sees my results, and she sends me right to the emergency room. And then I you know, have like, 800 blood sugar. And they don't they don't tell me that I'm a dickhead, because I ended up going home that same day, but I remember like, the, the emergency room doctor being like, Oh, you don't have diabetes, because and I was in shape. And I didn't realize it, I had like, lost a bunch of weight by this point, maybe like 20 or 30 pounds. And long story short with that part is they ended up diagnosing, diagnosing with type two. And so this is I just gone through schools switch my career, and I'm doing this new thing. But now I'm like, Okay, I got health issues. So I'm doing something wrong. So I tried to get my diet even better. It already was like, really, really good. I tried to start exercising like crazy, which I already did. And it's not getting better. In fact, like, my vision starts to go, I lose more weight. I'm about to 15 right now. And I was down to like, 160. And I was just, I felt it was funny, because like, at first I'm like, I'm getting ripped. But then I was like, Okay, this is this is not right. So I had to it was really kind of defeating because I had done all this work to get a new degree and start a new career and essentially started a new life. And what I came to the conclusion was of was that, at least with the new career, I couldn't, couldn't do it and maintain my health, because part of it was like the routine was very inconsistent, like I didn't really have time to like, eat at a consistent basis, I was really, really stressed. And I knew that was affecting it. And like, I would always check my blood sugar via fingerstick. And it was just like, way too high. I'm like, I'm eating salads, like, what is this? Yeah. So I went on like that for three years. And then I so I left that job, I'd gone back to my old career, I was just doing rehab part time. And then about, I guess it was a year and a half or two years ago, I had another agency check. And again, like my diet had been unbelievable. And I was exercising like crazy. And at that point, I was so healthy. Like, my, my routine was so healthy, that I wasn't even checking blood sugars. Because I was like, how could it be bad? And so I went back to get a one C and it was 12. And that's when they were like, alright, we're giving you the antibody test. And so,

Scott Benner 27:54
Doug, how long? How long was that before you tell me about the antibody test? How long from you couldn't pick people up in the hospital till now, in this story? Three years, where you lot of you think at least? Yeah,

Doug 28:07
I think so. I was I found like a dietitian. And I switched my whole diet around. Because again, like thinking that it was type two, there was periods in there that I had good agencies like sixes. But I've always been such a structured, rigid person with all that stuff. So it's just very weird. And then I guess a lot of thing I was thinking also, because when I went in, I ended up getting the antibody tests, like the first one was negative, because I think the first one they do, there's like five antibodies, and the first one that they typically do, because it's a little bit more affordable. It's like Gad, 65, and whatever the other ones are, that are more common. Yep. And so I was negative for those. So I go, what's going on? So then they gave me the one for like, I think it's zinc transporter, and I did have that one. And then they gave me the C peptide test. And it was like point five, so like, Okay, you have type one, or you no adult onset type one. So yes, it was, you know, it was annoying, because I was like, Well, why can I gotten this test years ago. And now I advocate very strongly for all that with anybody that I know that has even somewhat relatable symptoms. It just makes no sense that they don't test that stuff right up front. But yeah, I remember. I remember when I first got the positive zinc thing I can remember just being like on Google all day long being like, looking for outs, you know, being like, is there any way that this doesn't mean I have type one, like, Could it just be a false positive? Could I just somehow get by without needing anything? Because I was terrified of being type one. Because that was like, you know, it's a big it's a big shift. And I don't know if I'm rambling or not, but

Scott Benner 29:39
don't Don't Don't worry about that. You're doing terrific. And you named the episode with that you don't know. Now, totally going to be called zinc transporter.

Doug 29:49
I like that.

Scott Benner 29:52
Makes me think of that bald guy in those movies that like, oh my god, what are those transporter movies?

Doug 29:59
I am a bald guy. So that works was perfect.

Scott Benner 30:00
The Transporter Bobby's with what is his name? Oh, Stata. Yes, Jason states exactly what I thought of when you said it. I was like, that's fantastic. All right.

Doug 30:09
I like that association. I can work with that.

Scott Benner 30:14
Well, give me a second, though. So, sure. Three years, you have you have type one diabetes for three years, and you're salivating and exercising your way through it. So obviously, it's a lot of because it hasn't hit you would you would have been dead by now. Like, yeah, so you're getting some help from your pancreas? Are they giving you any medication or they have you on Metformin or anything like that? I

Doug 30:37
was on Metformin and glipizide for a while, okay. And unbelievable amounts of exercise. Like I'm talking like, even after eating a salad, I remember, like, go into the bathroom of work and just doing squats until I feel like I had to sit down because I was so exhausted. And, you know, like, couple mile walks after lunch and stuff. And I remember like, coming back and check my blood sugar, like 250? Or how's this even possible? I didn't eat more than 10 carbs. So it was driving me crazy. So I was like, on the one hand, I was devastated that I, you know, had the positive antibodies, but on the other I was like, well, at least I actually know that it's going to help. Like, I need it. My body's just not making it but it wasn't any easier. And then, you know, at first, I got the it was just basil for maybe a month and had a bunch of lows, because you know, you're super sensitive when you just started insolence, like your body like, Oh, what's this insulin like? Now I can actually, like process all this stuff. Like, let me just do it really, really well. So I felt like I couldn't even move it first. Because, you know, taking a 20 foot walk felt like it was going to bring me love. So I'm

Scott Benner 31:43
saying you are miserable during this time, right? Like physically,

Doug 31:48
completely miserable. I mean, I, I could not see I've had LASIK. And I went back to glasses and even with glasses, like I couldn't see a thing. You know, the you know, the thing is that drives me the most crazy is a I was I was going to the bathroom all the time. But the biggest thing is like the hunger. I've heard other people on your podcast talk about it. It's like this insatiable hunger. Because when your body has no insulin, like it can't process the nutrients that you're eating, so you're never satisfied. So you just eat and eat and eat. And it's like this, this pain in the pit of your stomach that just can't be resolved. And it's awful. You can't sleep. I can't even think straight because I was so freaking hungry all the time. And that actually, you know, it's hard to not eat the wrong things when you're starving. Awesome. So, yeah, it was miserable.

Scott Benner 32:31
You started this whole, like story by telling me you're anxious. So yeah, has that gotten any better? Since you're on insulin? Well,

Doug 32:41
it's funny you say that? I would say no, but I understand it better. It's, you know, with Dexcom. And all that stuff, you get really good insight into like, what hormones and behavioral things are doing to your body. And I see significant spikes from from, from stress or, like, as an example. Like I've even like, like, even the news affects me like really, really bad. So I've tried to, like, isolate myself from a lot of things, because it's just like, you can see the cortisol spike, you know, you see something on the news and all sudden, you're, you're going straight up two hours, and I thought, gee, so I've, I've made a lot of lifestyle behavioral adjustments to sort of manage now that I know my body a lot better. Yeah. But it was in that first few months, where you're just like, you go through, I think the stages of grief, really, because you're just like, Alright, my life's over. Like, I can't just do whatever I want. I have to depend on this thing. I think that was the thing. It's like, depending on this external substances a little bit scary to like, tie your own life to something that you need a prescription for. Yeah, it's just a weird mental shift. But I had some really good connections at first that actually led me to the podcast. So the first one was my sister's fiance, or his, his brother is a pediatric endo at CHOP. And so I spoke to him and he kind of just gave me the lay of the land. He's like, Yeah, look, you're going to need mealtime insulin, not the end of the world, you're gonna eventually even want to pump just kind of gave me a sense of like, what to do, or what to expect. He also gave me the name of this guy that was starting this like meditation group for people with type one. And I joined that, and that actually really helped me it's like a zoom based meditation. And then I think I found I think I found your podcast on my own because I am. Like I said, I was doing a ton of research on like, type one. And once I eventually accepted the fact that I did have it, I was like, well, I need to learn about this. Because, you know, I like science. And I like understanding what's going on. So I eventually found your podcast and it was, it really was like a savior at first. I was binging it just binging it just episode after episode because I think the information you find online is scary and it's like clinical and dry and so you need like a voice to it and especially hearing other people that have it, you know, to learn about what what they've experienced and also like the way that that you and Jenny talk about how to do certain things like mechanically was really helpful, because that's not information I got from my Endo. So I had that your little intro song was like the most comforting thing ever. Back when I first got diagnosed, I would just like, that song would come out a bit, I would feel like my heart rate dropped a little bit and in a good way. So thank you for that, because it made a gigantic difference. And I feel like I'm an expert in type one. Now I feel like and I think it's a lot, you know, to thank for your podcast, as what started it. And now I try to tell everybody I meet about it. And I try to also share the information because I just think it's wild that it just should be default info, like type one diagnosis, find the podcast, you know, the endo should give you the podcast like

Scott Benner 35:44
I'm with to do that. Well, you're very welcome. I really do appreciate that you It was touching to hear you say that. Honestly, I actually made me think of a woman who told me recently that she finds my voice soothing, which I told my wife and my wife laughed. She's like, I hear you talking, I get pretty upset. I'm like, okay, but, but I didn't understand it. And I think you maybe just gave me more context into what she told me. It's comforting.

Doug 36:08
And how did how did you come up with that little intro song? Did you do that yourself?

Scott Benner 36:12
I met a man who worked in social media for a pharma company back when I was writing a blog about diabetes. He was the first person to tell to tell me that I was a caregiver. Like he said, he's like, we're interested in you because you're a caregiver of a person with type one. I never even thought of myself that way. Like just in that tone. And I think I ended up at some farm a meeting one time for bloggers, and I got to meet him. And I learned that he played music. And many, many years later, when I was making the podcast, I thought, oh, I want theme music. I wonder if Rob couldn't make me theme music. And I contacted him. And he said, Would you mind if I did it with my daughter? And she was like, gosh, she was like eight or nine at that time. She's in college now. It's crazy. And so his he sat down with his daughter, and they made the theme music together. That's awesome. Yeah. And she picked she picked the beats and stuff like that they put they put it together, he made a little ad bed for me and some outro music. And then I think like five or six years later, I sent them another email. I was like, Can you update this for me? And they sat down and they did it again. And they updated it. It's what it is now. I actually was just thinking for 1000 episodes. I wonder like, I wonder if I should update the music again? Not sure. But yeah, I mean,

Doug 37:41
I love it. No, I

Scott Benner 37:42
won't touch it, then I'm on you. Save me Save me time and money just now was what you did you order this,

Doug 37:48
I think you'd like, at least for me, maybe for the people you look for like some, like constant. That's like a reassuring, like comforting place where you can get information that's helpful. And like, that's what the podcast was. And I think that's what the music like, queued my brain into it's like, alright, this is like a, like a calmer, like, just, it's a good environment. And it just it always just like mentally reset you when you hear the music. So I was all for it.

Scott Benner 38:12
I also think that when people come on, even when they're telling like hellacious stories, they are still alive at the end of the story. And you know, exactly, and it's helpful because you're like, okay, so they went through this really bad thing. Like, they are some of my favorite things like the after darks. When you start listening. It's like watching Titanic, like you forget in the middle that the boats gonna sink, you know, right. And, and I think when you're listening to them, you can forget that their votes, not thinking like this person is on here to tell their complete story. And even though how it started was terrible. And what happened in the middle was sometimes insane. At the end, they are normally here to say like, Well, my agency 6.1 now and I'm doing so much better. And like, here's the things I've learned. And I find that really helpful. And Exactly, yeah. Anyway, I, I find it helpful. I don't I don't have diabetes, and I listen to these people. And I'm like, wow, like life is possible. You don't I mean, so? Well, that's really cool. Man. I'm, I'm so happy. I have a couple of questions before we move. Because if we move forward, I'm gonna lose my questions. Tools for your anxiety, you learned things you said to make it better? Can you describe what your anxiety is like first and then tell me what you did to help it? Well,

Doug 39:28
I have an overactive internal dialogue, that's for sure. And it's usually negative. A lot of it is stemming from like a fear of failure. And so I don't really have a good answer for that. That's, that's just there. It's always been there. I just, I work to like, try not to act out that those sort of things, you know, like, it's been a good factor in my life. It's made me successful that I think because I don't, ultimately I don't want to fail. Like I used to be a sports guy too. And I remember like, like before baseball games, like if I was pitching I would just throw up before every game you know. or everything I've ever done, it's been like that I can put a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself. And it leads to good things. But it's, you know, it takes a toll on your health. Sure. And ironically, we know that like nothing is ever certain with this type one. But when I was talking to my endo about, like, how does this happen to me like as an adult, and they're like, Well, you know, a lot of people have the genetic markers, in addition, like environmental stimuli that triggers it. And in my case, they said, it was probably like the prolonged stress from the work on the school. And so I think it's almost like sometimes a life lesson like, alright, well, I can't keep doing that. Because like, look what can happen. And so I think behavioral or like, structural things, like I said, like avoiding, like, the news or like, triggers of things that I know, sent me off is really helpful. I think, the meditation group that I'm a part of has helped me quite a bit, I'm terrible at meditating. But like, it helps even just to put down the phone and try to quiet the mind sometimes, or just accept it. I honestly feel like the best when I'm doing stuff for other people. So like, when I'm volunteering, or teaching, I'm like, kind of out of my own head. So like, the more things I can do to get out of my own head, the better. And then a lot of different physical activities, you know, like I exercise every day, I try to box I try to golf. But like, when I'm actively engaged in something like that, it's almost like something that, you know, once I'm into it, my brain can sort of, you know, ignore the pretty persistent negative thoughts, you know, like I was on all sorts of SSRIs for years and stuff, but I hated the side effects. I never really felt better anyway. And so I just kind of stopped that stuff. So I don't really have great answers, but I tried. So it's like, what I guess they teach us as you know, as occupational therapist is also a lot of like, our, our thoughts are a result of just what we're actually doing. So like, it doesn't have to be like a mindful thing all the time. Sometimes it can be just the way you structure your routine. That helps.

Scott Benner 41:46
Yeah, I I think it's very helpful the way you explained it. So don't apologize, please. Yeah, I, I'm, I'm just interested in anxiety, because of inflammation. Oh, yeah. And I wonder, that's kind of the connection, or like, I wondered if you have you so you've had it your whole life. The thing about the, like, the kind of negative mindset, you should just marry my wife like, she'll beat that. Right.

Doug 42:16
Because I don't know, it's pretty deeply ingrained.

Scott Benner 42:18
I don't know. She's, she's pretty vicious. So I have in the past had a no mentality. Like, no matter what you would ask me, I the way I describe it, as I started know, and work backwards from now. So can we should we know? We shouldn't? It's dangerous, it's expensive. It's blah, blah, blah. And then I work backwards from it till I find a path to it. That's okay. Whereas some people just go Yeah, let's do it. And then they'll get into it and find out. Oh, I shouldn't have done this. I liked it. Yeah, yeah. Right. It's actually made me that's maybe where my son got the thing with the baseball where it was like, Oh, this won't work. So no, it's over.

Doug 43:02
Like, he's just thinking about that in my mind. Yeah, it does make a lot of sense. So

Scott Benner 43:06
I start everything at No. Should I make a podcast? No, I shouldn't. Why? Well, I don't know about the microphones. I don't know about this. I'm not good at that. But Katie Couric said, I'm good at talking to people, I could probably learn about a microphone, I'll sit down and see if I can figure out the microphones. I sat down and figured out can I afford them? I can, you know, like that. And that's sort of, but my first thought was no, I'm like, I should make a podcast. No, I shouldn't. Boom, done. Like, I'm not going to and then I move backwards. From there. The problem is when you're doing it in a personal situations, it's your kids going can we should we might it's my wife saying we need to get a and I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. And then financially, I grew up broke. So I'm always defending money. Right? Like, so if I had $5 I would defend it. Like it was, like it was all the money in the world. Because I grown up in a situation where nobody had $5. And so it is to me even now, in 2023 If I hear somebody say it's just $20 it almost short circuits my brain to trigger I'm like, I'm like, $20. That's a lot of money. Like, it's some people don't make $5 an hour. That's a half of somebody's day. Like, like, you know, like, that's how it feels to me.

Doug 44:20
Yeah, no, I hear Yeah,

Scott Benner 44:22
I don't know if that's negative. So my reason for bringing that up is are your thoughts actually negative? Or are they just probably pragmatic, they're not, they're negative. Okay. You're

Doug 44:31
okay. But like, also, you know, it's also like a physical thing, but I think the physical part actually bothers me more. It's like I get, it's just like a, like a full body tension and like, it almost feels like you're having a low a low blood sugar, you know, you're kind of just jittery and I hate that and a lot of times the exercise will beat that out of your, you know, maybe maybe an edible here and there to help out but, you know, it's, that's the annoying part and I see it now. Wearing a Dexcom I lit really just can watch it happen like driving. Now, it's not really a stressful environment, but I think your body's a little bit geared up. So you just see your blood sugar spike. Yeah, then you have to be, you know, negative, it can be excitement. And I know that's always been a thing. It's like sometimes people will say, like relabeled, the term anxiety to just, you know, excitement because it really is just your body being geared up. It's just when you don't want it to happen. It's very frustrating. And it has an effect on blood sugars, and you can see it so it's, I'm very into that stuff, too. It's just, it's interesting. I just wish that wasn't you kind of wish it didn't affect you. So directly,

Scott Benner 45:33
of course, yeah, yeah. Or something you could turn on and off when you need it not?

Doug 45:37
Yeah. Because sometimes you consciously know that you shouldn't be anxious, but your body is bound up anyway. That's, I would say when it's the most annoying, you're like, Come on, I'm not nervous. Like, why does my body have to be so? So tight and rigid right now?

Scott Benner 45:48
Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. Meditation was my last question. That that helps even over zoom.

Doug 45:55
It's not even so much than meditation. In my case, it's the fact that it's all people with type one. And we talk about whatever we're doing are experiencing like, before and after. Like, if I'm being honest, like, during the meditation, I'm thinking about a million other things like, I'm not really meditating, I'm just kind of wandering around. But after we finish, it's nice to just, I think the bottom line is just that I crave knowing other people with type one. And so again, that's why the podcast is great. That's what I get out of that meditation group, because everybody else has it. I know that other people experienced this, but like, when you're out and about, and you just see somebody with a Dexcom, you instantly want to talk to him. Or at least I do. And you have these like great conversations, because it's, it's like you're in the secret club, like nobody else knows what you're dealing with at all. And so when you find the people that can relate to it, it just feels so good. Because there's so much in common with other people. It's, it's really great from that perspective, honestly, you know, because I feel like I've always looked for like a community, and I don't, I don't want this community but like, now that I'm a part of it, I do feel like there's just unbelievable support and connection with other people who have it. So like, I've made some relationships that I never would have had otherwise. And they're, they're great. And I really, really value them. So from that perspective, it's amazing. Nice.

Scott Benner 47:10
I actually saw a woman with a libre on her arm the other day, and I felt comforted by it. Like I really did. Yeah, like, there you thought I thought like, Well, I started with, there's a person who understands, like, exactly know that. I'm not even gonna speak to them. Doesn't matter, but they I know, they understand. And then there's the other half of my brain that makes the podcast it's like, Oh, I hope they're okay. Like I want I wonder if she really does know what she's doing. Right? You know, that kind of thing. I obviously didn't bother one way or the other. But he's just imagine if I walked up to her and I was like, hey, looks like a card in their pocket or sometimes, I guess. Yeah, podcast you should listen to. That would be weird. But no, I was really. I was really just helped you, lady. Listen, how'd you like to have a one seeing the low sixes no trouble. I'm going to talk to you and you're here for a while. And this is going to just happen. I can't explain to you why that's true. It just is. Don't worry about it. Trust me. Trust me. Doug told me said it's fine. But seriously, like very like an app peace feeling just watching her help somebody get out of her car. And then she got back in and went and parked her car. I never saw her. Yeah, I was like, Oh, that's really cool. So yeah, I'm always

Doug 48:19
wondering like, Yeah, I wonder how they manage. I wonder. I see it a lot like the gym. And I'm always thinking about stuff. I wonder what their blood sugar's out. Like, I wonder what they did to prepare for this beforehand. Like, I wonder if they're looking at their watch every two seconds. Like I'm to make sure that they're in a good spot. Like it just there's a million questions that you want to ask. So

Scott Benner 48:37
here's a question for you. You spent those three years fighting through not having a diagnosis, you don't come out of that feeling like wow, look at what I did, like I could do anything. No, that's me listening to your story. What you heard was, I was frustrated, and someone should have helped me. And they didn't do the right test. And I was doing squats in the bathroom and eating salad. None of it worked out and I'm hearing you were out alone in the Arctic, and you live through it. Like, that's amazing.

Doug 49:12
That's the healthy way to look at it. So I can like appreciate that. I probably should look at it like that. And I'm not like a negative person. I think I'm just, I think when I when I kind of look at it, harshly what I say to myself also is that, hey, look, I just spent a ton of money and a ton of effort and time going back to school for this new career. And then it sort of fell apart, right when I started and so I've reverted back to my old life like, and I gave myself and uncurable condition. When you look at it from that context, it's like gosh, like question I've done that. But yeah, I mean, now I'm, honestly now I'm fine with it. I've adjusted it's just in that those first few months. It's sort of shocking to the system and I was telling one of my other friends who has type one the other day like, I've only had it for a couple years but like I I honestly can't remember life without it now, like, and so I fully adjusted, I've no problem with it now. Like, it just is my life. And I'm content. It's just that initial transition I think was negative at first, but now I feel fine. It's just, it's wild how much your perspective changes once this is your day to day because you're so consumed by it that like, I just I can't even remember like sitting. You know, it's funny, I'm thinking back on it like before I got that initial, like when I went for that urine test back when I was still a therapist. I remember, like, the day before I went there, like my dinner for some reason was like, a bacon egg and cheese bowl flavored like Gatorade, and like two chocolate chip muffins. So I'm like, of course, my blood sugar is gonna be out of control. But like, I can't even imagine eating that stuff. Without having a concern afterwards. It just, it seems like a different lifetime entirely.

Scott Benner 50:53
Right? It's also hard to hear you talk about it now and realize, like, I have a I have a modicum of guilt when I hear you say that, because I don't eat very much. I couldn't eat that much food if you paid me probably. But, but if I ate it, my blood sugar wouldn't go up that much.

Doug 51:08
I know it. I actually that will never not shocked me. It's funny because like, even around like my family now. Like, we'll eat like, a big dinner or something. I'll eat whatever, but will like, I'll make them test their blood sugar. And I'm like, I just can't. It blows my mind how well the human body normally works. Like the fact that a pancreas can actually process all of the stuff that we throw in it blows my mind. Yeah, well,

Scott Benner 51:32
for as long as I can. And then one day for a lot of people. I mean, if you look at the numbers, type two, like eventually, I mean, we are living long enough. And eating foods that are so processed, that it's really taken a toll on people. You know, it's so yeah, it's crazy. Even watch

Doug 51:50
like one of those like a YouTube like, Can I finish this meal challenge or whatever. And they're eating something that's like the size of the whole table. And I'm thinking like, how does their body processes? How does this work? I

Scott Benner 52:03
was at lunch with my family yesterday and I got a glass of water and everyone else drank two glasses, and I was stunned by that. I get so much liquid and amazing. Blue glasses. I swear that's partially why I don't understand beer drinking. Well, because it's the volume. Yeah, the sheer volume of it. I don't I don't like where does it go? I don't get it. I can't do it. So I'm a big baby. I definitely can't do it. I'm going through your notes here. Do you have actual depression?

Doug 52:35
Oh, yeah, I was diagnosed depression, like when I was 18 and never went away.

Scott Benner 52:40
Okay, and you're not taking SSRIs now though?

Doug 52:45
No, I'm dying. prescribed them but I don't I don't take them. I don't like them. They just make me feel lazy lackadaisical and make me worse, worse at the gym doesn't help my anxiety. So I just don't take them. I've tried like everyone else give me stomach issues. But yeah, ever since I was 18 I was prescribed you know, we went through Paxil, Lexapro. Basically, every every brand you could try. And they all had different side effects. They all didn't really alleviate the anxiety. And so, you know, I was seeing a therapist for a while too. And I didn't, I didn't get a ton out of it. But more or less. I mean, I'm pretty happy. I don't want to project like a negative image. I just, I think I just think negatively, more so than I project like a negative demeanor.

Scott Benner 53:30
Are you depressed? Or did your parents tell you you were depressed?

Doug 53:33
That's what the psychologist told me. Yeah, I think I was I mean, this all started when I was, you know, like I didn't, I was very, very quiet. I was a good athlete growing up, but I was very, very quiet introverted. And like I said, I always had a fear of failure. I was always, you know, making myself sick by how much I worried about stuff. And, you know, I didn't really have a plan for the future at the time, you know, going into college. And so that's where it got sort of diagnosed, but I do definitely feel depressed, or depressive symptoms

Scott Benner 54:01
in your family, as or more depression or autoimmune.

Doug 54:06
Um, so my cousin has type one. Depression. I don't know, I think I think that's a harder one to know. Like, some people maybe say they're depressed, like, like we talked about. So I don't really have, like nobody that I'm aware of is like, consistently going to therapy or like honest surveys or other medications or things like that for depression. I'm sure people have depressive episodes and stuff, but I don't think too much clinical depression.

Scott Benner 54:34
Do you see anybody with your personality?

Doug 54:37
Yeah, I'm just like my mom. Your mom. Okay. Yeah, we're just, you know, she was a labor and delivery nurse. She's like a very empathetic, caring person. I think that a lot of that stems into it. You know, we're just worried about like, what other people are feeling or thinking. And she's, she's a thinker as well, but she's the best. It's just, she tends to get anxious and depressed sometimes.

Scott Benner 54:58
Alright, so you're managing dai for how long after they finally decide you have diabetes? How long are you how long you doing? Just multiple daily injections? What Basal insulin are you using?

Doug 55:08
I was I was doing an MDI for maybe three months. And then again, thanks to your podcast, actually, that sort of was what prompted me to move from MDI to like a pump as I reached out to integrate it. And I didn't get to work with Jenny, but I worked with Katherine. And she kind of just taught me like, at the time, you know, I was very sensitive because I was still honeymooning. And so I was just going low. And I was afraid to do anything. And that's where we started to talk about like, well, if you're not injecting the basil in particular, every day, so you have a little bit more flexibility to play with to give and take when you don't need it. And when you do, and so I would say it was probably three months that I was on, basil. And it was time to even think I got on to Stephen but like, my insurance didn't cover that. So it was like a trial. I was on whatever one was before that. And we were so we were playing around with like the dosages because I tended to process it pretty quick. So I was doing like two injections a day, like one in the morning, one in the evening. Because the you know, the peak wasn't consistent for me. And then I was doing Humalog at the time with the pen. And that was nice, because at the time, I really liked the you know, the half unit increments and stuff that was very helpful. When I was honeymooning, it didn't take much insulin. When I first started, it was like, the progression was like six units of basil a day and no mealtime insulin. And then it was like eight or 10 Basil. And then like they I ended up I was not happy with like it was just kind of like a base pay take two units for each meal. That was way too much at the time. So that's where I started to go to integrate it rather than my end up because I just I asked all the questions, but I wasn't getting good answers. And I was just annoyed. Because I knew there was I was listening to the podcast at the time. So I was like, Well, I'm not getting the detailed information that I would get from somebody who was more suited for this sort of thinking. And then eventually I migrated over to the the Omni pod. So I'm on the on the pod five now in the Dexcom. And, okay, pretty happy with it, honestly, it really does. Like, it's amazing to think all of like the little, I'm constantly checking. And I'm constantly correcting. And I'm just on top of it, because I like it to be in a good spot because like you've talked about a million times, like when it starts trending in the wrong direction, just harder. And it's just more of a headache. So you might as well just stay ahead of it. And comparing the ease of doing that with a pump and just plopping it into little, the little app versus going to take a shot. Every time I want to correct or something. It's just, I'm still just completely grateful for how much better it is. Yeah.

Scott Benner 57:36
I just want to ask you a quick question. Yeah. It's like a business thing. You've got an omni pod? Because you heard about it here. Yes, I did. But you didn't use my link. You just told your doctor, right.

Doug 57:47
I think it was before the five was on. I think I had just heard your did that like three part mini series with whoever it was from? I think it was actually the Barbara Davis Center.

Scott Benner 58:00
Right? Yes. With cat quarry.

Doug 58:03
Which is funny because I actually I'm in a study out there not with her. But I go to Colorado every month for a different type one study. Wow. But yeah, it was I did not use your link because it went through my we use optim R x, which is like that mail in pharmacy. So it just went through it from there. Yes.

Scott Benner 58:20
It's all done. I just you know, sometimes, and this isn't directed on the pod, but all the people who advertise sometimes they forget, I do the hard work. And then you go into the doctor's office and get yourself a new. Right. So So thing, and then later at the end of the year they go I don't know, I don't see the clock. So I'm like, Yeah, let's go to the doctor and get it. I need

Doug 58:41
like affiliate analytics to like, somehow prove that, like, that's how the information got shared, which it is, which is true.

Scott Benner 58:48
I know what I do. Don't worry. I just like other people to hear it sometimes. And I was like, That was a good person that was telling me what happened here because I think I know what happened. But

Doug 58:56
it was through that it was through that for sure. Because I don't I would never use personally, I would never use a pump with like a tubing because I'm just really, really active and I just don't want

Scott Benner 59:05
that. I want to be clear a lot of companies including Omni pod understand what I call like an umbrella effect. Actually, I think that's what they call it marketing. It's not. But it's there are some people who don't get it. Like, you know, when you're in a doctor's office and someone says I need a blank. You say, Oh, do you have the blank? Because you heard it here? Right? And somebody somebody's had a good experience with it or something? And then technically I have sold whatever. No, nobody knows. And then

Doug 59:38
I mean because if you think about it, like if you if you didn't have any access to podcasts or other information like you're going to the doctor, you don't really even barely know what type one is. I don't think there's any way you would know what brand of pump to ask for. You just be like, yeah

Scott Benner 59:55
I need a pump. Yeah, you can hear it and people's voices by the way. How Don't many people say, Oh, I got the pump. Like that's a magical entity. You know, it's the pump. It's not the pump, there's four of them.

Doug 1:00:08
It's funny, we're talking about this now, because I'm thinking about it. I remember my endo saying that I was the first person on on the pilot she had, which I was surprised that because it's not a small office, a big office. Yeah. It just, I really, I really was frustrated with my Endo, not because like, they were friendly, but they just didn't have like the knowledge. It was shocking. Like, I swear, I could go there tomorrow and do a much better job than them in terms of like, helping people understand what their options are, what they might want to do, where to go for, like more help, like, just, I think mindset that they mostly get with type two. And that was why but still, like you're an endo, you should know how to give people proper information when they're just starting out on their type one journey. I

Scott Benner 1:00:51
had a medical person told me one time, if you had access to a prescription pad, I'd let you be my endocrinologist. Yeah, totally. Like, that's lovely. Thank you. But sad state of affairs. Also, uh, you know, it's funny. Maybe it's not their fault. Meaning that the delivery system for their information, I have it, they don't have it. Like I have the delivery system that does all the things that you've described over the last hour. Yeah, they don't have access to that they also have a brain to become a doctor. I don't have that. Like, if you sent me to medical school, I would sit there and go, Oh, my God, I hate this. Get me out here. Yeah, you know, and I would fail miserably at it. And they don't have the, I don't know, I'm just gonna say the gift of gab. But it makes me sound like it's 1940. But it's, it's difficult to have information and be able to communicate it in a way that's interesting to listen to acceptable by the person hearing it. It's dumb luck. Like, yeah, it's not lost on me that the first 10 minutes of this episode, are me telling you a story telling all of you a story about a person you don't know. And the thing you haven't been involved in, that you probably don't care about. And yet, you were probably listening to it and going, Oh, that was really interesting. Yeah, I don't know why I'm good at that, Doug. Like, I didn't go to school to learn how to tell a story. I like

Doug 1:02:19
it's like, you know, communication skills. And that's something that doctors are taught. I mean, I work for a hospital system. I know, like, I was actually part of like, the, like, I was on the education team previously, and like, I know that these doctors are, are taught how to pull information from patients, or how to give them like the lay of the land. So like, I don't understand. I know that also, like they have restraints, you know, like, they have a medical system that they're within the confines of where they have a certain amount of time with each person. But like, I just think that it, there's no reason that they shouldn't be able to, like, empathize a little more, or say like, Okay, what you're coming into is a new world. And there's a lot that you're going to need to learn. And we're not going to cover it all right now. But like, let's give you some basics that are gonna keep you safe, and some parameters that are actually reasonable for your first few weeks or months and, and they'll tell a plan to like, speak with you down the road, as you get more familiar and comfortable. Like, the fact that none of that is done is a very large gap. Because like, it might sound like insulin is just so much stronger than a typical oral medication, or really anything else you're gonna give somebody. And so when you're given somebody that something that strong, I think that it warrants, like a diversion from the regular way that they administer information to patient,

Scott Benner 1:03:33
no 100%, I just think that the rate limiting factors humans, and that it's not that they're limited, it's that, you know, just because when you're 18, you decide like, I'm going to be a doctor, it doesn't mean you're a good communicator, or it doesn't mean that even when they teach you in school, how to communicate with people that you're going to come off not like a robot, or you know, that you're even going to understand the thing you're telling people about, I don't even know how to explain to you. Like when I really start talking about, like, if we got on here at the beginning of this episode. And you just say you cornered me and you you said, Scott, just tell me everything you know about diabetes, I don't want to talk I, I would start slow. Because as I tried to access what I understand about diabetes, intellectually, it's not easy. But if I can, as I'm talking, I go away in my head. I don't know another way to say that. And I have access to my knowledge. And I almost it's like a faucet. Right? I can turn it on and get it flowing in a way that I'm not sitting there consciously thinking go get this thought and hand it to Doug and now that you've spoken about basil move to this. Like I don't think I don't think that way. Like I just open up the diabetes faucet and I go even if you go back and listen to me tell the story about coal. I made a decision that I was going to tell that story And then I, I get semi unconscious and tell the story. Like, I don't know what other I don't know another way to put it like those details and that timeline there. All right. But if you ask me right now to sit down and write it out, I would struggle to write it out. So I don't, you know, anyway, that's not a thing you can do when a 15 minute doctor's appointment is what I'm trying to say. No, yeah. And also, it also doesn't make it in conscionable, that they let you out of there. Without the information you need.

Doug 1:05:29
Yeah, I mean, I think I heard you say this, they, they basically want you to not lie. Right? And so they give you like, very, I don't know, like, just safe, or, you know, not aggressive guidelines or information. And then it's kind of on you to figure it out from there. And that's fine. Just, I, I definitely think that, like you said, like, if you're in there, you could give better information to patients right off the bat. And I think I could do and I actually would love to do that some days to at least volunteer in space. I try to, I try to help out as much as I can. Because I just think that a lot of people don't know. And it's almost sometimes kind of to your point about like how to provide information. Sometimes it's easier when somebody has a particular question. Or like when you know, they're in a certain part of the journey, rather than just like blurting out all the information. It's like, Oh, right. What are you actually going to do when you go home? Like, how are you going to navigate tomorrow, and then we figure it out together? And like, that's where they gain all the information about exactly how to do that.

Scott Benner 1:06:26
It's also difficult to, you don't realize that when people come to you with questions, they often don't really know what they're asking you, right? And when they try to give you examples of what's going wrong in their life. They're sometimes the worst people to ask. So they start leading you down these paths of stories, you're like, This is meaningless. Like, I don't need this information, like is this what you're focused on? No wonder you can get your basil, right, like, this is what you're thinking about. Right? And they they just don't know. And I'll tell you the other thing, the one thing I think I have that is maybe sorely lacking in this time period, is I know what I know, I am comfortable that I know it. And I don't apologize for saying it. And so not that I'm saying some horrible things that are hurtful. But how do I mean this? People spend so much time apologizing for what they're saying just in case it's offending you. They never really fully with a full throat say what they mean. They're always holding back and giving you half of things because like, well, I don't want to be too, you know, and then meanwhile, all the notes I get are thank you for making an honest podcast. Thank you for speaking about this, honestly, like that kind of stuff instead of just going well, I don't know. Like, you may feel this way. But some people don't. And, you know, it's okay. If you don't invite like, No, it's not, it's not okay. Like, I listen between you and me and everyone listening. If a seven and a half a one C is the best you can do. I think that's terrific. But you can't sit there and pretend that you're done. And that this is okay. Right? It's not I don't care what the ADA says about a seven a one C. I don't normally say that out loud. That's too high. You know, like, if you have to be there for a year while you figure it out. There's no shame in that game at all. But don't get the seven and a half, like, oh, that's close enough to seven. I'm good. We

Doug 1:08:27
need people like with your attitude, because I struggle with that. Like it's hard not to be sort of too nice in a way and just be like, Alright, great job. You know, I think it's really good that you do push like that. So I think that's, that's really appreciated.

Scott Benner 1:08:42
But and then the other thing I that I've done is that I don't say it that directly. But I don't also hold back I say things like, Don't stare at a high blood sugar. If your blood sugar is 140 Correct it like like don't don't live all day at 140 and got so close to 90. You know what I mean? Like, that's the kind of stuff that gets your a one C lower that lowers your variability. Yeah, that puts puts your insulin in the right places during the day. So you're not getting super high or super low all the time, and you're still using enough insulin to get an agency that is going to be healthy for you. Totally. Yeah, but anyway, like a doctor is gonna say seven great, great job. And they by the way, everyone, no matter what your agency is, I mean, this, someone should be telling you, you're doing a great job because it's hard. You are you are doing a great job. But let's do that job with the amount of insulin you need for your seven to be a six and then once you figure out how to do that status, let's see if we can't make it a five eight or something like that. You know,

Doug 1:09:43
I mean, kind of just to back up your point like the kind of community that you cultivated it is refreshing and sort of like, I don't want to say better but like it's just like, it's got it's got more knowledge. I feel like it handles different situations like particular I'm thinking of like the Facebook groups like, the questions and answers I see there versus other type one forums. It's just, it's better information. You know, it's not like random complaining with no actual solution. It's like, Alright, here's the thing happening. And then a bunch of people say, Okay, here's how you can actually do so like, I think, to your point, you've created a community where people tend to do that, I think, more than elsewhere, and it actually leads to good solutions, which is ultimately what people need. So that's, that's great. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:10:27
I mean, my I was talking about this with my son the other day, that idea, because he's just into the working world, right. And so we're talking about some of the things he's learning and seeing being around a lot of different people, personalities, that all have a task to perform. And he's like, There's this one guy. And he's amazing at pointing out what's wrong.

Doug 1:10:51
Seinfeld character, exactly,

Scott Benner 1:10:53
right. Like, like, the guy is just amazing at being like, this is the problem and calls like, great, what's the answer? And I was like, Yes, you are asking the question that very successful people ask all the time, or that some leaders in major industries will tell you don't come to me with a problem come to me with a solution. Right, you know, come to me and say, Hey, I noticed that this is wrong. And here's what I think we can do to fix it. But when your personality leads you to Oh, my God, oh, my god, it's so wrong. So I'm having this conversation with my son, my brother's with us. And he goes, we fired a guy for that. And I was like, what he goes, he did great work. And I was like, right, he goes, but it was exhausting to be around him. Like, he's, uh, he just ran around yelling, like, the sky is falling, the sky is falling. And he's like, and then eventually, he'd stopped the sky from falling. And we kept saying to him, we know it's falling. Can you just fix it more quietly? And eventually, he said, it was such a distraction. They moved him out of the thing. I think they moved into another part of the business. I

Doug 1:11:54
don't think they fired him. But I can understand that for sure.

Scott Benner 1:11:59
It's just, it's fascinating. And I think that I bring that up, because I think that people with diabetes, or any health issues, can find themselves in that situation. You know, this hurts. This happens when I do this. My blood sugar spikes every time I blah, blah, blah, okay? Some people's blood sugars don't spike, when that happens. It is not because they have a magically better kind of diabetes than you do. Right? They know how to use their insulin, they understand the impact of that food. Like that's what they're doing that you don't do. Don't just tell me, oh, gosh, that's just diabetes. I guess I die sooner than everybody else. Like, that's not the answer. And I still I got a note from somebody the other day was online, from a person who listens to this podcast, and they were extolling the podcast, and then spent a paragraph talking about how they're a brittle diabetic and I'm like, Oh, my God, like you listen to me. And you still think that?

Doug 1:12:54
Well, you know, it's funny you say that. I thought I would have said I was brittle in the beginning, too. Because that's like what my doctor said. But really what it wasn't there just honeymooning and I was very sensitive to insulin.

Scott Benner 1:13:07
Yeah, so that's funny. Yeah, what a terrible world word to tell somebody. You know, you're just brutal.

Doug 1:13:13
It just implies like, what am I falling apart? I don't want to represent it. Well,

Scott Benner 1:13:17
yeah. Man, in my mind, it's a picture of 150 year old rice paper, and I pick it up and it just disintegrates in my hand. So that's what I am. I'm rad, delicate, terrific. There was

Doug 1:13:29
a period. I mean, I definitely felt that I guess, me being like, newer diagnosed, I try not to like, judge anybody else. Because I'm like, I know, like the mental burden of it. And so like, I can only imagine, like a lifetime of it. And so like, sometimes I feel like some people just need to vent. And I'm like, alright, that's completely understandable. Because it's exhausting. Like, you just wish you could take a break. But yeah, certain things like when it's actually just not brittle, you maybe just don't understand how to do certain things. That's like, I think to your point, like a few minutes ago, like that's where it helps to sort of like, stop them from allowing to keep saying that and be like, well, let's just actually try to fix this. Because I don't, I don't want you to think that you're brittle. Because that can lead you to do the doing less than than feeling worse about yourself and then having a tougher time. So like, let's, let's actually figure out what's going on in this particular case and try to help it. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:14:17
Yeah, that all makes sense. I know some of you've been told you're brutal. And I know some of you see your blood sugar's jumping all over the place. And that's what you think, Oh, look, I'm Berta like, yeah, a little bit this way, break a little bit that way, that number of breaks, etc. That's just you not using insulin. Well, I mean, somebody might be brutal. Do you understand that? But overwhelmingly, that is not the situation. Oh, it's

Doug 1:14:40
also like, sometimes it's Dexcom. Sometimes it's changing. Like, for example, I think it's easy to mistake making your brittle. I struggle with this. Let's say you're sitting around working for a couple hours and your blood sugar's at 150. You get up a lot of times, you're taking a couple of steps, your blood sugar's dropping to 121 10 In two seconds, you might think that you're brittle, if that's the case, but really, it's just you've had no circulation circulation, you know, insulin is just not going to do anything and you're sitting around. So there's some things that are just knowledge based, I think I could be mistaken for a brittle diagnosis. Or it could even be you know, maybe your Dexcom is acting up and lectins are jumping and you think that actually means your blood sugar is dropping. Like there's a whole variety of things that could lead to a label and maybe sometimes it's okay. I

Scott Benner 1:15:30
don't know if I love you because you sound like a friend of mine. But I was, I had teed up in my head before you said that. I said to myself, I'm going to explain to people like what if you're dehydrated, and you put a bunch of insulin in your blood sugar doesn't move and then you mindlessly chug a water eventually, and all of a sudden your blood sugar starts falling you say, Oh, my God, look, I'm brutal. I sat around all day, I gave myself all this insulin, nothing happened. And then for no reason, all cuz you're not going to see the water is like the, the connection there. You didn't know enough about it. But that would lead somebody to say, Oh, I'm so brittle. All this insulin didn't do anything. And then all of a sudden, later I the insulin was out of my body wasn't out of your body. It's sitting in there not circulating because you're dehydrated. And then you basically reanimated it with the water and like, whoo, here we go. Totally. Yeah, I don't know. I

Doug 1:16:18
mean, other examples like driving, even if you're driving around your neighborhood, like for me, there must just be a minor cortisol, cortisol spike when I'm driving, because I'm locked in and I'm paying attention. And so like, I'll take a bunch of insulin, it seems like it has no effect. Once I get wherever I'm going, my blood sugar is going to tank that doesn't mean I'm brittle. It just in that particular case, it means that like, my nervous system isn't all amped up anymore. So like now, I'm sort of functioning like I normally would be, say, might apply for like, a date, you know, you're all excited to get there and you're doing your thing at the end of the day, and blood sugars, maybe hide dinners, you go home and you relax, like your blood sugar tanks, like. So there's like sometimes environmental things that you're doing. And your body may be doing things that you just don't realize that are impacting your blood sugar, but it does not mean that there's anything wrong or even necessarily didn't eat them, or it's just like, sometimes this is the way things work. 100%

Scott Benner 1:17:07
That's exactly right. All right, Doug, you're amazing. Is there anything we have not talked about that we should have?

Doug 1:17:13
The only thing I was gonna say is I well, I feel like most of the people on your podcast are not single, especially the guys. Like I've heard most of the guys being like married or girlfriends, whatever. The one thing I say is that I do find dating hard as with this, because the you know, if you think about it, like a lot of times the setting for a date is like dinner. And so you're sitting there, you're getting foods that you may not normally eat, the hardest struggle that I've had with all of this is like staying mentally present with the other person went by blood sugar is going out of control, because I'm not really prepared. So I don't know where I'm going with that. I just feel for anybody else who's dealing with that, because there's been times that I've been on a date. And again, like I like to have a really strict under control blood sugar. And so you know, whether you like it or not, sometimes you're out at dinner and your blood sugar, just not acting the way that you want. Because you're you're a little bit stressed or excited, you're eating something you don't normally have. And you're sitting there with a 220 blood sugar, trying to not let that aggravate the hell out of you while being attentive and actually being present with the person that's across the table from you. And I feel like that can be very hard. Like I've had some some situations where I just had it impossible for me to be be present with the person. And I've probably missed out on opportunities because of that. And that's been really frustrating. And so there's ways around that, obviously, you can go for a walk, or you don't have to go to dinner, it's just, there are certain circumstances that I feel like, you have to navigate in a unique way until, I guess until you establish something for somebody so they can understand it. Because the other piece of that is that in dating, I've not really met anybody who understood what type one was. They all think it's type two. And so like, the amount of granularity and stuff that I have, have to pay attention to is, is foreign to them. So that's been tough. And then yeah, it's always funny. Like, they call me like the beeping guy, you know, because I would get like alarms going off or like things beeping or whatever. So like, what is this, but there's just different elements that I think you have to address somebody with type one who is like, dating and not really with an established partner that I think are unique, and you know, anything that people can do to sort of support each other with that or stay on top of it. I think it just helps because it's a little tricky,

Scott Benner 1:19:26
right? Yeah, no, I think your point you're, you don't know the person yet. And they don't understand anything about your type one. And you're in an awkward situation. And any little weirdness might make a new person go I'm not up for this, like, you know what I mean, like and if you start staring out in the space, because you're thinking I am going to get low, I'm about to get low. I don't want to get low, like like, you know, we're whatever. Yeah, and then if you get like, if you think like oh, this is going well, like we might head back home like you get excited now you need a bunch of insulin right I think it's yeah. Or they're like,

Doug 1:20:01
you know, let's take a walk after you're like, Well, I've got five units mixed. Let me I don't know if that's a great idea for me right now, like little, little stupid things like that definitely tend to raise your head. But it's not a huge deal. It's just Yeah, but otherwise, I would just say, like I said, I've completely adjusted type one, I don't like it. But I do find it fascinating. And I like contributing to the space. So I want to help out as much as I possibly can, like I'm doing that study, I'm trying to like, I'm actually going to try to start like a business where I can help educate people, like I joined at CES to try to become an educator myself eventually. Because I feel like I've always liked teaching people, I have a lot of empathy. And I can understand more so than with any other condition, other people who have type one, like what they're going through. Yeah. But I also really, I really appreciate what you're doing with the type two community too, because one of the interesting things that I've seen, I'm sure you've seen this as well, but like, I tried to shut this off on myself as much as possible, but I do feel it. And it's like, there's sort of like a, it's not looking down. But like, when you hear people complaining about type two, there's like, there's a piece of you deep down, it's like you don't have anything to worry about, like stop whining, like your pancreas works. But I think we have to get over that. Because it it's an equally, like dangerous condition, if you don't treat it, you know, it leads to the same complications, it's not as dangerous in the short term, but long term, it has just as many complications. And so, you know, I guess that's for anybody with type one, like, it's, we have to try to do our best not to, like looked down upon any other condition, just because they don't require insulin to survive. You know, like, it's, I wish they had different names, I think is where I'm going with this, because I think both both groups tend to get a little bit defensive when, you know, they're lumped in with the other one. So it's just something that I think I'm grateful that you're doing that type two stuff, because getting those people out there and hearing their stories. And also for people with type one that may not realize that people with type two sometimes do use insulin, like I think that's like a good bridge to understanding the conditions as well and what they go through.

Scott Benner 1:22:02
It's funny how rigid people can be. Because I get about once a month, somebody on the Facebook group will say, I thought this group was for type one diabetes. And I was like, well, that's for everybody with diabetes. And they'll say, Well, it's called Juicebox. Podcast, type one diabetes. Now, Doug, I don't have time to explain to these people that I had to call my podcast, Juicebox Podcast, type one diabetes, so that search terms would work out when people search for a type one diabetes podcast. So I'm like, yeah, it's just a name. And it's meaningless. Like, it doesn't matter. Well, it's, it says, it's for type one, I'm like, Oh, my God, you must be tortured in your life. Like, it's for type one. And it turns out that people with type two diabetes, it's all the same, like, like, it's, you know, like, once you're using insulin, it doesn't matter if you're type two or type one, the rules are all just kind of apply the same, right? And, you know, and if you're pre diabetic, you could come in and learn a lot about, like eating food in a certain order that help lessen your spikes. Or maybe you can learn about a different medication that people are using that are helping or, you know, I mean, I'm, I'm gonna move more conversations towards semaglutide. You know? Yeah, like what I'm seeing a do for people, they're like, like, we're gonna keep bringing it in. I just interviewed a woman yesterday with type one is using ozempic At the same time, and it's significantly decreases her insulin needs. That's amazing. Yeah. So I'm like, rant, she lost weight on top of all that, like, hey, you know what I mean? And so like, I'm just like, I sit back. And I think, how do you not see the bigger picture? What do you care what they have if the information here is helping them right on? By the way, it's such a small fraction. I have, like you said it earlier, I didn't want to like agree with you, because I sound like a douchebag. But I have done a really good job of setting up a space that really helps people. Yeah, you know, and but every once in a while, you'll hear one of those voices, and you have to go explain it to them and say, Look, you know, it's cool, like, just chill out.

Doug 1:24:08
Yeah, I mean, I think I get it because at the end of the day, I think managing type one, databases is a lot harder, because you have more granular decisions, and you're taking insulin and so but at the end, but the bottom line is that we type one and type two need good blood sugar management, otherwise, there's complications. So, you know, that's, that's a pretty, like, important central meeting point.

Scott Benner 1:24:33
If you put me in the position of defending a type two in this conversation, I could easily tell you a ton of things that would make you go you're right, that is hard. Yes. It's just not hard. Like your thing is hard. It's

Doug 1:24:45
just Well, I mean, I guess having managed it for a bunch of years, like I kind of know what's involved. It's just I think it's maybe not as scary. It depends on insulin. Insulin, I think is the thing. It's like, I feel like a type one person can say like, well, I make one wrong decision. and I just could not answer well, today, whereas like type two, it's like longterm, mostly depending on what they're taking,

Scott Benner 1:25:07
I also find myself in between the thought, because I am a, I am a personal responsibility person, like in my thinking, like, I do think you have personal responsibility for your decisions, your actions, I also think that there are things that can happen inside your brain in your body that stop you from being able to make the decisions that you would make if you weren't being stopped. Like, you know, I mean, you talked about anxiety, anxiety is a great example. Like you, you have reactions to things because of your anxiety, that if I just let your conscious mind decide it wouldn't do those things. And when you see that, how hard your hunger was impacted, right? And so how is it not the same for a type two person who maybe just can't stop eating a certain thing that they wish they could stop eating as an example? Or how is it not the same thing? If someone's knee is hurt, and they need to go for a walk, but they can't, because when they go for a walk, their knee swells up? And it hurts, right? Like, there might be different reasons, but it doesn't matter. Yes. I think in the end, if everyone could just remember that the hardest thing you've ever done is the hardest thing you've ever done. And stop judging your heart thing against somebody else's hard thing. What you would see is that people all have issues, just because one of them is cancer. And another one is, I don't know, a sore back doesn't mean that the person with a sore backs not suffering.

Doug 1:26:36
Yeah. And I mean, I think one of the things that I would suggest for like anybody type one that's maybe a little bit resentful of type two is like, you're you're helping our community, right? Like all the information has really helped people with type one live a better life. And like that same information is going to help people with type two live a better life. And there's way more people with type two. So like, why wouldn't you want as many people to get help as possible? So like, I just think getting it in front of type two is opening a gigantic new door that could dramatically help so many people. So yeah, it's like, how could you not want people to get good information? Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:27:12
good information is good information. I don't care where it comes from. And that's that, like, to me, that's the answer. You know, in the beginning, I took stuff from people who were like, well, you don't have diabetes, I can't listen to you talk about it. I was like, Well, I know more about it than you do. So maybe you should eat like, what do you care that I don't have it? Like it's fast. It's fascinating. You know, you go buy a new car, and a guy shows you how to drive the car. And then he goes and gets in a different car and goes home. He doesn't have your car. You don't go but you don't drive a Toyota, you're in a Honda. What do you tell me about Toyota is for you go okay, that's fine. That guy's job isn't telling you about the car must be the might be good. Might be good. It's a good analogy. It's ridiculous. Like, oh, yeah, your doctor doesn't have diabetes. They're doing a terrible job of explaining it to you. Like, you know, I don't know, read a review of the podcast and say, I'd like to feel like that one day. Like, oh, yeah, Doug, please. We had a nice conversation. Let's not get me upset. Okay. So

Doug 1:28:08
you're doing a great job. So thanks for the stuff that you're doing. And I hope you keep it up, you know, permanently.

Scott Benner 1:28:14
I have no plans on stopping. So don't worry about that. Right. That's great. I'll tell you, I'll share something with you that only you and I will know for like at least six months. I wanted to make my next series with Jenny, like a next gen Pro Tip series. Because I think that Jenny and I are just better at talking about it than we were in the past. And so I'd thought about like, well, let's add to the Pro Tip series. And then I'm like, Well, why don't we just make it more conversational and dig deeper into like, have more conversations about topics instead of anyway, that was my idea. But I might slide that idea back a little bit on my calendar, to do a, like a grand rounds series for doctors. Oh,

Doug 1:28:57
that's a really cool idea.

Scott Benner 1:28:58
Why don't Jenny and I explain to a doctor or a person in medical school, what's going to happen? And what appropriate responses are and what people really need to know versus what you're telling them.

Doug 1:29:14
And I was like, that's fantastic. That would be an unbelievable idea that

Scott Benner 1:29:16
is on the whiteboard. And now it is on the whiteboard. It has to happen.

Doug 1:29:19
Please do it. Yes, a lot of people would benefit from

Scott Benner 1:29:23
that. So I have to finish the myth, the MythBusters I really can't say myth. I have to finish the MythBusters then I'm gonna go to Grand Rounds, then I think I might slip into finding celiac in the middle there. Then I'm gonna go next gen pro tips. And then after that, I think I'm gonna do supplements and nutrition. So that should keep me going for about three more years. Dogs. Don't worry. I'm good.

Doug 1:29:44
That's all really good stuff, too. So can you can you speed those along?

Scott Benner 1:29:48
I'll just I'll stop living and I'll start recording 24 hours. All right. Thanks, doc. Oh, hold on one second. A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors G voc glucagon find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. You spell that? G VOKEGLUC AG o n.com. Forward slash juice box. A huge thanks to the contour next gen blood glucose meter for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. Learn more and get started today at contour next one.com/juice box. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com