#1879 Jack Be Nimble
Jack Be Nimble
Nineteen-year-old Jack shares how he stopped ignoring his Type 1 diabetes and took control of his health to pursue his dream of becoming a professional airline pilot.
Jump to a moment
- Taking accountability. Jack, now 19, describes going from ignoring his type 1 in high school — an A1C he put in the tens — to owning his management and bringing it down to a 6.3.
- Setting ego aside. He says his ego kept him from treating high blood sugars during high school baseball games; he now argues for choosing long-term health over short-term pride.
- Embracing the diagnosis. Rather than hiding his diabetes, Jack competes in half-Ironman triathlons — his way of showing that type 1 doesn’t have to cap endurance or potential.
- Flying with type 1. He walks through the FAA medical-certificate path for a type 1 pilot, including keeping about six months of stable CGM data, with an approval wait he says can run from a few months to a couple of years.
- Self-education. Through podcasts, self-help books, and mentors he sought out, Jack says he taught himself the mindset to stop coasting and take charge of his health.
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- Wrong Way Recording — Rob edits the podcast
Every word of the conversation
Introduction & Sponsors0:00
Welcome back, friends, to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Hello. This is Jack. I'm a type one diabetic from Ohio, and my journey in life is to just inspire as many others to live with confidence with type one diabetes.
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If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. Today's episode is sponsored by the Tandem Mobi system with Control IQ Plus technology. If you are looking for the only system with auto bolus, multiple wear options, and full control from your personal iPhone, you're looking for Tandem's newest pump and algorithm.
Use my link to support the podcast, tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. Check it out. Today's episode is also sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five, the one year wear CGM. That's one insertion a year. That's it.
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Meet Jack2:34
Hello. This is Jack. I'm a type one diabetic from Ohio, and I got diagnosed when I was nine years old in the fourth grade. And my passion and my journey in life is to just inspire as many others to live with confidence with type one diabetes.
Jack, how old are you now?
I am 19 years old. I actually just turned 19 not that long ago. So
birthday. What gives you this, calling? Where did this come from?
You know, it's I just feel like I came from a point in my life where I was at a point where I didn't manage my health, and I kinda let it slip. And then now I'm just kinda always trying to pursue my best self and take care of my health. And I've seen it in others that I know I can touch and reach and really help out to make them, you know, be the best that they can be and optimize their health.
Really?
Yep.
Wait a minute. What's going on here? Who raised you? Why are you such a good person? What's happening?
I'm confused. You're too young for all this.
My beautiful mother and my great dad.
Wow. Your beautiful mother. Did she pay you to say that?
Not.
That's wonderful. We're gonna learn more about you then. So what would you say? You were fourth grade when you were diagnosed?
Yeah. Yeah. Fourth grade. Yep. Fourth grade.
It was about kinda closer to summer. So, yeah, I do remember that.
I had a teacher named mister Sagola in first grade or fourth grade. He hated my guts. Really didn't like me.
Good. Yeah. Hey. Well, luckily, had a really good fourth grade teacher that actually when I got back from the hospital, when I got diagnosed, they had, like, a huge like like, they wrote, like, all thank you cards or, like, get well notes for me as soon as I got back. So, yeah, that was a special thing that
Very nice.
She did. Yep.
Well, do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yeah. I have a brother and one sister. Yep. And they're a lot older than me. I'm the young kid in the family.
Are you what they call a whoops baby or, you know the term?
Yeah. I'm familiar with it, but I I just hope I'm not.
Do your parents told you that's not what's going on? Don't worry.
No. We just No.
We just woke up ten years later and thought it would be great to have a baby again? Yep. Yeah. Yep. That's a lie.
By the way, Jack, don't let them lie to you. Okay? Right. I think your parents went to a your parents went to a wedding and probably you know what I'm saying? They came home a little tipsy, and now here you are.
Hey. God bless. Thank god you're here. Right?
Right. Yeah.
Diagnosis and a Divided Household4:55
What do you remember about being diagnosed?
So the obviously, you have, like, the early signs, like frequent, like, going to the bathroom, rapid hydration. And with that, it was I just I just felt off. Right? And it and then we noticed it. And, you know, I gained a lot of weight, also another one.
And we went to the doctors and, you know, they ran the tests and blood, and my blood sugar was, like, four hundreds, like, hype like, very hypoglycemia things. And so, you know, we went to the we got it all settled. And just like that, I was in the hospital bed and kinda remember a little bit of it because I was I mean, I was only it was a long time ago, but, you know, I remember the, you know, the having to learn everything, the charts, the tables, and, yeah, I remember all that stuff.
What are you, about nine or 10 at that age?
Yeah.
Is that right? Yeah. Okay.
So you're Alright.
Yeah. You've been doing this a decade now.
Yeah. Yeah. Yep.
Okay. Do you recall the division of labor around diabetes after it happened? Did one of your parents take charge? Did they both kinda share it? Did they give it to you?
Yeah. So my mom who I was living at the time, it was a lot to take in, and my dad stepped in a lot. But it was just yeah. Parents were hands on. They were learning anything they could, read the books.
You know, they were had all, like, the food charts that ties all the carbs and, you know, like, the portion meals. And, yeah, it was pretty hands on. We changed our diets and, yeah, it
was Okay. Jack, you were living with your mom at the time your parents are divorced?
Yes. Yes. They are.
Yeah. Is it because they had a baby, do you think, when they were, like, too old? I'm just teasing. It's not your fault. Jack, it's not your fault.
I'm I'm just joking.
No. It's not good.
It's just, you know, the way you said it, I thought, okay. They're they weren't together. And so even though they weren't together this is interesting. How long have they not been together when you were diagnosed?
I would say maybe four or five years.
Okay. Yeah. And then did their relationship change after your diagnosis? Like, did they kinda come together around this, or what was that process like?
Yeah. I mean, yeah, it kinda brought, like, it kinda brought us together because, you know, my family's never seen something like this. And, obviously, it's a very serious disease and illness to get at a young age. So they you know, we were kinda united back together, and then everything kinda clicked. And, yeah, it's also just a good thing to see.
Well, that's a very, like, nice hopeful thing, honestly. Like, I I feel warmed by that. Okay. So they come together, try to learn their best to do, you know, to do the best for you. And then are you using injections, a pump?
Yeah. What's all that look like?
Yeah. So I started out with I didn't hop on the Dexcom until maybe, well, a CGM couple years after it. But, yeah, I just started with the basic, you know, just injections, you know, all the spots and just pricking and doing all, like, the meter tests and that type of stuff. And, you know, this is like the classic carb counting where you just look at the back of the label, add it up by your all the ratios. Yeah.
It was just kinda really just trying to get a fundamental base of it at first.
Yeah. Were you thrown off by the diagnosis? Did you feel sad or worried or anything like that?
Yeah. I definitely had the anxiety, and I didn't really know what it was because I was such a young age. I was like, what, like, what's my life gonna look like for the next, you know, how however so many years. Am I gonna have to, you know, hide about this? I'm a type one diabetic.
Am I gonna have to worry about it? So there definitely was some anxiety and maybe, you know, like, why did this happen to me kinda thoughts.
Mhmm. Mhmm. Okay. Is that a thing that you handled talking to your parents, talking to friends on your own? Did you seek therapy?
What did you do for those feelings? So, I mean, that was kind of a
thing that I kinda talked to my parents about and, like, other peers and friends kinda
Mhmm.
Kinda gave me encouragement a bit. But, yeah, I mean, through the waiters, through the kinda to present and couple years back, it's just kinda just have to rely on self confidence and self talk to know that, you know, like Self talk.
Jack, where what are you? 55? Is one of your parents a therapist? Where do get self talk from?
No. I just I'm
You TikTok, baby. Is that where you heard it from? Where where'd you get that from?
No. No. It's just, just something that I really like to you know?
Jack, I like you a lot. I just don't even know where you would get that phrase at 19.
Yeah. I read a lot of books and watched a lot
of podcasts. You could or rest a lot of podcasts, you could say. Do you? What kind of reading do you enjoy?
I like a lot of, like well, obviously, like, psychological books, like self help books. Kinda just like those books, like, just, you know, the typical those type of books.
I I don't think it's that typical for most people.
Yeah.
What's your favorite book you've read in the last six months?
It's a book called, it's called Go One More. It's by, Nick Bear. He's a, like, he's like an entrepreneur. He's a founder of this, like, Derns company.
Okay.
And it's kinda just talking about, like, how you as an individual can, you know you know, where you come from or what your kind of circumstances are. You can always, you know, raise the level of your standard and just kinda go on more in life and just kinda be the one who you kinda wanna be. And Yeah. You just have to follow the principles and, yeah, you can
What do you wanna do? Are you in college right now?
Chasing an Airline Career10:23
No. So I actually graduated high school last year, and I am currently trying to become an airline pilot or a professional pilot. Okay.
You're a motivated young man. I feel like we're jumping around, but I don't care. What what got you interested in aviation?
You know, just a like, the aviation fear in general is just it's just fascinating for me because, you know, like, I just love, like, planes, to be honest. I just love to, you know, watch planes take off and land. And then, you know, I kinda kinda dug my feet into the topic, and then I started seeing things that were like, wow, man. This is something I really wanna do now.
What's the pathway to getting your pilot's license? Or maybe you have it already.
So that yeah. So that's actually a very heinous and long process for type one diabetics. So, initially, you have to go to get your exam, like, every for your medical certificate. Mhmm. And you get there, and I got there.
I was, you know, optimistic. And then they told me since I'm type one, I had to get denial, like initial denial for reconsideration. And with that, it's been a long process of you you know, you have to do a certain you have to see a cardiothoracic or or cardiovascular health for your heart, eyes, feet, and then, you know, just general controllable of type one diabetics Mhmm. To make sure that, you know, you're fit to fly, you control it well. And there's a lot of processes you have to do with the doctors.
And then also with that, you have to maintain six months of stable, like, Dexcom data or any CGM that you use, and it has to be in their, like, kinda standards and just to make sure it's controllable and you have it under control.
Okay.
But, yeah, it's a long process, but, you know, it's something I love to do and
Worth trying. Right?
Yeah. I'm I'm, yeah, I'm up for it.
Tell me that's for, like, a large, like, a jet license? Like, can you fly, like, a you can fly, like, a small plane now. Right?
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, like, I've already started training in, like, a smaller propeller plane.
Mhmm.
But with, like it's pretty complicated. But, like, with, like, the all the medical certificates, the one that you need to fly, like, passengers or for, like, higher or, like, the big jets, you have to get a first class or some type of like that. And with that comes, like, all the the strict mandatories for that.
There are two or there are three pilots I can think of who have been on have been on the podcast who Yeah. Yeah. And two of them have, like like, big hauler licenses. So
Right. Yeah. Right. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, have you ever flown a a small, like, craft yourself?
Yeah. So as a as a student pilot, you can only fly a, like, a propeller plane or the plane that your instructor's with. Mhmm. So so, yeah, the only plane I flew is, a small Cessna, just pretty much the standard.
How was it? Was it exhilarating, or was it frightening the first time you did it?
The first time, I actually, like, the I, like, I fell in love with it. Like, I loved it. You know, I felt the I I liked it. And then, like, right now, I have about, like, twenty three hours of total flight time.
Okay.
So I'm pretty familiar, and, you know, it's I haven't had any problems with my blood sugars or anything like that when I was flying, which is good, and I hope it, you know, kinda stays that way.
Yeah. Yeah.
But, yeah, it's been a smooth process so far, and it's I'm really, really excited to just keep pushing for it.
How many hours do you need in total to get, like, a like, that first license for, like, the small crack?
So yeah. Right. So for your private pilot's license, the minimum is forty. So, like, after you get forty hours, you can get it whenever you want. But it's just kind of
When you're comfortable.
Right. Yeah. When you're comfortable and ready.
Right. And how long do you think it'll be? Like, how long does it take to get those hours? When do you think you'll have that license? Why would you settle for changing your CGM every few weeks when you can have three hundred and sixty five days of reliable glucose data?
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So yeah. So with that, I I as, like, type ones, we, I have to get that medical. And without the medical, you can't solo, and you have to do a lot of soloing time, like solo cross country time. So once I get that medical back from the FAA, which can take that's another part. That could take three to four months, or that could take up to two years.
Wow. Just kinda depends on how you send it in and what everything looks good. But, yeah, it's just kind of a guessing game at this point, but it's Okay. But it's, yeah, it's all worth it,
though. So you're all in on this. There's no plan for college or you're not looking I mean, do you work otherwise? Do you have a job?
Yeah. So I'm a golf caddy. So I caddy at a a golf course and, you know, I do that and I love to be out there. So Nice. Yeah.
But, yeah. For sure. I mean, if it comes to a possibility, I would always keep my options open for, you know, new things. But as of right now, I'm all in.
Nice. Or do you play golf, or do you just like, how do you get involved in caddying?
Yeah. So I've played golf my whole life. I, I kinda just played it for fun when I was younger. I played baseball all the way to my in high school, and golf was also one of my passions, but I didn't play it competitively for school. I just, you know
Okay.
The avid golfer who plays baseball.
So so tell me how you manage golfing's a lot of walking, a lot of heat Yeah. And baseball, so ton of exertion. Yeah. So how did how did all that work? What kind of gear did you have first of all?
Like, let's go back for half a second.
Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
Baseball, Pumps, and MDI17:43
Wear a pump right now?
No. I did not wear a pump. I used to wear a pump, but it was I used to get really bad, like, skin reactions, and it would always pop in and out. I had bad rashes with the pump. I had the Omnipod.
And back in, like, kinda COVID time, and I I guess it's one of the things that just didn't work out for me, and we tried it. But, yeah, ever since, I think, maybe '6 or eight, I've had a Dexcom or had it as the g six or g seven. So
So you were in a CGM and your Yep. Your MDI, you've used pens, I imagine?
Yep. Yep. Pens. Yep. Yep.
How long did you try the pump for? How old were you when you just was like, no. I'm gonna go to MDI, and that's what I'm doing?
Yeah. So the pump was about, it was about, like, seventh grade. So if I gotta remember seventh grade, maybe it was, like, thirteen, fourteen, if that's kinda around the ballpark. But yeah. Yeah.
You've played baseball MDI on a pump and back MDI again?
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah. And it it it was a struggle because, you know, with the thing, it sometimes it I would go really high for adrenaline or rush during baseball games, and you have that crash, and then it'd just be kinda rough to kinda tell.
What's that look like then? How did most games go? Well, first of all, let's just you were you were playing in high school or you're playing, like, travel or what were you doing?
High school, travel. Yeah. Both. Yep.
So you were playing. You're, like, starting?
Yeah.
Okay. Yeah. What what position did you play?
Pretty much, the whole outfield, and I played third base.
So Okay. And All around. Pretty much. Alright. So it's a lot of running and
Yeah.
And like you said, the adrenaline too.
Right. Yep.
You're a fairly competitive person. The games were meaningful to you?
Oh, yeah. Very.
Yeah.
Very meaningful. I'm very competitive. If it's, you know, a simple thing, I I I always just have I always got the competitive fire me along.
Yeah. I think you have to be the one of, like, jump into a a plane and fly yourself.
It's it's a Right. Exactly.
That's the thing where you feel like you can do it. Okay. So what was your management style like? So before a game Yeah. Like, because, I mean, I'm not wrong.
Right? High school, you get up in the morning, you go to school, you live through the school day, and then it's right to the gym to get changed and out on a field or onto a bus. Right?
Right. Yeah.
So how do
you Yeah.
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So one time, I didn't respond to the email and the phone rings at the house. It's like, ring, you know how it works. And I picked it up. I was like, hello? And it was just the recording.
It was like, US Med. Doesn't actually sound like that, but you know what I'm saying. It said, hey, you're, I don't remember exactly what it says, but it's basically like, hey, your order's ready. You want us to send it? Push this button if you want us to send it.
Or if you'd like to wait, I think it it lets you put it off like a couple of weeks or push this button for that. That's pretty much it. I push the button to send it, and a few days later, box right at my door. That's it. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514.
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Taking His Health for Granted21:20
So in high school, I I kinda took my health for granted, to be honest. Like, I kinda talked about it earlier in the podcast.
Yeah.
And it was to be honest, I really didn't kinda care for it sometimes. I wouldn't even check it. I would just kinda put it off to the side and just hope, honestly. Just hope I was alright. Mhmm.
And then maybe I would check-in in there. But, yeah, I but, like, a normal day, I would just kinda just kinda get to the field or get to school and just kinda turn it off and then, like, maybe check it once in a while and then do my dose for lunch. And then but, yeah, I I will have some accountability there. Yeah. It wasn't the best that I could have done.
Jack, why do you think in hindsight, why do you think that was the the path you took?
Just because I I just thought that, you know, diabetes and my health didn't matter along the road, that I could just kinda coast with it and be alright.
Hold on. What do you think your blood sugars were during the day while you were at school and when you were playing?
School, I would eat I like two hundreds, maybe even 300 sometimes. Playing, it's playing, I I would say, kinda the same thing around there. I mean, for the most part, it wasn't probably in range, but not too crazy high where it's, like, dangerous.
Did it affect your athleticism? Did it make you run slower, make you give you brain fog, anything like that?
Yeah. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Like, there was times where, like you know, especially in the morning or kinda later in the day, I kinda get that rain fog.
Like, it's like, I know what is causing this, and I'm like, oh, crap. Mhmm. And or either if it's the flip side of something, if I go low, you know, you feel it. Like, that hits you like a train and you feel it. Yeah.
And it's like, you you just kinda lose that energy, lose that kinda kinda rush.
It just lets the air out of you. Right?
Yeah. Right. Yeah. And with yeah. Exactly.
Ego, Highs, and Hiding It23:11
When you're high and you're foggy and you know you're foggy because you're high, why Mhmm. Is the next step not, oh, I'll bring my blood sugar down. What stops that from happening?
I think that was just my ego and my, like, I can stay out here and ignore that mentality. Because there is times, like for example, I'm training for I did a half Ironman, which is a triathlon in September. Mhmm. And then I'm training for another one in July. And there's times where I'm working out, and I I see my Dexcom, you know, rising.
But and it's like, okay. I need to put this workout on pause and take care of what I need to do. Because that's ultimately what matters most is, you know, staying healthy, you know, maintaining a healthy lifestyle rather than trying to push for an extra thirty minutes that could lead to something that's not what I want.
Yeah. If you don't have an answer to this, it's fine. But Yeah. Can you dig a little deeper into why that's hard to do? Like, you said your ego stopped you, which I I think I understand what you mean.
But, like Yeah. What's the mechanism? Like, is it a feeling you had? Is it, like, thoughts you had in your head? Is there anything you can share with people about, like, what actually was happening to you when you were saying to yourself, my blood sugar's two twenty.
I could easily give myself insulin for now and fix this, but I'm not going to.
Yeah. I I I think it was like you just talked about the thought of, like, you know, I feel fine, and there's maybe a point where, like, you're on the edge and you can maybe push. But I feel like if you're ever in that kind of position, just, you know, tell a coach or tell a friend like, hey. Can I just maybe sit out? And, you know, if it's, like, inning or, you know, can I get subbed out on the bench for a second, you know, just to check it and make sure it's good?
And then, you know, do a small correction or whatever you need to do that's fitting, and then then get yourself back out there. But I think that I should have really focused on not trying to push it.
But, Jack, are you telling me that what you what you were trying to avoid was other people knowing or a loss of playing time?
Yeah. Yeah. So probably other people knowing.
Okay.
It's just kinda that like, I banked it on earlier of, like, the confidence to, you know, live with type one and just to kinda embody it Yeah. Rather than trying to hide it. Because that's that's what happened a lot in my early life. I tried to hide it and just let it go.
So you don't feel that way now about other people knowing? No. No. You could use your experience today with not caring if other people know. Like, how would you talk to yourself?
Like, you talked about self talk earlier. How would you how would you talk to a younger person or yourself at a younger age and explain to them what you know now? Like, is there a way to fast forward them to where you are? Do you think it's just a thing you had to live through?
Yeah. I mean, there's definitely a way to fast forward it. I mean, you just I mean, if I'm talking to, you know, a kid who's kinda was in my same shoes, I would just kinda tell him that, you know you know, we have this disease, and it's a might call it a privilege, but, you know, we have to live with it and own it because, you know, it's something that we have a choice to take care of. And if we choose to be right, it could lead to really great things.
You think calling it a disease would throw throw off a 14 year old you or a 13 year old you? Because they're like, would the language around that slowed you down if someone came to you and said, hey, Jack. You have a disease. You have to take care of it.
Yeah. True. Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. But so the message though remains the same, which is, yeah, we have a problem, but we also have an opportunity to do something about that problem. Exactly. Yep. Per that's a privilege.
Yep. Yep.
We can live Exactly. Like everybody else if we do a couple of extra things.
Yeah. Right. Yeah. And it's and it's, yeah, it's awesome. Like like, I banked on the like, my Ironman training, it's obviously a lot of long endurance efforts.
You know? Gotta take in a lot of carbs, you know, to kinda get your glucose stable, and and it's it's a tough challenge. But I've had times where I've seen myself, you know, with living with type one diabetes, and I've been competing with people who do not have it, and I've been kinda right at their level. So it's pretty awesome to see that.
Mentors and Self-Education27:14
Okay. Alright. Well, that's good. And you came to all this on your own? Yeah.
Contextually, how old is your mom?
51.
Okay. Well, that's interesting. How old are your siblings?
My brother is 26 and my sister is 23. Well, turns 23 soon.
Oh, they're not that much older than you. Okay. Okay. I thought I I Yeah. So your parents got married a little early?
They were younger? Yeah. I gotcha. Alright. And they rolled you guys up and then I see.
I see. I I know what happened, John. Okay. So Yep. Okay.
Because I was thinking, like, maybe your mom was, like, ten, fifteen years older than I would assume for your age, but that's not that's not the case. Okay. No. Because I'm trying to figure out where the wisdom comes from.
Yeah. It's just a a lot of it I've had to, you know, kinda learn on my own and, you know, take bits and pieces from, you know, my mentors in life that, you know, share the great message. And, you know, like, a lot of it's just kinda self belief and just knowing that kind of how I treat myself and how I, you know, talk to myself is really important.
Where where do you find mentorship at?
I find mentorship with, like, know, old baseball coaches, you know, old, you know, kind of people that I like to surround myself with, like, even just a couple of people that are a little older than me. Mhmm. You know, just to get some wisdom from them, get point of views from them, and kinda bank on that. And
You put yourself around surrounded by people who you think of as aspirational or who have it together. How do you do that? Like, that that's gotta be hard, right, when you're picking from a a like, the pool of, like, high school in your town.
It's just kinda who you surround yourself with will kinda set you up. So whether that's, you know, someone who's very educated with, you know, type one diabetes and that can kinda lean on you, and that would be awesome. If there's someone, know, like that or, you know, someone who who just has really good experiences, you know, things to learn from, that's always what I kinda wanna surround myself with.
And, Jack, don't let me put words in your mouth. Okay? But, I feel like I'm getting this. So you got a lot of these ideas through, like, podcasts and books?
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. You're the freebie. Yeah.
Like, there's a lot of podcasts out there that, you know, if you find the right ones and you listen to them and you kinda really kinda dissect it, you can kinda implement those strategies in your life. Same with the books as well. There's a lot of great books out there.
You hear that kids? Jack took his phone. Instead of learning how to do the Dougie, he, figured out how to live his life. Yep. How about that?
Jack's the Jack's doing his own kind of Dougie.
Yeah. Right.
Nope. So okay. Because I keep I keep thinking, like, you're gonna tell me, like, you know, you know, like, my mom sat me down and explained the world to me or my but it's not you went out on your own and, like, is that Yeah. Do you think it's a little bit because your parents are divorced? Right?
Because my parents are divorced. It makes everybody a little busy. Right? They're not Right. Exactly helping you all the time.
Yeah. Right. And they do their best, but, you know, there is times where, you know, you kinda have to kinda take that self journey. Not, like, completely alone, but, like, you can rely on yourself for a little time being.
So at some point, you bump into some content somewhere, and you realize, I know more now than I did before I left or before I got here. So I'm gonna go find more stuff like this. You you by the way, you guys are gonna be, like, the first generation of people are gonna have, like, some crazy success by listening to some guy on a podcast or watching some girl, like, in a, you know, a talking head video or something like that. Explain explain, I don't know, finance to you or something like that. Like, let me ask you a question.
Do you know how much money you have to put away right now to make sure that you're financially okay when you're 60? Do you have an idea about that already or no?
Me personally, no.
Okay. So you're not up to that yet because you're making money like that yet?
No. No.
Okay. But when it comes time to learn about that, where do you think you'll go to learn about it?
Probably online Yeah. Or something like a resource like that or someone a trusted person you know.
I try to listen to something thoughtful at least once a day. It's not
Right.
Yep. It's not me. I'm not listening to myself. Right. I actually, this morning, I got up and I'm listening to a a podcast about, I mean, about taxes and finance and stuff like that.
And I'm listening to it and I'm thinking, I know this. I know that. Right. This is interesting. And I actually found myself this morning actually, I thought this morning was I'm gonna send this to both of my kids and tell them that I'm not buying them a Christmas present unless they listen to it.
Yeah. Yeah.
And because there's so much there's so much good information. Now I've also Right. Picked up a video and you start getting into like, this is bull like, there's nothing here.
Yeah. Right. Right. It's like, am I just kinda looking at something, or what am I learning here?
So when that's such a prevalent thing on YouTube, which is someone trying to sell you something by selling you the idea that they're successful and you can be successful too. How do you sniff when you're 19, how do you figure out, like, this is just this is a Ponzi scheme. Like, this is this is a pyramid scheme here. He's his success is telling me I can be successful. How do you sniff through that when you're a kid?
Yeah. I mean, you kinda just have to look at it from a kinda detach from a situation and just kinda look at it from, you know, different points of view. It's like, is he you know, where'd he come from or, you know, what was his step process? What was his journey? And kinda relate that to yours.
And not everything you see on social media is 100% true, guaranteed, but some of it is useful and helpful. But, you know, I it's just a lot of people come from different paths, whether that's just anything. So I think you just kinda have to
Pick and choose?
Yeah. Right. Yeah.
Okay.
And you just have to kinda make a kinda choose.
And you do that with me. I don't know this for a fact, but I'm guessing, like, you're 19 and you're on a podcast about type one diabetes. You must listen to this. Right? So
Yeah. Yeah. And exactly. Like, you were talking about earlier about, you know, like, coming across something, like, you know, I made a decision. Like, I wanna maybe kinda learn about more type one kinda topics.
So, you know, I went to the podcast app. I opened up that or I just typed in type one diabetes, and your show came up first. And I started listening to it, and it honestly, like, changed my thoughts on it and gave me different points of views from her life, whether that's a parent, a kid, a grandfather, or someone in the business, like a nurse.
Yeah.
And it gave me a lot of different points of views on how people, you know, have overcame things with diabetes and, you know, kinda live with it. So it's awesome.
Well, I'm happy it was helpful for you.
Yep.
Alright. That that's really great. And so Yep. From everything from your health to, like, I'm assuming when you learned how to what your the steps you're gonna have to take to get your pilot's license and everything in between, you were just, like you're just sourcing that from people sitting down and and being willing to share their thing.
Yeah. And it's That's awesome. Yeah. It's always good to hear what other people's have to say in other people's journeys because you never know. You might relate to it.
Like, it's a crazy story, but my stepbrother is also type one too.
On your mom's side or your dad's side?
My dad's side. So, yeah, that's so, yeah, that's also a kinda crazy twist too because so I had to kinda be a leader and show a full example for him as well.
Did that oh. Yeah. How old were you when he was diagnosed?
Let me see. I I think maybe 16. It was a while back too. It's it's it was kinda in the late, I think, late middle school days or maybe early high school days, but, yeah, that was a twist and turn there.
Turning It Around34:47
How old were you when you started taking your care more seriously?
I would honestly say, at the end of last year, so, like, 18. So it kinda I was up and down with it. Like, it wasn't total out of control, but, know, it could have done better. Like, my a one c at the time was, like you know, it was in the tens, and then it went to the eights. And now I've got it all the way down to a 6.3.
Oh, man. Jack, good for you, man. Congratulations.
Yeah. Thank you. So it's just kind of like a a slowly steady process of just trying to get better each visit.
I'm
trying to do that.
Well, that's wonderful. Yeah. Because I was wondering at first, did, like, you get struck with a a sudden, like, feeling that you had to be a, like, a role model for your stepbrother, but it it wasn't that. You did try to help him. But can I ask you now, in hindsight, when you were helping him, did you feel like a fraud?
Yeah. Yeah. I almost felt like kind of like yeah. Like, that identity wasn't there, but I wanted to help, but I didn't have the identity in myself.
Right. Right. He's looking for help. You're you're gonna stand up and go, I have diabetes. I can explain this to him.
But in the back of your head, you're like, well, my a one c is 10. I'm not really doing any of this stuff. Yeah. Right.
Yeah. And it's like and, like, I it's like, on the back of my head, I know, like, I know I can be better. So you're right. Right. Exactly.
This is not, like, I'm not coming down anybody.
But No worries.
What did your mom, like, say to you with a 10 a one c, and why was she not move or, like, what was happening around that that argument? I imagine it was
an argument. I got lectured a lot by the my mom and the doctors there. They were on me pretty hard, but I just kinda had, like, a stubborn and kinda, like, bad attitude about it. Like, I I was kinda just in the wrong headspace. Like, I multiple visits went by, and it was the same after another.
Just kinda, again, it laid into me, like, kinda take it serious with all the facts. And then there were times where it did get serious. But yeah.
What would have helped instead of the lecturing? What would have helped?
Maybe the doctors or whoever was there kinda just given me, like, a timeline down the road of this kinda keep continuing because that's what I kinda see myself now that how I kinda took control of it and grabbed it when I had the chance to and take the opportunity because it's something that you do not wanna have a bad relationship with a long time.
No. For sure. Jake, do are you telling me that the lecturing helped you at some point? They had to, like, bang through your thick head why this was important? Yeah.
Telling me are you telling me that the lecturing wasn't valuable and then you changed your mind? Like, be honest, like, because listen.
Yeah. No. Yeah.
Yeah. I would tell you that I don't think, like, shaming people about their health is a good idea. I don't imagine that that leads to any kind of change. Having said that Yeah. I have spoken to people who said, I would not have done better for myself had someone not thrown the stark truth in my face about what was gonna happen to me.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what I was trying to get at. Kind of just like the kinda like people kinda just tell me, like, it's kinda time to take some ownership.
Mhmm. You know, be better. And that does come from, you know, like, people kinda raising the the voice a little bit because that kinda gets you back in to the to the level you needed to be at.
I missed the seventies, Jack. I I think yelling at people yelling at people is underrated. Yep. I guess my question here is is when you were younger, was the focus so much on, like, oh, I have diabetes. I can do anything.
It's okay. That you didn't really understand the functionality of how to manage your insulin and the need for it and the reasons why you would wanna do it. And then at some point, it got so frustrating for your parents that your mom just started lecturing you, and it wasn't until someone actually ex like, did you not know during those lectures what the outcomes of poor control could be?
Exactly. Yeah. I just yeah. I just couldn't kinda get it in my mind. Like, these people were helping me.
They wanted the best for me, and that's truly what they wanted. And I just thought of it as, like like, oh, I can do it myself.
Kinda. These people at my so I'm gonna be okay.
Exactly. Yep. Exactly. Like, I thought it'd always be okay.
Outcomes Over Opinions39:00
All that led to was you kinda pushing it aside and not paying much attention to it.
Exactly. And just the insecurities that came with it at that time.
Can you talk about that? What are those insecurities?
Yeah. So, like, insecurities were, like, kinda grown up or at the time, like, saying I have type one, and then people always kinda misjudge it and ask, like, is that type two? And that kinda always link in the back of my mind that people would think that there's always the mix up there sometimes. Mhmm. Because not everyone knows.
Like, not everyone's perfect, but there's always that, you know, like, insecurity of, you know, pulling out a shot in the middle of public or doing a dose or pulling the meter out or
Yeah.
Having the but but, honestly, with that now, I just I live with it. It's just kind of who I am Mhmm. And I embrace it. And it's just, like, I love it. I I love kinda just taking control of my health now.
Did you learn that your outcomes and your health and your life are more important than what people think?
Yes. Yeah. Right. Right.
I I heard somebody say recently, it's the thing I've said before, but it was weird to hear somebody else. I mean, you you're in an interesting situation, Jack. You listen to a lot of content. Like, there's Yeah. Times when you start hearing people
Right.
And they're saying sort of same the same things other people are saying, maybe different words or different, like, stories to explain them. You go, oh, look. People I respect all think this thing. Yeah. You know?
And and I had a I had that experience this morning when I listened to somebody whose opinion I respect on something else Yeah. Say something that I already believe. Right?
Right.
Which is, you know, wait till you become an adult and you realize that thirty, forty years from now, all the people whose opinions I'm worried about will be dead.
Right. And Exactly.
I might be too.
Right.
What is it we're worried about exactly? Like, why would I give away my life for this nebulous idea that other people don't agree with me? Meanwhile Exactly. You know what I mean? What do you care what they think?
Yeah. And it's it's just kind of like, you can control what you can control and then what other people say and doesn't exist. Beliefs. Yeah.
Right. It doesn't exist.
You can right.
I gave my kids this advice. Things ebb and flow through society, things we care about or things we talk about or we act like are the most important thing in the world. You'll see as you get older, like, Oh. There'll be the year that, oh my god, don't say this about people. And then one day, it just goes away.
Exactly. And at this one point, it was a a lot about, like, people were talking about bullying a lot.
Yeah.
There were there were kids that were having, like, trouble, like, being bullied online. Now phones were just becoming more prevalent, and I understand how, like, a new thing pops up. But the only thing I told my kids was is that right now, there could be 10 people out in the world literally bad mouthing you to somebody else. So I'm like
Right.
Do you know that that's happening? And they're like, no. And I'm like, so just because they wrote it down and now you have access to it, doesn't actually change the reality of it. If you don't look, it's not happening.
Exactly.
Right? It doesn't matter what they think. And I'll tell you, like, making a podcast, it'll it'll teach you very quickly. Like, there are people, like, flat out don't like me, and then, that's fair. Yeah.
But, you know, if they're gonna spend their time and their energy in their circles, like, talking about me
Right.
A, I'm never gonna hear about that. And b, I mean, I'm almost sad for what that means for them. Right. You know, like, I don't spend any time talking about them, like like, or or people who I disagree with or anything like that. I it felt sad to me.
So that's what I told my kids. I was like, look, it's sad that they're out there doing that. And the only reason you know about it is because this new tool that has a, you know, a screen on it, and you have access to where they put their thoughts. If you don't look, it doesn't exist.
Right. And it's just kinda like I said earlier. It's like, you know, they have the choice to do that. And then if they do it, you have the choice to respond in a way that is the correct way, and you can only influence it. You can't change the outcome.
You can only maybe influence a little bit.
Think of all the things you could do with the time that it would take to get online and complain about another person.
It takes a lot of time, and you can probably do a lot of things. Right.
What are you accomplishing? Like, those people are bad mouthing kids at school. Like, do you accomplish? You explain to four other people you don't like Patty? Like Right.
Exactly.
Awesome. Like, okay. Now what? Just
Yep. Just keep on moving.
I say it all the time. It doesn't, yeah, it doesn't stop everybody, and I I don't imagine it ever will. But Yeah. A bad review is almost better than a good review. People see a good review, and they think like, but when somebody's complaining about me, then people go to look and see what's happening.
Interesting how people's psyche works. So the people who are out there, like, trying to knock you down end up propping you up. And my daughter had that experience where someone was talking shit about somebody. And Yeah. Instead of just believing it, one of the kids was like, you know what?
That hasn't been my experience. Like, let me look at this further. Right. Checked in with that person.
And that?
Yeah. Realized they were good friends.
And point of view.
Yeah. And then then they became friends from it. So a person somebody somebody's trying to poison another person, and instead of poisoning them, turned them into an ally of the person that they were trying to poison them against. And I'm like, just, oh my god, all that time. Like, Jack, you could learn to fly an airplane.
Exactly. And, you know, I've been in a situation where, you know, I tell people I'm gonna become a pilot, and I tell them I mentioned I'm type one. Even before they, like, can't you not and then they tell me immediately, like, that's not allowed. Like, can't you not do that? And they kinda give me the doubt.
But, know, I just kinda I I I take it in, and I understand where they're coming from.
Mhmm.
But, you know, I give them my input, and then we mutually agree. And if it goes the way that I want it to, good. If it doesn't, then you just have to accept it.
I'm pretty confident a man named John is listening to this right now, and he's a pilot. He flies big jets.
Oh, yeah. That's awesome.
Yeah. And Petra has been on here. He's, like, one of the first type ones to to get that one of those licenses.
Yeah. It's a long journey, but if you really love it, it's it's all for it. It's it's worth the wait.
Why Not College45:05
How did you make the decision not to go to college?
So yeah. So I ultimately just thought that if I just kinda focused on, you know, pilot, just kinda becoming a pilot studying, and then I always thought that the medical process wasn't as, you know, structured as it was Mhmm. And had the weight. So I didn't apply because I thought, know, I could just go in there, get my medical, and, you know, just kinda, like, walk right out. But it didn't end up like that, so I had to kinda face the new outcome and just, you know, keep studying.
And the good thing is you can still take, like, your written exams, and you can still fly. So that's the good part of it, but you just can't proceed to the next step where you wanna go.
So Okay.
It's a lot of delayed gratification there.
But there's no other thing in the world you'd like to do with like, I'm not saying you're not gonna be a pilot.
No. For sure. Yeah. I mean
I'm trying to get at, like, at your age, like you know, because listen. It's a long process to change the way people think. And twenty twenty years ago, you start hearing about, like, I don't know. Is college really necessary? And then there's a big pushback, like, no.
We should all be able to go to college. And, like and then it hurts the trades a little bit because everybody feels like they have to go to college. Now everybody's in this debt that they can't pay back.
Right.
But now I I'm seeing the conversation sway in the other direction where people are like, look. I have access to all kinds of good information online. And Yeah. There's a thing I wanna do. Excuse me.
I think I can figure out my listen. I went to a I went to a meeting with my son yesterday. Yeah. This is boring. I don't know, like, how much people care about.
But, like, my my son, is a a coder and he's got an econ degree. And I know some people who are they do investing.
Right.
He wanted to go sit sit with them and just kinda pick their brains about stuff. Yeah. So I was able to set that up, but because I was the conduit, I went along. You know what I mean?
Yep. Right.
He didn't need me, but, like, you know, I was there. Sat in the back, listened to people talk a little bit, left on the way out. And one of the things that they talked about in the room was that what my son went to college for, mean, he had an econ my son has an economics degree with a mathematics minor. I think it's a quantitative economics degree with a mathematics minor. And the guy asked him, like, what made you do that?
And Cole just said, well, I wanted to play baseball in college and I was good at math. Yeah. And but then he started explaining how, like, he really is become more of a learner since he's gotten out of college and enjoys learning more than he ever did in school. Not a 100% sure what his degree did for him other than, like, you know, put a put a school on his resume so that somebody would look at his resume when he got out of out of college.
Right.
And told the guy, I think I've taught myself more in the last year and a half than I learned in college.
Right. Yeah. And there's always different points of view on that. Right?
Yeah. No kidding. And, Amy, not for nothing, like, it's kinda
For sure.
Kinda the same thing and kinda not. But in the last three weeks, just using the newest version of Claude
Yeah.
I've completely recoded my website.
Really? Yeah.
That's The reason I didn't do it in the past is because, like, the the cheapest bill I got from somebody when I, like, went out in the world, was like, hey. I need a website. It needs to look a little better. I wanted 30 to $50,000 to make my website.
Wow.
And I was like, I'm just gonna leave it like this. Yeah. And then suddenly a few months ago, we I realized I could do it myself, and I'm wondering what that's gonna lead to for people like you. Like, what couldn't you decide to sit down today and learn about either through, you know, I don't know, some Yeah. Version of, you know, an AI Right.
YouTube video, somebody's podcast. Like, I think you could put together I think that joke in
Oh, for sure.
You know, Goodwill Hunting is true now. Ever see Goodwill Hunting?
Oh, yeah. Yep.
Yeah. Love it. He makes fun of that guy, and he's like he's like, I get what does he say? Like, I got the same education as you did for, like, the cost of a library card or something like that.
Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Had the bar scene?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yep.
You seem like that person to me.
Yeah. And, like, you know, I've always, you know, I've always keep the options open. You know, if there's any opening life that something that I wanna pursue that I love as well Mhmm. And it's open there, I'm not gonna hold back on it because I have I'm holding on to something. I'll take the risk and jump into that.
Like, one thing that I oh, sorry.
But No. No. Go, please.
Thing that I I love too is, like, sports medicine or, like, anything as dog was involved with sports or the game of kinda like that. So, you know, that's always I've always something thought before I wanted to become a pilot is maybe jump into, like, sports management, you know, or sports medicine or something that's kinda involved with that area.
I think it's possible that in twenty years, I'm gonna learn that you're, you know, a pilot that also does three other things. And and I think good for you, by the way. Like, this time in your life, through your twenties, this is the time to be flexible. Like, you're not Right. You're not Yeah.
You're not held down by you don't you don't own a dog. You're not married. You know, you don't own a house. You could decide to go somewhere else and learn something if you wanted to. Right.
You can be flexible. You can lose you can lose the money you have and regain it and and Right. And rebound. It's is the time to figure something like this out.
Right. Yeah. And that's with me is, like, the choice. Even though I have type one diabetes, I choose to live the way I wanna be with freedom. Like, I mean, I do I choose to sign up for these ironmans and take care of my health because it just matters to me, and that's something that I wanna show to other people that, like, you can do whatever you want in your life and achieve your wildest dreams, but you can also live with yourself and be confident of what you have.
Talk about the I cut you off. End? I'm sorry. Go ahead.
That's all good. No. No. No. No.
No. You're good. How was it? Okay. Okay.
Yep.
It's still an expensive thing to deal with diabetes. Yeah. So, I mean, at the moment, I imagine you're on your mom's insurance.
And Right. And yeah. All that detail.
Take advantage of that, man. You got five more years, maybe six more years of that to go. Like, this is your time to really take a swing at something.
Yeah. You know? Just to live. Yeah. Just live.
I would say this too. I mean, if you were my kid, I would tell you, like, you know, make sure the thing you're going after is viable. Like, your passion's one thing. Right? But your passion needs to make some sort of an income for you because at some at some point, you are gonna need to take care of yourself.
So
Exactly. Right.
But the pilot's license, I mean, that's a obviously a viable job, you know, flying planes. You could absolutely make a living doing that.
Brand, it creates a if you choose a lifestyle that you want with it, it could be one of the best jobs, opinion based out there. Yeah. Kinda all
Yeah. You see the world a little bit and Yeah. Do this thing you really enjoy.
Right.
No. That's awesome, man. I I wish you a ton of luck with that. I hope that goes the way you want it. Oh, you have all the opportunity you need.
There's nothing holding you back?
Yep. And I've got yep. I've I've got everything. Everything is good, and I've had a couple mentors that, you know, kinda lead me along the way kinda already and help me out a lot.
So it's So let me ask you a question. Do you date?
No. Not not at the moment.
No. Is and because you don't want to or because it's hard to find people or what's the situation?
I mean, I I don't know. It's kind of a yeah. I just I just could say I'm just really not kinda put myself out there right now until after the summer. But
What'll happen after the summer?
Maybe I'll start to get back into it.
So this is a thing you've done and you're just not doing currently?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because I I previously dated someone, and we went our separate ways, kinda just like a mutual college thing. And then, ever since, I just kinda like the self journey.
And then when I you open that portal of life back, I will be willing to.
Okay. So you Yep. So you're with somebody in high school. Yeah. Let me just make sure I understand.
She went off to college. He went off to I'm sorry. I don't know your sexual orientation. That's not the point of this. Like, they went went off to college, and that person was like, hey.
Listen. We're gonna be kind of far apart. Like, maybe we should stop doing this. And you kind of focused on yourself after that.
Exactly. Yeah. Yep.
Heartbroken at all, Jake, when that happened, or did it feel like like, okay. That's a reasonable thing, and maybe I don't love you that way, so it's okay.
Right. Yeah. It was definitely fifty fifty between that. There was a little bit of, you know, kinda heartbroken, like, you know, sad. But then I just kinda realized, like, a lot of people go through the same thing that I went through with the separate college distance.
So I just kinda had to, you know, own it and just kinda live my life and
Good for you.
Everything went everything worked well and we went our mutual separate ways, and everything's been perfect.
I once this is a long time ago. I gave a friend a piece of advice they didn't take, and I know they probably regretted it. But there's sometimes you just gotta be by yourself
Exactly.
And figure out what it is you want and what makes you happy. Right? Right. And if you jump from relationship to relationship all the time, you might just be filling a hole.
Right.
Then sometimes when you're filling that hole, you'll fill it with anything. Right. And it maybe it's better to confront your confront yourself once in a while. Having said that, I worry about your generation and them not being as motivated by, you know, romantic stuff.
Right.
I would caution you against that. I would say go out there and find find some people.
Exactly.
Make some mistakes. Have a good time. You know what I mean?
Yeah. Yeah. You're you're totally right there.
Yeah. Yeah. What happens after high school is, like, you're either stuck in a small pool of where you live. Right. Now it's people who didn't go off to college or going to college locally or an app.
Right?
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. What do you think of those apps?
I've never used one. But
Is it a thing you would consider?
Maybe not. I don't know. Might have to, but, at the moment, probably not.
Yeah. I think it would be hard for me.
Yeah. Right. Because it's just can I you know, because a lot of people in our age kinda meet off a phone or an app, and some sometimes that goes well, sometimes it doesn't? I think the best scenario is to find someone to meet someone real life and engage that way.
Yeah. I do my best in face to face.
Right. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
Plus then people either like you or they don't. They get a vibe pretty quickly. You know what I mean?
Yeah. And then you can tell rather than trying to
Waste your time.
Figure it out
Yeah.
Over the phone.
Yeah. I'm messaging with you for six weeks, and then we finally get together, and you're like, oh, I didn't know you were that tall or Yeah. Like, you're whatever, like, you know, strikes people when they see you, like, visually for the first time.
Right. Exactly.
Yep. For me, they'd be like, my god. So handsome. I don't wanna I'll feel I'll feel I'll feel ugly next to this person.
Can't I never leave.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I don't wanna be the don't wanna be the second prettiest person in this relationship.
Right. Exactly.
That's what would happen, Jack.
Right.
So okay. Well, I think what, so far, I think what we figured out is you're a bright person. You did well in school. Right?
Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. I tried my best.
Yeah. No. No. I can tell. Like like so you're a bright person.
You're thoughtful. You're motivated. You're I mean, obviously out there trying to learn things and and figure stuff out. You're not scared of doing things. This how you've always been?
I mean, honestly, no. Not really. It it it kinda just kinda came to me over the couple years or so of really just trying to become the person that I wanna be and the life I wanna live. Like, for example, I have a tattoo, and it means self mastery and self improvement. And if you just, you know, take care just use a diabetes example here.
If, you know, if you take care of your health each day the best you can to your ability and you get better than the day before, it can lead to, you know, blowing your a one c to a number you never thought you could have or, you know, showing getting rid of the brain fog and the symptoms that you always experience. So that's something that I kinda live my live my experience and life by is just slowly getting better each day.
And it just happened. You just grew into this.
Yeah. Yeah. It's just I just decided I wanna make a change, and I knew I was capable of controlling it a lot better, and I just decided to go for it.
There's no, like, light switch that you can point to that made that all start?
Tough question, to be honest. Yeah. I I don't know. I just it just kinda it just clicked.
You woke up one day and you thought, what the am I doing?
Exactly. I'm like
No kidding.
I'm like, I know I can do better, but why am I not? So then I just took control of it and here I am today striving for things that I never could have thought I would have done.
You know, put that into a bottle. We could sell it a little little little, like, dab a jack behind your ears and and get you moving. Hey. Yeah. No.
No, man. You're young. Right? Like and I don't mean that pejoratively, but you're
like No.
It's But Yeah. Isn't that fascinating that you were on this path and then just through probably variables around you that you're not even aware you were seeing or things you were hearing or whatnot that just made you go, like, what am I doing? Like, I have to self correct here. And then and then you did it.
Right. Right. And it's I mean, when I you know, I talking about the ironmans and triathlons, it's when I did it, it was like, holy crap. I just went through that as a type one diabetic, and, you know, I felt it at the end, but it's just, like, realized that, like, I can do this if I just, you know, take care of it. And then I can inspire my other friends aren't type ones, but, you know, they were pretty impressed with what I did.
And, you know, they even started getting into the sport. It just kinda kinda makes me smile that, like, you know, I brought them into this, and, you know, it's just cool to see how my life changed.
Man, I I know. Like, I feel like there's just I feel like I'm not asking you the right Like, you're doing a great job. Don't get me wrong. But, like, I feel like the I feel like I'm not doing a good job of cracking you open the whole way to find out what did this for you, but it's possible you just don't know.
Yeah. I mean, it's just honestly, the answer it's just like just the choice. You know? Just yeah. Maybe there was a decision or a time.
I just can't quite remember it, but there was just a choice that just till, you know, live with the confidence of being a type one and just taking ownership of it and knowing that if I take control of it, I can be whoever I wanna be.
Reverse-Engineering the Turnaround59:29
Alright. Let's reverse engineer this a little bit. Let's just focus on the diabetes for a second. Yeah. Just trying to get to it.
Like, got you to your better care? Like, is it me? Was it the podcast? Like, I know you made the decision to go look for it, but was it just being educated about something?
Or yeah. It was there's two. It's just kinda being educated about it and just kinda, you know, learning about it and plus, like, you know, the, you know, the factors of, you know, not feeling great
Mhmm.
Being high all the time, being foggy, you know, just not having it control. And it really just hurt my health and mental health.
Sick and tired of being sick and tired, and then you
Exactly.
I don't have the right tools to fix this. I went and found tools. Yep. For whatever reason, like, jived well with how I talked about it, derived what you needed, applied it in your applied it in your life.
Exactly. Yep. There it is.
You think you did that with, some of those other podcasts and that other content around motivation and Yeah. And and, you know, confidence?
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Right.
That's it. Wow. So people out there were just, like, you know, talking about, like, you gotta take accountability for yourself. If you want success, you gotta go for it. And that kind of stuff just stuck to you.
Right. Yeah. And, I mean, it's not I mean and you can always lean on others in your circle to, you know, help you. And if you ever need someone, just call someone you trust, and you never know what they might do for you and help you out.
You know that because you had good friends around you, because you felt supported by your family, or because someone told you that's an okay thing to lean on?
I mean, I had great people around me, friends, peers, family members that care for me, and that's something I always lean on when, you know, times are tough.
I just
talk to family or friend or maybe
Good solid base you had.
Yeah. Exactly. And then if if that doesn't do it, maybe go online or find some video or example and try to kinda work it out there. But yeah.
Do you know why I'm asking all this?
Why?
I'm hoping that people listening who are parents realize that if they just put down a firm base like this and it's built on trust and respect and love and you have a lot of patience for people that Yep. Maybe even though it doesn't look good, if you've been set on the right path, even though you might be tripping through it at the moment, the possibility that you're gonna come out on the other side better off is far greater when you have that firm foundation.
Right. Exactly. Yep.
Than it is if you just yell at somebody. By the way, education's everything. Like, you'd need to know what you don't know so that you can make better decisions.
You know, establishing a good culture and having a good foundation can go a long way, especially if you have the right people around you.
I could use a little coach talk in there. Yeah. Was that from baseball?
Yeah. I guess. Yeah.
Did your baseball coaches talk about culture?
Oh, yeah. Big. Yep. Yep. Culture.
I mean, yep.
All that manager talk, we go about our business. We we I like the way he does this is he he plays the game, like, stuff like that. You're here for everybody, not yourself. Like, that kind of stuff helps. Yep.
Really does. Yep. Also, what did we learn? Basically, t shirt slogans are right, and if you live your life by them, you'll be fine.
Exactly. And you can have a little fun, but as long as there's balance there.
How much fun have we had, Jack?
A lot of fun.
Okay. Booze, drugs, sex. What have you been doing?
Zero.
Nothing at all. Where how do you get your fun then? Look at you. The whole world thinks that's what fun is. This is not fun.
What is fun?
Yeah. Just find it in things I love doing, whether that's, you know, playing golf, being active in sports, playing the guitar, reading, playing video games, just pretty much whatever I can just hanging around with friends, and that's kinda my thing of fun. I just kinda kinda like to get it off the right way.
That's exactly how I feel. That's exactly how I feel.
Yep.
Yeah. I don't understand people who are bored. I don't know how, like, the day feels long to anybody. Yeah. Like, I'm never without something I wanna do.
And
Yeah. I can't sit still, and that's one of my toxic traits.
If I could give a piece of advice around it, I think that passion comes sometimes from something you're good at. Exactly. And that it can be a it can be a pitfall or, you know, a trap to say, well, like, oh, I I, you know, I wanna I wanna do the thing that I love. Like, some people are have really boring jobs and they're great at them.
Right.
And then they Right. And then they're passionate about that, and then that builds up some security for them, and then they go build a life otherwise. You're all not gonna be, like, we're everyone's not gonna be an actor or a singer or something like
that. Right.
Like, you know I mean? Exactly. Right. Your passion doesn't have to be your hobby.
Exactly.
I guess. Yeah. Yeah. So you're not bored ever. Right?
Sometimes.
Do you get bored?
I mean, I get bored when I'm injured. That's the only time I get bored because I can't move, but nah.
Other than that, like, there's always something for you to do. Like, what are you gonna do the rest of the day?
I'm actually gonna go on a run after this and probably study and maybe go to the driving range.
Yeah. And at some point, you'll you'll pick up a guitar later and strum on a little bit and, like, the whole thing. Right?
And then maybe I'll go to bed if I feel like it.
You guys stay up late, your your generation. Right? What time do you go to bed usually?
I I I mean, I I try to get the best sleep I can. I usually try to go to bed between, like, ten and eleven.
Look at you.
I don't know if it's something with diabetes, but I always wake up in the morning at the same time. I don't know what I don't know what the science behind that, but I wake up, like, my body cannot sleep in past 8AM.
Okay. Yeah. Well, listen. I mean, sleep's incredibly important. Like, I just I know I know that some people get overwhelmed with the idea that there's so much content or information that's available right now.
Some people stay up very late, like, listening to things. I fall into that trap sometimes. Like, I listened to something last night. I should have been asleep. And I was interested in it, and I thought, oh, I wanna absorb this before I before I go to bed.
Yeah. Yeah. No kidding.
Yeah. We're human. It happens. Yeah.
What Keeps Him Grounded1:05:34
I I wish you were my son. You seem you seem pretty perfect.
Well, thank you. That means a lot.
I think your parents must be incredibly proud. Like, they must hear you and think, look at look what we did. Right. You
know? Yeah. It's, yeah, it's pretty cool to call on my parents because they're awesome.
How much of your success so far do you think comes from the fact that your life wasn't easy? Right? You got diabetes at a young age. Your parents are divorced already. I'm joking with you that you might have been an baby, but it sounds more like you were like, maybe if we had one more baby, we won't get divorced baby.
So, like and that you know all that. You're a bright person. Like, I yeah. Yeah. So, like Yeah.
Yeah. That kind of, like, those trials and tribulations, like, can you see their value yet, or do they just seem like trouble to you?
They are a 100% the most important things that happen because everything in life happens for a reason, and it just kinda makes you stronger whether that's, you know, spend the night in the ER. Like, talked about a couple days ago, actually, I was very sick, like food poisoning. I had to go to the ER and just had a bad day. And then, you know, it's just it's just things like a long life journey. There's always bumps and roadblocks, but
Yeah.
You'll get through it. It just builds character and strength, really. Every every mishap, every wrong step in the road.
You have to embrace it too.
Exactly. You have to embrace it and just try the best to inspires others on your stories. Because after you're done, you get through them. All you can do is really laugh and just be like, hey. I went through that.
I was watching this thing where kind of a round table of, like, fairly successful people. As they talk about their background, you realize that not one of them said, oh, my parents were wealthy.
Right.
They sent me to a good school, and I just I followed my passion, and here I like, it was every one of them had multiple twists and turns. Like, my parents were angry at me because I did this, or I messed up and Yep. You know, caused myself a problem. I was broke. My, you know, my family was a mess, like, you know, the whole thing.
I think there's a lot to learn from this stuff. If it doesn't knock you over, fair fair enough, Jack. You know what I mean? But but if you can wobble back up again and keep going
Yeah. And that's, yeah, that's 100% true because, yeah, that's a lot of things I deal with in my life, it's just I get through it, and I have the strength to get through it. And then I'm like, hey. I made it. We're good.
Listen to me. I am gonna do my best to keep this podcast going so that you can call me back in five years and do this again.
Awesome. Yeah. I would honest I would be honored.
Yeah. I would love to know where you are in five years.
Yeah. You never know.
Alright. Would would you consider that if I was around
this time? I would 100% consider it. Yeah. I'd I'm I'm already on board.
Thank you. My last question for you, and then I'm gonna make sure you don't have anything else you wanna say. But Yep. How do you avoid drugs and alcohol being 19?
I honestly just don't have a a motive to do them. I just I know it can affect now that seeing what I see it does to other people and especially with type one, I just I don't wanna play around with something like that that could lead to something that is not good. And I just kinda I just kinda take a step back and just kinda look at it like, is this gonna benefit me, or is it just gonna make it worse?
Have you considered it and then thought your way through it and not done it?
No. I've really never, to be honest, like, I've never thought of ever doing it.
Why do you think that you don't need to feel numb when other people are numbing themselves?
I just feel like I have really good internal, you know, spiritual talk and that I can just resolve it through my own and rather than relying on something that isn't worth it in the long run or just for a short term kick.
Oh, wow. Are you a religious person?
A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. I've been starting to
You're looking into religion too? Not a this is not a thing your parents brought to you. It's a thing you're looking into on your own.
Yeah. We were raised Catholic, but I've been get really trying to get into Christianity.
Okay. Well Yep. Listen, man. You're on your way. Just watch out for those scumbags on YouTube who are just selling you the idea that, like, you know, you can be successful like me, but you realize the only thing they're successful at is telling you that you could be successful.
Okay? Yeah. Avoid that stuff.
Away from the, yeah, the get rich in 10.
Would you want passive income, Jack? Would you like some passive income? Shut up. Right. Your passive passive income is getting me to watch this video where you say, would I like passive income, you son of a
bitch. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
That's how it works.
I know. I'm watching. It made me so mad. I I did an episode with a therapist about it. I was like, please help me explain to people that they're being taken advantage of by some of these YouTubers Mhmm.
Who are just keeping you watching, telling you everything's gonna be okay. I mean, not fixing anything for you. We're giving you any valid ways out of it.
Right.
Yeah. There's a guy I have in mind. Such a punchable face. I think if I ever met him in person
I would know him.
But I would look at him and I go, you're a scumbag. Like, you know, just dressing your life up and making everybody feel like they could have what you have, and the only thing you're doing is teasing people along and telling them that they can have things. Right. Given the then
because we need uplifting, not people.
And then sharing the dumbest common sense with them as if it's, like, genius. You see that out in the YouTube. Right? You know what I'm talking about?
Oh, yeah. A 100%.
I mean, well, it's so easy nowadays. You all you do is open an app
and click one button and scroll for two hours.
Yeah. And take up your it really does kill your time if you don't do it well.
I am guilty, but I try to try to eliminate it sometimes.
I hear you. Good for you. Alright. Well, Jack, is there anything that you want to talk about that I have not brought up?
No. I think that's amazing. I, really appreciate for having me on and kinda talking my story and hope it reached out to some people. And yeah.
That's Well, I bet you I bet you will. I appreciate your time. Hold on one second for me. Okay?
Yep.
Closing & Sponsors1:11:36
A huge thanks to US Med for sponsoring this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Don't forget, usmed.com/juicebox. This is where we get our diabetes supplies from. You can as well. Use the link or call (888) 721-1514.
Use the link or call the number, get your free benefits checked so that you can start getting your diabetes supplies the way we do from US Med. Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast was sponsored by the new Tandem Mobi system and Control IQ Plus technology. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. Check it out. The podcast episode that you just enjoyed was sponsored by Eversense CGM.
They make the Eversense three sixty five. That thing lasts a whole year. One insertion. Every year? Come on.
You probably feel like I'm messing with you, but I'm not. Eversensecgm.com/juicebox. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple podcasts, please do that now.
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#1878 Drunk Bunny
ER nurse Lisa shares how her seven-year-old twin’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis prompted a pivot to school nursing. Discover how community support helped her overcome clinical fears of insulin.
Key Takeaways
- Career Pivots for Caregiving: Lisa transitioned from her career path in hospital nursing leadership to school nursing so she could be more present and better aligned with her son's schedule following his Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis.
- School Nursing Disparities: Despite being a registered nurse herself, Lisa found that the level of clinical education and support in some school districts didn't meet the standards she was used to in hospital settings, prompting her proactive approach to her son's care.
- The "Mother Doom" Instincts: Lisa's clinical background and "Mother Doom" nickname from the ER helped her quickly identify her 7-year-old son's symptoms (frequent urination, extreme thirst, weight loss), leading to a diagnosis before DKA set in.
- The Power of Community and Podcasts: Hearing real-life applications of diabetes management on the Juice Box Podcast (like "dosing for sushi" and being bold with insulin) helped Lisa overcome the strict, fear-based clinical rules she learned as a hospital nurse.
- Fostering Independence: Just eight months after diagnosis, Lisa's 7-year-old was already recognizing when his pump wasn't in automated mode and changing his own pods at diabetes camp, showing the value of involving children early in their own management.
Resources Mentioned
- Touched by Type 1: touchedbytype1.org
- Tandem Mobi System: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
- Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
- US Med: usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514
- Omnipod 5 Starter Kit: omnipod.com/juicebox
- Juice Box Podcast Support & Lists: juiceboxpodcast.com/lists
- Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
Introduction & Sponsors
Scott BennerWelcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.
LisaHi. I'm Lisa. So I'm a I have a type one, first and foremost. I have seven year old twins, one of which was diagnosed with type one 11/24/2024.
Scott BennerHey. Do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free. Juiceboxpodcast.com.
Click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A one c and blood glucose calculator. People love that. That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months.
A list of great endocrinologists from listeners, that's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community, and we have a a fantastic thing there. American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire bold beginning series in ASL. So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way.
Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on support. While you're there, check out the guides, like the prebolising guide, fat and protein insulin calculator, oh gosh, thyroid, GLP, caregiver burnout. You should go to the website. Click around a little bit on those menus. It really there's a lot more there than you think.
Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by US Med, usmed.com/juicebox, or call (888) 721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from US Med. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod.
Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Terms and conditions apply.
Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.
Meet Lisa: ER Nurse & Type 1 Mom
LisaHi. I'm Lisa.
Scott BennerLisa, that was easy, wasn't it?
LisaPerfect. Alright. Perfect.
Scott BennerYesterday, the lady said to me, what do you want me to say when I introduce myself? And I was like, I don't know. I would just introduce yourself. Yeah. So some people say, hey.
I'm Lisa. Some people go, hey. I'm Lisa. I'm a this, that. Like, it's really you know, it's interesting to see where people start.
Alright. Well, Lisa, why are we having you on the podcast? What looks like you might have a kid with type one diabetes. Is this correct?
LisaSo I'm a I have a type one, first and foremost. I have seven year old twins, one of which was diagnosed with type one 11/24/2024. And I think I'm got a little bit of a unique perspective in that I'm also a nurse. I've been a nurse for over twenty years. And then to kinda tack on to that, I also recently entered the school nurse world to kind of because we don't have, like, a big circle.
Right?
Scott BennerMhmm.
LisaYou know, of people that stepped up to, you know, kinda help out with our guy. So I left the hospital full time, stayed there as needed in the ER. So I work in the ER just to keep life a little more spicy. Mhmm. So I do school nursing, so I see that whole side of type one kiddo management on top of the normal stuff at home that we deal with.
Right?
Scott BennerLet's figure it out, and let's hope that I can stay focused. I missed a spot shaving this morning just right under my lip, and I'm, touched it.
LisaIt's gonna irk you off.
Scott BennerWell, I'm gonna fix it as soon as you and I are done. Don't don't worry. I'm just hoping I can let myself off the hook right now and stop touching it because it's meaningless. If I don't put my hand on it, I don't know it's there. Anyway, this is not the point.
Twin seven year olds, boy girl, girl girl, boy boy. What do got?
LisaScott, they're they're boys. I'm gonna be cleaning up pee for the rest of my life.
Scott BennerNo. They'll figure it out in their thirties, I imagine.
LisaOh my god. They can't they can't get a Target to save their life.
Scott BennerIt's Yeah. That moment where you're like, it's on the wall. How to get on the wall?
LisaNo. It's this is this is my life every day. If I'm not, like, dealing with pee at work on the ground or on me, it's at who?
Scott BennerPeople are just peeing everywhere. Well, there you go. Two little boys, and one of them I don't wanna you know, we're not using their names, I imagine. But, like, what happens with the one? What what's the first thing you see?
Does does being a nurse help at all or not not at all?
Catching It Early: The "Mother Doom" Instinct
LisaYou know what? So my husband, and his friend had a nickname for me, mother doom, because, you know, working in the ER, you tend to see some pretty crazy things. And we had, like, a week where I was like, this kid is drinking a lot. But, you know, like, they're crazy boys. They're always running around.
But then he started having some accidents at night, which he didn't normally do. And the day before I tested his blood sugar, we were down at the penitentiary, down in Philly. And this kid was like, I need water. I need water. And I was like, kinda getting frustrated, you know, like mom of the year.
Right? I'm like, dude. I'm like, okay. I'll get you water. I'll get you water.
So, yeah, the next day, we got home from church, and I'm like, something is not right. And, yeah, definitely, those spidey senses were going off. Like, and he also looked like he lost weight. Like, that was another big, like, kinda key thing for me. I had tummy surgery years ago, so I had a glucometer at home.
Oh. Yeah. Okay. So just happened to be at home. And so I tested my blood sugar, my husband's blood sugar just to make sure this, like, dusty thing still worked.
And, like, ours were normal, and his sugar, it was, like, four thirty eight. Oh god. And I'm like I mean, it's I mean and, know, you went through it with your daughter. Like, it's that like, you'll never forget that moment because I just knew exactly what it was. And I looked at my husband, and I just went upstairs, closed the bathroom door, cried for a couple minutes, and then I called the pediatrician.
And we landed down at CHOP, and thank goodness we caught it before he was in DKA. So we had, like, the shortened non ICU version of diagnosis. Yeah. Since then, we also had his twin we, you know, we went through, like, the auto Autobody testing.
Scott BennerThrough, like, TrialNet or something like that?
LisaYeah. TrialNet. Yep. TrialNet. Easy peasy.
So interestingly enough, what we ended up finding out so he does not have any of them yet. Hopefully, never. But my side of the family, I have Hashimoto's thyroid, which is autoimmune. My mom has the Michael Jackson disease, vitiligo.
Scott BennerYep.
LisaSo that's autoimmune. And as of last week, I noticed this patch on his brother that I am most certain is vitiligo as well.
Scott BennerSo Oh, okay. So Don't you think
Lisaruns strong in the family.
Scott BennerIf Michael Jackson was still alive, he'd be thrilled that you thought of him that way and not the other way. You know what I mean?
LisaRight. Right. Right. Without the fentanyl.
Scott BennerWell or or the little boys or whatever. Like, yeah, there's a lot of like, he he it's a big win for Michael Jackson right now when you when you said that. Right. You're really making it feel like I could listen to a couple of Michael Jackson tunes in the car this spring. Well, are you around here?
You say you went to CHOP?
LisaYeah. Yep. I'm actually right outside of Philly.
Scott BennerYeah. Okay. Well, then there you go.
LisaYeah. Yep. So amazing resource team. They, like, right away, kind of invited me into, like, the, diabetes camp world, which was very interesting, Scott, because I learned that I do it for my son. I do it for the kids that are there.
I love, I'm the official, like, boo boo nurse, the med nurse, so I take care of everything nondiabetic. Okay. So and it's, like, a beautiful thing because they take the follow. Like, the like, I unfollow him. And so I have this week where I hear 50,000,000 alarms going off, but it's not on my phone.
You know?
Scott BennerWell, you know, I don't know if I wanna call you boo boo nurse or or mother doom. I'm not sure where this is gonna go. Are you also running around, like, every time somebody sneezes, you say tell them what's wrong with them? Is that that nickname wasn't just around this diagnosis, was it?
LisaNo. You know what? I like no. But Okay. If you've had the like, if you've had it for, like, three weeks, I'm like, okay.
Maybe you have pneumonia. Maybe you need a chest X-ray. You know what I'm saying?
Scott BennerAnd, like Okay. Yeah. Okay. So the peeing and the weight loss, does your brain go diabetes, or does your brain go something's wrong, or you think diabetes pretty much up front?
LisaSo, initially, before I put him on the scale, to be honest with you, like, it was just like, know something's wrong. I know something's wrong. But, you know, in the nursing world, like, you type one, you take care of them maybe for a couple hours in the ER, and then they go whether theyre being, you know, shipped to CHOP or, you know, if they're adults, they're being shipped up to ICU. So the type one piece definitely was not on my radar, but something was like, check his blood sugar. So deep down, I must have been like, okay.
You read this in a textbook somewhere.
Scott BennerOh, it's interesting. Oh, that's really cool. Well, how how'd it go? Like, who was it a bigger adjustment for? You, your husband, your son, his brother, everybody?
Scott BennerHe
Lisahe was just he's a he was a rockstar. Like, he was a rockstar from the get go. And I think for me now my husband is also in health care. He, at the time, he was X-ray, but now he's MRI dealing with the big magnet. But I think it was more of an adjustment for him, for, like, my mother-in-law who, you know, takes care of him.
You know? Because he they'd never shot somebody with, you know, an injection before. Okay. Like, for me, like, I had one moment while he was still in the hospital where, like, I was like it just kinda all came, like, crashing in. I'm like, oh my god.
I'm doing this for my this is, like, my kid. You know? This isn't somebody else's kid. This is my kid. And, like, the enormity of this is the rest of, like, his life.
You know? And I will say his name. Farron, who was the nurse that day, must have just, like, saw the look on my face, and he's like, go take a walk. I got this. And that's what I needed.
I just needed that space for a minute. But, yeah, definitely the people, you know, who have never, you know, had to give injections, like, you know, never dealt with insulin and all that good stuff. Definitely a huge learning curve for everybody.
Scott BennerOkay. So it's it's more about the the trying to, like, figure out the management stuff at first. It's overwhelming.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerOkay.
Overcoming Fear & The Hospital Disconnect
LisaWhich, I just gotta throw this out there. Like, I, listening to bold beginnings, listening to you and Jenny, listening to the stories, not trying to be a suck up, but, like, for real, like, that's what got me through that period because, you know, like, there's so there's only so much information you get from the hospital. Right? From your endocrine team is technically, they're available 247, but not everything's a 911 call. You know?
Or you know what I'm saying? Yeah.
Scott BennerYou're you're not always up
Lisato Right.
Scott BennerOther stuff. Right.
LisaBut, you know, from like, I I laugh. Like, that's how I learned to dose for sushi was through juice pop.
Scott BennerOh.
LisaYou know, not being afraid to give those big doses because, you know, you have to remember, like, as a nurse, insulin is a two person sign off in the hospital because it's you know, you could kill somebody
Scott BennerYeah.
LisaWith it. Right? So, like, getting out of my own head that it's okay. I'm not gonna kill my kid. You know?
And that's honestly, like, what this podcast did for me for sure.
Scott BennerListen. I'm I'm thrilled that it did that for you, but don't let that stop you. That the the honesty that shouldn't stop you from sucking up if you want to. Yeah. So, I mean, that Make
Lisasure you shape your face there, Scott.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Oh, so yeah. Anytime I get a little too full of myself today, you'll be like, there's a patch of hair under your lip, Jack. You just missed it.
How do I miss it like this? I tried to shave in the shower.
LisaIt happens.
Scott BennerI'm usually good at it, though. It happens. Yeah. Oh, it's a little disappointing. So let's talk about that bit a little more.
Right? Insulin's a two person sign off in the hospital.
LisaMhmm.
Scott BennerAnd what does that do to you? It it reinforces the fear?
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LisaYeah. Like, now in the ER, things, like, are a little scaled back now. But, like, for me growing up as a nurse, like, anytime you were giving a corrective dose in the hospital, yeah, you had to find a nurse. Like, you know, even if it was down the hall. Hey.
You see this? I'm given seven units. Sign me off. You know? But, yeah, it was very, even Lantus.
Like, don't judge me for this. But, like, I was more paranoid about the Lantus. Like, even though in my brain, I knew I mean, he's on the pump and everything now, but, you know, I would give the Lantus. I'd be like, oh my god. Is he gonna drop right away?
But, like, I know better. You know? But, yeah, it's definitely, like, you know, if you're giving if somebody's on an insulin drip, which, again, like, thank god he didn't need that in the hospital. But, like, even just the injections, I mean, it's just it's programmed in your head. It's a high alert medication.
You know, you could kill somebody with this and yada yada yada. And so and now here I am unsupervised. Like, here's my like, god bless them, but, like, my X-ray tech husband. I'm like, Tony, can you double check this? You know?
Scott BennerI love that you're from Philly and your husband's name is Tony.
LisaYeah. Literally. It's awesome.
Scott BennerLet's just get it out of the way now. Italian. So which cheesesteaks do you prefer?
LisaOh, no. You know what? Oh, Dalesandro's.
Scott BennerOkay. It's a it's a newer choice.
LisaYeah. Dalesandro's. They're not as greasy as the other ones.
Scott BennerYou know, never went to Pat's once.
LisaNo. It's
Scott BennerThe place across to them that we used to go to a lot. What was it called? Gino's. Gino's. Yeah.
LisaCheese fries, though. They have good cheese fries.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. It's interesting. See, people know. Yeah.
That's all. People go to Philadelphia, while they're here, they're like, I'm gonna get a cheesesteak for sure while I'm while I'm here.
LisaOh, yeah. Or Steve's. Steve's is good too.
Scott BennerTell people how amazing it was when the Eagles beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
LisaWait. Can I tell you something funny real quick?
Scott BennerGo ahead.
LisaSo I was six months pregnant with these these children,
Scott Bennerand my husband say monsters.
LisaWell, that too.
Scott BennerThat's a lot people. Pause. I'm like, is she just pivoting from a word right now?
LisaAt this time, they were still quiet and not arguing with me or trying to kill each other. Okay?
Scott BennerI knew.
LisaYeah. Yeah. So I was six months pregnant with them, and my, like, hardcore eagles fan husband, they won the Super Bowl. And there I am take because we have an older son too. I should have told you that, Scott.
I have a 23 year old.
Scott BennerOkay.
LisaAnd six months pregnant with twins, taking the older one down to the parade, which I probably should have done in hindsight, like, you know, technically geriatric pregnancy, like, you know, twins. Yeah. And, yeah, like, down there, you know, everybody's indulging in different things, drinking, smoking, and there I am with these twins. And I'm like, oh lord. Is that how I ended up giving my kid type one?
Like Nah.
Scott BennerI don't think so.
LisaJust kidding.
Scott BennerBut I did just wonder, do they pee in you while you're pregnant too? They don't pee while do babies pee while they're oh my god.
LisaDo they Everything's all in that amniotic fluid. Yep. Yep.
Scott BennerYep. Wait. Wait. Hold on. Hold on.
Hold on. On. Do fetuses pee? Let's just go there for a As soon as you were talking about pee and then pivoted the kids being inside you, I was like, oh my god. Do they pee while they're in A fetus starts making urine during pregnancy, and that urine becomes a normal part of the amniotic fluid.
And the fetus allows also swallows amniotic fluid, and the fluid gets recycled that way. Dear god, what's wrong with everything?
LisaThere it is.
Scott BennerMay I just say right here? When people say, isn't life amazing? It's it's it's an obvious obvious decision to say there's a god. I say, if there was a god, why would he have developed it like this? Do you know I mean?
Or unless he is a man, and he just came up with the first thing he went with. And he was like, that's fine. They can pee and then drink it.
LisaThere it is. But then that's why we have the placenta to keep it nice and clean.
Scott BennerI mean, you say. But but I I do think, like, a female god would have said, like, oh, why did we do it like this where the pee goes back into the baby? Why don't we find another way to, like, port that out? You know what I mean?
LisaThere definitely would have been a cleaner system once they're born.
Scott BennerThis is horrifying. Placenta is doing the main waste filtering work, not the fetus going to the bathroom the way a newborn does. It sounds strange. Well, yeah, it does sound strange. A womb that is a normal part of the I mean, normal.
What's normal?
LisaNothing. There's nothing normal anymore, Scott.
Scott BennerAnyway, point being, that kid's been peeing on you since day one.
LisaDay one. Since day one. Absolutely. That's awesome. Absolutely.
Scott BennerNothing like being a mom.
LisaNo. And you know what? Like but that also kinda goes back, like, I so we I would take them to the car show every year. We would go down to see the lights at oh, what's it called? Wannamakers or whatever.
Yeah. Macy's. Yeah. And Wannamakers. We
Scott BennerThat was an old reach back to your mom.
LisaI just ate it myself. Oh my gosh.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. That's awesome. You had vinyl wait. You had vinyl chairs in your kitchen at some point.
I know for sure.
LisaIn '81, Scott. Take a deep breath.
Scott BennerI know for sure. Wadamakers. That's awesome. We used to go to Clover. Oh, Jess, shut up.
Go even.
LisaOh my gosh. Hey. My friend's mom was a hairdresser at Clover.
Scott BennerI met my first I met my first real girlfriend at Clover. She was a Aw. She was a cashier there. I went through I'm gonna let you get to this in a second. I went through a line.
I was just there getting something, and this girl was so pretty. Like, and I just froze. Like, when I got up to her, I wanted to say something, and I didn't. And I thought, that's okay. She works at Clover.
She's a she's a registered person. I by the way, this used to not be called stalking. I just thought, like, I'd go back and, like, I'll see her again. I'm gonna ask her out. You know?
It got to the point where, like, it didn't matter how many times I walked into that store. Like, she was never there.
LisaOh, no.
Scott BennerAnd then it turned into, like, a thing where I was like, well, am I gonna stop? Or you know what mean? Because it's, even felt creepy to me at that point that, you know
LisaShe was gone.
Scott BennerOh my god.
LisaNever existed.
Scott BennerAnyway, I rolled through there one day, and she was just standing there, like, running that cash register. And I was like, oh my god. I like, there was, like, attached to this little mall, and I ran into the mall. I grabbed, like, a single flower from a flower shop. I got in the line.
I waited, it was my turn. I said, hi. I saw you here about six months ago, and I wanted to ask you out. And I didn't, and I've been coming back into the store ever since. This is the first time I've seen you.
And I was like, this is my name. This is my phone number. Like, if you wanna connect You want me was a that's my own damn Tinder or whatever it's called.
LisaRemember those days? Oh my gosh.
Scott BennerAnd I dated that girl for a year before she cheated on me and broke my heart.
LisaOh, well, you know what? And now you have your beautiful wife and family.
Scott BennerShe and she can break my heart every day. She's been doing it for three decades. She's so good at it. I mean, honestly. Arden was giving me crap the other day, I went, hey.
Hey. Hey. Hey. Mom's already got this covered. Yeah.
That's right. Was like, you you don't need I don't need a backup. Okay? Right. Right.
LisaNo. She's she's like the junior, the missus junior.
Scott BennerI was like, your mom's doing a great job. I'll let you know if she dips in production. You can step in and start giving me crap. Okay? But, like, for now, this the your mom's a pro.
She got this.
LisaYeah. Yeah. Oh my god.
Scott BennerAnyway, Michelle, if you're out there, I'm sorry if I ever did anything wrong to you, but I had a really good time. Nevertheless, let's move on. Sorry.
LisaOh, that's his start.
Scott BennerWhat Well, there's a story that's never been in the podcast before.
LisaAnd what a what a throwback to
Scott Bennerget in one, Lisa. There you go. Like, not all and people don't always get good news stories. Sometimes you're like, this guy telling this one again?
LisaNo. That's a good one.
Scott BennerYeah. That's a good one. It's such a nice can I tell you one other nice thing I thought I did for her?
LisaWhat? What did she do?
Scott BennerIt was her it was her birthday. She was working at that Clover still. Basically, we were young. Our lives were, like, working, having sex, and going out once in a while. Like right?
Like so Right. It was her birthday. She's working at Clover. She gets off at, like, late at night, like, 10:00, and she's supposed to come to my house afterwards, you know, for her birthday. Earlier in the evening, I went I'm gonna sound insane for a second.
But
LisaI can't wait.
Scott BennerWent out and got me and my buddy got a bunch of balloons, and we blew them up and, like, enough to no. Don't oh. Enough to fill her car with front seat, back seat, floorboards, dashboard, everywhere. And then we had a video camera, and she she I was way ahead of the Internet, by the way. I just wanna say.
LisaOh my god.
Scott BennerSo she wanders out of work, and she used to have to do the books at the end. If I remember rightly, like, she was going to school to be an she might be an accountant now. I don't know. Because she did cheat on me before she got to, codify that decision. But I but so she stayed late if I remember, like, doing, like, TILs and stuff like that.
So she wanders out into this big empty parking lot, just her and a couple of, like, stragglers that worked there. And she could see her. She was smoked. I remember, like, she came out. She lit a cigarette.
We're watching from, like, a a vantage where she can't say us with a camera, and she's wandering across the parking lot, she's smoking her cigarette. She looks like she's had a pretty long day. If I'm not mistaken, like, she probably went to school all day before that, you know? Oh, my gosh. And you see her pull her key out.
I know you guys don't know about this, but there used to be, like, a key you put in the side of your car and opened it.
LisaNo. They don't.
Scott BennerNo. No. They have no idea. And I see her look up, look in the window, and you could even though we were maybe 70 yards away from her, you could feel the what the look on her face. You know?
And then she's like she opens the door, stares for a second. You can see her contemplating what to do, and then she just starts pulling the balloons out, and they're, like, all over the parking lot. Oh, I probably killed so many dolphins that day.
LisaThat's okay.
Scott BennerAnyway That's okay. I thought she was gonna find that endearing, but I don't think she did. That was the it was the gesture. Oh, she did enjoy watching the video afterwards. I just thought it was funny.
Anyway, that's all I got for you.
LisaI love it.
Making the Switch: Moving to School Nursing
Scott BennerAlright. On our way. We're on our way now.
LisaWe're on our way.
Scott BennerOkay. So this kid of yours has diabetes. You're overwhelmed a little bit, but what do you do to pull it together? Right? So you have support at the hospital side.
You are a nurse. You're getting through your fear. Right. You find the podcast. Like, you start to settle in.
Like, what's moving forward look like once you're settled?
LisaSo okay. So there was a couple things. So there was you know, twelve hour shifts was fine before that Oh. And before my husband's job changed because then he ended up going to evening shift. And, you know, again, like, unfortunately so my the kids had gone to an extended care program at the school, but, there were some issues and challenges with, them.
You know I don't wanna say taking care of him because, you know, like, we don't expect people to take care of our kids' diabetes like we do. Right? Like, you're essentially just keeping them alive, troubleshooting them. But, unfortunately, like, we had a not great situation where someone that was ahead of the program was like, well, you know, we can't do that here. We can't, you know, we can't check his blood sugar.
Well, anytime if it alarms, we'll just call 911. Now, Scott,
Scott Bennercan call 911 if your high alarm were off?
LisaI swear to god. Can you imagine? I was horrified. But you know what? Me being me, I'm like, I know this is not, like, the case.
So here I go on the district website because it's, you know, a program from the school, and it clearly says we accept kids with disabilities and yada yada yada. Yeah. Copy and paste that. And, like, I sent it to her boss. I'm like, I just because now you have to remember, Scott, he was still in the hospital at this point.
Like, I was, like, not messing around because we were on Thanksgiving break, and I'm like, I need to get all this situated. You know, of course, once I got the boss involved, they're like, no. You know, we can you know, we'll we'll learn. We'll figure it out. But, like, at that point, I'm like, the boss isn't there.
Right? Like, it's this woman and some you know, a couple other people who that that they were phenomenal. I'm like, do I really wanna leave my kid with you? You know? Thinking that that's your, like, first reaction is you're just gonna call 911 all the time.
Scott BennerFirst reaction is we don't wanna be involved.
Lisa100%.
Scott BennerYeah.
LisaAnd that was just kind of the tip of the ice berg that I learned. And I know it's not just our school district, but in school districts in general. So I had to make a move, and I now my trajectory was nurse nursing leadership. Like, I was a patient safety officer, risk management. Like, I did so much stuff, like, for big health care organizations in our city.
And I'm like, okay. Two master's degrees, certification, all that's on pause because I gotta take care of my kid. Right? I gotta make sure my kid's safe. I don't want to put him in a situation where people don't wanna take care of him or learn to.
So that's how I ended up making that switch to school nursing so, you know, I could be off when they are and all that jazz.
Scott BennerSo Are you telling me you have two master's degrees, or you were going after them and you stopped doing that to
Lisado this? I I I I finished them.
Scott BennerI did them. What do you have master's in?
LisaSo one's in, nursing administration, and the other is from Temple. While I was working at Temple, I did my health care administration.
Scott BennerMakes people hear our accent and just think we're stupid. You know what I mean? I know I know people right now in the Midwest are like, that girl's got a degree? That's amazing. How'd she do that with her obvious mental disabilities?
Yeah. It's because we talk funny. It doesn't mean we're not smart. That's all.
LisaI know how to I know how to write a paper. Okay?
Scott BennerWell, that's really cool. Oh oh, wow. But so, well, listen. It's been what? Year four months now since diagnosis, something like that?
Mhmm. You obviously did this, but did you do it recently to switch to school nursing? I mean, I know you're still in the ER once in a while, but when did you make the switch?
LisaSo last March, I went per diem for the school district. I just to get my foot in the door and see if I would be able to survive. And then, yeah, and then when my husband made his little change, I'm like, you know what? I'm just gonna do it. I'm just gonna do it.
I'm gonna go full time. Financially, we'll figure it out because nobody goes into school nursing for the pay.
Scott BennerIt's a hit. Right? I mean, you you lose your overtime and, like, all that stuff. Right?
LisaYeah. And if you don't, like, if you don't work, you don't get paid. So, like, talk about, you know, a financial culture shock for my family, but we're figuring it out.
Scott BennerI gotta tell you. Most jobs, if you don't work, you don't get paid. I just wanna say that. True story.
LisaTrue story. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Scott BennerMy question is, though, how long has it been since you made the decision?
LisaTo to go so it's been a year.
Scott BennerA year. Okay.
LisaIt's been a year. Yeah.
Scott BennerMy question is, did you need to do it?
LisaYou know what? Yes. Okay. I'm gonna say
Scott Benneryes Because I there are times I feel like I don't know if I say it every time because I I don't wanna hurt people's feelings, but, like, I think every time someone tells me, for example, they have, like, a a a diabetes service dog, I
Lisago Mhmm.
Scott BennerDid you need to do it? Right. And, like, because I know the feeling in the beginning of I gotta quit my job. I mean, people the people whose kids get diagnosed with diabetes, they've done homeschool after that or
LisaRight.
Scott BennerThat's that's not a small number of people. That happens a lot. Right? The nurses that switched to school nursing, not a small number of people. But I always wonder if they look back in hindsight and go, it would have been alright if I didn't do this.
LisaDid I you know what? I I think because so I was so career focused most of my life that this kind of was a I don't even know how to describe it, but it was just this huge, like, wall for me because I'm like, I wanna keep things as normal as I can for my kid, for my family. And, you know, and my husband, like, god love him, like, he really he, like, he will he will tell you. Like, he will say, like, I'm not good at this stuff. You know?
Like
Scott BennerI feel when when the god love them came out, I figured we were, you know
LisaYeah. Was gonna be a little a but.
Scott BennerWe love him. You know? You know?
LisaYeah. But he owns it. And
Scott Bennerthat's Tony. It's wonderful. That that's my
Lisathat's my Tony. Right? My Tony. But, like, he owns it. And, you know, I just kinda I was not really fulfilled.
Like, I left leadership, Scott, because I just, you know, I didn't really fit
Scott Bennerin. Mhmm.
LisaLike, I was one of those people. I was one of those managers where I would switch up my hours, and I would would work night shift and day shift and both shifts to, you know, to keep my staff from going out of ratio and things like that. And, you know, when you have even if it's not that, you know, diabetes, but, like, you know, when you have a kid that requires a little extra both my kid have IEPs, ADD. You know, the ADDs are a little coin term now or whatever. I just felt like I needed to be more present.
And being in those leadership roles, I couldn't do that. So yeah. So for us, I felt like it was I really wanna be here and be present.
Scott BennerYeah.
LisaIf that
Scott Bennermakes sense.
LisaOkay. Yeah.
Scott BennerHold on one second. I'll tell you what I'm doing in a second.
LisaWe shaving our face.
Scott BennerI wish it was that. Hold on. I don't know how this happened. I got a message I got a message that I had to answer, which Yeah. Which made my which made me pick up my phone.
Right? So I replied to the to the message. And then somehow, I clue I'm I'm old, so I close apps when I'm done with them. Of course. In fairness, my wife is not old, and there's currently 875 apps open on her phone.
2,500 of them she's never used before and doesn't know what they are. I think it's more
Lisaof a woman thing than an age thing.
Scott BennerI mean and there's gotta be 17,000 emails. I just delete them all. It doesn't matter. Those emails to me are the digital representation of the stuff in my basement that also we'll never look at again. Nevertheless, I swiped up on iMessages and got rid of it, and it brought up my Facebook in front of me.
And Oh. There was just a new message in the group, and somebody said, I'm currently crashing and feeling horrible. My husband's not waking up. I took four glucose tablets forty minutes ago, and it's not getting better. Should I just keep taking tablets even though it's clearly not working?
LisaMom at that point.
Scott BennerYeah. So she's heart. She's 67. She's obviously I I and so I actually I thought, like, I thought, you know, I'm working. I I can't say and then I thought it would help if she thought to post this, like, I'm gonna respond.
Lisa100%.
Scott BennerSo I just said juice, high sugar drinks, swish them in your mouth, then get something substantial in. So hopefully
LisaBless our hearts. 67.
Scott BennerAnd other people, yeah, other people are popping on now. Anyway, if you're not in that Facebook group, you're making a mistake.
LisaExactly.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Never although somebody the other day asked a question, and one of the respondents was, you should ask a doctor that. And I was like, this is a online community.
LisaLike I can't.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, of course, she's probably gonna ask her doctor that. She's she's probably, like, information get also, she's an adult.
Also, shut up. Right. No. It just feels like you know, here. Listen.
I'll give you an example. Yeah. I know some of you buy groceries at Target. I think that's abhorrent. I think Target is for crap, and the grocery store is for groceries.
Right. When I walk through Target and I see you buying your groceries, I don't run up to you and go, you should be shopping in a grocery store.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerLike that's to me, like, the same thing. Like, abhorrent by the way, abhorrent was probably too strong of a word.
LisaNo. No. But fair. Fair.
Scott BennerI don't like that there's a ream of notebook paper so close to bananas. I don't think it's natural. Okay? I'm not kidding. So Or your
Lisahemorrhoid cream right next to the oranges.
Scott BennerI don't know why you chose that, but yes. Now, I I would say this. I would say, like, it's a weird thing to come into a group where people are asking each other's opinions. They go, don't ask these people their opinions. Like, what are you doing here?
Like, I don't under
LisaI anyway. It's the keyboard warriors, though.
Scott BennerStop. I don't even think it's that. I think it's a little Oop its day. You know what I mean?
LisaYeah. No. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. It's it's okay. Well, I'm so sorry.
LisaNo. You're good.
Scott BennerI don't know where the hell we were because the thing happened with the kid and the thing. What were you talking
Lisaabout? Talking about career.
Scott BennerOh, I'm sorry.
LisaHow no. No. No. Yeah. How I went into school.
Yeah.
Scott BennerOkay. So you think it was a good idea because
LisaTo be present.
Scott BennerYeah. Just to be to be around there and to be helpful. Alright. So you're in their school?
LisaSo I'm actually not in their school, but I'm literally, like, five minutes from there, which is amazing.
Scott BennerSo it's more about balancing your schedule with their schedule then?
Lisa100%. And you know what else? Like so back to, like, when he was first diagnosed. So I don't know how it was, like, when Arden was diagnosed, like, with the school, but, like, it like, I went in myself and showed the nurses in his school, you know, the pump. Well, at that point, he was injections.
But so we did injections teaching. We did pump teaching. We did, you know, the glucometer. And wait. Don't laugh.
But in the hospitals, we're used to, like, these big, like, industrial glucometers.
Scott BennerYeah. Sure.
LisaSo, like, you know, when you get into, like, the community and you're you see these, like, little ones, you're like, oh my god. What the hell is this? Like so and that was, like, another kind of little drive for me, to be honest, because I'm like and the girls that are at his school are amazing. I actually used to work with one way back in the day at Jefferson. Like, amazing nurses.
We're very fortunate. But that's not everywhere. And I, like, I know, like, the the podcast about, like, the the error that that, you know, nurse me. I'm like, I can totally see it because these so I went in, Scott. Like, I'm a nurse.
Like, can you imagine, like, a parent with a newly diagnosed diabetic who's not health care, who's, like, still trying to figure it out, having to go in and teach somebody, like, a nurse? Like, it's crazy.
Scott BennerI take your point. Can I take the opposite side of this?
LisaPlease.
Scott BennerAlright. Right now, there is a girl, I'm guessing in the shower at my house because she's gotta be at school in, an hour and a half. And she's gonna be 22 this summer. Mhmm. Her current a one c is why does it take so loading to load?
5.5.
LisaOh, that's awesome.
Scott BennerIn the last, however long this app is is chain you know, tracking this thing. She's been in range 92.2% of the time.
LisaIt's amazing.
Scott BennerYeah. And so, like, my question is, is that, like and she's about to get a degree in psychology. She's got three more classes, then she's gonna go off and get an advanced degree because I don't think she wants me to stop working either. Everybody gotta keep me moving, you know? And she's fine, and I'm not a school nurse, and I and I I'm I don't know.
Like, I I mean, the only thing I can tell you is that my schedule did match up with hers, and I could be available during the day, which I think is really valuable.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerBut the rest of it, it I mean, I ran into everything you did. Right? Like, you know, in was it when did they try to kill her the first time? I think kindergarten. I think they tried to kill her the first time in kindergarten.
We stopped it. We made a little more inroads in explaining things to people.
LisaMhmm.
Scott BennerI spent time explaining and re explaining things to people, getting on the phone, walking them through it when I couldn't expect them to know it. Right. It worked. Now I'm not in a factory. I can pick up a phone when I need to in the middle of the day, like, stuff like that.
Back then, in fairness, I don't even think I was right. I wasn't making the podcast. I was I mean, I was a stay at home. Was basic I was basically cleaning the the laundry. And shot I did other things, by the way.
Okay. I don't wanna dig into everything I did or, like, you know, don't I don't want stay at home people, man. You're
Lisaa busy bee, though.
Scott BennerI was a stay at home for a long time. I know how hard it is. Don't worry. There's a lady downstairs still doesn't know what day the trash goes out in thirty year. She'd be like, is it Tuesday?
Nope. Not Tuesday. No. Okay. She don't know.
If I leave the house for too long, I think they start considering just throwing the dishes away. But but I did have act so I I was available or could make myself available. I do think that was a really big deal. I wouldn't Right. I wouldn't undervalue that.
But Right. I don't know. Like, it's it feels like a lot just to pivot your life around like that.
LisaWell and and here's the thing. Like, the one thing I I like, my so I'm very fortunate. There's actually another type one mom that I work with. She's a nurse too. And in every other health care setting, right, like, you wouldn't walk into a hospital and be like, hey.
You know, let me show you, like, let me show you how you should check my blood pressure. Right? Like Yeah. And I get, like, they the nurses can't know everything. It's impossible.
But every other health care setting, like, there is a level of clinical education. Right?
Scott BennerAnd
Lisathat is not the case in in the school districts. And, you know, I'm in, like, the different school district groups and you know? So I know it's, like, not just us. And I'm like, wait a second. Like, this is, like, probably the most at risk setting.
Right? Like, you're in the community, whether it's your diabetics, your seizure kids, you know, whatever else. There's a million different kids with different issues we take care of. And so, like, why is that not the same? Why is that bar not set as high as it is in other settings?
So
Scott BennerSo I agree with you. And I and and I I'm trying to, like, kinda kinda say both sides, like, of this because I don't want I because I also would tell you that I sent my kid off and I thought the very same thing. I thought Right. If this nurse knew what she was doing, wouldn't she work in a hospital?
LisaRight.
Scott BennerYou know, the guy's driving a school bus. Like Yeah. Like, if he's a retired guy or somebody whose best job they could get was driving a school bus And now they're in charge of the health, like and by the way, I I don't think I could get a job driving a school bus. So, like, I'm, you know, I'm like, I'm not you know what I'm saying? Like, it's no knock on anybody.
I'm just saying that this is school bus driver, not a not a medical person. And it feels like there's gonna be medical issues everywhere, but they're not really, though. They're like, for the most part, I find the most part, like, managing diabetes is, like, being ready for when it happens, not
LisaRight.
Scott BennerTaking care of the thing that's always happening because it's not always happening. It's Correct. You know what I mean? Like and but there's no way to know that in the beginning. Right.
So it feels the way you're describing because I felt that I felt that way too.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerWhat I'm saying is, I mean, what gear is the kid using there? They got, like, a pump?
LisaYeah. So we got the Omnipod at DexCom.
Scott BennerIs it an is it an automated system? Mhmm. Yeah. I mean, you know, they're he's probably okay. You know I Like right?
Scott BennerRight. And the day's pretty I mean, except they move their schedules around sometimes, like, they're trying to kill you. Like, you know, like, the days are pretty structured. Right? Right.
Like, you know, when you're putting in food, you know, when you're putting in insulin, etcetera.
LisaExactly.
Scott BennerI don't know. I fixed it with texting. Right. Had your fear too, and I was just like, here. This is a phone.
You and I are now talking.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerAnd, you know Right. By the way, now she don't want you know, if I if I texted her now about her diabetes, she'd like, I didn't see that. I'm like Right? Okay.
LisaWell and you know what? He's in second grade, and bless his heart. Like, he actually was the one that identified we had one day that was just because oftentimes, I'm the only nurse at the school I'm at. Mhmm. So, like, I can't just, like, get up and leave usually.
Sure. And we were having these highs, and I'm like, okay. Like, this isn't making sense. Let's dose him. Blah blah blah.
And then I'm like, okay. Something is is definitely the site needs to be changed or something. So I'm, like, coordinating another nurse to come to my school for the fifteen minutes it's gonna take me to get to his school and change everything and come back. And he actually texted me, Scott, at seven years old and was like, mom, it's not in automated mode.
Scott BennerGood. I was like, I was so proud of him.
LisaI'm like, oh my gosh.
Scott BennerYou were do you didn't think, oh, hell, I could have kept my job at the ER?
LisaYeah. Seven years old. I was so proud of him.
Scott BennerI'm like That's awesome. But that's my point is that's gonna keep happening. It's just hard to believe that in the beginning. Yeah. You know?
And for people that it doesn't happen for, well, then Right. Right on. You you know what I mean? Like, if it if it becomes an issue. But you brought up earlier that episode of the podcast that I did with a woman who if I'm remembering it correctly, the school nurse gave the kid, like, a hundred and fifty units of insulin or some crazy thing.
Like and people are like, how is that possible? Like, trust me. You gotta go listen to it. Horrific. There's this this crazy, like, stream of events that leads to the mom, like, saving the kid.
And, like, it's a it's a crazy story. It's so popular on the podcast because why? I think it's I think it's because it it's a little bit of that, like, true crime feeling a little bit, and people love that. I actually, we should really dig into the psychology of why that is, but, I don't have time right now for that. And but the other reason is I think it, like, cements people's fears.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerThey're like, I knew that school nurse was gonna kill my kid. Right. You know what I mean? And look at almost but what I would say to that is Right. That kid didn't even die.
LisaRight. Yeah.
Scott BennerRight. How many, you know, how many times you turn the news on and hear about the school nurse killing a kid? Like, it doesn't happen that frequently.
LisaNot not
Scott Bennerfrequently enough to upend your life, I think. Right. You know what I mean?
LisaAnd you and, like, I guess, like, for me, like, having the patient safety background, like, again, like, I always have to be mindful. I'm not in a hospital. I don't have, like, joint commission or department of health. Like so I have to scale myself back. But the one thing that I think about is being proactive.
And I do think that our districts do have the duty to make sure, like, if you're gonna if you're gonna be putting nurses in these schools, you know, you better make sure they can safely take care of them. You know? Why are you laughing, Skye?
Scott BennerLong have you been alive?
LisaWhy are
Scott Benneryou laughing, long have you been alive?
LisaForty four years.
Scott BennerPlease go ahead and name me all the places you run into where people are rock solid and their jobs are doing what they're supposed to do.
LisaKnow. But we can do better. We can do better. Better.
Scott BennerWe could.
LisaWe can do better.
Scott BennerNo one's going to. They
Lisacould. To me. Me and my girl, we're we're gonna be we're we're gently pushing because we don't wanna get fired. We're gently pushing from inside. Like, this is what we could do.
Like and and in schools, think of, oh, this is, you know, not diabetes related, but this is awful too. Like, think about have you ever heard of stop the bleed training?
Scott BennerThe what? Oh, god. Wait. Stop the bleed training?
LisaYeah.
Scott BennerWhat's it got something to do with pressure and tourniquets?
LisaExactly.
Scott BennerYeah. I need I don't need that. I got common sense. But go ahead. What do got?
LisaThere we go. But think about, god forbid, school shootings, like, things like that. Like, again, like, just basic little things that, like you know, just making sure again, no one's gonna be comfortable in that situation. Right? Like, Like,
Scott Bennergonna be comfortable, you're saying.
LisaExactly. Yeah. Just give them a basic just give them a foundation.
Scott BennerAre you telling me that school nurses don't have stop the bleed training?
LisaNot all of them.
Scott BennerOkay. Well, I'm gonna tell you that I think once the shooting starts, you're not I mean, it's not a it's not a field tested, you know, battle ready medic out there. Like, you're gonna get what you get out of people.
LisaExactly.
Scott BennerI do think that there's something to that, by the way, that it's nice to plan. And I'm not saying you shouldn't have some some Right. Basic knowledge. Like, I I think that's a great idea because maybe when the panic hits, you'll remember something and do it. Right.
I mean, even there's a where what the Yankee game the other day? It's like the beginning of the baseball season. Some guy has like a MI at a at a game.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerAnd this dude comes over, and they're looking at him, this guy's gonna die. And this dude comes over and just starts doing CPR on him. Right. Well, guess what? Motherfucker never did CPR in his life.
He didn't know what the hell he was doing, but he kept him yeah. He kept him alive till the rescue squad got there. Right? That's so cute. The yeah.
And then the great story is is, like, he literally does chest compressions on the guy till till EMS comes, hands him off. He goes back to his seat, sits back down, starts watching the game again. People watched him afterwards in a world apparently where everybody wants to be on camera or do something. He watched the game, clap for the game. The game ended.
He stood up and walked out of the stadium. Aw. He wasn't looking for anybody or nothing. See. But my yeah.
But see, my point is is that when push comes to shove Yeah. Some people are gonna have it and some people aren't.
Lisa100%.
Scott BennerAnd you can and by the way, I don't I I've never heard the word stop the bleed before in my entire life. But if you get shot near me and I don't flip out Right. I guarantee you, I'm gonna put pressure on the wound.
LisaYou're gonna press
Scott Bennerdown can't stop it, I'll tourniquet because I've seen Grey's Anatomy and I lived through ER on that old. Okay? So I've seen
Lisawatch The Pit.
Scott BennerYou know what? And I watched The Pit. I've been through three major medical television shows in a lifetime. I guarantee you, if I don't cry or shit myself during the shooting that you're describing, I am gonna be valuable. But and no one's ever told me how to stop the bleed.
I also bet you that in that same situation, there are gonna be people who have stopped the bleed training who pee themselves and cry in the
Lisacorner. Right. 100%.
Scott BennerWhat are we prepping for? Right?
LisaRight.
Scott BennerThat's all. Let me you'd be much better off if you didn't eat ultra processed foods and went for a walk than worrying about this stuff.
LisaLook. True
Scott Bennerstory. Make too much sense today. I feel like
LisaI gotta start it. In common,
Scott BennerScott. Come on now. Church. Don't you think I'd be great? I think once you wind me up, it doesn't really matter what you say in church is what I've noticed.
So Oh. You just start talking in a direction and, like, being loud once in a while. It really works.
LisaNo. It's therapeutic.
Scott BennerI mean, I think I'm good at it. Yeah. I would
Lisathink so. How many followers? I'm just
Scott Bennernot tall enough. That really does slow me. Actually, I feel like I could be the governor of a major state if I was taller. But without the height and the handsome, you're not pulling it off.
LisaJust get some, like you know, those chunky soled shoes. You'll be alright.
Scott BennerYou want me to Tom Cruise the whole thing? That's not a reason walking around he's walking around in cinder blocks. I'll tell you that right now. I saw him on a red carpet the other day. I was like, why is he the same height as that person he's standing next to?
I know that ain't right. Yeah. Yeah. I don't have the looks for the height for that.
LisaOh, stop. I don't Well, you have kind of the hair, though. Right? You do great hair.
Scott BennerI have to tell you. My hair is fantastic. Actually, I just did a, I'm finally allowed to talk about this. I did some social media for Omnipod. Yes.
And it went up yesterday.
LisaYeah. I saw it. Yeah.
Scott BennerAnd listen. If you didn't like, comment, and share, I don't wanna hear from you. Okay? I got need know I did. I need to move it around.
But but it popped on. Like, I had to settle up, and there's things I had to do behind the scenes with the video. Right? And it it's weird when a video starts playing and it's you. I'm not gonna lie to Like, it's strange.
But as it was playing in the background, like, you know when you're setting up stuff on Instagram and the audio is just playing, you're like, shut up so I can finish this. Like right? Well, just imagine it's my own voice. And Oh my god. But I did stop at the end.
And I, I texted the person that I that I, you know, kinda spearheaded the production of the videos with. And I said to her, was like, you know, this is gonna sound weird coming from me, but I do have a really great voice for this stuff.
LisaWait. No. I'm telling you, like, those in those, like, beginning, like, weeks and days, like, this is gonna sound so creepy, but, like, yours and Jenny's voices were just, my comfort. No. I'm glad.
Scott BennerOh, that's wonderful.
LisaSounds so weird, but No.
Scott BennerNo. I appreciate that. And I and I seriously, I I that means a lot to me. I'm just saying I have a nice deep voice network in the video. And it it's the only thing it struck me about besides the fact that I knew I was wearing makeup.
So I was like,
LisaOh my god.
Scott BennerFelt a little weird.
LisaI know your shave was perfect that day.
Scott BennerI was very well shaved that morning. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like a baby's butt.
But but I got the they you know, the you get there and the makeup person, like, you know, does your makeup and everything, and you're like, oh my god. Like, actually, Arden did a bunch of stuff for them that day too. So you'll see some Oh, good. You'll see some stuff from Arden, but Arden didn't like her hair. So she got done with it, and and my wife's like, how did it go?
And she's like, my hair looks terrible. Aw. And and Kelly's like, didn't you say something? She's because the makeup lady did it. I didn't care.
And I was like
LisaYeah. She's like, I didn't care much.
Scott BennerBut I had to tell you, we all have to mature into the kind of confidence that Arden has
LisaRight.
Scott BennerTo show up somewhere, have someone style her hair a way that she's not comfortable. And she didn't give a crap. She just went out, stood in front of a camera, did a thing. She'd never done that before in her entire life.
LisaThat's amazing.
Scott BennerThe first thing she ever did was what they asked. Like, that's the first job she's ever even had. You know what I mean? Like yeah. And she just stood out.
She's never done that before. She stood in front of all those cameras and, like, on a set with all these lights, and she was just doing the stuff they asked her to do. It's pretty cool. We had a really nice day.
LisaBut that's, like, that's, you know, a testament to, like, what you and your wife have built for her. Yeah. You know?
Scott BennerDon't know about that. Pretty good on her own. I don't think she needs us too much. But and don't tell Omnipod this. Like, I had such a nice time with Art and I would have they didn't Aw.
They didn't even have to pay me. But I will if we do it again and ask for money. Yeah. I just wanna say. So but, no, they came out really and hopefully, they help because I'm seeing from people, they're like, this is good foundational information that I forgot.
Like, I I had a woman tell me yesterday, I use Omnipod five. I know this. It's a thing I forgot, and it's good to be reminded.
Lisa100%.
Scott BennerYeah.
LisaAbs it is. It's great. It's just like the high level, like, snapshot and definitely good reminders.
Scott BennerAnd it's hard to it's you know, I I sent this per I don't wanna say her name here because Yeah. She's not looking for that. But, like, the person who I, again, like, did this work with, I texted her yesterday because I was really pleased with it and how people were responding to it. And I think it's really important to remind people over and over again. And, you know, you can come to the conclusion that, like, well, it's foundational information.
Like, we we already said it. Like, we can't say it again. And I said, I think of it the same I think it the opposite way. I was like, you should be saying this constantly.
LisaRight. Right.
Scott BennerAlways new people showing up. Always new people diagnosed, always people forgetting. It's really valuable to to repeat this stuff for people.
LisaAbsolutely. Yeah. And it does. Like, I like what you said about forgetting because there's so many there's, like, a billion things going on, and it could be like that one little, like, oh, crap. Yeah.
I could do that.
Scott BennerYou know? Happens to me.
LisaAll the time.
Scott BennerYeah. Like, I it happened to me. I mean, yesterday, Art like, you know, you guys know if you're listening pretty consistently, Arden has a pretty significant needle phobia. So there are times when she just can't bring herself to give herself for GLP medication. Mhmm.
And, you know, she'll do it for weeks in a row and everything's great, but then sometimes she's like, oh, I can't like, she just can't bring herself to do it, and she starts to put it off. And once you put it off, it kinda it it don't stretch into weeks. You know? And she did it again recently. And I said, hey.
You're gonna have to change settings, you know, but we're gonna have to change them again in a few days and take down insulin to carb ratio, make it weaker. You're gonna have to make basal weaker. You're gonna have to make instant sensitivity weaker, like, all this stuff. And all day yesterday, I was like, why does she keep getting low? I mean, like, she just shot that med, like, four days ago, and I know what's going on.
And trust me, if you ask me, I can explain it to you pretty well. And I forgot, like, thirty, like, six hours throughout the day, like, it didn't occur to me until finally, I, like, smacked myself in the head. And I walked into her, I was like, what's going on? She's like, I'm low. And I'm like, yeah.
I'm like, your settings are all wrong.
LisaRight.
Scott BennerBecause you took the GLP, so we put them back. She slept overnight. Perfect blood sugar.
LisaSee? Yeah. Because life happens. Right?
Scott BennerThat's exactly right. And so, anyway, there's a ton of value in repeating things that might seem basic to you. I would give that message to people in the Facebook group too who can sometimes get frustrated like, oh, this question's been asked already. You don't wanna stop. You let people ask those questions as many times as they want.
You know? Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, what have we not talked about, not done?
What have we missing? I wanna make sure we don't, like, pivot too far away from things you want to do. Anything at all? No.
LisaI think we talked about we talked about the beginning. We talked about school nursing. We talked a little bit about diabetes camp.
Scott BennerYeah. No. You're doing good.
LisaHit a lot.
Scott BennerSo what do you see for the future here? Like, what are your goals for your son in the in the interim? These next couple of years, like, where are you hoping for him to get to with the diabetes?
LisaYou know what? He already wants to be, like, very independent with it, and we just keep building on that. When we were at Camp Freedom last summer, he changed, like, his pod himself for the first time. I mean, at that point, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June. He was only a diabetic for eight months at that point.
I just I want him to keep that spirit of just, you know, rolling with it, you know, independence. He loves, like, he loves him and his brother both actually love teaching people about it. So just getting yeah. Like, keeping that momentum and you know? Of course, he's he's still seven.
So, of course, he gets, like, upset sometimes and especially if we have to take a little break of, you know, whatever activity because he's low. But we signed up for the triathlon the district's having, and I just want him I wanna make sure we lay the foundation for him that he knows. You know?
Scott BennerHe can do it.
LisaHe can do whatever the heck he wants. You know? This is just something that's part of him that, you know, we have to continue to address, but it's not gonna stop him. Right. You know?
Scott BennerYou said in the beginning when you realized he had type one, you went upstairs and cried for a minute. Have you cried since then? How do you manage the anxiety and the stress of
Lisathe COVID? Scott, I had a full blown panic attack for the first time in my life.
Scott BennerDid you?
LisaOh, I'm not even kidding. It was, like, six months after he was diagnosed. So and it was the stupidest thing that triggered it because at that point, he was on injections. He was, like, high, but not crazy high. And I didn't know if I should send him to school or wait a couple minutes and talk to chop.
Like and it was all right about when school was starting. It's like, I went through everything. He went to school. Everything was fine. And I was getting fingerprinting done because I was actually gonna be starting at the school.
And I started getting, like, real trembly, and I'm like, what is wrong with me? And I got home, and I just lost it. I called well, talking about neighbors. I called my my neighbor, Nikki, and I was, like, crying. I'm like, I feel like the world's closing in on me.
Like, it was I like, I when people come into the ER with panic attacks, like like, I now, like, understand what that's like. You feel like you're dying, and it was all triggered because I just I was like, do I do I send him late to school? Do I keep him? Like, it was stupid. It's not even like my kid, like, had, like, a seizure or, like it was, like, the most stupidest thing that triggered it.
Scott BennerSo Just just worried.
LisaThat's what Lexapro's for, Scott. So life's been great since.
Scott BennerI like to point out to the producers of the HBO series, Task, which I did enjoy, that we, where you just did you know, you heard Lisa say home just a second ago. And sure sure, she went home a little bit when she said it, but it wasn't the way you got everybody on the TV show. And that would you remember Kate Winslet one where she was like, she'd run around every six minutes? She'd going like, I gotta go home. And I'm like, we don't talk like that.
You were ruining it. I like Kate Winslet. And every time she went home, I'm like, come on. That's a little too much. Oh my god.
That's sad. They did it in task too. It's almost like they're, like, right home into the script every three moments so we know we're in the Wissahickon area.
LisaRight. Right.
Scott BennerWhich, by the way, is a word, like, most people are not gonna understand.
LisaRight. Right.
Genetics & The Klinefelter's Twist
Scott BennerAnother question apropos of almost nothing. How disappointed or let's say heartbroken was your husband when the boys were twins and he couldn't call one of them Anthony Junior?
LisaWait. Okay. So real quick. So we initially because I'm, like, older and it was multigestational.
Scott BennerYeah. Did that come the old fashioned way, or did you guys do a insemination? Or
LisaSo just FYI. So women over I forget if she said it was 30 or 35. We drop we start dropping eggs like crazy. So the chances of naturally
Scott Bennerbunny. Your uterus is there just like, I don't know how many she needs.
LisaDropping. They're coming. They're coming hardcore. Right? And, yeah.
So that that was it. Naturally occurring because of, you know, being old. So they told us we were having a boy and a girl. It turned out we went for our first anatomy scan, and clear as day, Scott, there was two penises. Like, even me who can't read a a ultrasound.
I'm
Scott Bennerlike I see. My gosh. Yeah.
LisaSo the blood test was wrong. And what ended up what we found out was so they asked us, the company said, can you send cord blood after the boys are born so we can figure out why our test was wrong? Hence, we found out his twin has Klinefelters. So traditionally, they just read two chromosomes, so XX or XY. So they thought maybe they read my DNA in it, but it turned out Jason is XXY.
So What
Scott Bennerdoes that
Lisaof that, now they read three chromosomes over.
Scott BennerOh, you guys fixed the test.
LisaYeah. Hopefully.
Scott BennerYeah. The now it's called the Jason test. But, like, wait wait sorry. Wait. What how what does that mean?
The whatever you said he has. Klinefelters. Yeah. What is that?
LisaSo, essentially, you know, like, normally, your x x or your x y. Your x y if you're a boy, your x x if you're a girl. So Klinefelters is when you have an extra x chromosome. So it varies in severity. Like, the more you have, like, if you had, like, three or four, like, there can be some more, like, serious issues.
Scott BennerOkay.
LisaBut for Jason, the only thing he has, which it doesn't ever stop him, is, like, a little bit of a low muscle tone.
Scott BennerOkay.
LisaBut later in life, there could be some challenges, like, you know, reproductively. So we're actually part of a study at Nemours called the x x y study. They just do they check his hormones, like, once a year just to make sure. So when he does start going through puberty, if he needed a little extra of whatever, he could get it. But just because there's so many, like, older people having babies now, it's kind of coming up a little more frequently than it used to
Scott Bennerback in
Lisathe day.
Scott BennerBut it's incredibly interesting. I'm I'm glad we touched on that. I do wonder, though, was I right about the Anthony junior thing, though? Like
LisaNo. 100% because we were supposed to have a junior, Scott.
Scott BennerI mean So now are Italian. You're from Philly. You would definitely call that kid Anthony junior. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
LisaSo we split it, and I don't care. I'll say the name. So we have Anthony, and we have Gson. So yeah.
Scott BennerBut you didn't you couldn't make him a junior, though. Right? Or did you?
LisaNo. Because we didn't want the other one to have, like, lifelong, well, why wasn't I a junior?
Scott BennerYeah. It's definitely because the Klein Schloppers. That's why they didn't pick me. That's our whatever. Klein touchers, feelers.
LisaThat's alright.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. I'm not gonna remember exactly. Well, I'm just very impressed with myself that I knew for sure you wanted to name one of those kids, Anthony. No.
That's not in any of the notes. Just want everyone to know that I was all over that. There's no way that that wasn't what's going on. Listen. You know, you younger people, you think that generalizing is bad and it's rude.
I'm telling you. It's a quick way to get to the answer.
LisaThat's right.
Scott BennerYou know? Yeah. Everyone doesn't follow the same pattern, but a lot of us do.
LisaYep. Yep.
Scott BennerThat's pretty much it. We learned a lot in this episode. I'm definitely calling this episode you're never gonna guess, actually.
LisaOh, I I can't even imagine.
Scott BennerI wanted Mother Doom, but it just didn't go far enough. And you said it way too early in the episode. You said something after that that I really liked, but I forgot what it was, so I must not have liked it that much. I'm definitely calling this one drunk bunny in because of your fallopian tubes just throwing those eggs all over the place.
LisaThat's the best.
Scott BennerThat's it.
LisaIt's called
Scott Bennerdrunk drunk bunny. That's what I'm doing.
LisaI love it. I love it.
Scott BennerI hope that right now, people who listened all the way through are like, what a rip off. And by the way, if you did, I got you suckers. You're still here. Okay. So
LisaThat's great.
Scott BennerAnyway, it's a good conversation. I appreciate this.
LisaNo. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Scott BennerYeah. Tell all the people how the Phillies are letting us down right now in the beginning of the season. Just in case we'll mark this as a time capsule. It's very upsetting. Explain be serious for a second because you work in the ER.
Uh-huh. If this is something you're aware of, if it's not, you just say, Scott, this is the end of the conversation. I have no idea what you're talking about right now. But talk about what you see in the mood of the city when the sports teams do better versus when they don't do as well.
LisaSo it's so okay. It's not so much as to how they're doing, but the timing of games. Right?
Scott BennerOkay.
LisaSo what happens is, you know, especially the men, no offense, but I am clumping you together. Yeah.
Scott BennerThat's fine.
LisaY'all need to get in before the game. Right? Oh, I'm having chest pain. Let me make sure, but I have to be out. I need all these I need everything grand.
I need to be out by 01:00 when the game starts.
Scott BennerPeople ask you to push their labs up because they gotta go watch the Phillies.
LisaOh, well, what how long am I gonna be here? The game's on. Or after the fact, after the game too. I've had chest pains since before the game started.
Scott BennerBut the eagles were tied in the third quarter. I didn't wanna leave the house.
LisaBut and it's the same thing. It's it's not only the games, but sometimes, not so much now. But, like, there used to be a time where it would be dead during the game. You know?
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah.
LisaBut same thing with holidays. Everybody waits till afterwards.
Scott BennerYou ever go to a grocery store during a football game and there's just women walking around?
LisaIt's amazing.
Scott BennerThat's the
Lisabest time to go. Yeah. Senior citizen day, whatever. Right.
Scott BennerYou don't mind getting hit by a cart.
Scott BennerI don't mind that. That's so much. But you don't see anything where, like, violence, goes down when sports teams are doing better? Like, No. No.
It's not a thing you see on your level.
LisaOkay? Alcohol on board, they don't need to win or lose. People just do silly things and yeah.
Scott BennerWell, that kid fell off that light pole and died last year.
LisaThat was awful. Yeah. Was awful.
Scott BennerThey greased the light poles to keep them off, and that kid still got up there.
LisaNot a yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. I
Lisamean, when you're young. Right?
Scott BennerLet's let's listen. We'll end this with a PSA. If you're drunk, the last place you wanna be is 50 feet in the air on a greasy pole. Okay? It's just not a good idea.
Alright. We've gone over a lot of things today. Thank you very much for doing this. I really do appreciate it. Hold on one second for me.
I'm gonna tell you a couple things after we're done recording.
LisaAlright.
Scott BennerSee you.
Outro & Sponsors
Scott BennerUS Med sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Check them out at usmed.com/juicebox or by calling (888) 721-1514. Get your free benefits check and get started today with US Med.
A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com/juicebox.
Terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. Okay. Well, here we are at the end of the episode. You're still with me?
Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app, go to YouTube and follow me, or Instagram, TikTok.
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As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active talking about diabetes. Whatever you need to know, there's a conversation happening in there right now. And I'm there all the time. Tag me.
I'll say hi. Alright. Let's get down to it. You want the management stuff from the podcast. You don't care about all this chitting and chatting with other people.
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Juiceboxpodcast.com/lists. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by Wrong Way Recording. Wrongwayrecording.com.
#1877 Agency and Anxiety Part 2
Therapist Erika Forsyth returns to explain the difference between autonomy and agency. Learn how small, consistent actions in your diabetes management compound over time to reduce anxiety and shame.
Key Takeaways
- Agency vs. Autonomy: Autonomy is the freedom to act without constraints, while agency is the ability to skillfully operate and affect outcomes within existing constraints (like a diabetes diagnosis).
- The Anxiety Response: When agency feels low—when you feel like your body is failing you regardless of your actions—anxiety spikes, often leading to either hyper-vigilance (over-correcting) or total avoidance.
- Building Agency Through Knowledge: Time and experience are the ultimate builders of agency. As you learn patterns and see how your actions positively influence outcomes, your anxiety naturally decreases.
- The Compound Effect of Effort: Much like folding a piece of paper 42 times to reach the moon, small, consistent, good decisions in diabetes management compound over time to create massive positive results.
- Shame Reduction: As your agency grows, you stop viewing out-of-range numbers as personal failures or indicators of your self-worth, and start viewing them simply as data and information to act upon.
Resources Mentioned
- Touched by Type 1: touchedbytype1.org
- Tandem Mobi System: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
- Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
- Juice Box Podcast Pro Tip Series: juiceboxpodcast.com
- Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
Introduction & Show Sponsors
Scott BennerHello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast. Diabetes can make it feel like your body is just happening to you, and that's where a lot of the anxiety lives. But as your skills grow, something changes. You start to see that what you do actually moves the needle. This episode is about that shift from feeling out of control to knowing you can respond.
Scott BennerIf your loved one is newly diagnosed with type one diabetes and you're seeking a clear practical perspective, check out the Bold Beginnings series on the Juice Box podcast. It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal insight into type one. Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate life with type one. You can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juice Box Podcast.
Scott BennerThe bold beginning series and all of the collections in the Juice Box podcast are available in your audio app and at juiceboxpodcast.com in the menu. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan.
The episode you're about to listen to was sponsored by Touched by Type One. Go check them out right now on Facebook, Instagram, and, of course, at touchedbytype1.org. Check out that programs tab when you get to the website to see all the great things that they're doing for people living with type one diabetes. Touched bytype1.org.
The podcast is also sponsored today by the Tandem Mobi system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. Tandem Mobi has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox.
Scott BennerToday's episode is also sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five. The Eversense three sixty five has exceptional accuracy over one year and is the most accurate CGM in the low range that you can get. Eversensecgm.com/juicebox.
Agency vs. Autonomy
Scott BennerErica, we are back doing agency and anxiety part two. Just a two part little quick series. Right?
Erika ForsythI think so. I think it might be just a two parter. Okay. But we'll see.
Scott BennerWhere where where do you wanna start? I wanna get you right back into your conversation. So
Erika ForsythOkay.
Scott BennerWhat do what do you wanna do?
Erika ForsythSo thank you. I would like for us to first kind of just review agency and the definition. And as I was thinking about our conversation from, the first episode, I wasn't sure if we actually defined a differentiated agency versus autonomy.
Scott BennerOkay.
Erika ForsythSo I thought we could do that first and then talk about the kind of interplay between agency and anxiety and how agency may amplify or buffer anxiety when living with diabetes.
Scott BennerLet's do it.
Erika ForsythSo okay. So first, you know, I know we were as we were trying to define agency in the prior episode, it was we realized it was it's difficult. You know, you kind of have a an a felt knowledge of what it means, basically, that you can affect and influence outcomes, and you have the power and the capacity to do so. You can affect change in your life, but it's within kind of constraints and limitations. And that is different from autonomy where you have the freedom to act according to your own rules, your own desires, and you aren't feeling or experiencing those external control or outer, you know, constraints.
Erika ForsythSo I like the kind of to think about agency is about how you operate within constraints, and autonomy is about where you operate in the absence of constraints.
Scott BennerOne example, I don't know
Erika Forsythif it's just perfect, is autonomy. If you're if you're playing a game, autonomy, like a board game, let's say Mhmm. You might have the power to change the rules of the game using your autonomy. But agency is the ability to skillfully win within the existing rules. So you have these kind of constraints and boundaries, and you're making choices that will affect an outcome that you are hoping for.
Erika ForsythBut autonomy is like, well, I don't like this these rules, and I have the independence and freedom to change them so then I can affect change or feel independent in my life.
Scott BennerYeah. I'm
Erika Forsythfollowing up. It's not it's not a perfect example.
Scott BennerNo. But I I'm following what you're saying. There's some situations you're in that you can change, effectuate, get out of, and there's some that you're in that are are concrete. They're not gonna change, but you can still exist within them when you use agency for, when you use autonomy for. Yes.
Scott BennerIs that right?
Erika ForsythYes. I think that's that's good general ex you know, reflection.
The Anxious Response: Avoidance vs. Hypervigilance
Scott BennerOkay.
Erika ForsythSo when we are thinking about getting diagnosed with diabetes, one of the first things you experience is the person who is diagnosed and and the caregiver and the family system as a whole is that loss of autonomy. Right? Because you feel like the the life you once knew, the freedom to, you know, intuitively eat whenever you want you know, all of the examples we can think of, that is immediately lost, and you feel out of control. So that that is autonomy. That's a loss of autonomy in that in the original diagnosis and probably also agency.
Erika ForsythBut loss of agency is experienced at a diagnosis or stages of change or probably anytime you feel like you're you've thought you can affect an outcome, and it is not what you expected. So when you, you know, you leave your your doctor's office or the hospital, you have your insulin to carb ratios, you have your your target number. But when you in the beginning and, again, it's stages of change or or stages of burnout. When you anticipate doing a or x, you don't always get y. Mhmm.
Erika ForsythRight? So you might get a, b, or c, and that might be as the honeymoon or growth hormones, etcetera. So the system and the procedures and the and the outcomes that you are expecting feel really unpredictable, and in anxiety will increase because the consequences feel immediate.
Speaker 3Mhmm.
Erika ForsythSo we're gonna get into kind of now this interplay between when agency is low, anxiety is high and vice versa. But I'll I'll pause there.
Scott BennerOkay. When agency is low, anxiety is high. And when you think about it on the the scale of diabetes, you don't have any autonomy to change diabetes. Right? But you have some to change, what, your own actions?
Scott BennerOr maybe I should just let you move on before I ask my question.
Erika ForsythYes. So we'll get there how autonomy is kind of reintroduced.
Scott BennerThat's okay. I'm gonna wait and and and Okay. And get myself more fully formed before I talk.
Erika ForsythOkay.
Scott BennerGo ahead.
Erika ForsythSo in again, I I know I often say in the beginning, but we, you might feel this way at any point in your life's time with with diabetes or from the caregiver's perspective that your the outcomes feel externally driven, and you might experience this, you know, feeling that my body's unpredictable. Whatever I do, I I don't it doesn't happen the way I expect. And this kind of coincides or correlates to the messaging of the perceived body betrayal that we talked about in the body grief series. Right? That feeling of, like, my body failed me no matter what.
Erika ForsythIt's it's has totally abandoned me. Mhmm. And every fluctuation can be interpreted as failure or danger. Right? So that's when your your lid is flipped, like we talked about.
Erika ForsythYou are experiencing every single blood sugar decision. And as you're eating or navigating any of the variables, you might experience that that feeling of of failure or danger. And it actually might right? It might be dangerous. You might be high or low.
Erika ForsythOkay. So your nervous system is interpreting this as, you know, you're you're you're offline, and you're but you're leaning towards this vigilance and threat monitoring. So this is why when the agency is low, right, you're feeling like you cannot affect outcomes or influence outcomes. Anxiety is high. So as a result, you're this is when you might feel the anxious symptoms.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Erika ForsythAnd to try and regain a sense of control, what often occurs is kind of that hypervigilance. I'm gonna try and, you know, just stare at the numbers. I'm gonna finger prick 20 times, and I'm I'm gonna figure this out.
Scott BennerDoes that actually work, though?
Erika ForsythRight. No. No. Yeah. But but it feels like you're doing something.
Scott BennerRight.
Erika ForsythRight? So it's your body's response to saying, I am feeling so dysregulated no matter what I do isn't working. Mhmm. You you kind of often will do two things. Right?
Erika ForsythYou you might lean into the hypervigilance and kind of over control or the avoidance, like, kind of hands in the air. No matter what I do, it is not working.
Speaker 3Mhmm.
Erika ForsythAnd I kind of helpless.
Speaker 3Yeah. Right?
Scott BennerBoth of those decisions, oddly enough, kinda lead to the same place. You you know? Because you the hypervigilance usually usually I mean, some people figure it out, but some but a lot of people end up in a situation where they're staring at it so long and so hard and they're so exhausted, can't make any sense of it anyway. They're still having the outcomes they don't want. And the people who let it go maybe experience a slightly higher a one c or a little more variability, but they don't end up on you know, you can't wish yourself into success either, which is like, I'll throw it up to God and let's see what happens next because what's gonna happen next is your blood sugar is gonna get high.
Scott BennerOkay. Alright. I got that. I'm
Speaker 3I'm ready.
Sponsorship Break
Scott BennerWhen you think of a CGM and all the good that it brings in your life, is the first thing you think about, I love that I have to change it all the time. I love the warm up period every time I have to change it. I love that when I bump into a doorframe, sometimes it gets ripped off. I love that the adhesive kinda gets mushy sometimes when I sweat and falls off. No.
Scott BennerThese are not the things that you love about a CGM. Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five, the only CGM that you only have to put on once a year and the only CGM that won't give you any of those problems. The Eversense three sixty five is the only one year CGM designed to minimize device frustration. It has exceptional accuracy for one year with almost no false alarms from compression lows while you're sleeping. You can manage your diabetes instead of your CGM with the Eversense three sixty five.
Scott BennerLearn more and get started today at eversincecgm.com/juicebox. One year, one CGM.
Scott BennerLet's talk about the Tandem Mobi insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology and the new Tandem Mobi pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with auto bolus that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options.
Scott BennerTandem Mobi gives you more discretion, freedom, and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it out at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. When you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's gonna help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The Tandem Mobi system is available for people ages two and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range, and address high blood sugars with auto bolus.
Building Agency Over Time
Erika ForsythSo that is how sometimes it kind of the the low agency might amplify the failing experience of anxiety, and then the result is that either avoidance or hypervigilance. These are obviously stereotypes, but these are these are the trends, right, that we might experience. So how how does agency increase with diabetes? So over time, you you know, as skills and knowledge and understanding develop, we expect that that belief in oneself and that feeling that I can affect change, the agency will grow Mhmm. Within you.
Erika ForsythRight? As you start to recognize patterns, you learn maybe your insulin to carb ratios better. You're you're more aware of how the variables might impact your blood glucose levels, and that's where agency can become a protective factor. Even within uncertainty, you have an increased understanding in in kind of how you can predict outcomes. You can see how your change your actions change outcomes even though it might not be perfect all the time.
Erika ForsythMhmm. Because your anxiety or the anxious thoughts or feelings are starting to be reduced even though it's not you know, you might get you're not gonna nail it every time.
Scott BennerRight.
Erika ForsythRight? Okay. So your behavior becomes more intentional with that. So you are more mindful with the increased time and knowledge. Right?
Erika ForsythI know we always talk about, like, diabetes is a time. It's a chronic illness that you do learn and grow and benefit from time. Mhmm. And knowledge, right, and experience. So this is actually just wanted to share a quick story.
Erika ForsythI was recently at a a meetup for for grown ups living with t one d, and we were playing a game. And one of the questions was, what's a sign or symptom that you have been living with diabetes for a long time? And there were some some funny ones, you know, like, you have you know, your your storage closet is packed full of all of your stuff. There might be some hard what hard answers, like, might be living with some complications. But the one person who yelled out the word knowledge
Speaker 3Mhmm.
Erika ForsythEveryone just kind of took this we all kind of took a big breath and and then laughed. Like, it is so true that it does come. Time and experience does yield knowledge, but you don't have to wait Yeah. For years and years and years.
Scott BennerIf you just make your way through almost blindly, you will amass that knowledge over time. Like, you just end up having so many experiences. It's almost impossible to ignore, you know, what you're learning at some point. But it's nice if somebody steps in and gives you more and gets you sped up because that loss of time eventually weighs on people. And especially if there's complications, then you start thinking about like, well, now I know it, but if I would've known it before, then this might not happen and that can come with its own set of consequences for you psychologically afterwards, after that all kinda comes together.
Scott BennerBut that's interesting that in that setting that everybody kind of, like, wholly agreed. Like, I have learned a lot about this over time. Yeah.
Erika ForsythMhmm. Mhmm.
Scott BennerIt's a shame it can't be sped up without the time going past. I don't know. Maybe it can be.
Erika ForsythAnd and and what is time? Is it six months? Is it Yeah. Six years? Is it you know?
Scott BennerIt's different for everybody. That's what I've learned after talking to people. Is that some people jump in, some people are handed tools and ignore them for years or don't understand them for years. Then they hear something or have an experience that makes the whole thing crystallize when they go, oh, I got it now. And it just starts to work in a different way.
Scott BennerAnd some people I've seen I've seen some people jump in, through bold beginnings, pro tips, six months later, send me a five and a half a one c and go, I understand it. And I'm like, awesome. Like, that's great. And everywhere in between. So
Erika ForsythRight. And then and what was that that moment for that person that they then were able to digest the education? Were they not in a stage of shock, you know, and and dismissal?
Scott BennerRight.
Erika ForsythWere they ready to hear it? Like, we don't I think that that is the the human element. Right? Like, at what point does the knowledge help?
Scott BennerMhmm.
Scott BennerI ask everybody who gets to that point, can you point to what got you there? What did you hear that made sense? And no one ever knows. They they're just always like, I don't know.
Scott BennerJust one day, it all made sense to me. Everybody says the same. Every once in a while, somebody will say, well, I listened to something or I saw something or someone said something to me and it made, like, something click for me. But overall, it's more about like it the I feel like their answer is I just lived in it long enough that I understood it finally. Like, that's what I feel like their answer really means is that I don't know if you were baking a cake and some people have to mix the cake for a minute, some people have to mix the cake for an hour and I don't know.
Scott BennerThe cake was just done one day and I figured it out. It's really interesting that the human part of it is is pretty fascinating, especially when you look at all this and you see how you can be held back by something that's sort of outside it feels like it's outside of your control. You can be helped by something that might also be outside of your control. You know, you hear people are like, well, if some people handle situations better than others. And for my ten years of asking people, I can't figure out the difference between one and the other.
Scott BennerYou know? That's interesting.
Erika ForsythIt's really something. So I and I'm as you're sharing this, I'm trying to think about, you know, that Free. Moment for me. Yeah. Yeah.
Erika ForsythOf when did I want to understand? When did I feel you know, experience that agency?
Scott BennerMhmm.
Erika ForsythAnd it is almost an undef like, this nebulous experience that occurs.
Scott BennerErica, hold your thought for minute. Arden?
Speaker 3Are you recording?
Scott BennerI'm recording with Erica. What what's up?
Speaker 3No. I was just gonna call you and tell you, guess what? Me and my class just spent the last forty five minutes of our class doing.
Scott BennerWhat did you spend the last forty five minutes doing?
Speaker 3Convincing our professor that it's actually impossible to write five five okay. Five five paragraph essays in our final exam period.
Scott BennerShe wants you to write five five paragraph essays during the exam period?
Speaker 3We're like, that's impossible. We can't do that. And she was like, why not? And this kid is like, well, half of writing an essay is like finding all the materials and figuring out how you're gonna write it. He's like, you want me to three times in my exam period?
Speaker 3He's like, diet he's like, I could maybe do, like, two. And she was like, this isn't making sense to me. And then I was like, I was like, what if you made it, like, two and then do, like, multiple choice questions or something? And she was like, I'm like, oh my god. She's like, I'll reach out to you guys and tell you what we're gonna do.
Speaker 3How about you guys will start at five essays?
Scott BennerI don't know. How long is the exam how long is the exam period? How long is the exam period?
Speaker 3Like, two
Scott Bennerand a
Speaker 3half hours maybe.
Scott BennerI don't know. I mean, that seems like a lot of writing.
Speaker 3I can't write five essays in a day. I was like, is she fucking serious? Anyways Right. I don't know. I I spoke up.
Speaker 3I was like, yeah. I I can't do that. So
Scott BennerWell, I'm interested to see what what comes from the conversation. Alright. I'm Yeah. I'm gonna go. Thank you for sharing this with me.
Scott BennerI'll see you in a bit. Bye. Bye. Well, there's agency.
Erika ForsythAnd advocacy.
Scott BennerYeah. A little bit of autonomy. She's like she's like, maybe I can change my situation. I can't do that. I
Erika ForsythYes. Actually, that's all three.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. She was like she's like, I don't think I can do that. I'm gonna speak up and also, no. I wonder they'll probably
Erika Forsythbe sound challenging.
Scott BennerYeah. I mean, five different five paragraph essays in two and a half hours. I don't know. I'd have to think about it. I haven't written that much in a while.
Scott BennerI don't think it would be good. I might be able to hammer out the first pass of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott BennerI could
Erika ForsythAnd how many words are we talking and pages per essay?
Scott BennerI have to tell you though, I know this is off the track and we'll and make sure you have your finger on where we're at. But
Speaker 3Okay.
Scott BennerIt's just like we're talking to doctors. When they ask you something and you go, no. And they go, okay. Like, if the teacher really knew something, then she would have said, nope. It's five essays, five paragraphs each in two and a half hours.
Scott BennerThis is the requirement. Do it. But she doesn't even know if that's right. Like, does somebody brought it up to her and she went, oh, maybe it's not easy to do. Like, maybe it's not doable.
Scott BennerAnd I I don't know. I just I always feel like that when doctors say something to you and then you go, well, I can't. And they go, okay. I'm like, well, wait. Was it important or was it not important?
Scott BennerNothing. You know? Anyway, I'm sorry. Anyway, that was hard in everybody. She's almost done with her psychology degree, which apparently she's using on that teacher right now.
Erika ForsythWell, yeah, I I also be curious. Yeah. What's what's the standard? Has she always done that?
Scott BennerIt's it's all over the place.
Speaker 3A lot.
Scott BennerYeah. No. It feels like a lot. Anyway, I'm sorry. Where were we?
Regulating Anxiety & Removing Shame
Erika ForsythOkay. So we are talking about as agency increases, anxiety can decrease. Right? So you're having this not only you're experiencing the physical kind of improvement in your management, you're also experiencing this psychological transition.
Scott BennerOkay.
Erika ForsythRight? So you're going from my body is happening to me. My body failed me. I can no matter what I do, I cannot land in range, you know, whatever it may be.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Erika ForsythSo you're having that that low agency, high anxiety, and also high grief, right, with that, which can transition to I'm interacting with my body through skillful action. So you're having active agency and regulated anxiety. And I think it's important that even if you are living in a space of high agency and confidence in your management, it doesn't mean that you aren't going to experience any anxiety. You're gonna have that lived experience. And I know we we know that.
Erika ForsythI just want think it's important to
Scott BennerTo say it.
Erika ForsythTo highlight that. Yes. And so it changes the quality. Right? So anxiety becomes more informational.
Erika ForsythMhmm. And maybe anxiety isn't even the right word there.
Scott BennerThe fear?
Erika ForsythYou be you the the yeah. The fear Mhmm. The lived ex the feeling of being out of control, which is also anxiety. Mhmm. So maybe it is.
Erika ForsythSo it becomes more informational rather than this overwhelming experience where you feel so dysregulated in all areas of your life.
Scott BennerOkay.
Erika ForsythSo yeah. Do you want me to keep going
Scott Benneror pause? Yeah. No. There's nothing to pause for because I'm I'm listening. I just you know, I told you before we recorded, I just recorded today with somebody who I realized I mean, you actually helped me realize when I was talking to him.
Scott BennerI was talking to him about anxiety, agency, autonomy, and I didn't realize I was. I wasn't using those words when I was speaking to him about it, about finding a way to just do better for himself because he's, you know, he's sure you guys will hear it on the podcast at some point. But as you're talking, I you're saying came out in that conversation I had with him Mhmm. Where he talked about, you know, he I guess he doesn't feel like he has agency. So when diabetes needs something from him, he he has that feeling of, like, I don't wanna comply with being told what to do by diabetes.
Scott BennerAnd then it puts him into a situation where he's now being told what to do, but it's so dire he actually has to do it now. And that when he looks back on it and realizes that his actions previously led to what's going on now, he feels bad about it. It's it's exactly what you're explaining here. So I can't wait to find out what the answer is because I told him to put his head down and keep going. So, and I'm and and that, you know, life's not fair.
Scott BennerYou know, you've gotta slowly build on experiences, make little changes that give you tiny bits of confidence. It'll grow after a while. I at one point, said to him, I was like, you know that thing they tell you if you fold a piece of paper in half and keep folding it in half, eventually, it reaches from the Earth to the moon. Do you know that mathematical thing?
Erika ForsythMaybe it's buried back there. Yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. Actually, explain folded paper to moon. I don't know it well enough to, like, explain it. I just know that there's this idea that if you take one sheet of paper, fold it in half, fold it in half again, and continue to do that, eventually, the distance that it would create is is pretty amazing. And I said, I think about that that way with, you know, effort and, you know, experiences.
Scott BennerLike, try a thing and, you know, continue to try and continue to try. You'd be surprised at how just like saving money, you know, you put a thousand dollars away and wake up in thirty years and it's six thousand dollars. Or, you know, like that's not a thing, you know, that you really expect the the folding over. Here it is. Hold on a second.
Scott BennerImagine you have a standard piece of paper that's 1.1 millimeters thick. Every time you fold the paper in half perfectly, its thickness doubles. So you fold it once, it's point two. Twice, it's point four. Three times, it's point eight.
Scott Benner10 folds makes 10 centimeters. 42 folds of that paper is 439,800 kilometers. Yeah. I just think
Erika ForsythI I can't even
Scott BennerI I right. You can't, but I think that's the point is that Mhmm. It's the same with effort, and it's the same with sticking up for yourself or trying to change your situation. Like, you're not gonna notice it when you do it. But if you just keep doing it, and eventually, there you go.
Scott Benner42 folds of a piece of paper. The moon is on average about 384,000 kilometers away from the earth, so it would take exactly 42 folds of a standard piece of paper to bridge the gap between the earth and the moon. And I think you could do that in your own life too, you know? So anyway, that's what I ended up telling him. Hopefully, it'll be helpful to him.
Scott BennerI also told him to get therapist because of, you know, because of the human parts of it here that, like, every time in the conversation, you could see how he felt got into his way or how he thought got into his way. Like, his mindset was a little skewed or he was coming at it from a wrong perspective to help himself. But, anyway, I I you know, please go on. I'm I'm I really do like this conversation.
Erika ForsythSo I think that just even that example of, you know, the, I'm not gonna I don't want diabetes to tell me what to do or diabetes, isn't gonna get in my way. I think there is that the wrestling of the autonomy. Mhmm. Right? Like, you you have now these external constraints that nobody wanted.
Erika ForsythRight? So you're wrestling with that sense of grief and loss. And then if diabetes isn't gonna get my way, we hear, like, well, that can be, you know, that can be a positive mindset around I'm gonna keep doing the things I wanna do in life. I'm gonna achieve my goals, my dreams, and I'm gonna ensure that I know how as best I can to manage as well as I can within range values, etcetera, to reach my dreams.
Scott BennerYeah.
Erika ForsythRight? Then conversely, I don't want diabetes is not gonna get in the way because no one's gonna tell me what to do in that wrestling with that autonomy piece. It is still getting in the way. Right? Because you Yeah.
Erika ForsythLike, it's still like, if you because I'm not gonna it's not gonna tell me what to do. I'm not gonna pre bolus. I'm gonna just do what I want in terms of what I eat and how I eat and when I do it. It's still diabetes is gonna get in the way.
Scott BennerAsk people all the time when they tell me, I told them diabetes isn't gonna stop us, or I don't let diabetes stop us. I said, you have to tell me what that means because it either means that you've taken control of it, and it's not stopping you because it's not having those impacts, or you've thrown it up in the air and said, I'm not letting diabetes stop me. I'm also not paying attention to it. So I'm just gonna keep going no matter what bad thing is happening to me. And I said, that's, you know, not a sustainable model because one day the health implications will come for you.
Scott BennerI I don't know. Like, when I was talking to this this guy, he's lovely. He wouldn't mind if we said his name even, but you guys will hear it in his episode. I said to him, and if you're not gonna do this, like, I because he knows what to do. Right?
Scott BennerAnd he's not doing it. And I said, and if you're not going to do it, then don't do it gleefully. But I said, don't live fifty miserable years. Live fifty awesome years and see a therapist and figure out why it is you don't wanna live eighty awesome years. I was like, but, like I mean, if you're going to I said, own your decision.
Scott BennerReally think about it. And if this is how you wanna live, then live this way. But don't beat yourself up about it while you're doing. Like, you're literally not moving. You're both not having success and you're not moving forward.
Scott BennerYou're sitting perfectly still bemoaning what's happening to you. I'm like, you're gonna do that. It's already been four years. It's gonna be soon it'll be ten. I I actually said to him, was like, if you wanna do heroin, do it.
Scott BennerLike like, just do it. Go shoot it up and nod off and enjoy yourself. I'm like, I don't think you should. But if that's what you're gonna do, why are you beating yourself up about it while you're doing it? Just go for it.
Scott BennerWhatever you're gonna do. I said, I hope you don't do it. Like I said, I hope you take good care of yourself. I was like, but right now, I'm just talking to a person who's just circling the same drain over and over and again. And they have the feeling that they're circling the drain, but they never go down the drain.
Scott BennerI'm like, you're just sitting there. It's it's sad. I mean, obviously, that's not what I want for people and I wouldn't you know, if you're asking me my advice, it's not do heroin and what the hell. Mhmm. If you're doing that already, like, I mean, it just seemed doubly sad to, like, like, to beat yourself up about it at the same time.
Scott BennerYou you know? Like, just listen.
Erika ForsythShame is a powerful
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. And be my dad. Just smoke the cigarettes and die. He he wasn't gonna stop, so just go for it.
Scott BennerYou know? Like, life is too short to spend the whole time in a flux. Mhmm. You know?
Speaker 3I I
Scott Bennerdon't know. Like, there's something about that, you know, when you look up at some people who live a a live fast, die young lifestyle and they just have made a decision that that's what it's gonna be. Those are all the people in all the movies that were like, I wish I could do that. You don't wish you could have died younger. You wish you had that carefree attitude that they have.
Scott BennerThere's gotta be a way to have a carefree attitude and not do heroin is all I'm saying. This does not seem like a heavy lift. Okay?
Erika ForsythIs that that that's the answer.
Scott BennerThe answer is don't do heroin and have a carefree attitude. Goddamn it. Get out there and start working. Well, listen. In this last little bit of your notes, the answer to this problem must exist.
Erika ForsythOkay. Well, I don't I don't know if there's an answer. I think the the one other point I wanted to make around as we're talking about mindset
Speaker 3Mhmm.
Erika ForsythAnd and shame. Right? With with higher agency, the imperfect data brings less shame. And that that is a journey. Right?
Erika ForsythBut we hear often in the messaging that your your blood glucose value, your a one c, your time and range, those are just numbers. Don't let them define you. Don't let them reflect your worthiness or your value or your identity, and that is 100% true. But part of that, getting to that mindset that, okay, this this blood glucose value does not tell me that I'm a bad diabetic. It does not tell me that I'm a bad parent managing my child's diabetes.
Erika ForsythBut we so often equate that, right, to our how we're doing as as a person with diabetes or a caregiver.
Speaker 3Mhmm.
Erika ForsythSo but to shift to it's just a number. It's giving it's information. It doesn't need to be overwhelming. Part of that is a mindset shift and being intentional with how you assign value to the number, but it also is stemming from the higher levels of agency that you experienced over time. So right in the in the beginning, when you're learning the and you don't have high levels of agency, it makes sense that you also are experiencing high levels of shame and and and unworthiness and feeling out of control, and so you're experiencing high anxiety and high shame.
Erika ForsythSo with with the evolution and increase in levels of agency, it's like those levers. Right? Like, you're you're increasing with with the knowledge and experience and experiencing more predictable outcomes when you don't get that outcome that you have expected, this the shame around that number is is decreased because you realize, okay. I know that I oops. I forgot to do that, or I shouldn't have done this, or, you know, it was just one of those days.
Erika ForsythIt's okay. You know? So I think just highlighting too that it's not only about reducing the anxiety and increasing the agency, but also that shame narrative shifts as well.
Scott BennerI I it's another thing I said to him. I was like, look. You you know, because at the end, I was like, well, let's make some sort of a plan for you. He's like, let me get out a piece of paper. I was like, write down all the things you think you should do.
Scott BennerAnd after talking for an hour, goes, do the thing. And I was like, yeah. That's pretty much all of it, but let's break it down a little more. And and so we're breaking it down, and I said, then listen. Do two things for me.
Scott BennerDon't do that thing where it's like, if I missed a day, so I'm gonna restart on Monday. I was like, that's a human failing that we do. Like, I'm gonna start my diet on July January 2, or I'm gonna do, like, that stuff. I was like, that's bull. I was like, just if you mess it up on Tuesday, throw it into who cares?
Scott BennerAnd then just keep going, and don't wait till Wednesday. If you figure out at noon on Tuesday, didn't do something right, just go back to what you were doing. Like, it's a habit. Like, do the do the habit. Right?
Scott BennerBut don't feel bad about it. You're still doing way better than you were doing the week before, so be happy about that. Like, stop seeing things as as an error all the time. It's an experience you had. You had an experience.
Scott BennerBuild on it. Like, I have such a good idea. I'm I'm I've made a note off to myself. I don't wanna forget. But before you and I go, I wanna talk to you about it.
Scott BennerBut, like, anyway, I'm sorry. Like, let let's go let's keep going. I'm all over
Speaker 3the place.
Erika ForsythYou had a good idea.
Scott BennerI had a good idea finally.
Erika ForsythOkay. So lastly, when when agency becomes dysregulated, you there's this nonlinear dynamic that occurs. Right? So if you then are feeling and this is kind of an agency and anxiety are both at a high level because if agency becomes overinflated or rigid, like, must control the blood sugars. I must know that when I do this at a, then b will happen.
Erika ForsythAnd that hyperfixation, the hypervigilance around control Mhmm. I you know, paradoxically, anxiety will go up back again. And this we see you know, this again happens in at all stages of of of diagnosis, particularly in the beginning.
Scott BennerYeah. And it it it listen. And it shows why like, I lived with a woman who is, you know, you would have colloquially called her type a a couple of, you know, twenty years ago, but she's got anxiety. And it makes her incredibly good at what she does, but I watch her do this. Like, she thinks that the the mastery of something will make the anxiety go away.
Scott BennerI'm like, the anxiety is what's making you master it. I was like, you're you got this backwards. You you know, like, she's always telling me, like, when I get this done, it'll feel better. And I was like, you that is not gonna happen. And and in this, like, you know, in this small example, the being hypervigilant about the data, emotionally reactive, self criticism, shame, all of that stuff, that's what I see from people.
Scott BennerWhen they double down on, like, I'm gonna get this. You don't understand, Scott. I'm the one who fixes this stuff. I'm like, you're not. Just step back, chill out, have the experiences, let time pass, and one day, you'll just wake up and go, oh, I get it now.
Scott BennerAnd then that'll be it, and you will have saved all of that time in the middle flogging yourself. It's I can't fix this for everybody. Just chill out.
Erika ForsythYes. As as they yes. As we all listen and say, okay. Let's just we'll just do that.
Scott BennerJust chill out, I guess, Scott. No. But, like, but there but the answer really is in there for everybody. So you just have to you really do just have to mellow out a little bit, have experiences, and and, you know, and let time pass until you have the tools and the and the education, things start making better sense, and you can kinda give I I do it now. Like, I mean, you can go back and listen to this.
Scott BennerI would have been upset about a higher blood sugar about something. I'm not like that anymore either.
Erika ForsythAnd and maybe a diagnosis when she was two Oh my god. There was probably a higher level of anxiety. Than that.
Scott BennerYeah. But but thanks to the good friendship of of the people who've come on the podcast and shared their stories and you and Jenny and all the people who come on here and help me, I've worked my way through it now. I'm not the same person today as I was back then. Luckily, I don't have the kind of personality that beat myself up too much in the middle. I did still, but not as badly as I I see some people suffer with.
Scott BennerAnd I can tell you if I could go back in time and change something, it would be not to beat myself up as much as it's gonna get there, but not to the level of throw it up to God. It's all gonna be okay. Like, no. You have to pay attention to it. You just can't let it make you nuts while you're doing it.
Scott BennerAnd I know I know all that's easier said than done, but but, nevertheless, I'm sorry.
Erika ForsythI was trying to come up with another example of one of the few experiences, and this which makes our communities so unique, under we understand each other. When you work so hard at something and the outcome doesn't match your effort or even your knowledge
Scott BennerYeah.
Erika ForsythAll the time, that is crazy making.
Speaker 3Mhmm.
Erika ForsythRight? And so it's understandable that
Speaker 3It's the intertwining go to
Scott BennerYeah. It's the intertwining of all of it. It's the it's it's every so this is what should I say my thing now or or no? Yeah. I'll say my thing now, and then you can you can do then we'll we'll finish up here.
Erika ForsythOkay. Okay.
Looking Ahead: A Mental Health "Pro Tip" Series
Scott BennerIt has occurred to me that over the years of you and I talking, we've had these, like, thoughtful conversations about, like, you know, specific ideas, agency and anxiety and that kind of thing today, but also body grief and, you know, and all the other things that we've yeah. And resilience and all the other things that we've talked about over the years, like, it it occurs to me, like, we've got the pathway to, like, a it's almost like a mental health pro tip series for diabetes. And maybe it's a map you follow and you because everybody gets to the same thing. It happens to everybody. Like, everything that happens happens to everybody.
Scott BennerWouldn't it be nice to know that when you get to this part, it feels like this, and then this is kind of the mental health idea you have to understand to traverse this part. And then go to the next part, by the way, now this thing's gonna happen and you're gonna feel this way and this will happen. Oh, by the way, if you're having trouble with all that, have I told you about the five four three two one method? I think you and I are building like a real compendium of ideas. The problem is for usability, like, for people who listen through them, that's good.
Scott BennerBut because you're explaining it to me and I'm trying to absorb it, it gets very conversational and not as pointed as it could be. And I'm wondering if we couldn't create, like, a flowchart that goes through the standard things that happen to a person along a diabetes diagnosis and lifetime, and then show them where that branches off into ideas that might help them as they get to those different stations. That was my idea. You think that works?
Erika ForsythWell, I'll have to think about that one, Scott, because it feels very
Scott BennerIt's a big idea.
Erika ForsythI think it's a very complex
Scott BennerIt is complex. But
Erika Forsython a theme of mental health and yeah.
Scott BennerAnd you might tell me I'm wrong, but, like, what I've been hearing during this two part episode is that forgive me if I'm if I I'm just if I sound pompous for half a second, but the ideas that are in here are already covered in the pro tip series. They're just covered very colloquially. You you do know what mean? And they're all in there. I'm not saying you can do them.
Scott BennerI'm saying that that they exist inside of that. Now I didn't know about any of the things that you and I have talked about over the last handful of years. I never I don't think I was ex exposed to any of it except through life experiences. I didn't have words to put to it or, you know, a textbook to point to. As I was talking about how I took care of Arden's diabetes and how I how it ended up working out for me, I think I've had all of these experiences going through.
Scott BennerHas it led me to a perfect mental health situation? Of course, it hasn't. But we're in a good place, and it at least gives you the framework to see that, like, a sure something else might happen to you, and maybe it's not gonna happen exactly like this. But is value in knowing that part because just like in the pro tip series, the pro tip series doesn't tell you exactly how to take care of diabetes in every situation that may come up, but it gives you enough foundational ideas that as you bang your way through this and have different experiences, you can rely on those foundational ideas to get through the new struggle. Is the framework of the pro tip series, end all be all?
Scott BennerOf course, it's not. Some of it you might need differently. Some of it might not help anything, but it gets you through. And I don't know that you and I haven't done the same thing. I know you don't think about it the same way I do, which is good because that's why you have your job and I have mine.
Scott BennerBut I think that there's a foundation through all of our conversations that that would shepherd somebody pretty well through this life, and at least give you a shot at it. And, anyway, go ahead and think about that. That's it. There's there's your next big idea.
Erika ForsythThe larger themes of, you know, grief and validation and normalizing one's experience, and then what we're doing today, you know, and and have done in other episodes is giving you know, naming what's happening is so powerful. And is that gonna reduce this experience? Is it gonna reduce the pain? No. But I think having an understanding of what's actually occurring and why, even though it's gonna be people are going to hear it and receive it through their own filter and lens because of their own history.
Scott BennerYeah. But it gives you a better shot. It's it's like it's even like parenting. Like, you don't parent somebody and explain every ounce of everything that's ever gonna happen to them. Right?
Scott BennerYou give them big ideas and touchstones and things to say, like, these are rules we follow. These are rules we bend. This is important to us. This isn't as much so. So that when they run into a terrible situation or something that they don't know what to do, they at least have these little, I don't know, these foundational ideas that they have about how to live, and they apply it to that situation.
Scott BennerAnd generally speaking, it gets you through that. Like, I know you think about it as, like maybe I'm inferring something, but, I think you think of it more as, like, if we're gonna say something to somebody, it should be perfect for them. And I get that. And that would be a good reason to go to therapy and talk to somebody who is speaking to you directly. But when you're just talking out into the air for people, I mean, there are a lot of things that happen over and over again to people who either have type one or love somebody with type one, and then they hit that spot, I feel shame.
Scott BennerRight? Then they just feel shame forever because they don't have any tools or even words for the shame a lot of the times. So if you let them know when this happened, you are feeling ashamed. And over here on the side or ideas about that that you can go into further and try to understand, maybe they'll actually go over there and understand it, and then come back and go, oh, and then find a way to give away some of that shame and move forward a little bit. Because I I just feels like that's what we're talking about is that people are walking a path, they fall into a pothole, some of them they jump out of and some of them they crawl out of and some of them they get stuck in.
Scott BennerI'm saying let's throw a rope ladder down there and a flashlight and see if they can figure out how to get out, you know, and maybe some of them will hold the flashlight from the last pothole and mix the next one. In a world where our parents don't teach us this stuff, and I'm not saying be mad at your parents. Our parents didn't teach them anything either. Like, in a world where we don't pass this kind of stuff on to to each other, you're left to just figure it out as you're fighting your way through life. And I'm just telling you most people just get stuck.
Scott BennerBut, my my experience with the podcast is is that when you give people good tools, a lot of them traverse their thing better. And then they're not stuck as long and then go get stuck in the next thing, Erica. And maybe get to the end where they grow some marigolds and drop dead. That's what I'm that's my plan. Hold on.
Scott BennerI'm gonna put some marigolds in the ground. I'm gonna watch them, and then I'm gonna give up. But on the way, I don't wanna be stuck so long Mhmm. Everywhere. I think about that with the diabetes the same way.
Scott BennerLike, it's heartbreaking to see somebody stuck for five, ten, fifteen years, but because they didn't know their basal was too low and they're not putting their insulin in enough time before they eat. That's not enough to you not not knowing that shouldn't ruin fifteen years of your life. And then it exasperates all this other stuff that that we're talking about here. Everything feels worse because that that's why when I that's why when I think about diabetes, I just think if you know how to get your settings right, you know how to time the insulin. It's not a perfect system, but it alleviates so much that it might give you enough conscious time to think about other things.
Scott BennerAnd I think the mental health stuff gets ignored by people greatly in a regular lifetime. People who are going through this kind of stuff have even less time and mental energy to put on something like that. So anyway, I mean, you can just go listen to all of them. I think you'd be okay. But, like, I don't know if there's not a way to, like, reframe it.
Scott BennerSomething to do in 2027 is what I'm saying.
Erika ForsythI I think it's an interesting idea. I think the the concept of, you know, how does one person change is a larger
Scott BennerCharlie, there's no answer to that part.
Erika ForsythRight. Yeah. Right? Like, are is someone going to change based on them listening to the pro tip series or a mental health pro tip series, so to speak? Mhmm.
Erika ForsythHolding that larger question of what is one's motivation for change, and what do they need to get there? Could could a series be beneficial? Yes. Is but true how does true change actually occur?
Scott BennerWell, that's between them and Jesus. You know? This is just a podcast. They can go figure the rest of that other I just think it's nice to throw tools on the ground and see if people pick them up and use them. That's all.
Scott BennerAnd it's not like they're tools that they're gonna cut their hand off with. It's, you know, this is what shame feels like. This is what agency is. You know? There's nobody right now listening whose parents told them about agency.
Scott BennerOkay? That just didn't happen. So and if you did, then your parents were therapists, and you have a whole different group of problems then.
Erika ForsythYeah. I wonder when actually the term agency became more common.
Scott BennerYeah. I did it pop into
Erika Forsyththe into the zeitgeist? Verdacular. Yeah. Zeitgeist. Yeah.
Scott BennerNo idea. So Finish up. I'm sorry.
Erika ForsythYes. No. That I think those are all good
Scott BennerThank you.
Erika ForsythWonderings. And I think to the end, this this two part series, the goal, you know, ultimately ending with, you know, having that balance, right, to not feeling like you are trying to control a a partially controllable system, right, that leads to the heightened anxiety and working really hard to try and control something that isn't fully controlled. And, you know, we don't even I don't like using that word either.
Scott BennerYeah.
Erika ForsythYou know, doing the best you can to manage as best you can. So go goal having enough agency to act with confidence and know how and trust within yourself and your body, but also holding that place that that's what we were talking about earlier, like, enough acceptance, enough grace to tolerate the unpredictable. Or when when things don't go, you know, as as you anticipated, how do you bounce back from that, and how can you be kind to yourself in that space while still holding the agency? And so this whole process that we've been describing, this you know, the rebuilding of agency, which really coincides with with your grief, and experience that restores that felt economy. So going back to what we were saying at the beginning, you do have have a true lived experience of loss of autonomy when you have this diagnosis within your family system.
Erika ForsythBut as you increase the agency and the the compassion, you have a restored felt autonomy.
Scott BennerSo this is what it is. Right? And then I have to accept that I can't change. This is our reality. And then I go out there and I make try to make good decisions.
Scott BennerI try to get good tools. I try to learn from my experiences, try not to beat myself up too much, and maybe in after the passage of time, you might pop up and feel like, okay. Like, I I got through that part now. But it's it is very interesting to break it down into, like, into those pieces that are valuable to have when you don't understand why you feel the way you feel or why you're thinking what you're thinking, you know, because it it all feels out of control. So it's it's nice to put words to it.
Scott BennerIt really is.
Erika ForsythYes.
Scott BennerOkay. Well, all of you use your autonomy to create some agency. I know those are it's it seems so confusing to me still. But, you know, go get it. You can do it.
Scott BennerBut by the way, and if you can't ask ask, like, one of these large language models because this thing is in front of me about the folded paper, and it just said to me, would you like a visualization to make it clearer? And I said, yes. And it just built this thing with a slider on it. Now I'm watching paper fold in half and get it's amazing.
Erika ForsythI I might I might need to go do that.
Scott BennerI watched your face when I said it. You're like, I know that's not right. Yeah. Well, it's right. You just keep making one good decision and then you make another one.
Scott BennerAnd before you know it, you got you got way more than you thought you were going to. So thank you. I appreciate this very much.
Erika ForsythYou're welcome. Thank you, Scott.
Closing & Sponsors
Scott BennerThe conversation you just heard was sponsored by Touched by Type One. Check them out please at touchedbytype1.org on Instagram and Facebook. You're gonna love them. I love them. They're helping so many people at touchedbytype1.org.
Scott BennerAre you tired of getting a rash from your CGM adhesive? Give the Eversense three sixty five a try. Eversensecgm.com/juicebox. Beautiful silicone that they use. It changes every day.
Scott BennerIt keeps it fresh. Not only that, you only have to change the sensor once a year. So, I mean, that's better. The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi with Control IQ plus technology at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox.
Scott BennerThere are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show.
Scott BennerIf you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card? If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast private Facebook group. Juice Box Podcast, type one diabetes.
Scott BennerBut 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 Juice Box podcast, Type one Diabetes on Facebook. My diabetes pro tip series is about cutting through the clutter of diabetes management to give you the straightforward practical insights that truly make a difference. This series is all about mastering the fundamentals, whether it's the basics of insulin, dosing adjustments, or everyday management strategies that will empower you to take control.
Scott BennerI'm joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal experience, and we break down complex concepts into simple, actionable tips. The diabetes pro tip series runs between episode one thousand and one thousand twenty five in your podcast player, or you can listen to it at juiceboxpodcast.com by going up into the menu. Have a podcast? Want it to sound fantastic? Wrong way recording.com.