#1922 Teen Factor
Teen Factor
A clinical pharmacist who spotted her own daughter’s type 1 at seven talks school nurses, hospital advocacy, teen burnout — and coins a new setting every pump is missing: teen factor.
Jump to a moment
- She diagnosed her own kid. Constant water, five pounds gone, tantrums that didn’t fit — Kari borrowed a glucometer from a neighbor on Facebook, saw the number, cried with her daughter, and got her admitted before DKA ever set in.
- A pharmacist’s head start goes far — then hormones arrive. Knowing insulin, insurance, and the medical system carried them to a 6.2 A1c. At 14, with running, puberty, and growing independence, the old math stopped working and honest burnout crept in.
- School nurses aren’t one-on-one care. One nurse may be covering 500–600 kids, tube feeds, and seizures alongside your child — and if supplies or snacks are a financial strain, tell the nurse: resources exist, but only if they know.
- In the hospital, blood sugar falls to the back burner. Her critical-care colleague finds nurses who don’t know a patient wears a pump. Tell everyone on the care team, ask what the numbers have been, and advocate — patients in range heal faster and go home sooner.
- “Teen factor” is the setting no pump has. Kari’s screen-time check showed her daughter picks up her phone three to four times more than her siblings — mostly the Dexcom and Omnipod apps. The diabetes is always in her head, so some days the teen factor rules everything.
- T1D Exchange Registry — US residents 18+ with type 1 can complete the survey and help move T1D research forward.
- Bolus Estimator — The free interactive bolus strategy tool on the Juicebox website that listeners are saving to their home screens.
- Juicebox Podcast survey — Another quick way to support the show — take the listener survey.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:00
Hello, friends, and welcome back to the juice box podcast. If you don't love today's episode, you can have your money back. I've been asking you all week. Have you done it yet? T1dexchange.org/juicebox.
You're over 18. You are a US citizen, you head over, you fill out the survey, have helped to move type one diabetes research forward. It's not difficult. You would be doing me a favor. T1dexchange.org/juicebox.
Do me a favor. Do everybody a favor. Even you. You should not, in any way, or form, take anything you hear on the Juice Box podcast. As medical advice, I'm talking about medical advice, regular advice, any kind of advice.
This is a podcast. 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. I cannot stress that enough. Today, we've got a great podcast, and it's sponsored by great advertisers, US Med, the Eversense three sixty five, and Twist.
You know about Twist? It's an insulin pump. I'll tell you all about it in a second. I'm having an on body vibe alert. This episode of the juice box podcast is sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five, the only one year wear CGM.
That is one insertion and one CGM a year. One CGM, one year, not every ten or fourteen days. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Twist AID system powered by Tidepool that features the Twist loop algorithm, which you can target to a glucose level as low as 87. Wanna learn more?
Go to visit .twist.com/juicebox. That's visit.twist.com/juicebox, and Twist has two i's. Understand? Twiist.com. Visit .twist.com/juicebox.
Hey. US Med is a longtime sponsor of the podcast. It's where we get our diabetes supplies from. You could as well. Usmed.com/juicebox, or you can call (888) 721-1514.
US Med, that's where my daughter gets your supplies. Use the link or the number. Get your free benefits check today and get started with US Med. So I say testing, and then I ask you to say testing. Say testing.
Testing. Testing.
Awesome. I used to say and I ask you to say testing, then I get quiet. And then I realized people are waiting for me to literally say, say testing. It messed me up. You are being recorded.
Take a breath. Talk to Jesus. Do whatever you wanna do. Then introduce yourself. We're gonna start talking.
Meet Kari — pharmacist, mom of four2:53
Hello. My name is Carrie. I'm the mother of four children, wife of eighteen years. I have a daughter, my second daughter with type one diabetes. I'm also a clinical pharmacist, work in the hospital setting.
Yeah. Nice to meet.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
Thank you. Four kids. What's the age range?
So my oldest is 15, and then we have a 14 year old. That's the one with the type one diabetes.
Mhmm.
Those are daughters. And then we have a son who's 12 and another daughter who's 10, almost 11.
Wow. They're all very, very close together in age.
Very close in age. Yes.
Are you stealing drugs out of that pharmacy to buy pay for school college later? No. No. No. No.
No. I know you're not, but I just saw an episode of, of The Mentalist yesterday where where a hospital employee was stealing drugs for themselves. And I think that's probably why it's in my mind also.
A good episode.
Underrated television show, if you don't if you don't know. Anyway, let's find out more about you. So how long have you been married? You said eighteen years?
I was trying to figure out how many years before we started. I think it's been eighteen years. We got married in 2008. So this August will be eighteen years.
Okay. Awesome. Yeah. Okay. So is there other autoimmune stuff in your family, or is your daughter like an outlier?
Her mom’s diabetes, never named4:19
So okay. So where to start? So my mom had diabetes. She was diagnosed around the age of 45. She's passed away.
And, you know, at the time, we didn't really discuss type one type two. She lost a ton of weight in the beginning, and that's how she was diagnosed. And she immediately got put on insulin. So to me, felt like a very type one kind of situation now looking back, but at the time, we never really talked about it. And, so How did she ever call it type one?
No. But I think that's probably what it was.
How how old are you at that time when she's 45?
So I would have been I was let's see. Let let me do the math here.
Go ahead, please.
If she was 45, she was born at '45. So that would have been '90. 1990. So I would have been 20 no. No.
No. 14. Oh, you're
a kid.
Yeah. 14.
You're a kid when she's how old what old was she when she passed away?
She was 63.
Was this from the diabetes?
So she had breast cancer about ten years before she passed, went into remission after surgery and radiation. Toward the end of her life, she started having a lot of what felt like kind of heart failure kind of symptoms, but I don't know that she was ever technically diagnosed with heart failure. But, know, she's having trouble, walking long distances without getting short of breath. Mhmm. And then she started just kind of downhill.
She had some problems with her voice for a while.
Cardi.
She was in the process of getting a diagnosis for possible return of the cancer. Like, they were doing a PET scan. And during the PET scan, she coded and ended up in the hospital and never made it out that. So that was so we never really knew if this cancer came back, but we were suspicious because I think she had had some coughing up blood, and that was obviously concerning. So
Yeah. No. I'm so sorry. That's terrible.
She lived a good life, though. She raised six children, and she yeah. She lived a good life. She she had lost my dad when I was 16. So she lived many years as a widow and yeah.
That that's hard. From having sex
so did he die from having sex so much? What happened to him?
He died from lung cancer. So we have, like, a lot of cancer in our family.
Live next to one of those big electric poles or what's going on?
I don't know. I'm not sure why we got what why we got that.
But Is the cancer in the family? Do you do you look back in other, like, family lines for cancer?
Not those particular types of cancer. Okay. You know, I think we have some GI cancer in my one of my grandparents had some stomach cancer toward the very end of their life. You know, they were in their eighties. So Yeah.
But no. I mean, none of like, you know, I have sisters and brothers and none of us have had any problems with any of these types of cancer. I have another brother that has it's either CML or CLL. I can't remember, but he does have a cancer, but it's, you know, like a chronic type cancer that you you can live with for a long time.
Do you do you get checked for breast cancer more frequently than other people? You do?
Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I started mammograms earlier than the typical just because of my mom's cancer history and yep. Wow.
For sure.
A lot. Okay. But how about autoimmune stuff? Anybody have a thyroid, celiac?
So my grandmother had took a thyroid medication, you know, levothyroxine, I believe. So she had hypothyroid. She's the only one I know of. I do have, a niece that has Crohn's, and I do have a brother that has diabetes, but his is also, I think, type two. I think that's technically what his diagnosis is.
Wait. Just to go backwards to your mom for a second, though. You don't know if your mom had type one or type two?
I don't really know what the doctor called it, but she immediately took insulin. Like, never took oral medication. She was not she may have been, like, slightly overweight before she started rapidly losing the weight. So, like, when she was diagnosed, she had lost lot a lot of weight. She's very, very thin, you know, like, because of that typical type one presentation.
Yeah. Yeah. You guys are Catholic. Right?
The Mormon listenership mystery8:46
No. No? Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saint.
Gonna say, why are you not talking about how you feel? I just assumed Catholicism when I saw all the kids. Does does the, does the I oh oh, this is such a nice moment for me. Do you know in the beginning of the podcast, I was huge in the church? Did Oh, yeah?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I had I had a couple of years where I thought maybe only Mormons were listening to the podcast. There were so many of them.
I was like I'm like, am I the number one diabetes Mormon podcast in the world? And how did that happen?
We tend to be online a lot, I think. You know, like social media, we tend to be on these kinds of things. I don't know why. We know. We connect a lot through the through these kind of things.
But The way I had it
for what it's worth.
Yeah. The way I had it explained to me finally, because I would ask every time because eventually, come on. They I mean, people come on and they have a ton of kids. You know, like, are are you are you in the church? And they're like, yeah.
Yeah. How'd you know? I'm like, I think you all are. They were listening. And and I would start asking why do you think the podcast is so popular there?
And they a lot of people they again, I just don't know anybody who I was talking to. A lot of people would say we're very community oriented. So if somebody's having success with something, it's very reasonable that they would be telling other people about it.
Other people. Yes. Absolutely. I was like, oh, no. Connected.
Very connected. So yeah.
But we don't talk about our diabetes?
With our with my family, you
mean? Yeah.
Yeah. No. So, like, as a kid, like, I remember my mom, you know, obviously giving insulin. It just wasn't I mean, I remember her getting low sometimes, and we we knew that she needed milk. She always treated her lows with milk.
I remember one particular severe low where she was, like, almost not able to take care of it herself. We never really had to do it for her, like, except for that one particular time, I think I did have to help her. But, you know, I we just didn't. I don't know.
Like It's okay. I'm not I'm not trying to make you feel bad. It's just That's okay.
No. I'm in the medical field now, and I would have a ton of questions for her if I could ask her those questions now.
Of course.
At the time, you know, you're 14. You're just not thinking about that necessarily.
Yeah. So you didn't know me when I was 14. I would have asked all those and I and I get I I think I get confused a lot of times. I I I don't know if everyone does this. I have a very bad habit of just assuming that my level of the way I think about something is how everybody thinks about it.
And then I get confused when that doesn't happen, which is is silly because I'm an adult and I know everybody doesn't think the same way. But I would just I'm I'm sitting here trying to imagine a thing about me or about my wife that my kids don't know, and I don't think I could come up with one. Right. Yeah. So that throws me off a
little bit.
But but nevertheless
I guess I guess the thing about it was, at the time, none of us had any medical background. Now I have a brother who's a doctor, and I'm a pharmacist. And so, like
Diabetes, as you know, comes with a lot of things to remember. So it's nice when someone takes something off of your plate. US Med has done that for us. When it's time for Arden Supplies to be refreshed, we get an email. The email just rolls up in my inbox.
It's like, hey. This is, you know, time for your supply order. I don't exactly know what it says. I open the email. There's a big button.
I click on it. I reorder, and I'm done. Finally, somebody taking away a responsibility instead of adding one. And boy, oh, boy, has US Med done that for us. An email arrives, we click a link, and the next thing you know, your products are at the front door.
That simple. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. I never have to wonder if Arden has enough supplies. I click on one link, I open up a box, I put the stuff in a drawer, and we're done. US Med carries everything from insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGMs like Libre three and the Dexcom g seven.
They accept Medicare nationwide, over 800 private insurers, and all you have to do to get started is call that number, (888) 721-1514, or use my link, usmed.com/juicebox. Using that number or that link helps to support the production of the juice box podcast. This episode of the juice box podcast is sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five. Get 300 and get three hundred and sixty five days of comfortable wear without having to change the sensor. When you think of a continuous glucose monitor, you think of a CGM that lasts ten or fourteen days.
But with the Eversense three sixty five, it lives up to its name, lasting three hundred and sixty five days. That's one year without having to change your CGM. With the Eversense three sixty five, you can count on comfort and consistency three hundred and sixty five days a year because the Eversense silicone based adhesive is designed for your skin to be gentle and to allow you to take the transmitter on and off to enjoy your shower, a trip to the pool, or any activity where you don't want your CGM on your body. If you're looking for comfort, accuracy, and a one year wear, you are looking for Eversense three sixty five. Go to eversensecgm.com/juicebox to learn more.
You know, when we kinda got more into the medical field, we obviously it became more of a conversation, that kind of thing. But, you know, when you're a teenager, your parent has this thing. They don't make it the center of their life. You know, we knew she injected insulin. She wasn't, like, hiding it or anything like that.
And, you know, I saw her insulin vials. But we just did what just wasn't like a regular topic of conversation on them. Like, this is what you need to do if if you if I need help.
I hear you. Do you think that her care was adequate? Or do you do you have any way to know?
So. I think so. She ended up being on I think it was Actos at one point to help with insulin resistance, and then that was taken off the market, I think, while she was taking it, so she had to stop that. I don't know if you remember that particular medication.
I don't know.
She she she saw an I'm trying to remember if it was an endocrinologist. I feel like it was an endocrinologist that she saw, and she went to the doctor regularly. I I remember her actually talking a little bit about how the doctor would scold her, you know, like the doctor got upset because this or that. So I don't know what her a one c's were. I don't think I knew she took her insulin regularly.
Like, she didn't skip doses and that sort of thing, but, you know, she may have had an a one c not quite optimal.
Okay. Okay. Well okay.
Which I probably would assume since she did have kind of some complications toward the end of her life. The main complication she always talked about was the neuropathy in her feet.
Okay. Yeah. Is it I don't wanna talk about other people's, but I've met a number of people recently. I think, to backtrack a half a second, I think that GOPs being so, like, prevalent in people's minds now make a lot of people look at me in my private life now and go, what do you know about all this? Because they've been, you know, hiding their health issues for a while.
And they know I make the podcast, but nobody ever asks about it in person. And then but a lot of people are asking about GLPs now. So I've had a couple of conversations with people, and I'm very surprised by the number of adults who look at me and go, I have neuropathy in my feet. I'm like, do you have type two diabetes? They go, no.
And I'm like, have prediabetes? They go, no. And I'm like, you sure?
Just got it checked.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because it seems like you do.
And, know, like, the way you're talking and the things you're telling me about, I just had a long conversation with with, like, some I don't wanna call them friends. They're acquaintances. And as we were talking, I'm like, no. You are a perfect candidate for all of this. They're like, oh, my doctor won't give it to me.
Mhmm. But the doctor will put them on a statin. The doctor will put them on the 19 other different kinds of medications. But the one drug that I think would probably, like, most quickly and effectively help them with all their problems. Like, no.
You don't want that. You're gonna you'll have stomach trouble. And and that's all they say. Like, I'm like, well, what kind of stomach trouble are you expecting? And they actually say, I don't know.
The doctor didn't say it. I'm like, you didn't look into it? I was like, because I you know, I'll tell you, like, I had my fair of, runs to the bathroom in the beginning of JLP, and I was and they're like, oh, and you just kept doing it? Was like, well, I was also losing weight. And so, yeah, I was like, I I I stuck with it for a while.
You can't be a quitter. You but it's it's funny You go ahead.
A pharmacist in diabetes education17:10
Sorry. I was gonna say in in my career so my first job as a pharmacist was, working for a university hospital system and, just kind of through the way that this clinic worked. I started out doing slightly different, pharmacy work, but I ended up in diabetes education like that, which this was like pre, you know, my daughter. Like, I wasn't married yet. I didn't have my daughter.
Of course, my mom had diabetes. So I learned a lot about the diabetes then. And I yeah. I talked to a ton of patients. Like, I met with patients one on one and ton of patients that it really drilled into me the the idea that, like, yeah, even before you get diagnosed with type two, for example, because most of the people were type two, you're having complications.
Like, things are happening in your body that are damaging your body before you even have that diagnosis of type two. Because even, you know, prediabetes, so metabolic syndrome and all that.
I I'm just I'm more I that's very true. I'm more fascinated with the idea that people can be having actual physical problems. And then when you tell them, I think this would help, they go, oh, yeah. But I don't want my belly to hurt. I'm like, well, your feet are trying to fall off.
Don't you like, I mean, like Yeah. Don't you think that's gonna hurt? And Oh, yeah.
People were always very, it was hard to get people to be on board with taking insulin too. Like, you know, when it was clear that, like, the oral medications were not covering the like, covering the blood sugars and it was time to go to insulin. It was like, that was a hard sell for a lot of people.
And then the first question always, will I how long will I have to do this for? It's always at well, like, if I use the GOP, when can I stop using it? I'm like, well, probably never. And and then they go, oh. And I'm like, what you you can't feel your feet.
Like like I'm like, what do okay. So, like, I guess we're gonna just try not to make sense a little longer. Anyway, I'm so sorry. That's okay. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So what what do you notice first about your daughter, I guess?
Diagnosing her own daughter19:09
Okay. So, in hindsight, a ton of things. But at the time, so she it was June, and it was getting hot where we were living. Obviously, everywhere, it's summertime. Start drinking a ton of water.
That was the main thing that made me think, what's going on? Mhmm. Since I'm a pharmacist and I have that background, I thought one night after she had gone to bed can't remember if she she was the type of kid around that time and prior, you know, when she was younger, she would have these mega tantrums, you know, just like meltdown. Like and I just thought, you know, I have four kids. And at the time we had all four kids and they all had different personalities, you know, and My wife thought you were gonna say sensitive child.
I thought you
were gonna say, well, if we made four and only one's broken, that's not bad. Yeah. So
I just always kind of thought she was a more sensitive child. Like, things set her off that, you know, like, maybe other people didn't get set off by, you know, and not that she was having tantrums all the time.
I understand.
Yeah. Looking back, there were kind of those major tantrums. I was like, woah. Like, where did this come from? So that night, she had gone to bed.
All the kids were in bed, and I was just I had the thought, you know what? I think she needs her blood sugar checked. And I I the realization came to me that she had lost five pounds. I think we had had her stand on the scale and not necessarily because of the die like, thinking the diabetes, but, you know, the kids just like to go and stand on the scale and see how much they weigh.
Sure.
Sure. And when she had sit stood on the scale, I realized it was five pounds less than maybe her most previous doctor appointment or something. Mhmm. And so that along with the drinking, I thought, oh, boy. So I immediately caught on Facebook and I so to, like, a neighborhood group page, and I said, is there anyone in the neighborhood that has a glucometer?
Because I did not have a glucometer, you know, even through my job. You know, I just didn't have need for one of those. I wasn't working in diabetes education at this time, but so I didn't have one. I found someone, a friend like, a daughter of a friend who had a daughter with type one, and they had a glucometer. So she set it up to come over the next day and test her.
And so we had her come over, and my daughter did not I think my daughter so she was almost eight at the time. Think she knew something was wrong at this point. Like, when I said she's gonna come over and test your blood sugar, she knew, like, wait. What? And she didn't she threw a tantrum.
Like, she did not wanna get her blood blood sugar tested. She did not wanna get a finger poke.
Right.
So that took some, you know
Do you tell her why? Did you say or we're having a neighbor's friend?
No. We did not say why. I just said we really have to do this. Like, I just knew we had to do it. So we we convinced her to calm down and let this this woman was a very nice woman, and she brought over her daughter with type one, actually.
So, like and they are that similar age. So I don't know. Somehow that probably helped just having another kid there and I I don't know. So we eventually got her to agree to let us test her blood sugar and the reading was high on the glucometer. So I I immediately knew.
My husband was home at the time, and we, she and I when I realized something was wrong, I was emotional, and she was emotional. And we took some time to just cry. We cried. Yeah. And I said, we really have to go to the hospital, and she didn't want to go.
Like, we we've had to convince her. It's it's time to go. We have to go. We have to do something. This I I know I didn't say you have diabetes, but I said, this has to be taken care of.
Yeah. So my husband was able to convince her to go to the clinic, to go to the pediatrician. She was a family friend of ours, but also our pediatrician. And so they ended they started at the pediatrician and then just got, like, direct admitted from there.
So Oh, gosh. How how did she handle it in the short term? Was it did that upset continue or did she wish I I'm Uh-huh. Definitely definitely not gonna use the word regulated. But as her blood sugar came back down, was she easier to talk about these things?
Yeah. I mean, in the beginning, it's fuzzy for all of us. But Mhmm. In the beginning when she was in the hospital, like, she did fine with the shots. Once we got home, we only stayed in that.
She was not in DKA, so we caught it before that. She was only in the hospital for maybe, like, two, three days. I feel like they did IV fluids, but other than that, like, you know, it was it was a fairly easy hospitalization, and they just kept us that long so that they could get all of our prescriptions filled and ready to go by the time we got home. So that was good to be there, you know, and just kind of get the education that we needed even though I kind of knew, but I didn't for sure know what this all meant.
Right.
So she she did well. Then when we got home, you know, she I feel like overall, she did fairly well accepting accepting that she had to take shots and poke her finger, and it was not a fight every time. You know? It was definitely, like, something new that we had to get used to, and there was crying. But overall, like, not I wouldn't say it was extremely difficult.
Were the outbursts could be blocking out the memory side
of it. You're like, it's possible. I it's possible. I just can't remember any of this. Did the outburst get lesser?
Here's what makes Twist different. It measures the volume of insulin delivered with every dose using Soundwave technology. That gives it the ability to recognize a blockage quickly, allowing you to step in and deal with it before things potentially get out of range. It is also the only automated insulin delivery system that can be controlled from an Apple Watch, so you can discreetly check-in, enter carbs, or deliver insulin right from your wrist. You can also set your glucose target anywhere from 87 to 180 and adjust it for different times of day.
So if mornings, workouts, schoolwork, or bedtime all need a little different approach, Twist can flex with that. And here's a real life example. You enter carbs, then something changes, and you do not actually eat what you planned. With Twist, you can go back and correct or remove the carb entry, and the system adjusts based on the new information because diabetes doesn't always follow the plan, and your tech probably should not expect you to either. If you'd like to learn more, go to visit.twist.com/juicebox.
That's visit.twist.com/juicebox. Don't forget, twist has two i's.
I would say yes. Yeah. I would say yeah. For sure.
Okay. Well, it's interesting. Were you I mean, you felt ready because you probably were like, I am a pharmacist. I will be fine at this. I've done this before in the past.
Did that actually help you, or did it only go so far?
No. I think it absolutely did help me. I think in the beginning, maybe the first couple of years, I was like, we've got this. Like, I know this. Like, I can learn this.
I I think for sure that helped me. My husband's really supportive. So, you know, in the beginning, especially, like, he was helping with everything also, and so he was learning. But, you know, I think because I had had experience with, you know, what insulin is and how it works and how you test your blood sugar and even, like, the insurance, you know, like, you don't really know the insurance troubles, but you kinda do as a pharmacist. So I knew how to kinda navigate medical system to get what I needed and what I wanted.
So yes. I do think it really helped in the beginning. And I had a good attitude. It gave me a good attitude maybe more than anything. Like, I can do this.
Oh, just just a little self confidence maybe where you didn't deserve it almost.
Yeah. I
guess. Nothing wrong with that. And did that hold up or did it did it was there a ceiling and you thought, okay. What I now know is not enough. I need to find more.
Teen years, hormones, and burnout27:06
Well, so that's kind of where we kind of are right now. I mean, not that we are right now, but gosh, we're in she's 14 now. Yeah. And hormones hit and and different types of physical activity that she wasn't doing before. And so, you know, in the beginning, I think I had I had it down, and we we were getting really good a one c's.
I think we were down to 6.2 at one point.
That's awesome. Now You're like, now they're not 6.2.
I'm a little we're all burned out a little bit. You know? Honestly, I think of it's burnout, but I think some of it's just like, this isn't reacting the same way it used to. Like, you're not you're not reacting the same way that I would have expected. We we changed to a different pump also, which, you know, that took some learning.
But, and then also in the process of it all, she's kind of becoming a little more independent. So, like, we're navigating, like, different things that we weren't navigating there in the beginning. Mhmm.
Well, do
you think
the burnout leads to, like, what do you what am I asking here? Like, do you think the new challenges lead to the burnout, or do you think it's just time that got you there?
I think it's time. Okay. Maybe new challenges also. I I anticipated hormones being tricky to to deal with, but puberty and all that, I I think it's time and just the change in management, honestly. You know?
I I think for her, as she's gotten older, she's needed more insulin, and that's difficult for her because she remembers just needing this certain amount, and it always worked. And now it's higher than that. And so she has maybe a little difficulty accepting that for some reason, even though I don't really we don't really talk about, like, more being worse. You know? But
Is this is this a feeling you're having as well? Do you think it's throughout the family? Do even siblings is is everybody just like, oh, Scott, there's enough of this already? When
I don't think so. I think so. The first few years, I was very, very involved. Like, I was doing everything with her. I mean, maybe more than few years.
I think it's probably been in the last year to year and a half to two years where she's taken a more active role. So she started changing her own pump when she went off to camp. There was a camp through school that she was going to, and she had to be there for a week, and she had to be independent changing her pod. So that's when we had her I thought, you can do this, and she knew she could do it. And so we got to that point, and she started changing her pod on her own, and she does that now.
So, like, that was kind of a milestone step. You know, she's she's a really active kid. She's, like, loves academics. She loves running. She just wants to do all the things.
And so I think maybe the burnout comes because that's always in the background. You know? Like, we're all like, I'm also mom of four. I've got a part time job. I feel like I'm managing, and I volunteer here and there.
So it's kind of like it becomes in the background, like, oh, it's there, but it's not ruling our life. But, you know, it
But it is.
Managed probably as well as it was because we're doing so many other things.
Yeah. So so go through that for a second. It's not ruling our life the way it once was. Is that because you are not paying as close attention to it anymore?
At some level, yes.
Yeah.
But I guess, like, I try to balance. Like, I want I want to be involved, but, like, you know how it is with a teenage teenager. Mhmm. They want to have some independence. Right?
And I don't I I don't know that I do a great job, but I don't wanna overstep. I I wanna make sure that she feels like she's in control somewhat. And so I've had to come to this point where I think, okay. Well, we're not perfect. Like, our a one c is not not as good as it used to be.
Sure. But, like, at the expense of me always nagging her and telling her that she needs to do this or that, like, she knows what she needs to do, and I try to gently, like, help her. But it's just not the same as how it used to be when she was seven going on eight, you know, where
she's trying
to decide. Yep.
She was little and nice? So I'm an adult. I hear that a lot.
And she's a yeah. She's the kind of kid that's kinda 13 going on 30. You know? She she feels like she could be on her own now and and make it, and she probably could honestly, to tell you the honest truth. Like, she's just does well at whatever she tries.
But
It's a it's a big part of this whole thing, and I you're outlining it so well. But for people who haven't gotten to this part yet, you know, it it's coming, and it's not a thing you fight against. It's not a thing you even want to not happen. Right? Like, you want your kids to get older and to mature and want to do things on their own.
The problem, I think, for me, always is is that during the learning period, you feel like health is waning. Yeah. And then
That's tricky. And that's been hard as a pharmacist, like, knowing, like just knowing the complications that come from even slightly elevated blood sugars. Like, that's been the hardest like, it's hard for me to swallow. And and there's been so many times, and I don't say this to her, but there's been so many times I thought, if I could just have this disease, like, I'd have it under control, you know, if I was in complete control of my body and it wasn't hers. You know?
Like, I I could get this. I really do think. But, you know Don't
you have that feeling about life in general? So you look at everybody and go, if you all just leave me alone, I could handle this. Like, I try to teach your
feelings. I really could
do it.
Maybe I couldn't, but, you know
Well Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It it is so, I I mean, I take kind of putting this whole thing together, like, this conversation so far, even thinking back to me having conversations with acquaintances about type two diabetes. Right?
Like, people there's two things that happen here. Is your kid's diagnosed when they're young. You figure out a great way to take care of it, and then at some point, they become their own person, and that gets in the way. And then you think, well, alright. So we there's two paths here.
Either they're gonna figure it out and do a better job for themselves than they are currently doing or they're not. And how crazy is it to think when you're the mother of a 14 year old, there'll be a day when that won't even matter. Like, your opinion of that won't matter at some point. And and, like, yeah, I I say to my wife all the time, like, think back to when you were 25. Did you care what your mom was saying?
Were we over here making a bunch of decisions based on your parents' thoughts? I said, weren't. You you know, like and and Yep. And she's not going to either, by the way. So I the way I think of it is model, model, model, model as best as you can for as long as you can.
And then because then they're gonna go. And Yeah. They might turn into my neighbor who goes, my feet hurt. Are you gonna do something about it? No.
And maybe they'll turn into Jenny who's just like, I I ate quinoa today, and my blood sugar was one zero six the whole day. Like, I I don't know, like, who she's gonna be. You you know what I mean? Or who your daughter's gonna be, my daughter, etcetera. But that's a hard thing to do when you're a when you're a parent
Yeah.
Is to come to
that conclusion. It's taken a little bit of time, and I think I'm I'm getting there. I'm I'm not fully there. I still worry about it. Of course, you worry about her.
You worry about yeah. What what is your life gonna look like in twenty years or ten years even? Like, are you gonna have complications? You hear people that say they don't have any, and they've had it for so long. And then you hear people that say they do have some.
And so I you just don't know. I'm just trying to do the best I I guess we all are.
I have found that not that I didn't before, but I found that it's helped me, be more understanding about other people's problems. Mhmm. Like, you know, as an example, like a a parent or a loved one of a of an addict, for example. Like, do ever try to put yourself in the shoes of a person who loves somebody who's addicted to heroin, for example? Like, what the the the hopeless and and helpless feeling that must exist as their loved one?
And I'm not I'm not equating type one diabetes with heroin use, but I am equating it with a thing that somebody's doing that may not be optimal that you have no impact over it that could be hurting. Yeah. That could be hurting them. You know? Uh-huh.
And then and what are you supposed to do then? Exactly. Right?
So Right.
It's a I'll tell you right now. Let me say this. Kara, it's Carrie. Right? With a Carrie.
Yeah. Yep. The best part about life and the worst part about life is both people. It's always I love people right up until this happens, and then I don't like them as much anymore. I wish they just listened.
And I'm sure there's people that have been in my life that wished I would have listened. But the thing I wasn't listening about stubborn. Well, yeah, but the thing I wasn't listening about wasn't likely leading to a nine a one c. Yeah. You know?
Yeah. It's tough it's tough when you can see the when you can see the speeding up of the problem in real time. It's hard it's hard to deal with. Like, I I don't you know? Anyway, what what you said you made a list.
I I wanna make sure we what what's on your list?
What school nurses want you to know36:24
So maybe first, like so I asked our school nurses, you know, what would you what would you want people to know? Really? I told them I'm going on this podcast and, like, I we've had two well, we've had three school nurses so far, and I reached out to two of them that we worked with a little more closely. And I said, what what would you want people to know? I've got this big audience.
And the one that was our elementary school nurse was fantastic. They've both been fantastic. She gave me a lot of things that she said, you know, you gotta remember that, like, your school nurse is not just taking care of your only, like, your child. Like, they're taking like, we we come from an elementary school that has maybe 500 to 600 kids.
Mhmm.
And so she kind of, you know, pointed out, you know, there might be some kids that get tube feeds. There might be some kids with seizures, you know, like different things that they're kind of, you know, keeping a tab on for children at the school. Right. And, you know, she's not she was not minimizing, you know, the care of my type one diabetic child.
I
understand. She did a great job. But, you know, I asked her specifically, you know, how do you feel about monitoring, you know, blood sugars through the Dexcom follow? Because we had her we gave her one of our, you know, iPads we weren't using anymore, and and she was able to follow her blood sugars. I just kinda asked her because, you know, now my daughter's out of that school.
But I said, you know, what what are your thoughts on that? Do you think it's a good thing? Do you think it's more harmful than good? Like, what do you think? And she said, well, I think it was very helpful, like, when she would test, you know, do, like, state testing that we could kinda see where her blood sugar was trending.
We could give her a little, you know, glucose, you know, beforehand if she was dropping kinda low or trending low so that she wouldn't drop low during the test. So she did feel like it was useful, but then, you know, because she pointed out that, you know, I wasn't looking at that all day, and I didn't think she was. I didn't expect her to look at that all day. I I think I probably look at it more than she did, but, you know, it was there as kind of a backup for her to to see what was going on. And it we we worked well with her.
Like, we she was very accommodating, and we went into it not thinking that she was gonna do everything for my child at school. And, like, again, my kid was she was seven going on eight when she got diagnosed. But when we had this particular school nurse, she was gaining a little more independence where she went down to the school nurse to dose, but it, or, like, to get treatment for Lowe's, but she was able to do a lot of it herself. It's so, like, the school nurse was there to assist more than anything. She wasn't giving doses, obviously.
The school nurse wasn't.
So she found the she found the iPad helpful in certain situations, but wants to remind us all that you're not the only person I'm helping today.
Right. I mean, you know, she pointed out, like, she's in charge of, like, staff members that have, like, a medical issue or, like, kids that get hurt on the playground. You know, like, they've got a lot of things that they do as a school nurse and that, like, they're not a one on one for sure, like, medical. So and and, like, I understand that. Like, we I don't think we ever expected her to be a one on one to our daughter.
But, again,
like But why do you think when you asked her to share things, why do you think that's a thing she shared? Do you think it's how she felt?
Think sometimes there's pushback from parents. Like, hey. You know, like, you need to be catching this or that with my child. I I don't know that that's really realistic unless it's a very small school and the nurse is dedicated to Yeah. I don't know.
I guess
I guess I was
some unrealistic expectations
Yeah. Yeah. I wish sometimes from parents. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I I think what I was wondering was, when because if you ask me, like, what do you want people to know? And and I and my first thought was, you know, we can't be everywhere all at once. I would think that's how she felt. Like, I don't know.
It even if people didn't put that on her, maybe she's just a good person who who felt bad that she couldn't help everybody.
Possibly. You know? Yeah. I she kind of, you know, school nurses and, you know, as a pharmacist, you see all different kind of patients. And she said that we were kind of a unicorn family because I was quite involved.
Like, you know, I I checked in with her once in a while. I made sure there were snacks at the school. I made sure we had supplies. You know? I I had good communication with her.
So, like, I she became one of, like, almost like one of the teachers at the school. We had that much, you know, contact with the school nurse. She said, like, it's not always like that. You know? Sometimes there's people who like, their child doesn't have any snacks at the school or, like, they can't get them to the parents to bring supplies or
You just chase them all the time. Yeah.
So she's you see all different kind of situations, and then, you know, there's kids that may not be getting that extra kind of thing. The the extra things that they'd really need that the nurse can't really do on her own. So
Mhmm. No. Anything else? What else was on her list?
What else did she say? The main thing was, like, she did say, you know, families should know that if you can't bring supplies or you can't bring snacks, like, say, financially, this is too much or, you know, for whatever reason. Like, say, you don't have extra supplies that you can give to the school. She said there's resources out there. I didn't specifically ask her what resources, but she said there's resources.
So, like, we can remedy that situation. You just have to let us know. And I think from a nursing perspective, you know, she felt like, know, in those situations, she can't really do her job if she doesn't have what she needs to take care of her child. So she she said, you know, families need to let the nurse know if that if that's an issue so that we can remedy the situation rather than just either not communicating or, you know, not bringing the supplies.
Yeah. I wonder how hard people would find that to do to admit to a stranger they you can't afford, you know, a couple bricks of juice boxes or something like that.
Or even if it's just, like, you can't get extra from the insurance. Like, everything you have is at home for, you know Yeah. You know, because you just when you run out, you run out and you can't get extra or whatever. So
Yeah. Where am I how am I supposed to give you an extra CGM? I don't have an extra CGM.
Right.
Yeah.
Right. Right. Yeah.
I got that. So Awesome. What go. Keep going. I'm got a list here.
I wanna hear about your list.
The case for insulin double-checks42:35
Let me look at what else I had on there. So okay. So kind of going along with school nursing, I had listened to your episode, which I think most a lot of people have listened to that episode where that nurse gave too much insulin to that child school.
Yeah.
Yeah. As a pharmacist, you know, working in a hospital so, like, nurses are always required to have a double check on certain medications in the hospital. Mhmm. And I believe insulin is one of those medications. Like, if they're running an insulin drip, they have to get a double check on if they change the rate or is this the right rate to be running it at.
Right.
So I don't think this exists, but I feel like it should. Like, I feel like nurses in schools should definitely have a double check on things. You know, if they're gonna be dosing a child's insulin, there should be a double check whether it's the parent or another trained individual in the school to double check based on, you know, their training and know like, someone that knows this child and knows what they need and understands, you know so I I feel like there should be double checks always. And so if that doesn't exist in your school, like, you should you should make that happen whether it's double checking.
I gotta point out that you just, in two different situations, pointed out that people don't have enough time to do the job they're already supposed to do. But here's some examples of where I think they should have to do more. It's not I mean, I I I hear what you're saying, but, like, real world, that's not gonna happen. Yeah. Yeah.
Well, I mean, like so insulin with it being a medication that, you know, it could have a serious adverse effect if dosed incorrectly, You know, that needs a double check. So why shouldn't a school nurse have a double check with that at at school if they have to do it in a hospital setting? I feel like that should happen at a school also.
Yeah. So Keep it keep in mind, though, that in that that scenario, that person didn't think they were doing didn't they think they were changing anything. They just made a they made a measurement mistake.
Right.
You know? Right. But yeah. I hear listen. You you you that to me falls under the category of, you know how things should be?
Yeah. I know I I know how they should I know how they should be. But
that's that's the main thing I wanna say is, like, parents should advocate for that at their school. Like, if the if your nurse is going to be dosing your child, make sure they have a double check, especially if they were drawing up insulin. Now that's where it gets, like, more a lot more high risk is if they're drawing up the insulin because it's not as high risk if you've got the the child wearing a pump and you put in the number. Right? But, like, if you're having to draw out insulin and get it to the right, you know, level on the syringe and make sure they're reading the syringe correctly, you know, that's well, that's higher risk than, like, giving a dose on a pump, for example.
I hear you. I don't functionally know how to make that happen. Like, what am I gonna do? Am I gonna FaceTime you and show you the needle?
Right. No. I mean but I think you could take a picture and send it to some the parent or you could have a double check by another staff member. I don't know. I just feel like it should happen.
You are definitely not the attorney. I'll tell you that much because if hey. We brought an attorney to this conversation. They'd They'd shoot shoot this this down six ways from Sunday. They'd be like, we're not doing that.
Give your own kid insulin. Screw off. Just do I listen. I'm not you know I'm not arguing with you. I think I No.
That's a very, like, lovely idea, and and and it would be awesome if it could happen, but it ain't gonna happen. So I can't get my township to pick up my recycling. You think that's gonna happen?
No. And I think it's more a situation where parents just have to advocate. You know? Like, there's not gonna be a rule that this happens, but if you advocate for that to happen, then and make sure that that's a hard, like you know, this has to happen if you're gonna give my child insulin. Like, I think that's I think that's appropriate.
Yeah. But I would also like to point out that it's one story in you know, with a million kids getting five doses a day in you know, all over the country in the world. It was it was a one time story of a thing.
It kinda makes you wonder too though, like, how many kids are actually getting dosed with insulin syringes at schools anymore? I I don't know. I don't have statistics on that.
Oh, I would think it's a lot. More people are MDI than are on pumps. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty by pretty significant
on a pen, but like a syringe.
Sure. Yeah. Or or a pen, you know, which now you're twisting and turning and trust me, no. Everybody's confused by everything. So, you know, like, you can try to make these pens as easy as you want.
There's always gonna be a person who's gonna be confused by it.
I There's a chance for error.
I'm stunned every day by how people are thwarted by their phone. You know, it's a thing a thing they a thing they carry with them constantly. What's the example from this weekend? Somebody tried to jump onto the Facebook page and say, hey. I don't know if any of you are using that that bolus estimator on Scott's website, but you can, like, create a shortcut on the on your, on your phone you know, to so you don't have to go to the website every time.
You can just click on it. Like, it almost acts like an app because it's a button. Uh-huh. And Yeah. Then watching people go, I wanna do that.
I can't figure that out. I can't like, I'm watching that. I mean, you're saving a shortcut on your on your phone. It ain't hard. Okay?
And and I'm watching these people try to do it. I'm like, oh my gosh. Guys,
you
have things in your pocket constantly. You really have never looked at it. Look at it to figure out how
it works.
But but I I'm with you. Okay. Like so I you know what? You know when I hear somebody say, every time a kid comes into a a doctor's office and they have flu like symptoms, you should check their blood sugar. And I go, that would be nice.
That's not gonna happen. Mhmm. You know? Yeah. And and then somebody's like, well, I'm gonna start a a nationwide campaign to make this happen.
I'll be like, well, you will be the fiftieth person to do that since I've been paying attention to diabetes, in the last twenty years. And I once watched, who was it? Was it Beyond type one? Beyond type one tried hard, and they had money and an infrastructure behind them. And do you notice that that didn't become a role?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. You can't that's that's gonna be a really difficult for you to change.
Good luck. Listen. I take a lot of comfort in this in this alone card. I don't know how the world's spinning. I don't understand why it's not on fire, why it hasn't exploded, why we're not all dead.
But for some reason, it is and we're not. So just go with it. You know what I mean?
Sounds good.
It's working. Mostly. Mostly. Not mostly. It's working enough.
Okay. Yeah. So
anyway, what what else you got there? I like your list. Keep going.
Advocating in the hospital49:18
So since I work at a hospital, I wanted to talk a little bit about, like, diabetes management in the hospital. And, again, like, you have to be an advocate for your child or for yourself if you have type one in and you're having a hospital stay. Like, you know this probably already. But, you know, I asked my coworker, like, I asked I asked my coworker, what would she works in critical care? And she's I I said, you know, what would you want people to know?
And she said, like, I walk into nurses' rooms and I'll say, hey. Is this patient using an insulin pump? And the nurse will be like, I don't know. And the nurse doesn't even know if if this diabetic patient has an insulin pump. And so, again, she said and I believe, like, you have to advocate for yourself in the medical system, and you have to communicate.
So if you're gonna use your insulin pump, you tell the nurse, you tell the doctor, you tell everyone who's in your like, taking care of you that you use an insulin pump and make sure that everyone knows that.
Mhmm.
And then, of course, like, I'm not saying, like, that nurse doesn't have responsibility to find that information out. But, you know, the reality is sometimes they just don't. You know?
Like Yeah.
They might not ask or that might not get put onto your medic medication list on the chart, but it should be there. So, yeah, so that that kind of thing can happen.
Can I share my perspective there? I I here's what I would tell you. I assume everybody's an idiot. Okay? Moreover, I would assume that nobody cares about me the way I care about me or or that cares about my kid.
And by cares is the is the wrong word, but it makes the right point. Right? Like, I I just don't ex I don't expect anyone to do a great job. Mhmm. And I don't think it's their fault, and I'm not here to blame them.
I just think that, you know, people are people are limited by their intelligence, by their interest, by their amount of sleep, by their own health, by the relationships they have in their life. You don't know what they're going through. They still have to go to a job every day. You look at them and you think that's a nurse. Well, it might be yeah.
Okay. There's a nurse. But that nurse might be fighting with her husband. Her mom might have breast cancer. She might be three months behind on her car payment, and she's dragging her ass to that hospital and probably thinks, what am I doing this for?
And you want that person to remember that you have an insulin pump or that, you know, you it it just my assumption is is that I'm responsible for me and mine always. And that and that if someone else steps up and does a great job, that's a lovely bonus, but I don't think of that as an expectation.
Uh-huh.
Yeah. And so no matter in what situation I'm in, from the lady ringing up my groceries yesterday, okay, to the guy who changed his attire on my car, to the person that shows up at my house to to fix a crack in my wall that I he says he's a a professional about, but turns out he's not. And and everyone in between, my assumption is is that nobody is doing their best. Their best wouldn't be great even if they were doing it, and I'm the only one between me and oblivion. So I don't know if that sounds terrible, but that's the baseline I run my life on.
Yeah. Well, no. Like, I I it it's probably true to many on many levels, and that's why patient advocacy, like advocating for yourself or advocating for your loved one is really important. You know, like, you can't expect that the doctor, the nurse, whoever is going to be a super superwoman, superpower, superman. You know?
Yeah. No. I yeah. A 100%. I I almost don't I I understand advocate for yourself.
You have to. Media I mean, if you ask me, I'd say the same exact thing. I'm telling you that in the back of your mind, the way you should think of it is everything and everybody is trying to kill you and it doesn't care about you. And if and if you if you want to succeed, flourish, etcetera, then you need to pay attention. And then and and if that and if you're counting on somebody and things aren't going right, your next thought should be, I wonder if they even know what the hell they're talking about.
I should check. Or is this a thing I don't have to check on because good enough is good enough? Like, to me, that's and I don't even think of that as cynical. I don't even think of that as sad. I just think that's I think that's reasonable.
And when you do bump into somebody who's above and who's doing a great job, I I think of that as above and beyond, and I think I'm very lucky to have met that person. Like, I'm not mad at the bad one. I'm pleased that I met the good one. Does that make sense?
That's good. Yeah.
That's good.
It's an optimistic way of looking at it.
It's an optimistic way of looking at the sheer horror of the effort people put into their lives. I
think, like, often in the hospital too, like, as a clinical pharmacist, you know, blood sugar management. Doctors have you in the hospital for more urgent manners matters most of the time than your blood sugar, unless you're in DKA. You know, unless you came in for DKA, your blood sugar management is not the number one priority of why you're in the hospital. And so it does kind of fall to the background sometimes. And, because I have the background, I do.
I when I work in critical care and patients in the ICU or whatever, I'm always looking at blood sugar. Like, I just that's part of what I always think about.
Yeah.
But not everyone is always thinking about blood sugar. And so, again, like, if you have a loved one in the hospital and you don't know what their blood sugars have been, like, you can ask and you can find out. And if they're not to your acceptable level, then you can advocate again. Like, hey. Like, can it is something that kind of unfortunately, it falls to the background and especially with type one.
But even type two, like, providers are not in the hospital setting. They're trained to, like, treat your more emergent problems.
Mhmm.
And blood sugars in the two hundreds are not making you well, I I don't wanna say they're not making you sick, but they're not making you hospitalized.
It's just yeah. They're they're focused on the thing trying to kill you most aggressively.
Right. And to get you get you better so you can get out of the hospital.
But here's the opposite side of that. You're not gonna get out the hospital as fast with a 200 blood sugar.
Exactly. Yeah. So it's very important thing to have your blood sugars well controlled when you're hospitalized because you're going to heal faster. You know, everything's gonna be better, but, unfortunately, it does fall a little bit on the back burner from what I've seen. And so I try to really make sure that it does not in my care.
You know, when I'm caring for someone, I make sure, you know, do we have this patient on a long acting insulin and mealtime insulin if they're insulin dependent? And you'll see sometimes where even type ones, like they don't get on the right regimen. So you just have to again, if you know how to take care of your diabetes, you need to make sure the doctors know and they are taking care of your diabetes.
Mhmm. Because people can't keep that many thoughts straight in their head. I I don't know if there's a a a, like, a a scientifically understood number of those things. But I mean, if you stop if you stop and think about what you just said and you step back and you examine it, it's ridiculous to think that a hospital and a doctor and a and a, you know, a battery of nurses can't single can't, I don't know, fix your broken arm and keep your blood sugar in range. Doesn't seem like that big of a lift.
You you know what I mean? But but it is. So get past that part because that shit's not happening. Okay? Like, no.
That that's not going I just explained to you how the world works. Just keep that in mind, and then and then keep that's not happening. Okay? So, you can cry about it if you want or say there should be a rule or they should do better. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Ain't happening. It's on it's on you. And the problem is is you're also probably not able to keep that many things in your head at the same time. What am I saying is you want the machines to come and take care of us. Okay?
They they the only thing the only thing that's gonna be able to keep all those balls up in the air is a is a is a nonhuman mind. Like, it just doesn't people just don't have that much access to bandwidth to handle those things. You're also not their only patient. So Right. You know, you've got a nurse who's helping a floor full of people.
And they all have problems like you. How there's not enough time or or compute power in that person's brain to handle all that.
So Right. And I don't wanna, like, minimize No. You know, health care provider's responsibility because I do feel like it's responsibility of the health care provider to take care of the whole patient while they're in the hospital. But the reality is is that some things become more urgent than others, and they the blood sugars often get put on the back burner. And so and some people maybe are okay with that.
Like, if my blood sugars are in the 200 when I'm in the hospital, whatever. But I wouldn't be okay with that. Like, I would want them in control. 100. That's just
I agree with you.
On that.
I 100% agree with you. I really now you're making me think I wanna do a whole, series of trying to find out how many active things, that a person can keep in their head. I actually just asked our overlords, and it said a useful answer is about three to five active chunks, but usually one only one thing is in sharp center of consciousness at a time. Wow. So active thought in a spotlight.
So your active thought is in a spotlight around three to five things you can keep in working memory. Ideas, concerns, you can keep accessible without writing them down. And these are just basic concepts around life like, I have to call the doctor. I have to finish editing something. I gotta pay a bill, like, something like that.
Right? So imagine that. Imagine that that's the the capability of the nurse, and the nurse is helping 20 people. And then say
The screen-time revelation59:26
Well, that makes me sorry. That makes me think a lot about so this morning, was looking at my kids', like, screen usage time, you know, when you look in their controls, like, parental controls. And my type one diabetic daughter had I think it was, like, three to four times of the number of times she had picked up her phone compared to my other children with devices. And the things she was on was her Dexcom app, her Omnipod app, you know, like
Yeah. Right.
And so, like, you know, she's she's having to think about that, which my other kids don't, you know, that's on her mind constantly.
Sure.
So, like, it it it opened up my eyes to just how often she's having to think about this. You know, I think about it all the time and I don't, like, think twice, but, you know, she's only 14.
Well, that's by the way, way to pivot to a a bit more positive part of this conversation. Good job, by the way. But but, seriously, what a great point. You you know, like like, your kid, you, somebody so so if you're the parent of a kid with type one, you you're you're worried about low blood sugars, high blood sugars, and long term health. You're probably thinking about it all the time.
That's eaten up most of your focus. And and now you you need other things to get in there, like, you know, sleeping or doing a sit up or eating better for yourself or cleaning the kitchen or they need a number of a billion other things you have to do.
Right. Learning at school.
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Like and then try to, like I mean, for yourself, you know, I I would say keep that in mind to offer yourself grace on the things that you're not getting to. But don't forget that for the people in your life.
Either, you know, you're type one, if it's a child, you know, a spouse that has type one, you gotta really realize that this isn't easy. You you know what I mean? Like, we have, like like like, t shirt slogan ways to talk about, like, life's hard, like, that kind of stuff. But this is what you're really talking about is you're asking somebody to do more than they have the physical capacity to do. Uh-huh.
And then you're mad at them when they don't do a thing you wanted them to do or that you think should be important or whatever. Now I'm just directly talking to my wife in case people are wondering.
Well, that kinda leads me, so, like, I another thing I have on my list was, you know, because I'm in the health care field, I'm definitely like pro health care professional in, you know, managing type one diabetes. And I know, like, people don't have good experiences with their provider or their doctor, unfortunately. But I like to see our doctor as more than just the person that prescribes the insulin. Our doctors helped us with a list of therapists in the area who are familiar with treating type one patients or counseling type one patients. They've, you know, obviously had have a nurse educator there or a diabetes educator.
We've talked to the Omnipod rep through our doctor's office, which was helpful. What else? Oh, like the MA that checked in my daughter last time has diabetes herself, and she was a runner. And my daughter's a runner. So we started talking about, well, how do you manage at this, you know, this certain situation with running?
You know, how do you prevent your, you know, blood sugar from going low? And she was helpful. You know, she gave us some real world experience of someone living with diabetes. So I I like to see our doctor as someone that can help you with all of those little tricky things that, like, that you deal with with diabetes more than just, getting your insulin prescribed, getting your a one c checked, you know, ordering the labs or whatever. So
A part of your community. Really?
What's that?
The doctor's a part of your community.
Yes. Yeah. And, hopefully, like, everyone has that. You know? Like, I guess if you don't have a provider that you feel like can provide those kind of extra helps to you, then maybe it's time to find a different doctor.
But I it's out there, you know, like, the diabetes educators, they're out there. The people living with diabetes, they're working in the health care field are out there.
Oh, the good ones
are workers, counselors, the they're out there. I guess you just have to find those that are gonna help you with
So good luck finding one of those people. I'm sure with all the free brain space that we just talked about that you have, you'll be out there looking for a new doctor and finding the right one in no time. Or or being being super serious, you're on your own. Surround yourself with people that can be like, I think that's why community is so important. Yes.
If it happens
social media can be so helpful too because so many people can give you tips on, hey. You know, try out this or I I tried this or this person was helpful. You know, like
Cuts through the noise
connected in a way that we have never been connected before. So you don't have to live in a community with, like, a great endocrinologist that's connected to all the things. You really can be, served well by the Internet and social media and support groups and that sort of thing.
So I try to think of it as a faster path to an actionable thing. Like right? Like, instead of me imagine imagine you you sat up today and you're listening. You go, this is I this is right. I need I need that kind of support in my life, but my doctor doesn't offer that.
Well, now I have to find the time to find a doctor. And then I'm gonna have to make an appointment, go meet them. And what if they're not the right one? I might have to do this over and over and over again. And then, oh, eventually, I'll find the right doctor.
Then I'll build a relationship with them. And then, you know, in just two or three short years, I'll be able to ask my question and then, oh, oh, oh, they didn't know the answer. That's okay. Like, or they did. Like and instead, you go to a you go to listen.
I'm just gonna tell you my Facebook group's awesome. Like, you go to my Facebook group and say out loud to 85,000 people, I have a question. And you're gonna have an answer twenty four seven at some point that will at least be actionable for you or a reasonable place to begin the rest of your journey instead of Absolutely. Yeah. It just it listen.
I it is pretty obvious what the Internet does, but instead of it being one person, and this is a coin flip as to whether or not it's even gonna be the right direction for me to go, You just open yourself up to tens of thousands of people and then get back ten, twenty responses and go, okay. In here must be the answer. Mhmm. You know? I think that's just it's invaluable.
And if you don't know that and you're listening to this, please try to, you know, open yourself up to that idea. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's really really important.
In my practice, I also realized there are so many people, living with type one diabetes that are not connected to all of this stuff.
Most of them.
They really aren't. Yeah. There's so many people that are living out there with a one c's and 11. They've had diabetes for a long time and Yeah. Just not it's not being managed.
And that's, like, how do we reach how do we reach those people? I don't know. I guess that's like
Good luck. I haven't figured it out yet.
Like I yeah.
I've learned how to reach people room. Yeah. Yeah. I've learned how to reach people who have an iPhone and free time and and are motivated to learn more. And, otherwise, if you're trying to figure out how to go grab another person, it happens randomly.
And, you know, every time you help somebody, it feels great, but it's not an en masse idea. Like, you can't en masse grab those people and say, hey. I've got the answer for you. It's right here. Like, you know, it just it those people are busy with their own problems too.
Yeah. And and very likely, don't have the kinds of jobs or lives that lend themselves to having free time, extra energy once they have free time, even maybe the knowledge or or desire to ask the right questions to get them moving in the right direction. Like, it's it's a not it's not I don't think it's fixable. Like, I think you can put the information out there and do your best to get it in front of people and then hope that they see it. Mhmm.
But, I mean, honestly, if you really look at the people, like, I'm helping people of a certain age, of a certain economic stature that, you know, thought to go out and help themselves already. Mhmm. I don't know how to find those other people. It's incredibly necessary. I just don't know how to do it.
Yeah. Well, I guess that kinda gives me motivation as a health care professional because we do, you know, interact with, you know, all of the all of the different types of people. Mhmm. And so I always try to just make a connection with people, you know, like, even if it's just like a, you know, a connection that has nothing to do with the diabetes. But, like, hey.
I hear you. I see you. I I am trying to show empathy toward you and your situation. You know, maybe that will help those people. I don't know.
Well, all you can do is your best. And
Yeah.
And then you just you know, that's what you do. I mean, I don't I I speak in public a lot, and I think, well, there's an example of me finding people who wouldn't find me otherwise. But to see the the grand effort that has to go on through an organization to pull 1,200 people into a room on a single day is it's a massive lift. It takes them all year to accomplish that. Uh-huh.
And it's amazing for the 1,200 people that show up, and that just leaves the other 2,000,000. So, you you know, like, it it really it really is just I I don't know. Like, I really don't know because you're you you say, wanna count on the doctor, but here's where the doctor's limited. What what I hear every time any of these things are brought up is I hear there's a limitation at some point, and it comes from being human. And so, you know, is the answer eventually, that, you know, like, you're diagnosed and someone says to you, look, here it is.
Like, I it's it's on your phone. Go push a button. It'll tell you. And and still they're not gonna push the button. Yeah.
You know, some people. Like, some people will, and that'll help more, but you're never gonna get to everybody. And that's the thing No. Like, when you do what I do, like, that used to that used to be burdensome to me. Like, I would have, like, real real problem with that, like, feeling because I I've developed the thing that I know helps people.
And then the pressure to reach more people hits you very quickly.
Uh-huh.
You know? And then once you can't once you realize that there's a limitation to that, it feels like you're letting them down. And if you can't get past that, then you can't even do the good job you're doing for the people who are finding it. Right. So it's been, it's I've gone through this.
That's why I probably sound cavalier about it, but now I'm trying to be funny. But, like, I people are like, yeah. Keep trying. Asshole, ain't working. But, but, like, I I really it's it's not a fixable it's not a fixable problem that there's an answer to and you just don't know, you you know, and nobody's doing it.
Like, there's there's no answer, really.
Right. So But I just have to accept that you're not gonna be able to help everybody, but just do your best with it.
Yeah. Exactly.
Or You interact with. So
or skip over all that and say, we should be focused more on automated insulin pumping that doesn't need your interaction.
Yeah. You
know? And then the for the and for the people who do wanna put more have more time or effort to be able to put into it, then give them other controls and dials to work with. But for the but for the mass of people who you either can't reach or once you reach don't understand or whatever the problem ends up being in the middle, imagine if you slap this thing on them and it gives them an a one c in the sevens.
Yeah.
Amazing. For sure. Right. Yeah. That kind of thing.
Anyway, keep going on your on your list of things that
I think I've got to almost
everything. I'm not saying anything other but more hopeful stuff, Scott.
Coining “teen factor”1:11:13
Well, there's one thing that just kind of, like, a funny thing that kinda came to my mind that I put on the list. I think it was one particular day just dealing with kind of, like, the teen type one diabetic child in my in my family. I thought, you know what? We should coin a new term called teen factor. Like, there's correction factor.
Why can't we coin the term teen factor? Like, what's what's my teen factor today?
I was gonna say what's that what's that setting in control of? The amount of, like, SaaS or Sinai? Is it can it turn Sinai up and down? Is that what it's for?
Yes. Exactly. Because, you know, I I might know my correction factor or your correction factor, and I might know your basal rate. But, you know, like, your teen factor might be what's affecting everything today, and it's not anything else.
Mom, I know what I'm doing. Then why aren't you doing it? So
that's just a little bit of humor that I've had to remember. Like, we're in a phase that, you know, we can't we're we're probably not gonna be perfect with our blood sugar management. We're we're darn trying, but we we're not there.
I I and and, really, the patience part is what I can be I can pivot quickly back to being serious if you need me to. I that's where, like, the patience and time comes in, I think. You just, again, keep modeling the right thing. Try not to get upset. Understand they're going through a lot too.
They only have, you know, a a certain amount of of conscious space they can hold thinking thoughts in. They also wanna go bowling or have a girlfriend or a boyfriend or are are struggling in class or they have a lot of other stuff going on too. Right? Yeah. Every day, every second can't be about this blood sugar thing.
Right.
And yet, I know what happens when it's not. Right? And and why you're trying so hard. So listen. My best advice, get a CGM, get on automated system, and at least when those moments come, when life gets in the way such that you're not actually going to put the effort in that's necessary, let the let the system jump in and and do that part.
Yeah.
You know? Yeah. Until you can be your better self or have more time or or whatever it is we're waiting or or grow up or, you know, till till your teen factor goes down.
I guess I hear that adulthood is very different. So, yeah, I don't I don't know. We'll see.
I don't know. I also know adults are adults.
We're just dealing with this.
Yeah. Yeah. No. I again, it's all just gonna be human. It's all just different variations of of people's ability, inability, desire, nondesire to do, think, say, feel something.
And Yeah. And all the while while this concrete thing of your blood sugar is not varying along with you. It doesn't it doesn't you know, people like to say it doesn't give you a break, doesn't care if it's Christmas morning. It doesn't care if you're fighting with your spouse. It doesn't care if you're sick, or it's going to keep doing the thing it's going to do.
And, you know, so maybe getting through a life with diabetes without making yourself crazy is more about allocating time and resources, both mental and physical.
Uh-huh.
I don't know. You know, by mistake, I might have said some pretty thoughtful things in this episode.
Pump choices and the runner’s rule1:14:37
Well, I think we're in a phase right where, yeah, we're kinda, like, just okay to keep what we're doing. We've hesitated to move to a different pumping system because we just don't know if we have the bandwidth to learn something new right at this moment. But we're hoping for I I don't know. We're we're sticking with what we have right now because I feel like we haven't quite optimized it. I don't know.
I guess maybe I don't know if
that's What are using right now? What are you using now?
Omnipod and Dexcom seven.
Okay.
Omnipod five and Dexcom seven. We've thought about doing looping with Omnipod dash. That is a little overwhelming to me. I think we could do it if we just dedicated the time to the learning curve, you know, learning learning it. We're hoping my daughter had been on the tandem t slim x two, which is when we had the better a one c's.
I don't know if it was necessarily because of that pump. We had more lows with that pump, but
Well, I can tell you this. Omnipod five
wanna go back.
Yeah. Omnipod five is, in, like, late stages of an upgrade to the algorithm that's coming. So Right.
That's what we're kinda waiting for.
Yeah. Summer, right, there'll be a lower target, some other adjustments to the algorithm. I think they're already working on Omnipod six, you know. Any of these companies should actively aggressively be trying to make their algorithms work better.
Right. Absolutely. And that's kind of what we're we're we're kinda sticking with it because of that. I think, you know, otherwise, I think we would have maybe gone back to tandem. But my daughter, being a runner, I think it's a lot easier for her to not have tubing just being since she became an athlete, she the tubing is the thing that kinda keeps her from going back.
But, you know, we haven't never tried the Mobi, but I don't know that we would
I'm gonna say something that I'm sure every company who buys an ad from me will not be happy I'm saying. But, like, if the thing you're using has an a thing about it that's valuable for you, then that's what's best for you. Right.
You know what kinda been for my daughter. I've let her choose because that is valuable. The fact that it's just on you and it's there's no disconnecting involved and yeah.
That's million percent. Like, I I mean, listen. I think Tandem makes a great pump. I think Medtronic does. I think that Twist pump is very interesting and doing a very good job.
I love Omnipod. I like them all. I think there's the DIYs, we've used Loop. We've used Trio. I know people doing great on Android APS.
Like, they're what's working for you is what's best.
Yeah.
And that's Yeah. And that's a bigger thing than just what is my a one c. Like, it it's gotta be it's a it's a I think it's a holistic thing. What what works best for us? Right?
Like, I've talked to people who are like, I don't care about tubing, but it means nothing to me. I honestly think that if I put a tube pump on Arden, she might throw it across the room in five minutes. I think it would I I think she would hate it. And but she's used to an Omnipod. Right?
Like like so, like and and I think if I would have put her in a tube pump when she was four years old, I don't think she'd think twice about it. So, like, just whatever's working for you. And keep in mind that working means more than one thing is the right thing for you. And if it's not working for you, then switch. But no matter what you switch to, always use one of my links.
That's really what's important. Corey, that's that's the important part. If you're going to switch to Medtronic to Tandem,
to
Twist, to Omnipod, you should be using my link to do it. Okay?
Your advertising's working. I think I learned more about Omnipod through listening to the podcast than anywhere else. Yeah, been good for
us. Yeah. Yeah. I I I'm I'm joking. I'm not joking.
But I'll tell you this. If you are looking for a a person who's gonna be willing and able to have an hour and a fifteen minute long conversation like the one you and I had today, then, Scottie gotta sell ads. Okay? Because, like, that's that's how this works. There's no one else
out I know. I mean, it's education too. Like, it's not just advertising. It's education. I I didn't really know much about Omnipod until we started listening to podcasts regularly.
So
Yeah. You hear that insulate? Alright. By the way, when I say that, I'm actually talking to a certain person who I know is listening, and I'm laughing because she's so lovely. And I'm just and now I now I'm I'm thinking about her making it like that she's so embarrassed right now for no reason.
But, like no. Yet, I mean, listen. Being, like, super serious and I and talking to, like, people like this is what I'm gonna shut it off. But, I'm talking about myself for half a second. I'm doing a thing no one else is doing.
Like like, it's and it's it's supported by ads. Like, it just it is. So Yeah. You know, we I'm glad you like it. I see people all the time talking about how great it is.
You don't subscribe to this, follow me on social media. Click on those ads once in a while and and and listen to some a podcast. This this doesn't exist anymore. Like, that's what keeps us all alive. The social media, these these different platforms are so so different than they were when I started doing this.
When I started doing this, it was enough to just do a good thing and put a good thing out in the world and it spread. And now whether it's Facebook or Apple Podcasts or any of the other podcast companies or YouTube or whatever it is, is they they don't care about you. They don't care about me. They don't care about our diabetes chatting. They care about users in their ecosystem.
And and what I am to them is a person who drags somebody into their ecosystem. Once I get you there, they don't care if you're helped or not. They care if you're served ads. And I know this sounds crazy because I just said you have to click on the ads. I mean, my ads, not their ads.
Clickbait, influencers, and staying real1:20:27
And, like and so it's a really this is how it works now. And and if you're gonna exist and succeed inside of this, you have to find a way to bring people good conversations, quality information, and do it within the rules of the game. And and where I fall short is that I refuse to do it through clickbait. And Yeah. And no one else seems adverse to that.
So Uh-huh. I am not gonna go out there and hit you constantly with, like, oh, there's something new better. It's coming. Better is coming. Better is we're gonna cure it.
This is I'm not gonna clickbait you into this. I'm gonna have a conversation with Carrie. We're gonna this is what we talked about. I'm gonna say in the in the description, it's gonna say, Carrie has a 14 year old daughter, has type one diabetes, and we talked about this, this, and this. I can't explain to you all the what's good in there, and you might look at that and think that's boring.
But trust me, this conversation will be valuable if you have type one diabetes. What I won't do is every day post some new bullshit thing about, like, oh my god. There's a new CGM coming. No. There's not.
There's not a new CGM coming. It's not. It's a company who started a thing. It's four guys in a room. They raised a $500,000.
They're never gonna bring it to market. Like, stop acting like that's actually gonna happen. Okay? Like, you know, stop. So what do they call it?
It's clickbait. It's all just clickbait. I I love what that doctor's doing in Chicago. But if you're out there pushing the cures here, the cures here is over. No.
It's not. Like like and and I think that's disingenuous, and I think it's a sign of what social media has pushed people to try to do. And there are you know?
I think, you know, listening to your podcast, you know, it provides a little bit of support. It's like you're kind of eavesdropping on someone's type one diabetes conversation Yeah.
For sure.
But, you know, like, you're you feel supported. And but then also, like, I loved hearing, like, that doctor that you had on that's doing the, oh, the name is escaping me. The trial where they're doing the islet cells.
The Eladon trial. Like Yeah. Yeah. Eladon trial. Wakowski.
Yeah. That was so interesting. He was fantastic.
And very, like I think it was good for people to hear, like, hey. Like, this isn't gonna be tomorrow. You know? Like
Yeah.
This is this takes a lot of time and a lot of money, and it takes a lot of effort, and it's not tomorrow. Mhmm.
Well, I'm and my
I love listening to your conversations with all the different types of people you have on because I I just feel like you're yeah. It's a good it it's educational. It's supportive. It's it helps us stay positive about all this. Right?
At least for me.
No. I appreciate that very much. And I'm I'm sensitive because I already had a conversation earlier today with somebody else in the space where they said, Jesus, this space is overrun with influencers all of a sudden. And and and I said, really? You think there's that many people with influence?
And he goes, I no. They don't actually have influence because they wanna be influencers. He's like, they're everywhere right now. And I I was like, yeah. And I answered very simply.
I said, I was here before them. I'll be here when they're gone. Like, we're just gonna keep doing this very sensible way of talking about things with some reality, and and and it's not gonna be flashy, and it's not click baity, but it's consistent, and it's valuable. And I'm gonna keep doing that. Like, I am not going to turn into a person who's just like, they cured it.
Like, no. They didn't. Like, there's twelve people who aren't taking insulin right now. There's two million of you that have type one diabetes. It's not cured.
Okay? And and by the way, I had the doctor on, and he said the same damn thing. So, you know, stop stop stop trying to bait me into clicking on your stupid Instagram reel. You're so sad. All you.
Just I'm sorry. That's as close as I've come to being shitty to people, but just stop already. Okay? Go get a job for Christ's sake. You're not a creator.
I am. And I would never call myself one. It because it's douchey. Okay? There.
Jesus. Have some fucking self respect. Get a job. I'm sorry. I know this is what I do for a living already, but I'm already doing it.
Like like, how many somebody how many how many openings do you think there are for this? Like, Jesus. Seriously, what happened to people, Kari? Why won't they just get a job? Why do they think you're you're just being polite now.
You know what I'm talking about. Right?
I guess.
You guess. You're so nice. Stop it. Stop stop being so although, let me give you a lot of credit before we hang up. I thought you did a really good job of making your points about the health care system, letting me push back on the other side of it, and not getting offended or I I I was really impressed by that because I've try No.
No. I'm not easily offended. So yeah.
Well yeah. I yeah. You have four kids. I don't know. You you gotta be tough.
You know what I mean? And what are you one of six kids?
What I've what I've wanted is
But, no. Are you one of six kids? You are. Right? You said your mom
had six? Yeah. Yes. Yep. I'm the youngest of six.
Yep. Hell. You're feral, probably.
I'm a pretty strong willed independent kind of person.
I was gonna say they were probably done being parents by the time they got to you. They were like, that one will be okay. Don't worry about it. Well, I really do good parents. Oh, no.
I'm sure. I I I really do appreciate your time. And, if you hold on for one second, I'll tell you a couple things after we go. But Perfect. Okay.
Thank you. So much. Hold on one second for me. To learn more and see if you might be able to get Twist from the pharmacy and try it for free, head to visit.twist.com/juicebox. That's visit.twist.com/juicebox.
Or give them a call at 18774. That's +1 (877) 489-4478, and tell them Scott sent you. Twist requires a prescription and is indicated for people with type one diabetes six and older. Arden has been getting her diabetes supplies from US Med for years. You can as well.
Usmedcom/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Many thanks to US Med for sponsoring this episode and for being and for being longtime sponsors of the juice box podcast. There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com to US Med, Twist, and today's other awesome sponsor, the Eversense CGM. They make, of course, the Eversense three sixty five, and that thing lasts an entire year. One insertion every year.
Come on. You probably feel like I'm messing with you, but I'm not. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. Check it out. T1dexchange.org/juicebox.
Why aren't you typing t1dexchange.org/juicebox? Take survey. Be done. Wanna take another survey? Juiceboxpodcast.com/survey.
Hey. Take surveys. What are you? You busy or something? I I can see in your house.
I know you're not doing anything. I can't really see in your Sometimes people think that's true. It's not true. But please take the surveys one way or the other. Thank you.
Let's face it. Diabetes is tough, but it's easier when you have a community around you. So if you're looking for a great community around type one diabetes, check out the juice box podcast private Facebook group. Juice box podcast type one diabetes, but everyone's 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 the Juice Box Podcast private Facebook group. Juice Box Podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. I promise you it is the most unfacebook like experience that you'll ever, ever find. What a great group of people. I don't like saying this usually because it dates the ad, but right now, there are 86,000 active members.
86,000 people in there who might have your experience, know what to say, or just be a great shoulder to lean on. Don't be too proud to find a community. It really does help. And it's completely free. Juicebox podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook.
I just wanna say thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. If you're not subscribed, please subscribe in a podcast app. It really helps Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite audio app is. Like and subscribe.
You know what the kids say on the YouTube, like and subscribe. It really does help. And if you're already subscribed, please tell a friend or your endo or somebody you think might enjoy the podcast as well. Word-of-mouth is the only way that it grows. Once again, I've been Scott.
You've been fantastic, and we'll be right back with another episode of the juice box podcast.
Read the full disclaimer
© 2007–2026 Juicebox Podcast. All rights reserved.
#1921 Yo Gabba Gabba
Yo Gabba Gabba
Diagnosed at two, Gabby returns with seizure stories too many to count, somatic therapy and EMDR, ADHD in the middle of a national stimulant shortage, and a just-do-it case for modern glucagon.
Jump to a moment
- “Too many to count.” Diagnosed at two in 1999 — before CGMs — Gabby’s childhood lows meant a mom waking to strange sounds, the old Lilly red-box glucagon kit, and more than one morning waking up in an ambulance in her own driveway.
- Therapy rewired the panic, not the diabetes. Somatic therapy and EMDR — bilateral stimulation, tapping, those vibrating hand pods — helped her go from seeing seizures every time she closed her eyes to being low without panicking.
- ADHD and insulin are a hard mix. Forget to pre-bolus, pre-bolus and forget to eat, crash, drink seven juices, bolus again — and the medication that helps has been trapped in a national stimulant shortage running since 2022.
- Hyperfocus has a price. An hour of total focus on a class or meeting is an hour where the Dexcom never gets a glance — for Gabby there is no multitasking, only the one thing.
- Her glucagon message: just do it. Modern options are faster and easier than the old kits, and the worst case is running a little high. She once caught an accidental 12-unit bolus in her pump history and gave herself Gvoke on the spot — no seizure.
- T1D Exchange Registry — US residents 18+ with type 1 can complete the survey and help move T1D research forward.
- Gvoke HypoPen — The premixed glucagon Gabby used on herself after an accidental 12-unit bolus — no mixing, no hesitation.
- Mental Wellness series — Juicebox episodes with therapist Erika Forsythe on anxiety, trauma, and living well with type 1.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:00
Welcome back my friends to the diabetes show that never ends. Remember this, nothing you hear on the juice box podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise. Always consult physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. Kids, I'm not kidding. Go to t1dexchange.org/juicebox and see if you're eligible to fill in that survey because when you do, you are helping to move type one diabetes research forward.
You need to be a US citizen 18 or older and go to my link, t1dexchange.org/juicebox. Do not forget to do this, please. Thank you. Today's podcast is sponsored by US Med and Tandem Diabetes Care. What a pair.
I'm a poet and didn't even know it. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Tandem MOBI system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. Tandem MOBI has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. You can get your diabetes supplies from the same place that we do.
And I'm talking about all your favorites, Dexcom, Libre, Omnipod, Tandem, Ilet, much, much more. Go to usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from US Med. Yeah. Alright.
I said testing. Testing. Can you do it? Testing. We're done.
Let's go. Introduce yourself.
Meet Gabby — diagnosed at two2:03
Hi. I'm Gabby. I am 29. I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was two. I'm currently using a Dexcom g six.
Why are you laughing?
Because g six.
Oh, because it's because you're almost not using it anymore.
Oh, hopefully, you didn't just hear my alarm. Oh. But, yeah, g six and Tandem Mobi.
Tandem Mobi g six. You're gonna have to move the g seven pretty quickly. Right?
Yeah. I've tried it.
Yeah. Oh, you have one? You've been getting a roll? Okay. Alright.
I have I have a new supply of them sitting.
You found a supplier? You got a guy?
Yeah. CVS. You know?
Did you say CVS?
Uh-huh.
Oh, Gabby. We're gonna get along fine. Okay. So you've had type one since you were two. My daughter was diagnosed at two.
Yeah. No. It's crazy. Your earliest memory of diabetes?
Oh, when I was I have no idea, but two, three, four, you know, whatever. And my earliest, I think, memory is my older brother being like, you have to drink it. Just drink it with one of those little juicy juice boxes. And I wanna say it's because I was, like, 27, but I could be making that up. I don't know.
I was low.
Okay. How old is your brother, compared to you?
He's eight years older than me.
Oh, so you even if you were only four, he would have been do you think he was babysitting you, do you think was the whole family gathered around you? Like, how does your memory paint the picture?
Have absolutely no idea. That's the whole that's the whole memory, honestly.
Yeah. That's the whole one. Drink it. You gotta drink it. Yeah.
Is that the last time anybody's ever said drink it, you gotta drink it to you? I bet you know.
Absolutely not.
Gosh. That's
Also, you know, eat it.
Eat it. Eat it. Just shut up. We're get we we can't leave until your blood sugar's higher. Let's go.
That kind of stuff. How many brothers and sisters in total?
That one plus the sister that is just two years older than him and of the same dad and then so two on my mom's side.
Yeah. But you're you're starting to confuse me. Hold on a second. So you have a sister who's the oldest of the three of you?
Yeah.
And your father is her father? No. No. Her your father is not her father?
Correct.
But your mom is her mom? Correct. Gotcha. So your mom had a baby when she met your dad?
Yes.
Got it. And then your Only me. Oh, wait. Your mom had the your brother and your sister before you? Yeah.
Oh, okay. I got it.
And then my dad, same.
Oh, you're okay. So there's five of you in total?
Yeah.
And you're the I found Baby? You're the I found love baby.
Common denominator.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Or you're the I got sick of that one, and I found this one baby. Whatever you wanna think.
I mean Yes.
Is that what you mean?
Many, many years.
Yeah. Is it weird being much younger than your sib because now you're 29, so your brother's, what, older. Yeah. Do have anything in common with them at all?
Always have been.
You're like, it has not been exponentially changing in the last ten years. No.
No. Right.
Do you have anything in common with them?
Buttoning. I'm sorry. Do I have what?
I'm sorry. We're talking over each other. But do you have anything in common with them at all?
Yeah. I mean, recently, my brother and I have argued more about him being just, like, typical boy who's now boy dad.
Was you guys see each other for me?
Not necessarily, like, typical. Like, I got angry at him for being, like, ballet is for boys. I mean, that not opposite.
Oh, so he didn't he said ballet is not for boys, and that got it made you mad?
Yeah. Including, like, in front of his boy children that then repeated and will go repeat to their peers.
Doing that thing. Yeah. I gotcha. Stereotypes. That was for some boys.
I've seen them do. Yeah. But, I mean, you're I mean, different dad. Right? And ten years older.
But are you guys still close? Like, do you do a lot of family things?
Yeah. I'm closest with my, sister on that side.
Okay.
Because they were the most there when I was growing up, and they were just kind of, like, a good bit older than me and closer in age with each other. So in childhood, they were the one, like
And your family
arguing with each other. Yeah. I was just, like, the baby.
Your family structure is interesting.
Yeah.
Yes. Hey. Are your are your parents still together? No. So maybe it wasn't the other people.
No. How long did they make it? How old were you?
Four.
Holy. That's that's not very long at all. Nope. They're like, this time will be nope. It wasn't.
I gotta go. Like, got who'd you grow up who'd you grow up with?
Really both, but a little bit more with my mom.
Okay. But can you imagine you married somebody, made two kids, decided it didn't work, that happened to your spouse too, ten years later you make another baby thinking like, oh, we got it this time and two years into it that kid gets type one diabetes? Wouldn't you be wouldn't you be like, oh my god. Nothing is working out. You know?
Yeah. My gosh. Well, how did it work out for you? Like, how was growing up with it?
Growing up with it: shots till ten8:00
Well, being two, it's all I knew. So there's that with
But what are your
I feel like your family has the same Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. No. I know. But I guess I'll I'm kinda asking you Gabby, I'm kind of asking you, like, do you have memories of friends being supportive or was it challenging?
You know, what were your expectations for your health? Were people leaning on you all the time? Were there restrictions on your food? Like, what was that whole like, do you have any memory of it at all?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
Okay.
Uh-huh. A lot. It was not restrictive. It was, like, some rules and regimens, but not, like, terribly strict or anything, like, ridiculous in my even though I knew nothing else, but as you grow, you know?
Yeah.
But definitely not, like, diet or activity activity or or whatever restrictive in, like, any way. It was two years old was 1999, so it was, like, shots till I was 10.
I have always disliked ordering diabetes supplies, and I'm guessing you have as well. It hasn't been a problem for us, though, for the last few years because we began to use US Med back then, and you can too. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514 to get your free benefits check. US Med has served over one million people living with diabetes since 1996. They carry everything you need from CGMs to insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies and even more than that.
I'm talking about all the good ones, all your favorites, Libre three, Dexcom g seven, the pumps like Omnipod five, Tandem, and the Islet pump from Beta Bionics. They have even more than that. You gotta go check them out because the stuff you're looking for, they have it at US Med. (888) 721-1514. Or go to usmed.com/juicebox to get started now.
Use my Slink. Use my Slink. Use my link to support podcast. That's usmed.com/juicebox. Now let's talk about the Tandem Mobi insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care.
Their newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology, and the new Tandem Mobi pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with Autobulls that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options. Tandem OBI gives you more discretion, freedom, and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it out at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. When you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's gonna help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control.
Tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The Tandem Mobi system is available for people ages two and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range, and address high blood sugars with Autobolus.
The combos, the different stuffs. Just
You doing
Prick your finger. Do your best.
Yeah. Prick your finger. Do your best. Were you doing regular in Miles hour at any point?
Yeah. In the beginning.
In the beginning, you were.
Mhmm.
How involved were at what point I guess my question should be, at what point do you feel like your parents are hey. This is your thing. So go get it.
Very, like, gradually too.
Okay. Nice.
In some ways, it sounds like a little bit I don't know. I wanna be, like, a little bit sooner than, like, you or Arden, but in some ways, it's just it just feels different entirely because technology time was slightly
Yeah. You were
you were
you were before her by
Yeah.
By maybe eight eight or nine years before Arden.
Mhmm.
Yeah. Yeah. So so just there wasn't a lot to do is what you're saying. Right? Like, you just had to draw up some insulin and give yourself a shot.
Yeah. Yeah. I started a regular pump situation when I was, like, And both parents were very like, they would sometimes go, both of them, to a doctor appointment or to, like, the pump training
stuff. Mhmm.
And then at, like, either house would be, you know, little nuance differences, but they're both trying and helping and
They're on the same on the same page, basically? Yeah. Yeah. So it wasn't a drastic difference for you from one place to the next?
No. No. Not Yeah. Definitely little differences, but nothing huge and crazy.
Yeah.
At, like, 10 or whatever starting pumps, we used to do where at each site change, one of them would help me do, like, the whole insulin cartridge thing.
Mhmm.
And then I would do the site insert, and that kept going for a little while.
Yeah. Just trying to get you like, they brought you into it slowly. You're talk you you said earlier, it's kinda the way I talk about it, just the very slow handoff.
Yeah.
Yeah. And do you feel like that worked out for you? I mean, do you feel comfortable as a a young teen and as an adult?
Yeah. I think I just wish all of the technology
Yeah. No. I know. Happened.
You just Obviously.
Yeah. You just made me think, like, I hope I can do this for another decade. Like, I wanna talk to
Oh, yeah.
I wanna talk to 29 year old Gabby who was diagnosed and handed a CGM in the hospital.
I do too.
Yeah. Yeah. I really do. I wanna hear that story. Like, so I'm gonna try to hang out long enough to do Yeah.
I might have to do a sit up though or something. I don't know. Seems like a lot. But Yeah. I I kinda wanna pivot to your note because I think there's a lot in your note, and I think it's pretty specific.
So Mhmm. Let me just ask. Did you have a lot of seizure experiences growing up?
Yes.
What's a I
don't know if you remember that we talked before.
Yeah. You had a yeah. You did a glucagon you did a glucagon story. Right?
No. This is gonna be glucagon stories because we didn't really get into that.
Oh, because we didn't get into it. What what what We did
get into a little bit how I have had, like, too many to count.
Too many to count. Okay. What was your last episode called? Do you know?
Tilt a Whirl.
Tilt a Whirl. Oh, because your life is a mess.
Uh-huh.
By the way, I don't remember the conversation. I just know what that Mhmm. What that title makes me think of. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So okay. So let's talk about it. Like, you know, I mean, tell me a little bit about those experiences of having low blood sugars that are that lead to to, you know, full on seizures.
Tell me about the glucagon use. And then I wanna really move into the therapy thing that you have here. So, like but take but take your time. Okay?
The seizures start young15:49
Yeah. The the questions of the, like, parenting and both of them participating and, like, giving and transitioning, like, as nicely as possible Mhmm. Is is part of all of the seizure stuff too because they my first, I think, was when I was like I don't remember actually. But the first that I, like, know for sure, I think, was either third or fourth grade.
Mhmm.
When I went back to school and got a little art class cards being like, oh, feel better to me.
But wait. Did the did the seizure happen at school, or did it happen
at No. Just overnight, and then somehow it was known that that was why. I don't know why anyone knew that.
But Well, listen. I've been alive a while. Your mom told somebody.
Well, yes. I know that.
Yeah. Moms love to tell stuff like this, though. And as you get older, you see your mom on the phone, you're always like, why you're, like, signaling across the room, like, why are you telling someone that? Like, wait. Stop.
Yeah. Anyway okay. So it it gets out. We'll pretend we don't know how. And then you you you return to a bunch of our classmate cards, which was that nice, or was it like, oh god, everyone knows?
No. I think it was nice. I think it maybe wasn't the first one somehow. So I think
Okay.
Somehow the like, in memory of, like, young child forming memories. I don't know. So I think it was kind of nice of, like, oh.
Yeah. Well, that's not that's good. It's good that you took it that way. You know?
They knew and
Wanted to say something nice to you.
Found out in a nice way.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So so these were happening a lot. Do you know why they were happening a lot?
Do you have any, like, rear facing, like, way to break it down?
Way to break it down. Not really specifically. But over the whole beginning ish, meaning what we call childhood, it was always overnight asleep where, again, like, no CGM, try your best. Mhmm. Mhmm.
Overnight lows and the red-box glucagon18:07
Where try your best means, as you described, of your life a very long time ago too, where my mom woke up because she heard a weird sound Yeah. And then when and there Gabby was half of the time. And I remember multiple times, like, waking up in an ambulance in my in my driveway.
Multiple times in your life, you've woken up in an ambulance in your driveway. Did your mom use glucagon on you all those times, or what were they doing?
I'm not sure about all, but I think so in general. Mhmm. Definitely some of the times. Yeah. And some of those, like, overnight in, like, 2,000 I don't know, before ten, was the Lily Redbox
Yeah.
Where she had to somehow successfully manage the mixing and the re pull the new liquid stab with her medical librarian background. And, I mean, it worked.
Yeah. Did she does she do you and her talk about it as adults? Does she have memories about it?
Oh, yes. For sure. Do we talk about it? Not really. Not, like, far
Why do you think? You think it's upsetting to her still?
To some slight degree, yes.
Yeah. Has it changed your relationship? Is she worried about you all the time or, like, more so than the other siblings?
Absolutely. Yeah. Has it changed our relationship? Not, like, over time, but I think in general, absolutely.
You think it's for the better or for the worse?
Oh, Scott. I just I mhmm. I think it is what it is, and we learn and grow.
Okay. I just meant, like, do you think it made you closer, like, girlfriends, or do you think it made you, like, more more like you're gonna say the opposite. Is that right? Okay. Alright.
That's fine. Closer, sure. Girlfriend, best best friend, no.
No. Does it make you feel like she's watching you too closely and as you become an adult, that's uncomfortable?
It did. Yes.
Okay.
I don't feel like that now.
How long did it take you to get through that?
Not necessarily time, just, like, life evolution of literally not being in the same, like, space and therefore control being just different.
Are are you saying you moved out and you got some time and space away from each other and then that stuff sort of dissipated?
Yes.
Did dissipate, or did you go to therapy? Both k.
For sure.
Did she go to therapy?
Yes. I don't know if there's been any or a lot or what kind of things for this relating to this. I'm not sure.
No. Sure. You weren't there, but she's she's sought therapy Yeah.
She's had therapy a few times differently throughout life.
Okay. Alright. I'm hearing it. How old were you when you moved out?
College.
Okay. And then after college was over, did you go home or did you stay did you go find a different place?
Both. So I went to college for freshman and sophomore, like, dorm life, and that was in Philly. And my mom with no one of the mix else but pets moved, slightly closer, like, towards actual Philly.
Mhmm.
I guess technically in Philly. So so in my third year of college, I moved with her to stay there and just take trains into school Mhmm. Which was a
You don't like that?
A challenge in some ways.
You had nothing had dissipated by then?
Not quite. No.
You know, you're like, Everybody who fills in the form, like, it takes your phone number. You're one of the only people that has, like, the area code the area code that I grew up in. Yeah. Mhmm. It made me feel warm when I saw it in the notes because I don't have that one anymore.
What was I gonna say? Oh, okay. So alright. So you went away to college.
So then that was my third year. I, like, stayed, like, quote, at home, which was not really, like, at home, but sure. At a new home. Yeah. And then was like, I can't do this.
Because. Say because and then finish that sentence. Why Because
Yeah. Of, honestly, our relationship in many ways, but diabetes obviously being a part of that, but not the only thing because of how my siblings, relate and understand and firsthand feel, the, like, dynamics.
Wait. Wait. That's a lot of buzzwords. Your your your family doesn't relate well to your diabetes or to each other, and you just didn't wanna be around it?
No. No. My my siblings relate to not doing well with living with our mom.
They relate to not doing well. It's not a good place for anyone to be.
Yeah. Together.
Okay. Are you are you trying to save your moms?
Together for a short time.
Are you are you trying to save people's feelings when you're talking? Is that why you're
having trouble? Okay.
I need you to be a little less obtuse. Okay? So because I'm I'm trying to pick through what you're saying, but, like, you're not I mean, you're saying it without saying it, so you might as well say it is what I'm saying. And that's a lot of the words saying in the same two seconds. So you don't really come home after college.
I mean, you do for the third year, but you're commuting. Yeah.
I'm commuting to school. So then the fourth year, I'm like, let's change this. So then I go just more into Philly and further from school, but, therefore, stay there for the next few years post school.
Are there seizures in while you're living alone or while you're living in that situation?
Not at that point.
Were you
using Later on? Yes.
Okay. Were you using different technology in college or not yet?
A little, but not at all, like, largely successfully. No. Definitely.
Were there fewer seizures in college because your blood sugars were higher? Do you know what your a one
c's were? But college also was dance major and me doing 12,000 things with working, rehearsing, volunteering, and a million.
So you're running around a lot and you and you were less aggressive with your insulin because of all the activity?
Yes. A little. But then, yes. So my a one c is, like, definitely a little bit higher from college for from college through college. But I had, I believe, one seizure during my freshman year, and then one during my junior year, I believe.
How do they get handled in college? Like, is it like, mean, does somebody come help you? Is it they somebody call an ambulance
Seizures in college26:47
for you? Unique, I guess. The freshman year one was in my dorm, and I literally reached, like, down the side of the slightly raised bed in the dorm room to, like, wake up from sleep and reach to the side for, like, a juice or whatever.
Mhmm.
And lost it right then, fell to the concrete floor, and woke up, I don't remember, a little bit later. My roommate was there and got our RA Mhmm. Who was a nurse, so that was just a good job life. Yeah. But she just, like, sat there with us trying to have me drink orange juice because I guess I stopped after a second.
And
You were coming out of it.
Was trying to drink juice, which I don't remember.
Yeah. So So have you have these happened oh, I'm sorry. Cut
it I don't remember actually if that moment if people were, like, called, but I don't think I went there. I don't think that time I went to any hospital situation. I think my mom was just called and
Just kept going?
Went went back to her
house. Yeah. How about at that point, junior in college, any or or I'm sorry. That was probably your your freshman year. That was freshman year.
Yeah. Once you're in an apartment by yourself, does it happen again there? And then what do you do in that situation?
It does not happen in there in, like, new independenter. I mean, I wasn't fully alone. I had roommates, but do they know stuff? You know? They're not.
So that was definitely the time too when I was like, I'll be higher overnight. Whoops.
Yeah. Just to keep that from happening.
Yeah. But especially because that, like, few years was the most, like, some type of anxiety stuff.
In in school?
No. When I, like, moved into first roommate apartment.
Okay.
Like, just further from school.
Can I ask you, like, in in all the times that this happened, was there ever a conversation about, like, well, we could try to make adjustments or do something different? Like, was there an effort made to keep it from happening, or was it just like, oh, I guess this is something that happens?
I almost don't know how to answer that because, like, yes. But in some ways, what could be done?
What what could be done? What do you think could be done?
In all honesty, I don't know because which is why, you know, it happened last, March, like, this past.
Wait. It happened re because it's June now. You're saying it
last one.
Yeah. You're you had one in March. Okay. So now let's go to that one. So it's March, and you have a CGM and using Control IQ.
And so you're pretty much stacked up as best you can be with technology. How do you how do you think how do you think that came came on? Wait. Why wait. Why are you you think the Dexcom was a problem?
The March seizure and a suspect G730:45
Yeah. So I was wearing a g seven.
Okay.
And I absolutely think that one's a problem. And I should probably call Dexcom about this, but, I have not done that yet.
Well, Gabby, this is you're 29.
Mhmm.
And this has been happening since you were how like, you think three or four. Right?
I don't remember the first one.
Yeah. Like, since you're a little kid. So this has been happening for twenty five years is my point. Right? So is like, I'm trying to figure out, like, what is it about either your physiology or your the way you use insulin or your activity or whatever.
I mean, I don't exactly know. But, like, you know, you you're having you had more low blood sugar incidences or seizures than, you know, if I randomly collected up the last 10 people that I interviewed collectively. So, like, is there any like, the doctors try to help you? Is there any, like, research you've done? Like, is anything there you at all have come up with?
The simple answer is no. The the things that have been tried
Mhmm.
Include only once, which, like, maybe it just needs to be done again. I don't know. But once, I think I
was
17, I got everything that you can test, like an MRI, a CT, an EEG. Okay. And they were trying to see from any or all of them if there was, like, a focal point of brain why seizures happen.
I mean, I think the seizures happen because your blood sugar gets low.
Auto? Exactly. It's only
I don't know what an EEG is gonna I don't know what an EEG is gonna fit for Yeah. Yeah. But I I mean, honestly, I can't there's, not a research scientist, but I'm having trouble, like, understanding why an EEG would help you understand why your blood sugar gets low a lot. I mean, do
you Well, that wouldn't help the blood sugar, but that would say, like, there's this thing in her brain that's gonna say we're gonna have a seizure instead of just, like, exist.
Oh, you they're wondering if you have a seizure disorder and it has nothing to do with your blood sugar?
I mean, it has to be related.
I would think so. That's what I'm saying.
Everyone knows that I've only had them in this, but I don't know. Still at the time, whoever was trying to help was like, let's go just test this and, like, make sure.
Do you know what kind of doctor that was?
I do not remember.
No. And how long have you been, like, I don't know, like like, legitimate, like, out on your own, like, job, live in your own space, don't rely on your mom for anything. How many years has that been?
Since since pretty much going to that apartment, like
Your junior year?
Was, like, 2018.
Oh, okay. Alright. So teen. Okay. So 2018, you've been at this by yourself.
Do you have a a mate, a spouse, a roommate, anything anybody that lives with you with consistency?
A mate. You
know, you like, a person who has sex with you. Understand what
I'm folks. So come on. But for real, please get some more Australian.
Get what? Get more you want more Australians?
Yeah.
They are great.
So random. But anyway No.
No. You but you must you listen a lot. The Australians are always fantastic. There's no doubt. I I've I've never interviewed somebody from Australia where I didn't get done and go like, wow.
That felt like I was on a roller coaster. That was awesome. So no. I I hear you. But I meant, like, you know, sexual partners, like, people who are around a
lot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No.
Yeah. Okay. Go ahead.
Back in 2018, I had three roommates, and that continued for, like, a few years with a few different roommate iterations. And then I had, like, one or two years of two, I guess, of actual studio solo. And now for a good while, I've had a partner who lives here. So
Is that person experiencing your life in a way that they can say, hey. I'm noticing something here. Like, maybe we should look into this. No. What do they know about your diabetes?
They know everything. Okay. He's been there during
He's seen a seizure?
Yeah.
And there's no, like no. He didn't go, like, you know what I noticed? Like, this, that, like, I don't like, Gabby, we can't let this keep happening to you because one of these times, you're gonna have, like, a dire outcome. Don't you think? Yeah.
Aren't you worried about you must be worried about that. Right?
I was incredibly anxious about that in, like, 2018 or so ish. Yeah.
Until you got lobotomized? What happened? How did you stop worrying about that?
Well, that therapy, honestly. Therapy, think, mostly.
What kind of what kind of therapy was it? Tell the people.
It wasn't, like, worry either. It was, like, anxiety where I was gonna go to sleep, and I would, like, see myself.
Oh, yeah. I mean, if I'm you, I don't I I probably just take toothpicks and jam my eyes open and never sleep. So, like yeah. So you what is it any kind of special therapy? Is it just talk therapy?
What'd you do?
Somatic therapy and EMDR36:26
Somatic therapy where it's, like, all about body and what's happening with it and what it's experiencing and how to like, many ways to, like, reregulate.
To to reregulate?
Yes. Like, to ease the nervous system and sort of undo some automatic responses and, like, understand and process.
What do they do that? How do they do that for?
That anxiety of, like
Yeah. Yeah. But how do they do that?
Low and I'm panicking. And is that helpful? Probably not. So maybe I could be low and not panicking.
Oh, that's cool. But, Gabby, how do they rewire that? Is it through drugs or therapy or, like, talk?
Talk mostly, but including physical experience within the talking. So, for example, with this one therapist before, which was also, like, 2018, I think, to 20 ish. Mhmm. We kind of stopped because COVID was really making it not at all the same because the I think helpful part was being there in person sitting on her couch across from this lady in her chair. Mhmm.
And some of the, like, explaining and witnessing, was then also managed with some different tools like, there's EMDR. Yep. Oh, I I don't I can't tell you what it stands for right now.
Is that is that about the rapid eye movement?
EMDR. Is
that is that what they did? I can look it up because I don't remember anymore.
I don't remember, honestly. But it's, there's, like, bilateral stuff. There's, like, rhythmic stuff. So the one example that's clearest that I remember the most, is a, like, one of the many EMDR DMR oh my gosh. EMDR tools.
Several times, I sat in there, and she gave me these two little, I don't know, pod thingies that were connected just via wires to each other Mhmm. Like, right and left. And I held them in my two hands, and the wires connected to, like, power as they do.
Yeah.
But that power being vibrate, right, left, right, left, right, right, left, right, left. And that sort of bilateral stimulation.
It rewire you?
Does some
Some oogabuga? Like, some magic? It makes your trauma go away?
Yeah. I mean, I'm not the therapist and, you know, I thought I also might be one day, but, yeah, I can't explain it super, super well.
No. So you did vibrating hands and EMDR.
The one that I remember the most of the two hands. Yeah. Okay.
Hey. Can I just tell people
for situation could also be, like, you're tapping your own, like, knees or shoulders rather than holding the two tools?
Okay. Just quickly, EMDR, eye movement desensitization desensitization and reprocessing, structured therapy, trauma therapy, where a person briefly focuses on a painful or traumatic memory while also doing bilateral stimulation, usually following a therapist's finger side to side with their eyes, though tapping or sounds can also be used. This idea is to help the brain refill the memory so it exists but doesn't hit the nervous system like it's happening in the moment.
Mhmm.
That and that worked.
I think so.
Think about a scary, horrible thing that happened to you. I'm gonna vibrate your hands. And you were like, ah, I'm good.
I mean, not like that.
But, like, it took some time and you felt better.
Yeah.
Yeah. How long how much time? Years.
Well, I was only with her for, like, two years. Okay. But that felt like a whole season that ended up being incredibly helpful. Mhmm. I say ended up because at the time, it's like, okay.
Well, I walk out and I just, you know, feel what I feel and don't feel as as you just joked like, okay. I'm good.
Like, better. Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah.
Yeah. In the much grander scheme.
And and what is your trauma? Is it mostly the seizures, or is there other things? Are there other things?
Collapsing in Center City41:52
No. I would say that's, like, the main thing, because they have included, like, being in public, being I mean, I guess I always spoke with people. But, yeah, in public. Okay. One was on the streets of Center City, Philly.
You just had a seizure.
Yeah. And somehow, the world works out by that time, which was in, I think, that, like, junior year of high school. That time, I took the good old NFL. I took the subway from Drexel to Center City to meet my mom because she was working near Center City. Mhmm.
And we met and went back to her car at whatever work lot, and she drove back to her house. That's all true. What's in the middle is that the second that we met up, I collapsed.
Oh, I see. So you met up, passed out right there, she put you in the car and took you home?
Well, she called an ambulance, but I had already
had lots
of sugar. Yeah.
Okay. So is that from just walking around then and all the hustling around the city that made you low, you think?
So that's from that's from why why no one's, like, helped and found, you know, boop, you're good now. Because college was dance, so was all of the exercise, every possible, like, physical variable that you could have
Mhmm.
With everything in variety of, like, intensity, timing, dancing at 9AM and 9PM, being stressed and lacking sleep and all that fun stuff. Yeah. And the dance sometimes going boop, plummeting.
A lot of it happening together. And you've never found, like,
And, like, how you fuel that.
Yeah.
So that example of oops. Center City. Hey, mom. That happened right after literally March 20.
And you haven't found anything that helps with this, like a certain way of eating or putting your pump in a different mode or changing your settings? Nothing is helping? Are you not trying those things?
I mean, I am now that we, like, have more of those things, and they're definitely helping.
Good.
Yeah.
You feel like you're a little lost? Like, far as settings changes, etcetera?
Less now for sure.
Why? Why do you feel less now?
I definitely feel like I was some.
Yeah. What helped you not to feel that way?
Why Dexcom, you know, even though I didn't finish saying where I think that one was a messed up life. But, anyway, that one j seven this past March. But in general, obviously Yeah. Dexcom usually, overall, super helpful, obviously. And Moby and all of the help that it can do.
Mhmm.
What else was I saying? But there just hasn't been like a here it is.
Answer that just pops up.
It's what it is. Yeah.
And you've gone do you have an endocrinologist?
Yes.
Oh, Gabby, you're gone. I mean, you're here, but you disappeared. Gabby, Gabby, we everybody know that Ramon song? She's back. Hey, Gabby.
You just disappeared for a second. That's all.
Am I back?
Yeah. I just asked if you had an endocrinologist and you were getting the right answer.
Yes. Yes. I do.
Okay.
None of them have really, like, helped with it in all honesty, and they've kind of, like, threatened taking my license away. Just, like, got scared sounding themselves without being helpful really about it.
Okay.
And I don't like, put it on me and us, honestly.
Yeah. Do you have any idea, like, what you need to be more successful? Like, is there a thing you're like, oh, I need that, but I don't have access to it, or do you need a an idea?
No. I don't think there's a thing
That you're aware of?
ADHD, out in the open47:30
Yeah.
Okay. Do you have ADHD?
Yes.
Okay. Is there any medication that helps you with that?
Yes. And I can't access it because of the world's shortage.
You can't access ADHD medication?
Yep.
Are you sure you just didn't try to do it and then forgot to keep going?
Yes.
Oh, I'm just teasing you. Okay.
Hold on
a second. No.
Get it because that's real.
I know. Yeah. What's the medicine called?
So I've tried a couple of the last and recent that for some time was great was recently Adderall. And I was successfully doing a Adderall extended release, And in my last check-in, my brain doctor said, let's see if we can find you access to the version that's just not extended release, but that just still has not come through.
So why do we not want the extended release?
We don't not want it. We just want anything that we can access through any pharmacy.
You can't get it at all. You can't find it anywhere. Yeah. I don't understand.
Yeah.
What what wait. And it's been for how long has it been like this?
Just, like, a month or so. Like, I had it previous to that, like, solid two months. And then before that was also, do we? Don't we? Do we?
Don't we?
Yeah. So there's still a stimulant supply. By the way, if all you people out there who are using this stuff off label would leave it alone, then poor Gabby could think straight.
Yeah. Like Yeah. It's addicts actually, like, literally need it.
I hear what you're saying. I hear what you said.
But it's it's difficult for the people that need it that would have difficulty doing the extra steps that we have to do Mhmm. In order to try to get it. Like, we're not the people that should have all of the extra steps, and yet we do.
The shortage has been happening since 2022.
Yeah. I've spent I mean, I was probably not even diagnosed in that year, so there's that. Yeah. But I've spent a good chunk of time calling pharmacies and being like, hey. I'm just reaching out to see if you have any stimulants in stock of any sort even.
You sound do you think you sound like a like a like you're drug seeking when you do that, or you just they they they they under because
I mean, once legitimately calling the pharmacy being like, I have a prescription Yeah. From my psychiatrist. Mean, they have only been like, we have nothing in stock. Sorry. Bye.
That's it. Because because there's I'm looking it up here. Adderall XR, there's, Midias, Medias, Adzenys. Who names this crap? Dynavel XR, Vyvanse, I've heard of.
Mhmm. Different stimulant family from those Concerta, Ritalin, Focalin, Astras, Jurnay PM, Daytrana patch. I mean, Jesus. My god. There's, like, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.
Finding 11 different ways to give people speed. You would think that, like I mean, that's what we're talking about. Right? And
so Yes and no.
Are people are people abusing this? Is that why it's available? Hold on. I have a I have a little breakdown here. Break it down.
Breaking down the stimulant shortage51:14
Demand went way up where people are being diagnosed treated for ADHD. So a stimulant prescribing rose a lot over the past decade. FDA DEA says stimulant dispensing increased 45.5% from 2012 to 2021, and that high prescription volume has strained supply. There's a manufacturing problem that started the whole thing. A shortage originally began after a manufacturing delay at one of the makers.
FDA, DEA said the the delay later resolved, but the system was already stressed, and then there was a ripple effect. Hold on. There's more.
The system was stressed.
It says the system was stressed. The DEA said that. Active ingredient supply issues. There has been a a big under the hood problem. In 2026, JAMA Health Forum analysis found that the shortage lined up with a major drop in US imports of raw amphetamine, the active ingredient used in many ADHD meds.
The authors argue this is, in the, the the article. The shortage looks more like a supply chain failure than a simple too many prescriptions. The DEA quota rules make ramping up slower because amphetamines are controlled substances. Manufacturers can't decide to make a ton more tomorrow. The DEA sets production quotas.
The twist here is that the FDA said manufacturers only sold about 70% of their allotted quota in 2022. So quotas don't explain the shortage, says the FDA. And generic XR makers backed out or limited supply. So current shortage page for amphetamine extended release product list some generic XR products as back ordered. So it sounds like there were people that were gonna make generics, then they backed out of it.
Mhmm. Okay. It means fewer company strength that are carrying the load. Simple answer is this more demand plus fragile ingredient supply plus controlled substances, production rules, manufacturers not producing consistently, and pharmacies can't reliably get it. But in the end, what's the problem?
Little kids in college, are you using it all up to get better grades? Is that what we're thinking?
I don't know, honestly, because I, like, don't know of that happening, like, in legitimate, true ways that are problems, first of
all. Mhmm. You haven't met the right people. Well I there's plenty of people who Yeah. I think there's plenty of people who don't have ADHD that have a prescription for this.
Yeah. Yeah.
I think there's also a a wild amount of people that
Have
ADHD. And can't. Yeah.
Yeah. This is a this is like a tragedy, honestly.
Honestly, yes. Yeah. Yeah.
I wonder why I wonder why the the
It's legitimately horrible.
I wonder why the some of the makers of the generics like, why won't they follow through on it? That seems like a a no brainer. Right? There's supply or there's demand. Right?
Mhmm. Okay. Well, I mean, listen. I like you a lot. I think that's obvious, but talking to you is hard
It's wild.
Because of your ADHD. Yeah. I mean, it's not it's a it's a it's you might call an exercise and persistence. You you know what I mean? So if you're if just if just conversating like this is difficult for you, then I'm trying to imagine what it's like for you to take care of your insulin.
Uh-huh.
Yeah. And and are some of these lows precipitated by just your inability to, like, just Yeah. Focus on Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Like, what do you think?
Oh, yes. Absolutely. Because I yep. I've done every version of, forget to pre bolus. Okay.
Up and down. Pre bolus, forget to eat. Mhmm. Mhmm. Crash, drink seven juices before your actual meal, and then give insulin for your meal again.
Yeah. Yeah. I like the way you laughed. You're like, It's just like it just keeps happening. So what's the answer?
I mean, would the ADHD meds, like, really put a big like like like, I don't know. Would it would it take a knockout of the this problem for you? Would it help?
I don't know. I mean, it definitely excuse me. I don't know I'm dry.
You're fine. Do you wanna take a drink?
Was helpful. Yes.
Gab Gabby, do you wanna get a drink?
Yeah. I have a I have water.
Can I tell you something? I've never done this before in the history of the podcast. I'd love to pee. Can I pause for a second? Wanna be the you wanna be the first person to be on an episode where I leave the room to go to the
bathroom? Sure.
Alright. I'm gonna pause, and I'll I'll I'll hit record when I get back. Give me Alright. Good luck. Give me I'm gonna just give me a minute.
Scott’s first-ever bathroom break55:55
I'll be right back.
Oh. Scott's gotta go. Scott's gotta be. First time in twelve whole seasons. This is history.
He's washing his hands. We hope. We pray. 1,900 episodes, and he picks today. So hold your bow.
Let's hold the phone. Let's get back to Scott. So hold your bow. Let's hold the phone. Let's get back to Scott.
Twelve seasons. He washed his hands. Probably. Let's get back to Scott. Okay.
I'm back. You there? Yep. I've been, eating a little low carb this week getting ready for the cruise, you know, in case somebody catches a photo of me from the wrong angle. And, hey.
You know what I'm saying? Got it?
No. Heard. Yeah. Yeah.
And, that that that puts me in a situation where I'm a diaphorescing. I don't know if you know the word, but I'm
a big
I'm peeing more. I'm gonna hold on one second. Do you take a would you take a generic of, like, a Ritalin Concerta thing? Would that help you?
Yeah. I tried Concerta for a while.
And any good?
Kind of plat eaued. Oh. So we just stopped, and then we tried a different thing.
Okay. So that that didn't help you. So the methylphenidate generic wouldn't help you then? I don't even know how you're supposed to
I mean, it might again because it it did a lot in the beginning. And then, even after a couple increases, we did not go to the max, but
Are are they are they Correct.
Or then it just stopped helping.
Are they in shortage too?
I'm not sure, but I have been told by several pharmacies at different times that they don't have any stimulant of any kind. So I think yes. I think maybe not to the same degree.
This maybe because of where you're calling? Is this like a local problem?
I not that I know of.
Alright. Hold on a second. Hold hold on a second. We're gonna do we're gonna do a let's call it a test here. Alright?
Hold on. I'm gonna call Walgreens. I don't think I can let you hear the first part because you can hold on a second. Okay. Okay.
Okay. Alright. Here we go.
How can I help you today?
Can I speak with a pharmacist?
Okay. You want the pharmacy, but I can actually help you with
I do not want your oh my god. Just let me talk to the pharmacist. Terrible. Gabby, why would they do that? I I asked for the pharmacist once.
Do I not know what I'm talking about?
Welcome to my life, Scott.
Oh my god. Hold on a second. Yep. Pharmacist.
Normally, I transfer you, but the pharmacy is closed right now for a meal break until 2PM. You can call back later to talk with someone.
I'm making a podcast now.
Medical emergency.
It's not a medical who would call Walgreens with a medical emergency? By the way, I find this so ridiculous.
Tomorrow, we're open from 9AM.
It's not helping me now at all. I don't I love that one. If you're calling with a medic I love when you get a message, like, you're calling with a medical emergency, what the hell would I call you with a medical emergency for? Right. You imagine if you're, like, having a heart attack, you know, I think I'll call Walgreens.
Yep. Yeah. Alright. Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I mean, I I can't stay on the line with you for another half an hour. But, like, I'm gonna find out, and I'm gonna call later, and I'll put it on the recording so people can hear.
But am I gonna do that? It sounds like a thing that I just promised that I'm not gonna do.
I know that sounds like work that you
have to do. That sounds like
But that's my life. That's literally my life.
Sucks.
Oh, Gabby, will you call this and this place? Okay. Try this one now. Yeah. Try this one now.
Try this one now. Okay.
I'm trying to I know some people who work at companies that make some of this stuff. I just sent a text out to somebody to see if they know anything about it. It'd be nice if they looked at my text. So I don't know how well I know them, obviously, because they're not like, oh, Scott's texting. Let me immediately look and see what's going on.
Can you stop everything else?
I have some people who treat me that way, and I to those of you out there, I appreciate it. I'm But gonna see if I can get somebody there. So so you've been without this med for, like, a month? Mhmm. You're not self medicating anyway.
Right?
Just coffee.
Does that help at all?
It just helps a lot in the early parts because I just cannot get it together.
In the morning, it helps you? Yeah. Do you have trouble paying your bills?
As any human. But you
know? Do you have any trouble paying your bills, Gabby?
Are you asking me if I'm poor or if I'm, like, not
really nice? No. No. I didn't ask you. I'm asking, do you get a bill when you go?
I'll do this and then just forget.
I mean, yes. But I have not had any, like, problems with it, if that makes sense.
Okay. Do you ever get so exhausted while you're doing something you have to stop and nap? Is that not an ADHD? I'm I'm trying to, like I'm matching your symptoms up against other people that I know.
No. Except, like, during if I'm not currently already doing something, then yes.
Explain to me a situation where that would happen.
What executive function feels like1:01:38
Where it's midday and I need to do x, y, a, b, all of the list. And executive function is like, nah.
You can't do it.
We're not gonna do any of
that now. When you say executive function, explain how you think of that to a person who's not doesn't have ADHD or doesn't know anything about it.
A little like the tilt a whirl, but more so, like, how you get into the tilt a whirl. So it sometimes feels like if you took my brain, you could find all the things, but they won't necessarily be able to come together and work together, like, at the right time, especially, or without.
Gabby, I'm gonna stop you. If you pointed a gun at me right now and made me tell you what you just said, I have no freaking idea. I can't I couldn't follow that at all. What executive function. Really listen.
Really focus for a second. Okay? When you say to somebody, my executive function's messed up in 10 words, what does that mean? What's happening in your head right now while you're thinking about it?
There's there's just no come together into the sentence structure.
No come together. So you you have thoughts, but they're scattered and you can't find a place to dive in to start. So you just pick a word, you start going, and then how does it feel? Let me see. Does it feel like I'm trying to go off of what you just said.
Does it feel like you're in the middle of a giant globe, And it's one of those globes where people, can pretend to parachute, and there's words flying all around you, and all those words would make your thought, but you can't lay your hands on them, and you can't and if you could, you couldn't put them in the right order? That seemed like a a description of it or is there
Yeah. I could pull the words. I often can't pull them into one string.
Okay.
Meaning a sentence.
There's part of me that wants to take the the what I'm telling you is gobbledygook that you just spit out from the total world to when I stopped you and give it to, like, a large language model and say this is a person with ADHD. Do you have any idea what they were talking about? And then see if it spits back something that you would agree was what you were trying to say or not. Have you ever tried that? No.
That sounds like it would be fun. Like, just have you talk into a thing and then tell it, I have ADHD. Can you make any sense of what I just said? What do you think that I was trying to say? Mhmm.
That's just me. I don't know how we would do that exactly. I'm thinking about it right now. I don't know how to pull it off on the podcast or I would. Yeah.
It's wild because I know that I'm like this and people have to, like, decode me sometimes. Yeah. And I also say words to people as directions as the main part of my job.
What's your job?
I teach Pilates.
Is that simpler, though, because it's, like, simpler, like, statements or because it's a thing you know and you're really good doing Can
be for part one. For part two of what you said, yes, hopefully.
Yes, hopefully.
Part three, practice of many, many, many, many years now.
Mhmm. And so it's kind of like a it's not a thing you have to think about. It's a rhythm.
It's a rhythm and it's I mean, I 100000% absolutely think about it. And when I think about it too much, it's actually worse. You know?
Okay. Yeah. So
Because then I'll then I'll, like, disappear and my brain will go into those directions that are not one string into a sentence yet because I, like, care so much and get so excited about, you know, the person's questions or whatever or, you know, what you're feeling in your body or how to do an exercise. Right? That if I think about it too much, then there's, like, too many of the words that are not strung together yet.
Wow.
Does that make any sense?
I mean, not really, but I appreciate you trying. Like, I mean, I I get I get what you're saying. Like but if I but if you ask me to rewrite it as a cogent thought from my perspective, I I can't do it. Like, I I hear what you're saying and I get the feeling of what you're trying to tell me, but I don't have a concrete explanation in your words. Does that make sense?
Yeah. I think so.
Yeah. I oh, this is how how does this, impact your, your personal relationship with this boy that you talked about? Does he have ADHD too? Do neither of you know what's happening?
I don't know. We have a wild experience where we don't know if he does because he's never been tested. But he's had one psychiatrist that he now hasn't seen in a little while who gave him a very, very, very, very, very low dose Mhmm. But still gave him an Adderall prescription because he simply was like, hey, lady. I'm having trouble focusing at work.
And she was like, okay. Try this. And I was like, what?
I need it. How come you can't steal his? I know first of all, that's not right. You shouldn't share other people's medications, but I assume you thought about it.
So Oh, he's taking mine.
Does he really do do you feel like he needs it? Does he feel like he needs it?
I don't know, honestly.
This is the problem. You're all running around high out of your minds on this Adderall. Is that what's going on? Is that what No.
No. No. No. The problem is also that he's running around high in sugar.
So Does he got diabetes?
What has he got? Yes.
You found it. Does he have type one?
That's the question.
You're not sure? Wait. He's got you gotta be sure if he's got type one or not.
He is officially diagnosed with type two, but that was from such a long time ago. But, of course, like, older than 20, and has not since been otherwise diagnosed differently, but has been managed with more ins like, with insulin and then more insulin and continues to be high and not know how to do it properly.
Your mom have ADHD too or just you?
For sure.
Your mom does too. Is that why you guys have such a hard time getting along, do you think?
That's totally probably some of it. Sometimes, yeah.
Is that feel have you ever thought about
Like, in in, like, unknown wise, like, growing up of, like like, she now agrees with my sister and I that we have the same. It's all yeah.
I I have a feel like, I I there's part of me that wants to make two robots. One's you, one's your mom, and have her try to talk to each other. And then I'm gonna make that a TV show, And that's it. Like, you know how Love Island, you can't stop watching?
Mhmm.
Do you watch Love Island?
You know, I just restarted the UK version.
I had a feeling you knew about it. And so and just your age and everything. So, like, I wonder if a if a if a third party would watch you two talking to each other and think they have no chance. That one doesn't know what they're asking, and that one doesn't know what they're being told and vice versa. And then it just gets frustrating because you get frustrated all the time.
Right?
Not necessarily with myself or my
No. I mean, with your interactions with other people. Like, when you try to say something to somebody and it's and they answer you in a way that makes you think, like, go ahead. They are not following what I'm saying. Is that frustrating?
Yes. But most of the time, I think I can clarify.
You don't think people are being polite?
No. I think people will tell me and be like Good. No. Please try again.
Make sure you have people around you who will do that. Yeah. Yeah. Because I I have personal relationships with people who have, like like, what I would call crippling ADHD. And there is a moment sometime where you just go, oh, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Because you think we're never getting to this. Like, I my life's not long enough for me to get this description out of them. So I just you I have found myself just, like, nodding along sometimes.
I feel bad. You feel bad when I'm doing it, but, like, I don't know what else to do.
That's hard.
Yeah. It I mean, listen. I mean, it's harder for you, but, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not I can't imagine if I was like, well, your ADHD might be tough, Gabby, but it's it's much harder on me. So, no, I'm not I'm not saying that.
But I mean, situation sounds hard on both of you.
Yeah. No. It is. Then I it's what I was starting to wonder about you and your mom. Like, that's such an unfair thing.
Not I mean, it's not anything it was, you know, anything you can do about it or anything. But I try to imagine two people who are, like, desperately trying to connect with each other that can't.
I don't know if we've really had that much disconnection about her because of that. I think it's more, like, how it shows up, like, less consciously. Mhmm. Like, since I could manage bringing my own bag somewhere. Gabby, do you have your checker and your juice and a snack?
Mhmm.
That's the our version of KeyWallet phone.
Yeah.
And, like, on the other hand, that's us leaving. And then my mom's like, oh, I can't find my keys. Where are my keys? Blah blah blah. And then my brother goes and finds them.
And then when he has when he's, like, older and tired of finding her keys, He gets her a key chain that says, my keys, I have not lost yet. And he gets her a tile where you can, like, click and find them.
Yeah.
So that was way back, like, 2012 or something. But that version is my mom being like, hey. You have to remember all these important things, and I'll remember them for you too, like, when you're younger especially, but I'm sure she also probably still walks around with a juice box sometimes.
Yeah.
But then she goes, oh, I can't find my keys. So with that and with me as a child experience in experiencing all of that continually, I never lose my keys. My mom and I actually just talked about this.
Just the thing you were actually able to, like, get get together.
Because I was, like, actually aware of that being a thing Oh. From being so little to, like, becoming a person
Yeah.
And deciding the keys are gonna go in this spot next to the door. In every version of a door, there has to be a single spot that they go in.
And that and that pattern building helps you.
Exactly. Yeah.
Yeah. But that's hard to do in, like, a personal conversation. But you do find what you find a way with the Pilates to do it a little bit, and you have found so you have found ways to set up almost, like, scripts of I'm thinking of you almost like a computer now. Like, you have a prewritten script, and you're you you follow kinda like that metadata file, and then you get an outcome that you need Because you don't have to think about it, you just do it in steps. Is that right?
Some, but I'm very much more flow than that. Okay. And it's it's just the focus difference. Like, as you said, like, it was speed somewhat, and I was like, yes, but also many other things.
I got lost. You lost your way. Right? Yeah. Gabby, we can stop.
You're probably tired. And, also, I have to tell you, I really like you. I think you're delightful. I and this is incredibly interesting. If people wanna understand ADHD, they should listen through this, because they will when it's over, and you're very kind to do that.
By the way, also, you have no, like, ego about it. You're not upset talking about it. You didn't get I really appreciate that. It's a very honest conversation.
Mhmm. It's my life.
This is my But I
was just gonna say hyperfocus.
Hype oh, hyperfocus is what you were looking for?
Yeah.
Isn't it funny when you were looking for hyperfocus but couldn't find it?
Mhmm.
Yeah. There's like an irony in it.
It's great.
Yeah. Yeah. It's great. You're like, yeah. Yeah, Scott.
It's awesome. Thanks. Sorry.
No. I mean, it's it's awesome feeling, meaning not awesome. We're sarcastic and silly. It's not fun to feel like I was so hyper focused for the full hour of this work meeting, this Pilates class, this Pilates private, this dance class, whatever is, like, the thing. And we're done with that one hour.
Yeah.
And then we're back to life being Scattered. Full and round. And we realized that for the whole past hour, we didn't look at Dexcom. We didn't think am I high or low? We didn't think whatever else.
Oh, you're so focused on staying together for this work meeting, as an example, that you you weren't able to do anything else.
Anything else.
I see.
There is nothing else.
Gotcha. So if if you make the world small enough, you can focus.
I don't make it, though. That's the thing.
It happens? Yeah. Because you needed to in that moment?
Yeah.
But you can't multitask. You can't leave what you're focused on to think about your blood sugar because if you do, then you'll spin in that direction. Is that right?
Yes and no.
Okay.
Because I often do. Like, I'll glance and be like, k. Cool. Or I'll start feeling low and see, oh, okay. 70.
Let me get a go glow gummy. 100% everyone everyone should get glow gummies.
Gab Gabby, can I tell you something? I don't know that I should say this out loud yet, but I'm just going to. I think there's gonna be a juice box podcast glow gummy flavor. What? Yeah.
I think so. I think that might happen.
What does that even mean? What would it be?
I don't know. We have to figure that part out yet still. Interesting. Yeah. I we might be we were talking about perhaps going online and letting people vote on the flavors that she hasn't made yet to see if we can decide on what a Juice Box podcast flavor would be.
Fascinating. Fun. Right?
Yeah. I have no suggestion because I love all their flavors. Orange is my least favorite.
Mhmm.
But it's fine.
Is the orange mango?
No. There's an orange, like
Okay.
An actual orange.
Then there's mango. But that's
the mango
That's the Omnipod
flavor. The same. Yeah.
Yeah. I think I don't think I should talk about her business because it's not my business, but I think there's more. I think there is a tandem flavor now.
There is. It's blue raspberry.
Yeah. I think there's gonna be others
good too.
There's gonna be others coming too.
That's awesome.
Yeah. And one of them might be Juice Box podcast.
That's really cool.
Yeah. Right? She's lovely. I'll have her on the podcast.
I no. Please. They I don't know that I've I've had them for so long or for so such an extent they've, like, prevented anything crazy, but they've absolutely helped including helping, like, the anxiety of, like, this is gonna work so fast Mhmm. While being way more enjoyable.
Yeah. Also, they're they they're really, like, stable. Like, you can keep them in your car. Right? They don't get all mushy and everything.
There's a lot of I'm gonna have her on to talk about it. So, yeah, we we met she and I met a year ago, and then we had some miscommunication where we both thought we weren't emailing the other. And I swear that happened for, like, eleven months where I was like, I wonder I thought we were having, like, such a nice time talking. We met in person, I guess. Like, I guess she didn't feel the same way.
And she said to me, I thought the same thing. And I don't know what how we got messed up, but Yeah. I I'm really happy. Like, she reached out again. And as soon as she reached out to me, I was in the car, I was like, don't I was like, don't DM me.
Like, call me immediately. I don't want there to be any confusion. Right? So we got on the call and I just said, I thought you hated my guts. And she's like, what are you talking about?
And I was like, I'm like, I emailed you, like, ten months ago and you haven't gotten back to me. She was like, I've answered you twice, you haven't gotten back to me. I thought you were mad at me. And I was like, oh my god. This is like a rom com.
This is awesome. Yeah. So I said, no. No. Like, let's meet like, I think we met, like, the next day.
We were both at the same event. And I was heading to it. I was heading to the ADA, and she was there already. And, and I was like, no. We'll meet.
So we met, chatted for five minutes, and I was like, oh, what a funny like, I'm so happy this worked out like this. She's so lovely. Mhmm. And, and then she, you know, she was like, I don't think we started talking and and, you know, kinda came up with this idea. So we'll see what happens.
Hopefully, all that'll actually happen.
Yeah.
Yeah. I'm going to, I have a, an ability to find out about three of the generics for you. Oh, cool. I'm gonna find out about them, and I'll email you if I learn anything anything valuable. Like, if there's a way to get it through the company or, like, I I although I don't think they do the amphetamines through the direct to market stuff.
Mhmm. But I'm gonna see what I can if I can figure something out, I'm gonna let you know. And, I mean, if I can't, I'll send you a note and say, I'm sorry. I wasn't able to figure anything out.
Okay. Cool. Thank you.
You're welcome. That's great. I'm gonna go, and now I have to go live my life, and that means I have to check-in for my cruise. I have to go pick up a pair of reading glasses because I'm old. And I think I need to buy dog food because I'm leaving the house, and I know that no one else will get dog food, those poor dogs will just die while I'm gone.
So Mhmm. They won't really, but they'll go out and buy the wrong dog food.
I thought you're gonna be like, the dogs will go out and and get their own food.
Yes. I've trained the dogs to get their own food. It's I I don't bring it up much because I don't wanna, you know, I don't wanna brag. But I but I have taught dogs to do it. They can also drive buses now.
Taught them how to drive school buses. So That's great. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm on top of all that.
No. No. My family will, like I don't think they know where I get the dog food from is what I'm saying. You have any idea how many times I stay in this house? You know, I'll be dead if it wasn't for me.
I say it a lot. Okay? I look at people. I go, you'd be dead if it wasn't for me. My wife, who doesn't know to clean the soap dish in the shower because she's so blind and she showers only in the morning usually.
So I'm like, she she comes in the other day, and she's like, what are doing? Like, I need the shower. And I'm like, I'm cleaning because I'm done washing myself now. Now I'm cleaning the shower. I said, I'm cleaning because if it wasn't for me, you would have died from some horrible virus by now from whatever was happening on this damn soap dish.
She's like, I can't see that. I'm like, well, that is not an excuse. Put your glasses on and look at it once in a while. It's horror. It gets horrifying.
You know what I mean? Yeah. Anyway, Gabby, thank you for doing this. I'm calling this one Yo Gabba Gabba. I I don't care.
Glucagon: just do it1:22:32
Well, can I just say a last thing about glucagon?
No. No. Of course, you can't. Go ahead. Just
I was hoping to have more, like, I don't know, productive feeling, you know, because I've seen a lot of, like, questions and people so nervous to use glucagon or just, like, when do we use it? Do I not? Do I do it? And I've been there and had my mom mostly say, just do it. And mostly, that's been right because if you do it and then nothing happens, you might go a little too high.
Mhmm. And that's the only thing that's gonna happen if you didn't, like, fully, you know, need it need it. But all of the modern ones are all so much better, so much easier. Even if there's pain, it's honestly, obviously, but truly, absolutely worth it to have whatever that second or a little bit or a lot of bit of pain of whatever kind to have such a quick thing that you know is going to work immediately.
Yeah.
And that's every type. I have had every type, I think, used both on me and by myself.
You think you you're saying you're trying to tell people, like, look. If you think it has to happen and you're by yourself, like, do it. Don't
Yes.
Yeah. Right. Don't don't have a seizure if you if you can at all avoid it.
Yeah. Yeah. Yes, I've done it on myself by myself. I mean, the most cognizant example was that I was going low, and I looked back in my pump history, like, what the hell is happening? Why am I going low right
now? Mhmm.
And it's because I accidentally bolus, like, 12 units
Oh gosh.
Instead of two maybe. And I saw 12 units, and I said, okay. Here we go. And I went, g vogue, thigh. Okay.
Done.
You just did it right away?
Yeah.
You didn't think you did? I mean,
I think I was, like, drinking a juice, like, seventy, sixty, and I was like, what is going on? There's no reason for
this. Yeah. And then, oh, it too was late to have, like, a Yeah. You you you had pre bolus too much at that point. You weren't gonna be able to get ahold ahead of it with food, you didn't think.
Yeah. I mean, I could probably keep trying to drink juice, but I was already drinking juice and then was like Oh, that's a lot.
Yeah. And low and dropping. Gotcha. No. I mean, I hear you.
Hey. You wanna hear something crazy before we go? I get a report about, like, SEO, which is, like, search engine optimization, like, stuff that, like, what drives people to my website. It's kinda boring. But every once in a while, like, you're thrown off by, like, the randomness of how the Internet connects you for no reason.
I get a lot of traffic on the search term, does Kevin Costner have cancer?
What?
Which is crazy because I've never, of course, talked about that in in in in any way. So, like, we have to go look just very quickly. There's gotta be something with Kevin Costner in the title in the episode. Okay. I have an episode called Kevin Costner.
Oh. Episode 14 o four. Melissa initially planned to share a glucagon story, but she recently learned she may have cancer. So the conversation shifted to that.
Oh my god.
So Google sends people to they must be so disappointed when they get to that.
And Also first.
Also, why are so many people googling, does Kevin Costner have cancer? Also, I have another episode with the words Kevin Costner. How is that possible? A year and a half before that, this one's called blame Kevin Costner. What the hell?
I must have a fetish. Alright. I was really watching Yellowstone a lot during that time. Who knows what exactly? Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you with that.
But, for all of you who are wondering about Kevin Costner's health, I have no, knowledge of him being sick. So, good luck and god bless. Why would anybody Google that? Alright. I gotta go, Gabby.
Hold on a second.
Okay.
It seems that the podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi with Control IQ plus technology at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com to Tandem and US Med who also sponsored this episode of the juice box podcast. Get started with US Med at usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Get your free benefits check and get started today with US Med.
The same place that we get our diabetes supplies. Usmed.com/juicebox. Links in the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com. Click on those links, baby.
Support the podcast. I might as well let you know that the juice cruise is on sale again for 2027. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. Out when we're going. It's in July.
I can tell you that much for sure. We pushed it back a little bit so we could help other people, hit the window where their kids were out of school. It'd be a great cruise five days, I think. You you'll go find out. Juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise.
Join me and the whole crew on the cruise. The juice box podcast has been in production since January 2015, and in that time, I have amassed just a fantastic catalog of information for you. Defining diabetes, bold beginnings, the diabetes pro tip series, small sips, fat and protein, algorithm pumping, mental wellness, ask Scott and Jenny. The diabetes variables, defining thyroid, after dark. There's even an Omnipod five pro tip series.
Come on. Pregnancy, how we eat, grand rounds, cold wind, GLP meds. What else do you want from me? And if you'd like to get going now with this podcast, boy, oh, boy, you have not picked a better time. You haven't because we have a diabetes myth series and there's even a type two pro tip series.
All of this all of this is free. Free. That's right, Scott. Free at juiceboxpodcast.com. Go up to the menu, click on a series.
They're all right there. Or you, of course, could use your Apple podcast app, Spotify, or wherever you get audio. Every episode is listed on the website along with its episode number so you can search for it in one of those apps. I've done everything I can do, baby. There's transcripts.
You wanna read the podcast? Go read it. What do I care? I'm not your mother. You do whatever you want.
Juiceboxpodcast.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your audio, baby. Go get your audio. Why'd I say baby so much? I'm just realizing now this all seems like it's something you can't believe, but I swear to you, it's a great podcast. You'll really like it.
If you want, go to juiceboxpodcast.com/reviews and read what other people have written.
Read the full disclaimer
© 2007–2026 Juicebox Podcast. All rights reserved.
#1920 Jenna is 28 and Still Amazing
Jenna is 28 and Still Amazing
A ten-year follow-up neither Scott nor listeners saw coming: the guest from 2015’s “Jenna is 18 and Amazing” returns as a nutrition PhD student studying hospital food — and Scott doesn’t realize it until the final minutes.
Jump to a moment
- A ballet teacher caught what daily life hid. Jenna’s mom saw her every day — it was her dance teacher, whose brother had type 1, who said “she’s not okay” after watching her sit down mid-routine.
- She took charge at 13. With busy parents who gave her room, Jenna reasoned her way to fewer carbs, ran a roughly six-month honeymoon without insulin, and built the independent management style she still uses.
- “I was my own CGM.” Five years of 20 finger sticks a day before her first sensor — today she calls the CGM a godsend she can’t imagine living without, paired with Omnipod 5.
- Advocacy is a learned skill. Semester after semester of telling professors what she needed — and not settling for less — taught her to speak up, a habit she now applies everywhere, including first dates.
- Her dissertation targets hospital food. At Emory, Jenna is enrolling 80 inpatients to document nutrition and shared decision-making, chasing a startling statistic: roughly 25% of patients experience hospital-acquired malnutrition.
- Jenna is 18 and Amazing — Episode 34 — Jenna’s first appearance on the podcast, October 2015 — the episode this ten-year follow-up pays off.
- T1D Exchange Registry — US residents 18+ with type 1 can complete the survey and help move T1D research forward.
- The Diabetes Link (formerly College Diabetes Network) — The organization Jenna joined in college and served as a fellow with during her gap years.
- Small Sips — Bite-sized, listener-voted takeaways from the podcast on insulin timing, carbs, and balancing highs and lows.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:00
Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Juice Box podcast. On today's episode of the podcast, there will be nothing that you should take as advice, medical or otherwise. So please please consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. The t one d exchange is looking for you. If you're a US resident, 18 and older, you have type one diabetes, please go to t1dexchange.org/juicebox and complete the survey.
If you do, you will be helping type one diabetes research to move forward. Thank you. I've got two OG sponsors for you today, Omnipod five and Dexcom. That's right. The episode that you're about to enjoy was brought to you today by dexcom and the DexCom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears.
You can learn more and get started today with my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. And this little slice of podcasting perfection is also brought to you today by the Omnipod five. The Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that has been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. You can learn more and get started today at my link omnipod.com/juicebox. At that link, you can get yourself a free starter kit right now.
What did I just say? Free. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.
You'll find those links in the show notes of the podcast player you're listening in right now and at juiceboxpodcast.com. Testing. Testing. I'm recording my voice. How about you?
Testing. Testing.
You're good too. You can start whenever you're ready.
Meet Jenna — sixteen years with type 12:17
Alright. Hi, I am Jenna. I've had type one diabetes for sixteen years now, and excited to talk more about my experience.
Sixteen years. And how old are you?
I am 28.
28. You've had diabetes for hold on a second. Since I'm doing it in my head. It's so you were 12?
Yes. 13.
13.
Thirteen. I think I'm, like, I'm coming up on sixteen.
Coming up on sixteen.
Maybe at the end of tail end of fifteen years. Wow.
That's an interesting time. 12, 13? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
It is.
I
mean, it's like it's one of those big transition times in life, and it is definitely interesting to walk into it with a chronic illness diagnosis.
So Yeah. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yes. I have a younger sister and an older brother. No one else with type one in the family.
Okay. Other autoimmune stuff for you or them?
I have hypothyroid, but it's not autoimmune.
Mhmm.
And no other autoimmune stuff in the family.
Are you take taking Synthroid or something equivalent?
Yep. Okay. Yeah.
And do you feel like that's managed pretty well?
Yes. It's much simpler to manage than type one.
I mean, are your are your levels where you want them to be? Are you having any symptoms?
No symptoms. No. I'm good on that front, thankfully.
Yeah. Were you diagnosed, as a child with that, or was it later?
That was about a year later.
About a year later. And you don't have kids. Right?
Very similar.
No. You know how I know that? How? There's a lightness in your voice. I'm not kidding.
That's hilarious. No. No. I'm not kidding. There's a I can tell you don't have children.
There's just that I don't know what happens, but you're but life just takes you down an octave after you've had to raise a kid. You just Wow. Well You can
I'll concern myself for Warren.
You can feel it in someone. You look around today. You you'll you'll see it real quickly. There's there's a lightness. It it says I don't have any real responsibilities, and I'm not worried if another person dies.
It's, it's some yeah. Yeah. That's something. Anyway, I knew immediately. I knew nothing about you.
I could tell as soon as you started talking. I was like, well, she doesn't have any kids.
That's so funny.
Yeah. And you're either not in a relationship or in pretty, like, lighthearted one that you're happy with.
I am not in a relationship.
Yeah. No.
Well, you're good, Scott.
Jenna, listen. It's a profession. It's a calling. You understand podcasting? It's not just it's just not just you don't just buy a microphone and you're a podcaster.
That's so funny.
Trust me. I know what's going on. Alright. Let's see what else I can figure out. What were the first signs of type one?
What got you and your family to a position?
First symptoms at dance camp5:17
I was I was seeing rhythmics gymnastics at the time, and I I think the first symptom was drinking a ton of water. So it was summer camp, and I remember noticing that I was drinking a ton of water, but I thought that it was just, you know, I'm in summer camp, and I'm very active.
Yeah.
But then I started to lose weight. And then a couple months later, I was super, super tired, and then I was just falling asleep in the car, which it like, I'm not a napper. That's not normal for me.
Like an old you're like an old man on the sofa when you're, like, 13? Just nodding out everywhere? Gotcha. Okay.
Exactly.
I'm that old man. By the way, can I say I tried to stay up and watch something with my son the other night, and I just feel this, like, hand on my chest like this? He goes, are you asleep? I was like, it's after It's after midnight.
After midnight, that's definitely fair.
I thought it was fair. Okay. I'm sorry. So you're peeing, drinking, falling asleep. Keep going.
Mhmm. And I think it was actually I was in ballet at the time too. Was actually my ballet teacher who told my mom, like, she is not okay. Like, there's something wrong. And her brother actually also had type one.
Mhmm. I don't think she suspected type one, but she was basically who queued my mom into, like I think it's hard because my mom saw me every day. You know? She wasn't picking up on the changes as much. But I was like, we would do we would be doing some sort of dance routine, and I would just have to sit down.
Okay.
And my teacher was like, she's not okay. And then I also remember having a really bad heartburn, which I had never had before. So I
was gonna say it's not a thing, you know, a thing you usually hear a 12 year old talk about. Right?
Right. Yeah.
When when you say rhythmic gymnastics, am I talking about, like, ribbons on sticks? Or
Yes.
Yes. I got the right thing?
Yep. You got it.
Gotcha. You got it. Do you still dance as an adult?
No. I don't. I would like to get back into it, but I have not yet.
Is there a way for kid or for adults to do that?
Not rhythmic like, most adults don't do rhythmic tronastics because it's quite intense.
Because they you have break your old ass trying to do that. You know? Yeah. That
that would be tough. But I did baller and dance Oh. Later in my teenage years, and that's something I could do as an adult, which I think would be really fun.
Okay.
I haven't I haven't gotten back into it yet. I did do some swing dancing Wait.
What what
couple years Yeah.
What got you out of, like, all of that? Was it just age, or did diabetes slow you down?
With the
Just the dance and the ballet and everything. Can you believe the number one prescribed automated insulin delivery system is now even better? Omnipod five is now stronger than ever with algorithm updates, including a new lower one hundred milligram per deciliter target glucose option designed for more time in range and with fewer interruptions for more time in automated mode. That's right. The number one prescribed automated insulin delivery system just got better.
Request a thirty day Omnipod five trial today at omnipod.com/juicebox and experience the enhancements firsthand. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. The Dexcom g seven is sponsoring today's episode of the podcast, and it features a lightning fast thirty minute warm up.
Oh, thirty minute warm up time. That's right. From the time you put on the Dexcom g seven until the time you're getting readings, thirty minutes. That's pretty great. It also has a twelve hour grace period so you can swap your sensor when it's convenient for you.
All that on top of being small, accurate, incredibly wearable, and light. These things, in my opinion, make the Dexcom g seven a no brainer. The Dexcom g seven comes with way more than just this. Actually, up to 10 people can follow you. You can use it with type one, type two, or gestational diabetes.
It's covered by all sorts of insurances, and this might be the best part. It has alerts and alarms that are customizable so that you can be alerted at the levels that make sense to you. Dexcom.com/juicebox. Links to the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com to Dexcom Omnipod and all the sponsors, but you can remember it.
Dexcom.com/juicebox. Check it out.
Yeah. After I was I don't think ballet or rhythmic gymnastics was what, like, I truly loved.
Okay.
And so when I was diagnosed with type one, I think it did kinda set me on a different path in life in general.
How so?
And, well, it it definitely, made me much more focused on health. And, like, now I'm now I'm studying nutrition, and that's a whole another story that we can get into.
But Yeah.
I became very focused on my health and very interested in, like, psychology and the human condition and things like that. Okay. And I think so I think it's just kind of like
You pivoted a
little bit. Yeah. Yeah. I pivoted a little bit.
So is it fair to say that, you know, you were involved in these things as a child, and maybe it's something even your parents put you into or you had an interest in when you were younger. And then all of a sudden, when something slaps you in the face and your life shifted, you you cut away the things that didn't feel important to you?
Yes.
Yeah. Exactly. What happened? Okay. Well, that's interesting.
What was it like I'm so sorry. I know we've only been talking for five minutes, but, did you have a period when you were diagnosed, or does the thing you developed into type one ended that overlap with, like, any kind of a honeymoon? Or like, I'm looking for how you handled hormones through that time.
A six-month honeymoon without insulin11:41
I had a honeymoon period for I actually had quite a long honeymoon period. So it was maybe, like, six months or so when I did not use insulin at all.
At all?
Yeah.
Okay.
At all. And I think I I very quickly also went on to a ketogenic diet, and so I think that helped a lot with that. But I had, like, a very unusual experience with the honeymoon period, and it's pretty long.
Okay. Well, I wanna hear about that, but I first, let me ask you. Who how'd you get to a keto diet? Like, did is that a thing your parents figured out or you?
A 13-year-old takes the reins12:32
That was something that, I think my parents queued me into a little bit. I was mostly, I was mostly the one in charge, though, so to speak, because parents were pretty busy with work. And I I guess I was interested in taking care of it to a certain extent. I mean, I guess I would have to be to have taken the reins. But I think I just use a very simple logic of, like, well, if I eat fewer carbs, I need less insulin.
That led you to that idea.
Yeah. So that would make sense.
Is that a thing you still do today?
Now I eat let's see. It's basically like a low carb diet except for I add fruit because that gives me energy just like having some of those sugars Okay. In my system. But I I still don't eat any, like, grains or wheat or things like that. So
And that's just to keep the carbs down. It's not because you have celiac or anything like that.
Yeah. I mean, I don't I don't have celiac. I've been tested for it. I don't have celiac, I also don't feel good when I eat grains. Like, it gives me brain fog.
It makes me bloated. It makes me very insulin resistant. So it just it's never worked well for
me.
Okay. I don't know why, but because of that, I've always stayed away from
Avoided it.
From it.
Oh, it's yeah. Smart. It's cool. It's interesting that you figured it out as a kid too, you and you stuck to it like that. It's pretty cool.
Your parents were busy with work. Can we, like, pivot for a half a second? Was that bothersome to you? Did you need help and felt alone, or we did you feel comfortable? And if so, were you actually having good outcomes, or were you just having the outcomes of a 13 year old who was trying?
I I think it was overall good because I kind of learned how to take care of it myself really young, and that's always been my personality. Like, I'm very independent and like, to understand things myself and take charge of situations in general. And I don't think it would have worked well if my parents were, like, telling me what to do.
Is it would would that would that, give me some insight into the rest of your life with your parents, or was it just around the diabetes that you would have felt that way?
I think that would be true overall, but my parents are very good at not
Doing that.
Not, like, interjecting a lot. They give me a lot of freedom with
Is that
what I do
in a time. Is that because you pushed back so much that they learned, or are they just, like, into? It sounds like you might have beat them into submission. Is that was is that what happened? I
think no. Not quite. I mean, I have had some disagreements with them when there are when they have strong opinions because I also have strong opinions. But, in general, they have really given me a lot of freedom and flexibility to do kind of whatever I want, and I think that works really well.
Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about what it meant to you as a kid to have them listen to you and and kinda follow your lead a little bit?
Yeah. I guess, let's see. My mom has been the main one who has been involved in the type one management.
Mhmm.
I think, overall, I've I've always erred on the side of being, like, overly cautious with my management. And just because, like, my health is super important to me, of course, and I wanna be healthy as long as possible. And so I always really wanted to have my glucose numbers, like, as tight as possible. And I think that my my issue in relation to type one has always been more, like, being overly anxious about it, like, overly cautious, overly anxious. And so my mom in particular has been super great at, you know, helping me feel like, you know, it's okay.
Like, it's okay if your blood sugar goes into the two hundreds every once in a while.
Jenna, are you anxious in general?
I would say so. I would
say so.
Would say so.
Looking back, yeah, perhaps. Yeah. So your mom's not. Is your dad? Or is your mom, but she's just good at telling you it's okay?
I think that's a good question.
Oh, I know.
Don't worry. I don't think my either my parents are that anxious. I'm probably more anxious than both my parents.
How about your sister or your brother?
I I still think I'm more anxious than they are.
You win? I'm a I win, Scott.
I think I win.
I'm the winner.
I think I win on the anxiety front.
And you're the only one with type one?
Yeah.
Your anybody else have Hashimoto's or or I'm sorry. Hypothyroidism in your family?
My sister also has hypothyroid.
Okay. Is she anxious at all?
Not I wouldn't say, like, intensely.
Not intensely. Okay.
Alright. Yeah. Yeah. Like a normal level.
What is what's a normal level of anxiety?
I'd like you know.
I'd like you to describe that. That's awesome. Okay. So I I get I think I get the vibe, but your parents were a little hands off. You were doing a good job.
Were you a good student too?
Homeschool, then the shock of college18:42
Yeah. I wasn't I wasn't all that, like, interested in school until college. I was homeschooled in high school. Really?
Yes. Do you prefer that, or did you had you have you ever gone to public school? Private?
I did not go to I was not in the public school system at all until college.
Oh, wow. What what was that like making that shift?
It was very shocking. Very shocking to the system. It was it was really it was hard. It was a hard transition. I was at a private school when I was younger, so really young, like preschool and grade years.
I went to the Washington Waldorf School in Bethesda, Maryland, and it was very much, like, focused on the arts and nature and things like that. It was very wholesome and very nice. And then I was I was homeschooled all throughout the rest of middle school and high school. And it was I think it was really good for me, especially in relation to type one because I really got to focus on my health I'm figuring that out.
Yeah.
And then when I went to college, I had I already kind of had it figured out. And, I mean, as much as you can ever figure out type one,
but Yeah.
It was much
more in the
background.
You knew what you were doing in the background, all that stuff. Was this shift to homeschooling, was that religious, political, like, situational? Do why did that was that just how your parents grew up? Like, how does that happen?
Well, it happened because my sister and I were doing rhythmic gymnastics when we were young, and, my one of my teachers one time got upset that I didn't do my homework in, like, fifth grade or something like that. And it was because I was at a gymnastics competition over the weekend. And she just she kind of disciplined me about it, and I don't think my mom loved it. And so
so mom said Okay. Oh, you're not doing that. I'll just teach the kids myself for the next seven years.
Yeah. Exactly.
So this is why you and your mom have disagreements sometimes when you said strong opinions. That's, I mean, that's a fairly do know what I mean? That would be like be like if I tried to park at the grocery store and I somebody, like, stole my spot, and I was like, that's it. I'm not eating anymore. I'll show all of you.
That's a big that's a big that's a big move. I would love to hear that from your mom's perspective. I bet you there was she probably was pissed for a while about something. It might have put her over the edge. It's awesome.
I think the school we went to when we were young is very much, like, in your early years, they tried to have it not focused on, like, doing homework and
Okay.
More focused on being outside and things like that. So I think my mom probably wanted to preserve some of that. So
Sounds like she did. And and Yeah. And you Absolutely. And you headed off to college with a real firm idea of how to manage your diabetes, and then you have that shock. I can you just tell me one thing?
Because you're like, it was very shocking. What's one thing about getting to college that really hit you in the face?
I think I just kinda felt like I was all of a sudden in this huge system that I had never experienced. And I I just I think if you're used to that growing up, like, you don't it's probably not shocking, but for me, it was like, oh my god. I'm in a class of now thousands of people. I really have to, you know, look out for myself, get help when I need it. Like, there's there's just like this
Everything about the way it everything about the way it works was just different for you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. And it was much more like I don't know. I mean
Did you enjoy it?
I did end up loving college. I mean, I found I found smaller communities within college where and that's how I got into research and some teaching and stuff like that. But, my first semester and maybe my first year was very, very much a shock to the system. I I had to adjust a lot.
Were you isolated?
I think a little bit because I went into college as a transfer student also because I was doing some community college on the side. Mhmm. And so
Little behind, didn't come in with a group, like that whole thing.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Hey. Did you maintain the person you are there, or did or is there, like, some crazy shift? Like, you know, some people get out of private school and, like, they cut their hair or grow their hair or do something crazy or, like, just start smoking or do you know what I mean?
Like, did or or you just did you just kept keep being Jenna?
I just kept being myself, but I very much kept to myself. So I think that's part of how that happened. I mean, I in college, I was literally always in my apartment or in the library studying. Studying. I was yeah.
Okay. Well, you sound, that's where I would want my kid, by the way, just hidden somewhere. But then you you like you said, you found your community branch down. Then what did you end up doing through college, and is that still what you're doing now as an adult?
Nutritional science, NIH, and a PhD24:35
Yeah. I majored in nutritional science, and I also did some research on the side. So I was in a in a lab studying viruses, and then I was doing some research on the gut microbiome brain access, which was really cool. Interesting. I really enjoyed that work.
Yeah. And
I was thinking that I would go to medical school after college, but then I found like, I just found this passion for what I was doing in college, which was really research and learning and teaching. And I thought, you know, I shouldn't let this go if I love it so much. And so then I did a couple more years of research at the National Institutes of Health in their post baccalaureate program, and then I decided to do a PhD in nutrition, which is where I am now. So
You're working on your PhD right now?
I'm working on my PhD right now.
Jenna, have you ever had a job?
I am
not really so jealous. I'm so jealous. Let me just be jealous for a second, though. Oh my god. It's awesome.
I've been a student for such a long time.
Do you think you'll I mean, is it a thing that like, how do you how do you like, for people listening who don't understand that, like, is how do you finance your life during this?
Well, I guess I'm just very lucky with family support.
Nice. And then I hear what you're saying. Dad got bags. Yeah. Is that what you're telling me?
We're good? And then as
a PhD student, you do got a little bit of a stipend.
Oh, wow. What do you think how how do you believe this will all culminate one day? Like, is there something like, what have you learned? What are you interested in? How do you think you'll point it at the world eventually?
Who do you think you are? It's a
great question.
It's a great question. Jenna's like, better figure it out. I'm 28.
Studying hospital food and malnutrition26:43
Yeah. Yeah. I I I do not know exactly how I'm going to point it. Yeah. I am doing my dissertation work on diabetes care in the hospital.
Mhmm.
Collecting data on nutrition in the hospital and shared decision making, which is part of person centered care. So that's kind of where my focus is right now, which I like. I I love being involved in diabetes research, and I've always kind of tried to give myself the space to not go into diabetes.
Mhmm.
But it always keeps coming back all throughout college. Like, in college, I did the College Diabetes Network.
Oh, they're awesome.
Yeah. Yeah. They're great. And then I did their fellowship in my gap years, and I did diabetes camp, and it's just been a continuous thread. So I I would love to stay in the diabetes space, but we'll see what happens.
Super interesting. How long did it take to collect the data about nutrition in the hospital? Eight minutes? Because there's
I'm still doing it.
No. Is I mean, what are you learning besides the food in hospital seems terrible?
So we haven't analyzed the data yet. I can't like, from seeing what they're serving in the hospital, yeah, it's very it's not ideal. No. But I started the study in November, and we're still collecting data. I enrolled the fiftieth person yesterday.
So Wow.
We're enrolling 80 people in that study.
Just to to and what's the goal of the study? Is it just to collect data and then you figure out what the data tells you afterwards, or does it have a specific goal?
So, yeah, the goal is really to just figure out what is actually, like, happening in the hospital because, right, there's not good there's there's data that says there's mountain there's hospital acquired malnutrition, and I think the latest statistic is around twenty five percent, which is really shockingly high.
But
there's no data on, like, why that's happening or how that's happening.
Can I float a theory? Is it because they're buying crappy food?
Yeah. I mean, I'm sure, but, like, there's no the thing about research is you have to show everything to change it.
I gotcha. So Well, then once you have that research, can you pressure hospital systems to do a better job? Like, how does the like, what's the back end of this world like? Like, you know what I mean? Like, once you have the information like, there's a I have a feeling sometimes that people put all this effort into something, then they publish the paper, and they go, well, there it is.
Do something with it, then nothing happens with it.
Yeah.
Yeah. Like, what
No. That is a huge problem with research.
Yeah. Like, so do you, like how do you, like, go into the like, as an example, like, you know, diabetes type two, for example. Like, people I've watched my mom in the hospital with type two or prediabetes, and everything they gave her was ridiculous. Yeah. And so, like, do you I don't know.
Like, do you how do like, do you go to the ADA? Do you say, hey. We've got this research? Like, I just wonder about, like, how do you and if you're not the person to answer that question, like, how do you meet a person who understands the other side of this, who can, like, take the research and go out in the world and, you know, use it as a cudgel and bang it over people's heads till they make changes?
Yeah. I think that's what I'm trying I mean, it's it's that's definitely something that our group is really trying to do, like, make sure that all the research turns into changes that are Yeah. Useful for people.
Action or something that somebody's using at least to make a decision down the road. I mean, it can't look. I'm just guessing, but I don't imagine the hospital believes that they're buying super healthy food and they're just being they're confused about it. In your research, they'll go, oh, no. We didn't know.
Sorry. You you know, like so it's gotta be about money. It's gotta be about
Yeah.
Preparation, about storage. Like, I'm imagining it's that stuff. Also, hospitals are, you know, don't think they're really what we imagine them to be, most of them. They're, you know, they're money making systems, and they they they have a product, and the product is trying to make you better. So Right.
You know, it's it's really sad. Have you ever had to be in the hospital yourself?
Thankfully, I haven't been in the hospital since I was diagnosed.
Nice.
I'm lucky in
that respect. Well so, like, when you can you make any pronouncements about what you see? Like, think about like like, let's take your professional life and kinda stick it in the background for a second. You're a type one. You've been living with type one for sixteen years.
You are you having great outcomes? Is do you have a one c's in the fives? Are you like, is your weight where you want it to be? You're metabolically healthy?
Yeah. Yeah. I am I am gratefully you know? I mean, I've I'm healthy. And my a one c has been in the fives and sixes for years.
I mean, I I don't I think I had some sevens and eights after I was diagnosed Yeah.
I imagine.
The most part.
Yeah. But what's your what's your as an adult now, the way you're living today, tell me a little bit about your setup. Are you using technology? How are you eating? And, you know, what would you if if you bumped into another type one and they were like, look, Jenna, you can't hurt my feelings.
Tell me what to do. Like, how would you talk about it to people?
Her setup today: Omnipod 5, Dexcom, “keto plus fruit”32:33
So I use the Omnipod five, and I'm still using the Jack Dexcom g six, although
Not much longer. Soon.
Yeah. Not much longer. But the g six for me is, like, I I just prefer the trend line and stuff, but I will have to switch to g seven soon. But, yeah, I use Omnipod five and Dexcom. And I I think for me, nutrition is a super important part of my daily management.
And so I basically eat like a I would I would call it a ketogenic diet plus fruit. Mhmm. And for me, that works really well because it keeps the insulin resistance down. And I find when I eat grains and stuff, I just go high and stay high and it gets very sticky and it takes a lot of insulin to get down. And then once it does get down, I crash.
To me, it's just a whole disaster. It it doesn't work well for my body.
Okay.
I don't know if that would help everyone. You know? Like, I think it's really hard to give other people advice because
Yeah. I
think it could super
Jenna, I don't even give people movie reviews because I just assume they don't like the same stuff I do. Yeah. But but but Yeah. So interestingly enough then, so if you're saying that you can't tell people like, this is what I do, Go do it, and you'll be okay. What can they do to figure out what will work for them to give them similar outcomes?
I I mean, I just I would eat foods and see how it impacted things. If it wasn't in a way that I liked, I would avoid them. You know? I mean and I'm not perfect by any means. Like, you know, if I'm out with people or this or that, like, I might eat something that doesn't go perfectly.
But in general, I try to, like, tell myself, you know, okay. If it's on a daily basis type of thing and the meals that I'm eating on my own are going to be the ones that are, like, as good as possible for my health.
Can I ask a question about your can I ask a question about your eating?
Yeah.
Are there any things you're not eating right now because they don't work well for your diabetes or even how you feel that you're just in the back of your head like, god. I want one of those. Like, are you are you limiting yourself in a way that's uncomfortable but necessary? Or has it you know what I mean? Or has it changed for you?
Is it not a thing you think about anymore?
I think it's turned into a thing where I prefer the way that I feel Mhmm. And can function to such an extent with the way that I eat that I don't I don't want that stuff anymore. That kinda messes me up.
Yeah. Do you I I have to tell you. I've I I might have I I think I've lost track now, but I might have been on a GLP for, like, three years now. And Okay. I think that is one of the absolute, like, gifts that it has given me that now I can look at a at a food item and say, I know that's not gonna go well for me and not be tortured by it.
And, yeah, torture is maybe a heavy word, but not, like, give in and just have it because I like it or because it's there or something like that. Like, I will walk past food I like because it just doesn't feel like a good decision, and it does not feel like a burden. But I think in the past, it I would have had that feeling of, like, oh, something got, like, taken from me, if that makes sense. Yeah. But you just have that naturally?
Interesting.
I guess so.
Yeah. You don't know because it's just how you are. You should test yourself, see if your GLP levels are naturally high. Are GLP levels a thing? Somebody get in there and figure that out.
What do you, I mean, how is all this GLP medication impacting your research and your livelihood? Because it's fundamentally changing how people eat.
Yeah.
Yeah. Are you bumping into it? Is it is it is it interesting, valuable, problematic for what you're trying to do?
It is. It is. Well, I don't know. I'm not that focused on it, honestly, because No. Okay.
I'm more focused on the, like, what is being, given to people in the hospital. And I guess medication stuff isn't as interesting to me in general. And I I think that would be because my research is mostly on, like, the nutrition content of the food in the hospital. But I think that if I were more looking at, you know, like, what people are choosing to eat and not choosing to eat, that would be a much larger consideration.
Yeah. Okay. So it's interesting, actually, because I'm wondering if the GLPs I mean, there are now people in the hospital. Right? They get sick for other reasons.
They're on GLPs, and they probably haven't been eating a certain way. But then they all everyone at the at the moment, like, standard of care is, like, they make you stop taking it for most stuff that you go into the hospital for. And Mhmm. I want but I it's interesting to me. Like, if you don't have context for it, I'm thinking of a of a hospital like Trey.
Right? And right now, Scott, on day three of his shot, I don't think I could, like, stomach any of that. And I don't mean, like, it would make me sick. Think I'd look at it and be like, I'd prefer not to eat this. Right?
But if you took me off of that for a week or two threw it in front of me, I'd probably be like, oh, chocolate pudding. Like, you you know what I mean? And I and it would I wonder if there are people in the hospital who are, like, in there having lived one way, but now all of a sudden another way. And I wonder if that will drag them back in that direction when they leave or I mean, I don't know. It's not a question you can answer, but it is just interesting to think that, you know, like I don't know.
How like, I guess, let me ask you this. Like, what's the average hospital hospital stay for a person? How long is somebody average in the hospital for?
That really depends on why they're in and what's going on. I mean, like, if someone's waiting for a procedure, like a surgery or something like that, they'll be in longer. You know, if they're if, you know, they have something that requires, they wait for dialysis or I don't know. There are there are so many variables that impact that, and that's actually a very tricky part of doing inpatient research studies because my study has a requirement that they're in the study for two to ten days, and it can be really difficult to gauge, like, the the one day it might be saying they'll be in for four more days and then they end up, know, plans change and they're discharged the next day or they end up staying for ten days. Like, it's very variable, and it's it's a little it's a very tricky part of inpatient research studies.
Oh, no kidding. Yeah. I mean, it doesn't sound easy. How many people in your like, you have, like, a group of people doing this?
Yeah. So our group is maybe around, like immediate group is maybe around seven to eight or so people. But for my dissertation research right now, it's mostly me doing it. I have one of the postdoctoral researchers was helping me a couple months back, but now we have a lot of other studies going on.
And Mhmm.
So it's a it's a relatively small group, but then there's also a ton of collaboration. So that's that's kind of expands the number of people are that are involved, but those here are, you know, like, on the ground and doing the data collection as a smaller number of people.
I see. I wanna ask you in a second, I'd like to ask you about you wrote in your note about, how how you learn to advocate for yourself, and I wanna hear about the ways that that came up. But I'm gonna ask one last question about your research first thing and because based on what you just said about how the collaboration works, how much, if at all, are you using AI models to help you?
With the research right now, Not much. I do we are looking into, you know, like, AI to detect macronutrient content of food. That's kind of a big thing right now and maybe making some twists on that and developing a sort of app or something like that. But right now, not much.
But even the back end work about, like, keeping keeping everything straight or being able to query your own research or using it for any of that?
No. No? Not right now. I think in the, the electronic health record system, it's you know, they're very protective over
Oh, what you can attach it to. I see. Oh, oh,
oh, yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of, like, PHI considerations when, of course, when you're working with people. So it's you have to be really, really careful.
Tell people PHI? PHI means?
Protected health information.
Okay. Okay. So so I'm I'm pivoting here. But, like, what what happened in your past that you thought, like, I have to advocate for myself or I'm not gonna get what I want?
Learning to advocate for herself42:12
I think that I learned a lot of that through I think through college was a big time for that for me when I was getting accommodations and talking to professors about it and just going through that process, I think, every semester with every professor, you know Mhmm. Emailing them and sitting down with them and telling them what I need. And, you know, of course, you have to, be willing to tell them what you need and not settle for anything less than what you need. And I think that was a really good experience for me.
I see. Just just having to, like, have the conversation. I have type one diabetes. This is what it might entail. I could use help here.
Did anybody ever push back? Say, well, I don't care if you have type one diabetes. Too bad.
I can't remember any experiences like that. No. It was great. I mean, I they were really, really awesome, and I would usually take my exams in the testing center where, you know, I could I could have access to whatever I needed. I think that having access to a phone with the CGM was always a little bit you know, people would ask about it, of course, which is understandable, but, I never got a ton of pushback on it.
Yeah. They were they worried you're gonna cheat. Right?
Probably. I mean, if you have access to an iPhone.
Yeah. And, Jenna, you would never cheat. Tell them.
I would never.
Of course not. This was didn't have to look at me. I was never going
to cheat.
Oh my god. What do you have you lived with and without a CGM or no? Have you always had one?
Five years as her own CGM44:09
I didn't have a CGM for the first five years, which is now looking back, I have no idea how I did it. I mean, I would poke myself, like, 20 times per day. It was
Yeah.
It was very intense.
Yeah. No. Because you were taking, like, really careful care. You were younger. You were on your own, and so you were creating your own data points even then with your blood sugars.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I I I always joke around with people that I was, like, my own CGM.
Yeah. No. I know. I you know, we actually one time, it was during COVID. You know, everybody did this.
But during COVID, I would do, like, weekly Zooms with people. And at one point, they got a like, there's, 300 people in there. It was crazy. And this one lady, I don't remember her name, she was like, I I only have a meter. And we had her, like, draw out a graph and then just plot her blood sugars, and then she connected the lines.
And I'm like, it's not perfect, but it gives you an idea of which way your blood sugars are moving. And it was really helpful. It was, like, super helpful for her. Like, she came back the next week, and she's like, hey. That made a big difference.
I was like, awesome. But yeah. I mean, CGM I mean, it's another level, right, of of being able to see you know, get ahead of stop things before they happen. I mean, it's such a big deal. I I really hope that Yeah.
I I you know, I was listening to an interview with Lilly's CEO the other day where he he was talking about GLPs, but he was talking about that what he would like to do is get it to, like, more scale. Like, he's like, I don't know if he means what he said, but he was like, I don't need to make as much money on it. I need to get it more hands was the idea. And I thought, boy, I would love if if some diabetes device manufacturers thought like that. Like, maybe we can take a little less for it, but make the money up on, you know, on selling more of it.
That kind of thing. I don't know enough about business to know how to do that. But, boy, you know, you know, just imagine not have imagine if I came and took it from you right now. Like, how would that change your life today?
The CGM?
Yeah. I just come back. I go, you can't have it anymore, Jenna. There's no more CGM for you. What I mean, you lose your automation.
You lose all of your reference points. Your a one c probably goes up a point, I would imagine, and adds a ton more work to your life. Right?
I mean, I rely on the CGM, like, in a way where I cannot even imagine living my day to day life without it. It's it's a godsend. I mean, especially with sleep and, you know, my mom still follows me and being you know, running around on the hospital floors and, like, I just I have to have it. And then, yeah, with AID, I mean
Yeah. You just don't wanna lose it. You know what I mean? It's so awesome. Yeah.
Yeah. I was just thinking now. Like, Arden went out last night, so I'm I'm I I haven't looked. But did try to imagine. Like, I mean, she's 22.
Don't get me wrong. But she went out last night. I think, you know, she went to a club. She went with friends. Like, you know, like, she's, you know, she's out for a while.
I think she got home maybe around midnight or so. And I'm looking here. She got a little low before she left, and then she ate dinner around 06:30 or 07:00. And since then and now it's 10:00 in the morning. Her blood sugar's 71.
It has not been under 70 or over a 110 in the last sixteen hours. Wow. You know what I mean? Like and that's all just technology, really. It's it's Yeah.
Algorithms and CGMs and it's a it's just it's a it's astonishing how good it is.
No. It's so it's it's incredible. I mean, that's what allows it to be much more background for me these days too. I mean, part of the reason why I think homeschooling was good and, you know, it's great for my health is at the time, I was doing finger sticks and pen injections. And so, I mean, that just requires so much more oversight than having AID and
Oh, please.
You know, a CGM.
Oh my gosh. Hey. Yeah.
Thinking
about nutrition. So I don't know if you've ever heard it, but, like, Jenny and I like, Jenny's a CDCS, and she's got type one for, like, thirty eight years. Right? And she's a nutritionist too. I or whatever She I don't know.
She's RD, registered dietitian maybe. Mhmm. Sorry, Jenny. I've only known her for, like, fifteen years. I'll I'll commit it to memory eventually.
But but, you know, we've been doing these, like, bolus four episodes recently where it's a thing I avoided for a long time, but people are always like, just want you to tell me how to bolus for this. And, you know, so we kind of talk we talk our way through it. But as we talk our way through it, you know, we're picking through the nutrition of these items, like, online while we're doing it. And a lot of food is astonishingly horrible. Like like Yeah.
Really, like, genuinely. Like, I don't know. Like, sometimes I'll read the ingredients. Like, I don't know what any of this is. Like, any of it.
Or they're they sound like chemicals or, you know, binding agents or thickeners and stuff like that. It's just crazy. Right? Yeah. But my takeaway has been that, generally, I don't think that's what people think.
Like, you know what I mean? Like, when somebody takes a I usually say ho ho because I think it's funny. But when, like, someone takes a ho ho and takes a bite of it, I don't think that they're thinking, I'm eating thickeners and shelf stabilizers and colors and chemicals. And I know this is wrong and really unhealthy for me, but damn it. I'm just gonna do it anyway.
Like, I don't think that's I don't think that's how it works. So, like Yeah. I find myself thinking all the time. I don't know you have an answer to this because I don't either. It's like, I wonder how you could, like, meaningfully help people to understand what it is that they're fueling themselves with.
And if and even if they knew if that would would make a change for them or I mean, is it gonna take something like a GLP to change, like, the population's, like, addiction to, like, some of these foods? Do have thoughts about any of that?
Addictive food, access, and produce prescriptions50:34
I mean, this I actually think about this a lot because it's it's it's a big impediment to people eating well, like the addictiveness of food. These foods are designed to be addictive. And, like, how do you fight that? Especially because a lot of the foods that are very processed and have a lot of ingredients that could be harmful to people are less expensive
Yeah.
And more available. And it just creates a situation where it's extremely difficult to know how to, help people eat better because a lot of it comes down to access because eating well is really expensive and inconvenient because it takes time, and money and stuff like that. So I I think that there needs to be way better nutrition education just to start. Like, that should be a part of education schools
Yeah. For sure. I I just I don't feel like it's going to be. Like, there's gotta be you're gonna have to reach people at a certain age before it's just, like, ingrained in you. Like, because look.
Yeah. I mean, listen. You you you have family events at holidays. Everybody does. And there's some stuff at these events, like, you know, when you start mixing your family, like, when you, you know, you get, you know, married or something, you end up at some, you know, some guy's house for Thanksgiving, and someone brings into the room I'll tell you the one thing that shocked me.
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows melted over top of it at Thanksgiving. Like, as an ex and as an example, like, someone brought that in like Simba. They were like, like, the it's here. You know? And everybody's like, And I was like, what is that?
Did you melt marshmallows on food? And, like, you know, like, they're just one of those things where I was like, and no disrespect to anybody if that's what they do or anything. My point is is that they grew up with it. They think it's an imperative almost. Like, not Thanksgiving if we don't if we don't soak sweet potatoes, a generally healthy food, in brown sugar and then melt marshmallows over top of it.
If we don't do that, then then the pilgrims lost. Like, is is you know, is that it's what did they do any of this for? And and so when you, you know what I mean? Like, when someone starts a thing and makes it part of your life, like, imagine Jenna comes on and goes, oh, don't eat those. They're gonna be like, go to hell.
It's Thanksgiving. And and I don't know that it's ever done on purpose. Like, I again, I don't think someone made the sweet potatoes with marshmallows and went, I'm gonna poison my family. Just like when my mom Right. Went to the to the dollar grocery store because we were broke and would buy a canister, and canister is the right word for it, of powder.
And then she'd mix it with a gallon of water and be like, here's your juice. Or it or they'd call it fruit juice or lemonade or something like that. And then, you know, like, you were supposed to put, like, I don't know, 10 scoops in for a gallon, but, you know, it was sweeter if you put in 12. And then, like, and then that just sat in my refrigerator for my whole life. And every time you were thirsty, that's what you drank.
You you know what I mean? If you go find my mom, Jenna, and say, hey. Did you know you were poisoning, Scott? She'd say, no. I bought it said, like, real fruit juice on the front of it.
Like, I swear to you, I don't think it's a thing she did on purpose.
Oh, for sure not. Yeah. No. It's what's it's what's accessible, and it's also very cultural and
Yeah. You know. It's just it's Social. I don't like you're beating it is what I'm saying. I I'm listen.
I'm I'm on board. Like, I've said it before. I'll say it again. I sprayed the GLP out of planes. Like, just just put it on everybody and and and give them a month of not, like, wanting that stuff and see if it does for them what it's done for me and a lot of other people, which is just, like, really I I can't I can't say it's rewired me because I I have not been off of it.
I wouldn't know what happened if I stopped taking it for a month. Like, if a month from now, I would just be like, I'm gonna eat a bag of jelly beans now. Like, I don't know. You you know what I mean? But I don't know.
I I just I wonder if there's an actual, like, pathway that goes education, you know, more stability financially for food. Like, that sounds nice. Like, it sounds academic. It doesn't sound real world to me.
Mhmm.
You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. But but maybe you'll figure it out. Is it gonna be you?
Yeah. It's very tricky. It's very tricky. I mean, there's a lot to work through. And if nutrition is always difficult because it's it's so cultural and
Yeah. No. For sure.
And then it's comfort and everything. But I think there I think there really is room. And, like, for example, produce prescription programs are a super great thing. I are you familiar with them at all?
I've heard those words, but if you explain it to me, I would appreciate it.
Yeah. So it's basically where people's doctors essentially can give them prescriptions to get a box of produce every week.
Oh.
And they're becoming more widespread. And when you talk to people who are in these programs, they really like it. Like, they they love having access to more produce. And so I think that people like it. It just needs to be prioritized at a higher level.
Mhmm.
And then, you know, there will be more access to that type of thing, and I'll be able to help people more.
That's what I said. Yeah. As long as they don't put brown sugar on the sweet potatoes that comes in the
Exactly.
I mean, honestly. Exactly. Brown sugar and marshmallows. Think about it. Sugar sugar and then a different sugar.
Like, we'll just put it on the potatoes. So what's the point? Just eat the marshmallows for god's sakes. Yeah. You pass it.
Come across that dish at Thanksgiving. I don't know that I've ever had it, but I have seen it.
Yeah. I know. Listen. I'm not a Philistine. I've I've eaten some crappy food in my life.
But, like, that was just one that, like, I'm using it as an example, did not exist in my life. And then I went to someone else's house and, you know, the the, you know, the takeaway was, like, this is this is Mecca right here. Like, we don't have Thanksgiving if this doesn't exist. I was like, oh, okay.
Well, exactly. That that's the cultural component. You know?
Yeah. Like, it's You know those crappy sorry for everybody who's there's, like, the, like, the the the you know, the the rolls that come in the roll and you crack them open and they expand?
Yes.
Yeah. Jenna's like, I know them. I don't eat them. But, like yeah. Yeah.
But, like and then there's some that are, like, more like cinnamon buns. They come with icing. Right? Mhmm. Yep.
The way my wife grew up, it was not the morning of a holiday if they didn't exist. Like, that was a treat in her life. And so now once we're married and have kids, like, well, we you know, it's Christmas morning. Like, we need to have these, like, poison bombs on Christmas morning. And then and then and they are tasty.
Like, I'm not gonna say otherwise. They're not a high quality, like, tasty, but, like, it's sugary and sweet and etcetera. And then Art now Artin has diabetes. You know? And every morning on Christmas, I'm, like, pre bolusing, like, while she's asleep and cooking the muffin things that when it comes out, I can actually, like, intersect the insulin with the the hit from the stuff.
And and I became really good at it. But point being is it would have been way way cooler if we didn't do it, but we couldn't stop doing it because it was like telling my wife it wasn't Christmas. It's really interesting. She's a bright lady. I if you met my wife and if you met my wife, talked to her for three hours, and then I told you that story about her, you'd be flabbergasted.
You'd be like, that intelligent woman thinks this about these muffins, but it's how she it's beaten into her head from growing up. You know?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. I know.
It's tricky. I actually feel kinda bad for my siblings because after I was diagnosed, Christmas completely changed for us. My my mom was very adamant that we would do much less sugar. You know?
They probably looked at you like, that's the girl that killed it right there. She ruined it for everybody.
It was like we made a lot of changes right away and you know? So
We we you were happy about them. Everybody wasn't?
I don't know. Like, I don't feel I don't remember having a strong opinion about it at the time. Now, of course, I'm grateful for it. But Yeah. At the time, I don't remember having a super strong opinion about it.
And I I always used nutrition as a way to help myself through diabetes. So I think I just kind of saw what they do were doing and thought, okay. I should I should focus more on nutrition.
Has the diabetes been difficult for you over the years? And if so, in what ways?
I think yeah. I think that, of course, there's some anxiety associated with it. I don't know that it's more anxiety than you would really expect. I mean, if you're asking someone to live with a chronic illness that requires a lot of monitoring, I think it's normal to have some anxiety with that. So I think for me, it's probably mostly been a stress thing.
Like, I'm certainly carry more stress than I would otherwise.
Mhmm.
Although, I think it's hard to kind of parse it apart at the same time because I think it also gives me a lot more perspectives, and then I'm less stressed about small things. And so I don't know.
I I overall. I Yeah.
Go ahead.
I I I take your point being that, like, I don't freak out about little stuff anymore. Like, I feel like I've I feel like I've I've said before, I feel like I have the perspective of, a 100 year old person because of the diet because of the diabetes. You're like you're like, you know, something something other people freak out about. I'm like, oh my god. I don't even have the time to be upset about that.
So Yeah. Yeah. It it does that for you. But, also, what I'm hearing you say is that, like, the the focus is ramped up, and this isn't maybe how you would be living your life if it wasn't for diabetes. Or do you think you would've do you think this is who you are and you just would've pointed this at something else if it wasn't type one?
I don't think I would be as focused on, like, my goals to help people if it weren't for being diagnosed with type one. Like, it just I felt like I was a little bit lost. I mean, granted, I was, like, 13, but I don't remember having a super strong kind of focal point. I think it's giving me a stronger focal point in life in general
Yeah.
And a lot more perspective.
And that's a positive that's a positive for you. You don't feel like you were dragged down a path you wouldn't have chosen? You just you feel happy that it kinda showed it to you and you were drawn towards it?
Yes. Yeah. I do. I I'm really I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now. Nice.
So yeah. And, of course, it's it's challenging to live with in many ways, but, you know, there are also ways that it makes the rest of life less stressful. I don't know. It's it's interesting. I I it's very I always think type one impacts every single part of life, so it's hard to parse apart what's type one, what's life, what's me.
Because it's all the same it's all the same thing at
this Yeah.
Kinda gives you one hand takes from the other too. Yeah. Yeah. Has it you said you're not dating right now. Is that a type one thing?
Is that a time thing, or is that a preference?
Dating with type 1 — bring it up early1:03:07
I think that's a time thing. I've just been, like, so focused on school for the past, I don't know, eight years or something.
Gina. Eight years? When's the last time you were on a date when I had a good time?
I go on dates. I go on dates.
You do? But Okay. You do those
me now.
You do it the way the kids do it nowadays?
Yes. Oh, absolutely.
You just swipe, and then you show up somewhere and you're like, you don't seem like you're gonna murder me and then you stay? That kind of thing? Is that about it?
That's about it.
Are you in are you in the DC area?
No. I'm in Atlanta.
Oh, you're in Atlanta? Yes. I was just there. I did a talk I did a talk for touch by type one there. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Nice. Nice. Yeah.
I my my son lived there for a year.
Oh, okay.
Yeah. And so you're at school there? Will you tell me what school you're at, or would you prefer not to say?
I'm at Emory. Emory University.
Oh, okay. Awesome. It's about to get hot there. You're gonna be alright?
I love the heat.
Oh, nice. Oh, you're I love the heat.
Here. Yeah. That's perfect. Yeah.
You think you'll stay there even after school?
We will see. We will see. I am not quite sure. I do really like it here, so I would I would be very happy to stay, but I'll have to I'll have I'll have to see what's going on at that point. I'll probably graduate in a year or two and then figure it out.
Let me ask you a very Atlanta specific question. Do you ignore the boys with the bottle of water, or do you buy them? Or do you not drive in Atlanta?
I ignore.
I do I do too. I look away. I feel better. Yeah. I think it's because they're holding a single bottle, and I'm like, I don't know.
Doesn't seem like it's in a package.
That's fair. That's That's fair. Fair.
No. By the way, I've seen the most horrendous traffic I've ever seen in my life is in Atlanta. And I once saw someone in a four wheel drive vehicle get annoyed at the pace of traffic, And they wanted to go from the middle lane to the left lane, but they went too soon, too fast, cut it too late, and drove up and over the back end of a small car. Leaving that car dis I swear to you, it all happened right in front Leaving that car disabled, they got in the left lane, zoomed away. About 200 feet later, I realized there was an officer in the middle.
I pulled over and I said, hey. I just I pointed. I was like, I just watched that truck hit that car back there. They're disabled, and you could get them. And I'd be happy to be a witness.
And he looked at me and he goes, not my job.
And I
and I was like, okay.
I know. The driving in Atlanta is crazy. And I kind of I'm lucky in that I don't drive that much, like, everything. I live very close to work and everything, but Atlanta does have a reputation for its traffic.
I mean, it's been my experience, and I was there going off a a number of times for a year. Also, there's that little open air mall where the theater is. You know what I mean? Like, that big AMC theater, and it's sort of like, am I
What area is that in?
It's right I mean, it's right near where they made The Walking Dead. That's all I know.
I think I know. I think I know what you're talking about.
Anyway, I like it. I think it's nice there.
Although, maybe not. I'm not sure. I like I feel like I only know school and the hospitals here.
No kidding. How long have you been there? How long have you been there? Jen, did I lose you? Oh, we lost her.
She's she's there, but she's not there.
Oh, sorry.
There you go. You're back.
One second.
You're fine. Can
you hear me?
Yeah. I can.
Okay. Yeah. Sorry. I got a call and everything went
a bit. That's okay. How long have you been in Atlanta?
I moved here in twenty twenty three, to start my program. So it's been about three years now.
Okay. Alright. Well, I want you I want you out in the world more meeting people, but, if that happens eventually are you interested in having kids, and do you ever think about them having type one, if so?
Yeah. I do like kids, and I guess it yeah. I I've thought about it, but it doesn't deter me. I don't know. Like, I what can you do at a certain point?
You know? I mean
You just gotta live.
Right? Do, yeah, if I do have kids with type one, at least I know how to manage it.
Yeah. No. I hear that. Do do Yeah. Put do when people okay.
So I have one last question for you, then I'll make sure I've covered what you wanna talk about, and I'll let you go. So when you date people and you meet them for the first time, you're not sure if you're ever gonna see them again. Do even tell them about the diabetes?
It usually comes up in conversation just because it's so tied into what I do.
Okay. And you're at a meal sometimes when this is happening too. Right?
Yeah.
Yeah. Now do coin flip, and I'm not trying to make it sound like you're going out with a ton of people, but, like, for every 10 people that you have a first date with, how many of them do you think go, oh, I'm not interested after they hear that? Does it shut some people off?
I don't know, but I you know, that's one reason why I like to bring it up early.
Yeah. Just you don't wanna
Because yeah. I mean, if someone has an issue with that, then I need to know ASAP.
So you don't waste time? Right. Yeah. Yeah. Gotcha.
Yeah. And then are there some people who over mother it? Do they do they get too interested too fast? You know, like, hey. Hey.
Hey. Easy. It's kinda private. I don't really mind it if someone has a lot of interest in it. So You wouldn't notice it that way.
Yeah. But, also, I don't
think I've had that experience too much. Most people are pretty pretty respectful about it.
So That's awesome. Yeah. That's cool. Well, I I always help people. Like, I think when you find somebody who really gets it, is interested, it's not off putting to them.
Like, that's a good indication you might be with a a reasonable person. You know? So Right.
Yeah. It's a good it's a good screening tool.
Awesome. Oh, it's it's pretty cool. Is there anything that I didn't ask you that I should have or anything that didn't come up that you'd be disappointed later when you think back on this?
No. I think we just about covered it.
Did you have a good time? Yeah. That was awesome. Oh, cool. Well, I'm glad.
Thank you. What made you reach out? Do you listen to podcast?
The reveal: Jenna was episode 341:10:02
I was on it when I was 18. And then, yeah, and then we were we did this, like, you know, ten year follow-up.
Jenna, how did you not mention that the entire time we were talking? What episode were you on when you were 18?
Oh my gosh. Which episode was it? Let me see. 35.
We were on the episode Jenna? Are you serious?
It's not. Wait. Is it the one before? It was 34. 34.
Wait. I'm looking it up on my website right now, which, by the way, has a new and improved search tool. Jenna is 18 and amazing. This is insane. I oh, you got you gotta give me a couple of minutes now.
Hold on. Jenna is an 18 year old college student who is diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of 13. To say that Jenna has it together is, well, the understatement of all understatements. Seriously, I hope my kids turn out half as well. Heck, I wish her parents raised me.
That's what it says on the website. And now you're oh my god. Like, I'm so sorry. Like, you know in your note, you didn't mention that at all. Right?
You know I don't under you listen. You know I don't know what I'm doing. Like, you can't leave it I'm not an adult. You can't leave it to me.
I'm sorry, Scott. I thought you knew.
No. I have to tell you something. I like better that it went this way.
Yeah.
I I really do. Did you, at any point, while you were talking, think he does not remember me?
It's it crossed my mind.
Well, you were right. Oh my god. Well, how are you? How you been?
What You know, it's it's been crazy. It's been ten years, which is honestly bizarre. Like, I can't believe it's been ten years.
Well, not only that, but it was I mean, I have to look now to tell you when it like, let me find out when episode 34 went up. I gotta go into a different system to find that out, but give me one second. Hold on. Blah blah blah. Oh, a lot of downloads today.
Alright. I'm sorry. That's not why we're here. Wait one second. Good day.
Thanks everybody for listening. Episode 34. I've been making this so long. There's, like, 20 episodes that have the number 34 in it. You were holy hell, Jenna.
You were on this podcast in October 2015.
Isn't that crazy?
I started making it in January 2015.
Oh, really?
No. Kidding. How did you end up on the podcast back then? Do you have any recollection?
I think I reached out to you.
No kidding. You're a little go getter. Yeah. Yeah. I see what's going on.
Okay. And then oh my god. Like, you're making me feel, like, accomplished. I appreciate that. Thank you very much.
Like, it it it feels like I, like, did something, keeping it going and tying it back together like this.
Yeah. Yeah. No. You did.
Jenna is 28 and still amazing. It's definitely a good a good title for this one. What do you think you'll be doing when you're 38?
We'll have to see. I'll have to be back on, and we'll have to see.
Shannon, you don't have one guess? You don't know where you'll be in ten years?
I don't want to make any guesses I always see something I can't predict. But yeah. So I don't know. But I'm thinking right now to stay in academia, so we'll see. We'll see what happens.
You like teaching people, or you just like the learning part?
I like all of it. I like the research. I like the learning. I like the teaching. So yeah.
That's pretty awesome. Well, I'll be there. This is, like, such a genuinely nice little surprise at the end.
I'm glad.
Do you know if I wouldn't have asked you that last question, I never would have put this together?
That's so funny.
Okay. Well, I I mean, we started strong with me impressing you with my knowledge of your life just by the tone of your voice. And, we've ended it with, I would imagine, a fairly disappointing moment for my for my organizational skills.
It's all good.
Oh my god. That's awesome. Well, it's nice to talk to you again. Seriously, this has really been really cool. I, I I really do like that it happened this way.
I know most people won't believe that, but I like that it happened this way because I would have gotten I would have gotten too focused on the what's changed thing instead of just talking to you. So Yeah. Yeah. I fair. I really like this.
Okay. Well, I'm gonna have to re you know, let you go. You probably have, I don't know, hospital food to, like, vomit while you look at. I mean, what's the most vile what's the most vile thing they make in a they give in a hospital or somebody? What's the thing that when you look at it, you go, I don't understand why they would hand this to a person, let alone a person in a hospital?
Well, I I think the thing that always surprises me is the number of, like, white dinner rolls and desserts, like cakes, like chocolate cake or chocolate pudding for dessert.
Yeah.
Yeah. Like, the dinner rolls with
Yeah. You're you're not moving around. Your body's ill. You're shitting in a pan. Would you like a piece of chocolate cake to sit in your gullet for a while?
Awesome. But, yeah, you know, I wanna get out of the hospital. Thank you. What gets me out of here? Give me quinoa.
Yeah.
I yeah. I gotta go. I don't like quinoa. Don't know what the hell it is, but feed it to me and get me the hell out of here.
Oh my god.
That was fascinating.
It needs a lot of help.
So Well, I I appreciate your time very much, and I I I can't thank you enough for doing this. I guess I'll I'll see you in 2036.
There you go.
Alright. Let's do it. Cool. Put it
on the calendar.
K. Put it on the calendar. Listen. If I can keep this thing going ten more years, I would a 100% do that, first of all. And secondly, that would be quite an accomplishment.
Do do you know ever both. Nothing. I this podcast is one of probably fewer than 200 podcasts that has been going as long as it is and has as many episodes as it does. It's, like, really incredibly uncommon. So maybe I'm Congrats.
Yeah. Maybe I will do it. Although, I will be 64 at that point.
So I think you can do it.
I don't know, Jenna. Did I seem like the same person that this is a good example. Like, do you re are you experiencing me the way you remembered, or do you not have much memory of it?
I I feel like you're the same person. Yeah. Awesome. And I've listened to a lot of the episodes. So
Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Oh, that's how I make my listeners. I just have them on the podcast.
It's a it's a it's basically like a Ponzi pyramid scheme. I'm just I just I make listeners by interviewing.
I mean, it's a good way to do it.
Hey. What works works. You know? Alright. I will, hold on one second.
I need to talk to you before we're done. I'm gonna hit stop now. Thanks again.
Thank you.
Heck of an episode today, wouldn't you say? Let's thank Dexcom and the Omnipod five for sponsoring. That's right, my friends. We were sponsored today by the Dexcom gseven. Dexcom.com/juicebox.
Head over there right now. Look into that fifteen day Dexcom g seven. Fifteen days is a long time. That's like half a month. Don't check my math, but I'm pretty sure I'm right.
And let's also thank the Omnipod five. My goodness gracious. Omnipod five tubeless. That beautiful algorithm's updated now with that new 100 target. Get in there.
Find out more about it. Omnipod.com/juicebox. You want some tubeless insulin pumping? Yeah. You do.
By any chance, have you tried the small sip series? It's curated takeaways from the Juice Box podcast voted on by listeners as the most helpful insights for managing their diabetes. These bite sized pieces of wisdom cover essential topics like insulin timing, carb management, and balancing highs and lows, making it easier for you to incorporate real life strategies into your daily routine. Take a deep dive, take a sip, and discover what our community finds most valuable on the journey to better diabetes management. For more information on small sips, go to juiceboxpodcast.com and then go oh, actually, we changed the website.
Let me see. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com. And from there, oh, there's these two little lines on the right side top. That's the menu. And click that, then click series.
Then there's pro there's small steps right there. Pro tips to top, bold beginnings, bold bolus four, asks that. There's a lot of them there. There's actually a little search there too. Could you just type small sips into the search?
Oh, wow. That search works great. Look at that. And then you could go right to, like, all results for small sips. Oh, and that takes you to the FAQ.
You should check out the FAQ page too. I think that's juiceboxpodcast.com/jbfaq. Seriously, that thing's amazing. Actually, the whole website is I mean, have you, like, seen it? You should you should go check out the website.
The website rocks. It is a potpourri, a never ending cornucopia of support for you and your diabetes journey. That's right. It really is. What else we got over here?
Oh, I don't like the way that works. I'm gonna fix that. Note to self. Change the change the masthead on the frequently asked questions page. Yeah.
I don't like that. Fix that. Oh, Claude. Oh, hell. I forgot to say thank you.
Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back again very, very soon. What is that noise? Stop it. Stop.
Can you hear that? It's my chameleon squeaking. Are you squeaking? Are you rubbing the branch against the don't tell people I have reptiles. They'll think I'm weird.
Thanks so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. Look at me. Get all deep in there with another episode of the juice box podcast. You can hear it.
What was that? Oh, I'm getting alarms and alerts on my phone. I was gonna get real deep and tell you about the juice box podcast.
Read the full disclaimer
© 2007–2026 Juicebox Podcast. All rights reserved.