Scott Benner 10/5/22 Scott Benner 10/5/22

#766 Rhymes With Fun

Aimee has type 1 diabetes.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 766 of the Juicebox Podcast.

On today's podcast we'll be speaking with Amy an adult living with type one. She recorded this right around the time of, I believe her first anniversary with type one diabetes. Amy lives in Canada, a Canadian Canadian. She lives north of Minnesota and south of the North Pole. In Canada, I had a fantastic time talking to her. She taught me something about where she lives that I will never forget. And it's why the episode title is rhymes with fun. While you're listening today, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. Or becoming bold with insulin. This is me late at night, keeping myself amused while they record the bumpers. Are you a person who has type one diabetes and a US resident? Or are you a person who is a US resident and cares for someone with type one diabetes, if you are bingo, you can go to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. And take the survey. When you complete the survey. You've helped people living with type one diabetes, you may have helped yourself and you definitely helped me. Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod five, please go to Omni pod.com forward slash juicebox. To learn more and get started today with the Omni pod five or the Omni pod dash which you may be eligible that last part the dash, you may be eligible for a free 30 day trial of when that be something. The podcast is also sponsored today by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. It is an absolutely delightful little blood glucose meter. How's it delightful? I'll tell you if it's in your hand. Well, it's got a bright light. It's got a screen that's easy to use. And it's bonkers accurate accuracy of course being the most important part of this contour next one.com Ford slash juice box.

Aimee 2:19
My name is Amy. I am 31 years old and I am a type one diabetic diagnosed just about a year ago. April will be my one year anniversary. Anniversary, whatever you call it.

Scott Benner 2:31
I don't call it anything specifically people do call it a diversionary. Yeah, if I were to call that a diversity to art and she would definitely make a weird face at me.

Aimee 2:43
Yeah, I listened to her episode and I appreciated her humor. I really liked it. I know some people were weird about it, but I thought she was great.

Scott Benner 2:51
Only a couple of people seem to not enjoy her. I do think at some point she mentioned her religious beliefs and that that through. Sure, sure. Yeah. But anyway, she's 17 She was trying to be very honest. And I appreciate it that very much. Yeah, awesome job. I thought so too. I keep trying to get her to come back on. And she's like, No, just do it again. You know, so I said people really enjoyed hearing from you. And she's like, she goes, I know. You're trying to be funny. Anyway, okay, so you're only a year. Ooh, hold on a second. You got you got kids?

Aimee 3:26
I do. I have two two daughters.

Scott Benner 3:28
Okay, how just how old? Are they?

Aimee 3:31
nine and three?

Scott Benner 3:33
Three, you're married? I am excellent. I just said Excellent. As if I cared if you were married or not. I don't know why. I just think I said Excellent. Because I'm like, Ooh, she answered my question. Move on to the next one. anyone in your family have type one diabetes?

Aimee 3:47
No, no, no one at all. There is though some like Hashimotos my mom's got Hashimotos. So there's other autoimmune stuff going on? For sure.

Scott Benner 3:58
Okay. How did you figure out you had type one?

Aimee 4:02
Oh, I had all of the symptoms I was. I was really sick. I was, you know, everything you can think of I had it. I had lost a ton of weight. I was super thirsty, super hungry. I like my eyesight was blurry. I was out of breath. It was just it was all of it. So it was you know, I think as we do as adults, and as parents, we kind of like push things aside. We explain it away. So I was diagnosed in April, and it was for sure the December. Prior that I started really feeling like something's not quite right. But you know, I was like, Oh, well, I'm working hard. It's COVID I'm wearing a mask at work. Maybe I'm just extra thirsty from that. That would make me know all of the things and then I was like, Oh, I'm drinking so much water. Like maybe I'm just like losing water weight or like I thought like, oh, what sometimes that happens. So there was all of these different things, but then it kind of really got to the point where I couldn't continue on I'm just sort of making excuses. It was like, okay, clearly I'm not well, and, you know, so I went to go get some blood work done had to find a doctor, I didn't even have a family doctor. So I had to find a doctor got bloodwork done, and thankfully, he did catch it right away. I had honestly gone into his office, like, pretty much self diagnosing myself, so I don't think he had to make too big of a leap. But yeah, I was in full DK when I was diagnosed. So it went on for quite some time.

Scott Benner 5:32
Wow. Oh, so you did figure it out on your own though?

Aimee 5:35
I yeah, I did. And you know, even like, I want to, say two months into when I started feeling super thirsty. That was really my first noticeable symptom. I, you know, I had known sort of the symptoms of type one diabetes, just from talking with parents and being in like moms groups and stuff, and seeing people talk about their children being diagnosed. So I knew that extreme thirst was a symptom. And I had kind of said to my husband jokingly, like, a couple months after experiencing that, like, maybe I have diabetes, and I was like, no, because I still kind of thought like, oh, well, you know, you don't really get that as an adult. And I obviously don't have type two, I'm a very healthy person. Otherwise, you know, eat well. I exercise. I don't have type two. I know that. So, you know, at but it was just funny than when it turned out to be true. Because I had honestly called it months before so.

Scott Benner 6:26
Wow. Yeah. That's sucks. Sorry.

Aimee 6:30
Yeah. Well, it is what it is. Yeah.

Scott Benner 6:33
Did you like get to your goal weight before you call the doctor? Yeah. I kind of think I would be like, I'm gonna lose five more pounds. And then I'm definitely gonna go to the doctor.

Aimee 6:41
Yeah, that's the funny thing is, you know, at first, I was like, sweet, I'm losing all this weight, and I'm eating so much. This is the best. And then yeah, then it kind of got to be too much. I was Yeah, for sure. Like, it wasn't, it was to the point where I would go buy new pants, and by the end of the week, they wouldn't fit anymore. So

Scott Benner 6:58
Wow, geez. Now I enjoyed letting people talk through that. Because I think that there's just a lot to learn. By listening to the stories people tell themselves while something's happening, like you made me laugh by saying like, I was thirsty because I was wearing a mask, like everyone else was wearing a mask. Like, by that logic, we would have all been supermodels. And you know, and there'd be a water shortage because nobody could get enough water, we'd all be drinking so much water.

Aimee 7:26
But who knew that wearing a mask makes you lose weight and just be super healthy by drinking so much water?

Scott Benner 7:33
And that's true, by the way I got ripped off. So I wear that mask, and I didn't lose any weight at all. But no, seriously, it's I just like listening to people. It's just interesting to me. You know, like, I figured it out. But then I thought Yeah, that's probably not that because I'm not old enough to have Jouvet. I'm too old to have juvenile diabetes. And I'm not old enough to have type two diabetes, and I'm not, you know, out of shape. So that's all that must mean. And you just write things off and write things off. So, so easily. It's just very, you know, away from diabetes. We we all do the same stuff. So

Aimee 8:07
yeah, yeah. And I have really narrowed it down to like, okay, either I've got type one, or it's thyroid, because lots of the symptoms are very similar. Yeah. So that's kind of like, what I was, you know, I was sort of hoping. I mean, I know you don't want either, but I was like, well, hopefully it's thyroid. But, you know, turns out I have both. So that's great. It's

Scott Benner 8:30
one of the but yeah, I don't know what to call it. I almost said, like I was I almost said, Well, if I don't have to say it, but I almost said that's like one of the bullshit things about autoimmune is that the symptoms are so common through so many different issues, right? And it, it makes it incredibly difficult to figure something out, because, you know, you're like, Oh, my, my hair's falling out, or I'm losing weight, or I am low on energy, or you don't even you're like, Oh, great. Well, this could be any number of like, nine things that I've heard people on this podcast talking about, you know, you're really trying to pick through it. And you already know about like, say you have type one, and now you're trying to figure out if you're if your thyroid is a problem, or if you have, you know, arthritis or any number of other autoimmune issues, and it's, it's hard. It's hard to pick, pick through it all. Hopefully, you'll never have to do that again. Did you start putting the like, do you start doing the math like my mom has? Hashimotos I have type one. Did you look at your kids and go Oh,

Aimee 9:32
so you know, no, I guess I didn't before a diagnosis. I didn't really make the connection between other autoimmune issues and type one. Like I didn't really realize that that was connected. So all I was looking at was well, there was no type one in my family. There's no there's not even any tattoo on my family. Like there's no diabetes. So I was thinking like, how could it possibly be that and with my kids like, Oh, absolutely. When I found out that was really the only thing like I had a mole meant a very brief moment of being like, well, this sucks for me, but then it was immediately about them. And and what does this mean for them? Yeah. And, you know, I think I asked, I asked the doctor when I was diagnosed, and he kind of said, like, oh, it's not likely, like, basically just because, you know, you had them before you were diagnosed, and he gave me a whole laundry list of reasons why it's, I really don't have to worry about it. But I think I've, you know, in my own research, I've come to realize that, not that I'm sitting here worrying about it, but I certainly it's a possibility. So, you know, they've both had their fingers pricked a few times, and so far, so good,

Scott Benner 10:37
but I understand well, I mean, you can't like you can't live your whole life. Just, you know, worried worried worried all the time. I guess you could do trial on that, or something like that. If you were really interested. You're in Canada, right?

Aimee 10:50
I am. Yeah, yeah, they,

Scott Benner 10:52
I'm sure that works in Canada, doesn't it? It does.

Aimee 10:55
It does. Yeah, sorry, I lost the headphone when it made a difference to you. Yeah, I was in contact with someone with trial net. Actually, I was we kind of have considered doing it. But you haven't decided yet. The one thing that's kind of holding me back, and I don't know, if it really matters, it's just my endo had brought it up. I asked him at an appointment, what his thoughts were on it and, and he said, Well, you know, I think it's like, it can be good to find out that information. But then if your children end up having the markers that flags them as basically already having type one and so then it's very hard for them to get life insurance. If like say they might be diagnosed as an as an adult later on, like I was, so I don't know if that's the case. I honestly haven't looked into it any further. But that what he said there kind of is holding me back a little bit on doing it.

Scott Benner 11:47
Can I ask you a question? Sure. Do you have life insurance?

Aimee 11:51
I do. Yeah. But because I got it before I was when we we were smart. We bought life insurance when we were like 22 years old, my husband and I saw

Scott Benner 12:00
dorks That's lovely.

Aimee 12:03
Because we had a baby and we thought well now we have to be responsible for someone else to

Scott Benner 12:06
do you know, we did we did that. We took a piece of paper and we wrote on the paper if we should die, give the baby to this person and they can have our money and we stuck it in a lockbox.

Aimee 12:16
I don't have a will yet officially that's something that I know I need to do. But yeah, maybe I'll do that version, your version of a will.

Scott Benner 12:23
Just like somebody will find us eventually. Save those kids. You know.

Aimee 12:29
Years later, someone will uncover this lead.

Scott Benner 12:31
Yeah, after Arden's been living in a home for six years, like oh, she was supposed to go to their uncle. How about that? They were gonna give all their money to Oh, but a sad story. Yeah, I know. We should do better at this point, though. Arden is going to be 18 in a couple of months. Yeah. So we made it through.

Aimee 12:48
Yeah, you kind of Yeah, yeah, sneak through that one.

Scott Benner 12:51
Yeah, let them fight over whatever's left when that when I go,

Aimee 12:53
they can put like sticky notes on things in your host. This won't

Scott Benner 12:57
be a sad weekend, wouldn't it? I'm gonna take this lamp. You want this chair? Now? I'll take it. Further after this crap out. We just we just did this with my mom. My mom moved into a, like an assisted living facility. And it was fascinating to see she had she had experienced the health issue. And it was it was fascinating to see what six months before she would have like fought you for. And now she was like, throw it out. I don't care. It's just what's it was amazing to watch her. Her priorities shift. And was really, really interesting. We had to like, sometimes we had to stop. I'm like, Mom, that's 100 year old picture. Why don't you hold on to that, you know, like, we'll keep it you know, she's like, I don't have any place for it. And I don't need it. And I was like, Look at look what happens when you hit a certain age just like whatever. I don't need this stuff. I shot I thought I kind of freeing like she was free like free of ego. Even about herself, you know where, you know, six months before she would have been like, I don't want somebody helping me. You know, she would have gone down that road. Now. She's like, No, let them help. Like, yeah, interesting. Don't worry. That's not gonna happen to you for a while. Amy. Don't get sat on the

Aimee 14:12
road. Yeah, well.

Scott Benner 14:15
Hey, I unfairly know something about you that you didn't share with me in the Oh, so can I ask about it? Sure. Like, sure. What is? Well, now we know you're a decent person, Amy. Because if you had any really weird things going on in your life, you would have been like, maybe you were like, yeah, no, sure. Your job is interesting.

Aimee 14:38
Oh, yeah. But which one I am too.

Scott Benner 14:41
Well, I was thinking of being a doula.

Aimee 14:43
Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. How it is interesting.

Scott Benner 14:46
Yeah. How does How do you get involved in something like that?

Aimee 14:50
Um, I kind of just weirdly love the process of pregnancy and childbirth and I had, you know, when I was pregnant, and and going through that experience with my two I just have very different experiences and sort of saw. I had a doula with my second daughter. And I saw the difference that that made in my experience, you know, during and after. So, yeah, it was just something I wanted to pursue. And so I've been doing that for just over a year. Now that's sort of like my little side gig. But yeah, I love it a lot. I work with a really lovely girl who's like my kind of business partner and we, we share our on call days and stuff. So it's not too overwhelming. Yeah, it's it's a lot of fun.

Scott Benner 15:35
How many bursts? Do you think you've been around for him in that year?

Aimee 15:39
Um, so I'd say like, personally attended, I think, eight or maybe 10, eight, between eight and 10. I would have to count but we've, together my partner and I have worked with, I think, probably close to 20 clients now in this past year, so

Scott Benner 15:58
Wow, that's really something how Yeah, intimate. Does it get like, are you contacted very early on in the pregnancy? Or is it something people think about more towards the time they're gonna have the baby?

Aimee 16:08
Um, yeah, it really depends. We have people who contact us like, in their first three months of pregnancy and others who are, you know, a month away from giving birth? So it just, yeah, there's not really any like standard. I'd say most most people probably contract us somewhere in their second trimester.

Scott Benner 16:25
Have you ever been involved in a birth in a blow up tub in someone's living room? Yes. Excellent. Please explain it.

Aimee 16:32
Yeah. Oh, I love home births. Yeah, no, it's lovely. We have, like midwives here are provincially funded to so you can. It's good. And it's bad. It's good, because you don't have to pay for it. But we, especially in the province I'm in I'm in Saskatchewan. And we have far too few midwives for the amount of people who want them. So you would contact the midwives and if they have room they take you on as a client or a patient, I guess. Yeah, it's great. I, you know, there's really no, I guess, people used to think of home birth and maybe even I used to think of homebirth as like, this like radical thing. But it's really not that much different than a hospital birth. If you don't have complications, the midwives still have all the tools to do everything. You know, they can still monitor baby's heart rate and yeah, it's, it's really nice. I think it's a great way to labor if you're, if you're interested in it. Well, I mean, you're not interested in it. Someone else is interested

Scott Benner 17:30
in you imagine if I if I shifted now's, like, I'm gonna dump this podcast thing. I'm really gonna get into homebirths I might be a doula. Yeah, that'd be super comfortable for women, if I showed up at their birth. Oh, absolutely. Well, how do you I have one more question about that. Like, how do you get certified or what made you a good choice for this?

Aimee 17:51
Yeah, so it's like a it's just sort of like a course like an intensive sort of weekend course initially to do your like support person, your doula kind of certification, but then you can choose to do an additional like two year I guess, like official certification process as well, where you're kind of monitored closely by an instructor so yeah, it's it's not like an intensive schooling for it or anything. So really, a lot of people even choose to take the training if they're like, like, men will take it sometimes if their partners are, are expecting and they just want to be like a really good support. Yeah, it's we don't do anything medical. So there's no like medical factor.

Scott Benner 18:34
What would you how do you describe what you do? Like if I if I called you and was like, hello, I need a doula. What is it you do? What would you say?

Aimee 18:42
Did you just make a plan? I didn't know what else. Yeah, so we are there to be a support to primarily the laboring woman, but are the laboring person I suppose. And also the partner emotionally, physically, spiritually, if they like. So we do a lot of like, pain management techniques, we'll do a lot of like preparation in the pregnancy on like, you know, creating a birth plan and, you know, even like a postpartum plan, talking about realistic expectations. We help like, decipher medical terms, or things that doctors and nurses are saying, so we can kind of explain it in like plainer English, we can make sure that our clients know like, what all their options are. So sometimes things are presented to you in labor as if like, this is what we're doing. Now, a doctor and nurse might say, like, and now we're going to induce you or something along those lines. And, you know, really, that's usually the case is that you actually have a choice in that matter. So just sort of being like a second voice for that laboring person and and making sure that they're making informed decisions throughout and helping their like wishes be respected.

Scott Benner 19:54
Very nice. Amy, can you please put a PCR dummy into plain English for me? How would you say that on the fly oh, All right now like, yeah, that's not good. Right? Where are you going with that? Exactly? How are you nice in that? You're not?

Aimee 20:07
Well, you know, we talk, that's honestly almost always a conversation that we have in pregnancy because women are worried about that they don't want an episiotomy. So that's something that really comes up. And, and truly, no, I don't know what it's like in the States, but in Canada, for sure. Like it's not commonly used. It's, it should only be used for emergency situations. It used to be really commonplace, unfortunately. So yeah, but we definitely like that's a conversation we often have with the partner. If you see those scissors come out like I have, or if I kick you under the table, like you have to say, like, whoa, hold on a minute.

Scott Benner 20:43
I just, you know, it's funny in my mind, because Arden was hanging out with a bunch of friends last night, and it somehow came up in their conversation, like I was in the other room, and I'm like, What are these girls talking about? And, you know, you're talking about, like, we'd never want to have a baby, because, you know, they're like, 17 and 18. They're like, I don't want anything showing out of there. And you know, like, that kind of stuff. And one of the girls was just like, you know, sometimes they have to, and then she started explaining it. And then the rest of the girls were mortified. And yeah, I was more I'm telling you right now, that could never happen to me for a number of reasons. First of all, I'm well past childbirth in years, but also, I don't have any the requisite parts. And more importantly, it still gives me the willies talking about it, you know? Yeah. Like I'm like, oh, geez, like, so anyway. All right. I'm sorry. That was a weird left turn. But now I do have one last question. Because you said I have two jobs. What's the other one? Yeah.

Aimee 21:37
I own a like a book and gift shop with my mom. The two of us do that together. So

Scott Benner 21:43
yeah, people have extra money for gifts in Saskatchewan. This is cool.

Aimee 21:47
Yes. People have a lot of money for books right now over COVID They. Yeah, people have been reading a lot. So

Scott Benner 21:53
that makes sense, doesn't it? Yeah. Okay. All right. So we've got all that out

Aimee 21:58
of the way. Me? Do. You know who I am. I would

Scott Benner 22:02
love to listen to the podcast with people. Sometimes I like, you know, you know, when movie makers make a movie, and then they sit in the back and they watch other people watch the movie. Yeah, I'd love to, like, be able to witness people listening to the podcast, because I mean, at this point, now, we're 20 minutes into this, Amy. And you haven't really talked about your diabetes at all yet. And yet, I'm fascinated. So

Aimee 22:23
we've talked about a PD PCI dummies and, and all of the things that otherwise

Scott Benner 22:29
I a little bit I could be and we figured out how you got diagnosed and how you figured it out the process you went through. Now I'm going to ask you, when you left the hospital, what was your understanding of management of type one?

Aimee 22:43
Yeah, so that's a good question.

Scott Benner 22:57
I love this meter. And I can do the ad with my eyes closed. I'm closing my eyes now. The Contour Next One blood glucose meter is the meter. I've enjoyed using the most since my daughter's had type one diabetes. Is that weird to say? I don't think so. Because I've used some meters before that, were they I hated them. There is this one. This one I like a lot. It's easy to hold easy to use bright light for nighttime testing, and a bright screen for nighttime viewing. The test trips offer Second Chance test trips, which means you can like hit the blood not quite do it right, not quite good enough and go right back in and get the rest without ruining the test trip. Or the accuracy of the test. And by the way, since we're talking about accuracy, that Contour Next One blood glucose meter is so accurate, it's got like a lot of accuracy. And that's what you want. Really, right. This is a blood glucose meter. This is this is a belsham Sorry, this is a blood glucose meter. It's not you playing darts at a bar for $3. You want this thing to Bullseye baby. Get as close as it can every time but a bing bada bing bada bing as what you're looking for. Contour is gonna give it to you contour next one.com forward slash juicebox head over there right now. See how inexpensive why are people calling me? No, I'm doing something. Alright, that was my fault. I did not mute my phone I might leave all this in contour next one.com forward slash juice box head over there right now you can actually buy the meter online for very little there's links to all kinds of places online that you can buy it. The test strips are incredibly accurate. I'm not kidding. It's my favorite blood glucose meter fits in your pocket to your bag. It's super easy to carry. You really should check it out contour next one.com forward slash juice box and other good people to send you I'm sorry about this ad but I still think people are gonna go go check it out. So I guess we'll have to see if I'm right. Ladies and gentlemen, boy Isn't girls children of all ages the Omnipod five automated insulin delivery system is here it has arrived. It exists in your Stratusphere universe right around the corner from your house. Ali pod five is the only tubeless automated insulin delivery system that integrates with the Dexcom G six CGM. And it uses smart adjust technology to automatically adjust your insulin delivery every five minutes, helping to protect against highs and lows without multiple daily injections. How about that every five minutes is thinking about you. So you don't have to. That's pretty great. Omnipod five is currently cleared for people with type one diabetes ages six and older. And all you have to do and you have the option to control it from a compatible smartphone. On the pod five is also available through the pharmacy, which means you can get started today without the four year dorable medical equipment contract that comes with most insulin pumps, even if and listen to this closely. Even if you're currently in warranty with another system. Hmm, that's cool. To get started with the Omni pod five, all you have to do is go to Omni pod.com Ford slash juice box for full safety risk information, a list of compatible phones, as well as clinical trial claims data go to omnipod.com forward slash juicebox. That's pretty cool. Oh, I got time with Hey, if you don't want an automated system, go check out the Omnipod dash same link omnipod.com forward slash juicebox. You may be eligible for a free 30 day trial the Omnipod dash, that'd be crazy. I have to say now shoot I ran out of music. Who cares already belched in the Contour? Next One. So I have to say what I have to say I have to say for full safety rescue from nope, that's not it. I said that already. Oh, get a free 30 day trial Yamaha dash. Nope. I already said that. There's definitely something I'm supposed to legally say. I think I said it. I say it already. I said it already. Right. Yeah. For full safety and risk information, free trial Terms and Conditions. Those are the words I didn't say free trial crime. Okay, Fair's fair. I said for full safety and risk information list of compatible phones as well as clinical trial claims data go to Omnipod. But I did not say for full safety risk information and free trial terms. And conditions. Also visit on the pod.com forward slash juice box. Well, now I've said it. So everybody should be happy. Except for you who had to live through this. And I apologize for that. Anyway, let's get back to Amy. Now.

Aimee 27:41
I left the hospital with pins. And so with Hema log, and to see the pins in a meter. My understanding was that I took this amount of to SIBO, once a day, and I was on a sliding scale for human log. But I knew that a carb ratio was coming. However, they wanted me to sort of keep a really good blog for about a month so that we could figure out what my ratio would be. I was Yeah, other than that, you know, I had an awareness of pumps and CGM that was kind of talked about with me in the hospital. But I didn't have one yet. I got a deck called like very soon we have, you know, actually, I've been pretty fortunate. We have a, I have a really good endo and his team of educators are available, you know, iPhone, text, all of that. So I think it was not even a week after leaving the hospital that I had a Dexcom. So I had that. But yeah, you know, my understanding was basically take insulin for what you eat. It was definitely a little bit more on the like, play it safe side better hide the mobile. Yeah. What what made pretty, pretty minimal at that moment.

Scott Benner 29:03
So so now I'm aware that you're in the private Facebook group. And I actually, like, I do my best to keep up with it. I want to say that some things stick out to me more than others. I have no way of knowing why you don't I mean, like, in my mind you and this is crazy. Your name is spelled a little differently. Yeah, it is. And so it's for some reason, my brain remembers it, I look up at it. Like your name looks like an image to me. I don't know how to explain this to people. But there are 23,000 people in that group. And you know, there are some names that they roll in front of me and I'm like, Oh, I know that name. And then my brain associates it with something and then I look and it's just a weird thing. You know, I can't I obviously can't I think there were like 120 posts in there yesterday. So yeah, I'm not aware of. Yeah, I'm not aware of all of them. But having said that, like I associate your name with with somebody who's trying really hard and having success, do you feel like that's going? Is that about true of who you are?

Aimee 30:07
Absolutely, yeah. And even like, you know, to circle back to your understanding of diabetes, when you left the hospital, I think my understanding, in a greater sense was a lot more than what they taught me because I am definitely a person that, you know, does tons of research and, and seeks out that info on my own. So, I, you know, had, I think I've even found the podcast, like, before I left the hospital. I didn't start listening to it yet, but I was aware of it at least and, you know, had followed a bunch of people on Instagram and read a bunch of things. So I kind of already knew, like, some of the things they were telling me. I was like, Cool. That's not right, though. Or it doesn't have to be that way. Like I but I didn't know how to get to that point. But it didn't take me long for sure. You know? Yeah, I was diagnosed with an agency of seven. I think it was 17.4 17.1. Something like that. It was really high. Wow. Yeah. And by, I guess, was it three months later? Yeah. Three months later, I had my agency down to five, two. So yeah, I think I'm doing quite well. I've just switched to Omni pod now from NDI. Just about two months on that. And it's, I'm still doing like fairly well, but I'm definitely I know, I have figured out my rates and my ratios properly. It's, it's close, but I haven't quite figured it out. So I'm still playing around with that a little bit. But,

Scott Benner 31:39
ya know, it's astonishing, like you like you, I, first of all, thank you, I appreciate you being so involved in the site, and, you know, sharing things with people, it's really terrific. But like I have, you know, I feel like I've seen posts from you where they're about, like, Hey, look at this meal, like, Can you even see where it is on my graph? And, you know, like, down to, like, look at my one sees, like, you know, doing so well, and you're not It's not boastful, like nobody. I listen, I feel weird that I even like backed up to, like, do an apology tour on this idea. But for me, I think people sharing their success is a great way for people to be a hopeful light for other people who don't have that success. I know, some people think, you know, don't tell people how well you're doing. It makes other people feel badly. I subscribe to the idea of you don't just say, Hey, I'm doing great. You're not like Nana, like, you know, but here, this is like, let a conversation roll out of those posts. Like, how did you do this? How did you? You know, how did you keep that from spiking? Or, you know, what do you do? And I think that's how people learn. So when people like, come along, and and share stuff like that. It's very, very valuable, in my opinion. But thank you. No, no, I appreciate it very much. You don't have to thank me. I was thinking you did? You did?

Aimee 32:53
Yeah, no, I really do. I agree, though. I've seen a bit of both just in different people who've followed on Instagram, especially, you know, I think the people who have had diabetes for longer tend to have that idea that like it's sort of a faux pas to share your agency or talk too much about your successes without like, also talking about how terrible it can be. And, you know, like, personally, I had to leave almost every other like Facebook group that was centered around diabetes, because other than yours, because I just found it so negative, like it was just so many people like, oh, well, that's just diabetes, and like, you know, it was, but yet here I am, and I, I can appreciate that I might still be experiencing some honeymoon, you know, maybe, but still, like, I'm like, well, there's this whole group of people who are not doing it that way. So I know, that doesn't, that's not how it has to be anymore. You know,

Scott Benner 33:48
so, you know, to go off on this for a minute. I don't think of those people as bummers. Right? Like, I don't think I don't think of them as people not that you said they were I'm just experimenting. Yeah, like, I don't think of them as people were just want to be negative. I think that they have been introduced into a world that is not easy to navigate that most of them were probably not given good tools, or good explanations. And then they were left to flounder. And now all they can believe is what they see. Which is that's just diabetes. And this doesn't work. And you know, just because you got lucky and your blood sugar's like, you know what I mean? Like, there's that vibe that you got the good kind of diabetes, and they got the bad one. And you know, like that their body acts differently than yours does, or whatever the feeling ends up being. And I've seen enough from adults who sometimes have had diabetes for decades, and struggled for decades, find the podcast and not struggle anymore. Like I believe that the possibilities there for everybody. I don't know if you'll if everyone's in the right headspace to take a hold of it or you know if they have the right Home Life or, you know, even financial ability sometimes, you know, to really do the things that, um, that kind of need to be done. But it's there, you know, on some level, I think everybody can improve if they just understood the game they were thrown into, you know what I mean? Like, it's just, it's a, it's an unfair situation. It's almost like you're thrown out of a football field, in hockey gear. And, you know, you're like, I keep getting tackled, and I can't run. So you're wearing skates on grass. And I think that's how diabetes can feel. Sometimes they just don't, you know, you don't have the right tools. So anyway, how did you? How did you figure out like, what did you what the question should be is like, what made sense to you that led to all of this.

Aimee 35:47
Like, led to having success? You mean? Yeah. Yeah, well, I think I, so when I was diagnosed, my agency was so high. I was like, feeling like, terror. Like, I just felt like garbage for a long time. So I kind of right from the start, kind of had more of a fear of highs than I did have lows. I never really had that, like, hypo anxiety. More. So it was like, I don't want to be high, because I don't want to feel like I did before. Right. Like, I felt so terrible. And I do I feel if I get you know, I don't know what this is in American terms, like anywhere over like an eight 8.5 It's, you know, I feel thirsty and tired. And just all of those things again, so that was kind of always where I was coming at it from and I started listening to the podcast pretty early on, and I started from episode one, I honestly, like, constantly was listening to it while I was doing other things. And I think that I just, it made sense to me that what you were saying about being bold, and you know, just like little bumps and nudges. And I wasn't really afraid to give myself like just little micro doses of, of insulin throughout the day. Even when I was on pens, it just didn't really bug me. So yeah, I think, I don't know, it just totally made more sense to me to aim for a regular person's blood sugar levels. I've kind of always been like a perfectionist, so I guess I wasn't really willing to settle for anything less than that.

Scott Benner 37:33
Well, 8.5 blood sugar, by the way, for people in America and other places? Is like 153. Yeah, yeah. When you get over that you don't like the way it feels?

Aimee 37:45
Yeah, if I mean, if it just like sort of goes in high fives and comes back down. But if I hover there longer, or if, especially if I get into, like the double digits, you know, into, which would be like, 200 Plus, like, I feel terrible. So yeah, so I really tried to avoid that and kind of have from the start. So Well, yeah.

Scott Benner 38:07
So I'm orienting my mind. I don't know what happened. I just, like looked away for a second to look at that number. And then all of my thoughts escaped out of my eyes and felt like, where did all my thoughts go? So you don't subscribe to any specific diet, though, right? Like you eat pretty, you know, like, just regularly?

Aimee 38:29
Absolutely. Yeah. In the beginning, for sure. I tried to eat a little bit lower carb, like I you know, found breads that were lower carb, or, you know, I think I was, especially before I had my carb ratio, or was really trying to stick to like this many carbs per meal so that it would not send me crashing low with the sliding scale they gave me. So you know, but once I got my, my carb ratio, for sure, I eat whatever I want. You know, within reason, I've always been a healthy eater, but I certainly am not low carb. At all. Yeah.

Scott Benner 39:02
And you said that you're not not so much scared of low blood sugars. Have you ever had a low blood sugar? Like a frightening?

Aimee 39:08
Yeah. I've had a few. Yeah, definitely a few. Like more recently, I found since starting the Omni pod, I think it's just the way my body is reacting to using like human log as a Basal insulin. It's just absorbed differently. So I'm still just sort of trying to figure that out. I've definitely been low, more than I'd like, in the last month or so. So yeah, I've definitely had like moments where I've had a scary low and certainly I can see how that anxiety would come into play. Because, you know, I would be lying if I said, I wasn't like, I never thought about that again. Or, you know, there's been maybe a couple times where I've given myself a little bit less influence that I think I need following those sort of scary moments, but yeah, for the most part. No, I'm not. I have the Dexcom I watch it carefully. So I I think that is a huge factor.

Scott Benner 40:02
What do you call low?

Aimee 40:05
So low for me is anything under 3.9, which I think is like, I got it. 7070. Yeah. But like, that's like a mild low, like, sometimes I'll let that ride out. But then if it's like a straight arrow, right, but anything under a, probably anything under like 3.5, which is Hold on, I'm going to do it 63

Scott Benner 40:26
doing it. You're so quick.

Aimee 40:28
I calculator times eight. And so it's whatever. Like, my number is times 18.

Scott Benner 40:34
Amy gives you asked me where I'm doing it.

Aimee 40:37
On. Where? Oh, juicebox podcast.com? Yes,

Scott Benner 40:40
juicebox podcast.com. There's a link at the top says a one cm blood glucose calculator. And that's how I was doing it. Good job, Amy. Sorry, plug the website. That's all. I don't care if you do with a calculator with your fingers just mentioned that it's on the website. Okay. You listening to me? Come on. I do. I do. I have Questions You really went back to So you went back to the first episode started listening to this podcast? Are you caught up? Yeah. Yes. Bless you. Thank you so much. So Joking aside, because I feel like people are hearing me say like, wow, me, give me 650 downloads, which Trust me, there's a small part of my brain that is doing that right now. But the other part of my brain is that I've long believed that if you just listen through the podcast, you could put your agency in the fives.

Aimee 41:30
Absolutely. Yeah. And I listened to for sure, like the pro tips and, and defining diabetes, those are helpful. Absolutely. But I feel like by the time I got to those, I had almost already heard all of that information, just in the conversations you have with people. So I find those, you know, episodes like this just as valuable for me. There's, you know, when you listen through, there's little pockets of, you know, great information throughout all of them. So,

Scott Benner 41:54
so the, the pro tip episodes and that kind of stuff, I'm opening up my phone, hopefully, like it won't make a bunch of noise. They exist for this exact reason. So I'm looking at a message that I got last night, which I won't identify the person, obviously. But they start off very nicely asking like, you know, is there suggested episodes list that could be helpful, which I take as meaning I don't want to listen to your whole podcast. And then I scroll a little bit, and I was like, Yeah, have you tried the Pro Tip series? And, you know, then it becomes, can you please tell me what numbers those are. And then you realize that there are some people who just aren't going to do any of the work on their own, but it doesn't mean they don't deserve good health, you know, maybe maybe this person is busy or you know, has 1000 children, I don't know what their deal is. But then eventually they get down to like the real honesty of it. And they're like, you know, I send the link. And the answer is Thank you. Because I really do not have enough time to be looking through your podcast or listening to anything. That's not exactly what I need. And so I agree with you, by the way, and I did it on purpose. Like if you listen to the podcast, you'll just know how to take care of your diabetes. But I added the Pro Tip series and that other stuff, when I realized that there were going to be some people who just for a number of reasons, weren't gonna have the time to listen through. And then I think once the podcast got into, like the 200 episodes, I was like, What am I even asking of people, you know what I mean. And that's when that's why you see the the first pro tip pops up around to 10. But then you can also see how agile you can be with an organization, if you don't have to ask 17 people in a meeting, what we should do next, you know, I just looked up one day, and I was like, we've, I have too many episodes at this point to expect everybody to listen through all of them. I have to condense some of this information in a certain place. And that's when I went from helping people who had the time to listen to a podcast to help him people who had the time to listen to a podcast and people who did not have the time to listen to one. Yeah. And I think that's when it became more valuable. And now, of course, having this conversation. I think that I want to say the protests started in 2019. But ironically, I'm the worst person to ask about the podcast because I'm busy making it I don't I'm not a great historian about it. But I'm gonna look real quickly.

Aimee 44:22
Also, like, what year is it even do we none of us know? Yeah, at this point.

Scott Benner 44:25
Yeah. So that first pro tip went up in February 2019. And I think today, Episode Four or a second today, Episode 642. And yeah, yeah, so I can't you know, I think what you did will work yeah, and but I got to the point where it's like I don't imagine everybody can do that. So anyway, yeah, for

Aimee 44:54
sure. But I my my big listening times are cooking. I go for like a run or a walk with the dog. or grocery shopping. That's like, where it all happen

Scott Benner 45:03
and you have two jobs. I do. And two children. Maybe I should answer this person back and said, Hey, Amy don't don't cop out on me. It's uh, I mean, honestly, joking aside, the podcast is big enough now, like, if you can't listen to 650 episodes, it doesn't hurt me. You don't I mean, I wish you would. And I think there's something in every one of these. That's, that's fun, or valuable or entertaining, or, you know, educational. Somehow. Like, one went up today with like a mother and, and son.

Aimee 45:41
I saw that I haven't listened yet because it came up, right? While I was like sitting here waiting.

Scott Benner 45:48
Well, guess what, six months from now somebody's gonna be waiting to talk to me, and yours is gonna pop up in front of them. So there you go. Yeah. I just think that it's, um, it's too easy to say to people? Well, if you put the time in, you know, then then you'll get your your hard work will pay you back. And I'm not saying you shouldn't have to work hard to figure things out. But not not so much that if you don't have the time, that that's an actual impediment from you getting to the information. That's not fair. And shouldn't be.

Aimee 46:20
Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And I think like, I know, I've heard it so many times come up in conversations on the podcast, who like most people that you speak with in the medical profession, who are helping you with your diabetes don't, I mean, they don't know you really well. So they don't know that you're a person that, you know, wants to maybe do better than whatever the norm is, yeah. But I don't know, I just feel like, you know, even stuff like I've had to follow closer with my CDs over the last couple of months. Since starting the Omni pod, there's a we have a provincial pump program in Saskatchewan that covers it for you know, anyone with type one, which actually was approved, the, like, the month I was diagnosed, so that was lucky. But in order to be approved for that, you have to do a three month trial. And in those three months, you basically have to prove that you're like, making the effort and, and, you know, having appointments and all of that. And so I was having a meeting with my CDE just the other day. And every time I talk with him, he's like, I noticed that you like, you know, you say you set your Dexcom alarms, like quite low. Like, you might want to consider putting that up higher, so it's not annoying you all the time, like and he keeps going like, oh, you know, keep saying like, once you're out of honeymoon, and I like truly I think I am out of I don't think I really had much of a honeymoon. But I've

Scott Benner 47:45
I think Amy your good control is the only thing he can imagine. Yeah, and he keeps

Aimee 47:51
kind of like, he keeps kind of saying like one day that's gonna get really annoying, and it's like, but no, I like I want it to be annoying, so that I can act on it. Like I'm not just gonna, you know, so I just, it just irritates me. You know, it's like, well, what, what do you do? I'm not gonna can't argue it here, right? Yeah, exactly. I just don't. Okay. Yeah,

Scott Benner 48:10
I would imagine that you have, like, so you don't think you're in the honeymoon, right?

Aimee 48:16
No, I think maybe in the beginning a little bit. But I never had like, like, I was taking quite a lot of insulin right from the start. And I never had situations where I just randomly would be low all the time without explanation. And I've, like, especially recently, like, I don't have any free foods, like even things that are zero carbs, I need to take something for pretty much like I can't eat like a pepperoni stick without needing at least a little bit of insulin. So I don't think I'm in a honeymoon anymore

Scott Benner 48:46
at all. No, but it's funny because you've mentioned it a number of times, but I don't like from the outside looking and I'm like, I don't think this person in a honeymoon. But then you finally said it like you're the physicians telling you you are but yeah, they keep Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna tell you that the reason he thinks that is Hey, right. The reason he thinks that is because he doesn't see graphs like yours, unless the body's helping. Right, so you're gonna prove him wrong. He's gonna shut up about that one day.

Aimee 49:14
Yeah, I hope so.

Scott Benner 49:17
Why don't you tell him? Why don't you just say hey, I don't believe I'm honeymooning. I just think I'm very good at Bolus thing for my meals.

Aimee 49:24
Yeah, I did you know what that was like my driving force I had you know what, I guess my when I said my five to a once he was three months later, it was six months later because I had an appointment between those so every three months that I think my first one after diagnosis was 6.2 or something like that, which is still quite good, but I was like, visibly upset about that at the office and my endo was like, You seem disappointed. And I was like, Yeah, you know, like, I'm aiming for a five five and he basically was like, All right, like pretty much said like good luck, like you can but that's not very realistic. And then the next appointment. He remembered that I had said that. And we were just kind of laughing about it. I have a really great endocrinologist. I quite like him. But we were Yeah, we were giggling about it. Because I said, I told you I was gonna do it

Scott Benner 50:11
a little pat you on the head situation when he was like, well say, yeah, like, yeah, like you don't understand.

Aimee 50:18
It felt a bit like that, like, oh, well, you know, you'll have a realistic goal.

Scott Benner 50:24
I think we're gonna find these tables turn pretty soon, buddy, where you're gonna be the one who sees, and I'm gonna be the one patting you on the head. What do you think?

Aimee 50:31
Yeah. Yeah, no, but he was I mean, I think after seeing me a few times, he kind of he I think he kept referring to me as type A, he kept saying, a lot of my type a patients can do like to do this or

Scott Benner 50:46
this. So do you see yourself that way?

Aimee 50:50
No, I mean, in certain situations, yeah. But I'm also I can be quite impulsive with things, which I think sort of lends itself well, to diabetes management.

Scott Benner 51:00
Well, my question is, do you think you're doing well with your diabetes? Because you have a driving force inside of you that won't let you rest about anything? Or do you think you just have found a way that works?

Aimee 51:10
Yeah, it's a combo, but more than I've just found a way that works. Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner 51:15
Because I, I'd be concerned that people who are like sitting around right now going like, I'm more of a go with the flow person, like, I can't do this. But you could, I mean, yeah, I don't want to like, you know, go off on a tangent, but I will for a second, you know, there's not a whole lot to this, the longer I do it, the more I realized, there's just not that much to it. You know, like, You got to get your Basal, right, you have to Pre-Bolus your meals, you have to understand the difference impacts of different foods. And then you got to stay a little flexible afterwards, because things aren't always gonna go right. And, you know, I might add to that later, you probably need to understand the impact of fat and protein, you know, on your blood sugar. But it's not some, it's not something it's not calculus, you don't mean like, diabetes is portrayed as the some, you know, alien calculus that none of us can understand. But it's not like that at all. Like, I don't even think about the math of it. It's all about timing and amount and staying ahead of the blood sugar not chasing, it's super kind of intuitive. Once you see it, you just have to see it work, right, like after it happens. And you're like, oh, that went exactly the way the guy on the podcast said it was going to and then then you can be like, I could probably make that happen again. Is that about your expectation and your experience?

Aimee 52:35
Yeah. And, you know, in some ways, I think it probably is better to be a go with the flow person, because you do have like, if you're too stuck in a little bit last time, it was this way. Right? Like, I think you can't you have to be a bit of both. You can't. You can't be too rigid. So yeah, I don't think like, I don't think if you're a go with the flow person that you can't do it. Yeah, I think it was just kind of like, the way he was viewing it was that I needed to, like have control of everything. You know, I think that's what he was seeing. Well, I'm doing probably truthfully, he probably thought I was like driving myself crazy to get those results. I'm not. In fact, I think about it less when I'm doing well.

Scott Benner 53:15
Yeah, no, that's his improper interpretation of diabetes. Yeah, because I'm a completely like, go with the flow person. I don't have much rigidity about me at all, especially around this stuff. And I'm as good at it as I think anybody could possibly maybe be, you know, and so I just want people not to think that I'm that if you're not of a certain brain, you can't do it. Because that's not true, either. I you know, I mean, the truth is, I think you said it a second ago, if you're too rigid, that that will make it more difficult. Because if you're in this, if you're in this headspace that like, look, I weighed this food. I always feel like I feel bad for the people who live like, like travel with the scales or like a restaurant or something, you know what I mean? Like, I weighed this food and Dammit, this is 43 carbs. And my my meal ratio says this, and it didn't work. That I think must be maddening. Because it feels like you've been told the answer and the answer is wrong. Yeah, you know, whereas if you listen to me, what I'll tell you is, you know, put in the amount that you need. And then if it doesn't work, figure it out, you know, next time make an adjustment, and you'll see eventually, it'll just work out really well. That's it. Yeah. You know, my sound so trite to people who don't listen to the show. I imagine I apologize to those people. I'm not making light of diabetes. It's really difficult. I'm burdened by it just like everybody else's. But there's a way for it. Excuse me, there's a way for it to for people to have that that kind of experience that you just talked about, because I think the most important thing you've said in this last hour, is that when it's going well it's less work right? Yeah, it's going well, because of the effort. You put it up front. Right ahead of it. Is that all right?

Aimee 55:07
Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, like, I hear you say things like that, like, just well, like one day, it will just not feel this hard. You know, like, and I think there's probably a lot of people who have been diagnosed for a long time. And it still feels that hard, because they've never really been presented with the information to be successful. Yeah, you know, I'm really grateful that I found the information that I needed and found the podcast and, you know, didn't get stuck in that, because certainly, there were a few, like, it wasn't long. I want to say there were a few weeks where I really was like, Well, this is my life now. And like, I'm never going to eat pizza again. And I won't do this anymore. And yeah, I can see how it would just sort of feel so restricting. Like, you know, like, you have shackles on almost?

Scott Benner 55:58
Yeah. Well, I listen, I'm happy. Hold on a second, please. I said Saskatchewan, one too many times, and something I call

Aimee 56:09
my throat. Just wait till you hear the name of the city. I'm in.

Scott Benner 56:12
Oh, well, you tell me.

Aimee 56:14
Oh, well, I know laugh at me. Have you heard it? Maybe you've heard of it. The city I live in is called Regina.

Scott Benner 56:21
Yeah, I know this one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, yeah. Canadians. Like, how would someone not hear that and go, Hey, we probably shouldn't call it that. Because it sounds like vagina.

Aimee 56:34
Let's at least pronounce it Regina. No, it's

Scott Benner 56:37
not. Yeah. I never understand. Like, did they not have someone like me in the room when they were making the sign up? You know, because I would have been like, Hey, guys, real quick. That sounds like vagina. Maybe we should do something else. You know? I mean, unless that's what we're going for. And then, yeah, let's keep

Aimee 56:54
going. Yeah, for some someone of British royalty, or princess or something you think?

Scott Benner 57:00
Sure. Great. And 100 years later, you live in vagina. So that's not helpful.

Aimee 57:06
They call it. They call it the city that rhymes with fun. is truly a slang. I didn't make that up. That's an actual slogan that they they say?

Scott Benner 57:19
Well, as a heterosexual man, I can't agree more. What do you think of it? Yeah. That's hilarious. All right. You got me off my thought there with that. But don't be sorry. I really believe that the amount of effort upfront is so much less than the amount of effort it takes, if you ignore upfront, you know, if you just Pre-Bolus your meals, like Jesus, like, you know, you want to day one seeing the sexes Pre-Bolus Your meals. You know what I mean? You get your basil, right? What does that mean? It means you're not getting low all the time and having to feed the insulin, feed the insulin, or you're not riding high all the time, and always Bolus and just get your basil, right. Doctors don't talk about that, like it's important at all. They almost talk about Basal insulin, like it's a throwaway. And, you know, here's your Basal insulin, well, we did a calculation and he's you're probably 11 a day, well, well adjusted.

Aimee 58:18
Yeah, that's basically just like, you take this, so you don't go into DKA. Like, that's what it was explained to it. To me as like, this is just so you always sort of have something and you're not gonna like get back here again.

Scott Benner 58:30
Yeah, and a person who would say that to you. Either doesn't understand the bigger picture, doesn't care about it, or it's just lazy. I don't know what it is, you know, but such an important tool, and then nobody tells you how valuable it is. And now you're suddenly I don't know if you can roll around all day with three or four units of Basal insulin too much or too little. And both are gonna cause you a different problem too much. And, you know, you go into your doctor's office and you're like, Hey, I can't lose weight, I have diabetes, and and they'll say to you like, oh, yeah, insulin will put the weight on you. But that's not true. Calories, puts weight on you. But if insulin is constantly making your blood sugar low, then you're constantly taking in calories. And then they got it's the insulin, you know, no, no, it's not the insulin. You're moron. It's the You didn't give me enough. Yeah, like you didn't give me enough information. You just you randomly pick this number, you're making me low all the time. I'm eating constantly. And, and, and when that happens, you don't see it as eating constantly because you see it as saving your life constantly. You see it as a medical intervention, not as great as a food choice. And because it is, but you know, just make the basil right? And that doesn't happen and the reverse of it is, you know, not enough Basal blood sugar's high all the time. You eventually you get fed up, you Bolus a whole bunch and you make yourself low. And then you eat a bunch of food and make yourself high get frustrated. Bolus a bunch make yourself low. All that is from Basal, you know, so All right, I can only say so much common sense on hearing me and then it's just it gets to be too much. What made you want to come on the podcast?

Aimee 1:00:16
This is gonna sound really weird. Oh, I

Scott Benner 1:00:18
hope so. Okay.

Aimee 1:00:20
I don't know if I have a true reason i So when I started listening to the podcast, like pretty much right away, I was like, one day I'm going to be on this podcast, and I just like thought it to myself. And I was like, Yeah, I need to be on this podcast one day. That'll be fun. And so then I just reached out to you, and you're like, Yeah, I hear you can book a time on here. I think you said but like, I can't get you until March. And this was maybe like, last summer? Yeah. And I was like, okay, cool.

Scott Benner 1:00:49
It's March now, if you want to be on now, I think it's December. Yeah. Like, every day, I record the show, like, every day at this point. And yeah, I'm we're booked out that far. So I'm just fulfilling like a,

Aimee 1:01:04
like prophecy.

Scott Benner 1:01:07
Making you feel good about your thoughts, that all this is really for, you?

Aimee 1:01:11
Know, I just thought, you know, I like talking to people. And I. Yeah, I just thought it would be fun to come on and chat with you about life and diabetes. And I just, to me, like, those are the episodes that kind of mean the most to me, and that it get the most out of is just these like, back and forth conversations where, you know, people might say just in passing, like a little sort of tidbit of something that I find helpful or can relate to. So

Scott Benner 1:01:38
I agree. Yeah, I'm a podcast person to begin with. So I agree with you, I would rather pull gems out of a conversation than be talked at for an hour, which I think is even why I had trouble even making the protests very, like they're not super. You don't I mean, like, if you if you put a company or a hospital in charge of making those protests, they wouldn't sound the way they sound coming out of my mouth, because I still want them to be conversational. Like, I just don't. The bullet pointing thoughts into people's heads, I don't find to be a great way to communicate with people. I'm waiting for someone to come on one day and offer themselves to me somehow, like is a I don't even know like, Hey, I Scott, I really appreciate this and to come to your house and clean once a week. You don't be mean or I mean, if I was single, even sexually, I mean, you know what I mean? Like, hey, but no, none of it ever goes that way. And by the way, sometimes I got off of are you giggling at me? Thank you. Oh, you love the podcast? Don't you?

Aimee 1:02:39
laugh all the time when I'm listening? Like my husband will be like, where are you listening to? Probably that podcast.

Scott Benner 1:02:45
Come to learn my name. Have a little respect and know, oh, what was I gonna say? yet? Oh, I was recorded with the person the other day. We got all done. I thought it went really well. And it ended. And they go, Hey, can I just tell you something real quick? And I'm like, Sure. And then they like passionately spoke about what I meant to them for two minutes. And while they were talking, all you think is no one's hearing this, but you and me.

Aimee 1:03:14
Couldn't have said that on the podcast?

Scott Benner 1:03:16
What are you doing? Like, I didn't want to embarrass you. And I was like, Oh, let me be embarrassed. Like it would be. I just I said afterwards, I was like, Look, I have a podcast. I was like, if I'm having a conversation, it's not being recorded. It almost feels like a waste of time at this point. You know, I need you to say that while I'm recording you, but it was very nice. And listen to their point actually, was kind of nice for me too. Because I do realize that some of my embarrassment comes from the fact that I know someone's going to hear it later. And so I could just let this person just tell me how they felt. And I could accept it nicely and say thank you and, and have like a normal conversation about it. Because I don't care how good of a job you think I do with this podcast. When you're being recorded. You're aware you're being recorded. Yeah, yeah. So it does. It does change you a little bit like I stopped myself five minutes prior from making the joke about someone offering themselves sexually to me. And then I while you were talking mulled it over in my mind to make sure that that's something people would hear the right way. Because obviously, I don't think that, you know, I don't think that should happen, right? Like it's a preposterous idea. That sounds funny. Then you say sex and sex is funny and blah, blah, blah. Like I don't have to explain the joke to people, but but when you're being recorded, you really do you think twice about things you say, you know, and you're and trust me when you're just freewheeling I think it's more valuable. So I do my best to go free. But there's times when I'm like, oh. Anyway, I don't know where that all went. But

Aimee 1:04:55
oh, yeah. And I think like people who listen regularly get your sense of humor and The people who might have that moment, be the one off time it looks to me like

Scott Benner 1:05:06
it is it has happened. Like, I know that for a fact that people sometimes just pick the wrong episode to start with. Because you imagine, if you just came into this one, and you're this far, and you're like, there's this guy, he doesn't have diabetes, he says he's so good at it, that people should offer themselves to her sexually. As a thank you. I think this guy sounds like a jerk. And I gotta

Aimee 1:05:26
admit, children that listen to this podcast. Heard that out

Scott Benner 1:05:30
of context, I'd think I might agree with you, you know. But yeah, I think if you know me a little bit, you'd understand i I'm joking. And and by the way, kids do listen to the show, which is tough for me, because I can't Yeah, you know, I mean, like, I can only be myself, but I'm assuming they either it's okay with their parents, or their parents don't know what it's all working out one or the other. I have no idea.

Aimee 1:05:54
And like, really, if they're listening, they're probably like, at least old enough that they don't know, why don't mature about.

Scott Benner 1:06:02
I have a photo on my computer somewhere of a little kid, like in a car seat, holding a phone up to their ear, listening to the podcast, right. And it's accompanied by a note, which I don't have any more. I wish I didn't I wish of all the things I wished I wished I could pay somebody to do a better like to do a better job than I do with my correspondence. But I remember this note, where the the mother and her friend were in the front seat, and they're talking and laughing. They're just out driving. And this young kid, like four or five, six years old, I don't know in that range, shushes them and says, I can't hear the podcast. And she's like, she was listening to your podcast. So I responded back and I'm like, really? And you know, like, she's Yeah, she's like, she's learning about her diabetes from it. And I'm like, wow, that's insane. You know? So anyway, what? One person can't just like make, I would say, No, I'm married, Amy, but it would still be nice, don't you think?

Aimee 1:07:11
If you know, just to feel wanted, or if one of you

Scott Benner 1:07:15
in grades would name your babies after me. Just one I so far, I got a dog, which I appreciated. I have a number of license plates throughout the country, which I think is very nice. Someone did name their their child Arden.

Aimee 1:07:30
I was just gonna say I saw that recently. But

Scott Benner 1:07:34
that just made me upset. So oh, she's like, that's my name. She was What if everyone starts doing that? I'm like, everyone's not gonna start doing that. Calm

Aimee 1:07:44
down. Oh, now you've made her name. The most popular name in

Scott Benner 1:07:47
America. I don't know about that. But I just want one baby named Scott. Like it wasn't that hard. What about one of you who've already just named your baby Scott. And it wasn't after me, just lying to me and saying it was like when

Aimee 1:07:57
that price? The timeline lines up enough?

Scott Benner 1:08:01
Why not? Amy? Why not do a nice? That's all I'm saying. Oh, my gosh, you have no idea. I would tell people for a week if that happened. Oh, I know. I know. He went longer a week. A month a year? Yes. 10 years now and the length of the podcast. I'd be like the last one. Let's go over everything.

Aimee 1:08:21
The last episode is you speaking to the Scott that you were named after?

Scott Benner 1:08:25
Whoa, Amy. This. You're very cute. Alright, so listen. So what does that mean? Somebody's got to get to it right now. It's a it's 2020. What is it? 22. You're right. I do not know what year it is. 2020 To make a baby right now, if you stop listening to the podcast and have sex right now, we could have a Scot nine months. And the kid would have to be I mean, I could probably, but then the kid would have to get diabetes, right or No, not necessarily. Yes. No,

Aimee 1:08:54
I think you're not necessarily it won't be the cherry on top. But you know,

Scott Benner 1:08:58
what a weird, weird statement from you, Amy, that what we really wish for is that a baby gets diabetes. So it can be on a podcast later and it would be a better story. I think that's what you're saying. Alright, so Amy's not wishing diabetes on hypothetical children. But I think this is like a 10 year plan. Right? I can have a reasonable conversation with a 10 year old. Yeah. All right. Well, everybody get to it, then. What am I like? I'm done. I can't have more kids. Yeah, I dropped out if I can eat well, if I tried to raise another baby. I think it would kill me.

Aimee 1:09:32
And what like, Yeah, well, I'm sure. I kind of feel the same.

Scott Benner 1:09:36
Yeah, I need to sleep. You don't I mean?

Aimee 1:09:39
Yeah, I do. Yeah. And also like, yeah, like, no, especially for you. But for me, like now, even with a three year old. Like, I feel like we're at this time where like, sometimes it's quiet for like 15 minutes. And you're like, Ooh, this is nice. But then we got a puppy. So that's like gone now.

Scott Benner 1:09:58
Amy, you listen to the podcast. I I told you listen,

Aimee 1:10:03
no, I love dogs. We already had a dog and then that dog died. And so then I felt we there was like an empty space. We needed a new dog.

Scott Benner 1:10:12
Got an ottoman, get an amen. Yeah. So nice to put your feet on would have been lovely. Yeah. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that we should have?

Aimee 1:10:24
I don't think so. No, I don't think so.

Scott Benner 1:10:28
All right. Well, Amy's bucket list is over that, I guess.

Aimee 1:10:31
Right. Yeah. I didn't have like a specific point. It was just like fulfilling my life's purpose to be on.

Scott Benner 1:10:38
What else is on this bucket list? Me because it sounds sad.

Aimee 1:10:42
Yeah, be on a diabetes podcast. I want to go to Ireland someday. That's on a bucket list. I don't know. I don't really like giving too much thought.

Scott Benner 1:10:51
Me either. I just want to get these kids out of college. Yeah, so tiring, paying for college. Oh, my God. Oh,

Aimee 1:11:00
my god. I can't imagine dude got enough saved for both of our kids to go to school, like one semester.

Scott Benner 1:11:06
Both kids one semester. You imagine that's all you get? Make them pay for it? Have you considered like that's sort of like a Bloodsport situation where you tell them look, we only really have enough money to send one of you to college fight. Like

Aimee 1:11:22
I'm banking on maybe University being free by the time we go. But I don't know if that's good news.

Scott Benner 1:11:29
Or maybe like a little Saskatchewan, like squid games situation where the kids have

I don't know where we feel us wheat and Saskatchewan.

Aimee 1:11:43
Oh, hugely. wheat fields all around canola, wheat X. It's all about it.

Scott Benner 1:11:49
Really? Well, you guys know. I just assume you live on a sheet of ice. So I don't know. Really?

Aimee 1:11:54
Yeah. Well, I kind of do right now. It's insane. But oh,

Scott Benner 1:11:58
well. Yeah, I can't live there. I'm sorry. Although I live in vagina. That'd be nice.

Aimee 1:12:04
You would. Yeah. And it gets really hot in the summer. The winter is is terribly cold.

Scott Benner 1:12:10
Amy, I just need you to tell me that. The place you live gets really hot in the summer, and I need you to use but I need you to use the name of the place.

Aimee 1:12:18
Yeah. Regina gets really hot this summer. Thank you. I appreciate that. A little bit sweaty.

Scott Benner 1:12:25
Oh, sometimes you get a little sweaty and a little bit. Yeah, you do. Yeah. I just need an episode title. And you know,

Aimee 1:12:32
oh, that's gonna be it. No.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:36
Just say no, you don't want it to be.

Aimee 1:12:39
I mean, it can be. I know. You're just going to name it whatever you want. So it's all fine. It can be whatever. But that's as soon as I said it. I was like, this is the episode title, isn't it? I knew it in my head.

Scott Benner 1:12:53
It gets a little hot in Regina in the summertime. It gets hot. I think I'd have to pare it down. Just Regina gets hot in the summer. No, I gotta be honest with you, Amy. That's gonna be the title of the episode.

Aimee 1:13:06
But good. I like it.

Scott Benner 1:13:09
There's no way it's not going to be that. Like, I'd have to sell the podcast to someone else who would then rename it. There's the only way it could happen. I would never in a million years not make it that. I really appreciate this. Everyone else who's thinking of coming on. This is the level of effort I need from you.

Aimee 1:13:29
Yeah. Okay.

Scott Benner 1:13:32
Yeah, she told a good story. She was honest. She came up with a title. Even though she didn't know she came up with it. She did. I just had to lead her to it a little bit. Yeah, for Amy, your delight. Thank you so much.

Aimee 1:13:46
Oh, thank you. That was so much fun.

Scott Benner 1:13:48
I appreciate that very much. Tell your husband learn my name. I didn't like it when he said

Aimee 1:13:52
well, I will hold on one second okay.

Scott Benner 1:13:54
A huge thanks to Amy for coming on the show and sharing her story. I'd also like to thank Omni pod makers of the AMI pod five and the Omni pod dash m remind you to go to Omni pod.com forward slash juicebox to get started today or learn more about the Omni pod five or the Omni pod dash. I also want to thank someone else. Oh I remember it's the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. It really is a super easy to use super easy to hold incredibly accurate blood glucose meter. That is inexpensive. Contour next one.com forward slash juice box you will not regret it. It's simply the easiest decision you can make today. Right next to getting an omni pod thanks so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.

#765 Everything Is Not What It Seems

Jennifer Stone played Harper Finkle on Wizards of Waverly Place and she also has type 1 diabetes - and she is a nurse!

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 765 of the Juicebox Podcast.

On today's episode, I'll be speaking with Jennifer stone. Jennifer is an adult living with type one diabetes. She's a nurse. And you may also know her as an actress. Jennifer played Harper Finkel on Wizards of Waverly Place. And she's here today to tell us about her life with type one diabetes and I have to find out how she became a nurse and a bunch of other stuff. I genuinely had a terrific time speaking with Jennifer and I believe you're going to love this episode, she is really just a lovely person. While you're listening, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician or a wizard before making any changes to your healthcare plan, or becoming bold with insulin. If you're a US resident who has type one diabetes, or is the caregiver of someone with type one, you could complete the survey AT T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox in fewer than 10 minutes, and support people living with type one who would also help you and the podcast. It's absolutely HIPAA compliant, completely anonymous and simple to do T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Dexcom, makers of the Dexcom G six continuous glucose monitoring system. See the speed direction and number of your blood sugar in real time, right on your phone with Dexcom. Go to dexcom.com Ford slash juice box to learn more, or to find out if you're eligible for a free 10 day trial of the Dexcom GS six. Today's episode is also sponsored by the in pen from Medtronic diabetes. And we're going to be talking today about Medtronic blue balloon campaign, which runs from September 26 to November 30 2022. Every time you use the hashtag blue balloon challenge and tag Medtronic diabetes in your post. Medtronic is going to make a $5 donation up to $100,000 to the life for a child organization. And at the end of this episode, I'll tell you a little more about life for a child. It's time to talk to Jennifer. So put on your crazy funky junky hat. And let's get started. Can we start? Are you good? Oh, please go ahead. Yeah, great. She sounds terrific. So Jennifer, this is a really casual podcast. Normally I have people introduce themselves, and then we start talking but that seems kind of silly, because your name will be in the title. So I'm just gonna kind of launch right in and ask my first question if that's okay. Okay, cool. Yeah, that's great. Before I start, as I said, I was gonna launch in, this is going to be terrific for you. Because I don't know a damn thing about Wizards of Waverly Place. I am not going to ask you any of the questions that everyone asks you all the time. Although I have three cringe questions that are at the end that I will ask you at the very end. I love a cringe question. Okay. All right. Well, last,

Jennifer Stone 3:15
I also really appreciate your candor. That's really nice.

Scott Benner 3:17
Well, here's the here's the real compliment, though. I mean, I'm 51 Okay, my daughter's 18 My son's 22. I have never sat down and consciously watched an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place, but I bet you I've seen countless episodes of them pieces at a time. I know the song like if I heard the song, I'd start dancing, like like the whole fat, but I've never sat and watched it. So I think that's a real, it's a real kind of great thing, actually, to have such an imprint on people

Jennifer Stone 3:46
would be a little odd if you like after your kids went to sleep, watched it by yourself. It'd be a little strange.

Scott Benner 3:51
My wife was like, you want to like, get a glass of wine or watch wizards? And I was like, No, we'll definitely throw on the Disney show. I don't Yeah, definitely. So how old were you when you're diagnosed with type one? I was 2020 And were there any signs or other people in your family extended with autoimmune issues?

Jennifer Stone 4:12
Well, my mom so coming to find out because at the time I didn't know this so they told my mom incorrectly that cuz she had gestational diabetes, and they told her all it's fine once you like give birth it'll go away for you will be a problem for the kid. But actually, I'm not gonna give exact numbers because I don't know the statistical data there. But you're more likely to get type two as with gestational diabetes, and your your kid is more likely to get type one. Does that happen? Oh, and we both Yep, she got type two and she actually found out because I don't know if she would have ever really realized it at least not as quickly if it wasn't for my type one diagnosis because it made her more aware of some of the signs and symptoms and for me, I I wasn't your standard type one. Because I know a lot of people when they're first diagnosed, they lose a lot of weight. I didn't, I gained like 60 pounds in three months, I was super tired from the most basic things I lost my like vision was so blurred. They used to say that auditions are like, she just doesn't feel like she's connecting. I'm like, because I can't see you. I can't connect you if I can't see you. I'm the Yeah, so those were some of the things that I experienced that was obviously a red flag that something was going on. So. So that was when I started going to see doctors to try to figure out what was up and found out it was type one,

Scott Benner 5:33
you'd be surprised at how many people I speak to who's healthy issue ends up in pit impacting people around them, kind of very favorably, even stuff like people with type one who ended up having kids with type one, who will tell me that I never really took great care of myself until my child had it. And then I started thinking, Well, why am I doing such a great job for them? I could be doing it for myself to or on and on. It's also I think they see the I think they see the change and the increase in technology. And it kind of pulls them along as well. And they think, oh, you know what, maybe I'll wear a pump or I'll get a pen or I'll do something I've been shooting with these needles for 20 years, you know?

Jennifer Stone 6:12
Yeah. And that's what's great about the diabetes community is it's such a resource of just people sharing their experiences, because diabetes is not a one size fits all. condition. I mean, everybody's experience is really different. And so you know, things like the ink pen works really well for me, but may not work for somebody else. But you're never going to know until you try. And that's it's that's diabetes is a constant trial and error trying to see you know, how you can best balance those blood sugars throughout the day.

Scott Benner 6:38
I like to say that you don't want to wake up one day and realize you're using, like methods from 10 years ago. And you're like, wait, What's everyone doing now? You know, like, Don't switch, just totally switch. But if there's better ways, then and they're more helpful for you, and that's great. Okay, so you were diagnosed? And you're 20 you're done? Are you done acting at that point? Are you acting last? Are you still trying to act like, I don't understand how you get from acting to nursing?

Jennifer Stone 7:03
No one does, it's okay. Nobody gets that job. Um, so I took a break for a bit to focus on my health and make sure my health was okay. And then and then continued that break to go to nursing school. But no, my I loved acting since I was six years old. So I was my plan was never to leave. And I have it I just juggle the two. Which is easier some days than others. I

Scott Benner 7:27
was gonna say like, how do you make that like when you get hired as a nurse, I'm assuming at a hospital? Yeah, give the admin in the emergency room? Do you say to him, Hey, I like I might not be here for three days because I I got two scenes and a thing or something or

Jennifer Stone 7:41
I mean, it works with it. Because I mean, thankfully, I work three days a week, 12 hours a day and and so and sometimes just the way you can finagle kind of scheduling and things like that I work with both my managers at the hospital and my my manager enacting and we just work kind of on scheduling, everyone's really, really great about that. And

Scott Benner 8:03
how are you? How are your blood sugar's during 12 hour shifts?

Jennifer Stone 8:07
They, my pancreas knows when we're gonna get an influx of patients, I swear, because we have like times where like, it's more likely that it's gonna get busier. So like, maybe around like 9:10am, I'll get a spike, and then around 4pm I'll get another spike. But it's a lot better than when I did night shift. Night shift was oh my goodness that that complete flip flop of your circadian rhythm for not was not agreeable with my system.

Scott Benner 8:35
So you're using an impedance. You were in a CGM as well, right? Yeah. So do you see a spike with adrenaline?

Jennifer Stone 8:42
With cortisol usually? Yeah. So yeah, I'm really cortisol sensitive. That's interesting.

Scott Benner 8:47
Do you Bolus for it? Or do you work through it? You know, yeah,

Jennifer Stone 8:51
oh, no, I have to Bolus for it. And that's where like the in pen is so great is because it takes that math out of doing it that sort of mental math that most diabetics have to do all throughout the day. You just it's this like smart pen that you plug into an app. You plug in your blood sugar, it says this is what you take, you take it really quickly and then get back with your day, which on ships with nursing is like valuable

Scott Benner 9:12
had you tried to pump prior

Jennifer Stone 9:15
I did it just again, like I was talking about leaner, some things work for some diabetics and not for others, and the pump just didn't agree with me. It it I never got the full three days out of it. And also too, I'm really clumsy, I would get the wire stuck on everything. So that didn't help either. So between those two things, it just wasn't the right method for me.

Scott Benner 9:37
I want to bring up for people listening because I don't think enough people do this. I think you're wearing medical ID bracelet, aren't you? Yeah, that's cool. It really is because it's hard to get people you tell them how important it is. And they just kind of won't do it. So

Jennifer Stone 9:52
you see enough people in the emergency room that don't wear them and then you know, things are not like we just don't have all the information so they'll come in completely out of it not wearing one, we can't get it on their phone either. And so we were basically just like guessing with what's going on with them. So you see that enough times? Yeah, it makes it a pretty easy decision to wear one.

Scott Benner 10:13
What would you say? Well, I guess let me ask you this first when you're diagnosed, it's a strange age because you're an adult, but you're not, you know, someone helped or a lot of people. Yeah, just somebody helped you in the beginning. Like a parent mom. Yeah.

Jennifer Stone 10:26
My mom's my mom's a rock star. And she was really, she went into full Mama Bear mode when I had endos that weren't great, you know, and found me and those that were and I'm really thankful that like, I have my endocrinologist now, which my mom helped me find, at the time, because at 20, I mean, you're still, you're, like, barely an adult like you. You're still figuring out how to pay a bill much less, you know, deal with a chronic condition.

Scott Benner 10:53
Your brain still jelly until your early 20s. I think they say you're not.

Jennifer Stone 10:57
What is it like? 25? Before you're like frontal cortex is like fully developed? How old are you now? I'm 2929. So

Scott Benner 11:04
you've been doing this for quite some time. I have your goals. For your range. And for your a one see, like your outcome goals? Have they changed over time? Or have they been pretty similar?

Jennifer Stone 11:16
They've been pretty similar. But the thing that I think has changed the most for me is how, because I'm a perfectionist, and recovery is my like, ongoing joke. And diabetes is not a great condition to have for any perfectionist, because there's so much that's out of your control, you can do everything perfectly, and it doesn't matter. So the thing that's changed for me is not those numbers. But what's changed for me is my understanding with myself. And being able to, you know, to look at my blood sugars and Bolus when I need to and try to be as on top of it as I can be. But if it still doesn't get to that perfect range numbers, whatever I can, no, I did everything I could. And then that's enough. That's okay.

Scott Benner 12:02
Yeah, I find that if your Basal set well, if you understand how to Bolus for your food, if you understand the glycemic load and you know, impact of the things that you're eating, and you don't abide to high blood sugar, if you look at a high and just go it's fine. Instead, you kind of like knock it back on again. Yeah, you know, Pre-Bolus your meals, probably in a onesie in the sixes if you if you do those sorts of things, and it doesn't have to always be 8090 100 It's for that outcome to exist. And yeah, very true, then you balance sort of the, the psychological aspects of it as well and don't end up making yourself crazy over it. Okay, so what I mean, why did you want to be a nurse?

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Jennifer Stone 16:47
I had both good and and bad experiences with healthcare providers. I mean, they're people so you're gonna find the good and the bad. So I got into it because I wanted to understand my body better. I was about to transition to a four year for a psychology degree. And I completely recalibrated and sort of going after nursing because I wanted to understand my body better and I wanted to make sure that patients felt seen and that worst time of not knowing because it to me I think that's the worst is not knowing what's going on with your system and not having a plan and an answer. And tools like the ink pen to to make your life easier while you're still figuring it out. So I wanted to be there for people as a resource. In that interim time of not knowing and uncertainty that can be really scary.

Scott Benner 17:34
So why, why is the wrong way to get into this but you'll you'll take me at my at my meeting for a second in a second. Why didn't you just double down in Hollywood and ruin yourself chasing things constantly? What made you go after like a normal thing? Do you know what I mean? Like, I know Seth Rogen makes pottery but you guys all doing something else that we don't know about? And

Jennifer Stone 17:56
you know what I mean? Like the normal ones? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so

Scott Benner 17:59
but what about your upbringing? Made you say, Okay, well, now I'm gonna go to college.

Jennifer Stone 18:06
Well, I mean, college was never not an option for me. I mean, my my parents. I know, both my mom and dad. My mom's dad had gone to college, but my dad's dad had not. And so he was the first one in his family to go to college. So it was very important for both of my parents, for my brother and I to go to school. So not getting a degree was never off the table, I was always gonna get a degree. But the thing with acting is, like, I love the art of it so much with the business can be really self involved. And I was never raised that way my parents just raised me of like, get outside yourself. Like, it's not all about you. And so even when, even when my mom was on sets with me, you know, she made sure I did things to stay grounded. And so, you know, to me, it's the perfect balance of I get to act for me. And I get to nurse for other people. And so that way, it kind of keeps that sort of push pull between self and other really balanced.

Scott Benner 19:05
It's, it's exemplary, you'll be able to do that I have incredibly limited experience, meaning that I once filmed an iPhone commercial. And I believe I was on the Katie Couric show a couple of times. So I know those are weird examples. But the strange thing is like during the commercial filming, I remember being nervous before it started. And I asked for, you know, just a bottle of something to drink. And you're about to find out that I live on the east coast because I can't say water. And so I asked the whoever I asked, and then ringing through these, like headsets all over this big room where the talent needs water. And then people were running at me with bottles and I thought, well, this is how natural Oh, this is how people go crazy. Yeah, because you could feel yourself thinking I could like this, you know, like I could really like somebody's chasing me around this way. So anyway, I think it's kind of a big deal that you were able to do that and probably, you know, a great insight into your parents too. And your family.

Jennifer Stone 20:07
It's all my folks. It's all my parents. I am just I count my lucky stars that I got the parents that I did, because otherwise, who knows?

Scott Benner 20:16
Well, so then how to how to like level headed people. Also be the people who started you acting when you were young. Like where's that, like,

Jennifer Stone 20:24
that was on it was on me. It was on me like I my brother, we joke that it's a hobby that got really out of control. And my mom, even to this day, like when it gets hard, she's like, you know, you can quit or I'm like, I know, but I really love it. Like, it's, it's, it's, it just makes me feel the most like me. And that's when you know, you found something worth doing is when it makes you feel like the best version of yourself. And, and, yeah, I mean, I got dragged to theater camp with my older brother. And it like, sparked my mind. And you know, I started doing it, and I loved it. And I was the one that drove the whole thing. I mean, my mom was never like, oh, we should get you in showbiz. Like, she was always wondering, like, do you want to quit now? Can we go play soccer or something

Scott Benner 21:05
like that about sports? Like, are you sure you want to keep doing this? We could do something. Yeah. So I've been finding recently, as I get older, that I'm starting to believe that my memories, the ones that I think of as really strong memories are actually more tied to photographs that I have more access to. And I was wondering if you disproportionately see yourself as younger because there's so many images of you that way.

Jennifer Stone 21:30
I mean, I don't, to be honest, and this is why like, I was joking with you, before we got on about like me just talking to no one is I try not to, like, look or think about myself as much as humanly possible being an actor in the age of social media. But I mean, like it because it's just, I don't find it healthy to like surrounded myself that much with the idea of myself or the image of myself. So I try to not avoid it, but it's just not the center of my universe. But no, I mean, it's I've always, like, I hate the term old soul. But I've always felt like that, because I grew up working on sets at a really young age with adults. So I've always felt older than I am not an experience, but just something within me. But no, I definitely don't think of myself as is younger, just because. I mean, you don't I mean, it's like looking at a high school yearbook. Like, I don't want to look at my high school yearbook. And that's what those images are to me. You know,

Scott Benner 22:32
how about when people approach you like, I'm assuming that you've walked into a room, someone's arms have like, ripped off and they go like, Oh my God, you're Harper Finkel? Does that happen? Guys? Right?

Jennifer Stone 22:42
Yeah, yeah, it happens. I mean, I pick my moments. Sometimes it's a moment where I can be like, Yeah, that's me, you know. And it's nice, because when somebody's having a really bad day, because people don't come to the ER, when they're having a good day, you know, so if they are having a bad day, I can give them something to be excited about or something to be happy about. So that's really a gift.

But the times when I've had people that are I'll just say not 100%, they might be a little, like mentally, you know, altered.

And when they like are hallucinating a bunch of things. And they also include me in that and they're like, Oh, are you? You're from like, that's what I'm just like, No, that's not me, let's focus on getting you better. And you

Scott Benner 23:27
should say, like, the anesthesiologist is the chimpanzee from BJ and the bear. So

Jennifer Stone 23:33
totally. I mean, they're seeing a lot of other things when that that realization happened. So I'm just like, No, we're just kind of right. Not the right time.

Scott Benner 23:41
It's a strange thing. Because I can imagine that people don't, can can possibly not see you as people, but as things right, and then you just show up in the most normal, like vulnerable situation in their life. And you're like, yeah, no one makes a joke. Like, do you have like a one that you could fix this with? Or something like that?

Jennifer Stone 24:00
Well love that one. Yeah, that one they love I wear a lot of like, really like silly outfits on the show that we're all like themed so I'd have like a watermelon themed outfit or something. So people usually ask me like wear something that I wore is are

Scott Benner 24:15
so my love those to my daughter is in. She's a freshman actually in. She's doing fashion design at SCAD. And oh yeah. And so she asked me to ask you if you had any input about those outfits, or if you even like them, or if they were more Not, not you personally but just for the character, I guess.

Jennifer Stone 24:33
No, I loved it for the character. And I it was never it kind of evolved naturally that they were themed. That was something that was never scripted. I think I had like one outfit in my first episode that kind of had a theme to it. And then it just like exploded from there. And so me in the wardrobe department who was incredible. They like handmade all of that because Where are you going to find like a meet dress, you know, unless you're Lady Gaga. But you know, like so like they like handmade all of that. And, and, you know, I, it would be things like oh, what if we like I love this necklace, let's turn it into a whole thing. So it'd be cool from like a daisy necklace to being a whole full Daisy thing. I have a flowerpot on my head like all of that. And I loved it because it made my job easier. It's a lot easier to make somebody laugh when you look crazy. A lot easier. It made my job a lot easier. And it was a lot of fun to.

Scott Benner 25:26
Okay, so your your mom helps you in the beginning. But I'm assuming you have a job where you're kind of on your own a lot. You didn't have a CGM in the beginning, I would imagine, right?

Jennifer Stone 25:36
No, I didn't. At the beginning, I was doing like finger pricks and things like that, which was incredibly difficult. And I applaud anyone because I know not everybody is as lucky as I am to have the resources that I have. So the people that have to use just, you know, your old school like, you know, pen and needle method. It's really difficult to keep your blood sugar's under control. So between the CGM and like having the N pen to be able to like knock it back, like you're saying, when it starts to get a little too high. That's when it's, it's a game changer, for sure.

Scott Benner 26:14
So what about bringing it up in your personal life? So I don't know if you're dating or meeting new people or like going to a job? Do you mean? Yeah, I'm assuming you don't run in and yell, I have diabetes. Like, how soon until you tell somebody?

Jennifer Stone 26:29
I mean, I, it's pretty it comes up pretty early. Just because I, I am not shy about bolusing. So like, I'll pull out my own pin, like at dinner. And I know, I have a funny first date story about this. So they find out pretty quickly because they're like, obviously, the first question is, what are you injecting yourself with. But I was I was priming it. And I accidentally primed it in the wrong direction. And I primed it, like, under his food. And so he was worth he's like, um, so what does this mean? Am I going to taste it? What is this going to do? And I was like, Well, you might get a little like sweaty and like, feel weak, but just eat more, and you'll, you'll be fine. Like, that's the worst that will happen to you. But it was very funny, because we both had that that like, Oh, no moment, where we both like looked at each other and like watched it happen. And yeah, so I mean, it comes up pretty early, just because I'm not shy about bolusing.

Scott Benner 27:26
Do you think it's ever put an end to a relationship? Or do you think you've seen discrimination in work because of it or anything like that?

Jennifer Stone 27:32
I'm not at work, not at work. I've been lucky at the fact, a lot of it just comes from ignorance, to be perfectly honest, like people being like, well, can't you just take that off? Like I've had wardrobe departments be like, well, can't you just take that off or, or like, I'm like, I need to go to my trailer or the break room to get my, the hospital less so because people obviously have some kind of a medical understanding. But unsettling, like I really, I really need to go to my trailer, I really need to get you know, my endpin I gotta Bolus because I gotta catch this before it gets too high. And there's like, Oh, give it give it 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and then we'll take a break. And I'm like, I don't have 2030 minutes. You know what I mean? And then there have been some dates that have been cut short, because of inappropriate questioning about how diabetes works with things. So Oh, yeah. Hey, you know what better now than later,

Scott Benner 28:22
Jennifer, we have entire episodes about how to do stuff like that while you have diabetes. So I don't think I would bring it up with somebody on a first date. That's for certain.

Jennifer Stone 28:32
Yeah, like I said, in, we tweeted out a few people pretty quickly,

Scott Benner 28:35
I say that all the time that if people are going to judge you, or in any way hold you accountable for things that aren't your fault, it's a good way to get rid of somebody quick and not have to. Yeah, you know what I mean, spend a bunch of time with somebody is gonna end up letting you down eventually anyway.

Jennifer Stone 28:52
So absolutely. It's better to get it out of the way before the entree. So do you find

Scott Benner 28:56
now that you understand type one so well, that it's misunderstood in the hospital setting? Or are their goals just different in a hospital setting?

Jennifer Stone 29:05
I mean, I do think that there is room for improvement on education. Because there's such a big that one of the things that I came across when I was being diagnosed was that the idea of like the traditional diabetic, and like you mentioned, like I was diagnosed later in life. And so it really threw people for a loop. Like I had a bunch of people going back and forth between type one and type two, just simply because of how old I was when symptoms started showing up. And so I think, I think sometimes they're too aggressive with treating certain things and not aggressive enough, just because they it's not their experience. They don't know what it's like. And so, that's something that I really love. Being able to do is being a resource as a nurse of, of, you know, letting people know not only the experience of it and kind of what to focus on what to not focus on not Then I'm an expert by any means, but I just have my own experience to pull from. But, you know, and then also to like talking with other diabetic patients about what works for me, like the amount of times I've said, like, look, my impact has been a game changer because I can use half units. You know what I mean? And it gives me so I can make a cameo for the cats. But you know, and like, gets me like the right dose at the right time and just gets me back to my day. And so finding the thing that not only treats diabetics when they're NDK, or hypoglycemic, effectively, but also getting them on a routine in their day that helps them be consistent so that we don't get to those highs and lows.

Scott Benner 30:39
Okay. Hold on a second. Why texted my son, who I told I was recording right now. Yeah. Okay,

Jennifer Stone 30:46
I had somebody like, come up on on mine, too, that I was like, hold on.

Scott Benner 30:51
Do you have a preferred method of eating? Do you intermittent fast? Do you eat lower carb? Do we like any specific way or not really,

Jennifer Stone 31:00
I try to do lower carb higher protein with a good amount of fiber. Because I find that fiber runs super, like my cortisol levels are really sensitive. Like I was mentioning before, and, and so I get insulin resistant, pretty quick. And so fiber helps me it's one of those like little tricks that really helps me to, to kind of combat any carbs, I kind of cut the cards in half from the amount of fiber or at least subtract the amount of fiber anyway, I won't get all into like the nitty gritty of that. But yeah, so I try to I try to just keep a pretty balanced as far as macro diet, but I'm not. I'm not perfect. I definitely love a piece of cake every now and then. And you know, nothing like bread and butter. You know, if I love a good piece of a piece of toast, like I'm sorry, like bread and butter is. It's a classic for a reason. It's really good.

Scott Benner 31:55
I think I took a piece of bread the other day that was too thick, toasted it, I put butter on it, and then sprinkled some like pink salt on top. And my wife's like, what do you do? I'm like, This is my whole meal, this piece of bread. I'm super excited about it. Yeah. Okay, so I know you don't know this, but my daughter is the one who has type one diabetes. She was diagnosed when she was two years old, I guess that she's 18. Now she just left for college things are going really well with her stuff, which is is very cool. But I wonder she's found. Arden has friends who have type one diabetes, but they're all virtual, in one way or another. Like she doesn't know anybody in her real life was type one. And I'm wondering that once you become public about having diabetes, and you have a social media presence already, what do you get out of that interaction because I find community to be really important and not spoken about enough.

Jennifer Stone 32:51
I completely agree. It was something that I when I was first diagnosed before I was open about it, because I was still figuring things out at the time. I felt so alone. And that was something that I find. And it was part of the reason I got into nursing in the first place is I wanted to be able to help patients not feel alone in that time. But yeah, I felt so alone of like, you know, try and just the daily ins and outs, ups and downs that come with with diabetes and having nobody understand that is such an isolating thing. And so I agree with you, because I found community with fellow diabetics, and it's it's, it's, it changes it because it helps you not only feel less alone in your day to day experiences, but also have this like resource of, hey, this was what works for me, does it work for you? Maybe you want to try it, that kind of thing. And that's been the biggest thing that I've really enjoyed about having diabetes on social media is two things one, making like being perfect. Not a thing because like I said, being perfect with diabetes is very hard to do. And like I said, there will be some days I joke this guy's the wrong shade of blue. So my blood sugar is just gonna be high today. You know, there's not I will Bolus and Bolus and Bolus and it just won't go down. Because, you know, it's just a bad day and making that more acceptable, because I think sometimes, you know, I've talked to fellow diabetics that are just really hard on themselves. That and then also trading secrets. Now, that shouldn't be secret. So like I said, you know, talking about the tools that work for us, and, you know,

Scott Benner 34:30
do you know, Charlotte jury?

Jennifer Stone 34:32
She's the gym. That name sounds vaguely familiar. Oh, yeah. Yeah, type

Scott Benner 34:35
one. She dates. Laurie Hernandez. I think Charlotte did trampoline in the Olympics. And Laurie. Oh, God is something about gymnastics. But Charlotte was on the show, because she was having trouble with something with her diabetes. And she went on to Instagram to talk to people about it. And one of the people was like, Hey, have you heard about this podcast? And so we started talking and then suddenly she was on the show and talk Talking about her her trip to diabetes. And I just think it helps people that it it's a simple statement like not to feel alone. But you know, it means so much more than that really like, right. Like, it's it's a lot more than than how it seems. So I think it's really cool that you're connected. Do you see do you get people reaching out a lot on social media have type one?

Jennifer Stone 35:21
Yeah. A lot of people still don't know that I'm type one. Because to me like, I look at it this way. It's not who I am. It's a part of me. Yeah. Right. And I think, you know, I think that's something that with that I've talked to about other diabetics is this idea of like, oh, that's who I am. Now. That's my label, you know? And it's like, no, that's just a part of who I am. It's a part of what I go through every day, but it isn't everything. But yeah, it's, it's crazy. And it's come full circle, because I actually found out about the ink pen from social media. Yeah, from the internet. And so from social media, and it was a trade, it was a trade secret that somebody shared with me that, like I said, it's not really a trade secret, but and so the fact that I'm able to not share that with other people of being like, hey, this was a game changer for me. You know, it's worth looking into.

Scott Benner 36:09
We got a Dexcom for my daughter early on, because somebody else that I knew that was in the diabetes space was talking about it. Arden uses a Piedra instead of the insulin she was given by the doctor's office, because yeah, we were talking online and saying, Hey, we're seeing this problem. And one person said, you should try a Piedra. And I was like, I didn't even know you could ask people for different insolence. back I was like, okay, so you know, we gave that a try ended up being a really great thing. So I can't agree. Enough. All right. You want to ask the stupid stuff now?

Jennifer Stone 36:40
Love it. Yes. Let's bring on the stupid.

Scott Benner 36:42
So the first thing is partly for me, but it's going to lead us into the stupid stuff because I haven't imagined that this happens to you constantly. So you have a real vibe. Like my daughter does. So I'm, I feel like I know how you're gonna answer this. But out of every 10 people you meet, who are not personal friends? How many of them bring up Selena Gomez?

Jennifer Stone 37:07
Oh, um, a lot. A lot. If they're if they're usually, it starts with a few questions. They either want to sing the hat song, which I love doing that people I blows my mind that one episode like people latched on to that I think it's so cool. If I kept any of the outfits, and then am I am I friends with Selena Gomez. And my favorite response to that I'll change it out. But my favorite response is like, no, she was CGM into the whole show. I never met her. But like, because it's so weird to you that people are like, Do you know her? They love to ask that question. I'm like, I spent my whole high school like rage with. Do

Scott Benner 37:47
you honestly hated each other to not know when to especially in the age of technology when you can text people and keep in touch easily? Like, you don't mean like, because, yeah, so many questions. Like I have a huge Facebook group. And people were like, were they as friendly as they seemed on set? And I was like, well, if they weren't, would you expect her to tell me? Like, Jennifer, was everybody horrible? They

Jennifer Stone 38:10
really were no, we actually really were like, we were pretty inseparable during that whole shoot, because like I said, we it was such a unique experience. So you kind of latch on to the people that are familiar and safe. And that's what we were for each other. At the time, because it was both both of us were just kids who like to act and we got on the show. And you know, and we got to do what we loved every day, which was amazing. But then all of a sudden people knew about it and knew who we were and that was different and strange. And so to be able to have somebody else that got that and to go through that with someone else was a really bonding experience. I

Scott Benner 38:45
would imagine especially at your you're at a certain age then to like where I would imagine friendships are very impressionable. Yeah, would really stick to you. Okay, so it's fair to say that if you texted her right now she'd get back to you. That's okay. That leads me to my next question. This is a quote from my daughter, will you please start a group chat with you and Selena Gomez me.

Jennifer Stone 39:08
I mean, Selena may not appreciate that. She's not a big texter texting that much. Like she is she'll FaceTime me, or call me and I hate the phone. I hate it. Like, I'm not a phone person. I only text her all day. So like, sometimes we'll miss each other just because she doesn't want to text and I'm just like, well, I don't want to talk on the phone. I'm not in a place right.

Scott Benner 39:27
So I'll let my daughter know that's maybe so yeah. Hilarious. The other question of course, that everybody wanted was the hat song which I'm not going to ask you to. I'm not gonna ask you to sing. But what is it? Do you I mean, this is such a silly question. I feel like this is my first like weird showbiz question but like so you started dawning. What are the things that happened while they were happening to you that you ever thought like, this will follow me for the rest of my life or are you surprised by the things that they are?

Jennifer Stone 40:00
I'm, the thing is in like, the entertainment industry has so many examples of this. But when people try to make a thing a thing, it never works. Yeah. Right. And when people are just organically creating, people will latch on to things. Why people latched on to that song. I have no idea. I love that they have I think that that's so special. But I just came out of like the movie theater the other day, I was going to see a movie and this girl comes up to me and she's like, sobbing, sobbing, crying. And I'm like, and of course, my brain. I'm

like, what happened? Are you okay? Like, no connection in my brain between the two things? And she's like, I was raised on the hat song. And I'm like,

What is that's what you're crying. Like, you know what I mean? It's really like, Give me a hug. Like, that's awesome. But like, I don't know why you're crying about it. That's really sweet. And traumatic. Yeah, exactly. I like didn't hurt you. Like, you know, it's totally it's, I mean, it's no, I would have never guessed. And like the outfits. Like, there's certain outfits that if you had asked me to guess like which one people were going to be crazy about, I would have never guessed the marker dress is the one that everybody always and I know you have no idea what I'm talking about, which is totally fine. But the marker dress is like this dress I wore that was like all markers. It weighed like 25 pounds. Because it was like 1000 like Sharpie markers or something. And, and, and it's people love it. People love that dress. And it was something I wore like one episode. Do you I they latch on to that one? I have no

Scott Benner 41:33
idea. You have a favorite? Like, is there something you think back on and think I wish I still had this one.

Jennifer Stone 41:37
It changes all the time. But I do have the marker dress. You do have it. I still I stole it from a few outfits from set. Yeah, everyone's like, I can't believe they let you keep them. I'm like, Well,

Scott Benner 41:46
I didn't let me I have to say when I asked for forgiveness, right when I shot that commercial, the girl that dressed I mean, you can see me, Jennifer. I'm not like tall and lean and muscular and handsome and everything. And so like when the girls stressed me, I'm like, this is going to be horrible. I can't believe I agree to do this. And little things she did with my clothes, like rolling up my sleeves or something like that. I was like, Why do I look so much better? Like you're a genius. This is amazing, you know, really, really kind of interesting how they could just, I don't know, make me see myself differently.

Jennifer Stone 42:19
Well, and actors to like, you'll notice, like, I have a lot of friends that are actors, obviously. But they they do not know how to dress in their regular. Like, if somebody's not like, like if they weren't like if they have some that have like worked very consistently since they were a kid. And they've either have stuff that they've taken from set. And that's what they look good in and they wear it over and over and over again. But if they have to dress themselves and go to a store and pick something up, they're

Scott Benner 42:45
clueless no idea what it is. Yeah.

Jennifer Stone 42:47
Which I can't say like me now wearing scrubs all the time. Like I I could I could use some help on my day to day, I love a good sweat pant, you know?

Scott Benner 42:58
So moving forward, as you I'm assuming you're still going out and you said you're acting and doing things? Do you have a goal for what you're trying to do? Are you just trying to work? Or is there something specific you wanna do? Are you trying to use that sweet Disney influence to get into Star Wars or Marvel or something like that?

Jennifer Stone 43:14
I mean, for me, I just love acting, I love telling stories. I love playing characters, it's important to me now having my experience with diabetes and having that be such a part of who I am. You know, I do find it important that, you know, valid representation of diabetics and chronic conditions is out there. I did an indie movie that I co wrote, produced and CO starred in with a friend of mine during nursing school, actually, that really featured diabetes as what I was talking about before of, you know, it's not the whole character, it's just part of them. Because I think that's important. I it's, it can be frustrating when you see it as this like mellow, dramatic. Julia Roberts Steel Magnolias like diabetes moment, and everyone thinks that that's just what you're like. And so for me that representation is really important. But other than that, like it's it's important to me to make people feel seen in both of my jobs as a nurse as an actor. And the empathy that bridges between those two professions is very important to me. So whatever I can do, whatever stories I can tell, and characters that can play that make people feel seen and heard. That's what's important to me.

Scott Benner 44:30
All right. My last question is, it's based off of, it's based off the 19,000 people that asked me if you know, Nick Jonas, but I'm not directly asked you that. But do you know other famous type ones? Like are you sort of a club together?

Jennifer Stone 44:46
Yes, we have a secret club. It's like club 33 at Disneyland. No, no, no. I mean, it's it's because a lot of us are that are involved in like advocacy for diabetes. It's a small circle. So we meet up I mean, I met with a lot of different fellow diabetics to like, Canvas is the wrong word, but basically to just like help fund more research for, you know, diabetes and products, like the NPN to to help, you know, diabetics lives, the easier and more seamless. And so, you know, we'll come together a lot for things like that. And so that's, you know, kind of how we meet and it's pretty trade stories.

Scott Benner 45:28
Well, I appreciate this very much. I thank you for doing this. You said earlier that you don't know how many people know you have type one diabetes, I'm not bragging but a lot of people are going to know now so. And I have something I want to tell you when I push that up. If you'll hold on for one second for me. Yeah, of course. Thanks.

Thanks so much to Jennifer stone for coming on the show today. And please find her on Instagram, and Tiktok, where you can enjoy her loveliness even more. I also want to thank Dexcom, makers of the Dexcom G six continuous glucose monitor, and remind you to go to dexcom.com Ford slash juice box to find out if you're eligible for a free 10 day trial, the Dexcom G six. And of course, we're thinking in pen from Medtronic diabetes. But we're talking about the blue balloon challenge, which I'm going to continue to talk about as soon as the music ends. But I would be remiss if I didn't tell you to go to N pen today.com to support the podcast

Okay, first off, I was supposed to tell you that while you're on Instagram, partaking in the blue balloon challenge, you could also use the filter on Instagram, a filter on Instagram to take part in the challenge. I mean, that is well beyond my paygrade on Instagram. But for those of you who know how to use filters, apparently there's a blue balloon filter. Go crazy. All right, listen, life for a child. Like I said earlier, Medtronic is supporting life for child. We're trying to work together to make a brighter future for people. They've currently supported 34,000 Young people in 44 countries providing essential supplies. In some under resourced countries, children living with type one diabetes don't have access to life saving insulin, blood glucose test strips, and diabetes education live for a child partners with diabetes centers in countries like Tanzania, Mexico, and India to help young people with diabetes who have no other care available. So this is a great thing to do. You can use all the you know your apps, your good centers and everything that you love where you getting into them and put up a post and do something easy and simple. That will help somebody hashtag blue balloon challenge and tag Medtronic diabetes. Hey, check this out. I'm going through the literature they gave me there's this small country in East Africa whose name I can't pronounce says that life for a child recently delivered a new a one C machine to a clinic and the doctor that runs the Clinic says that the machine has revolutionized the way he's been able to care for children. Oh, that's something else. I mean, honestly, I'm gonna get a blue balloon and try to hold it up. I'll do it too. All right, I'll do it. You guys do it. I'll do it fair. All right, get a blue balloon. Bounce in the air all bounced out while making the podcast and and we'll all do it together. blue balloon challenge hashtag tag, Medtronic diabetes and find Jennifer stone online. For God's sake. She's freaking delightful. Say hello to her. Tell her you heard on the podcast. All right, I'm gonna go but before I do, let me give you this link again. This easy to remember link. Medtronic diabetes, my gonna get in trouble for making fun of the link probably not Medtronic. diabetes.com forward slash blue dash balloon dash challenge rolls right off the tongue. Medtronic diabetes.com forward slash blue dash balloon dot Talon. I got it wrong. I said dot Okay, Medtronic. diabetes.com forward slash blue dash balloon dash challenge there. Again, just type that in easiest pie. You'll learn everything you want to know about life for a child and the blue balloon challenge. And if anybody from Medtronic is listening, I'm just kidding. But, I mean, you could have put a link on in pen today.com. I could have just said go to Impend today.com and click on the link for the blue blue chat. But anyway, that's neither here nor there. Okay, there's it neither here nor there. Or neither here nor there. I don't know. Where do you think that saying comes from? Hold on? Seems like we're not quite done yet. Google will tell me Oh, I just left the dexcom.com Ford slash juice box and tried to give me a free 10 day trial of the Dexcom G six. Okay, neither Here, nor there. Origin The phrase first appeared in Arthur Goldings 1574 translation of a collection of sermons by John Calvin. I don't know anything about this, the sermons of John Calvin upon oh my goodness, Deuteronomy, is that right? True it is that our oh boy, they talked all kinds of backwards in the 1500s true is that are so doing is neither here nor there as they say, Huh, Shakespeare used to in Othello. Act Four scene three, Amelia and Desdemona are discussing marriage while talking about husbands and the concept of fidelity does Madonia emotional thought of what she's accused of asks Emilio, whether it is alright to cry, I'm gonna cry if I keep reading this. Amelia respond. Amelia replies that it doesn't matter one way or the other to her. Here it is in context does pneumonia. So get stay do a voice so No, I shouldn't do a voice. So get the gone Good night. Mine eyes do itch, Darth that bode weeping. Hey, doc that Amelia responds, tis neither here nor there. What do you think of that?

Hmm. What do you think of that? scandals? So do you guys think there's any chance Jennifer stone listen to this, and she's still listening and she's thinking to herself that I go on this podcast. Could be right. Anyway, if you're listening, Jennifer, I had an absolutely delightful time speaking with you. And you were invited back on whenever you want.

#764 Make It Happen

Irene is the mother of a child with type 1 diabetes.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 764 of the Juicebox Podcast

What's up everybody today on the podcast I'm going to be speaking with Irene. She's the mother of a child with type one diabetes. I think she's got like 1000 kids or something like so many kids. And she's also a registered nurse. A looked back at the notes that she sent me before we recorded and I gotta be honest with you, I don't know if this is the stuff we talked about it or not. All I know for certain is that I had a good time talking to Irene. And that is always, always a good sign for the episode. While you're listening today, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan, or becoming bold with insulin. If you are a US resident, and you want to help people with type one diabetes, you can do that right now. While you're sitting on your butt, go to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. Join the registry, fill out the survey completely fill it out completely. And you've done just that. It only takes a few minutes. And it's completely easy to do. This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries G voc hypo Penne. Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash Juicebox. Podcast is also sponsored today by touched by type one head to touch by type one.org or find them on Instagram or Facebook. What am I saying? Or do all three, go to touch by type one.org Find them on Facebook and find them on Instagram and then follow them and see what they're up to.

Irene 2:05
My name is Irene. I am a mother of six. My fourth child who is my oldest son is our t one D and I'm also a registered nurse.

Scott Benner 2:18
Okay, now you listen to this podcast.

Irene 2:21
I do I found the podcast. Let's uh he was diagnosed late December 2019. And I found the podcast probably like two to three weeks later and started listening to it on my drive to and from work.

Scott Benner 2:40
So the reason I asked is because when you told me you had six kids in your mind, were you like, he's gonna ask Oh, he's gonna have a field day. I just I don't even first of all, did you find some of them? Are they rented? Did you adopt them? Like are they all came? I don't want to be delicate, but that they all come through your birthday. They all come out of

Unknown Speaker 2:58
my business. So five out of the six did.

Irene 3:05
My oldest daughter is 20 years old. She is my biological child from my irresponsible college days.

Scott Benner 3:18
She know that I guess she does now but

Unknown Speaker 3:21
no, she knows it. We're very, like open discussion.

Scott Benner 3:25
So we're gonna call I have one through six listed in front of me. So I'm just gonna call number one kegger and then number she's only 20

Unknown Speaker 3:38
DC party clubs. Yeah, she's she's 20 years old.

Scott Benner 3:43
How old? Are they in order 20 than what?

Irene 3:46
14 Okay, um, and she is not biologically mine. She's biologically my husband's from a previous relationship that he had. And we married almost 13 years ago. And then we have four children together. And so then there's a 10 year old girl and a seven year old boy. And that's James. He's our kiddo with type one. And then the next boy is about to turn six and three

Unknown Speaker 4:23
weeks. Okay.

Irene 4:25
And he has some other health issues that were diagnosed right around when James was diagnosed. So we just had our our whole world turned upside down. And then there is the baby who is not really a baby anymore. He's two and a half. And at the time that both of his older brothers were being diagnosed, he was about two and a half three months.

Scott Benner 4:49
Yes, all this happened around three years ago. Is that right?

Irene 4:52
Yeah, we're like right around like the two and a half year mark from our diagnosis.

Scott Benner 4:59
Okay. I think I understand. And when at what point in this story did your vagina fall off? Was it as recently?

Unknown Speaker 5:09
So it was after the sixth baby. And I actually had of like, actually did have complications and for you. And we don't live in Utah. We're not. We're not practicing Roman

Scott Benner 5:30
Catholics. Did you hear? Did you hear it hit the Florida they get caught in your pant leg or what happened? Exactly. That's terrible. I'm sorry. That's so

Irene 5:37
you're fine. You're fine. No, but it's funny because the baby was born in September. And I was four days post surgery, like gyn surgery. When I was sitting on the couch with my husband one night, as James, who was never much of an eater told us that he had finished his dinner, finished his brother's dinner, he was still hungry and mid sentence ran for the bathroom again, and I was like, Oh, my God, he has diabetes.

Scott Benner 6:06
You're a nurse. And you knew.

Irene 6:08
And I was like, and we had just been talking about we had noticed the frequent urination for several weeks. But he had kind of had like other he just started kindergarten. He had had kind of other like, I don't like the bathroom at school. And I was like, Oh, he holds it all day. And then he's got to come home and go to the bathroom. And when he was falling asleep on the kitchen floor, I was like, oh, full day kindergarten is such a big transition. And there's a new baby. And there's our other son had just been diagnosed with all these neurological conditions. And we were doing all this PT and OT and speech and so I like every other parent, right? I had all these other explanations. And then we we just, you know, kind of slow down. We were on Christmas break. And we did we had this night where I was like, this is not kindergarten transition. His pants are falling off of him. He can't like finish putting his hot wheel tracks together without running to the bathroom. Our oldest daughter had made a comment, like, do you know he ate a whole box of NutriGrain bars today? And we just started talking about like, how often he was refilling his water bottle.

My husband was like, hey, you know, he started wetting the bed. I worked night shifts. My husband was like, a couple times. He's like, wet the bed in the middle. And it was a Saturday night. I was like, We cannot wait till Monday. We gotta go.

Scott Benner 7:36
When you people have sex? I don't even understand. I can't I mean, the story is fascinating. But you work the night shift. I can't figure out the rest of it. Just I'm looking here. 2014 10 762 and a half. You're on the night shift. I don't know what's going on. You guys meet in the parking lot at a Denny's on your break. What do you do? I'll just tell me real quick. Is it as he's going to work? Just I just want to know what it happens. And then we'll get past that I promise.

Unknown Speaker 8:04
So, I worked overnight shifts over three or four nights a week, which means I am home Sunday this week, but my husband also works. He works split shifts. So he's out the door at 5am He's home by 930 for a portion of the day and then he's back out the door at one o'clock in the afternoon and by 430 you just figure it out.

Scott Benner 8:27
I'm gonna get a clock and a chart and a graph and I'm gonna figure out exactly when all these children were made I mean I'm so sorry because before we started recording we start before we started recording I made you put on the headphones that now I hate you're fine I'll get rid of I'm sorry that you have to let him switch back over Are you there? Hello.

Irene 8:52
Did that work?

Scott Benner 8:53
Yeah, you're there just took us the switch back to the computer. That's all it they were great. Except as you spoke it was weird as you spoke in longer sentences. Your voice faded away. Oh, interesting. So I was like, damn, and Alright, how old are you?

Irene 9:11
I'm 40

Scott Benner 9:12
Wow, it's a lot I live in Iran. Do you feel tired? Are you tired all the time?

Irene 9:20
Sometimes I am really tired. How do

Scott Benner 9:23
you manage so my this is interesting. So your oldest obviously isn't in need constantly of thanks is probably college age, right?

Irene 9:33
Yes, she is. She's a she's in her second year of college but she actually has junior standing because she's she's a real go getter and took like every AP course she could and high school so she entered her first year of college. Actually. She was a sophomore by the end of her first semester

Scott Benner 9:55
when you drop off your baby to college that you made in college is the last thing you data, we're pleased for the love of God. Did I come on?

Irene 10:05
Um, so she spent her first year of college fortunately, virtual and her grandparents. Okay. COVID. And then yeah, when we took her in the fall, I was like, you have to remember, like, sometimes we make bad decisions when we're not really an adult. And then we have to decide how to take responsibility for those

Scott Benner 10:28
that one day we have to drive it to college. So please be careful.

Irene 10:35
Exactly. Exactly. She did not love campus life. So she spent a semester on a campus in Pennsylvania, and then was like, Yeah, I just I want to come home. i This isn't for me. So she's, she's actually back home and going to a great university that is local to us. Good.

Scott Benner 10:57
And that explains why you and I are getting along so well. Right? We grew up in the same place. Yeah, there are people listening right now that are horrified that we're making fun of your child like this. And no, they don't understand you should live here. It's all fine.

Irene 11:13
Right? It's it's always been an open conversation. I mean, like age appropriate, but it's always been an open conversation. Because how do you how do you not give your children the truth? Like, my husband is adopted, it's a closed adoption, but his parents have always been open with him about it. Like it was never this big, shocking revelation for him.

Scott Benner 11:38
Well, being serious. If you were uptight about it, I would take that as an indication that you hadn't dealt with it. Well, like that you're so loose about it. I don't take anything that you have said seriously, about, you know, in the last 10 minutes, I mean, your if you are serious about any of the things that we've said about your oldest, you're a psychopath. So I don't believe you are and I hope people understand we're joking, but nevertheless, okay, so are there any other autoimmune issues in the family?

Irene 12:08
So I have one cousin on my dad's side who has Graves disease, that's the only autoimmune one that I know of. Okay. Um, and then other than that, like, there's a lot of asthma and allergy, which isn't, like truly thought of as autoimmune but it does have the whole inflammation kind of component to it.

Scott Benner 12:38
Yeah. Okay. And then in your regular, I'm sorry, in your family proper. You said, James, younger brother has something but it's not. It's not autoimmune.

Irene 12:49
It's not autoimmune. He has something called Perry ventricular leuco. Malaysia.

Scott Benner 12:54
Why does he have that? Like the test your spelling skills? Wait, go ahead. Try it again. perio.

Unknown Speaker 13:01
Peri, Peri. Ventricular.

Scott Benner 13:05
tricular. I think this is heart related. Go ahead. No,

Irene 13:09
leukomalacia. It's brain related. It's abbreviated P V. l just Google PVL.

Scott Benner 13:17
I found it. I found it. I I didn't spell any of the words. Right. And I still can't I still found it. Wow. Characterized by death or damage of softening of white matter in the inner part of the brain. How does this how do you learn about this?

Irene 13:34
So um, so as a baby, he had developmental delays. And, you know, we just noticed that he's our he was our fifth child, we just noticed that he wasn't doing things as soon as his siblings had. And he was just kind of behind in his milestones in general. And initially, when he was really little, and we approached it with our pediatrician, and they're like, Oh, he's the fifth kid. Like, you guys are just so intuitive and calm as parents, you're anticipating his needs, his siblings are anticipating give him time, give him time. And he wasn't catching up. And we reached a point a little bit after he turned one that I self referred to early intervention to start getting him assessed. And initially, they just refer to this is like global developmental delays. But we started speech therapy, we started occupational therapy. We really weren't getting anywhere. So I kept pushing this was like, something's not right. Something's not right. We got on multiple waiting lists to have him more formally evaluated by a developmental pediatrician or neural neurologist. And unlike type one diabetes, it's not life threatening. So you sit on weightless us for months, sometimes years and we were on a waitlist with the developmental pediatrician that's associated with the hospital I work at we were on a waitlist with Children's National we were on a waitlist in Baltimore with Kennedy Krieger. We were on a waitlist with UVA, and we got off the UVA waitlist first. So we went down to UVA, and he was assessed and they actually diagnosed him with mild cerebral palsy with something called hypotonia, which is where his muscles are, like loose or weak, and he just doesn't have stamina in his muscles. And they did bloodwork and they did an MRI, and the MRI is how they diagnose the periventricular leukomalacia, they actually could see a brain injury that had been caused at some point by a lack of oxygen. And then that injury caused the periventricular leukomalacia

Scott Benner 16:05
that leads to the cerebral palsy

Irene 16:07
that leads to the cerebral palsy and leads to the hypotonia and the learning disabilities and ADHD, and all the things that come with it. Wow.

Scott Benner 16:17
Well, that's a lot, and Jesus, and that's happening as your son's being diagnosed with type one as well.

Irene 16:24
Right, so baby was born early, because I was having pregnancy complications baby was born mid September. And then with a two week old infant, I drove the hour and a half down with my infant with my, at that time, three year old child down to UVA to do this assessment. And then we were given all these diagnoses with the CPE and the hypotonia. And, and told, you know, he needs an MRI, he needs all this bloodwork, you need to see a genetics team. So we went home, we came back in November, we did a ton of bloodwork saw genetics, we went home, we went back in December to have the MRI because it had to be done under sedation with an anesthesiologist. And, and then they called us two days later to give us the results of the MRI. And it was devastating, but at the same time it open doors because prior to that our insurance company wouldn't cover any speech or OT or PT or anything. Because his diagnosis like didn't meet their inclusion criteria. So once we had this diagnosis, it opened up doors for getting him more care and support.

Scott Benner 17:48
Is it a progressive issue? Or does it

Irene 17:51
not progressive, thank God, so it won't get worse. His speech was actually with really intense speech therapy has improved. He's really He's in kindergarten this year, he's really flourished in kindergarten. And then through occupational therapy. He's uses utensils now which he like before. And I mean, like a year and a half of occupational therapy, like he couldn't eat soup. Or if you wanted ice cream, like he would literally eat it with his hands because holding a spoon was too difficult. He didn't really start dressing himself till this past summer like so how many five year olds don't dress themselves like it was those type of things and now he can get himself dressed and undressed, like potty training was really late. So he's he is flourishing, he's making tons of gains. It just takes him so much longer to get there and to do things.

Scott Benner 18:54
Wow. Oh, my gosh, okay. Um, I was looking more about it. And this just seems like it's such a random thing, right? Like the ways it can and

Irene 19:05
yeah, it's random. And nobody was looking at him for this because it most typically happens in premature babies. And he was not a premature baby. Like prematurity is one of the highest risk factors. And he was a full term 10 pound baby. Like, you know, nobody was like, oh. And it was so frustrating at the time because as I'm sure you see, like, the like you can have mild to severe and what type of interventions you need can be vague and some kids like develop a seizure order disorder. Some kids don't. Some kids have the cerebral palsy, some kids don't. And so you don't know what you're really dealing with. You just know Have to get into it and deal with it day to day and kind of see what their lives look like and what happens.

Scott Benner 20:06
Okay, wow. I appreciate you sharing that with me. Geez, I feel better. I'm making fun of your vagina earlier.

Irene 20:12
No, you're like, you know, I've had someone offer like, looks at my shopping cart at Costco. And they're like, What do you do? Like run a daycare? And I'm like, Nope, this is just for my kids. And I'm like, do you need me to buy you a television? Do you need a new hobby?

Scott Benner 20:30
I will take anything. Thank you. Would you like to babysit? I don't know you. But if you just take two of these kids and tuck them, that'd be amazing. Okay, so now how do you so we know how you saw the type one? Once you recognize that? Do you take them right to the hospital, you go to a doctor, which which did you know

Irene 20:48
it was a Saturday night. Two of our daughters were at sleepovers. You know, the youngest two boys were already in bed. So I explained to James, I was like, we have to go to the doctor tonight. I didn't tell him that I thought he had diabetes because he has no frame of reference for what diabetes is and and there was a part of me that was hoping that we were going to get there and I was going to embarrass myself and they were going to be like, Oh, silly mom like diabetes. You're such a worrywart. He's got a urinary tract infection or something. So I explained it to my husband. But I did pack up my breast pump and I packed clean underwear for James and myself. And I was like I were getting admitted, I know what's going on here. And we we left our the hospital that's closest to us, I wouldn't take my worst enemy there. So we got on the highway, we were we were just about to get on the highway when he had to stop and go to the bathroom again. So we stopped at a gas station like right before you get on the interstate and begged this lady to let us use their bathroom. And that's when I decided I worked at a hospital that is a level one trauma center that has a pediatrics program. But we passed to other hospitals on the way there and I I just was like I don't know, if he's in DKA. I don't know how bad his blood sugar's are. So we went to a smaller hospital that is affiliated with the hospital I work for and that I knew there are five hospitals in that health care system that if we went there, and I was right, he would be a priority for placement into our pediatric unit. And that they I also knew that that emergency room had board certified pediatricians. So I felt comfortable going there. So we went there, and we walked up to the like checking desk, and I just still couldn't quite bring myself to say it. And so I've looked at this like registrar, this non medical person and, and I was like yeah, my son is like urinating a lot. And I think he needs to see a doctor. And the nurse looked up. And she was like, come on back here. And I you know, she said, Well, what's going on? And I said, I think I think he has diabetes. And she was like, Well, why do you think that so I explained everything. And she grabbed one of their technicians to get an Accu check before doing anything and the meter just read Hi. And it's the one time and that like first space of time that I cried I just started to cry. And the nurse just focused in on James and got his weight and his vital signs. And then she pulled out her insulin pump and showed it to him. And she said to him guess what I have diabetes to.

Scott Benner 24:22
G voc hypo pan has no visible needle and is a premixed auto injector of glucagon for treatment of very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Find out more go to Jeeva glucagon.com forward slash juicebox G voc shouldn't be used in patients with insulinoma or pheochromocytoma. Visit G voc glucagon.com/risk. If you're looking for community and support around your diabetes, I'd like to suggest to you that you find the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group, which now has near Really 30,000 members in it. That's a lot of people who can offer you support guidance, or just a shoulder to, you know, not cry on, we don't cry. But some support that you might need sometimes. It's called Juicebox. Podcast, type one diabetes. It's a private group. And all you need to do is answer a few questions to get in just to prove to the algorithm, you're a real person, and then you're on your way. So matter of fact, I'm talking to people in the group right now. This is what I said to them. Does anyone live near me and want to record ads for next week? I'm tired. And while we were chatting, I said, if anybody throws their name in here, I'll give them a shout out in the next episodes, ads, so very quickly, who we got. Looks like Kelly, Elizabeth. Blue. Phil. Kristen. Dana. Brandy. Yes, you made it brandy. There was a cut off. Cheyenne asked me to shout out her daughter but then didn't tell me her daughter's name. So if you're Cheyenne daughter, and you're hearing this right now, your mom screwed up. Hold it against her all day. Who else? John and Mary Beth. Isabel didn't ask to be shouted out, but it's happening anywhere. This person says I'm here for my shout out. Call me Professor Ellie. All right, Professor Ali. You're in Monica. Billie Joe. thinks they missed the window. They'll be excited to see the here's somebody from Brisbane is at Brisbane L. Did I say it right? Anyway, you should check out jump over. It's a great group of people that really lovely, seriously, you can't go wrong. It's absolutely free to be in. And you're gonna see a ton of support there. Rebecca, Roxanne, Heather, Mike, Hannah, Scott, Danny, and Vera. Thank you for listening to the podcast, and for being a part of the group on Facebook. Links in the show notes, links at juicebox podcast.com. To the sponsors, head to the Facebook page. Let's get back to Irene.

Irene 27:09
Guess what, I have diabetes too. And I was right about your age when I was diagnosed. And she was like, Look at this cool thing. It's like having a computer in my pocket.

Unknown Speaker 27:23
And it was just

Irene 27:25
it was amazing to have someone right there who like understood and could say something to him that was so reassuring and wasn't frightening.

Scott Benner 27:38
I mean, I have to tell you I hear a lot of these stories and made me upset telling yours so I sometimes I fly right through them and I'm always surprised what's going to make me upset. This time it was the nurse having diabetes I was like that's a plot twist right out of like a like a movie. And now Now I'm upset Hold on a second. Well, I held off crying until they took the baby back I felt like I was I was really doing something back then. I I remember getting put into a little like waiting room and to call her room was generous. It was basically the closet is a closet with two chairs in it and an old magazine. And I remember crying in that that hole and then falling asleep and then being woken up in the morning. And you know Arden's like, like literally had it felt like she had tubes coming out of everywhere. And wires and everything. Yeah. Well, okay, so geez, I'm talking. I'm supposed to be better at this. I read. No, he's sorry. Oh, you're fine. Fine. Except I can't find my next question. Because I'm suddenly sitting in a hospital in Virginia, my kids two years old, and I can't break away from it for some reason. I but I guess what I want to understand is that being a nurse, and and, and the mother of a newborn child and someone who's seeing something with another child, like when you find a quiet space after that, how do you prioritize things?

Irene 29:14
So, you know, I think this speaks to, like, I have kind of that like, stoic like compartmentalize. So, you know, we get him back into the ER, they started on IV, they draw his labs, they get IV fluids going and I'm realizing now my mistake and coming to this hospital and not driving another 25 minutes down the highway because now he's gonna have to be transported. And I am not gonna let him be separated from me. So I just went into problem solving mode and I like called my husband and I was like, He's got it. He's got Diabetes there. They're starting everything there. They're calling our hospital to get him a bed and we gotta wait for his labs to figure out does he go to the pediatric ICU? Or can he go to the floor? And does he need the insulin drip and I'm like, Oh, my God, my car's here. And we can't leave our car here. But I'm not putting him in an ambulance and driving without him, he'll be terrified. So fortunately, we have family that's local. And I'm like calling that family. And a nurse that actually used to work in the pediatric ICU at my hospital pops her head and and she was like, Oh, my God, I thought it was you. And she like wraps her arms around me. And she was like, we got you. And she took over James, she basically, like kicked out the nurse that had been assigned to him. And I was like, Nope, he's my patient, like, I'm taking him. So I just went into this, like problem solving mode of thank God, she was willing to hold my keys until a family member of mine, like showed up there that night to retrieve my car so that I could go with James and the medics. To the hospital, and we didn't have to be separated. And I just was so laser focused on what do we need to do for James, how do we deal with logistics of this? How do we tell our older daughters? How do I keep feeding the baby, even though I'm physically separated, that there wasn't that moment until we were home. And we spent two nights in the hospital, and my husband and I kind of traded back and forth. And, and the moment of like realizing like, I remember the endocrinologist coming in the next morning and being like, you're a nurse. So you get this and I was like, stop. i You're right, I'm a nurse. My entire background is adult critical care, and wound care. I'm not a pediatric nurse. I am not I've never worked in an endocrinology practice. And the diabetics I see are either in the ICU in crisis, and I can, I can manage the business out of your DKA I can titrate, your insulin drip, I can correct your electrolytes and then send you to the medical floor for them to finish getting you stable and get you discharged. And I can help you when you've gotten to the point that you have wounds, or that you're recovering from an amputation because for whatever your barriers were, your agencies were high, your blood sugar's were high and you have complications. I don't know the day to day in between. And I remember saying to this endocrinologist, I want you to talk to me like I'm stupid. Because I have to do right by him. And all I can see in my head is the complications and all the adult patients I've taken care of who have been type one or type two, who haven't gotten what they needed. And now in their adulthood, they're facing all these complications. I was like, you have to talk to me like I'm stupid, because that is the weight that I feel is like, literally looking at this five year olds feet going, I have to protect his feet and looking at him and being like, Oh my Oh, my God, I have to do everything right for him so that he never winds up on dialysis. Yeah,

Scott Benner 33:46
your whole perspective is from that. That eras? Yeah. And yes. Well, that's really wonderful that you that you had the wherewithal in the moment to be like, no, no, I don't understand any of this. Just like you started step one, and let's go the part I understand. It's not fun. So no, it's not. It's not either fun parts that you can tell me about. There aren't by the way, but you know, at least basics, right. And

Irene 34:11
well, and I have to say, our hospital and our endocrinology team, like, they talk to us about Pre-Bolus thing in the hospital, and we had conversations about like, ideally, you're gonna give him his insulin. And then 15 minutes later, he'll eat. If you're having problems with knowing how much he's going to eat or how much he's not going to eat, then, you know, we're going to give him half of his insulin. We're going to wait 10 to 15 minutes, he's going to eat and then 20 minutes after he's eaten, you're going to carb account and figure out what insulin he's missing and give it to him again, to make up for the carbs that aren't covered. So I feel like we got really, in that sense, better education than a lot of other people did. Okay, and I got all the initial education. And when they were like, Okay, you guys are great to go home because he was not in DKA. I was like, oh, no, no, you're not sending us home. Tomorrow, you're going to do all this education again with my husband, because I can teach him but what if he has different questions that I didn't think to ask? And I don't know the answer. And I was like, he needs his opportunity, as like, because he is going to have to feel comfortable and safe. Because I leave it six o'clock at night, and I don't get back until eight o'clock in the morning. And I got to know that they're okay. Right.

Scott Benner 35:41
You talked earlier about how you guys split up the time in the hospital, and it's been stuck in my head since then. It's one of my least favorite things about parenting. Is that when you have multiple children, at some so hard, yeah, at some point, someone misses something. Yeah.

Irene 35:57
And, and I just, I was insistent, I was like, you can't, you can't discharge James tonight, solely because my husband has to have the same opportunity that I had, right. And we've always approached parenthood as a team, like it's not 5050. But it's, it's a team. And there's nothing that

Scott Benner 36:21
we you didn't you didn't do you didn't have to make the decision that only one of you gets the information. Like, we have some coming up in, in a number of months, where it's obviously not a health issue, but my son is going to graduate from college on the same weekend as Arden senior prom, oh, condemned his college is not near our home. Right? So we are literally trying to figure out how to like, see Arden off to the prom, and then get into a car and make a long drive. And then pull our selves together and get up in the morning and go to like Kohl's graduate. Yeah. Yeah. It's just it's, you know, there's that one moment in the middle where you're talking about at first and you go, we're not going to split up, right? Like, you're not going to stay with her for her prom. And I'm like, we can't do that. And we can't skip one of those things. And tell either of them. Hey, I'm sorry. We can't see you at your prom because Cole's graduating because that makes sense, right? Like if you had to make the decision that does make sense in my head, like graduating from college, but won't make sense to her. And know, and vice versa. So it's a difficult thing as a parent to do it.

Irene 37:31
It's like when we when we gave James we gave him an old iPhone that is not on a like cell plan. Like it's an older iPhone that we're just connecting to the Wi Fi for as Dexcom. Right. And our our second oldest daughter was like, livid. She was like he gets an iPhone before I do. I was like, he gets diabetes. Like, like she and I. And she was she was like 1112 years old. How does an 1112 year old understand like, he gets finger sticks, he gets injections, he gets all this stuff like, and it's not like he's on tick tock or something like he's carrying

Scott Benner 38:15
in a fire. In a 504 meeting once I had a teacher say, How am I supposed to explain to the other kids that she has a cell phone and they can't have one? I said tell them if they want to get diabetes, they can have a cell phone. Otherwise, they should probably shut Oh,

Irene 38:30
I literally said to her, I said well, if you would like for me to start checking your blood sugar six times a day, and where Dexcom and I'll give you saline injection. And she was like, well, that means I can have a phone. That is the most insane thing you've ever said. We're not actually going to do that.

Scott Benner 38:52
I don't even know how you would afford to buy six people a phone. I mean, there's a world like if these two kids say the first two are near dwells there's a world where one day you might be buying eight cell phones a month. You're gonna need a job just for that.

Irene 39:07
It's hand me downs it's hand me down Scott.

Scott Benner 39:11
I even just mean like the service for them. I know. Well, you might have to incorporate

Irene 39:17
my husband has this old school will never give it up this old school plan that he got when he was in college with with a cell phone carrier and we will never give this plan up. Because you can have you pay your base and then you can add up unlimited lines for $5 and one $5. Wow. That's how old this plan is.

Scott Benner 39:39
You guys still paying for minutes? No, it was it was

Irene 39:43
like when they first started rolling out like the unlimited. It's, it's insane. Like and every once in a while when we wind up having contact with the company. They're like, Oh, we should look at your plan and then they look at it and they're like, ah, nobody has this plan anymore. You should never change your And we're like, we know.

Scott Benner 40:01
We're not changing. This is the only thing. Can I tell you something? Kid? This is the only thing working out for us Have you considered having any other kids tested for antibodies for type one?

Irene 40:16
So three of ours have done TrialNet?

Scott Benner 40:18
Yes. So well, okay.

Irene 40:22
Two of the girls have done trial nap, my oldest has opted not to and she was old enough that I completely let it be her decision. But the next two girls, I bribed them with chocolate to let me do trial net, because we were able to do that at home. fingerprick. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I bribed them with multiple chocolate bars. Yeah. And then our middle son, our son who has the neurological concerns, we just did it with him this past fall, and he had a Pokeyman toy that he wanted. And we ordered the Pokeyman toy and waited till it arrived. And then like, you know, we're like, here's the toy. Here's the kid, like, we get this to build. And then we'll then you get the toy. And then our youngest is just he turns two and a half in a couple of weeks. And you have to be two and a half to do it. So we will probably do it at some point and the next year,

Scott Benner 41:42
did you get results back? Or was this very

Irene 41:44
we did. So none of our three that have tested have any antibodies? Wow. That's yeah, that's goodness. And for me, it's been a peace of mind, like when I see like, so my middle son, like recently was definitely having a growth spurt and the increase like I want something to drink, I want something to eat. I was able to be like, he didn't have antibodies. He's five years old, almost six, this is an appropriate time for a growth spurt. He's fine. It's okay. And it's, it's given me a little bit of reassurance. And I think if any of our kids did have antibodies, for me, it would have been like that opportunity to talk with our pediatrician about what's our plan for monitoring so that we catch this beat for we have to be admitted to the hospital before we have blood sugar's in the seven hundreds. And that we can avoid that.

Scott Benner 42:50
I'm going to ask you about your management style. Because if you and your husband are not in the house at the same time, so let's set up some parameters first, like Sure, kid, your kid, your kid, James has had diabetes for two and a half years. How sounds like he's using a CGM? Yes, a pump?

Irene 43:11
Yeah, he's on the Omnipod dash. So we got home from the hospital, we had that JDRF bag of hope. And I was like rifling through that backpack. And I found a leaflet for Dex calm. And I was like, what, what is this? Like? I want to know about this. Because we were definitely finger sticking more than like, in the hospitals called AC and H s before meals and at bedtime was and then that like 2am Check that we're all told to do newly diagnosed Well, we were definitely doing more than that. And I was blowing up our endo with like, I'm following what you told me I'm carb counting I'm giving correction and his blood sugars are still 250 300 This is not okay. Like we have to do something better than this. So I just called Dexcom directly that he was in. It was like the Tuesday after he was diagnosed, right? He was diagnosed like late on a Saturday. It was like Tuesday morning. I'm on the phone with Dexcom. And I'm like, This is my insurance. This is my kid. This is my Endo. Like I want this, how do I get it? And I spoke to a Dexcom representative who was like let me start researching your insurance. Let me reach out to your endo and get the scripts they were like this is not a problem. We'll get this figured out whether it's going to be DME or pharmacy. I hung up the phone with them called my insurance company and I was like you better approve this.

Scott Benner 44:49
calls you I don't have your arguments. Yeah.

Irene 44:52
I was like, you know, what's the criteria? Do I need a prior approval? Because I'm gonna hang up the phone with you And then I'm gonna call my endo and our insurance was like, Yeah, not a problem. It's under your pharmacy benefit. They were like, you know, typically you need to have had hypoglycemic events. And I was like, He's five, he doesn't even know. He can't tell he's unaware. So I was able to then call my endo and and be like, You need to tell my insurance company that my child is hypoglycemic unaware. And they were like, Yeah, well, most five year olds are and I was like, great. So I need I need that script.

Scott Benner 45:31
Did they hear you winking through the phone? Do you think?

Unknown Speaker 45:33
Yeah, pretty much.

Irene 45:36
And we picked up our Dexcom at the

Scott Benner 45:38
CVS two days later, wow, you made that, that's for sure. And I

Irene 45:43
just got on YouTube. And I found a ton of videos of people putting them on. And I showed a couple of videos, my husband and I sought out videos specifically that were young children putting on a Dexcom. And so we showed James a couple of videos, and we were like, alright, buddy, let's do it. And we put a Dexcom on. And the very next day, we had our first appointment with one of the CDs at the endos office. And we went in and she started like talking about all the foods that we should avoid. And I was like, Nope, we're not doing that. And I was like, I want to talk about a pump. And she was like, oh, no, no, no, you can't have a pump until he's been diagnosed for a year. And I was like, I'm gonna stop you right there. I'm an ICU nurse. I'm familiar. I was like I can fingerstick all day long. I know how to give injections. I understand sliding scale. I understand correction. I was like, I also understand the importance of tight glycemic control to prevent complications. I was like, I'm very familiar with insulin drip. She was like, well, insulin drips or regular insulin. And he's on Lantus and human log. And I was like, it's still the principle of the matter that with a pump, I can have better control. We can turn things off, turn things on, we can make adjustments as needed. I was like, I'm gonna get that pump. And she was like, well, let's talk about this thing. And she pulled out a Dexcom. And I was like, yeah, it's on his butt already.

Scott Benner 47:13
We got that lady.

Irene 47:15
Like, we've had it for 48 hours. Here's the receiver, as like, we're done with that we're moving on. And she just was like, well, that your doctor will never sign off on the pump. And I was like, Okay, we'll see about that. So we left that appointment.

had an appointment A week later, with a nutritionist, we went over carb counting again. And, and again, I looked at the nutritionist, and I was like, How do I get the pump. She was like, Oh, we don't usually do that for about a year. And then you have to go to this class. And then you have to meet with the trainers. And you have to do a sailing trial. It was this whole, like, lengthy, lengthy process. And I was like this, there's got to be a way around this, there has to be a way around this. And we met with our Endo, We made adjustments, we're getting better control. And then we met a different CDE. We were maybe like a month out, we met a different CDE and our endo group, who is a type one herself. And I was like I want him on a pump. What do I have to do to get them on a pump and she was like, I don't, I don't think there's any reason not to get them on a pump. She was like, you understand how to carb count, you understand how to finger stick, he's already on this. You know, on the decks calm. She was like, we just need to get you to the pump training class. And she's like, it's held once a month. And unfortunately, February's pump training class was actually yesterday and she was like, but we'll get you into the march pump training class. And at that point, I was actually already listening to the podcast and had met a mom at our elementary school who also had a type one daughter who was on the Omni pod and the Dexcom also and I had researched I wanted nothing to do with Medtronic. If we went with Medtronic, there would be a push to use their CGM and we were using the Dexcom already and comfortable with it. So I was like, Well, why would we change and then I was comparing the T slim and the Omni pod and I was like, the shortest tubing for this T Slim is 24 inches. And this kid is only 36 inches tall. I was like what do you do with 24 inches of tubing kid that's 36 inches tall like I was like we're gonna have to like wrap him in it. So I just that like really made me lean towards Omni pod. So beginning of March we went to pump train thing. And we had we had him with us and we had him like look at the T slim and look at the Omni pod. And he held the T slim in his hand and he was like, this is really heavy. And he was like, I don't like this. And he he was interested in Omnipod also. And fortunately, I had learned from this mom who was at our elementary school using the same endo that we use that we needed to go back to our endo and say, We want to train directly with the Omni pod wrap. And that the process would move a lot faster. Because the process through our like Windows Office and through our hospital would take us a month to two months to do.

Scott Benner 50:55
Oh, but um, but the the Omni pod rep might have a shorter schedule.

Irene 50:59
Yeah. Much longer schedules. So the again like the very next day, I was like, okay, my husband and myself and my child were all in agreement that it's Omni pod. I went to Omni pods website, I filled out their like intake form. We had met the rap I she'd given me her cell phone number I like texter and I was like Mona we're, we're settled. We want the Omni pod like, I filled everything out on your website, can you please help us expedite as quickly as possible? We called our Endo, we were like we're sold, this is what we want. We want to go with the rap. And we want to skip the saline trial, we want to go right to insulin. And again, it was that CD II that was a type one herself. That was like not a problem. She was like I think you guys are a great candidate to go straight to insulin. Like we'll get all the orders put in today.

Scott Benner 51:56
Do you think they thought that because you're a nurse? Or because of how assertive you were? And because

Irene 52:01
I'm a pain in the ass?

Scott Benner 52:03
No, hold on. Do you think she even believed that? Or did she just want to get rid of you? She's like, you know what? Yeah, sure, go ahead.

Irene 52:10
So I think it was a little bit of both, I think it was you are a parent who is knowledgeable, who's done her research, who's diligent for her child. And so we feel comfortable? And did some of that maybe come out of being a nurse. Yeah, maybe a little bit. But it's some of it that I'm just a

Scott Benner 52:35
person

Irene 52:36
a like, persistent. You know, when I know what I want, it's what I want. And I go after it.

Scott Benner 52:42
It's been clear through this whole story that you just made everything happen that you want it to happen. Like, you know, yeah,

Irene 52:50
I mean, I just, it's, it's funny, because I can't do it for myself, but I can do it for my kids. Like, if it's me personally, like, I'll back down, I'll be like, Oh, I don't want to bother that person. Really, when it comes to my kids, like, whether it's, you know, getting them accommodations for their IEP s or their five oh fours or getting them the medical care they need or, you know, any of those pieces, like do not get in my way.

Scott Benner 53:21
Well, you remind me of me, because, you know, we just recently had to switch back to edge park for Dexcom supplies. And, you know, they, they they act like recall, it's all set up, it's going to happen automatically, except in the year ends and they act like you've never bought these things before from them. And then all of a sudden, you're looking in the drawer and the piles going down and down, down. I call them up and I'm like, What's going on, you know, where the where the Dexcom supplies? Oh, well, we need prior authorization from the doctor. And I said, Excuse me. I apologize. I said, I said you know your shirt, great. She's been using it for like, you know, a decade or more. But let's act like it's never happened like, well, this is insurance for the year. We'll take care of it. I go, okay. And then seven days later, I call back and I go where are the Dexcom supplies? And then i The person said the same thing to me. And I went oh, no, no, no, no, stop. I was like, No, that's the same. Like you're literally speaking the same words that the last person said to me seven days ago. Yeah, you're never going to handle this. I'll take care of it. So I'm sorry, I'm dying. Give me a second. This is the end. One day I'm going to be right. What am I gonna say? And then you're just gonna hear like a loud thump on a table and people are gonna be like, Oh, she was right. It was the end.

Unknown Speaker 54:47
So fine art and on Instagram, let her know or dad's

Scott Benner 54:51
call 911. Sweetie, and by the way, don't look for art on Instagram. She doesn't like it when you do. No, no, no. She really, here's what happens. She goes Is this one of your people requesting my account?

Irene 55:05
I have I having teenage daughters, who also like I love sarcasm and have a sense of sarcasm. I can just imagine our being like, could you make these people leave me alone? Like, I don't get it?

Scott Benner 55:22
Why is this? Why are they bothering me? Did you hear her on the show? Last

Irene 55:26
year? I did. I did. I just laughed. I just I appreciated so much how there's this piece of her that is like, like, I don't know what the hell that is dad, like, that's your problem. Like, I don't need to know these things. Because because you take care of it for me. And my, like, my oldest daughter is cuz she's going to school locally and living at home has actually taken a job at the hospital I work at. And it's funny, because she'll be like, Yeah, you know, like, I met this person and, and she's like, they like really like you. And she's like, looking at me. Like, it's

Unknown Speaker 56:12
so weird that people like you.

Irene 56:17
Because my job my job now for the past several years is I'm not in ICUs anymore. i My job title is administrative director. It's like being for lack of a better way to describe it. It's like being the charge nurse for the whole hospital. And so it's a it's a visible position. It's 1000 bed hospital. And if somebody whatever the problem is a supply issue, a staffing issue, patient that has a concern. It's mine too deal with I go to all of the like emergencies, like a patient's having a change in status. Somebody has a respiratory or cardiac arrest like so it's a very visible session and so many

Scott Benner 57:05
people know you as fascinated by that. Because, yeah, you're just a child who had they got pregnant in college to her?

Unknown Speaker 57:16
Like, done a pretty decent job pulling your life?

Scott Benner 57:18
Yeah, no, no, by the way. I feel like that goes without saying, right. But no, I you know, please, it doesn't matter here like this, this podcast is listened to a little far and wide. And I go downstairs and say something and they look at me like I've never had a good idea in my entire life. And there's no reason why you would listen to me. And I'm not saying I'm right all the time. I like but you do sit there and you think, you know, a great many people at least pause and listen when I'm talking like they might not like they might not you might not listen to podcasts. They go wow, everything Scott just said was amazing. I'm gonna go put it into action. Like that. I understand. But like, I'm literally sometimes treated like a person who's broken into the house. Who's that? Why is he talking? Oh, my God. But by my point was gonna be is that i It's funny, we I coughed and we changed directions. But um, I basically told edgepark I'm like, I will do this. And it's it sucks. But I just went and did their job. I contacted the doctor's office, I contact the nurse practitioner, I made it clear what was going on. I made it clear what they needed to do next. Then I started following up with people like I'm the assistant to like, the most important person in the world. You know, I'm like, you know, Dr. diabetes says you need to do this. Did you do it? Do it now. You know, the next day back on the phone again? Is it done? And you'd be surprised how quickly it gets done when you're assertive like that. And I

Irene 58:52
wasn't I am not surprised. I completely because we we went to a pump class the first week of March 2020. Right. And we were scheduled to do our Omni pod training like, we were meeting the Omni pod rapid. I don't remember it was like a Starbucks or something. Like about three weeks later after class, and it was gonna be on a Monday, right? Well, the Friday before our training, the world shut down for COVID and we got this email that like the kids were gonna stay home from school for two weeks. Yada yada yada. My husband works for the school system. And you know, he got a notification not to report to work on Monday morning. And the first thing I did was call our pump trainer and be like, how does this impact our pump training on Monday?

Scott Benner 59:49
I don't care what's happening in the world. We're doing this pump training.

Irene 59:53
We have the pump train. She's like, I can't meet with you in person like I've I've got to go back to him. My leadership and figure out what we were doing. And I was like, Okay, I need you to call me Monday morning, obviously, I'll be home. Again, like, she was great. And she was like, we're trying to figure out, like, how to do it. And I was like, I have everything in hand. Like, I gotta tell you, if this takes too long, I'm just gonna read the manual, watch YouTube videos and do it on my own. And she was like, no, no, no, no, hold on, hold on. And she did get back with us. And we, we actually were Omni pots pilot for virtual training. And so we got on this virtual platform, not zoom. They were I don't remember. But they were using something else. And it was so funny, because you could see like other people who were watching this. And I had I gotten impatient. So by the time we got on it, I was like, Yeah, I've got the thing programmed, can you just like, look at it and make sure I programmed it correct.

Scott Benner 1:00:56
They're all like, kind of she figures this out with YouTube or a lot of a job. You know, I really want to tell you, I appreciate the way you are. I don't know if that's gonna make sense or not. But like, you're so your conversation with me today. Exactly mimics the way you post on the Facebook board. And so like you are that person, like you're not there's no error about you, like you're not pretending. And even what I mean about that is like your poster would appear to be to some people all over the place, I think of them as like, well balanced. Like some people pick a lane and stick to it, they yell about one certain thing, or they care about one certain thing, or they you have a you're involved in like a myriad of conversations that, that if if you What do I mean, if someone looked at just one of your posts, they could make it they could they could look and go, oh, this person is leaning in this direction with their ideas or that direction. But you're not you're very like, like, like, centered, but in a very good way. Like you're not. I don't know, like sometimes people say centrist with their ideas. And they think of it as poor, like, like, you don't have a real opinion one way or the other. But you're not like that you're everywhere

Unknown Speaker 1:02:13
I view it as you you have to look at the individual.

Irene 1:02:20
Right, there's, like, there's multiple ways to address things. end, you have to look at the individual and what is right for that individual. You know, and what meets their need.

Scott Benner 1:02:36
Yeah, so like a common sense person to me.

Irene 1:02:39
Yes, I think that's a good way to put it. Like, I just, you know, if someone else is really happy with, you know, low carb and, and MDI, and it's working for you, and you're having good outcomes, keep going, keep going. And I just might like, and support people where they're at, right? Because if you don't come in where they're at, they can't move forward. Like,

Scott Benner 1:03:17
you can't talk down to people or talk or be talking to them either. You have to You really do. It's such an it's I hate cliches, but you know, finding somebody's launch point. And beginning there with them. It's just, it's a big deal. Exactly. And I'm even talking about like, like just conversationally even, like, you'll, you know, there's a post here from you that I remember, like I looked, you know, I went through your thread, like this morning, like, oh, all of them like everything. I just kind of ripped her away. And it's just like, you go from like, complimenting a low carb person on a meal they put together which I don't think you keep low carb, right?

Irene 1:04:00
We don't I mean, we occasionally, I gotta be honest, we're not low carb. We're just not but like, in James's favorite breakfast is hot chocolate, and instant oatmeal. I mean, that oatmeal is 44 carbs and as hot chocolate as another 15 carbs. And I plug that in this PDM and it calculates, and then because I know it's what he needs, I throw another full unit of insulin on it and I put it on an extended Bolus. I've got other times where I look at a meal. And it's somebody has shared a low carb meal and I'm like, Hey, that looks good. I think I want to eat that. Yeah, I might make that.

Scott Benner 1:04:44
That's that to me. That's great. Like just, you know, that you just whatever seems to make sense at the moment as down to like, there's a post on here from you where you're just like, hey, does anybody think like episode 514 should be an after dark and then and you're just like joking around? Like, so you're, you're just a very, I don't know, I really don't know how to put it other than to say, you feel very common sense to me. And I think that that's what's helping you through, you know, all the things that you're seeing with your with some of your kids and and, you know in your schedule and your life like it all seems well, unless you're out of your mind and you're hiding it for this, would you talk to that now if you were just like Scott, I'm I'm probably Adderall right now. And I'm barely holding it together.

Irene 1:05:30
I probably am a little out of my mind. But no, I mean, I, you know, it's not that I don't look at the future. It's not that my husband and I don't have forward thinking. But we also are very much alike. take things as they are, and like, what does what does this moment need? What does this situation need? And we have other times where, you know, like, we tried a new spot for James's pot last night, we changed his pot. And he's, he's a lean, like, he's a lean little guy. There's no Pudge on him. We put his my husband put his pod on his thigh, and I I don't love this site. We had a lot of lows last night. I think it's actually that cannula might actually be like, pretty close to the muscle. And he's, it's like he's absorbing that insulin very quickly. And so we were up multiple times last night, and we Temp Basal back some and we were still having low. So he gets up this morning. He's just he's so tired. And he so cranky, and he doesn't want to go to school. He wants to go back to bed. And I'm like, Man, I don't want to every time be like, Oh, that's fine. Don't worry about it. Like where's the middle ground on this because I don't. I can see enough into the future. Like a teenage boy, if I'm always caving in elementary school and middle school in high school is going to be like, Oops, didn't write my paper. I better tell mom, I had a rough night so I can stay home. So he was low this morning. You know, he ate his breakfast. And then he had another 32 uncovered carbs. And I was still having a little trouble getting him back up. But I was like, Alright, go back to bed and we'll reassess at 10 o'clock. And James, we got his blood sugar back up, he slept for a little bit. And then he came downstairs a little bit after 10 o'clock. And he was like, It's 1015 I think I need to go to school. Like that's the middle ground, right? Like, let him get the extra hour of sleep because he had a crappy rough night. And we woke up multiple times. Temp Basal him down 10% for the next five hours for the school day, because the site seems to be like super absorbing. And we'll figure out later tonight, whether we're going to just keep going at Temp Basal down while this pods on or whether we're going to move it to our typical like back of the arm or upper buttocks. Like

Scott Benner 1:08:14
I've done exactly what you're talking about. There are times when I've said to art and like, I don't care get up and go, like, you know, and there are times where I'm like, You know what, this is reasonable. You know, she, she's, you know, we got out of bed this morning. And I don't know, you found out that her blood sugar was higher than we wanted it to be. And I'm going to give her a bunch of insulin. She could sit here for a half an hour while I make sure that a that this wasn't too much insulin, and B where I make sure it's working because I don't want to be I don't want to be in the situation where an hour and a half or an hour I'm texting or saying like, Hey, we're gonna make another large Bolus, not knowing if the Bolus is right. It's not near food, like, like there's some things that are just common sense. And I and at some point, so you kind of treat them like people who need some, some comfort to without without making them into somebody who goes, Oh, I stubbed my toe. I can't do anything.

Irene 1:09:06
Yeah, and you know, and I think that's the trick, right? I, you know, I listen to some of the adults you talk to who it is interesting. There are so many of them who I hear like, yeah, my parents kind of said like, you better figure this out. This is yours to do, but they're also very protective of their parents and they don't want to say that. Like they didn't have support from their parents. And I listen to parents now who are talking about, you know, how much their kids are doing independently. I'm, I want us to in a lot of ways follow James's lead. But I don't want to baby him so much that like we get too. He wants to go to college like on the West Coast and you don't know how to do that, or Yeah, we don't know how to do that

Scott Benner 1:10:08
shooting for you just always kind of shooting for the middle.

Irene 1:10:11
Yeah, exactly. So like he, this summer, he wants to go to camp, we did a family camp last summer. That was just a weekend. He loved it. He wants to go back to camp. But he wants to do the full week with the other kids with out his parents. So we had great conversation with the camp coordinators about like, what does he really need to be able to do independently to go to camp for seven days without a parent? And what can you guys realistically do for him? Yeah, he doesn't, he doesn't do his pod changes. He doesn't change his Dexcom. Like, he has put the insulin in his pot a few times, he has pushed the buttons on the, you know, touchscreen of his PDM a few times. He usually picks his sight, but he doesn't do it independently. And if I say to him, like he can finger stick himself, but he doesn't want to. So if I say to him, like, Hey, James, can you do your finger stick? He's like, Oh, it's so much work.

Scott Benner 1:11:16
Well, listen, last night last night. But I mean, my kids almost 18. And last night, I came into the same room with her. And I said I forgot what happened. She had I do forget what happened. Oh, she just got home from her Disney trip from school. And we're still in the we're still getting her settings adjusted back because they were significantly different for walking around in the heat at Disney. Oh, I'm sure. And so we had this, you know, we adjust it back a little bit. And you know, it was going okay, but there were, there's more to do. And I said to her, I'm like, I just want to do a finger stick here. Because, you know, I want to make sure that the next thing I do was is 100%. You know, right? Because I think I'm right here. And you know, I want to just I want to be done with this. So anyway, I I'm sitting closer to her bag than she is. And I pulled out the meter, the Contour. Next One, which is available at contour next one.com forward slash juicebox. And I pull out the test strip and I stuck the test strip in it. And I handed her the lance and the meter. And there was like I reached my handout with it. And she looked at me. And we were just both staring at each other thinking the same thing. Like you're doing this not me, like get like she's looking at me like, I mean, she was had her laptop open, she was watching something. And I know she wanted to just like stick her hand out and get her blood sugar

Irene 1:12:36
tested, and probably stick out her middle finger for you.

Scott Benner 1:12:39
I just I pushed the meter into her hand. And I was like, I don't know what you think is happening here. But I'm not doing this, you know, she, you know, there's no problem. She tests her blood sugar. But there was that moment where both of us were like, you're doing this not me, you know, she had the same feeling. It's just it's tiresome doing stuff like that over and over and

Irene 1:13:00
over. And it's, you know, I've had times where I say to him like, Okay, this is your carb cow. Like, you need to Bolus yourself for dinner. And he kind of gives me the groan and I'm like, like, you gotta do it a few times to prove you can do it at camp, right. And I'm like, because I'm like, if you don't want to go, that's fine. Just tell me you don't want to go. But if you want to go, we need you to be able to, like Bolus yourself for your meals and pull out your Dexcom and look at it and see what your blood sugar is. And when you're low look at somebody at camp and be like, Hey, I'm low, like I need juice or whatever. The truth

Scott Benner 1:13:41
is, it's gonna take those examples. And he's gonna have to do them. I mean that that's how you figure it out. Like I mean, listen, Arden was in Disney. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, she flew home Monday night. They did provide a nurse who was you know, on her Dexcom and watching her I would say probably three times the nurse like you know, she usually overnight where Arden would I have to admit one time she dipped down to like 66 I wouldn't have done anything about it. But I understand the nurse did like I could tell it was coming back and and it wasn't gonna get lower. And Arden's. The nurse told me later even when she woke garden up and she's like garden art and it's the nurse and art and picked up her phone looked at her blood sugar and went Why are you bothering me? I'm okay. She's like no, you're 66 and are just like this is going to be fine. And she said just as she was getting ready to described or look do you see how the lines bending in the other direction? She thought why don't I just drink some of this juice real quick and like make this lady happy and like be done with it you know? Meanwhile the nurse was like she was terrific. But that five days was a great like it made me feel good about like okay, like she'll be able to go to college. Right and then we have a we have a situation coming up soon. Where Kelly and I I have to be away for a number of days and Arden's like, I'm going to stay by myself at the house. And like everything inside of us like, no, that's not a good idea. But what I really know is that this is a perfect time to try it, because at least she'll be in our house. And, you know, we have neighbors, and we can set sort a little like, we can set up some safety things she won't even know about, you know what I mean? And let her try to get through it, it's a good practice run, because she is gonna go to college, you know, right,

Irene 1:15:30
we would love to James still goes to the nurse's office. And we would love to progress to that, like texting with him. And he doesn't go to the nurse's office as much, but he's just not ready yet. But I am hoping that the experience of Camp lake in a, in a really supportive environment that he wants to be in, like, kind of helps him make a little step towards a perfect, it's perfect. And if it doesn't, I mean, if camp is a flop and

Scott Benner 1:16:04
the next leg up, then the next thing will help. But I mean something, you just have to keep doing those little things. I mean, back, it listen, Arden's either go into, you know, I don't know too much, or a person, like Arden applied to a number of colleges, and then got into all of them. And so she's got her choice at the moment. And, you know, as she whittles it down, it becomes clear, she's either going to go into the city, or down to Georgia. And, you know, there's part of me that's like, well, the city is only an hour away, like, that's good. You know, because if something really went wrong, I could get there an hour. But then I thought like if something went that wrong, five minutes is too long, like forget an hour, right? So what's the difference? If she's in New York? Or she's Georgia?

Irene 1:16:49
Well, no. And I mean, how many kids go to a school, spend a semester, spend a year and they're like, this isn't the thing for me. And, and then they, like, either come home and regroup. Or they know what they, you know, where they want to go, and they apply to transfer somewhere. I mean, it's, it's not set in stone that like any of our kids will be in that one spot for those four years, yes,

Scott Benner 1:17:20
a lot of things are gonna happen. So you have to take advantage of the opportunities to practice. That's pretty much it, right? It's doing the same thing, and figuring it out how to how to handle it, and you're going to have these kids, anybody who's listening to kids not gonna live with you forever. So hopefully, yeah, to take advantage of those situations, you know, I mean, I'm having too good of a time talking to you. So if I don't just say goodbye, we're not going to stop. So we're done. Okay, it's over. Is there anything that you wanted to say that I didn't bring up?

Irene 1:17:52
Yeah, it's funny, because I initially reached out about the nurse thing, like you've mentioned multiple times, that nurses seem to have a harder time. And, and I think you're right, and I, I, I think nurses have to remember to, you know, as they're advocating for their child, right, they have to advocate for themselves, because we go to nursing school, and we learn a little bit about a ton of different things, but we don't hone in on any particular thing. And then as we start our careers, we do tend to specialize like labor and delivery, critical care. And we don't have a ton of exposure to type one, we, we most of us probably see a few type ones, but not tons of them. And then the other thing we have to remember is that the diabetics that we do come in contact with, especially if we work in the hospital, right? Are not, they're not representative of everyone. And we have to learn how to kind of separate those fears, like not everyone that I saw in a wound care center represented the overwhelming majority of adult diabetics, right. And then I think we struggled to because the way we see things managed in the hospital is not what day to day home management looks like. And because we have familiarity with hospital based management, sometimes home management is uncomfortable. And it's very different. And then you have to learn how to compartmentalize, right? I can't take the style of management that I use with my son, and then use it with patients in the hospital, but I can take understanding the importance of a CGM or an insulin pump or carb counting an advocate for my patients in the hospital. This is really cosmetic I'm a huge advocate and my own hospital. We now put CGM on newly diagnosed patients before they leave the hospital. Wow, good for you. And we have, we always had a way for patients to keep their pumps. But we didn't necessarily advertise it. And so now we're doing a better job of saying, if we want someone to take their pump off of explaining why we want not just because we're not comfortable with it, but what's going on in this situation, that we're asking you to come off your pump, or coming in, and asking them to be more proactive to say, like, you're here, because you were in a motor vehicle accident, we're a trauma center, and you have a fracture, and we need to place that bone, we see you're on a pump did you want to stay on your pump. And it is hard. And it's because there's an assumption that you're just, you're just going to know what to do and you don't and then you feel paralyzed by it. And you have to separate what hospital management looks like and hospital complications with what your life with T one D being the parent or being the individual yourself is going to look like,

Scott Benner 1:21:20
right? That's great. And you're you put that effort in at your own institution, and you'd have much trouble getting those changes made.

Irene 1:21:27
I think I was at an advantage in the position that I held that I have, like direct regular contact with executive leadership. And I was able to come back and say to them, like, I would just really love the opportunity to sit down and share my experience as a newly diagnosed parent with you. And what I think we could do differently. And it didn't happen overnight. You know, but it was information sharing. And, and being able to talk with other families, and then the leadership of our pediatric department being able to go back to our endocrinologist group and say, hey, you know, how do we look at this? And some of it became like, education with like, I got called one night that there was a T one D patient who was adamant about keeping their pump and the trauma resident was like, Oh, no way, are we doing that. And I was able to come up and like sit down with that resident and say, This is why your patient wants to keep their pump. This is why trying to push them off of their pump is not a good idea. And let me give you some personal perspective. In this situation. Yeah. And look like they have, they also have this Dexcom. And so you're going to be you're actually going to have more information, you're going to be able to walk in at any point, and be like, Hey, what's your blood sugar look like? And they're going to be able to answer that question for you.

Scott Benner 1:23:11
Yeah, I thought a lot of your stories today revolved around not just doing things the way they're always done, because they're always done that way. Like, like, seriously, there's it's a main theme running through how you how you impacted all of this. And it's just, it just shows the I mean, I guess the I don't want to call it pushback, but the answers you got back from a number of different people along the way, just were very reflective of well, this is how it's done. I don't ask any questions. This is just what we do. You know, and it's so important to, to follow common sense and to sometimes have to show it to other people.

Irene 1:23:51
And if you can give a logical explanation, right, like, why you know, like in the hospital, if I can explain to the bedside nurse or to the resident, or to a director of a unit, why it's actually in their best interest to let this patient keep their CGM and keep their pomp, right. Like, why is it an advantage for you? It's better care for them. Oh, and because healthcare is a business, whether we like it or not in America, health care as a business, why you're gonna have more satisfied customer being part of it, too, then you can start to win people

Scott Benner 1:24:35
over. Yeah, well, there's a lot of good reasons to do it. And I've also

Irene 1:24:38
had a situation where I've gone to an emergency call and walked in a room and the patient is completely unresponsive. And we're not quite sure why they're responsive. And I have physically taken their pump off of them. Like this patient can no longer manage their pump. We don't know what's going on. The pump is going away.

Scott Benner 1:24:57
You have to start over again at that point. Yeah, yeah. Oh that's a completely different situation but yeah, that makes sense as well. All right. That's it alright Irene listen, I would tell you that you you are very common sense the person I like it a lot. I would say something like if you ever you know need a new husband and both of us are in the in the bump look me up but I gotta be honest with you I'm not raising your 75 kids so it doesn't matter. You're on your own okay. But I love talking to you. I really did.

Irene 1:25:25
Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Oh, it was great.

Scott Benner 1:25:34
A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors. Je voc glucagon. Find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G voc glucagon.com. Ford slash juice box. You spell that? G VOKEGLUC AG o n.com. Forward slash juice box. And don't forget to find touched by type one at touched by type one.org and on Facebook and Instagram. Last but not least, the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes. It's worth your time.

Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.