#859 I Was Just Thirsty
Dan's child 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 859 of the Juicebox Podcast.
I had a fantastic time speaking with today's guest. His name is Dan. Dan's father had type one diabetes, and one of his children now has type one. While you're listening to me, talk to Dan and have a great time. 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. I want you guys to know I wanted very badly to call this episode animal husbandry. But I went with my heart and said, hey, don't forget if you have type one diabetes, or are the caregiver of someone and you are a US resident, you can go to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box and fill out the survey completing that survey helps type one diabetes research T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box with my heart I did when this episode should clearly be called animal husbandry.
This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G seven continuous glucose monitor. That's right baby G seven is ready for you@dexcom.com forward slash Juicebox Podcast is also sponsored today by the Omni pod five, and the Omni pod dash. check them both out at my link Omni pod.com forward slash juicebox. And if you're getting ready to use the Omni pod five, I have a great resource at juicebox podcast.com forward slash Omni pod five. If you want Dexcom or Omni pod, please consider using my links typing them in a browser or clicking on them at juicebox podcast.com. Or in the audio app you're listening in right now. Because when you go to those links through my links, you are supporting the show helping to keep it free. Thank you so much. Let's get started with it.
Dan 2:25
My name is Dan, the father of a six year old girl that has type one diabetes that was diagnosed almost exactly a year ago. And then I grew up my father had type one diabetes. He was diagnosed, I think around six or seven. So it's been a part of my life for pretty much my entire life.
Scott Benner 2:51
Dan, you're a little far from your mic.
Dan 2:54
All right. Well, maybe I just need to talk louder.
Scott Benner 2:58
Did you get to the middle? Maybe? Like he's fading quickly?
Dan 3:03
Enough. Is it better now? That yeah,
Scott Benner 3:06
you just got soft while you were talking? Like Soft? Soft enough, though. I'm gonna say your daughter was diagnosed a year ago when she was five. And you grew up with a father who had type one. Correct? Gotcha. Yeah. Yep. Your dad have type one your entire life, or was he diagnosed as an adult?
Dan 3:23
So he was diagnosed at around six years old, I think from what I can gather from talking about the family. And you know, it took him a really long time to figure it out with him. They just didn't know as much back then.
Scott Benner 3:39
Is he alive now?
Dan 3:41
No, he passed away. About five years ago.
Scott Benner 3:45
I say I'm sorry. How long would he how old? Would he have been if he was alive?
Dan 3:50
Let's see. He was he'd be about 70. He was 65. From he,
Scott Benner 3:53
okay, passed away. So he was on. May I do the math on this. So it's 2022. Now if we take 20 from that it's 2050. More your was your dad born like in the 1950s? The early 50s. The late like right there.
Dan 4:09
I am terrible with those.
Scott Benner 4:10
I love that you don't know. But I'm just one. The one thing that
Dan 4:14
with my daughter, I will never forget her birthday now because every time I call to, you know, get some supplies or go get a prescription. I've got to give them her birthday. And so yeah, I'm bad with birthdays and dates, but I think your math is pretty close.
Scott Benner 4:27
Yeah. I'm guessing 52 ish diagnosed in 58. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yep. Was it a point of discussion throughout your life was it never mentioned? How did that go?
Dan 4:42
It was weird. It's very different, I think than it is now for me with being you know, the parent. We really lived in normal life. It wasn't a big deal at all. I never thought about it too much. I remember it being really annoying, as in Junior High in high school that we had to eat dinner at the same Same time, like every day, my friends would be out playing and I'd have to come home for dinner. But other than that, he just kind of took care of it. And and that was that he
Scott Benner 5:11
would not notice? Well, okay, that's what I'm asking like, what parts of it? Did you say?
Dan 5:17
Yeah, he would get low, and just get kind of crazy and combative with my mom about it. And for whatever reason, he would listen to me. And, you know, have some orange juice, that was kind of his big thing. And then he would kind of snap back out of it. And then test himself, I think the lowest, I remember him being when we were out camping once was like in the teens, and he almost almost kind of, you know, fell asleep. I guess. At that point, he was starting to fade, you can see it in his eyes and
Scott Benner 5:56
but who handled that, in that time camping who handled that low?
Dan 6:02
I think I eventually talked him into, you know, treating himself with something. And that, you know, he always had like some candy bars or something in his car. But he just he lived a pretty normal life. We had a boat went waterskiing every weekend. We camping a lot. He worked out in the woods all by himself all the time. So totally different. I really never thought about how, you know, potentially dangerous some of that stuff was with him. I just expected he would handle it.
Scott Benner 6:38
Yeah, I've two questions. So first, I'd like you to talk about what it's like, for a person who's bigger and stronger than you to decide they don't want to listen and be in that situation where you're trying to save them? How do you handle that?
Dan 6:57
I would just try to reason with him. And I think that was the difference with with my mom, he would just, you know, there's probably more there. For him to sort of hold on to and not want to listen to her advice. And for whatever reason, it was pretty easy for me.
Scott Benner 7:17
And I figured that out when you said he was out in the woods by himself.
Dan 7:24
Well, and that was the funny thing, too. It's, it seems like when he was by himself, he was much more aware of that stuff. And then when we were all together, he would be more likely to get low.
Scott Benner 7:35
focused on other things. Maybe? Yeah, yeah. Um, I'm not sure if you're moving things on the desk or moving around or not. But if you are stopped, I will start okay. So you didn't really you never had to overpower your voice for some reason, shone through to him and he would listen to you eventually. Yes, so then that's right. That brings me into my second question. Looking back now as an adult, how old are you know?
Dan 8:02
42.
Scott Benner 8:03
Looking back on that time, do you think it had any impact on you having to be that person?
Dan 8:12
Yeah, I think so. I think it's, it's helped a little bit now that with with my daughter, Eleanor, you know, kind of knowing how we had the first time with her just a couple days ago, where she was starting to get a little bit confused. And it helped. I think, being able to that. I've seen that before. And now and now with the CGM. It's so much easier. I know exactly where she's at
Scott Benner 8:39
right. Now. It's it's instant. I was wondering if you had any, like resentment or anxiety or anything like that from it, but Oh, no, I don't think so. Yeah, I liked the way you talked about it. Much better. The way it kind of prepares you for this. Yeah, yeah. Okay. So any brothers and sisters for you?
Dan 9:01
So yeah, I have one half brother. And he
Scott Benner 9:05
does he live in the woods. I'm just kidding.
Dan 9:08
Kind of my poor parents when I was born, he was he had a brain tumor. And so they had to remove the tumor from his brain and ended up also removing most of his pituitary gland and damaged his optic nerves. So he's mostly blind, and he had to take growth hormone for my whole life, you know, while he was. He's eight years older than me, but I never really thought about it until just now. I wonder if my dad's thing wasn't such a big deal. Well, because
Scott Benner 9:46
so half brother from your father, from my mother from your mother, prior marriage or after they were done with each other or prior marriage. Okay, gotcha. Yeah. And then and this goes for all the people who come on the show if I'm getting Ready to make a joke about a family member who's had brain surgery and grew up partially blind? Could you please stop me? Right? That's run me over next time. Dang. Oh, nevermind.
Dan 10:11
It's all fair game.
Scott Benner 10:14
You know what I mean? I didn't know it. As soon as you started talking. I was like, Oh, God. Like, because you said half brother. I figured your dad was out in the woods making a baby with Sasquatch. And that's where you know what I mean? Like, I built a whole story in my head. Yeah, no. Okay. Well, okay, so he and what about other autoimmune issues?
Dan 10:37
Nothing. Okay. Except for well, my dead sister. My aunt she was diagnosed with type one diabetes at about 18
Scott Benner 10:47
Let me stop you go back and take back then nothing's gonna last the question again. Is there other? Is there other autoimmune in the family?
Dan 10:54
So yes, my aunt also is a type one diabetic. She has rheumatoid arthritis. Pretty bad
Scott Benner 11:03
as to for toe really impacts her?
Dan 11:07
Yes, yeah. She's still alive. But it's, it's rough on her. A lot of pain.
Scott Benner 11:13
How about celiac? Thyroid stuff? Anything like that? No. Okay. I am fascinated, not fascinated. It's interesting. How frequently I asked the question, and people go, No. And then they list six autoimmune diseases.
Dan 11:30
Really? Didn't really even make the connection until I started talking about it.
Scott Benner 11:34
No, no, that's, that's why I brought it up. It's um, you know, Hey, did you know anybody in your family? No, no, well, not at all. We have this. My aunt has celiac. My father's hypothyroidism, my mom's got Hashimotos. And, and before you're done, you're like, those are all autoimmune diseases. They go? Well, it's crazy. I didn't know. It's just it's interesting. That's why it's why I asked the question every time because I'm trying to listen to Dan, I don't know if this is obvious or not. I'm trying to get people to ask these questions in their family privately. So they can have a better idea of what's going on with their health history. But I don't know if I'm being tricky enough to get it done or not. Well, that you put it out there. Well, you know, I mean, now I'm just saying it like, go ask your family members for God's sakes and find out what's going on. You know what I mean? Like, maybe maybe Uncle Bill doesn't just fart a lot. Maybe he's got something going on, you know? Yeah. Yeah. So okay, so your aunt has type one your brother had your father had type one. Did they have any other brothers or sisters?
Dan 12:38
There? Yeah, there were two others in my dad's family that didn't have any autoimmune issues that I know. Okay.
Scott Benner 12:49
And now, and you haven't had any? Nope, no. How about your wife's side of the family?
Dan 12:57
Hers is hard. You know how diabetes thing is? They all say that her grandfather or someone had type one diabetes, but a lot of them have type two diabetes. And so she doesn't. She doesn't really know if, if that's a real thing or not,
Scott Benner 13:17
again, fascinating that people don't know. Stuff like that about their own history. Yeah.
Dan 13:21
Yeah. They're very different.
Scott Benner 13:25
I mean, I'm not even talking about like your aunt or your uncle, like somebody you see at Christmas, and New Year's, something like that. I'm talking about people you've like that are in your life. Like, you know, Grandma, did she have diabetes? I don't know. You don't know. She's around for the first 10 years of your life. She wouldn't leave you alone. Yeah. But it's, it goes to show and your story about your father goes to show how people find a way to exist with these things. You know, yeah. Yeah. And that's really that's kind of terrific. So did you think when your dad was six, when he's diagnosed, how old were you? You're at roughly, do you have any idea?
Dan 14:06
How old was she when she was diagnosed? Yeah, she was 18.
Scott Benner 14:09
Okay, so by the team meeting, so by the time you're in your 30s, you think you're free and clear? Or is it something you've never thought of, or something you always worried about?
Dan 14:18
I was pretty sure I was free and clear. And then, when my wife and I talked about having our first kid it was a conversation that we had and talk to some different people about it. And then after we had my, my older daughter is 12. So we had her and I remember taking her to the doctor and talking to the doctor about it when she was just an infant and he was really kind of on the ball about stuff. He's he said that diabetes now they don't know if it's all genetic, or partly genetic, or he said there's some environmental factors involved, and they're just trying to figure it out. And so the optimist in me heard it was all just environmental factors with my dad and my aunt. And so we're good. We will
Scott Benner 15:14
you know, Dr. Here, he doesn't seem like he knows what he's talking about. I'm just going to pick and choose from what he said. We're gonna move forward and make my own thing. Yeah, I'm also imagining the conversation you and your wife had was having, like, you know, in bed. While you're thinking we should do this, you're like, Yeah, you're just Yes. Anything, right? Like, it's possible that kid's gonna have diabetes. Like, I don't care. So we talked about it. You think the kid loves diabetes? Probably not. Let's go. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Pretty much how it happened. Yeah, we've all had that conversation about a condom at one point or another. It's right there. Should we just get it? Yeah, it's gonna be alright. Yeah. So exactly. But But I take I mean, listen, it, at least you thought about it and talks about out loud when you talk when you talked about it. Did you ever give over to the idea that it could happen and have that conversation? Or did you do the I'm now making air quotes with my fingers? Like the talk about it where you decided it was going to be okay.
Dan 16:16
We, we didn't decide that it was going to be okay. It was we knew there was a risk involved. And we're just going to see what happens. Yeah.
Scott Benner 16:28
I mean, listen, it's a valid, it's a valid way to go. You don't I mean, there's no right or wrong answer for certain. I'm just interested in how it happens. You know, because people say stuff like that all the time. We talked about it, but then they never told me what they talked about. So if the pick, it's my job. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so now you're still your second child is the one with type one. And she makes it to five before she was diagnosed. But did you see anything prior to that?
Dan 16:52
No, no, I really thought I thought we were free and clear. So my dad passed away when she was not even one yet. So for the next four odd years, there was no diabetes going on. And I just I didn't I really didn't think about it, you know, kind of got over the morning part with my my dad. And she was, she was good. She's super. I know, all parents are bias. But she's like a super smart kid. She's doing well and everything in life, and we're doing good, you know, and the whole pandemic thing kind of started and we went through that, and
Scott Benner 17:37
anybody would get COVID.
Dan 17:41
Our whole family got it. So we were all vaccinated. And my wife and I had our boosters. And we had a trip coming up to go to Disneyland, actually, that I was just thinking about touching all the stuff, all the kids stuff at Disneyland. And about a month before our trip, Eleanor was just kind of being whiny, and had a little bit of a runny nose and almost out of spite. Like, we'll test you for COVID. And it was positive. So we all went down, got the test done. And both the kids were positive, my wife was never positive. And I was just walking around Walgreens with no mask on feeling great and got the email that I was positive. We should probably go home I guess.
Scott Benner 18:31
Did you do you think you got it from Mickey Mouse or you got somewhere else?
Dan 18:35
Well, so that was before this word. We're actually glad that we got it. We don't have to worry so much. Disneyland. So I don't know where we got it. You know, school? Probably. Yeah, it's picking stuff up.
Scott Benner 18:47
All that learning mess and everything. Oh, yeah.
Dan 18:50
Well, especially at the kindergarten age. You know,
Scott Benner 18:53
you think it's possible. It's okay to skip that. And maybe you could count to 10 at home? Not now kindergarten teachers like I do more. Now. I know you don't. I'm just I'm just it's fine. I'm just saying. Yeah, if you're gonna skip a grade. I mean, I would think one of the easier ones to manage personally might be the lower grades. I guess what I'm getting from
Dan 19:14
there might be easier to catch up from that. Yeah.
Scott Benner 19:18
Well, I mean, you might be able to handle on your own. I also love when people say their kids are smart. And I'm like, I don't know how smart you are. This is all perspective. People like like, it's brilliant. I'm like, smarter than you. Maybe.
Dan 19:32
She scored. So she's in the 99th percentile. You had her test things. No, they do the standardized tests, standardized tests. I was teasing. We actually did. All right. I said no, but but we did.
Scott Benner 19:48
How many times you're gonna lie to me in the first one.
Dan 19:52
To get into the school that she's in. We had to do an IQ test. So she goes to this school. That's an old charter school that's looped in through public funding now, and they can still use their old requirements so they can be selective about who they let in. And so we did we did have our IQ test and that was also
Scott Benner 20:15
high. So you get throw over that word, the wall that walled garden, Dan, get her back there. But the other smart Yeah, let's Yeah, exactly. Don't get too excited. I was one of those kids when I was little, and I make a podcast now. So you don't I mean, yeah, don't get too excited. I don't think the money is just gonna start falling over the walls.
Dan 20:33
No, no, I know. I already disappointed me several times with telling me what she wants to do when she grows.
Scott Benner 20:43
Now we're getting to it. Dan's willing to say he's been disappointed by his five year old. But what is what does she want to do?
Dan 20:51
Well, I don't remember it's been all over the place. She Well, she wants to do what I do. And what my wife does, which I guess are, are both good. My wife's a veterinarian and you'll get a kick out of my job. I know you get a kick out of people's weird nature jobs. I own a company that installs fish tanks, and does fish tank maintenance all over the area. You and
Scott Benner 21:12
you own a company. I own the company when's the last time you had your arm elbow deep in a fish tank.
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Dan 26:06
Yesterday,
Scott Benner 26:07
okay, I'd like to get you to a place where the other people are taking care of the work. But I bet that sounds good. That sounds well lucrative actually.
Dan 26:16
I have three people that work for me, and they go do most of the work especially since the COVID stuff. My job was flexible, and I was able to stay home with the kids more than my wife. And so I sort of transition to working more from home. But all of the all of our fish tanks that we that when I ordered fish, they come from all over the world. A lot of the saltwater fish are caught in the wild. And so I have to put them in fish tanks first to make sure they're not carrying parasites that delete fish food and all of that stuff. So those are all in a room in my garage. And so that's where I had my hand in a fish tank yesterday. I
Scott Benner 26:57
see. I have not. I used to have tanks because my dad had them and I have not had one since my little brother poured I used to have had a probably like a 55 gallon saltwater tank. It wasn't huge, but it was great and ran really well. It had live car oil on it and all it was really great. And one day my little brother put when you want to smell nice Dan, what do you spot cologne, he put Kelowna to see what would happen. Do you want to guess what? Oh? Yeah, that probably wasn't good. Yeah, killed everything pretty quickly. Yeah, yeah. And then we had good.
Dan 27:36
We had a, we do a lot of assisted living places. And one of my clients called a while back and said that one of the old guys there dumped his milkshake in the fish tank. Fish like it. Yeah. She wanted to know what would happen. So I said, I'm not sure.
Scott Benner 27:53
Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna be over and send you a bill. Don't you worry. Yeah. Get lost right now. I just never had the I did not have the fortitude to do it again. It was it was a lot of work and an expense. I was young, you know. And I just but my son asks me about it pretty frequently. How can we? Yeah. And he's never had one. And he asks about it. It's really, really kind of interesting. So yeah. All right. Well, that's, that's how did you get into that, by the way?
Dan 28:22
In college, I switched around a couple times what I was going to major in, and I ended up majoring in fisheries biology. And I was going to do like, research, you know, streams and fish. And
Scott Benner 28:38
when you like that you're mad at your parents when you chose that.
Dan 28:42
Yeah, that was originally gonna do physical therapy. And then
Scott Benner 28:46
I'm trying to picture I'm trying to picture 15 years from now little l&r comes up to you and says she wants to get into fishery sciences. You go in oh, wait a minute. Who's gonna pay the bills? Yeah. You know, my very I don't I've never said this before. My very first job was at a pet store. Oh, yeah, I was 13. And the local guy had a pet store. And we were always in there buying fish and stuff like that. And one day, I think he saw us as a nice, a nice revenue stream. And he thought, Well, I'm like, just basically I was free labor for fish. I basically worked for fish. Now that I think, I think back on it. Yeah. And you'd go in and clean tanks, and we're on the register and stuff like that. And I know people were like, 13 year olds can't have jobs, but it was the 80s We could do whatever we wanted. So you know, go in there and work and and then he'd pay me at the end of the week. At the end of the week, I'd basically end up paying him all my money back for whatever I bought during the week. It was brilliant. Actually, it was a mad genius, wasn't it?
Dan 29:48
Yeah, but yeah, that's a great job. Another job in college.
Scott Benner 29:51
Now, there was a couple things I wouldn't do. i If you bought a snake while I was working by myself. You got the snake out yourself. It was self service. I was like, that's fine. Go ahead and get it. I'm not doing this.
Dan 30:03
Yeah. Not a snake person.
Scott Benner 30:05
No, no, no, no, not in any way, shape or form. It's not happening for me. Okay, so Eleanor shows, signs, symptoms, anything. What's your first look at diabetes?
Dan 30:18
Yeah. So her kind of diagnosis story. She went to Oregon when kids turned five, I don't know if you are aware of this, they can fly by themselves on the airplane. And so she wanted to go on a on a trip. So the first she went with just my mom, my mom took her to Oregon to see some family. And I went to the airport to pick them up when they got back. And my mom was just saying that she was just thirsty the whole time just going through bottles and bottles of water. And it just kind of had that feeling. When she said that I just sort of knew
Scott Benner 31:00
well, did your mom not know from your dad? Well, that's
Dan 31:04
why she was telling me is she was kind of thinking it too. But it was like the first thing she said to me. I was like, hi, thanks.
Scott Benner 31:14
How was your trip? I think the kid asked the diabetes. Yeah. Still in the, in the runway, little ball thing coming off the plane, you know?
Dan 31:24
Right. Yeah. So that the following day, she was flying by herself with her sister. So let's see. They were five. They were she had just had her fifth birthday. And Kimberly was probably 10.
Scott Benner 31:41
And you're coming off like a real hippie here with this flying alone thing. Go ahead. Keep talking. I'm interested. Yeah.
Dan 31:45
So. So we sent them the next day on the plane. In hindsight, I would not have done that. But they flew to see some family in Las Vegas. And we asked my mother in law, you know, about halfway through that trip? If if it was still going on? And she said, yeah, she's definitely been drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot. But we were still in denial. We're thinking it's hot in Las Vegas. And she's five. Yeah, so it's just a habit. But my mother in law has type two diabetes and had glucometer. So we said, Well, can you just test her? You know, finger poker? Well, we're on the phone. She couldn't figure it out. She doesn't never use her. glucometer I guess. So. She's poking. We can hear screaming in the background and your mom is the kids screaming? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. My mother in law. I think she was putting the blood on the on the like, stick, you know, the test called test strips, and then putting and then putting the test strip in the glucometer. Oh, wasn't working
Scott Benner 33:01
it? Yeah. No, it has to go in first. I've never said that out loud before. I just thought people knew. But
Dan 33:07
yeah. So we just said, alright, you know, we'll just figure it out when we get back. And then her uncle kept telling us just how much she was eating and weird foods. She ate like a whole jar of pickled okra, and like, five hamburgers. And so it was getting to be where, you know, we really
Scott Benner 33:30
she was feral at this point. Yeah. Yep.
Dan 33:33
And so it, it was a busy little time that we had planned. She came back in two days. After that. We had rented this RV. We were gonna go RV camping. And so we called the pediatrician and told them what was going on that we'd like to get her in there and the receptionist. She's like, so she's just eating a lot and drinking a lot of water. City and she's like, Okay, well, I think you're fine. You know, have our triage nurse call you and say as I said, you know, we're going to kind of remote area. I'd really like to get her in. I'm going to pay you for this right now. But we had to fight to get her in there and get her there.
Scott Benner 34:15
You had to fight through the reception people. Yep. No medical people whatsoever at that point.
Dan 34:21
Right. Yeah. Again,
Scott Benner 34:23
I joked about this a minute ago, but I need to ask are you a hippie? Upper Midwest, anything or upper? Right, like Northwest
Dan 34:35
that's where I grew up. My dad was in the timber industry there so I couldn't be a hippie because he's you're cutting all the trees drying the forest.
Scott Benner 34:46
Okay, but I'll tell you I have to tell you like no judgment. The putting kids on a plane thing is a leap for me I don't think I can make so I really I just assumed you're a little high when he did it. That's all but it's
Dan 34:59
no I feel it's the first couple of times it was I was nervous. But
Scott Benner 35:04
yeah, that's what I mean. It's, it's cool. Like, thinking about it now I'm like, take them to the airport, you watch them go down the, you know, the little loader thing, they go into the plane, there's people there, you got to think they're relatively safe. And then, you know, they get off, walk off and there's a family member, it's actually makes a ton of sense. I just don't think I could do it. And I don't know why. Yeah, as I'm thinking about, it's interesting.
Dan 35:26
You have to let go a little bit. It's,
Scott Benner 35:28
you think I'm uptight? Maybe? No, I'm saying
Dan 35:31
a person has to be able to, you know, it's like, you know, it's like, when you have a baby and you leave them, go on your first date, or whatever thought you're gonna
Scott Benner 35:43
say, all by themselves. You know, sometimes you leave a kid in a Strawbridge and Clothier or something like that for a couple of minutes while you go get a pretzel, you know, as long as they're sleeping in a pile of soft laundry or something that they're really it's hard for them to hurt themselves. Strawbridge and clothier? What was that? Straw bridges? Did you have a clover near you when you were growing up? was like an offshoot of straw bridges. Is that is that affiliate? No. No, sorry for anybody who doesn't know what that is? A big store. There you go. Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Dan 36:19
Yeah, so we got her in, and then off to the emergency room from there. And, of course, you know, even growing up with my dad, I still didn't really know how diabetes works. So we're like, let's go through the Wendy's drive thru. grab some lunch on the way to the ER, because she'll probably never get french fries again in her life. And so we did that. And
Scott Benner 36:46
well, your your expectation to diabetes, I'd have to imagine was somewhere near we're gonna have to buy orange juice. And it must not be that bad, because I never saw my dad do anything with it. Really?
Dan 36:58
Yeah, yeah. It was still, you know, pretty mind blowing learning about it. So my dad, he did have some things. He, in his 40s had a lower leg amputation, which definitely changed the way he did life. And then he had a heart attack when he was older. And
Scott Benner 37:26
yeah, I didn't expect I didn't expect that he died in his early 60s Because he fell out of a window. I figured if you're diagnosed with diabetes in the 50s. And you know, you're basically because what you described down. I mean, listen, people come on all the time. They tell their stories, which I think is really, it's amazing. But you described basically a time and a place where people didn't really understand diabetes, too. Well, and in all honesty, if your dad wasn't falling over, he was winning. And that was it.
Dan 37:52
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. When I I remember, when I was young, he was still doing that. It was like a test strip that you pee on. And then you compare the color to the thing on the little jar of test strips, and then that's how you figure out how much insulin you need. And
Scott Benner 38:11
yeah, and now you I mean, do you have any technology with your daughter?
Dan 38:16
Yeah, she has a Dexcom. And then she's on the T slim with the control IQ. Okay,
Scott Benner 38:22
so a completely different world. And now so different. Yeah. So when you look at your daughter's care, and you juxtapose your memories of your dad, you realize, I mean, it's, I guess obvious, right?
Dan 38:34
Yeah, that's a big thing for me, after, you know, seeing that, it definitely took years off of his life and some other stuff that you know, if you can control it as much as possible, you know, hopefully prep prevent a lot of those side effects.
Scott Benner 38:53
Alright, I'm gonna test you real quick. Dan, would you live feed a lionfish? A goldfish?
Dan 38:58
Oh. No, not usually, unless they're not eating.
Scott Benner 39:04
flakes are okay for them. So
Dan 39:06
I would do like frozen prawns and fish things like frozen shrimp that are thought out? Yes, squid, stuff like that.
Scott Benner 39:15
Ah, interesting. Okay, I was just checking. I'm testing you down. I was just testing from little bits that I remembered from working in a pet shop. Let me see 2333 4337 years ago, so
Dan 39:28
yeah, yeah, no, that's Well, usually you can only get like live goldfish and that's not very good for them. It'll cause a lot of fat buildup in their organs and
Scott Benner 39:39
really look at you know, and stuff about your child. Yeah. And your wife is she like a buttoned up veterinarian or she one of those hair going in 16 directions. I love the animals veterinarians.
Dan 39:52
She's kind of in between. She's a she's just dogs and cats. That she does and she is a works for someone that owns the practice. There's two of them there. And you know, I think, especially when she was younger, she loved the dogs and cats, but yeah, working with all the dog and cat owners might have changed that slightly.
Scott Benner 40:16
I have a question when you realize that your girlfriend is one day gonna have to put her finger in a dog's butt regularly do you think she's, you go like she's applying right like this girl. This girl will be okay.
Dan 40:27
Well, that's, that's for the vet techs. Oh, when I met her. She was already doing.
Scott Benner 40:35
How was your day? I had my finger and six dogs. But yeah, don't worry. I was just expressing a gland. Great.
Dan 40:43
Gosh, she had her arm. So at her school. They had this cow that had a spot where you could stick your whole arm
Scott Benner 40:53
and stuff. Like you might have found that line. Hold on.
Dan 41:00
So it sounds like a sealed off area and the cow that that's could stick their arm in
Scott Benner 41:06
we okay, go slow. I gotta get my breath back. I actually thought oh my god, here we are 800 episodes into it. I really figured out what I don't want to talk about. So not not in the cows. orifice. Right. Okay, the cow was surgically opened. Yes. So that med so that students could Oh my God, that's fascinating. Yeah. Wow, cow has done a real service for other cows. No, I think it has a plaque somewhere the school it should.
Dan 41:38
It should it should have a statue. Yeah. Okay, monument.
Scott Benner 41:42
I've been serious. That's I know, it's, I know the cow doesn't. I mean, I know. I'm guessing it thought This isn't good. But I'm saying that contextually? I don't believe it knew it was helping other cows. But that No, really. That's kind of lovely. Actually. Wow, that's that's really something else. Thank God. You didn't say what I thought you're gonna say. I just, I was in a panic. I started feeling like a little air when you started like, Oh, don't please don't tell me about this. Nice living. We're happy we married her all that stuff. She getting the bills.
Dan 42:17
It's you know what she she is the pandemic. They have never been busier. You know, so many people have
Scott Benner 42:27
paid? Literally. Yeah, they probably dogs and cats. Oh, people buying more animals? Yeah. So I thought maybe they had time to pay attention. But that was just me being kind to people, I guess. Well, it's Yeah.
Dan 42:40
And now it's the opposite. People are going back to work. So there's a lot of animals that are having separation anxiety, you know, dogs that are used to their owners being home all day.
Scott Benner 42:51
And now they're peeing on everything. Now,
Dan 42:53
yeah. Now they're not
Scott Benner 42:55
telling your wife about it. She's like, Yeah, exactly. What's wrong with my dog? Leave me alone. My kids got diabetes. I'm done. I'm out. Check out how does your daughter handle type one? Is it? Is it smooth four? Is it choppy? I, I see people online a lot, who talked about? It's, you know, it's nice that they share, like some of the problems their kids have. But people don't talk about it. When they come on here. It's the one thing about the podcasts that I still wish went slightly different than it does is that a lot of empowered people come on. So their stories are generally like, we got this. But I mean, how is that for her?
Dan 43:35
It's been a bit of a roller coaster. So when, when she was first diagnosed at five, she really didn't understand what a chronic thing was. And so I remember having some really, really hard conversations with her. When she'd say, you know, I think I'm better. When am I going to be better? You know, I feel fine. And she told me one time, we're driving around that. She's like, I know, all that water and stuff like that. But I think I was just thirsty. And I don't think I have diabetes. And so I think that part was harder for me. But, you know, you just kind of see in their eyes, they're trying to understand what you're telling them
Scott Benner 44:25
it and she's not my daughter and it was hard for me to hear. So yeah.
Dan 44:30
And then then it just became part of life. So about I think maybe a couple of weeks to a month into it. We got the CGM and you know, that changed things a little bit because you know, the way that we we treat her and then every time things change for her she gets it gets hard again for a little while. She didn't really want to stab this thing into her arm and then You know get used to get her clothes off and on with that on has been rough. She's really good at it now. But you know ripped a couple off and that hurts and the at all the adhesive and, and stuff like that she's had to get used to just like we have. And so and then the shots we were doing, you know, injections, multiple injections. For the first six months, we tried to get a pump, but got denied by our insurance and had to go through the whole appeal process. So we figured out we found those I ports. And that worked really well right with the CGM because we were able to give her a little bit of insulin for a snack if she wanted it. Or, you know, if we just messed up the Bolus and had to make a correction or something like that we could do it without actually having to stab a needle into her.
Scott Benner 45:53
Yeah. Hey, free plug iport from Medtronic diabetes. Oh, yeah, sorry. No, no, no, I they're not. They're a sponsor for something else. But not for this. But we don't talk about I poured enough, right. So this little port that your daughter wore, and then the needle, the actual syringe went into the port, so you weren't technically, like you weren't stabbing her over and over again. So you're saying, if she wanted to have a couple of carbs, you could pop a half a unit in there or something like that without actually having a sticker?
Dan 46:18
Yeah, it was life changing when we tried it. And nobody told us about it. We might have seen someone mentioned on the on the Facebook page. Yeah. But like the medical staff. They're like, Yeah, sure. You know, you want to try it? Well, we can write you a prescription but not really into it at all is
Scott Benner 46:38
nobody else if you liked it, and and it was valuable.
Dan 46:42
It was amazing. Yeah, good. And so that got us by until we got the pump and then then the pumps a whole nother thing, you know that she took some getting used to and didn't really want it at first and but now we've, we've adapted and most days are fine. We've had to I think she just got out of the honeymoon period. So I've like been doubling her Basal insulin. It feels like it's take so much now. I'm still struggling with it. I almost they're
Scott Benner 47:18
hard to get over the number change, right?
Dan 47:21
Yeah, it's, you know, it's kind of scary. And I don't know why. Because every time I do it, it ends up just making it better. But it's still a little, it's just intimidating to, to add that much more. You know, she, when she got the pump, she was only barely using like 10 units a day. And it's just probably in the 30s. Now,
Scott Benner 47:42
yeah, it's interesting. Like I get it, like, I get it MDI, like if you are using three units a day, basil, and you're, you know, multiple daily injections, and then suddenly it's six you think, Wow, I'm going to put in double the the insulin. I can't get it out again. But I mean, when it's when it's a pump, you'd change the setting up if you start seeing it go the wrong way. Just, you know, have a snack and put it back. Yep. Right. Yeah, but I still I still get the eggs. I mean, get it by get it. I mean, I see it happen to a lot of people. Yeah. And then there's something about the numbers that freak them out. Like,
Dan 48:19
yeah, I think with repetition, you know, it becomes these get a little easier, right? But so yeah, and then there's still the stuff a couple days ago, we switched the kids rooms. And we're kind of letting them decorate stuff. l&r. She was super excited and just kind of bouncing off the walls and she hit the bathroom hinge and ripped her Dexcom off and it just took the wind out of her sails, you know? So
Scott Benner 48:51
how do you how do you handle that? Do you you come in with the big enthusiasm don't worry about it, we'll fix it no problem, or do you let her feel bad about it? Or how did you handle that?
Dan 49:02
I tell her we'll fix it and it's okay and you know that I let her talk about it and say I understand but you know she she'll hit me with like the Sometimes I hate my life sort of thing. It's it's hard to to you know
Scott Benner 49:18
kids IQs too high do you understand times let's get you a nice kid with an 80 IQ just goes everything's fine don't just kids kids thinking around the deeper corners we don't know yeah I can everything difficult for you. Well, so we had
Dan 49:37
just gotten a new a new transmitter for this one and so this time i i Let her I was like, Do you want to put a Dexcom on me first you know before we do your so I am wearing one for the first time which has been interesting, but that helped a lot. She thought that was pretty fun.
Scott Benner 49:53
Okay, hey, interesting, Dan, like you think you have diabetes are interesting to see how a functioning pancreas works.
Dan 50:00
Interesting to see how a functioning pancreas works. And it also kind of kind of sad. You know, it's so easy for me I can pretty much do whatever I want
Scott Benner 50:13
to eat something exciting happens, right? It just Yeah, nothing. Well, I'll tell you that I think I've worn a CGM a couple of times, and just seeing the ebbs and flows and how different foods impact, I found it really valuable. It changed my perspective a little bit to about meal times. You know, I, there would have been a time in my life where I just thought that any rise in blood sugar was a mistake. And now I get me talking about all the time but I you know, I think of like after a meal, I don't want it to go up. If it doesn't, it's great. If you don't get any kind of a rise, and you don't get a low later. Be right on. That's perfect. But if you go 131 40 And it comes back in 30 minutes, I don't I don't think about that the same way as I did years and years ago.
Dan 50:59
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's interesting to see that and with me. Sometimes, there's not even any meal correlation. I'll see my blood sugar go up to whatever 120 And then go back down and like it. What's That was weird.
Scott Benner 51:14
Stress, anxiety. Yeah. Yeah. Could be and
Dan 51:19
the lows too. You know, I'll get down to the upper 60s.
Scott Benner 51:25
And you feel fine.
Dan 51:27
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I wouldn't know if I wasn't didn't have this on
Scott Benner 51:31
right. Yeah. Somebody came on years ago, a long time type ones. First time I heard somebody say that. Every person experiences blood sugars in the 60s like once or twice a day or and sometimes for extended times, people without obviously if you have active insulin working manmade insulin, it's a different concern. But it was that was another thing that I heard that was valuable for me. You mean like my blood sugar gets down to 65? Sometimes, and you know, no one runs around goes crazy. Yeah, helped me a lot.
Dan 51:59
Yeah, yeah. You don't freak out quite as much when?
Scott Benner 52:02
Yeah, I mean, if my blood sugar 65 I don't. I'm also not like riding around with for it, you know, four units of of NovaLogic in my arm or something like that. Right? I'm but yeah, it's not an apples to apples comparison. But it is enough to give you different perspective.
Dan 52:19
Yep, yeah. Well, what my wife and I do with that, you know, if Eleanor is starting to get down into the safe, lower 70s. We just like to give it one more reading, we usually say you know, we'll text each other one of us is working. So what do you think and kind of look at the line, but, but we'd like to just kind of give it one more to see what happens before we make any
Scott Benner 52:46
decision before you turn a 73 into 120? For no reason. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Listen, that's the one of the great aspects of the Dexcom. It's just yeah, you know, it allows you not to panic about things. Once you see it once you can, like see the big picture. It's it's excellent. I mean, just really life changing.
Dan 53:10
It's made me think a lot about my dad. Because he never, he had a pump, I think the last couple years. But he didn't like it. And he never had a CGM. And so, who knows, you know, he used to eat these big bowls of Honey Bunches of Oats as favorite cereal. I see what elder eats something like that. You know, probably by the time he went and tested himself again. He was fine. But in between, who knows what was going on? Well, I'm
Scott Benner 53:41
gonna guess that he wasn't fine because he had a lot of a lot of issues. Yeah, so I'm gonna guess that his blood sugar was high most of the time and if he lost a leg and had heart damage, I mean, we'll never know I guess but you probably had a one season attends and a loved ones. It would it would it would make it would make
Dan 54:01
I would imagine. Yeah. Especially you know, as a kid, you know? Yeah. 20s, late teens and 20s
Scott Benner 54:09
was the how do you remember him? His disposition?
Dan 54:15
Always he was always very positive. Until Until the leg amputation and then it it really kind of slowed him down. A lot of the stuff that he liked to do and you know, like, he was sensitive to people seeing it at first, and then it just hurt his leg would hurt a lot.
Scott Benner 54:40
So you had neuropathy as well, I'd imagine. No, no. Huh. Okay. All right. That's interesting. Yeah. And the heart disease eventually.
Dan 54:52
Yeah. So he had a heart attack. We were out. out camping. Actually. My sister in law was with us. She's an ICU nurse. My dad was explaining what's going on. And she's like, sounds like you're having a heart attack. He's like, No, I'm fine. He went to bed. And then we ended up taking my wife to the ER because she had a reaction to some antibiotics she was on, never took my dad to the doctor when he was a woman. Because you know, life was in danger.
Scott Benner 55:23
You have an incredible sense of humor. Well, at one point, you said something like my dad's leg was amputated. And it stopped him from and you paused. And I thought in my mind, those voices in my head when playing soccer, and because I didn't know where you were gonna go, because you've, you've had such a, like, you're quietly very funny. And you have, and you have a great sense, a dark sense of humor, and I didn't know where you were going, like, I didn't know if you're going to be serious, or like, tell me what really happened to him. And it just You just laugh, like, my dad was having a heart attack. And we took my wife to the hospital.
Dan 56:01
It was kind of funny. In hindsight, but
Scott Benner 56:06
it didn't end up being didn't work out great for him. Yeah,
Dan 56:10
no, he had a quintuple bypass after that. And
Scott Benner 56:13
wow, how long did you live after the bypass?
Dan 56:16
I'm gonna say, about six or seven years,
Scott Benner 56:19
I was hoping it was a while so that your story seemed like it was okay for it to be funny. I was very worried you were gonna be like four months got it was four months after that. But yeah, cuz then I really would have, it would be hard to laugh about. You're not taking him to the hospital. But older people. Older people are like that, too. Like, it'll be alright. You know what I mean? Yeah,
Dan 56:37
he was he thought he was just fine. And the doctor said he had had multiple heart attacks, probably with the tests that they did. Wow. And then, yeah, he had a lot of circulatory circulatory problems. And, you know, that was probably from having a lot of high blood sugar. I would
Scott Benner 56:58
imagine his life. So is that a driving force for you now with your daughter? The memory your dad?
Dan 57:05
Yeah. 100% I, I think I listened to a podcast where you mentioned you had a friend, you know, that Mike? Yeah, that had kind of poor management. And it was a motivating factor for you.
Scott Benner 57:20
It helps me it helps me with the podcasts for sure. And, and I do think about him, in certain ways in relationship to my daughter, but I Mike's memory is stronger for me when I imagine the people listening to the podcast. Yeah, you know, because you, you describe it. I mean, listen, your dad was it was in the 50s. Like, you know, he's a kid, like, I get it, you know, but I mean, an amputation, you know, a quadruple bypass, you know, circulatory issues, those those are problems from high blood sugars, like prolonged high or fluctuating, but, you know, most I bet he wasn't fluctuating that much. And he was probably just high all the time. And yeah, and you also described a mother in law who didn't know how to use your own glucometer a type two. Yeah. And that's why I think, you know, keep having these conversations, you know, so that, you know, what happened to Mike can, and your dad and, you know, everybody else can can hopefully benefit someone, be a more positive influence and with like, if you hear this story and think like, oh, it's sad diabetes, it's gonna get me. You're missing my point, you know? Yeah.
Dan 58:35
Yeah. Yeah. Well, to answer your question better about my dad, I, I think that it taught me I saw him low, many times, growing up, and it was always fixable. And, you know, of course, it's dangerous and scary not to be taken lightly, but never caused any real problems once we've resolved that. But it was the high blood sugars that ended up you know, really ending his life.
Scott Benner 59:12
And they were the thing that he didn't really pay attention. He didn't really pay attention to as much
Dan 59:17
you know, he will feel uncomfortable.
Scott Benner 59:21
So then let me amend what I said just because the tools didn't exist not that your dad was like, Screw it. Like he was living the life that was was available to him.
Dan 59:32
Yeah, he was and he just wasn't, wasn't his thing. He didn't really know about carbs much or I don't think he really knew how things worked. He just did what the doctors told him.
Scott Benner 59:46
The doctors tell him to eat Honey Bunches of Oats because I'm pretty certain none of us should be eating Honey Bunches of Oats.
Dan 59:53
I don't think they told them that. That was the best food
Scott Benner 59:58
Oh my gosh. Wow. So, are we are we covering everything the way you were hoping? Or is there? Is there something I'm not getting to?
Dan 1:00:06
Um No, I think I think we covered it all.
Scott Benner 1:00:16
We're doing okay. Yeah, yeah, I'm not kicking you off. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. That's all. Because, you know, like, there's stuff that you've thought of since you I mean, I'm assuming you signed up for this, like six months ago.
Dan 1:00:29
Yeah. Yeah. Like, I'm gonna email Scott. See? So then, you know, I've been nervous about it for the last six months.
Scott Benner 1:00:38
Have you really?
Dan 1:00:40
No, not really real as well. today? This morning. I wasn't like, oh, no, I've got to do it.
Scott Benner 1:00:45
Are you nervous now? No, I'm
Dan 1:00:47
fine. Now. Okay. Yeah. Okay.
Scott Benner 1:00:49
But this morning? I wonder how often that happens. Because, you know, I mentioned on here sometimes, but I part of my screening process is that there's no screening process. So you have to want to be here. When I sit down to record to you with you. Get me like you get, I think two emails that remind you, yeah, and it's a six month wait. I mean, imagine like in June that you'd be like, I'm going to be on a podcast, and then in December, you get an email, like four days before, whatever. And it's like, hey, don't forget, you're gonna be on that podcast. I don't call you and be like, Hey, don't mess this up. I'm like, there's the link, you'll be there if you want to be. And everybody shows up like it. I'd say twice a year, there's no one there. And they usually just need to reschedule. People don't bail on me. But yeah, because of that I get I get well thought out and people who who have a real desire to tell a story, you know?
Dan 1:01:43
Yeah, that's, that's really good that I would assume that more people bail on you.
Scott Benner 1:01:49
But when that starts happening down, I'll get panicky, don't you worry.
Dan 1:01:54
I think that it's, it's kind of part of the community that, like, when Eleanor was diagnosed, there was we had all the vaccine stuff going on, where everybody, you know, hated each other, based on your opinion of that, and all the political stuff going on. And the one good thing that I kind of got out of it was the people in this community are so supportive of each other. Nobody, nobody cares about that stuff. Once you start talking about type one diabetes, and it's really kind of refreshing.
Scott Benner 1:02:30
I agree. It's a wonderful community. It really is. And, and a large part of why people are here, like, I'm sure if I was running a podcast about, you know, animal husbandry, people would bail more frequently. They'd be like, why wait six months to record that animal husbandry Podcast?
Dan 1:02:48
I'm gonna start one, I'm gonna see
Scott Benner 1:02:50
the end. You know what's funny? I'm about 86%. Sure, I know what animal husbandry is, it just sounded like funny words in my head when I thought of something.
Dan 1:03:01
You probably it's just taking care of animals, right? Is it?
Scott Benner 1:03:04
It's not about inseminate them? It's that I hope it's not that was what I started panicking and worrying about by saying something creepy.
Dan 1:03:12
husbandry is just like, you know, at the at the zoo. The zoo keeper practices Hold
Scott Benner 1:03:19
on a second. husbandry and animal husbandry is a branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fiber, milk, or other products. It includes day to day care, selective breeding and raising of livestock. There we go. Anyway, if I had one of those podcasts, I'd expect people doing I'm not waiting six months to get on this damn thing. I don't know we throw the feed in the bucket. What a bad podcast that would probably be
Dan 1:03:48
very interesting, at the end
Scott Benner 1:03:49
of this whole thing, then I'll torture you guys. Like whenever I decide I'm going to be done. I'm gonna torture you by doing an entire year of interviews that have nothing to do with diabetes and are about the craziest, most bizarre thing, bizarre things that I don't understand. I will spend the last year of my life trying to understand all like, I'll find somebody to talk about animal husbandry, they'll come on and walk me through the whole thing. Seriously,
Dan 1:04:13
what if you did that? And then that got really popular even more?
Scott Benner 1:04:18
Well, that would go to my head down. I just want to tell you one thing, God.
Dan 1:04:27
One thing I just for whatever reason thought of that I think some people might enjoy hearing about is so I've been seeing a lot of stuff about airports on on the different Facebook pages and you know, going through the security and with all your equipment and stuff like that. And so with my dad with his prosthetic leg, they had no idea what to do. It was different every time and I remember one time the most awkward one. They made him take his leg off. Put it through the scanner, and then hop through the metal detector on one foot, and then put his leg back on the other
Scott Benner 1:05:07
one airport was this call them out?
Dan 1:05:10
I don't remember it might have been might have been in Portland.
Scott Benner 1:05:14
Why are you guys flying so much?
Dan 1:05:19
You know, it's an entire lifetime.
Scott Benner 1:05:21
It's like how much of your yearly income goes to airfare by the way? I can't believe I'm saying this. This podcast episode is definitely gonna be called animal husbandry. All right, nice. Because I want people to listen the whole time and think, nothing to do with that.
Dan 1:05:41
That's the funniest thing about this podcast is when I'm looking for one I didn't like I didn't go in order on them, but you really can't get anything from the title.
Scott Benner 1:05:51
I'm making you listen, damn, I don't need you. I don't need you disregarding an episode because you see a word you're not sure of.
Dan 1:05:59
That sounds interesting. I think the first one that I listened to. My wife sent me a picture that she got off of the Facebook page of like, the first ones to listen to, I guess. And the first one that I listened to was texting diabetes. And it was right before Eleanor started kindergarten. So her first like public school thing, and we were just freshly diagnosed. And I'm gonna have to do it different this year, because I was like, I was like hot walking. School telling them what they're gonna do.
Scott Benner 1:06:33
Yeah, I got you all charged up then. And then you went in there.
Dan 1:06:37
They're all fired up.
Scott Benner 1:06:40
There's an episode of the podcast called The frozen urine part of diabetes. I can't for the life of me remember why that is? Was to that one. The other day? butthole adjacent came out?
Dan 1:06:55
Oh, yeah. I saw you. I saw on the Facebook page that you asked how people feel about
Scott Benner 1:07:02
that. Yeah, I actually was concerned. You know, I was like, let me just see, by the way, overwhelmingly, people did not care. And yeah, it's funny because I'm, you know, I mean, if you listen enough, you probably get my sensibility. Like, I might go, I'm going to listen, it's an episode about a girl who got a fissure or something like that. What did they call those? You would think I know, because I recorded the opposite. Sounds right. Yeah. harassed, exploded. Okay. And it was, it was prior to her diagnosis. And so it's a big part of her diagnosis story. She had this pain, she went to a doctor, etc, etc. And the, you know, the damage, you know, where she had the injury, you know, is it's an injury of her skin, right? It's, it was between her. It was it was it was entertained. So, I was I was, I was waiting for you to say, yeah, so I couldn't say like, you know, blah, blah, blah, pain exploded. And then I was like, that doesn't work, you know. So I was like, Well, where is it? I was adjacent to her butthole. I was like, I'll call it butthole adjacent, and I'm typing that out. And there is no voice in my head that says, you should probably not do that. But I'm just like, that makes sense to me. Right? And then I set up the post. A couple hours later, I thought, maybe I ought to just throw a poll up on the Facebook page. Just real quick to check myself.
Dan 1:08:29
Yeah, when I started, most people are okay, I don't care.
Scott Benner 1:08:31
overwhelmingly people were okay with butthole Jason. And now, five years from now someone's going to trip across that and be like, what does that mean? What does that have to do with diabetes? You know, yeah, I'm looking here. I typed in but beauty to bring up you know, I got butthole adjacent Rocky and Bullwinkle, Bullwinkle, this Jenny burnout. Navigating bureaucracies with type one defining diabetes bumping nudge under the shade bus with MADI bushwhacking with Justin like I'm starting to wonder like what would happen like just say a word in any short word god
Dan 1:09:06
OH. husbandry
Scott Benner 1:09:10
bastard What are you doing? So I will type in don't have
Dan 1:09:15
anything now about how about how I'm trying to think I was gonna say food but that
Scott Benner 1:09:21
probably has everything that funny will have something Yeah, yeah. co parenting So I typed in food co parenting through divorce came up. Printing a one sees the word food must be in the description somewhere mature onset of the here's one mature onset of young love. Oh, what does that mean? We'll see. But I know Dan. Right. This person had Modi i think so mature onset of Baba bah is Modi. And she met her husband when they were really young. And to me those were the two keys of the story. And so but what would I need like You know, what would I do? Like what title? Should it be? You know, Jill has Modi and she got married young. If you read that, you'd be like, What the? Listen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yep. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Am I doing Oh, am I being tested here, Dan?
Dan 1:10:17
Successful. So keep doing it.
Scott Benner 1:10:18
Yeah. Against all odds. And I seriously mean, if you knew me when I was younger, you'd be like, really worked out anything for him. That's interesting. Pull it together.
Dan 1:10:32
I don't know how you. You are very good at just letting that Facebook page go. Most of the time, I've only seen a couple things where you get mad, because someone's trying to sell something which I get because you're not doing this, you know, you could probably make a lot more money than you are doing. someone stealing your stuff to try to sell things that would kind of piss me off.
Scott Benner 1:10:55
I don't I don't like people taking advantage of other people. So yeah, if I come in there, and I say, look, here's a link for G voc hypo pan. If you click on it, it helps the podcast, you know, that's aboveboard? No problem. If somebody comes up and says, I found this thing that I use, it's really helpful, and I want to share it with people. That's great. But you can see the sneaky, you know, affiliate links, where they try to act like Oh, my God, this thing really helped me you should check it out. Or, you know, T shirts, scammers, that's really the biggest problem is that I don't want people to get scammed. And it happens constantly look at this shirt, and then people like, can you make me one? And then before you know what, everybody send him money to people, I'm like, stop, stop. No, no, no. Yeah, I mean, the truth is that, that that Facebook page, I think, right now is 20. I it's weird when I say it in the podcast, because then I listened back six months later, there's so many more, but now there's like 20 26,000 people in there. And there are people who are helping themselves. They're helping each other. They're sharing information. They're being supportive, they're creating a community, they're, they're, you know, they're helping people with questions. And they need to feel safe there, they shouldn't have to think that you're trying to steal 20 bucks from them. And Facebook is, you know, you have to protect that. So it's not. And then the other thing is, it's not a marketplace. I can't just let people come in there and pimp their businesses like crazy because those people are 26,000 people trying to help each other. But from a cynical perspective, they're also a bloc of people who are primed to buy certain things. And that's not that's not right, either, you know, and I don't get mad as much as I'm just like, ah, like, can you just leave me alone, I don't want to do this. But, but to your original point about the Facebook page, it works really well. Because it runs off my general vibe, which is speaking adult, just just stop it. I mean, like don't Don't, don't be looking to be upset and don't pick on people and don't be crappy to people just just be a be a human being and talk about your diabetes and people follow my lead do gratefully because it's a that Facebook pages is valuable to people diabetes, this podcast is I believe,
Dan 1:13:14
yeah, yeah, I don't really ever comment. Well, I haven't made my own Facebook page for posts for probably five years. My wife just does it and tagged me in it. So I don't ever comment on there. But I read people's stuff all the time. And I'm glad that other people comment because it really helps you learn all kinds of different tricks. And you know, it's such an individualized thing. type one diabetes is not the same for anybody and so I just getting all these ideas from so many different people. It's pretty amazing. It
Scott Benner 1:13:47
is it's um oh, it's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen actually people helping people like I sound goofy sang it, but you're from the you're from the northwest. You don't care if I sound Yeah, right, right. Yeah. So yeah, we're help each other man. Let's go in the woods. What's that a mushroom? Let's eat it. I know. I haven't figured it out completely. But I'm getting there. And so fish like how often have you stare at those fish? That you just like if you find them relaxing? Still? Are they still just work?
Dan 1:14:16
Oh, yeah. So no. Fish Tanks will bring your blood pressure down. Study that they've done. But yeah, definitely raises mine. I can't go to like a public aquarium without trying to see the problems. And then usually if I find some problems, I feel better. I'm like, Oh, they have
Scott Benner 1:14:34
issues too. You start throwing business cards around or what do you do?
Dan 1:14:39
Yeah, I'll fix that for you.
Scott Benner 1:14:42
Anything about your job help you balance say a hot tub pH? Does it lend itself to other parts of your life at all?
Dan 1:14:49
That is an interesting question, because when I was in college, I worked at a pet store that sold fish and reptiles and hot tubs half Hi. So my boss's idea was that it's more or less the same thing. It's a thing full of what? You know.
Scott Benner 1:15:10
Let's just go for simpler distributors similar skills. How many people do you know who believe in Sasquatch?
Dan 1:15:18
I think just my older daughter.
Scott Benner 1:15:20
Okay. Well, she's 12 I'm okay with that.
Dan 1:15:22
Yeah. Yeah. So it's funny. I just looked at the follow app, you know, saying I was nervous to get on here. My blood sugar. I haven't. I haven't had breakfast today. My blood sugar is 158. Wow. And I just had my a one C done a couple of weeks ago. And it was like 5.2. So I think I'm okay.
Scott Benner 1:15:44
Artists, blood sugar is 94 at the moment. So she's doing better than your pancreas.
Dan 1:15:51
It started going up right around 1015.
Scott Benner 1:15:54
I hear it sometimes people like get on and they're talking for 10 minutes, I hear beep beep and I'm like, You're right. Like, yeah, my blood sugar is just going up. I don't know why I'm like, You're nervous. I'm famous. And then you know, which I'm Dan, you know, right. I don't know. I don't think that kind of a big deal. So who? To you?
Dan 1:16:11
Yeah, to the people that know about you? Yeah,
Scott Benner 1:16:13
it's an oddity, really, I'm gonna go back downstairs, when we're done here, and my wife will make sure that I know I'm not a big deal. We'll take care of take care of the whole thing right now. I I wanted to get back to though just the idea of community for people super important. We don't talk about enough, it sounds kind of hokey, when you say it, it doesn't need to mean that you're like at diabetes camp for a week, it doesn't need to be it doesn't need to mean that you ever post on that Facebook page. It can just be the practice of watching the conversations, I think is incredibly valuable. And and just being around people who are are in a shared experience is was very comforting. Yeah. It's weird that I'm the one that facilitates it, but maybe not, you know, I was thinking it's funny. It's funny, you bring this up, I saw an email today from a person that I know who is the community manager, right. So it's a real job, it's 2022, this person makes a real honest living owns a home. And they're they manage a community online. That community that they manage has a small fraction of the members that mine does, it does not run well. And I've never thought of myself as a community manager in my life. And I realized when I was looking at it, it was all kind of like coalescing in my head, I thought, Oh, I am a community manager. I just do it differently than people do it. I don't put rules on people constraints. I mean, the basically, the rule of the Facebook page is be nice. That's yeah, that's it really, you know, I don't know, once a while people try to argue about politics, there's no politics. He just say no politics, that's the end. And when people say things that are kind of, you know, I was gonna say off color, but it's not true. I think what happens is, I think what happens most of the time is that people just don't communicate the way they want to sometimes they have an intention in their head but doesn't come out, right, or they don't think about how it reads. And there was a thing this morning, where I just I said to the person, hey, I don't think you're I don't think you meant this this way. Like, could you look at it again, please. And I didn't say it to them privately, or send them a message or I wrote under their comment I said, I don't believe that you, you know, I hear what you're saying. I have a ton of respect for the situation you've been through. Can you please look at this again, to see how the original poster might read it. And then the person came back and said, Oh, I didn't mean it that way. Like it, it was very, like, cordial. It again, to me, it's the you got to you can't walk around wanting to be upset. You know, you got to give people the benefit of the doubt. And, and assume that they mean good things, too. And then a lot of times you'll find out they did or you'll catch somebody in a bad moment. And they'll they'll adjust themselves. And the ones who don't are crazy. So what are we doing? We're gonna argue with them. You don't I mean?
Dan 1:19:07
Yeah, yeah, well, I write and delete emails to my clients all the time because like, caught me in a bad mood and I'm gonna I'm gonna wait to send that
Scott Benner 1:19:20
let me just take a second here and think this through i I said to somebody recently might have been on the podcast, I don't know, I feel bad if I'm repeating myself, but the podcast and the Facebook page and in general, interacting with people with diabetes for so long. It's made me a better communicator. But I I know how to talk to people in a way that I mean, that is still unique to me but sincere and does not. And takes into account how people might be feeling in ways that I don't know so you don't. I'm not a person who uses the word triggered really, but they're, you know, So you don't trigger people. So you don't get them. Yeah, you know, you don't put them in a in a disadvantageous situation the first time you talk to them, and that's how you, you breed conversations. So,
Dan 1:20:11
yep. Yeah, I agree that you have that unique skill that it's hard to do. It's hard to get people to tell you, especially things like this that are can be so personal.
Scott Benner 1:20:25
Without, well, then your barriers. You're nice to call it a skill, but it my whole life, people just tell me stuff. I don't know why it is natural. Yeah. My wife's like, when people tell you things they shouldn't tell you. And I'm like, I know. It's been happening forever. I have no idea. So probably just my deep voice then makes everybody comfortable and a little woozy. And then they're like, Yeah, my wife wants to put her hand inside of a cow.
Dan 1:20:50
I just, I just started a podcast this morning. Sounds like Alright, I'm gonna wait, just see how this goes. And it was all you the All I got to was you just talking about how great your voice was?
Scott Benner 1:21:03
Oh, you started one of my episodes. I thought you were like, This is the end. Now. I'm going to pimp my new podcast.
Dan 1:21:09
It was yours. It was the like divorce attorney. Oh,
Scott Benner 1:21:13
yeah. Great episode with a divorce attorney who is also the parent of a type one, she comes on gives great, great conversation about how to manage that situation. So I do the edit on it. You know, I know we recorded it a couple of months ago, I she wrote a great blog post for it that's on juicebox podcast.com. That's a companion like a real step by step how to like great advice. Anyway, I edited it. And it was ready. So the audio gets chopped up into blocks. And it's waiting for me to do the open like the Hello friends like that part. And you know, this episode of The Juicebox Podcast, and then I put the ads the middle, and I do the outro like the thank blah, blah, blah. And that happens later. And a lot of times that happens later at night. So I sat down to do that one. And I hadn't recorded in 12 hours, like I hadn't had these headphones on, you know, since noon. And I put them on. It's midnight. I'm probably a little dry and a little tired. And I go Hello friends. And my voice was so deep. It frightened me. And then I got okay, because I'm hearing it my ears like you and I are the same. You and I are the same audio level in my ears. So it keeps me from talking over you because I hear you on my level. Right? And so when I sit down to do the Edit, and I just my voice was booming, and then I got intoxicated, I was like oh my god, like it wasn't stopping. I was like, my voice is so deep right now. Anyway, that's the end if I had the opportunity, or the idea or the knowledge of how to pretend to be a different person, I guess I would but this is really just sort of me. So Oh, my God, my voice.
Dan 1:22:56
I think it's likeable for most people.
Scott Benner 1:22:59
Why are you listening to it? Dan, do you think you're getting divorced?
Dan 1:23:02
Yeah, that's what I actually thought about that afterwards, it was I wanted to find one that had the normal like intro that wasn't like a famous person or something like that just to sort of get my bearings. And then after I clicked on it, I was like if this like, somehow shows up in my history, and my wife's listening to that one.
Scott Benner 1:23:24
So don't think I didn't worry about that when I made it. Because I thought, are people going to listen to this? Like like it because it's great. I mean, she's terrific, like no life. Like, really, it's a great interview. You know, she talks about her, her, you know, her professional ideas around the topic, we talk a little bit about her, you know, her daughter as type one in the regular life. It's it's a nice mix, like you would expect. But when I put it up, I thought I wonder if people will just not want this in their history. Because it says co parenting through divorce. And if you're married, and that's in your history, somebody might not think that's great. And I just wonder what will happen. So I'm going to look right now to see if stats wise, it's different from the episode that went up right before it. Let's see. First day stats, I'm not gonna say the numbers out loud because you people don't get to know that. Yeah, but let me look at the next one. This one? Yeah, it's down a little bit. It's down. It's down a little bit over the one that came out just before it, which was my expectation. And to your point earlier about, you know, that's still a great conversation. If you're not thinking of getting divorced, still listen to it. Talks about communication and mediation and how people talk to each other and problems that arise in relationships and all this stuff but you write divorce on it, then everybody's like I'm not getting divorces and they won't listen to it.
Dan 1:24:55
Well, now I can listen to it and then if my wife you know this suspicious about I'll be like, just wait, you know, four or five months.
Scott Benner 1:25:06
Meanwhile, review. Your wife's listen to her three times already. She's like, Yeah, how to books she's making a man or guy was serious about these fish tanks. I didn't realize I gotta go. Oh my gosh. All right. Well, then you've been terrific. I really appreciate you doing this.
Dan 1:25:25
Yeah, thank you. I enjoyed talking to you. And, you know, it goes without saying, if you're just saying that, and it's terrible. I will not have never. You'd never use this one.
Scott Benner 1:25:38
You listen to the show right there? I do. I don't I don't throw away interviews ever.
Dan 1:25:43
I didn't. I didn't think so. Yeah, no, I
Scott Benner 1:25:46
mean, so I've been a handful of them that have gone wrong for reasons that have nothing to do with the person giving it. And I've put up episodes that I wasn't personally attached to. And I still hear back from people about how much they love them. It's not just about me, or one person or one aesthetic. Like you're right for somebody, you know? Yeah.
Dan 1:26:07
Yeah. That's kind of why I wanted to do it. Good.
Scott Benner 1:26:10
I really appreciate you taking the time. I sincerely do.
Dan 1:26:14
Alright, yeah. I appreciate you. And so well, how long how does it work? You just decide, like, how long does it how does what work?
Scott Benner 1:26:23
We're done. How do I? How do you ask me a question?
Dan 1:26:27
How do I know? How does one know when there? Interview gets?
Scott Benner 1:26:33
Oh? Well, then the machine takes care of it. We have a large intricate staff over here. I don't know Damn, it goes up. It goes up in your podcast player and you go animal husbandry Holy crap. All of that. What an idiot. That guy is. I have no idea why that podcast is listened to by anybody. No, I don't. I'm not going to tell you just gonna Yeah,
Dan 1:26:55
okay. Just kind of watch it. And then
Scott Benner 1:26:57
six months is six months is about the measuring stick. Okay, so pretty close six months and beyond. See how I've trained you six months to be on six months to go on? Record. So it's a year from when you emailed me? And you're like, Oh, that's not bad.
Dan 1:27:16
I think that is it. I already
Scott Benner 1:27:17
waited six months for this. Like I'm teaching people patience. I'm really I'm doing a public service. You know, I really happy yeah. All right. Yeah. Hold on one second. Okay.
Did I not tell you Dan was terrific. I was right. Thank you, Dan. And thank you, Omni pod makers of the Omni pod five, and the Omni pod dash Omni pod.com forward slash juice box. What are you waiting for? Speaking of waiting, how long have we been waiting for the Dexcom G seven and now it's here, Dex comm.com forward slash juice box. Go go go go. I want to thank you for listening and for sharing the show with other people. And for all the kind things that you do for each other. I'll remind you that I'll be back very soon with another episode. And that you should check out the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes. Alright, I'm out of here. Don't forget to use my links
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#858 Run Jenna, Run
Jenna has type 1 diabetes and some good stories!
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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 858 of the Juicebox Podcast.
On today's show I'm gonna be speaking with Jenna she was diagnosed with type one diabetes as an adult, and has run in a number of marathons with type one. We're going to be talking about that and much more on this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. While you're listening, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice. I just forgot the words that's crazy. Medical or otherwise. Wow. While you're listening today, what how do I do this? 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. Wow, I have said that so many times. I don't think I'm thinking about it while I'm doing it. See when the exchange.org forward slash juice box if you're from the US and have type one or are the caregiver of a type one, please take the survey AT T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. Thank you. I'm just going to leave all that in so you can enjoy my confusion
this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by touched by type one visit touched by type one online at touched by type one.org. And also find them on Instagram and Facebook. There are beautiful organization doing wonderful things for people with type one diabetes, and they would love for you to check them out. Touched by type one.org. The podcast is also sponsored today by us med get your diabetes supplies the same way my daughter does from us med us med.com forward slash juice box or call 888-721-1514 Just get your free benefits check. And you're on your way with us med actually us med called here tonight. It was a personal call. They were looking for Arden because they were like hey, hello, this is us men. And I said hello us. How are you? And they're like fine. And then they said would Arden like the Dexcom g7. And I said you know it? And they said all right. And now that's done. Us med.com forward slash juicebox links to all the sponsors are in the shownotes of the audio app you're listening in or at juicebox podcast.com.
Jenna 2:48
Hi, I'm Jenna. And I've had type one diabetes for three years. How old are you? I'm 35. So I was diagnosed when I was 32. Are you married? No,
Scott Benner 3:00
no. Had you when you were 32? No, I asked the question awkwardly. But were you with anybody when you were diagnosed? I guess is what I was trying to
Jenna 3:09
get at. I am now but I was not back then not then
Scott Benner 3:13
am now got it. Okay. Very expected or unexpected.
Jenna 3:20
It was completely unexpected. So I've no family history kind of came out of nowhere. I do work in health care. So I actually did end up recognizing my own symptoms, but I was pretty sick. And it took a little while for me to get there. So I guess I could talk about that a little bit. If you want me to
Scott Benner 3:35
look at your producing Yeah, no, no, I was gonna ask, what did you notice? And why did it take you time to, I guess come to grips with it.
Jenna 3:46
So I'm a really big runner. And I had run 12 marathons in my life up to that point, and I was training really hard to try to qualify for Boston. I live in Oklahoma, it's extremely hot in the summer here. So I've been doing a lot of running in the heat. So I was drinking a ton of water, you know, all the usual symptoms going to the bathroom all the time, losing weight, and I was thinking man, this marathon training is really killing me and it's working really well for weight loss this time. But, you know, eventually I started thinking to myself, this just isn't right. So I checked my blood sugar at work and it was too high for the glucometer to read. And I was in denial. So I said to my friend, I think our glucometer is broken. Can you check your blood sugar and she was drinking a coke and hers was like 102 So I knew at that point,
Scott Benner 4:27
I think your blood sugar is broken. We gotta get a third person over here to try.
Jenna 4:32
I know that's how I felt that's what I was hoping for. You know, denial.
Scott Benner 4:35
Can I ask you about those 60 seconds when you say to your friend, hey, check your blood sugar. This glucometer is not working. Are you? Are you honestly thinking that's the case? Or are you thinking oh wow, this is my last chance to prove I don't have diabetes.
Jenna 4:51
That's exactly what it was because I had been thinking for days that I should check my blood sugar at work. But it was like everyday it was like one more day if I don't if I can put this aside from One more day not think about it. So I had that was a Tuesday, I worked that weekend before. So Saturday, Sunday, Monday, everyday told myself, you're gonna check your blood sugar today. And then finally, and finally on Tuesday decided, You know what, I have to just do this. So yeah, if I lost about 20 pounds, so I knew that you know, something was pretty wrong.
Scott Benner 5:18
What would you do professionally? If somebody did what you did? What would you say to them?
Jenna 5:24
Oh, I mean, I guess I'll say now that I can. So I'm a PA. Like I said, I work in healthcare. And I understand denial is a powerful tool. And I guess I can I'm more empathetic towards patients in that regard now, because, you know, I would think to somebody to one of my co workers, how did you not notice this? You know, but really, I think I had I just didn't want to come to terms with it.
Scott Benner 5:44
Yeah, no, I understand it. I'm glad it gave you some perspective that you can use with other people. So you're a physician's assistant. Yes, I am. That's a cool job. You work in a hospital system or in a just like a physician's office.
Jenna 6:00
I work in a hospital system. So I do a little bit of both. I do hospital side and clinic, which is nice. Nice.
Unknown Speaker 6:06
How long have you been doing that?
Jenna 6:07
10 years now?
Scott Benner 6:09
Wow. You say Oklahoma earlier? Yes. It's really hot there. How come you people can't drive in the snow?
Jenna 6:16
Oh, I have no idea. I used to actually live in Philadelphia and I couldn't drive in the snow there. But you didn't really have to because, you know, they plow the streets and salt. But here, they just don't do anything to the road. So like a half inch of ice shuts us down.
Scott Benner 6:30
I gave a talk in Oklahoma once. And it got about half the turnout as tickets sold. Because there was what I would generally call a dusting of snow on the ground. Three hours before the thing began. And it was cleaned by the time it happened and people were just we don't go out in this and like in white. Just couldn't understand.
Jenna 6:50
Oh, it shuts down our states. That's for sure.
Scott Benner 6:53
Very interesting. Okay. So how did you make it from Philadelphia to Oklahoma?
Jenna 6:57
So because you're Oh, I wish no. So I'm originally from the Philadelphia area. But my dad got transferred to Oklahoma when I was in like second grade that I went to PA school back in Philly. And then I
Scott Benner 7:09
moved back here. So I'm just kind of been back and forth. So military bounced around.
Jenna 7:14
No, my dad actually is not military. But I get asked that a lot.
Scott Benner 7:17
Yeah. Oh, just a job change. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. upside to Oklahoma over Philadelphia, and vice versa.
Jenna 7:25
I'd say the people in Oklahoma are the friendliest ever. So definitely. That's that wins for Oklahoma. Philadelphia is nice, because it's close, you know, to a lot of places. So you get a weekend off work in our long weekend, you can do a lot of traveling and Oklahoma pretty much up to fly anywhere. So take the worst downside of Oklahoma
Scott Benner 7:44
take the first three days to get out of Oklahoma. Right. Exactly. And all of a sudden, I gotta go back to work. So okay, so you're so this happens at the hospital or at work where you test your blood sugar. You and your friend I imagine look at each other your coworker like oh, wow, you have diabetes. And then what do you do?
Jenna 8:04
So the I broke down. So you know, I was really upset. I also didn't realize how much different management was from what I thought like, I didn't know CGM existed or anything. So I was just like, I was supposed to run this marathon. 11 days later, they had been working super hard for and I was like, There's no way this is going to happen. I was just I started crying at work, basically. So the physician I work with actually called it endocrine department and got me an appointment the next day. So I'm extremely lucky to have had that connection.
Scott Benner 8:33
Yeah. Yeah, no kidding. So the the running was the first feeling of loss. You had it immediately.
Jenna 8:42
Yeah, I guess, you know, managing type one diabetes, like I said, is a lot different than I thought it was. I just immediately was like, thinking of this life, you know, surrounded by finger sticks. And just, you know, I didn't know about the modern technology at that point in time, which is crazy to think about now.
Scott Benner 9:02
Yeah, no, I mean, did you have much connection to diabetes in your practice?
Jenna 9:07
We see a ton of type two, but they're
Scott Benner 9:09
not really wearing CGM. CIAT at this point with any great frequency.
Jenna 9:13
You know, it's interesting that either hadn't been or I wasn't just wasn't as aware of them. Because now I, we raise a very common among my type two patients at this point.
Scott Benner 9:23
That's interesting. It's and it hasn't been that long. So maybe you have a little both maybe maybe it's coming on and at the same time, you weren't really looking for it. That's what I think interesting. Okay. Why do people run the game for any reason whatsoever? I don't understand at all like so. Is it uh, are you other voices in your head? You're trying to keep quiet? Is it about setting a goal and getting to it like what makes you want to just go out there and pound away like that?
Jenna 9:52
I guess I am a pretty goal oriented person, but there's actually a really strong running community in Oklahoma City. So I need a little group to run Before work Tuesday through Friday, so it's kind of nice little social hour before work. And I mean a group to do long runs on Sundays. So it is a pretty social sport.
Scott Benner 10:11
Yeah, you're not answering my question agenda. Are these a group text these people? Or are they people who like to run? What is it? Man, I
Jenna 10:19
guess we just like to run Oh, we want to
Scott Benner 10:21
say I have to just, this person is never going to hear this. So it's fine. I'm tangentially related, not related. I have I've seen a person more than once or twice in my life, let's just say, who runs to the point where their body appears to be a skeleton wrapped in small muscles. And they don't seem like happy people to me.
Jenna 10:46
Oh, well, I don't run that much. I don't think you'd even look at me and probably peg me as a runner. I just look like an average person. Okay.
Scott Benner 10:53
And not to lump everybody into one category, which is what I just did, and not what I mean. But But this specific person I'm thinking of like, in my mind, when I look at them, I think something's wrong. And this is the way they're dealing with it. It doesn't look any different than overeating to me. Is that makes sense?
Jenna 11:12
Yeah, I know the kind of people you're talking about. But I wouldn't put myself in that category. I just, I just like to run I track and cross country as a kid and I just kept going,
Scott Benner 11:22
you get that? Like, what do they call that runner's high?
Jenna 11:26
You know, maybe sometimes I don't, I don't think on a daily basis or anything
Scott Benner 11:31
kidding. It's so so goal oriented. So we're getting through this. My son just explained this to me the other day, he said, I don't care what I'm doing. I just want to set a goal achieve the goal and reset a goal. It's very, you know, is that sort of it then?
Jenna 11:45
I think so. Yeah, I have that goal to qualify for Boston. And I will tell you, I ran that, that marathon 11 days later, and I did. Did you realize, wait a minute. I did.
Scott Benner 11:53
Yeah. You just like, did you know what you were doing it all with your diabetes.
Jenna 11:58
I did a ton of reading and that 11 day period. So they started me, you know, on to Jao and homologue. So I just started doing a bunch of reading cut back my to Jaya the night before. So I was taking nighttime. And I got through that marathon pretty well. Actually, I had a I use a Dexcom now but I believe re sample that the Office gave me to use for it. And so I just scanned it every half mile and carried a bunch of carbs and made it to the end. So did you
Scott Benner 12:25
cheat and fly to Boston as you will run there?
Jenna 12:29
I flew. So I could have run quicker.
Scott Benner 12:35
To quick, it would have been a quick jump from Philly about 45 minutes into Boston. But
Jenna 12:38
that's true. What do you I chose to go from Oklahoma?
Scott Benner 12:41
Do you go in like days prior set yourself up in a hotel? How does that work?
Jenna 12:48
For Boston, I went two days early. So yeah, a lot of times, we'll go two days early. So you can go to the expo and pick up your packet and everything and then you know, then run the marathon and I usually I'll stay a day and check out the town if I go to an out of town marathon don't fly back.
Scott Benner 13:02
Interesting. Okay. And you have and you have energy the next day.
Jenna 13:06
Not Not very much. Sometimes my friend and I ran Chicago a few years ago made all these plans and sightseeing that did not happen at all.
Scott Benner 13:16
I had an extended catch with call the other day and I was like that tomorrow we're gonna need to take a break. So I'm saying get on a plane. Like if I got on a plane and flew from Oklahoma to Boston, and spent a couple of days I might need those days to recoup from maybe this says more about me than it does. So how do you going back to that first runt? Well, let me ask this how many marathons had you run prior to your diabetes? Do
Jenna 13:44
you think I ran 12 prior Wow. Okay, and then
Scott Benner 13:51
I'm assuming there's you know, a way you get ready whether you have diabetes or not, but how does it differ from before diet type one and after type one?
Jenna 14:00
Oh, it's a lot different for now. I think the hardest thing for me with type one has been managing my running schedule because you know, I used to carb load the days before I don't really do that because I find that just makes my blood sugar high and that's more stressful for me so typically most runs I run fasting so I find that I drop much less if I do that so marathon day I don't I changed my plan that day, which they usually say don't change what you do on marathon day but but diabetes I think it works better to do that. And then I can only fuel during the race depending on what my blood sugar's doing like before I diabetes every four miles I'd take like carbs in but now if my blood sugar is high, then I don't I just lie to try to run it down and put it off the more miles
Scott Benner 14:42
I see. So when you Okay, so you're running down do you wear Dexcom? Are you slowly right?
Jenna 14:47
Now I have a Dexcom now,
Scott Benner 14:49
are you looking at it on a watch when you're running? Or how do you do that?
Jenna 14:55
You I have an Apple Watch so I look at my Apple watch. I often just run with my phone One of my hand like, normal days during the week, just because you know, the Apple Watch, you got to tap on the screen sometimes to get the number to come up correctly. So sometimes it's just easier to hold my phone, I have it like a little widget on my phone. So what one of those two ways I love that widget by the way, me too. It makes life so much easier
Scott Benner 15:17
on mine as well. And Arden has it on hers for Dexcom. And I just looked at it now because it's that easy. I'm just imagining you running along like tapping on that watch and then running into a pole or something. I know right? Clunk. At least my blood sugar is good. I like you're
Jenna 15:36
waiting for help. My face might not be.
Scott Benner 15:39
So what kind of supplies do you run with now? Is it like? I mean, you said like carbs. But what does that mean?
Jenna 15:46
So I used to use those like little goos. I don't know if you're familiar with them. Like, run it like runners and triathletes use them a lot, but only. So they're just like basically like a honey consistency. But they have 23 carbs in them in spike my blood sugar like crazy. So during the week, normally I just use fruit snacks, because there's about four carbs per fruit snack. So if I see I'm trending down, I'll just pop a fruit snack or two. Because if you use the use any of the pie when you're done and some type a I like to have tight control, so I don't want to end my runs with high blood sugars.
Scott Benner 16:18
What's that mean? What's your range that you're shooting for?
Jenna 16:22
I pretty much try to keep my blood sugar between 7140 As much as I can.
Scott Benner 16:27
I like that. Do you listen to this podcast? Right?
Jenna 16:29
I do. Yes.
Scott Benner 16:31
That's when did you find it?
Jenna 16:33
I found it probably about three weeks after I was diagnosed. I was just, I was trying to learn as much as I could. And I started like doing Google searches and everything on your podcast. And I've listened to probably almost every episode now.
Scott Benner 16:47
I was just saying I jump around. But I don't care how you get it done. And I was just saying the other day I have to find like a digital award to give people like when they've listened to every episode, they should get something. I don't know how to handle I don't know what you would do with that. Maybe an NF T? Is that what we should do? Should we do an NF T for for people have listened to every episode. Can you imagine if I got involved in that? i Oh my gosh, I'm not doing that. But not even close. Don't even word. But I do when people say like I've listened to pretty much the whole show. I'm like, Wow, it's amazing. So thank you. So when you found it. So I think I want to go back a little bit because I find your age of diagnosis. Interesting. You're also
Jenna 17:30
did I didn't even know you could get diagnosed as an adult until I did now I realize it's a lot more common than I thought.
Scott Benner 17:36
But it's that it's that mid 30s thing, where you're sort of like I did it. Like nothing real bad's gonna happen unless like I get the cancer at the end. Like right, like it's not how you feel a little.
Jenna 17:49
Oh, I know. I mean, I feel fortunate that I got diagnosed in a time with all this technology. But it's so hard, you know,
Unknown Speaker 17:57
yeah, out of nowhere, right? Just out of nowhere.
Scott Benner 17:59
General someone is calling my cell phone incessantly. So we're gonna have to do something about that. Hold on a second. Sure. In the hell is happening here. Am I going to call them?
Let's see what it was. It here's my fear is that I think it's a doctor's office, and I'm going to need to do it right. But instead I'm going to guess that it's just a yeah, it's just a call. Daniel from the mortgage benefits of Polasek. listeners. Isn't Daniel calling from the mortgage benefits department? Sorry, we missed you today. Calls to oh my god, leave me alone. Daniel. I'll need your problems. Daniel. Is that That's alright. Anyway, like my phone never rings ever. Nobody bothers me. And then when Jenny and I are doing like a like a thing. I get the Walgreens call like your prescriptions ready to pick up a Walgreens and I complain I hate it so much. And yet I don't go to the trouble of unsubscribing from the phone call for some reason. I'm sorry. So let me refocus mid 30s. Well, actually 32 Right. Yes. Okay. So it still seems to me that that's a time in your life when you kind of think like, like the the juvenile stuff didn't get to me. I mean, did you have other health issues at all?
Jenna 19:31
I've never had any other health issues. Okay. So it was really out of nowhere.
Scott Benner 19:37
And we kind of we kind of substantiated that you were you were on your own you're not you weren't in a relationship at the time. So my guess is you're not living with your parents. You're living on your own. What's that like trying to find a support system?
Jenna 19:51
I will say it is a little bit difficult just because nobody else has any idea how to manage my diabetes even still, but I feel like at first is trying to lie down I was pretty good about trying to learn everything kind of alongside my parents spend their summers, they live in Oklahoma, but they spend their summers out of state. So they actually weren't here when I was diagnosed. But I don't want to give just my dad to credit my mom to both my family is really close. So both of my parents did do a lot of reading, but still, you know, when I was trying to figure out, I took it to myself to start adjusting all my insulin right away. But you know, trying to figure all that out, I still felt like I was kind of, you know, on my own instead of being like a child that, you know, had parents support system or significant other at the time. So
Scott Benner 20:32
did you apply that feeling you have inside about setting goals to diabetes, then?
Jenna 20:38
Yeah, I think so. Because, you know, right away, I did not like to see those high numbers. So right away, I was trying to figure out what I needed to do to get that down and try to get you know, get tight control.
Scott Benner 20:48
What's it feel like, psychologically when your blood sugar goes up? I don't know why. Oh, I wish I should. I should just ask everyone this. I don't know why I don't but like, I imagine a panic.
Jenna 21:02
Oh my gosh, in your like, for me, my mouth gets so dry. It's like an unquenchable thirst. My, like, when I was especially when I was first diagnosed, my vision was a little bit blurry. Like my head was in a cloud all the time. And I was so tired, which I think is probably from the high blood sugar's I had so much fatigue, but then also, you know, I was like, peeing five times a night so I was getting no sleep at all, you know, is terrible.
Scott Benner 21:25
Because I can't sleep blood sugar's I have to be canceling. and by gosh, and by yourself and then, but then there's, did you have that concern about Lowe's back then, too? Or did you not even know enough about it to think about it?
Jenna 21:39
I really didn't. At first, I did have one episode of a bad blow a few months after I was diagnosed. So that really scared me on track. Be careful and make sure that I'm not trying to force too tight of control that I'll get myself low. So I guess I can talk about that if you want me to.
Scott Benner 21:59
are you stopping yourself from talking? Are you worried? No, no. Yeah, well, like I guess if you want it, I could tell you I mean, listen to me if you don't tell me about it, we're done. You know what I mean? Like I got a I got a plan over here. Like, oh, no, shut up about that. I gotta go to my next thought. I don't know my next thought. So how soon into the diagnosis was the scary lab
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Jenna 24:55
November so I was diagnosed in June. So ya know just like bye months, I was five months into it. So I was it was really fortunate for me that I had been set up with Dexcom at that time and I went, it was in November. So I got to my parents house for dinner like the week before this happened. And I said to my dad, oh, there's this like Dexcom follow up. Do want me to set your phone up. You can follow my blood sugar's it'll alert you I go low. So we did. We got him all set up on that. And then it was a Friday night and I had gone to watch, like a thunder game with some of my friends. I came home and I hadn't eaten dinner yet. So I Bolus for a frozen pizza. And I don't know if I over Bolus if I fell asleep. I actually don't know what happened. But my parents had repeatedly called me and I apparently answered the phone, but don't really remember talking to them. So anyways, they end up having to call EMS to come administer, like IV sugar D 50, I assume is what they gave me. Yeah. So that was obviously extremely scary for them and extremely scary for me. So, you know, I learned my lesson there. But living by yourself, as you know, can be a little bit scary, too. I
Scott Benner 25:59
guess one of the things I think about most of them talking to adults, like the idea that they could be living on their own. Yeah. And you know, if I mean, you know, you don't like to think about it, but if your dad's not following you, which you didn't sound like somebody came down and like handed you a decree and said, Hey, you have a Dexcom now make sure someone's following you. You just thought like, oh, this will be a good idea. And then this happens. And it's just a normal thing, right? You tried to go out, you came home, you were hungry, but you were tired and, and your blood sugar was low. And that's it. It's just, and your dad doesn't call and I hate to say it, but who knows, right?
Jenna 26:35
I know, I'm so fortunate because apparently his phone was in the other room. But my mom picked it up and was like your phone's making a sound I've never heard before. And my dad was like, oh, that's just blood sugar. So I also so fortunate that I was on the Dexcom at that time, because, yeah.
Scott Benner 26:51
For people who don't think you're running with your phone in front of your face, and your dad's phones in a different room, we got to get him on Wordle or something. So he, he feels he feels a deep connection to his cell phone and he won't leave it alone.
Jenna 27:04
I know now my mom follows me too after that event. So she and she's really good about it. Every now and then I'll drop in the mornings when I run. I feel bad because they get alerted, you know, very early in the morning and ever. I've never had any other like major issues with Lowe's except for that one time. So I don't know if I still don't know since I was on MDI at the time. If I could have over bolused I, you know, I'll never really know the answer to that. Right.
Scott Benner 27:25
You might have just looked at the carbs and been like, Oh, this is good. And then turn on the oven and like it takes by the way frozen pizza. Nothing says I live by myself and I'm in my 30s like frozen pizza doesn't Oh,
Jenna 27:35
I know. Good story, right.
Scott Benner 27:39
Alright, so we'll build a phone addiction for your parents. I just speaking about my phone picked mine up a second ago like Pavlov's dog you saw when we were like cell phones. I was like, Let me hold my phone. There's the screen. I see the light. Your dad's is off in the other room. He's like, I don't need that thing. I love that. Thankfully, my mom heard it. Yeah. And your mom's got that? Like, I don't know your dad's name. But it's like that bell your phone still? And I know. He's like, That's the girl. Can you believe she got tired? But can you imagine the first five minutes of that conversation before they realized you were in trouble? They were probably like, I thought we were rid of her.
Jenna 28:19
I know sometimes I feel every now and then, you know, I have a nightmare. I dip down a little bit. And I'm like, I know what number they have their phones up for. I'm like, please don't like make their phone beat. Because it's like, you know, having a newborn child in their adult kid that you know, doesn't even live with them anymore.
Scott Benner 28:34
So you tell me about that a little is that? Is that a concern? Like really? Like you don't want to bother somebody?
Jenna 28:41
No, I my parents are great. So they really don't, you know, they don't care. And it doesn't have actually loop now. So I hardly have Lowe's at night anymore. It's just more while I was getting started with things. And so I really I don't I mean, they don't mind if I bother them. I just you know, I just kind of feel bad if that happens.
Scott Benner 28:58
No, no, I understand. I just I wondered if it was in your head or not. This person you're with now? Is that a is that a person who could make it with you later? Yeah, hopefully we'll see. But hopefully, like you can follow through or hopefully your relationship.
Jenna 29:17
No, we've been dating for seven months, but he's a great guy. So.
Scott Benner 29:22
Okay, how was it introducing the diabetes to a new person.
Jenna 29:27
So he's been really good with it too. I'm very fortunate he I eat lower carb. A lot of the time I wouldn't call myself low carb, but he's completely on board with it like me cook at night, you know, trying to stay away from like the pastas, Rice's potatoes, I mean, I'll do that every now and then. But I tried to make a habit of it every night and he's been great. He's good with the lows. He's Yeah,
Scott Benner 29:48
I'm lucky how much understanding seven months is early. So how much understanding Do you find yourself giving it to him slowly because it could be overwhelming, right? Like, like if I met a person if I'm trying to put myself in your situation shouldn't but we're a few days in. And I'm starting to think I wish he knew this and this, but if I tell him this, it might scare him away. Does those thoughts go through your head?
Jenna 30:07
Yeah, I was a little bit worried about that our second date was sushi. And so sushi is notoriously difficult for me. So I was trying to like, you know, look at my Apple Watch, not try to look like I'm seeing what time it is. And when I can get out of here, you know, that type of thing. So you know, but now he's, you know, now he understands. And he's an engineer. I feel like he's like, the kind of guy that researches things. So I think he's done a lot of reading on the side about it.
Scott Benner 30:32
Yeah, they love that stuff. To people on mine, so get you engineers and runners.
Jenna 30:39
Oh, he's not a runner. But no, I
Scott Benner 30:41
mean, the mixed the mix you hang with is interesting, too. That's true. What is it about your, the way you think that lends yourself to those kinds of people? Do you think?
Jenna 30:52
Well, I come from a family of engineers. Obviously, I broke that track when I went into health care. But my dad, my two brothers are engineers.
Scott Benner 31:00
Oh, I see your so do you find that they're sort of linear thinkers, and, and they like, order and instruction and numbers and things like that?
Jenna 31:14
Yeah, I think so. But I I think I'm also like that.
Scott Benner 31:18
So you make it work in healthcare, or is it something else to fight against?
Jenna 31:22
No, I think I think it works. Well. You know, health care is also a goal oriented field and dealing with numbers and things in a different way, but still doing it.
Scott Benner 31:30
What's your one? Say? Can I guess? Sure. All right. I'm gonna guess even listen to podcasts. Three years you run, you're a little low carb, you're looping and you don't like a blood sugar over 140 Or a one C is 5.4.
Jenna 31:45
is actually 5.1. A few weeks ago, when I saw my endo will get
Scott Benner 31:49
you fancy pants. All right. Well, that's a lot of running.
Jenna 31:53
I do do a lot of running, which I think helps tremendously because I take like a week off running, I have to ramp my Basal up.
Scott Benner 32:00
I was gonna ask what your Basal is normally,
Jenna 32:03
it's point seven during the day and point five at night.
Scott Benner 32:05
Do you know I'm gonna ask you how much you weigh. Now, is that okay? Sure. All right, how much? Like 141 40 And your point seven. Okay. And one unit moves you? How far?
Jenna 32:17
About 40?
Scott Benner 32:19
Okay, insulin sensitivity about one to 40.7. That's the running without the running. What's your Basal go to like, 1.1 in there. So I
Jenna 32:29
just put overrides when I don't run. So I'll do like 110% or something like that.
Scott Benner 32:33
So like, maybe 1.4 More when you're not running?
Jenna 32:37
Oh, so I do 110. So use me. Increase it. 10%. So I'm sorry. Yeah, probably.
Scott Benner 32:46
I apologize. I was like around point eight then. Yeah, probably. You caught me. You're like, Oh, God, the podcast. I like the guy can't do simple math.
Jenna 32:54
No, I was like, I don't use that much.
Scott Benner 32:57
Oh, that's interesting. It would have bothered you to think for people to think that you have we're at 1.70 No,
Jenna 33:03
I was just thinking that that'd be back to that pizza incident again.
Scott Benner 33:07
Oh, seven. Oh, 1.7. We're back to my dad's phone making a funny noise. And we know that funny noise was
Jenna 33:19
awesome. Me. You know, in fact, I was at the grocery store the other day and heard that noise. And I was like, I know it's not my phone. And I'm like, I'm getting you know, PTSD. Here. Somebody is low in this grocery store.
Scott Benner 33:28
Did it? Are you the kind of person did you say it out loud? You're low or did you let it go?
Jenna 33:33
No, I didn't say anything. But I was I was looking around to see where it was coming from
Scott Benner 33:38
looking for who's looking for the candy aisle.
hustling for the gummy bears? Which by the way, May I May I just say something about gummy bears for a second. I want to make sure I get the name right here. Let's see. I'm in because this frickin spam call won't stop coming. What is the name of this company?
Unknown Speaker 34:02
They're so good. Oh, here it is.
Scott Benner 34:09
Albany's gummy bears a LBA en ese.
Jenna 34:14
Oh, I've never had them. I should write them down though. You all want
Scott Benner 34:17
to be a sponsor, let me know. Or even just send me a bag of Baris like I'm there. We started using them. We started eating them because my my son's girlfriend was like you guys should try these. I don't know where that came from. She just had a favorite gummy bear. And I was like, How could gummy bears be different? Like what am I talking about here? Right? Because you know, when you think of gummy bears, think of the other brand, right? The Haribo or whatever I mean, maybe people think of different ones. Anyway, eat this thing and it's a life changing experience as far as gummy bears go. This is amazing. So we started keeping them in a little dish and we started to learn that just a couple of them could really move Arden's blood sugar a little bit when we need it to if she's 7080 kind of thing. And just wanted to bump it back a little bit, but the Problem is Jenna and I'm being honest with you. They're a little too good. So sometimes you eat them when your blood sugar is not low. You know
Jenna 35:08
what I mean? I know. Yeah. Sometimes,
Scott Benner 35:11
or sometimes your dad eats them, you know? So, but anyway, there's my gummy bear referral of the week. They're not they're not a sponsor, but if they were, I would be. I'd be so thrilled. I would do an ad for gummy bears no trouble whatsoever. I like talking about them with a lot of love. What other podcasts Do you listen to?
Jenna 35:37
Actually don't listen to a lot of other podcasts. I do audiobooks. I'm actually not a big podcaster.
Unknown Speaker 35:42
I just got the audible the other day.
Jenna 35:45
Oh, I love Audible. Yeah,
Scott Benner 35:47
I didn't need it for school. And then it was over. We still had it. I thought I'm going to try an audiobook. So I downloaded one and I've been listening and I enjoy it.
Jenna 35:56
Yeah. I'm a big fan. But I like to listen to I listen to your podcasts or audiobooks like to and from work and you know, I'm making dinner doing you know, it's easy to multitask and listen to content. That's why your podcast has been so helpful for me.
Unknown Speaker 36:10
Did I get you to looping?
Jenna 36:13
You know, I would say yes. So I considered it. And then I figured if that's what you were doing, that's probably the tightest management or the best way to go. So I started in January, I guess a year and a half ago. So I'm hoping for a year and a half. Because I thought building it seemed you know, I was nervous about it. It just seemed like a daunting task, I guess. And it turned out it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. So
Scott Benner 36:36
I just rebuilt Lou, and I was even surprised that they've made it so easy now like he just kind of click a link.
Jenna 36:42
And I know I'm like I could be wiring money to China. I don't know what I'm doing here. But I just follow the steps and it shows up on my phone.
Scott Benner 36:49
I love that that's party you're in your head. You're like someone is probably stealing money from me. But I really need this algorithm click.
Jenna 36:56
No, I'm just like, I don't even know what I'm doing on this computer. But this the loop docs really make it pretty easy
Scott Benner 37:01
to do. Hey, do you really got me with I might be wiring money this
Jenna 37:06
lovely that I asked her credit card number. So I knew that wasn't really the case. But I joke with everybody because people are like you built the app. I mean, I'm not like the most computer savvy. I'm just like average. But really, it's not that hard to do.
Scott Benner 37:18
Like I said, I just did it like a week ago. And I was like, wow, this is so much easier now. And it was just it was I mean, with a good internet connection and reasonably fast computer. It doesn't even take very long. Like yeah, that's
Jenna 37:30
why I thought I set aside like a whole entire day if I was gonna make a 10 hour thing and it's absolutely not. It was pretty easy.
Scott Benner 37:36
Yeah, I have to admit I did that. So Jenna, can we talk about that for a second? Because here's the thing. You and I are recording in June, and no one's gonna hear this till Christmas. But I need you to keep your mouth shut when we get off of this recording. Is that okay? Okay. Okay, because timing. You'll understand that a second. All right. And keep your mouth shut was a little harsh. I didn't mean it like that. I know. I gotcha dummy up. Okay. So dummy up. What is that from? An old TV show? What am I thinking of?
Jenna 38:09
It might be a media reference. I
Scott Benner 38:11
don't know. It's Archie Bunker. It's what you there's that's the show you've never seen. You've got your right. Yeah. What was that all in the family? That's what if he told people to shut up? He told them to dummy up. How do I even remember that? That show came out when I was born? It was literally out for seven months before I was born. And I know that man, you people who have streaming services, you have no idea how lucky you are. I was 15 years old watching a 15 year old TV show like it was first run you guys are out watching episode 67 of season six of something that's amazing right now. Anyway, Arden used on the pod five for a while. And we used it for two reasons. I wanted to understand it that was first and foremost. And I wanted to see if it was something I thought Arden could stick with because I wanted it to be I wanted her to have a retail option. I didn't want there to be a Riley link in between the pod and and the algorithm etc. And we figured it out and I understand it now I understand how it works. It's very real. It's reminiscent to the other retail stuff that's available. Okay, but it for for me. What I guess what it eventually taught me was that Omnipod five control IQ they're not competitors with loop. Like to to hold those two things up against each other is a mistake. On the part five is not trying to be loop control. IQs not trying to be loop. Nothing's trying to be a loop honestly, the Medtronic version is not trying to be it. And so where I found it lacking for us was in Target blood sugar and the ability to address a rising blood sugar more aggressively, those were really the two, the two. And when you call them problems, there's the two sticking points that I had. Now I'm watching people online use it, and they're loving it, it's going exactly the way I expected. Not everybody's gonna listen to this podcast the way you did, right. And those people deserve to have blood sugars that are reasonable to. And so the if these people are seeing rises that are coming back in a couple of hours, and not getting low, this is a significant improvement for them. And so I think, I think it's going to catch on huge, and I think people are really gonna love it. It's only been out for a couple of months now that I'm talking about this. But for us, it was, I don't know, we just wanted to go back to loop. So
Jenna 40:49
yeah, we've got some good features too, like being able to set the overrides, like being able to set a time I do that a lot at night, I'll set an override for I usually run at five till 430 in the morning with a really high target. So essentially, it shuts off my Basal. So I have to actually wake up and do it. It's nice that it just does it on its own. You can program it to do it on its own. Yeah.
Scott Benner 41:08
Yeah, no, I mean, there's little Listen, it's do it yourself. It's there's a lot of little options that are great that, you know, didn't have to go through FDA approval and doesn't have to be printed in a manual. And you don't have to train people on and there's a lot of reasons why retail systems don't do some of that stuff. And they're all very legitimate reasons. Like I'm not telling you differently. I am seeing people online, who are setting their range 70 to 180. And coming in range. 100%. And, you know, for someone who more recently had a 320 blood sugar that then was a 46 hours later, it's an amazing improvement from it's going to be amazing improvement for most people using insulin.
Jenna 41:44
I think so too.
Scott Benner 41:45
Yeah, it's, I'm super excited about all of them. I can't wait to learn more about them. And, you know, I figured out ways to manipulate a little bit. But it was it was almost too smart. Like if you manipulate it in one way would manipulate you back and you'd be like, Oh, no, and you're like, Ah, okay, well, I'm one of those things. I mean, it's like if I made like a really good, what I would consider like a good aggressive Bolus on like a heavy carb meal, something that held Arden in the 80s or 90s. For hours after this meal. It was like for hours, I was like I am killing this except the algorithm was like yo, our targets 110. And so for every minute, it was 90, it was trying to get her to 110 taken basil away. And then when my grave Bolus left, there was a black hole where no basil existed, and then she'd head back up again. Now it would see that but it wouldn't, it wouldn't address it to 110. And then it was addressing it not aggressively enough to stop at 170. Okay, so even if I created a 90, I couldn't avoid the 170 later, I was either having it on one side or the other. If I would have made like, you know, if I would have made a less aggressive Bolus and held her at like 120 after a meal, then I think then the algorithm would have stayed in the game a little bit. But I was just like, I don't know, like, it's I'm so accustomed to doing it the way we do it. But anyway, I wanted to have the experience. I had it. It's amazing. And, and I know how to talk about it now. But we did switch back. So
Jenna 43:15
yeah, I'll be looking forward to that episode. I agree. It's gonna be a game changer for a lot of people. Because I know loop is a lot for a lot of people, you know, to try to even think about doing
Scott Benner 43:25
Yeah, oh, are you kidding? Like, I was in a panic when I you know, artists, like I'm gonna, you know, when are we going to switch back? We had been talking about letting it go for a while and everything. And the other thing too, I should mention here is that we still aren't as having trouble with our hormones. Like we're still speaking with Dr. Spock, and your hormones balanced everything like her insulin needs might be heavier than most people's. Like you don't I mean, so. Who knows if, if we don't figure out this kind of imbalance that she has, and maybe we can put it back on again and give it another try, which I would absolutely do. The system was terrific. It was easy to use and you know, kind of carefree actually. So, anyway. Oh, anyway, what she said was like, when are we going to do this? She got up one morning, she's like, Hey, my paws gonna expire today. Today be a good time, but I have to leave at one o'clock to go to a graduation party. It was like 11 o'clock. And I sent Kenny a message Kenny from Fox, the fox the loose bow loop. Oh, Fox in the loop help. Oh my God, John. Kenny from the fox in the loop hop loop while loop. Holy shit. This is it. I'm gonna start over Kenny from the fox in the loop house episodes. What was happening just anyway, he helped me He's very nice. He sent me a little information that I needed. And I just pushed on in like 90 minutes. We were running again. It was great. Yeah, it was not difficult. And I would tell you probably Probably it was a new pod. Plus, we were switching from one algorithms idea to another probably took about six hours for the new algorithm to kind of find its, you know, its rhythm a little bit. But anyway, there's no losing here. Things are so much better. And an options on the pod five control IQ by tronics do thing I think isn't quite out yet. And you know, if you want to go do it yourself loop, so I'm sorry, I talked so much there. But
Jenna 45:28
oh, no, you're good to see. That's what I mean, when I first got diagnosed three years ago, I didn't even you know, most of these algorithms weren't even out yet. I guess loop was, but you know, the, really the diabetes market has changed significantly in the last few years. So fortunate for that.
Scott Benner 45:41
No kidding. I mean, look at you, you're wandering around with your five, one a one c three years after diagnosis. That's amazing. Thanks. You deserve it. So I'm sure a lot of hard work in there to figuring things out. Like you said, you did a ton of reading in the beginning just to go running. And now you probably have a process you use with your algorithm to run, how do you do that?
Jenna 46:05
I do. So what I do is I basically have a target glucose of 500, which essentially shuts it off. I guess you can also turn the pot off at this just as easier for me to do so I turned to my basil off about 30 minutes before I go run in the morning. And then I turn it back, turn the basil back on about the 10 minutes before I'm done running. Because otherwise, you know, like you always say, you know what you're doing now is for later. So if I don't turn it back on before my run, then I end up going high after I'm done. But that seems to work pretty well. For me. It's different for me if I run after work, running fasting really works so much easier. But if I exercise later in the day, I have to cut my basil out significantly earlier. 30 minutes doesn't work. I think in the morning, I might be more insulin resistant.
Scott Benner 46:50
So two questions. So running without any active insulin is easier. Absolutely. Yes. And do you when you cut your basil off for how long? Are you cutting it off? For like, how long are those runs?
Jenna 47:02
So usually before work I like on work days, I'm usually run about five miles. So less than an hour, okay. 45 minutes or so
Scott Benner 47:11
I was asking because of I mean, if you're running for a long, long time, then having no Basil is not a good answer. Because you could go into DKA easily.
Jenna 47:19
Right? So I use a small amount of basil during long runs. And I also Bolus really tiny bit like a quarter of what I normally would for the amount of carbs I'm consuming. So I do use insulin during those.
Scott Benner 47:31
Yeah, not that listen. Not that I didn't think you were but it just felt important to say here that people out there yes, you could have a what looks like great blood sugar. But if you don't have insulin, you could still go into decay. So you could get a 95 blood sugar be running for three hours without your Bazelon and still have a medical emergency. So you do need Jenna's like I didn't say that. No one said that. Stop it. Now I just wanted to be clear. Okay, well, what if I not asked you? Oh, I started leading into so first of all, it sounds like you'd like this boy, John, which is nice. And but you're thinking of kids like for yourself? Maybe not with him, but your kids or something you want to do?
Jenna 48:14
Yes. Okay, boy. 35. But hopefully,
Scott Benner 48:18
I you starting to feel like this is it?
Jenna 48:22
What do you mean by that?
Scott Benner 48:24
timewise? Yeah, no,
Jenna 48:26
I mean, I don't know. I think I still have some time. But my friend is an OBGYN. I was joking with her. I'm like, they're gonna love me when I'm like, in my late 30s with type one diabetes, saying I want to have a baby. No, but I've tight control. So I think that should be okay.
Scott Benner 48:39
How many children? Do you imagine yourself with?
Jenna 48:43
One or two?
Scott Benner 48:45
There are a lot of trouble.
Jenna 48:49
I know my brother has two little ones. So they're also a lot of fun. Yeah, the little ones are great. They're the ants that being an EN is the fun part. You know, it's not
Scott Benner 48:56
until the it's not until they can think on their own. And they cost a lot that it becomes really troublesome. That's true. That's true. So having their own theories about life, and you're like, oh, no, like, I'm tired. I'm old. Like, you don't know this yet. But 15 years from now, you're gonna be like, I don't want to hear your thoughts on this subject. of my own, although it's great because they bring in, you know, they bring in another generation of ideas. And it is I'm joking, halfway, like, the part I mean is it's great to hear their thoughts. And it's great to even try to learn more about the world through their eyes. But there's moments when they're making decisions, and you're like, I think I'm right here. Like, I don't think they should be doing this, you know, and so you when they were little, you just sort of like turn them like Look over here. And then when they're older, you're like, well, here's my opinion. I hope you consider it and it takes that parenting thing and it turns into something different. That's true. You have to keep adjusting with it. It's a lot like everything else in life. You're not done. If you really want to be involved. You're never done being flexible. That's true. And then the money's terrible. So you have kids hope they're going to be nice blue collar people who go out and get a nice job that doesn't cost the college education because they're really expensive. It's too
Jenna 50:17
high. No.
Scott Benner 50:19
Are you paying me?
Jenna 50:21
So I have a tiny bit left on my student loans from PA school. I was fortunate enough my parents pay for undergrad. But I'm almost done. So next year, I can be debt free.
Scott Benner 50:32
How are you planning on paying? What are you gonna do? Oh, well, they
Jenna 50:36
they were nice. They gifted us our undergrad education. So I so once I finished my student loans for PA school that I won't have any more. I won't owe anybody anything.
Unknown Speaker 50:46
No big plan, though. Jenna. To celebrate paying them off. To help your parents out. Like, kick back. Maybe. Oh, I
Jenna 50:54
see. Okay. Yeah, no. Oh, I give them medical advice all the time. So there you go.
Scott Benner 50:59
Searching for your time. Jenna, that's pretty crappy, but okay.
Jenna 51:05
They call me if they're questions. Hi, mom.
Scott Benner 51:06
Hold on a second. I'm just gonna set the timer. Go ahead. What's your toe doing?
Unknown Speaker 51:15
I know, right? How tough is that? Does everyone do that with you?
Jenna 51:20
I will say get it pretty regularly. But I have to you know, most I do adult cardiology. So my friends call me with, you know, their kids rashes and this and that. I'm like, I gotta remind you guys, I do adult cardiology. I don't know that much about kids. I don't want to give you advice on your kids rash. But now Now my friend's parents are starting to hit the cardiac world. I didn't
Unknown Speaker 51:44
know exactly Mom, tell Jenna, where it hurt.
Jenna 51:48
Chest pain? Can you get him in tomorrow? So I do hear some of that. But that's alright. I try to help when I can.
Unknown Speaker 51:53
Have you ever caught a problem?
Jenna 51:57
You know, I guess I will say I had my mom's friend take her husband to the ER recently. And that ended up being something that needed to go to the ER so glad for that.
Scott Benner 52:10
Just talk to a friend of mine, got a bug bite and swell up. He showed a picture to his daughter who's a nurse like just texted her. She showed it to a doctor who then said your dad needs to go to the ER right now. And went to find out he had been bit by a brown recluse spider in a part of the country in a part of the country where they shouldn't be, which is great news for all of us. And he was like days away from losing his hand. Oh, that's crazy, I think. And I know the guy who's headstrong? I think if his daughter wasn't a nurse, I don't know what would happen to you know, my
Jenna 52:49
story is not as good as that. But I actually did catch one thing on Facebook, which I forgot about. So a girl I went to college with just like peripherally know and was Facebook friends with posted a picture of a quote spider bite, but it was clear cut bullseye rash for Lyme disease. And I did tell her I like sent her a message on Facebook. And I was like, I think you need to go see a doctor that looks like Lyme disease. And sure enough, you know, they ended up treating her and she was fine. But no doubt that's what her rash was. So not as bad as a brown recluse. Yeah,
Scott Benner 53:15
I just had a thing where I wish I knew last week I was in the lawn for a while fixing something. And then next day, I had this little lump between my thumb and my forefinger on the top of my hand, I was like it was hard. And I was like Something bit me and then started to itch really badly. And then another bump popped up like on a different finger, and then a third bump, and then a fourth bump. And then they were all itchy. And then the itching became systemic. And Jenna aged in places we're not going to talk about we don't know that well, where I definitely wasn't bit by anything or didn't touch anything with these bumps. Because once you get a bump on your hand, you know, you reach with the other hand. And so I've been very, very careful about all that. And maybe and I kept being like, oh, Something bit me. There's no way I'm not going to overpower this I'm gonna reasonably healthy person. Well, five or six days later, I started getting tired in the afternoons out of nowhere. And I was like, what is happening? So between the itching and I could tell it was systemic because I was having like a histamine response, like, like there were there were places on my body that if I didn't touch them, they were fine. But if I just brushed by them, they became incredibly itchy. And then if I itch them, there was like swelling no matter where it happened. And my wife's like, will you go to urgent care as like one more day? And I'm like using Flonase and like taking I don't know, I don't know. Stuff medicine, I thought was gonna help. Who knows. But I just woke up one day and one of the lumps from the right hand was on the left hand and I'm like, I'm done. And so I went in and they hit me with a steroid pack and boom that fixed everything. Really
Jenna 54:53
cool. Sounds like me one more day my diabetes diagnosis I was just like put this off till tomorrow, right.
Scott Benner 54:58
I kind of told him Because of that, because I think people feel badly. But it's it's in everyone's head like there was no reason for me to not go three days sooner when my wife's like, what are you doing? Like? What's the point of this? You know, at this at this juncture, I'm like, it'll get better, it'll get better. And like, it wasn't getting better. It was getting worse.
Jenna 55:18
So yeah, clear it cleared up with steroids. That's good.
Scott Benner 55:21
Well, Jenna, can I tell you another part of the story? Sure, the pharmacist mistyped the directions on the steroids. So I took a lot of steroids in the first three days that I wasn't supposed to take, apparently, and really kick the crap out of it. But about two and a half days in, I took a hot shower, and I got a hot shower. And I was like, my chest is tight, and my neck is tight. And I was like, what is happening, and I cooled down, and I was okay. And then that made me think about the medication the next morning, and as I was putting them out on the table, getting ready to take three of these tablets in the morning, which I was supposed to be taking. I supposed to be taking two in the morning and two at night. She had me taking three in the morning and three at night. And and so by the way, a local pharmacy it's it's not it's not anybody who's a sponsor, nobody were and. And so as I'm shaking them out on the table, I think I don't have enough to get through this script. And that's the only thing that stopped me didn't thought like, I'm taking too many of these. Then I went back and we straighten it all out. And it you know, it wasn't terrible, but I think it did. It did explain the tightness in my because I like, like, tightness across my neck and my shoulders. I think want my heart just started beating really quickly. And but I'll tell you what, it really kicked the hell out of those lumps. No problem. They weren't even a rash. It was just bumps. They were weird bumps. And it couldn't even Sam are very strange. Anyway, Jenna, what have we not talked about that we should have so far.
Jenna 56:54
I guess there's only one more thing that I kind of wanted to talk about. And I so I always feel like low carb is polarizing amongst the diabetes community. But I do think in regards to exercise, it works really well. Because I always see people posting like, you know, we can't get through recess can't get through gym class. And I think it's kind of the mentality that I've, you know, taken on, like, if I want to go, you know, not even just running, you know, if I want to go do go for a walk at night, go do other, like, you know, exercise, like if I, for example, if I run after work, and I'll eat low carb lunch, which I think is extremely helpful because I don't have a whole bunch of insulin on board. And I can usually get through a run versus if I eat like, you know, pizza for lunch or something that's gonna take some corrections or like extended Bolus or something like that. But I always feel like you know, I can't put myself in team low carb because I don't eat low carb all the time. And I eat pizza, sushi burgers, I'll go out and do that kind of stuff. But if I know I'm planning to exercise later in the day, I think it's really helpful to do like, I do like charcuterie boards or meat, roll up type thing, salad, those kinds of things. I do think it can be helpful in certain situations.
Scott Benner 57:59
So I think I agree with you. And I think that the, the mistake we're all making is he's talking about like, it's like, you just you just made a great point where like, you can say, well, it's easier to like exercise if you're on a low carb lifestyle if you're using insulin. But what you're really saying is, is that I don't use as much insulin because I'm not battling as many carbs and because that I don't have as much active insulin when I'm outside trying to run. So exactly. You could you could probably, I mean, not that this is a apples to apples, but you could probably accomplish the same thing with more carbs if with carb, heavier food, if it was just fewer of them. If you were just using less. And I'm not saying it would it's not easier with a low carb lifestyle. I mean, obviously is. And I also think that the arguments you see online are seasonal. out true. Yeah. Right. So and I don't mean like winter, spring, summer, fall, I mean, eventually, something I've been in this space a long time, eventually something happens that gins people up. And then people come out of the woodwork and scream and yell for a while and then somebody comes out and tells me Don't tell me how to eat and then they fight and then it's over. And then it lingers. And then it's gone. Like I have on my Facebook page, I have like keywords set up, so I know. So we know where troubles about the pop up. Okay. So, so we can kind of keep keep track a little bit. And you'd be amazed that you can go three, four weeks and the word low carb will come up 800 times a day and then all of a sudden it stops for months.
Jenna 59:44
Oh, that's interesting. And it's it makes sense. I do agree with you. I go through periods of time where you see a ton you know popping up on like my Facebook feed for the group or something like that. And then you don't hear about it for a while.
Scott Benner 59:54
Yeah, and I understand I've said this before, and I steadfastly I stick to this. I think It's just people who have found something that works for them. And they're trying desperately to share it with other people. They feel like they've found a secret, you're struggling for no reason they want to tell you now, I've also seen people listen to this podcast who would do the same thing and said, Look, I eat whatever I want. And my one season the fives. And it's because I learned this thing on this podcast, but how to use insulin. The mistake we end up making is thinking that these things are mutually exclusive. Like you either have to eat a bunch of carbs and really know how to use insulin, or you need to eat no carbs and use a low amount of insulin like why can't they all just be skills in a toolbox?
Jenna 1:00:35
That's I agree, I completely agree. So I just feel like low carb is a tool I use when I know I want to do something later in the day. Like, and also, thanks to your podcasts. I think I'm pretty good at using insulin most the time. I mean, I had a terrible Miss last week and eating far. But in general, I can Bolus for like the same pizza place I get pizza from I do a pretty decent job. Like you know coming to exercise later in the day. I know that is not the right lunch to go for you
Unknown Speaker 1:00:59
know, they make pizza in Oklahoma. There's a lot of pizza in Oklahoma isn't any good job. To be honest.
Jenna 1:01:06
There are some good pizza places. I feel like Oklahoma is like lately. Everything is pizza burgers or tacos. Everything that pops up around here.
Scott Benner 1:01:15
Austin just bleeding all over the south. I see what
Jenna 1:01:17
you're talking about. Probably true. Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:01:18
You know, other things. I'm trying to find the girl's name as an example. So some girl with type one is on American Ninja something last night? Yes.
Jenna 1:01:31
All right. I didn't watch it. But I saw about that, you might
Scott Benner 1:01:34
think that we landed on the moon again. If you're, if you're in the diabetes space, you would think we just found a way to like, I don't know, get water to Mars or something like that. Like it's gonna be super easy. We're all gonna leave the planet. It's going to be terrific. If this girl like competed did well and she had diabetes or CGM was out on her arm. And I've, I'm looking at 100 notes. You have to have this person on the podcast. And I'm like, Oh, I mean, one day, maybe, you know, but I what I ended up telling them what she's gonna get inundated by every diabetes like media outlet. And I'm like, I don't want to be a part of that. Like, because they're all just going to ask her the same silly questions and who cares? It's going to be boring. Right? What's their name? Here? If she's hearing this now, six months later, hey, six months later, congratulations, Katie. Bucha is a bone.
Jenna 1:02:27
Bone, I think is what I saw this morning.
Scott Benner 1:02:29
All right. Well, Katie, great job. Very cool. If you want to come on now, that'd be amazing. But I don't I don't want to hear her. Like, I got diabetes. And it was really more of a blessing that like because she doesn't you know what I mean? Like, I like people to have distance between their story and telling it. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. And so anyway, but that's not the point. The point is this happen. And now if you look at the diabetes space, today, tomorrow, the next day, it's all going to be about this girl. Which cool, I'm good with. But it's sort of just like the thing with the low carb like, you, you like the fire and then people are focused on it. And then then they give up a little bit, and then it goes away. And then I you know, I I one time misspoken a celiac episode, and you know, people online for days, we're like, Scott, you said the wrong thing. And I'm like, Okay, well, I'm like, we'll fix it, you know, and, and it becomes the most important thing in the world again, because the celiac example these people, they know something I didn't know. And it was very simple like apparently something like called like quiet celiac or something like that, where you're still you're getting the damage, but you don't have any of the symptoms. And I was talking to this guy who was really stressing out about his kids celiac diagnosis. And I said, it he was talking about he was very fixed on a cupcake talking about a cupcake at a birthday party. And I finally said, like, I made birthday parties just kick go to exactly, you know, and he's like, not many Oh, my God, just let her have a cupcake. And boy, people who understand silent celiac were like, no, like, okay, like, Tell me about it. We'll go back on and we did I had somebody on we had a nice conversation about it, like, whole thing. It's, you know, how people learn, but it's not like, but that episode still gets downloaded all the time, but I don't hear about it anymore. Okay, you know what I mean? It's just the interest rate. It's interesting how things ebb and flow on social media. That is true. But it because I've seen I and I also believe that the low carb wars that I've seen online are not as aggressive as aggressive as I've seen them five years ago. Oh, that's good. Yeah. So hopefully people just live and let live and
Jenna 1:04:45
yeah, we're all in this together. You know,
Scott Benner 1:04:48
share your thing and and let people pick I love the podcast for that reason. I think there's a ton of different information in here. You can take his whatever bit of it you want and use it and make your own thing You know what I mean?
Jenna 1:05:01
Oh, yeah, I've learned so much from it or Pro Tip series, definitely recommend that.
Scott Benner 1:05:06
You want to say something really nice to me and you're just you're embarrassed.
Jenna 1:05:10
No, it just helped me a lot. It's I feel like when I was first diagnosed, I was like, kind of distraught. And I couldn't even absorb what my endo was telling me. So, you know, she's great. And she, I'm fortunate because she, I mean, she loves my Loei. When see, it's not like a lot of the things I read about online with these endos who aren't as supportive, but I just was like, not mentally able to absorb it. I was supposed to do so well with this insulin. So I feel like I learned a ton from the podcasts. I can, you know, listen to it, you know, once I was kind of ready to start trying to learn to manipulate things, and you know,
Unknown Speaker 1:05:42
nice. That's excellent. How long did it take you to run the Boston Marathon?
Jenna 1:05:47
So that was not a good marathon for me. I was poorly trained. So that one took me three, I think 359 or 358, something like that. But the one I my fastest marathon ever is still the one that was 11 days after I got diagnosed diabetes. I did that. 323 I think is what it was.
Scott Benner 1:06:07
Wow. That's it. You know, if you wouldn't have told me I wouldn't have known one way or the other what the number meant or didn't mean you could have just been like 350 I would have been like That's amazing.
Jenna 1:06:17
Oh, it's I mean, it's not a bad marathon time just wasn't was not my best marathon. I was. I had some issues my shoe cracked like it was crazy. Like the heel of my shoe. The foam like really? Like cracked. Yeah, it was like literally my right heel was like flapping around. So that was obviously a distraction.
Scott Benner 1:06:36
Curse by any chance Jenner when
Unknown Speaker 1:06:37
that happened? Oh, I'm
Jenna 1:06:39
sure I did. I was mad. I noticed that a mile 16 is not a long ways to go still.
Scott Benner 1:06:45
I'm stalking you on Facebook now. And you went to my nephew's college is out right now. Oh, did I really? Don't say it out loud. But yeah, you did. Yeah. That's nice. That's really nice. Do you have other marathons in your future?
Jenna 1:07:01
Yeah, honestly, I have nothing scheduled right now. But Philadelphia is the week before Thanksgiving. So I may try to get through that one. That's the first one I ever did back in 2013. So I thought maybe I'll return to it.
Scott Benner 1:07:13
Yeah, that's nice. You go to Chickies. And Pete's while you're here, too.
Jenna 1:07:15
I could. Yeah. I love the Philadelphia marathons. It's pretty cool. The first half goes downtown, the second half like Alamanni on comeback, but it's pretty nice. Well on the water. You do? It's like it's yeah, basically it's on Kelly drive. I think if I remember correctly, that like shut it down. Yeah. Oh, that would be
Scott Benner 1:07:33
nice. Hey, where do your parents flock to when it gets hot in Oklahoma?
Jenna 1:07:37
So they have a beach house in the like very southern tip of Delaware. Like Ocean City, Maryland. Fenwick Island. Okay. Yeah. Right. By Rojava.
Scott Benner 1:07:46
Yeah. So they're running from the heat, right? Or they want to know,
Jenna 1:07:50
lucky them. I'm jealous. I was like, 104 here last weekend. And there. There was time. It was like in the 60s there. So
Scott Benner 1:07:58
is that manageable for like, how does that change your diabetes? Does that impact like your basil and stuff? Where do you see the do you see the algorithm doing more work in the heat?
Jenna 1:08:06
Yeah, it does, actually. So I have I'm, like, need more insulin and when it's hot, and I drop when it's cold, but I don't know if that's the same for everybody. I do find that with Arden.
Scott Benner 1:08:17
So, Jenny, it's funny when I bring this up with Jenny, there's a finding diabetes or variables episode, excuse me about temperature. And Jenny thinks about it. Like, interestingly, like she's like, if you go out in the cold, you shiver, and that burns energy. And I'm like, Really, and and there's some people as they like, you get in the shower and the heat up and my blood sugar drops and people some people say I get in the shower and I heat up my blood sugar goes up. So obviously it's not very scientific. But I did see I do see people having to readjust their Basal during the summertime. Now does that become? Is it about hydration? Like do you get dehydrated and your insulin doesn't work as well? Or?
Unknown Speaker 1:08:59
I don't know. I don't know. I don't
Jenna 1:09:01
know either. It's I joke that like at Christmas, I could just go stand outside in the cold after eat all this junk and my blood sugar would go down, you know, but mine spikes every day if I take a hot shower, which I just consider using as my Pre-Bolus for breakfast because you know my loop will ramp up my basil a little bit. So
Scott Benner 1:09:18
that's interesting. So you jump in the shower your blood sugar goes up the loop gets aggressive and then you're ahead of breakfast a little bit.
Jenna 1:09:25
Yeah, that's so actually breakfast right after that.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:28
How well does the loop do with that?
Scott Benner 1:09:29
That that shower spike, where does it take? Where does it hold you?
Jenna 1:09:33
I mean, it doesn't usually spike me like too high but like, probably 20 points, which I mean loop will react to that. But if I open the loop, that spike comes down on its own. I mean, I don't have time to mess with that every morning. I'm opening the loop, so it's fine. You know, I just basically Pre-Bolus My breakfast or my coffee. But yeah, I do notice that every single day so I think I'm really sensitive to temperature.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:56
What's your blood sugar target and loop
Jenna 1:09:59
100 Oh no on loop. Sorry. It's a like, I think 86 to 98 or something like that.
Scott Benner 1:10:04
has one of those weird like ones to look at you? Like? Yeah,
Jenna 1:10:10
yeah. 8696 actually what is now? I think it was 98. I changed it a few weeks ago.
Scott Benner 1:10:14
Yeah, Origins is right in that range to use an auto Bolus or the other branch. No, I
Unknown Speaker 1:10:21
use auto Bolus Ivens or
Scott Benner 1:10:23
Pete's?
Jenna 1:10:26
Oh, no, I don't know the answer to that. Whenever you APs. Wait, no, not free APs.
Scott Benner 1:10:33
As frequently is free pap s, but I'm even thinking of, there are so many different names of different things.
Jenna 1:10:39
I know. I know. That's why I was so nervous. I had to rebuild in February. And I was like, literally dreading it. And it was so easy. So I don't want to discourage anybody from trying. Whoop, because it really is not that hard. It's just the idea behind it sounds stressful.
Scott Benner 1:10:53
Yeah, no, it's this is very interesting. All right, Jenna, you were great. I can't tell. Did you have a good time?
Jenna 1:11:01
I did hope I wasn't. So hopefully I talked enough for you. Oh, are you kidding?
Unknown Speaker 1:11:04
You're quiet.
Scott Benner 1:11:05
Okay. No, you were terrific. I just thought I'm, like, there were times where I felt like you wanted to say stuff you didn't say. And then I was like, am I running a rover? I couldn't figure it out. But you're in your 30s you can fight for yourself. So?
Jenna 1:11:18
Oh, no, I don't think so. I I think I got out everything I wanted to say.
Scott Benner 1:11:21
Excellent. That's cool. So you're happy with this?
Jenna 1:11:26
I'm very happy. Yeah. Excellent. Thanks for having me on.
Scott Benner 1:11:28
No, are you kidding? It was terrific. I
appreciate you want to do it. I'm flabbergasted that anybody wants to run anywhere. So like I'm looking at, like, there's still a picture up like on a different monitor. I'm still like looking at your stuff. And it's just a photo of people crossing the finish line. I was like, Oh my God, what? What happened to those people to do what to do? And then I think the same thing me like, why don't I want to do this?
Jenna 1:11:52
Oh, you know, you gotta like it. Because running is a time consuming sport, especially marathon training. But it's probably that type A personality and makes first i It was a bucket list item in 2013 when I ran Philly. And then I was like, Well, if I could finish, I could probably get faster than I was going to probably qualify for Boston. And so that's, you know, went down that rabbit hole. So here we are, I've done five marathons with type one diabetes, so
Scott Benner 1:12:16
I do anything else anymore. Do you do anything else falls similarly into that category. Aside from running.
Jenna 1:12:22
I go to like spin class sometimes, but not that often. Because honestly, I run with this group. So it's social. So I don't like to miss out. So I got to show up every morning. You know, my friends are there we run from a Starbucks, we run and get coffee. So maybe I am crazy that I'm sitting there at Starbucks, you know, like, 545 in the morning when I could be in bed. But you know, it's fun.
Scott Benner 1:12:43
No, I listen, I'm mostly joking. I think it's amazing that you have a thing that you like, I love that you're setting goals. And I think everyone should do that. I think physical activity is incredibly important. I think people are happier when they're active. I think that insulin works better when you're active. There are a number of reasons, aside of diabetes, that you'd want to be active like this, and there are a number of reasons with diabetes that you would want to so I think it's great. I just listen, it's just one. It's just one person that sticks in my head that, you know, it's probably hurting more than it is about running. But
Jenna 1:13:16
yeah, I know that I know the type you're talking about. Yeah, definitely don't fall in that category.
Scott Benner 1:13:21
I'm gonna stop for the recording and I'm gonna tell you one more thing. Okay. Okay, thanks so much. Sure. Yep.
A huge thanks to Jennifer for coming on the show today. And I'd also like to thank you, us Med and remind you to go to us med.com forward slash juice box or call 888-721-1514 to get your diabetes supplies the way we do from us med. And don't forget to check out touched by type one.org touched by type one just invited me to come back and speak at their next event. And I said yes, you should check out their website and see when it is touched by type one.org. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast and don't forget to check out the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes
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#857 Four Time Olympian
Kris Freeman has type 1 diabetes and is a four time Olympic cross country skier. This is his third appearance on the podcast.
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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 857 of the Juicebox Podcast
Chris Freeman is back on the podcast today Chris has type one diabetes. He's a multi sport athlete and a four time Olympic cross country skier. 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.
Hey, if you're a US resident who has type one diabetes, or is the caregiver of someone with type one, can you please take the T one D exchange survey for me? It will take you fewer than 10 minutes completely HIPAA compliant, absolutely anonymous, simple questions about diabetes, T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. These answers that you'll give help diabetes research. They significantly help you can be a part of that right from your sofa, T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox.
This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries G voc hypo pen. Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash Juicebox Podcast is also sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter contour next.com forward slash juicebox best meter I've ever used or held. I'm holding up my hand to whatever you it is you swear to like you know when they put your hand on the Bible and the courtroom you're like I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, not the truth. So yeah, Contour Next One. I love a contour meter contour next.com forward slash juicebox. There are links in the show notes of the audio app you're using right now. And links at juicebox podcast.com to G vo Capo pen, contour, and all of the sponsors. I am
Kris Freeman 2:23
Chris Freeman at diabetes for over half my life now I'm 42 years old. But I've had a pretty good run with it. I've skied in four Olympics, cross country skiing, I've done some Ironman triathlons, I've got a awesome family. So diabetes has not kept me from doing what I want to do. It's just made it
Scott Benner 2:48
interesting. Interesting. So funny word. You are saying those words and at an interesting time, because last week, I put out an episode where I talk to a therapist about that phrase that people say diabetes doesn't stop me. And we talked about how it's kind of a, like a two pronged thing. There are some people I've witnessed, say it and what they mean is, I'm on top of it, my blood sugars are great, you know, blah, blah, blah, I'm living a healthy life. diabetes doesn't stop me. And some people say, from the perspective of like, well, things aren't going great. But, you know, I still went out, I still did this thing I do the things I do. And even though my agency is blah, blah, blah, I don't let diabetes stop me. That's interesting. You know,
Kris Freeman 3:37
I've definitely noticed that too, you know, with all my travels to various diabetes events and stuff, I hear that as well. And you get some people that, you know, it doesn't stop me I went to this event I passed out. And I ended up in the ER, but it doesn't stop me. And I'm not, you know, I'm not I'm not going to judge anyone for not being able to manage their disease because it is a difficult disease to manage. But to me, it sounds like it did stop you.
Scott Benner 4:04
Yeah, no, it's just it's and we talked all through the different perspectives and why someone why it's still a great feeling to have, like, I'm not I'm choosing the most generous side of it by thinking that people are saying, even though this thing is difficult, and I am not doing what I wouldn't want to be doing with it. I haven't given up like I I'm kind of leaning into that idea, but you're just you're just an interesting person because you're incredibly athletic. And you're, you know, a healthy eater, I think probably to say the least, you're a photo of you with a Amit wearing it on the partner Dexcom. If I google your name, and diabetes and look at photos, the picture on my website from 2014 still comes up first. Because I think it was so impactful for people to see somebody as lean as you are wearing those devices and how I think success with them. Well, I
Kris Freeman 5:01
should maybe send you an updated photo.
Scott Benner 5:04
Things gotten away, Chris.
Kris Freeman 5:06
No, no, no, I'm actually, I'm actually still really fit. But we got to get the the Omni pod five up on on. Yeah,
Scott Benner 5:14
that's a good I bought the old one, I imagine that's still there, probably the original pot on you back then. But you know, it's just, you've always you've been on the podcast twice, you're on the 26th episode of the podcast, and you'll this one will probably be in the late eight hundreds. And you're on again a couple of years later. But I've always just enjoyed talking about diabetes with you because you have a very sort of no bullshit view of it. And I've always appreciated that.
Kris Freeman 5:45
I very much do have a No BS view of it. I mean, you you either manage it to the best of your ability, and it impacts your life to a minimum, or you ignore it to your detriment. Yeah.
Scott Benner 6:00
And you've never been afraid to say it. And I always I've always thought that you're, you're helping people when you do that. So I'm my first question that's been on my mind, since I knew we were going to talk is how do you how do you go from, like being in for Olympics, and that being your world and your life and what you train for and what you think about to not doing it anymore, like is the transition difficult.
Kris Freeman 6:27
Um, the transition was difficult, for sure, and I managed it by jumping pretty much right into another sport. So I was able to get some sponsors to go into triathlon. And with the goal of going to the World Championships, which I did. So I didn't train as much as I did for cross country skiing. But I had a coach, I had a training plan. And that really helped me with the transition out of full time skiing. Because it was familiar to just suddenly not do anything. I don't know how I could have handled that. But I'm also a little different in that I've had teammates from the US Ski Team that retire and they say, Oh, my God, it's so nice not to have a training plan anymore. I don't wake up and worry about training. And I don't really relate to that. If I hadn't gotten older, I would still be doing it. Yeah. I love to doing it. And I love training. I love ski racing. But you know, your body does doesn't respond to training at 42 and your maximal ability start to decline. And you can't We can't compete at the Olympic level anymore. Right. So
Scott Benner 7:42
yeah, I mean, it meant more to me, because I watched lasts. Well, last summer, we were at what ended up being my son's last collegiate baseball game. But as the game starts that day, you don't think that's the last game, right? They could have gone on it looked like they were going to. And I experienced something the game ended. And my first thought was, I didn't know that last at bat would be his last at bat. Or I would have I don't know what I thought next. But I felt like I would have enjoyed it differently or looked at it. I don't know exactly. But to me, it was just part of the game. And they were going to play again two days later. And then it hit me I was like, Oh my gosh, like this is it. And I looked around for him. And I couldn't I couldn't see him anywhere. He wasn't in the dugout, he wasn't on the field. He wasn't you know, surrounding the field. And I finally found him in the parking lot, like sitting on a curb. And just he was staring out into space. And I'm always gonna wonder what he was thinking about that, you know, after having done this thing, not not at the Olympic level, but since he was four years old, and I don't know, I just thought I thought of you about that.
Kris Freeman 8:59
I did some staring into space for sure. Yeah. I also, I also in 2018 was my last official pro ski race. And I you know, I told my coach I told my wife that yeah, I don't think I'm ever ski race again because you know, I only want to do this at the highest level I can achieve I don't want to go in and kind of half acid. But then of course it snowed in New England super early the next year and I had skiing at Thanksgiving and I went out and ski and I'm like oh this is fun.
Scott Benner 9:35
I remember this
Kris Freeman 9:37
and then I was skiing a lot and I nationals was in Vermont that year and I called up my old coach and said I think I'm gonna show up and so I showed up in 2019 and I just off of you know residual fitness I got third at Nationals. Well, maybe I will race with diminished abilities as I go on because I still really love it.
Scott Benner 10:00
You know, well, you know, to your point, my son just left a few weeks ago, he moved to Atlanta to take a job. And we're packing up his car. And I saw a baseball glove in his car. And I thought, what the hell's he gonna do with that? And now like, I don't know, like, I don't know if he'll ever touch it, or if he just brought it because he felt like, I'd never go anywhere without this thing. You know, like, but it was a it was an interesting thing. I actually we, as we were packing him up, he forgot something in the basement. And he and I went down together to get it and his, his, his bag was there, the bag he takes to his games, it has all this crap in it, you know. And he saw it, unzip. And he bent down and repacked it the way I'd seen him pack it like a million times and he sipped it up and just kind of picked it up and then sat it back down again. Like he was leaving it there, but taking care of it one more time before he left you know, and I was hard not to cry Chris but then watching him live those next months and reorder his life and and find other things that was that was interesting and and kind of heartwarming, actually. It was hard to watch him go through it but it felt good to watch him succeed and and get that I've seen you do a number of things over the last couple of years and I always have I mean, you're not my son but I always have warm feelings like that about oh, look Chris's, I don't know why he's running over this big thing and down a slide or whatever the hell he's doing. But like That looks fun. And, and it's nice to know that you're that you're still doing stuff. How do you make a living, though? Like that fascinates me. Like I imagined as a as an Olympic athlete. Their sponsorship. But how do you do it? Like what are you doing right now?
Kris Freeman 11:52
I don't make as good a living, not being an Olympic athlete. I did have some sponsors for triathlons and for adventure racing. But I'm also looking for more sponsors, for sure. I think keep it going. It it's it's really it's fun for me to do these to do these other events. Like when I was when I was competing, only in skiing. I wanted to do these bizarre races like I think I sent you a paper I wrote about the infernal pentathlon. Yep. And, you know, I look at that, and I couldn't really do it while I was training full time, because I could get hurt, I couldn't really prepare for it. But I really wanted to do it and that for your listeners, I mean, it's this insane race with a long history on Mount Washington, which is the largest peak in the on the East Coast. And it starts with a six mile fat bike, a six mile cross country ski a five mile traverse snowshoe and then you skin slash hike skinning is when you put skins on the basis of your skis and you hike up a steep hill, or four miles to the top of the head wall on Mount Washington and you ski back down to the parking lot. Wow. And when I first saw that event, you know, of course, one of my first thoughts is oh god, how am I going to manage this with blood sugar? What are what are the things? And that those thoughts motivate me because, well, I can figure this out. And it's never also like, I can figure out how to finish it. It's like, No, I can finish it, I can figure out how to dose myself for this race. And when the thing and those that's just my competitive nature, and it's it used to be about proving to myself that I was still okay, even though I had diabetes, and now I can appreciate it more. It's just the challenge.
Scott Benner 13:54
Well, how do you do something like that? Like, you know, I mean, just why don't we like go back just to cross country skiing for a second, then we'll get back to the thing that sounded insane that you just said about walking up a mountain whiskies on this game back. But just to get up in the morning and go train. Is it a similarity? You keep your meals the same? You keep your nutrition the same? Or is it adjusting to what's happening with your body day to day? I mean, how would you characterize because being able to train is the most important thing, right? Like if you show up and your blood sugars are too high, you're not going to obviously have the success that you need. And if they're too low, you can't do this thing. So and you have to train so how do you make sure that you're where you want to be?
Kris Freeman 14:37
Um, well, I'm, I've where the Dexcom GS six, so I have a very constant idea of where my blood sugars are at. And I never let them get very far out of range, using the I've only been using the deck the Omnipod. Five now for about a month. Besides that, I only had a very short dalliance with a automated system, I used some of the, you know, the off market software, but I'm not particularly adept at software and so I got off of it. But when I'm training twice a day, it's not a it's not a spontaneous thing. It's not Oh, I'm gonna train now it's there's a, there's a prep from a few hours beforehand to make sure that the sugars are right, and I'm eating the right thing that I don't have too much insulin on board that's going to drive me low. You know, I eat a snack right before I go out, I carry nutrition when I'm out there. And then for the second session, I do it all over again. So
Scott Benner 15:40
it's about eating at a time where, excuse me, prior to the training, there's no activates, you want the active insulin from the previous meal to be done before you head outside.
Kris Freeman 15:53
Either that or I want to have very little active insulin. And so you know, if, if I, you know, I can't, I can't live my life completely revolved around training anymore with a four year old and other obligations anymore. So if I want to train in the morning, I would get up and eat a very breakfast very high on protein, take a small Bolus so that there isn't Bolus driving me down when I go out 30 minutes later, and carry some carb with me while I'm going. That kind of finishes the meal as I'm out there and offsets the insulin on board.
Scott Benner 16:30
Oh, that's interesting. And when you What do you carry with you that like, while you're training? Is it like dense things? Like, like, I don't know, like nutrition bars? Or what do you do?
Kris Freeman 16:42
Well, pretty much the only time I eat simple carbs is when I'm working out, like, you know. So, you know, Google packet gels, sport beans, anything, anything that's just basically straight up sugar. Yeah. Because at that point, if the sugar is dropping, you don't want it to be a slow rise, right? I eat the complex carbs, when I'm going to be sitting around for a while or recovering from my workout. Or when I'm out there. It's it's simple, refined sugars. And generally it's you know, it's, it doesn't really matter the brand, it's some type of power bar, Clif Bar type thing.
Scott Benner 17:22
Because of your unique situation, that the way you explain it is so clear. And then when you try to apply that back into a regular person's life, where you hear like, I went to my soccer practice, or my kids soccer practice, and they always get low there, they always go Hi, this thing, or I realized that they're trying to make they want diabetes to fit into their schedule, and you're fitting diabetes into the schedule. Like I don't know if that makes sense, or not, like you're taking it into account as you're setting up your day. And I think other people can sometimes want it just to work, like, and I understand why, like, don't get me wrong, like, it's it's a lot to plan for, and you have kids running around, and where you're an adult who's leaving work and thinks like, maybe I could catch a workout here, you know, like, like, real quickly, you don't plan for it. But then even when that happens, that's when simple sugars come into play, and you kind of buoy yourself if you're getting low in those situations.
Kris Freeman 18:21
Yeah, I repeat many times people that the spontaneity is not something that is friendly with diabetes. I can be spontaneous, but it will often mean Eating More Sugar than I wanted to. or not being able to do something later in the day because of what it will impact my diabetes to do something spontaneously active. Yeah. So it's my days are very planned. And then, you know, I even plan playing with my son, you know, if we're okay, we're gonna, we have a half a mile trail down to our playground at the local elementary school, you know, I will plan for that, because I'm gonna have to chase them all through the woods and make sure he doesn't fall off the jungle gym and then carry it back up the hill. And then I'm going to want to go train again. So what I eat, when I eat and how much insulin I have on board is all very planned. And I found that you know, using the automated system, frequently during the day, I'm going back to manual, as opposed to automated because it it can't predict what I'm going to do two hours from now. And if I'm slightly high, I don't want to have it kicking in extra insulin that I'm unaware of that is going to then drive me low or poor surprise me when I'm working out.
Scott Benner 19:52
That's an interesting point is that you can't tell any automated system. I'm going for that walk with my kid two hours from now. So it's it's an thinking the moment and with its eye on keeping stability, not knowing it's coming. Have you tried the activity mode? On it? Yeah, yeah. It's not fast enough for when you make the decision to go or?
Kris Freeman 20:13
Well, I mean, my activity is pretty active.
Scott Benner 20:16
I think that's the other thing. We're not talking about Christmas. And I think you're active in a way that most of us aren't. So, I mean, like intensity. I guess it should be my
Kris Freeman 20:25
I mean, the activity mode. Yeah, that would work for going down to the playground for my son that doesn't that doesn't work for swimming 3000 meters and then going for a 12 mile run.
Scott Benner 20:35
Right? Right. That's two different things. But it is I'll tell you, it's nice to be able to.
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it's nice to be able to do that to let the the algorithm do what it's going to do and then if you get to a point where you're like I don't I think I've zigzag too quick for this thing I'll just go back to what I normally do and then go back for it you're probably sleeping much better on an algorithm
Kris Freeman 24:04
right away I mean I I would just like you I keep the numbers really tight and those the alarms just once or twice every night I'd wake I would wake up correct go back to sleep and I would say so and I've probably only been woken by an alarm four times in the last month
Scott Benner 24:26
wow that's great. That's such a big deal and people just you know it's it's that slow loss that you have when you when diabetes comes into your world and then at first you're like oh it's okay I you know I'm losing like an hour sleep I'll be alright or and you think you are but man six months a year into it. You don't realize how you've declined from not sleeping regularly. It's just it's difficult and it's not good for your health on top of everything else. So yeah, I would say number one thing you get out of an algorithm any of them honestly sleeping overnight, such a great such Great part of it, and the good.
Kris Freeman 25:03
I was just gonna say, Yeah, I've been very, that my hope was that it would really aid with my sleeping when I switched to it. And it has. And the other was that it would be a pretty seamless transition transition to go back between automated and manual. And it's very simple. Yeah. Um, so I've been pretty happy with that as well.
Scott Benner 25:18
It's excellent. Very cool. Are you so you're going to have to hold off on G seven Dexcom. Until Ali pod five works with it?
Kris Freeman 25:28
Um, I guess so. That appears to be the case, I'd like to get on the seventh as soon as possible. And, you know, whenever Omni pod has sent me a little evaluations of their new system as keep this thing up to date with the latest tech. I mean, come on. Sevens have been development for years. And
Scott Benner 25:52
they're working. I think it's, I mean, I can't say I'm not allowed. I don't I should say that. I don't know anything. But it's my you know, it's my anticipation that it it all. It'll happen as absolutely fast as it can. But yeah,
Kris Freeman 26:07
I also want an iOS system. I do not want to buy an Android phone. But I might have to
Scott Benner 26:11
Yeah, no, I agree. It's funny to how I'm in every walk of life. That's an issue. I was looking at some technology the other day, I think it was like a somebody who was flying a drone. And their phone was the screen to the drone. I was like, That's really interesting. And like, show that to me, and they're showing to me. And they said, I switched from this drone to this drone, because it didn't have one of the I forget which one it was one of the other phones didn't work with it. And I thought, Man, that's interesting. That's, that's a issue, like across the board, I guess. Like not, I always just think of it as the things that impact my life. But there's something I have no knowledge of, and they have the same problem. The guys over there, like I wish it would just work with this phone. And I'm like, I don't know, like, it just, it's got to stop at some point being a problem. Like I mean, I don't know, I guess I don't understand the technology behind it or why it is an issue. But I agree with you. iOS would be amazing for for Omnipod 500%. So what I don't you I'm going to ask you the same question. I asked a lot of people in this I think I know your answer already. But I want to ask anyway. Do you think at all about getting your son tested? Like through trial net? Do you ever think about that? Have you done it?
Kris Freeman 27:30
I have not done it? I do think about it.
Scott Benner 27:34
You guys ever talked about it seriously?
Kris Freeman 27:38
Well, I will talk we were thinking more waiting till he was about six years old. For now take a look at
Scott Benner 27:46
it. And then how would you see that? Would you see it as like if you know, great, there's no auto antibodies terrific? Or if there are, we'll know what to look for, like, what's the feeling inside when you try to decide to do that?
Kris Freeman 28:01
Well, I mean, if there's if there's signs that he's gonna get diabetes, I mean, I would want to know, so that I could do everything I could to prevent it. What? What is, the feeling would be anxiety. You know, I've obviously learned to manage this disease quite well, but I would never wish it on anyone, let alone my son. So
Scott Benner 28:27
yeah, that well, that's, that's the thing right there. Right. Like, just because you're you found your way with it doesn't mean a no problem. And I've just heard people talk about it. And some people like I don't want to know if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. I don't want to worry about it the whole time. I say, well, don't you worry about it anyway.
Kris Freeman 28:48
Yeah, I'm with you. I'm already worried about it. Yeah.
Scott Benner 28:51
Yeah. How would you not think about that, right. So I, I'm in the camp of I'd like to know, and especially with the TCL drug that just got approved from the FDA and the work they're doing with putting off diagnosis for people, just seems like knowing would be a would be the way to go. But I was just interested in how you felt about it. Also,
Kris Freeman 29:10
for my own transition, I was diagnosed so early on, you probably know the story already, but to recount it, I was training with the US Ski Team in Park City, and they gave fasting glucose tests to see how we were handling recovery. You know, so all my teammates are between 70 and 90, and mine comes back at 240. Which, actually, they didn't even tell me but that the first time it was like now if that was an error in the test. Like two months later, I was 270. And I got diagnosed, but at the time of my diagnosis, my agency was only 17.
Scott Benner 29:50
Well, all that activity was probably helping you right? Oh, for sure. Yeah.
Kris Freeman 29:56
But because I was diagnosed so early, it also really helped with transition because I still was in the honeymoon phase for a long time before I was fully dependent,
Scott Benner 30:06
yeah. And you looking back, you appreciate that that honeymoon took a while or because you hear some people talking about both ways, like people with little kids are like, I would just like it to be consistent. You know, I don't want diabetes to come full force right away, but at least it would be consistent then. But for you, I'm wondering,
Kris Freeman 30:24
um, for me, it was it was kind of it helped for sure. You know that. It took some of the some of the pressure off of managing because it helped. The downside was that I was constantly adjust, adjust adjusting doses. from month to month from year to year. What worked here before didn't work anymore. But overall, it helped to still have some of my own insulin production.
Scott Benner 30:53
How old were you at that point?
Kris Freeman 30:56
I was diagnosed just for my 20th
Scott Benner 30:59
birthday. So was that your first Olympics your training for or where were you in your career?
Kris Freeman 31:05
So I had competed in three World Junior Championships. At that point, I was heavily recruited by college, and I decided to go to University of Vermont. I went there for a year on a sports scholarship. And then the US Ski Team offered a residency program leading up to the 20 to the 2002 Olympics in Park City. And I decided to do that. And it was within four months of moving there that I got diagnosed. Wow. So I was initially kicking myself because my scholarship would have been guaranteed. And the US Ski Team, if you don't ski fast, you're gone. There's, there's no, there's no empathy there. So I was certainly feeling the pressure. Yeah.
Scott Benner 32:02
What's the first time you put a pump on? How old were you then?
Kris Freeman 32:06
I used in jet. So I was diagnosed in 2000. And I you I switched to Omni pod in 2008.
Scott Benner 32:13
Okay, so you did MDI for seven or eight years,
Kris Freeman 32:16
then? Yeah, that was all but I was doing it in a way most people don't. I was taking probably at least a dozen shots a day.
Scott Benner 32:26
You were might you were acting like a pump with it with a syringe.
Kris Freeman 32:30
Yes, constant, constant corrective boluses. I was. I was using rapid acting insulin, but I was also using Lantis. On occasion, I will use Atlantis and NPH at night, because I didn't want to have that much Lantis going through the day. It became as the honeymoon phase ended, it became more and more complicated.
Scott Benner 32:54
Yeah. So a science experiment there for a while. I have to just I have to comment that you like you're aging. So well. You look exactly like when I met you. I've embarrassed that at how I look versus how you look at right now. Like I just seriously, I if you were 12 feet away from me, I think that guy's 25.
Kris Freeman 33:19
Well, thank you. I appreciate that.
Scott Benner 33:21
It seems like you're doing really well. I mean, it's a lot, right. Like it's a lot of activity, which guests helps with that. But still it's it's hard on your body? I would imagine skiing can't be easy on you. And then the diabetes on top of that. Are you seeing any ill effects of the diabetes at this point your life or?
Kris Freeman 33:38
I have I have no written up the I know that a doctor has not told me that I got any long term issues developing from diabetes at this point. Also, I've also, aside from you know, the 7.2 that I had a diagnosis I have never recorded and a one C above seven. Yeah, in 20 years. So. So I don't know, how many diabetics are out there that have done that. And I'd really like to know, where are the numbers that are going to contribute to long term problems? Yeah. is below a seven. Enough is below six. Where's the target? And then of course, there's going to be individualism in that.
Scott Benner 34:36
Yeah. No, I think that's a question that runs in everyone's mind. Like, because I get asked it a lot. Like, where's Okay, where how high is too high or how it lows? You know, that's the other question people are like, well, how low should I go? You know, people want to know, like, if I have a low blood sugar, am I okay? If it's, you know, 65 for a couple of minutes if it's this like it's it's always that, that desire to just be Have a goal in mind, you know, I think is this important and studies come out and they go back and forth, and they vary with their answers. And then technology gets better. And, you know, we start talking about time and range the last two years, which isn't something anybody really spoke about before, then. It's a, I mean, it's to me, it sounds like you're doing fantastic.
Kris Freeman 35:23
I remember, I remember hearing about the time and range thing probably 15 years ago. So it doesn't matter what your agency is, it's the time in range. And the doctor just kept ranting on this isn't just common sense.
Scott Benner 35:40
Right? If my if my a one C six and a half, wouldn't I mostly be in range?
Kris Freeman 35:46
If my blood sugar is always 50, or 250? Wouldn't that not be good?
Scott Benner 35:51
Yeah, well, that well, yeah, but you'd be surprised how many people you know trick there a one C test, basically, by being very low, and then alternating with being high and low. And then this test, of course, comes back just showing you a you know, immediate number, and you're like, Oh, my one C six. And, but but more, I guess that it is important to be talking about because more and more I do hear people say my A onesies lower, but I'm not coming upon it. Honestly, I know that. And you know, so maybe they education did work for that. But it's just it's an interesting idea that the way they used to talk about it versus now and that I mean, you've been through some management. You know, you weren't super old when you got it or it wasn't such a long time ago, but you had a little mph in there, but you were never mph and regular. You never were in that. In that mindset, I would think you're doing great. You know,
Kris Freeman 36:43
I never had to use regular. My first two insulins I was prescribed was humulin Hema login mph. And then as soon as Lantus came out, I ditched the MPH
Scott Benner 36:56
is Lance is all you used for those eight years.
Kris Freeman 37:00
Like I said earlier, I used mph at night a little bit too. In in conjunction with the Lantis. Yeah, because I didn't want if a big enough dose of Lantis to keep me in range during night would drive me low during the day when I was working out. Right.
Scott Benner 37:16
But you never made it to like the modern ones like Joseba, or those you weren't injecting at that point.
Kris Freeman 37:22
By the time recibo was a thing I was using the Omnipod get Gotcha.
Scott Benner 37:29
Does your I'm always interested in a married situation, how much interaction does your spouse have with your diabetes? Like from none to a lot? Where do you think
Kris Freeman 37:43
she's very good about thinking and thinking about it and understanding when I have to do things because of it. She's always there to flick my syringe before I fill up my pod, you know, if I want to wear it on my back, she'll put it there. She's really good about that. But at the same time, I do my best to not have it impact my family. And the way to do that is to be in range as much as I can. Yeah.
Scott Benner 38:13
Do you have give what you would consider a fuelling style? Like, is there a way you eat? You know, some people are low carb, like, you know, vegetarian? Like, is there a way you eat? Or do you just eat what you want, but know how to
Kris Freeman 38:28
tailor my diet to my activity level. Okay, so on a day when I'm not training, which is rare, Ollie, higher protein, lower carb and lower calorie, I'll try to match my calories to what I'm burning. And then on a day, and then if I'm training a lot in successive days, I will gradually increase the amount of carbohydrate to replace it. Because as the glycogen stores get burned off, the you become that much more sensitive to the insulin in the system. And I can I'm burning that much more carbon. Yeah,
Scott Benner 39:06
you're making me think of watching my son to when he got home from when he got home from college. He, you know, in between his years, he was always training. And even at the end, you know, there's a couple of months there where he just kept going, like, I think out of like, just habit, like he just kept training because it's what he did. But on days when he was going to work out on a baseball field and lift at the same time, there's times I'd look over at him and he'd have a bowl with like pasta, and you know, like there was protein on the side. And he's chicken and I'm like, How could you eat all that and it's like, I don't even want all this, I just I need this or I start losing weight or you know, it was interesting to watch that happen because I don't think most people actually if we all thought about it a little more like that it might be valuable for some of us, but it was interesting to watch him do that. The diabetes is
Kris Freeman 39:58
really instant feedback. Back on whether I'm fueling enough or not, you know, if a suddenly my regular Basal insulin dose is driving me low, I'm probably a little bit carbohydrate deprived and vice versa. I'm driving up, then I'm probably eating too many carbs for my activity level. Yeah. But as far as do I follow a diet, I don't follow a paleo thing or a super low carb diet. But I avoid processed foods like the play. Yeah. But there's the last thing I want to eat. It's it really is getting foods in their natural form. The body just breaks them down. It's more predictable. And it I don't like use the word using the word healthier, but I believe it is healthier. Yeah.
Scott Benner 40:49
Well, you're not a person I've ever looked at and thought to ask what your favorite pop tart flavor was. So that's
Kris Freeman 40:56
all Yeah, I think it's been it's been at least one year since I've had a pop tart. Yeah.
Scott Benner 41:00
I I wonder sometimes when people talk about processed foods, if everyone even imagines the scope of what that means, you know, like, because you'll hear people say, like Whole Foods or, you know, natural, I wanted something that's natural. But processed can mean anything from pasta to bread to a potato chip, like anything that is, you know, I think the simple way people say it is like, if it comes in a box or a bag, I don't eat it. Is one of the you
Kris Freeman 41:29
can totally find organic, non GMO processed food. Yes. It's not hard at all.
Scott Benner 41:34
Yeah, right. It's still, it's still it's that the process that goes into creating that, that thing I know, some people would like, would balk at you even calling some of it food. But to create that food, your body then has to go through more of a process to break it back down again. And, you know, and there's a lot of stuff in there, you just don't know what it is. I am a fan of just I need to know what I'm eating. At the very least, you know,
Kris Freeman 41:59
and that's the it's the, there tends to be a lot of simple sugars and processed food with the fibers stripped out of it. Which makes you know, the blood sugar spike more quickly. It's just it's not a natural food. It's it's more erratic. Yeah. And it very much shows up when I when I'm trying to balance things with insulin.
Scott Benner 42:23
Can you tell? I mean, when's the last time maybe you haven't had a tough time, but I was gonna say, could you tell on your performance if you haven't eaten as clean as you want to?
Kris Freeman 42:36
Um, well, I can't tell you the last time I didn't eat clean before an event. So I can't say on a on a training day. Maybe. But I also if I was doing a heart interval session, once again, I would eat clean beforehand. It's very rare that I don't. And it's generally because there's nothing else available.
Scott Benner 42:57
Do you think that that's just how you're hardwired that like right now that this conversation isn't making you think like, wow, I have not had a cheesesteak in a really long time. Like or something like that, like, you just did you grow up that way? Was it in your family? You know what I mean?
Kris Freeman 43:14
Um, diabetes definitely changed my relationship to food. And it is. And I don't know that this is like, relatable for anybody, but I very much view food as fuel. And, you know, obviously, there's certain foods that I enjoy eating, but I enjoy being able to do the things I want to do in my day more than eating that food. And if eating that food is going to impact the rest of my day in a negative way, or impact my blood sugar's in a negative way. It's just not worth it to me. Yeah. I don't, you know, you I hear people say, a lot of term use and diabetes is I'd get to eat this many carbohydrates today. And I just, I, I guess I try to steer away from viewing food as a reward, and more as a means to an end.
Scott Benner 44:14
But the reason I asked this because I, I agree with you, and I can tell you that from in my personal I mean, you and I are not, you know, there's there's an argument to be made that if we were standing next to each other, we wouldn't be able to. Some people might not think we're in the same species. But my point is, is that I agree with you about eating and on days when I eat like that. Everything's just better. I don't know another way to put it like, you know, the other day I went out and I bought some steak, and I made it up and I sliced it up and I put it back in the fridge and you know, got up and it was late in the day. I took a couple of eggs, I threw in a couple pieces of steak, and I threw it together and I had it for breakfast. I had a great day. You know, put a I had something with a salad. I threw a little more of my steak and I did that, like you skipped throwing croutons on something like I don't put a bunch of dressing on, I have a great day, the next day comes along. I don't know why my brain doesn't say keep going. Like, I don't know why I'm not stuck in it like because I agree with it. I definitely feel better when I do it. And then, you know, by Wednesday, I don't know what happens. Like, I'm just wondering like,
Kris Freeman 45:19
because we're biologically programmed to want to eat a lot of sugar fat.
Scott Benner 45:26
It's a you're you
Kris Freeman 45:27
don't have diabetes. So you don't have an immediate consequence for when you get into it. Yeah,
Scott Benner 45:31
I don't have a thought right away. It's like, well, I can't do that. So that that is really it is that something is going to happen to me that I'm not going to appreciate, you know, somewhere between I don't know how my energy in the bathroom, basically, like in that range. And but it's not, it's not something you're right. It's not something I have to deal with in the moment while I'm eating the food. Yeah, maybe that is the difference. That's interesting. I appreciate you talking about that with me.
Kris Freeman 45:58
You know, I also I wanted to back up to what you were saying about the soccer game. And you know, kids, parents trying to figure out how to dose their kids at the soccer game. And once again, it's that I really believe that diabetes treatment starts with your diet. If you eat a good diet of non processed food, with appropriate amount of calories, that is the where you start. And then you then you go into the various treatments, the various insulins, the various monitoring systems. If you are living on if you're giving your kid Froot Loops before your your soccer game, you are not going to manage his blood sugars during that game, it's just not gonna happen.
Scott Benner 46:41
Yeah, you're gonna need a ton of insulin, either you're going to either you're going to combat that cereal with a ton of insulin, that is probably going to come back to bite you in the ass when they're running around. Or you're going to ignore the cereal, not hit it with enough insulin, have some big high blood sugar that got the kid lackadaisically wobbling all over the soccer. And then you're gonna have hours of a high blood sugar later, and probably the activity from the soccer won't even be enough to get through this arrow.
Kris Freeman 47:07
It's so you know, with all of my activities and stuff. From the scientific method, I tried to get the I'm blanking on the word, the residual insulin, what's the what's the proper word for residual
Scott Benner 47:24
residual insulin,
Kris Freeman 47:25
insulin on board? I tried to I tried to get the insulin on board down to the Basal, right. And that way, when I when I'm working out and something doesn't work, I know why. And I can go back and I can make a minor adjustment. And try again, if you're a parent trying to only correct with insulin once the game is started, it's too late, right? It's two or three hours before the game that's important.
Scott Benner 47:52
Everything you do with insulin now is for later. Yes, yes. Yeah, you're never making a decision right now that's going to impact right now unless you're saving a falling blood sugar. And that's not what I'm talking about. But I like when my
Kris Freeman 48:05
race is, you know, it is my last meal is three hours at the latest before that race. And anything I eat between then and the start of the race is only for correcting purposes.
Scott Benner 48:16
Yeah. Well, I think it's good for people to hear how it works. And listen, it's not going to be the same for everybody. They're not everybody's not going to make the same decisions. But it's always been my Well, Chris, for the last number of years in the podcast, like I've what I've said is I'm not in charge of how you eat. But I want you to understand how insulin works. If you're going to eat Froot Loops, I want you to know how to Bolus for Froot Loops. If you're not, I want you to know how to do that. I think your settings are incredibly important. You need to understand the impact that insulin has on on the carbs, you have to get those carbs and that insulin in a tug of war while you're eating so that neither of them can kind of win, you know, but in the end, my goal is for people just to live well. And it just but it's interesting to talk to you because you are doing it in such a specific way. And you're having such specific outcomes, it shows like, like, I'll tell you when if someone comes to me and says I can't figure out this time of day, the first thing I'll say is why don't you like eat something that's a little less, you know, maybe not as heavy with the glycemic load. And you know, and give yourself a chance here to understand how this insulin works. And then if you want to add you know what I mean? Like, don't make it a college level course on the first day is kind of how I think about it. So I think a package got delivered to my house. And now both of my dogs are making sure that we all know about it. So kind of going back to my question about like, did you grow up in, you know, a setting that would set you up for thinking of food and activity this way? Not so much. It just kind of worked out that way for you. But now your son's gonna grow up in a life where like his father and your wife, if I'm not mistaken, right are really active people. So do you In your mind, I know he's only little. But do you hope that he goes the route of a sport or plays in college something? Or do you have different feelings about that now that you've lived through it?
Kris Freeman 50:16
I'm gonna provide him with as much opportunity to do sport as he can. But I, it's gonna be difficult for me because of my competitiveness, but I'm gonna try to stand back as much as I can, and let him decide what he wants to do. If he wants to be an athlete, he'll be an athlete, and I'll certainly give him every opportunity to pick the sport he wants to do.
Scott Benner 50:37
So, even if it's one you don't like, what sport Don't you like? Do you have one that you just don't enjoy?
Kris Freeman 50:42
Ah, well, not really. I mean, I like playing billiards, but I don't want him to be a professional billiard player. Yes. All right.
Scott Benner 50:57
I'll take a stand right now. We didn't let our kids play soccer. But it was, it was my wife grew up on a soccer field, watching her sister's play. And I think she just didn't have the heart to keep doing it anymore. But okay, so I want to go back all the way to the beginning. You talked about I know, you sent me your article, which I'm going to put up in conjunction with the podcast episode. But you go to this thing where you describing what I mean? Sounds like walking up a mountain and skis and skiing back down and kind of take me through that. That process like, like from a diabetes perspective, how did that day go?
Kris Freeman 51:36
Well, the race starts unfortunately, really early. It starts at like, eight in the morning. So I was up at 430. Make sure that I had my breakfast in by five. And I had to, you know, I've thought long and hard about how I was going to dose for that race. At that point, I was still using, I think you would refer to it as the Omni pod three. I skipped the dash. I went straight from the three to the five.
Scott Benner 52:06
Just you went, you didn't go down. You were using arrows, pods. That's what that's what the originals were called. So you went from arrows, you didn't use a dash. Okay, so you were using that one?
Kris Freeman 52:16
Yeah, when the dash came out, I looked at the benefits. And there's nothing here that I really want. So I just kept going with
Scott Benner 52:22
what I had you were okay with that old PDM.
Kris Freeman 52:25
Yeah, well, well, I also knew that it was, I mean, I've dropped that thing riding my bike at 25 miles an hour and still works so. So I woke up three and a half hours in advance and I wore two pods. And I had each of them giving me point six units per hour, instead of my usual Basal rate of one unit per hour, and that so 1.2 and that was to offset race nerves, just little little disturbances in the morning as you try to set up your transition zones and stuff. I'll no matter how good I am at relaxing, I still get hit with a little bit of adrenaline that will raise my blood sugar's really go through the process in the morning. So then I had that set to drop down to only a quarter unit. So point two, five units from each pod for the start of the race. And I had that running for an hour. Okay. Then, oh, excuse me, I had that running for an hour and a half. Then I had it dropped to a rate of point three combined. After that hour and a half. And I left there for about an hour before I tore one off.
Scott Benner 53:51
Okay,
Kris Freeman 53:52
that's part of the reason I wear two pods is because it's very easy to make a correction by tearing one off.
Scott Benner 53:58
So this is I'm dying to know, like the process here. Like what so what's the benefit of the two pods?
Kris Freeman 54:04
The benefit of the two pods is one if one fails, which does happen still have I can instantly just changed the pa i can i can get the controller and change the dosage as I need to. So it's kind of a failsafe and a longer race. The other is that if I'm running equal boluses I mean, equal Basal rates as I'm going along, and I am trending low without having to take the time to pull my PDM out change the dose I can just pull the pot off. Interesting. Okay. Wait half my dose
Scott Benner 54:40
that well, that's that's really a Chris, you've been at this a long time. You are your own science experiment, aren't you? And so you got
Kris Freeman 54:50
I have to tell I just have to say that Omni pod I believe absolutely hates that. I wear two at a time because they that goes against every legal.
Scott Benner 54:59
I would imagine that So it's not an FDA approved situation. But you're in a unique situation, right? Doing something that No, nobody's going to do really like I mean, anybody else, you know, if their pod, their site goes bad or their pod stops working, they can change it and go along their way. But you know, those people aren't climbing up a mountain on skis, or how far was a? What races? Did you compete in in the Olympics? How far were your cross country races?
Kris Freeman 55:25
So the longest race I did was 50k. About 30 miles and depending on snow conditions, that would take between an hour 50 And two hours and 20 minutes. Wow. Whereas this race we were just describing took me so I'll go back through the events again. So I did a six mile fat bike through the snow on cross country ski trails, so it's pretty slow. But that takes that took me about 25 minutes. Then I switched to a 10k cross country ski. That took me another 25 minutes. The snow shoe was just God awful. I was through like two feet of snow and I kept postholing. Do you know what postholing is? No, I stay out of the snow. Falling is if there's like a little bit of a crust on the snow from when it melted and refroze you kind of run along for a couple of strides on your snowshoes and then all of a sudden breakthrough up to your groin. And you try to keep going. Well, I was the first one through and I was just postholing for five miles. So it was God awful. That took me over an hour. And then it's the last event is called it's actually called US Ski mountaineering and got this super lightweight carbon equipment. And you've got skins on the base of the skis. And the skins are like a fabric that allows you to glide a little bit, but also kick on the ski, so you can just run on them. And I wore those as I ran up Mount Washington, to basically the top of the head wall. And then at that point, you ski down the head wall and back out to the parking lot. Just so it was three and a half hours in total.
Scott Benner 57:11
Does everyone finish? No, no. I mean, I'm imagining there's a dropout. A significant like, what do you think? How many people do you think started? How many people finished? You know?
Kris Freeman 57:23
I don't know, I think there was about 80 individuals. And then there's a team event as well. I don't know what the dropout rate is? I didn't I didn't really look there. But for sure, when you got five events. And you know I did in three and a half hours, a lot of people are taking over six.
Scott Benner 57:45
So what would have to happen, Chris, for you to give up in something like that?
Kris Freeman 57:52
I'd have to, I'd have to have an extreme blood low blood sugar without a means to correct it. Or I'd have to be extremely high without a means to correct it. Or I'd have to hurt myself. Yeah.
Scott Benner 58:07
So obviously, if you hurt your leg, you'd stop. But what if you had to hurt myself badly? I was gonna say what if he just fell and broke your elbow? You'd keep going? Right?
Kris Freeman 58:19
You Yeah. And I think that might be that might be genetic. I mean, my, my father is 75 years old. And four years ago, he was doing a ski race. And he fell. And he broke his pole. And he hurt his arm. And he got another poll, but he couldn't really use it. You know, someone handed them another poll. And I saw him at the finish of the race because I did the race too. And I saw him skiing around with one pole and thing down as he broke his pole. And I get over there. He's a Can you help me? I think I think I might pass out. What's wrong? He's like, I think I broke my shoulder.
Scott Benner 59:04
He was, uh, let me see if I'm remembering this right that he do some sort of farming when he was younger.
Kris Freeman 59:09
Yeah, he was a pig farmer in Iowa. Okay. So, you know, I drove him to I drove him to urgent care. And sure enough, he had broken his shoulder. And I said, I said to him, dad, you know, you broke your your broken shoulder at a point on the course where it was only one mile back to the lodge. Yet you skied five miles out of the way to finish the race before you got there with a broken shoulder. Why did you do this? I didn't think it was that that.
Scott Benner 59:38
You have any siblings? I have an older brother and an older brother is the athletic.
Kris Freeman 59:44
We he was at the 2006 Olympics with me in cross country skiing. No kidding. Okay. Yeah, he was he's the loser of the family only went to one Olympics. Just one
Scott Benner 59:54
Olympics. Reminds me this week, I keep seeing the The Kelsey brothers as the lead up to the Super Bowl comes up the one guy is the Senator for the Eagles, the other guys the tight end for the, for the the chiefs, and they're trying to talk about which one of them's more successful. They've both been like, you know, a handful of Pro Bowls and both won a Super Bowl. And I was like, I don't know how you can't really denigrate one of those resumes, you know what I mean? So, yeah, just one just one Olympics. So,
Kris Freeman 1:00:24
basically, my point is, is you know, the, the way I interpret pain, it might be different than others on my father has incredible pain tolerance, so does my brother. So, you know, when I was a kid, my we would wrestle with my dad and he would make us say mercy, but he couldn't make my brother Say mercy. And he even said to me, once, my dad said to me, I can't make him say mercy, because I'm pretty sure to do it, I would have to break his arm. I'm not gonna do
Scott Benner 1:00:53
that, to give up, but I'm not willing to go that far. Well, it's a hell of a good trait. I mean, it's obviously serving you well. And it's laudable. Hey, other other autoimmune issues in your family at all, have celiac. Hashimoto hypothyroidism. Yeah. with you or with somebody else.
Kris Freeman 1:01:13
I'm borderline. I'm kind of that. I monitor it very, very closely. And if if I crossed a certain threshold, you know, I start probably having to take small doses of levothyroxine. But my father has been hypo 30 years.
Scott Benner 1:01:34
Okay. And his his Hashimotos Do you know is that autoimmune? Yes. Yeah. All right. I can't thank you enough for coming back on and doing this with me again, you're one of my favorite people to talk to about diabetes. And, and I just I really appreciate your perspective.
Kris Freeman 1:01:52
Oh, thank you. It's always fun to talk to you too. Thank you.
Scott Benner 1:01:59
A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, G voc glucagon. Find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. You spell that g VOKEGLUCA g o n.com. Forward slash juicebox. I also want to thank Chris Freeman, remind you to find him on Instagram, and Facebook. I'll tell you a little more about that in a second. After I thank the Contour Next One blood glucose meter contour next.com forward slash juice box when you support the sponsors with my links. You're supporting the production of the show
on Instagram, Chris is Chris Freebird, KRISFRE bi or D. And on Facebook. Chris is always accepting new friends on his personal page. Chris thought Freeman dot 5836. But you'll see him there's a picture of him skiing in this like black suit with a number one on his chest and might be a seven with another set but the number seven on the chest. Sorry. Check him out. He's great. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.
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