#1768 Break the Cycle
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Dr. Ernie Fernandez discusses how sleep, social media, and T1D stress impact mental health, offering strategies to build resilience and break the cycle of generalized anxiety.
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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 (0:0) Welcome back, friends, to another episode of the Juice Box podcast. (0:12) Ernie Fernandez is not just a doctor. (0:13) He's not just an endocrinologist. (0:15) He's also the person in charge at Camp Sweeney, and we are giving away two slots today at Camp Sweeney. (0:23) But first, Ernie's gonna tell you a little bit about sleep, stress, anxiety, and how your cell phones might be messing with you.
Scott Benner (0:31) So we're gonna talk a little bit about that, then we're gonna pull the winners from the contest, and we're still gonna give away four more places at Camp Sweeney in 2026. (0:39) So don't stop entering at juiceboxpodcast.com/giveaways. (0:45) Get in there. (0:45) It's super simple to start. (0:47) It's super simple to enter.
Scott Benner (0:49) You don't have to do anything, and you'll get a chance. (0:52) And by the way, everybody who doesn't win today, everybody who's already entered, I'm leaving your name in for the next drawing. (0:57) What do you think of that? (0:59) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:04) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin.
Scott Benner (1:14) The episode you're about to listen to was sponsored by Touched by Type one. (1:19) Go check them out right now on Facebook, Instagram, and, of course, at touchedbytype1.org. (1:25) Check out that programs tab when you get to the website to see all the great things that they're doing for people living with type one diabetes. (1:32) Touched bytype1.org. (1:34) Today's episode is also sponsored by Tandem Moby, the impressively small insulin pump.
Scott Benner (1:40) The podcast is also sponsored today by Plus Technology. (1:45) It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom, and improved time and range. (1:49) Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. (1:55) The podcast is also sponsored today by the Eversense three sixty five. (2:00) The Eversense three sixty five has exceptional accuracy over one year and is the most accurate CGM in the low range that you can get.
Scott Benner (2:08) Ever since cgm.com/juicebox.
Ernie Fernandez (2:12) Thanks, Scott. (2:12) Thanks for having me on again. (2:14) Once again, I'm doctor Ernie Fernandez. (2:16) I'm the camp director at Camp Sweeney here in Northern Texas, and I've been blessed to be working with these children with type one diabetes for the 42 here at Camp Sweeney. (2:25) And I know, Scott, we had spoken a couple of months ago about one of the issues that's coming up a lot more and more, especially with the way much of the media has kinda changed in kids with type one and with the kids in general in dealing with stress and anxiety and and especially how it relates to our patients with type one.
Ernie Fernandez (2:46) And I was gonna just spend a few minutes talking a little bit about sort of the normal physiology behind that and ways that parents can can work with their kids, in helping them deal with some of those issues.
Scott Benner (2:57) Okay. (2:58) Yeah. (2:58) Are you seeing that in practice? (3:00) Are you seeing it at camp? (3:01) Or is it something that you feel like you're you're seeing coming from a lot of different perspectives?
Ernie Fernandez (3:07) I see it from a lot of perspectives. (3:09) I see it a lot in practice, not just with with patients with type one, but just in many of our younger and older teens and our young adults. (3:18) Social media has kind of fed into that quite a bit. (3:22) But with our patients with type one, it has really been something that has been magnified. (3:26) And and it it makes sense because when you think about how this starts to develop in these kids, you you know, the normal brain physiology of most children as they enter adolescence and late adolescence and young adulthood is that their that their higher functions of their brain start to develop rapidly.
Ernie Fernandez (3:45) You know, kids when they're 10 or 11 think like kids in a very linear way. (3:49) Know, You kids that are 21, 22 years of age think more like an adult in a very abstract way, and that brings the abilities for them to deal with many, many things. (3:58) But as that part of the brain develops quickly, the two hemispheres, the the need for that part of the brain to be to to be well fueled with neurotransmitters also increases. (4:09) And just in a normal situation with any child and young adult, that always lags. (4:14) You know, the brain's ability to make the neurotransmitter always lags the development of what's being needed.
Ernie Fernandez (4:21) And many things have kinda shifted in our world a little bit that don't make that as fruitful as it used to be in years past. (4:30) Part of that has to do with the fact that you only make those neurotransmitters during your deep stages of sleep, you know, during sort of the the the higher quality sleep. (4:39) And we don't live sort of in a society that kind of promotes that as much as it used to. (4:44) You know? (4:44) Kids of different ages need different amounts of sleeps.
Ernie Fernandez (4:47) Younger kids need more sleep. (4:48) They need, you know, nine to ten hours at night, while young adults need less sleep. (4:53) But it's not just the quantity, it's the quality of sleep and how they enter sleep and how they go through REM into deep stages of sleep. (5:01) And the problem is that many of our youth and even our adults have difficulty adopting patterns to get that kind of sleep. (5:11) You know, so many things are on people's plates, you know, whether it's sports or school or or things that involve them in social ways with their their colleagues.
Ernie Fernandez (5:22) But probably the biggest one that that seems to to be in the forefront is the amount of time that that we all spend on our screens and the addictions that sometimes these algorithms, you know, pull all of us into our screen time. (5:36) And that tends to excite our brain and makes it difficult for them to settle down and to get into deep sleep. (5:44) Now that's in anybody, whether they have type one or not. (5:46) Right. (5:47) And so people tend to go through times, you know, especially during these years where they need the most rest, not getting the kind of rest.
Ernie Fernandez (5:56) And what that leads to, of course, are are decompensation. (6:00) You know, these these wonderful young adults and, yeah, and adolescents will often just kinda run out of juice throughout the day. (6:07) You know, their their higher functions kind of decompensate, they become much more primal, and their anxieties kinda kinda take over, and they become sort of like they were when they were two or three. (6:17) You know? (6:18) They get unfocused.
Ernie Fernandez (6:19) They get very, you know, upset easy. (6:22) They and they have difficulty, you know, dealing with with many of the challenges that are posed to them. (6:28) But what happens in kids with type one is that they have a whole different level of issues that that decrease that normal physiologic sleep that they they should be getting. (6:40) You know, when you have type one diabetes, as of you know, Scott, you as a parent of a child know this. (6:45) It's it's sort of a hidden world that no one realized.
Ernie Fernandez (6:48) You know, these kids and these parents have a full time job that no one knows is happening. (6:53) You know, it's like, you know, when somebody hurts their foot and their foot is killing them and all they can do is think about their foot, and everything in their life revolves around that. (7:02) Well, you know, when you get type one diabetes, that's kinda like having something like that. (7:07) You know, even as you learn and you adopt to all these wonderful technologies and and pretty prudent protocols we teach our patients, it's still a full time management position. (7:18) And the problem with it is that no matter how, you know, how well you use your technologies, how well you follow your protocols, there's always some uncertainty with the outcomes outcomes each day.
Ernie Fernandez (7:29) Mhmm. (7:30) Because there's so many variables, as you well know, that affect diabetes, and that causes people when you have uncertain outcomes, all that does is it increases that excitability of your brain, the stress of your brain, which then makes it harder for these these kids and quite quite frankly their parents as well to have that deeper sleep because they're always concerned, okay. (7:53) Am I gonna go a little high? (7:54) Am I gonna go low? (7:55) Did I do the right thing here and there?
Ernie Fernandez (7:57) And then that causes them to de deplete themselves a little bit more and and allows them to decompensate into some of these these larger forms of anxiety that, as I said, all kids, but especially kids with type one are much more susceptible to. (8:12) And that's that's really what you know, I spend a lot of my my day talking to patients with you know, yes, I talk to them about, you know, the newest pump and and the newest things that we can be doing. (8:23) But most of the time, I'm talking to them about, you know, how to take care of themselves and and be able to be successful, basically, with their two full time jobs that they now have, which is living their normal lives that they were living in, of course, you know, dealing with with the type one that very few people relate to outside of their their own little world. (8:43) And so that's really what makes kids with type one so much more susceptible to to this kind of stress and anxiety, and there's many ways to to to work with that. (8:55) And one of the things that I'll give as a disclaimer at the very beginning is that it's very important, whether you're a parent or you're a health care provider, that you're looking closely at the big picture because what you sometimes miss in a child who's going through the normal stresses of type one or a family that's working with a child is that some kids will get themselves really in a hole.
Ernie Fernandez (9:18) They they drain themselves so much of of their neurotransmitters that they they don't just go from having anxiety, which all kids with type one have in one way or another, but they go into what's called generalized anxiety disorder where they never surface. (9:34) No matter what they do, they they they never get the rest, and and they get themselves into a bit of a of a cycle that that's hard for them to break. (9:42) And those kids, besides the normal things that we use to to decrease and and to inspire kids to deal with the anxieties, you know, sometimes need additional help. (9:52) They they need to come see somebody, you know, like a professional like myself, a physician that works with kids with this that, you know, they may need somebody to help them with with some specific skills with counseling. (10:02) And and sometimes these kids also, you know, need medication because they've gotten themselves into into such a a hole that that it's hard to get out of.
Ernie Fernandez (10:12) You know, our goal today is just to talk about some of the things that help kids from, you know, putting themselves in into that hole.
Scott Benner (10:18) Are there ways to impact it? (10:20) Because, Ernie, I I you know, I've interviewed thousands of people and I had to stop myself at one point along the way from believing that the whole world was just anxiety ridden. (10:29) But I started to see that I think it's possible that people living with autoimmune issues maybe have a higher prevalence of of anxiety for a number of different, you know, reasons. (10:39) Cortisol, I don't know, gut health, like, kinds of different ideas. (10:42) Right?
Ernie Fernandez (10:43) There's so many components to
Scott Benner (10:45) it. (10:45) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (10:46) But at the end of the day, you know, you go from anxiety that everyone has, which is not good or bad. (10:51) I mean, anxiety pushes people to do things. (10:53) And so anxiety is almost, you know, something that that in many ways, you know, pushes us to do well with our things to where you cross over to where you actually have an, you know, an anxiety disorder where you can't see yourself coming out of that. (11:08) Mhmm. (11:08) In other words, you've drained your neurotransmitters to a point, and they they could drain for a variety of reasons.
Ernie Fernandez (11:13) Sometimes it's poor gut health that they're not absorbing the omegas that they need for that development. (11:20) But most of the time, if you look back and you look at all the current data that's come out post COVID, you know, it comes from the lack of the normal sleep cycles that many kids put themselves out of, and it's because people can't settle themselves down. (11:34) They become so rightfully so obsessed on on doing all the little things in their life, not only the normal things in their lives, but also the things that are t one d, then when it's time to go to bed, their brain's going a million miles per hour, and it's very hard to slow it down to allow us to go into natural sleep. (11:52) And then you add you layer on that, you know, being on a a device before you go to bed. (11:57) And many times, know, kids of type one have devices right on them because they're using them, obviously, to monitor their things.
Ernie Fernandez (12:02) And they pick it up, and they're starting they look at their device, and then suddenly they're looking at apps, and suddenly they're looking at social media. (12:08) And so the prefrontal cortex gets more wound up, and when they fall asleep, they end their sleep sort of in the wrong order. (12:14) They start REM sleep and and sort of going into the stage sleep. (12:18) And then the next day, they're back with a low gas tank again, and and it leads to the uncontrolled anxiety.
Scott Benner (12:24) Right.
Ernie Fernandez (12:24) And so, you know, part of that is, you know, teaching skills, you know, basic mental health skills, having nighttime routines, you know, that get people in in you know, away from their devices an hour before bed, you know, locking down their devices to just have their pump functions or their CGM functions. (12:42) You know, I even recommend some of those devices, you know, like the Pixel device that you can have where you don't have to have your device so close to you. (12:50) You have that to go off if if you need it to go off. (12:53) You go through teaching, you know, kids how how to do things at night that don't require screens, reading things that slow the brain down.
Scott Benner (13:01) Mhmm.
Ernie Fernandez (13:01) But, you know, at the end of the day, it's all about how you deal. (13:05) We have the decompensations. (13:07) You know, how do you deal when you think you have everything put together and the next day something happens and, you know, your your pump has been bad and your your blood sugar is 400 and you're having to deal with that stress. (13:19) And part of that is creating environments that parents you know, and parents do this. (13:25) You know, parents, you know, are very devoted to their kids.
Ernie Fernandez (13:29) My patients, and I'm sure the ones you work with, and I'm you work with thousands yourself, you know, are always wanting the best for their children. (13:36) And, you know, it's all about trying to get kids to deal with the decompensations and to basically get resilience because it's gonna happen. (13:46) You know, they're gonna decompensate for a number of reasons, not just from their diabetes, but other things that go through that. (13:53) And, you know, resilience is the perseverance of getting through something that's tough and being able to start over again, and you start over again. (14:00) And it sounds easy to say.
Ernie Fernandez (14:02) It's difficult to do. (14:04) And so what you have to do is you have to create, you know, situations where the successes are so sweet for these kids that they have that desire to push themselves up. (14:18) You know? (14:18) Many times, you know, we all fall many times every day in our lives, not just with diabetes, but that falls can either lead to the biggest enemy, which is discouragement, which keeps you from wanting to get back up, to falling and saying, I know what it felt like when I was doing great, Mhmm. (14:37) And I want that feeling again, and I long for that feeling.
Ernie Fernandez (14:40) And that's what gives so many of these kids that strength to to make that happen. (14:44) Because the alternative is, of course, is that discouragement and the loss of hope, And then kids just all the king's horses, all the king's men can't get that that kid back up again. (14:55) And so that's what is a key to that.
Scott Benner (14:58) Yeah. (14:58) Where do you think is the easiest spot to break the cycle? (15:01) Because if it starts with, I don't know, poor sleep, and then you wake up the next day and you have diabetes and that's hard and, like, you know, I'm reading about stuff here while you're talking. (15:11) A cytokine storm, when an autoimmune flare occurs, the body releases inflammatory proteins called cytokines. (15:16) These don't just stay in the joints or your thyroid, for example.
Scott Benner (15:19) They can cross the blood brain barrier. (15:21) Once they're there, they disrupt neurotransmitters, specifically lowering serotonin. (15:24) Like, when that's also happening to you and everything else, then at the end of the day, once you've lived through that horrible day and you and you're laying down in bed, I don't know if you've ever tried TikTok or any. (15:35) It's awesome. (15:36) Like, so, like, when you so when you have
Ernie Fernandez (15:38) Flex you right into it.
Scott Benner (15:39) When that's the way you're trying to calm down, relax, you know, turn your brain off, whatever it is, like, where in that cycle because you're gonna have to pick a spot to jump in and say, this is the thing we're gonna do to see if it loosens up the nut for the next thing so that we can try to get this all working better. (15:57) Where do you see people having more success, or is it variable person to person? (16:02) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Eversense three sixty five. (16:08) And just as the name says, it lasts for a full year. (16:12) Imagine for a second a CGM with just one sensor placement and one warm up period every year.
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Ernie Fernandez (18:16) You have to do it in lots of spots. (18:18) You can't just say, I'm gonna fix it in one spot, it's gonna do it all. (18:21) Okay. (18:21) So you start with the sleep first. (18:23) You know, you you do the the conducive thing.
Ernie Fernandez (18:26) You know, people say, what about supplements? (18:27) What supplements help with this? (18:29) Well, you know, a lot of good work has been done on on magnesium and using a small amount of magnesium before bed. (18:35) It's very safe to use the the gluconide of that, you know, for most young adults, adolescents, two to four hundred milligrams, is a great way to help them, you know, have that unwinding. (18:48) Every person reaches for a device to try to unwind because they think if they do this enough, you know, scroll enough
Scott Benner (18:54) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (18:54) That that's gonna make them get numb and wanna fall asleep when, obviously, it does just the opposite because the algorithms are so driven to go keeping you there from fifteen minutes to thirty to forty five minutes.
Scott Benner (19:06) Yeah. (19:06) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (19:06) Yeah. (19:06) It's And at the same time, it it uses up so much neurotransmitter to decipher the video that it just takes you off. (19:14) So, you know, putting those away from you as much as you can without losing connection to your devices is a critical element. (19:21) But, really, it's a bigger picture item. (19:23) You know, from a parent's point of view, it's about making sure kids have things that they that they can succeed in each day, whether it has to do with diabetes or not, whether it's, you know, something, you know, athletic, something that's, you know, in the theater, something that's wherever it is, creating an environment that they can taste success is critical.
Ernie Fernandez (19:46) Mhmm. (19:46) You know, we talked last fall a lot about Camp Sweeney and the four pillars and how that all works. (19:51) And part of that, of course, is creating environments where there's something for every child to touch that success, whether it's something they've never done in their life, something they're trying to do. (20:00) Because once you get that feeling of of sort of glory in you
Scott Benner (20:05) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (20:05) You wanna strive for that every time. (20:08) And people that's what makes people want to to break the cycle because you have to have the desire to want to break the cycle. (20:15) Nobody wants to put their phone away. (20:17) Nobody wants to do that. (20:18) But if you know that putting the phone away makes you feel that great feeling, that euphoria the next day, you can start breaking that cycle, and and you have to because it's all interconnected.
Ernie Fernandez (20:31) Yeah. (20:31) You know? (20:32) If you can get more neurotransmitter in your brain, you can make a little bit more serotonin without having to take an SRI. (20:38) That changes everything. (20:40) That changes your ability to compensate with so many things that you produce less stress hormone, and so you make less cortisol.
Ernie Fernandez (20:47) So you have less in you know, you have less of those things that causes to to get back in that hole. (20:53) And so creating those environment of successes is great. (20:56) I work with many, many families, and I think, okay. (20:59) What's the one thing your child, you know, strive can can strive in? (21:02) And you try to put them in those things, you know, whether it is soccer, tennis, or basketball.
Ernie Fernandez (21:08) That's what you know, as I don't wanna go into this right now, but, you know, that's what camp swinging has been driven to do for the last seventy six years is to find things for every child that allows them to just shine.
Scott Benner (21:21) Right.
Ernie Fernandez (21:22) And then you create this community. (21:24) You expand the scope, and you put them in a community that all has that second job, that all has those tough time, and they all celebrate each other's successes. (21:35) That's what allows them to retain the hope. (21:38) I am like you. (21:40) You talk to thousands of people.
Ernie Fernandez (21:41) I've been doing this forty two years, and so I don't talk to thousands of people, but, boy, especially during the holidays. (21:46) I talk to people of all ages with diabetes in their thirties, their forties, their fifties. (21:52) I don't wanna age myself here. (21:54) But everybody talks about you know, they struggle with certain things, and god forbid, you know, when we lose a precious one, we all come together and we struggle. (22:04) But everybody talks about the resilience they have because everybody comes together as part of their community.
Ernie Fernandez (22:11) You know, whether it be the Sweeney community that's tens of thousands of big, but other communities with type one where people are so connected that they care about each other. (22:20) Just recently, and I I won't say this name, I I I heard from a a beautiful young man who was in Sweeney for eight years. (22:26) Last year, he was 28. (22:28) And he's a wonderful guy. (22:29) He's got kids.
Ernie Fernandez (22:30) He's grown. (22:30) He's done volunteer work around the world, and I'm so proud of him. (22:34) But he's had some difficulties with with other health issues that have just hit him hard, but the community riles around them. (22:43) And that's what gives them hope. (22:44) That's what gives them the inspiration.
Ernie Fernandez (22:46) Yeah. (22:46) And that's really what you try to do. (22:49) You try to create every little bit of it that that matters, not just the successes, but the community around it. (22:56) You know, our the Camps Wee PFC life, which, you know, the perseverance, faith, courage, life nights that we do, you know, two, three times a week throughout the country. (23:04) That's all part of that is trying to connect those communities.
Ernie Fernandez (23:07) Right. (23:07) Because that's that's what keeps these kids, you know, going and keeps them from the getting into that cycle. (23:16) But I will say, I do treat so many patients that have true GAD, generalized anxiety disorder, and you have to know when other things are needed. (23:25) You have to know when counseling of this particular type is helpful, and you need to be aware of when an SSRI is needed. (23:33) You know, people say, oh, I don't wanna get on any kind of medication.
Ernie Fernandez (23:36) That would just be terrible. (23:37) But sometimes you have to break the cycle somehow. (23:41) Mhmm. (23:41) Even if it's a short term thing that you do for ninety days or you do for a hundred and twenty days, the cycle has to be broken so that the person has the chance to get back on top and get that resilience, get that push to wanna succeed. (23:55) And that's that's really an important thing.
Ernie Fernandez (23:58) And I I don't I don't want people to think, oh, you know, I should never look for those things. (24:03) There are times when you you need to do that. (24:05) I actually, since the pandemic, I've had to treat more patients with medication than I've had in my entire career. (24:12) And I think a lot of it is because people are using this as a tool to try to break the cycle as opposed to to doing the things that that make more sense and healthy for people.
Scott Benner (24:22) Do you think there are people in better positions to deal with this than others and but yet, do you see it, I guess, across all of those levels? (24:30) Like, I was just having this conversation with someone this morning about, like, work level. (24:35) And today, you and I are it's the day after Christmas, Ernie. (24:38) There are not a lot of people working today. (24:39) Right?
Ernie Fernandez (24:40) Mhmm.
Scott Benner (24:40) And so, like, you and I are working. (24:41) I don't think anything of it. (24:43) I was up this morning. (24:45) I had at some point this morning, I had three devices in front of me. (24:49) On one of them, I was learning audio about something that I like to do for myself recreationally.
Scott Benner (24:55) I had a computer in front of me where I was coding something to put on the website to help people bolus better. (25:01) And on the third device, I was trying to learn about a mattress that my daughter and I are going out to get this afternoon for her. (25:07) And I was talking to a friend of mine at the same time who was helping me moderate the Facebook group, and we were talking about somebody they knew who said, oh, they they needed a break. (25:17) And she laughed, she's like, I I haven't had a break in so long, but I don't even know what I would do with it. (25:22) And so for someone like her or someone like me or maybe you too, I don't really want a break.
Scott Benner (25:27) I like doing things. (25:28) I like going. (25:29) I was just sharing with her today. (25:31) This is almost apropos of nothing and yet fits right in here. (25:34) I created something that works really well.
Scott Benner (25:38) It's a physical thing in my house. (25:40) And all I've been thinking about for the past three months and what any free time I've had is doing it better and throwing out the old one and trying again. (25:48) So I don't feel that way. (25:49) But there are other people whose brains are just not wired like that. (25:52) And they also have autoimmune issues and stress and they live through COVID and they're 10 and somebody's making fun of them.
Scott Benner (25:58) Like, all that other stuff is going to. (26:00) My question is is could someone wired like me fall into this? (26:04) I believe yes. (26:06) And could someone not wired like me fall into this? (26:09) I also believe yes.
Scott Benner (26:10) Is the path pathway out the same for both of us? (26:12) Do we both have the same chance of breaking the cycle and starting over, do you think?
Ernie Fernandez (26:16) Absolutely. (26:17) But Yeah. (26:17) Don't get me wrong. (26:19) Doing nothing doesn't help anyone. (26:21) It just increases people people's anxiety.
Scott Benner (26:24) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (26:24) You know, doing the things you're good at. (26:26) Like, I have multiple jobs. (26:28) I'm here in my office right now seeing pediatric patients start back in about twenty minutes.
Scott Benner (26:31) Mhmm.
Ernie Fernandez (26:32) You know, I work at Children's Health, and I'm taking care of kids with diabetes once a a week. (26:36) And then, of course, I run Camp Sweeney, which is a year round thing that I spend every night where I probably spend sixty, seventy hours a week in addition to these two jobs doing Cam Sweeney. (26:45) Yeah. (26:45) And you're thinking, how are you preaching, you know, normal, good mental health? (26:49) Well, that's good mental health because I'm doing things that that fulfill things that that that I I'm passionate about.
Ernie Fernandez (26:56) I'm passionate about, you know, trying to make sure the kids with with type one, for example, have tremendous opportunities to be able to get out of these threats. (27:05) Not just when they're kids, but, like, as adults, you know, when they they fall many, many times.
Scott Benner (27:10) Right.
Ernie Fernandez (27:10) You know? (27:11) I like, a young man just called me about three months ago. (27:14) He's 32 years old. (27:15) Okay? (27:16) And he yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (27:17) I haven't seen him in fourteen, fifteen years. (27:20) And he just said, doctor Ernie, I just called. (27:22) He just because I just have one question. (27:24) Does it ever get any easier? (27:26) And I said, what do you mean by that?
Ernie Fernandez (27:28) And he goes, well, you know, my diabetes. (27:29) And I said, well, you know, it doesn't get easier. (27:34) You just learn how to do hard better. (27:36) Mhmm. (27:36) Because people of type one, as you well know, are pretty much stronger than most anyone else.
Ernie Fernandez (27:42) You know, they have the super strength to take something and just, you know, and do a great job with it. (27:51) Yeah. (27:51) But the problem is they all can run into the pitfalls of the little pit that we were just talking about, where suddenly that word that I can't stand, d, comes in, discouragement. (28:02) They just get discouraged for one reason. (28:04) They forget what it felt like, you know, in that time of success, in that time of this, and that's what leads the you know, sadly, with many of our older patients, sometimes a loss of hope.
Ernie Fernandez (28:15) And all the stuff I've been talking about here this afternoon, how do you avoid those pitfalls? (28:20) We're all gonna hit them. (28:21) We're all gonna get discouraged sometime in our lives. (28:23) I mean, that just happens because just the fact of how our lives go. (28:29) But how do you steer away from them?
Ernie Fernandez (28:31) How do you overcome that? (28:32) How do you get that resilience? (28:34) Well, part of it is the adversity. (28:35) I mean, just the adversity itself makes you stronger. (28:38) But what keeps you on top of it is that longing of what what it feels like to be on the other side.
Ernie Fernandez (28:45) Yeah. (28:45) And that's what I I remind every person, you know, what they have. (28:50) You know, I I know this it is Christmas time, and you always think about, you know, these these movies like, you know, it's a wonderful life and, you know, the the the poor man who got you know, was so discouraged by all the things in his life, but he he forgot those things on the other side. (29:04) And that's how it is with type one. (29:06) Everybody does have a different path.
Ernie Fernandez (29:09) It all comes down to having the strength to get back up. (29:13) And, you know, last year, I had a long podcast where you're talking about the four pillars of how camp Sweeney works. (29:18) And every one of those pillars is designed to and I I believe me. (29:23) I've spent my entire life obsessing on how to kindly adjust those and adjust those and adjust those year after year to try to get people to have that not when they're 15, but, like, when they're 35. (29:37) And when they're 45, they can fall back on something that that's that bedrock for them to push back up on because that's what it's really about with type one.
Ernie Fernandez (29:47) Yes. (29:47) The technologies are gonna change. (29:49) You probably your podcasts are wonderful. (29:50) You're talking about this and that and all this wonderful stuff. (29:54) But at the end of the day, it's just the same thing.
Ernie Fernandez (29:58) Type one is type one. (29:59) And the the challenges are gonna be there whether you have the most sophisticated system or the simplest of systems. (30:07) And the real challenge is avoiding the discouragement and and pushing oneself through these these things I mentioned that that help you produce more serotonin, trying to get the deeper sleep, you know, trying to avoid the pitfalls of getting sucked into those algorithms. (30:23) You know, you say you use screens all day. (30:25) I use screens all day too.
Ernie Fernandez (30:26) I walk around with this laptop right over here from room to room constantly. (30:30) But, you know, they did a good neat little study back in the COVID days when people were were co, you know, co learning on on screen. (30:37) When you're just using the screen as a tool, you're not sucked into it. (30:41) You're not so focused that you're looking at all the pixels that it's draining the heck out of your brain. (30:45) Right.
Ernie Fernandez (30:45) What makes you get sucked into screens are things that you're having to constantly interact with, like a video game or or these algorithmic things that are on all of these these social media things where suddenly time just stops where you go from ten minutes to an hour, and you've been staring at one little screen as opposed to using your your screens because you're writing on a chart or you're working on coding this or you're working on looking for this. (31:09) That's a totally different level of engagement with your brain and the screen, and that's not harmful. (31:14) And and that's why kids that have the screens on their on their the buy on themselves, where they use them for their CGM, where they use them, you know, obviously, for their pumps or whatnot, that doesn't drain them because they just use it as a quick little tool. (31:25) Their brain doesn't have to engage and try to de decipher what's happening on the screen. (31:30) So there is different levels there.
Scott Benner (31:31) Right. (31:32) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (31:32) And, you
Scott Benner (31:33) know You basically have been given a slot machine, which is, you know, been designed decades ago to put you down and and in in a seat, make you not wanna move, and somehow dull you enough that as you're losing money to it, you think, no. (31:49) This is still a good idea. (31:51) Right? (31:51) There's going to be there's something's going to happen. (31:54) I don't know if anybody's ever noticed this.
Scott Benner (31:56) Online gambling is very prevalent at this point. (31:58) Right? (31:59) But if you've ever sat in front of a machine or done something on like that, you can put a dollar into something, lose 80¢, and the noises and the sounds make you feel like you're you won something. (32:09) It'll say you won 20¢. (32:11) It'd be like, no.
Scott Benner (32:11) I put a dollar in there. (32:13) I lost 80¢, but it doesn't feel like that. (32:15) TikTok does the same thing. (32:17) Right? (32:18) Like, all the apps are designed that way.
Scott Benner (32:20) There's a great documentary. (32:21) I don't know the name of it. (32:23) Go find it. (32:23) It's by one of the people who who designed what do they call it? (32:27) Like, forever scrolling.
Scott Benner (32:29) Like, do you remember you used to scroll to the bottom of something and eventually would say, you're out
Ernie Fernandez (32:32) of Stop.
Scott Benner (32:32) Yeah. (32:33) You're out of content now. (32:34) Now it just it just uses what it what you paused on the longest. (32:39) So the thing that you're more likely to look at again, it just regenerates and gives you more. (32:43) You know, people call it doom scrolling colloquially, but there there's an actual name for it.
Scott Benner (32:48) And it's so devastating, Ernie, that the man who designed it has publicly apologized for it. (32:54) Yeah.
Ernie Fernandez (32:55) And and I know we're we're out of time, but I will tell you that it is not just what it's doing to your brain and draining your neurotransmitters. (33:02) It's also like we talked about last year, you know, when we talked about the four pillars. (33:06) It it's teaching people what to value. (33:09) Mhmm. (33:10) It insidiously tells you that if you're like this person, you're valuable in society.
Ernie Fernandez (33:16) If you're like this person and you're taking this substance abuse substance or you're following this thing or you're good at at hurting yourself in this way or tearing other people down, that's valuable. (33:28) Mhmm. (33:28) And so people lose their own value. (33:31) I mean, that they devalue them. (33:32) So that's why the third pillar of Sweeney is all about, you know, what we possess or what we truly possess, you know, the true virtues we have.
Ernie Fernandez (33:39) Because you get to believe what's on that scroll. (33:42) I mean, you believe what's on that scroll like it's it's it's truth. (33:46) And as a result, kids devalue themselves tremendously, and that leads once again to them to not having a want to get back up, and it leads to that discouragement again, which is the biggest enemy I think kids with type one have in in my opinion. (34:02) It's not just the pump side going bad. (34:04) It's something much greater.
Ernie Fernandez (34:06) And so that's that's really what I spend my year doing is trying to to empower these kids.
Scott Benner (34:12) Right. (34:12) Well, I appreciate you coming on to talk about it. (34:14) You're actually also here because we are gonna pick winners. (34:18) So Ernie and I are giving away six spots at Camp Sweeney in 2026. (34:25) And I have the first, I think, 50 people have put in their their entries.
Scott Benner (34:30) By the way, you can enter it juiceboxpodcast.com/giveaways. (34:34) Now I wanna tell everybody that everybody who doesn't win today, we're gonna pull two today. (34:38) Everybody who doesn't win, their name stays in for the next drawing where we're gonna pull two more, and then we're gonna pull two again so that it we've given a total of six spots away at camp, before the twenty twenty six season starts. (34:50) We'll be doing that through the winter here in 2026. (34:54) But, Ernie, they do have to pay something.
Scott Benner (34:56) Right? (34:56) So not only do they have to get themselves there. (34:58) So travel's not included, but there's a $500. (35:01) Can you explain that part?
Ernie Fernandez (35:03) That's that's the deposit. (35:04) And, you know, it, you know, it costs $6,100 for us to have somebody go to Camp Sweeney. (35:09) We're we ask families to to to pay 4,900 of it, and I we we fundraise the rest. (35:15) And then we have we do have scholarships for kids that that are financially need as well. (35:19) About half of our kids come on something.
Ernie Fernandez (35:22) But for the people on this giveaway, we have them pay the $500 deposit. (35:27) And the reason we do that, Scott, is simply because it's occupying a spot. (35:31) Yeah. (35:32) And sometimes when people get something for free, they'll occupy a spot that someone else could have had Mhmm. (35:37) And then it doesn't mean anything to them.
Ernie Fernandez (35:39) And so we asked for the deposit because of the fact that it it's secure you know, we're not turning someone else away Sure. (35:47) From it. (35:48) And so we feel it's a small amount of the entire value that they get from from going to Sweeney. (35:54) This year, it's magnificent summer twenty twenty six, and I'm more excited this summer than you know, I I keep saying this every year. (36:01) You know, it's my forty second year.
Ernie Fernandez (36:03) Every year is a totally different thing at Sweeney because we you have no idea how purpose driven we are. (36:09) You know, our group of program directors meet every Monday night for a couple of hours from September through through May to constantly titrate how these pillars work and how we make that better for each child. (36:23) And every Tuesday, our medical directors meet constantly working on the algorithms and the data. (36:28) It's unbelievable, the data that they did this year. (36:31) We had a big conference in December where they took hundreds of thousands of blood sugars from the summer, and they looked at every modality, whether it was an Omnipod five or it was a Moby or whatever it was for every age and gender, and looked at every aspect of all eighteen days that the kids are at camp.
Ernie Fernandez (36:48) If there were a 12 year old boy on the sixth day in the morning, how did a Moby do compared to an Omnipod five? (36:55) How did it do compared to a Medtronic device? (36:57) And they constantly are changing our internal protocol so that we can maximize the time on control. (37:03) Because our first pillar is getting the kids to feel normal while they're at camp. (37:06) And I am very proud to say that if you take the entire aggregate of all the kids that went to Camp Sweeney in the 2025, no matter if they were on shots or MDIs, whether they were on any kind of modality, and you look at all of their blood sugars for the summer, and you look at what their time and range is as an aggregate, remember, this is people from all over the world, all over the country that have hemoglobin a one c's that are either in their fives or unfortunately pretty high, our time and range was close to 69% Look at that.
Ernie Fernandez (37:34) Which is unbelievable. (37:35) I mean, not for one person, you think, well, that's a pretty low time and rate. (37:39) But when you take an aggregate get and you put people through a program like this with all these different modalities and you can accomplish that, let me tell you, it takes an entire year of work to make sure that you're ready for that for the next summer to try to enhance the best you can with those kids. (37:54) And so we have a lot of wonderful things in in 2026, and I'm excited to have two two people coming on board here today.
Scott Benner (38:02) Alright. (38:02) We're gonna pick their name, but let me agree with you for a second. (38:04) I think surrounding yourself with people who are all have a common goal of, you know, living a healthier life is the secret to this. (38:12) You have to have good tools. (38:13) You need to know what you're doing, but you do need to be supported all the time.
Scott Benner (38:17) I'll share with you this morning. (38:19) I got a little frustrated. (38:20) I saw someone post something in my Facebook group. (38:22) My Facebook group has 78,000 members as of today. (38:26) And someone said, hey.
Scott Benner (38:28) Did you know look at this. (38:30) This is crazy. (38:31) If you cool pasta off and eat it reheated, it doesn't impact your blood sugar as much. (38:35) And I thought and I I almost drove my head through the countertop because I've said that about a thousand times in that podcast. (38:41) And all I could think was, if you were listening to the podcast, you would already know this.
Scott Benner (38:45) And I but I don't feel like don't get me wrong, like, Ernie. (38:48) I'm like, I don't feel snarky about it. (38:49) It's just it's hard as a person who puts it out there all the time just goes watch somebody's realize that they've been struggling unnecessarily, and they've made their way all the way to the place, didn't take the last step of the podcast. (39:00) So I made a post about it just saying, hey. (39:03) Listen.
Scott Benner (39:03) Imagine what else might be in that podcast that you don't know. (39:06) Get together. (39:06) And people started coming and talking about it. (39:08) This one guy named Matt, I'm gonna use his first name, because he comes on and said something that just indicated to me that he was a listener. (39:16) It wasn't even anything deep.
Scott Benner (39:17) And I responded back, and I said, Matt said something in his reply that indicates to me that he listened to the podcast. (39:22) I don't know who Matt is, but I'm gonna guess right now that he's got an a one c between 55 and six 5. (39:28) Right? (39:28) And he came back on and said, oh my god. (39:30) My my a one c is 55.
Scott Benner (39:33) I was diagnosed at 13. (39:34) I found the podcast. (39:35) It's 55 now. (39:36) And that to me, I was like, look, guys. (39:38) There.
Scott Benner (39:38) There's your review. (39:39) Surround yourself with people trying to do good for themselves. (39:43) Good will come for you. (39:44) You know? (39:45) Anyway, we have two winners.
Scott Benner (39:47) The first two winners, you're gonna have to pay the $500 deposit, get yourself to Texas, and get yourself home. (39:52) And this is an interesting split, Ernie. (39:53) We have somebody who has been to your camp for three years and loves it. (39:57) So Hampton Madison Madison, excuse me. (40:00) Congratulations.
Scott Benner (40:01) Your child, Cooper, is going. (40:04) Contact me. (40:04) Cooper has attended Camp Sweeney for three years. (40:07) The family flies all the way. (40:08) Boy, talk about a review.
Scott Benner (40:09) The family flies from Colorado Springs to Texas for it. (40:13) That's how much they love it. (40:15) Talks about the immense relief of the eighteen day break, that that they experienced. (40:19) That's the other thing. (40:20) Ernie, you're you're inviting those kids out for nearly three weeks.
Scott Benner (40:22) It's not a not a short thing. (40:24) The second winner, Michael Gambrell. (40:27) Congratulations. (40:28) Your daughter, Newt, has won. (40:30) Michael wants to experience a deep sense of belonging and community that Sweeney offers.
Scott Benner (40:34) So, thank you so much. (40:35) Everybody else, keep going to that link, juiceboxpodcast.com/giveaways. (40:40) It's super simple to enter, and we'll pick two more. (40:43) Yeah. (40:44) I I won't drag Ernie out for the next one, but we'll pick two more maybe in a month or so and do it again a month after that.
Scott Benner (40:49) And six of you will, will have a great story to tell sometime later this summer.
Ernie Fernandez (40:53) And I I will mention to to Scott that people that live far away, if if they don't want especially if their kids already come to camp once or twice, you know, we we offer a service called point to point. (41:03) They pay an additional fee, and they can just we have if they take a direct flight from Boston or from wherever they're coming from, Florida, wherever they're coming from, we our medical staff meets them at at DFW Airport, picks them up, brings them up on a charter bus, and and gets them enrolled so the family doesn't actually have to make the trip both ways. (41:22) Basically, there's a one way or both ways, sometimes they'll bring them down to meet all the staff, but then we send them back on point to point Mhmm. (41:29) So they don't have to come all the way down to Texas. (41:31) To that.
Scott Benner (41:31) Ernie will FedEx your
Ernie Fernandez (41:32) families use that.
Scott Benner (41:33) Ernie will FedEx your kid to camp. (41:35) Look at that. (41:36) Yeah. (41:37) Get him in a nice box. (41:38) It'll be comfortable.
Scott Benner (41:38) They'll be fine. (41:40) You do amazing work, Ernie. (41:41) I appreciate you sharing this with me. (41:43) I don't know if there is an answer that's strong enough to break how awesome Instagram Reels is or whatever, but I can tell you this, and I hope you you find this to be helpful. (41:52) As a person who makes content, I'm seeing it all shift again.
Scott Benner (41:57) So for a number of years, the algorithm's been beating on my head. (42:01) Make your stuff shorter. (42:02) Make it simpler. (42:03) Make it fancier. (42:04) And I've avoided that.
Scott Benner (42:05) I've ignored it, and I haven't done it. (42:07) And right now, I'm actually seeing some of those algorithms. (42:11) I think they've depleted how much they think they can ring out of people twenty seconds at a time, and longer form content is starting to come back. (42:18) So hopefully, maybe more thoughtful ways of sharing things will be coming through people's screens in the future.
Ernie Fernandez (42:24) That is wonderful.
Scott Benner (42:25) I got
Ernie Fernandez (42:25) my fingers great work, Scott. (42:27) Thank you.
Scott Benner (42:27) You're welcome. (42:28) You're awesome. (42:29) Happy New Year. (42:29) Merry Christmas. (42:30) It's it's lovely to see you.
Ernie Fernandez (42:32) Thank you. (42:32) Yep.
Scott Benner (42:40) Okay. (42:41) Head over now to juiceboxpodcast.com/giveaways and enter your child in the drawing to win one of those remaining four slots at Camp Sweeney. (42:50) You're not gonna wanna miss it. (42:51) Check it out at campsweeney.org too if you don't know what Camp Sweeney is, but you gotta join the giveaway to have a chance to win. (43:00) The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care.
Scott Benner (43:05) Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi with Control IQ plus technology at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. (43:15) There are links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com. (43:21) Are you tired of getting a rash from your CGM adhesive? (43:25) Give the Eversense three sixty five a try. (43:27) Eversense cgm.com/juicebox.
Scott Benner (43:31) Beautiful silicone that they use. (43:32) It changes every day. (43:33) Keeps it fresh. (43:35) Not only that, you only have to change the sensor once a year. (43:38) So, I mean, that's better.
Scott Benner (43:42) Touched by Type one sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. (43:46) Check them out at touchedbytype1.org on Instagram and Facebook. (43:51) Give them a follow. (43:52) Go check out what they're doing. (43:54) They are helping people with type one diabetes in ways you just can't imagine.
Scott Benner (44:00) Thank you so much for listening. (44:02) I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. (44:05) If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. (44:13) Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. (44:17) If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend.
Scott Benner (44:24) And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. (44:28) Would you like a Christmas card? (44:40) If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast private Facebook group. (44:47) Juice Box Podcast, type one diabetes. (44:50) But everybody is welcome.
Scott Benner (44:51) Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. (44:56) If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, Type one Diabetes on Facebook. (45:05) I created the diabetes variable series because I know that in type one diabetes management, the little things aren't that little, and they really add up. (45:13) In this series, we'll break down everyday factors like stress, sleep, exercise, and those other variables that impact your day more than you might think. (45:21) Jenny Smith and I are gonna get straight to the point with practical advice that you can trust.
Scott Benner (45:26) So check out the diabetes variable series in your podcast player or at juiceboxpodcast.com. (45:33) If you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording. (45:39) Listen. (45:39) Truth be told, I'm, like, 20% smarter when Rob edits me. (45:43) He takes out all the, like, gaps of time and when I go, and stuff like that.
Scott Benner (45:48) And it just I don't know, man. (45:50) Like, I listen back and I'm like, why do I sound smarter? (45:53) And then I remember because I did one smart thing. (45:55) I hired Rob at wrongwayrecording.com.
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#1767 Bolus 4 - Chicken Pot A.I. Pie
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or wherever they get audio.
Scott and Jenny utilize a homemade chicken pot pie recipe to demonstrate how to calculate a complex insulin dose involving high fat and protein content. Scott reveals he has developed an AI Strategy Engine by training models on years of podcast data and clinical methods to break down the bolus.
Key Takeaways
- Human Intuition vs. AI Precision: Scott Benner tests a newly developed AI "Strategy Engine" prompt against CDE Jenny Smith’s professional mental math to see how closely a deep-research model can replicate expert clinical advice.
- Complex Meal Breakdown: Using a homemade chicken pot pie as the case study, the episode demonstrates how to account for high fat from butter and shortening and protein from chicken using the Warsaw Method.
- Natural Consistency: The AI-generated bolus (7.65 units) and Jenny’s clinical estimate (7.6 units) disagreed by only 0.2 units, proving that trained models can provide highly reliable foundational strategies.
- The Importance of Servings: Jenny highlights a critical safety step: always verifying the serving size. A small error in dividing a recipe (e.g., 6 servings vs. 8) can lead to a significant insulin overdose.
- Weight-Based Starting Points: Scott previews new weight-based calculators for basal rates and insulin sensitivity, aimed at helping users move past undervalued medical starting points.
Resources Mentioned
- • Contour Next Gen: contournext.com/juicebox
- • Medtronic Diabetes: medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox
- • Meal Bolt Roadmap: juiceboxpodcast.com/meal-bolt
- • Small Sips Series: Quick bursts of clarity on T1D management.
Welcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast. In every episode of bolus four, Jenny Smith and I are gonna take a few minutes to talk through how to bolus for a single item of food. Jenny and I are gonna follow a little bit of a road map called meal bolt. Measure the meal, evaluate yourself, Add the base units.
Scott BennerLayer a correction. Build the bolus shape. Offset the timing. Look at the CGM. Tweak for next time. Having said that, these episodes are gonna be very conversational and not incredibly technical. We want you to hear how we think about it, but we also would like you to know that this is kind of the pathway we're considering while we're talking about it. So while you might not hear us say every letter of Mielbolt in every episode, we will be thinking about it while we're talking. If you wanna learn more, go to juiceboxpodcast.com/meal-bolt. But for now, we'll find out how to bowl us for today's subject.
Scott BennerWhile you're listening, please remember that nothing you hear on the juice box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. Today's episode of the juice box podcast is sponsored by the Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter. This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you at contournext.com/juicebox.
Scott BennerToday's episode is also sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the MiniMed seven eighty g system and their new sensor options, which include the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed seven eighty g system? You can do that at my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox.
The Pot Pie Challenge: Mental Math vs. AI
Jenny SmithI don't know what this means.
Scott BennerAlright. I'm hitting record now. Yes. Did you just say, does this have anything to do with your weird text?
Jenny SmithI I did. Okay. Yeah.
Scott BennerSo I'm sorry.
Jenny SmithVery odd text.
Scott BennerYeah. I'm starting the recording like this so people can hear that a few minutes ago, I texted Jennifer a link to a pot pie recipe and a list that says one ten it's number one ten, number two fifty, number three one hundred, number four default, number five current BG one thirty, number six rising arrow. Number seven, no insulin on board. And in real time, I don't care how long it takes. We can chat while you're doing it. I want you to go to that recipe
Jenny SmithOkay.
Scott BennerAnd with those parameters, tell me how to bolus Oh. For one serving of the pot pie.
Jenny SmithK. So my can I guess then? So number one is the insulin to carb ratio. Yep. Number two, fifty is
Scott BennerIt's sensitivity.
Jenny SmithOh, the scent I was gonna guess either sensitivity or the amount of carbs per survey.
Scott BennerNo. I'm not telling you any of that. That's on you.
Jenny SmithYou're not telling any of that. Okay. Awesome.
Scott BennerAnd I'm it's just a link. You have to click on it. You're gonna have to pick through it. You're gonna have to look at the ingredients, and you're gonna have to figure out how to bolus for it. And I want a fat and protein bolus out of you too.
Scott BennerAnd there's a good reason for this. I'm not just torturing you on a Monday morning.
Jenny SmithOh, okay. So I'm looking at the recipe.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithAnd so the recipe is looks like it's eight servings, which would be typical for, a pie based recipe to cut it into eight servings. It has a top and a bottom crust to it. I'm assuming the crust is also homemade.
Scott BennerIn the recipe, there's a ingredients.
Jenny SmithMade pie dough recipe. Okay. And
Scott BennerWhile you're thinking, I'm gonna read the ingredients to people. Okay. One recipe for homemade pie dough. One pound boneless skinless chicken breast, a third of a cup of butter, a half a cup of celery, a third a cup of an onion, a third cup all purpose flour, half a teaspoon of salt, quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, a quarter teaspoon of celery seed. Even though we use celery?
Scott BennerInteresting. A half a teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon chicken bouillon paste or more to taste, one cup of milk, eight ounces of frozen vegetables, mixed carrots, peas, green beans, and corn, one egg, one tablespoon of milk. So that's the entirety of what you need to make this concoction. And I'm gonna use that word because I love that word. I also wanna point out that I sent a complicated meal on purpose, and the website is set up by a person who is just pushing ads on you.
Scott BennerSo it's difficult to navigate is my other point. Like, there's pictures and there's, you know, make the pie crust, the highly recommend our blah blah blah, you know, and then photos and then ads are popping up. Like, it's everyone who's done a rest it.
Jenny SmithA busy website.
Scott BennerIt's a busy website. That's important later just for context. So Mhmm. And then there's cooking instructions. It tells you how to cook it.
Scott BennerThere's notes about making it ahead of time, etcetera. And it does give nutritional facts at the bottom.
Jenny SmithOh, well, I won't look at those.
Scott BennerGood. Don't cheat.
Jenny SmithI'm not yeah. I didn't even go that far. I was just getting to the rest to the ingredients, scrolling through. I was looking at the picture first, actually. Mhmm.
Jenny SmithAs you saw, I went to the servings first because, you always wanna know how many servings a recipe might make so that you know what a single serving, not what the portion is that you put on your plate. What do you want first?
Scott BennerI guess well, I guess tell me just tell me the bolus, then we'll pick it apart and tell you and you can tell me why you got to it. So, you know, does it need an extended bolus? What's the total dose? What goes up front? How long would you stretch it out?
Scott BennerWhole thing.
Jenny SmithSure. I mean, if I'm looking at from just a, like, a protein standpoint, I'm looking at the ingredients right now. A pound is 16 ounces. That's typically about should be approximately four servings. Mhmm.
Jenny SmithFour four ounce servings. Right? But this recipe says that it makes eight servings, which means that, really, you're only getting about, in a cooked portion, two ounces at best of the chicken. Mhmm. There are other things in here that would have a little bit of protein depending on the chicken bullion that you're using.
Jenny SmithVegetables have a little bit of protein. There's an egg in here. So my guess would be that this is not terribly high in protein when we're talking about the bolus strategy and pre bolus, which ones are gonna be more heavily impacting your blood sugar. Right?
Scott BennerYeah.
Jenny SmithAnd in this recipe, I don't see it as being a terribly high protein meal if you eat one serving. Mhmm. Right? Fat, again, I mean, for the most part, it really only has the fat from an egg, minimal from the boneless skinless chicken. Milk.
Jenny SmithIt's got a little bit I mean, a tablespoon of milk.
Scott BennerNo. No. There's more.
Jenny SmithAt the there more?
Scott BennerYep. There's a
Jenny SmithAt the top?
Scott BennerThere's one cup. So you're getting a third of a cup of butter
Jenny SmithOne cup.
Scott BennerA cup of milk. Yep. And then the homemade pie dough recipe.
Jenny SmithThe homemade pie dough recipe, which is butter and
Scott BennerFlour.
Jenny SmithFlour. Right.
Scott BennerAnd a double and a crust on the bottom and a crust on the top.
Jenny SmithCorrect. And So, you know
Scott BennerJenny, between you and me, I don't know how many times you've had a pot pie in your life. That's a pretty thick crust.
Jenny SmithIt's usually a very thick crust.
Scott BennerYeah.
Jenny SmithYeah. It was the one thing that I really did like meat in when I was younger. I loved chicken pot pie.
Scott BennerWho doesn't love
Jenny Smitha pot pie? Right?
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Jenny SmithBut my estimate would be that the fat would be the higher part of this meal because of all the things that you just noted. Right? Mhmm. So I would expect to need an extended bolus for this because the real carbs in here that are the hit carbs are coming from the pie crust, which is high fat.
Scott BennerRight. And the gravy too. Right?
Jenny SmithAnd the sauce, which comes from the bullion the chicken bullion and then Flour. The flour, which, again, there's not a heck of a lot of extra flour. It's only a third of a cup in the whole entire pie. But, again, because the pie crust is high fat, despite it having carbs, you know, even if I just estimated the carbs in this, a top and a bottom crust are usually top crust about 10 to 12 grams of carb, bottom crust about the same in an eighth of a pie. So that's, what, 24 grams.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithAnd then there are some grams of carb coming from the celery, the onion, the mixed frozen vegetables inclusive of peas and corn, a little carbier. So and the extra flour I mean, I'm gonna add in 10 extra grams, so let's call it 35 grams of carb per eight of a pie.
Scott BennerOkay.
Jenny SmithThat's just a rough after that's just carbs. Right? Mhmm. But, again, I think because the carbs are held by a higher fat type of food, What we're looking at is using an extended bolus for this meal.
Scott BennerCan I tell you in the recipe for the crust, you're using six tablespoons of cold unsalted butter and three quarters of a cup of vegetable shortening?
Jenny SmithMhmm.
Scott BennerJust so you know that that's that's the crust recipe.
Jenny SmithRight. It's high fat.
Scott BennerYeah.
Jenny SmithYeah. Entire I clicked on the
Scott BennerOh, you did look? Okay.
Jenny SmithBecause I was like, what are they using for the fat?
Scott BennerGood.
Jenny SmithYeah. Extended bolus, yes. Pre bolus, I'm gonna say if your blood sugar is stable and in target
Scott BennerYour your blood sugar in this, breakdown is one thirty.
Jenny SmithOh, that's right. You had it in the that's right. Okay. It's
Scott Bennerone thirty, and the arrow rising arrow. Is rising.
Jenny SmithYes. Okay. So rising arrows, regardless of where the current BG is, a rising arrow indicates that you are at somewhat of a deficit of insulin to create a rise. Right? Mhmm.
Jenny SmithSo in this, it's not necessarily the food that you're prebolising for, but it's the fact that you have a rising arrow and your current BG is already at the top of maybe where some people would want it to be, like, one thirty. Right? And it's rising. A prebolus would be beneficial here
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithTo at least get a a plateau.
Scott BennerYeah.
Jenny SmithSo that when you do start eating this slower digesting type of meal, you don't still have a rise going. Mhmm. Right?
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithBy how much? Probably fifteen minutes is an estimate. But in this case, because of the content of the meal, I'd say just do a pre bolus and wait for the arrow to stabilize.
Scott BennerK.
Jenny SmithThat would be my recommendation.
Scott BennerCan you contextualize the the fat protein units in this? Like, just looking at it, or is that a thing that you need, like, a calculator for or something like that?
Jenny SmithProbably I you would definitely need a a calculator if you're going by, like, the Warsaw method of FPUs to get an idea. If I estimated again, I think I gave a pretty good estimate amount of protein. I'd guess around 20 grams per servings, maybe a little bit less. Maybe it's, like, 17 grams, but, again, nice round numbers are a little easier. So maybe per eighth of a pie here, 20 grams of protein.
Jenny SmithAnd then FPUs usually use somewhere around 40 to 50% of the amount, and then the potential of extending that in some way, shape, or form in the aftermath of the meal. And using is the number one here, the 10, is that the insulin to carb ratio?
Scott BennerThat's your insulin to carb ratio, one to 10. The 50 is insulin sensitivity. 100 is the target blood sugar.
Jenny SmithThe target blood sugar. Yeah. So then fat, like I said, that's the one that I mean, it would really do it would need a little bit of addition of all of the pieces of fat that go into this in an eighth of a pie, I guess somewhere maybe slightly under 30 grams per slice.
Scott BennerFor fat?
Jenny SmithFor fat.
Scott BennerGo ahead. Carbs, you said what? I forget.
Jenny Smith34. 35. Would be my estimate in protein somewhere around 20 Okay. At the most, honestly.
Scott BennerI wish people could see me smiling. Keep going.
Jenny SmithAnd then the fat, I think 30 might be a little high, but it I don't think it's too far off given all the fat in the crust and what you're adding. And the milk I'm expecting would be whole milk and the egg. You've got a fair amount of fat here. So let's call it 30 grams of fat. And, again, in FPU is the calculation for additional fat gram counting goes in, and then the Warsaw method takes into calculation what are the calorie units that kind of come out of what you're adding in Yep.
Jenny SmithIn order to come up with the amount to use along with your insulin to carb ratio of one to 10, and that gives you your FPU. But it doesn't unless you add in and you've got the facts here. You've got a correction or an ISF of 50. You've got your target blood sugar of 100. Right?
Jenny SmithMhmm. So if you have a calculator that takes into consideration what you would need for corrective insulin, then that would also go up front along with just the carbs. Right? So if we just factored in let's say this is 35 grams of carb. If it is, that's 3.5 units at a one to 10 ratio.
Jenny SmithCorrect?
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithAnd then we'd have to do a little bit of the math again to be able to say, okay. We've got a target of 100. Current blood sugar is one thirty and rising. If it's an angled arrow up, that angled arrow is usually a rise rate of about two milligrams per deciliter per minute. So if you did nothing about this rise effect, two milligrams per minute in the next thirty minutes is what?
Jenny SmithTwo. How much higher could your blood sugar be if you do nothing about the rise in blood sugar?
Scott BennerTwo per minute for thirty minutes could be 60 points higher.
Jenny SmithCould be 60 points higher.
Scott BennerOkay.
Jenny SmithRight? So if it is, you could be sitting at a one ninety if you did nothing. Mhmm. Again, I'm just adding it in a little bit of layering to this to get the perspective on we have to do something about the rise. Yes.
Jenny SmithEven though this meal may upfront, if you were flat at a 100, you probably wouldn't need a pre bolus for this.
Scott BennerOkay. Because it's gonna hit you a little slower. But with the rise slow. And the and the rise yeah. Yeah.
Jenny SmithMhmm. But if we, you know, take current blood sugar one thirty as it is minus your target, it gives you 30, and then you divide that by your correction factor of 50. An additional point six units of insulin is going to be needed on top of the three point five units
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithOf actual carb. Now that's just the upfront.
Scott BennerYep. What does that put us at total upfront?
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Scott Bennercontournext.com/juicebox. That's the link you'll use to find out more about the Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter. When you get there, there's a little bit at the top. You can click right on blood glucose monitoring. I'll do it with you. Go to meters.
Scott BennerClick on any of the meters. I'll click on the next gen, and you're gonna get more information. It's easy to use and highly accurate. SmartLight provides a simple understanding of your blood glucose levels. And, of course, with second chance sampling technology, you can save money with fewer wasted test strips.
Scott BennerAs if all that wasn't enough, the Kontoor Next Gen also has a compatible app for an easy way to share and see your blood glucose results. Kontoornext.com/juicebox. And if you scroll down at that link, you're gonna see things like a buy now button. You could register your meter after you purchase it. Or what is this? Download a coupon.
Scott BennerOh, receive a free Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter. Do tell. Kontoornext.com/juicebox. Head over there now. Get the same accurate and reliable meter that we use.
Scott BennerYep. What does that put us at total upfront?
Jenny Smith4.1.
Scott BennerFour. Okay. Go ahead.
Jenny SmithAnd then what we're looking at is, again, a more math calculation for the FPU units and then the extended nature of it. My expectation for whatever the total dose would be using the Warsaw for calculating the fat and protein units, my expectation is that it would ex I'd expect it to tell you to extend that bolus for the fat and protein somewhere around four to five hours?
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithThat would be my guess of this meal.
Scott BennerAnd what's the extended the extended amount of the total insulin over the four or five hours?
Jenny SmithGod. I'd have to do the math.
Scott BennerWould you please? Because in a second, Jenny, someone's gonna crown you the king of diabetes. That's gonna be me. So go ahead and do that. Okay?
Jenny SmithOkay. So
Scott BennerI I'm gonna while Jenny's doing that, I wanna I wanna reiterate. It is Monday morning. It is the December 29. We are between Christmas and New Year. Most of y'all aren't even working.
Scott BennerJenny and I are recording. I texted her once again, five seconds before we got on, a link to something called the best chicken pot pie.
Jenny SmithWhich looked like you were texting me like, this is where the gold is hidden under this. I'm like, what if he's not written? I don't know
Scott Bennerwhat he's got. Underneath of it, it just says, one, so everything's numbered. One is 10. Two is 50. Three is a 100.
Scott BennerFour is default. Five is current. By the way, default is the 50% for the FPU calculation in Warsaw. Default is
Jenny SmithFor protein?
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it uses the like, you can go heavier or lighter.
Jenny SmithYou can. And the default for fat is 10?
Scott BennerI'm not sure. Five is current BG one thirty. Six is rising hour. Seven is no insulin on board. I just texted her that.
Scott BennerAnd then you guys also heard actually, let me tease something here. Jenny and I shared with each other what our middle names were before we started recording. And then so Jenny knows now, if you wanna know my middle name.
Jenny SmithI know something that nobody will ever know.
Scott BennerI told her I will burn her house down if anybody finds out. I hit the recording just where you heard it start, and we started talking about this. She has no context for any of this. Okay? None.
Scott BennerNo context at all. Okay. Give me the FPU, Bolas, and then I move on.
Jenny SmithI am calculating. Oh, sorry. Working on it. No. No.
Jenny SmithIt's okay. No. I was I was talking along with is along with you. So if if my what was my estimate was for protein was 20. So if we take 50% of that Yep.
Jenny SmithRight? 50% of 20 grams is about 10 units
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithOr ten ten grams except excuse me. 10 grams of protein times four calories per gram is 40 calories from protein.
Scott BennerOkay.
Jenny SmithBecause FPUs essentially in the Warsaw get transitioned. An FPU is a 100 one FPU is a 100 calories of added fat and protein.
Scott BennerOkay.
Jenny SmithOkay. If we expect protein to be 10 grams, that's about 40 calories. And then fat is heavier in calories. And if that's what I was I was trying to make sure that I'm not using my calculator, my own self calculator.
Scott BennerYou're doing this in your head.
Jenny SmithI'm doing this in my head entirely. I'm not using my calculator. I love my calculator. I actually tell my my children not to use their calculator.
Scott BennerYou can use it if you want to. I if it if it'll if we'll get you to it.
Jenny SmithGo here.
Scott BennerBecause my point is going to be, I think like, everyone hang on.
Jenny SmithMy calculations are okay.
Scott BennerThey're not just okay. First of all, you're a treasure. And secondly, seriously. And and secondly, when you're all in your doctor's offices and they go, I don't know what happened. It's because they don't understand it like this.
Scott BennerBut bigger picture, Jenny, I don't understand it like this. And I wanna be clear that most of what you just did, that if you spent ten years teaching it to me, I would not retain it. Okay? Like, my brain does not work the way yours does. I've interviewed people about fat and protein.
Scott BennerI've had the waltzing the dragon lady on. What was her name? Oh, gosh. To talk all about the Warsaw method. You and I have talked about it.
Scott BennerI I just I can't wait to tell everybody the rest of it. I just wanna be clear that right now that if you asked me to do this the way you just did it, I would go, and then that would be the end of it. I would do my thing. I'd start going like, there's a lot of fat in that.
Jenny SmithMhmm.
Scott BennerAnd it's a rising blood sugar. So let's maybe cut this arrow off, get it coming down a little bit before you start eating. I don't know. Prevol is, you know, twelve, fifteen minutes, like, somewhere in there. And then I'm gonna wanna extend this out more hours than you think because this thing's gonna hit again.
Scott BennerIt might hit twice. Right? It might hit ninety minutes the second time Yeah. And it could it could roll on me again if I if I'm not on top of it with all the gravy and thing. That's how I think about it.
Scott BennerThe math and everything else you talked about, I promise you, with a gun to my head, I wouldn't be able to figure out. But I I wanna promise you that. Okay? And I'll tell you why I'm telling that after you tell me how much you want a bolus for the fat extended over the four or five hours.
Jenny SmithYes. So to break it down again, if we do total FPU units, you'd essentially take all the fat and all the protein because the calculator essentially could do it for you. Mhmm. Right? And again, an FPU is based on calories with a 100 calories being like 10 grams of carb.
Jenny SmithSo if we take all the calories that I'm adding here together, right, 20 ish grams of protein in total, so that's 80 calories. And then we've got, I estimated, 30 grams of fat. Right? Mhmm. 30 times nine is another 270 calories.
Scott BennerOkay.
Jenny SmithOkay. So if we take two seventy plus the 80, I'm making you do math in the morning.
Scott BennerTwo seventy plus 80. Yeah. It's three fifty.
Jenny SmithYeah. Three fifty. And then again, that's 350 calories. And then if you take that into consideration of the 100 calories is equal to 10 grams, it kinda works out to be about the same number of units as the carbs.
Scott BennerI'm gonna try. Go ahead. Say your number.
Jenny SmithBecause we had 35 grams of carb. Okay. But if we take 350 calories, it becomes per 10 grams and a one to 10 ratio of 3.5 units.
Scott BennerOkay.
Jenny SmithSo And then my expectation would be to extend it over somewhere around four to five hours would be my expectation. I think that the Warsaw method often extends
Scott BennerYou think it goes a little longer than
Jenny Smithyou I think it often goes a little bit longer. Mhmm. But I also think it in many people ends up being a little heavier. And that's why there is that math ability to say, well, I only need to count 30% of fat. And maybe I only need to count this much of of of protein or or whatever it is.
Jenny SmithAnd there's some wiggle room that you end up figuring out for your own personal needs, but the general math of how it's done is based on all in total, and then the calculator gets you to how much and how far to extend it.
Scott BennerAwesome. So I'm gonna go over this with you one more time. Your carbs, you calculated as about
Jenny SmithI estimated about 35.
Scott Benner35. I'm writing this down. The fat, you said 30?
Jenny SmithI said about 30.
Scott BennerYes. About 30. The protein?
Jenny SmithAbout 20. About
Scott Benner20. You had the it's funny. You had the bolus at what? And then you had a correction on top of it. You have the
Jenny SmithYes. So the bolus would have been for 35 estimated grams of carb just at a one to 10 ratio is 3.5 units.
Scott BennerYep. And you had the correction.
Jenny SmithCorrection, if you take current blood sugar one thirty minus target blood sugar of a 100, you get 30. You divide that by the correction factor of 50, and you get 0.6. That's the correction amount.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithThen you add 3.5 from the carbs to the 0.6 from the correction, you get 4.1.
Scott BennerYep. And the extended?
Jenny SmithAnd the extended for the FPUs was 3.5.
The AI Strategy Engine Reveal
Scott BennerOkay. Alright. I'm gonna go slow because I'm excited.
Jenny SmithOkay. So
Scott Bennerthe reason I explained to you all that I don't understand all this, like, mathematically is because I've been doing something over the past couple of months. The haters out there, just hold on a second. Okay? Because I think this is gonna prove it out for you. I don't understand the Warsaw method technically.
Scott BennerI understand it theoretically. Sure. I am you know, I'm okay with breaking down boluses and, you know, by, you know, correction factor and and by your carb ratio. I can do that. It does not come natural to me.
Scott BennerI don't think about it that way.
Jenny SmithI think theoretical is a great way to describe because I know years ago
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithWhen we had a fun little discussion about looping, when we started looping.
Scott BennerMhmm. Yeah.
Jenny SmithLike Absolutely. Like, Jenny, I think I need to start doing carb counting. We might need to understand a little bit about
Scott Bennerwhat's going into this thing.
Jenny SmithThis isn't working. But I think theoretical is because you've figured out by eyeballing
Scott BennerYes.
Jenny SmithA plate and being able to say, in a general way, know the ingredients that go into this.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithAnd I can estimate because I have historical information about what happens to my daughter's blood sugar after things like this. I can say, I know how much I've touched up with Yep. And what has happened. So you have a you have a base for that eyeballing.
Scott BennerMhmm. Mhmm.
Jenny SmithOkay. So So yes.
Scott BennerI, for the last couple of months, have been doing a thing. I've taken the deep research model from Google Gemini and ChatGPT, and I've been dumping your and my conversations into it.
Jenny SmithMhmm.
Scott BennerOkay? And so I told it to learn about how you and I think about bolusing by giving it a ton of the bolus four episodes. Right. I gave it the pro tip series and the bowl beginning series and told it, like, these are my theories and Jenny's theories about, like, how to handle diabetes. I gave it the episode where I spoke to the woman about the Warsaw method, and I said, like, this is the Warsaw method.
Scott BennerMake sure you completely understand the Warsaw method. And after you've understood all the you know, all of it, I'm gonna start asking you some questions. So I started asking you questions, and I asked it to build an AI prompt. So it's not a it's not code or it's nothing. It's it's it's in English.
Scott BennerIt's pretty specific. Okay? But I've been hammering through it, using it, trying again, saying, oh, look. You didn't do this. You didn't do that.
Scott BennerFix it again. And I have a prompt now that I like pretty well.
Jenny SmithNice.
Scott BennerSo when you and I started today, I dropped that prompt into Google Gemini. I want you to know I'm using it.
Jenny SmithAll all the fancy tools that you're using.
Scott BennerNo. No. No. No. I did it to show and I did it like this because I believed in you.
Scott BennerAnd I wanted and I wanted to prove out your knowledge, and at the same time, I wanted to prove out this thing.
Scott BennerOkay?
Jenny SmithThat must mean that my math teachers would be maybe proud of me.
Scott BennerI think
Scott Bennerthe whole world's about to be proud of you. Okay? So after I put this through, what I noticed was it split the pie into six pieces.
Jenny SmithOh, interesting.
Scott BennerSo I said to it, hey. Make the serving one eighth of the pie and reevaluate. That's the only change I've made. Okay?
Jenny SmithOkay.
Scott BennerYou ready? Yes. Based on the adjusted serving size of one eighth of a pie, ingredients break down for an eighth of a serving. Double pie crust, 28 carbs, 17 and a half fat, three protein. You said crust twelve and twelve.
Scott BennerOkay? Chicken breast, 1.9 ounces, half of four, just like you said. Fat, two. Protein, 13. Butter in the sauce, 7.5 fat.
Scott BennerFlour is the thickener, four carbs, point eight protein. Peas and carrots, quarter of a cup, five carbs, point eight protein. Whole milk, point eight carbs, point eight fat, point eight protein. Ready? Jenny said carb estimate, 35.
Scott BennerThis says 38. Jenny said protein estimate, 20. This says 18.5. Jenny said fat estimate, 28. This said 30.
Scott BennerLook how I'm gonna curse. Look how close you were on all that. That's amazing. Hold up. Immediate bolus.
Jenny SmithIt's just breaking down food rest it's just breaking down HR.
Scott BennerI know it's easy for you, but I it's a magic trick to me. Okay? And sure there are people out there that think like you, but they also don't have time to do this.
Jenny SmithNo.
Scott BennerOkay. No. This is a specific situation where two lunatics on the December 29 talking about potpie. Okay.
Jenny SmithTrue.
Scott BennerAlright. Right. Right. I don't know which one of us is crazier at moment. It doesn't really matter.
Scott BennerOkay? You said 3.5 for the bolus, point six for the correction, total 4.1. This has it as 4.4. Look how close. Okay?
Scott BennerIt has 3.8 only because it had three more carbs than you did. It's the only reason it's a little off. Right? Extended bolus, it has the FPUs at 3.26. It wants an extended wave bolus of 3.25 units.
Scott BennerTotal dose, seven point six five. Your total dose was four five six seven. Yours was 7.6. This total dose is 7.65.
Jenny SmithAnd, again, I was a little bit over in protein and fat just slightly. Right? So that would make the difference too.
Scott BennerOkay. And here's everything else you said. Timing and execution. This says pump settings. Dual or square wave bolus over five hours.
Scott BennerYou said four or five. This will probably be heavier. Pre bolus time, it says thirteen minutes before eating. Constraint logic. Duration change.
Scott BennerThe FPU dropped to 3.26. This falls safely into the five hour bracket. This is because at at and this is important. I'm gonna go back to this. When it was cutting the pie into six Mhmm.
Scott BennerIt was a lot more insulin. Sure. Right? Just for that tiny bit more to your point about servings earlier. Okay?
Scott BennerAnd it had the extended bolus out longer. And now this would be interesting. Watch points to tweak for next time. Do you know why it's saying that? Because of the meal bolt breakdown, because I taught it that.
Scott BennerAnd then and that's what I've been building the prop. Anyway, listen. I might not be smart smart, but I'm smart.
Jenny SmithYou are. Yeah. But everybody's got smarts in one way or another.
Scott BennerIt says t plus in three plus three hours, check for a drop. The FPU is on the lower end of the five hour bracket, 3.2. If you tend to run low, you could manually shorten this to four hours. Look at this. But the standard work all protocol says just five.
Scott BennerTweak for next time. Since the duration is now shorter, check BG here to ensure the tail of the fat protein digestion didn't outlast the insulin. What is my point? Hire Jenny if you can. If your brain works that way, god bless you.
Scott BennerYou might understand all this like this one day. But if you can't, if you're a big dummy like me, just ask the thing. Jenny, don't lose track of the fact that I didn't tell it the ingredients. I gave it a
Jenny Smithlink to a recipe.
Scott BennerA link to a recipe, and it went. And god, I'm so proud of this. I can't begin to tell you.
Real-World Applications
Jenny SmithYou should be. I think the other thing that is of value is you should always second check, though, the ingredient what it is using because, you found, I looked right at the first part of the recipe. I'm always looking at servings that a recipe makes, right, to know whether feeding my family with two hungry boys Mhmm. Who eat everything. I'm like, yep.
Jenny SmithI totally need to, like, triple this. Right?
Scott BennerIt missed that because it does
Jenny Smithmissed that. It did. That's my point.
Scott BennerThe the prompt missed it because the serving size, it says serving eight right there. Yep. So just because people might contextually be interested, when the serving size was broken down as a sixth instead of an eight Mhmm. Listen to this. Carbs total went to 50.
Scott BennerFat total went to 36 and a half. Protein to 24 and a half. The bolus goes up to 5.6, and the FPU bolus goes to 4.2. It's 9.8 now total insulin.
Jenny SmithLot more insulin.
Scott BennerYeah. So if you just think of that pie and cut it into eight pieces, then the insulin is 7.65. You cut that same pie into six pieces, it goes up by over, like, over two units.
Jenny SmithAnd that was my point in making sure that you have fed it something that it's it's got the right Yeah. Serving size, especially in this
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithKind of context because let's say somebody didn't catch that it was doing this based on six servings instead of eight. They put in all the insulin. They're wondering why why am I going low when I did what I thought that I probably should do. I've given it all the right information.
Scott BennerYep.
Jenny SmithIt's a really, really important piece.
Scott BennerYeah. I think that you should understand your diabetes. I think it is somewhat generally preposterous to think that you're gonna break down every meal the way Jenny just did. I think that it's a little preposterous to think that you might just be in the situation where I am where I go fat, protein, lot, this, extend. Like, I some people's minds aren't gonna work that way.
Scott BennerThis is a great example of why so many people struggle bolusing for this stuff. Like like, it's just and and Popeyes, you know
Jenny SmithWell and I will say, you know, I always try to think what's usable. Right? Mhmm. What's gonna give you the most bang? And if you're gonna use something like this, I can see two specific reasons that you would use this tool.
Jenny SmithOne would be for a restaurant meal.
Scott BennerYep.
Jenny SmithRight? That even at least lists all the ingredients. You may not have the recipe, but you may have the ingredients that you could tell it. Mhmm. And it could give you a better base to start with.
Jenny SmithBut the other one that actually goes farther is, let's say there's a family who has chicken pot pie every single Friday night, and they've yet to figure it out after eight weeks of trying. They're like, I don't know. We're just gonna put insulin in tonight and figure out, like, how much more we end up having to nudge it with. Right? Yeah.
Jenny SmithBut that's not fun because I think that takes some of the joy of eating, really
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithOut of just sitting and enjoying the food that you like. So if you have meals that you make over and over and over again, but you have yet to figure them out, these are the meals to go in and put the recipe in, see what this could actually give you. And then, like, I did years ago something using a carb factor. Carb factor is an easy way to figure out by weight how much just carb is in a made recipe.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithAnd then you can weigh a portion, and you can multiply it by its carb factor, and then you get a better carb count for that portion. But this goes even the next level. It takes into consideration fats and proteins and extending a bolus and all of that kind of stuff. But put sticky markers or notes in the sides of your recipes that say this is exactly how to do this meal.
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithIs it gonna be a 100% every time? No. Because the variables coming into or after a meal like this, they're very likely going to be different.
Scott BennerYeah.
Jenny SmithBut at least you have a really solid foundation to start with. Right. Right. And it could clean up if this again, if you do this for 20 meals that you guys favor over and over, you're probably gonna hit, you know, a good 80% of your management, especially after dinnertime meals.
Scott BennerSo the way I see it is that it should be like an app on your phone or something like that because I don't expect people to do this all the time. Like, that's not my although, while you were talking, I just typed in, now do this for salmon, green beans, and mashed potatoes with a dinner roll. Same parameters. I literally didn't tell it anything about it.
Jenny SmithRight.
Scott BennerAtlantic salmon, six ounces, 18 fat, 34 protein, mashed potatoes, one cup, 35 carbs, nine fat, four protein, dinner roll, one roll, 16 carbs, two fat, three protein. Green beans, one cup, seven carbs, four four fat, two protein. It must be how it like, so it went out on the Internet. Like, it didn't it didn't and and it still broke it down.
Jenny SmithMhmm.
Scott BennerAnd so I don't I don't know if this is right or not because I didn't tell it, like, make the green beans this way, the rolls like that, but it's an estimate. I mean, did does this the estimate sound far off for you? Cup of mashed potatoes, 35?
Jenny SmithNo. Not at all. Right? It's about right.
Scott BennerGives a bolus and extended weight. My thought here is and, like, listen. I'm gonna have to, like, throw 97 disclaimers on this, and I don't even know if I'm gonna make it available for people. Like but, like, I taught it to do that. Mhmm.
Scott BennerLike, it wasn't five minutes. It was sometimes sitting on my sofa for three hours to my laptop going like, no. You forgot this. No. You did that.
Scott BennerLike, I had to, like it it wasn't like
Jenny SmithYou had teach it what to look at and then what to compute.
Scott BennerIt wasn't a sci fi movie. I didn't say, Jarvis, I need you to, like, make a prompt that does this. And it was like, here it is. It's perfect. It was not perfect.
Scott BennerBut I told it, like, I wanna consider fat and protein in every bolus. I want to I want a good breakdown. It it wasn't easy. Like, what I basically did was is I took my, like, non scientific, non mathematical chatty brain, and I chatted with the AI until it gave me back a prompt. Right?
Scott BennerThe prompt is not it is it is it it's not small. It it's not like a it's not a, how do I wanna put this? It it's it's it's not like a a paragraph. It's
Jenny SmithRight.
Scott BennerIt's a
Jenny SmithIt's lengthy.
Scott BennerIt's about three pages in in a document. Right? There it is. Like, you could take that prompt, add to it, this is my carb ratio, this is my insulin sensitivity factor, but please still ask me if my where my arrow is, what my current blood sugar is, like that kind of question. You could drop that prompt in with a link, hit enter.
Scott BennerIt would say, what's your current blood sugar? What's blah blah blah blah? You could pop that in, push a button. I'm telling you, it takes about twenty five seconds, and it kicks it kicks all this back. Verified by Jennifer.
Scott BennerSeriously, are you not amazed of yourself right now? I know you're not because it's just a thing you do.
Jenny SmithI'm more pleased that it actually is verifiable what I know how to mentally compute. Yes.
Scott BennerCan you imagine if it was they they were both, like, wildly different? Be like, Jenny, we're not gonna use this episode. I I my my prompt
Jenny Smiththought interesting thing is what I would love to see is the diff is how it plays out in comparison to some of our newer algorithms. Yeah. Yeah. Specifically, the open source algorithms like in Trio. Because Trio allows you to enter all the macros, carbs, fats, and proteins.
Jenny SmithRight? And into the algorithm and the calculation, it has these pieces factored in.
Scott BennerYep.
Jenny SmithSo it has an outward watch for, gosh, she told me that there are 30 grams of fat in this meal. There are 18 grams of protein in this meal along with 50 grams of fat or or carbohydrate. So I'd like to see how it would actually dole out the insulin
Scott BennerMhmm.
Jenny SmithCompared to just this very flat application dose that you're putting in in a fashion of drip drip from a pump that can do an extended bolus.
Scott BennerSo if if you had if you had that Trio is an example where you'd actually be able to see what it was doing the whole time. Right? So you could do this and then put these so, basically, what we're doing here is, like, you're talking about the algorithm, what the algorithm does when you tell it, this is how many carbs, this is how much protein, this is how much fat I'm eating. This is taking that same kind of brain and saying, make sure I'm correct about the fat, the protein, and the carbs. Correct.
Scott BennerAnd now, you know, here's that information. Go do something with it. And, of course Mhmm. Variables, you know, how old is your infusion set? Like, there's you know, are you hormonal?
Scott BennerLike, there's still a lot of other impacts. But based on this, you know, just these two ideas, I it takes a lot of the variability out of it if you're right about what you're telling the thing and the thing is right about how it's handling that information. I just think that
Jenny SmithNo. It's great.
Scott BennerYeah.
Jenny SmithYeah. I think it's
Scott BennerI don't know where this is, like, yet, but this is a you should all be paying attention to what we just talked about for the last half an hour here. The future is now is what I'm saying. This is not I think I pay $20 a month for Gemini. I I I don't I don't have some super
Jenny SmithThis is probably similar to ChatGPT. I think that one's about the
Scott Bennersame. Right? What I've learned about the those two models, and I haven't dug into any others, I like a little more about the way ChatGPT writes. I think it writes I think it actually writes a little more in my voice. So you guys want some insight.
Scott BennerI trained ChatGPT. I gave it my book and my website, and I was like, this is about how I sound. So every once in a while, if I get, like if I get That's funny. If I get hosed up and I'm like, I need to, like, put something up and I don't have time, I can just I can say, hey. Listen.
Scott BennerI wanna you know, I want people to listen to this episode because blah blah blah. Please write it in my voice. Then I go back and I edit it. But it gives me a Yeah. It it cuts twenty minutes out of that
Jenny Smithwriting time.
Scott BennerIt's amazing. But I like the Google Gemini better for code writing and more technical stuff. Oh. Because I've been may I at the end here?
Jenny SmithSure.
Scott BennerCan I can I bore you for a second? I've been messing with a lot of different things. Jenny's like, you're not boring me. Is that what you're gonna say? You're be polite and say that?
Scott BennerLook at you. So Midwestern. So lovely.
Jenny SmithLike, oh, yeah. My mom would be proud. Yeah. She she was she was like, no. You're not boring.
Jenny SmithSure you are, Scott. Hold on
Scott Bennera second. I'm logging into something, and I'm
Jenny SmithThose are the things, you know, parents tell you when you're having to sit and listen to grandpa's stories. My my grandfather was a World War, vet, and she always drilled it into my brother and I, like, grandpa starts talking. You will pay attention. Yeah. You will sit there.
Jenny SmithYou will not close your eyes. You will wait until grandpa's done talking about his stuff.
Vibe Coding the Future
Scott BennerSo I've been using what I've learned. Like and again, I wanna be real clear. I don't understand coding at all. Like, I mean, I do not. Basically, I teach the algorithm deep research on conversations.
Scott BennerAnd then, by the way, after it's done completely, like, going over the podcast, I tell it, like, now everything you've learned, go access the Internet and fact check everything. Like, just don't take it because maybe you and I misspoke like, maybe it misunderstood. Like so I'm doing a little as much redundancy as I can. Then I'm saying, alright. Now give me code that I can put on my my website.
Scott BennerSo this is not public right now, and I don't know that it ever would be, but I have a few things I've been working on. There's a something I that's right now just called a strategy engine. Ins so you can take your insulin to car ratio, pop it in 10, insulin sensitivity, 50, target blood sugar, let's call it 90. It gives you a max bolus limit to put in. It it will allow you to enable reverse corrections if you want.
Scott BennerYou tell what the carbs hold on a second. Let's use what we just did here. This is it'll be a good test for this then. So the carbs were 38. Right?
Scott BennerThe fat was 28.
Jenny SmithWere the carbs?
Scott BennerProtein.
Jenny SmithOh, yeah. That's right. I guess 35.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. The protein I'm just going with this. The protein was 18.5. Current BG was one thirty.
Scott BennerInsulin on board zero. Trend arrow up. Generate a strategy. Boom. It's up already.
Scott Benner4.6 initial bolus, 3.26 for the FPUs, 7.86 combined. It says execution strategy pump setting dual wave square, 3.26 over five hours. Wait thirteen minutes to pre bolus. Here's some safety precautions. Insulin onboard safety correction only subtraction.
Scott BennerIt's using the Medtronic model. I don't even know what that means. I wanna be clear. Ambiguity guard, 10 to 70 range checked. Warsaw method, less than one FPO discarded.
Scott BennerSo it said do 4.6 o and 3.26, 7.86. What we got with the prompt was four point four o, three point two five, 7.65. I'm gonna tell you the the same damn thing. Like, right, like, it's a it's it's off by point. They disagree by point two.
Jenny SmithWhich is negligible for most people.
Scott BennerThat's on a website. Okay? Mhmm. Here's some other stuff I've been working through. Basal math work through.
Scott BennerEnter a weight, A hundred and thirty pounds. Am I a standard high am I high sensitive, standard, resistant, or highly resistant? Do it with me. A hundred and thirty we're gonna figure out somebody's basal insulin, Jenny. Hundred and thirty pound person standard.
Scott BennerOkay. Tell me what their daily total basal insulin should be.
Jenny SmithThey're a hundred and thirty pounds?
Scott BennerYep.
Jenny Smith15. Just a rough
Scott BennerYep. 16.25. Pump setting point six eight an hour. There's a fine tuning slider on it. Right?
Scott BennerI can say a little less, little more, like and it it tells you who fits. High sensitivity, athletes, active kids, lean t one d, standard, most adults, preteen children, resistant, sedentary adults, illness, high stress, high resistant puberty, teens, steroids, growth hormones. This is a embeddable app that I it's hidden on my pop my website right now. You guys can't see it. I I'm the only one that knows where it's at, and it's password protected.
Scott BennerYou can't get to it. But that is code written from I I I hope this blows your mind. The math behind basal insulin conversation we had. Right? And I said, read that, learn everything about it, fact check it, build me an app.
Scott BennerBoom. Insulin sensitivity calculator. Total daily dose. Let's make somebody's total daily dose fifty. Using the standard 1,800, your estimated insulin sensitivity is do you wanna do it or you wanna let it
Jenny SmithSomewhere around thirty thirty five 36.
Scott Benner36.
Jenny Smith30 Yep.
Scott BennerAnd there's a little tester on it. You wanna test it? Make your current BG one thirty. Make your target 90. Use 1.1 units, it says.
Scott BennerThat's just to test the theory out. That's another app made from the math behind insulin sensitivity.
Jenny SmithAnd that's some of the math also that goes into your your pumps if you're using that type of. Right? Yep. It's just doing basic math for you. Otherwise, you have to do the calculation and then manually enter the bolus.
Jenny SmithBut today's pumps in for quite a long time have been, you tell it what your insulin to carb ratio, your ISF is during the day, what a target blood sugar that you're aiming for, and it does that all behind the scenes, and that's how it gives you the suggestion for the bolus.
Scott BennerBut when you start on day one putting in your numbers, what have we learned through conversations all in all? Like, a lot of doctor's offices will undervalue your insulin needs. You start with bad settings and the pump struggles. And then before you know it, it's thirty years later and you don't understand it.
Jenny SmithAnd it's all off. Yeah.
Scott BennerSmart insulin to carb ratio calculator using the 500 rule, total daily insulin, 50, calculate ratio, one to 10. So imagine you could just start with your weight.
Jenny SmithMhmm.
Scott BennerAnd then get these three numbers, then put them into the machine, and then go back and use the thing to break down and and it tells you, hey. This is, you know, you're gonna do a meal wave bolus for this. It's blah blah blah. Your outcomes are gonna be so much more predictable and probably accurate. Right?
Scott BennerRight. Because in the end, these simple things like, I know that some people listening are like, yeah. Duh, buddy. But I want you to know, like, I only know this from talking to Jenny for all these years. Like like, when you and I started, I really was just a guy going like, Jenny, I think I see stuff that if I do it, this happens.
Scott BennerAnd you have taught me over the years, like
Jenny SmithWhat it is that you're seeing?
Scott BennerYes. What it is I'm seeing. And we've been teaching other people through the hopefully, those conversations. But now I woke up in a world two years ago, and I was like, hey. You know, I type into a prompt and it you know, it's not great.
Scott BennerBut and then over the last two years, it's gotten so much better so quickly. I don't know that there's any reason to struggle. Like, I don't know that there can't just be a web page that you go to where you check your settings real quick and then tell it, hey. What's the nutritional breakdown of this meal? And then that's my bolus.
Scott BennerAnd ta da.
Jenny SmithWould be lovely.
Scott BennerYeah. Oh, I got it right here. I just thought I mean, I gotta talk to like, I don't know how many disclaimers I gotta write all over it. You know?
Jenny SmithAnd that's the hard thing, I think. And probably why I think it takes a certain type of brain to think through it the way that you have Mhmm. Which has been fantastic. That's where I get frustrated in the companies. Right?
Jenny SmithYeah. Because there are many, many engineering minded people within the production, the technology companies for diabetes technology, and so this isn't rocket science.
Scott BennerNo. I'm an idiot. I wanna be clear.
Jenny SmithAnd you're and you're not at all. But what I'm saying is that this isn't rocket science. So why why can't we have exactly what you just said that comes along with each and every pump so that it can actually give you your pump has been prescribed, your doses have been approved Mhmm.
Jenny SmithBy your your clinician. Right? And this app just takes what you've been told to dose and actually makes it a heck of a lot safer for you to use the insulin because now you've got something telling you exactly where to put the dose and how to time it. Yeah. Like, doesn't that just makes and most of the most of the pumps now are app driven to some degree.
Jenny SmithSo it's not like it's, again, rocket science.
Scott BennerRight.
Jenny SmithConnecting one communicating app to another community communicating app and letting it just give you better management.
Scott BennerYeah. I mean, I don't I Jenny, I don't know how to code, and I don't understand diabetes the way you do, and I didn't go to college. And I just understand what what I've learned over the years and what I've
Jenny Smithlearned from go to college who know nothing, so don't feel bad about that.
Scott BennerYou're very nice. But I'm just I'm just trying to point out that, like, my base line is guy trying to help his daughter. Right? Like and I I I will take your, you know, your compliment. I I think my brain works in a pretty interesting way.
Scott BennerLike, that's Mhmm. Fine. But but I'm looking at this now. What I'm thinking about is all the people I've talked to and where their struggle points are. Right?
Scott BennerLike Mhmm. If I give them all the steps you and I just laid out, people are gonna go, I'm not doing all that. I'll just guess 40 carbs, and I'll bolus again if I get high. You you know, like like that guy. And I understand that.
Scott BennerBut I don't know that there's not a world where you can't just say, this is how much I weigh, and here's a link to what I'm eating. Let's go. I don't know enough about coding, but I don't know that you couldn't just combine all these little calculators together and put in a tiny bit of information. I actually the one I've been working on would actually go out and get the link, but it's tough because you need an API. It's just it's boring.
Scott BennerBut, like, you like, there's, you know, ChatGPT, Gemini, it's going out on the Internet, and it's figuring out based on databases like these
Jenny SmithRight.
Scott BennerThe stuff that's in this food. I actually toyed with the idea of, like, paying for the API, putting it behind a paywall, and just telling everybody, like, look. It's $5 a month. That should cover the tokens and go ahead and use the damn thing. You know what I mean?
Scott BennerLike, I've been trying to figure all that out right now. But, again, I'm not a coder, so it's taking me a little more time. But, anyway, you all, like I don't know. Don't take my advice. I swear to god, I I literally, I went to summer school in ninth grade because I I failed algebra.
Scott BennerI just want you all to know that.
Jenny SmithAll good.
Scott BennerAlright. Thank you, Jenny. This was really awesome. You are awesome.
Jenny SmithThank you.
Scott BennerYep.
Jenny SmithThanks.
Outro and Final Thoughts
Scott BennerHaving an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away. Contournext.com/juicebox. That's right. Today's episode is sponsored by the Contour NextGen blood glucose meter. I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed seven eighty g automated insulin delivery system, which of course anticipates, adjusts, and corrects every five minutes twenty four seven.
Scott BennerIt works around the clock so you can focus on what matters. The juice box community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, visit my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. Okay. Well, here we are at the end of the episode.
Scott BennerYou're still with me? Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review?
Scott BennerMaybe you could make sure you're following or subscribe in your podcast app, go to YouTube and follow me, or Instagram, TikTok. Oh, gosh. Here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. You don't wanna miss please, do you not know about the private group?
Scott BennerYou have to join the private group. As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active talking about diabetes. Whatever you need to know, there's a conversation happening in there right now. And I'm there all the time.
Scott BennerTag me. I'll say hi. If you'd like to hear about diabetes management in easy to take in bits, check out the small sips. That's the series on the Juice Box podcast that listeners are talking about like it's a cheat code. These are perfect little bursts of clarity, one person said.
Scott BennerI finally understood things I've heard a 100 times. Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I needed. People say small sips feels like someone pulling up a chair, sliding a cup across the table, and giving you one clean idea at a time. Nothing overwhelming. No fire hose of information.
Scott BennerJust steady helpful nudges that actually stick. People listen in their car, on walks, or rather actually bolus ing anytime that they need a quick shot of perspective. And the reviews, they all say the same thing. Small sips makes diabetes make sense. Search for the Juice Box podcast, small sips, wherever you get audio.
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#1766 Scrappy
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or wherever they get audio.
Nurse practitioner and mother Danielle discusses managing her six-year-old’s T1D diagnosis while caring for a newborn, emphasizing the critical importance of mental health support for caregivers navigating medical trauma.
+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
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 (0:0) Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Danielle (0:12) Hi. (0:13) My name is Danielle. (0:14) I'm a mom of four girls. (0:16) And less than a year ago, I was learning to care for my newborn while learning how to manage my six year old type one diabetes.
Scott Benner (0:24) Alright. (0:24) Let's get down to it. (0:25) You want the management stuff from the podcast. (0:28) You don't care about all this chitting and chatting with other people. (0:31) Juiceboxpodcast.com/lists.
Scott Benner (0:34) They are downloadable, easy to read, every series, every episode. (0:39) They're all numbered. (0:41) Makes it super simple for you to go right into that search feature. (0:44) In your audio app, type juice box one seven nine five to find episode one seven nine five. (0:50) Juiceboxpodcast.com/lists.
Scott Benner (0:55) If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the juice box podcast private Facebook group. (1:01) Juice Box Podcast, type one diabetes. (1:04) But everybody is welcome. (1:06) Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. (1:10) If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook.
Scott Benner (1:20) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:24) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. (1:29) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears. (1:36) Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. (1:41) The podcast is also sponsored today by Omnipod.
Scott Benner (1:44) Did you know that the majority of Omnipod five users pay less than $30 per month at the pharmacy? (1:51) That's less than $1 a day for tube free automated insulin delivery. (1:55) And a third of Omnipod five users pay $0 per month. (1:59) You heard that right. (2:00) 0.
Scott Benner (2:01) That's less than your daily coffee for all of the benefits of tubeless, waterproof, automated insulin delivery. (2:07) My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four years old, and she's about to be 21. (2:13) My family relies on Omnipod, and I think you'll love it. (2:16) And you can try it for free right now by requesting your free starter kit today at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:24) Omnipod has been an advertiser for a decade.
Scott Benner (2:27) But even if they weren't, I would tell you proudly, my daughter wears an Omnipod. (2:31) Omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:34) Terms and conditions apply. (2:35) Eligibility may vary. (2:37) Why don't you get yourself that free starter kit?
Scott Benner (2:39) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.
Danielle (2:44) Hi. (2:44) My name is Danielle. (2:45) I'm a mom of four girls. (2:47) And less than a year ago, I was learning to care for my newborn while learning how to manage my six year old type one diabetes.
Scott Benner (2:55) Why does that happen like that all the time?
Danielle (2:57) It's both I mean, there's just really no other way to say it.
Scott Benner (3:02) Wait. (3:02) So your fourth was just born?
Danielle (3:05) And you
Scott Benner (3:06) and your what which number got diabetes?
Danielle (3:09) Yeah. (3:09) So my youngest was born in January 2025, so we're coming up on her first birthday soon. (3:17) And then three weeks later, we were in the ER with my oldest daughter, who's now seven, Eloise, with, diabetes.
Scott Benner (3:29) And Yeah. (3:29) Yeah. (3:30) Hold on a second. (3:31) You ran four of those things through there in seven years?
Danielle (3:34) Yeah. (3:35) I did. (3:36) Worked. (3:36) I I wasn't necessarily the plan. (3:40) I always knew I wanted, three or four.
Danielle (3:43) My husband wanted two, and you see how that worked out. (3:48) Yeah. (3:48) Just Daniel, hold
Scott Benner (3:49) on a second. (3:50) If you weren't planning to have four kids in that short of a an amount of time, then is it fair to say you don't have a plan about anything? (3:56) Or did you have a plan and you weren't able to keep up with it?
Danielle (4:00) No. (4:01) I'm a pretty big planner. (4:02) I just I knew I wanted four kids. (4:05) I didn't know that my fertility wasn't gonna be an issue. (4:10) Is that fair?
Danielle (4:11) I mean, I knew I wanted multiple children. (4:13) I just didn't realize that I was not gonna have a problem conceiving.
Scott Benner (4:19) Is your husband a super handsome man?
Danielle (4:21) He is a super handsome man. (4:23) Yeah.
Scott Benner (4:23) That's what I'm that's what I'm thinking. (4:24) Like a George Clooney type or more like Brad Pitt? (4:27) Where does he fall?
Danielle (4:28) More like a a rugged farm guy. (4:32) He's a veterinarian.
Scott Benner (4:33) Is he really?
Danielle (4:34) Yes.
Scott Benner (4:35) Yes. (4:35) Oh, so he's tough and and and tumble, but he's also kind to animals.
Danielle (4:39) Yes.
Scott Benner (4:40) And this and this does it for you?
Danielle (4:42) Yeah. (4:43) Absolutely.
Scott Benner (4:43) Alright. (4:44) Well, definitely makes babies for you. (4:45) That works.
Danielle (4:46) Yeah. (4:46) All girls too. (4:48) We don't have any white chromosomes.
Scott Benner (4:49) There's none. (4:50) Nowhere.
Danielle (4:51) Not zero.
Scott Benner (4:52) So okay. (4:53) Alright. (4:53) Fair enough. (4:54) How long after the birth of your last does the diagnosis story start?
Danielle (4:59) Three weeks.
Scott Benner (5:00) Oh, hell.
Danielle (5:01) Three weeks afterwards. (5:02) Yeah. (5:03) So my daughter's teacher is actually the one that brought all of this to our attention. (5:10) She had noticed that my daughter was going to the bathroom quite frequently at school. (5:15) Eloise is a very responsible six year old, so she knew she's not just going there as a kindergartner to, like, play in the sink and Mhmm.
Danielle (5:23) You know, goof around and things like that. (5:26) And so she had brought it to my attention on a Friday. (5:29) I watched it over the weekend. (5:30) I honestly didn't really notice anything. (5:33) And then when she went back to school the following week, I followed up with her teacher and was like, hey.
Danielle (5:38) Is it any better? (5:38) She said no. (5:40) So I took her to her pediatrician thinking, you know, this is probably a UTI. (5:44) That's what little girls get. (5:46) And I will never forget the look on the pediatrician's face after she had seen her UA results saying, hey.
Danielle (5:57) This is not a UTI. (5:59) She's got glucose and ketones in her urine, and I'm gonna need you to go over to children's hospital. (6:04) And me being a nurse practitioner and knowing just enough, I, you know, just I feel like time just froze. (6:14) Yeah. (6:14) I was like, what do you mean?
Danielle (6:16) What do mean I need to take my healthy six year old to the hospital?
Scott Benner (6:19) Yeah. (6:20) Are you holding a baby while you're having this conversation?
Danielle (6:22) Yes. (6:23) Yes. (6:23) I am.
Scott Benner (6:23) Are you still wearing diapers, or is that over at least?
Danielle (6:28) After four kids, I healed up pretty quickly the fourth time around. (6:31) Like, my body just knew.
Scott Benner (6:32) It just knows what to do. (6:33) You're fine.
Danielle (6:33) It knew what to do. (6:34) It knew how to heal. (6:36) Yeah. (6:36) So I'm holding my three week old, calling my husband, telling him he needs to get home because my mom was watching the other my other two daughters.
Scott Benner (6:45) Mhmm.
Danielle (6:45) Was like, you need to meet me up at the ER. (6:49) Eloise, they're telling me she has diabetes. (6:51) Oh my gosh. (6:53) He's like, what the hell are you talking about? (6:54) I was like, your guess is as good as mine.
Danielle (6:57) I I I really don't know. (6:58) I really don't know. (6:59) And so we're heading up there. (7:01) Her glucose in the ER was four sixty eight. (7:06) As a health care provider, I'm just like, how did I miss this?
Danielle (7:10) How did I not see this? (7:12) She was not in DKA. (7:13) Thank god. (7:14) We spent, two days in the hospital. (7:17) Yeah.
Danielle (7:18) But those two days, I'm sitting there, you know, feeding and nursing my newborn baby while also having to, like, relearn how to feed and care for my six year old. (7:30) It was really
Scott Benner (7:31) Jarring?
Danielle (7:32) A life altering conundrum.
Scott Benner (7:34) Imagine you have a a fair amount of, hormones running around inside you too.
Danielle (7:38) A thousand percent. (7:39) Yeah. (7:40) Yeah. (7:40) Not good. (7:41) Yeah.
Danielle (7:41) It just feels like a perfect storm between postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, which are things that I've dealt with with all my pregnancies, and then medical trauma and the lack of sleep, and it was just like, all hitting at once. (7:57) It was it was something I don't ever wanna relive again. (8:00) No kidding. (8:01) That's for sure.
Scott Benner (8:01) No kidding. (8:02) I I wanted to point out how on top of things and observant the teacher must have been to catch it that early.
Danielle (8:09) Yes. (8:10) Yeah. (8:10) And I sing her praises day in and day out.
Scott Benner (8:15) I imagine.
Danielle (8:16) We have a phenomenal school nurse. (8:22) She is I mean, they're they're on top of it. (8:24) We my daughter goes to a small private school. (8:27) They're of the smaller number of kids that go to that school, there are four there's three other kids with type one there, all girls. (8:35) And our nurse, she is a rock star.
Danielle (8:39) We have a diet buddies group text with me, my husband, my daughter, the teacher, and our nurse, and we are
Scott Benner (8:47) in
Danielle (8:47) constant collaboration throughout the day. (8:51) I've I I I don't know that I could have been able to send her back to school without her teacher and without her, her nurse.
Scott Benner (8:57) Yeah. (8:58) I have to I I'd like to say to you too, like you said, I I don't know how I didn't see it, but it sounds like it was pretty early, and you were a little busy. (9:04) So
Danielle (9:05) Yeah.
Scott Benner (9:06) But she was at school.
Danielle (9:07) Gonna have four kids. (9:08) You it's okay to be busy, but you gotta notice if your kid's peeing constantly. (9:14) Right?
Scott Benner (9:14) What do you what do you feel do you feel badly about that?
Danielle (9:20) Yeah. (9:20) And I think it's because I am a health care professional. (9:23) Now granted, I work in the hospice arena. (9:26) I don't work with children most of the time. (9:28) And type one, embarrassingly enough, I just didn't have a lot of exposure to.
Danielle (9:34) Most of my training came, like, with many others, type two. (9:38) Type one is just kind of a, oh, that happens with kids and, you know, it is what it is. (9:43) I really never saw it. (9:44) Didn't have people in my in my circle. (9:47) Nothing.
Danielle (9:48) Nothing.
Scott Benner (9:48) I will act as the wizard for you, and I will grant you that you do not have to think about this anymore because I I don't think I don't I don't think it's worth giving yourself a little about.
Danielle (9:57) Carry the heavy guilt that I did early on. (10:00) I've I've made it past that. (10:02) But it is kinda you know, if anybody was gonna catch it, why wouldn't it have been me or her father who also has a
Scott Benner (10:09) Is it what's his name? (10:09) A doctor? (10:10) Yeah.
Danielle (10:11) He is. (10:12) He he he prescribes insulin to animals all the time.
Scott Benner (10:15) Tell people that's a good job. (10:16) Pays well. (10:17) Right? (10:17) Yeah.
Danielle (10:18) Ew. (10:18) Really? (10:19) Yes. (10:20) It does. (10:21) It does.
Danielle (10:22) But
Scott Benner (10:24) You got four kids.
Danielle (10:27) Yeah. (10:28) It it pays well enough.
Scott Benner (10:30) Well enough.
Danielle (10:30) But and let in in a perfect world, my husband would do strictly large animal. (10:35) The problem with that is people don't spend their money on their large animal. (10:39) If a cow gets sick, we'll throw this and that at them. (10:42) If it works, great. (10:43) If it doesn't, fine.
Danielle (10:44) The money is with folks and their small animals. (10:47) Oh. (10:48) They'll spend an arm and a leg on their foo foo dog. (10:52) You know? (10:54) Surely, the cat that that needs x, y, and z.
Danielle (10:58) You know? (10:58) People will spend more money on those type of animals. (11:01) So he does both, but I think he in a perfect world, he would he would strictly do large animal.
Scott Benner (11:07) Does he do any exotic animals? (11:09) No. (11:09) Oh, okay. (11:10) I can't use
Danielle (11:10) him now. (11:11) In the rural area that we're in, you we he wouldn't see that.
Scott Benner (11:15) Wouldn't see too much of
Danielle (11:16) often, I don't think.
Scott Benner (11:17) You guys don't keep reptiles in the Midwest?
Danielle (11:20) People have reptiles in the Midwest, but we're about an hour from any big city.
Scott Benner (11:26) Oh, you're rural rural.
Danielle (11:27) Yeah. (11:27) We're rural, rural. (11:30) Gotcha. (11:31) Yes.
Scott Benner (11:31) Someone showed me a house the other day that was, like, outside of the an area. (11:35) Was in a little rural spot. (11:37) It's like a brand new house at a very reasonable price on, like, 25 acres, and I thought, uh-huh. (11:41) Am I moving there?
Danielle (11:43) Yeah. (11:43) Yeah. (11:43) You're you're basically describing our our setup. (11:47) You know? (11:47) Yeah.
Danielle (11:48) A a decent sized house in a little piece of land, and it's quiet, and it's peaceful, and I'd recommend it to anybody.
Scott Benner (11:56) Is the is the Internet okay? (11:57) Can I can I make a podcast from there?
Danielle (11:59) I mean, can you hear me okay?
Scott Benner (12:01) You're making a fair point. (12:02) Okay.
Danielle (12:03) Yeah.
Scott Benner (12:03) I'm on my way. (12:04) Do I have to dodge a tornado, or am I good?
Danielle (12:06) You might. (12:07) You might. (12:08) It it had been weirdly warm here for December, January, and now we're finally getting winter weather. (12:16) But
Scott Benner (12:16) Does weirdly warm smell like tornadoes? (12:18) Is that what that means?
Danielle (12:19) Well, I mean, it could, but, I mean, 75 degrees in the Midwest on Christmas day is kind of
Scott Benner (12:26) Was it really?
Danielle (12:27) Unheard of. (12:28) Yeah.
Scott Benner (12:28) Can I say that I am not a weather scientist nor any other kind of scientist? (12:33) But I did find myself in a conversation recently with with a bunch of people who were like, is the weather pattern moving on the calendar significantly? (12:42) Do you know what I mean? (12:43) Like
Danielle (12:43) I don't know. (12:44) I mean, I always remember as a kid, there was always it was there was always snow on Christmas, and I can't remember the last time we've had a white Christmas here. (12:52) So
Scott Benner (12:52) No. (12:53) I'm telling you. (12:53) Knows. (12:54) I feel like it's gonna snow in June one day, but I won't be alive for it. (12:57) People will be like, oh, yeah.
Scott Benner (12:58) The weather's just circling the calendar. (13:00) Don't worry. (13:00) It's coming back. (13:01) Anyway Yeah. (13:02) I don't know anything about anything.
Scott Benner (13:04) I just wanna be clear. (13:05) That's how I ended up with the podcast. (13:07) Alright. (13:08) So when she's diagnosed Eloise, by the way. (13:11) Lovely name.
Danielle (13:12) Yes. (13:13) Thank you.
Scott Benner (13:13) Yeah. (13:13) Yeah. (13:13) Family name?
Danielle (13:14) No. (13:15) It just was a pretty name, and I feel like a lot of the older generation names have come back. (13:22) It was like we were it was Eloise. (13:24) It was Edith. (13:25) I really liked the name Edith.
Danielle (13:26) I liked the idea of baby Edie. (13:29) My husband was not about it at all. (13:33) He won. (13:34) We we settled on Eloise, and it fits her.
Scott Benner (13:37) It's lovely. (13:37) Fits her. (13:38) At her diagnosis, you have a little bit of a background in, you know, health care not directly with diabetes. (13:44) You're in the situation that you're in. (13:46) How do they treat you?
Scott Benner (13:47) Do they treat you like, oh god, this poor lady just had a baby. (13:50) Go easy on her, or do they treat you like she's in health care? (13:53) She'll understand it. (13:56) Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. (13:59) Did you know that the majority of Omnipod five users pay less than $30 per month at the pharmacy?
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Danielle (16:06) That's a good question. (16:07) I think there was a level of pity. (16:09) The diabetic educator, the main endocrinologist, and even the nurse that treated LOEs for a majority of the time were all type ones themselves.
Scott Benner (16:21) Oh.
Danielle (16:22) Yeah. (16:23) Which was really helpful in the sense, like, look at these folks. (16:28) They're living. (16:29) They're doing. (16:29) They're fine.
Danielle (16:30) They're you know, they're they've been able to accomplish so much and do so much. (16:34) But I think there was a level of pity as I'm sitting there breastfeeding this tiny baby with a big whiteboard in front of me of all the different things to to learn and do and know and calculate. (16:45) And I made it perfectly clear too. (16:47) Like, treat me like I know nothing because I really know nothing.
Scott Benner (16:50) Mhmm.
Danielle (16:50) Yes. (16:51) I have, you know, NP next to my name, but all of that goes out the window Yeah. (16:57) When it's your own kid.
Scott Benner (16:59) What about your feelings then? (17:00) Like, I I'd like to maybe stick more in that for a little while. (17:04) What was your response? (17:06) Did you pop up like, I can do anything, or was it more no. (17:10) No?
Danielle (17:11) No. (17:12) You're good. (17:12) I
Scott Benner (17:13) I'm sorry. (17:14) No.
Danielle (17:14) I would love to say that I rose to the occasion and that I was strong and resilient and just took it in stride, but I did not. (17:25) I did not.
Scott Benner (17:26) What happened?
Danielle (17:26) There in the beginning, my husband did most of it. (17:29) He did the Dexcom changes. (17:31) He did the insulin shots. (17:32) I did have to prove that I could do that before I left the hospital, of course, but I kind of fell off a cliff, so to speak. (17:40) I was in a really depressed place.
Danielle (17:44) And like I'd said before, I am somebody who has dealt with postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. (17:51) And so to add this other layer in that really vulnerable time was heavy. (17:57) It was really heavy. (17:58) And I will say the fortunate piece for me was that because of my history, I was already set up with a therapist who I know and love. (18:08) Mhmm.
Danielle (18:08) And I had already been seeing a psychiatrist to keep things on track. (18:14) So I already had those resources in place and available, which I think made all the difference. (18:21) I didn't sit in that low place for long.
Scott Benner (18:24) Yeah.
Danielle (18:24) I did come out of it, but it was because I had help already established that I didn't have to go out and seek and ask for.
Scott Benner (18:33) Right. (18:33) It Danielle, and you had that stuff in place because you anticipated problems after the birth and you were ready for that?
Danielle (18:39) Yes.
Scott Benner (18:40) So a preplanner you are?
Danielle (18:42) Yes.
Scott Benner (18:42) Good for you. (18:43) Yes. (18:43) How many postpartum struggles did you have before you realized that you would need that kind of help?
Danielle (18:50) Oh, after Eloise. (18:52) It it happened full throttle with my first.
Scott Benner (18:54) Gotcha. (18:55) And you've been at it since and is it a thing you continue through the year or you just yeah. (18:59) Honestly, four kids in seven years, maybe it's just continued all But
Danielle (19:02) couldn't have been that scared
Scott Benner (19:03) Yeah.
Danielle (19:04) Yeah. (19:04) To have more babies. (19:04) Exactly. (19:05) Continue to have more babies.
Scott Benner (19:06) Do you continue the mental health support in between, or do you just kinda launch back into it at the births?
Danielle (19:13) No. (19:14) No. (19:14) I have kept up with my therapist and intermittently with my psychiatrist to make sure that I am okay. (19:25) Because if we we as parents, if we're not okay, our kids certainly aren't gonna be okay.
Scott Benner (19:30) How do you characterize their value to you and what they provide and and how it helps you?
Danielle (19:35) They're an unbiased opinion. (19:38) They're an un you know, they don't know my child. (19:41) They don't know my husband. (19:42) They just know me. (19:44) And especially now being with these certain providers for a while now, they have been able to get to know me on a visceral level and help me establish tools to appreciate the feelings that I have and acknowledge them and then also let them go.
Scott Benner (20:04) K. (20:05) That's not and that's valuable for you. (20:07) That that really, like, lightens you or gives you better outlooks? (20:11) How does it what how do you feel when it's over?
Danielle (20:13) Yeah. (20:13) Because, I mean, I I get myself into these, like, rumination, these what if situations, these Mhmm. (20:21) Worst case scenario things. (20:22) And and three, four, five, six years ago, I would have sat with those feelings of worry and pain and anxiety. (20:30) And today, while those things still happen, they're more like blips on my radar and not all encompassing anymore.
Scott Benner (20:40) Were you anxious prior to your first baby?
Danielle (20:42) Yes. (20:43) Yeah. (20:44) I I've always been a a nervous person. (20:46) I've always had issues with, like, restlessness and my mood being labile and having this certain temperament of things didn't go my way, and I would immediately feel, like, either a failure or, just not worthy. (21:04) And then in the midst of Eloise's diagnosis and all of these children here as of, like, seven, eight months ago, I was given the diagnosis of ADHD.
Danielle (21:17) And at first I was like, that's a crock of shit. (21:20) That's a hoax. (21:22) You know, I can sit in a chair. (21:24) I don't I'm not somebody who can't have a conversation. (21:27) I'm not, you know, have all this outward energy.
Danielle (21:31) I was never the kid in school that couldn't sit in their chair and things. (21:35) But, apparently, from what I'm told, us millennial women are kind of the lost generation. (21:41) We were of girls who were more inattentive and not hyperactive. (21:48) And so I have since started medication for that, and it has been life changing. (21:55) How?
Danielle (21:56) I can have singular thoughts now. (21:58) I don't have racing thoughts of going over here, doing this, needing this, going there, doing this, whatever. (22:03) It's also helped with Eloise's management. (22:07) There were times early on where I would give her insulin and forget to remind her to come eat because we pretty early on, we got into the prebolising. (22:16) So I would bolus her, and then she would run off to go play because she's a six year old kid, and I would forget to tell her to come back and eat.
Danielle (22:25) And there were a couple funky moments where it got a little scary.
Scott Benner (22:29) Yeah. (22:29) Yeah. (22:29) Tell me something. (22:30) Is it, the racing thoughts is there's a thousand things to do? (22:34) You have to get to every one of them.
Scott Benner (22:35) I did one, do the next one, do the next one, like that feeling?
Danielle (22:38) Yes. (22:39) Yes. (22:39) Or, like, I'm doing the dishes, and then I'll see something on the counter. (22:42) I'm like, oh, I didn't put that away. (22:43) I better pick that up.
Danielle (22:44) And then I pick that up, and I go take it to the other room. (22:46) I'm like, why didn't this get done? (22:48) And so then I don't actually finish that project, and I go on to the next one. (22:53) And then I feel like I've been busy all damn day, and nothing actually got accomplished.
Scott Benner (22:58) Is the water still running three hours later from the dishes? (23:01) Or
Danielle (23:01) Yeah. (23:02) I mean, it truly, truly, that's happened before.
Scott Benner (23:05) Wow. (23:06) And that's been your whole life, but it is it Yeah. (23:08) Has it worsened as you've had kids?
Danielle (23:10) Yes. (23:11) Yeah. (23:11) Yes. (23:12) Oh my. (23:13) Oh, you Oh my.
Danielle (23:15) It's right.
Scott Benner (23:15) There's not a big hole dug out back, is there? (23:17) Because that's for you. (23:18) He's gonna push you right in it. (23:20) And and you go, oh, she fell. (23:21) Kids, new mommy's on her way.
Scott Benner (23:23) Don't worry about it. (23:25) But I'm glad to hear that what you figured out is helping a lot. (23:28) Tell me what that drug is called immediately so I can sprinkle it on my on my wife. (23:32) What's it called?
Danielle (23:35) You really wanna know?
Scott Benner (23:36) I mean, yeah. (23:36) Of course, I do.
Danielle (23:37) Yeah. (23:37) Well, I so it's the generic version of Concerta.
Scott Benner (23:41) Okay.
Danielle (23:41) It's a methylphenidate is the generic version of it.
Scott Benner (23:45) So it speeds you up to slow you down? (23:46) Is that the idea?
Danielle (23:47) Well, I think from what I understand, someone who takes some kind of stimulant like that who does not have ADHD would be sped up and, you know, hyper focused and things like that. (23:58) For me, the first time I took it, I fell asleep. (24:02) It it was like everything got calm. (24:06) Everything slowed down. (24:07) Oh, interesting.
Danielle (24:08) Just felt at ease. (24:11) And to the point where, like, my temperament even towards my kids, I was more patient. (24:16) And you can imagine with four kids running around seven and under, it's loud Yeah. (24:21) Around here. (24:22) There's a lot of external stimulation that can get to you as a parent.
Danielle (24:26) And, yeah, I just felt more I feel more patient and understanding, and I'm not over, like, exerted and overstimulus or just all over the place all the time.
Scott Benner (24:38) What's doctor Doolittle's feedback on that? (24:40) How has he noticed it?
Danielle (24:42) Oh, same thing. (24:43) Yeah. (24:43) I sleep. (24:44) I mean, I wasn't sleeping. (24:46) I there early on, I was I would sit with the Dexcom follow app on my phone and I just my thumb got quite the workout.
Danielle (24:53) Just refresh, refresh, refresh
Scott Benner (24:55) Jeez.
Danielle (24:56) Thinking she's gonna, you know,
Scott Benner (24:58) worst case scenario I die. (24:59) She's gonna die like this, like, over and over again.
Danielle (25:01) Oh my gosh. (25:01) That that rumination, that constant can't pull myself out.
Scott Benner (25:06) Is this a family trait? (25:07) Your mom, your dad, anybody else like that?
Danielle (25:09) No. (25:10) I was blessed with it all on my own.
Scott Benner (25:12) It's all mine, Scott.
Danielle (25:13) Yep. (25:14) It's all mine. (25:14) I wouldn't I mean, I am estranged from my father. (25:17) I haven't seen or heard from him since I was 19 by choice. (25:22) And so who knows what he's up to these days, but Okay.
Danielle (25:26) My mom does not deal with this kind of stuff. (25:28) Okay. (25:28) I think my and I have one brother. (25:31) He's a pretty laid back kinda guy too.
Scott Benner (25:33) So Yeah. (25:34) Who
Danielle (25:34) I don't know.
Scott Benner (25:35) Let me ask the big question here. (25:37) Autoimmune issues throughout your family line, husband's side, your side? (25:40) I'm looking for thyroid, celiac, anything like that. (25:45) Vitilago.
Danielle (25:46) Yeah. (25:47) So, personally, I was diagnosed with Graves' disease in my twenties. (25:53) I ended up in the ER with tremors and uncontrollable vomiting, and they checked my TSH. (26:00) And they're like, so how long have you had thyroid problems? (26:02) It's like, news to me, buddy.
Scott Benner (26:03) Like Ten seconds.
Danielle (26:05) Yeah. (26:05) As a I know as much as you do. (26:08) I hooked up with an endocrinologist, and this was before children and before marriage. (26:13) And so what was brought to me was that in order I was told it was easier to conceive and have children with hypothyroidism than hyperthyroidism. (26:25) The medication regimen was easier and that was what they recommended I do.
Danielle (26:30) So I underwent radioactive iodine treatment.
Scott Benner (26:35) Okay.
Danielle (26:35) Basically killed my overactive thyroid, so I don't really have thyroid function now.
Scott Benner (26:41) How old was this again? (26:42) I'm sorry.
Danielle (26:42) I was 27.
Scott Benner (26:45) Okay. (26:45) You were nervous Seven. (26:46) Prior to that?
Danielle (26:47) Yeah. (26:48) I I I've always been a hypervigilant kind of person.
Scott Benner (26:52) Yeah. (26:52) Because your like, thyroid's got a lot to do with your anxiety.
Danielle (26:55) Sure.
Scott Benner (26:55) Yeah. (26:56) Absolutely. (26:56) Right. (26:57) So
Danielle (26:57) Absolutely. (26:58) I took the radioactive iodine, killed off my thyroid, and have been on Synthroid or Levothyroxine ever since.
Scott Benner (27:05) Mhmm.
Danielle (27:07) Don't have celiac or I wouldn't know because I don't wanna do a colonoscopy right now or an endoscopy to to have the final say so. (27:15) But I have had lab work and stool tests that say that I have a gluten allergy, but the only way to really see if it's celiac is to have more procedures when, in my mind, the treatment is still the same. (27:29) So I don't eat gluten, and I feel better because of it.
Scott Benner (27:32) Oh, awesome. (27:33) Has that helped anything else besides your belly and your pooping?
Danielle (27:36) Yeah. (27:38) It's helped acne. (27:39) I feel like it's made it easier to lose baby weight.
Scott Benner (27:43) Okay. (27:43) Awesome. (27:44) There's a lot to learn here. (27:45) What else is wrong with you, Danielle?
Danielle (27:48) I don't think anything else. (27:50) I don't think so. (27:51) And then as far as autoimmune stuff, other than what I got going on, my mother-in-law has, hypothyroidism. (28:00) Mhmm. (28:01) But that
Scott Benner (28:02) That's about it.
Danielle (28:02) To my knowledge is about it.
Scott Benner (28:04) Alright. (28:04) Let's go past autoimmune. (28:05) You know, are you related to any people with bipolar disorder?
Danielle (28:08) Undiagnosed? (28:09) I would say my dad. (28:13) Okay. (28:13) Maybe he's gotten that diagnosis since I was 19. (28:16) Most
Scott Benner (28:17) people answer that question with, I do know some people with undiagnosed bipolar.
Danielle (28:21) Yeah. (28:21) Yeah. (28:21) I I think I know, yeah, one one person.
Scott Benner (28:25) I'm diagnosing them right now in case you're wondering.
Danielle (28:27) Yes. (28:28) Yes.
Scott Benner (28:29) The last person that said it to me was like, well, I'm not a mental health professional, so I shouldn't say this. (28:33) But I was like, well
Danielle (28:35) Well, I'm a health care professional, so I feel inclined to say it.
Scott Benner (28:39) Okay. (28:40) Alright. (28:41) Let's see. (28:42) Are we gonna have any of the kids tested to see if they have antibodies?
Danielle (28:47) We did do that. (28:48) And as of right now, they are all negative. (28:50) I'm negative for antibodies, and my husband is also negative for antibodies.
Scott Benner (28:55) Awesome. (28:55) Awesome. (28:55) That's good news.
Danielle (28:56) But part of me, I did not realize that that was something that they were gonna have to continue doing. (29:03) I just I I think it gives me a false sense of security. (29:06) Like, they don't have antibodies today, so they're not gonna be type one, but that's not the case. (29:11) It could still happen in the future, and I hate that feeling.
Scott Benner (29:14) Well, try try thinking about the other feeling where they didn't have any, and then just pretend that's how it works and just move on.
Danielle (29:21) So lie to myself.
Scott Benner (29:22) I mean, it does work.
Danielle (29:24) Like, especially Okay. (29:26) Okay.
Scott Benner (29:26) Especially for the uncontrollable stuff. (29:28) Right?
Danielle (29:28) Yeah. (29:29) Yeah. (29:30) You're right. (29:30) You're right. (29:30) Please.
Danielle (29:31) So my kids don't have type one, and my other kiddos don't, and they just probably never will. (29:36) We'll just we'll just go with that.
Scott Benner (29:37) Yeah. (29:38) Exactly. (29:38) There you go. (29:39) Yay.
Danielle (29:39) Let's go with it.
Scott Benner (29:40) Sick your head really far down in the sand. (29:42) Just all the way down. (29:43) Got it. (29:43) But till you just look like an ostriches. (29:46) Oh, what a great title for your episode.
Danielle (29:49) Ostrich?
Scott Benner (29:49) Ostrich.
Danielle (29:50) Love it.
Scott Benner (29:53) Oh, that can't end up being the title, but it could. (29:55) There's no way to know really. (29:57) Or I guess there is a way to know. (29:59) I'm the one that makes up the titles.
Danielle (30:00) I was gonna say, do I have any say in this?
Scott Benner (30:02) Not really. (30:02) No.
Danielle (30:03) Okay. (30:03) Okay. (30:04) Thanks for your honesty.
Scott Benner (30:05) Yeah. (30:05) Yeah. (30:05) The other day, I said something, and a woman just went, please don't call it that. (30:09) And I just giggled at her. (30:11) Was like
Danielle (30:12) Yeah. (30:12) You'll find out
Scott Benner (30:13) soon. (30:14) But we didn't. (30:15) I didn't. (30:15) It was I in fairness to her, I I felt the same way when I said it. (30:21) How have you found I mean, we're this is a year.
Scott Benner (30:24) Right? (30:24) You're just
Danielle (30:24) Yeah.
Scott Benner (30:25) A year into this.
Danielle (30:25) It'll be a year February 5.
Scott Benner (30:27) You're not even a year yet. (30:28) Okay. (30:29) So do you leave the hospital with CGM? (30:32) Does it take or do you have to get it? (30:34) Does she use a pump?
Danielle (30:36) So How do you manage? (30:36) So, initially, we were leaving the hospital with a prescription for a CGM, and I think our lovely nurse educator could just see in my eyes the fear of, like, not having knowing that that technology existed and not having it right then and there as I go home with all these other things going on in my life
Scott Benner (30:57) Yeah.
Danielle (30:58) That she happened to, quote, find an extra one in a storage closet somewhere.
Scott Benner (31:06) She's like, these four kids are gonna end up in the river if we don't give her a CGM.
Danielle (31:10) I don't
Scott Benner (31:10) help this woman out.
Danielle (31:12) So she ended up finding one in a random place, so to speak, and helped us hook it up, put it on her for the first time, get us set up with the Follow app, got us set up to be transferring all of her information to our now endocrinology team, and got all of that squared away before we left.
Scott Benner (31:34) No. (31:34) That's wonderful.
Danielle (31:35) And I am eternally grateful because from what I've heard and listened to, that is generally not the case.
Scott Benner (31:41) It can be tough depending on the institution and insurance and a lot of things, but I would prefer to
Danielle (31:47) We're about an hour away from, like, a a a top 20 endocrinology
Scott Benner (31:52) Yeah.
Danielle (31:53) Program, and so I think that that makes a difference too.
Scott Benner (31:57) So as overwhelming as all this has been, like, how well did you pick it up? (32:02) And because it's funny because I feel like you're trying to say you didn't do a great job with it. (32:07) You put it on your husband at first. (32:08) Maybe you checked out a little bit. (32:10) But at the same time, you're listening to podcasts.
Scott Benner (32:12) It's a year later, you're already talking about it. (32:14) And this is a little bit of a an inside thing that other people listening won't know. (32:18) But before you and I started recording, I asked everybody the same thing. (32:22) I like, is there any questions you wanna ask me now that, you know, you don't want recorded? (32:26) And some people have a question.
Scott Benner (32:28) Some people say no. (32:30) Some people have a little nervousness about how the process works. (32:33) And you you were kind of like, well, you'll prompt me along. (32:36) Right? (32:36) Like, I won't have to carry this conversation.
Scott Benner (32:38) But, Danielle, do you realize that if I just went, what's your name? (32:41) And then came back an hour from now, you'd still be talking? (32:45) Like, I don't need you you didn't need me at all.
Danielle (32:48) Well, that's that's reassuring. (32:50) I
Scott Benner (32:52) But wait. (32:52) Let me finish my thought. (32:53) No. (32:54) Yeah. (32:54) Yeah.
Scott Benner (32:54) But let me finish my thought. (32:55) So I'm wondering if that idea translates over to the diagnosis. (33:00) Did you start with, oh, gosh. (33:01) I don't know what I'm doing. (33:03) Help me along.
Scott Benner (33:04) But then you just, like, jumped in and took over and figured it out. (33:07) Is that what happened?
Danielle (33:07) Yeah. (33:08) Because as diabetic parents, I mean, you don't really have a choice. (33:12) You can't sit there.
Scott Benner (33:14) But, Danielle, it's your personality. (33:15) How do you not know that about yourself? (33:16) And I figured it out in thirty one minutes and four seconds.
Danielle (33:21) I I don't I don't know. (33:23) I I know I'm a resilient person.
Scott Benner (33:25) Mhmm.
Danielle (33:26) I know I'm a I'm definitely a plan ber. (33:30) If the things don't work out initially, I'll find a way to make it to to accomplish it.
Scott Benner (33:36) Oh, I was gonna say you're definitely not a plan b person because you have four kids. (33:40) But you meant a different
Danielle (33:41) out. (33:42) I I'll find plan b, c, d, e, f.
Scott Benner (33:44) You are a 100% not following you are a 100% not following my joke about that that day after pill. (33:49) But but but no. (33:53) No. (33:53) No. (33:53) So okay.
Scott Benner (33:54) So if first you don't succeed, Danielle tries again?
Danielle (33:58) Yeah. (33:59) Okay. (33:59) Yeah. (33:59) I mean and and looking at my daughter, she's doing it, so I can do it.
Scott Benner (34:04) Okay. (34:05) But why didn't you know that's how you were gonna be when it happened?
Danielle (34:08) I think hormones play a lot into that. (34:11) You know? (34:12) You're you're a different person postpartum than you are, you know, a few months out or a few few weeks further out than then. (34:20) Mhmm. (34:20) And it you're still just in a state of shock.
Danielle (34:22) Like, I didn't wanna believe it. (34:24) Like, if I didn't start doing things, maybe it would just not be true of living in this kind of, like, fantasy time. (34:31) Oh. (34:32) Oh, couldn't be true. (34:33) This is no way my healthy six year old who's active and smart and the kindest person in the world.
Danielle (34:41) There's no way this is actually happening.
Scott Benner (34:43) So if I don't dive into it, it's not real.
Danielle (34:45) Yeah. (34:46) Yeah. (34:46) See. (34:46) I think so.
Scott Benner (34:47) Other things in your life, you dive in, conquer, move on?
Danielle (34:51) Yeah. (34:52) Pretty much.
Scott Benner (34:53) Yeah. (34:53) Yeah. (34:54) Yeah.
Danielle (34:54) Yeah. (34:54) I I try that is the whole reason for me doing the podcast or wanting to be a guest on here is to get out of my comfort zone. (35:01) This isn't necessarily something I would normally do, but I wanna face a fear, try something new. (35:08) I think us in our thirties and forties and fifties, we don't do that as often as we get older, do things we're not comfortable with, do things that are not in our wheelhouse. (35:18) And I I think
Scott Benner (35:19) I didn't know being on the podcast was a bucket list thing for people.
Danielle (35:22) That's cool. (35:23) Kind of.
Scott Benner (35:23) I do it every day, so I don't, like it doesn't strike me that way. (35:27) Like, the idea of, like, saying I mean, you've probably heard some recent episodes where I've said stuff about my own, like, health, and it just doesn't even, like almost doesn't occur to me to be I don't even really think about the fact that other people are listening to it to me.
Danielle (35:40) Yeah. (35:41) She's at it for a long time. (35:42) Kinda surreal when this comes out and I hear my own voice coming across Spotify.
Scott Benner (35:47) Yeah.
Danielle (35:47) It's gonna be a really bizarre feeling, I'm sure.
Scott Benner (35:50) By the way, you are my first recording of my twelfth year of doing this.
Danielle (35:54) Fantastic. (35:55) I feel special.
Scott Benner (35:56) Thank you. (35:56) I you you certainly are. (35:57) I can't believe it's still happening. (35:59) The people who do business with me or work with me, I constantly are laughing at me because every time we're on a call, I say, listen. (36:06) Obviously, this is almost over.
Scott Benner (36:10) Crumble and fall apart any day now. (36:12) You know? (36:13) I'm doing my best to keep it going, blah blah blah. (36:15) And they're just like, yeah. (36:16) Every year, Scott.
Scott Benner (36:17) Every year you say this to me. (36:18) And I'm like, I I know, but and I wonder if that's not how I keep myself moving and motivated by feeling like someone's about to take it from me. (36:26) You know?
Danielle (36:26) Yeah. (36:27) For sure. (36:27) Yeah. (36:28) I we were fortunately, I mean, we got the same advice from endocrinology that I think most people get where the first idea was have her eat and dose her insulin within thirty minutes. (36:43) You know?
Danielle (36:44) And then you'd see that big rise to three hundreds, and sometimes it would come down, and sometimes it wouldn't. (36:49) That brought about anxiety. (36:52) And I think that too was a motivator. (36:54) Like, there's gotta be a better way. (36:55) There's no way that I'm gonna allow my kid to live with these 300 blood sugars and watch her mood change and think about all the the negativity that could come from this long term.
Danielle (37:10) And so I was talking to another first grade mom or kindergarten mom at the time, and she got me in contact with a basically, friend of a friend who had been listening to your podcast. (37:23) So I was exposed to Juice Box probably three weeks in three or four weeks into diagnosis.
Scott Benner (37:28) Quickly.
Danielle (37:29) It started with bold beginnings and hearing the the contradiction between what we were getting from endocrinology and what other folks were doing. (37:41) And so then I was like, hey, husband. (37:43) Listen to this. (37:44) What do you think? (37:45) We were still MDI then, doing our best.
Danielle (37:49) She got on, tandem Moby in April. (37:53) So she was in February diagnosed, and by April, we were on a pump.
Scott Benner (37:57) Okay.
Danielle (37:57) And that was that was a a crucial helping point too.
Scott Benner (38:03) Where'd you get the confidence to listen to a podcast and take it seriously? (38:07) Was it by giving it to your husband and having him fact check it?
Danielle (38:10) Yeah. (38:11) Or or or just hearing all these other people find so much wins. (38:18) I mean, they were they were seeing that other people could bring a one c's down from the highest of highs down to sixes and fives. (38:25) I mean, I want that for my daughter too.
Scott Benner (38:27) Right.
Danielle (38:28) There's gotta be there's gotta be some truth to this if if multiple people are finding success with it.
Scott Benner (38:35) Good. (38:35) Did you find the Facebook group, or did you not?
Danielle (38:38) Like many people, I lurk on there. (38:41) I don't personally have Facebook because of my profession. (38:45) I used to work in family medicine, and I was having I was having patients try to add me on Facebook and ask for scripts via DM. (38:58) So unprofessional. (38:59) And then I got to thinking, you know, I don't want these people to know what my children look like.
Scott Benner (39:05) Oh, oh, I see.
Danielle (39:06) Just this is this is this is not okay. (39:09) So I don't have social media.
Scott Benner (39:12) I gotcha.
Danielle (39:12) My husband does. (39:13) And so I had him get in on groups
Scott Benner (39:15) and stuff. (39:16) So go in through his account?
Danielle (39:18) Yeah. (39:18) We lurk together the time where we posted about insulin. (39:24) Our daughter had to change from Humalog to NovoLog, and it has been really crazy because we've had to use less insulin and less pre bolus with NovoLog. (39:34) It's been a real game changer for her, and I was just curious if other people had found that to be true as well. (39:41) Trying a different insulin, they react better or worse to them.
Danielle (39:45) Mhmm. (39:46) So that was kind of our big question. (39:48) But
Scott Benner (39:48) Very nice.
Danielle (39:49) Other than that, I just lurk and listen and
Scott Benner (39:51) I like that you're coupled you're coupled up lurking.
Danielle (39:54) Yeah. (39:55) Exactly. (39:55) Very nice.
Scott Benner (39:57) So does he listen as well, or do you? (40:00) Just you?
Danielle (40:01) At this point, after we had listened to, like, the tips and tricks and bold beginnings and all the things about pre bolusing and fat and protein and kinda got a grasp on that Mhmm. (40:14) That's kinda where he has stopped. (40:16) I still listen to people's experiences. (40:21) It's been helpful to listen to the ones where you talk about how you would look in bolus for certain foods.
Scott Benner (40:29) Oh, good. (40:29) Good. (40:30) Yeah. (40:30) I'm getting a lot of good feedback about those.
Danielle (40:32) I do enjoy that. (40:33) Good. (40:33) I do enjoy that because as Eloise grows, there's gonna be more and more variables to think about. (40:40) I mean, she's she's very active, and so we're still learning how to like soccer. (40:46) She's a soccer superstar.
Danielle (40:48) But with soccer, she'll drop low, she'll go high, and we're trying to find a way to keep her in the games longer. (40:56) You know?
Scott Benner (40:57) My idea with the bolus four episodes, if talking about diabetes, the big picture about it, slowly helped people understand it and got them to a point where they were just like, oh, you know, I kinda know what I'm doing now. (41:08) Everything feels comfortable when stuff happens. (41:10) You know, I I tend to make good decisions and my outcomes are, you know, are are matching up. (41:16) I thought, what if we had like, what if we did that about bolusing? (41:19) Like, just had conversations just about bolusing.
Scott Benner (41:22) I wonder if that would rub off on people and then eventually, they just bump into the different foods and be, you know, just kind of not not thinking about the the steps and the and, you know Yeah. (41:32) The the complexity of it.
Danielle (41:34) In the beginning, I mean, it's like, I'll never forget. (41:37) We're driving home from the hospital after her diagnosis, and she wanted a bag of Teddy Grahams. (41:41) And I've are poison. (41:43) Well, I've been told how many ways in the last two days don't restrict. (41:49) Right?
Danielle (41:49) Let them eat what they wanna eat. (41:51) Don't I'm like, okay. (41:52) Yeah. (41:53) Eat these teddygrams. (41:54) So what do I do?
Danielle (41:55) I give her the half unit that was required for the amount of carbs for these tenigrams, and I watch her blood sugar go up to 400. (42:05) And I'm like, well, hey now, Toles. (42:08) You just told me
Scott Benner (42:10) I know.
Danielle (42:10) That if I do the insulin and count the carbs, that this kind of crap's not gonna happen. (42:16) Just the the naivety of it all.
Scott Benner (42:18) Yeah. (42:18) Here here's a message for all your hospital staff. (42:21) Why do you give people graham crackers? (42:23) What is wrong with you?
Danielle (42:25) Right.
Scott Benner (42:26) And and by the way, JDRF, formerly JDRF whatever in Philadelphia, why do you fresh soft pretzels at the wok? (42:33) Like, is it just to be cruel? (42:35) Are you like, hey. (42:36) Here's a bunch of newly diagnosed people. (42:37) Let's give them a fucking soft pretzel.
Scott Benner (42:41) Look at them.
Danielle (42:42) Wow. (42:43) Wow. (42:44) Now go walk off that Yeah.
Scott Benner (42:46) Excess of
Danielle (42:47) that blood sugar.
Scott Benner (42:47) Go for a walk and see if you don't end up with a 400 blood sugar anyway because you don't know what you're doing and you're in a panic exercising. (42:53) I mean, seriously, there's a couple of graham crackers at hospitals and soft pretzels at walks. (42:59) Like, what is I mean, there ought to be a table that says, do you know what you're doing? (43:04) If so, look behind the curtain, and behind the curtain is a pretzel. (43:07) Right?
Scott Benner (43:08) Because every if you're not from around here, you don't know. (43:11) Those soft pretzels are they're perfect. (43:13) I mean, they hit they hit you right in the core of your whatever the part of your brain is that makes you feel like you're having an orgasm while you're eating. (43:19) A hot soft pretzel with a little salt on top, little yellow mustard. (43:24) Are you kidding me?
Scott Benner (43:25) And now the places around here, do you know they sell cinnamon sugar to dip them in?
Danielle (43:30) Good. (43:30) Awesome.
Scott Benner (43:31) And cream. (43:32) I don't get any of that, by the way. (43:34) Even I don't understand a chocolate pretzel if I'm being honest. (43:37) Nah. (43:37) Yeah.
Scott Benner (43:38) Pretzel needs not it needs mustard. (43:39) It doesn't need anything else. (43:41) Yellow. (43:41) You have
Danielle (43:42) a cheese dip even?
Scott Benner (43:43) No. (43:43) What am I? (43:44) A monster? (43:44) It's a pretzel. (43:45) It's already perfect.
Scott Benner (43:47) Okay? (43:47) As a matter of fact, if I talk about it for three more seconds, I'm gonna end up with one today. (43:51) So we have to stop right now because I'm going out. (43:54) I'll be driving past the place. (43:55) You guys should move here.
Danielle (43:57) You can eat a pretzel and get a massage at the same time.
Scott Benner (44:00) These people don't know I'm getting a massage today, Danielle, but you just, like, told them.
Danielle (44:05) I forgot I wasn't recording If
Scott Benner (44:07) I ate a pretzel while being massaged, you don't think the person doing it would call the police? (44:13) They'd be like, there's a lunatic in here eating a he's asking for mustard. (44:17) Please come help me. (44:19) And not brown mustard. (44:21) He said that's disgusting.
Scott Benner (44:22) Oh. (44:23) Oh my god.
Danielle (44:24) Sorry about that.
Scott Benner (44:25) No. (44:25) Alright. (44:25) Hey, everybody. (44:26) Guess what? (44:27) I'm getting a massage today.
Scott Benner (44:28) Okay? (44:28) I got it as a
Danielle (44:29) treating himself.
Scott Benner (44:29) I got it as a gift two Christmases ago and waited so long to do it that it was expired when I called the place, and they were nice enough to settle up for me anyway. (44:38) My wife wanted am I sharing this part? (44:42) Whatever. (44:43) My wife was like, I got this massage at this place specifically because there's a person there who does a great deep tissue massage, and I know that's what you want. (44:51) I said, awesome.
Scott Benner (44:52) Thank you. (44:53) She read reviews, blah blah blah. (44:55) I go I call. (44:56) I set the whole thing up. (44:57) They offer me one of two people to do the massage, and I just very casually just chose the female name when it was thrown at me.
Scott Benner (45:05) And I didn't think anything of it. (45:07) I get downstairs. (45:08) My wife's like, did you get it set up? (45:10) And I was like, yeah. (45:11) Yeah.
Scott Benner (45:11) It's great. (45:11) I'm I'm gonna go. (45:12) And she goes I said, thank you again. (45:14) Sorry. (45:14) It took me so long to do it.
Scott Benner (45:15) I was very, very cordial. (45:17) And then she said, you did it with this person? (45:21) And I went, oh, no. (45:22) I did it with the other one. (45:23) And she goes, why?
Scott Benner (45:24) And I said, I was faced with a male name and a female name, and I picked the female name. (45:29) And she goes, but that's not the person that does the great deep tissue. (45:32) I said the lady on the phone said she did a great deep tissue massage. (45:35) And my wife's like, but I I read the reviews and the guy, and I was like, ah, I ain't looking for that. (45:40) So and by the way, for no real reason, I don't even care.
Scott Benner (45:46) I wouldn't care. (45:47) I really wouldn't. (45:49) But I was like but when you when you asked me, and I was like, no. (45:52) Lady name. (45:52) I'll take lady name.
Scott Benner (45:53) Thank you. (45:54) So, anyway, judge me if you will. (45:56) I don't care.
Danielle (45:56) I'm not judging you.
Scott Benner (45:57) I'm just getting a massage. (45:59) Alright. (45:59) So how are things going a year later?
Danielle (46:02) I feel I definitely feel steadier. (46:05) I feel more empowered. (46:08) I feel less guilt, less need for perfection. (46:14) Mhmm. (46:15) I think so her so her a one c was 10.8 on diagnosis, and her first follow-up a one c was 6.1.
Scott Benner (46:26) Okay.
Danielle (46:27) And so putting that in perspective, I knew that she still had highs through that, and we were still able to achieve a really good solid a one c first go around.
Scott Benner (46:40) Right.
Danielle (46:40) And so then it was like, okay. (46:43) She doesn't have it doesn't have to be perfect to see better results.
Scott Benner (46:47) Okay.
Danielle (46:47) And so, yes, we still pre bolus, and, yes, we you know, she had pancakes for breakfast this morning. (46:54) And, yes, technically, they were only 40 carbs. (46:56) She got way more insulin than just 40 carbs because now we know.
Scott Benner (47:01) Mhmm.
Danielle (47:01) And and that's empowering to feel like we we have a better grasp on it. (47:06) And don't get me wrong. (47:07) There's still you think you do everything right, and you still see those double arrows up. (47:12) It's been a while since we've had them, but they still happen.
Scott Benner (47:15) Sure. (47:15) Sure.
Danielle (47:15) I don't beat myself up anymore about it because what do I do? (47:21) Just give more insulin and it's going to come down.
Scott Benner (47:23) Where on that timeline does the, what was the medication you said you were taking?
Danielle (47:29) I started that medication just about two months ago because I was leery about it.
Scott Benner (47:34) Okay. (47:35) So you you started it two months ago. (47:37) Has your outlook on the diabetes changed as well?
Danielle (47:41) Yeah. (47:41) I'm just I'm just a calmer individual in general.
Scott Benner (47:46) Alright. (47:46) Well, I'm not usually for all this, but for all you people out there who when you hear me tell somebody to calm down, you think, oh, I should probably calm down too. (47:55) Tell them again the name of the medication.
Danielle (47:58) Methylphenidate. (48:00) Yeah.
Scott Benner (48:00) I mean, listen, kids. (48:02) Give up.
Danielle (48:02) If you truly if you truly have ADHD and and a licensed professionals telling you that you tick the the correct boxes, I wouldn't be afraid to try a medication.
Scott Benner (48:14) Right. (48:14) I mean, otherwise, you're a meth head. (48:15) Right? (48:16) Because
Danielle (48:17) the Yeah. (48:17) Otherwise otherwise, yeah, you are a stimulant junkie. (48:21) Yeah. (48:21) And yeah. (48:22) If it's hard for you to remember to take your medicine, it's like you know, for me, if I remember to take it, that's the problem too.
Danielle (48:30) You take your thyroid medicine. (48:32) You have to wait so many minutes before, and by then, the day has started. (48:36) So then you're coming back, oh, yeah. (48:38) I forgot to take my medicine. (48:39) I could tell because I'm bouncing off the walls and not staying on task.
Danielle (48:45) So if you're forgetting to take the medication, you likely have ADHD. (48:49) If you're striving to want to take it, you probably don't.
Scott Benner (48:53) You probably have a habit. (48:54) Danielle's like, listen. (48:55) You can get, like, checked over by a doctor and they check you out, but here's the criteria, really. (48:59) If you want it, you don't need it. (49:01) If you can't remember it, it's definitely for you.
Danielle (49:03) It's probably necessary. (49:05) Yes.
Scott Benner (49:06) That's some homespun wisdom right there. (49:08) That's awesome. (49:09) That's funny. (49:10) Oh my god. (49:12) Can we call this episode missus Doolittle?
Scott Benner (49:14) It's still yeah. (49:15) That you'd be okay with.
Danielle (49:16) I don't I don't I honestly, I don't care.
Scott Benner (49:19) I don't care.
Danielle (49:20) My methylphenidate today. (49:22) You call it whatever you wanna call it.
Scott Benner (49:23) I love it. (49:24) You're like, hey, baby. (49:25) Everything's good. (49:26) Wait. (49:26) Did you try weed?
Scott Benner (49:27) Did weed not work?
Danielle (49:29) I have in the past. (49:31) Mhmm. (49:32) It's been a long time, and I know I don't like that feeling of, like, loosey goosey sort of lost control kinda feeling. (49:41) And I know there's different strains and different different ones do different things, but I just it wasn't for me, I don't think.
Scott Benner (49:49) Did you, what was my question there? (49:53) Did you have a a lessening of anxiety with the weed?
Danielle (49:56) Not no.
Scott Benner (49:57) Not like this?
Danielle (49:58) I was I was more kind of the opposite. (50:01) I couldn't sit still and I was like, why am I feeling like this? (50:04) Time's slowing down. (50:05) Oh my god. (50:05) What is happening?
Danielle (50:06) What is happening?
Scott Benner (50:08) Have you ever tried pulling mushrooms out of the cow patties? (50:10) That might help.
Danielle (50:11) No. (50:12) No. (50:13) I did experience dabble in college with some extra nonprescription things.
Scott Benner (50:20) Mhmm.
Danielle (50:20) Yeah. (50:21) That wasn't good for me either. (50:23) That was more reckless than anything.
Scott Benner (50:24) I wanna say with air quotes, there's a doctor that's been emailing me like crazy to come on the podcast to talk about their ketamine facility. (50:33) And I'm like
Danielle (50:34) Interesting. (50:35) Are you gonna do it?
Scott Benner (50:35) I mean, the website looks like it was made by a nine year old. (50:38) It's throwing me off. (50:39) You know?
Danielle (50:41) So when this doctor hears this episode
Scott Benner (50:44) Yeah. (50:44) I mean, listen. (50:45) Do a better job with your website and email me back Maybe
Danielle (50:47) you can come on here. (50:48) Yeah.
Scott Benner (50:49) Stop making it feel like three hippie friends, starting a business together. (50:53) Yeah. (50:54) And and I'll I'll look a little closer at it. (50:58) I don't know. (50:58) Also, you know what throws me off is that comedian, Whitney Cummings.
Danielle (51:02) Uh-huh.
Scott Benner (51:02) She was, like, a few years ago pretty heavy into the into the ketamine, and it looked like it was making her crazy. (51:07) So I don't know if maybe that was being
Danielle (51:08) If she's the poster child for it, then I didn't know if that was I'll go a different direction.
Scott Benner (51:13) Done incorrectly maybe or whatnot. (51:15) But I I'll tell you, like, what I would do is anybody who's in those trials for psilocybin and that therapy that they're doing, I would I would love to talk to anybody who's done that. (51:28) I think that would be great.
Danielle (51:29) Yeah.
Scott Benner (51:30) Because there's Wouldn't
Danielle (51:31) be me.
Scott Benner (51:31) Wouldn't be you? (51:32) Would you do if that was legal let me ask a question. (51:35) If it was legal to go into a a center right now and they give you a little bit of a I don't know the technicalities around. (51:41) They give you a little, little psilocybin, a little trip, and then they do that therapy through because it's like a guided therapeutic thing.
Danielle (51:47) Yeah. (51:48) Where you take, like, the psychedelics and
Scott Benner (51:50) Yeah. (51:50) I I mean, I think they're listen. (51:52) There's studies going on at Hopkins and a a number of other places right now about it. (51:56) Right? (51:56) Like, so if that were if that was the thing and they said, you look, we're gonna dig out your trauma.
Scott Benner (52:01) We'll get rid of this anxiety. (52:02) Would you try something like that?
Danielle (52:04) Maybe. (52:08) Maybe.
Scott Benner (52:09) I think I would. (52:13) I think I would. (52:14) And I and I've never done that.
Danielle (52:15) Maybe if it were a sure thing.
Scott Benner (52:17) Sure. (52:18) Well, listen. (52:18) You want a sure thing.
Danielle (52:19) Thing in life is a sure thing, but but that would be helpful.
Scott Benner (52:24) Yeah. (52:24) The only thing I'm
Danielle (52:24) sure about that, like, there's no chance you could get any worse.
Scott Benner (52:32) What a lovely way to put that. (52:35) You're like, listen. (52:36) If I'm
Danielle (52:36) gonna sit Maybe it won't get like, you don't have to reassure me that I will be cured of all of these mental health woes.
Scott Benner (52:43) But don't wanna be out of your mind when it's done.
Danielle (52:45) Can it also can you guarantee that it won't make it worse?
Scott Benner (52:48) I believe this is a very low dose. (52:50) Now having said that, I don't know that you I I have no idea. (52:53) I'm sure it's I'm certainly not telling you to go do it. (52:55) Nothing you hear in the Juice Box podcast should be considered by medical or otherwise. (52:58) Always consult a physician before making any change to your health care plan or using mushrooms.
Danielle (53:02) So Good call.
Scott Benner (53:02) Yeah. (53:03) Thank you. (53:03) Thank you. (53:04) I think I would do it though. (53:05) And I don't even know what my I mean, I I'm aware of what my trauma is.
Scott Benner (53:08) I don't I feel like I've done a good job with it. (53:10) I feel like I can exist pretty well the rest of my life, but I would like to know what it would be like if it just didn't exist anymore.
Danielle (53:16) That's I I think that's a fair point. (53:18) Yeah. (53:19) Absolutely.
Scott Benner (53:19) I think I think if somebody could dig into my into my head and take out that the person who gave birth to me and the person that adopted me abandoned me, I think that'd be good for me if I could get rid of that. (53:30) Yeah. (53:30) You know what I mean? (53:31) I'd like to keep a little bit of that fear of being having my ass kicked as a kid. (53:35) I think that keeps me
Danielle (53:36) Oh. (53:36) That
Scott Benner (53:36) keeps me motivated a little bit.
Danielle (53:38) I am I am this is all resonating.
Scott Benner (53:41) Oh, is that is that how they told Danielle to be quiet? (53:43) Yeah. (53:44) Wait. (53:44) How old are you?
Danielle (53:45) I am 35.
Scott Benner (53:47) Well, I didn't know we were allowed to hit kids in the nineties. (53:49) I thought I was in the seventies.
Danielle (53:51) Oh, I still got good old fashioned spankings.
Scott Benner (53:54) Did you get a belt?
Danielle (53:55) No. (53:56) I didn't get a belt. (53:57) No. (53:57) It was it was more it was more hands.
Scott Benner (53:59) From the dad?
Danielle (54:00) Than anything. (54:01) Yeah. (54:01) Yeah. (54:02) Uh-huh. (54:02) Well, an emotional trauma from my dad.
Danielle (54:04) He was one of those people that from the outside looking in, he was dad of the year. (54:11) Mhmm. (54:12) Right? (54:12) He coached me in basketball and was at all my games and felt like a really present father. (54:19) And then behind closed doors, he was hateful, manipulative, and just a really sour person.
Scott Benner (54:27) Oh, I'm sorry. (54:28) I'm sorry.
Danielle (54:28) Yeah. (54:28) You know?
Scott Benner (54:29) After a baseball practice one day, I watched one of Cole's teammates, like, get run into like, in the car by their dad. (54:38) And you even though you couldn't hear it, like, you could see it.
Danielle (54:42) You know exactly what's going on in there.
Scott Benner (54:43) Like, the face and the screaming and the pointing and the kid shrinking and everything. (54:47) And the kid grew up to be a shrunk person too. (54:50) Then and and got out of it eventually, which I was always happy to see. (54:53) But my god. (54:54) Like, I I don't know what that guy thought he was I don't know what he thought they were they were 12.
Scott Benner (55:00) Yeah. (55:00) You know what I mean? (55:00) Like
Danielle (55:01) I mean, work I mean, because like I said before, therapy is I'm not I've been in and out of therapy, and I'm a huge advocate for it.
Scott Benner (55:09) Mhmm.
Danielle (55:09) I've worked through that. (55:11) I mean, can you imagine? (55:13) That man coached me in basketball from second grade through high school.
Scott Benner (55:20) Yeah.
Danielle (55:20) It is so hard to be the coach's kid
Scott Benner (55:24) Yeah.
Danielle (55:24) Yeah. (55:24) Especially with somebody who had a personality like him
Scott Benner (55:29) Yeah.
Danielle (55:30) That, you know, nothing was good enough. (55:32) I was supposed to be this I mean, he was living I mean, in hindsight, he was living vicariously through me.
Scott Benner (55:37) Yeah.
Danielle (55:37) I was a reflection of what he never did as, you know, a teenager or an athlete, and he wanted me to fulfill those prophecies, those those dreams of his.
Scott Benner (55:48) How tall are you?
Danielle (55:49) I mean, I'm five seven.
Scott Benner (55:51) Oh my god. (55:51) Stop.
Danielle (55:52) I'm not I'm not tall, but I'm scrappy. (55:54) Scrappy. (55:55) Scrappy, and I have a three point shot that would knock your socks off. (55:59) I've broken some records. (56:00) I was all state in Illinois.
Danielle (56:02) I mean, I wasn't I mean, I was I was decent. (56:05) Yeah. (56:05) But he kinda ruined it for me. (56:08) And I I didn't play in college just to be an asshole.
Scott Benner (56:11) Oh, really? (56:12) You could have, and you were like
Danielle (56:13) I could have played in college, not d one, but d two, d three, and I purposely didn't.
Scott Benner (56:20) Yeah. (56:20) I don't wanna because you don't wanna be involved with him anymore. (56:22) Just the fuck. (56:23) Listen. (56:24) I've made, some good decisions in my life and some really bad ones, but one of them was at one point, my wife said, maybe you should be a coach on one of these baseball teams because I think it would be Cole would get a more fair shake.
Scott Benner (56:37) And I said, I think that's a bad idea. (56:40) Mhmm. (56:40) Yeah. (56:40) I don't think that I'm looking at these other guys, and they're ruining their relationships with their kids.
Danielle (56:46) A 100%. (56:47) I will never coach my kids. (56:48) I will always be their cheerleader. (56:50) If they decide to play basketball, for instance, and they want tips, tricks, they you know, I'm here if you want it, and otherwise, I'm rah rah sis boom bah on the sidelines Yeah. (57:00) Just Yeah.
Danielle (57:02) Being your biggest fan.
Scott Benner (57:03) Anyway, I'm never gonna forget watching that guy yell at that kid. (57:05) So Mm-mm. (57:06) I don't know. (57:06) I I swear I'd I would have loved to have said to him, like, what do you think is about to happen? (57:10) Like, are you gonna yell it in?
Scott Benner (57:11) You're gonna yell it into him? (57:12) He doesn't the kid doesn't have whatever it is you want him to have, he does currently does not possess it.
Danielle (57:20) No. (57:20) And you're you're basically just stealing the joy and the fun of it from that child and the the yeah. (57:27) Yeah. (57:27) Exactly.
Scott Benner (57:28) And it's it's there's no shade on the kid either, by the way. (57:30) It just wasn't really his thing. (57:32) You you know? (57:33) And they and I think it was because his body style fit it that they were trying to force it into happening. (57:37) That makes sense.
Danielle (57:38) Yeah. (57:39) That's terrible.
Scott Benner (57:40) He just didn't have a love for it. (57:42) So I don't know. (57:43) And the and the kid's vomiting all the time, like, upset. (57:46) And, I mean, look what you're doing. (57:47) And then they'd say that there's something wrong with the kid.
Scott Benner (57:49) I'm like, there's it's just here. (57:50) You're yelling at him all the time.
Danielle (57:51) I I yeah. (57:53) Yeah. (57:54) That's asinine.
Scott Benner (57:55) Yeah. (57:55) Everybody's an idiot. (57:56) Not me, though. (57:57) Trigger. (57:57) Not me and you, Danielle.
Scott Benner (57:58) We're smart. (57:59) We know.
Danielle (58:00) Yes. (58:00) Uh-huh. (58:01) Uh-huh. (58:02) Take it from me.
Scott Benner (58:02) Yeah. (58:03) Well, listen, you lived through it. (58:05) I did. (58:05) Yeah. (58:05) Nobody expected anything out of me.
Scott Benner (58:07) I just got my ass kicked for being a smart ass. (58:10) You know, I I think it is maybe appropriate to mention the first recording of my twelfth year, not twelfth season, twelfth year of making a podcast. (58:17) By the way, I don't wanna brag, Danielle, but did you know that fewer than 200 of the four and a half million podcasts that exist have as many episodes as mine?
Danielle (58:25) I saw your post about
Scott Benner (58:27) that Nice.
Danielle (58:28) All the statistics.
Scott Benner (58:29) If you say it there, I made a post about it, then it seems like I do wanna brag. (58:33) So just just say, oh, no. (58:34) That's crazy.
Danielle (58:35) Well, no. (58:35) It's it's educational.
Scott Benner (58:38) Yeah. (58:39) I'm very proud
Danielle (58:40) of Continue to support so he yeah. (58:42) I can continue to do this.
Scott Benner (58:43) Thank you. (58:43) No. (58:43) No.
Danielle (58:43) Look at how many people failed, you know, or weren't able to to produce with me or prior to me.
Scott Benner (58:50) And I don't even mean just, like, in diabetes or, like, in the space in general. (58:54) Like, there's four and a half million podcasts. (58:57) Only fewer than 200 of them have produced 1,700 episodes. (59:01) That alone is crazy. (59:03) The the show is entering its ninth year of being in the top 20, top 30 of The US medicine category, which is, like, unheard.
Scott Benner (59:10) If you go look at that category, it's a lot of podcasts made by companies and corporations and, like, little old me with my independent podcast, which is which is pretty great and also, I think, speaks volumes about the support that I get from people listening.
Danielle (59:26) Sure.
Scott Benner (59:27) But yeah.
Danielle (59:27) But I'm
Scott Benner (59:27) not I'm excited about that.
Danielle (59:29) Full disclosure. (59:30) Before coming on here, I had gone on to chat GPT, and I was like, hey. (59:37) I'm gonna be a guest on the juice box podcast. (59:40) Any tips or ideas or information that I need to know going into this? (59:45) And and Chad GPT, knew who you were, knew the your style of interviewing.
Danielle (59:52) It it was actually pretty helpful. (59:53) I have to send you what my response was.
Scott Benner (59:56) Oh, would you show that to me? (59:57) That's awesome.
Danielle (59:58) Yeah. (59:58) I can email it to you.
Scott Benner (59:59) Hey. (59:59) What's up, OpenAI? (1:00:00) I see you.
Danielle (1:00:01) Yeah. (1:00:01) Yay. (1:00:02) They did. (1:00:02) They were like, he will carry the conversation. (1:00:04) He will lead you along.
Danielle (1:00:06) He likes to talk about different personal experiences, not just about diagnosis, but digging deeper into different aspects and and what have you. (1:00:16) So yeah. (1:00:18) I mean, it was spot on.
Scott Benner (1:00:19) I swear to you, I find that invigorating and a little violating all at the same time.
Danielle (1:00:23) Yeah. (1:00:23) True. (1:00:23) Yeah. (1:00:24) True. (1:00:24) I I can imagine.
Scott Benner (1:00:25) Well, I mean, it's it's my fault. (1:00:26) I'm I'm the one having the conversations. (1:00:29) Boy, isn't that something? (1:00:30) Yeah. (1:00:31) Yeah.
Scott Benner (1:00:31) I'll I'll I'll tell you you can I tell you one thing I did with with an an AI model recently?
Danielle (1:00:37) Please.
Scott Benner (1:00:38) Beyond stuff for the podcast, which is I'm putting a bunch of stuff together that I think you guys are gonna like. (1:00:43) I am, I'm not good at figuring out social media. (1:00:46) So I I don't understand the Facebook algorithm the way I'm, I don't know, made. (1:00:54) I'm not the target audience for a Facebook post that's popular. (1:00:58) But I wrote one recently, and I was like and it really was popular.
Scott Benner (1:01:02) And I was like, oh. (1:01:03) I'm like, I must I don't know how to do it again. (1:01:06) So, like, I read it and I thought, okay. (1:01:08) Like, I'm just trying to get people to the content. (1:01:11) Right?
Scott Benner (1:01:11) I don't know what to do. (1:01:12) So I took the content. (1:01:14) I said, look. (1:01:14) I wrote this Facebook post. (1:01:16) It was really popular.
Scott Benner (1:01:17) Can you please break down why it might have been popular and help me to, like, mimic that in my future writings because I don't understand how to engage people on Facebook. (1:01:29) And that's a it's frustrating because I do a great job of engaging people in audio. (1:01:35) Right? (1:01:35) Like, if you hear me and and you don't hate me, you're gonna really like this.
Danielle (1:01:39) What kind of feedback did you get?
Scott Benner (1:01:41) It actually gave me back, a report on it, and I haven't read it yet. (1:01:46) It gave me a report. (1:01:47) It gave me an AI model to in case it said in case I don't wanna write them, I could just drop the the text from the episodes into a into a prompt, and it could help me write them. (1:01:57) And it's given me a five a six minute audio overview where it's gonna explain to me what it learned. (1:02:02) So I haven't listened to that yet.
Danielle (1:02:04) Interesting.
Scott Benner (1:02:05) But that's, I mean, that's the thing I mean, that's just a a tiny look at how people are are using AI in ways that you wouldn't expect. (1:02:13) I just don't know how to I can sit and wonder, but I can't keep up with it. (1:02:18) And I'm too busy to, like, make it my job. (1:02:20) I can't afford to hire somebody to tell me, like, how do I and I also don't wanna be a person who's like, you just write something engaging. (1:02:27) I don't I don't wanna do that.
Scott Benner (1:02:28) Like, I wanna understand why people were engaged by it. (1:02:32) What is it about because I did write it. (1:02:34) Like, so what about that post made it interesting to people? (1:02:37) Because I I'm writing to you. (1:02:39) I'm not writing to me.
Scott Benner (1:02:41) Sure. (1:02:41) Like, if I was the audience, my posts would be like, hey. (1:02:45) This episode's about Danielle. (1:02:47) Here's what happened to her. (1:02:48) Go listen to it.
Scott Benner (1:02:49) And I would hear that and go, goddamn right. (1:02:51) Let me go listen. (1:02:51) But that's not how most people work. (1:02:53) Like, so and maybe that'll help me get other people to management stuff. (1:02:57) Like, maybe this is gonna lead it to because that's one of the bigger problems that we have with the podcast is that it's difficult to get people out of the Facebook group into the series like bold beginnings and stuff that.
Scott Benner (1:03:10) So I wonder how I could maybe like, hearing your success and other people's success with it, I wonder how I could entice people out of that red written world into an audio world and give them the experience that you had. (1:03:22) That's what
Danielle (1:03:22) I'm So you're saying that there are people that get into the private Juice Box podcast group, but then don't actually listen to the podcast itself?
Scott Benner (1:03:33) Oh, Danielle. (1:03:33) There are people who, like, comment on things and go, what's this podcast you're all talking about? (1:03:39) So so the Facebook group has become
Danielle (1:03:43) Like a support group, but they don't know why it's called Juice Box?
Scott Benner (1:03:47) Yes. (1:03:48) It's its own entity. (1:03:49) It's so valuable for people that it attracts people outside of people who listen. (1:03:54) It started as a place for listeners to talk about the podcast, but I build it up to a thing that just it's just not that anymore.
Danielle (1:04:02) Gotcha.
Scott Benner (1:04:02) Yeah. (1:04:03) And there are probably plenty of people listening to this who are like, I wouldn't log on to Facebook if you paid me money. (1:04:08) But I'll tell you what, that's a great support group. (1:04:10) Yeah. (1:04:11) If you got Facebook just to be in that group and you had diabetes in your life, I think it would be valuable for you.
Scott Benner (1:04:16) Yep. (1:04:17) So, anyway, what have we missed? (1:04:19) What have we not talked about anything at all?
Danielle (1:04:22) No. (1:04:22) I think my big takeaway for people was just I wanted to advocate for parents to take their own mental health seriously when having a child with diabetes because there are as we know, there's no days off. (1:04:41) I just think that everybody in this this vicinity can benefit from some kind of mental health rejuvenation, so to speak. (1:04:52) Because, you know, I hope I'm not alone in this that it didn't just affect my relationship with myself. (1:04:59) You know?
Danielle (1:05:00) It affects your relationship with your spouse. (1:05:02) You know, never feeling like we get a day off, having resentment grow between us sometimes. (1:05:08) Like, we're not fighting each other necessarily. (1:05:11) We're fighting because we're never off duty. (1:05:13) Right?
Scott Benner (1:05:13) Mhmm.
Danielle (1:05:14) And I just I just wanted to give other type one parents permission to prioritize themselves a little more because we do. (1:05:23) We prioritize the health and safety of our kids well that we don't do the same for ourselves.
Scott Benner (1:05:29) Yeah. (1:05:29) No. (1:05:30) That's a great message.
Danielle (1:05:31) I would I just wanna empower more parents to take care of themselves too.
Scott Benner (1:05:36) Awesome. (1:05:36) That's a that's a great message. (1:05:37) Everybody should take her seriously. (1:05:38) You don't have to get medicated. (1:05:40) But
Danielle (1:05:40) No. (1:05:41) It doesn't have to start with medication. (1:05:43) It has to start with just owning your own and and wanting to do better for yourself so you can do better for your kids.
Scott Benner (1:05:50) I would also say if medication is the answer, you're not gonna get any shade from me about it. (1:05:53) Like, whatever Or
Danielle (1:05:54) me either. (1:05:55) I am medicated. (1:05:56) No big deal.
Scott Benner (1:05:57) Arden looked me right in the face last night and she goes, do you remember the time we went to Atlanta to visit Cole? (1:06:02) And I was like, And she goes, and we went to the to the aquarium? (1:06:05) And I was like, yeah. (1:06:06) She goes, I saw a picture of that the other day. (1:06:07) And I was like, yeah.
Scott Benner (1:06:08) And she goes, wow. (1:06:09) You were really fat. (1:06:10) And I went, oh, awesome. (1:06:13) And and when she said it, I wasn't insulted. (1:06:15) Like, she was, you know, joking, and I was I was happy to joke with her.
Scott Benner (1:06:19) But my my quiet thought in my head was, I am so glad I tried that GLP medication. (1:06:24) It really has changed my life. (1:06:26) I wonder yeah. (1:06:27) I just think life's too short to fight with something over and over again and lose the same battle. (1:06:33) You know?
Danielle (1:06:33) Exactly.
Scott Benner (1:06:34) So, yeah, in mental health, I think of the same way. (1:06:36) Like, if you if there's a way around it, I don't know why you're trying to go through it all the time. (1:06:41) You know?
Danielle (1:06:42) And you're not and and as much as we feel like we're masking it, we're not.
Scott Benner (1:06:47) Of course not.
Danielle (1:06:49) I think for for type one parents, good diabetes control is masking anxiety. (1:06:57) Right? (1:06:58) Hypervigilance for a lot of people. (1:07:00) You know, you think these parents are fine and their kids are doing so great and they're actually just suffering in silence.
Scott Benner (1:07:06) Mhmm. (1:07:07) Yeah.
Danielle (1:07:07) So
Scott Benner (1:07:07) No. (1:07:08) I hear you. (1:07:08) It is anyway, I think whatever works works, and you should try to lessen your load and act and not just mask it, but to actually, like, do something to alleviate the stress because it is not your fault that your father screamed at you about basketball or that you got kicked under a coffee table like I did or you were sitting in a car being screamed at on a baseball field or, you know, or whatever else happened to you. (1:07:33) Yeah. (1:07:34) You know, like, it's it it doesn't mean you need to live like that forever.
Scott Benner (1:07:37) It's not it's not a Mhmm. (1:07:38) Self fulfilling prophecy. (1:07:39) If there's a way out, take it.
Danielle (1:07:41) Yep. (1:07:41) That's all. (1:07:42) 100%.
Scott Benner (1:07:42) Yeah. (1:07:43) Awesome. (1:07:43) You are awesome. (1:07:44) This is a great first episode of my twelfth season of the Juice Box podcast. (1:07:49) 12.
Scott Benner (1:07:50) Ding. (1:07:51) Woo hoo. (1:07:51) Puts me in some pretty limited categories about how long the podcast has been going, about how many downloads it has, about how many episodes it has. (1:08:00) I feel really I feel a little prolific, actually.
Danielle (1:08:03) Yeah. (1:08:03) I'm proud of you, Scott.
Scott Benner (1:08:05) Hey. (1:08:06) Danielle, thank you so
Danielle (1:08:07) much. (1:08:07) I'm proud of you.
Scott Benner (1:08:09) Oh my god. (1:08:09) That's awesome. (1:08:10) How many times have you seen a cow give birth?
Danielle (1:08:12) Personally, I choose not to see cows.
Scott Benner (1:08:14) But you could, though. (1:08:15) Right?
Danielle (1:08:16) I could. (1:08:17) I could.
Scott Benner (1:08:17) Does the husband go
Danielle (1:08:18) help? (1:08:18) Along for some out calls.
Scott Benner (1:08:20) Yeah.
Danielle (1:08:21) But then that would mean who's watching our children. (1:08:24) Our village is rather small. (1:08:28) Actually, my husband and I are going on our first date night in a year, basically. (1:08:36) We have finally found the courage to let somebody else watch our kiddos while we step out for the night. (1:08:42) So slow and steady, steady and slow.
Scott Benner (1:08:45) I hope that night doesn't end with you in the car and your husband shoulder deep in a cow.
Danielle (1:08:49) So Or pregnant.
Scott Benner (1:08:51) Oh. (1:08:52) Oh, no. (1:08:52) I
Danielle (1:08:52) Absolutely. (1:08:53) I'm kidding. (1:08:53) I'm kidding. (1:08:54) Our family is so complete. (1:08:56) We have four beautiful children, and that is where it ends.
Scott Benner (1:08:59) Oh, Danielle. (1:08:59) I just assumed you sewed your vagina shut. (1:09:01) Is there, like
Danielle (1:09:03) There wasn't
Scott Benner (1:09:04) That could still happen?
Danielle (1:09:06) I mean, it's it's on my husband to do the old snip a roony.
Scott Benner (1:09:10) Oh, sweetheart. (1:09:11) No. (1:09:11) No. (1:09:11) Don't no. (1:09:12) No.
Scott Benner (1:09:12) This is you're gonna have five kids. (1:09:13) You gotta be very careful.
Danielle (1:09:14) I I have never been one to handle birth control very well. (1:09:19) I've tried multiple different types, and they've all made me, cuckoo for Coco Puffs. (1:09:27) And so so it is on my husband to make this permanent.
Scott Benner (1:09:34) I would say that when he starts making that face, you yell how much money's in the checking account, and that should stop him. (1:09:39) Okay?
Danielle (1:09:39) Right. (1:09:40) Right.
Scott Benner (1:09:40) You tell him how much college costs during sex. (1:09:43) Think
Danielle (1:09:43) that'll everything else. (1:09:44) Diabetes supplies.
Scott Benner (1:09:46) When you're making love yell, college cost the blah blah blah blah blah. (1:09:52) We have four
Danielle (1:09:52) That's sexy.
Scott Benner (1:09:53) Start taking the numbers, times it get by four, talking about, you know, inflation.
Danielle (1:10:01) Hot and bothered. (1:10:02) Let me tell you.
Scott Benner (1:10:03) That'll slow the whole thing right down. (1:10:04) It would stop me, I'll tell you, right in my tracks. (1:10:06) Anyway, alright. (1:10:07) Hold on one second.
Danielle (1:10:08) Okay.
Scott Benner (1:10:17) Dexcom sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. (1:10:20) Learn more about the Dexcom g seven at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. (1:10:29) Today's episode is also sponsored by Omnipod. (1:10:32) Did you know that the majority of Omnipod five users pay less than $30 per month at the pharmacy? (1:10:39) That's less than $1 a day for tube free automated insulin delivery.
Scott Benner (1:10:43) And a third of Omnipod five users pay $0 per month. (1:10:47) You heard that right. (1:10:48) 0. (1:10:49) That's less than your daily coffee for all of the benefits of tubeless, waterproof, automated insulin delivery. (1:10:54) My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four years old, and she's about to be 21.
Scott Benner (1:11:01) My family relies on Omnipod, and I think you'll love it. (1:11:04) And you can try it for free right now by requesting your free starter kit today at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. (1:11:12) Omnipod has been an advertiser for a decade. (1:11:15) But even if they weren't, I would tell you proudly, my daughter wears an Omnipod. (1:11:19) Omnipod.com/juicebox.
Scott Benner (1:11:22) Terms and conditions apply. (1:11:23) Eligibility may vary. (1:11:24) Why don't you get yourself that free starter kit? (1:11:27) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (1:11:40) Thank you so much for listening.
Scott Benner (1:11:42) I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box podcast. (1:11:45) If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. (1:11:53) Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. (1:11:57) If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. (1:12:04) And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card.
Scott Benner (1:12:08) Would you like a Christmas card? (1:12:11) Hey. (1:12:12) I'm dropping in to tell you about a small change being made to the Juice Cruise 2026 schedule. (1:12:17) This adjustment was made by Celebrity Cruise Lines, not by me. (1:12:20) Anyway, we're still going out on the Celebrity Beyond cruise ship, which is awesome.
Scott Benner (1:12:24) Check out the walkthrough video at juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. (1:12:29) The ship is awesome. (1:12:31) Still a seven night cruise. (1:12:33) It still leaves out of Miami on June 21. (1:12:36) Actually, most of this is the same.
Scott Benner (1:12:37) We leave Miami June 21, head to Coco Cay in The Bahamas, but then we're going to San Juan, Puerto Rico instead of Saint Thomas. (1:12:45) After that, Bastille, I think I'm saying that wrong, Saint Kitts And Nevis. (1:12:49) This place is gorgeous. (1:12:51) Google it. (1:12:52) I mean, you're probably gonna have to go to my link to get the correct spelling because my pronunciation is so bad.
Scott Benner (1:12:55) But once you get the Saint Kitts and you Google it, you're gonna look and see a photo that says to you, oh, I wanna go there. (1:13:02) Come meet other people living with type one diabetes from caregivers to children to adults. (1:13:09) Last year, we had a 100 people on our cruise and it was fabulous. (1:13:14) You can see pictures to get at my link juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. (1:13:19) You can see those pictures from last year there.
Scott Benner (1:13:21) The link also gives you an opportunity to register for the cruise or to contact Suzanne from Cruise Planners. (1:13:27) She takes care of all the logistics. (1:13:29) I'm just excited that I might see you there. (1:13:31) It's a beautiful event for families, for singles, a wonderful opportunity to meet people, swap stories, make friendships, and learn. (1:13:41) If you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording.
Scott Benner (1:13:47) Listen. (1:13:48) Truth be told, I'm, like, 20 smarter when Rob edits me. (1:13:51) He takes out all the, like, gaps of time and when I go, and stuff like that. (1:13:56) And it just I don't know, man. (1:13:58) Like, I listen back and I'm like, why do I sound smarter?
Scott Benner (1:14:01) And then I remember because I did one smart thing. (1:14:04) I hired Rob at wrongwayrecording.com.
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