#1802 Mother of Invention
After years of confusion and missed signals, Roger confronts the truth about his diabetes—sharing diagnosis, adjustment, insulin, and the mindset shift that finally changed everything.
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Key Takeaways
- Early Diabetes Care: Roger was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 58 years ago at age two, during an era of glass syringes, boiled needles, and urine testing, highlighting how far diabetes management has evolved.
- The Impact of High A1Cs: Living with A1Cs in the 14-15 range for many years led to severe complications for Roger, including total blindness by age 22 and subsequent heart issues.
- Resilience and Adaptation: Despite losing his sight, Roger continued to work, ultimately becoming a skilled custom furniture maker, proving that significant physical challenges can be overcome with determination and adapted methods.
- Accessibility in Diabetes Tech: Roger successfully uses a DIY closed-loop system (Loop) with his Omnipod DASH, relying on screen readers and custom-designed tools (like the "Pod Filler Plus") to manage his diabetes independently as a blind person.
- The Power of Education and Pre-bolusing: Even after decades with diabetes, Roger found immense value in learning modern management techniques, specifically the concept of pre-bolusing, which dramatically improved his A1C.
Resources Mentioned
- Juice Box Podcast Small Sips: Search for "Small Sips" in your podcast player.
- US Med: usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514
- Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
- Tandem Mobi: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
- Contour Next ONE Meter: contournext.com/juicebox
- Loop and Learn (Facebook Group): Mentioned as a resource for DIY looping.
- Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
- Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
Introduction and Early Diagnosis
Scott Benner Friends, we're all back together for the next episode of the Juice Box podcast. Welcome.
Roger Hi. My name's, Roger Moore. I live in Alberta, Canada. I'm 60 years old. I was diagnosed at t one at the age of two.
Scott Benner 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. I finally understood things I've heard a 100 times. Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I needed.
Scott Benner 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, just steady helpful nudges that actually stick. People listen in their car, on walks, or rather actually bolusing anytime that they need a quick shot of perspective. And the reviews, they all say the same thing.
Scott Benner Small sips makes diabetes make sense. Search for the Juice Box podcast, small sips, wherever you get audio. 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.
Roger This
Scott Benner episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by US Med, usmed.com/juicebox, or call (888) 721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from US Med. Today's episode is also sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five, the one year wear CGM. That's one insertion a year. That's it.
Scott Benner And here's a little bonus for you. How about there's no limit on how many friends and family you can share your data with with the Eversense Now app? No limits. Eversense. The podcast is also sponsored today by the Tandem Mobi system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology.
Scott Benner Tandem Mobi has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox.
Roger Hi. My name's, Raj Moore. I live in Alberta, Canada. I'm 60 years old. I was diagnosed at t one at the age of two.
Scott Benner No kidding. Fifty eight years ago. You born in Canada?
Roger Yes. Ontario.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger Yeah. I moved out to Alberta in 2012.
Scott Benner Oh, that's interesting. Okay. So you've had diabetes for fifty eight years.
Roger Yeah. My father was also a diabetic, forty seven years. Fortunately, he passed away in o nine at 71.
Scott Benner 71. And he was diagnosed in his thirties?
Roger I think he was twenty twenty seven.
Scott Benner 27.
Roger 27. Yeah.
Scott Benner Wow.
Roger Yeah. He just dropped dead in the driveway.
Scott Benner Did you feel like he was in good health and it was surprising or no?
Roger Apparently, he had about 50% kidney function before I find out this later because we went to the same endo. Yeah. He was he was a big man and, you know, strong. But he wouldn't
Scott Benner Wouldn't tell anybody if he wasn't doing well?
Roger Pardon?
Scott Benner You think he wouldn't tell people if he wasn't doing well?
Roger Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Worked all his life. Right?
Roger Had nothing, and then, you know, worked all his life and then just kept on going.
Speaker 3 Yeah. His motto was keep your foot on the gas.
Scott Benner Yeah. Sounds like it worked off alright for him for a for a a good long while.
Roger Well, that's the way he wanted to go. So anyways what?
Scott Benner I hear you. So he's got type one while you're growing up. I mean, do you know how how old were is he about when you were born?
Roger I'm the youngest boy out of with five kids, and my sister's the youngest. Mhmm. Yeah. He was about 26 maybe.
Scott Benner You think he was diagnosed just after you were or just before you were born maybe? Just after you were born. Yeah. Right around there.
Roger Yeah. It was still glass syringes, and I think my mom used to sharpen the needles on a stone.
Scott Benner Wow.
Roger You boil all that. I do blood testing with a little urine testing.
Scott Benner And Yeah.
Roger And then, you know, I was also I was I was born with a a VSD, which is a ventricular septal defect with a heart heart murmur.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger And they never they did two catheters. They never decided to close it. It wasn't giving me any problems, but hey. Well, I'll get into that later, but I eventually did have it closed.
Scott Benner Okay. So, Roger, you you think your dad had not had type one diabetes for very long before you were diagnosed with it? His youngest son of how many?
Roger Five kids.
Scott Benner Five kids. All together. Yeah. You the youngest boy or the youngest kid?
Roger Youngest boy. Youngest boy. And my sister's the youngest.
Scott Benner Okay. So he's got an, basically a newborn with type one diabetes. His diabetes is fairly newborn, and he's sharpening needles. Do you know what your management was like? Do you have any idea how they they took care of you in the early days?
Scott Benner Do you ever talk about it?
Roger Because my dad had it. My mom knew something was up with me, and she would squeeze squeeze the urine out of my diaper and test it.
Scott Benner Oh, okay.
Roger It was a little test kit you get with, you know, water, urine, and that little pill you put in right now with fizz. Mhmm. And you give a color color code a, and by what the I was in sick kids hospital. She took me there, then I I come out on one unit of insulin, you know, the age of l two. You know, a bill or two.
Growing Up with Diabetes in the 60s and 70s
Scott Benner Was she giving you that with with needles she sharpened herself?
Speaker 3 Yeah. I'm just kidding. I hope
Roger they sharpened herself.
Scott Benner But Well, I've heard people talk about that. That's why I did I know.
Speaker 3 It probably did way back. Yeah. Yeah. But, no,
Roger they were glass syringes, and she had to boil them.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Roger You know? Yeah. For my dad and myself. And
Scott Benner So you're getting, in the beginning, just a shot a day?
Roger Yep.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger One shot a
Scott Benner When do you think your management changed? Like, many years did you live on one shot a day? Then when did it go to two, and how did it progress? Do you know the progression of it?
Roger I was in my teens. I was seeing a pediatrician since I, you know, I got diabetes. I was in my teens, and he decided to put me on two needles a day and then add some quick acting.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger Mixing it. Right? And as a teen, a, you know, young, you know, third 12, 13, 14 kind of age. Right? But then when, you
Speaker 3 know,
Roger when when you become 15, 16 years old, all hell breaks loose. You don't give a a rat. I suppose you're diabetes. Right?
Scott Benner Not on the top of your of your list. But so you did you're telling me you think you did one shot a day from two years old into your early teens, then they went to two shots, and then eventually gave you a fast acting they like a mealtime insulin they gave you?
Roger They mix it.
Scott Benner Oh, okay.
Roger Yep. They mix. Yeah.
Scott Benner Alright. So you're getting two a day. And are you taking those two shots a day with regularity?
Roger Yep. Yes.
Scott Benner Okay. Yep. And then when's the next time it shifts? Because what is that regular in Miles per hour or is that beef and pork? Beef and pork.
Roger I was glad. Okay. And Dan Fraunil, they called it. Yep.
Scott Benner Oh, that's right. Yeah. You're in Canada. Yeah. And so you're doing that until regular and Miles per hour, which happens when?
Roger It's probably in the nineties.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger Because I was blind at that time.
Losing Sight and the Aftermath
Scott Benner So you lost your sight? Yes. At what age?
Roger I was 22.
Scott Benner 22.
Roger And Yeah. The yeah. Through 87, I was having problems. Just a week before Christmas was my last surgery, and that was basically it.
Scott Benner So so you're growing up with eye issues, and but nobody says to you maybe you should take more insulin?
Roger My a one c's were fourteen, fifteen.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger And my pediatrician, he never you he never say nothing to me. He would write on my blood requisition. Know I'm diabetic, so they wouldn't call him at, you know, two in the morning. Right? Tell him there was a problem.
Roger Yeah.
Scott Benner The guy in the lab's not oh my gosh. But but but if he feels that way, then why is he not helping you do something about it?
Roger I never knew diabetics could go blind until I was started going blind. They have just uneducated.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Roger Just uneducated about the whole thing. And by that time, it's too late. Right? Because that that fifteen, twenty years of having diabetes is when it starts creeping up on you.
Scott Benner Your best guess is you had diabetes fifteen, twenty fifteen years with a one c's in the twelve, thirteen, 14 range. Yep. And then what's the first do you remember what the first sign was that you were having trouble with your eyesight?
Roger My doctor, he he said, I I go every six months. He says, yeah. Yeah. He goes, I can see some activity in the back of your eyes. I gotta send you a book to the ophthalmologist, which I would go every year anyways.
Roger And then but, you know, I guess he he that was, like, between time. So off I went. And then, yeah, and then the late while the laser started
Scott Benner The lasers?
Roger I was going down. Was going down to Toronto, Western Hospital for the laser treatments. Oh.
Scott Benner What were they like, and how frequently were they?
Roger Sure. They were once a week for a while. They they try and stop the bleeding in the eyes. Mhmm. They didn't they didn't hurt any a little little zap, you know, but they didn't.
Roger Then it got to the point where I end up having this is my right eye, the first one that I lost use of. They did a they call it vitrectomy where they actually go in and they clean out all the scar tissue and some other stuff in there. And they put saline in it. Right? And they I had two of them done.
Roger And this after the second one through the night, it hammered really bad, and they said that about a week later, they said that the the has detached and is basically useless. It's unfixable.
Scott Benner Oh my god. How old were you then?
Roger 22.
Scott Benner 22. Yep. Wow. I mean, that's a long time ago now, but can you do your best to take me back to that point when that happens? Do you remember how that affects your life?
Scott Benner Maybe beyond the vision?
Roger Well, you know, I I we're at a full time job. And then I also my dad and I, I I trained, quarter horses, barrel racing horses. I did and I did lots of competition, and then all of a sudden, your doctor said, no more. Yeah.
Scott Benner That's that.
Roger You gotta because all the balancing around, right, you had to stop. Right?
Scott Benner So, Roger, the main I mean, your hobby and and your job, like, you love, just they just end. And does that I mean, can you put yourself back in that spot? What is that does it put you into a depression? Does it motivate you to try something else? Do you start worrying more about your other eye?
Scott Benner Like, what what happens next?
Roger Well, I was actually, they were working on both eyes at the same time.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger After it was in August, I lost the the use of the right eye, and then they were working on the the left eye. And then I have a track to me on it. And then I end up having to go back in just the week before Christmas, and they did another one, but they did a bunch of other work was on it. They I I think they tipped they call it a buckle. Mhmm.
Roger I remember right. I think they tipped the eye to try and keep the pressure in the back, and they fill it full of a saline bubble. And there's you know, talking almost forty years ago. Right?
Scott Benner Yeah. This procedure, is that just, like, four or five months after the right eye goes? Yep. Okay. And, I mean, at this point, you gotta be like, this ain't gonna work.
Scott Benner Right? Like, I mean
Roger I never I never thought that. I always you always have hope. Right? You always have hope you're gonna get better. But with that in your mind, you're gonna get better.
Roger And then then when I went back to the my doctor, he sent me after the the last surgery, you know, after Christmas in around February, they sent me to another doctor who was specialized in ultrasound on eyes, and he just said, if you touch the eye, it'll just crumble. There's nothing you can do anymore. And I just said he said, my head I'm blind.
Scott Benner Yeah. Just like that. Now this process, the first time you you have trouble with your eye, tell me again, you're about what age?
Roger Well, it came on. It was it was everything was done within a year.
Scott Benner Happened real fast. Okay.
Roger Oh, yeah.
Scott Benner So from the first from that doctor saying, hey. We're gonna send you over the optometrist a little sooner this year to Yep. Gone blind is about a year, year and a half.
Roger Yep. Yep. I was you know, it was over pretty quick.
Scott Benner You dating anybody at that time? No. No. Okay. Were you living with your parents still?
Scott Benner Yes. Okay. Yeah. Does that turn you right back into a little kid? Like, I mean, does your like, god, that's gotta be terrible.
Scott Benner Right? But, like, all of a sudden, you're dependent on people learning how to I mean, I guess you gotta learn how to be blind. Right?
Sponsor Messages
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Scott Benner But I'm set up to be called if I don't respond to the email because I don't trust myself, a 100%. So one time, I didn't respond to the email and the phone rings at the house. And it's like, ring, you know how it works. And I picked it up. Was like, hello?
Scott Benner And it was just the recording. It was like, US med, doesn't actually sound like that, but you know what I'm saying. It said, hey, you're, I don't remember exactly what it says, but it's basically like, hey, your order's ready. You want us to send it? Push this button if you want us to send it.
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Rebuilding Life: Woodworking Without Sight
Roger I I was really active too. Right? I had all the horses and I had my old vehicles and
Scott Benner Yeah.
Roger You know, like
Scott Benner Just all of a sudden just gone?
Roger Just everything just stops instantly. And I'm, you know, I'm laying on the couch, listening to the TV, and, you know, I guess getting probably depressed. And my dad finally kicks me in the ass and said, man, you you can't do the rest laying the couch the rest of your life. You gotta get do something. Go back to school and
Scott Benner Figure something out. Yeah. Yeah. My god. After this all because it happens quickly.
Scott Benner I imagine once it starts, it's a it's a roller coaster till till the part that we're up to now. But at any point, do you start wondering, like, how did this happen? Is there something I shouldn't be doing? Are there other things being damaged that I don't know about? We just know about our eyes that the doctors speak up.
Scott Benner Like, around the diabetes, does anybody try to help you?
Roger No. Nobody. Nobody. I don't I don't know if they even knew. Like, it is the education back then just wasn't
Scott Benner About forty years ago?
Roger Yeah. Like, I you know?
Scott Benner Is that eighty five? Am I right?
Roger Probably more of my own fault too because I wasn't really involved. I was involved in so much other stuff.
Scott Benner Yeah. Not not really parenting.
Speaker 3 So You
Roger know, I'm I I admit I you know, I'm the blame for it. It's it's all my
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's tough, though. Right. As a 60 year old guy, it's easy to sit here and have that kind of clarity.
Scott Benner But when you're two and you get diagnosed at a time when they're like, here's a shot. Here's another one. We're not really testing it. And then you become like you say, you become a teenager. You're not paying attention to it.
Scott Benner Like, it's hard to put the blame on that little boy. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. That's tough.
Scott Benner I don't think I'm behind you blaming yourself, to be perfectly honest with you. Timing and age, tough to blame you.
Roger Yeah. And land, at least, you know, lack of education. Right?
Scott Benner Yeah. Plus Canada. Not for nothing. I've heard stories. Okay.
Scott Benner So
Roger Freaking the worst worst thing to get anything approved, man.
Scott Benner Like, it Takes forever. Right? You see, you know, isn't it funny, like, the messaging if you're here, the messaging is, oh, Canada, it's free. You know? And when I talk to Canadians, they're like, sure.
Scott Benner It's free, but it takes me nine months to get there. Or or right? If you're not dying, you slide to the end of the list too with right? Am I right?
Roger Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Benner Oh,
Roger yeah. That's I know y'all wanna separate out here now. Mhmm.
Scott Benner Yeah. Well, the grass is always greener when you're hearing about other people's, like, you know, setups is what I'm saying. But, man, first of all, I know it's a long time ago, and you're not looking for my sympathy, but I'm so sorry. That's just you know, it's a tough role, man.
Roger Yeah. Yeah. It's great. It's no. It's not as I don't know the statistics now, but I I I imagine it's all the improvements in surgery and medicine and that this freak of diabetics going blind.
Scott Benner I would imagine it's far less.
Roger Happens. Like, my dad was going through bike's trouble too. Right? So
Scott Benner Yeah. So when your dad kicks you in the ass, what do you do? Do you get up or you'd be like, how about I just sit here for about a year and we'll talk about it? Like, did you, like
Roger It's it's funny. When I was driving, I my my grade, seven and eight shop teacher, I always knew where he lived, Dave Lawrence. So I call him up. You know? I find his phone number.
Roger I call him on home one day, and I told him I haven't talked to him for long time. Right? And he actually he he called to the house, and he had just gotten transferred to the high school as the tech director. And my back background is more mechanical Mhmm. Engines and stuff.
Roger Right? Because my dad had a construction company. So they didn't I wanted to take small engines maybe, and then they they didn't have it at the school then. He said, well, just come into the woodshop shop. We have an adult woodworking class.
Roger We're all retired adults coming in a, you know, couple of periods. They can do what they really want. So I went in there, and I I liked it. Right? And I I never dreamed I could do that kind of stuff.
Scott Benner Roger, you told me you can do
Roger woodworking without sight? Oh, yeah. Done it for, thirty seven years.
Scott Benner No kidding. You made a living at it?
Roger Yep. I had a shop back in, Ontario. Yeah.
Scott Benner That's awesome. With the passage of time, are you able to look back and think, like, I can't believe I accomplished all this, or does it not even feel that hard once you got involved in it and started trying?
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Roger It doesn't feel that hard once you get going or anything.
Scott Benner Yeah. That's awesome. Like, what did you make in your shop?
Roger Well, in the in the after I got going all the equipment I had in there, I was making custom furniture for people, like buffet hutches and dressers and, you know, blanket boxes, a lot of them. And and then I made the one store. I would do all his custom order stuff. People wanted something made. I would you know, big wall units and stuff like that.
Roger And then when I first originally started the old the the horse barn, I gutted all the stalls out, and so I put all my equipment in. Well, then we moved down to another town south, which was it was in town, but it was still it was an acre or a piece of property, and and my dad put up a big shop there for me. So I got into doing more more, like, more custom higher end stuff for people, like, in Toronto and stuff.
Scott Benner Roger, as a person who has their site and tried to build a cage for a chameleon to live in and looks at it now and realizes it's not really very square, and a couple of other things, are you telling me that you could accomplish that at a high level? Or are you telling me that all around Canada is a bunch of janky crooked furniture that nobody had the heart to tell you about when they bought it from you? Is so discomfort?
Speaker 3 No. No. It's square. Hey.
Scott Benner That's awesome. I mean, can you walk me through that? Like, without your sight, how do you, I mean, how are you running a saw? How do you do stuff like that?
Roger I already asked you that all carefully, man. I got push sticks and stuff. I've never you know, I got all my fingers still on there. And so
Scott Benner Goddamn. That's a bigger accomplishment than anything else I Yeah. Gotta be honest with you.
Speaker 3 Actually, when I moved to Milton, there's a fellow that was retired, and he wasn't doing nothing. So, like, he came down, and
Roger he was, you know, working kinda part time for me, helping me out. There's machines I wouldn't let him touch, and they're they're too dangerous.
Scott Benner Yeah. I'll get that, you idiot. You stay over there.
Speaker 3 Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's almost pretty dangerous. No
Scott Benner kidding. No kidding, man. That is really phenomenal. Now did you ever figure out how to take care of your diabetes?
Pumping, Looping, and Invention
Roger Well, see, I'll always go by my my get my a one c done, and it was, you know, seven, eight. And then they would say, that's good. Oh, you're boring. Leave.
Scott Benner Well, how
Roger did I think, oh, okay. Everything's cool. Right?
Scott Benner So Yeah. But, Roger, tell me something. Like, what what is that? The modernization? Like, they got you on faster acting insulin.
Scott Benner You started counting carbs. Like, how did you get from those fourteens to the seven and eight?
Roger I never started counting carbs all last
Scott Benner year. Last year? Really?
Roger Really counting carbs, I just kinda could estimate. Okay. That side of much food need needs needs this much insulin. Right?
Scott Benner I've interviewed other people who don't have their sight. Like, are you, like, pitch black blind? Do you have some you are. You don't see you don't see anything.
Speaker 3 Okay.
Scott Benner And so I'm gonna get to that in a minute. But so you're telling me I mean, I'm assuming you were just like, look. I I'm using a saw with without my sight. I'm not counting carbs. Like, you're already living on the edge, I guess.
Scott Benner Yeah. What started last year? Like, what changed last year that made you count carbs?
Roger I went on a pump Mhmm. In 2010. My endo retired. I got a new young guy. I asked him about a pump, and he says, sure.
Roger Try it. Go try it. See we see what you can do. Mhmm. So down you know, I go down into the where the pump's place is, and they they set me up with a an Accu Chek Spirit pump.
Roger It's just a, you know, a manual pump. Right?
Scott Benner Yeah.
Roger Yeah. And it and it beeps. All the button pushes beep. And I mean, well, the the Amberley, the the work for Roche, Accu Chek, but the pump she wrote all these instructions out, and I still have them on my computer. All the button pushes to what goes how it works.
Roger Right? And Yeah. And it was a little bit a little scary in the beginning. Right? Like, you know, a little couple of panic modes when you get an inclusion.
Roger What what's this? Right? Right. Bars are going off, but, you know, I finally figured how to handle that. Couple years ago, Roche actually pulled out of North America, but it was a lure lock setup, and the and the one part is a rubber, like, rubber seal part.
Roger I couldn't get any parts anymore. I I must have went around and bought everything up in Canada to keep going. Right? And I was using Medtronic and lure lock sets that Educator now in Edmonton found me.
Scott Benner Mhmm. You're just trying to keep because you know the pump. You know how to use it, so you wanna keep using it as long as you can. Yeah. Yeah.
Roger And I was, like, come to grips with that. Okay. I'm going back on the needle.
Scott Benner Oh, yeah. Yeah. Funnel hour. Alright? It's a good run, but I'm out of here.
Scott Benner But did you try another pump, or did you There
Roger were there was nothing that would work. They all went to this this flat screen stuff.
Scott Benner Oh, touchscreen messes you up.
Roger Yeah. Touchscreen and, you know, my phone, there's a touchscreen, but it has a built in speech.
Scott Benner Right.
Roger So, anyways, one one day is on the lot. In 2024, Robin, I guess, and my doctor Rogers, they talk trying to find me an alternative. Well, they I guess they came up with looping.
Scott Benner Okay. So Tell me you loop with an Omnipod. Do you?
Roger Yes.
Scott Benner Get out of here.
Roger A dash. Yeah.
Scott Benner Okay. No kidding. Since It's a a phone app, and so you can use your basically, the speech, it helps you on the phone.
Roger BC Diabetes in British Columbia, they have tech guys on staff, and they build the app for people. You sign a waiver. Right? And so they'll build the app, and they'll help you install it on your phone. And they'll do it through you know, they did it, like, through my clinic, got me set up with that, and they maintain it.
Roger Fremont, they'll update it. I had it installed on my phone in May 2024, and I'm thinking, this is great. I can, you know, operate everything. That's, like, my manual pump, I had to get someone to look at the screen if I wanted to do any basal changes
Scott Benner Sure.
Roger You know, setting changes. Well, I can do everything myself with this loop app. So June, I went back to Edmonton, Robin hooked me up with the pump, and we put it in a zip bag, and I used I showed it was saline
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger So I could get used to changing the switching out the pump. Right?
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger And I just carry this little zippy bag with a pump in it with saline. Right? And just operate it that way along with the my manual pump. And then was in October that I went full on with insulin.
Scott Benner Before you started looping, what was your a one c before you started looping?
Roger 6.97.
Scott Benner Okay. And have you had any other complications other than your eyes?
Roger In 2005, I was exercising on my bike, and my throat started getting tight up each side. So I told my doctor. Next thing you know, I'm I'm in getting an angiogram done. And then, yeah, I got three blockages and two arteries, so I had to open heart surgery bypass surgery in March.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger 2005. Well, through the night, I suffered a stroke and a heart attack, and I was kept in induced coma for two weeks. And then I end up I lost the use of my left leg and left arm. I did regain it, but I did I was transferred to a rehab hospital and spent about three months there learning how to walk.
Scott Benner Any deficits since the rehab?
Roger I I suffer with muscle spasticity. It's tightness. The muscles won't relax.
Speaker 3 Mhmm.
Roger I mean, other than that, I, you know, I can walk, you know, not far anymore. Well, that's because I've had some other back issues related from arthritis and all that stuff.
Scott Benner Okay. Okay. So you have, like, a six nine before you start looping, but that was what? That was the pump. You were able to give yourself insulin more frequently.
Scott Benner You were on a basal, so your a one c came down. You started I imagine you learned more as you went, you know, about taking care of your blood sugars and stuff like that. How do you know when your blood sugar's high and low? You test with a meter?
Roger I use the Contour Next one. I was messing around with some apps, you know, the Accu Chek app and then the other one, and I got the Contour Next one to hook up to my iPod, which talks.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger And I I still use that to this day, and I can pair it by myself. I'd be on greetings and everything. And I use a no. I use a Dexcom, which, you know, for looping. Right?
Roger I was using the Libre, but I had to switch to the Dexcom.
Scott Benner Okay. Well, again, let me just say this, Roger. Contournext.com/juicebox if you'd like to learn more about that meter. It's a great meter. You made the meter talk through the through your iPod, did you say, or your phone?
Roger My iPod and my phone.
Scott Benner Okay. Okay. So you get your meter that way. How often a day do you think you're testing before CGMs?
Roger Probably eight to 10 times.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger After my heart surgery. Yeah. That kinda really smart me out. I actually had a a silent heart attack as well in 2012.
Scott Benner Kick the
Roger Jesus. They said it was in in 2000. I just might just bloated in my gut. Well, long story short, I had a pericardium they call it, and they they stuck a needle in the sack of my heart, trained a liter and a fluid of a liter and half of fluid off in all my abdomen and my lungs. That was fun stuff.
Roger That was fun stuff. Hospital food hospital food sucks. Jesus, god.
Scott Benner Alright. Well, I I wanna get back to the looping. So they they slapped this loop on you. Would you say twenty twenty four? Yes.
Scott Benner Jerry, once he go down again?
Roger Went from 6.9 to 6.5 to 5.8, and the last one was six.
Scott Benner Jesus. God, Roger. I don't know you, and that almost made me cry. That's awesome, man. Good for you.
Scott Benner That's really wonderful.
Roger You know, I guess the Loop app has that, graph, which I can't, you know, I obviously can't see it. Yeah. I joined that Loop and Learn Facebook group.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger And, you know, you know, know, Kenny Fox. Yeah. Listen to lots of his stuff. Lots of you and Jennifer there. So
Scott Benner Oh, no kidding. I didn't know you knew the podcast. I don't know how anybody gets to me. So, like, oh, that's Yeah. That's awesome.
Roger I've listened to lots of that, and I learned lots from the other unfortunately, other people's problems off the loop and learn.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger And I, you I save all this stuff on my computer, read it, and on the loop docs, I read all that. I got to the point where I was just getting burnt. I would've reading all this stuff and you know, because I have to listen to it through my computer. Mhmm. At night, I'd next thing you know, I'd start at seven, and I'd wake up at ten.
Scott Benner It's it's boring.
Speaker 3 Oh, yeah. You listen to this voice, this robotic voice synthesized voice in my ears. Right? Next thing I'm going to sleep.
Scott Benner Yeah. I mean, we got somebody gotta get you set up with AI. That's got a more natural voice to read to you. Yeah.
Roger I think you can change it.
Scott Benner Oh, okay. But still oh my gosh. So loop it loop and learn, man, that's isn't it something that it's just a group of people who put that all together, like, changed your life that much? It's wonderful. Yeah.
Roger I did Robin put Trio on my phone, and within five minutes, I I took it off because I knew it wouldn't work.
Scott Benner You didn't like Trio?
Roger No. Well, it wouldn't interact with my phone.
Scott Benner Oh, I see. With this.
Roger Because when they make an app, sometimes they don't label them properly, and there was just all it would say is edit. Edit. Well, what what am I gonna edit?
Scott Benner I pretty I gotta tell you something. The people who made that app probably just heard you say that. I wonder if they'll fix it. Get
Roger going. Hopefully.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah. Get going, guys. What are doing over there? Your free time.
Scott Benner Because
Roger I gotta lay like, the loop the loop app is perfect. There is no
Scott Benner Every button's labeled correctly for the the speech thing.
Roger The only thing you gotta be careful of of with with the Loop app, when you you know, when you're priming your pump, it gives you a percentage.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger What I have to do is I have to swipe to the left and then, like, and then get the percentage, swipe to the right, and then swipe to the left. It'll give me the percentage again. It won't you can't leave it on the percentage, and it'll it won't pick it up counting down. Okay. Yeah.
Roger You suddenly know, little things like that, you gotta learn. Right? And there's a couple other things. You just gotta swipe left, right, and then you'll get to the
Scott Benner I wonder how many other people are using it the way you are. Do you have any idea? Have you met anybody else?
Roger Apparently, I'm the first one in Canada.
Scott Benner No. No kidding. Well, it's it's wonderful that it's helping you like that. It really is.
Roger Maybe they they they I was at a conference in Toronto in November, and they did a presentation, the one fella, and they submitted it to the the one in Spain and got accepted in that conference in Spain. Okay. Yeah. So I guess
Scott Benner Well, that's wonderful. I don't I don't know a ton about what you just said there, but, like, I think it's just really fascinating that something that a group of people, you know, came together online and then met each other in person and did all this wonderful work, and and it's reaching you in Ontario. It's really, really just wonderful.
Roger So going back to the loop for a second.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah.
Roger You're on the side of the loop where you have the little tiny hole where you gotta put the needle in to fill it. Mhmm. Well, there's a problem.
Scott Benner It's a little hard to find, is it?
Roger So what I did, I have a a computer controlled router in my shop.
Scott Benner You build a jig and put it in it? Yes. No kidding. Look. I used to have a real job, Roger.
Scott Benner You must have been pretty impressed just now when I came up with that.
Roger It's it's a pocket, and we it's a rectangle pocket, and then we put some, you know, j b weld. You ever heard that stuff called j b weld?
Scott Benner It's like epoxy? Yeah. Yeah.
Roger Yeah. We put that in the corners, and we push the pod in to make the mold and it harden. And then I built an arm with a seven sixteen hole in it, and it the needle goes in it, and it drop you line it up, and it drops straight down into the hole.
Scott Benner It hits that hole in the Omnipod, and then you can feel it push through, and then you send in the insulin.
Roger Fill it. So I let BC Diabetes have the let them three d print it.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger So they're selling them on Amazon. No kidding. They're called pod filler. It's for people with
Scott Benner Like like, dexterity issues.
Roger Dexterity. Yeah. And then there's one called pod filler plus, which it has it's for blind people and has three posts on the back. One's a 150, 200, and 300. So you use a pen cartridge.
Roger There's a little holder there too that they've they come up with it to put the this the pen and the cartridge in, use a pen cartridge, and you just push it in. Right? Mhmm. And it's all because the the syringe that comes with the pod only holds 200, so you got a 100 left. So you can use that 100, save two of them, and then use the the taller post to
Scott Benner use them off. Do you have any video? Has anybody ever videoed the filler working?
Roger Yeah. That doctor Elliot has.
Scott Benner I'd love to see that. I would love to see that work. That's that's really something. Boy, that's ingenious. You came up with that.
Roger Yeah. Yeah. The wooden one, they it's all it's all plastic now, three d printed ones.
Scott Benner Yeah. I guess they say necessity is the mother of invention. Right? So
Roger Yeah. Yeah. I'd let them do it. It's guess, my gift to the community.
Scott Benner Yeah. It's beautiful. It helps somebody. Listen. I I hear from older people all the time who wonder, like, how am I supposed to do this when I get older?
Scott Benner Dexterity is one thing, you know, having access to things, but people's sight changes. They're, you know, not as not as good with their fingers at some point. It it's a point of real concern for people. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Benner It's nice that you figured out even one thing. Are you still working? Do you work in the wood shops, though?
Roger I go there every day. I just putts around. I don't do too much.
Scott Benner No. Do you have people working for you?
Roger No. No. I just
Scott Benner Kinda done now.
Roger Yeah. When I moved to Alberta, I just after my father passed away, I just shut my shop down and it's family issues.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger I had to move.
Scott Benner Family issues. I got you. I I Yeah. I think everybody understands. Yeah.
Scott Benner Did you ever marry?
Roger No. No. I live with Shelly.
Scott Benner You have you have a lady friend? Is that what we're saying?
Roger Yes. Okay. Yep.
Scott Benner Is she she cited?
Roger She has about 10.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger Yeah.
Scott Benner You ever just walk into each other and be like, oh my god. Sorry.
Roger Yep. All the time.
Scott Benner Sorry. I don't know. It's just You know
Roger what you know what really sucks is, is the stop sign. It's a steel post when you're going on the sidewalk and your cane misses it. You're head first straight into it.
Scott Benner Oh my god. So the cane doesn't find the sign pole post, but your head finds the sign. Yeah. I guess it really does stop you.
Roger Done that many times.
Speaker 3 It's a real head banger.
Scott Benner Do you have, do you have pets or any animals now, sir? Service dogs?
Speaker 3 Got a got a cat now.
Scott Benner That I guess that don't help you much.
Roger No. No. I I had, three seeing eye dogs, three guide dogs, but I can't do the walking anymore because of the stroke. Mhmm. It won't allow me.
Roger And besides, who wants to take a dog over to the bathroom in Alberta at minus 50?
Scott Benner Yeah. Probably not even the dog. Dog's like, if you don't mind, I'll just stare on the floor. Yeah. No kidding.
Life Without Sight: Insights and Adjustments
Scott Benner Oh my gosh. So how did you find the podcast? I mean, did you find it, or did somebody show it to you?
Roger No. Robin, my educator, She sent me the link to it. Yeah. Oh, wow.
Scott Benner Well, thank you, Robin. That's wonderful.
Roger Yeah. She's really good at that. She sends you all that kind of stuff. And
Scott Benner That's awesome. It really is. So you like Yeah. Do you feel like you've I guess what I wanna know is, like, you've had diabetes for a long time. Right?
Scott Benner So, like, did you feel like the podcast taught you something you didn't know, or did you just help solidify ideas that you would had that you maybe other people didn't put context to?
Roger Three ball thing.
Scott Benner That's the thing you didn't know about?
Roger Yeah. I might have known about it, but I never used to do it.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger And now I do. And then
Scott Benner Tell people. Yep. Makes all the difference, doesn't it? Oh. Yep.
Scott Benner Simple thing. My whole job is to tell people to give themselves insulin a little before they eat.
Roger Yeah. I guess, you know, understanding how the insulin works and stuff. Hey.
Scott Benner It upgrades your care. Right? So this is the first time you stop to think about the action of the insulin juxtaposed against the impact of your food and and other variables? Yep. No kidding.
Roger Yeah. Oh. There's a lot of people listen to it. You know?
Scott Benner Oh, that's nice to say. I know. But it that is that's really lovely. It makes me happy to know it's helping you.
Roger Oh, yeah.
Scott Benner Does music take on a bigger part of your life? Like, how do you make up for I mean, the days are right. There's twenty four hours in every day, and you can't see now. So how do you refigure your life to fit your new situation?
Roger Well, I have my shop, but I'm thankful now that I have. It's a lot smaller, but I still have lots of equipment in there. I'm a tool junkie.
Speaker 3 Mhmm.
Roger I go spend a lot of time with it. I just finished making a Conestoga wagon, a scaled down version.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger Yeah. Kinda like a lawn ornament, but it's still, like, two feet wide, you know, five feet long with a big cover on top and everything and all the spoke wheels.
Scott Benner Just get an idea in your head. How long did it take you to make the wagon?
Roger Probably about two months, two and a half months.
Scott Benner No kidding.
Roger I didn't work on it steady, but
Scott Benner That's a year shorter than it would've taken me to do it. And mine and mine would've sucked. Oh my gosh. That's really you know, I I I just keep thinking everyone listening must be like, oh, I gotta stop complaining. And by the way, if you're not thinking that, like, seriously, maybe you start thinking it.
Scott Benner Oh, now I just, by the way, just Googled Conestoga wagon. You made one of those, but it down to scale?
Roger Yeah. Yeah. It's, like, two feet wide, so it fits on a patio sidewalk. You know the stones?
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah.
Roger And it's a with the tongue that's probably six feet long.
Scott Benner No kidding. That's incredible. Roger, that's incredible.
Roger The cover over top. It's all cedar.
Scott Benner Jesus. Will you sell it eventually or just make it for yourself?
Roger Hopefully, I'm gonna sell it.
Scott Benner Yeah. Proctor's like, I would like to sell it. I gotta I gotta feed this damn cat. I didn't know how much it was gonna eat. What made you wanna come on the podcast?
Roger I think, there was an email, I think, you sent out looking for people. It was back to get in before Christmas.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah.
Roger And I I went on your site, and I I guess I was messing around. The only time I could get was today. Kept trying to put dates in and dates in. Whether I was doing it right because sometimes the screen reader I use won't will read everything that's on the screen, depends how it's set up.
Scott Benner Yeah. I don't know. I use, a very sis like, a basic scheduling system that comes with, like, my website, to be perfectly honest with you. I don't, like, have anything fancy. But and I am pretty, packed usually.
Scott Benner So there's not a ton of wait. Hold on a second. My wife is here. This never happens. What's going on, Kelly?
Scott Benner I said we were gonna sell him. Hold on a second, Roger. I have to remember where the checkbook is. Here it is. Hold on.
Scott Benner And is there a check-in it? No checks. Checks. Don't see a check.
Roger It's peanut butter and water, right?
Scott Benner Well, don't look at me. I don't know. Listen. Tell him I can get him cash for later in the day, or I and I could I could run it to him if he wants, or I can mail a check or do something else. Okay.
Scott Benner I got a checkbook with no checks on it. I mean, do people write checks anymore?
Roger I never wrote a check-in ten years.
Scott Benner Yeah. I was gonna say, like, I I can we just, like, send it through Zelle or something? I mean, I'm happy the heater works and all, but, like, let's get with the times. Can I not just airdrop it to you or something? Yeah.
Speaker 3 Got apple pie? You're in you're you're in New York,
Roger are you?
Scott Benner New Jersey.
Roger New Jersey. Okay.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah. I'm about, a little less than an hour out of Manhattan by car.
Roger Oh, okay. Yeah. Okay.
Scott Benner Ontario is west, east, central? Where the hell is that at? Buffalo.
Roger Oh, near there. North of North Of Buffalo, that
Scott Benner end. Okay.
Roger Because you can drive around the QEW, which the Queen is a highway around the lake and then down into Buffalo to the border.
Scott Benner Oh, I see. Oh, is Toronto in oh, Ontario? Yep. Yeah. I don't know how it all works for you guys.
Scott Benner Across. Yeah. Oh, I see. Across. Very nice.
Scott Benner Look at oh, I'm looking now. Big country. Lot of lot of cold though.
Roger I'm in, yeah, I'm in Alberta just, Southeast Edmonton
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger An hour.
Scott Benner Okay. Yeah. I'm seeing it here. Nice. I, I interviewed a woman once who was a can can dancer, like, in the sticks, like, north in Canada.
Scott Benner Great stories from her.
Roger Oh, yeah.
Scott Benner Very, very good stories from her Yeah. About living in the wilderness in Canada.
Roger Yeah.
Scott Benner So okay. So, you know, came on to the podcast because I was looking for people. But did you have a feeling, like, I wanna tell this story to somebody? Or
Roger Yeah. Like, I want take care of yourselves. Man, don't do the same that I did in this you know, educate.
Scott Benner Do you have a worry about, like, longevity at this point, or do they have they told you, like, things look good now, or where do you feel like you're at? Because, I mean, I imagine your heart is of a of a concern. Yes?
Roger Yeah. They it's funny. They the heart doctor said after you know, it's been twenty one years. He said, oh, after ten years, it starts to you know, ten years, you're at the top of the hill and then you're going down. Right?
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger The the graph, they call it, deteriorates or whatever. Well, I'm in, like, twenty first year or so.
Scott Benner Feels like it's okay.
Roger Whatever happens, happens, man.
Scott Benner If your your care is so much better now than it was. Right? So, like, one's gotta guess that I mean, would you say 2005? Is that when you had heart issues the first time? So
Scott Benner Like, that's gotta be from the early care, and then you make a shift to the pump. Just getting on the pump in, would you say, 2010? Yes. Just getting on the pump had to have been a big deal for your, you know, just having basal insulin running and and being able to push buttons to bolus for food, imagining dropped your a one c probably at least to the sevens. Right?
Scott Benner And then Oh, yeah. I mean, that's a good place to be. And then you have the damage that eventually creates the next issue. But since then, like, I mean, an a one c in the fives or low sixes is I don't think you're adding to your problem. Now it's just about No.
Scott Benner What holds on or what helps itself out. Do you get checked for blockages periodically now? Do they do they give you scans?
Roger They don't they they gotta do an, an angiogram to check for blockages. So I had one done in 2012 because I had a silent heart attack, and they wouldn't release me until they did that. And everything was still fine. Just probably stress related because of family issues. Mhmm.
Roger But I go every year. I see a cardiologist, doctor Chan, here in Camaros.
Scott Benner Explain a silent heart attack to me. What happened?
Roger Well, my symptoms were woke up one morning. My blood sugar was, like, 16, then all of a sudden, I start right at the top of my stomach. It just hurt like hell, and I felt crappy. So I went and laid down, and I I woke up. Or I didn't even go to sleep.
Roger I got up. I said, Shelley, call on the ambulance. And they so they took me in, and and I guess the blood tests showed that I had a silent heart attack.
Scott Benner Okay. That's how it's so that tough pain, like, in your like, right in your sternum?
Roger Yes.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah.
Roger Yeah. It was just pain there, and then then I guess, you know, they did the blood test. Then that's how they can tell you you've had a an issue.
Scott Benner Right? Because the there's muscle listen. Let's all be clear. I don't know what I'm talking about, but I've seen a number of different television shows about this. So I think there's a breakdown of the muscle that shows up in the blood work.
Scott Benner Right. And that's how they can tell. But they did that, and now they're checking you for blockages. But you haven't had trouble since then? No.
Scott Benner No. Oh, that's good. I'll knock on some wood for you.
Roger I ex I exercise every day, and I'm, like, bike. Right? So no. I get a I get a an echocardiogram every two years.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger And I see the cardiologist every year. So I
Scott Benner You eat any special way? How's your diet?
Roger Kind of simple. Yeah. Same same old.
Scott Benner That's just so I
Roger kinda like the one that sticks that sticks to what works. Right?
Scott Benner Yeah. Listen. I I basically have two poached eggs every day in my life, and I couldn't possibly care less. It's awesome.
Roger Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 Look at these far look at these farmers.
Roger They eat eggs every day, and they live to their freaking 90. Right?
Scott Benner So No. Listen. I had steak this week, a little chicken. I have a couple eggs every day.
Roger Oh, yeah.
Scott Benner It's just I just chug along. I don't I don't need too much variety either. What I was gonna ask you, what does Shelley know about diabetes? Like, how valuable is she with your care? If you had trouble with something, would she be able to help?
Scott Benner Like, how does that all work?
Roger Yeah. She doesn't know anything really about the looping and stuff like that. She knows, like, her she was married before to a fellow who, unfortunately, passed away. He was a diabetic. He had a kidney transplant back in the nineties.
Roger And so she does know
Scott Benner About about diabetes. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, if you said to her I mean, if your blood sugar got low, would she be able to help you?
Roger Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She knows she knows.
Scott Benner She knows what to do in those situations?
Roger Yeah. Get my juice box.
Scott Benner What about if it do you have glucagon with you?
Roger I have the the nasal spray.
Scott Benner Yeah. Is that what you have? Yeah. You use that? Yeah.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger Yeah. I carry my I carry my pocket all the time.
Scott Benner Yeah. Have you used it?
Roger Never. Never passed out. Never.
Scott Benner Never had well, listen. Your blood sugar was pretty high. I didn't see you passing out from a low blood sugar at any point. I mean, that would have been screwed up, Roger, if if Yeah. Know.
Scott Benner The world would have done that to you on top of the high blood sugar.
Speaker 3 But but but since I started up yeah.
Scott Benner Well, now, yeah, you're in a different world. You're playing with different tolerances now. Yeah. But she would know if you had a seizure, she'd know to squirt that in your nose.
Roger Yeah. I should show her whether she remembers or not.
Scott Benner I mean, I'd ask her once in a while. Yeah.
Speaker 3 I bet her I
Roger keep one beside my bed too. Right? So
Scott Benner Yeah. No kidding. Oh my gosh. I have a what are some things that people would be surprised by to learn from a blind person? Well, what surprised you, you know, when you lost your sight?
Scott Benner And and what do you think we'd hear and go, no kidding. Do you learn something from losing your sight? Do you like, has there been any value? I know it's a weird question, but, like, any anything that's come from it that's been transformational for you in some way or another? Or did you just learn you'd rather have your sight?
Scott Benner Because I think maybe that's possibility too.
Roger Well, I could tell you the downfalls of it.
Scott Benner Yeah. Go ahead. I'd like to hear what, like, what what it's really like.
Roger Well, I had a good job, and then all of a sudden, you got no no job, and you're on a disability pension that wouldn't pay to feed a hummingbird.
Speaker 3 Yeah.
Roger And then, yeah, you're always fighting with the government over all their they're dragging you in and they're always trying to screw you out of your pension money, right, in some way.
Scott Benner Like, I wonder if we could get maybe a a couple of loonies off the blind guy. Yeah. Great. Thanks a lot.
Speaker 3 Yeah. The guy on
Roger the corner is on pencils or something.
Scott Benner The struggles that we imagine are there. I mean, is there anything that's that I would think is amazingly difficult that just is not that troublesome for you?
Roger Walking around with the lights out.
Scott Benner You're like, I don't care what time of day it is. Yep. Does it mess with your circadian rhythm? Do you not have a, like, a rhythm to the sun rising and falling, or do you do you still have it from, like, feeling the sun on you?
Roger Used to in the beginning, in the last five years, six years, I go through stages where I'm up early, three, four in the morning, can't get back to sleep. Can't get back to sleep. And then all of a sudden, I it just switches. Right?
Scott Benner No kidding. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. Let me ask you this question because I've I've asked this of every person I've ever spoken to who doesn't have their sight. How would you describe like, you're experiencing something.
Scott Benner Right? Like, how would you like, is there a visual input to your brain still? Like, what is it or no? Like, how do you explain what you are experiencing?
Roger My visual memory is very vivid, I guess, my mind.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger Yeah. That's that's how I
Scott Benner You kinda imagine a world.
Roger Yeah. Yeah. You know?
Scott Benner But when I shut my eyes, I feel like I see black. Do you have that experience, or is it something different?
Roger No. It's black. Well, what I tell people, it's like going out in the middle of the night and looking up into the sky and seeing all the stars Mhmm. All the white little dots. You know, you see all the stars, like a little dot.
Roger Right?
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger So it's it's all there's lots of little white dots and blue, red, purple dots just floating around. But it's all
Scott Benner And for the lack of a better word, you see those right now?
Roger Yes.
Scott Benner Okay.
Roger It it in the background, it's all black, but there's all these little
Scott Benner Constellation constellations floating around.
Roger Yep. Yeah. Are
Scott Benner you aware of them? Or I mean, now that I'm asking you about them, you are. But, like, do you day to day, do you think about them being there? No. No?
Scott Benner It's just part of
Roger it. Yeah. Just part of it. It's good.
Scott Benner Oh, it sounds good.
Roger Just get used to it. Yeah.
Navigating the World
Scott Benner Jeez. When's the last time you drove your car when you were your twenties?
Roger Could have drove to the hospital
Scott Benner for my last surgery here. What what do you miss the most?
Roger Riding in my horses. Riding racing comp competing.
Scott Benner Competing on your horses. Is there a way to ride? I mean, did what what
Roger Oh, man. I I know what you're gonna ask. I went to a riding ranch, and I was led around by somebody else. Oh, I sat on the horse, and somebody else had a had a rope. They were leading the horse around.
Roger I never felt so humiliated in my life.
Scott Benner Was gonna say, I bet you that didn't feel good. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Roger That's the first and last I thought ever happened.
Scott Benner Yeah. We're not gonna play the game anymore where you lead Roger around like he's six years old on a pony. We're not doing that again. Because you can't just yeah. Yeah.
Scott Benner Right. Now I as soon as I asked you, I thought, man, that is what he's gonna say. Yeah.
Roger Here's one for you that February I always wanted a Corvette
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger Even even before I went blind. 2001, I went and bought a 1990 red candy apple red Corvette, and I think it was beautiful. Right? And I had that thing for a couple of years. My buddy used to drive around it.
Roger This is when I was single. Right? And Steve will go, what's a blind guy who want a car for? You know?
Scott Benner It's the same reason another guy wants a car for. So, girl, look at it. Pay attention.
Speaker 3 Yeah. Why why why is he what do you what do you want artwork for? Why do you collect artwork? Because a friend of my dad was an art broker,
Roger and I would buy paintings off them, you know, and get them framed. Right? Right. But, you know, I have lots of that stuff here, though.
Scott Benner Well, what's the answer to that one? Why would you buy artwork?
Roger Oh, every host needs a picture.
Scott Benner Like, listen. Just because I can't see it doesn't mean somebody else can't.
Speaker 3 Yeah. Who wants to look at my ugly
Roger mug up there?
Scott Benner Well, here's a question for you. There are companies a number of companies working on driverless cars. If they got to the point where they said to you, this car doesn't even need a steering wheel. Would you be interested in riding in a car that just took you somewhere? Like, you got in, spoke where you wanted to go, and you ended up there and it parked itself.
Scott Benner Would you be interested in that? No. You wouldn't. Because you wouldn't trust it or because you found other ways to get around?
Roger Because the other jackets on the rotor.
Scott Benner I'm just like, listen. I trust my blind in a driverless car more than I trust other people. Yeah. Okay. I got it.
Scott Benner Yeah. That that's interesting because I've I've I'm hearing more and more people talk about, like, as I get older, I'm I'm hopeful about the the cars that drive themselves because I think it'll keep me mobile longer and stuff like that. And I was wondering if that was something you thought
Roger Well, okay. Here's a here's a quite a scenario. You don't know the place where you're really going. Okay? So you put your coordinates in.
Roger You get there. Then what do you do?
Scott Benner You don't know where you're at once you get there. Yep. But if you have like, I'm I'm assuming you have transportation set up for yourself. They they drop you at the door. You know you're at the door, stuff like that.
Roger I live in a small they call it a city. I call it a town. It's only 20,000.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger The taxi service. So they're really good. They'll they'll take you right into your appointment. Or
Scott Benner Oh, okay. Somebody somebody actually go with you, get you in the door, stuff like that.
Roger Yeah.
Scott Benner Yeah. The car is gonna be like, you we're here. Go ahead and jump out. Get eject. Eject.
Scott Benner Get out. No. Oh, no. That's such an interesting like, see, that's a really interesting insight from you that, like, yeah. Sure.
Scott Benner The car gets there, but now it's there, and I don't know where I am. I could be anywhere in the world right now.
Roger Yeah. Like, where is you know?
Scott Benner Where is here?
Speaker 3 What do I do now? Yeah.
Roger That's that's great. I'm here.
Scott Benner Awesome. Hello? Anyone? Yeah. Know, you're calling for help.
Scott Benner Yeah. That that's no good.
Roger One of the hard things about being blind is when you go to a store is getting help. Some, like, grocery stores.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Roger I had a bitch of a time when I was in Ontario when Shelley lived in Ontario. Like, she's from Alberta. She lived in Ontario for five years. And getting the someone to help you do some grocery shoppings shopping, take her take us around or take her around. I had to call head office on the manager.
Roger He was being a
Scott Benner He didn't wanna help you find the Cocoa Puffs? Like, what what's the point?
Roger Well, they they just wouldn't walk around with you with you and help you, you know, get stuff in the cart and check you. Right? You know, you're buying 2 or $300 with our groceries at a time.
Scott Benner Yeah. I just need one of the kids to, like, tell me this is Quaker Oats. Like, I I is that a problem? What do you do then? Do you have somebody that goes with you, or do you order online?
Scott Benner I
Roger don't do you have Safeway there?
Scott Benner I mean, there's yeah. Like, grocery stores all over the place. I think Safeway is one of them. Yeah.
Roger Yeah. That's the way of Safeway here. They're just awesome to us. They treat us like family there. Any of this we just go ahead with customer service, and they'll usually, the one girl, Janice, they helps us.
Roger She just goes around with us and does helps us do our shopping.
Scott Benner Feels obvious, doesn't it? Can you I mean, I'm not having trouble imagining a person absolutely blind going into a grocery store saying, hey. Listen. I'm here to spend a bunch of money, but I can't see anything. Could you come around with me?
Scott Benner They go, no. What did he say? Just say no?
Roger Yeah. No. We don't have the manpower.
Scott Benner The manpower? Stop it. Yeah.
Roger Walmart had a sign a few years ago. Said, if you need help shopping in any way, we will help you. Just come to customer service. So great. We go there, and they're they're so freaking worried, the staff, about their break.
Scott Benner Listen. I'll come with you, but I only got six minutes.
Roger Yeah. They're so worried about they're you're trying to find someone. Well, I'm going on break, and then this
Scott Benner Wow. Yeah. Did I was gonna say that must be hard for you to accept after everything you've been through.
Roger Oh, I yeah. I I I have I have lots of patience. Hey. But, you know, there's there's a point.
Scott Benner You're like, I think you found my line. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, just help me get my stuff and then go on break. Yeah.
Scott Benner How would that be? I think it'll work out
Roger for you. You still get paid. Walmart's Walmart's the worst. Like, Safeway is no problem. If they're gonna go on break, they'll just go later.
Roger Right?
Scott Benner Mhmm. But you don't do you not order things you like? Is it because you like to get out and move around, or do you, like, wanted to order stuff
Roger to It's an outing.
Scott Benner And give you something to do. Yeah.
Roger Yeah. It's an outing. My friend Norbert, unfortunately, he just passed away in December. He would take us. He was 81.
Roger He would take us. He would just sit there and watch the people because he knew knew everybody in town. Mhmm. He that was his good deed for the for the day. Right?
Roger But now his wife does it. So
Scott Benner Oh, that's really nice. It's it's it's it is really something when you meet decent people.
Roger I found the people here, like, as opposed to back in, like, Milton. Like, at the last place I lived was Milton. It was West Of Toronto. There's Toronto, Mississauga, then Milton along that 401 corridor. Ignorant.
Roger People are just ignorant there. Mhmm. Nude. And you you come to you come to town here, I'll tell you an instant. We were waiting across the street, Shelly and I, and this guy comes with a trailer or a truck, and he's making he and he knew we were waiting for him to to go.
Roger He pulls out and blocks the whole traffic, makes, like, a right hand turn, blocks everybody, gets out, and helps us cross the street.
Scott Benner Because otherwise, you weren't gonna make it?
Roger Well, no. He that
Speaker 3 was just he just wanted to help us because we were just waiting it back in, you know, Ontario. They'd run over you. Well,
Closing Thoughts and Contact Info
Scott Benner Roger, I have to tell you, we're up on time, and I'm enjoying this. And I my biggest problem is that my all the rest of my questions are about sex, and it seems inappropriate. So I'm not gonna ask them. Oh. And
Roger Off air.
Scott Benner But I'm yeah. So I I think we I think this is a good conversation. I wanna keep it right where it is. I'm gonna check myself and act like an adult and and say thank you, and ask you if there's anything that we haven't talked about that you wanted to. I don't wanna skip or miss anything that you had in mind.
Scott Benner Yeah. We cover it?
Roger I think we covered up pretty much everything. Yeah. It's like, just, you know, looping is possible for blind people.
Scott Benner I'm thrilled that you said that. I was really excited to hear that you had that much success with that app. I hope other people are are helped by that somehow. Even people whose sight is limited somehow. It must be great to know that.
Scott Benner So
Roger Hey. Can you go on my amazon.ca and and look up pod filler plus?
Scott Benner Let me see if I wanna go
Roger on there. Pod filler. You'll see it's about $60.
Scott Benner Pod filler plus pod filling aid compatible with Omnipod five, Omnipod dash assistive device.
Roger It's for the blind. The pod and there's a just a pod filler. It's for a dexterity problem. It it it's a little bit smaller. It doesn't have those posts.
Roger I don't know if it's on Amazon.
Scott Benner No. I see. I see. Yeah. I see.
Scott Benner I'm on CA. Yeah. Pod filler. Oh, look at that. Yeah.
Scott Benner Just you the this is a just just as described, there's a place to put the the pod, and then there's this gonna arm to slide the syringe into, which I guess lines the syringe up perfectly with the fill hole.
Roger The one the one I designed is just like that. The way the way I fill my syringes, and even I did with my old pump, I use a a a cut off pencil. I use a pen cartridge. Mhmm. I just poke the needle in the end of the cartridge, and I use a pencil to push the insulin in.
Roger So that that's probably where they got the idea of those other posts from. You know, I'll let you come to that conclusion or whatever you want on that one. But
Scott Benner I'm looking on at on the Amazon for America. I do not see it here. Yeah. I don't think it's here in America.
Roger You can still order from, CA because I I I order stuff from .com, you know, to get for Shelley. Right? I I we we use Amazon a lot.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah. Mean, That's right. I would imagine you do. Yeah.
Scott Benner I mean, that's that's awesome that I mean, hearing about that, I thought it was a big deal. Hearing how well, Loop works for you, I thought that was awesome. I think it's great to hear that you, you know, you've had these many issues, but you just haven't given up. Like, did you really do you kind of I mean, is that a thing that's in your personality, do you think you picked it up from watching your dad? Because you said your dad his theory on life seemed to be, like, you know, foot down, keep going.
Scott Benner Like, do you think you picked that up from him growing up?
Roger Oh, yeah. We're all all my brothers. I don't like that. They just yeah. We're all workers.
Scott Benner Yeah. Just don't give up. Keep keep moving.
Roger No. My dad came from nothing, had nothing. He was married, and my mom had two kids at 18, eleven months apart.
Scott Benner Did he really?
Roger Yeah. My dad would be when in, you know, young days, he'd be loading snow downtown Toronto with a front end loader with no cab. He'd have to unzip his snowsuit and give his injection and keep going. Right? So and he was on zinc.
Roger Have you ever heard of that? Zinc? Lenti?
Scott Benner Oh, lenti. Yes. That I've heard.
Roger Yeah. He was on zinc before lenti, and he had some issues. He wasn't he was losing too much weight, so they switched them to to lenti.
Scott Benner Zinc, is that like a was that an insulin at that point?
Roger Yeah. That was an insulin. I was saying that was one of the first ones.
Scott Benner Z I n z?
Roger Pretty sure they're called zinc. Yeah. Because I asked that guy one time. But I'm looking endo up
Scott Benner is an intermediate acting subcutaneous insulin, often referred to as lenti. Uses zinc to control the release and absorption of insulin providing twenty four hour coverage.
Roger Yeah. How about damn.
Scott Benner Cat and dog insulin came up, when I looked. That's interesting. I'll have look more at that. Yeah. Well Go ahead.
Roger One of the biggest things is your endo and their their their thinking. Like, if my my if my endo and my Robin and doctor Rogers weren't I call them call them forward thinking. Right? I never would would have looped. You get some of these older endos.
Roger They I've I've read that they say it's it's dangerous.
Scott Benner Loose things dangerous?
Speaker 3 Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. They're, you know, afraid of what you don't know.
Scott Benner Yeah. No. I mean, in the end, everybody's gonna have their own experiences. You again, like, mother, you're mother of necessity right here. Right?
Scott Benner So you're you you just absolutely needed to find a way to do something so you don't put up the same walls and the same fear about things. You're like, I've gotta get this done. I gotta sit down and read all this documentation about this thing. I've gotta figure out how to get the insulin into this pump. I've gotta figure out how to do this.
Scott Benner Like, you just have no other choice. And once you don't have another choice, you know, then the the speed bumps don't seem as important, I would imagine.
Roger No. Yeah. No. You just keep trucking.
Scott Benner Man, people should people should, take something from that. Like, don't be so scared all the time. You know? No. Yeah.
Scott Benner Be bold. Be bold. That's one way to put it. Or act like you're in the middle of a parking lot, you don't know where the hell on earth you are, and you gotta figure something out.
Roger Oh, man. That's funny you mentioned that. When I moved to Alberta, that's what I tell everybody. I thought I was dropped in the middle of a field that night. I don't know where the hell I am because my my, sense of direction is reversed as opposed to being in Ontario.
Roger It's weird. Shelly's when she goes to Ontario, she's a total opposite. Right? Like
Scott Benner I was talking, around the house the other day about moving to another state, and somebody said, well, you wouldn't, you know, you wouldn't know anything. You hadn't been there before, and blah blah blah. I said, I what do you mean? Like, I don't leave this house. I don't know where I'm at right now.
Roger I I
Scott Benner said, dude, where I am is meaningless, like, like, quite honestly. Right?
Roger Like Yeah.
Scott Benner There's no great restaurants around here. I mean, I know a few people, but, you know, everybody's about the same no matter where I seem to go. And I was like I was like, I don't think it matters. I was like, I get up in the morning and I sometimes I don't even leave here. Like, I could not leave another house in another state and it would be warmer, and that would be better.
Scott Benner That's all I said. I was like, I I want it to be warm is what I told them.
Roger Yeah. Really?
Speaker 3 Hey. Springsteen and Bon Bon Jovi live there.
Scott Benner Well, I mean, not right where I'm at. Although I know. Although, I will tell you one time, Arden was out with her friends, and they were just, like, window shopping somewhere. And she came home and she's like, we saw we saw, Bon Jovi's son today. I was like, oh, yeah?
Scott Benner And she goes, yeah. I said, did you introduce yourself? She goes, I didn't. I was like, well, maybe you should have. And then she, you know, she kinda laughed and everything and now he's married to the girl from stranger things.
Roger Well.
Scott Benner So sometimes she pops up and I went, could have been you. Just had to say hello. Yep. But I've but even that's a great point. Like, I've never been to the Stone Pony.
Scott Benner I'm probably an hour from it. I've I've never been there. I'm never going. When we moved here, when we had kids, I remember like, we talked about, like, oh, this is wonderful. We're about about an hour from Manhattan.
Scott Benner We're about an hour from Philadelphia. There'll be museums and things, cultural stuff we can take the kids to. And, you know, the the second time you take your kid to an art museum and you you look over at them and they're bored out of their mind, you think, oh, I guess they don't care about this.
Roger No. I know. The younger generation nowadays, it's.
Scott Benner And then Roger, living near the museum's not as important anymore because apparently we're not coming back. So Yeah. Yeah. I figured I could live anywhere and I I'd be okay with it. So
Roger Yeah. Right on.
Scott Benner Anyway. But you're you're really awesome, dude. It was great to get to know you, and I appreciate you taking the time to do this. It really was really, really a great time talking to you.
Roger Yeah. How do you how do you get in touch with him? I need to ask a question or a phone.
Scott Benner If you wanna ask me a question, hold on. We'll stop the recording. I'll tell you all about it.
Roger Yeah. Alright.
Scott Benner Thank you.
Roger I I was would listen one of Kenny Fox. Mhmm. You're you're a good friend. I listen to podcast you did on Loop and Learn about five years ago, I think it was, and you were he was on there.
Scott Benner And I did a whole series. We did six at least six episodes together about Loop.
Roger Yeah. Yeah. Where can you send them to me and stuff? Because I you know, the more information, the better I have. Yeah.
Scott Benner Well, listen. Since you asked about it, I'm still recording. I'll tell people what episode numbers they are, but then I'll email them to you. So hold on one second. I'm on my website here.
Scott Benner Kenny's episodes are called Fox in the Loop House.
Roger That's right.
Scott Benner Yeah. That's what they're called. So well, yeah. We just did a part. So part six is episode fourteen eighty nine, and part four is fourteen thirty three.
Roger I knew I knew you guys did some, episodes there. Was just wondering. I you know, I don't like I'll send them Robin would do it.
Scott Benner No. I'll send them to you. I'll put what I'll do is I'll put an email together. Here. Let me stop the recording.
Scott Benner People don't care about this. Alright, everybody. See you later.
Episode Wrap-Up & Sponsor Details
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Scott Benner A huge thanks to US Med for sponsoring this episode of the juice box podcast. Don't forget, usmed.com/juicebox. This is where we get our diabetes supplies from.
Scott Benner You can as well. Use the link or call (888) 721-1514. Use the link or call the number, get your free benefits check so that you can start getting your diabetes supplies the way we do from US Med.
Scott Benner Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Scott Benner If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. 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. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card?
Scott Benner If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box podcast private Facebook group. Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes. But everybody is welcome. Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook.
Scott Benner How would you like to share a type one diabetes getaway like no other? Join me on Juice Cruise twenty twenty six. You may be asking, what is Juice Cruise? It's a week long cruise designed specifically for people and families living with type one diabetes. It's not just a vacation.
Scott Benner It's a chance to relax, connect, and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere. We're gonna sail out of Miami, and the cruise includes stops in CocoCay, San Juan, Saint Kitts, and Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility, and exceptional amenities. You're gonna enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type one diabetes. I'm gonna host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea.
Scott Benner There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining, and modern amenities all throughout the celebrity beyond. Your kids can be supervised, there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge. Not just the the kids going on vacation, but maybe you get the kickback a little bit too. There's gonna be zero judgment, real connections, and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise 2026. Please come with me.
Scott Benner You're going to have a terrific time. You can learn more or set up your deposit at juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. Get ahold of Suzanne at cruise planners. She will take care of everything. Link's in the show notes.
Scott Benner Link's at juiceboxpodcast.com. Have a podcast? Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording.com.
#1801 Super Diabetic - Part 2
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.
Katarina shares pregnancy with type 1, a 54-hour labor, shoulder dystocia, and a terrifying NICU moment—plus pumps, pre-bolusing struggles, and raising three boys along the way.
Key Takeaways
- Start with the Basics: For those newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, the Bold Beginnings series serves as a straightforward and practical foundational guide.
- Mental Health Matters: The ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) list is a crucial psychological tool indicating that early trauma can correlate with future physical issues, including autoimmune diseases.
- Finding the Right Tech: Managing diabetes is highly personal; finding the right device, such as switching from multiple daily injections to a tubeless pump, can drastically improve your day-to-day comfort and control.
- Pregnancy and Insulin Resistance: Insulin needs and insulin resistance change dynamically during pregnancy, often requiring adjustments to pre-bolus timing, basal rates, and correction factors.
- Leveraging Pump Modes: Utilizing both automated and manual modes on an insulin pump can be beneficial, especially during pregnancy when an algorithm may not be aggressive enough for specific meals or periods of insulin resistance.
Resources Mentioned
- Dexcom G7: dexcom.com/juicebox
- Omnipod 5: omnipod.com/juicebox
- Cozy Earth: cozyearth.com (Offer code: juicebox for 20% off)
- Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
- Podcast Audio Editing: wrongwayrecording.com
- Juice Box Podcast Facebook Group: Juice Box Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes on Facebook
Welcome & The Bold Beginnings Series
Scott Benner Welcome back, friends, to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Katarina Hey. My name is Kataria, and I am a type one diabetic.
Scott Benner This is part two of a two part episode. Go look at the title. If you don't recognize it, you haven't heard part one yet. It's probably the episode right before this in your podcast player. If you're new to type one diabetes, begin with the bold beginnings series from the podcast.
Scott Benner Don't take my word for it. Listen to what reviewers have said. Full beginnings is the best first step. I learned more in those episodes than anywhere else. This is when everything finally clicked.
Scott Benner People say it takes the stress out of the early days and replaces it with clarity. They tell me this should come with the diagnosis packet that I got at the hospital. And after they listen, they recommend it to everyone who's struggling. It's straightforward, practical, and easy to listen to. Bold Beginnings gives you the basics in a way that actually makes sense.
Scott Benner While 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. This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears. Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. Today's episode is also sponsored by Omnipod.
Scott Benner Did you know that the majority of Omnipod five users pay less than $30 per month at the pharmacy? That's less than $1 a day for tube free automated insulin delivery. And a third of Omnipod five users pay $0 per month. You heard that right. 0.
Scott Benner That's less than your daily coffee for all of the benefits of tubeless, waterproof, automated insulin delivery. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four years old, and she's about to be 21. My family relies on Omnipod, and I think you'll love it. And you can try it for free right now by requesting your free starter kit today at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. Omnipod has been an advertiser for a decade.
Scott Benner But even if they weren't, I would tell you proudly, my daughter wears an Omnipod. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Why don't you get yourself that free starter kit?
Scott Benner Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. The podcast is also sponsored today by Cozy Earth. You can use my offer code juice box at checkout to save 20% off of your entire order at cozyearth.com. Everything from the joggers that I'm actually wearing right now to the sheets I sleep on, the towels I use to dry myself with, and whatever else is available at cozy earth dot com. Just use the offer code juice box at checkout.
Trauma, Mental Health, and the ACEs List
Scott Benner You're not sure if you've got trauma?
Katarina Well, I sometimes I get in my head and, like, that's the crazy part of me where I'm like, maybe there's something that I have pushed down so far that I have completely erased from my history, and there was, like, something super traumatic that happened to me.
Scott Benner I think that's called Caucasian lady TikTok is what you're talking about right now. Okay. I think you're I think you're fine. So, Ross.
Katarina Ouch. Ouch. So true, Scott. So true.
Scott Benner I don't know. I'm trying to decide between this mauve and this brown for my wall. 'm gonna start a TikTok account that will eventually have 300,000 followers while I try to decide what color of tan to paint my house. No. Listen. I mean
Katarina Life is hard. You don't understand that the walls need to be a certain color. It needs to give a certain aesthetic.
Scott Benner Why did BMW move the buttons from there to there? I can't reach them now. And, like, it's so but no. Sir seriously, like, I would imagine that if you had something that traumatic, you'd be at least have an inkling about it.
Katarina Yeah. I think I'm pretty good. So
Scott Benner Do you know the Yeah. Do you listen to anything that I do with Erica, by any chance? Like, that mental health stuff, or are you just so healthy you don't need that? Okay.
Katarina Good. I would I would like to say it's because I'm so mentally healthy. But, no, I I have not listened to anything with Erica.
Scott Benner Okay. So that's fine. So she and I are getting ready to do we just finished up a series of about body grief, which is gonna be very interesting if you find it. I I think you should try to give it a whirl. But we're gonna start something up that we're calling let me see if I can find the word because I'm I made it up.
Scott Benner So people are like, awesome. Mental health that you made up. I said to her, you know, there's that that ACEs list that we do you know the ACEs list? It's a group of indicators about past trauma that indicate future problems.
Katarina Okay.
Scott Benner Okay. And so it is a very, very well established tool in psychology, right, in therapy. So there the 10 aces are this, abuse. So if you as a child experienced emotional abuse, a parent or an adult regularly swore at you, insulted you, humiliated you, or made you feel afraid that you'd be physically hurt. If you there was actual physical abuse, a parent or an adult in the home hit, kicked, beat, or physically harmed you, sexual abuse.
Scott Benner If you had if you experienced emotional neglect, physical neglect, if your mother was treated violently, if there's substance abuse in the house, mental illness in the house, if your parents are separated or divorced, or if you have a family member who's incarcerated. These 10 things are an indicator of future issues that you'll have. Right? Okay. And it's a fairly a fairly reasonable measuring stick.
Scott Benner Works pretty good is what I'm saying. And I started thinking, what's the opposite of that? What happens to people that lead them to having happy unencumbered lives? And I said to Eric, I'm like, I wanna go over that. Like, I'm like, let's try to figure out what it is that happens to healthy people that leads them to not have problems in the future.
Scott Benner Because by the way, the Yeah.
Katarina Like, how how to be set up for success.
Scott Benner Yeah. And as a parent, that might be interesting to list too. Also,
Katarina like Absolutely.
Scott Benner So you score that ACEs list and a higher score correlates with ready? Heart heart disease, autoimmune disease, depression and anxiety, addiction, and early mortality.
Katarina Oh, jeez.
Scott Benner Isn't that crazy?
Katarina Wow. Yeah. That's so sad.
Scott Benner Yeah. Of well, actuary tables, also can figure out exactly when you wanna die. So you could figure that out now, by the way. If you went to an actuary, they could probably tell you within, like, two years how long you're gonna live. Isn't that crazy?
Scott Benner Jerry is like, please do not I don't wanna I don't wanna know that at all. Like, they don't know if you're gonna get hit by a meteor three weeks from now or something like that, but, like, know, that kind of thing. Anyway, I feel like this is going off the rails. So let's get back.
Life After a Type 1 Diagnosis
Scott Benner You've got diabetes now, type one. It's been diagnosed. You get a pump. Do you get a pen? Do you get what how do you start?
Katarina I was doing, like, multiple daily injections, and I think they gave me a trial with the Dexcom. Oh, yeah. They gave me both, the Dexcom g six and the Libre Freestyle.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina I think the Freestyle had, like, just come out when I was diagnosed as type one. And so that, like, just getting on insulin I was pretty heartbroken again, like, see just, okay. This is this is the rest of my life. Like, it it gay it how would I say this? Like, in some ways, it was, like, reassuring.
Katarina Like, yes. This makes a lot of sense. And then in other ways, it was, like, just as heartbreaking. Okay. I am dependent on this medication for the rest of my life.
Scott Benner So you got your answer, but it was not the answer you were looking for.
Katarina Yeah.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah. And it's not comforting. Oh, you have you know what I mean? Like, oh, we know what's wrong with you. You have type one diabetes. Awesome. You know, like, I have an answer, and functionally, know how to make myself feel better, but this is not something I wanted for myself. That kind of feeling? Okay.
Katarina Yeah. I and in that moment, it felt so large. Oh, excuse me. It felt so large. Just like, wow.
Katarina This this is, like, who I am now, and this just like it just like
Scott Benner Take your time. I'm interested in what you get to. Seriously, don't feel don't feel pressure. I'm not kidding.
Katarina I I had a lot just like, how did this even happen? And it was very much like, okay. This is the rest of my life. Mhmm. Like, I'm gonna be on these medications for the rest of my life.
Katarina And I I still kinda, like, struggle with that, especially since every time you switch jobs that you switch insurance, and then coverage is different with medications. But I will say out of so many of the autoimmune diseases, like, I am very like, type one has been so thoroughly researched, and there is so much medication and devices out there, which is amazing.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Katarina And so it is like, okay. There is so much support medically for type one as an autoimmune disease because they're I I've met some people who have an autoimmune disease, and they're just like, yeah. I can only eat I can eat red meat and a little bit of lettuce, and that's it for the rest of my life.
Scott Benner And How does that make you feel when you talk to people who have that situation?
Katarina I'm like, wow. It makes me so grateful. Like, oh, I can still have ice cream. I shouldn't all the time, but I can still have ice cream and be just fine. Like, if I bowl this correctly, if I go on a little walk afterwards, like, totally fine.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Katarina But, yeah, some people who have to just, like, give up all dietary things, change their lifestyle dramatically just to try and stay alive.
Scott Benner Makes you feel grateful when that's not your situation?
Katarina Yes. Yes.
Scott Benner Okay. And, well, I mean so you're gaining perspective as this goes on?
Katarina Yes. Yeah. Very much.
Scott Benner Are you still MDI now?
Katarina No. I am now on a pump. When I during my first pregnancy, my doctors and I have a wonderful, wonderful care team. I like being pregnant because they are so attentive Mhmm. To my diabetes.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Katarina And they asked and kind like, they heavily suggested I go on a pump.
Scott Benner Heavily suggested?
Katarina They're like, it's easier to control your diabetes, and it's a lot more important when you have a, like, a living being you're trying to keep alive inside of you.
Scott Benner Okay. So they heavily suggested you went with it. Yes. You said okay. Alright.
Scott Benner And what you're finding? How how has that changed things for you?
Katarina So I have some thoughts. I had a very negative experience with the first pump I used. It was so miserable, but it did keep my sugar levels in a very good balance.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina I just hated like, it was corded. Is that the right term?
Scott Benner Tubed?
Katarina Tubed. Yes. Tubed. That was like, oh my goodness. Like, I like wearing dresses.
Katarina Where am I gonna put this? And I'm, like, so pregnant. There is no good wear good way to, like
Scott Benner You didn't you did not enjoy the idea of tubing?
Katarina No. No. No. And it I would wake up all the time just, like, cotton tubes. Like, how how is this even happening?
Katarina And then so I went back to daily injections pretty much instantly after giving birth
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Katarina With my first pregnancy. And then my second pregnancy, I went to a tubeless pod and amazing. And I've been on it ever since. So that was back in 2024, I guess, 2023.
Scott Benner You had done pod at that point?
Katarina Uh-huh.
Scott Benner Okay. And Yeah. And you've been doing well since. What's your a one c today?
Katarina I haven't gotten a recent one since October. In October, it was 6.8. So
Scott Benner Awesome. Good for you. It's not what?
Katarina It's okay.
Scott Benner It's okay.
Katarina Like, trying to get better. But I I think it's gone down since then because oh, I'm also pregnant again.
Growing the Family and Minivan Life
Scott Benner Wait. You're you're pregnant right now?
Katarina Yeah.
Scott Benner And you have two kids? Yeah. Oh my god. This is a this is a I mean, you did you get a minivan? Are you all set with that?
Katarina Yeah. Oh, Scott, please.
Scott Benner Why'd you do that?
Katarina Salt in the wound.
Scott Benner Why'd you give up? Why'd you give up?
Katarina No. Okay. Remember how we were talking about my beautiful husband who is so responsible and forward thinking?
Scott Benner Yeah. Except for getting your pregnant three times in the last five years. Okay.
Katarina No. That's the that was me. That's the crazy part. But I had this beautiful RAV four 2004 RAV four that I loved with all my heart.
Scott Benner Right.
Katarina And it was it was fun for, like, a single person and had to be in the shop, like, twice a year. You know? And my husband was like, yeah. We're getting a van.
Scott Benner It's too small. Oh, so you're driving a man a van around. Did you get maroon? What horrible color is it?
Katarina Oh, it's it's gray. I I would have loved a maroon van. I was like, we're gonna wrap it. Do some, like, floral pattern.
Scott Benner We're no. You're not. You're gonna put that money in a bank to send one of those kids to college with. Don't you worry?
Katarina Literally. Yeah. After look I looked into it too, and I got some quotes, and it was just like
Scott Benner You are awesome. Yeah. You you really are. You're I swear to god. I thought I I can't tell when the most Caucasian thing you're gonna say is gonna stop.
Scott Benner Oh, no. But I looked into getting my minivan wrapped. It's pretty high on my list right now. Fantastic. Oh my gosh.
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Scott Benner You must have him working twenty four hours a day. What what kind of job does he have? What is what kind of work does he do?
Katarina He so we were both working in biotech when we got married, and now he's still working for a biotech company. He works for BD.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Katarina I don't know if you're familiar with that, but it's, like, basically on every, syringe.
Scott Benner Yeah. They make the syringes.
Katarina Yeah. Yep. He's on, like, tech support now.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina So, yeah, he he recently made a career shift, but he's he's doing great. So yeah.
Scott Benner You got him out there hustling. He's hustling for the family?
Katarina He is hustling. He is hustling for the family. I am thankful.
Scott Benner How many of these, babies do you think you're gonna end up with?
Katarina I think three is a good number.
Scott Benner Mhmm. Yeah. And
Katarina and But I also think four or five is a great number too. No. Oh my god. Five is too many. Five is too many for me, but there is, like, a crazy part of me that's like, but four.
Katarina Why?
Scott Benner Is like a two year period?
Katarina I'm like, I I'm not even done having this one. Stop thinking.
Scott Benner I'm still cooking this one. What are the first two? Are they, boys, girls? What do you got?
Katarina Boys. And I'm pregnant with my third boy.
Scott Benner Oh, my goodness. Yeah. Alright.
Katarina I'm so excited. Are you? So excited.
Scott Benner You're not worried about, like, oh my god. I'm gonna try for a girl one day?
Katarina Yeah. I
Scott Benner mean, don't do it. Let me just say that right now. Four is too many. I don't know how you're you better hope AI takes over the world. Nobody needs a job because you're not sending four kids to college.
Scott Benner That's terrible. What did you go
Katarina need college by the time they're that age.
Scott Benner You better you better hope not. I would assume you're voting for universal basic income right now is the way you're the way you're hoping. But seriously, like, it's did you go to a private college?
Katarina Yeah. I did.
Scott Benner Mhmm. Do you remember what it cost?
Katarina Oh, I'm so I'm a stay at home mom. Mhmm. And I am still paying off my student loans.
Scott Benner Yeah. Without a job.
Katarina Without a job.
Scott Benner Yeah. So you're not paying off your student loans. That schmuck that you you you snook her in to get you're pregnant is paying them off. Right? With your with your cute laugh and, like and he was like, alright.
Scott Benner I'll pay for your student loans. That's what happened. Am I wrong? I'm I'm not wrong. Please.
Scott Benner And
Katarina he has no student loans, no debt to his name. He's yeah. He's totally job without all that,
Scott Benner or did the did his parents cover it for him?
Katarina He his parents definitely helped him out.
Scott Benner Oh my gosh. This is awesome. Yeah. Seriously, you guys are blessed. It's going really well.
Scott Benner But but, seriously, please don't have more children. Like, there's so many children. Like, how are you like, do you have enough space for them? Where are gonna put them?
Katarina I you know, you don't need space. You could just, like, stack them on top of each other. Right?
Scott Benner Well, when they get older, they're gonna want their own space.
Katarina We'll deal with it when it comes.
Scott Benner No. You won't. They're gonna beat the hell out of each other trying to get away from each other. It's not how it works. This is trust me.
Scott Benner It's not how it works. They're gonna they're gonna want a place to to retreat to. They're gonna want their own space. That's fair. That's fair.
Scott Benner They're gonna ask you for things. Every one of those oh my god. You're athletic. Right? Are those kids gonna be athletic?
Katarina They are already showing some signs. It's pretty cute. But they are, yeah, very tough. Like, oldest just likes fighting other kids. Like
Scott Benner So he's gonna do UFC?
Katarina We we as parents call it wrestling, and he's like, I don't know what wrestling is, but I really like fighting that boy.
Scott Benner Like so so you're gonna that kid's gonna be in some UFC training camp that you're gonna have to pay for. And oh my god. You're and that minivan is gonna smell like holy wait. Do you wait. Do you see what that minivan smells like when those three sweaty boys get in that car?
Scott Benner Oh, it's gonna smell like, you know what it's gonna smell like, don't you?
Katarina I, played roller hockey throughout high school.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina And because Southern California, playing ice hockey is way too expensive.
Scott Benner I thought you were gonna say because I was wrestling with my sexuality, but go ahead.
Katarina Everyone in high school would also agree with you.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina And, oh my goodness, the odors were awful.
Scott Benner It's horrible.
Katarina So so bad. And that was even me smelling my own self.
Scott Benner Like Your van's gonna smell like testicles. That's what it's gonna smell like. Yeah. Sweaty, hot, dirty testicles. That's what your van's gonna smell like.
Katarina Can't wait.
Scott Benner God bless you. You're gonna have a great time. And and each one of those little sports is gonna cost a a small fortune.
Katarina Yeah. Yeah? We already are kinda running into that. Like, what the heck?
Scott Benner Yeah. No. It's insane. Don't fall for it. Seriously.
Scott Benner Just tell send them out in the backyard, tell them to beat up the dog, and that's it. You know what mean? But because he likes to fight. By the way, please don't hurt your animals. Okay.
Scott Benner Alright. Please. So how did you find the process of making the babies with the diabetes? Because it was kinda new to you still, and you're Right.
Katarina Right. Yeah. And that has definitely been a journey in itself. I feel like with this third pregnancy, I am chasing after two boys, and I don't really even recognize that I'm pregnant half the time. So my first baby was eleven pounds.
Scott Benner Oh, was your blood sugar high during the pregnancy?
Katarina No. I was like, I think my a one c was 5.8. I I I was, like, kept it in pretty good check. Very yeah. I was I was trying to be, like, pretty controlled, but just a very large baby.
Katarina And that was like, the pregnancy was great. I felt amazing while being pregnant. And then, like, in the third trimester, I had pretty much everyone that saw me in public came up to me and was like, is it twins? And I I was like, oh gosh. Am I gonna get this comment every other five seconds?
Scott Benner We're so far away from when I had those abs. This is crazy. Yeah. Did you keep that, like, athletic build? Like, you know, some ladies are, like, athletic and pregnant still, or did it today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod.
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Katarina I was trying to, but it was like I I don't know. I and I could, like, hyperanalyze myself. I think the average person who saw me would say I was still athletic while pregnant.
Scott Benner Mhmm. You
Katarina didn't You
Scott Benner know? Didn't feel that way.
Katarina I I saw changes in my body that were like, oh, wow. Where like, why am I squishy right here?
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Katarina And so that was, like, you know, dealing with that, but it's fine.
Scott Benner Did you have trouble getting back into the shape you wanted to be when you were, finished with the pregnancy?
Katarina Yeah. There there were these, like, pesky, like, five to 10 pounds that are just still hanging on.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Katarina And so that's but then again, like, I pretty much got pregnant with my second a year postpartum.
A Traumatic Birth Story
Scott Benner On purpose? So
Katarina that one was, very much surprised.
Scott Benner No is fine if you just wanna say no. So
Katarina my first was, like, a very traumatic birth. The pregnancy was amazing. The birth itself was horrendous. How? So I had to be induced.
Katarina And, like, I am kind of crunchy. Like, you you were like, what's the whitest thing this girl is gonna say? I'm I'm bad. Did you
Scott Benner have doula?
Katarina No. I didn't.
Scott Benner Okay. Alright. It's okay.
Katarina And
Scott Benner Maybe next time.
Katarina Yeah. That's I I didn't wanna pay the money. That that was just me.
Scott Benner So you won a doula. You just didn't wanna pay for it.
Katarina Yeah. Now insurances cover doulas. How cool is that?
Scott Benner You try to have one of these babies in your living room in a baby pool?
Katarina So you it cannot do that, as a diabetic.
Scott Benner It's Yeah. They won't like you. I know.
Katarina But, yes, I would have loved to be one of those moms for sure.
Scott Benner I would've
Katarina okay. I got induced. I was in labor. Like, so they did all the things. I'm not gonna get into too much detail, but I was in labor for fifty four hours.
Katarina So went in on a Monday afternoon, and my baby was born Thursday morning.
Scott Benner What in the hell? Are you serious?
Katarina Yeah. Oh,
Scott Benner jeez. I would have given up in the middle. I would have been like, that's enough. We're good.
Katarina And, oh my goodness, I was, like, trying to do it natural, like, no epidural. And if if there's anyone who is listening who's pregnant, if you get induced, just don't
Scott Benner Don't fight.
Katarina Don't put your body through that because, yeah, it's it's almost impossible to do it, like, without an epidural.
Scott Benner Wow. Yeah. So you try so okay. Alright. So you're it was long and painful.
Katarina Yeah. And so, like, about thirty two hours in that I finally was like, okay. I'm not progressing. Let's get the epidural. And they gave me the epidural things, and it only worked in half my body too, which is so fun.
Scott Benner So
Katarina I'm like, they're just giving me twice the amount of epidurals and, like, turning me on my side so that it'll, like, seep down into the other half of my body.
Scott Benner There's no reason to use so much technical terms. Okay? It's Oh, I seeped out into your body. Is that what they said to you?
Katarina What the they put me on my side, and they because it was just, like, only working for half of my body. So half my body was numb. The other half was still feel feeling pain.
Scott Benner Oh my gosh. I I love you. I think you're awesome.
Katarina A little crazy.
Scott Benner Don't think you know what the hell you're talking about, but I think you're awesome. I love you. I think Just Hey, Bruce. You're starting
Katarina to realize the laughter is now out of delirium Yeah. Than anything else.
Scott Benner You're like, they turned me on my side to get the medication to go the other way. I am a 100% sure that is not how it works.
Katarina That is literally what they said.
Scott Benner Well, they gotta get out of the hospital if that's what they said. You gotta get out of there. That's the wrong place to be. Oh my god. Were you with doctor Jekyll?
Scott Benner Is what was happening exactly? Doctor Frankenstein, did any of this happen come up when you were talking? We're just gonna spin you over so it moves to the other side of you. There's oh my god. Are you gonna make me look this up?
Katarina Do it. Do it. Are you That is literally what happened, though. They were like, oh, okay. Yeah.
Katarina We'll put you on your side. And so that the this is now I'm, like, questioning it because that does sound a little funky, but that's literally what was happening. Because they you put the epidural into the spine, and then if it's, like, a little bit on the side, it'll only get I now I'm like now I'm questioning how it how that works.
Scott Benner Oh my god. Hold on a sec. Wait. Wait a sec. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Okay. I think I've got a question set up here that asks the that gets to the point.
Scott Benner Oh my god. Hold on a second. Oh, I so I said, can a pregnant woman's epidural be made to impact other parts of the body by turning the body? That seems like what you said to me. Right?
Scott Benner Says it says, the short answer is yes to a degree, but within limits.
Katarina Yeah.
Scott Benner Okay. An epidural delivers anesthetic into the epidural space around the spinal nerves. The medication doesn't stay perfectly fixed. It can spread up and down the spine and slightly side to side, so gravity can matter. Larger doses, continuous infusions, or partial or uneven blocks.
Scott Benner Does turning the body change where it works? Positive position can influence spread, especially early on. I take it back. I'm so sorry. Side lying can make one side feel more numb than the other.
Scott Benner Lying flat versus slightly upright can change how high numbers how high the numbness can creep up, and tilting is sometimes used to reduce one size blocks preventing okay. God bless you. I was wrong. We've all learned something. I'm sorry I laughed at you.
Scott Benner I wasn't just laughing at you. I was snickering, and I apologize. Okay? I jumped to conclusions.
Katarina No offense taken.
Scott Benner I don't know everything. I should've looked.
Katarina Saying it. I'm like, that does sound a little weird.
Scott Benner Sounds stupid is why. Okay. Alright. Okay. Fair enough.
Katarina Yeah. And so I'm, like, on my side. And then finally, I they're like, oh, you're dilated enough to start pushing. So I go into active labor. And, normally, like, your average active labor is, like, one hour.
Katarina And in hospital settings, they don't want you to go beyond four hours. Mhmm. So it's, like, probably gonna get a C section if the baby hasn't come out after four hours. And I was, like, very, very against the C section for my first baby, and I'm pushing, pushing, pushing. And they're like, you're doing a great job.
Katarina Like, we could see his head. And, like, the four hour mark goes by, and then, like, four and a half hours. And, finally, like, I push this baby out. Well, his shoulder had gotten stuck, which is called shoulder dysplasia. So there was, like, a nurse that hopped onto my bed and was shoving my stomach to try and get this baby out of me.
Scott Benner Jesus. And you got pregnant again? I would've been like, listen. That ain't happening twice. Wait.
Scott Benner You from I can see the head till the baby was out was over four hours?
Katarina It it will once I started pushing, so you couldn't quite see the head then, But it was, like, around the four hour mark pushing that you could see the head.
Scott Benner The crowning, and then it happened after that. Okay. Alright. I was like, my god. The kid was just, like, down there hanging out all
Katarina the Like, in that those moments, his heart rate dropped and all of a sudden I stopped having contractions. So he was just stuck.
Scott Benner Oh my gosh.
Katarina Like, squeezed, couldn't couldn't get out, and there was, like, no contraction to push him out.
Scott Benner Yeah. I'm being big baby, but are you a petite person or no?
Katarina I am five foot seven, a hundred and forty pounds.
Scott Benner Yeah. You're not petite. Okay. Alright. So that kid should have come out of there is what you're saying.
Scott Benner Yeah. Yeah.
Katarina And he, like so, yeah, he gets stuck. His heart rate has dropped in, like, super low, and they finally push him out. And just like this blue lifeless baby is born.
Scott Benner Oh my god.
Katarina And both my husband and I, like, ugh, even thinking about it, like, now, I get so emotional because it was like, to me, those first moments, like, I gave birth to a dead baby.
Scott Benner That's how it felt.
Katarina Like, he wasn't breathing. He was like, I can't tell you when I say lifeless, like, he just flopped. Like, there was no muscle movement at all, and he was totally blue. It was it was so awful seeing that, and they, like, whisked him straight over. There was, like, a NICU doctor there who immediately intubated him and was, like, trying to get him to cough or cry for and it felt like an eternity.
Katarina I think it was it wouldn't wasn't more than five minutes, but we were just like, oh
Scott Benner Oh gosh.
Katarina My goodness.
Scott Benner Like Wow. That's something.
Katarina Yeah. It was it was awful, and there was a lot of components to that as well, like super long birth. His blood sugars were, like, 30 when he was born. Mhmm. So really, really low.
Katarina His heart rate had dropped. He had swallowed his he had swallowed his own poop, which sometimes babies do if they're I
Scott Benner do that sometimes.
Katarina Yeah. You know, just a little snack. My gosh. Mom's not feeding me enough. I'm hungry.
Katarina Yeah. And so, like, he basically, there was just, like, a bunch of gunk in his lungs. And, yeah, I didn't even get to see, like, my living child before he was whisked to the NICU. So I'm just, like, sitting there. Like, I have no idea, like, how much my baby weighs, like, anything.
Katarina They're sewing me up, and I'm just like, is he alive? Like, what happened?
Scott Benner Really? How long did that go on for you? You weren't sure about his how how he was?
Katarina So they took him down to the NICU, and I it's like, those first moments of being, like, freshly postpartum, like, those first few minutes, I it could have been hours, and it could have just been five minutes. I cannot give you a solid answer.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina It just felt, like, so so long. It just felt like a whole lifetime had passed by.
Scott Benner Yeah. I can't imagine. But he was okay.
Katarina He and yeah. So likes to hit things? Yes.
Scott Benner Did you name him Elvis because he was blue and blue Hawaii?
Katarina Oh, that's so mean.
Scott Benner Because you should have.
Katarina And So so we he he's in the NICU, and it's kind of funny because the, like, doctor and all the nursing staff is just like, he is so big. Nothing fits him. Like, his neighbor, his little NICU neighbor was one and a half pounds. And then our gigantic son of eleven pounds Yeah. Like
Scott Benner So hungry. He's really
Katarina 10 times the size of baby next door.
Scott Benner Like, I'm so hungry. I'd eat my own poop. Oh my god. Chattering, this is awesome. Yeah.
Navigating Diabetes During Pregnancy
Scott Benner You you, you, you and I, we've had a good time today. Is this pregnancy going differently? Is your I mean, what where do you want your a one c during this one? What are you shooting for?
Katarina I I am aiming for it to be a little bit lower. So I I think my most recent, like, from my Dexcom, you know, how they give you,
Scott Benner like Clarity.
Katarina Every yes. Yes. Every fourteen days. I think it's about six point four, and I I would like to get down into, like, the five
Scott Benner What's stopping you from pushing it down more?
Katarina I'm no. I'm working on it. But, like, literally myself is stopping me.
Scott Benner Yeah. I don't mean, like, what's, like, physically I I imagine you're trying. But, like, I'm saying, like, functionally, are you not prebolising enough? Are you not using enough insulin? Do you not have your settings up high enough? Like, that kind of thing.
Katarina I am prebolising is probably the biggest thing that I'm doing wrong.
Scott Benner Okay.
Katarina And it's just it is hard, like, to gauge when to do that.
Scott Benner Well, start with sooner.
Katarina Yeah.
Scott Benner Yeah. And then keep working until it works out the way you want it to. Because, I mean, is the doctor telling you they'd like to have your a one c at a five. Right?
Katarina No. That's just me. My my doctor is, like, pretty pretty pleased with how my levels are. I'm just like, I wanna get as, like, a much healthier a one c personally.
Scott Benner How far along in the, in the this knocked up are you?
Katarina I have just entered my third trimester.
Scott Benner Oh, you're almost done. Yeah. Oh, okay. So you're past the you're gonna this is the cruising trimester a little bit. Right?
Scott Benner As far as blood sugars go, it gets a little easier here. Has that been your experience in
Katarina the past? It actually gets
Scott Benner harder for you.
Katarina Harder. Okay. Like, just thinking about eating a piece of toast and my blood sugars will spike.
Scott Benner Mhmm. So why don't you like, I mean, listen. It's all about the insulin. So you just have to reevaluate your basal, your carb ratio, and your correction factor and just make them stronger so that they they combat the situation. Is that I mean, are you trying to, like you know what I mean?
Scott Benner Like, your insulin needs are greater, so more insulin.
Katarina Yeah.
Scott Benner Yeah. And what are you not doing that?
Katarina I am Are
Scott Benner you afraid to get low?
Katarina I think, like, in terms of pre bolusing for specifically for that, it's just like sometimes I will pre bolus, and then I'm like, oh, okay. Actually, like, can't eat right now, and I won't be able to eat for another, like, forty five minutes because of those other kids. Middle of something. Yeah.
Scott Benner Yeah. Have you thought of putting them in a closet? And then you can just do whatever you need to do.
Katarina I know.
Scott Benner Yeah. No. I I mean, I hear what you're saying. I'm not you you
Katarina The weird thing with the pump being in automated mode, it's like you I want it to be aggressive, but then it'll auto correct. Like, it'll it'll be like, oh, you're going too low. And so
Scott Benner Have you tried putting it in manual to see if it's better for you like that?
Katarina It yeah. It actually does. It is nice going into manual. It's, like, weird. There's, like, pros and cons to both, and I I do like switching to manual every now and then because it's, like, in some ways, I like controlling it more because if I'm I know I'm gonna be, like, out and about not able to eat for a while
Scott Benner You prefer to be in
Katarina a in manual mode. I'll I'll just, like, dial it back a little bit, like, my my settings. Like, you can
Scott Benner Right.
Katarina Take it down a few like, by a percentage.
Scott Benner Yeah. I mean, listen. It's you know, the that algorithm is not gonna be probably aggressive enough for the pregnancy, like, to to be where you want it to be. But I understand I understand wanting to have, you know, wanting to have the the comfort that it's looking out for you on the other side too. I don't know.
Scott Benner I might get up in the morning and put it in manual and then, you know, and then put it back into auto later in the evening before I go to bed, give it time to get things straight for overnight. Who knows?
Katarina I like that.
Scott Benner Yeah. I mean, just because you just need more insulin and doing what it's doing and targeting, etcetera. I'm assuming you have the lowest target set. It's targeted at one
Katarina ten. Yes.
Scott Benner Right. So, I mean, yeah, I would try that. Just remember this. When you flip it into manual, that's your old settings. That has nothing to do with your current needs.
Katarina Mhmm.
Scott Benner So you might have to look at those settings and and dial them in. And at the same time, be aware that when the pregnancy is over, that manual is gonna be way too aggressive for you.
Katarina Yes.
Scott Benner You know? Oh my gosh. It's a lot to think about, especially with little how how old are your kids right now?
Katarina Three and a half and one and a half.
Scott Benner Oh my god. That's enough. I would take care of them without diabetes would be too much, especially the ones out there beating everything to death or whatever he's doing. We're not worried he's gonna, like
Katarina I like fighting, mom.
Scott Benner He's not gonna start snapping the heads off of small animals or anything like that. Right?
Katarina No. No. No. Okay. Oh, he he is my gentle soul, but it's just when he sees another boy who's about his size, which is usually, like, a five or a six year old, like, somebody twice his age. He's yeah.
Katarina He's just, like, down to clown, and I'm like, okay.
Scott Benner I can kick this kid. Let's try it.
Katarina Yeah. My my goal my ask of my family is that I'm the first person this year to go to the hospital to give birth. Like, no one else should be going hospital for any reason, please.
Scott Benner For bruises and bumps. I have you seen those I'm gonna leave you with this. Have you seen those TikToks where the mom comes into the room or the dad comes to the room with cameras on and they go, hey. I got into a fight with a dad down the street and he wants to he wants he said he's gonna beat me up, but he's got a kid your age, and and I need you to come fight the kid. And then No.
Scott Benner Oh, they're great because some kids so first of all, you're all terrible parents. I just wanna say that upfront. But but some of the kids are like, I'm not looking to be in a fight. Thank you. Right.
Scott Benner Right. But some kids are like, yo. Well, let me get my shoes. I'm just like, oh my god. Yeah.
Scott Benner Like, seriously, like, little kids are like, let me get my shoes and let's get at this. And I'm like, what what kind of lives are you people living? And I must be so boring to most of you. I swear to you. Most of you must listen and be like, that guy is so freaking boring.
Scott Benner I I prefer to think of it as solid and predictable. Yeah.
Katarina But You know?
Scott Benner Yeah.
Katarina Yeah. Think that's good.
Scott Benner Kinda awesome. Alright. Listen. You were terrific. I don't you know, when you're pregnant the sixth time, call me back.
Episode Wrap-Up & Sponsor Details
Scott Benner We'll do it again.
Katarina Thanks.
Scott Benner Yeah. I mean, once you've gotten rid of this guy and brought in a a guy making more money to to float this whole this whole endeavor you got going here. What do you got? What do you got? Like, money coming?
Scott Benner Your parents leave you something? What is it you're counting on exactly? Something's going on back there. You don't have to tell me. I got it all worked out.
Scott Benner I got it all worked out. I wouldn't marry you on a bet, by the way. I know we'd be broke and there'd be 17 kids, and I'd be like, what the hell happened? Like, Jesus Christ. Alright.
Scott Benner Alright. Let's just keep doing what you're doing. You're doing a good job.
Katarina Thank you.
Scott Benner You're very welcome. Hold on a second for me. This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Omnipod five. And at my link, omnipod.com/juicebox, you can get yourself a free, what I just say, a free Omnipod five starter kit. Free?
Scott Benner Get out of here. Go click on that link. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Check it out. Terms and conditions apply.
Scott Benner Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. Links in the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com. A huge thank you to Cozy Earth, a longtime sponsor.
Scott Benner Cozyearth.com. Use the offer code juice box at checkout. You will save 20% off of your entire order when you use that code. Don't let me down kids. Head over there now.
Scott Benner Get yourself some joggers, some towels, some sheets. Save yourself some money. Support the podcast. Make your life beautiful and comfortable all at the same time. Cozyearth.com.
Scott Benner Use the offer code juice box at checkout. Dexcom sponsored this episode of the juice box podcast. Learn more about the Dexcom g seven at my link, dexcom.com/juicebox. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Scott Benner If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. 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. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Hey, kids.
Scott Benner Listen up. You've made it to the end of the podcast. You must have enjoyed it. You know what else you might enjoy? The private Facebook group for the Juice Box podcast.
Scott Benner I know you're thinking, Facebook, Scott, please. But no. Beautiful group, wonderful people, a fantastic community. Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. Of course, if you have type two, are you touched by diabetes in any way?
Scott Benner You're absolutely welcome. It's a private group, so you'll have to answer a couple of questions before you come in. We'll make sure you're not a bot or an evil doer, then you're on your way. You'll be part of the family. How would you like to share a type one diabetes getaway like no other?
Scott Benner Join me on Juice Cruise 2026. You may be asking, what is Juice Cruise? It's a week long cruise designed specifically for people and families living with type one diabetes. It's not just a vacation. It's a chance to relax, connect, and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere.
Scott Benner We're gonna sail out of Miami, and the cruise includes stops in CocoCay, San Juan, Saint Kitts, and Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility, and exceptional amenities. You're gonna enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type one diabetes. I'm gonna host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea. There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining, and modern amenities all throughout the celebrity beyond.
Scott Benner Your kids can be supervised, there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge. Not just the the kids going on vacation, but maybe you get the kickback a little bit too. There's gonna be zero judgment, real connections, and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise twenty twenty six. Please come with me. You're going to have a terrific time.
Scott Benner You can learn more or set up your deposit at juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. Get ahold of Suzanne at cruise planners. She will take care of everything. Links in the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com.
Scott Benner Have a podcast? Want it to sound fantastic? wrong way recording.com.
Please support the sponsors
The Juicebox Podcast is a free show, but if you'd like to support the podcast directly, you can make a gift here. Recent donations were used to pay for podcast hosting fees. Thank you to all who have sent 5, 10 and 20 dollars!
#1800 Super Diabetic - Part 1
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.
Katarina was shredded, misdiagnosed as type 2, and quietly falling apart. From parking lot naps to finally demanding antibody testing, this is her late-onset type 1 wake-up call.
Key Takeaways
- Adult Misdiagnosis is Common: Adults, even those in peak physical condition, are frequently misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes based solely on age. Antibody testing is essential for an accurate Type 1 diagnosis.
- Hyperglycemia Causes Physical Strain: Chronic high blood sugar leads to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can manifest as deep, internal "organ pain" often mistaken for general aging or back issues.
- The Psychological Impact of Diagnosis: A sudden diagnosis at age 28 can trigger significant mortality fears and grief over a perceived loss of lifespan, despite modern management erasing many of these risks.
- Advocacy and Second Opinions: When medical providers dismiss symptoms or suggest "lifestyle" fixes for an athletic individual, patients should insist on specific diagnostic tests like antibody and C-peptide levels.
- The "Invisible" Onset: During the honeymoon phase, oral medications like Metformin may appear to work temporarily, but viral illnesses like COVID-19 can accelerate the total loss of insulin production.
Resources Mentioned
- Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
- Touched by Type 1: touchedbytype1.org
- Tandem Mobi & Control IQ Plus: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
- Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
- Defining Diabetes Series: juiceboxpodcast.com/defining-diabetes
- Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
Opening and Juice Cruise 2026
Scott BennerWelcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.
KatarinaHey. My name is Katarina, and I am a type one diabetic.
Scott BennerHow would you like to share a type one diabetes getaway like no other? Join me on Juice Cruise twenty twenty six. You may be asking, what is Juice Cruise? It's a week long cruise designed specifically for people and families living with type one diabetes. It's not just a vacation. It's a chance to relax, connect, and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere. We're gonna sail out of Miami, and the cruise includes stops in CocoCay, San Juan, Saint Kitts, Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility, and exceptional amenities. You're gonna enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type one diabetes. I'm gonna host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea. There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining, and modern amenities all throughout the celebrity beyond. Your kids can be supervised and there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge. Not just the the kids going on vacation, but maybe you get the kickback a little bit too. There's gonna be zero judgment, real connections, and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise twenty twenty six. Please come with me. You're going to have a terrific time. You can learn more or set up your deposit at juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise. Get ahold of Suzanne at cruise planners. She will take care of everything. Link's in the show notes. Link's at juiceboxpodcast.com.
Sponsors and Name Nuances
Scott BennerNothing you hear on the juice box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. The episode you're about to listen to was sponsored by Touched by Type one. Go check them out right now on Facebook, Instagram, and, of course, at touchedbytype1.org. Check out that programs tab when you get to the website to see all the great things that they're doing for people living with type one diabetes. Touched bytype1.org. Today's episode is also sponsored by the Tandem Mobi system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. Tandem Mobi has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The podcast is also sponsored today by the Eversense three sixty five. The Eversense three sixty five has exceptional accuracy over one year and is the most accurate CGM in the low range that you can get. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox.
KatarinaHey. My name is Katarina, and I am a type one diabetic.
Scott BennerKatarina, I am happy to meet you, and I am even happier that all those years ago, I started setting up the beginning of the podcast the way I did because for lover money, I would not have pronounced your name correctly.
KatarinaI guess I should have started with that. Yeah.
Scott BennerIt popped up in front of me. Right? It's just—and and we're not sharing your last name, but your last name just does not let into your first name. I don't know if that and makes—and it popped up, and I'm like, chat or chat. I guess I just wanted to say the h really badly, you know. So anyway, there's a little secret for people who haven't been listening that long. The reason that the podcast starts with somebody going, hi, my name is—is because I was tired of saying people's names wrong, so I just figured I'd make them say it first. And that way, I would—I'd be able to—I do it all the time, by the way.
KatarinaThat's brilliant.
Scott BennerSo, anyway—alright. So, Katarina, you have type one. Yes?
KatarinaYes. I do.
Scott BennerHow old are you?
KatarinaI am 33 years old.
Scott BennerIt's a good age. It is. It is—like I'd killed two strangers to be 33 ago, just so you know.
KatarinaI'm not mad about it.
Scott BennerHow long have you had type one?
KatarinaI was diagnosed when I was 28 years old.
Scott BennerOh, I like this. Not for you. I like it for the story. So do you have brothers, sisters?
KatarinaI have two brothers and a sister, and no one in my family, no one like, none of my grandparents, aunts, uncles. I think I have, like, a great great aunt who had type one. But no one even has, type two diabetes.
Scott BennerYou just—you're like, you were incredibly healthy people except for cat over here. And—yeah. Yeah. So—and do—do people call you cat?
KatarinaI—No. Prefer them not to.
Scott BennerTell me what to say. It's just Katarina every time.
KatarinaYeah. Yeah.
Scott BennerIt doesn't shorten to anything? To gym or anything? Nothing?
KatarinaNo. When I go to Starbucks or a coffee shop, I I say CC.
Scott BennerSo—What do you say at—what's the chicken place?
KatarinaChick fil A?
Scott BennerYeah. What do you do there?
KatarinaCC. Yeah.
Scott BennerCan I—can I share something? As a test of my wits, I—and listen. To say that I'm at Chick fil a maybe five times a year is about accurate. It's usually to pick up for somebody else. But when I'm in that line, I never say my name. I always—but I don't preplan a name. And—and the—the quality of the name that I come up with goes a long way to how happy I am with myself afterwards. I'm like, the last time I was there, I said Corey. And I'm like, Corey? I was like, so disappointed in myself for, like, twenty minutes after. So much so that when I picked it up, she goes, Corey.
Scott BennerAnd I went, that's not actually my name. And she goes, this isn't your order? I'm like, no. It's my order, but it's not my name. And then I—I make up a name every time I come here. And she goes, right? And I said, I do it to see what, like, kind of fun name I can come up with. And she—she looks at me—I mean, we've known each other for eight seconds, me and this lady, and she goes, and you came up with Corey? And—and I was like, I know I've been disappointed the whole time I've been in the line. She goes—she just goes, you should be, and she hands me the bag and walks away.
Scott BennerIt's awesome. Anyway, alright. Katarina, that's what we are. I'm not—yeah. I mean, I'm not gonna push you on the Cece thing. Although, it does make me think of new girl, and then I get very happy.
KatarinaThat's literally when I started using the nickname because I really liked Cece, and I had straight across bangs at the time. And I was like, she's so beautiful. I wanna be just like her. And people were asking me, oh, what's your nickname? And so I was like, just call me Cece, even though it has nothing to do with my name besides that it starts with a c.
Scott BennerSo I took a lot of problems for my daughter when—when, one day, she said, which one of the new girl characters is your favorite? I really thought about it. And I was like, I think Cece. And she's like, what? She's so—so upset with me. It's like everybody else feels like more like a caricature as it goes on. I feel like she's the only person who grows as the show goes on.
Buying a House and Life Insurance News
KatarinaInteresting.
Scott BennerYeah. So, anyway, this isn't either here nor there. Are you—so you're—so you don't have a lot of family background with with medical issues.
KatarinaRight.
Scott BennerTell me how your type one presents. How do you first start noticing it? Because it must be an interesting story.
KatarinaYeah. So this was back in 2020. My husband and I, we had just got bought a house, and so we were applying for life insurance. And I was like, okay. No big deal. I'm super healthy. Like, we're both super healthy. Nothing to be concerned of. And they took the blood sample. And, like, you know, within the week, they're like, you are super diabetic. There is no way you're getting life insurance. And I was like, what? Like, taken totally aback. And the reason why I bring up that it was COVID was because normally in January, I get, you know, like, my physical, and I had—or, I guess, my birthday is in March. So, normally, in March, I get my physical, but that was right in the middle of COVID. And so I had skipped it for 2020, and then lo and behold, there was some pretty big underlying issues that were unfolding. Everyone asked me, like, oh, like, did you have any symptoms? And I'm like, all of them. I—I was chugging water, peeing all the time. I went to—and this is the crazy thing—I went to an ENT doctor because my throat felt like it was closing up. And they were like, oh, you're just very anxious because nothing's wrong with your throat. But it was just that my body was, like, shutting down.
Scott BennerYou're either anxious or dying. We're not sure—we're gonna go with anxious. You are a bit of a—a conundrum, aren't you? Can I—may I make a snap judgment after seven minutes and six seconds?
KatarinaOh, go—go for it.
Scott BennerOkay. 28 years old married looking for life insurance. It is a very responsible thing to do. But yet your first name is Katarina, which makes me think that you grew up with a couple of hippie parents. Right?
KatarinaOh my gosh. No.
Scott BennerI mean, I'm onto you already. I know what's going on. Alright? So—and—and so, like, how did you—and I'm gonna—can I guess? Is the boy that you allowed to marry you, like, super straight lace?
KatarinaYes. Absolutely. Right. He's the one that keeps me in check for sure.
Scott BennerRight. Because you looked at your parents, you looked at yourself, and you're like, one of us is gonna have to pay the bills, and I'm gonna need to find a boy that thinks about that stuff. Is that about right?
KatarinaAbsolutely. I got—you took me—but we can go now. I understand you completely. So alright. So because—I mean, it doesn't make any sense. I really—can I just share with people? I'm making a judgment on your last name. But you got some old Jewish hippies parents. Right?
KatarinaMy dad is German, and my mom is first generation Greek—Actually.
Scott BennerOh, look. Yeah. See, I was wrong. I can be wrong. It's fine. But I—so I—it's funny because I laid over a couple that I know over top of your life, and I was like, oh, this is what her parents are like for sure. Like, your parents smoking a bunch of weed and everything?
KatarinaThey—I feel like, no. They're not about that, but they—both of my parents are artists. But they—they're a little bit more straight edge, but I think that's because, like—they had kids. They—they had kids. So they went into survival mode.
Scott BennerThey're not artists who don't smoke weed. Let's just say that. Okay? They're artists who hid their weed from their kids really well. Okay. Anyway, I'm sorry. So because I'm just dying—like, a 28 year old getting life insurance? Like, what the hell? You're like, we gotta get all of our ducks in a row.
KatarinaThat's—that's all my husband.
Scott BennerThis is the most Caucasian thing that anyone said to me this month so far. I just wanna be completely clear. That was fantastic. Alright. Okay. So I'm so sorry. So okay. So you—you're super diabetic from the test that they get back, and you've got all the symptoms so much so that you're going to other doctors trying to figure out what the little things are going on with you. So you're chugging water. Your throat feels like it's closing. Did you end up with a thyroid issue?
Thyroid Issues and Family History
KatarinaNo. And that is actually in my family history. So I'm keeping an eye on that, and it's, like, kind of surprising that—I think that's, like, most shocking out of all of this.
Scott BennerI don't know. It's like—I'll be getting thyroid issue. Like, like, don't worry. It's coming. So you do have autoimmune in your family?
KatarinaYeah. And my—my—my cousins, there's, like, a couple of them who do have some autoimmune diseases. But none of my siblings do.
Scott BennerThat's okay. Extended family makes sense to me. What—what are we talking about? Celiac? Are we talking about vitiligo? What do we got?
KatarinaEp—epilepsy and MS.
Scott BennerI don't like epilepsy. It's autoimmune. But—but usually no. Don't think so. I don't think so.
KatarinaThen I'm just making that up.
Scott BennerYou're too busy managing your four zero one k to look things like this up, I can see. Well, not you, but the boy. And so hold on a sec. I would be great at speed dating, I just realized. Let's see. Is there's no way. Sorry. I'm typing. Can't type and talk at the same time. Epilepsy is not autoimmune.
KatarinaOkay. Alright. I really thought it was.
Scott BennerIt's okay. Well—Listen. You're—you're busy. You—you—you have two kids, don't you?
KatarinaYes. I do.
Scott BennerOkay. What was the other thing you were talking about? MS. MS. That one is autoimmune for sure.
Scott BennerWould you like me to check just so you can feel terrible about yourself if it isn't? No. Wait. I'm just kidding. It is.
KatarinaCan you imagine—worrying me. Gosh. This whole time I've been telling people, oh, yeah.
Scott BennerThey walk away and they go, she's sweet. Don't worry about it. It's fine. At least she's pretty. Oh, so rough. Anyway, but the—okay. So but there's—there's, hypothyroidism. Is it Hashimoto's to people—are people diagnosed?
KatarinaIt's hyper—wait. Hold on. The one where that makes you sluggish. Is that hyperthyroidism? Right?
Scott BennerHypo.
KatarinaHypo. Yeah. So hypothyroidism. Yep. Yeah. Like, my mom's side is all has thyroid issues.
Scott BennerTired? Yeah. Yeah. Do they take medication for it?
KatarinaYeah. My when my mom started, it was just, like, night and day difference in her energy levels. Which is, like, really nice to see. You know? It's always a little bit sad, and that's kind of how I felt with my diabetes too, just getting diagnosed. Like, oh my gosh. I'm dying. And then being—actually addressing it, getting the right medication, and it's like, oh, you are doing so much better now that we've addressed the problem.
Scott BennerYeah. I you know, I had a conversation with somebody last night who's in a situation where they can't afford a medication for someone in their family. Ugh. And three of them need it. They can afford to get it for two of them. And I was listening to the converse—this is a private conversation, but I was listening to the conversation and you could hear they were like, well, the youngest one has time. Like—and I thought, oh, this is so sad. Like—yeah. Because I know how valuable it is when you get your answer. And you can look back in hindsight and see what you'd been missing out on or had been limited by. Yeah. It's just—that's definitely not—not fair. And—and it sucks. Like, you know, your—your mom's running around. It's like, mom's always tired, she's exhausted and doesn't know why and feels bad about it on top of everything else. So, anyway, well, I hope you don't get hypothyroidism.
KatarinaYeah. Me too.
Scott BennerYeah. Me too. Thank you. You're very welcome. Oh, you're—it should be a card, like a greeting card. I hope you don't get hypothyroidism. Happy birthday. I should just start sending those to people. That's hilarious. So you're—have kids or don't have kids at your diagnosis time?
Eversense and Tandem Mobi Break
Scott BennerThis episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five. Get three hundred and sixty five days of comfortable wear without having to change a sensor. When you think of a continuous glucose monitor, you think of a CGM that lasts ten or fourteen days. But the Eversense three sixty five, it lives up to its name, lasting three hundred and sixty five days. That's one year without having to change your CGM. With the Eversense three sixty five, you can count on comfort and consistency three hundred and sixty five days a year because the Eversense silicone based adhesive is designed for your skin to be gentle and to allow you to take the transmitter on and off to enjoy your shower, a trip to the pool, or an activity where you don't want your CGM on your body. If you're looking for comfort, accuracy, and a one year wear, you are looking for Eversense three sixty five. Go to eversensecgm.com/juicebox to learn more.
Scott BennerLet's talk about the Tandem Mobi insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology and the new Tandem Mobi pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with auto bolus that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options. Tandem Mobi gives you more discretion, freedom, and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it out at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. When you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's gonna help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The Tandem Mobi system is available for people ages two and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range, and address high blood sugars with auto bolus.
Starting a Family and High Sugars
KatarinaI don't. Okay. So we had been married for a year, and we were kind of talking about it. Like, when do we wanna start? And then I get this news. And so that kind of tables everything, and we're just, like, very focused on getting me healthy. And that's, like, even on the doctor's suggestions too because we were like, oh, like, we kind of wanted kids, and the doctor was like, "well, I don't even know if a baby would survive in your body at this point. Like, your sugars are so high." Oh. And so, yeah, I I worked really hard to get my sugar levels in a good place.
Scott BennerMhmm. How long did that take?
KatarinaYou know, it—it was only about, like, six months to a year where I I was, like, really buckled down. And it's funny. I I know you've had other people you've talked to who have also, like, been diagnosed later, and they get diagnosed as type two. But—can I paint a picture of what I looked like when I was diagnosed?
Scott BennerOkay.
KatarinaSo I have always been very athletic, and I was in peak shape. I was, like, very, very lean in an athletic body fat percentage, so very shredded. I call my doctor to get further testing done after this, and she's like, "oh, you're type two. You just need to lose weight."
Scott BennerYou're like, "lose weight, lady. I got abs."
KatarinaYeah. I—yes. Literally. And I was like, "from where on my body? Do you want me to cut off my arm? Like—I'll lose weight. I don't have weight to lose."
Scott BennerI might call your episode "very shredded super diabetic." And so you—I—wait. Wait. So does—does this doctor physically know you? Have they met you?
KatarinaNo. Oh, okay. Had switched. And so I had switched my, like, primary care because I got a new job during COVID, and she never met me in person. It was all online. And so finally, I, like, requested, like, let me come in so you can physically see me. She—she looks at me, and she was like, "that's kinda surprising. Well, here, start taking metformin." And I'm like, even still? What? Like, just because I'm 28 years old, you're gonna write me off as type two diabetic?
Scott BennerWell, did she—did you have any confidence? Like, when she says take metformin, I mean, are you at the point where you're like, "you might not know what you're talking about"? Like, did it—
KatarinaI was very skeptical—
Scott BennerOkay.
KatarinaBut I also was so taken aback by having diabetes that—Okay. It was—it was like, "okay. I guess I'll start this." Because the way she—she even presented it was like, "you need to get on medication right away." And metformin, you can—like, you'll probably be taking this for the rest of your life because she was under the impression I was type two, But it won't—it won't, like—you could get off it if you need to or, like, switch it up or something.
Scott BennerI—I don't—yeah. I don't—I—none of that makes sense to me. Everyone needs a healthy amount of, "no. I don't believe you." Like, you—yeah. Not not enough where you're like that person who's just, you know, saying, like, every time somebody says something, like, "you're wrong." Like, not like that. But just enough where you can stop and go, "I don't trust you enough. I don't know you well enough yet for me to make a big decision about my health just based on this thing that you've randomly said after you've been wrong about two things already." But I get your point. Like, you just—you're dizzy by the whole thing. Right?
KatarinaYes. Yeah. Absolutely. I was—I was so shocked. And it's funny in retrospect, looking, like, looking back, I could just feel what I was feeling. But my husband and I, we would, like, go on walks every evening, and there were so many times where I would just be sobbing to him because I was just in total shock. And I was like, "I'm gonna die before, like, we start a family." It just felt like all of a sudden, I was immortal up until this point, and then it—like, life really hit me. Like, "oh, wow. Out of nowhere, I just get this, like, disease, and now we have to change our whole lives around it."
Marriage and Cheesy Love
Scott BennerYeah. And he's thinking, "oh, I picked the wrong girl. I dated a girl before this. She didn't seem to have anything wrong with her." And so, like, I mean, she was annoying, but not like this. The—but does that pop into your head too? Because you're not married that long. Do you think that he's got buyer's remorse? I I know that's not how I should say it, but, like, do you—does that worry you?
KatarinaYou know, he was so supportive and still is. I should never say was, but, like, especially during that time, it makes me—like, thinking back, I'm—I fall in love with him all over again just to be super cheesy.
Scott BennerThat's nice.
KatarinaHe—he was immediately like, "okay. Like, there's been some studies done that say, like, keto can help with type two diabetes. Let's try a low carb slash keto diet"—and which we did, which is not the thing that you should be doing when you're actually type one. But he was, like, very supportive through the whole thing. We did make a ton of lifestyle and diet changes, and he was just, like, holding my hand through the whole thing.
Scott BennerHe's willing to make adjustments with you and all that. Hey. Did you just say you shouldn't do keto if you're type one?
KatarinaYou know, it was—
Scott BennerI mean, those people are gonna come get you. I just want you to know. And I have nothing to do with this. I just wanna say—no. No. I just wanna say out loud. It's not gonna be hard to find her. There can't be that many Katarinas, and I'm not part of this. Okay? No. I'm just kidding. I—you—you can do keto and have type one.
KatarinaWell, I think because I—I had an experience where I kind of was, like—when I was doing keto those first couple months, I—or, like, let's be real. It was, like, a week that I lasted.
Scott BennerI had four chicken breasts got, and when they were gone, I gave up. Okay? Yeah.
KatarinaGive me my carbs.
Scott BennerOh my god. But—But he was willing to, like, make adjustments with you and try things.
KatarinaYeah. Yeah.
Scott BennerThat's awesome. I mean, I was just asking if you had, like, an underlying concern that, like—because you hadn't been married that long. And it is a big switch in—I know, bait and switch is the the wrong way to say it, but it—it could feel that way to the other person. Like, this isn't what I thought I was getting involved in. But he sounds like a good guy, and and you—you love each other, and you're all good. So that's not a problem. Also, you said it sounded cheesy to say I could fall in love with him all over again. I want you to know, this August, I will be married for thirty years. And it doesn't sound—no. No. That's awesome. We're just—we're trying to outlast each other. That's all. Nobody wants to give up first. My point is is that last year for my—for my birthday, my wife said to me, and I believe this is a quote, "I didn't have time to get you anything. Happy birthday." So—so my point is is, like, I don't think that sounds cheesy. I think it's nice. You know? And then two times a year, my wife says, "I love you." It's always very touching to me. Just hang in there for a little longer. Wait a year in your fifties. Oh my god. And you're still trying to pull off Katarina? That ain't gonna work either, by the way. You'll be CC by then. Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. I don't know why. I think your laugh just makes me happy. I'm not sure what's going on exactly. Do people generally like being around you, do you think?
KatarinaI—I hope so. I I feel like I—I have a plenty of friends and really good company that I hang out with.
Scott BennerYeah. No. You're making me not like my friends. I'm like, ugh. These people aren't trying hard enough is what I'm thinking. So okay. So you're trying a bunch of things. You're kinda—you're still whacked out of your mind a little bit trying to, like, make sense of all of it. I mean, the—when you say you're out for walks crying, is it, gosh, what I've lost or what I don't understand? What do you think is making you sad right then and there?
Lifespan Anxiety
KatarinaIt just feels like my lifespan has been shortened in front of my eyes. And it does seem—it felt like the odds were against me. Like, we had all these dreams of getting old together. You know?
Scott BennerOh, you didn't think you were gonna live as long?
KatarinaI—like, I want to live till I'm 100 and be super healthy and then—
Scott BennerAnd rich. And I'm like—right. I want a spaceship and a giant penis. I got a lot of things I want. Yes. Yes.
KatarinaAlright. And then when I find out I have diabetes, it's like, oh, this is, like, something that, like, it just—if I—I don't know. In—in the moment, it really felt like, "oh my goodness. Like, that just took twenty years off of my life, and it's gonna be something I'm dealing with for the rest of my life." Mhmm. And all of those things are still true, but I'm not as emotional about it. And it does seem like I am able to have more control than I was giving myself credit for.
Scott BennerDo you not have Google? I do. Oh, okay. By the way, that sound—whatever that was—I would marry you. That's delightful. I—I did—that—that's how you got the guy right there. You were like, I do. And he was like, alright. That's cute. Let's do it. So listen. Does type one shorten your lifespan? It's all you had to type into the thing, and it would have said, "no. Probably not." And—and—and, you know, and they would have told—like, listen. Biggest factors: chronic high blood sugars, severe hypoglycemia, DK, smoking inactivity, poor access to care.
KatarinaI'm looking at, like, what is the average lifespan of a—and I was at this time, I still thought I had type two diabetes. And so "what is the average lifespan of a diabetic?" It doesn't matter type one or type two. Okay.
KatarinaAnd then, you know, I get into the, like, dark part of the Internet where it's like, "you're probably gonna lose three limbs and go blind."
Scott BennerWould you make it to Reddit? Are you on Reddit? Is that what you kids do?
KatarinaNo. No. I not know how to use Reddit.
Scott BennerI mean, it's a—it's a message board. It's not that hard. So but then—oh, so you just got into people online talking about the worst things that had happened to them. Yeah. Yeah. And you thought that must be the rule, not someone—
KatarinaAnd I was looking up averages too, like, "what's the average lifespan?" And it was, like, ten years shorter than someone who doesn't have anything. And so I guess you kinda think, like, okay. That kinda makes sense.
Scott BennerBut Listen. Type one diabetes—this is my Googling—does not automatically shorten your life—or control over many years can, but good consistent management can largely erase any gap. Are plenty of people living right now in their sixties, seventies, and eighties who are complication free or minimally affected who have had type one diabetes for most of their life, and they're older now. Imagine, you know, the next thirty years of algorithms keeping your blood sugar in check and you know, all that stuff. Yeah. You'll probably live to a 100.
KatarinaI hope so.
Scott BennerYeah. I mean, I don't think I will, but I think you could. And then, you know—and by the way, I don't—do you know a lot of older people? If, great grandparents or great grandparents? Yeah. How's their life? Oh—
Katarinayou know, it's actually really sad because both of my grandparents are widowed. So it's like my dad's dad is still alive, and my mom's mom is still alive. And I think they were doing great up until the point their spouse passed away. Yeah. And how old are they? Oh my—oh. They're eighties? I don't not know. Yeah. Late eighties. Yeah. I'm gonna say wrong, I'm gonna be totally embarrassed. So next question.
Scott BennerDo you think that lady is really looking for twenty more years of this—is what I'm asking you? Like, maybe you're—Right. Right. Maybe your goals will change then. Fair. Yeah. It's weird, isn't it, as a young person to recognize that there might be a time in your life that you've been here for so long that you're just like, "I could go now."
KatarinaI'm—I'm a good life. Yeah. I'm done. This was good. I'm done. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. It's hard. I can't fathom that right now. I mean, I realize that's how people feel at some point, but I can't wrap my head around that. When I was 28, like, I would not have been able to for sure. You know?
KatarinaYeah. It—it—it definitely came as a shock. But, no, that's a—that's a good point. I think, especially, like, when you're younger, it's like, there's so much out there, so much to learn, so much to do, so much to see. Mhmm.
Scott BennerWell, that's back when—that's when you're not peeing when you're sneezing and having trouble wake standing up. You know what I mean? Yes. Yeah. Exactly. That's when you've never called a friend to say, "hey. I'm stuck on the toilet." Once those things happen, you start looking for exit ramps. You're like, "okay. I—maybe this is enough."
KatarinaYeah. Yeah. Like, sitting on an airplane for over five hours is just like, "nope. Not gonna happen for me." So—Yeah. You know, like, when you're—I don't know. My—my grandma was such an avid traveler, and now she's just like—she lives in Northern California. And making the flight down to Southern California, she's like, "not for me."
Scott BennerYeah. You can FaceTime with grandma if you wanna see her. She—she's not leaving. Yeah. No. I mean, that's just what age does. Like, I don't think he'd even mind me saying this. Like, I have a neighbor who's in his seventies, and, you know, we're just in New Jersey and he—he visits—he and his wife visit their son in, like, the Michigan area. And he said to me about a year ago, he said, "Scott, the—it's getting hard to make the drive." Like, just—just the drive is getting difficult for him. Like, he said, like, know, things are moving a little fast and, you know, I don't feel as comfortable on the highway anymore. Like, you know, all that stuff. And he's completely with it. Like, you know what I mean? Like, there's nothing wrong with him. And he's just a little older and, you know, his reflexes are a little slower, and it's, you know, it's nerve racking. And he said then because it's nerve racking, it's exhausting.
KatarinaYes. Absolutely.
Antibody Testing and COVID
Scott BennerI Anyway, I told him. Was like, get him one of those cars, drives itself. You'll be fine. Yeah. But not—not the point. The point is is that you're panicked, you're young, you see your life changing in completely different ways, and you're getting a misdiagnosis at the moment as a type two. How long does the misdiagnosis go on for?
KatarinaSo that was in October. And then finally, I'm—I had been asking my doctor pretty much, like, right away. "Hey. Can I get tested? Like, can you test my antibodies?"
Scott BennerYou learned that online? The Internet told you that?
KatarinaI had talked to a friend who was a doctor who was like, maybe you should, like, ask about this. And I—I asked and asked and asked. And finally, I got COVID in December 2020. And the metformin had kind of been like—I was waking up—my sugar levels between ninety nine and one thirty, and that was fine for, I guess, like—
Scott BennerEverybody said it was okay. Yeah. Yeah.
KatarinaAnd so then in COVID, I was waking up regularly 02:50, and it never went back down. And that's when I started being like, "I think this is a problem. Like, this is late January, and I'm still, like, haven't gone below 200."
Scott BennerYeah. The honeymoon was ending for your type one. Yeah. Yeah. And you're—you're counting on metformin. Is that what that—was happening?
KatarinaYeah.
Scott BennerDid you lose more weight on metformin?
KatarinaI did.
Scott BennerDid you get an eight pack? A rail. I was gonna say, how much better could you get? Was it messing with your activity? Because you said you're athletic. You must be working out and stuff like that too.
KatarinaYou know, it was—so it did help a little bit because I was very sluggish. Like, some of the other symptoms—basically, after lunch, I would have to go to my car and take a nap because I physically was so exhausted. Like, my blood sugar levels were through the roof, must have been, that I couldn't—I couldn't get through the day if I didn't take a nap. Oh. And I thought, this isn't a problem. This is just what everybody deals with.
Scott BennerOh, really? Yes. You're—you're in the parking lot at your job, like, snoozing, and you're like, "this is okay?"
KatarinaI didn't think anything of it. I was just like, "well, I—it's—it's probably because I'm so active." I I don't even know, like—
Scott BennerWhat you were thinking about. Reasoning—was. And—
Scott BennerDid you feel foggy? Did your mind feel foggy?
KatarinaYes. All the time. Okay. And when I went—when I would go to sleep at night, my organs hurt. And 28 year old me was like, "it's just because I'm getting old."
Internal Pain and Dehydration
Scott BennerYour organs hurt. Please put that in context for me.
KatarinaLike, it felt like my kidneys—I—because I imagine—it was, like, in my—it was in my back, and so I'm imagining my kidneys. Mhmm. And then, like, just it felt crampy and in pain. I—like this dull pain that was always there, and it kinda makes sense. Like, your kidneys would be impacted because they're, like, trying to filter out all this sugar, and they're getting bogged down. And so—
Scott BennerAnd you're just like, "well, you know, I'm 28. This is what happens."
KatarinaYes. Yeah. Yes. You're asleep in the parking lot with four addicts that you work with at lunchtime thinking this is all completely normal.
KatarinaI think I was the only one. It really did—I feel—feel like—nobody sees me. You're like—in—in that movie Dune walking through the desert by yourself just waiting for, you know, the earth to swallow you up. So are you, at some point, gonna tell me you were in DKA, or did someone finally figure it out and give you insulin?
KatarinaSo I—I asked to get tested, asked to get tested. And finally, they were like, "okay. We'll test your antibodies." And, like, again, a week later, they were like, "oh, wow. You're actually type one." I'm like, "thank you."
Scott BennerJust so you don't think you're crazy, I did a little, ISR overlords about that—that organ thing. And it said if you've undiagnosed type one diabetes, you could be dehydrated, which puts your organs under strain. You know, you were—you were obviously—had lost more weight. So, like, electrolyte imbalances, reduced blood volume, fluid loss in general, that can feel like deep internal aching pressure or a dull widespread pain that doesn't feel muscular. That sound familiar?
KatarinaYes. Absolutely.
Scott BennerAlso, ketones, ketoacidosis perhaps could be like a—what they're calling, like, a "chemical irritation." Irritates the tissue, triggers inflammation, affects nerve signaling. People describe it as quoting, "my insides feel raw." Everything hurts, but I can't point to one spot or, like, a heavy sick pain rather than a sharp pain. Yeah. Wow. That—is what's happening. Okay. Well, here's a little more for you just so you can feel better. Your liver could be dumping glucose, producing ketones, processing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. It's overloaded—that could cause the liver to swell. Your right upper abdominal discomfort could come from that or a sense of internal pressure or soreness, not a stabbing pain. Also, your muscle and tissues are breaking down. So—Without insulin, your body starts to break down muscle, fat, protein, which will feel like deep aches, weakness, or a flu like "everything hurts" sensation. And then let's see. Nervous system distress. This can distort pain signals and body awareness making sensations feel bigger, more diffused, or hard to localize, which actually leads to people saying "my organs feel like they hurt." There you go. Yeah. You weren't crazy. You're just sitting in a parking lot by yourself. That's all. My gosh. But you—you know what? It—you know how many people—go—you—you listen to podcasts. Right?
KatarinaYeah.
Scott BennerYeah. This happens to people all the time. Yeah. Really terrible. Yeah. Yeah. I feel very fortunate. I never had to be hospitalized, so we were able to, like, get me on medication. But yeah.
Scott BennerA relief to hear you had type one?
KatarinaIt was. It—it would—it made so much more sense because I just kept questioning, like, "type two, really." Like—and—and then I'd have friends who—it pisses me off, but also it's like, okay. That's kind of warranted. But they were like, "well, you do eat a lot of carbs, so it—you—you kinda deserve it."
Scott BennerSo—really? You got that from people you know? Yes. My god. So you have a—you have a general misunderstanding of what it means to have type two. They have a bigger one. And—apparently aren't afraid to, like, share their misgivings with you.
KatarinaOh, yes.
Scott BennerLovely. These people you knew a long time, I hope?
KatarinaThey were coworkers, like, year.
Scott BennerOh, they're parking lot zombies. I see. Oh, that might be your title. Well, that's terrible, by the way. I—I—have you disconnected your friendship with them at this point, or how did you handle that?
KatarinaOh, you know, it's just something that—it's like—
Scott BennerYou think it was like, well meaning, like, they were joking with you?
KatarinaYes. Yes. And as you kind of pointed out, I do laugh a lot, and so it's like, brush it off. That's fine.
Scott BennerIs that really who you are, or is that a—a psychological thing that you do to stop from crying?
KatarinaDo you—do you wanna unpack this right now? Because—should I start crying on the podcast?
Scott BennerWhich—which—which is it? Is that you—are you coping, or is it, like, just how you feel?
KatarinaNo. I think—I think I'm generally pretty—now I have no idea. Now I'm gonna second guess myself, and I'll be thinking about this for the next month. Yeah. It'll give you something to do when you're living to a 100. Go ahead. No. I think I'm generally a pretty, like, positive person. Yeah. For the most part. Do you have any trauma in your past? No big ones? No. Drinking, drug use in your house, parents hit each other, nobody's been to prison?
KatarinaNo.
Scott BennerHappy go lucky person?
KatarinaI—I would say I am very blessed compared to so many other people I meet. Putting into perspective, like, there is nothing I—have that really is that bad. So—
Scott BennerThe Joe Walsh song applies to you. Life's been good to you so far?
KatarinaYeah. Yeah. Yeah. Gotta say so.
Scott BennerYeah. So this is what happens. So—so this is what happens when you raise a child reasonably. They can actually laugh about things—unlike when I—the way I was raised where I have to laugh to hide my feelings. Is that right? That's fine. I don't mind. I like wondering about stuff like that. I really do. Like, I think it's important to wonder, like, are you laughing to stop from crying or are you laughing because you're generally amused? Because I see both sides of it. Like, I—I feel like I have a pretty good sense of humor. And, like, if somebody were to come up to me and, like, in the middle of me struggling with, like, a diabetes diagnosis that I couldn't get together, they were like, "well, man, you do eat a lot of carbs." I'd be like, "fair enough." You know, like—like—and—and I don't think I'd hold a grudge about it. But in other situations, like, I do laugh sometimes because it's hard for me to be, like, honest about how I feel, you know. So, I mean, I'm sure we all do that at some point, but generally speaking. Okay. We're fine. So you've been to therapy already?
KatarinaYeah.
Scott BennerYeah. No. I know. I can tell you have been. Because your parents sent you, like, pre—they—your parents are like, "why don't you go to therapy before you have a problem?" Just make sure you understand how to talk to people. Am I right?
KatarinaYeah. I—my parents have been very supportive my whole life.
Scott BennerNo. I can tell. Yeah. This is what you get. You get decent parents. It is—it is funny. Like, there are times where I'm like, "do I have an—like, buried trauma that I just, like, haven't unpacked?" Gonna have trauma in a second because you sound far away from the microphone. What just happened?
KatarinaOh, sorry.
Scott BennerThat's okay. Can you hear me?
Scott BennerYeah. Get in there. Okay. So you're not—you're not sure if you've got trauma?
Outro and Part Two Teaser
Scott BennerThis episode was too good to cut anything out of, but too long to make just one episode. So this is part one. Make sure you go find part two right now. It's gonna be the next episode in your feed. The conversation you just heard was sponsored by Touched by Type One. Check them out, please, at touchedbytype1.org on Instagram and Facebook. You're gonna love them. I love them. They're helping so many people at touchedbytype1.org. Head now to tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox and check out today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. I think you're gonna find exactly what you're looking for at that link, including a way to sign up and get started with the Tandem Mobi system.
Scott BennerThe podcast episode that you just enjoyed was sponsored by Eversense CGM. They make the Eversense three sixty five. That thing lasts a whole year. One insertion? Every year? Come on. You probably feel like I'm messing with you, but I'm not. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. 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. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card?
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