#1808 After Dark: Brain Fog

Raheem opens up about his unbelievable Type 1 diabetes journey, surviving severe childhood trauma, decades of deep burnout, and how his love for bowling ultimately motivated his health turnaround.

Companies that Support Juicebox

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Simplify Lifewith Omnipod

DexcomG7 15 Day Sensor

Save 20%Save 20% with offer code: JUICEBOX

US MEDGet your Diabetes Supplies

ContourEasy to Use and Highly Accurate

MiniMedMake everyday a better day

TandemControl-IQ+ with AutoBolus

CommunitySupport Touched By Type 1

EversenseOne Year One CGM

Key Takeaways

• Trauma Can Block Out Timelines: Raheem experienced so much early childhood trauma (including being raised in a drug-dealing household) that he actually blocked out the specific years and timeline of his T1D diagnosis.
• The Dangers of High Blood Sugars and Apathy: Long-term, severely high blood sugars (like Raheem's 400-500mg/dL levels) cause extreme brain fog, memory gaps, mood swings, and a physical inability to focus, which can easily be misdiagnosed or dismissed by doctors as mere "noncompliance."
• Burnout as a Slow Form of Giving Up: Sometimes, ignoring diabetes isn't born from a lack of education, but rather from deep depression and resentment toward the constant, relentless nature of the disease.
• Motivation Often Follows Fear: For Raheem, the turning point in taking his health seriously wasn't a doctor's lecture; it was the terrifying realization that his bowling performance was dropping because his eyesight was actively failing.
• The Power of Community and Forgiveness: Overcoming years of neglected health requires self-forgiveness. Waking up with the simple goal of "I'm just gonna try a little bit better today" is a crucial step in moving past the guilt of wasted years.

Resources Mentioned

• US Med: usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514
• Omnipod 5: omnipod.com/juicebox
• Tandem Diabetes Care (Tandem Mobi): tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
• Juice Box Podcast - Small Sips Series
• Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
• Juice Box Podcast Support & Calculators: juiceboxpodcast.com/support
• Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Introduction and Early Diagnosis

Scott Benner (0:00)

Here we are back together again, friends, for another episode of the Juice Box podcast.

Raheem (0:12)

Hey, Scott. So I'm Raheem. I'm a type one diabetic as most of the people that are on are on this show, and I just can't really wait to tell my story and, you know, share some of my wild things that I've gone through in the years that I've been diabetic.

Scott Benner (0:29)

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. 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. 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.

Sponsor Break

Scott Benner (1:30)

The episode you're listening to is sponsored by US Med, usmed.com/juicebox, or call (888) 721-1514. You can get your diabetes testing supplies the same way we do from US Med. Today's episode is also sponsored by Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.

Memory Gaps and Childhood Trauma

Raheem (2:13)

Hey, Scott. So I'm Raheem. I'm a type one diabetic as most of the people that are on are on this show, and I just can't really wait to tell my story and, you know, share some of my wild things that I've gone through in the years that I've been diabetic.

Scott Benner (2:31)

Well, your note just says, like, hey. This might be an after dark. So I was like, okay. We'll we'll find out. Now we've met a couple of times. Right?

Raheem (2:41)

We have. Yeah. So you've come down to Orlando a few times, back when I well, I think you came to, like, the Disney parks actually for the conventions and things like that. And I just so happened to work at Universal at the time, and I was like, oh, I kinda know who this guy is. Like, I'll go check it out because it's, like, right in my backyard. So I was like, let's just see what this is about. And, yeah, that's how we actually met the very first time. Yeah.

Scott Benner (3:05)

Very cool. So how long have you had type one when were you diagnosed?

Raheem (3:10)

You know, that's a that's a good question. And I know again, I I I've listened to your shows the show quite a bit as well. I know I was diagnosed. My first memory of diabetes is probably, like, seventh grade. I'm sure I was diabetic a little bit before that. I'm guessing fifth grade, and I know that I was born in '89. So how old you are in those ages and things, I'm not sure, but fifth grade, seventh grade, right around there.

Scott Benner (3:36)

I can't believe you just told me you were born that you're a graduated from high school. Hey. Hard to find.

Raheem (3:41)

Things.

Scott Benner (3:42)

But okay. Wait. But what's with your life that you're not a 100% sure when you were diagnosed?

Raheem (3:47)

I think it was a little bit of, like, childhood trauma and things that I went through where I just kind of blocked out a lot of my life. And then even, like, early stage diabetes, I found that, like, I wasn't taking care of myself. So I found that my blood sugars were just, like, hanging out in, like, the 400, 500 range, like, constantly. And then I just have, like, a little bit of, like, memory fog of all that, like, piecing some of the stories together. Like, even when I was prepping for, like, this podcast and being on the show, I was like I was like doing a timeline, and I was like, this is a huge gap of where I have no idea what happened. So I think it's, I think it just, you know, just had to piece it together, and I was like, I don't really know what happened for twenty years of my life and sometimes.

Scott Benner (4:31)

Well, maybe we have to understand your family structure a little better because if you're like, even if you were diagnosed, you know, around a certain grade, you know, fifth, sixth, seventh, who care? Like, in there, did you not have people helping you? What was your family structure? Were you living at home? Did you I feel like there's gotta be a story there.

Raheem (4:50)

There's a whole bunch of story. So, strap in. So I have to start. It all started out, you know, probably about thirty some odd years ago. It's just a itch in my dad's pants. That's just how it started. You know? But we actually got to once we got to, like, the diabetes part, like, my mom was actually a CNA, and, like, this spans until, like, the when I first remembered diabetes and everything. My mom was, a certified nurse's assistant, so she kinda saw the signs. The only thing I remember is that it was around the Thanksgiving holiday. Everybody was like, oh, yeah. You know, we're gonna have all this ham, turkey, you know, mashed potatoes, the whole nine yards. And I was like, I'll take some Sprite. Yeah. Sprite sounds good for Thanksgiving. And then as, you know, everyone's eating and everything, I'm like, I gotta go to the bathroom. And, again, I'm I'm young at this time, so I'm not really sure what's going on. I'm like, I like to eat. You know, I'm a big guy, all things considered. Mhmm. I like to eat. But out that day, I was just like, no. So it is all day for me today. So then my mom was like, yeah. That's kind of a weird symptom, and my grandmother was diabetic. I think she was type two, but, again, back then, you know, they didn't they knew what was going on, but they kinda gave her shots and gave her pills at the same time.

Scott Benner (6:01)

Yeah.

Raheem (6:02)

So she kinda threw a couple red flags. She was like, you know, if he's peeing a lot, it's kinda the symptoms that I go through too. You know, we should go get him checked out. So I remember February, actually, it was. So after Thanksgiving, all that stuff went by. We went to, like, the primary care. Were probably like, you know, figure it out. Yeah. We'll do some testing, things like that. And then they ended up sending us to the Shands Hospital in, like, Gainesville. I'm from Florida, as you know. And then when we went to Gainesville, they were just like, you know, it's it's definitely type one diabetes. You know, he's been yearning a lot. He's been going to the bathroom. He just has all these signs. So just like every other endo, they gave me my last meal, which I clear as they remember was Golden Corral. And, I remember that day. I I I do very vividly remember that day because, you know, back in the day when Golden Corral was, like, this huge you know, it was, like, the place to be as a kid. I just remember just stuff in my face. And I remember seeing my mom, and she was just always, like she's, like, kinda, like, sad. And I was like, what are you talking about? This is the best day ever. Like, we're at Golden Corral. We just did this doctor's appointment that, like, I didn't know what was going on, but I got the food, so we're good. And then so, you know, after that, they really just brought in the needle, showed me the the old school teddy bears, all the the vials at NPH, and that's just kind of how it's been. It's just I don't have much memories of it, you know, per se.

Scott Benner (7:25)

But are you in charge of your insulin, or is your are your parents helping you with it?

Raheem (7:30)

They were back then in the start of it. Like I said, I I I remember when I when I first be when I first when they first, like, introduced me to, like, the syringes and things like that, I was like, this is no big deal. I can do this. Like, I clearly remember my dad even you know, we're all in the office with the endos and the the nurse practitioners and everything, and we're shooting the teddy bear, everything like that. And I'm like, you know, this is fine. No big deal. And my dad just again, I don't know if this was a dream or if this is real life. I just remember him dropping pants already at the Indos office and being like, alright. Cool. You've done it with the banana. You've done it with the teddy bear. You shoot it in me, and it's, know, like the saline back then. Mhmm. So I was like, alright. Cool. Let's do it. I poked him with it. He jumped, and I was like, man, this is crazy. I don't think that, like, this is for me or whatever. But then after, you know, talking to the Indos and everything like that, they were like, you you know, you gotta give yourself shots. And I was like, I thought this little bottle of insulin, I thought this was something that I was gonna, you know, drink, parsley. Like, you you mean I gotta inject this? And they were like, yeah. You know, this is what you gotta do for probably the rest of your life. And I'm, you know, a little kid. I was like, yeah. That's the worst of our day. Not that bad. I just injected my dad. I've been injecting this teddy bear for thirty minutes. Like, no big deal. So in the beginning, I was giving myself my own injections as as as at that age and stuff like that. No problems at all. But then about a year into my diabetes, like, maybe this first, second year, back then, I'm I'm sure you remember, those needles seemed to be so thick and long, and and it was just the weirdest thing. One day, remember injecting in the arm, and I remember pulling the needle out and, like, it was bent. And, like, from that moment, I was like, I can't do this. My mom's a CNA. Like, she can inject me. My dad can figure it out. You know, they they can inject me from here on in. So, I mean, as a family, we definitely, all gathered around the diabetes, but it was more a thing that they told me it was my autoimmune disease, something that I'm gonna have to figure out. Because as an adult, once I get to that adulthood, you know, they may not be around or whatever the case may be. So, yeah, in the beginning, they definitely were there to help me, but it was more of a self managed once I got things going. You know? Mhmm.

Scott Benner (9:40)

Yeah. Okay. Because when you're first talking, you're you're talking about, like, not really remembering a chunk of time with diabetes because you think of high blood sugars. So do you really think your blood sugars were in the four hundreds often, or do you even have an ability to to know what they were back then? Was the doctor tracking them?

Raheem (9:59)

Oh, yeah. I remember at the beginning when I was first, like, going in for the diagnosis, I was diagnosed at a five zero six. Why do I remember that number? I don't know. But I remember seeing those huge, you know, glucometers and seeing five zero six. And then, again, you know, the first couple of months, you know, we were testing. I was probably in range for a while. I was probably, like, one forties, two hundreds because, you know, back then, the range was a little bit wider. So I probably was, like, in the range. But then as I got a little bit older and I realized, you know, I kinda feel how my body's going, I stopped testing, and then that's when I think that the super hyperglycemia happened, and I had I was just okay with it. Guess maybe it was almost like a stage of, like, a depression because I was just getting overwhelmed with it from it never going away. If I wanted to go on vacation, diabetes was there. If I wanted to hang out with my friends, diabetes was there. If I wanted to go bowling, diabetes came with me. I was like, does this does this thing ever take a break? So I think that's where you know, during those teenage years is when I was really, like, combatting against it. Yeah. I just didn't wanna do it anymore. So I took the insulin every once in a while and kept going about my day.

The Family Business

Scott Benner (11:12)

Took it once in a while. Were you regular an Miles per hour in '89? How did they start you?

Raheem (11:17)

Oh, yeah. Yep. The regular, the Miles per hour mixing them and and things of that nature. And then I know as we go along this story, there was even a time where my mom kind of I wouldn't say, like, gave up on me and, like, taking care of me, but she needed help, per se. So she actually sent me to the it was called the Diabetic Project Unit in Gainesville where they held, like, us as middle schoolers, and they taught us about diabetes. So I remember I I clear as they remember maybe 2000, maybe 2000 and yeah. Actually, the program ended in 2001, so I'd probably say 2000. They really taught us like, they really drilled, like, carb counting, protein counting, fat counting, and and really had us exercising a lot. So, like, at an early age, I still knew how to do that, but I didn't think that because, you know, back then, they were like, oh, yeah. We're gonna find a cure in twenty years, and I knew. I think I understood at a young age. I was like, I don't think that they're gonna figure this one out because I gotta travel with this everywhere I go where my friends, you know, wear glasses when they want to or whatever the case may be. But I was like, this this is I don't think this one's going anywhere anytime soon. So

Scott Benner (12:27)

Yeah. Okay. So are you are you telling me that through your young life that insulin was more about, like, shooting a couple of times a day? There wasn't really a lot of testing. You're going to the doctor once in a while, and you're seeing your your outcomes are not awesome, but you're alive and you're moving. And it's a lot of pressure on you, and you're not exactly excited about being involved with it all the time. But can I ask you, like, when you see those outcomes, like, looking back now as an adult, why do your parents not jump in and say, hey? This is out of hand. We have to fix this.

Raheem (13:05)

It's where it gets a little dark, actually. They were busy. What's the best word you could put here? Hustling.

Scott Benner (13:13)

Hustling? Yeah. What were they hustling?

Raheem (13:16)

The good stuff. The stuff that they they definitely how do you say? Underground pharmacies. How do how do you They

Scott Benner (13:25)

were running a a social experiment. Blah blah blah. So your parents sold drugs?

Raheem (13:30)

Yeah.

Scott Benner (13:31)

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So they were out working?

Raheem (13:33)

Yeah. They they definitely had to to make sure that there was, food on the table and things like that. So, yes, they they made sure that the house was taken care of, any means that they needed to. Yes.

Scott Benner (13:44)

Were they using the product?

Raheem (13:46)

No. Not early stage. No. A little bit later down in life, I believe so. But during the beginning stages or what I remember, no. It was really just a business to keep the lights on, to keep food on the table, to keep life in check. Yeah.

Scott Benner (14:02)

Did you have a feeling as a kid that that's what was happening? Did you understand the family business, I guess?

Sponsor Break

Scott Benner (14:10)

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Left at the Zoo

Raheem (16:17)

I understood it. Yes. To an extent. So that actually brings me into another story, was before the diabetes thing, if I could share. Please. I was in kindergarten, And I knew that my mom and my teacher didn't get along. Why? Couldn't tell you. But I remember this field trip. We went to the to the zoo, actually, not too far away, maybe thirty minutes, whatever the case may be. I remember at the zoo, every you know, I'm kind of, like, getting away from the crowd. Like, we had chaperones. You know, this is pre pandemic, pre '9 eleven, pre you know, when the world was a little different. I remember the zoo, it's getting dark outside, and I'm like, you know, where's everybody at? Like, something's going on here. Come to find out, this teacher left me at the zoo. So you're like, woah. This wouldn't fly in today's world. But back then, a little bit different. Comes to find out, I actually just spoke with my mom not too long ago, a couple months ago, and I asked. And I was like, do you remember this story? She's like, yeah. I remember that individual. She's like, yeah. She left you at the stew because she owed me money, and she didn't wanna pay, and so she left you behind. And I was like, what are you talking about? I was like, it was

Scott Benner (17:27)

The teacher was the client.

Raheem (17:29)

I believe so. Now she what was she a client of? Maybe she was just buying a little weed on the side. I don't know. But it was to in a point where I got left behind.

Scott Benner (17:38)

Hey. I wanted to ask you before you moved on. Was it just weed, or did it go farther than that?

Raheem (17:44)

It got a little bit further. I can't deny that one to you, but a lot of weed is what I saw. Yeah.

Scott Benner (17:50)

Lots of weed. But then what what's next? Coke?

Raheem (17:53)

Yeah. A little bit of Coke, couple pills. Yeah. Yeah. Crack, I'm sure.

Raheem (17:58)

I don't know. I don't know. Yeah.

Scott Benner (18:00)

It was an expansive project.

Raheem (18:02)

Yeah. Yeah. Kitchen was always hot.

Scott Benner (18:04)

And you and Jesus. Were you in a meth house? You weren't, were you?

Raheem (18:08)

No. Not in a meth house. Not not that crazy.

Scott Benner (18:10)

Scott, that's insane. What are you saying? Yeah. Yeah. Alright. So that's an awesome story. I hope every Here's Go ahead.

Raheem (18:20)

Here's where it gets a little crazier as well. So, again, this is where the timeline I don't know if it makes sense because I don't know how old I was, parsing in kindergarten. But I remember after, like, that spilled over maybe a month or two later until, like, the school year. I don't know. Call me crazy, but I sure remember a lot of DARE officers being around and asking me a lot of questions. And this is when my brain even as in kindergarten, my brain was like, you know, something's going on here. And I still remember to this day my mom being like, look. If any officers at the school talk to you, you don't know anything. So I that's how I kinda knew that she was drilling something into me, you know, a way to speak to individuals because, again, I know the DARE thing kind of had its own, how do you say, bad side of it where they were trying to, know, get the kids to talk about things that were going at home so they could use them later.

Scott Benner (19:14)

Yeah.

Raheem (19:15)

Might be one of my weird conspiracy theories, but, yeah, it just it was just odd after that incident happened that all these officers started asking me questions. So I think that's when I kinda realized that, like, something was going on.

Scott Benner (19:27)

Something was going on. Boy boy, that's really that's but now listen. How old are you now today?

Raheem (19:32)

Born in '89. I don't know. 30, 30 Carrie the seventh. '36, I think.

Scott Benner (19:37)

Okay. Looking back, do you see that as insane? You don't have children. Right?

Raheem (19:44)

I don't have children. No.

Scott Benner (19:45)

But if you had children, do you under do you see that of, like, pulling them aside in kindergarten and going, listen. If the man shows up, you don't know nothing.

Raheem (19:53)

Yeah. In hindsight now, I'm like, oh, wow. That's that's you know, it's it's wild because, like, now as a as a grown man, you know, I understand because I I dabble a little bit into the marijuana because it is, medically acceptable in Florida now. So, know, you I do dabble into it now. But, Naya, now that I see it, I'm like, the way that she was speaking to me, there was a lot going on, but, like, she knew that, you know, kids would say the weirdest things. I'm sure you see the TikToks and things of, like, these things that parents hear or the teachers hear

Scott Benner (20:22)

Right.

Raheem (20:23)

That they say in the schools and things. So I'm sure that my mom was like, I don't want this little kid to, you know, say some wild things of what's going on and mess up something. So

Scott Benner (20:32)

My mom says we're not moving enough product this week. And

Raheem (20:37)

Yeah. So so Oof.

Scott Benner (20:39)

Miss teacher lady, you better, you better pay up before you have to Don't make us send the guy around. Okay? No. Jesus. Goodness. Oh my gosh. Alright. Okay. So now I understand a little better about how your your diabetes care went. So, basically, there was no one putting, you know, leave at the beaver level effort into your health.

Raheem (21:00)

Correct. Okay. Okay.

The Consequences of Apathy

Scott Benner (21:01)

And so then what does that lead to? Like, explain to me from a diabetes perspective what your time was like growing up, and when the I guess I'd like to know right now, where are you at right now with your care?

Raheem (21:15)

Yeah. So right now with my care, with my current girlfriend, she's a nurse actually, so she is, like, on top of my diabetes. Like, my a one c's are probably about a six, maybe a six two or so.

Scott Benner (21:28)

Mhmm.

Raheem (21:29)

So as of right now, we've been on top of things. If you were to ask me where my a one c was three, four years ago right after pandemic kind of hit, I was probably hanging around the nine and ten area zone.

Scott Benner (21:42)

So then, basically, from the time you were diagnosed I love how you also didn't know how old you are. From the time you were diagnosed until just a little post pandemic, You don't really know. Your a one c's were higher. Were you seeing a doctor yearly, quarterly? How did you manage on that side?

Raheem (22:01)

After I turned 18, after I was an adult, I'd probably say I'd saw a doctor, like the endo or the nurse practitioner, maybe once a year, And that was just to fill the medicine. Yep. That was it. And I still remember going into the office, and she's like, oh, how's your feet? How's your how's your, you know, how's everything feeling on the inside? And I was like, you know, respectfully, ma'am, just can you do the insulin so I can keep going about my day? Can you just fill the strip the strips? Which I had 1,000,000,000 of them at home because I wasn't testing, but I still wanted them to be filled because if things did hit the fan, I knew I was like, ah, I got a little stockpile just in case if I actually had to use it, yeah, to end those appointments. I think that they kinda gave up on me at one point, I'm sure, because I remember probably mid twenties or so. They were just giving me the, what was it, the $70.30, and they were like, look. Just try to do this twice a day. We know your a one c is out of control. Like, this is just gonna at least keep you alive as long as they possibly could. And, again, I I respect those that are on the seventy thirty. I respect those that are on the fast acting and the pumps and the x, y, and z things. But, yeah, I was I was kind of a a dead case to them, I feel.

Scott Benner (23:12)

Well, yeah, I mean, you can almost tell by she's just asking about your feet. She's wondering when you're gonna get to the next part. And Exactly. Yeah. And so oh, okay. So this part I'd like to dig into for a while because you're older there and you have better recollection of that. Why weren't you trying to take care of yourself? Did you understand the the ramifications of not doing so?

Raheem (23:33)

Oh, a 100%. I don't know if this is gonna get bleeped out or anything, but, I still remember, like, going to some of the Endo's appointments, and they're being like, listen. Do you wanna have sex when you're older? And I was like, yeah. Of course. And they were like, listen. If you don't get your diabetes under control, it's not gonna work. Like, it's not you're not gonna be able to do that. And I'm like, okay. Well, we'll see what happens. Like, when that when that day comes, I'll cross that path then. So they definitely told me about it, but I was just

Scott Benner (24:01)

Did you believe it?

Raheem (24:02)

In the spot. Yeah. I just I didn't care. I I think I was I think I was going through some type of depression where I just didn't care. I didn't want to be diabetic anymore. I just didn't wanna do it. I knew how. I just didn't want to.

Scott Benner (24:16)

And you weren't I mean, do it it's not like you were doing a whole lot to begin with. Right? Like, you just wanted you wanted to be just disconnected from it completely, not may not it made easier or better or something like that. Like so is that a suicidal feeling, or do you not think of it that way? Like, I listen. Because, obviously, if you take if someone takes their own life, it happens pretty instantaneously. By saying I'm not gonna take care of my blood sugar, and I know that there's gonna be bad outcomes years down the line, it's just a very slow suicide. So but do but do you think about it that way?

Raheem (24:50)

I don't believe so. Now, again, once once you guys, like once everyone sees who I am and can structure me as a person, I know you we've actually crossed paths, like, face to face and things. In our household, we don't believe, I guess, is the right way that that should be an option. Mhmm. So that never crossed my mind that way, but did I know that that was what that's what was happening? Yeah. I thought that's what the outcome would have ultimately been. But I was always like, hey. I'll take just enough insulin to keep it going, just enough to get by, not enough to live happy and healthy, but just enough to see the next morning. You know?

Scott Benner (25:28)

It's interesting to know that you you understood the the long term ramifications. But did you think I'll turn this ship around before it's too late? Like, I'll just ride out this low effort as long as I can, and then I'll just stop? Or did you have a plan at the end for how to stop it from ending your life or hurting you so so much so that you kinda couldn't rebound from it?

Raheem (25:54)

Yeah. So, again, when I was in, like, the the project unit in Gainesville, they taught us they they really rammed how to, like, count carbs, the proteins, the fat. They even had, like, mental health doctors come in and talk to us.

Scott Benner (26:07)

Mhmm.

Raheem (26:07)

So it's it's I knew how to take care of myself. Yeah. Yeah. I just didn't want to. So I thought, yeah, I do believe that at some point, I was like, you know, as long as I can get by another day, like, I'll be fine. And then, you know, next month, I'll I'll start taking care of myself. Next month, I'll I'll actually test maybe once or twice this week. You know? And it was kind of at that point. It was I would say it was what you may call, like, a suicidal thought, but not a suicidal idea.

Scott Benner (26:37)

Well, I understand. So what stopped next month from coming? When you're like, oh, I'll pull it together next month. How come next month came and you were like, maybe next month? Like, how did like, what do you know what that was?

Raheem (26:48)

Yeah. I was probably just smoking weed and then I forgot.

Scott Benner (26:52)

Because I got high? Because I got high? Because I got high? I was gonna

Raheem (26:56)

clean my room and then I was like, you know, I could just hang out here for a little while. Like, everything seems

Scott Benner (27:02)

to fine. What a great song that was, by the way.

Raheem (27:06)

It was. I wish I could go back to the '2 thousand sometimes. I

Scott Benner (27:09)

was gonna clean my room, then I got a okay. Well, that makes sense. Was there a lady in your life at that point?

Raheem (27:17)

Yeah. I so my turnaround point. Right?

Scott Benner (27:19)

Yeah. That's what I'm finding. That's what I'm looking for.

The Turning Point and Making a Change

Raheem (27:21)

Was probably about let's see. 2014, 2013. Okay? That was probably the turnaround point because I did meet a a young lady, a very nice young lady. I thought I was gonna get married. I thought everything was going great. And then, you know, you heard the word thought there. So, obviously, I'm not with said lady anymore. Some things happened. We went our different ways. So at that time frame when we were together and things weren't going good, I was like, you know, maybe I should get things under control. You know? Maybe I do wanna have a family. Maybe I do want to, you know, give to this to this to this lady, to this family that we could potentially grow. Mhmm. I was like, you know, maybe this a one c thing, maybe this diabetes thing, I do need to get it under control. And she was totally on board, which is kinda how I figured out about the podcast. I don't remember exactly when you started recording or so, but I remember her being like, oh, yeah. I found this podcast, and I was like, hey. This guy excuse me for what I say here, but this is how I found you. This is why I do this. My girlfriend with the girlfriend at the time was like, you know, this podcast guy kinda seems what he's going through. His daughter's been diabetic for basically her whole life. And I was like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, yeah. It's probably just some, like, some gimmick or, you know, just just some fake stuff. And I was like, you know, I'll give it an episode. And so I don't remember which episode I listened to, and I was like, you know, he's really just chilling in about how his daughter's a one c has been under, you know, six for, like, ever. And I was like, I could do that, but I don't want to right now. Mhmm. So that was right around the time I had an endo appointment. I'm starting to get my life back in track, and the endo was like, yeah. You want a Dexcom or no. You want an Omnipod? I'll give it to you. No problem. Put the Omnipod on, and I actually test my blood sugar, and I was, you know, two ten. And I was like, you know, it's not bad because three hours ago, I was probably about four hundred because I could feel it in the eyes. I could feel it in the body.

Scott Benner (29:18)

You could feel it in your eyes. Explain that to people.

Raheem (29:21)

Oh, goodness. So I'm a I'm a bowler as well. So that's how I got through, like, my college as well as I call it, bowling paid for my college. When I say I can feel it in my eyes, of course, I have a little bit of what is it called neuropathy retinopathy. Mhmm. So I do see, like, the little flurries here and there. Sometimes whenever I go bowling, I I I'm aiming, you know, because you gotta aim. You can't just throw it to the left side. Whenever I'm aiming, I see some of these flurries. And whenever they get a little larger, I'm like, oh, man. My blood sugar is extremely high right now. And then, again, that's kinda what taught me. I was like, I don't wanna go blind because I wanna see the world. So I was like, yeah. Now we're at that point where we really need to start, fixing our life before those complications that I was told about when I was younger. Now I'm starting to see them happening, and I'm like, okay. It it's time.

Scott Benner (30:12)

I wanna make sure I understand the timeline better. So I've been this is the twelfth year of the podcast. We're recording now in January 2026, and I started making it the very beginning of 2015. Do you think you've been aware of the podcast for ten years, or are you just mixing are you mixing up the timeline a little bit?

Raheem (30:30)

No. It's been about no. I I was there about from the start.

Scott Benner (30:34)

Okay.

Raheem (30:34)

Yeah.

Scott Benner (30:34)

Okay.

Raheem (30:35)

I knew about it.

Scott Benner (30:36)

You knew Oh, no. Yeah. Yeah. This girl told you about it, you were like, I don't know. And so, like and that and that's fine. Because you're not right. It doesn't matter. If you're not ready, you're not gonna you're not gonna listen to it. You start worrying about your eyes. How long ago do you think you started worrying about your eyes?

Raheem (30:49)

I knew my eyes were a problem when I was very young because my dad used to take me bowling. And, I mean, this is, again, how I kinda realized that I was a good bowler. When you're throwing a ball and my dad's like, you know, aim at, you know, the game of bowling, aim at that middle arrow. I was like, what middle arrow? And now that I understand the game, that middle arrow is only, I think, 13 feet away. I had no idea what he was talking about. I was like, I don't see any arrows. I see just some little white fuzzy pen down there, but I don't know what you're talking about, man.

Scott Benner (31:18)

And that's you as a kid. But when as an adult, like, who's gonna change the way they take care of themselves? Were you like, oh, I'm gonna lose my sight. I gotta do something. Do you have any idea how long ago that was?

Raheem (31:28)

Yeah. That was probably right around that 2014, 2015.

Scott Benner (31:31)

Okay. You're thinking about it then. Yeah. And then but even if you have that thought then, so it's a slow matriculation into a different lifestyle. Doesn't happen overnight. Right? Like, you have to kinda get into it slowly?

Raheem (31:44)

Exactly. Yeah.

Scott Benner (31:45)

Okay. And and what's that process look like? Like, is it she brings it up, you think about it a little more, you notice your eyesight, you don't want it to go bad, but then you don't pull together fast enough. She breaks up with you, you realize, oh, I'm gonna like like, give me that, like, whatever happened in there.

Raheem (32:01)

I started noticing a couple other problems. I don't know if this one was really, like, diabetes related, but, like, at night, I was just sweating for no reason, like, just a puddle of water. Like, it was wild. I started noticing some, like, even mental health changes. Like, I was like, oh, you know, my blood sugar's, like, dropping really fast, and I'm noticing that I'm getting mood swings. Of course, I'm very expressive where I'm like, hey. Let's talk this out. Let's see why I'm feeling this way. I was like, I don't think I'm supposed to be swinging moods like this. So at that point, I was like, something's gotta give. And I was like, you know, I was I was bowling a little bit, seeing the eyes were not doing well, sawing that my legs were not the muscles just couldn't really hold me up per se. So I was like, you know, I think it's time now to make a change to see if I can't get a couple of years back of my life after probably damaging every cell almost in my body.

Scott Benner (32:55)

Yeah. So what does that mean then? Does it mean testing more frequently, making sure to give yourself insulin on a better schedule? Like, what were your first steps that got you to where you are now?

Raheem (33:07)

Yeah. So the first steps really were testing once in a while because I did have the Omnipod on my body with no Dexcom. Okay?

Scott Benner (33:15)

Mhmm.

Raheem (33:15)

So I would just you know, I was like, oh, yeah. I knew how to carb count. So, you know, the the training classes that they gave you, I was like, this is kind of a joke. I was like, I did this, like, twenty years ago. Like, I can do or fifteen years ago, I can do this. No problem. But I I really noticed that the turnaround spot happened when when the eyes were going, when everything was kind of just blanking out onto me. And then my girlfriend at the time was like, you know, hey. Look. I wanna have kids. And, you know, I looked online, and they say that if you're diabetic, then you may not be able to do that. And I was like, oh, okay. So, yeah, I'll test, you know, once a week now. And then I was getting these weird lows, like, in the middle of the afternoon probably because the endo had set my, what you call the the basal Mhmm. At a higher rate because she knew I wasn't gonna do anything. So she probably just set it a little bit too high, and I was just bottoming it out in the afternoon. So I was like, okay. I was like, I will start testing. I will start listening to this to your podcast and a couple other podcasters as well. And then from there, I was just smooth sailing because, again, at that young age when they taught me how to carve down then, I don't know. I went back to 2001, I was like, oh, man. I know exactly how to do all this stuff. Like, this is not that harsh.

Scott Benner (34:26)

When that happened, did you have a moment where you said to yourself, why did I not do this sooner?

Raheem (34:34)

Oh, yeah. I had a couple of moments. There's there's actually a couple of countless nights where I just couldn't sleep because I was like, wow. I wasted countless years of my life. And, I mean, there there's just so much time spent that I was just trying to push diabetes off and, you know, just when I could've when I knew what was going on, I knew how to take care of everything. I knew what I needed to do. But for some reason, I don't know if it was just my young man, adult brain just not listening or what it was. But, yeah, I I wish if I if there was ever a time machine, oh, I would go back and just absolutely slap the you know what out of myself.

Scott Benner (35:10)

Is the realization so much so like, is it powerful enough to make you depressed? Or how do you get through that when how do you get through that when you realize that your health has slipped and it was something that you could have prevented?

Raheem (35:26)

That's a tough one. So I just wake up the next day and I'm like, hey. Look. We're just gonna try a little bit better today. You know? Yeah. That's pretty much it. What happened in the past is in the past. Today is a new day. We're just gonna try to do better today.

Scott Benner (35:38)

That's really good for you, man. Because, like, a lot of people could get stuck in the in that cycle of blaming themselves, feeling bad, not moving on.

Raheem (35:46)

Wow.

Scott Benner (35:46)

Yeah. But you were able to do that. And then why did it not end up working out with that girl? Was it about your health or did what did it end up being something different?

Raheem (35:55)

It was something completely different. I hope you know, she's part of your, Facebook group, which is, you know, an awesome support system. So I hope she actually doesn't listen to this, but she got caught cheating.

Scott Benner (36:04)

Oh, okay.

Raheem (36:05)

I see.

Scott Benner (36:06)

Oh, alright.

Raheem (36:07)

Well You weren't ready for that one. That's real. Curveball right there.

Scott Benner (36:11)

You do sound like kind of a pain in the ass if I'm being honest.

Raheem (36:13)

So Yeah. I totally get it. I totally get it. So, yeah. So I I kind of just figured that out, and I was like, yeah. This is kind of weird. So you know?

Scott Benner (36:24)

Do you think she didn't wanna lock in with you totally because she wasn't sure if you were gonna pull together?

Raheem (36:30)

I don't believe so. I believe that, the way that we communicated and the way that we were, she could clear as they see that I was on a new path of getting better and handling myself. So I was actually I feel that I was on the upslope of, like Mhmm. Getting my life together. So I thought that she would have thought that that was pretty impressive, actually. I don't really know. We don't, yeah, we don't talk about it too much because, like, we are wouldn't I say we're, like, best of friends or anything like that. But, yeah, I we don't we just it's

Scott Benner (36:58)

And she remains a part of my group, but she doesn't have any connection to diabetes at this point?

Raheem (37:03)

No. I don't believe so. I know maybe her grandparents are type twos or something of that nature, but now she doesn't have any connections.

Scott Benner (37:11)

I mean, in fairness, she might just think I'm awesome and just wanna listen if I'm

Raheem (37:15)

She could, but I mean, you do have a good phone voice. And like I said, we both, used to work for a major theme park in Orlando. So, like, maybe it is your voice.

Scott Benner (37:26)

Yeah. It's just like, I don't know. This is very soothing. Okay. Well, whatever. I don't care as long as she's downloading and subscribed. Alright. So what's the gap of time then between, like, your, you know, relationship dissolves and today? How long has that been?

Raheem (37:42)

Let's see. We broke up. It was after see, it's this is such a weird thing. This is how I, like, remember things is I I put, like, the big like, what happened big, and I'm like, oh, COVID was here. Oh, you know, this happened at this time. Like, the big anything that happens. I'm like, yeah. This is we broke up here. So let's see. Probably 2022. 2022, I would say we broke up, and and it's why we went our separate ways.

Scott Benner (38:10)

But there's somebody else now is my point.

Raheem (38:12)

Yes. There is. It's, it's crazy. It's actually one of my high school sweethearts. Well, in high school, we didn't really know each other like that. She was very, I know she will hear this, actually. She was very nerdy, but she was very intelligent where I was more, what do you call it, the jock of the school. I played the sports. I went I did the bowling thing, which it's it's a sport. Bowling is a sport. We do drink our beer, but bowling is a sport. Yeah. And then I I met her, and she's a nurse. And it's been it's been awesome ever since. And I can't wait to, yes, spend the rest of my days with this one. She's awesome.

The Impact of Clarity

Scott Benner (38:47)

That's well, listen, Raheem. That's wonderful, first of all. But tell me the difference between starting a relationship with your blood sugars all over the place and starting your relationship the way you are now. Like, what has that changed for you? How has it made things better?

Raheem (39:01)

Yeah. I'm more coherent now. I'm actually, like people can talk to me, and I can respond where before I was just like, oh, you asked me a question, and it would just dilute in my brain. I would just be like you'd be like, oh, how's the weather today? And I'll be like, yeah. I think there's 13 pieces of peanut butter in the drawer. It just didn't make sense. Like, now I actually feel like I can handle a conversation with the person. And, again, growing with my partner now, she's just showing me that, like, look. If you can keep your blood sugars at this, you know, 80 to one ten range, like, your mental capacity is just gonna go through the roof. We're trying to do, like, the YouTube thing because, again, I do do a lot of bowling. I'm actually top 20 in the state of Florida as far as the bowler, so that's pretty awesome there. So we're trying to do, like, this YouTube thing in our daily lives and things like that so I can be present into it as opposed to being, like, you know, I don't feel good today or whatever the case may be. I can live my life.

Scott Benner (40:01)

What you're saying is making me think that maybe we haven't dove deep enough yet into what brain fog means. You you know, like, because it's easy to say, like, I felt foggy or I experienced brain fog because those are words that doctors use, like, to, you know, describe high blood sugars. But you're telling me that, like, you could hear something and your response might be disconnected from the question?

Raheem (40:25)

Oh, a 100%. And And then I would even touch in. Like, I would touch in with the like, my partner at the time or whatever. I'd be like, why did they say that to me? And then she would be like, what are you talking about? That's not what they said. And I'm like, that's what I heard, and there's even been times where she's recorded me. And she's like, what did you hear? And I'm like, I heard her say this, and she's pulled up the tape. I'm like, that's not what she said at all, is it? And I'm like, what did I hear?

Scott Benner (40:52)

You're just all over the place. And that does not happen to you any longer?

Raheem (40:56)

Very rarely. Every once in a while, I do like to go on, like, my little wild tangents once in a while where I do just talk and don't listen, but, very rarely, I would say no.

Scott Benner (41:06)

But you don't think it it when it happens, it's not coming from high blood sugars?

Raheem (41:10)

I could feel it starting to rise. Like, I I do feel that, like, if it's, like, post meal and I'm I didn't bolus correctly or we didn't bolus correctly, then yeah. I mean, when I do feel the spikes coming, I I can feel the fogginess come a little bit. Mhmm. But it's now to a point where I'm like, oh, I feel this way. Either I need to go smoke some of that weed. No. I'm just kidding. Or I need to, you know, figure out the blood sugar so I don't get to that point where I can't function.

Scott Benner (41:38)

Yeah. Your note's really simple. It says, I don't remember high school, college, drugs, sex. My current girlfriend is a nurse, and I really wanna be honest about how I feel about the podcast and how I'd like to be more involved with the community. Do you remember writing that?

Raheem (41:51)

No.

Scott Benner (41:53)

You don't remember it? You don't

Raheem (41:54)

Well, the only thing the only reason that I do remember is because I just read it maybe two hours ago. But when I read it, I was like, I don't remember when I sent this. And I remember I actually sent you another email as well like, a couple years ago when I was, like, in a darker spot. I was like, there's no way I sent that. I was like, there there's just no way.

Scott Benner (42:11)

So your don't remember. Your interactions with me like that, I I always took as strange. Like like, I'm in person, you're lovely. Like, so I wasn't scared. I wasn't scared. But, like, I your emails were weird. Like, it like, a little bit. And Oh, yes. They were. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And to me, it points out that you've been on a pretty significant journey from a from a dark place to where you are now. I I just think it should be celebrated that you've, you know, that you persevered this long through so many different health issues and personal situations, and you actually got to the spot that you meant to be at. I I think that should be uplifting to people, to be perfectly honest, because it was not it's not a linear, like, I made a decision to do better and then better just happened, and now here I am. Or, you know, like, I listened to the pro tip series, and three months later, I understood how to bolus, and now I'm good. This is more I mean, a lot of fits and starts and probably, I would imagine, like, you know, two steps forward, three steps back situations along the way.

Raheem (43:13)

Exactly. Yeah. It's definitely been a roller coaster. I can't deny that one at all. Yeah. Now that I've been going down the right path and everything, like, again, this the daily life is just so much so much clearer now. It's it's it's unbelievable. And I do think, you know, that's actually a really good idea. Maybe I should celebrate this one because, you know, now that we're entering into the New Years and things like that, it's a new year, new me. So maybe that maybe one that I touch with my partner now and see if we can put this onto the table as far as a celebration because I think that would be nice because I have been through a lot.

Scott Benner (43:46)

Yeah. No. I I think it's a I think it's obvious, honestly, to me from my perspective that it's even though it took years and, again, it it wasn't it wasn't a perfect straight line to where you were going, but not giving up is meaningful. And so how do you not give up? Was that you personally? Do you think that's the people around you, a mixture? I I mean, are your parents alive or involved? Like, where are getting your support from?

Raheem (44:11)

Yeah. Yeah. So my my father has actually passed away. He, at some point again, this may be where the fogginess comes in. At some point, he was diagnosed with type two, but he wasn't, like, a big guy or anything like that. They said it was more of, like, stress induced, what I can recall. And then he smoked a lot of cigarettes, he had, like, lung cancer, so he passed away.

Scott Benner (44:31)

Oh, I'm sorry.

Raheem (44:32)

That it happens. But my mom, she lives in a different state. She lives in Mississippi, and she's just kinda doing her thing now, just living her days with her father who is I I I think my grandfather's, like, 92 years old, and I kid you not. I'm not sure what's up with this man, but he just actually stopped cutting his grass. And, I mean, they live in Mississippi. A lot of it lot of land. He actually just stopped cutting his grass about three, four months ago now. So, like, I see that his health is finally starting to turn, but, you know, I'm glad that they're all getting long and stuff that I need to go visit. Yeah. Can't find

Scott Benner (45:09)

mom moving weed in Mississippi, or has she moved on to something else?

Raheem (45:12)

You'd be surprised what they do in Mississippi. You think us Floridians are crazy. The Mississippians are the ones you gotta watch out for. I don't think so. I think that's a thing of the past now for her. I think now that she's I don't know. I don't wanna sound like a weird TV show, like, build up an empire or anything like that. Now she's just on the second path of, like, her journey or anything. But, no, that was, I guess, a thing back in the eighties and when it was cool, I guess.

Scott Benner (45:38)

She worked a job after that as an adult?

Raheem (45:42)

Couple odd jobs here and there. Nothing like, huge, but, yeah, a couple odd jobs here and there. Like I said, she was a CNA at times. She was I think she take takes care of some, like, older people as well, and she's, getting up there in AIDS. Yeah.

Scott Benner (45:55)

If I gave you an opportunity to tell me what the podcast has meant to you, would you are you able to, like, articulate it?

Raheem (46:05)

What the podcast means to me?

Scott Benner (46:06)

I mean, in your note, you said I want to be I I wanna be honest about how I feel about the podcast. When you wrote that, what do you think you meant?

Raheem (46:14)

I felt a few ways about the podcast. Like so honesty is our best policy here. I thought it was absolutely crazy that somebody could record their voice and get such a following of so many people, to listen in to your message. And then, again, after I started listening, I was like, you know, this guy actually does know what he's talking about. So I was like, you know, that's kinda cool. And, I mean, like, the community part of it, I really wanted to, like, make friends. I wanted some diabetes friends because even growing up, like I said, like, my school I mean, I'm sure everyone will eventually find me, but my school was not very large. I was one of maybe 12 African American kids into the school. Mhmm. So there wasn't very many of us, and there definitely wasn't any diabetics back then. So growing up, I went to, like, the summer camps, I was always, you know, around the diabetics. I was like, you know, I want friends that are like this. And then when I went to went off to college, I was like, I don't see any around me. Left college. I was like, I rarely see them around me. So I was like, I want, like, just diabetes friends. And then, again, like I said, we're doing this the blog thing and stuff like that. So, like, I thought it would be cool just to have some friends, and it's so weird because, like, even YouTube. Right? YouTube has such a weird algorithm that you can't speak about COVID on YouTube Mhmm. And you can't speak about diabetes. They will literally almost deep end your channel. It's the weirdest thing. Oh, goodness. My high alert's going off. What's that? 01:49. We're okay.

Scott Benner (47:51)

So are you telling me that in the beginning, you were just like, how does somebody, like, make something popular about type one?

Raheem (47:57)

Yeah. That's exactly it.

Scott Benner (47:59)

Okay. Like, you're like, I can't believe that there's an appreciable number of people listening to this so much so that he's got a popular podcast that it had nothing to do with me or anything else. Just the idea that you didn't think that could even exist.

Raheem (48:11)

Yeah. Because there's been times in my life where I'm like, you know, I'm gonna put two hours of, like, mental thoughtness into, like, how I can come up with a don't speak numbers or, like, a really cool idea that's going to, you know, go on Shark Tank or something like that. And I I remember when podcasts were first, like, coming out and things like that, I was like, I could talk about diabetes on a podcast. I know I could. And then three years, four years later, you beat me too. And I was like, at least I had the idea. But, I applaud everything that you do for the community. I applaud it all because you're awesome at what you do. But I was like, I could have done this, I think.

Scott Benner (48:50)

Well, it it would have been cool if you tried. I would have enjoyed beating you. Sending you home crying. Okay. No. I think

Raheem (48:58)

That's what I do to people in the bowling alley is when they see me, they're like, oh, yeah. You know, this kid, he he doesn't look like a bowler. Then I shoot two fifty eight on him and they're like, oh, I just lost $200. And I'm like, yeah.

Scott Benner (49:09)

Guess I gotta go ahead.

Raheem (49:10)

My lights.

The Fight at Diabetes Camp

Scott Benner (49:11)

My gosh. So do you think you and this new girl will, get married, Ever?

Raheem (49:15)

Very soon.

Scott Benner (49:16)

Oh, you will? You think yes?

Raheem (49:18)

Oh, yeah. Oh. 100%.

Scott Benner (49:20)

Is the plan to have kids, or is the plan we're a little older now, we're just gonna do some different stuff?

Raheem (49:25)

She has a child. She has a teenager, actually, but she can't have any more children because she's had cervical cancer, so she can't have kids.

Scott Benner (49:34)

Oh, I'm sorry.

Raheem (49:35)

Yeah. Again.

Scott Benner (49:36)

You got the three of you live together or no? Not yet?

Raheem (49:39)

We do live together. Yes. Her her son's still in school back at our home county. Mhmm. Because, again, we went to high school, like, grade school together. He's living with his father, and he's finishing up high school. That was his decision.

Scott Benner (49:53)

Have you ever had to be, like, a step parent?

Raheem (49:57)

Not so much. Every once in a while, like, I will throw in my 2¢, but, you know, coming into a teenager's life, you know, especially one that's, like, 16 Yeah. It's it's difficult. You know? It's it's difficult just to step into someone's

Scott Benner (50:13)

life like that.

Raheem (50:13)

So I mean, every once in a while, I'll throw my 2¢ in. I don't mind that, but, you know

Scott Benner (50:18)

You gotta stay out of it a little bit unless somebody asks you.

Raheem (50:20)

Yep. Exactly. Yeah.

Scott Benner (50:22)

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

Raheem (50:23)

Yeah. I have two sisters. They're both in New York still, but, yeah, I have two sisters. And, again, I'm not very into, like, the family thing per se. But, yeah, I mean, I still talk to them on Facebook once in a while, but I kinda just do my own thing. I'm kind of my own, what do call, lone wolf.

Scott Benner (50:38)

Do you know if they have any autoimmune issues, or do you have any beyond type one?

Raheem (50:43)

What is it? Hyper high blood pressure, no celiac, my sisters. No. They don't really have too much. Maybe a couple of, like, mental health issues. But, again, if you were raised in the lifestyle that we were raised, I think mental health is something that we have to go through. But Yeah. I don't think that they have very much. I know, like I said, my my father was diagnosed diabetic at some point in his time, and I know my grandmother on my mom's side was type two as well, but, well, I think I got the lucky straw there.

Scott Benner (51:16)

Do you have any other medical issues that are not, you know, related to diabetes?

Raheem (51:21)

I think I'm a little crazy. What

Scott Benner (51:25)

kind of crazy are you?

Raheem (51:26)

Yeah. Level four. You know? I'm up there. You know? I'm living in Florida. I hear all the all the Florida jokes, you know, a couple of podcasts that I've I've heard in in your past as well where you drop those little Florida jokes and things like that. I'm like, yes. That is the ideal Florida situation. I don't I don't think I have too much other health concerns going on. Just mostly, like, the diabetes things with, like, the eyes. Yeah. I don't I don't yeah.

Scott Benner (51:51)

Were you being serious about the mental health stuff, or were you joking for yourself?

Raheem (51:54)

I think it was more of a joke. I mean, I do believe that I have a little bit of a I'm sure I could talk to a therapist more about the way that I feel about things, but, I mean, it's more of a I wouldn't say, like, a a joke, but it is, a joke. You know? Something that you can laugh off, but still know that there's a underlying tone there somewhere.

Scott Benner (52:14)

Are you seeing a therapist now, just not frequently?

Raheem (52:17)

Not currently. No? Yeah. The last time I actually saw my therapist was probably 2020.

Scott Benner (52:23)

What were you talking about when you like, what led you just to seek therapy out at that point?

Raheem (52:28)

I believe what led me to find a therapist was I was trying to get my diabetes under control, and I was still, like, resenting it myself. So I was like, why am I feeling like I wanna do it, but I don't wanna do it? And then, again, 2020 with everything that was going on in the world. And, again, I clear as they remember, like, on the news, them being like, if you're African American, if you have high blood pressure, if you have type one diabetes, stay your ass inside. And I was like, I meet all those requirements, so I think I need to go talk to somebody. Like, I thought I was in jeopardy of, like, you know

Scott Benner (53:03)

This thing was coming for you directly.

Raheem (53:05)

Yeah. I I thought either that or there was gonna be, like, a a little alien that was gonna come out of the sky, and he's like, oh, yeah. You meet these requirements, we're taking you. And I was like, I don't know how I can deal with that. Yeah. I think that's when I first started the therapy thing.

Scott Benner (53:18)

Raheem, if I told you that, like, almost every one of your answers starts with I believe or I think or maybe, is that something you you're aware of about yourself? Like, you you have not answered one question definitively. It's always been, my best recollection. I don't remember that time or anything like that. Like, is that pretty common for you throughout your life, or is that for just in this conversation, you feel pinned down on details?

Raheem (53:44)

No. It's pretty common. Honestly, it is pretty common. So, like, when I used to work for, Universal Mhmm. And I used to do a lot of, like, phone sales and things like that. And they always would teach us, like, yes. You have to know the answer, but it's always like, you suspect. You know? It's like, I'm not sure. So it's always that's just always a thing that I've I would, like, put into my brain because I can never be, like, incorrect about anything as opposed to being like, oh, I did this on September 19, you know, 2017. I can be like, yeah. I think it was around this time.

Scott Benner (54:16)

Keep it vague so that you're not wrong ever?

Raheem (54:19)

Exactly. So then, you know, you just get the the gist of the story.

Scott Benner (54:23)

I gotcha. That's simple. That's really what what would you want people I mean, you've had this very unique experience. Right? You're diagnosed young. You've got high blood sugars for a a pretty big part of your life. I'd probably say twenty more maybe more than twenty years. I'm a twenty twenty five years. Right? Like, living with higher blood sugars, not a lot of support from your family, and, you know, going through not wanting to be involved with diabetes, wishing you didn't have it, ignoring it, having high blood sugar so you're not really able to make great decisions to begin with. And, you know, you find your way through it, you know, luckily, and then you stick to that path once you once it's in front of you and you see it. Is there messaging for other people in your situation? Because, you know, a lot of people listen to this podcast are just gonna hear your story and be like, that's insane. You know what I mean? Like, because they didn't go through what you went through. But there are also far more people living your life than I think others would imagine. So, I mean, is there a message, you know, from the past through you and your experience that would be valuable for those people?

Raheem (55:28)

Yeah. The biggest thing that I could tell anybody is just keep fighting. Like, you're gonna have some bad days. You're gonna feel like absolute crap some days. But if you just keep fighting, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Because, again, I'm one that's definitely gone through all the highs and lows, all of the trials and tribulations, not all of them, but a good majority of them.

Scott Benner (55:50)

Right.

Raheem (55:51)

I've seen quite a bit in my time on this planet. Like, it's it's definitely, just wanna just gotta keep pushing through. You know? There's even been there's even been stories, and I'm sure not very many people are gonna be able to tell you this one. I got kicked out of diabetes camp.

Scott Benner (56:06)

Wait. Wait. Wait a minute. As a kid?

Raheem (56:09)

As a kid, I got kicked out of a diabetes camp. Yeah.

Scott Benner (56:12)

How old do you think you are?

Raheem (56:13)

It had to be, like, very early diabetes. Let's see. It had to be before. I would probably say 2,000. Probably 2,000.

Scott Benner (56:21)

Were you selling crack? What happened?

Raheem (56:22)

Hey. Listen. Hey. He he didn't have the money. Okay? So he got the product and then, you know, he so things just had to be done. That's I'm joking. I think this kinda stems where my mental health things, like, started, and I realized that it was a problem. But I remember, like, there was this there was this kid. He was picking on me, and I just didn't understand it. Like, you know, I told the counselors. I told the supervisors or whoever it was. I was like, yo. I don't know what this kid's problem is. I don't know if it's because I'm faster than him because I was very competitive. That's one thing that, like, people will know about me. I'd love to win in sports, and I was just dusting this kid. That's just facts of the matter. And then one day, he was like, hey. I'm gonna hit you. And I was like, dude, I don't think that's gonna be a good idea. And I still remember, you know, the the day that my dad told me. He's like, hey, man. If anyone hits you first, wail on them. I'm not saying that anyone should do that. If I had kids, I would never support that. But I was like, hey, man. I was like, if you hit me, I was like, I don't think you're gonna be in a good shape afterwards. So he swung, missed, swung the second time, hit me maybe in my shoulder, and all hell broke loose. Again, that's when I knew I was, like, seeing red, and I was just this poor kid. I mean, I felt bad for him. In the moment, I even had, like, this moment. I had, like, this whole out of body moment. Like, I was floating above the camp, and I was like, Raheem, you should really stop. He's like, man, but that was a good right hook. Maybe he just takes one more. That's fine. So, yeah, they ultimately had to call my parents and come pick me up from diabetes camp because kid wanted to talk stuff.

Scott Benner (57:53)

Do you think that your blood sugars were so out of whack at that point that you had a difficult time? Like, because you've described, right, like, people saying things and you hearing something different. Do you think you were actually having a problem with that kid, or do you think that you were having a problem hearing him?

Raheem (58:06)

No. I think I was having a problem with this kid because, you know, at the diabetes camps again, this is before the the Dexcoms, the omni well, omni Dexcoms may have been a thing then, but not prevalent. But at the camp, they they really had our blood sugars in test. Even though I wasn't all about the testing, if they wanted to test, like, five times a day, I was like, okay. Cool. Prick the finger. Let's keep going. Like, whatever. I know my blood sugars were in great shape because, you know, I knew how to do the log books, all that good stuff. I knew that that was perfectly fine. He was just talking way too much smack and he found out.

Scott Benner (58:40)

Raheem, I don't know what to say about you.

Raheem (58:42)

I felt bad because No.

Scott Benner (58:43)

No. Not about this. You perplexed me in general. I feel like I'm of I'll tell

Raheem (58:48)

you a good story after this one, though.

Scott Benner (58:50)

Give me a second. I'm of two minds on you. Okay? There's part of me that thinks this is a a great explanation of why you want your blood sugars lower and stable and why you wanna stay on top of your diabetes because look at all the confusion that can cause in your life. Right? And I mean, like, aside of health, like, physical health stuff, I'm talking a lot about just clarity, you know, understanding the world around you, interacting with people as things are. Like, that stuff is I mean, it's been really impactful on you. And then there's half of me that like, there's and I know this isn't the case because you've been around this whole thing for so long. Right? But there's half of me that thinks that there's some people listening right now that are just like, this guy's full of shit. And, like, he's making this up because sometimes your timelines are off and stuff like that. And but I don't think that's what's happening. Like, I don't think you're on here just spinning a tail. Like, I think this is your best recollection of how how your life has gone. Can you Yeah. I'm right, right, on the second part.

Raheem (59:49)

No. You're spot on. Absolutely. I couldn't I couldn't deny that a 100% because if if someone were to tell me this exact same story, I'd go home and I'd be like, that dude is just full of crap. Like, there's there's just no possible way. But then when I say I lived it, I believe it, this is my story or what I remember of it Mhmm. This is what it is.

Scott Benner (1:00:08)

So then help me understand that in the last handful of years when your your a one since c has been more like six and your variability, I'm assuming, is much much less. Right? You're not bouncing to four or 500 anymore, stuff like that.

Raheem (1:00:20)

Nah. No. Not at all.

Scott Benner (1:00:22)

So if I would have just asked you questions about the last twenty four months, would you have sounded different?

Raheem (1:00:28)

Oh, a 100%. It would have probably been very boring and no no high points, no low points. It would have been a very

Scott Benner (1:00:34)

No crime, and you would have and you would have remembered, like, moments more clearly.

Raheem (1:00:39)

Yeah. Oh, a 100%.

Scott Benner (1:00:40)

Ain't that something? I think that what happened to you and the way you're recounting it right now, I don't believe we pay close enough attention to as a society, as, you know, when doctors like, you know what I mean? Like, you I think about, like, think about you with, like, out of control blood sugar, super high blood sugars for a long time. You know, people are talking to you. You're not even hearing what they're saying. And then a doctor looks at you one day and makes the decision, like, well, this guy's not taking care of himself. So I'm just gonna ask him about his feet when he comes in. And you know what? If he pushes back, screw him. Here's your script. Don't die. Good luck. But, like, no one's addressing the fact that you're not in the right headspace, the right state of mind that your that your body chemistry is not such that you're in a position to even hear what's being said to you. And that's still ignoring all of the very real human feelings you have about being diagnosed with something that is a lifelong illness. So it just feels on it just feels unfair, and I wish there was a mechanism in place that could help. But then, you know, the other side of that, of course, is I'm gonna talk myself right out of it. But the other side of of course, is that you're a human being in The United States Of America, and no one's got the right to pin you down and make you do something. But if you were out of your mind, right, the government the the local municipality can put you on a hold and try to get you stabilized again. And I'm not calling for, you know, people with diabetes who have wildly high blood sugars to be, you know, put on a hold, but they're in there. There is some sort of a there's a problem in there that doesn't have an answer because we have you and your autonomy, and then we have mixed in with it, your blood sugars are super high and your inability to reason with yourself because so then my question is, now you today, do you wish somebody would have taken control of you back then and gotten your blood sugars down and stable so you would have been able to understand what was going on better, or are you happy with the way this played out?

Raheem (1:02:42)

I'm actually quite happy with the way things played out. Like, again, just all the trials and tribulations that I've gone through, I feel that it's just really given me reason to keep fighting to see those bad days, to understand that they're a thing of the past and that we can move forward from because you know? Have you used my name at all?

Scott Benner (1:03:03)

I mean, I think I've said your name a couple times.

Raheem (1:03:04)

Yeah. Okay. So, again, I don't like pulling up these cards per se, But as we all know, what happened in 2,001 in September, you know, if you're in seventh grade and you go to school the next day and those kids are like, hey. Your name's Rahim. We don't like you anymore because of, you know, what happened after that. Mhmm. That took a huge mental effect on me even as a seventh grader. Like, I didn't understand what was going on. I could even take you back kinda to that day when it was all happening. I remember the low blood sugar that was happening. Again, it may be a little off a little bit. Yeah. But I can remember that low blood sugar. I can remember I was in the hospital at the time. The hospital was being shut down. And, again, maybe it's the Truman Show that's always watching me. I don't know. But I just like the dare the dare project when I was in kindergarten after the two thousand one incident happened, there was a lot of agents that were questioning me. And, again, I lived in the hospital. The hospital shut down, but all these agents wanted to come talk to me. There was other people of color, I guess, is the best way I could say that Mhmm. That were there. No questions asked. But why they wanna question me so much? So I think over time, like, I was just always in a weird spot. Like, I was always, like, on edge, and then 2020 hit. And I was like, oh, man. No one came and talked to me then. You know, they probably gave up on me. Were like, oh, we got the wrong guy. Keep going. But, yeah, I was like, this is just so weird how how all these weird things are happening, and, like, it feels like it's all circled around me. Is it? No. Not at all. But, yeah, would I change any of it? Absolutely not. I don't want to have that normal lifestyle. I think that that's kinda strange. I wanna have a story to, I guess, tell my girlfriend's kid because I don't wanna have my own children. But, yeah, I think that that's cool to be able to share stories like that and Okay. Go over the things that I thought.

Scott Benner (1:04:59)

I'm glad to share I'm glad you were able to share that. And so, Raheem, just for context for people, you're a black man, but you're Muslim?

Raheem (1:05:06)

I'm not Muslim. My father practiced the belief, and I just landed on that name.

Scott Benner (1:05:10)

Okay. Okay. So your even your dad well, your dad wasn't Muslim, he just kinda leaned into it. Is that what you're telling me?

Raheem (1:05:17)

Yeah. He just kinda leaned into it, and I don't mind dropping this one. His name's Robert. My mom's name is Deborah, and then they landed on Raheem for me. And I was like, what the hell were y'all smoking?

Scott Benner (1:05:27)

Bob and Debbie got together and decided on Raheem, did they?

Raheem (1:05:30)

Yeah. I was like, man, you guys must have been smoking that weird, like, Middle East and opium stuff or something. I don't know. But how did how did you two individuals land on this one? Whatever. Bob

Scott Benner (1:05:41)

and Debbie's little boy, Raheem. That's that's really funny, actually.

Raheem (1:05:46)

Thing.

Scott Benner (1:05:46)

Yeah. That's awesome. Well, okay. So you you're not disappointed with your journey then?

Raheem (1:05:52)

No. Not at all. I am a little bit disappointed with my journey because, again, after I got kicked out of that that diabetes camp, it was probably two, three years ago, I was going to go apply to be a camp counselor because I was like, oh, that was so long ago. Maybe they, like, forgot about it because of my anxiety or whatever it was. I never actually put the application in, but, I was like, you know, that would be kinda cool to be a camp counselor because I know some of these kids may be in kind of the same, what what do you call it, the same

Scott Benner (1:06:22)

Situation.

Raheem (1:06:23)

Upbringing that I was in. Yeah. So maybe I could help somebody out or maybe I could, you know, teach a kid how to throw a bowling ball like I do because I'm really good at that. I circle back to that quite often.

Scott Benner (1:06:34)

Hey. We didn't talk about this, but you just brought up anxiety a little bit. There are only a handful of people who have taken as much time as it's taken you to record. You've been, like, off and on the idea that you were gonna you were gonna be on the podcast. I I mean, I'm guessing now because I don't listen. I I don't remember exactly, but, I mean, have you and I been at this for a couple of years now?

Raheem (1:06:58)

Yeah. It's definitely been years. Oh, yeah. Because I get I get these really high points where I'm like, oh, I can do it. I can conquer the world. I'm gonna message this guy. I'm gonna do it. And then the next week, I'm like, I don't wanna do this anymore. I don't think this is gonna be good. I don't want people to hear this story. Like, I don't know what I'm gonna talk about. So then I just go ghost for a little while, and then, again, I have that high point coming again. Oh, I can do this. I can do this. I know I can talk to them. I can talk about this. I can talk about that. Two weeks later, I'm like, I probably shouldn't.

Scott Benner (1:07:30)

Yeah. I should tell people that when I sat down this morning and flipped this on so I open up a file that, you know, I'm gonna record your my voice into in a piece of software. So I get that open. I name it for you. I get it saved. I get it ready to go. I open up Zoom, which is what I use to connect for the audio. And even if you're in the waiting room, it takes about thirty to forty seconds for Zoom to, like, deliver you to me where I can hit admit. Right? And let and let the person in. And in that time, what I normally do is, like, I'll answer an email or I'll, like, you know, get my stuff together or whatever I'm doing clear off my desk, get my drinking. With you, I clicked that button and I stared at that screen because I thought it's a coin flip if he's here or not. I would not have been surprised if it just never gave me the opportunity to admit somebody because you weren't there. And when you were there, I thought, good for you, man, and then I clicked the button because I really didn't I wasn't sure you were gonna be here or not.

Raheem (1:08:30)

Yeah. And I do know I have a little bit of, like I chime in to the Facebook group every once in a while when I'm on those high points, then, like, I see the messages and I see the the notifications going off. And, like, that really puts me onto that high level, and I'm like, wow. People are actually responsive to me. Like, they will respond. Mhmm. So, like, I was just you know, my girlfriend is kinda who talked me into it. She was like, look. You've already signed up for it. Like, you have to do it. And truth be told, I remember if you look at the first email let me see. I think you said in the email, you're like, I have October available. And I was like, no. I'm not doing that. I'm gonna set mine for January because I need time to get my, like, stress levels under control. So I was like, I'm not doing October because that's only in, like, two weeks. Like, that that doesn't work for me.

Scott Benner (1:09:18)

I've listen. I'm proud of you. I think this is awesome that you that you followed through and you did it. I mean, you were terrific. Like, do you feel good about what we did? I mean, we're done. But, like, do you feel good about it?

Raheem (1:09:28)

I feel really good about it. If I could tell you one last thing, and this is gonna be about, miss miss miss Jenny Smith.

Scott Benner (1:09:35)

Oh, about Jenny? Okay.

Raheem (1:09:37)

Yeah. I don't know if she's gonna recall or not. I don't know if she listens to all the episodes either. I don't know when it was when you came to Orlando. I just wanna paint this little picture. If you guys, you know, come to the the Touched by Type one. I did a little bit of work with Touched by Type one and the other organization that's in Orlando as well. They're really cool people. They they host the best events. They really do. But, we were at Rose and no. Not Rose And Shingle Creek. Which was the other one that you did at the Disney property?

Scott Benner (1:10:05)

They bounced around between a couple different ones. I'm not sure which one it would have been.

Raheem (1:10:09)

Either way. You're at the Disney property. It's, like, probably the first time that we met, and I still remember I was just getting off of work. I don't know if you recall the picture. I was in my suit, blue suit, nice red tie, looking fresh. You know? I remember sitting down with this kid, this random worker at at the lunch table because, you know, you guys are feeding us. And I'm just asking this kid questions. Hey. How long have you been working here? How long have been doing this? He stops me right then. He's like, my man. He's like, how much money do you make? And I'm like, what are you talking about? I was like, I probably don't make much more money than you. He's like, dude. He's like, you're so, you know, looking all dapper and looking all fresh. He's like, you easily make 150, $200,000 a year. I was like, man, I work for Universal. Like, we're in the same pool here. Alright? He was like, wow. I never would have thought that. Cool. He goes about his business, whatever. So I'm sitting at the big circle table all by myself, having a great time. Right? I hear this lady talking to me. She's like, oh, do you mind if me and my family sitting with you? And I was like, yeah. Yeah. Come on. Sit down. Have fun. I'm not sure if she was just trying to be a marketer or if she just saw how dressed up I was, but that was the first time I met Jenny because I was kinda late getting to the conference because I had to work. So she's like, oh, she's like you know, she's just striking up all these conversations, and I'm like, wait a minute. I was like, I recognize your voice. And she's like, I'm Jenny. Jenny Smith. And I was like, get the heck out of here. I was like, you know, you're always on the podcast and stuff like that. Was like, I'm a huge listener. I love Jenny Tadesh. The way she can articulate her words, absolutely amazing. But I swear, in that moment, I think she saw something in me that she was like, this kid's not high profile at all. I don't think he's gonna be able to I don't know if they take, like, donations or whatever it was, but then the whole conversation shift. It was just the coolest thing. You could see it all in her face. I think I ended up helping her getting her express passes for yeah, express

Scott Benner (1:12:04)

pass Jenny doesn't have anything to do with the actual organization. I I can't imagine she would have been trying to get a donation from you. Like, that's not a thing she does, but the rest of it sounds nice. I she definitely would not be hitting you up for a donation. Are you sure it was her for sure? Not like somebody from the org?

Raheem (1:12:22)

Oh, a 100%. Yeah. She gave her a business card, I did, like, text her because I helped her out with, like, express passes or whatever it was. But, yeah, definitely. I have a business card somewhere floating around.

Scott Benner (1:12:32)

Well, listen. Trust me. She wasn't trying to get a donation from you. She's just there doing a job like everybody else.

Raheem (1:12:37)

A 100%.

Scott Benner (1:12:38)

Talk. Yeah. Yeah.

Raheem (1:12:40)

And I didn't you know, again, I listened to a few episodes here and there, and I know she's talking about the the boys and things like that. And, like, as I'm eating, I'm just, you know, scrolling on TikTok or Facebook, whatever it was. And, again, in my head, in my perspective, you could just see, like, this this change in her. And, again, that's not probably what happened. That's just the way I saw it, per se. But I I that was probably just one of the most funniest things I I'd ever seen in my life, especially because, like, my girlfriend, again, she's a nurse, and sometimes she does have, I guess, like, sell a product or whatever. But she's a nurse, so she's like, I can take care of people. I may not be able to sell something per se. So then, like, you know, now that I look back onto it, I'm like, I wonder what Jenny Smith was doing back then. I know that wasn't the case. I know that. But

Scott Benner (1:13:25)

Yeah. You would surprise me. Jenny's not a salesperson. That's for sure.

Raheem (1:13:28)

Anyway probably just sitting by myself, and every other table was full. So she was like, I need to buy suit with this kid or I'm about to sit on the floor.

Scott Benner (1:13:34)

Oh, maybe she liked your suit. Yeah. Alright. Raheem, this was really lovely. I I'm I'm very happy for you that things are going in different direction, and I'm very pleased that you were able to actually come on today and share, and answer questions and and make your story a part of the podcast. So thank you very much for your time. I can't I can't thank you enough, actually.

Raheem (1:13:55)

You are very welcome. And then next time, we'll see how we're going with the wedding plans, we'll have our next update.

Scott Benner (1:14:00)

Absolutely. It's been a pleasure. Good for you. Hold on one second for me. I will, let me talk to you after I hit stop.

Closing Out

Scott Benner (1:14:12)

The conversation you just enjoyed was brought to you by US Med. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Get started today and get your supplies from US Med. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. Hey. Do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free. Juiceboxpodcast.com. Click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A one c and blood glucose calculator. People love that. That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months. A list of great endocrinologists from listeners, that's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community, and we have a a fantastic thing there, American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire bold beginning series in ASL. So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way. Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on support. While you're there, check out the guides like the pre bolusing guide, fat and protein insulin calculator, oh gosh, thyroid, GLP, caregiver burnout. You should go to the website. Click around a little bit on those menus. It really there's a lot more there than you think. Hey, kids. 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. I know you're thinking, ugh, 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, 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? 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. 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 to kick back 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. Links in the show notes. Links at juiceboxpodcast.com. Have a podcast? Want it to sound fantastic? Wrong way recording.com.

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#1807 Spokane or Bust - Part 2

In part two, Cassie shares building confidence after diagnosis—finding community, navigating school nurses, improving A1C to 5.4, exploring tight range goals, and advocating for her son without burning out.

Companies that Support Juicebox

Simplify Lifewith Omnipod

DexcomG7 15 Day Sensor

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US MEDGet your Diabetes Supplies

ContourEasy to Use and Highly Accurate

MiniMedMake everyday a better day

TandemControl-IQ+ with AutoBolus

CommunitySupport Touched By Type 1

EversenseOne Year One CGM

Simplify Lifewith Omnipod

DexcomG7 15 Day Sensor

Save 20%Save 20% with offer code: JUICEBOX

US MEDGet your Diabetes Supplies

ContourEasy to Use and Highly Accurate

MiniMedMake everyday a better day

TandemControl-IQ+ with AutoBolus

CommunitySupport Touched By Type 1

EversenseOne Year One CGM

Key Takeaways

• Community Changes Everything: Finding a support system—like local Facebook groups and the Juice Box Podcast community—can transform the overwhelming sadness of a new diagnosis into empowerment and proactive management.
• Hospital Education is Just the Beginning: The initial diabetes education provided at diagnosis is necessary but often insufficient for daily living. Parents and caregivers must seek out real-world strategies to refine insulin timing and carb counting without burning out.
• Navigating School and 504 Plans: Building a confident relationship with the school nurse is crucial. Empowering your child to handle their technology and advocating for their specific medical orders ensures they avoid unnecessary highs or lows during the school day.
• The Value of New Tools: Modern tools, such as the Juice Box Podcast calculators (for settings and bolusing) and AI prompts for macro breakdowns, take the guesswork out of complex meals with fat and protein, making day-to-day management much easier.
• Monitoring Siblings and Autoimmune Risks: If a child has Type 1 diabetes, it's wise to monitor siblings for other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid issues or celiac. Push for comprehensive labs, including Free T3 and ferritin, if symptoms arise despite a "normal" TSH.

Resources Mentioned

• US Med: usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514
• Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
• Tandem Mobi: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
• Omnipod 5: omnipod.com/juicebox
• Dexcom G7: dexcom.com/juicebox
• Touched by Type 1: touchedbytype1.org
• Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
• Juicebox Docs: juiceboxdocs.com
• Settings Calculator: juiceboxpodcast.com/settings
• Bolus Calculator: juiceboxpodcast.com/bolusfour
• Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Introduction and Sponsor Messages

Scott Benner (0:0) Welcome back, friends, to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.

Cassie (0:13) So my name is Cassie. I am a stay at home mom of three boys. They're 14, 12, and six, and my 12 year old is our type one diabetic.

Scott Benner (0:23) 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. My diabetes pro tip series is about cutting through the clutter of diabetes management to give you the straightforward practical insights that truly make a difference.

Scott Benner (0:42) This series is all about mastering the fundamentals, whether it's the basics of insulin, dosing adjustments, or everyday management strategies that will empower you to take control. I'm joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal experience, and we break down complex concepts into simple actionable tips. The diabetes pro tip series runs between episode one thousand and one thousand twenty five in your podcast player, or you can listen to it at juiceboxpodcast.com by going up into the menu. 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.

Scott Benner (1:30) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply.

Scott Benner (1:54) Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. The podcast is also sponsored today by the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears. Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. When did you realize that you needed to go find more information?

Moving Past the Sadness of Diagnosis

Cassie (2:17) I had gotten to the point where I was so sad about it that I had to make a decision. It was either you are going to do just what they've told you. Right? You're only you're gonna use the little paper they gave you. Mhmm.

Cassie (2:34) And you're gonna figure all this out, and you're gonna do all this math on this piece of paper, and you're gonna keep this log every day, you know, and just be sad, or you're going to find a better way because people obviously live with this and have for a long time. And so there's gotta be more information out there that makes this easier and better to understand. So either you can stay the same or you can try to be better. And in that moment, I decided that I wanted to be better. It was just a matter of how do I get better.

Scott Benner (3:04) Yeah. Tell me about sad. What do you mean you were sad?

Cassie (3:07) I felt like this had ruined his whole life.

Scott Benner (3:10) Okay.

Cassie (3:11) I was sad for the things I felt like he wasn't going to get to do.

Scott Benner (3:17) Do you feel that way now?

Cassie (3:18) I don't. No. Not anymore, which is really great.

Scott Benner (3:22) What stopped you from feeling that way?

Cassie (3:24) I think it was meeting other kids that had it. Meeting other kids and parents and getting you know, establishing a community of other people that could help you.

Scott Benner (3:33) Yeah.

Cassie (3:33) I felt like that's really what turned it around for me. And so this is actually how I found the podcast. They we have a an outreach group up there in Spokane. It's called STIX Diabetes Programs. They run a camp.

Cassie (3:47) They're very involved with the ENDO's office. And so their outreach coordinator puts together, like, a little packet for you Mhmm. And they give that to you at diagnosis. They invite you to, to join their Facebook group. Right?

Cassie (4:01) And so I was in the Facebook group, hadn't really introduced myself or anything. I'm just kind of watching things happen. We're obviously getting closer to school. And so I had asked a question about going back to school. Does anybody have any experience with the school?

Cassie (4:17) The school nurse, do you have a school that you like or a nurse that you recommend? Right? Because I can ask to transfer the kid somewhere. Right?

Scott Benner (4:24) Yeah.

Cassie (4:25) And so someone had left a comment and said, my son doesn't go to that elementary school, but is at this middle school, which is where my oldest son was. So and the nurse there is great for the time that he gets there. Right? If you have any questions or you need help, let me know. Also, listen to the Juice Talk podcast.

Cassie (4:47) It will really help you.

Scott Benner (4:48) Oh, wow.

Cassie (4:49) So that's where I had found out about the podcast.

Scott Benner (4:51) That's awesome.

Cassie (4:52) And so I immediately joined the group, and it was like that was and that was at the same time. Right? Like, I decided, am I going to better myself, or am I get or am I going to stay sad? So bettering myself is reaching out in this group and immediately provided with a resource, and then it was like the whole world opened as far as information was concerned. And I felt like I'd learned so much from the Facebook group alone.

Scott Benner (5:17) Can you contextualize why what you were taught in the hospital led you to feel sad? Like, where was the gap? Now that you have more information, what's the gap that left you feeling lost?

Cassie (5:29) I don't know. That's hard. I think it was just I didn't have a good grasp of what it was, I think, and it just felt so monotonous. I mean, we were sent home with so much stuff.

Scott Benner (5:40) Mhmm.

Cassie (5:41) Pen needles and syringes and insulin and a meter and, I mean, all this stuff. And so it just felt so monotonous to have to figure out exactly what he's eating. And then and at that time, right, they really want you to focus on counting carbs. And I already knew how to do that. That's not it wasn't hard for me.

Cassie (6:01) Mhmm. But I'm the kind of person that will just measure everything. I'll measure all the food. And so now I'm, like, putting the peanut butter on the scale. Right?

Cassie (6:09) Because I need to know how many carbs of peanut butter he's having so I can get it exactly right. And then I'm calculating exact the exact carbs and then trying to figure out the dosing on that. And then, well, do we round up or do we round down? Which one are we gonna do this time? Because we're, you know, on shots at the time.

Cassie (6:25) It just felt so overwhelming. And how do I send them back to school on pen shots and then a nurse is gonna do this? How do I trust a nurse to do this when I don't even necessarily trust myself every time? It felt hard allowing somebody else to do that for your kid.

Scott Benner (6:39) Hindsight, is there anything the hospital could have done differently that would have helped you, or maybe is it beyond their touch?

Cassie (6:47) I don't know. Maybe we rushed home. Like, maybe if we'd stayed a little bit longer, we'd we had would have received a few more of those touches. Right? Because they would send in like, we did see the dietitian.

Cassie (6:58) Like, she came in and did a thing with us. We saw our educator several times, which was great. But, like, they had a psychologist that would come in and talk with us. We didn't see them because we didn't stay long enough for that. And then, of course, like, me hearing about their outreach group and then the Facebook stuff, that was just for me going through the packet that they gave me.

Cassie (7:17) Mhmm. Perhaps that would have been mentioned, right, if we had stayed a little bit longer. And so maybe because we shortened the stay, we didn't get the full experience. And then knowing that there were other people out there to talk to, there were different things you could try. I don't know.

Cassie (7:32) Yeah. It's hard to say, but we really did wanna go home, and we had a good grasp of it. We put his Dexcom on in the hospital. We were able to show that we could give his insulin shots with no problem. Right?

Cassie (7:43) And so they just felt like we had a good understanding. We were equipped, and we could go home if we wanted to. So

Scott Benner (7:50) Plus there's a lot of honeymooning. So you're kinda getting a soft launch too.

Cassie (7:54) Right.

Scott Benner (7:54) Yeah. Yeah. But you don't know that at the time.

Cassie (7:57) No. Nope. And we didn't really understand what that was like. They had mentioned the word, but we didn't really understand what that was like until we started hitting a lot of lows. And so then I got ahold of them.

Cassie (8:10) I was actually calling every day. For a while, they wanted me to call every day and give them his numbers. Then they were, like, adjusting his CARB ratio and stuff. And so it wasn't until we hit a bunch of lows, and they're like, okay. Well, the honeymoon's probably kicked in now that he has insulin on board.

Cassie (8:27) And so you're gonna see this that the pancreas is still helping a little bit. And I'm like, but you told me it was dead. Mhmm. Why is it working now? But he did tell us at it must have been our October appointment that he felt like the prolonged honeymoon that he's experiencing right now is because we were able to get the numbers in check so quickly.

Scott Benner (8:47) He thinks you found the diabetes pretty quickly? Actually, hindsight, how long do you think it had been going on where he wasn't feeling well?

Cassie (8:54) Oh, at least four weeks.

Scott Benner (8:55) Four weeks. Okay.

Cassie (8:56) Yeah. So he was diagnosed July 1, and I would say he was probably having symptoms the June. Noticeable. If I can look back, he it was all of June. He it was really ramping up.

The Type 1 Neighbor

Scott Benner (9:08) When you saw it more.

Cassie (9:09) Yeah. Mhmm.

Scott Benner (9:10) So now this has been a great conversation, but we have not touched on one of the things that you put in your list.

Cassie (9:15) Oh, yes.

Scott Benner (9:16) Is that my fault?

Cassie (9:17) No. I actually didn't even review it before we did this.

Scott Benner (9:20) Okay.

Cassie (9:20) At the time that I wrote that email, things have changed so much since then already.

Scott Benner (9:26) Oh, let me read it to you then. Maybe you don't even relate to this. It says lack of education and general knowledge about type one in children. Mhmm. Getting buy and support from family members.

Cassie (9:38) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (9:39) School nurse relationships. Type one with sports. Relationship evolution with our type one neighbor.

Cassie (9:46) Yes.

Scott Benner (9:47) What do you wanna talk about in that?

Cassie (9:49) So my neighbor is awesome. I love her so much. She was diagnosed as an adult. She was 19, and she just turned 40.

Scott Benner (9:58) Cassie, real quick. If you say you love everybody, then when you say you love me, it doesn't really hit the same way.

Cassie (10:02) I'm so sorry.

Scott Benner (10:03) That's okay. But I mean

Cassie (10:04) But I love everyone in their own unique way. Right? I know. It's just like telling

Scott Benner (10:08) your child that they're your favorite, but they're all they're they're all a favorite for a their Has that ever seemed satisfying to one of your kids before?

Cassie (10:16) It actually my type one likes that a lot. I'm like, you're my favorite. And he's like, but you tell that to my brother. And I'm like, I know. But he's my favorite because he's so cuddly, and you're my favorite because you're so intelligent.

Cassie (10:30) And he's my favorite because he's so witty. And he's like, oh, I love that.

Scott Benner (10:33) This kid's easily placated. I don't like that much. Because my kids are like, one of us has to be better than the other one. And we're like, we're like, no. And they're like, come on.

Cassie (10:40) Well, I like to think of it that way for me, like, with my siblings. I am the favorite. I mean, my mom would probably disagree with that, but I think I am. So

Scott Benner (10:49) You think your mom disagrees that she has a favorite?

Cassie (10:52) That I'm the favorite.

Scott Benner (10:53) Oh, wait. You think your mom has a favorite?

Cassie (10:56) I think I'm my mom's favorite, but I think she would say no.

Scott Benner (10:59) How many kids does your mom have?

Cassie (11:00) Three.

Scott Benner (11:01) What's wrong with you that you're not the favorite?

Cassie (11:03) I don't know.

Scott Benner (11:04) You know. What is it?

Cassie (11:05) I'm too sassy, Scott.

Scott Benner (11:08) Are you the most like her?

Cassie (11:11) Probably. Yes.

Scott Benner (11:12) Yeah. Okay. The one she likes the best is the one who acts the way she wishes people would be?

Cassie (11:18) No. Probably not. No? No. Honestly, my mom probably does not have a favorite.

Cassie (11:23) But

Scott Benner (11:23) I feel like you're backpedaling now because you think they're gonna hear this.

Cassie (11:27) No. She will probably hear this at some point. I actually didn't tell her about it, but I will tell her eventually.

Scott Benner (11:32) Also, be honest. The one she's chosen is a favorite. She picked the wrong one. Right?

Cassie (11:36) No. I I truly, I don't think she had a favorite.

Scott Benner (11:39) Okay. Alright.

Cassie (11:40) I don't think so.

Scott Benner (11:41) Alright. I'll agree with you that you believe that.

Cassie (11:43) If any of the kids were favorites, it's the grandkids.

Scott Benner (11:45) Well, that's easy. That's

Cassie (11:47) easy. I know. Right? Yeah.

Scott Benner (11:48) Yeah. I'm just telling you, like, my kids are like, come on. Which one of us do you like better?

Cassie (11:52) Which one of us do you like better? Sometimes I tell them it depends on the day. Like, today, it's the oldest.

Scott Benner (11:59) They make a case for themselves too. And I'll tell you what, they're good arguments.

Cassie (12:04) Yeah. They can be. They can be.

Scott Benner (12:06) We've gotten it down to which one's easier. That's the new discussion. Which one of us is easier? And I was like, neither of you are easy. And then each of them is like, oh my god.

Scott Benner (12:14) What about this about her? What about this about him? And I'm like, yeah. I mean, you're both the problem is what I'm telling you.

Cassie (12:20) Right. You know? Yeah.

Scott Benner (12:21) Alright. Okay. Alright. I believe you. I'm sorry.

Cassie (12:23) No. You're fine. No. So my neighbor, we have a little community pool, and we get a membership there every summer. And so her and I will hang out and talk while the kids swim.

Cassie (12:34) And this is where the lack of knowledge about diabetes ties in.

Scott Benner (12:38) Okay.

Cassie (12:38) She never told me she was type one. So then one summer because she's lived here, I don't know, five years now. One summer, I noticed tubing coming out from underneath her shirt. And I thought, oh, I wonder if that's an insulin pump. Oh, she must have this severe kind of diabetes.

Scott Benner (12:55) Oh, you thought that when you saw the the tubing?

Cassie (12:57) Yeah. Mhmm. And so and then that's what it was. She did. She had a pump.

Cassie (13:01) She was on the t slim at the time, and so she would just, like, tuck it into the back of her swimsuit. And so we had kinda struck up a conversation. I'm like, hey. I didn't know you had diabetes. And she's like, oh, yeah.

Cassie (13:11) I I have type one, and, you know, I was diagnosed at 19. And at that time, I I still thought it was probably type two, right, in what I understood as diabetes at the time.

Scott Benner (13:20) Right.

Cassie (13:21) Yeah. So in this time where he's ill, she's made comments about him at the pool. Gosh, man. He's looking a little bit thin. Man, his lips are turning blue like he's getting really cold in the water.

Cassie (13:33) Like, he'd lost 12 pounds by the time he was diagnosed. And she's like, man, he's looking you know, he's going through a growth spurt or something. So when I texted her from the hospital and was like, Wes was diagnosed with type one diabetes. And she was like, I feel like such an asshole. How did I miss this?

Cassie (13:51) Like, I am type one. And I couldn't even tell you that he was having symptoms.

Scott Benner (13:56) She saw changes in him, but she didn't relate them back to diabetes.

Cassie (13:59) No. Okay. And she goes, and these are all the same symptoms I was having. Yeah. Yeah.

Cassie (14:03) So it was crazy. So the difference between where I think we're at and where she was at, she would say she didn't have a lot of support at the age of 19 when it came to this. So what's been cool about it is been able to, be able to relate to her. And, obviously, not the same. Right?

Cassie (14:19) I'm a parent taking care of a child, and she is the type one. But being able to talk about it so she can she'll text me pictures of her graph and tell me, like, man, I missed the mark on this bolus. That sucks. Right? Or, you know, I had this really bad low today.

Cassie (14:33) I must have given too much insulin. I feel like crap. Right? It's been cool to kinda talk about it back and forth. I had listened to all of the episodes available on the GLP stuff because I was so interested.

Cassie (14:45) My mind went to, would they give it to Wes so that we can prolong his honeymoon as long as possible? Probably not, but that's where my mind went. Right? Can I get him something like that that we could microdose, and then we can just, like, try to keep this pancreas alive as long as possible? But in listening to that, then I was able to relay information to her and say, hey.

Cassie (15:07) This is something I think would really help you. Like, I think based on where you're at, you should push your endo for this. I really wanna see this for you because she was experiencing a season of burnout. Right. And she did.

Cassie (15:17) She ended up getting on a GLP one, and she has seen immense improvements. She ended up moving from the t slim to the Omnipod, and she loves it. It's been working so well for her. She feels like she has so much more freedom. So it's been really cool.

Cassie (15:31) And I would say just from the conversations that her and I have had, the his diagnosis was a benefit in that relationship because it was almost like she had found a support system. You know what I mean?

Scott Benner (15:43) Right. Wow. Does she listen to the podcast?

Cassie (15:47) No. But I've told her about it. I don't know if she's ever listened to a single episode, but I've sent her ones where I'm like, hey. You need to listen to this. It's so good.

Scott Benner (15:55) That's really nice for me to know. I appreciate you sharing that with me. Yeah. That means that it's possible that the thing I made helped the person who has never heard it before.

Cassie (16:04) Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Scott Benner (16:05) I like that.

Cassie (16:05) Yeah. Absolutely.

Scott Benner (16:06) Awesome. And she has diminished need for insulin. Her insulin needs have gone down.

Scott Benner (16:13) You can manage diabetes confidently with the powerfully simple Dexcom g seven. Dexcom.com/juicebox. The Dexcom g seven is the CGM that my daughter is wearing. The g seven is a simple CGM system that delivers real time glucose numbers to your smartphone or smartwatch. The g seven is made for all types of diabetes, type one and type two, but also people experiencing gestational diabetes.

Scott Benner (16:42) The Dexcom g seven can help you spend more time in range, which is proven to lower a one c. The more time you spend in range, the better and healthier you feel. And with the Dexcom Clarity app, you can track your glucose trends, and the app will also provide you with a projected a one c in as little as two weeks. If you're looking for clarity around your diabetes, you're looking for dexcom. Dexcom.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (17:08) When you use my link, you're supporting the podcast. Dexcom.com/juicebox. Head over there now. Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. We talk a lot about ways to lower your a one c on this podcast.

Scott Benner (17:22) Did you know that the Omnipod five was shown to lower a one c? That's right. Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system, and it was shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they switched from daily injections. My daughter is about to turn 21 years old, and she has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four. It has been a friend to our family, and I think it could be a friend to yours.

Scott Benner (17:49) If you're ready to try Omnipod five for yourself or your family, use my link now to get started. Omnipod.com/juicebox. Get that free Omnipod five starter kit today. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary.

Scott Benner (18:04) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.

Cassie (18:09) Yes. Yeah. She's increased her a one c dramatically. Like, it's been so good, and she's just thrilled.

Scott Benner (18:15) Decreased.

Cassie (18:17) Yes. Decreased. I'm sorry. Yeah. She's decreased it.

Scott Benner (18:19) Yeah. Oh, that's wonderful.

Cassie (18:21) Yeah. Yeah. So that's really cool.

Scott Benner (18:23) Very nice. Look at you. You're out there, like, doing good works.

Cassie (18:26) Doing the Lord's work. You know?

Scott Benner (18:28) All I heard was that there are people who sit at the pool, and I thought, what am I doing wrong? That's all I heard, and that's all I thought. I said, what am I doing wrong? She's sitting at a pool.

Cassie (18:37) Yeah. We sit in a pool. It was probably built in the eighties. I'm sure the lawn furniture is from the eighties as well. I mean, it's a thing, but it's usually the same families every year and we do.

Cassie (18:46) We just go down and we Hang out. We just hang out at the pool

Scott Benner (18:49) while the kids swim. I want that. I want a day where I hang out at the pool. I'm gonna do that. Yeah.

Scott Benner (18:54) I don't have a pool, but I know.

Cassie (18:57) We don't either. I mean, we could. The area that we live in, it gets pretty hot. Yeah. We could.

Cassie (19:02) But yeah.

Navigating School Nurses and 504 Plans

Cassie (19:03) No. At the time, like, when I had sent the email, we had made a turn in the relationship with our school nurse. And so because he was so newly diagnosed, it had been, like, seven weeks when he went back to school. She was so excited because she thought he was gonna be MDI, and then he wasn't. We got him on the Mobi three days before school started.

Cassie (19:23) And so she was like, ugh. I don't know how to use this pump. I'm like, that's fine. He does.

Scott Benner (19:27) It's got buttons on it. You'll figure it out. Let's go.

Cassie (19:29) Yeah. And I don't think she ever managed it. Like, she never used it. She would just stand there, and he would bolus. So I would write a little note in his lunchbox.

Cassie (19:39) He would put in his carbs, show her, administer his insulin, and then he'd eat his lunch.

Scott Benner (19:45) I'm always surprised by how easily people are put off by technology sometimes. Yeah. It's just an insulin pump. It's not difficult to use.

Cassie (19:53) Yeah. And she had experience with an Omnipod controller. Yeah. She had never seen the Mobi before, and so she was like, no. I don't he as long as he knows how, that's fine.

Scott Benner (20:03) I watched my wife forward me a PDF today, and it looked like she had never seen a computer before the way she did it.

Cassie (20:08) Oh, dear.

Scott Benner (20:09) I think you'd be surprised by how many people record an episode of the podcast in the beginning before you guys hear what's happening is spent with them going, like, I'm so sorry. I'm so bad at technology. I'm like, it's not technology. It's Zoom. I mean, it I mean, there's not a lot to it, you know?

Scott Benner (20:24) Or or when you say to something I say, hey. Listen. You know, your microphone just needs to be turned up. There's not enough volume in your microphone. Or I don't say microphone.

Scott Benner (20:31) I go, I can't hear you. You know, you need to turn that up. You go into audio, there's settings in there. Well, in the audio, there's settings for speaker and there's settings for microphone and they can't hear me and they turn the speaker up. And they're like, oh, you're louder in my ears now.

Scott Benner (20:45) I'm like, well, you turn up speaker? And I said, yeah. I said, well, turn up the microphone. That's the thing you're talking to me They go, oh, I'm sorry. I'm not good at this.

Cassie (20:52) Oh my gosh.

Scott Benner (20:53) Good at what? I I I don't Simple even

Cassie (20:58) direction.

Scott Benner (20:58) Yeah. There's sound going one way and coming back another way. Yeah. You talk into a thing, it reaches my speakers. I talk into a thing, it reaches your speakers.

Scott Benner (21:06) Are we confused by this?

Cassie (21:07) Confused. Yeah. Very.

Scott Benner (21:08) So when somebody says, you know, I've never seen this insulin pump before. I'd rather you be MDI. I mean, what do you care?

Cassie (21:15) I know. Yeah.

Scott Benner (21:16) It's not that hard. It's that thing that puts people off. Any kind of change is difficult for for some people for some reason.

Cassie (21:23) Yeah. But, like, the Facebook group is where I learned about texting diabetes. And then, of course, the podcast. Right? You've talked about it.

Scott Benner (21:29) Yeah.

Cassie (21:30) And then as soon as he was getting back to school, like, I'm on Spotify and I'm, like, searching keywords because I wanted to listen to every last episode you've ever had that talked about a five zero four plan. Mhmm. I mean, I was digging into it. Right? And so it started off a little I felt like she was overbearing.

Cassie (21:46) And then it got to a point where she was like, well, I don't want you texting him and telling him to correct in class because I have to do that. Like, that's not in his medical orders. And I was like, I can tell him whatever I want, actually. So

Scott Benner (22:00) That fine. Thanks. Don't worry. We got it. Yeah.

Scott Benner (22:02) I'll never do it again. Don't worry.

Cassie (22:04) Yeah. And then we also had, like, a a nurse. She shared schools at the time, and so we had a nurse that would come in one day a week. She was an LPN. She was the worst.

Cassie (22:14) The worst. Mhmm. And I'm so glad she's not there this year. Even though I don't my kid's not there anymore. I'm so glad she's not there.

Cassie (22:21) She would not follow our rules for treating Lowe's, and so she would make him do 10 to 15 carbs. And I was like, his medical orders don't even say that. The kid is so carb sensitive. Even at camp over the summer, they were like, we realized he only needed two or three. I'm like, I wrote that on his paper.

Cassie (22:39) Mhmm. I told you he only needs two or three. You can't give him a 15 carb juice box. He'll reach 400 in, like, ten minutes. It just isn't gonna happen like that.

When Good Outcomes Face Medical Pushback

Scott Benner (22:49) Yeah. I wanna pivot back here because we're kind of at the end, but I I wanna come full circle now that I understand your story. Right? You're going to the doctor. You've got the a one c from the sixes to the fives.

Scott Benner (23:00) Right. I've now talked to you for a while. You're not crazy. Congratulations, Cassie.

Cassie (23:04) You've Oh, thank you.

Scott Benner (23:05) You're welcome. You've been diagnosed by a a nonmedical professional. It's not crazy. And you had some ideas. You were trying to chase after a more stable lower number.

Scott Benner (23:14) You get there. The doctor tells you you're trying too hard. You're gonna burn yourself out. You weren't burned out. Mhmm.

Scott Benner (23:19) No. You weren't concerned about burnout. And how long ago was that?

Cassie (23:23) That was December. So it's been a full twelve months now.

Scott Benner (23:27) Since he told you that?

Cassie (23:28) Yes. And has

Scott Benner (23:29) that been brought up again?

Cassie (23:31) No. It actually has become more positive.

Scott Benner (23:34) Okay.

Cassie (23:34) Yeah.

Scott Benner (23:35) And so he realized that you weren't burning out at some point, it sounds like.

Cassie (23:38) Yes.

Scott Benner (23:38) Okay.

Cassie (23:39) Yeah. Yep. I think he realized that we weren't burning out. And so when we saw gosh. It must have been the October appointment.

Cassie (23:49) So we had a Zoom one in July. It was, like, right after camp, so there was no a one c then. And then, of course, we got to October. Now it's been ten months, and his a one c was 5.4 again. That's awesome.

Cassie (24:04) So we've maintained this almost a whole year now.

Scott Benner (24:06) Yeah.

Cassie (24:07) And at that point, he was like, man, great numbers. Good job. And I was like, thank you so much. I said, really? Honestly, I think a lot of this is just insulin timing.

Cassie (24:17) We've really figured out the insulin timing.

Scott Benner (24:19) Sure.

Cassie (24:20) I review his reports every two weeks, and then I make basal adjustments as they're necessary so that we're keeping him stable in between. And so he's like, yeah. No. That's great. That's exactly it.

Cassie (24:33) And he goes, so my encouragement to you, if you're ready to take the next step, there's a new metric that they're talking about. It's called tight range. And if you would like to see what that takes for him, 70 to one forty, you guys can start playing in that. But, hey. Let's play with the Dexcom reports real quick, and let's see how often are you in tight range, which they're saying 50% of the time.

Cassie (24:55) Okay. Well, he's in tight range 73% of the time.

Scott Benner (24:58) Yeah. So you're already there.

Cassie (25:01) Yeah. So he goes, well, you're already there. So he goes, the only other challenge to you is just to increase that. It's just to do better at that.

Scott Benner (25:07) I would ask him at some point, and I wonder if he would even remember. But I would ask him at some point, do you remember a year ago telling me, hey. Slow down. You're too in the weeds. Blah blah blah.

Scott Benner (25:16) Like, why'd you say that to me? Yeah. And how come there's never been, you know, a mention of it again? How come you haven't said to me, hey, you know, I told you to slow down, but obviously, you were doing great. I see what you were concerned about, but that was not great messaging at the time for me.

Cassie (25:31) Right. Yeah. No. It felt very defeating.

Scott Benner (25:33) Yeah. No. People have it. Cassie, all the time. I mean, I'm telling you, it happens all the time that somebody comes to me or puts up a post and says, I went to the doctor today.

Scott Benner (25:43) I was so excited to go

Cassie (25:45) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (25:45) Because we figured everything out and put it all into play, this was it. I was getting back my report card. It said what I wanted it to say and then I got yelled at for fifteen minutes. And I wonder if they really got yelled at or if somebody was just talking to them like, you got spoken to. And it feels like you're being yelled at because you tried so hard and then you did the thing that you were told was the pinnacle of it and then somebody said, oh, no.

Scott Benner (26:06) You shouldn't do that. Like, people are fickle. Yeah. Like, everybody always wants to be tinkering and touching things and well, I don't know why that couldn't have just been like, hey, you're doing great. I do think it would be it's incumbent upon me to to say to you that if this is taking up too much of your time and intention, you do need to be worried about getting burned out on this.

Scott Benner (26:25) But if that's not happening to you, then God bless you. You're doing a great job. How was it you're accomplishing this? You know what I mean? Like, why is that not the answer?

Scott Benner (26:32) Hey. How'd you do that? You know? Like, maybe you know something I don't know. Would you share it with me?

Scott Benner (26:37) It's never like that. It's always the everything's bad. Everything's gonna be bad. Let me just warn you. I'll be negative even if I don't think it's being negative.

Scott Benner (26:46) People hear that negatively, and I I think they should, by the way. But alright. Well, I mean, it's fine now. So whatever. I guess don't rock the boat.

Cassie (26:54) And the reason that I say he's great, like, son loves him. He is part of the camp that my son has gone to.

Scott Benner (27:02) Mhmm.

Cassie (27:02) I mean, he's really passionate about diabetes. The only reason that I say that I think it was coming from a good place, right, even though it felt crappy

Scott Benner (27:11) No. But I believe it was too, I wanna say.

Cassie (27:13) Yeah. Yeah. He has two type one kids.

Scott Benner (27:16) Oh, the doctor does?

Cassie (27:17) Mhmm. Our endo is a dad of two type ones himself. Yeah.

Scott Benner (27:20) He's like, you don't wanna end up in the same booze hole my wife is in. Be careful.

Cassie (27:25) Yeah. So one of our educators had told me at one point in time that he had actually gone back to school after his kids were diagnosed Wow. Specifically to specialize in

Scott Benner (27:38) Endocrinology. What a good dude.

Cassie (27:39) Yeah. In endocrinology. Yeah. And he's very passionate. He's a lovely man.

Cassie (27:43) Yeah. And I think that he does really care about people. And so I think, honestly, it was coming from a good place, but it did. Like, it felt not good at the time.

Scott Benner (27:52) Yeah. No. I understand the balance there. I wrote a blog. He went to medical school.

Scott Benner (27:55) Jeez. I I thought they I didn't try as hard as I thought I did. He's he's like, wait. He was a doctor?

Cassie (28:03) I believe he was a nurse.

Scott Benner (28:04) Really? And became an MD?

Cassie (28:06) He became a physician's assistant. He's PA.

Scott Benner (28:09) Assistant. Hey. Listen. That's yeah. Again, all I did was write a blog.

Scott Benner (28:13) That seems like harder. Very cool.

Monitoring Siblings for Autoimmune Issues

Scott Benner (28:15) Well, do you have any concerns about your other boys? Do you get them tested?

Cassie (28:19) So I haven't gotten them tested. Right off the bat, I had gotten the trial net kits. My oldest, who's 14, does not want to know anything at all whatsoever. And so we decided we would respect that if he does not wanna have blood work done and he doesn't wanna know. Because he has actually expressed to me, like, I found him in his room very upset.

Cassie (28:38) And he said, I'm scared I'm going to get it. I can't do it. Wes is great at it. I can't do this. And I'm like, no.

Cassie (28:44) I understand. And so he would rather not know. Like, if it happens, it happens. I don't have concerns for him. I have this weird mom gut feeling that maybe the youngest might.

Cassie (28:55) He did want and but he's also the one that asks me, like, well, when do I get to have diabetes? And I'm like, well, you don't. I mean, you don't want it, but he's curious. He loves to check his blood sugar.

Scott Benner (29:07) Yeah.

Cassie (29:08) He's worn Astello for a little bit. He wore it for a couple of days. We saw some excursions on it. I was told not to worry about them, but he hit, like, one ninety on cereal. And I was like, that's wild.

Cassie (29:21) He just randomly took his blood sugar a couple nights ago after we had oh, McDonald's. They get that, like, once a month at this point. He had McDonald's, and he just randomly decided to check his blood sugar. And three hours after eating, he was still one fifty. And I'm like, I don't know.

Cassie (29:38) I don't know.

Scott Benner (29:38) Fat. That's a lot of fat in that too. Was there a milkshake with it as well or something like that?

Cassie (29:43) No. Nope. It was two cheeseburgers and a medium fry.

Scott Benner (29:46) Have you tested it in the morning fasting?

Cassie (29:49) We have, and he's usually, like, 100, one ten.

Scott Benner (29:52) That's high.

Cassie (29:54) I know. Yeah.

Scott Benner (29:56) Yeah. Any other autoimmune in the family?

Cassie (29:59) Yeah. So we do have my side of the family has, rheumatoid arthritis.

Scott Benner (30:05) Mhmm. Mhmm.

Cassie (30:05) And his side of the family has a ton of thyroid.

Scott Benner (30:09) Interesting.

Cassie (30:10) I only have it on one side on my side, and then he has it on both sides. His both his mom and his dad have thyroid.

Scott Benner (30:16) How about your middle son? Because you said he was small. How's his thyroid?

Cassie (30:20) They tested all of that in the summer at his one year mark, and everything came back beautifully.

Scott Benner (30:26) We don't care about the numbers, though. What do we care about? We care about the outcome. So do you know what his t s h was?

Cassie (30:31) You know, I knew you were gonna ask me this.

Scott Benner (30:33) And what happened, Cassie?

Cassie (30:35) I didn't look it up.

Scott Benner (30:36) Mhmm. Is that information in the same place where the dustpan and the vacuum are at? Is that what's going on? Hold on a second. They I like that you said I I'm not good at cleaning that house.

Cassie (30:46) No. I actually don't think. I know that it's online, like, in his portal.

Scott Benner (30:50) Does he have any other thyroid symptoms?

Cassie (30:53) Not that I'm aware of.

Scott Benner (30:55) Do you know what

Cassie (30:55) they are? I don't know. And I was honestly, I was like, I need to ask him about this. So my mom's side of the family is very small. My mom's only four nine.

Scott Benner (31:02) Okay. That is small. Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. That was weird.

Cassie (31:07) My grandfather was, like, five foot. My grandmother was five one.

Scott Benner (31:10) Oh my gosh.

Cassie (31:11) Right? Very tiny people. I'm five four, but our oldest son is already five nine at 14. Like, he's huge.

Scott Benner (31:18) Okay.

Cassie (31:19) But then Wes is small, and, I mean, he would it's so funny. He had to do this, like, age verification thing on Roblox to use the voice chat with his friend, and they, like, scan the face. It's super creepy. I didn't really wanna do it. I put it off as long as I could.

Cassie (31:36) Anyway, it estimated him to be nine.

Scott Benner (31:38) They were like, stop it. This is a baby you put in front of us here. Don't don't try.

Cassie (31:42) And he's and he's 12. But he is. Like so he was in jujitsu for a little bit. And, I mean, we figured that out. Keep the blood sugar up while he's doing that.

Cassie (31:50) That was awesome. But he would often be paired with kids that were, like, second and third grade because they were the same size.

Scott Benner (31:57) Okay. Here's the last thing we're gonna do together. I'm gonna read you're gonna say yes or no.

Cassie (32:02) Okay.

Scott Benner (32:02) Extreme fatigue, feeling tired, sluggish, or exhausted even after sleeping.

Cassie (32:06) I wouldn't say often. No.

Scott Benner (32:08) Feeling cold when others are comfortable, inability to warm up. Sometimes. Constipated, frequent or persistent difficulty making a poo poo?

Cassie (32:19) Sometimes.

Scott Benner (32:20) Dry hair, dry skin?

Cassie (32:22) Yes. Very dry skin.

Scott Benner (32:24) Puffy face, swelling particularly around the eyes?

Cassie (32:27) Sometimes.

Scott Benner (32:27) Hair loss? No. Have a raspy or deep throat, deep voice?

Cassie (32:32) Yes.

Scott Benner (32:32) Deep throat. I didn't mean that. Sorry. Deep throat. Muscle.

Cassie (32:35) Raspy voice. Yes.

Scott Benner (32:37) Talking about your 12 year old. Muscle weakness, feeling weak, particularly in the upper arms and thighs.

Cassie (32:42) Thighs. Yep.

Scott Benner (32:43) Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, or fuzzy thinking.

Cassie (32:46) Probably sometimes.

Scott Benner (32:47) Does he have what they call low mood, apathy, lack of interest in activities, depression in other words? No. Slow movements. Moving or speaking more slowly than normal? No.

Scott Benner (33:00) I slowed down to say that. That was interesting.

Cassie (33:03) That was interesting.

Scott Benner (33:04) Does he have any menstrual changes? Hold on a second. Let me skip that one. Look at me being funny. Joint muscle pain, aches, tenderness, or stiffness in muscle and joints?

Cassie (33:12) Sometimes in the legs. Yeah.

Scott Benner (33:14) Okay. Seriously, what was this TSH?

Cassie (33:16) I'm I'm looking.

Scott Benner (33:18) You're tell me it was like 2.3 or something like that, and they told you it was great.

Cassie (33:24) Okay. Let me look.

Scott Benner (33:25) Oh, here's one. Poor growth resulting in short stature, delayed development of permanent teeth, or delayed puberty.

Cassie (33:33) Yeah. I mean, maybe. I mean, he's got all his teeth.

Scott Benner (33:36) He's got all of his teeth. Look at him go.

Cassie (33:38) He's got all of them. No. They said that they actually fell out very quickly for him. He's got all of his adult teeth now. Let's see.

Cassie (33:48) Okay. Review now. There's things in here for Wes. Great. I'm gonna open this up

Scott Benner (33:52) Uh-huh.

Cassie (33:52) And I'm gonna see. I'm gonna tell you.

Scott Benner (33:54) We're fine. We're at time, but that's fine. We can we can we can talk another minute. Don't worry. We're working on something.

New Tools: Juicebox Docs, Calculators & AI

Scott Benner (34:00) I've revamped juiceboxdocs.com.

Cassie (34:05) Oh, okay.

Scott Benner (34:06) Yeah. So it's a list of doctors that listeners have sent in. It's really kinda cool. Like, you log on, the first one that pops up is in Alabama because it's in what you might call alphabetical order. And giving the example, Chelsea Zimmerman is at East Alabama Medical Center endocrinology, and there's a little badge.

Scott Benner (34:25) It says she's a pediatric endo. There's also a little badge that says provider has type one. So there's, like, little badges, like, so you can kinda make through. There's an address you click on. It launches up a Google Map.

Scott Benner (34:37) The you can click on the telephone number to make a phone call to them or you have a website link to click on. It's really pretty excellent. And you can search it. Like, for instance, you're in Washington. Right?

Scott Benner (34:48) So I type in Washington, and just like that, there's somebody at the Mary Bridge Children's Outpatient Center in Washington. Oh. The doctor's clinic, Cavalion Place, Washington. Let's see. Advanced Diabetes and Endocrinology Care in let's see.

Scott Benner (35:06) Washington again. So there's adults, pediatric. It's nice. It kinda pops up. Now we have Washington DC, Washington state.

Scott Benner (35:14) And if they provide, like, good support for algorithms, if somebody says, hey. Look. They're really great with an algorithm. We have a little badge for that so you kinda know what you're looking at.

Cassie (35:23) Oh, that's cool.

Scott Benner (35:24) Yeah. It's great. And if you have a provider that you like, you can scroll to the bottom and submit your provider, and they'll show up in

Cassie (35:29) the Perfect. Yeah. I remember looking at that in the beginning to see if there was anybody else we could find that might be close.

Scott Benner (35:35) It's much better now. What they call searchable.

Cassie (35:38) Searchable. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Searchable now.

Scott Benner (35:40) Yeah. Yeah. Before, it was just my best attempt to, like, make a list. But now, I'll just say now with the advent of vibe coding through AI, you don't really need to know how to code to make stuff work anymore.

Cassie (35:52) Yeah. That's crazy.

Scott Benner (35:53) I'm sure all the coders are thrilled to hear that. And this is a very basic code. I also think that maybe, you know, data engineers are still probably pretty safe. And then also, telling people about stuff, juiceboxpodcast.com/settings. If you are looking to get, like, a basic starting point where your settings might be Mhmm.

Scott Benner (36:15) This does it completely by weight. Oh. Do you know that boy's weight over there?

Cassie (36:19) Sixty seven.

Scott Benner (36:20) Sixty seven. So I put in sixty seven, and then it allows you to choose between highly sensitive, standard sensitivity resistant, or highly resistant to insulin. Where would you place him on that? Sensitive still? Because he's

Cassie (36:32) Yeah. He's still pretty sensitive. Yeah.

Scott Benner (36:34) It tells me from that that a starting point for his total daily insulin should be about thirteen point seven units. Does it seem right? Does he use about fourteen units a day?

Cassie (36:43) Yeah. He's about 15.

Scott Benner (36:44) Yeah. And it says that a a good place to start with his basal insulin would be six point eight five units a day or point three an hour. Do you have

Cassie (36:52) That is almost spot on for him right now.

Scott Benner (36:53) Hold on a second. One unit covers about 36 and a half carbs, it says.

Cassie (36:58) His carb ratio is one to 15.

Scott Benner (37:00) Okay. Well

Cassie (37:01) Yeah.

Scott Benner (37:02) Again, it's just a starting spot. And sensitivity factor, one unit moves him about a 131. Is that right?

Cassie (37:07) Yeah. He's hit one to one twenty five.

Scott Benner (37:09) Okay. And, that's just a little calculator that gave us all that just by putting in his weight.

Cassie (37:15) That's crazy.

Scott Benner (37:16) Mhmm. It's not. It's math. Now juicepodcast.com/bolusfour. This is the next one.

Scott Benner (37:24) I'm super excited about this one. So now we take his insulin to carb ratio. What is it again? One unit covers 15. 15.

Cassie (37:33) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (37:33) Insulin sensitivity, we said was a 125? Yep. Target blood sugar, we're gonna make it 80. Let's pretend like he ate 50 carbs, and that meal just was 50 carbs. He's got no insulin on board.

Scott Benner (37:46) His arrow is stable, and his blood sugar is currently a 110. Click calculate bolus. It tells you that he needs a bolus of about 3.57 and that you should pre bolus about eleven minutes. If suddenly that that meal had 10 units of fat in it or 10 grams of fat in it and hit calculate bolus again, it's still the same thing. Nothing different has changed.

Scott Benner (38:10) And watch how it happens as I put the fat up. Now I'm at 15 grams of fat. Oh, at 15 grams of fat, it would like to see 3.57 as an initial extended bolus over three hours of point nine for a total of 4.47. The pre bolus is still at eleven minutes.

Cassie (38:28) Oh, I love that.

Scott Benner (38:29) Yeah. If I add protein in it, five grams of protein, and let's say I say his blood sugar is falling instead, and I hit calculate again. Well, now it says that's fine. We're still 3.57 as a a bolus again of one point o three over three hours to cover the fat and the protein, but it says please eat immediately because of hypo risk or low blood sugar.

Cassie (38:53) Oh, okay. This is almost like that calculator that Nico shared, but it's, like, on steroids.

Scott Benner (38:58) I made one of my own and kinda zhuzhed it up a little bit.

Cassie (39:01) Now Yeah. I love that.

Scott Benner (39:02) A lot of disclaimers. It's just a I'm not a doctor and I'm not a coder. None.

Cassie (39:05) It's just a tool.

Scott Benner (39:07) It's just a tool for you to look at, but it's Yeah. It's pretty awesome. Did you find his thyroid stuff yet?

Cassie (39:12) I did. It's 1.54.

Scott Benner (39:14) Damn it. It's not his thyroid. Has it ever been higher than that?

Cassie (39:19) Not that I know of. This is the first time we've ever had it tested.

Scott Benner (39:22) Keep testing it because they can bounce sometimes. But anything over 2.1, 2.2 with symptoms, you really gotta start asking for the medication.

Cassie (39:30) Okay.

Scott Benner (39:31) So look for bouncing. Like, there's a world where you check it again and it's much higher or it's super stable. It's did they do his iron by any chance? Do have low iron?

Cassie (39:41) That's a good question too. Okay. I've got screenshots of everything. T four was a 7.1.

Scott Benner (39:46) Okay.

Cassie (39:48) Microalbumin Mhmm. Creatinine ratio, that's 15.

Scott Benner (39:52) TSH was what? One point five?

Cassie (39:54) One point five. Yeah. What is this? Tissue trans glutaminase IgA less than two. Some of these, I don't even know what they are.

Cassie (40:04) They just said normal.

Scott Benner (40:06) Did they do t three?

Cassie (40:08) No. I don't think they did t three.

Scott Benner (40:10) Okay.

Cassie (40:12) Immunoglobulin, a.

Scott Benner (40:15) Look at you.

Cassie (40:16) One thirteen.

Scott Benner (40:17) Look at you saying words. Hold on a second.

Cassie (40:20) An a one c five point four.

Scott Benner (40:23) Wait a second. If someone with thyroid symptoms despite normal TSH and total, comma, possibilities include free t three could be low symptoms often track more closely with did they do free t three?

Cassie (40:36) No. Uh-uh.

Scott Benner (40:37) Ask for it next time.

Cassie (40:39) Okay.

Scott Benner (40:40) Tell them to do a complete thyroid panel, not just TSH and t four.

Cassie (40:44) Okay.

Scott Benner (40:44) And then say, because here are some symptoms he's having.

Cassie (40:48) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (40:49) Alright. Also, low ferritin, iron deficiency, low b twelve, low vitamin d, that stuff could possibly cause some of those symptoms as well. Okay. Alright? Don't let it go though.

Scott Benner (41:01) Don't just say like it was okay and then never pay attention to it again.

Cassie (41:04) Oh, for sure. We're not really in that boat, So we wanna make sure that he's as healthy as possible.

Scott Benner (41:09) Good. Good. Good.

Cassie (41:10) I mean, is growing, and so it's just slow. And then they want to equate him being small to just, well, that's just family genetics.

Scott Benner (41:19) Very well could be. I'm not saying otherwise. I'm just saying like

Cassie (41:22) Yeah. No. But it is something that's very bothersome for him. I mean, to the point where he's like, well, mom, like, I've heard about, like, growth hormone. Like, is that something that the doctor would put me on to help me get bigger?

Cassie (41:32) Mhmm. I'm like, well, probably not. But

Scott Benner (41:36) Did you say probably not?

Cassie (41:37) Yeah. I told him probably not.

Scott Benner (41:39) Why not? Maybe they would.

Cassie (41:40) I don't know. Yeah. I mean, that's a good question.

Scott Benner (41:43) Mhmm. I also have a prompt I've been working on. So you drop the prompt into right now, I'm using it in Google Gemini. You drop the prompt and hit return. It says, please give me your insulin to carb ratio, your fat protein adjustment factor for worse off, or just type default if you don't know, and a link to a recipe.

Scott Benner (42:02) Oh. So I gave it a one to 12 carb ratio. I told it default, and I gave it a recipe for baked ziti.

Cassie (42:09) Mhmm.

Scott Benner (42:09) You hit enter again, and it comes back and it says, hey. We've divided this recipe into one tenth. A tenth of this recipe, 47 carbs, 16 fat, 21 protein. You'd wanna do a bolus of 47 carbs at your insulin carb ratio. That's 3.91 units.

Scott Benner (42:27) And then there's a extended bolus for the fat and protein. It gives it to you like that, 3.9 for the immediate, point nine five over four hours for the rest of it. It explains to you the strategy behind why you're doing it, and it breaks down the meal for you and tells you what was in the meal if you're interested in how it broke down the ingredients and all this stuff and how the ingredients impacted your blood sugar, like, in, like, two clicks. It's pretty

Cassie (42:51) That's crazy.

Scott Benner (42:52) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm hoping people find that stuff useful.

Cassie (42:55) Now I just use my little recipe thing, and then I plug everything in and divide it, figure out my carbs.

Scott Benner (43:00) See, the thing here is with the prompt, the prompt's already written. So you you really need to just drop in the link in your insulin to carb ratio.

Cassie (43:09) Oh, that's so cool.

Scott Benner (43:10) And it, tells you the rest. So I'm trying to figure out a way to share that. I'm not sure if I'm going to or not. But the other two calculators, did share. So they're on the website.

Cassie (43:18) Well, there I mean, I've seen people ask about that. Like, if I'm creating a whole meal, how do I figure out what the carbs are?

Scott Benner (43:23) Yeah. It's tough. It really is to break the whole thing apart. So Mhmm. Basically, what you what I've learned is simply put is that you can take any recipe and just say to chat GPT or to Gemini or whatever you're using, like, please, you know, I need to understand the, like, the macro breakdown of this recipe and how many carbs are in a serving, how many this is in a serving, that's in a serving.

Scott Benner (43:44) And it does a really reasonably good job of giving you a return back.

Cassie (43:47) Yeah. That's great. I love that.

Scott Benner (43:49) Yeah. Good. Very cool. Okay. Cassie, you were awesome.

Scott Benner (43:52) Thank you for doing this with me.

Cassie (43:53) Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Scott Benner (43:55) Alright. Hold on a second. K.

Closing & Sponsor Messages

Scott Benner (44:03) This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections.

Scott Benner (44:18) Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (44:35) Today's episode of the juice box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, and the Dexcom g seven warms up in just thirty minutes. Check it out now @dexcom.comslashjuicebox. Okay. Well, here we are at the end of the episode. You're still with me?

Scott Benner (44:54) Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribe in your podcast app, go to YouTube and follow me or Instagram, TikTok.

Scott Benner (45:11) Oh, gosh. Here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. You don't wanna miss please, do you not know about the private group? You have to join the private group.

Scott Benner (45:25) As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active talking about diabetes. Whatever you need to know, there's a conversation happening in there right now. And I'm there all the time. Tag me.

Scott Benner (45:36) I'll say hi. Hey. Do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free.

Scott Benner (45:48) Juiceboxpodcast.com. Click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A one c and blood glucose calculator. People love that.

Scott Benner (45:55) That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months. A list of great endocrinologists from listeners, that's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community, and, we have a a fantastic thing there. American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire bold beginning series in ASL.

Scott Benner (46:17) So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way. Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on support. While you're there, check out the guides like the pre bolusing guide, fat and protein insulin calculator, gosh, thyroid, GLP, caregiver burnout. You should go to the website. Click around a little bit on those menus.

Scott Benner (46:36) It really there's a lot more there than you think. If you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording. Listen. Truth be told, I'm like 20% smarter when Rob edits me. He takes out all the, like, gaps of time and when I go, and stuff like that.

Scott Benner (46:55) And it just I don't know, man. Like, I listen back and I'm like, why do I sound smarter? And then I remember because I did one smart thing. I hired Rob at wrongwayrecording.com.

READ FULL TRANSCRIPT

#1806 Spokane or Bust - Part 1

After a terrifying DKA diagnosis and life flight to Spokane, Cassie shares how her son’s type 1 began, the pressure to “not try too hard,” and navigating early control, burnout fears, and honeymoon shifts.

Companies that Support Juicebox

Simplify Lifewith Omnipod

DexcomG7 15 Day Sensor

Save 20%Save 20% with offer code: JUICEBOX

US MEDGet your Diabetes Supplies

ContourEasy to Use and Highly Accurate

MiniMedMake everyday a better day

TandemControl-IQ+ with AutoBolus

CommunitySupport Touched By Type 1

EversenseOne Year One CGM

Simplify Lifewith Omnipod

DexcomG7 15 Day Sensor

Save 20%Save 20% with offer code: JUICEBOX

US MEDGet your Diabetes Supplies

ContourEasy to Use and Highly Accurate

MiniMedMake everyday a better day

TandemControl-IQ+ with AutoBolus

CommunitySupport Touched By Type 1

EversenseOne Year One CGM

Key Takeaways

• Honeymoon Phase Challenges: As the "honeymoon" phase ends and the pancreas produces less insulin, diabetes management often feels like starting over as pump settings and carb ratios need frequent adjustments.
• Medical Professional Perspectives: Sometimes a doctor's pushback on tightly managed blood sugars (like an A1c in the 5s) comes from a desire to prevent caregiver burnout, rather than criticism of the management strategy itself.
• Diabetes is a Marathon: Successful management is about aiming for good outcomes over the long term without tying personal self-worth to every single blood sugar reading. Mistakes and unpredictable days will happen.
• Emergency Preparedness (Life Flight): If you live in an area where critical care requires air transport, an annual air medical transport membership (like Life Flight or Airlift Northwest) can save you thousands of dollars in an emergency.
• Recognizing DKA Symptoms: Excessive thirst, frequent urination, sudden bedwetting, extreme fatigue, paleness, and vomiting are classic signs of undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes and potential Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).

Resources Mentioned

• US Med: usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514
• Eversense 365: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
• Tandem Mobi: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
• Juice Cruise 2026: juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise
• Touched by Type 1: touchedbytype1.org
• Life Flight Network: lifeflight.org
• Juice Box Podcast Small Sips: Go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on "Series" in the menu.
• Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome & Sponsor Messages

Scott Benner (0:0) Welcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.

Cassie (0:11) So my name is Cassie. I am a stay at home mom of three boys. They're 14, 12, and six, and my 12 year old is our type one diabetic.

Scott Benner (0:21) Have you tried the small sip series? They're curated takeaways from the Juice Box podcast, voted on by listeners as the most helpful insights for managing their diabetes. These bite sized pieces of wisdom cover essential topics like insulin timing, carb management, and balancing highs and lows, making it easier for you to incorporate real life strategies into your daily routine. Dive deep, take a sip, and discover what our community finds most valuable on the journey to better diabetes management. For more information on small sips, go to juiceboxpodcast.com.

Scott Benner (0:51) Click on the word series in the menu.

Scott Benner (0:55) 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.

Scott Benner (1:10) If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. 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.

Scott Benner (1:29) Today's podcast is sponsored by US Med, usmed.com/juicebox. You can get your diabetes supplies from the same place that we do, and I'm talking about Dexcom, Libre, Omnipod, Tandem, and so much more.

Scott Benner (1:44) Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Today's episode is also sponsored 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. Eversensecgm.com/juicebox. The podcast is also sponsored today by Tandem Mobi, the impressively small insulin pump.

Scott Benner (2:13) Tandem Mobi features Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus technology. It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom, and improved time and range. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (2:28) I just realized. I'm gonna record this.

Scott Benner (2:30) We'll introduce you later. Okay?

Cassie (2:32) Okay. Perfect.

The Creepy Neighbor with the Shears

Scott Benner (2:32) So they have a row of bush as a hedge, and they I I'm gonna guess that in the time I've lived here, in the twenty five years that I've lived here, they've planted, chopped down, dug up, and replanted this row of hedges, I wanna say conservatively five times. So it's, like, 10 or 20. I don't know. They're not quite arborvitaes. They're nicer than that.

Scott Benner (3:00) They plant them at about six feet high. They grow up to a certain level. They start to top them. They cap them. Like, they'll they'll cut them to keep them at a at a height.

Scott Benner (3:09) And then eventually, one day, they just go out there. They cut them down into pieces, throw them away, dig up the stumps, and then replant the same exact bush again.

Cassie (3:20) Do they just love the process?

Scott Benner (3:22) I think it's it's gotta be quelling some sort of a mental illness for them. Like, I don't know I don't know

Cassie (3:28) another way to put it. I that's a selling point though. Mature landscaping.

Scott Benner (3:33) Well, guess what? It's been four times so far, and it's working on

Cassie (3:36) it for a time.

Scott Benner (3:37) It's working on it for a fifth time. So there's a lot of that. There's a lot of of planting, growing, tending to ripping down for no reason, replanting again. There's also and the reason this came up and, by the way, everybody, this is are we gonna say your name, Cassie?

Cassie (3:53) Yes.

Scott Benner (3:55) This is Cassie. We'll get to who she is in a second. She and I were talking before we started. But the reason I bring it up is because the older person that lives at the house and as I described to Cassie before I hit record, she has to be a 150 years old because I'm sure she was a 100 years old when I moved in here twenty five years ago. So, I mean, bent over, can't stand up straight anymore, doesn't look like she should be mobile, but still spends her entire summer on her hands and knees or bent at her waist, like folds herself in half to bend to the ground.

Scott Benner (4:27) I mean, I'm impressed by her flexibility every day in my life with a pair of steel kitchen shears in her hand.

Cassie (4:34) Oh my goodness.

Scott Benner (4:35) Grabbing leaves, weeds, anything she doesn't like one at a time and snipping them off.

Cassie (4:41) She must also do yoga.

Scott Benner (4:43) I mean or her back is broken and it just doesn't matter because I'm not lying.

Cassie (4:47) Could be.

Scott Benner (4:48) Standing up straight, bent at the waist, hands on the ground. Clip, clip, clip, clip, clip. And then the the creepiest part and then you'll introduce yourself. The creepiest part is that there are times in the middle of the summer, sometimes as late at 03:00 in the morning where it's just dead silent outside and you have the windows open and you hear this.

Cassie (5:16) Oh my goodness. Stop. She's out there at 03:00 in the morning?

Scott Benner (5:21) Clipping with the Sears. And I have to tell you, I don't make fun of mental illness. I think it's terrible, and I don't know what's wrong. I have had situations where I've been face to face with her and she's been like, hello. How are you?

Scott Benner (5:37) And I'm like, good. How are you? Do you not remember when you screamed and yelled at me six weeks ago? And then there's times where just for no reason, you'll just be pulling out of your driveway. I haven't seen her or laid eyes on her in months and, you know, you get to the end of the driveway.

Scott Benner (5:51) Nice day. The windows are down. You put your hand up to wave and she just say, you fucking asshole. And I'm like, oh my god. What is happening?

Cassie (6:00) Oh, dear.

Scott Benner (6:01) Whoever buys this house, I imagine we'll have a landscaper come in and cut down, I'm guessing, 65 to 70% of what's planted on it because they they literally, it's like a walking garden. There's no actual space to be on

Cassie (6:16) that. Oh, I see.

Scott Benner (6:17) It's really crazy.

Cassie (6:17) Is that where is that where the deer should go to die?

Scott Benner (6:20) I mean, listen. If Snow White was over there right now having a full on relationship with seven smaller men, I wouldn't be surprised. It's a jungle forest across now here's the high side. I can't see their house. Like, I'm not kidding.

Cassie (6:35) That's how much landscaping there is.

Scott Benner (6:37) I am not kidding. I can stand at my front door, look across the street from my house, and I if I didn't know there was a house there, I wouldn't be able to prove it.

Cassie (6:45) Oh, dear.

Scott Benner (6:46) Yeah. Wow. Clink. Clink. The first time it happened, the kids were like, yo.

Scott Benner (6:53) We're gonna die. There's a murderer outside. Hey. There is a guy with a hook outside. He's sharpening the hook.

Scott Benner (7:01) He's coming for us. And then it took us a while to figure it out, but no kidding. It's her. And I'm not telling you this happens one time. Like, this happens.

Cassie (7:08) Consistently. Yeah.

Scott Benner (7:11) Yep. Yep. And then, you know, and and to your point earlier, which we won't say out loud because it had something to do with somebody you're related to. Her property don't look any different than mine does. Like like, it doesn't get any better or any worse or any different.

Cassie (7:26) Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner (7:26) Yeah. It's awesome.

Meet Cassie: Navigating the Honeymoon Phase

Scott Benner (7:28) Anyway, Cassie, do you have type one or does your kid have it? What's

Cassie (7:31) going on? My kid has it. Yeah.

Scott Benner (7:33) Awesome for you. Let's see. Let's let's learn about you for a second. Just introduce yourself just briefly.

Cassie (7:38) So my name is Cassie. I am a stay at home mom of three boys. They're 14, 12, and six, and my 12 year old is our type one diabetic.

Scott Benner (7:47) How long ago was he diagnosed?

Cassie (7:49) He was diagnosed in July '24, so about eighteen months now.

Scott Benner (7:52) Oh, it hasn't been that long at all.

Cassie (7:54) No. It it feels like forever, but also not.

Scott Benner (7:56) Tell me about that. What do you mean it feels like forever?

Cassie (8:00) I just feel like we've settled into it enough that it just feels normal.

Scott Benner (8:05) Okay.

Cassie (8:05) It's almost like we don't really remember him not having it.

Scott Benner (8:08) Wow.

Cassie (8:09) Yeah. Which I find interesting. I don't know. I guess I just feel like I don't remember how easy it was before we had to do all the extra stuff. But then at the same time, it still does feel very new.

Cassie (8:21) He's, like, in a prolonged honeymoon at this point, and so we're just now finally seeing it start to die off. It almost feels like we're learning all over again.

Scott Benner (8:31) The honeymoon's dying off.

Cassie (8:33) Yes.

Scott Benner (8:33) Okay.

Cassie (8:34) Yeah. Yep. Alright. So we'll have days where it is very obviously on the pancreas is helping, and then you go into, like, three or four days where it is not. And, like, ratios are not working.

Cassie (8:47) Pump settings are not working. So this last several weeks, I feel like for us, it's just been starting over again. So

Scott Benner (8:58) Is that feeling difficult, or are you able to adjust with it?

Cassie (9:01) We're adjusting. It was a little difficult at first only because we've kept such good control. We managed to get his a one c down so far right off the bat.

Scott Benner (9:10) Mhmm.

Cassie (9:11) And that's kind of where my email came from was because I was basically told you're trying too hard. Like, you don't need to try this hard. And I was like, I don't know why you wouldn't want me to. Like, he's doing really well, and he's happy. So it was a little frustrating because it's just like, you don't wanna lose the progress, I guess.

Scott Benner (9:26) Pick through that for a second though. Who told you you were trying too hard?

Cassie (9:29) That was our endo.

Scott Benner (9:30) Your endo.

Cassie (9:31) And he's wonderful. We love him so much. I am so thankful to be in the practice that we're in. He's really great. I And think he was just kind of looking at it from a mental health standpoint, honestly.

Cassie (9:40) Like, he didn't wanna see us burn out so quickly.

Scott Benner (9:44) Were you going cuckoo?

Cassie (9:46) I didn't feel like I was.

Scott Benner (9:48) Do you think he thought you were?

Cassie (9:49) Probably.

Scott Benner (9:50) Is it because you spoke very quickly and your hair didn't look combed, or what was the level of concern do you think?

Cassie (9:55) Well so I think the level of concern was coming in with so many questions and ideas. So several times I was told, you're kind of getting into the weeds there. You're getting a little bit out there.

Scott Benner (10:07) What's the weeds? Give me an example of, like, a bridge too far for the endo.

Cassie (10:11) Oh, gosh. At the time, we were kind of just looking at a one c in general. Like, I use your little calculator on your website a lot.

Scott Benner (10:18) Yeah.

Cassie (10:18) That's always on for us, by the way. If I check his ninety day average before we go in to the endo, his a one c always comes back exactly what the calculator says it's going to be.

Scott Benner (10:29) You know, a a listener made that for me years ago.

Cassie (10:32) It's awesome. Yeah. No. It's great. Gosh.

Cassie (10:35) I wish I could remember what it was. I remember what office we were sitting in. So where we live, we actually travel three hours to go see our endo.

Scott Benner (10:43) Oh my gosh.

Cassie (10:44) Yeah. So they'll come down and do satellite clinics here.

Scott Benner (10:47) Off a mountain? What do you mean come down?

Cassie (10:49) Come down from the Northern Part of Washington. So I'm in Eastern Washington

Scott Benner (10:54) Okay.

Cassie (10:54) But Southeast Washington. So we're a pretty big community out here. It's called the Tri Cities. We have to go up to Spokane to go see our endo. So our hospital network, all of the endos here, they don't have them here anymore.

Cassie (11:08) We had one that was about an hour and a half away. They didn't pay him enough, and the practice was overloaded. He was the only one. This is what I was told anyway. And so he ended up leaving.

Cassie (11:18) So now everybody they told me that there are, like, 600 families down here that travel up to Spokane for care.

Scott Benner (11:26) Jeez.

Cassie (11:27) Yeah. It's crazy.

Scott Benner (11:28) And so it's six hours round trip?

Cassie (11:31) Yes.

Scott Benner (11:31) It's a whole day.

Cassie (11:32) It's a whole day. Yeah. It turns into a whole day. And if we do have to go up there, that's exactly what it is. We usually schedule the appointments earlier.

Cassie (11:39) Him and I leave first thing in the morning. We get up there for the appointment, and then we basically just get back in the car and drive straight home.

Scott Benner (11:45) But this appointment's so amazing it's worth it, or it's just the only game in town?

Cassie (11:50) It's the only game in town unless I wanna go to Seattle, which is longer.

Scott Benner (11:54) Okay.

Cassie (11:55) Yeah. Yep. But I do think it is worth it. I also think it's worth it. And like I said, they do satellite clinics down here, so there are times that we can get in with the satellite clinic.

Cassie (12:04) So they've got a little office space that they rent out. Like, two of the endos from the practice will come down and see people here.

Scott Benner (12:10) Okay.

Cassie (12:11) That's an option as well. Our last one was over Zoom because they had just seen him in the office. So they are pretty flexible with

Scott Benner (12:18) us. Mhmm.

Cassie (12:19) But I do remember sitting in the satellite clinic and him telling me, you're really getting into the weeds here. I feel like you're in the forest, and you're just really focused on this one tree.

Scott Benner (12:29) You said, dude, we're in Spokane. Of course, we're in the forest. Calm down.

Cassie (12:33) Yeah.

Scott Benner (12:33) Yeah. What did you think? Did you think you were? Like, when he said that, were you like, no. I'm not.

Cassie (12:38) No. That's exactly what I thought. I was like, no. I'm not. How is that possible?

Cassie (12:42) And I think what happened was so he had been diagnosed in July, and then I think his a one c was, like, 12. And then we saw them again. Obviously, we had education that we had to do, so we traveled up there several times. We saw them again in October, and I think it was down to, like, 6.4.

Scott Benner (13:01) Okay.

Cassie (13:02) And then December, we saw them in the satellite clinic, and his a one c came back at 5.4.

Scott Benner (13:08) Okay.

Cassie (13:09) And I cried.

Scott Benner (13:10) You're like, I did it. I did the thing. It happened.

Cassie (13:13) I did it. I did the thing. I did the thing. Right? Yeah.

Cassie (13:17) So he he wanted to talk about burnout, and I think you're trying too hard, and it's really not that serious. He is still healthy. You guys are doing a good job. Right?

Taking Management Personally vs Realistically

Scott Benner (13:26) He didn't say congratulations. Well done. How did you accomplish this? No. And why are you saying he's a good doctor?

Scott Benner (13:34) I don't understand. Are you Catholic? No. No? Because I I I just find sometimes Catholics like to say everybody's great before they say something bad about them.

Cassie (13:44) No. He is really good.

Scott Benner (13:46) But what makes him good? I'm gonna dig into this. What makes him good if when you, on your own, figured out how to get an a one c in the fives, he said, don't do that.

Cassie (13:55) And I don't think it was that he didn't want us to do it. I think he just felt like we were trying too hard too fast.

Scott Benner (14:01) Well, I don't know what that means either.

Cassie (14:03) I know. I know.

Scott Benner (14:05) Like, do you feel overwhelmed by it?

Cassie (14:07) I don't. I mean, I think there were times where I did a little bit.

Scott Benner (14:11) Yeah.

Cassie (14:11) I would take it very personally. So

Scott Benner (14:14) Okay. We're getting to it.

Cassie (14:16) If, like, if I didn't nail something and his blood sugar was too high for too long, I would take it very personally, like I had failed.

Scott Benner (14:23) How personally? Like, did you lash yourself in front of people?

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Scott Benner (15:21) Gentle on your skin, strong for your life, one sensor a year that gives you one less thing to worry about. Head now to eversincecgm.com/juicebox to get started. (15:34) Let's talk about the Tandem Mobi insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care.

Scott Benner (15:39) 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.

Scott Benner (16:00) 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. It's gonna help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. (16:25) Tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox.

Scott Benner (16:29) The Tandem Mobi system is available for people ages two and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range, and address high blood sugars with Autobolus.

Scott Benner (16:40) Did you lash yourself in front of people? Or

Cassie (16:43) No. No? No. But I would just I would be so upset. They would just put me into a spiral

Scott Benner (16:48) Okay.

Cassie (16:48) And then it was just, like, bad mood central. And my husband's like, it's

Scott Benner (16:51) Oh, you're married?

Cassie (16:52) Yeah. I am married. Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner (16:54) Has he ever said, why don't you calm down, Cassie?

Cassie (16:57) Well, no. I mean, not in that way. But he has said, this isn't about you. You didn't mess up. You're doing the best that you can. Like, you have the information.

Cassie (17:06) It just didn't work this time.

Scott Benner (17:07) Okay.

Cassie (17:07) It's not perfect every time. Like, diabetes isn't predictable in most senses, and so it's not like, just because it your pizza bolus worked this time doesn't mean it's gonna work next time.

Scott Benner (17:18) I think it will.

Cassie (17:20) But we have had that experience.

Scott Benner (17:22) No. No. Of course. Of course.

Cassie (17:23) Yeah. Like, where it has and then where it hasn't. But there are lots of things that we have figured out that we just nail every time, you know.

Scott Benner (17:30) Yeah. Yeah. I am supremely aware of the idea that there's a difference between saying, like, this is how it could work. And if you understand these things, it probably will work this way most of the time, which is about what I believe about diabetes. Right?

Scott Benner (17:44) And the feeling that some people take away from it that tells them that if I don't do it that way and it doesn't work every time that I'm failing, like, I don't have that feeling. So when I share with somebody, hey. You should give this a shot. I think if you understood this better, if you had your basil right, you know, maybe if you understood the fat impacts of this meal, maybe this would turn out better for you. I don't expect it when I'm saying that it's being heard by somebody who hears, and if it doesn't work out, you're an abject failure.

Scott Benner (18:13) But at the same time, I don't know another way to relate the idea. If you and I were standing at a at the precipice of a cliff and I said, Cassie, listen. There's no other options here. We are gonna have to try to jump over the cliff here. And I said, do you run as hard as you can and jump as late as possible without falling because if not, you are gonna fall and hit your head and it's not gonna be pleasant.

Scott Benner (18:35) If that was the truth, I don't think you'd want me to explain it to you by saying just give it your best shot and if you fall, it's okay.

Cassie (18:41) Right.

Scott Benner (18:42) At the same time, telling somebody that if you don't do this right, you might splat. Some people don't intersect well with that pressure. Mhmm. I don't know who's who and I certainly can't I don't wanna give like a milk toast presentation, but at the same time, I'm like I'm counting on all of you to be adults and go like, okay. I didn't get it the first time, but I could try again without beating yourselves up.

Scott Benner (19:04) So I'm in a bad position is what I'm saying. And I'm wondering how you heard it. That's my question. Like, what did you hear coming from me and did that lead to you feeling like you failed or no?

Cassie (19:17) No. I wouldn't say so.

Scott Benner (19:19) Okay. Good. I don't want that. I don't want anybody to feel that way. I just know sometimes people do.

Cassie (19:25) Yeah. No. No. If anything, like, I was telling my husband, he's at work. And so I had texted him.

Cassie (19:31) I'm like, hey. The recording time got moved, so don't text me during that hour.

Scott Benner (19:37) I'll be talking to Scott.

Cassie (19:38) Right. I'm like, don't text me during that hour.

Scott Benner (19:40) If you cut your hand off at work, hold your thought. Okay?

Cassie (19:44) And he's like, hope you're not nervous. It's gonna be fine. And I was like, well, if anything, I just feel more emotional about it. And it's just because the podcast has helped so much.

Scott Benner (19:55) About talking to me today?

Cassie (19:57) Yeah. Oh. Yeah. Oh. And so just I think it was just kind of reviewing, like, where we've been, right, since diagnosis.

Cassie (20:03) Sure. Sure. So and the things that we've accomplished. But, no, like, you asking that question, I always feel like you're speaking directly to us or any of the guests, like anybody that I've listened to. You know?

Cassie (20:14) And so it's really nice because I've never felt you give information, but you'll be a failure if you don't make it. Like, I've never felt that way. Like, I've never gotten that.

Scott Benner (20:23) Yeah. I I definitely see diabetes as a marathon, not a sprint.

Cassie (20:27) Right. Right.

Scott Benner (20:28) At the same time, I think that giving expectations there's nothing wrong with expectations. There's nothing wrong with being aspirational, but you also have to understand that it very well may be a process. And that process may go longer or shorter for some people. I've had people tell me directly, I listen to the pro tip series and a month later, my a one c was no success. Like, it just all made sense to me.

Scott Benner (20:48) And I've had somebody tell me that I listened to the Pro Tip series, and I didn't pull together for two years after that. But once I did, I realized, oh, I got that information there.

Cassie (20:57) Right.

Scott Benner (20:57) And who cares? I mean I mean, I realized you want it to be faster, but as long as you get there, I don't think it matters what path you take.

Cassie (21:04) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. And that's nice to hear.

Cassie (21:07) For me, I am an instant gratification kind of person. And so if we have a problem, then I wanna figure it out and just do it right every time.

Scott Benner (21:15) Yeah. We'll keep you out of the casino.

Cassie (21:18) Right.

Scott Benner (21:19) So you don't get all caught up in that, the slot machines there.

Cassie (21:22) Yeah. Yep.

The Lead-up to DKA

Scott Benner (21:23) I'm sorry. So he let's find out how he's diagnosed. What was, led up to that, and was there any reason for you to think it might I have always disliked ordering diabetes supplies. I'm guessing you have as well. It hasn't been a problem for us for the last few years, though, because we began using US Med.

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Cassie (22:36) No. So we didn't even really know what type one diabetes was. I feel like that's a a lot of people.

Scott Benner (22:43) Well, you live in the woods.

Cassie (22:44) Yeah. And I didn't like, we didn't even know anybody that had a type one kid.

Scott Benner (22:48) Mhmm.

Cassie (22:49) I didn't even know that we had them at our school, and there were, like, five.

Scott Benner (22:53) We had them. I like the way you said that.

Cassie (22:55) We didn't even know we had them.

Scott Benner (22:56) The place was littered with them, Scott, and I didn't even know it.

Cassie (22:59) They were everywhere. No. So he was when was this? The end of his fourth grade year? And looking back now, we can see symptoms starting like that last week of school.

Cassie (23:10) Mhmm. And I remember him saying to me, can you please remember to fill my water bottle today? I have been so thirsty, and I hate having to go inside to fill it because he was outside in a portable. So he'd have to get a pass, and then he'd to walk to the main building Mhmm. Fill his bottle, come back out.

Cassie (23:24) And I'm like, oh, yeah. Absolutely. I had no idea how much water he was drinking at school. So that was, like, the June. Over the next couple of weeks, he was starting to look thinner.

Cassie (23:33) He was really pale. He was using the bathroom more often, drinking tons of water. Mhmm. And so, like, the week right before he went into DKA, I remember him waking me up like he'd gotten in our freezer, and he was getting out ice in the middle of the night. And I was like, I don't understand what is going on with this kid.

Cassie (23:51) Why does he need ice? It's not even that hot yet, But he just was so thirsty.

Scott Benner (23:55) Yeah.

Cassie (23:56) And so he had finally wet the bed, and he was so embarrassed. Yeah. And I was like, well, bud, I don't know. He goes, mom, I just don't feel right. He had fallen asleep, like, middle of the day, just sitting up in his chair.

Cassie (24:09) He'd fallen asleep. Mhmm. And he's like, I just don't feel right. I'm not sure what's wrong with me. And he's like, and the bedwetting is weird.

Cassie (24:16) And I was like, yeah. For sure, bud. I mean, I don't know.

Scott Benner (24:18) Yeah. We're all in line with that one, brother.

Cassie (24:20) Yeah. For sure. Like, at ten, that's weird. I And was like, well, if it continues, I'm gonna have to take you to the doctor. We're gonna have to figure something out.

Cassie (24:27) And he goes, no. I'd really like it if you'd make me a doctor's appointment. Can we go on Monday?

Scott Benner (24:31) Oh, wow.

Cassie (24:32) Yeah. And I was like, sure. Yeah. We can go on Monday. That's fine.

Cassie (24:35) And this was probably Thursday.

Scott Benner (24:36) Yeah. So you were like, let's see if we need to go to the doctor. And he was like, no. We should go to the doctor. Yeah.

Scott Benner (24:43) I'm in trouble. He knew he was in trouble.

Cassie (24:45) Yeah. Which is interesting because he doesn't want to go there. Right? And so I just thought it was interesting he was so agreeable. And I'm like, okay.

Cassie (24:53) But yeah. No. We can do that. And I said, well, we don't have a pediatrician right now, but I can take him to urgent care or something. And he's like, okay.

Cassie (24:59) We just kinda let it play out. And, again, the next day, he was feeling worse. We decided we were going to travel to another town to go to a little museum. They were doing a World War two reenactment thing. Our oldest is way into that stuff.

Cassie (25:13) And so we were gonna go. He was really nauseous. And so he's, like, in the bathroom dry eating, but also his stomach is super upset. So he doesn't know if he needs to go to the bathroom just chugging water. And so I was going to stay home, and my husband was gonna take the other two boys.

Cassie (25:28) And he's like, no. I don't wanna miss out on the family day. I'm just gonna push through it. So we slept on the hour car ride in the car. We drug him all over at this museum.

Cassie (25:37) It was outdoors. It was, like, 90 degrees. And he's begging for water. I forgot to bring my water cup in. And I remember being so irritated with him.

Cassie (25:45) I'm like, I don't understand what your problem is. Like, now we're gonna have to go all the way back out to the car. It's this long walk. And the poor kid, like, looking back at pictures, he's just suffering.

Scott Benner (25:54) Yeah.

Cassie (25:55) You know, you just feel terrible. We go to a restaurant to eat after that. He orders food he can't eat, but he chugged three Cokes Mhmm. And then fell asleep in the booth.

Scott Benner (26:06) In the booth? Yes. I got a little sleepy recording the podcast the other day. Don't tell anybody. My iron's a little low.

Scott Benner (26:13) And I had to sit up straight. I was talking to somebody. She was really great. And I I hope nobody hears it, like, thinks they know where it is.

Cassie (26:19) You're, like, nodding off.

Scott Benner (26:21) My farting's, like, back down to seven. I'll talk about another episode. She's talking. I think her voice was just very relaxing.

Cassie (26:28) Oh, yeah. And I

Scott Benner (26:29) was like, I got way ahead of that. I was like, oh. I just sat straight up, like, my hands on the desk. Was like, stay here. But to fall asleep in the booth at a restaurant?

Cassie (26:39) Yeah.

Scott Benner (26:39) Yeah. I mean, when that happened, do you look at the do you bring the boy with you to the day out, the husband? Was he there?

Cassie (26:45) Oh, yeah. He was there.

Scott Benner (26:46) You look at him and go, hey. This one's dying.

Cassie (26:48) Yeah. We're like, oh, man. It was crazy. And so then the next day, it's Sunday, he just, like, napped on and off all day. We go to grandma's for dinner, and then the vomiting starts.

Scott Benner (26:58) Okay.

Cassie (26:59) He doesn't wanna eat dinner. He doesn't have an appetite. He's laying on the sofa, and then he pukes on our floor. And I'm like

Scott Benner (27:04) Thanks for having us over.

Cassie (27:06) Awesome. Sorry, grandma. Yeah. So she's like, oh my gosh. You poor thing.

Cassie (27:10) I'm so sorry. And so it just was fluids. Well, it just continued, like, hourly. So I had been up with him all night long. I left our bedroom door open, so he was on the couch.

Cassie (27:20) He'd call for me if he needed help or whatever. And so I'm out there rubbing his back. So finally, at, like, 08:30, I get out of bed. I was so tired. And he's like, mom, I just feel really bad.

Cassie (27:32) I need you. And I was like, okay. So I get up. I go out there, and I could see his spine through his pajamas.

Scott Benner (27:37) Oh my gosh.

Cassie (27:38) And I was like, okay. And he's already really small as it is. He's in, like, the twelfth percentile. So he's very short, very thin, which all of those things he hates. And so it was just very obvious he was ill.

Cassie (27:52) So I called my husband out, and I'm like, hey. I need you to come look at him and tell me what you think. Mhmm. He was so pale. His cheeks were almost like this mottled purple.

Cassie (28:02) Yeah. He just did not look right. And so my husband comes out and he goes, oh my god. We have to take him to the hospital right now. There is something seriously wrong.

Scott Benner (28:11) Right.

Cassie (28:12) And I was like, what? And he's like, you have to get clothes on. We need to go now.

Scott Benner (28:16) What's your husband do for a living?

Cassie (28:17) He's a police officer.

Scott Benner (28:18) Okay. And, and you are stay at home, but did you go to school or have any background or anything prior to that?

Cassie (28:25) Prior. I didn't go to school. I went straight into dispatching, 911 dispatching. That's how we met.

Scott Benner (28:32) Oh, okay.

Cassie (28:33) Yeah. So I did that for ten years. And then after we had the first two, then I stayed home. So

Scott Benner (28:39) He's not the only person who's ever been on the podcast to say that.

Cassie (28:42) Oh, really?

Scott Benner (28:43) I was a dispatcher, and I met a cop that way.

Cassie (28:46) Oh, yeah. I mean, I yeah.

Scott Benner (28:48) Is that, like, Tinder for cops? The 911?

Cassie (28:51) I I don't know. I don't know. They would come in on their lunch breaks. We were in a really small community, so there weren't a lot of them on. So there'd be, two dispatchers and then,

Scott Benner (28:59) like Yeah.

Cassie (29:00) Two from his agency and then two from another agency.

Scott Benner (29:03) You're getting to a certain age. His eyes are both pointing in the same direction. Seems like a good bet, that kind of thing.

Cassie (29:08) I was 24. He's older. He was 31.

Scott Benner (29:12) Oh.

Cassie (29:13) Yeah. So, no, we would just like, everybody would kinda have lunch together.

Scott Benner (29:16) Right.

Cassie (29:17) And then eventually, he just was like, hey. Do you wanna go?

Scott Benner (29:20) Hey. Would you like it if I ruined your life? Would you like me to ruin your life? Right.

Cassie (29:25) And I was like I think I can.

Scott Benner (29:27) It comes with a house. What do you think? Yeah. I was like,

Cassie (29:30) yeah. Let's do that. And now here we are eighteen years later.

Scott Benner (29:34) That's crazy. How'd you like me to give you three kids and something to clean?

Cassie (29:38) Yeah. Exactly.

Scott Benner (29:39) You're gonna love it.

Cassie (29:40) And I'm not very good at it, Scott.

Scott Benner (29:42) Yeah. I'm not very good at it.

Cassie (29:46) The house cleaning. I'm just the worst housekeeper.

Scott Benner (29:49) Sucker. Yeah.

Cassie (29:51) Yeah. Exactly. Thanks for the kids. Sorry about the dirty house.

Scott Benner (29:54) Yeah. There were better options. I I just I didn't wanna say it at the time.

The Diagnosis Unfolds

Scott Benner (29:58) So you go off to the hospital right then and there. Is that Friday? Because you said Thursday, went to the museum. Was that Friday the or is that Sunday?

Cassie (30:06) So, like, Thursday was when he told me he wanted to go to the doctor.

Scott Benner (30:09) Okay.

Cassie (30:09) This is now Monday morning.

Scott Benner (30:10) How come you didn't go to the doctor Monday? You promised him Monday.

Cassie (30:14) We did to the ER.

Scott Benner (30:16) Did you have an appointment at the doctor later in that day?

Cassie (30:18) No. We didn't. I was just gonna take him into urgent care.

Scott Benner (30:20) Oh. That's Oh, right. You don't have a pedi

Cassie (30:22) We don't have a pediatrician. We still don't. And that's a whole Wait.

Scott Benner (30:25) Why do you not have a pedi

Cassie (30:26) The area that we live in, that's a whole another story. I mean, it's just so hard to even find one.

Scott Benner (30:31) Cassie, clean the house and get the kids a pediatrician. Okay?

Cassie (30:34) Yeah. Exactly. I know. Yeah. So he wraps them up in a blanket.

Scott Benner (30:37) Right.

Cassie (30:38) And we basically go down there in, you know, sweatpants. Right? The ER is, like, six blocks from us. It's super close. So I go in first because he's gonna carry them inside.

Cassie (30:47) At this point, here's the really weird thing, and I don't we see this differently. My husband's father is remarried. He has a granddaughter from that wife who has type one. So we no blood relation at all whatsoever.

Scott Benner (31:01) Yeah. I got it.

Cassie (31:01) She'd only been diagnosed about eighteen months at this time.

Scott Benner (31:04) Okay.

Cassie (31:05) We had literally just discussed type one diabetes at dinner at grandma's house on Sunday, just the day before. Right? So he is great at listening. My son is. He's great at listening.

Cassie (31:19) So I'm sure he was eavesdropping on the conversation. And we're like, wow. That's so crazy. Like, we've never met a child with type one diabetes. I bet that's so hard.

Cassie (31:27) Like, I don't even know what that looks like. So as we're taking him out to the car to go to the hospital, My husband's like, okay, bud. We you know, something's wrong. We're gonna take you. I swear, he asked, do I have diabetes?

Cassie (31:41) Oh. My husband's like, no. I think he said, do I have a serious disease? And I'm like, well, I don't know. It could be one or the other.

Cassie (31:48) I heard diabetes. And I was like, no, bud. Of course, you don't have diabetes. No. That's not even a thing.

Cassie (31:53) Like, they're gonna take care of you. Mhmm. So we get down to the ER. I go in first, and I let them know this is what he's here for. She gets up from the desk and, like, runs into triage and grabs the nurse and says, this little boy is coming in.

Cassie (32:07) You need to come see him right now. And I'm like, oh my god. What is happening?

Scott Benner (32:10) That's the lady at the desk, by the way. She's might maybe not even a nurse. Right?

Cassie (32:14) Right.

Scott Benner (32:14) Yeah.

Cassie (32:14) Yeah. Yes. And so she comes out, and she's like, just come right in here, and she brings us straight into triage. My husband sits him in a chair. At this point, he can't keep his eyes open.

Cassie (32:25) His head's rolled over to the side. She wants to get height and weight, and I'm like, this is gonna be impossible. We can't even get him to stand up. And she goes, okay. Listen.

Cassie (32:34) I'm not diagnosing him, but I've worked in pedagogists long enough to know that this is new onset type one diabetes. So just be prepared. And I was like, I literally just told him he didn't have diabetes.

Scott Benner (32:47) It was ten minutes ago. I am also not great at keeping the house. Like, let's not pile these things up right now. Okay? I think people are looking at me.

Cassie (32:55) I don't even know what this means. I know. It was so crazy. It was so crazy.

Scott Benner (32:59) I thought you were gonna say you thought you jinxed him by talking about it the week before.

Cassie (33:04) Yeah. I

Scott Benner (33:05) Because I'm not superstitious. Well, you wanna know something? I've never said this in the podcast before. I am not superstitious. My wife, I don't think is either.

Scott Benner (33:15) Although, I think she might believe in ghosts. So it's who knows? But Arden's diagnosed in August, couple weeks in August. And for our anniversary, which is the August, Kelly and I went to like a nice restaurant, a place we had never been before. A place where they call the food stuff that you don't really know what it means, you know?

Cassie (33:35) Sure.

Scott Benner (33:35) So we ordered a few appetizers and we ordered something called sweet bread. I think thinking it was bread, but it's not. Do you know what sweet bread is?

Cassie (33:47) I don't.

Scott Benner (33:47) It's pancreas. What? Yeah. And there was, like, a half a minute where I was like, did we, like, put bad mojo out into the world or something? Like, we steal the pancreas from an animal and then nature came and stole one from us?

Scott Benner (34:02) Like, do you know what I mean? Yeah. So Yeah. I don't really think that, but I'm not gonna lie to you. There was, like, a half a second where I was like, oh, I don't like the optics of this.

Cassie (34:10) Yeah.

Scott Benner (34:11) Yeah. So, anyway, you don't know sweet bread?

Cassie (34:15) No.

Scott Benner (34:15) Yeah. It's what it is. How to prepare and cook sweet bread preparations.

Cassie (34:18) Craziest thing I've done is, like, beef tongue or bone marrow. That's about it.

Scott Benner (34:23) Oh, I'm with you on that's weird. Sweet bread meat from the thymus and pancreas of cattle is prepared with this easy recipe for tender and tasty nuggets coated in flour then fried. That's allrecipes.com in case you wanna go check it Oh. So when you started talking about that, I was like, I wonder if they think they, like, brought it into existence by talking about it. Thank God you don't think that.

Scott Benner (34:43) Okay. Alright.

Cassie (34:44) No. Not at all.

Scott Benner (34:45) They clearly saved the kid. That's nice. What was his a one c? What was his blood sugar? Do you know?

Cassie (34:50) I wish I knew what his blood sugar was when we got there. I don't think they ever told us. If they did, I didn't comprehend it. His a one c was 12, though.

Scott Benner (34:57) Oh, wow.

Cassie (34:58) Yeah. It was 12. Yeah. So they got him back there, and he basically just went to sleep. And then that was probably, oh gosh, I don't know, sometime in the morning.

Cassie (35:07) Yeah. He didn't really wake up again until, like, 03:00 in the morning, like, 3AM that

Scott Benner (35:11) night. DK, obviously?

Cassie (35:13) DK. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So he was in DK.

Cassie (35:15) They called our local hospital that has, like, a small PICU. Mhmm. They asked him, well, do you want him? And they were like, no. Wait.

Cassie (35:25) We have an endocrinologist on staff. We don't want him. You need to send him away. So they told us to choose Seattle or Spokane. We went to Spokane.

Scott Benner (35:33) Up the mountain. That's right.

Cassie (35:34) Up the mountain. Yeah. And so but they life flighted him up there.

Scott Benner (35:38) Wow.

Life Flight and Hospital Experience

Cassie (35:39) And I think part of why I didn't some of that information I didn't get was because a nurse had come in. So because of my husband's job, he knows the ER doctors and nurses. So they knew him when we came in. So they were very generous with us with information. So they were like, hey.

Cassie (35:58) He's gotta fly. And if you don't have life flight insurance, get it now, or it's going to be very expensive. Oh. He just needs to have it before the time of the flight. So I was immediately on the phone getting Life Flight insurance.

Cassie (36:14) It's, like, $65.

Scott Benner (36:15) Does the insurance company go, wait. Why? Why do you want why do you want it right now? I know. Yeah.

Cassie (36:23) And it you just get it through them. So what happens is if you buy the insurance membership through Life Flight, then they bill your insurance. Your insurance pays their portion, and then they just write off the rest of the bill.

Scott Benner (36:36) The whole world's a scam, Cassie. I

Cassie (36:38) just I know.

Scott Benner (36:39) I just wanna say that.

Cassie (36:40) But guess what? Yeah. It saved us a lot of money. I would have $10. The whole bill was, like, 65.

Scott Benner (36:47) Oh, is that a thing you think that's not just a Washington thing. Right? Like, you should be able to, like boy, I I that's hard to preplan for, but that's not a bad thing to have in that situation.

Cassie (36:56) No. It's not. And I think the membership's gone up to 85. It's like an annual thing that you pay, and then you just put your whole family on it. So anybody who lives in your household can be on your Life Flight membership.

Cassie (37:06) I think it's a great thing to have. A lot of people I didn't realize how many people actually had it.

Scott Benner (37:11) AIRMED care? Is that what it's called? Network? Global

Cassie (37:14) Well, it just it depends because, like, we have both in the state, we have both Life Flight and we have Airlift Northwest. So ours is through Airlift Northwest.

Scott Benner (37:22) Okay.

Cassie (37:23) Yeah. So it just depends on the the provider. So you would have to kinda check into, like, if you were gonna look into that.

Scott Benner (37:29) Oh, there's a number of them. Yeah. There's a number of them. Life Flight Network, lifeflight.org. Mhmm.

Scott Benner (37:35) I'm just gonna go to lifeflight.org just so I can have it. Air Medical, $85, annual membership from Lifeflight. FireMed Ground, annual membership from FireMed Ground. Air plus FireMed Ground. This is, like, less than $200 for all this.

Scott Benner (37:49) Mhmm. And there is something about Oregon here. Oregon Air Transport, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii. This is probably a bigger deal in places where stuff's more spread out, I guess.

Cassie (38:01) Right. Yeah. Exactly.

Scott Benner (38:02) Because you can fall out my front door and go to four

Cassie (38:04) hospitals. Hospitals. Right. Right.

Scott Benner (38:06) Yeah. Yeah.

Cassie (38:06) Yeah. Yeah. We've got them here. I mean, our community is pretty big. Yeah. It's really weird.

Cassie (38:11) Like, we're the size of a big city, but it's just a gigantic small town. Mhmm. So we just don't have a lot of the amenities that some of the other areas have.

Scott Benner (38:19) What?

Cassie (38:20) Yeah. So he was flown up there. I was supposed to be able to go with him. So I ran home to pack a bag because, like I said, we're only six blocks away. And then when I get back, then my husband breaks it to me.

Cassie (38:31) Oh, yeah. You don't get to fly with him. You have to drive up behind him. Yeah. Because they have a training nurse on, and the training nurse is in your seat.

Cassie (38:40) And I was like, that's rude.

Scott Benner (38:42) It's okay. We'll meet you there. Did you and your husband drive together?

Cassie (38:46) No. So he stayed here with the other two boys, and I went up. And so I think he landed up there around two in the afternoon. I was up there by thirty, 06:00 because I ended up coming home and showering. I was like, well, at least I I can at least do that for myself.

Cassie (39:04) I'll shower.

Scott Benner (39:05) Did you think he was in, like, mortal danger, or did you not have that feeling?

Cassie (39:09) No. I didn't. We thought he had a stomach bug.

Scott Benner (39:12) Wait. Even when they're life flighting him and they're telling you diabetes, you're not believing it? Or did you mean you thought he had a stomach bug prior to going to the hospital?

Cassie (39:21) I guess I thought we thought he had a stomach bug going to the hospital.

Scott Benner (39:24) Okay.

Cassie (39:25) I didn't think he was in mortal danger, but I didn't I guess I just didn't understand what it was. Mhmm. So then he's up there, and he's he's in the PICU. And, thankfully, he was only there overnight. I mean, a lot of kids stay a lot longer than him.

Cassie (39:40) He recovered very quickly.

Scott Benner (39:42) That's good.

Cassie (39:43) So he was admitted Monday. He was released Tuesday. They allowed us to go home Tuesday evening.

Scott Benner (39:52) Okay. Did they fly him back or you drive?

Cassie (39:55) No. We drove back.

Scott Benner (39:56) Okay. Yeah. Did you shave your legs in the shower?

Cassie (39:59) I did not.

Scott Benner (40:00) Good. I think that's fine though. I think if you told me you shaved your legs, I'd be like, this lady wasn't really grasping the situation.

Cassie (40:06) Nope. Nope. I sure did not. Okay. I did not.

Scott Benner (40:09) I'm okay with that then, I guess.

Cassie (40:10) Yep. No. I just went home and then I just changed into clean clothes. But then, course, by the time I got to the hospital, like, I was so sweaty anyway. I'm like, it doesn't even matter.

Scott Benner (40:18) What's the point of all this?

Cassie (40:19) What was the point of that anyway?

Scott Benner (40:21) Do you have that feeling like I should prep myself before I go to the hospital? The shower weirds me out a little bit, Cassie. That's why I'm asking.

Cassie (40:30) No. I just like, I had it was like the stress sweat thing. So I felt like I'd already slept overnight. Yeah. I was in pajamas, essentially.

Cassie (40:40) I felt so gross. I'm like, nobody's gonna want to sit next to this person in a hospital room. Mhmm. Like, I need to at least be kind.

Scott Benner (40:48) Being polite. Yeah. Yeah.

Cassie (40:49) Yeah. And, like, just at least clean my body before I go. No. That's that's that was it. That was I just did not wanna smell sweaty.

Scott Benner (40:55) My father-in-law has passed on now, but I'll tell this story real quickly. He he had a heart attack. I think it's the only heart attack he ever had, but he had a heart attack. He's having a heart attack. His fingers were going numb from the heart attack.

Scott Benner (41:07) Like, he put Neosporin on his fingers. That was what he did there. And then when he realized he probably had to go to the hospital, he would not let my mother-in-law take him to the hospital before he showered because Oh, no. He doesn't leave the house without showering.

Cassie (41:20) I see.

Scott Benner (41:20) So I didn't know if it was that level of crazy or if it was something. No. Okay. You were just dirty. I gotcha.

Scott Benner (41:26) Okay. And

Cassie (41:27) really, I mean, I was looking at it as, well, he's already without me. So taking an extra ten minutes really isn't going to make that big of a difference.

Scott Benner (41:36) Plus you have two other kids if something happens to them.

Cassie (41:39) Yeah. And and, of course, they didn't grasp the situation either. So it's like as soon as I walk back in the door

Scott Benner (41:46) It all resets for them a little bit. Right? They're like, you're back.

Cassie (41:50) Yeah. And they just don't get it. And they're like, well, where is he? And I'm like, well, you know, he's left. And, of course, the helicopter flies right over our house as it leaves.

Scott Benner (41:57) Really? Oh, you said it was close. That's right. Yeah.

Cassie (42:00) Yeah. So their flight path is right over the top of the house. So we see them come and go. Sometimes it's, like, five times a day, and sometimes it's not. And so, like, I had texted our oldest.

Cassie (42:10) I'm like, hey. Your brother's helicopter's leaving if you wanna look. Right? But then, of course, I walk in the house, and he's like, hey. So, like, can we go to the Lego store today?

Cassie (42:20) And I'm like, okay. Your brother I'm trying to be as nice as possible here. Now we can understand. Your brother has been taken in a helicopter to a hospital in Spokane because he's very, very, very ill. We cannot go to the LEGO store today.

Cassie (42:35) We can't. And he's like, oh, wow. Gosh. Well, like, are you gonna be home tonight? And I'm like, no.

Scott Benner (42:40) Because I need that Thanos glove pretty badly.

Cassie (42:43) So I'm like, no. We're not gonna be home tonight. Your dad will be home tonight, but I'm not gonna be home tonight.

Scott Benner (42:49) Right.

Cassie (42:49) So he stayed home. We could have asked grandma to stay with the kids, but it just felt so confusing for them that he decided it would be fine if he stayed, and then he did drive up the next day. So he was up to us in the morning. Mhmm. We actually started education.

Cassie (43:05) They had come in right about 09:00, and we were already sitting down with a diabetic educator. So we actually were on speakerphone, and so my husband's listening while he's driving up our through the first education session.

The End of Part One

Scott Benner (43:19) Yeah. How did you find them? How was the in hospital education for you?

Cassie (43:23) It was great.

Scott Benner (43:24) Good.

Cassie (43:25) It was great. It was like, it was so simple, but a lot of the education that they use gosh. I wanna say it came from a children's hospital in Arizona was the like, they had some YouTube videos that they had shown us that explained, like, what is a pancreas? How does it work? How does insulin work?

Cassie (43:46) How does blood sugar work? All these things. And so you watch these little clips as you went through the education, and it just felt so basic that it was easy to understand. I had started working through that overnight while he was sleeping. And then, you know, you're reading about insulin, and you have to give insulin when they're eating and you know?

Cassie (44:06) So when they finally come in, he finally wakes up. He's hungry, and it's probably I don't know. I think they let him eat at, like, 04:30 in the morning. And she's like, okay. Well, we're gonna we're gonna give, the insulin.

Cassie (44:19) This is the carb ratio that the doctor has set. And, of course, by the time I got there, the doctor had been in, but I missed him. So I didn't get to see them till the next morning. So it hadn't really been fully explained. So then she's going to give him his first shot of Humalog.

Cassie (44:32) And I was like, okay. So how long do we have to do this for? And she goes, oh, have you not seen the doctor yet? And I was like, no. I didn't get here until, like, 05:30.

Cassie (44:42) And she goes, yeah. Okay. So he has to do this for the rest of his life. And I was like, okay.

Scott Benner (44:49) You didn't know that at that moment.

Cassie (44:50) I at that moment, I didn't know that. Even from reading the literature, I hadn't grasped that yet. Mhmm. Yeah. So

Scott Benner (44:59) Wow. That's really a lot. Do you know what I mean? Like, just a ton to be dropped on somebody all at once.

Cassie (45:06) It was yeah. It is a lot. It's a lot.

Scott Benner (45:09) And how do you feel like you made out in the weeks after? Like and I'm talking about the first month or so, you've got the information that the hospital gave you. You're coming online from not understanding diabetes at all to your new understanding? Like, what was the first bit of it like? When did you realize that you needed to go find more information?

Scott Benner (45:35) This 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.

Scott Benner (45:48) Head now to tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox and check out today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care.

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Scott Benner (46:04) This episode of the Juice Box podcast was sponsored by US Med, usmed.com/juicebox, or call (888) 721-1514.

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Scott Benner (46:44) Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast.

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