Scott Benner 11/14/22 Scott Benner 11/14/22

#789 Important Things to Know About Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection)

Scott and Jenny discuss the important things to know about Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection)

Learn more or get started today with Gvoke

You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or wherever they get audio.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.

On today's podcast Jenny Smith and I will be talking about G voc hypo pet, we'll go over the construction of the device, its operation, where on the body you can use Chivo Capo pen. We'll also talk about when to start thinking about using glucagon. We'll talk about the people in your life that you should tell about your diabetes and see if they'd be willing to help you in an emergency. And if you should have to use Jeeva hypo pen, what do you do next? All of that and more on this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. G voc hypo pen has no visible needle and is a premixed auto injector of glucagon for treatment of very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Find out more go to Jeeva glucagon.com forward slash juicebox G voc shouldn't be used in patients with insulinoma or pheochromocytoma. Visit G voc glucagon.com/risk. Before we get started today, I would like to tell you that xirrus has paid the host of this podcast that's me Scott Benner and his guest, Jennifer Smith, a fee to create this content. Hey, Jenny, how are you? I'm great. How are you? Scott? Thank you. I appreciate you doing this with me today. Of course, I have to say a couple of things here. We don't usually do this together. But nothing that is said here constitutes advice, medical or otherwise, always consult with a health care professional before making changes to a health care plan. Okay, Jenny, you're never here for that part.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 1:51
I'm not usually I'm assuming you just add that in at some point. Right?

Scott Benner 1:56
That is what happens. G voc is a prescription injection for the treatment of very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Do not use if you have a specific type of adrenal or pancreatic tumor, starvation, chronic low blood sugar, or allergy to evoke High Blood Pressure hyperglycemia and serious skin rashes can occur. Call your doctor or get medical help right away. If you have a serious allergic reaction including rash, difficulty breathing or low blood pressure. Visit Jeeva glucagon.com/risk for more information. So I know you know this but a lot of people listening might not know that on December 31 2022. After decades on the market, Eli Lilly and Company is discontinuing distribution of their glucagon emergency kit. Yes, they are. So we're talking about the I mean, the one everybody must have right, the little red kit with a powder in it. And you Yep. What do you

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:52
do? Absolutely. The the old time I've had many, many of them over the years and all of them have gone in the garbage as of the expiration that's on the package, and then I just refill it.

Scott Benner 3:04
We used to give them to art in school so the nurses could practice with them. That's a great idea. Yeah. Having said that, a lot of that's not necessary anymore, because there have been a lot of innovations in the glucagon market. For instance, jeuveau hypo pen where I'm holding the pen right now I have a trainer pen. It's not the actual one. I know you have it too. I do. This thing is super simple in terms of administration. So we're gonna go over how it works in just a minute. It's a pre mixed and ready to use glucagon option that has a reliable method of delivering during critical moments of severe hyperglycemia. So now because the glucagon emergency kit has been discontinued, people who have that Eli Lilly g k prescription will need to be prescribed a different option. Yes, you should talk to your healthcare provider about your options. But we're here today to talk about G voc hypo pen, because I think it's a terrific option. It is the glucagon that my daughter carries.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:56
Yes, it's also one that I have in the cupboard and multiple other places in my home. I travel with it. So it's great.

Scott Benner 4:06
You have it in your on your person when you leave the house. I do. Yes. Okay. Arden does as well. And I have to say that this is the first time in I don't know how long 14 or 15 years of diabetes that art has actually been able to travel with glucagon because of Jeeva hypo Penn's simple two step administration. Chico Kibo plan is designed for trained and untrained individuals to successfully use in emergency situations. People can even self administer G voc in certain situations. It allows diabetics and their loved ones to treat severe low blood sugar emergencies with confidence. G Bo Capo pen is a ready to use rescue pen that everyone on insulin would benefit from. G voc shouldn't be used in patients with pheochromocytoma or insulinoma visit je voc Luca don.com/risk. It's gonna seem like I read that and I probably did, but I actually mean it seriously We're going to talk about the build of the pen. How it's used, which maybe couldn't be. I mean, like I said, two steps, there's not a lot to talk about.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:08
It's very simple.

Scott Benner 5:09
Yeah, yeah, we're actually going to talk about where you can use it on the body, and a lot else. So you have your pen in front of you.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:17
I, yes, it's actually just underneath my desk here. Let me grab it. What else is under your desk? Well, you know, I have a riser desk with a treadmill underneath it. So I have, you know, a desk space underneath to be able to pull out multiple things while I'm talking to people. And educating Well, you know, you have to be right. Otherwise, I'm like, I have to run out of the room for this, right? That's not helpful.

Scott Benner 5:41
No, so you have yours, I have mine. These are trainer pens, they're not real, but they're, you know, a facsimile of what you get when you use Chivo type of pen. So, I mean, it's about the length of a pen, and width of a tiny cigar, maybe, you know, a half inch maybe around,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:58
there's actually say simply, it's kind of about the size of an insulin pen. Honestly, like, you know, the barrel of it seems to be about like, and in terms of a pen size, you're right. It's like a thick marker, almost.

Scott Benner 6:12
Yeah, that's a great way to put it, it's like it's like a marker size. There's a window on it. So that you can see after the glucagon has been administered, I'm looking at Jenny holding it up, and a red cap on the end. So it is cap off. Then you see this yellow, and to it, you find a place on the body to use the pen. Now here's where you can use it on the front, abdomen left and right under your belly button. Yes, top to your thighs and upper arms. Press down. The window gets read once it's done administering. And that's it. It's in. That's pretty.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:50
I love the fact that you can also hear

Scott Benner 6:54
the clicks. Yeah.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:56
As it's working, right? You pull the red cap off, like you said, put it in the location. And you hear the click. And that's it's a great way. And then I love the viewing window. The fact that you can actually see when it's completely read and done. It's It's wonderful to know that it was completely lost. And then of course, counting to five. Once you see that is the next kind of important step.

Scott Benner 7:21
Right? Well, I have to say the minute I saw it, I thought my daughter can finally carry glucagon with her. Yes. I mean, I don't know how it's been for other people. But it was hard to find people in her life, to train to use glucagon. And now it's, I mean, it's, it just couldn't be easier. We Arden just moved into college. And we got her roommates together at a lunch and went over all of this not one confused face, nobody was like, Wait, I don't understand, you know, they don't see a needle. So that keeps them calm. You know, there's people who are not accustomed to using insulin, not accustomed to seeing needles. And these are the people who might be helping you when you need help.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 8:01
Correct the fact that there's no mixing, there's nothing additional you have to do to utilize this, like, you know, it's just pull it off, stick it in the right part of the body and click and count to five. That's pretty, pretty nice, especially from the fact of, you know, the the age group of people using this is to and up. Correct. So when we kind of look at that in terms of training people, both trained and untrained, if you'll call them professional versus unprofessional, clinician, et cetera, et cetera. It's a great device that you don't have to see anything. That's scary.

Scott Benner 8:42
Well, I'll share a story from right after Arden was diagnosed, we went to the food court and tried to do I think Arden had had diabetes for like six months, and everything was going like really well, we thought. So we got kind of heavy and gave her some food court Chinese food. And we got home put her down for a nap, she was only two. And a little while later, we heard this grunting coming out of her bedroom. And when I went in there, it took me a minute to figure out that she was having a seizure. So I picked her up and brought her out to where Kelly was, and we later on the floor. And I pulled out that red box. And I froze. We really did. She had only had diabetes for six months. And the extent of what I knew about glucagon back then was that my doctor said, Here, take this, you'll never need it. Don't worry. And I thought when I heard that I was like, Well, there's one thing I don't need to know about right? But you really need to know about how to use your glucagon. And I learned it that day. We were very lucky to get Arden out of it with a glucose gel inside of her cheeks. But I mean, I was gonna say for the life of me but for her life I couldn't figure out

Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:50
how to and that's always a first step right. The first step is to try to get some simple sugar into the person or to be able to take it yourself But in the case that it's not going to work, and you could tell whether it's a finger stick or Now thankfully, we can see information on a CGM, then having GVL Capo pen would be a great thing to have with you.

Scott Benner 10:13
Yeah. Well, it's definitely I like you making that point. Because, you know, you don't use glucagon every day. It's, it's an emergency situation. And, you know, how do you figure out when that situation is real, especially in the beginning, before you have a lot of context for how quickly blood sugar's fall and rise? And you don't really know, you know, in the beginning, you don't really know like, did a Bolus like three hours ago lead to this is this you know, sometimes it feels like it's magical that your blood sugar is dropping and falling? Right. So let's talk about that for a couple of minutes. How do we know when to make the decision? What do you tell people?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 10:49
Yeah, that's a very good question. Well, again, as I just said, if you have treated with simple sugar, and you are following your CGM, or I always recommend trying to also do finger stick. But because we do know that CGM can lag a little bit, especially in the low blood sugar range, finger stick to be able to tell whether your glucose is coming back up. And if you are not thinking clearly enough to be able to make sense of your glucose data, then that's a time to use G Volkow pen, for example, right? Because if you don't know enough, but you know where this product is, it's better to use it. Other you know, situations for your caregivers, or the loved ones who you might have trained to use this product. Obviously, if you won't take something that somebody is offering you, that's the time for them to use this, right. And you know, all the symptoms and everything that come with hypoglycemia, some people get very angry and combative, and combative, exactly. That's don't try to feed somebody utilize this process.

Scott Benner 12:09
In a minute, I'm going to share a story that we have from more recently, which my daughter has come on the program and already shared back on another episode, but it begs repeating here for this. But for now, we have people around us, right? So not only do we need to know when to use the glucagon personally, right? If you're if you're an adult living with type one, or if you're the caregiver of someone, like wins that moment, and that moment, you know, if people are incapable taking things on their own, and they're being combative, you know, you have us you see a super low blood sugar you test and you see 20 And they can't drink or help themselves. This is the time right. It's it. Yeah, it's an emergency device. I know that's going to be a more difficult thing to decide when you're by yourself. I think I've taught Arden to err on the side of caution. Yes, she's by herself. Yes. You know, I said if you feel like you're going away, and you can't eat any type of sugar products, and things are getting confusing, you need to do it. It's in her bag that she carries with her everywhere. I have Chivo hypo pen in her side table in her dorm room. Everyone she lives with knows how to use it. The explanation we gave them and this becomes tricky because they are not diabetes mavens. Right? They don't know. No. So So we talked a little bit about Listen, insulin makes Arden's blood sugar go down. She could get confused pass out, you know, sweaty, faraway look in her face. You know, we went through a lot of ideas about how they could notice we show they all the common symptoms. Yeah, we showed her how we showed them how her her CGM works. One of the girls in the room follows Arden on a CGM. That's great. Yeah. And they know how to use her meter. Now, after so many years of diabetes, why did we go to that much trouble? Well, you know, it's because Arden had a seizure a couple of months ago before she left for college. So she's told the story on the podcast somewhere else. But I'm going to tell it to you in a brief way, because I'm really good at using insulin. And so as Arden and Arden uses an algorithm that tries to help her from getting low, and she hasn't been low like that since she was three years old. But it's still happened. And we weren't home. My wife and I were actually at my son's college graduation of all things. My daughter couldn't come with us because she had her prom. So a full day of activities, not a lot of food. I think they ate a meal at like 3am I don't think it was exactly good food that they had at 3am Her blood sugar's look terrific all day. If at two o'clock in the morning, you would have said to me Arden's going to get severely low four hours from now, I would not have believed it. Right. I just wouldn't have

Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:55
from looking at the data the way that it was and how everything had been trending thus far. You You wouldn't have expected it but there are probably a lot of variables in the picture.

Scott Benner 15:03
Well, what ended up happening was she had a meal about an hour after I finally went to sleep. She Bolus not a lot she knew not to give herself much but it was just was just too much. So, CGM beeps. My wife wakes me up. I call Arden on the phone. Hey, Arden, your blood sugar's low drink a juice, no different than any other time. She said, Okay. She drank the juice. I know she drank the juice. I said, Okay, go back to bed. And then I started getting ready for my day. And just a few minutes before it was time for me to get in the shower. Keeping in mind we're going to my son's college graduation. I think to myself, let me just look at Arden's blood sugar one more time. And I open it up and it just says low. So I call her back real quick. And she answers the phone. And I think Oh, great. And she says, Hello, but she sounded different. Like her voice sounded far away. And I said, Aren't you're low, you're really low drink another juice. And she goes, what? Am I garden? You're really low drink another juice. What? And that was it. She kept saying what I can't. What? And I know that juice was right next to her. So now I realize I'm I'm three hours away. And I know Arden's about to have a seizure. There are three of her friends, lifelong girlfriends in that living room sleeping around or on the floor. And I don't know what to do. So I scream as loud as I can into the phone. I started yelling the girls names because I tried to get Arden to say their names, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't. I was like Arden who's in the room with you. What? Who's there is Olivia there say Olivia's name. Nothing is Nadia there say Nadia name. Nothing. I knew not to say Sandra's name because she sleeps really heavy. And and so I started screaming. And then I heard Nadia stand up and say what do I do? And I said try to get her to drink a juice. So I can't see what's happening. Okay, okay, they're opening the juice up. They had switched handbags for the prom. So things were moved around. Then I hear Olivia's voice, what do I do? I say go to the drawer in the kitchen with all the diabetes supplies, get GVO Capo pen, it's in a pouch, rip the pouch open, be ready because of this juice doesn't work. You guys are going to administer this glucagon. And she's like, okay, okay. Okay. These are girls that have been around her her whole life. And if I wasn't there to talk them through it, I still don't know if they would have been okay. You know. And that's why it means so much to me to do this. And to explain to people that you, you can't just say to somebody, Hey, I have diabetes, and I might get low, but it probably won't happen. If it does and hold up the pouch and say use this, you know, you have to really make sure that they understand the significant nature of absolutely, you know, every time

Jennifer Smith, CDE 17:53
I throw one away on expiration and get the new one. I mean, my husband has heard this story so many times like this is what this is for it is right here. This is where we keep it we've always kept it in the same places. One is in the near his side nightstand and the other one is in the kitchen in the cupboard. The one in the kitchen in the cupboard is the one that comes in and out of the house with me. Whenever I'm going out, you know, biking to the park or biking around town or whatever with my boys. It goes in my backpack. My fourth grader knows exactly what it is. I've shown it to him. The little video online that actually shows pop the red cap off, push it in this part of mommy's body. No. But every time I bring it home, I go over that. Just as a review. Now that the product has changed from that old school Lily kit, right? This one being much simpler. I just go over this is where it is. This is when to use it.

Scott Benner 18:56
Now so prior to G vocab open, did your four year old know how to give you glucagon?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:00
Oh, my goodness. And I would have never expected I mean, I think that at this point. I think could I have trained my fourth grader on using the old school kit? I could have. They also know the other you know really important things 911 Dad's number on the phone and I our neighbors are typically on one side or the other usually always home within the daytime at least. I mean, they know some of the other really important pieces to do as well. But I don't think that I would have ever been I didn't I never trained them using the old kit. Because it's that's too much for a child of that age. In my opinion. It's it is

Scott Benner 19:47
I had trouble training adults with it. So because it's nice to say I'll be okay, but as an example during Arden's event, one of her three friends froze. Right she just froze was if it was just her, she would not have been able to help her. I mean, I maybe could have continued to talk her through it. But she was just, it's funny. And of the three of them. That's the one I thought would have been. I asked hardest. Yeah. And I got it. And instead, one of the girls who, you know, has been through some stuff in her life just sealed up and she's like, I got it. So now they're holding the hypopyon. And I said, they're like, are we gonna do this? And I'm like, is she drinking the juice? And she said, Yes. And the juice was going in and she was shaking and like elbowing the chair that she was in like, wildly. She was scratching herself with her nails from her prom. It was terrible. But she came out of it. She she had these big nails they had she had a rhinestones put on like fancy. Yeah, the rhinestone scratched her arms when she was kind of flailing around. So she started to come out of it. And we did not have to use the eyebrow pen. But it's great. We were we were it was there. I mean, I'm right. I'm like, open the package. This is it. If we don't see something in 30 seconds, we're doing this. So you know, luckily, she came out of it without it. But because of Jeevan hypo pen, I have very little doubt that one of those two girls could have done it. No trouble at all. Correct? Yeah, absolutely. G voc shouldn't be used in patients with pheochromocytoma or insulinoma. Visit G voc glucagon.com/risk. Please stay tuned for more important safety information at the end of this podcast. So then that kind of like brings us to Who do you tell? It's not just your son and your husband and your best friend who's going to be with you at your prom? You could be at a job. You could be at school, like we have. And then do you tell like you listen from my perspective? Jenny? You tell people. Correct. But do you think people do that?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 21:47
That's a really? It's a good question. I know that. My very good friends also knew at least about the old school kit. Right? They did they knew about it. Could they have used it? Maybe I took it with me to college. In fact, I had one in my backpack. I had one that stayed in my dorm room. My RA knew about it knew where it was in my room. My roommates all knew that I had diabetes. Some of them I knew previously. Some of them were brand new to me, and I just got to know them. But I don't know how many people honestly tell people I would guess that more kids and teens. Their parents tell a lot of people about using it, whether it's the school or their coaches or their PE teacher, their kids best friends that they're going to go over and have a sleepover or a birthday party at. But I think that if I had to estimate the number of people that may not tell enough people about it

Scott Benner 23:05
are adults. Yeah, that's what I'm worried about, like not wanting to tell people at work that you have diabetes even correct. Somebody's got to know, you know,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 23:12
right, right. I mean, I've had jobs in the past where I did not work within this field. Right, you know, going to college and whatnot. I mean, my, my job in high school, I worked at a PC believe this or not worked at an ice cream and candy shop. Great place. Right?

Scott Benner 23:32
That sounds good to me.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 23:33
I did I did bring my kit to work with me. My boss did know that I had it. But I don't know that I reviewed that more than one time in the whole number of years that I work there. Right. So

Scott Benner 23:51
well, I so I'm here to say I hope you tell people I hope that you get to vote hypo pan. It's you know, like you said the form factor. It's easy to carry. Tell people yes pick, please pick somebody you trust at work or at school or a teacher and make sure they know make sure. I think at high school like for example or in grade school people throughout the building. We want people throughout the building, not just one person that you know, you may or may not be with at the time,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 24:20
correct? Absolutely. And that may be you know, in grade school, middle school, you may only have a couple of people to talk to about it. But once you get to that high school age and or a college those are that's a lot of people moving around room to room classroom to classroom. You know, in college, I remember talking to each professor each semester and telling them you know, I might be eating in class because of this or if this happens, obviously, you know, call emergency and I have this thing I carry around in my backpack. This is what this is for.

Scott Benner 24:59
So you It occurs to me while we're talking. I bet you most people don't even know the process that happens after you inject the glucagon, do you think they think that what's in the pen makes your blood sugar go up? Because what really happens?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:14
Right? Yeah, that's Yeah, that's actually interesting consideration because I think most people probably do think that that's just, it's almost, I guess people might think that it's sort of like sugar just being pushed into the body.

Scott Benner 25:31
Right. But will you share with people what it's actually doing?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:34
Yeah, essentially, it's allowing your body to push out, its stored glucose sources into the body, right? It's creating enough oomph to actually bring out what your, what a normal body would typically do that, that pump and flow kind of between insulin and glucagon in the body, that helps to keep your blood sugar where it's supposed to go. So this actually helps to increase that delivery into the body and brings blood sugar up very quickly. Which is lovely.

Scott Benner 26:13
If I had to hypo pens, and I injected it into someone who was having a seizure unconscious, how long do I wait before I think, should I do it again, and is doing it again, the right thing to do? I mean, by then we've called 911, and everything, but how many times can you do it?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 26:29
By then? And I know that the typical is twice, right. So if once has not worked, that's why you get to high bullpens

Scott Benner 26:37
at a time when you get a prescription, yeah, when you get a prescription.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 26:41
So if obviously, it's also the reason that you call medical as soon as the first one is given you call 911 right away. And if the person does not come around, within about 15 minutes, then we do a second injection of G voc hypo pen.

Scott Benner 27:00
So there it is, right. We're in an emergency situation. If people can try sugary snacks or something they can I want to mention here not to force food into someone's mouth. Who's having a rancher? Because you they could aspirate. Right. Right? Yeah. So glucose gel on the cheek, you know, but if you're trying to squirt, you know, juice into someone's mouth, and it's running out the corners, you're going to choke them, you're not going to help

Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:26
them. No, right? No, that is not going to help them.

Scott Benner 27:30
So we said, we've used geolocate bullpen. And there's some steps to take, right? We're going to call 911. Correct right away, but the person needs to be rolled onto their side. Correct, okay, because,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:42
because the because they may vomit after the G Volk has been delivered. And essentially, it may cause some vomiting after blood sugar levels start to rise. And so you want to turn them on their side so that they don't essentially aspirate,

Scott Benner 28:01
okay. And even if you've got a Hypo pan helps the patient to wake up, we're still gonna call for 911,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:06
you still always just deliver it and call 911. That's what I've always told everybody, including my husband.

Scott Benner 28:15
Do we call our doctor afterwards and let them know this happened?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:18
Yes, absolutely. Because either it was a one time. And you you know, in your example, with Arden, you know, some of the variables that went into that, right, you have an idea that her doses are 99.9% of the time. They're right, they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. However, it's important to let your physician know, because they can also assess the data and help to evaluate and see, well, maybe there are some trends that you haven't seen yourself, and maybe some dose adjustment needs to be made. And if so, they're the ones to help you with that.

Scott Benner 28:58
So afterwards and someone wakes back up, does its job, you're awake again. You need to eat now Arden's thing like I said has even though in my heart, it felt like it took 20 minutes it was only a couple of minutes the entire thing. And finally one of her other friends woke up and I was like, Go get her some bread, something you know to eat, like something will sit in her stomach because she had had a couple of juices by then. And, and then was actually very funny because I know in the moment it wasn't funny, but going back later the one girl's like rooting around in the refrigerator. And I hear Olivia go, why are you in the refrigerator? You know they have a breadboard. We've been coming to this house for 10 years. Why are you looking for the bread in the refrigerator? She's like I'm sorry,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 29:42
I don't know I'm Oh, she was just flustered. She's

Scott Benner 29:45
like we keep the bread in the refrigerator at home so I can hear all this happening. Our artists waking up she's making sense you know, everything is okay. But you know, we got solid food into her after that.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 29:57
Right and I think an important piece To put in as well as that one low, especially a serious low such as this one. Another piece to teach is that another low could come, if you're not careful, you know, within a couple of hours are within the same day, it's very common to have a significant low and then potentially have another significant low. So it's really important, you know that you kind of lay low, right, don't go out for a 10 mile run four hours later.

Scott Benner 30:37
Maybe the rest of the day. Yes, the rest of the day is about relaxing. Well, that's what the girls did. So they had been asleep for two hours, right in the last 24 hours, and they couldn't they were all jacked up, they couldn't go back to sleep. So they just stayed awake. And it was it was I'm not gonna lie like it took more than a couple of days to bounce back from it psychologically. It was it was difficult for I'm sure

Jennifer Smith, CDE 30:57
it was absolutely.

Scott Benner 31:00
So I think you just need to, you need to be ready, you need to know what to do the people around you need to know what to do. And that's why we're doing this, about storing Jeeva Capo pen store in a sealed original foil pouch until the time of use so the pen I'm holding here would come in a pouch and the pouch actually has directions on it and they're really duds and they're good I have them here in front of me somewhere Do you have them too?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 31:22
I do the picture is very clear. Which is wonderful to see and very simple and there's not a lot of like intricate detail that makes it like you need a magnifying glass to read it but yes the directions are right on the package which makes it nice for somebody you know even though you're not going to see a needle or anything like the older kit and you may have instructed caregivers their loved ones already in that moment. It's nice to have a visual of Oh yes, I remember I do this picture I do this picture and this it's it's nice.

Scott Benner 32:00
I'm looking at it right here it's simple it says number one prepare tear open pouch on dotted line remove autoinjector pull off red cap, choose injection site and expose the skin push down on skin to start hold down for five seconds. Then the window turns red, turn the person on their side call 911

Jennifer Smith, CDE 32:18
Correct and I think you use you said something really important there expose the skin. You do not want to inject this through clothing expose the skin pull the clothes away if you have to pull somebody's pants down or pull their shirt off or whatever it is. This is necessary do not put it through the clothing

Scott Benner 32:39
I appreciate you saying that yes more about storage information so it stays in the foil pouch till time of use stored at room temperature between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and you do not refrigerate or freeze it correct

Jennifer Smith, CDE 32:53
just shelf stable

Scott Benner 32:55
yes selfs just shelf stable there's just what did I just say? Jess shelf stable. That's what I tried to say yeah did not come out did it? She voc is a prescription injection for the treatment of very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Do not use if you have a specific type of adrenal or pancreatic tumor starvation, chronic low blood sugar or allergy to evoke High Blood Pressure hyperglycemia and serious skin rash can occur. Call your doctor or get medical help right away. If you have a serious allergic reaction, including rash, difficulty breathing or low blood pressure. Visit Chivo glucagon.com/risk for more information. There's great information about Chivo hypo pen online. So Jeeva glucagon.com, you can use my link to vote glucagon.com forward slash juicebox Chivo glucagon.com. Forward slash risk all kinds of information. And throughout this episode I'm going to put put some of that safety information in here so people can can hear it as they're going.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:01
And there's a wonderful video online, just the intro video is super easy to watch. So if you physically want to, because the package is not, the package isn't clear, even though it shows you a picture of what it looks like. I think it's nice to see it being held in a hand what it actually looks like and go through the actual process. So it may be even something that you utilize. I've had a couple of parents who kind of use the video in school teaching, just to show makes Yeah, it makes it very visual when they can't have an open package because obviously you want to store it in the package.

Scott Benner 34:37
You know what after you leave me I'm going to at the end of this episode, I'll record a list of hypoglycemia symptoms. So that some case you're not in case you're listening and you're not sure. I'll go through a bunch of them for you so you can hear them there. That'd be great. Well, Jennifer, have we done it?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:54
I think we've done it. Yes.

Scott Benner 34:57
We're so good at this.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:59
Yeah, well You know, we've, we've talked often enough over the past couple of years that hopefully we would have covered things sufficiently. Yeah.

Scott Benner 35:07
Yeah. I appreciate you doing this with me very much. Because it just like I said, I, I didn't want to bring it up during the during this because it's your private stuff. But I know you've had like a low blood sugar, like through your life, and you've shared them on the podcast before. And the story you tell about, were you pregnant holding a younger child or something in a store? It's frightening to me. Oh, yeah. You know, because you're, because you're, you're so good at this. As you know what I mean? Like, that's the that's the thing, I guess I want to say to people, and I'll share this before we go. When I used to have to go into school every year and explain diabetes to Ardens. Teachers, I would tell them I'm not here explain to you everything that could go wrong, because it's definitely going to go wrong. Right. But it probably is. And when that time comes, I don't need you pulling out a piece of paper going. What do I do? What do I do? I want you to write I want you to react? Maybe it'll never happen. But I don't know. Right?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 36:08
Yeah. And if it does, then at least you have a plan and you've gone over it enough times that it's almost a second nature. Even if you've never used evoke hypo pen before you've gone over it enough that it becomes something that you plan to use. Even if you never

Scott Benner 36:26
do Yep. Danny thank you so much for doing this. Of course I'll see you soon. Sounds great. Fine. Before we go, here are some early symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Okay, some early symptoms of hypoglycemia, which of course is low blood sugar include sweating, drowsiness, dizziness, sleep disturbance, palpitations, anxiety, tremors, blurred vision, hunger, slurred speech, depressed mood, tingling in the hands, feet, lips or tongue, irritability, lightheadedness, abnormal behavior, inability to concentrate, unsteady movement, headache, or personality changes. If left untreated, these symptoms may progress to confusion, seizures, unconsciousness, and even death.

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

#788 Bold Beginnings: Family

Scott Benner 11/10/22 Scott Benner 11/10/22

#787 Big Feelings

Katy has a lot of big feelings.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 787 of the Juicebox Podcast.

On today's show, we'll be speaking with Katie, who has a child with type one diabetes. And there are some big feelings in this episode, hence the title, big feelings. I almost went with Katie's big feelings. And then I thought, no, no big feelings. It's better, shorter. I like it. While you're listening, please remember that nothing you hear that Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan, or becoming bold with insulin? Do you live in the United States of America and have type one diabetes or are the caregiver of someone with type one? If you do, and you are then you should fill out the survey AT T one D exchange.org. Forward slash use box. This will take you fewer than 10 minutes help people with type one diabetes might help you. It's definitely going to help me t one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box the survey takes 10 minutes to fill out. It's easy. The questions are simple. There are about diabetes, you can do it completely HIPAA compliant. Absolutely anonymous T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. You can find out all about the Contour Next One and just buy it online if you want to at contour next one.com forward slash juicebox. Great website, all the websites for the for the what do they call sponsors are actually terrific. Tons of information. But this one's next level, there's so much there contour next.com forward slash juice box. Today's show is also sponsored by in pen from Medtronic diabetes, if you want some of the functionality that you've heard about with an insulin pump, but you don't want an insulin pump, you can get it with the in pen from Medtronic diabetes in pen today.com To get started. You may pay as little as $35 for an in pen. I'll tell you more about that during the chat.

Katy 2:26
This is my first time doing a podcast so lying to

Unknown Speaker 2:29
me. No, I'm just kidding.

Katy 2:32
Yeah, you've done like 500

Scott Benner 2:35
You know that the first time I made a podcast, I was recording with a guy who was an American Idol contestant to hell had type one diabetes. And I thought like, I mean, in my mind, I launched my podcast like American Idol was big back then. Yeah. So I started this podcast, I put it up online this little like placeholder episode, like called microphone test or something like that. And then I was getting ready to make my first episode when I when this kid popped up on American Idol. And I like took a swing of getting them on and actually did it. So the very first time I ever recorded the podcast, that's who I had the interview. So I was nervous. Yeah, but I'm not nervous now. Are you?

Katy 3:27
Um, I a little like coming into it, but I knew it was coming. So I am somewhat relaxed, actually. Which is kind of strange. But yeah, I think I just kind of went into my, my, I take yoga. So I think I went into my, like my yoga breathing and just kind of went into my happy place. My name is Katie. I was born and raised in California. I live in Northern California, the Bay Area. Let's see.

Scott Benner 4:00
I spelled wrong Katie.

Katy 4:03
k, T Y.

Scott Benner 4:06
Four for three days. I look at it on my calendar. And I'm like, let her say her name first in case there's some like, hippie pronunciation here. But you just Yeah, it's caddy. Just kidding. No, no, like, I'm waiting to find out. Sorry, you're the parent of

Katy 4:27
it's actually really funny because my whole life I've always gotten Kathy, Kathy Caitlin. Catherine. And I'm always like, it's Katie. Katie why? But yeah, I got that a lot in elementary school. Okay, so I am 36 years old and I have two children and and a husband. I live in Yorkville, California. My kids are Griffin. He's 10 years old and Jackson, six years old.

Scott Benner 5:01
are their names all spelled correctly?

Katy 5:04
So Griffin is GRI FFI en and Jackson, J x o Ed.

Scott Benner 5:12
Are you immune to my sarcasm? Or are you just very?

Katy 5:17
Well, I'm pretty sarcastic myself, Okay,

Scott Benner 5:19
well, you're hitting me back when I say, All right, well, then I'll be careful.

Katy 5:23
I was born, I was raised in a pretty sarcastic family.

Scott Benner 5:27
I like that a lot. Which one of your children has type one.

Katy 5:31
So my older son, Griffin, he has type one diabetes. And he also has celiac. And he has, he's got a lot going on. Also some anxiety that we've been dealing with as well. But I'll try to stay just on the type one for the most part. So he was diagnosed when he was three and a half years old. July 11 2015. I was, I was eight months pregnant with his brother Jackson. And we had actually just had the baby shower for Jackson. I think it was two weeks prior to the diagnosis. And what happened was Griffin was he was very healthy for the first three and a half years. Hardly ever even got a cold. You know, I remember being around other families and their kids would sniffle and have a runny nose and all of that. And I felt kind of, you know, sort of like, you feel sort of proud. Yeah, absolutely. You're just like, well, I'm, I must be doing something right. You know, I breastfed I did not have an epidural with him.

Scott Benner 6:59
I don't know, weak children who pick up colds.

Katy 7:03
I just, you know, it's interesting, because your perspective, it changes so much. But yeah, I felt really good about it. But you know, what's interesting as well is that I remember, like, probably a few months before his diagnosis, having this kind of just like, odd feeling that

Unknown Speaker 7:28
I remember thinking, God, he's so healthy. He's so you know, like, it's like, everything's to so good with him. So,

Katy 7:36
he just does so well. He's so strong. And, and I remember thinking in my mind, like God would if something happens, like you got some childhood illness or something. And I thought, oh, that's just my mind. You know, just put that somewhere else.

Scott Benner 7:52
Like that happened to you with any frequency or was that a one time event, it was

Katy 7:58
kind of a one time thought it and sort of put that aside and, but I also do have, I have anxiety myself, I also have PTSD. So I have some things going on, within myself. So I do tend to worry a lot. So that wasn't like totally out of the norm for me, but it was kind of odd like it. It's always stuck with me that I had that that sort of feeling. But then so moving forward. You know, everything was going relatively well with my second pregnancy. And you know, I'd gotten over the morning sickness that I went through that with both of my babies. And so, you know, we're in the second trimester and getting into the third and feeling good. Um, he got croup kind of out of nowhere. And so you know, that's in the respiratory so he was really having a hard time breathing. I, I woke up in the middle of the night to him kind of gasping for for a breath. And I ran into his room and I was able to, like kind of soothe him and calm him down while I talked to the nurse brought him to the doctors, they gave him medicine for that. I think it was an oral steroid, of some sort. But anyway, so we took care of that and he seemed to be getting better. But I would say within about a month, I noticed weight loss could not stop drinking water. Ira remember at one point catching him in the bathroom, drinking out of the sink, and then excessive wetting the bed like I mean to To the point where I would have to change a bed twice in one night. So it was in he's kind of he kind of had had that going on he, I mean, he was three years old. So it wasn't, like, really out of the ordinary to wet the bed. But this seemed to be, you know, this was like alarm, it was more of a red flag type.

Scott Benner 10:27
Right? What did you so what did you do at that point?

Katy 10:31
So I, I remember, just kind of like the dot started to, you know, or, you know, I was starting to sort of like, connect these dots, but I did not know anything about type one diabetes. Now, I know that it is in the realm of autoimmune diseases, which auto immune diseases do run in my family, really, but I did, yes. But I had no idea what I knew there was different kinds of diabetes. My sister had a friend that was diagnosed at 17, that got very sick. So I knew that he had, the more serious, in my mind, it was the more serious one. And even though they're both serious, and so I knew there was like, one that was a bit more treatable, and one that was just like, you know, that was the more like, whoa, Steel Magnolia, you know? I understand. So I was like, you know, I, yeah, so I wasn't even going there. Because I really knew nothing about diabetes, no one in my family has diabetes. And in my husband's family, his father had type two, but it wasn't really talked about much. So nobody ever talked about what the symptoms were. So we, I, sorry, I, you know, I'm talking to my husband. And I remember talking to family members and people, you know, around Griffin, and just saying, like, this is odd. I talked to my mom on the phone. And you know, I'm, I'm a little concerned. And this just seems really weird. Like, why is he you know, and also he was very, he was starting to get very, like irritable those last days before the diagnosis. He was like, just not himself. And I was like, losing my patience. I remember at one point, I had to stop and buy him new shorts at a store, because we had gone to the park. And he'd went through everything in the you know, there were standing urine in his car seat, like when I took the car seat out. So it was it was pretty overwhelming. And so I talked to my dad the night before he was diagnosed. And I remember saying, like, these things are all really odd. And my dad, you know, is trying to make me feel better. And everybody's trying to make me feel better. And they all know, I worry a lot. So everybody's like, it's okay. He's just, you know, he's, you know, you're about to have a new baby, you know, there's all these things happening, like, you know, whatever. So

Scott Benner 13:15
a bunch of stuff that doesn't really say why we would pay for themselves over and over again and drink out. Yeah. It makes you feel better in the moment.

Katy 13:26
Yeah, but I my gut inside, like something I knew something was off. So we go to the fair on Saturday, and we're going to try to make Griffin feel better. And because we had gone to bear the year before he had so much fun. So we're like, this is going to be so fun. We bring him to the fair, we figured that'll cheer him up, we get an ice cream. And you know, oh my god, hindsight, I'm not a good, not a good call. We're trying to make him feel better. And he just was extremely lethargic. Like, couldn't even get out of the stroller. His eyes were all red underneath. He was looking very, he just was not looking good. I mean, now I look back on the photos and stuff. And it's, you know, it's hard to look at them because I can see how sick he was. But at the time, you know, I've got a big baby bump. And I've got a million things on my mind. And but that is kind of running in the back of my mind is like, Huh, what are these in? I'm trying to put the thing, you know, put the whatever together. And so I finally just, you know, I said mom, I think maybe because my my mother was there with us. I said I think maybe this is Do you think maybe it's a kidney infection or a bladder infection? I don't know. You know what it could be? Yeah. And my mom's like, I don't know. And I said, I'm gonna call the vice nurse right now. Like because I just Yeah, so I call the vice nurse standing in the middle of the fair. And I just, you know, I start saying the symptom gyms and the advice nurse. Their first response, you know, was, okay, well, let's Okay, these symptoms you have let's, let's get him in here tomorrow. So this is on a Saturday, he said, let's get him in here on Sunday at 11 o'clock. Let's get him in your, let's run some tests. And that's okay, that does that sound good. And I just right before we hung up, I go, I want to talk to an ER, Doctor, I want it please connect me to the emergency room department. I want to talk to someone else. So we got a an ER doctor on the line, and I was able to explain the symptoms. And that person, say, you know, that saved my son's life. He immediately said, Ma'am, we need you to get in the car. Take off, you know, like, just you'd need to get in a car right now. Have someone else drive if you need to. You need to get your son to an emergency room immediately. If he starts vomiting in the car, do this, this and this, you know, basically just like you gotta go now right? And I all he said was it sounds like it could be his blood sugar. And I don't know anything about that. So I my first instinct was the movie Steel Magnolias where she's shoving the straw in Julia Roberts mouth. So I'm thinking oh my gosh, does he need sugar? Is he is he is this low blood sugar? That's how little I know. Oh, really? Yeah. So I'm like, giving him more candy on the way to the hospital. And he's literally like going in and out of it. And and I'm like, have the gummy bear have the gummy bear? Because I that's this is what that's why I'm doing this podcast because I knew so little and because so many people know so little. And you know if I can at least like reach one person, then I'm, I'm happy with that.

Scott Benner 17:06
Katy. I wish. I wish I was there at that moment. Because what I would have said to you was Do you remember when? When Julia Roberts that little movie called Pretty Woman? I would have said to you do you really think that's how most hookers lives go? And she would have said No, probably not. I would have said Yeah. Right. Because movies are fake. And yeah. Right. And they're, and maybe we should listen to them by now. Oh, my God. So I have a ton of questions can can we wait a second? Let's let's put a pin in the car. I'm gonna draw a picture of a car and a candy wrapper so I know where we're at. And, and I want to go back and ask a number of different questions. So first other autoimmune issues in your extended family.

I'm ready, I'm ready. Here we go. Why are you using a blood glucose meter? That sucks? Why do you have a junky janky? Not accurate meter in your pocket or your bag? Why is your kid walking around with a meter that you can't trust? Have you looked into what accurate is where you get it from? What brands are best? I know you haven't. It's okay. That's why I'm here. I'm here to help you. I'm here to move you in the direction of the Contour. Next One blood glucose meter. You want easy to use, easy to carry able to see at night, a screen that is visible and accuracy. As a bonus with a Contour. Next One blood glucose meter, you get second chance test strips. Meaning if you should touch the blood, and like I don't know fumble around or whatever happens. You get some blood on the strip, but not enough. You go back and get the rest without impacting the accuracy of the test strip. We're wasting one second chance test strips. So what are you getting with a Contour Next One blood glucose meter, you're getting something that is so karibal Small enough to put it anywhere, but large enough that you can handle it well. A screen that you can view easily. And a nice bright light for nighttime viewing. And if you want to connect it to the app, you can and if you don't want to use their app, you don't have to but the apps helpful keeps a bunch of your information in there at you'll figure it out contour next one.com Ford slash juice box head over there. Now you can actually buy the supplies and the meter online for much less than you expect. There are links right on the website. And those links say it's going to be hard for you to remember what it says By now it says buy now in case you want to buy it right now. You click on that. You're looking at links for Amazon Walmart, Walgreens, CVS Kroger, Meijer target and Rite Aid just like that thing. bang, boom, you could probably have it done. Before I get on talking contour next one.com forward slash juice box, get yourself an accurate meter, please. You're buying one anyway, you might as well get a good one. All right, you want to dosing calculator, you want to know how much active insulin is remaining, you want to be able to see your glucose history reports, activity logs, dosing history, and a history of your meals. But you're using an insulin pen. So you think, Well, I can't I can't get that because I don't have a pump. But you can, you could get that with the ink pen from Medtronic diabetes, because in pen is connected to an app that shows you all of those things, including your current glucose. Ah, now you're interested, you're like, How could that happen? Well, you should go over to in pen today.com. To find out more. Once you're ready to try, just fill out the sheet there. It's like name, address, phone number, column, you know, a couple things hit submit, boom, you're on your way, then you get yourself an insulin pen that does more. In pen also has 24 hour Technical Support hands on product training, and an online educational resource. Did you know you may pay as little as $35 for an implant? Well, that's true because that Medtronic diabetes, they don't want cost to be a roadblock to you getting the therapy that you need. So with the implant access program, you may pay as little as $35 offers available to people with commercial insurance terms or conditions apply, of course, but it's very, very possible that this will be the case. So if you're looking for a lot of the convenience that comes with an insulin pump, without having to have an insulin pump, you're looking for the in pen from Medtronic diabetes in pen today.com. To get started in pen requires a prescription and settings from your healthcare provider, you must use proper settings and follow the instructions as directed. Or you could experience high or low glucose levels for your sick. For more safety information, visit in Penn today.com. I might just bleep that out. I just can't put I see this so much. How can I get that wrong? All right. Sorry, back to Katie. If you're looking for ways to support the podcast, clicking on my links for the advertisers is huge. So there are links in the shownotes of your podcast player links at juicebox podcast.com, where you can just type into your browser, the way I say it, like in pen today.com That's me write contour next.com forward slash juicebox. That allows them to know you came through me if you end up buying some test strips or a meter or anything else. They know their advertising is reaching you through the podcast. And that keeps the podcast plentiful and free for you. So I appreciate it when you do that.

Katy 22:51
Yes, my mom has rheumatoid arthritis. diagnosed, diagnosed I think late 30s, early 40s. But it didn't really kick in until like her 50s. And then I have a sibling that has an autoimmune condition as well. I would say it but I don't know. She's comfortable with me saying it. So it's just kind of like, Yeah, but so yeah, um, she's got an autoimmune condition. My mom has an auto immune condition. And then my grandmother has hypothyroidism. And so does my aunt. And I believe my great grandmother had Ra's. Well. And, you know, I don't I don't know anything on my dad's side. My dad was adopted. So I don't know his blood, like the blood history with him. My dad doesn't have anything autoimmune. So I'm thinking it comes more from my mom's side. And more from my side, you know, whatever.

Scott Benner 24:07
Right. Yeah. All right, twice. Yeah, your sisters that we're not going to say and to hide. Yeah, right. So do you have anything besides the anxiety?

Katy 24:17
Not that I know of. Yeah, not that I know of, but just really? Yeah, a lot of anxiety, a lot of anxiety. I was in a car accident when I was in high school, and I think that sparked up PTSD and anxiety. And then I went on that whole journey.

Scott Benner 24:36
I asked you prior to the car accident, did you ever feel that way?

Katy 24:40
No, not really, how are you very, I was 15.

Scott Benner 24:45
Okay. And so when you say I don't know anything about PTSD, but is that a diagnosable thing? Is that something that a therapist has said, Do you have PTSD? Oh, yes. Yeah, yes. And yeah. And how does that how does that continue to impact Your Life.

Katy 25:01
Um, it impacts that all the time triggers, there's certain things that just can trigger you smell a song. I mean, it could be, it could be anything, really. So it's like learning to identify what the triggers are, and how to how to better react to the situations, which, you know, it's hard because over the years, other things have happened like Griffin's diagnosis that definitely piled right think there was some serious PTSD after that, Oh, absolutely. Because, you know, being pregnant and the hormones and everything, and then to already have an underlying anxiety. And then have, you know, this, you know, I mean, when it happened, and we got to the ER, and, you know, he goes, we have a problem, a big problem. Your son's diabetic, I just remember the whole freak, the whole world just crashed down in that moment, and everything just started going in slow motion. And then there was doctors everywhere, and people everywhere. You know, he had a really high blood sugar, it was nine 960

Scott Benner 26:17
Do you manage your anxiety with any medication or other things?

Katy 26:23
So I do take medication, I've, I've kind of been on and off of it throughout my 20s and 30s. I didn't take any medication when I was pregnant with my children, I, you know, wanted to be all natural during that time. And, and I've tried to, you know, I've tried to I've tried not taking medication, I've kind of done both, but it's, uh, yeah, you know, it's really about finding like the right medication that is, you know, that you, you should or shouldn't be taking, and working with the right, Doctor and psychiatrist and therapist. And that was, you know, that's a journey that took a long time to, to kind of figure out and, but I work with some really amazing people. And I think that that, that helps a lot.

Scott Benner 27:16
Excellent. Excellent. Now, you said you thought that Griffin had anxiety as well, when did that pop up? For him?

Katy 27:26
Um, I have noticed it. Really, more. So in the past, I would say four years. So four years ago, my husband's father passed away of a heart attack, it was sudden it was fast. And Griffin was there when my husband got the news. And that was quite traumatic. You know, seeing your dad get that news on the phone. And then the next year, our beautiful dog that we've had for 10 and a half years, Marley, Australian Shepherd, she got a she, she had an issue with their ACL, we bring her to the vet, the vet says she's got cancer everywhere. And within two weeks, she was she passed away. And she was like the the dog that we took everywhere. So that was like the heart and soul of our family and, and my father in law. So those two sudden losses were also really big. And then his school closed, and then the pandemic happen and California wildfires, just all this stuff. And I think all of that has definitely contributed a lot to kicking into anxiety. So I see it because I have it I think I'm able to see more. In Him

Scott Benner 28:54
in present day, how does that impact them day to day? When you say you see it? What do you say?

Katy 29:00
Um, well, he we're working with a neurologist right now at UCSF because he's kind of developed a bit of a tic. So he has little tics with his hands. And he's a brilliant, brilliant artist. He's been making art since he could literally pick up a cran or start making little sculptures and things and he just loves to do art. It's frustrating for him because when he does art he takes a lot and I think I you know I think it's part of it's like that he's hyper focused. And he gets frustrated. He's like, Mom, why do I have to tick so much when I when I'm doing this? But yeah, we the way the neurologist is approaching it is to try to Start with the anxiety and go from there because really at the root, typically is anxiety. So, you know, we're trying to go from there. So she hasn't given him a formal diagnosis, but she's seen it and so she's, you know, seen it in person. And she, you know, she agrees that it does, it seems like it very well could be a tic disorder. But until we really like treat the anxiety more, you know, it could be something that'll get better as he gets older.

Scott Benner 30:41
Can I ask you if you ask him about it? Like, does he have like a conscious idea that he feels anxious?

Unknown Speaker 30:50
Um,

Katy 30:53
yeah. He, he has Yes, he is told me he has anxiety. He

Scott Benner 30:59
worries about things or feels pressure pressure about stuff. Okay. All right. I understand. Okay, well, what a fun detour. Katie. Now let's

Katy 31:11
everything. Everything was like going really well to like, be right before he was diagnosed. It was like, we were like, on the upswing. It was like,

Scott Benner 31:21
let me let me tell you that. Just a couple of weeks before Arden was diagnosed. We had just had this big birthday party for Arden. We had bought a house in the last two years. Our son was awesome. Our son was going away to you know, kindergarten. And baby, we had enough money to rent a pony for Arden's party to walk around in the backyard. We got I love it. Like we felt like we were doing something, you know, and, and I had the same feelings as you did, you know, like everything was just exactly the way I expected it to be and was moving in exactly the direction I had intended to Kelly's Yeah, like full steam ahead. Yeah. And then I was just like, whoa, wait a minute. And then all this just happened? It's, uh, it is definitely shocking, that that's for certain. So you're in the hospital. He's diagnosed obviously. He's in DKA. I'm guessing. And, and then it's a Jesus three and a half years ago, right. So,

Katy 32:27
um, so Well, he was three and a half,

Scott Benner 32:30
six, six and a half years ago, excuse me seven years this July. Right? And so you leave with some reasonable gear, I imagine.

Katy 32:39
So we go to the hospital, were there for five days. And, you know, learning how to take care of our son. There's people coming in and out of the hospital room all day. Were you in the hospital for more than a day with our five, five days? Yeah. Yeah, we had Yeah, it was five days Children's Hospital. And, by the way, Oakland Children's Hospital was amazing. I mean, the nurses in there. Like, they were like angels. But you know how it is in in the children's hospital, you got people coming in and out of that room all day long. So you're exhausted. You're not sleeping, and you know, you're on your phone googling what this is? What is this? You know, that, you know, the doctors are telling you. You know, I remember when they right before they transferred him over to the Oakland Children's Hospital. They said we're going to have to first they were going to take them on an air flight. They were going to like fly them over. But then they were able to stabilize them enough that they go, Okay, we think we can just bring him in the ambulance. I'm like, Oh, you think you know, you know, and the doctor in the ER is going well, we worry about things like brain swelling, and you know, and I'm just your head is spinning. I mean, at least I know, for me, it was my husband went into kind of the gotta fix it mode, you know, right off the bat, and I went into the just heartbroken mode pretty quickly. Um, so I would say it like sort of like hit me first. And it kind of like hit him later.

Scott Benner 34:24
what point did you think I had this thought earlier? Like, I thought something because I'm just trying to mix your anxiety with the thought earlier than something everything was going to Well, which by the way, I do think is is that OCD or there's something about the expect?

Katy 34:45
You don't? Well, I It's funny, so I I've always been under condition that I have OCD, but I'm actually working with a trauma therapist and we're are uncovering the whole PTSD thing. And she basically is explaining it to me that OCD, anxiety, depression, like all these things can kind of fall under the umbrella of PTSD. So, you know, she's like, I'm not fully convinced that you are 100% Habits B, although, I don't know, because I'm pretty sure my grandmother will actually I mean, let's be honest. My grandmother, she's undiagnosed. I think she's also undiagnosed. Some other mental illness as well, like maybe bipolar or borderline personality. I don't know exactly. She never got care. But she had. She did things that were not. She did things that were like textbook. OCD. Yeah. So

Scott Benner 35:50
in OCD, there's an i My understanding of it's going to be limited, but there's this magical thinking concept, that your thoughts make things happen. And so that's why I was wondering if you're, you're laughing Am I Am I getting to something now?

Katy 36:08
No, no, yeah, it's, that's, you're right on.

Scott Benner 36:10
Okay. All right. So then the way it then burdens people is that they tried to have these, these good thoughts, like thinking the right things, the right things happen. I was just wondering if you know, because you would have an idea prior when your kids were little and everything when Griffin was little, and everything was going so well. And you actually thought this is going so well. Something bad's gonna happen. When something bad happened. Did you think that you made it happen with your thoughts? No, good. All right.

Katy 36:41
I was able to like differentiate. Luckily, I started going to I put my button therapy in my 20s. Because I realized, I realized after I had my first child and went through some postpartum anxiety, so I know, it's like, there's postpartum depression. But there's also something called postpartum anxiety. People don't talk about it as much. But so it's really easy for everyone to go, Oh, she added postpartum depression, it's, you know, I was not thinking about harming my children, any of that. And there's nothing wrong with postpartum depression. It's very serious. Yeah. But that's that wasn't it, I was more like, I was highly anxious all day, every day, like so worried I was gonna just like, I was gonna mess this up somehow this perfect porcelain, you know, little angel, that I was going to somehow screw this up. So, you know, that's when I really went in and got the, the anxiety diagnosis, panic disorder, like, because I was I was experiencing like, full blown panic attacks at that point. So I went in and got got support, which I'm really grateful that I knew enough to know. I don't want to, I think part of it was seeing my grandmother, how

Scott Benner 38:07
I'm dying to know what your grandmother did. I figured she shot like, a, like, a porno in the mall or something like that. When she was

Katy 38:13
no, she's hot. So she's my mom's from Michigan. My grandmother is extremely, like highly religious, but to the point where it's not. It's definitely not normal. She's like, Catholicism is everything. And like, she would write us letters when we were little. And, you know, tell us we needed to be nuns and priests and, you know, and then when, when we became of age, you know, where we were, you know, dating and getting married. And, you know, she would send letters, you know, telling us that we need to be, you know, you must wait for marriage and you must do this and you must do that just very inappropriate grandmother talk

Scott Benner 38:54
that's kind of her magical thinking, right? She that she thinks the universe has rules. And if she doesn't follow them Yeah, she'll be exactly it will be judged poorly. And part of that following it is making sure that everyone she has sway over gets told what she knows is true. Yes. Where she'll be judged for not telling you I get the whole thing. Okay, I got Yeah.

Katy 39:16
Yeah, she's worried she's gonna go to hell,

Scott Benner 39:19
your grandmother, your grandmother's way of being was so off putting to you that you put yourself into therapy because you're like, I'm really is that well,

Katy 39:31
I think I just saw, like, how unwrapped like just just how abnormal her behavior was, and that, you know, she would write excessive letters to my mom and to all of us and just always pushing religion and

Scott Benner 39:48
for clarity, you're not just talking about like, she's religious or believes very firmly. You're talking about something that that seemed over and above and oh wait,

Katy 39:57
we are in bye bye. I know people that are very religious and they'll make you feel. Okay. Yeah, no, this was this was on a level where the red flag came out. You know, as a child, I remember thinking, she's a bit different. You know? She's a little different. Yeah, I had an outdoor wedding. And like, my grandmother wrote me countless letters telling me that it was an abomination. You know, just to be outside and married. Yeah, because it wasn't in the church. It makes sense to me.

Scott Benner 40:32
When you were little your mom let these letters get to you.

Katy 40:36
Unfortunately, yeah. I wouldn't. I don't think I know. I know. Right? Right. Yeah. Um, you live in you learn, you know, and I don't blame my mom. My mom is she's amazing. And, you know, it couldn't have been easy. Having having a controlling mother like that. Right?

Scott Benner 40:55
Right. Yeah. This is, may I say, I, this phrase means so much to me anymore. I'm just gonna write down. I've been it's just 3443 First time Scott says this is quite a show.

Katy 41:16
Oh, my goodness. No, don't be fooled though. Like I have I had so many wonderful things in my life.

Scott Benner 41:21
We'll get to them. But first, how did you get that husband American you? Did you keep all this a secret or it was?

Katy 41:28
Well, he definitely has his he

Scott Benner 41:33
found a puppy with one weird eye too. And you were like, hold on a second. he'll accept one crap.

Katy 41:41
He comes from He comes from a different upbringing, where nobody talks about things, it's more quiet. Things are under the surface. And he definitely there's definitely mental illness in his family as well. So and very much like some of some, some of them undiagnosed. You know, I wish they were diagnosed. But yeah, so there's definitely stuff skeletons in that closet too. I'm

Scott Benner 42:17
so happy I started a podcast, this is like, talking to you is gonna be the best part of my day. Because I just think that, you know, you talked about his family, nothing gets said, etc. In your family way too much. Oh, yeah. But in my family, specifically Kelly's quieter and more to herself, because she grew up sort of Catholic and like, we'll just, you know, pretend things are okay. And I'm obvious. I think this should be obvious to people listening. I'm excessively happy to talk about anything constantly.

Katy 42:50
I just think yeah, like, let's, let's put it all on the table.

Scott Benner 42:53
Yeah, let's just keep pushing out till there's nothing to hide. And then we'll see what happens. Right. You know, I mean,

Katy 43:00
well, yeah. I think when you're around, like I know, when I'm around my husband's family. You know, there's been a lot of times where it's just, it's so quiet. It's like a nice, like, you could hear like a pin drop on the ground. And I just want to, I just want to go hey, can we all just like, let's get the elephant out of the room. Like, you know, this person doesn't like that person. And that person doesn't you know, it's just like, come on, like, I don't know, I just have gotten to a point where I just I'm just spread I want to address things in my life. I don't I don't want to skirt around. The obvious.

Scott Benner 43:45
So wasted time is a pet peeve of mine. I don't like wasting time. It makes me right, like really upset. And it just I know I look at myself in the mirror. If there's no way I'm one of those people who's going to make it to 87 you don't I mean, like I need to live right? So I don't like wasting time. I don't like wasting other people's time. I don't like other people wasting my time. But more importantly, if you want to know what makes me mental, it's when you know something. And I know something. I know that you know it and you know that I know it and yet we pretend that nobody's aware of it. That makes me want to just strangle somebody. So

Katy 44:26
I Yeah, it's and that's one I really struggle with. With Yeah, just certain people in my life.

Scott Benner 44:35
Are you paying your water bill while we're doing this? What are you doing over there? Oh, sorry.

Katy 44:39
I was like stalking. I was like, you know, when you take papers and you like you make them all like in what? Never mind?

Scott Benner 44:44
No, no, I don't Katie because I don't have whatever you have. So I'm not sure what that is. It's a stack. Your bet your desk looks better than mine. Yeah, yeah. I bet yours is nice and clean compared to Mind

This thing's not even, it's not even helping you keep your desk clean. What a waste. Worse kind of anxiety at least put it like stick it on the house, you know what I mean? Or something? Wouldn't it be great feeling through a tunnel right now? Okay. And, and stacking paper. So. Alright, so So Griffin's diagnosed. And, you know, let's talk about diabetes for a little bit, just you know, because these podcasts and maybe somebody's interested. How did you find management of this thing? When you had this anxiety going? Was it and a new baby, right?

Katy 45:45
Yes. So I'm sorry, his Dexcom keeps keeps alerting me my husband's.

Scott Benner 45:52
Do you see? Or do we need to yell at him?

Katy 45:56
Yeah, no, no, no, he's Yeah, I asked him to make sure to to be in contact with the school nurse. Um, so

Scott Benner 46:07
are you able to look at it knowing that your husband is looking at it? Or is that too much?

Katy 46:12
Typically know, like, I typically I want to look at it, but I saw it before. And like, I know that he's due paying attention to it. So I know it probably he's probably already had his correction, but it probably just hasn't come down. All the way

Scott Benner 46:26
you're now making, you know, making me think that I haven't seen artists blood sugar in hours. And you You made me want to go look. So open here. 111 is a little weird drop. And now it's, I'm gonna guess she ate something? She did? I don't know what but she had a little something. Okay. Yeah, I just I recognized that I hadn't seen art and sculpture in a very long time, just not what you said that. And so for me, not that this might break through your thing. But I just set the alarms at places where I know it won't get too out of hand before alarm. And that way, if I don't hear the alarm, I know we're in that range. And that keeps me from thinking about it. But

Katy 47:10
right. Yeah, that's a really good idea.

Scott Benner 47:12
Yeah. So just if it's, like, my phone's at 120 and 70. And I don't hear a beep. I never, I never think about diabetes. I just let it I let it ride in there somewhere between 70 and 120. I mean, you have to be able to do that first, obviously. But the idea the idea there is the idea there is that if your alarms at 180, or 200, you're always wondering if you're on your way to 180 or 200. Instead of just you know, anyway, yeah, no, that totally makes sense. Yeah, if it works, feel free to use it.

Katy 47:52
I've gotten, I've gotten a lot of great information from listening to, to your episodes, I haven't listened to all of them. But I listened to quite a few of them. And it has helped a lot.

Scott Benner 48:06
I'm very glad I always I used to worry in the beginning because there was this kind of section of vocal people online who would say that you can't talk about doing something and talk about how it's going well, because for people who it is not going well for you'll make them feel badly. But I never believed that. I always thought that that modeling was important. And so and so I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed it. That's excellent.

Katy 48:32
No, yeah, absolutely. So when we got, you know, we get home from the hospital, and they give us these giant bags of supplies, and we leave the hospital. And I was definitely in a really tough place at that time. I just remember, like, the sky look darker, everything was just like the world, just our whole world looked different. Everything was flipped upside down. You know, and, like, I remember being in the hospital, and they're going okay, like, so you're gonna have to do your first shot today. You know, and it's like, first of how many 1000 It's, oh, because I tend to be you know, I was I would kind of look at the big picture. And I'm like, once I started to learn about what this disease is, and what the, you know, the the prognosis, and just all of it, like the complications that can happen, everything. I really just was, you know, I was in a state of just complete anxiety. And I remember just being like, oh my gosh, like, is he going to have complications at a time? You know? What's gonna happen, you know, and I'm thinking 20 years down the road. I'm thinking five years down the road. I'm thinking, you know, all of that my husband's more of the, you know, he's thinking like, let's just get through today. Hmm, which I admire that about him.

Scott Benner 50:03
I have a question for you. Or your artistic person.

Katy 50:08
Um, I, I am a bit. I tend to be drawn to artistic people. My husband is artistic. My son is an artist, right? So do you

Scott Benner 50:19
want to know I asked? Why? Because you are inclined to write a story about everything. Like in your mind. If I'm so far, by the way, I've known you for 44 minutes and 11 seconds, so I can Yeah, 100% wrong. And I have no medical or mental health training whatsoever. I just have a podcast, but it's, I do recognize a little bit of myself in you, which is it really if I gave over to my bigger flower, you're more flowery? You know, we're melancholy thoughts. I can go in those directions if I want to. And but I know I know how to stop myself from going in those directions. But, but it seems that when these things happen around you, you're kind of like, vortexed sucked into them. Like this, you know, like the you the way you describe the car accident, the way you describe being in the hospital room. You know, it wasn't like, it's almost like you're playing some movie, if that makes sense. Or you see it that way. I guess one or the other. I'm not I'm not certain so far. I am only 40. I'm trying to get to

Katy 51:32
yes. And no, I You're right on. Yeah. Right on

Scott Benner 51:36
i I've told this story on the podcast before, so I'll tell it really quickly. I was, I don't know, eight, nine years old, walking to school one day. And I had recently heard that if you step on the crack, you will break your mother's back. Now this this had been bandied about between the children.

Katy 51:53
And I remember hearing that too, on my way home from school. Yes, yes.

Scott Benner 51:57
So I'm walking to school one day. And then of course, if you've ever seen a sidewalk, there's a crack in the sidewalk about every four or five feet. And then I realized that I, I saw myself I'm like, I'm now not stepping on the crack. And I did think, well, that's silly, this isn't real. And the more I walked, the more I avoided it. And I stopped myself. And I was like, I am not giving into this crap, whatever this is. And then I purposefully stepped on all the cracks, and then came home, my mom's back was intact. And I never thought about it again. But I felt it in that moment. Like, I could give over to this little bit of weirdness and fall and fall into it like a warm bath. And instead, I just kind of decided to go the other way. Do you ever feel it coming on? When you're,

Katy 52:52
that's kind of that's definitely something that you know, that's that's a journey in my life that is is constantly, you know, trying to target when those things are coming on. And, but it's hard, you know, at times you're so wrapped up in the way you feel that it's hard to always see the storm ahead, I guess you would say so you know, sometimes you kind of feel like you're navigating blindfolded a bit but but I do through going to therapy and through kind of like working on myself. I definitely feel like I have more of the tools to recognize things before they happen or recognize things after they happen and look back and go okay, that's how that happens. You know,

Scott Benner 53:44
is it as if you have too many feelings?

Katy 53:48
Probably I remember when I was when I'm a march baby. So I'm a Pisces, which tend to be on the more like, sense. I don't know if you'd say I don't like the word sensitive because it's I feel like it's saying that I'm like, Oh, she's

Scott Benner 54:08
people using the word because you don't think

Katy 54:16
Well, I just okay, here's why.

Scott Benner 54:19
You're gonna need to give me a second that was amazing. You're like I am sensitive to when people call me sensitive because I am not sensitive.

Katy 54:31
Like I kind of Yeah, I know you're kind of right. That kind of Yeah, I know. I first sure like always had my feelings big heart like I remember when I was little my mom just saying you have really big feelings. And I remember I don't remember like, I would just remember how that felt when she said that. So yeah, I've always been like, I would say definitely like super in touch with my feelings. How

Scott Benner 54:56
did you feel when she said that?

Katy 55:00
It almost kind of felt like a compliment to me. So when my mom said that, and she said, it looks like there's a light bulb in your head. Because I have super blonde hair. So I don't know, I felt like it was a compliment. Like you. You feel things? I would really, really? Yeah, I

Scott Benner 55:16
would take it that way as well. I just, I don't know why. I there's a throttle or a limiter on me, like, I know, I know, when I'm like, Oh, God, like this is going too far the other way. And I can put a stop to it pretty

Katy 55:28
quick. That's because you're super lucky.

Scott Benner 55:32
I imagine that really is all it is. Is there times people come to me and they're like, how did you do that episode with this person telling this story or that story? And I'm like, Well, I don't know. Like, I mean, they're right there. They're okay. And even if they aren't, they want to share this. It's, you know, it's there. I'm respecting their, their desire to share the story. Like it just seems like somebody needs to be there to, you know, Shepherd it through to the end. And it is sad sometimes, but I don't know. Like, there is an ability to be dispassionate, but not Yeah, you know, I could go either way. I don't think I could get so dispassionate that I didn't care. But I could care so much that I wouldn't be able to. I could lose myself, I guess if I if I totally allowed myself to anyway, I'm sorry. This is

Katy 56:15
no for sure. Interesting. Um, so yeah, I Yeah, I'm definitely, I guess you could qualify as sensitive. But as far as like strength, I feel like I'm pretty, pretty strong. I've been through some really low lows. And I've been to had some really high highs. So you know, I've been where I feel like I'm drowning. And that's when we came home from the hospital. That's what I remember telling my mom. Because I was, I was very depressed, and just trying to get through our to our, you know, we're writing all the food, and we're weighing stuff, and we're doing and really just living hour to hour, and I still had the baby, I was, you know, 30 weeks pregnant. And I wasn't sleeping, I was just worried sick, big dark circles under my eyes. I didn't have the best support around me. My husband and my mother were like my lifeline. And although some other family members, they definitely had good intentions. And I, you know, I appreciate all the good intentions that people had. But there was definitely certain family members that were not helpful at all. And kind of were the exact opposite. And were very judgmental, and very, you know, just when are you going to snap out of this? Are you going to snap? Yeah, yeah. When are you going to snap out of it? Oh, and then then I found a my mom, you know, I'm talking to my mom, I go, I think I need to find a support group or I need to find someone to talk to I, I said, I just want to talk to another parent that knows how this feels. And so I found a support group, where I live by really pushing the doctors and just like I had to self advocate, advocate advocate. I can't, like stress that enough to people. If you feel like something's not right with your loved one or with yourself, advocate like you have to because no one else is going to do it for you. Yeah. So I was lucky enough to find this amazing group of families. That all had kids with type one diabetes, whether they were my son's age or now in college. All of these parents. It just meeting them changed my life that I remember one of the moms. I talked to her on the phone. This is probably two weeks after his diagnosis. And she goes, Do you want to just come over and have coffee and meet with some of us moms, like no judgment just come over. We know you're in a really hard place right now. I went over that day. And we sat at a table and just all told our story and passed around the Kleenex box and they literally came into my life like angels like it made me believe in angels. One of the moms brought flowers she had picked from her garden and handed them to me the another mom had like baked muffins. It was just I was overwhelmed with with the love that I was getting because I was really in such a deep state of depression and these people around me See that we're not being helpful. We're actually making it worse. So meeting those people and getting into a support group, it literally like I mean, it quite literally changed my life,

Scott Benner 1:00:12
I think, pulled me out. I'm glad I think empathy from a person who actually has your perspective is so much more enveloping than even just, you know, empathy from a well meaning person.

Katy 1:00:25
Yeah, I mean, you know, there is a family member, that, you know, just would have things to say like, you know, when, when are you gonna snap out of it? Have you met your new? I come back from the support group meeting? Have you met your new best friends now? At one point, I'm sitting outside on my patio, just, I'm in tears talking to my dad, like, how am I going to do this, I, you know, I'm just so overwhelmed. I'm scared, like, what's going to happen to him, you know, blah, blah, blah. And, you know, in this family member is, is inside, just, like rolling their eyes at me. And my mom actually, like, caught it happening. And my mom was like, This person needs to not be around you right now. So it was just, it was honestly, it was really challenging, dealing with the component of people in our family with their own mental illnesses, that they're probably not taking care of that were, it was it actually aggravated my journey and my, my, like, kind of wellness in the situation. And when that happens, you really need to be able to be strong, and be there and present for your child. And it's incredibly hard to do that, when you have people around you that are not well themselves, were you

Scott Benner 1:02:02
able to put distance between them. And you.

Katy 1:02:05
I had to start doing that. So my husband and I, you know, really started to back off and, you know, be we started to be because once I, you know, would talk to therapy, you know, there they would be saying, you know, you got exactly distance like you can't, if someone is making you, you know, like they're saying these kinds of things to you. Like that's not okay. Like, you need to not have that around you. Because that's yeah, and they're like, don't apologize for it. Don't feel bad, because that's me. I'm a chronic apologize for. So I'm actually I want to, I want to bring people together.

Scott Benner 1:02:43
Katie, we talked about that before we started talking that you said I'm a chronic apologize, you've only done it once in 56 minutes. Wow. Good job. I thought oh, she's gonna do it a bunch. Here's what I thought if I'm being honest, you'll do a whole bunch. I could teach you about it later, but then you didn't do it. So. And I know teasing someone who has anxiety about their desire to apologize all the time, it's probably not correct. But we're having a fun conversation, I actually have to tell you, as you're talking and in other episodes, I'm really proud of the way that the podcast handles people's really serious problems. You know, I think that if you came on here and started talking about all the things that had gone wrong, or are currently going wrong, or that you're struggling with etc, and that it was just a funeral dirge, and I was just like, oh, my gosh, that's horrible. Okay, you know, like, and I don't know, it would be, it would be unlistenable. And no one would be able to learn anything about it. So, right. I just I don't know. I love it. I love that you're touching that paper. Still. I'm dying to know what you're doing over there.

Katy 1:03:50
Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. Okay, yeah, that's totally like a, maybe I have my own tip. I'm, I'm so used to holding like, I have this planner. And then I always have to write everything down because my memory is so shot. So I write everything down. I'm like, I got to write down. You know, Okay, I gotta do this. I gotta do that. I'm gonna Okay, take the laundry out. Like, whatever. It's all written down for me.

Scott Benner 1:04:17
Katie, I think you're a lot of fun. I think I'd like to date you for six months. That'd be enough. But oh my god, I think six months we'd have a great time done this enough. Well, what are you know, what are what are your moving forward plans like and do those plans ever worked out? Are you constantly in a state of working on something or do you have goals? How does that all look?

Katy 1:04:51
Absolutely. Um, so after that all happen, and I found the support group that was incredibly helpful. I really started finding the resources I needed and found out about the diabetes Youth Foundation. We took our son in 2017, we took them to bare skin Meadows for a week, which is really amazing. diabetes camp here in California. So we did that. And that was like a total game changer. Just meeting all those families. And I mean, it's like, for one week, you go into a world where you're, you're like everyone else, you know, and there's like an insulin line in the morning. And there's endocrinologist and nurses, and it's really awesome.

Scott Benner 1:05:42
This happens. would Jesus be okay with it not happening in a church? I think Jesus would definitely ask your grandmother.

Katy 1:05:52
Yeah. And you know, the thing about that religion thing that's it's always kind of boggled my mind about that is that my grandmother thinks that if you don't go into church, you're not religious. And I've tried to argue my point with her a long time ago, but I stopped. I realized a long time ago, there was no point. But I tried, you know, just saying, Hey, Grandma, like, for me, like, when I'm hiking. Like, that's my religion, when I'm listening to my favorite music when I'm like, I pray all the time. You do not have to go inside of the building, to be spiritual and to to have faith. You know, you can have faith in an elevator. You can, whatever. So that's what I've learned.

Scott Benner 1:06:38
I'm old Aerosmith song, isn't it? Faith and elevator?

Katy 1:06:42
I don't know. I'm sure there's some cheesy lines that honor His love and an elevator I was I feel like I should write a book with like, just quotes, like, just super cheesy quotes.

Scott Benner 1:06:52
I prefer if you made a movie about your grandmother, but

Katy 1:06:58
oh my god, my grandmother used to drive Raizy like, when we would go to Michigan, she would take us to garage sales, because she loves garage sales. And I just remember being in the back of the car and like holding on to the doors so tight because she would drive like erratic kind of, you know,

Scott Benner 1:07:15
we don't have to pay attention when God's on your side. He does it all for it. Yeah. Right there. Yeah. I love you. I would I would sit and I would watch video of your grandmother writing those letters.

Katy 1:07:27
As long as I would. I mean, she's she's pretty entertaining. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:07:31
as long as the words that she was putting them down, I'd be endlessly fascinated with those letters. Alright, so you see you I'm sorry. You met people. I'm sorry. I'm this is my fault. Now. You, you met people. You head off to the diabetes foundation went away for a little bit found that kind of centering. How and

Katy 1:07:50
then I and then I tapped down a week later. So that was halftones in Yosemite and Burson? Yeah, it's stunning, isn't it? I remember the first time I saw it, I was like, I'm gonna hike up to the top of that thing. And I did. And it was amazing. I did it with my sister. And it was just really awesome to like, show myself that I could do that. And it was really cool to see like people from all different parts of walks of life, like people in their 70s There was a guy that had his, like, 11 year old son with him there was, it was just kind of, like, just so many different walks of life doing that. But yeah, that was that those two weeks were just like, such a healing experience. And then, you know, just I really started to get a lot better and feel a lot better. And, you know, just knowing what my boundaries were with people and I'm just focusing on, you know, just Griffin. And just, I'm so proud of him. He He is amazing. And he, he I feel like could really tell a story someday, too. He's really good. At like, communicating with people, what like the nurse, I've had the nurse the principal, I've had numerous people like at school tell me like your son's really good at like communication. Like he's really good at like, at telling us what needs to happen like with his blood sugar with his with his diabetes or his care or how he's feeling right. And I don't know, I hope that like Navy seeing me kind of do that

Unknown Speaker 1:09:40
a little bit. Maybe. Hopefully we're off a little bit. Yeah. I don't know.

Scott Benner 1:09:46
That's a great skill to have. Just being able to articulate yourself and not being afraid to say it too.

Katy 1:09:52
Yeah, the big one like in front of his class and stuff. I started from kindergarten like I went up in front of his class and just Hey like, I am Griffin's mom, everyone knows me Griffin's mom, you know, you're gonna see me pop in and out. You know, it's Griffin's got little gadgets, he calls them his robot arms. I felt like if you just get it out of the way, like, it's like, it takes the tension out of

Scott Benner 1:10:19
it. That's how I did it for the first couple years when she was little, would basically show up on the first day. And just real quick, tell the kids this is Arden. Art, and she's like you, Arden does this thing on her gives her insulin, you know, she might leave the room once in a while, or go to the nurse's office to do some stuff, and then she'll be back. She's okay. You don't need to do anything. Don't worry, it's not scary, you know, she whipped out her thing and check her blood sugar in front of everybody right away first day, like every once in a while you're gonna see her do this. She did that. There's no big deal there, nothing to worry about. It's all very normal. And then it just became what you set. You know, you got what you expected. You know, you let you lay those expectations out for those kids. And they just, they followed right along with it. So I didn't do it for I mean, trying to think I don't think I did it much past third grade maybe. And then she would just do it herself. The first couple years, that and then it just fell by the wayside. And everybody just knew at that point, it didn't matter.

Katy 1:11:16
Yeah, I really noticed that when I kind of took the lead with that Griffin kind of just fell right into that and was more like, just proud and like, Hey, this is who I am. Like, this is what I you know, he's very much just like, This is what it is. Yeah. And I think that that confidence is so important. And I think he's, he's very lucky to have that competence, because I just know that, like, not everyone has that. And, you know, I've seen people with, with conditions where it's a lot more private and not talked about, and that can be really difficult to hold it all inside, you know,

Scott Benner 1:12:07
yeah, I don't think we should be hiding anything. I don't think people should be forcing us to hide anything. So I'm down with that very much. So, hey, I'm so sorry. Okay, like, I'm gonna run out of time, just because I have to go out with my wife this afternoon and do some like adult things. But I want to make sure that we've gotten to everything that you wanted to, I don't want to, I don't want to leave you feeling incomplete.

Katy 1:12:32
Totally. Um, I think just the main thing for me, is just anybody listening to this, if you're a new parent on the scene, or maybe you're a sibling of maybe you know, maybe your brother son just got type one or maybe your daughter in law or your son in law, whatever it might be. Do some research, like don't be afraid to do your research, maybe read up on it read up on how you can help what you can do. Be active in the in the kid's life, the kid that has t one be active in their life, like don't don't go away and stay away. I've seen family members do that where they they kind of just really back off and I don't know if it's because they're, you know, uncomfortable with it or maybe they're scared of it themselves. But be around the family you know and and just learn what you can and be helpful and and talk about it it's okay to talk about it doesn't need to be this secret you know, thing that you know people don't don't talk about and my Instagram handle is Griffes mama one anybody if they want to go on there and check out my page i don't i i somewhat post about type one but also just my life and my hiking adventures and my just all the things I do for fun and

Scott Benner 1:14:17
spell the Instagram handle GRIFFFSMA M

Katy 1:14:25
A one

Scott Benner 1:14:28
I see a there's another Griffes mom I got there before you

Katy 1:14:33
Griffes mama one at Yeah. I almost said at AOL sorry.

Scott Benner 1:14:39
aol.com And it's 1982 and I want to see the Superman movie with Chris Reeves tonight Oh, look how handsome excellent

Katy 1:14:50
my kids think I'm so old because I was from the 19 hundred's Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:14:54
Oh, you are old so am I but that's not the point. These kids they don't know. They'll know later. We know they get older and the stories they have to tell are about Dua Lipa, then they'll be embarrassed. At least hear stories about the Rolling Stones or the Beatles or guns.

Katy 1:15:10
I love it. Love it. Love all the good music. I am lucky though, in the sense my kids really like all that music a lot.

Scott Benner 1:15:18
I'm glad Mike, my kids have pretty eclectic taste in music. And I've always been happy about that. Just because, right?

Katy 1:15:25
I feel like that's like such a. It's almost like, I'm, I'm really proud of that, that my kids like good music, they don't listen to this, you know, they're not listening to the crappy music, they like the good stuff.

Scott Benner 1:15:39
Turn that off. That horrible, I do my best to listen to what they listen to and try to keep up with it. My son makes it a little harder than Arden does. But I still I've still heard modern music that Cole likes that I've enjoyed a lot. But for sure, but overall, I'm just telling you 50 years from now, you're still gonna know who the Beatles are. And if you'll know who little NAS x is. I'll be really surprised that that's all right, but I won't wait 50 years more, so it's not going to matter. Anyway. It's all just things I say to fill time. Katie was that's all I do. All right, Katie with a Y, I gotta jump. I don't know what to call this one. I'll figure it out. Now, I'll figure it out. It'll be fine. Unless you think of something. My problem is I just put up an episode called a ball of anxiety. So

Katy 1:16:38
I'm sure you'll think of some of that.

Scott Benner 1:16:40
It'll come to me and ambition. I really do appreciate your time. Thank you very much for doing this. Of

Katy 1:16:46
course, I was so happy to come on. In Yeah, just such a pleasure. Thank you so much.

Scott Benner 1:16:53
I'm glad. Alright, first, let's thank the good people at contour next one.com forward slash juice box. That's right Contour. Next One, go get yourself an accurate meter at contour next.com forward slash juice box. Also want to thank Ian pen from Medtronic diabetes for sponsoring this episode, and remind you to go to in pen today.com To get started right now with that insulin pen that has some of the features that you've come to expect from an insulin pump in Penn today.com. Lastly, I'd like to thank Katie for coming on the show and sharing her story. thought she was terrific. And I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. If you're looking for community around diabetes, you really should check out the absolutely free Facebook group for the Juicebox Podcast Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. It's a private group, which just means that you're gonna have to answer a couple of small questions to get in. Just you know what kind of diabetes you have stuff like that. And then you're in with 30,000 other people having conversations right now that I'm sure you would be interested in Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. If you're looking for the diabetes Pro Tip series, they're available beginning of Episode 210. In your podcast player, there's a list available in the feature tab of the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group, or you can find them at diabetes pro tip.com and juicebox podcast.com

#789 Important Things to Know About Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection)

Scott and Jenny discuss the important things to know about Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection)

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

#788 Bold Beginnings: Family

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Test your knowledge of episode 788

1. Why is it important to have a personalized diabetes management plan?

2. How often should blood sugar levels be monitored during illness?

3. What is the role of basal insulin in diabetes management?

4. Why is it important to stay informed about new diabetes research?

5. How does regular physical activity benefit people with diabetes?

6. What should be done if blood sugar levels are high during illness?

7. Why is stress management important in diabetes care?

8. What is the best approach to handle a low blood sugar episode during exercise?

#787 Big Feelings

Katy has a lot of big feelings.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT