Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1445: "Hippy Dippy" (Feb 26, 2025)

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Morgan (age 21, diagnosed at 18, LADA/type 1, Canadian)

Episode Overview

This episode follows Morgan, a candid and engaging young woman with a “hippy dippy” upbringing on hobby farms in British Columbia, as she opens up about her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes (ultimately LADA), navigating healthcare in Canada, family challenges, and her evolving self-management. Host Scott Benner guides the conversation with humor, empathy, and personal connection, exploring how Morgan's unique life, health hurdles, and near self-reliance shape her experience with diabetes. The episode blends practical information, emotional insight, and a surprising detour into chameleon and reptile husbandry, maintaining the Juicebox Podcast's trademark balance of technical guidance and engaging storytelling.

Table of Contents

1. Meet Morgan: Diagnosis & Background (02:31–10:50)
2. A Hippy Dippy Upbringing (03:13–07:13)
3. Family Health History & Birth Defects (10:07–13:17)
4. Navigating Diagnosis and Healthcare (13:43–30:09)
5. Living with LADA: Labs, Insulin, and Devices (17:41–21:17)
6. PCOS, Hormones, and the GLP-1 Conversation (21:17–30:10)
7. Healthcare Access and Systemic Challenges in BC (23:12–24:47)
8. Emotional Support, Family Dynamics, and Self-Reliance (31:44–42:06)
9. Learning Management: From Misinformation to Mastery (43:41–50:44)
10. Complications, Hormones, and Daily Diabetes Hacks (51:43–56:22)
11. Morgan's Outlook and Navigating Young Adulthood (59:57–62:29)
12. Life Beyond Diabetes: Hobbies, Reptiles, & Building Community (76:03–91:57)
13. Notable Quotes & Moments
14. Key Timestamps & Segments

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1. Meet Morgan: Diagnosis & Background (02:31–10:50)

• Introductions:
  • Morgan, now 21, was diagnosed at 18. She describes herself as an “adult female… farm raised, so like really healthy immune system” (03:13).
  • The diagnosis “came out of nowhere”—Morgan had no regular doctor and was used to "sleeping off" sickness.
• First hint of family influence:
  • Morgan notes her parents are “a little crunchy, hippy dippy… they are hippie dippy” (04:36).

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2. A Hippy Dippy Upbringing (03:13–07:13)

• Morgan grew up on a “hobby farm,” meaning the family aimed for self-reliance—enough chickens, goats, cows, quails, pigs, and sometimes rabbits “for us" (05:20–05:44).
• Her parents met tree planting in BC, embodying the “helping the environment / good way to make money” ethic (06:06–06:40).
• Example of “crunchy” values:
  • Parents turn off Wi-Fi at night due to health concerns, which makes Morgan laugh about their reaction to Bluetooth devices: “They weren’t very happy to figure out that my Dexcom stuff is Bluetooth” (07:13–07:14).

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3. Family Health History & Birth Defects (10:07–13:17)

• No known type 1 in Morgan’s immediate family; her grandmother recalled children dying young, possibly from undiagnosed DKA (10:07–10:21).
• Some PCOS history (grandmother had an ovary removed), and Morgan herself has struggled with ovarian cysts and was diagnosed with a bicornuate uterus at 18 (11:37–13:00).
• Morgan shares a vivid ER story upon discovering the uterine defect.

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4. Navigating Diagnosis and Healthcare (13:43–30:09)

• Diagnosis Details:
  • At onset, A1C was 5.7%, but symptoms suggest LADA/slow progression.
  • Ferritin (iron) was very low, adding to symptoms like fatigue.
• Self-advocacy & confusion:
  • Morgan ended up doing her own research and asking specific lab questions.
  • Initial hospital education was minimal—she was handed a generic type 2 pamphlet.
• Systemic Obstacles:
  • License for driving delayed by bureaucratic snags after self-reporting as type 1 diabetic (23:12–24:03).

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5. Living with LADA: Labs, Insulin, and Devices (17:41–21:17)

• C-peptide disclosure: Morgan’s was low but increased upon retesting—confirming slow-onset, LADA progression (19:56–20:31).
• Insulin usage: Total daily dose 9–20 units, depending on hormones; Morgan credits the podcast with helping her gain confidence to try Omnipod.
• Morgan appreciates the ability to “give myself quarter of a unit just to bump myself down” (20:39–21:01).

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6. PCOS, Hormones, and the GLP-1 Conversation (21:17–30:10)

• Host Scott recounts other LADA/Type 1s benefitting from GLP-1 medications (22:41–23:00).
  • Quote: “If your C-peptide’s going the other way, kind of feels like reminiscent of his story” (22:41).
• Morgan asks whether, despite poor appetite, a GLP-1 could help her PCOS and insulin resistance.
• Scott details his own/family’s experimental approach to GLP-1s (28:43–28:58), warns of excessive appetite suppression, and shares DIY dosage hacks with sterile vials.

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7. Healthcare Access and Systemic Challenges in BC (23:12–24:47)

• Morgan describes months-long delays to see specialists or adjust treatment due to Canada’s single-payer system prioritizing emergencies (“if your problem’s not going to kill you, you go to the bottom of the list,” 24:26).
• She expresses frustration that non-life-threatening concerns (iron, PCOS, etc.) get “swatted away.”

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8. Emotional Support, Family Dynamics, and Self-Reliance (31:44–42:06)

• Morgan’s parents minimize conventional medicine, favoring “nutmeal diet” and “fixing” diabetes with food (33:05–33:20).
• She credits her grandmother as her primary support, discusses emotional abandonment, and admits to running herself higher overnight out of safety fears—no one will wake up to alarms (39:04–41:13).
• Past boyfriends, including a high school sweetheart, ended relationships after diagnosis—emphasizing her emotional resilience and isolation.

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9. Learning Management: From Misinformation to Mastery (43:41–50:44)

• Community/Podcast as lifeline:
  • Morgan recounts how a chance encounter at work with another type 1 led her to Juicebox and the book "Sugar Surfing" (45:16).
  • Early medical advice left her feeling lost: “it’s trial and error… you’ll have to figure it out” (46:44).
  • The podcast and community bridged the education gap that local providers could not.

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10. Complications, Hormones, and Daily Diabetes Hacks (51:43–56:22)

• Discussion of wild hormone swings, luteal phase spikes (20–25 units/day).
• Tips and observations:
  • High BGs linked to constipation and difficulty urinating, with numbers dropping after bathroom relief (54:46–56:22).
  • Regular peeing as a marker and possible contributor to glucose management.

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11. Morgan's Outlook and Navigating Young Adulthood (59:57–62:29)

• Describes health management plans, hope for automated tech (Omnipod 5), and career/education interests (auto/trades, possibly biology/vet studies).
• Notes lifelong ARFID-like eating challenges, potentially exacerbated by chronic low ferritin and sodium.

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12. Life Beyond Diabetes: Hobbies, Reptiles, & Building Community (76:03–91:57)

• Lively detour into reptile-keeping—chameleons, geckos, and other cold-blooded critters.
• Parallels are drawn between diligent pet care and chronic illness management.
• Reflections on job identity, podcasting as profession, and unique life paths.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Canadian Healthcare Delays:
  “You’re going to say, ‘Hey, I’d like to be seen for my iron.’ They’re not going to see you for a year.” – Scott (24:27)
• On Food-as-Medicine Family Mentality:
  “They believed wholeheartedly they can fix it... with a nutmeal diet.” – Morgan (33:05)
• On the podcast’s impact:
  “You’ve saved lives legitimately, and you’ve saved complications in future. So many.” – Morgan (53:59)
• Driving bureaucracy:
  “That was the stupidest idea ever because they told me I had to do paperwork and take it to the doctor, which I did. And then they give me blood work, which I do, and then they send that off... and then they’re supposed to sign it off. And then I go back... and they said, ‘oh, it’s going to be a little bit. They’re back ordered and it’s actually expired, so you have to do it again.’ And so I’ve done it twice now and still nothing.” – Morgan (23:00)
• On losing support after diagnosis:
  “I have to run myself higher than I’d like to… I have nobody that would wake up [to a low].” – Morgan (39:34)
• Diabetes, Podcasts, and Comfort:
  “I like to fall asleep to a podcast made by a 53 year-old guy who every once in a while talks about diabetes in his diabetes podcast.” – Morgan (19:24)
• On Learning via Community
  “It finally gave me a direction to go, because beforehand, I really didn’t understand much.” – Morgan (46:10)
• On High Blood Sugars and Pees:
  “...if I don’t pee, it’ll stay higher. As soon as I go to the washroom, it starts going down.” – Morgan (54:49)
• On Altitude and Hypoglycemia:
  “I could feel my blood sugar was going down, but I looked at my Dexcom, it was 10. I could just feel it… I tested and found I was at 3.3” – Morgan (73:12)

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Key Timestamps & Segments

• Farm-raised, family intro & humor: 02:31–05:45
• Parental beliefs & Wi-Fi fears: 06:42–07:14
• Diagnosis, family support, and misadventures in healthcare: 10:07–13:46, 23:00–24:47
• LADA confirmation, insulin needs: 19:56–21:17
• GLP-1 and PCOS discussion: 21:17–28:58
• Safety net and managing lows alone: 38:54–41:34
• Podcast impact, filling education gap: 45:16, 46:10
• Bathroom habits and blood sugars: 54:49–56:22
• Career/future, adjusting for chronic illness: 59:57–62:29
• Chameleons, reptile-keeping, and life meaning: 76:03–91:57

Conclusion & Tone

The episode blends earnest technical discussion (e.g., C-peptide, GLP-1s, insulin titration) with warmth, gentle banter, and self-effacing humor. Morgan’s resilience as a young person charting her own path—despite a mismatched upbringing and healthcare hurdles—is foregrounded by Scott’s skillful, emotionally intelligent hosting.

For listeners new to diabetes or battling isolation, this episode offers:

• Validation of the emotional complexity of chronic illness, especially for young adults.
• Concrete, crowd-sourced hacks for self-management, device selection, and advocacy.
• An invitation to find connection in community—even in surprising places.