Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1622: "Thick Thighs Save Lives" – Part 2
Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Laura (adult-onset Type 1 diagnosed at 54)

Episode Overview

This episode is the second part of Laura’s candid conversation with host Scott Benner, centering on her experiences with adult-onset Type 1 diabetes, navigating perimenopause, and her journey through integrative and conventional medicine. The episode takes a reflective turn as Laura interviews Scott, providing an intimate look at the man behind the "Bold With Insulin" movement, the realities of parenting a child with diabetes as they transition into adulthood, the challenges of advocating for yourself in healthcare, and broad thoughts on personal growth and the power of connection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes & Perimenopause

• Laura shares the surprise and confusion of being diagnosed with Type 1 at 54, emphasizing the lack of awareness about adult-onset (00:14).
• She highlights the overlap and confusion between perimenopause symptoms and early diabetes signs:
  • Insomnia, stomach pains, acid reflux, brain fog, weight gain (02:41).
  • Frustration at medical providers’ dismissiveness: “My gynecologist said, ‘Oh, that’s normal.’ That’s all he said.” (03:48)

2. Exploring Integrative Medicine

• When conventional providers gave only vague reassurance, Laura sought integrative medicine for deeper answers (04:05):

  • Found a practitioner who listened intently, explained hormone interactions, but ultimately was “supplement heavy” and required cash payment (04:05–07:14).
  • Felt heard for the first time, though improvement was lacking.
  • Frustrations about being sold expensive supplements without measurable benefits resonate with Scott’s own experiences (05:46).

  “She was the first time I felt heard… But I didn’t feel better.”
  — Laura (07:18)

• Scott concurs about the need for more attentive practitioners (Dr. Benito, episode 413 shout-out), but admits finding them is “just dumb luck” (07:30).

3. Navigating Judgy & Compassionate Providers

• Laura acknowledges a positive shift: she’s now found more compassionate care through pain management, endocrinology, and ongoing autoimmune/rheumatology workups (07:54–08:59).
• Chronic fatigue and pain are persistent; Scott probes about thyroid, anemia, Covid/Long Covid, perimenopause, and possible GLP-1 therapy influence (09:31–11:59).
• Conversation highlights the diagnostic complexity of overlapping issues in midlife women, especially with diabetes.

4. GLP-1s, Long Covid, and Symptom Management

• Laura realizes she hasn’t considered whether GLP-1 meds helped her perimenopause or post-viral symptoms (10:33).
• Scott discusses his wife’s belief in GLP-1’s benefits for her perimenopause and long Covid, describing a direct regression in symptoms when temporarily stopping the drug (11:04–11:59).

5. Parenting & Uncoupling Diabetes Care

• Laura turns the table, interviewing Scott about his personal well-being and his reflections on the parent/child diabetes dynamic (12:00–18:36):

  • Scott candidly discusses his stage in life—turning 54, family milestones, and the evolving diabetes relationship with his daughter Arden as she grows into adulthood.
  • Shares the emotional challenge of stepping back as primary diabetes manager for Arden (“uncoupling”), balancing health vigilance vs. family harmony.
  • Describes the inevitability of tension in any parent/child dynamic: whether you pick harmony or health focus, “someone’s gonna one day say… why didn’t you do something else?” (24:35)

  “No matter what you do, someone’s gonna ask you, why didn’t you do something else… It’s not me telling you I’m having some horrible problem… I’m trying to be reflective about it.” — Scott (24:35)

  • Acknowledges the universality of such reckonings: “Eventually, it’s gonna come back to bite you in the ass… If you pick the middle, then someone will say, ‘Why didn’t you do more of this or that?’” (24:35–26:51)

6. Podcasting, Personal Growth, and Community

• Laura asks Scott about his podcast-listening habits; he shares influences and philosophy (26:53–34:07):
  • Big on authenticity and the evolution of self (“If you listen to me, you know what you’re getting—if you don’t like it, stop listening!”).
  • Praises Howard Stern and Kevin Smith for pioneering transparent broadcasting.
  • Admits that connection—not perfection—is key, and that “downloads have to happen so that people’s stories can keep happening” (18:36).
• Both note the value of podcasts for audience introspection and self-discovery.
• Laura credits Scott’s show for helping her “build a pathway for education” before even seeing a CDE, and reflects on learning to simply say “thank you” to providers instead of showing off prior knowledge (47:19–47:58).

7. On Why the Podcast ‘Works’ When Providers Don’t

• Scott riffs on the fundamental gap in diabetes education:

  • Providers often don’t realize what patients really need; even when they recommend the podcast, most don’t understand why it’s effective (48:01–54:00).
  • Simple, repeatable frameworks (pre-bolusing, understanding insulin, etc.) are more potent than complicated jargon—patients turn basic “ingredients” into their own successful “recipes.”

  “Even people with crazy IQs benefit from hearing things in their simplest form and then translating it in their head…” — Scott (44:38)

  “Asking a person who doesn’t know what they’re doing if they have any questions… is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” — Scott (52:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On chronic medical ambiguity:
  “[If] somebody would have just told me that what I was going through was perimenopause menopause, I would have saved a whole lot of money and felt better sooner.” — Laura (02:41)

• On being heard in healthcare:
  “She was the first time I felt heard. It was the first time it felt like a doctor was really listening… But I didn’t feel better.” — Laura (07:18)

• On the healthcare system’s limitations:
  “As time goes on, on a gut level, it’s disappointing that somebody could go into a provider and not get decent information from them. It hurts me… but maybe this is just what it is.” — Scott (48:01)

• On podcasting and reflection:
  “I’m opening myself up … so that hopefully you guys can be healthier and happier moving forward—or at least be better prepared. At the very least, not a bolus for pizza.” — Scott (38:37)

• On parenting and letting go:
  “What starts out as, ‘I learned all about this so I could help you’… at some point, when kids get older, it’s natural— they want to push away. As a parent, I think no matter what you do, the person’s gonna want the opposite.” — Scott (18:36)

• On thanking providers:
  “Everything she shared with me that I already knew, I just said thank you for.” — Laura (47:54)

• On the value of simple diabetes education:
  “I’ve done a good job distilling it… and then you take it and go apply it to yourself. The cake you make probably doesn’t look anything like the cake I make.” — Scott (44:38)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:14 – Laura introduces herself and diagnoses
• 02:41–07:18 – Perimenopause, integrative medicine experience
• 07:54–08:59 – Quality of medical providers, finding compassionate care
• 09:31–11:59 – Fatigue, thyroid, Long Covid, GLP-1s
• 12:00–18:36 – Laura interviews Scott about his well-being, family, and letting go as a parent
• 24:28–26:51 – Reflections on parenting, the paradox of "health vs. harmony"
• 26:53–34:07 – Scott’s influences, the purpose and limits of podcasting
• 34:35–40:31 – Authenticity in podcasting, cultural changes, benefit of reflection
• 44:38–47:19 – Basic frameworks in diabetes education, “ingredients not recipes”
• 47:19–48:01 – Thanking providers, Scott’s take on provider limitations
• 52:30 – The folly of “do you have questions?” in diabetes appointments
• 54:00–55:44 – Laura acknowledges her husband’s role during medical crisis
• 55:44–56:01 – Reflection on infection’s seriousness and luck in survival

Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, unfiltered, and supportive—Scott’s signature blend of self-deprecating humor, warmth, and candor prevails throughout. Both Scott and Laura are refreshingly honest about their struggles and uncertainties, weaving humor into difficult topics.

Summary

This episode dives into the often-overlooked complexities faced by adults diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, particularly women navigating multiple health transitions simultaneously. It underscores the importance of being truly heard by providers, acknowledges the emotional messiness of managing chronic conditions and family relationships, and celebrates the DIY spirit of patient-driven education. Scott’s willingness to make himself vulnerable offers listeners not only practical diabetes wisdom but also a model for personal growth, resilience, and finding connection—whether through podcasts, family, or compassionate care.

For further resources, visit:
JuiceboxPodcast.com — Explore the “Bold Beginnings” and “Diabetes Pro Tip” series for foundational diabetes management strategies.