B (3:18)

At the time it was a Buell blast. My current one is a. Oh, geez, am I forgetting it now? It's a V rod muscle.

A (3:28)

Oh, wow. I used to ride a GSXR750.

B (3:31)

Nice.

A (3:32)

Yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. So your brain fog, you're having all the classic perimenopause symptoms.

B (3:38)

Yeah, and weight gain. And so my gynecologist said, oh, that's normal. That's all he said, that's normal.

A (3:48)

Awesome. What does that mean? And how long is this fan going to be pointed at me while I'm sleeping?

B (3:55)

Yeah. And if he would have just said that's normal because of this, this and this, and here's what we can do about it would have changed everything.

A (4:04)

Yeah.

B (4:05)

So I went to so many doctors, I don't feel right. I'm exhausted, I can't think clearly. So I finally. I don't even remember how I heard about integrative medicine, but I started looking into that and found a practitioner that's about a not quite an hour drive from me. I started seeing her. She only took cash, by the way. She was a former ER doctor and decided this was kind of her retirement, next stage job. She had lots and lots of supplements to sell, did blood work once a quarter. And when I finally stopped going to her, it was my prescription for thyroid was running out, it needed to be renewed and I had three days left in my package with her. And she wouldn't renew it, renew my prescription, unless she knew I was going to re up with her. Okay, that's it. I've spent so much money, I don't feel any better. I'm not doing this anymore.

A (5:12)

Yeah. I'm gonna tell you that I've seen a number of different doctors over the years trying to figure out what was going on with people in my family. And I've used two different integrative medicine doctors. One of them is awesome. She's been on the show Dr. Benito, who came on in episode 413 to talk about thyroid stuff. She remains maybe the. I'm drawn to hug her every time I see her just to say thank you. Right. Like she's like that meaningful. And there was another one who. You walk in the office and there's just a table full of supplements that she's happy to sell you from her online store.

B (5:45)

Yes.

A (5:46)

And, you know, like, well, we should try this and this and this. And I'm like, I think you're full of. Like, I really do. Like, I'm not. I don't think supplements aren't. I take some supplements, too. There's things that I've needed that are helpful. There's people in the house that are using it. But, like, they start with, like, well, there's this. And next thing, there's just 10 things, and you're 500 deep in this. And, like, have you tried fish oil? Don't. Don't just take fish oil. Take this exact one. It has to be refrigerated. It's the best one. I'm like, I don't know. Like, I took your fish oil for, like, six weeks. Nothing changed. Like, I don't know, Like, I kept going for the second month. Nothing changed. I don't. I don't know what I'm doing here. And when you ask them to quantify it, it's never quite a quantification that makes sense. Is. Was with my experience with this one person. So it sounds like something similar happened to you.

B (6:34)

Yes. Now, I. I have to say, I.

A (6:36)

Have to ask you, did she try to sell you a water filter for your house?

B (6:40)

She did not.

A (6:41)

Okay. That's the one that got me. I was like, a what now?

B (6:47)

No, I. I have to say, though, she was the first time I felt heard. It was. It was the first time it felt like a doctor was really listening and they had an answer and a path. She even had this really neat laminated sheet showing how different hormones react with each other and how the body processes it. So she didn't just say it's normal. She said, this is what normal looks like, and here are the things that we're going to do to try to bring you back into balance.

A (7:14)

And that was valuable, but not the sales.

B (7:18)

But I didn't feel better.

A (7:18)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you didn't. Well, but you. Okay, so feeling heard was valuable to you, even though it didn't help you feel any better. That's interesting. Those two things are connected.

B (7:29)

Yes.

A (7:30)

I have to say, I feel lucky with Dr. Benito. She is a great balance of thoughtful. She's willing to look into things, she's accessible, and she's not just trying to make a bunch of money. She seems to just really genuinely care about people, which is awesome. But I don't know how you find that. That's just dumb luck. It is just dumb luck that we ran into her, to be perfectly honest.

B (7:53)

Yeah.

A (7:53)

Gotcha.

B (7:54)

We talked about judgy providers, but I also want to acknowledge that I've got some really good people on my team now. I see pain management, and they've been amazing. They're very compassionate and not just saying, okay, you're this old, you're gonna hurt. Well, let's actually treat the pain. And I'm doing better.

A (8:15)

It's nice to know that this is maybe normal, but do I have to suffer with it? Is there something we can do and.

B (8:22)

Exactly.

A (8:22)

Yeah. Not just told you, like, Right. Well, with the 30 pounds all the way back, you're like, oh, you lost 30 pounds. That's great. Get out of here.

B (8:28)

Right, yeah.

A (8:29)

But I have a lot of other issues. I don't know. We're not talking about those today. You gotta go. I don't know how that happens. All right, Lars. Good.

B (8:37)

My endo is good. And I have a rheumatologist. As we know, autoimmune, they tend to have friends.

A (8:45)

Yeah.

B (8:46)

So we're still trying to work out exactly what's going on because I'm new to that process. But I am happy to say that while I've had some very judgy providers, I've got some really good, caring, compassionate ones now.

A (8:59)

Okay, what are the other things that you're working through that you're trying to figure out? What are some of the things you're suffering with that you don't have quite hammered out yet?

B (9:08)

It's a lot of available personal energy and lots of aches and pains that are not related to the back fusion. So an example is if I go to an event, which I've gone to a couple of events recently, it'll take me a good three to five days to feel like I can get back to my normal routine.

A (9:30)

Okay.

B (9:31)

I just don't have the personal energy.

A (9:33)

I have four fingers up. Ready? Have you checked your thyroid?

B (9:37)

Yes.

A (9:38)

Your TSH is. You know what it is?

B (9:41)

It is on the low, normal end. I just had it checked last week.

A (9:46)

Okay. Under two?

B (9:47)

Yes.

A (9:48)

Awesome. Do you have any thyroid symptoms? You do?

B (9:52)

Dry skin, Dry, dry skin, brittle hair, fatigue.

A (9:57)

Okay. Have you had a full iron panel? Do you know if you're anemic?

B (10:01)

I am not anemic. In fact, I have too much iron.

A (10:05)

Okay. Have you had Covid?

B (10:08)

I did before. It had a name.

A (10:10)

Do you have any idea? Do you think you might have long Covid?

B (10:14)

It's possible.

A (10:14)

Yeah. The perimenopause. There are some things you could take to, like, kind of help you with your. Your energy for that as well.

B (10:21)

Yeah, yeah.

A (10:22)

Did your hippie doctor try to work you? Oh, full on. You're menopause now.

B (10:25)

Yes.

A (10:26)

Awesome. Look at you. I mean, those are my thoughts around that. Like, I don't know. And did any of this get better with the glp?

B (10:33)

Oh, that's a really good question, because I have not. I've not put thought to that. So I was so focused on GLP with the reducing inflammation and supporting my. My diabetes that, I don't know, I'd have to think about it.

A (10:48)

I'm only bringing it up because my. I think my wife firmly believes that the GLP helped with her perimenopause and most assuredly with her long Covid symptoms. Like, probably just inflammation type stuff. If you go out on a Saturday and you're, like, really active, do you have to rest the next day?

B (11:04)

Yes.

A (11:04)

Yeah, I don't know. It's tough because all this stuff sounds, like, nebulous, you know, long Covid perimenopause. Like, like, you know, how do you, like, put your finger on exactly what it is? But I can tell you right now, if I brought my wife up here right now and said, hey, do you have long Covid? She'd talk for like an hour and a half. You know, she has. She's researched the hell out of it, done a lot of different things to help herself, and been generally successful with it. I will tell you that. I think I've said this on here before, but she got sick somehow, I forget she got sick and she went to the doctor, and the doctor said, stop taking your JLP for a week. She came home and told me that. I was like, I wouldn't do that if I was you. And she was like, no, I'm gonna listen to what he said. So she does it. And a week later, she said, I should not have stopped taking that jlp. And it was around her, like, fatigue and pain and stuff like that. So it was interesting. Anyway.

B (11:59)

Okay, now she knows.

A (12:00)

Yeah. So, Laura, the rest of the time is yours. You want to interview me? You said some stuff before we started recording. I said, stop talking. We'll do it while we're recording the podcast. Right. So go ahead. I'm here. Do you want me to introduce myself a little bit? Hi, I'm Scott. I'm 54 years old. I just had a birthday, and I make a podcast called Juice Box. I'm the father of two. My son is 25. My daughter is going to be 21 in a few days. She's had type one diabetes since she was two. And I've been married to Kelly for a long time. Like almost 30 years.

B (12:34)

Well, happy birthday and congratulations on your longevity.

A (12:38)

Oh, thank you. I just believe that she's too tired to throw me out, but.

B (12:45)

Right on.

A (12:46)

I said recently, I was like, I don't have enough energy to sell this sofa, so you get to say so. Do you have questions? I have answers. Maybe. Let's see. Why would you settle for changing your CGM every few weeks when you can have 365 days of reliable glucose data? Today's episode is sponsored by the Eversense365. It is the only CGM with a tiny sensor that lasts a full year sitting comfortably under your skin. With no more frequent sensor changes you can and essentially no compression lows for one year you'll get your CGM data in real time on your phone, smartwatch, Android or iOS, even an Apple Watch. Predictive high and low alerts let you know where your glucose is headed before it gets there. So there's no surprises, just confidence. And you can instantly share that data with your healthcare provider or your family. You're going to get one year of reliable data without all those sensor changes. That's the Eversense 365. Gentle on your skin, strong for your life. One sensor a year. That gives you one less thing to worry about. Head now to eversensecgm.com juicebox to get started. I used to hate ordering my daughter's diabetes supplies. I never had a good experience and it was frustrating. But it hasn't been that way for a while. Actually for about three years now because that's how long we've been using usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Usmed is the number one distributor for Freestyle Libre systems nationwide. They are the number one specialty distributor for Omnipod Dash, the number one fastest growing tandem distributor nationwide. The number one rated distributor in Dexcom customer satisfaction surveys. They have served over 1 million people with diabetes since 1996 and they always provide 90 days worth of supplies and fast and free shipping. USMED carries everything from insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGMs like the Libre 3 and Dexcom G7. They accept Medicare nationwide and over 800 private insurers. Find out why US Med has an A rating with a Better business bureau@usmed.com juicebox or just call them at 888-721-1514. Get started right now and you'll be getting your supplies the same way we do.

B (15:24)

A few months ago you did an ask me anything on Facebook and the question that I posted for you was what are you most looking forward to in this new year? But what I really wanted to ask you is how are you doing? You put a lot of time and your personal into the podcast and the cruise and all of these other things. I listened to your podcast for hours on end in the very beginning. It's more sporadic now. Sure, we get glimpses of you and your personality, but I just wanted to know how are you doing and take an interest in you as a person and not just a voice of somebody who says and knows really smart things.

A (16:11)

Okay, well, I'm going to try to shut off the part of me that makes the podcast and just answer your question. Generally speaking, day to day, I'm good. My health is much better. My energy is much better. I am happy. I mean, there are things about my life that I wish were different. There were things, there are things about my relationships that I wish I would have done differently. I wish that would go differently. But I see all of that as a process, not as I would not tell you that anything in my life is broken beyond repair. I wouldn't tell you that anything in my life is sad. I just think that much like when I talk about the different timelines, I'm like, oh, if you're going to bolus and then 45 minutes later you're hungry again. You try to think of the boluses on different timelines. I think about all of that the same way. My relationship with my children, with my wife, with people who I'm friendly with, with my health. I think about all that as there's a movie screen size black sheet in front of me and all the things I care about and that I'm thinking at are existing on different timelines. Some of them are farther along, some of them are newer. There are some things I'm just becoming aware of. There are things that I do differently than I used to do and everything's a work in progress. Does that make sense?

B (17:39)

It does, it does.

A (17:40)

Okay, so that's all happening for me personally. That's all happening with the podcast. It's happening with the online space, with things I'm trying to accomplish for the future. You know, I have texts here from somebody that's like, look, we have to get going on like the cruise for next year, you know, I've only been off the cruise for three weeks. I've had new experiences in the last couple of weeks. Meeting people in person, that has changed me. But at the same time, I can't come home and like, be that, like, oh, I'm trying to be more thoughtful about. Maybe this podcast is more just about people's stories than it is about the downloads. But the downloads have to happen so that people's stories can keep happening. There's a lot to balance. I mean, I would tell you that I'm very happy doing this. And at the same time, I can imagine that when it's over, I'll be very happy that it's done. Does that make sense?

B (18:36)

I hear you.

A (18:37)

Okay. Yeah. But day to day, I'm happy. Like, I'm doing well. We're actually going to go on vacation in a couple of weeks and that will now be like a vacation last year end a vacation this year, which I don't think is something I don't think we've done since the kids were little, like, actually going on concurrent vacations year to year. So we're trying to spend more time together, especially as our kids get older and we get older. I am personally worried about, like, I want to get stronger as I get older. That's a thing I want to put more effort into. I have a little medical issue that I probably wouldn't share here, but I should get taken care of, that I need to focus on. It's not like anything, it's not like a big deal. I have a friend who was sick recently that I'm worried about, and they just explained to me their ordeal yesterday. I'm sad to know that that happened to them and I'm hopeful that they'll be okay. I think they will be. But much like your thing, like just kind of out of nowhere just was okay and then wasn't. And then that makes you feel like, like we all talk about, like, I could get hit by a car at any time, but, like, you don't think, like, at any point a potato could start growing on my thigh and it might be flesh eating, you know, bacteria. You become more aware of the world and, and what may or may not happen, especially as you get older. I like my chameleon, but when I look at him sometimes I just worry that he's going to, like, outlive my ability to take care of him. But overall, for me personally, the thing I'm trying to do right now is Arden and I are in the middle of an uncoupling about diabetes, which is obviously going to come and is here now. And we are shifting so that she and I are going to just purposefully not talk about diabetes between us. And if something has to be said to her, we're going to shift it to her and my wife, because we've just gotten to this thing. And I'm sure I'm going to go through it on the podcast over years trying to figure it out. But what starts out as, I learned all about this so that I could help you. And it's really valuable at some point, when kids, and I've been talking about this for a couple years, it's not a surprise. But as kids get older, like, it's very natural, right? Like, they want to push away from their parents. And, you know, normally it's over things that are kind of benign or, you know, like, you know, I'll go out and stay out if I want to. Or some kids use drinking, right? I'll drink if I want to. I'll smoke weed if I want to. Like, I'll do the thing. I'll grow my hair or cut my hair. I'll do whatever I want. You're not in charge of me. As I noted in today's episode, talking to somebody in an episode called Catholic Guilt. Like, you know, when your kid's looking for something to push away from, like, what better than the diabetes? Like, that's a thing they don't want to be doing. It's not their fault. Nobody wants to be talking about it. I certainly don't want to be talking about it. But we've gotten to a point where Ardyn's getting older and she's asserting herself as she should be, and yet there's still that balance between health and harmony that you're always trying to strike. It's difficult to strike when I want our relationship to be harmonious. But if we were talking about cleaning your room, then I would just say, hey, you know what? Kids like a sloppy room. It's. Who cares? Like, let that go. But if it's kid doesn't bolus for a 250 blood sugar, then I can't let that go. Like, something needs to be said. But there is a moment where it's. It's over. You just can't do that anymore. And Arden and I are going to have a different relationship moving forward. It's been, like I said, slowly happening over years, but it just. It's gotten to the point where she just came to me and she was like, I just don't want to, like, I don't want to do it like this anymore. And I was like, right on. Like, cool. Like, we'll, we'll find a different way to make sure that there's harmony and health for you. And so we set up a different plan and we're, we're putting it into practice. Nobody's feelings are hurt or nobody's mad. It's just, it's on that timeline. We're just up to that part now. That's it. Like, the one thing I was sad about as we were talking about it was she said, you talk about this too much. And I thought, I don't want to be talking about this at all. And I look at our time and I really looked at it. I really assessed it as best I could. I don't talk about it much at all. But to her, I think she's gotten to the point where almost any conversation about it is too much. So we're just going to just shift how we do it now. And I'm sure it'll shift again and again and again. And I'm sure my life will keep shifting and so will everybody else's until I throw a potato on my thigh and drop dead. I don't know. That's how I am. Does that answer your question at all? This episode is brought to you by Omnipod. Would you ever buy a car without test driving it first? That's a big risk to take on a pretty large investment. You wouldn't do that, right? So why would you do it? When it comes to choosing an insulin pump, most pumps come with a four year lock in period through the DME channel. And you don't even get to try it first. But not Omnipod 5. Omnipod 5 is available exclusively through the pharmacy, which means it doesn't come with a typical four year DME lock in period. Plus, you can get started with a free 30 day trial to be sure it's the right choice for you or your family. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day for 17 years. Are you ready to give Omnipod5 a try? Request your free starter kit today at my link omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox find my link in the show notes of this podcast player or@juiceboxpodcast.com.

B (24:28)

It does very thoughtfully and sounds like a very challenging stage of your evolution together.

A (24:35)

It is. I mean, it Is the whole thing is right. I tried to be reflective about it. I said to my wife, I was like, what if we would have just picked Harmony? You know what I mean? Like, what if she would have run around with an A1C and the eights or the nines, and we would have just said, like, that's okay. Like, you know, like that. I was like, we would just be in a different situation right now. That would be unpleasant. It really brings me back to the idea that, I think that once you interact with another human being, you know what I mean? Whether you're married to them or dating them, or you have. You're the parents of. Or you're talking to your parents, everybody's got a different way of thinking. Everybody's brain is different. The interactions create different experiences. And in the end, as a parent, I think no matter what you do, and I really do mean this for everybody to hear, no matter what you decide, the person's gonna want the opposite. Like, I just think that's a very human thing. Like, we want what we don't have. And for some reason, the last person we listen to is our parents at some point. Like, you know, not for some reason. I think it's pretty obvious why it works that way, right? But so no matter what you decide to do, if you. If you're one of those Harmony people and you're just like, oh, it's okay, we'll ignore the diabetes and this will be fine, eventually it's gonna come back to bite you in the ass. And if you do the other way, where you're like, oh, let's worry about the health, like, eventually it's gonna come back to bite you in the ass. If you pick the middle, then someone's gonna one day say to you, why didn't you do more of this? Or, why didn't you do more of that? No matter what you do, someone's gonna ask you, why didn't you do something else? And I think that's for every one of us in all walks of life. It's not me telling you I'm having some horrible problem in my life. I'm not. I just am trying to be reflective about it. I think you're all gonna get to that point where you're gonna say, I should have done it differently, but if I would have done it differently, we just be in a different situation now that I don't want to be in. So nothing's perfect, maybe, and accept that. Except that's not how your kids are going to see it. Until they're older. Which is why your mom said, wait till you get older and have kids. You know what I mean? Like a lot of truth in all those little isms and sayings, et cetera. All right, well, you're doing well. Do you have more?

B (26:51)

Do you listen to podcasts?

A (26:53)

I do. Am I going to tell you which podcasts I listen to? That's interesting.

B (26:57)

Yeah. What topics do you tend to gravitate towards?

A (27:01)

Okay, fair enough. I listened to a few years ago during COVID I listened to and thoroughly enjoyed the West Wing Weekly, which was a West Wing rewatch podcast with a guy named Rishi and one of the actors from West Wing, Josh. Josh Molina. Josh Molina, who, by the way, I think has done good work, but was awesome in Sports Night. If you've never seen Sports Night, nevertheless, I thought that was awesome during COVID I actually watched it along with the podcast, which was really fun and it was a well done podcast. I thought. I don't listen too much anymore, but think that Kevin Smith is an awesome podcaster. The director of movies like Clerks and Chasing Amy and things like that. I would credit him to some level with this podcast because he was an indie filmmaker who kind of figured out the Internet before the Internet, and he had a message board where people could talk to him and talk to each other. He was very active with the people watching his movies. And I think a lot of how I do this reflects is reflective of that because I saw him build a real relationship with people. I've met Kevin Smith a number of times, and the last time I saw him, he knew who I was. When I got there, he didn't go, hey, your name is Scott and all these things. But he looked me in the face and he went, oh, hey, man. And then he said something to me that made me realize that he remembered the last time we spoke. Anyway, he was very connected to the people around him, which I thought was good. I've also seen it be hard on him as he's gotten older. So I try to be reminiscent of that. I think I've said a million times over on here. I'm a huge fan of Howard Stern's interviewing capabilities and the long form way that he talked to people before there was podcasts. So I think all of us have podcasts probably listen to Howard Stern at some point or another. He probably doesn't get enough credit for that. But actual podcasts. I think I've shifted more towards YouTube lately for creators who are still building their thing but are talking about something interesting to Me, I like to be in that space with them once they're too. And here's the thing I try to keep in mind for myself. Once they're too ingrained in the business and they're just doing their thing, I think sometimes they get repetitive. And I try to be very cognizant of not letting that happen. Even though I realize on some level the things that I think to say are the things that I think to say. So I can't be myself and not be a little repetitive sometimes. But I'm comforted by the idea that people don't listen forever anyway. So if you were a person who listened to me from 2015 to 2018, I may have reset those things between 2020 and 2022, but those people aren't going to know that because they weren't listening in 2015. So my thought is, is that the way I deliver this, people find valuable. And so I make it because I enjoy making it and because I think it finds new people all the time. I'm sure that that is the case. I know about how many new subscribers I get every day, and the number's pretty significant. It's kind of crazy, actually. So I'm good with that. Other than that, as I'm older, I don't take in as much content as I used to, especially visually, which is such a weird way to say it. I don't watch as much TV is what I should say. If the TV's on in the house, I'm probably watching a baseball game or it's in the background or something like that. And some things that I enjoy. But podcast wise, I try to be really agnostic about podcasts. So as an example, I guess I've listened to all different kinds of podcasts that if I said the names of them, someone would go, I knew he was conservative or I knew he was liberal or, you know what I mean? Like, like, you know, like I try to have like a wide range. I try to find people that make that seem like they make some sort of grounded sense about the thing they believe in. And I try to listen to them to see, like, well, what do they think about this topic that I don't intrinsically, like gravitate towards? And is there any real value in what they're saying? And sometimes I'll listen and I'll be like, oh, that makes a lot of sense. And sometimes I'll listen and think that person's out of their mind. And I assume that's how people are listening to me as well. Not A lot of politics. I don't particularly gravitate towards a lot of politics. I think politics is just like a version of fear porn, which I don't enjoy. I watch content about reptiles even though I don't have them, because I find that some of the keeping tips and tricks help me with my chameleons. You know, I've seen somebody pop up on a bro podcast that I wouldn't listen to, and I'm like, I'm going to try that anyway, what did. I recently heard Bernie Sanders on the Flagrant podcast, and I was like, this isn't really my vibe. But I thought they did a good job of talking to him. It was interesting to hear him in that and trying to keep in mind that he's got a thing he's presenting. They have a vibe they're trying to present. Everybody's trying to do a thing. But I thought they did a good job speaking to him. I listened to Joe Rogan interview Donald Trump. I didn't think he did a particularly good job of speaking to him. I've heard Joe Rogan talk to other people, and I've thought he's done a good job talking to them. I'm sure I've made an episode where people are like, jesus, Scott, that was, man. You didn't ask him any decent questions. And I'm sure you've listened to me and you thought, wow, that was insightful. So even that's interesting to see because just because you're popular doesn't mean you're good at it every time. I actually think I made an episode yesterday that wasn't great. I felt my energy was weird. Now I don't know if it'll come through or not, but for me, I was like, I didn't feel right when I was doing that. There is a political podcast I'll listen to that has one person on one side and one person on the other. And when I'm trying to figure something out, it helps me to hear both of them because they're both leaning pretty far to their. Their sides. And so I try to pick through and take out of it what makes sense to me. I don't know, though. I tried for a while. Here, Here's a. Here. Here's a thing. What's the podcast? Smartless, right? Do you know that one?

B (33:20)

I do not.

A (33:20)

Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and the guy with the deep voice who's the Lego Batman? Will Arnett. And individually, I like something about each of them, and I love it when they interact with each other. Sometimes. And then sometimes I don't. One time one of the people said something that was weirdly political and it turned me off to it. And one time one of the guys was super mean to the other one and it didn't feel fun. And I was like, oh, I wonder if that's real. So I listened more to hear if he really hated the guy or not, but he didn't. And then like, but that was it. I was okay with that one for a while. I don't listen to it anymore. I don't know. I guess I listen to podcasts the way everybody else does, too. Does that make sense?

B (34:05)

It does, it does.

A (34:07)

How about you?

B (34:08)

Mel Robbins has been getting my attention recently.

A (34:11)

Okay. Yeah. She's very popular.

B (34:13)

Inspires in me. Self reflection of. Okay, that makes sense. And I've had this thing that I've said for a while. It's not exactly let them, but it is. If somebody is behaving on brand, if they're behaving the way that we know they behave and we get upset, that's on us, not on them.

A (34:35)

Yeah, it's a good point. Yeah. I am who I am. If you're listening to me, you know that and you're still pissed at me, you should just stop listening. Don't be mad at me. I'm just being myself, by the way. The best I can be knowing I'm being recorded and that, you know, and everyone's doing that. By the way, you can listen to somebody else and go, they stopped short of saying something there. Yeah, of course they did. Because they're married or they have kids or like, they were about to say something that they can hear that your judgy ass was going to pin them down on that they don't mean. Like, you know what I mean? Like, that's even just saying out loud, Like, I've, you know, I've heard Joe Rogan's podcast. Like, some people are like, oh, I knew you were an asshole. And some people are like, oh, I knew you were awesome. You know what I mean? Like, so, like, like, what do you do with that? Exactly? Like, when. When no matter what you say, someone's going to judge you. You got to give people credit who are willing to say things at this point. Like, you know, like, I think that's why I'm grateful to have listened to Howard stern through the 80s, because nobody tried to cancel people in the 80s. Nobody heard you say something that they didn't like and said, oh, I'm going to tell my friend not to Listen to this. Or something like that. The guy said what he said. You liked it or you didn't. You thought it was funny or it wasn't. And then you went on with the rest of your life and you didn't think about it again. But then we opened up the Internet, so everybody feels like they have a megaphone and like, well, I feel this way about it. Like, I have to change it. Like, I'm gonna fix this. Like, Howard Stern doesn't need to be fixed. He's who he is. Joe Rogan's who he is. I'm who I am. Like, Mel Robbins is who she is. Right. Like, be grateful someone's willing to open up a microphone and say what they think and record it so that you can be reflective about it and decide that. I hate that. I love that. That helped me. It didn't help me. I'm going to stop listening. These people are giving you an opportunity to be reflective in a life that doesn't really allow for a lot of reflection, but definitely needs it. And so I think that's what podcasts are doing right now for people. Like, I think you can quietly listen to me prattle on about any number of things, and while I'm sitting here willing to open myself up emotionally for you, I'm not doing that for me. I'm doing that for the podcast. And you are the podcast, if you're listening. I'm doing that so that you can think, oh, yeah, that is scary. I wonder if I'm. Am I leaning more towards Harmony or am I leaning more towards health? And what is gonna happen based on that decision I make? And is my 20 year old one day gonna say to me, like, please? I mean, I've been talking about it for 10 years. I knew this day was coming. You know what I mean? We've been walking towards it and thoughtfully. It doesn't make it easy when it shows up for her or for I or for anybody else, instead of me being the person who's figuring it out and recording it. It would have been awesome to listen to this before it happened to me. In the end, this podcast is going to end up helping you guys in ways that it'll never help me, because a lot of the way it helps me is reflectively. And for you, it can be something that you can make a decision about before it happens. So I'm opening myself up and my life and everything for that, so that hopefully you guys can be healthier and happier moving forward or at least be better prepared or, I mean, at the very least, not a bolus for pizza, like, you know, or what anything in between that may or may not do for you. But if you're listening to this right now and you don't like me or you're angered by this, like, I believe you have a mental illness. Like, I don't know why you're subjecting yourself to that over and over again, like, let it go. I've listened to plenty of things that I don't like, and as soon as I get done, I go, is that me or is it them? If it's me, I stop listening. And I will always use the example of. Talked about Howard Stern a lot, but he came into Philadelphia when I was in high school, right? As Walkmans that had radios in them were, like, really popular. So everybody had on that, like, little metal band over their head with the two foam things, their earphones that sucked. You know, everybody could hear them, and it had an FM radio on it. So I think I started listening to Howard Stern when I was a junior in high school. Maybe 88, 87. 88. I'm not sure exactly when he came, but around that time. And all I know is, like, he was just saying stuff, like, and he was telling you that he was fighting with his wife, and he was telling you when he was excited or, you know, thoughts he had about sex or, you know, like, he was just telling you how he felt. And I thought that was, like, revolutionary at the time. Like, who was doing that? A couple of people, maybe. But as far as I knew, he was the first one. So, you know, I. I listened and listened, and I watched him change over the years. He would have said something on the Daily in 1992 that I don't think he'd say now and wouldn't mean anymore. And people would come at him and say, oh, you've changed. And he'd say, what would that say about me if I didn't? What if I was just running around acting like I was 25 all the time or 30 all the time? We have to keep growing together. I have to keep growing. And I thought it was brave that he shared it with people. He told people he went to therapy. You know what I mean? This is way ahead of the curve. And then I think if you listen to any number of popular podcasters, they'll all say the same thing. I grew up listening to Howard Stern. He was making a podcast before that show would come on Laura at 6am and it would sometimes not end till 11 or noon. He just talked till he was Done. They didn't even have an end time. The DJs that came on after him were pissed because they'd sit around sometimes for hours into their shift and he wouldn't stop talking. I think he made the first podcast like that. It just had a bunch of ads in it, and now people are like, yes, Scott, yours has ads in it, too. And to that I say, if you want to send me a bunch of money, I'll sit here and make a podcast for you. But otherwise, I need somebody to pay for it. I don't know where I was even going with that. I talked myself into a circle. I apologize. Do you remember?

B (40:31)

No need to apologize. You're being in the moment and you were being authentic.

A (40:34)

Yeah, no, I think that's what these things are. And some people will listen right to the end of this one. And some people 10 minutes ago were like, oh, Scott's telling us how he feels. I'm good. Seems like the lady's done with their diabetes story and they off and they go do something else. Like, that's fine. Like, that's what it's here for. You know, somebody asked me last week, how do you turn out five of those a week? And I said, the how's not as important as the why. So it's easy. If you're me, it's. I could talk all day. So, like, I'm fine, you know, I mean, I'm. I'm not encumbered by how I feel like I'm happy to share, et cetera. It's the why. It's because this week, five episodes will come out and one of them is going to strike your fancy and keep you connected to your diabetes. That's my. That's my goal, is to keep you connected, to taking care of yourself. And if it's through listening to you tell your story or someone else telling theirs, or an interview with a company or me prattling on about this stuff. Whatever keeps you connected. I'm telling you, I've never done a study on it, but when people are connected somehow, they do better, their health is better. And it's my goal to keep you connected without keeping you focused. Meaning, I don't want you to burn out on this. I do want there to be a little part in the back of your head that's going like, oh, I'm at a pre bolus now, or, I ate two hours ago. I should really take a look at my blood sugar. That kind of stuff. I know I'm going to be low in 20 minutes. Like, I'm not going to wait 20 minutes. I'm going to take a couple of little somethings now. Stop this low in its tracks. And I think that's what this does. So I told the person, I said right to them. I was like, howard Stern didn't come on on Mondays. I said, he gave you five episodes. I didn't listen to every one of them. I certainly didn't listen from six to noon every day, five days a week. And sometimes I did. Right? And I don't think I've heard a show in a year now. He's still making it. I could pop it on right now if I wanted to. I think it's there for you when you need it, how you need it. That's what's important. And then I answered their other question, which is, I record every day. That's how I. That's how I stay ahead. I also have a. I record ahead. So I don't know what it is right now, but I'm going to guess I can open up a folder for you and tell you. Let's go. On Rob's server, I have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. There's seven episodes that Rob has done ready to go for me, and there are 25 episodes that he hasn't touched yet. And there are 1, 2, counting yours, 3, 4 that I haven't sent him yet. So what is that? 29th, 30, 37. We usually have. And I'm a little behind right now because I've gone away so much. But we try to have 40 to 50 episodes that are ready to go all the time. We work from a backlog. And I got that down from I used to. When I edited for myself. I used to have. My number was 70. I wanted to have 70 episodes that were always done. And that's why people would, like, not be on till, like, six months after they recorded. But now it's more like two months because Rob's editing. I'm never going to be in a situation where, like, what if I got sick for a week? You know what I mean? And even if Rob got sick, like, we're ahead, and if he got really sick, I could jump in and do stuff. But when it was just me, I was always worried that I'd be screwed up somehow. Anyway, other questions.

B (44:06)

I want to say my part of the narrative we covered, but you're still part of my diabetes story. So my questions to you and you being your authentic self here, that is part of my story, and I thank you. You've been amazing at providing Guidance and perspective from people who have a common situation, but uncommon life events.

A (44:38)

Awesome. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. It's another thing that came up this week while we're talking to people, there's so much time to meet people with type one. They said, how do you think it? Like, how does it work for such a wide kind of collection of people? I said, I think I've done a good job of distilling it so that it's these pieces of a recipe and then you take it and you go apply it to yourself. From the simplicity of how I talk about pre bolusing or when I say, I don't know any of those, like you said, the small step episodes, right, like, you know, I'd rather stop a lower falling blood sugar than, you know, fight with a high one. Doesn't mean I want anybody's blood sugar to be low or falling. It just means that, you know, it's easier to work down in those numbers than it is to work up in those numbers. And like, you then take that idea and you apply it to your life. And I think the person was a little confused while I was explaining it. But what I ended up saying was, is that, you know, I don't know who I'm speaking to. Actually, this person was a cd. I'm remembering the conversation better now. And I said, you have the opportunity to sit down in front of a person, get to know them. You can look them in the face, you know how they're accepting what you're saying or confused by what you're saying. I was like, I don't have that ability. So I had to turn what I was saying into something that's so kind of basic that no matter who heard it, within reason, they could understand the bigger idea around it. And I said, and I think by doing that, and I originally did it because I thought, I have to tell you, be honest, I used to think like, oh, well, there'll be all levels of intellects that are listening. And so you gotta make it so everybody can understand it. But in the end, I think that helps everybody. I think even people who are walking around with crazy IQs and are super bright and have 13 different degrees still benefit from hearing things in their simplest form and then they can translate it in their head to how it makes sense to them. So I think people who listen to this podcast and are successful with these things, I think they're using the ingredients I gave them, but I think the cake they make probably doesn't look anything like the cake I make. And that was a thing that was not hard for me to learn. But it was interesting when I learned it because I used to imagine that everybody was just doing exactly what I was doing, and that's why it was working. And then after talking to people, I realized, no, I just gave them flour, sugar, butter, salt, and they decided what to make with it. And their thing came out and it was tasty. And so that's kind of how I think about it now. So that that happened for you is really awesome, and I appreciate you telling me.

B (47:19)

Yes. To the point where once I finally got my endo appointment, because that took almost four months to get. When I met with the cde, I'd already been listening to your podcast for two months, and I didn't learn anything from her. And that's because I already had a pathway for education thanks to the podcast. So that's one of my notes to you was learning to say thank you to providers. So everything she shared with me that I already knew, I just said thank you for them.

A (47:54)

Yeah, yeah.

B (47:56)

No need to tell them. I already know that.

A (47:58)

Right, right.

B (47:58)

They're doing their jobs. Give them the space and the grace and just say thank you.

A (48:01)

Yeah. As time goes on and on, on a gut roll level, it's disappointing that somebody could go into a provider and not get decent information from them. It hurts me, but the more of them I meet, the more I think, like, it's not their fault. It just really is how the whole thing works. It's how their education works, it's how the system works and how insurance works and appointments work and that their people and your people and all these things together. Everybody always says, like, we have to fix the health care system. How? How would you do that? Exactly. And they'll say like, things like, oh, the appointment should be longer. I don't know if that's. I don't know if that would help anything. You know, like, maybe this is just what it is. And things like this then end up on the people unfairly who are living with them, and they got to go figure it out on their own. And maybe we should just be grateful that the technology exists where people can go listen to a podcast or read a book or go ask. I mean, you should see what I'm seeing with people. I'm not saying to do it, but I'm watching people drop graphs into ChatGPT and it's given, in some cases, some great tips for what you might want to look into. So that stuff's going to keep happening. I spoke to A number of healthcare providers this past week. I'm just going to say this here, and they'll hear it, and I apologize to them in advance. I had a lot of people say the same thing over and over again. Oh, I tell everybody about your podcast, so helpful to them, blah, blah, blah. And then I would try to say to them, here's why I think the podcast is valuable. They don't see it that way. And so even people who were standing in front of me telling me I know why the podcast is great. Like, I share it with people all the time. As they were talking, I kept thinking, you don't understand why the podcast works. And I tried to explain it to them, and they still didn't understand. And I was like, their experience is just so much different than mine is. They don't see this side of people. Like, trying to say, a lot of people go into. I talked to some bright people who are good providers at great institutions, more than one, more than five. And I was like, this is what people need to know. This is how they have to hear it. This is what you should be saying to them from my perspective, because again, I found a way to talk to people at every entry level, at every age, reading level. Like, people, like all different people. And they all report back the same things over and over again about the podcast. There's also some people, I told them, like, that hate me and. Or don't want to listen to things or whatever. Like, I'm not saying everybody, but for the people it works for, this is how it works for them. And they don't know what I'm talking about. They only see their perspective of how they do it. And when I said, no, these people are coming to you and they're leaving, and they don't understand any better than when they got there. I don't think they think that. Like, I don't know what it is they think or whether they're able to. How honest they're able to be with themselves or whatever. I'm not exactly sure what gets in the way, but they don't see what I'm telling them. And even after saying it out loud, they don't follow. So I told them, people need to be comfortable making changes to their settings. So they need to know how insulin works, and they need to understand how to use it. They need to understand how their food impacts that insulin. And I just said to one person, I was like, just listen to the Pro Tip series. I'm like, that's it. I said, you have no idea I've lost count of the thousands of thousands of people who have said to me, I listen to the Pro tip series. My A1C got into the sixes. That's not because I explained it perfectly in there. It's because I left breadcrumbs all over the place. And they went and took them and they put it together into their own concoction and made themselves an A1C. But you're not telling them that. You don't explain how insulin works. You don't talk about the connection between this and that. You don't talk about how to bolus for things. I went to great institutions when my daughter was younger. No one ever said to me, fat might need more insulin. Never, ever, once, ever, ever, ever. No one's ever said it to me. And I even found myself talking to a person who I think is lovely and I love, who is like Arden's second np. And the only thing I didn't say to her was I didn't really learn much from those appointments. I didn't have the heart to say it to her because she's lovely and really dedicated and a good person. She's helping a lot of people. But for me, I was in there and I just heard the. How are you feeling? Let me see your sights. Have you been low? How low? How are things going? How do you feel? Do you have any questions? The stuff that they ask over and over again, I was like, it's not helpful. It just isn't. I had to go out and figure it all out for myself. And you put everybody else in that situation, too, but not everybody goes and figures it out. So where are those people? And then once you start asking them. I said this in an episode recently, asking a person who doesn't know what they're doing if they have any questions about what they're doing is the silliest thing I've ever heard in my life. Like, if they knew what to ask you, they wouldn't have to ask you. They don't know enough to know what they don't know. And you're asking them to lead you into what they need to hear about. You should know what they need to hear about. Their response would be, everybody's different. My response would be, no, they're not. On some basic level, we're all the same, and we all have the same issues, and the same 15 or 20 ideas would make a foundation for us that would really lead us to success. That's what I think the podcast is. And I don't think that's the. I think that's the thing that a lot of them don't follow, and some of them do, but a lot of them don't follow it. So I don't know. Anyway, sorry. That was all from you saying thank you to me, William. Yeah, I got it today. I can podcast today. Oh, Rob's going to be so mad. We've been talking for like an hour and 40 minutes. Sorry, Rob. Awesome. Anything else? We good?

B (54:00)

I just want to give an acknowledgment to how wonderful my husband was through that emergency situation. And he's no longer polite and gentle. When he's concerned, he makes his point and I listen to him and we take action. He also. He was my wound care. My primary wound care for over 100 days. He was changing my dressing, taking care of my wound, sometimes up to five times a day, the poor guy. So my incision from the surgery went from what they call in yoga, the sitz bones on my left leg all the way up to top of my pubic bone, following the seam of the leg. So the poor fellow had to look at my goods up to five times a day for over 100 days. Thank you, honey, for taking care of me.

A (54:52)

That's a very kind thing to do for somebody. Also. What was he going to say? Is he going to go? No, figure it out for yourself. Yeah.

B (54:58)

Cause I. I couldn't do it.

A (54:59)

Yeah, no kidding. Not. Not in an accessible place. Right.

B (55:03)

Right.

A (55:03)

Something. Well, I'm so glad you're doing better. It's a crazy story about your diagnosis. Infections are. No, Are. No. No joke. It easily could. That infection easily could have gone somewhere else and ended you. It ended up in your thigh. And, you know, seriously, it's almost dumb luck that that's where it landed.

B (55:21)

Yes. And it was an incredibly aggressive variety. The surgeon said that that particular flavor can kill people in one to three days.

A (55:32)

No kidding.

B (55:33)

And I had it for a week.

A (55:35)

Scared the hell out of you, I bet, when they said that, huh?

B (55:38)

Yeah.

A (55:38)

Yeah, no kidding. God. Diabetes would have been the least of your problems.

B (55:44)

Right?

A (55:44)

Wow. Wow, that's so. I'm so happy for you that it. That you found the answer in time. But I do want to implore you, next time you feel sick, like maybe tell somebody, don't be like, this will probably be okay. I'll just tough my way through it.

B (55:59)

Yeah. Invincible.

A (56:01)

Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know a few of you people. I'm not. That's not me. I get sick. I'm like, hey, someone help right now. I need help. All right. Thank you so much, Laura. Hold on one second for me, okay? The conversation you just enjoyed was brought to you by usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get started today and get your supplies from US MED. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod 5 now with my link omnipod.com juicebox you are may be eligible for a free starter kit. A free Omnipod 5 starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com Juicebox Are you tired of getting a rash from your CGM adhesive? Give the Eversense 365 a try. Eversensecgm.com Juicebox Beautiful silicone that they use. It changes every day. It keeps it fresh. Not only that, you only have to change the sensor once a year. So I mean, that's better. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit, follow or subscribe will really help the show. If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes Episodes I'll be your best friend and if you leave a five star review, ooh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card? Check out my Algorithm Pumping Series to help you make sense of automated insulin delivery systems like Omnipod 5, Loop, Medtronic 780G Twist, Tandem Control IQ and much more. Each episode will dive into the setup, features and real world usage tips that can transform your daily type 1 diabetes management. We cut through the jargon, share personal experiences, and show you how these algorithms can simplify and streamline your care. If you're curious about automated insulin pumping, go find the Algorithm Pumping series in the Juice Box podcast easiest way juiceboxpodcast.com and go up into the menu, click on series and it'll be right there. Hey, what's up everybody? If you've noticed that the podcast sounds better and you're thinking like, how does that happen? What you're hearing is Rob at Wrong Way Recording doing his magic to these files. So if you want him to do his magic to you, wrongway recording.com you got a podcast. You want somebody to edit it. You want Rob?