Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1625: Three the Hard Way
Host: Scott Benner
Date: September 11, 2025
Guest: Linda, mother of three daughters dealing with various autoimmune conditions

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and informative episode, Scott Benner welcomes Linda—a mom of three daughters, each impacted differently by autoimmune diseases. The conversation centers on Linda's family's journey through Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Crohn's disease, and antibody positivity, offering insight into diagnosis, management, TrialNet participation, psychological impacts, and the realities of life with chronic illness.

Linda shares the history of her daughters’ health, their diagnoses, and her strategies to manage the uncertainty and emotional toll of raising three children with significant health challenges. The episode offers practical takeaways, emotional support, and a realistic look at being “Bold With Insulin”—all delivered in Scott’s characteristic compassionate and candid style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Linda and Family Health Overview

• Linda introduces her daughters: the youngest (17, T1D), the middle (20, antibody positive and in TrialNet), and the oldest (22, Crohn's disease and ADHD) [02:24].
  • “My youngest is my Type 1, my middle is 2, antibody positive and in trial Net.” – Linda [02:24]
  • “The oldest one is just keeping their head down. ...She’s got Crohn’s disease.” – Scott & Linda [02:32]
• The family history reveals autoimmune conditions on both sides—hypothyroidism, Raynaud's, and now, these more complex diagnoses.

2. Type 1 Diabetes: The Youngest Daughter’s Diagnosis

• Symptoms and Diagnosis Journey
  Linda recalls her daughter's vague symptoms the year prior (upset stomachs, dizziness). The week before a scheduled well-visit, symptoms intensified, but a nurse dismissed it as orthostatic hypotension [05:37].
  • “Her blood pressure drops when you're starting to feel weird. Drink a Gatorade. It'll help you feel better.” – Nurse, paraphrased by Linda [05:41]
  • In truth, her daughter was nearing Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). [05:54]
• Missteps and ER Diagnosis
  After a sugar-heavy Slurpee led to vomiting, her husband suspected diabetes. Linda was skeptical—there was “no diabetes in our family” [07:08].
  • “Mr. I’m not involved knew that was diabetes.” – Scott [07:23]
  • At the ER, a blood sugar reading of 410 confirmed T1D. She was in early DKA, but with no major complications besides large ketones [10:02].
• Hospital Education and Transition Home
  The family learned diabetes basics: injections, carb counting, ketone management [10:53]. Four years later, management has improved but is complicated by the daughter's anxiety.

3. Anxiety and Mental Health in Diabetes Management

• The youngest daughter struggles with anxiety (predating T1D) and is in ongoing therapy [12:54].
  • Anxiety centers on fear of lows, public alarms, and social attention, which leads to skipped doses at school. She is private about her diagnosis and only recently disclosed it to more friends [13:19].
  • “She worries a lot about going low ...about alarms going off, like when she's in school. ...It's like all social anxiety stuff.” – Linda [12:20]
• Therapy’s main benefit has been improved coping, not the disappearance of anxiety [13:11].
• Scott discusses the possible link between autoimmunity, inflammation, and anxiety, noting recurring patterns among diabetes families [16:13].
  • “If I had an interior design podcast ...and asked everybody if they were anxious, I don’t think as many people would have answered in the Affirmative as ...with type 1 diabetes.” – Scott [17:02]

4. TrialNet and Antibody Positivity: The Middle Daughter’s Experience

• After the T1D diagnosis, the family engaged in preventative screening with TrialNet. The oldest daughter was negative; the middle was GAD65 antibody positive [22:59].
• Over three years, the middle daughter developed a second antibody (insulin antibody) [23:29].
  • One antibody = 20% chance of developing T1D (framed as “80% not likely” by TrialNet).
  • Two antibodies signal high risk—likely progression, but with uncertain timing [24:10].
• Management involves oral glucose tolerance tests and A1c checks every 6 months to monitor progression [24:34].
• Emotional Impact and Planning
  • Linda’s initial anxiety was replaced by sadness with the second antibody [25:40].
  • She worries about her daughter potentially developing T1D as a young adult, away from home [26:27].
  • They consider preventative trials (e.g., Tzield), though they weigh risks, costs, and the desire for a significant delay before committing [27:53].
  • “I’d probably want five years at least.” – Linda, regarding how long a prevention therapy should delay the onset to feel worthwhile [28:56]

5. Crohn’s Disease: The Oldest Daughter’s Struggles

• Diagnosed in June 2024, though symptoms (notably anemia) preceded this by years [32:38].
• Crohn’s impact: dramatic weight loss, malabsorption issues (low vitamin D, iron), and frequent flares exacerbated by stress (notably, her college shutting down programs) [34:18].
• Diagnosis journey involved missteps—initially suspecting T1D (especially after seeing high blood sugars), before GI assessment confirmed Crohn’s [37:15].
• Management & Ongoing Challenges
  • Current regimen: Miralax, Pepcid, vitamin D, iron (tricky to maintain), and Entyvio infusions every 8 weeks [39:34]. Linda and Scott discuss the critical role of iron infusions for severe deficiency (“ferritin was like 12”) [40:19–42:56].
  • Crohn’s symptoms and flares remain daunting; biologics have offered some relief, but daily management is still “horrible.”

6. Family Dynamics and Parental Management

• Linda balances her job as a school secretary with caregiving, daily T1D support, and medical management logistics.
  • “It's just a lot. They’re old enough that they do a lot of it ...for me, it’s a lot of more like support and listening and helping them to figure out.” – Linda [46:27]
  • She’s hands-on for diabetes management (middle-of-the-night juice, carb counting) and helps her oldest navigate the intricacies of the medical system [47:43].
• Her husband is more hands-off with day-to-day, but steps up as needed [49:34].
• Linda intentionally models and teaches self-advocacy, critical thinking, and phased independence—skills she values both for her kids’ health and adulthood.

7. Reflections, Identity, and Coping Strategies

• Linda discusses her own experience with anxiety and depression, including previous antidepressant treatment, but now leans on reading, prayer, and distraction [31:37].
• The show touches on generational, genetic, and environmental contributors to her family’s health patterns and mental wellness.
• Support systems, including the Juicebox Podcast and its online community, play a vital role in Linda’s ability to manage, cope, and find validation [54:41].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dismissed Symptoms:

  “Her blood pressure drops when you're starting to feel weird. Drink a Gatorade. It'll help you feel better.”
  Linda recalling a nurse’s advice pre-diagnosis [05:41]

• On Learning Type 1 Was the Diagnosis:

  “She came home and threw up. And then my husband said, she's got diabetes. And I said, no, wait, there's no way. Why would she have diabetes?”
  Linda, on her husband's moment of clarity [07:11]

• On Parental Emotion:

  “I cried when I got the phone call. ...Now it went from, hey, she's 80% not likely to get it to yeah, you're probably going down this path.”
  Linda, on finding out about the second antibody [25:40]

• On Therapy’s Impact:

  “Not as much as we'd like it to. ...Her coping skills for having anxiety are getting better.”
  Linda, about her daughter’s experience with therapy [13:01]

• On Tzield and Prevention Trials:

  “I'd probably want five years at least. ...That would make it feel like, okay, this was worth it.”
  Linda, about what would make prevention treatments worthwhile [28:56]

• On Comparing Chronic Illnesses (Magic Wand Question):

  “I’d probably take away the one. Make sure my middle daughter doesn't get it because she's preventable. The other two are already in it.”
  Linda, on which condition she’d “erase” if possible [51:46]
  “Crohn's seems the toughest to me.”
  Scott, reflecting on the relative burdens of the illnesses [51:54]

• On Finding Support:

  “Very early on then, I became more comfortable with using insulin and understanding how it worked and understood what the doctors were saying. And so it made a huge, huge difference.”
  Linda, about discovering the Juicebox Podcast community [55:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Family health overview (Linda introduces her daughters): [02:24]
• Type 1 diagnosis story: [04:21–11:04]
• Anxiety and mental health discussion: [12:20–16:46]
• Autoimmunity, inflammation, and GLP analogues: [16:46–19:43]
• TrialNet, antibody progression, prevention options: [22:24–29:00]
• ADHD, mental health, and family coping: [29:51–32:23]
• Crohn’s diagnosis, management, and college troubles: [32:38–39:43]
• Iron deficiency, infusions, and women’s health: [39:56–42:40]
• Parental strategies, division of labor, and support: [46:06–50:05]
• The “magic wand” illness question: [51:10–53:33]
• Value of knowing—TrialNet controversy and knowledge vs. anxiety: [57:34–58:59]
• Closing reflections on support groups/podcast: [54:22–57:15]

Takeaways & Strategies Shared

• Diagnosis: Trust parental intuition. Persist if symptoms don’t add up; don’t dismiss subtle or chronic changes.
• Mental Health: Address anxiety and depression proactively, recognizing their deep impact on disease management.
• Education: Equip kids early with advocacy skills, knowledge, and self-management strategies; use community resources liberally.
• TrialNet: For families with T1D, preventive screening can reduce fear of the unknown and potentially open doors to clinical prevention, though results may bring tough emotions.
  • “If you can walk into it slowly—it’s valuable to know.”
• Balance: It’s possible to juggle work and caregiving with adaptation, creativity, and persistent communication.
• Support: Find your tribe—Facebook groups, podcasts, and online communities matter, especially when local support may fall short.

Tone and Style

Scott’s signature humor and candor keep the conversation relatable and light, even as they traverse deeply personal material. Linda is earnest, practical, and open—willing to share her anxieties, sadness, and the micro-victories of keeping three young adults afloat amid complex health needs. The episode blends practical advice, lived experience, and reassurance, punctuated by memorable exchanges and a palpable sense of community.

For listeners: If you’re navigating chronic illness in your family, this episode offers both solidarity and strategies. Linda’s openness about the ongoing nature of coping, the value of knowledge (even with anxiety), and the primacy of support networks is sure to resonate.