Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1629: Jump Kick
Date: September 16, 2025
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Brian, Army veteran and father of a 7-year-old with type 1 diabetes

Episode Overview

This episode features Brian, a father, Army veteran, and martial arts enthusiast, as he shares the tumultuous journey of his son's type 1 diabetes diagnosis—tightly entwined with his own dual knee injury and the challenges of maintaining family resilience. The conversation oscillates between heavy moments of trauma and humor, wrapping honest strategies for facing adversity, navigating youth sports, diabetes management, and the universal struggle for hope and normalcy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brian's Story: Adoption and Diagnosis

• Background: Brian and his wife adopted their son, Lucas, after struggling with infertility. Lucas was adopted as a 4-month-old and is now 7, soon to be 8.
  • “For all intensive purposes, he’s ours.” (02:40, Brian)
• Family Connection to T1D: Some distant family history (maternal grandfather’s half-brother).
• Diagnosis: Lucas was diagnosed just before last year’s July 4th after classic symptoms and collapsing at a pool party. A family friend, a pediatric ER doctor, quickly recognized the signs and intervened.
  • “He was extremely thirsty... he collapsed at the pool.” (06:05, Brian)
• DKA Survival: Lucas’s blood sugar was ~800; “within hours of going into a coma.“ (07:43, Brian)

2. Brian’s Personal Injury: The "Jump Kick" Incident

• How it Happened: Tore both ACLs doing a jump front kick while teaching martial arts to Lucas’s class.
  • “I tell people it was like a Jason Bourne movie, except for less explosions and more paperwork.” (08:32, Brian)
• Experience: Lived with surgeries, painful rehab, work disruptions, and became dependent on crutches and walkers.
  • “When you have two bad legs, it’s kind of like...” (12:53, Brian)

3. Physical & Mental Impact of Injury and Illness

• Weight Gain/Post-Surgery: Gained nearly 50 lbs, dealt with loss of mobility and depression.
  • “Feeling sorry for myself in a La-Z-Boy… I put on a good like £50.” (22:11, Brian)
• Weight Loss Journey: With GLP medication, PT, and determination, lost about 70 lbs.
  • “Now I’m actually back down to like 180, which is… I haven’t been 180 since probably the military.” (23:49, Brian)
• Resilience: Drew on military experience and a determination not to be captive to self-pity.

4. Managing Diabetes with a Young Child

• Initial Overwhelm: Shock, emotional impact, frustration at timing.
  • “Why is this happening to us right now?... You go down rabbit holes of Internet…” (25:15, Brian)
• In-Hospital to Tech Transition: Started with pens, manual sugar checks, then moved to the Dexcom G7 and, after a few months, the Omnipod 5 pump.
  • “He’s on the Omnipod 5…Yesterday he was 90% in range. Today he’s 60%…” (26:11, Brian)
• Nighttime Management: Both parents split diabetes care, tag-teaming low/high alarms and night interruptions.
  • “We equate it to, like, when he was a newborn and he woke up… now it’s the sugar pixel going off.” (28:11, Brian)
• Emotional Rollercoaster: Noticing mood swings from hypoglycemia; learning not to take “lows” personally.
  • “He gets, like, really, really angry… Oh, well, he’s 55 right now.” (30:09, Brian)

5. Navigating School and Responsibility

• School Nurse Experience: A T1D nurse meant well but would overtreat lows.
  • “She’d give him a juice and, like, Ritz crackers and gummies… he’s back up to like 275…” (33:02, Brian)
• Frequent Moves & Environmental Stress: Multiple schools due to hurricane-related home damage.

6. Resilience and Mindset: Avoiding Victimhood

• Conscious Choice: Brian stressed the importance of avoiding negative feedback loops in support groups and focusing on actionable support.
  • “You can choose to think your situation sucks, or…to have your situation be awesome.” (35:10, Brian)
• Drawing Strength: Military background, PTSD experience, and seeing the “worst of humanity” influenced his drive to role model resilience for his family.
  • “If you can’t get out of [depression]…what kind of example are you setting?” (37:47, Brian)

7. Youth Sports, Inclusion, and Parenting Philosophy

• Little League Frustrations: Post-diagnosis, found coaches limiting his son due to diabetes and excessive competitiveness.
  • “He was last on the roster to go up for bat… put in as catcher because... blood sugars.” (47:01, Brian)
• Shift to Basketball: Inspired by interactions with T1D athletes at Friends for Life conference—basketball became a happier fit.
• Philosophy on Sports: Both Brian and Scott emphasize fun, balance, resilience, and not projecting adult ambitions onto children.
  • “The most important thing about your kids playing sports is that it’s fun, it’s close to your home, and it’s not expensive.” (63:35, Host)

8. Advice For Dads & Families

• Community: Encouragement to find other dads or support systems, share burdens, recognize limitations, and keep moving forward.
  • "Take care of your family... just hang in there." (67:23, Brian)
• Continual Learning: Diabetes is a learning curve, and things will get easier.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Resilience:
  “You can choose to think your situation sucks, or you can choose to have your situation be awesome. And it’s really a choice, right?” — Brian (35:10)

• On Managing Both Injury and Diabetes:
  “I think it’s the mental gymnastics… and you add another medical complication in the mix, and it’s... more than you can kind of overwhelm on your own.” — Brian (23:27)

• On Parenting Philosophy:
  “If he’s not having fun, like, let’s do something else, right?” — Brian (58:06)

• On Avoiding Victimhood:
  “My wife joined like a moms of type 1 diabetes group, and she was like, I just can’t keep looking at this stuff… if you put yourself in that situation, then you start to find reasons to also get into that loop as well.” — Brian (38:44)

• On Sports Pressure:
  “None of these kids are going to make the majors, so just let them have fun.” — Brian (48:42)
  “If you’re not starting and playing, you’re the one keeping the financial part of it afloat. You’re either the check or you’re a player. And if you don’t know which you are, you’re the check.” — Host (63:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Brian’s Adoption Story (02:12–05:18)
• Son’s Diabetes Diagnosis (06:01–08:16)
• ACL Injury & Rehabilitation (09:04–16:24)
• Mental Health & Weight Gain/Loss (22:04–24:47)
• Layering Injury & T1D Care (25:15–27:51)
• Diabetes Management at Home (28:02–29:15)
• School & Nurse Challenges (32:10–34:03)
• Resilience, Mindset, and Support Groups (35:10–40:48)
• Military & PTSD Influence (41:09–45:49)
• Youth Sports & Inclusion (47:01–58:06)
• Advice to Other Dads (67:23–68:48)

Summary Takeaways

• The journey of chronic illness management is rarely linear; trauma can stack and amplify strain, yet proactive, actionable attitudes can guide families through.
• Resilience, humor, and deliberate community engagement are critical tools.
• Avoiding "victim loops" in support communities and instead seeking practical information and actionable camaraderie helps bring about better outcomes.
• For children with diabetes, inclusion in activities (especially sports) must center on fun and self-esteem, not performance or fear.
• Parenting with perspective—accepting imperfection, sharing caregiving, and prioritizing emotional as well as physical health—offers the best chance for well-being, for both child and parents.

“You can wallow in it, or you can choose to get going. Move forward, as best you can. It really does work out.” — Host (68:48)