Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes
Episode #1645: All in the Family
Date: October 6, 2025
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Mike
Episode Overview
This episode, titled "All in the Family," explores the unique (and at times harrowing) journey of Mike and his family, who have faced multiple Type 1 diabetes diagnoses across generations. Host Scott Benner and Mike discuss the emotional impact, medical challenges, and evolving strategies for living well with diabetes. Mike’s story covers his daughter's childhood diagnosis in the 1990s, his adult son's sudden onset years later, and then his own shocking diagnosis at age 54, underscoring the unpredictable nature of Type 1 diabetes across ages and life circumstances. The episode provides a rare, candid look into how one family has navigated these diagnoses, the emotional fallout, the technological advances over the decades, and the perspective gained both as a caregiver and a patient.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Family History and Diagnoses
- Mike’s Background
- Diagnosed with Type 1 at 54; now 56.
- "I have a lot of experience with type 1 diabetes." (02:07)
- Lives in Utah, not LDS (04:02), father of four biological kids, stepfather of two, and adopted one from foster care.
- Diabetes Across Generations
- Daughter diagnosed at age four, in 1995 (06:12).
- Son diagnosed at 26, in 2021 (18:29).
- Mike’s own diagnosis in 2023 (23:00).
- Youngest daughter, currently 27, is the only biological child without T1D (30:02).
Emotional Journey and Impact
- Shock and Devastation at Each Diagnosis
- "I certainly thought I escaped it at my age, so I was a little shocked and devastated at the same time." – Mike (02:31)
- Each successive diagnosis brought disbelief; more concern grew for the remaining child.
- Loss and Perspective
- Eldest son passed away at 21 (05:29), bringing the family closer together.
- "It actually taught me to let things go... so much of that just didn't matter after that." – Mike (32:00)
- Living as Both Caregiver and Patient
- "Raising children with T1 was one thing... but now having it myself, everything is so different." – Mike (34:06)
- Caregiver Regrets
- Mike reflects on not fully grasping the day-to-day emotional burden on his daughter:
"Even though I raised a type 1 diabetic, I didn't understand it." (38:15)
"There's days now I look at my numbers... sometimes you just don't want to care about it." (37:11)
- Mike reflects on not fully grasping the day-to-day emotional burden on his daughter:
Diagnosis Stories
- Daughter’s Presentation (1995)
- Wetting the bed suddenly, frequent urination, flu-like symptoms (06:46).
- Immediate hospital admission – diagnosis and start with vials and syringes (07:47; 09:20).
- No insulin pumps or CGMs; relied on finger sticks.
- Son’s Adult Diagnosis
- Experienced classic onset and self-diagnosed with a Walgreens checker—immediate ICU visit, A1C at 17 (17:34; 19:34).
- Military service means his medical supplies are covered for life (20:01).
- Developed neuropathy by age 30, possibly due to undetected high blood sugar for five years (45:55).
- Mike’s Own Late-Onset
- Athletic lifestyle, regular checkups, and a casual A1C of 5.9 raised no concerns (23:00).
- Stopped sugar; A1C crept up to 6.0, then 6.8.
- “I did everything in my life not to be here... to go from that to all of a sudden having a life-changing disease.” (27:38)
- Diagnosed after seeing persistent highs with his son's donated CGM; adapt quickly due to long caregiver experience.
Evolution of Treatment and Technology
- Diabetes Management in the 1990s
- Only MDI (multiple daily injections), vials and syringes—pumps “the size of a car battery.” (09:20)
- “You just did what the doctor said… There was nowhere to check.” (11:30)
- Technology and research: lack of information meant reliance solely on physicians (12:08).
- Daughter labeled “brittle diabetic”—now seen as a result of insufficient data/tools.
- Modern Management
- Mike currently uses Tandem Mobi with Dexcom CGM, praises flexible settings (54:04 onward).
- “If this pump died tomorrow, I'd go get another Mobi... It just wouldn't be a question.” (55:15)
Family Resilience and Coping
- The Benner/Mike family is described as solutions-oriented, always looking for positives after adversity:
- “We're the family that when something bad happens, we'll lick our wounds for a week or two and then start picking out the positive.” (31:14)
- Coping mechanisms extend to learning and adaptation, even after immense loss.
- Recognition that emotional support sometimes matters more than controlling numbers for children/teens with diabetes. "It's okay to get in the weeds with them and let them be mad about the disease." (48:45)
Unique and Notable Moments
- Natural Diabetic Alert Dog
- Mike’s standard poodle, Delilah, has an uncanny, natural ability to sense lows while hiking—refusing to continue until Mike’s hypo passes (57:37).
- “She will actually at some point just sit and stop… Whenever I drop low, she will alert me 10 to 15 minutes before.” (58:38)
- On the Difference Between Supporting and Living Diabetes
- “When you watch your girl go through it, it’s one thing. Now I’m experiencing it, and I don’t know if it’s worse because of my age… But I certainly have a whole new understanding.” (35:03)
- On Medical System Shortcomings
- Son’s diabetes missed for five years in the Navy, despite an A1C of 6.8; reflected on the prevalence of misdiagnosed adult-onset T1D (46:31).
- Athletic Insights
- Years of endurance bike racing perhaps delayed (or masked) Mike’s own onset.
- “The riding just took the weight off… I think the bike racing helped with the type 1 diabetes… I had a very short honeymoon phase.” (43:31; 44:05)
- Physiological surprises: Exercise sometimes sent his blood sugar up instead of down (53:08).
- Perspective on Adulthood and Meaning
- “You gain a perspective of a hundred-year-old man in five seconds.” (32:29)
- “To get worked up over senseless things… It just isn’t worth the energy, really.” (32:54)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Sudden Diagnosis & Family Bonds
- “You think this doesn't happen to me, right? Like, this happens to other people? Not. Not me.” – Mike (05:47)
- “The only time she ever cried was the day we brought her home from the hospital and pricked her finger and gave her the first shot. Because of course she thought, I'm out of the hospital, I don't have to do this. And now she does.” – Mike, about his daughter (16:21)
- On Technology & Information
- “Now I have all this technology… I think back in 1995, I was sent home with a four-year-old and syringes and vials. How did I keep her alive?” – Mike (09:56)
- “Thirty years ago you couldn’t really research something like that, how different the world is.” – Scott (11:30)
- On Parental Perspective
- “As a caregiver, you don't realize the 150 to 200 extra decisions a day they’re making.” – Mike (37:11)
- On Sorrow & Resilience
- “It actually taught me to let things go… so much of that just didn't matter after that.” – Mike, on losing his son (32:00)
- On Late-Onset Diagnosis Reality
- “I did everything in my life not to be here... and still…” – Mike (27:38)
- On Finding the Positive
- “Every time something bad happens, we lick our wounds, then we pick out the positive.” – Mike (31:14)
- On His Poodle, Delilah
- “Whenever I drop low, if we’re out hiking or walking, she will alert me 10 to 15 minutes before… she’s naturally a diabetic alert dog.” – Mike (58:38)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:07 – 06:12: Mike introduces family & outlines T1D across multiple children.
- 06:46 – 09:20: Daughter's diagnosis process and 1990s treatment.
- 16:21 – 17:26: What growing up with T1D was like for his daughter.
- 17:34 – 21:20: Son's adult-onset T1D story; military health coverage.
- 23:00 – 30:00: Mike describes his own diagnosis journey and processing the shock.
- 31:14 – 34:28: Family coping, resilience, and perspective; aftermath of loss.
- 34:28 – 38:15: Experiencing diabetes as a patient vs. a caregiver; deeper understanding.
- 43:28 – 46:31: Athletic background, exercise, honeymoon phase.
- 45:55 – 47:03: Son’s complications & missed diagnosis in military records.
- 54:04 – 55:25: Mike’s review of the Tandem Mobi pump.
- 57:37 – 59:33: The story of Delilah the poodle as a natural alert dog.
Final Section: Reflections and Takeaways
- The onset of Type 1 in a single family can be utterly unpredictable, striking at any age and without clear cause.
- Mike's unique perspective—first as a caregiver, then a patient—not only changed his understanding of diabetes but also deepened his empathy.
- The family’s pragmatic optimism and willingness to find the silver lining is a powerful coping mechanism in the face of repeated adversity.
- Advances in technology (from syringes to CGMs and pumps) have fundamentally changed outcomes and quality of life for people with T1D.
- Sometimes, the best diabetes alert dog is your own poodle.
This episode is a testament to the resilience of families touched by chronic illness and a reminder to compassionately support both the diagnosed and their loved ones. For anyone facing Type 1 diabetes, Mike’s story provides hard-won wisdom, hope, and humor across the decades.