#1659 Pressure Makes Diamonds

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1659 — "Pressure Makes Diamonds"
Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Chapman, pediatric nurse and new Type 1 diabetic

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Episode Overview

This intimate episode explores the intensely personal and practical aspects of living with Type 1 Diabetes, both from the fresh perspective of Chapman, diagnosed in May 2024, and through the host’s characteristic warmth and humor. Chapman’s story weaves together his expertise as a pediatric nurse, his sudden diabetes diagnosis at age 29, and the simultaneous arrival of his premature son. The conversation dives into family health challenges, managing diabetes during high-stress life events, adaptation to technology, and the emotional landscape of new parenthood with a chronic illness. Through vulnerability and humor, the episode offers relatable strategies for coping and thriving with diabetes amidst life’s pressures.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Chapman's Background and Diagnosis

• Nursing Career: Chapman is a pediatric nurse in Charlotte, NC, working in anesthesia screening for pediatric surgery cases.
• Diagnosis Story: Symptoms (weight loss, frequent urination, paresthesia) began in January 2024 but were overlooked due to stresses of a high-risk pregnancy. Diagnosis confirmed May 8, 2024; son born May 11, 2024.
• Autoimmune Family Background: Both Chapman and his wife have autoimmune disorders; this shaped both diagnosis anxiety and family planning.

Notable Quote:

“All mine is behind the scenes of surgery… My team is responsible for getting the patient to surgery day.” – Chapman (03:53)

Timestamps:

• Diagnosis Journey: [06:36–12:29]
• Autoimmune Family History: [09:29–10:30]

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2. The Realities of Being Diagnosed Amid Life Upheaval

• Juggling Crises: Facing diagnosis, becoming a first-time dad, and managing a premature birth—all in one week.
• Self-Care Deferral: Chapman confessed his own symptoms took a backseat to his wife’s risky pregnancy, leading to delayed diagnosis.

Notable Quote:

“I was worried about my wife and my unborn child… Looking back now, it wasn’t really at the forefront because… are we going to make it to the due date?” – Chapman (08:58)

Timestamps:

• Diagnosis and Birth Timeline: [10:48–12:50]

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3. Entering the Diabetes Community as Both a Provider and Patient

• Professional Preparedness vs Reality: Chapman felt “75% prepared” because of his nursing background, yet found practical T1D management at home is very different from inpatient settings.
• Education Gaps: Fat rises, extended boluses, and the lived reality of highs and lows were not covered in his previous professional training.

Notable Quotes:

“When I was diagnosed, I could just go into nurse mode… and help take care of my wife and my baby.” – Chapman (19:55)

“Fat rises—that was something that I was not ready for…extended boluses for high fat meals, that was really difficult for me.” – Chapman (20:15)

Timestamps:

• Transition from Nurse to Patient: [17:08–20:15]
• Learning Gaps: [19:55–22:28]

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4. The Importance of Community & Support Systems

• Beyond Medical Teams: The podcast, peer groups, and online communities were pivotal in coping with “the unknown.”
• Advice to New Patients: Find support networks early—whether online, through educators, or family peer groups.

Notable Quotes:

“You’re not alone… The community is massive… and so willing to help. It’s unlike any other community around…” – Chapman (22:28)

“Even just solace, knowing that someone is going through the same problems… That was huge for me.” – Chapman (24:33)

Timestamps:

• Support Systems Discussed: [22:28–25:22]

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5. Living With the “Honeymoon” Phase and Diabetes Tech

• Current Rollercoaster: Chapman's honeymoon phase (fluctuating insulin needs, variable BGs) continues to be unpredictable and emotionally taxing.
• Tech as Saviour: Switching from MDI to an insulin pump (Tandem t:slim X2) with Dexcom G7 made management more bearable, reducing both mental and physical strain.

Notable Quotes:

“My basal needs change every single day… a fluctuation of 30, 40 units difference day by day is huge.” – Chapman (28:39)

“Now that I’m on the pump, it’s made things a lot better for me mentally and physically.” – Chapman (37:27)

Timestamps:

• Technological Transitions: [27:46–31:01], [37:27–38:22]

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6. Diabetic Parenting: Fear and Vigilance

• Parenting Fears: Chapman describes heightened vigilance around lows, especially when alone with his baby.
• Hypervigilance: Always keeping fast-acting carbs on hand and pre-planning activities for safety.
• Family Diabetes Worry: Both parents being auto-immune makes them extra watchful of their child’s symptoms (e.g., checking blood sugar when their baby is very thirsty).

Notable Quote:

“The fear of something bad happening with me having a low… carrying him down the stairs and I’m low… that’s kind of a hard thing to manage.” – Chapman (31:18)

Timestamps:

• Parenting & Diabetes Anxiety: [31:11–35:18]

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7. Mental Health & the COVID-Nursing Experience

• Origin of Anxiety: Chapman’s severe work-related anxiety began during COVID, within weeks of starting his nursing career. Stress is speculated as the trigger for his T1D onset.
• COVID’s Lasting Impact: The trauma of working as a new nurse through the pandemic, in the designated pediatric COVID unit, left deep marks.
• Pump Relieved Anxiety: Automating insulin delivery offered crucial mental “ceiling space” to focus on family and marriage.

Notable Quotes:

“Three weeks after I started as a nurse, COVID hit… that mental strain… just took a toll on me.” – Chapman (59:41)

“Having some help with the pump… was so helpful… just a little bit of that weight lifted.” – Chapman (56:40)

Timestamps:

• Work-related Stress/Anxiety: [32:19–33:50], [57:45–60:55]

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8. Reflections on Education, Uncertainty, and Moving Forward

• No ‘Perfect’ Diabetes Education: Chapman and Scott agree there’s no secret info or magical system fix.
• The “Why” Craving: Not knowing why the honeymoon is unpredictable is the hardest part; Chapman wishes medical education addressed this more (though Scott laments that sometimes “there is no answer”).

Notable Quotes:

"The unknown is... I guess, especially if you're an anxious person too. That part sucks." – Scott (56:25) “Pressure makes diamonds, my friend.” – Scott (60:55)

Timestamps:

• Education Gaps and Uncertainty: [25:22–29:24], [55:44–56:25], [60:55]

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Pregnancy and Diagnosis Collide: “I get diagnosed on May 8th. Baby comes on May 11th.” – Chapman (10:48)
• Relatable Nurse Humor: “Are kids just hilarious coming out of anesthesia?” (02:54) “Oh, my gosh. It’s one of the funniest things you can experience.”
• On Being Out of Insulin: Scott shares a detailed story about handling a pump failure and giving corrections, underlining the complexity and stress of diabetes management. (40:57–48:13)
• On Support: “That was huge for me, going through some of that stuff.” – Chapman (24:50)
• Podcast Impact: “Listening to Bold Beginnings really helped me when I was just in a panic state… That series was incredible for me.” – Chapman (54:32)
• On Anxiety and The Pump: “Having something taking off my brain, just a little bit of that weight lifted, was so helpful.” – Chapman (56:40)
• Adapting to Uncertainty: “I just want the honeymoon to be over so I can have some sort of understanding of what to do.” – Chapman (48:59)
• Host’s Summation: “Pressure makes diamonds, my friend. There you go. You sound like one.” – Scott (60:55)

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Key Timestamps

• Chapman's Diabetes Diagnosis: [06:36–12:29]
• Preparing Families for Surgery (Nursing Role): [02:46–05:00]
• Pregnancy, Autoimmune, and Family Health: [09:29–10:30]
• Parenthood + MDI Diabetes: [12:50–14:20]
• Professional Preparedness vs. Reality: [19:55–22:28]
• Importance of Community Support: [22:28–25:22]
• Managing the Honeymoon via Tech: [27:46–31:01], [37:27–38:22]
• Diabetic Parenting Anxiety: [31:11–35:18]
• COVID, Mental Health, and the New Nurse Story: [57:45–59:55], [59:41–60:33]
• Reflections on Uncertainty/Education: [55:44–56:25]
• Closing and Podcast Recommendations: [53:44–55:45]

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Additional Insights

• Support System Foundation: Chapman's wife’s resilience and their shared determination helped pull them through a joint crisis; he describes her as “so gracious and so strong.”
• On Med Tech: Chapman is very satisfied with tandem t:slim X2 and Dexcom G7, acknowledging minor frustrations as a worthwhile trade for the control they provide.
• Work/Life Impact: Early COVID experience colors everything, giving Chapman a sense of perspective: “We got through that. We can do pretty much anything.”

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Conclusion

This episode stands out for its deeply honest look at what it means to endure and adapt to a chronic illness in the midst of personal upheaval. Chapman’s story is marked by resilience, humor, and a drive to understand not just the “how” of diabetes management, but the emotional “why.” The host and guest highlight the critical value of information, support, and technology in living boldly with insulin, but are equally frank about the uncertainties and all-consuming mental burdens the disease and its “honeymoon” bring. The episode’s tone is candid, compassionate, and quietly inspiring—encouraging listeners to seek community, stay adaptable, and find pride in “pressure making diamonds.”

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Related Resources Mentioned:

• Podcast Pro Tip Series & Bold Beginnings: For new diagnoses and foundational diabetes management [54:14]
• Juicebox Podcast Community and Website: Peer support and further information

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome back friends to another episode of the Juice Box Podcast.

[B]

Well hi, My name is Chapman. I have been a type 1 diabetic since May 2024. I am a pediatric nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina and I am excited to be here.

[A]

If this is your first time listening to the Juice Box Podcast and you'd like to hear more, download Apple Podcasts or Spotify, really any audio app at all, look for the Juice Box Podcast and follow or subscribe. We put out new content every day that you'll enjoy. Want to learn more about your diabetes management? Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu and look for Bold Beginnings, the Diabetes Pro Tip Series and much more. This podcast is full of collections and series of information that will help you to live better with insulin. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. The episode you're about to listen to was sponsored by touched by type 1. Go check them out right now on Facebook, Instagram and of [e-mail] check out that programs tab when you get to the website to see all the great things that they're doing for people living with type 1 diabetes. Touched by type1.org this episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by the Omnipod 5 and at my link omnipod.com juicebox you can get yourself a free Free. What'd I just say? A free Omnipod 5 starter kit. Free. Get out of here. Go click on that link omnipod.com juicebox check it out. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox links in the show notes [e-mail] I'm having an onbody vibe alert. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by Eversense 365. The only one year wear CGM. That's one insertion and one CGM a year. One CGM one year, not every 10 or 14 days. Eversensecgm.com juicebox well hi, my name is Chapman.

[B]

I have been a type 1 diabetic since May 2024. I am a pediatric nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina and I am excited to be here. Glad to talk about it.

[A]

Oh man. Thank you for coming.

[B]

I appreciate it for sure.

[A]

What's your specialty in nursing?

[B]

Pediatrics. So I did general pediatrics for five years and now I work with anesthesia for pediatric surgery cases.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Are kids just hilarious coming out of Anesthesia.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. It's one of the funniest things you can experience. Some kids are ready to fight somebody when they wake up, and some of them are happy. Go lucky. You never know what you're going to get. But it's. It's funny and rewarding at the same time.

[A]

I came out of anesthesia one time and my wife is just sitting there at the foot of the bed. The nurse is standing. I don't know that my wife could have been more embarrassed. And I can. As I feel like I'm coming to, I can hear her apologizing. And I'm like, I wonder what happened. You know, turns out that whatever I said is what happened. And it's a much too friendly, family friendly podcast for me to tell you. Apparently it was horrifying. And then the nurse goes like, my wife's apologizing in circles. And the nurse says, that's pretty common. And I was like, oh, I wasn't even uncommon. That was upsetting to me.

[B]

And there's no filter.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I said, what did I say? And my wife goes, later, I'll tell you later. So anyway, what does that mean? Like, I mean, you're not the anesthesiologist though, right? So what's your job?

[B]

So I work closely with the anesthesiologists. I work in what's called anesthesia screening. So any child that comes in to have any procedure, whether it's a MRI, CT scan, major procedure, my job is to research the patient, be in contact with the anesthesiologist if there's any special considerations for surgeries, be in contact with the family to kind of guide them through the process of surgery, let them know when they need to be here, what time they need to stop eating and drinking, and then kind of walk them through surgery day with them. So it's kind of a tangent point of the anesthesia team because the anesthesiologist isn't going to be the one to provide all this information to the family. It's, you know, it's a whole team process. So my team is just responsible for, you know, getting the patient to surgery day. And then anesthesiologist and the surgeon team, I'll take it from there. So all mine is behind the scenes of surgery.

[A]

Yeah, you're not the guy that takes the tires off and puts them back on and balances them. You're a guy at the front that asks me what kind of car I got, you know, and we figure out the sizes together and I send You, I got you. Okay.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah.

[A]

I'm going to ask a question that I always wonder about because I'm older and I've had a couple of procedures. What's my real risk when I go night night of not waking back up again?

[B]

Very slim. Very, very slim. Pretty much everything to do with anesthesia is all weight based. So they get your weight before your procedure and they dose all the medication needed for anesthesia off of your weight. So you're not going to get any more than you need or any less that you need. It's going to be right the exact amount that you need for your weight base dosing and you're pretty much good from there. Obviously there are some risks with anesthesia, but Those are the 0.001% things that the anesthesiologist needs to tell you about before a procedure. But other than that pretty well fine tuned process. After years of research and trials, is.

[A]

It true that they don't really why we go to sleep? We just know it happens. Like they don't understand the function of the medication. Right. Like what?

[B]

Oh, right. Like the method of action. Yeah, that's a little bit outside my wheelhouse. I'm sure I learned something about it when I was in nursing school, but that's a little bit outside my wheelhouse now.

[A]

Okay. So if I've been out a number of times, is there a risk in doing it another time or another time or does the risk go up the more you do it?

[B]

No, no, no, not at all. Now we have, we have some kids that need anesthesia, you know, three times a week for certain conditions and procedures. And it's like three times a week, every week for months at a time. And that's children. And so obviously you don't want to be understand under anesthesia too much because the drugs are pretty, you know, pretty heavy. Yeah, they, they flush out of your system pretty quickly as long as you're well hydrated and everything. So it's not like it's going to be in your system for a very, very, very long time. Like some medicines are, I will say.

[A]

As I get older, it, their bounce back from it takes a little longer. I'm a little more.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like not goofy, but it's kind of tired, you know.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah. For a little longer.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

All right, well I appreciate you telling me about that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So last May, so June, July, August down or a year, 16 months ago.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is that when you realize something was going on or did you realize sooner than that it took a while to get to the diagnosis.

[B]

Yeah. So everything started happening in January of last year, symptom wise. But I didn't really think much of it until late April when I was like, I should probably get checked out. It started in January, just with some mild weight loss, two, three pounds here and there. I was like, oh, cool. I guess I'm not trying too hard, but you never complain about losing a couple pounds. It just kept going and going and going. And I, for some reason, didn't cross my mind to think about that. And then all the peeing. Started peeing all the time. All the time. And my wife was seven months pregnant at the time, and I'm getting up in the middle of the night more than she was to go to the restroom. Kind of straw that broke the camel's back was. I had some paresthesia, so numbness and tingling in my hands, my feet. And I was kind of like, oh, dang, this is never a good sign. I should probably go get checked out. Being a nurse, you have all these symptoms and you think of all the different things it could be because you've seen all the different things when you're at the hospital. And so in my head, I was going to the worst of the worst. I was going to the big C. I was going to Ms. I was thinking of all the other things. So I was like, maybe it's just diabetes. Maybe I just have a random skinny guy, type two case. Didn't really think much about type one. And I went to my doctor in January.

[A]

How tall were you? How much did you weigh before the start of everything?

[B]

I'm six two, £190. It's kind of my.

[A]

You're pretty lean then?

[B]

Pretty lean, yeah. And so I got down. I saw at diagnosis I was 6 to 159 pounds.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah. So I lost around 40 pounds, 42 pounds.

[A]

At what weight did you think this is a problem?

[B]

When I started hitting the 1 60s, mid-160s.

[A]

Why did it take that long? Listen, I'm 5 9, maybe. Like, maybe. I think I'm at a pretty reasonable weight for my frame right now. And I think I was 169 this morning. So, I mean, even at 185, you weren't like, hey, what's going on? Like, when was the last time you'd been 185?

[B]

Oh, man. Middle college. I mean, I was. Yeah.

[A]

So what do you think? I'm asking a hindsight question, but what do you think allows you to ignore that?

[B]

I think my wife and I planned to have Our first child. Everything was kind of focused on that. It was a. It was extremely high risk pregnancy. My wife was having some complications, and so my mind wasn't really on myself at the time. Yeah, I was having these symptoms, but looking back now, it wasn't really the forefront because, you know, I was worried about my wife and my unborn child. Like, are we going to make it to, you know, due date? All these doctors telling us we're not going to make it there. That was at the forefront of my mind. And then all of this started happening, and then I was diagnosed, and two days later, my son was born.

[A]

Wow. What can I. Is it too personal to ask what the high risk nature was of the pregnancy?

[B]

No. Yeah. No. My wife has multiple autoimmune conditions which automatically make her, quote, unquote, a high risk pregnancy. And then she had. Was called a short cervix. So the cervix, which pretty much holds the baby in, is too small to hold a baby in. And so they had to do cervical checks once or twice a week for five months, which is not pleasant for a wife.

[A]

No. Or the cervix.

[B]

Yeah. It is kind of just like a coin toss. The cervix could hold. It could keep the baby in. Or you could be going to labor next week at 21 weeks gestation.

[A]

What autoimmune issues does your wife have?

[B]

She has Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Sjogren's disease.

[A]

Oh, and now you have type one. And do you have anything else?

[B]

That's it. It's my only. Only medical condition. I've been a healthy guy my entire life.

[A]

What about your extended family?

[B]

My mom was diagnosed later on in life with Hashimoto's in her 40s.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But other than that, I mean, my brother has some medical conditions, some called Hirschsprung's disease, basically gastrointestinal disease. But other than that, everybody's pretty healthy.

[A]

I'm sorry, you get diagnosed and the baby comes. The baby comes, you get diagnosed. What's the two day?

[B]

I get diagnosed on May 8th. Baby comes on May 11th.

[A]

What does diagnosed mean? In a doctor's office? In an emergency room.

[B]

At the doctor's office. So everything I went through was all done outpatient. Thankfully, I wasn't in dka. I didn't have to be on a drip or anything. This is kind of. I caught it relatively early. My A1C was around 9. So it's not the crazy 14, 15, 16s you hear by some patients in DKA. It was around 9, which still is not great. I was able to talk to some of my friends who are some of our pediatric diabetes educators inpatient. So when I worked on the floor, I worked very closely with our diabetes education team and our endocrinologists, and it was kind of my specialty. When I was working at the hospital, I was what's called, quote, unquote, the diabetes champion. So my job on my floor was to educate the staff and patients about diabetes education and things like that. So I worked really closely with that team. And one of them, her son is an endocrinologist. And I called her right away. I'm like, hey, my A1 sees this. I can't believe this is happening. What do I do? And she said, let me make some calls. So she called her son, was able to get me appointment next day at the endocrinologist, which has a three, four month wait. I was able to get in next day. He pulled some labs, a repeat A1C, all the antibodies and everything. And that was May 8th. So I got the official you are type one diagnosis diagnosed on May 8th. So hearing it from a doctor is what I consider diagnosed.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. How do you go to your wife who's had a nine month, you know, battle with her with her short cervix, and say to her, hey, by the way, I think I'm. I'm on the way to the doctor here. Like, I think I have type 1 diabetes, and I know the baby's supposed to come any second. Like, was that difficult?

[B]

It was extremely difficult. But my wife is extremely gracious and caring, and I don't know how, you know, she had the strength to help support me during that time as well, but she did so very thankful for her. But it was. It was kind of just all hands on deck. I support you, you support me. We're doing this together. We got to figure it out, because we don't have any other choice.

[A]

How's the birth of the baby? Like, are you on, like, injections at that point?

[B]

Yeah. So I was MDI at that point. It was a stressful time because he came six weeks early as well. So, you know, we're freaking out. She's like, oh, my gosh. I just went to labor. We're not ready yet. We don't have the supplies, we don't have the room ready, all this stuff. And I'm like, I was just diagnosed. I'm still figuring out how to put a Dexcom in and how to give myself shots and trying to figure out my dosing because they Just kind of slapped me with a generic Lantus dose and then a sliding scale. I'm like, here, do this for this and do that for that. I'm like, okay, well, I have a child coming. And so during labor, I had just worked a full 13 hour shift to the hospital and had to drive straight to the hospital to be with her. And then my sugars are in the 50s, and then nurses are having to bring me juices and stuff, take care of my wife. It was slightly embarrassing, but also thankful for medical people that understand people are.

[A]

Saying, breathe and they're talking to you, not to her. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I don't want to seem like that type of dad that's like, oh, help me. I don't know what to do. But I was like, my sugar's 45, I need some juice.

[A]

I'm low, and I don't know what I'm talking about. And I'm the diabetes person at my job, which is. I'll ask you more about as soon as I tell you that. Due to a typo. While I was getting background in Hirschsprung's disease, I learned that there's a psychotherapist named Hirsch Braun. That's how bad. That's how bad the typo was.

[B]

Right.

[A]

He's a pleasant enough looking fella. Just. I was like, wow, what did I miss? Type. I'll have to go back and look later. Okay. So you. You get the diagnosis. It's simple. MDI set up. But the baby's coming quickly. You're still working. You got diagnosed and went to work?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, as a nurse, you don't get much time off for paternity, let alone for kind of medicinal things. Unless you take fmla, which I didn't really have. Couldn't really afford.

[A]

Chapman, if the baby wasn't coming imminently, you think you would have taken a couple of days off. When you think of a CGM and all the good that it brings in your life is the first thing you think about. I love that I have to change it all the time. I love the warmup period every time I have to change it. I love that when I bump into a door frame, sometimes it gets ripped off. I love that the adhesive kind of gets mushy sometimes when I sweat and falls off. No, these are not the things that you love about a cgm. Today's episode of the Juicebox podcast is sponsored by the Eversense365, the only CGM that you only have to put on once a year. And the only CGM that won't give you any of those problems. The Eversense 365 is the only one year CGM designed to minimize device frustration. It has exceptional accuracy for one year with almost no false alarms from compression lows while you're sleeping. You can manage your diabetes Instead of your CGM with the Eversense365. Learn more and get started today at eversensecgm.com Juicebox1year1CGM Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. Did you know that the majority of Omnipod 5 users pay less than $30 per month at the pharmacy? That's less than $1 a day for tube free automated insulin delivery. And a third of Omnipod 5 users pay $0 per month. You heard that right. Zero. That's less than your daily coffee. For all of the benefits of tubeless, waterproof automated insulin delivery. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was 4 years old and she's about to be 21. My family relies on Omnipod and I think you'll love it. And you can try it for free right now by requesting your free starter kit today at my link omnipod.com Juicebox Omnipod has been an advertiser for a decade, but even if they weren't, I would tell you proudly, my daughter wears an Omnipod omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Why don't you get yourself that free starter kit? Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox probably maybe a little bit.

[B]

Of time just to get my head wrapped around things. But like I said, I didn't have to go to the hospital. I wasn't deathly ill. I could still manage and I felt all right. That's the whole thing, which is when I was diagnosed, I still felt okay. I didn't have lethargy like some patients do. I didn't have all this. All I had was, I mean, some pretty serious weight loss. Um, and then I was peeing all the time. And then, you know, the numbness and tingling, which kind of happened for a couple days and then went away.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

Okay, so it's relatively mild. Still not downplaying type 1 diabetes as as itself, but relatively mild. Initial.

[A]

Did the weight come back?

[B]

Oh, yeah. Weight came back. Took about six months, but it came back.

[A]

Did it come back and stop or did it come back and keep going?

[B]

It came back and stops. Yeah. So I'm back to my normal 62190.

[A]

Awesome. Oh, that's great. Go back to what you were talking about, about your job. You're the. You're the diabetes liaison. What is that now?

[B]

What happens when you work in an inpatient unit at the hospital? And for my hospital in this case, every person has part of their continuing education. They're, quote, unquote, on a committee and called a champion. So some people are champions for eating disorders or behavioral problem kids, or there's autoimmune kids or asthma, respiratory illnesses, and diabetes was one. So mine was focused on diabetes. So anytime we had a new DKA diagnosis come in, that would come to our floor to be on the triple bag therapy. So the insulin drip. And my job was kind of to help all of our other nurses understand because I had done some education about it to be able to help. So I'd be like, okay, are these bags set up right? Are the calculations correct for the insulin drip and the dextrose fluid and the non dextrose fluid and things like that? So I was kind of all consumed in it. Consider even future considering a job in diabetes education. Even before I was diagnosed.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

I'd been approached to, you know, take one of our educator roles who had just retired. She's like, hey, you could be great for this role. But then all this happened. I was like, I need to, you know, do something that I know how to do first before jumping into a new career with this new diagnosis.

[A]

You know, 16 months removed from your diagnosis, looking back on what it is you understood about diabetes at that point, how much, percentage wise, if diabetes is a, you know, is a pie, how.

[B]

What.

[A]

What slice of that pie was your understanding and. And what. What was left over?

[B]

I'd say probably 75% understanding.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah. So I think if you go down to the basics, what a high and low blood sugar mean, what insulin does in the body, how to use insulin correctly, and how to use a sliding scale, that was ingrained in me because I've been doing it for. I was on the floor for five years doing this day in, day out with new diagnosis, talking to families, helping them understand, getting it on simple terms of how to understand diabetes and what it looks like in a daily life. So that was part of my job. Kid orders their food, we sit down together. I said, okay, how many carbs is this? Here's the receipt that shows how many carbs. But I want you to look at all the food groups. This is what happens. This is how it works in the body. This is how we dose insulin. So all of that was done prior to diagnosis. So when I was diagnosed, I had all of that in the back of my head. That was one good thing about being diagnosed right before the baby is I could just go into nurse mode, check my sugar, give myself insulin, do whatever, and then just put it back in my head and help take care of my wife and my baby.

[A]

Okay, you're rock solid on the functional aspect of. Yeah. How to manage somebody in the hospital, like when they're. When they're diagnosed. And you feel really good about the background information that people need for type one. So now what have you learned since then that you didn't know? Where were the lessons along the way?

[B]

Like Fat Rises. That was something that I was not ready for, you know, not really something that we paid attention to in the hospital too much because that's kind of more, you know, at home type of care learning. Right now in the hospital, I'm teaching you how to count carbs, how to keep yourself insulin, you know, then going home and especially feeling the symptoms, I hadn't really, you know, felt that. So the lows and the high highs, that was something I wasn't ready for. You know, trying to learn how to do like extended boluses or split boluses for high fat meals, that was something that was really difficult for me in the beginning. And I still strug with to this day, like trying to figure out how to dose correctly. But we can get into that too. All talking, all about honeymoon and everything, but.

[A]

Well, let me ask you one more question, then I'll ask you about your honeymoon.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So when people tend to feel underprepared after a certain distance from their diagnosis, you know, once the things that they were told in the hospital prove out to not be all the things, then they. They get into that kind of like almost a panic spiral sometimes. What do you think could be done to stop that from happening?

[B]

It sounds. It sounds good to be able to stop panic from happening, but with type one diagnosis, it comes on so suddenly that you're just so unprepared that you can't be in the mindset to be ready for something like that, you know? I don't know. That's a really good question.

[A]

What's that? No, no, Chapman, don't worry. I would not like. Oh, I know that's two plus two is four. It's not that kind of answer. But what I'm trying to dig out of your brain is, is, you know, what they're told, right? And you know, what you were told, and then you now have the experience of going home and finding out that those things aren't all of the things that you need to know.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

So, and I, I take your point. Like you, if you overload them in the beginning, they're not going to remember anyway. You know, if you stick it in a book, nobody's gonna read it, like that kind of stuff. But is there any, like, big aha's, like, oh, gosh, if we just would have also told them this, it really would have taken away a lot of trouble. I mean, is it just the idea of like a fat rise that would have been a big, big help, you know, something even more, I don't know, like a psychological, like, support that would have been valuable. Or did you, or do you not feel like you went through it in that, that way where you can comment on it?

[B]

Yeah, it's hard to relate because I think when I was in the hospital teaching families, I was, yes, I was teaching children, but a lot of them were younger and don't really have the, you know, ability to understand all these complex medical things. So I was teaching families. And then if it's me as an adult diagnosed, I had to kind of change how I thought about it because I was doing it in simple terms to help educate a child as well. So I think for me, having a support system that understands as well is huge. And I know families are a huge support system in the hospitals, but helping families understand, not just your parents support you, but a community like the juice box community, and having your educators on hand and your endocrinologist on hand, that community is going to be huge in the success of your diabetes management, that you're not alone in this. I think that's something we could probably push a little bit more, is that you're not alone in any of this. The community is massive and so willing to help, and it's unlike any other community around because it is such a big deal. And to have so many moms, dads, friends that have the same condition as you, walking through the same issues with you is huge. And that's something that I didn't realize is how important the community would be.

[A]

Then. Would it be appropriate maybe to tell somebody, we've given you a lot to remember here. It's certainly probably more than you're going to be able to remember. And the truth is it's not all of it. So find a place, not just with us. I think you have to say, I know it's just crazy to tell you Like, I'm not your only support system as the doctor. Right. Like, you have to go out and find places where there's a congregation of people who know what you're talking about. So that when you have a problem that at the moment might feel unforeseen, like something we can't prepare you for right now, that you can almost instantly go to a body, you know, a body of people and say, hey, this thing is happening. Tell me, does anybody have any input? And then, boom, you're back on track again with some answers, some things to look at. Is that fair?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Even if they don't have answers for you, even just solace, knowing that someone is going through the same problems you're having maybe won't tell you how to fix it. But, like, hey, I feel you. I'm doing the same thing. We're in this together. That was huge for me, going through some of that stuff.

[A]

Okay. All right. I mean, I appreciate you picking through. I know it's uncomfortable, but you don't have a rock solid answer for something, and people are asking you questions. But I think it's valuable to hear your perspective because of. Because of your background and because of what's happened to you, and to hear that even now, 16 months out, you don't have a. Like, you're not. Oh, yeah, it's this thing I should have heard about, like. Or, you know. You know, somebody should have definitely told me about how to clear ketones or, you know, like, yeah, you don't have something to point to, to go. That was glaringly omitted.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Which I think is helpful because it points out that maybe. I think there was a time in my progression where I thought, like, those people have to do a better job. They can't. They're sending you home, and you're unprepared. And then I had enough conversations with the people who were unprepared and the people who were trying to prepare them to maybe realize that between the circumstances, the situation, people's capacity, the rest of life, everything else, like, you know, like, look at you, like, you know, at some point, you were for nine months helping people while you were worried about your wife, you know, and you had an underlying medical condition you didn't know about, so that's happening to more people than you think who are out there trying to help you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And maybe. I don't want to say maybe before the statement. I've come to the conclusion there is no answer, and there is no. Like, there's no magic. Better.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We're just waiting for someone to figure out and implement. That used to be how I felt, like some smart person is going to say, oh, no, this is what needs to happen, and that they would make a change and it would work so well that the community writ large would adopt it and everybody who got diagnosed would be better off. But I just, I don't think that's it. Even last week when I interviewed a gentleman whose episode will be up just slightly before yours, whose young daughter, like, really young daughter, passed away before she could be diagnosed. And he is obviously bereft and out in the world trying very hard to draw attention to it so it doesn't happen to somebody else, which is very kind and a lovely way for him to be spending his time. But as he was talking, my experience left me thinking, you should do this. You should go out and you should bang on all these pots and pans and make people pay attention and you probably will save somebody. But I don't know that changing the process changes anything. Like, I know it's simple to say, like, everybody should just get a finger stick when they have flu symptoms, but you're like, you know, people. Yeah. What if you had the flu and I came at you and I was like, let me just check your blood sugar. They'd be like, get away from me, you know, I mean, like, what are you doing that for? And like, you'd find a different problem, I guess, is my point. So, yeah, anyway, I, you know, just like picking through these conversations sometimes to get answers and sometimes to get the proof that there is no better answer. Yeah, yeah, I get it. Yeah. So what happened with your honeymoon there, man? Was it. It wasn't all simple and fun and easy?

[B]

No, it's still going on, man. It's still going. Yeah. It has been just totally confusing. I really struggled with it physically and mentally earlier on when I was mdi. I'm on a pump now, which has made it a thousand times better. Just constant, constant fluctuations. Yeah. They say honeymoon is kind of a revitalization of your pancreas. It starts producing a little bit more before it finally gives out. But mine is constantly changing every single day. My basal needs change every single day. My carb, my insulin carb ratios changes every single day. And it's really tough to nail things down. I know nothing is going to be perfectly the same every single time, even post honeymoon, but a fluctuation of 30, 40 units difference day by day is huge.

[A]

Is your endocrinologist calling it lada?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

[A]

Okay. How I Forget. I don't know if I asked you how old you are.

[B]

I'm 29.

[A]

29. This is your first baby.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Yeah. You think you'll do it again?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah. We want to have a. We want to have a couple.

[A]

Really? Awesome. The short. The short cervix held up.

[B]

It did, yeah. So now we know about it. So next time we'll be ready.

[A]

By the way, short cervix sounded like a humble brag at the beginning, but I realized then it was a bad thing. So I thought you were bragging on your wife like, she's got a short cervix. And I was like, oh, I thought that was, like, a big deal. So you're gonna have more kids, so. And you're experiencing this crazy honeymoon. Let me finish asking you about the honeymoon before I ask you my next difficult question. We'll do a nice one and then. Yeah, okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

How are you staying flexible through a honeymoon that appears to be changing daily?

[B]

That's the million dollar question. Sometimes I feel like I'm like, okay, yeah, I've got this. And then, you know, the honeymoon hits again and I'm like, oh, man, that sucks. But I don't have any other option but to get through it. So I have two different profiles on my pump. I have on a T slab, so I have a high and a low profile. My high profile is for my basically non honeymoon style numbers with certain basal rate and instant carb ratio. And I can usually expect 30 to 40 units a day using that, which is still not that much. I remember giving kids way more than that on a daily basis when they're children and I'm an adult and I'm using 30 to 40 units daily. I have my low profile, which I can tell because I just have these crazy lows, these crazy falls from high sugars without doing anything. Honeymoon's kicking back up. I got to switch to my low profile, which cuts my basil into quarters, and even then still may not use all of it. It'll just cut off. So yesterday, I'm in a honeymoon phase right now. Just started last week again, went back into it, and my total daily Insulin yesterday was 6.2 units all day.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

So it's just constant fluctuation. So I have no idea when this little low spell is going to end, but I'm sure it will next week and I'll be back to my high profile. So it's just very confusing. But trying to stay positive with it, knowing I have the technology available to Help me manage this crazy time when the shift happens.

[A]

How long do you wait before you believe it and pivot?

[B]

About a day.

[A]

Okay, so you're low for a day or high for a day, and then you think, oh, it's time to hit the button.

[B]

Exactly, exactly.

[A]

Wow, that's fun. How has being a new dad interfered with diabetes and vice versa?

[B]

The fear of something bad happening with me having a low or like, more lows I'm more afraid of, because highs I can function okay, but lows I am scared of, like being alone with him and something bad happening to me or me carrying him down the stairs and I'm low and something happens or something like that. So that's kind of a hard thing to manage. So being aware of my blood sugars pretty much all the time. If it's just me and him being hyper vigilant about having some low snacks or anything like that. But then if it's us as a family, my wife is very quick to be like, hey, what are your numbers? Let's try to figure out a plan before we do something. Anything could happen, like driving or what have you. So it's just being hyper vigilant about the worst case scenarios, which is kind of a morbid way to think, but it's the best way to keep your family safe is to just always be prepared.

[A]

It's just interesting to hear how you think about it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Prior to your diagnosis, were you sick at all? Do you have a virus or a cold or anything that you.

[B]

No. I've talked to my endocrinologist about that, about what probably triggered this autoimmune response, and I think it was probably stress of work and anxiety of work. I struggled for a long time with some severe anxiety surrounding work. I started right before COVID at the hospital and then worked on the pediatric Covid unit through Covid. And then that kind of made things difficult mentally. I had some severe anxiety just trying to get out of my car to go to work or try to, you know, stay calm in the situations where I, you know, had some, you know, flashbacks from the early days of COVID and, And then the pregnancy, trying to work through that. It was just all a lot of stress and anxiety. And I would think that could have been the trigger for the autoimmune response in my body that chose my pancreas.

[A]

I'm sorry.

[B]

Yeah, it's all right.

[A]

That sucks. I. I say all the time, like, I don't understand. I. I don't have first hand knowledge of, like, feeling anxious and I But listening to people's descriptions of it over and over again is. I find it humbling to. To try to imagine what you would do if you're in that situation, because, like, I mean, everybody's pulled up at work and not want to go inside. But if you're not anxious, you just go, can you just drop. You go in, drag your side of your car? I guess I'm going to do this.

[B]

Exactly, yeah.

[A]

Oh, gosh, I'm sorry. So. So you listen to the podcast?

[B]

I do, yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Enough to say to yourself, oh, no, I have an autoimmune disease. My wife has an autoimmune disease, and we have a baby.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah. What's the thought process there?

[B]

It's. It's tough. We've. We've checked the sugar a few times before just because I'm, you know, hyper aware of the symptoms, and I'm like, oh, two parents with autoimmune. You know, it's. It's kind of. Hopefully. I don't know. I don't even want to verbalize it. It's hard to think about. But one time a couple weeks ago, we saw him just absolutely chugging some juice and water. I'm like, dude, no, we cannot be doing this. Check your sugar. He's like, 72. I'm like, oh, thank you. Thank goodness.

[A]

He's just thirsty.

[B]

He's just thirsty. And then he'll wake up with a real big fat diaper, just peed through his clothes and just sleep sack. And I'm like, oh, no. Check of sugar. Fasting sugar. It's like 79. I'm like, oh, thank goodness. We're good.

[A]

So, you know, it's funny. I've wanted to ask you throughout the conversation about it, but I didn't want to just jump. I didn't want to just throw it in your face. And then you told me about the. The anxiety. I was like, maybe I'll just skip it. Yeah, I didn't want to make you feel, like, worse, but, I mean, how. I don't think I can like you. How you obviously have to be thinking about it, so.

[B]

Oh, yeah, no, we. We're always kind of thinking about it, never really verbalizing it, because if you verbalize it, it kind of makes it real. And so, like, we're like, okay, I know it's a scary Lauren, but let's. Let's just check the sugar. Okay. We check it and we're like, is that good? I'm like. I said, yeah, that's good. We're good.

[A]

How does she handle your diabetes? Like, I think this is interesting because, I mean, I'm going to say like, it feels like she got two infants on the same day. Probably right? Like an, like an actual infant and an infancy of a, of a, of a diagnosis. And like, I mean, was she even able or did you even want her to be involved in your understanding of your diabetes or how did that work out?

[B]

Yeah, she was willing and able. Like I said, she is so gracious and so strong. I don't know where she gets her charisma from.

[A]

Probably putting up with you. That's probably where she learned it. Yeah.

[B]

No, but my diagnosis day, I mean, she was eight months pregnant, seven and a half months pregnant, wobbling through the endocrinology office as I get my diagnosis and then two days later we give birth. And then a week after he was born, I had my first diabetes education session just to figured out for myself. And then we had our, you know, seven day old baby at the office with us and she is just locked and loaded, ready to go, taking notes like she's taking it in stride. Learned everything there's to know. It's literally what we are like two people in one mind about it. She is so incredible and so incredibly smart.

[A]

That's lovely. But I'm now thinking I want to interview your endocrinologist because I bet when you guys walked out of that office, you probably bummed them out. So, like they were, you know what I mean? They probably sat across me like all these poor people. Look what just happened. They got this little baby, this guy's got the diabetes all of a sudden. Seriously, you probably ruined their day, right? How did you stay upbeat about it.

[B]

Knowing that my endocrinologist is a type one as well? So it was very helpful to have that first meeting and talking to him about, hey, I have this as well. I know what you're going through and I have kids too, so we're kind of in this together. Like I was talking about earlier, having that support system is so helpful. And so that's kind of what got me through is knowing that, you know, I have all these people on my side rooting for me, that if there's any trouble, I can call them up, you know, get some answers or some solace or whatever I need at the time. So I'm doing much better now. Like I said, I was, I was really struggling for a while when I was mdi, but now that I'm on the pump, it's just made things a lot better for me mentally and physically MDI with a.

[A]

With such a harsh, swinging honeymoon must have been horrendous.

[B]

It was brutal. It was brutal because I'd had, I had my written down. This is my prescription for my lantus. You take 12 units at night every day. But what if your need for that day was 4 units of Lantus? What if the next day was 21 units of Lantus? I had no way of knowing because the Lantis has that extended period and there's no way you can change it.

[A]

It's in there.

[B]

If it's a low day, you're going to be low all day, drinking juice, eating gummies all day long, just trying to stay above 60. And then there's vice versa, which is a little bit easier to do because you can just give yourself a little bit extra bolus. But when you're low, you just constantly drinking juice and eating snacks, everything. Which is always tough.

[A]

Yeah. It becomes about keeping your blood sugar up all day.

[B]

Yeah. So now I'm on the pump and it's on a low day. It's like, okay, you don't need the insulin. Let's just, let's just pause it and then make sure you're good. So that's what's been helpful for me.

[A]

Yeah. No, I would imagine. You said you're using the T Slim.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you have a Dexcom or what? What do you use for CG7? G7. Okay. You like the. You like the combination?

[B]

I do, yeah. It's great.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

I see a lot of people talking crap about the G7 for some of the inaccuracies and. Yeah. I mean, everything has their faults, but 95% of the time, minor. Spot on. I never had really any issues with it.

[A]

Yeah. I don't have a lot more to say about that than I've said, than I've said in the past. I think it's technology and it works better for some people than it does for other people. And, you know, it's. You know, I, you know, I would say this. I would say the same thing to anybody who asked me. I'd say, why don't you get in a time machine and go back 60 years and then.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Then live there for three days. Tell me about how much you don't like your cgm.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So, I mean, but at the same time, I do. I genuinely want to be understanding of the idea of how frustrating it is because it's seriously. I mean, it seriously is. Arden had a. I mean, like a 24 hours just over the weekend where.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

First of all, she's sitting down. She's just trying to take notes for a class, right? But she's six, seven hours of taking notes and her Dexcom runs out. Now, I want to say 10 days and 12 hours. So awesome. Like, it went all the way to the end, but it, you know, she's sitting there writing. It's bad. It makes that noise. And she'll. You're like, oh, my God. You know, and then she's just. She's not ignoring it. She's trying to get to a point where she can stop. And then at some point, I was like, oh, my God. Like, I can't take it anymore. So, like, I got a Dexcom out of the drawer and I, like, put it on the table, like, next door, not, I'd say, 18 hours later. And this just happened overnight to show, like, the other side of the technology. 3 o' clock in the morning, she has a pot error. So she just. It stops delivering insulin. How often does that happen? I don't know. Twice a year. You know what I mean? Like, but how often does it happen at 3am when you've been up taking notes for 12 hours and your dad's old and asleep, and you text and you know, this is a problem, and you go, you know, I need help. And she thinks, like, texting me is going to bring me to her. But let me explain to you what happened. I didn't see the text, and she fell back asleep before she could get up and go get herself a pod. So at 7 o' clock this morning, my wife's alarm goes off. I was going to sleep till 8 o' clock. That did not happen, Chapman, because my wife goes, hey, wake up. Arden's blood sugar is 300 and it's rising.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And I was like, okay. So now I know immediately something's wrong with her delivery system, because, I mean, we just don't see a 300. Yeah, I pop up, look at my text, see the pod error text, 3 o'. Clock. I'm already, like, walking downstairs doing the math in my head. You know what I mean? I'm like, all right, it's been four hours. She's going to need at least four hours worth of basil, plus a correction. You know, blah, blah, blah. I grab a pot, I grab some insulin. The dog looks at me and he goes with his eyes, he said, this chairman, he goes, if you don't let me outside, I'm going to pee on the floor. And I was like, yeah, right on. So, like, I let him out because I was like. But then you're standing there, and I will tell you that 10 years ago, I would have stood there thinking, like, martin's going to be in dka. I got to go. Like, you know, I mean, like, yeah. But instead, I was like, just go pee real quick, man. And then while he was peeing, I was like, you know, fair is fair. I'm going to pee, too. So I went to the bathroom, I washed my hands, you know, do all the things. And then dog comes back in upstairs, give her a shake, and she goes, oh, hey, my pot error. And I was like, yeah, welcome to four Hours later. She goes, wait, what? And you can see her open her eyes, and she realizes it's light out. You know, the first thing she said, if I. If I let you guess, what do you think she said first?

[B]

Can I go back to sleep?

[A]

It's gonna break your heart when I tell you. She said, I'm sorry. Oh. And I was like, oh, God. I'm like. I was like, it's okay. Don't worry. I was like, you know, next time, call me. You know, like, let it ring or something like that. And she stands up, and I'm like, here. The pod. Like, you know, do you want me to fill it? She goes, give me a second. I gotta pee. And I'm like, man, everybody's peeing. And I said, well, yeah, because your blood sugar's so high. And she goes, plus, I just woke up. And then she just wandered away, so. So I said, you all right? Do you feel nauseous? And she said, I don't feel nauseous. And I'm like, okay. She comes back and then puts pod on herself. Obviously starts it up. You know, she's on. She's in trio. And so the. The thing makes its first bolus, like, as soon as it's on. But do you know how much it bolus? 0.9.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

Because it's not gonna do, like. And I said to her, like, I waited because I see she's exhausted. She wants to go back to sleep. And I'm like, arden, you need to look closer at this insulin. You can't just put this thing back on and let it start working again. You haven't had insulin for four hours. Yeah. And she's like, I know. And I'm like, okay. But I walked her through my thinking. I was like, look, you're four hours without basil. That's four. Four units. And I was like. And, you know, she did not take her GLP this week, so her correction factor is bigger. And I was like, top my head, I'm like, this correction could be over three units, you know, plus the four. I'm like, I'm at seven. I don't even know if that's 100% right. I'm still like half asleep, you know? And, yeah, she puts it on. And then the. Then the algorithm is like, I think we should do nine. And I said, it thinks nine. What do you think? And she goes, let's do that. So she put nine units in. That's now two hours and 50 minutes ago. And her blood sugar is 150 right now.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And she's coming down pretty gracefully. But I wonder if I looked, if it wouldn't want a bolus right now. Let me look. Yeah, it's starting to think. The algorithm is starting to believe that she's doesn't have enough. But it's recommended bolus at the Moment is only 0.18.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

And so I'm gonna let that ride a little longer. She's obviously still asleep now, obviously, because she's in college and she doesn't have a class for two more hours, so she's gonna sleep a little longer.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But I think that in the next 10 minutes, when we get to three hours, and I'm not doing it by time, I'm doing it by what I'm looking at here on the Dexcom. I think in about 10 minutes, I'm gonna look again, and I think it's gonna want another bolus. It's actually bolusing a little bit along the way. Yeah, it gave her only little bits. Given her, like 0.1. So far, it did a 0. 7.7. Oh, it's been bolusing even with the 9.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

All right, let me go back and I'll tell you because I think this is good for people to hear. It did the 09, like I said, when she put the pot on. Then we did a 9.3 right away. That's 10 units. Okay. And then it wasn't much later that it did 0.35, 0.05, 0.25. It's jacking her basil up to 1.6 an hour. Takes the basil away, starts getting a drift down, does a 0.1, hits with the basil again. Another drift down, hits with the basil again, takes the basil away. It hits 2:23 at 8:51am and then it starts to go back up again. It Bols is 0.7, pushes the basil up to two and a half an hour. Another 0.7 not long after it created the next dip. It's leveling out now. Got a tiny dip. We're finally back under, you know, 200 to 166 or so for the last hour. Did another 0.1 just recently, a 0.05 like, two seconds ago. I'm sharing all this. First of all, I'm talking through it because I want five more minutes to go by so the dexcom reads again so I can tell you the next number, because The Dexcom says 152 right now. But I'm telling you all this because I think in a million years, most people wouldn't think, oh, I've just been out of insulin for four hours. I need the amount of insulin that I've just said. Arden's, you know, five, seven. She weighs 130 pounds. 135 pounds, right. And I think there are people who go much longer without insulin or without enough insulin, and I think it's helpful to hear, like, these numbers aren't your numbers. Right? Like, if this happened to you, you wouldn't be making the same exact decision. But I think it's interesting to hear, like, bigger picture. What are we really talking about? Like, because Arden's a person who maybe uses 24 units of basil a day, you know, and depending on. Depending on if she's supplementing with, like, glp, like, microdosing or not. Like, you know, she might use another 20, 30, 40 units of insulin a day, depending on where she falls in that thing, how her hormones are, how she's eating, etc. Still, no matter what you say there, whether it's 40 and 25 or 20 and 25, 10, 15 units is a big percentage of that. Yeah. You know, and I don't know. I just think it's. I think it's helpful to talk about out loud, you know, because, you know, maybe you'll. You'll hear something in that. In that story that. That not you, but somebody else that. That makes them think, like, oh, maybe I don't understand how much insulin I need sometimes. You know? So, anyway, I just. I had an experience last week with a recording with an adult. There were some things they didn't understand about their diabetes. That surprised me. Made me feel like some of the stuff needs to get said out loud a little more frequently. Blood sugar is 150 now after the last check, so I'm gonna push the 0.2 because I can do it remotely. And ask you if you've considered using Tzield in the last year.

[B]

Is that the honeymoon extending type of medicine that they do at the beginning?

[A]

Yeah, sure enough. At any point in that, did you think about it or did you know about it early enough?

[B]

Yeah, so I heard about it, I think from the podcast. A long time ago or like, not a long time ago. A long time ago for me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Around diagnosis. And then my endocrinologist mentioned it, and I don't think I want to at all because of kind of where I'm at in my honeymoon, I think with just this insane variation of insulin use, you know, with a variation of 30, 40 units different day by day. I'm kind of at this point where it's like I just kind of want the honeymoon to be over so that I kind of have some sort of understanding of what to do day is.

[A]

Going to look like your perspective is, I am eventually going to end up with type 1 diabetes full on. Putting it off for me just means making it too variable. Longer now.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah. Let me add a pretend layer to this question. What if. And again, let me be very clear. This is not the case. What if they said to you, hey, in most cases it'll extend, you know, the amount of time before you're, you know, you really need a ton of insulin by three years and it's possible forever. Would you try it then?

[B]

I'd think about it.

[A]

Yeah. That. That would make it a little more attractive. But the idea that it's just going to extend it but eventually happen, that doesn't tickle your fancy, really?

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Awesome. When's the last time anybody said tickle your fancy? I mean.

[B]

1960, yesterday.

[A]

Wait, what?

[B]

I say all the time, man.

[A]

Do you really?

[B]

I do, yeah.

[A]

Oh, awesome. Look at you. You might have been. Maybe you're unknowingly bringing out my deeper understanding of you. So how long do you guys think you'll wait before you make another. A little baby?

[B]

Yes, That's a great question. It's been a whirlwind year. We know. We don't want to wait too long, you know?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, maybe the next year or two.

[A]

Really? And you're both on. You're on board? Both of you?

[B]

Yeah, definitely.

[A]

Awesome. Awesome. What does your wife do for a living?

[B]

Do I know now she works in cyber security and it.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah, she's. She's very smart.

[A]

I just spent. I spent a full day at a cyber security expo.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, I. I think I told the story, like, somewhere. My brother and I don't live in the same state anymore, and he had to come back home, you know, to go to this, this expo. And he's like, you come with me. And he's like, we hang out all day. And I was like, all right. So like I, I moved my schedule around and I, and I, I went and hung out with him while he, you know, gathered information he needed for work and went to like talks and stuff. And I was just like hanging out and everything. You know, I did it so we could chat and be together and have lunch and everything. But it was also at the Eagles stadium, so that didn't hurt. I got like an on field tour and I got to.

[B]

Oh, that's awesome.

[A]

Got the tour, the tunnel where they come out and everything, which was really neat. Yeah. All they talked about was cybersecurity. I didn't know what the hell they were talking about.

[B]

They were talking about it's a wild field, but it's really booming right now. Just with all the increased technology. They need some protection. So that's what she does.

[A]

I will say this, and nobody's asking, this is a CDW event. If they're listening or anybody from CDW is listening, your main speaker was not great. Called out, maybe they. I won't even say, like, I won't even give anybody a hint about who it might have been. I don't doubt that the person knows what they're talking about or has a ton of experience. But I mean, as far as, like capturing a room. Holy Hannah. Not good. A couple of. A little more practice would have been very helpful.

[B]

Oh, gosh.

[A]

She made me want to. She made me want to run my head into a table. I looked at my brother, I was like, are they all like this? And he's like, what? I'm like, are you not smelling that? This is not exactly well delivered. And he's like, no, it's okay. And I was like, oh, God, you must get the worst speakers, you cyber security dorks. Like, you know, I don't know, practice talking to people if you're gonna do that. Really did make me want to leave the room. I actually looked at my brother. I felt like my mom for a second. He had a big bag of like stuff that he had to take back to work. And we were going to go on the tour afterwards and. And I said, hey, give me your bag. I'll take it out to the car.

[B]

Get me out of here.

[A]

I was like. He goes, you sure? I'm like, yeah, give it to me. I was like, we don't want to walk around with this while we're on the trick. I'd be great. And I was like, plus, you know, like, oof. Jeez. Like maybe give me five minute break from this. Anyway, public speaking is not. Not easy, I feel. I feel bad saying.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Anyway, she really was terrible. What have we not talked about that we should have?

[B]

I think we hit some pretty big points.

[A]

Yeah. You don't feel like anything's left unsaid. How did you find the podcast?

[B]

One of my diabetes education friends I was talking about. She'll probably listen to. She's been texting me once a week. Hey, when are you recording? When are you recording? I can't wait. I can't wait. So she told me about it, so it was a great resource early on to find.

[A]

Why doesn't she come on the podcast?

[B]

You definitely could have her. She is a wealth of knowledge. She is one of the smartest people ever.

[A]

Well, we need more smart people because all I really bring is, like, you know, perspective and dumb stories. So, like, yeah, we need more smart people.

[B]

Yeah. So she. She's a veteran pediatric nurse turned diabetes educator, so she is a great person to talk to.

[A]

You should reach out, please.

[B]

Definitely. I'll send her a text.

[A]

Yeah. I appreciate her telling you about the podcast. Has it been valuable for you personally, like with your. With your management? If so, what parts of it so people know where to go look?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. The Pro Tip series was fantastic. Really helped me kind of wrap my mind around the basics about everything. That kind of hits a wide range of things. And then what was the one other series like, the first diagnosis, Bold Beginnings.

[A]

Yeah, this part always breaks my heart a little bit, by the way. No, you don't need to be sorry. There's no reason for you to remember it. It's just like when you live in it like I do.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

You know, you're just like, oh, it's the Bold Beginning series, or you must know this link and blah, blah. And I'm like, people don't know any of this. They're just like. They're just bumping into it and getting to it when they need it.

[B]

Yeah. No, but listening to Bold Beginnings really helped me when I was just in a panic state, like, shut down, mentally unavailable for anything. I'm like, I just need to listen to some. Someone who understands, who can help me process this. Right. And so that. That series was incredible for me. I really thank you for that.

[A]

No, no. And Jenny, being from the Midwest, didn't bother.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm just kidding. That's awesome. I'm Very happy to hear it. Yeah. Is it a thing you would tell other people about?

[B]

It is, and I have, definitely.

[A]

All right, let me ask you, like, when you got through with the series, did you think, oh, I was great, except there wasn't enough something, Anything missing from it.

[B]

I think when I was going through my early, early honeymoon. I know you have the honeymooning episode, but I was wanting more and more and more information about it. I know it's such a. Not taboo, but it's so misunderstood because there's not enough information about it. They don't really know why it's extended like this for adults or X, Y and Z information. I know you can't provide that, but that was what I was searching for at that time. I need to figure out why this is happening and how I can fix it.

[A]

The why felt important.

[B]

The why, exactly. Yeah.

[A]

It wasn't comforting to you to know that it was just going to be variable for a while and then it would stop being variable at an indeterminable amount of time.

[B]

Exactly. And so I'm just like, why? So I need to know why. I need to. That's the nurse part of me. It's like, I need to know why. I need to know how to fix it. I need to see results.

[A]

And so is it not true, though, like in the end that it's going to be variable? You're not going to see it coming because it's not going to tell you and it'll last as long as it lasts. It is in the end the truth, right?

[B]

It is the truth, definitely. But it's the truth that no one, to me personally, I don't want to swallow because you want to know things. You want to know when's the end and what's it going to look like. And so living in that unknown is difficult.

[A]

I hear you, man, that part sucks. The unknown is. Yeah, yeah, I guess. Especially if you're an anxious person, too. How, by the way, how is your anxiety?

[B]

Great.

[A]

It's better now. Do you do something for it or is there something you figured out?

[B]

No, not necessarily. I mean, I never really had it until this started happening. I didn't really understand what was going on. Why do I have this feeling in my chest? Why can't I breathe? Why can't I stop crying? But kind of having some help with the pump. I'm not saying a pump is a fix all for everybody, but for my mental health at that time, it really helped me because of just the constant change and fluctuation in management Was really, really difficult for me trying to raise an infant and yeah, you know, break it down. So having something taking off my brain, just a little bit of that weight lifted was so helpful.

[A]

Big deal. So make sure I understand the timeline of this. Then you're not an anxious person, but then you're a nurse and covet hits and then you, you gain some of that anxiety and then the diagnosis and the diabetes and the baby, and then it piles up. Yeah, okay. And then literally you got a pump and then that took offloaded a little burden and then you kind of. Would that do give you enough, enough ceiling space, a little head space to like get through the rest of it.

[B]

That's exactly right. Yeah. I just took off enough load to be able to focus on the other important things. I wasn't able to focus on my marriage, my child and things like that.

[A]

Can you give us an example of something that happened during COVID that that made that time as a nurse fraught and that it stuck with you enough to start impacting a person who otherwise wasn't anxious to feel that way?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, nothing specific. Thankfully, Covid in children back then wasn't as severe. I know I'm not, gosh, I don't want to make anybody upset. But overall in children, it didn't affect them as much as it did adults physically, physiologically. And so we didn't have any kids passing away or anything on our floor. We did have some pretty insane management of it with oxygen use and medicines and things like that. But if you just think back to that time, looking outside, streets are empty, stores are empty, you can't go anywhere. But you're a nurse, you had to drive to work through all that. It was terrifying. And then they made my unit. We have 12 different floors in our hospital and my floor was chosen as the cohort Covid unit. So if anybody had Covid that came to the hospital, they got sent straight to us. And so we're working through the unknown with all of our N95s and masks and goggles and gowns 24 7, sweating, getting bruised faces from our masks and everything. It was in continuing on, doing that for two and a half years. During the height of COVID every single day just took a toll on me. And that mental strain, even if nothing crazy was happening, I was having some PTSD thoughts of people screaming, dying, stuff like that. Even just like the day by day work of it was scary for me. I know for others it wasn't, but for me it really impacted me. And so that's kind of where it all started for me.

[A]

How long had you been a nurse When Covid started?

[B]

In three weeks.

[A]

Wait, you had been a nurse for three weeks then covet happened.

[B]

March 2, 2020 was my first day on the floor.

[A]

My goodness. What did you do before? Was you just in school prior to that?

[B]

Yeah, that was my first job out of college.

[A]

Jeez.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, man, that's not right.

[B]

Yeah, it was quite unfortunate. But, you know, I. I pride myself on it now because how many other people get to say they were a nurse their first, you know, month on the job? Covet hit. And if you don't learn anything, hitting the ground running, Covet will do it to you. That crazy time.

[A]

I guess you have a hell of a of a perspective now. It probably does it make now post Covid post. You getting through your, you know, your initial impact, you know, for you personally, like, do you feel a little more, like, matrixy? Does everything seem a little easy and a little slow to you?

[B]

Yeah, definitely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think after, like, the craziness. Craziness died down, you kind of looked at things a little differently because you're like, oh, we. We got through that. We can do pretty much anything, I would imagine this tough thing comes in, hey, we. We got through Covid trying to do all the same things with all this craziness going on.

[A]

We.

[B]

We can do this. So it gives you a sense of pride, honestly, thinking back now.

[A]

Pressure makes diamonds, my friend.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

There you go. You sound like one. Hold on one second for me. We're done. You were terrific. Thank you.

[B]

Awesome.

[A]

The conversation you just heard was sponsored by Touched by Type 1. Check them out [e-mail] on Instagram and Facebook. You're gonna love them. I love them. They're helping so many people. @touchedbytype1.org this episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Omnipod 5. And at my link omnipod.com juicebox you can get yourself a free. What I just say? A free Omnipod 5 starter kit. Free. Get out of here. Go. Click on that link omnipod.com juicebox check it out. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox links in the show notes links@juicebox podcast.com 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, 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? If you or a loved one is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and you're seeking a clear, practical perspective, check out the Bold Beginning Series on the Juice Box Podcast. It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal insight into type 1. Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate Life with Type 1. You can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juice Box Podcast. The Bold Beginnings series and all of the collections in the Juice Box Podcast are available in your audio app [e-mail] in the menu. 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 wrongway Recording doing his magic to these files. So if you want him to do his magic to you wrongwayrecording.com you got a podcast, you want somebody to edit it, you want Rob.