#1666 A Year from Hell (and Back)

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1666 “A Year from Hell (and Back)”

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Julie, mother of 17-year-old newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes
Date: October 30, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode is a deeply personal and candid conversation between Scott Benner and Julie, a pediatric nurse and mother whose youngest son, Kyle, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about a year and a half ago — a development that arrived amidst a cascade of other major family health crises. Julie shares the chaotic, bewildering arc of her family's "year from hell," illustrating the complexities, guilt, and resilience required to navigate overlapping autoimmune conditions, a dramatic diabetes diagnosis, and more. The discussion offers practical insights, emotional support, and the lived-in wisdom that comes from learning, sometimes the hard way, to “be bold with insulin” and with life itself.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family Medical History and Autoimmune Conditions

• Timestamp: 03:00–11:24
• Julie details a dense family history of autoimmune disorders including IgA deficiency, Hashimoto’s, and chronic hives.
• Scott shares a personal anecdote of how his own son's Hashimoto's diagnosis presented (unexpected hives, mood changes), underlining how thyroid issues in families can cause hard-to-spot symptoms.
• Quote — Scott (08:04):

  "I tripped upon an NIH article that said in very, very rare cases, symptoms of Hashimoto's can include hives. And we put him on medication and he hasn't had hives since then."

2. The Overlap of Menopause, Autoimmunity, and Fatigue

• Timestamp: 09:55–11:24

• Discussion about how hypo/menopausal symptoms often overlap with undiagnosed or undertreated thyroid disease, and how “normal” blood test ranges can be misleading.

• Scott pushes Julie to advocate for optimal thyroid treatment, referencing a previous podcast episode for further education.

  Quote — Scott (09:22):

  "When they tell you what normal is in a blood test, it just means that most people fall in this range... you go listen to episode 413 of the podcast. You'll listen to Dr. Addy Bonito talk about thyroid, and when you get done, you're going to be mad and you're going to go get thyroid medication."

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3. Kyle’s Mysterious Symptoms and Diabetes Diagnosis

• Timeline of Symptoms:
  • Initial signs: Persistent fatigue and unusually low heart rate, attributed to athletic conditioning.
  • Onset of severe leg cramping, misattributed to electrolyte imbalance (Julie, as a nurse, pushed fluids and electrolytes).
  • Turning point: Kyle collapses during a critical basketball game (13:05), leading to an ER visit; labs showed rhabdo (high CPK), mild hyperglycemia (160 mg/dL), but nothing definitive.
  • Serial follow-ups show persistent unexplained weakness — the diabetes clue finally comes when weight loss is discovered (18:59).
  • Fasting glucose next morning is 560 mg/dL; diagnosis confirmed.
• Reflection on Missed Cues: Both Scott and Julie ruefully recount how easy it is to miss or rationalize mounting symptoms, especially in active teens or young kids.
  • Quote — Julie (18:59):

    "He looked at me, he was looking at the paperwork... and he says, Mom, why would I have lost 10 pounds in a month?... I called his pediatrician from the car."

  • Quote — Scott (23:01):

    "I think back on so many different little things that happened along the way... You look back and you feel like an idiot.”

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4. Guilt, Second-Guessing, and The Reality of Parenting with Diabetes

• Timestamp: 22:14–25:14
• Julie opens up about guilt as both a mother and a medical professional for not “seeing” the diagnosis sooner.
• Both discuss the peculiar blindness all parents can have to their children's subtle, progressive changes — even when working in healthcare.
• Quote — Julie (23:30):

  "I think of myself as a good nurse and thorough... But as soon as he said weight loss, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm—"

  • Scott jumps in with a parallel story about missing signs with his own daughter.

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5. The Early Months: “Honeymoon” and Insulin Management

• Timestamp: 26:14–32:00
• Julie confides that her medical background provided almost no practical preparation for the day-to-day complexity of diabetes management at home.
• The so-called “honeymoon phase” is discussed, with both agreeing the name is a misnomer and often more confusing than helpful.
  • Kyle’s insulin needs plummeted during this period (down from 20 units to 5), and it was a challenge to adjust.
  • Quote — Julie (29:13):

    "Yeah, I do [know about marriage]. But, I mean, I couldn't wait for it [honeymoon phase] to come to an end... once it ended, everything got... easier."

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6. Adolescence, Control, and Transitioning Responsibility

• Timestamp: 30:48–39:44
• Julie describes letting her son “mess up” as he craved independence, allowing him to experiment and learn the consequences firsthand (high BG after not bolusing for hot chocolate at a party etc.).
• The challenges of CGM and pump adoption in older teens are unpacked — for Kyle, the reluctance is as much about self-image and fears of device malfunction as about the technology itself.
  • Quote — Julie (33:13):

    “The mom brought out hot chocolate, and I was too embarrassed to go get my insulin. And I was like, you're supposed to be apologizing to me for drinking a beer—not hot chocolate.”

• Scott reassures Julie that her son’s apprehension is “incredibly common,” and often dissipates with time.

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7. The Science and Art (and Anxiety) of Diabetes Management

• Timestamp: 39:59–44:49
• Real talk about the moving target that is insulin dosing, especially for active teens.
• Recent scary episode: Kyle experiences a severe nighttime low that is exceptionally resistant to treatment; Julie describes her terror using nasal glucagon (Baqsimi) for the first time — a “terrifying” but ultimately effective intervention.
  • Scott’s practical advice:
    • Don’t leave him alone or let him sleep until BG is stabilized after a bad low.
    • When correcting, use glucose (absorbed via the mouth/cheeks) for faster results than juice alone.
    • Quote — Scott (43:13):

      “If this happens again... he doesn’t go back to sleep. He wakes up. You don’t leave the room.”

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8. Pump Adoption, Individualization, and Community Wisdom

• Timestamp: 45:54–46:40, 38:58–41:05
• Julie’s son currently manages with MDI (multiple daily injections), has agreed to trial a pump before college, but exclusively tubeless (Omnipod).
• Scott reaffirms: there’s no “one-size-fits-all”—MDI is fine if it works, but pumps do make dynamic adjustments easier, especially with exercise/growth hormones/etc.
  • Quote — Scott (39:17):

    “If it works for him, then awesome. ...I don’t think you need [a pump]. I think it’s very specific to your lifestyle and what, what it is you want.”

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9. Endurance: The “Year from Hell”

• Timestamp: 50:43–53:35
• Julie describes the intense cascade: son's diabetes, daughter hit by a car (revealing thyroid cancer), multiple surgeries, dog dies, her father’s open-heart surgery.
• Family resilience and gallows humor are on display as they process trauma, with side tangents about pop culture, coping, and “finding the echo in Tennessee.”
  • Quote — Julie (52:37):

    “My dad had open hearts, like it was a year from hell.”

  • Quote — Scott (53:36):

    “I'm so sorry. Also, did you notice that Pennsylvania does not work in a song at all?”

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10. The Importance of Community, Learning, and Humor

• Timestamp: 53:49–end
• Julie thanks Scott for the podcast, especially the concise “Thanksgiving Turkey tutorial” episode, and speaks to the importance of hearing many peoples’ stories and recognizing you’re neither uniquely doomed nor uniquely triumphant.
• The episode closes with both reflecting on the oddities and shared humanity of this journey, right down to joking about acronym overlap (“PCP” — doctor or drug?).
  • Quote — Scott (56:47):

    "You're gonna be okay. It's a nice community. It's all gonna be okay. It really is."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Missed Diagnosis:

  “As soon as he said weight loss, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm—” (Julie, 23:30)
  "I once took my daughter's diaper off and her bowel movement was so dry...you could crush it like dust...and I was just like, huh." (Scott, 23:39)

• On Parenting an Older Teen with Diabetes:

  "I'm like, this is not the quote unquote trouble I'm supposed to be dealing with." (Julie, 33:24)
  "He doesn't want people to see [the pump]...He's 17. He's working on stuff." (Scott, 37:51)

• On Living with Multiple Crises:

  "It was a year from hell." (Julie, 52:37)
  "If he had a pump on, he probably could have just opened his phone and pushed a button and pretended he was on Instagram." (Scott, 33:28)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Family Autoimmune History: 03:00–11:24
• Diagnosis Journey: 13:05–25:14
• Medical Guilt and Second Guessing: 22:14–25:14
• First Months with Diabetes & Honeymooning: 26:14–32:00
• Adolescent Challenges and Device Adoption: 30:48–39:44
• Severe Nighttime Low & Emergency Response: 39:59–44:49
• Coping with Crisis (“Year from Hell”): 50:43–53:35
• Reflections on Community and Resilience: 53:49–end

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Tone and Style

Open, self-deprecating, and empathetic. The episode is rich with anecdotes, humor, “we’re-in-this-together” commiseration and practical asides. Scott blends educator and fellow traveler; Julie is honest about her expertise and her missteps, offering both reassurance and relatability.

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For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard It

This episode is a raw, at times funny, often moving exploration of what happens when diabetes and other medical dramas strike already busy, loving families. It’s a testament to the complexity of chronic illness management at home — and how even “the experts” miss things in their own families. You’ll find actionable advice, validation for parental guilt and worry, strategies for adapting as kids grow, and plenty of reasons to keep a sense of humor and seek out community.

Recommended Listening: For those wanting more on the thyroid-diabetes connection, listen to Juicebox Podcast Episode 413 with Dr. Addy Bonito, as referenced in this episode.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[A]

Welcome back friends. You are listening to the Juice Box Podcast.

[B]

Hi Scott, My name is Julie and I have a 17 year old son with type one who's had it for about a year and a half now.

[A]

If you're a loved one is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and you're seeking a clear, practical perspective and 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 Beginning Series and all of the collections in the Juice Box Podcast are available in your audio app [e-mail] in the menu. While you're listening, please remember that 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 or or Becoming Bold with Insulin Today's episode is sponsored by the Tandem MOBI system with Control IQ technology. If you are looking for the only system with auto bolus, multiple wear options and full control from your personal iPhone, you're looking for Tandem's newest pump and algorithm. Use my link to support the podcast. Tandomdiabetes.com juicebox check it out. USMED is sponsoring this episode of the Juice Box Podcast and we've been getting our diabetes supplies from USMED for years. You can as well usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514 use the link or the number get your free benefits check and get started today with usmed. 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, keeps it fresh. Not only that, you only have to change the sensor once a year. So I mean that's better.

[B]

Hi Scott, my name's Julie and I have a 17 year old son with type one who's had it for about a year and a half now.

[A]

17 year old son, year and a half. Do you have other kids?

[B]

I do. My oldest daughter is 23 and my middle daughter is 20 so my son Kyle is my youngest and he's had.

[A]

Type one for a little over a year year and a half A year and a half.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Any other autoimmune in the family?

[B]

How much time do you have?

[A]

I want to hear about it all.

[B]

Okay. So my oldest daughter has an immune deficiency, IgA deficiency, which sounds scarier than it is. And Kyle, my son, also has that. I have chronic hives and Hashimoto's. So does like throughout my extended family. There's the same thing with thyroid and that kind of thing. Okay, so, yeah, awesome.

[A]

How long have you had Hashimoto's?

[B]

I was diagnosed probably 15 years ago, but I don't really have any symptoms of it. I'm not on medication or anything like that for it.

[A]

Just, you know, what have I told you? First, I want to tell you this. I barely got through high school. I want to make sure you understand that.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. Good. Good to know.

[A]

I considered going to college and took one class. It was an English class. I got an A. And then I stopped going. And that was after I was an adult because my wife was like, you could have gone to college. And I was always like, no, I'd be terrible at it. And she's like, no, you wouldn't. And I took a class to show you the difference between how I think and how my wife thinks. She's like, look, you got an A. Keep going. And I was like, I got an A. Why do I have to keep going?

[B]

You're like, I totally proved it to you. So now I'm back.

[A]

If I went back long enough, I'd have a degree. And then what? Anyway, there's a little look into me, but I'm going to tell you a quick story, okay? My wife has thyroid. My daughter has thyroid. My son has Hashimoto's for sure.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

My wife, my daughter haven't been tested to see if theirs is autoimmune. But I mean, like, wouldn't surprise me, right? How did we figure out my son had Hashimoto's? This is the part you care about.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The first time we thought it was something, he started acting much differently. Like his just. His personality flipped. He got like. He was unkind and short tempered and like all this stuff. And while my wife's walking around going, like, what's wrong with him? I was saying to myself, oh, I remember this from when we got you diagnosed with thyroid problems, because you were. I was like, I know what this is going to be, right? So I took him to the doctor. His TSH came back a little elevated. But back then I didn't think of it the same way as I think of It. Now, had I thought of it that way, then I would have said, like, hey, medicate him. He's definitely got this. We had to go through a couple of rounds. He had a spike in his TSH that then went back down again. And classically, the way his, you know, doctor thought about it back before we found a great endo, they were like, oh, that happens sometimes. And I'm like, oh, okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But about six months later, it was a college baseball player and it was Covid time. Was it Covid or something? He was home for the holiday. So one of the other is in the house, and, you know, in the basement, there's like a. Like a rack where he can lift. It's also the same weight set that I ignore and don't. Don't use.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

He's downstairs lifting. He comes flying up the stairs in a panic, and he is covered waist to neck in hives.

[B]

Stop.

[A]

Yeah, hold on. See, Julie, this is worth it. Just hold on a second. So we do all the things that a person would do in that situation, right? We took him to, you know, a dermatologist and like, you know, probably proper channels, and they hit him with like a big. And I always get this word wrong. Is it histamine blockers? Okay. Yeah, I think my. My pronunciation is not always good. And they hit him with a blocker, then they added another one, and before I knew it, he was taking a cocktail of three over the counter blockers at the same time, and nothing changed. If he got upset, if he got excited, if his body heated up, he broke out in hives. The only thing that stopped the hives was time.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And because it was November and we started realizing that it had something to do with his body temperature. He would sometimes go outside in shorts and a T shirt in the winter and stand out there, freeze his ass off, bring his body temperature down, and the hives would go away.

[B]

Oh, I get that. I've done that. Yeah.

[A]

We were playing cards one night. It was definitely Covid because we were playing cards one night. Right?

[B]

Because we haven't played a game since.

[A]

COVID I have not sat with my family and played poker, by the way. I gave my children. This is what Covet did to us. I went to the. The atm, got cash out, gave it to everybody, and I was like, hey, we're gonna play poker.

[B]

Wait, we did that too.

[A]

I was like, if you win, you can keep the money.

[B]

We ordered a. A table.

[A]

Did you really?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I didn't know you were gonna out yourself as being a Caucasian lady so quickly in the conversation. But that's awesome. He just laughed. Something funny happened and he started laughing and then boom, broke out in hives. Now, this went on for a while and it was getting really upsetting. We were talking to the doctor about biologic injectables.

[B]

The Xolair.

[A]

Yeah, that's where we were.

[B]

That's what I take.

[A]

Yeah, that's where we were. And then one night, one late night, when I was absolutely just bereft, worried about him, I was up googling before ChatGPT and I tripped upon an NIH article that said in very, very rare cases, symptoms of Hashimoto's can include hives. And we put him on medication and he hasn't had hives since then.

[B]

Wow. It's not supposed to be about me. I feel bad.

[A]

Now we're getting to it. We got.

[B]

Yeah, I was at Mayo Clinic. I've been to. I was in the ICU for a week because I would get. It's called angioedema, where you get like tongue swelling and all of that. So, yeah, this has been quite.

[A]

I'm not saying this is your case, but what I am saying is if you have Hashimoto's but you're not taking medication, would you tell me what your last TSH was?

[B]

I don't remember. I just know every single time it's normal.

[A]

I want you to go look, it doesn't have to be now. And. And I'm going to say something to say to. I'm going to tell you if it's over. 2.2.1.

[B]

Just 2.5.

[A]

Yep. Get the medication.

[B]

Oh, well, how do I get a doctor to do that if they say it's normal?

[A]

You got to get a good doctor.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's also not normal. It's where most people's fall when they test it. So when they tell you what normal is in a blood test, it just means that most people fall in this range. Right. So they call that the green range. What I'm going to tell you is you go listen to episode 413 of the podcast. You'll listen to Dr. Addy Bonito talk about thyroid, and when you get done, you're going to be mad and you're going to go get thyroid medication. Do you have.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Ten years of my life.

[A]

Really? It's going to. I expect a holiday card if this all works out for 13.

[B]

I write this down. Okay.

[A]

Now, do you have any other thyroid symptoms? Are you hard to get rested? Does your hair fall out? Do you have dry skin, brittle nails, any.

[B]

Well, I'm 50, so. We have the whole menopause thing, so, you know. Yes, yes, exactly.

[A]

If menopause doesn't kill my wife, I'm going to be amazed. I mean, doesn't seem easy.

[B]

It's a nightmare.

[A]

Yeah. Not good. No. Anyway, I hope that helps you.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

I hope my son's random story helps you. And if it does, seriously, let me know. Send me a note. If it doesn't help, I don't want to hear back from me if it doesn't work out. Okay, Gotcha. Okay.

[B]

So, yeah. Yes. Thyroid's crazy.

[A]

Yeah, thyroid really is crazy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If I could make a suggestion, don't do that thing where you say, well, yeah, I'm tired, but I'm older. Like, because. Because I'm telling you, a little bit of Synthroid, you know, Tyresin. Whatever they end up giving you, if you notice it brings down your tsh, but your symptoms don't go away, you know? I mean, are you a very tired person?

[B]

I am. Yes, I am, But I don't really sleep. But I mean, I also have. My oldest has thyroid cancer right now. So, like, I'm seeing how tired she is right now, so I don't think I'm as tired as her.

[A]

But you also don't have thyroid cancer, right? Yeah. Okay, listen, I think this is it. Don't. Don't ignore your own health just because you're helping your kids, et cetera, so on. You don't need me to tell you that.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

All right. So this kid of yours.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Goes out and gets himself some diabetes.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

How did that happen? How did you notice it?

[B]

I didn't notice it. That's what is so scary to me, because I'm a pediatric nurse.

[A]

Sorry, I didn't mean to lie.

[B]

It's not funny. I'm still not okay about it.

[A]

Go ahead, go ahead, tell me what happened.

[B]

I'm really not okay about it. He had a, well, visit, like his yearly physical in November of that year, and everything was fine. And the only thing we were discussing there was some fatigue and a really low heart rate. But looking back, his heart rate had been in the 40s for a few years. He's an athlete, really. Swimmer, basketball, that kind of thing. That was all we really talked about. But then in December, he started to complain of leg cramping to the point where he was asking me to make ice baths without ice. Like, just make cold, cold water, you know what I mean? And he would come home from practice and Just really complain of his legs really hurting, which is not like him. And we were at a game, and he pulled himself out of the game. And this was sophomore year where he was a swing player on varsity, so he was trying real hard, you know what I mean, to really do well. And for him to leave practice was just shocking. And I knew something was wrong. Never in a thousand years did I think type 1 diabetes. I was thinking electrolyte imbalance. So what do I do? I'm pushing fluids. I'm pushing Gatorade. I'm pushing Propel. You know, he's seeing the trainer.

[A]

Yep. There.

[B]

And I see them, you know, rolling out his legs at each game and giving him the packets of electrolytes, and he just couldn't play. And then we were in a game, like, our biggest game of the year. And two minutes left in the game. I think it was either tied or real close. He goes up for a shot, and he collapses and couldn't get up. So I go down and I'm like, is he being dramatic? Like, this is weird. And we kind of like pull, like, almost carry him off. He goes to see the trainer. After about 30 minutes of massage, he still couldn't walk. So they said, we think. We think you need to take him to the er.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So we get to the ER and they find everything looks okay on his labs, except his. What's called CPK was high. I don't know if you're familiar with that.

[A]

Oh, I am, because my daughter had a really high CPK one time, which she had a ton of muscle pain one time.

[B]

Oh, really? Was this before she was diagnosed? Oh, no, she was, baby.

[A]

Yeah. It wasn't before she was diagnosed. It was one summer while she was playing a lot of softball.

[B]

Oh, okay. Yeah, we usually see it in, like, real, real high levels in peds, like, with crushing injuries. Like, if you're in a car accident or if you run a marathon and you're not ready, you know, there's like, muscle death almost. But he wasn't, I mean, tremendously high. So they diagnosed him with what's called rhabdo, which you treat with fluids and monitor kidney function because it can cause kidney damage. I was very surprised he had rhabdo because he. I mean, yes, he works out excessively, but it wasn't like, a new thing. He had not done nothing that would indicate, like, oh, he really went at it, and it caused this. At that ER visit, his blood sugar was 160. And I remember vaguely being like, why is he 160? But then I thought, well, he had had four Gatorades and we came right here. So I honestly didn't think anything of it. The physician didn't say anything of it.

[A]

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[B]

Yeah, like, I, I didn't, I don't know, it just didn't do anything for any of us. Right as he got the IV fluids, his CPK Level started to come down, so they did not admit him and he was able to walk. He still had pain, though. So we go home. They say, stop basketball for a week. Hydrate like crazy. So I see him drinking and drinking and drinking, and I'm like, good job, bud. This is what the doctor said to do. You know, thought nothing of it. So we go for our follow up and he's telling the doctor, the doctor said, you can probably go back to basketball when you feel better, but it's been a week. Levels are better. You know, you can probably go ahead and work out. And he said, I can't. And we were in shock because, I mean, I know your son's an athlete, so you understand, like, yeah, they really want to. I mean, it's all they care about. So he said he. Then he started to describe the feeling as weakness. So then I went down a neurological path, like in my nurse brain. I was like, oh, my gosh, what is going on? He's got two immune deficiencies. Like, don't we have enough? Are you kidding me right now? Like, do I need to see a neurologist? All of that?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We go back to the doctor a third time. They say, everything checks out, you know, just continue to. To hydrate and just rest. So we're walking out. I can, like, picture where I was standing. He looked at me, he was looking at the paperwork. And he's a guy trying to get buff, you know, and he says, mom, why would I have lost £10 in a month? And that.

[A]

Gotcha. Yeah.

[B]

So I called his pediatrician from the car. I said, he lost weight. Can you order, you know, a fasting glucose for the morning? But really, I still wasn't convinced because I was like, I don't know, this is weird. And she said, well, let's do a celiac labs as well. So I was like, okay, great. Next morning, take him to the lab. Of course, I log in and see it's 560, his fasting glucose that morning. So I go to pick him up at school, take him to the er and off we went.

[A]

You tell them in the car. Do you let them tell them at the hospital?

[B]

Oh, I told him in the car. And I didn't have a great experience at our hospital. I mean, the ER doctor was like, well, this may not be diabetes. And I was like, okay, can you just call endocrine? Like, you know, there's really nothing else that I know of that can make your glucose over 500.

[A]

Yeah, this is going to be it.

[B]

This is it. This Is it? So the next morning we did the whole eight hours of education and that was it. So I really missed the boat. And then I go to his room that night and see 26 bottles of water.

[A]

Yeah, the whole thing. How long was the process from when you now, in hindsight, think that the type one was coming on and when you figured it out and you were in the hospital? I used to hate ordering my daughter's diabetes supplies. I never had a good experience and it was frustrating, but it hasn't been that way for a while. Actually for about three years now because that's how long we've been using USMED, usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. USMED is the number one distributor for Freestyle Libre systems nationwide. They are the number one specialty distributor for Omnipod Dash, the number one fastest growing tandem distributor nationwide. The number one rated distributor in Dexcom customer satisfaction surveys. They have served over 1 million people with diabetes since 1996. And they always provide 90 days worth of supplies and fast and free shipping. USMED carries everything from insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGMs like the Libre 3 and Dexcom G7. They accept Medicare nationwide and over 800 private insurers. Find out why USMED has an A rating with a better business [e-mail] juicebox or just call them at 888-721-1514. Get started right now and you'll be getting your supplies the same way we do.

[B]

I honestly don't know. I mean, that July he had Covid, but he, he wasn't real, real sick with it. Like it was very mild. He gets sick a lot because he has those two immune deficiencies and he takes a daily antibiotic for those. When I look at photos, I see about three months of paleness and just not looking great. I'm gonna cry now. And I am not a crier. I didn't see it like, I didn't see it in real time.

[A]

Yeah, well, I would say three months is a reasonable amount of time. The other health issues confuse the picture. The being the, the athlete. I think you did a great job figuring it out.

[B]

Oh, well, thank you.

[A]

You're very welcome. My kid was almost dead, so, you know.

[B]

Oh, I can imagine. What, was she too, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, and you look back and you feel like an idiot because.

[B]

Well, I don't know how you'd see in a two year old other than the drinking because she was.

[A]

She looked like a Runway model in the 80s. Oh, she was so thin. And then. You don't realize it when it's happening for some reason. Yeah, it's only a couple of pounds too. If I told you the difference on her frame between £19 and £17 was drastic.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. But you just didn't. I don't know, just didn't notice.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

I think back on so many different little things that happened along the way that, you know, it's funny, I hear everybody else say it, but like, here I am saying it too, on their face. Each of them is horrifying. And you don't know how you didn't get from like your son tried to take a shot playing basketball. He's a 17 year old kid and he collapsed and couldn't stand up for a half an hour. And you were like, he probably needs a Gatorade in the world. Have you ever seen that happen? You know what I mean? Right.

[B]

And I think of myself as a good nurse and thorough and. But as soon as he said weight loss, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm.

[A]

A reasonably bright person. I once took my daughter's diaper off and her bowel movement was so dry and devoid of moisture that you could crush it like dust in your hand. And I was just like, huh, yeah.

[B]

Well, lots of 2 year olds get constipated. I mean, that's a frequent call we get.

[A]

Exactly. Well, I did take her back to the doctor, but then the doctor was like, oh, that's weird. So.

[B]

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

[A]

Have her drink more. And I was like, yeah. Meanwhile, I do. I always look back. As crazy as it sounds, if I would have brought him the diaper, I think he would have looked at it and gone like, oh my God, take her to the hospital.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, like. So anyway, please don't beat yourself up about it. I know, yeah, there's plenty of stuff going on. Is there any autoimmune on your husband's side? Can we blame any of this on him or.

[B]

None. No, none.

[A]

What a shame. Sorry.

[B]

I know. I know his family lives to like over a hundred. Like, I mean, it's so healthy.

[A]

Hey, I want to apologize to you. Made fun of you for the card table, but I bought a pizza oven during COVID so I just.

[B]

Oh, I don't, I don't. Don't apologize for that.

[A]

I gotta whip that thing out and use it again. First of all, the pizzas are awesome. Out of it. But you know, the problem is that I like to cold ferment the dough. It Takes days. I don't have that kind of time to sit down today. To have pizza three days from now.

[B]

Exactly. It's much easier to order out.

[A]

I'm gonna do it, though. Arden wants to have a bunch of friends over. Hey, if you girls are listening, what's up? So Arden is at college, and she told me I should let her tell this story. I'm just gonna tell a tiny bit of it. Of it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

She goes to her friend's house where she lives at college, and. And her friends got roommates. What's up, girls? Apparently, the roommates listen to the podcast, but no way. She probably hates that they don't have diabetes. I don't think she hates it, which is interesting. Yeah, they don't have. They have no connection to type one whatsoever. So she asked them, and if I'm getting this story wrong, you girls can come on or something. But I believe she asked them why, and they were like, it's a good podcast. So.

[B]

It is a good podcast.

[A]

Appreciate that so much. I wonder how many people who don't have diabetes are listening.

[B]

Well, sometimes it's not always about diet. I mean, sometimes most.

[A]

Most of the time, it's not about diabetes. I don't know how closely you're listening.

[B]

Funny, sometimes it's dramatic.

[A]

Hey, listen, if you make a podcast just about diabetes, I don't know how you would make a podcast, so. Right. Yeah. It would be something in my eyes. It wouldn't be a podcast, but it'd be a thing you did once in a while, nevertheless. Okay, so now we've got a diagnosis.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Got a little extra guilt. You've got three kids. I'm sure you already had plenty to begin with, but now you have a little extra.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I want to know about pathway. In the beginning, how little or a lot did your background help or hurt? And how did you find those first? Like, I'm going to ask, like, first 60 days.

[B]

Okay, so the first 60 days, my background helped me. Zero. Other than the fact I knew what it was. I knew it was autoimmune. I knew it was not his fault. I just thought it was a insulin, was a dose. Like, I mean, I'm old enough that I remember, like, when I was in the hospital working, like, we had a sliding scale, you know what I mean? We checked your blood sugar before we fed you. If it was 300, we checked our little scale. We gave you enough. And here's your food. Honestly, Scott, I never one time went back in to see if they finished the food to recheck I mean, that was not a thing. I knew enough to respect insulin. I did know it was important for me to give what I was told, if that makes sense.

[A]

I do. I just had this conversation with a nursing student, which was really interesting because she knows Arden, and I think she's having this early onset, come to Jesus moment where she's realizing, I know what Arden's life is really like, and I know what they're telling me about diabetes. And then she kind of extrapolated and said, I wonder what else I'm learning about that. I feel like I have a full grasp of that I don't in any meaningful way understand.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah. So it's an interesting. Could be an interesting path for.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is he honeymooning or is this like.

[B]

Well, first of all, can we change that name?

[A]

I've said the same thing. A honeymoon is supposed to be a fun time. Really.

[B]

We're not in Turks and Caicos during the honeymoon.

[A]

I'm on the beach and everybody wants to have sex. It's not that.

[B]

Yeah, it is. Not like the first. After about a week and a half, we spent an entire night feeding him to the point he couldn't even get food in. I mean, it just stopped. And I remember it being mentioned like, that honeymoon, you know, with teenage boys can last a while, so you're really gonna have to watch. And it was that first eight hour day, and I just remember not even like. I mean, they. In their defense, they may have explained it further and I blocked it out, but I remember being like, oh, so he'll need a little bit less. But, I mean, we went from like 20 units of Atlantis to like five.

[A]

Yeah, that's a big swing, especially if you've injected the 20.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, the use of the word is, it really is. It's making fun of marriage. Because the inference, the unspoken inference is this part's going to come to an end. Yeah. Yeah. And you've been married a long time. You know what I'm saying?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I do. I do. But, I mean, I couldn't wait for it to come to an end.

[A]

That's how most people feel. That's how most people feel. People feel.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, once it ended, everything got a. I don't ever want to use the word easy, but easier. Sure.

[A]

More predictable.

[B]

Yes. And I mean, there's still constant changes, all of that, but nothing that dramatic. I mean, it almost like happened in an instant, really.

[A]

Like somebody was. Someone made a decision and flipped a switch. They're like, all right, here's all your diabetes. You can have it all now.

[B]

Yeah. And I mean, no, I mean, when the honeymoon started, it was started that next day. We gave no insulin for food. And what killed me was, is I could see it in him. He's like, oh, I can handle this. I'll just do like lantus at night.

[A]

Yeah, this is super easy.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

How long did the feeling of last.

[B]

Well, I mean, it slowly started to creep back up and I would say the honeymoon only lasted for him for maybe six months.

[A]

Okay. And did he have a pump during that time or.

[B]

No, he does not wear a pump.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. He has agreed to trial one in April after basketball season and before college.

[A]

You know, when those little. You know what I mean? You've got kids. I've got a couple. They agreed. You agree. Just do it. Leave me alone. Yeah, make me argue with you.

[B]

My choice. I'm like, okay, okay.

[A]

Pardon? I'm an adult. She said to me the other day, I'm an adult. Yeah. I don't need to be told. And I was like, why? Yeah, yeah. Eight minutes later, she's like, could you make breakfast for me? I was like, I thought you were an adult. What the hell happened?

[B]

Exactly, exactly. It was just, you know, and I mean, I am so incredibly grateful for the 15 years of normal blood sugars that he had. But to be diagnosed, you know, right. When you're craving independence and you're going to drive a car and you don't want to be home ever, that's a difficult thing. So I do know developmentally, like, it's important to give them a lot of control choices. So the deal was, you know, if, you know, you can keep things at a. I don't know what the word is. Controlled. I hate that word.

[A]

Is he controlled at a reasonable place?

[B]

Yeah. Is he regulated now? I'm like, oh, dear God, I can't take it.

[A]

Yeah. We're still working on controlling the regulation, but I'll get back to you when everything's copacetic.

[B]

Yep, yep. And then we'll be fine. Well, then we'll be fine because you're.

[A]

In the medical field, so everybody uses that phrasing to you, right?

[B]

Yes, they do, they do.

[A]

You're like, oh, if you really understood this, you would not be saying this to me.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly.

[A]

Well, so, you know, I'm going to tell you that I think it's a very, a really clear minded way to think about all that. Like, it does suck getting plopped down in the middle of, like, just when your kids Trying to exert himself and find his way. And you know, in a natural time, when they separate a little bit from their parents and it's supposed to be stuff like staying out a half an hour later than you're supposed to and you know, like pushing back a little bit. It's not supposed to be like, oh, I didn't bolus. And my blood sugar's been 250 for three hours.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's a really tough place to be where safety and health intersect with. I mean, because you've got two older kids, you already know about this. You already know, like, you gotta let em, like push back.

[B]

Yeah. You gotta let em mess up the one night I. Like I told you, like, until the year we had, I really am not a crier. But like, I remember crying because I got a text from. He was at a friend's house, some girl's house, and there was a bunch of kids and they had done like a fire pit and, you know, all this stuff. And I see his blood sugar going up and it shot up to like 3:50. And I was like, what on earth? And he texts me and says, mom, I'm so, so sorry. The mom brought out hot chocolate and I was too embarrassed to go get my insulin. And I was like, you're supposed to be apologizing to me for drinking a beer. Like not hot chocolate.

[A]

Right. Y.

[B]

Not having hot chocolate. You know what I mean?

[A]

Yeah. Not wanting some crying. Not wanting some cute girl to see him have to go get a bag before he drinks his hot chocolate or something like that. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I'm like, this is not the quote unquote trouble I'm supposed to be dealing with.

[A]

Did you tell him that if he had a pump on, he probably could have just opened his phone and pushed a button and pretended he was on Instagram for five seconds?

[B]

I mean, I say that probably 10 times a day, but I mean, I also understand his fears with a pump and he hates having things on him. I mean, the CGM is a no discussion, but he can't even stand that.

[A]

Tell me his concerns with the pump.

[B]

Well, I think he doesn't. I think he just basically doesn't want anything on him. But I think there's some fears with malfunctioning.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

If I think too hard about that, that stresses me out too. But then I look at all the.

[A]

Oh, are you saying hundreds of thousands? Yeah. Are you saying you're worried it's gonna like stand up and revolt and give him all the insulin?

[B]

Not really that, but we have such trouble with CGM readings sometimes that I think those times are what scare him. He'll say, mom, it says, I'm high, but I feel low. And then you'll check it and it's just wrong. And then you think, well, my gosh, my pump would have given me insulin. You know what I mean? Now, I know that that doesn't happen as often as high blood sugars do when you don't have a pump. But he's really good about double checking his cgm, so I don't think he'd have a problem with that. But the deal is, before college, though, he's gonna have to wear a pump.

[A]

So I wouldn't wait till five seconds before he's leaving.

[B]

I know, I know. He's saying April.

[A]

Does he enjoy the spring? Why did he say April?

[B]

Well, he. He wants to wait until after basketball season.

[A]

Oh. See, I would think of it the exact opposite way. And he will. He will one day, too. By the way, it just. By the time, you know, that part will be over. By the time he gets to it, there'll be a moment when he'll think, oh, basketball might have been easier if I would have done that.

[B]

I agree. Yeah, I agree. He's definitely a kid that needs to come to his own. I mean, I've started to back off this year a little bit, and I am seeing him treat better, like he has his lowest. So for the last, like, I'd say three or four months, I sort of stopped constantly texting him, like, let's crack, let's crack, let's crack. And he's doing it now.

[A]

Okay, good.

[B]

You know what I mean? So he's definitely someone that, like, it has to be his decision. Does that make sense?

[A]

Well, I would also tell you that what you're describing is incredibly common, and most people go through what he's going through.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

Yeah. No, 100%.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I hate saying this because I imagine somebody's listening to me, like, oh, here it comes. This guy's been making this podcast a long time. He's talked to a lot of people, but I've talked to a lot of people. That is an incredibly common story. So, yeah, he's not like some outlier who's, you know, who's like, oh, I'm. You know, he's different, or he's this kind of person. I'm gonna tell you, the kind of person he is is human and right. Of course. Nobody wants anything stuck to them. The rest of that sentence is that one day it won't bother him anymore. Very likely.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, you know, of course, you're worried that sometimes your CGM says that you're 200 when you're 75. Oh, my God, look at me. Insulin. What happens? Like, I, I. There's a lady on here the other, a few months ago, like, a, A full grown adult who told me that she's very concerned that somebody would hack into her insulin pump and kill her. And I was like, who's looking for you? What do you think China's coming for you or something? Like, you know, so what do you think? They got like a, A satellite over your head? They're like, we're gonna zap this lady with insulin.

[B]

Big brother's gonna take her out.

[A]

Yeah, we're really mad about these terrorists. I'll tell you what, we'll do some.

[B]

Random lady in, like, South Dakota, all right? We're gonna.

[A]

Let's knock Patty over in Tuscaloosa. And, like, so. But then we talked about a little bit, and she laughed and she's like, this is completely ridiculous. I'm like, yeah, no, I know. But we dug into it a little more, by the way. And she was an older person and she was raised very fearfully.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

It's a really honest conversation where she's like, I'm afraid of a lot of people. Oh, yeah. Because her parents had biases and that they layered on her and somehow they translated into her thinking, like, someone was gonna hack her insulin bomb.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Anywhere in between that one and the one that your, you know, your son, like. Oh, I understand it. Like, I get it too. Like, CGM's not perfect all the time. The only thing I can tell you is that in the big picture, it's not a problem.

[B]

Right. No, and I know that. And I would say, honestly, his major issue with it is he don't want.

[A]

People to see it.

[B]

Doesn't want people to see it.

[A]

He's 17. He's trying to get. Oh, I almost said something you don't want to hear. Yeah, he's trying to get girls to talk to him. I was going to use the L word. You know, like, he's.

[B]

I get it.

[A]

Yeah. He's working on stuff.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

You don't go to a fire pit because you're cold.

[B]

Right.

[A]

There are better ways to stay warm. There are not better ways to meet cute girls.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah.

[A]

I see what's happening. Well, you're doing a good job, it sounds like.

[B]

I don't really think so, but we're doing the best. But he's doing a good job. He's doing it Good.

[A]

What's this? A 1C.

[B]

The last one was 6.4.

[A]

Oh my goodness. What are you out of your mind? A 17 year old kid has had diabetes for a year and a half with a 6.4. A 1C is killing it. Doing awesome.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, he does. I mean, I laugh because I don't think we've ever had a meal where it was one shot. And I always thought it was one shot for a meal, you know, but you know, he's, he's like a 17 year old. There's high fat, there's high protein. I never knew that was a thing, you know, and he just does it. So I'm like, if you're willing to do this, the injections, I guess we'll just go with that for now.

[A]

I also want to say this. If it works for him, then awesome. Yeah, like, I don't, I'm not telling anybody who's listening. You have to be on a pump.

[B]

Oh, I don't get that from you at all.

[A]

Ever. I don't feel like that at all. Listen, if you're buying a pump, you go into the show notes and use one of the links and you help me out. Right. But like, but if you. But I don't think you need one.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I think it's very specific to your lifestyle and what, what it is you want. And you know what, Listen, I'll, I'll play devil's advocate the other way. Maybe he really doesn't want the thing stuck to him.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he'll do this his whole life and be cool with it. I would say that as long as he's willing to inject, you know, pre bolus and injection and then 45 minutes later realize like, oh, that was not nearly enough and do it again. Like if he's not, if he's not concerned with the injections and who cares, right?

[B]

Right. Yeah, yeah. It's just, I feel like a pump would help more. Well, I know it would with just the chi. I mean we change his. He's on Treba now instead of Lantus and I mean we change that dose once a week. You know what I mean? And the pump, I feel like would just really handle that.

[A]

I'm going to go the other way again, I'll tell you. Yeah, that'd be great. It'd be a lot easier. But you know, like, it's not. I think what it highlights is that this isn't just the nuts and bolts idea. Right. Like, it's a thinking, feeling person mixed with this difficult to understand math problem. That's also a science experiment that's also, you know, dangerous and, you know, potentially life altering. And so there's that pressure and you gotta like, squish it all together and come to some sort of an agreement with, you know, whoever it is you make agreements with.

[B]

I love what you just said. I am. I'm living in a science experiment.

[A]

I'm prolific.

[B]

I just want to say that never ends.

[A]

There's.

[B]

That is such a good. That's such a great wait. I really like that.

[A]

Oh, I'm glad you're happy, Joy. But it's going to get easier. It will eventually feel normal and like, like you're not fighting uphill all the time.

[B]

Right?

[A]

You know, hopefully. I mean, listen to the podcast. He's already got a 640. Seems to understand what he's doing to some degree. I mean, is he having a ton of lows all the time?

[B]

He has lows because of usually, like harder workouts at night. We did for our first time. I'll never be the same. Have a. Had to use Baxemi 2, three weeks ago. Oh, that was terrifying. We don't understand it. I mean, nothing makes sense, but it really doesn't make sense. He just dropped one night and eating, eating, eating. I had been in there 15 minutes, gave him it. Usually what works for him at night is one bite of one of those Z bars.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Takes a while to bring him up, more than 15 minutes to bring him up, but it usually levels him out a little bit. We had been doing that. We were doing juice, candy, everything, and he was like 38, 40. I went in after 10 minutes and he was unresponsive.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

I still don't understand what happened. Cannot figure it out.

[A]

Was there a hard workout earlier in the day?

[B]

There was.

[A]

Was it a hot day on top of everything else? Do you remember?

[B]

I don't know. I'm not sure. It just, I mean, I know most people, like, have never had to use. It was weird. And for about two weeks he kept himself running a little higher when we were all fine with that because he got nervous. Oh, it was terrifying. I mean, it was absolutely terrifying.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, listen, 38 blood sugar. I hear you. That's tough. And when you're used to using something that's slower acting but then holds them up and then you need faster acting in that situation. And then what did you do? You mixed in the juice and it didn't. It didn't hit him.

[B]

Oh, yeah. We had been doing stuff for two hours. Juicing candy. Yeah. I mean, he was like in the 60s, 50s, but it just wouldn't move.

[A]

Did your finger stick?

[B]

Oh, yeah, like 15 of them. You know, the thing was just reading low, so I was doing finger sticks like every five to 10 minutes. And he was asleep, it was the middle of the night, but he was like drinking the juice and eating the food. And then I went back in. I was like, this is. Oh my gosh. It said low. So I went running in and he was just out of it.

[A]

You want some of my hard earned advice on this?

[B]

I want all of your advice.

[A]

Okay. So if this happens again, I hope it doesn't. He doesn't go back to sleep. He wakes up.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You don't leave the room.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

That's the other thing. And okay, all fast acting, simple sugar stuff that gets absorbed quickly. Anything that, like, you know, it's, it's easy to just drink the juice, but then the juice has got to go into a stomach and it's still got to be absorbed. The glucose gets absorbed much more quickly through the lining of your cheeks.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I never thought of that.

[A]

Even just holding the juice in his mouth or like gummy bears. And like, you just keep chewing them, don't swallow them, keep them in your mouth longer. That kind of stuff might help a little bit too. Okay, so I, I obviously don't know what happened to him, but if his digestion was slowed down for some reason, it might have slowed down the bump. Nothing wrong with using the, the back semi. That's. It was a great call. I don't know. That's my high level. Look at that.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, I know you've probably a million times have seen a low blood sugar, given something 10 minutes later. It's okay. You're in the middle of the night, you're trying to do that thing. You have that nurse brain too. Like, I did the thing I'm supposed to do. So I'm done now. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I kept doing. I mean, I always thought juice was the fastest.

[A]

Juice is fast, like for certain, but like, you know, I don't know what could have been going on. Like, you know, had he had a fatty meal earlier that evening.

[B]

A hundred percent.

[A]

Okay, so then his, his digestion was probably slower.

[B]

Yeah. Interesting.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, listen, most of the time you're not gonna have to think about it like that, but I would just say like emergent response. Don't Leave the room. Don't let him go back to sleep till you get it straightened out.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

Yeah, like light on. Get up. Sorry. This is a problem. We're all gonna sit here together in our underwear and fix this.

[B]

Uh huh. Okay. Yeah. That was crazy.

[A]

I think people who have children who don't have diabetes are not accustomed to sitting in their underwear in people's bedrooms in the middle of the night thinking like, oh my God, the floor's so cold. Or. I mean, my daughter's 21 and I'm 54 and I'm in my underwear and she's like, not really in. There's no other normal situation where we'd be together like this anymore.

[B]

She's in like a. A bralette.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just ridiculous, you know, like, so dumb. We've seen each other, like, probably look so terrible so many times. Nevertheless, also, any number of algorithm based pumping systems would probably. I mean, just think about it, right? Like his. It would shut his basil down throughout the evening when it thought he was getting lower. It probably would have avoided this or very likely could have at least.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Does he have a pump? He's leaning towards his.

[B]

Only one he will even discuss is tubeless. Is the Omnipod. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So I believe my link could get you a free trial.

[B]

I know I have it on there. Yes, yes. I've used your links for this contour. Next.

[A]

And thank you so much.

[B]

My dad got one, my mom got one. Also. I can have extras.

[A]

Awesome. You hear that, guys? Contour. Next.

[B]

Best friend Andrea got one and brought.

[A]

It to me with my link contour.

[B]

Next.com juicebox because I wanted to have extras.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Look at you.

[A]

You're hoarding meters.

[B]

Sorry, contour.

[A]

They're not sorry. They're happy for you to have the meter. Trust me.

[B]

Cool.

[A]

So, all right, we're 45 minutes into this now it seems like a good time to ask why you wanted to come on the podcast.

[B]

I think I just wanted to because of the autoimmune history and the crazy year that we had. The fact that I was a nurse and missed it, I think would speak to a lot of people because you think you aren't going to miss a trick with your kids. And I missed the trick.

[A]

But can I say something that I've said before? And I've gotten some pushback from nurses sometimes. And sometimes, by the way, I also get the exact opposite response. Some of the people who have struggled the most with having their kids diagnosed and been on here have been Nurses.

[B]

Oh, that doesn't surprise me at all, because we're very type A. This is what you do, and this should fix it, or. You know what I mean? And it's always want to think we see the zebra running at us. It could. You know, leg cramps can be from dehydration. You know what I mean?

[A]

And I've come to believe that it's somewhere a mix between that you're in nursing school and obviously nursing school is a whirlwind. Right. They're just throwing stuff at you constantly. And it probably. By the time you get done, you probably feel like I now know everything about everything I know. Right. And you won't realize till you work for a while that you know a little bit about a lot.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Couple that with how diabetes is managed in the hospital setting, which is to say that, like, it's not really.

[B]

I mean, I am terrified. I stay up at night thinking about him under anesthesia. I don't know why.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yes. Because who is going to monitor his blood sugar?

[A]

Can I tell you something? You throw one of those algorithms on him, Arden uses trio. It's awesome. And you're fasted. And you could probably stay fasted forever without getting low. Arden just had her tonsils and her adenoids out.

[B]

Were you a wreck?

[A]

No. Why? No. You mean about the. About the diabetes part?

[B]

Yes, yes.

[A]

I know how to fast Arden so that her blood sugar doesn't get low.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I. I could have kept her blood sugar stable forever.

[B]

Really? See, I have not learned that yet.

[A]

If she doesn't eat, it's. It's with those. With a system. It's, you know, I mean, I would think if you had control IQ, if you had Omnipod 5, any of them, really.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Fast it is. Like, that's the other thing. Like, he's gonna have to learn, like. Like when he's lifting or working out or stuff like that. Like, especially he's more anaerobic. Like, just do it in the morning fasted. Like, get up and work out first without any insole on board.

[B]

Yeah, he does do that, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Think about that in the setting of, like, you know, you head off to the hospital seven in the morning, she hasn't eaten overnight. We got her nice and stable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We rolled in there with a blood sugar of, like. I think I set her. You know what I did? I set her target higher in the morning, and then I ended up wishing I didn't do it.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. So I think she came out of the surgery at like 1:30 or something like that. And I put her target right back again.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And tried to get her done. Now it was scary because she couldn't really swallow anything. So it was very careful about it not to make her low.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But then it's like, you know, the hours went on. I started seeing the, you know, the pattern, and we. We went back to pretty standard.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The worst part about that. I thought you were asking. Because the worst part about it is having that done as an adult is incredibly painful.

[B]

Oh, that's true.

[A]

Yeah. That's what I thought you were asking about, the diabetes.

[B]

I just worry about anything in the hospital because, I mean, I never knew that when you're sick, you're. Your insulin needs can triple. Like, what for new that.

[A]

Oh, I know. To make you feel better. Arden had to have dental work when she was a baby. Like, a baby, a little kid. We had to go to the hospital for it.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

The dentist wouldn't put her under in the office.

[B]

Honestly, I don't blame him.

[A]

And we didn't know what we were doing back then. And none of these, like, you know, assisted systems work existed.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Back then. I was a wreck back then. I was like, oh, this is gonna kill her for sure.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I thought everything.

[B]

Bad year. Kyle was diagnosed. And then I get a call. My daughter was at University of Tennessee. She was in a hit and run accident. Was hit by a car.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And then in the er, they found thyroid cancer. Wait, yeah.

[A]

What?

[B]

Yeah. Yes. Isn't that crazy?

[A]

Oh, actually, I thought the crazy part was that somebody hit her with a car. And that orange shirt I knew she was wearing. Cause that thing's like, she was in.

[B]

Orange at noon on a Monday.

[A]

And it didn't help it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think the saddest thing you just told me is that I can send my kid to college dressed like a traffic cone, and they still might get hit by a car. That'll scare people more than anything. They're like, oh, God, we can't protect against anything. So wait a minute.

[B]

Sea of orange.

[A]

She got hit by a car and they found thyroid cancer. Tell me.

[B]

Never, never saw the person. I got the. I'm in Pennsylvania, so I don't even remember that day. So, you know, Kyle's kind of not newly diabetic, but new enough. I didn't want to leave, you know, I gotcha and I go down there. Never found the person. She's got, I don't know, like 30 stitches on her face, knocked cut off her tooth broke out.

[A]

Her tooth?

[B]

Well, it was, like, cut. Yeah, like cut in half, so. And of course, that's what she's focused on, right?

[A]

Like, yeah, of course, but.

[B]

And then we're down there dealing with her injuries, which, honestly, I can't believe. She. I was just feeling grateful she wasn't paralyzed, but, yeah, she was hit. Then they find a mass on her thyroid. So we bring her home, find out it's cancer. Then we have her thyroid removed and had found it had already spread. And then we remove those lymph nodes, we do a follow up. Three months later, there's new spots. So now we're doing the radiation and going through all that. Our dog died. My dad had open hearts like it was a year from hell.

[A]

Oh, my God, that's so serious. I had a stupid question all lined up. I'm not gonna ask you now.

[B]

Oh, you can ask me a dumb question. It might make me laugh.

[A]

Do you ever find yourself singing that Arrested Development song Tennessee all the time. I would, too. Like, every time somebody said Tennessee, my brain would go Tennessee all the time.

[B]

That was such a summer hit when I was in high school.

[A]

I know, right? No, that's all. That's all. It would happen to me. Like, every time you said Tennessee, there's an echo in my head that goes Tennessee.

[B]

I know, I know. Oh, my gosh.

[A]

Wait a minute. So your daughter didn't just have, like, you know when people were like, oh, thyroid cancer, but they took it out and it's gone now? Some remained behind.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then repopulated. I'm using the wrong word. But came back again.

[B]

Yes, it came back again. So now we're in the. She's home now. She went back to school, graduated, moved home, and now we're doing the treatments, the radiation treatment. And then she's just doing online school for a master's degree.

[A]

I'm so sorry. Also, did you notice that Pennsylvania does not work in a song at all?

[B]

Not at all.

[A]

Yeah. Terrible.

[B]

No, really terrible.

[A]

What's she getting her master's in?

[B]

She's doing it in strategic communication.

[A]

Oh. I do that with my wife. Yeah.

[B]

Everything I know is from the podcast.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Every single. Every single thing.

[A]

I'm very glad. I'm glad it's been valuable to you. I really am.

[B]

Very. My favorite was the 10 minute one you posted on Thanksgiving Day.

[A]

Oh, people love that one. The Turkey. The Turkey tutorial.

[B]

Yes. That was because no one has time right before Thanksgiving.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And it was just like a quick little. Here, do this today. And I was like, all right.

[A]

Yeah, it's just something simple. Like, I just figured out like one day that this is what people seem to struggle with on Thanksgiving. I think it's actually a way to understand every day better. It just, it just focuses you on, like, as Thanksgiving is so fast and furious and so many different types of foods and more frequency of eating for some people, et cetera. Like, if you can get through Thanksgiving and not be low and not be high at the end of the day, I think it gives you a ton of like, motivation to be like, oh, I could do this, like on a normal day for sure.

[B]

Definitely. Yeah, definitely.

[A]

So. Yeah. I'm glad you like that one. It's a, it's a, it's a popular little episode. It's just me talking about, like, it's just me talking through how I dealt with Thanksgiving when Arden was little.

[B]

Yeah. And it was good because like a teen is willing to listen to a 10 minute thing. You know what I mean? Yeah, like, you know what I mean?

[A]

Like, hey, tried the small sips.

[B]

We've talked about it. But he kind of is like that typical, like, okay, mom, you know what I mean? But I'll play it in the car. Like if I'm in the car with him. But if he does on his own, he would probably never admit it to me because it was my idea.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Do you know what I'm saying?

[A]

We're at that part still.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[A]

It goes away.

[B]

Like I told. Yeah. He's. If he, if it's, if he's in control, he, he's. He's good, but it can't be. Moms. I make him sound bad. He's a sweet kid.

[A]

No. The next few years, the testosterone is overwhelming. It starts to like, temper down in their, like, early mid-20s, the boys.

[B]

Oh, good. Okay.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Then. Then suddenly, like that, like that desire to like, you know, conquer everything kind of like lessens a little bit.

[B]

Okay, gotcha.

[A]

It goes away slowly over time. Your husband's probably just starting to turn into a human being about now, right?

[B]

You know, Julie, I get it.

[A]

I just started being an adult like five years ago.

[B]

Same. I feel like. Yeah, same.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Anyway, what else you got? Anything else for me?

[B]

No, that's it. Just. Thank you so much for making me laugh when I need to, but also teaching me, you know, and I love hearing, like, how other people do things and that my story's not the worst nor the best. And you just now, I mean, it made me realize that there's so many people living with this.

[A]

Yeah. You're gonna be okay.

[B]

Community.

[A]

You're gonna be.

[B]

It's a nice community.

[A]

It's all gonna be okay. It really. It really is. It's tough. I mean, you got some other autoimmune layered over top of it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Which is obviously challenging.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Listen, I'm not telling you anything. You know, again, I'm not a doctor, it's not medical advice, et cetera and so on, but I would really. I mean, you're in healthcare, right? Just get somebody to prescribe the thyroid medication to you.

[B]

Oh, you're talking about me.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm worried about you.

[B]

Oh, my goodness.

[A]

Yeah. No, no, because you don't understand. If that's really a problem for you, you're gonna have a renaissance.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You know what I mean?

[B]

I'll ask my endo.

[A]

We'll see. No, shh. You just need a friend. Just get a friend.

[B]

Or maybe a new one.

[A]

Just get a friend at the hospital who can write you a script.

[B]

Or like. Yeah, just a friend.

[A]

Yeah. What are. Like, what good is it being you if this isn't how this can work? You know? I mean, like, you don't need to be spending the next six, eight months talking some endocrinologist into listening to a podcast about, like, you know, I think if you medicated my TSH and got it under 2, that my symptoms might go away and I feel more rested and the doctor go, that looks normal. And trust me, most doctors are not going to, like, they're not going to agree to that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. You must have a friend. Do you not have a friend?

[B]

Oh, I have a lot of friends at the hospital.

[A]

And let's get. You tell the friend how much you weigh, and then they writes you a script, and then you try it and then you feel better. Then you go to your endo and you go, hey, funny story.

[B]

Guess what?

[A]

I didn't think you were going to help me with this, so I went over and I got a friend of mine to send me a script, and all of my symptoms are gone, and I haven't had a breakout in a while, and I'm thinking of going off this biologic and blah, blah, blah, or whatever ends up happening for animal. Maybe the biologic still necessary. I don't know what's going to happen. Happen to you, by the way.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Well, I know maybe you'll have a nice outcome and you could just go like, hey, so rock on. Right. Let's keep doing this.

[B]

Yeah, my PCP might actually.

[A]

Yeah, I Hate it when they started calling them PCPs. I just want to say that.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Why? Because PCP is a drug. I grew up in the.

[B]

Oh, it is a drug?

[A]

Yeah. Like, why would you start. Like, what's next? Like, is my nurse practitioner going to be crack one day? Like, what's the ecstasy? I mean, for the love of God, you couldn't find a better acronym than pcp? I mean, why don't we just call them angel dust and see what happens?

[B]

I, I, I've never. Now I'm never ever going to be able.

[A]

Well, yeah, because. Am I wrong?

[B]

I'm not wrong.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I never thought of it.

[A]

Why would you not think of that? That should be the first thing you think of. You should, you should say, why did they just name doctors after angel dust? What? By the way, what is angel dust?

[B]

I don't know. That one I'm not familiar with. Is that, not that I'm familiar with these.

[A]

No, hold on a second. What drug, what is angel dust?

[B]

Is it.

[A]

I don't know. I'm just. I grew up, I just listened to the radio. I heard people say things.

[B]

I would think, is it cocaine?

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Because you can get coke with angel dust on it. I know for sure because I remember from. You know for sure from the 80s movies. Hold on a second. Let's see. What? A disassociative anesthetic developed in the 50s for surgery, but abandoned in humans because it caused hallucinations, agitation and psychosis. Street names. Angel dust, ozone, rocket fuel, embalming fluid, wet and sherm. How to use it? Smoked often with marijuana or tobacco, snorted, swallowed or injected fluid. It's one of the street names. Interesting short term, by the way. Kids don't do drugs. Short term. Hallucinations, feelings of detachment, distorted sense of strength and invulnerability. Agitation, paranoia, dangerous effects, violent behavior, seizures, coma. PCP is illegal and considered a Schedule 2 controlled substance in the U.S. wait, is it, Is it like bath salts? I'm trying to figure out if they just.

[B]

I've never understood bath salts. Really?

[A]

Remember that time they tried to tell us that bath salts were making people into zombies?

[B]

Yeah, I remember that.

[A]

They get lumped together and. Bath salts are very different drugs. Okay, so what legal drug is pcp? Most like Internet, baby.

[B]

I know. Thank God.

[A]

I mean, what do I gotta, I gotta learn everything and then what? And I gotta remember it. How's that possibly gonna happen?

[B]

I can't remember anything.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Age 4. Maybe that's my thyroid. I thought it was menopause.

[A]

See, pcp. Closest legal drug in terms of how it acts is ketamine. Oh, yeah. So there you go. It's not meth. I've never done any hard drugs. I just want to. I mean, it's probably pretty obvious that people have. They're listening right now. It's like, wow, he doesn't understand any of this at all.

[B]

I know someone's gonna write to you and be like, let me just fix this.

[A]

Oh, by the way, those people come on, too. And you're invited, too. You want to come on and explain your PCP habit to me. I'm. As long as you have diabetes, I'm very willing to hear about it.

[B]

All into it. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. It's not meth either.

[B]

Yeah, it's not meth. Okay. No. No.

[A]

Okay. I mean, who knows? I just hear these things on cop shows, so I don't really know. Also, everything I know about medicine is from. Is from, like, ER and, like, Grey's Anatomy. Oh, Grey's Anatomy, for sure. What do you mean? Are you kidding me? I've been right about things because of Grey.

[B]

You gotta watch the Pit. That one's pretty accurate.

[A]

I watched the Pit. What am I.

[B]

Well, I don't know if it's one of your 87 streaming things that we now have to do every time.

[A]

Every time. I can't even tell you how Arden makes fun of Kelly because Kelly loved the Pit.

[B]

Oh, I love it.

[A]

And I enjoyed it very much and watched it with her. I think it was on Sunday nights. We actually watched it first, like, every time it came out, but eventually Arden's like, I think mom likes that guy. Not this show, Noah. Yeah, and then he popped up and. What were they watching? Some award show. He won an award the other night. Okay. Yeah, he popped up on the Emmys, and. And Arden's like, oh, Mom's getting uncomfortable.

[B]

There he is. I just like it because it's actually accurate.

[A]

Yeah, it was actually. I very much enjoyed it. I thought it was awesome.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

They need to have someone with type one.

[A]

Listen. They'll get. They stay on long enough. They'll get to everything eventually, I would imagine.

[B]

Yeah, probably.

[A]

All right, listen, you were terrific, Joy. I appreciate you being so honest and. And forthright and. And telling the story for us. So thank you very much.

[B]

Thanks for having me. It was nice to chat with you.

[A]

Of course. Of course. I. I was my pleasure. Hold on one second for me.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I'd like to thank the Eversense 365 for sponsoring this episode of the Juicebox Podcast and remind you that if you want the only sensor that gets inserted once a year and not every 14 days, you want the Eversense CGM eversensecgm.com Juicebox1 Year 1 CGM USMED Sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Check them [e-mail] juicebox or by calling 888-721-1514. Get your free benefits check and get started today with US MED. Head now to tandom diabetes.com juicebox and check out today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. I think you're going to find exactly what you're looking for at that link, including a way to sign up and get started with the Tandem MOBI system. I can't thank you enough for listening. Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. If you're looking to meet other people living with type 1 diabetes, head over to juiceboxpodcast.com juicecruise because next June. That's right 2026 June 21st the second Juice Cruise is happening on the Celebrity Beyond Cruise ship. It's a seven night trip going to the Caribbean. We're going to be visiting Miami, CocoCay, St. Thomas and Saint Kitts. Yeah, the Virgin Islands. You're going to love the Virgin Islands. Sail with Scott in the Juice Box Community on a week long voyage built for people and families living with type 1 diabetes. Enjoy tropical luxury, practical education and judgment. Free atmosphere. Perfect day at Coco Bay Saint Kitts Saint Thomas Five interactive workshops with me and surprise guests on Type one hacks and tech, mental health, mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, personal growth and professional development. Support groups and wellness discussions tailored for life with Type one and celebrities. World class amenities, dining and entertainment. This is open from every age. You know newborn to 99. I don't care how old you are, come out. Check us out. You can view staterooms and [e-mail] JuiceCruise the Last Juice Cruise just happened a couple weeks ago. A hundred of you came. It was awesome. We're looking to make it even bigger this year. I hope you can check it out. If you're looking for community around type 1 diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast. Private Facebook Group juice box podcast type 1 diabetes but everybody is welcome. Type 1 type 2 gestational loved ones it doesn't matter to me if you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort or community. Check out Juice box podcast, type 1 diabetes on Facebook. Hey, what's up, everybody? If you've noticed that the podcast sounds better and you're thinking, like, how does that happen? What you're hearing is Rob at Wrong Way Recording, doing his magic to these files. So if you want him to do his magic to you, wrongway recording.com. you got a podcast, you want somebody to edit it, you want Rob.