Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1670: Deez Nuts – Part 1
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Kirby, a mom of an 8-year-old with type 1 diabetes
Date: Nov 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Scott Benner in conversation with Kirby, the mother of an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with type 1 diabetes nearly one year ago. Together, they offer a frank, humorous, and deeply insightful look at parenting through a new diabetes diagnosis, the challenges of diabetes education, the shortcomings of formal support systems, and the evolution of the Juicebox Podcast. The conversation covers everything from the stress and confusion of early days, to the culture of teaching in diabetes, to using humor and community as coping mechanisms. The episode also touches on the origins of its playful title ("Deez Nuts"), making space for both levity and real talk about living with diabetes in the family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Getting Comfortable Before the Serious Stuff

• Scott and Kirby use humor, banter, and storytelling to break the ice before discussing diabetes.
• Scott explains he uses “easy” questions at the beginning of interviews to help guests acclimate to being recorded.
  • "The episodes all take on sort of a similar vibe in the beginning because I ask people questions that they know the answers to… then they get comfortable, and then we keep talking." – Scott (08:22)
• The playful mood quickly sets in with stories about children putting bouncy balls in their mouths and a tangent about how Scott once helped solve a murder story via a mortician friend (03:09–05:28).

2. Humor as Medicine (and the Episode Title)

• Scott jokes about his refusal to wear glasses as the “mature version” of a child’s bouncy ball antics, leading to the episode title, “Deez Nuts.”
  • "So you think that me not wearing glasses is the equivalent of me putting balls in my mouth? Oh, we should call this episode Deez Nuts." – Scott (07:00)
• The duo riff on family, parenting, and silly trends, showing the necessity and power of laughter when dealing with chronic illness.

3. Kirby’s Family Story and the Early Signs of Diabetes

• Kirby recounts the initial signs of her son’s diabetes: nighttime bedwetting, daytime accidents, and increased thirst post-vacation.
  • "I kind of knew, you know, because I'm a dietitian. So I... know that is a symptom." – Kirby (12:39)
• She details her and her doctor’s process, her son’s first hospital stay, and realizing no one clearly explained to her son that diabetes was a lifelong condition.
• "Nobody actually sat us down and explained what this would look like long term... I was actually the one that had to tell my son that this was forever." – Kirby (24:17)

Notable Segment

• Diabetes Diagnosis Journey: 11:27–14:41
  Kirby describes the step-by-step realization that her son had type 1, touching on parental intuition, medical follow-up, and being a health professional herself.

4. Frustrations with the Health System

• Both discuss the “patchwork” of resources new families must navigate after diagnosis.
• Kirby, a registered dietitian, laments the lack of formal, rigorous education for parents and caregivers.
  • "There's so much calculation, there's tech involved, there's medication that you're essentially dosing on your own... but there is very little, I will just call it formal support." – Kirby (38:13)
• The conversation acknowledges disparities in education and support, especially for families who are less connected to online diabetes communities.

5. The Evolution of the Juicebox Podcast

• Scott shares how he stumbled into his conversational format from humble beginnings and why he chose a more aspirational approach over “lowest common denominator teaching.”
  • "I have an aversion to kind of lowest common denominator teaching. I don't like when we dumb things down." – Scott (35:27)
• The discussion explores different learning styles and the need for families to piece together diabetes management strategies from a buffet of sources.

Notable Quote

• "We were basically making a really long winded manual for diabetes." – Scott (28:10)

6. The Mental Burden, Sadness, and Community

• The hosts acknowledge the sadness and overwhelm many parents experience after a diagnosis.
  • "When is the sadness gonna stop?" – Scott (22:01)
• Kirby points out that even professionals (like herself or a brain surgeon) are often as lost as any parent at the start.
  • "It's okay that it's hard... I wanted people to hear that, especially for the... person who's experiencing sadness..." – Kirby (24:36)
• Both agree that hearing diverse experiences can give hope and that it's acceptable to approach diabetes at one’s own pace and style.

7. Aspirational but Flexible Guidance

• The hosts agree the podcast should inspire listeners to reach for tighter control and better outcomes, but not shame those who aren’t there yet.
  • "I think that aspirational is the way to go." – Scott (30:02)
  • "It's okay if this isn't the exact right way for you... you should pick and choose from it like a buffet." – Kirby (31:48, 32:41)
• Scott emphasizes interacting with listeners to understand and support a variety of needs and experience levels.

8. The Limitation of Online Spaces and Peer Support

• The episode acknowledges the silos within diabetes communities and the tension around cross-promoting resources.
• Scott reveals he avoids recommending his content in certain online spaces to not appear as "poaching," despite knowing his podcast could help.
  • "I don't reach a small fraction of people with type 1 diabetes. That's a problem." – Scott (41:44)

9. What Can Be Done? (And Why It Probably Won't Happen)

• Kirby proposes more formal, possibly hospital-supported masterclasses for caregivers, but both acknowledge real-world structural obstacles.
• Scott references the dichotomy between how things “should” be versus how they are.
  • "There's the way people want the world to be and there's the way it is." – Scott quoting a podcast (48:52)
• Both hope for better resources, but remain realistic about the influences of liability, bureaucracy, and the complexities of institutional change.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Humor as Coping (Deez Nuts):
  "So you think that me not wearing glasses is the equivalent of me putting balls in my mouth? Oh, we should call this episode Deez Nuts."
  — Scott (07:00)

• On Sudden Realizations:
  "I was actually the one that had to tell my son that this was forever because he thought... the injections... were all just to get him back steady."
  — Kirby (24:17)

• On Support Gaps:
  "There's no other condition that I can think of where there is so much management put on individuals... yet very little formal support."
  — Kirby (38:13)

• On Learning & Podcast Evolution:
  "We were basically making a really long winded manual for diabetes."
  — Scott (28:10)
  "I think that aspirational is the way to go."
  — Scott (30:02)

• On Not Reaching Enough:
  "I very likely reach more people with type 1 diabetes than anybody else — and I'm not touching a small fraction of people..."
  — Scott (41:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:16–03:41: Ice-breaker banter; the “file naming and murderer” story
• 05:50–07:17: Bouncy balls, parenting chaos, and the origin of "Deez Nuts"
• 11:27–14:41: Kirby’s detailed recounting of her son’s diagnosis journey
• 18:51–19:17: The hospital experience — Kirby’s family and Golisano Children’s Hospital
• 22:01–25:48: Mental and emotional challenges early in diagnosis; even professionals struggle
• 28:10: Making the podcast a “manual” for diabetes
• 30:02: Aspirational, not shaming – setting a high (but human) bar
• 35:27–36:56: Teaching styles and “lowest common denominator” approaches
• 38:13–39:53: Failures of the system and thoughts on formal education for caregivers
• 41:44–42:19: The hard reality that most people with type 1 still aren’t being reached
• 43:12–49:34: Why systemic change is slow, cultural resistance, and the more pragmatic approaches that emerge from necessity

Language & Tone

• The language is conversational, irreverent, honest, and humorous.
• Both Scott and Kirby employ self-deprecation, sarcasm, and playfulness, balancing heavy topics with lightness.
• The dialogue flows naturally, interspersed with digressions and personal anecdotes, fostering intimacy and connection for the audience.

Summary Takeaways

• Humor and candor are essential in making sense of the challenges and absurdities of parenting a child with type 1 diabetes.
• The system is insufficient: Most families must patch together their diabetes education, and formal supports lag behind real need.
• Even professionals are humbled: Experience and credentials don’t make managing diabetes or its emotions easy.
• No one-size-fits-all solution: The Juicebox Podcast offers aspirational stories and practical tips, but listeners should adapt what works for them.
• Community matters, but reaching the “unreached” and creating truly universal access to effective diabetes education remain big, unsolved challenges.

For more from Scott, Kirby, and the Juicebox community, check out the next episode (Part 2) and explore series, pro tips, and community connections at juiceboxpodcast.com.