Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1679 – Third Eye
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Carly Maklha
Date: November 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the Juicebox Podcast centers on Carly Maklha, a 40-year-old Canadian woman who became a “type 3c” diabetic after a total pancreatectomy. Carly candidly shares her winding medical journey, including her struggles for diagnosis, surgical trauma, and how her diagnosis changed her understanding of diabetes. Carly and Scott have an engaging, humor-filled conversation about family, diabetes management approaches, healing, parenting, and the practical realities of life after major surgery. Their discussion also highlights the power of diabetes community, technology, and the emotional toll of chronic illness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Carly’s Background and Diagnosis

• [02:46] Carly was diagnosed with diabetes in August 2024 after a total pancreatectomy (removal of her pancreas) due to chronic, undiagnosed inflammation.
  • "I've been a diabetic since August of 24. So pretty recent." (Carly, 02:46)
• She’s 40, married with two children (eight and three years old), living in Alberta, Canada.

Path to Diagnosis and Medical System Struggles

• [03:44 – 11:46] Carly shares decades of unexplained stomach trouble, being dismissed by doctors, and family history of autoimmune issues.

  • Early testing for celiac disease was inconclusive, but IBS was diagnosed.
  • Family history included minor type 1 diabetes but her own condition was ultimately due to organ failure.
  • “My pancreatic duct was so inflamed, they actually couldn’t even get the camera in there… By the fourth ERCP, I was at a surgeon in Calgary. And he was like: ‘We have to go in for surgery. There’s nothing else we can do.’” (Carly, 06:03)

• Canadian healthcare wait times: Extended waiting, lack of urgency unless it’s an emergency.

  • “If it’s not emergent, if it’s not going to kill you, then you’re back of the line.” (Scott, 11:13)
  • "She was like, 'Ah, it's going to take like two years. Do you really want me to put in the referral?' And I was like, yes, yes, I do." (Carly, 11:29)

The Surgery and Waking Up Diabetic

• [15:58] Carly describes waking up surrounded by tubes, in immense pain, and not at first realizing the full scope of surgery.
  • She misunderstood at first, focused on "Whipple", not realizing her pancreas was gone.
  • “I was like, whipple, woo... Nurses are like, yes, honey, whatever, Whipple. And I’m like, yeah, Whipple.” (Carly, 17:21)
  • The realization she was now diabetic came about 18 hours after waking up.
• Surgical complications led to a long recovery, learning she’d also lost her gallbladder and spleen.

Family Impact

• [32:10] Carly describes telling her daughter about the surgery, her fears about her children seeing her vulnerable, and the extended healing period post-surgery.

  • “She came in and we had a little cry and a little hug, and probably within 10 minutes she was laying beside me with the remote, the crappy hospital TV, watching cable, and everything was kind of fine.” (Carly, 33:09)

• Extended recovery included home care and learning to manage a new, complex health reality.

Type 3c Diabetes and Management

• [04:09, 26:13–28:59] Carly discusses the nuances of type 3c diabetes (pancreatogenic diabetes due to total loss of pancreas, not autoimmune).

  • She must take digestive enzymes with all food and manage blood sugars with exogenous insulin.
  • Unlike type 1, she never experienced classic symptoms like DKA pre-diagnosis.

• Carly’s approach to management contrasts with that of her older family member, a “traditional” type 1.

  • On different management styles:
    “She’s very meticulous and calculated and a perfectionist about her diabetes, whereas I am a little bit more lax in how I approach it … I’m an ‘ish’ person. That’s the way I could say it. I do things very ‘ish.’” (Carly, 25:27)
  • She prioritizes showing her daughter that perfection isn’t necessary, aiming for good-enough management.

Tech, Tools & Bold With Insulin

• [24:42, 39:56–49:32]
  • Carly is “a tech person,” embracing CGM, insulin pumps, and Apple Watch integration.
  • “I just switched to an iPhone so that I could get the iWatch so that all I have to do is lift up my wrist and I can see my blood sugars.” (Carly, 24:42)
• The podcast and support group, especially the “Small Sips” series, gave her and her family foundational diabetes knowledge and support.
  • “It’s not so much what you say, but it’s how you say it. When you say, ‘Be bold with insulin,’ it's not that you’re saying...just give yourself a bunch of insulin and see how it goes. You’re just saying, don’t be afraid to try things and then build on that knowledge you have.” (Carly, 45:58)
  • Carly encouraged her mother to listen to “Small Sips” so she could feel less lost and more empowered about Carly’s care.

Emotional and Mental Health

• Coping with grief and trauma:
  • Carly addresses the “lost time” and regret about years undiagnosed, and the importance of advocating for yourself in the medical system.
  • She sees a medical trauma therapist to process and move past self-blame.
  • “That complacency, I think, is kind of what got me to where I am.” (Carly, 64:11)
• She strives to maintain a positive outlook, reminding herself to focus on day-to-day victories rather than what-ifs.

Community and Identity

• Diabetes community as essential:

  • Carly found community through the Juicebox Podcast and the Facebook group, which quickly connected her to other type 3c diabetics.
  • “Nobody knows what a type 3c diabetic is. My doctor is telling me, just tell people you have type 1 because no one else is going to know.” (Carly, 39:56)

• Evolution of the Podcast:

  • Scott and Carly discuss how the podcast (and diabetes conversations) have evolved over a decade.

  • “How cool would it be if you could spend a month or six months gathering up an understanding of a person in your life?” (Scott, 55:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carly on feeling dismissed:
  “I was like, just inflammation and constantly ill and not feeling well. But then it started to get to the point where I could actually point to my pain, like, one specific location in my stomach… I kept getting disregarded.” [06:03]

• Scott on differences between US and Canadian health systems:
  “If it’s not emergent, if it’s not going to kill you, then you’re back of the line.” [11:13]

• Carly on the weight of a diagnosis:
  “It was really alarming to find out that it had gotten to that point and then you wonder, had it been caught sooner, is it possible that something else could have been done or, you know, I might not be a diabetic today. I don’t know. But I try not to dwell.” [09:11]

• Carly on living by example:
  “For my daughter, I just want to show her that, like, you don’t have to get like super caught up in being perfect. You just have to do your best. And sometimes that means eating something and then being like, okay, well, that didn’t work. Let’s figure it out, and then maybe we can do better next time.” [25:27]

• On technology:
  “Just put on the flipping CGM… she’s like, I have lows all the time… and I’m like, it’s going off all the time because you’re low!” (Carly, about her relative’s management, 22:40)

• On the Small Sips series:
  “Take this in small sips. Listen to this. Slowly digest this material so that you understand when I come over and I’m like, hey, I got a bolus… Or like, I’m using terminology that scares you because you don’t know it. Use this information to empower yourself, and then you will feel more confident in and maybe less nervous about me and what I’m going through.” [49:04]

• Humorous Parenting Moment:
  “My daughter already says things like, when Zoe dies… That’s my dog… When Zoe dies, can we get a chameleon? I’m like, Zoe’s right there…” [79:02]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:46 – Carly introduces herself and diagnosis story
• 03:44 – Overview of family history and medical path to diagnosis
• 06:03 – Surgical decision, being dismissed by doctors
• 09:55 – Emotional moments after diagnosis
• 15:58 – Carly wakes up post-surgery; realizes she’s diabetic
• 18:04 – Initial diabetes knowledge & comparison to family
• 23:21 – Reflections on her and her relative's differing diabetes styles
• 24:42 – Embracing diabetes technology; parenting philosophy
• 26:13–28:59 – Early challenges with blood sugar, switching to pump therapy
• 32:10 – Parenting through medical crisis, impact on children
• 34:29 – Digestive enzymes, post-surgical challenges, and healing
• 39:56–49:32 – How she found the podcast, value of the Small Sips series
• 63:39 – Carly’s advice: advocate for yourself in healthcare
• 64:15 – Pursuing therapy for medical trauma and working through self-blame
• 70:33–73:13 – Lighthearted reptile and pet stories; ending on humorous notes

Original Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is warm, witty, and conversational. Scott and Carly keep the mood light with banter about life in Canada, diabetes tech, and family. Their dialogue is authentic, empathetic, and peppered with humor—even when navigating tough topics like trauma or post-surgical hardships.

Useful Takeaways for Listeners

• Self-advocacy in healthcare is essential, especially when dealing with chronic, ambiguous symptoms.
• Community and knowledge-sharing (through podcasts, support groups) can be life-changing, reducing isolation and fostering empowerment.
• Embracing technology (CGMs, pumps, apps) can streamline daily management and improve quality of life.
• Management styles can vary: It’s valid to be meticulous or “ish”—success is defined by personal outcomes and lifestyle fit.
• Parenting role model: Modeling resilience—not perfection—supports children in coping with chronic illness in the family.
• Mental health care (therapy, support) is critical to managing not just the physical but also the emotional fallout of chronic illness.

Closing

Final Reflections (Carly, 64:39):
“Just advocate for yourself and in the medical health system, like don’t just take people’s word for it. If you feel like something is wrong, push. And, like, just try to get answers and just don’t stop.”

Scott’s Message (47:50):
"It’s important to put all the information out there and let people, like, pick and choose from a kind of a la carte and decide how to build their own diabetes care."

For more stories, practical strategies, and community, explore the Juicebox Podcast and its resource series, including “Algorithm Pumping,” “Pro Tips,” “Bold Beginnings,” and “Small Sips” at juiceboxpodcast.com.