#1687 Knowing Doesn't Mean Ready

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1687: “Knowing Doesn't Mean Ready”

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Lauren, mother of a 7-year-old living with Type 1 Diabetes
Date: November 21, 2025

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the often-overlooked gap between intellectual knowledge and real-world readiness in parenting a child with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Lauren, who spent years in pharmaceutical sales focused on diabetes, shares her family’s emotional and practical journey through her son’s diagnosis, early hospital experience, and the complexities of adapting to daily life with T1D. The conversation, marked by humor, candor, and tactical advice, aims to offer relatable strategies to help families thrive with diabetes.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Lauren’s Background and Initial Diagnosis Experience

• Lauren, mother of two boys (ages 7 and 10), worked nearly 20 years in pharma—12 of them specializing in diabetes medicines, primarily for Type 2.
• Despite her expertise, the signs of T1D in her younger son were easily rationalized away until a bathroom emergency and rapid weight loss triggered alarm.
  • Quote: “You can hold it. It is a 10 minute drive. ... If he cannot hold it, he has diabetes.” (06:10, Lauren)
• DIY blood glucose check yielded a 564 reading. Despite knowing what it meant, Lauren still hesitated to see it as real.
• Attempts to shortcut the ER by asking the pediatrician for insulin were rebuffed, resulting in a proper hospital admission.

2. Hospital Frustrations: Knowledge vs. Systemic Limitations

• Lauren’s medical literacy clashed with cautious hospital protocol, causing tension.
  • Quote: “The hospitalist comes into the room, walks in and tells me, ‘I can’t give you insulin yet. Because I don’t know if he’s a type 1 or a type 2.’ I look at the guy and say, ‘It’s 100% a type 1.’” (18:36, Lauren)
• Difficulty in securing a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) for her son, with staff pushing outdated “learn the hard way” methods.
  • “The way to learn about diabetes isn’t to be able to see your blood sugar exactly at all moments?” (19:16, Scott)

3. Transitioning to Home and Self-Education

• Frustrated by local care, Lauren self-referred to Riley Children’s Hospital, where she finally received the education and tech her family needed.
• Key advice: Advocate doggedly for referrals and tech access.
  • “You have to advocate for yourself. If something doesn’t feel right, do whatever you need to get a better result...” (24:16, Lauren)
• Discovered the Juicebox Podcast based on recommendations from other T1D parents and later, her new endocrinologist.

4. Coping, Learning, and Adjusting Attitudes

• The podcast's “Bold With Insulin” approach empowered both Lauren and her hesitant husband to evolve from fear-based control to proactive interventions.
  • “They want you to be afraid, like deadly afraid of the low blood sugars… But I can’t remember how many just normal primary care doctors… would tell me, ‘We’re not worried about low blood sugar, we’re worried about the hyperglycemia.’” (25:13, Lauren)
  • Notable Moment: Both an acquaintance and their doctor independently recommended the podcast (30:06), solidifying its trusted status for Lauren’s husband.

5. Trial and Error: Strategies, Tech, and Professional Guidance

• Quickly moved from MDI (Lantus and Humalog) to an Omnipod pump, and began working with diabetes educator Jenny Smith.
  • Implemented “steal the A1C overnight” (keeping overnight glucose stable to improve time-in-range and A1C).
  • Emphasized the value of manual pump mode per Jenny’s advice, despite pushback from pump trainers.
  • “If we can make [the overnight] strong and tight and that a flat line, like, we will win.” (34:44, Lauren)
• Lauren considered (but hesitated) moving to Loop technology (DIY closed-loop), highlighting the anxiety of relinquishing hands-on control after early success with intensive management.

6. Family Dynamics and Emotional Impact

• Lauren left her career to become her son’s primary caregiver, a shift laden with mixed emotions, identity challenges, and gratitude for the flexibility to do so.
• “You stop working, you give up a big piece of who you are... but there’s nothing more important than making sure he stays healthy and doesn’t have these long-term complications.” (36:43, Lauren)
• Reflected on how her son’s resilience differs from her own childhood temperament, and the emotional toll (and pride) this brings.

7. Daily Life, Burnout, and Pragmatic Flexibility

• Both host and guest emphasize learning in increments, adjusting advice to avoid burnout and recognize the need for rest:
  • “If you need to sleep one night and the blood sugar’s 130, I don’t think you should sit up all night trying to make it 85.” (50:24, Scott)
  • Lauren warns against both complacency and perfectionism: “It’s easy to get hung up on feeling bad if you have a bad day... not get complacent...” (51:00)

8. Rethinking Medical Goals and Standards

• Deep frustration with the medical establishment’s “below 7 A1C” mindset for kids—believes tighter control is possible and ethical with today’s technology.
  • “The doctors just want you under seven, and that’s not good enough... we can do better.” (53:12, Lauren)
• Scott provides nuance: not all doctors can support everyone toward these ambitious targets due to systemic constraints and variable patient engagement.

9. The Future: GLP-1s and Advancements

• Lauren, with a pharma/diabetes tech background, weighs in on GLP-1s (Ozempic et al.) as “miracle drugs” for Type 2, expressing both hope and frustration that T1D approvals and access lag behind despite enormous promise.
  • "They are miracle drugs. ...I don't even know if I could do my job anymore because I'm jealous at the sense that it's not indicated for my child...” (57:34, Lauren)
• Scott shares his personal experience with GLP-1s for weight loss, illustrating life-changing benefits beyond diabetes, and reflecting on public misunderstanding and stigma.
  • “Maybe you had stolen this driver’s license...I was not going to get, for whatever reason, God bless my body, I was not going to get type 2 diabetes...but I was going to have a heart attack one day...This gives me the best possibility I have of making it as far as I can...” (68:08–65:01)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On parental advocacy:

  • “You have to advocate for yourself. And if something doesn’t feel right, do whatever you need to do to get a better result…” (24:16, Lauren)

• Hospital care skepticism:

  • “This is classic, textbook type 1 diabetes, and no one knows what they’re doing.” (18:55, Lauren)

• The knowledge gap:

  • “I knew all about insulin. I was trained that insulin works... but I was never trained on the variables,” (17:02, Lauren)
  • “Knowing doesn’t mean ready.” (episode title theme)

• Scott on technology:

  • “The way to learn about diabetes isn’t to be able to see your blood sugar exactly at all moments?” (19:16, Scott)

• Empowering, actionable advice:

  • “It’s almost like a marriage where you’re kind of like sitting down and understanding all the little details before you actually get married and commit to the algorithm in a sense…” (37:26, Lauren, on learning pumps in manual mode first)

---

Timestamps for Key Sections

• [06:10] First suspicions and the “bathroom incident”
• [08:53] At-home glucose check, realization moment
• [14:06] ER assessment, learning son is not in DKA, feeling “relief”
• [18:36] Hospital frustrations, insulin delay, push for CGM
• [24:16] Advice on self-advocacy, bypassing local system for better care
• [25:13] Podcast kicks in as education resource
• [30:06] Husband convinced after endocrinologist recommends Juicebox Podcast
• [34:44] “Steal the A1C overnight” concept explained
• [36:43] Career change, emotional toll
• [50:24] Burnout, permission to aim for “good enough” at times
• [53:12] Medical establishment vs. patient ambitions
• [57:34] GLP-1s, pharma insider perspective
• [65:01]–[68:08] Life expectancy, medical bias, and Scott's weight loss journey

---

Concluding Insights

The conversation is both deeply practical and unflinchingly honest about the emotional and systemic challenges of managing T1D in children, even for those with a significant knowledge base. Lauren’s journey illustrates how knowing the facts doesn’t fully prepare parents for the emotional heavy lifting and the tenacity required to achieve optimal outcomes—and how peer-to-peer support, coupled with nuanced education like the Juicebox Podcast provides, can bridge that gap. The episode encourages families to reframe their expectations, advocate relentlessly, and embrace technological and pharmaceutical advancements, all while allowing themselves occasional grace and breathing room.

---

Tone:
Supportive, candid, and occasionally irreverent, the discussion combines clinical insight with lived experience, making it at once accessible and empowering for families managing T1D.

---

Transcript

[A]

Here we are back together again, friends, for another episode of the Juice Box Podcast.

[B]

Hi, my name is Lauren. I am the mother of a 7 year old type 1 diabetic.

[A]

This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by Skingrip, durable skin safe adhesive that lasts your diabetes devices, they can fall off easily sometimes, especially when you're bathing or very active. When those devices fall off, your life is disrupted and it costs you money. But Skingrip patches, they keep your devices secure. Skingrip was founded by a family directly impacted by type 1 and it's trusted by hundreds of thousands of individuals living with diabetes. Juicebox Podcast listeners are going to get 20% off of their first order by visiting skingrip.com juicebox Please don't forget that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan or becoming bold with insulin. Dexcom sponsored this episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Learn more about the Dexcom G7 at my link dexcom.com juicebox this episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by Omnipod5. Omnipod5 is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve A1C and time and range for people with type 1 diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today@ omnipod.com juicebox at my link. You can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply and eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox hi, my name is Lauren.

[B]

I am the mother of a 7 year old type 1 diabetic.

[A]

Do you have any other kids, Lauren?

[B]

I have one other son, so I have two boys. My oldest son is 10, about to be 11 and my youngest who is my type 1, just turned 7 the end of September.

[A]

Okay. All right. Yeah. How long has he had type one?

[B]

So he was diagnosed in September of last year. So one week after his sixth birthday.

[A]

Oh, no kidding.

[B]

Received our diagnosis. Yep.

[A]

Just slightly over a year.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Okay. Well, this will be interesting. I appreciate you doing this with me. Thank you.

[B]

For sure.

[A]

Yeah. What made you want to do it?

[B]

Well, because it's been such an important part of our journey and being successful with managing him this first year that I felt like it could be really important to share our family's story and hopefully make impact on others just the way they have impacted me and connect with someone somehow to help them get through some of the hard times because it's definitely a marathon. Managing this and taking this on and your podcast has, like I said, helped my family immensely. So I hope to share and do the same.

[A]

I appreciate knowing that. Thank you. Yes, and I'm sure you will. I'm excited to find out all about you guys and see where this leads. So let's find out first. Let's go over the simple stuff first. Any other autoimmune with you, the kids? Are you married?

[B]

Yes, I'm married.

[A]

A husband or extended family?

[B]

None. Nothing that we are aware of. I will say that my mother is adopted, so we are lacking some of that family history from our, you know, genetics that we are aware of. However, nothing that we are aware of with any other autoimmune.

[A]

Okay. How do you like being the kid of an adopted parent?

[B]

It doesn't bother me at all. You know, I still had grandparents from the parents of my mom who were adopted her. You know, as you get older and if you have health things, that's when you start to notice, like, oh, yeah, I can't tell you much about some this side of my, you know, family makeup or my genetic makeup, but other than that, it's been absolutely fine.

[A]

I always felt like being adopted was cool because it was almost like a choose your own adventure. Right. You know? Yeah.

[B]

And it's a blessing that it's out there and that people will take that on and, you know, I appreciate it.

[A]

That's really cool. Okay, so your father's side. How about your husband's parents? Anybody? I'm talking about, like, celiac, thyroid.

[B]

Nothing.

[A]

Nothing you can find. Okay.

[B]

My husband's cousin has Crohn's disease, but I don't know that they consider that autoimmune. Really?

[A]

Like, I gotcha. Well, do they? Well, I'm going to look while I ask you what happened that you noticed that your child needed medical care.

[B]

Yeah. So background on me a little bit is I have been doing pharmaceutical sales since I graduated college. So that has been my or was my career. And so I was in the medical field, if you will. And for the 19 years that I did it, 12 of the years was spent in diabetes. And so obviously the focus is more around type 2 diabetes, with just how America is with type 2 and where the pharma companies are putting a lot of their technology and research into type 2, because that seems to be a big, big problem in the country. But you still get background knowledge, and they do a very deep dive into understanding the disease state that you are going to be walking out into the Offices to talk to doctors and nurses about. And so I had been very, very well versed in diabetes, if you will. Yeah, my son was. We had a unique situation where my husband actually, we were at a soccer game for him and he is finishing up the soccer game. And where his game was to our home was about a 12 minute car ride. And my little 6 year old son is in the car crying that he needs me to pull over so he can go to the bathroom. And I said, no.

[A]

You said no? You're like, no?

[B]

Yeah, I said, no, you can hold it. You can hold it. It is a 10 minute drive. And my husband's like, why are you being so mean? Please just pull over. He has to go to the bathroom. I'm like, we are not pulling over to go to the bathroom if he cannot hold it. He has diabetes.

[A]

Well, did you say that?

[B]

I said, I said that. And my husband's like, gosh, Lord, you are so rude and mean and you think everyone has diabetes because that's your job. And so Saturday. Yep, that was Saturday. And then, like, there's no hard feelings. My son was able to hold it until we got. He went to the bathroom and everything's fine. So the day goes on and it's really just the three of us at home that day because my other son went to a friend's house for a little bit. And so we're just spending time at home. And my husband's. He's asking my husband for food all the time.

[A]

And he learned the day before not to ask you, right?

[B]

Right. Yeah, no, mom's not helping me out with anything. So he's definitely leaning towards dad this day. And, you know, I don't notice anything else. You know, I say that, but I'm like, when he tells me, you're crazy, you think everyone has diabetes. I go back to the fact that probably, you know, I know there's no way my kid has diabetes. I. I'm just aware of the symptoms.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And that I am, you know, because when you start learning and doing a disease state with pharma, you often feel like you become hypochondriac and think you have everything that they're teaching you. So I didn't think much of it. And then the next morning we wake up and everything's fine. We're giving them breakfast. And on the weekends we do more fun breakfast. And both my boys are having cereal and apple cider, which I want to just have a stroke about now. And my husband says, hey, is there a way that we can actually find out if he really does have diabetes. I said, yeah. And I said, are you serious? He's like, yeah, how can we check? I'm like, go upstairs. Take him upstairs and put him on the scale. And I'm going to go find my glucometer that I had. Because when I was pregnant, I decided I want to watch my sugar in case I were to get gestational diabetes. Just again, because I was in the industry and I became fascinated with that and so worried that I would get gestational diabetes. So I have this six year old glucometer. And I had weighed my son the week before for his birthday. So I measure him and I weigh him, like, how old are. Like, how tall are you? How much do you weigh on your six. Your sixth birthday? To document and just know. And he had. He was 66 pounds on his sixth birthday. And my husband screams downstairs, hey, he's. He's 60 pounds. And in that moment, I knew. I said, what is. How much does he weigh? He said, 60.

[A]

Yeah, skip the glucometer. We could just come back down. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I knew in that moment. And so, okay, I get the glucometer out. And anyways, I said, okay, bring him here. We're gonna do a finger stick. I poke his finger and it says 564.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I said, oh, gosh. Well, this is old. This thing is literally six years old. We haven't used it. There's no way. So I poked my other son's finger. I said, okay, Brian, it's your turn. His blood sugar is 95. So I'm like, okay, it's not broken. I'm like, okay, Ryan, he's gonna be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Go get a bag. And we have to go to the hospital. But I'm gonna call the pediatrician's office first. Cause our pediatrician's office has like weekend hours and someone always on call for them. And I'm just gonna call them to see if they can do anything. If we can go to them before we actually have to go to the hospital. Because I'm delusional at that same point and thinking, oh, they can just write me a prescription for insulin and everything is going to be fine.

[A]

Is that where your head was?

[B]

Yes. And I call the pediatrician's office and talk to the nurse. You know, my son, I just checked his blood sugar. It's 564. You know, I do diabetes. I know what I'm talking about. Like, I had lantis. I've had humalog. I've had all the insulins. I have all the GLP ones. I. I know it all. Can you just. If we come into you, can you guys just give us a prescription for some insulin and tell me what I need to dose them and we'll be fine? And they're like. The lady's like, you're crazy, lady. Like, you need to go to the hospital. So I'm like, okay, okay, fine.

[A]

We don't do that here. But that's not right.

[B]

I know, I know. But in my mind, I'm thinking, this is. Everything's going to be fine. And just. I don't really want to go to the hospital. We go to the hospital, we pack up, and I tell my husband, like, you need to text this person and this person and this person, because I knew he had acquaintances that had children that had type 1 diabetes. So I'm telling them, you need to find out who their pediatric endo is. And I'm just going into this mode of we got to get a proper doctor. We got to do all of the things and find out other people's experiences so that we have a good one. Because we don't have a pediatric endo in our area. We don't. We have, like, one endocrinologist that's here, too. Like, we live in South Bend, and it's kind of like a black hole for medicine, if you ask me. Just because we're so close to Chicago, we're so close to University of Michigan, we're so close to Indy. And so I don't feel like it's a great spot for medicine, if you will. And specialists. And like I said, in the diabetes world, I knew we didn't even have a pediatric endo in the area. He starts texting his friends. We go to the hospital, and we're walking into the er and I tell them right away, I'm like, my son's about to be in dka. I need someone to see him really fast and get him insulin. And so they did take. They took us back really fast. In their mind, though, my son's already a type 1 diabetic, because who comes into the hospital and says that? And so they're treating him like they think he's a type one.

[A]

Oh, I see.

[B]

Yeah. Right. Because they're like this. They're saying this type 1 diabetics probably coming in in DKA because something went.

[A]

Wrong, and you have a little too much context to seem like a person who just figured it out today.

[B]

Yeah, well. And yes. Right.

[A]

And I Honestly, before you go on, Rob's gonna put the ads right here, but I need to say, because it's gonna get away from me. Crohn's is an autoimmune condition. We got pretty far away from it. I can't believe I need it.

[B]

No, that's okay. Well, and so when I Google it and research it, they're like, it's a different type of autoimmune, though, like, where it's.

[A]

Well, I mean, you know, it's an immune. It's an immune reaction. It causes chronic inflammation. You get, like, thickening of intestinal walls, inflammation, et cetera. I mean, I. You know, right church, wrong pew, maybe, but, like, it's an autoimmune inflammatory disorder.

[B]

Yeah. So that. That is there, but when I told our doctor, he's just like, poo pooed. That, like, that was no big deal.

[A]

Yeah, well, you're in South Bend, so.

[B]

Well, no, I'm in India at that point.

[A]

Oh, sorry.

[B]

But. And I do like him.

[A]

I appreciate. I'm sorry I cut you off, but go ahead. Go on. We're back at the hospital. They're thinking he's an established type one.

[B]

Yeah. They get us back very, very quickly because I think that's literally because I used the words dka. And they check his blood sugar. It shows high on their meter, and they push us back into a room and, like, they, you know, start getting ready to do a PICC line in him and wanting to draw his blood. And so they come in like, so your son's a type 1 diabetic? And I said, no, no, you're going to diagnose him with type 1 diabetes. This is what happened. I just have a unique background that I'm aware of what's happening. And they're like, oh, okay, okay. And, you know, are you sure it's type one? I'm like, yeah, pretty sure. I don't know what else this would be. He's lost £6 in a week. I did a, you know, check the sugar at home. It's, you know, my meter is clearly.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Just when can you get him some insulin? Because I'm just thinking to myself, he's going to be in DKA soon. How do we get him? I just want insulin sooner than later. And they take their sweet time. They run all the lab work. And the doctor was really nice and responsive to me. That was the ER intake doctor. And, yep, you're probably right. He's like, all the lab work's coming back. A1C shows 10.3 there's ketones in his urine, obviously. We're gonna roll him upstairs, get him admitted into our pediatric unit, but he's not in dka.

[A]

Good.

[B]

So. Okay, great. And I think that that moment also made me think, this is not a big deal. Like, everything's gonna be fine. Everything is fine.

[A]

Because he wasn't in a dire situation. Yeah, it lessened the weight of it for you. Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. We talk a lot about ways to lower your A1C on this podcast. Did you know that the Omnipod 5 was shown to lower A1C? That's right. Omnipod 5 is a tube free automated insulin delivery system and it was shown to significantly improve A1C and time and range for people with type 1 diabetes when they switched from daily injections. My daughter is about to turn 21 years old and she has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four. It has been a friend to our family and I think it could be a friend to yours. If you're ready to try Omnipod 5 for yourself or your family, use my link now to get started. Omnipod.com juicebox get that free Omnipod 5 starter kit today. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox you can manage diabetes confidently with the powerfully simple Dexcom G7. Dexcom.com juicebox the Dexcom G7 is the CGM that my daughter is wearing. The G7 is a simple CGM system that delivers real time glucose numbers to your smartphone or smartwatch. The G7 is made for all types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, but also people experiencing gestational diabetes. The Dexcom G7 can help you spend more time in range, which is proven to lower a 1C. The more time you spend in range, the better and healthier you feel. And with the Dexcom Clarity app, you can track your glucose trends. And the app will also provide you with a projected A1C in as little as two weeks. If you're looking for clarity around your diabetes, you're looking for Dexcom. Dexcom.com Juicebox when you use my link, you're supporting the podcast. Dexcom.com Juicebox Head over there now.

[B]

For me in that moment, I think it did okay. Yeah, in that moment. And my husband and my older son are in the corner crying and my other. I'm trying to make my other son who's actually going through this like you're brave like, this is really amazing. Like, you're super. Like, you are a superhero. You are selected to do this because you're strong and you're tough, and mommy knows how to do the shots. And it's, you know, I have the pens. Like, I had demo pens at my house from my job, you know, to hand out to people to know. So I'm like, in that moment, I felt like this is no big deal. And what I was never trained on and never understood was the fact of, like, the variables and all of the things that impact the blood sugar. That's not just food.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I was trained that insulin works because it does work. Insulin can work if you use it properly. Right. It will get your A1C down. So I was confident that things were going to be okay.

[A]

And you were just throwing at any platitude you could think at your son just to pump him up and keep him thinking. Do you think you were doing that for him, or do you think you were doing it for you?

[B]

In the moment, I'm totally doing it for him. And in that moment, I also. I'm believing everything that I'm saying. I'm like, okay, this is no big deal. You know, this isn't something that could be, you know, 10 times worse. And trust me, I know. I think diabetes is the worst thing that could ever happen. But there's also awful, awful things that can happen to anyone that don't have, you know, treatment options and things like that.

[A]

Yeah. Your perspective has changed over time.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

So they. They wheel us upstairs, and I'm telling them, I need X, Y and Z. I need a cgm. I need all of these things. I want to make sure you put me on this particular insulin, you know? And I remember we were there at 11 o', clock, and he didn't get his first shot until 5:00'. Clock. And I just was so frustrated by that. Like, what is taking so long? Like, what are we waiting for? Like, what is going on? Like, or upstairs? And no one has any urgency to do anything. The hospitalist comes into the room, walks in and tells me, you know, I can't give you insulin yet. Because he. I don't know if he's a type 1 or a type 2. I look at the guy and say, it's 100% a type 1. I can't even believe that you would suggest that this is type 2 diabetes. In what world is this type 2 diabetes?

[A]

Yeah, it's an odd breach for sure, right? Yeah.

[B]

I mean, and then in that moment, now I'm angry, and everything changes because I'm like, we gotta get the hell out of here. Because they don't know what they're doing. No one knows what they're doing. I mean, this is classic, textbook type 1 diabetes, and no one knows what they're doing.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. So that, I mean, that's part of it. And then they didn't want to give me a cgm. Oh. And they're like, you know, insurance doesn't really cover that. I'm like, my insurance will, and if they don't, I'll pay cash for it. Well, we really don't want to give that to your son. You know, it's not the way to learn how to manage this, and it's not compatible with the hospital system.

[A]

The way to learn about diabetes isn't to be able to see your blood.

[B]

Sugar exactly at all moments. So it's. You have to learn how to do it without all the technology.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Right. And so it was a bad. And boom. And then they're trying to reference us to this random endo in a town two hours away. And I said, no, I need to go here, but we were not going to do a referral for you there. Okay. Like, why not? You know, it's just. It was a very combative relationship right after that interaction.

[A]

Yeah. And, Lauren, in fairness, I've known you 20 minutes. You have a strong personality, too. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yes. Oh, very, very much so. And I was comfortable with my job, interacting with doctors. Like, my job has been to challenge doctors in what they're doing and be comfortable to make them uncomfortable and ask them why they're doing what they're doing and help me understand why you make decisions that way. And it's very obvious to know when they care and when they don't care, and they're just kind of doing the rounds.

[A]

Yeah. It's an interesting mix. Like, you have more information than most people. Not all that you need, obviously, because you think, oh, it's going to be easy, and you don't really know the whole thing. And you're used to challenging positions. So you're not in a position of like, oh, thanks, you're so great. That's not coming from them, which they might not appreciate, or, you know, whatnot. And then they've got their rules, the way they do things, and before you know it, you're right where you landed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, it's funny when you said it's not, you know, I didn't think it'd be that Hard. It makes me think of. I'm sorry. If you've never seen the movie Moneyball with, maybe you haven't. There's this great scene where Brad Pitt is, like, the general manager of the Oakland A's, and he's going to try to get this player who's kind of broken down to play for him. He wants him to switch positions. And he's there with one of his coaches as well. And he. And the guy says, well, I've never played first base. And he goes, oh, don't worry, it's easy. And he turns to the coach that's with him and he says, tell him, Wash. And the guy goes, it's incredibly difficult. And. And he goes that. He just pivots so funny that the next sign, he goes, well, anything worth doing is. And that's sort of like, I don't know, like, for anybody who's seen the movie, they're laughing right now. Everyone else is like, you could have done a better job explaining that. I like the idea of what you learn from that moment to where you are now, because I think it's going to make your story really interesting moving forward, like, because you had a preconceived notion and then you went home and found out the truth. So exactly when does that information start hitting you? You're home now. Like, what did you shake out of them? Did you get a cgm?

[B]

So, yeah, they did. They prescribed. After we were discharged, technically, the. The nurse or the diabetic educator at the hospital came in and helped us put it on him.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I will say, too, that when we were in there, they were, like, comfortable with his blood sugar being in the high two hundreds and me getting in an argument with them. So they wanted me out of there quick because, you know, they would only come in and do the random blood sugar tests when they had it on their timer, which was, I don't know, two to, like three times a day. And then, like, before I was eating, he. They did one of his random checks, and it was like 280. And I'm like, oh, he needs insulin for that. Like, let's correct it. And because it has been two hours and. Or three hours, and they're like, no, no, no, this is a good number. And I said, you guys, this is not a good number. In what world is this a good blood sugar to you? This is bad medicine. This is terrible medicine. And I would let you. Just so you know, the second I leave this hospital, my kid's blood sugar is anything above 250 at this time of day, I'm giving him insulin. I don't care how many shots he needs for it. You're not doing your job right.

[A]

Was that their argument, that it was another injection, you're saving him from an injection, or was their argument and they.

[B]

Were comfor comfortable with the number?

[A]

The number's okay with them.

[B]

And I said, why do you worry? You worried he's coming down too quickly? Like, what. What is the concern? And they couldn't even answer that. You know, like, I understand that if they're dropping his blood sugar too fast, he's going to feel terrible, potentially dangerous, yada, yada, yada. But all I could think about was getting him into the normal range, which I knew was at that time, the 70 to 180. And never was it in that range when we checked him at the hospital.

[A]

Yeah, no, they're not. They're definitely not shooting for that. They don't. Right?

[B]

No.

[A]

Yeah. They don't have the bandwidth for that, even if they had the knowledge.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Truthfully.

[B]

And so I'm calling, since they won't refer me to the endo that I'd like to, because they don't have a relationship with that group. I'm calling this children's hospital down in Indianapolis every single day, multiple times to say, my kid was newly diagnosed, we have no education up here. We need help. And we got out of that. We went into the hospital Sunday, got out on Tuesday, and got into Riley's Children's Hospital down on Thursday morning. Very thankful for a physician who told us that was willing to see us before he saw a patient, squeezed us in, got us in early. And so I think the big thing to that was is that when I said we had no education, which the hospital thinks they gave us education, but I knew that they didn't. They got us in and they prioritized that for us. So it's kind of like saying the right things at the right time. And I want other parents to know or people to know, like, you have to advocate for yourself. And if something doesn't feel right, do whatever you need to do to get a better result or someone who's more receptive to you.

[A]

I'm afraid that for most people, though, they're not going to have enough context to know that something doesn't feel right, you know?

[B]

I know. And that's what's so off. And you're in this, like, fight or fight situation too, where you're just trying to get through and make sense of what's actually Happening. I will say when I had my husband reach out to people and I reached out to two people that I was just kind of like, vaguely knew, like, that I knew had children with type 1 diabetes. One girl had shared with me, what you need to do immediately is order a sugar pixel, demand a CGM like I was, and then on top of it, listen to the Juice Box podcast. So that was the blessing. So in that moment, while you're awake at night, sitting in the little rocking chair next to the bed, my first episode was being bold with insulin.

[A]

Oh, no kidding.

[B]

And, yeah, and I'm like, this is so great. I need my husband to listen to this, because if I say this, it's not going to be well received, but the second he does listens to this, it will resonate and it will be someone else telling them and not me being overly aggressive. And it was the best thing I listened to in that moment because, again, I was pro insulin. I knew it worked. I knew how it worked, and I knew that if it wasn't working, you weren't injecting it properly or you were not dosing it properly. It was just really good to have someone. And, you know, they. They train you, even at my job, and they. At the hospital, they want you to be afraid, like deadly afraid of the low blood sugars, which definitely are scary. But I can't remember how many just normal primary care doctors I said, would tell me, we're not worried about low blood sugar, we're worried about the hyperglycemia. And I'm seeing the consequences in these endocrinology offices of people with high blood sugar and uncontrolled diabetes. I'm never hearing stories which I know exist of people having problems with the hypos. You can bring them up usually, and I don't want to minimize that. People have severe hypoglycemic episodes that can be very scary, very undetrimental by any means.

[A]

Lauren, you know what, though? Like, it's such a human thing, right, to just pick one of the other black or white. Like, why couldn't the middle be okay? Why is it like, either. Or, like, you're either going to be high or you're going to be low. I'm like, why is that the case? What if we were stable and in a good spot? Let's go for that. Yeah.

[B]

Yes, exactly. And, you know, they just. They'd want to keep you alive in the moment, and they're not worried about what it's going to look like for you in 25 years. Or for your child.

[A]

Nobody's thinking that far ahead. Apparently, I tell the same story all the time. Like, you know, when Arden's, you know, first diagnosed and her blood sugar's really high, and I finally kind of. I have enough wherewithal to say, like, is this okay? You know, and they're like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because she's only two. And for a while, I was just telling someone this last night. Like, for a while I thought, oh, there must be some medical or physiological reason why high blood sugars don't impact two year olds. And then I then realized, like, one day, that's ridiculous. And I pushed farther and got the answer back. Well, no, it's, you know, it takes 30 years, she told me, for diabetes complications to start. And I was like, but she's two.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Oh, see, I'm like, so you're telling me that we're shooting for diabetes complications when she's 32. Like, does that make sense to you? Exactly. That's when I was like, I was out. I was like, okay, that these people don't know what they're talking about. I was at a good endocrinologist office too. Right.

[B]

Well, and that's, that's where my frustration comes in too, is. And I love the confidence that you have. I love that you figured it out, you know, because I. I feel like I had an unfair advantage to a certain extent with going into part of this. Right. With just some of that background knowledge and. But again, I was trained to train people to be afraid of high blood sugars. Like, that was my job to discuss the consequences of high blood sugars.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So that's like, I'm deadly afraid of the highs.

[A]

Yeah. That's your step one then, because that's where. That's where all your education stems from.

[B]

Yep, yep. And I understood what you can do and I. And then at that same moment, because obviously I'm getting frustrated, I'm like, okay, I need to think, like, all these other medicines have these additional benefits, like, that would totally be off label use. But, like, I want him on these. Like, when would it be appropriate to go on, you know, an SGLT2? When will it be appropriate to go on? I would love for him to be able to be on, you know, a GLP1, GIP receptor agonist, if possible. But I know that's crazy in the moment, but I'm like, it's.

[A]

There's rolling through your head, though, at the time. Yeah, you're kind of going through the entire thing. Hey, did it work? When you said, I'll show the podcast to my husband and he won't just think, this is me being a lot like, did that work for you?

[B]

So the best thing that happened, we go down to Riley's in Indianapolis and our doctor. So I hadn't told him about the hospital yet because I'm just trying to get him to, like, hang in there in this moment. He's also the man who, like, almost passed out when I got my epidural when we're having our children. So, like, I was so worried about him, like, being able to give a shot, like, that whole getting over that mental barrier. And he's done an excellent job. So I didn't want to overwhelm him in the moment. But we go down to Riley's and we have this, like, 7am appointment with our new endo. And my husband goes in and says, I was trying to tell him some of the certain parts. They're like, we want an A1C below seven. That's the goal. And my husband's like, no, we're gonna have one below six. And I said, okay, great. Like, I don't even know where he's getting this, but that's great. And he's like, you know what you should listen to? The Juice Box podcast is what our endocrinologist said to us in that moment. And then he started doing it from. Again, from the endo, saying it. I don't know that if it was someone else saying it, he would have done it. It was the endo that said it.

[A]

You had an acquaintance and a doctor tell you to listen to the podcast in short order.

[B]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

Oh, that's wonderful. And it was the best.

[B]

And I honestly took more of it from my acquaintance friend that I had met. And then he impacted him more. Coming from the doctor.

[A]

Well, now knowing that the doctor told you about the podcast, it makes me feel terrible to tell you that the worst bagel I've ever had in my life was in Indianapolis.

[B]

I've listened to you say that before.

[A]

I know, and I mention it often. Not because I'm out of things to say, but because I'm trying to change the world. You poor people.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I know that you believe that's a bagel. It's. Maybe it's one of the bigger tragedies.

[B]

I would agree. I would totally agree with you.

[A]

Well, that's awesome. So I'm glad you. Yeah. And then it got your husband on board.

[B]

Yeah. And I had never listened to a podcast before that. I had never done that. And I thought, you know, okay, he's. He's starting to do this. And he took ownership and started to do that and would come home and talk to me about them. And really quickly, like, a few of them that stood out were, you know, ways that we needed to figure out and how to manage this.

[A]

Great.

[B]

And he started to listen to episodes with Jenny, and he automatically, like, took to her and her approach and appreciated it and figured out a way to hire Jenny right away as well.

[A]

You got that whole Midwestern thing going on, too, right?

[B]

So small world, all these little, small connections. So that has been really, really helpful, too. So, like, we really took all of these little pieces of information that people were throwing at us and embraced it and tried to figure out what was going to work for us and our family and how to filter out bad information and do what we knew we needed to do for him. Even just, like, getting more CGMs, right? Like, using the resources we knew. Like, I had a doctor tell me, hey, I'm going to write you a prescription for a cgm. If you're willing to pay cash for it, take it to Costco if you have a membership, and it will be pretty affordable. So you have a backup supply, because Dexcom can take a long time to send you your replacement. You want a backup supply. And so these little things have been so helpful to take some of the stress away, because I learned really fast how stressful it is to not have a CGM if you didn't have a little backup supply, because it wasn't lasting the 10 days until we figured out how to make it last 10 days. And so we emerged ourselves in that. In the podcast.

[A]

Where does that get you to a year later?

[B]

Oh, yeah. So it's been wonderful. I mean, it's been awful. At the same time, the podcast has made me feel less alone in this journey because it's a very isolating experience once you actually get home and realize what is going on and eating the same things and being a comfortable, changing things. And as much as I love our endo and I think he's great, I'll also say the educator that was down there at that first appointment after we met with him was a type 1 diabetic herself. And she was this young, cute girl. And my son's blood sugar is sitting at like 150, which I'm like, thinking is pretty good at this moment for where we've been, like, been in the car for two and a half hours or four or five days into this. He's at a 150. And, you know, it's been two hours since he ate. And she's like, why are you letting him sit at 150? You can give him a crush direction right now. And that was the best thing she ever said to me. Because even though he was in range, like, she's like, you can do better than that.

[A]

Yeah. And let's keep going.

[B]

Don't be afraid of it. You're not going to stack the insulin. I'm like, okay, great. So these little moments give you this courage to do better and set the higher bar a little bit higher. That's like I said, what the podcast has done. And I think my husband's biggest takeaway is, like, we have to steal the A1C overnight. And that's one of the best things, like, I think that we've tried to do and have done as well.

[A]

That's interesting that that helped him. Huh?

[B]

That was something that stood out. And, you know, in his mind, and like I said, it makes sense is like, if we can have a good. You know, and this started to happen. Yeah. Kind of right away, really. We wanted to have a good overnight. And that moment time, we're on Lantus and Humalog, and within, I'd say five weeks, we're on a pump. We got on Omnipod really fast. In those moments, though, he's like, it will help with some of these variables during the day, you know, the. What we're dealing with during the day at school, because we're still trying to navigate school time. But, like, nighttime, like, we were here, we can take care of that. And if we can make that strong and tight and that a flat line, like, we will win.

[A]

Isn't it interesting, Lauren, that, like, you took that thing from the podcast, that occurred to me years ago, and you've turned it into way more than I did. Like, because when I had that thought, I was just in a battle with a number with the A1C, and I couldn't get it to move. That's when it hit me. I was like, oh, she's not eating overnight. Maybe I could find some stability there and, you know, like, steal some A1C out of this number. You know what I mean? But I wasn't thinking about it as deeply as you thought about it. That's pretty cool. At the time that it translated.

[B]

That's something that I will live and die by. That that's so important. If we can always keep good control overnight, which does require sacrifice sometime, like, that means if I don't have to get to sleep because I'm constantly doing some corrections or pulling back his basal rate or doing anything. Because we are in manual mode on our Omnipod and that is a result of Jenny telling us to use Omnipod in manual mode. And as one of the other best things that we ever did is do it that way because we have much.

[A]

Better control and you have the time to put. Am I right to say that you're. You stop working? You're a stay at home now?

[B]

I did stop working. Yes. I did stop. Which that was a really big struggle for me. And I think that the first few months of dealing with his diabetes diagnosis, I don't even know that I, I took the FMLA for a while and, you know, was able to focus on, on him and learning it. And I knew that if I went back to work, which I tried, I did try to go back, like, it would be harder to care for him to the way I wanted to. And I know that's not possible for everyone to do. It was possible for me. And so I, and I worked because I loved to work, I loved my job. And so it was so hard for me to walk away from that. And I was also afraid, like, how am I walking away for a company that makes the medicine that saves my kid's life? How am I doing that?

[A]

Yeah. And you give up a big piece of who you are when you stop working as well. Exactly.

[B]

Right, yes. And I was so worried I was gonna, like, lose my connections in the diabetes world and like, would not become familiar with, like, what's coming next and what would be best and all of these things that I was gonna lose my knowledge on. And I said, there's just nothing more important than making sure he stays healthy and doesn't have these long term complications. So it's. He's more important than this job. And so I've gotta make that sacrifice.

[A]

Because you're around all the time and, you know, and you, you stop working. So you took the pump out of automation to get like lower targets. And, and you're basically acting like the algorithm now. You're making adjustments, bumping and nudging, stuff like that.

[B]

And so the way Jenny kind of described it to us was it's important to understand what the pump will do and when it's doing it before you allow it to do it. So it's kind of like a marriage where you're kind of like sitting down and understanding all the little details before you actually get married and commit to the algorithm in a sense, because you want to know how to do an extended bolus. You want to know how to do a temp basal increase or a decrease and kind of learn those things before you give over to automated mode. And I will say our trainer was not happy that we were doing it that way and had the nerve to tell us we won't ever get the control we want in manual mode. And then once you tell us that now, we're definitely going to do it and show you.

[A]

Do you think at some point you'll move into automation?

[B]

Our newest step that we're actually trying to go for is we're going to get ready to loop, which I'm having a hard time doing. And like, for some reason.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Like letting go of that control. But Jenny has now suggested that we loop and we have actually like built our loop system. And I was kind of nervous for it, but I will say because my son. So we went from a 10.3, a 1C at diagnosis to a 5.8, which was our first follow up appointment, to a 4.9 and then back up to a 4.2.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Or excuse me, not 4.2, 5.2. Excuse me. Gosh, that would have been terrible.

[A]

I was like, oh, my gosh. Really?

[B]

No. That's like nuts then. Yeah.

[A]

What makes you nervous about.

[B]

About looping the change now. So now when you've been successful doing it, the way you're doing becomes nerve wracking to give up some of that control. They walked us through building everything, and I think what kind of intimidated me at that is like, I did what you told me to do with building this app, but I don't know what I did or why I did it.

[A]

You don't know what the company did when they made. Made it. Right. It just shows up and you use it.

[B]

I don't know why I'm scared. I'm. I don't know, but because I don't.

[A]

You have dash pods, you do, right?

[B]

Yes, we have them. I haven't started them yet.

[A]

So if you tried loop, you could just like swap, right. If it panicked you, you could just take the pot off, put a new bottle and go right back again.

[B]

Yeah, I know. I was hopeful to. You know, I listened to your podcasts with Kenny the Fox and the Loop House. Yeah. And that helped. That helped. After we built it, like kind of understand things in a little different way. I mean, we need to. We're like sitting there just waiting to do it. We actually, you know, it's like you kind of want him at home for A few days. So he's obviously in first grade and like just to kind of control and get comfortable with it and so you're not like relying on the school, which has been wonderful, like, hey, fix this or do this.

[A]

And yeah, I mean, a long weekend. Didn't we just go past Columbus Day? What happened? You had your shot.

[B]

So we have fall break coming up and so I was thinking we should do it then. Yeah, we'll have a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

[A]

Well, listen, if you're going to do it, do it then because then your next opportunity is going to be Christmas. And then you're going to think, well, I don't want to do it during Christmas. And then you're never going to get it done then. So, yeah, fall breaks it.

[B]

Okay. I need it. I need people to tell me what to do. And Jenny's so sweet. Like, she does it in her own way. And I sometimes wish she had a little bit more like, Lauren, just do this. It's okay.

[A]

A little more of me.

[B]

Yes, yes, I need you. And my husband needs Jenny. So it's kind of funny. Like, I need you to just like slap me in the face and say, this is how you do it.

[A]

Hey, question. You have two boys, right? The younger one, Is he more like you than your husband? Is the older one more like your husband than you? Like?

[B]

No, my older one's more like me for sure.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. And my younger one is, no, you know, I, I don't know that I would ever be as brave as he is. And like, he's just been so wonderful through this experience. It almost like makes me so frustrated and feel bad for him.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah, like, because I just think I would never have been this way or I would feel sorry for myself or. And he just doesn't, you know, and he's asked questions, why do I have this? And that's, that's, you know, the worst. Like, how do you answer this in a way that makes sense to a then 6 year old? Or how many more years am I going to have diabetes? And those things are hard. And he's like, okay, you tell him though. And he just, he processes it and doesn't cry, doesn't have a moment, you know, and he has mad, like, oh, I don't want to change my pump today. I hate pump changes. Like, he'll say that. Which I'm like, you know, you just go with it. And. But you do get those hard questions. And I don't know that I would have been as like, mentally strong as.

[A]

He has Been, Yeah, Arden's was up last night. She's got midterms right now, and she was up till. She's been up all week studying, like late at night and then getting up, going to class and, you know, blah, blah. I got a text from her last night at 1:55am Are you awake? And I said, why? Because, by the way, I was not awake. And she goes, my pod just stopped working and I just put my laptop down to go to sleep. I could punch the wall.

[B]

She said, right, God bless her.

[A]

I said, hold on one second. So I ran downstairs, got a pod, filled it up, brought it upstairs, handed it to her. She was swapped the pod and was back to sleep, you know, in literally like three minutes. But I said to her as she was putting it down, like as she put it on, I said, I look for suggested insulin and put any in right now, especially with the new P. And your blood sugar started to trend up over the last couple of hours. I don't know if she was snacking while she was, while she was studying or if maybe the pod was like going sideways, you know, the. I'm not sure.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And she put in a little bit and I walked out and I was like, I don't feel like that was enough. I've been really tired lately. But by the way, because Apple messed up and my podcast hasn't been publishing on its own, I've had to get up in the middle of the night all week to publish the podcast manually.

[B]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[A]

It's fine. But. But I've been a little behind on sleep, I guess, is my point. I went to bed early last night and then I got woken up at 2:00'. Clock. But still when I left the room, I thought, well, let me sit up for a little bit. I want to see which way this trends. I don't want her to have to stay up. She's got to be up at 8 to go to class to take this, this French midterm, right? I stayed up for like another hour. And I'm glad I did because I, you know, after about 45 minutes, I said, you know what, this isn't enough insulin. She was like 1:50 when she changed the pod. She drifted towards 170. I went in and I made a bolus. I waited 20 minutes to see if it started moving in the right direction. It did, and then I went to sleep. So, yeah, I mean, it takes, it takes some effort sometimes and it's frustrating.

[B]

You know, the best thing that we can do though, is What I try to remind myself is like, I'm tired, but it's okay. It's so worth it. And it's a privilege to be able to take care of them. I try to convince myself, obviously, I wish they didn't have to do any of this. And I try to tell my son too. And I love that you're still helping her and doing that. Cause I'm like, if you ever get one day you're going to take care of this by yourself. And if there's ever a time that you're kind of tired of it or you don't want to do something, you can always call me. And I'll always be there to help you.

[A]

Yeah, I hope I can help.

[B]

Even if you don't want to do your pod change, I'll do it for you so you don't have to think about it. Or if you want to meet a bolus you for the day or count your carbs, I will always be there.

[A]

I don't want her to be 170 overnight while the new site is settling in because also right, you know, also little things. Her basal rates lower overnight, her correction factors a little weaker overnight. And it's a new site. You know, if the old site was going bad and that's what the drift up is about, or there's food in there and that's what the drift up is about, then the algorithm is not going to. It's not really going to think about that. It's only really going to look at the number. And then you've got the new site that's not going to work as well because it's brand new. And then What? She sits 170 all night long, then she gets up in the morning at 1:70 and the adrenaline hits her and now she's 200 and now she's in class and she's trying to take a test with the 200 blood sugar that's maybe gonna come down while she's in there. And then she has to feel the fall and the whole thing. Like it was just, I thought, easier for me to stay up for an hour and make sure that that didn't happen.

[B]

Yeah, 100%. And I agree. And those are the things that you have taught me that I'm so grateful for. And yeah, I can't like even crush and catch, like, yeah, crush it and catch it. And, you know, like, if there's a time where I've ever felt like, okay, this pump site. Is there something wrong with this pump site? I kind of put A uncomfortable. Maybe that's a bad thing. But I'm comfortable putting in, like, what I feel like is a kind of an aggressive amount of insulin to see if it works and be prepared to catch it.

[A]

Yeah, it feels like you're figuring it out, to be perfectly honest. It's saying. And. Yeah. And you're still very new at it. And you're doing obviously. Excuse me. You're obviously doing really well.

[B]

Well, thank you. Well, it's all courtesy of you and knowing that this matters and, you know, and it's trying one thing at a time. Like, you can't try it all at once. I don't. I don't believe. I think you have to get really comfortable, really fat, like, with certain things and get really good at one thing. And then, okay, let's tackle the next thing that we can improve. And we were always pretty good about pre bolusing because I did understand the importance of that with my background, with my job. So, like, seems like it can be scary too, because what if he doesn't want to eat what you olus him for? But I've been so lucky that he'll eat everything. And, you know, I found, like, oh, if he doesn't want to eat, you know, something like, you add a little bit of something else that calculates around the same amount of carbs. He'll. He'll never say no to some ice cream. He'll never say no to something to give him a little bit more carbs. That's a treat, if you will.

[A]

I'll say this. You're focused on what you're doing. You're paying attention. Things are making sense to you, really. You're at the point now where you need to not overwhelm yourself and burn out and continue to have experiences that you learn from and build on your portfolio of knowledge. That's it.

[B]

Correct. And there's definitely ways we can improve for sure. And we're not all the way there. So it's a. It's a constant process and a battle that you always have to fight. And.

[A]

Well, yeah, I hope you stop seeing it as a battle at some point. And I mean, yeah, in the first year, I get it. It is a battle. At some point, it should feel more of like a marriage of, you know, you know, that's not. Not always easy or something like that. Like, you know, like, yeah, you know, something you're happier to be involved with that, you know, can be difficult at times, out of the blue sometimes, you know, you're not stunned by when it. When it goes sideways and you're not sitting there thinking like, oh, I can't believe I have to do this. It's almost like a thing you're happy to be involved in. Happy's the wrong word, but like, you know what I mean? Like you're okay being involved to take.

[B]

Care of them and help.

[A]

And it's like a bigger thing, you know, it's bigger than the moment usually. I think that should happen for you. I think you're doing it.

[B]

I feel like I'm in a, like, it's like an extreme sport to some extent, you know, and you have to, you know, have a different level of endurance and you have to train your body just like an athlete has to train their body to be prepared for this new level. What you are required to think about and do on a day to day basis that you've never had to do before. And that's what I'm like. I have to train my body to get comfortable and a stronger endurance for a lot of this.

[A]

Just don't forget to sleep.

[B]

No, that's why. And I think that's why Jenny wants us to loop, because she wants us to sleep too. And I. Funny. I think it's funny. Well, not funny, but interesting. Like when we go back down to our Endo's appointment, he's always like, I feel like he's more worried about us than our son. He calls us that tells us we're sugar surfing where I feel like we bump and nudge, which is probably the same thing.

[A]

During the day, if you're on top of it and you don't mind being on top of it, I didn't find it to be taxing during the day. It's at night when you have to do it. It's a little more like the sleep.

[B]

Yeah, it wears on you. It can be very, very tiring. And I think you also taught us to lower your alarms to go off sooner. Because if you can treat something sooner, you need less ins. And so it's just listening to all these things and applying them that is so important. And I'm so grateful for.

[A]

Well, I appreciate it. Even the way like the bold beginnings or the pro tips or whatever are structured, it's kind of a bigger idea. Meaning, like I want you as the listener to be captured by the idea that this is possible. And then I want to give you bare bones ideas that hopefully will lead you to thinking like, oh, wow, this is possible. I'm doing it. It sounds like you're there, right. But at the same time if the next episode of that was like, hey, now, listen, you know, 1:30 overnight's okay if you need to sleep or something. Like, I think it sends a missed, a mixed message then. But I do think that if, you know, you need to sleep one night and the blood sugar's 130, I don't think you should sit up all night trying to make it 85. Like, I, I do believe that it's also a thing that I do. But in my mind, you can't mix that into the instruction manual, the initial instruction manual. It can't be like, you know what I mean? It can'. Like, hey, this is very important. You absolutely have to do this. Unless it's Friday at 3pm and then don't worry about it. Because I think that's what gives people the permission to ignore things. You know what I mean? Like, I want you to get to the point where once you know how it really works, then you can adapt it to your life. Like, right. Like, I don't expect you to do it exactly like that. I've heard people say, like, you know, I. What's he think I'm going to follow these exact rules? And I'm like, no. I'm like, this is just the stuff I noticed. Like, do what you want with it. Like, I don't care.

[B]

I'm so grateful you just said that and I heard you say that right now because it's good to hear that, that it's okay to have one night at a 1:30 so that you can recharge and get a good night's sleep and you get back on that horse tomorrow. And obviously I totally understand what you're saying, but it's really good to hear you say that because you have been so successful. I know that if I do that one night or if I can't stay awake or it does drift up past that, it will still be okay and we can still be successful. Because it's really easy to get hung up on feeling bad if you have a bad day or something goes wrong and being able to bounce back from that, but also not get complacent. Like, I'm also can't be okay with, you know, 1:30 or overnight for forever.

[A]

Yeah, no, but exactly, yeah. 130, 150, 200. None of that. You know, I don't know what the analogy here is. I didn't know this was all going to get this big when I made that stuff. I also didn't have all the information in my head now then, that I have now. I didn't have, you know, back when the pro tips were made as an example, I hadn't been a person who ran a. A Facebook group with 75,000 people in it. I wasn't that per. I didn't get to see people's reactions and 19 different perspectives. I had my perspective and the ones that I could imagine, but not everybody else is. Now I'm a little closer to having maybe a complete portfolio of perspectives, but I'm still paying attention to other people because there are times people say something that I thought, oh, I wouldn't have thought of that. And then I look around and I think, they're not the only one that thinks that way. I'll have to adapt myself to understand that this is also a concern or a way of thinking. And even if I had all that information on day one, there's no way I could have gotten it all into that. I put that series together in a way that it should leave you. Honestly, it should leave you right where you are. If you're focused and you understand it and you put in some effort, you should have an A1C in the low sixes, high fives, depending on how you eat. To me, that's what happens when you understand that pro tip series, you know, you understand what I'm saying. Am I making sense?

[B]

Yes. And I. Like I said, it's people like me who are new into this need to hear this because the doctors just want you under seven, and that's not good enough. And I kind of resent that. That's the goal. And I understand that it's hard, and I understand. But, like, they can do better for everyone, especially the children. I feel like we can do better. And with the technology and all that stuff, we can do better. And you are the reason that we do better. Not because of what our endo team.

[A]

Yeah, no, I appreciate that.

[B]

Has taught us or helped us with.

[A]

I'll defend them and try to alleviate your anger a little bit too. Like, they don't know you. They don't know everybody. They've got a system. You know, here's the stuff I do. This is what it's done for me. I've seen enough people mimic it that. And it work out for them the same way that I'm pretty comfortable saying, like, you should give it a listen and see if it makes sense to you. They can't do that. Right? They can't give you.

[B]

Like, I wish that they wanted people to have better than a 7, a 1C. Like, I wish that the standards on what they were focusing on were. Was tighter control. And I know we're, like, shifting to time and range, but, like, I don't necessarily love that either, unless we're going to tighten that range because you can hang out at 170 all day is. That's awful.

[A]

I think the time and range, the way it's set up right now, what is it, 70 to 180? Is that how they talk about it?

[B]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

That's based on, I'm guessing, what the establishment believes is possible and what they've seen from people and what leaves you under a 71C, et cetera. They're shooting for commonly accepted ideas and. And they're trying to make space for, I would imagine, the fact that everybody's not the same. Everybody doesn't understand it the same. They don't have the same amount of effort. They don't have the same access to.

[B]

Right. And I know that, and I understand that component of it, or, like, knowledge or willingness to.

[A]

I mean, yes, everyone medications, you know, like, all that stuff.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Hey, with your last couple minutes here, you're obviously, you're involved in pharma. You said, like, you know, the people who make the insulin. So, like, I'm guessing somewhere between where you live and how you're talking, you worked for Lily or Novo. You don't have to say. That's sort of my expectation there. And then you talked about, like, GLPs.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Tell me what you saw. Tell me what you saw while you were at work that made you think about them.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. They are miracle drugs. I was so excited, too. So I was actually at Sanofi. I did start my diabetes career at Sanofi, so I was Atlantis and a Pedrager. And then I did. Oh, I. I started at Lilly, but not in diabetes. Went to Santa Fe's to get involved into the diabetes marketplace because that's where I thought it was best for my job. And then came back to Lilly because I knew what they were going to be launching, and I wanted. I realized, like, hey, the GLP1s are great, wonderful medications. Like, I want to be a part of this and learn about them. And they are miracle drugs. They do wonderful, wonderful things for people. And like I said, I kind of was, like, angry. I don't even know if I could do my job anymore because I'm jealous at the sense that it's not indicated for my child and what they can do for someone. And I get frustrated to think. And I know they are. I think they are starting to do studies around in type 1 diabetics for these medications. But they can really change the outlook and the forecast of someone who has diabetes. And it's, they're, like I said, they're really, really life changing and the future is bright for the type 2 diabetes marketplace with what's going to be capable for people. And it's with, I think it's also like you don't have to do it the hard way. Like using insulin is, is difficult. Right. And you do have these risks of hypoglycemia if you're using it, if you're, you know, dosing properly, if you will. And I think people are really under utilizing insulin and don't dose it, have proper ratios to prevent the hypoglycemic episodes. But that's here or there. But what the GLP1s can do for you, I mean, and what I've seen people transform. They're wonderful and I know you've had wonderful experiences with them too. And what they can do with insulin sensitivity is amazing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I've loved listening to the episodes where you talk about them. Good.

[A]

Oh, I'm glad. I appreciate you sharing your perspective on it. Yeah, that. Gosh, I feel like I've said this already, but my wife came home from work 10 years ago and longer now, honestly, and she works in the safety side of things and she said, hey, there's a drug. One day people are just going to take it and lose weight. And I was like, really? She goes, yeah. She's like, it's like an injectable. And she's like, you're just going to lose weight. And that's all she really knew about it. And I said, why are you telling me about this? She said, I just saw a lot of the data come back from studies and everything and, and she's like, It's a type 2 medication, but it's going to be a weight loss drug. I think.

[B]

Yup, she was right.

[A]

Yeah, she just said that and then never said it again. You know, like it was just the thing she said one time. And then all, you know, lo and behold, a few years ago people started. It was out there before people knew and then it kind of caught trend and a couple famous people lost some weight. I think that put like a focus on people and.

[B]

And then there's a shortage and it's stressful and oh my gosh, all that.

[A]

Stuff you expect to happen happens. Like they're not going to make a ton of before they know if they're going to Sell it and like that kind of stuff. And then that all happens like that. And there's every one of the arguments that you can kind of like foresee easily that are going to come. But then one day I went to the doctor and just said, like, I'm not okay. Like, I need help. And the doctor was like, well, I'll put you on a GLP medication. And I was like, okay. And then, you know, I said to my wife, this is what's happening. Maybe you should do it too. And now today, I think together, Kelly and I have lost £200.

[B]

Isn't that amazing?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, I don't know. I know you say you did, but like, did you realize that that was even something you could have done? Like, did you think that between the two of you, you could even lose that much weight?

[A]

No, no, no, no, no. That's not. That was not an expectation.

[B]

Life changing medicine that, I mean, and I know they're studying it in more places, but it's the benefits it can have and that it does have. And the stories I've heard from people who have been on these, it's really unbelievable. And I hope the doctors hear them. And I encourage people to tell the doctors their experience, not just about their weight, but other things that are happening that have improved their life. Because I believe it extends beyond just the weight loss. Because obviously people feel better when they're to a whole different level with that. I think mentally, socially, all of those things they need to know. And I also think that if you are diabetic or you've had even pre diabetic numbers, like it can help lower. I mean, the people who go from being like high A1Cs, type 2 diabetic to normal blood sugars with this, with just having this medication on board is also really, really phenomenal and not discussed enough. And I think that doctors can have better standards for their patients by using these medicines. And even, you know, we don't. We're not just shooting for the seven, let's shoot for a below a six. Because it's possible.

[A]

Because why not? There's studies going on in all kinds of different disease states and how GLP ones might help them.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You know, a lot of that comes from community people too, which is nice. It's a group of people saying like, hey, you know, I went on this for weight and look what else happened. And then, you know, and then they're online and somebody goes, yo, that happened to me too. I thought that. I've watched this conversations happen, like, oh, I thought I was imagining that, and then next thing you know, there's a thousand people in there saying it, and you're like, oh, that maybe is part of. And then now they go study it and try to figure it out. It's going to be awesome. Like, you know, I'm happy to tell people all the time, like, I'm not anemic anymore since I went on a jop medication.

[B]

Yep. Do you think it will. What dose are you on now of the Manjaro?

[A]

I use. Well, yeah, Zepbound. But manjaro, I use 12. I use 12.5, but I'm not really trying to lose weight anymore, so wondering if I. I don't know if I should go back a little bit or if I should mess around and try to see if there's a lower amount that would do the same thing.

[B]

What does your doctor want you to do?

[A]

You know, she and I actually haven't talked about it in a little while. I. I'm. I'm due. I'm due to go back in and chat with her again about it, but that. That's going to be something that I bring up next time. I am really, like, very stable right now at a certain weight. I have one more thing I'm going to work out about my health, and then I think I'm going to be in a good spot, and then I want to really sit back and assess it and then make a decision about, like, you know, if. If I should be searching for a number, an amount that could be lower. I don't know.

[B]

Do you worry that you. It might stop working?

[A]

Oh, I mean, I don't worry about it because I'm not. I'm not an anxious person, but if that happened, I would run my head right through a wall. Yeah. Yeah. So because I had to stop it for a week for a surgery, I really focused on not changing my eating at all. I really was really as careful as I could be, and I still gained. I gained six pounds that week.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. And I was like, this is insane. So.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Yeah. Also, it can. It can. Once you've lost the weight, too. Not gonna lie to you. Like, it can be a crutch sometimes. Like, there are times where you're like, oh, I could have a piece of cake right now, because medicine will take care of it, and it kind of does. It slows your digestion down, like, keeps your insulin levels better.

[B]

Like, seeing you notice that. Do you ever wear a CGM? While I know you've talked about wearing CGMs before, but it's curious if you ever wore a CGM while on his gop. Yeah. I noticed a difference from your original.

[A]

I did. It's like you're not. It's like the. It's like the CGM's not working. It's just repeating the same line over and over again, you know, See?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. And I wish doctors would also put more people on the CGMs. What. When they prescribe these to really see what it's doing. Because it's. They don't. I don't know that they do that. And that would tell a whole different story too, and give up different. Real. A big different perspective, I think, being studied on how amazing it is.

[A]

Eczema, pcos, anxiety, fatty liver. Yeah. Heart disease. I said to my brother the other day, I'm like, I'm gonna live forever on this geopolitical.

[B]

I mean, right? And. But there's more. There's going to be new things coming. So be excited about the new thing and see if you're going to switch.

[A]

And don't worry, I'm paying attention.

[B]

Right. I know you need. Everyone should be. It's. It's exciting. Like I said, I hope that with this, like, we get more comfortable and using in type ones too.

[A]

Somebody said to me recently, like, do you think you're going to have to take that forever? And I said, probably. And they're like, oh. And they got all like that. And the person who said it to me is not like the picture of health. Health. And I thought, well, I'll be bright and chipper at your funeral. Don't make fun of me. You should be looking into it for yourself.

[B]

Right. And I'm on a cholesterol medicine, not because I don't have a weight issue. It's hereditary. Heart disease runs in my family. I had slightly elevated cholesterol. I started a medication way before the average female starts one. And if I stop that medication, it's a lifelong thing for me too. It's just a pill. It's so, so easy. But if I stopped in my, my. It doesn't matter what I eat, my blood, my cholesterol levels will become elevated again. So it's lifelong for me. And no one's judging me that I'm taking that for the rest of my life.

[A]

I take the job of an actuary very, very serious. And like, those tables are incredibly accurate. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, like, there are, there's research, there's tables that actuaries use to you know, pinpoint point how and when you're going to die. And trust me, you fall into a bucket that they can pretty accurately figure out I was not going to get, for whatever reason, God bless my body, I was not going to get type 2 diabetes, right? So I'm overweight. And my endo keeps telling me, she's like, you are so, like, I'm looking at your A1C. She's like, I really don't think you'll ever get type two. She's like, it just feels like your body's not. That's not going to be its failing point. So with that in mind, I was gonna have a heart attack one day. Like, one day maybe it would've been when I was 70. I have absolutely no idea. Right? But if you think you're gonna be the one overweight person who lives till they're 100. I heard somebody say the other day, like, you see a lot of fat old people, do you? And I was like, no, I guess not. I'm not in as good of health as I could possibly be in. I'm not the picture of health, but I'm in as bad as good of health as this body's gonna handle, right? This gives me the best possibility I have of making it as far as I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can. That's the way I see that. Like it's, it's. And listen, if you wake up tomorrow and turn the podcast on and it's the editor and he goes, hey, everybody, I'm so sorry to tell you, Scott's Dead. I have 35 episodes of the show left. I'll put them up for you and then that'll be the end of it. Like you say, okay, it didn't work out, but if I look up when I'm 80 and my joints feel better and my back feels better and my heart's working better and I don't have clogged arteries and I don't have T. Type 2 diabetes and all this other stuff. Like, you think it's gonna matter to me that I had to do an injection once a week? You kidding?

[B]

Exactly. Don't. Yeah, it's. It's amazing. And we should be all lucky that it. That it's available to us now. And God bless the researchers and the scientists who develop these things, because it, it will change a lot for a lot of people.

[A]

Celebrate, smart people, like, they're out there doing that stuff, right? And by the way, if you can live till 80, doing a sit up. Up and eaten a certain way. And your body's like, jives with that, like, right on. Like, I. I'm not telling you to use a ninja. I'm telling you where I was. That wasn't happening for me.

[B]

Yep. And it's important to be proactive with that. That sort of.

[A]

Oh, yeah, stuff.

[B]

You can't be reactive. I mean, you've got to be proactive with your health.

[A]

I wish it existed sooner. I would have done it sooner if I knew about it. So I know. Yeah. Anyway, you all can do whatever you want.

[B]

It's been successful, and it hopefully still will be. And like I said, keep the advancements coming. And it's positive for all of those struggling with these things, because it's real.

[A]

Had to go to a doctor's appointment the other day at a new doctor I'd never been to before. And the girl at the front desk hand me back my driver's license. And we chatted a little more. And she's like, oh, I'm glad you added that. I forget what I said. I added some context to something. And she's like, I'm glad you said that, because I actually was sitting here thinking that maybe you had stolen this driver's license.

[B]

Oh, my goodness.

[A]

Yeah. She thought I was like, maybe committing fraud because she's like, I didn't think that that was you in the driver's license.

[B]

Well, that's.

[A]

I mean, somehow sad and lovely at the same time. You know what I mean?

[B]

Well, yes. Especially since driver's license photos are so not good anyways.

[A]

Yeah, but it's only four years old. And she's like, this isn't you, is it? And I was like, no, it was.

[B]

Was.

[A]

It's not now. I guess so. Yeah, right on. I'm in. And. And if I. I'll say the thing I haven't said in a long time. If I grow a tail from it, I'll just write Zepbound on the tail. I'll be like, that's okay.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly. And you know what? They've been studied long time. There's been other medicines out there before the Ozempic and the Manjaro, the Zeppelin, Wegovy, the. There's been other ones before that. They weren't as longer than you think. You will.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes. So these medicines, this class of medication has been studied for a long time. You know, over 20 years.

[A]

You know what I mean?

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yeah. I didn't hear you talking about it then, so.

[B]

Oh, well, yeah, I got you. So, I mean, they're there and there's the, the safety is there. So it's like, stop hating on it from the people who are like, oh, what's going to happen in 20 years?

[A]

I mean, I don't know. But I do know what was going to happen. And so I do think that sometimes we make our judgments the wrong way. And you see, like, I saw a news story this morning, like, 104-year-old lady still works six days a week, blah, blah, blah. Like, everyone thinks that's who they're going to be. That's a random thing. And you ever notice when you talk to those people too, they're like, I eat cake every day and I've been smoking since I was 12. These people weren't dying no matter what.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

They won some sort of a genetic lottery. We all didn't win that lottery.

[B]

Right. And we're not invincible. There's a handful that are.

[A]

Yeah, there's. Yeah, there's a random few people who just. Who knows for what reason they're just gonna go forever, no matter what they do to themselves. But instead people take away from it. Oh, look, that lady's 104 and she smokes cigarettes and works every day and blah, blah, blah. So I'll be fine. Yeah, no, that's not how.

[B]

That's.

[A]

I, I ain't going out.

[B]

Tell yourself what you want to believe.

[A]

Yeah, I ain't going out like that. That. What do you think?

[B]

Right. Yep. And I admire it. And like I said, I'm so grateful for you. What you've done and sharing your experiences. It makes a big, big difference. And so keep doing it, please.

[A]

I appreciate it. I am going to go have lunch now and then Arden and I are going out because I'm doing a little speaking thing next week and I need a. Since we're talking about it, I'll tell you, I need a pair of pants in a smaller size. We're going out to get some stuff.

[B]

That's the best feeling. That's what people, we joke too. Like, people, they will save money on food, but they will also need to have spend more money on some new clothes, most likely, if they commit to this medicine.

[A]

It was so drastic that we, my wife and I both made a conscious effort. We only bought enough. We started buying clothing, thinking about it in like six to eight week terms. So we'd only buy a couple of. I wear the same thing. Yeah. Because then. And then we would just. We took them off and then put them in a bag and then we donated them to a shelter.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

We just kept doing that for two years.

[B]

Yep. That's where the expense comes in. Is needing the new clothes for sure.

[A]

A lot of donated clothes in the last two years have, have left the house. So anyway, I would, I would like that money back. I'll contact Lily and see if there's a program for the, for the Zepbound that, that I get.

[B]

Give them the idea. Give them the idea. They should listen.

[A]

I get some clothing money out of it. Anyway. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Yep. Today's episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G7. And the Dexcom G7 warms up in just 30 minutes. Check it out now [e-mail] Juicebox this episode of the Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omnipod5. Omnipod5 is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve A1C and time and range for people with type 1 diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today@ omnipod.com juicebox at my link. You can get a free free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox did you know that Skingrip has donated over $100,000 in scholarships to help people with diabetes? The people at Skingrip, they know what it's like to live with type 1 diabetes. They know what it's like when your devices fall off at the absolute worst time and they're here to help help. Skingrip.com juicebox Save 20% off your first order when you use my link. That's what you get for being a Juice Box Podcast listener. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit, follow or subscribe will really help the show. If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card? If you're a loved one is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and you're seeking a clear, practical perspective, check out the Bold Beginning series on the Juice Box Podcast. It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal insight into type 1. Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate Life. With Type 1, you can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juice Box Podcast. The Bold Beginnings series and all of the collections in the Juice Box Podcast are available in your audio app. App [e-mail] in the menu. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by Wrong Way Recording wrongwayrecording. Com.