Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes
Episode #1696: "Down On My Knees"
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Cecilia
Date: December 1, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode centers on Cecilia’s experience as a parent navigating her daughter’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis—just a year prior—and the practical, emotional, and systemic challenges she faced. Host Scott Benner and Cecilia dissect the realities of diabetes management, advocating for your child, gaps in medical education, family dynamics, and the transformative impact of patient communities (notably, this podcast). The conversation candidly explores both the uncertainty and empowerment that comes with managing type 1 diabetes, especially as a parent and caregiver.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Diagnosis Story and Early Signs
- Cecilia details her daughter's behavioral and physical symptoms before diagnosis: sudden agitation, increased thirst, weight loss, increased appetite, and bathroom accidents.
- The signs were initially chalked up to stress, growth spurts, or anxiety, delaying the diabetes suspicion.
Memorable moment:
“Looking back now, I know what all of these things were...she started getting really agitated...turned into every night, oh, my stomach really hurts.” – Cecilia [05:32]
- Decision to consult Google, social media, and specifically TikTok and Facebook for information on excessive thirst.
- Family history played a role in her suspicion (husband’s side has type 1; Cecilia herself has Hashimoto's and celiac).
2. Diagnosis at the Doctor’s Office and Emergency Room
- Pediatrician seemed dismissive at first but ran a fingerstick test.
- Meter read “high,” prompting an immediate trip to the ER; daughter's blood sugar was 636 mg/dL, A1C over 10%.
Quote:
“She pokes her finger...and the meter just reads ‘high.’ And I look at my husband like, oh, shit.” – Cecilia [08:48]
- Hospitalization was brief; uncertainty over whether her daughter was officially in DKA; lack of immediate insulin administration.
3. Emotional Fallout & Family Response
- Cecilia’s anxiety and OCD added a layer of complexity; husband (active Army, often deployed) was initially in denial and preferred a “let her be normal” stance.
- Each parent’s coping strategies clashed initially; Cecilia wanted to control and overlearn, while her husband minimized the changes.
Dialogue:
“He thought I was doing too much and I thought he wasn’t doing enough.” – Cecilia [17:28]
4. Medical Education Gaps and Self-Advocacy
- The information received from endocrinology was limited, with a focus only on carb counting—no mention of protein, fat, or temporal basal variations.
- Most practical and nuanced knowledge came from online sources, particularly the Juicebox Podcast and supportive Facebook/TikTok communities.
Quote:
“Our education from the office...wasn’t enough...they just told us about carb counting. Nothing about proteins, nothing about fats...Nothing.” – Cecilia [18:08]
- Cecilia calls out the need for providers to at least try to deliver more robust information, even if families can’t process it all at diagnosis.
- Realization that sometimes the failure to educate stems not from strategic dumbing down, but from actual knowledge gaps among providers.
5. Advocating for Technology and Tools
- Faced resistance to early adoption of Dexcom; had to insist on getting a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) for her daughter, despite being told she’d need to wait a year.
- Leveraged research and assertiveness ("I wasn’t going to let them tell me no") to get needed supplies and technology.
Quote:
“I called them...can you give me a reason why you won’t give me a Dexcom...There’s no good reason. You can’t just give her a Dexcom. So can we come get one, please? We did.” – Cecilia [27:07]
6. Technology Feedback
- Loves current diabetes tech—Tandem pump, Dexcom G7—though acknowledges minor frustrations and learning curve.
- Finds the technology life-changing compared to managing via fingersticks alone.
7. School Life and Support
- Daughter returned to school five days after diagnosis. School nurse (“Emily”) was exceptional: added Dexcom Follow app, collaborated on management, and provided reliable, empathetic care.
- Encountered one problematic substitute nurse but handled the situation forcefully.
Quote:
“She added the [Dexcom] Follow app onto her personal phone, kept an eye on her...I didn’t have to fight her. We worked together on some things...and she was just great.” – Cecilia [33:54]
- Daughter educates peers—created a PowerPoint to help classmates understand diabetes, resulting in thoughtful inclusion by other students.
8. Navigating Medical Authority and Advocacy Challenges
- Cecilia describes friction with diabetes educators who were not up-to-date on pump features and acknowledges how isolating and frustrating it felt to continually challenge authority figures.
- Adjusts pump settings herself; recognizes that positive results (e.g., A1C 5.4, no excessive lows) speak for themselves.
9. Community, Knowledge, and Payitforward
- Attributes much of her daughter’s exceptional diabetes management to the podcast and online communities.
- Now takes an active role in connecting newly diagnosed parents to reliable sources (Juicebox Podcast, creators on TikTok).
Quote:
“Had I not listened to anything, there is not a doubt in my mind that [my daughter] would be doing as well as she is now.” – Cecilia [23:15]
10. Deeper Reflections: Advocacy, Chaos, and Personality
- Discussion turns introspective as Scott asks about Cecilia’s comfort with chaos and her background (“always waiting for the other shoe to drop”).
- Cecilia’s experience as a parent is informed by a mix of vigilance and humor, rooted in her high ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) score, anxiety, and desire to compensate as a loving, “too-involved” parent.
11. Closing Reflections – The Systemic Issue
- Both agree it’s largely a “lottery” whether you get a thorough, empathetic provider after diagnosis.
- Many people, especially those less able to self-advocate, still receive second-rate guidance and are left struggling.
Quote:
“I sort of feel like with diabetes information...there’s a volcano in town and it’s about to erupt. And if I don’t tell you all, you’re definitely going to get hit by the lava.” – Scott Benner [51:40]
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
-
On realizing something was wrong:
"All these things I wrote off to just being something else, not really thinking about diabetes. And then one day, it just hit me in my gut, and I was like, I think this is what this is." – Cecilia [07:40] -
On being forced to self-educate:
"They deserve to know, whether they can do something with it or not, that’s another story altogether." – Scott Benner [19:05] -
On pushing against medical inertia:
"It’s crazy that the people who you believe are there to help you are the ones you have to fight the hardest against." – Cecilia [31:33]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Diagnosis story & symptoms: [03:27–08:54]
- First hospital/endo experience: [12:33–14:15]
- Parent reactions & family dynamics: [14:19–17:47]
- Gaps in medical education: [18:05–20:39]
- Discovering and using the podcast: [21:41–23:15]
- Advocacy for CGM and tech: [26:22–28:04]
- School returns, ER nurse & support: [32:59–34:54]
- Peer education & inclusion: [36:18–36:56]
- Confronting professional ignorance: [43:28–45:19]
- The “volcano” metaphor for diabetes info: [51:16–51:51]
Takeaways for Listeners
- The journey after a diabetes diagnosis often involves more advocacy and self-education than anticipated.
- Medical systems may lack depth in diabetes education—persistence is vital for getting tools and info.
- Online communities and podcasts like Juicebox can radically alter understanding and outcomes.
- School nurses can be either obstacles or invaluable allies; communicate, advocate, and educate as needed.
- Parenting and personality (especially around vigilance and anxiety) deeply affect how families respond to chronic illness.
- There remains a systemic randomness (“lottery”) in the quality and accessibility of care and education—one that communities and shared resources aim to address.
Podcast Tone & Language
Authentic, conversational, at times irreverent; the episode mixes dark humor, intense honesty, and supportive advocacy. Both host and guest are frank about emotional struggles, family dynamics, and institutional shortcomings, but always with an undercurrent of hope, resourcefulness, and community.
Further Resources
- Juicebox Podcast
- Facebook group/community as discussed in the episode
- TikTok creators mentioned: Addie Taylor, Marley
- “Bold Beginnings,” “Protein and Fats,” Jeremy/Control IQ Ninja episodes for further deep dives
Support and guides:
juicboxpodcast.com → Support Menu: A1C calculator, endocrinologist recommendations, pre-bolusing guide, ASL video guides, and more.
For newly diagnosed families: You're not alone. Seek knowledge, ask questions, find your community, and don’t be afraid to push for what your child needs.