#1710 Out of Shell - Part 1

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1710: Out of Shell – Part 1
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Janelle
Date: December 16, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode launches a two-part conversation with Janelle, a young mom of two—one of whom, Paxton, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age three. Janelle and host Scott Benner dig into her family’s backstory, her experiences navigating her son’s diagnosis, family dynamics, the emotional journey of parenting a child with diabetes, and how it has impacted her sense of self. The discussion is peppered with Scott’s trademark humor and banter, providing relatability and a candid glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of a diabetes caregiver. The episode balances personal narrative with practical insights and encouragement for parents living with diabetes in the family.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Getting to Know Janelle

• Janelle’s Background (03:33–06:53)

  • Age 28, married young to her high school sweetheart
  • Mother of two: a six-year-old son (Paxton, with type 1 diabetes) and a four-year-old daughter (Ember, a redhead)
  • Originally from Rochester, NY, now living in North Carolina due to husband’s military posting
  • Only child; supportive, close-knit family—parents relocated to be near grandkids

  "You're breaking all the paradigms. I love this." — Scott, impressed with Janelle’s unique backstory (05:07)

• Marriage & Family Dynamics (04:20–06:53)

  • Married at 19, husband in the Marine Corps, navigated early marriage while apart for deployment
  • Discusses support from family, the absence of drama or “broken home” stereotypes

• Personality and Upbringing

  • Janelle credits her grounded approach and maturity to both solid parenting and having to "grow up quick" in marriage and motherhood.

  "They were interested in you. / Yeah. / You felt loved. / Yeah." (20:35–20:39)
  Summary of Janelle’s core family experience—a sense of stability and support.

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The Diagnosis Experience

• Initial Signs & Diagnosis Story (14:18–17:16)

  • Noticed excessive thirst and urination during a family visit to NY, especially when grandparental sugar was on offer
  • “Dr. Google” research planted suspicion of diabetes
  • Pediatrician found elevated blood sugar after animal crackers (170), then down to 130; confusion about “slowest onset” seen
  • Sent directly to children’s hospital; blood sugar spiked after eating a popsicle; diagnosis confirmed after a few hours

  "I saw that it could possibly be a sign of type 1 diabetes... But on our way, on our drive back...I had this nagging feeling in the back of my head that it wasn’t bladder issues." — Janelle (14:21–14:41)

  "People say Dr. Google like a pejorative, but it was perfectly figured out what was wrong with them." — Scott (17:20–17:26)

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Navigating Early Diabetes Management

• Initial Adjustment & Emotional Response (24:27–26:39)

  • Janelle took on most of the early management: shots, pump changes, overnight care, etc.
  • First year was overwhelming, culminating in burnout
  • Husband took a more active role after the first year

  "I threw my whole being into figuring everything out...Then I hit my breaking point...That’s when my husband got into high gear and wanted to help..." — Janelle (24:27–25:29)

  • Discussion on why her husband was less involved initially—partly coping with his own emotions, partly because Janelle took charge
  • Reflection on how both personalities (her being type A, his laid-back) influenced roles in care

• Pump Choices & Algorithm Insights (27:41–31:47)

  • Started on Omnipod (user-friendly, but less aggressive algorithm)
  • Switched to Tandem Mobi for better glycemic control, especially after Paxton’s honeymoon phase ended

  "I just wanted more control...I had heard great things about the Control IQ algorithm...I was like, well, screw it, we’re just going to switch because it can’t get any worse, right? And it’s been amazing." — Janelle (29:02–29:46)

  • Balancing device convenience (tubeless vs. algorithm aggressiveness)
  • Acknowledgement that “what works for one doesn’t work for all”

• Honeymoon Phase Realities (30:54–31:47)

  • Difficulty distinguishing between device performance issues and lingering honeymoon insulin production
  • Validates that willingness to try new tech can be key:

    "It just didn’t work for Paxton, and I’m okay with that." — Janelle (31:47)

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Family Support & Living Arrangements

• Proximity to Family (21:11–23:23)

  • Janelle’s parents moved nearby after grandkids were born; mother is a working RN, active caregiver
  • Emphasizes the value of family learning diabetes together and reliable backup support

• Practical Support and Homeschooling (32:00–32:44)

  • Chose to homeschool due to concerns about school nurse availability and children’s self-advocacy readiness
  • Homeschooling also aligned with pre-existing values, but diagnosis solidified decision

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Janelle’s Emotional Growth and Self-Discovery

• Losing and Re-finding Herself (35:15–36:29)

  • Struggles with the “all-consuming” nature of diabetes caregiving; desire to reclaim her own interests and identity
  • Coming on the podcast is positioned as a deliberate step out of her “comfort zone” for self-growth

  "Something happens in your brain where the only reason you’re really living is to keep your kid alive...When they’re on insulin, they’re on life support to some degree...You kind of don’t think there’s really time for anything else." — Janelle (35:38–36:18)

• Type A, Anxiety, and Mom Guilt (36:22–39:19)

  • Janelle identifies as both type A and chronically anxious, tendencies exacerbated by her son’s diagnosis
  • Mom guilt was present before diabetes, intensified after
  • Recognizes patterns of “imposter syndrome” as a young mother

  "...If you’re that young and feeling like, ‘Oh, I’m probably failing at this,’ but you’re not...then you’re worried about something that doesn’t exist...that’s anxiety. So have you been anxious your whole life?" — Scott (39:00–39:19)

• Therapy Session Energy (throughout)

  • Scott employs his typical probing style to help Janelle articulate personal challenges, using vulnerability blended with humor
  • Janelle demonstrates self-awareness about her tendency to internalize pressure and understanding that working through discomfort is part of her journey forward

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Lighthearted Banter and Memorable Moments

• Chameleon & Silkworm Story (08:52–13:14)

  • Interlude about Scott’s chameleon and a “circus-like” silkworm in the cage:

    "It’s this giant chameleon with this tiny little silkworm like, standing on it." — Scott (12:39)

• Naming Daughter Ember Before Discovering She’s a Redhead (34:05–34:24)

  • A serendipitous and humorous family anecdote:

    "We chose her name halfway through the pregnancy—and her name is Ember...and I don’t think this could have happened any other way." — Janelle (34:07–34:17)

• Spirited Discussion on Cremation vs. Burial (43:49–45:46)

  • The pair ponder what to do with their remains, including tree planting, Viking funerals, and the cost of posthumous services

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Notable Quotes & Noteworthy Exchanges

• On Anxiety and Mom Guilt

  "Were you like that before the diabetes?—To some extent. I don’t think it was this bad, though." — Janelle (36:56–37:00)

• On Breaking Parental Stereotypes

  "Everything you’re saying is wrong. Oh, this is super interesting...you’re breaking all the little, like, preconceived notions I have about everything." — Scott (06:07)

• On Coping and Personal Growth

  "I think you have to accept that this is kind of the way you are before you can start to want to work on it and change it." — Janelle (40:36)

• Meta-podcast Moment

  "Are you a little surprised that I figured it out just through this conversation?—Not really. / You listen to the podcast then? / Yeah." — Scott and Janelle (41:00–41:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Janelle’s Family & Backstory: 03:33–06:53
• Paxton’s Diagnosis Story: 14:18–17:16
• Marital & Emotional Adjustments Post-Diagnosis: 24:27–26:39
• Pump Tech Choices and Info: 27:41–31:47
• Homeschool Discussion: 32:00–32:44
• Losing/Rediscovering Herself & Mental Health: 35:38–39:19
• Funeral/Cremation Banter: 43:49–45:46

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Tone & Language

The episode is candid, conversational, and often self-deprecating with a healthy dose of humor. Janelle is authentic and relatable, sharing vulnerability about her struggles and journey with both poise and honesty. Scott provides encouragement, empathy, and his signature wit.

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Conclusion

This first part of Janelle’s story provides a compelling, in-depth look at the early years of parenting a child with type 1 diabetes. It explores identity, relationships, and personal growth in the context of chronic illness. Janelle’s journey from overwhelmed new caregiver to self-aware advocate is both inspiring and practical—offering strategies of flexibility, family support, and the importance of seeking self-fulfillment alongside diligent diabetes management. The episode closes on a note of self-reflection and anticipation for further discussion in Part 2.

Transcript

[A]

As the holidays approach, I want to say welcome and thank all of my good friends for coming back to the Juice Box Podcast over and over again.

[B]

Hi, I'm Janelle. That's it. I don't got a lot about me, really. I really don't. That's the funny. That's the funny thing. This is out of my comfort zone.

[A]

Hey, do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free. Juicebox podcast.com click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A1C and blood glucose calculator. People love that. That's actually, I think the most popular page on the website some months. A list of great endocrinologists from listeners that's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group to the Circle community and we have a fantastic thing there, American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire Bold Beginning series in myself. So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way. Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on Support. While you're there, check out the guides like the Pre Bolusing Guide, Fat and Protein Insulin calculator. Oh, gosh. Thyroid GLP Caregiver Burnout. You should go to the website. Click around a little bit on those menus. It really. There's a lot more there than you think. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. Today's podcast episode is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the MiniMed 780G system and their new sensor options, which include the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed 780G system? You can do that at my link medtronicdiabetes.com Juicebox Today's episode is also sponsored by the Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter. This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you@contour next.com Juicebox hi, I'm Janelle. That was it, Janelle. That's what you're giving?

[B]

That's it. I don't got a lot about me.

[A]

Don't start off like that. People will be like, oh, I don't want to listen to this one. Jill doesn't even know how to talk about herself.

[B]

I really, I really don't. That's the funny. That's the funny thing, this is out of my comfort zone.

[A]

I'm, well, we'll get you comfortable. But I'm laughing because just as we were starting, I got a text from Rob, who's I'm sure editing the show right now, all the way across the country. And I must have said something that I couldn't think of the name of. And he's just randomly texting it to me now. So try to imagine that. A number of weeks ago, I was apparently having a conversation where I was trying to think of an anime cartoon that I was watching as a kid called Star Blazers, but I couldn't think of it. And he just texts me randomly, star Blazers. Now wait, he's typing again.

[B]

He's like, hey, wait, how meta is.

[A]

This going to be for him weeks from now when he edits this? And he's like, oh, I remember that happening. Let's see what he's texting. Can you imagine if it's something horrible?

[B]

I mean, I wouldn't doubt it, would I?

[A]

He's a good guy. But what I. You were trying to figure out this cartoon and then you did laugh out loud. Yes. Star Blazers ruled. Okay, Rob, I agree with you, man. That cartoon was awesome. Now I'm gonna close my text messages and. All right, so Janelle, that's the entire podcast. This is Janelle, everybody. Goodbye.

[B]

Nice to meet you guys.

[A]

How old are you?

[B]

I'm 28.

[A]

You have type one? You got a kid with type one or what's going on?

[B]

I have a six year old son with type one diabetes.

[A]

Oh, you're 28 and you have a six year old?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You're rocking through life the way we did it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Were you married when you had said six year old?

[B]

Yes, I was.

[A]

How old were you when you got married?

[B]

I got married the day before I turned 20.

[A]

Whoa. Yeah, I love that. You said before we started recording that you're not that interesting. We're going to find out much differently now. Watch how I do this. Everyone gets to look into my mind's eye. Do you live in the Midwest?

[B]

No.

[A]

Even more interesting. All right, Janelle, ready? Yeah. Oh, I don't know where to start. This is super exciting. Are you married still?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Interesting. And do you have any other children?

[B]

Yes, I also have a four year old daughter.

[A]

Four year old daughter. Did you marry your high school sweetheart?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You did? How old were you when you started dating this boy?

[B]

I was 17.

[A]

Was he your.

[B]

And he was 18.

[A]

Was he your first real boyfriend or.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Was he your first boyfriend?

[B]

I Guess it kind of goes either way. I would say probably yes.

[A]

Okay. What about him?

[B]

No.

[A]

Oh, what a little whore he was. Okay, now, so.

[B]

I make that joke all the time.

[A]

Are you particularly religious?

[B]

No.

[A]

No?

[B]

No.

[A]

Were you pregnant when you got married?

[B]

No.

[A]

Get the out of here. Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Interesting. Are you from a broken home?

[B]

No, my parents are still married.

[A]

Oh, you're breaking all the paradigms. I love this.

[B]

I don't know if it helps, he joined the military straight out of high school.

[A]

Military? I was getting to it. Janelle, give me a second.

[B]

Sorry to cut you off there.

[A]

I figured it out. I could. Hold on a second. Did anybody get hit as children, you or him?

[B]

No.

[A]

No. You know, you consider yourself having a pretty nice upbringing. Yeah. You just met a boy, fell in love, got married right before you were 20 years old.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Your parents. His parents were thrilled or really upset?

[B]

I think my parents were pretty okay with it, other than the fact of, like, letting your only daughter get married before they turned 20. But I think. I mean, I don't think there was any, like, ill feelings necessarily. Kind of just, like, do we really want to let them go through with this, this young or.

[A]

No kidding. Do you have a lot of siblings?

[B]

No, I'm an only child.

[A]

Get the hell out. Everything you're saying is wrong. Oh, this is super interesting. Like, you're breaking all the little, like, preconceived notions I have about everything.

[B]

Awesome.

[A]

Yeah, that's really cool. Okay. Okay, okay. Okay. Wow. I thought for sure it's like, you were, like, 10 of you, and your parents were like, ah, we figured one of them would be a disaster. No, no, it wasn't even like that. Wait, so you didn't even get married and have a baby right away? You got married and, like, lived a little bit of a life for a couple years?

[B]

A little bit. It was. We got married in December of 2016, and my husband deployed in February of 2017. He was gone for the remainder of our first year of marriage, and then once he was about to come home from deployment, I actually picked up my life from New York, which is where we were both born and raised, and I moved to North Carolina to be where he was going to be stationed at when he got back from deployment.

[A]

Like, upstate New York.

[B]

So Rochester.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, that's upstate.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. As they would have said in the old Vietnam movies. Was he in the. Or. What was he doing while he was gone?

[B]

He was on a ship. He did a bunch of it stuff while he was in the Marine Corps. So he Was kind of like not on the back line, so to speak. Like, he saw some stuff.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But it wasn't necessarily like, you know, on the front lines by any means.

[A]

Okay. He's a marine on a ship doing it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's the most 20, 25 thing anybody's ever said to me. It's crazy. How was it being young and married and alone?

[B]

I mean, it was kind of rough. I still lived with my parents at the time, obviously, because I was so young. It was just kind of hard trying to navigate that first year of marriage while being thousands and thousands of miles away from each other and barely getting to communicate at all.

[A]

Yeah. Did it. Did it feel like you kind of weren't married?

[B]

Sometimes, yeah. I can see how I could. Could have felt like that.

[A]

Did you ever look and see, like, a cute boy walking around and thinking, like, why did I pick one that left right away?

[B]

No, I actually never had those feelings.

[A]

Oh, good for him. Yeah, he'll like to hear that. Is what I'm saying is if he listens to this. Oh, my God, you're like an old fashioned broad. Do you know what I mean by that, Janelle?

[B]

Kind of.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. You have like a big, unapologetic, happy personality.

[B]

Why, thank you.

[A]

Yeah, you would have fit in the 50s really well, but people would have thought you were mentally ill at that point.

[B]

Oh, 100%.

[A]

Let's find out if you're mentally ill now.

[B]

I don't know. We'll have to ask my therapist.

[A]

Don't worry, we'll be able to figure it out in the next 22 minutes. It's really not. It's not that difficult. So he goes off, you're there, blah, blah, blah. He comes back. Then there's like the, oh, you're here. And then you made a baby thing.

[B]

Yeah, pretty much a few months after he got back from deployment.

[A]

Okay, and how long until that baby got diabetes?

[B]

He was diagnosed when he was 3.

[A]

Okay, so 20. 20, 20. Maybe 22. 20, 20, June of 22. I was just trying to do the math from when you said you got married and everything. So June of 22, your then 3 year old.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Is diagnosed with type 1. Does it come. Oh, my gosh. Hold on a second. I don't usually record this late in the day. Oh, my God. The. So this. All right, so the sprinkler system's going off in the chameleon's cage right now, which drew my attention. And it's loud. So we're pretty much going to talk over for A second. But I looked up, he's walking all over the place. He's excited because the water's coming down. But I looked up. There is a silkworm riding on his back.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

I'm gonna need to get that off of him. So I'm gonna get up in a second and get rid of that for him.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then. I really thought you were gonna eat that. He had two today. Doesn't usually eat the silkworms.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

But he knocked down a couple today and I thought, oh, let me put an extra one in there for him. Maybe he'll go after it. It turns out the thing just found him, is riding on him like. Like it's a circus in there. What a ridiculous image that you should just see him licking these water droplets off the branches.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

He's so excited. The water's coming down. So I don't want to interrupt him. While this is going to stop in about 30 seconds, I'm going to get up and snatch up the silkworm. Then I'm going to come back and find out about your kid's diagnosis. Rob is probably going to put an ad right here, just so you know.

[B]

Hey, that's perfect then.

[A]

Yeah. Do you want to introduce you. You want to say something like a Click on the ads, help scout out.

[B]

Click on the ad to help Scott out.

[A]

Thank you so much. Contour next.com juicebox that's the link you'll use to find out more about the contour Next Gen blood glucose meter. When you get there, there's a little bit at the top you can click right on. Blood glucose monitoring. I'll do it with you. Go to meters. Click on any of the meters. I'll click on the next gen and you're going to get more information. It's easy to use and highly accurate. Smart Light provides a simple understanding of your blood glucose levels. And of course, with second chance sampling technology, you can save money with fewer wasted test strips. As if all that wasn't enough, the Contour Next gen also has a compatible app for an easy way to share and see your blood glucose results. Contour next.com juicebox and if you scroll down at that link, you're going to see things like a buy now button. You could register your meter after you purchase it or what is this? Download a coupon? Oh, receive a free contour Next gen blood glucose meter. Do tell. Contornext.com juicebox Head over there. Now get the same accurate and reliable meter that we use. Unlike other Systems that will wait until your blood sugar is 180 before delivering corrections. The MiniMed 780G system is the only system with meal detection technology that automatically detects rising sugar levels and delivers more insulin as needed to help keep your sugar levels in range and even if you're not a perfect carb counter. Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Medtronic diabetes and their MiniMed 780G system, which gives you real choices because the MiniMed 780G system works with the Instinct sensor made by Avid as well as the Simplera Sync and Guardian 4 sensors, giving you options. The Instinct sensor is the longest wear Sensor yet, lasting 15 days and designed exclusively for the Mini Med 780G. And don't forget, Medtronic Diabetes makes technology accessible for you with comprehensive insurance support programs to help you with your out of pocket costs. We're switching from other pump and CGM systems. Learn more and get started today with my link medtronicdiabetes.com juicebox okay, so Rob's not actually here, so we have to keep going, but. So I wish you could see this. It's so ridiculous. It's this giant chameleon with this tiny little silkworm like, standing on it.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. How long before you think he can get it off his back?

[A]

He's not going to be able to get rid of it. That thing will live there forever. Who wants to? He's not going to.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

They're not quick. Do you mean, like, he can't start, like, darting around or like spinning or anything like that?

[B]

Oh, yeah. That silkworm's like. It's the best day of my freaking life right now.

[A]

I mean, it's pretty much on the Travel Channel right now. It's seen, it has seen every square inch of this, this cage today. It's been all over the place. All right, hold on. I'm gonna. I'm gonna take off my. Oh, hold on. I have to move my. My conductor's wand. I should explain that to you when I get back to it. I'll be right back. Hold on.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

That was ridiculous. Conductor's wand. Steven made me a conductor's wand. I hold it while I'm recording sometimes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, that's neither here nor there, and only Steven's gonna understand that. But I really appreciate it and it's. It's really wonderful. Okay, so in your family, any other autoimmune. Is there any reason to think that diabetes was coming anything like that?

[B]

Not like any Specific, like type one diagnoses. My mother in law has some autoimmune stuff. Other than that, not really. It was. We were kind of blindsided to some degree.

[A]

What's her stuff?

[B]

The mother in law, she has lupus and then I can't remember what the other one is off the top of my head.

[A]

R.A. hypothyroidism. Graves disease. Celiac. No, I'm not saying any of the words. Vitiligo?

[B]

No.

[A]

Oh, what's the, the one with the cold fingers. Oh, damn.

[B]

No, I don't think so.

[A]

Okay, all right, well, whatever. Okay, so your mother in law has some autoimmune, but other than that you haven't heard any? Nothing that would make you think type one?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What happens that makes you think something's up with the baby?

[B]

We were actually up in New York visiting my husband's family and we were on vacation there for almost like two weeks I think. And obviously you know how it is when you get around the grandparents and they're spoiling the kids and all the sugar, all that kind of stuff. And that's when we really noticed a difference in him. Just constantly drinking water, couldn't drink enough water. Peeing through multiple overnight pull ups during a two hour nap. Once we got towards the end of the trip, I was really starting to like get concerned about it and I went down the Dr. Google black hole most like every other mom. And I saw that it could possibly be a sign of type 1 diabetes. And I remember having a conversation a few days before we left with my mother in law and her mentioning to me like, oh, hey, like, don't worry about it, like we have like bladder issues on our side of the family. And I was like, oh, okay. Like that would make a lot of sense. So I kind of like forced myself to like think it was that. So I didn't like cause a spiral. But on our way, on our drive back, it's a 12 hour drive and I decide to call our son's pediatrician's office just to get him in to be seen, just to be safe. Because I had this nagging feeling in the back of my head that it wasn't bladder issues. And so we called and got him an appointment for the next day. We literally got home that night at 9 or 10pm and by 7:30 the next morning I was bringing him to his pediatrician's office. On the way there, I had let him have a couple animal crackers as a breakfast since I wasn't gonna have time to feed him a real Breakfast before we left. Hindsight is 20 20. I should have left him fasting for that, but I'm kind of glad I didn't. We got to the office, they checked his blood sugar and he was 170, I believe, after just a couple of animal crackers. And they were like, hmm, that's weird. Let's test. His urine came back with large ketones. They tested his finger again and his blood sugar had actually gone down to like 130. His pediatrician was so confused, he called the on call endocrinologist at our children's hospital and she was equally as confused. He was like, I think it's type 1 diabetes, but this is like the slowest onset case of type 1 diabetes I think I've ever seen. So he's like, you need to go to the children's hospital right now. Don't go home, don't pass go, don't collect $200, just go. And we show up and we get to the emergency room and they are trying to get, you know, blood work from him and everything. And they have to bribe him with a popsicle. And by the time he had eaten that popsicle afterwards, they poked his Finger another like 20 minutes later and he was in the 200s. And as soon as I saw that, I already knew.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But you know, we waited a couple hours before they came back in and officially told us that he had type one. And it was just like wild, honestly, because it's like you, you have the feeling in your gut, but you don't want it to be true.

[A]

Sure. No, I understand.

[B]

And it was, it was like, it was just so wild.

[A]

Also interesting, isn't it, that people say Dr. Google like a pejorative, but it was perfectly figured out what was wrong with them.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

We would have to get past that as being an insult in the future.

[B]

Seems like sometimes it can be, but in this case it was, it was beneficial.

[A]

Yeah, no, I think what can happen obviously is you could get type in the wrong thing or lead, lead it astray or something and then end up way down the wrong path. But listen, you figured it out. That was awesome. Also the bladder, I'd spend 20 minutes right now talking to your mother in law, like, tell me what the bladder issues in your family are. Like, That's a fascinating statement. Like, I mean that's, that's not just a thing you say because somebody pees a lot one time. You know what I mean? Like, I wonder what all that means. That's really interesting. Is your husband with you? At the hospital?

[B]

Yes. So he. I was the one that brought Paxton, my son, to the doctor's office. Because at that time my daughter was, let me do the math, like 18 months old, I wanna say. So, you know, I wasn't gonna drag her into the doctor's office if I didn't need to. So he was at home with her. And as soon as they sent us to the children's hospital, I called him and then let him know kind of what was going on. And he started packing us a bag.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

He took my daughter to my parents house so that way they could watch her. And then he met us at the hospital.

[A]

Wow. Did you go to college?

[B]

I went to college for a semester and a half before I dropped out.

[A]

Okay. And why are you mature? You are, right? You've been like this your whole life.

[B]

I feel like I always have to some degree.

[A]

Like so my point is that not that you have to go to college, but like sometimes you go to college and you spend a bunch of years having problems and figuring them out and getting through them and stuff like that. You didn't have that. I mean, you went right from high school to being married, then he's gone for a year. That's tough. That's a thing to get through. But you were still with your family. Why are you so solid? What's going on right now? What did your parents do to you? Like everyone wants to know, like how their children can be this level headed. How did we make that happen?

[B]

I honestly couldn't tell you. I mean, like, I have amazing parents and I'm very grateful for the environment that I got to grow up in. But I also think having to mature air quotes at a younger age by being married and kind of having to figure out how to be in a marriage when you are that young also kind of helped me push along that process a little bit. And then getting thrown a life altering diagnosis for my 3 year old when I was 24.

[A]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's really. Yeah.

[B]

There really is no option but to mature.

[A]

That's very, very young. Kelly wasn't much older than that when, you know, when all this happened. Yeah, but we were still, we were still like had like adult jobs for quite a while at that point. Like, you know, you're still. We still had other opportunities. Let's pick through your family real quickly. I'm really like fascinated by this. Would you. Yeah. Simple yes or no questions. Usually your parents are drunks.

[B]

No.

[A]

You've seen them high?

[B]

No.

[A]

They took you to church?

[B]

No.

[A]

They have a mental illness that you're aware of?

[B]

No.

[A]

Is it that simple? If you all just.

[B]

I guess so.

[A]

Is it really, like, that easy?

[B]

Is this the magic equation? I don't know.

[A]

Yeah. They were interested in you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. You felt loved.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But not smothered.

[B]

No.

[A]

They left you alone once in a while when they went out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. How about that? See how easy it is? Everybody. There you go. Do whatever Janelle's parents did, and everything's gonna be fine. Wow. Good for them. I'd like to introduce that. I'd like to. I'd like to speak to your parents. It seems like. Seems like they might know something.

[B]

I guess so.

[A]

So. Okay, so this is happening. I mean, obviously you're really young, and it's. It's a lot, but how do you adjust to it? Like, are you living near your parents or his parents at that point?

[B]

At that point, yeah. Like I said, all of us are kind of originally from Rochester, but once we got pregnant with Paxton, my parents were like, well, screw it. We're gonna. We're gonna move down, and we're gonna follow you. And they had. Kind of always had that intention. Obviously, I'm their only kid, so it's not like they've got anything to leave behind, so.

[A]

To speak to themselves, talk to each other. That's ridiculous. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

So I think they were. They. They had moved down here before we actually had Paxton, and they've been down here ever since. And now they live five minutes down the road.

[A]

Selfless. They are.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And at the same time, they wanted to be near family.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I hope everyone's taking notes. Or you just take the transcript later, drop it to AI. And how come Janelle's parents are solid people? How can I be, too? It'll probably just spit it right back at you. Well, that's really cool. Listen, it's the thing that stops us from, like, we're too old. Like, at this point, like, our kids are just about done with us. You know what I mean? And you start thinking about, like, well, am I going to stay here forever? Like, am I sitting in New Jersey and pay these incredible taxes for no reason? You know? And you start thinking about places to go and everything, but it always stops you because you think, like, well, where are the kids going to be?

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah, I know the kids aren't thinking about that. They're not like, oh, I don't want to go somewhere where my parents can't. Can't be. But they didn't know, we're gonna stalk them for sure, so. But it's probably great, right? Because you're. You probably got to all learn the diabetes together. And they're probably good caregivers for him as well, I imagine.

[B]

Yeah, it's super convenient because my mom's also an rn, so.

[A]

Well, hell, let's get her a job. Are they. What's that word when you stop working on purpose? Retired. Jesus.

[B]

No, they're. Neither of my parents are retired.

[A]

Oh, my God. I couldn't think of the word retired just now.

[B]

It's three o' clock on a Friday.

[A]

When people stop working on purpose. I said, what in the hell? That's embarrassing. Also, I'm pretty upset because the chameleon's staring at the leaves, wondering why there's no more water. And I'm, like, trying to remember that when I get done here, I'm gonna have to give him a little more to drink. So your mom's still working. Your dad's not retired. Oh, yeah, because you're young. You're like 12. Yeah. Basically, they're probably my age, right?

[B]

My mom is 58, and then my dad is about to turn 63.

[A]

Oh, yeah, your mom's a little too old for me, but I get it. Like, not. It's not too far. She holding it together. Would I be interested?

[B]

I. I mean, I'm not. I'm not sure.

[A]

I just wanted to hear if you were gonna comment on your mom's looks or not. That was awesome. I don't really care. I just wanted to know what you were gonna do. Oh, my gosh. I wonder if people realize how much of this is just me trying to see what people necessarily me caring what they're gonna say.

[B]

Really push the limits there.

[A]

I just want to find out. Plus, you know, about the recording that I did earlier today that nobody listening knows. I'm already, like, off kilter because of my. My day's events. Listen, if any of you are hearing this and thinking, I wonder why Scott's a little wacky today, go find an episode that I'll be calling Squishy Pushy. Go find Squishy Pushy and listen to that and you'll know why I'm giddy right now. Anyway. Okay, so how would you say it hit you emotionally?

[B]

I would say pretty hard. Not to any fault of his own, but I think the first year after diagnosis, it was pretty much just me taking on everything, and it was just easier that way. In my mind, I was like, I'll become the master at this I'll figure out the ins and outs or whatever. And then I was the one doing all of the shots at the beginning, and then once we got on a pump, a month and a half later, I was the one doing all the pump changes and all of the middle of the night lows, middle of the night highs, everything like that. And I think around a year after Paxton's diagnosis is when I kind of hit my breaking point. Just emotionally, mentally. I was like, I can't do this by myself anymore. And then that's kind of when my husband got into high gear and wanted to learn everything and anything to help and support and, you know, take some of that weight off of my back. And that was. That was really nice. But I think that first year is always, like, just so hard, trying to, like, integrate this diagnosis into your life and figure out how it fits.

[A]

Yeah. Janelle, I'm gonna ask an honest question. Give me an honest answer. Okay.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

Did he not want to be involved in the beginning, or did you. Did you set it up so that it was gonna be you? And he probably felt like I should step back while she's doing this.

[B]

I think part of it was just the fact that I threw my whole being into, you know, figuring everything out and also to the fact of. I think he was also spending that first year trying to process a lot of his emotions about diagnosis, and so therefore unconsciously distancing himself from it.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Not, you know, out of malice or, you know, on purpose or anything like that. I think it needed to happen that way to some degree, and I'm, you know, somewhat grateful it did, but definitely a lot different nowadays than it was back in that first year.

[A]

I think it's a function of his age a little bit. Like, do you think he'd have the same reaction if. If the diagnosis happened today?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Interesting, because I can't imagine you being married to a head. Like, so. Right, right, right, right. So, like, it just doesn't seem like you would. It just. Just never would have happened. Like, you're too level headed. Like, you had too much of a good base.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't see you being married to a nude. So, like, then I'm wondering, like, you know, the military is one thing, but it also sounds like he's just making sure people's emails work or something like that. Like, not like he's out there, you know, getting in position. You know what I'm saying?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

So, like, maybe this is the first, like, real, like, struggle that hits him. Too. Because. Right. I mean, you're young, you fall in love in high school, you get married when you're young. It's a lovely story. He goes off to the military, you wait for him, you start a life, you make a family. Things are going pretty well right before that diagnosis.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. So that takes him a little bit to pull together. You probably ran forward with adrenaline for the first year, then you ran out of. You ran out of that. And then did you come to him and say, hey, time to tag in, or did he see it happening and. And get in on his own?

[B]

I think it was a little bit of both.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And then, so what did you know by then, like? And did you pass it off to him or did you let him come in cold and figure it out?

[B]

I wanna say it was a lot of like, I'm very much a control freak, so I think a lot of it was like, I had him watch me do some pump changes, watch me, you know what I mean? Treat the lows, try to teach him how to, like, how much to give when he's this low or, you know, all that kind of stuff and kind of like almost shadow me for a little bit. And then he's a very quick learner, so it didn't take him very long. And especially like when we started the pump, we started on Omnipod, but we were on Omnipod for two and a half years. And I'm going to say Omnipod is a very user friendly pump. There's three steps, you pop it on and you're good to go. And now, about a year ago, we switched Paxton to the tandem Moby. And it's a lot more steps, it's a lot more to remember. So we've kind of been starting to slowly integrate the Moby into my husband's kind of routine with site changes as well, too.

[A]

I like that you made him your internal. You're like, listen, buddy, you walk around here and if you do a good enough job, we'll start paying you.

[B]

Yeah, maybe.

[A]

Interesting. I think people would want to know more about that. So if Moby's more steps to use and less user friendly for you, why'd.

[B]

You change better algorithm.

[A]

So you like the more aggressive nature of the tandem algorithm over the Omnipod algorithm?

[B]

Yeah, I do. When we were back on Omnipod, we just kind of really struggled to get his blood sugar under control. And I couldn't for the life of me figure out how. No, no matter what changes I made, it was just never Good enough. And we had a lot of those first few years, whether it be because he honeymooned for 18 months or just whatever, his blood sugar was wild for those first two and a half years that we were on Omnipod. And I don't know if it was because of Omnipod or if it was because of something else, but I just wanted more control. And I had heard great things about the Control IQ algorithm. And I had a personal friend that had her son on the Mobi, and I was like, well, screw it, we're just going to switch because it can't get any worse, right? And it's been amazing.

[A]

And you happen to know, because we chatted before we started, that the lady from Squishy Pushy, she really likes the Omnipod for reasons that she does.

[B]

Yeah. And I mean, hey, to each their own. It just didn't work for my 4 year old.

[A]

Her reasons are definitely not the same reasons your 4 year old is going to.

[B]

Yeah, just slightly.

[A]

Yeah. Makes it reminds me, as you're talking that Omnipod has. They're doing a study right now. It seems to me that the study is on another version of that algorithm. So, yeah, it looks like they're gonna. I don't know what their plan is, but my assumption is, is that they're gonna zhuzh it up a little bit.

[B]

So, I mean, hey, that would be nice.

[A]

Interesting one way or the other. Whether you want the convenience of Tubeless or the tandem Moby, you should just use the links in the show notes to the podcast player to go check it out and find out more. Because like Janelle said earlier, click on the links. Help the podcast.

[B]

Yeah, click on them.

[A]

Yeah. Excellent. Thank you. Look at you. You're good at this. Okay, so husband comes on board, understands, would you say? Now these three years later are things where you. Do you like them to be? And did you think he was honeymooning for those first two years?

[B]

I truly think that Paxton spent a good 18 months honeymooning, especially when, you know, back then we would talk to his endocrinologist and she didn't really have an answer for anything other than the fact that he was still honeymooning. And we tell when it. When it ended because it hit hard.

[A]

I can hear the PR people, Omnipod listening to this right now, and they're like, oh, wait, six more months, it would have been okay. The honeymoon. Don't blame the pump. That's it. I know, I know.

[B]

Well, to be fair, we still stayed on it a year after he ended his honeymoon, so I gave it a fair shot.

[A]

Did you ever try to reset it?

[B]

Yeah, we had to reset it multiple times.

[A]

Never helped you?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. Just not. It didn't. It just didn't work. This is what we talk about all the time. Like, it's just not the right fit for you.

[B]

Yeah. And it's like, I truly think that there are plenty of people, and I know plenty of people that, like, benefit so much from the Omnipod, and it just didn't. It just didn't work for Paxton, and I'm okay with that.

[A]

Yeah, no, it's. Listen, I think it's good to you to be flexible and to try something else too. I think it's a great idea instead of sitting and beating your head against the same wall, if that's what's happening, you know?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Awesome. Okay. So he's in school now.

[B]

He's homeschooled.

[A]

Oh, wait a minute. You're gonna try to turn another reasonable person out into the world? Is that what your goal is?

[B]

Trying my best.

[A]

So I was gonna ask you how you handle school, but apparently you handle it the same way you handle the living room, so. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Were you always gonna do that or was that a function of the diabetes, do you think?

[B]

It was a mix of both. I kind of always liked the idea of homeschool back before I had kids, but didn't know if it would be feasible. And then kind of, once we got that diabetes diagnosis and learned a little bit more specifically to the area that we live in, to the fact that public schools aren't required to have a nurse on staff every day. So they have floating nurses who are only there one to two days a week.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I wasn't comfortable with that. So we kind of just made the decision for at least now to homeschool him until he is old enough to kind of do most of his management by himself and also be able to advocate for himself and stand up if, you know, someone tries to tell him something that isn't right. Sure. But yeah, so we're. We're riding with the homeschool right now, and he's. He's liking it a lot.

[A]

Nice. Are you getting paid?

[B]

I am not, unfortunately.

[A]

Seems unfair. It didn't occur to me until you. You. The way you mentioned it earlier, but, like, when he's being diagnosed, you have an 18 month old at that point.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Geez, that's a lot. That's a lot, huh?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you think you'll have more kids?

[B]

No, we are completely done.

[A]

You're completely done?

[B]

We are completely done. I have a type 1 diabetic, and I have a redheaded daughter. I think we can just put the period there, and we are good.

[A]

Oh, you said completely done. Because using the word completely before done is not necessary.

[B]

I just really want to emphasize that.

[A]

I just want to emphasize that, no, I won't be having any more kids.

[B]

You couldn't pay me.

[A]

Actually, is the girl. Is she what they call a spitfire?

[B]

Is a. Oh, a hundred percent. It's a mix of the second child syndrome with being a redhead, and it's a deadly combination.

[A]

Are you or your husband redheads?

[B]

We have redhead in the family, but neither of us are actually redheaded.

[A]

Oh, did that freak you out when it popped out more?

[B]

So the fact that we chose her name halfway through the pregnancy and her name is Ember.

[A]

No.

[B]

And so it was kind of just like this happy coincidence, and I'm like, I don't. I don't think this could have happened any other way.

[A]

Wait, stop it. You named your daughter Ember before you realized she was a redhead, and you didn't have any real reason to think she was going to have red hair?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, that's kind of cool. Yeah, it's cool. What do you. By the way? I don't know any redheads personally. Like, what is it you're. What is it you're referring to?

[B]

I mean, usually redheads are pretty crazy, to my understanding. At least I think that's the stereotype.

[A]

Oh, wait a minute. You know, I grew up with a kid named Jim. Can I say Jim Wood's name? Why. Why not Jim Wood? He. He had a bit of that redhead energy. He did, Yeah.

[B]

I think redheads are just built different.

[A]

All right. Hey, Jim, if you're out there. What's up, man? In your mid-50s right now, wondering how you got mentioned on a diabetes podcast.

[B]

Full circle event here.

[A]

You live right down the street from the apartment I grew up in, so you cross the street from Eric. It's really not important, I don't think, to anyone listening. Okay, so what is. I mean, what's your goal coming on the podcast? Like, what made you reach out?

[B]

I think just forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. I think with having a kid with type 1 diabetes, it kind of like becomes your whole personality, and you kind of lose yourself in that. And so I'm kind of trying to get back to finding myself a little bit and finding things that I enjoy. And I figured that pushing myself to come on a podcast would kind of be A good little first step.

[A]

How do you lose yourself? Describe it.

[B]

I think you. Something happens in your brain where the only reason you're really living is to keep your kid alive. And obviously every parent has to keep their kid alive to some degree. But it's so much different when they are basically on. When they're on insulin, they're on life support to some degree. And it's like, I think when you look at it like that, and I try not to too much because then it causes me to spiral, but looking at it like that, it kind of puts it into a better perspective of you. Kind of don't think there's really time for anything else other than putting all of your attention and focus into keeping this child alive.

[A]

Is any of this a function of this type A thing you were talking about?

[B]

Probably, yeah.

[A]

I mean, do you feel like if you didn't have that kind of personality that you might not feel this way about the rest of it?

[B]

I think it's definitely a possibility, yeah.

[A]

Okay. I mean, I said we were going to try to find your mental illness in 22 minutes. I don't know if we did or not, but it's pretty close.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Does it impact any other parts of your life? Do you have trouble, like, making time for other things?

[B]

Yeah, I think I struggle to make time specifically for myself. It's hard for me to go and do things by myself without just staring at the follow up the entire time I'm gone.

[A]

Were you like that before the diabetes?

[B]

To some extent. I don't think it was this bad, though.

[A]

Okay. Do you have mom guilt?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

On top of everything.

[B]

But I had mom guilt before the diabetes too, so it just got exacerbated with the diagnosis.

[A]

What's mom guilt look like when you're like 24 years old and you have a baby?

[B]

I guess I would say probably to some degree, thinking, how am I even old enough to raise this? Being I'm barely old enough to function myself, and thinking I could probably be doing so much better if I was older. But you're not, so you gotta figure it out.

[A]

The little imposter syndrome on being a mom, and then start feeling like, well, if I would have just done this differently, maybe I'd be a better mom.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Why did you think you weren't a good mom, by the way? We're two steps away from realizing you have anxiety. I'm just getting to it, that's all.

[B]

You're not wrong.

[A]

No, I know. I just didn't know if you Knew, that's all. Sorry, I didn't want to spring it on. I just didn't want to spring it on you.

[B]

I had the little Pandora's box over here, and I'm like, is he going to find the key for it or.

[A]

Probably. I mean, if not, then I should probably pack it in, right? So. And I don't have. I can't quit making this podcast now.

[B]

Like, I put too much time into this.

[A]

Well, no, not just that. Today I had this meeting with these people. I'm doing a talk for coming up, and it's. By the way, no, you're never gonna know what. Don't even bother guessing what it is. And so I'm doing some public speaking for somebody, and at the end of the meeting, the person on the call, like, very sincerely says. I said to him, well, I gotta go. I gotta go jump on a call. I'm recording an episode. I didn't at that time know that I was going to record Squishy Pushy, but at the time. And she looked at me real sincerely, and she's like, go change the world. And I was like, oh, my gosh, I will. Thank you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But this person knows the podcast and knows me, and that's their feeling about me. And I thought, oh, I didn't. Like, it was so strange to. It was nice, but it was strange to have a stranger sit down in front of you and tell you what the thing they think you're doing.

[B]

Yeah. That's awesome, though.

[A]

Yeah, it was really cool. But so I guess my point is, is that you're. If you're that young and you're feeling like, oh, I'm probably failing at this. But you're not. Like, there's no indicators that you're failing at it. Then you're worried about something that doesn't exist. And to some degree, that's anxiety. So have you been anxious your whole life?

[B]

Yeah, I think so.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is it a type 1 personality? Type A personality, or is it a anxiety or is it a mix?

[B]

It's definitely a mix.

[A]

And who do you take after, your mom or your dad?

[B]

My mom.

[A]

Gotcha. And is your dad, like, all laid back while she's out of her mind?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Did you marry a guy who's all laid back?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Is that why you characterized him as not getting involved right away? Because he didn't meet your level of involvement?

[B]

Maybe, to some degree? Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. $40 is my copay on this, by the way. No one's ever sent me the 40. I just want to Be clear. I keep waiting for someone to, like, find me and just put a copay in my hand, but it's not today.

[B]

Would that be the worst thing?

[A]

I mean, I don't think I can make a real living $40 at a time, but it would be a nice add on income. I wouldn't. I wouldn't say no to it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Also, I'm not fishing for everyone to send me 40.

[B]

He's going to drop his Venmo here.

[A]

Well, I just know there's 10, like, unstable people out there, so he's trying to get them to pay him. I'm not. You're just crazy, so. Or you don't hear sarcasm? I can't tell which it is. I don't have time for you people, but, wow. Okay, so, like, so all this is going. Is this a thing that you've learned about yourself and you're actively working on, or is it a thing that you've learned about yourself and just accepting?

[B]

I think there's a degree of both that have to happen. I think you have to accept that this is kind of the way you are before you can start to want to work on it and change it.

[A]

Are you at that point?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And this is part of that, like, coming on here and pushing through some comfort zones as part of your, like, working on yourself thing?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh. So I didn't tell you anything you didn't know?

[B]

No.

[A]

But are you a little surprised that I figured it out just through this conversation?

[B]

Not really.

[A]

You listen to the podcast then?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, for the other people, they're surprised. Some people think I'm a magician right now. Okay. Some people are just like, my God, he does this all the time. So irritating.

[B]

They're like, oh, another therapy session.

[A]

It's not my fault. I didn't get married out of high school. You did. Were you afraid you were gonna lose him? Is it because he went. Is it because he went into the military? Why'd you get married? Honestly, I think you'll be divorced by the time we get done.

[B]

I mean, maybe. I don't know. I think it was just a fact of that. We knew we were gonna get married, so then at that point we were like, well, why wait?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And just kind of went with that mindset.

[A]

We got married for car insurance.

[B]

Hey.

[A]

So, I mean, your reason sounds as good as ours did.

[B]

They're about equal.

[A]

Yeah. Sort of got my wife, got a good job, and we couldn't afford car insurances. Oh, it does. I mean, people have gotten married for Worse reasons, haven't they?

[B]

Oh, 100.

[A]

Yeah. We're still married, by the way. I don't know if you all know that, but next year is our 30th year.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. That's crazy, right? You're not even 30 years old. Yeah. Yeah. Can you imagine being married 30 years from now?

[B]

Yeah, I can imagine it. I mean, I've watched my parents stay married for that long. Plus some.

[A]

Are they doing it despite each other or they actually seem happy?

[B]

No, they're actually happy.

[A]

They're not just, you know, this long, protracted battle to see which one can live longer. Yeah. Yeah. So when one of them dies and go, ha, I beat you. No.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

My wife's definitely gonna do that. If I drive first, she's gonna be like, I knew I could outlast him. I think she'll be sad till the afternoon at least, though.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I think you deserve that much, at least.

[A]

I mean, a solid day. I would. I think it would be nice. I don't want her to bring a date to the funeral is what I'm saying.

[B]

So maybe a couple days then.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. We talked about my cremation last night. That was fun. I tried to explain to them that I thought they should press my ashes into a diamond and somebody should wear it. No one seemed up for that.

[B]

I mean, that's. That sounds sweet.

[A]

They don't even want the urn to be like, it. I'm like, well, what do you. Like, who's gonna get my ashes? They're like, oh, can we spread them somewhere? And I was like, you don't want my ashes? And they're like, not really. And I was like, oh, okay. That's.

[B]

That's fine.

[A]

I guess that's fine. Just. You just discard me somewhere after I'm gone.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, with a diamond. Doesn't that sound nice? No one thought that was nice. This is really upsetting. I mean, not that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean, like, because my wife wants to be buried.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I don't want that. You have a thought. What do you want to do with your carcass when you're done?

[B]

I honestly try not to put too much thought into it right now, but maybe I should.

[A]

I mean, like, seriously, like, either someone's going to put you in a hole in the ground, or they're going to set you on fire. Which sounds better to you?

[B]

Pick of the litter right there. I don't know. I guess I'd say cremated.

[A]

I'm with You. Yeah, yeah, right. Because you're gonna end up in dust anyway. Yeah, I. I don't want to. I don't want to rot slowly.

[B]

Yeah, you could always get turned into a tree.

[A]

All right. I mean, I do. That's. Oh. Oh, yeah. They. They do the thing, and then they plant the tree with you. I don't know. You know. You know, I'm okay with that, I guess. I don't want to pay for it. Even dead, I'm cheap. I'm like, I don't want to put that kind of that.

[B]

I can't afford that.

[A]

Yeah, no, we can't be. That's actually what I thought. I was like, that sounds pricey. Do I care? I'm gonna be dead, right?

[B]

A bit out of the budget.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Why do I care? I was like, right now, I was like, oh, I don't know. I mean, what's that cost? Jesus. Usually, look into my thoughts. I'm like, oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah. I think we. I don't ask that question enough on the podcast. I do. I, like, buried or. Because, like, at some point, you know, I don't know how. I don't exactly, like. Let me be clear. Like, most things in the podcast, I don't really understand a lot of the details of it, but, like, at some point, like, you're gonna be rotting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The meat's gonna be gone, and the skin will just be hanging on, like cray paper, and you're just gonna be under there. And then one day, 200 years from now, they're gonna need that land for something else and just push into a pile somewhere. Like, I just think the. The cremation's the way to go.

[B]

I mean, yeah, I think, honestly, instead of introduce yourself, that should be your opening question on the podcast, is buried.

[A]

Or cremated instead of what autoimmune issues are in your family. Although we should add the Viking funeral to it, though.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right.

[B]

That's a valid option.

[A]

Yeah. Like, on top of, like, firewood doused and gasoline pushed out the sea on fire. Yeah. Yeah, maybe I'd like that. That'd be nice. With some fireworks in the background. Yeah, right. And I don't need it videoed. I'm not one of those people. I don't want everything on video. I was saying the other day, like, I don't understand some of the things you all take pictures of.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I'm like, here's a picture of me in the hospital. I'm like, why? You look terrible, first of all. And secondly, like, this is not a great moment in your life. Like, what are you snapping? And I even see having the pictures later as maybe being value, but in the moment, like, I don't get a person who's like, oh, let me get my camera out right now. Yeah, I don't remember to do that when I'm supposed to.

[B]

Yeah, I agree with that.

[A]

I'm glad I like you. If your parents died prematurely, I would adopt you. So perfect. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not going to pay for anything, as you heard with the. With the tree thing, he's like, oh, my God. Yeah, I'd be the worst dad. You'd be like, can I get 50 bucks to play? I'll be like, no, I don't. I can't do that.

[B]

No, Sorry. Can't swing it.

[A]

Go ask that boy that married you. See what he's got going on?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, so we got to get back on track here. Really. The Squishy Pushy really threw me off today. You're never really gonna know. I can't even. You know what, Rob? I'm gonna say, why squishy pushy pushed me off, and then bleep the whole thing out so that nobody can hear it. Okay, no, that'll be too much bleeping now. You're just gonna have to go listen to it. I'm sorry. I was trying to make it fun for you guys who are listening to this one, but I can't just. Let's just say that Brenda said something that stopped me in my tracks.

[B]

You'll know it when you hear it.

[A]

You will? Yeah. If you don't, you're not paying attention, that's for sure. My God. All right, so how is this gonna help you break out of your norms? Like, what is it you hoping to like on this little journey of yours? Where are you trying to get to? This episode was too good to cut anything out of, but too long to make just one episode. So this is part one. Make sure you go find part two right now. It's going to be the next episode in your feed. I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system, which, of course, anticipates, adjusts, and corrects every 5 minutes, 24 7. It works around the clock so you can focus on what matters. The Juicebox community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, Visit my link medtronicdiabetes.com Juicebox Having an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away. Contour next.com juicebox that's right. Today's episode is sponsored by the Contour Next Gen Blood Glucose Meter. If you've listened to any number of podcasts or maybe watched a YouTube video, you're very accustomed to listening to the creator of that content. Ask you and sometimes just outright beg you without any feeling of self respect for you to follow. Subscribe, Share an episode the reason that happens in podcasting specifically is because podcast players don't have a sophisticated Recommendation engine like YouTube or TikTok does. They can't watch listener behavior and then give you content that you might like. Word of mouth skips that line completely. It's an instantly expanding reach engine and really the only thing I've ever found that helps to keep the juice Box podcast growing. So subscribe and follow because that the algorithm understands. Set up automatic downloads. Listen to the show, but share it with somebody else. Leave a five star review. Make it a thoughtful review that the algorithm can understand. I really appreciate the time it takes you to do those things and I hate that I have to say this to you because I feel like an idiot. But subscribe and follow. Tell a friend please and thank you hey, I'm dropping in to tell you about a small change being made to the Juice Cruise 2026 schedule. This adjustment was made by Celebrity Cruise Lines, not by me. Anyway, we're still going out on the Celebrity beyond cruise ship, which is awesome. Check out the walkthrough video@juicebox podcast.com JuiceCruise the ship is awesome. Still a seven night cruise. It still leaves out of Miami on June 21st. Actually, most of this is the same. We leave Miami June 21, head to CocoCay in the Bahamas, but then we're going to San Juan, Puerto rico instead of St. Thomas after that. Basteria. I think I'm saying that wrong. St. Kitts and Nevis. This place is gorgeous. Google it. I mean you're probably gonna have to go to my link to get the correct spelling because my pronunciation is so bad. But once you get the St Kitts and you google it, you're gonna look and see a photo that says to you, oh I wanna go there. Come meet other people living with type 1 diabetes, from caregivers to children to adults. Last year we had a hundred people on our cruise and it was fabulous. You can see pictures again at my link juiceboxpodcast.com juicecruise you can see those pictures from last year there. The link also gives you an opportunity to register for the cruise or to contact Suzanne from Cruise Planners. She takes care of all the logistics. I'm just excited that I might see you there. It's a beautiful event for families, for singles. A wonderful opportunity to meet people, swap stories, make friendships and learn. The Juice Box Podcast is edited by Wrong Way Recording wrongwayrecording. Com. If you'd like your podcast to sound as good as mine, check out Rob at wrongwayrecording. Com.