#1720 Valerie

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1720 – Valerie

Date: December 26, 2025

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Brooke (not "Valerie"—Valerie is Brooke’s baby)

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Episode Overview

This episode features Brooke, a 29-year-old new mom diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during her first pregnancy. Scott and Brooke delve into her unexpected diagnosis, the difference between gestational and Type 1 diabetes, navigating new motherhood alongside new diabetes management, and the emotional and practical realities of adjusting to both. Through open conversation, Brooke shares insight into her family's responses, building a support network, interacting with healthcare providers, and empowering herself through education and community. The episode is full of relatable, supportive moments for those adjusting to life with Type 1 in extraordinary circumstances.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Diagnosis: The Unexpected Timing

• Brooke’s Background: Married in September 2024, pregnant three or four months later, no significant family history of gestational diabetes or major autoimmune disease (her great-grandmother had Crohn’s).
• Discovery:
  • Late in her pregnancy (29 weeks), diagnosed with uncontrolled diabetes (A1C 8.1) following routine testing.
  • Only mild symptoms—excessive thirst and urination—were dismissed as typical pregnancy issues.
  • Originally planned a home birth; diagnosis led to switching to OB care and a hospital birth.
  • Baby, Valerie, was born prematurely at 33 weeks and required a NICU stay.

"I was going to have a home birth... but my midwife decided to just check my A1C... it came back 8.1. ...I was pretty far in." – Brooke (04:23)

2. Differentiating Gestational and Type 1 Diabetes

• Initial Confusion: Brooke believed she had gestational diabetes or possibly Type 2; she didn’t think adults could develop Type 1.
• Antibody Testing: Confirmed multiple Type 1-related antibodies (possibly 3-5), cementing the Type 1 diagnosis.
• Emotional Reaction: Struggled with denial, as did her doctors, since Type 1 onset during pregnancy is rare and not commonly discussed in clinical circles.

"Because I didn't understand Type 1, I think I just was like there's no way that this just developed during pregnancy. And even the doctors seemed confused." – Brooke (16:54)

• Scott’s Clarification:
  • Existence of five possible antibodies indicating increased risk of developing Type 1.
  • Pregnancy’s immune changes can accelerate Type 1 where antibodies are present, though pregnancy does not "cause" it.

"Just because they haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. ... Pregnancy doesn't create type 1 diabetes, but it changes the immune system in ways that can maybe unmask or accelerate the progression." – Scott (17:14, 19:03)

3. Managing Diabetes During and After Pregnancy

• Hospital Transition:
  • She moved from midwife-led care to high-risk OB with maternal-fetal medicine and a diabetes team.
  • Started CGM (Libre 3 Plus), and learned about insulin, but delayed starting insulin in hopes diet would suffice.
  • Eventually needed long-acting and rapid insulin, especially to meet strict pregnancy fasting targets.

"I did have to go on insulin. They set me up with a long lasting and a rapid, and that helped me manage it." – Brooke (12:42)

• Postpartum Management:
  • After birth, the focus of care shifted to Brooke as an individual. Maternal-fetal team handed her off to an endocrinologist.
  • Diagnosed officially as Type 1; currently in the honeymoon phase (producing some insulin naturally).

"My endocrinologist explained honeymoon...That confirmed that I was in the honeymoon stage because I still had some insulin being produced by my own body." – Brooke (28:21)

4. The Overwhelm of Motherhood and New Diagnosis

• Daily Realities:
  • Managing diabetes sometimes takes a back seat to newborn care.
  • Sometimes blood glucose checks or insulin doses must wait due to Valerie’s needs.

"There’s times where I don't always get to check what my blood sugar is and maybe not take insulin exactly when I wanted to. ...you really have to prioritize the baby." – Brooke (23:02)

• Support System:
  • Husband is supportive but somewhat in denial or overly optimistic about the diagnosis.
  • Family, especially her mom, offers help—particularly with meals—though mom herself struggles with pre-diabetes and nutritional awareness.

5. Self-Education and Community

• Finding Juicebox Podcast:
  • Brooke discovered the show via a circuitous route—her husband was searching Reddit and Facebook for Type 1 support and resources.
  • She appreciates the podcast’s patient stories, practical management tips, and sense of companionship—helpful during long, sometimes isolating days as a stay-at-home mom.

"I've been listening to your podcast, like, two episodes a day." – Brooke (24:50)
"I just love hearing other people's stories and relating to what they're going through." – Brooke (27:05)

• Implementing Management Concepts:
  • Inspired by the podcast, Brooke feels empowered to adjust insulin doses as needed, even when providers are slow to act.
  • She cherry-picks management episodes (Bold Beginnings, Pro Tips, Bolus episodes) to match her learning needs.

"I kind of ignored [the endo’s] advice and started adding more Lantus...I’m staying pretty stable. I usually don’t go over 140, 150." – Brooke (35:14)

6. Family Dynamics and Cultural Attitudes

• Brooke’s Husband:
  • Optimistic or in denial about permanence of Type 1; believes low-carb or minimal-insulin could be lifelong solutions, influenced by Dr. Bernstein’s philosophy.
  • Scott gently advises a balanced, individualized, open approach.

"He keeps saying, like, 'maybe it’ll go away'. …I think he just doesn't have as much education on it that I do at this point." – Brooke (29:58)

• Brooke’s Mom:
  • Has been prediabetic for years, is unconcerned or misinformed about nutrition, prefers quick/easy foods (toast, cereal, fast food).

"I've tried. I think she just isn't very knowledgeable in nutrition...she just loves her sweets." – Brooke (63:33)

• Feeding the Next Generation:
  • Brooke hopes her experience motivates her mom to avoid similar health outcomes.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Receiving the Diagnosis during Pregnancy:
  "You get married, get pregnant pretty quickly...Did you do it on purpose?"
  "We did." — (04:16)

• Scott’s Take on Optimism vs. Denial:
  "I’m sad that this is the situation...There are people who don’t care for themselves as well because that feeling of, like, hopefulness can turn into...well, I'll just ignore it because this isn't going to be my life." — Scott (31:22)

• On Prioritizing as a New Mom:
  "You don't have a choice. And so I just have to put my baby first at this point...I have to take care of myself too. Cause if I’m not healthy, then she doesn’t have anyone to take care of her." — Brooke (39:08, 39:28)

• Brooke’s Attitude:
  "I have...I'm in the honeymoon phase, and it's gradually ramping up. ...But yeah, we're just taking it day by day." — Brooke (38:40)

• On Community and Podcast Culture:
  "It's kind of comforting having, like, chit chat in the background...you're just by yourself all day with a little baby." — Brooke (44:30)

• Scott on Information Overload and Finding Your People:
  "There’s just some basic truths about type 1 diabetes. Right? You have type 1 diabetes. You need man made insulin. You will die without it." — Scott (53:29)

• On Individual Diabetes Management Choices:
  "The lower carb you eat, the better off you know, you’re going to be as far as the amount of insulin you [need], but...I'm not here telling you not to eat candy or not to do anything." — Scott (57:28)

• Humor in the Face of Challenge:
  "Would you like to renounce your father and accept me as your father?" — Scott (40:22)

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Key Timestamps

• 02:30–06:43 – Diagnosis story and pregnancy
• 11:55–14:20 – Transition to high-risk OB/diabetes care, initial management
• 16:54–19:26 – Emotional adjustment, antibody testing, clarifying pregnancy/Type 1 link
• 23:02–24:01 – Reality of new motherhood with new diabetes
• 28:21–29:04 – Understanding the honeymoon phase
• 32:13–33:21 – Postpartum baby health and what it suggests about diagnosis
• 34:44–37:00 – CGM data, self-directed adjustments, feeling empowered
• 46:20–47:34 – Cherry-picking educational podcast content
• 51:26–55:46 – Husband’s worldview, skeptical attitudes, both supportive and challenging
• 61:16–64:12 – Discussing mom's prediabetes, nutrition, and generational attitudes

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Takeaways & Practical Strategies

• Be proactive: Don’t be afraid to self-advocate and learn—question and verify provider advice, and adjust as needed with proper understanding and monitoring.
• Use community: Seek out the patient community for emotional, practical, and social support—everyone’s experience can provide new insight.
• Balance reality and optimism: Hope is important, but face the medical facts head-on for best outcomes.
• Education is fluid: Whether technical management, emotional endurance, or cooking tips, keep learning from a variety of sources.
• Family matters: Spouses and relatives will respond differently; patience and education are key, but responsibilities as caregiver and person with diabetes must be balanced.

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Tone and Style Summary

The tone is honest, warm, lightly humorous, practical, and supportive. Scott is empathetic and dry-witted, while Brooke is calm, flexible, self-aware, and open. The conversation moves between personal anecdote, management tips, and cultural commentary—always circling back to encouragement and readiness for new challenges.

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For listeners who are:

• Adjusting to a new Type 1 diabetes diagnosis (especially those diagnosed as adults or during pregnancy)
• Navigating parenthood and chronic health
• Seeking real-life, no-judgment stories of living “Bold With Insulin”

This episode delivers practical ideas, honest emotional discussion, and the constant message that you’re not alone.

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, friends. Welcome to the Juice Box Podcast. Happy holidays to everyone juggling carbs, cookies, and the chaos of this season.

[B]

My name is brooke, I am 29 years old and I was recently diagnosed with type one, and that was during the pregnancy of my first child.

[A]

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 [e-mail] in the menu. While you're listening, please remember that 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 or becoming bold with Insulin. The episode you're about to listen to is sponsored by Tandem mobi, the impressively small insulin pump. Tandem MOBI features Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ technology. It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom, and improved time and range. Learn more and get started [e-mail] Juicebox Today's episode is also sponsored by Eversense365. The only one year wear CGM. That's one insertion and one CGM a year. One CGM one year, not every 10 or 14 days. Eversensecgm.com Juicebox the podcast is also sponsored today by USMED usmed.com Juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from US Med.

[B]

My name is Brooke. I am 29 years old and I was recently diagnosed with type 1 and that was during the pregnancy of my first child.

[A]

Your baby gave you diabetes, Brooke?

[B]

Yes, she did.

[A]

Is it your first pregnancy?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Wow. How long you've been to married with the person that made the baby with you?

[B]

We were my husband.

[A]

Yeah, that would have been another way to say it.

[B]

Yes. We got married last September 2024. So we were only married about three, four months before we got pregnant.

[A]

Okay. In your family line, any other ladies on your side of the family have gestational diabetes ever?

[B]

No, I don't Think so.

[A]

Okay. Are there autoimmune issues with your mom, your dad, your grandfather, your uncles?

[B]

This is kind of distant, but my great grandmother had Crohn's disease, so that. That's the only thing.

[A]

Well, now we can stop blaming the baby and start. Baby?

[B]

Yeah. Great grandma.

[A]

Yeah. You probably don't even know her, right?

[B]

I did, actually. She lived until she was in her 90s, so. She lived until I was 19.

[A]

Whoa. I saw.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, I. No kidding. I saw Dick Van Dyke telling a story the other day about his son, and his son is 78. Whoa. And he joked, and he said, I am old enough to be Joe Biden's father. And I was like, that's insane. So he has two living sons in his. In their 70s, and he's about to turn 100.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. That's crazy.

[A]

Isn't that really awesome, though? Well, I mean, for him, not for us. I'm not gonna live that long. Yeah, I know. I'm not. I know you people are gonna kill me with the stress you give me. No, it's not your fault. But it is. You get married, get pregnant pretty quickly. I'm just going to ask. Did you do it on purpose?

[B]

We did.

[A]

Awesome. Good for you. And then the baby starts to percolate, and then what happens?

[B]

So nothing really showed signs until my third trimester. So, you know, in pregnancy, they do the glucose testing right around your third trimester. And at that time, I got my A1C checked. I was actually going to have a home birth, so I was doing things a little differently. And my midwife decided to just check my A1C because we thought I was low risk. No reason to believe that I was not healthy. Got my A1C checked, and a week later it came back 8.1. And this was about, like, 29 weeks pregnant. So I was pretty far in. And I would say the only symptoms that I had were the excessive peeing and really thirsty. But that's normal things in pregnancy. So I didn't think anything of it. Checked my A1C. It was 8.1. And she said, okay. So this basically means that you have uncontrolled diabetes. You're high risk now, so you're going to have to switch to a regular ob. And then things just went from there. So it was very far along in the pregnancy that I found out, going.

[A]

Back over those first six months. Hindsight, the peeing and the thirst. How long was it going on?

[B]

Only, like, two weeks. It was really, like, maybe around 26 weeks of pregnancy, so I really didn't have any symptoms. The only other thing that might be kind of odd is I didn't gain a whole lot of weight. I was pretty sick my first trimester, so had the whole morning sickness thing and was throwing up for like two months straight. And so I actually lost ten pounds. And then I gradually gained a little bit during the second trimester, and then it kind of just stopped. So I know that a lot of times when people get diagnosed, they lose weight. So kind of weird, because I was growing a baby, but then I wasn't really gaining weight, so that might have been another thing, but that was really it.

[A]

So what do you theorize here? Do you think that, like, where most people would say, oh, you have gestational diabetes, do you think you were just became type one during the pregnancy?

[B]

Yeah, I don't even think it was gestational. Yeah, from what I'm trying to put together in my head, because it's still very confusing for me, but I guess I was maybe genetically predisposed, and then the pregnancy just triggered the autoimmune response that started Type one. So I think it's just been type one this whole time.

[A]

Little babies, and they're like a little virus, just basically. Yeah. Trust me, when you try to raise it, they are viruses.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

Wait. Like, yells at you one day. Oh, my God, what a moment.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You're like, I didn't have to do this. You're welcome.

[B]

I know. Thanks, baby.

[A]

At some point, I believe every child in the world says, I didn't ask to be born. And that's a. That's a nice moment for you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I can give you the top 10 right now, Brooks, so you can gird your loins and get ready for it if you want.

[B]

Yeah, I got a lot of preparing to do.

[A]

I was listening to somebody the other day talk about being a parent, and they were just advocating for just, like, wonderfully, like, you know, about all the good it brings. But they also highlighted how the people describe their saddest years of their life between 25 and 45. And then somebody else said, well, isn't that the time when you're raising children? And he's like, well, yeah, you know, and then the guy, like, kind of begrudgingly says, there is a study that says that people who don't have children report being happier.

[B]

Oh, no. I mean, it's a huge transition. Like, everything I just think about back to the days when my husband and I could just leave the house and go to a brewery and not worry about anything and everything's different, but everything's different for the better.

[A]

You keep telling yourself that.

[B]

Yeah, it.

[A]

Was it a doula, by the way, or a midwife? Or. Are they the same? Are they not the same thing?

[B]

No. So a midwife is essentially the same thing as a ob. A doula is just emotional support. So the doula wouldn't actually deliver the baby. They would just kind of be there to help support you, and then the midwife would actually deliver the baby.

[A]

So you could have both.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. So you have the midwife and then, like, some hippie girl that talks to you while you're doing your thing.

[B]

Exactly. Which I ended up hiring a doula once I switched to the hospital. And she actually was very helpful, and she held my hand when I pushed and all the stuff, so she was very helpful.

[A]

Did she bring gems or stones to hold on your belly, by any chance?

[B]

She brought essential oils, which I. I thought were great.

[A]

I like you, Brooke.

[B]

I'm a little hyp.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah, I was gonna say. I'm hearing it now. The husband, he not qualified to hold your hand during the birth?

[B]

Well, he held one hand, and then she held the other, and then. Well, not to get sad, but we had a NICU baby, so he had to go with her to the nicu. And then while I was being stitched up, my doula stayed with me. So it's kind of nice to have two people there.

[A]

Whoa, stitched up. Did they give you an episiotomy or a C section?

[B]

I delivered vaginally, but a lot of times you tear, which I guess I.

[A]

Tore, so I wish you wouldn't have said that word out loud, but, yeah.

[B]

Every woman goes through it, so they know what I'm talking about.

[A]

Listen, I know. I was there when a couple of them happened. Yeah, but not the point. Point is, I just got that, like, horrible, like, thing up my spine. I was like, oh, I know. I can't. It didn't happen to me, and it couldn't happen to me, and I'm still freaked out by it.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. I can't believe it happened to me.

[A]

Well, so the baby needed to go to the NICU because it was underweight, overweight. Like, what was the issue?

[B]

She was born at 33 weeks. If they're born before 34 weeks, they require NICU stay. And so she. I guess before 34 weeks, their lungs aren't fully developed, so she had to go to the NICU to get on breathing support and then feeding tube and all this stuff.

[A]

That sounds scary.

[B]

It was tough. Yeah.

[A]

And were you able to see her as much as you wanted or.

[B]

Not particularly, I guess, right away. Not really, because I was, you know, getting stitched up, and I had to stay in the hospital for a few days, but then after that, I could go see her as much as I wanted to. So she stayed in for three weeks, and I was pretty much there every day, all day.

[A]

Did your husband make that terrible joke about throwing in an extra stitch?

[B]

No, thankfully.

[A]

It's like an old 70s joke I'm only aware of because I. I'm old. Can you imagine if that at all just happened? They were whisking your baby away to the. To the nicu. They're like, well, we're gonna have to do some stitches now. And you just heard him going out the door and yelling, throw in an extra one. You'd be like, unbelievable.

[B]

I'd be so mad at him.

[A]

Oh, my God. The doula would throw her essential oils right at him.

[B]

Oh, yes, yes. And her crystals.

[A]

And her crystals. Do you have essential oils in the house now, like with one of those vaporizer things?

[B]

I don't with the vaporizer, but I've always kind of had essential oils, you know, for different things.

[A]

All right. There's a candle in my bathroom right now. Smells awesome. I said to my wife, I was like, why does the bathroom smell so good? She says, there's a Christmas scandal in there.

[B]

And I was like, oh, Christmas candle cookie scented.

[A]

I don't know. All I know is those are things I would not own if it wasn't for jelly. So it is nice. Would I. Maybe if Kelly disappeared, do you think I'd go, like, let me get a candle for the bathroom at Christmas. Maybe I would. Who knows?

[B]

Maybe you would now that, you know, it helps.

[A]

It depends on how bored I am. Talk to me about those months. Right? Like, you. You have this. You know, you're. Thank God. Like, somebody checks your blood sugar, right? And transition over to hospital care. And then I want to. I want to hear about that step by step. You get to the hospital, what changes? And what are those next couple of months like before. Before the baby arrives?

[B]

So I switched to a regular ob. And if you're a high risk pregnancy, you have to work with maternal fetal medicine. And they have a whole diabetes team. So I switch to their care, and I start working with the diabetes educators, and they were super helpful. They set me up with the cgm. They explained insulin. They checked my blood sugar while I was there. I was. I think it was like 300 that day. So they were like, these are the things that you're going to have to do to manage this for the rest of pregnancy. And I was very in denial. I thought, like, there's no way this isn't just gestational or maybe it's just type two and it's going to go away. Like, I didn't know that type one was really a factor at this point.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I didn't really understand the difference between type one and type two. I. The only thing that I understood was that, well, I thought type one only happened in childhood, teenage years, and I didn't really realize that it could happen at any point. And it also meant that you had to have insulin. So I didn't really understand a lot of it. So I was like, okay, well, this, I'm gonna, you know, help this with diet and lifestyle. Like, I'm gonna get my blood sugars under control. I'm not gonna have to go with insulin. I think it was like two weeks went by before I actually started the insulin. And, and I got my blood sugars down to like the low one hundreds just by tuning in my diet. So at that point, the only thing that I couldn't really fix was my fasting numbers in pregnancy. They want it to be under 95 when you wake up. And I was like 110, 120. So I did have to go on insulin. They set me up with a long lasting and a rapid, and that helped me manage it. And at some point along the lines there, I don't remember exactly when, but they suggested getting the antibodies test to rule out type one, I guess. Is there three different antibodies you could have?

[A]

I mean, I think there's five, isn't there?

[B]

Okay, yeah, I'm not exactly sure, but I think I had three of the antibodies or maybe all. So they were like, yeah, this is probably type one. They kind of explained to me, like, after pregnancy you're going to have to switch to an endocrinologist and this is going to be a lifelong thing for you. So I still was kind of in denial that that was true. I was just like, there's no way this happened to me. Like, it's gestational, it's going to go away, like, whatever.

[A]

Well, so wait, Brooke, I understand you'd be in denial the first time, but like, what about after? They're like, nope, it's definitely this. This episode is sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. And today I'm going to tell you about Tandem's newest pump and algorithm. The Tandem mobi system with control IQ+ technology features Autobolus, which can cover missed meal boluses and help prevent hyperglycemia. It has a dedicated sleep activity setting and is controlled from your personal iPhone. Tandem will help you to check your benefits today through my link tandemdiabetes.com juicebox this is going to help you to get started with Tandem's smallest pump yet that's powered by its best algorithm ever. Control IQ technology helps to keep blood sugars in range by predicting glucose levels 30 minutes ahead and it adjusts insulin accordingly. You can wear the tandemoby in a number of ways. Wear it on body with a patch like adhesive sleeve that is sold separately. Clip it discreetly to your clothing or slip it into your pocket head now to my link tandemdiabetes.com juicebox to check out your benefits and get started today. Diabetes comes with a lot of things to remember, so it's nice when someone takes something off of your plate. Usmed has done that for us. When it's time for ardent supplies to be refreshed, we get an email rolls up and in your inbox says hi Arden, this is your friendly reorder email from usmed. You open up the email, it's a big button that says click here to reorder and you're done. Finally, somebody taking away a responsibility instead of adding one. Usmed has done that for for us. An email arrives, we click on a link and the next thing you know your products are at the front door. That simple usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. I never have to wonder if Arden has enough supplies. I click on one link, I open up a box, I put the stuff in the drawer and we're done. UsMed carries everything from insulin pumps to and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGMs like the Libre 3 and the Dexcom G7. They accept Medicare nationwide, over 800 private insurers and all you have to do to get started is call 888-721-1514 or go to my link usmed.com juicebox using that number or my link helps to support the production of the Juice Box podcast.

[B]

Because I didn't understand Type one, I think I just was like there's no way that this just developed during pregnancy. And even the doctors kind of seemed confused about the fact that you can get type one during pregnancy. I don't know, have you ever heard of that? Because they seemed like they've never had anyone develop Type one During pregnancy.

[A]

Just because they haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Also, five antibodies associated with type 1 diabetes. Gad65 Ia2, that's isolate antigen 2 antibodies, IAA, insulin autoantibodies, ZNT8, zinc transporter 8 antibodies, and ICA isolate cell cytoplasmic antibodies. One positive antibody can indicate an autoimmune activity two or more. Consider strong evidence for type 1 diabetes or very high risk if not diagnosed. Kids with multiple antibodies almost have 100% lifetime risk of developing typ.

[B]

Okay, so, yeah, I'm pretty sure I had three. So I guess I'm in the boat of my type 1.

[A]

You also could have had them for, you know, for a long time.

[B]

Yeah. And that's what I still don't really understand. If I had them for a long time, I don't understand why I didn't have symptoms until.

[A]

Because you didn't have diabetes yet. You just had the. The antibodies are just there. So, like, you know, I mean, do you remember being sick before pregnancy, A virus or, you know, kind of a prolonged illness? Anything that might have taxed your. Your immune system?

[B]

The only thing that I dealt with was kind of tmi, but I had abnormal TAP test results. So I had abnormal cells on my cervix that lasted about six to seven years. And they said that typically what I had would clear itself within like a year or two. And my body could not clear whatever this was. And so there was an indicator that I had a weak immune system because I just couldn't clear it on my own. So that would be the only thing. But aside from that, I felt extremely healthy prior to pregnancy. So it was definitely a shock.

[A]

Yeah. So, I mean, I'm picking around a little bit here and asking our overlords. Obviously, pregnancy doesn't create type 1 diabetes, but it changes the immune system. Hormones and some resistance in ways that can maybe unmask or accelerate the progression. If you already have antibodies. Like, so, you know, I mean, just something that shifts your immune system. The pregnancy could, you know, definitely does that.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

You get like a big hormonal insulin resistance, like 20 to 28 weeks, like, right in there. Who knows? Like, you know, is it bothering you? Is it a feeling like you'd like to have an answer?

[B]

I think I'm coming to accept it in the moment. It was. It definitely did bother me. I just was. I just was like, how does this happen to me? I don't understand you. Explaining that helps even more. I think every day I'm Just kind of accepting it and learning more about it and understanding that this is my new reality.

[A]

Okay. And are you having a reasonable time with that transition, or is it, like, are you seeing a therapist, or do you feel like you should. Do you need somebody to hold your hand or rub oil on you or something?

[B]

Essential oils definitely would help. No, I think I'm doing okay. I think it helps that I'm in the honeymoon phase, because it's kind of like a slow transition. Like, I'm. It's slowly. I need to take more insulin, and so I have a transition into it, and it's not just like, one day. All of a sudden, I have to take tons of insulin, and my blood sugars are all over the place. So I'm managing it pretty well.

[A]

Good, good. Did you. I'm sorry, you did have to take insulin during the pregnancy, right?

[B]

Yes, it was like, since I gave birth at 33 weeks, it was probably only for, like, two weeks that I actually did, but. Yeah.

[A]

And then do you see an endocrinologist separate from. For you during that time?

[B]

The maternal fetal medicine handled me until I gave birth. And then once I gave birth, they passed me off to endo. So I had my first endocrinologist appointment, like, three weeks after she was born.

[A]

The diagnosis isn't really about you while the baby's on board. It's more about the pregnancy. Like, you are the pregnant. Is that right? Like, it's more like you are the pregnancy. And then, you know, we're managing the pregnancy, and now that the baby's been extracted, now we go and you get your type 1 diabetes diagnosis the way everybody else does, and you go through the process.

[B]

Yeah. And I think that might also be why I was a little just, like, in denial, because until I saw my endocrinologist, he was like, yes, you are type one. You're in the honeymoon phase. And you gave me all the facts, whereas before, it was kind of like everything just seemed so up in the air. So once I had the endocrinologist appointment, I was like, okay, like, this is what's going on.

[A]

Makes a lot of sense, actually. There's some great insight in there. I appreciate you sharing it like that. So, okay, baby comes out, you go to the endo. Now you have type 1. What's it like being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes? As you're also a newborn parent, why would you settle for changing your CGM every few weeks when you can have 365 days of reliable glucose data? Today's episode is sponsored by the Eversense365. It is the only CGM with a tiny sensor that lasts a full year. Sitting comfortably under your skin. With no more frequent sensor changes and essentially no compression lows for one year, you'll get your CGM data in real time on your phone. Smartwatch, Android or iOS, even an Apple watch. Predictive high and low alerts let you know where your glucose is headed before it gets there. So there's no surprises, just confidence. And you can instantly share that data with your healthcare provider or your family. You're going to get one year of reliable data without all those sensor changes. That's the Eversense 365. Gentle on your skin, strong for your life. One sensor a year. That gives you one less thing to worry about. Head now to eversensecgm.com juicebox to get started.

[B]

It's very overwhelming. I guess I don't know any different. Like, I don't know what it's like to have a baby or be pregnant without this going on. So I don't know what it would be like if I didn't have Type one. So I think every mother goes through a period where they're very overwhelmed and there's a lot going on. But that's. I mean, the best I can describe it is very overwhelming. And obviously you have to always put the baby first. And so, you know, her needs come before my needs. And there's times where I don't always get to check what my blood sugar is and maybe not take insulin exactly when I wanted to. And I try to exercise after meals and stuff like that just to keep my blood sugar lower. And there's times I can't do that. So I guess you just really have to prioritize the baby. And so sometimes the diabetes stuff gets put on the back burner.

[A]

How long ago was she born?

[B]

She is almost three months.

[A]

Oh, okay. So, wow, this is all very fresh.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

How did you find me so quickly?

[B]

So my husband, he loves to go on Reddit and he was just looking up people with type 1 and what they had to say on Reddit. And a lot of people were talking about Dr. Bernstein and he had a Facebook page called Type 1 Grit or something like that. And so I went and looked on that page and I hadn't read the book at that point. I still, I think, only read like a chapter. So they want you to have fully read the book and be on his diet to join that page. So it suggested, like, other resources and I don't remember if they Suggested your Facebook page or your podcast, but whichever one I found, and then I found the other. And I love listening to podcasts, so I've been listening to your podcast, like, two episodes a day, something like that. So.

[A]

Okay, well, so hold on. That's crazy. So you. Your husband found people talking about a very, like, low carb approach to type 1 diabetes, and you tried to find a Facebook page for that approach, but they wouldn't let you in until you read the book and were on the diet? Yes, but then who told you about me? Like, were you in a different Facebook page and people were like, oh, you can go talk to Scott's people now? Is that how it worked?

[B]

I think in the. You know, when it sometimes asks you questions when you join a Facebook page, I think in there, it had links to other either Facebook pages or podcasts and resources. So I just clicked on one of those links and it took me to wherever.

[A]

That surprises the hell out of me. And I. I just. And I just. Brooke, if that's the case, I just have to tell you, like, I. And I have no malice. I don't think the low carb community is a fan of mine, so that freaks me out.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Anyway, what's up, brothers? Like, I. I think it's cool. I think everybody should be sharing everything. Like, I genuinely. If you want to, you know, follow the teachings of Dr. Bernstein, I think that's completely reasonable. And I also think it's completely reasonable if you want to do a number of other things. I like the idea of people having options, seeing what's out there and, you know, and making their own decisions. So, anyway, if that's the case, I. I really appreciate it. And we. I'll tell you, I have a number of people who. Who eat very low carb in my group, and we're happy to let them share as well about how they do things. I only ever kind of step in if people start to proselytize. If you come into my. Into my group and every question that's asked is answered with like, well, you have to do this or go try this right away. Like, I'm like, all right. Like, you're just on a. You know, you're just trying to get people from here to wherever it is you think they should be, like, just. You can tell them, hey, this works for me. And, like, you know, give it a shot. But if you start posting 12 times a day about it, like, I feel like maybe there's something going on.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Dr. Bernstein, he lived till 90 yeah, he just passed this year. Really? Astounding. Yeah, he passed away in April, but that. Just an astounding life, you know, doing that. So. Okay. All right. That's awesome. And then. So you found the podcast. You liked listening to the podcast. So what did you get out of it? That, I mean, because you're on the show pretty quickly.

[B]

Yeah, I think I reached out, like, I don't know, only a couple weeks after listening to your podcast. I mean, I just love hearing other people's stories and relating to what they're going through. And I think something that made me want to reach out was when I was diagnosed, I was, like I said, very confused about the fact that it happened during pregnancy. And I did find on Reddit that there's a lot of other people who've had the same experience out there, and I kind of wish that I saw more of that and I heard someone's, like, full story and in a podcast or something like that of getting diagnosed during pregnancy, so kind of made me just want to share my story. I wasn't sure if you had ever had anyone on with a similar story, but I figured I'd like to share, so.

[A]

Well, I appreciate that, and I. It doesn't matter if anybody's been on before talking about something similar. I think we need to keep having conversations so people can keep hearing them, so.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So you made a point earlier that, like, you work a little bit in denial, then a lot in denial, then, you know, back again. Is there something that you can point to that a doctor said to you that actually made you feel like, okay, this is actually happening to me? Like, I gotta wrap my head around it. Was there something valuable that was said to you that helped you with that?

[B]

I think my endocrinologist explaining honeymoon, because I didn't understand that, and leading up to that point, I was not taking a whole lot of insulin. And there was even a couple days in the hospital where I didn't have it. Once I started learning more about Type one, it's like, you need insulin. So I was like, how did. How do I have type 1 and not need insulin? So when he started explaining the honeymoon phase and he got my C peptides checked, I think it was. And that confirmed that I was in the honeymoon stage because I still had some insulin being produced by my own body. So I think understanding that and how it was a transition into it made sense for what was going on with me.

[A]

It just really does occur to me that being pregnant and giving birth and being told at the Same time, Right. Like, you have type 1 diabetes, and here's all that comes with that. You said overwhelming, but, like, you're really, like, underplaying it, right? Like, I mean, it wasn't just overwhelming. It was probably insane.

[B]

Yeah. Life changing.

[A]

Right? Right. And your husband, this guy, I mean, he's not even qualified to hold your hand correctly. So, I mean, how. How helpful is he going to be with this whole thing? But no, seriously, like, you're. You're fairly newly wed still. Am I right?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, so you're newly wed. You're newly, you know, just went through a pregnancy that didn't go the way you expected. You had, like, some big plans. They got kind of, you know, smushed up there at the end. I wonder if you still have a full, like, feeling of the impact of what's happened to you.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I don't think I do. And my husband, love him, but he, I think, is even in more denial than I am. I think I've come to kind of accept, like, what's to come. And he's still very optimistic. Like, maybe it'll go away. Like, I think he doesn't have as much education on it that I do at this point. I mean, I'm still learning so much.

[A]

So.

[B]

Still have so much to learn.

[A]

But, Brooke, is it too late to switch to a different boy? Wait, what? Wait, what are you telling me you feel he has said to you, maybe it'll go away?

[B]

I mean, I think he's just very optimistic, and I think even if it doesn't go away, he thinks I'll be able to manage it with very low insulin diet and stuff like that. And I keep saying, like, no, I'm gonna have to start taking more insulin. I'm gonna have to start taking it with meals and that kind of stuff. So I think he's just very optimistic.

[A]

Well, listen, I'm gonna take his optimism and say, I'm happy he's optimistic. I'm sad that this is the situation and that it. It feels like this, because you're making me posit what might be going through a lot of different people's heads in this situation. Like, oh, maybe it'll go away. Maybe they'll cure it. I've. You know, I've seen people say, God's gonna take it from, like, you know, like, I've got all different ideas of people, people clinging to the idea that I want this to change and go back. And you're the one saying, no, no, this is. This is how it's going to be. I think that's healthy, by the way, that you're. That you're understanding of the situation. I do think there are people who don't care for themselves as well because they. That feeling of, like, hopefulness can turn into, like, well, I'll just ignore it because this isn't going to be my life. And I just think you have a great shot at success when you face it head on like this. There are things that can help, you know, like as you, as you go along, you'll be able to pay attention to me. There's a lot of people right now who, you know, experience insulin resistance who are using a little bit of GLP medications that are bringing their insulin needs down that way. You could absolutely decide that eating, like a very low carb diet is for you, you know, that would keep your insulin needs down. There's a lot of things you can do, but you're in the infancy of it. No pun intended, you know, in the infancy of a lot of things.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

How is the baby, by the way?

[B]

She's great. You know, after she stayed three weeks in the nicu, she had the breathing stuff, like the CPAP machine, she had a feeding tube. But once we got her home, she's been doing great. So no concerns with her. I know that a lot of times when you have diabetes in the pregnancy, the. The concerns are that they would be a really big baby to start, which she was born early, so that didn't really happen, and then they would have low blood sugar issues. But because she was in the NICU for three weeks, they were checking that constantly and she didn't have any issues with that. So she's great.

[A]

What was her birth weight?

[B]

It was five and a half pounds, basically.

[A]

But there is part of me that really thinks that that's a helpful indicator that you really just were diagnosed with type one while you were pregnant. Because if you, if, you know, if you had gestational the entire time, I imagine her birth weight would have been higher.

[B]

Yeah. And I also am not sure, like, since she was born at 33 weeks, she was five and a half pounds. That's big for 33 weeks. Had she gone all the way, I don't know if she would have been a good baby.

[A]

Fair point. I'm glad we've talked about it because I'd like to understand that. Interesting. Has your family extended been valuable for you here? Your mother. I don't know if your mom and dad are together or alive or whatever, but, like, do you have people that that can help you and, and you can lean on.

[B]

Yeah, they're all very supportive. My mom, so my mom's pre diabetic and my grandfather who was her dad, he has since passed, but he had type 2. So there's some understanding of diabetes in my family. They were so helpful at the end of pregnancy and the beginning of bringing the baby home, of cooking us meals. And I just tell them like, what I can eat and send them recipes and they cook for us. So that was super helpful. So, yeah, they've all been very supportive.

[A]

Very nice, Very nice. You feel like you're set up well? Yeah, yeah. Do you feel like you'll want an insulin pump when the time comes or do you think you're going to try mdi?

[B]

I'm definitely considering it. I don't know. I think there's positives and negatives. I've seen like videos of people putting their insulin or their pumps in and I don't know, they seem painful and then sometimes they leak and whatever else. But then on the other side, giving yourself multiple injections a day is also a pain. So I'm kind of considering both. So we'll just kind of see what happens.

[A]

Wait and see. Are you wearing a CGM?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Which one?

[B]

I have the Libre.

[A]

Libre 3 Plus.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Awesome. Very nice. What are you seeing on the cgm? You know, because right now you're just taking a basal insulin, is that right?

[B]

As of this week, I started adding back in a little bit of rapid. Just a very small amount though.

[A]

Okay, what are you noticing? Where does your blood sugar sit stable away from meals? And what are you seeing as far as spikes go at mealtime?

[B]

So I do feel like things have kind of gradually progressed over the last couple months. Right. When I, after I gave birth and I got home and everything, I was pretty much sitting in the 90s like low 1/ hundreds and I was only taking 7 units of Lantus before bed. And then interestingly, I saw those numbers start to creep up, especially at night. I would get into like the 130s and it was too high for what I was comfortable with. So I reached out to my endo and I said, hey, I'm noticing my numbers are creeping up. I'm starting to eat foods that I wouldn't spike on before and I'm starting to spike on now. So would you recommend adding back in rapid and upping my lantis? And he said no. He said your numbers are fantastic. In his opinion, he wanted as long as my A1C is under 7 for me, personally, I would like it to be like under 5.5, ideally. So I kind of ignored his advice and started adding more Lantus. And so Now I'm taking 11 units of Lantus before bed, like two units with a meal if I feel like I need it. And so I'm staying pretty stable. I usually don't go over, like, 140, 150.

[A]

Where'd you get the nerve to do that?

[B]

Your podcast.

[A]

Oh, sorry. Hi, everybody. I'm glad for you. I think, you know, I'm going to try to say this as much as I can. I believe that people who have the most Success with type 1 diabetes have good tools, they have a good understanding of how insulin works, and they feel empowered to make changes to their settings. I think that's a big deal, that being able to say my needs have changed and I don't need to stare at it for six months or ask a committee of people to decide whether or not I should go from 0.5 to 0.7.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, that's awesome. So you're, you're continuing, you're not having any lows that, that are worrisome?

[B]

No, no lows really at all. Um, occasionally I'll like, dip into the high 60s, but it'll come right back and I've haven't had any issues.

[A]

Does a high 60 feel any certain way to you or.

[B]

No, not really. No.

[A]

No, you don't feel low?

[B]

No.

[A]

At that number, are you using a meter once in a while to check, make sure that Libre is giving you a good number?

[B]

I was at the beginning and I stopped, so I probably should.

[A]

Yeah. Look, every once in a while it doesn't hurt anything, especially in the extremes, you know what I mean? Like, I'd love to know if a 69 is really 69, and I'd love to know if. Oh, you know, a 180 is not 240, that kind of thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I guess what I'm interested in, like, you're so new to this and like you said, it's not even like, full on. Woo. I got like, type one and all the insulin and everything's happening right now and you have somebody on your side who you love and you care about, who's telling you, like, maybe it'll go away. And, you know, and you're like, no, I don't think so. Like, and the baby's there and she. Are you breastfeeding?

[B]

Yeah, I'm breastfeeding. Pumping.

[A]

And you're breastfeeding and you're pumping and like, do you Work. You have a job. Like, you have to go to work.

[B]

I have a very small part time job that I can work from home. It's like a few hours a week.

[A]

Okay. All right, well, you don't have to leave the house then, like on a schedule. That's. That's. Yeah, that's great. At least. I'm just like. I'm wondering, like, I mean, it's not what you expected and it's not what you were getting ready for. Right. So what is it like when you. When you step out of yourself right now and look at this entire situation? How would you explain it to another person as an onlooker? Like, what's happening to you right now?

[B]

That's a hard question. I don't know. It's hard to take yourself out of the situation. But I guess when people ask what's going on, I just say, I got type one when I was pregnant, and here we are. I mean, I have. I'm in the honeymoon phase, and it's gradually ramping up. Most people don't understand type 1 diabetes, so I'll explain to them that my pancreas is still producing some insulin, so I don't have to take as much right now. But, yeah, we're just taking it day by day.

[A]

I'll be damned. You have such a good attitude.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Are you an only child? Do you have brothers and sisters?

[B]

I'm the middle child. I've always been the. I would say, like, optimistic, go with the flow type of person.

[A]

Well, you really are. I mean, she's like, go with the flow is. Is, you know, an understatement here. Like, you're not mad, you're not scared.

[B]

I mean, I definitely. I definitely have had those emotions. But I think when it comes down to it, when you have a baby, it's like it's about them, and you have to do what you have to do to keep them healthy. I've heard you talk a lot about Arden's story and how you just have to do it. You don't have a choice. And so I just have to put my baby first at this point. And, you know, obviously I have to take care of myself too. Cause if I'm not healthy, then she doesn't have anyone to take care of her. But, you know, as a parent, you got to do what you got to do. I think it just helps. For me, it helps hearing people's stories, and it helps getting educated. And that's why I love listening to podcasts. Like, I've always been A podcast junkie. And whatever is going, I'm going through at that time in my life, I just binge podcasts about. And so I'm so glad that I found yours. And there's so much content. Like, I don't think I'll ever run out of podcasts to listen to, so I'm thankful for that.

[A]

So, two things. First of all, would you like to renounce your father and accept me as your father? No. No. Yes. It's okay if you don't want to know. You're like, no, what the hell kind of question. I was just kidding. You don't have to apologize.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Also, I really appreciate you saying what you just said, because I just had this conversation last night with somebody who said to me, like, oh, I was somewhere recently, and a couple people said to me, like, oh, you know, the podcast has too much content. And I said, those aren't podcast listeners. And you're making my point here, which is really, really great for me, because now I feel like I might have been right about something. I think that the podcast attracts a couple of different people. I think it attracts people who have been thrown into diabetes or struggling, and they've heard that it could be helpful to them, and they come and they find it, and I think they extract from it what they need to go live a better life, you know, and. Or to get enough tools for building blocks for themselves. I don't think you. I don't imagine that most people, like, just listen to what I say and just go do it. Like, I think they apply it to their own lives and their own thinking and find a blend that works for them. I think then when those people are done and their A1Cs and their stability is where they kind of want it to be, and their understanding and their comfortability is where they want it to be, I think they kind of go away, right? Like, I think they found a thing and it helped them, and now they don't need it anymore. And then I think there are other people who show up for all kinds of different reasons who are actually podcast listeners and want to listen to these conversations. And those people, they want something every day, and they want it to be an hour or an hour and a half long. Like, they're not looking for 15 minutes. Give me something. Let me get out of here. There are people who like podcasts, and you're one of those people. Yeah.

[B]

I find myself, if I have a podcast, I really like getting angry if there's an episode that's only 15 minutes, because like, what can you say in 15 minutes? There's so much to say. And I just love, I love the long podcast.

[A]

Thank you. I do too. I prefer, by the way, I don't even make podcasts at the length that I prefer them at. I prefer them around two and a half hours. But when I'm listening myself, there have been times where people have said things like, I. This woman said something online the other day that it really like, I was like, oh, like, it hit me right in my soul. She goes, yeah, I tried the podcast. Too much chit chat. She said, oh. And I was like, oh, that's, that's the part I'm good at.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, no. Too much of the thing that I think I'm good at. I was like, oh, no, no. So, but it's easy for a moment to be like, oh, she doesn't like me. But I don't think she doesn't like me. She doesn't like podcasting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

An easy thing to lose sight of. So when I was explaining to the person about all this, they were like, you know, the person said they would like shorter episodes and more stuff about management, more stuff with doctors and more stuff with that. I said, that's the stuff that doesn't do as well. Like, not by a lot, like, don't get me wrong, but like, if I do, what are a couple of things that happen if I do too much management stuff, the management stuff does worse by like 10%. And even the stuff that people love, like bolus 4 and like, like the pro tip, stuff like, that's listened to by a lot of people, like, don't get me wrong, but not as many people want to listen to you and I chit chat about your pregnancy and your life with diabetes. Those episodes do better and people want it every day. They, they're not looking for once a week. They're not looking for, you know, every other, you know, Wednesday and Friday, like, kind of thing. Like people who want podcasts, they want them all the time. And if they wake up on Monday or what we, you know, what was yesterday. Blind electrician. If you wake up tomorrow, you know, and you go blind electrician, I don't care. Well, maybe you cared about the one from the day before or the five that were out the week before or the five that are coming in the next five days, like, there's always going to be content for you. Like, I think in a world that is built the way ours is now, if you're putting something out once a week or once a Month. You barely have a hobby at that point.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You are not creating content, that's for certain. And for the people who love it like you, it's exactly what they want.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know what it is. It's like, for me, it's kind of comforting having like chit chat in the background. I don't know, especially being mostly a stay at home mom, you're just by yourself all day with a little baby. So having just people talking in the background and. Yeah, I don't know, hearing. Hearing similar stories. I really love it.

[A]

I will tell you that. I just, I grew up with talk radio and I find it incredibly valuable. I love having voices, like, you know, I love hearing people's stories who I've never met before and I'll never meet. I like to hear people's perspectives. I like that there's somebody leading the conversation who I'm comfortable with, you know, who I find to be reasonable. I don't have to always agree with that person. I, as a matter of fact, I've, you know, I don't. But, and, but still, like, there's a core about them that works for me. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah.

[B]

No, I agree completely.

[A]

Yeah. So, like, I'm sure I say something. I'm sure there are people who absolutely love this podcast who once in a while, like, what did that just say? And like, because I do the same thing when I'm listening to stuff that I enjoy that has nothing to do with diabetes or me, and you know, like, I'm sitting there and like nodding along like, you know, like doing the dishes. You're like, yeah, I agree with that. That makes sense. And they say something. I go, where'd you come up with that, moron? And like, you know, like, it's. It. I don't know. I just think it's. I think it's an awesome way to bring people together.

[B]

Definitely. I agree.

[A]

Thank you. Well, thank you very much and all of you other podcast listeners out there. I appreciate you. And by the way, those of you who are just here for whatever, like, you need out of it, like, I don't begrudge it at all. Like, I think, I think it's awesome that we built something that also does something else, you know? So do you do it for that? Like, I mean, have you even needed to really dive into pro tips yet? Or are you try Bold Beginnings? Have you tried any of that management stuff?

[B]

I've tried a little bit of each, I think. I can't remember exactly what episodes I Listened to, but I did definitely listen to some of the Bold Beginnings, some of the pro tips, and some of your bolus episodes. So I've heard bits and pieces.

[A]

So you're grabbing what you need and feeling like, to get yourself feeling like you're prepared. Is that right?

[B]

Yeah. Like, for instance, I think it was maybe in the Bold Beginnings, there was like, a episode about honeymoon, so I've listened to that. And then an episode about insulin, and I listen to that, and I kind of just listen to what I need. I also kind of cherry pick the talking episodes to ones that I think will be more similar to my experience, of course. And I just kind of start with those.

[A]

That's obvious. And you've been at it such a short amount of time. Like, you're one of those people that if I don't piss you off, you could be listening to this show for 10 years.

[B]

Yeah, I'm sure I will, because there's been podcasts that I've listened to for probably 10 years now, so.

[A]

Me too. Yeah. There's stuff I've listened to for so long that I don't even think it's the same thing I started with. And I still just. I'm just happy to be with the people at that point. Yeah. No, that's awesome. It's not YouTube, right? Like, people are like, Put your podcast on YouTube. I'm like, Nah, it's not the same thing. Like, I know you think it is, but it's not like that's. It's not the same. Like, YouTube viewers are not podcast listeners.

[B]

Yeah. And I feel like it's more approachable for a podcast because I can put it. I don't have to watch it. I can put it on in the car. I can put it on when I'm in the shower. Like, whatever I'm doing, just have that background noise versus having to watch something.

[A]

You know, it's funny, too. Somebody said to me the other day, I did an interview with somebody, and they were like, can you get a screen grab of you and I talking? And I was like, I don't do video. I don't have any of that. And they said, oh, I just wanted a picture of you and me for some social media. And I was doing. I was like, yeah, I'm like, I'm not the face of the podcast. People don't care what I look like.

[B]

Yeah, I don't even think I knew what you looked like.

[A]

Yeah, that's not important. It really isn't. I was listening to the Howard Stern show For six years, when I realized that Robin was black, I had no idea. And that's not even probably. There might even be a thing you have context for. But I was listening to a group of people talk for six years, and one day I was like, what did they just say? I was like, oh, I didn't know that. I loved how unimportant it was. Yeah, she's a voice with thoughts, and she's consistent and like her. Not like her. Be angry with her sometimes. Enjoy what she says. Sometimes. She was just a constant. Like, it's. I don't know. I just think it's wonderful. It's popular. Like, that's the other thing is that the last thing I said to the person was like, they're like, well, there's, you know, there's other podcasts, and they do more stuff with doctors. And I was like, yeah, boring. Nobody cares.

[B]

Yeah, there's a lot of podcasts out there. There's a lot. I mean, you can find whatever you're looking for pretty much. So, yeah, they're out there if you want them.

[A]

That's it. Here I am through Reddit because you're so. Your husband listens. My God, you've had such a crazy route to getting to where you are right now. Really nice. Like, it's interesting. I am worried about the boy, though. Like, is he. Do you think he's in denial?

[B]

I think he's a little bit in denial, but I more so think he just. He. I think it's the optimism. Like, I think he thinks we're gonna manage this easy. Like, we'll stay low carb. You won't have to go on the pump. Like, I think he just thinks we're gonna handle it very simplified. And I just am like, it. It's not gonna be that easy. There's gonna be ups and downs. There's gonna be things that change throughout. So I think he just is not ready for the ride that we're going to be on.

[A]

Unfair question because you haven't been married that long, so you might not have the answer. But do you think he believes that, or do you think that he thinks this is him pumping you up or helping you stay positive or whatever?

[B]

I think he believes it because I'll come back and say, no, there's going to be a day that I have to take more insulin. It's not going to be so easy. And I mean, I think. I don't know. He'll see. He'll figure it out.

[A]

You're like, I'll show Him. Don't worry.

[B]

Yeah, he's gonna have to learn because, I mean, he'll see my numbers, and when it's like, okay, I'm spiking, all I ate was an egg, then, yeah, I have to take insulin.

[A]

Yeah. I just don't want. And I'm not saying this is your situation. Maybe it is exactly as you're saying, but there are people who really believe that stuff who are running around, like, limiting their insulin and doing, like, they're not being safe, and I don't think you would do that. I'm not saying that, but I'm trying to figure out, like, where does that come from? Like, from this, like, feel. Is he very religious?

[B]

We've recently got into religion and started going to the church, so I don't really think it's that.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

To be honest, we're both a little skeptical about modern medicine, hence why we want to do the home birth and everything. So I think he just doesn't always believe things off the bat. He has to see it for himself and go through it to understand because it's. There's so much misinformation out there.

[A]

There is, but. But there's also a lot of good information. So how. How old is he?

[B]

31.

[A]

Okay. And do you guys grow up in a small town?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. Anybody go to college?

[B]

I went to college. He did not.

[A]

He did not. What'd you go for?

[B]

I was a dance major.

[A]

Oh, you can go to college for that.

[B]

You can. And I did.

[A]

Well, I would have gone to college if. I know that.

[B]

Yeah, it was great. I loved it.

[A]

I'm a terrible dancer, but I. I mean, this is where I could have thrived.

[B]

Yeah, maybe. I think anyone can be a dance major, really.

[A]

Like you. You don't think that when I dance, I look ridiculous and there's no way to fix that?

[B]

Well, it's funny. I don't know. The dance community gets very, very hippie as well sometimes, and it's like, anything can be art, anything can be dance.

[A]

So if you're going to be that nice, then I agree. But I don't. I don't agree on. On principle. Go back to a second to. There's a lot of misinformation. Type 1 diabetes has been around forever. People who believe that you. You see the ancient Egyptians talking about it, they call it the great drain. They thought you urinated yourself to death. Right.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Insulin was made in the. In the twenties. Saved people's lives. Does every day. Is there something about that that he thinks is wrong?

[B]

No, I. I didn't mean that. Misinformation is specifically about diabetes. Just like out there in the world. Like, you go on Facebook and I just saw like an I. This is crazy. I just saw an AI video of RFK saying that there is some cactus blend that could cure diabetes, and I thought it was weird, so I googled it and it was, yes, this is an AI video. So there's so much crazy stuff out there that it's hard to believe things when you see them first.

[A]

So people are just trying to get clicks. Right, Right. And so I think that's why it's important to find a community of people that you can believe in at some point and just kind of go off of that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you've done that already, so you'll be okay. But he's not. He hasn't done that yet.

[B]

No. Other than his Reddit searches, which you can find anything that you are looking for on Reddit. So I do think that at some point I will suggest him starting to listen to your podcast or things like that, just so he can see, because he's never been around anyone who's had diabetes other than me, so he has a lot of learning to do.

[A]

Give him the bold beginning series. Like, let him listen to that, you know, because, like, look, I don't not get the duality of a person who makes content saying, like, oh, there's content out there and it's bull. There's people listening right now are like, scott, I've heard you be wrong about stuff. Is your content bull? Like, you know what I mean? Like that. I get that vibe. But like, there's just some basic truths about type 1 diabetes. Right? You have type 1 diabetes. You need man made insulin. You will die without it. Maybe you'll need less while you're in a honeymoon phase. And I'll tell you, there's an episode of a guy who was type one for many years using a lot of insulin, but then they put him on a weight loss medication. Manjaro or Zepbound, I forget, it's the same thing. And he actually came off his insulin. And as of the time I interviewed him, he wasn't back on it yet, but he also fully expected that he would be at some point. Yeah, right. And like, so, like, like, if I said to you right now, like, you could maybe stretch out your honeymoon with some glp, I don't think that's maybe a crazy thing to say because you can. You could maybe lighten the load and take a little bit of the burden off your beta cells right now and maybe make this time go a little longer for you and maybe not. Like, I have no idea, you might shoot that GLP and nothing happens to your insulin. Yeah, I have absolutely no idea. But GLP is. Don't cure type 1 diabetes.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

It doesn't make it go away or anything like that. You still have it. You still need insulin inside. Unless your body's making enough in a honeymoon situation that the GLP lifts the need and allows for what's going on in your beta cells to be enough for you, which is what I think is happening to that guy. And I've had other people on who have told that story, too. But having said that, not many people. A couple. You know, most people who take a GLP who have type one just experience less of insulin aid, but maybe by 20% or, you know, I've heard some people say by 30%. I mean, that might be valuable for you to look into.

[B]

I think maybe where some of his skepticism comes to is Dr. Bernstein. From what we were hearing, people were taking very, very minimal insulin by, I guess, the low carb diet. So I guess maybe his thinking is we're going to find a way that you don't have to take a lot of insulin for the rest of your life.

[A]

Well, that. That's very reasonable. Like, it certainly is if you don't tax your. You know, a lot of people have success with that now, by the way. A lot of people. I don't know what that means. Like, the percentage of people who are doing that. I don't know what that number is, but also. Is that a thing you want to do?

[B]

I'd consider it, but I don't know if it would last the rest of my life. Are you talking about the low carb?

[A]

I'm talking about what happens seven, eight months from now when that baby turns one. There's a cake. Are you gonna want some of it?

[B]

I don't know. I think we'll see. I mean, I've been in a lot of situations lately where, I mean, the holidays are coming up and there's foods that would definitely spike my blood sugar if I ate them. And I'm okay with passing it up, but I can't say that I'm going to be able to do that forever. I mean, I ate pretty healthy my whole life, so I think I can definitely eat pretty low carb, But I can't say there's not going to be a day where I want a bowl of French fries or something.

[A]

Yeah, it's a journey. You'll figure it out along the way. Yeah, but, but it is tough. I mean, my point is, is that it's tough to have an outside person tell you three months into something, hey, you know what? The, the idea here is, is like just eat a steak and don't touch any carbs ever again and you won't have to do. It's like, all right, man, well, maybe I'll just use some insulin and like, you know, have a brownie.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

I don't know what will be right for you, you know.

[B]

Yeah, I think there's a balance. I think, you know, I'll figure it out.

[A]

Well, that's definitely true. I mean, listen, the lower carb you eat, the better off you know, you're going to be as far as the amount of insulin you. Yeah, this podcast probably started with me saying, like, I figured out, like, that these things help. My daughter's A1C stays lower. Right. And as I started making the podcast, it occurred to me that I'm not in charge of how people eat. There's an industry around telling people how to eat. Right. Like, there's somebody out there telling you to eat keto. There's somebody out there telling you to high fat. There's somebody telling you eat vegetarian, vegan, blah, blah, blah. There's. People love to tell each other how to eat and people love to get into teams and say this is the best way to do it. I don't think that that is an open tent mentality.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think that it allows you to get other people who are, you know, very hyper focused on this one thing and get them all together and they can all tell each other, look how great this is. But how does that help you? A new person who's diagnosed. Right. Or a person who's struggling or something like that, who can't make a big leap and a big change. And so my idea always was, this is how the insulin works. If you apply it this way, you should be able to keep your A1C here, your stability here, your variability here, and then go apply that to how you eat. Now the rest of it is, I do hope at some point people look and realize that there are some foods that are just harder.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And take more insulin and create more volatility and probably aren't very healthy. And do I hope they stop eating them? I mean, I don't care. Like, it's not my life. You know what I mean? Like, I hope they're happy and I hope they're as healthy as they can be. And if that means not eating something because it's garbage or because it's, you know, mass produced or something like that, you know. Yeah, I guess I hope they come to that conclusion. But I also had a Swedish fish the other day, and it was awesome. I just want to say, like, I had four of them. I remember them each and individually because I stretched them out before I ate them, and then I ate them in little bites. I don't know if you know a Swedish fish, but they're.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I'm not here telling you not to eat candy or not to do anything. Like, I just feel like it's ridiculous for me to come up.

[B]

Baby's coming up, by the way.

[A]

Oh, we're gonna get the baby.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Oh, so your mom's gotta go, but she got a job.

[B]

Yeah. Hi. Here's the baby. Okay. All right. Oh, wow. Thank you. So helpful. Thank you. That's okay. Okay. Thank you.

[A]

Hi, baby. Hi.

[B]

That's fine.

[A]

Put the baby near the AirPods so I can tell him, like, maybe don't listen to daddy on everything. I'm not sure yet. Okay.

[B]

She's surprisingly quiet right now, but she might freak out, so we'll see.

[A]

Are you comfortable sharing her name or no?

[B]

Yes. Her name's Valerie.

[A]

Valerie. Oh, beautiful. It's wonderful. So nice. How is your mom handling the fact that you have diabetes?

[B]

I think she. She's accepting of it, but she's type 2 or, sorry, pre diabetic for type 2, I guess herself, so she kind of understands. I'm more so the one pushing her to be like, you got to get this together. Because she's kind of been on and off pre diabetic for a couple years now. And now I'm like, look, this has happened to me. You could have to take insulin in the future. I really hope that you can manage your diet a little bit better so that you don't have to be in my situation. Because I Guess Being type 2, my understanding is you do have more control over it.

[A]

Does your mom have any weight to lose?

[B]

No, that's the crazy thing. She's very tiny, so.

[A]

Okay. Boy, a teeny, tiny little bit of that GLP might change her life.

[B]

Yeah. Definitely be something I could suggest to her.

[A]

Yeah, I'd love to see more people pay attention. I think the upsides can be really kind of phenomenal for people. What is she doing anything? Is she on metformin? Is she.

[B]

No, she just goes to see her doctor every couple of months, and they keep checking her a 1C. And they're like, as long as it doesn't get any higher.

[A]

What is.

[B]

Now we just want you to manage your diet.

[A]

Do you know what it is?

[B]

I think the highest it was was maybe like, five, eight around there. So, like, nothing crazy?

[A]

Mm. Mm. I don't know. I don't know. Hopefully she can manage it with diet. That'd be awesome, you know?

[B]

Yeah, I've tried. I think she just isn't very knowledgeable in nutrition. And, like, I'll say, okay, like, you need to eat healthier. And she's like, okay, well, all I had was cereal for dinner. Like, okay, mom, that's exactly what you shouldn't do.

[A]

With my mom became, like, pre diabetic for. For a hot minute. I was like, all right, mom, let's get you together some lower carb options. Like, go ahead and, you know, show me some stuff. And everything she pulled together had carbs. And I was like, mom, there's carbs in all this. I was like, let's add it up here. Blah, blah, blah. You know, it's this many. She goes, I didn't know that she's. Because she thinks of things as healthy.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. And I realized because she's older, too, she had thought of things as stuff that she couldn't afford as being good. Does that make sense? Like, when she was younger, she couldn't afford it. That made it, like, something to reach for. And because it was something to reach for, then it was a good thing.

[B]

Interesting. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Like, there was like, a whole, like, weird psychology around it, and she didn't understand the carbs in anything.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Your mom eats, like, literally cereal. Like, what? Tell me the brand.

[B]

I don't know what cereal, But I'll just ask her, like, what did you have for dinner last night? And she'll say, like, toast. And she'll always say, like, oh, I'm not eating out fast food as much. And she'll get chick fil a the next day, or we'll be at a gathering, and she always has a cupcake or a cookie in her hand. Like, she just loves her sweets. So I'm always like, mom, this is the thing. And I don't want to be that person that, like, make her feel uncomfortable about what she's eating. But I do understand nutrition a little bit more, and I don't want to see her get in the same position that I am in.

[A]

So how old is she?

[B]

She's 55.

[A]

Your mom's only 55?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, that's so interesting. Your mom's 55, and she don't know that the Chick fil a is bad.

[B]

She knows it's bad, but I don't think she realizes the extent. Like, she'll say, oh, I don't have it that much, but then she'll get it that week. And I'm like, okay, wait, if you're getting it every week, like, you know, maybe try once a month.

[A]

And cereals. That's an interesting one. Cereals. Like, you're. You're like, you have prediabetes. Eat better. And she's like, I did. I ate cereal.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like, the worst thing in the world.

[B]

Yeah. And I think she. She doesn't like to cook, and so she's like, whatever's the easiest thing to eat. Like, I remember when I was in high school, my parents got divorced, and we would be with her that week, and we would literally have toast for dinner out of laziness.

[A]

So is your mom doing crack or anything like that? Is there something weird going on? No. She's not a meth head.

[B]

No.

[A]

No. Are you sure? You're in western Pennsylvania, aren't you?

[B]

That's true.

[A]

Okay, I just got to check. Wow. Toast for dinner. I have to tell you. What? As you do get older, there are days where you're just like, I had soup the other night. Kids are like, what are you going to have for dinner? I'm like, I already had soup. They were like, what? I'm like, soup. I had some chicken soup. I'm good.

[B]

Yeah. And I mean, parenting. I'm learning. Like, you don't always. Might have to hold a baby and figure out how I'm going to cook chicken and broccoli for dinner, and that's just not going to happen tonight. So. I get it.

[A]

I see what you're saying. Okay. Well, I mean, I hope she figures it out. There's a type 2 series in the podcast if you want to give it to her.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, definitely. I'm always sending her podcast to listen to, so I will do that.

[A]

Do you think she. Does she listen?

[B]

I don't know. And if she does, I don't know if she, like, really listens.

[A]

Interesting. I hear what you're saying.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. All right. All right, all right. Awesome. All right. I like you being here. I really. I appreciate you. I appreciate all the things you shared. Today is a really interesting look into a person who is very recently diagnosed.

[B]

Yeah, I'm glad I could share.

[A]

Yeah. No, and under really kind of extraordinary circumstances. Honestly.

[B]

Yes. For sure.

[A]

You. I mean, you have a different there. I used to say to my wife, I'm like, I don't think we're going to hear too many different diagnosis stories anymore, but here you are with one, you know?

[B]

Yeah. And I mean, that's like every doctor I had, they were just as shocked as I was. So I figured it was not super common.

[A]

Keep filling yourself. Oh, the baby did a thing and now I'm all melted inside. That's lovely. You're gonna. Oh, you're gonna. Did you say it's yawning? That was awesome. You're gonna have such a lovely time raising her.

[B]

Yes. I already love it so much.

[A]

Congratulations. Really, really lovely. And keep filling yourself with knowledge. Get it all different places and then make a good decision for yourself.

[B]

Okay, I will for sure.

[A]

Awesome. Hold on one second for me.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The podcast episode that you just enjoyed was sponsored by Eversense CGM. They make the Eversense 365. That thing lasts a whole year. One insertion every year. Come on. You probably feel like I'm messing with you, but I'm not. Eversensecgm.com Juicebox Arden has been getting her diabetes supplies from U.S. med for three years. You can as well usmed.com Juicebox or call 888-721-1514. My thanks to U.S. med for sponsoring this episode and for being longtime sponsors of the Juice Box Podcast. There are links in the show notes and links@juicebox podcast.com to to USMED and all of the sponsors. Head now to tandomdiabetes.com juicebox and check out today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. I think you're going to find exactly what you're looking for at that link, including a way to sign up and get started with the Tandem Moby system. 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, 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 looking for community around type 1 diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast. Private Facebook group juice box podcast type 1 diabetes. But everybody is welcome. Type 1 type 2 gestational loved ones. It doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort or community, check out Juicebox podcast type 1 diabetes on Facebook. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording wrongwayrecording.com.