Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1726: Cinderella Story – Part 1
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Olivia
Date: January 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features Olivia, a 29-year-old woman who has lived with type 1 diabetes (T1D) since she was a toddler. Olivia opens up about her experiences growing up with T1D, her unique diagnosis story, and how diabetes provided a source of stability while navigating family turmoil and emotional instability throughout her adolescence and early adulthood.
The discussion explores the interplay between chronic illness management and difficult personal circumstances, with a focus on resilience, identity, and coping strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olivia’s Diagnosis Story

[02:31 – 15:23]

• Early Onset and Family Background [02:51]
  Olivia was diagnosed at 16 months old. She is the younger of two siblings. Her mother had challenging births, ultimately deciding not to have more children after Olivia.

  "I am the youngest of two. I have an older brother who is two years older than me. Pretty small family." — Olivia [02:55]

• The Diagnosis Experience [07:26]
  Olivia’s parents left for a Caribbean cruise while Olivia and her brother recovered from the flu. Olivia’s health worsened under her grandparents’ care—classic T1D symptoms emerged (excessive urination and thirst).

  “Apparently, I was wearing like the strongest absorbency of diapers that you can wear, and I was peeing through those. I was drinking lots and lots of liquids.” — Olivia [07:56]

• Emergency Hospitalization [11:08]
  Her medically trained aunt recognized something was wrong, leading to urgent care and an emergency room, where Olivia's blood sugar was found to be over 600.

  “Whoever we saw first said, you gotta take her right away to the emergency room. So they took me to the emergency room, checked my blood sugar, it was over 600. So I was diagnosed on the spot with type 1 diabetes.” — Olivia [11:10]

• Parents’ Ordeal [11:38]
  Her parents, unreachable at sea, received word via a slip under their cabin door and rushed home, delayed by a tornado and flight logistics.

  “I think it took probably a day or two before they got to me. And my mom, when she entered the hospital… she was devastated. My dad was too.” — Olivia [13:26]

2. Living with T1D from Childhood

[17:51 – 19:37]

• Earliest Memories of T1D Management [17:51]
  Olivia’s early memories involve multiple daily injections, administered by her parents. She recounts a specific moment with her dad, using humor to diffuse the pain.

  “I remember just laying on the floor and saying like, you know, Dad, this hurts… And he said… maybe it won’t hurt so much if, you know, I chop your leg off.” — Olivia [17:51]

3. Diabetes as a Source of Strength and Stability

[19:09 – 21:27]

• A Constant Amidst Chaos [19:37]
  Despite frequent negative takes on diabetes, Olivia describes the condition as a “source of stability” and control when other aspects of her young life were chaotic.

  “Having type 1 diabetes has always been, like, a source of stability and a constant in my life.” — Olivia [20:19]

• Benefiting from Community & Resources [21:02]
  Olivia credits the Diabetes Pro Tip series for helping her gain better control, increasing her confidence and reducing the frequency of “rough days.”

  “Even though I still have rough days here and there, I think the rough days in general have dropped in quantity and the good days have increased.” — Olivia [21:02]

4. Family Dynamics and Emotional Turmoil

[23:44 – 28:02]

• Parental Conflict and Divorce [23:48]
  Olivia’s parents divorced when she was 10, but she recalls tension and emotional volatility (particularly from her mother) predating the separation.

  “Whenever I heard my mom’s voice starting to rise like that, I knew, like, okay, it’s time to hide… just hide until the storm rolls over.” — Olivia [24:00]

• Emotional Impact and Maternal Relationship [25:07]
  Olivia’s mother shared that she once screamed at Olivia so fearfully that Olivia vomited (an event Olivia does not consciously remember).

  “She told me when I was… maybe 2 years old, she screamed at me so harshly that I vomited. And… my nervous system has remembered it.” — Olivia [25:07]

• Mental Health Considerations [26:02]
  Olivia’s mother has not been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, but Olivia suspects she exhibits signs of borderline personality disorder, although she hesitates to label her without expertise.

  “I have come to an increasing hunch that my mom could be borderline. She seems to exhibit a lot of the DSM criteria for it.” — Olivia [26:02]

5. The Split-Custody Years

[28:02 – 35:30]

• “Living in a Hotel” [29:41]
  For 6 years (ages 10–16), Olivia alternated weekly between her parents’ homes, creating instability and lacking a “true home.”

  “So every Friday… we’d be packing up, you know, our cell phone chargers and video game systems… to carry to the other parent’s house.” — Olivia [29:54]

• Identity Confusion and People-Pleasing [35:08]
  Olivia shaped her personality to appease each parent, developing two “different personalities” depending on whose home she was in, leading to confusion about her true self.

  “I was a massive people pleaser with both my mom and dad… I developed two different personalities living with each of them, and I really didn’t know who I truly was for a long, long time.” — Olivia [35:08]

6. Adolescence: Depression and Choosing Stability

[28:02 – 42:17]

• Depression and Suicidal Thoughts [28:02 – 29:28]
  Olivia describes the onset of depression around age 12, triggered by the relentless instability, and occasional suicidal ideation (but no intent or planning).

  “I remember back during that time having some subtle suicidal thoughts, like, you know, I wish I wasn’t here. I never acted on any of these though.” — Olivia [29:25]

• Permanent Move to Mother’s Home [41:06]
  At 16, Olivia chose to live full-time with her mother to escape the instability of shuttling between homes and the emotional vacuum at her father’s house.

  “I just needed stability. I couldn’t take it anymore… I remember a lot of times being at my dad’s house and just sitting in my bedroom… thinking that my bedroom was like a prison cell and I was starving of love.” — Olivia [41:11-41:53]

• Changes in the Family Structure [42:24]
  Her father remarried a woman 14 years younger than him (and 14 years older than Olivia), and they had four daughters together, further altering household dynamics.

7. Personality, Identity, and Individuality

[35:30 – 40:27]

• Adaptation and Self-Discovery [39:04]
  Olivia has spent much of her life questioning which personality traits are authentic and which are survival mechanisms.

  “I would wonder, like, is this who I am or is this who I settled on?” — Scott [39:04]

• Indicators of Her True Self [39:04 – 40:01]
  School was a setting where Olivia expressed her “true self”—quiet, studious, a “bookworm, a band geek,” not bubbly or extraverted.

• A Memorable Guess [40:01]
  Scott correctly guesses Olivia played the clarinet in band.

  “Clarinet. What'd you play?" — Scott [40:01]
  "Yeah, I played clarinet." — Olivia [40:03]

8. Reflections on Family, Empathy, and Connection

[44:48 – 46:37]

• Empathy for Others’ Stories [44:48 – 46:11]
  Scott and Olivia reflect on the value of understanding others’ stories in work and social settings, noting how hidden trauma and adversity influence everyday interactions.

  “It just occurs to me we should know each other if we really expect to exist well.” — Scott [46:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On diabetes as stability:
  “Having type 1 diabetes has always been, like, a source of stability and a constant in my life.” — Olivia [20:19]

• On handling adversity:
  “Let’s get Olivia involved in this… she gets stuff done. She follows through. She doesn’t just put up her hands and go, no.” — Scott [46:37]

• On parental conflict:
  “Whenever I heard my mom’s voice starting to rise like that, I knew, like, okay, it’s time to hide, either in my bedroom or the basement.” — Olivia [24:00]

• On identity confusion:
  “I developed two different personalities living with each of them, and I really didn’t know who I truly was for a long, long time.” — Olivia [35:08]

• On family change:
  “My stepmom is 14 years younger than my dad, and she's also 14 years older than me, so she's, like, right in the middle.” — Olivia [42:55]

Timestamps for Key Sections

• Diagnosis & Childhood: 02:31 – 17:51
• Parental Dynamics & Divorce: 23:48 – 29:28
• Split Custody & Emotional Impact: 28:02 – 35:08
• Identity & Self-Discovery: 35:30 – 41:06
• Father’s Remarriage & New Siblings: 42:24 – 43:33
• Empathy and Teamwork Talk: 44:48 – 46:37

Tone and Style

The conversation maintains a candid, sometimes humorous, but always empathetic tone. Scott uses levity (“Did you hold onto her spleen on the way out?”) to punctuate heavier moments, fostering a safe space for Olivia’s vulnerable storytelling. Olivia speaks thoughtfully, balancing detail and introspection without bitterness, offering raw yet practical examples of how she’s coped with complexity in both health and family matters.

Conclusion

Part 1 concludes as Olivia reflects on her decision to live with her mother full-time, with Scott noting the story’s richness and hinting at further exploration of her adulthood and insights in Part 2. This episode stands out for its honest exploration of how chronic illness can coexist with—and sometimes anchor—other major life challenges.

For more details or to hear the continuation, listen to Part 2 of Olivia’s Cinderella Story on the Juicebox Podcast feed.