Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1729 – Cinderella Story: Part 2

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Olivia
Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode is the second part in Olivia’s compelling personal narrative—a “Cinderella story” of overcoming family dysfunction, childhood emotional neglect, and the challenge of living with Type 1 diabetes since infancy. Host Scott Benner and Olivia dive deeply into the impact of Olivia’s upbringing on her health, mental wellness, and maturity, drawing lines between psychological healing, diabetes management, and the importance of self-advocacy. The discussion is heartfelt, candid, and at times, raw, but always focused on resilience and self-empowerment.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Olivia’s Home Life: A “Cinderella” Upbringing

• Struggles at Dad’s House: Olivia lived with her father and stepmother in an environment void of affection and laden with endless chores. She described being put to work cleaning for hours and facing repeated criticism.
  • “They would have me dust, and there were times that they would look at it after hours of work and say, you got to do it again. And there would be hardly any dust on these.” (Olivia, [02:52])
• Choosing Her Mother: Ultimately, she decided to live with her mother due to a lack of love at her father’s, even though her mother also had her own psychological and emotional challenges.
• Continued Emotional Turmoil: The episode examines the similarities and differences in the dysfunctional behaviors of her custodians, with both her mother and stepmother exhibiting obsessive, controlling tendencies.
  • “My stepmother and my mom are fairly similar, except my mom is more outspoken and expressive and my stepmother is quiet. But they’re both kind of anal about certain things.” (Olivia, [05:11])

Emotional Impact and Aftermath

• Lasting Psychological Effects: Olivia reflects on trauma and the normalization of chaos, touching on the difficulty of identifying what is truly “normal.”
  • “Even though you’re that smart and thoughtful… you grew up in a war zone, and it feels normal to you.” (Scott, [08:59])
  • “Just over the past several months or even several years, I’ve been picking things apart from my childhood... what I went through really isn’t normal. It’s messed up.” (Olivia, [09:10])
• Estrangement from Both Parents: She details her estrangement from her dad (13 years with no contact) and a current pause in communication with her mom due to unhealthy enmeshment and boundary violations.
  • “It’s been almost 13 years since I’ve spoken to my dad.” (Olivia, [23:35])
  • “I Think especially after my parents got divorced, my mom shaped me and molded me into being like her own emotional mother or emotional spouse.” (Olivia, [24:49])

Growth, Healing, and Relationships

• Finding Love and Stability: Olivia’s relationship with her husband is positioned as a turning point and source of great healing.
  • “My relationship with my husband has been, honestly, one of the brightest points of my life.” (Olivia, [10:38])
  • “My husband says to me, like, you know, I’m going to support you no matter what you decide. And then he also says, nobody’s coming to save the princess.” (Olivia, [34:48])
• Deliberate Maturity: She waited to date seriously, fearing she would unconsciously repeat her parents’ dysfunctional relationship patterns.
  • “If you would have started dating, like, seriously and married somebody in that 18, 19, 20, you would be married to either your dad or your mom.” (Scott, [12:36])
  • “I remember thinking to myself, I don’t want to end up with a guy who’s like my dad… but I also don’t want to end up with a guy who’s clingy like my mom.” (Olivia, [12:58])

T1D Management: Autonomy and Empowerment

• Changing Endocrinologists: Feeling unsupported and restricted by her former endocrinologist, Olivia took control of her health, educating herself and adjusting her management approach.
  • “She would say, like, oh, you shouldn’t do that [change pump settings]. And I would be sitting there thinking, like, well, I’m the one living with the disease 24/7.” (Olivia, [28:18])
• The Power of Community and Education: Olivia credits the Juicebox Podcast’s Pro Tip series and Facebook support group with empowering her to achieve substantial improvements in her glycemic control, dropping her A1C from the upper 6s to 5.8.
  • “Just implementing the tips in the Diabetes Pro Tip series. And I saw my A1C drop... just from listening to the podcast. And so I’m feeling physically better overall, and I’m feeling a lot more confident in my ability to possibly, like, have a healthy pregnancy.” (Olivia, [31:24])

Looking Ahead: Breaking Cycles and Family Planning

• Determination to Parent Differently: Olivia is committed to consciously breaking the cycles of neglect and enmeshment she experienced.
  • “If I become a mother someday, I don’t want to repeat these same patterns with my own children.” (Olivia, [25:13])
• Prepping for Pregnancy: Much of the past year was spent optimizing her diabetes management and consulting with specialists to prepare for a healthy pregnancy.
• Mindfulness about Patterns: Olivia actively strategizes how to avoid repeating her parents’ mistakes, focusing on communication, self-awareness, and mindfulness.
  • “If I felt some of those tendencies rising up, I would have to have really good mindfulness and stop and take a pause and say… rather than, you know, screaming my head off at my poor child… just go do what I need to do and say like, hey… this is the rule. Something like that.” (Olivia, [48:00])

The Role of Faith and Therapy

• Faith as Anchor: Olivia shares that her Christian faith has been a source of strength and provided a parental figure where her own parents could not.
  • “I can look at God as, like, the perfect father and say, like, okay, you know, he’s truly on my side and he’s truly got my back.” (Olivia, [41:27])
• Therapy as Tool: Olivia has sought therapy off and on since adolescence and sees no shame in using professional help as part of her wellness toolkit.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Parental Expectations
  • Scott: “Why don’t they see you as a thing to protect and take care of?... You’re supposed to be healthy and happy. Those are really your only goals.” [18:08]
• On Self-Advocacy and Endocrinology Pushback
  • Olivia: “I was getting even less mealtime insulin. If we increase the insulin carb ratios, we can trick the pump into making more basal insulin. She was really fixated on this idea that I had to be receiving 50% basil, 50% bolus… And my next A1C was 7.3.” [29:25]
  • Scott: “So you had a six. Six on an automated system, and her idea was to give the system less autonomy and force it… and I’m assuming your A1C went up after she did that, or did you just change it back when you got in the parking lot?” [30:25]
• On Independence and Breaking Patterns
  • Olivia: “Nobody’s coming to save the princess. And that has stuck with me… other people can come alongside me and provide support, but when it comes to actually taking the action steps to change things, only I can do that.” [34:48]
• On Self-Reflection and Moving Forward
  • Olivia: “At times, I imagine that I’m like a phoenix rising out of the ashes… out of, like, this big pile of ashes that is my childhood and early adulthood.” [33:57]
  • Scott: “You should win an award. I don’t know what the award is called… you really did come through a fire.” [50:42]
• On Parenting Mindfulness
  • Olivia: “If I felt some of those tendencies rising up, I would have to have really good mindfulness… and then rather than screaming my head off at my poor child, just go do what I need to do and say like, ‘Hey, I know that you’re upset, but this is the rule.’ Something like that.” [48:00]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and Context: [00:00] – [02:52]
• Cinderella Story & Family Dynamics: [02:52] – [08:45]
• Reflection on Trauma & Normalcy: [08:45] – [12:09]
• Relationship with Husband: [10:38] – [13:13]
• Importance of Podcast and Community: [31:24] – [33:06]
• Breaking the Cycle/Parenting Philosophy: [24:49], [47:35] – [50:19]
• Faith, Therapy, and Proactive Healing: [41:27] – [43:13]
• Career Path and Inspiration: [43:27] – [45:12]
• Advice and Messages to the Audience: [50:56] – [51:28]

Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is authentic, supportive, sometimes wryly humorous (especially from Scott), but above all compassionate. The podcast’s warmth, coupled with Olivia’s vulnerability and insight, makes the episode especially resonant for listeners who have coped with family dysfunction while managing a chronic condition. Both participants strike a deliberate balance, using humor to relieve tension while not shying away from the gravity of Olivia’s story.

Conclusion

Olivia’s journey—marked by early-onset diabetes, emotional adversity, and hard-won self-reliance—is a testimony to human resilience and the importance of community and education in chronic illness management. Her experience offers not only strategies for thriving with diabetes, but also inspiration for anyone working to break cycles of dysfunction and create healthier, more empowered lives.

For more diabetes education and community support, check out the Juicebox Podcast Pro Tip series and join the Facebook group.

Find full resources and support at: juiceboxpodcast.com