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Scott
Foreign.
Claire
I'm Claire and I've had type 1 diabetes for 10 years. I'm really excited to talk today.
Scott
Friends. We're all back together for the next episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Welcome. Please don't forget 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 health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. All right, let's get down to it. You want the management stuff from the podcast. You don't care about all this chitting and chatting with other people. Juicebox podcast.com lists. They are downloadable and easy to read. Every series, every episode, they're all numbered. Makes it super simple for you to go right into that search feature in your audio app. Type Juice Box 1795 to find episode 1795. JuiceBox podcast.com lists. Foreign. Earth is back with a great offer for Juicebox Podcast listeners. Right now you can stack my code Juicebox on top of their site wide sale, giving you up to 40% off in savings. These deals will not last, so start your holiday shopping today by going to cozyearth.com and using the offer code Juicebox at checkout. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from us Med. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by Omnipod5. Omnipod5 is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve A1C and time and range for people with type 1 diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. Learn more and get started today@ omnipod.com juicebox at my link. You can get a free starter kit right now. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@.
Claire
Omnipod.Com juicebox I'm Claire and I've had type 1 diabetes for 10 years. I'm really excited to talk today.
Scott
Awesome. Claire, how old are you now?
Claire
39.
Scott
39. Diagnosed when you were 29? Yeah. Yes.
Claire
Yeah.
Scott
Okay. Why are you excited to talk?
Claire
I'm excited to talk because I've listened to several episodes of the Juice Box Podcast and I feel like it's been really influential on my life and my diabetes management. So it's just really exciting to kind of pay it forward. Can, you know, contribute to the conversation and I don't know, that's nice to put into words, but yeah, you got.
Scott
Something you want to get Out. Sure.
Claire
We'll find a way to share. Want to collaborate?
Scott
Yeah. And Claire, I don't want to make you feel badly, but the person I interviewed yesterday had listened to 1500 of the episodes. So I'd like to suggest that maybe you quit your job or stop taking care of your family or whatever it is that takes up your time and. And listen to more of my podcast, please.
Claire
Yes. On five times. Speed.
Scott
Thank you. I don't care how you do it, Just do it.
Claire
So I talked to somebody who listened to all the podcast episodes or claims to, so.
Scott
What do you mean, claims to? Of course they have. I haven't heard all the episodes of the podcast. I mean, I've. I've been involved in them, but I've. I've not listened to them back. Who? The person that you. That you talked to. Were they the person who introduced you to the podcast?
Claire
I'm not sure the exact person, but there's a support group, a type 1 support group that I joined, and that definitely was how I learned about the podcast. Somebody in that group, um, and then there's somebody in the group who says that they listen to all of them.
Scott
Is that an in person group or online?
Claire
It was in person, and then once Covid happened, it was online and virtual.
Scott
Oh, so you found a support group prior to 2020?
Claire
Correct.
Scott
Oh, what. What sent you? So wait a minute. That's like five years ago. So you were a few years into your diabetes and you thought, I need to meet more people who have Type one. What. What drove you to. To seek those people out?
Claire
I was kind of peer pressured into joining the group. I had run into somebody in person. They're like, why are you not in a support group? You should join our support group. I was like, what? Okay, so joined the support group. And that was about a year into my diagnosis.
Scott
Okay, cultists. Did you find? Yeah, yeah. They were just. They're trying to build a. A small army of people with type 1.
Claire
I did feel a little pressured, but, like, in a good way, you know? Okay, just like, why are you not in a support group? You should join our support group.
Scott
What did you. What did you gain from.
Claire
Was definitely nice to have that community. You feel less alone. Everyone's got their own little pro tips. So I showed up there, pretty newly diagnosed, and everyone's like, oh, you don't have a cgm. Look what it can do. You don't have a pump. Look what it can do. And I was like, whoa. Okay. I was like, I was just looking to come and Meet some people. But now you guys are like, showing me. I don't know, they just kind of showed me the ropes. And it was different hearing it from somebody living with it than a doctor. When your doctor's like, oh, these things are out there, I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, cool. What do I have to do now?
Scott
So at first they feel like the people at Costco trying to get you to drink coconut water, but then it quickly you decide, this is valuable. I should maybe hear what these people have to say and look into this stuff.
Claire
Yeah. And more eye opening. And it's kind of like drinking from the fire hose. At the beginning. When you're getting diagnosed, you're. I'm like, I'm just trying to get day to day, you know, try and figure out what's going on here. Just day to day, minute to minute, meal to meal.
Scott
Yeah.
Claire
And then so going to the doctor and having them talk about all the technology is just like a little overwhelming. I was like, all right, let me just take this one bite at a time. But it was cool to hear other people's experience with it. Spent a little more time learning about it. Instead of a 15 minute doctor's appointment, it was like an hour or two meeting. And then, you know, during the meeting, everything's beeping, everyone's beeping, and, you know, nobody flinches because it's so normal. So it was just. It was just interesting to be in that environment because I'd never been surrounded by type ones before.
Scott
Yeah, did so that's cool. Did you find it, like. Obviously you found it easier to get information from the support group than from the doctor. But why. What. What about at the doctor's office makes that difficult?
Claire
I think, because it's brief and I love Mayendo, but they don't have type one and, you know, they have to get their checklisty things done. And it's different when you're sitting with somebody with a little more time. There's less time constraint, there's less of an agenda. It's more just natural flow. And then they can also give you their real life experience. Experience about why it's helpful for them and why it's meaningful for them.
Scott
I see.
Claire
So I think that was different.
Scott
And then at some point. I'm sorry, at some point they say something that just like, connects with you. Right. And you go, oh, that is a struggle I have or a concern I have or something I'm trying to get to. And then that helps you kind of key in on the thing that they're saying, being potentially valuable for you.
Claire
Yeah, like real life examples. And I was running a lot at the time, and my friends were explaining, like, oh, well, you could see what your numbers are doing while you're running. And I was like, oh, that would be really nice. So I did. I did get on the CGM quite quickly after hearing their experiences and seeing the value in it.
Scott
Okay, awesome. And what did you learn? What did you learn in that? Because it had been a year. Right. And you. And you slap on a cgm. I'm interested in your. Your initial takeaway is as soon as you could see your blood sugar 24. 7. Like that.
Claire
Yeah. I think I kind of label it. I had a little bit of, like, a CGM depression almost, because when I was doing finger sticks, my numbers were nine times out of ten really good. So I was like, I've got this. I've got this. You know, I got this down. But then when I could see what was happening between those snapshots, between those finger sticks, I was having these huge swings. So great that, you know, five times a day I was in range, but I had no idea what was happening in between. And so I kind of had this moment of like, oh, I thought I was doing a great job. Oh, no, I'm doing terribly. But then it was, like, motivation to do better, to learn more, to try and fix those spikes. And then again, kind of circled back to, like, information gathering, seeking, using my peer support group to kind of help figure out, like, where else to go. And I think at that point, somebody had either mentioned Juice Box Podcast or at that time, had mentioned Juice Box Podcast. And I was like, okay. Like, I just began to just devour information. Not. Not listening to all your podcasts.
Scott
But I was just teasing you. Listen, if any of you are listening to all of them, that's awesome. I don't expect you all to do that, but. So I guess I want to stay for one more second in this idea of, like. Because it sounds like it's not a linear process. You didn't just. It wasn't step one to step ten, and now I understand better. You got diagnosed, you thought you were doing great, met some people, they gave you some suggestions. You filtered through them. Eventually you end up on a cgm. You go, oh, what I thought was happening isn't happening. You get that moment of like. I mean, it probably makes you feel like, oh, I've been putting all this effort into this, and it's not even working. But. But instead of feeling that way, you say, well, at least I know now I'll go look for more tools. And so this is sort of a. I guess the way I think about it is more about how I feel like people find the podcast, because I think what can happen is that people can find it podcast or the. Or the Facebook group, right? They find it either at the right time when they're looking for it, or not at the right time. But a lot of them can find their way back to it if, when they initially intersected, it wasn't the right time for them. And it makes me like, I think of it more from my perspective, but to. To sit back and listen to you talk about it, it almost feels like you're. What's that game we played when we were kids? Like you to run over the line and grab something and get back before somebody hit you with something. Do you remember that? Are you not old enough for that? Did you grow up when they. You weren't allowed to throw things at people?
Claire
I think we could still throw things.
Scott
You're still allowed to throw things.
Claire
Kick the can, Red rover, all that.
Scott
Kind of physical stuff. I think it's more like that where like, you sometimes, like, you're outside of it for a minute, and then you think, oh, I need a thing. I gotta run back in and grab it. Hey, you go get back and get it. You bring your piece back, you build a little more, you go back again. Like, some people learn that way. Yeah, that sounds like where you are.
Claire
Yeah, I was just kind of taking it like, one kind of thing at a time, one phase at a time. And I think, yeah, I was initially, like, kind of overwhelmed, but then just kind of took it one. One piece, one thing at a time. But getting diagnosed in my late 20s, like, from day one, every time I walked in that office, they're like, okay, pregnancy. I was like, whoa, not even married. But it was just so. I mean, they were doing their job. They're like woman of childbearing age. But every time I walked in there, like, pregnancy, I'm like, no, no. So in the back of my mind being, you know, in my late 20s, I was like, okay, this is like a thing, so I need to eventually kind of figure this out. Maybe my endo was always just like, give me your a year notice if you ever want to get pregnant. Like, okay, cool, fun. I'll call you later.
Scott
You had to pre bullish your baby, basically.
Claire
I was like, so let me do, like, some reverse calculations here. No, I'm just kidding. But that was an interesting dynamic going in I'm like, I'm 28 year old female or 29 year old female, but like, no, not yet. But in their mind I'm you know, like 20s female, so.
Scott
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Claire
Like, a little bit, but also just, you know, they're just looking at me like a number on a paper, and I'm like, okay, so just so you know where I am in my life, nowhere near close to having a kid.
Scott
Yeah.
Claire
But also it did give me the sense of, like, that is a thing. Because I had no idea when I was diagnosed how tightly controlled your blood sugars need to be for a healthy pregnancy. Just wasn't on my radar. I was like, how do. How do I eat my lunch today? Like, let's talk about that. I'm still trying to figure out my basal insulin. Like, let's talk about that.
Scott
I'm staring at my food, and I feel like I'm gonna cry. Is there a way we could get past this, please?
Claire
Yes.
Scott
Yeah. Yeah.
Claire
Can I eat this? Can I not eat this? Yeah. You know, an initial diagnosis, it could be like the sliding scale of. I don't know. It's just.
Scott
Did they give you. They started you. Sliding scale?
Claire
Yeah.
Scott
About. Where in the country are you?
Claire
I'm on the east coast, and I'm outside of a major city.
Scott
Okay.
Claire
But I'm not rural. But, yeah, I got started. This is actually kind of crazy. I got diagnosed on my lunch break at work. Went to the doctor on my lunch break, and they handed me insulin pens. I'm like, okay, here you go. Inject. What are you talking about?
Scott
What got you moving to the doctor? How were you feeling?
Claire
I was feeling pretty bad at that point. Long story short, I ended up running a marathon, which was awesome. Caught the flu because your immune system gets a big hit when you do intense exercise like that. And then I just, like, never recovered from the flu. So I'd lost a lot of weight. I wasn't getting it back. Everyone was like, are you okay? I was like, oh, yeah. I just ran a marathon and got the flu. It's a great diet. You should try it. Just kidding. But I was very underweight, and I started getting thirsty, peeing a lot, yada yada. And I had a random. It was a cholesterol test, and I didn't realize, but they also check your blood sugar with that. Or I guess that's you can. And they called me over and sat me down. They're like, are you okay? I was like, what are you. What are you talking about? What's my cholesterol? And they're like, no, no, your blood sugar is really high. And I was like, what are you talking about? So they suggested I see an endo. Probably should have just gone to the emergency department, but I was just following their orders, like, go see an endocrinologist because your blood Sugar is over 300. I was like, okay, you think they.
Scott
Thought you had type 2 diabetes at that point?
Claire
I think they were a little confused. And I was otherwise, like, besides being underweight and recently ill, probably looking healthy, but looking back, I'm like, maybe I should have just gone to the emergency room. But I think I was also in denial, too. It was like, I'm too old for type one and too healthy for type two. Like, I just ran a marathon also. Both of those things are not true. Those are just, you know, some assumptions that I had made at the time. Right.
Scott
Stuck in your head. How did you even have an assumption about that?
Claire
Just when they were they. When they checked my blood sugar and it was high, I was like, how's that possible? Like, I'm in my late 20s. Like, and not realizing you could get diagnosis type one as an adult in my head, I was like, oh, I'm too old for type one because that's for kids. And then I don't think I have type 2 because I just ran a marathon, you know?
Scott
Why did you think type one was for kids? Like, do you know how you had that idea?
Claire
I think it's just lack of awareness, lack of information. I never really knew any type ones growing up. I just didn't know.
Scott
Yeah, okay, that's interesting. So you're on your. On your. On your lunch break. Do you go back to work and go back to work?
Claire
I did. I did. I went back to work. And I was like, okay. I purposely didn't call my parents. I was like, I can't call them right now because I'm going to, like, lose it.
Scott
So.
Claire
So I called them at the end of the day. We all had a little cry on the phone, and it's like, all right, what's next?
Scott
What's that? Like, when you feel like you're too old to be parented but still would like to talk to your parents? Is like, do you think. I guess I'm asking, like, why did you reach out to them? And what do you think their response was when they hung up the phone? Like, have you ever talked about that in hindsight, like how it made them feel to know that this had happened to you, but you were older and not really under their roof any longer. This episode is brought to you by Omnipod. Would you ever buy a car without test driving it first? That's a big risk to take on a pretty large investment. You wouldn't do that, right? So why would you do it? When it comes to choosing an insulin pump, most pumps come with a four year lock in period through the DME channel and you don't even get to try it first. But not Omnipod 5. Omnipod 5 is available exclusively through the pharmacy, which means it doesn't come with a typical four year DME lock in period. Plus, you can get started with a free 30 day trial to be sure it's the right choice for you or your family. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day for 17 years. Are you ready to give Omnipod5 a try? Request your free starter kit today at My Link Omnibus Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox find my link in the show notes of this podcast player or@juiceboxpodcast.com.
Claire
Yeah, I think they probably felt like a whole spectrum of emotions and we talked about a little bit, but not recently. So I think part of them felt like guilty. Like it was their genes that did it right. But it really doesn't run in our family. That also felt bad that they weren't like physically with me. They also, I think felt some component of maybe relief that like they didn't have to go through me as a child and them having to manage my blood sugar and, you know, being worried when I was out or worried in the middle of the night and all of that stuff, which I'm sure you can relate to. Like they, they didn't have to do that. So they were kind of, probably kind of like, oh, kind of got lucky with that.
Scott
I don't know if they felt lucky. I bet you they felt like, I wish we could have been like more involved.
Claire
Yeah. You think there's more they could do?
Scott
Yeah. Are they that kind of people? Maybe I'm just putting my feelings onto them.
Claire
Yeah. No, they're great. Yeah. I think they just kind of felt bad. They weren't like there, there wasn't anything they could really do in that moment except for like be there for me.
Scott
Yeah. And, and what did that look like?
Claire
I think just lots of lots of phone calls, lots of on the phone. And I think they probably would have jumped on a plane to come see me that weekend. But I was going out of town that weekend, which is also crazy.
Scott
Where did you go?
Claire
I. I was diagnosed on a Wednesday of my lunch break, and Sunday, I had already bought and paid for my ticket to go to Sydney, Australia. So I got on an international flight on Sunday.
Scott
Okay, hold on. That. I. You know, I thought you were gonna be like, I. I went away for the weekend. And that's. I was like, oh, that's not crazy. So did you have a diagnosis? You hadn't seen the endo by then, right?
Claire
Oh, I saw the endo Wednesday, lunch break, and they were like, look, I think it's type one. We'll do the blood work. If the blood work comes back negative, then we have to do some imaging to make sure it's not pancreatic cancer. I was like, okay, cool. And the blood work came back, and I had a voicemail from the doctor. It was like, yep, give antibodies. It's type one. Keep doing that sliding scale we talked about. I think she wanted me to come back, like, as soon as I was back in the country. Like, you know, soon, like two weeks later. But, yeah, looking back on it, I'm like, what was I thinking? But, yeah, I got on an international plane flight, and.
Scott
And it worked. You were okay?
Claire
I was okay. I filled my insulin prescription on the way to the airport.
Scott
Oh, my God.
Claire
I know. It was crazy. I tried to get it filled the night before, and the pharmacy I went to is out. So in my defense, I did try and go the night before, so I had to go to another pharmacy.
Scott
What? If you would have not been able to fill that on the way to the airport, do you think something would have stopped you from getting on the plane?
Claire
Maybe. But I did have at least a couple sample pens, but then I didn't know how many pens to bring. I brought way too many. But I knew when I got to Australia, I would be okay.
Scott
Why is that?
Claire
I was with good family friends in Australia.
Scott
Okay.
Claire
And one of them is a nurse. And they. They knew. They knew what was coming in.
Scott
Yeah. What was coming in. I like how you talk. You're you talking about yourself like you're a package.
Claire
Well, at that point, I was. I was. I was a bit of a. Bit of a mess, But I came in.
Scott
I'm going to jump ahead to jump backwards. Right. Do you have kids now?
Claire
I do.
Scott
Imagine this happened to one of them, you know? What would you Say to them, if they were like, I'm still going to.
Claire
Australia, I'd be like, are you sure? I'm coming with.
Scott
Sure you can come, but I'm going.
Claire
Yeah, I'm coming too. And I would be like, you're getting all the technology right now, right?
Scott
Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if, I wonder if there's not a ton of value in doing that. Not even knowing it was that much of a risk, but taking it, living through it. Like, I imagine there's a ton of value for you, like, long term, but that's only because it went well, right? Like, if something would have got upside down, then, you know, you'd be on here right now saying like, oh, I've made biggest mistake. I did this thing. I shouldn't have done it. I didn't know what I was doing enough with diabetes. I had to stay home. It's interesting how just maybe a little bit of the randomness of it outlines how it is. We're going to talk about it later, but that's crazy. Okay, so you get back, fast forward a year later, you're looking for a support group. Well, you're not looking for a support group. People force you to go to a support group.
Claire
Kind of, yeah.
Scott
You get good stuff out of that, you're on your way. Eventually you make it to the podcast. And where would you describe the level of your, I don't know, knowledge base the day before you started listening and. And how did it help you?
Claire
I think at first it was, I was kind of seeking more community, more stories, you know, because everybody has a diagnosis story, and most of them are interesting, some of them are terrifying. So part of me is like, oh, you know, you know, I wasn't diagnosed in a coma. I didn't end up in a hospital. Like, I'm very grateful for that. And then as the podcast evolved and you guys started doing more of like the pro tip stuff, I started listening more of those just to, like, learn more about, you know, how food hits you versus how insulin hits you and how the timing is so critical and the amount. Eventually I switched to a pump. So when the time came where I wanted to switch to a pump, I definitely listened to some episodes around that just to gather more information, more people's real life experiences. I definitely listened to a bunch of the interviews with the employees of Dexcom Omnipod. All of those I just found really interesting, just to learn more about the products and the technology.
Scott
Interesting. When do you think, what year was it when you started listening?
Claire
It was, I think I Learned about it was probably like 20, 16, 17. And then I went through phases of listening to episodes and then kind of taking a break. But I definitely lean more into the listening more episodes around when Dexcom was going from G5, G6, G7, when Omnipod came out with the Omnipod 5.
Scott
You've been listening for a long time.
Claire
Yeah.
Scott
Yeah.
Claire
Because I think I started, you know, over the 10 year history I've had with diabetes. I think I started pretty early on. Um, but it was more just like dabbling here and there and then seeking out the episodes that I thought I would gain more from.
Scott
Yeah.
Claire
And I had met my husband. Ironically, I met my husband one month after I was diagnosed, so he has never known me as someone without type one.
Scott
Okay.
Claire
Like, that's kind of a fun fact. But he and I, on some road trips, would listen to some episodes because as you can search through the episodes, we would find some were, like, about the support person or. Yeah, there were a couple that had. That were more focused on, like, the person with type 1 and their. Their partner in that way. So we would listen to some like that. And, you know, it was. It was cute because we're like, oh, yeah, we can kind of relate to that too. And then we wanted to start a family so that we started listening together often to the episodes you did with Jenny about type one in pregnancy.
Scott
Oh, okay. So you did take them seriously back in the day when they were like, you have to tell us a year before you're gonna.
Claire
Yeah, I was like, okay, I'm gonna start with these episodes. And then. Okay, so Jenny wrote a book. Okay.
Scott
And you. And you. You. Did you use Jenny's book?
Claire
I did.
Scott
Good book, huh?
Claire
Yeah. It lived next to my bed at all times.
Scott
Yeah. Yeah. This is something. Can I ask, like, I want to get back into that, but I. I'm gonna ask like a. A question that's more for me. Yeah, it's more for me and no one else listening. I. I love that. I love it. You're not like a. You're not like a crazy. Wait, that was the wrong word. I love all you that listen every day. You're not like somebody. Yeah. You're not a rabid fan. But you. You have enjoyed the podcast. It's done a lot for you. You've been in and out of it over a, you know, almost a decade. Really? Who am I to you? Like, am I. I don't even want to put a word in your mouth. Like, if. If, like, describe who I am in Your life or the podcast. If it's harder to talk about me while you're talking to me, I feel.
Claire
Like a podcast is probably, like, the first word that comes to mind is coach. Right. Like, somebody who's kind of always, always there for you if you need them, but they're not. They're there for you if you need them, but they're not going to be, like, knocking on your door every day. Right. Yeah. Kind of like coach a guide, maybe. Like, maybe. Maybe not like a grandfather, but like a godfather, you know?
Scott
Thank you. That was very nice of you.
Claire
Yeah, no, but just like, you don't have that family tie. No, not to age you. Sorry, that was not my intent with that. But more just like, you know, people have godparents, right. That are not their bloodline. They're always going to be there for them. So you've got that one degree of separation. Like, they're not going to be at every, you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas. They're not knocking on your door, but they're always there if you need them.
Scott
Yeah, but if you showed up at their house, they're. They're not going to lead you wrong.
Claire
Or anything like that, right?
Scott
Yeah. And they'll stop and look at you and be like, all right, what do you need? And yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Claire
Like, you're calling me and not your parents. What did you do?
Scott
We have, by the way, as you get older, everyone at some point has that experience where someone else's kid shows up to you and you're like, oh, well, I see what's happening now. All right. Yeah, this is weird, but I. I'll get in. Okay. And I'm not. I don't want to. Again, I don't want to lead you at all. Does this seem like a thing to you or does it seem like. What do I mean by this? You know how if you. Do you listen to any other podcasts?
Claire
I dabble with a lot of podcasts.
Scott
Okay. Okay, great. So have you heard, like, I'm trying to pick one with, like, a lot of famous people. Have you heard of Smartless?
Claire
No.
Scott
No. What are some of the more famous ones you listen to?
Claire
I have. Talk about rabid fans. I am a big college football fan, so listen to some college football podcasts. Okay, Silly. But diabetes wise, There are a couple other diabetes ones, sure. I've listened to, but probably more Juice Box than anything else.
Scott
I mean, like. I mean, like, see, I. I might not be getting to this correctly. Like, do you listen to any. Any podcasts that have, like, an Actual famous person in it. No. Okay, so your podcasts are more people with information or conversations that you're interested in hearing. They're Nichi.
Claire
Yeah.
Scott
Yeah. Okay. And so. And I. Do I seem to fit into that category pretty well for you?
Claire
Yeah. Like, you're definitely famous in the diabetes community.
Scott
Yeah, that's. That's just there. Like, I've.
Claire
But, yeah, but you're not on, like, Taylor Swift, Travis.
Scott
Oh, no, stop, stop, stop now. That's not what. Wasn't my point. But to go back to your point, like, if you would see it at a diabetes event, it is crazy. I'm still not right with it. But if you drop me in a place where everyone has diabetes, I am famous. It's in that spot. And then a great relief to be able to walk outside and no one know who you are. But I didn't expect. Obviously, it's not a thing you expect, but that's not why I was asking. What I was asking was, do I. Or does the podcast seem like this big, shiny, produced thing that someone's delivering to you, or does it still seem like I'm sitting in a room with a microphone?
Claire
I kind of feel like you're. That's a tricky one. I feel like you're sitting in a room with the microphone. Like, everything's very real. It doesn't seem like you have an agenda or you're like, you know, it doesn't seem like you're doing anything more than just really trying to help as many people as possible with the. This medium.
Scott
That's what I wanted to know. Thank you. I'm sorry it took us so long to get to it, but I didn't want to lead you to it, but I wanted to. Claire's like, listen, could you just, like, let's get back to my story. But I.
Claire
No, no, no. I just was like, I want to answer this truthfully, but also, like, I wanted to answer it truthfully and honestly, but I was also like, oh, I hope I'm not going the wrong way.
Scott
No, you're not. There's no right way to go. Just whatever you say is what you say. I was trying to figure out, as this thing has grown, if I'm successfully keeping it what it was, because that's what I want. Like, I want it to be me in here sharing things that I've heard, things that I've tried, things that other people have told me about your story. A little bit of, like, technology from companies, you know, when we can get a hold of it without turning into, you know, like, some. To reuse your word. Like, rabid YouTuber who's just, like, jamming. Like, did you know that Dexcom that, like, you know, Dexcom. Dexcom. I know that. I know that people click on Dexcom videos. So I'm gonna make a thousand Dexcom videos. Or I'm gonna jump out and talk about, like, hey, I heard that there's a new pump coming next year. Did you know somebody was gonna. I think somebody's working on a cure. Like, all that kind of clickbaity that I just think is. I think it's like garbage filler. And like, you know, and sometimes, like, to your point, like, sometimes there's actually something to say and it's nice to get a little update. But this, like, making content every week, that's really just supposed to get people to click on it, you know, like, watch me. You know, like, is there a reason to watch somebody put on their device? Yeah, I think that can be really helpful. Does there need to be a thousand videos of people putting on their devices? You know, I don't want to be involved in that. I get, I guess, is what I'm saying. So I was trying to see if from your perspective because of how you've listened off and on but still connected over at different times. And, you know, also we're about to talk about you making a baby with diabetes. And I'm going to guess that I'm going to hope it went well. And I'm going to think a lot of that came from what you learned from here. So I appreciate you sharing that with me very much. Thank you. And so what happened? You decided you wanted to have a baby, you went and told your endocrinologist, you kept your husband away from you for 12 months, and then you began to have a baby. Baby. Is that how it worked?
Claire
Kind of.
Scott
Really? Go ahead, tell me what happened.
Claire
Kind of. Well, my husband, I. We got married. We knew we want to start a family. He knew the situation where it was like, okay, we gotta tell the endo a year in advance. And then I just started really honing in on, you know, all right, what are our goals during pregnancy? How do we get there? And then trying to connect the dots. I definitely listened to several of the episodes that. That you made interviewing women with type 1 in their pregnancies, talking with Jenny, bought Jenny's book. So I started doing my homework, right? Talking to my doctor, making small little changes. And I know you've interviewed, like, several women with type one pregnancies. And so I Think a lot of things that I had heard, I would say same, same here. You know, just tightening my CGM time and range. Just kind of going from, you know, kind of the blanket 70 to 180 that most people have their CGM set at or are told to set their CGMs at. Just bumping down that, that 180 gradually over time.
Scott
What was your A1C goal for pregnancy?
Claire
My endo ob. MFM. Oh. I had a pre pregnancy consultation with MFM. You know, I, I was doing my homework. Their goal for me is to be under six and a half at conception and then preferably under six during the pregnancy. And I think I was, I definitely met both those goals. I think I was under six the whole, the whole time. Yeah.
Scott
Mfm. I'm sorry. Money, Football maniacs, Monday Night Football.
Claire
Maternal fetal medicine.
Scott
Gotcha.
Claire
High risk pregnancy doctor.
Scott
I knew, I just. For other people.
Claire
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Scott
I know everything. So it's not. I, I make a podcast. How would I not know?
Claire
Yeah. And you've definitely interviewed women with type one.
Scott
Yeah, I actually, I did pregnancy. I was not following what MFM was. I just want to, I just, I just want to be clear. No, those episodes are really interesting, like to. Because it separates the line between, you know, I don't know, your mental health and diabetes and your physical health in it. Because what it, what I think, what those pregnant women show over and over again. What you showed was that all these health outcomes specific to diabetes are very doable and you can accomplish them. They're not impossible. But almost every one of those ladies says, like, the baby came out and I was like, oh, I'm so happy I don't have to do it like that anymore. Did that happen to you?
Claire
At first, yes, because it was just, you know, life was crazy at first, but then I started to want to switch gears into getting that better control. But at this phase of my life, I feel like I don't have as much energy or bandwidth to dedicate to it like I did when I was pregnant. Like, when I was pregnant, there was, you know, I didn't have a toddler running around. You know, my work schedule is pretty same every day. There was a lot of. I had a lot of control and autonomy over my time. So I could do those really long pre boluses in the third trimester and I could count all the macros and all my meals and I could prepare all my food all the time and stuff like that. Oh, got a little spike there. Let me go for a walk. So I had all of that going for me, too.
Scott
Right.
Claire
And I didn't. It was fine at the time. Everything worked out, but I was like, okay, long term. I don't know if I want to do exactly that much effort. I don't know if I can. But it was when I was pregnant. It's so funny because people would talk about how tired you are, and I was tired, but at the same time, I felt like I had great energy. And I think it was because my blood sugar was so tightly controlled. Like, I think mentally I was like. Felt great because my. You know, I wasn't getting these big swings. My blood sugar control was tight. I had great time in range. I was sleeping pretty well with having good blood sugars overnight, stuff like that. So it was just very interesting to look back on and what. What I thought the coolest part about being pregnant with Type one was having that CGM information was like an extra vital sign. Like, I could tell my body was making this baby placenta. Everything was going on because of how my CGM numbers were shaping out, you know, because I was getting a little more insulin resistance. So that was just so cool. Like, that's something that people with type 1 don't get to experience during their pregnancy. I thought that was cool.
Scott
Yeah, it's awesome. So that's pretty great. Did you just make one, or have you made more since then?
Claire
No, just one for now.
Scott
Just one for now. How old is. How old is that one right now?
Claire
He's about three and a half.
Scott
Yeah. His name's Scott, by any chance?
Claire
No, but when we were going through the names, once we knew it was a boy, you know, we did throw that in the list. We were like, oh, it'll be a name. I'm Scott.
Scott
Thank you. Did it stay for more than a day or. No. On the list?
Claire
I don't know if it made the official list. Maybe it made the long list, but not the short list.
Scott
Did you see that? Somebody got a tattoo yesterday. It says Bold with insulin on it.
Claire
No, that's great.
Scott
It's a juice box. The microphone's coming out of the top instead of a straw. It says Bold with insulin. I am taking that as well. Almost the same as a baby name. Somebody immediately jumped in and said, well, you'll notice he didn't name a baby after you. And I said, no, this is pretty. I think a baby naming would be the Pinnacle. And then I stopped myself and I said, well, maybe not the Pinnacle. The Pinnacle would be if you had a baby, named it Scott. And Then got on a bolt with insulin tattoo all at the same time.
Claire
On the same day.
Scott
Then I would be like, I won. It's over. I'm done. I'm not even gonna make the podcast anymore. But no, being super serious, it was really lovely and strange to see somebody tattoo something on them that's from this podcast. It's a real leap, you know what I mean? And I know enough about the person's life to know that I don't think I'm speaking for them. I think they feel like their vision is intact because of me. And that's, you know, a big. It's obviously a big deal. But at the same time, like, from my perspective, I was like, wow, that's surreal. Surreal is the only real world to put to it that just not a thing that was not on my bingo card, as they say. Yeah, yeah. That somebody was going to be like, hey, I got a bold with insulin tattoo. I'm like, oh, my God. That made that. I felt pressure. I'm like, I don't have a tattoo. About the podcast, like, do I have to do it now? But. But nevertheless, it was really lovely. And I appreciate you even pretending for a minute to consider naming your child Scott. Thank you. And that, for people who don't know, is just a running joke through the pregnancy episodes where women are always like, oh, my God, I had such a healthy pregnancy because of you. And I was like, but not healthy enough to name your baby after me.
Claire
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it is. It's definitely in the. In the episode. So when the time came, we were, you know, joking around and about what to name our son, and we. We found out really early what gender we were having, which I appreciated. Then we had extra time to try and think about the name.
Scott
Yeah. How do you find out early? Was he like, are you bragging? Was he like, did he ever really, like, how do you.
Claire
Well, he was never shy on the ultrasound, but as a high risk pregnancy, you get a bunch of blood tests done at, like, about 10 weeks, including the gender. They can find out the gender through a blood test when you're 10 weeks pregnant.
Scott
Oh, I thought maybe, like, in every, like, image, the kid was just like, spread eagle, like, jamming his balls towards the camera or something like that. He's like, it's me.
Claire
I'm here, I'm here.
Scott
Take a look at these, my friend. You're gonna have a boy.
Claire
It's definitely a boy. And he's not shy.
Scott
Then you had a lot of time to think about the name. That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah, I like that idea. So you were. You felt. Really now it's. How many years later? 3. Just say, do you still love the name or do you. Are you, like, have you had one of those moments like, oh, we should have went with the other name?
Claire
No. But we did take our time deciding. We were, like, so on the fence and, like, you know, first name, middle name, that the records department. Somebody was calling our hospital phone, and they're like, you have to name this kid before you leave the hospital. I was like, okay, I'm kind of busy right now.
Scott
That happened to us with Cole because my wife and I were still. We were horse trading. I was. I. I know I've said this before, and it's probably not appropriate to talk about, but, you know, I have a podcast. There's not much I can do. She wanted to name him Nicholas, and I wanted to name him Cole, and she wanted to get him circumcised. And I was living through that part in time where people are like, don't do that to get boys. And I was like, I don't know if we should. Even though in candor. Claire, I am. And so, like, we're busy having that conversation, and just. We're in the hospital. And I said, you can circumcise him if I can call him Cole. And she was like, okay.
Claire
And that's deal.
Scott
Yeah, that's how his name ended up being Cole. But. So you were. But we had the same experience where they were, like. They came into the room, they're like, you gotta name this baby. And we were like, hey, we're in the middle of it. Like, it's, you know, kind of busy here. Yeah, I'm busy. I'm busy. I'm. My wife and I are trading right now. Like, we're getting to it. Don't worry about it. It's all gonna work out.
Claire
The negotiations.
Scott
Yeah. Also, everything in our relationship is like a. It's. We are so different than each other that everything turns out to be like. I don't know, like that. I know she said something the other day, and I responded back. And Arden looks at me and goes, yeah. Yo, man, read the room. He's like. I'm like, what did she. He goes, she said to me, whatever you're about to say, just keep it to yourself. She's not. She's not into this at all. And I was like, your mom can handle a tough conversation. And she goes, not now. She's not looking for it right now. And I called Kelly's name and she had headphones on. She's working and she's wearing headphones so that, you know, I don't know what she. Honestly, I don't know what she does when she's. She does a lot of really technical reading and seems to be doing something else in her ears at the same time. And like, you know, I bothered her enough that she had to take one of the headphones off and I asked her the question and she just glared at me and put the headphone back on and turned away. And Arden looks at me and she's like, I told you.
Claire
Like, I told you.
Scott
So it's like, I was like, I will not be disrespectful of your mother. I was like, she can handle this. She's like, she might be able to handle it, but she's not looking for you right now. And I was like, no, you're making a point. Anyway, that. That's all neither here nor there. So. Okay, so let's go through it a little bit. You start making that baby. What do you experience during the first trimester? When does it pivot? How do you pivot with it? How many times do things change throughout the process?
Claire
Yeah, a lot.
Scott
Speaking of a lot, there was a lot of words in this episode, so we had to split it into two parts. And part two is coming right away tomorrow. I promise you it will be there. Go look right now. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod 5 now with my link omnipod.com juicebox you may be eligible for a free starter kit. A free Omnipod 5 starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juice juicebox the Conversation you just enjoyed was brought to you by usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get started today and get your supplies from us Med. The music ran out, but I wasn't done talking yet. A huge thanks to Cozy Earth for sponsoring this episode. Cozyearth.com right now you can stack my code juice box on top of their site wide sale and this is going to give you up to 40% off in savings and these deals are definitely not going to last. I'm talking about sheets, towels, clothing, everything they have. Get that holiday shopping going right now, today. Do it, do it, do it. Cozyearth.com use the offer code Juicebox My grand rounds series was designed by listeners to tell doctors what they need, and it also helps you to understand what to ask for. There's a mental wellness series that addresses the emotional side of diabetes and practical ways to stay balanced. And when we talk about GLP medications, well, we'll break down what they are, how they may help you, and if they fit into your diabetes management plan. What do these three things have in common? They're all available at juiceboxpodcast.com, up in the menu. I know it can be hard to find these things in a podcast app, so we've collected them all for you@juiceboxpodcast.com hey, kids, listen up. You've made it to the end of the podcast. You must have enjoyed it. You know what else you might enjoy? The private Facebook group for the Juice Box Podcast. I know you're thinking, oh, Facebook, Scott, please. But no. Beautiful group, wonderful people, a fantastic community. Juice box podcast, type 1 diabetes on Facebook. Of course, if you have type 2, are you touched by diabetes in any way? You're absolutely welcome. It's a private group, so you'll have to answer a couple of questions before you come in. We make sure you're not a bot or an evildoer, then you're on your way. You'll be part of the family. I want to thank you so much for listening today and for listening all year long. I know this is the beginning of 2026. 2025 was a banner year for the podcast, but 2026 is starting out with a real bang. Our downloads are up. The amount of people listening are up. I'm super excited about the show this year. I hope you are, too. Juiceboxpodcast.com if you need anything else.
This episode welcomes Claire, who has managed Type 1 diabetes for a decade since being diagnosed at age 29. The conversation centers on Claire’s diagnosis journey, the impact of community support, strategies for adopting diabetes technology, pregnancy management with Type 1, and how patient-led resources like this podcast supported her journey. Scott and Claire’s discussion is candid and supportive, blending practical insights with humor and personal anecdotes.
Diagnosis Circumstances
“I got diagnosed on my lunch break at work. Went to the doctor on my lunch break, and they handed me insulin pens. I'm like, okay, here you go. Inject. What are you talking about?” — Claire ([15:33])
Initial Reactions and Misconceptions
"In my head, I was like, oh, I'm too old for type one because that's for kids. And then I don’t think I have type 2 because I just ran a marathon, you know?" — Claire ([17:29])
Immediate Post-Diagnosis
"I was diagnosed on a Wednesday of my lunch break, and Sunday, I had already bought and paid for my ticket to go to Sydney, Australia. So I got on an international flight on Sunday." — Claire ([21:28])
Finding a Support Group
“It was different hearing it from somebody living with it than a doctor. When your doctor's like, oh, these things are out there, I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, cool. What do I have to do now?” — Claire ([05:01])
Value of Real-Life Experience
"It was just interesting to be in that environment because I'd never been surrounded by type ones before." — Claire ([06:25])
Switching to CGM
“I thought I was doing a great job. Oh, no, I'm doing terribly. But then it was, like, motivation to do better, to learn more, to try and fix those spikes.” — Claire ([08:13])
Ongoing Learning
Physician Interactions
Navigating Pregnancy with Type 1
Processing with Family
“They probably felt like a whole spectrum of emotions... part of them felt like guilty. Like it was their genes that did it right. But it really doesn't run in our family.” — Claire ([19:56])
When and Why She Listened
How Scott’s Podcast Fit Into Her Life
“The first word that comes to mind is coach. Right. Like, somebody who's kind of always, always there for you if you need them... kind of like coach, a guide, maybe. Like, maybe not like a grandfather, but like a godfather, you know?” — Claire ([28:36])
Preparation and Goal Setting
“Their goal for me is to be under six and a half at conception and then preferably under six during the pregnancy. And I think I was, I definitely met both those goals.” — Claire ([35:57])
Experience During Pregnancy
“When I was pregnant, it's so funny because people would talk about how tired you are, and I was tired, but at the same time, I felt like I had great energy. And I think it was because my blood sugar was so tightly controlled.” — Claire ([38:07])
“The coolest part about being pregnant with Type one was having that CGM information was like an extra vital sign.” — Claire ([39:19])
Postpartum Adjustment
Podcast Fame
“You're definitely famous in the diabetes community… but you're not on, like, Taylor Swift, Travis [level]…” — Claire ([31:08])
Naming Babies
“Thank you. Did it stay for more than a day or. No. On the list?” — Scott ([39:42]), as Claire admits "Scott" didn't make the final baby name shortlist.
This episode provides an authentic look at how one woman — with the help of community, technology, and patient-driven resources — navigated late-onset Type 1 diagnosis, daily management, and the complexity of pregnancy. Claire’s story, complimented by Scott’s empathetic facilitation and humorous tangents, offers both practical diabetes wisdom and a reassuring message: support and information are out there, and the journey doesn’t have to be linear or lonely.
Note: For the continuation of Claire’s pregnancy experience and management strategies, listen to Part 2.