Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1748: Tandem Kids – Oliver
Host: Scott Benner
Date: January 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode is part of the "Tandem Kids" mini-series, recorded at the 2025 Friends for Life conference. Scott Benner sits down with Oliver, a 13-year-old living with Type 1 diabetes, to discuss his experiences managing the condition with a Tandem Mobi insulin pump. The conversation covers Oliver's daily routines, involvement in sports and music, the impact of diabetes on his social life, and his outlook on living with the condition. The tone of the episode is friendly, encouraging, and down-to-earth, offering listeners relatable insights and practical tips from a young person's perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Oliver’s Background with Diabetes

• Diagnosis & Early Years

  • Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 2 ([01:19]).
  • Doesn’t remember life before diabetes; considers it a normal part of his routine.

• Current Management Devices

  • Uses the Tandem Mobi pump with Control IQ technology ([02:02]).
  • Switched from the Omnipod 5 to Mobi after attending Friends for Life in 2024 ([02:07]).
  • Prefers “wired” (tubing) pumps and finds the Mobi more effective at maintaining in-range numbers and responding quickly to highs ([02:41], [04:24]).

2. Daily Diabetes Routines

• Sports Participation

  • Plays indoor soccer as goalie and defense in Illinois ([01:43], [01:36]).
  • Keeps his pump on during play, checks glucose before going out and after coming back in ([01:51]).
  • Clips his pump to his uniform using body catches ([02:34]).
  • Finds the Mobi helps manage glucose during sports activities ([02:41]).
  • Uses Dexcom CGM, checking levels on his phone; only fingersticks if signal’s out ([03:13]).

• Music & Other Interests

  • Plays saxophone in the school band ([04:09]).
  • Diabetes hasn’t interfered with music activities ([05:06]).

• Routine Management

  • Sees diabetes as “just a little more work” compared to peers ([06:25]).
  • Describes daily tasks as “trying to keep blood sugar in range and not trying to go low or high.” ([06:41]).
  • Uses the phone app to control the pump and easily boluses as needed ([07:19]).
  • Parents help especially when he’s not paying attention to numbers or doesn’t wake up at night ([07:46]).

3. Social Life & Support

• Family & Friends

  • Has two brothers and one sister; only he has Type 1 diabetes ([04:36]).
  • Shares about his diabetes with friends (“depends on the people” if they understand) ([05:07], [05:22]).
  • Not participated in sleepovers yet—“mostly” due to diabetes, but also not that interested ([05:40]-[06:04]).
  • At school, knows several other kids with diabetes (about seven or eight) ([10:32]).

• Attitudes and Independence

  • Feels confident and self-sufficient with using his devices ([07:32]).
  • Sees himself as “tough,” and credits diabetes with making him tougher ([09:57]).

4. Favorite Diabetes Tools & Tips

• Low Treatments

  • Prefers fruit snacks or juice (chilled, not room-temperature) ([08:01]).
  • Uses juice bottles at home rather than juice boxes ([08:34]).

• Advice for Others

  • “Try to keep numbers in range.” ([09:46])
  • If something gets hard, he says, “Try to find a way around it,” and would talk to his parents if needed ([09:02]).

5. Mindset and Reflections

• Emotional Impact
  • Doesn’t find diabetes “difficult,” nor is he bothered by thinking about it ([08:55]–[09:57]).
  • States, “I’ve grown up with it, so…it’s just a part of me now.” ([10:59])
  • Sees his life as normal, with diabetes just “a little more work” ([06:25], [10:32]).
  • When asked what he’d want people to know: “It’s just like any other being a kid.” ([12:07])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Switching Pumps:
  "I like the wires, the wired ones, better than the..." – Oliver on moving from Omnipod 5 to Tandem Mobi ([02:20])
  “It keeps my numbers in range more than the Omnipod. And also, I come down way faster than when I'm high than the Omnipod.” ([02:41])

• On Managing Diabetes During Activities:
  “Just gotta check it before I go out, and then every time I come back in, I check it.” ([01:51])

• Perspective on Having Type 1 Diabetes:
  “I mean, basically just like any other growing up, but just a little more work.” ([06:25])
  “I've grown up with it, so... it's just a part of me now.” ([10:59])
  “It’s just like any other being a kid.” ([12:07])

• Coping and Resilience:
  “If you hit something that was hard for you, what do you think you would do?”
  “Try to find a way around it.” ([09:04])

• Motivation & Toughness:
  “Do you think you're a tough person?”
  “Yeah.”
  “Do you think it’s helped you be tough?”
  “Yeah.” ([09:57])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:12] Introduction to Oliver: name, age, diagnosis story
• [01:43] Soccer, playing sports, pump management
• [02:02] Discussion of pump choice and features
• [02:41] Mobi performance vs. previous pumps
• [03:13] CGM and in-game monitoring
• [04:09] Playing saxophone, music in school
• [05:06] Impact of diabetes on activities
• [06:25] Oliver’s overall outlook: “just a little more work”
• [07:19] Using the Mobi app for bolusing
• [08:01] Favorite low treatments
• [09:46] Advice for other kids with Type 1
• [10:32] On having many peers with diabetes
• [12:07] Final message: “just like any other being a kid”

Episode Tone and Style

The conversation is friendly, candid, and light-hearted. Scott Benner uses humor and empathy to put Oliver at ease, while Oliver’s practical and cheerful attitude provides reassurance and encouragement to other young listeners and their families. The episode steers clear of medical advice and emphasizes personal experience and positivity.

Recommended For:
Parents and caregivers of children with Type 1 diabetes, young people managing diabetes, and anyone interested in firsthand perspectives on pediatric diabetes management.

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