Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1765 Tandem Kids: Riley

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Riley, age 15
Date: February 8, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Scott Benner interviews Riley, a 15-year-old from Marysville, Ohio, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since early childhood. Riley shares candid insights about growing up with diabetes, managing it through various stages of life, adapting to new technologies (including the Tandem Mobi pump), and the unique experience of having both a sibling and a parent diagnosed after her. The episode offers an honest glimpse into the daily realities and emotional challenges faced by young people with type 1 diabetes, focusing on community, family, and the value of peer support.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Riley’s Diagnosis Story

• Riley was diagnosed at age 3, on her brother's birthday.
• Her mother became concerned due to symptoms like bedwetting, excessive thirst, and fatigue.
• Memorable moment: Riley describes being hungry on the way to the ER and stopping for Burger King.
• Emotional recollection: “I was just sitting there, and I was, like, crying because I didn’t want to be there.” (02:12)
• Early diabetes management meant lots of finger pokes—no CGMs or pumps in 2013—leading to Band-Aids covering her fingers.
• She recalls differences at her brother’s birthday: “Everyone was getting, like, the triangle slices of cake, but I had to get the two by two square. …So they could actually count the carbs, make sure I got enough insulin.” (02:48-03:07)

Growing Up With Diabetes

• Riley has played lacrosse but sometimes needs to sit out due to low blood sugar or ketones, leading to feelings of being judged or different.

  “I feel like people are, like, judging me because I’m sitting out, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” (03:35)

• She credits her “amazing friends” for offering support, which was easier in her small elementary school where everyone knew she had diabetes.
• Meeting another student with type 1 was a relief and source of connection:

  “Yes, it did [make me feel better], because we were, like, best friends. Like, we shared stories.” (04:11)

Life at Friends for Life Conference

• Riley expresses a sense of belonging among other kids with diabetes at the conference:

  “I feel more like since most people here have type one, that we’re not such a smaller group... It’s normalized here.” (04:29–05:16)

• The normalization of diabetes at the conference lightens emotional burdens and reduces stigma.

Body Image and Devices

• Riley is self-conscious about scars from pump sites and feels hesitant to wear swimsuits:

  “I have a bunch of, like, scars all over my stomach and my legs, so I can’t really go out and, like, wear, like, a swimsuit because everyone’s gonna be like, what’s on your stomach?” (06:00)

• She sometimes hides her devices and values privacy, especially at school.

Pump and Injection Experiences

• Riley has toggled between injections and pumps over the years:
  • Started with injections, moved to Omnipod, then Tandem T:slim, and later back to injections for a “reset.”
  • Prefers pumps for discretion at school: “If I’m in class with, like, an insulin pump, I can just press a few buttons and no one would know.” (07:43)
  • Interested in the Tandem Mobi because of its concealability: “Yeah. Concealable? Yeah. That’s why it’s attractive to you.” (08:19–08:20)
• She decides independently when to switch between pumps and injections, with family involved in choice of device.
• On the Control IQ algorithm:

  “It’s easier to, like, understand from, like, other insulin pumps... I like how sometimes I don’t have to put in carbs and stuff, or not carbs, like a correction because it’s already correcting for you.” (09:03)

Impact on Daily Life & Mental Load

• When pumping with Control IQ, she thinks about diabetes less:

  “With the Control IQ, it’s way less.” (09:46)

Family Connections

• Her dad and brother were both diagnosed with type 1 last year; her sister is being monitored.
• On not being the only family member with type 1:

  “Kinda because I’m not the only one who’s, like, doing this stuff. So they’re kind of there with me.” (10:38)

  • But she was also conflicted:

    “I kind of didn’t want them to have it because it’s like a little bit extra steps.... I didn’t want them to have to do that.” (14:17–14:32)

• Riley is proud that her dad, now also living with type 1, is “always standing up” for her, especially dealing with insurance:

  “He was, like, on the phone with them 24/7, trying to get them to, like, approve the stuff.” (12:08–12:18)

Tech and Self-management

• Both she and her brother use a Dexcom G7; brother is on Omnipod 5; she’s trying Mobi.
• She helps teach her brother practical diabetes tasks, like linking devices and carb counting.
• Both count their own carbs and manage their own care.

Additional Health Context

• Riley also has hypothyroidism; celiac is present in an aunt.
• Anxiety is present in her family, though Riley herself does not feel anxious.

Aspirations and Reflections

• She hopes for greater comfort and discretion with new devices like the Tandem Mobi.
• Her approach to switching therapies is pragmatic, seeking the right “reset” to improve blood glucose control.
• Riley values the ease of automated corrections through Control IQ, which decreases her diabetes-related mental burden.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Riley on childhood diagnosis:

  “I was just sitting there, and I was, like, crying because I didn’t want to be there.” (02:12)

• On being seen as different:

  “I feel like people are, like, judging me... but there’s nothing I can do about it.” (03:35)

• Finding community:

  “Yes, it did [make me feel better], because we were, like, best friends.” (04:11)

• On stigma and normalcy:

  “Everyone here is, like—it’s normalized here so they, like, know what’s going on.” (05:11)

• Pumps vs. injections:

  “Sometimes I just need, like, the reset.” (07:09)
  “If I’m in class with, like, an insulin pump, I can just press a few buttons and no one would know.” (07:43)

• On family members’ new diagnoses:

  “Kinda because I’m not the only one who’s, like, doing this stuff.” (10:38)
  “I kind of didn’t want them to have it because... it’s just extra steps, and I didn’t want them to have to do that.” (14:17)

• On her father:

  “Because he’s always standing up for me. And when, like, insurance wouldn’t cover something, he was, like, on the phone with them 24/7.” (12:08)

• On control and technology:

  “I like how sometimes I don’t have to put in... a correction because it’s already correcting for you.” (09:03)
  “With the Control IQ, it’s way less.” (09:46, regarding time spent thinking about diabetes)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Diagnosis Story & Early Experiences — 01:20–03:07
• Challenges Playing Sports & Peer Support — 03:07–04:18
• Friends for Life Conference & Community Feels — 04:22–05:16
• Device Visibility, Body Image, & Privacy — 06:00–08:09
• On Switching Therapies (Pumps/Injections) — 07:09–08:43
• Tech Preferences: Control IQ Discussion — 09:01–09:46
• Family Diagnoses & Emotions — 09:54–14:32
• Daily Self-Management & Teaching Siblings — 13:01–13:35

Tone and Atmosphere

• Riley is open, matter-of-fact, and occasionally self-deprecating.
• The conversation is warm, supportive, and authentic, peppered with real-life moments and gentle humor.
• Scott is empathetic, draws comparisons to his own daughter’s experiences, and invites thoughtful reflection from Riley.

Summary Takeaways

This episode provides a powerful, first-person look at growing up with type 1 diabetes, navigating its emotional and social complexities, and making choices about technology and care. It highlights the importance of community, family, and empowerment—showing how peer understanding and family solidarity can lighten the daily burden of chronic illness. Riley’s story is both unique and deeply relatable for anyone managing type 1 diabetes or supporting a loved one who does.