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- [00:00]
A
Welcome back friends to another episode of the Juice Box Podcast.
- [00:14]
B
Hi, my name is Domino, I'm 50 years old and I am a type 3C diabetic.
- [00:23]
A
This is part two of a two part episode. Go look at the title. If you don't recognize it, you haven't heard part one yet. It's probably the episode right before this in your podcast. Blair, how would you like to share a type 1 diabetes getaway like no other? Join me on Juice Cruise 2026. You may be asking, what is Juice Cruise? It's a week long cruise designed specifically for people and families living with type 1 diabetes. It's not just a vacation, it's a chance to relax, connect and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere. We're going to sail out of Miami and the cruise includes stops in Cococay, San Juan, St. Kitts and Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility and exceptional amenities. You're going to enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type 1 diabetes. I'm going to host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea. There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining and modern amenities all throughout the Celebrity Beyond. Your kids can be supervised and there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge, not just the kids going on vacation. But maybe you get to kick back a little bit too. There's going to be zero judgment, real connections and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise 2026. Please come with me. You're going to have a terrific time. You can learn more or set up your deposit@juicebox podcast.com Juice Juice Cruise Get a hold of Suzanne at Cruise Planners. She will take care of everything. Links in the show Notes links@juicebox podcast.com if you're looking for community around type 1 diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast. Private Facebook Group Juice box podcast type 1 diabetes but everybody is welcome. Type 1 type 2 gestational loved ones it doesn't matter to me if you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort or community, check out Juice box podcast type 1 diabetes on Facebook. 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 healthcare plan. This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. You can use my offer code juicebox at checkout to save 20% off of your entire order@cozyearth.com everything from the joggers that I'm actually wearing right now to the sheets I sleep on, the towels I use to dry myself with, and whatever else is available@cozyearth.com just use the offer code Juicebox at checkout. 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 juicebox Today's episode is also sponsored by USMED usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from US MED. It's like that old joke, like, you don't want to get to heaven and have to say, like, I choked on a gummy bear. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I always say people like, why don't you clean out your gutters? I'm like, because I'm not going out like that. That's why.
- [03:53]
B
20 years of fighting for my life and all these huge things, and that's how I die.
- [03:57]
A
That's exactly how I took it. You're like, you have fought through so many things and you're like, no, this gummy bear was the orange one got me. Well, that's not going to be my story. I People are always like, I know I'd fall off the ladder or off the roof and on my way down I'd think, oh my God, this is the story, people. Scott was cleaning the gutters and he fell off the roof. This is how boink. And then I hit my head on the ground. I don't want that. I so every year I scrape together a little bit of money and I pay somebody to clean my gutters out because I don't want to be the guy that fell off his roof. And I'm pretty sure I would be. I don't have that kind of focus.
- [04:30]
B
If I have any low symptoms in the shower, I'm like, oh gosh, I got to get out because I'm not dying naked. This is not how they're finding me, right?
- [04:38]
A
Three firemen, like, oh my God.
- [04:43]
B
One more funny the shower head in.
- [04:46]
A
Your hand, like the faucets like half up your. You're flipped upside down. You know what I mean? Like, what happened in here?
- [04:54]
B
So one more little funny thing. Just talking with my husband about my one year anniversary and I said, I made it. I made it another Year. And he affectionately calls me a cockroach. He's like, no matter what, you just. You will not die. Life keeps trying to kill you, and you will not die. And I said, you know, the apocalypse, it's going to be me. Cockroaches, craft glitter and corn kernels. You can't get rid of those things.
- [05:25]
A
He's like. He's like, domino, listen, I would have left you 10 years ago, but honestly, I don't think you're going to make it much longer. Probably I just wanted to keep the house, but you were really chugging along. Way to go.
- [05:37]
B
I don't know.
- [05:38]
A
Well, I mean, you have to. I mean, the story you tell is just. It's unrelenting. I. I don't know how you wouldn't try to have. I mean, you got to try to have a good sense of humor about it, right? Because, I mean, honestly, in some small way, you really do. Not some small way. In some major way, you actually know what it's like to have a chronic illness because you've been constantly impacted by something for so long, even though it's not chronically the same thing, it hasn't been the same thing over and over again. You still have that, you know, decades worth of struggle, knowledge.
- [06:08]
B
Absolutely. Well, and literally facing mortality over and over. No, it's crazy, you know, stopped breathing. I mean, just the seizures, bleeding out there. Just so many things. And it is cliche, but. Well, one of my favorite sayings, which I'm going to get tattooed, is memento mori, which is, remember, you die. And going through all this, I do not waste my energy on.
- [06:41]
A
I bet not. I bet. Hey, I don't currently have a glucagon sponsor, so I can just say to you, have you tried micro dosing glucagon for your lows?
- [06:51]
B
I have not. I just switched two weeks ago to a new endocrinologist.
- [06:59]
A
Yeah.
- [07:00]
B
And he's supposed to specialize a little bit more in pancreatic endocrinology. So the priority is. Yeah. Working on those. Those. I'm waiting on a few more labs and then we're going to have a care plan. So that is something I'm going to talk to him. Him about.
- [07:18]
A
Good. Yeah. What glucagon do you have in the house right now? Is it the Maximi or the semi? Yeah, you have to get the Javok and then. Oh, my God, what a freeing thing. Do you guys know I was not allowed to say the G Vogue Hypopen. I had to say Jeevoke Hypopen. By the way, they're great sponsors. I hope they come back one day. But, like, they were lovely. And I love the hypopen. And my daughter still carries it. But you weren't allowed to say the G Vogue hypopen. I don't. I could never get a completely straight answer. Why? It was something about branding. It always came from legal. Like, oh, you said the. And I'm like, well, it's not a word that fits in the sentence. Without the. And they'd be like, no, no, it's G voke hypovent. So anytime you hear me say that, it sounds awkward. It wasn't my fault. But my point is, is that I'm happy to be able to just say it now. You got to get yourself. Now. I'm so brainwashed. I almost said G vog hypopen without the but, but, but. They come in syringes, right. With liquid. And if that doctor is a little forward thinking, then all you got to do is is put that liquid into, like, a vial and then draw it out with an insulin needle and bump yourself with it a little bit and get yourself out of those sticky lows faster.
- [08:23]
B
Yep.
- [08:24]
A
Yeah. So you're already on that. You're gonna. That's the conversation you wanna have.
- [08:27]
B
We're on it.
- [08:28]
A
Good, good. Also, nothing here on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. Good, good. So you know to do that. All right.
- [08:37]
B
Yes.
- [08:37]
A
Scott didn't have to tell you that. Where did you. Where did you figure that out, though? Like communities? Like people talking?
- [08:43]
B
Yes. Yep.
- [08:43]
A
Yeah. You making friends in the group?
- [08:46]
B
Not outside of there. I interact there.
- [08:48]
A
But no, I'm not saying you're not bringing them. You're not bringing them home to Colorado to ski, but like, you. But there's some people in the group that I can imagine you would get along really well with.
- [08:57]
B
There's some interactions that are. That are good.
- [08:59]
A
Good.
- [09:00]
B
I still am a little standoffish. Not, I guess, just learning, but I still have so much to learn so for myself that I still am cautious with giving advice on some things. I just try to be encouraging and help people not feel alone.
- [09:18]
A
You very much do that. I appreciate you in there a lot, actually. I hope. I want. I should say that. Absolutely. We just recently added a group expert. And would it surprise you to know that your name was in the mix?
- [09:31]
B
Oh, goodness.
- [09:33]
A
Because. Just because of the way you are. Like, I don't even know if you. Like, you know, we didn't know how long you had diabetes or anything like that. But, like, while we were talking, we kind of have this. Isabelle and I have a conversation where I'm like, you know, have you identified anybody who you think might be, like, a great group expert? We throw around usually about a dozen names and then invite. I think we invited one or two people last time, and, yeah, your name was right in there. So we were. We're waiting for you to have diabetes a little longer, and then we might ask you.
- [10:04]
B
Well, that's very kind.
- [10:05]
A
And be. Please, if the time ever comes, feel free to say, no, thank you. But, like, it's an interesting thing to choose a stranger from interactions in a Facebook group when you're. What, you know, you're asking them to do is, like, you know, pay a little more attention. You know, answer this and that when you find it. If people, you know, seem confused, you can point them towards things like, you know, you're kind of like a. An usher at an old movie theater. You know, see somebody wandering around, you go, the bathroom's over here. That kind of thing.
- [10:36]
B
Well, they're your group experts. Are excellent.
- [10:39]
A
They are really good.
- [10:40]
B
They are so good.
- [10:41]
A
Everybody does a great job.
- [10:42]
B
Yep.
- [10:43]
A
Again, just dumb luck. Or, you know what? I'm gonna stop doing that. Somebody told me to stop doing that. I. I did this on purpose. I picked every one of those people, and. And if I didn't pick them, they were picked by somebody I picked. So we're very purposeful about it. I should probably stop sounding like, oh, I just thought, I can't believe it's just happening. But, like, I feel like that in my heart, but in my head, I know we made a lot of decisions that got us to where we are, so.
- [11:08]
B
Well, whatever it is, it's working.
- [11:11]
A
Domino, listen, here's the. Here's the secret. It's gonna sound distasteful. It's me. I'm the secret.
- [11:21]
B
Secret time.
- [11:23]
A
Secret time. My genius is. Is overwhelming. The situation is what's heading down. I don't know. I honestly just think I have. I don't know. I don't really know what it is. I just know that since I've been a young person, if people have problems, they ask me, and the thing I say generally helps them, and I don't know how to take credit for that. So, anyway, I want to, but I wouldn't know how to. This might sound like a humble brag now, but I am actually trying to. I'm trying to be open in explaining to people, listening that this thing that's helping you is on purpose. And yet at the same time, it feels very random to me at times because I'm just. I don't know how to. Like, this is going to sound like hippie dippy, but, like, I just. I'm just floating on a cloud, and I'm just staying on it, you know, like the wind blows, and I kind of know which way to lean. And it's all fueled by your story and everybody else's, because my. My goal every day is do something better for you guys. I spent a little time yesterday just to give you an idea of, like, what that might mean. So I put out an episode two days ago with the Medtronic. So the Mini Med CEO, and she was. That conversation took a month or two to get together, and it was completely led by. By my questions. So I, you know, months ago, went to the group and said, hey, if I could talk to the CEO of this company, what would you want to ask? I took all their questions. I reformed their questions into my own questions. I sent those questions to her. I said, these questions seem okay with you? And they were a lot about, like, hey, you know, what the hell happened over there at Medtronic? Like, you know what I mean? And, like, and where are you going now? And how'd you get stuff that could be uncomfortable for a CEO to answer, but that you wouldn't normally think they would answer? But she was up for it, right?
- [13:17]
B
Nice.
- [13:17]
A
And she has the conversation, listens, we get it all done. I want you to know that that conversation is exactly how we spoke it. A lawyer didn't cut anything out of it. Nothing was removed from it. It went up the other day, and I listened back to it. And it's interesting because when you're having the conversation, even with you and I right now, my experience leading this conversation or being a part of this conversation is different than a listener will have later, even if I'm the listener. So I went back and listened to it the other day, and I thought this person, kind of sneaky, gave a masterclass on taking responsibility and moving on, right? Like. And she did it very, very, very well and seemed very genuine while she was doing it to me. So I took that, I went back and grabbed the transcript from it. Fooling around with Google Gemini lately? I have not left you chatgpt. I'm just trying other people. And I went into Gemini and I was like, hey, do a deep dive on this transcript. I'm the host. Here's the person who I'm interviewing I get the feeling that this is good for other people in her position to hear tell me why. Diabetes comes with a lot of things to remember, so it's nice when someone takes something off of your plate. Usmed has done that for us. When it's time for ardent supplies to be refreshed, we get an email rolls up and in your inbox says hi Arden, this is your friendly reorder email from usmed. You open up the email, it's a big button that says click here to reorder and you're done. Finally, somebody taking away a responsibility instead of adding one. Usmed has done that for us. An email arrives, we click on a link and the next thing you know your products are at the front door. That simple usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514 I never have to wonder if Arden has enough supplies. I click on one link, I open up a box, I put this stuff in the drawer and we're done. US Med carries everything from insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGMs like the Libre 3 and the Dexcom G7. They accept Medicare nationwide, over 800 private insurers, and all you have to do to get started is call 888-721-1514 or go to my link usmed.com juicebox using that number or my link helps to support the production of the Juice Box Podcast. 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 omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juice juicebox find my link in the show Notes of this podcast player or@juiceboxpodcast.com it gave me back a, you know, a research paper on the transcript and came to the conclusions that I was coming to when I was listening to it. So now I have that information. I know that, like, what the community wanted to know filtered through my mouth, into her ears, out her mouth, turned into a good roadmap for how to be a leader in this space. And now I'm gonna write an article, and to be perfectly honest with you, I'm not gonna write it. I'm gonna let the chatbot write it. I'm gonna write an article based on all of that, and then I'm gonna put it up, and then every CEO of every company you can think of, trust me, is gonna say it. And maybe that moves the needle for us all, you know, people living with type 1 diabetes or loving somebody with type 1 diabetes, maybe that moves the needle somewhere for us in ways that you'll never know. And I think it will. But all of that comes from my ability to spend so much time getting up in the morning and thinking what would help everybody, even the stuff you wouldn't expect. And so that part is very much on purpose. So that's the kind of stuff I'm doing during the day, among other things that you guys might not know about. Also, at the same time, I'm talking to you about that, I'm getting text messages from Isabelle, and because some lady is going cuckoo in the. Oh, oh, no. In the group. But don't worry, we took care of it. Oh, this is even worse. Oh, she's a doctor and she said the wrong thing. Yeah, so. But again, a great. A great chance for learning, right? Like, somebody posts a question. It's about how Omnipod 5 works. And don't be bored by this domino. Give me one more, because this is. This is really important. So somebody posts a question about how Omnipod 5 works. Couple of my group experts come along and say, you know, respond to a post, a post, this person says, you can make a change to this setting or this setting, blah, blah, blah. And they're wrong. Right? The person that makes the statements wrong. My experts come in very kindly, like, pointed out, like, oh, this doesn't do that. What you're saying it does this. Blah, blah, blah. And the person fires back and says, listen, this is my profession. Kindly your misunderstanding. And I was like, so how do you dive into this now? Right, Right. So the person is. If you're listening, I'm sure you are, Is posting anonymously. But for all of you who do that, I can see who you are still okay. Nobody else can, but I can. So secret time? Yeah, secret time. I know your name, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's not a thing I'm doing. It's how Facebook works. I am the admin. I get to see your name even if you decide to post anonymously. So this person, very well intended, like, and they weren't far off. They just. They're saying to make a setting change that won't impact the automation, but they're saying that it will and it won't. And so I don't know how to approach this now because I don't want to seem like I'm just, like, defending my experts. Right? And I don't want who. By the way, they're called group experts because that's what Facebook calls them. What they really are is nice people trying to help you and, you know, in their free time. And so I don't want to just come off like, I'm just. I'm just, you know, circling the wagons because I'm not. And I don't want to say, na, na, na na, you don't know what you're talking about. So I'm like, how do I do this? And again, I used AI. I don't know why you're all not using it. I took a screen capture of the entire conversation. I put it into an AI model. I also gave it access to Omnipod's website. The three episodes that I've I recorded with Omnipod about setting up Omnipod 5. And I just said, in this exchange, you know, please identify things that are being said correctly and the things that aren't being said correctly. Friends, I just placed my order@cozyearth.com they're today's sponsor, and I'm here to tell you about them. Use my offer code juicebox at checkout when you buy and you'll save 20% off of your entire order. That's everything in your cart. @cozyearth.com, save 20% with the offer code Juicebox now. Why am I excited? Well, I just ordered the Cozy Earth blanket. It's the viscose bamboo blanket. I'm super excited about it. It looks comfy as can be, and it's going to go so well with the sheets that we already have from Cozy Earth Now. Yeah, I'm a bit of a Cozy Earth convert, I guess. I'm sitting here in my joggers. I used my towels coming out of the shower this morning. I slep on my sheets Last night, slept like a baby. By the way, cozyearth.com they pretty much have everything you want. Use the offer code juicebox to save 20% at checkout on skin care, women's and men's clothing, bath and sleeping accessories. And don't forget, Valentine's Day is coming up quickly. Get those pajamas. Cozyearth.com use the offer code juicebox at checkout to save 20% off of your entire order. It gave me back what it gave back. The group experts were right and the person that posted was wrong. And so I just said, hey, listen, it's a great learning opportunity for everybody. Like, everything about Omnipod 5, everyone doesn't understand all the time, even at all levels. This is the research that I did on this, literally on this thread here, this sub thread. And, you know, I hope this helps everybody also. And here's the part, the reason why I'm telling you about it, Scotty's already ahead of that. Okay, so I've been talking to Omnipod for six months about doing another series that explains the picadilloes, the inner workings of the Omnipod 5. Because I went to them and I said, I still think there's confusion about how the algorithm works. And I see a lot of people talking about changing settings that I know don't touch automation that only change manual. And then I said, I'm worried that people are turning the volume up, turning the volume up, not hearing the difference and not realizing that if they ever flip back into manual, they're going to make themselves low, probably. And I was like, I think we need to do that. So I have been working on that for a number of weeks with Omnipod. We're going to record it soon and it's going to come out as content to help people understand their algorithm better. That's a thing I've been working on for six months because I have time to pay attention to the little tiny details because this is my job, right? And that's going to end up helping a lot of people. And if you're listening and you think, no, it's not, Scott, I. I will tell you that my Omnipod 5 series has hundreds of thousands of downloads. So, like, this is going to help a lot of people again. But it's not happening anywhere except in my head because I'm the only one dopey enough to sit around all this all day and, like, just, I don't know, try to take a macro and micro view of what's going on at the same time. And just wonder again out loud, like, what would help all these people? So, anyway, we're doing that next week. We're. We're doing a Pro Tip series with Tandem. I'm trying to get Medtronic to do one, too. I think they will. I'm just trying to get information out there that can maybe just help you guys a little bit, you know? So, anyway, I don't know where all. I had a lot of that in my head, Domino. I apologize.
- [24:03]
B
No, it's. No, it's all good.
- [24:05]
A
I mean, you like the podcast?
- [24:06]
B
I think it is.
- [24:06]
A
Yeah.
- [24:07]
B
I think it's information that so many of us are missing, and that's what brings most of us to the podcast, like you said. Yeah.
- [24:16]
A
Where are you going to get that otherwise? Like, I mean, it's all written down somewhere in an FAQ or something, but people don't find that stuff and they don't know to ask. I think that's part of the storytelling style of the podcast and why it's helpful is because the conversations will just randomly lead to things. You'll hear them offhandedly, and then you pluck them later and use them from your memory. But you don't know to ask that question. Right. You don't know that this setting impacts auto. But this setting doesn't. Or something like that, then. And certainly the person who posted, if. If you hear this, like, they're not. They're not bad people. They're not spreading misinformation. They're saying something out loud they believe is true.
- [24:58]
B
Right.
- [24:59]
A
You know, so.
- [25:00]
B
Right.
- [25:00]
A
And I'm looking here, Doctor. Look at that. Yeah. How about that? Because my people are doing the background search right now. I got people.
- [25:08]
B
Nice.
- [25:11]
A
Yeah. This is a physician.
- [25:13]
B
Oh, wow.
- [25:14]
A
So. And hopefully what this person takes from it is. Oh, I didn't know that. I'll stop saying that now.
- [25:21]
B
Right.
- [25:21]
A
You know, instead of. Instead of, you know, maybe committed to the wrong thing, pushing back or doubling down or pushing back or getting upset, like, there's no reason to be upset. Like, that's a. Not a thing a lot of people know. So much so that, you know, we're going to make more content about it to make sure that people do know.
- [25:37]
B
And I think. I think people are. And it's a tough balance, though. I know even to have the courage to start looking for information, especially in my situation, you know, without my endocrinologist and all the new things I was trying to navigate, it's scary to go down the rabbit hole sometimes and worry about getting false information. And what applies to my specific body, my situation.
- [26:06]
A
Yeah.
- [26:06]
B
But it's. It's really important that that stuff's out there.
- [26:11]
A
Well, you're. You're just 100. Correct. That the idea of, like, for many people, it should. Should be for everybody. The idea of going out into the world and just starting to ask questions because not sure what's going to come back to you.
- [26:24]
B
Right.
- [26:24]
A
That's a hard thing to get past. Like, you know, how do you know if what you just heard is right or right for you or, you know, like, I mean, people can seem. I mean this. Again, no disrespect, but this is a doctor.
- [26:38]
B
Right.
- [26:38]
A
And they're saying, no, you're wrong. I know. I do this professionally. And you could look and go, that's a doctor. And, well, you can't. I can and say, like, you know, well, okay, they must be right. But there they go. Not right. So.
- [26:53]
B
Especially with my history of misdiagnosis and a rare diagnosis.
- [26:59]
A
Yeah.
- [26:59]
B
Even getting treatment now, most people have not heard of nosidioblastomy. And then you add all the other, you know, complications. And going out to try to find information on type 3C, which is not as common.
- [27:18]
A
Yeah.
- [27:19]
B
With acidioblastosis, with the digestive stuff going on, I just think. Yeah. There's so many caveats with it.
- [27:28]
A
No kidding. You are probably finding yourself in a situation in a doctor's office where you're the. You're the expert on the problem.
- [27:36]
B
Yes.
- [27:36]
A
And. Yeah. And you don't have hardly any of the information you need. And you're like, look, I. I'm still having a problem here. I've hit my ceiling. I can't go any further. I need your help. But first, let me explain to you what my situation is, because I know you don't know it.
- [27:51]
B
Well, it's tough starting over with a doctor every time. I mean, that morning, my doctor being out, I mean, he listened to me. He helped me get a rare diagnosis, brought people in to bring tests to get that rare diagnosis. It was a lot. And I'm so thankful for him. And then it's. I've been grieving him being out all this time.
- [28:14]
A
No kidding.
- [28:15]
B
And the person that helped me and not only helped me to get this rare diagnosis, but also knows my other 20 years of history.
- [28:25]
A
Right. And you don't. And every time you start over, I bet you feel like you. The first thing you want to say is like, look, I'm not crazy. Just listen for a minute.
- [28:31]
B
Right.
- [28:31]
A
Right. Because I'm going to Tell you a long story that you're probably not going to follow. I had to live it a hundred times before I even understood it, but here I am trying to explain it to you in five minutes.
- [28:39]
B
Well. And I have gotten that. That I'm crazy. And I think, well, all right. This is why I'm crazy. Because, you guys, I have to go to therapy. Because all of you guys telling me.
- [28:49]
A
I'm wrong all the time about the thing I live through, and I know for sure it's happening.
- [28:54]
B
I told my husband. That's what I'm sending everybody a card that just says, I made a donor to my therapist in your name. Merry Christmas.
- [29:05]
A
That's a great idea. And if I'm found dead, it was a bear attack. I just want you to know.
- [29:11]
B
Yes, absolutely.
- [29:12]
A
They're getting into the bedroom somehow. I have no idea. You live in Colorado. People might be like, oh, there's probably bears. Yeah.
- [29:19]
B
Nope, I'm a cat crouch. I don't think even gummy bears are gonna get me so far.
- [29:25]
A
You're not. You're not going down from a gummy bear. By the way, what kind of gummy bears do you like?
- [29:29]
B
The Albanese?
- [29:30]
A
Yeah, it's really the only. It's the only decision to be made. They put the price up recently. I don't love it.
- [29:36]
B
No, same.
- [29:37]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Used to be, right? You got the big five pound bag on Amazon for nothing, right? Yeah, because the bag of sugar, by the way, way to shake me down for it. Then what happened? Well, I know what happened. The people started yelling tariffs, and they were like, oh, can we charge more for this? Awesome. And they just doubled the price. And still. I still order it. It's, like, right in our pantry, there's a. A big, like, sealed, like, plastic container with a lid on top of it that seals, like, keeps it airtight, you know? And it's just like five, like, five pounds of. Of gummy bears in there. Think of it as medicine. Like, people generally leave it alone. But Arden, actually, Arden, sorry, I didn't get her period. And her blood sugar got a little low last night and the middle of the night. Like, she was, like, taking care of it. And then she's like, texted me. She's like, hey, I'm still a little low and, like, I don't have anything up here, but I don't feel good. Like, there's only, like, her belly hurt from her period. There was not too many things she was interested in trying to eat at that moment. And so I went downstairs and, like, Did a, like a flyby grab. I grabbed like a banana. I grabbed the juice box, I grabbed and I said, go, let me grab some gummy bears. And I'm not going to even lie to you, Domino. It was like 3:30 in the morning and I grabbed out some gummy bears. I put them on the counter, I put the lid back on, I looked down and I just like took two gummy bears. And I was like, I'm going to eat these. And I popped in my mouth and I was like, this is delightful. And then I'm chewing on these two gummy bears, heading upstairs the stuff. And I thinking like, ah, bet you everybody's life is not like this.
- [31:02]
B
So what's your, what's your favorite flavors?
- [31:05]
A
I like to mix them. I like to mix light colors with dark colors to see what I get.
- [31:10]
B
I'll do that too, but dark green.
- [31:13]
A
With a light yellow, Red with blue. A little too much. Red with yellow? Yes. Blue with green. Sometimes like I just, I pop them in like little. This might be a look into my brain, but I don't commit any of it to memory. I just, I match them by color, by color.
- [31:30]
B
Hey, whatever works.
- [31:34]
A
It usually works out. Same thing when people say to me, like, how did you know this was going to work? And I'm like, I don't really. Like I still haven't because we took a little time to talk about it today again, I'm, I'm just being honest. Like a lot of my decisions work out, but I don't know why. And when people ask me why, like, how did you come to that decision? I don't know. And as a matter of fact, when I watch other people think about the same thing, I realize they're considering things and making decisions and considering things and making decisions and coming to an end. I just look at something till it makes sense to me and then I do it. But there's no background thinking. I don't know how to explain to you what I experience.
- [32:17]
B
How much of that do you think is the thought, the thoughtfulness and the preparation before you act on it. But then also a lot of people are afraid to act on it. And I think you have a confidence and maybe just a go for it kind of attitude. So the thoughtfulness before it and working it all how, how you want it to go, but then the balls to just do it.
- [32:41]
A
So maybe the pieces have already been thought out ahead of time and I just need to like lump them together and then go in the direction they point to, I think.
- [32:49]
B
So I Mean, it's working.
- [32:50]
A
Yeah. I mean, yeah. I don't. But seriously, like, what you just said, You're. That's you trying to wonder how my brain works and me sitting here going, I really don't know. Yeah, we all had to go outside and pick something up off the ground, and there was a lot of it or something, and you might step back and go, well, this stuff all has to go to the curb, so we're gonna have to put it into a wheelbarrow and that wheelbarrow's over there. And then we'll like. And you might go like, you might. As you're doing it, think those things through. I just start moving and it works out. And I know this is. Sounds like. It probably sounds douchey to people, like, or listening. And trust me, it does to me too. Also. That's a word from the 70s. But seriously, like, I don't understand. I just. All I. All I know is I look up and I go, this is the right thing to do. I do it and it works.
- [33:36]
B
And just highly intuitive.
- [33:38]
A
I have just learned to trust myself. Yeah. Yeah. That's all. Because I don't know why. I'm done. I'm done trying to figure it out why. I mean, it's easy to say. Like, a lot of hard work and like, you know, hours and thoughtfulness went into the podcast. But this thing is. This is unlikely. Like, this entire thing, that group of people, the hundreds of thousands of people who listen and talk to each other like every day under the umbrella of the thing that I made, like, it's completely unlikely to have grown like this. And I didn't do one bit of it on purpose, so it's incredible. Yeah, Just dumb luck.
- [34:13]
B
Every time the welcome new members. 150 or whatever it is, I'm like, holy crap. Every time.
- [34:21]
A
Me too.
- [34:22]
B
150 more. Do you watch Everybody Loves Raymond?
- [34:26]
A
Yeah, I've seen it. Yeah. Yeah, I probably saw the whole thing first run.
- [34:29]
B
Well, just the dad in there, how he says, holy crap. That's what I say in my best Frank Barone voice.
- [34:35]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't. I. I can't do the voice, but I know what you're talking about. I think. I think the same thing. I'm like, oh, my God. Again? Again? Again.
- [34:42]
B
That's awesome.
- [34:43]
A
Yeah, it really is crazy. I mean, just the other day, like, Today's episode is Dr. Beach Gem and she did you and wasn't she lovely?
- [34:53]
B
Terrific.
- [34:54]
A
Right? And she is. I mean, no other way to put it, she is Internet Famous. Like really Internet famous. And my wife was like, you should try to get her on. And I'm like, you think she's going to come to my podcast because you like it? Like, because you like her thing? I was like, what's my pitch here? She's like, I don't know, ask her. I was like, that's not going to work. A couple weeks ago for diabetes awareness month, she put up a post and I was like, oh, I wonder if we could get her attention on this. So I just went back to the group and I was like, hey, can you guys just kind of go ping her in this post and see if she'd come on the podcast? Well, I didn't even understand the power of my, of my words. Yeah, yeah. Well, she was like, hey, listen, if you can tell these people to leave me alone, I'll come on the pod. No, she wasn't like, she was very nice, but like, but we like, it was enough that she took it seriously, you know, and she doesn't know me. Like, you know, and you can, you can email somebody or message somebody and go, hey, look, I have the number one diabetes podcast in the world. This is how many downloads it has. I'd love you to come on, blah, blah, blah. But people ignore, I ignore that stuff all the time. I get, I get 10 emails like that a day. I don't, I delete. So you don't bother sending them out if you've got any common sense because you know that somebody else is going to do the same thing. So you guys just all like put a bug in her ear and she was like, right on. And then we had a really good time talking.
- [36:13]
B
She was fabulous.
- [36:14]
A
Yeah. Yeah. And she was really great and thoughtful and I think you could hear in there a little bit too. Like, I made her think about a couple of things too.
- [36:20]
B
Yes.
- [36:21]
A
Which was my goal to spread your guys need, my daughter's need into the world a little more. See, it's on purpose.
- [36:29]
B
Absolutely. Well, the thing that stuck out the most, it was all great. But you sharing about 40 year old mom that had several kids.
- [36:38]
A
Yeah.
- [36:39]
B
And the texting or calling back and forth and her saying why didn't nobody tell me this? And I just. Somebody was cutting onions.
- [36:48]
A
Well, you must intersect with that feeling significantly because why didn't somebody help you faster sooner?
- [36:55]
B
Right? Yeah, they're still learning. They're doing a lot of research. In fact, some of my surgical videos and they're gonna use towards more research for this.
- [37:06]
A
So that's wonderful. Well, it's Nice of you to let them do that. I'll tell you that you have not heard on the podcast yet, but you will hear. All right. Ready, Domino?
- [37:15]
B
I'm ready.
- [37:16]
A
I'm gonna tell you something that nobody else knows.
- [37:18]
B
Okay.
- [37:18]
A
No, I need another drink. I've already said this twice in two recordings, so it's gonna come out, but it still feels strange to say out loud probably. For the last 20 years, I have battled with hemorrhoids.
- [37:31]
B
Okay.
- [37:32]
A
And not just like, oh, that itches, or it feels pokey, or, you know, the paper got a little bloody once or twice. Like, I will start to bleed and not stop for hours sometimes, like. Like red blood. Like, laying on the floor half upside down.
- [37:49]
B
Like, I'll pause you just a second.
- [37:51]
A
Good.
- [37:51]
B
I've had two surgeries for hemorrhoids.
- [37:54]
A
Well, you're going to appreciate this, then.
- [37:56]
B
Yes. So I. My deepest condolences.
- [37:59]
A
So a thing that no one talks about. And I mean, no one. Right. And I tried some 20 some years ago to get them banded. It was incredibly painful. It did not last very long. Yes. And then I suffered again. Mostly the suffering is like, pressure, knowing that there's going to be bleeding multiple times of year, that sometimes you can't get under control for like a week. You have to, like, stop eating to make it go like. Like a. It's terrible, right?
- [38:27]
B
Yes.
- [38:28]
A
And then I finally was like, oh, go do the banding again. Now listen for clarity, for your understanding of what the banding means, is that someone puts a speculum in your ass and opens it up and then goes in there with a gun with a tiny little rubber band on it that's super strong and slips it over the hemorrhoid, then lets it go, and then it chokes it off and it falls off. It hurts like a son of a bitch is what I'm going to tell you. Okay. The whole thing, not good, and it doesn't last.
- [38:56]
B
Right? So I know.
- [38:57]
A
So the last five years, I've just given up. I was like, oh, this is how I'll die one day. Like, someone's going to come in and go, somebody murdered him. And my wife is going to go, oh, no, let me see the picture. No, no, no. He just looks like he might have bled out of his ass to death. And it happens randomly, and sometimes it happens, and I know it's going to happen. And some of those times, or if I'm on my feet or talking too much. So I have had. So nobody knows this, right? I've had this happen to Me in a hotel at a touch by type one conference. This happened to me on the cruise ship last year during the cruise and it's happened to me a number of other times. And so yikes. On the cruise in June, I told my wife, I'm like, I'm going to get this fixed. I don't care what has to happen. Because I was, you know, laying on the floor of a cruise ship with a wad of paper jammed up my hoping I wasn't going to bleed to death at 2 o' clock in the morning and then had to go downstairs the following morning at 7 and go to poor Suzanne who's running the cruise, who I don't know that way, and explain to her what my night's been like and to look out for me, you know what I mean? Like, not a thing you want to tell somebody. Also, there's 100 people that listen to the podcast are sitting in a room staring at me and I'm like, now I got to talk and, and be like, be me. And all I can think is like, I hope I don't randomly start bleeding. Because whatever. You're like, whatever. People who are just don't know about how this, how bad this can be. This isn't like a tiny bit of blood. And for those of you ladies out there, like, well, now you know what it's like to get your period. It ain't like that either, okay? Like, it's like an open. It's like somebody took a knife and just cut an artery in my arm and we're just sitting there watching it bleed, waiting for it to, to, to close up. Right?
- [40:43]
B
Right.
- [40:44]
A
So anyway, I come home from the cruise and make fun of me if you want. I asked Chachi PT about it because all the googling in the world gets you to banding or it gets you to, you know, like some pretty invasive surgery to do cutting on the inside of. Like, I don't want anybody cutting in that hole, you know what I mean? Like, like so, like, and, and all the outcomes are shaky at best. Well, I bump into this thing called an H A E, a hemorrhoid arterial embolism. Right? And it turns out that those doctors in the hospital who, you know, fish the catheters in and like embolize stuff, they were looking for ways to make more money with their skill. And one of them was like, could we treat hemorrhoids like this? And apparently they've been doing it like this for about five years. Well, my first thought was that, same as that lady on the phone call, like, I can't believe this has existed for five years and I didn't know about it, like, but I know now. So then I go, and my insurance is the only major insurance company that doesn't cover it. And I was like, you have got to be kidding me. So I call them back, and I'm like, what's it cost? Like, tell me what the cash price is. Well, the cash price is $10,000.
- [41:59]
B
Ouch.
- [41:59]
A
So I was like, oh, no, I can't do that. Like, I'm like, okay, but I can't keep bleeding like this. Like, I gotta do something at my insurance company says just wait for the bleeding to start and go to the emergency room. We'll cover it then. And I was like, why don't you cover it now for a third of the price, right? And they were like, it's not, it's not, it's not. And so I fought and fought and fought and fought and. And I. And I. It wasn't come it. You know, nothing was coming of it. And so finally, I just contacted the doctor and I said, I'll trade you coming on the podcast for some money. You can talk about it. I'll be honest about the procedure. You can get the word out this way. And, you know, you cut me a deal on the pricing. And we actually. And I had the procedure yesterday, and he is going to come on, and you should listen to it because it is not what you think. And if you're struggling with this, it's going to change your life. Because he'll go over it in the thing. But, you know, he showed me right after the procedure. So they went in through my groin, like with a calf, Right. And he found five branches inside of my canal. Okay. That where they should have ended. Instead of ending, they branched off into, like, a root system. And that whole root system is filling with blood.
- [43:17]
B
Wow.
- [43:17]
A
And creating so much pressure internally that not only am I bleeding internally, but it's pushing externally on it as well. Like, so, like, I've, like, pressure constantly from the inside out. Why am I now comfortable talking about this? Because it came up by mistake on a podcast a few weeks ago. And after I explained it to the person, the person went, I really appreciate you saying that. I bet you it's going to help people that would never talk about something like this. And she's like, that is kind of what you do. And I didn't really realize that about myself. I didn't know that, like, a lot of this stuff about diabetes that we Talk about. Most people won't talk about, but I do for some reason. And I was like, okay, fine, I'm gonna talk about it. Like, after she said that, that's when I reached to the doctor and said I'd be willing to talk about this on the podcast. But anyway, there's.
- [44:03]
B
I love that.
- [44:03]
A
Yeah. He's gonna talk all about, like, you know, the procedure, how it works, and also what my body structure is the problem. So it's not eating. It wasn't exercise. It wasn't my. He said all the things I tried over the years. He goes, you tried all the right things. They were never actually going to help you. You. And then he explained to me why, and I was like, oh, I want other people to know about that.
- [44:26]
B
Absolutely.
- [44:27]
A
I'm gonna tell you, Domino, that, like, this is as close as I hope to ever come to knowing what it's like to live as a drug addict, because I was incredibly good at hiding this from people. And. And it was really impactful on my life. Like, I mean, around my house, from my family, in public, privately. You know, in public, professionally, I was really, really good at hiding this from people. And it took a lot of mental energy, and it's a lot of physical, to your point, not dissimilar to you having an infection that won't go away. My body was always under attack in this one area, and I think because it's on your butt, people think it's funny. And the truth is, if I had swelling in my arm that led to uncontrolled bleeding, nobody would think that was funny. You know what I mean?
- [45:16]
B
Right. So, anyway, I'm getting choked up talking.
- [45:20]
A
About butt stuff and getting butt stuff and choked up. That sounds like a different podcast. I think that's an S and M podcast.
- [45:29]
B
Not this Way. After Dark.
- [45:32]
A
Way after Dark. Well, yeah. Especially when you get up in there, it's very, very dark.
- [45:36]
B
I'm getting choked up. Just because how you carry on and carry it because you've tried things, they don't work. You feel like this is best it's gonna get. You don't have a resolution. Yeah. You've already put yourself out there and tried to fix it. And I feel that with a lot of. I mean, through the last 20 years of. It's not pride, it's not shame. It's like, well, it's not gonna make it better to talk about it. I don't want to marinate it, and I don't want advice.
- [46:13]
A
Yeah.
- [46:13]
B
And I. To manage other people's feelings.
- [46:16]
A
Well, I have a unique platform where I can tell you what happened to me and you can go decide for yourself. And that's really all I'm trying to do. But I can tell you that in recovery, which, by the way, I wasn't even all the way out. It's like a light sedation, just, like a little high. Felt like fuzzy behind my eyes while they were doing it, you know, And I was in recovery for, like an hour, and then I was gone. And he came out and he said to me, he was like, you know, how you feeling? And I said, I feel like it's too early to say this, but there's a lot. And I can't believe I'm using these words, but there's a lot less pressure on my anus than there usually is.
- [46:47]
B
Yeah.
- [46:48]
A
And I was like, if. If Even just this is what. Like, if. If that happens and I don't bleed anymore. And I. And I was getting dressed, like, as he came over and talked to me, I said, may I? And he said, sure. And I just reached around, I hugged him. I was like, man, thank you so much. You know?
- [47:03]
B
Absolutely.
- [47:03]
A
Yeah. And by the way, for those of you who are listening, the best part of this procedure is doesn't involve a speculum. And that's not fun, is what I'm saying. Just cast me. It just went in through my groin.
- [47:16]
B
So recovery time and healing and all that. What does that look like?
- [47:19]
A
I'm done.
- [47:20]
B
Without giving too much.
- [47:21]
A
No, I'm done. It's over. Yeah. Yeah. Like, he emailed me this morning, asked how I was. I told him, and he's like, great, just continue to rest today. I said, I'm going to record a podcast. I think that's restful enough. I was like, but otherwise I'm going to sit around and just do that. I came home yesterday. I slept for five hours in the afternoon. I got up, ate some food, went back to sleep, got up this morning at 8. I haven't used the bathroom yet, but I had restricted my food for a couple days before the procedure.
- [47:49]
B
Yeah.
- [47:49]
A
So I didn't expect any to use the bathroom today, which, by the way, is its own form. And I don't want to. I don't want to sound like a. Like a fragile girl on TikTok or a fragile. I shouldn't say girl. I'm old. Sorry, everybody. Like a fragile person on TikTok. But, like, it is a form of an eating disorder. Like, you should see how I manipulate my food so that I don't have to go to the bathroom in certain situations.
- [48:10]
B
Right.
- [48:10]
A
It's a lot to think about. And. And again, I hope everybody understands. I'm not talking about like, oh, there's a little blood on the paper. I'm talking about like, hey, you think he's going to die? Looks like he's going to die. It's not great. The last time, I said the last time it happened to me was on the cruise, but that's actually not even true. The last time that it happened to me was the night before Friends for Life. Wow. So I got up in the morning, I thought I had it under control, and it happened again in the airport and then I had to get on the plane and I. And that was the last time it was a problem during that week. But during the Friends for Life week, if you guys saw me at Friends for Life, I didn't eat enough food for a human being for five days. Like I was trying to give it time to heal before I had to use the bathroom again. It's crazy. It's just a terrible way to live. And it. And I think it's overshadowed by the fact that it's like hemorrhoid. Funny, but funny. It's not funny. It's. It's a, you know, as close as I'm going to come to an arterial bleed in my life, and it was happening a little. A little too consistently.
- [49:12]
B
Anyway, since you're going to do a follow up podcast on that, I'd be interested to see, especially since you're just so brand new out of the procedure. If you pay attention to how much mental gymnastics and mindspace working around that pre surgery took.
- [49:33]
A
Oh, I can't wait to have that. That time to really consider that because.
- [49:38]
B
I think it's your eating.
- [49:39]
A
Yeah, I think it's a lot.
- [49:40]
B
You have to be strategic.
- [49:41]
A
Yep. No, I think it's a lot and I think it's going to go away and pretty excited about it. Plus, I told him, the doctor, I said, I don't want to do this right away. I'm like, let me live with this for, you know, some weeks so that I can really contextualize what it's done for me. So.
- [49:56]
B
Right.
- [49:57]
A
Yeah. So he's going to.
- [49:58]
B
So happy for you.
- [49:59]
A
Thank you. Thank you so much. I didn't mean to end on that. Uh, we're still calling this bear attack. And I really appreciate you doing this, Domino, and I appreciate all your support online and, and you taking the time to share your story today. It was really lovely.
- [50:11]
B
Well, thank you. I really believe it you're in in the whole juice box thing. You're doing a great thing and literally it's saved my life. So I'm grateful.
- [50:20]
A
Thank you so much. You made my day. Thank you. Hold on one second.
- [50:24]
B
Uh huh.
- [50:31]
A
A huge thank you to Cozy Earth, a long time sponsor. Cozyearth.com use the offer code juicebox at checkout. You will save 20 off of your entire order when you use that code. Don't let me down kids. Head over there now. Get yourself some joggers, some towels, some sheets, save yourself some money, support the podcast. Make your life beautiful and comfortable all at the same time. Cozyearth.com use the offer code juicebox at checkout usmed sponsored this episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Check them out@USMED.com juicebox or by calling 888-721-1514, get your free benefits check and get started today with USMED. 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 juicebox thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Juice Box Podcast. If you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. If you go a little further in Apple Podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. 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. If you're living with type 1 diabetes, the after Dark collection from the Juice Box Podcast is the only place to hear the stories that no one else talks about, from drugs to depression, self harm, trauma, addiction, and so much more. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu and click on After Dark. There you'll see a full list of all of the After Dark episodes. Hey, what's up everybody? If you've noticed that the podcast sounds better and you're thinking, like, how does that happen? What you're hearing is Rob at wrongwayrecording doing his magic to these files. So if you want him to do his magic to you. Wrongwayrecording.com you got a podcast, you want somebody to edit it, you want Rob.