#1777 Scratch That Itch

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes – Episode #1777 "Scratch That Itch"

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Christine ("Chris"), 73, living with type 1 diabetes for 67 years
Date: February 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging interview, Scott Benner sits down with Christine, a vibrant 73-year-old who has managed type 1 diabetes since age six. Together, they explore Chris’s journey from a childhood marked by medical and family hardships, through advances in diabetes technology, and into her candid reflections on aging, health, independence, and the strength (and humor) found in surviving decades with a chronic condition. The discussion captures both the harsh realities and the resilient spirit of someone who has defied the odds, offering practical insights and inspiration for anyone touched by diabetes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Chris’s Early Life and Diagnosis (00:14–13:56)

• Diagnosis at Age Six (1958): Chris recounts her childhood symptoms (voracious appetite, rapid weight loss) and being cared for by a supportive pediatrician who candidly told her parents most children with type 1 diabetes were not expected to live past their 20s or 30s.
  • "Back in those days...everything...was based on that kind of thinking." (Christine, 04:27)
• Family Hardship: Her father contracted polio in his 20s, resulting in paraplegia; her mother became a working caretaker at a time when few mothers did.
  • “We learned how to take care of him at home. There weren’t a lot of social services back then...we were pretty poor.” (Christine, 05:54)
• Early Management of Diabetes: One daily injection, glass syringe & steel needle, with Chris learning to inject herself by age seven.
  • "My mother would have to sit on me and give me my injections because I would just scream and cry....I think I blocked that part out." (Christine, 13:02)

Living with Limited Resources (13:56–17:50)

• Cost and Scarcity: Syringes were reused for years due to cost. Chris shares that in 1984, two bottles of insulin cost her $17, with $8 for three months of syringes.
• Medical Advancements: Noted the major difference modern technology has made, but remembers having to cut glucose testing strips in half to make them last (30:32).

Health Complications and Resilience (17:50–41:19)

• Minimal Complications: Despite decades with diabetes, Chris reports only moderate retinopathy, now stable, and more recent autonomic symptoms (lightheadedness, balance issues).
  • "The only diabetes complication that I came down with was retinopathy...my other eye is still fine." (Christine, 17:50)
• Cardiac and Stroke Events: Heart attack, stents, minor stroke—all relatively recently and managed with help from her husband.
• Self-Advocacy and Medical Knowledge: Leveraged her experience in hospital admin/medical records to be proactive though sometimes frustrated by medical limitations and stereotypes about aging.
• Autonomy vs. Automation: Chris does not fully trust automated insulin delivery systems despite positive accounts, preferring to manage her basal rates manually.
  • "There's part of me...I have to be in control." (Christine, 33:38)
  • Scott challenges this: "So you’re okay with a car driving you, but not a pump taking care of your insulin?" (Scott, 42:46)

Impact of Prognosis on Life Choices (24:29–29:32)

• Belief She’d Die Young: Grew up convinced her life would be short, influencing decisions about education and children.
  • "Yes, I grew up until I got to about my mid-30s." (Christine, 24:29)
• Choosing Not to Have Kids: Avoided pregnancy after seeing negative diabetes outcomes in others and reading medical literature; now has some regrets as she and husband age and face the possibility of needing care.
• Attitude Toward Aging: Chris and her husband are determined to “age in place,” recognizing that care by family or professionals is a major concern for diabetics as they get older.

Adapting Diabetes Management in Older Age (38:18–54:31)

• Technology & Dexterity: Relies on her husband for CGM insertion due to arthritis; notes device design can be a barrier for older people.
• Adjustments for Safety: Now treats at higher blood sugars to prevent unrecognized lows and coordinates household navigation (peripheral vision loss).
• Candid Reflections: Opens up about sexuality (“We had the longer tubing, so it worked out just fine,” 37:28), overcoming embarrassment for practical management.
• Health Advocacy: Shares stories of advocating for herself, e.g., thyroid damage discovered after cancer treatments, and lessons from a long career in healthcare.
  • "I’ve read thousands of charts...I’d get myself in trouble because I’d go to doctors and say, 'Well, I don’t want this, but I want this.'" (Christine, 53:41)

Lessons, Perspective & Gratitude (49:37–77:08)

• Positive Attitude Despite Adversity: Acknowledges her “blessed and cursed” experience—survived poverty, chronic illness, family loss, cancer, and still finds humor and value in her experiences.
  • "I think somehow I have...the ability to self-heal. I’ve had so many things go wrong...and eventually it all went away." (Christine, 55:57)
• Endorses Modern Diabetes Care: Despite skepticism about a “cure,” Chris greatly prefers today's management options over what existed in her youth.
  • "This system beats what was back then." (Christine, 69:07)
• Hope and Technology: Open (with humor) to AI, automation, and self-driving cars—if it means maintaining independence and quality of life.
  • "I hope for a world where your insulin pump is driving your blood sugars and your car is driving you to go visit people...That's what I'm hoping for." (Scott, 76:42)
• Advocacy for Community and Information: Recommends t1dto100.org and the Juicebox Podcast Facebook group for older adults with type 1.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Feeling Like a Survivor:
  "How crazy is it to live 30 years of your life until one day you go, maybe I am going to keep living." (Scott, 25:52)

• On Adapting as an Elder with Diabetes:
  "I walk around every day with my CGM in one pocket, my glucose gummies in the other..." (Christine, 38:18)

• On Parenting and Not Having Children:
  "I think during the times of, like, my, you know, 30s, 40s, 50s. No. But now that we're getting more feeble...who's going to take care of us?" (Christine, 28:56)

• Determination vs. Caution:
  "I'm bloodthirsty but faint hearted. So I think there's a part of me that's willing to fight for a lot of stuff. And then there's another part of me that's like, no, I'm not doing this." (Christine, 49:59)

• Humor in the Face of Challenge:
  "You were saved by itchy titty?... What if I made that the title of your episode?" (Scott & Christine, 48:18–48:23)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:38 – Chris's diagnosis and family background
• 10:27 – Early family adversity and coping
• 13:02 – First year with injections, learning self-care
• 16:50 – The affordability of supplies in the '80s
• 17:50 – Discussion of health complications/retinopathy
• 24:29 – The impact of a limited-life prognosis
• 29:44 – Resources for older type 1s (t1dto100.org)
• 31:31 – Making do with limited blood sugar testing
• 33:38 – Reluctance to adopt automated technology
• 38:18 – Adapting to age: hypoglycemia awareness, device dexterity
• 40:40 – Cancer diagnosis and its aftermath
• 42:46 – On trusting a self-driving car vs. an automated insulin pump
• 49:37 – Lessons from a challenging, resilient life
• 53:41 – Using medical experience to self-advocate
• 55:57 – Self-perceived ability to “heal” or outlast troubles
• 61:04 – Joy and fulfillment in retirement
• 69:07 – Content with modern diabetes management; not optimistic for a cure
• 76:42 – Scott’s closing wishes for the future of diabetes technology

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Tone & Atmosphere

Warm, open, realistic, and laced with humor. Despite profound challenges, Chris and Scott create a sense of camaraderie, validation, and hope—modeling both the acceptance and boldness suggested in the podcast’s tagline. The episode is a testament to adaptation, the importance of community, and the enduring possibility of living well with type 1 diabetes.

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Summary Takeaways

• Managing diabetes is an ever-evolving process, deeply affected by changes in technology, medicine, and life circumstance.
• Long-term survivorship with type 1 diabetes is possible—even with earlier limitations and obstacles.
• Emotional attitudes, humor, resourcefulness, and social support are decisive factors in quality of life.
• Honest discussions of aging and chronic illness offer practical wisdom and emotional reassurance for listeners of all ages.
• Modern tools like CGMs and insulin pumps dramatically improve safety and autonomy, though older adults may need support in their use.

Recommended for: Anyone affected by diabetes (patients, families, healthcare providers), especially those interested in long-term survivorship, aging with diabetes, and patient perspectives on medical advances.

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(Ad and intro/outro segments omitted for clarity and focus.)

Transcript

[Dan]

Friends, we're all back together for the next episode of the Juice Box Podcast.

[Scott]

Welcome.

[Christine]

Hi, my name is Christine, I'm 73 years old and I've had type 1 diabetes for 67 years and you can call me Chris.

[Dan]

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[Christine]

Hi, my name is Christine. I'm 73 years old and I've had type 1 diabetes for 67 years. And you can call me Chris.

[Scott]

Chris, you were diagnosed when you were six years old?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Wait, 67 years ago?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

All right, so if it was 2,000 right now, that would mean you were diagnosed in 33, but it's not. It's 25. So I take 33 and I add 25 to it. Now I get three and five is eight, and then three and two is. Were you in 58?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Look at me.

[Christine]

Exactly.

[Scott]

Thank you. Thank you. That's what you get when you don't pay attention to math class. You get some roundabout way of thinking about numbers.

[Christine]

Math was always my worst subject, too, so. Well, I just figured that out.

[Scott]

I just proved myself pretty capable, I think.

[Christine]

So.

[Scott]

1958, you were six years old. My goodness. Your parents tell stories of it. How do you know of that time? Any remembrances?

[Christine]

I remember a few things about it. You know, I've talked to my brother and sister about it and my mom, when she was still alive. And from what I remember, I probably was in first grade, I would sit down and my mom would say, I could eat like a whole package of graham crackers and drink milk. And drink milk. And I was losing weight, okay? So that concerned her greatly. So then, of course, we went to the doctor. I really had a wonderful pediatrician back then. He, at the time, was probably close to retirement. Back in those days, as you've heard a lot of people say, you know, you weren't expected to live past your 20 or 30s. And I think everything based those first maybe 20 years of my care was based on that kind of thinking. As far as my mom and dad. My mom, I think she planned on being a stay at home mother. And then my dad was a truck driver. There were the three of us kids. And then my dad, somewhere in the late 50s, before I was diagnosed, came down with polio.

[Scott]

Jesus.

[Christine]

And polio was, like, rampant back then, but it was mostly Kids, although I know adults did get it.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And so he was paralyzed from his waist down. He couldn't, like, sit up by himself. Couldn't really get dressed by himself. He did have control of his, like, bladder and bowels. We learned how to take care of him at home. There weren't a lot of social services back then. And I would say for the first, you know, decade of my life, we were pretty poor. My dad was 24 when that happened, so he was really young, 24 years old.

[Scott]

He got polio. And it paralyzed him.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

My gosh.

[Christine]

And then he. Oh, well, here's the other thing. He was in the hospital for about a year. He was in an iron lung. And that would help you breathe. It's like a cylinder. I don't know if you've ever seen an iron lung, but it's. Yeah, it's a cylinder.

[Scott]

Chris, there's an alien landing behind you. What is that?

[Christine]

Yes, I know. Honestly, people only call me when I don't want to be called.

[Scott]

They're coming to take you away, right? He was in an iron lung for a year.

[Christine]

No, he was in an iron lung for a month. And that helped him breathe because. I don't even think. Back then, they intubated people. I mean, this was pretty.

[Scott]

I'm a little confused. Hold on a second. How old were your parents when they were married?

[Christine]

Early 20. I mean, my mom was. I think My dad was 23. My mom was 24.

[Scott]

And this polio thing happened to him just the following year?

[Christine]

I think it was a couple years after. See, a lot of this is all mixed. Yeah, muddled. Gets all mixed up together. But it ended up with three small kids, my dad in a wheelchair. We had to take care of them.

[Scott]

They had the kids before the polio?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Okay. They stayed together their whole life.

[Christine]

Yes, they did. My mom took her marriage vows. Seriously? I would say, through sickness and health.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And it was. I'm going to say it was tough. We lived in a very. Because my dad was in a wheelchair, we lived in a. What they used to call prefab houses. No basement. I think there were one or two steps, and then they built a ramp so that he could get in and out of the house.

[Scott]

Yeah, your mom did that? Or 20s or 30s or 40s. How long did your parents live?

[Christine]

Well, my dad died when he was.

[Scott]

42 as a result of the polio.

[Christine]

It was complications from it. He came down with a really bad urinary tract infection. Went into the hospital that time. I think he had septicemia and then, yeah, he eventually had a blood clot and died.

[Scott]

About how old were you when that happened?

[Christine]

I was in my early 20s.

[Scott]

Okay. My gosh. So your mom was taking care of him and your diabetes?

[Christine]

Oh, yeah.

[Scott]

And the other kids have any issues?

[Christine]

My sister would come down with a lot of colds and strep throat and stuff. I never had that kind of stuff. I was pretty healthy that way as a kid. And my brother I don't think got too sick, but no, no other issues.

[Scott]

They take tonsils out back then or did they not do that back then?

[Christine]

Yeah. Although I, for some reason we did not have our tonsils removed when we were kids.

[Scott]

I have to tell you, I shared with you, I'm a little sick right now. And I was complaining to you before we started that these people got me sick. And it started with is my son. He went to visit friends, he got on a plane, he came back here, he was sick. My wife, I was like, stay away from him. You know you're going to get sick. And she's like, no, no, no. Like we'd been. He'd been away for a week. She's like giving him a hug. I'm like, hug him in a couple of days. And you know, she got sick. She's getting better now, but the truth is I thought she was going to die there for a couple of days. I have like low grade sickness. Like my. I'll fight off most of it. I'm not going to get very sick, but I am sick. The reason I'm telling you that because not only was Cole sick, made Kelly sick, Cole got sicker again after he felt better. It's gotten to me. Who'd never get sick, but you know who's not sick? Princess Arden, who got her tonsils out.

[Christine]

Oh, really?

[Scott]

Yeah. And she's like, if I had these tonsils in, you know, I'd have strep throat by now. Really?

[Christine]

It's.

[Scott]

Yeah, she's not wrong.

[Christine]

See, and I always thought my tonsils kind of saved me from some of that.

[Scott]

Well, they're supposed to.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

I'm not saying everybody shouldn't run out because their tonsils out, but Arden had like already got sick a lot and she just has not been sick once since she had them out. There's things were back there just trapping flies and whatever else. I don't know. Well, listen, your mom's a good lady. I would have pushed Kelly right into a river.

[Christine]

So may I say, I mean, there were so many problems that you can't I can't even begin to tell you all the things, bad things that would happen mostly to my father, sometimes to me.

[Scott]

What do you mean? What's an example of that?

[Christine]

Well, one time, you know, after my dad came home and stuff. Well, here's the thing. My dad ended up being a stay at home dad like you were. So he learned how to cook and he would make meals for us. He was able to drive with hand controls, so he was at least able to get into a car and go places he could never get out of the car.

[Scott]

Right.

[Christine]

And my mom went to work. My mom was going to work back when this is before women's lib and all this stuff. And so my mom would work. I think she mostly worked part time when we were all little, and then she went more to full time when we got older. And then we weren't quite as poor and it wasn't quite as bad. But anyways, yeah, a lot of things happened to my dad. One time he had a commode chair that would go over the toilet and he bent down to pick something up off the floor and the commode fell. He fell against the bathroom door where the doorstop is cut open. His head. Blood was pouring out under the bathroom door. We couldn't get the bathroom door open. We had to call the firefighters. They had to take the window out to get in to get by him.

[Dan]

Why?

[Scott]

Because he was blocking the door.

[Christine]

He was blocking the door. Traumatizing things kept happening in our family like that. Another time he was in the alley in his wheelchair and my grandfather, who was older then, backed up into him and knocked him out of the chair with a car. With a car.

[Scott]

That's not funny. I know.

[Christine]

Well, you should hear when my brother and sister and I get together. I mean, we just, we laugh about this kind of stuff. People look at us like we're nuts.

[Scott]

Yeah, it's a lot going on. On. I'd laugh, too. Listen, can I ask an inappropriate question? I feel weird because you're 73, but could your dad take care of business or did your mom have to make a friend somewhere?

[Christine]

I believe he could take care of business, yes.

[Scott]

Okay. Well, that's good. Yeah. This is Mommy's friend. Yeah, we know. It's okay. Oh, wow. Oh, that's a heck of a start. And so is there really any space in that story for you having diabetes, or is your diabetes really just kind of like shooting insulin once or twice a day to begin with? It's not really that intense.

[Christine]

No, no. I wouldn't I was somewhat of the focus, but not too much. I only took insulin back then once a day. It was a glass syringe with a steel needle on it. Well, here's the story that my brother and sister especially remember. For the first year that I had it, my mother would have to sit on me and give me my injections because I would just scream and cry. And I personally don't remember that. I think I blocked that part out. But I know by the time I was seven years old, they had a visiting nurse come for like a week or two before I went to school and then taught me how to give myself my own injections, you know, starting on an orange and then eventually myself. But back then, we. We didn't have, like, disposable needles. And honestly, I think I used the same needle for a couple years in a rope.

[Scott]

Would you take it to the pharmacy to have it sharpened? No, no. You know, I once talked to somebody who was from a poor family. They had to buy the needle from the pharmacy on, like, a layaway plan.

[Christine]

It seems to me they were very expensive, which is probably why we didn't get. Why I didn't get them.

[Scott]

I wonder what that means for that time. Was it five bucks, you think, or something like that. You know what I mean? Like how different money is now.

[Dan]

You've probably heard me talk about usmed and how simple it is to reorder with usmed using their email system. But did you know that if you don't see the email and you're set up for this, you have to set it up? They don't just randomly call you, But I'm set up to be called if I don't respond to the email because I don't trust myself 100%. So one time I didn't respond to the email. And the phone rings at the house. It's like, ring. You know how it works? And I picked it up.

[Scott]

I was like, hello.

[Dan]

And it was just the recording. It was like you asked Med. Doesn't actually sound like that, but you know what I'm saying? Thing it said, hey, you're. I don't remember exactly what it says, but it's basically like, hey, your order's ready. You want us to send it? Push this button if you want us to send it. Or if you'd like to wait. I think it lets you put it.

[Scott]

Off like a couple of weeks or.

[Dan]

Push this button for that. That's pretty much it. I push the button to send it, and a few days later, box right at my door.

[Scott]

That's it.

[Dan]

Usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get your free benefits check now and get started with usmed Dexcom Omnipod Tandem Freestyle. They've got all your favorites, even that new eyelet pump. Check them out [e-mail] juicebox or by calling 888-721-1514. There are links in the show notes of your podcast player and links@juicebox podcast.com to us Med and all of the sponsors. Let's talk about the Tandem Moby Insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, Control IQ Technology, and the new Tandem Moby pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with auto bolus that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options. Tandemoby gives you more discretion, freedom and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it [e-mail] juicebox when you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's going to help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandomdiabetes.com juicebox the tandem mobi system is available for people ages 2 and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range and address high blood sugars with auto bolus.

[Christine]

Oh, I can. I do have one statistic that I wanted to tell you that I came across in 1984. I wrote a checkout for two bottles of insulin. It was a bottle of regular and a bottle of MPH alcohol wipes. It cost me $17 and it was $8 for three months of syringes. Yeah, disposable syringes.

[Scott]

Am I remembering right? Back then, the insulin didn't need the prescription. It was the needles you needed the script for, right?

[Christine]

Oh, see, I don't remember that.

[Scott]

That's the thing. I feel like somebody's told me in the past.

[Christine]

That kind of seems right, though.

[Scott]

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, though. Things have changed, that's for sure. I. I saw a sandwich the other day that was $22, and I thought, I'm like, we're all going to starve to death.

[Dan]

If this is.

[Scott]

If a sandwich is $22, I don't know how long we're all going to make it. That's ridiculous. You know, Right? Oh, my gosh. Okay, so you're doing one shot and. But see, here's the, like, here's what we got to figure out. You're 73. Do you have any issues right now?

[Christine]

Really? The only diabetes complication that I came down with was retinopathy.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Christine]

And here's. Here's the thing. Everything that ever went wrong with me was always kind of a weirdo thing and not standard. So when I had background, you know, retinopathy for, I'm going to say, 20 or 30 years, I'd go to see the eye doctor. You know, I say, oh, it's stable, it's stable. Well, finally my left eye developed more of the peripheral, I think they call it proliferative retinopathy. And that's when I started seeing a doctor and having lasers done, my other eye is still fine.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Christine]

I mean, there's some there. And I go to the eye doctor, but it hasn't developed any retinopathy.

[Scott]

And that's the extent of your complications after all this time?

[Christine]

Yeah, except now I think my autonomic nervous system is finally starting to crack, and I think I have a lot of problems from that.

[Scott]

How so?

[Christine]

Well, I'm like, lightheaded. Every morning when I get up, the room does not spin, but I feel unsteady on my feet. And for the first half of the day, I walk around in the house with like a four pronged walker, a cane.

[Scott]

Does your vision ever get dark? Do you have trouble bending over and standing back up quickly?

[Christine]

Well, I don't do that too often, but I'm able to.

[Scott]

Have you had Covid?

[Christine]

I believe I had Covid before they knew it. What? What it was.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Scott]

I wonder if you have, like, have people checked for POTS and things like that for you?

[Christine]

Yes, I've been. Whatever test you can think of for this. I've been tested. I have another whole story, but I think it might have something to do with either my medication or my autonomic nervous system.

[Scott]

Okay. So, yeah, I hope you work that out. Are your doctors helpful or do you find yourself mostly trying to deal with it on your own?

[Dan]

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[Scott]

You about it yet.

[Dan]

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[Scott]

And put it right back on without.

[Dan]

Having to waste the sensor or go.

[Scott]

Through another warm up period.

[Dan]

The App works with iOS and Android, even Apple Watch. You can manage your diabetes instead of your CGM with the Eversense 365. Learn more and get started today at eversensecgm.com juicebox1year1cgm well, right now my kind.

[Christine]

Husband and I kind of deal with it on our own because there really is nothing they can do. I've tried everything that they can do. I've been tested for things. I've had CAT scans, MRIs, whatever.

[Scott]

I don't mean to say people your age, because the truth is I feel, I feel like in five seconds I'm going to be your age. So I'm not, I'm not casting aspersions, but like, do you guys use the Internet to try to figure stuff like that out? Have you tried like, you know, having. I know it's going to sound crazy to you maybe, but have you tried having a conversation with an AI model to talk it through to try to figure out if you can find more answers than what the doctors are providing?

[Christine]

No.

[Scott]

No. Is that a thing you would do?

[Christine]

Okay, well, Scott, here's the deal with me. I worked in health care for 40 years. I worked in two different hospitals. Over those 40 years, I gained a lot of medical knowledge, especially about the diabetes and stuff that way. I also went to school to work in medical records and I was a medical record coder. Not the kind of coder that codes computers, ones that read through charts. You know, you take the diagnoses and the procedures out and then that gets sent to the billing office. We did that kind of work, right? No, I haven't been on chat, GPT or do anything like that because, I.

[Scott]

Mean, sometimes it just helps to, to sit there without being rushed and say, this is how I feel. What does that suggest? Oh, and then maybe you'll think like, oh, also this happens to me. What is that? And maybe it's just a better list that you can go back to your doctor with.

[Christine]

Then I have to say I have a very good PA now. An Endocrinologist, pa. And she's great and she's open to a lot of things, so I definitely will do that and see if I can come up with anything.

[Scott]

Why not? I mean, what are you busy? You know what I mean. Exactly. But you're stuck with a walker now because of this. Why? Because you think you might fall?

[Christine]

No, actually, I said walker, but it's a four prong cane. And here's the weird. Yeah, here's the weird thing, Scott. By the afternoon, after lunch, I usually am. Okay.

[Scott]

Is it maybe is your salt level? Is it something simple? Like, have you tried having something salty in the morning to see if it's your blood pressure?

[Christine]

Well, of course, because I'm a cardiac patient, they want me to stay away from salt, but. Yeah, but I have tried that.

[Scott]

What's up with your ticker?

[Christine]

Oh, geez. Well, I had a heart attack. They did a cardiac cath, put two stents in, and then I had a small stroke after that.

[Scott]

How long ago was this? In your 50s?

[Christine]

That was a couple of years ago. Like three years ago.

[Scott]

In your 60s? At the end of your 60s?

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

They didn't attribute the heart problem to the diabetes.

[Dan]

Oh.

[Christine]

Anything that ever went wrong with me, they always would say, well, you know, diabetics are more prone to this. And I go, yes, I know, prone.

[Scott]

Thank you. Speaking of prone, have you heard what happened to my dad? Now, let's see. Thank you. Thank you, Chris. I appreciate the laugh. I'm wondering. I guess I'm wondering when things shift for you. Going through time, right? One shot a day goes to probably two shots a day. When do you start counting carbs? What are your outcomes? Like when you're younger to even know what they are? No, because you're doing well. I mean, I mean, you're having some issues, but also you're 73. You're going to have issues one way or the other, so. I'm 54. I have issues. So I'm wondering, like, when you grew up in a world where someone told you you might not live till you were 20, I guess my. I have a two pronged question. First of all, like, did you grow up believing you were going to die young?

[Christine]

Oh, yes.

[Scott]

And what was that like, how did that impact you?

[Christine]

Well, I think part of it was my parents both knew of one guy who must have died when he was a teenager from type 1. I don't know if he was like a neighborhood kid or whatever. So I think that was in the back of their mind. Yeah, they kind of just Said, well, it's, you know, it's a very difficult disease and blah, blah, blah. And so, yes, I grew up until I got to about my mid-30s.

[Scott]

You're like, I don't think I'm going to die.

[Christine]

What's going on here Exactly. I did stay kind of healthy, and I. I didn't have a lot of complications. And when I was a kid, oh, my gosh, I was just scared to death of going blind and that. Seeing Patty Duke and Bancroft and the Miracle Worker. I don't know if you ever saw that movie, but as a kid, I would sometimes just close my eyes and pretend I was blind to see how I could do.

[Scott]

Oh, because you thought it was coming for sure I did. Did you plan differently? Like, did you pay different attention in school or go to. Not go to college right away or anything because of, like, thinking, like, why would I bother doing all this?

[Christine]

I actually did not go to college purposefully, but part of that was I didn't. I didn't really know what it. What I wanted to be when I grew up.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And then the other thing was, like, why bother?

[Scott]

Because you're not growing up anyway.

[Christine]

Right.

[Scott]

Wow. How crazy is it to live 30 years of your life until one day you go, maybe I am going to keep living.

[Christine]

Yes. And that's exactly what happened to me. And I have to tell you, my mother, till the day she died, and she died in her late 80s, was felt so guilty about this, and, like, what did she do wrong? And by the time I hit probably 40, I would say to her, look at me. I'm doing okay. You know, you don't have to feel so bad about this.

[Scott]

Right. Well, that's good to know. I'm not going to stop feeling bad. Awesome.

[Christine]

Right?

[Scott]

Do you have kids?

[Christine]

No. And that was one of the decisions back then. I worked with a nurse who also had type one. She got pregnant and she lost the baby. It was like a still born at seven months. And then because I worked in a hospital, I had access to the medical library. So I went in there. I would look at journals and medical books aimed at doctors, and I didn't understand a lot of the language, but I kind of read up on pregnancy and diabetes and.

[Scott]

Scared you.

[Christine]

I think back then they could actually hospitalize you for a month or two to try to get you through.

[Scott]

That was enough for you to say, hey, maybe we won't do this.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Yeah. Do you have pets?

[Christine]

We did for many years, but now we moved to a condo. Our whole life has changed, and Stuff.

[Scott]

Well, if you want a blue chameleon. He's staring at me very, very oddly right now. I could ship him over to you. Why are you looking at me like that? He is eyeballing me in a very strange way right now. I just want to say it. I think if there wasn't glass there, he'd be on my head right now.

[Christine]

See, I'd rather have a puppy than a reptile.

[Scott]

Yeah, well, hey, listen. Tell your husband I didn't make you pay for kids. Get me a dog. Seriously, you guys must be wealthy from not having kids.

[Christine]

Oh, we don't even want to go down that road.

[Scott]

My gosh. My wife and I just stood around the other day going, like, I wonder how much money we'd have. These freaking kids weren't here.

[Christine]

Can I just. I just have to say something in our defense. My husband and I both were very frugal. Our whole lives, we were savers. We never. Well, we both worked a lot, and then we never. We would save up and go on, like, a really nice vacation every five years and then.

[Scott]

Awesome.

[Christine]

Yeah. Once. Once a year, we'd take. Well, we only had two weeks vacation. We'd go camping in Canada or do something like that.

[Scott]

So n. That sounds very nice. Do you think he's disappointed that you don't have kids?

[Christine]

No, he. He knew going in.

[Scott]

Did you get married later?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Yeah. Because you were like, I can't get. If I'm. If I don't need to go to college, I definitely don't need to get married.

[Christine]

Right.

[Scott]

Yeah. You know, it's starting to freak me out, Chris, how many conversations I've had with older people who've said this to me. Well, that's one lady sticks in my head so hard that. That I bring it up every time because her doctor told her to drop out of college and told her that no man would want her. You should just. Just go home. That horrible.

[Christine]

That's very harsh.

[Scott]

So. Okay, so do you regret it?

[Christine]

I will say, at this age, I do. I think during the times of, like, my, you know, 30s, 40s, 50s. No. But now that we're getting more feeble, and I think I have the beginning of maybe some, like, dementia or something.

[Scott]

Really?

[Christine]

Yeah. And my husband has some medical problems. I'm like, oh, who the heck's going to take care of us? What happens now?

[Scott]

When you're younger and he's younger, you have each other, and the minute you start getting older, you think, like, whoa, I can't count on him as much. He can't count on me as much and there's no one else coming.

[Christine]

Right.

[Scott]

Wow.

[Christine]

Right?

[Scott]

That's tough. I'm sorry. T1D to100.org is a website set up for people who are older of type 1 diabetes. Might be helpful to you. And I just want to double check, check to make sure I have the URL correct.

[Christine]

Yeah, no, I actually looked. I look there. There's a type 1 of people who have had it 50 years or more, and I'm on that one. And then I'm also on juice box a little bit.

[Scott]

Okay. T1D to 100. Did you hear about that on here?

[Christine]

Probably.

[Scott]

Oh, she'll be thrilled to know that. That was great.

[Christine]

Let me just ask you, is that the. What used to be the jdrf?

[Scott]

No, this is run by a lovely woman named Joanne Milo.

[Dan]

It's literally.

[Christine]

Oh, yeah.

[Scott]

You know, sure. Okay.

[Christine]

Yeah, I do.

[Scott]

So, yeah, that's a great website for people who are older of type one. My gosh. So you were worried about dying. It kind of slowed everything down in your life. You eventually got moving there. When do you come up on carb counting? Do you remember?

[Christine]

Well, I had sort of a carb counting. See, I had a really good internal medicine doctor for like 30 years, and he was real open to stuff. And this is a shout out to Dr. Tanti, and you can keep his name in there because he was great and he was willing to try things with me. He got me before I. Well, right when we could start doing blood sugars, my husband and I, they were so expensive, we would cut the strips in half and then, you know, you'd put your blood on it and you'd have a chart of a certain. It wasn't certainly very accurate, but at least gave you kind of a showing where you were. And from there, he would say to me, now, maybe when you have lunch, take like a unit or two of regular insulin or change your MPH to this. So he and I kind of worked things like that out. And that was in the late 80s.

[Scott]

Yeah. Just feeling your way through it.

[Christine]

Yes. Then in 1994, I can tell you this. I had my first A1C, and it was 12.5.

[Dan]

Oh, my God.

[Scott]

Why am I trying so hard? What's going on?

[Christine]

You know what? He and I looked at each other like, really, because we both thought I was doing pretty well at that time. I think it was more. We got into taking a little more regular insulin before I ate and stuff. And it was still all. Until I got my cgm. It was really all just a guessing game. And after a while I got to kind of know what would really raise my blood sugar a lot.

[Scott]

What was safer all these years, all the different devices and different ideas. Best thing that's come along. Cgm.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Yeah. You have a pump now?

[Christine]

I do. I've been on a pump for I think since the early. Since 1999. 26 years.

[Scott]

On the same pump for 26 years.

[Christine]

Well, always a medtronic. So I kept, you know, once the new one would come out every four years, I could get another one.

[Scott]

Yeah, no, I hear your midwestern accent. I knew you had a medtronic.

[Christine]

Oh, wait till I start. I could. Yeah, we have a lot of things we say.

[Scott]

No, I know, I hear you. Yeah, Medtronic is, is based out there. Well, they were, I don't know if they still are in Minnesota at one point. So they were the preferred insulin pump of the Midwest. That's great. And what are you on now? Do you. 780G. Are you doing automated?

[Christine]

I'm on a 780, but I, I do not do like their sensor with it. I use my CGM separately and I control everything.

[Scott]

Okay. Are you thinking of trying their new sensor and going to automation or does that freak out?

[Christine]

Here's where I'm coming from. I don't know that I would ever go to automation. I think I can zero it in enough. But yes, I would eventually probably go to their sensor.

[Scott]

Okay. This is interesting though, at your age. I'm sorry, like, what about being on an automated system throws you off?

[Christine]

I just don't trust it.

[Dan]

I just.

[Scott]

Why not?

[Christine]

I don't know. I see people, you know, like on juice box and they're going, well, I'm having trouble with this or I'm having trouble with that. And I think there's part of me too, I have to be in control.

[Scott]

Well, that's what I'm wondering about because I mean, do you get low overnight?

[Christine]

Not. Oh, I screw around with my basil all the time.

[Scott]

Yeah. What's your.

[Christine]

It depends. Oh, no, no.

[Scott]

Good. Depends on what?

[Christine]

It depends on what I'm eating and what's going on. But I'm going to go into the. I started about six months ago trying to eliminate seed oils in my life and I have to tell you, my basil has come down and I don't eat as much.

[Scott]

Yeah. What oils did you cut out? Like canola?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Yep. Good. That's awesome. Yeah, just use a cold pressed olive oil when you eat oil.

[Christine]

Well, and here's the thing. I Love butter, because, you know, I'm in a dairy state, then the cardiologist doesn't like that. But, yes, it's like butter and olive oil. And I've eliminated a lot of that kind of food for my.

[Scott]

Good for you. I think. I think that's a good. That's a good decision. Dementia. Why do you think you have the beginnings of dementia?

[Christine]

Well, from all the scans and MRI and all that, they can tell, you know, there's a lot of vessel disease. And I just think I'm not as sharp as I used to be. Although when I talk to my friends, and I've had the same group of friends for, like, 50 years, too, they all seem to have a little bit of the same problems. But you can't come up with names quite as fast, or I forget. And I'll say, my poor husband. I'll say to him, did I tell you this already?

[Scott]

And then, you know, like, real forgetfulness. Not just, like, when I call the dog the wrong name.

[Christine]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Scott]

I do that no matter what, by the way. Well, I call the one dog the other name, and I look right at him, and I go, Friday. And I go, your name is Basil. Sorry.

[Christine]

And then, yeah, more and more I hear this from people. So maybe I won't have dementia, which would be great. I'd be.

[Scott]

I think I'm just busy, but also old, because I really am. I don't know, like, what other people's lives are like, but I'm flying around doing, like, a thousand things at one time pretty constantly. But, yeah, no, I just. Sometimes I look at that dog, and I'm like, Friday, damn. Basil and I mix. Oh, my gosh. I can't believe I'm gonna say this. I call Arden Kelly and Kelly Arden sometimes.

[Christine]

Oh, yeah. I. But people do that. I mean, people in my own family do that, too.

[Scott]

So, yeah, I don't know why it is, to be perfectly honest, with. Their voices are starting to sound more similar.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

That might be a little. You're like, how would I know, Scott? I'm the guest on your podcast. I have no idea about your kids and your wife. Anyway, Chameleon still star right through my soul. Through my soul. He's looking. What is wrong, man? Go for a walk. He's so adorable. Blue and red. And I don't know how nature made him that way. So you're being forgetful. Blah, blah, blah. You went, got scans done. I remember when my mom got her scan and they talked about, like, the front of her brain having atrophy and it broke my heart when they said that. Oh, yeah. No, I'm so sorry. Your husband, same age?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Okay. You guys are the same age. How'd you find each other late in life? At work?

[Christine]

No, we actually met at a wedding.

[Scott]

That's a good way to do it.

[Christine]

Oh, yes. And there were like, three. I was the maid of honor. There were, like, three single guys there. And so it was kind of fun.

[Scott]

Tell people. That's how it used to work, right?

[Christine]

Oh, yes, absolutely.

[Scott]

Go to somebody else's wedding to get married yourself.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Or to get laid. You know.

[Dan]

I'm not.

[Christine]

Chris.

[Scott]

Here I go.

[Christine]

So use. If you. No, don't go there.

[Scott]

She said, no, don't. I was just gonna ask if you took your pump off to have sex.

[Christine]

I remember we talked about it. It did not bother us. I had the longer tubing, so it was, like, fine. It worked out just fine.

[Scott]

Look at you bragging you had longer tubing. I see what you're saying. Yeah. Well, that's. That's very.

[Christine]

Now I'm blushing. My husband's looking at me like, what the hell? Are you laughing?

[Scott]

Tell him we're saying great things about his long tubing. And did you have to have snacks at the table for that?

[Christine]

No, not usually.

[Scott]

No. Okay. Even if you moved into a different position?

[Christine]

Even.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

This is great. I should talk more with people in their 70s about sex. I think it's fun.

[Christine]

We don't want to give all the secrets away.

[Scott]

They're not that many secrets. It only works a couple different ways.

[Christine]

Let me. Can I just say this real quick? Since I've had my stroke and this last heart attack, though, and I'm this age now, I don't feel that I can tell when my blood sugar is dropping as much. So, like, when my CGM says 85, I take, like, a glucose gummy because I just start feeling too weird and stuff. So I walk around every day with my CGM in one pocket, my glucose gummies in the other, and that's kind of. But no.

[Scott]

What are other adjustments you've had to make as you get older?

[Christine]

Well, I think I lost my peripheral vision from the retinopathy, so I have to. Like, when I'm walking with people, I always ask them to walk on the right side of me, or I'm afraid I'm going to bump into them, or when my husband and I are working in the kitchen together, I can't always see them, and I'm afraid I'm going to turn around with a pot or milk or whatever and bump into them.

[Scott]

So stuff like that, that kind of thing. What about. About management stuff? Like you're saying you have to, you know, 85. You know, you should treat because you're probably falling. Like, has there been. Have you become less aggressive with pre bolusing? Like, are there other things that. That your age scares you about?

[Christine]

No, I think since I got the cgm, I can. You're just about anything.

[Scott]

Yeah. That's great. Do you worry about dexterity and using your devices?

[Christine]

Oh, yeah. I have to say, I cannot get my. My. Cannot get my cgm. I could not unscrew that thing if I had to do it myself. My husband always puts it in my arm for me.

[Scott]

Oh, the G7. You. You're having trouble untwisting it?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Okay. And then what about this? And he's got to insert it for you.

[Christine]

Yeah. Okay.

[Scott]

Because it's hard to hold, articulate, push the button, the whole thing.

[Christine]

Plus, I have arthritis really bad in my right hand, so that doesn't help either.

[Scott]

Oh, okay.

[Christine]

Oh, and we didn't even talk about when I had cancer.

[Scott]

What the hell? Boy, Chris, I love people who have lived a longer life because seriously, I don't know what episode it was, but I think I interviewed a lady once who was married like three times. And while I was talking to her, you realize they weren't like in and out marriages. She had three separate lives.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

She remembered generously, like, each one of them.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

So it's interesting. It makes me feel like that. How old were you when you got cancer?

[Christine]

I was 64.

[Scott]

What kind?

[Christine]

Well, Scott.

[Scott]

Oh, the lady cancer?

[Christine]

No, no. Well, it was in my breast, but I came down with what's known as triple negative, and it was ST stage 2B, so it wasn't 3, because I think it was only in one lymph node. Yeah. I went through a whole year of chemo and radiation, and that radiation then left me with lymphedema on my right side. And it's like more. It's not in my arm so much as under my arm and into my back and into my one breast.

[Scott]

What is that like to deal with?

[Christine]

It's not fun. I luckily have a wonderful physical therapist. I actually have two of them. And my husband and I are very lucky. We live within two miles of the places I have to go for medical treatment, so that helps a lot. And she's been really helpful. I do have a machine that I can use at home that I zip up, and it kind of compresses that area. But she's really good about like getting the. Draining it out and stuff.

[Scott]

Did you get a mastectomy?

[Christine]

No, I had a lumpectomy.

[Scott]

A lumpectomy. Okay.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Oh my gosh. It's interesting to hear you say, like, how lucky you feel just for something to be close to your house.

[Christine]

Yes. Oh my gosh. My sister lives in the boondocks in Wisconsin and she's got to travel, I think 45 minutes just to get to town, to get to the one hospital that's up there, the or the doctor clinic or whatever.

[Scott]

I remember my brother one time said he had to pick something up and I was like, why don't you just go get at the mall? He goes, I don't have a whole day to give away to that. I was like, wait, what?

[Christine]

Well, that's the other thing. When she goes grocery shopping. Yeah, it's.

[Scott]

It's a, it's a trek. You know, it's funny, I don't think I talk about it much on here. My wife and I, we're very hopeful about self driving cars, helping us as we get older.

[Christine]

Oh, yes.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Scott]

And it's funny, do you, do you have that thought too?

[Christine]

Oh, yes.

[Scott]

So you're okay with a car driving you, but not a pump taking care of your insulin?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

God damn, Chris. I've been setting you up for that for like a half an hour. I just want you to know.

[Christine]

Yes, you have.

[Scott]

Why? How could you possibly. Now listen, for anybody who hasn't done it and I'll just say, like it, I think there's a couple companies that do it. I've been in a few cars that do it. Tesla's do it incredibly well. Well, it's something else. If you have not sat in a car that's driving itself and you have not had to touch the steering wheel or the brakes or the pedals or anything and watched it, you would be amazed at how well it works.

[Christine]

We actually either knew somebody who did that or something because my husband's very impressed with it.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And it would be ideal probably for us.

[Scott]

Yeah. My neighbors are in their 70s and they're like, the next time we get a car, we're going to get a car that drives itself because they try to visit their kids and their kids are far away and they talk about just how just the drive beats the hell out of them.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

But. Okay, so you would. That's interesting. Do you think you're from a different generation? Do you think you're comfortable with self driving? Because your husband's impressed by it.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Christine]

My husband. Can I just say, my husband has one of those cars now that he almost. It almost is self driving. He doesn't have to have his hands on the wheel. It's called Super Cruise.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, but that's at the Chevy. Is it a Chevy? Yeah. Listen, again, I took a long drive in a Tesla and the driver never touched anything. I mean, it was right turns, left turns, stop signs merging, speeding up, passing cars. Awesome.

[Christine]

I think I could have been in a Tesla. Was I in a Tesla in Vegas? Oh, my friend and I went to Las Vegas a couple. That was maybe three years ago. Two years ago. Yeah, we were in a Tesla. And you know what? I like the way the whole inside.

[Scott]

Of the car look nice and simple and empty.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Scott]

Kind of clean. Okay. So how long you been listening to the podcast?

[Christine]

Pretty much from the beginning, I think.

[Scott]

Pretend then that I'm your husband for a second. And I'll tell you, I'm pretty impressed with the automated insulin delivery systems.

[Christine]

I know. I can tell by the way you talk about it.

[Scott]

So why don't you try it?

[Christine]

Because I'm stubborn.

[Scott]

Well, I think Medtronic 780G is a good pump, and if you got their sensor and paired it up, I think it's possible it could take away a lot of the thinking about it.

[Christine]

Okay, well. And like I said, I am open to that. And at some point next year, I may go to that.

[Scott]

Good for you.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Well, that's a good. Listen, you don't have to love it. You could hate it, but maybe it's a control thing you won't be able to give away. But also, maybe you'll just think, hey, this is awesome. Not thinking about this.

[Christine]

Yes, yes, I suppose.

[Scott]

Yeah, as much. And as you get older, too, you know, maybe. Maybe it could buy you some extra time because, you know, the end of this, you know, for all of us living, the longer you go, the more help you're going to need. But with type 1 diabetes, it's an extra burden. Right. And now you're counting on somebody around you to help. If it's not your husband and it's not kids and, you know, then you're. You're looking at nursing home staff like they're not going to understand it.

[Christine]

Oh, my gosh.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Oh. Can I just say, my husband and I have talked this over and we are going to age in place, so hopefully an aide or whoever can come here.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Christine]

I'm thinking if the worst ever happens, I will Go to one injection a day and just let me.

[Scott]

Whatever and whatever happens, happens.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Yeah. What's the worst that could happen? You mean your husband passing?

[Christine]

No, I would say, like, if I had a stroke.

[Scott]

Stroke or something like that. Where you couldn't handle.

[Christine]

Yeah. Where I was totally incapacitated.

[Scott]

Yeah. What a great conversation to have on the last day of the year. Everybody's feeling hopeful about next year. You and I are like, we're all going to die.

[Christine]

I hate to tell you this, but a lot of not good, not a couple bad things have happened to me on New Year's, but talking to you is not one of them.

[Scott]

So I'm glad you're having a good time, but did someone hit you with their car in the driveway? What happened?

[Christine]

Well, no, this is. I found my breast lump on New Year's Day? Yes. I had my heart attack on New Year's Eve Day.

[Scott]

What the hell?

[Christine]

I know. And I just want to say to people, my only symptom for that was my pulse was up to 100. Yeah. I had tachycardia. My pulse rate went up to about 128. And the only reason I really paid attention to it is because this was during COVID and everybody was getting those pulse oximeters for their fingers. And then if it went below something, you were supposed to go to the hospital immediately or whatever.

[Scott]

Yeah. How about that?

[Christine]

So that's how I caught that.

[Scott]

Wow. That's insane. My gosh. What? Wait a minute. How did you find the lump? Do you like doing a self exam where you're like, hey, it's the first of the year. Let me take a look. Or.

[Christine]

Okay, I'll tell you the story. Before it, we were in Arizona. We lived out there part time for about 15 years. And we were at our friend's house. She's a wonderful cook. She made this really kind of spicy chicken dish, and it was tremendous. We had a really good time. I ate the spicy chicken and I woke up the next morning and my right breast itched so much and I went to scratch it and I'm like, holy crap, there's a big lump here. And I'm like. For five minutes, I said to myself, I'm going to pretend I never found this, because I knew. I knew then what it was. Having worked in the health care industry for 40 years, I was like, this is not good.

[Scott]

You were saved by itchy titty?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Oh, boy. What if I made that the title of your episode?

[Christine]

No, please don't.

[Scott]

I feel like I could get $20 out of you right now not to do that. If I.

[Christine]

You could get more than that.

[Scott]

No kidding. Just an incredible like bothersome itch and you're like, oh my gosh, what is it? Tell me that. Five minutes of like I'll just ignore it. Is it just like I can't do one more thing or. What's that feeling?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Was that.

[Scott]

What about living your whole life like this? I mean, you have a great attitude and I don't feel like I'm speaking to a 73 year old person. I just want to say that right at the same time it's a lot. I mean, listening over your life being poor, your dad becoming incapacitated, like, you know, your mom going off and working at a time and that's not what happened. You're taking care of your diabetes, but really you're living with like a 12A 1C for a long ass time. Heart attack, cancer, retinopathy. A lot's happen. You didn't get to have kids. It's not. I don't think it's a thing you didn't want. You had to live thinking you were gonna die early. Why do you still have a good attitude and. But at the same time, like this struggle must have done something for you. Have you ever thought about what it is?

[Christine]

Yeah, I've tried to examine it quite often and I can't quite figure it out. I think if anything, I have this one saying. I think this came up during COVID but it was like I'm bloodthirsty but faint hearted. So I think there's a part of me that's willing to fight for a lot of stuff. And then there's a other part of me that's like, no, I'm not doing this.

[Scott]

And so what does it come and go depending on the situation? Is it situational?

[Christine]

I think property probably sometimes.

[Scott]

So give me an example of something you fought for.

[Christine]

Well, we didn't even get into.

[Scott]

Well, we got time. Take your time. Go ahead.

[Christine]

Okay, good. Yeah, well, I'm on Synthroid.

[Scott]

You have Hashimoto's or.

[Christine]

No, I came down with hypothyroidism because I believe when I went through my cancer treatment and I was going through the radiation, they make this, you know, like a collar so that you're.

[Scott]

Protects your thyroid and everything.

[Christine]

And then. Yeah, and they're aiming right for under your arm and where the. Your lymph nodes are in that you're supposed to. And I think it used to take. I had to go there five days a week. For a month and have this radiation therapy. And when they were doing that, I could not move. I was not allowed to move. And I think one time, either I must have started to fall asleep or whatever, and I, like, jerked. And I think I jerked my neck up enough for the radiation to hit my thyroid, because it wasn't until after that that my thyroid was just, like, destroyed. It was gone. And they caught it on a CT scan. I think I caught it, actually. I was reading through my whole report, and I know I had symptoms, but a lot of it, they would say, oh, well, you're getting older. This is why. You know, you're losing your hair and you feel tired all the time and.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, bad aim. They zapped you. Well, I. Yeah, don't take blame for it, Chris. You've been through. You've been through a lot. Let's just say that somebody messed it up for you. I don't need you. I don't need you walking around with that burden, too.

[Christine]

Okay. Well, I just have to say when I did mention, because I get checked once a year for cancer, you know, they check up on me. And I did say to that PA once about how I thought that that's how I got it. And she said, oh, no, we're not going to say that happened.

[Scott]

So no one's saying that.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Being that it's the anniversary of all your bad news, if you and I get done recording right now, I don't know. And, you know, you look outside and there's a SWAT team coming at you with guns, and they're yelling your name, and you're like, oh, I'm going to get shot. This is the end. Do you go, good life or do you go, it could have been better? Like, how do you think of your time?

[Christine]

Well, I think I had an incredible life. The beginning was very hard, and that's maybe what made me a stronger person as I lived through, like, so much horrible things going on.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And. And then when I met my husband, I mean, it took us a long time before we got married, but he, like, he got it from the beginning, kind of. And he's really been helpful as far as, like, he can look at me and go, you're going low.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Or if I'm bitchy or whatever, you know, it's like, well, high blood sugar.

[Scott]

My wife says, she doesn't get bitchy. Her tolerance just changes. For my.

[Christine]

That's probably it.

[Scott]

I said, well, it's crazy because you seem.

[Christine]

Yeah, we're not supposed to use that original.

[Scott]

No, no, no, it's okay. Whatever. You're old enough. You're grandfathered in on something. You have to be. So. Yeah, yeah, I'm not supposed to use. But I was using it because you used it. You understand? Yeah. I was just agreeing with you. You're the guest, so I'm agreeing with you.

[Christine]

Okay. Well, thank you.

[Scott]

No, no problem. It's a problem at all. Oh, my gosh. So how's this conversation going for you? Because at the beginning, right before we started, you scared me a little because you were like, I have plans for this, but how's it going?

[Christine]

It's going very well.

[Scott]

Good.

[Christine]

I just. I just want to say that I think I was blessed and cursed by having so much medical knowledge and not being formally educated.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And I came a lot of. Well, here's the thing. When I worked in medical records, I read thousands of charts, and then we would assign, you know, the diagnoses and the procedures to them. I learned a lot about the different procedures and that I would get myself in trouble because I'd go to doctors and say, well, I don't want this, but I want this. And they'd, like, look at me like, who the hell do you think you are? Why are you telling me that?

[Scott]

I read some books.

[Christine]

Yeah, right. And then finally, one of my nurse, one of my good friend nurse nurses said to me, she says, I never let any medical personnel know that I'm a nurse. I just ask questions in a way that sound like, why are you doing this? And so I kind of learned from her not to go at it from that angle.

[Scott]

To let them think they're having the idea.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

But getting what you need.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Yeah. Also, that works when you're married, too, right?

[Christine]

Sometimes.

[Scott]

Sometimes I check my kids that way a lot.

[Christine]

Well, don't all parents?

[Scott]

Yeah, you have to. You can't tell anybody anything. By the way, that's not just parenting. Anytime you try to tell somebody something, right away, they're upset, you know, but you ask a question and then let them come to it on their own, and they're like, everyone's proud of themselves. So whatever. However it has to happen. You're just looking for good care.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Dan]

All right.

[Scott]

So good.

[Christine]

No, no, no.

[Scott]

I want you to say a bunch of things. Say whatever you want. I. I want to tell you, Chris, I'm having a lovely time talking to you. I think this is very appropriate for my last episode recorded this year. I'm feeling very lucky to have this conversation with you right now. I'm not sharing it with you, but I'm sitting here feeling that way. And yeah, I just. I feel really grateful in. In the moment to get to meet you and everyone else that I talk to this year. I'm looking up at my calendar and thinking it's possible I had over 300 conversations this year with different people.

[Christine]

I bet you did. And I have to tell you, I'm very flattered because I've listened to so many of your podcasts and so many people have interesting stories. It's just amazing.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, no, I'm. I'm listening back to one today where a guy's telling me about his neighbor who built a 20, 21 20th scale battleship that actually floated. And I was like, what's. The whole world's out of its mind.

[Christine]

You know what? That sounds like something my husband would have done.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh. But what do you want to say? I'm sorry.

[Christine]

I just. This is. I can't explain why, but I think somehow I have. My body has the ability to self heal. I've had so many things go wrong and, you know, I had all the joint stuff, you know, carpal tunnel, trigger finger, you name it. And I never went for any surgeries for any of that. And eventually it all went away. So I.

[Scott]

You outlasted it.

[Christine]

Yes, I guess so.

[Scott]

Do you have any other autoimmune issues?

[Christine]

No.

[Scott]

No. How about in your family line? Your mom, dad, brothers, sisters?

[Christine]

No, I talked to my. My sister about this. We have more genetic. We have like a genetic blood thing in our family. And then I will tell you, though, when I first came down with diabetes, apparently between the two families, it's like, well, where did this come from? Who had diabetes in your family and how did this happen? And it wasn't until I was in my 40s or 50s, and it must have been either. It came from, apparently my maternal grandmother's side of the family. And there was one uncle left who that would have been my mother's uncle. And I think eventually they figured out that my grandmother either had cousins or some aunts or somebody who must have died before there was insulin, and they figured it was diabetes.

[Scott]

I born there.

[Christine]

Yeah, that.

[Scott]

Yeah. Well, jeez, that's something. Can I throw this in here real quick? This is apropos nothing, Christine, but if anybody from the smartwool sock company is listening, I would love to rep you and sell some socks. These things are awesome. I would do it maybe just for free socks. So if you want trade ads for free socks, let me know. I Got these for the holidays. My son. I can't believe my son's like, here, I got you socks for Christmas. They're awesome. I'm like, okay, thanks. But he's not wrong. They're really great. Sorry, I know that takes everything off. Kiss. But anyway, anyone's working at smart Wool, reach out, please. I think. I think we could sell some socks together.

[Christine]

That sounds like something my husband could use.

[Scott]

Yeah, they're beautiful. They're just really fit. Well. And they're warm and I don't feel sweaty in them ever. And my goodness, I don't know what they cost. The kids got a job. You know what I mean? But, yeah, that's it. Thank God he's got a job. He actually got me a really nice Christmas present.

[Christine]

What?

[Scott]

And. Oh, you want me to tell you? He got me tickets to the Eagles game for he and I.

[Christine]

You're kidding.

[Scott]

As happy as I. As soon as I got them, as happy as I was to think, oh, we're going to go to the game together. This is awesome. There was part of me that was like, oh, my God, he can afford this. Thank God. Like, like, you know what I mean? Like. Like, just like, it felt like a weightlift. And I was like, he bought an expensive gift for me. He must be saving his money and then doing okay. Like, I was just so happy to think that he was okay.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

Yeah, that makes sense. Or not. But.

[Christine]

Well, yeah, that's what you want for your kids. So to eventually be on their own.

[Scott]

But.

[Christine]

But, like, capable and thinking ahead.

[Scott]

I just. Yeah. I just was happy to know that he was, like, stable. Yeah. You know, so.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

Yeah. Really cool. Any knows good socks when he sees them. So bonus, Smart wool again, guys, go check them out then. Not. Not a sponsor, but would love for them to be. I got rid of. Got rid of is the wrong word. I wouldn't want to say that. I'm not doing business with AG1 anymore. So, like, if you want, I could fill that. I could fill that space with smart wool very easily.

[Christine]

Yeah. All right.

[Scott]

Do you know anybody at the company?

[Dan]

Chris?

[Christine]

I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of pull.

[Scott]

But listen, a lot of people listen to this.

[Christine]

Oh, that's true.

[Scott]

I've said things out loud a number of times and gotten responses. I once spoke to somebody who works, like, inside at Facebook by saying out loud, I'd like to speak to somebody who works at Facebook. So I'm making a wish right now. I'm using my wish up on smart wool socks.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Scott]

Okay. Kind of socks. Do you like. Do you like the short ones or do you like to pull them up?

[Christine]

No, I'm better off now, probably with the shorter ones.

[Scott]

Yeah. How is it? Can I. Can I ask, like, you've been so candid here, just about getting older in general. Is it still the way it is for me and the way other people talk about it? Like, do you bend over and struggle to pull on your shoes and think, this isn't me. How is this happening to me?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

That part doesn't go away.

[Christine]

No, it doesn't. And I have to say, in the last couple years, my husband and I will wake up in the morning and. And, like, we just, like, our bones ache.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And it's like, it's not that we did anything that, you know, strenuous the day before or whatever. It just. Yeah, it's the natural part. And I would say definitely, like, if I turn my neck or something. You hear your neck creak? It's like. Yeah.

[Scott]

Do you ever joke with each other? You're like, look, why don't we try to smother each other with a pillow or something? Like, get the hell out of this?

[Christine]

No, we're not.

[Scott]

Not at that point yet.

[Dan]

Do you.

[Scott]

Do you wake up in the morning, think, I'm going to need a minute, or do you jump out of bed?

[Christine]

No. Can I just tell you, most mornings, especially since I've been retired, I am in bed for at least an hour or two, drinking coffee, looking on my Kindle, looking up articles, reading different stuff. I try to stay away from the news as much as I can, but.

[Scott]

How do you like being retired?

[Christine]

Oh, I love it. I would say that I've been the happiest I've ever been since I was retired.

[Scott]

Oh, well, it's Chris's fault. This is the last episode of the podcast. That's perfect. We're just starting to think about, like, you know, that next part of our life and.

[Christine]

Sure. And. And I have to say, my husband and I started thinking of that, like, in our 30s, and we were able to retire when we were 55.

[Scott]

Wow. I am going to be 55 in a couple months. I cannot retire yet.

[Christine]

No. But maybe by 60.

[Scott]

Also, in fairness, I make a podcast. It's not incredibly taxing. I had to have a guy come out today to, like, a problem in my house. Right. This guy had to come out to look at it. My phone rings 10:30. I said. I said, oh, I'm so sorry. I'm like, is this Joe? And he goes, yeah. He said, joe, I'm sorry I'm talking to you from the shower. I apologize. And he goes, we're out front. And I went, oh. I'm like, I thought so early, but. But instead I said, just give me five minutes. And the whole time until I went out to. To let him in the house, all I thought was, man, I'm really lucky. Like, I really am. Like, I slept. I. I don't feel well today. No big deal. I slept a little longer.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

I got up, you know, took care of some things around the house, did what I needed to do, jumped in the shot. 10:30, I'm in the shower, trying to get ready to record with somebody at noon. You know what I mean? But at the same time, I'm working, like, in between pretty constantly. It's the face, actually, you know, it's the Facebook group that takes up a lot of my time.

[Christine]

Yeah. And I love how you. Or it's one of your moderators or whatever, get in there and say, just stop doing this now.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, no bullshit. I don't have time for all that. I watched a gentleman degrade yesterday in real time was. It was fascinating. And it went from. He tried to give away insulin. And it was a real person who really just switched insulin and was like, hey, I've got this Humalog. I'd like to give it away now. I can't let him do that. Like, Facebook won't let that happen. It's bad for me if I let it happen. It's, you know, it creates a lot of scammers. People right away are like, you know, I'll take it. Like, send it to me. Like, you know, or. Or he could be a scammer where he's like, you know, like, just send me $20 for shipping. And, like, take 20 bucks off a bunch of different people. I don't think he was, though. I think he was a real person just trying to do a nice thing, which I would have liked to have supported, but I can't. So you go in, you gently, like, look, hey, we can't do this. Like, I need you to delete the post. And then he doesn't delete the post. So you delete the post. So then he reposts again. I guess I'm not allowed to do this. And blah, blah. You can see him getting angry. Then someone else jumps in and it's like, stop being a baby and complaining. And I'm like, oh, my God, like, like, what is happening? And so, you know, we, like, you know, set it up so that he can't just post again because he's just going to keep posting about the insulin. We want to be able to cut it off first if it happens. And then third time he tries to post, the system stops him and he leaves the group. Oh, and I was like, I watched in a four hour period, like an adult lose their mind. Yeah, yeah. It was fascinating because I even said, hey, like, call your endo up and see if there's. I'm sure your endo knows somewhere to can. Can use this insulin or go to.

[Christine]

A homeless shelter or something and say, who. Who around here takes insulin?

[Scott]

Yes. Because you're about to ask people on Facebook who don't live anywhere near you. Right. Like so. Right.

[Dan]

So there's.

[Scott]

Anyway, but that's not the point where everyone was being very supportive. My point is that he went from like, I'd like to help some people to everybody can go fuck themselves in four hours. And I was like, I'm like, what is happening? And. And then. And at that, like another person that jumped in who was like, nasty to him for like no reason, I was like, sure. I was like, wow, it' the human psyche is just awesome. But anyway, what you don't realize is that that took up the time of three different people.

[Christine]

Oh, I bet.

[Scott]

Yeah. It's not an easy thing to accomplish, keeping a harmonious place online for people to talk to each other.

[Christine]

Well, when I look at what you all do, sometimes I'm like, how does he keep this up?

[Scott]

There's a lot of very nice people volunteering their time.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

There, there must be smart, thoughtful people.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

That appreciate the podcast and what it does for people and what it's probably done for them in the past. And they're just trying to give back a little bit. And they do it in a, in a stunning way.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

Like, just. I couldn't possibly, like, I sent them all a gift card recently, like, as a thank you. And as I was sending, I thought, this is insulting. It's such a little amount for what they've done. And like, you know, like, I don't, I certainly don't want to insult them. I can't afford to give them more. But at the same time, like, geez, it doesn't come close to the amount of effort, time, or love and compassion they put into it.

[Christine]

I think it would be really hard to monetize what you do without behold being beholden to a certain entity, whatever that might be. And then.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, well, you listen. You can't monetize a Facebook group no matter what.

[Dan]

Right?

[Scott]

Like, it just, it doesn't, it's not set up for that. But the truth is, even if you did, then it would fail, right? No one wants to. I once worked at a credit union when I was in my 20s and we were at a sales meeting talking about, like, ways to get people into the credit union. And I said, why don't we put dog in a brown bag and write free dog on? And I think because if it's free, people love it. You know what I mean? Like, but you ask somebody to pay $5 for something that's worth a hundred and they'll go, I'm not up for that. Yes, if you're going to help people, you have to. You have to help them for free or they'll stop themselves. And so. Or maybe they just wouldn't have the $5. Like, one way or the other. I'm not interested in limiting anybody's access to the conversations and everything else, you know, so I, I mean, I offset it with ad sales. It's just, it's what I do, and it's the only thing that works. Well, I didn't record 300 and sometimes this year and pay an editor and do all this on, like, the good graces of, you know, Mother Nature, you know, like, somebody's got to pay for all that, and it's not you. I don't want you to pay for it, Chris. And I. I can't pay for it. If I was wealthy, I'd pay for it. You know what I mean? I won that lot one day. You see that lotto the lottery the other day? 1.8 billion.

[Christine]

Can you imagine what you could do with that money?

[Scott]

One person in Arkansas bought it. They're going to buy Arkansas, I imagine, I suppose, well, for 1.8 billion, you could probably get the state next to it, too.

[Christine]

Hey, while you're saying that, can I just say that one of the things that drove me crazy is in the 80s and probably into the 90s, I was going crazy because everything was devoted to, like, breast cancer and aids. And later I come down with breast cancer, which is the ultimate kind of haha on me. But I was like, where are the people screaming about diabetes? And we. And I would be writing to my congress people and saying, you have to start putting some money. We need a cure. You have to start putting some money here. I see all these people coming into the hospital, you know, especially the old, old, old guys who'd be smoking and then they'd lose their leg. And stuff. And it was like, there's got to be more education.

[Scott]

And, and it just, it's all, that's all money too. Right. Like, you know, that whole like, breast awareness thing is probably, you know, part of a bigger consortium of people trying to raise money so that their research is funded. And, and there's probably, you know, more people with cancer than there is with diabetes type 1.

[Christine]

Well, then, yes, that is true.

[Scott]

Also, the way the world actually works is, you know, break everybody's head, if you understood it, I imagine. But I take your point. Like, it would be lovely if there was more to it. But also, I play devil's advocate, you guys. You know, you're type 1, you have CGMs, you have insulin pumps, you have, you know, they came up with faster acting insulin. They're working on algorithms. Like there's an argument to be made from somebody else. Like, hey, you're getting a lot already.

[Christine]

Oh, well. And I will say I don't. I'm not sure there ever will be a cure. Yeah, but I, I certainly. This system is. Beats what was back then.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Chris is like, look, if you want me to vote between what I was doing before, what I'm doing now, I take now. Thank you.

[Christine]

Exactly.

[Scott]

Well, listen, if a cure comes, I think just based on the pure complexity of it and the amount of things we can't possibly, like, factor in, in the human mind, it's going to come through. A computer is going to figure it out if it, if it gets figured out that way and still don't know that that's possible.

[Christine]

Right.

[Scott]

You know, in the world that I understand today. Like, can I tell you that, you know, 15 years from now AI might not teach itself how to make better computing and blah, blah, blah, and then one day we just start asking it everything and it's like, yeah, here, you know, like, like maybe, but not with today's understanding of the world. I mean, and all these people are working on like, oh, we're close, we're close. And like, you know, listen, I like your enthusiasm, but I don't see it coming. And I have that horrible experience of interviewing a, a researcher like 15 years ago.

[Christine]

Oh, yes.

[Scott]

And he's talking about like encapsulation back then, just, you know, putting a pouch of cells inside of somebody. And the, the one question I asked him that I think has broke my heart forever. I said, let's say you had it all figured out and it worked today. How long till I, my kid can have it? He's like, ah, maybe 15 years I was like, so. I was like, so if it worked today and you had it figured out today, maybe I could have it in 15 years. And he's like, yeah, you know, because of production and got to get the cells. And he's like, talking about all that. Here's what that makes me think about, Chris. Like, because. And you've lived through a big change in technology, bigger than the one I live through. Right. Like, I mean, if you were born in. What were you born in? 52.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Look at me with the mask still. So if you were born in 52, you drove in cars where air was coming through the floor while you were driving.

[Christine]

Oh, yeah, right. Without seat. Without seat belts.

[Scott]

Seat belts. No power steering, no power brakes. Your mom was probably, like, stomping on that goddamn thing to get it to stop. You know what I mean? Like, no kidding, right? And you went from that to what? Tube televisions. Like, you probably had a. One of the first TVs, but you were broke. Maybe you didn't even have one.

[Christine]

Well, I have to say, back then, it was barely black and white. They were just coming off of radios, really.

[Scott]

Right.

[Christine]

And that was the early part of tv. And then, yes, we finally did get a colored TV when I was a little bit older, and I think my grandparents might have helped.

[Scott]

What was tv? Like Uncle Milty and. Oh, yeah, like that, right?

[Christine]

Oh, sure. The Honeymooners.

[Scott]

Yeah, Honeymooners. That stuff.

[Dan]

Right.

[Scott]

There's like, three TV shows. And my point. My point is, then you live into tubes, into transistors, into personal computers, into cell phones. I mean, seriously, do you remember the first time somebody had one of those bag cell phones? You were probably like, this is magic.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Scott]

Yeah, exactly. Right? And now today, you know, I'm saying to you, still, in your lifetime, why don't you go sit down in a prompt and talk through your. Your thing and see if it'll maybe, like, pull an answer out for you that you could take back to your doctor. That's a real thing. And so, you know.

[Christine]

But every time you're spurring me on.

[Scott]

Here, I'm gonna get you on a pump. Watch what I do. But, like. But my. My point about talking about it in the timeline is there's. There's moments in time where everything seems like the most amazing thing, but when you look back five years, you don't really use it anymore the way that we thought we were going to. It all kind of co. Mingles into something else. And I think that sometimes the promise of it never comes to be. Yes, I think There are times that we're so busy expanding and trying to find the next thing that we don't bother putting the thing we have into practice.

[Christine]

True.

[Scott]

You know what I mean? Like, it's a bigger idea, but, like, I see that in technology through my lifetime. I think this possibly is the first time we're going to get to the end if it works, if it doesn't kill us all like in that Terminator movie.

[Christine]

Yeah, that's right.

[Scott]

And listen, if it does, what the hell, you know.

[Christine]

Could happen? It. I grew up, you know, during the Cold War, when we were sure that we were going to be bombed and we were all going to. That was going to be it, you know?

[Scott]

Right.

[Christine]

And then my. My dad, this is. My dad had a sense of humor. He'd say, let them drop the bomb on this house, and then it'll all be over.

[Scott]

He's like, I'm looking for a way out of this. I'll tell you right now. I'll take an atom bomb. Let's go.

[Christine]

Truly. Yeah.

[Scott]

It's a shit show, your life. I imagine he thought that a couple of times in that wheelchair, but no, but seriously, like, with the. With the AI, like, this is the first time it's going to grow fast enough and not need us to understand it to keep growing. And, like, maybe that actually gets us to something. And I also understand all the bad things that could possibly happen, too. But, like, maybe this is the dice roll time. Like, maybe you just say, like, we can't keep up with it.

[Dan]

Right.

[Scott]

Because somebody comes up with something in 1970, and they spend 10 years trying to understand it, and then 10 more years trying to perfect it. By the time they've done that, it's over. It's gone already.

[Christine]

Yes, yes.

[Scott]

And they've wasted their whole damn life on it. And then you look forward, and no one's even. They've built off of it, but they're not using it anymore. And then it took up someone's whole life just to have an understanding of it like that that didn't, in the end, end up helping that many people. Like, this is my hope right here. Like. Like, I think this could do it. And if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. Or if it's earlier than I think it is, then it's earlier than I think it is. But, like, this, to me, makes a lot of sense about, like, what could possibly happen, moving forward. And you got to stop being afraid. Everyone needs to have been born in 1952 and have their husband tell him, it's okay, and we'll be all right. What's that like, Chris? Is that comforting? Because, you know, younger women would be like, I don't listen to that guy. But, like, do you find it comforting?

[Christine]

Well, I trust my husband's judgment on so many things that, Yes, I guess I do. And the stuff that I don't really care about, I, I figure, well, he's right. Unless I go investigate it and I'll come back and say, well, I, I disagree, blah, blah, blah, or whatever.

[Dan]

So.

[Christine]

But no, to me, it's, yeah, it's very comforting.

[Scott]

You've been together a long time. He hasn't led you wrong?

[Christine]

No.

[Scott]

Good to trust him.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Is my wife listening to this? No, she's not. By the way, nobody listens to my podcast in my family.

[Christine]

I'll tell you this. I'm not sure how many of my friends or family will listen to this.

[Scott]

Of course not. Yeah. A whole, a whole hour of you. They're like, oh, it's enough.

[Christine]

Yeah. And here's the other thing. People are so busy with their own lives and whatever is going on in their lives.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Christine]

That to sit down and be able to sit and listen to something, it's very difficult.

[Scott]

Yeah. I, I, I also, the way content is, like, given to people nowadays. Like, you know, you, when you and I got on, you were like, oh, my God, this was a lot to get set up. I mean, you know, between you and me and Chris, you were jumping on zoom. Most people don't have trouble with that.

[Christine]

I know.

[Scott]

You looked at me like, that's enough. I, I got on, like, let's just stop now. But it just is generational and, and all the other things that you've mentioned getting slower, getting older, like, you know, everything else that comes with it.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Scott]

Yeah. All right. Well, I, I hope for a world where your insulin pump is driving your blood sugars and your car is driving you to go visit people and you, you know, and, and some computer tells you what's wrong and, and tells you, take this or do that and it's all going to be better. That's what I'm hoping for.

[Christine]

Sounds great.

[Scott]

Yeah. Let's get that. I want that. I just want to say, I want that in case I've been ambiguous and you're listening. I'm, I'm, I, I'm willing to roll the dice on the destruction of the planet to see if we can get to this, because what I've been doing for the last 54 years, it ain't that Great. So I want to get that in next thing. Chris. All right, hold on one second for you. Really terrific. Happy New Year.

[Christine]

Thank you. Well, happy New Year.

[Scott]

Yep.

[Dan]

Head now to tandomdiabetes.com juicebox and check out today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. I think you're going to find exactly what you're looking for at that link, including a way to sign up and get started with the Tandem MOBI system. The podcast episode that you just enjoyed was sponsored by Eversense CGM. They make the Eversense 365. That thing lagged a whole year. One insertion every year.

[Scott]

Come on. You probably feel like I'm messing with.

[Dan]

You, but I'm not. Ever since cgm.com juicebox Arden has been getting her diabetes supplies from US Med for three years. You can as well usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. My thanks to US Med for sponsoring this episode and for being longtime sponsors of the Juice Box Podcast. There are links in the show notes and [e-mail] to us Med and all of the sponsors. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the 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. And if you leave a five star review, ooh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card.

[Scott]

Would you like a Christmas card?

[Dan]

If you've ever heard a diabetes term and thought, okay, but what does that actually mean? You need the Defining Diabetes series from the Juice Box Podcast. Defining Diabetes takes all of those phrases and terms that you don't understand and makes them clear, quick and easy episodes. Find out what bolus means, basal insulin sensitivity, and all of the rest. There has to be over 60 episodes of defining Diabetes. Check it out now in your audio player or go to juiceboxpodcast.com and go up into the menu. If you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording Listen. Truth be told, I'm like 20% smarter. When Rob edits me. He takes out all the, like, gaps of time. And when I go and stuff like that, and it just, I don't know, man.

[Scott]

Like, I listen back and I'm like.

[Dan]

Why do I sound smarter? And then I remember, because I did one smart thing. I hired [e-mail].