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- [00:00]
A
Welcome back friends to another episode of the Juice Box Podcast.
- [00:13]
B
Hi, I'm Crystal Kremenes. I am a type 1 diabetic.
- [00:17]
C
I am Jason and I have. I have talked to you a couple times before, Scott.
- [00:22]
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 player. 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, Saint San Juan, Saint 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@juiceboxpodcast.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. Today's episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by the Contour Next Gen Blood Glucose Meter. This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. It is Incredibly accurate and waiting for you@contour next.com Juicebox Today's episode is also sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the mini med 780G system and their new sensor options, which include the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed 780G system? You can do that at my link medtronicdiabetes.com juicebox do you think you don't feel like that because you're a reasonably healthy human being who understands that this isn't their fault? Or do you think it's, you don't feel that way because you can blame your dad because if there is a lineage, it started with him and not you?
- [03:27]
C
No, I, I think it's because I can look past the feelings part of it. I can look at the, the technical side of it, the genetic side of it and say, yeah, this is what we've been dealt. Nobody's fault. And the only way to deal with it is to, you know, take it by the reins and just run with it and go with it and do what you have to do.
- [03:49]
A
Yeah, you know, I mean, you've probably been listening for a while and Chris, I don't know if you listen to me chitter chatter into this microphone or not ever, but I'm sure one reasonable high school level psychology class would have told me this, but I didn't realize that people have such a hard time doing things for themselves but not a hard time doing, doing them for other people.
- [04:09]
B
Oh, definitely.
- [04:11]
A
I didn't know that until I had all these conversations with people. I'm sure I was probably doing it myself and didn't know it, you know, but the amount of people who have type 1 diabetes who then take much better care of themselves because their children are diagnosed and they have that same exact feeling that you guys said, which is this was good enough for me, but it's not good enough for you. I don't know how many kids diagnoses are saving their parents, but I think it's a lot more than you might think. Really, really interesting, honestly, how it all kind of works. But what's even more interesting is that Crystal sort of, it sounds like had the same feeling about your child Jason, as you did. You both were in separate places worried about your kid all of a sudden. And Crystal, is that I think that
- [04:59]
C
that happened to all three of us or plus my mom, all four of us.
- [05:02]
A
So all at once.
- [05:03]
B
Yeah.
- [05:04]
C
You know, wow.
- [05:06]
A
I'm sorry, Arden is calling me. No. What is happening right now? What is it? Does everyone not understand the situation here? Scotty's got a job.
- [05:14]
C
Not a job. You're just a podcaster. Come on.
- [05:18]
A
Somebody's. Who is blocking you? She's trying to go to school. Me. Is it me that's blocking her? Am I going to have to tell you guys to hold on a second? Hold on a second.
- [05:28]
B
Hold on.
- [05:29]
A
Because we all went out last night, and so nobody's car is in the normal place.
- [05:34]
C
Does she not know how to drive other people's cars?
- [05:37]
A
I don't know what she knows. She does. No, she knows how to drive other people's cars. My kids are just there. They could be princesses. Sometimes you're like, hey, your car's in my way. Come get it. Instead of, like, move it out of your way. Well, we'll wait for her to respond if you stop and sit back. Is that the story of your family, or do you think that's just really the beginning of this story? Like, to me, this is the. That's the preamble, right? Like, now, moving forward, like, we can throw all that away and understand that this is your history. There's part of me that wants to restart the conversation with today, with, you know, Wesley's diagnosis and where you guys have gone since then. If you have a little more time, I'd like to keep talking, if that's okay.
- [06:21]
C
I have plenty of time.
- [06:22]
A
Awesome.
- [06:23]
B
Okay, me too.
- [06:24]
A
All right.
- [06:24]
B
I don't work till tonight, so.
- [06:26]
A
Okay. She said I got out. I had to do a 25 point turn. Okay. Okay. All right, so that's good. So we don't have to worry about that anymore. Okay. So let's do that. Let's pretend for a second that we all just knew your story and didn't need to be filled in the way we just were. Spend the next 20 minutes or so trying to figure out the rest of it. Let's pretend that this all starts with Wesley's diagnosed Jason at what age?
- [06:54]
C
Two and a half.
- [06:54]
A
Two and a half. You've had diabetes since you were 18. 18. Your sister had it a couple of years before you. Your dad has it his whole life, basically. Your son's diagnosed. You guys realize that your situation is not such that you would like it to be his situation. What does adjusting that look like for all of you?
- [07:17]
C
For me, you know, I paid attention to what my diabetes was doing, but it made me pay attention more because I was having to constantly with my wife pay attention to what Wesley's Numbers were doing and what you do with a two and a half year old type 1 diabetic that no one in our family, except for my grandma, really had experience with. So it made me focus and it made me take. Take the time to make it a priority.
- [07:45]
A
Okay, More on the details, more on the finer points of it because the tolerances are so much smaller with a little kid.
- [07:55]
C
Absolutely.
- [07:56]
A
Jason, do you. I'm going to ask you a question about me. Do you think that that might be why me talking about it is helpful to people? Because do I take it to a different place than some people do because I started with a little kid?
- [08:14]
C
Yeah, I think so. I think that helped me, like, when I first started listening to you, like, I. I felt there are some similarities between, like, what you were talking about and doing and what I wanted to do or like what I wanted to do and what I had been doing. Because I didn't, I didn't find you until, you know, after. Yeah, well, after he was diagnosed. But I kind of saw that and it kind of made me think, yeah, there's. There's more than just me out here trying to do this.
- [08:46]
A
That community part helps you too?
- [08:48]
C
Oh, huge.
- [08:49]
A
Yeah. The knowledge.
- [08:49]
C
I mean.
- [08:50]
A
Yeah.
- [08:51]
C
You can probably tell by the sheer number of posts I've made in the Facebook group. Post.
- [08:56]
A
Group. Yeah, no, no, I can actually. You're. You're passionate about it in a way that I really appreciate. As you were talking, I thought, I wonder if that's part of, like, the way I think about it is because I had to think about it. For a person who weighed 19 pounds and couldn't really tell me what was going on with tools that didn' that weren't really nearly as valuable or as insightful as they are now.
- [09:19]
C
When Wesley was diagnosed, like, I'm not sure, like, Dexcom was really a huge thing at that time. So it was still. And it really wasn't a thing for two and a half year olds. So I just remember vividly having to wake up two or three times every night and go in and check his finger and, you know, deal with it appropriately. That time. It was. It was extremely difficult. Again, it's just something I absolutely had to do and I had to do a much better job than what I'd been doing for myself or a much better job than Crystal had done or a much better job than my dad ever did. It was just imperative that I succeed.
- [09:58]
A
So then you find that success with your son, in how much time, how long did it take you to transform what you knew and then apply what you thought you needed to do and get him into a place that you were like, oh, good. This is good. Do you know how long that took?
- [10:14]
C
0.
- [10:14]
A
You got to it fast.
- [10:16]
C
Yeah, right away.
- [10:17]
A
And then did you then say, I'm going to apply it to me now, or were you doing it at the same time?
- [10:22]
C
I was the. I was the guinea pig for Wesley, so anything that I wanted to do, the Wesley, I. I did myself first.
- [10:28]
A
Okay.
- [10:30]
C
So I got way better control of myself and then worked on him simultaneously with the same kind of methods.
- [10:38]
A
This is basically like the plane just crashed, and Jason's the only one that stood up, and he's going to get everybody out one at a time. So you get him out and get you out. Then do you go to your sister next or your dad?
- [10:49]
C
Our dad just kind of watched from the sidelines, and at that point in time, I think he actually started to talk about it and ask questions, and he seeked advice from Crystal and myself.
- [11:03]
A
Wow. At that point, how old is he about.
- [11:05]
C
Oh, you're going to answer that one, Crystal.
- [11:07]
B
Oh, my goodness. So Wesley's how old?
- [11:10]
C
He's 14.
- [11:11]
B
14.
- [11:12]
A
So 11 years.
- [11:14]
B
60.
- [11:15]
A
Ish. That's sad, isn't it? 57 years with diabetes and he's starting to ask questions.
- [11:21]
B
Yeah.
- [11:21]
C
Yeah.
- [11:22]
B
It took a long time for dad to openly talk about his diabetes.
- [11:27]
A
Yeah.
- [11:28]
B
Yeah. Even with Jason and I being diagnosed, I don't remember ever having, like, conversations about diabetes with that.
- [11:35]
A
Yeah. I just think at a certain time, with the way treatment was in certain, you know, historical, like, stopping points, there's. There's just. There probably wasn't a lot to talk about, really. Like, I take the shot, I eat. I don't die. I take it again. I'm not dead. It must have worked.
- [11:51]
B
Yep.
- [11:51]
A
His experience, he puts it. I mean, he doesn't put it on you, but it becomes your experience. It colors your life the way it does. Jason, for some reason, has a feeling of, like, maybe this isn't good enough. I should try harder. But that's not really a ton of. I mean, Jason, you're just really using more insulin. You're just being more aggressive with your insulin. Right. And then your son comes, you pull the whole thing together like this. I know why you did it for him. I guess I'll wonder why your dad, like, jumped in two feet as well. Like, with both feet. Like, I wonder if he didn't think, like, oh, my God, what am I not doing for myself that I should be doing? Like, because you start talking about what you're doing for Wesley, he must. It must sound foreign to him for five seconds. But he also knows he's not doing well, so he must have really trusted what you were doing is what I'm saying.
- [12:42]
C
Yeah. And that's. I kind of. It's. It's weird to me to think that, too, like, how you said that, like, you know, growing up, like, your dad knows everything. Right. Your dad is the man. He does it. He's. He's tough. He can handle it. But then to kind of see him start to relate back to myself and Crystal about his struggle, like, he's coming out, like, hugs and saying, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. It's. Yeah, we're starting to hint it, actually wanting to. To talk about it. And for him, that's really opening up. It's kind of. It's just weird to look back on that and think that he's seeking advice from me. Yeah. You know, he's almost, like, treating me like, hey, you're the. You're the. You're the guy that knows this.
- [13:29]
A
Finally, one of us figured something out. Like, awesome.
- [13:31]
C
Yeah.
- [13:31]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [13:33]
C
And then I think him seeing eventually, you know, when Wesley first got his Dexcom and his Omnipod, I think after he saw that, like, he's like, huh. Well, there, that's. That's pretty neat. Probably makes things a little bit easier. I don't have to go give myself shots in the bathroom and hide it from everybody. I can just do it from right here.
- [13:54]
A
Yeah. Just opened his life up for him.
- [13:57]
B
Yeah. And I think him seeing the Omnipod versus my Medtronic that I had back then and not having the tubing, he was like, huh.
- [14:05]
A
There's more than I know about lifestyle.
- [14:07]
B
He. You know, he was a. He was scared to death that it was just gonna fall out and that it would just not work because it was just gonna fall out all the time.
- [14:15]
A
Funny what people worry about all the time. And I'll tell you this, too. Like, Justin, I feel like you know me pretty well, Right. And I'm a very emotional person. I don't have any trouble telling people how I feel. And last night, I don't know if this got said while we were recording or not, but last night, basically, I went to a concert last night. It was my Christmas gift. My wife, myself, and both my kids went to see Yo Yo Ma perform last night. It's my fourth time seeing him. I have fairly strong beliefs that if you want to Understand actual calm and centered and connection to the world. Like, you should go sit very quietly in a. In an auditorium and listen to Yo Yo. Maple is cello. And so I'm having a wonderful time, and I am thrilled that my kids are there. My wife's come with me to every one of the concerts that I've been to. I don't. I think she likes it. I don't think she gets out of it what I get out of it. And the truth is, I don't even know how to quantify what I get out of it. I really. I've had trouble explaining it to people, but there are certain notes that he hits on that cello that just make me cry, and I don't even know why. And not like, blubbering, crying, just tears just running down my face like it hits me somewhere right in the middle of my soul. And I'm thrilled to be there. I'm thrilled that the kids heard it. I don't think that it's their, you know, their jam. I don't know that they're going to go home and download the complete works of Yo Yo Ma or anything like that, but I knew that them being there was important and that they would take something from it. And when we were getting up to leave, there was some time while people were passing by that we just were standing at our seats and. And I wanted to grab everybody and hug them and tell them how much it meant for me to me that they were all there with me. And I just said, like, I'm really glad you guys are all here tonight. That's all I said. Like, I had so many thoughts in my head that I wanted to share, but those other three people, they're not me. Arden's the closest to me. Like, I can be a little more open with her because she understands how I am, but my wife and my son are a little more. Like, they're not as connected that way. And so I seem a little, like, goofy to them when I'm like that, if that makes sense or not. Like, so, anyway, so in that very should be easy to share moment, I censored myself, and now I'm trying to put myself in your dad's position. And he's got this thing he's been living with his whole life. He doesn't know how to take care of himself very well.
- [16:37]
C
He.
- [16:38]
A
He sees it happen to his kids after he was already worried it was going to happen to his grandchildren. Like, it must have been a real. You guys must have created a real open space for him to to start talking to you about like that. I wonder if you know what a nice job you did for him that he was able to talk like like that. Unlike other systems that will wait until your blood sugar is 180 before delivering corrections, the MiniMed 780G system is the only system with meal detection technology that automatically detects rising sugar levels and delivers more insulin as needed to help keep your sugar levels in range even if you're not a perfect carb counter. Today's episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by Medtronic diabetes and their MiniMed 780G system, which gives you real choices because the MiniMed 780G system works with the Instinct sensor made by Avid as well as the Simplera Sync and Guardian 4 sensors, giving you options. The Instinct Sensor is the longest wear Sensor yet, lasting 15 days and designed exclusively for the MiniMed 780G. And don't forget Medtronic Diabetes makes technology accessible for you with comprehensive insurance support programs to help you with your out of pocket costs. We're switching from other pump and and CGM systems. Learn more and get started today with my link. Medtronicdiabetes.com juicebox contour next.com juicebox that's the link you'll use to find out more about the Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter. When you get there, there's a little bit at the top you can click right on. Blood glucose monitoring. I'll do it with you. Go to meters. Click on any of the meters. I'll click on the Next gen and you're going to get more information. It's easy to use and highly accurate. Smart Light provides a simple understanding of your blood glucose levels. And of course with Second Chance sampling technology, you can save money with fewer wasted test strips. As if all that wasn't enough, the Contour Next Gen also has a compatible app for an easy way to share and see your blood glucose results. Contornext.com juicebox and if you scroll down at that link, you're going to see things like a Buy now button. You could register your meter after you purchase it or what is this? Download a coupon? Oh, receive a free Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter? Do tell. Contour next.com juicebox Head over there. Now get the same accurate and reliable meter that we use.
- [19:18]
C
I feel like after that happened I felt closer to my dad and like closer than I probably ever have because we had that open lane of conversation then. I think it helped our relationship. You know, type 1 diabetes helped our relationship. Thank you for the worst disease ever.
- [19:34]
A
Well, yeah, but in your situation, it's a catalyst, or it could have been, and it ended up being. This is true through all walks of life, right? Like, whether it's me at the concert being more emotional, not having the nerve to be as emotional as I was, or this. But when people create space. I got. I sound like a therapist. But when people create space where you feel comfortable, it's a really big deal, and it can be done in all. All different parts of people's lives, and it just doesn't happen frequently enough. I think your story outlines why it's so important. I hope that's what people are hearing. Honestly, instead of me telling a, you know, a quick story about something that happened to me last night, this is a. You guys laying your life out a little bit here and letting people hear about it. I think it's really awesome. So you guys all. Everyone levels up then, right? Wesley gets us started at a great level. Jason, you level yourself up. Crystal, you level up your care. Crystal, I gotta ask you, is there any points where you think, like, well, hell, if this would have happened sooner, I could have had a baby.
- [20:35]
B
I mean, possibly, but I had already come to the. You know, come to grips.
- [20:40]
A
You're healthy enough not to torture yourself about that?
- [20:43]
B
Yeah, exactly. Yep.
- [20:44]
C
Yeah.
- [20:45]
A
Good for you. That's lovely. I'm very happy for you, because there's nothing wrong with the decision you made. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, it's awesome. All right, now, what am I not asking you guys? Like, what don't I know about your lives that I should be asking you about? Like, what. What are you sitting here? Because everybody always gets to the end and goes, it didn't go the way I thought it was going to. What should we be talking about that I don't know, to ask you about or I haven't led you towards, you
- [21:09]
C
know, after that kind of all hit with Wesley, then it, you know, hit again a couple years later with Cooper, and I think it still kind of had that same effect. It kind of opened the door up even more. It kind of got funny on Facebook because my dad would start, you know, commenting on things that I'd post about type 1 diabetes, and it seemed like he was paying more and more attention to it. And I think if all of this would have happened a lot sooner, I think his outcome in life probably would have been a lot better. You know, he didn't die from type 1 diabetes, but it definitely contributed to his death, right? I think he could have lived. Lived longer if this all would have happened sooner.
- [21:48]
A
And Jason, is that like, does that. Are you not healthy enough not to know that's not your fault?
- [21:54]
C
Oh, I know it's not my fault.
- [21:55]
A
Like, did it impact you?
- [21:57]
C
Yeah, it impacted me. You're going to talk to somebody that helped me deal with impact here this afternoon? Probably, yeah.
- [22:04]
A
Oh, yeah. Oh, Erika, later when I record with Erica later.
- [22:08]
C
Yep.
- [22:08]
A
Yeah. I know we've gone over it before, but to put it all in one place, you have some feeling like if this all would have just happened sooner, maybe my dad would be alive.
- [22:19]
C
Yeah, I think you would live longer.
- [22:21]
A
Yeah. And then how do you work through that on your end?
- [22:24]
C
I just have to keep, you know, remembering that I can't keep going back and saying what could have happened because I can't change that. The only thing, you know, you can really do is just keep. Keep trudging forward and learn to deal with your. Your past regrets and keep that under. Under control and in a good spot in my brain.
- [22:45]
A
Crystal, did you know that Jason was going through this or were you going through anything similar?
- [22:50]
B
I didn't know to that depth? No. I completely sympathize with it because I had the same feelings. If I had talked to dad earlier about my experience with my medtronic, would he have had better control later on in his life that he could have prevented the stroke, could have prevented the heart attack, could have prevented that stuff?
- [23:15]
A
How is it, Crystal, to hear Jason talk about it? How does it make you feel when you hear how he. What he went through that?
- [23:21]
B
I'm glad it wasn't just me because I don't think that Jason and I have ever talked anything about, like, this stuff before. Together.
- [23:26]
A
Yeah.
- [23:27]
B
At least this. In this death depth.
- [23:29]
A
No, it's interesting. So your first thought isn't like, oh, my poor brother. Your thought is like, oh, God, I felt that too. Like, is it almost comforting to know that somebody else felt it?
- [23:40]
B
Yes.
- [23:41]
A
Yeah. You don't. You don't mean, like, I'm glad someone else is suffering too. You mean like, oh, gosh, like, you. You're actually finding a community within your brother's experience right now of two people?
- [23:50]
B
Yes.
- [23:50]
C
Yes.
- [23:51]
A
Geez, this is awesome. I have thought once during this conversation, there is no other place on the planet for two people with type 1 diabetes to have a conversation like this that's going to have the opportunity to be heard by so many other people who could benefit from it. But I'm in the moment, just happy for you guys, that you're able to have this conversation. I think the bigger takeaway I'm having from this is that I'm trying to stop myself from saying to all the people who are listening, see, just talk to each other. I don't like there to be after school special takeaways from the podcast. I'm hoping people get these things out of it on their own. But, my God, if you're not listening and thinking we should just all be talking to each other more frequently and being honest about how we feel, look at all the good that would come from it. If you're not taking that from this story, I don't know what to. I don't know what to say about that. You know, I just think it's really important, and I'm really grateful for you guys to share this stuff with me. So thank you for. I'm not even stopping you from talking right now. I just want to thank you.
- [24:53]
C
Like, I agree with you, Scott. Like, it's just like the Facebook page. Like, the more communication people have and the more stories people hear, you know, it allows you to open up more and share. Share those. Those shared experiences or as new experiences with other people that are kind of walking in shoes that are very similar to yours, it helps. It makes you feel seen, it makes you feel heard, and people can sympathize with you and. And guide you who, you know, guide you in a good direction, hopefully.
- [25:24]
A
And I don't even know that it matters. If you understand how it's helping, just trust that it is, because I think I do see people get bound up sometimes by, like, oh, like, what's. What good is this of me sharing how I feel? Or, you know, or, boohoo, you're all sitting together, complaining together, or what. Whatever kind of sometimes alternative, harsher reactions people can have to watching, like, a community help each other at first. You know what I'm saying? Right, Jason? Like, sometimes people come in there and you realize, like, oh, they're very new to this, and they're resistant to this idea of being open and letting that openness kind of wash back on them and help them. You've seen that happen before, right?
- [26:03]
C
All the time. Yeah.
- [26:05]
A
Right. But also, we've been at it long enough. I know I have been. I think you have been too, like, long enough to know that a lot of people, if they hang in there, they get to it, you know?
- [26:15]
C
Exactly.
- [26:16]
A
Yeah. Which is because sometimes people come off really harshly at first. You're like, oh, they'll figure it out. Eventually they're actually going through a really, what I've come to think of as a very natural progression of, I'm too broken, you can't help me. This is all bull. And then they kind of have to sit there and, you know, in it for a little bit before it makes more sense to them and they can kind of like give themselves over to the idea that having these other people around them, whether it's virtually or not, is really valuable. It's what, you know, it makes me upset sometimes when you hear people pontificate in, you know, YouTube videos or, you know, ever that, you know, people's connections have to be in person. And I agree with that. I think, I think we should all have in person connections with people. I'm not saying we shouldn't, but in unique situations like this where you just don't have the opportunity to meet that many other people who have a similar experience, you almost have to go to the Internet for that. Like, there's just, I mean, you can try as hard as you want to start a local group. You're just not going to reach enough people to actually put a group together.
- [27:20]
C
Right.
- [27:21]
A
And to actually get enough voices together that. Enough voices and enough perspectives together where the value
- [27:30]
C
works.
- [27:31]
A
I don't know if that makes sense or not. Like, I almost think of the community like a stew. Like, you can just put beef and carrots in and if you want it, it won't be bad. Right. But it is better if there's also potatoes in there and if you cook it longer and slower. And like, there's just a lot of variables that make that community the value that it is. And those variables are the extensive number of people and perspectives and experiences that are all there that kind of create that stew at the same time.
- [27:57]
C
Yeah. And it's like the Facebook group and the podcast are like, they're always there. I've mentioned this before, but I do a lot of work with Breakthrough T1D and they have all these events. Like, I just filmed one event last night. But these events only happen maybe once a month. And they're not events that are focused around care or dealing with a current struggle. It's more about, you know, those are about raising funds and just introducing people to each other. They're not opening up deep conversations that happen on the podcast. They're not opening up conversations that happen in the Facebook group. And, you know, solutions aren't being like now solutions aren't being made in these fundraising events.
- [28:46]
A
The truth is that you might not be able to go that Night or the thing you need might not be mentioned, and then you'll think it's valueless or whatever. Like, so there's something about the accessibility of the conversations, the accessibility of the group that allows for it to happen on your time and therefore exactly in the moment you need it. It still exists and it's right there and it's ready to go. When I tell people about the value of the group, one of the metrics I give them is that even at its slowest point, which is 3:00am Eastern Time, even at its slowest point in 24 hours, there's still 50 to 100 people in there. And that means there's no time when you're not going to reach somebody.
- [29:28]
C
Right?
- [29:29]
A
Yeah. I think that is important. By the way, most hours of most days, there's at least 1,000 active people in the group pretty much all the time.
- [29:38]
C
Yeah. And that's like. That's a thousand people that are looking for something related to T1D. It's just there. It's just such. Such a great resource. Like, I think what you've built, Scott, is. Has changed so many people's lives and perspectives, and it's. It's really just kind of opened up a door for people to walk through if they want to.
- [30:04]
B
We know we didn't have that.
- [30:07]
A
No. Yeah. Crystal. It's part of what I'm trying to get across when I'm, like, picking through your life is that it's not. It's definitely not anybody's fault. Like, nobody. It would be like blaming a caveman for not having a hand warmer. You know what I mean? Like, it's just not. It just didn't exist then. Yeah, you guys were doing great. Like, I mean, honestly, if you look at your dad and you go back 20 years before that even, or 30 years before that, like, imagine how jealous those people would have been at your father's care. You know what I mean? Yeah. They would have been like, this guy is just out there, like, living life. So it's always going to be like that. We just happen to have lived through a unique leap. The Internet is a unique leap. The technology is a unique leap. And so we were lucky enough to be involved in it. I am quite sure that 100 years from now, people are going to look back at your care and Leslie's care and my daughter's care, and they're going to be like, these people were lucky to be alive. That'll continue like that. It doesn't often happen in somebody's lifetime. I know I sound like an old person, but the day I got my first iPhone, I was excited because it would hold my contacts from my phone in it. Like, think of how ridiculous that is. I was like, oh, now my contacts are all in one place. That was the value of an iPhone on day one. And now that's the least of what you think about on your iPhone. As a matter of fact, when you need somebody's phone number, the contact list isn't even the place you go to get it usually. And look at that leap in this, what it was. I mean, when did it come out? It's not even 20 years yet, right? Where the Internet goes from like, you know, show me boobs and 25 minutes later, or half a picture is downloaded on your AOL to like, hey, Siri, I think this happened. Or hi, you know, or you're in an. A large language model, no matter which one you use, and you're asking complicated questions and getting back complicated answers that make sense. Like, inside of 20 years, it's phenomenal. You know, really, it really is. And. And then it's important to remember that, like, your poor dad was there before that. And like, it just, you know, I don't know. I really appreciate you laying all this out. I hope it also makes you feel better about his. His life, because, I mean, it sounds to me like not only did he do well for himself with the tools he was given, but when the opportunity arose to do better for you guys, he jumped right into, like, it doesn't sound like he held himself back when he finally said, oh, this is an inflection point. Like, we all need to be paying attention.
- [32:38]
C
Yeah, I agree with that.
- [32:39]
A
Yeah, and he did as an older man, too, which is impressive too. Sorry I cut you off, Crystal. Did I make you guys cry?
- [32:49]
B
No, I just. Me too.
- [32:50]
A
Is anybody crying? No. I can't believe you guys haven't cried yet. You're really. You're killing me. I'm trying to make a podcast here, Chris. So you couldn't get a little weepy once or twice? What the hell's going on? How about you, Jason? You're an emotional guy. Where's it been? You know what I mean?
- [33:02]
C
I about got there.
- [33:03]
A
I would have cried at Yo Yo Ma last night if I said exactly what I was thinking, by the way, like, to my kids, like, I think that that experience is important. I don't know if I sound like a high minded white lady right now, but I really mean it. Like, you should go online and find out when that man is Coming to your part of the world and put on some nice clothes and treat yourself and go sit down. Don't say a goddamn word. Don't look at your phone. Stare forward. Watch him hold that bow and watch those noises. I don't even care if you even know the music. Just sit there and watch it. I think it really would change your life. If I would have started saying that to my kids and how much it meant for me that they were all together, I would have liked. I probably would have cried. So anyway, my stoic.
- [33:45]
C
Do you regret. Do you regret not.
- [33:47]
A
Yeah, all the time. Like, all the time. All the time. I regret it with my son. I do it by hugging him. Because if I talk to him too much about how I feel, I think it makes him uncomfortable a little bit. So I let him pick it up on his own. He still gets it. I don't get the catharsis of saying it. So I get robbed a little bit. But he doesn't get robbed because I know he hears it. Because I listen to him. He knows. Like he said to me, he said to my wife last night when we got home, we were so tired. So nothing like a people with autoimmune diseases trying to go out in the middle of the day. Like, everyone was so exhausted when we got home. Like, I bet everybody's not this tired. But right now. But we're kind of like mulling around the kitchen. Like, 11 o', clock, we're home. He says, I keep wondering, why does dad love this so much? I even think just him wondering, that is enough. I did say to him, I said, I don't know how to explain it to you. And I told him the same thing I told you. Man hits a certain string in a certain way, and I just. Water flows out of my eyes. Like I'm just. It strikes me in a certain way that I. I don't really have words for exactly. I don't know. I said it. It slows my pulse. It slows my heart rate. It. It makes me calm. Like, I. I don't know what else to say. And. And. And there's something about watching. That guy's beyond an artist. I know this is probably, like, pretty obtuse for most people. Like a single man playing the cello. Probably not a thing a lot of people are accustomed to talking about. But he's clearly a Renaissance person. Like, he's. This is clearly a gift that he's had since he was a child, right? And you watch him. He. At some points, he's playing. He sat but he's only sitting in a chair. Like I, I don't know if you guys have ever seen a man walks out with a 400 year old cello, he's wearing a suit, he puts the in the floor, sits down on a what does not look like a particularly comfortable chair and he disappears into it. Like there are times when he's playing that I don't even know if he knows we're there. Eyes are closed, he's leaning back, he's the cellos on him, he's playing it. There's times that he makes it make a sound and a smile comes over his face, almost like he's pleased that he hit the note or something like that while playing a 30 minute piece. There's no music in front of him and I've heard it recorded and played back a million times. He's playing it perfectly. Like even that like captures me. Like how does he, how does he do that? And then, you know, talks for 30 seconds, then sits back down and plays another 30 minute piece straight through. So it's fascinating, I think that what I did last night was let my kids watch me watch it. And that's enough. If that makes sense.
- [36:32]
C
Makes perfect sense. I think, Scott, you've got a connection to music that I don't think every human has. Like, I think I have that same kind of connection to music that I enjoy and like where, you know, it sends that tingle up your spine when you hear that particular part of the song. It's, it's almost like an indescribable feeling. It just bubbles up and smacks you right in the brain, in the heart. And everything so feels like the string
- [36:59]
A
pulls me forward then pushes me back into like a. I don't even know how to. There's these two very. I didn't get their names, I'm sorry. These elderly women were sitting next to me last night and we were talking in the intermission. The one woman said, I was talking about how it made me feel and she had like similar ideas. She goes, are you a musician? I said, I have no skill whatsoever. I couldn't play music to save my life. She goes, what other music do you listen to? And I laughed because she must have been 70, you know. And I said while driving around this week in my car, I mostly listened to Metallica. And she went, what? And the woman with her went, Metallica. You know, it's that rock music. And she goes, oh, that's noise. And I said it's not. To me it feels just like this. And she's like, I can't. She couldn't understand that. But, like, to me, that. The guitar and the percussion that goes with it, and somehow the voice I think of as an instrument, not as a voice. I'm one of those people. I don't know the words to songs. I know until I heard other people say this, I didn't know other people felt this way. But to some people, voices in music don't sound like voices. Like, you're not worried about the words. They sound like music. I'm one of those people. I don't know what anybody's saying. I just. To me, the voice sounds like another instrument in the collection. But if you told me I was going to be on a desert island for the rest of my life, I would just want Yo Yo Ma playing the cello. If I could only take one thing with me. It does all those things for me in a very simple way. And I like that you sit quietly for it. You don't dance. You don't even nod your head. You just. You sit quietly and you experience it. I don't know. Anyway, I got to show that to my kids, and I think they'll figure out in their own time why that's important to me, and hopefully it'll end up opening something up for them. I don't. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure it will. Crystal's like the cello. Are you kidding me? Right? Crystal? Have you ever listen to the cello, Crystal?
- [38:59]
B
No. I'm just listening because I think it's fascinating. Now. Music touches different people in different ways.
- [39:05]
A
Well, I will. I will send you the album you should listen to. Okay.
- [39:09]
C
And Crystal could probably attest to my ability to pick out music for certain situations. I have an ability.
- [39:17]
B
Yeah, he does.
- [39:17]
A
Yeah. To, like, lay, like, lay the perfect thing over top of a moment.
- [39:22]
C
Yep.
- [39:23]
A
Yeah. We don't have time now, but in the. I think he did four pieces last night, and in the fourth one, he said, let's let this last piece celebrate life. And I think it's kind of like the last thing he said. And maybe five minutes into it, a woman had a health issue right off to our left, and she was a little older. And not for nothing, she was okay when it was over. But, I mean, it got to the point where they had her laid on the floor. He never stopped playing. And when it was all over, my son said, my God. He's like, this is maybe the most cinematic moment I've ever been involved in in my entire life. For real. He goes, I Thought that lady was going to die while Yo Yo Ma was playing Bach behind her. And I thought, boy, that'd be a great way to go out.
- [40:13]
C
It would be.
- [40:14]
A
Yeah, right? How. How wonderful would that be? Like, not the dying part, but if you're gonna go, not a music designer in a movie that picked the song over your death. Like, it's. It's Yo Yo Ma sitting there playing right behind you while you're passing on. She's fine. When we all left later, she was out front. They were still kind of tending to her. But I so badly wanted to run up to her and be like, oh, my gosh, how great would it have been if you died while that was playing? That would have been such a good story for everybody, you know? Nevertheless, she's okay, and I hope she continues to be. It was just very interesting. His response was, it's like. It felt like somebody engineered this moment because of what was going on, like, and everything. And so, Jason, you're good at that. When do you do this for, like, birthdays and so when do you put the playlist together? What are we talking about here?
- [41:01]
C
Well, I did pick out two songs at my dad's funeral. I'm pretty sure the lyrics to those songs definitely made the vast majority of people there cry. They just fit really well with who he is and who he was to everybody around him.
- [41:22]
A
And then, I don't know, I just
- [41:24]
C
have a really a knack for picking out the right music for that situation.
- [41:29]
A
Nice.
- [41:29]
C
Especially sad situations.
- [41:31]
A
Yeah. I think about all the time. What music do I want playing at
- [41:35]
C
my funeral all the time? Yes. Yeah.
- [41:38]
A
Just because you feel like that's the. I don't know, the best way you could possibly, like, transfer to people how you feel about yourself. I also realize that when I think, I think about sometimes, like, gosh, if my wife dies before me, will I end up picking music that makes her funeral about me and how I feel about her and not about her? Do other people not think about stuff like this?
- [42:00]
C
I don't know. I think about it. Do you think about it, Crystal?
- [42:03]
B
I have never thought about it.
- [42:05]
A
But, I mean, now you are. Now you're like, now I gotta like. Krystal, do you know, do you live in a two story or a one story house?
- [42:15]
B
Single story.
- [42:16]
A
Single story. Do you know how you would get out if there was a fire? Have you thought about it?
- [42:20]
B
Yes, because my husband is on the fire department, so.
- [42:22]
A
And, you know, and if that path is blocked. He told you, you know, a different way to get out.
- [42:28]
B
Yep. We've got multiple.
- [42:30]
A
I don't understand people who haven't thought about that. It freaks me out. If you haven't thought about how to get out of your house in case there's a fire.
- [42:36]
C
Yeah, I have multiple ways out of my house, Scott, if there were to be a fire. I have multiple ways to get to my kids if there happens to be a fire. So yeah, I have thought about it extensively.
- [42:44]
A
Others, some people don't. Some people are like, oh, that won't happen. Or I hadn't thought about it like that. I'm like, I please. And I'm not neurotic. I just. That seems like one of those things. Like I would not want to be woken up in the middle of the night faced with this dilemma and that be the first time that I considered it. So.
- [43:00]
C
So when you went to your Yo Yo Ma concert, did you spot the exits when you walked into the auditorium?
- [43:06]
A
I know I'm not like that but I know where they're at. I would also been there before. So I know my way around the building and everything like that. It wasn't my first time there.
- [43:13]
C
Yeah, I always spot the exits and pick the ones that not the. The herd of people are going to run towards.
- [43:18]
A
You feel like the way they won't go.
- [43:21]
C
Yeah, yeah.
- [43:22]
A
Now there's little stuff like that. Like I, I don't know, like I've told this story before. Like. But my. I brought this up in front of my brother in law once and I was like, you don't know how you'd get out of your house if the first path was blocked. And he's like no. And I was like oh. And I just threw me for a loop. I was like, oh. I said I have a window out of a secondary bathroom that leads down to a half roof where you could jump pretty safely from. So that would be my next spot. From there there's another one. It would be a farther fall, but it would be this like I think there's a bush I think you could grab. Like there's like all these things. I'm like, you didn't think of any of that, honey. He's like, no, it's just a different mindset. Like it's not that he's not a dumb guy or anything like that. He just doesn't. Things don't occur to him that way. Anyway, this has gotten pretty far. You know what we didn't do. I'm so sorry. What's your father's name? Tell everybody.
- [44:06]
C
Gary.
- [44:06]
A
Gary. Well, this will be for him, then we'll. We'll. We'll leave this here for him. I think. I think the things that he worried about, ultimately, which are, you know, your kids. Jason sounds like they're in good hands and doing really well. And so I guess in the end he didn't need to worry. It would have been okay.
- [44:24]
C
It would have been.
- [44:25]
A
Yeah.
- [44:26]
C
Before we go, I have some requests. Okay. First, I need to know if Dexcom followers down.
- [44:35]
A
You just.
- [44:38]
C
Jason, there was a post about it. There's someone just posted about it.
- [44:44]
A
Did it happen today?
- [44:46]
C
No, it's not down. It's just down for that one person.
- [44:48]
A
Yes. Yeah. I. Jason, would like me to tell the whole world, just because your Dexcom is not connecting doesn't mean that the entirety of the system is not connecting.
- [44:57]
C
Yeah. And then I had another request from some people. They want you to say macchiato.
- [45:04]
A
Macchiato. What is that?
- [45:06]
C
Yeah.
- [45:07]
A
Is that a drink?
- [45:09]
C
They also want you to say water.
- [45:12]
A
Well, listen, I go through this a lot, and I'll tell you something, that's going to be a problem for the next couple weeks after this. I know that you all say water. Is that right? No, no. Water.
- [45:27]
C
Yeah, there you go. Just getting closer.
- [45:29]
A
You're water.
- [45:30]
C
Little too hard there, but you're close.
- [45:32]
A
Water. No, I don't really understand what it is you people hear.
- [45:37]
C
We're not hearing the word water out of your mouth.
- [45:40]
A
What are you hearing?
- [45:41]
C
Whoa, you're putting like an H in there.
- [45:44]
A
Water. I'm saying water.
- [45:46]
C
Yeah.
- [45:47]
A
But when I try to say it right, it's water.
- [45:51]
C
Oh, that's better.
- [45:52]
A
Water is better.
- [45:54]
C
Yeah.
- [45:54]
A
No, that's ridiculous. That is not right. I know for sure that's not right. Crystal, that sounds. I am. When I say the word correctly, I am just doing the impression of what I think you guys want me to say. I don't know. It sounds very false to me when I'm saying it. I know. By the way, I'm also aware that this isn't the case. I'll tell you what I'm dealing with right now is that yesterday the Trump RX thing came out and. Oh, yeah, no trump rx.gov and no one is able to talk about it without it becoming a political conversation.
- [46:33]
B
Yeah.
- [46:35]
A
So it's. This is going to be. For weeks in the group, I'm going to be dealing with this. And then I, you know, by the
- [46:42]
C
time this podcast is out, hopefully that'll be over. Yeah.
- [46:46]
A
Yeah. And we'll be onto something else, like is Dexcom follow down. What Are the other things that people say over and over again that you're
- [46:54]
C
just like, ugh, insulin and storage temperature.
- [46:58]
B
I was gonna say, how do I keep my insulin cold while I'm traveling?
- [47:02]
A
You don't.
- [47:04]
B
You don't. You just take it with you.
- [47:06]
C
It'll be fine. And then airport security.
- [47:10]
B
That one drives through like a normal person.
- [47:13]
A
That one really is interesting, isn't it? Because there are times when I know it's the. It's TSA's fault that it goes poorly. And there are times, I think people. I don't know, like, what happens, but sometimes it feels like it's. They want to be upset. I can't tell exactly. A lot of it's just crazy. Aren't. I just flew to. Into Boston the other day. She and I went and did. I think I can say this here, but she and I went and did social media for Omnipod. Like, we filmed a bunch of stuff for them on the way out, like, you know, leaving Newark. She's like, it wasn't bad. Like, she was only a step behind me. She's like, they swabbed my hand. Swab the pod, and it was kind of it. But on the way back, she walked through like, she looked light and airy. She had a big look on her face. I was like, what's up? She goes like, they don't know I'm wearing an insulin pump. I went through the thing, and I don't know if it didn't show or not, but I just. Nobody stopped me. She's like, that's never happened before.
- [48:06]
C
Yeah, well, they definitely saw it if she went through the full body scanner,
- [48:09]
A
but, I mean, you would think so, but she's never not been stopped. Yeah. So she's like. She goes, we get our stuff together, and we keep walking. She goes. She looks around, and she goes, how many other things do people bring through that they shouldn't have brought through? And I was like, oh, it's best not to ask yourself that question.
- [48:28]
C
Yeah. She just did her own security audit on TSA there, and they failed.
- [48:32]
A
She just learned that the world is held together with duct tape and bailing wire and that we're all lucky it hasn't spun off its axis.
- [48:38]
C
Yeah.
- [48:39]
A
Yeah. And she. I could watch it on her face. Like, she was first just thrilled that she didn't get stopped and then immediately was like, are we safe? And I was like, probably not. You'll be fine. We'll keep going anyway. Anything else that the people are asking you to do?
- [48:53]
C
They have a bunch of other words. Most of them are French, so I can't pronounce them.
- [48:58]
A
I don't know why that lady thinks we can all speak French, but we definitely can. Well, guys, I really do appreciate you doing this. I have 7 minutes to reset myself and record with Erica.
- [49:09]
C
So Erica, hello from me and remind her that she saved me from myself.
- [49:14]
A
Absolutely. Well, and for people, the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method was really valuable for you, right?
- [49:21]
C
That was invaluable to me. I I don't think I would be in the mental state I am right now without it, so.
- [49:27]
A
Awesome. Well, juiceboxpodcast.com lists. Find the mental health one, look for 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and then you'll know what Jason knows. Crystal, thank you very much for doing this with me. I really appreciate. It was lovely to get to.
- [49:38]
B
My pleasure. Thanks for including me. I appreciate it.
- [49:41]
A
This was awesome. It really was. Okay, hold on one second for me, guys. I'd like to thank the blood glucose meter that my daughter carries, the Contour Next Gen Blood Glucose Meter. Learn more and get started today@contornext.com juicebox and don't forget, you may be paying more through your insurance right now for the meter you have than you would pay for the Contour next gen in cash. There are links in the show notes of the audio app you're listening in right now and links@juiceboxpodcast.com to contour and all of the sponsors. I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system, which of course anticipates, adjusts and corrects every five minutes 24 7. It works around the clock so you can focus on what matters. The Juicebox community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, Visit my link MedtronicDiabetes.com Juicebox if this is your first time listening to the Juice Box Podcast and you'd like to hear more, download Apple Podcasts or Spotify, really any audio app at all. Look for the Juice Box Podcast and follow or subscribe. We put out new content every day that you'll enjoy. Want to learn more about your diabetes management? Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu and look for Bold Beginnings, the Diabetes Pro Tip series and much more. This podcast is full of collections and series of information that will help you to live better with insulin. Hey, thanks for listening all the way to the end. I really appreciate your loyalty and listenership thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. 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. Have a podcast. Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording.com.