#1818 Windy City Independence - Part 1

Summary

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Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1818 – Windy City Independence, Part 1

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Lindsay, Type 1 diabetic for 12 years (age 25)
Release Date: April 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on Lindsay’s journey with type 1 diabetes, from her diagnosis as a teenager to managing independence and the emotional nuance of living with the condition. The conversation also explores generational perspectives on COVID, community dynamics in diabetes support groups, and the impact of body image on growing teens – especially young women. Scott and Lindsay candidly discuss the importance of kindness, the evolution of diabetes management, and the psychological reality of “being seen” for your chronic condition. Throughout, Scott provides insight into moderating online communities and sets a tone focused on kindness, inclusiveness, and practical support.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Moderating Diabetes Support Communities

• Scott describes his approach to moderating the Juicebox Podcast Facebook group:

  • Emphasizes the importance of kindness, allowing opinions, and keeping discussions productive and respectful.

  • Stresses that strong opinions and disagreements are healthy, but personal attacks or harmful misinformation are not tolerated.

  • Scott reads his recent community message on moderation, highlighting his intent to “maintain a healthy stasis in the community.”

    • Quote @07:22:

      “Kindness is my line. I see this community as something I take care of, not controlling… Disagreement and criticism are part of that. They’re allowed, expected, and healthy.” (Scott)

  • Explains he doesn't inject political or religious debates as they distract from the mission of support.

    • Quote @09:13:

      “To keep this space focused and useful, I don’t allow political or religious conversations. Those topics tend to divide more than they help…” (Scott)

  • Offers insights on online algorithms and how personal experience can skew our perceptions of how common a diagnosis is.

2. Generational Perspectives on COVID

• COVID’s impact on the diabetes community and society, especially differences between age groups:

  • Scott and Lindsay discuss if COVID is still a topic among young adults (Lindsay says it isn’t, but older generations still talk about it frequently).

  • Both share personal and family experiences from pandemic times.

    • Quote @10:42:

      “I’ll be honest. It didn’t ruin my life like it ruined some people’s. However, it definitely was a tough time… I didn’t get to technically graduate because of everything…” (Lindsay)

  • Scott humorously diffuses debates on virus/cause of diagnosis by encouraging therapy for anyone still relitigating COVID (“…anybody who’s still talking about that, please see a therapist. Okay, let’s move on.” @13:21)

3. Lindsay’s Diagnosis Story

• Symptoms and Pre-diagnosis Experience:

  • Diagnosed at 14, after a rapid, unexplained weight loss (~20-30lbs), extreme thirst, fatigue, and frequent urination.

  • Friends and teachers worried she had an eating disorder due to how quickly she lost weight.

    • Quote @19:28:

      “Some of her friends have came to me thinking she has an eating disorder. She’s gotten really skinny really fast…” (Lindsay recounting her teacher’s call to her mother)

  • Family initially attributed weight loss to a growth spurt. Lack of awareness on what “A1C” means led to confusion at first doctor appointment.

• Navigating the Diagnosis:

  • Medical staff unsure, referred her to an endocrinologist. Initial A1C was 14.7.

    • Quote @29:10:

      “Not knowing what an A1C even means or what it is. On their A1C machine, it said my A1C was 14.7… they said, we are going to send this information… to another [doctor]…” (Lindsay)

  • Emotional impact: She felt devastated, isolated, and deeply ignorant. She wishes, in hindsight, someone had told her immediately that “your life isn’t going to end after this. It’s going to change, but it’s not the end of the world.” (@34:00)

4. Body Image and Teenage Self-Perception

• Exploration of body image before/after diagnosis:

  • Lindsay candidly shares how losing weight made her feel good about herself, despite it stemming from undiagnosed T1D.

    • Quote @17:59:

      “I was loving it at the same time … I love the idea that people are like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re losing weight.’” (Lindsay)

  • Media, peer comments, and adult influence shaped her perception of her body—felt she was “the bigger girl,” though actually at a healthy weight.

  • Changes in perception over time: appreciates curvy/varied bodies now, recognizes the danger of comparison.

  • Quote @23:03:

    “Media. No matter what age you are growing up, you always see the tiny girls… even myself… I still thought I was [fat] in my head back then… You just compare yourself. At the end of the day, that’s what it is.” (Lindsay)

5. The Transition to Independence and Burnout

• Initial years after diagnosis:

  • Started with fingersticks and insulin pens, later intermittently used CGM (technology and insurance instability led to gaps).
  • Refused insulin pump for years due to desire for discretion and to “blend in.”

• Burnout:

  • Occurred relatively soon (around year 2).

  • Lindsay explains that she took on diabetes self-management too fast, seeking independence and to “take back control” from well-meaning but overwhelming parents.

    • Quote @38:29:

      “I took on a little bit too much too fast, because I wanted to… And I didn’t realize, ‘Oh, I’m literally gonna have this for life.’”

  • Parents’ and friends’ focus on her blood sugars, logbooks, etc. made her feel defined by diabetes and led her to downplay its seriousness for the sake of others’ comfort.

  • Quote @44:49:

    “I tried to play it off like, ‘Oh, it’s really not that big of a deal,’ which it is… but I didn’t want people to be scared of what could happen to me around them.” (Lindsay)

• High School experience:

  • Only 2 T1s in her school, so diabetes was highly visible.
  • Struggled with attention brought by alarms from CGM devices—once even silencing them, risking her own safety, to avoid public attention.
    • Quote @43:45:

      “I hated the attention from it, and that just turned me off… After that point, I remember I silenced my Dexcom alerts because I hated the attention the sound brought to me.”

• On people “looking at her”:

  • Realizes much of the feeling of being “the diabetic girl” came from within, more than from others’ actual focus.
    • Quote @42:00:

      “I probably just felt like they were looking.” (Lindsay)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community Moderation:

  “I am not here to protect anyone from their insecurities or deeply ingrained beliefs. I’m here to maintain a healthy stasis in the community.” (Scott, @08:27)

• On the first 36 hours after diagnosis:

  “I don’t think doctors realize that that first 36 hours of your story is so impactful and that nobody tried to contextualize any of it for you. And that’s probably why it’s impactful to you.” (Scott, @35:57)

• On masking diabetes so others feel comfortable:

  “You downplayed the impact diabetes had on your life so that other people could feel comfortable.” (Scott, @44:49)

• Lindsay on body image evolution:

  “Now I think a curvy woman is beautiful. Everyone’s body shapes are different… I learned that growing up, and I realized that now being 25, there are so many different bodies and you could be any weight.” (Lindsay, @24:33, @25:00)

• On the exhaustion of being seen only for a diagnosis:

  “It was my life… all I was known for was diabetes. And I actually hated that.” (Lindsay, @39:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:36 | Scott explains moderating Facebook group debates, incl. COVID/diagnosis discussions | | 07:22 | Scott reads his “kindness” post about moderation and supporting healthy conversation | | 10:41 | Lindsay discusses COVID’s life impact at age 20 | | 13:53 | Transition to Lindsay’s diagnosis story, first symptoms, the misunderstanding | | 19:28 | Teacher’s concern raises the alarm about possible eating disorder | | 29:10 | Confusing doctor visit: High A1C, lack of information, emotional confusion | | 32:07 | The phone call: officially diagnosed, emotional ride to the hospital | | 34:00 | Lindsay reflects on what she wishes was handled differently at diagnosis | | 38:00 | Talks about diabetes burnout starting around year 2, wanting independence | | 39:31 | Explains the need to take back control from parents/friends who focused on diabetes | | 43:45 | Incident with Dexcom alert going off in class, resulting shame/attention | | 44:49 | Lindsay describes downplaying diabetes for others’ comfort |

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Episode Tone and Style

• Warm, supportive, and open: Scott uses humor, empathy, and realness to put Lindsay at ease and to reach listeners.
• Conversational and relatable: Both speakers candidly admit insecurities, learning curves, and emotional hiccups.
• Educational without overwhelm: Lived experience is shared to help listeners recognize themselves and find useful, practical takeaways.
• Community-oriented: Strong focus on the importance of supportive spaces free of judgment, while being honest about differences of opinion and coping mechanisms.

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Summary

In part one of this two-part conversation, Lindsay shares her powerful and personal story of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager—from the sudden physical symptoms and deep confusion at diagnosis, to navigating body image and the unique challenges of standing out in high school with a chronic illness. Scott provides key insights into the nuances of moderating online diabetes communities, promotes compassion and balance, and facilitates an honest discussion on how generational and social perspectives shape diabetes experiences.

Listeners will gain an understanding of the emotional, practical, and psychological processes at play in early diagnosis, the necessity (and challenge) of self-advocacy, and the value of kindness—both to others and to oneself—on the diabetes journey.

For more from Lindsay (including strategies for independence and handling diabetes burnout), listen to Part 2.

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Transcript

[A]

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

[B]

Welcome. Hi, my name is Lindsay and I've been a type 1 diabetic for about 12 years now. I'm 25.

[A]

If you'd like to hear about diabetes management in easy to take in bits, check out the Small Sips. That's the series on the Juice Box Podcast that listeners are talking about like it's a cheat code. These are perfect little bursts of clarity. One person said, I finally understood things I've heard a hundred times. Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I needed. People say Small Sips feels like someone pulling up a chair, sliding a cup across the table and giving you one clean idea at a time. Nothing overwhelming, Nothing. No fire hose of information. Just steady, helpful nudges that actually stick. People listen in their car, on walks, or while they're actually bolusing anytime that they need a quick shot of perspective. And the reviews, they all say the same thing. Small sips makes diabetes. Make sense. Search for the Juice Box Podcast, Small Sips wherever you get audio. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from USMED. Today's episode is also sponsored by the Eversense 365, the One Year Ware CGM. That's one insertion a year. That's it. And here's a little bonus for you. How about there's no limit on how many friends and family you can share your data with with the Eversense now app. No limits ever since. The podcast is also sponsored today by the Tandem MOBI system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ technology. Tandem MOBI has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages 2 and up. Learn more and get started today at tandomdiabetes.com Juicebox hi, my name's Lindsay and

[B]

I've been a type 1 diabetic for about 12 years now.

[A]

Lindsay, how old are you?

[B]

I'm 25.

[A]

25. Lindsay, would you like to play a game with me? It's new. I call it Help Scott Moderate Facebook. Sure. Okay. All right, ready? Drum roll. I'm not sure if I just noticed since my youngest was diagnosed type 1 in August, but it felt feels like more kids are being diagnosed now. Let Me just say this. It's always the same. I've been around this forever and ever. Whoever looks up one day, they're like, oh, it feels like this is happening a lot lately. Or I'm hearing about it a lot. Like, sure, you're hearing about it a lot. Your kid was just diagnosed, you're online, the algorithm is feeding you Nothing but type 1 content. Of course you're hearing about it a lot. Also, you know that thing, Lindsay, when you're out in the world and you see a car that you've never seen before, and then suddenly you see them everywhere?

[B]

Yep, exactly.

[A]

Same idea. Okay, so this conversation goes very well. First of all, I'm a big fan of letting people talk. I like people, right, wrong, or indifferent, to be able to speak. Doesn't matter to me right now. Here's where this is going to go off the rails very quickly. We all know it's going to go off the rails very quickly, because why? Do you know why, Lindsay? Let's test you.

[B]

Why.

[A]

Well, some people are going to see this as code for, hey, the Covid's giving everybody type 1 diabetes. So some people are going to see that as code for. I would like to say that Covid has started type 1 diabetes. And some people are going to see it as code for. I'd like to say that the COVID vaccine's not necessary anyway. It just brings out everyone's crazy.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I have no opinion about this one way or the other, Lindsay. I'm just moderating the group.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

One person says, oh, I think the same. Also diagnosed in August. I think it's environmental. Yes, of course it's environmental. You're being poisoned with type 1 diabetes by the lead in the paint or the hooks that your pictures are hung by or what? I don't know. Also, I don't know that it's not environmental. Not the point. This is just how the things go. Then someone says, well, somebody told me Covid did this. Which really, what somebody told them, if they were spoken to by a reasonable healthcare professional, is that viruses can sometimes be the precursor to a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Covid was a virus. Did you get Covid? Yeah. And then they go, Covid did it. It's a bit of a leap, you understand? They miss a lot of the nuance in the middle. But okay, now somebody who understands all this is inevitably going to come in and explain it, but they're going to have had one too many go rounds on the Internet with this, and they're crazy. Is going to come out too. This is also happening. And this is a very reasonable people that I know in here. Like, very reasonable people virus. This person says Covid is a virus. Viruses can trigger things. It's not a conspiracy theory. Blah, blah, blah. But to that person, I would say no one said it was a conspiracy theory. You read into that in the thing. So now I have to take down a very reasonable comment by a reasonable person. Right. And I don't want to do that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I kind of go like, okay, let's let people talk right now. A little sidebar. Lindsay, this is boring to you because children don't like jobs. And I still count you as a child, and I hope you do too, because you're young.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. You're like, yes. Don't worry. I'm a kid. I don't want to be in charge of anything. Please. So this morning, I've already had to make a little bit of a post because there's times of the year, times of the day, and times of the week when people lose their minds. Lindsay. Some of these times are right after Thanksgiving, the entire time leading up till Christmas. The days after Christmas, those are crazy times. Crazy time is also Friday afternoon, which we also call drink o'. Clock. Drink o' clock also happens around 9pm Eastern time most days during the week, there's times when people get a little crazy. Okay. So Scott has to step up once in a while and say, hey, everybody, let's try to remember what your kindergarten teacher told you and be nice to everybody. Okay? Now this sounds like everyone's going crazy. That's not what's going on, Lindsay, and we'll get to you in a second. I'm sure what you have to talk about is very important, but it's just that once in a while, a handful of people let their crazy out. And then a few other people go, oh, I didn't know we were letting out our crazy. And then, like, they let it out, too. It's just a little steam. Just letting off a little pressure. You know what I mean? Nothing wrong with it.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

We need to remind everybody to be cool. So I actually just did this this morning because I can smell crazy train A coming. You understand? Yes. I've been doing this a while. It's coming around the corner. I hear the whistle. Choo choo. It's gonna crest the mountain, and I'm gonna see it in a second. And it's about time for crazy training. Everyone's hope for the new year is gone. January is over. They now realize Their lives are exactly the same as they were going to be last year and will probably not change because they're not willing to do or can't do whatever it is they wanted to do to make a change. So I stepped in. Lindsay, may I read you what I wrote?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Thank you. And again, we will get to Lindsey. I said, kindness is my line. I see this community as something I take care of, not controlling. People show up here with different experiences, strong opinions and real emotions. Disagreement and criticism are part of that. They're allowed, expected and healthy. It means people care enough to engage. We want that. I step in quickly when conversations become unkind. Personal attacks, harassment or cruelty. They don't belong here. And thankfully, those situations are few and far between. More often, I say something when people are unkind without realizing it. Poor communication or an inability to see the other person's perspective is usually the culprit. An easy fix 99% of the time. I mean, everything I'm saying here. I go on to say I may also step in when incorrect ideas drift towards being potentially harmful. This isn't about winning arguments or policing opinions. It's about protecting people from advice or narratives that could cause real world harm if taken at face value. Now, listen, I don't get involved in that very often. Okay, Lindsey, people have opinions. I'm fine with them having it. I actually say that here. I say, that said, if you're gonna engage with other people, you need a reasonably thick skin. I am not here to protect anyone from their insecurities or deeply ingrained beliefs. I'm here to maintain a healthy stasis in the community. Now, let's take a sidebar for a minute. Lindsay, I'm just gonna mark where I'm at so I can come back and finish reading. If you are right now listening and you think that everybody who took a COVID vaccine is crazy, you think I agree with you? And if you think that that everybody who took a COVID vaccine was saving the world, you also think I agree with you. That's the sign of a nice down the middle moderation of a group. Okay, you don't really know what I think about those things. It's not important. What I think is you have an opinion, they have an opinion. There's the truth. It's hard to say what the truth is. Conversation gets us to it, but we do it nicely. In short, some people are going to say things you think are completely wrong, wildly off base, wild, or somewhere in between. We're not here to stop people from being wrong. We're here to keep the space kind, useful, and intact. When you reply to those people, remember to be kind and communicate clearly in a way that you would appreciate. If someone disagreed with you, isn't this nice? To keep this space focused and useful, I don't allow political or religious conversations. Those topics tend to divide more than they help, and they often turn conversations into something less thoughtful and less useful. Drawing that line isn't about shutting down dissent. You're welcome to question pushback, disagree, and feel frustrated to work things out in real time. What matters to me is that as many people as possible feel safe enough to speak and respected enough to stay. If you disagree, explain why. If you're frustrated, say so. Just do it with kindness. And then I finish up strong here, Lindsay, with, I'm not interested in spending my life explaining what amounts to the same advice most of us learned in kindergarten.

[B]

So.

[A]

So please be nice. I hope you agree, but if you don't, please know how little that means to me. Now, Lindsay, what I'm trying to say here is. What is wrong with everybody? Hold yourselves together, for Christ's sake. That's me talking now, not the guy that moderates the board. Unbelievable. You're a young person. How old were you during COVID I

[B]

was just about to turn 20. 20 when Covid happened? Yes.

[A]

Did it ruin your life?

[B]

I'll be honest. It didn't ruin my life like it ruined some people's. However, it definitely was a tough time. I'm sure it was a tough time for everyone. Yeah, everyone had a different experience, but, Yeah, I was 20 years old. I had just graduated with my associate's degree in college, and I didn't get to technically graduate because of everything that was going on that year, so. So that was pretty much the only thing that really happened to me that wasn't so great with COVID Okay, good.

[A]

Do you find that people your age are arguing about COVID still? Do they speak about it? Does it ever come up? By the way, I had it three weeks ago.

[B]

Oh, wow. Well, I'm glad. Or hope you're well now.

[A]

I'm fine. Everything is fine. Let me just say that I got a little sick. I had the COVID Everything's good. Good, good.

[B]

Yes. I actually have never had Covid, or at least to my knowledge. I have not, no.

[A]

Ever get a sniffly nose in the last year and a half?

[B]

I mean, you know, maybe I have, like I said, like, I've had a sniffly nose here and there, but I haven't genuinely been sick. In, like, a long time. So, whatever. Maybe I have had it. Maybe I let it go and I was like, oh, maybe I should check. But then by the point, I was feeling better, I was fine. So I don't know. Anyways. No, I don't really hear it come up too often among people my age, but I know, like my parents, they've always been talking about it. My grandparents, relatives, I see stuff online all the time.

[A]

So, yeah, okay. So I'm going to say to this person, and I love this person dearly. They've been in the group for a long time. You read into the original posters intent. You can't preempt. Preempt is a word, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

These conversations, by being equally unhinged in the other direction. There we go. That's me doing my job. My job sucks. Okay. It's also better than having a real job. For all of you who have a real job. I'm not complaining. I make a podcast. I run a Facebook group. Basically, my life is awesome. Now let me put my feet up and talk to Lindsey. Lindsey. Let me just say what I think about COVID real quick in case it's been unclear to anybody. Covid is a virus. When it first came out, we didn't know what to do about it. It was very dangerous. Some people think that the ways that we handled it were good, and some people think in the ways that the government handled it were bad. I'm sure they're both correct. Anybody who's still talking about that, please see a therapist. Okay, let's move on. So what'd you say? You got the diabetes? How did it happen? Please just say, I got Covid.

[B]

Yeah, I got Covid.

[A]

No, I'm just teasing. I'm teasing. I'm teasing.

[B]

Good. Back in 2014, it would be great

[A]

if it said Scott. Well, listen, my parents, they lived under electrical lines. We later found out it was a government plot to sterilize white men. And anyway, it didn't work on my dad. It just gave me Covid. And that's why we live underground with a tinfoil hat on.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

No. Anyway, sorry. Well, how old were you when you were diagnosed? How did it come up? What is your remembrance of all of it? Today's episode is sponsored by a long term CGM that's going to help you to stay on top of your glucose readings. The Eversense 365. I'm talking, of course, about the world's first and only CGM that lasts for one year. One year, one CGM. Are you tired? Of those other CGMs, the ones that give you all those problems that you didn't expect, knocking them off, false alerts, not lasting as long as they're supposed to. If you're tired of those constant frustrations, use my link eversensecgm.com juicebox to learn more about the Eversense 365. Some of you may be able to experience the Eversense 365 for as low as $199 for a full year. At my link, you'll find those details and can learn about eligibility. Eversensecgm.com juicebox check it out I used to hate ordering my daughter's diabetes supplies. I never had a good experience and it was frustrating. But it hasn't been that way for a while. Actually for about three years now because that's how long we've been using USMED, usmed.com/juicebox or call 888-721-1514 US Med is the number one distributor for Freestyle Libre systems nationwide. They are the number one specialty distributor for Omnipod Dash, the number one fastest growing tandem distributor nationwide. The number one rated distributor in Dexcom customer satisfaction surveys, they have served over 1 million people with diabetes since 1996 and they always provide 90 days worth of supplies and fast and free shipping. USMED carries everything from insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGMs like the Libre 3 and Dexcom G7. They accept Medicare nationwide and over 800 private insurers. Find out why US Med has an A rating with a Better business [e-mail] or just call them at 888-721-1514. Get started right now and you'll be getting your supplies the same way we do.

[B]

So I was 14 years old at the time, had just turned 14. I didn't know anything about diabetes. However, I lost an extreme amount of weight. I was constantly thirsty, constantly going to the bathroom. Very tired, very weak. I remember vaguely before I got diagnosed, I remember I was doing some sort of physical activity in my gym class, like running, and I could barely do it without like feeling like I was dying, struggling.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I was like I. I couldn't understand. But you know, I was like, I don't know, maybe there's this something going on with me. I know I've lost a lot of weight but like, I don't know why I feel so weak. Later on I had some friends who were worried about me. They were worried I wasn't eating because of how skinny I got. And I was like, no, just fine.

[A]

At 14, you lost enough weight that, by the way, boys and girls or girls?

[B]

Mostly just my girlfriends, but there were a couple of my guy friends who also had made comments.

[A]

Have you known people by that age who had eating disorders by then? My daughter had known a couple of people who had been in treatment and stuff like that. Like, is that something girls are aware of at that age?

[B]

I mean, yes, they are dark.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I did know a couple people. Yes.

[A]

Your good friends came to you with, hey, you okay?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. And you said.

[B]

I basically was like, yeah, I eat all the time. I'm fine. If anything, I feel like I've been eating more than usual.

[A]

I found the secret to life. Okay, so the rest of you, I know you're jealous, but I've been working it down with both hands, and I'm losing weight. I can't stop myself.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

At that point, did you think, hey, that doesn't sound right.

[B]

I mean, like, it did it? But, like, I was loving it at the same time. Like, I love the idea that people are like, oh, my gosh, you're losing weight. Because I'll be honest, when I was younger, I wouldn't say I was, like, extremely overweight or anything, but like, before the teenage years, you got a little extra, like, fluff on you, like baby fat or whatever they say, so you

[A]

felt like it was going the right way for you. You felt good about it?

[B]

Yeah, I felt like, oh, well, I'm just having a growth spurt. I'm losing weight. Like, this is normal.

[A]

Like, people are like, what are you doing? You're like, well, I'm eating Doritos with Mike and Ikes on them, and I dip them in chocolate milk. It's. It's really. You should try it.

[B]

Yeah, Literally. I remember there was one time, someone, I don't know if it was a friend or a family member, had told my parents. They were like, she looks like she's lost a lot of weight. Like, she good. And then my parents were like, yeah. Like, I think she's going through a growth spurt, but she is really skinny. And I remember a week, there was this one time that my stepmom had offered me cupcakes. She's like, here, you can eat these. Like, you need to eat these. Like, you're skinny. You can have whatever you want. Like, whatever. And just how ironic it was later on figuring out that I had diabetes and only that was making it worse.

[A]

She's doing the equivalent of, honey, you need a Cheeseburger.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it occurred to her at some point, like, you can do this. Like, yeah, you have room to grow here. Like, yeah. But nobody ever goes, this is odd. You look sick.

[B]

Um, it.

[A]

Enough to do something about it.

[B]

I mean, I was gonna say it didn't really. Nobody noticed it. Like, it's almost like it happened so quick. And then all of a sudden, I remember my mom got a phone call from one of my teachers in school and said, hey, just calling to check on you. Some of her friends have came to me thinking she has an eating disorder. She's gotten really skinny really fast. And that was when my mom was like, okay, yeah, she has gotten really tiny, but she didn't really see anything wrong that I was doing. She didn't think I wasn't eating. She knew I was eating. My dad knew I was eating everything. But we did go to get a checkup after that because she was like, you know what? It is kind of weird. It's weird that she has lost this weight very quickly.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So then we go to the doctor's office and we check my weight, all the things, and they tell me that I've lost over like 30 pounds.

[A]

Wow. How tall are you?

[B]

I'm five seven, five eight ish. And I, this point I was like, I think the lowest weight I got was like 98, 99 pounds.

[A]

Lindsay, you think you went from like 140 down to like in that range? 130, 140. This episode is sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. And today I'm going to tell you about Tandem's newest pump and algorithm. The Tandem MOBI system with Control IQ technology features Auto Bolus, which can cover missed meal boluses and help prevent hyperglycemia. It has a dedicated sleep activity setting and is controlled from your personal iPhone. Tandem will help you to check your benefits today through my link tandemdiabetes.com juicebox this is going to help you to get started with Tandem's smallest pump yet that's powered by its best algorithm ever. Control IQ technology helps to keep blood sugars in range by predicting glucose levels 30 minutes ahead and it adjusts insulin accordingly. You can wear the Tandem MOBI in a number of ways. Wear it on body with a patch like adhesive sleeve that is sold separately. Clip it discreetly to your clothing or slip it into your pocket. Head now to my link tandem diabetes.com/juicebox to check out your benefits and get started today.

[B]

I think it was like anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds.

[A]

Wow. But yeah, I five seven like, not a heavy person.

[B]

I wasn't heavy, but I don't. I don't know in my mind when growing up, because I don't know If I reached 5, 7 quite yet or, like, maybe I was shorter before. I don't know. But I just remember I wasn't, like, the skinny girl I was. I was always, like, a bigger child. Like, growing up. Like, I was always, like, the bottom of the pyramid whenever you would, like, do things as kids. Like, you know, like those pyramids that you'd make with your friends. Like, I was always the bottom because I was the tallest or biggest, you know? So, like, I never considered myself small or skinny until this had happened to me.

[A]

You also didn't consider yourself just fat or overweight. You just. You. You felt like you were just a bigger girl. Yes, I got you. No, I understand. Okay.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Isn't it interesting how we think about that? Like, really? I have a daughter. Like, so if you're not skinny, then you're heavy, which is ridiculous because you sound like you were a very average weight.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

And build, too, by the way. Like, can you help me dig in that as a girl for a second? Because I don't obviously have this context. Is it if you don't look like you belong on the COVID of Cosmo, you weigh, like, an amount that doesn't get thought of? Well, I don't like the thinking. What's the thinking?

[B]

Honestly? Yes. I feel like just media. No matter, like, what age you are growing up, like, you always see the tiny girls, tiny women, and even myself, even though, like, I am not considered, like, obese or overweight, right. At that age, I still thought I was in my head back then. I considered myself. Before I got diagnosed with diabetes, I considered myself fat compared to some of my other friends that I may have been around that were tinier than me and growing up. Like, I know there was a couple girls that were very conscious about their weight and would say their weight out loud. And then me being the person I was and taller and bigger, I always did have a bigger weight than these girls growing up. So I did think of myself as bigger. I don't know if I ever considered myself fat. But, like, when you're growing up, there's just so many things going on. You hear so many things, you see so many things. There's all of these trends that go around, and you just compare yourself. At the end of the day, that's what it is, is you're comparing.

[A]

Tell me something to use it as an example. Like, A curvy girl, hippie, chesty, but not fat. How do you think of that person now? Yeah, am I painting a picture in your mind that you understand? Okay, so, like, curvy, like, more classically voluptuous, but no loose skin. Like, is that a fat person to you?

[B]

No, not at all.

[A]

What's the word you use there?

[B]

Honestly, when I think of a girl who's curvy now, with my mindset back then, I might have thought of it differently. Back with, like, the trends and just growing up. But now I think a curvy woman is beautiful. I would love to have that body shape. Everyone's body shapes are different. But, yeah, when I think of that shape, like a curvy body, but no loose skin, like, that is ideal.

[A]

So the weight's not the point, because in my mind, that person weighs more than you probably did when you were 14, before you lost weight.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. It's not the number, then. It's the construction of the body and what it relays, kind of visually.

[B]

Yeah, I guess, like, visually. And I mean, I guess the number does matter when you compare it to others. Whereas, like, yeah, someone might not look a heavyweight, but maybe they are just because of their build, their body build. I learned that growing up, and I realized that now being 25, there are so many different bodies and you could be any weight. And there's people who would never guess how much I weigh just because of my body build and how I look, you know? Like, I'm just.

[A]

I'm fascinated how the imagery impacts the words we use. Right. Because if you use, like, there's a model, Ashley Graham. Right. Like, she a big lady. Yeah, right, right. And hippie and, you know, chesty and by the BMI scale, has extra weight and everything, but no one looks at her and thinks, oh, fat.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because at her same weight and height, there are other people who would project a different vibe back to people. I don't know the right words to use and everything. But, like, what I'm saying is, I wonder what it is visually that takes the number and throws it away. And I wonder what makes us react the way we react when we see different body styles, I guess, is my question. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah. I honestly don't know. It starts at such an early age, too, that it's almost like you don't even remember why this means that to you, or why fat or skinny is this, or what the right threshold is, or, like the, I guess, spectrum of what you think is considered fat or skinny.

[A]

Exactly. Or Even attractive or desirable or anything. Right. I believe that there's a key for every lock kind of feeling. Right. Like, I don't think that there's any body style, weight, size, look, hair color, whatever that somebody won't find attractive. Like, I always think there's really, you know, a match for everybody.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And there are things that are thought of more classically, I guess, by the masses. But, you know, thinking about that, but then distilling it down into a 14 year old's mind who's not overweight but who, when comparing themselves to whatever they're supposed to be, is. Is comparing themselves back to a model who probably weighs 95 pounds. It's so interesting that that's where you compare yourself to. And you're right. Like, who knows what the pathway is to that? Like what magazine cover you saw or what maybe what thing. As simply as like what thing you heard your dad say right at one point or another man in your life who was like, that girl's pretty or something like that. And then it like sticks in your head that way.

[B]

I think it does come down to that too. Is like something you may have experienced that you don't even remember or maybe you do. And I'll be honest, like, I did have, like people in, in my younger days, like, they would say, oh, like you're bigger or like you're fat. Like they have actually used the term fat. So I think in my head back then I considered myself fat even though I really wasn't.

[A]

Yeah, because someone said it to you.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And that's the word they chose because of all of their different experiences or ideas or whatever. Super interesting. It really is. Yeah. I would never. I'm using Ashley Graham as an example because I'm aware of who she is. Like, visually I know what she looks like. I think that lady's really beautiful. It would not occur to me to describe her by her weight. It's interesting.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So. All right. Well, fun times. So that happens. You get diabetes. Yeah. But your mom takes the advice of like the phone call. That's awesome.

[B]

She takes the advice of the phone call, takes me in, we get a whole bunch of tests done. They take my blood work and they check my sugar and not knowing what an A1C even means or what it is. On their A1C machine, it said my A1C was 14.7.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Now I am like, what the heck does that mean? The doctor or the nurse, whoever was in there that read it, she like wide eyed looked at it and I'm like, my mom was, like, kind of freaking out. She's like, what? What? And she goes, well, I don't know. And I'll be honest, this doctor's office, like, I don't think they are very Knowledgeable in type 1 diabetes or diabetes at all, because they didn't even. They weren't confident in telling me whether I actually had diabetes or not. They said, we are going to send this information and test to another. Like, I don't even know at the time. I think maybe an endocrinologist or maybe Holland DeVos, where I live. I live in Michigan. And they were just saying, like, I think she might have diabetes. And when I heard that, I was like, what? Like, I was so confused because although I did think back then, like, before diabetes, I did think I was considered fat or overweight. I didn't understand how I was losing weight. And they told me I had diabetes because anything I've ever heard of diabetes was knowledge of type 2, right.

[A]

In your mind, how could I be thin and have diabetes?

[B]

Yeah. And then I'm over here like, okay, yeah, I haven't been eating the best, but I haven't been eating terrible. And I'm 14. Like, it was very confusing. So basically they start asking me questions like, all right, have you been thirsty? Have you been going to the bathroom a lot? Have you been, like, just going over all the symptoms? And I'm like, yeah. Yep.

[A]

And I think there's cameras in our house, Mom.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. So now I'm starting to freak out because now it sounds like, okay, it's not just a. They don't know yet if I have diabetes. It's a pretty for sure thing that I do have diabetes. But the funniest thing about this is they sent me home and they said that we would get a call maybe the next morning once results came back. And I was told, just don't eat any carbs or any sugar going home. So my mom was like, well, what does that even mean? I remember we went home and we had these little turkey sausages, and I'm sure she made me, like, eggs. And I basically had like a breakfast for dinner type of thing. And I just remember going to school the next day, like, praying that it was untrue that I did not have diabetes and that, like, it was something else or they just messed up. Like, in my head, I just did not want this problem. And I just went to school acting as if, oh, no, it's going to be fine. It's going to be fine. But I remember at school, like, I just kept leaving my classroom to get drinks from the water fountain, like. And I just was like, there is something wrong with me. And I just didn't want to believe it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then I got a call maybe only like, two hours into my school day. And they called me to the office, and my mom picked me up, and she goes, well, we are taking you to Helen DeVos, which is place that is a children's hospital, and they have great endocrinologists there. And she said, we are taking you to Holland Devos, and you have type 1 diabetes, and they have to treat you. So I remember after that just crying on my way to the hospital. I just remember crying the whole way there, just, like, so devastated. Even though I had no idea what even type 1 diabetes was.

[A]

Sure. Well, I mean, somebody's telling you something's wrong, and. And you're hearing words that diabetes, you're probably like, oh, my God. Like, old people have that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, Right. Like, there's. Isn't that interesting that how much that lack of context impacted that first, like, 24 hours?

[B]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

What do you think, in hindsight? Now, you've had diabetes a long time, right? So in hindsight, what could have somebody have said to you in that office or in that car that would have made this a better experience, do you think?

[B]

I will say my mom was very positive. Even though, like, I could tell she was stressed out, she just kept telling me, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna be fine. We're gonna figure this out. We're gonna do this together. Like, she was very positive. It just tried to keep calling me down, but it was very hard for her because she also didn't know anything about type 1 diabetes, so she didn't really have any answers for me. And in the doctor's office the day before, I really don't know what anyone could say to me because I really just had no knowledge. I mean, I guess I just wish someone would have said, your life isn't, like, gonna end after this. Like, it's gonna change, but it's not gonna be the end of the world for you.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because in the moment I thought it was, I thought, oh, my gosh, my life is changing, or it's gonna be a complete 180, which, like, don't get me wrong, it was. But now, looking back at it, after dealing with it all these years, I just think to myself, okay, but I'm here, and I'm okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I still live a great, amazing life.

[A]

It was different, but not different in the way you were imagining when you didn't have any context for it.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

So somebody's got to say to you then, hey, listen, you have type 1 diabetes. You might have heard of diabetes. It's not that Type two that you're talking about. This one's autoimmune related. You know, we'll figure out all that later, but for now, just know that we're going to get everything straightened out. You're going to have to take insulin. You know, there's a number of different ways to use it. We'll walk you through that in a while. Tons of people live great with type 1 diabetes. It's not a thing that's going to change your life, you know? Do you have any questions? Do you think that would have been more helpful?

[B]

Yeah, I think it would have. And I definitely got those answers once I got to the hospital. Yeah, they were very much more knowledgeable in type 1 than my doctor's office that I went to here. Yeah.

[A]

It just occurs to me that I've heard enough of these stories, right, where there's always an hour or a day or, you know, a week where people are, you know, disconnected from good information. In the beginning, I mean, it's understandable. I mean, you listen to your story. Nobody did anything wrong. You know what I mean? Like, it just unfolded the way it unfolded. Yeah, but still, it's the part you think about. You know, you said, let me tell you about my diabetes. You could have started with at the hospital this happened, or on the first day when we got home. But when you're telling that story, you're digging into those hours, I'm assuming because they were meaningful to you.

[B]

Yes, they were. Yeah, definitely. It's just like one of those moments in my life that definitely are just, like, ingrained in my brain.

[A]

And I don't think doctors realize that that first 36 hours of your story is so impactful and that nobody tried to contextualize any of it for you. And that's probably why it's impactful to you.

[B]

Yes. Just like the unknown. Yeah, I think that's why.

[A]

That's my point. Anyway. All right, they get you in the hospital, they fix you all up, they send you home. What do they give you? They give you the insulin pump, needles, a pen, CGMs, what you get?

[B]

I got pens. I just use pens and. Just used a regular glucose monitor and pricked my finger to check every time.

[A]

How long ago? 12 years.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, about 12 years. Yeah. Going on 12 years.

[A]

And did you eventually end up with other tools or did you use those for a while?

[B]

I used those for about. Well, I actually used them for a couple years. I did get a CGM, one of, like, the old, like, Dexcom G4s or whatever they had. I remember using those, but then I remember insurance companies. Like, it was very hard to get a hold of those things. So it was, like, on and off. Sometimes I would wear Dexcom, sometimes I wouldn't. But then it came down to the pump, the insulin pump, if I wanted to be on that. They asked me a year after if I wanted to get on it, and I was totally against it. I did not want anything connected to my body. I don't know why I was so against it, but I was. And then a couple years later, 2018, going into 2019 is when I got my first insulin pump.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then I got back on the Dexcoms.

[A]

That's like six years into it.

[B]

Yeah. Well, I will say it was like five. Like 2014, 20. End of 2018, going into 2019.

[A]

I like it when people do that. I'm like, it's like six years. You're like, no, Scott, not six, you silly, silly man. It's five.

[B]

Six, same thing.

[A]

So about halfway, you describe in your note that you experienced burnout. When's the first time that happened to you?

[B]

I would say probably year two is when I actually had burnout, because the first year, we were so on top of everything. But my parents were helping me so much, and they were doing a lot of the work, and I was letting them. But I also wanted to be independent and show that I could do everything on my own. And I think I took on a little bit too much too fast, because I wanted to.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And I didn't realize, oh, I'm literally gonna have this for life. I'm doing this by myself for life.

[A]

Pace yourself, Lindsay.

[B]

Yeah, I should have let my parents do a lot more for me than I let them. I want to say after, like, the first year, I was like, yeah, just let me handle everything.

[A]

Can you tell me a little more about what made you feel like you wanted that separation?

[B]

I really struggled with everyone talking to me about diabetes all the time. Like, when I was first diagnosed, it was like, just the number one thing, like, how's your sugar? What's your sugar? From my parents or my friends. And it just got kind of, like, annoying knowing, like, that they were kind of in control of everything, and I wanted to take that control back. I hated just, like, having to write everything down and them having to ask me everything and, like, write my little logbook, what my sugar was and what I ate that day. I just remember, like, hating having to relay the information to them. I just wanted to do it myself.

[A]

Too much diabetes. And you don't need people reminding you constantly.

[B]

Yeah, it was. It was my life, like, the first, like, few years, it was. All I was known for was diabetes. And I actually hated that.

[A]

That's how it felt to you. Do you think that was how it felt to you? Do you think it was true? Do you think. Did people shift in your life and stop seeing you and only see the diabetes?

[B]

No, I. I think it was just in my head. But I will say, like, I was one out of the two people in my entire high school that had type one, so nobody knew. So, like, when I was, like, that second person to have it at my high school, it was like, whoa. Like, everyone just thinks of me as, like, okay, the girl with diabetes. The girl that, like, leaves right before lunch to do her, like, blood sugar checks and insulin before lunch, stuff like that. It was just, like, a thing. And I also think that's why I didn't want the insulin pump for so long, too. I was like. I like to be discreet, Just take my shots and stuff. I didn't want people seeing, yeah, like, my gadgets or whatever.

[A]

I don't know if I've told this story, everyone here before, but when my son was, like, I don't know, 12 or 13, and we went to a baseball game on Saturday, pretty far from our house, we were all done, and we stopped at this diner that I knew about on the way back. And this is a sidebar, Lindsey. I knew about the diner because I once had lunch there with the film director Kevin Smith, because it was the diner in the town where his little film office was. Red Bank, New Jersey, for anybody who's interested. And I knew the diner, and I thought that was cool. And so we stopped there to have an old New Jersey diner. And they sat us down at a table in the middle of the room. So imagine booths around three walls and then two tables in the center, right? So there's enough room to walk around the freestanding tables. And there's booths that go down three sides of the wall. And they put us at the table in the middle. And I noticed after being there for a few minutes that my son was uncomfortable. And I asked him why, and he said, I don't like sitting here. Everyone's looking at us. And I said, no one's looking at us. People are eating their lunch. They're talking to each other. I'm like, look around. No one's looking at us. I'm like, you feel like they are. I understand. You feel like you're on a stage and people are listening and looking, but they're really not. Like, really pay attention for a minute. I was like, people can barely pay attention to their own lives. They're not looking at you. And it made him feel better. So my question to you was, were people looking, or did you feel like they were looking?

[B]

I probably just felt like they were looking.

[A]

Okay, all right. So you were not experiencing people, like, walking by and going, there's Lindsay, the girl with diabetes, and pointing and shunning you? That wasn't happening.

[B]

No, definitely not. But, like, it definitely was, like, a thing. Like, everybody knew I had type 1 diabetes.

[A]

To keep this going a little longer, my son was in a baseball uniform. He was the only one not dressed like every other person walking down the street. Like, I'm sure people did look up and go, oh, look, that kid must have come from a baseball game. But they weren't then going, what an ass. Like, they were just like, you know, But I take your point. So people are aware of this. You know, they're aware of it because there's so few people with diabetes. You are ducking out here and there, but whether they're actually looking and talking or not, it really doesn't matter to you, Right? Like, it still feels the same one way or the other?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. Okay. All right. And you think that kept you off a pump for a while as well?

[B]

It did. I do remember one experience, too, when I had a Dexcom on during class, and I remember my Dexcom was beeping that like, my sugar was either high or low. I can't remember, but I just remember a teacher. I don't know if it was a substitute or a teacher, but they had said, phones off. Somebody turned their phone off or, I'm taking it away. And then I remember the whole class had my back, and they go, that's her diabetes. And they, like. They, like, yelled at the teacher for

[A]

me, lady, you're gonna feel bad in a second. Wait till we do this. Finally, we've got the upper hand as a group of small children, right?

[B]

So, like, don't get me wrong, I love that they all knew about it, had my back, knew that that noise was not my phone, but, like, my Dexcom notification.

[A]

But.

[B]

But I hated the attention from it, and that just turned me off. I After that point, I remember I silenced my Dexcom alerts because I hated the attention the sound brought to me.

[A]

Yeah, that's not happening again to me. Yeah, that hurts you, too, right? Because you can't hear the damn thing beeping.

[B]

Yep. And then I let high sugars go, or maybe let my sugar get too

[A]

low, all to keep people from either sticking up for you or being aware of you.

[B]

Yeah, I almost, like, I do remember, I almost kind of just wanted to forget or think that I didn't have diabetes. I remember, like, in the beginning, I tried really hard to make it seem like, oh, I don't really need to do that much. Like, I can still live a normal life because I remember my friends, parents, relatives, everybody that I was around was just worried about it, worried about being around me. And I have. I hate scaring people. So I think I tried to play it off like, oh, it's really, like, not that big of a deal, which

[A]

it is, but like, oh, that's interesting. You downplayed the impact diabetes had on your life so that other people could feel comfortable.

[B]

Kind of. Yeah, I will say kind of, in a sense, just because I didn't want people to be scared of, like, what could happen to me around them, then

[A]

that focuses them on you more.

[B]

Not necessarily, but.

[A]

You ever go to therapy? This is. We're getting pretty deep here. This is going.

[B]

I know we are. I'll be honest, I don't go to therapy, and I should.

[A]

Like Lindsay's like, listen, it's on my list.

[B]

Okay, it's on my list.

[A]

But it's an interesting insight from you that you knew that your diabetes was making other people uncomfortable. This episode was too good to cut anything out of, but too long to make just one episode. So this is part one. Make sure you go find part two right now. It's going to be the next episode in your feed. The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin Delivery System, Tandem Mobi with Control [e-mail] There are links in the show notes and links@juicebox podcast.com Are you tired of getting a rash from your CGM adhesive? Give the Eversense 365 a try. Eversensecgm.com Juicebox Beautiful silicone that they use. It changes every day, keeps it fresh. Not only that, you only have to change the sensor once a year. So, I mean, that's better. US Med sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Check them [e-mail] juicebox or by calling 888-721-1514, get your free benefits check and get started today with us Med. Hey kids, listen up. You've made it to the end of the podcast. You must have enjoyed it. You know what else you might enjoy? The private Facebook group for the Juice Box Podcast. I know you're thinking, oh, Facebook, Scott please. But no. Beautiful group, wonderful people, a fantastic community. Juice box podcast type 1 diabetes on Facebook of course, if you have type 2, are you touched by diabetes in any way? You're absolutely welcome. It's a private group so you'll have to answer a couple of questions before you come in. We make sure you're not a bot or an evildoer. Then you're on your way. You'll be part of the family. I can't thank you enough for listening. Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. 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 it's a chance to relax, connect and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere. We're going to sail out of Miami and the cruise includes stops in Cococay, San Juan, St. Kitts and Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility and exceptional amenities. You're going to enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type 1 diabetes. I'm going to host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea. There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining and modern amenities all throughout the Celebrity Beyond. Your kids can be supervised and there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge, not just the kids going on vacation. But maybe you get to kick back a little bit too. There's going to be zero judgment, real connections and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise 2026. Please come with me. You're going to have a terrific time. You can learn more or set up your [e-mail] JuiceCruise get a hold of Suzanne at CruisePlanners. She will take care of everything. Links in the show Notes [e-mail] have a podcast. Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording.com.