#1863 Expert Testimony

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1863: Expert Testimony
Date: May 29, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Corey (longtime type 1 diabetic, group expert in Juicebox Podcast Facebook group)

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Overview of Episode

In this heartfelt and compelling episode, Scott Benner welcomes Corey, a type 1 diabetic diagnosed at 19, to share his journey through the frustrations, lessons, and victories of living "Bold With Insulin." The conversation explores barriers in diabetes care, the emotional impact of labels like "non-compliant," the transformative power of peer support, and how the Juicebox Podcast—and its thriving online community—offer strategies to take control, advocate for oneself, and ultimately live better with diabetes.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The Value of Sharing Individual Diabetes Journeys

(02:03–05:32)

• Corey begins by expressing concern his story might not help others. Scott reassures him, reflecting on the importance of every perspective:

  • “People are always like, oh, my story isn’t going to be valuable... but people find everybody’s stories valuable, right?” — Scott (02:35)

• Scott shares behind-the-scenes podcast anecdotes, emphasizing unfiltered, authentic conversations.

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2. Diagnosis Story: Early Onset, Misdiagnosis, and ER Experience

(05:34–10:38)

• Corey recounts classic T1D symptoms—fatigue, thirst, frequent urination—and a crucial nudge from a nurse at a family friend’s air show.
• An initial misdiagnosis (“You probably got a bug... here’s a pill and go drink Gatorade”—a disaster for undiagnosed diabetes).
• ER chaos, stigma due to the opioid crisis, and an almost traumatic nurse encounter:
  • “If I can’t put [the thermometer] under your tongue, I’m going to shove it up your ass.” — ER Nurse (08:35)
  • The doctor’s immediate recognition: “I can smell on his breath that he’s diabetic.” (08:58)
• ICU stay and a moment of dark humor with the doctor who misdiagnosed him:
  • “Well, it wasn’t a parasite. That was kind of fun.” — Corey (10:05)

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3. Early Management and Lack of Support

(10:38–14:13)

• Corey describes being handed basic tools (tester, sliding scale insulin) and receiving minimal, type-2-centric diabetes education.
• Family support was largely hands-off: “This is yours… it was pretty much like, what’s the diet look like?” (10:51)
• Early adulthood was marked by solo management, little technological support (no CGM), and no deep-dive into online resources.
• Acceptable, but not optimal A1Cs (eights and nines); physicians set low expectations.

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4. Turning Points: Technology, Advocacy, and Stigma

(16:37–22:29)

• Moved to an insulin pump in 2011 after a long struggle for access; problematic clinicians required excessive, “perfect” self-management for access to technology.
  • “We’re not going to give you the tools until you don’t need them is how it felt.” — Corey (16:44)
• Given type 2 meds like Actos and, eventually, Victoza, which provided modest glycemic benefits.
• New provider at a teaching hospital empowered Corey to access a pump, lowering A1C to the low 7s.
• First exposure to being labeled “non-compliant”:
  • “It just felt like, what?... Why am I being coded that way?” — Corey (20:26)
• Stigma, shame, and self-reflection—recognizing the need to “dial in” management, especially with a major life event pending.

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5. Motivation and Family: Adopting a Child as Catalyzing Change

(22:29–26:26)

• The prospect of adopting a daughter drove Corey to improve his control:
  • “If my blood sugars aren’t good... will there be a hiccup in the adoption process?” (22:21)
• Wife's role was supportive but not deeply involved in diabetes management by their agreement; Corey describes it as “just a little extra thing I have to manage.”
• A sense of responsibility not to burden others—rooted in pride and perhaps a “manly” instinct to absorb the load.
• Later, his wife’s understanding increases (e.g., timing family activities to avoid post-meal lows).

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6. Co-Existing Autoimmunity and the Power of Advocacy

(27:28–34:00)

• Corey’s additional autoimmune conditions: “a touch of vitiligo” and thyroid issues.
• The podcast’s thyroid series led Corey to recognize—and repeatedly advocate for—treatment despite pushback from providers.
  • “He said, ‘Well, you’re not a 10 or higher, so you’re fine. You don’t need anything.’” (29:20)
• Persistent self-advocacy leads to eventually getting thyroid meds and feeling better:
  • “Thank you for that... the idea of keep pushing. Don’t take the no for an answer.” (32:33)

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7. Finding Community, Becoming a Group Expert, and Peer Impact

(37:22–44:38)

• Within 6 months of joining the Juicebox Podcast Facebook group, Corey became a Group Expert, finding fulfillment in helping others.
  • “Just knowing that I can help people and that I had been already helping them... was very fulfilling.” (37:58)
• Describes the deep support among group experts—his “small group within a group”—especially during his father’s cancer treatment.
  • “They were like a support group for me, whether they know it or not.” (39:57)
• Explores the dynamics, value, and future vision for micro-support-groups online.

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8. Vision for Diabetes Support and Education

(46:08–59:11)

• Scott and Corey critique traditional diabetes education: dry, unengaging, or focused on box-checking vs. real-life needs.
• Emphasize that learning must be accessible, relatable, and human to be effective.
  • “If you don’t make it accessible... it doesn’t matter. People aren’t going to listen.” — Scott (51:26)
• The vast episode library is both a strength and a challenge for discoverability ("You don’t know what you don’t know").
• Peer-to-peer recommendations and support bridge this gap—sharing real experiences, making it easier for others to find what they need.

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9. Practical Results: Improved Outcomes via Bold With Insulin

(60:40–64:27)

• Corey credits the podcast's "Pro Tips," especially pre-bolusing and fine-tuning approaches like "bump and nudge," for a dramatic improvement:
  • “Making those changes... took my A1C... down to 5.5, and now I’ve been between 5.5 and 5.9 for three years.” (62:09)
• Positive impact of GLP-1s (Victoza, Ozempic, Mounjaro): 40 lbs weight loss, ~45% insulin reduction, less roller-coastering.
• The importance of ongoing conversation: even the host’s own “weight diary” series helps listeners and Scott himself.

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10. Looking Ahead: Sustaining and Growing Support

(64:27–End)

• Scott discusses his commitment to keeping the podcast dynamic and alive, constantly modernizing to serve new and current listeners.
• The philosophy: success is measured by supporting newly diagnosed individuals and those wanting to start over—not in grandiosity, but in meaningful, ongoing connection.
  • “I think we found a way for it not to be repetitive... giving them a shot. That’s pretty much all I think of as what I do.” — Scott (69:12)
• Corey closes with appreciation for the group experts and the unique, positive Facebook environment:
  • “It’s really the only reason why I’m still [on Facebook].” (70:29)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If I can’t put [the thermometer] under your tongue, I’m going to shove it up your ass.” (08:35)
• “You’re drowning and I have a lifeboat, but when you stop drowning, I’ll give it to you.” — Scott about outdated access to pumps/tech (18:08)
• “I want a little bit of your money forever. Not all of it today. I’m trying to keep this thing going.” — Scott, on longevity over monetization (64:58)
• “You don’t know what you don’t know, so you don’t know what to ask.” — Scott (58:04)
• “That’s why we’re all here with you and behind you, because we want to see that success happen.” — Corey (56:18)
• “We need you to do this.” — Corey (70:00)
• “Mark Zuckerberg, really, he owes you, I think, at this point.” — Corey (70:41)
• “Way to tease it out. Perfect.” — Scott, on Corey fulfilling a request to say ‘y’all’ Texan-style at the end (71:59)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Corey’s diagnosis story: 05:34–10:38
• Early diabetes education and family support: 10:38–14:13
• Barriers to getting a pump, outdated HCP practices: 16:37–18:22
• First experience being labeled ‘non-compliant’: 20:26
• Adoption as motivation for better self-care: 22:29–24:16
• Podcast’s thyroid info leads to self-advocacy: 27:58–32:33
• On becoming a group expert & peer-to-peer support: 37:22–39:57
• On making diabetes education engaging: 49:48–54:42
• Direct impact of ‘Bold With Insulin’ philosophy: 60:40–64:27

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Takeaways & Insights

• Advocacy and persistence are critical; patients must often fight for appropriate care, especially with comorbidities.
• Peer support—formal and informal—offers vital motivation and practical help that often surpasses what clinical care provides.
• Community-driven, engaging education unlocks behavior change—whether through a podcast, an active Facebook group, or “bold” strategies like pre-bolusing.
• The "Bold With Insulin" approach isn't just tighter control but a philosophy about self-ownership, resourcefulness, supporting others, and not waiting for permission to live well.
• Sustained, thoughtful content creation, kept dynamic and relatable, is a lifeline for newly diagnosed and veteran patients alike.

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Final Thoughts

This episode is an uplifting testament to the power of self-advocacy, the difference an open-source community can make for people living with type 1 diabetes, and the real-world impact of sharing lived experience. Corey's journey—marked by obstacles and stigma, but transformed by information, motivation, and peer support—embodies what the Juicebox Podcast aims to deliver: obtainable strategies, real talk, and an invitation for everyone to throw away their fear and be Bold With Insulin.

Transcript

[A]

Here we are, back together again, friends, for another episode of the Juice Box Podcast.

[B]

Hey, my name is Corey. I'm a type 1 diabetic. I was diagnosed at 19 about 27 years ago.

[A]

My Grand Rounds series was designed by listeners to tell doctors what they need, and it also helps you to understand what to ask for. There's a mental wellness series that addresses the emotional side of diabetes and practical ways to stay balanced. And when we talk about GLP medications, well, we'll break down what they are, how they may help you, and if they fit into your diabetes management plan. What do these three things have in common? They're all [e-mail] up in the menu. I know it can be hard to find these things in a podcast app, so we've collected them all for you@juicebox podcast.com While you're listening, please remember that 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 or becoming bold with insulin. 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 Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod 5 now with my link. Omnipod.com juicebox you may be eligible for a free starter kit. A free Omnipod 5 starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox hey, my name is Corey.

[B]

I'm a type one diabetic. I was diagnosed at 19 about 27 years ago.

[A]

Wow. And Corey, just before we started to record, you said you were a little nervous, but tell me why you were nervous.

[B]

Yeah. So not nervous to talk to you, Scott, but nervous in that I just hope that my story will help even one person, you know, to do something a little better or to have a small positive change in their life. Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for here.

[A]

I wanted to start with that just so I could tell you the same thing I would tell anybody and have told people in the past when they say that. Is that in now over 1800 recordings? I mean, I haven't deleted any of them. Like, I think people are always like, oh, my story isn't going to be valuable. But I mean, you find everybody's stories valuable, right?

[B]

Totally. Right.

[A]

Yeah. That's it we don't edit out content. We don't take the thing you said at three minutes and move it to 10 minutes and move stuff around. These are straight through recordings. You know, they get bleeped a little if somebody curses or something like that, but other than that, nothing gets taken out of them. And I think I've Maybe only recorded three in 12 years that you guys haven't heard. And those weren't for reasons of, you know, it's not like I recorded them. And I was like, oh, God, that's horrible. I don't want anybody to hear it. As a matter of fact, I'll tell you this, I won't give you the exact details, but the three that I've recorded that you haven't heard, one was just a technical issue where one of the voices didn't get recorded. One was where there was such a significant shift in the tone of the conversation. It was this upbeat conversation that was going on for, I think we were 45 minutes into it, and just out of nowhere the person I was talking to said something that was such a significant, like a violent thing that happened to them. And it just felt strange after that. And we were joking one second, and the next second they said this thing. And I didn't feel like I pivoted quickly enough. Do you know what I mean? It would be like, I don't know, if we were to stand up concert together and the comedian's been talking for 45 minutes and then you just turned to me and like, tell me some atrocity that happened to you. And I'm laughing about the thing that happened five seconds before that we never found our footing again. And the two of us agreed when we were done just to delete it. And then I don't even remember what the third one was. But what I can tell you is that I've recorded a handful of conversations that I would tell you that when I'm done with them, they're not my cup of tea. Like, if I had to go back and listen to them, I wouldn't. And there was this one time I finished with this person. I would never say who it is, but I finished. And I just really didn't like it. I did not have a good time talking to them. I did not enjoy the conversation. It felt boring to me. The whole thing turned me off about it. And it was the only time in, again, 12 years that I thought, I'm just gonna lose this one. Like, I'll send her an email and tell her something technical happened. And I Lost the file. Cause I don't want to put this out. And then I thought about it a little longer and I said, Scott, you're not the only one listening to the podcast. Right. Like other people have different sensibilities than you. I put it together just like I put out every other one. And it's incredibly popular and I can't tell you which one it is, but

[B]

sure, no, I understand.

[A]

I didn't hate the person. I just. I didn't like their voice. I didn't like the story, like the whole thing. Just maybe I was in a bit. I couldn't even begin to tell you, but people find it incredibly valuable. So, you know, I appreciate you being concerned, but I think we'll be okay.

[B]

Yeah, well, let's give it a shot and see what happens.

[A]

Absolutely. So you were diagnosed when you were 19 years old?

[B]

Yeah, I was 19. Back in October of 98.

[A]

Okay, and how did you figure it out?

[B]

Yeah, so it was probably about a six week onset from what I'll call normal to, you know, in the er. And with that, it was a lot of the same stuff you've heard over and over, but for me it was just mostly fatigue. And then about a week before the actual diagnosis, I had gone to an air show with a friend and her family, and her mother was a nurse, and we were all staying in like a small hotel room anyway, out in West Texas. And she commented to me the next morning, do you know you got up four times, you know, in the night to use the restroom? And I said, no, I didn't realize that. And anyway, she's like, yeah, you should probably have that looked into. And that was pretty much the end of that conversation. When I got back home, I ended up going to the doctor. I wasn't feeling well, and gave him all of that. Told him what, what she had said. Gave him my whole rundown. I'm really tired, I'm very thirsty, obviously urinating a lot. Everything that we now you know, you know is classic symptoms. But told him all that. He said, well, you went out to West Texas. You probably got a, some kind of a bug or a parasite or something in the water out there, so here's a pill for that. And then go home and drink as much Gatorade as you can to stay hydrated. Well, as you know, Gatorade is sugar water with some electrolytes. It has its place. But at that point, I mean, I went to him probably around noon. By 10pm I was in a whole nother place. So my mom drove Me down to the ER. I'm 19, lived at home still. We get into the ER, and this has actually been referenced on your podcast before. But in. In that summer of 98, and I live in the DFW area of Texas, there was like a heroin epidemic of young people, teenagers. And so when I walked in, barely walked into that er, There was a nurse there, a guy, and there was a cop. And, you know, what are you doing here? My mom's trying to tell him what's going on. I could barely talk, I was so dehydrated, sitting there. The cop was very interested in me and why I was there. And the nurse was like, hey, we got to take your temperature. And I'm like, I don't know if you can. And it kind of escalated. And I'm like, I don't think I can get the thermometer under my tongue. I'm so dehydrated. And he's like, well, if I can't put it under your tongue, I'm going to shove it up your ass. That was pretty crazy. And right about that moment, a wonderful ER doctor walked through there, and she stopped. I mean, right in her tracks and was like, hey, what's going on here? And the guy's like, well, he just came in, and she's like, well, I can smell on his breath that he's diabetic. She literally grabbed me by the arm and said, come with me. Put me in a bed. They got an insulin drip going. And that's about all I remember.

[A]

Yeah. Saved you from having a personal relationship with a thermometer, too, Correct?

[B]

No doubt.

[A]

Who said that to you about the.

[B]

So he was like, the triage nurse at the er.

[A]

What's wrong with everybody? Corey, what do you think?

[B]

I. He was having a day, and so was I.

[A]

Your ass was almost having a day.

[B]

Yeah. He's like. I was like, wow. Okay. And ironically, I never did get my temperature taken that day. But anyway, so then the next morning, I was in the er. Well, not in the er. They had moved me to icu. My dad showed up at that point. We had not talked in a couple of years. Just different stuff. But he was right there, which was awesome, to find out, you know, what's going on with my son and everything. And so he's in there sitting with me and talking. And the doctor who I had gone to the previous day that told me I had a parasite, he was doing rounds in that hospital. It was like, what are you doing here? And I said, well, it wasn't a Parasite. That was kind of fun. And of course he didn't apologize or anything. He just kind of, you know, was. Played it cool, whatever. Off we went. So then go through the normal, what I'll call normal diabetes education. I was a few weeks later put into a room, you know, with a lot of nice folks, but mostly type twos. In fact, I think they all were. And the person was just kind of going over, you know, here's a, what a banana is and how to count a carb and you know, what is a protein, those kinds of things. So it was very basic education was given a sliding scale with, I guess the clear and cloudy back then, so taking, you know, shots, syringes, and I had a tester, you know, a blood glucose tester. And that was pretty much it.

[A]

I'm sorry to ask you, but at 19, were you living at home with your mom?

[B]

So I was living up with my mom. My parents are divorced.

[A]

Okay. And what does support look like when you're diagnosed at that age in that situation, as far as family goes?

[B]

Yeah. So it was. This is yours. Yeah.

[A]

There was no, let me understand this

[B]

for you, let me understand or, or whatever. It was pretty much like, what's the diet look like? Okay, eat a healthy diet. Take, you know, the insulin per the deciding scale. And of course there was no cgm, anything like that. So you just test every couple hours. Of course, it was all on me at that point as a 19 year old.

[A]

Okay. And were you in college or going to college?

[B]

Yeah, going to school, working full time, so trying to keep a job, of course. And going to school in the evenings and then doing all. Trying to live a life on top of that too.

[A]

You know, it's funny, I ask people, like, how long does it take you to pull it all together ignoring the fact that maybe you don't feel like you have it all together? Yeah. How long did it take take to feel like you had a. I don't know, a rhythm?

[B]

So that's a good question. Probably. I had a follow up appointment with the doctor. Not the same one, by the way, that had diagnosed me before. A new doctor. And at that point, yeah, it was a good amount of time. And honestly, I thought I had it together, right. I was alive, I was doing the things even way back then. I don't remember what my A1Cs would have been, but they weren't where I would want them to be now for sure. Probably the eights, the nine, somewhere in there.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Without having all that data in between the tests, it's just hard to know what was all going on. And then being 19 and all the things I worked different hours and all, it was a lot of, you know, take the basil. You know, once I moved to, I did finally move to Atlantis and humalog pens, take the basil, whatever they tell you to take. And then, you know, inject insulin before you eat. I didn't go low a lot and that's probably because my A1C was higher, so it must be working. So I don't know if I ever really felt like it was together, but I felt like I wasn't dying and I was still moving forward.

[A]

Are those expectations set up by you or by physicians or. I mean, how long ago was this?

[B]

That would have been 90, 98 into, you know, like 2000. Somewhere in there at that point, the Internet exists.

[A]

Like you have the ability to go out into the world and try to find out more about your situation. So do you do that or you just kind of take the.

[B]

No, no, I never did. Not at that point. Nope.

[A]

Can you put into words like did you know the A1C where it was, wasn't optimal or did you feel like it was more than acceptable?

[B]

I felt that it was acceptable.

[A]

Acceptable.

[B]

There was never, I don't want to say more than acceptable, but there was never discussion from the doctor or any of the other medical type folks that things were going in a way that were suboptimal. It just was like, okay, you're doing the things. You're doing the things. Check your feet, you know, check your

[A]

feet, go to the eye doctor once a year and.

[B]

Right, and you're doing all that and you're 20 so you must be fine. And that was the situation. So I, you know, always took insulin when I ate, but never, you know, it's certainly not like it is today for me.

[A]

No. Well, I know you modern day to be a thoughtful person, so I want to know like, what tipped you from that stasis to, you know, looking deeper? This episode is brought to you by Omnipod. Would you ever buy a car without test driving it first? That's a big risk to take on a pretty large investment. You wouldn't do that, right? So why would you do it? When it comes to choosing an insulin pump, most pumps come with a four year lock in period through the DME channel and you don't even get to try it first. But not Omnipod 5. Omnipod 5 is available exclusively through the pharmacy, which means it doesn't come with a typical four year DME lock in period. Plus you can get started with a free 30 day trial to be sure it's the right choice for you or your family. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day for 17 years. Are you ready to give Omnipod5 a try? Request your free starter kit today at my link omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox find my link in the show Notes of this podcast player [e-mail] 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 usmed is is the number one distributor for Freestyle Libre Systems nationwide. They are the number one specialty distributor for Omnipod Dash, the 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 USMED has an A rating with a Better business [e-mail] juicebox or just call them at 888-721 or 1514. Get started right now and you'll be getting your supplies the same way we do.

[B]

That's a great question. So in 2011 I moved to a pump. I was finally was able to say talk a doctor into that. I got a better endo at a much better place. The one before was basically like if you don't test your blood eight times a day you don't get a pump. And it was like okay, you know, awesome, thanks. Yeah, you know, thanks. You know, it was basically like we're not going to give you the tools. And I know you've certainly talked about this before. We're not going to give you the tools until you don't need them is how it felt. And so you know, just wasn't set up for a whole lot of success with that doctor there was would give me type 2 medications. So I don't even know if the doctor thought, you know, I was actually a type one or If I had type two or a little bit of both or whatever.

[A]

What other medications was this guy who wouldn't give you a lifeboat till you stop drowning.

[B]

So he. There was a pill like Actos. He gave me that, which was kind of like a metformin type pill. He wanted me on that he did give me all the way back then. Victoza, which I know is like a GLP one, just a much earlier version of one that was helpful, actually. You know, but again, not a lot of help as far as the. The technology and any of that goes.

[A]

Tell me how the Victoza help before we move on.

[B]

A bit more stable blood sugars, probably not as high highs is what I would say about that.

[A]

Okay. Okay.

[B]

It didn't lose a lot of weight or anything. It wasn't where GLPs are today. But it was minor, you know, a little bit helpful.

[A]

Saw some improvements. Yeah, I love the idea of, like, you're drowning and I have a lifeboat, but when you stop drowning, I'll give it to you.

[B]

That's how it felt.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

At the time.

[A]

Corey, just in case, like. Did you just say it took 13 years to give you a pumpkin?

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Okay, so again, I know you as an adult. Did you code differently back then? Was somebody. Look, I'm sorry. Is that what young people say?

[B]

I don't know. I'm not a young people.

[A]

Are you a much different person today than you were back then?

[B]

No, I would say I'm not.

[A]

I would say I'm not just a bad clinician. You had.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

That's right. And also, I. I try to be kind to people, but so to me, insulin was. You get insulin, you get a tester. That was kind of, you know, the way it was, pumps and all that. That was fancy stuff. And. And it was pretty new. Well, at least to me, it was a new thought. And it was just kind of. It was just out of reach at that point. Not due to finances or anything. Just. It wasn't available. And. And again, hearing from that doctor and you don't test enough, that sort of thing, and it felt like you have to be a perfect diabetic in order to, you know, to get the tools. So. Was referred by a friend of my wife's. She was more of an acquaintance, but she worked in an endo's office, recommended I go change doctors, go there. That was a huge step forward for me. That would have been in about 2012. And a large teaching hospital. He's an endo there. And, you know, More at the forefront of the things that are happening. What's going on? He was like, yeah, you need a pump, we need to get you on one as soon as we can. Got on a Medtronic. I don't remember the version, but it was the one that looks like a beeper and they had different colors. But anyway, you know, it was a dumb pump, but it was still a pump. That was a lot better. Just easier, you know, to be able to give myself insulin and have a square bolus for a pizza or those kinds of things. That was definitely helpful at that point. My A1C was probably running around an 8 before going and seeing him. And we were able to get it down to. To the low sevens. That was good. That was definitely movement in the right direction. Well, I'll never forget seeing the paperwork after one of the visits and it said I was a non compliant diabetic.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And that was the first time I'd ever heard of that. And I just felt like, what? You know, he didn't say, you're doing anything wrong or you're not listening or you're not doing, why am I being coded that way? And that was not a wake up call, but it was just something that got my brain thinking, like, what am I not doing? What is. You know? And this was again, 2012, so this is still quite a while back, but

[A]

is there any shame attached to that? Like when?

[B]

Yes, for sure. Right.

[A]

Did reading that make you think, oh, that's right, I don't do a good job, or did it make you think, what does that mean? Like, I'm trying as hard as I can. I thought I was doing well. Like, where do you fall in that spectrum?

[B]

So reading that, I would say I wasn't trying as very hard as I could at that point. Like, it was more, okay, I'm doing it, but I'm not doing everything that I need to be doing. I need to be, you know, checking my blood sugar more often or really thinking more about the foods that I'm eating. You know, how old was I at that point? 30, something like that. Right. Like, I need to dial this in. I need to get better at this. So that all coincided with the adoption of our daughter, my wife and I, in 2013. That's another story for a different podcast, but we more or less had a baby fall in our lap. And, you know, you ask people all the time, like, why do you do these, these things for other people that you don't do for yourself? And every time I hear those episodes, I Think of myself that way because my wife and I, we wanted this child, we wanted this baby. And I felt like if my blood sugars aren't good or if I'm not managing this well, will there be a hiccup in the adoption process? Will they say, you know, we'll find a different parent, think something like that. And that, that really got me on the train to better at that point.

[A]

Okay. Hey, you said a baby fell into your laps. Why did a baby not fall out of a lap? Were you having trouble conceiving or.

[B]

Well, yeah. So. Well, we just, for whatever reason, never did have a natural child. A child on our own. Could be. We never really dug into it, it didn't happen. But through that, a woman basically told my wife at one point, very random, but a friend of mine is pregnant and not going to be able to keep the child. Do you know of anybody who would be interested in adopting? And she came home and told me about that and it was like, wow, you know, first of all, you know, generally people aren't talking to people they don't know all that well about. Like, you know, somebody who wants a baby, like, that's just not typical. But that must mean that they're in a place where they, they don't have any other option. Anyway, we both thought and prayed about that and both got a yes answer in our hearts and decided this is our life and, and this is what we're going to do.

[A]

That's lovely.

[B]

It is. And best decision. It was a wonderful. And we now have a lovely 12 year old daughter who is, who is just amazing.

[A]

Excellent. That's wonderful.

[B]

Yes. But with that, you know, it was like, okay, I've got this baby. I mean, she's 28 days old, she's in my arms and I gotta be here for her.

[A]

But Corey, before that, the thought process was if I'm not taking care of myself as well as I should be, or could be, then maybe the adoption process will reflect that we won't get the baby. Was that a concern of yours?

[B]

Correct. That was a concern of mine. Yes, it was. Whether it was a valid concern or not, I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, whatever. But it popped into your head that way.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Did you share that with your wife at the time?

[B]

Yes. You did?

[A]

Did she say, corey, you take great care of yourself. What are you talking about? Or did she say, yeah, I was wondering when you were gonna get around to that.

[B]

Probably somewhere in the middle, like, let's make some changes and let's, let's do the things, you know, what do we need to do to, you know, to make this better? She was supportive, but.

[A]

She was supportive. But, but see, but you guys were married for how long at that point?

[B]

What, eight years, nine years?

[A]

Fair amount of time.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Does she have any involvement or understanding of your diabetes at eight years in?

[B]

She knows. Obviously knows I have it. She knows I have insulin that I take before I eat, but, no, not really.

[A]

Yeah. Who's doing is that? Is it. Is it her not being interested or you not being forthcoming, or is it like a quiet understanding?

[B]

Probably quiet. It was never that I didn't want her to know or didn't want her to be a part of it. It was just like, hey, I got this. You know, it's just my thing. And.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. And I, I just. It's just an extra little thing I have to manage here on the side of, of everything.

[A]

Just a little extra little thing. Is that the case today?

[B]

Mostly. She probably has, I mean, I would say a little more involvement or at least a little more understanding. We've had more conversations around. I haven't even talked about kind of our home life and where we are today. But if we eat dinner and then I need to be active immediately after that, that's not the best scenario because of all the insulin that might be on board. I'm going to go low. So it's better to do the activity first and then do the eating. So she has a bit more understanding around things like that than. Than maybe before. She couldn't operate my pump or anything like that, but she knows when she hears the sounds, you know, oh, low blood sugar. Do you need some Skittles or whatever? Yeah, so she's involved in that way, but, but not. I mean, she. If I was an invalid, she wouldn't be able to just take over and, yeah. You know, manage my insulin or anything.

[A]

Okay. Is that a thing you want or, like, do you. Do you wish that somebody knew more about it?

[B]

No, I don't think so. I, I. No, I mean, it's fine that she knows what she knows, obviously, but I, I don't. I don't really think so. I, I'm. I'm good with it, you know, and. And at this point, I take pride almost in, you know, how well I'm able to manage it and what I do. And, and so I try to have it not be a burden for myself and, and also for. For her or for anybody else.

[A]

Is that a bit of a, like a manly thing? Like, I won't Put this on somebody else. I don't know if that's the right way to think of it, but, like, are you trying. Are you trying to save people from having to be concerned about it? Do you think that they'd think differently about you if they understood it completely?

[B]

No. And especially not her. I don't think she think differently about me at all. More of not being a burden, you know, I'd prefer just to handle it myself and.

[A]

No, I understand.

[B]

Yeah. It's just interesting to just kind of live. Yeah, no, it's good.

[A]

It's interesting to hear your pick through it, really. Do you have any other autoimmune issues?

[B]

Great question. I thought you'd never ask. I do. I have a touch, if you will, of the vitilago. It's not real apparent, but you can see it, especially in the summer, if I'm a little tan. Also, thyroid. I don't know if it's Hashimoto's. We never. We haven't done any kind of antibody tests for that, but definitely thyroid issues there.

[A]

Are they very impactful or is it manageable?

[B]

Yeah, they are. And. And so to kind of jump to that, to the thyroid. So I started listening to your podcast about three years ago. It was April of 23, and at that point I found the podcast really through other Facebook groups and through looking at Apple podcasts and just trying to find, you know, okay, is there something I can be listening to that might help, you know, with my A1C and that kind of thing, to get that dialed in. Anyway, found your podcast, and at that point in time, I can't remember the exact episodes, but there were a number of them on thyroid. And just hearing those stories and hearing the talk about the different symptoms that people were having, it was like, hey, that sounds like me. And so I was like, hey, I need to get that checked out. That was, you know, important. I was already doing better on the. With the diabetes, but I. But that was. That was like, okay. So I went in to the. The endo, talked to him about that. He did a thyroid check, a blood test. I don't remember the exact number. It might have come back at a 7 or an 8. And he said, for the TSH, he said, well, you're not a 10 or higher, so you're. You're fine. You don't need anything.

[A]

But, Corey, you must have had symptoms at a 7 or an 8.

[B]

I did. I did. I totally did. I. I had tired, Chronic fatigue. Waking up feeling more tired than when I had gone to bed. Like I knew if I had just stayed up all night, I would be better off this morning than if I had gone to bed.

[A]

Gone through this ruse of sleeping. Correct.

[B]

It was just awful.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Cold feet, especially in the winter, just, you know, all of this. And I remember at that time. I know you don't, but I reached out to you. I sent you a message in Facebook or somewhere. It was just like, hey. And you're like, you just got to keep pushing. You got to keep pushing. And so that's what I did. And went back six months later, gave the same story. He's like, well, you're at a four or five or six something. It was a little lighter, a little better, but it wasn't any better. You're fine. He wouldn't do it. So then kept pushing, kept being tired, all that, but. But kept pushing. And so every appointment, I'd bring it up, and then you had more discussions about, you know, about the thyroid. If you're two or. Or more, and you've got symptoms you need, you know, you. You most likely need medication or. It's definitely good to. To look into. And I'm like, this. He's. He's totally describing me. You were describing me at that point. Okay. In these. In these conversations. And I'm like, I've got to keep pushing, you know, he wouldn't budge. Well, it's still at the same teaching hospital, a nurse practitioner or pa, whatever. She was in there. I went to her and I was talking to her about it, and I'm like, look, is it going to hurt me to take the pill? You know, is it gonna hurt if I do it and I don't need it? Is this gonna hurt me? She's like, no. I'm like, then why can't I just give it a shot? You know, a low dose levithyroxine, whatever. Can I not, you know, give it a shot? Find. I think she. I just was being such a pain in the. In the butt that she was like, you know what? If I just give him this, he'll go away. So I started taking it. That was a year ago, Just about a year ago. And I. I felt better. Not perfect, certainly, but I. I felt like, okay, this is making a difference for me.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Still, in the winter, you know, like this past winter, my feet just. For some reason, they just would get cold, especially if I was barefoot in the house. Whatever. I probably need a higher dose of this stuff. Went back to the doctor. This would have been in the. In the late fall of 2025. So just a few months ago and was talking to him and telling him all of this again, and he's like, well, you know, there are studies recently that have come out that say if you're at a 2 or higher and you have symptoms, you. You probably should be on. On levithyroxine. And I was like, yeah, I heard

[A]

that on a podcast.

[B]

I heard that on a podcast three years ago. Dude, where have you been? Like, come on, shake my head. But, you know, like, you. You say, you know, just smile and nod and okay, great. So he upped the dose. And. And that has made a world of difference for me.

[A]

Great.

[B]

So, yes, that. Thank you for that, please. And, and really just the, the idea of keep pushing. Don't take the no for an answer. You know, find. Find the relief that you need. If you're having symptoms, get them, get them, get them treated.

[A]

Yeah. I've been talking about this a fair amount lately because it's just been in my head for a while since someone said it to me. So, brief overview. Someone described me to me as being direct, and it was off putting to me. And that, I guess the people listening probably sounds silly, but I thought, oh, I'm not direct. Like, I know direct people. I'm not direct like that. And I realized that might be a spectrum as well. And what I'm. I guess what I've taken from it now over time is that if a person like you, who, I mean, you're just a very polite, kind person, like, if you can borrow a little bit of my, I don't know what, what you want to call it being an asshole and like, apply it to your own life and it helps you. I'm all for that. I'm wondering how much of my attitude is actually a value in the podcast when it's sprinkled out across the country and across the world. I mean, there's. Podcast is, you know, is pretty popular in a lot of different countries. So. I mean, how many people have just been born, raised, bred to just kind of put their eyes to the floor a little bit, say thank you, walk away even when they don't get what they need? It sounds like that might have been helpful to you.

[B]

It was total. I mean, it was totally helpful to me at that point.

[A]

Okay, cool.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Well, I'm glad that me being like this is valuable to somebody, so. But I don't. But just so everyone knows, I don't. I don't see it. I'm a pretty quiet person in my. In the world I live in. I'M not boisterous, I don't think. And then I, I have moments where I step out of myself and I look and I realize that can't possibly be true. May I tell you a story real quick?

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

I was in the grocery store last night and I, I, I've had two experiences now, one, one after, the other one was the day before the grocery store. Why is someone calling me? Do they not know? I'm making a rather popular podcast. Hold on a second. I was at a home store buying like bolts, you know what I mean? And I am in an aisle by myself. And down the other end of the aisle, this man turns the aisle, starts walking up. I look and I go, oh, I know that guy. I don't just know him. Like I really know him. Like he's my brother in law's wife's sister's husband. Like I really, really know him. You know what I mean? He's walking up the aisle looking at me, and I'm looking at him and I'm already thinking about like saying, hey and all this stuff. And he just comes up to me, looks me in the face and walks me. I was like, what in the heck? I went, I'll just say his name. I was like, kenny. And he goes, he turns and looks at me and I went, kenny, hey. And then he's staring at me and I go, it's Scott. And he goes, oh, hey. And it just turns out, long story short, I've lost so much weight, he didn't recognize me. And I was like, oh, we talked a little bit. That's not the point. I go to the grocery store the next day and I'm heading to check out and I'm sort of going down the main aisle at the front of the store and this person two aisles ahead of me comes out, turns out of that aisle, into the main aisle, walking to, it's a person I've known for 25 years. Our kids played baseball together, like this whole thing. He looked at me, I looked at him, I started to smile, I started to say his name out loud. I went, I was like, he doesn't know who I am. And we just walked past each other. Now where does that come in with the whole being forward thing? I get in the line, there's a woman having trouble using a coupon. She's buying a baby formula, she's having trouble using the coupon, she doesn't have her kids with her. And there are three kids behind the register trying to figure out how to make this coupon. Work. They are having an actual conversation about this. And I just walk up. Everyone looks up at me because I'm appearing. It's later at night, and there's not many people at the store. And I went, hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but I just got passed by a person who I've known for 25 years, and they didn't recognize me because I've lost so much weight. And then we all started. High five. That actually happened. And then while they were working on the coupon, the lady and I were talking about, like, you know, she just had twins, and I was asking her about the formula and talking about. We were talking about the cost of kids and everything, and we're embroiled in, like, a real conversation that she's not har. Just for those of you out there who are, like, introverted, and you're like, oh, she was probably mortified. She wasn't. We were having a nice time. Now that I think back on that as I'm talking to, like, I guess that's what people mean when they say I'm direct, but, like, I just see that as, like, friendly, but I guess that's not it. Maybe for everybody. Anyway, whatever. As long. As long as your thyroid's straight now, Corey, I don't really care. This is what's important. But this was just a year ago with the thyroid thing.

[B]

Yeah, I. I want to say a year, year and a half.

[A]

But you've been listening to the show for three years.

[B]

For three. But it took that long to persuade him to.

[A]

To write the prescription in that process. And how long have you. You know, we've never met. 40 minutes in. You're a group expert in the Facebook group, too? How long have you been doing that?

[B]

It's been two. Two and a half years.

[A]

Okay, so six months into listening to the podcast, we easily identified you as being just a very kind, valuable person in the Facebook group and approached you about this. Can you tell me from your perspective, what's it like to be at home and get a message from just a group that you participate in, and they're like, hey, would you like to be more involved? Like, what was that like to. To hear that?

[B]

Oh, very fulfilling. I mean, even that just knowing that I. I can help people and that I had been already helping them without any. I called a title, I guess, group Expert. It's not really. I mean, you know, it's what it is.

[A]

That's a small. It's a small badge next to your name.

[B]

Yeah, Correct. Right. But, you know, I. I just wanted to be helpful to. To other folks. I learned so much in that short amount of time from just listening to episodes of the podcast and being in the group as well. I just wanted to lead people to the same success that I had been having, you know, and so then when I'm told, well, you're doing a good job of this, we want to make this a bit more official. Awesome. It's working. That means this is happening, you know, that I'm making a difference. And that's really been the goal of being, you know, a group expert is just really trying to not have all the answers, but at least point people in the right direction so that they can, you know, they can find the success they're looking for.

[A]

Right. What's the experience without giving away anybody's, you know, personal information? Like, there's, you know, pretty big. There gotta be, like, 12 or 13 of you. There's a lot of you at this point.

[B]

Yeah, we have a good number.

[A]

Yeah. And so you guys all have like a. Like a private chat where you talk. I. Every time I bring this up, I set up very specifically. I'm not in it. So that everybody feels comfortable talking and doesn't feel like they're talking. That's right in front of the teacher or something like that, which it seems silly, but at the same time, I've. I've been assured is important, by the way. I don't mean it seems silly like. It seems silly to feel like you could misspeak in front of me. Like, I don't. I don't feel like.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I agree. Yeah. Yeah. I don't feel like I have any level of. Anyway, I don't think there's a pecking system. I think we're just a bunch of people all trying to do the same thing, which is help Those now, like, 82,000 members in there, you know, to find some, you know, comfort or. Or connection, maybe an answer or two, if anything. What has being involved in that small group meant to you? Those other group experts in you together.

[B]

That's a great question. And I know you. It wasn't planted either. It's an amazing support. Just like the 82,000 Facebook members is an amazing support. It's that. It's a little more personalized. Right. It's the same group of us that. That have that conversation going. I mentioned a few minutes ago, you know, when I was first diagnosed, my dad, we hadn't talked in a, you know, in, you know, a year or two, for whatever reason, and who knows now what that even was, I was a kid, but five years ago, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. You know, with that, his, his wife and I were helping him. He was 71, 72 at the time. She was 10 years older, 81, 82. Helping him with getting the treatment, getting to doctor appointments, all those kinds of things. And then, you know, there was a lot of waiting, you know, in a waiting room or while he's getting the treatment, etc. When I was able to join that group, the group expert group, two and a half, whatever years ago, it was actually right, right as a lot of that treatment was happening for him. And so they were like a support group for me, whether they know it or not. And because I didn't really want it again to be a burden on them. But just being able to talk about, hey, there's this post. They're putting a GoFundMe in the group. Are we allowing that? Are we not, you know, whatever. Just having those kind of conversations or, or just general banter about things was a, was a great support to me, you know, also kept my mind off of the other things that were going on. You know, my dad and his health situation. You know, it just turned out to be a support that I didn't even know I needed or, or didn't even, you know, need whenever, whenever you guys asked for that. But, but it became a huge, huge help to me during that time.

[A]

I watched through an intermediary, basically. Right. So Isabelle first. Does Isabelle feel like a part of the group, one of the guys feeling, or does she feel like a school mom to you? Like, how does that work in there?

[B]

So she's one of us. She is, but she, I know. Course she has her own whole entire life, but then she also has the other duties that she's got within this, within this realm. So she's not as active in that chat. However, if we, if we add her or whatnot, you know, she's pretty quick to respond. And so she is there and, and definitely catches up, you know, once a day or more with the different messages. And if somebody posts, hey, had my A1C today or whatever, you know, she'll, you know, love that or give it a thumb up or whatever. And she's definitely a part of the conversation, probably less than some of us, but she's great. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

She keeps me apprised of. She's not copying and pasting or telling me exactly what's being said, but she'll say something like, I think Corey's having a hard time Right now, as an example, because you brought it up or something like that. She might even say to me, like, you should reach out to somebody and see if they're okay. I've seen a lot of, like, great, like, ideas from them. They're doing such a good job managing things in the group or whatnot. Like, it makes me, like, watching you guys through that lens. I guess this is where I was starting. Watching you through that lens really gives me. It makes me think about what, like, small support systems would look like. And like, it makes me, like, I dream about, like, one day the. The infrastructure on Facebook or somewhere else being able to create small groups of 10 or 20 people who are. Are connected like that in smaller, like, online support groups. Like. Right. Like, I don't know if I could sever a thing I can make happen, but I wonder about it a lot. Like, how valuable would it be to put together just a handful of people in a chat that could be helpful to each other? And I don't know how to do that really, but it feels like it's a good idea. I just don't.

[B]

It does.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I just wonder, like, we were not looking for, you know, a quote unquote support group.

[A]

It just happened for you that way.

[B]

It just happened. You know, it's like we're just all kind of doing this thing together. We certainly have things in common with, you know, type one and whatnot. And then you just. You just kind of build a rapport and, you know, it just kind of happens. But yeah, I don't know if you could do that.

[A]

In the end, I don't think it's a thing I would do because there are more unknowns. Like, you know, we're having a nice conversation that's upbeat. But, like, you know, sometimes people are jerks and, you know, you could randomly grab one of those people. You guys are a. I know this is probably a weird way to think of yourselves, but you're a highly curated group of people. Like, you all have, like, a lot of attributes that over time impressed themselves on me and, Or. Or Isabelle or sometimes each other. Like, sometimes you guys will speak up and say, like, hey, you should add this person. We think this person would be the group. Like, that kind of thing. It's not a random pairing of 20 people, which I can imagine could easily turn into, like, bloodsport somehow. If I had time to do a research project, I think I would do it on you all. Helping each other and helping the group and what value this has been for you having personal connections, like this. And what value have you had from helping other people? Like, I think there's an entire. I think there's an entire ecosystem within the group of you. That is incredibly interesting, you know, which is why I try to interview you all at some point or another, if you're interested. Nobody's been forced to, obviously. It's just interesting to hear your thoughts about. About why you do it and. Because it's time. I mean, it is. It's time to, like. I listened 15 minutes before you and I did this. I texted Isabel and I said, hey, I need a Omnipod 5 list pulled out of the algorithm list. I want to separate them. She's an adult. You know what I mean?

[B]

Right. She has things to do.

[A]

Yeah, you guys aren't being paid. And 20 minutes later, she's like, it's in our shared folder. She just went and did it real quick. You guys are never gonna, like, you know, realize, like, I couldn't get this all done without everybody building a website now that's just for doctors. Like, so I was a hospital reached out to me a couple, actually, and said, we need a cleaner way of sharing the podcast with people. And so I've been working on that. But so much of how the website comes together is, you know, links that are collected on lists, lists of episodes with links and to them, and like, all this stuff that. Trust me, you don't know me that well, Corey, but I would not have done on my own.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

The update to, like, the. The endo. The endo page, the juice box docs where, you know, I think we have, like, over 200 doctors now that listeners have sent in and said, like, look, this is a really good clinician. I wish other people knew about them. And it's so incredibly searchable. And, you know, part of that is just that AI has allowed me to code without understanding how to code. But part of it is that that information was all collected somewhere. And it's, again, not a thing I would do. It's in a. I know it's probably sounds so basic to, you know, most people who have jobs, but, like, spreadsheets are set up. My brain's way more artistic than that. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, I would not have said, like, oh, I have all this information. Come in. This is data. I should, you know, do something with it. You have any idea how many people say to me, like, do you have an email list? You know, like, I'll get involved with, like, a sponsor, and they'll be like, you know, you Know, do you ever send out an email? Like, could we put an ad in an email and you know, or something like that. And I'll go like, oh, yeah. I mean, I have a list. There's not many people on it. And then they're like, well, how many people are? And I'm like, 10,000. And they laugh and they're like, you think you have a 10,000 person email list? That's not a big email list. And I was like, I don't know, doesn't sound like a lot of people. And they're like, well, how often do you use it? I'm like, I don't really think, you know, like, is that, should I, is that a thing? And then I just go, I don't want to bother people. I don't know. Like my, it just all doesn't work that way for me. In my head, like, I just think, make the stuff, put it out, cover everybody's concerns. And then word of mouth, Like, I really genuinely believe word of mouth is the only thing that works. I think you can email people. You're going to reach them at the wrong time of day, on the wrong day, not when they're interested, not when they're able, you know, two days before their kids are on spring break, whatever. I think I see the podcast and the space the way you may have heard me talk about like parenting, where like I've said before, like, I think one of the best things I've ever done for my kids is been at home, when they got home from school, this idea that I'm going to open the door and the thing that I know is like, supportive for me is going to be there and there won't be any, like hoops between me and that. I kind of think of all this that way when they come to you, that's when you need to be there with, with the information or the answer or just the stability and chasing them around with it. You should know how to bolus for fat. Like, nobody wants to hear that, you know what I mean? But the day they realize they need to bolus for fat, they want to know where to go to find out. And I think that's sort of what this is. It's kind of like a more of a long term idea than a short term gains thing for me. So anyway, but it's a lot of talking about a podcast. What do you think? Do you think it's working? Do you, do you ever look up and go, you know, what he should be doing? But it's not my place. Do you have any. Like, you guys would share stuff like that with me if you thought that way, right?

[B]

We would. Yeah. No, I. I think it's working. You know, you're coming at it with a lot of different topics from a lot of different angles. You know, the bowl is four. That's great, right? That's very tactical, very usable information. You've got the. More mental health stuff, which is great, you know, for caregivers, for patients, whatever, for all of us. And then, of course, the pro tips, all the. The different series that you have, and then even the. The things that are. That are kind of connected but not identical, like the thyroid stuff, the glp. You know, I. I think you're covering the diabetes bases as well as things that if you have this. This other thing might be interesting to you, and. And I see that you're covering. Covering those things all in doing it in an entertaining way as well. Like you said, it's not dry and. And boring.

[A]

Oh, geez. I mean, I don't know if there could be anything worse than.

[B]

So whenever. That. I'll bring this up, the thyroid thing, whenever I was hearing you talk about, I was like, well, I wonder if there's any other podcasts on that specifically. Right. And I went and I listened one day to this, and it was terrible, Scott. It was so bad. And I. You know, like, it was two. Two people, and you could tell they were reading from a script and.

[A]

Good afternoon, Corey.

[B]

It was exactly like that. It really was. And it was like, I know they're. I know what they're trying to do. I know why they're trying to do it. I appre. You know, like, it's. They're trying to add value to the conversation, but it was done in such a way that it was like, this.

[A]

Not how it works.

[B]

This is not gonna work.

[A]

Yeah, it's not. It's not how people work on the other side of it. And I just count myself lucky that I grew up listening to talk radio, because I still see it. I mean, I've seen it for years of people, like, pop up. And, like, I. I try to say all the time, I. I don't know how, like, how it comes off, but I'm all for other people sharing their ideas and, like, getting good stuff out into the world. But, like, if you don't make it accessible, and by accessible, I don't mean just talking down to people or staying basic. I mean making it interesting. If you don't do that, like, it doesn't matter. Like, I just Think that you could hide the history to life 45 minutes deep into an episode of a podcast, and if the audio's bad or it's uninteresting, people are going to go like, yeah, I don't need to know the secret to life that badly. And so, like, with something like this, where you're already. People are already not super motivated to go out and learn more about their insulin and stuff like that, it has to just grab you in a different way. There's no world where people are going to willfully give of their time to listen to two people talk about thyroid in a way that makes you want to jump out of a window while they're talking, or in those big, dumb voices they use sometimes. Or, you know, and they talk like, you know, weather ladies from, you know, from South Carolina or whatever the heck. Like, it's just like, it's all very. They don't get it because you see it professionally all the time from organizations like Breakthrough and ada, or, you know, I just saw. I just saw this thing. I won't say anybody's name, but I saw this thing the other day. This organization, I think, does really good work. And I looked at some of their social media. I was like, this is terrible. Like, no one's going to listen to this. And it has two likes. And you know damn well they're the likes. They turn it out and it looks expensive. And I'm like, you're wasting time and resources and money. Like, you can write it all down any way you want. This is not how people learn, and it's not how people want to spend their free time. I think that I get frustrated sometimes watching these professional organizations pretty much break their own shoulder, patting each other on the back all the time about all the good stuff they're doing in the world. And I'm like, no one's seeing it. No one. Like, you're putting it out there, and no one sees it. I saw somebody win, like, an educator award from the ADA today, and I thought, I bet you I don't ever win that. And I don't, by the way. Let me be very clear. I don't need it, don't want it. Not asking for it. Sure, they wouldn't think about someone like me in a million years for that, but I reach way more people than the person they decided to point to and say, oh, that person's really helping a lot of people. No, they're not. They're making stuff that would be really helpful to people if they could actually deliver it to Them, which they don't seem to be able to do anyway. Now you got me upset. I'm not upset. I'm like, I'm actually like, I feel really passionate about it because I don't imagine I know everything. And I bet you a lot of those people have great information and I've had some of them on and later they'll be mad at me. Oh, you didn't let me talk the way I wanted to. I'm like, yeah, the way you talk, no one cares about. You made it all the way to me. I seem to know how to capture people's attention. Why would you not follow my lead on this? Like, why would you default back to this boring list reading that you're doing? I don't know. No one's ever going to figure it out. Got, you know, well, good. And by the way, good keeps my podcast popular. You know what I mean?

[B]

I do, yeah. Yeah. And I would say, you know, in a slight way, you're a victim of your own success. You have 1800 plus episodes, which are all good. Being able to find. And you've talked about this before too, right? Being able to find the content that people need at that moment, that's. It's sometimes as difficult, right. Just because there's so many episodes, you know, and I certainly don't want to take the human element out. I think that's great. Especially in the Facebook group, you know, having a real, whether it's a group expert or a non group expert, just another member of the group being able to answer a question or provide a link to a, to a podcast episode, I think that's so valuable. People, they feel less alone, right. In the situation, whatever it is. But if there was a way to, you know, take their question and throw it in an AI, and maybe I could do that. I haven't tried, but, you know, and say, what episode do you recommend? I'm not Nico. You know, she's amazing at that. She's better than AI when it comes to podcast episode recommendations. But, you know, that would be. That would be pretty cool. But, but in any case, you know, just being in the group, being able to share, you know, the information and, and then seeing people just the other day, you know, somebody's like, hey, you know, my A1C was 11, now it's 8. And it's like, what progress. That's so awesome. Keep going. You know, like, just seeing that, you know, what you're doing is valuable. And that's why we're all here with you and behind you, you know, doing what we do because we want to see that success happen.

[A]

That's.

[B]

I appreciate it with others. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

I hope it's. I mean, and we don't all talk very often, but even just the other day, like, I mean, a more direct, like, financial relationship with the editor. And just the other day I was like, I don't know. The last time I talked to him, I'm working. I'm sure you all, I assume you're all busy too. You're not looking to be involved with me all the time. But I hope it's obvious to everybody how much your involvement and it means to me. It's incredibly touching to see people put this kind of effort into something that they're only doing in a voluntary way. So it's really great. Also, I have stuff like that coming for the website where it's going to be more keyword searchable. It's going to pull stuff up. But you know what? I think it's nice and I think it's valuable and I'm going to do it. But I also think that if you don't know what to type into the search bar, it doesn't matter.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so if you're, if you're so lost that you're having spikes 90 minutes after a meal that persists for three hours and eventually end in a low, and you don't already know that, the reason behind that might be that you didn't pre bolus and. Or your basil is wrong and. Or you've had fat or protein in your meal that are. Or other, you know, impacts from food. If you don't know that stuff, how are you supposed to search for it? Right, right. Is the search feature gonna have to be so robust that you can type in, why is my blood sugar high after a meal? And it's gonna just say, hey, try these episodes. And I think maybe that's gonna have to be it. Or. Which is part of the struggles. Like, I just put a struggles page together where you can kind of go see things that people say they classically struggle with, with diabetes and they're already attached to an episode.

[B]

Yeah, that's true.

[A]

Yeah. And so, like, because you don't know what you don't know, so you don't know what to ask. And, you know, and that's why you need somebody to look at your question and say, oh, you should be focusing your attention over here. And it's even difficult in Facebook sometimes, too, because, you know, the other side of that is you ask a question and Three or four people might get to you before we do and give you the wrong answer or say, like, oh, you know, that definitely sounds like this. And I'm like, that's not that. It's this. And now that person's faced with two different answers. How are they supposed to know which one's which? And hopefully there's enough gravitas coming from the. The. From the podcast that they'll maybe look in the direction we're pointing before the direction a stranger pointed in. But I also appreciate the stranger's perspective because they might be thinking of something that I haven't thought of, which is completely not just possible, but probable. You know, it's. It's just an imperfect way to do things. See, I don't see a better way to do it. And if somebody knows a better way, they should say immediately. That's why AI is not going to fix it for everybody, because they don't. They won't know what to ask it.

[B]

Yeah, you know, that's a good point.

[A]

It's hard not to feel a little defeated by it, because your earlier story is, you know, you're with a doctor who's not going to help you. I mean, like, your first interaction with diabetes is in an ER where some guy's like, I'm going to shove it up your ass if you don't put it in your mouth.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Yeah. Awesome. And then 13 years of somebody who says, test yourself eight times and maybe I'll let you have a pump. And then, you know, you don't end up really doing better for yourself until you start thinking like, oh, we're trying to have a baby and, you know, I need to be healthier. It's the same damn thing for everybody. You know, I don't think it's a thing you're going to fix. Either. You're not going to suddenly educate the entirety of the healthcare system or other people in your life that are going to speak to you in a way that's going to be valuable all the time. You either hope these people find a reason or a path or a mentor or something and can actually absorb it and make changes, or you're going to assume that whatever initial path they got started on might be the journey they're set on now, even though that's not the most valuable journey for them to have. You know, if that person doesn't come into the room, smell your breath, I don't know which way. You know what I mean? It's like a choose your own adventure. Like you don't know where you were headed till they walked by anyway. So we're just trying to do that. We're trying to intersect as many people as we can so that they're choose their own adventure leads in a better direction for the lack of a better.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

About it. Yeah. Oh, God. I've had you on for over an hour already. Did you have anything you want to talk about that I didn't get to or bring up?

[B]

Well, so I just wanted to let you know kind of since. Since I've listened to your podcast and where I'm at today. Listen to the pro tips way back before they were all at 1026. Right. So I had to go find them all. But I did and listened and what a difference. You know, educators, doctors, you know, pre bolus, they would say that pre bolus, you know, bolus before you eat. Well, okay, so I would bolus and then I would eat. You know, no one ever said wait 15 minutes, wait 20 minutes, wait 10, whatever the number. Right. Nobody. Nobody ever said that to me. So that was huge. I mean, what a small thing and what a difference that makes listening through those pro tip, you know, making those changes, you know, bump and nudge, all that stuff, you know, took my A1C. I was probably in the upper sixes when I started listening to your podcast 6.7 to 7 somewhere in there that went down to, you know, 5.5. Wow. And now I've been in the last three years anywhere between 5.5 and 5.9. She's consistently haven't been over that in that amount of time. And so. And this again goes back to the group expert thing or just being involved at all and telling people about the podcast. It's like the information is right here. You just, you know, just go and tell someone about it. And that's what I'm trying to do because it, it made such a difference for me, you know, in my, in my journey and listening in to the. The other conversations that you've had on GLPs and in all of that, I think, you know, my doctor and. And you. It kind of coincided as far as when I started taking the GLP and you were taking the glp, it's what been about three years ago, I think. But anyway, I had been doing like Victoza and some of those. Those others, the older kind of stuff and, and moved to Ozempic and now Manjaro for Ozempic about it was three years ago and then changed over to the MANJARO and lost 40 pounds, something like that. I was, I'm about 6 foot. I was like 2:30, and now I'm sitting about 190. Feel a lot better with that. My insulin use has gone down, and this is no different than what you've already talked about before, but probably 40 to 45% less insulin. And that has made a difference too, just because, you know, it just doesn't take as much insulin to, to move the dial and then I don't end up going low later and get on that whole roller coaster. So that has been extremely helpful.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

You know, going through the journey not, not exactly with you, but, but kind of at the same time, it's been great for me, you know, to have those, those episodes with your journal and your diary, I should say your weight diary.

[A]

I just started recording that again this week.

[B]

Good. I was, I, I heard you recently speak on an episode about it, and I was like, wait, we haven't had one of those in a while.

[A]

I realized that journal, that diary was helping me too. And I didn't, I don't think I knew it at the time. So I'm, I'm getting back to it.

[B]

So, you know, it's just the last three years have been great, you know, and, and so then I talk to people about it. They ask about, you know, you look a little skinny or whatever, and it's like, well, here's why. And, you know, it, it gets other conversations going for other people and their health and, you know, to make changes, small things, whatever. So, you know, I just want to say thank you to you and to, of course, all the other people you've spoken with over the last three years or longer making these episodes, because they've definitely been a, an impact to me.

[A]

Oh, that's wonderful. I, I can only hope that, you know, that it continues on because I was just telling somebody the other day, I've been doing work with a company for a long time as they've been advertisers, but there's some shifts in the company. And so it's kind of a new group of people I'm working with within the company. And, you know, you kind of have to reintroduce yourself and you know, you know, it's, it's, it's a starting over process. A little bit of explaining what you're doing to people, you know, for, you know, what you're doing for people.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

I ended up telling them all the time, like, look, you know, because one of them says, I don't think you're valuing your downloads the right way. And I said, oh, no, I know what I'm doing. I was like, I could charge you more. I was like, I don't want to. And that, I think, threw off the group a little bit. And I said, I want a little bit of your money forever. Not all of it. Today, I'm trying to keep this thing going, you know what I mean? Because until you get a note from somebody that talks about, like, my kid was diagnosed six months ago, and, you know, this is what it was. It was terrible. And now look at it now and, you know, saying things similar to what you just said, like, it's a lot to do with the podcast and everything. And then you have been doing it long enough to have six more months go by and get another note from a different person, and then have two years go by and get another note. It's a pretty macro view I have. And I get to say to myself, like, this isn't done. And the making of the podcast is what keeps the information alive in the world. And so you can't just say, oh, I did it. We made a list. It's out there. They'll find it, because, no, they won't. Not only are you continuing to, I think, add to the understanding that's baked into the podcast, which is added into my mind, which means I. I search out different guests or have different kinds of conversations that hopefully modernize things as we're going, not only is that one of the reasons you want it to go, but you want it to go so that when they, you know, they pop on and they've heard Juice Box might be helpful, they're not always going to get directed to, like, the right episode. So you got to get them in and get them interested and have them wonder about more and then hear a bumper that's like, hey, you know, if you start over, you might want to try the Bold Beginnings episodes, like that kind of stuff. Like, it's all very important, and it doesn't work if it stops. So I said to them again, I was like, I don't need all of it right now. I said, let's spread it out. And the one person on the call said, for how long? And I said, well, I'm 54. I think I could do it for 10 more years. I said, hopefully, maybe 10 years from now, we won't need it anymore. Let's hope for that. I said, but I don't know how much longer I could go at this pace, but right now I'm having no problem with it. And I don't want to give away what I know it does for people. Somewhat ironically, I guess. Although since that Alanis Morissette song, I don't really know if I understand that word or not. But somewhat ironically ironic. This person comes online the other day and I don't know, it's some post I put up. I don't remember what it was. And they write this thing like, oh, I'm like, I haven't been here in a while. This just popped up in front of me. I'm so glad you're still doing this. And talked about how valuable it was for them. But then in the course of the conversation said, you know, I have to admit I didn't think you'd be able to keep it going this long. And I understood what they meant. Like, it's a lot, you know, it seems like a lot. Or like, how long are you going to talk about this? You know, over and over again. But I think we found a way for it not to be repetitive at the same time, but nevertheless, like, I don't know how most people would feel about that, being confronted with someone going, wow, you're still here. I didn't think that was going to work out. I was just insulted by it. I was like, what do you think? I can't do this. I was like, I could definitely do this. I think I can do it. I think I can keep it going for another decade and bring information to people and hopefully be the one that reminds them that insulin doesn't start working as soon as you put it in and that your A1C really could go down a full point if you just pre bullish your meals with consistency. That kind of simple stuff that needs to be repeated over and over and over again. I interviewed a woman this morning who's been on before. She's out in the world, like, trying to save Levomir. And like, there's part of you that could hear that and be like, what is she doing? But like, she's got real reasons and like, she's out there changing things and like, and making an impact on it. And I was, I was telling her that it's very cool to see that she stayed involved with it so long, because I can, I've interviewed her before. I actually hear her getting better at talking about it. She's clearer, she's more concise, she just clearly has more time in that space absorbing that, that like the, the more granular parts of it. And it made me tell her after the recording was over, I'm Happy that I do that too. Like, I've never grown this thing and went, okay, it's done that. Now let me go do something else or let me make it into something bigger or try to make more money with it or something. Like, it does what it does right here, and I don't need to go anywhere else. Like, I'm happy with what this does. I'm good at it. I get more granular information all the time. I get better at it. And it helps the people. It helps. Like, there's no need to have, like, a grand, grandiose idea of, like, why could. You know, why don't I go get all of them? Or. You know what I mean? Like, just. This is. This is good. Like, getting people who are either wanting to start over or newly diagnosed and putting them on a better path and giving them a shot. Like, that's pretty much all I think of is what I do. But I'm very happy doing it, and I'm not looking to change it, I guess. Anyway, good.

[B]

We need you to do this.

[A]

Well, thank you. I appreciate it.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

I'm so happy for how well you're doing. I can't thank you enough for all the effort you put into the thing that I'm doing. You guys don't get enough, you know, enough glory, for sure. I do really appreciate it. People are genuinely and generally very nice to you guys online. Every once in a while, you get somebody comes at you a little bit, but for the most part, it. It's a very interesting place. Very unlike Facebook. Facebook experience.

[B]

I find it's really the only reason why I'm still there.

[A]

Yeah. No, trust me, if.

[B]

If this group wouldn't. Wasn't a thing, then. Then I would have already deleted the app.

[A]

Yeah, I feel. I feel. I feel very similarly.

[B]

So, Mark. Mark Zuckerberg, really, he owes you, I think, at this point.

[A]

So maybe he could just let people see my posts. Would that be nice?

[B]

That would be helpful, right? No kidding.

[A]

My gosh. If I. You know, people are like, you could have dinner with anybody. Somebody asked me that the other day, and I was like, oh, Tim Cook? And they were like, really? And I'm like, yeah. I'm like, I got to explain to him how he's screwing up the podcast app. And so.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I'm sure he doesn't know the first thing about it, but, boy, I'd love. I'd love to talk to somebody from Apple for five seconds and explain to them how what they do interferes with, like, my and other people's ability to reach communities that they've built. So, Corey, I can't thank you enough for doing this. I'm gonna. You've been going at this too long.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

I'll let you go. It's been a real thank you for

[B]

the opportunity to speak with you and thanks for all that you've done for me and for all the 80, 000 people in the group and all the people who listen every day. And a shout out to the all the group experts. You know who y' all are, and I appreciate each and every one of you.

[A]

This is the first Texas thing you've done.

[B]

Well, I had, I was, I was put up to do that. The y' all Sylvia, she. Yes. She said I had to say something Texan and so make her listen all the way through all the ads.

[A]

I was gonna say, Corey, good job. Way to tease it out. Perfect.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

All right, man. Hold on one second. US Med sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Check them [e-mail] juicebox or by calling 888-721514, get your free benefits check and get started today with usmed. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod 5 now with my link omnipod.com juicebox you may be be eligible for a free starter kit. A free Omnipod 5 starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox okay, well, here we are at the end of the episode. You're still with me. Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? My other why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review. Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app. Go to YouTube and follow me. Or Instagram TikTok. Oh gosh. Here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. You don't want to miss, please. Do you not know about the private group? You have to join the private group. As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active, talking about diabetes. Whatever you need to know. There's a conversation happening in there right now and I'm there all the time. Tag me. I'll say hi. Check out my algorithm Pumping series to help you make sense of automated insulin Delivery systems like Omnipod 5 Loop Medtronic 780G Twist, Tandem Control IQ, and much more. Each episode will dive into the setup, features, and real world usage tips that can transform your daily type 1 diabetes management. We cut through the jargon, share personal experiences, and show you how these algorithms can simplify and streamline your care. If you're curious about automated insulin pumping, go find the Algorithm Pumping series in the juice box. Podcast easiest way juiceboxpodcast.com and go up into the menu. Click on series and it'll be right there. Have a podcast. Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording. Com.