#1898 Cat Scratch Seizure

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1898 – “Cat Scratch Seizure”

Date: July 9, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Amber, single mom of two, navigating her son’s Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis

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Episode Overview

This episode features Amber, a single mom of two (a 14-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes). The conversation dives deeply into the challenges Amber and her son Kayden face managing his medical, emotional, and behavioral needs—particularly in the context of severe ADHD, a complex school experience, and limited support systems. The episode offers both raw honesty and humor as Amber details her journey through healthcare, education bureaucracy, and the emotional impact of caring for a child with chronic illness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Amber’s Family and Diagnosis Journey

• Introduction to Amber: 37-year-old single mom, two kids (02:25)
• Family Medical Background: Only her uncle has a formal autoimmune diagnosis (Hashimoto’s)—no celiac in family, though her daughter shows some intolerance (03:36–04:15)
• Amber’s Mental Health: Experiences anxiety and possible PCOS; considers her hypochondria both a challenge and an asset (05:00)
• Diagnosis Story:
  • Kayden’s ADHD and initial health symptoms (night sweats, increased urination, bruises) presumed side-effects from ADHD meds or vitamin deficiency (05:07–06:30)
  • Dirt bike accident preceding increased symptoms; family moving and adjusting to new routines (07:15–09:54)
  • Amber’s vigilance (prompted by hypochondria) leads her to push for a diabetes test; experiences dismissive and confusing communication from ER staff (10:33–13:46)
    • Notable Quote: “I had to bribe him. He was like, no, I don’t want to get any needles. I’m like, I’ll give you $20… Now that I need a lot of needles, are you going to give me more money?” — Amber (11:14)

Immediate and Ongoing Reactions to Diagnosis

• Hospital Experience: Overwhelming number of specialists with fragmented information for both mom and son (18:04)
• Kayden’s Emotional Impact: Resistant to learning injections, meltdown requiring sedation (18:40)
• Amber’s Anxiety & Family Patterns: Long history of anxiety and health worries, generational discussions of concern (15:31–17:37)
• Family Support: Minimal involvement from the children’s father and only intermittent help from her own mother (28:43–29:15)

ADHD and School Challenges

• ADHD Management:

  • Struggles with focus and behavioral outbursts at school (22:06)
  • ADHD medication (methylphenidate) proves effective but suppresses appetite, complicating blood sugar management (23:44–24:33)
  • Attempt to remove medication after diagnosis proves a mistake; school pressure leads her to reinstate it (24:35–27:34)
  • Notable Quote: “He just couldn’t focus… he was acting up to the point where… he was getting suspended. They put him in a program for kids with behavioral issues. He learned terrible behaviors.” — Amber (22:06)

• School Accommodations & Litigation:

  • School’s lack of accommodation for medical needs (e.g., nurse training, program participation) pushes Amber to get legal help (26:49–28:11)
  • Facing discrimination, lack of understanding around diabetes as a disability, and outright exclusion from activities (28:09)
  • Eventually secures better support through advocacy and legal action, including accommodations for after-school programs, van driver training, and access to therapeutic resources (34:44–35:36, 73:28–74:36)

Behavioral Incidents and Legal Issues

• Managing Lows at School:
  • Kayden sometimes refused treatment for low blood sugars, escalating school behavioral concerns (26:31)
• Conflict with School Security:
  • Incident where a security guard involved in a low blood sugar episode accuses Kayden of threats during an episode (32:05–33:18)
    • Notable Quote: "You're trying to hold a 15-year-old accountable for something he might have said when he had a low... He was 11. 12 year old. Yeah, he was 11 at the time." — Co-host (69:50)
  • Resulting legal battle, school attempts to push him to behavioral school, and eventual success in advocating for his rights and educational fund (72:49–76:19)
  • Notable Quote: “How can we prevent this? [The nurse/psychology student testifies,] I don’t know, cure diabetes. There will be low blood sugars.” (69:50)

Seizure Incident: "Cat Scratch Seizure"

• The Episode’s Namesake:
  • Kayden suffers a nocturnal low leading to a seizure; family’s confusion between son’s medical emergency and cat’s history of seizures (41:52–60:09)
    • Humorous Moment: “My mom thought the cat was having a seizure… that’s how you know things have gotten out of hand.” — Amber (60:09)
  • Children & Youth Services called because therapists believed Amber delayed care, which she disputes (57:00–58:02)

Progress, Lessons, and Hope

• Improved Situation:
  • After extensive advocacy, legal support, fund for educational/therapeutic resources, and more appropriate high school placement, Kayden is happier and more stable (74:41–76:48)
  • Amber notes the importance of sports and peer inclusion for her son’s emotional health (77:14–77:37)
  • Focus on boosting Kayden’s self-worth, encouraging outlets that suit his temperament, and maintaining independence in diabetes management (83:02–83:48)
• Amber’s Learning Curve:
  • Learns to balance her desire for control with empowering Kayden (“not lording over”), especially around food and routines (83:02–83:47)
  • Acknowledges and adapts to language used for emotional support, referencing Juicebox Podcast’s mental health series (80:56–81:37)
  • Notable Quote: “It could be so isolating. I don’t ever want him to feel like he’s all alone in this… I want to be his support.” — Amber (82:09)
• Podcast and Community Support:
  • Amber expresses gratitude for the role the podcast has played in her learning and emotional resilience (84:12)

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Memorable Quotes

• On Advocacy and Single Parenting:
  "You're limited in help. You're limited in finances. You have to go to work. Your kids have problems... The best you can is not awesome, but it is the best you can." — Co-host (61:46)
• On Parent-Child Communication:
  “I understand from my point of view, not him and his point of view with diabetes, you know, so I… try to change my wording.” — Amber (81:37)
• On School Labeling and Stigma:
  “He's totally been labeled now. Take him out of school and put him in sports… you wouldn't know there was any issue.” — Amber (49:53)
• Episode Title Explanation:
  “My mom thought the cat was having a seizure… that's how you know things have gotten out of hand.” — Amber (60:09)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Amber’s Family Intro: 02:25–03:07
• Diagnosis Journey: 05:00–13:46
• Initial Reactions/Emotions: 18:04–18:45
• Managing ADHD at School: 22:06–27:34
• School Discrimination & Legal Advocacy: 28:09–35:36
• Seizure Event and "Cat Scratch Seizure": 41:52–60:09
• Legal Resolution and Educational Fund: 72:49–76:19
• Improvements—High School Transition: 74:41–76:48
• Mental Health, Parenting Reflections: 80:56–83:48

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Tone

• Candid, raw, and self-effacing: Amber shares openly about her limitations, anxiety, mistakes, and hopes.
• Humorous: Despite the heaviness, both host and guest sprinkle the episode with levity and wit.
• Compassionate and supportive: Host provides encouragement, validation, and practical wisdom throughout.

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Final Reflections

Amber’s story is a testament to resilience, advocacy, and the messy realities of parenting a complex child with both chronic illness and neurodiverse needs—often with little outside support. Listeners gain insight into not only the medical and emotional journey of Type 1 diabetes, but also the critical importance of self-education, persistence within bureaucratic systems, and the need for community.

A must-listen for any parent in the diabetes or neurodivergent community, or for educators aiming to understand the dynamic challenges faced by students like Kayden.

Transcript

[Host]

Here we are, back together again, friends, for another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Please don't forget 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. Have you tried the Small Sip series? They're curated takeaways from the Juice Box Podcast, voted on by listeners as the most helpful insights for managing their diabetes. These bite sized pieces of wisdom cover essential topics like insulin timing, carb management and balancing highs and lows, making it easier for you to incorporate real life strategies into your daily routine. Dive deep, take a sip and discover what our community finds most valuable the journey to better diabetes management. For more information on Small sips, go to juiceboxpodcast.com, click on the Word series in the menu. If you're looking for community around type 1 diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast. Private Facebook group juicebox podcast type 1 diabetes but everybody is welcome. Type 1 type 2 gestational loved ones it doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort or community, check out juicebox podcast type 1 diabetes on Facebook. Today's episode is sponsored by the Tandem MOBI system with Control IQ Technology. If you are looking for the only system with auto bolus, multiple wear options and full control from your personal iPhone, you're looking for Tandem's newest pump and algorithm. Use my link to support the podcast and tandem diabetes.com juicebox check it out. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G7, the same CGM that my daughter wears. Check it out [e-mail] juicebox when you use the offer code juicebox at [e-mail] you will in fact save 20% off of your entire order. I'm talking about the sheets, the towels that I use, the joggers I'm wearing now and and anything else on that site that catches your eye. Cozyearth.com use the offer code juicebox hi,

[Amber]

my name is Amber. I'm a single mom with two kids. My younger 12 year old is my type one and I have my 14 year old daughter as well.

[Co-host]

Okay, you are a single mom. How old are you?

[Amber]

I'm 37.

[Co-host]

37. Do you know that when asked to randomly choose a number between 1 and 100, people most frequently choose 37?

[Amber]

I did not know that.

[Co-host]

It's one of those weird factoids that may or may not be true. Anyway, tell me again your kid's age. I'm sorry.

[Amber]

Yes. I have a 14 year old daughter. And then my son, he is 12. He's my type one.

[Co-host]

12 with a type one. Gotcha. Do you know, Amber? Are you nervous? You told me you were nervous before we started.

[Amber]

I am nervous.

[Co-host]

You are nervous. So here's why I asked. Because when we were talking before you recorded, you were louder.

[Amber]

Oh.

[Co-host]

And as soon as we started recording, it feels like you stepped back like a hip a step. Don't worry about it. Okay? It's all gonna go great. A hundred percent. And if you suck, no one will even notice. I'll go off on some weird tangent, tell a story. It'll be fine. Okay.

[Amber]

All right.

[Co-host]

No pressure for you. And you're not gonna suck. It'll be great. So let's find out a little bit about the background first. Your kid's father or you. Any autoimmune issues in your families?

[Amber]

So, my uncle, he was diagnosed just a couple years ago with Hashimoto's. Other than that, I don't know of any other. Okay. Autoimmune.

[Co-host]

Okay. Celiac?

[Amber]

No, I think my. My daughter, she does have like an intolerance, but she's been tested for celiac and it's been negative.

[Co-host]

Okay, how about you? Do you have anything going on? You have pcos, you got severe anxiety? You got anything? Anything inflammation related even? Not necessarily autoimmune?

[Amber]

Formally diagnosed? No. But I sure do think I have a few of those things going on.

[Co-host]

Like, listen, I got the Internet. Let me tell you, I got a couple of those things. What things do, what do you. What do you struggle with?

[Amber]

Um, yeah, my hormones are all messed up. I do think I might have some pcos, and I'm definitely an anxious person. My hypochondria, I think, has helped me especially like through this type 1 diagnosis, though.

[Co-host]

Tell me about that. How did your hypochondria help you figure out your kid had type one?

[Amber]

Yeah, well, funny enough, it kind of even goes back towards the summer before he was diagnosed. I thought he also has adhd, so I was worried that his medication was doing something like, to his heart and everything, because I had noticed, you know, maybe four or five months before his diagnosis that he was. He would get up at night, go to the bathroom, and then he'd come into my room and fall back to sleep in my room. And I. He would sweat profusely and I, like, felt his heart, felt like it was going to like, beat out of his chest. And I was always worried about putting him on medicine. For the adhd. And so I contacted the doctor. The doctor was like, the medicine is not doing that. It should already be out of his system. So, you know, it, it only happened a couple times and then it just kind of stopped. So I kind of just. I was worried that he had like, more of a, A vitamin D deficiency also because he had bruises on his legs this past summer. Okay, he wouldn't wear shorts or anything either. But so to fast forward, he was diagnosed. It was October of last, like, not this past, like 2024. And so he had a dirt bike accident and he really hurt his back badly. And right after that happened, he started going to the bathroom even more frequently. And I, like, had conversations in my head to not be overly paranoid about things because even my daughter will tell me sometimes that I want there to be something wrong with her, but I just want to be ahead of things. So I noticed he was going to the bathroom a lot after that. And we had just moved, um, and we had a wood burner stove. So I thought, okay, maybe he's, you know, a little dehydrated. I asked him, he said, oh, yeah, no, I don't like the water at school, so I'm just drinking more at home. And I'm like, okay, I'm just like keeping an eye on it. And then right before Halloween, my mother had taken the kids to a trunk retreat while I was at work. And he didn't feel good that next, like Monday, he didn't go into school. And my mother happened to be. I lived with her. I moved in with her right before he was diagnosed. But she had noticed that he was going to the bathroom a lot then too. And she said, you know, do you think that maybe he hurt his kidney or something with the dirt bike accident? And I was like, no. But I was worried that it was diabetes.

[Host]

Say no, mom.

[Co-host]

But I do have a long list of other things I'm concerned about, including that I think we're turning the kids into beef jerky with a pellet stove.

[Host]

If I had a pellet stove, I would sit there wrapped in my Cozy Earth blanket. There is one I have on my. I know you think I'm making this up. I promise I'm not. There's this fuzzy, heavy, like, I don't know, it's like this one person blanket that I use on my sofa all the time from Cozy Earth. It's absolutely fabulous.

[Co-host]

There's just a ton of stuff on

[Host]

their site, cozyearth.com use the offer code juice box to save 20%. I'm talking about everything from towels to clothing dryer balls, the fuzzy blanket for the sofa, the sheets on my bed, Anything you can think of. Cozyearth.com use the offer code juicebox. Save 20% off of your entire order. Treat yourself. You're working too hard to be laying around on an old blanket that smells like a cat.

[Amber]

So, yeah. Oh, my gosh.

[Co-host]

My favorite part of your story so far, you're like, I think I was drying them out with a burner. And so your mom goes to kidney damage. Hey, what happened on this dirt bike accident? Did he fall off a roof? Like, what. What was it?

[Amber]

So he was at a friend's house, but the way I heard it, it sounded like the other person, like, braked a little too fast in front of him, and he, you know, got scared, and then he, you know, didn't want to hit them and wound up breaking. And I think there was, like, a pothole or something.

[Co-host]

Oh, my gosh.

[Amber]

But, yeah, and it was his first time on, like, a big dirt bike like that. He only had, like, a little electric one. So.

[Co-host]

So what, he hit his back or.

[Amber]

Yeah, right on. On the. The sacrum there. The. The low back. Yeah.

[Co-host]

Geez.

[Amber]

But, yeah, he's still got a pretty nasty scar. And. Yeah. So, like, my. My dad was tested when I was little. I remember he would go to the bathroom a lot. Like, this is also what I was, like, justifying in the summertime. Like, oh, I guess he's just getting older, you know, getting up and going to the bathroom. My dad getting pees a lot. You know, they tested him for diabetes, which is why I knew it was, like, a symptom.

[Co-host]

That's what got you. Oh, that's what got you. So if something happened to your father, he peed a lot. They said maybe he has diabetes. And then that's what you started thinking. So let me take you back to. Because you were doing a good job in the story. So you and your mom are talking. Your mom's like, kidney damage, and you're like, diabetes. So where do we go from there?

[Amber]

Yeah, so I called the doctor after that, and I was going to set up an appointment, and the doctor's office called me back and said, just take him to the emergency room. So I did. I had to, like, actually, I had to bribe him. He was like, no, I don't want to get any needles. I'm like, I'll give you $20. He's like, okay, I'll go for money.

[Host]

20 bucks.

[Co-host]

Got him.

[Host]

Huh?

[Co-host]

That's. That's great.

[Amber]

Yeah. After the fact. He was like, now that I need a lot of needles, are you going to give me more money?

[Co-host]

So set yourself up there.

[Amber]

Backfired. Yeah.

[Co-host]

Now listen, their understanding of money is different between everyone's. Arden said to me the other day, hey, because her. She has a bank card and it expired, so they sent her a new one. And she sends me a text last night. She goes, I don't think that my money transferred over to my new bank card. And I went, that's not how that works. I said, what happened was you used up all the money in the account. She goes, oh, oh, okay. She didn't think the money tr. I hope she hears this one day. It's embarrassing how little you know about moneyg. I'm trying so hard to teach her, but she doesn't want to learn. So anyway, so the kid hit you for 20 for the. To go to the hospital. And what happened when you got there?

[Amber]

Yeah, so we got there and I, I mentioned, you know, getting his blood sugar checked because I was worried about diabetes. But we were also worried that maybe there was some kind of organ damage. So we, we got there. You know, they. It was, it was kind of annoying because they checked his blood sugar, told me it was high. I wouldn't tell me what it was until they gave him the scan. And I was actually going to opt out of it because I was like, listen, is this, you know, you said it's with contrast. That's radiation. I rather like just. How about we just go the blood sugar route? Because you said it was high. And he kind of guilted me into, like, doing the scan as well. And then after that came back negative, they're like, yeah, his blood sugar's 416.

[Co-host]

Wait, you felt pressured by the doctor?

[Amber]

Yeah, yeah, he. He started using a bunch of big medical terms like what if, you know, there is something, you know, inside, you know, bleeding or yada, yada, you know, just to the point.

[Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, I. Here's what I heard. Hey, we think your kid might have diabetes, but we also have a reason to suspect that we need this scan, and that's enough for us to do it. And your insurance will pay for it, so why don't we do that?

[Amber]

Yeah, exactly. It's pretty much how it went.

[Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotcha.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

How about check the kid's blood sugar and then if that's not the problem, we'll do the scan.

[Amber]

Yeah, and they had already did it, and they, like, didn't tell me what the actual number was. And I mean, I think in a bit of shock. Yeah. They told me after he had the scan and the scan came back, you know, that he.

[Co-host]

Man, scumbag. You know what I mean? I mean, come on.

[Amber]

I won't go to the hospital anymore.

[Co-host]

I would. I would imagine agitated by it because

[Amber]

I. I think he had already given my son the. The. The. The contrast, because after the fact, they just took him right away for the scan, and I was like, well, they didn't give him anything. They gave it to him already. That's why he was trying to talk me into it, too, because he already.

[Co-host]

Lady, we're halfway there. Let's do it. Okay.

[Amber]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we had to wait for an ambulance because we had to go to a children's hospital, and they wouldn't let me drive. You know, the doctor told my son, you know, yeah, I think it's diabetes. And that was a pretty devastating moment because Kaden, like, looked at me and just started crying like, no, I don't want diabetes. Because funny enough, not funny, I. I already knew a lot about blood sugar. You know, in hindsight, it was more of a type 2. I would joke with the kids. Joke, not joke. Hey, you know, think of your pancreas when you eat that, you know, like to kind of, like, give them the self. Aware, like, you know, this is sugar, this is protein. You know, like, make healthy food choices. Later on in the hospital, my son jokes like, oh, maybe, you know, your talk about diabetes, like, kind of willed this on me. And after I started crying, he said he was joking and he didn't mean

[Co-host]

it, but, yeah, great. Do you guys. I mean, first of all, Amber, you're delightful, but, like, you know, you said you have a ton of anxiety. Is that a good way to put it?

[Amber]

Yes.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Amber]

Is there any amplified after children?

[Co-host]

Well, yeah, that. Yeah, no kidding.

[Amber]

I didn't.

[Co-host]

I didn't have any anxiety in mind. Amplified after children. So you. Do you think the kids have it, too?

[Amber]

My daughter definitely has more.

[Co-host]

How about your mom?

[Amber]

More. More blatant anxiety. Actually, my mom, I would say she's not as anxious as me.

[Co-host]

Okay, well, is that a high bar, though?

[Amber]

It's a high bar. I mean, I. Yeah, they would joke about my hypochondria when I was little.

[Co-host]

Oh, so even when you were little, you were always worried something was wrong?

[Amber]

I was worried I was sick. Yeah. I remember one time, like, a dog that I would pass by on the way home from school. Like, he was, like, mean. I. I don't even remember. And he like, licked me. I thought I got rabies. I was like, oh, God, he was rabid. You know, like, you know, paranoid thoughts.

[Co-host]

Do you have OCD or. I was going to say, do you have something like. I mean, I don't again, barely got through high school, but do you have something else? Have you ever spoken to somebody?

[Amber]

I. I had some tendencies when I was younger. I wouldn't say I have any OCD at the moment. I'm very good at rationalizing my, my thoughts. You know, I kind of like, wait, gather the facts before I lunge into thinking something is worse than it is.

[Co-host]

That counting or skipping over the cracks in the sidewalks or anything like that.

[Amber]

Oh, there was a time in my life, but no, I don't do anything like that anymore.

[Co-host]

Okay, so. Because you found a way to manage it for yourself, that's what you're telling me?

[Amber]

Yeah. When I was in high school, I was going through some stuff with like, my dad and, you know, there was just some. I was having mental health issues, trying to like, manage him, kind of not speaking with me. So.

[Co-host]

Yeah, that was. He isolated.

[Amber]

You manifested. Yeah.

[Co-host]

I'm sorry. Well, it's been a bit of a, of a slog so far.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Okay. We got the kid here. He doesn't want the diabetes. He gets it. Is this a moment for him? Does he regress? Is it hard for him? Does that carry into the future?

[Amber]

Yes, it was really hard for him. You know, he. Even in the hospital, like, we had so many different people coming in to explain different things. Like, no one person could give us, like, all the answers. Oh, that's a question for the doctor. That's a question for the, you know, nutritionist. You know, so that happened a lot in the hospital. And when he was there, there was the like tech lady that came to show us how to give injections and all that. And he just kind of was like, nope, I'm not having it. And he started ripping off the cords and like, I'm getting out of here. To the point they had to sedate him.

[Co-host]

Is that, is that a common level of reaction for him or was that out of, out of character?

[Host]

The Dexcom G7 is sponsoring this episode of the Juice Box podcast and it features a lightning fast 30 minute warm up time. That's right from the time you put on the Dexcom G7 till the time you're getting readings. 30 minutes. That's pretty great. It also has a 12 hour grace period, so you can swap your sensor when it's convenient for you. All that on top of it being small, accurate, incredibly wearable and light. These things, in my opinion, make the Dexcom G7 a no brainer. The Dexcom G7 comes with way more than just this. Up to 10 people can follow you. You can use it with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes. It's covered by all sorts of insurances and this might be the best part. It might be the best part alerts and alarms that are customizable so that you can be alerted at the levels that make sense to you. Dexcom.com juicebox links in the show notes [e-mail] to Dexcom and all the sponsors. When you use my links, you're supporting the production of the podcast and helping to keep it free and plentiful. Let's talk about the Tandem Moby Insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, ControlIQ technology, and the new Tandem Moby pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with autobolus that helps with missed meals and preventing hyperglycemia, the only system with a dedicated sleep setting, and the only system with off or on body wear options. TandemMobi gives you more discretion, freedom and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever and they'd like you to check it [e-mail] juicebox when you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's going to help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandomdiabetes.com juicebox the tandem mobi system is available for people ages 2 and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range and address high blood sugars with auto bolus.

[Amber]

No, he's. He's. Yeah, he has reactions like that. He's. Yeah, he's.

[Co-host]

Oh, Amber, you got, you got, you got sad. What happened?

[Amber]

Oh, well, I mean, this past year and a half since he was diagnosed has been a challenge. But even before diabetes, his ADHD has been so bad that it also caused, like, a lot of issues, school especially. I never wanted to put him on medication, but eventually I did. My uncle said, you know, what's worse? The potential side effects of the medication or what's happening to his, you know, emotions and everything by not being on the medicine.

[Co-host]

What was, what were some of his symptoms? What was happening?

[Amber]

Well, he just couldn't focus on the schoolwork, he was acting up to the point where I was getting called every. Every other day, he was getting suspended. They put him in a program for kids with behavioral issues. This was at his old school, which these kids already had behavioral issues. So he learned terrible behaviors like how these kids were acting. So he acted even worse because he saw other kids acting up. I wound up putting them on medication and like. Like a light switch. He was able to sit, do his work because he would have the behaviors to get out of school work because he couldn't focus on it, which even. So after he came home from the hospital, he's two weeks into a new school. I'm like, we need to have a meeting with his history of behavioral issues and ADHD along with this diagnosis. We need to have a plan in place. And because he's like half an hour from our house, the school's half an hour from our house. So I. I needed to make sure that he was going to be safe on the van he drive. He's on a van, he doesn't take the bus, you know, safe in the school. So. Well, I. Yeah.

[Co-host]

What medication do they put him on?

[Amber]

He's on methylphenidate.

[Co-host]

And that just. You're saying like a light switch? You mean one dose or one week or one month? How did it.

[Amber]

It works instantly. So, like, you know, you take it that day, it works that day, it wears off that day, you know, and. But the thing with the. The ADHD medication is it suppresses his appetite. So when I told his doctor, the doctor said, you know, maybe high blood sugars were causing his. Some of his ADHD symptoms. That does happen. So we decided to take him off of the medication after diagnosis to see if, you know, because we were worried about falling blood sugars at that time. There was no pump, you know, so it. Suppressing his appetite was a big deal. And so we did take him off the medicine. And so that was. Yeah.

[Co-host]

Was that a mistake?

[Amber]

It was a mistake. But I also think that the school was worried about him. They wound up saying, hey, how about we just put him in school for half days so he could adjust to this new diagnosis? So that wound up happening all the majority of last year. But even with, like, getting any type of accommodations for him, I really had to fight the principal even last year with that because he was like, no, the nurse is enough. This is fine. This is how we've had other, you know, diabetics. I'm like, yeah, well, they weren't Kayden. And I want to know, like, if the nurse is, you know, unavailable, like the high school and elementary are right across from one another. Sometimes the nurse, if one of the nurses are out, they're, you know, subbing between schools. So I really had to push just to get some training done. After getting the super superintendent involved, he was like, yeah, of course. So we got the van driver tested, which honestly, we had to switch van drivers because the original van driver was like, I don't want that liability, really. So we switched van drivers. The one he has now is lovely. He got trained and then a couple people in the school also got trained.

[Co-host]

Very nice.

[Amber]

So I felt a lot better. And then he was doing half days, but the entire time I'm, they're calling me all the time, you know. Yeah, you have to come get him. He's having a low blood sugar. You have to come get him. You know, he's acting up and I, you know, it wasn't as bad last year as it was the beginning of this year, but it was just, hey, did they.

[Co-host]

When he gets a low blood sugar, do they not help him? Why do you have to come? Because he has a low blood sugar,

[Amber]

he would refuse to treat it sometimes. This was more of an issue, the beginning of this school year, which led to me having to get a lawyer and everything. For what?

[Co-host]

What'd you need a lawyer for?

[Amber]

Well, I had to get two first off. One was because the school. So in hindsight, I found out that there was a bit of discrimination going on against him, like with some programming. Like there was a summer program that they told me, oh, you know, we don't have a nurse on staff, we don't have a driver to get him here who's trained in, you know, diabetes. So, like, I don't know how we would manage that. I offered myself to drive there and sit in the parking lot for the summer program. Same with these after school activities, the intramurals. Again, the nurse leaves. We don't have a nurse here. There's, you know, so I, I was like offering to take him and stay there and, you know, I was like, I don't want him getting resentful of his, his diabetes. You know, I'll do whatever I have to. You know, in hindsight, after I get the lawyer, I find out that they are supposed to accommodate him. I guess I, I didn't really think of his type one as like a disability, you know, Like, I guess when I thought of disabilities being disabled, it was more, you can't see, hear, walk, you know.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Amber]

So I didn't Even think of it in the sense of, like, you know, he falls under, like, the American Disability act and things like that, but. So I feel like I need to breathe.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Take a second. Really? It's obviously a lot. Like, I. I'm. I'm struggling between not wanting to interrupt you and trying to help you by interrupting you. So I'm not sure where to go sometimes.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Wow. I mean, gosh. Is the father helping at all? Is anybody helping you?

[Amber]

Their father hasn't been involved ever, Pretty much. So, no. With that for help, I really don't get too much help, to be honest. It's really just me. You know, on occasion, my mother will help if she's around, but she's kind of been off doing her own thing for the most part. That's neither here nor there.

[Co-host]

Well, I'm just saying, it's like, you got two kids and they're struggling. You have some struggles of your own. You know, it's a. It's definitely a lot. I. I don't have an answer for you, but it feels like. It feels like it would be valuable if somebody could, you know, step in once in a while and offer you a break. Do you get. Do you get a break? How do you find time for yourself? Or are you not able to?

[Amber]

No, there's really no breaks. It's been a lot better now. I will say that the beginning of the school year, it was a pure nightmare. But things, like, have really settled down. He's in school. I'm not worried about him. You know, anybody calling me. It's gotten so much better. Unfortunately, after I had to get lawyers involved. Well, let's even go back, like, two weeks before schools, Kaden didn't want to do the summer program. Honestly, we went to one day of the summer program, and I got anxiety just seeing the school. We were feeling so much better. This was like, July. And then I realized, like, oh, my gosh, the school is stressing me out. Even just seeing it, just thinking of, like, everything we went through the year before. And I decided. I'm like, hayden, if you don't want to. He's like, yeah, I don't want to. So he didn't do the summer program, but two weeks before school even started, he. This was happening last year, too. He started getting stomach aches. I was, you know, slightly paranoid that he had something to do with. With his diagnosis. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Is this anxiety or is this, you know, some kind of the slower digestion? I'm like, oh, my God. Is that possible?

[Co-host]

I was assuming you would jump to that.

[Amber]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I did. I did. But, you know, again, I talk these crazy thoughts out of my head and try to rationalize things, but, you know, the whole summer he wasn't having any issues with his stomach. Two weeks before school, he's already starting to complain. And the first day of school, he was so anxious, he threw up. Well, he wasn't sick at all. I knew it was nerves. And so in between him, like, he started getting in trouble at school, but then also he would not want to go because his stomach hurt. So that was happening quite a bit. Now, fast forward to this past November. It was right before his birthday. He had a low blood sugar. And like, they would always do. They would, like, use me. Like, you better eat something or I'm calling your mom. Was kind of what was happening a lot.

[Co-host]

That's a shame.

[Amber]

So the school principal put a security guard in charge of Kayden. And the security guard, you know, you know how they can be, like, trying to kind of strong arm him. You need to eat this. That the other Kayden winds up telling me, like, I guess he wanted to get out of the nurse's room. And the security guard kind of like, I'm sure he just put his hand out. Kayden swears that he tried choking him, but again, he was having low blood sugar, so.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Amber]

The whole thing escalated quickly. I, you know, I bring him home a couple days later. Like, that was like a Thursday. They suspended him. Um, he comes back to school the following week. It was actually his birthday. I the only way to get him to school. I was like, listen, let's just try half a day. So I wind up picking him up early. And the security guard comes over to me while I'm waiting for my son. And he's like, yeah, you're Kayden's mom. Like, yeah. Okay. I just want to let you know I'm pressing charges after what happened last week.

[Co-host]

The security guard said this.

[Amber]

The security guard said this. I'm like, wait, come again? And I, I, I kind of just like, stared. And I think he was hoping I would give a reaction. And he repeated himself. I'm pressing charges. Your son threatened to kill me. And I was like, wait, what? Excuse me? He's like, yeah, he threatened to kill me. And he was getting like, he was raising his voice. He was kind of like leaning in towards me. You could tell he was agitated and trying to get a rise out of me. And I'm like, do you have any formal training in, you know, medical or mental health emergencies. He's like, no, he threatened to kill me. And I was like, well, when you're having a low blood sugar, you can't really, like, control some of the things you say or do. But, you know, you do what you have to do and we'll just go to court for it. So after that, I called the principal and I asked the principal. I'm like, did Kaden threaten to kill him? And the principal was like, oh, I know he threatened him. I don't know what he actually said, but I heard him threaten him. I'm like, you heard a threat, but you don't know what the threat was? Like, okay, that makes sense. And I could just tell that the principal was. He wasn't answering specific, like, specifically where

[Co-host]

they hire the security guard from, by the way.

[Amber]

I don't even know. It was, it was a big thing. But I wound up, I wound up having to, like, find a lawyer because of that. And I thought I was just going to hire a lawyer to go to the magistrate because, you know, like, a week or so later I get a letter in the mail. They filed disorderly conduct charges. In the, the report, it doesn't say anything about, like, threatening to kill him. It's very vague also. And I even asked Kaden, I'm like, did you like, what happened? And even to this day, he insists that he, he tried choking him. I, I think that he did have his hand out. And, you know, Kayden was, you know, running into it. I'm sure it could have been by his throat. Neither here nor there. Kayden did not threaten to kill him. That never came up again in conversation. It wasn't written on the incident report. I even said, like, I was looking into it, if you threaten to kill somebody at a school, you could get exposed, expelled, you know, so I, I 100 don't believe that happened. I try to get camera footage. Nobody would give me camera footage. I didn't know what, like, I don't know anything about lawyers. So I went to. My mother, suggested going to the center for Independent Living. They help people with disabilities. They're like, okay, we, we don't help kids. But, you know, I could make some phone calls and see who I could find. And then they found, oh, gosh, I forgot what, the name of the lawyers to help. Educational Law Firm. The Educational Law Firm. So I talked to them. They tell me that I certainly have a case and that they couldn't take it because they had too many cases. But they gave me a list of other Lawyers and a whole bunch of information in case I didn't go the lawyer route. About, like, cadence rights and things like that. Very helpful stuff. But I still wanted to get a lawyer because what's the frame of time

[Co-host]

all of this has happened in the front?

[Amber]

It was.

[Co-host]

It's like the last year and a half.

[Amber]

Yes. Yeah. This was just a few months ago. This was. It started in November. I wound up finding the lawyer in December. I started putting Kaden back on the medication, too, because I had a meeting with the principal because of this incident. And I thought to myself, I'm like, wait a minute. You know, he was trying to get out of school work years ago. This is familiar, despite the diabetes. And I said, you know what? I think he needs his medicine again. I put him back on the medicine, and again, night and day. All of a sudden, he's not complaining of stomach aches. He's going to school every day. I'm not. I'm. I'm still getting phone calls because I swear that they were trying to find more reason. They were worried I was gonna say,

[Co-host]

they probably hate his guts. They probably hate his guts by now. You know what I mean? Yeah. You're involved in a blood feud at this point.

[Amber]

Well, honestly, I even didn't put him in school for, like, two weeks after that because I was worried. I'm like, I could tell you're all lying. I don't want to bring him to school, and you make something up to get him into more trouble, you know, so, you know, you need to put your kid in school. Now I'm getting truancy letters, and I'm like, okay, I put them back in school. Let's just hold my breath. I get the lawyer. I had to, like, get every email, every, like, voicemail, every letter, send everything to the lawyer. The lawyer accepts the case. She. In hindsight, I kind of wish I got a different lawyer. It was like, I put all this work in, like, six weeks of gathering paperwork. And then she's like, yeah, I'll accept your case. You know, you need to sign this. And this whole time, I'm thinking it's free, because that's what the Education Law center told me. And she's like, yeah, well, if you, you know, it's free unless, you know, you cut out early and decide not to finish up with the case or, you know, any money that my son might get, I'm gonna take, like, 30% of that. I was like, what? Like, oh, my gosh. But I decided I could still go through with it. Because I put all this time into giving her all this information, and I didn't want to take any more time away from Kaden getting help at the school.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Amber]

So, you know, I. And then she told me, she's like, yes, I'm.

[Co-host]

I'll.

[Amber]

I'll help you with this, but you also need to get another lawyer. Like, I. I don't do anything with the magistrate. So I wound up getting another lawyer to go in front of the magistrate for the whole security guard thing.

[Co-host]

And can you just go somewhere and start over? Have you ever thought of that?

[Amber]

I thought I was doing. Moving to your mom's here.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Amber]

Yeah. Well, to backtrack. This past September, Kaden had a seizure from a low. Children and youth got. Yeah, it was a low blood sugar and children and youth got involved because of it. I didn't even mention, like, how angry he was after the diagnosis. There was a lot of emotions going on. Yeah, sure. A lot of holes in the walls, hard time accepting. Like, even in the beginning, he didn't want to eat certain things. Once he got his insulin pump, he started feeling comfortable eating again. But then that was the other thing the school was doing. They were so up in his business with things, you know, I need to see how many carbs you had. I need to see what you ate. The lunch ladies are watching him, calling the nurse, telling them what he ate. You know, things like that. But. So back in September, he. We were having an argument. I don't even remember why he got mad. He ripped his Dexcom off. I went in my room because my mom was like, I'll help him. I'll put another one on. You know, we'll take care of this. Because I was just like, I can't. I can't with this boy right now. Because I've also been going on very little sleep since all of this. So after, you know, a couple weeks of interrupted sleep, I. I was exhausted. It was right before bed too.

[Co-host]

I hear you.

[Amber]

And I didn't put my sugar pixel on. And you know, they put a new Dexcom on and it had an error in the middle of the night. Some error I've never seen before or again. And it stopped working. And he, you know, it was just giving him his automatic basal insulin. And. And that was like for three hours in the middle of the night. And so. So my mom, like, I didn't hear any alarms. I was sleeping through everything up, but it was around 6:15. I woke up, realized, oh my God, I slept through the night, run into his room and he just seemed kind of out of it. I just automatically gave him juice. I didn't check his blood sugar or anything. Didn't know. My mom was just in there, like, 15 minutes beforehand and saw him, you know, unresponsive. There was foam coming out of his mouth. Telltale signs that, you know, he. She didn't put it together that it was a seizure. I'm like, that sounds like a seizure. But she had already given him, you know, some juice before I even got in there. He kind of snapped out of it. He didn't even remember. Like, he didn't know he had a seizure. I'm like, oh, my God, do I take him to the hospital? I knew that they couldn't really do anything for him, but I still wanted him to get checked out. But he got so sick. He was throwing up. He was super nauseous for a couple hours. So he was just throwing up. He fell back to sleep. I'm like, I'm going to take him to the emergency room after he wakes back up. He had a terrible headache for a few days afterwards even, and. But, you know, I took him to the emergency room and, you know, they. There was nothing they could do. They were going to give him something for nausea, but he wasn't nauseous by the time they actually saw him. They gave him some medicine for his headache, you know, and then they wanted him to go get, like, a sleep study done to make sure it wasn't like, epilepsy. And, like, even though they were like, I'm sure it's not, but this is our protocol.

[Co-host]

Amber, can I ask you a question? If I gave you a magic wand and I said wish for things that make everything better, do you know what would help that you have?

[Amber]

Let's. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Co-host]

What would help? What would help?

[Amber]

Um, I'm like, a second me would be great. That would just, like, right. You know, maybe more hands, more time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Honestly, like, having another person money the whole time. Like, I wasn't working. So it was really rough this. This past year and a half. But you.

[Co-host]

Wait, you weren't working because of having to put the effort into the kids or because you didn't have a job or what was the reason for that?

[Amber]

No, I mean, I. I got fmla. So I was working, but it was maybe half the amount. There was times I would go into work, get a call from the nurse, had to just leave soon as I got there. Or, you know, maybe he's, you know, has a stomach ache and didn't want to go to school, and I couldn't leave him home, so I would have to call off a lot. So that happened. Yeah.

[Co-host]

When you think. When you think of your son, do you think, is he a good kid in a bad situation or do you think he's. Do you think he's prone to just being bombastic?

[Amber]

He's a good kid. He's trying to get a grip on his emotions. They're bigger than he is. And through all this, I realized, like, a lot has to do with his ADHD and executive functioning. You know, he. Something happens and he's 0 to 100, you know, and we have to work backwards from a hundred and calm him down. If, you know, something upsets him, do

[Co-host]

you know what upsets him? Or could it be anything?

[Amber]

It's. No, it's not. Like what?

[Co-host]

Except, like, it's not random when it happens. You see that, like, oh, that's reasonable, that he's upset.

[Amber]

He, like, he doesn't like being treated unfairly, which was a big issue he was also having with this school. He. If he knew, like, his math teacher, she's a total purge. She made me cry at the parent teacher conference.

[Co-host]

Wait, she's a what? A total.

[Amber]

A turd.

[Co-host]

Oh, okay.

[Amber]

But, like, if he knows, if he feels you're treating him unfairly or that you don't like him, he. He's going to give it right back to you. You know what I mean? So there was a lot of that going on with. With certain teachers, too. But is any of this.

[Co-host]

Is any of this. I don't know. Are they righteous in any way? Like, is. Is he, like, can you put yourself in their shoes for a second?

[Amber]

Oh, yeah, I put myself in their shoes for a whole year. I was like, no, I understand. You know, he. You know, and I would expect. Explain to them. I'm like, if he doesn't think that, you know, because he'll tell me things, he'll be like, oh, yeah, my math teacher, you know, she told the kids, you know, if he bothers you, I'll move him to the back of the classroom. You know, like, he's like, I was just sitting there. I wasn't doing anything. Why did she say that? You know, like, so things hurt his feet. He's sensitive. You know, things do hurt his feelings, but the way he acts,

[Co-host]

they feel like he feels like he feels like they're. They're shitting on him a lot.

[Amber]

Yeah. And does it seem like it does happen a lot?

[Co-host]

Yeah. Honestly, like, well, he's an easy target for them.

[Host]

Right. He.

[Co-host]

Because in their head. Right. He's not a good kid and he's a problem.

[Amber]

That's what happens. Yeah, exactly. Because they'll. They'll just, you know, it's. It's Kaden. He's the problem. Even if it wasn't him, we know his background, so we're gonna blame him anyway. Other times, too, he's been a scapegoat. So much so I've always been there, trying to, you know, stand up for him when I can, you know, so his confidence doesn't get shattered. Like, even this whole thing with the school, he still wanted to go to school, and I'm so proud of him that it didn't, like, crush him. And, you know, because the principal even at one point said, how about homeschooling? And it's like, if. No, he actually wants.

[Co-host]

The principal was like, hey, could you take him and leave, please? Is that what. That's. Yeah. You know, there's this. Gosh, there's this book. I forget which. This is helpful. I'm not sure which book I read this in. Right. Um. But I guess there's this kind of like. Like, psychological study that was done. They went to kindergarten teachers, and it turned out that kindergarten teachers, completely unbeknownst to them, meaning they did not know they were doing this. They were kinder, more lenient and more loving towards attractive children.

[Amber]

Oh, my God.

[Co-host]

Yeah. And it's not. It's not a thing they did on purpose. They didn't, like.

[Host]

Like, no one stood up at the

[Co-host]

front of the room with, that kid's cute. I'll be nicer to that kid. But they assume that attractive children are smarter. They cut them more breaks. They like them better, like, the whole thing. But then once you really, like, examine it, they have no idea they're doing it. And so I'm wondering.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

On the flip side of that, if once a kid is problematic, you're probably digging the hole deeper and deeper for him. You know, I would say unconsciously, if you're the teacher.

[Amber]

Oh, yeah, He. He's totally been labeled now. Take him out of school and put him in sports. Sports. He's great. You wouldn't know that there was any issue. It's been.

[Co-host]

That part of his life goes really well.

[Amber]

Exactly. And I mean, his father had terrible adhd. So did my dad. Neither of them graduated high school. You know, I just. I see them, and I try so hard to not have my son wind up like that. Did.

[Co-host]

Did either of them have success in life as adults.

[Amber]

No, sorry. No, they don't.

[Co-host]

I was hoping you'd be like, oh, my God.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Like, he ran a. A very successful small engine repair shop, Scott. But no. So they had trouble navigating life in general. You're worried about that for him?

[Amber]

Yes. You know, and I'm trying to, like, parent him in a more compassionate way. You know, back, you know, when they were growing up, it was like, you know, stop acting up. You know, smack them around a bit. You know, like, why don't you listen? You know, and, you know, that didn't work out for either of them, and I don't want.

[Co-host]

And you're trying not to have that happen again. Yeah, of course.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Listen, the medication. I'm sorry, I think I'm. Am I getting sick? Oh, back of my throat. Is I. Oh, God. I shouldn't tell you about it. You'll think you're sick now.

[Amber]

Honestly, Kaden just had a sore throat and everything, so.

[Co-host]

No, I'm sorry. I just have a little bit of, like, whatever's going on back there. Tell me about the medication again. Is it methyl? What? Is it?

[Amber]

Methylphenidate.

[Co-host]

Phenidate. Okay, so I thought that's what you said. I looked it up. It's a stimulant. And is he on it right now?

[Amber]

Yes. He takes it while he goes to school.

[Co-host]

But in adhd, it feels calming because it's a stimulant. That feels calming because it calmings. In quotes. It improves signal strength and attention control circuits. Simply put, your brain uses chemical messengers, especially dopamine and norepinephrine to help with attention, motivation, task starting, impulse control, and working memory. This medication mainly works by blocking the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine, meaning it slows the brain from vacuuming those chemicals back up too quickly. More of those signals stay available between neurons for longer. The FDA label says the exact therapeutic action in ADHD is not fully known, but the medication is thought to block norepinephrine and dopamine, reuptake and increase their availability outside of the neuron. Well, that's what it's doing. Who the hell figured that out?

[Amber]

I don't know, but thank God they did it because, well, that was the thing. Like I. Their grandmother on their dad's side, you know, she proudly would say, you know, oh, yeah, you know, I. I had given him, you know, her son, their dad, Ritalin, and they're like, PCP said, take him right off of that. Like, you're not giving him Any of that. And I'm like, now look at him. You know what I mean? Like, what if he, you know, that medicine wasn't demonized and you did. Didn't take him off of it? He could have had a completely different life.

[Co-host]

You know, there's a ton of medications here. Common ADHD meds, Ritalin, Concerta, Medidate, Methylin, Quill Vant, xr, Quill Chew, er. I mean, there's a ton of different ones. Some of these look like extended release and stuff like that. So why do you have him on it at school and not always?

[Amber]

Well, it also affects your sleep, so it's. I think he has like, the extended release. It only lasts about, like, six, seven hours.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Amber]

If he were to have it all the time, he would never sleep. He already has a bit of an issue falling asleep. Like, it's like if he forgets it, he usually takes a nap after school. But if he. Now my throat is like, dry. Sorry. I'm sorry.

[Co-host]

Did I do that to you by coughing?

[Amber]

Oh, my gosh. I didn't know I was that bad with my hypochondria. Jeez.

[Co-host]

I coughed and Amber's like, I'm. I'm for Clempt. Everything's going wrong. Go ahead, take a drink. I'll take a drink too. We'll do it together. Be tea time. Oh, my gosh, that was fascinating. Thank you very much, Amber. I appreciate you admitting that out loud, but.

[Amber]

Yeah, I don't remember where we were.

[Co-host]

Well, T for Two. We were at T for two. The medication help stops him. Helps him with some stuff, but hurts him because he can't sleep. So it's. It's not a perfect obviously answer for him. So when you stop and think about him. Because you're the only one thinking about him, right? And I would. So when you stop and think about him, is he better off on it or better off off it?

[Amber]

And why he's better off when he's on the medicine for sure. Like, whatever's going on in his brain, especially when it comes to focusing on school.

[Co-host]

What about if he wasn't in school, though? Like. Like, I. Let's. Let's imagine you live on a desert island. Do you think you would need it?

[Amber]

I don't know. I have been curious to. Like, I haven't actually witnessed him on it because he only takes it while he's at school. The doctors would like him on it every day just to, you know, keep consistency. But I would have to wait. Like, I work weekends. I would have to Wake him up for yet another thing to give him the medicine, like around like seven o' clock on the weekend. And I already wake him enough, you know, when he's got a low blood sugar and, you know, he, like.

[Co-host]

So I'm like, you're not with them on the weekends, generally?

[Amber]

Um, no, generally I have. You're at work? Yeah.

[Co-host]

Yeah. What do they. What do they do during the weekends? They. With grandma or. What do they do? Are they feral? They on the.

[Amber]

They're kind of feral. Honestly, like my daughter, I kind of put him in charge if there's an emergency and I hate to do it. And she's not too thrilled with it either. But like, my mother, she works too. But when she's not working, she is off doing her own thing pretty much. Like, I. I don't want to talk like, badly about her, but even like a month after diagnosis, I was like, I think I could keep my job, you know, with your help and, you know, manage his. His diabetes. And she's like, yeah, I don't think.

[Co-host]

Would love to, but my courage game is on Wednesdays. I gotta go.

[Amber]

You know. And she has held true to that, not wanting to really be involved. Help. Yeah. So unfortunately, like, she's kind of going through a divorce.

[Co-host]

And, you know, your mom's getting divorced?

[Amber]

Yeah, it's part of the reason that I moved in here. It was, you know, beneficial for me to save money and help her with bills, and then it just didn't work out that way. Yeah, yeah, like, like it did, but. But yeah, I feel like I had a lot to say, so I'm kind of going in circles. I was, I was. I was talking about the seizure. So I had two therapists coming to the house, family therapists, and I had told them, I'm taking him to the emergency room, we should be back for our three o' clock appointment. Well, they wound up calling children in UCs because they said that I waited too long to help him get medical care. So, you know, they told me that, like, listen, this is what we had to do. I was like, I'm through with you. I can't believe you do that. Like, I was very upset.

[Co-host]

Wait, they threw you under the bus? They said that you waited too long to get a medical. So if I remember back to the seizure, you fell asleep. The CGM was messed up. He got automated insulin, more than he should have. Your mom finds him frothy, unresponsive, gives him a juice, and then she just. By, by the way, I didn't, I didn't want to ask this part, but she just often leaves after that. Doesn't come get you.

[Amber]

My mother, I think, had work that day. Well, that. That was part of the thing that I'm agitated with her about. She heard beeping, like she heard his alarms going off that night, and I guess thought I was taking care of it.

[Co-host]

Um, but she did get up, gave him juice, and then left him alone.

[Amber]

Well, I guess she went out to the kitchen. She was just out in the kitchen when that happened, like, probably getting ready for work. Um, and then she came back and she's like, yeah, I gave him juice. I checked his blood sugar. His blood sugar wasn't like. It was probably like 70 or something. It wasn't like.

[Co-host]

Okay, so she checked it. He was 70. You think she maybe thought he was just asleep and a little low and gave him the juice?

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Amber]

And then 15 or it didn't. Yeah, it didn't hit her.

[Co-host]

Yeah, yeah. Gimme a second. Then 15 minutes later, you roll up on it, see what's going on, give him another juice. You come to the conclusion that he's had a seizure.

[Amber]

Yeah, she told me what happened. Well, she even heard convulsing.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Amber]

At one point. And thought it was my cat having a seizure. She's like. I thought it sounded like bigger than Mama Bear. My cat.

[Co-host]

You people do not need a cat. Let me just say this. Amber, Amber, you don't. You don't need a cat. There's no more responsibility necessary in your life. And so.

[Amber]

So she's crazy that my cat. Like, I think stress makes her have seizures because right after Kaden was diagnosed, I thought I was going to have to put her down. She was having, like, seven seizures a day.

[Co-host]

Your mom thought the cat. Your mom thought the cat did it, right?

[Amber]

Well, she thought that the cat was having a seizure. That's what she heard overnight. And it must have been Caden, because.

[Co-host]

Can we call this episode cat scratch Caesar? I think maybe yes.

[Amber]

That's actually hilarious.

[Co-host]

Thank you. I'm doing my best over here, Amber, to make your incredibly sad story more fun for people to listen to.

[Amber]

I know. I was like, I hope that this doesn't just go to a big kiddie party.

[Co-host]

It doesn't. I don't think it's. Listen, here's what I think, if I can be candid, right? You're limited in help. You're limited in finances. You have to go to work. Your kids have problems. It sounds to me like you're doing the best that you can. The best you can is not awesome, but it is the best you can. Listen, I grew up in that house like that, and nobody around me ever. Like, I got up in the morning, I went to school, I came home, my mom was gone. She got home at 9 o' clock at night, she yelled us to take a shower. And then that was it. You know what I mean? Like, there was. We were broke. We didn't have the luxury of hanging out with our kids or chatting or being there on the weekends. And like that. None of that. I didn't live any of my life like that. And I ended up raising my brothers, which sucked, by the way, in case you're wondering how your daughter feels. But like. But point being, this is what it is. You can't stop this from being like people can listen to go, oh, she should do this, she should do that. Try to get the school to help her. They're a problem. Tried to get some outside therapists to help her. They threw her under the bus while she was trying to do her best she could with the kid in the seizure. And like, every time she turns to somebody, they shake her down. The lawyer shakes her down. The lawyer doesn't want to help your kid. The lawyer wants us through the school. Make 30%. That's what the lawyer wants, right?

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Yeah. The dad ain't helping anybody. Right. Your mom is half checked out. And I don't know if I can blame her or not. That's neither here nor there. She's not helping you. And so. And maybe she doesn't have the ability to help. So truth be told, you're trying to keep all these balls up in the air until these kids get old enough to be a little more responsible for themselves, hopefully. And then. I mean, the best you can hope for is to.

[Host]

Is to help them.

[Co-host]

I think. I don't. I hope this doesn't sound sad. I think the best you can hope for is to help them break this cycle as adults. Like, you're already. Yeah, you're already in it, Amber. We. We're not going backwards now. Like, and that. And fair enough. You know, and you love those kids. It sounds like you love them immensely. And. And so. Yeah. Yeah. So you gotta help them get to the part where they can make better decisions. You gotta set it up so your daughter doesn't end up with some scattered

[Host]

guy who's gonna flake on her.

[Co-host]

Like, that's the goal.

[Host]

Like, you're.

[Co-host]

You gotta find a thing in the world that your son can do where he can be peaceful and sleep and at the same time, take how his brain works and. And adapt it to the world somehow. Like, I think the biggest. Like, I don't know about any of this, okay. But listening to your story, what it feels like is that that kid's a square peg and you were trying to pound it into a round hole at school.

[Amber]

No, absolutely. Like, I. He is, you know, not a little, you know, exactly.

[Co-host]

He doesn't fit in that scenario, you know.

[Amber]

Yeah. And I just. I've been trying to, like, you know, just encourage him until, like, you know, maybe he could go to like a trade school. I can see him doing something like that where he's not just sitting down in a box, you know, there's.

[Co-host]

Oh, it's not right for him.

[Amber]

Yeah, yeah, you know, it's. It's not. And so I. Yeah, that's what. I've just been trying to encourage him so he doesn't lose that, you know, self worth. I mean, he was in kindergarten. He's like, I'm bad. And I don't know why, you know, like, after, like, I'm like, oh, God, don't say that about yourself. You know, because it was. It went back that far. You know, he was running and hiding under the table, you know, and everything. So, you know, there was always fit in that space.

[Co-host]

He just. It's. And it's not. It's not something you can just tell him to stop doing. It's not like that.

[Host]

Right.

[Co-host]

Like, so it's a bad situation, but it'll also be over fairly soon. I. You know, it's funny. Maybe the homeschooling is not a bad idea.

[Amber]

That's the thing. I did actually take him out at his old school because I saw how it was emotionally destroying him. And I did put him in home. Like, I did. Like, I. I worked at a different job at the time, and I mean, I cut my hours. I don't even want to get into it. It didn't work out. We'll say he wound up wanting to go back to school. It just put me in a financial hole, which is part of the reason I moved in with my mom to, like, start, you know. So you think get all that back in order. Yeah. So give me a second here. He's like, I want to go back to school.

[Host]

Why?

[Co-host]

What? What didn't work about it?

[Amber]

He wants to fit in. He always just wants to be like the other kids. You know, even when he was little, I would pack him a lunch. He would. He started throwing it away. I just want to eat what the Other kids eat, so if you can imagine, that's through diabetes. And that was awesome.

[Co-host]

So he. So even though he doesn't fit in that scenario, he desperately wants to.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

So does he like being on the medication for school?

[Amber]

He. He sees the importance. He does. He even said he's like, I'm not anxious anymore. You know, I want to, you know, like. Because he's seeing a therapist at the school, and, you know, they go through, like, their, like, game plan. And he told her, like, no, we don't have to work on that anymore. He just wants to work on, you know, his emotions. Anger. He's very aware of, you know, how he is and how he doesn't want to do, you know, act certain ways.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Listen, are any of these other medications better? Like, does anybody ever say, like, can we get some of the benefit we're getting without the.

[Host]

The sleep issue?

[Co-host]

Or is that just. Is this part and parcel for all these meds?

[Amber]

I think it's how stimulants are. And I didn't want him to, like, bounce around. Like, it's the. The good is outweighing the bad, in my opinion. And I, you know, again, I get worried. I'm like, are we going to be messing with the liver? This? You know, because some of them, they take weeks to even start working, you know, so I'm like, I don't want to take him off of this. See, if it's six weeks, this is working. It's not working. Then have to put him on something else, you know, so it's like, let's just stick with what's working.

[Co-host]

Yeah, okay.

[Amber]

And. Yeah, that's. So let me go back. So the reason I had mentioned the seizure now children and youth. Cause call me and they. I'm like, listen, I'm. This wasn't the first time I got children in youth called. They actually the school, the year before, when I took him off his medication, they called children and youth, saying I wasn't giving him his medication. Even though the doctor said, you're the mom, do what you want, you know, like, it's up to you if you want him on the medicine. But anyway, I, you know, I came at it like. Like, I'm like two steps ahead of children and you taking my kids away from me. And the lady was like, listen, I'm not here to take your kids away. We could just forget this phone call ever happened. Or you could look at me as an aide. Maybe I could help you in some way. So I'm like, sure, I could use help. Let's see what you have. She winds up sending us a lady that was kind of like a therapist, but she, I'm not quite sure what she was, but she actually had type one. And they're like, you know, she understands like, so this lady's coming to the house. She winds up coming to the magistrate with us. I had the lawyer and, you know, I tell him what happens. We're all at the magistrate and the lawyer's like, let me try talking to the security guard. Maybe we don't even have to go in front of the magistrate. He comes back, he's like, this is like, bullshit. That's what the lawyer actually said to me. He's like, yeah, he wants Hayden on probation for six weeks and that's how he'll like, you know, drop the charges. And he's like, I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound good to me. I was like, absolutely not. So we proceed in front of the magistrate and I thought this was going to be open, closed, medical emergency, you know, all dropped. And honestly, the security guard, he kept pushing it. He's like, I want to know how this cannot happen anymore. He shouldn't act like this, you know, what are we going to do about it? No, this isn't good enough. To the point where we actually had to put the woman, like, she had it, you know, go into the stand and like testify, you know. And she not only had type one, she was a nurse and she was in school to, for psychology. So she had a lot of credentials and like, you know, she spoke and she, she rocked. Like, she was so impressive, you know. And like at one point, you know, the security guard said it again, like, how can we prevent this? She's like, I don't know, cure diabetes. She's like, you know, like, you can't, like, you know, there will be low blood sugars.

[Co-host]

Yeah. You're trying to hold a 15 year old accountable for something he might have said when he had a little.

[Amber]

He was 11. 12 year old. Yeah, he was 11 at the time.

[Co-host]

What are we talking about here? Like, it's ridiculous. What's wrong with this guy?

[Host]

Is he bored?

[Co-host]

He needed something to do? The security guard, I mean.

[Amber]

Yeah, good question. I think at this point, like it went. I don't think that they thought I would get a lawyer. I thought that they would just, you

[Co-host]

know, is your son like 9ft tall and weighs like 300? What's he scared of exactly?

[Amber]

Oh, he was always a tiny little thing too. Like, no, I do think that they were just trying to prove their case because at this time, they were worried that I was getting a lawyer, you know, to come after the school previous.

[Co-host]

Do you think they pushed the security guard a little bit to try to cause a problem to get rid of your son?

[Amber]

They might have, honestly. Where do you live?

[Co-host]

Are you in the woods? What's going on? I need you near a metropolitan center.

[Amber]

I kind of am in the woods.

[Co-host]

How are you?

[Amber]

I am. But, yeah, so the. The magistrate, she wound up, you know, it seemed like she didn't want to take our side, but she had to, to kind of an extent. Like, that was the vibe I was getting. But she was also like, this doesn't seem like it was the security guard's fault. This seems like it was the principal's fault, because why did he put an untrained officer in place of a medical emergency? And I was like, oh, that is fair. And then she kind of insinuated like, this seems like a school issue. In which case, my lawyer was like, she's actually got another lawyer and will be coming after the school because of all this, you know, so that was the end of that. And I. I was really glad that that woman had got on the stand and spoke, because, like I said, I couldn't believe that it wasn't as straightforward as.

[Co-host]

This is a medical thing. Yeah, we're sorry.

[Amber]

Case closed. Like, sorry to waste your time, but. So, I mean, for that alone, I was glad Children, youth had gotten involved and sent her to us. Because even, like, when she would come to the house, she's like, everybody just always tells me you just need more help. Like, you know, like, that's all you need. I would have suggested a lawyer anyway. You're already getting a lawyer. There was really nothing more. She. She could do press now.

[Co-host]

Cheers.

[Amber]

But so she doesn't come around anymore. Fast forward to more recent. I had a. Like, a lot to say, so I'm really trying to.

[Co-host]

You're doing well. Hey, listen, it's a big story, and you're doing a good job getting through it. Don't worry about it. We have, like, we can do, like, 10 more minutes, and then we're gonna. We'll be. I'll be over. Too far. But, like, let's take a second and think. What else did you want to talk about that you don't think we got to.

[Amber]

Yeah, well, just like, the case is all closed with the lawyer and the school now, and I didn't even know what I was exactly, like, fighting for getting that lawyer, but they Wound up accommodating. They were trying to get him out of the school to go to like a, like a behavioral health school, but we wound up getting it. So he, he goes over to the high school instead of being with that like snotty math teacher and he goes over to the high school for. They have like some teachers that help with behavior.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Amber]

So he goes over there for a couple classes and they also. We got it. So like they can't call me for every little small inconvenience that now I like the information I have. Now it's like, oh, now I know that if, you know, he wants to do an after school activity, which he wants to wrestle next year, he wants to play baseball for the school. Like, so, like there was a lot of other things that I was like, how is this going to work if I have to sit at the school? You know, like I thought I had to do previously. So there was a lot of little things like that that we, we got taken care of. And they also gave him money in a fund. Like, it's not like I got money, but there's a fund for his education that he got.

[Co-host]

Do you think the high school is

[Host]

just better equipped to help him?

[Amber]

Yes. And even like one of the like, counselors that he talks to even said, like, he's going to do much better in the high school. They have a lot more support. Support in place.

[Co-host]

And well, maybe this is the big. Yeah, maybe this is the beginning of a new chapter for him.

[Amber]

Yes. He goes there, he loves it at the high school. Like before the whole magistrate security officer issue, I was asking, I'm like, maybe he needs some tutoring. He only got half days last year. And they're like, oh, we'll see. But they couldn't find anybody. Turns out that it was also illegal to not provide education for him. And like them doing the half days and then him not getting a full education.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Amber]

Like it's every student's like, he's got

[Host]

a right to a full education.

[Amber]

Yeah. So now we have this fund where I can get him tutoring. I could even get him executive functioning coaching, which I didn't even know was a thing to help kids with adhd. So I'm looking forward to all that. The case was very quickly resolved, actually. The lawyer had told me she thought that this could go on well until next year and it's already been all closed out for a month now. She wound up not taking that 30% of the money that he got because I think that she was just happy with what she caught and how quick it went the way it was. So, like, he's happy now, and I'm just, like, so thrilled that he's been doing so much better.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Amber]

But, yeah, that was.

[Co-host]

The fund is. Is the result of the. Of the. The lawyer's work.

[Amber]

And part of it was, you know, because also they were suspending him, so he was also missing school. School. And then it was like, well, how is he supposed to do his schoolwork when he's not here when you're suspending him all the time? They're no longer doing that anymore, thankfully. Like, yeah, it's.

[Co-host]

How much longer till he's out of that school? Totally.

[Amber]

Just two more weeks. Yeah. He goes to seventh grade, and the high school is seventh or twelfth grade.

[Co-host]

Graduation day. Get out of there.

[Amber]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Definitely. So, just so thrilled about all that.

[Co-host]

How old is he today?

[Amber]

He's 12.

[Co-host]

Okay. So he'll have the summer and. And maybe, you know, maybe he'll. He'll change a little bit. Maybe his situation will get better. Maybe you can spend the summer getting better at the diabetes thing, getting better at the ADH thing. Really give him a great launch at the high school and get him going, you know?

[Amber]

Yeah. And I. I think a big issue was, too. Like, I think he was also depressed. I didn't put him in. There's no fall ball at the school district that he goes to. And so it was, like, the first time he hadn't played baseball when school started.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Amber]

So I. I noticed, like, I just have to keep him in things. You know, he's been moving. Yes. Yes, he does.

[Co-host]

Well, I kind of. So you live in Pennsylvania, right?

[Amber]

Yes.

[Co-host]

Yeah. There's fall ball out there somewhere. You're just going to have to get into a travel league to find it.

[Amber]

Yeah, I. I've thought about travel with my work and.

[Co-host]

How are you gonna do that?

[Amber]

Don't know if I could make it work. So. So he's actually going to start playing football this. This year. Like, it was always baseball. Like, his whole life, ever since he was, like, 4 years old, it was always baseball. We started at this school, and somebody was like, oh, do you want to wrestle? So he started wrestling. Well, honestly, it was right, like, two weeks before diagnosis. And I remember taking him to wrestling practice, and his blood sugar went to, like, 250. And I'm like, you know what? How about we learn this diabetes thing and then we come back to wrestling? Because I'm like, what just happened here?

[Co-host]

Not sure what's going on How, How.

[Amber]

Let's take the last.

[Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, Amber, let's take the last minute here, too. Here. Like, how is the diabetes park going right now?

[Amber]

It's. It's going a lot better. Like, even during all of this, he was. I didn't even mention impulsively taking too much insulin. So we were having issues with. If, like, he got mad all of a sudden, I'm like, I know he just took too much insulin. That was a big issue. But he's not even doing that anymore. Since we got everything straightened out at school. I just think he was so overwhelmed with everything. He does a great job. He's very independent with his management. I help him as much as I can. But, like, he doesn't want to put the infusion. He doesn't want me to put the infusion set on or his Dexcom. He wants that. I'll fill up the cartridges, I'll unwrap the Dexcoms, you know, like, get everything ready, and he just, like, applies it. But if I'm not here, he'll put it on, like, no problem. He doesn't want high blood sugars, so sometimes we have an issue with him overcorrecting, which I've heard that he's not alone in that. So we're still working on that. But, yeah, he's very active in it. I just hope that he doesn't rebel against it one day. I've been trying really hard to not come off as, like, lording over or anything, like, give him any bad feelings towards it. I kind of try to tell him it's like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, you know, you just. Yeah, you change in your pump site. You know, it's just another part of your. Your routine. You know, everybody's routine can be a little bit different depending on situation. Some of the things they have going on.

[Co-host]

Amber, you.

[Amber]

I just.

[Co-host]

You're doing a good job. You are. No, I mean, gosh, it's a. It's a lot. And you're. I think you're doing a good job. It's. It's, you know, I imagine it doesn't feel that way, but I. You're trying. You're there. You're, you know, engaged. You're, you know, talking about it, trying to figure out other ideas. It doesn't sound like you've given up. It's. I, I. I just think it's probably a really long process that you're in the beginning of still, and a lot of different factors, you know?

[Amber]

Yeah. I mean, you know. Yeah, we're Trying our best. And, you know, I try, like, I love all the Mental health series that you do with Erica. You know, like, I try really hard. Like, at one point he, you know, I said to him, something happened, it was a few months ago, and I'm like, I understand. He was like, no, you don't understand. And it, like, crushed me. But, like, I tried to change my wording with some of the things too, because it's like, yeah, I understand from my point of view, not him and his point of view with diabetes, you know, so I, and then I know that was talked about in the series.

[Co-host]

Yeah, the language is important. You just have to, you just have to say, like, I, I don't live with the same problems you have. And I, you know, I, But I am doing my best to, to, to, to understand as best I can what's happening to you so that I can be as, you know, valuable to you as possible. Like, it is, it is tough when you say, I understand. People are like, you don't, you don't know what you're talking about. And I can see how it's crushing from your side to hear that because you're probably putting so much effort into trying to, trying to absorb as much of this as possible.

[Amber]

It could be so isolating. I, like, I don't ever want him to feel like he's all alone in this, you know, Like, I want to know as much as I can, so I'm here. When he's frustrated. As somebody who, you know, understands to some extent, you know, like, because, you know, when somebody doesn't understand, you know, anything about type one and you're trying to explain the same things over and over. So I want to always be his support.

[Co-host]

So, yeah, the best you can do is be there. I mean, I really do think that's most of it. Just be there so that he's aware that when, when he wants you, you're ready, willing, able, excited to be involved. Yeah, yeah, just try not to push. I thought that was good advice you gave yourself too. Don't, don't push too much and, but stay involved. And it's a balancing act. It's, it's not really easy.

[Amber]

I had to learn a lot about control because, like, I, there was a way I wanted to manage it for him, you know, and then there was thinking of him and his emotions and, you know, and not just being like diabetes or, you know, like, even food related. It was like, okay, you know, okay, you want to eat this? Okay, we're, we're going to Figure out how to eat this. You know, I don't want you to feel restricted, because at first, you know, I think, like, everybody does it. We'll do low carb. It'll be great, you know, and it's like, okay, he really doesn't want to do low carb. Let's do this. So you're comfortable and you're in control, because it was. It took a lot of control away from him, and he still wants.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Amber]

To feel in control as best as he can. So.

[Co-host]

Amber, I'm impressed. I really am, because you could. You could be in a significantly different situation right now, and your understanding could be a lot worse, but it's not. And you're. You're doing a great job. You really are.

[Host]

I want you.

[Co-host]

That's what I'd like to end on, is you knowing that this is long. It's hard, but you were doing a really great job. I would say stay on the course you're on, and I think you'll get there.

[Amber]

Well, thank you so much. And I'm just so glad that somebody, you know, referred the podcast to me, like, just a couple weeks after he was diagnosed, because it has just helped immensely in so many ways.

[Co-host]

I'm glad. That's nice. I'm glad to know that. Thank you. You made my day. Yeah.

[Host]

Oh, gosh.

[Co-host]

I don't know what to say other than get back in there, Keep throwing your hands. Amber.

[Amber]

Yeah. Life, right? I mean, it's a roller coaster.

[Co-host]

Trick a boy into helping you. I mean, I know that's not right, but could you

[Amber]

maybe one day. I feel like it's just. That's another person to think I was gonna say at this point.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Dating.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

My God, I can imagine dating you and being like, I don't know. I'm gonna go home and meet her kids. And you get home, you're like, oh, I don't know what's happening.

[Amber]

Oh, yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot. I. I won't lie.

[Co-host]

I won't lie. Oh, my God. Oh, I'm so upset. What did I say we were gonna call this one?

[Amber]

Oh, something about cats.

[Co-host]

Oh, cat scratch seizure. There you go.

[Amber]

Yeah, that's. That's adorable. I love it.

[Co-host]

Thank you. Because I don't know what I. I love your mom's like. I thought it was the cat having a seizure. Like, when that's happening, you know, everything's upside down. When you think. When you think. Cat seizure is a reasonable answer to the noise in your house.

[Amber]

Yeah, that's how, you know, things have

[Co-host]

gotten out of hand.

[Amber]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[Co-host]

Oh, my God. Okay. All right, let me let you go. Hold on one second. I. I need to talk to you before we're done. Hold on.

[Amber]

Okay.

[Host]

Do you think they called it Cozy Earth because the stuff wasn't comfortable? That is not how it got its name. Cozy Earth.com use the offer code juice box right now. Save 20% off of everything that you buy on that website. Do you just want me to look at the website for you for a second? I can do it. Bestsellers include bamboo sheets. I have them. Brush bamboo joggers.

[Co-host]

Wife has those.

[Host]

There's a T shirt I have. Oh, there's my comforter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that's the best seller stuff.

[Co-host]

Oh.

[Host]

I actually used a bag that my Cozy Earth sheets came in recently to go to the ADA thing. I swear to God. Bath towels. I'm talking about robes, sleeping wear, loungewear, skin care, bedding, bath. Just go spend your money. Give it to Cozy Earth. They. They. Damn it, they deserve it. They make such cozy stuff and you want to be cozy. Plus, I did that thing with the pellet stove earlier that was really unique. So, I mean, you owe me. Use the offer code juice box at checkout. Today's episode of the Juicebox podcast was sponsored by the new Tandem MOBI system and control IQ+ technology. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com juicebox check it out. Dexcom sponsored this episode of the Juice Box podcast. Learn more about the Dexcom G7 at my link dexcom.com juicebox. Foreign. 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? 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. Actually, I haven't had time to update that in a little bit, but it's 85,000 now. 85,000 members. You might be the 100,000th member of the Juice Box Podcast Facebook group. You'll never find out if you don't go look.