#1904 I Killed My Own Pancreas

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1904: "I Killed My Own Pancreas"
Date: July 16, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guests: Caitlin ("Kate", 11, T1D), her mother Jen

Episode Overview

This episode features the story of 11-year-old Caitlin ("Kate"), diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) about a year prior, and her mother, Jen. Together, they detail the progression from initial symptoms and diagnosis, through practical management strategies, to achieving excellent glycemic control. The conversation emphasizes acceptance, education, empowerment, and everyday realities for families managing T1D. The mood is genuine, open, and often lighthearted, providing relatable insights for newly diagnosed families and reminders of hope and possibility.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Symptoms and Diagnosis Journey

• Initial Signs:
  • Kate: Started drinking excessive amounts of water, lost 30 pounds, had frequent stomachaches and headaches ([04:22]).
  • Jen: Noticed loose-fitting cheer uniforms, dismissed early signs as a growth spurt or dietary issues ([05:56]).
• Diagnosing Process:
  • Googling Symptoms: Jen searched for weight loss, excessive thirst, and headaches. Diabetes kept appearing alongside “about 10 other things,” including alarming possibilities like bone cancer ([07:12], [13:54]).
  • Blood Sugar at Diagnosis: 575 mg/dL, A1C was 14.7 ([12:58], [18:00]).
  • Hospital Experience:
    • Kate recalls hating being in the hospital, dislike of IVs and frequent needle pokes ([19:11]).
    • Parents faced overwhelm (“plan mode”) but tried to keep things calm for Kate ([17:09]).

2. Family Medical Background & Support System

• Family History of Autoimmunity:
  • Multiple autoimmune issues in Jen’s family, including an aunt diagnosed with T1D at 60, thyroid issues, PCOS, Raynaud’s, antiphospholipid syndrome ([02:42], [03:31]).
• Practical Help:
  • Immediate community support post-diagnosis (neighbor providing meals; connecting with local families with T1D kids) ([78:06]).

3. Adjusting to Life With Diabetes

• Initial Emotional Response:
  • Kate’s initial shock, sadness, and confusion ([16:36]).
• Needle Anxiety and Adaptation:
  • Early fear of injections/site changes, now handles most of her own diabetes tasks (except for pump site insertions, handled by dad) ([20:13], [38:00], [35:01]).
• Living “Bold With Insulin”:
  • Early on, corrections were made sooner than clinic recommendations for tighter control ([33:13]).
  • The family guards against “complacency” while being confident in their management plan ([58:25]).
• Daily Management:
  • Dexcom CGM and Tandem T:slim pump used; Kate runs most of her management at school, collaborating with helpful nurses ([32:33]).
  • Mom and Kate handle extended boluses for tricky foods; develop profiles for travel or special situations ([73:01]).
  • Kate presents enthusiastically to classmates—“my pancreas rage quit on me”—and wears a shirt: "Don’t mess with me. I killed my own pancreas." ([22:49], [24:22]).

4. Peer, School, and Social Life

• Openness:
  • Kate gave a 30–45 minute presentation to her class explaining her equipment and what T1D means ([23:32]).
• Supportive Friends:
  • Best friend even knows about the glycemic index; peer understanding and acceptance help Kate cope ([24:47]).
• School Routines:
  • CGM/phone is source of confusion for some teachers—sometimes told to put her phone away, but she educates them ([65:11]).
  • Nurses involved when lows/highs occur, but Kate manages most care independently ([32:33], [32:53]).

5. Family Dynamics & Roles

• Division of Labor:
  • Dad (Chad) does most pump site changes; Jen manages Dexcom changes due to scheduling ([38:00]).
  • Jen is the research-driven, “type A” planner; brings data-driven, proactive approach (architect by training). Chad, a vocational carpentry teacher, is more hands-on and comfortable with medical/technical procedures ([54:18], [56:10]).
• Siblings:
  • Older brother not diabetic, but family stays vigilant for signs ([68:05]).
• Self-Management:
  • Kate is described as mature, responsible, and methodical—recognized by both herself and her parents ([36:16]).

6. Mindset, Attitude & Education

• Acceptance Rather Than Resistance:
  • Kate: “I just don't fight it. I just knew I had to do it to keep myself alive.” ([25:15])
• Learning Process:
  • Heavy reliance on the Juicebox Podcast for information and community ([47:14], [53:00], [51:27]).
  • Jen listens to episodes on her daily commute, reinforcing key concepts with the family ([46:02], [47:14]).
  • Embracing “pre-bolusing,” extended boluses; gradually building “next-level skills” ([50:03], [53:00]).

7. Outcomes & Hopes

• Excellent Glycemic Control:
  • Time in range reported at 93%, recent A1Cs between 5.6 and 6.2%; much of the management self-driven by Kate, especially at school ([32:53], [35:53]).
• Message to Others:
  • It can get better, success is possible, and bad days are infrequent ([31:37], [32:02]).
• Advocacy:
  • Jen shares the podcast with others, emphasizes that “it is manageable, we are doing it” ([62:36]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Google Saving the Day:
  “People make fun of it all the time, but Google did a really good job for you.” —John ([17:47])

• Kate on Acceptance:
  “I just, I don't fight it. I don't say I'm not doing that...I just knew I had to do it to keep myself alive.” —Kate ([25:15])

• Kate’s Presentation to Class:
  “I used the term my pancreas rage quit on me.” —Kate ([24:00])

• Kate’s T-shirt:
  “Don’t mess with me. I killed my own pancreas.” —Kate ([24:22])

• About Living With T1D:
  “Not every day is as bad as you think it’s gonna be… there’s gonna be a day tomorrow that the shot’s not gonna hurt as bad.” —Kate ([31:37])

• Managing Lows/Highs:
  “Easier to stay in range than to try to get back in range… I’d rather treat a low than fight a high.” —Jen ([47:22])

• On Peer Awareness:
  “My best friend…knows what a glycemic index is.” —Kate ([24:47])

• Mom’s Coping Mechanism:
  “Part of my comfort level is knowing I have everything we need at all times… That’s kind of how I cope.” —Jen ([58:45])

• Juicebox Podcast’s Impact:
  “I would say you were instrumental in us being where we are with our knowledge, with our A1C, with our comfort level.” —Jen ([49:40])

---

Memorable Timestamps

• 04:22 — Kate describes her symptoms and dramatic weight loss.
• 07:12 – 08:25 — Jen’s dilemma and reliance on "Dr. Google" before diagnosis.
• 12:58 – 18:00 — Bloodwork, diagnosis details, and hospital admission.
• 19:11 — Kate’s negative experience with hospital/diagnosis.
• 20:02 — Adapting to needles, new routines, and site changes.
• 22:49 – 24:22 — Kate’s approach to school, her “rage quit pancreas” presentation, T1D t-shirt.
• 31:37 — Advice to newly diagnosed kids: “It gets better.”
• 32:33 – 35:53 — Kate’s self-management at school and with tech.
• 47:14 – 53:13 — Role of education, Juicebox Podcast, and learning to be “Bold With Insulin.”
• 58:25 – 61:33 — Avoiding complacency, planning and night management.
• 62:36 – 63:22 — Why Jen wanted to share their success: to offer hope.

---

Practical Tips, Reflections, and Strategies

• Parenting With T1D in the House:

  • Stay informed and don't shy away from “next-level” diabetes management (extended boluses, pre-bolusing, microdosing).
  • Accept that "bad" days will happen, but focus on consistency and learning, not perfection.
  • Don’t underestimate the power of community, both in-person (nearby T1D families) and online (podcasts, forums).

• Involving Children:

  • Let kids own as much of the management as is age-appropriate; builds confidence, resilience, and mastery.
  • Encourage openness with peers and at school to demystify diabetes and prevent stigma.

• Self-Advocacy:

  • Challenge arbitrary medical guidelines when necessary (correcting highs sooner, adapting alarms to personal comfort).
  • Prioritize flexible, proactive planning for travel, school, and special events.

• Emotional Health and Resilience:

  • Acceptance is powerful: “Don’t fight it, just do it” is a guiding mindset.
  • Celebrate both the small and big victories—time in range, successful self-management, and feeling “normal.”
  • Remember that it’s normal for parents to still feel anxious, but preparation and education help convert anxiety into action.

---

Final Thoughts

This episode exemplifies that while T1D is never easy, thoughtful education, teamwork, and practical optimism can enable kids and parents to thrive. Kate’s story—her humor, maturity, and resilience—is an inspiring example, and Jen’s organized, knowledge-driven approach makes complex care accessible. Together, they demystify daily challenges and offer hope for others, reinforced by a focus on the power of community, openness, and resources like the Juicebox Podcast.

---

Additional Advice

If you’re newly diagnosed (or supporting someone who is), Jen and Kate suggest:

• Seek out clear, practical info (podcasts, education series).
• Bring the family in as a team.
• Trust in your ability to adapt, and don’t be afraid of “being bold with insulin.”

---

For more, visit JuiceboxPodcast.com or find the “Bold Beginnings” and “Pro Tips” series in your audio app.
“It does get better… you have to do it to keep yourself alive.” — Kate ([31:37, 25:15])

Transcript

[Host]

Welcome back, friends, to 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. If you or a loved one is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and you're seeking a clear, practical perspective, check out the Bold Beginning series on the Juice Box Podcast. It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal insight into type 1. Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate Life with Type 1. You can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juice Box Podcast. The Bold Beginning series and all of the collections in the Juice Box Podcast are available in your audio app and@juicebox podcast.com in the menu.

[Jen]

Foreign.

[Host]

This episode is sponsored by the Tandem MOBI system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Technology. Tandem MOBI has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages 2 and up. Learn more and get started today at tandomdiabetes.com Juicebox the episode you're about to enjoy was brought to you by Dexcom, the Dexcom G7, the same CGM that my daughter wears. You can learn more and get started today at my link dexcom.com juicebox hi,

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I'm Caitlin and I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a little bit over a year ago.

[John]

Caitlin, how old are you?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I'm 11.

[John]

11. Who are we allowing to talk with us today besides you and I?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

My mom.

[John]

Your mom. Hey, mom, what's your name?

[Jen]

Hi, I'm Jen. I'm the mom of Caitlin, my new, relatively newly diagnosed T1D. And I also have a son who's a few years older, who is not

[John]

Q and A, who's not and so. All right, so a year ago, huh?

[Jen]

March of 2025.

[John]

Are there other people, Jen, in your family who have type 1 diabetes or other autoimmune issues?

[Jen]

Yeah, so my aunt was actually diagnosed late, about 15 years ago, when she was 60. Interestingly enough, I knew she had diabetes, but I had no idea what it was, what type it was. She was very private about it, so not until we were in the hospital did it come to light that that's actually the same as what she had.

[John]

I just want to take this moment, Jen, to let the universe know that If I get something like that when I'm 60, I'm going to be extra mad. I, I just. Because by 60, I'm going to think, didn't I make it? You know what I mean? You know, right?

[Jen]

I'm retired. Almost retired.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Right, right, right. Let's go.

[John]

Leave me alone. I'm out of this now. But you said she kept it pretty private.

[Jen]

She got me pretty private. She still does. We do talk occasionally, but she also has thyroid issues. My uncle, her brother, also has pancreatitis. And then I have PCOS renowns and antiphospholipid syndrome. Blood clotting disorder.

[John]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jen]

Which I believe is all so autoimmune. I was googling it last night.

[John]

Yeah. Can I guess? Is that your mother's side?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Okay.

[Jen]

Yep.

[John]

And then you made a couple babies. One of them is named Kate. But then, Kate, you said you were going to be called Kate, but then you introduced yourself as Caitlin. It's your last chance. What do you want me to call you?

[Jen]

Kate.

[John]

Kate. All right, Kate, tell me what you remember about diabetes. When it started.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

So I was, like, chugging water and I was, like, eating way more, but I also lost, like, 30 pounds.

[John]

Oh, gosh.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

When I was diagnosed. And I remember being in the hospital and, like, hating it and being hooked up to, like, IVs and not really understanding what was happening to me.

[John]

Yeah, no, I. I bet. How long were you drinking that water for before they took you to the hospital? Do you know how long that was going on?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Five months.

[John]

You think it was months?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Jen, is that about your remembrance?

[Jen]

Yeah. Looking back, I would say noticeably a couple months, because I remember Christmas we got her a larger Stanley to be able to bring more water to school because she was just drinking so much. And we got a blue light blocking glasses because she was having headaches, and I couldn't figure out why. And that was Christmas. So Christmas to March. So, yeah, a couple months. But even looking back, I think I started seeing signs even in November.

[John]

Okay, Kate, you got blue light blocking glasses and a better jug of water when. When it looked like you had diabetes. Huh. That wasn't helping at all, was it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Nope.

[John]

No. So do you go to your mom and say you're not feeling well? Mom? Do you guys start noticing things like, how do you think the. I guess, walk through the progression of the first time you thought, that's weird till you got to medical help?

[Jen]

So I. I think I started really thinking that's weird in, like, January. But looking back, so she had Started cheer, or she had been doing cheer that fall. And I remember in November at a competition, looking. Being like, oh, her uniform's a little loose. I wonder if she had a growth spurt. And she was starting to have. Drink a little bit more then and eat a little bit more, saying her stomach was off. And I'm like, okay, is this growing? Is it. You know, what. What's going on? Is it a. Like, because she was doing the stomachache stuff, and I'm like, well, you know, are we starting to look at different foods? You know, I try to track. Is it dairy that's bothering her or gluten? And I wasn't coming up with anything. And then, as I told you in the Christmas. But then January, February, she kept losing weight, and it didn't. It didn't make sense. Um, and then one day she got on the scale, and it was. It was pretty close to £30. And I was like, oh, okay, something's not right here at all. Um, and then I googled it, and I would say it was probably mid February. I googled it, and I was like, well, that doesn't make sense.

[Host]

What did you.

[John]

Diabetes that you got diabetes when you Googled.

[Jen]

I googled excessive weight, headaches, excessive weight loss, drinking, headaches, and stomach ache.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

Those seem to be, like, the major. By February, those were. What I was saying were like, okay, major things. And then it did come back. Diabetes. And of course, it came back with, like, 10 other things as well. Um, but diabetes was the one that was. Kept coming up more and more. And I remember talking to my husband about it, and both of us were just like, that doesn't make any sense. It can't be. And you kind of talk yourself out of it. Yeah, like, because she was still fine. She was still active. You know, she was still not wanting to go to bed at night. She was still not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. Like, a lot of things didn't change. So it was really easy to be like, oh, that's just weird. Well, let's just keep an eye on it.

[John]

I see.

[Host]

And then.

[Jen]

And then I re. And then I was like. It was probably another week or two, and I'm like, this. It's just that, Mom. Gut. I was like, something isn't right. And so I. That's when I reached out by, like, through my chart portal to a pediatrician, and I. I didn't let on what I thought it was, because I was starting at that point to really think maybe it was diabetes, but also had no idea how critical the timing could be.

[John]

I see.

[Jen]

Right. Like, I didn't realize that we could be within days of, you know, bigger issues. And so I reached out and said all the symptoms, and they immediately called me, and they started questioning, how's she acting? How's she feeling? I'm like, she's fine. And they're like, okay, well, we wanted to go get some blood work done, and we were just really busy that time of year, and. And I was, like, trying to get my son off to a camp. And I was like, well, can we go? This was like, Thursday. I'm like, can we go Saturday morning? And I'm like, yeah, that's fine. Unless you notice any big changes between now and then. So it was even a couple days before we went to get the blood test, because I think. Cause she was still acting okay, kind of like herself.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[John]

It sounds like they handled it pretty well, actually. And.

[Jen]

And, yeah.

[John]

Can I ask that during this time, the googling and the wondering and googling again, is Kate involved in this, or is this a thing your husband and you were privately doing?

[Jen]

She was involved, I think, in more of the conversations of, like, how do you feel? You know, did you eat something that was making your belly feel off? Did you. You know, how much did you drink today? But she. She wasn't involved in any conversation of the schoolgirls coming back as diabetes.

[John]

Yeah. And, Kate, I know this is a weird question because you were, what, nine when that happened? But when it happened. Okay. Like, it's a weird question because you're younger and you're probably not accustomed to this, but did you ever, like, look at your mom and dad and say, I don't think you're right, or, this is serious? Or did you feel like. Did you feel like, oh, they're taking care of it and it'll be okay?

[Host]

Let's talk about the Tandem Moby insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, Control IQ technology and the new Tandem MOBI 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. Tandemoby gives you more discretion, freedom, and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever, and they'd like you to check it [e-mail] juicebox when you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's going to help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandomdiabetes.com juicebox the tandem mobi system is available for people ages 2 and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range and address high blood sugars with auto bolus. The Dexcom G7 is sponsoring this episode of the Juice Box podcast and it features a lightning fast 30 minute warmup 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 and 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 of. That makes sense to you. Dexcom.com Juicebox links in the show notes links@juicebox podcast.com 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.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

No, some of the stomach aches, I was like, it's not, I'm not exaggerating mom. Because like mom thought it was just me procrastinating of like, I'm not exaggerating. My stomach actually hurt.

[John]

It really hurts. And, and compared to other stomach aches that you've had since then or before, was it much worse or was it pretty, pretty much the same as you've always experienced?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Pretty much the same. A little bit worse.

[John]

A little bit worse. Okay, so nothing that would make anybody go, ah, okay, so I guess that blood work got you there, right? What was her. Let's see, from your description, months, she was still moving. Her blood sugar was. Can I guess. Do you know what her blood sugar

[Jen]

was so on that. This is a funny story with that. So yes, we found out her blood sugar was 575 when she was tested. So it was a very long start. I think knowing that I was looking back, I think it was like November to March. So yeah, 5:75. But what happened was. So she went in Saturday, Sunday morning, I'm up first, and I start getting the, my chart test results in. And the first thing that comes in is some blood test. And it wasn't sugar, it wasn't her glucose. It was some blood test. And then I, and it, it was like flagged abnormal. And so I Google that, right? Because Dr. Google, once again, it's Sunday morning at like 8 in the morning. I'm like, what the heck is this? And it was basically coming back that either she was dehydrated or she had bone cancer.

[John]

Oh.

[Jen]

And I'm like, oh, well. Oh, she can't be dehydrated. She's drinking like 80 ounces of water a day.

[John]

Oh my God, Jen, you thought she had bone cancer from that?

[Jen]

I thought she had bone cancer because how could she possibly be dehydrated she drank so much water. Right. Like, I didn't.

[John]

I mean, it's a fair, it's a fair thought.

[Jen]

And so I'm like, no, my husband's still sleeping. My son, we're trying, like, trying to make plans to pick him up because he was away camping and Caitlyn's still sleeping. And then, so I, I go, I'm. As I'm walking upstairs, I wake up my husband, I'm like, oh, my God, I don't know. Like, this is what it's saying, you know? Then her pediatrician calls and. No, this is like 9 o' clock on a Sunday morning. Her pediatrician calls and this has been our pediatrician since my son was born, so for 13 years at this point.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

And I'm like, this, this isn't, this isn't good. Like, you don't get a call from the pediatrician ever on Sunday morning, ever.

[John]

He's in his pajamas right now. Or she.

[Jen]

Right, he, he. And he's been great. And, and so he's like. So he told us what her blood sugar was. And then I'm like, oh, well. So on the way to get her blood drawn, my husband stopped and got a refresher and a donut for her because she didn't really want to go get her blood drawn. Like, that's gonna be why, right. You know, because again, you just don't know.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And he's like, yeah, no, that's not how that works.

[John]

Well, so there you are. She goes, on Sunday, you guys go to the hospital. I guess.

[Jen]

Yeah. So he was, he was good. He was. So we're in Massachusetts. He's like, you can either go to UMass, which is in Worcester, which has a pediatric ER and a pediatric endocrinology team. Or you can go into Boston to. I think he said Boston Children's. And I said, well, you mass pediatric er. I've been there before for other things with kids. So I'm like, let's just go there. And he's like, you're probably going to want to pack a bag. You know, he explained, I think this is type 1 diabetes. They're going to confirm it there. If it is, you're going to stay. You're like, we're going to stay overnight a couple of nights, so you probably want to pack a bag. But I didn't want to worry her Caitlin like that. We were potentially going for days. So I said, let's pack a, let's pack a day bag. Let's pack like an ER bag with some snacks and it's phone chargers and some stuff to do. And we'll pack our overnight bags just in case we have to stay, you know, and then it won't be up to daddy to decide what we're gonna wear. And so she was on board with that. So we each packed overnight bags and left them, figuring that if we were gonna stay, Chad, my husband, her dad, was gonna come in and visit, you know, with us.

[John]

Did you guys tell her at that point that you thought she had type one?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yay.

[Jen]

We did.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Mm. I remember sitting at the kitchen table crying.

[John]

Wow, geez. And so was it, was it Kate, what's the word I'm looking for? Was it hectic? Like were your parents like flipping out a little bit or were they calm? How do you remember that?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

They were kind of calm, but they didn't know which was worse. So like my breakfast that day, I hadn't had breakfast yet. Cause it was like 8 in the morning on a Saturday. So they're like, this thing has more carbs, but this thing has more sugar. Which one do I give her?

[John]

That's what you remember them saying?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Uh huh.

[John]

Yeah. Started right away, huh Jen?

[Jen]

Honestly, I don't remember that. So I'm, I'm, I'm a type A planner. She's, she's actually my mini me. Um, but I immediately, whenever anything comes up, I just go into like plan mode. What we were going to pack, who was going to get, you know, our son from scouts and how you like, it's kind of how I cope. But I, so I don't even remember that interaction. I was like, well, you know, immediately like trying to figure out like what we needed to bring and what we needed to do and who was going to go where. And.

[John]

Well, before we move forward, I think we have to acknowledge that people make fun of it all the time, but Google did a really good job for you.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

They did do.

[Jen]

It did do a really. Except for the bone cancer part, but

[Caitlin (Kate)]

still,

[Jen]

it did do a really good job because, you know, but it. It still. I think I. Not having anyone that we knew at that point, we didn't know to take to get moving on it. You know what I mean? Like, we could have gotten diagnosed even earlier if, like, we've moved on. And we're fortunate. She was not in DKA. Her A1C was 14.7. So that also kind of shows that it had been going on for a while. Yeah, I'm. I'm actually really grateful. She was only 575.

[John]

Actually, I realized I. I was guessing in my mind. In my mind, I was talking to myself, and I. I thought, she's probably in the mid fives. And I should have said it out loud because now nobody will believe me that I was close. But that might be a new game on the podcast where I start guessing people's blood sugar. Is that diagnosis? I. I'll think about that.

[Jen]

There you go. Based on their description of how they work.

[John]

Well, yeah, I just. I realized as you were talking, I was like, oh, she's probably that long. Just, you know, you were talking about how she felt, but how she was. And I was like, it's probably in the mid fives. And nevertheless, another skill I'll have nothing I can ever do with. So, Kate, you didn't like the hospital, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I hated it.

[John]

Hated it. You hated it because it was scary, unknown, boring. All the above. What did you not like about it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

All the above. And, like, they just kept poking me with needles.

[John]

Mm. Yeah. That's not easy to like, I don't think. How do you do with your needles now, Kate? Like, with. I'm assuming you have a pump maybe?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah, I have the T slump.

[John]

Okay. How do you deal with putting in your infusion sets, things like that?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Like, it's pretty good. Sometimes it hurts. Like last night, I had to do a sight change, but I had to take out the one we just put in because it hurt so bad.

[John]

Oh. Oh, that sucks. Do you. Do you. How do you deal with it when it hurts? Do you say a bad word? Do you flinch? Cry? Hold somebody's hand? What do you do?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Like, cry, Cry?

[John]

Yeah, I would, too. I just want general. Um. And then last night, One went in. It hurt so badly. What do you do? You go to your mom and say, hey, this has got to come out.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I. After my dad put it in, I'm like, dad, get it out. I don't. It hurts really bad.

[John]

Okay. And do they sometimes hurt and then stop hurting or. If it hurts, you know it's going to be like that.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

If it hurts for, like, over 45 seconds, then I know it's going to hurt for the rest of the time. But if it only hurts for, like, 20 seconds and it's less and less and less.

[John]

Yeah. Do people help you with these things right now, Kate? Are you putting them by yourself or somebody helping you?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I can do, like, all the stuff.

[John]

Okay, that's cool.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

And, like. But I can't put it in by myself.

[John]

I see. Now, when you get out of the hospital, are you feeling better, or does it take time for you to feel better?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I was feeling better after I got out of the hospital. I did my first finger stick, like, five days out of the hospital, and I did my first insulin injection. Like, two months out of the hospital, two months out.

[John]

Can you tell me a little bit about what that's like to be told that, like, forget everything else, just, you're going to have insulin. It's going to go in through a needle. Maybe you'll get a pump one day. This is going to be, you know, every day. And is there. Do you have internal thoughts about that? Do you have thoughts that you share with your parents? Like, I'm looking for how it really made you feel?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Um, no, but my cat was like, she can tell when I'm low and when I'm high.

[John]

Wait, you have a. You have a diabetes alert cat?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Basically, she's 18, and she's being very annoying right now. Who's on my lap and trying to scratch her face on the computer?

[Jen]

I want me to come get her out of your room, honey.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes, but, like, one time I was going low, and I didn't know I was going low because my dexcom was, like, not saying I was low. And my cat came down and she, like, sat on one of the kitchen table chairs next to me while I finger stuck and I finger stuck and I was low.

[John]

Oh, wow. And. And did she do that all the time or was that one time it had happened?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah, most of the time she'll, like, if I'm high, she'll just sit on my nightstand, like, crying until someone comes in and, like, finger sticks me and tells her, like, I'm okay.

[John]

Oh, wow. That's pretty cool. That's really, really cool. You didn't teach her any of that, right? Or you just talk to her, let her know what's going on? How does it work?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I didn't like, teacher anything. She just one day started doing it and was like crying at me. I'm like, what? And I think you're stuck. And I was like, in the 70s, like low 70s.

[John]

Okay, but go. So going back, though, to, you know, being told or I guess coming to the understanding that you're going to do these shots every day, there's going to be multiple ones. You don't feel a certain way about it, you just do it. Because that's what's supposed to happen.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Okay. And have you had thoughts about it since then or is it just kind of turned into, like, how things go and it feels very common to you now?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah, it just turned into things how it goes.

[John]

Okay, how about with your friends at school? Are people aware that you have diabetes? Is it a thing you share?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes. Like, on the second day of school, I did like a 30, 45 minute long presentation to my class about type 1 diabetes, why I have a phone and my pump and why I'm gonna beat and everything. And I used the term my pancreas. Rage quit on me.

[John]

It rage quit.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah. And that's how they understand.

[John]

What's the thing that people were saying last year to. And quiet quitting. People just weren't showing up to work anymore.

[Jen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's.

[John]

It Sounds like that.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

So far her just got mad and left all at once.

[Jen]

Yep. Yeah. She's wearing a shirt right now.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

What does it say, Kate, don't mess with me. I killed my own pancreas.

[John]

That's very funny. So you've shared it with your friends, you're comfortable with it and have you, like, come a long way and how did you, like, how did you get where you. You have come a long way. But, like, how have you gotten here? How do you learn things? How do you get prepared to count carbs to make this part of your life?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I just, I don't fight it. I don't fight my diabetes. I don't say, I'm not doing that. I don't want to do that. And like, it helps out my friends know what it is. Like, my best friend that I've known for like three years knows what a glycemic index is.

[John]

That's nice. That's very nice. How did you know not to fight it? Is that something that someone taught you or is it something you came up with on your own?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Something I came up with on my own. I just knew I had to do it to keep myself alive. So.

[John]

Yeah. Have you had that thought about other things in your life? Have you ever been like, I have to go to bed now? I shouldn't fight it. No, no. That you fight.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes.

[Jen]

Every night. Yeah.

[John]

Because if you go to sleep, then you might miss something, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. Do you ever miss anything? Like when you stay up, you're like, oh, I'm so happy I stayed up. This is way better than going to sleep. Only on New Year's Eve, 365 days a year, and only one day's worth staying up for. Yeah, Yeah, I agree with you. It turns out getting good sleep is good for you makes the day better, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. But you still. Your mom's like, it's time to go to bed. And you say, I don't want to. What time's she trying to make you go to bed? Jill, what time are you making this kid go to bed?

[Jen]

So I try for 8. I'd be happy at 8:30, but we typically leave her room after 9. 9:15, 8.

[John]

What do you. Where'd you say you live? You're on the East Coast. You're trying to make that kid go to bed at 8:00'. Clock. Well, Kate, I'll fix this for you.

[Jen]

Hold on a second. Well, she has to get up at 6 to 10. 15 in the morning.

[John]

But that's 10 hours of sleep.

[Jen]

Yeah, she's 11. Well, she gets up. Wait. Ask her how well she gets out of bed and how refreshed she is in the morning.

[John]

Well, no, of course not, because nobody wants to get up at 6 o' clock in the morning. Doesn't matter if you've been sleeping for three days. Who's doing that? Hey, what time would you like to go to bed?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

9:30.

[John]

All right. 9:45. Wow. But it's not tied to tell, you know, all this. When I was a kid, Kate, I'm very old, but when I was a kid, all this was tied to television. Like you wanted to stay up to watch something on tv, but that doesn't matter anymore. So what are you doing when you stay up?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Like calling and texting my friends and watching movies.

[John]

Oh, I see. And your brother is older. You say brother, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah.

[John]

Does he stay up later?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Usually I'm up later than he is.

[John]

Oh, he's what they call lightweight. Can't hang. Right.

[Host]

He gets sleepy.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

He just, like, goes to bed and usually, like, My mom comes out of his room and my dad's still in my room. Or my dad comes out of his room and my mom's still in my room. Okay, I'm still up.

[John]

Hey, okay, wait a second. When I really. I'm a little stuck on this, Kate. Like, so you want to stay up, but you want to stay up and talk to your friends. That means your friends are awake too.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes.

[John]

And then you sleep still like what, eight hours? Yeah, but then why can't you get up?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I don't know. I have like four alarms set and I still barely wake up.

[John]

We joke with Arden because she has alarms on her phone. You know how people settle. Do you have alarms on your phone?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Okay, I have two alarms set on my alarm clock and like two alarms set on my phone.

[John]

I think Arden has an alarm every 15 minutes on her phone from 6am till 2 in the afternoon. It's sometimes, sometimes she's dressed and moving around the house, like leaving for a class, and her alarm goes off and I'm like, time to get up. And she goes, that's my alarm for time to leave, not time to get up. And I go, okay, I don't believe you. But okay. Those alarms go off so much sometimes and they don't wake you up, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

No.

[John]

Your mom's got to come get you.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes.

[John]

Yeah, yeah. And, and let me ask you a question. Be honest, Katie. If you went to sleep at 8 o', clock, you think you'd pop out of bed at six? Like, woo, let's go.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Nope.

[John]

No way. Okay, I'll see. There you go, Jen, let her stay up. What's the difference? Nice. Jen's like, thanks. No, look, I. I should tell you to listen to your mom. She has your best interest at heart. Okay? And who knows, maybe she's right. What are you talking about with your friends anyway? What's so interesting? What's going on? Are you talking about other people? Boys, school? What are you talking about?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

My best friend and I argue over this one stupid thing about who loves each other more. Like, I tell her it takes like five minutes to settle that we love each other equally.

[John]

Hmm. But you gotta do it every day. You can't just remember.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah, we have to do it every day.

[John]

I say, well, how are you gonna make her not do that? Jen, that seems heartless of you. I just wanna say. So what do you do for your diabetes in before bed? Is there anything you have to do? You know, do you take a snack? Do you stay nice and stable? Cause you're, you're Moby. Like, how does that work? How is sleeping go?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I used to, when I was just diagnosed, I used to try and get bed at 1:50. I'll be like 100 and be like, perfect, I'm ready to go to bed.

[John]

Nice. Do you get low overnight ever?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Not really anymore. Oh.

[John]

And when it does happen, how does it get handled? Does mom come in like Supergirl?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Uh huh. Is the Sugar Pixel and she'll like finger stick me, but like I'm half asleep. I don't know what I'm talking about. Like I'm not really conscious. Like my eyes are open and I'll be talking, but she'll be like, you were talking about something last night. I'll be like, no, I wasn't.

[John]

Yeah, I. Arden. Arden's eaten bananas in her sleep and not remembered it the next day. You think you could eat a banana while you were sleeping?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I've drinking a juice box while I was sleeping.

[John]

I bet you could actually. Hey, this is what they call apropos of nothing. But the new Sugar Pixel will have a cartoon representation of me as a pirate on it, in case you're interested.

[Jen]

Yeah, we actually ordered that one. It should be. We ordered it after your. That live launch.

[John]

Oh, did you really? Oh, that's so cool.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Well, we have. So we have three right now all over the house, but we have a camper. So when they started talking about the new one being able to connect easier or connect when you're like in a hotel or camping, I was like, bye.

[John]

Oh, you got.

[Jen]

Right there.

[John]

That's awesome. Um.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Oh.

[John]

Oh, that's so cool. It's a very, very handy, very handy device. That's for sure. Okay, for sure. Now, Kate. What? I guess I should ask you if there's another little girl listening. What do you want to tell her about diabetes?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Um. It does get better. Not every day is as bad as you think it's gonna be. Like the days that you do have sight change are get shots that hurt really bad. There's gonna be a day tomorrow that you. The shot's not gonna hurt as bad or your site or. You're not gonna have to change your sight.

[John]

Yeah. How often do you have days that feel like they weren't good days?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Like once or twice a month maybe.

[John]

So not even every site change is a problem.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Okay. How do you like having your cgm, I imagine on your phone. That a thing you enjoy? Eh, eh. Do you use it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Do you use it more to like. I guess I want to know how involved Are you in the management of your insulin? Like, do you use it to keep track of what's going on so decisions can get made, or do you use it more like, oh, no, there's an alarm. I have to do something.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

At school, I do like 90, 95% of my managing. Really? All the school nurses do is if I go really low, they like call my classroom and give me the carbs for my lunch. Hey, what was your last A1C6 something or 5.9, something like that.

[John]

Is that right, John?

[Jen]

Yeah. So we've been. Since last summer, we've been between 5.6 and 6.2. Or 6 point, yeah, 6.2, I think.

[John]

And you would say that, that she's managing most of that.

[Jen]

She, at school, she does quite a bit of managing. We do quite a bit of text managing together too.

[John]

Nice.

[Jen]

Her school nurses are awesome. They're really willing to, you know, work with how we want to manage it. And from you we learned, you know, tighter, tighter alarms, keep tighter control.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

She, she hates being over 230. So we'll start correcting way earlier than the endo would like us to.

[John]

The endo doesn't want you to correct a 200 blood sugar.

[Jen]

They want to say, go ahead, Kate.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

They say 300 for three hours. Then you can correct Boston.

[John]

Come on, you're right there on the coast. Act like it.

[Jen]

Actually, this is Wister, but yeah, they, they re we correct when we feel like we need to correct.

[John]

Good for you.

[Jen]

Hey, Keith, I remember early on listening to one of your pod very, very early on when we were still trying to like get her to bed at 150, you had said, like, oh, if you saw Arden's number going like 13140 with like straight arrow up, you'd start deciding, you know, if you were going to correct. And I remember like this was like a weekend and I heard that and I was like, that's bonkers. And now I do the same thing.

[John]

Hey, can you say Wister with the accent for me, John?

[Jen]

With the accent?

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Vista.

[John]

Thank you. Appreciate it. I feel like I just heard Ben Affleck read the phone book.

[Jen]

Yeah, well, that's. Yeah, we could for sure.

[John]

Did you see it when they did that? Matt and Ben got on some late night show and they. I did, yeah, they read the Towns in, in Massachusetts. Very funny. Yeah. Okay, so, okay, so you're doing a good job. Okay. You're doing. Now when, when she gets home, does she like throw that phone at you like, you're on lady and. Or does she keep doing it?

[Jen]

I'd say she keeps doing it. It's, you know, it's more of a team effort when she gets home. But, like, we'll often just tell her the carbs. But I. I would say 95% of the time, she's the one putting in the information. Maybe more than that. She's the one putting information into her pump as to the carbs, whether we're going to, you know, split, extend, all that stuff. I mean, the I. The T slim is awesome because she doesn't even have to have her phone on her. She just pull it out and do it right on the screen. So that that was her choice for a pump. And it's actually worked out really well. And being able to extend, we've really nailed a few of the common foods we eat all the time, really. So she knows exactly what to do in the morning for breakfast. She eats the same thing. So all I have to just double check in the morning. Did you bolus? She's like, yep. And we don't. That's all we talk about.

[John]

Yeah. That's awesome. Do you. Are you happy with the level of interaction you and your mom have over this, Kate? Does it feel like it's too much or does it feel just right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

It feels just right.

[John]

Nice. Why do you think you understand this so well? Okay. Like, how did you. How did you. I mean, your mom taught it to you, I imagine, or did you figure it out as you were doing it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Both.

[John]

Both. Okay. So you're really paying attention. How do you know to be this responsible?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I don't know.

[John]

Is it just how she is? Jen?

[Jen]

Yeah, she's a really responsible kid. She's. Like I said, she's my mini me. She's a little type A rule following, great kid. So she just. And she knows she feels yucky, out of the range.

[John]

Um, you just don't want to feel that way, Kate. Is that it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. That's great. Good for you. Um, does it ever take you away from things? Do you ever find yourself doing diabetes instead of something else you want to be doing? And how do you manage that?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I mean, sometimes, but, like, when I'm at birthday parties, I had on my phone and I'm like, you're my pancreas for the day. Thanks.

[John]

Get going. Yeah. Yeah. And that's nice. That must feel really good that she's there to do that, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Like, I did a puppy yoga birthday party once, and she was my Pinterest the entire time.

[John]

Nice. Puppy yoga. That sounds nice. Did they smell good. Like little puppies.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

They were really cute. They had like puppies and ducks.

[John]

And puppies and ducks.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Bunnies.

[John]

Oh, bunnies. Well, ducks would be nice too, but okay.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

They did have ducks. They had puppies. Ducks and bunnies.

[John]

Hey. Hey, Kate, how involved is this Chad guy in all of this? What do you call him?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Involved?

[John]

You call him Dad, I imagine, right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. Is he. Does he know about the diabetes too? Does he help you sometimes?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah, he does like almost all my site changes. Like he does like the pump site changes and mom does like the Dexcom that changes.

[John]

How'd you get the one and not the other one? Jen?

[Jen]

So we, we stumbled probably about four or six months ago onto the soaking concept of the Dexcom. And we just kind of follow a really regular schedule with it. So it gets her grace period starts at like 7 or 8 in the morning when we're getting ready for school. So that's when I put the new one on and he's already left for work.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

And so then when she late afternoon is in, we, you know, get it started up and going and who, who's ever home with her at that point. We'll do that part and, and get it rolling on our phone first. Once we're really accurate, like we're confident that it's pretty close, then we'll change it over on our pump.

[John]

Nice.

[Jen]

And that we super accurate with that lately. So it's just the timing. Like we try to keep it to more of a schedule with it so that we one remember to do it but also just, just kind of flows and it's worked really good for us.

[John]

Jen, is your type A anxiety based or is it rule following based?

[Jen]

Yes, both.

[John]

Oh yeah, you said you have, you have Hashimoto's Jen?

[Jen]

No, my. My aunt. Your aunt does some thyroid? No, I. That's one thing I don't have yet. Probably we'll see where that goes. Um, but yeah, I've got pcos, Raynouns and antiphospholipid syndrome. Blood clotting syndrome.

[John]

I'm sorry. Yeah, you said all that. I'm. I'm. I'm digging in here with, with everybody and forgot pcos. Difficult to get pregnant. Didn't have any trouble? Painful. Been better since you got older or worse.

[Jen]

Um, so it's. That all kind of came about after the blood clots. Um, so the blood clots were down because I had been on birth control. So they took me off of birth control. And then that year I went, I was 30. I went off of birth control. I gained like £20 over the summer. And I was like some like I was working out nutritionist. I'm like, my body is not working right. And then I really noticed, like my periods were really irregular. And so then that within a year I had that diagnosis. Um, I actually went on Metformin and it started regulating my cycle. So I did not have trouble actually getting pregnant.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

Um, I think because the Metformin, you know, regulated everything so well.

[John]

That's lucky. What, how is it now?

[Jen]

Same thing. I'm still on the metformin. Um, I'm 49, so it's starting to be some, you know, perimenopause fun mixed in, which is awesome.

[John]

Jen, how did you end up being 50 years old with an 11 year old?

[Jen]

We, we got a little bit, well, little bit later, Sarah, we wanted to. We designed and built our own house, so we kind of wanted to get that done pre kids.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

So that was all happening while like the PCOS stuff was going on and all of that.

[John]

So I gotta ask you now, in the future, how. How's your old ass feel about that decision when your 11 year old doesn't want to go to sleep at 8 o'?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Clock?

[Jen]

I know, right? Hey, well, the other one's 14, so, you know, it's. I know, 35.

[John]

I. I don't know how to feel, but like, you're talking and it occurred to me, my kids are 26 and almost 22 and I'm only four years older than you. And I thought, oh, thank God I did it like that.

[Jen]

Yeah, I know.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I.

[Jen]

One of Caitlin's friends. I, like, I met the mom, you know, last summer or something. And I was talking and I'm looking at it and I'm like, I think I'm old enough to be her mom. Like, okay, I'm not going to have that thought again. We'll just move on.

[John]

Caitlin, wait. A year in high school and somebody asked what your grandmother's doing here and you're like, that's my mom.

[Jen]

On the bright side, both my husband and I actually look pretty young, so I think we have at least that going.

[John]

Oh, I tell myself that too.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Just trying to get the wrinkles to go away.

[John]

There was a. There was a time in my 30s when I really did look younger than I was. And now I just live off the memory of that. I used to look younger than I am. So. Yeah, I'm seeing how long that'll last.

[Jen]

Yeah, me too.

[John]

Yeah, good for you. So did you ever Consider glp.

[Jen]

I actually. Yeah, I. I actually started one.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Oh.

[Jen]

I started working with a hormone specialist last year, and that's helped with doing very low and slow. Can't really get into the hormone stuff yet because of the blood clotting factors, so we're trying to dive through that on what's okay, what's not okay, but, yeah, very, very low dose compounded, and that's helped quite a bit.

[John]

Awesome. Awesome. That's. That's really great. Okay. Okay. Why did you want to do this? Is there something you want to tell people? Are you just a huge fan of me and you want to say hi? What are we doing this for?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I don't know.

[John]

Your mom tell you we're doing it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Mom asked me, do you want to be on a podcast? I'm like, yeah, yeah. She's like, okay. Would you want to talk about diabetes on a podcast? I'm like, door. So she got me.

[John]

Are you getting a day off from school for this?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes.

[John]

Hey, is there something you want to say to me, kid? You're very welcome. Enjoy your day off. Okay. What are you gonna do with the rest of it?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I have to get. I have another endocrinologist appointment, then I have to get blood drawn, but other than that. Oh, I got to sleep in an hour.

[John]

And did you pop up at 7? Were you, like, See, this extra hour really is important. Not really, no. I was gonna make the argument that maybe you shouldn't have to go to school because if you could just sleep till 7, everything would be okay, but apparently you're not getting up one way or the other.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Like, I woke up better, but it wasn't, like, fantastic.

[John]

Yeah, yeah, I hear you.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I still had to have alarms. Like, on the weekend, I'll sleep till 8 o', clock, and I'll wake up whenever I want to wake up.

[John]

Mm. Well, we should write a note to the school, see if they could maybe push that start time back till nine. You know what I mean?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Let you roll in at a comfortable time. I'm for that. I don't like getting up early if I don't want to. When I. When I wake up, I'm happy about it, but if I'm tired, I would like to sleep. What do you. How. How do you like school?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

It's fun. And my schedule's good because it's like, I have. I have two teachers, and I start in homeroom, and I have two classes in that homeroom, and then I go. And I have specials. Lunch recess. Then I go to my switch Class. And I have two subjects in that class.

[John]

Yeah.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

And then I go home.

[John]

Jen, when does the schedule get more rigorous? At what age?

[Jen]

So next year she's still in the same school. I think she'll have three. Two or three teachers. Okay, two. Unless math. Sometimes they'll pull out for math, but that kind of depending on what group she's with. But then when she goes to junior high, then it starts to be seven classes, 45 minutes each, switching three minutes between. So seventh grade is at a junior high. And that's when I think it gets a lot more chaotic in the schedule.

[John]

This is going to be really interesting if my recording schedule lines up with our production schedule, because I interviewed a, A lovely woman yesterday who is so anxious and, and worried about everything about diabetes. And as I'm talking to you guys, I don't feel that from you at all. So is it that you're not anxious and worried, or is it you manage that anxiety and worry differently?

[Jen]

I think we manage the anxiety and worry differently. I think, for me, I mean, I know it's an old saying, but, like, knowledge is power. I found your. I don't even remember how I found your podcast. Honestly, I think I. The first couple of weeks were a blur, and I can tell you more on that story in a minute, but I found your podcast. I started listening, like, randomly. Like, I think I listened to a pro tip series first, and I was like, whoa, this is a lot. And then kind of figured back way into, okay, bold beginnings and pro tips and then stuff. And I drive half an hour to work in the morning and then on the way home, and so I can pretty much do, you know, an episode a day, and I just soaked it in. And then I'd come back and, like, the really key parts, I'd repeat to her and to Chad, and I think we just, I mean, that first appointment, three months later, that's when we were at a 5.6 A1C and we were MDI. And it was just like, you know, I, I, I can't control. It's an uncontrollable disease. Like, you can't control it, but you can manage it with tools and knowledge and awareness. And I think that kind of gives both of us, all of us, comfort, you know?

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Easier to. It's almost easier to stay in range than to try to, like, get back in range like you always. I think you've said this before.

[John]

I agree. Yeah.

[Jen]

I'd rather treat a low then fight a high. It's funny, as you kind of Take a net on.

[John]

That's awesome. As you're describing, it occurred to me. It's like. It's like getting a saddle and a. On and a bit in a wild horse and maybe like, getting some spurs and jumping on, holding on, being like, look, this thing is what it is. It's a powerful, you know, it's a powerful animal. It's going to do what it. But I could probably try to direct it a little bit. Maybe I could keep it, you know, between the lines a tiny bit. And you. And you got all that from. So I. I've made a promise to myself that I'm not going to act surprised anymore when people say the podcast has helped them. Even though it is my initial, I'm starting to worry that it comes off as disingenuous. I really feel that way, but I feel like maybe people don't believe that anymore, so I don't want to. I don't know. It's true. Trust me. I'm stunned that you're like, oh, that thing you made, it helped me a lot. But I. I've heard it enough now that I believe it, you know.

[Jen]

Oh, for sure.

[John]

I.

[Jen]

We. I mean, we did. We got great education at the hospital. I think our team is wonderful. Our diabetes educator, you know, we were there for two days. We can reach out to them by my chart. We. They, like, they were. We left as more prepared than. I think. I hear some people leave because we were there, like, like I said, for two days, but I kind of felt like there was more. And, like, the podcast filled that for me. You know, I'm a working mom. I work full time, you know, kid with diabetes, life in general, family. And I did buy a book, but I think I read, like, a chapter of it. I don't have time to, like, sit and read. And so it kind of really, being the podcast format, fit into our life. And, yeah, I mean, I would say you were instrumental in us being where we are with our knowledge, with our A1C, with our comfort level. I mean, truly, like, we'd rather, you know, feed a low than fight a high. You know, we tightened our ranges so that we're not, you know, a minor. Mine are even tighter than hers. She lets hers go a little, like, wider, just so she's not beeping as much in school.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Sure.

[Jen]

Um, but if I see it, you know, I'll text her. We do the text. Diabetes pre bolusing. They did mention that to us in the hospital. You know, you probably want to give this to the insulin. A Little bit before you eat. And that was super scary because at that point you didn't really understand, like, it's okay to give yourself this medicine 15 minutes before you eat. Like it's, you're not going to like crash.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

You know, as long as your blood sugar. Cause the range, obviously. But like you would talk about it and it started just to become. But more common. Like we just, it just made sense to me. I don't know. Like, for me, I'm very math oriented. It just like the numbers kind of just make sense. Like I can kind of figure stuff out pretty easy with it. I don't know. It's not easy. I don't want to. You know, there are definitely hard days for sure. And there's definitely times where she goes low and you're like, why did that happen? Or high. You're like, that makes no sense. But you know, we started, you know, working through fat and protein and extended boluses and those kinds of concepts. Like they, you know, they can only have you for two days. It's. This is a long thing to learn about.

[John]

Would you.

[Jen]

So, yeah, it's been instrumental to it.

[John]

Yeah. Oh, I'm glad to know that. Thank you for sharing that with me. Would you say that's a thing that comes easily to you or did I beat it into your head or like, did you just need it to be said to you or did you need it to be said to you a certain way? Does that make sense?

[Jen]

Yeah, I think I just needed data. Like I just need info. I think, you know, the way you describe things and, and I think because you have so many episodes, hearing it multiple ways sometimes is helpful too.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

You know, I, I actually recently went back and re listened to the pro tips because the first time I listened to him, it was like scattered throughout, random. Like I really didn't know what I was like. I didn't have a plan. You know, now if somebody told me, I'd be like, start with bold beginnings and that, you know.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

So when I went back and listened to Em, I was like, okay, that makes sense. That's why, you know, it, it kind of all like really clicked. But yeah, I think it's just having multiple options. Like sometimes I'm listening to you have conversations and then sometimes I'm like, okay, well let me go back and see if I can find more of like an educational piece or if we're having a particular difficult time of like a fat or a protein, you know, then I'll go back and listen to one of those episodes or try to find more episodes, you know, specifically to what we're, like, dealing with at that point.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And then just having like an hour in the car, it's just, it's just, you know, a good format to learn.

[John]

No, I, I. Even though you don't have a ton of free time, like, what I feel like I'm hearing is that you prioritize trying to get more information and you put some effort into categorizing it in your head, going back, making sure that you, you hit the, you know, the tones that you needed to hit, and then it just turned into a 5 9, 6, 8 1C.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah.

[John]

That's how I imagine it works, actually.

[Jen]

Yep. Oh, thank you for, like, you say timing and amount and then understanding, you know, those extra things like the extended boluses and, you know, and stuff like that.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

It's.

[Jen]

And the fats and the proteins, like, those are, you know, I, I kind of call em, like a little bit. Next level skills.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

That they didn't. Because they don't, you know, first day in the hospital. They're just trying to keep you alive. They're not caring that you're gonna, you know, and you have met your mdi, so, like, those are concepts that you haven't even touched on at that point.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

So, yeah, it was, it's huge. I mean, when I was, I just printed a graph. Cause we're going the endo after this and, you know, 93% range. I mean, she's just, she does so good with it. Like, I have to say that I, as much as I've learned and told her, like, she's amazing to be 11 and being able to handle this, like, if she sees herself going high, she'll correct. You know, if she sees herself going low, she'll treat it with like, one or two carbs. And, you know, and there are times where she's busy, you know, so she's on the swings all of a sudden, she'll drop really quick and the nurse will come out.

[John]

Sure.

[Jen]

Um, but, but she handles so much. Like, I'm fortunate too, that she's as smart as she is and as conscientious as she is about it, because it makes, as parents, it makes it work better as well because she's not doing all these crazy things. She's not randomly eating. She waits 15 minutes or more, you know.

[John]

No. Yeah. But she's, she's good about it. Again, what do you do for a living? What was your. Did you get a degree? How are you Educated.

[Jen]

I'm an architect.

[John]

Okay. So visual and numbers.

[Jen]

Visual math. Yeah. Numbers.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[John]

Because you really, you really took to all this.

[Jen]

I did. And I'm surprised because I am not medical. I made myself give her a shot before we left the hospital because I was like, I have to. I have to know how to do this. My husband is much more comfortable with anything medical. Like, if they. If we're both home and one of the kids gets hurt, dad. Okay, I can't do. You know, I'll do it if I'm here, but if there's a choice between the two of us and there's something,

[John]

I won't let them die. But, I mean, I'd prefer not to be involved.

[Jen]

I prefer that dad handle it if Dad's here. So, you know, interesting. He's the one, like, that came, you know, you're learning all that math with a correction factor in the hospital. And I think I was so overwhelmed at the beginning. Like, I had a harder time understanding, like, what was the math we were learning. And he went home and, like, broke it down and then came back and explained it, like, this is the correction factor portion of the equation. And this is. And this. And I was like, okay, that makes sense. And. And so, like, we've kind of both been, you know, in it. I'm the one that listens to the podcast and kind of regurgitate back to everybody.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

You know, what. What we're doing.

[John]

But you think he takes any of that from you and adapts it for himself?

[Jen]

For sure, yeah. Yeah. You know, and it's one of those where we're both home. If it's a sight change, it's going to follow him.

[John]

Right.

[Jen]

He's just better at it. It's his. He's more mechanically inclined. He's a more hands on kind of a guy. So that makes sense that that's in his wheelhouse. And if it's more like, okay, what are we going to do for an extend or a split or whatever, it's easier for me, so I'll kind of take that on. But if I'm not here, he'll. He'll be doing it, too.

[John]

What's. What does he do for a living?

[Jen]

So he's. He's a. He was a contractor by trade, but he actually changed and he's a vocational carpentry teacher about five years ago.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Okay.

[Jen]

So now he's a teacher, which actually works really good with summer schedules with a kid with diabetes.

[John]

Oh. And not only that, but he's good at. At Explaining something technical to somebody, too.

[Jen]

Very good.

[John]

Yeah.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. Hey, Kate, how does it feel to hear your mom talking about this and, and how does it feel for you to. To hear how much your parents care about you and how hard they're trying to. To. To be good parents for you?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Feels good.

[John]

Yeah. You.

[Host]

You.

[John]

You know, everybody loves you.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. That's a great feeling, huh?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Very cool. I. I'm. I'm just Jen, like, like I said, the person I spoke to the other day, she's no more or less intelligent than you, no more or less focused, no more or less desirous of a good outcome. And I'm trying to figure out what the difference is between the two of you. And I think it's that, you know, that everything could be crazy and terrible, but you trust that the things you're doing are going to stop that from happening.

[Host]

And she.

[John]

And I think she can't believe that it's not going to go wrong. I really think that's the slim difference between the two of these conversations.

[Jen]

It's interesting. I actually had a conversation last. Last night, night before with my husband because he doesn't have social media. He doesn't like any of that. But I, you know, I follow a number of, you know, common T1D kids on. On social media, and so I'll often tell him stuff. And there was one that had a very scary low, and they were like 10 years in, you know, And I said to him, I said, I want. When we settle, you know, someday I want you to read her the mom's, you know, description of it, because I think sometimes we almost get too complacent. Like, we got this. I mean, Caitlin hasn't had any lows less than 55 in the last. Looking at her dicks for the last four weeks. So, like, we, you know, it's almost like sometimes we have to remind ourselves, like, not to be so complacent. Like, we. We do have to, you know, always stay on our toes.

[John]

It's like. Like a fender bender, right? Like, you can drive for 20 years, you know exactly what you're doing, and then just one day, you, like, back into a car in your driveway and you're like, oh, my God. Like, really? Yeah, yeah. No. And. And you don't know when that's coming or if it's coming and how to plan for it if it does. So, yeah, no, no, I take, for

[Jen]

me, part of it, too, is. Is like I said, I'm a planner. And so part of my comfort level is we always have everything we need at all times. Like, I have created quite a stockpile of supplies. She always. She carries a sling pack to school, and it's got her low treatment in it, like, whatever. Different kinds of low treatments, and a back semi. Her bag that we take whenever, like, I'm out and about with her has, you know, everything in it and a back simmy. You know, I've packed the camper for the season with half of the supplies from home, you know, and so part of my comfort level, too, is knowing that, like, I have in, you know, sugar free Advil. I have sugar free cough drops.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I have.

[Jen]

What's the medicine that makes you not nauseous?

[John]

Zofran.

[Jen]

Zofran. Thanks. I have Zofran, you know, stocked and ready. So I think for me too, like, that planning part of my life where that's kind of how I cope. But if I. I have everything I need to be able to handle any situation that helps bring me comfort.

[John]

Yeah. No, that's awesome.

[Host]

I.

[John]

Listen, I. I know other people have that stuff, and they can't feel the comfort, so.

[Jen]

Yeah. And I don't know what the. What the difference is, because like I said, I'm not a not anxious person.

[John]

You're like, it's not like I'm not anxious, Scott, let me tell you.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[Jen]

You know, I may not sleep a whole lot, but I'm good.

[John]

Do you. Do you not sleep enough?

[Jen]

You know, I'm. Well, I'm the one getting up in the night because I sleep a lot lighter than everybody else in the house. So if she does, you know, have a compression low or she does need something in the night, I'm the one up. But then, you know, fun perimenopause is in the mix. Decided time of life.

[John]

Oh, my God. Sometimes I wake up and I look at my wife and I'm like, all right. Have you ever been to sleep tonight? And she's like, I don't think so. And I'm like, oh, okay. Good luck today. This part's probably almost over, you know, probably not, but it's been years.

[Jen]

Probably not. I just keep telling myself it's probably almost over. Yeah, we're good. You know, the other night, it's usually the first night she has a Dexcom on. She only wears them on her arms. It's almost pretty common the first night, depending on exactly where it is. But she'll have, like one or two compression lows, and then they usually go away. The other night, she just. That was the arm she wanted to Sleep on. And I'd roll her back and then she would be like, right, like she couldn't be more on that Dexcom. It was like five times in one night. She had compression loads. So I'm still getting up, I'm rolling her over. Depending on, you know, look at the graph. I'll kind of gauge like, okay, do I want to wait five minutes and see if we pop up? Do I want a finger stick? And you know that that wakes you up for a little bit. You can't just go right to sleep after that.

[John]

I hear you all over. You're laying on your sensor. Arden rollover. You're laying on your sensor.

[Jen]

Except Caitlyn doesn't wake up, which is good. I mean, I can come in and I finger stick her, I give her juice, I roll her. She has no memory. The next morning she does. And so on the bright side of her not wanting to wake up in the morning, she doesn't wake up at night either. So she, you know, she doesn't have to deal with, you know, any of that stuff yet. I'm not sure how we'll get there with. She's not a. Wake her up.

[John]

Yeah, eventually I, I, I went in the other night and Arden was literally cuddled up with a box of cookies. Like, like, she, she, the, the cookies were a little spoon. Arden was big spoon. And she, and she just, I was like, what is happening in here? As I asked her later, she's like, oh. She's like, I brought those up the other day and they were still in my room and I got low and I was like, I had a cookie and I was like, okay, like all good.

[Jen]

Um, I fell asleep with them.

[John]

Yeah, but you just fell asleep with them in their bed. Um, it sounds like you guys are doing really well. The only question.

[Jen]

Well, and I think that's one of the reasons I wanted to come on is, you know, it, it's not that it's easy, right? No, no, it's not that. I don't want to sound, you know, overconfident because obviously we have struggles, but it, it can be manageable. We can do it. We, you know, and we are doing it because one, we have no other choice. But yeah, I think we're doing okay with it. And sometimes it's good to hear that part too. I know it's the negative stuff tends to get more clicks, as you've been saying lately, but sometimes I, I'm hopeful that hearing, you know, our story and 11 year old handling it so well can maybe give Some. Others. Some hope or confidence.

[John]

No, I'm glad for you to do that. I really am. It's, Yeah. I mean, listen, it's trite to say, but if you're paying attention to the Internet at all, obviously, like, you know, anger and, and fighting and arguing, that stuff sells clicks better. I think it's just maybe human nature. And then you get the, the feeling that everybody's struggling because that's all you see. And, you know, then maybe you're struggling too. That's how it was served to you. And then you, you get into this mindset that the whole world's a disaster. And, you know, see, I, I, I can prove it. I clicked on a couple of things and everybody else does. Maya too, but that's not the case. Everybody's not feeling that way. I think just people are, you know, diabetes specific, just in different parts of their journey. And maybe they have different personalities and they handle things differently. But I think there's a path through this for most people. You know, I, I don't know if everybody can get to it. Like, some people's struggles are obviously significant, and, you know, sometimes they're blocked by all different variables. Could be financial, it could be the devices, could be bad doctors, it could be their inability to just believe that it's going to be okay. Like, you know, and a number of other other things. But it still seems, it still seems important to me for everyone to be, to have access to stories like yours, you know, no. Good. Yeah, because hopefully somebody will hear it and think, well, she's doing it. And, you know, it sounds like it's going well for her. You know, maybe I could, maybe I could make an adjustment to how I'm thinking about this as well. And even, you know, Kate over there at her young age is a great attitude about the whole thing. You know, she's a really not complaining. I mean, I'm sure, like, Kate, if I asked you to complain about diabetes, what would you complain about?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

How it hurts. And like, sometimes teachers are like, put your phone away. And like, all the stuff that goes into it, like the 10,000 other decisions you have to make per day.

[John]

And Jen, do you think she's experiencing any kind of a honeymoon?

[Jen]

So I don't think so because we're so consistent. Like those, those rare outliers where she goes, like, low for no reason are, are so rare that I'd feel like I'd see that more if we were still in honeymoon. Like, her insulin usage per day is pretty consistent. If her carbs are consistent.

[John]

Okay.

[Jen]

So I don't know, I don't know how to tell that other than I think I would see more variables.

[John]

Yeah, I think people who are living through a honeymoon go. No, no, it's there. I, I say it. So. Yeah, I usually, I take the. It doesn't seem like it as a. No, it's not here.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[John]

I would say this, you know, having a, you know, a kid with like, you know, some, some lady issues. Pay close attention to how the GLP is helping you so that you have context for it if she should run into similar problems. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause when I was dating Kelly and we were young, she's like, I take spironolactone cuz I have tough periods. And trust me, over the last 30 years, that, that, that cute little. Oh, she takes a little pill because it has turned into, you know, I had to have a surgery to have a cyst removed from my, you know, my ovary. And like, you know, and my God, like terrible heavy periods, pain. Probably Arden probably has something like PCOS or something like that. I wouldn't be surprised if my wife isn't struggling with something similar. And you know, there's not a lot of medical help for it. So any data you can collect about yourself not only will help you, but I think might be valuable for her in the future. And then I would also say with the family involvement, like don't stop looking at, you know, thyroid numbers, you know, as time goes on, just in case.

[Jen]

Yeah, for sure.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

I was actually the woman I would, I'm working with, I guess you call it like a concierge doctor specialty. You know, I was actually emailing her last night like because we just done some more blood work. I don't have the results yet, but I was like, you know, just emailing back and forth what, you know, what do you. Let me know what you think and stuff like that. Just trying to be on, on top of it because you know, my, my history, health history isn't the best either.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

You know, and, and I gotta remember too. I mean, it's my aunt with diabetes and you know, PCOS is obviously related to, you know, know, insulin resistance or issues. And you know, and then now with Kate, like I gotta, I tell myself occasionally, like I'm not out of the woods, just cuz I'm 49.

[John]

I was gonna say I didn't bring that up, but like, I wondered if you're thinking about that.

[Jen]

Oh yeah, it's crossed my mind. And even my, you know, my son is 14. He's like, oh, you know, like that. You know, it sucks. And I'm like, hey, just so you know, like, we're not gonna have him tested, because part of me I don't like, if I knew it was for sure coming, not knowing when, like, that would not help my anxiety. Like, I'm just. One day, he was like, oh, I'm really thirsty. I'm like, give me a finger, you know? So I think we'll be on top of it if he's never asked for water again. Let me take your blood sugar. And it was fine. And he was, you know, so I think I'll now, knowing what I know, I'll be, you know, much more on top of it. I'd rather just do it that way.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Thank you.

[Jen]

No, it may or may not, because, you know, he's obviously, as a sibling, you know, he's at a risk.

[John]

Yeah. Well, listen, keep chugging along. The only thing I can tell you is that Arden was diagnosed when she was 2. And when I'm done here with you, I've been tasked with going out and ordering a bouquet of flowers for her commencement tomorrow, so.

[Jen]

Oh, that's awesome.

[John]

Time goes by, you know, and it does.

[Jen]

It flies by, and you just keep doing the thing.

[John]

Is that crazy, Kate, to think you'll graduate from college one day?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. It seems like forever from now, huh?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

It's not as long as you think. By the way, people, Kate doesn't feel good. She got a little cold, so I'm going to give her some credit for doing this while she's not feeling well. What do you think's going on here, Kate? Head cold, sore throat. What do we got going on?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I don't know. It could be allergies, but I don't have really many allergies.

[John]

Oh, geez. Are you taking any medication? Has your blood sugar been different since you haven't been feeling right?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

No, my blood sugar has actually been really good. Okay. I've only been using my inhaler, like, once every two days.

[John]

Okay. When Arden's. Like, certain kinds of colds balance Arden's blood sugar. Like, make them.

[Jen]

They balance it out.

[Host]

Yeah.

[John]

Like, there's some illnesses when she gets them, that. That her blood sugars are lower and more stable and. And take less insulin, and then there's some illnesses where it takes more insulin. It's interesting how it kind of goes back and forth. So maybe you got one of those.

[Jen]

Yeah, she doesn't. I haven't. I've noticed, like, the past. I mean, she she had a cold and then she, I thought was getting better and then it's another cold. So I think it's two different colds in a row. It could be the same one with a gap in between. But you know, the last couple days I was like, oh, is there insulin need a little less. But then all of a sudden it'll be, you know, she'll be high, high, high for us. You know, she'll be like 180, 200. And I'll be like, okay, maybe I'm wrong. It's not less.

[John]

Wait till the lady time starts. That's a big party.

[Jen]

I, yeah, I've already been prepping her for that. I'm like, we're gonna have some insulin changes when we, when we get there.

[John]

It's okay, you guys will handle it.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

We'll handle it.

[Jen]

And I mean, I think part of, you know, being aware like, you know, of what's going on and watching, you know, I'm not watching all the time her numbers, but being aware of her numbers and how they're doing, I don't know. I make changes to her settings on my own. So we'll have a talk about that at the end of the day. Like I, I noticed at night she was starting to go a little higher. Eight, nine, ten o' clock at night. And I'm like, oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna bump up our base a little, you know, starting at like 7 through like 11, because I think she's getting a little bit of growth hormone happening then. And so I did. So hopefully.

[John]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jen]

It used to work, you know, I don't know. You know, I don't think they're used to many people coming in with, you know what I consider, you know, 5, 6, a 1C and making confidently adjustments. Like I've, you know, I already started creating. We're going to be driving for three days this summer down to Florida. And so I've already started like kind of play around with what a travel profile will look like because her bathing needs are going to be crazy at that time. She goes so high when we travel.

[John]

Yeah, it's the same. Well, you know, like why do you think that is, Kate?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Do you know just from sitting all my. Can't move, like even when I get home in bolas and sit on the couch, it like just I need to get up and like move my phone around.

[John]

Yeah, that's right. It's exactly right. The sitting still and probably snacking in the car is enough that your settings, the way they work for you in your day are probably not enough. So, I mean, you know, you could try like a 20% increase in basil and, and maybe your carb ratio for the trip, that might help.

[Jen]

And that's exactly what I've changed.

[John]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And you should be good to go.

[Jen]

We did a couple hour ride and she had bullsher 10 carbs. It was like that time of day. It was like.08 units. And we got in the car and her blood sugar went up and she didn't even end up having her snack. She doesn't like to eat if she's, you know, over 150, she likes it to be lower so she knows she's not going to go over 200, you know, for that bump. And she's like, I'll just wait because we're almost there. And. And so then I'm like, okay, well, if her. This is how my brain works, you know, I'm like, well, if her Basil is 0.5 an hour, and she gave herself 0.8 and it was an hour and a half in the car, that was almost double basil for that ride. And it barely kept her where she was starting. Even pumped her a little bit. I'm like, well, does that mean basil? You know, should we be looking that we're going to need a basal increase? I actually increased it from. It was 0.6 to like 0.9 for my travel profile. So more like 30%.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And again, I don't. I don't know. I mean, I'm just kind of playing around.

[Host]

You'll figure it.

[John]

I mean, listen, you'll be in the car. You can, you know, if it's too much, you'll. You'll know pretty quickly. You can take care of it. But I guarantee you. Well, I can't guarantee you, but I don't think it's going to end up being too much.

[Jen]

She's just probably, you know, if it is, I can give her a piece of candy. Sure.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

They want to feed the insulin, but why not?

[John]

And she's pretty. She's pretty active during her regular week, it sounds like. Yeah, yeah, right. Kate, you have you doing sports or other activities, you're playing on the playground, stuff like that.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I do a school program where it's like you go early. You have to go early in the morning and then stay late after school, and you just get to play on the playground for like hours. And then I come home and I play outside with my brother and I do horseback lessons.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

And sometimes I'll do lacrosse with my dad, and I do cheer, and my blood sugar usually stays pretty stable and goes low. But I have. I also play the saxophone, and I have a concert coming up, and I think I'm gonna go high for that.

[John]

Do you get nervous for those concerts?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yes.

[John]

Yeah. And that's. Well, that's where that comes from then. And I mean. Yeah, you. You hear the whole thing right here. Like, she's. She's super active, so her settings are a little lower to combat her activity. The activity is helping with her insulin sensitivity, basically. And when you sit still, it's not going to. What are you guys going to Florida for? Going to see an alligator?

[Jen]

I don't know.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Maybe. We're going. We're.

[Jen]

We're going to Disney in June and July, ironically. We're going to be there as Friends for Life is starting, but we're leaving, like, a day later planned. You know, I didn't know Friends for Life was going to be there. That, and I looked into it. I'm like, well, let's. What if we just skip out on Disney for a day and you and I go over to Friends for Life for a Day on our last day? You know, I. And. But then I looked online and you have to buy, like, the four. Like, the full ticket, like a day ticket.

[John]

Oh.

[Jen]

And I was like, ah, that stinks.

[John]

What is it? 8, 8th, 9th. 10th. Is that friends Per Life into the weekend there?

[Jen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we. We leave to drive home the morning of the 10th. So the 9th would have been, like, a great. You know, I'm like, you know, we could. Kate and I could have gone over because I wouldn't want to make her brother do a diabetes thing on vacation.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Um, so they'd probably just go do something together and I'd go over with her. But, like. Well, maybe we'll just see people around. Like, you know, we might see. Because we're going to be on Disney property, too. We might just run into more.

[John]

You might. I'll be there. I know I'm there. I'm only. I'm not there the whole week, but I'm there a few days, so.

[Jen]

Well, we might run into you.

[John]

You're very welcome.

[Jen]

Maybe we'll have to go over to that hotel and just hang out in the lobby for a little bit. See if we say hi to anybody.

[John]

Please just text me or email me. I'll come out and say hi. I. Yeah, I think I'm at the. I'm at the Sugar Pixel booth and doing some work with Omnipod. And maybe tandem, too, while I'm down there. I think we're working that out now, so. Yeah.

[Jen]

Cool.

[John]

All right, well, listen, you guys were terrific. I appreciate this. You probably have to get going to your appointment. I have to go buy flowers. I was just texted that Arden is graduating magna cum laude, so it's very exciting.

[Jen]

That's awesome.

[Host]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Congratulations.

[John]

Thank you. She's. He's a smart one, too, so. It's fun having smart daughters.

[Jen]

It really is. It makes some things very easy until

[John]

they get older, and then it's really. Then she gonna spend a lot of time telling you what you. What you're doing wrong, Jen, just so you know.

[Jen]

Oh, well, I already get that a little.

[John]

Yeah, she's gonna. She's gonna figure out everything you don't do right, and she'll explain it to you.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Okay.

[John]

So you're gonna have. It's a nice moment when you test yourself for being quiet. Anyway, Kate, I really appreciate you doing this. It sounds like you're doing terrific. I'm super happy for you. I'm glad the podcast has been helpful for you, but it sounds like your mom and dad have been way more helpful, so I'm thrilled that you have a good support system around you, people that love you, and it sounds like you're well on your way to having a great life. I'm super excited for you.

[Jen]

Yeah, she's. She's doing really good. I have to, you know, also thank you know, some friends. I. When. When we got out of the hospital, the week went worse. Believe it or not, our other cat passed away the day after we came home from the hospital.

[John]

No.

[Jen]

And then the day after that, Caitlin got 105 fever, and we ended up back in the ER. So, like, that week was absolutely crazy. And I had a friend. Neighbor come over or text. She was like, I'm bringing you dinner. What night do you want? And which of these dinners do you want? Which was, like, super helpful. And when she came over, we just sat on the porch talking for a little bit, and she was like, oh, do you know our other neighbor down the street, her son has type 1 diabetes, and he's two years older than Caitlin.

[John]

Oh.

[Jen]

And she's like, I'm going to connect you. And so she connected us with them. And that woman's been, you know, she's

[John]

very helpful, I imagine.

[Jen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So helpful. They came over a couple weeks later. Caitlin got to see, you know, another kid with a pump. You know, they're two years older, and he's A boy. She's a girl. But at that point, he was still at their school, so the nurse was great with, you know, oh, this is how they do it. And, you know, me talking to that mom. So just, you know, having other resources around has been super helpful, too.

[John]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Jen]

I don't know where it's going with that, but.

[John]

No, well, you. It's just important to have community around you wherever you can, wherever you can make it, wherever you can find it. It's. It's just.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[John]

It's incredibly valuable.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[John]

I'm glad for you, for sure. Yeah, that's what I. Thanks. And thanks for sharing all that nice stuff with me. It just. It was really nice to hear how the podcast has helped. Helped you and I. I appreciate you sharing it with other people as well.

[Jen]

Yeah, no, I definitely. I mean, I haven't run into too many other, you know, newly diagnosed, but when I. When I do, I definitely share it. I definitely shared it back with our cde and. And the team.

[John]

Um, do they handle that well when they. When you say, hey, I've. I figured this all out from a podcast?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah. And they.

[Jen]

Well, so the. The endo seems to be, I think, a little bit more conservative. The CD who we had in the hospital that first day. Well, so Caitlin had a nurse who was a type 1 diabetic for the first day she was in the hospital. And our diabetes educator was a di. Is a diabetic. So even right off the bat, having two people that have this thing that you now have, who are successful and doing what they're doing was such a huge relief. But, you know, over times that we run into them and they're just, you know, especially the. The cde, when we run into it, you know, appointments with the endo, you know, she'll be like, how you guys doing? We'll just kind of sit and talk. And I was telling her about how we're soaking our Dexcom, and she's like, can you email me everything that you're doing? And I was like, yeah. And I, you know, and I also emailed about the Juice Box podcast and super receptive to that because I think, you know, having people who, like, for, you know, understand it. I don't want to say understand it. I mean, we're still new, but, you know, having that communication level and being like, this was great. Like, without saying that they weren't like, this is just more like, we had a great start with them in the hospital, but it's only two days.

[John]

Right.

[Jen]

You just need More. And I think that they were open. The fact that there's more and that we're taking more and we're learning and that our A1Cs, I mean, they were. They were, like, cheering with her that her A1C was so low, and they were super excited about that. And then they were talking pump site locations, and it was just kind of neat, like, sweet to have that. Yeah. Yeah, we're really fortunate in that regard.

[John]

Yeah, no, it's fantastic. I actually just built a. A webpage that's for Doctors. It's just juicebox podcast.com clinician-share. And it's a. It gives them the ability to, like, print, copy, text, or email the different series more easily, so.

[Jen]

Oh, wow, that's great.

[John]

Yeah. For doctors who have been sharing it that way, they, you know, the problem was they're like, dragging lists off and pictures and sending people stuff, so tried to make it a little. A little easier for them.

[Jen]

Do you find a lot of doctors are. Are open to that and open to sharing?

[John]

Yeah, a lot of them are. They, you know, I don't know how public they are about it, that they share podcasts with people, but they do it, so it's nice. I'm very happy that about the ones that do, and hopefully we can, you know, spread it out and show it to other people, and maybe they can find more people like you and have more outcomes like the ones you guys are having.

[Jen]

Yeah, definitely.

[John]

Be awesome. All right, I have to go. My dog. Speaking of elderly pets, my. My. My oldest dog, Basil, he has a prostate problem, and apparently the way you fix that is by taking their manhood from them. So he had that happen to him yesterday. He needs a pain pill in about 20 minutes. So I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go get my dog nice and loaded so he can lay around today and recover from his, well, you know, his unfortunate afternoon yesterday.

[Host]

So.

[Jen]

Yeah, sure.

[John]

Anyway, did we lose Kate or is she still there?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I'm still here.

[John]

Okay. Kate, I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much for doing this with me. I hope you have a great day, and I hope the blood draw goes easy and you get great news at the endo, but I think you're going to. You're doing a fantastic job, kid. Kate, do you not take a good. Do you not take. Well, when people say nice stuff to you, is it hard to hear that you're doing a good job?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

I don't know.

[John]

No. Okay, you go ahead and go. No, go ahead.

[Jen]

Do you think you're doing a Good job, Kate.

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah. Okay, well, I'm proud of you and I think your mom is too. So go be proud of yourself and have a great day. Okay?

[Caitlin (Kate)]

Thanks.

[John]

You're very welcome. I'll talk to you later. And Jen, thank you so much. If we bump into each other in Orlando, that'd be fantastic.

[Host]

The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Moby with control IQ/[e-mail] Juicebox There are links in the show. Notes and [e-mail] Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G7. And the Dexcom G7 warms up in just 30 minutes. Check it out [e-mail] Juicebox if you're living with type 1 diabetes, the after Dark collection from the Juice Box Podcast is the only place to hear the stories that no one else talks about. From drugs to depression, self harm, trauma, addiction, and so much more. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu and click on After Dark. There you'll see a full list of all of the After Dark episodes. 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.