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- [00:00]
A
Hello friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. If you're looking for community around type 1 diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast. Private Facebook group juicebox podcast type 1 diabetes but everybody is welcome. Type 1, type 2 gestational loved ones. It doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort or community, check out Juice box podcast type 1 diabetes on Facebook. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by the Omnipod 5, and at my link I omnipod.com juicebox you can get yourself a free. What I just say a free Omnipod 5 starter kit. Free. Get out of here. Go click on that link omnipod.com juicebox check it out. Terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox links in the show notes links@juicebox podcast.com the episode you're listening to is sponsored by USMED usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. You can get your diabetes testing supplies the same way we do from US Med.
- [01:42]
B
Hi there. My name's Priya and I'm a mom to a 17 year old type one, and we joined the Typhoon family around a little over six years ago.
- [01:56]
A
Six years ago. Your daughter? A son.
- [02:00]
B
My son.
- [02:00]
A
Your son? How old is. How old is he?
- [02:04]
B
He's 17 and a half now.
- [02:06]
A
Now. Okay. Wow. Are there other type ones in your family or other autoimmune issues or anything?
- [02:13]
B
No, he's the first one. First cap of the rank.
- [02:17]
A
And you have other kids?
- [02:19]
B
Just one.
- [02:20]
A
You have this one. Okay, so he's around 11. What do you see happening? What gets you thinking about him that he might not be feeling well?
- [02:29]
B
He was quite an active. Oh, he's always been quite an active kid. And he used to be involved in soccer and taekwondo. So he had his taekwondo grading veins and I'm like, he's lost weight. But okay, maybe he's been too active. We're going into school holidays, I'll feed him like there's no tomorrow. We go into school holidays and two weeks in, three weeks in, I see he's starting to drop weight and I'm like, something's not right. Let's go to the doctor. The doctor is like, no, should be fine. You're just being paranoid. Nothing really happening. It was around the time when Covid was just appearing in the headlines. So, like, yeah, maybe it's that. Maybe he's unwell. All right. Okay. Three weeks in and he's dropped about 10, 11 kilos, which is like what, maybe 20 pounds? And that owner, small little boy, looks really gone. Yeah, keep going back to the doctor and they're like, all right, cool, if you insist, we'll do some tests. But look, he. He looks okay. I'm like, no, he doesn't look okay. And yeah, the reports come, they miss the most obvious. They don't check for sugars or anything else. And I'm like, go in the evening for the review. She's like, look, you know what? I'll give you a referral. Maybe in a couple of weeks he'll be fine. But then if not, take him to a pediatrician just to keep your mind at ease. We come home, I'm like, no, let's go to the er. Something's not right. Now. My mind went in a very different direction and I said, three weeks, Such a drastic weight loss. Something's not right. Let's go to the er. I'm sure I'll get some support there. Described the symptoms to the triage nurse and like in 30 seconds, they literally grab hold of him and he. They. I remember the words. They say things like, get. Get the ER bed ready. Endo on call. I'm like, what the hell is happening here? And yeah, that's his history. We were in tcare.
- [04:40]
A
Hey, going into the hospital. What did you think was wrong with them? What were you imagining?
- [04:45]
B
Oh, so I had. I had a few friends of mine while growing up who had some aggressive cancers and like literally disappeared from the face of earth. So that was the first thing that came to my mind that. Oh, what's going on here? Oops, I'm sorry.
- [05:02]
A
I said, you can swear if you want. Don't worry.
- [05:06]
B
Sorry. So, look, honestly, that was on my mind. And as a teenager, I had a friend of mine who again, four weeks, brain, some. Some brain tingle and goodbye. Yeah, that was really driving me nuts. And so when they said it's not that and it's diabetes, I actually side relief that. Okay, we can manage this. Okay.
- [05:33]
A
Where, where. Where do you live?
- [05:36]
B
I'm currently in Australia.
- [05:38]
A
Okay, how is the. How do you find the health care there?
- [05:43]
B
Good. When. When you go to the point wherein you go to the ER and it's a really life threatening situation. Damn good. But for anything else, you need to. You need to have really good insurance cover. To be able to afford private. Otherwise, for anything that's not life, you're waiting too long.
- [06:05]
A
Okay, well, that sucks. So. Okay, well, they. Was he in dka? I mean, is it a thing you found pretty quickly? What was this day like?
- [06:16]
B
Oh, yeah, look, his sugars were 44. His ketones were past 4. Yeah. They said, look, he was probably hours away from coma, and they weren't actually interested in getting his sugars down as much as they were interested in normalizing his potassium levels. Yeah, because that's what was going in the. Towards the dangerous territory.
- [06:45]
A
Right. I think. How do they talk about, like, you. Like you're acidic, right. Or something like that? Or there's something they have to.
- [06:51]
B
Yeah. And if they bring the sugars down too soon, the electrolyte imbalance can actually have a more negative impact on the body. And so I think overall, a span of about Maybe the first 17, 18 hours, they got him down to 20s.
- [07:10]
A
Okay.
- [07:10]
B
It was a very gradual trickle down.
- [07:12]
A
Yeah. I. For people listening, don't know. 44 millimoles is just about 800.
- [07:19]
B
Yep.
- [07:19]
A
Yeah. So for. For you in America and other places. So.
- [07:23]
B
Yeah.
- [07:23]
A
How long do you think it had been going on for?
- [07:27]
B
I retrospectively think it was going on for at least seven, eight months.
- [07:32]
A
Oh, wow.
- [07:34]
B
Yeah. So he. He went overseas for two weeks by himself. School camp, two weeks to Japan. That photo that I'd taken on at the airport on the day. Oh, my God. He had that gaunt look. And which is why he didn't have a honeymoon period at all, because he was running literally on empty all this while.
- [08:01]
A
Do you, with hindsight, would. Should you. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I'm just trying to understand the depth of it. Oh, 100.
- [08:07]
B
I should have.
- [08:08]
A
You should have seen 100.
- [08:09]
B
You don't even have 100. But the thing is, he's such an active kid and. And I think he was bouncing back and the activity. Now, on hindsight, when I understand that there is insulin sensitivity, that comes out like crazy when you're active. He. His pancreatic cells were, I think, getting a lot of rest just with the activity driven insulin sensitivity.
- [08:36]
A
A lot of people talk like that. Like, I was super active. I think it bought me more time, that kind of thing. Geez, how did he take it at 11 years old?
- [08:49]
B
Okay, so the diagnosis part of it, I think he took it pretty brave. He started his shots immediately. He's like, no. No one's. No one's touching me. I'm doing all the shots myself. And the only one who was allowed to basically interact and manage was me. So he and I had really good wavelength even prior to diagnosis, and it's only strengthened since then on. But look, going back to school, we tried to keep his routines as normal as possible. We continued with soccer because that was his life. The only question he asked the endo the following day is, will I be able to play soccer? And you're like, yeah, you'll be able to do whatever you want, including flying a plane. I don't know why he said that back then, but he said, yeah, you'll be able to do whatever you want. And that's what gave him the confidence that, okay, it's not the end of the world. I'll be able to get back to the field. So that told me that come what may, soccer needs to be a part of his life. So I need to work this out to the point that he continues business as usual for him.
- [09:56]
A
Definitely easier than getting him an airplane, that's for sure.
- [09:59]
B
Yeah, definitely. Yeah. But the thing is, it happens at such high frequency. It's like he's training six days a week sometimes.
- [10:06]
A
Hey, does that put it into his head like you said, you don't know where that came from when the doctor said even fly a plane because they're trying to pick something that they think of as that people think they can't do with Type one. But does your son now talk about being a pilot ever?
- [10:19]
B
Oh, never.
- [10:20]
A
Never. Okay. All right. I just. I'm wondering how many doctors are making little Type 1 pilots by telling them stuff like that. Not at all.
- [10:27]
B
He's like, I'm going to on all this ridiculous amount of money, and I'm going to be flying business class. I'm like, dream on. Come on, get the bloody ball in the gold.
- [10:35]
A
First you work on this soccer thing, and once we do this, we'll move up to something else.
- [10:40]
B
Yeah, exactly. Right?
- [10:42]
A
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- [12:49]
B
A couple of things I wanted to talk about, as I see, like reflecting on my own experience in the initial diagnosis phase, or when I say initially, it goes on for the first two, three years, till you wrap your head around so many things, was the uncertainty and. How do I put it? You see all these posts online and you're like, am I ever going to get there? And I just wanted to provide my insights on, yes, you're going to get there. Uh, it's not going to be pretty, it's going to be ugly, it's going to have dark circles, it's going to have what the hell am I doing kind of days. But then, yes, you do get there and normalcy does return.
- [13:41]
A
It's like running a. Like Running a marathon with no shoes and you're. And you're bloody and, and exhausted and you pooped your pants a little bit. But, you know, you get, you get to the end and you're like, I did it. How about that? Oh, my gosh. Yeah. How long do you think it took you to get to a place where you felt like even that you were kind of cresting that hill, like, thinking like, oh, maybe there's some light at the end of this tunnel.
- [14:04]
B
It came in phases, to be honest with you. When we were on mdi, I think we had some really good control that got some confidence in. Then we moved on to different kinds of pumps that got some more autonomy in. I think maybe around the two or three year mark is when things started like, you know, this is it. It's not going anywhere.
- [14:33]
A
So two or three. Two or three years.
- [14:37]
B
Yeah.
- [14:38]
A
Okay, well, so let's talk about the time leading up to that then. Leading up to two or three years, how did you feel like and was it in. Did it happen in sections? Did you progress once in a while or was it just one drudgery that you can't tell one minute from the next?
- [14:57]
B
No, it wasn't definitely one drudgery stretch over time. For me, I was a primary caregiver, so it was the constant exhaustion of holding the fort and managing decisions, managing the household. That's what got to me. I think seeing the toll that was sometimes taking him by surprise. I think the first year we breezed through and not having a lot of honeymoon period was kind of better because the honeymoon and the lows were really throwing us off. But I reckon in combination with COVID all the shutdown, being in social isolation is what didn't go well for my son. And that drove him to a point wherein it was like, that's it. I don't think I want to continue this anymore.
- [16:06]
A
Did he.
- [16:06]
B
That was.
- [16:07]
A
Did he feel suicidal at points?
- [16:10]
B
Yeah.
- [16:10]
A
Really? Wow.
- [16:13]
B
And that took me by surprise. Sorry.
- [16:15]
A
No, no, no. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the conversation would go this way. So he's 11, he's diagnosed right at the beginning of COVID right around the point where my wife was telling me, there's people sick overseas. I think we're all going to have it one day like that time. And then. What do you mean by the. What, what. What parts do you think got to him? Was it the psychological, I don't want this to be my life. Or was it more about the process of what to do? Were people making Fun of him. Do you think, do you think he even would have felt any of that stuff if he was out moving around in the world? How. I mean, you obviously had time to think about it. I'm wondering what you've come up with.
- [16:53]
B
Yeah, look, I think if he continued business as usual, it wouldn't have had that impact on him. But his routines were taken, so. Look, this diagnosis does cause kids to mature overnight. They take the autonomy away from the kids. And a teenager or a preteen, they're all about autonomy. They're all about making decisions themselves. And for an active kid to not be able to get up and run after a ball because he's got oodles of iob, that was something, I think, that got to him. Again, we couldn't step out. We had some ridiculous restrictions. About 5k is not here, not there. We had more shutdowns than I think, any other state in the world, which I think was a big contributor to him withdrawing in a shell.
- [17:50]
A
At that point in time, Australia really didn't mess around. Right. They. You guys were. You were stuck in your house. Like, you went outside. Like, cops came and got you. Right?
- [18:00]
B
Well, maybe that's a story that went out, but, yeah, pretty close.
- [18:03]
A
Yeah. Okay, well, so that's how it felt, though. You really felt like you couldn't leave your house. Like, I used to go out all the time. Yeah, you know, like you'd, like, go for a ride or you'd go to a store that you had to go to or something like that. And you know, look, there were instances
- [18:17]
B
where people were dubbing on each other, which was pretty. But eventually people just got fed up and started doing what they were doing. But that. That took its own sweet time.
- [18:27]
A
Yeah, it certainly did. So in that time, he's isolated in your house. Also an only child, right?
- [18:33]
B
Yeah.
- [18:33]
A
Then you and your. Are you married?
- [18:36]
B
Yes, I was back then. So. Yep.
- [18:39]
A
Okay, well, we took care of him. But, but, like, but, but, so, so, so you're laughing because that is what happened. Okay. I can't wait to find out how COVID ruined that. But, but, but the three of you are in that house by yourself and then. And he's got nobody his age even. And you two are probably working from home. Is that right? Or is one of you working from home?
- [19:04]
B
One of. So I had a bit of flexibility back then, but then we were primarily site based, so we continued going in and out, trying to manage our shifts in such a way so that someone was at home at all points in time.
- [19:16]
A
Yeah. Yeah, that's not good. I have an acquaintance who, as soon as Covid hit and the lockdown happened, he said to me, I'm going to get divorced. And I thought. And I was. And I thought he was joking. You know what I mean? Like, I thought he was being like, oh, no, we're going to get trapped in the house, and we're just not. We're going to fight. This guy had been married forever and ever and ever. Like, he was older, you know, And I couldn't figure out what he meant, but it turns out what he meant was, is that the ladies he had on the side probably weren't going to understand that he couldn't come out anymore. And then that was going to become a problem, and then he didn't feel like he was going to be able to not do it. And then eventually he'd get caught. And by the way, all that happened, so
- [20:00]
B
love it.
- [20:01]
A
It's so funny, like, when some people, like, you know, Covid hit, like, I was like, right away, I was like, oh, my God, Where. How are we gonna get our food? What are we gonna do? And it's fun to think that some people are like, how am I gonna get to my ladies? And isn't my wife gonna notice now when I call these girls and if I can't go to work and I'm like, anyway, is that what happened to you or what happened to you?
- [20:22]
B
Okay, Going back to. No, nothing of that. Okay, you mean the relationship side or what are we talking about?
- [20:28]
A
Nothing that much fun happened to you?
- [20:30]
B
No, no, nothing of that sort happening.
- [20:32]
A
All right, sorry. So when. So what could you see happening? Like, did you over focus on him? Was he spending too much time thinking about his diabetes? Do you think he spent too much time in his own head?
- [20:46]
B
I think it was the latter. Spending a lot of time in his own head, withdrawing and not being his usual self. And, you know, as a parent, like, you know, what does normal look like? What are the extremes? And then when you're going past the extremes, and look, I'm very grateful that we had good communication to begin with. And he actually wrote a letter to me, and he said, look, I don't think I can talk to you, but I want to tell you something, and will you please read this? When I'm not. When I'm in one of my online classes, etcetera, And I'm like, yeah, sure. And that thinking feeling when you have this chat, you're like, I don't know. What am I getting into? And that's Pretty much what it was. And he had described it that, like, this is what I'm thinking, so on and so forth. And I don't mean to, but I don't think I can continue anymore. That was probably one of the worst days in my life, I would think.
- [21:54]
A
Yeah. Priya, he was 11 when this happened.
- [21:57]
B
No, he was probably around 12. 12 and a half.
- [22:00]
A
Okay. By then. So he had been. Been with this now for a year, year and a half and.
- [22:05]
B
Yep. I think that's when it hit him.
- [22:07]
A
Such an articulate thing to do at that age.
- [22:11]
B
Like, how did he.
- [22:12]
A
Yeah, you know, how did he know to do that, do you think?
- [22:15]
B
I have no clues. He. He's. He's always been quite a mature soul. We call him the old man at home. And he's always been very sensitive, very thoughtful. And this was his way to, I think, ask for help. Because he somewhere obviously didn't want to execute that and he didn't. He was. He was covering it up. He was holding the fort. Right.
- [22:41]
A
Right. What did you do when. When you. I mean, after you read that, I imagine you cried. But then after that, what did you do?
- [22:49]
B
I reached out to a couple of girlfriends, type one moms that we used to talk to, literally 2am at nights when we were doing our finger pricks and not getting the right outcomes. And I reached out to them, I said, this is what I'm dealing with. What do I do here? Got a bit of support from them. Honestly, what I did from there on, reprioritized everything, took a backseat, focused on them, started reading up things, started looking at therapy options, realized we don't have good therapists over here. At least back then we didn't have a lot of therapists easily available. Covid made things even more harder. We found a therapist in us and we consulted him online just to get things under control. I quit my job at that point in time and took another job, which gave me a full 100% work from home option. And I needed to be there.
- [23:50]
A
Yeah.
- [23:50]
B
Just to ensure safety till the time we navigate through this phase.
- [23:57]
A
Yeah. Did this. I'll be serious now about the other thing, but did this put a strain on your marriage?
- [24:04]
B
Not this in particular, but I would say chronic diagnosis does put a strain on caregivers partners. Right. Because we're constantly in that operational phase of cup counting. Whatever. I mean, so many other variables that throw that. I don't think we take time to think about ourselves and what do we need as a. As a couple?
- [24:34]
A
I remember being in the hospital A few days into Arden's diagnosis and we were in some class, I don't know if it was carb counting or just, you know, like an educational class. And I realized that all the moms were sitting around. This is a big conference, a lot of people had been diagnosed and I would bet you there were eight families there. And like all the moms were sitting around the table and the husbands were standing behind them and I was seated at the table, my wife stood behind me because I was a stay at home dad at the time and I didn't realize that in the moment. Actually it was a thing that struck me later. But we walked out of that room after getting the, I don't know, the education we got. And we're walking through the hallway going back up to Arden's room in the hospital and my wife says, do you think she'll be able to have a baby? And she was only, she was only two. And I said, I don't know. Do you think we're going to get divorced? That's that, that's, that's how it felt when we walked out of the, of the education, you know, Anyway, it just, it's such a shift for every, every, every direction your brain works in, everything you think is happening in your life, et cetera, just all stops and, and, and fractures and goes into a million different directions. So my question is, do you think prior to diabetes happening, do you think this is ever a note you would have gotten from him? Like, if he doesn't get type one, does he write that letter to you?
- [26:04]
B
I don't think so, no. Honestly, don't think so. He's quite a fun loving, resilient guy, active, out and about. But look, not, not wanting to talk
- [26:16]
A
about, about that, you know. Can you tell me though, before we move on, like, what do you know what part of it, what part of it was troubling him and like, and what did you do to like to mitigate it?
- [26:29]
B
So what I realized is the, as we kept talking about it, he had made peace with the fact that this is him, but not totally because he needed the, the freedom to be able to do what he wants to do. And, and he wasn't getting that and was being held back. And obviously, look, we would have had some conversations to say, okay, no, not yet, you've got so much iob, so on and so forth, and maybe we need to start planning things better. And again, when you're exhausted, you're not the most articulate or emotionally aware people around each other and goes Both ways. I think communication was the key for me here to keep talking. Let's. Let's talk. What's happening, What's. What's going on? Name it, and let's try to work it out. For him, it was freedom to be able to do. And that's where I think we took the next step and went into the algorithm side of things and the DIY side of things. And I would say, taking that burden off him, putting it on autopilot. I actually slept after three years for the first time. Three, Three and a half years. Once. The loop. Not the loop. Sorry. Android APS was running. I was a different person after sleeping.
- [27:55]
A
Yeah, I know.
- [27:56]
B
So, yeah, that's. That whole cumulative effect just changes you as a person.
- [28:03]
A
I try to tell people, and I don't think anybody believes me when I'm saying it. Sometimes, you know, like, it really does just creeps up on you. You don't feel it coming. And then one day you are just a vastly different person than you were before. You're having very strange reactions to things, and the whole time you think it's reasonable. Really is like, you don't think, oh, I'm acting crazy right now, or it's just not how it feels. The lack of sleep thing is very, very impactful. So you got.
- [28:32]
B
Because you are. Raymond, go ahead. I'm sorry, you go.
- [28:34]
A
No, no, no, no.
- [28:36]
B
I was saying, because you're in a crisis mode, actual and perceived, you're throwing your body in a crisis mode as well, just by running on empty. And it all has a magnified impact. It doesn't have to be that bad. But the thing is, we don't create as much awareness. And I would say these things need to be a part of the diabetes care plan, not just managing your highs and lows. Parents need to have their own care plan for them to consider, what are you going to be doing? This is what you're going to be coming up with.
- [29:07]
A
Sure. Otherwise, everything just kind of falls apart and your life heads off in a direction that it doesn't need to, but you do have to be aware of it. And I think the awareness, being upfront is helpful because by the time you get exhausted, I don't know how you're even supposed to think about that part. How do you start looking after your mental health after you're exhausted? It adds another layer.
- [29:34]
B
It's counterintuitive.
- [29:35]
A
Yeah, it certainly is. So, okay, well, you said you got a therapist in the US Is he still seeing the therapist, or is that a thing that Was just took care of something and he and you move forward.
- [29:47]
B
I think it was just at that point in time to help us tide over that period. And we started then doing work ourselves on what matters, what doesn't matter. And I think since then we've been on the bend.
- [30:05]
A
Okay.
- [30:06]
B
Yeah.
- [30:06]
A
And you. Did you keep your work situation the way it was? Did you decide that was the way to do it?
- [30:12]
B
No, I went loopy working from home. So after things more loopy, let's say
- [30:19]
A
I lost my mind. Thank you for asking. Yeah. So you head back to work at some point?
- [30:27]
B
Yes, absolutely. Because I think as much as I say I'm an introvert person, I still need to bounce off people's energies and we need to see people. I mean, after all, we are social beings. So, yeah, I had to. Once the lockdowns were lifted, he went back to school, had some structured routines back. I'm like, all right, cool. Now I can back off.
- [30:49]
A
Okay. Oh, it's awesome. And he does well for himself. I imagine he manages his own diabetes mostly.
- [30:56]
B
Yeah. As of now, I would say I am maybe 20 or 30% involved. It's all on him. And he's like, no, I got it. Be fine.
- [31:05]
A
Yeah, that's awesome. Is he still using Android aps?
- [31:08]
B
He is. I don't want to change.
- [31:11]
A
Yeah, it works well. You like it? Yep. Awesome. Awesome. Is that with Dexcom or Libre?
- [31:17]
B
The Dexcom.
- [31:18]
A
Okay. Oh, that's cool. So if I asked him now to describe his life with diabetes, you think he'd just say, like, how do you think he'd. He'd characterize it?
- [31:30]
B
He'll just roll his eye up and be a typical teenager. Like, what's there to talk about it?
- [31:33]
A
Yeah, nothing here. That's pretty cool. That's a. You know what? That's really great, isn't it? To see how far he's come. Yeah. Yeah. How about you? How about you, though? Like, what's the. What's the mental health aspects for you? Like, he. He says just diabetes. But do you. Do you. Do you. Have you gotten to feel that way or are you in a position where you still do mourn something? Where are you at with all that?
- [31:58]
B
Look, I think the morning part has dwindled a fair bit, but it's. It's never going to go, is it? Because you. You never. You don't give birth to a child thinking, okay, this is going to be. The first 11 years is going to be awesome. And after that I'm going to be
- [32:16]
A
a zombie, the mom to a Zombie
- [32:19]
B
and a mom to a type one. But look again, that's. That's life. It doesn't come as a straight line. So I wouldn't say I'm mourning, but, yes, it does hurt. Some days it does creep up on me.
- [32:33]
A
Right. Yeah. I find it's when something happens that. That just feels like, wholly unfair, maybe, or that you see something happening to her that I just think, like, oh, this isn't right. You know, and then that feeling when you get to the end of it where you're like, oh, there's nothing I can do about this. Just, you know. Yeah. And then it all becomes about how you manage your. Your expectations and your, you know, every. And everything else that comes with that. It's a. It's a balancing act. I don't think it stops. I mean, if it. I hope it makes people feel a little better to know that it's probably a thing that you'll recalibrate every once in a while, you know, kind of.
- [33:12]
B
Yeah, it's. Sorry, it's just like, literally, you know, every four and a half minutes is going to be five minutes. Flick of a wrist. Okay. You know what? It's trending well. Okay. Continue business as usual. No further action require required.
- [33:24]
A
It'll be okay. Yeah, we just had a conversation like, yesterday where we were heading out, and I said, hey, Arden, listen, I don't really want to get in the middle of your business here. I said, but, yeah, that pump site is. Is going bad. And, you know, it's going to expire in like, six or seven hours anyway. You know, we have this whole day. We're planning. There's food later. I really think, you know, you should change your pump. And she's like, you're wrong. And there's part of me that's just like, I know I'm 100% sure that I'm right. And I. And I. And I know that. I know why. I know all the excuses or reasons she's going to come up with about why I'm wrong, and I ended up. I ended up being right. And there's no joy that comes from that at all. Like, all I found myself thinking is, I wish we did not have to have that conversation.
- [34:13]
B
Yeah.
- [34:14]
A
You know, it feels like it takes a little piece out of our relationship every time it. Every time we do.
- [34:19]
B
But honestly, Scott, I think they. They need to go through that experience. Like, you've. You've seen that. That pattern for, I don't know, thousands of times. I've seen that pattern maybe a few Hundreds of times. And you, you, you can preempt what's coming, but the thing is, as a part of handing over the reins to them, they need to start seeing these patterns and say, okay, you know what? This is what happened and mom was right and this is what happened. Thus let me act now rather than wait two minutes now is going to save the entire day. The best thing we can do.
- [34:55]
A
It was going to be this ass. Yeah. By the way, I was. Yeah, yeah. But it's hard not to say, like, like, I know I'm right or trust me, like, it's all that is just kind of difficult. You just sort of go like, you know, like, okay, well, we should do it anyway, you know, and see how it goes. But I'm sorry, I cut you off. You were going to say something.
- [35:17]
B
No, I was just about to say, I think one of the best things we as parents can do is also to step back because ultimately they need to start learning and owning this space, depending on obviously age and other variables related. And when it comes to some non negotiables, we are still the parents. But I think these small experiences build a lot of confidence in them as well.
- [35:40]
A
Yeah, yeah. Oh, I think so too. And I take your point. Like, they. I have those experiences, so I see it coming a mile away, but she needs to have them too, or she's not going to see them coming a mile away. And one day, and I know she will one day, by the way, she, you know, taken out of context, I don't know how this would seem. She's doing fantastically, you know, and 100.
- [36:00]
B
Sure she is.
- [36:01]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm thrilled how well she's doing. But it's tough too, because then sometimes when you bring something up, all that I'm thrilled about how great you are, it gets lost, you know what I mean? And everything feels like, oh, I'm. I make mistakes or nobody believes in me or like, you'd be surprised how quickly it could, like, slip into that direction. So really something. Is your son still playing sports?
- [36:23]
B
He is.
- [36:24]
A
And. And how does he manage on his own? Pretty well, I guess.
- [36:29]
B
So the key that we've learned thanks to the podcast, is going into Basel, going into a game with as little iob as I can, especially when it's the practice sessions. Very little iob. And when it's a hard game, I'm on the sidelines using his phone and bolusing and that. That. Really.
- [36:52]
A
Sorry, you said even. Especially in practice sessions. You mean because the adrenaline is not the Same as it is during a game.
- [36:59]
B
That's right. Yeah.
- [37:01]
A
Okay.
- [37:01]
B
Yeah, it's. It's hilarious to see, like, he's. He's going for the run. So he's. He plays a striker and a winger position, and when he's going in literally for the kill and he doesn't get it right and the coach is shouting, you can see the straight arrow up in the next refresh. It is so hilarious to see that. And I say that I'm not a mean person, but I'm like, okay, I should have expected that. I should have done something about it at least.
- [37:29]
A
You know, he's trying. He. He's out there and he cares. Right. Putting some real effort into it. Will he leave for university or what's the plan moving forward?
- [37:41]
B
So he actually wants to go overseas and have a go at soccer. So that's. And the only bargaining point is, okay, complete your year 12, get your VCE done, and then let's talk about it.
- [37:54]
A
Is he that good or is he just delusional?
- [37:59]
B
Okay, this is. We're going online, but I would say, look, there are many other better people there. He wants to try his luck.
- [38:05]
A
That's okay. Something good about that.
- [38:07]
B
He's not bad. He's not bad. But then I think he wants to take a punt.
- [38:12]
A
Okay. I'll tell you right now. I've said this before. I don't think he'd mind me saying it. My son was younger. If you looked at the teams he played on and said, hey, you know, pick the kids who are going to play college baseball for four years, you. I don't think you would have chosen. You know, you don't. You don't know what's going to happen. Especially when they grow, like, at the end and that, you know, they get that. That whole, like, man physique going. When they're 18 or 19, there's a lot changes. So very, very cool.
- [38:37]
B
Well, good for him. I'm like, let's see.
- [38:39]
A
Yeah. Is that a thing you actually think you'd let him do?
- [38:46]
B
Look, I'll have to cut the cord at one point in time and I don't know.
- [38:52]
A
Pray is like, I just hope he's not that good. Maybe. Maybe I'm just waiting for him to figure it out, Scott.
- [39:01]
B
That's all. He's gonna hate me when. He is.
- [39:07]
A
Of course not. No, no, I. I think he should. You know, people should follow their. You know, like, it's easy to tell people to follow their dreams. There's part of me that would tell you Maybe pick something you're good at and do that. But, you know, if you have the opportunity to follow a dream, I don't see the harm in that at all. You know, my son says over and over again he's not sure he would have went to college without baseball. And it's something that's served him very well since he's done it. So, you know, it would have changed the course of his life greatly. You just got to follow your heart a little bit, you know? So you and I, I feel like you and I have known each other online for a long time. Is that true?
- [39:43]
B
That is 100% true. I have reached out to you so many times. You've. You've pointed me to the right episodes, etc. So, yeah, definitely. I have been in the group as well for some time.
- [39:56]
A
Yeah.
- [39:57]
B
Not. Not as active of late due to a few things, but then definitely been there.
- [40:02]
A
Awesome. How did you find the, like, what value did you draw out of the podcast or the group or both?
- [40:11]
B
Sure. So I'll start with your first question. How did I find. Maybe about a couple of months into diagnosis, there was another kid at school and his mom reached out to me and said, hey, if you're not doing anything, let's meet up at school on a Sunday. I've learned about your diagnosis. I'm also type one mom, but totally understand if you are not available. Oh, my God. I grabbed the opportunity. I'm like, wow, I can talk to someone. Let's go. What was meant to be maybe a half an hour coffee catch up lasted for nearly three and a half hours. And she, at that point in time, spoke to me about this juice box podcast and made a note of it. Didn't think too much about it as you normally do. Right. And then when you don't get the desired outcomes and then you're chasing numbers and you're getting or you're doing fantastic. When your blood sugars after breakfast is 16 and they're like, no, don't do about anything. It's just the excitement of going back to school. You're at your wits end. And I'm like, all right, cool. Let's see what this podcast is all about. Because I'm not getting what I want over here, and I know these levels are not okay. And that's how I literally came to the podcast. Out of sheer desperation and as cliched as it may sound, I wish I'd come there sooner.
- [41:35]
A
Well, that's very nice, but I think that's what happens to most people because who. Who in their right mind is saying to themselves, you know what I want to do? I'm going to listen to a podcast about diabetes. It's going to be awesome. That's not a thing that you. I, you know, I. That, that. That pathway of somebody told me about it, and I didn't look. And then one day I got so desperate that I thought, I guess I'll try a podcast about diabetes. And then you find it, and it ends up being the thing that. That that other person promised you. Then you have that feeling of like, oh, I should have come here sooner, but, you know, like, 100. Yeah, it's just how it works, really. Like, I think you'd have been insane if you would have left that meeting and gone, oh, I should go home immediately and start listening to a podcast.
- [42:21]
B
Today, if someone talks to me about any podcast, I'm like, let's go. But that was the first time I was even getting introduced to podcasts. I didn't have the time to listen to people talk about things.
- [42:31]
A
Well, that's.
- [42:32]
B
Back then.
- [42:33]
A
Yeah. That's interesting. Also. It's interesting to me, too, because I've been. I've been listening to radio or podcasts for so long that I. There are days when I think about this, and I think, like, this must almost be over. I've got to be at the end by now, you know, but, like, instead I meet people who are like, oh, I just started listening to podcasts recently. I didn't, I didn't. I don't think I properly realized that there are new people coming into it all the time. And, you know, I started measuring it against how long I'd been listening to stuff. But that's. That's great. I actually think I drag a lot of people into podcasts that don't normally listen to them as well, because I. I seem to have a lot of listeners who, when you ask them, like, what other podcasts you listen to, they're like, I. I don't really listen to another one. So, you know, I don't think they were going to find their way to podcast without the diabetes in some. In some situations, anyway. Well, that's great. Did he. Like, when you learned something and you want to try it, did you just go try it? Did you explain to him what you were doing? Or has that changed as his age has changed,
- [43:34]
B
so he has never heard your podcast? I'm sorry, but he's like, you. Yeah, but it's like, I trust you. You do whatever is best for me. And then I Started trickling that information bite sized pieces to him. So he's. Without having heard your podcast, he knows exactly like what your core principles are and what we need to start looking when things are not going our way.
- [44:02]
A
Awesome. So you think if he and I sat down, started talking, he, he'd know a lot of the things I was going to say to him already?
- [44:09]
B
100%, absolutely.
- [44:12]
A
That's great.
- [44:13]
B
One thing I think go.
- [44:15]
A
My fault. Gone.
- [44:17]
B
One thing I'd like to call out to people is I can't stress enough on bezels and basal testing. And how you get to basal testing is another conversation. But then when you think things are not going your way and if you can get your bezels right. Bezels literally the unsung hero here. It does most of your heavy lifting throughout the day.
- [44:43]
A
100%. Basil is not right. Nothing else is going to work right.
- [44:47]
B
Nothing's going to work. Absolutely. And the moment we'll have a couple of weeks of things are not looking off. Okay, you know what? Step on the scales. You've grown, you've widened, you've got whatever kind of thing. All right, cool. Time to do a basal test and let's get this back online.
- [45:01]
A
Gotta just get the settings right and then everything just works so much better. Hey, there's something in here making noise. Give me a second. I'm gonna, I'm gonna move something out of the room. I'll be right back. Okay. I'm only a couple of weeks away from having an honest to God recording studio. I'm pretty excited, so.
- [45:15]
B
Indeed. That's amazing. Yeah.
- [45:17]
A
Yeah. I built, I had, we had a basement that wasn't finished and I got it sectioned off and, and you know, put rooms in and everything and they just painted it. So I have to go pick out some carpeting to put down and getting closer. So I'm getting excited. Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off, but. Sorry. We were talking about basal testing and settings and you can keep going.
- [45:42]
B
Yeah, sure. So honestly, if there's one key takeaway people can use from this recording would be look into basal testing. Work out your creative ways to get your kids to fast for however long and you will reap the benefits of that long term.
- [46:01]
A
Yep. Yeah, you got, you have to have your settings right. There's just no, there's just no way around it. You can't, you can't be using too much or too little insulin and then saying the pump doesn't work. It's because I want to ate until Your settings are right. You're not going to know. What if there's a problem? There might not even be one. And no.
- [46:18]
B
True.
- [46:19]
A
Yeah. You can't. How does he do with pre bolting? Is he good about it at home?
- [46:25]
B
Yes, because we. We do have a structure, but then when he's outside, he pretty much manages it himself. He'll go to the city with his friends, etc. You obviously don't get the same level of outcomes, and that's okay. I mean, like, life over numbers is where we've landed on.
- [46:43]
A
How'd you figure that out? What happened that brought you to that?
- [46:49]
B
He's also a kid, right? And he's also a teenager, so he's like, yeah, I got it. You can see my levels. You know what's happening. I've got a drink. I'm not gonna go low.
- [47:00]
A
Okay. Just. Just sensible. Just sensible. Like ideas about how to keep yourself safe and the knowledge that he's got to live his life. You can't always be just thinking constantly. Yeah, that's pretty smart. How does he split time between you and your ex?
- [47:22]
B
No, he's with me all the time.
- [47:24]
A
Okay, so there's no. There's no problem there where one person's doing it one way, that kind of thing?
- [47:28]
B
Oh, no, not at all. And look, my ex, we are on good amicable talking terms, so. And there wasn't ever an issue with regards to management where he had his different thoughts. So that way we were quite on the same page.
- [47:46]
A
Oh, very nice. Yeah, I. I can't imagine how difficult that is to, you know, to have a partner who's fighting against every one of those decisions, especially when they're happening constantly, you know? You know, over and over again. That's really interesting. Okay, well, what else do you have? What made you want to. I don't want to ask it like that. I feel like I'm in a weird position where I feel like I know you and I know I don't. So it's. It's a little awkward to me. Like, I feel like I have, like. Just a history of, like, chatting with you back and forth in different places and getting messages and stuff like that, that. That other people don't have. What else? What am I not asking you? I guess.
- [48:24]
B
Okay, so puberty has its own challenges, and just when you think, you know, diabetes, your basic rules stay the same, but then it throws so many different flavors that you. You need to be quite open to trying different things out just because your basals were right maybe two months Ago, you may have had another growth spurt. And thus another basal test is not going to kill you. It's only going to make things better. It throws curveballs in ways which is quite different. And I would assume it's quite different for girls versus boys because with girl, it's cyclical. So you can somehow I, and I say that without having any knowledge that you may be able to work out a pattern from week to week, but there are no patterns when it comes to boys. And something just hits you like a ton of bricks and you're like, why?
- [49:27]
A
What?
- [49:28]
B
And then you forget, okay, he's also a boy who's growing up and it's not just diabetes.
- [49:32]
A
Yeah, but. Or he's eating. He probably eats a ton. Right. That's that age where they eat a lot and. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, and getting bigger all the time. They're building muscle. Like all that goes into. There's adrenaline and, and, you know, then going out and playing hard at soccer. Like, you know, two things. Feel like they're probably combating each other at the same time.
- [49:53]
B
Well, absolutely. And, and then if you throw in weightlifting because now someone wants to become muscular, not just. Or not muscular, as in beef up a big. And have that right level of presence that requires a different management strategy versus being on the field when it's training time versus being on the field when it's game time. Yeah.
- [50:16]
A
There's just so many variables. But you're saying, at least I'm imagining that with a, with a female, you can almost chart it out at some point. But is your hope, I guess, your wonderment.
- [50:29]
B
That's my hope. And honestly. And look, being a lady myself, I understand no two bloody cycles are the same. And that has so many other variables and often think that, oh, my God, how's this going to work out? If I had a daughter with type one, and obviously that's. That's a whole nother. I'm not going there at all.
- [50:51]
A
You're like, you're like, I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back to feeling that confused, doing that, doing that anymore. What does he. Excuse me, not what, but does he have any other autoimmune issues himself as his to thyroid issues or anything else? Just that.
- [51:09]
B
Just that we, we have tested him for celiac a couple of times just because his tummy symptoms seem to be persistent. But look, his, his reports come out as normal or not indicative. So.
- [51:25]
A
Yeah, yeah, you've listened long enough. Did you try the, like, digestive enzymes to See if that helped him.
- [51:32]
B
Yes. And now all the ones that I've ordered, I'm the one who's finishing it. Because he doesn't want to take these things.
- [51:39]
A
Oh, why are kids such a pain in the ass about supplements?
- [51:42]
B
Oh, don't worry.
- [51:43]
A
Oh, my God. Every one of them. Except. Except, by the way, let me just say this. Except for my daughter's boyfriend, he just listens. I'm like, here, take this. These are good for you. Take a bite. He's like, oh, thank you. Takes them every day.
- [51:56]
B
You know what he's doing, right? He's just trying to be the good boy just so that you are okay with him hanging out with your daughter.
- [52:03]
A
Him healthier so that he can. But of course that's what he's doing. But I don't. Why don't they listen like that? I'm saying, like, how come they're not afraid? Also, this whole psychology about not being able to take a pill if I'm not careful. I'm going to start a podcast just about that to figure out what that's about. Because, man, it's hard to get people to take a pill, you know, unless
- [52:28]
B
and until they want to. And then usually that happens when you're past mid-40s and you're. You find yourself crumbling. You're like, okay, now, what can I lay my hands on?
- [52:36]
A
That's desperation is what that is. What is that about people? Even something simple like vitamin D, vitamin B12, something like that. You get a blood test back. Oh, I'm B12 deficient. I'll take one of these every day. I don't want to take one of those every day. I don't understand. You went to the doctor because you didn't feel well. You got a blood test. The blood test told you, B12. Here's the B12. No, thanks. I really don't understand.
- [53:01]
B
It could be possibly because you don't see the impact immediately, right? So it's a slow build, it's a slow burns. And in today's time and age, when, yeah, our attention span is 3 1/2 seconds now. You want things to happen now. And your vitamin D and vitamin B12 is not going to have an impact today.
- [53:20]
A
It is really difficult to say to somebody, if you just take this every day for 12 weeks, you're ranging. When you don't know that you're. When you don't know you have a deficit because it drifted away so slowly, how am I supposed to put that kind of effort into taking a pill? Which, by the Way just. I don't know, it seems silly to me. I don't know if it's a generational thing. I don't know how old you are, but you know, to me, I. The way my brain works is I'm lucky to be in a country where I can afford and be in a situation where I can afford this, a country where I can get a hold of it, a place where I can afford it, the opportunity to use it. Like, why would I not say yes to that?
- [53:57]
B
But Scott, as a 16 year old, would he have taken it?
- [54:01]
A
I don't know. I might have. I think maybe I was like an old man, like back then. I don't know exactly. I wish I could find out. I really do, because you're probably right. But man, it's frustrating still, you know, just take your. Is it vitamin D? Take the damn thing. So do you think the enzymes were helping him and he just doesn't want to take them?
- [54:23]
B
Yeah, definitely not a little prick.
- [54:26]
A
You know what I mean?
- [54:27]
B
I know. Hey, and I end up ordering all these things from bloody your side of the world, so it costs me an arm and a leg and maybe a few pancreatic cells.
- [54:36]
A
Can you just force him to do it? Is there not like a financial. Could you like hold like heating and cooling over his head? Say, how do you like it when the house is nice and cool? Maybe it's not going to be anymore that you take these enzymes, your food.
- [54:47]
B
Okay, so there is a bit of bribery going on in our life. And I pick and choose my battle. So enzymes are not way up there.
- [54:54]
A
So when you say to him, this stop belly from hurting, you know, we've done this. And that's true. And by the way, here's the, you know, here's the science behind why your body might not be making enough enzymes to break your food down. And he then experiences a relief. Can you have that conversation? Does he cut you off before you have it?
- [55:14]
B
Yeah, he pretty much cuts me off. And he's like, not nothing to look here, I'm fine. And then I don't know what the resistance is. I'm. I'm thinking maybe it's not really that bad, which is why he's not coming to the party. And if it was, we would have had a chat about it. Okay, cool. I'm not gonna push it.
- [55:32]
A
Yeah, I don't know, I think, I think for some people, I think they don't want to feel like they need something. You know what I mean? Like, there's like that sense of Like, I'm okay, I'm not broken, I don't need anything. My body does what it's supposed to. I don't want to think about, I don't know exactly to be perfectly honest.
- [55:50]
B
Or it could even be that, you know, like I don't want to get yet dependent on yet another thing to sustain what should be normally done. That could be the psyche behind it.
- [56:02]
A
Yeah, maybe. I don't know. I, I watched another person tell me this weekend that, you know, I mean, a person who I look at and I think, I think they're just going to stand up one day and their aorta is just going to come detach from their heart and they're going to shut off. And their doctor suggested a GLP to them. They said, no, I don't. I, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna cheat. Cheat? Cheat?
- [56:22]
B
No.
- [56:22]
A
What are you talking about? You're gonna die. I'm not cheating to stay alive. I, I want to be clear. I'll cheat to stay alive. I just want to say, I just want to say that. Right?
- [56:33]
B
Isn't that the whole point? If you have high blood pressure, you take medications to bring it down. Is that not cheating?
- [56:39]
A
I, that's the. I didn't want to get too involved in it, but you know.
- [56:43]
B
Okay, fair enough.
- [56:43]
A
Yeah. When I was, I was just standing there and I thought it's their own. A conversation is not going to go know in a positive direction. But no, what a great point, you know. What do you mean? She. Do you wear a seatbelt? You know, like, why cheat? Hey, if you have an accident, you get thrown out the windshield. That's, that's the cost of doing business. That's all. No, you're gonna cheat and wear that seatbelt. Cheater. I don't know. He's talking. I'm like, I don't know what you're saying. I, I mean, there appears to be no common sense in this conversation and I'm okay with it. When it's a 16 year old doesn't have common sense, this person, 50, you know, so my gosh, like, get to it. Okay, well, I'm sorry. I'm, you know, listen, I guess I'm not sorry to, to know you're having the same exact experience raising a child that everybody else does and that your parents probably had.
- [57:35]
B
Yeah, exactly. Not the end of the world.
- [57:37]
A
It's okay, right? Right. It's interesting. It really is. Okay, well I, I liked when I asked you what else have haven't I said? Because like I said, I feel too comfortable with you. So what else haven't I said?
- [57:49]
B
That's it. I mean, look, I would just say, guys, focus on yourself. It's okay to take time to replenish and call it out, ask for help.
- [58:03]
A
Yeah.
- [58:04]
B
You don't have to do it by yourself.
- [58:05]
A
So for you personally, sleep was a big deal for you.
- [58:09]
B
100%.
- [58:09]
A
It sounds like you leaned on other people. You sought out professional help when it was necessary.
- [58:16]
B
Yep. Okay. Yeah.
- [58:18]
A
And then for him, around the diabetes, specifically basil. Make sure your basil and your settings are right. Don't exercise with insulin on board if you can help it. Right. And let him be a kid. Don't. Don't hold them down too tightly.
- [58:33]
B
No.
- [58:34]
A
There's a lot of good lessons you've learned in a short amount of time. Have they helped you in any other parts of your life?
- [58:41]
B
Your podcast, and just going through this has actually helped me understand a fair few other things that I would normally not focus on. And I can't even pinpoint, if you ask me for examples, but it's like when you're listening to other people and then something clicks and like, ah, okay, I haven't thought about XYZ or blah. So your podcast is not just, I think about diabetes. It's just about life. It's. It's about.
- [59:12]
A
Yeah, thank you.
- [59:13]
B
So many other different things.
- [59:15]
A
That's how I think of it too, but I don't know how it comes across other people. You know, I. I just think that the conversations about what's going on are valuable to hear because, you know, somebody's having an experience or I'm having one, or I've been through one already, and you're. You haven't been through it yet, or you bring somebody else on that has some. Something to add somewhere. And then. And I mean, I think the other thing, if, if we're being honest, it's like, I don't really think you can make a compelling diabetes podcast that's just about diabetes. Like, I don't know how long could you possibly listen to that for? You know, True. Yeah. And, and, and you have to be able to, like, see some of the other impacts. And there are so many. There are just so many, like, interesting psychological things that happen to people as a matter of course, and you can see how they impact diabetes and. Or other parts of your life. I. I love, and I love talking about stuff like this. I really would start a podcast about why people don't take pills. I don't think anybody would listen to it, but I would be, I would be endlessly fascinated by it. Seriously, I'd like to get, I'd like to get the guy that said I'm not cheating and just make a podcast with him and talk to, talk to him forever about it. I would, I would, I would argue him into circles. I, I, I swear to you, I'd badger him into taking that JLP medication.
- [60:34]
B
Why don't you do that? It's gonna be fun listening to that. Come on, let's do it.
- [60:38]
A
That's what you want me to do, is get that person on and just beat the hell out of them? 100.
- [60:42]
B
Why not? I mean, get the popcorn out, but
- [60:47]
A
I'll just call the podcast what's wrong with you? And then colon, and then, and then the topic, and then we'll just make a whole series of what's wrong with you? And then.
- [60:57]
B
Oh my God, do it, do it.
- [60:59]
A
Listen, I got time. I gotta be honest with you. I do, I do. But the problem is you have to have people on with enough. You have to have somebody on who is simultaneously unaware of what they're doing and self aware enough to talk about it. That's a, that's a thin, that's a thin line to find people there. You know what I mean?
- [61:19]
B
Come on. Eight billion people? You're telling me these samples are not walking the planet?
- [61:24]
A
Come on, they are. All right, so if you're out there listening, what's wrong with you? That's what we're looking for. This is my new, this is my new series, what's wrong with you? And then you bring up, oh, this might be a good idea actually, for, Wait a minute, maybe I was, maybe I was kidding and maybe I'm not now. So you pick something you know is wrong that you can't overcome, and then I tell you how to do it, and then we talk about it for a while and you see if I can break, and see if I can break you from your holding. You know what I mean? Whatever thing you want.
- [61:54]
B
Self defeating prophecies. That's been a thing for such a long time.
- [61:58]
A
Okay, all right, I'm in. I'll do it.
- [61:59]
B
It.
- [62:00]
A
I actually had, I had a great conversation with a kid yesterday. It's funny, I call him a kid. He's like 29. But, but he's been on a couple of times, right? He came on a second time and, and the first time he came on and he was talking about this pump that he was using. He didn't like how it was working, so he went to Another pump, and it was going to be great and everything. Then he. Then he asked to come back on, and I said, oh, sure. He comes back on, and he's trying to tell me how that second pump sucked. So he went to a third pump, and I was like, oh, that's the one you're on now. He's like, no, no, I got rid of that one. That one sucks, too. Now I'm trying this one. And I went, hey. And I went, is it possible you're the problem? And then we were having that conversation, and I don't know, maybe 15 or 20 minutes into it, I said, would you mind? Could I talk to you like I'm your father for a second? And he said, I wish someone would. Yeah. And then I just. I don't even think I podcasted with him after that. I think I parented him after that. And he was, like, grateful. It was interesting. And then sent me a message. Sent me a message that night. I wish I had it. And with a graph. And he just said, turns out when I do the things I'm supposed to do, this is easier. And it was a nice flat graph. And I was like, yeah. Meanwhile, by the way, with this Internet the way it is, he's running around telling the whole world, you know what pump sucks? This one sucks. That one sucks. This one. He was up to five pumps that suck. He had hit them all. He was on to tell me that the mini med 780G sucked. And he only knows that because he tried the Beta Bionics pod and it sucked. And he only knows that because he did Omnipod 5 and that sucked, and he did Tandem and that sucked. And I was like. I just stopped him. I was like, because you have to. From my perspective, what am I supposed to do as an adult coming onto a podcast? They want to talk about how their pump doesn't work right? And inside of 10 minutes, I'm like, that's not the problem. But do I say that, you know what I mean? Or do I let him, like, ramble on about, like, you know, all the problems he's having with this pump? But I just couldn't stop myself. I was like, I don't think that's the problem. And I think that was a common
- [64:07]
B
thread leaving the whole picture.
- [64:09]
A
Yeah. The only thing that's in every one of these stories is you. And you. And I see people online all the time like, this thing sucks. I'm like, well, listen, it might not be the greatest, but it certainly doesn't suck. Like, if you're having that much trouble with it? Like, it's possible there's some confusion, user confusion involved in it, and then it's often just timing and amount of insulin after that. They just don't have the right settings and they're maybe don't time it well. Don't understand the impact of fat. That's a big one sometimes, you know, that's pretty much it, though. But it's interesting the way people's minds run away. Like, this thing is terrible. The thing doesn't work.
- [64:47]
B
I'm like, okay, it's easier to outsource the blame, right?
- [64:52]
A
Outsource the blame. Outsource blame. I wish that had anything to do with your episode. I would definitely call it that. That's a great. That's a great phrase. I might start doing it my personal life. I mean, outsourcing blame. But. But that's it. Hey, one quick question. Why do Indian men walk with their hands behind their back when they're out on walks?
- [65:15]
B
I think that's a separate podcast in itself.
- [65:17]
A
But it's a thing, though. I'm not wrong. Am I wrong? I'm not. I knew I was right because I tried bringing this up once before and somebody said, I don't know what you're talking about. I said, liar.
- [65:26]
B
It is. Let's. Let's paint a picture. Droopy shoulders, slight pot belly, likely looking down with hands on their back.
- [65:35]
A
Okay, well, yeah, that's exactly what I'm talking about. But. But. But what?
- [65:40]
B
But, sorry, all you guys out there, but that's what you see.
- [65:43]
A
Podcast is fairly big in India, in case you're wondering. But. But. No, but the, The. The hand. Yeah, I. I just. I. I thought it was cultural at some point, but I don't know what it is. But it's just. It's a thing for sure. And I'm. I'm aware of it. All right, I'll keep asking till somebody has a real answer, but I don't have.
- [66:03]
B
Sorry.
- [66:03]
A
I like how willing you were to be cruel about it right away.
- [66:08]
B
Hey, maybe that's counterbalance happening because there's a lot of weight up front. So maybe they've thrown the weight of their hands.
- [66:14]
A
Listen, the little round belly's pulling him forward. He's trying to throw his weight backwards with his hands. Look at you. I feel like you're talking right to your ex right now, by the way. It's very, very, very.
- [66:26]
B
That may or may not be true.
- [66:29]
A
Well, did you have a good time? Was this what you were hoping for?
- [66:33]
B
I did. Thank you so much. Look, I really wanted to thank you for all that you've done for so many years, and I know you're going to continue doing that, and the amount of lives you have touched, it's unbelievable. I mean, honestly. Yeah, that's. That's why I wanted to come and say thank you to you. We wouldn't have been where we are.
- [66:54]
A
I appreciate your podcast. I appreciate that very much, and I'm very willing to take that, because as I told you before we started today, I already got yelled at by the Internet today, so I need a little bit of a bolster. So that was. I. I was. It was very nice to hear because I got yelled at today by somebody who I was like, huh, I don't understand what's happening right now. Like, I like you so much. I don't know what's going on, but it happens. I. When I first met Isabel, who helps in the. In the Facebook group, I told her. She was telling me she was being very effusive when I first met her about how much the podcast had helped her as, like, a newly diagnosed, you know, adult. And. And I said, don't worry. One day you. You. You'll hate me. And she said what? I said, everyone does. Eventually, I was like, I think it's like the. I think it's the curse of being, like, a reasonably public person like you. It starts with, you know, it starts somewhere, at some point, it gets to some, like, you know, gratitude or infatuation, and then eventually I'm gonna say something you don't like, and then you're gonna decide I'm an ass. I was like, don't worry, it's coming. She goes, no, I don't think so. Now, she and I have been doing this together a long time. Maybe it won't be her, but. But sometimes it just. I feel like, you know, I talk so much, eventually I'm gonna say something to make you upset and. Yeah. You know, so anyway, it was nice to hear that from you, and I really do appreciate it because, look, if
- [68:13]
B
people choose to harp on that one thing that didn't sit well with them and choose to ignore the 99, that was good for them. That's a choice.
- [68:23]
A
Yeah.
- [68:23]
B
And it's okay.
- [68:24]
A
There's nothing you can do about it. I actually, you know, I'll tell you. Can I tell you how I learned that lesson as a younger person? I. Fairly clear. Fairly clear about it, like, the entire time I've been listening to the podcast, but I listen to Howard Stern my whole life, like, through high school, like, you know, into my job. I had terrible jobs where I was listening to the radio all day long, and I'd laugh at all kinds of things he'd make fun of. And then one day he made fun of being adopted. And I found, like, that I got upset. I was like, oh, that's not funny. And then I thought, well, wait a minute. I laughed at all the other stuff. Like, right now, there are a bunch of people out there who aren't adopted who are cracking up at this little joke. Like, am I being sensitive or is this not funny? And I. I came to the conclusion that I was being sensitive and that, that, you know, I had to accept that funny was funny, even if it. Even if it touched me in a way. Yeah. That I didn't like. Anyway, I'd say that happened to me in my early 20s and I never forgot it. I thought it was an important lesson. I held onto it. So, anyway.
- [69:26]
B
Yeah. Amazing. And that's your key takeaway. Not many people take such key learnings from such. And they choose to be grumpy and hold a grudge. And again, that's a choice.
- [69:36]
A
Yeah, well, I was very. I had plenty of time to think about it. I was standing in a sheet metal shop watching my life drift away. I had plenty of time to think. So I thought, if I ever get out of here, I'm going to need some common sense to get through my life with. Maybe I'll start piling it up and see if I can't get out of here. But anyway, I. I really do pre. I really do appreciate you coming on and for all the support you've given me over the years. And, and I'm happy to know that this has helped you and your son. And, and I appreciate you sharing that with me. Thank you very much.
- [70:03]
B
Thank you so much. I echo the sentiments about the support.
- [70:06]
A
Oh, you're wonderful. And tell people you're. Because it's Australia. It's like 6. You got on at like 5:30 in the morning. So we, we appreciate the extra. Also, let me just say to all the no jokes shade on the Australians that can't seem to figure this out, but many Australians miss their recording date thinking it's the following day. So I appreciate you understanding the calendar. Thank you.
- [70:28]
B
I. I kept getting reminders, which was really helpful.
- [70:31]
A
Did my system did that?
- [70:33]
B
Yeah.
- [70:34]
A
Yeah. Look at me.
- [70:35]
B
All right. I know.
- [70:36]
A
Acting like an adult over here. What do you think of that? Anytime I act like an adult, it surprises the hell out of me, so I'm glad that it worked. Thank you so much. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod 5 now with my link omnipod.com juicebox you may be eligible for a free starter kit. A free Omnipod 5 starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox this episode of the Juice Box Podcast was sponsored by usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get started today with us med links in the show notes links@juiceboxpodcast.com I can't thank you enough for listening. Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast.