#1917 Around the World

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1917: "Around the World" — July 31, 2026

Host: Scott Benner
Guests: Bella & Jenny Smith
Theme: Obtainable strategies for living well with Type 1 Diabetes; a personal journey through diagnosis, family, mental health, and finding empowerment with practical tools and community support.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on Bella, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 4 and now 30, as she shares her life-long journey with the disease—spanning childhood diagnosis, family trauma, evolving treatment, and empowerment through education and online community. The discussion touches on emotional challenges, mental health, advances in diabetes management, and practical strategies (including the “Rule of 10” and the Warsaw/Macronutrient Methods), all with an upbeat, candid tone.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bella’s Diagnosis & Early Memories

• Diagnosis as a Toddler:

  • Bella vividly recalls her hospital stay at age 4, marked by classic symptoms (excessive thirst, bedwetting, mood changes).
  • Family’s response involved confusion and anxiety, classic for the era’s lack of diabetes awareness.
  • (03:09) Bella: "I do [remember]. It was, you know, a little traumatic...my mom says that I was drinking a lot more...she gave me juices, which was such a great idea. Right. But she didn't know any better..."

• Early Diabetes Management:

  • Started giving own insulin shots at age 6, did carb math by 8—built confidence in math skills.
  • (08:22) Bella: "I was six years old when I started giving myself my own shots."
  • The school math game "Around the World" enhanced her numeracy:
    • (09:53) Bella: "I was very proud at winning, like, around the World...because my math was so excellent due to diabetes."

Family Dynamics & Emotional Health

• Challenging Relationship With Healthcare and Family:

  • Experiences with an aggressive endocrinologist who accused her of having an eating disorder due to being thin, not considering her genetics or blood sugars.
  • (11:53) Bella: "I have a bone to pick with him...as an endocrinologist, he also should have seen that my blood sugars were very out of control."
  • Early high A1Cs (~10) mainly from lack of clear guidance; confusion over how to use insulin effectively.
  • (13:16) Bella: "I think lack of education...we didn't have the Juicebox Podcast."

• Cultural & Upbringing Influences:

  • Family culture emphasized obedience to authority figures (medical and otherwise), stemming from Catholic background and low-income upbringing.
  • (16:12) Bella: "They both grew up very, very low income...so I think that has a huge impact...And also, they both grew up Catholic. Again, that's rule following."

• Home Abuse and Mental Health Struggles:

  • Open discussion of verbal and emotional abuse from her father, himself a victim of abuse, leading to Bella’s people-pleasing tendencies and depression.
  • (18:59) Jenny: "So your father was abused. He abused you and told you about what was done to him."
  • Discovery of her circumstances via a psychology course in college (codependency dynamics).
  • (21:05) Jenny: "They call it...Codependency."
  • (21:51) Bella: "It was, it was definitely like a relief...this makes a lot of sense as to why I am the way I am."

• Path to Healing:

  • Therapy, college education, and supportive partner contributed to gradual recovery and self-acceptance.
  • PMDD identified as a key factor in her mood swings; Lexapro has helped greatly.
  • (24:51) Bella: "It has helped me with mood swings and helped those negative voices. Like, help me check those negative voices."

Living With Type 1: Evolving Approaches

• College & Early Adulthood:

  • Diet became strained due to reluctance to ask parents for money—subsisted on inexpensive, sometimes nutritionally limited food.
  • Physical activity (walking, boxing, weightlifting) began reducing A1C somewhat.

• Transition to Pump & Technology:

  • Needles became painful and difficult; moved to pump therapy (Omnipod), then added CGM (Dexcom)—each majorly improved control.
  • (35:22) Bella: "Now I'm at a 6.2 [A1C]."
  • Initial fear of dialing in pump settings; confidence improved with CGM feedback.

• Advanced Strategies & Community Wisdom

  • Found the "Juicebox" Facebook group; credits it and the podcast as transformative.
  • Discovered and implemented the "Rule of 10" for prebolus timing—pivotal for improved glycemic control.
    • (41:58) Bella: "They told me about the 10% rule to pre 10% of your blood sugar and I have followed that like bible since."
  • Incorporates the Warsaw Method for accounting for protein and fat in insulin dosing, seeing significant benefit for challenging meals like pizza.
    • (47:41) Bella: "It's crazy. Especially with pizza...every time I eat pizza, I'm like, oh, my gosh. I stay within range."

• Encouragement & Advocacy:

  • Bella now enthusiastically shares these strategies and community resources with others in the diabetes and healthcare world.
    • (48:50) Bella: "I tell literally everyone about your podcast, about the Facebook group. I tell them about the Warsaw Method."

Faith, Relationships, and Looking Ahead

• Faith as Foundation:

  • While raised by ex-Catholic parents, Bella found support and belonging in a Protestant church community—a key source of resilience.
    • (49:44) Bella: "I'll just say the Lord saved my life."
  • Church involvement includes outreach, children's ministry, and food pantry volunteering.

• Marriage & Family:

  • Married to a hospitalist (first anniversary recently celebrated); plans for four children after husband’s residency ends.
  • Husband is Romanian; learning Romanian for future travel.
  • (53:52) Bella: "I'll stay at home until their school age and then go back to work [as special education teacher]."

• Pregnancy & Weight Management:

  • Aware of potential insulin need fluctuations with pregnancy; proactively strengthening body with weightlifting.
  • Noticed weight gain after improvement in A1C; confronting emotional challenge of body image while emphasizing health and strength.

Light-Hearted Moments & Notable Quotes

• Math Games Turned Comedy:

  • (09:13 – 09:45) [Discussion of “Around the World” turning into a joke about kissing games and "Seven Minutes in Heaven"]
    • Scott: "I can't believe you just pulled that out like it was a real thing."

• Family Pet Irony:

  • (31:33) Bella: "Don't you find it ironic also that her name is Sugar?"
    • Her diabetic cat is named Sugar—not by her choice.

• Light Banter on Marital Gift Giving:

  • (39:13) Scott: "This is where guys go wrong. We're not good at gift giving. Women are much better..."

• Playful Guessing of Home State:

  • Extended, humorous 20-questions about Bella’s home state (final answer: Michigan).
  • (63:17) Bella: "I'm from Michigan."
    • Scott & Jenny groan: "I said Michigan…you kept saying not Michigan…" (Repeated realization & laughter)

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Practical Takeaways & Resources

Key Practical Strategies

• Rule of 10 (Prebolusing):
  • Prebolus time = blood sugar divided by 10, in minutes. (e.g., BG 150 ⇒ 15 min)
• Understanding Proteins, Fats (Warsaw/Omni Calculator):
  • Don't ignore protein and fat in carb counting, especially for high-fat/protein meals.
• Thrive with Tools and Community:
  • Seek out podcasts, online support groups, and calculators for contemporary, user-driven diabetes wisdom.

Emotional and Mental Wellness

• Therapy and Self-Education:
  • Combine mental health support with diabetes education for holistic well-being.
• Faith and Support Networks:
  • Active participation in faith communities or support networks can be pivotal for resilience.

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• (03:09) Bella: “It was, you know, a little traumatic...my mom says...she gave me juices, which was such a great idea. Right. But she didn't know any better...”
• (11:53) Bella: “As an endocrinologist, he also should have seen that my blood sugars were very out of control.”
• (13:16) Bella: “I think lack of education...we didn't have the Juicebox Podcast.”
• (21:51) Bella: “It was, it was definitely like a relief...this makes a lot of sense as to why I am the way I am.”
• (24:51) Bella: “It has helped me with mood swings and helped those negative voices.”
• (35:22) Bella: "Now I'm at a 6.2."
• (41:58) Bella: “They told me about the 10% rule to pre 10% of your blood sugar and I have followed that like bible since.”
• (47:41) Bella: “Especially with pizza...every time I eat pizza, I'm like, oh, my gosh. I stay within range.”
• (48:50) Bella: "I tell literally everyone about your podcast, about the Facebook group. I tell them about the Warsaw Method."
• (49:44) Bella: “I'll just say the Lord saved my life.”
• (63:17) Bella: “I'm from Michigan.”

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Important Timestamps

• Early Diagnosis & Hospital Stay: 03:02–06:08
• First Experiences Managing Diabetes: 08:22–10:47
• Family/Medical Challenges, Psychosocial Impact: 10:52–18:59
• Therapy & Mental Health Realizations: 20:18–23:15
• Technological Empowerment (Pump/CGM): 34:09–36:26
• Rule of 10 & Tools Discussion/Explanation: 41:58–46:07
• Emotional Recovery via Faith: 49:44–51:12
• State Guessing Game (light, fun segment): 58:14–63:17

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Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation seamlessly blends humor (offbeat digressions, banter over marital gifts, teasing about Michigan), frankness about trauma, and practical optimism. Scott’s supportive, gently comedic tone keeps the discussion accessible and upbeat, while Bella’s honest self-reflection and enthusiasm for sharing lessons learned create an inviting and empowered atmosphere. Jenny provides thoughtful, empathetic commentary and insightful questions throughout.

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Summary

Bella’s journey represents the evolving landscape of living boldly with Type 1 Diabetes—made more manageable and joyful through practical strategies, technological advances, a supportive community, and personal resilience. From early confusion and emotional pain to thriving adulthood, Bella highlights how the right resources, compassionate support, and self-empowerment can change everything for a person with T1D.

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Relevant Resources:

• Juicebox Podcast: juiceboxpodcast.com
• Rule of 10 Prebolus: juiceboxpodcast.com/rule10
• Warsaw Method/Calculator info: Omni Calculator
• Facebook Group: Juicebox Podcast - Bold With Insulin Community

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For new listeners:
This episode is a great example of how sharing personal experience—honestly and with humor—helps demystify diabetes management and mental health, and shines a light on practical, positive approaches for life with T1D.

Transcript

[Bella]

Foreign.

[Scott]

S. We're all back together for another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Hey, 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.

[Bella]

Hey, my name is Bella, and

[Jenny Smith]

it's

[Scott]

hard to introduce yourself, isn't it?

[Bella]

Foreign.

[Scott]

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by minimed and the Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter, Mini Med. Of course, the innovators behind the Mini Med Flex system, a small, sleek and discreet insulin automated delivery system controlled from an app. Nothing comes close to freedom you can feel. To learn more, visit minimed.com J Juice Box. There is one blood glucose meter in this house, the Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter. That meter is on my daughter's person right now and at all times. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for [e-mail] juicebox it really is. Try this.

[Jenny Smith]

Hey, my name is Bella, and I

[Scott]

have type 1 diabetes.

[Bella]

Perfect.

[Scott]

Okay. How long have you had type 1, Bella?

[Bella]

I have had it since I was 4, and I'm 30 now, so I guess that makes it 26 years.

[Scott]

Look at you doing the big math. That's excellent. Excellent, excellent, excellent. So you.

[Bella]

You've.

[Scott]

You've thrown a challenge down to me before we've began. You said, I want to see through the. Through this conversation if you can figure out what state I'm from.

[Bella]

Yeah, all right.

[Jenny Smith]

We'll see what happens.

[Bella]

Yeah, absolutely. You have this huge catalog of so many people that you've interviewed, and the last person that I've heard you interview, you were able to identify the birth order that she was in.

[Jenny Smith]

That's right.

[Scott]

The. What was her name? She's 19.

[Bella]

19 year old. Yeah.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah. You can tell by. Anyway. I can tell.

[Jenny Smith]

All right, well, we'll. We'll see what.

[Scott]

I feel a lot of pressure right

[Jenny Smith]

now, but that's okay.

[Scott]

And it's good for me. Keeps the morning moving.

[Jenny Smith]

Let's figure out why you came on

[Scott]

the podcast and a little bit about your story. So, I mean, I'm gonna guess you don't remember a ton about being four years old, is that right?

[Bella]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Jenny Smith]

Well, that's. That's fair. When's the first time in your life

[Scott]

you remember having, like, conscious thoughts about I have diabetes and it's part of your story now?

[Bella]

Yeah, I would definitely say it was when I was diagnosed, when I was in the hospital, actually.

[Jenny Smith]

You do remember that?

[Bella]

Yeah, I do. It was, you know, a little traumatic, as I would say, for most people.

[Scott]

Kind of thing that sticks with you, Bella. A little bit.

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

So you don't make sure I understand. You don't. You don't remember a ton about being

[Scott]

four years old, but you do remember about being diagnosed.

[Bella]

I do. Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

Go ahead.

[Bella]

So I asked my parents, and they do bring it up from time to time because I went in four days before my dad's birthday, and then I came out on his birthday. So. Happy birthday, dad. So my mom says that I was, you know, had the typical signs of drinking a lot more. And so in the typical fashion of the day, she gave me juices, which was such a great idea. Right. But she didn't know any better to satisfy my thirst. And I was 4 at the time, so of course I was potty trained and. But I started wetting the bed. And she was like, what's going on? And she said I was cranky and. Which was not like my typical behavior, not my typical mood. And she was like, something's going on. And, you know, I look tired all the time. So she took me in, and the story goes that she took me to the doctor, they tested my blood, and they looked her in the eyes and said, you need to go home, pack for a week, and take her to the hospital right away. So she's packing, she's crying, she's trying to get a hold of my dad. She can't get a hold of him. And so she called my uncle. He says that he'll get a hold of him. And I guess he was, like, working out on the track. I. And

[Jenny Smith]

on the. On the track, your uncle's. Your father works out on the track or your uncle?

[Bella]

He. My dad was just working out on the track. He was just running.

[Scott]

Oh, okay. He was out running?

[Bella]

Yeah, he was out running.

[Jenny Smith]

What time of year was this? Do you remember?

[Bella]

July.

[Jenny Smith]

July. Okay.

[Bella]

Yes.

[Jenny Smith]

I was hoping that it was a

[Scott]

winter month so that I could. I could narrow down the states you live in to warm weather states. I was trying to trick you.

[Bella]

Okay, very smart. We'll see.

[Jenny Smith]

How many brothers and sisters? Do you have any.

[Bella]

It was July 8th.

[Scott]

July 8th.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. Do you have brothers and sisters?

[Bella]

I have an older sister. She's nine years older. She's my half sister.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. Okay. So a nine year old.

[Bella]

We are estranged.

[Jenny Smith]

You don't talk to your sister?

[Bella]

I do not.

[Jenny Smith]

Do you talk to your dad?

[Bella]

Yes, I do, actually. He's supposed to come and see me in a tomorrow.

[Jenny Smith]

Nice.

[Scott]

I guess I got to ask, do you speak to your mom still?

[Bella]

I do.

[Scott]

Yeah, you do.

[Jenny Smith]

So Just.

[Bella]

I have a good relationship with just the sister, then. Just the sister. Okay. Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

All right. So your mom gets a hold of

[Scott]

your dad out there working out, trying to be thin or. No, does she head off to the hospital by herself with you?

[Bella]

So he gets the voicemail once, you know, once he's done working out, and he meets her there at the hospital, and that's. That's kind of all I have of the story there. Do you think.

[Jenny Smith]

Bella, do you think that story is your memory, or do you think it's

[Scott]

been told to you so many times that you remember it?

[Bella]

Oh, yeah, for sure. That.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay.

[Bella]

The latter.

[Scott]

Right. Right.

[Jenny Smith]

So then when the. The actual hospital state, they told you

[Scott]

to be ready for a week, were you there for that long?

[Bella]

I definitely remember being there for multiple days. So I could see it definitely being a week. From what I remember. There was a nice nurse, and we were doing some arts and crafts, and I actually had one of those arts and crafts for a long time. I don't remember if I eventually threw it away when I was older. Like, it was an angsty teen. Like, I don't need this anymore.

[Scott]

But you wish you had it now.

[Bella]

Maybe.

[Jenny Smith]

Maybe. Okay. All right. So what about growing up with type one? I mean, is it. I mean, 26 years ago is what year?

[Scott]

It's 2000.

[Bella]

It was 2000. Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

So. Oh, my God. You were. Okay. You were diagnosed at 4 years old. The year that. The year my son was born. That's interesting.

[Scott]

So I'm putting myself back in that space in that situation.

[Jenny Smith]

That's six years before Arden was diagnosed.

[Scott]

When Arden was diagnosed, they only gave you.

[Jenny Smith]

So were you getting what you have, like Humalog and Lantus, or do you. Or were you still the back end

[Scott]

of regular and mph? Do you remember?

[Bella]

I genuinely don't remember.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. All right, what's the first time you remember? Like, how you managed? Like, when you look back, do you

[Scott]

think, like, did you give yourself your

[Jenny Smith]

own shots at some point?

[Scott]

Were you on a pump?

[Bella]

Yeah, I was. My parents and I were really proud. So I was six years old when I started giving myself my own shots.

[Jenny Smith]

Nice.

[Bella]

My own injections. Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

And how often.

[Scott]

How often did you do them?

[Bella]

For every meal, of course. And then I had morning and a nighttime long acting.

[Scott]

Okay. All right, so you were using probably Humalog and Lantis or something like that?

[Bella]

Probably, yeah.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

And so are you doing the math at your meals at six or.

[Scott]

No, you're just. Your parents are handing you a needle and you're. You're doing the. The work.

[Bella]

I would say probably at 8, I was doing the math. I remember distinctly being very proud at winning, like, around the World. I don't know if you know that game, like that school game, around the World in math class.

[Jenny Smith]

I thought that was a kissing game.

[Scott]

So I guess. I don't know what you're talking.

[Jenny Smith]

I thought that. I thought that. Wasn't that, like a party game or that.

[Scott]

Sorry. No.

[Bella]

You think of, like, Seven Minutes in Heaven?

[Jenny Smith]

I don't know. Maybe.

[Scott]

Is that what I'm thinking of? I can't believe you just pulled that out like it was a real thing.

[Jenny Smith]

Is that when they shove you in a closet?

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay.

[Scott]

Right. I don't know what I'm thinking of then.

[Bella]

No, absolutely not.

[Scott]

Obviously it's not what you were doing when you were 8 years old. That's not what I was saying.

[Bella]

Not in the. Not in the math classroom.

[Scott]

No, not in the math classroom. Okay, so you remember. Go ahead. You were very proud. Sorry.

[Bella]

So basically, the teacher would hold up a flashcard, like a multiplication flashcard, and one person would stand up next to, like, the. The front row desk. And so it was like one person against the other student. And whoever got the flashcard correctly would move on to the next student and then the next and the next. And if you got, like, you know, through all of the students, then you won around the World.

[Scott]

And you won this because your math was so excellent. Your math was so.

[Bella]

Because my math was so excellent due to diabetes.

[Scott]

There you go.

[Jenny Smith]

And today you're an accountant.

[Bella]

My mom is actually.

[Scott]

Oh, no kidding.

[Bella]

Today I am a special education teacher.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, that's lovely.

[Scott]

Look at you.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. All right. So you had. You had some nice moments growing up. Do you know what your outcomes were like or even what goals were. Were set as? Like, what did healthy mean to you

[Scott]

when you were younger?

[Bella]

Yeah, healthy meant just playing sports a lot. I really love just being outside and playing sports with my dad and my cousin and. Yeah, I just. I just loved being outside and then going. I hated going to the endo, honestly, because he. His form of doctoring was yelling. Really? Yes. And then once I hit puberty, his form of doctoring. Well, that's. That's such a great verb. Was accusing me of being anorexic, which.

[Scott]

Okay, Were you.

[Jenny Smith]

Were you.

[Bella]

No, no, no. I never actually had any form of ed. And which is so funny, because you can tell I have a bone to pick with him.

[Scott]

I'm trying to get to it. Don't worry. Go ahead.

[Bella]

Yeah, my mom is a very petite woman, and my dad is very tall. So I'm just like, sir, the math is right in front of your eyes. I don't understand why you think me being a skinny, tall girl, like, is an issue.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, so that was it? It was your body style that made him think that?

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Scott]

And you're saying he could have easily looked at your parents and saw that you had a tiny mom and a really tall, thin dad and thought, that makes sense that she's built this way?

[Bella]

Yeah. I mean, my. Don't get me wrong, my dad was not thin. He's. He's a big boy, but he's also very tall. And my mom is very thin and tiny. And also, as an endocrinologist, he also should have seen that my blood sugars were very out of control. And obviously, we all know that when you have a high A1C, you tend to be skinny.

[Jenny Smith]

So also, you're. What do you mean out of control? Like, how.

[Scott]

Where were your A1C?

[Jenny Smith]

Is that.

[Bella]

I mean, about 10?

[Jenny Smith]

Pretty consistently, like, stably 10?

[Scott]

Or did they bounce around?

[Bella]

I mean, nine, 10. It was. It was pretty bad.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, why do you think that was?

[Bella]

I think lack of education. You know, we didn't have the Juice box podcast, so you just.

[Jenny Smith]

We just don't think you, like, I mean, but. But seriously, like, are you miscounting carbs? Are you even being told to count carbs? Are you not injecting for everything you eat?

[Scott]

Are you, like, forgetting basil?

[Bella]

I. I was not pre bull listing long enough. I did. I did bolus on, like, every single time. And I also, with reflection, believe there was a lot of magical thinking because I was so hungry all the time. Like, I was. I had a. Like, a high metabolism for sure. So we had, like, a set, like, you eat 60 carbs at every meal type of deal.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay.

[Bella]

And so if I wanted, like, like, 20 more carbs, but I was at, like, 50, I was like, oh, well, like, that might have only been 45. And, like, so maybe I can have this biscuit that's 20, but, like, 15 carbs is not so far from 20. So it's okay.

[Scott]

You start lying to yourself about the. The truth about the math of what you're eating.

[Bella]

Exactly.

[Scott]

And then, so eating more, but then not giving insulin later for that.

[Bella]

Yeah. Okay, because you're not. Because I wasn't really taught, you know, to give more in those situations so that I can cover the carbs. It was just like, oh, now you only have 60. And, like, this is how Much.

[Scott]

Okay, I gotcha.

[Jenny Smith]

But then you go to the Doctor, and your A1C is higher. Does that not say to you, I must not be using enough insulin?

[Bella]

I think the culture that I grew up in, my parents and I, we were just taught, like, the doctor is the professional, and you listen to the professionals, and that's that, like, you don't question. You don't. You don't get creative.

[Jenny Smith]

What. What culture?

[Scott]

You did.

[Bella]

See what you're doing?

[Scott]

You did this, Bella, not me. Go ahead. What culture?

[Jenny Smith]

I mean, I can see your.

[Scott]

I can. You know what I mean? Like, I. I can guess, but so if you can tell me, it'll. It'll. Will go quicker when I tell you. Probably live in California, but go ahead.

[Bella]

So they grew up. My mom, or. I guess, like, you not want to say.

[Jenny Smith]

You don't have to say.

[Bella]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I. At first, I. I didn't want to say because then it would give you a hint as to listen. You can't.

[Scott]

You can't defend. I get to ask questions. Go ahead.

[Bella]

Yes, yes, that's true. Okay. They both grew up very, very low income, like, you know, stamps and all that. So I think that has, like, a huge impact on, you know, having great respect for those who have a much higher education than you. And then also, they both grew up Catholic. And again, like, that's like, rule following and all of that.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, so by culture, you mean maybe

[Scott]

looking up to people who have, you know, achieved more than they feel like they have and that they were Catholic. So there was a lot of. You do what you're told, right? Okay. Little do what you're told. A little bit of that. I got you. So then.

[Jenny Smith]

But then if the doctor's yelling that you're.

[Scott]

I'm assuming that yelling was your A1C is 10, right. Okay, then why didn't we then not do what we were told, take care of it? Was it because you didn't get actual information about what to do next?

[Jenny Smith]

You know what I mean? Like, sometimes they're like. They're like, just fix it.

[Scott]

And then you're like, well, how? And then there's no answer to that.

[Bella]

Yeah, I mean, from what I remember, that's basically what it felt like.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, so a lot of demands, not

[Scott]

a lot of direction.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, so how does that strike you then, when you're a kid?

[Scott]

Like, you're being told you're doing the wrong thing.

[Jenny Smith]

Meanwhile, you said you're.

[Scott]

You're bolusing for all your food.

[Jenny Smith]

You feel you probably Feel. You probably feel like, hey, I'm putting

[Scott]

a lot of effort into this.

[Jenny Smith]

I'm not. I'm not getting outcomes.

[Bella]

You're.

[Scott]

You're telling me I'm wrong, but you're not giving me any direction. So what does that, like, turn on yourself? It makes you just feel like you're messing it up?

[Bella]

Yeah, it just felt very stressful.

[Scott]

Okay. Constantly.

[Bella]

I would.

[Scott]

I would imagine. Yeah.

[Bella]

Yeah. I mean, like, I grew up as a kid. That was very placating just for the way that I grew up.

[Jenny Smith]

What do you mean by that?

[Bella]

So both my parents were abused in different ways, and. My dad especially let me know, and he probably should not have because it took a toll on, like, my mental health. And so. And then he kind of, like, Passed down some of that to me.

[Jenny Smith]

So your father. So your father was abused. He. He abused you and told you about

[Scott]

what was done to him.

[Bella]

Right.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

And.

[Bella]

Which kind of, like, was an excuse

[Scott]

for what he was doing. Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

And how. And I'm sorry we got to that

[Scott]

kind of, like, oddly.

[Jenny Smith]

So I started off by asking you,

[Scott]

if you're being told what to do

[Jenny Smith]

and your family's a bunch of rule

[Scott]

followers, how come the out. The outcome isn't different? And I think we get to. It's probably because there was no actual direction about what to do. Just you're not doing well, like, do better.

[Jenny Smith]

And then what happens?

[Scott]

Does your dad do the same thing? He tells you, do better. Okay. And again, you're a young kid, and you don't have any context for what do better means. So the doctor doesn't tell you what to do? Your dad doesn't tell you what to do. Everyone's yelling. Some people are hitting you.

[Bella]

No, no, it's. It's just verbal and emotional abuse, and it's just, like, trying to figure out how best I can please people.

[Jenny Smith]

So you're being badgered, and that turns

[Scott]

you into a people pleaser. Gotcha.

[Jenny Smith]

Is that still a problem for you today?

[Bella]

Yes, but I have grown quite a bit this past decade once I figured out that that's what was going on when I was a kid.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. Did you go to therapy to figure it out?

[Bella]

I started going to therapy in high school when I realized I was depressed. But I didn't figure out that I had been experiencing, like, verbal and emotional abuse until college when I was. When I took, like, a psychological class and was reading, like, the definition and symptoms in a book, and I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, that's me.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. Oh, isn't that something you, you found

[Scott]

out in a book what was happening to you?

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

Was that.

[Bella]

Yeah. They call it.

[Jenny Smith]

Good. They call it.

[Bella]

Sorry. They call it something when it's like, co. Co. Something. It's, it's not normal where, like, a parent relies on the kid.

[Jenny Smith]

Codependency.

[Bella]

Codependency. Thank you. And that's basically what was happening. Like, the, like, my dad was relying on me as, like, his therapist and he, and you shouldn't be doing that.

[Scott]

Yeah, no kidding.

[Jenny Smith]

When you read, when you're in college

[Scott]

and you read about, like, this thing that you're like, oh, that's my life.

[Jenny Smith]

Is that relieving to you or is it, is it just tell you?

[Scott]

Gosh, I probably have some things to figure out. Like, where do you go from there once you read that?

[Bella]

Yeah, I, I'd say it's both. It was, it was definitely like a relief. It was, it was like, wow, this, this makes a lot of sense as to why I am the way I am.

[Jenny Smith]

Meaning people pleasing.

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

Depressed.

[Bella]

To depressed. People pleasing. Anxious.

[Jenny Smith]

Describe the depression.

[Bella]

Well, it's, it's difficult because the anxiety and depression, like, kind of work together. Like, the anxiety will push me out of the depression to, like, go and, like, work so hard, but then, like, to get good grades and like, to overachieve and things like that. But then the depression is like, oh, like all these people hate me and like, I, I suck at, like, everything, even though, like, I've achieved so much.

[Scott]

So it's, you're doing well.

[Bella]

Really? Negative self talk.

[Scott]

Yeah. You're doing well on the outside, but you're, you're telling yourself. Well, you're not telling yourself, but yourself is telling you that it's a failure and people don't like you. And so all that, all that is likely from how you were treated at home, you feel.

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. And then you go to a therapist and.

[Scott]

But they go like a magic wand, right? And then just goes away. Or do you talk for you talk for a number of years till you get through it?

[Bella]

No, no, no.

[Jenny Smith]

Did, are you married now or dating or anything?

[Bella]

I am, yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

Did you meet a guy that was helpful with you for this stuff?

[Bella]

Yeah, I mean, I, I, I don't want to say that he, I don't, I don't want anyone to think that, like, you, if you're in my situation, all you gotta do is, like, go out and find the right person. They're gonna fix you, because that's not what happened. Like, I worked on myself for so long and I Found out as well that I have pmdd, which is premenstrual dysphoric disorder. So my depression actually gets worse around that time of the month. So it is also, like, hormonal as well.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah.

[Bella]

So I found, like, the right medication to help me through that and.

[Scott]

Very nice.

[Jenny Smith]

What. What medication helps with that?

[Bella]

It's Lexapro.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. Hey, Bella. I'm sorry, is there a fan on behind you or something that's making a consistent noise?

[Scott]

No.

[Jenny Smith]

No.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

Lexapro. How long you've been using that?

[Bella]

Four years.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

And describe what it's done for you.

[Bella]

It has helped me with mood swings and helped those negative voices. Like, help me check those negative voices.

[Jenny Smith]

Any value for the anxiety? Any value for anything else that you

[Scott]

seeing a benefit anywhere besides that?

[Bella]

Yeah, I would say the anxiety has quieted as well. I. No, baby. My cat wants to go on my lap right now, but I have my laptop open. Um, yeah, I would say it's turned my PMDD into regular PMS symptoms.

[Scott]

I gotcha. So you went from bah to.

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Yeah. That's not bad. It's a good. That's a good reduction in ah.

[Jenny Smith]

And.

[Bella]

Absolutely.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. How about the way you deal with other people?

[Scott]

Was that ever an issue?

[Jenny Smith]

Or did.

[Scott]

Was most of this internal for you?

[Jenny Smith]

Like, did you.

[Scott]

My question is, did you lash out at other people the way you probably should have fought back against your parents?

[Bella]

I would sometimes snap, and I don't know if that was. Oh, hello. Can you hear my cat purring?

[Scott]

No. No, listen, that. People will find that delightful if they can hear your cat purring. Don't worry about that. I'm actually worried about. I. I think I should take a five second break and go feed this lizard because he's running around like crazy making all kinds of noise and.

[Jenny Smith]

And he's just.

[Bella]

Oh, I can't hear it.

[Jenny Smith]

He.

[Scott]

Oh, you can't. Good.

[Jenny Smith]

He is just desperately looking for a

[Scott]

bug and I feel like if I just gave him one, you would relax a little bit. Oh, sorry.

[Bella]

You should do that.

[Scott]

Do you want me to do that? All right, hold on one second. I'm actually going to. Because I think it'll help me to not have to worry about it. Give me one second while I pause the contour.

Next Gen blood glucose meter is sponsoring this episode of the Juice Box podcast. And it is entirely possible that it is less expensive in cash and than you are paying right now for your meter through your insurance company. That's right. If you go to my link contour next.com juicebox. You're going to find links to Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Kroger Meijer. You could be paying more right now through your insurance for your test strips and meter than you would pay through my link for the Contour Next Gen and Contour Next test strips in cash. What am I saying? My link may be cheaper out of your pocket than you are paying right now, even with your insurance. And I don't know which meter you have on you right now, I can't say that. But what I can say for sure is that the Contour Next Gen meter is accurate, it is reliable, and it is the meter that we've been using for years. Contornext.com juicebox and if you already have a contour meter and you're buying test strips, doing so through my link or will help support the podcast. Let's be honest. Most of us would love to spend less time thinking about diabetes. That's exactly what Minimed had in mind with the new MiniMed Flex system. It's small and sleek, you can control it from an app, and it uses the trusted SmartGuard technology that automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes. Less juggling, less micromanaging, more freedom. That's the Mini Med Flex system, available [e-mail] Juicebox There are links in the show notes and [e-mail] to contour, mini Med and all the sponsors. When you click on my links, you're supporting the podcast and helping to keep

it free and plentiful. All right, I'm back. We're being recorded again. What I just did can only be described as horrifying, but it's what they eat.

[Jenny Smith]

So now it'll. It'll take.

[Scott]

I said him. It's her. I feel bad about misgendering the lizard.

[Bella]

How dare you.

[Scott]

Yeah, but she's gonna start, like, walking around. She's flicking her tongue. She's figuring out, like, there's something in here that smells like food. She's doing it right now. Like, she's slowed down completely and is like, is now, like, kind of. Instead of running around, she's. I wish you could see her. She's like a snake with legs. All right, here she goes. She's climbing up the side of the wall. Up. She's by the cup. There's, There's. There's more. Flicking. Flicking.

[Jenny Smith]

They're in there. Go ahead.

[Scott]

Go get them.

She.

[Jenny Smith]

She.

[Scott]

She doesn't understand English and I don't know any other languages. So, I mean, if she.

[Bella]

That's a shame.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. If.

[Scott]

Do.

Do you speak any other languages? Okay, there we go. We're getting there.

[Bella]

I'm also learning Romanian.

[Scott]

Romanian?

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

For what?

[Bella]

My husband's Romanian. Oh. And we want to go and visit the old. The old country.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, very nice.

[Scott]

Your husband's Romanian. You have a little Spanish I got. Okay. I mean, I can.

[Bella]

I can converse in Spanish, actually.

[Scott]

You have a very clean American accent.

[Bella]

Thank you.

[Scott]

Which. Which trends. West Coast, Am I right?

[Bella]

Okay.

[Scott]

Okay. I think I hit it early. And you just. You don't want to say.

[Bella]

I will tell you that I have a lot of international friends.

[Scott]

Okay, you have a lot of international friends. What does that mean? You live near an airport. What's going on there with that? Okay, so maybe.

[Jenny Smith]

So your story is. It's interesting. When we started talking before we recorded, you were like, you know, I have something to share. And I don't think it's really an

[Scott]

After Dark, but so far you've talked about a lot of. I mean, I don't find it to be After Dark's a weird thing for me because I don't particularly enjoy calling the episodes After Dark. It's just a way to let people know we're going to be talking about stuff like this. But I don't see this as anything different than anybody else's, you know, day to day struggles or lives or whatever.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah.

[Scott]

It's just stuff that happens, so.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. Okay, so let's make sure we understand

[Scott]

where we're at here so far. You are a young girl back in our story.

[Jenny Smith]

You're going through a lot.

[Scott]

You get to college, you start figuring out what's going on. You go to therapy, you move through those things.

[Jenny Smith]

But through that time, is your A1C changing at all or are you in

[Scott]

college at a 9 or a 10?

[Bella]

I think I got it down to like an A. I am like, like, moving around a lot more, of course.

[Jenny Smith]

Ow.

[Bella]

Gosh. She just headbutted me.

[Scott]

My cat. Cat's coming for you.

[Bella]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like, in a good way. She just wants attention.

[Jenny Smith]

She's so sweet, but I can.

[Bella]

Don't you find it ironic also that her name is Sugar?

[Scott]

Well, you have diabetes.

[Bella]

Yeah, but I didn't name her. She chose me.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, you. When you got the cat, it already

[Scott]

had the name Sugar.

[Bella]

Yeah, I adopted her and she was like. She literally reached her paw to my mom and she. My mom's like, oh, my gosh, she wants us. And I looked at her and I was like, I don't Know if I want a gray cat.

[Scott]

Well, here it is.

[Jenny Smith]

So you get it. How do you get it down to an eight? You think it's just activity?

[Scott]

Like walking around it. Was it a big campus you were walking around?

[Bella]

I think, yeah, it was a big campus. I think I just was walking around and I started to utilize the gym more, and I started boxing, so, like, I was lifting weights as well so I could get stronger

[Jenny Smith]

and so just activity alone. Did you change how you ate at school versus home?

[Bella]

I was, I was working, and I didn't want to ask my parents for money, so I was eating, like, cans of peas and, like, salads and stuff, and I was not eating, like, super healthy.

[Jenny Smith]

Why didn't you want to eat? Why didn't you want to.

[Scott]

Excuse me.

[Jenny Smith]

Why didn't you want to ask your parents for help?

[Bella]

Because they just work so hard, and I, and I don't know, I just didn't want to, like, take from them.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, so they grew up broke, but as when you were. By the time you were in college,

[Scott]

were they still on the broke?

[Bella]

They were middle class.

[Jenny Smith]

Middle class by then. Okay.

[Scott]

So they could have afforded to help you eat?

[Bella]

Yeah, for sure.

[Jenny Smith]

No one ever said, hey, what are you eating?

[Scott]

Do you need a, do you need 50? Nothing like that.

[Bella]

My dad would come up and buy me groceries, but I just hated to, like, use their money, so I would just kind of rely on the money that I got from working on campus.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay.

[Bella]

And I also just hated to, like, go to the store using the bus.

[Scott]

But you're like, listen, I was hungry, but not hungry enough to get on the bus. Okay. That's all. I, I, I've got a line.

[Jenny Smith]

So you're eating cans of peas.

[Bella]

These are good.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah, I know, but that's happened more

[Scott]

than once in your life.

[Jenny Smith]

You're like, I'm hungry.

[Scott]

I'm gonna crack open a can of peas now.

[Bella]

Yeah. Also, Scott, this was the time that my legs were just. And my stomach was, were just, like, rejecting shots.

[Jenny Smith]

What do you mean?

[Bella]

Like, they were rejecting the, the needles. I was trying to poke myself, like, up to five times, and having such a tough time. Like, my skin was becoming tough.

[Scott]

Were you injecting in, like, the same areas over and over again?

[Bella]

I would go, like, all around the world.

[Jenny Smith]

So, so it's not that you were,

[Scott]

like, injecting one, like, small area over and over and it got, like, scarred?

[Jenny Smith]

No, you just. What do you mean? Would you.

[Scott]

Were you bit by a radioactive spider

[Jenny Smith]

at any point in that time or,

[Scott]

like, what do you mean your. Your skin? That doesn't make any sense.

[Bella]

Yeah, I don't know. I just couldn't find, like, any space in my body that, you know.

[Scott]

Where the needle would go in.

[Bella]

Yeah, where the needle would go in. It was getting crazy. And so finally I was like, this is ridiculous. So I started looking into an insulin pump by then. And I wish I had done it sooner because it's changed my life, as I'm sure thousands of people can attest to.

[Jenny Smith]

So insulin pump takes your 8A 1C to where?

[Bella]

Now I'm at a 6.2.

[Jenny Smith]

And did you have a CGM in college?

[Bella]

No.

[Jenny Smith]

Do you have one now?

[Bella]

I do.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. How long have you had a cgm?

[Bella]

Let's see. I got the cgm. Which one did I get first? Well, anyway, I got them about the same time

[Jenny Smith]

around college time.

[Bella]

So I got the insulin pump in 2017, I want to say, or so.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Bella]

And then I got this. Actually, I got the CGM much later. I got it in, like, 2021.

[Jenny Smith]

So you've only had a CGM for

[Scott]

about four or five years?

[Bella]

Yeah, because I remember teaching and the. And I had to, like, check my blood sugar, and the kids all. Literally everyone just stopped. You put a. Heard a pin drop, and they all just looked at me, and I was like, I'm. I'm fine, guys.

[Scott]

Just look at him and go, hey, listen, my dad was abused. Do you want me to tell you about that? All right.

[Bella]

Oh, my gosh.

[Scott]

That'll. That'll. That'll. That'll shut you up. Kids, way to hear the stories that I was told. You're getting off light.

Watch.

You're getting off light watching me test my blood sugar.

[Bella]

They were so kind, though.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, that's nice. So. So you've had a CGM for five years or so. Are you automated now or you automatically.

[Scott]

You are. What system are you using?

[Bella]

So I'm on the Dexcom and the Omnipod 5.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, and before Omnipod 5, you were

[Scott]

using Omnipod Dash, Right.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay, so you've only ever been Omnipod.

[Bella]

Only Omnipod, yeah.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

And that took your A1C from the eights down further. And then were you getting low a lot with out of CGM or how did you. Were you testing a bunch? How did you manage your. Your, you know, understanding what your blood sugar was?

[Bella]

No, I would say I was still kind of high. Honestly, even with. Okay, yeah, even with the Omnipod, I was still kind of high, I guess. My set, like, I. I was Scared to, like, dial in my settings too much.

[Jenny Smith]

How do you.

[Bella]

Until I got my CGM to get your cgm.

[Jenny Smith]

How long have you been married?

[Bella]

Our first anniversary was June 14th.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, you've only been married a year. Oh, congratulations.

[Bella]

Thank you so much.

[Jenny Smith]

One year's paper. What did you get?

[Scott]

Was there a gift?

[Jenny Smith]

Listen, I'm going to be married 30 years in, like, two weeks. I haven't gotten my wife anything. The only thing that's making me feel

[Scott]

better is that I know for sure

[Jenny Smith]

she didn't give me anything.

[Scott]

So I'm good.

[Bella]

We. We went out and we had a great time at Dave and Buster's and. Which is what we like to do. We prefer experiences and. But I also made him. He likes those ranking videos. I don't know if you've seen those on YouTube.

[Jenny Smith]

What do you mean?

[Bella]

Like, you rank like a lot of. A lot of people. They'll rank like their favorite movies, and it'll be like, ABCDE or like, there's an S tier. And so I did that, but, like, with our dates. And so I had pictures from, like, a lot of our dates this past year. And so I just ranked, like, the dates based on, like, romance, food, funny moments and things like that.

[Jenny Smith]

What a nice idea.

[Bella]

Then did, like, a. Like, a overview of them. And he loved it.

[Jenny Smith]

That's really cool. What do you get? You.

[Bella]

I don't remember.

[Scott]

Oh, my gosh. This is where guys go wrong. We're not good at gift giving. Women are much better. I think I'm generalizing. I believe women are much better at gift giving than men are. You know, big picture.

[Jenny Smith]

So.

[Bella]

You know what?

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Bella]

He was also working nights. So I understand.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah. Working nights in the hospital.

[Bella]

Yeah. Okay.

[Jenny Smith]

What kind of doctor is he?

[Bella]

A hospitalist.

[Jenny Smith]

And did your.

[Scott]

I guess I should ask you. You've been married for a year, but how long have you been together?

[Bella]

We started dating. Ow. Just bit my neck.

[Scott]

Sugar beat your neck? Yeah. Is she a vampire cat?

[Bella]

She's not Romanian.

[Scott]

I was trying to get to that. Bella, how come you didn't let me get to it? She didn't.

[Bella]

I'm quicker.

[Scott]

She didn't whisper in your ear, I want to suck your blood? Nothing like that happened first.

[Bella]

No, she was. She was being very sweet, actually, which is, I guess, very vampirical.

[Jenny Smith]

What if your husband is a vampire and he's just setting you up?

[Bella]

That's a long setup.

[Scott]

How long have you been together? Now, what you were getting ready to say when the cat attacked you?

[Bella]

Yeah. June of 23.

[Scott]

Okay. So 24, 25. So you've been together about three years.

[Jenny Smith]

And how long have you had a CGM for?

[Bella]

Since like five years. 21. Yeah, five years.

[Jenny Smith]

And when did your A1C start coming down?

[Bella]

Oh my gosh. Oh, well, it really came down in 20, in like January of 23.

[Scott]

Okay.

[Bella]

Or, or late 22.

[Jenny Smith]

So a little after you had a CGM.

[Bella]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

And what did, what changed?

[Bella]

Well, I got the CGM and I was actually looking to move out of state and one of my nurses that I've had since I was diagnosed, she suggested your Facebook group. And so then I started listening to your podcast and I was convicted to start pre bulleting. Like actually no, no, no. Before that I, I saw a post by someone I don't remember. So I apologize to that person, but thank you. They told me about the 10% rule to pre 10% of your blood sugar and I have followed that like bible since.

[Scott]

That's working.

[Bella]

I really appreciate that person.

[Scott]

No kidding.

[Jenny Smith]

So explain it.

[Scott]

Explain it to people.

[Bella]

Yeah. So if your blood Sugar is like 100, then you're going to pre bolus by 10 minutes. So you're going to wait 10 minutes and then you're going to start eating after you take your shot.

[Jenny Smith]

Well, I'm interested that you brought this up because I have added pages to my website about this.

[Scott]

I haven't told anybody about it yet, so can I tell people about it now?

[Bella]

Please do.

[Scott]

Juiceboxpodcast.com forward/juice Rule R U L E10, 1 0. It's not like a rule rule, but it's, it's what it says right on the website. Rule is just what the community calls it, a juice box idea for thinking about pre meal timing. Divide a BG by 10 for starting lead time in minutes. So there's a little thing here you can like click in. Let's say your blood sugar is 156, then your pre bolus should be 16 minutes. If you're above your target, if you're in range and you can like it's so you can. There's a little slider here, right? And it will tell you like you can slide up and down your BG. You can type your BG in. So 135 is an in range blood sugar. 14 minutes is an illustrate illustrative start window. And that's it. Now it explains kind of what the, the rule. I know it's like not really a rule, but it's a mental shortcut for pre bolus timing. And then when you're done with that page, if you want to continue on at the bottom, you can go to the 30, 60, 90 forecast. And once you get to that page, it'll tell you where possibly your blood sugar will be in 30 minutes. So it's an interesting way to like before the bolus, after the bolus. So again you put in like a 156 blood sugar and and then attribute an arrow to it. Very fast rate up, fast rate up, slow rise, all that stuff. We'll call it a slow fall. So if you have a 156 blood sugar with a slow fall, a diagonal down arrow, in 30 minutes, your blood sugar might be about 126. It just kind of shows you what fall rates can.

[Jenny Smith]

It's just, it's just so that you

[Scott]

can kind of visualize those arrows direction and where you might be headed. Does that make sense?

[Bella]

That is so cool.

[Scott]

Thank you. And there's like a little slider here. You can like change to mess with it. It's to kind of help yourself visualize things better.

[Bella]

I love that. Did you make that with AI?

[Scott]

Of course I did. And it's my ideas that I turned. Hold on. Then there's the thing at the end that's called after. So it's like it's before the rule of 10, during the 30, 60, 90 and then after reading your CGM trace. And then you can sort of do this. It, it kind of gives you little things like you saw this, you saw a BG spike, then came back down on its own. The timing clue about that is that the insulin eventually caught up and brought glucose back in range, which suggests the dose was probably about right. But the spike tells you the insulin wasn't working yet when the carbs arrived. The insulin didn't get enough of a head start before it had to compete with the meal. So what you can explore is whether a longer pre bolus window fits a similar meal. Blah, blah, blah. So anyway, it gives you like you saw a BG spike, then it came

[Jenny Smith]

back down on its own.

[Scott]

You saw a BG went low within an hour of eating. BG went up gradually and kind of stayed there. BG shot up and stayed up. BG went low two to three hours after eating. So there are three different web pages that all connect to each other and kind of help you before, during and after your meal. I was, I've been working on that for a while. I can't believe I haven't told anybody about that yet. You guys, there's so much on that website I never Tell you about. I apologize. But it's called. It's called rule of 10. It's in the menu at the top if you want to go to it. Rule of 10, 30, 60, 90 forecast, and reading your CGM trace. So those are three new pages on

[Jenny Smith]

the website, and I can't believe.

[Bella]

It's amazing.

[Scott]

Thank you. You'll check it out. You'll love it. But.

[Jenny Smith]

But you.

[Scott]

But you saw somebody talking about that online and you're like, oh, that's a rule of thumb that I could probably make sense of.

[Bella]

Yeah, absolutely. So I started doing that, and things just started getting better and better. And then, you know, people were talking about your podcast. I was like. Like, a lot of people say I'm not a podcast person, but I started looking around, and then I started doing other things and learned about how protein actually isn't free carbs, like I was told when I was a kid. And then recently heard about the Warsaw Method, and I've been implementing that, and I really appreciate whoever made the website the calculator. So I've been implementing that, and I'm telling everybody about it. I.

[Jenny Smith]

The one on. Not only have the one on my. The one on my site. The.

[Scott]

The. The estimator on my site.

[Jenny Smith]

Is that what you're talking about? Or are you talking.

[Scott]

Did you find a different one?

[Bella]

I. No, it's a different one. I apologize.

[Jenny Smith]

Don't you have to apologize?

[Scott]

You can.

[Bella]

I'm sure it's the omni calculator.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay.

[Scott]

They're all.

I'm assuming they're all based on the same math.

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Scott]

Wait, but if you want, you can check mine out, too.

[Jenny Smith]

When you're on the site later, take

[Scott]

a look at it.

[Bella]

I will.

[Scott]

Yeah. But the Warsaw Method of understanding how to cover fat with insulin, huge help.

[Bella]

Oh, absolutely. It's crazy. Especially with pizza. I'm like, oh, my gosh. I. Literally, every time I eat pizza, I'm like, oh, my gosh. I stay within range.

[Scott]

It's awesome.

[Jenny Smith]

So what you're basically telling me is

[Scott]

that you just needed some tools to figure out how to do this stuff. A little bit of information, a little bit of tools.

[Bella]

Yeah, basically.

[Jenny Smith]

So yelling at you was never going

[Scott]

to get you to understand that fat can impact your blood sugar.

[Bella]

Crazy.

[Scott]

Fascinating. Who knew, right?

[Jenny Smith]

Who knew?

[Scott]

Certainly not me.

[Jenny Smith]

I am really touched and thrilled that

[Scott]

this podcast has been so helpful for you and the group and the community around it.

[Jenny Smith]

And I would say to people who

[Scott]

say, I'm not a podcast person, I

[Jenny Smith]

think you're just not a Crappy podcast person.

[Scott]

And I understand.

[Bella]

I've.

[Scott]

I've heard some bad podcasts in my life, but this isn't one of them. So, you know.

[Bella]

Yeah, no, I greatly appreciate it if you're, you know, even if you set it, like, on while you're cleaning, you'll still glean, like, a lot of great information, and I really wish that I'd found it sooner.

[Jenny Smith]

I appreciate that. And I appreciate you taking the time

[Scott]

to tell people that, too, because.

[Bella]

Oh, yeah, I tell everyone that, like, anyone I meet who is either in the health care field or has diabetes, whether it's type 1, type 2, 3C, whatever, you know, I tell literally everyone about your podcast, about the Facebook group. I tell them about the Warsaw Method.

[Jenny Smith]

Look at you. You're out there spreading the good word, as they say,

[Bella]

and the actual good word as well.

[Scott]

Finally, something actually based in Catholicism is happening to you. Catholic?

[Bella]

I'm not Catholic.

[Scott]

Oh, wait. Oh, are you what they call a reformed Catholic or.

[Bella]

No, absolutely not.

[Scott]

No. You just ran from the whole thing when you saw your parents.

[Bella]

My parents are not Catholic, actually. They were raised Catholic. But if you don't mind.

[Scott]

Oh, they, they. They. They're reformed Catholics. They gave it up. They gave it up way before they had you,

[Bella]

so they stopped going. But I. If I may, I could not have gotten through my childhood situation without, like, the Holy Spirit guiding me and, like, with the. The abuse and the. The diabetes and just everything, I really felt like the Holy Spirit was guiding me.

[Jenny Smith]

You found another church or you just found?

[Bella]

I. I continued to go to, like, Protestant churches, and then eventually a friend from high school invited me to his church, and that became my home church for 12 years until I got married and we had to move for my husband's job. But I was very involved. I helped with food pantry and went on a mission trip and helped with children's ministry and. Oh, my gosh, I love my church so much. The way they're involved in the community.

[Jenny Smith]

That's beautiful.

[Bella]

Amazing. Like, they. I'll just say the Lord saved my life.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, that's wonderful.

[Scott]

I'm. That I'm thrilled for you. I. I'd be happy to hear that anything saved your life. That's a fantastic thing.

[Jenny Smith]

So you. Even though your parents didn't give you.

[Scott]

I mean, they. They seem probably disenchanted with their religious upbringing, but even though they.

[Bella]

They did come to Christ. They did. They were always. They were always Christian, just not Catholic.

[Jenny Smith]

Got you. I got you. No, I. I understand. Well, that's really fantastic.

[Scott]

And you're still practicing now?

[Bella]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Very, very much involved. Very, very enchanted.

[Jenny Smith]

You have kids or.

[Scott]

No, I didn't ask.

[Bella]

Not yet. We're waiting for him to be done with residency.

[Scott]

Oh, and then we're gonna start. I was gonna say bang them out, but that's not what I meant. You're gonna start. You're gonna. You're gonna have a bunch of them

[Jenny Smith]

or you're gonna have one.

[Scott]

What's your play?

[Bella]

Probably about four.

[Jenny Smith]

Four? That's one for each appendage.

[Scott]

You'll have to hold two with your feet, two with your hands. It's going to be something.

[Bella]

I mean, he also has two.

[Scott]

Oh, no, no.

[Bella]

Two arms.

[Scott]

No, we, we. We can't help with that stuff. There's football on. You understand?

[Bella]

No, he can't. He really can't wait to be a dad.

[Scott]

That's awesome.

[Jenny Smith]

How old are you again? You're 30.

[Bella]

We're both 30.

[Scott]

Yeah, 30.

[Jenny Smith]

Well, you better.

[Scott]

I mean, I don't. It's time. You know what I mean?

[Bella]

Trust me, I know it's hard to wait. But at the same time, like, you're

[Scott]

waiting for money, like for things to stabilize.

[Bella]

No, no, we're not waiting for money. No, we're just. We don't want to be so stressed, you know?

[Scott]

I mean, I've got two kids. I know exactly what you're talking about.

[Bella]

Yeah, you totally understand.

[Scott]

Yeah, I do.

[Bella]

Because, like, he'll be working nights and then also, like 12, 14 hour shifts. And it's just why, when. When we have the ability to wait. Not everyone, a lot of people don't have the ability to wait, but, like, when we have the ability to wait, why not take that advantage?

[Jenny Smith]

I mean, it's.

[Scott]

It's smart to do it when you think it's best. That's all.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah, that's. That's awesome. So he's what, he's in residency still?

[Bella]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jenny Smith]

But not much longer.

[Bella]

So he has two more years. So, like, next year is when we'll start.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Scott]

We only. He only needs about a three day break after residency before the baby comes, so.

[Bella]

Exactly.

[Scott]

Yeah.

Yeah.

Plus it'll give him something to be excited about. That last year.

[Bella]

Exactly.

[Scott]

Unless you get pregnant immediately and ruin it, which I do. Which does happen sometimes. Talk to so many guys that are like, we're gonna have a baby. I'm gonna have sex all the time. And then they're back like five minutes later. They're like, well, she's pregnant. I was like, I Don't think you're supposed to do it the first time, but it happens the way it happens.

[Jenny Smith]

You know what I mean?

[Scott]

Take all the fun out of babies.

[Jenny Smith]

But if you're gonna do four, he'll at least get three more tries after that.

[Bella]

That's right.

[Scott]

It's gonna be fantastic.

[Jenny Smith]

And are you gonna continue working when you have kids, or are you thinking about staying home?

[Bella]

So, you know, I'll take care of them until their school age, so I'll stay at home until their school age and then go back to work.

[Jenny Smith]

Nice.

[Bella]

As a special education teacher. So, yeah, I'll keep up with my professional degree.

[Jenny Smith]

Nice.

[Bella]

In that way.

[Jenny Smith]

And you are prepared for. I mean, it sounds like to me,

[Scott]

like, you're fine with your blood sugars, but, you know, you. If you're having hormonal fluctuations already, you're prepared for all that. You. You know, the. You know, the playbook. You're probably gonna need more insulin when you're pregnant kind of thing. It's going to ramp up, and then suddenly you give.

[Jenny Smith]

They say you pass the placenta, and

[Scott]

your needs almost immediately go back to where they were before you were pregnant. It's crazy, really. Yeah. You got to listen to some of those pregnancy episodes. Get yourself ready.

[Bella]

I actually have been on a weight loss journey, so I. I did kind of want to talk about this a little bit when I. When my A1C went, like, crashing down to 6.2, which I was very, like, amazed by and, like, happy with, but I gained, like, 25 pounds immediately. And then over the past year, I gained another, like, £15. And that's been, like, really difficult mentally.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah.

[Bella]

Because I've always been you finally.

[Jenny Smith]

You finally.

[Scott]

Well, you're not for nothing. You're probably skinnier because your blood sugars were higher.

[Bella]

Exactly.

[Scott]

And now you're taking the right amount of insulin. And what'd you learn that you were probably eating more calories than you needed?

[Bella]

Um, I think a little bit, but. Yeah, I think probably a little bit more, but not, like, an excessive amount. Okay. Um, I also think that this is probably the weight that my body prefers. And as we all know, like, the scale doesn't tell you how much muscle you have. And I know I do have, like, quite a bit of muscle.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah.

[Bella]

But at the same time, it's just difficult to, like, look in the mirror and not see, like, that who you think you are. I'm not, like, saying that I'm, like, a model, but I'm saying, like, my body was, like, that model size.

[Scott]

And so, so what are you doing?

[Jenny Smith]

Are you exercising? Changing how you're eating, what you're eating?

[Bella]

I am. I'm counting my calories. I'm counting my fat and protein. I'm sorry, my fiber and protein, and I'm weightlifting. And so I actually have increased my weights recently and noticed that I am going low a lot more often. So I'm currently in a state of, like, recalibrating, you know, my, My settings and all of that. So I bring that up because I'm like, well, I will continue to weightlift when I am pregnant in order to like, offset the.

[Scott]

Kind of keep your needs.

[Bella]

The sensitivity.

[Jenny Smith]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, that. That's fantastic. And yeah, I mean, if you have.

[Scott]

You lost weight as.

[Jenny Smith]

Your weight as you're working out too?

[Bella]

Not that I can see.

[Scott]

No.

Just more.

[Bella]

It's pretty stable.

[Scott]

Okay, so you think your insulin needs have changed, but your weight hasn't changed.

[Bella]

Right.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. Oh, it's interesting.

[Scott]

Have you considered the. The GLPs, or you think you're going to be able to handle it the way you're handling it?

[Bella]

The. I don't qualify for the GLPS because of you.

[Scott]

Not.

[Bella]

Because I'm not heavy enough.

[Scott]

Your weight. Your weight's not.

[Bella]

So I am 59 and I weigh 174.

[Scott]

That should get you a jail pay.

[Jenny Smith]

No, no. Okay. Well, I. I assume they're going to

[Scott]

be prescribing them for type ones in the next. I mean, I don't know how soon, but it's got to be sooner than later because there are studies going on right now for it. So if it's something you're interested in, it might be. It might be something that's prescribed just, you know, to help with type 1 diabetes in the. In the near future, which I think would be awesome.

[Jenny Smith]

Well, that's cool. I mean, it's. It's good of you to, like, see

[Scott]

what was going on, make changes, work towards stuff. I mean, that's. That's really fantastic. So now.

[Jenny Smith]

Is it time now for us to

[Scott]

guess where you're from?

[Bella]

Yeah.

[Scott]

All right.

[Jenny Smith]

So I think I unfairly know your

[Scott]

last name, which is. Right. That kind of gives me a hint about your ethnic background. Does it?

[Bella]

Isn't that my married name that.

[Jenny Smith]

You know, how is that possibly your. That's the Romanian last name.

[Bella]

Is it the one that starts with a V? Which one are you looking at?

[Scott]

Yeah, the V. Yeah, that's my married name.

[Jenny Smith]

That's your married name now?

[Scott]

I don't know what's going on.

[Jenny Smith]

Okay. So you have. Okay, so you have, like, a clean accent. So I don't hear any.

[Scott]

I don't hear Midwest. I don't hear Southern. You're not from around here.

[Jenny Smith]

You could maybe be.

[Scott]

Now, you're not a New Yorker. All right?

[Jenny Smith]

So you're not from New York.

[Scott]

You're not from Texas.

[Jenny Smith]

You're not from the mid states.

[Scott]

You're not from the Midwest.

[Jenny Smith]

I think you're from Arizona or California. And you talked about moving. You talked about, like, I don't know, I'm going.

[Scott]

Why are you giggling? This is not funny.

[Bella]

So fun for me.

[Scott]

It's fun for you. Okay. Yeah.

[Bella]

It's like taking a BuzzFeed quiz, but, like.

[Scott]

Yeah, well, a little bit more difficult with nobody. No questions being asked.

[Jenny Smith]

I gotta come up with the questions and the answers.

[Bella]

You can ask more questions.

[Jenny Smith]

Why don't. I want to turn.

[Scott]

Do you want to turn it as 20 questions?

[Bella]

If you want.

[Jenny Smith]

Wait, Unless. Unless you want to, like, don't. Like, if I.

[Scott]

If I've already guessed it correctly, you have to tell me.

[Bella]

Okay.

[Scott]

Okay. So have I.

[Bella]

No.

[Jenny Smith]

No.

[Scott]

All right, 20. Oh, all right, ready? I guess I'll ask 20 yes or no questions. We've never done this before.

[Bella]

This.

[Scott]

You and I doing this together for the first time. Are you. Are you on the. Are you on the left side of the country? Like, let's first, like, knock the country right down the middle. Are you on the left side?

[Bella]

Oh, my God, no.

[Scott]

No. All right, Florida.

[Bella]

No, no.

[Jenny Smith]

You're on the right side of the country. I did one time here, Michigan,

[Bella]

for

[Jenny Smith]

a second, but it wasn't. It wasn't a lot. Plus, the husband's probably got an accent. It's probably ruining your accent. You are a little giggly. Could be Rhode Island. You're not from Virginia. All right, ready?

[Scott]

You're not from Virginia, right?

[Bella]

Correct.

[Scott]

Why are you having so much fun? I. I don't hear Pennsylvania. I'm just going to use up my. My. This way. Right? No. Pennsylvania.

[Bella]

No. Pennsylvania.

[Scott]

Pennsylvania. Not Florida. Not Virginia. Not.

[Bella]

God.

[Jenny Smith]

I'm just gonna say New York in

[Scott]

case you're from upstate.

[Bella]

No, no,

[Scott]

not Michigan. Right side of the country.

[Jenny Smith]

Going to Maryland.

[Bella]

No.

[Scott]

North Carolina?

[Jenny Smith]

No. I don't know. You didn't say anything that gets me, like, to figure it out. Like, I think you were. I think you were holding stuff back

[Scott]

that it would have helped me figure it out.

[Jenny Smith]

You did.

[Bella]

No, I was not.

[Scott]

You were not.

[Jenny Smith]

You.

[Scott]

In the beginning, you didn't want to answer a question. You're like, well, I Don't want to give you any answers.

[Jenny Smith]

All right, well, you don't live in

[Scott]

the state that you were born in right now. Is that correct?

[Bella]

I. I do live in the state I was born in.

[Scott]

So you moved out and moved back.

[Jenny Smith]

No, I thought you moved at one point.

[Bella]

No, I said I was. I wanted to move.

[Jenny Smith]

You wanted to move.

[Bella]

All right, but there were some things that happened. Hurricane Ian happened.

[Scott]

Okay, so you couldn't move.

[Bella]

Correct.

[Scott]

You're not from New Orleans.

[Jenny Smith]

I don't. I mean, what am I missing here?

[Scott]

You're not from Alabama.

[Jenny Smith]

I mean, you said your parents were broke.

[Scott]

I guess you could be from Kentucky or Alabama, but I would think you'd have an accent. Then

[Jenny Smith]

you just have to tell me.

[Scott]

I give up.

[Bella]

Oh, Scott. Oh, Scott, you were so close.

[Scott]

I was so close.

[Jenny Smith]

Oh, wait, I do hear so many times.

[Scott]

There's so.

There's a little Southern in there now.

[Jenny Smith]

A tight ocean. Is it South Carolina?

[Bella]

No.

[Jenny Smith]

What is that? Oh, and I hear it. Where is that from? Just tell me.

[Bella]

I'm from Michigan.

[Scott]

I said Michigan.

[Bella]

You said not Michigan.

[Scott]

No, no, no, no, no, wait.

[Jenny Smith]

I said. Oh, I talked myself out of it.

[Bella]

You talked yourself out of it so many times.

[Jenny Smith]

Damn it.

[Scott]

Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.

[Jenny Smith]

Clean. Accent, broke. Parents. I was right there. Not the way.

[Bella]

You're so close.

[Jenny Smith]

You're not. You don't. You don't have any Spanish background.

[Bella]

No, no. I mean, I've been to Mexico. That doesn't count myself Spanish since I was a kid.

[Jenny Smith]

Well, you threw me off. No.

[Scott]

In Spanish.

[Jenny Smith]

And I. And that married last name. I don't know.

[Scott]

He stole that from somebody. That's not. That's not Count Dracula. Whatever that is.

[Bella]

That's Romanian.

[Scott]

No.

[Jenny Smith]

No, it's not. Stop it.

[Bella]

Yes, it is. Look it up.

[Scott]

Look it up. I don't have time.

[Bella]

Are you familiar?

[Scott]

I don't. I don't have time to look it up. Okay, today's Arden's birthday, and she is texting me.

[Bella]

Oh, my God.

[Scott]

About Happy birthday. Thank you. I'll let her know. She's texting me about, like, are we going?

[Jenny Smith]

Are we going?

[Scott]

We're supposed to go pick out a cake for to take to dinner with us tonight, so.

[Jenny Smith]

All right. I can't believe I had. Because I got Michigan early on once I split the country in half, and then I gave up on it.

[Bella]

You did. You kept saying, not Michigan also.

[Jenny Smith]

I know. I just want to say.

[Scott]

I know everybody in Michigan is not broke. They're broke people everywhere. Just like I. By the way, I was completely broke growing up and I was in Pennsylvania.

[Jenny Smith]

I don't know.

[Scott]

I was just generalizing, trying to find something. You know what? I do. I can't believe it didn't work this time.

[Jenny Smith]

That's fine.

[Scott]

Well, you win if I. Yeah.

[Bella]

The thing that I didn't want to tell you earlier was that my dad's side is Irish and my mom's side is mainly English. German. So I felt like that would have told you Michigan. Or at least if you know anything about Michigan, then that would have given you a hint.

[Scott]

I know Eminem's car industry used to be there. I know these things. I know the. I know everybody.

[Bella]

Our industry is still here.

[Jenny Smith]

I know everybody thought the Lions were

[Scott]

going to be good, but they still suck. What do you think of that? Do you care about comments? All right, listen, go make a bunch of babies with that doctor boy of yours and. And I will. And go forth and prosper. I appreciate you doing this with me. Hold on one second, okay?

[Bella]

Okay.

[Scott]

Something new just arrived from minimedia. It's the Minimed Flex system. Think about everything people love about minimed technology designed for great outcomes, helping keep you in range and made to be easy to use. Now, in a pump that's the size of two stacked vials of insulin, Mini Med Flex is fully controlled from an app designed to stay tucked away, empowered by the proven automation that helps over 600,000 people manage diabetes day and night. Order today minimed.com juicebox Having an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away. Contour next.com juicebox that's right, today's episode was sponsored by the Contour Next Gen blood glucose meter. It's the meter my daughter uses. She has it on her right now and you're one click away from having it too. And don't forget, using Juicebox podcast links helps support the show.

[Jenny Smith]

Friends.

[Scott]

My Diabetes Pro Tip series is about cutting through the clutter of diabetes management to give you the straightforward, practical insights that truly make a difference. This series is all about mastering the fundamentals, whether it's the basics of insulin dosing adjustments or everyday management strategies that will empower you to take control. I am joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal experience and and we break down the complex concepts into simple, actionable tips. The Diabetes Pro Tip series runs between episode 1000 and 1025 in your podcast player, where you can listen to [e-mail]

by going up in the menu.

If this is your first time listening to the Juice Box Podcast and you'd like to hear more. Download Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Really, any audio app at all? Look for the Juice Box Podcast and follow or subscribe. We put out new content every day that you'll enjoy. Are you tired of scrolling past clips that last five seconds?

Are you an adult?

Would you like to have a long conversation? Juice Box Podcast is the place to be. Follow and subscribe. I'll be here tomorrow with another episode.

I hope to see you again.

[Bella]

Sam.