#1171 Pump and CGM Overview - Part 2

April 9, 2024Scott Benner

Scott and Jenny look at the pumps and CGMs available on the market. Part II

You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or wherever they get audio.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1171 of the Juicebox Podcast.

This is part two of my pump and CGM overview Part one is it episode 1166. Today Jenny Smith and I are going to be talking more about CGM sump pumps overviewing everything that we could find on the internet to talk about nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com. All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout. That's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com. If you're a US resident who has type one diabetes, or is the caregiver of someone with type one, please do me a favor and go to T one D exchange.org/juicebox. and complete the survey. Every time you do that. You're helping with type one research, you're supporting the show and you might just be helping yourself T one D exchange.org/juicebox. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by ag one drink ag one.com/juice box. head there now to learn more about ag one. It's vegan friendly, gluten free, dairy free, non GMO, no sugar added no artificial sweeteners. And when you make your first order with my link, you're going to get a G one and a welcome kit that includes a shaker scoop and canister. You're also going to get five free travel packs and a year supply of vitamin D with that first order at drink a G one.com/juice box. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Dexcom dexcom.com/juice box get the brand new Dexcom G seven with my link and get started today. Today's episode is sponsored by Medtronic diabetes, a company that's bringing people together to redefine what it means to live with diabetes. Later in this episode, I'll be speaking with Jalen, he was diagnosed with type one diabetes at 14. He's 29. Now he's going to tell you a little bit about his story. And then later at the end of this episode, you can hear my entire conversation with Jalen to hear more stories with Medtronic champions. Go to Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box or search the hashtag Medtronic champion on your favorite social media platform. Jennifer, we are back to finish up our insulin pump conversation part two, yay. And we're gonna go over some CGM at the end. So far we've talked about manual pumps, we went over Omnipod five, Medtronic is offering and tandem control IQ in the x two. As far as automated today we're going to talk about I let and then the new mobi pump, again from tandem. So let's start with eyelet. Actually, yay, cool. Tube pump. Correct, right. But the way that it wants to work is, I would say completely different from all the other automated systems that are currently available. That's fair, right?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:35
That is 100% Fair, automated tubed. But definitely automated very differently than any of the other systems. Yeah.

Scott Benner 3:46
And here's why. It doesn't really want you to be involved. That's a good way to describe it. I mean, right? It doesn't want you to be and that's the idea here is beta bionics made a pump, in my opinion, like I'm not speaking for them. I did interview Ed from beta bionics for a couple of hours when it first came out. And the vibe I got from them was there are people out there who are going to use DIY algorithms, and they are going to like, they are going to get their a one season to the low fives. They're not going to see an excursion above 140. These people are like, they're dialed in. Right? Right. And there's people who will use other automated systems have nice a one sees and the six is like they'll put some effort into it here and there. We want to make an automated system. I felt like he was saying for people who do not want to be involved in their diabetes, or people who doesn't matter how much they've tried. They just can't find success. And so we wanted to help these people who are running around with 910 11. I know some people find it hard to believe there's people running around with 12 and 13. A one sees Right, right? We want to put a thing on them gives them an A one seat in the seven. Yeah, and I thought that was really cool. So tell me how it works. because it's pretty basic, right? It

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:02
is pretty basic. And I would also say that while it's a pump that doesn't really want the user to do much, the user still clearly has to do some things. I mean, it's not going to fill the insulin or pop the tubing, you know, yeah, the infusion site. So there's obviously those basic things, call

Scott Benner 5:21
your brother on his birthday.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:25
or fancy things for you that you still do have to acknowledge when you're eating. The nice thing is that there's no calculation to what you're eating. And for, you know, that population who is really looking for some assistance in navigating because they just, they can't do what the do it yourselfers they're doing? Are those on other automated systems that can tweak and adjust and really are into paying more attention, I guess. Yeah. This system really is just like, hey, tell me when you're going to eat food? And how much? Is it about the same as you would normally eat your your standard meal size? Is it less than that thinking like snack size, so to speak? Or is it like you're sitting down to the Super Bowl meal? Right? If

Scott Benner 6:16
I recall the way he explained it to me, it was you tell the pump? This is breakfast, lunch or dinner? Correct? And then you tell it this is a average smaller than average or larger than average? Person

Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:30
normal for you less than normal, larger than normal. Exactly.

Scott Benner 6:34
And when you set the pump up, you tell it how much you weigh. And that's it. Correct? Right? Yeah. So you don't have a carb ratio, Basal rates, correction factors. And you don't have to count carbs.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:48
Correct. There is no carbohydrate counting. I do think though, from what I see, as far as what the system could do better for you as it adapts and adjusts those insulin delivery kind of amounts, is if you at least have an idea of approximately how many carbs are at your average meal, you again, individually, not the average person, but you, let's say you've got a big appetite, or you have a lot of energy expenditure. And your average meal is pretty big, big, not for you. But big. You know, according to others, maybe it's 60 grams of carb is your average meal. If you at least have an idea of about how much you're eating, it gives you an A an easier idea of navigating this is definitely smaller than I usually eat, or this is much more than I would usually eat. So yeah,

Scott Benner 7:41
I'm gonna have somebody I mean, eventually I'll find somebody that's using the pump that be on the show, but it's pretty new still, you know, I don't think I've bumped into five people who are say they're using it. I also can't make a correction with it, right? Like, I can't look at my blood sugar at 250. And go I really wish I had more insulin. It's just doing what it's directions.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 7:59
Yep, no calculating bowls, that Bolus is on the user's part. That's all the pumps sort of driven, adjusted kind of right. doses, right? Yeah,

Scott Benner 8:09
this is a pump that I think for I think they're a segment of people who are going to hear about it and think I do not want that. I want control. I want to do what I you know, I don't want a seven a one se right. And I think there are probably more people who are going to hear it and go, are you kidding me? Like Give me that? Yes. You know, like, so nothing's for everybody. This one's more specifically, obviously not for one segment of people. Do you know what I mean? Like there's like, right, I can make an argument for x two for Medtronic for Omnipod. Five for anybody. I could say, Hey, here's why this would help you. Right? And here's reasons where it won't help you. This one's more cut and dry. I think it's more about your goals. And or the ability you have to do this because I think I said earlier people who don't want to like try as hard but I don't think that's it. Like I think it's whatever I'm trying as hard as I can I just don't get it. Right. You don't you mean? Like I never figure out diabetes? What am I damn to live forever with a 12 a one seat because I can't figure this out. Right?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:09
Absolutely. Or that you don't have somebody there assisting in teaching you what you could do a little bit better, right? And I think a system like this also, because it is body weight initially driven in what it starts with in insulin delivery amounts. Yeah. In general, again, along with meal entry being small, medium, large kind of entries thing. Most people, regardless of their education level, are going to very easily be able to determine Yeah, well this is a normal meal.

Scott Benner 9:44
I mean, the top of my head, you're sending a kid off to college and you think they are not going to take care of themselves. This seems like a pretty good idea. They're like that kind of stuff. Now, I want to be clear, I don't have trouble with it. And I'm not judging anybody. But if you told me my daughter is a once he was seven and a half I'd be like, what are we doing wrong? I gotta fix. So you know, that's the consideration, right? Beta bionics.com. It's the pumps called islet. It's a very simple marketing plan, which tells you how simple the pump is. The front page just says the islet is an automated insulin delivery system that reduces the need to make decisions about your diabetes management because it makes the decisions for you. There's no more carb counting correction factors, carb ratios, preset Basal rates or any other settings that might be overwhelming about other insulin delivery devices. And that's it, right? Yeah, let just needs one number, your weight at the end of the website. Right. So you know, there

Jennifer Smith, CDE 10:37
are some minor adjustables in terms of, it's important

Scott Benner 10:40
to me that the supplements I take are of the highest quality and that's why for the last few years, I've been drinking ag one. Unlike many supplement brands, ag one is researched and developed by an in house team of scientists, doctors and nutritionists with decades of experience in their respective fields. I know I can trust what's in every scoop of ag one because it is tested for 950 contaminants and banned substances while the industry standard typically only tests for 10. Taking care of my health shouldn't be complicated. And ag one simplifies this by covering my nutritional bases and setting myself up for success in just 60 seconds. I love that every scoop of ag one is full of quality ingredients like Folate, Magnesium, and ashwagandha. For stress support. I've partnered with ag one for so long because they make such a high quality product that I genuinely look forward to drinking every day. So if you want to replace your multivitamin, and more start with a G one, try ag one and get a free one year supply of vitamin d3 k two and five free ag one travel packs with your first subscription at drink a G one.com/juice. box that's drink ag one.com/juice box check it out. Today's episode of the podcast is sponsored by Dexcom. And I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about the continuous glucose monitor that my daughter wears the Dexcom G seven the Dexcom G seven is small. It is accurate and it is easy to use and wear. Arden has been wearing a Dexcom g7 Since almost day one of when they came out, and she's having a fantastic experience with it. We love the G six but man is the g7 small the profile so much closer to your body, the weight, you can't really feel it. And that's coming from me. And I've worn one. I've worn a G six I've worn a g7 I found both of the experiences to be lovely. But my gosh is that g7 Tiny and the accuracy has been fantastic. Arden's a onesies are right where we expect them to be. And we actually use the Dexcom clarity app to keep track of those things. That app is built right in to Arden's Dexcom G seven app on her iPhone. Oh, did you not know about that, you can use an iPhone or an Android device to see your Dexcom data. If you have a compatible phone, your Dexcom goes right to the Dexcom app, you don't have to carry the receiver. But if you don't want to use the phone, that's fine. Use the Dexcom receiver, it's up to you. Choice is yours with Dexcom dexcom.com/juicebox.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:19
Containing things a little bit more or giving it a little bit more wiggle room and it's really targets right. Those there are some adjustable targets within the pump in order for what it's aiming for. Because it does work with CGM, obviously, as an automated kind of algorithm. Yeah, the one place I would say that, in looking at all automated types of systems and even manual systems, I think they all fall short in terms of exercise, and navigating the right adjustment. I think this system by far has some things that somebody really needs to sit down if they do exercise or they're going to start to do some type of exercise. They really need to sit down with somebody who knows the system and knows how it works in that capacity to give some starting sort of adjustments, whether it's taking no Bolus or taking a small snack that you don't cover or tell the system about or even, you know, I mean, I hesitate to say disconnecting, but honestly, if sometimes we're a system like this, there's no exercise setting.

Scott Benner 14:25
So is this coming from like conversations you've had with people using it? Yeah, yeah. So I'm gonna guess that because it's so in specific about what it's doing to some degree. If you're a fairly sedentary person for 20 hours a day and then go for a run, you're gonna get low or a person who just like works out on the weekends or something like that. It's no no different but more aggressive than when you hear people talk about like, Oh, my kid, you know, just goes to school Monday through Friday. They get up they walk, they sit down. That's it. Then on the weekends, soccer practice. Oh my god, we're flooding lows all weekend. But we're on on we're on a podcast, I don't understand why that's happening, right happening because for five days in a row, the pumps been helping a sedentary child. Now all the sudden you're running around, right. But you think your experience this is a little I don't want to say worse but a little bigger of an issue. Correct?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:18
Yes, that's yeah, I wouldn't say worse. But I would say there are definite differences in how to accommodate for planned exercise and planned being the optimal word for this system. Not all of them, it works better if you're planning something and you can adjust ahead of time. But this definitely, you have to have an idea that activity is coming, or just plan to feed insulin, right? Because you haven't adjusted people

Scott Benner 15:43
don't. Not everybody, but a lot of people don't think about activity as a variable for their diabetes, right? And, you know, you should, you should think of, you know, if you're steadily active all week long, at one activity level, you're going to see, you know, less insulin resistance, you know, your insulin is going to work better, right. And I do think it's important to bring up because in the discussions of these, like different pumps, if you hear any one of them and think oh I Delic I got it. That's the right one you miss heard, because they all have speed bumps, you don't I mean, like there's nothing's perfect at this point, right? I'm going to do a conversation about you know, loop and Iaps and stuff like that, at some point down the road to kind of bundle on to this, but they're not perfect. No, this morning I Arden's like I'm sleeping in. I have one day off, she's had a head cold at school, like forever. She's on Iaps right now, I had to wake her up at 30 in the morning, I'm like, Hey, you're low. Right? You know, like so. And it tried. I saw it took her basil away for two hours it tried, but it is what it is. Okay, so I left beta bionics. Now, the tandem. Moby is a Yeah, like a brand new pump. That This one's interesting. I don't know a lot about patent law. This one makes me think we wanted it to be like an omni pod, but we couldn't make it to Bliss. So we put out a really short piece of doing on it. I don't I don't know. Like this one baffles me a little bit. You tell me? Where's the use case for this? Because it's still a tube pump.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 17:20
It is a tube pump? And I think that it fills the need for it. How many people have you heard comment, even in your online community, right? About, I love my Omni pad. But I really wish there was a time that I could disconnect it, and then just put it back on without restarting a new one without restarting a new one without losing all of that insulin without dealing with a new pod start site, etc, etc. This is where that fits the bill. And quite honestly, the little device is smaller than a pod.

Scott Benner 17:52
Oh, it's teeny. I'm looking at it here. Tiny. I mean, it's a marketing picture. But it's a little bigger than maybe four and a half, like flat quarters laid together. Like maybe if you put four quarters and a little like, I mean, like it's east, the west, north to south. I don't know about the thickness of it. Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 18:09
the thickness of it. If I remember correctly, I saw I've seen it only in like, handheld person, once. It is not as thick as a pod, if I remember correctly. Yeah. And it is definitely like shorter from top of pod to bottom of pod it is definitely shorter than a pod is it holds 200 units of insulin. So for those, I mean, if we're talking about best use versus consider maybe something else, or how could I use this, again, 200 units of insulin for somebody who really is going through heavy, heavy doses of insulin, It either means you're going to change the reservoir more often, right? Or you choose something that's got a bigger reservoir to it. I mean, pods themselves only hold 202

Scott Benner 18:54
I'm looking at the marketing here for the movie. It's interesting. Basically, they're saying look slip in your pocket. So it's still a pump, but it's really teeny tiny. Or they say we have like an adhesive patch that you can slap on it almost looks like a like it's a patch that goes on your skin that then it seems like it has like a loop on it. And then you would like slide it into the you know, I'm saying

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:14
it's like a pocket almost, if you imagine Omnipod with Omnipod adhesive, right? And instead of seeing the pod just sort of wobbly on the top of that adhesive. This actually has almost like a little like a

Scott Benner 19:29
wrapper. It's another piece of like, of that fabric that goes over top of it. Yeah, exactly. It reminds me of you know the men's wallets now that are metal and the cards slide into them. But then there's a rubber strap over to put your cash under. Yes, my husband has one. And I think that's that's what it reminds me of like, like visually. Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:48
absolutely. I think the other nice thing as you said it could be put in a pocket, right, that allows you to actually have longer tubing. I mean, it does have really really teeny tiny short tubing if you Want to wear it with that patch piece like we were just talking about? Again, it offers the ability to wear it on the back of your arm, if you would like, you know, with a little navigation and maybe taping down the tubing or whatever to keep it from sort of flopping around. But the other really great thing that is a big difference between it and the only other pod, there is a Bolus button on the Mobi device. So if you do not have your phone, which drives the typical delivery and boluses, and whatever else you're going to do with it, the Bolus button right on the Mobi allows you to have a preset amount that gets delivered with the tap of that button. And it offers you the ability to also see that the delivery has gone through with vibration, which is it's nice, it's just a confirmatory, hey, this definitely worked it went through you don't have to worry

Scott Benner 20:52
it runs control IQ to correct okay, so you can run control IQ with it, there's a button on it that you can say, hey, I want that button to do two units and like pre program it if you want to give yourself like a turbo boost of insulin, yes, but you need the phone to run the algorithm and that otherwise. This episode is sponsored by Medtronic diabetes, Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box. And now we're going to hear from Medtronic champion Jalen.

Speaker 1 21:20
I was going straight into high school. So it was a summer, getting into high school was that particularly difficult, unimaginable, you know, I missed my entire summer. So I went, I was going to a brand new school, I was around a bunch of new people that I had not been going to school with. So it was alright, trying to balance that while also explaining to people what type one diabetes was, my hometown did not have an endocrinologist. So I was traveling over an hour to the nearest endocrinologist for children. So you know, I outside of that I didn't have any type of support in my hometown. Did

Scott Benner 21:54
you try to explain to people or did you find it easier just to stay private?

Speaker 1 21:59
I honestly I just held back I didn't really like talking about it. It was just it felt like it was just an repeating record where I was saying things and people weren't understanding it. And I also was still in the process of learning it. So I just kept it to myself didn't really talk about it.

Scott Benner 22:13
Did you eventually find people in real life that you could confide in,

Speaker 1 22:18
I never really got the experience until after getting to college. And then once I graduated college, it's all I see, you know, you can easily search Medtronic champions, you see people that pop up, and you're like, wow, look at all this content. And I think that's something that motivates me started embracing more, you know, how I'm able to type one diabetes? To hear

Scott Benner 22:39
Jay Lin's entire conversation stay till the very end, Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box to hear more stories from the Medtronic champion community.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 22:50
The algorithm, that's the interesting thing. So a lot of people have kind of asked if, well, what happens if my phone dies? Right? Yeah, Does that just mean that I'm not getting anything or what happens and really, the algorithm continues to deliver with communication to with the CGM, from what I understand. So the nice thing is that while the phone app is really your, your control device, 100% extended Bolus is if you're using it in manual mode, you'd only be able to use a temporary basil, etc. But that is a nice piece to know that the system keeps running for you. Right? It's

Scott Benner 23:30
funny, I see the value of each one of these as I look at Yes, like I really do. I think a downside to any device I have to be honest, is if you have to charge it. That's one of the things that always throws me off a little bit like so this movie looks like it has to be it's wireless charging, but you're still gonna flop it on a charger at some point. Yes, yeah, you're on the pods not gonna run out of battery in the three days that you're using it. So no, no. I mean, it's there's give and take, right? Like with all of these, right? This is an interesting one though. It really is. Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 23:58
it is. I actually I just got an email from a trainer in this area to kind of get fully trained on it. And I'm really excited. I kind of like to give it a try personally, because I think it's a just an interesting new piece on the market of

Scott Benner 24:15
choice. Yeah. Jenny's not trying this until it runs some do it yourself out. I will tell you this. I know Arden really well. And obviously Arden has been wearing it. I think I misspoke in the first half of it. Arden was diagnosed when she was two she started wearing a pump when she was four and an omni pod. So when she was two it was 2006 which means she was starting to wear on the pot, I think in 2008. Anyway, neither here nor there. But if I showed this to Arden right now and explained all the good parts about it, she'd see the piece of tubing on it and go I am not interested in this. Yeah, like it's fascinating. What happens to some people after you've worn a tubeless insulin pump? Yeah, you're just like, I don't care what the other thing does. I don't even want to hear about it like 10 First thing, you know,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:00
I think that too, this is really, while their typical T slim x two can be worn under the clothes, and now it's controllable by the app. So you technically don't really have to pull the pump out. It's still a piece to navigate. Where do I clip the pump? Where do I put it? Where do I hide it under my clothing? And in this case, I mean, there are a lot of people who wear their pump site on very different parts of their body than what are technically recommended by the pump companies. Right? Kind of the upper area of the back, I know there are women and even men who wear it like on their chest or kind of their upper breast tissue, right? This it's another alternative to wearing something completely underneath clothing that you don't really even have tubing to deal with hanging out well

Scott Benner 25:49
that I can see for sure. Like, yes, there's tubing on it. But it looks like you could do a short piece to the infusion set and then use the tape thing to tape it to yourself. And then you kind of have that functionality of being tubeless even though it's not quite

Jennifer Smith, CDE 26:02
the shortest tubing is five inches. Yeah, okay. No,

Scott Benner 26:05
yeah. Jenny, I almost said that's a good size. Why would you make fun to fight and I'm just kidding. But what I think about is back before all the bluetooth headphones, right? That you know, I mean, we're all on our phones, by the way, you should all all day long be listening to the podcast on your phone. But back then there used to be, you'd have wired headphones, they kind of hook in your ears, the wire would go to your phone, and then you'd take your pants off in a bathroom sit down the wire would yank your your iPod out of your pants and go bouncing across the bus station floor. Not that this has ever happened to me. And I'm gonna say that's very specific, very specific. Yeah. And then you find yourself saying to a man that you don't know. Could you kick that back here, please. And anyway, that's the one thing I worried about when I saw Oh, you can put it in your pocket. It's neat. But what happens when the distance I stopped thinking about it, you know what I mean? But again, I'm guarantee and people are gonna use this pump, people are gonna love it. Yeah, I think people love control IQ. And a lot of people have a lot of success with it. So it's another

Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:11
another group, probably that may do better with something like this is maybe a group that has some dexterity types of issues, because there really is a little bit less fiddling, right? If anybody takes a peek online, you can actually see that the reservoir in this is clear. You can see into it, you can tell if there are bubbles there, or any issues. So that makes it from a visibility. That's a big difference compared to the T slim pump, where the reservoir is entirely enclosed. You can't tell what's happening within the reservoir. Right? So and the field process is really I've seen the field process only once. It's pretty darn easy.

Scott Benner 27:55
So So you got options. You got Omnipod five, Medtronic 670 G is that the latest 177 DJ Jesus with a numbering system seven ad. Boy, if you got me into a marketing meeting at Medtronic, the first thing I would do is say stop using numbers. It sounds so similar to each other. Tandem control like you on the X two, you're gonna have tandem control IQ on the movi then the AI let and then we don't have enough to say about it right now, because it's not nearly available. But Roche is trying to get a pump into the market, right? accucheck solo, is that right? So

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:32
Correct. Although that will not be unless there's something changing or something updated. There's no automation or CGM. That's gonna

Scott Benner 28:42
be one of the clicky pumps, like we talked about in the manual thing. And then they have the accucheck combo. That's a tube pump. But is that available right now?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:51
The Accu check combo was here, or is

Scott Benner 28:55
this am I looking at the wrong website? Might be? Hold on a second. Let me look, let me make sure I'm saying the right thing. Roche pump. I think the combo is there's an article finally wrote back in the insulin pump market. That's a that's a hurtful one from from a from an investor.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 29:14
Yeah. So while ago because right?

Scott Benner 29:17
They have something they're working on, but it's nowhere near like you're not going to use it know, in the next couple of years. Okay, no. All right. So we'll see if they actually get back to that or not, but the FDA did approve the accucheck solo tubeless patch pump, which is just like those other pumps we talked about where you push a button and you get a designated amount of insulin. I have it here dispose solo, correct and he's a pump holder and replaced every three days. And he's of infusion cannula. A disposable 200 unit reservoir replaces every four days a reusable pump bass. Okay, so you put the bass on and you click the thing on top of it. It does come with that handheld diabetes manager. Quick Bolus button transmitter errant reservoir, which you said you thought was important. Oh, okay. Yeah. So anyway, if that's what you're looking for, you're not looking for automation. You could check those out. Let's go over CGM is at the end here. Awesome. All right. So there's Dexcom. There's freestyle. And there's ever since. Correct? Oh, that's all right. Three for people using insulin. Two, three. Yeah. The other ones are like, bro science guys and like biohackers and stuff like that. Right? Okay, bro science guys.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 30:34
Are people who want to monitor their metrics don't have diabetes.

Scott Benner 30:38
Very nice way of saying it. I think of guys with like so many abs. They look like they're moving on to their sides.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 30:43
What's really funny about So years ago, 2006, I think is when I first started wearing a CGM. And I had one that's not even on the market anymore. It was called the Navigator. Yes. And I loved it. It was fantastic. And I had it on my arm and I was at the gym, I was running on the treadmill. And I guy next to me, I could tell he kept like looking over at my arm. Like, after I finished, I went over and I was like, do you do have questions? Or something, you know? And he said, I'm just curious if that's one of those, those new heart rate monitors, you know, kind of evaluate your your metrics, again, kind of devices. And I was like, yeah, no, I probably wouldn't be wearing that if I didn't have to. I said, this manages and, you know, looks at my blood sugar, blah, blah. And he's like, Oh, that's, that's really it. He was interested, obviously. But yes, I think a lot of people used to question and now clearly don't

Scott Benner 31:43
Gotcha. All right. So before we start here, let me just say that Dexcom and ever since our advertisers on the podcast, so I should say that out loud. And I should say to freestyle, what are you waiting for? But so here's what we have. I'm gonna start with ever since because it's so much different than the others. Okay, so ever since is an implantable CGM? Yes, that lasts six months. And so you'll need to a year Correct. You go into a doctor's office. I've seen the procedure happen on video, I had to watch it to become like an advertiser. It takes literally five minutes. It seems like the tiny little like, they have a tool they give the doctor it makes a little like barely an incision, they slipped the thing underneath. Butterfly bandage holds it closed. You're on your way. Yep. Then this thing, then you were a trance. What do they call it?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 32:34
A smart it's a smart transmitter transmitter

Scott Benner 32:36
overtop of it. Right? But it's interesting. It has sort of a silicone adhesive. So you're not dealing with those harsh adhesives because you change it every day. In fairness, it needs to be calibrated twice a day for like the first. I don't want to say this wrong, but like for the first few weeks, twice a day. And then after that once a day you calibrate today, right? Yep, the sensors under your skin. And then you can set high and low alarms. And it vibrates to tell you your higher low when you get. That's kind of awesome. It's called on body vibe. Distinct on body vibe alerts when higher low. Additionally, ever since is the only CGM with on body vibrations to alert users glucose fluctuations, which is beneficial while sleeping driving or otherwise unable to check mobile apps devices. Yeah, smart transmitter vibration patterns, low glucose alert three vibes appears in yellow, high glucose level one vibe. It's pretty cool, man. I mean, like, it's under your skin. If you you know you're going to your prom one day, and you're like, I don't want to deal with this today. You just take it off, throw it on the charger and wait, come back and pop it back on again. It does not currently pair with any automated pumps. Correct? And I don't know. I mean, they're a publicly traded company. They don't usually talk about stuff like this. I think they're interested in that happening. I don't know where they are in that process, when or

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:00
where, right. And they've been I mean, they've been around for a really long time. Yeah, already

Scott Benner 34:05
passed through a couple of hands, didn't it? Before a Sensia grabbed them. And there's

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:10
been a lot of change. But the great thing is that they've I think they've started to gain some ground, which is a good thing, especially considering the fact of changing and people complain all the time about, oh, it's that day that I have to change everything else. Right? This is really just as you said, you go in, you get it popped under the skin, when it's done, you can get the sensor removed and pop in a new one and you go forward

Scott Benner 34:38
and the accuracy is good. I mean, it's not it's not wildly different than what anybody else is offering. So I mean, I know they all in their marketing are trying to like they talk about their margin and stuff like that. And they try to get like, you know, real specific but if you look at those, they're all pretty they're all

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:53
within a range of and you know, like anybody again, you'll see people comment all the time. This one didn't work for me. but this one worked really well for me. I mean, I've got several people who Dexcom really didn't work the greatest for them in terms of accuracy or reliability. And they chose to go with the Libra. And that one works really well for them. So

Scott Benner 35:14
I just spoke to a woman online today who tried Libra and tried Dexcom. And she's like, it feels like my kids body rejects them at like day six, like they just don't work anymore. I mean, that's not crazy for people with autoimmune issues who might have heightened immune responses, then you're sticking a thing in your arm. And you know, now I don't know how that works with you ever since obviously, I haven't dug into it enough yet. But if the filament from those other ones is what's bothering you, maybe this is maybe this is your answer, Lucien Yeah, right. Also, I can see for if you're not automated right now. And you're just one of those kind of old school like, you know, pen people. It's pretty awesome. Because a lot of those pen people don't move to pumps because they don't like things connected to them. I don't know another way to put this but like old school type ones. Sometimes they fall into camps on wearing something, you know what I mean. So maybe this is a way they can get a CGM and not have to have anything on them.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 36:08
I think it's a nice way to for people to be able to evaluate something that has changed a variable in their life that's been added. And maybe they don't like you just said maybe they don't really want information or alerts or whatever, all the time. But in certain scenarios, they really need some heightened awareness, or they need to relearn something about Yeah, whatever's changed, right, is a great way because it just sits under your skin and you pop on the transmitter when you want to wear it and get the information and then you don't have to pop it out anymore. Listen,

Scott Benner 36:42
always with the caveat if you can afford it, if your insurance covers that, etc. But right, just from the perspective of a person who cares about people with diabetes, I wish you were all wearing a CGM. Like I don't care how but how you get to it if it's implantable, or if it's a lever a or if it's a Dexcom. Like I just think your life would be measurably better if you had one, long term health especially. I agree. Yeah, short term safety long term health get a CGM. All right. What's the next one? You say Libra? What do I say? Libra.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 37:12
Libra Libra. I've heard it both ways quite honestly. So yes,

Scott Benner 37:17
nothing better than picking a name that people can pronounce nine different ways. What do we got now? We're up to the libre three. Yes. Okay. What would you call it? A quarter size maybe smaller little sensor for

Jennifer Smith, CDE 37:29
those who are already using like Dexcom G seven more comparable? It's definitely it's flat it's like quarter would be a good overall like thickness and roundness. Okay, order nickel two quarter kind of Yep.

Scott Benner 37:45
Are they calling the libre three is a 14 day where at this point all right. Yeah, FreeStyle Libre 14 basis 13 Okay, so there's libre two there's libre three they pair with I mean at this point let's go over at libre works with what pumps as far as automation goes.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 38:06
Yeah, as far as automation libre definitely works with the do it yourself. System. Yeah. And is it? Definitely I mean, it's not Medtronic, they have their own proprietary. Anybody say they don't? Yeah. It does not work with Omnipod five, right. And if it works with Ken, does it work with control IQ yet?

Scott Benner 38:30
Control?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 38:31
I'm trying to remember I knew something was in the works.

Scott Benner 38:34
I don't think so yet. Yep. So but I think they're actually working towards it though.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 38:39
They are. I mean, that all goes into that line of interoperability right. Companies have made their systems designated as interoperable which means that at some point in the future, you would get to pick and choose your system. I want to use this pump but I want to use this CGM because this one is what works best for me. So to have those those choices down the road that's the whole

Scott Benner 39:07
I'm on tandems website tandem diabetes Care Plus FreeStyle Libre two plus well okay, so they're showing me working with the x two Congri to the libre two does not the libre three okay libre three. Why? What not? Again?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 39:25
They have multiple Yeah, why

Scott Benner 39:27
is everything so confusing? Why, Why would two people who know as much about this as anyone else be sitting around going? I don't know. Maybe does it like it's all over the place? You don't I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 39:39
mean, that's where the confusing things come in. And then they all end up having sort of like different actions they work for or last for this amount of time versus 14 days, seven days, 10 days, 14 days. This one does give you alerts without having to actually hold the device over it and wave a wand and chant some mad check something or another right even

Scott Benner 40:01
that each point is something people aren't going to know when the first libre came out. Like it wasn't a content it wasn't really a continuous glucose monitor it was a glucose monitor that you had to hold a device to to get your reading. So it was basically like checking your finger without poking your finger. But it also gave trends but it would show you the trends that Yeah, correct. So it starts like that. Also here, it looks like the libre two plus is a 15. day wear. So once a 14 once a 15 once a 10. Like, how am I supposed to keep up with all this? It naming systems with Medtronic 677 7782. Gentlemen, if you put me in charge, everything would be so easy. I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 40:41
have an asset before that. I don't know if anybody would live in the land of Jenny wouldn't do this audit. And these rules would be very straightforward. We were doing that.

Scott Benner 40:51
I remember two years. Omnipod was like we're gonna come out with the Omni pod horizon. It's gonna be one day they were like it's the Omni pod vibe. And I was like what happened?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 41:00
Right? Yes, it was. And it's still sometimes I even run across the horizon still being like, mentioned somewhere and I was like, well, we're kind of bad. beyond that. We know what it's called now, but let me be

Scott Benner 41:12
clear with everybody. iPhone. iPhone to iPhone three. iphone four. iPhone five. iPhone six. See how easy it is? The biggest number is the latest one all done. Like one time they tried SC and then they were like, stop it. Don't do that. Oh my god. Anyway. Yeah, I'm not coming down on anybody. You guys make amazing products. Yeah. So why do I care? So is is what's the biggest difference between Dexcom and Libre is that Dexcom has interoperability with all these pumps.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 41:41
Outside of like you just said the libre two plus, as interoperability obviously with the x two. Right? And, you know, system and control IQ. I would say to that there are no other cent. I mean, again, we'll get to Medtronic. But that's again, a proprietary type of

Scott Benner 41:59
use. So Jenny, just being honest, right? What's the I know? They're all their marketing is all gonna say we're accurate. We're this or that? Like, what is the real difference? Like you talk to people every day who use both of these? Like, you use a Dexcom do you use a Dexcom? Because it works with the thing you use or do you use it because you prefer? Yes. You don't prefer Dexcom over libre?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 42:17
I actually I do so my personal my n of one. And I haven't tried the new so I have not used a libre three. I don't know its accuracy. For me. The earlier versions of libre, just like med tronics sensor early versions, they were not accurate for me. Dexcom long term has been the most accurate and stays very accurate for me. So I stay with it. Because again, it also works with the system that I'm using and you know, it is what it is. Yeah, if it didn't, I would absolutely be searching for something that works to buy

Scott Benner 42:55
benefit. You know, the thing I like about I might like about Dexcom the most is the Dexcom makes Dex coms. Abbott makes freestyles like so big company, small, like department kind of a thing. Like I like that everybody that shows up at Dexcom. Every morning if this thing doesn't work, we all lose our jobs. That's what I like. Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 43:15
yeah. They are on their on one track. Now. I love that about

Scott Benner 43:19
Omnipod too, by the way, like Medtronic makes tools that heart surgeons use. Yeah, like, right. If Omnipod stops working. A lot of people in trouble. Yeah. And I'm talking about paying their bills. I like that kind of pressure on people when they go to work. Especially when it's around my daughter's, you know, medical supplies. But yeah, I mean, I think the same thing. I think if the library works for you, great. Use it. Yeah, if the Dexcom works for you. Great. I also think if your insurance covers it, great. Like there's a lot of, you know, decisions,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 43:51
which I feel a lot online to, again, comments about why prefer this one, I think it might work better, but my coverage or my pay out of pocket is a lot less with this one. And it seems to be okay. So this is what I'm going to stick with, right. I mean, that's, it's not really what the person wants, but from an affordability standpoint, it's what they're using.

Scott Benner 44:13
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean, again, I want you using the CGM whichever one is like I tried to I was telling my brother my brother's got type two. And I said, Hey, Dexcom is coming out with stello. It's, you know, for for type twos. And he said, Yeah, I'm gonna like cash buy some Libras right now because I can afford them until that happens. He's like, then I'm going to look again. I didn't tell him Oh, no, wait a couple of months. Delos. Come in the song I said good. I want the data come in and within a week type to by the way, he said to me, Scott, the amount of foods I stopped eating this week, just because he's like, I don't even know how to explain it to you. Like I see that line go up and I go, Oh, I'm not gonna eat that again. You know, like real quick, just that's a valuable thing for him. And safety wise. I like you All for safety especially you're using insulin, you know wearing a CGM? Yes. So Dexcom has the Dexcom G six, and the G seven. Here's interesting because visually speaking, freestyle to freestyle three look pretty similar, right? Correct. But the form factor of the g7 is now more much more like the libre small, thin, round, but the G six is still old school where you, you know you have like a sensor bed and then you click a transmitter into it. It's pretty raised up off your body, maybe a half an inch if I had to guess like, just visually. Are you wearing one right now? Yeah, yeah, it's about a half inch. Right?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 45:36
I wear GS six. Yeah, it's about I would say it's maybe it's not nearly a half an inch, but I would say it's probably a third

Scott Benner 45:42
but it's not like having a coin tape to you. It's more like having a, you know, half a double A battery tape T or something. I don't know. Meanwhile, I've worn a G six. I can tell you it takes about eight minutes for you to forget you're wearing it. You don't even notice it ever again. So, but you're on G six. How come you haven't moved to g7 yet? Do you know what to say? Do you want my answer? Yeah, listen, I'll tell you right now I moved to Arden to g7 right away. It works freaking terrific for but Arden is a person who CGM is have always worked really well for her. She can wear them right out to their grace periods. She doesn't lose her. Her graphs don't get wonky. Like it just they work for her. You know what I mean? So, but what about you? So

Jennifer Smith, CDE 46:26
I have not tried g7. So I don't have anything to compare to G six, right? My hesitation in moving to G seven is a lot of the feedback I get from people using G seven it is now you've had really good success with it. Arden likes it. The accuracy is there. It's you know, whatever it's doing with the system that she's using seems to be very compatible. And it works well. I have seen that in a lot of people where they're really happy with it. I've also seen about 50% who are not who complain for the whole first day. There's inaccuracy or the numbers jump up and down or there's wide variance from finger stick to actual CGM, or I do think that the compression lows I've heard a lot less issue with with G seven, compared to G six. I've seen that cleared up which is nice to hear. I'm usually a Gosh, this is new. Let's try it in the diabetes realm. I think it's right. I want to keep up. Listen,

Scott Benner 47:32
I'm no business expert. But the GS six production the way you produce that and the way I'm assuming they'll phase it out eventually. Right. Thanks. Sure. Yeah. And also what I like about them. I'm sure this goes for libre as well, too, is a lot of what happens in your CGM is software based, whether you believe like, I don't know if people know that or not. But they can tweak the algorithm tweak the software and make it more accurate. So they get better as they go. Correct. Yeah. And that's why I try hard not to listen in the very beginning because I don't think a company would call it like a it's not a beta test. I'm sure it's not but once they get it out on more people and they get more data back, I'm assuming they know. It helps them make adjustments, little tweaks to it. Tune it.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 48:13
Yeah, exactly. I'm just I guess I personally I'm kind of waiting. All the all the tweaks aspects.

Scott Benner 48:19
there's anything wrong with that. I think some people wait and some people jump in and that I think gets a difference in how people think about technology. I took you down to the last minute, we didn't talk about the Medtronic sensor. Oh, let's talk go go go.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 48:30
Quick. So yeah, the Medtronic sensor is their guardian for right, their newest that comes works with the 780, which is their, you know, most recent algorithms system. I will say that from the small handful of people that I am working with that use it. They really do like it and having been long term users of the Medtronic systems. They've even commented in terms of like accuracy, improvement with the algorithm and everything, which is really lovely to hear. I'd be curious, quite honestly, to try the new sensor and see how it does work for me because they're their earlier versions. As I said, just they were not accurate for me at all.

Scott Benner 49:12
Yeah, well, I mean, they've come a long way from I've had people come on this podcast and call one of their old sensors a harpoon. That's not a fun word.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 49:19
And that was from the way that it was inserted. 100% Yeah. But

Scott Benner 49:23
obviously, it's come a long way. I've heard a ton of people using seven ATG that are very happy with it. Yeah. And if you're using a Medtronic automated system, you are using the Medtronic navigator CGM. That's the only thing that works with you

Jennifer Smith, CDE 49:35
are and you can use it as so for those who are MDI, you can actually use their CGM as a standalone, they do have just a sensor system too, which again, quite nice. So it pairs along with Dexcom or, or libre as a standalone system. You don't have to have a pump to use it which with and again, that's quite nice, I think They're CGM. And they have a smart, they have a smart piece to part of their sort of data analysis software that actually does do some analysis of your data. And it helps to give you sort of some feedback on what is what's being collected by the system and what it's seeing and trends and that kind of stuff. And that's a really wonderful,

Scott Benner 50:25
right? I'll say this. For Medtronic, too, they have some other stuff that you might not know about. One thing is a super simple thing called an eye port. And it's just this little cord you put on, it's a one injection, and then you can put your needle or your pen into that injection. So I think over three days, you can wear it right, so for three days, all of your injections can go through the eye port, so you get stuck once for every 72 hours, they have the in pen, which is you know, an insulin pen that's also paired to an app that gives you a ton of functionality that people want in insulin pumps, too. So

Jennifer Smith, CDE 50:57
yeah, it's kind of like pumping without a pump. Really, it gives you all of that calculation part that a pump does without the tubing or anything. You know, it's very, very nice to be able to use. I'm glad you brought up the iport Because I think that's a, it's an under utilized piece.

Scott Benner 51:15
I tried to get them to buy ads for it, because I thought it was so valuable for people, but I don't think it makes enough money to have a marketing budget. But like, seriously, but yeah, but I ports if you're injecting, and you want to limit the amount of actual pokes, like, look into that, it's it's fantastic. You know, what about accuracy with the Navigator? Do you see, like with the people you just as good as everything else, this point? Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 51:38
with the with Medtronic, they're there for sentry guardian for sensor is is accurate from the people that have been using, it seems quite accurate. Like I said earlier, that you've even seen improved accuracy, having been long term Medtronic sensor wearers already, to say that they notice a difference good in accuracy is is huge, which means that they've done a nice job of, of making improvements. Honestly,

Scott Benner 52:05
it's all we want. We want everybody working hard to make these things as good as they can be. And then you guys are all going to, I mean, less than these companies are going to listen and say, Oh, I wish you would have said Mine's the best in everything. But I mean, it's not how this works. And I think they know that like Unity mean, like it's, you know, a marketing meeting. You're like, no, say ours, but they're all good. You know, so find one that works for you and use it like in the end, what I want is for people to be healthy and happy and safe. Not right now. Not a it's

Jennifer Smith, CDE 52:31
just like a favorite pump. I can give a favorite pump from my personal use. Yeah, but from other people, you have to be wide. And you have to be able to analyze and say, You know what, you're looking at this one, but based on your lifestyle based on these factors. I actually think this probably would be better for you. Yeah,

Scott Benner 52:48
I'll say this. Arden has been using an omni pod since she was four. She's about to turn 20 It's a friend to her to my family. If someone made something better. I jump in two seconds. So like, you know, you'd be like, Yeah, you got it. You gotta be out for you in the end. Yeah, you know, so, do all that. All right, Jenny, you're terrific. Obviously, I'll talk to you soon.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 53:07
Okay, thank you.

Scott Benner 53:18
Jalen is an incredible example of what's so many experience living with diabetes. You show up for yourself and others every day, never letting diabetes define you. And that is what the Medtronic champion community is all about. Each of us is strong, and together, we're even stronger. To hear more stories from the Medtronic champion community where to share your own story, visit Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box and look out online for the hashtag Medtronic champion. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoy my full conversation with Jalen coming up in just a moment. A huge thanks to Dexcom for being longtime sponsors of the Juicebox Podcast dexcom.com/juice box head over there now get started today. I'd like to thank ag one for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and remind you that with your first order, you're going to get a free welcome kit. Five free travel packs in a year supply of vitamin D. That's at AG one.com/juice box. Thinking about getting an algorithm pump, don't know where to begin juicebox podcast.com up in the menu, click on algorithm pumping and you're gonna get a long list of a lot of episodes that will help you to understand better juicebox podcast.com Find algorithm pumping. Thanks for hanging out until the end. Now you're going to hear my entire conversation with Jalen don't forget Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box or the hashtag Medtronic champion on your favorite social media platform.

Speaker 1 54:53
My name is Jalen Mayfield. I am 29 years old. I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I am Originally from Waynesboro, Mississippi, so I've kind of traveled all over. I've just landed here in the Midwest and haven't left since ice.

Scott Benner 55:07
How old were you? When you were diagnosed with type one diabetes?

Speaker 1 55:10
I was 14 years old when I was diagnosed with type one diabetes 15

Scott Benner 55:14
years ago. Wow. Yes. Okay. 14 years old. What do you like? Do you remember what grade you were in?

Speaker 1 55:20
I actually do because we, we have like an eighth grade promotion. So I had just had a great promotion. So I was going straight into high school. So it was a summer, heading into high school was that

Scott Benner 55:29
particularly difficult going into high school with this new thing?

Speaker 1 55:32
I it was unimaginable, you know, I missed my entire summer. So I went, I was going to a brand new school with, you know, our community, we brought three different schools together. So I was around a bunch of new people that I had not been going to school with. So it was hard trying to balance that while also explaining to people what type one diabetes was,

Scott Benner 55:53
did you even know? Or were you just learning at the same time, I

Speaker 1 55:56
honestly was learning at the same time, my hometown did not have an endocrinologist. So I was traveling almost over an hour to the nearest, you know, pediatrician, like endocrinologist for children. So you know, outside of that I didn't have any type of support in my hometown.

Scott Benner 56:13
Was there any expectation of diabetes? Is somebody else in your family have type one?

Unknown Speaker 56:18
No, I was the first one to have type one in my family.

Scott Benner 56:20
And do you have children? Now?

Unknown Speaker 56:22
I do not know.

Scott Benner 56:23
Do you think you will one day, still

Speaker 1 56:25
thinking about it? But right now, I've just been traveling books at all my career myself. So

Scott Benner 56:30
what do you do? What's your career? Yeah, so

Speaker 1 56:32
I am a marketing leasing specialist for a student housing company. So we oversee about 90 properties throughout the US. So I've been working for them for about eight years now. And you get to travel a lot in that job. Yes, I experience a lot of travel. It's fun, but also difficult, especially with all your type one diabetes supplies, and all your electronics. So it's a bit of a hassle sometimes.

Scott Benner 56:54
What do you find that you absolutely need with you while you're traveling? diabetes wise,

Speaker 1 56:59
I have learned my biggest thing I need is some type of glucose. I have experienced lows, whether that's on a flight traveling, walking through the airport, and I used to always experience just being nervous to ask for some type of snack or anything. So I just felt, I felt like I needed to always have something on me. And that has made it my travel a lot easier.

Scott Benner 57:21
So growing up in the small town, what was your initial challenge during diagnosis? And what other challenges did you find along the way?

Speaker 1 57:31
Yeah, I think the initial one, I felt isolated, I had no one to talk to that it was experiencing what I was going through, you know, they were people would say, Oh, I know, this is like hard for you. But I was like, you really don't like I, I just felt lonely. I didn't know you know, people were watching everything I did. He was like, You can't eat this, you can't eat that. I felt like all of my childhood had been you know, I don't even remember what it was like for life before diabetes at this point, because I felt like that's the only thing I could focus on was trying to do a life with type one diabetes,

Scott Benner 58:06
when you found yourself misunderstood? Did you try to explain to people or did you find it easier just to stay private?

Speaker 1 58:13
I honestly I just held back I didn't really like talking about it. It was just it felt like it was just an repeating record where I was saying things and people weren't understanding it. And I also was still in the process of learning it. So I just, you know, kept it to myself didn't really talk about it when I absolutely had to,

Scott Benner 58:30
did you eventually find people in real life that you could confide in?

Speaker 1 58:34
I think I never really got the experience until after getting to college. And then once I graduated college, and moving to an even bigger town, that's what I finally found out was people were I was like, Okay, there's a lot of other people that have type one diabetes. And you know, there's a community out there, which I had never experienced before, is college

Scott Benner 58:56
where you met somebody with diabetes for the first time or just where you met more people with different ways of thinking.

Speaker 1 59:02
So I met my first person with diabetes, actually, my freshman year of high school, there was only one other person, and he had had it since he was a kid like y'all once this was like, maybe born, or like right after that timeframe. So that was the only other person I knew until I got to college and I started meeting other people. I was a member of the band and I was an RA. So I was like, Okay, there's, you know, there's a small handful of people also at my university, but then, once I moved to I moved to St. Louis, and a lot of my friends I met were like med students, and they were young professionals. And that's where I started really getting involved with one of my really close friends to this day. He was also type one diabetic and I was like, that's who introduced me to all these different types of communities and technologies and which is really what helped jumpstart my learning more in depth with type one diabetes.

Scott Benner 59:53
Do you think I mean, there was that one person in high school but you were young? Do you really think you were ready to build a relationship And around diabetes, or did you even know the reason why that would be important at the time? I

Speaker 1 1:00:05
didn't, uh, you know, I honestly didn't think about it, I just was I, oh, there's another person in my class that's kind of going through the same thing as I am. But they've also had it a lot longer than I have. So they kind of got it down. They don't really talk about it. And I was like, Well, I don't really have much to, like, connect with him. So sorry, connect with him on Yeah, no. So

Scott Benner 1:00:25
now once your world expands as far as different people, different backgrounds, different places in college, you see the need to connect in real life, but there's still only a few people, but there's still value in that, right?

Unknown Speaker 1:00:36
Correct.

Scott Benner 1:00:38
What do you think that value was at the time?

Speaker 1 1:00:40
I think it was just what making me feel like I was just a normal person. I just wanted that. And I just, I needed to know that like, you know, there was other people out there with type one diabetes experiencing the same type of, you know, thoughts that I was having.

Scott Benner 1:00:55
When were you first introduced to the Medtronic champions community? Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:01:00
So about two years ago, I was, you know, becoming more I was looking around and I noticed stumbled upon the Medtronic community. And I was like, this is something I really, really, I kind of need, you know, I said, I, all throughout these years, I was, you know, afraid to show my pump. You couldn't, I would wear long sleeves, like, didn't want people to see my CGM, because I didn't want people to ask me questions. And you know, I just felt so uncomfortable. And then I noticed seeing these people really, in the Medtronic community just, they embraced it, you can see them, they weren't afraid to show it. And that was something I was really looking forward to. How

Scott Benner 1:01:35
was it knowing that your diabetes technology is such an important part of your health and your care? And having to hide it? What did it feel like to have to hide that diabetes technology? And how did it feel to be able to kind of let it go,

Speaker 1 1:01:48
I will refuse to go anywhere, like, Hey, I would run to the bathroom, I just didn't want to do it in public, because I felt like people were watching me. And that was just one of the hardest things I was trying to overcome. You know, I was fresh out of college, going into the young, professional world. So you know, going out on work events and things like that. I just, I just didn't think I just didn't think to have it out. Because I was so afraid. But then, once I did start, you know, embracing again and showing it that's when the curiosity came and it was actually genuine questions and people wanting to know more about the equipment that I'm on, and how does this work? And what does this mean? And things like that, which made it kind of inspired me? Because I was like, Okay, people actually do want to understand what I'm experiencing with type one diabetes. What

Scott Benner 1:02:33
did you experience when, when the internet came into play? And now suddenly as easy as a hashtag, and you can meet all these other people who are living with diabetes as well? Can you tell me how that is? Either different or valuable? I guess, compared to meeting a few people in real life?

Speaker 1 1:02:50
Absolutely. I think if you look back from when I was first diagnosed to now, you, I would have never thought of like, you know, searching anything for someone with, you know, with type one diabetes. And now it's like, it's all I see, you know, you can easily search Medtronic champions, and you see people that pop up, and you're like, wow, look at all this content. And I think that's something that that kind of just motivates me, and which is how I've kind of came out of my shell and started embracing more and posting more on my social media with about, you know, how I live with type one diabetes. And I think that's something that I hope can inspire everyone else.

Scott Benner 1:03:24
What was it like having more personal intimate relationships in college with type one?

Speaker 1 1:03:29
I think it was kind of hard to explain, you know, just, for example, like, no one really knows, it understands like what alo is. And I think that was a very hard thing for me to explain, like I, you know, it can happen in a in a moment, and I'm sweating. I'm just really like, not all there. And I'm trying to explain, like, Hey, this is what's going on. I need your help. And I think that was something that was hard for me to, you know, I did talk to people about it. So when this happened, they were like, oh, you know, what's going on with your mate? I'm actually a type one diabetic. This is what's going on? I need your help. What about

Scott Benner 1:04:07
once you've had an experience like that in front of someone? Was it always bonding? Or did it ever have people kind of step back and be maybe more leery of your relationship?

Speaker 1 1:04:19
After I would tell someone I had type one diabetes after some type of event or anything like they were kind of more upset with me that I didn't tell them up front? Because they were like, you know, I care about you as a person I would have loved to knowing this about you. It's not anything you should have to hide from me. And that was a lot of the realization that I was going through with a lot of people.

Scott Benner 1:04:37
Okay, let me ask you this. So now we talked about what it was like to be low, and to have that more kind of emergent situation, but what about when your blood sugar has been high or stubborn? And you're not thinking correctly, but it's not as obvious maybe to you or to them? Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:04:52
So I also I go through my same experiences when I have high blood sugars, you know, I can tell like For my coworkers, for example, I didn't really talk to you know, when I go out backtrack, when I visit multiple sites for work, I usually don't announce it. And so sometimes I'm working throughout the day, I might have snacks, forgot to take some insulin, and my blood sugar is running high and I'm a little bit more irritable, I'm all over the place. And I'm like, let me stop. Hey, guys, I need to like take some insulin, and I'm sorry, I'm not. I didn't tell you guys. I'm a diabetic. So you may be wondering why I'm kind of just a little bit snippy, you know, so I like to make sure I do that now going forward, because that's something I noticed. And it was kind of hindering me with my career because I was, you know, getting irritable, because I'm working nonstop. And I'm forgetting to take a step back and focus on my diabetes,

Scott Benner 1:05:43
right? Hey, with the advent of new technologies, like Medtronic, CGM, and other diabetes technology, can you tell me how that's improved your life and those interactions with people? Yeah,

Speaker 1 1:05:54
I can. I feel confident knowing that it's working in the background, as someone and I've always at least said it, I have been someone that's really bad with counting my carbs. So sometimes I kind of undershoot it because I'm scared. But it allows me to just know that, hey, it's gonna it's got my back if I forget something, and I think that allows me to have a quick, have a quick lunch. And then I'm able to get back into the work day because it's such a fast paced industry that I work in. So sometimes it is easy to forget. And so I love that I have that system that's keeping track of everything for me.

Scott Benner 1:06:27
Let me ask you one last question. When you have interactions online with other people who have type one diabetes, what social media do you find the most valuable for you personally? Like? What platforms do you see the most people and have the most good interactions on?

Speaker 1 1:06:43
Yeah, I've honestly, I've had tremendous interactions on Instagram. That's where I've kind of seen a lot of other diabetics reach out to me and ask me questions or comment and be like, Hey, you're experiencing this too. But I've recently also been seeing tic TOCs. And, you know, finding on that side of it, I didn't, you know, see the videos and upload videos. And I'm like, I would love to do stuff like that. But I just never had the courage. So I've seen people make, like, just the fun engagement videos now, which I love, you know, really bringing that awareness to diabetes. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:07:13
Isn't it interesting? Maybe you don't know this, but there's some sort of an age cut off somewhere where there is an entire world of people with type one diabetes existing on Facebook, that don't go into Tik Tok or Instagram and vice versa. Yeah. And I do think it's pretty broken down by, you know, when that platform was most popular for those people by age, but your younger people, I'm acting like, I'm 100 years old, but younger people seem to enjoy video more.

Speaker 1 1:07:40
Yes, I think it's just because it's something you see. And so it's like, and I think that one thing, and obviously, it's a big stereotype around diabetes is you don't like you have diabetes. And that's something I always face. And so when I see other people that are just, you know, normal, everyday people, and I'm like, they have type one diabetes, just like me, they're literally living their life having fun. That's just something you'd want to see. Because you don't get to see people living their everyday lives with diabetes. I think that's something I've really enjoyed. What

Scott Benner 1:08:09
are your health goals? When you go to the endocrinologist, and you make a plan for the next few months? What are you hoping to achieve? And where do you struggle? And where do you see your successes,

Speaker 1 1:08:20
I'll be honest, I was not someone who was, you know, involved with my diabetes, I wasn't really focused on my health. And that was something that, you know, you go into an endocrinologist and you get these results back. And it's not what you want to hear. It makes you nervous, it makes you scared. And so I personally for myself, you know, I was like, This is my shake. This is my chance to change. I know, there's people that are living just like me, everyday lives, and they can keep their agencies and their blood sugar's under control. How can I do this? So I go in with, you know, I would like to see it down a certain number of points each time I would love for my doctor to be like, Hey, I see you're entering your carbs. I see. You're, you know, you're not having lows. You're not running high too often. That's my goal. And I've been seeing that. And that's what motivates me, every time I go to the endocrinologist where I don't dread going. It's like an exciting visit for me. So you'd

Scott Benner 1:09:08
like to set a goal for yourself and then for someone to acknowledge it to give you kind of that energy to keep going for the next goal.

Speaker 1 1:09:15
Yeah, I feel as a type one diabetic for me, and it's just a lot to balance. It's a hard our journey. And so I want someone when I go in, I want to be able to know like, Hey, I see what you're doing. Let's work together to do this. Let's you don't want to be put down like you know, you're doing horrible you're doing it's just, it's not going to motivate you because it's you're you're already fighting a tough battle. So just having that motivation and acknowledging the goods and also how we can improve. That's what really has been the game changer for me in the past two years. Jalen,

Scott Benner 1:09:52
I appreciate you spending this time with me. This was terrific. Thank you very much.

Unknown Speaker 1:09:56
Absolutely. Thank you.

Scott Benner 1:09:58
If you enjoy Jalen Story check out Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box if you're ready to level up your diabetes care, the diabetes Pro Tip series from the Juicebox Podcast focuses on simple strategies for living well with type one. The pro tip episodes contain easy to understand concepts that will increase your knowledge of how insulin works, and so much more. My daughter has had an A one C between five two and six for since 2014, with zero diet restrictions, and some of those years include her in college. This information works for children, adults, and for the newly diagnosed and for those who have been struggling for years. Go to juicebox podcast.com and click on diabetes pro tip in the menu, or head over to Episode 1000 of the Juicebox Podcast to get started today. With the episode newly diagnosed we're starting over and then continue right on to Episode 1025. That's the entire Pro Tip series episode 1002 1025. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com