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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends welcome to episode. Oh, I don't know what episode this is. Yeah, I know already. Hello friends welcome to Episode 337 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today's show is sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter and touched by type one. Please take a moment to go to the links right here in your podcast players notes, or I've made them available at Juicebox Podcast comm for this episode anyway, go to those links check out the sponsors touched by type one is a wonderful organization supporting people with type one diabetes. And the Contour Next One blood glucose meter is absolutely without a doubt, no BS the best, easiest to carry easiest to use, most accurate blood glucose meter Arden has ever had. And if you go to Contour Next one.com there's a little thing at the top, I think it's yellow, you click on it to see if you're eligible for an absolutely free meter right now. Contour Next one.com touched by type one.org. If I tell you that today's episode is about one woman's journey through type one diabetes, it's too simple of a statement. And if I tell you more on that I'm gonna have to explain the whole episode to you. So I'm stuck. What do I say to get you to listen to this? Huh? No, no, it's good. tell you that much. Kayla has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. Well, that's not true. It's been a long time. But the journey we're, you know what? I got Corona, brain and Corona hair, you should see it. It's like a football. But I don't want to discount this episode because it really is a wonderful story. So I'm going to leave it to you. And of course, I'll remind you that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, please always consult a physician before making changes to your medical plan for becoming bold with insulin. And now the end of the tune.

Kayla McBride 2:36
Hello, I'm Kayla McBride.

Scott Benner 2:40
Why don't you jump right in with your whole name. They're excellent. Okay. So Kayla's has not gone into some long drawn out like I'm Kayla McBride. And this is my story because Kayla and I have a history and email history that goes back into 2017. And it is Kayla, is it July still? Yes, right? Yes, it is July 2019. Right now. So many of you write me. I don't know if you understand how it goes or not. But you write me I see your emails piling up and piling up. And then one day I just put aside hours and I sit down and I answer everyone's emails. It's the best way I've come up with so far, which it's not good. It's just the best I can do. And a lot of us have correspondents that go back and forth. I am normally the I'm not usually the long part of the conversation. I'm usually like, that's great. Good job. This is cool. Keep writing like that kind of person because it's just a lot of writing for me. But we thought for this episode, we do something a little different. So I'm actually going to read Kayla's first note. And then we're going to start talking and then we're going to kind of go through the emails together and and see where Kayla has ended up because it's such a long kind of process. Okay, he'll ready.

Kayla McBride 3:57
Yeah, ready.

Scott Benner 3:59
So you you wrote in early December 2017. And you subject your email your subject line for email was I finally have hope with T one day. He said First of all, I want to thank you for all that you do for the diabetes community, which was very nice. You didn't have to do that. This month is my 10th anniversary with type one was amazing, right? Most, right. I mean, 10 years at anything. Pretty impressive. But then you told me that most of the journey has not been a smooth one. This is when I started settling into my chair ago Okay, here we go kill to have a sad story like Pull yourself together and writer back right. I was diagnosed at 17 junior high school family decided to take a vacation. And then you had felt ill for a while. You'd recently had a small surgery. So you figured it was that and then it wasn't. And you know, you started blaming jetlag and anything you could but you're on this trip with your family. Start getting worse frequent urination, you say intense muscle cramps, shortness of breath, all this bad stuff. up in dkw in the hospital for six days.

Kayla McBride 5:02
Yep. in La Jolla, California.

Scott Benner 5:06
I mean, there's worse places, right?

Kayla McBride 5:08
I know. We were actually pulling away from that hospital and there was a huge banner out front that said number one and diabetes care and I was like, Well, okay.

Scott Benner 5:20
least I've made it to the number. Can you imagine if you pulled away and said number three and diabetes care, you'd be like, Huh, all right, I guess still not bad. Since then, I have struggled with finding a good endocrinologist that lasted longer than a couple of years. My first endo I love this one would offer advice like eating a sandwich every night before going to bed to keep your blood sugar from plummeting. Yeah, he, that's a great one, how much? I'm trying to imagine how much weight I'd put on if I ate a sandwich every night before I went to bed. I'm I'm thinking probably more than I would want. And then you say, I didn't know anything about pumps, I couldn't recommend them. You did some research about pumps while you were in college. Got an omni pod. You said that helped keep better control throughout the craziness of college. And they said unfortunately, I was like, oh, there was like two sentences of upbeat as like here, we're gonna make it here comes the good part of Kayla's story. She beats the bad guy. And Nope. Unfortunately, a couple of years back, I had to switch back to MDI because I could no longer afford pumping. You're a college kid working in nonprofit and your MD, you went back to MDI and you said, You're a one CS, we're sitting at nine and that you were very frustrated by that. Now, here comes the good part. I started listening to the podcast a couple of months ago, and I immediately learned so much about how best to treat diabetes, but preventative action. Just obviously what we're talking about here, stay fluid, be ahead of the problem, that kind of thing. I learned the importance of the diabetes community. It's excellent, and that I'm not alone. Most importantly, I've gained so much more confidence in my treatment plan. A month ago, I decided to give the dexcom CGM a try. It's been such a lifesaver. I went to my endocrinologist appointment today and found out that my agency after a month of this Dexcom thing 7.1 I can't wait to see what maybe once he's gonna be at my next appointment. After I have months of data, being able to direct my blood sugar's where I want, etc. Blah, blah, blah. I could go on for days, Kayla. I write Kayla back in true form with tiny bullet points saying well, your diagnosis suck. People who ever written me are like, yeah, this is how this guy gets back. There we go. What you've done with your perspective, not to mention your agency is amazing. gratulations I hope we can keep in touch. And I would kind of like to know what your next day one says. So let's kind of start there. Tell me a little bit more about the diagnosis and then meeting this first anchor ologists endocrinologist. Excuse me, that wasn't so great.

Kayla McBride 7:45
Well, um, as the letter kind of said, I'd had a tonsillectomy earlier in 2007. And so going into not feeling well and everything. I just thought I was still recovering from that. As you get older, it takes longer to heal from the tonsillectomy. So I was like, okay, maybe this is gonna take a few months. Um, but it was about six months of just not feeling great. And then we just, we had this huge trip planned to San Diego, where we were going to see SeaWorld and go to the zoo and, you know, actually eat with shampoo at SeaWorld and all this stuff. And I just always wanted to go. And so we catch a flight, and I knew on the flight there that something wasn't right. And I told my mom even before then I said, you know, I'm not feeling too great. And she's like, well, as soon as we get home, we're gonna get everything tested. So let's just get through this trip. And so on the fly like I get up five or six times ago, there were extra, my feet were tingling the entire time. And I was like, What is going on? And so we're tingling? Yeah. Okay, yeah.

Scott Benner 8:55
I figured if I did this long enough, somebody would say my feet were dangling and you were the one good.

Kayla McBride 9:00
Um, and so we get to California and the whole trip was just, it was great, but it was also miserable. Like, we went to the zoo, and I had to ride the bus around the zoo, we couldn't walk because I was thought of breath the whole time. We went to the dinner with shampoo and I couldn't eat anything because I was so nauseous so I just ate fruit you know, because you're like, Oh, that's the more natural thing to eat. But is that just that didn't stay down very long and I remember we went to one like Mexican restaurant while we were there and I had seven glasses of sprite because you're like, when my when I'm nauseous. You have sprite like that's how I was raised. Like you have sprite and crackers and that's easy on the stomach. But you know, now that I know it was type one diabetes, but I was trying to fight that was probably the worst I could do. So we even get went to the ghiradelli Chocolate Factory the day before I was diagnosed. We were like, let's just split a big thing, so we get a big treat. And so the day before we were supposed to drive cross country back to Tennessee from California, and I basically fell out in the bathroom. And my stepdad pulled me out of the bathroom and made, you know, next thing I know, there's like 10 paramedics in the room, of course, I'm unconscious, lightly. In all of this, I ended up. I was in a coma for half a day after this, but, um, they said that even when he would try and like my stepdad would try and pull down my shirt that I would like fight him. Even though I was pretty much out of it. Um, but ended up in DK and I was in the ICU at lokoja. Hospital

Scott Benner 10:52
for six days.

Kayla McBride 10:54
And, yeah, it's a really exciting vacation.

Scott Benner 10:58
They tell you what your blood sugar was when you were in DK because it's I mean, your description at the very end is, I think indicative of you were probably pretty much at the end of being alive there.

Kayla McBride 11:10
Yeah, they said my organs were shutting down and you know, my whole family said you were just cold and clammy, we didn't know what was going to happen. And they said I was a 12 which I I know I've heard a lot higher, but you know, by anyone see what the 12 is all that? I know. I don't know an actual butcher.

Scott Benner 11:30
Yeah, that's really scary. And probably when you look at the story, you probably really needed to go to the hospital back at the Tingley feet Park. And you powered through you must have really wanted to go on that vacation. Hey, you know what, I have to ask you what shampoo a good cook or do you not remember?

It was like a buffet style. Oh, you

went to shampoos house and they cook. She cooked for you? That's not what happened. I see. I got you. Alright, fine. Well, that's terrible. Hey, Kayla, congratulations on being alive. Being sounds like you were right there. No knocking on Heaven's Door. As they say. I'm happy that you did not drop dead. Congratulations. But that was really just the beginning for you. Right, like so now you're you're diagnosed. And you're still a high school student. Right. Not fun. When you're back in Tennessee now. No longer in the number one type Ed center in the hallway. Right. And you meet. So you meet? I guess let me let me just ask a little bit. Was this during the summer?

Kayla McBride 12:41
No, it was during the school year. So I was it was actually December 2007. When I was diagnosed. I was in the hospital during like New Year's. This is like a Christmas trip for you guys.

Unknown Speaker 12:51
Yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh.

Scott Benner 12:53
Now I feel bad. Because I know how hard it is to take a family on a vacation. It just it really seriously. Did you notice by the way, everyone's diagnosed on vacations, fat, it's fast. Yeah. Okay. So you're back in Tennessee. And you're going going to school? So 10 years ago? Is that a meme? Assuming they just gave you like, was it pins or needles? or What did you get to start with?

Kayla McBride 13:19
Yeah, it's just syringes and the glass file. And so, you know, of course, in high school, I was like, Oh, she's going to shoot up before lunch. And my English teacher at the time was, had this little side room that was kind of his office. He was like, you can just step in there before lunch every day. And you know, do your thing. So it was, it was really nice. Yeah,

Scott Benner 13:43
yeah. Assuming about like the 13th. Time for the shutup comments. You're like, I gotta move away from here one day. So did you not find? Did you not find high school to troubling with diabetes? or How did you find it?

Kayla McBride 14:00
Well, it was kind of towards my end of my high school journey. But I think in that letter, I said junior year, but it's actually my senior year. December my senior year, so I mean, I had six months and then I was having to go to college. So

Scott Benner 14:16
our whole relationships based on a lie that's in the second sentence first. I'm sorry, I have to call this short, but by no. So okay, that was actually your senior year. Just went back finished up your senior year and then jumped into into college. Doesn't sound any now that sounds worse to me. I thought at least you had a nice a year to get sort of accustomed to things. But you just finished up the last half of your senior year. And we're right away. How far away was college? Did you have to was it far from home?

Kayla McBride 14:47
I stayed in town and I'm so glad that I did choose that. Because I had already decided on Lipscomb University as my college which is in Nashville. I already decided that in My junior year so, um, so yeah, stayed in town I was close. So even though I'm sure wrecked my whole family to be like, you know, hope she stays alive hope she knows what she's doing. At least I was close.

Unknown Speaker 15:15
I know

Unknown Speaker 15:18
what did you know what you were doing?

Kayla McBride 15:21
So I, I really credit the Omni pod a lot for keeping me alive in college. So many times I was just like, Okay, I'm setting these alarms, and I'm not gonna worry about it until I hear one. And but I didn't have them in good parameters. I didn't. You know, like, it's just all the time, your time to check and see Oh, no,

Scott Benner 15:47
no, no, no, don't. So you're describing something that I think is, is probably now still and was more so years ago, just a common way of dealing with your diabetes. I've you know, they've given me these, I don't know, mathematical equations that tells me how much insulin and I get up in the morning I test my blood sugar. I give myself insulin I eat I wait a certain number of hours. I do it again. It's usually another mealtime by then this keeps happening. My blood sugar is never where I want it to be. But that's okay. I'll try again. And that's pretty much it. But I think what you were saying a moment ago was that by putting on an on the pod or having an insulin pump at all, at least you didn't have to draw a needle Are you skipping when you were doing MVI? Were there times? You're just like, I'm not giving myself insulin? like did you skip it?

Kayla McBride 16:37
Oh, yeah. And I would even do that with zombies. I would just I would skip meal doses and be like, Well, I have a drip going in, you know. So that's it won't be too bad.

Scott Benner 16:48
Okay, so Kayla, first of all, your story is fairly common. And I really appreciate you sharing it with everybody. So even with a pump on even when you hear me like, I'm doing my ads, and I'm like, you just push the button. It's so easy. You're like, Yeah, I just looked at that button. I was like, No thanks. Now, what stops you when you're wearing a pump? And it is just honestly as easy as pushing a button saying I would like you to give me insulin for 35, carbs and button. When it's that simple? What stops you from doing it? The Contour Next One blood glucose meter? Let's talk about it. How about it's tiny, but still easy to hold? How about it's got a little light on it. But that light is plenty bright enough. In the middle of the night, when you can't find your blood drop, just push the light look. But that's it just like that. It's very simple. Other things about that light that you might not know, is you sort of set you're not sort of that would be silly. How would you sort of set your Let's start over again, one of the other things about those lights that you don't know. But you could know if you went to Contour Next one.com and read about it is that you can set them for ranges. Right. So when you get a test, say like BB right and it's like 93 and 93 is in your range, the light will turn green. Oh, see what I'm saying? You don't yet. So it's just sort of this visual cue. This is where I mean to be this is above where I mean to be below where I mean to be a little something, but adds a lot of panache, and value. pump that panache is not valuable. Another thing you're going to love about the Contour. Next One is the app that goes along with it that you can use or not use totally up to you. Nobody's forcing you to use the app. But you can if you want and it's available for Android and iPhone, it'll help you plot those data points and make sense your blood sugars. And just from personal experience, I find the meter to be incredibly easy to handle. It's got a beautiful bright light for nighttime and the test strips beyond being accurate. super accurate. In fact, they're just easy to use, meaning I can touch the blood drop, knock it as much as I need and go back in and get more without wasting a test trip. So that's amazing. For certain I can tell you this little all the blood glucose meters pardon has ever had. This is my personal favorite. And hers is simple to use. It is handy. sleek, right? Hmm. Like a ski boat almost. You know when you look at I'm not into boats, but I've seen people look at both books. That's how I feel about the Contour Next One blog. Anyway, we've gotten off track. I think we all realize that now, Contour Next one.com top of the page, get a free Contour. Next One meter, click on that to see if you're eligible. And if you're not, it's a blood glucose meter. You have insurance and not really that expensive. So ask your doctor about it today. Get started with the meter that are done I really adore with that little bit of time you've now made for yourself in your life, right by not fumbling With your old meter or being like Angry attic because this thing's never right. Go to touched by type one.org. Take that new free time at New lightness in your soul. Go share it with other people. Or at least let them share their lightheartedness with you. Touched by type one.org is the place to go to watch people be lifted up, supported, and and watch them raise money. help find a cure for type one diabetes, touched by type one.org. Contour Next one.com links in your show notes, links at Juicebox podcast.com, Bada bing bada boom, let's find the answer out to the question I just asked Caleb, before the very end really roll into our story. This is an interesting episode. I'll tell you why at the end of this little like the way it is right here. Right? It just trickles out to the end. I guess if I didn't talk, are you able to hear about it? Anyway, what I liked about this interview most is that I was doing a lot of reading in the very beginning reading the email, which I didn't realize at the time made me feel uncomfortable. I really do like the podcast to be free flowing. But kailyn I get through the emails and a little bit. And the conversation kind of sinks in a little more, she's more comfortable. I'm back into my groove. And this this episode is interesting. It takes on two kind of life's lives, definitely lives not life's, life's would be completely incorrect. This episode takes on kind of two different lives. What I say kind of this episode takes on two different lives. And you're about to see the transition. Well, hopefully you'll see it. Anyway, I've now talked meaninglessly for a minute and probably skip through this. But back to the show. I love you guys, thanks for listening. When it's that simple, what stops you from doing it?

Kayla McBride 21:51
At the time, I was still with that first endocrinologist. And I honestly did not feel knowledgeable about type one D at all. And I did not really know how to accurately dose and I was really scared of the insulin, honestly. So I said, Well, at least I know, I know, I have a little bit in me. And if it gets too high, I can just bump it down with a whole lot and be ready to catch it at the bottom.

Scott Benner 22:18
Did you? Did your doctor ever say something to Ben, you don't? You've never said this in your emails. But I'm just wondering, has anyone ever said to you back then better high than low?

Kayla McBride 22:30
I think they were always really scared of the lows, but they weren't even, they would just say you just need to do better. Like that's what I kept hearing was, you need to take care of yourself better. And I was like, I don't know what that means.

Scott Benner 22:42
Of course, by the way, too, when you're just introduced into diabetes when you're in your senior year of high school, not your junior year of high school, but in your senior year of high school, right when this is your introduction, and then you know you're graduating and then boom off to college. You need to do better from a person who is not telling you what that means. Or, or how to get to that spot. In a world where I mean, let's be honest, if like you need an Advil for something and it says every six hours, How frequently do you really take your Advil every six hours? Right? Like you take it and you feel a little better and then you forget again, it's um it's actually one of the biggest problems that prescribing physicians have with medications is that it's just human nature you start to feel better or you don't feel badly whichever, you know, whichever it is and that just doesn't make you think to take the medication again. A huge problem in the world of people with antidepressants, ironically is they begin out you know, sometimes depressed, they take they are anti depressant, they stop feeling depressed and the minute they stop feeling depressed they go I leave that medicine anymore. I'm not depressed never connecting the line between I'm not depressed anymore maybe because I took the medication and it's just it's very common. So I don't want you and you know you don't need me telling you but you shouldn't feel bad about this like this is no different than if I put a six year old in the car and told him to drive across the country you know and then they ran into a tree at the end of my driveway me yelling up going What are you doing? You gotta do better. I mean think of how ridiculous that is. You know? So you're going along in in this kind of loop of just you know, a test when I can I test when I think about it I don't want to be low I'm scared of being low. What happened? Did you have a bad low that that threw you off? Or was it just the fear someone put into you I

Kayla McBride 24:39
honestly didn't have too many bad lows.

And even in like I've been able to catch them all there was one incident as the day after Thanksgiving one year. I want to say it was like 2013 or something. And that I I fell out in the hallway with a low blood sugar and they had to do Like the jail and I ended up going to the hospital, but I didn't remember any of that. But

Scott Benner 25:08
that's the good thing about it. Yeah, you don't really remember any of it. And by the way, I took me two usages of the phrase fell out to realize that you were saying passed out, but I'm a local colloquialism I imagined

Unknown Speaker 25:20
I guess

Scott Benner 25:22
that's so if I told you I passed out, would you know that I meant fell out? Yeah. Yeah. I say you people got your own little like country down there something I hear what's that? So that so even that's more interesting, right? Not a lot of bad lows, still afraid. And that's just the message, right? That people get so often, like, be afraid be afraid the insulins gonna kill you. I'm like, Yeah, the insolent not having it's gonna kill me to like, what is the it's it's just a strange, you know, I feel like I repeat myself sometimes, but such a strange idea to decide, well, I'd rather die tomorrow than today. You're still dead? Like, what's the difference? And so you know, like, why not take a shot at living healthy here? Like, why is that not the message coming from the doctor? Like, look, this insulin can be dangerous if you use it incorrectly. Let's learn together how but it sounds like your doctor really didn't even know how to tell you to use it correctly and given them credit, where it's due 10 years ago, in those CGM, right, like it's not like, you know, not like anybody had ever seen anybody's buzzers. Everybody was really just working on this, like test weight test again, theory. The problem is, is that standing here today in 2019, that's still the advice a lot of people get. Hmm, that sucks. So you find the podcast, what's the first thing that strikes you? That makes you think, oh, wow, maybe there's a different way?

Kayla McBride 26:43
Well, when I found it, I was on MDI, I was off the Omni pod just because I couldn't afford it anymore. And I heard you talk a lot about the Dexcom, which I actually tried for a week in college, I tried the Dexcom out. But because I was so out of control, I was just overwhelmed. And it was one of those, you know, my that first endocrinologist was kind of if he didn't understand it, he didn't really want me to do it. So if you didn't understand the Omni pod, he didn't understand the Dexcom.

Scott Benner 27:16
I want to stop you for one second. I hope people understand that when another human being tells you, you need to figure this out. What they're really saying to you is I don't understand this either. I can't help you with it. So like, don't let don't let that pressure feel like that. Like understand that. If you had a better teacher, a better teacher wouldn't tell you. Hey, there's algebra, you go figure it out. And they would actually explain it to you. So yeah. So you tried it once saw your blood sugar's and thought to yourself, hey, this guy's right. I do need to take better care of myself. But I don't know how. So I'm gonna stop seeing my blood sugar now, and kind of got away from it.

Kayla McBride 27:51
Yeah. So when I started listening to your podcast, in 2017, it got me interested in the Dexcom again, and I knew that I needed a stronger control in my blood sugars, that I was only capturing that one window that I tested my sugars in. And so when I got the dex calm after I've listened to some of your episodes, I wasn't as intimidated. I was like, Okay, I know enough about myself. I've gotten myself through diabetes this far in life. You know, let's figure this out. So

Scott Benner 28:26
good for you. Yeah, that just that idea of like, I'm still alive. Now. Let me try to be alive. Better? If right,

Kayla McBride 28:32
let's feel better every day.

Scott Benner 28:34
And that really is not to be overlooked. Right, is that you did not feel well, most of your life. And in that in those years? Is that pretty accurate?

Kayla McBride 28:44
Right? Yeah. I just felt like there was, you know, not a whole lot of energy going on. And I kind of wonder if, if my whole college experience would be different. If I'd had better blood sugars in that time?

Scott Benner 28:56
I'm sure it would have been. Yeah, I'm sorry for you that's definitely can feel like something that's lost that you can't get back. But I don't think that's true. I just think that, you know, I mean, there's plenty of good things I've done in my life. I don't remember either. So don't worry about what happened past like, just, you know, move forward and keep doing what you're doing, I think. Okay, so, basically, that was a beautiful email that you sent me. I responded back, like I said, with bullet points. And, and even though I wonder, and so let me ask you, just very quickly, not to get too far away from your story. But when you send such a beautiful and thoughtful and well written letter, and you get back 53 words, do you on your end, do you think that guy must be busy? Or do you think Jeez, you could have given a little more to me here, buddy.

Kayla McBride 29:39
Well, I definitely know that you get a ton of emails. So I was just excited to get any response and the fact that you did take the time to, you know, talk to different parts of the letter like, Oh, that's really sweet. And you know, you're doing a whole lot

Scott Benner 29:53
to read them all. I just I hope everybody understands. It's just it becomes overwhelming at some point, but I really do read every one of them and Thank you. I was hoping that you didn't feel like you got, you know, shortchanged because I know so you did what we talked about and you wrote back again and now it's like, you know the end of June, early July in 2018. You're like, hey, Scott, I want to send you an update on my last six months. I was like excellent. Kayla's back. Kayla, who has a perfect name to be in country music is writing me again positive stuff first she says that see finally now she's everyone's starting to understand like, hey, let me just I'll throw the good stuff out and then ready the guy for the bad stuff. My ANC has continued to improve 6.4 in March of 2018. And now this month 6.1. I mean, that's stunning. You started at nine. These are numbers I never thought were possible. My thyroid medication is also decreasing. All this is amazing. I'm still having issues with dawn phenomenon. Nurse Practitioner said we might look into adding Metformin. I wonder if you talk to any type ones that have tried Metformin, and that you said not now, now that not so shiny points, I was like, it's funny, because even the positive stuff you were like, I might have to take that form. And that was positive, too. You said the diabetes, the diabetic dream is real. We should all receive free counseling for the mental and physical strain we have to endure. Today I went to my endo and got those even better results. But sometimes a break would be nice, a break from the planning ahead. The constant financial stress, the lack of sleep, etc. I've been in a slow Oh, excuse me, I've been in a slump of low energy tiredness, anxiety, wanting food conference then feeling guilty for them. I'm always a person to say snap out of it. I just having a little bit of a hard time this time around. So you know, I just thought I'd share the physical and mental stuff while buying continue. Baba, thank you. scaler. Right. And so Okay, let's see, that was June 28. I promptly responded back to Kayla five weeks later, because this is such a bad idea. Now I feel bad about this. And I said this a once the news is amazing. Congratulations. And then I said, Are you having any luck coming out of the burnout, which is basically because five weeks it passed? And I didn't know if you'd throw yourself out a window yet or not. And and then we don't talk again, really? In September, October, November, December. And so you know, okay. You. So let's talk about that point right there that spot in time. Diabetes, burnout, that's what people call it. Right? Well, but it's it's just, it's anything burnout, like, right, everything's like that anything you have to do frequently have to do daily becomes monotonous. And when you're doing it and doing it the best you can and it's not going your way. It's even more difficult, right? Because you're just, you're like, wait, I'm killing myself for this. It's not even working out. And But still, when it works out, it's still a lot of work. So I wondered if you couldn't talk about that a little bit like what it's like to do something day after day after day?

Kayla McBride 33:09
Well, I'll tell you, what's really helped me get through is sharing what I'm going through with others. And you talk about that all the time on here is the importance of community and knowing that you have support, but it's people realizing what exactly you have to go through. And you know, it's not just me asking, what are we going to have for lunch? But it's me asking, you know, what do I need to plan for? And so, that's really helped me a lot in turning my mindset around is having, you know, my family and friends that are closest to me at the time to ask, you know, how are you doing? How you're, how's everything going with your diabetes? How's your health? And then when I do explain to them, they kind of get it instead of kind of just going okay, okay, but not really understanding what all diabetes is, which I know it's a complicated topic. But

Scott Benner 34:05
do you think I should record an episode where I just speak to you like you're there, but you're not there. And then I leave long pauses of silence where you can answer out loud while you're driving in your car. Like, like if the podcast just started and I was like, Hey, how are you? It's so good to see you, then I don't talk for like 30 seconds while you're like I'm good. Scott, how have you been like, Oh, I'm great. And then there's a long pause. Because I could do that. For people who are, you know, not around others that understand their diabetes, or don't have a place to talk to other people. I have to tell you. One of the things about this show that initially surprised me was feedback like that, like the idea that I don't know another person with type one. There are no conversations about diabetes in my life, and listening to other people talk about is is really helpful to me. I did not I mean, I guess I expected a little bit but not to the level that you and other people have described. So you did you how did you engage those people? Did you actually go to somebody like your mom and say, Look, I need to talk about this sometimes, or I need you to be interested in it? Or did you just start doing it? How did you get that rolling?

Kayla McBride 35:09
Well, dexcom helps a lot, because I tend to wear my my arms. And so people ask that question, what is that? And then you can go into what type one diabetes. And you know, they may say, Well, I have a friend that has type one, or type two or whatever. But then you can kind of roll from there and say, you know, this test my blood sugar every five minutes, it helps me kind of see what's going on throughout the day, and how to plan for what's coming next. And so it is really more of a preventative fare than I had before. You know,

Scott Benner 35:43
so your gears acting as an icebreaker? Yeah. Okay. That's interesting, because there are as many people I've heard from as many people who think I hate when somebody sees my pomp or my CGM, and they start talking to me about what is this? And now you're giving me the exact opposite, like so that even that is just perspective and the way you react? Because you could take an opportunity when somebody's like, Hey, what's that to say? This is what it is. And and then maybe you'd find the sort of connection that Kayla found as well, just the ability to meet a person and talk about diabetes for a second, like it's a normal thing, because it really is a normal thing. But not to everyone. And so, you're left on your end feeling like, well, geez, it's not normal to them, so I won't bring it up, or, or this makes me different. But they have stuff that is normal for them that you don't have, but they don't think of it as making them different. Isn't it weird? Like, you know, if I was a, I don't know, like, if I liked photography, and you didn't, I wouldn't think oh, gosh, I should hide my photography, because it makes me different. It's just you should celebrate your differences, right? Like, it's, I mean, that's got to be a T shirt that that already exists. And so there's a good reason for it. Because it's important to do, it is important to look at yourself and say, This is me. There's nothing wrong with any of this. And no reason not to tell somebody about it. That's right. That's really excellent. Are your is your family more involved than they were in the past?

Kayla McBride 37:14
Yes, they are. And I think a lot of it was, you know, I had six months, kind of under the roof, and then I was gone to college. And so they didn't really see that struggle, and me trying to learn how to function and with this disease, and so I think it took me getting to Dexcom and sharing my better a one sees with them. And then they would ask questions. And then last year, my mom and sister went to the jdrf conference with me. And it just like, ramp them up. They were so excited.

Scott Benner 37:52
Excellent. That's so cool. Because then they see all those other people who were, you know, living your central your life. And and it's I don't know what, I don't know what that does. But it certainly does something because I felt it as well. I've been to big conferences, and there is an energy that's, you know, unmistakable. is very cool that they did that with you. Okay, so, six months after my that's an amazing Good job, though. Sorry. You're right back again. And now it's January of 2019. Hello, Scott, I hope you're doing well. It took some tough talks with my doctor, but I finally had some luck figuring out what's self care, I need to stay positively motivated. In the midst of my daily health. I have started Weight Watchers to help with my accountability in what I'm eating, and to encourage me to keep moving. That's excellent. And that's also just another look at planning, right? Like I was thinking about when you're saying it earlier, like you have to plan for your insulin plan for when you're going to put on your pump, that sort of thing. In eating is the same thing. Like I people say it all the time. Like if I know what I'm going to have I'm okay. It's when I roll into the kitchen hungry, that I get into trouble. You know, so little planning ahead. You switched up, let's say would you do you heard in the mornings, I switched it up with either yoga or Tai Chi along with walks throughout the day. Due to my dawn phenomenon, I found that less intense workouts are best for me. So I'm not battling an even more intense spike in the morning. So you were getting up in the morning seeing higher blood sugars than doing a tough workout which was probably spiking up your adrenaline other things your blood sugar was going up. Right? Which I'm assuming felt like a mixed message to you because you were doing something healthy and having an unhealthy response.

Kayla McBride 39:38
Yes, and it would help my blood sugars the rest of the part of the day but that morning was such a struggle.

Scott Benner 39:45
Cool. So you just step back it sounds like to me thought about it and said okay, obviously the the exercise is helping me throughout the day but what could I do right now to stop this one spike? Geez Kayla, you have in the in the In the span of about a year and a half gone from like, a everything sucks to like figuring out like to figuring out all these things. It's an amazing turnaround for you like that you must be jacked up like you have to be walking on Sundays like, Kayla is killing it. And and I don't know if you talk to yourself in the mirror or not. But if you do that, that's what I would say. Okay, so hold on, I found out less tense workouts. Oh, a new a one seagull. You've reached a new agency back in January 2019 5.7. Wow, you said it was unreal to you. I think it's unreal to me too. Stunning. Like, I mean, you started at a nine. And you were and you were like, just looking at the button on your on your on the pocket? Yeah, yeah, I'll just eat. And and now you're looking at you. You went from and now I'll just eat yoga, tai chi, you know, five, seven. You're there like a success story, unlike anything else, except that it's not unlike anything else. Because this is one I hope everyone's listening. One of many, many, many, many emails that follow this path that I have. So the point is, it's really possible for anybody, you know, what genuinely is? Well, congratulations, first of all, that's amazing. What did it feel like? Like, what's it feel like to wake up 18 months later and feel like you're having a completely different life?

Kayla McBride 41:27
It's, it's still surreal that, you know, I'm able to get this control. Because for so long, I just felt like, Oh, you know, some people were able to do that, but not me. But the more I see, the better blood sugar is and the better I feel and the more energy I have. And it just makes me want to do more. So actually, a week ago, I got the intent. So no longer a mile note, just MDX flex pins. And now I'm in pin. And that's been even more of a change and more helpful. So

Scott Benner 42:00
that's amazing. Because yesterday, companion medical, who makes the MSN contacted me about maybe becoming an advertiser on the podcast. That's crazy. I hadn't really heard from them much at all, since they were on, like a long time ago. But did you hear about them on the podcast?

Kayla McBride 42:16
Yes, I did.

Scott Benner 42:18
Okay. All right. I think I think we're finding a tone to our conversation here. This is this is very cool. So now you have you're in you're using a pen. Now that's talking to your Dexcom Data Explorer a little bit to me how it works,

Kayla McBride 42:35
though it doesn't do

on the actual internet itself. It only shows you your blood sugar from blood sugar from three hours ago. So it's not like you can look at your impairment and see your current blood sugars. But whenever you go and enter in, if you're about to eat, or if you need to do correction or anything, then that's when you can go in and do the calculator. And it compares your current blood sugar to what you're about to eat to the carbs you're about to intake. So that's

Scott Benner 43:07
pretty that's pretty out. And it has been really awesome so far. Yeah, it's it's when I you know, it's funny. I had, I had them on originally. Because the gentlemen one of the creators of the pen was a person who started I started knowing them through Dexcom. They were they work at Dexcom. And so I felt comfortable when they wanted to come on because I thought okay, it's a person who knows what they're talking about, like their goal for this for the product. You know, I think it's worth talking to them about it, even though we don't use it. So because it you know, it's a little weird for me if I don't if I haven't used it to talk about it. It's hard for me sometimes. But with that connection, and I knew where it was coming from it made sense to me. It's just so cool to know that it's working for you. And I'm sure others too, but that's just uh, that's really cool. Good for you. Look at this. It's fine. Yeah, it's really been good for you. And tell him what you pay for the podcast. Tell everybody. That's right. It's absolutely 100% Okay, so I went to the jdrf conference last week told as many people as I could about the podcast, thank you. It's helping so many people tackle confidence difficulties. My friend's mom's actually just decided to get a dexcom she was diagnosed type one later in life. She's got a severe fear of lows. told her to listen to the podcast and start target range. Oh, yeah. Like that's excellent. I mean, is there really no better advice but the next column then where to set your range? You know, like, how much it helps you with you want a little bit about other stuff. Very cool. Now, this is about the time I say to you, Kayla, I love getting your emails. And by the way, I emailed you back the same day that time, which just means that somehow Kayla emailed me on the day that I was answering you So just really congratulatory about your path, and stuff like that. Because, you know, honestly, it's, it's phenomenal. I went back and I read through those emails, and I was like, This is absolutely astonishing. And it's why I want to talk about this on the podcast today, at some point in there, over the next couple of days, I forced you to come on the show. I said, would you would you want to come on the podcast? And you said yes. Which is terrific. So now we're sort of through our emails and to, to present day, so to put my email away, because I hate reading long delay this. I'm bad at it, first of all. And I and I just need to ask you, if you were going to, you know, it's so simple to say go find yourself two years ago, or 10 years ago or whatever. But if you if you found somebody today who was in your situation, what do you think you would tell them, like, take the podcast out of it, take everything else out of if I put you in charge of helping that other person, you become me, and somebody else becomes you? What do you what do you say to them?

Kayla McBride 46:10
First of all, I tell them to make sure that everyone around you knows what you're going through, and they can help you in the good times and the bad times that support is going to be everything that I think that would be the cop thing, whether it's you know, joining jdrf

doing, you know, the different breakout groups with that, or

there is an awesome one here in town party like a diabetic and she helps out you know, people that are kind of the middle age he Wendy's and how they can manage the carbs and you know, still go out and have some fun every now and again, but still manage their blood sugars and be smart with their diabetes. So it's the support groups are everything.

Scott Benner 47:00
The idea that it's not all or nothing right, that you don't have to be perfect. Or just give everything away and forget it. Right. Right. There is a there's absolutely a balance. And you might not always I mean, listen, you just your ANC is stunning right now, right? Do you know what it is? Right now? Because you've probably had it done again, since you wrote me last?

Kayla McBride 47:20
And 6.1 was the last one.

Scott Benner 47:22
See, that's great to hear that you were five, seven years? six, one, did you feel any difference between five, seven and six? One?

Kayla McBride 47:28
Not really? No,

Scott Benner 47:29
you shouldn't. Because it's the same thing. And you know what I mean? Like, it's just it's a really great eight one seat. And that's another thing I see people do that I feel badly about. If you if you know, if you have a whatever point seven this time, and next time, it's a point four, you're like, Oh, great, I'm, you know, did better. But if it goes to the point eight next time, I mean, honestly, 6.8 6.4 6.7? What is there really that much of a difference? You know, like, to me what that says is, what I'm doing is working. But there's probably something in there, if I really want to tighten it down, there's probably something in there. I'm missing because I'm moving around a little bit, because I can tell you that Arden say once he just basically doesn't move anymore. You know, it's I tell people it's been between five, two and six, two for the past five years. And it has, but even the five two, I don't know, like what happened there. You know, I mean, like, That was amazing. But she's just generally right at 5556 like it since and the reasoning for that is the tools and using the same tools every day. And so it stands to reason that the outcomes would be the same. You know what I mean? Don't change the tools, the outcomes don't change too much. That's the place you're looking for, like this spot where you just do what you do. And you're okay. And you don't even have to worry about your agency. I don't even think if it wasn't for this podcast. I don't even know if I would even ask anymore. Because I'm that confident it's gonna be right where it is. You know what I mean? Like, it's just if you do the things you're supposed to do, it works. And and there's a there's a great relief in that because then you don't always think like, oh, gosh, am I doing the right thing? You just know, you just this repetitive action? And in my mind, that's planning. Do you know what I mean by that? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Cool. So okay, so support, right? Hundred percent for you. That was the most important thing, some sort of support somebody even and what does that mean, in real life? It doesn't always mean I'm imagining like that. You can go to your mom and be like, hey, everything's terrible. Is it? Is it just enough sometimes to be around a person who you know, understands?

Kayla McBride 49:35
Yes, for sure. My boyfriend RC we've been together for six years. And he is he's the one that I have my dexcom tethered to. And he is just really quick to say, Hey, are you snacking? Hey, are you filling the day? You know, anytime that he sees my blood sugar's being a little crazy. Or when we get home He's like, what happened this morning? You know, just things that He knows that there are other factors that go into it. And he doesn't do the freakout method. But he, you know, he's just really supportive about it. And my sister has been more in tune, and she just became a physical trainer. So she's been learning all the nutrition side of things, and she'll call me with random tips about, have you tried this? You know what, you should do this and see what your blood sugar does. And you know, so she's been really fascinated to learn more as well. So

Scott Benner 50:27
that's excellent. I think that it's it's important that to say to people that when that support you're looking at, like, really listen to what she's saying, like, it's not like they came along, and they were like, Hey, you should change your basal insulin. Like, it's not that specific. It's just like, how are things I saw blah, blah, blah? And then and you don't get defensive about it. You're just like, No, you know, I wasn't, or do you do ever? Like, do you ever hear back from them and think, alright, not today. Shut up.

Unknown Speaker 50:55
So,

Kayla McBride 50:56
before I tethered my Dexcom, to our C's phone and his technology, I had to have a talk with them, like, Look, you're gonna see some crazy blood sugars every now and again. And I kind of said, You can't freak out every time you have to trust me that I know what I'm doing. I mean, I'd like for you to still check in and say, Hey, how's it going, but don't immediately call 911? If, um, you know, have a high for a little bit of time, give me give me a little bit of faith that, give it down? You know?

Scott Benner 51:27
Yeah. That's excellent. Let's see. So you set some parameters and some expectations? Yeah, for sure. Do you follow them? Yeah, sounds like a good guy.

Kayla McBride 51:37
So now every time I get a good a one, say, my parents are like, good job, and RC Good job, too.

Scott Benner 51:44
I don't like RC getting prefer thing. But I mean, it's, that's, that's amazing. It really is a spectacular story, just you know, find one person now what do I do? What do I do if I can't find a person? What do I do if my life does not include people who I'm close to or that understand not to freak out? And that kind of thing? is online another way to go?

Kayla McBride 52:10
Yeah, or I mean, this podcast is a huge connection to Hey, I'm not the only one dealing with this struggle. And here's how other people are overcoming it. And it's been a big outlet for me as well.

Scott Benner 52:24
And you understand, I hope that I asked, because I don't have diabetes. So I don't know what you're talking about right now. What do you mean, like, I don't understand the thing that you're explaining. I mean, I understand that because you're explaining it really well. But I don't, I can't internalize it. Like I can talk more about the management stuff, because I understand it better. The rest of this podcast is just me wondering out loud trying to figure out what to tell my daughter one day. So I mean, seriously, you guys are helping me way more than I'm helping you. But I mean, you're not charging me either. So we're all good. We're just here for free doing a thing together. But it really is different from me. Like, I don't know, your account the conversation you and I are having right now. Besides, it's besides the fact that it's going to be incredibly helpful for the people who are listening. It's going to help me, but not today. It'll help me when my daughter goes to college or you know, when she's an adult, and she needs somebody to talk to but how much do I talk to her like, these conversations are going to be what rings in my head when I'm trying to help her. So I fooled you guys, this is all for me. And you're just it's just lucky that it's working out for you too. Okay, so RC, not named after the soda. I imagine.

Kayla McBride 53:38
We tell people that are like boxy like the cola. I would

Scott Benner 53:40
absolutely tell people that he's part of the RC cola family. And that, you know, he said he's a soda magnate. Maybe, you know, that sort of thing. All right. Well,

Kayla McBride 53:52
of course then they call me moon pie.

Scott Benner 53:54
Hey, wait a minute why Sadia?

Kayla McBride 53:57
If you go to any like, you know, small town here in Tennessee, or just I think in the south, you'll see there's these little country stores and they have RC cola and moon pie. stuff everywhere. So moon pies come Have you ever had a moon pie? Heard of one?

Scott Benner 54:12
I know what it is. I've not had one. Okay.

Kayla McBride 54:13
Okay. So yeah, so they apparently they go good together. I haven't tried it myself. But.

Scott Benner 54:19
So you NRC go well together. So you are moving by? Yeah. I like it. Okay. You guys should steal one of the signs out of one of the stores one time. stealing things isn't good. Nevermind. I shouldn't say that. Are you using the podcast mostly as community at this point, or are we still saying things at times that you're like, ooh, good idea. I'll try that. Yeah.

Kayla McBride 54:45
I really enjoyed it. I think the shade the shade episode you put up recently.

Unknown Speaker 54:53
I loved

Scott Benner 54:55
under the shade bus with Maddie.

Kayla McBride 54:57
Yes, it was awesome. And I love this app. thiness against Medtronic and

Scott Benner 55:04
should be nicer to people and caramel. And stop trying to take everybody's money and give them back stuff that only works. And

Kayla McBride 55:11
I was like, oh, get it

Scott Benner 55:12
much harder. Would you have to try just to do a good job? Think of it that

Unknown Speaker 55:15
Oh, right. True. Very true.

Scott Benner 55:19
Yeah, Maddie was terrific. I really enjoyed her a lot. And you guys are? Yeah, you're not similar in age. Really? I mean, you're, you're a decade out of almost a decade out of college. Right. And she's in college right now. So

Kayla McBride 55:31
yeah, but I still see myself as a lot younger.

Scott Benner 55:35
Do you know? So I want to ask you, we're about 10 minutes left. And so I want to ask you a couple other questions. So you alluded a couple of times in your notes, that your weight was a struggle for you. Yeah, and has, the improvements you've made with your blood sugar's led to any difference or change there that you can see,

Kayla McBride 55:57
I'm not really but I think the confidence that I can do different activities now, now that my blood sugar's are under control. And I can, you know, do harder workouts, and I have a lot more confidence in what my body is able to do. And that helped me feel stronger. So I think my main focus is just to be healthier, and not to focus so much on that number, which is, it's hard. But

Scott Benner 56:23
we can I ask you back when you were diagnosed? Would you have considered your weight? Not where you wanted it, then?

Kayla McBride 56:32
Well, not when I was diagnosed, because I'd lost 40 pounds. But prior to that, I guess.

Um, yeah, my weight has always been an issue.

And I've always felt a little heavier than everybody. But

I figure as long as you're focusing on your health and doing the best you can. And that's, you know, that's still a good thing, for sure.

Scott Benner 56:57
So I'm wondering if any of the sort of, I don't wanna say lessons, but the things that you've learned over the last year or so with your type one, Does any of it translate to that? Or have you not considered it that way yet? Because it's interesting, like, you know, I said before, that the planning aspect of dieting is very similar to the planning aspect of keeping your blood sugar where you want it. And I was wondering if like now that you have found, like, sort of this rhythm with your diabetes, if there was a way to translate some of those ideas, to, you know, your other goals, I guess?

Kayla McBride 57:35
Yeah, I think it made me more confident to try different things. And because I have found that rhythm with my diabetes, it's not as big a struggle to add on other things, like trying a different diet or trying, you know, a different routine is not as complicated or overwhelming, because I know that I can do my diabetes. Well, now,

Scott Benner 58:02
see, that's really interesting, isn't it to that, when you're having multiple struggles on multiple fronts, the, it really just feels hopeless. You know, and so now you found hope in one spot, and it makes you feel like, okay, that doesn't need as much focus, I can shift some of the energy I have left and some of the focus I have left to this other place. Right. And it's huge, because you're an adult, you're going to work, you know, you mean, like you get up and like thinking about your life, you go to work, you have diabetes, but you'd like to, you know, exercise and do things like that. Rc is taking up your time I can hear it. And, and and you know, you've got a relationship with your sister relationship with your parents, you know, all these different things. And they're only 24 hours a day, and you're asleep rate of them. So you know what I mean? I've 16 hours to accomplish all those things. Eight of them, I'm working now I'm down to eight left. I'm tired, I have to make myself dinner. And they're like, Where is the time to tackle a new thing? Because you can't ignore the diabetes completely. Right? You're always with that.

Unknown Speaker 59:05
Right?

Scott Benner 59:07
It's very, it's it's important to get the diabetes thing, that piece in check. So that it it creates more space for you in other places.

Kayla McBride 59:17
Yeah, it's so much less of a burden when you actually feel like you know what you're handling

Scott Benner 59:23
and it is completely completely understandable when you don't have those tools. So you know, when you take yourself back 10 years ago to two it's completely understandable that you wouldn't have anything left for anything else that just the the struggling with diabetes, and then feeling bad about it. And then like you said to being tired, worn down. I'm sure you were probably foggy and didn't realize that you said you know, I wish I wonder what it would have been like to go to college, you know, with blood sugar's that were more stable. You really there's nothing left. And then and then and then every three months you go to a doctor, you're like you have to help me and they're like, Yeah, do better. Huh, Wow, thank you. Appreciate it. I didn't, I didn't think of that. Well, thank God, you're here. Oh my gosh, what a horrible merry go round. If you easily could get caught on it. Yeah, that's terrible. It really is. I'm very happy to say

Kayla McBride 1:00:20
that I have a much better endocrinologist now, and I got them midway through college, and it's at Vanderbilt. So they're, you know, one of the top diabetes places around here. And they're very encouraging anything new that I throw at them? They say, yeah, let's try it. And, you know, so that made a huge difference.

Scott Benner 1:00:43
That's excellent. And so what you're saying is you you at some point said to them, Hey, I found a podcast, I'm gonna try some other stuff now. And they were supportive of it. Yeah. What was the try to think the question here? What kind of reaction did you get in the office? When you had such a drastic decrease? In a one say, like, do they just act like? I like I'm interested now, like, what happens to a person with a nine who comes in suddenly with a seven? Do you remember?

Kayla McBride 1:01:17
The nurse practitioner? She immediately was like, Are you having a lot of lows? You know, what's going on? How are you feeling? And I was like, Well, let me give you my, my dexcom data through the clarity app. And you can see how I've been doing. She was like, Oh, you know, just seeing how much more of a control that did have. And it wasn't just roller coaster.

Scott Benner 1:01:42
So that was it like that? It's the first thought, because how could someone go from a nine to a seven and three months, they must have had a bunch of lows. And now this number is just not accurate. And in their variability is off now once they look at the data and the data is proves to them? Hey, you really have like a legit seven? Like, what's that moment? Do you remember that moment? Because it's, I would think I'd be incredulous if I was a doctor, I just be like, What do I say? Like? Like, do I start thinking? Did I say something in the last appointment that made a two point change? Or a one see, like, Where did the conversation go? Do you recall?

Kayla McBride 1:02:17
Well, um, I told them that really, the big difference was having the decks calm and knowing what's going to happen and be able to prevent if anything goes is going to go crazy, up or down.

And

I think that was really just the the big point where they said, Okay, well, I guess we need to, I think they didn't know as much about the Dexcom as they wanted to. And so it kind of gave them an opportunity to learn as well. I did mention, you know, I listened to the Juicebox Podcast, and he really teaches us to be bold with our insulin. And so I kind of took that and ran with it. And you could tell they were a little hesitant. Just because I had been running higher, and now I'm running, you know, where I'm supposed to. They're just, again, it's that fear of, you know, let's make sure she's doing this in a healthy way.

Scott Benner 1:03:15
And so now you roll in later, with your five your fancy five day onesies, whatever. Do you just like, do you just float through the office now? Like, are you like the star person? Do you just like Hello, everyone, it's me. I am here again. So you can test my blood sugar. I will show you my five whatever a one c you'll send me your prescriptions and we'll leave like is it more of like a parade of Kayleigh going through the halls? Like Hello, everybody. Like, have you become famous there? What what what happens? Like what happens when you make that next leap? like are they just like, Okay, well, you don't need us anymore? Or what's the vibe?

Kayla McBride 1:03:50
They just are really encouraging. Thank you. No, this is incredible. You're doing an amazing job. And actually, my endocrinologist said, if you don't want to come back for six months, we can do that. And so that really felt good that he trusts me more with my care. And so I went back the next three months, and it was 6.2 or 6.1. Um, and then. And after that I made the call to go back every six months just because

Unknown Speaker 1:04:21
it's Well, yeah, yeah.

Kayla McBride 1:04:23
So that's the first one. Um, I didn't even know that was an option.

Scott Benner 1:04:27
How much is your copay? Do you know? I'm 5050. So yeah, we've cut out two visits a year at $50 apiece. Not only is this podcast free, it has made you $100 more. That's going to be the new thing. I tell people the podcast can make you money, right? It's a pyramid scheme with your copay something I'll figure out the details later. Now seriously, I can't tell you really. I always shudder to say that I'm proud of somebody because we don't know each other and it's reductive for me to tell you I'm proud of you. Cuz you don't need me to be proud of you. And it's not my place to be proud of you. But I'm incredibly proud of you. So I'm saying it anyway. I just really, oh my God, you're so well, it's, it's just, it's everything that I tried to tell people on the podcast, it just came true for you, you're in a me like, it's so doable with these little ideas. And and they really aren't. I mean, honestly, today, the amount of effort or worry that goes into your diabetes today versus two years ago. Describe the difference between those two.

Kayla McBride 1:05:38
I, I worry about it a lot less, and I have more of a routine with it. And I don't know, it just makes every day a lot simpler. It's not like this cloud looming over. It's more of like a Okay, let's do it. Let's tackle it.

Scott Benner 1:05:53
And what do you do on the days when it seems like too much? How do you Where do you go back to like, like, to start over again.

Kayla McBride 1:06:01
So there are still those days, and I have to, you know, take time for myself. So I'm RC leaves for work really early. So I use that time in the morning to work out and do my yoga and kind of had that time to reset for the day. And, um, you know, make sure I'm going to make good food choices during the day. And it's just kind of my mindset moment.

Scott Benner 1:06:23
Nice. That's excellent. Um, yoga, did you teach it to yourself? Did you go to a class? How did you figure it out?

Kayla McBride 1:06:28
No. So, um, when I worked at a music venue, back in the day, I did events for them. They had free yoga classes every Saturday. And so I did a few of those and found out that I really loved it. And I was a lot more flexible than I thought I was and, and so when I kind of got out on my own, I found that there was yoga with Adrian. It's like a free youtube channel. And it is awesome. And I mean, she puts up videos every week. And so you can follow along with that. And so I've kind of been doing that. And I've got her, she has her own app now. So you can follow videos on there, too. So

Scott Benner 1:07:10
that's so cool. And so I think what we're all learning right now, listening to you, is that you're proactive, right? Like you, you're just you. I mean, somebody offered a free yoga class on a Saturday, you're like, I'll try that. And yeah, like that. Sometimes that's all it takes is just a little like, oh, let me say, you know, like, me throw myself into that and see what happens. And if the yoga doesn't end up being it, then it's something else you keep moving. I mean, honestly, it really is like the the overarching theme of your story is that you just tried things like you try that Dexcom all the way back then. And just you said you were out of control, then it was overwhelming. But you tried it. You don't I mean, you easily could have just ignored it and thought no, not I won't you tried, you know, giving your boyfriend access to your data. And if it didn't work out, you could have just taken it back again. But at least you tried. Right? You know, it's excellent. I'm so excited for you. I really am over at the end here. And it feels like I should just tell you how excited I am for you. But yeah, I think that would be unnecessary. So I just want to ask you if there's anything that we didn't talk about that you were hoping to?

Kayla McBride 1:08:18
Well, I guess I was um, with Arden if she if she had junior or still sophomore what you're actually going to be up

Scott Benner 1:08:27
so she's a rising sophomore. So when she goes back when she goes back to school a month or social, she'll be in her second year of high school.

Kayla McBride 1:08:33
Okay, are you preparing her for what college is? how you handle it with college? And have you thought about that yet?

Scott Benner 1:08:41
I think Thank you get you Kayla bringing the table here for the podcast. Okay, hold on a second, Kayla, we're not done yet. Um, I think about this a lot. And, you know, I find that it's situational. And that there are these little incremental movements, like you know, how I thought about getting art in from elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school and all these little steps, right? Right now is a super interesting time. Because by the time Arden is in college or leaving for college, there will be multiple options for closed loop systems. Right? multiple, multiple options. And how much is that going to change things? Is, is what she needs to know going to be wildly different than than it is now? And I think the truth is, I think yes. And I also believe that closed loop systems are not as perfect as we're all hoping, you know, they mean like, they're not just going to it's not going to be this magical thing that you slap on your blood sugar just goes to 85 and stays there forever. It's not that right. But so I think that understanding how to manipulate the algorithm to Do what you want it to do, and to know when to leave it alone so that it can do what it wants to do. I think that's going to be the way of thinking about diabetes. For people who are using those systems. So much like the podcast is full of these like little like tools or you know, that that lead to your a one se and Arden's agency now, and everyone else listening, I believe there are going to be tools to, to that space, too. And I am currently trying very hard to figure out that so that I can talk about it with you guys. And so that I can pass it on to Arden, the things that artists are really going to need help with are the responsibility factors, you know, because right now we're doing this thing together. And so what do you do when someone's not with you all the time? You know, like when one thing we've really accomplished for art, and I think is that she doesn't really, like you talked about diabetes being like a smaller part of your day. It is such an incredibly small part of Arden's life, that it's possible, not that it's too small, but that it's that she just doesn't really understand the full impact of it some days, you know, I mean, because there's times that people step in and say something to her, or we get together and think oh, you know, look what happened here. I think that's the part like that's going to be the most difficult part is the transition from, I'm doing it with somebody to I'm doing it on my own. And I also wonder if it's really necessary, if it won't just find its way naturally, because it's not like what she and I are doing right now. can't continue to some degree or whatever degree she's comfortable with in college. Yeah, you know, like I would, this is not a brag, but I am at the point now, where if you just gave me your data, I could probably manage your diabetes, and I don't know you, it would take me a couple of hours to figure it out. And we'd be okay. And so I've done it remotely with other people, there are people listening right now who are like, oh, Scott followed my kids blood sugars for weeks. It's not something that I talked about a lot, because I don't have the bandwidth to do it for everybody who I imagined would want to do it. There have been some people who have had very significant cases. And I've been like, Okay, let me take a look. And I help them bump things around a little bit. But I can I can Bolus remotely like I have this thing. I don't know, at this point, I can kind of close my eyes and imagine what's going on. Like I sort of know what to do. And so I could keep doing that with her. I don't imagine she would want that. To me, like I'm trying to put myself in the space of a 19 year old art in the off at school. Like I don't know that she would want that. Maybe she would or maybe she'd want some version of it. So I don't know, I think we adjust as we go. We that's what we've been doing this whole time just making any small adjustments to how we handle things. And we course correct a lot. So I don't think it's going to be any different than that. But you might know better than me, you know, what would you? What would you want? If you if you had the opportunity for me to help you in college? Would you want that? Or would you not?

Kayla McBride 1:13:05
Um, to an extent, but I also want to know that I can handle it. And that, I mean, when I was in college, I didn't really share with anyone that I had type one. And I would hide my Omni pod. And so it was kind of a different mindset for me at the time. But I think for at an extent I do wish I've had some help. But I also wanted to know that I can handle it. And you know, what, if I decide to take a weekend trip with some girlfriends, then I can

know that I can handle myself and you know,

Scott Benner 1:13:42
yeah, it's it's so I have the perspective of a lot of different people. Because of this podcast again, it helps me way more than it helps you guys. I hope everybody knows that. But you know, there's a, I don't know, I don't know, I'm not I don't wanna give people's details away. But there's a junior in college somewhere in this country who I speak with on the regular. And they're having trouble right now with their basal rates. And they're waiting to talk about them with a parent. But this person's now going through a lot of lows. And a part of me wants to say to them, like you know what to do, like, you should just do it, you know, like, you don't need to go talk to your mom or dad first. But I know they know. And I know they'll get to that point at some at some point, but that they're on their path. You know what I mean? Like their process is taking the time that it's taking. Right? And so I get to see that person's experience. And I get to talk to a person who's 35 who has the luxury of looking back and saying I wish my parents were more involved. One of the things that sticks with me from one of the shows is that someone said I constantly was pushing my parents away, but I wish they would have stayed more involved. Like so that's like a parenting thing to me, right like what what happens when they Kid tells you, I don't need you. But you know they do.

Kayla McBride 1:15:02
Right when I was back to an extent as well,

Scott Benner 1:15:05
you know, so I see that part of it from those stories. And, you know, you see the stories of the people who are, you know, as you know, as having small problems with their eyes, or retinopathy or trigger finger and all the way up to people who have needed kidneys. And, and when I listen to their stories over and over again, if they started with diabetes at a younger age, they all have similar backgrounds of parents who were like, you'll be fine. Like, you know what you're doing, and they didn't, they all know that, like, in the back of their mind, they didn't know what they were doing. But to tell their parents No, no, I don't know what I'm doing felt like a letdown to the parents. So they sort of didn't say anything. So there's a balance between positivity and reality. Right? Like, like, it's nice to say you go get them killer, you can do it. But if they can't really do it, that's not a great message. Right? Right. So then, then the message needs to shift to I believe in you, I can help you. So I'll support you here. And I think you can put it into practice. And to be honest, I don't know who of all those people aren't going to be. So I just have to sort of stay fluid and wait for it to show itself and then keep adjusting. I don't really see parenting much differently than I see blood sugar's honestly, if that makes any sense at all. No. Now if I dropped that, she's she's screwed. I'm just kidding. No, but but I think I honestly there are times that I think like, what if I just like, you know, what if I did die, like, what would she do? And my, it's funny, the best thing that I can find myself hoping for is that she goes back to Episode One of this podcast and listened through it more because it works for other people. I think it would work for her too. So that's my backup plan. In the my backup plan is that if I don't find a way to be a decent parent through the transition, that maybe everyone else's stories will help her. I don't know. I feel like I've got my bases covered here. But maybe I don't

Kayla McBride 1:17:08
know. I hope she knows how lucky she is to have you and have you so in tune with her, you know, everyday struggle and whether it's good or bad, you know, you're very in tune and that's really awesome to have.

Scott Benner 1:17:22
She's my moon pie. Is that what you're saying?

Unknown Speaker 1:17:24
Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:17:26
What? What do you think about naming this episode? shambu can't cook.

Kayla McBride 1:17:32
Hey, you know that that works.

Scott Benner 1:17:36
All I thought in the back of my head for 35 minutes. Can I get away with calling this episode shambu? can't cook or am I the only person who thinks that's funny? I can't tell. I don't know. But what's something about Tennessee that I that I like Tennessee. What do we call this one? Can I call it the Great Smoky Mountains? Like what's the what's the thing? Hello, you don't have any idea? See?

Kayla McBride 1:18:03
Listen Music City.

Scott Benner 1:18:04
For all you people who give me trouble about what the podcast but it's not easy to come up with a title of a podcast episode. See, just like Kayla was like I asked her something about the place where she grew up and she's like, uh, see, I when I get the call whenever I want it shambu can't cook that's enough.

Kayla McBride 1:18:20
Well, Tennessee such a long state. It's almost like it's three different regions in three different states in one so like you have the Great Smoky Mountains to the east. And then you the middle is kind of known for Nashville Music City and then the West is Memphis and you know, it's a long flat state.

Unknown Speaker 1:18:38
Yeah. A lot going on. And that's

Scott Benner 1:18:40
not a good episode title long. That's not gonna work. All right, Kayla, I'm gonna say goodbye. Okay. Thank you so much for doing this.

Unknown Speaker 1:18:49
Thank you.

Scott Benner 1:18:52
I want to thank Kayla for coming on the show and sharing her story with all of us. And while I'm at it, I want to thank the Contour Next One blood glucose meter and touched by type one. It's possible you'll be eligible for a free meter, go to Contour Next one.com to find out and of course, support or witness what touched by type one is doing at touched by type one.org.

The tools that Kayla spoke about in the show are part of the Juicebox Podcast. There's a series actually called diabetes pro tip. It begins at Episode 210. And they run not concurrently throughout the show, so some people have trouble finding them. Because of that, I launched a website, diabetes pro tip.com no s at the end, diabetes pro tip.com. If you're interested in seeing them all collected in one place, go there and check them out. But then of course you can listen right through your podcast player. You don't have to listen online, but you can. And if you're somebody who's been helped by those tips in the past, feel free as a matter of I feel more than free to share diabetes pro tip.com with a friend