#425 Wine, Beans, Babies and Q
Dr. Q to the Rescue!
Jill was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as an adult. She is delightful and this story is crazy.
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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
Friends Hello, should I welcome you to Episode 425? Should I say this is the beginning of season seven? Or should I wish you a Happy 2021? Yeah, who cares? This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod Dexcom and touched by type one. Find out more about the sponsors at Juicebox Podcast comm we're right there in the show notes of your podcast player. And of course, you can always type my omnipod.com forward slash juice box dexcom.com forward slash juice box or touched by type one.org in any browser that you have at your fingertips.
I've taken a couple of weeks off to celebrate the holiday with my family. And I'm back at it. You might not have noticed, because you know, I made sure that the podcast kept coming. But I am refreshed. I'm enthusiastic. I am happy to be out of 2020. And I have for you today an absolutely astounding story from a type one named Jill. You're going to love it. It's got intrigue and twists and turns. There's babies and odd diagnoses. There's even wine.
Jill 1:41
I never wear headphones. I feel like I'm yelling right now. Like, am I talking loud? Am I talking quiet?
Scott Benner 1:47
You're perfect. Just do what you're doing? Do you feel like you can hear your own voice? Or no,
Jill 1:53
I'm wearing like noise cancelling headphones. That's all we had. So it just feels like I don't know what my volume is. But if you say it's fine, then I'll just keep on going.
Scott Benner 2:02
We're terrific. Sounds great. Don't think about anything, we're gonna start right away. I'm super excited to talk to you tell people your name.
Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making changes to your health care plan. or becoming bold with insulin. We're gonna do a little thing here in 2021, kind of a book club I'm going to tell you about at the end of the episode, but basically, if you go, I don't want to give it all away here. But we're gonna go over the pro tip episodes and then have live chats about them if you'd like to be involved. There. That was a simple way of saying it. Let's listen to this. And I'll tell you about that.
Jill 2:53
My name is Jill Woodruff.
Scott Benner 2:56
Good, perfect. And Jill has such a great story. Like it's fascinating. This is gonna be early, mid 2019. You and I mean, is that right? Yep. Okay, tell people what happened to you.
Jill 3:12
Um, so I was sick for a little while, but I didn't really know I was sick. And then in January,
Unknown Speaker 3:21
I
Jill 3:22
went to urgent care for a yeast infection. And I was like, why do I have a yeast infection? I haven't had that since I was, you know, very young. And I don't know why I would have that. You know, so I I went to urgent care. And they did a pee test. In the pee test. Of course, the urgent care doctor came back and was like, you have a lot of sugar in your pee. And I was like, Okay, I don't know what that means. You should
Scott Benner 3:45
have said of course I do. I'm baking bread and my vagina.
Jill 3:48
Right. I was like, Okay, well, great. Like I'm it's super uncomfortable. Can we just get this over with?
Unknown Speaker 3:54
Yeah, yeah. The fun conversation, Joe.
Jill 3:58
Yeah, he just wanted to run some tests. I'm like, okay, so he goes, and then he comes back and just was like, you know, dropped. It was just like, yeah, you're, you're diabetic. And that was just like, totally out of left field. Because I just went in for something. I thought was just like, another simp. You know, like a woman thing. Just simple. Give me the antibiotics. So we can be done with this. And ended up being like a whole whole thing. Yeah, no
Scott Benner 4:22
kidding. So then do you go right to your primary care doctor, or what do you do then?
Jill 4:27
So I'm really irresponsible. I'm gonna say it's because I'm a millennial, but maybe that's not it. So at the time, I had just turned 30 like two weeks prior. And I feel like I just didn't have like a primary care doctor. I always had Kaiser Permanente, whatever they were before, I can't remember the name, but I always had that kind of doctor. We just kind of go in if you had something, you would see whoever was available. So I didn't have anyone that I had established care with. So I just had an urgent care doctor, I didn't ever really have a real doctor air quotes, right?
Scott Benner 5:05
Because whoever came out from behind the curtain when you were there,
Jill 5:07
yeah. And I didn't really have any health issues before. So I just went in when I had the flu, or you know, for little things, but I didn't have a regular doctor. So this stranger kind of dropped the ball on me. And I was like, Oh, this is why grown up. Like having like an a primary care physician that they know in case something happens,
Scott Benner 5:28
the tiniest bit of like, I know this person while they're telling you things. Well, you know, last week, I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder. And I didn't go to my doctor, I went to a urgent care too, because all I really wanted was like a muscle relaxer, because I was like, my shoulder was spasming. And I was like, I just need this to stop. Yeah, I would have called my doctor, he would have been like, yeah, we can see you in like, maybe 10 days. And you know, it's like, right,
Jill 5:52
it's a whole thing.
Scott Benner 5:54
I can drive up the street, there's a man with a prescription pad and the whole thing's legal. So yep. Now, so, okay, well, you have what was your understanding of diabetes, leaving urgent care?
Jill 6:07
Oh, no, no understanding. So, um, I do want to be clear, like, I'm not blaming my doctors, because now I do kind of understand. You know, like, not everybody's a specialist in diabetes. When I went in, my understanding was, you're a professional, you went to college, you should be giving me obviously, all the information about what you've just told me. I left in total shock. I was like, Okay, I have no idea what to do. He told me to make an appointment with a primary care physician to follow up, and I'm like, okay, I don't have one of those. So I guess I'll just pick someone on this list at this facility. Here wrote me a prescription for Metformin. They had just, they had diagnosed me as type two because of my age. And wrote me a prescription for the Lancet and like the finger prick or whatever. And that's kind of it. I didn't have any information about what to do with any of it. I remember I went to Target to fill my prescription in a total days, because I was like, What is happening? Like, what am I even going to do with this? And I remember, the pharmacist was asking me like, which, I'm sorry, what's the fingerprick are called,
Scott Benner 7:27
like the lance.
Jill 7:29
The Lance is out, as I call it, a finger picker
Unknown Speaker 7:32
was very sophisticated.
Scott Benner 7:33
You know what it is, when you're reaching for it? I think you're fine.
Jill 7:37
You know, there's different brands. And I remember the pharmacist asked me like, which, which brand was it that the doctor needed you to get? And I was like, I just looked at her. I was like, I don't know, what did what does the prescription? I have no idea. I know as much. I know, way less than you. Right? I was just so frustrated. And I just came home and I was like, What do I even do with any of this? I don't know. I don't even know how to prick my finger like am I supposed to? I had no information at all. So that was really frustrating. I ended up YouTubing. How to do it. Wow. It was just so dramatic. Because also like, I don't like pain. I've never I'm not like a tough cookie about anything. You know, if I am hurting, I'm hurting. And so even just a simple thing, like pricking my finger was just a whole ordeal. I remember hours in the kitchen, pacing back and forth, and now like cracks me up, because it's like nothing, but I remember just like, holding my breath before I would, you know, stick my stick my little finger and get the blood out. And there was just this whole 30 year old woman and I remember just feeling so embarrassed that it was so hard.
Scott Benner 8:51
Oh my god, I so far. All I can think of is that everything I've thought to call this episode is too wordy. But Joe can't pick a prick was one of them. You know, Joe's cookie isn't tough, you know? Or, you know, and you didn't even tell us if he gave you medicine for the yeast infection, which I'm still wondering about I don't even know why. Just like what about the vagina? Is that thing okay to like, What's going on there? Did you Did he at least give you something for that?
Jill 9:20
So apparently, yes. Apparently that was like not a big problem. But apparently he said that. Because of all the sugar. Obviously like that can trigger a yeast infection. I told you like I'm, I was so confused that I even had it in the first place. Like I think I've had one maybe once in my youth. And that's it. I was like, What is happening? Why do I have this and it was an aggressive yeast infection. It was horrible.
Scott Benner 9:45
Joe had an aggressive yeast infection.
Jill 9:48
That'll get everybody to listen. But apparently that's a common thing that happens if you have undiagnosed diabetes, you know, you have a lot of people sugar in your blood. And that's it. I don't know, it's all connected with the yeast nonsense. So it was just not a
Unknown Speaker 10:06
not an ideal situation at all. So you're
Scott Benner 10:09
a person who, you know has been healthy thus far, you're you're probably getting into that like really like space where you're like, I'm 30, nothing's ever gonna go wrong with me, I'll never even need a doctor. And then suddenly, somebody is telling you, and I don't even want to say half of what you need to know. They're, they're basically just yelling words at you. So there's no direction long. Here's Metformin. Here's the thing to test your blood sugar with. You have diabetes. See you later.
Jill 10:35
Yeah, and I mean, I also to give more context, no one in my family has diabetes. I know, nobody who has diabetes. So I my understanding of diabetes at that point was, this is something that you get when you are overweight. And that's it, and I'm not overweight, you know, I was I'm five, two, I was 140. Maybe when I went in, which is, you know, five, like average. It just didn't make sense, you know, a why I had it be what I was even supposed to do going forward. And every single doctor that I met after that, because I met many primary care physicians, quote, unquote, who were all like, Oh, wow. But you're not like overweight? You know? Oh, wow.
Unknown Speaker 11:25
How'd you get?
Jill 11:26
Like, why are you asking me that? You're my doctor, you know, was extremely frustrating.
Scott Benner 11:31
You live in the middle of a desert? Like, or where are you like, near civilization? Where do you know?
Jill 11:37
Yeah, I live 30 minutes from Seattle. In the city. I mean, I guess, maybe a little more country than city, but it's I live by a lot of stuff.
Scott Benner 11:48
The expectation that every doctor you bump into, should have no idea what diabetes is.
Jill 11:54
And I just feel like because they thought I was type two. Maybe they have like a very limited understanding of diabetes, like, Oh, it's this epidemic or not? Yeah, epidemic that we see across the country. It's a big deal. I'm sure everybody gets some kind of type two training. But it was just very general, you know, any information that I got? And everything that I had to learn how to do from finger pricking, to inserting my first freestyle Libra, everything I had to YouTube, everything. Nobody showed me how to.
Unknown Speaker 12:34
That's crazy.
Jill 12:35
Absolutely do anything at all. And so I still am a teeny tiny bit bitter about that.
Scott Benner 12:41
Don't worry, we can get it out here. Well, I, I really have to say like, enough people have said it to me over the years, that I'm not stunned when the doctor doesn't get it. But I still am a little like, I try to think about like, what if you went to urgent care and urgent care said, Hey, you have leukemia, and then you walked into a doctor's office said, Hey, Urgent Care says I have leukemia, and the doctor said, That's weird. You're not a blonde. Like, like, what? Like, is that your assessment pattern? Like? Is this what they taught you in school? Like? Yes. Oh, it's fascinating. It really is. Okay, so you had to go to n number of doctors to find one.
Jill 13:23
Yeah, because everyone was just kind of confused. And I don't really know. It kind of is a blur. It was like all a lot of information. I was told to go to a nutritionist right away. I saw two different doctors like mainly, and they kind of were, I think tag teaming with information. Like, I would see one and she was great. And she was super sweet. She reassured me we're gonna figure this out. But she also was like, I have no idea. Like, where to even start with you. I don't know why you're a type two diabetic. It doesn't make sense. You're taking the Metformin and nothing is happening. You know, I was finger sticking like every What do they tell you like three times a day or something? And every time I did it, it was like 300 300 300. And they were like, yeah, we don't know. But you know, don't worry, just keep like eating you need to eat well, and like go to your nutritionist. And I was just so frustrated. Because when I would go on the internet to Google anything, which you should never do when you're sick with anything. You know, everything on the internet says if your blood sugar is higher than 300, you go to the emergency room, like right away. That's that's a problem. And I didn't understand why every doctor would look at my numbers it would be like well, yeah, like just just go home. Like just see if it gets better. Like you just need to eat better. And I am a pretty healthy eater. Um, so I was also frustrated with that because I thought what else can I cut out of my diet? Okay, sugar. Fine. I guess I Don't eat bread anymore. Fine. I was cracking up. Britt like remembering this with my husband because I told him, you know, we're eating all these Christmas cookies just recently. And he was like you remember when you were afraid to eat anything with sugar because I literally would have like a panic attack. If I was brave enough to have like a teeny tiny piece of sugar at this time, the second it went into my body. I just I got so hot, I got super anxious. I just I was like, Oh my gosh, I cannot ever have sugar because I just felt so scared. I didn't understand why every time I would go to the doctor, they'd send me back with no information, just eat better. Yeah. You know, it was just nothing made sense. And I think that was that was like the biggest frustration.
Scott Benner 15:45
Why have a day where I can that I went through that I think I've grown up on here. So I'll I'll go through it quickly. But one day, I had to go to the dentist. And I showed up at the dentist's office and asked to use the bathroom before we started. Then halfway through the procedure. I was like, Can we stop for a second? I have to go to the bathroom. And then so I peed like three times in the in like 90 minutes at the dentist's office. So the dentist grabs me on the way out and says, Hey, I'm concerned, you might have type two diabetes. Now I'm like, it ended up being if you've been listening to the podcast that my iron was really low, and my body was all out of whack and everything but so. But for a day until I could get a doctor's appointment. I thought I might have type two diabetes because somebody said it to me. And I experienced exactly what you're talking about. I couldn't bring myself to eat food because everything felt super scary. Like I can't eat I just didn't eat anything. I just stood there for a day waiting to go to a doctor's appointment.
Jill 16:42
Yep, so that's it. I mean, it's just like this totally crippling food anxiety, of eating at all. I mean, I ate like a bear. That's what you know, my husband was like, remember, when you wouldn't eat any sugar? Like you were just eating like a bear? I would eat nuts and berries. And that's it. Because that's all the all these things on Pinterest. If you look up type two, you know, diets or whatever, say, Oh, you know, like, why would you have to eat berries, number one, like they have so much sugar, but I just ate nothing. I just ate little things here and there. My nutritionist was fine. But you know, another frustration was doctors and the nutritionist all made comments about my ethnicity. I'm Latina. And everybody was like, trying to figure out an answer. And everybody had to say, Oh, well, you know, some ethnicities are more prone to type two, it's probably in your cultural diet. And I heard that so many times, I was like, so irritated because what is my cultural diet? Number one, you'd have not asked me what I eat. Nobody asked me what I eat. Nobody asked me specifically like what my nationality, you know, that I identified with was so bright. I think what was happening was a lot of people were assuming I was Mexican. And I was eating like beans and like what you would get at the Mexican restaurants, you know, and I can only assume that just because of how many people said it in a row. And I was like, what are what are people thinking? But
Scott Benner 18:11
where? Where are you? Where's your family from?
Jill 18:14
My family's from Peru? Okay. All right. Um, and I don't know, I mean, I grew up here. So I don't know that my cultural diet, you know, was really an impact. Just
Scott Benner 18:24
imagine that the doctors in the other room going, Hey, Charo in there probably eats a lot of beans, don't you?
Jill 18:29
Right? Yeah, that's how I felt. I was just like, hmm, I'm not sure where these assumptions are coming from, but because they are professionals. I never said anything. I never brought anything up. I was just like, okay, I believe you when you say that. Certain ethnicities are probably prone to type two. That makes sense to me, whatever. But it wasn't until after that I had time to kind of mold stuff over that. I was like, Huh, well, there's no way they didn't ask me specifically, like what's in your diet?
Scott Benner 18:55
She probably just eats rice and avocados all day? I don't know. It's what I saw at the Mexican restaurant that one time? No, your story is just the first quarter of it here is fantastic. Because this is what I'm trying to tell people all the time. You can't just sit there and nod at your doctor and go Okay, okay. Okay. Okay, and just do whatever they say. Not that you shouldn't listen to them. I'm not saying that. But you have to make sure you have a good one before you start listening. Right. And that's just such a big part of diabetes. It's, it's not uncommon for people to be in the situation that you talked about, and you were just at a real disadvantage, because in all honesty, if your mom and dad didn't send you on your way already knowing who your doctor was, and you just didn't get sick. You were basically a 15 year old in that office that day. Yeah. Right, because it's the story. It reads just like what if I would have sent a 15 year old into a doctor's office to be told they had something that they didn't know about? And On top of that, your blood sugar is over 300 all the time. So you're probably whacked out of your skull, you know, it's probably you're probably like, did you notice a clearing of your mind when your blood sugar finally came down?
Jill 20:13
I think honestly, and I don't know enough about type one. I haven't listened to enough of the podcasts, especially with Jenny. Because I know she has a lot of, I don't know, just like different medical expertise, right? Every time I listen, I'm always like, wow, I need to write all this down. But I don't know enough about it to know how fast a person can become type one, I think that I was. My, my body was probably like, shutting down for a couple years before is what I'm thinking. Because I had a lot of things slowly kind of going wrong.
Unknown Speaker 20:53
Okay,
Jill 20:54
I peed a lot for a while. Like, it wasn't suddenly it was like, two or three years where I was like, Wow, my kidneys just suck. So I feel like I don't know how long my blood sugar was at 300 for for, you know, maybe years and like, I just got used to it. You know, I didn't notice that my mind was foggy. I didn't. I don't feel I mean, maybe now I would. But I didn't feel gross at 300 I felt gross when I was at 90. You know,
Scott Benner 21:22
you're high for a really long time, then.
Jill 21:24
Yeah. And that's what I think like, I don't even know like when, when it started, you know, I think it was a really long descent for me, like a couple years. And then suddenly it came on quickly, like at the end with that yeast infection. But we really think it was a long time coming.
Scott Benner 21:40
your entire life shifted in the last 18 months, two years in a number of different segments. But yeah, so you beat yourself. Yeah, you became an adult about your health. Right away. You were like, Okay, this is happening. And other things happen to which I can't wait to tell people about, but I like that you're stringing it out like this. I feel like you're a good storyteller. This is excellent. really seriously, like when you didn't say the other thing? I was like Jill's good at this. It's time isn't it? to take care of yourself to do the things you know you need? Absolutely, it is. Why don't you go right now to my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box and have Omni pod send you out a free, no obligation demo of the Omni pod to listen. So on top, it'll take you just a couple of brief moments to fill out what they need to know. And before you know it right there in your mailbox will be an omni pod. It's one it's non functioning right? So it's not dangerous. It's just so that you can wear it and feel it. See what it would be like take a shower, go for a walk. Live your life with an omni pod. To see what life with an omni pod may be like, it's incredibly easy to do. It's free. Again, there's no obligation, you might as well try my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box. There's links right there in the show notes of your podcast player. We're at Juicebox Podcast comm if you can't remember them, but I'll probably say them enough that it will stick in your head. And eventually you'll be sending me an email that sounds like this. Oh my god, Scott fine. I tried the Omni pod demo. And it was terrific. And I use it now I get a lot of those emails, yours can be next. So if you're looking to get away from multiple daily injections, or you don't want a pump with that tubing on it, try it on the pod. This is a perfect way to see what you think my omnipod.com forward slash juice box. There are two ways to have diabetes. One is where you can't see what your blood sugar's doing. And in the other way, you're wearing a Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor. And you can see everything, speed, direction and number in real time, right on your cell phone, that's Android or iPhone, or there's a little receiver like say you're one of the three people that don't have a cell phone, you just get a little receiver, it's fine. No matter what you need to see your numbers on Dexcom will have you covered and covered in a way that you can imagine opening you up to being able to make decisions about insulin and food that takes away the stress and anxiety that using insulin can bring whether you have type one or type two diabetes, the Dexcom g six is for you, in my opinion, head over now dexcom.com forward slash juicebox start picking through. See if you would like to learn more. There's a forum down there if you would like to just tell them a little bit about yourself what kind of diabetes you have, what kind of insurance and the next thing you know, you're on your way. And if you have Medicaid, or you're a United States veteran using the VA for your insurance, I think you might be very happy. With what you find out, and you can start getting those Dexcom alerts when you want them. What do I mean by that? How would you like to know when your blood sugar dips below? 85? I don't know, how would you like to know when it dips below 70 whatever you prefer, that's where you set the alert. Want to know if your blood sugar is rising, so you can use more insulin? do that to my daughter's high alarm is set at 120 yours could be somewhere else, whatever works for you, is what's right dexcom.com forward slash juice box. My Omni pod comm forward slash juice box and don't forget to check out touched by type one touched by type one.org. Or on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Thank you so much for listening to the ads. When you support the advertisers. You're supporting the podcast keeping the podcast free and plentiful. There's a list of all the advertisers right there in the show notes of your podcast player or at Juicebox Podcast comm I am genuinely proud of the companies who sponsor this show. We got a good group.
When do you finally get a handle on all of this? Like when do you get at least a base understanding?
Jill 26:22
So this all happened in January, my month of January was 100% diabetes, of course, I was continuing. I'm a busy lady. I like to travel a lot. I like to do a lot of things with my friends on weekends. And so I wasn't going to stop even though I was dealing with all of this. I we went to Whistler and I had kind of a diabetic episode and that was kind of hard to deal with went to Leavenworth, which is a small German town here. That's kind of a tourist attraction. also had a tiny diabetic episode. I was like, Okay, I don't I'm not really getting this right. This isn't getting better. I can't eat things and enjoy drinking without it being kind of scary. Yeah, maybe I need to find a specialist. There was no way I was getting into an endocrinologist for like six months, there was a huge wait for this one. And I didn't really understand that you could shop for endocrinologist, I was given a referral to an endocrinologist. In January, one endocrinologist, that one was busy for six months apparently. And then that's it never dawned on me not ever having to deal with doctors. Before that I could just shop for people like I could just get on the internet myself and find someone and I just waited. I didn't know. And so it wasn't getting better. In February, I flew to Sonoma with my best friend for a wine weekend. And, of course, the day before we flew out, she and I both got really sick. We both had the flu. And we were like, well screw this like we are not wasting we can't get our money back. So we're just going to take a ton of day quail responsible 30 year olds. And we'll be fine. We're not wasting our weekend in Sonoma. I was so sick. We came back a day early, just because we were both sick. But I had the flu with diabetes, right? And so I kept checking my blood sugar. And I was like What is happening? It's like 400, should I go to the urgent care here in California, like I had no idea what to do. I came back home. I went to Urgent Care here every single day for a week. And the fifth day. I'm not kidding. I went every day. And every day they sent me home and they're like, just keep checking your blood sugar. And the fifth day I was like bawling. And I was like I can't keep coming here. I have a full time job. Like I can't What is wrong with me. And so this one doctor, obviously took pity on me and was like, Okay, I'm gonna figure this out for you. I don't know how we're gonna do it, but I'm gonna call you tomorrow. And so she calls me and says I have a friend who works at this other clinic who might have a contact for you. So it was like this all you know, convoluted, like call this person call this person call this person. But I ended up getting hooked up with an endocrinologist who could see me a little sooner, so I had a month way instead. So February goes by March goes by. I'm still trying to do my best to keep my blood sugar under control. And then in let's see, end of March again and to see this endocrinologist. She's amazing. She reminds me of my mom. She is like a no nonsense. Indian woman who just is direct. So direct. She took like, one look at me and was like you're not type two. Why did they tell you or type two? I was like, I don't know.
Unknown Speaker 29:46
I just want to go drink wine.
Jill 29:48
I don't know. Just fix it. Like, I have no idea. And so she's like, there's no way you're type two. They should have done a blood test on you and she did this blood test and yeah, she Like, yes, look, look at these numbers Jill, like, like, I'm a doctor, look at these numbers. This doesn't make any sense. You're type one, you've been mis diagnosed, you know, you should have never left that Urgent Care without this simple blood test that any doctor can do. And I was like, okay, that doesn't help me.
Scott Benner 30:16
It was like, Listen, I let's be clear for a second. I drank a quill with diabetes and got on a plane, so I could drink more wine than a person should. I'm not you shouldn't be leaving me in charge of these decisions. Jill, were you a huge party girl through your 20s just asking.
Jill 30:33
I'm not a party girl at all. I just am really into wine. And like, we're we can be very bougie about our wine.
Scott Benner 30:40
I just I thought it was fantastic that in the middle of what seemed like a life or death health crisis, you were like, we're still going.
Jill 30:47
I mean, the wine never stops. It's just you know. We're gonna figure it out around the wine.
Scott Benner 30:54
Doctor, while you're considering my diabetes, remember, there's going to be mirlo Okay, like that. Right here? No, but I mean, it's just I guess it really does go to how little you understood about what was happening. Oh, that's that's the kind of the fascinating part. So
Jill 31:09
yeah. So then at least there was the correct diagnosis. Right, then at least she was like, obviously, you're a type one. Your doctors are all idiots. It was basically.
Scott Benner 31:19
So not not to pick your psyche apart too much. But it's interesting that once you found a doctor that was more like a parent, it worked out for you quickly. Yeah.
Jill 31:27
1,000% 1,000%. And I do like attribute the cultural bit a lot because she just, I just don't want to screw up in front of my endo. Like she is the most cutthroat lady. She might not be where I go for like warm and fuzzy, you know, feelings, but she cares about my health in a way that a parent would, you know, yeah, she tells me absolutely. Like, you cannot do these things, XY and Z. And I think that's not for everyone. But that's for me. You know, it worked out really well. I appreciate that. She's honest. And, you know, just gives me the truth. And so, anyway, she diagnosed me type one. She gave me kind of a little plan, but she was like, you need to come back, like in two weeks, for sure. We're gonna get you set up with everything that you need. So I had a physical scheduled with my primary care physician. I go back to her. Between these two weeks. I told her Oh, yeah, I was diagnosed with type one. She was like, oh, okay, great. She obviously didn't know like, what anything about type one, she was just like, Oh, I'm so glad that you have answers. And in that appointment, I had asked like, so my husband and I are like, trying to have kids, we would like to start trying. I have all this medical stuff happening. Like, is it safe for us to start trying? Or should? Should I wait? And I remember, she's just like, Oh, yeah, you're gonna be fine. Like now that you have an endo and everything like, Yeah, go ahead, like, definitely try
Scott Benner 32:56
it. Can I tell you for a second? Also, you're on the pods on the side of insulin? Oh, yeah, sure is. How in that situation where the doctor who couldn't help you, like figure out you had type one diabetes? Did you like consider to ask her another question and take her serious?
Unknown Speaker 33:17
I don't know, okay.
Jill 33:22
I have no idea. I thought she was in charge of like, my general body and the other lady was in charge of just my diabetes. So I was like, okay, she's gonna know, in my physical, for sure. If like, I can have children. I just wasn't equating all these things as like, together. You know, I was just, diabetes was such a thing outside my body that I just wanted to get rid of. Does that make sense? I just was like, okay, someone's handling that over here. Like, I want to continue with my life and keep, keep doing my things and keep staying with my plans. You know, so
Scott Benner 33:53
you didn't think of you kind of thought about diabetes, like a bankruptcy. You're like, Yes, I spent way too much money and can't pay it back. But let's compartmentalize that. But over here. I'm going to send $700 a month to that bill. And I'm still going to pretend that I'm me. And there's nothing going on. Like you were trying to, to, to split the two apart you in the diabetes, right? You weren't letting it merge together. Okay, you're there now though, right.
Unknown Speaker 34:21
I'm,
Scott Benner 34:22
like, you know, you're a person living with diabetes and all that stuff. And you don't know Yeah, no, I don't want people like to be like, you know, Jesus, Porter. It's not learning anything. We're just telling the story. That's all
Jill 34:32
that's right. Along along learning.
Scott Benner 34:36
Okay. Wow, I am still I'm stunned that you asked that doctor if it was okay. It
Jill 34:43
was all kind of happening so fast too. And like I wasn't used to going to doctors, you know, in general. So I was like, okay, every week I'm seeing a nutritionist and then I'm seeing the regular doctor and then I'm seeing this endo and like, somebody's got to have answers. You know, I just wasn't something I wasn't skeptical of doctors, but I was just so desperate to trust somebody to give me good news. I was like, please somebody,
Scott Benner 35:06
I gotta do what I want you to I gotta be honest with you. This is the second story in 2020. I've heard that makes me not want to go to the Seattle area.
Unknown Speaker 35:13
Oh, no.
Scott Benner 35:17
So, okay. All right. So now you have type one diabetes, you have this lovely Indian doctor who's yelling at you the way you need to be all that. And then there's the other doctor who I'm not sure what she does still. And and are you? on? What part do you and I intersect?
Jill 35:36
When did I win that thing? Probably.
Scott Benner 35:39
August. July. Okay. But you, you and I spoke on the phone once.
Jill 35:45
Right, but it was for the prize. It was. Um, so I think you did that. You had a contest in July or August or something like that. And then when I won, I called you, or you called me? Why was that?
Scott Benner 35:59
Oh, part of it was you? Oh, part of the prize was talking to me, which I now hear when I say out loud. Sounds like I'm an assault, but I get what you're saying.
Unknown Speaker 36:09
But that was
Jill 36:11
your expertise. That's all right. It's a great.
Scott Benner 36:14
Honestly, what I just said out loud. I was like, Oh, that sounds douchey. But, but Okay, well, I'm flush now like you are hilarious. So I got it. So we're on the phone. And at that point, are you? Did you get knocked up yet? When is that Parco? Oh, yeah, I
Jill 36:34
got knocked up immediately, right away when my doctor said, Oh, yeah, go ahead and start trying. I was like, dope. We're doing this ran
Scott Benner 36:40
out the door legs first.
Jill 36:42
And then knocked up the next day. I'm not kidding. Like, right away. And by the time that I saw my endo, for the second time. I was already like, a teeny tiny bit late. And I was like, Oh, my also be pregnant. And the way she looked at me.
Scott Benner 36:59
Oh, my gosh, I thought I thought you're gonna say she punched you like,
Jill 37:04
she looked like she wanted to I'm not kidding. She was like, what I was like, well, like, I was told that it was fine. And like this was already in my plan. I'm a teacher. So I really like to stick to my plans. Like a disgusting amount. It just is one of my things. I have a strict itinerary. And this was part of my plans. I did not want to give it up. And so when she looked at me, I was like, Oh, crap. Maybe it wasn't a good idea. And she said, like, you better hope that you're not pregnant. Your diabetes is completely out of control. You were just diagnosed. Forget everything that you've gone through since January, you were just diagnosed two weeks ago, you know, like with a brand new illness, type two and type one are completely different. So you better hope that you're not and I was like, okay, not great. I totally was, of course, right away. So by the time you and I talked, I think I was probably like four months pregnant. Wow.
Scott Benner 38:09
And, and so my recollection of talking with you back then, excuse me, was Hold on a second.
Hello. That'll get cut out Hold on a second. We're all just get lazy and leave it in, it's hard to know
is that I remember going downstairs after we spoke, and I said to my wife, I just talked to the person who won the giveaway. And apparently she's like, was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes and got pregnant. Like, in the same like couple of weeks or something. Like I said, she basically found out she really had type one diabetes, and she was already pregnant. And I don't think things are going great. And my I remember my wife and I were like, Oh, that's I hope that goes okay. And then I kind of started keeping after you on Instagram a little bit. And like following along, and you're just you know, you're adorable. Like you're just like little and like you have a bright smile and a pretty face it gets You're adorable. And so like you always look okay, is what I'm saying. Like, I'm assuming in some of those pictures. You've just thrown up from wine and you're still look adorable. So I can't I can't tell how you're doing from your Instagram. Actually, I guess nobody can tell how anybody's doing from social media. But that's
Unknown Speaker 39:24
Yeah, right.
Scott Benner 39:26
Yeah, right. But then the baby came out. I was like, hey, right on because I assume you understand now that like there's a high likelihood that you would have ended up having a miscarriage if your blood sugar stayed the way they were.
Jill 39:37
Absolutely Yeah. If I hadn't found that endo. I mean, that really was the game changer. Of course, like I had no idea how, how serious it was. I knew it was serious to have diabetes, of course, but like not having any real context or having anybody at all in my life who has had any serious disease, you know, for a long period of time. I just didn't really get it like internally, right. So once I got this endo, and I got the correct diagnosis, and she just kept hammering into me like how serious it was that my blood sugar stay in control. It really all fell into place. I mean, I met her in a, you know, end of March beginning of April ish. And honestly, by June, I was like 100%, I don't want to say in control all the time, but I had a really good handle on like, how to manage the diabetes, because she and her team were phenomenal. I mean, I went to see them every week for probably like four or five weeks, and worked with these diabetes educators who are like Omnipod reps, and I got the Dexcom. And the Omnipod, immediately because I was pregnant. Like immediately, I mean, I think I waited for like three weeks, maybe where I still was finger sticking. And after that I had everything bells and whistles, ready to go. So I really have never experienced a life of diabetes. difficult, if that makes sense, right? Like the beginning part, obviously was difficult, but I didn't know what I was experiencing. So I don't count that. And when I hear all these other stories on the podcasts of people who like, just maybe don't have all the technology or choose not to have the technology or you know, just there's all these things that we get to make diabetes management easier. I didn't really have to deal with that. Because my endo was just like, you're having this, you're having this, put this on your body, I don't care how you feel about it. You need all these things. I've never had to really struggle in that same way, you know, to figure things out, she made it really, really easy to kind of manage my diabetes, and she was checking on me constantly. So the entire pregnancy. I mean, I probably went there every two or three weeks. Yeah. It was really tight control. And I really think that made all the difference.
Scott Benner 42:04
It sounds like she decided to take personal responsibility for your baby being okay. And you know,
Unknown Speaker 42:10
what a wonderful lady, right?
Scott Benner 42:12
You know, it occurred to me just now, while you were talking, I've recorded I mean, I might have recorded close to 500 of these at this point. And yours was the first 30 minute diagnosis story. No, no. But when you really think about it, it really was like, all of that that happened for those months and months and months. That's all part of you figuring out you have type one diabetes, and how many doctors did you have to run into? Like, that is not, that doesn't warm my heart? How many doctors you had to run into before one of them was like you have type one? Like, what? What's going on here?
Jill 42:47
Yeah, the biggest thing was just that I was older, you know, like the I that's the only thing people were looking at, like, Oh, she's 30. So Oh, well, don't forget possibly have type one. You know,
Scott Benner 42:58
don't forget also that your your people eat beans. So, you know, like, whatever. Right? Yeah. Like, seriously, I hear, you know, black patient advocates talk all the time about, you know, people look at my skin and make assumptions about how I take care of myself immediately. Yeah, and so you know, that this is another example of that really, like they see they see you, you know, as your background, and your heritage and your race and and they're just like, oh, obviously, she doesn't eat well, and this is why she has type two diabetes.
Jill 43:29
Yep. I mean, even though I like I said, I wasn't overweight at the time, you know, there's, I told my doctors, like I run every day and like, I work out, you know, I'm not, I'm not super, like slender all the time. That girl likes to eat. Right. But, I mean, I take care of myself. So it was Yeah, it's just I hope that people don't continue to have this problem, where they're told, like, Oh, it's something that you did to cause this, you know,
Scott Benner 43:54
I listen, I would, I would have no ability to look at you and think that you're an unhealthy person. So you know, it's just, you know, until we talk to you and find out about the wine and everything else. We could start thinking
Jill 44:07
that's my one serious vise.
Scott Benner 44:10
Hey, listen, can you tell people right now? How do you hold a bottle and a baby at the same time? What's the balancing act?
Jill 44:15
bottle and a baby? Oh, no problem. Just got to work out a little bit before and
Scott Benner 44:21
that way you can keep the balance. We should probably tell typhus now that you're you don't drink wine while you're caring for your baby at the same time, right. You know,
Jill 44:32
it's nap time.
Scott Benner 44:35
So, how long have you had type one diabetes?
Jill 44:39
So now it's been since April of 2019. So a
Unknown Speaker 44:48
little over a year.
Scott Benner 44:49
Can you tell me what your current a one C is? Are you willing to do that? Yeah, it's
Jill 44:52
I think it was 6.1. Wow, that's amazing. It was you know, in the fives and then of course, my endo was like, that's too low. You need Have a little bit more.
Unknown Speaker 45:01
Did you think it was too low?
Unknown Speaker 45:02
Huh?
Scott Benner 45:03
Were you having lows when it was in the fives?
Jill 45:06
Um, yeah, because I still, I'm still trying to manage like being active. So like, I do work out, I run, I walk. Now I walk a lot more with the baby. And I hike. And so I do tend to get a lot of lows during that, during any of those activities, no matter what I do to prepare. I'm still trying to get, you know, figure that out. So I think that definitely, like increases my chances of having, you know, a lower frequency. But, you know, I guess I just got to eat more.
Scott Benner 45:36
I like talking to you because you are, you're not the person that I imagined in my mind listening to the podcast, because you listen to it more for like the community stuff and hearing people's stories and not for the management stuff. And you know, in my default in my head, that the podcast is about using insulin, and so but I know there are people like you who don't listen to the, to the management stuff, as much as I tell people all the time in the private Facebook group who are very focused on management, usually, that I was like, you guys are a subs, like you're just one like sub set of the listeners. I was like, there are plenty of listeners who don't care about the stuff you care about. It's really interesting how how it gets split like that. But you should try the pro tip episodes, they might help you not get low when you're active.
Jill 46:24
Yeah, I have listened to a lot of them. It's just I was listening to the podcast, I think more frequently, like when I was pregnant, and I had time. And I was really still like trying to manage a lot of things I need to get back into it. But I did take a kind of a break from anything joyful and listening to my own things for a little while here. Because anytime the baby's asleep, I'm like, Okay, what can I get done?
Scott Benner 46:51
Well, what did you what kind of a baby ended up having to end up having a boy type or girl type?
Jill 46:56
I had a boy he is the cutest child in the world. I'm sure a little chunk. Yeah, everything. Everything turned out wonderfully. I mean, it really. I couldn't have asked for a better pregnant experience. And even being diabetic. Like That was my one. My one like difficulty, but I never got sick. You know, I was able to eat pretty much what I wanted to eat. There was there was really nothing difficult. So I feel like that was a in my mind. That was like the universe's trade off. Here you have diabetes, but you're gonna have a really easy pregnancy and delivery.
Scott Benner 47:35
Especially at five to because you're a smaller person. So how big was the baby when it was born?
Jill 47:41
He was like eight pounds and a half.
Scott Benner 47:44
That's a big baby.
Unknown Speaker 47:45
That's what I hear.
Scott Benner 47:48
Listen, it makes it a
Unknown Speaker 47:50
little to me.
Scott Benner 47:52
I know, right? It's, it's crazy how small they are. I am. I don't know, I just I saw a baby picture of my son the other day, you know how, like, I have a widget on my computer and it pops like a picture up like right now I just clicked on it. It's a picture of Arden when she's like a year old. And so they kind of pop up on my desktop once in a while. And then I get all like, sappy and I sit here for a couple months. And I'm like, Oh, look at how small he was. And now Arden's like in this photo just staring at me in this picture, which I can't share with anybody because Arden does not want to be portrayed as a baby on the internet. So, but she's adorable in this in this photo. So I know how you feel. But the busy so how you managing taking care of yourself with the busy? Have you found the split, like you turn into like a real adult out of nowhere. Like you're managing diabetes and a baby and you still work I imagine.
Jill 48:40
Yeah. I mean, I feel like with my health, I totally was a 15 year old, I still am a little bit like I have to that's something that you take for granted if you've always been healthy. So I definitely in that aspect had to, you know, grow up very quickly in that area. But I think everything else I'm, I'm a pretty organized person. Like I said, I'm a teacher. So like, I'm all about checklists, and lesson plans, itineraries and getting things done. So I think that kind of helped also with like diabetes and balancing everything. And luckily, the only I only had issues with diabetes, when he was really, really little like when I was still trying to breastfeed. That was a challenge with blood sugar. I hemorrhaged when I was giving birth. And so that was a problem because it impacted I don't know, it impacted like the iron in my blood or whatever. So that impacted my blood sugar. And then I had some insulin resistance that I had never dealt with that before. Really. a month three and month six postpartum that was annoying, but they really are like little things. It's not really even mentionable. It's like little things. They all went away. And now it's just fine. I mean, luckily, you know, knock on wood, right?
Scott Benner 50:00
Have a terrific attitude like you really do your you've a really kind of joyous personality and you know, a great attitude. So I'm sure that goes a long way to helping you. I hope you'll find out give it away for a week and see if everything doesn't seem all doom and gloomy. All right, but no, but that really is. I've just been waiting for so long to talk to you. Like I remember when I said like, come on the podcast, but let's push it way out into the future because I want you to have some distance from the story so you can tell it that made me anxious. I was like, I would like to record this one now. But I thought it'll go so much better if I push it off a little bit. And I did I make you like I made you push it off like a year. Basically. I was like, pick something way out in the future. And and we'll do it because it's December now and 2020. So it's been oh my gosh, yeah. It's been over a year since we talked on the phone even. Yeah, how old is your son now?
Jill 50:53
He just turned one just like a couple days ago.
Unknown Speaker 50:56
Congratulations. Thanks. It was exciting.
Scott Benner 50:59
Did you have a big party for him?
Jill 51:02
We had we did some drop bys. So I still did like a little brunch thing with all these like treats to go that people could come take and then people came you know, with their masks and just dropped off their gifts. I wanted my gift Scott came and dropped off their gift. And then had some treats to go.
Scott Benner 51:21
I didn't make this baby not to get free stuff.
Unknown Speaker 51:23
Well, hello, this first birthday.
Scott Benner 51:26
Oh, that's very cool. Oh, that's excellent. Good for you. I'm excited for you. And are you teaching virtually? or How do you do?
Unknown Speaker 51:32
I am?
Scott Benner 51:34
So do you, like just put the kid right on your lap and teach her? How do you I have
Jill 51:38
my mom downstairs who just watches him for, you know, a couple hours while I teach. I mean that that's a another thing I think that helps the diabetes go smoothly is that I'm home and I have a lot of control over what I can eat. And I'm sitting in front of the computer. I've been a kindergarten teacher for nine years. And then this year, I switched to first grade so that I could only work in the morning. Okay. And so I have a partner that teaches in the afternoon. And when I was teaching, like live in person with kindergarteners, I mean, I was always low, like, my blood sugar was so annoying to handle because there's 25 people that need you, they need you to tie their shoes, and they need you to help them use the bathroom. And yeah, you know, they can't do this. And this person hit me and this person, all these things, and my blood sugar would be you know, Beeping Beeping Beeping and I'm like, right, okay, I'm gonna get it one second and eat something Hold on. But I'm like running around. And I just, it was so much harder to to manage while I was working. You rarely sit as a kindergarten teacher. Really any teacher, right? You just are not sitting you're walking around helping the kids and talking and making copies and the list is endless. And so I think being home really has helped it be manageable because I'm just sitting in front of the computer interacting with my kids. And if I need to grab something to eat to correct a blood sugar, you know, low I'll just go get it you know, it's not a big deal versus being at school. I can't always do that I have to sometimes wait until lunch or I have to grab a juice really quick is not the best management.
Scott Benner 53:14
So this setup is eliminated a major variability in your blood sugar, which is activity and and not having time to look at yourself. So when you go back eventually you're going to have to find basil rates that are that are different. I would imagine going back to work it live will make your basil needs go down.
Unknown Speaker 53:34
Yeah, probably
Scott Benner 53:36
ardens went way down leaving school. So when Oh, really? Yeah. So I because like, I don't know why exactly. But my, I've been thinking about it more and more. And I think part of it was you get up in the morning, and it's right away, it's that race in the clock, you know, you're like I got to get up and get a shower and do this and get out the door on time or I'll be late. And that whole thing so you, you get feet on the floor, you know huge where your life is just coming at you. And then you're at school and you know you're interacting with people and all that stuff's going on. You know, I don't know if there's any anxiety or stress being in high school for her. But her basil went down from like 1.2 to point nine an hour. Like just coming home from not being at high school. So she she's gonna have like an opposite of you. But you're gonna go back and be an attract meet with little kids again, although your first grade now might be a little better. Maybe they won't hit each other quite as much.
Jill 54:33
This whole pandemic thing, it's just gonna be a kindergarten, kindergarten minds and in bigger bodies. I think
Scott Benner 54:43
the only the kids learned anything in kindergarten this year.
Jill 54:46
I mean, I'm sure they have learned stuff. But the stuff that I think is like why you go to kindergarten is socially you know how to learn how to line up and how to, you know what I mean? Like all those social skills, how to sit at the carpet for a long time, and all this stuff. You physically have to herd cats for basically, as a teacher, they might all be like, at grade level of hope. But I think it's gonna be just as much being on my feet.
Scott Benner 55:11
So funny you say that I recall the first couple of seasons of Cole playing baseball back when he was like, a co star when he was four. But when he really started being on, like, teams when he was six, I remember thinking back then, so much of this is just getting them to stand in a line. Yeah. And then. And then I remember as that kind of like youth baseball time ended, when he was 12. I remember thinking, wow, look, now they say something and they go run over and getting that line took like five years to teach them how to do. It's fascinating.
Unknown Speaker 55:51
And teaching
Scott Benner 55:54
really was what was what was going on. It's like this. There's this whole, just like, Where do you go? Where do you stand? It's funny, you said something earlier, too. That made me think about something I just said on the podcast recently, which is, when Cole was that age, he was a really good, he always has been, and is today a really great outfielder, but he was when he was younger, too. And he described it to me as that he didn't want to let his coach down. And I feel like that's how you feel with your doctors a little bit too. Like you're kind of like in a teacher student or a coach player. situation with her. Does that ring true for you?
Unknown Speaker 56:30
Yeah, for sure. I
Jill 56:31
mean, I, I feel like this is kind of how my mom raised me. But like, if people are spending their time on you, you know, you show them respect by like hearing about what they're talking about, or trying to do what they're obviously teaching you even if you don't like it. And that's kind of how I feel. I'm like, Well, she's trying so hard to teach me things that are useful, then the least I could do is actually try it and listen to her. And there have been some times where I'm like, she doesn't know what she's talking about. I get irritated with like little things. And then I try what she says And I'm like, Oh, look at that it worked. You know, so it just yeah, it is kind of like coaching.
Scott Benner 57:09
You found a good one. It sounds like should she be on my list on the juicebox Doc's list this year. Oh, good endo.
Jill 57:14
I mean, I think she's amazing, personally.
Scott Benner 57:18
Cool. That's excellent. She saved you. It sounds like honestly. Yep.
Jill 57:22
She's amazing. And I even had two years ago, I had a student in my class. He, you know, came in for open house and his parents were popping in and his dad stopped me and was like, hey, you're diabetic? And I was like, Yeah, like not. I was like, Well, how do you even know that? He's like, Oh, yeah, I see your Dexcom. And I was like, Oh, are you diabetic? And he's like, yeah, and he like, shows me his Dexcom, you know, and come to find out, he goes to the same. And oh, and it was just kind of a funny thing. Every time we would see each other, he'd be like, Oh, I have to go see Dr. Q. Today, I'm going to be in trouble. Because you know, X, Y, and Z. And I'm like, Oh, no, I totally feel your pain, you know, and it's just, even. Even just those little interactions, you know, knowing that, like, you have the same endocrinologist, she's like, one of the best in our area. That is just like such a big community piece, you know, too. So the fact that she can she has that presence to tie people together because of how she is.
Scott Benner 58:15
Excellent. That's really terrific. I yeah, I actually go to that link and send me the information when you get a chance. It's juicebox docs.com. Oh, yeah,
Jill 58:25
definitely. And they're the ones that told me about the podcast, actually.
Unknown Speaker 58:29
Really?
Scott Benner 58:31
Well, thank you, Dr. Q. I like Seattle a little better. Look at that. I'm such a cheap horse, you could just easily swim.
Unknown Speaker 58:43
It's not all terrible. I live outside of Seattle. So it's like, you know, all the
Scott Benner 58:48
while I'm just saying didn't those crazy people take a few blocks of Seattle this year? and demons? Oh, yeah. But I mean, just some hippie stuff. That's
Unknown Speaker 58:57
just good. All the good all the good old crew keeping things interesting.
Scott Benner 59:02
I'll tell you from a distance, it seemed pretty crazy. Just they're gone. Now. They're gone. they disperse back to their lives. That's right. Oh, my God. This, this episode is terrific. First of all, you're great. You you I don't even think you needed me. I think I could have gotten on and been like, hey, Jill, tell people what happened to you. And then I could push the mic away and gone and had a sandwich and come back and you wouldn't be talking still. So I appreciate that very much. I'm glad the baby's healthy. Your husband's okay. Everybody's good with everything. Excellent. So I want to say that you are a great example of a quick transition. And the people who have been struggling for a long time. I think they should see you as a real like, a story of like hopefulness because all you all you really did was bump into the right doctor. Find a little bit of information, listen to a podcast. Get a huge Video, and then you're here you are, you have a 6.1 a one C, and you're living your life again, I think that everyone sometimes can believe that it's just such a long process. But the long part of the process is what you described in the beginning. It's the part where you're so. So my point is the process doesn't have to be long, it has to be focused on the right things. And that becomes difficult when you don't know what the right things are. Right, right. Because had you met Dr. Q, on day one, at that urgent care, you wouldn't have this long story and your process to type one diabetes would have felt very quick and easy. So it's not about diabetes takes a long time to figure out. I think it's more about sometimes it takes a long time to find people that can help you with it.
Jill 1:00:53
Yeah, I agree. And, you know, like all of the all of those little things that you mentioned, and like having Instagram and having the Facebook community and all of those things, like, they just add so much to the experience to make it easier. Because all I mean, I can't imagine being a type one diabetic, even 10 years ago, right? Where social media was like a thing, but not how it is now. I mean, there is so much information on how to do, how to manage your diabetes, and how to live your life and how to eat normally. Just at the tip of your fingers. You know, if I ever have something that pops up, I just get on my Instagram. And I'm like, okay, who has this? Let me make a post about it. Let me see if I can tag some people, right. It's just, you have so much more control. And I think finding, finding those little things just to make your life a little bit easier, even though it might feel frustrating at first. I mean, it just makes all the difference, you know, taking taking more control of your own health rather than waiting for doctors to figure stuff out.
Scott Benner 1:01:54
Yeah, well, because as you prove today, you could wait forever if you don't meet the right person. Yep, that's right. No, seriously, you would, you could be dead now if you didn't meet that woman.
Jill 1:02:04
serious. I think that all the time, Scott. I think that all the time. I have so many from January to April. I had a lot of really scary, scary incidents happen. And every time I took back the incident to a person in charge in my mind, I was just at home, you know, they're just like, yeah, that happens when you're diabetic. Now, you know, it just was so ridiculous.
Scott Benner 1:02:27
And now you know, no, it doesn't like that stuff doesn't actually have to happen. Yeah, I mean, at some point you you mixed air travel wine and DK together basically, you know,
Jill 1:02:39
oh, yeah, snowshoe I went snowshoeing all by myself. Which is intense. I had no control over my diabetes. I was like super shaky. I had a very intense low had no idea like that. That was a thing. Like, you know, I was just like, Oh, my blood sugar's low. I'm holding right now. Like, I had no idea what to do. I had nothing holding you know, laugh
Scott Benner 1:03:03
and wanting to say, What is wrong with you?
Unknown Speaker 1:03:07
I just had no information
Jill 1:03:09
I didn't know like, how to connect the dots. You know, I just was not getting anything. You know, all I knew was being high was scary. Yeah, you know, and that's it because for a type two that's the big Yeah, you're scared a big thing was being being high not being low and so it just is just a child. Pretty much
Scott Benner 1:03:30
this really is fascinating because aside of that time when you didn't understand about diabetes decided that time you're reasonably together person sound like it you don't mean like there's nothing about you that says snowshoeing with undiagnosed Type One Diabetes like it you don't seem like that person now. And and I assume you weren't that person outside of this bubble that existed which was a bubble of having diabetes and not knowing
Jill 1:04:00
and right If I had known you know, if I had truly understood all of the dangers I would have never done all the things that I was doing but I just didn't have the information that's it you know, it's just ridiculous.
Scott Benner 1:04:13
So you would tell people keep moving till you find a good doctor, first of all, right? And what other things have you learned that are valuable?
Jill 1:04:23
Oh, just get a community that was that was a game changer, right. Like, again in April when I met Dr. Q's team, one of the girls Monica, who is a diabetes educator and also an omni pod Rep. She is so kind and compassionate. I was like bawling. They were trying to get a Dexcom on me and I like didn't provide consent. They're just like, we need to put this on you. And I was like, I don't want that. I don't know what that is. And they're like, you need to have this on your body. Right? So they put this Dexcom on me. I feel like I'm a horse being branded like did not want anything on my body. didn't know what it was. And she's so sweet. She takes her hands in mind and she's like, everything's gonna be fine. You're gonna go home, you're gonna download the Juicebox Podcast. Okay, what is that called, like, repeat after me, you're also going to get yourself an Instagram, and you're going to get yourself people that also have diabetes. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:20
Wow.
Jill 1:05:21
I mean, that was the best advice that she could have given me because I was so emotional. And it had been four months of nonsense, right. And I did exactly what she told me. And those were two really simple things that I could control, you know, everything that the doctors are doing, I couldn't control, I just had to trust that they were giving me good advice. But you got to get yourself a community, that Instagram thing, you have to watch other people struggle and fail and get back up again. So that you can learn how to manage your failures, because that's, that's diabetes, you know, you're gonna screw it up sometimes. And you have to get to know your body. And there's no way to do it without watching other people do it.
Scott Benner 1:06:01
I had a guy reach out to me an adult, male, a week ago or so through Instagram. And it just seemed like he had been watching the account my account for so long. And he just finally had the nerve to say like, hello. And he's like, I don't know what to do, I need help. And I looked at his graph, and I was like, Hey, man, If I was you, I'd look at this, and this and this. And he's starting to, like, get control of it. And he should see how happy he is. Just it but but it was his, um, he got over the hump of like, not of not saying anything to anybody just imagining that his blood sugar had to stay in the two hundreds all the time. And I just had never been happier for a person who I've never seen before. Like, he doesn't put his face in his Academy where I don't know him. But I've never been happier for a person that I don't know, because he made this big. You know, he made a big grand gesture for himself. And for him, it was just reaching out to somebody and saying, I don't know what to do that and
Jill 1:07:04
I have found that so many people in this community, of course, your self included, are just so willing to help, you know, like, it's, it's, it's your health, if you're not willing to ask and say, Hey, I need help with this. I don't know, man, it's gonna be a lot harder, you know, and there's so many people out there with the knowledge who are happy to at least point you in the right direction. You know?
Scott Benner 1:07:25
Yeah, no, I've found that for sure. Well, I think we've learned that in this hour. You've talked about a lot of projects, but you only didn't avoid one of them. So the rest of us are pretty good at running from that's all I heard. Also, I have a image of you in a doctor's office, like a like in a horse bridle having a Dexcom put
Jill 1:07:47
on you for that was traumatic.
Scott Benner 1:07:51
I liked it. You were around people now that are just like, yeah, we'll worry about what Joe wants in a minute. He really well, because here's why. And I'll let you go in a minute. I know we're up on time. But it illustrates for me, like when people say about their kids, like, oh, he doesn't really want that. Or she I don't think she would like that. She said she doesn't want that. I'm like, yeah, no one wants that. No way. No one says to themselves, you know, it'd be cool. I'd like to wear an insulin pump. But then you guys run diabetes. You know what I mean? You go Okay, and then my, my thing to people has always been, what other life and death decisions do you let your eight year old make? Like, they're always like, well, it's their body. And I'm like, I get that. I was like, but try it anyway. Because, you know, in a week, they're not going to notice that I wore a G six last week. And the only problems I had with my G six was forgetting where that I had it on. When I was showering. Like that sounds I kept banging into with my hand and going, Oh, I'm wearing that I forgot. Like, and I've worn it on the pod demo. And the same thing happens. You know, a couple days later, you just you don't know what's there anymore.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:09
All right, you just get used to it.
Scott Benner 1:09:10
Yeah. And it's been and listen, people don't have to pump. They don't have to use the CGM. I'm not saying that. But if you're a parent sitting around thinking, Well, I do think this would be really beneficial. But you know, Billy doesn't want it and Billy six years old, maybe, you know, channel your introductory cue and just be like, shut up, Billy.
Jill 1:09:32
Yeah, sorry. Sometimes we have to do things that are hard. You know. That's just that's just how it is. Diabetes is not something to mess around with. You know, and if you have something that's going to make it that much easier, that you are going to kind of forget about I mean, you don't remember that you're wearing and unless you knock it on something and it comes off. Right yeah, I don't. I don't see what the what the weight is for. Those things are game changers because Am
Scott Benner 1:09:57
I Rachel in fairness, if we left this It's up to you, you wouldn't be wearing those things.
Jill 1:10:02
No. And I think I mean, I don't think I'm alone in that if you're an adult, who has lived your whole life without a device on your body, not looking not, you're not gonna want to wear a device. I mean, shocker. You know, like, it's not comfortable to have something stuck on you. At the beginning, people don't always like change, right? It's a that's a big life thing that you have to get used to. And especially as a woman, I think if you know, society pressures have so much to think about what we look like, it is a big mental step to think, Okay, I have to put this on my arm, or I have to put this on my leg or in a place where people could possibly see and ask questions. If you're not at that mental place to want to ask answer questions of people like what is that? It's a big thing to put on. I think if someone had just handed me the Dexcom, and said, Here you go wear it when you are you ready to wear it? I probably would have continued finger sticking for a while, because it's just a big step. And I'm so glad that I'm not still doing that. You know, there's some times that I run out of Dexcom supplies and I'm like, man, I have to go back to the old way. Like, this sucks.
Scott Benner 1:11:08
I remember interviewing Victor Garber. And he said, I have a I think it was a Dexcom around the pub one. I might have been in the party. So I have that it's in a drawer. I can't bring himself to do it. Now. He wears it. whichever one it was I forget which one it was. Now he now he wears it. And so you know, that's not the he's not the first person has told me I have the device. I put it in a drawer. Yeah, yeah. And so I get it. Like, you know, I listen, I remember taking Arden to the Children's Hospital for her first Dexcom insertion. And she said, going in there. I don't want this. And I was sure yeah, I was like, I know you don't. I said, I think it's going to help you. So let's try. And you know, and it's probably been the best decision we've ever made. Yeah, but and I'm not saying forced by the way. I'm not saying force your kids to do something kicking and screaming. But I'm saying there's a way to continue to the conversation. And you know, talk them into doing it at some point just you know, the trying it at the very least. Yep. Yeah. You Joe. Thank you. For for this thank you for basically creating like a two year relationship with me so I could get a cool podcast episode out of you. Because I just knew if we talked last year, this wouldn't have been how this couldn't have gone better, in my opinion. Just what I'm saying. Right. Thank you so much. I'm so happy. What did we name the baby?
Jill 1:12:32
zombie? His name's zavier. But we call him zombie.
Scott Benner 1:12:35
Not Scott. Okay, I got it. That's all you could have just said not Scott. I don't really care what your baby's name is. You understand?
Jill 1:12:43
My baby is adorable and any kind of attention he gets he's getting. I'm still a new mom. Okay. Oh, no,
Scott Benner 1:12:50
it's got to be the most exciting time. It doesn't end. By the way. If you're using my wife as an example, I still think my wife's ovaries twitch when my son his or daughter, like in trouble or sad or upset or anything. I don't think it goes away. Just so you know. You're gonna be tormented by that kid forever. Your mom is somewhere right now. tormented by the things that bother you. Just Oh,
Jill 1:13:12
she's downstairs? Yes. Our bed watching zombies.
Scott Benner 1:13:17
Is the Is he a handful?
Jill 1:13:20
He's becoming a handful right now because he just took his first couple steps. So yeah, he is becoming a little, a little nugget, that's for sure. But nothing I can't handle.
Scott Benner 1:13:33
You just made me think of the first time Arden ran across the room and almost made me cry. Isn't that sounds good? Ah, and she's 16. So just, you know, it's not gonna stop just so you know.
Unknown Speaker 1:13:42
I believe it.
Scott Benner 1:13:44
Thank you so much for doing this. I hope you have a Merry Christmas. I gotta tell you I really like this one. It's probably gonna go up pretty soon. A huge thanks to Joel for coming on the show and telling what I thought was an incredible story. Thanks also to Omni pod makers of the Omni pod tubeless insulin pump for being longtime sponsors, and another longtime sponsor Dexcom, makers of the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor. And never forget about touched by type one.org. Learn more about the sponsors and give them a look. My omnipod.com forward slash juicebox dex comm.com forward slash juicebox touched by telepon.org this was a good first show, isn't it? Right? We're starting off 2021 with a vibe that I liked. Let's keep it going.
Okay, so pretty soon, pretty soon, first couple weeks of January, on my Instagram and Facebook pages. I'll be putting up information and it'll basically say this we're gonna and basically here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna figure it out probably one or two episodes of the pro tip series at a time, you'll listen to it in your own time. And then there'll be a scheduled time with a zoom link that you can come and talk about it with a bunch of people. So, like a book club, we're gonna listen to something, then come together and talk about it. I thought that was a nice idea. I ran a pass and people, they seem to like it too. So we're gonna give it a shot. And if it works, we're going to go through the entire pro tip series. If you don't know what I'm talking about when I say pro tip series, there are episodes within the podcast called diabetes pro tip and then an extension of what that episode is about. It begins at Episode 210. with diabetes pro tip newly diagnosed are starting over. And you can see all of those in one place at diabetes pro tip.com. Or you can just scroll back in your podcast player and listen to them there. So if that sounds good to you keep an eye out for the social media. I'm on the Instagram, and Facebook. Let's see on Instagram at Juicebox Podcast on Facebook, the public group is at bold with insulin. The private group is Juicebox Podcast, type one diabetes, the information will be there very soon. I hope you're having a great start to your new year. I am genuinely jacked up about this next season. I can't wait to bring you all the things I have planned out. Oh, and I probably should say because so many people right now are trying to take advantage of others with their Instagram you know I'm a I'm a what was the one thing I saw that cracked me up I can't say are the personal note I am. Anyway, there's a lot of people charging money to get together and private Facebook groups and talk about things or have access to certain content. I do not do that this book club thing is completely free. So you'll never be asked to spend money to listen to this podcast. Keep that in mind. Anyway, I'll get you more details as soon as I have them. I'm looking forward to doing it. I think the first meeting should definitely be in January. And I can't wait for this next season of the podcast. Thank you so much for listening. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for leaving amazing reviews wherever you listen, subscribe in a podcast app and support the advertisers. If you do those things, you make the inside of my heart happy. I'll talk to you soon.
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