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Scott Benner 0:00
Friends Hello, and welcome to Episode 519 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Today's episode I'll be speaking with Sean brown Sean's an adult living with Type One Diabetes. And he and I go on a journey together, we talk about a little bit of everything. If I remember correctly, I was sick when I recorded this one. So I'm not 100% certain what I said. So you can't hold me accountable. Please remember while you're listening that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, please always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. We're becoming bold with insulin. Now, there are some things you can do without consulting your physician for instance, you can listen to the diabetes pro tip episodes of the podcast. They begin at Episode 210. And they're also available at diabetes pro tip.com. So what I did there was like a weird little. Anyway, I turned it into a thing for you have a little extra stuff here? Oh, yeah, Sean's on Instagram. I wanted to tell you that because I really like him. And I thought if you want to check him out, you could he Shawn brownie, sh a un, br o w n IE.

This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries. g vo cuyp open, Find out more at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juice box. We're also sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. I'd very much like it if you would check it out at Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox. There are links in the show notes of your podcast player and links at Juicebox Podcast comm to these and all of the sponsors. Check them out. This one's gonna be interesting. I don't feel well this is the closest you're going to come to having conversation with me when I'm drunk or high that you're ever going to find because my face feels like it's seven inches in front of my skull for some reason. That's not good. I don't know what's going on. Exactly. I don't have any the COVID symptoms. So I'm feeling pretty good about that part. I just got sick the other day. But I don't I don't have any symptoms other than my head feels a little dancey and I'm a little achy, but that's about it. So, bomber. Yeah, sorry. Sorry to hear that. It's okay. I'll get through it. I usually the fit. I usually get sick and I usually kick my illnesses in a day. And this one's cuts quick. Yeah, this one's Hold on to me a couple days. So this must be worse than usual. My immune system is probably what killed Arden's pancreas honestly, it's really strong. I just don't normally get second face, Eric.

Shaun Brown 3:02
My name is Shaun Brown, type one diabetic, just turned 40. And honestly didn't have anything prepared. I thought you're just going to ask me questions.

Scott Benner 3:14
Because I just need you to introduce yourself. That's all you listen to the show. Right, john? You know, I listened to it pretty frequently. Yeah, I think beginning of every episode, someone's like, Hey, I'm Sean. Like, Bob, you knew this was coming. Did you? Yeah, I honestly didn't premeditated it very deeply. So I'm kind of I'm good with that. I appreciate that. Actually.

Shaun Brown 3:33
Yeah. Um, yeah, I figured it out. I actually at first, I had written some stuff down that to kind of think about what I may need to say. And then I thought, That's absolutely pointless, because I already know how you do the show.

Scott Benner 3:45
We're not gonna ask a bunch of like, scripted questions. That won't be right. Well, listen, you You said you're 40 years old. I just turned 40. Yeah. Happy birthday. And you've had diabetes for quite some time. How old were you and you're diagnosed.

Shaun Brown 4:00
So here's the funny thing. Like, I don't ever I always have to kind of quantify it by the grade I was in because I I never deeply thought about, like, even the idea of when people call a diversity. Yeah, that's absolutely new to me. Like I've never even heard of such a thing until I kind of joined the ecosphere of Instagram and such.

Scott Benner 4:22
Yeah, that's a social that's a social media construct, I think.

Shaun Brown 4:25
Yeah, it must be because I'm like, What is that? And I honestly was completely foreign to me to celebrate it to it seems kind of weird, but I guess I get it. But so I was in sixth grade and are just starting sixth grade. So that puts me probably around 12.

Scott Benner 4:45
Okay, cool. Well, I and I completely have to say I completely understand you thinking about that. We've never had a celebration marking Arden's day that she was diagnosed. I don't know that I could. Well, I do know about myself that if I didn't have my vlog, I wouldn't know when Arden was diagnosed other than to know that it was after her birthday, which would put it in the later summer. But I do know it was in August. But even as I'm being pressed, I don't know the date. So, yeah, and you know, it's up to you, right? Whether you how you want to deal with it or not deal with it or, you know, I think it's one of those things. Maybe you see people do that. That has a lot of value for them. And if you don't need that, then then oh, no, I didn't. Yeah, I didn't mean to like, downplay it like that. You didn't. By the way, don't forget, I'm sick. So this is gonna go. This could go awkward. Like, I don't know, I've definitely recorded when I had a head cold like this.

Shaun Brown 5:43
I'm pretty sure I already said that foot because I was all nervous about how to introduce myself. I did. I did the hard work for me.

Scott Benner 5:52
No, no, I listen, I What I'm saying is I can see their side of it. I can see wanting to mark the occasion, and celebrated like, you know, look at me, I've gone another year with this thing. And, you know, I completely get that. It's just not something that is occurred to us to do.

Shaun Brown 6:06
Yeah, I mean, it just kind of happened. And then it became my life. So I didn't beyond that. Right? I never. But yeah, I vividly remember specifically because, you know, I was not diabetic until sixth grade. So

Scott Benner 6:21
maybe the sixth grade gave me diabetes.

Shaun Brown 6:24
I think it was Yeah, although it was nice getting to go to the nurse office. And and ivig class. I used it as a tool not gonna front.

Scott Benner 6:35
Hey, I'm a little what would you say you were to get out?

Shaun Brown 6:38
I would I feel so bad admitting this. I just would you know, because it was it was totally new to me. And I knew I could leave the class. If I said I didn't feel well. So I you know, went to the nurse office, which in retrospect is terrible. And and kind of, I don't know, it makes me a crappy person.

Scott Benner 6:59
You think so? I don't think a 12 year old can be a crappy person for Oh,

Shaun Brown 7:02
no, no. Well, I you know, what's, what's ironic too, is when I think about it, I would tell the nurse like I feel low and she always had these Donald Duck juice OJS in the fridge. And she would have me test my blood and I know for a fact and right in retrospect that wasn't always low but she was still give me the oj I'm always scratching my head when I think about that one because I'm like, she was the she gave me the juice even though I didn't need it. Which would you know, do worse arm in the end?

Scott Benner 7:35
Maybe Maybe it's it's, um, maybe it's more sinister than that. Maybe she just wanted to, you know, she's like, Look, I need to, I need this job. So I need to, I think she felt bad that she was trying to be consoling, probably making juice make you feel better? Well,

Shaun Brown 7:49
there's, you know, there's psychology wrapped around it, too. Like she probably was aware I was going through stuff. I was newly diagnosed. She was hanging with you. Yeah, I think she probably was humor me To be honest, even though it was a poor choice.

Scott Benner 8:03
I'm thinking of sixth grade. I, my God, it was as it was a long time ago, sixth grade, I had algebra. Now that's pretty common or not. Nowadays. I think they teach kids algebra in like preschool. But I did not understand algebra. I was not good at it. I couldn't follow it. Mixing letters with numbers was not a good idea for me. And I tried for a while I finally came up with it. I was like, I can't do this. I have to drop this class. So that I don't fail it. You know, I'll go back into some general math class, I went up to the teacher. And I don't remember any of my teachers names. But this man, his name was Ted combs. And I remember going up to him and saying, Mr. Combs, I gotta get out of this class. I don't understand algebra. And he laughed. He said, Yeah, I've seen your grades. We know you don't understand it. I was like, Okay, see, this guy's on board, you know. And he goes, but it's too late to drop this class. So you're just gonna have to try harder. And I was like, I don't think that's gonna work. So I tried for a little longer. And one day, I just went up to him. And I basically just made him a deal. And I said, Listen, I will sit in the back of this class. I won't bother you, I won't cause you a problem. I am going to fail this class. I'm not going to hand it homework. I'm not going to do assignments in class. I'm not taking the test, zeroes fail. I'll go to summer school. And he said, Okay. And that's what the education system used to be like. Just see, do you can you imagine now that happening? No,

Unknown Speaker 9:29
no,

Scott Benner 9:30
that was sixth grade, sixth grade. I was 12. I was very premeditated and forward to tell the teacher Oh, the only thing stopping me from ruling the world as an evil genius is I have a pretty big heart. Otherwise, I would just like it, which reminds me that two years later, my guidance counselor said Scott, we we don't talk much. But you should consider becoming an attorney. And I was like, Oh, no, no, no, I don't want to do that. And he said, Why? I said, Well, two reasons. I don't want to do the same thing every day for the rest of my life. Be it Be an attorney. And then I was like, I guess it's three things. And I said, I think I'd be bad at it. And he's like, No, I think you'd be good. And I'm like, No, no, you're misunderstanding me. I was like, I think I'd be bad at it. And like, you know, and he was like, Oh, I'm like, I feel like there's like a sinister part of me that could take over and I could just be, you know, like a bad guy in this story. I was like, I don't want to do that. So I just know that I, I just know that I could be a televangelist. If I had the right heart for it is what I'm saying, Shawn. I definitely didn't go that route. Yeah, I definitely think I could get up on television and be like, just send me some money and everything will be fine. But it work. Yeah, I can see that I broke for you that when I was younger, but when I was younger, I was broke. And I grew up kind of poorly. And I knew I was bright. And I always was afraid I'd I'd like, it's funny. I never had any thoughts about it. But I was always concerned for it not to happen to me. But anyway, there's a long way to go to say that I think your your nurse, I think you're right. She's probably somewhere between trying to be kind to you. And maybe not even understanding the whole thing completely. How long did it take you? Yeah, I think it was a mixture for sure. How long until you understood. Man, I'm embarrassingly still figuring it out. So I think that's good to admit, actually. Well, well, how did you manage back then? cuz I've you and I've emailed back and forth for a long time. Now. I feel like

Shaun Brown 11:22
yeah, I guess it's, it's been a while I'm one when I was diagnosed, it was like old school, I was put on mph and regular. You know, he had that he had the vial, you had to like roll in your hand gently before you drew out into the syringe. And it was it was a pretty like set schedule where it was just like, here's how much you take. And this is when you eat type of thing. Yeah. And man, looking back, but kids these days, I will say, You're so lucky. As far as information is concerned, because it's still scarce, ironically, but with the internet. And with, like communities, like on Instagram, where there's like a thriving community amazingly, yeah. Man, I wish I had something like that when I was younger. That's all I can say. Because information is like the vital component to put you on track. And, you know, obviously, you can get bad information too. But being able to actually interface with other people that live the same life also, and see how they deal with their problems and what works good, what doesn't work and things like that is highly beneficial. And I've never had any of that when I was, you know, younger. And I'm an old guy now.

Scott Benner 12:51
So. So for decades, you were just was it really wasn't that long, you were just shooting at certain times and eating at certain times. And that was it.

Shaun Brown 12:59
One so I wasn't I wasn't on mph irregular for like an eternity. That's what they started me on. But I remember moving into the rapids, like as soon as they became available. And so after that, it was pretty much lantis and homologue or lantis and novolog. And ironically, I'm still on the same type of insulin regimen, even though at this point, I'm so done with it to be honest.

Scott Benner 13:29
Well, okay, so um, I have here, I just did some quick googling. And it looks like humor blog came out in 1996. Hmm, that sounds about right. Sounds about right. So that would have made you How old? So 96 I was 16. Okay, so you did it the first way for about four years, then? Yeah, it wasn't forever, right? And then into the fast tracking stuff, but like you're saying with no real information about how it worked? And is it even more looking back? Is it even more confusing? To go from the just put it in and make sure you eat at the same time to this new insulin that basically works completely differently?

Shaun Brown 14:08
Are you referring to comparing, like mph and regular to novolog? and such?

Scott Benner 14:14
Yeah, like, what was that transition? Like?

Shaun Brown 14:16
It was pretty seamless. I remember just kind of it was the same type of thing. But the problem is, is that we I had always, like, I was never I never got an endo. Even I still to this day, don't have an endocrinologist you've

Scott Benner 14:31
never had.

Shaun Brown 14:32
Dude, I've been my own endo since day one. The day I was diagnosed, you know, I was pretty much like doing it myself. Which is insane. The more I think about it, and I did, I did definitely like once I ironically started to learn more from a health scare that kind of put me on a different track about a year ago. And I started really digging in and saying I you know, I can't Keep doing what I'm doing. I need to re examine what I'm doing. I got so angry at my past because I realized that this entire time, like, I had not been given the proper tools, you know, it's not like I'm a dummy. I'm a pretty smart dude. But I've never been given like the right tools to, to, you know, really succeed properly. Some honestly, it's in so many ways. lucky to be here. Lucky to you know, still be healthy. Yeah. As far as I understand, you know? And, yeah, that's one thing I can say is I'm I'm thankful that it didn't go a different route. For sure.

Scott Benner 15:45
So you basically live like 2025 27 years, with just winging it?

Shaun Brown 15:53
Yeah, it's like the ebb and flow of like, I don't feel good. Let me check it. I The thing was, is I was always, like, pre good about checking my blood. I've always been like, you know, if I don't feel right, I'll check. And if a tie, I deal with it, I don't like sit on it. And, you know, watch it go crazy. I admittedly, during my, you know, teen through younger college years, I was a little rambunctious and did not take it as seriously as I should. Like, I wanted to be in the moment more in certain events or occasions that would allow it to kind of go high when I shouldn't have. But most of the time, you know, I had always been pretty good about it, like, my age, I wish I could find out what my agencies were like when I was super young, because that information is gone now, and I can't get ahold of it. But like, the data, I do have a, I was always in, you know, high sixes to like, low or mid fives. And so I was always kind of managing it, obviously. But sorry,

Scott Benner 17:04
were you getting low a lot back then? Yeah, okay. I

Shaun Brown 17:08
definitely do. I had, I had a lot of experiences where, you know, I got used to waking up with paramedics around and it was just like, this is just diabetes. This is, you know, see what it's like to be diabetic.

Scott Benner 17:20
Sean, that's really interesting. So you had somebody told you lower a one see better, so the number was lower. So you felt like you were doing well, which had to have meant that passing out and then needing an ambulance was just part of it?

Shaun Brown 17:34
Well, I just was never, like, corrected, and I never had I never had proper guidance. Really? Yeah, is the thing. Yeah. And so, and sadly, you know, my, my parents always did everything they they knew they could do to I think but we were all uninformed. And, and, you know, like, I don't want to throw anybody under the bus. But like, I am frustrated that I love my folks. They love me to death. They're amazing, but I wish they had searched out like, you know, finding an endocrinologist I think they they understood that we were in good hands. And arguably we were to a degree but you know, my needs were specific and, and then rapturous, back and

Scott Benner 18:24
exploration, though, I was just saying, reflect if somebody sets expectations in a certain place, and it feels like you're meeting them, and your parents might not have any reason to want to look exactly

Shaun Brown 18:33
and that's what I wanted to kind of know is it's not like they weren't making sure I was it was okay. It's not like they were just like, you know, you're not caring about

Scott Benner 18:46
my well being Yeah, you weren't a dog bed at night, right? They didn't like like put on their plate on the floor and be like you're showing ads for you know, you were being well cared for by people who were given a certain set of things to do and they were doing them for you. And that was

Shaun Brown 19:01
Yeah, it was pretty much you know, like I one of your old shows, I remember you saying you know that Turner what he called it like the kind of don't die, toolbox or whatever.

Scott Benner 19:12
Yeah, I tell you give advice that I consider to be do not die advice. It's just enough to keep y'all that's exactly

Shaun Brown 19:18
what I was given. You know, I remember when I'm when I'm, you know, I might when I was diagnosed, we we basically kept my pediatrician till I think I was like 18 ironically, maybe 16

Scott Benner 19:37
it's actually common nowadays to keep them longer. If you really if you go into college, they'll kick me out, kicked you out.

Unknown Speaker 19:44
It's like yeah, Shawn, I

Unknown Speaker 19:45
don't let people come in here that can kick my ass. You gotta go. He was like, dude, you're so old. You gotta you gotta go to another doctor. You know? That's funny.

Scott Benner 19:56
But yeah, nowadays. Like my kids pediatrician will Be happy to keep them until they're done college. Night. Oh, wow. Yeah. Never heard of such a thing. Yeah. So you don't have to be looking for a doctor while you're going to college. So through college age?

Shaun Brown 20:13
Well, that's kind of good. I mean, if you can stick with somebody, the longer the better I figure.

Scott Benner 20:19
No, I think so too. I agree. Well, I want to dig a little farther into this. So you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. And you're just in that world. And by the way, you're not the nearly the first or the 100th person to tell me that I just feel like waking up with a paramedic overtop of me is part of having diabetes. And it usually does come from people have to say, who have had type one for a couple of decades, usually or longer, like, people who got that, that initial like, Hey, here's humalog You know, this is new and exciting. It's so much better than the stuff you've been using. And wow, look at your meter. You can carry it with you now and stuff I get like in that space and time of diabetes. A lot of the people with expectations like that come from that space, I find, but it's amazing. Yeah. So what what changed for you like what happened two years ago?

Shaun Brown 21:14
So I was progressively getting like stomach discomfort. And it wasn't like excusing it bump the wire here fine. So so I was getting kind of like a cramping but it wasn't like intense. And then it progressed into almost like, it moved into my chest area. And I was starting to freak out thinking like, Am I potentially having a heart attack and it kind of kept getting worse? One evening, I could not get it to go away with, you know, taking antacids or pepto or anything like that. And I just remember, nothing made it better. And it was so intense that, you know, I nervously submitted myself to the ER, to go see if I was having a heart attack. I wasn't apparently. And then I then I thought, well, maybe it's pancreatitis, and it wasn't that my bloodwork came out, okay. They did it like a rib scan. Everything was good. It's really strange. And so I stayed there till like 3am, I came home. And then I saw my doctor. And he he inferred that it was like, severe GERD or something. And so he put me on a proton pump inhibitor for a bit. And that actually made me worse. I felt terrible. I felt terrible on this. And I kept telling him, you know, I think I might not need this. And I don't think it's I'm reacting properly to it. And it was really bad. And then eventually, you know, I told him, I think I'm having an allergic reaction to this drug because it's it I'm feeling way worse. I was feeling like sick from it. And, and at first, I thought I felt better. But then it progressed into an area where I was just, I knew something was wrong, and it was the drugs. So I told him, I'm not taking this anymore. So you kind of partially bicker with me on at first, but then you decided that, you know, the patient knows best type of thing. And then, and then I quit taking it. And I felt immediately better. Well, you

Scott Benner 23:27
didn't have any stomach acid to help you with your food.

Shaun Brown 23:29
Yeah, it was it was intense. And so at that point, I kind of just I had like a wake up call where I'm like, I already was like for a while progressively for about 10 years, cutting things out on my diet that just were junk. You know, I grew up on a very standard American diet. And I, over the years kept pulling things away and being more meticulous about how he thinking about, you know, eating healthier foods as much as possible, removing processed food as much as possible. And at a certain point, I just figured I need to examine my diet even more. I also had been pretty, pretty consistently a drinker for a long time. So I was concerned maybe it had something to do with alcohol. I'm not like a binge drinker or anything, but like, I would definitely have at least a beard a night to take the edge off or whatever. I think in retrospect, I realize ironically, I was probably kind of self medicating with alcohol, not knowing it.

Scott Benner 24:43
So stuff self medicating,

Shaun Brown 24:46
dealing with the stressors of diabetes. I also am a you know a father to an amazing kid who's nine now but he he is on the autism spectrum. He also has Has Tourette's? And it's a full time job, you know? And so that kind of added to the equation when we had my son.

Scott Benner 25:13
Well, that's not. I have to say, I just wanted to take a detour for a second. Not sure off, but I see online. There are plenty of dads of kids with type one. And drinking does seem to be their major way to deal with it. If I'm Yeah, and it's, it's no good man. Wow. So yeah. So you come home at the end of the night, you're having a beer every day, you're having these pains, stomach chest, and it just generally makes you feel like, I need to do better for myself, because especially because they didn't come up with anything, right?

Shaun Brown 25:48
Yeah, the crazy thing is, is they could not find anything. And I was quite determined to figure it out. So I had them scheduled me for a full abdomen scan, they didn't find anything. The only thing that was left was like a what? When the scope you and I never got the scope done, because I changed my diet. And I improved dramatically after I changed my diet.

Scott Benner 26:11
I have to tell you that I've tried very hard over the last couple of years to remove processed foods, certain oils. And I thought that was hilarious, actually. And I feel much better. Last night as an example, like, everybody wanted something specific, and I made it. And then I had some and I just didn't. I was like, uh, later I was like, I'm not gonna eat that again. Like, I shouldn't have that you don't I mean, like it just it just wasn't worth it. And when you're younger man, your body just like your body can eat tin cans when you're younger. You don't I mean?

Shaun Brown 26:50
Yeah, absolutely. You get into the hat. That's the problem is you form habits. And yeah, I certainly formed a lot of bad ones when I was younger.

Scott Benner 26:57
Right? Well, so in the, in that process, then that taking care of your diabetes just came along with eating better. You just were like, Well, let me manage this more specifically as well.

Shaun Brown 27:09
Yeah, what so what's it's so weird, because I'm like a completely different diabetic now. I mean, very much the same, but totally different in that. You know, in the past, I was only testing on a meter. I finally acquired CGM that changed everything for me. Just having that data. And and then I found out about in pen, amazingly, through Instagram, and so ironic how Instagram has informed me. It's so it's so like, in retrospect, it's just silly to me, because I've learned more from this from social media and podcasts such as yours, than anything that my doctor could have given me,

Scott Benner 27:59
Sean, you're just old enough to understand when I tell you that. I'm incredibly proud of this podcast. I think it's one of the better things I've done with my life. And yet, when I stand in front of someone, and they're like, Hey, what do you do? I'm like, Well, I have a podcast. It feels stupid when I'm saying it. And you know, and if I was younger, I wouldn't if I was 25, or 30. And I think I have a podcast you know about AI? That would seem realistic to me, but I am older. And when I say it, I understand anyway, how you feel when you're like, I can't believe that Instagram is where I get good information from it just seems ridiculous now. Yeah, yeah, I totally understand. So you learned about in pen through there.

Shaun Brown 28:45
I think I think I stumbled on someone that was using it. And I was like, Oh my god, you can take half units. Sean, you're pretty far behind that. I know. I'm a dinosaur now. So I almost didn't want to do the podcast because I was like, I'm gonna embarrass myself so bad. I'm just gonna sound so I'm educated.

Scott Benner 29:05
No, no, I listen, I think that what you're doing is valuable because I believe that the other side of Instagram is that you're usually only see from people who are doing really well. And I think more people lived the way you did than you think. And they get no I think you're right. Yeah, they don't speak up as often so I'm glad for you to do this. Yes, sorry. So okay, see a diabetes for 27 years and you're like wow, half units, game changer.

Unknown Speaker 29:34
I mean, really

Shaun Brown 29:35
was I'm not gonna lie. So but the thing is, is if I can jump around a lot here, but I'm absolutely still totally sick of not having enough precision. And I never really even had you know, pump therapy pushed on me so much as just mentioned by my doctor like, Hey, you know, you could get a pump, right? And that was about it. Like I was never informed on like, Here's why you should get a pump. This is what a pump can do. When you have pumps, this is what you can benefit from, you know?

Scott Benner 30:19
Gee vo hype open pan has no visible needle, and it's the first pre mixed autoinjector of glucagon for very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Not only is chivo hypo pen simple to administer, but it's simple to learn more about, all you have to do is go to G evoke glucagon.com forward slash juicebox g vo shouldn't be used in patients with insulin, Noma or pheochromocytoma. Visit g Vogue glucagon.com slash risk.

Stop right now and think, ask yourself this question. Is the blood glucose meter I'm using or using on my child? Is it the best one I could have? If you don't know the answer to that question, I'd like it if you could go to Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox. To check out the Contour Next One blood glucose meter, this meter is ultra ultra accurate, it is super simple to use fits very well on your hand or your pocket or your purse, or your bag, or wherever you needed to go. It has Second Chance test strips, right? Meaning you can hit the blood not good enough or mess up a little bit, you know, and go back and get more without wasting the test strip or ruining your accuracy. Now I'm not saying that it needs a lot of blood, cuz it doesn't. I'm just saying if you shouldn't quite get enough The first time you know, like sometimes you'll squeeze in and it won't come out. That's when that that's really helpful. Anyway, that wasn't a very clean explanation. But you get what I'm saying you can go back and get more blood without ruining your test trip for your accuracy. accuracy. Oh, what letter was I leaving out their accuracy, accuracy accurate? Whoo, hello, Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox. Head over and check it out. It's a terrific website. It's well designed, it'll be easy to get around and use. And you'll be able to learn all about the Contour Next One blood glucose meter, you may actually be eligible for a free meter, you have to see also, there's some test strips Savings Programs, you can look into what else Oh, supplies might actually be cheaper in cash than they are through your insurance company. That'd be crazy, wouldn't it? There's only one way to find out. Contour Next one.com forward slash juicebox. Let's get back to Sean

Shaun Brown 32:53
when I was younger, and it was kind of like, you know, the only thing I was told was don't mess up or you'll have problems. You know? No, I was just fearful of screwing up all the time. I just tried really hard to not screw up as much as possible. But I also didn't know like, you know, I honestly in retrospect, may have gone on a pump like much younger. I was really aware of the benefit. And I can see like how much I could improve control with one

only someone would have invented podcast 25 years ago, you would have been saved? Well, you just said that you were told to just not mess up, or else. Were they specific with you? Did you get the like, you want your legs to fall off and your eyes? The pop out was? Yeah, that type of thing. I was really yeah. Yeah. So first, my pediatrician was kind of on the same. The same thing. And then, you know, when I graduated out of him and went to a new doctor who was recommended to me, who was I was told was a specialist in diabetes, but not technically an endocrinologist, we only have like one endo in town, ironically. And I didn't know that at the time, but my parents were referred to him, you know, and we just went to him because he was highly recommended. And he's a great guy. I'm not gonna, you know, I don't want to throw him under the bus or anything. He's a really nice guy. And he's always helped me out with financial issues that I've had along the way too, right? He's always been like caring about, you know, making things affordable. And I've always appreciated that and he's always been, you know, available via email if I need them or something like that. And he gets back quick. So I can't complain, you know, but at the same time, it's, it's not like I was getting guidance, a whole lot either. You know, he definitely made sure you had the insulin and the syringes. He just didn't

that's about it. Yeah. I mean, I don't know. If he ever listened to this. I'm sorry. I'm not Trying to say you're a bad dude.

Scott Benner 35:03
You think is he still practicing? Yeah, I still see him. have bad blood with my doctor even though Can you imagine? That is an adult need, like Didn't he was like, oh, Sarah, you're here for prescriptions for me? Yeah, I suppose I overthink stuff. It'll be fine. Well, listen, I'm not gonna lie to you. A lot of doctors do listen to this podcast. But I was just interviewing someone yesterday who said they were in the office and doing much better, you know, than they had been doing. And the doctor looks at her and goes, are you being bold with insulin? And she goes, do you listen to and the guy goes, I do. So

Unknown Speaker 35:44
that's pretty cool. does

Scott Benner 35:45
happen. Yeah, I have to say, too, and I'm going to, I'll say it here. And I'll say it in a couple other places. If you are one of those doctors, and you're listening, who recommends the podcast, if you would come on the show anonymously, I'd love to interview you. So

Shaun Brown 36:01
they should do that. I really, I would be impressed if someone stepped up to the plate and did that.

Scott Benner 36:06
You don't have to say your name or anything where you're from, or anything like that. But I would love to, I would love to pick the brain of a person who is in that position and has said to another person. Hey, there's a podcast I think you should listen to. I think that's kind of fascinating to me. Actually. That'd be brilliant. Yeah, but yeah, you'll be alright. Listen, and here's a disclaimer for your guy. You're off the hook. Man. Sean thinks you're cool. Let it go. We're just trying to get out what happens when you're diagnosed A long time ago. And for reasons that, you know, I think we've picked apart now a little bit, your parents didn't look much farther into it a little that you just didn't know. And then you know, you have a kin, who's got a lot of responsibilities with your family. And, I mean, luckily, I guess your stomach started hurting. Seriously.

Shaun Brown 36:50
Yeah, you know, it's so ironic because I tell people now like that. I'm so glad it happened to me, because it really changed my life for the better. Like, you know, I'm still trying to get to where I want to be at. But man, I put me on the right track for sure. And I the irony, though, the irony about that is I've always very, very, very strongly not wanting to be that guy. I've always not wanted to be the guy that waits for you know, shit to hit the you know, yeah. You know what I mean? hands dirty to do something about it. Yeah, you know, I've seen that happen to too many people. And, you know, I I've always been adamant about not being one of those people. Which is ironically, I guess why? I don't I'm not blind yet or something. But, you know, at the same time, I'm not gonna pat myself on the back and Sam like him? Well, I think diabetic either

Scott Benner 37:45
No, it sounds to me like you were playing in the side of the pool that was more aggressive with the insulin. So while your issues were wrapped around lows, which might have helped you a little bit, stay away from the higher one so that you don't know you didn't have a CGM. You could have been 400. And then 50. Right, you have no idea. You

Shaun Brown 38:02
know, that's another thing I think about all the time. And I'm actually very, like, hyper aware. And so I probably because of going hypose so much in the back. I mean, here's a funny thing, like just as a side tangent, just to inform me on like how uninformed like I was for very long. Like when I would give myself insulin, I would just say I took insulin, I didn't even know the word Bolus.

Scott Benner 38:29
here that's not uncommon though. Shawn,

Shaun Brown 38:31
man like stuff like that. I had to I had to like cram for a test for like a year straight pretty much is how I've felt

Scott Benner 38:38
learning diabetes

Shaun Brown 38:39
since last October. Yeah, it's been an interesting. Yeah, because I like, I'd be like, Huh, Basil profile. I'm gonna search that now to like,

Scott Benner 38:53
do you find the defining diabetes episodes helpful?

Shaun Brown 38:56
Yeah, I do. Ironic stuff like Pre-Bolus ng I, it's not like I was unaware of what Pre-Bolus was, but it helped put the idea of it a lot more front and center in a way that was way more expansive than I ever thought about it. Because I was always just told, you know, wait 15 minutes. Yeah, right, you know, and that it doesn't work that way, especially depending on activity level. And I've learned all this like, in a very short span of time, ironically. Now, how much hydration you have, what how sensitive you are at the moment, like all these things change, and I would have never known you know, in the past

Scott Benner 39:40
Yeah. I don't know. I don't get deep into a lot of things. Then and you know, I'm, I'm a, basically a person who enjoys like living like I like being around people I care about. I like having a little bit of entertainment. I like being rested. I like You know, I like watching my kids do things like I'm not a person who picks something and, like, digs super deeply into it all the time I have the interest, I'd never have the motivation, but it wasn't hard to want to pick into the diabetes. Once I noticed that, but even in the beginning for me the first couple of years, I was just you, like, you know, you 18 months ago was me when Arden first had diabetes, I was just like, I don't know what any of this means. I don't know why this is happening. The guy said, 15 minutes, the lady said, half an hour, you know, like you I was doing everything like that. Yeah. And it wasn't until one day where I just, I don't know, I just started picking through it. And I found one little like, it feels like, if diabetes me feels like I'm picking paint off a wall. Like I just I saw a little chip and I pulled it off. I was like, Oh, I wonder what else is under there. And I just kind of kept pulling and pulling until I stood back in it, you know, look like that wall for a memento. And I was like, Oh, I understand all this. And, and I know why this is important. Like, and I and maybe one part of my personality that helped was I don't like platitudes. They make me upset, like so saying something just to say it bothers me outside of diabetes as well. And so that statement, oh, that's just diabetes, which you said here earlier, which was part of your life? And was an answer that I would get back all the time or find online, by the way, because as valuable as online is right now, up until a handful of years ago. Nobody was really being that helpful. It was always very, like aspirational stuff, which I I'm not, I'm not shitting on I think is really valuable. But I mean, it never went farther that nobody was ever like, Hey, you know, here, here's a Pre-Bolus broken down into why and how I no one was telling you that except in maybe a couple of books like I might have to give. You'd have to give john Walsh credit for pumping insulin. That book, like where he broke things down there. I've never read it. But I hear from everybody how amazing it is. And he's and he's been around for a while. Oh, certainly a long while. I think he wrote that book with his wife got I think she's his wife anyway, maybe not. JOHN, come on the show. That'd be nice. But um, but that digging through it. Once I dug through it, and it made sense to me, then it felt really wrong not to tell somebody, like, you know what I mean? Like I thought like, well, now I know, somebody else needs to know toe, I'll just start writing, I'll start telling people that that really, to me is how, you know, I'm not taking credit for the entirety of the space. I'm certainly not saying that. But people doing that is how you ended up. Moving forward. You know what I mean? And had no one ever done that you probably would have just written this, you know, this dumpster fire out to the end and been like, hey, and

Shaun Brown 42:55
I would argue No, no, really, I don't mean I don't I don't, I don't think I would have, I still don't think I would have gotten see I'm like, I'm the type of person where I will read a book. If I have if it's really going to have some nuggets of info information that'll help me out. I really just want to get right to the meat and potatoes of what's going to help me get on track fast. And then I can dig into the the you know, details later. And that's what your podcast offers, in my opinion. It's, it's like it's like, well, I don't I don't I hope I'm not, you know, glossing over all the other great things that it does offer. But But for me, in my experience, it kind of just narrowed it like you know, gave put a bull's eye on what I needed to hear. Right when I needed to hear it instead of having to weed through a ton of other nonsense.

Scott Benner 43:45
I'm glad. And you also said the most masculine thing I've ever heard in my life, which is I'll read a book if I have to. I do read, I actually enjoy reading something I would say by the way. I don't mean it like that. I know. It's funny. No, but I hear what you're saying. Like I got what, like, I'm ready to hear it. Give it to me Don't

Shaun Brown 44:06
Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, I, I find a lot of authors like to really kind of, it's almost like they need to fill the pages or something.

Scott Benner 44:17
So people asked me to write a book about diabetes that happens every once in a while. I'll give publishers will come and say Hey, could you turn your podcast into a book? Or would you do this? And I'm always like, I don't know, man, like diabetes keeps changing, you know, make a book and then amended and amended and amended, and then people have to read it. And what if they read one page and not the other? Yeah, I don't know. You'd almost have to only live in the digital realm where you could just have it on online space where I could constantly change and it would still be a never ending battle and not for nothing, but don't people read books a lot on tape. And so isn't that what this is? And then why do I need to be published about it? Like it just seems? I mean, also, I've been published before, I guess so this excitement of that, isn't it? know what that is, you know what I mean? Like it was, it is really nice, but I don't need to do it again, kind of a feeling. But at the same time I going back to what you said, I agree with you. Less is more. And often it is be direct, right? So tell them what they need to know, don't like you write a book a lot of times it's a lot of filler. And I mean, I could I could write an amazing book about managing your diabetes right now probably about like, 35 pages long. Like is, you know, that's a pasture not a book. Yeah. So and, and I don't and the other thing, too, Shawn, no lie is just had this conversation with somebody on over the weekend. I, I don't like the idea of you or anyone else listening having to pay for this? Like, I don't like that. So I don't think you should have to pay somebody 1995 to know how to Pre-Bolus I don't feel like I should I am not a person who would put up a program online and be like, for just $60 a month, you can understand what I know about that, like that stuff. I don't like that at all. I'm trying not to be harsh about it. Because I know people who do this as a business model. And I don't think that all of them are. I don't think they're bad people. But it rubs me the wrong way. Like

Shaun Brown 46:20
I could I couldn't understand why I mean, you're connected to it in such an intimate way to you know, being that your daughter's diabetic, I mean, you're giving something back to the community. That's, you know,

Scott Benner 46:31
it's such a, it's such a very strong feeling for me that that money should not be the the the the access point to you understanding how protein affects your blood sugar, you know, and so that's why I'm like, while there are some people run around and like, get on people, like you take ads and like take ads, I'm actively looking for ads. I'm like, I want the podcast to get made so that someone can find it. Like Sean, you found that a year ago. And it's done for you what it's done, which is great. But the podcast has been alive for five years prior to that, too. It helped other people who are long gone now. And I need to keep making the podcast to the next you finds the podcast, has these experiences and moves on to a healthier situation. And I just don't know, I'm an American, Shawn, like, this is how things work. I build something popular. You buy an ad on it, I use your money to get my thing to people. Like that's basically what I do I take advertisers money to make a podcast, and you use that podcast for what you use it for. Hopefully it works for you. If it does, you tell somebody else about it, that keeps the podcast moving forward, it's very transparent, and I make some money so that I can spend the time doing this, like you and I are talking right now. I feel like I'm going to die. Just so you know, like, like, I really don't feel good. And, but but this is my job now. So I do this today. And I will edit the show later today so that you have a podcast to listen to on Monday. And like, you know, like, and that takes money. Because if I if I didn't have money from the advertisers, I you know, I'm still I'm a stay at home dad, yes. But I still have to make some money, I'd have to go get a job. At the very least I can't sit up here at this desk for five or six hours every day, which at this point is about what the podcast takes to run. And then what go down to my wife and say, Oh, don't worry, I'm helping people. You know, it's just, I don't know what people think. But that's not how the world works. So you know, but and and I don't want to take money from listeners. I trust me there are people who come along all the time. And they're like, hey, how many downloads do you have? And I tell them and they're like, why don't you charge 89 cents for a download? You'd be wealthy? And I'm like, Huh, seems wrong. really does like seems wrong to me. So you'll know if that ever happens that all the all the advertisers are gone. If all of a sudden you're like, I don't know, back in 2021. He said, he didn't want to do this. But now suddenly the podcast costs money, you'll know that I couldn't get an advertiser for that. And by the way, if I can't get an advertiser, it means no one's listening to the show. So you should probably move on anyway. Seriously, you know, like, think about it. It's just common sense, right? I really am a little woozy. Sean. My head's dancing around a little bit. Hang in there. Hang in there, Scott. Don't worry. I have clear instructions for people for how to release all of the recorded episodes if I should die prematurely. So this could be the end of it right here like and Shawn was the last one ever talked to him? He said he doesn't read and he's he just learned about diabetes after having it for 30 or 30 years. Wow. Can you imagine if you were the last one you'd like come on. Just one more cup out after this terrible summary of who Sean is.

Unknown Speaker 49:56
Yeah, no,

Scott Benner 49:56
you're not obviously you're not in this. You know, I like to really In this last quarter of the show, like really summarize who you are, you're a person who a year ago, figured out a ton of new stuff. And I want to hear about your life now.

Shaun Brown 50:12
Yeah, okay, well, now I eat completely different. And I approach food differently. Also, I also work out every day now, which is completely new to me. I, you know, in the past, it was never a part of the culture of my house, even like, you know, getting exercise and that type of way we play ball, we played, I played baseball, I played on soccer teams, I skateboarded growing up, like, intensively, right, a lot. And after that, you know, I just kind of stopped doing active stuff, but I never, there was never like this idea of like, you know, do this to take care of your diabetes also, but also do this because it'll just, you know, keep your body in tune. It just wasn't a thing that my family did. And I, that's another area where I wish it was part of my routine. And early on, because it would have, I think, just that even alone would have set me up for a lot more success.

Scott Benner 51:20
I'm gonna find out more about that. So how did you change your eating first.

Shaun Brown 51:24
So I had already been like toying with the idea of, you know, cutting me out of my diet for a while, because I would always notice, I just didn't feel very awesome when I would eat it. And I enjoyed it. I it's not like I didn't like eating it. But I, I always found like, it just, I would kind of feel sluggish, I would feel good gross afterwards. And it wasn't like a blood sugar thing. That was the concern so much. It was more just like, I didn't enjoy how I felt. You know? And so I it kind of weirdly graduated me to going completely vegan, weirdly, I just, I was like, Well, here's another thing I don't really want to have in my diet anymore. Let me see if I pull this out if this will help. And and then I kind of was like, Well, I'm already pulling this out. Let me see. You go down rabbit rabbit hole real easy once you start kind of just researching, you know, different new ways to proceed with you know, diet, and I stumbled upon the mastering diabetes guys, by complete happenstance, it wasn't I the name of their, their organization, or if the anonymous they are organization, but the team of two guys who who are like real hardcore about, you know, teaching about what causes insulin resistance and informing you on how to how to reduce your insulin resistance via diet and exercise, essentially. But I didn't mean to go to them for diet advice or diabetes advice. I was actually googling online, how to figure out my insulin to carb ratio, and it came up. So I was like, oh, check this out, too. You know, because, for me, like, it's even the idea of the math of doing like, insulin dosing was never something I really did until recently. And so I and I had periodically asked my doctor over the years, like, well, like, how do I figure this out? And he just be like, you know, that's something you just get it changes, like, he would always kind of give me a wishy washy answer. And then I think he honestly didn't know what to tell me. Yeah. And, and so he would, he would write at the time, we did have one endo in his practice, but I didn't see any purpose of going to one because I was always told I was on the right track. And my agency was in range and doing good, you know, so I just thought, like, what is the purpose of Siena, endo? At that point. And so but I also needed advice on like, how did I figure these things out and like, have like a starting point. And so I would periodically Google these things over the years, not not just up until a year ago. Now, I would always feel kind of dumbfounded because I wouldn't just find like, exactly what I was looking for. So just keep doing what I was doing, which was go by the ebb and flow of how my blood sugars were, and just, you know, correct as needed. And I finally found like one website that actually really did summarize how to get your insulin to carb ratio and your ISF. And, I mean, I'm assuming it's accurate, because I've been using this information for years like now Come

Scott Benner 54:53
to think of it. I just did find it on the internet. It was a What is it? Should I not name a website right on your show, it doesn't matter to me. Okay.

Shaun Brown 55:02
Yeah, it was, um, I'm trying to remember it was like I you know, I don't remember anymore. It's a popular it's, it's it's something it's like diabetes info dotnet or something like that I can't honestly can't remember what it was now, even just

Scott Benner 55:18
like anyhow, probably just sent everybody to a porn site. So yeah,

Shaun Brown 55:20
sorry, guys. So anyhow, what I did was I started, you know, doing the math with that the best I could. And I started kind of, like getting me at least started with, like having a truer idea of, you know, how it was really dosing. And, and eventually I even like found a really cool app that lets you take an Excel spreadsheet that that you can, like, you know, put math into, and then you can make the Excel into an app. And so I have a little app on my phone that I built, essentially, that uses that math that I call ratios, I just it's like right next to my and pen app, and I'll adjust it on the fly. Like I'll, I'll assess my seven day, report in in pen. And I'll go off of that. And I'll kind of keep changing my baseline is on the carbon ISF from that. And then I'm still too much of a dummy to like know, how to, like, mathematically quantify what what my daytime and nighttime icy and ISF are. But I know just from the feel of how things go like in the morning, I usually need to have to a unit more on top of recommendation. And at lunch, I'm about recommendation. And that dinner, I'm like a half unit to unit less than recommendation often interesting what whatever that quantifies to so like in, in this little, you know, app thing and I made based on the information I found on that website, I set one field to my way, another field to my Bolus, my total Bolus amount, another field to my total base basil amount, and that gives me my, you know, total daily dose. And then after that it spits out the insulin to carb ratio. But you know, it's like their formula was like 2.6, you know, times your weight divided by your your total daily dose type of thing. And that's, that's what I'm going off of. So that's correct.

Scott Benner 57:31
If it's working for you, it's great. Yeah, it can be working.

Shaun Brown 57:34
But I still feel like it always needs a little fine tuning like, I feel like so then there's the ISF and I kind of built this into the app to where you kind of play with the rule, the standard rule was always like 18 100. But then I learned on that same website that I guess if you're, if you're a real 5050 split, this is my understanding anyways, like if you're, if your your basil is about 50, your Bolus is about 50, then you kind of apparently, and please don't quote me on this because I could be absolutely wrong. But that's more when you use 1800. But if your basil is less, and your Bolus is a little more, you kind of play with the rule and move it down to like, you know, 1750 or 1700. So I because of my ratio, excuse me, I have mine at like 1700. And then that kind of you know, helps me calculate out my ISF.

Scott Benner 58:34
So I think Jenny just explained the 1800 rule on the podcast the other day, it's interesting that you're bringing it up right now about how endos find those your insulin sensitivity factor, but by the way, just so people know, whatever. I just checked the the URL you said and it is not where you

Shaun Brown 58:53
Yeah, you know what here don't go you're done cuz I got my boots, that's all. But now that I know that was wrong, it's diabetes net. Let me see diabetes net calm.

Scott Benner 59:05
Sorry about that. Okay, so yeah, the other one is just like a link farm. Sorry. It's just it's one of those somebody grabbed it because I thought it was a good URL that people might type in. It's funny. I've never heard the one handed there, man. No, you're good. I appreciate you talking about I it's funny. I've never seen this website before in my life.

Shaun Brown 59:26
I only found it because it was like the only place that that really dug into insolent action times. And also, what else? Just like, you know, figuring out your insulin to carb and all that, like in an understandable way that, you know, my simple brain can figure out

Scott Benner 59:43
I'm glad you found something. Give me that cisors I've never seen this website my life. That's interesting. Yeah, look, it almost looks fake. You're not exactly selling it. Just enough. Yeah, so I'm

Unknown Speaker 1:00:03
cracking up for a second,

Shaun Brown 1:00:05
though. That's really dope on those guys as well. guys actually helped me out. I just wanted to let you know,

Scott Benner 1:00:12
for your trouble, I wanted to let you know that your site looks fake. No, um, I think that's cool that you figured stuff out like that, that you were just like, I need to know how to do this. No one's telling me but she wanted at this point, like, how can we haven't just found an endo that you really like? You just don't think it's necessary.

Shaun Brown 1:00:30
So I never was really, I was always reassured I was doing a good job. And I was always put the whole like, sorry,

Scott Benner 1:00:40
do you think you were Do you think somebody was just telling you that he didn't know what they were talking about?

Shaun Brown 1:00:44
Well, naively at the time, I really did think I was doing well. And I guess I knew like, you know, I definitely knew for sure, you know, I need to cut back on my drinking at the time. I always knew that was like, a big No, no. But like, you know, I knew I needed to lose some weight at the time, I was pretty, I was getting heavier. And I knew I needed to get more activity. But beyond stuff like that, you know, I just thought like, Well, every time I would always be super nervous to get my labs and then my labs would come back and I wouldn't have red flags, or anything look good. You know, eventually, I began to have really high cholesterol. And that was one of the that was another one of the main reasons I changed my diet, which I totally forgot to mention was for about maybe five years straight. I had really bad cholesterol, and I completely annihilated that going off and plant base.

Scott Benner 1:01:40
I have to ask you a question. It's gonna sound like I'm joking, but I'm not. What you wake up. There's three paramedics standing over top of you. You think this is okay. Doctor said I'm doing good. No, no, no, absolutely

Shaun Brown 1:01:51
not. I never thought it was okay. Or, you know, it always just made me feel like well, you know, I really, I really messed up and I see Okay, let me try not to repeat what got me there the last time.

Scott Benner 1:02:04
So it felt like a fumble. Like I'm playing a great game. I just dropped the ball for a second.

Shaun Brown 1:02:09
Yeah, gotcha. Yeah. You know, and I guess you can say got it just got normalized because it happened throughout my life, not like a ton, but enough to to the point where it was just part of my life. You know, like, I remember in high school, which was probably the first time it happened. I passed out on the quad. Like on my way from one class to another, I had just gotten Oh, yeah. And I and I didn't realize it, I passed out. I woke up with paramedics. I was told I even seized

Scott Benner 1:02:42
HD my whole goal was to see everything I just said my whole goal used to be just that Arden was never the kid who passed out at school. That was like the first way I used to think of it but then that led me to you know, her blood sugar higher than I wanted it to be. And then soon my goal morphed into how can I keep her blood sugar down but stable in a way where it won't just randomly drop anywhere? And then you know, he just kept picking through things and picking through things and until the the insulin made more and more sense to me about how to use it where to put it where to take it away you know when to be more aggressive and less aggressive and all that stuff. But yeah, it all started with that like oh god I just don't want Arden to like I don't want the story to be that girl passed out at school. You know, it was like my first thought when she was a little you testing your blood sugar now.

Shaun Brown 1:03:40
I'm actually given a Bolus because I am blue it when I I kind of heavy handed my breakfast and I ended up kind of going low right before the the podcast and I was like, Well, I don't want to go on go low. During the podcast,

Scott Benner 1:04:00
I find myself wondering how often people are like, I really have to do a good job with my blood sugar water.

Shaun Brown 1:04:06
Pressure, like I actually kind of blew it. So I ate a whole persimmon which persimmons are kind of that's like 20 grams,

Scott Benner 1:04:13
then you went up? Yeah, just a little too much. So I did an interesting interview with an older person the other day. Who has gastro precice on top of you know, other stuff. And she got low during the show. And we kept going was really interesting like she treadle allow it didn't come up, but she traded it again. Her diabetes alert dog started bothering her. It was really like we can stop and she's like, No, no, it's okay. She's like, Yeah, and I was like, okay, so we kept going and it was it was interesting. It really it really was. I felt like I was watching it happen to my daughter but through headphones, kind of a kind of a thing.

Shaun Brown 1:04:53
I often wonder if that's something that it may be linked to the stomach issues that I was having, because I didn't know about Either and I had just learned about that recently, the Gasser purchases?

Scott Benner 1:05:03
Well, I think if I mean the very basic, I'm obviously not a doctor, but if your food is digesting the way you expect it to, you're not having any other neuropathy issues or nerve issues.

Shaun Brown 1:05:17
So that was another reason that I definitely was like, I need to get my act together was I was, you know, when I didn't go to sleep, I started getting to the point where I was worried I was beginning to experience neuropathy, and I wouldn't I would tell my dog like, Hey, is this neuropathy? I think I might have it, you know, me and he would kind of quiz me on it and then tell me no, no, that's not really neuropathy. So I don't know if he's just, dude, where are you gonna sleep here?

Scott Benner 1:05:45
What public state you live in? You're in California, aren't you? Yeah, I mean, California. That seems like a place where they have doctors. We got them exist. Let me just give you the neuropathy quiz real quick. Batman or Superman, Shawn? Oh, yeah, you're fine. Don't worry about it. Let's get out of your crazy kid. How many times have the ambulance come to here twice? Doing great buddy. Yeah.

Shaun Brown 1:06:13
I mean, I don't know. I honestly, I debate if I do I if I do. It's extremely minor. But like, to give you an example, I hate the weight of the sheets on my toes. If my toes are, like being pulled down by this by though, like the weight of the conference or too much. But I don't know if that really like qualifies as neuropathy. To be honest, have

Scott Benner 1:06:41
you had that your whole life or just more recently,

Shaun Brown 1:06:44
more into like my, into my 30s? Yeah. And so I always like that was what started me being all paranoid about it.

Scott Benner 1:06:52
Do you have any other tactile issues, the things you don't like touching you? Or sounds or tastes like things textures in your mouth? anything weird like that? case, really, just like stuff that throws your way off or you don't like the feeling of something in your mouth? Or you can't talk No,

Shaun Brown 1:07:09
not like that. No, no, no. Okay, but like, I like if I get a high blood sugar, and I think this is more a symptom of hyperglycemia. But like, I will experience like, in my sciences, my sciences will feel like dry and almost like I'm smelling metal sometimes. And that drives me nuts. Like, I will almost think like that's odd, you know, just because my sciences always seemed a little off.

Scott Benner 1:07:44
Or your is your blood sugar a certain way when you smell metal high?

Shaun Brown 1:07:50
No, it could be like, so for me, like I here's, here's a tidbit. Like just when No, it's not like that high. Like if it's just maybe going up. But like, if if I'm even like above 130 these days, I hate it. Like I can't stand it. Like I have to make sure that like it's one of the things that I think in general always kind of kept me taking care of myself pretty well. Is I absolutely despise the way it feels like to be terribly out of range anyways, even though I admittedly I was worse, but I was younger.

Scott Benner 1:08:24
Well, I think that's, listen, I I'm sorry, if you don't feel well, but I think it's great that you've because that what that tells me is that you've gotten your blood sugar so stable, and in a good range that you can tell now when when things aren't the way they're supposed to be?

Shaun Brown 1:08:41
Yeah, I would, I would definitely say that time and range was completely foreign to me. When, you know, not very long ago. I mean, I knew what time and range was, but I never understood the emphasis of it. I never understood like, how vital that is compared to other things ironically, because like now, you know, I can probably say like, you my standard deviation, which I also had no idea what what what that was, you know, ranges anywhere from, like, 20 to, you know, 28 often on an average basis as long as I have my basil locked down, which I'm really proud of, because I can only imagine it wants to be in complete garbage in the past, you know?

Scott Benner 1:09:22
Yeah, dude, I can't imagine either because you said you lost your data, but I had I was thinking that the way you were going especially from such a young age on your own like you're a one sees must have been pretty bonkers at some points,

Shaun Brown 1:09:34
I would think Yeah, and I mean, we ate like typical, you know, regular stuff, you know, go to pizza. I'd have like three slices type of thing. So

Scott Benner 1:09:44
think about that. Now, like if you had three slices of pizza now, how much insulin would that take?

Shaun Brown 1:09:49
Well, so here's the weird thing is since going vegan, my insulin needs dramatically dropped like so, so much. And also what I've learned is Removing or reducing fats as much as possible dramatically improves my sensitivity, like your measure to the point where I will have problems with hypose quite frequently, if I get a lot of activity Plus, I mean, I've eaten very lean that day.

Scott Benner 1:10:16
Yeah, right. Well, keeping the fat out of your diet helps the food to digest more quickly and get through you. And, and not Yeah,

Shaun Brown 1:10:22
it builds insulin resistance, which I never understood until now, you know, so

Scott Benner 1:10:29
the fat Yeah, the fat in your diet builds insulin resistance, I would think of it as the fat in your diet is slowing digestion down, which keeps the food in your system longer impacting your blood sugar. I don't know that I call that a resistance to insulin. It's an it seems like a need for insulin to me. But it might just be semantics. I'm not sure exactly how you're thinking

Shaun Brown 1:10:48
No, well, that that's correct. And like the immediate I think, but when when you're say consuming ample amounts of like, you know, animal protein that also is bundled with cholesterol, and, you know, saturated fats even, or you're also eating processed foods that have saturated fats or dairy products that have a ton, which dairy typically has a lot of saturated fat. And you're eating that consistently in the immediate Yes, it's like slowing your digestion and, and changing your insulin needs and kind of stretching them out and awkward, more dynamic ways. But

Scott Benner 1:11:27
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off. No worries. I was just gonna say it's really kind of fascinating, because I've been talking to people about how they eat more recently. Excuse me. And that same argument made by I hear made by a vegan, or by somebody eating carnivore, they're making the same, the same claim about eating a certain way. And I know I've heard that and each person's argument is poo pooed. By the other side, it's very interesting like this, you know, I'm not trying to Oh, no, no, no, don't do No, I understand. Go on. Sorry, I just I weren't, I wasn't saying you were starting some, like turf war about eating. I just, I'm like, I'm just kind of, it's fascinating, that it can work really well, for one person. Like eating the way you're eating, obviously, is doing a great thing for you. And it's really fantastic. And then I've had people on here, like, I just eat meat, and they have the exact same outcomes. I just, I always wonder why. I always wonder why they have opinions about the opposite, the opposite way of eating. That's the part I'm always confused about. I'm like, why does it matter to you? If this is working for you? And that's working for them? Yeah, who cares? You know, but

Shaun Brown 1:12:41
I don't personally, I care more about just, you know, my, I mean, people can eat however they want to eat. But when it comes to how I consume food, with anything, really, I want to know, you know, is it back? Is there science backing these days? Anyways, when I approach eating food, I want to know, is there like, you know, sound science backing the way that I'm choosing to eat? And does it make sense at all? Aside from pleasure, you know, like, does it make sense that I'm cutting this out of my diet? or putting this back in? And there's a lot of, like, evidence supporting, at least to my understanding, you know, removing animal products and dairy because of, you know, how they because like, one of the number one things that diabetics die from, is, you know, heart attack, or basically, cardiovascular related issues. Yeah. Right. And that's, like, it's one of the number one things and when you, you know, consume a lot of high saturated fat foods, you're contributing to that, essentially.

Scott Benner 1:13:51
So I have two separate thoughts here. I'm gonna lose one of them if I don't get it out of my head. I think I am really woozy. What was the first thing I was gonna say? Dammit, dammit. Dammit. Dammit, dammit. Oh, I loved what you said earlier about this. The way I'm eating now fits me. Like in the end. Like, that's my opinion of eating like, everyone's body is going to be different to some degree. Yeah, totally. You gotta eat something that works for you. You know, I don't think it would matter what it is it needs to work for you on all levels. And the other thing I want to say is, while I'm not making the point that being unhealthy is good for your heart. I am saying that a lot of people with diabetes die from cardiovascular issues because they're uncontrolled blood sugars, cause rips and tears in arteries that then repair themselves and eventually clog arteries and stop blood flow and give them a heart attack. So not that not that having a healthy heart otherwise isn't really important. But I don't but I don't want to leave anybody with the idea that if you just eat a bunch of stuff that's bad for your heart, that you're automatically going to have a heart attack because you have diabetes. Is it in my understanding that is got a lot to do with your, your blood sugar management, you're keeping a good time and range, you know, not fluctuating up and down all the time. That sort of stuff is is Yeah,

Shaun Brown 1:15:14
absolutely. I mean, no matter how how you eat if you're if you're not, I mean as as a type one if you're not controlling it at the same time. I mean that,

Scott Benner 1:15:26
yeah, you don't ask for complicated you don't want to compound it by doing two things at the same time. Right? Right. It's just, it's really, it's, I don't know, I find the whole thing kind of fascinating. I feel way better when I eat more meat, and less carbs. So like that, that works better for me. You know, a lot of my eggs, Turkey, chicken, some beef. Like that whole, like, like, leaning in that direction. leads me to a better day. It's fascinating. And I that's why when you said earlier like that, that really wasn't good for you. I was like, Oh, that's really interesting. How people are so different. You know? It's really cool, actually.

Shaun Brown 1:16:10
Yeah, I mean, I'm really just trying to kind of plan out being able to be here, man, I just want to stick around. And so you know, when I when I it's it's like, it's this it for me, it's the same thing is like cutting toxins out of out of, you know, the things that I consume, or whatever it is, you've been

Scott Benner 1:16:29
out of your body that your body doesn't want their and longevity, by the way. I'm glad you said that. Because in the end, that's really what we're all talking about. It's about Yeah, yeah, it's about staying here.

Shaun Brown 1:16:39
Yeah, absolutely. And so, um, you know, it just makes sense to me. I mean, if you guys if there's people out there that want to eat nothing but slim gems, and they have standard deviation and 15 or something awesome, dude. I mean, I hope that works out for you. And then but

Scott Benner 1:16:58
I gotta say, I don't think Slim Jims is exactly what we're talking about. Let's go with slim Jen. Yeah, I think I think that guy was on a little while ago. And I think he you know, he made the point at some point that when I'm talking when he said I'm talking about eating meat, like he wasn't talking about, like hotdogs, and you know, like, like, that doesn't count. It was a bad sorry. No, no, bad. No, no, I don't think it's a bad thing. Because I do think people can get confused. And think, Oh, I'm very, like, you know, I do this this way. I yesterday I had ring Bologna. Yeah, that's not the same thing. As as a, you know, maybe a well prepared, I don't know, well raised piece of meat, like, you know, I don't think they're, I don't think they're commiserate in the same because you're still processing with food, then when you're making hotdogs or making stuff like that, just because there's no carbs in them doesn't make them not processed. Anyway, I

Shaun Brown 1:17:51
had no idea what I what I found with food is that people are very attached to the way that they eat. And so I mean, most people will, very vehemently argue whatever it is, in the way that they you know, you know,

Scott Benner 1:18:04
it's funny, I take your point, because I've seen it too. But I sort of think of it as more of it's more of an internet thing. I don't I don't it to become that for sure. Yeah. Meaning if you put 10 people in a room and gave him you know, and we were all sitting around talk and somebody said, Hey, I'm eating vegan, that's been really good for me. I don't think someone across the room would stand up and go, you're wrong. I think people would just be like, oh, wow, Sean's a vegan. That's cool. And let it go. I think it becomes something you attach your it's not like an identity component. Yeah, it's not unlike other things you see online where people are virtue signaling, right? They want to make sure that you know that they are on the right side of this argument. Whenever I forget food from it, whatever the argument is, I know better. And I want to make sure everyone knows that I know better for I don't know what psychological reason that is that. I don't know how that helps you. But it seems very important to people.

Shaun Brown 1:19:02
I think it's I guess it's what like a kind of a dominance thing, potentially. I don't know.

Scott Benner 1:19:09
I always thought it was just currency. Well, yeah, I would, I would probably say that more. Yeah, it's Yeah. And then you get a group to accept you. And then you have, then you have community. Right, because you're against it. Again, yeah, adoration for the way that you think you could do it with politics. You can do it with food, you can do it with a lot of different things like, Oh, I'm on the side of this, because good reasons. Like I've, you know, it's I've never heard anybody argue one side of anything, and not come forward with a ton of good, you know, good, reasonable ideas. like nobody says, You don't mean like no, one side doesn't say I'm for good eating. And this is what good eating looks like and the other side's like, eight paper and weeds I find in the yard, and I smoke black tar heroin, and I'm helping out And I want to make my argument about being healthy now like nobody ever does that, like everybody thinks they're you. Because probably because they're doing it in a way that's obviously working for them. And so then you get that feeling of like, I need to tell other people like I just talked about it earlier, right? Like, I learned how to use insulin. And I wanted to tell other people because I saw how it saved my daughter.

Shaun Brown 1:20:20
Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. Yeah. And I think when you feel like you're on the right track, you do want to inform people and like, Hey, man, this is this is doing a big thing for me. Yeah, you should try it out to type of thing. I mean, I think in that sense, is quite harmless. If you're just trying to help people, it's when it becomes you know, like your those are the kind of you get on a soapbox, and you kind of have to tell people like this is the way that I think when when you get to that degree, then you've kind of crossed the line. Yeah, potential.

Scott Benner 1:20:51
Oh, no, no, yeah, there are fringes to everything. So you know, you're, I think most people are pretty, you know, I'm gonna use a word that sounds political, but it's not but I think most people are moderate and they're thinking about most things. Right. And there's some people don't lean in different directions. I'm not saying left or right. I'm saying like, you know, a little more vegan, I'm a little more beefy, I'm a little more about, I don't eat processed foods. And some people are like, screw you. I'm gonna have a Twinkie but I learned how to Bolus for like, everybody's got their own kind of like, vibe. It the people who scream and yell I always think of as being on the as far away from the centers as possible. Like they're they're

Shaun Brown 1:21:30
probably the most undecided in the end to ironically, I would think that's interesting. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:21:35
I just know that.

Shaun Brown 1:21:36
Maybe that that confident in themselves after all, and I feel like they need to be louder about it. But who knows?

Scott Benner 1:21:42
I have no idea in the in In the meantime, and super sincerely. I think that's fine. If you're out on the fringe, and you don't really relate to anything anyone saying and you feel passionately about it. You young I've never looked at one of those people and thought, oh my god, they have no right to be you know, I don't care. Like I think it's great if everybody says what they think so yeah, should go with me. That's all. Sean, this was good. I probably used up every ounce of energy I have today to talk to you. And I think it was well worth it. But it's possible. I'm gonna stop this recording and crash. Not not wake up for a couple of hours. Did we not get to anything you want to talk about? Um,

Shaun Brown 1:22:26
there's so much more I can say. But you know, I'm gonna let you go, man. Sounds like you're not doing well.

Scott Benner 1:22:30
No, no, listen, I'm just you know, I'm a little euphoric at this point. Like, things are coming back around. I'm seeing colors. And now I'm just kidding. No, but seriously, is it? Did you have anything you want to talk about that? We didn't get to tell me if we did? I wouldn't ask if I didn't wanna know. You know, not really. It was a good chat, though. Scott had a good time. Did you really have fun? Yeah, man, I'm glad you had me on. I was thrilled that I was glad to hear from you. I think it's amazing as an adult, for you to have found. I mean, you move to so far from where you started, in a year, like your first emails were like, they had panic in them almost. It was, it was like someone showed you a completely different world that you didn't know existed, and you were excited to find out about it. And absolutely, yeah, it's really cool to see how much you've like absorbed on the way do you think you're gonna get a pump?

Shaun Brown 1:23:25
So I actually tried to like six months ago. And then it was a weird thing where I was told by the doctor's office that my insurance had slowed it down. But then I left it alone, because I was bummed about it. And I didn't I figured, well, I'm not going to get it then. And then I think, I don't know if it was like three months ago or so I had called my insurance to check in again, just to see like, you know, how much is it going to cut? Am I going to be covered on these? And they they are apparently going to cover it? So I don't know if there was a miscommunication or what, but I guess I could have already been online like six months ago.

Scott Benner 1:24:06
Oh, no kidding. Well, I hope you get what you want.

Shaun Brown 1:24:08
I have to tell you that you I'm a little terrified of trying to figure out how to make the I'm so used to like low tech, so I do need guidance on it. That's the only thing is I really want to feel like I'm making at least an informed starting point with one well, you know

Scott Benner 1:24:25
your settings, right? Like you do know how much how much do you use in a day. So here let me look at set your pump up right now. You know,

Shaun Brown 1:24:38
my bad I don't even need to look that up. So I take right currently I'm taking nine units of lantis. Which, just as a side note, man, I absolutely love lantis these days, like it was working for me quite well. And then as I leaned out and lost weight and became more sensitive and needed almost like half units which I can't administer with Those solo stars. It's just a pain in the butt.

Scott Benner 1:25:05
Okay.

Shaun Brown 1:25:06
Well, it has a terrible peak to like Jenny noted in one of the podcasts. Yeah, it has, it has a terrible peak that it will always wake me up at like two in the morning. It drives me insane. And the thing is, is if I'm like, it's a very like, like hair trigger type of insulin. So if you take if I take, like seven units at night, and two in the morning, I get an even keel through the day. And in my mind, blood sugar's look amazing. And my graph looks quite flat overall. But if I but I'll go hypo at night, which I don't want, obviously. So then if I back off on my lantis, split dose, and I go to six, and then I swap that unit over into the day, right? And so I'm doing like six and three. All my night will look better. But then it just, it completely takes a dump of my day, like to the point where I no longer have any coverage for Dom phenomenon at all. My am cortisol spike like is like a sledgehammer. I need like immense amounts of Bolus insulin throughout the day for every meal

Scott Benner 1:26:14
shown here. It's love a pump.

Shaun Brown 1:26:17
It's tough man. And so I'm just sick of that. And I'm honestly, one thing I'm worried about with the pump is I'm so damn thin now. I'm like, I'm worried about like trying to put one on my legs. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:26:30
now I'm sure you'd be able to find place I've seen thinner people than you wear them less and less, your basil is gonna start at around point 375 point three, five, like somewhere around there an hour, you probably need a little more It sounds like you know, in the in the morning, then you'll need you know, overnight, and you'll just you'll make a couple of GDC I think the way you're thinking about all this really would lend to digging deeper and and

Shaun Brown 1:26:56
I honestly want to loop like I would love to start looping that sounds amazing. Do my iMac is like seriously antiquated and I in it. From my research. I don't think I can build the app or whatever you might have with my computer. And I'm doing we're scraping by right now. So I can't really get a new computer.

Scott Benner 1:27:17
What I'm what I'm pumped Are you thinking about

Shaun Brown 1:27:20
I was I really never was interested in palms when I was younger, primarily because of the tubing. And so when I saw when I saw Omnipod hit the market before I even knew about your podcast, I thought it was intriguing, but I didn't learn much about it. It's kind of the same thing with like, the Dexcom what I was watching it, I was always watching diabetes tech, but I was always unimpressed. To be honest. Like I I remember seeing like the the earlier Dexcom and just being like, ooh, the applicator does not look fun, you know. And then when the six came out, I was like, I can mess with that, you know. So then the more I listened to the podcast and heard you guys kind of pitching it to I thought well, actually doesn't sound that bad. I saw a lot of people on it using it. And I actually looked quite painless. And I that was one of the best things I ever did for myself was getting the Dexcom Yeah, to

Scott Benner 1:28:10
be honest, I have to be honest, either applicator works fine. Like the auto one with the G six is great, but I didn't have any trouble putting it on but the G five and before I get that it looked more

Shaun Brown 1:28:20
it was intimidating for sure. Coming from you know, an old head like me,

Scott Benner 1:28:25
you're not the only one who thought about that way either. I don't think that they made that applicator for fun. I think they made it because it was a it was a an impediment for a lot of people to try.

Shaun Brown 1:28:33
Yeah, it looked like a science experiment, but

Scott Benner 1:28:36
just pulled up on the ring and pushed down to the thing at the same time. I remember, oh my God, I've done so many of them.

Shaun Brown 1:28:43
Yeah, so any Anyhow, I would very likely if I'm gonna go pump it all going on the pod just because to my knowledge is the only one of its kind.

Scott Benner 1:28:53
So your play in my opinion, that is you wait until 2021. And you try the on the pod five the horizon? And is that one that drops? That's Yeah, it'll, it'll be in the, from what I understand it should be in the first half of 2021 you won't need a computer. And the really cool thing about it is that the algorithm will be burned, right, like baked right into the right itself. So you don't even need to be near your phone for it to work.

Shaun Brown 1:29:21
I'm definitely very interested in that. I'm just more wary of like, like making user error with programming. Because I want to feel like I'm starting on a on a like a safe starting point with it. Well, you know, I'm a smart Dude, I can figure it out from there on out but like, you know, I do feel like I I need a little guidance in that department. I understand. I definitely don't think I'm gonna get it from my doctors.

Scott Benner 1:29:46
Well, I agree with you. I think that algorithms in general as they're coming into the market, are the I think one of the problems they're having is the support of how to set them up. But really, you're just looking to get your basil right your you know, your sensitivity Close and then you'll see what happens. You can move it around a little bit till you find it.

Shaun Brown 1:30:04
You're trying to go but humor me real quick joking. You can program your basil to like, build around your knees through the day, correct? Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:30:15
man, you could have point three to five overnight for a couple of hours and then say you're gonna wake up every day at seven. And you get some feet on the floor some kind of a rise around seven 730. You can have your Misal go up the point for born four or five at 6am. So that it's build up for when you wake up in the morning. Oh, yeah, yeah,

Shaun Brown 1:30:34
I know exactly. When that happens. Now, too, I would have never known it without, you know, seeing my data from the CGM?

Scott Benner 1:30:40
No, no 100 per day, you can absolutely do that. And if you like, you know, look, if you you know, if you get low every day, blah, blah, blah, you can change if you have a meal that you eat, and you know, you get higher from this meal, but it doesn't happen with any other meal, you could like do a Temp Basal increase like you can, I don't I don't know

Shaun Brown 1:30:57
this stuff is that's so foreign to me. That's why I'd be like a little intimidated, those only thing, just think of it this way.

Scott Benner 1:31:03
Think of it having your lantis on a dimmer switch like a light. And you being able to like Turn it up or turn it down when your needs and you can automate the light. So it happens at certain times. That's awesome. A weaker, that's all it is. It's having control over your Basal insulin. I think that's still the biggest deal about a pump. And that's the side of algorithms because in algorithms, you there won't be Temp Basal increases and decreases, because the algorithm is going to do that kind of stuff for you. But But yeah, I mean, just on a regular if you just got a regular old on the pot right now you'd have, you'd have, you know, control over all that stuff.

Shaun Brown 1:31:42
That's what I was going to get. And then I kind of I don't know, got lost in the ether, and I just didn't get it.

Scott Benner 1:31:48
Yeah, I think if you um, I mean, it's November now. I mean, I don't really know when it's going to come out come out. But if you've got the okay to do it, try the Omni pod now learn how to use it kind of more manually, the way it is set up now and then make your decision. If you want to go to the algorithm when it's available. What

Shaun Brown 1:32:04
is the minimum amount of insulin that you put it into the pot at?

Unknown Speaker 1:32:09
I think 70 or 80? I haven't used that a minimum amount in a while. But you'll use,

Shaun Brown 1:32:15
like, good. I'm just doing the math real quick, because I use it about and that'll be about right. Yeah. Although I'm assuming that we weigh less actually, because you're only using one insulin?

Scott Benner 1:32:28
Well, because Wouldn't it be or Wouldn't it be more because you're you're going to use so you're going to use point, but I just say

Shaun Brown 1:32:37
well, I was looking at my total daily dose, like you know, Basil plus Bolus type of thing. And at the moment, I'm at 24.40, you're

Scott Benner 1:32:45
not need more than 80 then because you're going to use Yeah, I'm gonna use 27 units at a minimum, I would think for just your basil. And then 24 times 372 plus 27, you're gonna probably use about 100 units every three days.

Shaun Brown 1:33:00
Okay, cuz that my concern too was like, I don't want to waste insulin. Sure. Just but I'm very naive to it, because I don't know like how much it actually be using. And I just know I'm using a dramatic Li less amount than I used to use.

Scott Benner 1:33:15
Yeah, I'm looking at now the pot holds 200 units. at its maximum, it holds a minimum of 85 you won't waste that you're going to use more than 85 every three days. You know what what rapid do you guys do? Arden uses a Peter.

Shaun Brown 1:33:29
See, I've never experimented with any other analogues beyond novolog and Himalayan, which are essentially the same thing.

Scott Benner 1:33:36
Yeah, we've used novolog. I found it to peak like too harshly for Arden. And she'd crash a lot afterwards. And try it and

Shaun Brown 1:33:47
I experienced that myself, which is which is kind of that was what I want to ask.

Scott Benner 1:33:51
Yeah. So then we tried to Peter I find a feature to work very predictably and smoothly. Like I know how a pizza works after using it for so many years, and I'm good at using it. But Arden tried fiasco recently. And that was really good. And yeah, I caught that episode. He said it stung. Yeah, but it didn't work for her. Her physiology but the way it worked specifically was good. Like, we didn't have to Pre-Bolus as long we could be she could like have food that was I don't know how to put it like like stronger carb food. Because it was working more quickly. We weren't seeing as many like spikes her but I think if I could have kept her on it for a long time. I actually think I could have brought her a one c down a little farther. And I think that I think that her stable times would have been more stable. It worked really well. It just burned and Brewster and she just couldn't use it. Yeah.

Shaun Brown 1:34:45
So it does a Peter have the same type of action or is it different?

Scott Benner 1:34:50
a pizza doesn't I? The way I used to explain a pizza to people is that I haven't seen double arrows up or down and I don't really see single out arrows up or down ever on a pizza? Huh? So it can be very user, like driven but I am good at it. I'm not saying that but I'm saying Yeah, I just I was good at it when I had no vlog and it didn't matter. Like, I wasn't as good with no vlog as I am with a pager. And that's interesting. Yeah. So it's, it's, it's got like a different slope, then. I don't know, dude, I don't know what it is. But no vlog felt like it went in, took forever to work and then worked really, really intensely and then stopped. And

Shaun Brown 1:35:32
that's Yeah, that's my experience. That's I mean, I pretty much use novolog my entire life. I'm just kind of used to it. It can definitely be a pain in the butt.

Scott Benner 1:35:41
fiasco times started working right away, and felt like it was out of our system

Shaun Brown 1:35:46
sooner. Really, in a Piedra, say I wish we talked about it. And instead of me talking about my my mess ups all the time when we talk about this stuff before we are talking about it. Don't worry, I don't want to keep you man. I

Scott Benner 1:36:00
know. I still haven't thanked you. You do this thing that I don't know that you realize is the thing for me. But when you really like an episode, you share it on Instagram. And oh, yeah, I'm happy to share him. No, but it's not because that's not what I'm saying. I'm happy to share them too. But you're one of the people that when I see you share it. I feel like oh, because you don't blindly share everything. So I know when I did a good job because you share the episode. Like that's one of the ways I tell how I'm doing.

Shaun Brown 1:36:28
I would not use Shawn as a barometer. But I appreciate that. Shawn is not a good barometer. No. Is that the title that I do? I'll take the pat on the back. I dig it.

Scott Benner 1:36:39
You're just one of my little metrics I use so and you know, one day you'll be gone. I hate to say it like this one day you won't. And and then I'll find somebody else. But you're a person that I identified as, like Shawn doesn't just like throw kudos at me. You know, like, I'm at a wedding and he's got a bag of rice. Like so like he's very you're you're you're stingy with your praise. Yeah, I am a little bit yeah, no, dude, I it's interesting that you would notice that damn right. I did. How do you think I make this podcast popular? I know. Yeah, no, but you're one of my people. Like I'm like when I when when you're like, this was a good episode of My Damn, that must have been good.

Shaun Brown 1:37:18
See, I'm the same way with music. I'm absolutely the same with music. Like I won't. I won't just like Pat artists on the back just because, you know, they want the adoration. I actually come from a music background and I think a lot of young kids that wanted to make music with me thought either I was amazing, because they looked up to me or they probably thought I was a big app.

Scott Benner 1:37:44
I lately over the last year or two I can't tell people enough about Gary Clark Jr. Oh, he's amazing. Yeah, but I don't spend a lot of time on big fan actually. Yeah, I don't tell a lot of people about my my music likes i'm not i'm not i don't really share my music. interest. But if I go if the world ever gets right again, I want to see Gary Clark play live. And and the last I think he'd be amazing to see live man. Yeah, the last person I made the effort to see live was yo yo Ma. I don't don't go to a lot of live music. But I want to see Gary Clark play live somewhere. And I haven't been to a show for way too long. I used to go all the time. You got old man. Tell him I know. It's so sad. I told my daughter the other day. I said the best live show from just performance I was ever at was Guns and Roses. I said oh, that would be fun. Axl Rose ran and you're thinking you had to think of Axl roses. You know, like, not the not the old man. He is now but he ran around that stage for three hours. 100 miles an hour and sang the entire time. It was the most impressive thing I've ever seen. He was really impressive. I thought Metallica was really great live. I could never get into Metallica. But I know everyone seems to love Metallica or love they were very good live. You know who else was really good live thing of all things staying that Oh, you saw staying dude. Yeah, he was really good live. I saw him at an outdoor concert with Kelly when we were really young. actually want to sing songs. A remake he does is my wedding song. So but yeah, he was really good, but I've seen some max out do Hoover's great life, the Black Crowes. Really, I sat through a heart concert to watch the Black Crowes open for heart. I don't mean to insult anybody who likes heart but that Barracuda song gives me what the kids called douche chills. It's really bad music. And for me at least, but yeah, I lived through an entire heart a concert so I can see the blackrose open for them. But, you know, and and Alyssa told me I should come to Germany and hear her play. She was on the other day. So I was that where she was. She's actually in Germany. I think she was talking about this one concert hall that I think she said it was in Germany that she said, it's just amazing to see her play. She was a really, really cool episode. I like that one. I appreciate that. Thank you. I love the cello. So by the time this comes out, I should have another I can tell you now cuz nobody will hear it. I think I got the Hey, everyone jumping in for a second here. I'm sorry, I can't tell you who I got yet. still working on it. It's taken a long time. And then somebody just like during the broadcast, or like he has type one diabetes. So I've been trying to get him on the podcast since then. I can never get any traction on getting him on. And I did something for I did something for a charity the other day. And when we got done, the person was like, hey, this was great. Thank you. If you ever need anything, let me know. And who was playing at the charity event? I said, Give me up Give me the address the email address of his manager all were even. She's like, All right, here it is. So I think I got him. Excited. I love I think that's a I don't know why very strange mix of

Shaun Brown 1:41:19
No, you know, that's, that's pretty cool. And I think it's, it's interesting when you you learn how music touches people. And music is such a, like, amazing component of our lives, even if we don't realize it. Yeah. And I mean, I've been surrounded by it since I was a kid. And I can't imagine a life without music,

Scott Benner 1:41:41
music or play when you were playing. Went out? Well, I'm sorry. I played Yeah. Or that I was just around. No, I thought you said you were playing. You've had played music for years. Oh, so I

Shaun Brown 1:41:54
come from more of a like hip hop. Production background. Okay. Engineering, mixing. And I ironically, have a bachelor's in Recording Arts even though I learned everything on my own. It's more just a fancy piece of paper on the wall. But um, I just I've always loved being able to, like create something from scratch with friends. And I've kind of lived and breathed hip hop since I was a little kid. I had like, you know, fat boys on cassette. So it's just always been a part of my life. My dad actually managed Tower Records for 30 plus years. No kidding. Yeah. And so I grew up, I get it. I grew up in a record store. It was it was amazing.

Scott Benner 1:42:45
Well, let me measure my, my, my rap likes, and then we can get out of here. I like Dave East a lot. Do you know him?

Shaun Brown 1:42:54
So yeah, I'm, I'm kind of an old school head. Even though I do listen, I try to tune in to newer stuff, right? I'm gonna, I'm probably gonna kind of square myself out a bit. But I can't really dig a lot of the new stuff these days, even though some of it I kind of see where they're going with it. Yeah. So I'm not familiar with that guy. But they're there. What happened to me, in my opinion, along the ways, I started just noticing too much redundancy and music. And it made me kind of like, not care about a lot of the new stuff coming out. It just it felt so predictable, during the 90s. And I hate to you know, pitch up the 90s, like a lot of people do and say it was the golden era or whatever. But there there was a lot of push to be like a unique version of yourself, at least in hip hop. But I think across the board, really. And there was the dynamic between record labels was different. I think it's all for the better these days, to be honest, because there's more, even though there's saturation, and there's too much out there. There's a lot more organic stuff being created these days, which is also great.

Scott Benner 1:44:07
At least the artists have control of their stuff for the most.

Shaun Brown 1:44:10
Yeah, totally. I mean, it just goes to show he really didn't need those labels in the first place. And they were just kind of milking. Yeah. But at the same time, they did become sort of like a vessel to put people into more people, you know, ears. And I think that that was one thing that you can't deny about certain record labels. There was there was good labels along the way to that they really grew artists. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:44:36
well, they had distribution channels, too, that exist until the internet

Shaun Brown 1:44:41
Exactly. And distribution is vital. Like if you don't have a distribution, you're back when it was hard copy. You know, you weren't you weren't going to get into anybody's household. So that was a big deal. And I think that's part of what played into being a very original version of yourself. With music back then. Was It was like, there wasn't, there was way more push to create something that was highly unique in that not just the way it sounded, but like, you know everything about you even, like, from the way that you even your style was a component. Ironically, it's

Scott Benner 1:45:19
interesting because I probably have a mix of that because I brought up Davies because I like his voice. And when my son listens to him, and I'm like, this guy's got a great voice. I don't think he cares. Like my son hears like the beat underneath of it and all that other stuff like that. And I don't care about that as much I I even like, I like pop spokes voice. Like I hear voices more, but I don't. It doesn't open up a doorway for me to talk about it with younger people who like rap music. That's interesting, because most people do gravitate to the beat more. Yeah, yeah. I don't really care about the beat so much. I'm like, this guy's voice is really neat. And and my son's like, What is wrong with you? And I'm like, you don't hear? I'm like you're listening to the same thing I'm listening to you don't hear that. He's like, Nah, that's not the part I care about. My God sent you this very interesting. So Alright, I'll let you go after you tell me what's the best rap app ever?

Unknown Speaker 1:46:06
Who you love

Scott Benner 1:46:07
the Best Rap? What act Who's Who? Who? Did it right in the 90s.

Shaun Brown 1:46:11
Okay, so, man, that's completely like so you know? Yeah, of course, your opinion. I can't honestly like I've been influenced by so many artists. But like a top one for me would be Pete Rock and CL smooth. Those guys were phenomenal. They were kind of like, for me personally Anyways, what made me want to be part of the culture what made me want to make my own version of whatever that is. and contribute in my own way. You know, their their music kind of really set a fire under me. But so many because I I've had I've had I really do like all kinds of music like I really enjoy almost everything. Mine is I suppose country and I can listen to like older country, like Johnny Cash type stuff. I can't I can't listen to modern country that makes me cringe. But I love the blues. I will listen to the blues any day. Yeah. You know, I listened to all kinds of stuff like Afro beat, whatever. I really enjoy a variety. I you know, it's kind of boring. I only listen to one thing.

Scott Benner 1:47:23
I heard the you know what i heard recently that threw me off as I started watching justified. It's available now on Hulu. And the theme song is a bluegrass rap mix. And I can't tell if I I really liked the show. But in the beginning when I think the like I wanted to watch another episode to hear the theme song again. I was like, Well, that's it. A mixture I've never heard before in my life. Yeah, it almost sounds confusing. We'll have to hear it to get an idea. You find the justified theme when you get off of here and tell me it's not a little catchy? But Cool. All right. Well, Shawn, now we've gone from an hour an hour 45 minutes. Okay, but but I really I had a really good time talking to you. I'm really glad you did this. I'm super happy that you found your way and, and you're, you know you're making so many positive changes for yourself. It's fantastic. Yeah, thanks, Scott. I enjoyed chatting with you, man. Me too.

A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors. Je Vogue glucagon, find out more about chivo hypo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox you spell that GVOKE gL use C ag o n.com. forward slash juice box. You know where to go to find a great blood glucose meter. Contour Next one.com forward slash juice box. Thank you so much to the Contour Next One blood glucose meter for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and of course, a huge thanks to Sean for coming on the show and sharing so much.