#740 After Dark: When In Rome

Erin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in college.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 740 of the Juicebox Podcast.

21 year old Erin is here today, she was diagnosed while a college student and she is going to share rather openly about what it's like to be at college as a young girl living with type one diabetes. While you're listening today, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan or becoming bold with insulin. If you're a US resident who has type one diabetes, or is the caregiver of someone with type one, please consider going to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box and filling out the survey. When you complete the survey AT T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box. You'll be helping people living with type one diabetes, it takes fewer than 10 minutes is completely HIPAA compliant, and absolutely anonymous. These are not difficult questions, simple questions that you already know the answers to about your type one or your child's type one. T one D exchange.org forward slash juicebox. This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries G voc hypo pen. Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash Juicebox Podcast is also sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. Contour next one.com forward slash juicebox. If you want accuracy, you want the Contour. Next One.

Erin 1:59
Hi, my name is Erin. I'm 21 years old and I've been a type one diabetic for nine months now.

Scott Benner 2:05
Perfect. That was perfect. Nine months. Yes. Were you in college when you found out?

Erin 2:13
Yep. Mike, it was my junior year of college.

Scott Benner 2:17
Were you actually away at school? Or were you home when it happened?

Erin 2:21
I was away at school. But luckily, I go to school in Boulder and my parents live in Denver. So it's very close wasn't too far away. Yeah. So when everything happened, I was able to go home and be with them instead of being stuck at my college house with seven other girls.

Scott Benner 2:41
None of them pre med I imagine. Nope. Not Not one. You couldn't get a little lucky.

Unknown Speaker 2:47
Oh no.

Scott Benner 2:48
So how did it how did it present? And? And how did that whole part go?

Erin 2:52
Oh, it started at like at the end of August. Great. When I got back to school. I was just feel like off like very tired. But like being a college student, I was going to school I was working. And I was babysitting like twice a week. So I was working going to school, but I just didn't have the energy like I used to. I was going to bed every night with like, really bad stomach aches. And so I'm like, I don't know what's going on. But like, it's just college, like, I'm just stressed out, whatever. And then I started losing weight. I lost about 20 pounds, which was like, I've been the same weight since I was like 14 years old. And like I'm a healthy weight. Like, it was like an extreme weight loss where I was like, okay, like, I'm really skinny now because this isn't right. Like, I haven't worked out. Something's wrong

Scott Benner 3:41
over just a couple weeks. Is that right? Yeah,

Erin 3:45
I would say like three to four weeks. And then I had gone home on like a Sunday to see my mom and she was like, You look so bad. She's like, are you doing? Are you doing drugs? Like, you look so thin? And I'm like, I'm not doing drugs. Like I don't know what's wrong, and I didn't have a scale at school. So I hadn't weighed myself and I came home. And I always had been around like 140 pounds and I weighed myself and I was like 111 And that was like, Okay, I think something's wrong. Like I'm not trying to lose weight. Like

Scott Benner 4:14
yeah, here's something up for context. How tall are you?

Erin 4:17
I'm five six and like a half. So yeah, I was like very like healthy comfortable weight. Like I was not trying to lose weight at all. So you could you could see it in my face and my arm like I just looked sick. And so I I'm from like Chicago area my parents like moved out here when I came to school and so I since I've been at school I haven't gotten like a a doctor like I haven't had like a checkup or anything since I've lived here and so I'm like I don't know what to do so I call Oh, Aaron heard that says they're in network.

Scott Benner 4:56
All right, I'm sorry. You disappeared for a second like you got like a blip you called

Erin 5:00
And can you hear me now?

Scott Benner 5:01
I can. Yeah.

Erin 5:02
I was saying I called or I went on like my insurance website and started calling every doctor and network just to like, try and find someone because I didn't have anyone, right. And they're all like three weeks out or whatever. And I had gone to like this, like natural doctor out here just like supplements and stuff. And so I called him and I'm like, I've lost 20 pounds in the last like, few weeks, can you order me some blood tests? Like, I know something's wrong. Like, I can't get in to see a doctor, can you just go send me blood tests, I feel like something's wrong. And I went and did that. And then I got all my blood test results as it's sitting in a class. And I'm like, I get the notification. And I'm like, Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God. And I'm googling every blood test that I was abnormal for. And I just looked at my sheet and I was like, 480, my glucose was 484. But for some reason, like, I saw that number, but I'm like, oh, that's like it for people who have diabetes, that doesn't matter. And I had like a bunch of other abnormal ones. Like, there's like a CA blood test, which is like a cancer one, which I was like, extremely elevated for. So I'm sitting in class, and I'm like, I have cancer, like, I'm done. And so that was like, so freaky. And I like, ran out of class was like bawling, crying, whatever. And then

Scott Benner 6:24
what class were you in? I know, that's the the weirdest.

Erin 6:26
It was an accounting. It was an accounting class. And I'm like, sitting there and I'm in the back. So I'm like, looking at my phone. And I'm like Googling and I'm like, What's going on was we're on and and luckily, we're still wearing masks and classes. I ran to the bathroom, bawling, crying, and then I like, wipe my tears, like, go back into class, and finish it out. And so then I call like that doctor, and the whole weird thing is is everything like I mean, he's he's not like me. He's a doctor, but he's not like, Yeah,

Scott Benner 7:00
are you blipped out again on me? I'm not sure why so just It's okay. It's probably because you're you live near mountains. But in I don't live that close to

Erin 7:09
mountains. My wife, my husband, should we go?

Scott Benner 7:14
Are you on your phone? No, I'm

Unknown Speaker 7:16
on my computer or your

Scott Benner 7:17
computer. Okay. Do you have a possibility of like, hardwired? Do you have like a an Ethernet cable or No? No. And you just move slightly closer to the router kind of thing? Yeah. Oh, wait a minute. Before you do that on is your phone near you? Yeah. Are you getting text messages or other mess? Yeah, yeah. That's what's happening.

Erin 7:42
As you turn off my Wi Fi.

Scott Benner 7:45
I think if you are using a hotspot, I can use a hot No, no, what happens is that I have it happened to me too. So I just silence my phone. Okay, and move it away from the microphone a little bit. Okay, when my phone is too close to the microphone and I get a message, I get that electronic breakup. Okay, I'm gonna guess that's just through my phone. Okay. Wait, it's also not your Dexcom it works.

Erin 8:15
I have my I have my Apple watch. So I have my okay, I can see it. All right. Maybe that's making it bad.

Scott Benner 8:21
Maybe we'll find out now that the phone is across the room under a pillow somewhere. Yeah, literally. So I'm sorry. So just I apologize. Do you remember where you are?

Erin 8:31
Um, yeah. Okay, good. So I really didn't even think I had diabetes. It was didn't even cross my mind, even though my glucose was like 434. And I called that, like, natural doctor. And he was like, You need to go see like a real doctor and figure out what's going on or

Unknown Speaker 8:50
whatever. Okay.

Erin 8:52
Luckily, my dad, we had like a friend who was like a family doctor, whatever. And so this was on Thursday. And he got he got me in on Monday morning. And this is where it gets crazy. Because I go in there. And he's like, yeah, like, I'm pretty sure you have diabetes. And I'm like, Okay, I'm not overweight, like because I didn't really know that much. And like, I know, I don't have type two, like, I'm very healthy, whatever. And I was like, I thought you get type one when you're little. And he's like, no, like, you can get it whatever type of thing. And so he's like, I'm pretty sure you have it, but I'm going to send you to an endocrinologist like to be sure, but we're gonna give you he gave he prescribed me a FreeStyle Libre, without giving the insulin. He's like where this you can check your your numbers but like, I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it's diabetes. So when you go see that other doctor, you'll be able to figure it out. And I'm like, okay, like, sounds good, whatever. And well,

Scott Benner 9:54
does it sound good though, Aaron because if it's not diabetes in your mind, you feel like you have cancer.

Erin 9:59
Well Well, at this point, I'm like pretty stressed, I'd be like, I gave up on the cancer thing. I'm like, I'm starting to understand this probably diabetes. But then I'm getting the debrief where I can see my numbers, and I'm in the three hundreds and four hundreds. And I'm like, How do I fix this? Like, he didn't give me anything to fix it. And so I spent the whole weekend like, with my parents just being like, What the hell was going on? Like, why did he give me this? And so then I go to an endocrinologist, like, like, the main doctor couldn't see me was that physician's assistant, and you get in there, and she's talking me like, I'm two years old, like, hot, like you have diabetes. diabetes is when the pancreas attacks itself. Like, just like the most basic definition like, okay, lady, I get it, like, how do I fix myself? Like, I was very much like, I want to feel better. I want to take insulin, like I had done research and like, I want this and this, because she, she was like, Okay, we're gonna give you Lantis. And I'm like, What about the short acting? And she's like, Oh, I don't think you're ready for that. And I'm like, I want it. Like, I know what it is. I want to have insulin when I eat. And so I had to, like, convince her to like, let me have the homologue. Right. And so she finally was like, okay, and then she's teaching me like, how to use it or whatever.

Scott Benner 11:15
I'm always fascinated by that, by the way, that the doctor says, you know, you can't have this, you go, Oh, come on, and they go, alright. Like, like, I'm

Erin 11:26
not a little kid, like, I'm 21. Like, I'm an adult, I am. Like, I'm, I'm pretty intelligent. Like, I can figure this out, I want to figure this out. I don't like feeling bad. Like, like, let's, let's do this thing. And so she agreed to give it to me, whatever. And then that Friday, I saw the diabetes educator, which was one of the most horrible experiences of my wife, she gave me like, I still have this sheet. It's like a sheet. It's like, you can eat 1500 calories a day. And she's like, do you like eating three or four meals a day, and I'm like, I'm in college, I eat like, I don't know how many meals I eat, like, I eat something different every day. And she's like, You have to eat at the same time every day. And it's like, morning for breakfast. So you can have 30 grams of carbs and get one snack or 15 grams of carbs, and this whole list and I'm like, start crying. And I'm like, I can't live like this. And so my mom has a friend who is type one. And she told us about your podcast, and how there's like a whole list of like, doctors on here have like good doctors in the area. And so my mom went on here and found one, and they're like, luckily, there wasn't, there was an opening, like, a few days later for me to go in. And then I go there. And it was one of the best experiences of my life. And so now my endocrinologist is truly amazing. And I'm so grateful for everything they do. Because when we when we got in there, it was like, I was in there for like six hours. And they were explaining everything to me. And like it was just like, totally different things

Scott Benner 12:58
are you're, you're blowing my mind. And you wouldn't know it. But I can't go in your mind because I can picture myself sitting at this desk, editing a show and thinking, you know, people ask about good doctors all the time. And then a bunch of people show up on the Facebook page and say, well try this when I try that one. I think so many people have good advice about this. I should probably just make a webpage and put them all there. Like, like that was like a throwaway thought in my head while I was doing something else. And well, they might have had it like three years ago. That's what's freaking me out. I don't know why. That's really just wonderful, you know?

Erin 13:39
Yeah, I mean, I'm so like, I don't even have words to explain like the gratitude I have for like finding our doctor because they they're just amazing. And like if I had stayed with that doctor telling me I have to eat what you know, on a schedule, and can you ever I want like, I don't know if I would have made it like literally

Scott Benner 13:59
Yeah, no, because they were giving you sliding. They were giving you a sliding scale basically. Like yeah, this much eat this many carbs. At this time. Give yourself this much insulin. Was that what they were doing? Yeah, that's sliding scale

Erin 14:12
is like one to one to 15 grams of carbs. And then so then there was like a big three and it's like breakfast, three units, 45 grams of carbs, one snack 15 units. And I'm like a very like, I like like schedule. Like, I like patterns. I like that stuff. But I'm like, I can't do this. Like I want to eat whatever I want. And then there are times I'm like forcing myself to like eat a car when I like want to have a salad. I'm like forcing bread down my throat that I don't want to eat. And I was gonna have to

Scott Benner 14:38
eat at least 15 carbs. Yeah, right. And so so if you did you ever find yourself in a situation you're like, Well, what I want is 20 carbs. So I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to jam 10 More in to feed the insulin.

Erin 14:52
Um, I mean, luckily I was only I didn't do it for I went to my next doctor. It was like five days. So, yeah, I mean, like it was in the doctor I go to now was booked out, like always like, you know, six or eight months like the fact that I got in there was like, one in a million chance that he had to cancel it.

Scott Benner 15:13
Yeah, shout him out. What would you say? Shout him out? What's his name?

Erin 15:20
Um, Dr. Gottlieb. It's an it's the Barbara Davis Center in Colorado. Yeah, it's an incredible place. And it's like all it's only type one like, it's there's research going on. It's a part of a research study right now. Like, it's just, it's very happening there. And the day I went there, she was like, put me on a Dexcom. They gave me one within that those within 10 days I had my next one's like shipped to me. Like it was incredible.

Scott Benner 15:50
No, that's it is a big difference when they know what they're talking about. Versus Yeah, at least your first person was thoughtful enough to be like, don't ask me go find someone else. Yeah, you know, but then the next person is like, don't worry, we know what to do. I'm gonna give you advice from 1983. Yeah, thanks a lot. But

Erin 16:08
yeah, I know that I'm like, okay, like, I don't, and she was like, telling me like, help me healthy foods where and unlike, healthy, like, I don't need, like, I don't need this advice from you. Like, just like, I was just so frustrated. I'm like, I can't do this. On top

Scott Benner 16:23
of all that. Did you expect to get diabetes? Like Do your parents have it or somebody in your family or anything? Nope. So you're shopping

Erin 16:31
like that? It was? So out of the ordinary? What's super weird is when I was 16. I had like, like, my mom and I have always like, my mom was refrigerators hypoglycemia, like, where we would get like, super, super shaky. Like, when we hadn't eaten in a while, which I know like, that happens, people but like, it'd be like the sweating and the shaking. And so I went to an endocrinologist at 16. And was like, I think I have like hyperglycemia and I was fine. Like nothing really happened from that. But they had me wear like a libre for like a week, which is so funny thinking about now because like I was completely like normal. That and now I'm like, obviously.

Scott Benner 17:12
Your normal. Yeah. diabetes.

Erin 17:16
I know. Yeah. I had I had Eric was read normally you can see.

Scott Benner 17:20
That's right. I cannot. So I have a question. Yeah, you are? Do you leave school for an amount of time to figure this all out? Are you handling this while you're at college?

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Erin 20:40
The week, the weekend after I got like, they told me it was diabetes. I was at home with my parents. But then within like four days, I was back at school drinking alcohol. Like I was like, I'm not letting like I'm like, I'm ready to go. Like I was like, I figured it out. I'm ready to go, which definitely wasn't played smartest thing, but I, I just didn't want to miss out on stuff with my friends. And that was just kind of like, I like I want to be back at school. But it's definitely hard. And then I started going out and like people what's on your honor? What's that? And that's the whole Oh, I've tried your diabetes. What? And then it's like the whole 10 minute thing to every person. I see.

Scott Benner 21:33
The story you told me you've told a few times.

Erin 21:35
Oh, yeah. Yeah. So I think I've gotten it down. But

Scott Benner 21:40
ya know, you do when? So when you went back? Just you mentioned drinking right away. So were you trying to kind of parse this out? Were you involved in drinking prior to diabetes? Or did you go back and you're like, you know what, I haven't done my life that now I realized I'm just gonna do because what the hell? Like, which is

Erin 22:00
no, I've been drinking for a while. Like, that's when I'm at school. Like, I enjoyed like party and go out like, that's, that's what we do. Okay, so

Scott Benner 22:10
if I need an accountant in a few years, I want to ask someone else or no.

Erin 22:16
No, I'm, I'm good at school. Drinking, I've got I've got a boat.

Scott Benner 22:25
I'm good at school. And I'm good at drinking. Yeah. Well, congratulations. That's gonna go right on your CV. I can see your LinkedIn right. Nobody ads when they're drunk, like, Aaron, that's your that's your tagline? And then, yeah, yeah, that's a good, yeah, you can have a glass of wine while we're going over your taxes. And you're sad about how much money you send to the government? Yeah, literally, what are you hoping to do when you're done with college?

Erin 22:54
Um, I'm doing an extra year of school to get my Master's in accounting, and then I'm going to sit for the CPA exam.

Scott Benner 23:00
So the family business or was that just something you wanted to do?

Erin 23:05
Not affiliate business. I just, I wasn't when I got to school. Like, I was just in like, the General Business School. And like my first accounting class, like, I was just really good at it. Like, I've always been a math person. And I just like, like, did and, you know, I was just like, Yeah, I think I could see myself doing this. And I just did like an internship this summer and really liked it. So that's the plan.

Scott Benner 23:29
Well, I might need an accountant next year. So hurry up. I cool. I keep I keep asking my guy. And he's like, I don't know. And I'm like, Could you say something more valuable than I don't know. I keep thinking, You know what, I keep thinking, I keep thinking that he wants me to do something that's not completely on the up and up. So he doesn't want to say it out loud. And I'm like, What are you trying to say? Exactly? Like, you never really says what he says he's like, you know, you could probably reduce your, your, your tax burden. And I'm like, yeah, what's the rest of it? How would I do that? He doesn't say anything. Do you think he's thinking something out? You don't know. But I always wonder I'm like, I wonder what he's saying right now. Yeah. Anyway. Okay. So talk a little bit. Aaron, about the college experience as it relates to alcohol and drugs to I don't mean it like do you do drugs? But I mean, do you? I don't know. Another way to say it. Because if I say,

Erin 24:26
like school occasionally like smoke, we are taken out a bowl. Yeah. Okay.

Scott Benner 24:31
So, so let's, I mean, for people who aren't in school now, or who aren't inclined. You go to college out of high school. Had you drank in high school? Yes. Okay. Had you smoked in high school? Yes. Alright. So this was not like a new thing. Yeah. Is this because you live in Colorado?

Erin 24:52
No, I mean, I'm from the suburbs of Chicago. I grew up there my whole life. Like my dad got a job out here and I had I have a brother who went to school here too. And so they just decided to move out here. So I live out here now, but I'm not from your

Scott Benner 25:08
social drinking a way of life and your family. Like are their drinks?

Erin 25:12
Actually, no, my dad is actually a recovering alcoholic, and sober for like, 20 years into my mom never really drink. And so I'm a very person when it comes to drinking, like, I know, the effects that it can have, like, I've seen it. And obviously I have like I can I could have addiction genes to like, in from my family. So I'm very like conscious about it. And I, you know, I've never been like, drinking to like, not feel some you know, drinking in a bat. It's always just been oh, we're going out. So,

Scott Benner 25:44
yeah. Do you see that from kid to kid like in school? Like, is there a difference between social drinking and blackout drinking?

Erin 25:52
Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah, there's not to be stereotypical. But it's a lot more guys who were just like, blacking out, you know, they're just drinking and they get whacked out with their fraternity brothers. God knows what happens.

Scott Benner 26:07
I liked the way you said that. God knows what happens. When everyone is this an after dark episode.

Erin 26:12
Um, that's what I like. Yeah.

Scott Benner 26:15
So yeah, so I want you to tell me when you say God knows what happens. What popped into your head? What do you think happens?

Erin 26:24
Um, I don't know, Blackout hook up with random girls or like, get in fights on the street.

Scott Benner 26:31
I don't know. That you?

Erin 26:34
Yeah. Yeah. Like boys are just crazy. But my son Yeah, I would.

Scott Benner 26:40
Like my son told me a story about guys that got drunk and broken ice carving. And I was like, what? And they're like, they were walking around. They saw like this big ice carving and they just knocked it over. And he's like, they're not like that when they're not drunk like that.

Erin 26:56
Yeah, like the in the stealing like people just like, even like when we'd have parties at our house. Like, they're a group of guys extol. Like our our like toilet paper like holder. I'm like, what? Like, what? What inclines you to do that? Like, what? Like what? Like, he's just like weird things he can like, now we can't put anywhere and you have like, a toilet paper holder? Like what? That's so we're here.

Scott Benner 27:22
Are you straight? Are you looking for boys? Well, what are you straight? Yeah, yeah. Does this scare you? Do you look at them and think, Oh, God, there's gonna be no fun.

Erin 27:33
Yeah, it's a worry of mine. I mean that. And because I am a part of like, Greek life. And so I hang out like with a lot of like, Attorney guys, and like, they're just so immature. And so just yeah, I'm like, I don't know where I'm gonna find a husband. But it's not here.

Scott Benner 27:54
That you think the boys somewhere else are different?

Erin 27:57
Well, I think at a college, I think hopefully they'll grow up, but

Scott Benner 28:01
I'm still sitting on it. So maybe you'll get married when you're 40. That'd be nice. Fine.

Erin 28:08
I hope I get married before then. Find a

Scott Benner 28:11
nice grown up boy by about 40 years old. Well, that's so that's interesting. So how does the drinking? Like let's just we'll do one at a time this drinking? Yeah. Impact Your the way you think about your blood sugar's like leading up to drinking? Are you like, do you plan for it? Or how do you handle it?

Erin 28:33
Yeah, I definitely plan for and it was one of like, the first things I told my doctor and was like, How do I drink? Like, how do I go about drinking with diabetes, because I had talked to my mom's friend about it. And she was saying how, like, you go up when you drink and you drop, like, six hours after whatever. And so I knew that. But especially in the beginning, I hadn't really had like a real low yet. So I didn't even really know what to expect. So there was a lot of fear being like what's going to happen. But from the start, I would always make sure I ate before, like, eat a good meal before and I just steered away from any sugary drinks. Like I mostly just drink like Seltzer, like white clouds or whatever. But you have like two grams of carbs. And so I would just never, and I still really don't ever give myself insulin for alcohol. Like I just don't even even if I'm having a sugary drink. I really don't give myself insulin for because I know I'm going to drop. And like it's just not worth the anxiety of like, worrying about going low. And it's I'm on a like on a pump now, which makes it 1000 times easier. But with MDI, like, it was hard because you couldn't change your Basal rate. And so like I did have a lot of lows. Like in the mornings and just from not being able to change it and not eating enough and whatnot. So

Scott Benner 29:58
what do you consider low

Erin 30:01
Under 70,

Scott Benner 30:03
and were they hard to bring back up?

Erin 30:07
Um, no, no, I, yeah, I just like, I've always been like an anxious person. And so I like the lows. I've had a lot of anxiety about them. And I did have one low that I went to the hospital for. So that then caused a lot more of anxiety, which I've been working on. And I'm better again now, but it's just a hard. It's a hard feeling.

Scott Benner 30:37
Yeah. I have a couple of questions. And I'm sorry, if I feel clunky. What I've learned is if I'm speaking while you're speaking, then we get that electronic sound. And so I'm trying not to step over you. But I'm still trying to interject when I have a question. So my first question, yeah, my first question is, Does dad have anxiety?

Erin 30:57
I would say yes.

Scott Benner 30:59
Do you think he was drinking to help him with his anxiety?

Erin 31:04
Um, yeah. That's the thing. I've, that's never been like, how I cope with it. So.

Scott Benner 31:10
And then, when you said you ended up in the hospital? So did you? Were you so drunk, you couldn't help yourself? Or was this not related to drinking?

Erin 31:21
Well, this is actually so I haven't been gone to this part, really. But so starting in January of this past year, I studied abroad in Spain. So it was like three and a half months after diagnosis, I got on a plane and ship myself off to Barcelona. And my bad lo happened. When I was in Barcelona, I had been out partying all night, was fine, like, woke up. And ironic enough, my mom was visiting me at this time. And so and I was with a friend, and we went to get breakfast, and reading, we're sitting at the table, I ordered like a chai latte and a pancake. And so I like gave myself a good amount of insulin because I'm like, child who is in the sweet and the pancake, and I always Pre-Bolus which, since this has happened, I don't really Pre-Bolus When I'm out at restaurants, because sometimes they forget to put your food in and bad things happen. So I had Pre-Bolus. And my food wasn't coming out, I started feeling really weird. And I had free start eating them. And the friend who I was with was like, visiting me. And she hadn't been around me since I had diabetes. And like, as this was happening, she was asking, like, what happens if you get really low, and I like stood up my head like slammed through the table. And I fell back and like passed out. And I brought my mom was like walking by the restaurant cuz she was coming to meet us heard screaming and runs and thinking like someone seven heart attack. And she sees me on the ground with like, the little of my face, because I had hit my head sat on the ground. And so that was the most frightening moment of my life for sure. And I think for her too, and I don't even know how low my sugar got, like, most insane no one speaks English. So or like she has diabetes, and they're all like what we all know,

Scott Benner 33:12
Greg. Hey, yeah, a couple things here. Did you have a seizure? No, you didn't have a seizure you pass out as serious. And as horrifying as the story is, did your friend later say for five seconds? I thought while you were really committed to answering my question about what happens if you get

Erin 33:34
because I know she was so freaked out.

Scott Benner 33:36
I would have been like, wow, Aaron is really going for it with this explanation.

Erin 33:41
Yeah. Yeah. Literally. Not laughing

Scott Benner 33:45
at your obviously your situation was terrible. But I just I love the timing of it. She's like, so what happens if you're low? You're like, let me show you.

Erin 33:53
I know, it was because I was telling you, I'm like, I don't feel good. Like, what I was eating food snacks. And so but I it was just the combination of the drinking because also in Spain, you go out till five in the morning. And so at this point, it's like 10 So I only stopped drinking five hours ago. So the peak of like, dropping me was right then. And I Pre-Bolus for food that took too long. And it just was a mess and a half

Scott Benner 34:16
had you slept.

Erin 34:19
I slept for like three hours. I think

Scott Benner 34:21
part of it is also the low. I'm not sleeping. Well. I've seen that before to where people experienced crazy loads if they're staying up like, like crazy amounts of time.

Erin 34:34
Yeah. And that was like a majority because I was in Spain for about four months. And I had I mean, I went to the hospital once, but I just had a lot of bad loads because I wasn't I wasn't sleeping. Well. I was out all night. I was just I was traveling every weekend to different countries. Like it was probably the craziest way to start my day. Diabetes journey.

Scott Benner 35:01
You think you were honeymooning? I've been meaning to ask you.

Erin 35:04
Yes. And that was what was really hard is like at one point, I was in Rome and I, my Lantis was down to like one unit a day. Because I, when I first got diagnosed, I was at 10. And it just kind of, we just kind of kept lowering it because I was just having a lot of lows. And I was at one. And I was just because we're walking so much. I probably had like, like, Can you can you hear me now?

Scott Benner 35:35
I lost you. You are walking so much. You said.

Erin 35:38
Yeah. So we're like, we're just walking so much that I was having food snacks, like every probably like 20 minutes and continue to go out. Because we were just walking and I was honeymooning. And yeah, that's, I really wish I put I tried to get let them get me get pumped to go. But they wouldn't let me which I get but like the flexibility, like a pump would have been really, really helpful. Just with like the lifestyle I was living over there.

Scott Benner 36:09
Yeah. No 100%, it would have helped you because you could have just like done Temp Basal, and stuff like that, that would have really probably limited your low blood sugars. And yeah, and you're doing all this walking. But even probably the amount of basil that you had set up before you left was for a much more sedentary lifestyle, right, reasonably speaking. And then suddenly, you're walking around everywhere. And Did you know Did you know? To decrease your Basal you didn't know that.

Erin 36:35
I knew that. And my doctor, like I had his cell phone number. So like, I was calling him constantly. And like when I had my low at the hospital, my mom called him and like, we forgot that it was the time change. So it was like three in the morning for him. But he woke up and his wife spoke Spanish. So his wife wakes up and it's like, on the phone with all the doctors like there. He's amazing. But But yeah, so I knew to like lower and stuff. But it was just hard because once you take it in the morning, like you know, you can't like change it. And so like I had other times like there was another time I was in Italy. And I had had a bad low on the plane. And I had overcorrected because I was just freaking out. And then so I overcorrected. So then I like rage Bolus. And then I was in like the middle of a train station, laying on the ground, like shaking so low, and my friend had to go, like, run get me orange juice was like pouring it down my throat. And I continue to be well like, that whole day. And I couldn't like turn off my basil. You know, like, I had taken it in the morning. And I couldn't like, take it away. And so it was so scary to be like, it's still in my body like I want it gone.

Scott Benner 37:48
Yeah, no, I know the feeling. As soon as somebody explained to me how an insulin pumps worked. I was the my first my very first thought was, oh, I'd be in control of the Basal insulin that Yeah, yeah, that was yeah, that was my first thought back then. Hey, shaking up the train station. Do you think that was a seizure? or No?

Erin 38:05
No, I was like, I like I get really bad shakes. And I get low. Like, that's one of my symptoms. It's like shaky, sweaty, it wasn't a seizure. I was only like, probably 40. But like, again, like I had partied I had partied all night, I woke up hungover, took a plane was on a plane for two hours to like Milan, like I was trying, you know, to travel all of it together, was just like creating these like, horrible circumstances for lows.

Scott Benner 38:35
Can I ask you it during this period? Which wasn't that long ago? Right?

Erin 38:40
Yeah, I got home in May. It's August now.

Scott Benner 38:43
Alright, so we're only talking about the story from three or four months ago. So during that period of travel, and did it ever, like hit you? Like, maybe I should just eliminate one of these troubling scenarios from my life to try to make this a little easier? Or did you more think this is what I want to do? This is what I would be doing if I didn't have diabetes, and I'm going to do it.

Erin 39:06
Yeah, after the SEC, the low in that train station, which was more near the end of my trip. I definitely didn't drink for a few nights. Because I was like, I don't need to be messing with this. But at the same time, when we were going out, I wanted to be with my friend like, not that I could be there with not drinking, like I wanted to go to these clubs, and I wanted to have fun. And I was in that mindset of like, I don't want to let this like take away from it. But there were times where I'm like, What am I doing to myself because I was destroying my body. 100% like it was just not good.

Scott Benner 39:43
Did you ever have you ever have the thought like this could kill me?

Erin 39:48
Um, I mean, when I after that I passed out I was like, okay, yeah, this is like, more serious than I've been thinking. But like it was always I'd freak out. out about it, and then I didn't buy that night, the next night or the next time you're going out, I was like, I'll be fine. And for the most part it was, but

Scott Benner 40:07
yeah, are you? Are you just gonna use the phrase because I don't know what else to say, but are you better at diabetes now than you were even three months ago

Erin 40:17
100%. But I do think as much as I, like, wish I had a pump, I do think being on MDI and having to make all these adjustments and having to learn those things has made me better on my pump, because I think if I just went on the pump, I would have been like, Oh, this is gonna solve all my problems, type of thing. And I think like having to, like go through the motions and like, make do things like helped me just, like learn about how my body like reacted insulin and like, that kind of stuff. So I think it was probably good that I was on MDI, but like, coming home was a breeze. I mean, I'm back, I'm in a routine, and also abroad, like abroad, I didn't carb count one thing when I was there, you know, there's, there's no such thing as car counting there. So everything was a guesstimate. And so coming back, being able to carb count on a schedule, sleeping, not really drinking, like, and getting my pump was amazing.

Scott Benner 41:13
Are you have you at all in the last 38 minutes wondered? I, I, I've tried to put myself in the position of being like the young mother of like a five year old that has diabetes listening to this. They must be listening to you like, Oh, God, Oh, God. Oh, God. I don't

Erin 41:30
know. Yeah, I know.

Scott Benner 41:34
It must be. Right now. They're like, oh, so she can't go to college. That's for sure.

Erin 41:40
She can't be her. I don't want I don't want my

Scott Benner 41:43
Well, not that you are. You just the situation is? Yeah. Because, you know, I remember on my son's intake day when he was a freshman, and oddly, he's now graduated. But there were these young parents clearly all like, you know, a large portion of these were their first kids going into college and this group, right? And we're in this, like, seminar room with these people that work at the college. And this woman raises her hand, and she goes, does everyone drink? Like, like, he'd been like, she had been worrying about it for 20 years. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. And, and the person at the podium, gave some statistics about, you know, how many people drink at college versus how many never do How much do you know sometimes, etc. And it was interesting that the numbers were fairly 5050. Like, some people drink and some people don't? Yeah, yeah, I would do that. Yeah. Right. And, and it did not comfort that lady at all. She's like, 5050, I was like, yeah, you've got a coin flip chance of what you're asking about right now. But at the same time, I don't know where I felt like everyone, I'm such a weird person to ask about it. Because you've probably drank more in the last month I've had my entire life. Yeah, so I don't know, like I but at the same time, I don't feel like I don't feel like I'm sitting here thinking like, oh, Aaron's doing the wrong thing. Like, I think you're doing what you mean to be doing and, and it's, um, it's a different choice than I would make, but it's not. But it's not right or wrong. I think the reason that you come on and talk about it is because you got a coin flips chance of this being new. And you're going to need to know how to handle it, because the answer isn't. It's why I asked you the question earlier, the answer isn't, well, just don't do it then. Because you're either a person who is going to Yeah, where who isn't going to? Yeah, right. 100% Yeah. So when you're raising a six year old with diabetes, you can't just go with Oh, I'm sure it'll work out in our favor, and the kid won't drink when they get to school. So how do you manage it now? Like now that you know a little better what you're doing? How are you stopping these problems from happening? Or are you not having luck? Still?

Erin 43:58
I'm definitely having more luck. I mean, just having the pump like I was setting Temp Basal right after I was done drinking, which completely eliminate those morning lows. And I was just able to be more mindful about like eating snacks and stuff. Like when I got home and whatnot. And now I'm on Omnipod five and so that I don't really even change my you know, it automates it. And I haven't had a low from drinking since I've been on it. So yeah,

Scott Benner 44:28
do tell Aaron How long have you been around the past five?

Erin 44:32
I think like three weeks now. For you for? Yeah,

Scott Benner 44:38
this is the whole marketing idea for Omni pod. If they're listening on the pod five for college drunks. That's, that's a nice poster, right? That's a good. Listen, you find a nicer more professional way of saying it but you get what I'm getting at. So the algorithm is stopping you from getting Low when you're drinking and are you not putting any effort into it?

Erin 45:04
Yeah, not at all. I mean, it because when I was on dash, I was lowering my Basal. Every time I was done drinking for like, honestly, like 12 hours because I listened to like the pro tip with Jenny where she was like, decrease it I forget exactly what you said, but per drink, you know, for every amount of hours and so I was doing that and now I don't even touch it

Scott Benner 45:28
was that was what Jenny brought up from the drinking episode. Was that working?

Erin 45:33
Yeah, that was really helpful. Wow. Yeah. See, that's

Scott Benner 45:35
the kind of stuff I'm a fan of talk. Obviously. You listen to the podcast you must write.

Erin 45:41
Yeah, I, I listened to the first pro tip. Like, the second day I was diagnosed. No kidding. Did

Unknown Speaker 45:48
your doctor tell you about it?

Erin 45:50
It was my mom's friend. She is her who told us about podcasts and the doctors this and then she was like, go do the protests. There's about like, it's like the starting over whatever. recently diagnosed. Yeah. And so I'm, I'm I listen to that. And I can't say I've listened to all the episodes. But I do listen, quite frequently.

Scott Benner 46:09
I appreciate that. Now, it would be very, I think I put up episode 732 today. So if you listened to all of them and went to college, and we're both aerated as much as you are, I would wonder where you were getting all this time from? Okay, so anyway, my point was going to be that this stuff gets talked about sometimes in like isolated corners of diabetes, you know, the diabetes world. But mainstream, like, outlets don't talk about stuff like this. And it's why it's why I focus on doing it as much as I do. It's interesting, too, because the prote holding up the pro tip episodes against the after dark episodes is interesting. More people listen to the protests, like like, just tell me how it works. Like tell me how they like that kind of stuff. How do I do it? What do I do? But some of the most completed episodes? Are they after dark, like people who listen just like from when it starts till the second it ends? Yeah. Because I think that it's either a thing that is happening to you something that exists in your life, or it's an oddity to you, and you and you're interested in like, like, oh, I don't like I, you know, I don't have bipolar disorder. But let me listen to a person who has diabetes talk about their bipolar, like, I think they find it incredibly interesting. And so I think, yeah, never enough content like this, honestly.

Erin 47:41
Yeah. And because after I listened to a few protests I, I forget, which I found first, but it was, I think it was the after dark about the girl talking about like, dating with diabetes, and then it listen to the guy won. And then there was another one about drinking too. And I loved all those like, like you're saying it was just like relatable stuff. And that's kind of why like, always wanted to come on here. I just like was like, I would love to, for someone going into college, or who's getting diagnosed in college, just be able to hear someone who is partying and is going out and like, like, okay, like, I will be okay. And if that's what I want to do, like, I can do it, you know, like, it is possible to still be a partier in college and have diabetes.

Scott Benner 48:22
Well, you have to know what to do. It is not a thing that you can just take one faith and be like, Oh, I'm just going to hope this works out, like hoping diabetes ever said, Yeah, hoping hoping type one diabetes just works out is a bad idea to begin with. But then you add being either inebriated, like, not able to make good decisions, or being unconscious to it. Yeah, hope is, you know, a person told me I know, the person listens to the podcast, they'll also be very vague, but happened to bump into somebody one day, like a total and complete stranger. And we were kind of at the same place for like, a half an hour. And she was there watching her kid who was too old to be kind of like, watched by her by their parents. And I happened to be there because I was, I just gotten there to pick my my son up. And so this is very vague, and I'm trying to keep it very vague. So it's not a place where parents usually watch their children, but she was watching him and I was like, you know, you've listened to podcasts. Like I talked to her for comments, and my started getting the best man, like, why are you like, here? And she's like, well, he has type one diabetes. And like, she was just kind of like, I think she was worried, right? And then told me a story about fairly recently in college, where the kid had become completely unconscious, but with high blood sugars, right, okay, and was like vomiting and in decay and like, you know, like just not able to take care of themselves. And then you find yourself in a very strange position where the people you're hoping are going to help you are Other drunk people your age? Yeah. Yeah. Right. Who are not like classically the most reliable subset of, of society drunk kids? Yeah, right. You don't you don't you don't go find a 20 year old and be like, hey, you've drink it. You've drank a fifth of vodka in the last three hours, would you paint my house? Like you don't even let alone? Can you give medical advice to my kid? So this poor kid was just passed out? As was everyone else blood sugar up, up up, the parents had to drive a great distance to go like, scoop the kid and take them to the hospital.

Erin 50:37
Oh, wow. So I would hope that if that happened to me, someone

Scott Benner 50:41
can get to the hospital, you got to check your friends very closely.

Erin 50:45
I think I think they would I think they've given I think, I hope you want

Scott Benner 50:49
to make sure you're around the right people. But my point is, is that in a scenario where this kid was going to do this thing, anyway? Wouldn't it be beneficial if he knew how to do it the best he could?

Erin 51:03
Exactly. It's like, you can't like you're saying you can't just expect someone not to do it. Like, you have to give them the tools to understand how to do it. And then they can decide if they want to engage in that activity or not. But you can't just think oh, they won't do it. Because the odds are they will and then they don't know how something like that happened.

Scott Benner 51:21
This week hit you differently. I mean, obviously we'd hit you differently than alcohol but do you manage it differently? Or do you not need I don't

Erin 51:28
really smoke like I I'll take an edible like once a month I would say and when I first got diagnosed, I took an edible and then I had a low and I was like freaking the fuck out like I was like not okay, so I didn't take edibles for a while and I've recently like taken a few but I don't I don't I just like I don't take them as much as I used to because we'd have such a strong substance where the minute you put an anxious thought in your head you're anxious and so like if I'm like thinking about my blood sugar's it just makes it not a good experience whereas if I'm like laughing and doing something else like I love it, but I think I too much in my head sometimes we're like we just doesn't isn't like a good feeling for me anymore.

Scott Benner 52:19
I have questions and of course my weight information is coming secondhand, but I've heard this before about if you have anxiety we'd either takes it away or can make it like stronger. But I've also heard the difference between smoking and and consuming can impact differently to suit doesn't sound like you smoke a lot but do you have the anxiety when you smoke

Erin 52:45
I'm probably not it's much it's just easier to take

Scott Benner 52:51
Aaron Aaron, I'm so sorry. It's easier to take edibles. Keep talking from there.

Erin 52:56
These are like edibles. Then, like smoking, just like but now I guess I could smoke whenever I wanted because I'm like older but when I was a little younger it's easier to take edibles because they don't smell and stuff.

Scott Benner 53:10
Oh, I see easier to take edibles because nobody will know there's no accoutrements, there's no odor. Yeah, just stuff. Yeah. Interesting. Has anyone ever used the word accouterments with you around weed smoking before?

Erin 53:23
I don't know what that word means? You don't know? Sidebar,

Scott Benner 53:28
this is a nice moment for you and I hold on a second, I'll get you the actual definition. Okay. I'd like to see you use this word. And in regular life, it's a it's a fancy word. But additional items of dress or equipment or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. So like a bong would be an accoutrement of smoking. And I'm saying, accountant in loose terms, your calculator may be in a huge amount. Okay, I get it. Okay, got it. You're like I've never seen that works catch that up?

Erin 54:07
Definitely not. I don't think I could pronounce it.

Scott Benner 54:11
Do you think that? So I have one of those weird vocabularies. My son pointed this out to me the other day, he wasn't being kind when he said it. I just want to be clear about that. He's like, you use a lot of words you don't know. And I was like, that's not true. I know exactly what they are. Because how can I ask you to define them? You can't define them. I was like, well, not being able to exactly define them, and not knowing what they mean, are somehow different. And he goes, how and I was like, I don't know what it is. Because I know what a kucha might mean, it's funny, I know when to use it, but if you told me Give me a solid definition, I would pick it up

Erin 54:48
just you wouldn't. You wouldn't know how. Yeah, I get that. Yeah, I don't really have a very like high vocabulary.

Scott Benner 54:54
No, I'm like nouveau smart. You know, they mean like not really, but I get away with it. Yeah, yeah like nouveau riche. Yeah. Have you ever heard nouveau riche? Oh my god, what are you doing over there? You just smoking weed and drinking all day?

Erin 55:09
No, I'm not I profited. I just don't know a lot of words.

Scott Benner 55:15
nouveau riche is a term used usually in a derogatory way to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation. Okay, new money is another way of okay. Yeah, I'm sort of like, I'm sort of like new education. Didn't I mean? Yeah, I don't come from a long line of well educated. Well brought up people. Okay, but I've kind of like rushed into it. In my lifetime. Yeah. Yeah, I guess. What are we gonna call your episode? We're not done yet. But I think it's just gonna be after dark. When in Rome. That might be one. Yeah. Yeah. So Alright, so let's talk about how you can not kill yourself. Because it seems like you're well on your way. No, that's shaking and sweating. I'm going to tell you something. Arden's had a couple of seizures in her life. I'm gonna bet your I'm gonna bet you're 10 points away from having a seizure.

Erin 56:15
When that yeah, I wouldn't. I wouldn't doubt it. Yeah.

Scott Benner 56:17
Were you conscious and making sense? Or were you lost, like,

Erin 56:21
like, I was completely lost, like, because the first time I passed up, like I woke up pretty soon, the second time when I was on the ground, I was, you know, you're just so out of it. And I'm like, in my head, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die on the dime and die, which obviously doesn't help anything. But

Scott Benner 56:37
did you ever like afterwards, look up at your friend and go? I can't believe you're the only thing that stood between me and death? And does that impact your friends? Your friends have like, like, that girl who ran and got, I'm assuming is the girl the person who ran and got you a juice? Were they later like, Hey, Aaron, listen, we got to stop hanging out. Like because we're where they pretty cool about it.

Erin 56:59
She like she's very traumatized by it. But it's interesting, because she, like just kind of had more of like a respect for me. And finally, like, understood how serious diabetes can actually be. Because I think a lot of people that I'm around when I say I have diabetes, it's just like, Oh, you have diabetes, but like, no one really understands, like, what could go wrong? Until you see some someone almost, you know, and so she is just like, like, now she was like, always worried about me always asking, are you okay? Like, what's your blood sugar? Because she's like, seen it firsthand. Whereas other people are so kind and like to me and like, always, like, helpful, whatever. But they just don't like know how bad it can get if that makes sense.

Scott Benner 57:45
Right? Yeah. So they're being kind of like surface about Yeah. Oh, that's terrible. I'm so sorry. And then they probably they probably walk away and go. Alright, is diabetes, because they don't know what it means. And exactly right. But this girl got to see like, Hey, I someone hand me a juice, I'm gonna go port in the face of my friend before she drops that in this train station. And yeah, that'll that'll make you understand it pretty quick. Exactly. Yeah, I agree. By the way, I've seen a seizure. And if you haven't seen one, it's different. So you know, it's a different one. Because otherwise, it's all academic, right up until then, like, oh, I don't want to get too low. Because if I get too low, I might shake or sweat or I could even have a seizure. But if it's ever happened to you, you just sort of like, you know, but that never happens until the does. And then. Yeah, it's like saying, I don't need to wear a seatbelt. I drive every day and never have an accident. You're not wearing a seatbelt for the 29 days, you don't have an accident, you're wearing it for the one day when you know, you drive into a pole. That's the day you know, and that's the day you need people to understand around you how to help you. So

Erin 58:56
yeah, and I think I am like, happy is definitely not the right word. But I am like happy that I had such a bad low early on in my diabetes, because it has made me understand because I think if I had gone through this experience, with out anything bad happening, I'd be so much more careless than I am right now. And that would lead to play something even worse.

Scott Benner 59:19
You know, it's funny, it's twice you've said that you needed something bad had to happen. So you would know to take it seriously. I think it's I think it's your age, which is not a dig but that just is how it goes. Can Can we veer off a little bit here and if you if you don't want to talk about it, I'm cognizant of the fact that I'm 30 years older than you and it could be creepy, but um, were you sexually active before you were diagnosed? Yes, okay. I just heard you do the math in your head. You're like my parents are gonna hear this. Where's this gonna go? Like the whole thing but I appreciate you answering. How has that changed with diabetes or has it not?

Erin 59:59
Um, Yeah, I mean, I think in the beginning, in the beginning, I was kind of with a, it was like my, my ex boyfriend was like talking to you again. I was with when I got diagnosed and he was just like, didn't know what to do with himself when I was diagnosed with, which was like such a turn off and like, we went our separate ways. And then I started like, there'd be guys who the interested in me and who would find out have diabetes and try and use it as like a flirting type of thing. And because like, I always wear my Apple Watch and so, like, I can check my blood sugar's like quicker than grabbed my phone and guys would be like, oh, like, Are you doing okay? Like, let me see, you're not like, you know, like trying to make it like a flirting thing, which was kind of funny. And like, I didn't see that coming. But then there's also been times when I'm out and like, I'll be talking to a guy and then like, he's like, what's up? What's in your arm? What's wrong? Like, what's wrong with you? And I'm like, All right, I'm done with you. And I move on. So it's been interesting.

Scott Benner 1:00:59
But these dastardly boys, Aaron. Now I'm using now I'm using words just for fun, but they that would look at you and go, Hey, I'll pretend to care about Aaron's health, so I can see her butt cheeks. That's wrong. Okay, he really

Erin 1:01:18
find the moment I'm like, oh, there's they care about me. So nice. Yeah. Don't

Scott Benner 1:01:24
Oh, my God, these boys are gonna drive me to the other side. That's for sure. That was seriously because Who? Who? That's, I mean, listen, I get at that age. You're limited with your with everything, like your knowledge of how to talk to people and everything. But I don't know if you got to you got to know that's a slimy thing to say to do. Right? Yeah. Oh, I see. You broke your leg. Yeah, I did. Oh, my God. Is this you're in? Yeah, this is what you're gonna do? I don't know. I don't know. I'm not okay with this. I want you. I want you out of college.

Erin 1:02:04
I have one more year. Okay.

Scott Benner 1:02:06
Well, then, but then the grad program. Yeah, but that

Erin 1:02:09
won't be like it's like, crazy and I won't be doing crazy things I'll be studying and

Scott Benner 1:02:17
all that. Oh. What are you talking about? Oh, like

Erin 1:02:20
all my friends are gonna be like, like, I don't really have any close friends who are going to be in the program with me. At least I know of yet. So we'll see though.

Scott Benner 1:02:28
Aaron. This is either the first time you've lied to me yourself. I'm not sure. You think you're gonna magically stop drinking when you're undergrads?

Erin 1:02:37
No, I didn't mean like that. I just mean like, I'm not going to be out. Thursday through Saturday. like talking to fraternity boys. You were trying to get my pants.

Scott Benner 1:02:47
Yeah, but now you're gonna be talking to grown men are gonna be trying to give you a coke. You know this, right?

Erin 1:02:55
No, that's not gonna happen. I mean, there's a ton of coke at school, but I've never done that. That's great

Scott Benner 1:03:00
stories. Aaron. I hear it's like water. Right? cocaine. Cocaine is like tissues. They're in every room.

Erin 1:03:08
I've that's where I draw the line. That's where I draw the line. Like,

Scott Benner 1:03:11
it's you. Your parents are gonna be so proud when they hear about this. Have you done any other stuff? Besides we'd ever? No, no. If I said to you, heroin, you'd go? No. wouldn't do that. Never. Okay. I'm just checking. I want to make sure you're okay. i So far I see you defending yourself and one girl on a train station. I need somebody else on your side. So I'm going to be on your side for a minute. About mushrooms. You had to have done mushrooms. You live in Colorado. You Brian, you broke up.

Erin 1:03:48
All my friends and all my friends did shrimps. Oh, sorry.

Scott Benner 1:03:51
Yeah, I can but mushrooms.

Erin 1:03:54
As I was saying, No, I've never done them. And I was in Amsterdam, where the legal and all my friends did them. But I was too scared to do that.

Scott Benner 1:04:01
Do you have diabetes at that time?

Erin 1:04:04
Yeah. Okay. Did that happen? Yeah. I just Yeah, I was I didn't know how it would affect it.

Scott Benner 1:04:10
Yeah, I mean, it would make you look inwards at your ego and it would flip inside on itself. And you would either become very aware of yourself or you would become like a self obsessed. bore. I think that's pretty much the two ways that ends up going from what I've understood. Okay, so you have I'm just I have to tell you like the cocaine thing. Being so prevalent now is like, especially with fentanyl.

Erin 1:04:36
Yeah, that sounds insane. It's really scary. Yeah. Being such

Scott Benner 1:04:39
a problem. Do you know anybody who's Odede? Not personally. Okay. Stories from school.

Erin 1:04:47
But there have been odd at my school. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's freaky.

Scott Benner 1:04:52
Of course it is. Friend of my son's died this year. So Wow, I'm so sorry. Yeah, it was terrible as a boy you knew from high school. And I don't think they were close anymore. But certainly don't expect to hear that 22 year old who lives in your town is is no longer Yeah. Because of fentanyl. You know, yeah. It's alright. So be careful. You know, there's a whole episode about testing your drugs, right? You know about that? No, I didn't know that. This girl came on, she's terrific. She's probably your age when she did it. She's like, I just want everybody to test her drugs and be safe. And during the whole thing, she was like, I don't do hard drugs. I just do this, this this. And I was like, right. And she and I was like, I forget how the conversation went. But it's one of the moments of 700 and some episodes that sticks out in my head. Because I was like, so no, no hard drugs, because no will cocaine. And I was really not measuring that as a hard drug anymore. I was like, that's,

Erin 1:05:47
like, that's a hard drug.

Scott Benner 1:05:50
Right? So, all right. Can you explain to me, you're not going to be able to this is a stupid question.

Erin 1:05:58
I ask it.

Scott Benner 1:06:03
I don't even know how to ask it. So I'm going to I'm going to start with a basic idea. Because this is how little I understand this. This concept. Why do people drink?

Erin 1:06:16
Um, it just like, when you're going out and like, with people, it heightens like, your emotions you like laugh more you your worksite like, it just you just want to be like partying and out and having fun all night. I guess. I see it.

Scott Benner 1:06:35
When you say partying? What is the definition of that to you?

Erin 1:06:41
Like, just like going out and like being with people, like doing thing

Scott Benner 1:06:47
with people and

Erin 1:06:49
I have to, I have to define partying. I know what you're saying, You know what? You know what these words mean. But when you have to define it, this is what I'm experiencing.

Scott Benner 1:06:58
Okay. I appreciate that. And it's a it's it's both a weird, simple and deep question, in my opinion. So I wasn't sure what you would say. Like when you say that, my and not just me now, not just me. 50 years old. But if you would have said to me when I was 20. Hey, we're gonna go out and go partying, I'd be like, Oh, no, I'm not, like, be like, Oh, God, I am definitely not doing that. I don't want to see your stupid drunk ass talking. I don't want to hear your dumb thoughts. I don't want to see you pass down on the sofa. I don't want to feel responsible for you. If you can't handle yourself, like, like I would. That's how it would strike me if you said it to me. And if I said it to you, you'd be like, oh, yeah, let's do it. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I'm not saying what's right or wrong. It's just one of those

Erin 1:07:47
things. Yeah, it's just one of those things.

Scott Benner 1:07:50
I genuinely don't make a judgement about it. I just don't understand it.

Erin 1:07:54
Yeah, I guess. Yeah, I don't really understand it myself. To be honest. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:07:58
Like the the episode I put up today guys skydives. And I'm like my brains going, I don't understand. You jumping out of a plane for fun? Why? I can't I can't I can't wrap my head around it in a million years. If you said to me, Scott, we're gonna go out on a plane and skydive. It's gonna be great. I'm gonna No, I'm not doing that. I don't I don't want to do that. Because who knows why, but you know, I don't know why I'm saying no to it. I just No, no. I just I would not do that. And so I don't know. That's interesting. Even like weed. I have no trouble with weed and I've never done it.

Erin 1:08:35
Yeah, I don't know. It. Just it just happened. That Yes.

Scott Benner 1:08:38
happened. So let's go over some of the fallacies that people might think of. Did you have a happy childhood? Yes, yes. Do you love your parents? You think they love you? Yes. Okay. Do you feel incomplete? Or at all? No, no. Do you feel like misunderstood? No. Okay. Do you feel like you fit in with people when you're not Hi? Yes, okay.

Erin 1:09:07
I feel like I fit in last

Scott Benner 1:09:11
describe what kind of a drunk you are.

Erin 1:09:15
I'm a fun. I'm very happy, drunk. Like, I like like making jokes. Like, I think I'm really funny, but I might not be very funny to other people. I like I like to just like, I love dancing even though I'm really bad at dancing, but like, that's always a good time. I don't know how

Scott Benner 1:09:39
you're doing fine. If you weren't partying what would you do with your free time?

Erin 1:09:47
Like go to dinner goes shopping, hanging out with my dog may still do all these things like you're asking like my whole life is spent.

Scott Benner 1:09:54
I'm not acting like this. Substantive. It's just what we're talking about.

Erin 1:09:59
I'm just I'm just kidding.

Scott Benner 1:10:00
I don't imagine I don't imagine you aren't. But does regular life feel boring? No, no, no interest. I

Erin 1:10:07
said, like, I usually will drink like, Thursday nights. And then like, Saturday during the days, and sometimes Fridays, but like, usually Fridays, I am too tired. like I usually do two nights a week. So it's not like I'm, like going crazy. No,

Scott Benner 1:10:23
no, I mean, I actually don't think you are. I'm just, I'm asking my questions. Now, it's my question, how many percentage wise, how many of the kids you go to college with do you think suffer from some sort of depression or anxiety?

Erin 1:10:40
90% I mean, more towards anxiety, I think anxieties become a part of too many people these days. So I would say, like, I had just with the pressures from parents in school, and there's always something that you're supposed to be doing or you didn't do, right. Or, like, why aren't you doing like, or the anxiety of people? Like, why aren't you in a relationship? Like there's just there's always something that could be causing you to feel that way? I say,

Scott Benner 1:11:10
feel like judged constantly. Yeah, yeah, pressure about multiple facets of your life. Yeah. And there's no ability to just be like, I don't care.

Erin 1:11:22
I think the race and I have friends who are like that, and I am starting to try and become that person, like I've always ever from anxiety. And I started seeing a therapist, like, two years ago now, who's completely changed my life. And I would say I'm a lot more on that. I don't care side, I'm gonna do what I want. But it's a really hard place to get you when you have those feelings.

Scott Benner 1:11:52
I have a question that fell out of my head because a different question popped in my head. Dammit, I heard is it possible? There's only room for one thought at a time my brain? Possible? Maybe? Oh, God, that would be terrible. If that was true. Anxiety? I'll find it hold on a second. Oh, perspective. Do you think perspective and expectations drive anxiety? Because I do. I think that I use myself as an example, I grew up really broke. I didn't have any expectations for success. I didn't think I was gonna go to college. I didn't think I was going to learn anything. I didn't think I was going to make any money. I didn't think I was going to be particularly special in any way or do anything wonderful in the world. I didn't have any, any expectations about any of that. So no matter what happened to me, I was always like, Yeah, well, that makes sense. And but then now, everyone, right? Like if you if you come from a household that even has a median income, someone expects you to go to college. 100%. Right. Yeah. And then you're gonna go, you're gonna leave with that most most people are going to leave with that. Although not you, because your parents were fancy enough to move across the country to hang out with you. So I'm going to assume they're doing okay. And am I right, Aaron? Did I figure that up? Yeah, you are correct. Thank you. So you're not paying for school? Is that right? Yes. All right. So there's one pressure lifted, but you still have? Do people like me? Am I dateable? Am I gonna meet a person? Am I going to figure out this degree? Is this really what I want to do? Can I get a job? And then on top of that, if your parents are making a handsome income, then your expectations for how much you make coming out of school are probably raised as well.

Erin 1:13:44
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's definitely like I would say,

Scott Benner 1:13:49
say that again. I'm sorry.

Erin 1:13:50
Dr. A huge part of anxiety. And I would say expectations do drop a huge part of anxiety because the Yeah, the world, the world that we live in now. It's just you're always expected of something and yeah, it can. It can be hard at times for sure.

Scott Benner 1:14:04
Set the bar low. Aaron. That's my motto. Okay. Anything that goes right seems like a major win.

Erin 1:14:11
Yeah, I feel like I don't. I'm like past that point of setting the bar low. Like I'm almost done with it. I don't know how to say that. Like, I'm not a kid anymore, you know?

Scott Benner 1:14:21
Yeah, no, I hear you. I don't know that. I don't know that. I mean it exactly the way you're saying it. I just mean Yeah, yeah. Um, what are the Beatles say? Aren't you know, the Beatles? I know the Beatles. So this is a this is an interesting moment. Because if you don't listen to The Beatles, you'd be like, I don't know what that's an old listen to The Beatles. Okay. I think let it be is. That's a good one. Yeah. Might be my motto sometimes. Right? Yes. It's a good one. Yeah, whatever happens.

Erin 1:14:49
That's that's what I've been learning. And honestly, I think getting diabetes has like, helped me in a way which I wouldn't have thought but like it It's just, it's like, it's caused anxiety to increase around lows. But in all the parts of my life, my anxiety has decreased immensely, I would say.

Scott Benner 1:15:12
Do you think if? If I snap my fingers, right, and you and you opened your eyes, and you were graduated, had a job with an income you were happy with? And were with a boy that you liked? Who liked you back equally? Do you think most of your anxiety would disappear?

Erin 1:15:34
Yes, okay. Yes. All right. Yeah, there's, it's the anxiety of the future to like, yeah, am I going to find a husband? Am I going to get married? Am I going to get a job? Am I going to do this? Like, that's my biggest thing that I have, like, I just have to live in the moment and not be so worried about the future,

Scott Benner 1:15:56
the unknown gets a hold of you. Yeah. You know, the ship after you attain these things that at the moment you think of as the things that your future will hold? That new stuff will fill in that that vacuum, right, you'll start wondering about, like, buying a home or having a baby? Or is your baby going to have diabetes? Like, like, you're going to have like this, this doesn't stop, but it actually, sorry, I can't believe I'm gonna say this. It gets worse as you get older. So, yeah, I can see that because your concerns will start becoming about not just yourself, but other people. Yeah. You know, and then you're kind of inextricably, like connected to these successes and failures of other people. Did I use that word right now? I'm in my own head about this. Alright, hold on a second. What? Where did you even say, give me a second. All right, I said inextricably, in a way that is impossible to get to. I used it right God damn, Aaron, I am on a payroll today. Where's my son? I want him in here. Right now. It's like atomic himself. Because I use good words, I just don't 100% know what they are. So thank you, you know, he and you are the same age. Oh, really, he's like, he's like five minutes older than you are so inextricably, in a way that is impossible to disentangle or separate. So you become inextricably attached to other people whose lives you you care about as well, and whose health and outcomes and their anxiety and all that stuff. So then, by loving this, this is this is not me talking to you out of like caring about people. But when you start caring about other people, their problems weigh on you almost more than your problems, though. You know, what? Why the hell am I not drinking? I think you might have just talked me into it.

Erin 1:17:59
Yeah, you're making the future sound pretty, pretty, not happy.

Scott Benner 1:18:04
is happy? It's just I know, it's not an unhappiness. It's um it's just there's more expectations to manage. Yeah, I think that's all what it is, like, you know, why is it upsetting that your kid has diabetes? Because you didn't expect it to happen? Why is it upsetting that you have it? This is not something you expected to happen if, if growing up every, I don't know, six months, someone would have said to you Hey, Aaron, by the way, when you're 21, you're going to get type one diabetes, you have to start using insulin, then the day it happened, you would have been like, oh, yeah, I expect this. Yeah. Right. So I'm almost talking about this, because I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I don't think it's a bad thing, that you're going to love somebody so much that you're going to care about them more than you care about yourself and that they're and that you may rise and fall with their experiences as well. I think if you expect it, then it's manageable. But if you just look up one day and think I thought life was going to be perfect, and it's not then it feels terrible. Yeah, right. Yeah. And that's true. That's the expectation we give kids. It's going to work out for ya. You earn you're gonna be terrific. You're such a pretty girl. You're so smart. You're gonna get a job doing whatever you want. And the guy is going to be lucky to be with you earn. Yeah, right. And then you bump into a guy at school. And he's like, what's that diabetes get away from and you're like, Oh, I thought he was gonna be lucky to be with me. What the hell? Yeah, and then it hurts. All right, Aaron. Listen, life's easy. You'll figure it out in the next like, six or seven years. Don't worry. You're sound smart. I think you're gonna do it.

Erin 1:19:46
Yeah, we'll see. I think I can do it. I think I can do it too.

Scott Benner 1:19:49
Do you really? You have like, you have like cope. Uh huh. Yeah. How much does the therapist help you with that?

Erin 1:20:00
it sorry, say that again?

Scott Benner 1:20:00
How much has the therapist helped you be hopeful? A lot?

Erin 1:20:05
Yeah. Yeah, that's like, my like, I have changed a lot in the past two years. And I think about it a lot. If I would have gotten diabetes at that time, like, when I was a freshman in college, like, I don't think I could have handled it even like, yeah, I don't think I could have handled it. I don't know what I was in such a anxious, like, cared so much about what everyone thought like, if I had to wear a Dexcom on my arm out to a party, I wouldn't have gone out. Like, that's where I was in my life. And now I'm like, I love wearing my devices. And I, I like people staring at them and makes me feel like that about myself in a weird way. But like, if it if I would have gotten diagnosed two years ago, it would have been a completely different thing, I think.

Scott Benner 1:20:50
Yeah, why did you initially go to the therapist?

Erin 1:20:56
Um, I always just, I, the thing that was so funny about me is I would get anxious about like, the smallest things, and I was going to get my eyebrows waxed at this place. And I couldn't find a parking spot. And I call my mom, like, screaming, bawling crying about how I can't find a place to park. And how am I supposed to call like, I can't call them and ask them where the parking because my mom's like, there's a parking lot. But I didn't know where it was. And the thought of like, having to like call someone and tell them that, like I couldn't find a place to park made me like literally almost passed out from panic. My mom was like, We need to find you someone. And I was like, You're right. Like this is getting out of hand. And so like that, then I started seeing her and yeah,

Scott Benner 1:21:45
I think more recent generations live so virtually, that when they go into like the real like, IRL world, that everything seems crazy. You know, like, like for me, you know, growing up, I mean, think about it. When you were 16 is four years ago, five years ago, I was 1634 years ago. And no one even i No one even fed me. No one made sure I was alive. Really. Like I like parenting back then was just a series of like you, you you make a place where they're safe and inside, and there's food available. And you yell at them to do their homework and you yell at them to take a bath. Like that was the interaction I got from my parents mainly. And, and if I screwed with my brothers, somebody would smack me. It's pretty much it. Okay, and so, you get up in the morning, you'd be like, Alright, I gotta eat. And then you'd go feed yourself. And then you'd be like, I gotta put clothes on, then you'd put clothes on? And then you'd be like, well, it's summertime. I don't know what to do. I'll go find other people and see what they're doing. And then we would go do things by ourselves and be gone. I know it sounds like a story people tell or it's a meme at this point. But I'd walk out of my house at nine o'clock in the morning, I'd show back up at one or two being like, hey, food, I'd grabbed some the leave again. And we didn't come home till 5am Yeah, that's my mom says to my parents were unaware of where I was. Like, we were like crazy. Yeah, you did not. You didn't have a day like that growing up. Yeah, no. Right. And now you're in the you're in that you're out rolling around in some fat car. Trying to get your brows wax which by the way, man, I say on and I'm not embarrassed. Look into threading.

Erin 1:23:43
I, I you get your eyebrows threaded?

Scott Benner 1:23:48
Arden and I do it together. Really? Yeah. So it's a thing she does that I used to just drive her to. And then one day I was like, he's like, do it. I was like, Okay. And now when I go there, the woman's like you too. And I'm like, Yeah, and I swiped in and I get my brows done. And I gotta be honest with you, I look better. So that's funny. Which, by the way, on the scale of one to 10 that the eyebrow threading moves me from a 2.5 to 2.9 on that scale. Because that's some great thing. But it's, um, they don't grow back as quick. The shapes nice. It's cheaper.

Erin 1:24:24
I know people who do it, but I guess I've never even looked

Scott Benner 1:24:26
into it. Yeah, they gotta be some hippies in Colorado who are doing that? Yeah, definitely. The whole place smelled like petroleum oil. And, you know, they'll be like, you want hash like they just heard my eyebrows. Okay. Yeah, so turning the hash down to so um, so yeah, so there's this like, I don't know, like, everyone. There's a big part of me that thinks you're okay. You just haven't been tested yet. And so you don't trust yourself because you're untested.

Erin 1:25:01
I yeah, I think I think that's how I was. But I think like, that's what I think like, I think diabetes has been that thing for me. Like, I think it has been a thing like testing me. And like it has been like I think, I don't know, I don't really know how to describe it.

Scott Benner 1:25:17
No, I think it's also it's really hopeful that you got in this situation with diabetes, and you were like, I'm gonna go on this trip, for example. And okay, you didn't handle it. Great. But you also, I mean, think about it. You didn't call your mom and say, I can't find that eyebrow plays. Right. You were like, I'm in Rome. Yeah. So you did like you made it there. It's a big leap real. It's a great accomplishment that you present. Yeah, the next level is to do it without shaking in a train station. But I mean, yeah. And you're getting there with that as well. So I mean, I don't know you see, much. More self assured today than you might have even been two years ago.

Erin 1:26:00
100% Yeah. The free 100%. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:26:04
Do you still do you still do the therapist? Yeah,

Erin 1:26:07
every two weeks. I I see her. Alright. It's over zoom.

Scott Benner 1:26:11
But kind of like a management thing. Almost.

Erin 1:26:14
Yeah. And just yeah, it's just like, it's just nice to talk to someone about things. That's not your mom. That's not your friends. You know, it's just like, get things off your chest. And then I always just feel like, so light and like, All right, now I'm ready to keep going type of thing. You feel good.

Scott Benner 1:26:31
I'm sorry. I cut you off.

Erin 1:26:32
I just, it's just a good like, check in like, okay, like, I'm doing things like I'm good. Just yeah. Right.

Scott Benner 1:26:39
Do you feel like that now, after you and I talking for a while? Like, I'm just different? Yeah.

Erin 1:26:45
No, I would say it's like the same thing. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:26:49
That's really nice. All right. What have we not talked about that? We should have talked about anything?

Erin 1:26:59
Thanks. So

Scott Benner 1:27:01
we did okay. Yeah, I

Erin 1:27:02
think so. Are

Scott Benner 1:27:03
you comfortable with how this one? Yeah. Excellent. What made you want to come on? How did you were you like in the Facebook group?

Erin 1:27:11
Yeah, I'm in the Facebook group. And ever since I've heard the podcast and like I was saying this after dark episodes. I was just like, I because I, I was just like, I would think it'd be cool to come on here. Because I knew I was studying abroad. And I was like, I feel like I'll have like a cool story. And I just like, anytime, like I am, like, down or like not feeling great about diabetes. Like I go and listen to a podcast and hear someone's story and always makes me feel better. And so like, if I could be that for someone else. I was like, that would be really cool.

Scott Benner 1:27:41
is excellent. Oh, I'm so happy to do this. Thank you. I thought you were terrific. First of all, I and you were really honest, which is probably because you're young. Like you'll probably look back on this 10 years now and be like, I probably shouldn't have said that. But that's Do you think you'll share it with your parents? Is there anything in here? They don't know.

Erin 1:28:01
Oh, yeah. Oh, that makes sense. Isn't it?

Scott Benner 1:28:03
Nice? Like it's you? They're gonna be so thrilled you didn't do coke.

Erin 1:28:10
I know. You're gonna be like, Yes, we did something, right.

Scott Benner 1:28:13
Yeah. If your parents are still listening at this point in the episode, I'd like to see an extra little gift for your next birthday. You know, for other brothers and sisters by any chance.

Erin 1:28:23
I have two older brothers.

Scott Benner 1:28:25
They probably did coke. I don't know if they need me. Do you ask them how much older are they the new?

Erin 1:28:34
Four and three years? Oh,

Scott Benner 1:28:36
you guys don't have a ton in common then. Oh, were you a close family younger?

Erin 1:28:43
When we were younger, I mean, they just were always traumatizing me and absolutely hated me because I was the annoying little sister. But now I'm very close to both of them.

Scott Benner 1:28:55
Yeah, that's excellent. Well, it's it's really simple. But yeah, I think you you sound like you're doing terrific. I know that. I don't know how that sounds at all. But I mean, you don't need my approval but I think you're doing a really good job. It sounds like you came through a lot. You're handling it really well. You're thoughtful about it. And you know boys are Aki so

Erin 1:29:15
literally Yeah, that's my next thing I need to tackle in my life. Is it the boys

Scott Benner 1:29:22
Yeah, you got it you know, you know the you know the secret right? What's the secret? You really don't know. Okay, hold on a second. Most of the guys that visually you want to be with they haven't had to develop their personalities. Why is that? Because they're handsome. Oh, because yeah, for the same reason that pretty girls can be like hi and everybody's like, Oh my god, I love how they're like didn't mean like, as Heather ever said anything interesting. Like I don't care. So the the athletes the like they the the handsome kid It's like, all that stuff. They just, it's easy. Or for them probably not realize probably like handsome guys right now like, Hey, I gotta work hard to but, but I mean like people give them a pass. And so you don't have to work on your personality. A lot of your personality has to do with your empathy and with how you see other people. And so if you've been kind of skating by there's might be skills you haven't developed yet. So you either have to get a really handsome kid early and train them yourself. Right? Yeah. Or you got to wait till they turn into a human being, which my best guess is 27 years old. And then you know, it's too long. I know. It's gonna be you're gonna be a 50 year old lady with a 10 year old kid. You can't be like that. You don't want that. Say that.

Erin 1:30:47
Don't say that.

Scott Benner 1:30:49
You want kids to?

Erin 1:30:51
Yeah, yeah. I love it. I love kids.

Scott Benner 1:30:54
I can tell talking to you that you want to be a mom. So hey, though, the woman who did the after dark drinking episode that you heard the original, and she's a mom now. Really? Yeah, she had a baby a couple of years ago. Oh, that's exciting. Yeah, it really is. Okay,

Erin 1:31:11
hopefully that'll be me.

Scott Benner 1:31:12
I have one last. Can I ask a bummer at the end? I should have. I'm so sorry. I should have done this earlier. How do you defend your body? In college as a girl when you're drinking? Like how do you? How do you? Do you guys look out for each other? Or how do you do that?

Erin 1:31:34
Yeah, I would say yeah, I mean, I'm always with like, my girlfriends. And like, I would say we're pretty conscious about that. But I also would say, at this age like and the people I hang out with, I'm mostly hanging out with the same group of guys. And like, they were not trying to do anything inappropriate to me. Like it's more like if I was going out. And I guess meeting like older men, but at my school, I haven't run into like that many situations where I'm like, having to defend myself or like in an uncomfortable situation. But I wouldn't say abroad, there were a lot of creepy people, but I would always be with my friends. And we would just literally push them away and like run away to the other side of the bar.

Scott Benner 1:32:14
So at school, you almost create like a, like a bubble of people. And then you kind of figure out who they are before you start interacting with them more. Like intimately?

Erin 1:32:25
Yes. Like I Yeah. Like I'd become friends with all the guys. And like all the guys that I've dated or been with, in college, like were my friends first, I would say

Scott Benner 1:32:35
do you do you? Do does it happen that you go to a girl and say, hey, look, I'm gonna head off with this guy. Like, check on me in a little while. Do you guys go that far?

Erin 1:32:44
Yeah. And we all can track each other. Like, I have all my friends on like, find my friends. Right? So we always like, but yeah, if someone's like, going home with one you. Like, tell somebody before and are like, yeah, like technique to make sure I'm okay, texting.

Scott Benner 1:33:02
I understand. Okay, well, that's good. I just wasn't sure like, and but but then when you get out in public, or like a bar scene or something like that, then there's more. There's older guys. And they they see You're younger than they're more aggressive.

Erin 1:33:17
Yeah, I would say so. But I were always just really good about at least being with another girl where like, nothing bad could really happen. Like we're very good about sticking together.

Scott Benner 1:33:28
overseas. Did you find it to be different?

Erin 1:33:32
I mean, the men are like, so much more aggressive. And like, especially like in Italy, you're walking down the street, you're getting called Beautiful every five seconds. Like there's so much more forward than American men are. Which sometimes it's nice. They're like, Oh, you're so pretty. Oh, this and when I go home, like you don't get the time of day from anyone. It's like, oh, you've diabetes.

Scott Benner 1:33:55
So do you think it was because they didn't know you? Or do you think it's like that culturally, they're not scared to talk to people in a way that they think somebody else might find objectionable?

Erin 1:34:07
I think it's a little bit of both. I think the culture it's more accepted. And I think them not telling us they're kind of like, well, wouldn't give me whenever I see these girls again. Let's say whatever we want them.

Scott Benner 1:34:17
Yeah. And the cat calls were mostly reasonable. Like were they like, Hey, you're beautiful or Hey, beautiful, not like stuff where you're like, Oh, God, that sounds like violent. Like nothing. Yeah,

Erin 1:34:31
it was always just You're so beautiful. Are these gorgeous girls like that type of thing?

Scott Benner 1:34:36
Yeah. Did you think about it ever. Did you like that as a handsome Italian boy? I'll never see again. Why don't I walk over there?

Erin 1:34:42
A lot of times they're like, like, a lot older. I'm not attracted to them at all. Oh, I

Scott Benner 1:34:50
see. Oh, I thought it was yeah, like on your on your level? No,

Erin 1:34:53
it's like, at least in like late 30s and an older Yes. There's a little bit more like,

Scott Benner 1:35:01
you're actually, you know, it's interesting. You're seeing that 35 year old guys. That's his pickup line. That's why he's 35. And he's still yelling at girls because he's exactly yeah. Yeah. Because

Erin 1:35:11
that's how he's trying to find a wife. Yeah, well, you find that yelling,

Scott Benner 1:35:15
but yelling at girls on the street. Yeah, that's not how it usually works. We know that 21 year old boy who was like, So what's that Apple Watch? For? What do you find him when he's 35? I don't know. Are we doing the same way? He's

Erin 1:35:27
hopefully he's single. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:35:28
yeah. Unless he figures it out and then tricks some poor girl into thinking he's a real person. Who knows? Yeah,

Erin 1:35:34
I could see that happening.

Scott Benner 1:35:35
Aaron, you're terrific. Thank you so much for doing this.

Erin 1:35:38
Yeah, thank you for having me. I had a blast.

Scott Benner 1:35:40
I'm glad I really am.

A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, G voc glucagon. Find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com Ford slash juice box. You spell that? G VOKEGLUC AG o n.com. Forward slash juice box. I also want to thank the Contour Next One blood glucose meter and remind you to go to contour next one.com forward slash juicebox. There are links to G woking contour, and all of the sponsors in the show notes of your audio app, or at juicebox podcast.com. When you click on the links, you're supporting the show.

If you're looking for the diabetes Pro Tip series, it begins at episode 210 In your audio app, or is available at diabetes pro tip.com. As a matter of fact, many of the series within the Juicebox Podcast are also available, of course in your audio app, and at diabetes pro tip.com, which is accessible by typing that link or through juicebox podcast.com. If you're listening to the show online, please consider listening in an audio or podcast app and subscribing and following in that app. If you're looking for a community online, try the Juicebox Podcast Facebook page. It's private and free Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes currently has over 27,000 members. And there are over 100 new conversations to be had every day at Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.

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