#863 Tackle Box

March 7, 2023Scott Benner

Mary Martha toddler has type 1 diabetes and uses Omnipod 5.

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

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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 863 of the Juicebox Podcast.

On today's show I'll be speaking with Mary Martha. She is the mother of a toddler who has type one diabetes, and they use the Omni pod five. I hope you enjoy our conversation. While you're listening to it. 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 health care plan are becoming bold with insulin. Hey, if you're a US resident who has type one, or is the caregiver of someone with type one, please go to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box and fill out their survey. When you complete the survey you are helping with type one diabetes research, T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox. If you're looking for community around diabetes, head over to the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes over 35,000 members, someone there is talking about something right now that you know about or want to learn about Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. It's a private group, and it's absolutely free. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by touched by type one, there's a ton going on and touched by type one, you can find out about it all at touched by type one.org. Please also find them on Instagram, and Facebook. today's podcast is also brought to you by the Dexcom G seven continuous glucose monitoring system dexcom.com forward slash juice box the g7 is here it is ready for you@dexcom.com forward slash juice box.

Mary Martha 2:07
I'm Mary Martha. My son Davis is two years old and he was diagnosed with type one diabetes in January of 2022.

Scott Benner 2:18
Not 10 months ago.

Mary Martha 2:20
Yes. So we're nearly in our diabetes journey. But I think because of you, Scott and Juicebox Podcast, we've really gotten a handle on things fairly quickly. So I have a lot to thank you for

Scott Benner 2:38
no, no, this is this is very interesting, because because you know there are some people who would tell you not to get technology at the beginning. And you know, you should learn diabetes from the ground up. And there's a lot of different opinions about that. So I think it's interesting to hear from somebody who's having your experience. So first of all, are there were there any reasons to imagine your children might get type one diabetes? Or was this a surprise? How did the initial days go?

Mary Martha 3:07
It was a complete surprise, really the only person in our family that has had type one, it was my mom's aunt, so my great aunt. And it's pretty removed, I would think and that's at least what the doctor said whenever we were diagnosed. And they asked us about history and all of that. And we leading up to diagnosis. We've spent a few nights it was in January. So we spent Christmas with my parents. And I think my grandmother really put it in my mom's head along a lot of times about that type one and the symptoms, because I think she would my grandmother was always really nervous about her son getting it herself and then her children getting it. And so I think through the years of growing up, my mom kind of was always told about it. And then, you know, through in our experience, she was really the one that kind of told me said I think something's going on with Davis because he was drinking lots of water. wetting his diaper overnight, he would be soaked his diaper would be we would put pads in. And then his pajamas would be soaked. And it's just like this is I don't know if this is normal. I actually asked friends that had children that are similar ages or who had gone through the stages that Davis was in and I said Is this normal? He's wanting water all the time. And he's, he's going through his diaper at night and other during the day really quickly. And they were like, Yeah, that's just that's just toddler stuff. You just need to size up in your diaper and he'll be fine at all absorb it, that none of that worked. So we came to a point when We had gone to the local university, where we live. And we we got to their games all the time. And my mom, at one point was just like, Mary, Martha, you need to take into the doctor tomorrow, like, no question you need to. And she had kind of been putting it in my mind, you know, a few weeks. And that's like putting it off and like, no, he's fine. And it's early, actually interesting, because he had a couple of ear infections on leading up to Christmas. And then after Christmas acid, I think he might have an ear infection again, let's go in to the pediatrician and see if he does, and I actually mentioned all the symptoms that we had. And he was like, no, he's fine. That's just normal. Just try to cut off his water intake at dinner. And said, Okay, if you say looks, okay, if you think it's okay. I'll just, you know, take him home and go on my merry way. And then that my mom came to that point when the mom was like, You need to take him. And so they did that and took him to the pediatrician. It was a Monday.

Scott Benner 6:05
Is is Davis, your first he is my first child. So

Mary Martha 6:09
it's all very, everything was very new to me. And it just wasn't something that was on my radar.

Scott Benner 6:17
Very Martha's, the reason I ask is because you sound like you're 19. But how old are you?

Mary Martha 6:21
I'm 31. Okay, well,

Scott Benner 6:23
you sound like you're 19 Which I guess is great. Probably it, or I don't know, how do you find it?

Mary Martha 6:29
I think it's I mean, I still get carded at the grocery store every time I get a bottle of wine. But I didn't live in a college town. So they don't want to get any but let anybody slip. I see. But yeah, so he's my first. So anything out of the ordinary? was yeah, I wasn't really I wasn't really sure what the symptoms were. Or if it wasn't for my mom, I really wouldn't have had the gumption to take him in and see the pediatrician again, stand up for myself. Really?

Scott Benner 7:01
Yeah, she really helped you. Well, she she was indoctrinated. It sounds like through her life to be looking for diabetes.

Mary Martha 7:08
Yeah, and I think I remember there are certain times when I was growing up that I might have, you know, had to go to the bathroom a couple of times in a row. Maybe we've been on a road trip or something. And you'd be like, are you okay, are you getting diabetes? It was kind of like she was even with me going. Growing up. I remember there were a couple instances that she kind of was on high alert for me. Hmm. And it might have even just been me. Just drinking a lot of water. It might have been around when I was playing tennis or something. And I was just really thirsty. I don't know. But um, and I've been normal every time I've gone to the doctor, so I didn't have any sort of any need to do to be really on high alert. But you know, she was still on high alert when I was growing up too. But if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have known any of those symptoms.

Scott Benner 7:58
How about other autoimmune issues? Does anybody have celiac or thyroid problems, anything like that?

Mary Martha 8:04
My mom has taken his app was she's actually here with me now she's watching Davis or being on kind of high alert for a low or anything while he naps, so she could give him juice in case something happens. But um, you know, she said she was on a has a thyroid medicine, but I'm not sure if I guess it's probably hypothyroid I'm not sure. Um, and then my dad has a neurological disease that he deals with, but it's not anything that's autoimmune. My mom also has arthritis, but it's not rheumatoid. It's osteo. So, um,

Scott Benner 8:43
so maybe your mom's your mom, but your mom doesn't. I mean, sounds like she doesn't talk about her thyroid thing very much. So you don't know. She doesn't? Yeah, it's autoimmune or not right?

Mary Martha 8:52
I don't know if it's auto immune or not. Okay. She just kind of told me that in passing today in and I called my mother on the audit, because I knew that was a question you normally asked. And she didn't have any any autoimmune on their on my husband's side of the family either so

Scott Benner 9:10
well, so like, let's I mean, let's figure this out. So you when you take him to the hospital finally and you get your diagnosis and your life begins with all this just 10 months ago, did they give him technology right in the hospital? Were What do you start with because I want to you get you climb through things pretty quickly. So I'm interested in how it started and how quickly it moved along.

Mary Martha 9:34
So when we were admitted they did not give us any technology they gave us the glucometer and the lancets and they gave us an insulin pen. And then the Lantis pen and that was what they sent us home with but the so the one of the big reasons what we are able to get the technology was our endocrinologist. Dr. Zimmerman, she's we had our first appointment with her I think it was we were, it was a week after we were diagnosed, we went and saw her immediately practically. And I think they're the real life friendship with her has been so wonderful she get a guest with in her practice, and I guess this might be the norm, she was able to give us a sample Dexcom from the, from that first appointment we had with her and she actually was really great. And she would save us a few every time the Dexcom rep would come by. And so because you know, being a two, he was 21 months wasn't quite to yet. And I feel like the Dexcom is the most important technology a type one diabetic can have because of the just the information, it gives you the the trend levels and just the alerts that it provides for a low in the middle of the night there just with the with the toddler, it's just you never know. And obviously you went through that that you didn't have that technology. No. With Arden

Scott Benner 11:12
No, not at all. I was gonna say Davis and Orton were diagnosed right around the same age. So yeah. But I'm sorry. Like I was just wanted to ask how much did he weigh at the diagnosis?

Mary Martha 11:25
I think he was about 25 pounds. He and the doctor always said that, oh, he's a good way. I remember growing. You know, we went in a few times before his diagnosis, and it was always around the same weight. But he didn't seem to think it was an issue. But then looking back now pictures, you could tell he was very skinny and sick. It always hurts me to go back and look at those pictures. Yeah, no. We had this the the university mascot. And it was the Saturday the Sunday before he went to the hospital. And he actually had the courage to go sit in the mascots lap. And we've been training for that day. You know, we watched videos of him. But that day is one of my favorite pictures. But now it's kind of tainted because it was a day before he was diagnosed. So you can see how sick he is. Yeah, in the picture.

Scott Benner 12:22
I have pictures out of Arden to

Mary Martha 12:24
watch. So it's really it's sad to look it's like how did I not know, you know, but I

Scott Benner 12:30
think it's because normal? Yeah, I think it's because the weight loss happens, generally speaking slow enough that you don't notice it? You know, like it. But then once you look back and you realize once they get insulin and they look so healthy again, you know, you're like, oh gosh, like what was that, that I didn't realize plus 25 pounds. Was that? Did he gain weight after you got him on insulin? Or was they was that?

Mary Martha 12:56
Well, he weighs about 32 pounds now. So he's put on weight.

Scott Benner 13:00
Cool. How hard is it to take care of? I mean, so let's break down like this. How long did you manage with like syringes and a meter.

Mary Martha 13:11
So we did that. From January 24th was diagnosis we got on the dash dash on right after his second birthday. So it's about April 12, I believe was the day that we went and got it. On Monday after

Scott Benner 13:30
his birthday. So January, February, March, April, about three or four months you did shots.

Mary Martha 13:35
Okay, we did shots. And I mean, Davis is probably I don't know how the Lord blessed us with one of the most brave little boys that I've ever met he from the beginning, you know, printing and singer the first time at the, at the pediatricians office to to getting everything hooked up to him in the hospital and being awake all night in the PICU and all that. I mean, he has never flinched once. Interesting. And it's I mean, I don't know. I mean, I can only thank the good board because he has been a trooper from the beginning. So from that first finger prick to any needle from the insulin pin. He's taken it like a champ. Still to this day with the Omni pod putting that on the Dexcom. Last night, we changed his Dexcom and he actually pushed the button for the first time he was like, let's get him on the countdown and save go. He's one of the strongest little boys. I mean, it's a he makes me good for you.

Scott Benner 14:43
That's really excellent good for him. So then you move to a dash after three or four months to use an Omnipod dash then you didn't How long did you do that for just like four months again.

Mary Martha 14:55
We actually did it from April to June. So the Whenever the Omnipod, five was released for public consumption, we called Dr. Zimmerman, actually, we had been texting and every time I'd see something posted in the Facebook group, or on Instagram, whenever I saw it, any news about it, I would forward it to her. I was almost her, her news reporter about everything on the pod five. And it actually came out, like their news about the limited release came out the Friday after he was diagnosed. So it was on my radar from the beginning. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, we have to get on that as soon as it as soon as it's available, and she did everything in her power to, you know, figure out a way for us to get it and ended up having to call insurance over and over and over again. And I think I was the one that figured out what steps we need to say like I was just I was very determined to get that technology. Yeah. And

Scott Benner 15:59
so early on, sometimes your providers Even the companies don't know exactly what's going on in the in the beginning days when they're trying to get lost set up with insurance and everything. So it takes that perseverance to get through it, if you want to do it right away. Okay, so we basically have about the same amount of time with shots with Dash and with AMI pod five are Are you experiencing any honeymoon type things with Davis.

If you live with type one diabetes, if you have type two diabetes, and use intensive insulin therapy, if you experience severe hypoglycemia, or hyperglycemia unawareness, you should be looking at the Dexcom CGM. dexcom.com forward slash juicebox. Just this small device that you wear that sends your blood sugar's speed, direction, and number. Are you kidding me the speed that your blood sugar is moving at the direction it's moving in, and what the number currently is, all from this tiny little device that you wear. It's insane. And you can see all that information on your Dexcom receiver or your compatible smartphone, Android, or iPhone. Up to 10 people can follow someone using a Dexcom. I'm going to pick up my phone right now and tell you my daughter's blood sugar. Swipe up 105 and stable it has been in this range for the last three hours. Nice and stable right now at 105. Not dropping, not falling. I can see I can see where she No Look at all this. There's so much information here. I can't tell you all about what I'm looking at it my daughter's blood sugar. But you could find this information for yourself. Getting an idea of where and how to use insulin by seeing how it works knew I put insulin and what happens next I eat carbs what happens next. You can see it right there on the graph. It's a window into into a whole new world that my daughter's Dexcom brings to us uniquely DAX comm.com, forward slash juice boxes to G six which my daughter is using right now. And the g7 has just been made available in America. It's already out overseas. In places where it's available, you can find it@dexcom.com Ford slash juice box at Arden's next delivery the next time she gets CGM from us Med, they're going to be sending her the Dexcom G seven. So she'll be using it very soon. You'd could be to dexcom.com forward slash use boss links in the show notes, links at juicebox podcast.com. Or just type it into your browser. You know what else you can type in your browser touched by type one.org? Do both today. What are you busy, you can't go to two web addresses for me touched by type one.org Dex comm.com forward slash juicebox. Now let's get back to the show.

Honeymoon type things with Davis.

Mary Martha 19:16
We haven't. That's another thing that I guess. I see a lot of parents struggling with it in the Facebook group and I'll see people posting about not really sure how to how to dose for things. And you know, I've actually become a couple of friends here that three daughters and our men I've found for a couple of ladies who have children around the same age and they've gone through that situation. We've been really blessed I think because that if I had the pancreas was still working a little bit. I don't know what I would do. It would have been it would have been a little bit harder. I definitely

Scott Benner 19:53
yeah. How is it? How is he with treating lows does he pretty easy about it or do you ever I have problems where your time's me, you're concerned that like, he's not going to eat this fast and offer. How was that?

Mary Martha 20:07
I think he actually, he's always been a pretty voracious eater. So I've never really been that concerned about him not eating. And if I, if he won't eat or drink something out just without chocolate milk, he seems to really like that. Anything that with chocolate milk involved, he's very motivated. Also juice as well, he'll drink that pretty easily. In the middle of the night, we started doing, we were doing some glucose shell, and then we did maple syrup. We actually found that using syringes that for medicine, like the Tylenol and such, those syringes are really helpful to put in his mouth and just squirt it in there and hardly not even wake him up. But we've counted even just now he's still doing juice in the middle of the night he'll do with Omnipod, five, we rarely have to do that. Because of the algorithm and how it works. But we if we do, it's just one really small sip of juice. And he just sits up, takes us up and lies back down. So whenever my mother in law is mentioned one time, he was so good about that. He took a sip of juice, looked at her and waved bye bye and laid back there.

Scott Benner 21:27
See the lady? Good enough? I'm good. Okay. Well, that's

Mary Martha 21:31
really to sleep and get my nap.

Scott Benner 21:34
And so do you. I mean, I don't even know how many a one sees you've had tested in 10 months, probably one or two.

Mary Martha 21:41
So we actually have have, I've saved every one of the printout. So I have it here in front of me. I think at diagnosis, I texted or communicating with Dr. Zimmerman about it. And she said that a diagnosis he was his agency was higher than the machine read. It was greater than 13. And then, I guess this was in March, we I did another one. And he was 10.5. And this was I think it was still taking into account some of the the months that he was diagnosis. Yeah.

Scott Benner 22:24
But still that attend three months into it. Is still I mean, it's still a high number. It's,

Mary Martha 22:31
it's still a high number. Yeah. We in the beginning with the I think it was probably before we found the podcast in the beginning, we had really bad issues at after breakfast. Because they were like, Oh, you can just feed him what you normally do in golf, about the carb count on the packaging, because actually one of his favorite breakfasts is oatmeal. I don't give it to him as much now, but oatmeal, you know, it's like, really high. Yeah. And I, I was like it says 15 carbs on this thing. And that is not working. So nothing is wrong. And so I think, you know, listening to you and hearing about Pre-Bolus thing and doing all that, that helped with doing that. And then of course, we would change the ratios, obviously needed more insulin. And those types of things. So anyway, it was it was in the beginning, he definitely did have those days where he would go really high. And yeah, but once we were able to hone in those numbers and figure out the strength. I feel like there's such a strategy and a science to everything that you just have to learn. And I wish it was I don't know how how I could explain it better in the hospital. But of course with a toddler. They're like, Oh, you don't need to wait until after he eats to this because you don't know how much he'll eat. And then you're basing his blood sugar. You even prick his finger and then give him that get and basis carb count on what his blood sugar and his the calculation on what it was before he ate. Anyway, it was all I feel like it's a little bit backwards. But anyway,

Scott Benner 24:19
so So okay, so that I'm sorry to cut you off. Go ahead. Oh, no,

Mary Martha 24:23
but after we figured out Pre-Bolus thing and all that the science behind it. It just really helped. make more sense.

Scott Benner 24:33
So did I mean how did a pump impact you? Like, did you even did you feel like you understood injections? And you're like, yeah, and then so now you're you move on to a pump. Was that your idea? Or was it Dr. Zimmerman's idea or how did you get from the shots to the pump so quickly?

Mary Martha 24:52
I think it was both of us. I think she saw the benefit because you know, because of the small doses In, that you couldn't give, because sometimes, you know, he needed point two verses a half a unit. And that was all that the pin would give for half a unit. And so I think I really didn't want to keep giving him shots because I felt like, you know, you know, you go through a meal and obviously wasn't enough. And then you'd have to get all the get the needle out and do the whole process. And you know, if you just had the pump, you pull out the PDM and plug it in, and you kind of give what you think he needs, in addition to whatever you already does. But I like the fact that it wasn't, didn't have any tubes. And it would be easy for him to, you know, my mom teaches swimming lessons. And I knew that we needed to be able to get in the pool. And I knew that the Omnipod was the best choice for us because of more than that was one of the main reasons but also being an active toddler I didn't want him to be have tubes on him to be caught on all sorts of things. But that was what, what I thought would work for us. And I wanted to get it as soon as I could, because I knew it would bring some level of ease to just take just everything in general.

Scott Benner 26:18
And while you were doing that you were still thinking, I want this algorithm as soon as it's right. So I'll move on to this update. I'll update our stuff off of injections, keep us from having to stick him so many times. So we can make better adjustments after meals and things like that. But I on the algorithm the whole time. So first of all, how did you do on the dash? Was it? Did it improve things over injections?

Mary Martha 26:43
Oh, definitely. I have the we went to Dr. Zimmerman in June, after we saw her in April to get the pump. And his a onesie was 6.5. And it drastically improved. Dr. Zimmerman, and although CDE is there at the office, they're all trying to now get me to become a CD and help them out in the in the office. Because obviously something I'm doing is right. And I pump helped. And obviously the strategies that you provide in the pro tips helped as well.

Scott Benner 27:24
That's great. That's really congratulations. First of all, it's a big shift, right? Because you're not a you're not a young mom. either. You don't I mean, like so you're, you're on your way with your first baby. And then it's not too long before somebody is saying diabetes to you, which is a surprise. And and you're adapting really well. Why is that? Like? Why are you adaptable like this?

Mary Martha 27:48
I'm not really sure I guess it. Um, I one thing I'm I know, technology pretty well. It's what I grew up, you know, when I was always born the next thing in technology, whether it was, you know, a new cell phone, the next model or a new Playstation, Gameboy, whatever it was, I was always itching to get that new thing. And maybe that's why I'm so adaptable. I don't know that as far as technology goes. And my dad is in, you know, the he grew up in. He's 75 Now, but he grew up kind of changing. And he's always been a little in the technology. He worked with telephones. And so he was always there always trying to find the next thing that was going to be big in that realm. And so it kind of always seem that I feel like in my background,

Scott Benner 28:39
yeah. Just just being comfortable with technology and changes.

Mary Martha 28:44
I think so. I think I owe to my parents. And then my husband's been really great, throughout it all. And he's even wanted to learn everything and adapt along with this. Like, we just want what's best for Davis and whatever we can do to provide that for him. The ease, whatever we can do to make it easier and better for him is what we're willing to do.

Scott Benner 29:10
Well, how about the other side of it? So away from the technology more on the psychological side? Is it been a big? I mean, I imagine it's been a big adjustment for you, but how are you handling it?

Mary Martha 29:22
Oh, it was a huge adjustment. I think I went through the stages of grief, for sure. Because I remember getting in the car. And just so we drove to Birmingham, we live in Alabama, and that was the closest Children's Hospital and I just remember getting in the car with my husband and crying and like what did I do wrong? Like could we hadn't get asked? Lord, why did you why did this happen? You know, I went through all those stages of grief. And I think it's hard for me to explain things to people sometimes. And people don't understand how diabetes is a 24/7 365. You're dealing with it all the time. And it is tiresome, especially in those first few months of diagnosis. It's almost like having a newborn. Again, especially with a

Scott Benner 30:22
toddler, I was gonna say just with a two year old, you basically just got done with a newborn. Yeah.

Mary Martha 30:27
And those guys that a good sleeper, so he's thankfully it's been quite, it wasn't as hard. I feel like the diabetes first few months was harder than his newborn stage, honestly. But, but yeah, I've gone through the stages of grief. But I think listening to the podcast helps a lot hearing other people going through different things. I mean, even though they had different scenarios, it's like, okay, this person is going through it just like us. And are they been in a similar situation? And I think the community really helped me, too. I'm not very, I think you and Jamie talked about it the other day in the community episode about the lurkers. And I think that I would consider myself a lurker in the Facebook group, most people are but and I learned so much just lurking and and I see people you know, that have toddlers or older children, and I'd see them doing going through similar things, or they're encouraging other people who are going through those things and giving their examples. And that helped a lot to see. Excellent. That's all people.

Scott Benner 31:46
That's really it's How did you find the podcast? Do you find the Facebook group first to the podcast first?

Mary Martha 31:52
Well, actually, when I was Googling symptoms of diabetes, I landed on the juicebox. Website.

Scott Benner 31:58
Yeah. Oh, I have that thing. Yeah. Right.

Mary Martha 32:01
And so I saw it there. And then I kind of I think my sister in law had a friend whose child is type one. And she sent me a bunch of groups to join, there's one, there are a lot of them and yours was one of them. So I think I probably joined in the hospital, as I was waiting and trying to fill my time was, you know, just not just sitting there. And cars, the movie Cars was on repeat the whole time. So I was trying to find Google and research everything. I could turn that out as well. But the Yeah, I found it pretty quickly. And then I think I was sitting in Davis's room that he was playing, and I found that the episode about start just or the first episode of the pro tips, oh, wow, no, that's immediate. It was within the first couple of weeks. And I was like, That's and immediately copied it and sent the link to my parents, my in laws, my sister in law, and I was like, everybody need to start listening to this. And to this day, my mom listens every time an episode comes out.

Scott Benner 33:14
Thank you, mom. I appreciate that.

Mary Martha 33:17
And I did too. So we should be like, I'll talk to her on the phone and just say, Hey, did you listen to that one about, you know, the lady here, you know, anyway, so we kind of keep up with it, you know, and talk about it. And she learns a lot. And I learn a lot every episode. So

Scott Benner 33:34
hey, Martha, I don't know if it will surprise you. But I'm absolutely delighted to think that you and your mom are having conversations about the podcast. That really makes me happy. That's, I think, do you think other people do that too? I bet you maybe they do. They do? Yeah, that's really cool. All right. So do you work? I'm sorry? Or how do you manage home daycare for your for Davis,

Mary Martha 34:00
I stay home, I've been blessed to be able to stay home with him since he was born. Okay. And so I've been able to throw my whole life into type one diabetes care management,

Scott Benner 34:14
I imagined that that was the case. Because it is, I mean, obvious, but it's so much easier to figure out if you're not going to work every day, you know,

Mary Martha 34:23
going to work and having and having to teach. I know there's so many people, like another daycare workers that are very willing to learn and do all that. But I just feel like it would be such a hard thing to do. And I commend all the mamas that do that. I know it's hard for them. And I'm very blessed that I can stay home and I don't think that he would have scared of it time and range and a one see if I was unable to sort of fully dedicate

Scott Benner 34:54
No, I agree. I think that that's a big part of the reason why I know as much as I do. I Honestly, because I was just a stay at home dad. And there was, you know, like you said, you can kind of push the other stuff aside, just focus on it and really try to figure it out. So do you think that's a mean? Because your leap forward? Well, let me ask you this question before I asked that one, I guess. So you're about a six and a half a one C on dash, but then on the pod five gets wide released, and you get yourself right onto that, what has that experience been like for you using an algorithm.

Mary Martha 35:27
It's been a learning curve, because I think with Dash I was really used to whenever he would start or after a meal, and whenever he would start rising, and be like, Oh, I didn't give them enough insulin. I'm gonna give him like just a little bit more and see if that will kind of did it that way. And what the algorithm had, I've had to learn to kind of take a step back a little bit, and say, let it do its job a little bit more, and kind of relinquish a little bit of control. But there are certain situations where I've been like, Okay, this is a little bit out of hand, I'm going to go in and do what I need to do. Give them a little bit more than the algorithm is telling me to do.

Scott Benner 36:12
Right, right. And so let me was he you started so quickly, like you got on the pod five, even before my episodes about how to start on the pod five came out, is that right? That is

Mary Martha 36:24
right. And I listened to those immediately the day that they came out. And I learned a lot. I think it was things that I'm in a Facebook group that solely about Omni pod five, and I work in that and I watch what other people say and I would use their strategies like Okay, I think I might try this instead. And I furless listening to podcasts, I think I'd seen all those comments and I heard you talking about it with the light other lady. And Cory I heard already talking about it with her and I was like it it kinda even opened my eyes a little bit while I was like, oh, okay, I need to do this. And so I still, even though I was in the throes of it already after hearing, listen to the podcast, it helped me a lot too. But you didn't know how to manage it,

Scott Benner 37:21
but you didn't notice anything. We were like, oh, geez, like we totally set this up wrong. Like you had it pretty well set up to begin with. So did somebody tell you like 5050 Or did his settings just kind of work out that way?

Mary Martha 37:31
Well, his it's not 5050 pretty much at all his been going back and forth between 20 to 30%. Um, Basal thanks a lot de Bolus 20% Basil and 80%. Bolus insulin, his basil was pretty low going into the Omnipod five and I think you know, if we restarted it, we might go a little bit stronger on the basil side. But it was such a I feel like with a toddler, it's such a small number can really mess things up. And you know, you can be too strong, you know, to go. And so we kind of were he was he was going low a lot of the times in the middle of the night around three to five in the morning. I know on Dash. And so we had kind of turned it back to like getting him giving it point oh, five every every hour on the dash in the middle of the night. And you know, then increasing it when he woke up. And so though I feel like that that has maybe made the Omnipod five a little bit more timid. I know those auto boluses we the only number we ever see is point o five. know a lot of people have seen that increase over time as I've been on it. But we still only see a point of five and there are a lot of times when I said say to my husband, I really wish it would give him like point one or point one five right now rather than point oh, five every five minutes.

Scott Benner 39:10
But your Are you seeing any lows?

Mary Martha 39:14
Really Honestly, the only time we see lows is when I over Bolus for a meal. Or you know, after a meal A few hours later, he might get a little active running around or well, but that's really the only times we see Lowe's and also in the middle of the night. We've seen Lowe's recently, and it's hasn't been a low it's been an issue with the Dexcom being like 30 or 40 Points off. And it's reading way lower than what the what his blood sugar is. What's interesting.

Scott Benner 39:47
So but besides, besides the CGM like was that a compression low or do you think it's just needs to be calibrated or

Mary Martha 39:56
I think it's mostly it needs to be calibrated because I feel like we've only had one come The question was the whole time and that was a few weeks ago with, I remember from like 60 to 40, double down on the instance. And I don't think I've ever gotten out of the bed and run up the steps clicker.

Scott Benner 40:14
There, and he wasn't he wasn't that low.

Mary Martha 40:16
He wasn't low. Yeah, I think it was probably around 90 or 100. But it's actually been really good about the lows in the middle of the night. Like I said, the majority of the ones in the middle of the night have been Dexcom. Getting a little bit off.

Scott Benner 40:32
Right. So you're seeing with Omnipod? Five, a lot of stability overnight. Yes. Are you sleeping more?

Mary Martha 40:41
Oh, for sure. Definitely. It's been amazing. We actually, um, I think I sleep through the night like I did before his diagnosis. So it's been really, really helpful.

Scott Benner 40:57
That sounds nice. It really does. I just had, Arden had a like a big influx of hormones from her period. Yesterday, so yesterday was really like a difficult diabetes Day for Aardman. She's in college. So I was there, she and I were going back and forth throughout the day, because we were being really aggressive just the whole time to where we were, which was not in the no great shakes. And so then as the day wore on, and we started to get it down to got later and later, and I was like, I was up way too late. Or Martha and like I got up this morning, I was like, oh, like, old man's gonna need a nap today. You know what I mean? And it's just not something. It's not something that you can sustain forever. So I'm just such a big fan of these algorithms to help people sleep if almost nothing else.

Mary Martha 41:46
Oh, for sure. Like I have a have a lady, the doctors around put us in contact with does the loop and she has a little boy, that's too I'm not sure he was diagnosed very young, but they've been on loop. And they do amazing. And I've gotten a lot of tips from her. And she's wondering about Omnipod five for her son. And you know, said if only if anything I could recommend I couldn't recommend it enough because it helps me sleep. Because that's the only reason that you get it, then it's a big deal. It is a big deal. I think from what I know of her situation, I think they sometimes do have still have nights where she asked to correct a low blood sugar. And so I was like if you can, if any reason just do it because you can sleep.

Scott Benner 42:36
Just get an Omnipod five, just sleep. I actually don't know if I ever brought this up. But you know, in the months leading up to the on the five Omni pod five coming out, I was talking about it with Omni pod one time. And I said, I think you guys should give it like a pillow away or a coupon for a new mattress. And it should be like, hey, guys ready for a good night's sleep? And the person I said that to laughed, and they were like, Do you have any idea? Like how many people say that I was like, Oh, really? And I thought I thought I was being very thought, you know, I thought I was having a great idea. And she's like, No, it is a great idea. We don't have any tie ins with it. But you know, just That's how impactful we felt like it was gonna be interesting to hear you say that exactly. does impact you that way? Oh, it does. How involved is your husband with understanding the diabetes? Or does it not even matter now that you're using an algorithm is it just is it easier for people to help him

Mary Martha 43:29
he my husband's been there every step of the way. He actually in the hospital, I was feel like I was a little more I guess I was kind of in shock still. And so he kind of took the took the lead and he did the first injection he did the first finger prick and all that. But of course I'm I'm home with Davis. So I am the person that handles it most of the time. But my husband understands everything, sometimes even better than I do. He's sometimes even bolder than I am. It's he doesn't actually listen to the podcast, he he just hears me talk about it. But he understood it. He has a great understanding of everything. And he he and Davis went to Monster Jam a few weeks ago. He had the whole day of diabetes management. It I think there was some connectivity issues in the arena they went to but he did a really good job Davis went a little bit high. But you know, what can you do with all the excitement of the monster trucks? I'm sure Dana's had some adrenaline and all that going through his body.

Scott Benner 44:39
But you did right. Especially in the indoor event. It's probably so loud and there's fire trucks are jumping all over the place. Right? That's crazy.

Mary Martha 44:48
Oh, yeah. But he they had a great day and he was able to, you know, handle everything and you know, I felt comfortable sending him up there and I had the day off and I'm But my husband's great. And there's all I can also thank my bad parents in my in laws and my sister in law. From the beginning, they've been incredible. They ask questions, they, they want to be involved in Davis's care. And, you know, the CDE is at the the diabetes and Nutrition Center, we go to, they, they told us that we could bring anybody we wanted to, to any of these, you know, education, meetings, and we scheduled one for my parents, we scheduled one for my sister in law and brother in law and, and my in laws, and they came and they learned all about everything that we learned in the hospital. And so that was great. And they've been my in laws kept Davis for the first time for a long weekend when my husband and I were able to take the mini vacation. And, you know, they did great, they did a pipe change. And they did a Dexcom change all in one weekend. They were baptized by fire.

Scott Benner 46:03
Do you think like, I'm not trying to get you to say something you don't believe but it has the I mean, you've seen three forms of care in less than a year. And it is one of them. Easier for you is one of them easier for other people? Is one of them making daycare or you know, other people being in charge of Davis when you're not around? Like? Can you kind of go through that a little bit for me like because I think the reason I'm asking is because I think there's a I don't know if you realize this or not. But there are a lot of people with type one diabetes, and not many of them have insulin pumps comparatively speaking to the number. And I don't, I don't know if that's because of access or if it's cost or if it's if it's fear. But if it's if it's fear, I'd love for you to be able to talk about that.

Mary Martha 46:55
I definitely think that the Omnipod five is probably the best scenario for help for having outside help. From my parents, from a babysitter from malls to it's very seamless technology, and it connects to the CGM, which correlates to how much insulin is gonna deliver. And I think that in itself, AIDS letting you know, letting somebody else take care of Davis, it makes it so easy. And there's no calculation. I know, in the beginning, we had that we wrote down on a whiteboard, what His correction factor was, and what the you know, based on what his carb ratios were two, and so we would look at that board every time we were about to feed him and say, Okay, this is what we need to do and subtract this from this and all that. The fact that the pump does it for you, and you don't even have to plug in your blood sugar, the blood, his blood sugar, and it's also seamless. It just makes it so easy. Yeah. There is really invaluable tool.

Scott Benner 48:06
That's really, I mean, that's kind of how I say it, at the very least. And like I said, I don't know if I'm trying to remember if this has been said out loud on the podcast yet, or if it's been recorded, and it's going to be up soon. But you know, I always lean towards if you want technology get after it. And just recently we're talking about and Jenny was like, you know, I kind of agree with you about that. And I was like, oh, and she said, but I do think there's value and understanding diabetes, kind of on a more manual way, which I'm not saying there isn't for sure. I'm just saying that. Like, how does it in a world where the idea is I have this little baby or this young person, and I'm gonna stick something on them. I think that's how people think of it. Like I don't want to stick something on them. And I want them to have a machine on them. Did you have that feeling first?

Mary Martha 48:54
I didn't. And I remember I saw maybe it was a picture on Facebook or something, maybe a tick tock I don't know. But somebody was like, this is the last picture of my son without anything on him. Like I didn't know that this would be the last time I would see him without a device and that never cost that much. And I was always just like, if it's going to help him, then put it on him. I don't I don't really care. I don't care. I just want it to help him. I want it to bring him to the vet, you know, keep him healthy and Aiden keeping him healthy and never crossed my mind. Why? Yeah, I do think

Scott Benner 49:36
I'm sorry. Okay. Yeah, go ahead.

Mary Martha 49:39
But I do think it does hinder people from that thought of not putting a device on or having something stick out or it keeps people from getting the technology.

Scott Benner 49:52
Why were you so understanding of the reasons, it would be important like how did you understand How did how did you learn about diabetes in the end the needs you have as far as variability and agency and things like that related to better health?

Mary Martha 50:10
How do I learn about it? I think I learned about it through the podcast and just Googling stuff like, honestly, I figured out that you had all those episodes about pro tips, and then the the defining diabetes, and that was really how I learned everything.

Scott Benner 50:26
Cool. Oh, that's amazing. I was not looking for an answer. That was like all I learned on the podcast, Scott, but I will accept that as an answer. So thank you.

Mary Martha 50:33
But I think before I started listening to those episodes, I was in the Facebook group, and I would see people talking about Pre-Bolus. I said, What in the world does that mean? And then I took it to Dr. SHERMER. And I was like, What does Pre-Bolus mean? Or what does Bolus P? And she explained it to me? Oh, okay, that makes sense. And so she also definitely helped him that in the education as well, she and her team that have nutritionists and CDs, they helped as well, but I think they kind of I would come in after, or our appointment, I'd be like, the podcast says this. And they're like, Okay, yeah, that's, that's right. This is basically everything I learned was for me.

Scott Benner 51:17
They must be thrilled. Or maybe they are, I don't know, like, did they like hearing that? Well, like,

Mary Martha 51:24
they probably, I feel like, every time I spoke, I was like, Well, this is what I heard on the podcast, and they probably thought it was getting old. But um, you know, I think with the results that I saw so quickly, they, they really didn't have any room to complain about me learning everything, because it was working, obviously. So

Scott Benner 51:45
I see what you mean. Like, like, yeah, yeah, she's coming in talking about a podcast, but but the information is correct. So who cares where she's learning it from? That?

Mary Martha 51:56
I think they liked the fact that I was taking it into my own hands and, and learning everything that I could.

Scott Benner 52:04
Well, that's an open mind so far. And that's an open mind to Dr. To.

Mary Martha 52:08
Oh, I mean, Dr. simmerman, has been welcome to all of my ideas from the beginning. And, you know, she, she's young, and actually, she's a type one diabetic herself. And she has probably experienced everything. I think she was diagnosed later in life, but she's experienced everything that we have. And so she knows. You know what we're going through. And so that's been so helpful.

Scott Benner 52:37
I want to ask her a question. I feel like I asked before, but I just want to go over it again. When your husband took Davis the other day to go to Monster Jam. What was it? Did he tell you later? Like? Like how he found the experience of being by himself with Davis? Like, did he find it stressful? Or did he find that it went the way he expected? Was there trepidation? I mean, does he not? Does he go with him frequently by themselves like this for a full day? Or was this kind of something new?

Mary Martha 53:05
Oh, they do things all the time. They love to go to waffle house in the morning, Saturday morning, let me sleep in a few extra minutes. They do things like this all the time. And I think the monster dam was a little bit more of a an adventure than his normal just going to waffle house or spending the afternoon with that type deal. Yeah, it was he was in the car for a long time. And I know sometimes when you're setting Terry makes your blood sugar go up a little bit. Um, and then the whole connectivity issues with the Dexcom not reading the his phone. That was a little bit I think it had to do with Bluetooth and being in that big arena. But I think he was a little bit more stressful than he then the normal couple hours that here and there that they would go out.

Scott Benner 54:00
But nothing, nothing that ruined his day or knocked them off track or anything like that.

Mary Martha 54:05
Oh, take it really stay. I mean, seeing Davis's joy when seeing those Monster Trucks jump up and down in the air and do donuts in the mud. I think that kind of. He did go a little high. But I think that joy that Davis was experiencing was like, Okay, we will handle this. When we get in the car. We'll handle this. You know, we're going to just do the best we can right now and let Davis enjoy this and then we'll figure it out.

Scott Benner 54:34
Hey, Martha, you didn't want to go see the trucks?

Mary Martha 54:37
I would have loved to but um, they didn't. Well, my husband went with a couple of his buddies from college and they also have little boys and they all went up there and it was it was a guy's day.

Scott Benner 54:50
Yeah, I was just teasing you. I didn't I imagined you were like who day off? So yeah.

Mary Martha 54:55
Well, I think it would have been worth it to see Davis's reaction to the monster trucks that were also videos of him going wow. And his it was just, I would have loved to have seen it. But it was nice to sit back and not worry the whole day.

Scott Benner 55:14
No, that's really wonderful. It just is I trying to put myself in a in a position where I'm imagining 10 months into Arden's diagnosis, if I handed Arden off to Kelly and was like, here you go, just, you know, we'll see later today, not that Kelly couldn't have done it. But I mean, with the needles and the meters, and it really just would have been something you No, it's not that long ago. I know. It feels like the people, maybe it is, but 16 years ago, and like the world of diabetes technologies just not that long ago, and it's taken the whole thing. She's taken such a leap, you know, and you'll never know, it's just kind of cool to like, you hear the stories on the podcast, which is great. But you're never going to know about most of the stuff you hear people talk about when they're like, Oh, I had to pee on a stick or? Yeah, you know, I actually had somebody contact me recently. And there's, they're an engineer, and they had like an idea about collecting urine for kids. And I was like, Oh, that's interesting. But it just, I don't know, the world's just, it's different now. You know, like for this stuff, and it's really beneficial to me for you guys raising them for your family around you trying to help him but for him as well, like, what's his agency now?

Mary Martha 56:24
So back in September, and it was 5.90. My

Scott Benner 56:28
gosh, it's crazy. It's so cool.

Mary Martha 56:32
It's amazing. Yeah. The technology. I mean, I'm thankful that we live in this day and age where the technology is available. How much? I mean, it's only getting better. Yeah, no

Scott Benner 56:44
kidding. How much interaction do you have with the Omnipod? Five? Are there other times where you're like, oh, like it needs more here? I mean, I'm sure there are, but how frequently is it?

Mary Martha 56:56
It's an I haven't checked it in a second. I think it's handling everything pretty well. Yeah, so I feel like I look at it more at night, and have to intervene a little bit more at night, we see. protein and fat rises, and I guess it might be growth hormones to happening at night. We've had to, to give him more insulin more frequently over the past couple of nights. But during the day, it's, I just look at it, you know, at lunchtime, or with or out, I'll check it and make sure it's, you know, in a good range to see if I need to pack a juice box in a purse or bring his diaper bag in the place where we are and but, you know, honestly, it's, I feel like I don't really look at it that much. It's taken a weight off my shoulders, you know, it's gonna it's in the background doing its job. And

Scott Benner 57:58
yeah, that's really excellent. Good for you. I'm, I'm thrilled for you like, it's amazing to watch how quickly you ran through the whole thing like you found the pie since you found the podcast, it took you a couple of months to figure everything out. Next thing you know, you had an A one C and the sixes, you weren't scared to move to an algorithm. And now you're having a five nine with the algorithm. It's just, it's astonishing, really, how quickly you jumped through it. Do you ever stop and think that like, hey, I really figured this out because you did. Like it's but it's cool, like ever give yourself credit for it.

Mary Martha 58:31
It's hard for me to do that. I think the times I remember when we went into our, I think maybe our second in though, I was really nervous about his a one C and I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing because we had a couple of days that he was high and higher. And, you know, Dr. Zimmerman has made it a point to always tell me how good I'm doing well, well, I'm doing and embrace as my husband does, too. And it's I have to give myself credit a lot of times and it's really hard to because some that I beat myself up a lot. I know I did in the beginning because I was like, Man, I'm failing him. I'm not doing it right. I'm not. He's still going higher, you know, and but I've, I've had to take a step back sometimes and say, you know, you are doing really well by Davis and you should be proud of yourself.

Scott Benner 59:28
I'm glad you're doing that because you are and it's a hard thing to give yourself credit for especially coming out of a new diagnosis the way you did because I know everybody blames himself from the beginning, you know?

Mary Martha 59:39
Yeah, definitely. And, I mean, I have to give all credit to the good board above because I think all through every situation we've been in. I've seen him working in our lives. It's crazy. From diagnosis like my mom knowing all about it, and then Did you know Dr. Zimmerman actually was a childhood friend of mine? And her, her dad or mom worked with my dad? And my dad was integral in bringing her to the hospital here locally?

Scott Benner 1:00:14
Wow. It's Chelsea right. So,

Mary Martha 1:00:17
yes. Dr. German? Yeah. She It's crazy to think about that, you know, the the hospital here, here in town is it's a Regional Medical Center. But you know, the big hospital is in Birmingham. And the fact that we have an a pediatric endocrinologist here in the community is amazing. And it's, I mean, I do a lot of everything, almost to her because, you know, she's very accessible. And she goes along with everything, but all my crazy ideas like putting my child Omnipod, five, when it's just brand new, she was ready and willing to do that, and wrote the prior authorization and all that. So,

Scott Benner 1:01:05
yes, you said she has type one. Do you know how old she was when she was diagnosed?

Mary Martha 1:01:11
I think she was in her later teenage years. But I think from the beginning, as soon as she was diagnosed, she kind of maybe she wanted to be a doctor from the beginning. But I think since diagnosis, she was like, I'm going to be an endocrinologist, and I'm going to help children who have type one, she kind of had that mission ever since she was diagnosed.

Scott Benner 1:01:35
Yeah. Well, you know, Omnipod actually got the clearance for ages two and above now for Omnipod. Five,

Mary Martha 1:01:42
right? Yeah, I remember. As soon as that came out. She doctors everywhere connected me with another lady with another outfit that I don't think she's quite to yet. But I think they just started on Omnipod. Five. And I know I immediately sent that news to her. I was like, this is this is it. Y'all can get on it. You know, y'all should do it. And they just started a few weeks ago, and I hope I need to check in with them and see how they're doing. But I hope, I hope it's hope it's going well for them.

Scott Benner 1:02:15
Yeah, me too. Hey, I have to ask you a question. So a moment ago, I stopped myself from making a joke. But now I want to know if you would have handled it okay or not. You said that you really wanted to give a lot of credit to the Lord. And I thought, it's me and the Lord in a rowboat, Mary, Martha. And you can only throw what you gotta keep one of us for diabetes only. I beat. I beat the Lord, right.

I just I'm delighted by the idea of you, politely asking the Lord to jump out of the rowboat. We got to keep this guy with the podcasts or I'm sorry.

Mary Martha 1:02:55
I'd like to think that he's the one that has brought you into my life as well. Just the he.

Scott Benner 1:03:01
I see what you're saying. Okay, I'm accepting of this. I just wanted to I just wanted to put you in a really farcical situation. So

Mary Martha 1:03:11
I get it. It's funny.

Scott Benner 1:03:12
I didn't know were you in the moment like I can't tell. Because they're Murthy because of your accent. I can't. I can't tell. If you I can't decide if you would have gotten my sarcasm or not. I think I think I would. I do too. But I just can't tell that's all. You know, I can tell easier with choose those people I can I vibe with them very well. I have a great episode up today with a woman and she and I had the most just delightful conversation. But I already knew her like I could I understood her the tenor of her of her sense of humor. Like right away. And you're as I'm trying to figure out still, even though we've been talking for an hour, I'm still like, I'm not sure but I don't know. It's cool. How is it living in Alabama?

Mary Martha 1:03:59
Oh, it's great. It's still pretty hot. It'll be like I feel people that joke about how it's fall in the morning and then in the afternoon. It's summer. We turn our heat on in the morning and then that 12 noon, it's back on AC blow and full blast.

Scott Benner 1:04:17
No kidding. How warm is it there today? middle of October.

Mary Martha 1:04:21
Let's see. Right now it's it's Saturday seven. Wow. It's actually quite pleasant today. But over the weekend, it was hot. Right?

Scott Benner 1:04:35
And when you say the school the school you mean the University of Alabama right? Oh, no, no, no,

Mary Martha 1:04:42
that's not it.

Scott Benner 1:04:43
Oh, there's a better one you're saying and you don't want to fight other people?

Mary Martha 1:04:48
Well, I know a few months ago you had a podcast and the title is

Scott Benner 1:04:53
key. Oh, you don't even say that where you're from? Did you skip

Mary Martha 1:04:59
up now? I actually listened to it almost went to the I'm a big Auburn fan. I have been since I was a very small child. And I'm indoctrinating Davis into this as well. He is obsessed with going to Auburn games in the marching band and I'll be the mascot. But we say War Eagle in our house.

Scott Benner 1:05:26
Did you go to Auburn?

Mary Martha 1:05:28
I did. Yeah. Yeah, I grew up pretty close to Auburn and actually ended up going to school up in Virginia for a couple years. And we in Auburn ended up winning the national championship, my sophomore year of college, and I wasn't there to experience it. And it haunts me. And so the next year, I transferred to Auburn. And

Scott Benner 1:05:57
if nothing else,

Mary Martha 1:05:58
for the football, if nothing else, I was very homesick because of it. I remember when I told all my friends at school in Virginia, I was like, Yeah, I'm transferred over and they're like, why are you transferring? I'm like, Well, I think it's because of I miss going to football games and they thought I was crazy.

Scott Benner 1:06:17
What would you get a degree in?

Mary Martha 1:06:20
I got a degree in entrepreneurship and family business.

Scott Benner 1:06:24
Do you get to use it at all?

Mary Martha 1:06:27
My I do a little bit. My dad was an entrepreneur and in was an investor in a bunch of small businesses and started a bunch of businesses. I felt like I got that gene from him. On my husband's family had a business that they recently sold to a national business. And so my husband used it in his he actually had the same major. That's really where we met in class. And he, he used his degree in his family business. But actually, after college I did, I went and worked at a small startup. But it was a pine straw company. What they sold and delivered pine straw and installed pine straw as a ground cover, I don't know

Scott Benner 1:07:16
it was I happily use it. There. Martha I have context for this. So in the south, you guys use that instead of mulch, right? Like around bushes and trees and everything. See, I know, I've traveled I know what's going on. And so and they're just pine needles, right?

Mary Martha 1:07:31
Right. You just collect it from basically pine tree orchards down in Pine Tree fields down in South Georgia and South Alabama, and North Florida, that panhandle area. But it was a it was a startup and it was we helped grow it, it's still going well, I ended up getting married and moved away. So I didn't continue working there. But it was it was really fun to, to experience it and learn more. It's kind of like I feel like I've done the same thing with diabetes, because I've been thrown into it and having to learn everything. And I did the same thing. When I was just out of college, the pine straw, I knew every single type of pine tree needle like the different cones and what would work better and and I ended up being a dispatcher for some time for the trucks that would deliver it Home Depot, the big loads. I mean, it's like you're working in a startup you just kind of go where they tell you or where they need you. And so that was what I did. And it was really interesting. And I learned a lot I learned how to be that as I say that maybe that's where I learned how to be adaptive. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:08:39
right. That's interesting. It really is do you what are your plans? You guys gonna make your family bigger? Are you gonna go back to work one day? Or what do you think of that doing?

Mary Martha 1:08:49
I do think we'll make our family bigger. One thing that was really you know, bring it we were talking about the good Lord above right before Davis was this is that like diagnosed actually was pregnant and I had a miscarriage not even like a month, like two weeks before he was diagnosed. And I really do you think that that was also the word working? Knowing that I wasn't really able to handle that. I don't think I could have been pregnant in that first trimester while you're being so tired while also learning diabetes and spending day after day fighting with learning how to do everything and being held up half the night you know, finding a higher worried about a low and all that. I think that all that happened for a reason.

Scott Benner 1:09:43
Yeah, Mary Martha. Even in a comical way I can't take credit for helping you with that. So yeah, no, that's nothing I was not involved. Well, I'm sorry that you went through that but ya know, I can't imagine and I see to how you How you keep a very positive outlook on things, which is gotta be incredibly helpful through with all this?

Mary Martha 1:10:07
I think so. I mean, I can only, you know, I feel like that if you maintain that positive attitude it, it really does keep you going. And if you dwell on how bad things are, I mean, you're only going to be unhappy and sad all the time. So you might as well be happy and think positively. Yeah, you have

Scott Benner 1:10:27
what I would call a boys attitude. You're just like, like, just get it, we'll just do it. Let's just do it. Sucks. Let's do it. I don't know if it's really a boy's attitude or not. But it's, it's, uh, it, we were just, it's funny, right? Great. Before I recorded this with you, my wife, and my son and I were downstairs and my wife works from home, my son just got home from college. So we're happy to all be together. And we were talking about this thing where somebody, you know, kind of made a commitment to something. And then it ended up being more than they expected. And you just were hearing from him a lot about this isn't what I thought it's hard. I don't like Baba. And it's only a limited time, this thing is not the rest of their life, you know? And I'm hearing the story. And I said, I said, Look, I have a lot of compassion for this. I know, it's, I know, it sucks. But now we know what it is like, let's just do it and be done. And my son kind of chimed in, and he's like, I really agree with that. He's like, just like, do it. You know, and I thought, it's just sort of what you've been talking about along the way, in a roundabout way. You're just gonna get it done, and then move to the next thing. And it's not what you wanted. But it's not it's not insurmountable. And the worst thing you can do is fight against it. Sometimes I think, you know? Yep. So sure. Yeah. No, I think that's really wonderful. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you wanted to?

Mary Martha 1:11:56
Well, so I wanted to tell you about my diabetes tackle box that I have, this is kind of a random thing that I thought might help other people. Okay. Um, so my husband was actually on the fishing team at Auburn. So he was a bass fishing on the bass fishing team.

Scott Benner 1:12:18
Hey, Martha, before you go forward, I want to ask you, were you trying to say the most Alabama thing you could think to say just now?

Mary Martha 1:12:24
No, I wasn't. I figured it would probably come across that. It's

Scott Benner 1:12:28
really, like, I was like, oh, there's a fishing team. I was like, that's amazing. I didn't I had no idea. But okay, your husband's on the fishing team. at Auburn. Yes.

Mary Martha 1:12:37
Okay. So he, and he's, you know, we've, he's fished pretty much his whole life. And so, what, whenever we got home, you know, we went to the, to the pharmacy got all of our supplies, the pin needles, the lancets, the test strips, the alcohol wipes, all of it. He was like, we need to tackle box for this. And so we have a tackle box that holds all of Davis's diabetes stuff, and I have it right here in front of me. Um, but literally, whenever we do a pod change, whenever, you know, I need to check his blood sugar if I think the Dexcom is off, whatever, I just pull this bagel toggle box out, open it up and has everything I need. That's amazing. And so anyway, my husband's ingenuity. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:13:30
being honest with me when your husband first said if you think oh, is he gonna have more ideas like this? Or were you like okay, let's do it. Now there's a tackle box in the kitchen I imagine which was probably not what you expected but but be just for a split second. I know it's working great. But would you first set it were you like come on man. or No? Or do you like

Mary Martha 1:13:51
I think that I was pretty on board I saw how many things were involved in I was like we need it in a organized manner. So that's what you if we want to try it go get a taco box. We'll do it that makes sense. So I actually took it into our endo appointment that first time and I was like, here's everything we our whole life like tell me you know, this is what we got right here and they were very impressed by it and I think they're actually mentioning it to new patients that they come across so they will start a

Scott Benner 1:14:23
trend Do I need any special kind of box or does any brand that I think will work do for me?

Mary Martha 1:14:29
I think a good Any brand will work this one's Plano which which is probably from Academy sports and outdoors I would guess. But well yeah,

Scott Benner 1:14:38
that's really isn't isn't that interesting though. Like you know, just how his own experiences you know, informed the next thing he looked at all that stuff and he thought I don't know what all this is it needs a home. We have to put it somewhere. I know what I organize random stuff. For me. It's a tackle box. Some people Oh, that's right. And so But that's not all your storage, right? You have diabetes supplies stored somewhere else, but you've stocked the tackle boxes, you need it.

Mary Martha 1:15:06
Yes. So like, all of our, we have a couple of drawers filled with all the Dexcom supplies and the Omni pod supplies and all that. And that we just keep a small amount in the tackle box and each little designated area. So if we go on a day trip, or go anywhere, we can just grab it and know that everything that we need is in there as the insulin that we use to refill the pod. It has a juice box sparks plans, everything you can imagine that you need.

Scott Benner 1:15:42
I think it's brilliant. I really don't. Really is I wondered if you were like come on, but I didn't. I was it's it's really kind of like it's brilliant in its simplicity, how like perfect, it would work for that. But Plus, they have little like tours, you can resize them and make it work just for how you want it. Right.

Mary Martha 1:16:00
Right. So you can, you know, pull the little thing out and make it as big or as small as you want. It really does work really well for instead of ordering one of those fancy are using those. Yeah, I think there are a lot of diabetes supplied bags and such that we just have to pack a box.

Scott Benner 1:16:20
And it's durable, too, right? Yeah, for sure.

Mary Martha 1:16:23
Yeah, this is knocked it off the counter a couple of times. And it was watch, thankfully,

Scott Benner 1:16:29
there you go. That's pretty cool. That's I mean, I didn't expect you to say that. But um, I think it's a great idea. You're like, you know, I just want to tell people about one thing. It's a tackle box. I'm like, wait a minute, what's happening? Yeah, that's pretty kind of bro. Yes. Really? Yes.

Mary Martha 1:16:44
It's really worked out for us. And so I'm thankful for my husband's fishing background? I don't think we would have we would have thought of it otherwise. Is

Scott Benner 1:16:52
that a fishing team? Is that? Could he get money for that?

Mary Martha 1:16:57
Oh, definitely, um, we actually one of his teammates. Two years, two brothers, they're actually really successful. I'm one of his good friends named Jordan Lee has won, he won the Bassmaster Classic two years in a row. And that's what that's basically like the Super Bowl of all bass fishing.

Scott Benner 1:17:17
So like, Oh, my son got money to play baseball kind of an idea. Your husband got money to fish at school?

Mary Martha 1:17:25
Yes. So it's actually really changed in the past few years. I feel like he was the president of the club his senior year, and he laid a lot of groundwork for where the club is today. He, I feel like whenever he was on the team, he always really, he pushed to get sponsors on, you know, put them on their jerseys. And the people in the, in the club sports were like, you know, we can't do that. Because of the, I think it was due to copyrights, with the logo with Auburn logo, such. And now, they do that all the time. And they have sponsors all over their jerseys. And I don't know right now, they may start next years, or they might already do it now. But they might have scholarships towards bass fishing, I'm not positive, but, you know, they, they made a ton of money through those tournaments, and they just put it back in the club, and they would have tournaments themselves, and then they would send them for entry fees, those entry fees for those tournaments would be a lot. But anyway, so I kind of would think I don't really know the whole system now but but it's definitely grown a lot. And I think a lot of is due to the groundwork that Briggs laid and then also the the the popularity that it garnered through Jordan Lee and his brother Matt, and some of the teammates that Burke's had that were so successful.

Scott Benner 1:18:57
Yeah, I mean, listen, I have to be honest, I Googled Jordan Lee while you were talking and it pops right up. But professional bass fisherman Jordan Lee is a two time winner of the Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods. Like that's crazy. I mean, it's not crazy. It's amazing, actually, that they got that off. Yeah, round that has turned into this.

Mary Martha 1:19:15
And Jordan has, you know, sponsors like Carhart, and Abu Garcia, which is a really big real company. No, I'm

Scott Benner 1:19:24
looking at him wearing a shirt here. Does there's no room on it for any other logos. He's doing okay.

Mary Martha 1:19:28
Yeah. He's doing really well. And, you know, he's a good friend of ours, and we're proud of all the work that he's done. But, you know, if two bad words wasn't as successful as he was, but, you know, he really enjoyed his time on the team.

Scott Benner 1:19:42
Well, it sounds like your husband's family sold a business to somebody who had pretty deep pockets. So I feel like it's going okay, right. Yeah. By the way, this led us to

Mary Martha 1:19:53
where we are today. So we're, you know, we're happy where we are and good for you.

Scott Benner 1:19:57
You're making me think I gotta make get one of these shirts for me with all the different sponsors of the podcast on it.

Mary Martha 1:20:06
Maybe with Omni pod and Dexcom and touchpad type thing for diabetes.

Scott Benner 1:20:14
You really listen to the podcast. Thank you.

Mary Martha 1:20:18
Yeah, I really wanted to come here you speak in Orlando, but it didn't work out. But

Scott Benner 1:20:22
I would have loved to. I would have loved to have met you. Yeah, maybe next year. I just recorded something with somebody from touched by type one earlier today. That you can, you'll hear coming up on the bold beginnings episode. But I would have loved to have met you. And now you're making me think I need a sponsor t shirt.

Mary Martha 1:20:40
Definitely. Yeah, I think we would. I think it'd be good.

Scott Benner 1:20:44
All right. Listen, you were terrific. Thank you for doing this. Did the nerves ever go away? Do you feel okay, at any point?

Mary Martha 1:20:50
Yeah, I think I got into a groove. Like said it just comes natural after a few minutes. Talking. Yeah, no,

Scott Benner 1:20:57
you were terrific. You really were. If there's nothing else, I'm going to stop. But please just keep me in the loop. I'd love to know how things go. It's just an interesting story, your son being diagnosed and you get into on the pod five so quickly, like, I'd love to know how it's going for you along the way.

Mary Martha 1:21:15
I'll definitely keep you updated.

Scott Benner 1:21:17
Thank you. Thank you very much.

Well, of course, we're gonna thank Mary Martha for coming on the show and sharing her story. We're also going to thank touched by type one.org and Dexcom, makers of the Dexcom G six and now Dexcom G seven continuous glucose monitoring systems. That little Dexcom G seven, where do you see it? It's a it's quite a thing. dexcom.com forward slash juicebox. Don't forget to check out the private Facebook group for the podcast Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, but there are also plenty of people in there with type two and caregivers. Just it's a great mix of people. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of Juicebox Podcast.