#868 Out of the Shadows

March 15, 2023Scott Benner

Lisa has had type 1 diabetes since she was a child.

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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 168 of the Juicebox Podcast.

On today's show we're going to be speaking with Lisa who has had diabetes for almost 40 years. But she's not really that old. It's interesting, isn't it? Lots of perspective, still young person. 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 health care plan. We're becoming bold with insulin. US residents who are type ones or the caregiver of type ones, please go to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box and complete their survey because the information that you will share will help to move type one diabetes research forward T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juice box go fill out that survey Juicebox Podcast listeners get 35% off at cozy earth.com That's off your entire order. So if you're looking for sheets, or pajamas, or joggers, or anything, just super comfy, check out cozy earth.com. use the offer code choose box at checkout to save 35%. Whether you're looking for individual couples or help for your team, better help is the online therapy place that you should check out better help.com forward slash juicebox. That's who's sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. And so when you go to my link betterhelp.com forward slash juice box, you will get 10% off your first month of therapy. That's better help. H e l p.com. Forward slash Juicebox Podcast is also sponsored today by touched by type one head now to touched by type one.org. To find out all of the good things that touched by type one is doing for people living with diabetes. And if you look at their calendar, see what's coming up in the future. There's a speaking thing. It's in Orlando, it's months from now I know but I committed to being there. So if you'd like to hear me speak live, or you're just in the area and you want to check it out, touched by type one.org

Lisa 2:36
My name is Lisa Blaine. Hi Ken Hughes.

Scott Benner 2:41
Good and what do you have type one diabetes?

Lisa 2:44
Yes. So I am a type one diabetic. I was diagnosed at the age of nine. I'm going into a my think we are number 38. Having diabeetus

Scott Benner 2:58
38 years nine years old that makes you 47. Yeah. I was erasing something on my whiteboard while I did the math. So did you I

Lisa 3:10
know. I just grabbed my assignment paper to kind of do the math myself. Because yeah, when you when I say it out loud. It's just It's crazy. Yeah. How, how how long? It's been so

Scott Benner 3:21
I can imagine. So. Alright, so 30 years?

Lisa 3:25
Yeah, I know. No different though. So I mean, some people. They're just like they I just don't, I don't know what it would be like to not have diabetes. So I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

Scott Benner 3:37
Do you not remember at all the first nine years?

Lisa 3:41
No, like I do. But I was a kid. And when this came into my family's life, we were there was no other diabetics. I think I went to public school. And there was one other person. And that was it. And nowadays, it's just so much more common, which is it's different to hear so many people take to tape one. So yeah, at the time, I was the only one. So I mean, my family knew about it, but I wouldn't broadcast it. So

Scott Benner 4:15
was it something you kept to yourself? Yeah, it was

Lisa 4:19
something that I kept my like the family all knew like that. But when I went to school and stuff, I wouldn't really. I would never tell anybody.

Scott Benner 4:27
Well, what did it mean, really, at that time to have diabetes took a shot before you left for school and wanted dinnertime?

Lisa 4:35
Yeah, so I was I had to do. We didn't I did my needles. My family. I was in the hospital for two weeks when I was diagnosed and then my family had to eat that my sister was three and a half years older. So they took our family through everything explaining everything. My parents had to learn how to give shots. I think my sister did too, although she's never given me an needle, and then again, me being nine years old. And then I'd have to do a morning shot. And then I was on the think Lantis and monta. That's how important so that's how far back we we go and that, yeah, so I was on the two different insulins. And then there was a morning shot and evening shot as well.

Scott Benner 5:21
You know what I'm finding myself thinking, Lisa, is that I wish I wish I could talk to someone's parents from back then. Because yeah, I wonder what they were told. You know,

Lisa 5:32
and, yeah, and that's the one thing where I haven't just going through my journey, and I cannot imagine and that's where it really pulls at my heartstrings. I have, because because I have a son now, who's not diabetic, but I can't imagine because I'm just trying to I try to manage myself and do his scheduling and school and stuff. And I can't imagine having to manage that on top of it. I'm also gonna manage myself, but to manage a little one. Lisa

Scott Benner 6:05
would have run the recording while you're trying to get your microphone set up, everyone would completely believe you that you would not be able to do it. Being seated, though, I wonder if they were told that your life expectancy was shorter.

Lisa 6:20
When I was first diagnosed, my grandmother had approached my mom and said, I didn't I didn't look well, she thought there was something wrong. And and I guess she shouldn't say it like this, but she was kind of hinting at the that. She wasn't sure about me. Like just looking like I was like, I was very sick.

Scott Benner 6:42
Like your grandmother was like, That one's not gonna make it like like you were possibly Yeah, like that. Yeah, okay.

Lisa 6:48
Yeah. I think the tip of the iceberg what happened is, I remember I was having, like, I was young, probably well, between like, eight, well, not nine years old. And then I remember, I was so thin. And I hit it. Because you were in close and you go through growth spurts and stuff like that. But I realized how much weight loss I had, just because you see, I could see like my ribs and things like that. And when my mom came into the bathroom when I kind of hid from our end. And then she was just getting ready. And she told me that I told her that I was dying. And she just stopped everything she did. And and she said Why would you say that she was really concerned. And then she made the doctor's appointment, and then that's when I was diagnosed.

Scott Benner 7:35
Or you go, Oh, yeah, wisdom from an old lady. That kid don't look right. That one couldn't pull a plow, what are we doing? Right? I was even wondering about the doctors, like, I wonder like, when you go in and you're diagnosed back then I have to, like, do they tell you to they go, hey, you know, with current treatments, this is gonna shorten your life, or you're gonna have you know, who knows what could possibly happen?

Lisa 8:05
Hey, I don't know. I just know we went into the doctor's office. He they did a urine sample. And he came right back to my mom and said, Get her to the hospital immediately. Like, this is urgent. Yeah. I don't know what my blood sugar was that but obviously it was really high. So then they got me and admitted me. They set us up with like your setup with we have a doctor obviously to manage that they there was also a nutritionist or like a dietitian, sorry. And also a social worker to work with

Scott Benner 8:41
us. Okay, even back then. Well, that's pretty great. Yeah, so then let's kind of jump through the seasons of your life with diabetes. So early on, you were shooting the way you described earlier with insulin. Do you remember moving to a faster acting more modern insulin.

Lisa 8:59
I don't remember the timeline. I just remember like stages in life, like the growth type of thing. So newly diagnosed, you kind of it's like a learning curve for everybody. So we really focused on diet and snacks and things like that and balancing that out. And then being age nine, and then you go to that, that through that teenage years, where and again, both my parents worked that when they went through a separation so I was a grew up really quick having to manage this. So is in charge of that, so to speak, and then they would go with me to my appointments because we'd go to appointments like that and they would just review things. So then you go through that rebellion kind of stage where you're not testing as much as you should. And then I'm trying to think about college and things like that was getting a little bit easier, but then I entered into the fitness world and working out out and getting more on track with eating and really paying attention with that. So that kind of counteracted things. And then diabeetus has always been a background, so to speak, background, meaning I just I know what I have to do and like it doesn't kind of run me I just I work around it or I work with it.

Scott Benner 10:24
Well, I think it's really common for people who were diagnosed decades ago, because there wasn't a lot for you to do, really, I'm sure it felt like it. But compared to, I guess, compared to the diagnostics that day to day moment to moment diagnostics that we have available today. I mean, you were shooting insulin eating to a schedule, basically. Right. And then, and, I mean, honestly, the blood tests weren't very good, right? You're Did you ever use urine tests? Probably. Yeah. You might not. Yeah. Right. And so it was more like, I mean, honestly, back then it wouldn't have felt that way. But with today's perspective, it was basically like, Here, take this pill and test or, you know, shoot this thing in your arm and test here at because even when you got the test back wasn't much you could do, right?

Lisa 11:09
No, and they were just like, an especially being, they didn't have any answers for us. So it was a matter of your blood sugars. Because again, when you're taking that insulin, it's it's throughout the body, whereas now you can really play around with it with your meals, like we I'm still in that background. And then because I'm on the insulin pump now. But back then it was like, if your blood sugar was at a number, we just didn't have the flexibility, like we would never Well, in my situation, I wouldn't go and give an extra dose of insulin, whereas now that's what you would do, right?

Scott Benner 11:45
That's exactly what I'm getting at is that it was it was very just sort of do this, then do this now and go to the next day, and then say to yourself, like, I'm not letting diabetes hold me back. And you know, going forward, but you didn't. But what was happening to your health at that point, even were you tracking a one sees back then? Or how did you measure your health?

Lisa 12:07
Thanks, did track a onesie? So I think as I've gotten older, my agency has gotten better creep down, lower and lower and lower. But when I look, I mean, there wasn't a lot of like you said there wasn't a lot of outlets back then. So you would go to your, your doctor's appointment, they would tell you what your 81 C was, they would get you to work with your dietitian if there was any issues. And that was basically it.

Scott Benner 12:36
So so if you were if you were testing hire them, they would they would they would attach that to food and then try to change your food intake. It was It wasn't really about the insulin as much.

Lisa 12:48
Yes. And I don't think they initially said that. But that's something where it's been hard for me to get out of that mindset. So because it's not always and that's taken me some time realizing that everything comes into play with blood sugar's your hormones, your stress level, whether or not you are doing like, like weight training, or you're doing distance running. So it's really, it's been hard for me to not hard, but something that I've had to get my head around all day, okay with that, especially with the hormones and things like that. Stress is huge.

Scott Benner 13:31
It's a complete relearning of something that you thought you knew already. Yeah, yeah. Right. I mean, cuz you're going along for a long, you know, I'm gonna guess I mean, 38 years ago, right? I'm gonna guess that for 20 years, you pretty much manage the way we talked about and then one day somebody said, like, you should get one of these insulin pump things and you were like, Why do I need that? And then they said, Oh, you know, and then you how I mean, what year do you remember? What year you got a pump?

Lisa 13:59
Oh my gosh, that was a must have been how long? About four? Maybe? Just a little over? 10 Maybe going on? 15 years?

Scott Benner 14:08
Right. Okay. So so you get up

Lisa 14:10
and it was a learning curve to like it's different.

Scott Benner 14:13
And, and in the pump? What insulin

Lisa 14:18
we use. Oh my gosh, you're just I can see the box downstairs. It's just

Scott Benner 14:26
part of me. Humalog Yes, yeah.

Lisa 14:29
I think so. Oh, Nova rapid.

Scott Benner 14:33
Rapid here. Yeah. Canada. Yes. See, I should have said that three you said a couple of times and I

Lisa 14:40
wasn't human log before and then now it's a one called Nova rapid so it's a fast acting insulin. And then again, you're just way off you're on this property. I'm not sure but you just found a constant drip and then every time you eat or if you had to gesture and so then you can just go to the pump and to great Managing tool,

Scott Benner 15:01
please. I'm gonna give you a strange look into my mind. I heard you stretch out a couple of words. But your last name is hyphenated. So I put you in Minnesota, in my head. I was like, there are no fancy hyphenated names and

Lisa 15:18
I'm in Canada, Ontario, Canada.

Scott Benner 15:21
So I'm just saying I'm an idiot. That's what I was. That's all I was saying. But yeah, you I don't know if you were hiding your Canada but now that I said it, it's coming out more. It's interesting. Oh, really? Okay. Yeah, please. It's fun. I love Canada, because I've never been there and I have no actual perspective for it. I don't really know. I just know what I've been told. Okay, moose, squirrels, snow, sled dogs. That's how I say it. I'm sure Yeah, depending

Lisa 15:48
on how the snow No.

Scott Benner 15:52
Well, okay, so, so Okay, interesting. So you started when you started, you got to a pump. Even for people listening nowadays who have come in at a more modern time. Even getting a pump wasn't really what it was. What it is now, like back then they were just like, Hey, you don't have to do shots anymore. Right? Yeah,

Lisa 16:08
I think the biggest thing and this is just I think the biggest game changer for technology wise. Is the blood the blood testing sensors, CGM? Yeah, yeah, those in my, in my perspective, just from they can really they can improve someone's health like with diabeetus. So much,

Scott Benner 16:34
ya know, I am always fascinated to talk to people who have who were in the before place. So you get your pump about 1015 years ago, which is not what that's not that long ago. That's in 2004 2005 range in there. And, and is that when the learning started about modern management, or was it not till you saw a CGM, and do you have a CGM? Is that correct?

Lisa 17:00
Yes, I did. Yeah.

Scott Benner 17:01
How long have you had that?

Lisa 17:03
Um, probably three or four years now. So I'm still a little bit old school when it comes to that my CGM doesn't talk to my pump. That's what they eventually I will go to that. But I'm just, I just like the I'm on the libre too. I just like that one because it lasts for 14 days. And I don't have any issues without falling off. It's just like a second skin. So just on the back of my arm, but I did. I was between sensors, just a perfect example probably two weeks ago. And just to give an idea, I tested my blood sugar sounds terrible, probably three or four times in a day with doing the manual blood test. When I'm on the CGM, I will scan my blood sugar 26 times a day. Okay. Yeah, that's it. So that's a huge difference right there. And when it comes to just in my mind that it just gives you that much more control over diabetes over managing it.

Scott Benner 18:04
Yeah, no, of course, it's a, it's a completely different window into what's happening instead of instead of those snapshots in time, and going like my blood sugar is 145 right now.

Lisa 18:15
I love it, like the technology that way, and just seeing what's going on inside your body. Like you can know when a sec, I mean, it might not be exact, just depending on your reading. But again, it's close enough that you have you know, and that's I think is a huge privilege to us, diabetics, that's just my personal opinion, I agree. Because with me being very active, I can like, I can go for a run, I can see what that exercise is doing to my pleasure, I can see I've even done a comparisons. Or I've seen where I've eaten a plant based black bean brownie, in comparison to eating a regular Browning, how fast my blood sugar will be driven up by having like a white sugar base, compared to a longer acting carbohydrate. It's amazing. Seeing those little windows, it's trying to explain that to people who are trying to even if they're just regular, they don't have diabeetus and they're trying to manage or get a hold of their weight control or just trying to understand things. They tell that's very interesting to me, because I figure that everyone knows this, but a lot of people don't have any aspect of the nutrition and I'm not knocking anyone I'm just saying that's what has helped me having diabeetus is to and that's one of my goals is to teach people about nutrition and what's happening behind the scenes and the body from from that perspective, I'm

Scott Benner 19:31
gonna say one thing I will get to that kind of what you do for a living stuff so it's very interesting to hear you talk about this because it's super is because I you can hear there's like almost like a childlike wonder because you lived through it so long without this stuff. That that your perspective is like, hey, there's a magic thing stuck to my arm as whenever I want to see my blood sugar. I just hold up the sensor to it and it scans it and there it is. is. And isn't that crazy? Because, you know, I'm not going to test my blood sugar that many times a day you have no, you have real like, it's easy to say old school but your perspective from a different time, and you can hear the wonder in your voice about the technology and what it offers. It's some. It's different than talking to somebody who has what, what is it? It's, um, it's an expectation. You don't have, you don't have the expectation. Because you knew a time without it. People who come in now, who will say like, I got the CGM, and it said, my blood sugar was 150. But I tested my blood sugar was really 140. This thing's not accurate at all. And you're and you just said, like, you know, close enough. And I was like, Ooh, that's a really like, because I feel that way. Because I've seen I've, I've raised a small child with diabetes without a CGM. And so and so when I see a number on my daughter's CGM, and it's like, it's, you know, I don't know, she's 78 I passed. And she's really like, 69. I'm like, Cool, close enough. And it's a leap that I can make, because I've seen it before. Whereas people who come in now are a generation of people who are accustomed to cell phones that are powerful enough to, you know, do what they do. And they have instant technology, and they expect things to work constantly, which you know, technology is always evolving. And no one no one thinks like, no one thinks about, hey, this company devised a way to stick a little thing under my skin. And there's something about what they coated in that reads the interstitial fluid in my body and tells me what my blood sugar is in real time. Or when I scan my thing if I've got the libre, whatever it is, like, they should hear that and be like, that's insane. And instead, they're like, it was off by six points. This thing's junk. And I'm like, what? Lisa here is just like,

Lisa 22:04
it's just you. Yeah, because I just remember as a kid, like, I didn't want to test my blood sugar. Like I just even now when I was without my sensor for a few days. I was annoyed because I'm like, how am I gonna do this? I'm working in a fast paced job. I have to stop and do this. And and just, I felt like I have trouble managing without a sensor. Yeah, like I can do it. But it's just it's such. Oh, just

Scott Benner 22:28
Lisa. Let's be clear. It diabetes way easier with the CGM way, way, way easier. Yeah, I'm just I've just, I just got caught up in a minute. Because I can hear people in my head being like, you know, my, my CGM was starting up. And I had to test my kids blood sugar three times in two hours. And I'm like, There's part there's a part inside of me that goes, I get what they're saying. And they want the technology to keep improving and I'm sure it's going to, but there's another part inside of me that raised a two year old with diabetes with a meter that looked like it came out of a bubblegum machine who's like three times in two hours? Yeah. Oh, no. Are you okay? You know, do you mean like, yeah, two different perspectives?

Lisa 23:05
I can't imagine. No, I

Scott Benner 23:07
love you. Okay, so. So let's just tell people like what do you do for a living?

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Lisa 25:46
Right now I'm just I've taken a step back from things. So I'm on that whole my journey of a new path, but same same industry. So again, I did well back in the day, I just jumped around from job to job to job, and then just kind of say this like fast, like fast forward. So having that fitness background did personal training, like studying and then just I newly, I just finished my diploma as natural holistic nutritionist. So that was a May. So I'm really happy about that. And then I was working in a health food store and working, doing like demoing and promotions for a new supplement company. And then now I am into I am a wellness and dietetics manager at large retail corporation. So right now I'm just learning like I'm just doing more background things and setting up kind of like the a wellness nutrition department within a large retailer here in Canada. And then going forwards my goals is they really want to promote nutritional guidance for people. So my goal is to hopefully be running the department and being able to put together classes of information.

Scott Benner 27:13
So where do you think the interest came from? Like, was it because you talked about earlier when you're young, right that things were adjusted through nutrition? And is that how that started for you?

Lisa 27:24
I don't know I thought about that, because my mom was just like saying things like to write. So it's just and I tried to figure out what came first if it was because I wasn't very athletic or anything growing up like I played some sports, but it wasn't really I wasn't really driven towards that. And then having diabeetus going to high school, I wasn't on a sports teams. And then I got my first gym membership. I don't know, late high school. And I just stuck with it. I think I think it was something and then now that I'm older, I just find it's more it's become more of a I'm very passionate about it. It's a hobby. It's something where you can kind of envision something and then do the work. It doesn't feel like work to me. But I can see you can see things change.

Scott Benner 28:21
A little bit about goal setting reaching a goal setting a new goal. Yes, that's right. Yeah, that idea.

Lisa 28:27
Yeah. And then with the nutrition, I don't know where that came about. I remember when I was doing the personal training back in my 20s like going to the program, nutrition would come up and I found notes that I've found like at this age, and I'm like who wrote this, they were my own notes about it, we had to deal with supplements because I have this love for the science behind supplementation and all that vitamins, minerals, all that I could talk your head off this. I mean, I love that stuff. It's the science behind it. And then And then again, when I was upgrading my personal training, that sometimes can be a struggle for the learning because it's just so black and white, the muscles and stuff like that in the body. But when nutrition comes up, it's like I know what, like the back of my hand. So there's something there with myself and nutrition. I don't know I just pick up on it.

Scott Benner 29:21
So you so do you think nutrition, the way you think about your nutrition is, is just would be in specific it's not that you don't have meaning you don't need to be meaning which what I what I want to say is I just use the wrong word. But what I was gonna say was, is it for me because of your diabetes or just because you're a person.

Lisa 29:44
I think that diabeetus has helped that because I have I have a true understanding of how foods can break down in the body when it comes to their blood sugar. So when I'm talking to people try not to get too scientific because they get that kind of clouded over vision, although they are interested. But I don't realize how much we as diabetics know the science behind the like how things break down within the body. Yeah. Which I think is just, it's just something where I mean, nutrition doesn't have to be hard and stuff, but there is there is science behind it, too.

Scott Benner 30:21
So are you talking about digestion? And how digestion of food impacts your blood sugar? Are you talking? Yeah, it's

Lisa 30:27
just just different foods and things like that. And just yeah, like, how it really breaks down? I think diabetics have a more understanding a more in depth stuff, nutrition.

Scott Benner 30:38
Yeah, we definitely see the impact of food in a different way. Because it's measurable somewhere. Right? How much of that people translate into real understanding? And then do something actionable to impact that? I don't know. But it is a journey for sure. You know, I don't think there's a right way to eat. You know, I'm not I wouldn't be into telling people how to eat for sure. But I mean, there's, there's no doubt that you you can see the impact of you know, bread or pasta or potatoes on your blood sugar versus other foods that are, you know, simpler, less complex, break down differently, don't have as much sugar, etc. But you know, it's some, it really is a process and I don't know that everybody sees it, but I think they're impacted by it. Certainly. So so once you see that once you see how food is impacting your blood sugar's do you make a change about what you're eating? Or do you add supplements that help you? I'm not I'm not certain what you're saying? Oh,

Lisa 31:43
I'm not necessarily I just view like, even when I'm studying like different, I just find it more. It's more of an interest like an aha moment. Like when you like I said, I'll talk about that black bean brownie like I've done it before, where I don't eat a regular brownie, just just not one of my things. But But I know what it would do. Because even if I had something sugary, where it had like a higher sugar content to it, I'll get that my blood sugar could be at I mean, if I've done it before, where it's at a regular level, and then you see how it impacts your blood sugar. So you're getting that straight out line, almost right? Like it's a but then if you wish, I've had a black bean brownie made with black beans. And I was just curious to see what it was going to do. Because I thought, oh Ma, it's going to affect my blood sugar. Because there's I think there was maple syrup when I made them. And I thought that it was this gradual up and then my blood sugar came back down. So it's just more the site like how things work within the body, which I find is very interesting.

Scott Benner 32:42
So with all this knowledge and understanding, where can I ask you like where you're a one C is

Lisa 32:49
the last time I ate one C, I think I was at a 6.1 Well, that's cool. Or 6.8. Maybe I might be a couple points off again, I surprised myself because I would sit in the eights. And then over the years, it's come down. I've been in the sevens. And then I've made it into the sixes never the fives. But you never know how much

Scott Benner 33:09
exercise do you get? Are you still into it the way you were when you were younger?

Lisa 33:18
Yeah, probably better. I think this is probably in the best shape of my life now that I'm in my late 40s So do you that?

Scott Benner 33:27
Is it like impact training? Is it weights? Is it cardio as I do, right now

Lisa 33:31
I'm just going through because I was doing the distance running so did the half marathons for a bit and then not really understanding. I understood nutrition but not when you're going to be doing a specific sport. So now being through sports, nutrition and all that that was an eye opener. So now I do I do running but I back down on it a bit and just say do weight training.

Scott Benner 34:00
Okay, what did you mean it was an eye opener? Eye

Lisa 34:03
Opener where I was it was working I was working a lot more physical job. And then I was I would do runs in the morning not long but I would do like 5k in the morning I'd go to work and work for four hours come home go to the gym do cardio it was just like that and then I wasn't fueling my body to what I need it.

Scott Benner 34:24
so eye opening in the in the sense that you

Lisa 34:29
in the sense of you and then I would have those not that I was always just trying to like better my fitness level. But I would always be level wired. Well, why isn't there any changes and now at the point where I am in, in this part being to education just over the years of learning. I really see that just the difference if you're going to train to that extent if you're not fueling right again, your body will just keep like it was just going to kind of recycle.

Scott Benner 34:59
So yeah, so it's the It's the feeling piece that you picked up out of all this, like what you needed to put in that your body needed. And so how did that change? Like, what were you doing before? And what are you doing now?

Lisa 35:10
Oh, now it's in, it's always up and down now like, I just really have to watch with my stress levels, and things like that and then allowing myself just to, to refuel properly. So for because I'm mostly plant based, I really have to pay attention to my protein needs and requirements. So that I'm focusing more on that, because I think I was undermining my protein intake. And, and then doing the, the more the more running, because in the summertime, I will run more. But now with my workload, I can't run as much. But I do keep up with my weight training. So again, it's just one of those where I can still eat the same, but I'm just really paying attention because I'm doing the weight training. So I'm trying to build and just making sure that I have enough protein in my diet, which again, in turn, helps with when I when I'm so busy at work and stuff and it's physical to have that protein in the background will help stabilize my blood sugar. So I'm not chasing a low and then with a rebound of a high and vice versa.

Scott Benner 36:18
Where are you getting the protein from? Because you said it was the protein from so because your plant base, you have to get it? Where?

Lisa 36:25
Yeah, so with the plant base, I'll just use more. I mean, you can get enough protein if you're doing plant base and other things like that. So I'm just now I have implemented I'm taking more shakes, I will eat meat, just not maybe not every day. So I have skipped days, so it's more plant based. So I will do shakes, I'll do plant based eggs, you can get them from black beans, and a kind of bean type of thing. And there's like protein in your plant foods as well. So again, I'm not totally right. We used to be maybe 90% plant based and now are 90 to 95. And now I've reduced it I will have some meat. It's just not every day or so on on a regular basis. But I am eating like I am eating now like tuna.

Scott Benner 37:19
What's a good example of a day of your eating? Example, whichever breakfast this morning,

Lisa 37:26
this morning, whether they have oh my i And that's breakfast is my worst meal of the day. I'm going to be honest, but again, I just figured that I mean, everyone needs you have to heavier and I'm not a clean eater every day. I believe in moderation. So for breakfast What did I have? I had half of these blueberry flat breads. I had that what else do I have? I had this other this Josef's bread, it's it's a lower carbohydrate, a little bit of protein flatbread so I had that with some natural peanut butter and then trying to think I have coffee. And then I had some water I took some vitamins went out for a run came back and now I'm just drinking water with collagen some greens in it.

Scott Benner 38:21
What vitamins do you take on a daily basis?

Lisa 38:24
Oh gosh, I have to get my go through my counter. Now I take so every day I'll have in my water I'll put greens sometimes. Right now I'm taking so lion's mane. That's a mushroom of additional mushroom to vitamin C, I do think I'll do NAC or NAC what else college and I do every day.

Unknown Speaker 38:49
What's the lion's mane for the

Lisa 38:53
lion's mane is for brain health memory. I just And then again, I haven't I used to read so many articles and just studies and things like that. So I have this chart and it talks about each of the medicinal mushrooms which I really am fascinated by them. I'm really interested in them. I have used a bunch of them. So that one is for brain health. And because just with Alzheimer's and things like that, and sometimes they say with diabeetus not that we're having a high count candidates but I think it was number three on my list. So it was one that I implemented. So it also helps with focus.

Scott Benner 39:36
Yeah. Do you find it valuable? Like can you look back and say before I started doing this, I had less focus as an example but now I'm doing better or like I wasn't measured.

Lisa 39:48
Not right now because I just started taking it under the tongue before I was using capsules and things like that and because I was taking so much stuff I think I got lost in the mix of what was where gain. So now I find that I'm more more basic with my vitamins. Although it might seem like a lot to some, I really backed down on them. And I'm really trying to focus. And I am because my mindset, I'm always in staying one step ahead. And that's what, again, this is a whole different topic that's been another frustration with myself and working with my specialist and my specialists for diabeetus. Because when I go to appointments, and I'm always looking for what can I do to, to prolong things to to keep myself in this shape, and they just kind of shrug their shoulders because I've had diabetes for so long that no one? No one knows.

Scott Benner 40:42
Are you having any impacts? health impacts? From?

Lisa 40:47
Um, no, not currently, the only I did have one of my eyes, I did have some damage that came about after I had my son. But then so I don't go to a regular I go to an actual specialist. So I had laser eye surgeries done on it, just to I think I had an overgrowth of the blood vessels. And then now every time I go back in, he just says, Just keep doing what you're doing. There's still a little bit of inflammation, but nothing, it just stays the same. But

Scott Benner 41:21
that so but that I think is from high blood sugars over time. Probably okay. Yeah. All right. And so but that's the only thing you're noticing so far.

Lisa 41:32
Yeah. And that's like, it has I didn't even notice it. It was just something that my regular eye doctor he had noticed and sent me to a specialist. And this is going back like, oh, gosh, I've been seeing him for 10 years. So 10 years, might he surprised? I'm not wearing glasses yet at my age.

Scott Benner 41:50
How old is your you have one child? Is that right?

Lisa 41:52
Yes. Yeah, he's 12.

Scott Benner 41:53
He's 12. Okay, yeah. Have you had him tested for type one antibodies? Or how do you think about that?

Lisa 42:00
I have not I have we I have tested his blood sugar. Although he doesn't. He's not impressed by that. Because sometimes you just wonder what someone is sitting at? Yeah. I'm not worried about him. The My only concern is just I don't I do have limits. I pay attention to how many? Yes, he does have popped from like, now and again, and he's just gone into a little bit of the sweets. Not crazy. But I do find myself watching. Just because I'm, I just think it's a lot of sugar. Yeah, but that's just I think that's just because how I grew up. So if he has like a mini Cantopop I'm like, okay, like, like that. Like, that's a lot of sugar. Like, that's a lot. I don't say anything, but I catch myself noticing.

Scott Benner 42:56
Right. I understand. You're, I mean, you don't drink that stuff. I imagine. So no, no, it strikes you oddly, when somebody else does. That's all I would

Lisa 43:04
write. Yeah. And that was Yeah. And that was the other thing too. I didn't realize I think it happened a few years ago, where the impact of of how this can also affect him as a child, because he knows that they're not something wrong with me. I know. It's not the greatest way of saying things, but I'm going to say it like there's something wrong with me in the whole sense that he knows that. I'm actively and being proactive, to prolong my health. So I know that maybe in the back of his mind to when he was younger, I know that might have had some kind of I mean, it gives a child fear. Right as well, right? No, I

Scott Benner 43:46
it's funny. I we don't drink sugary drinks here. Right. And then my son went off to college. And I remember about two years ago, he's maybe like a maybe he was a rising junior, and we went to a restaurant together. And he got a sweet tea. And I thought that's crazy. Like, we don't drink sweet tea, you know? And he was an athlete in school so I think he was looking for calories a lot of the times because he was just you know, going like 100 miles an hour. And but I remember how it struck me like I didn't say anything but I was like oh my god like he's drinking drinks with sugar all the things you know, but it really did shock me. I remember I

Lisa 44:28
think people would say like if you ever seen with a Cantopop they'd be What's the matter you low?

Scott Benner 44:32
Yeah, right. Well yeah, it's that expectation that you don't want to waste your you don't want to waste those carbs on on that if you I mean, I guess I guess if you love it, you love it. I don't I guess you just learned how to Bolus for it. But anyway, so is there any type one in your extended family Mom Dad side?

Lisa 44:53
Okay, so this goes back a long time. So the only person that we know of in my face Emily that had diabeetus was my dad's grandmother.

Scott Benner 45:04
Okay, that's type one, or would they not know?

Lisa 45:09
Probably type one. I don't think type two was Yeah, I don't know. We just, oh gosh, type two is more newer to us. We cuz even back as a kid and stuff it was, I mean, people might have been insulin resistant, like the older generation. But yeah, he's just you

Scott Benner 45:30
know how old she was when she passed? I don't know. So not a lot of talk about how about other autoimmune issues like hypothyroidism, celiac? Is there any of that going on anywhere?

Lisa 45:42
No, no, no. Yeah, that's why I've just kind of like it was. Yeah, I can't imagine what they like what they went through back then. Because it was what, early 80s? Well, like maybe mid 80s. The 1980s?

Scott Benner 45:59
Well, that's when your dad's an adult. Right? In the Yeah. And just,

Lisa 46:02
they I mean, again, like my family, it was like, it was a big a big event. I'm just talking for them. I don't know the impact and and realize that you when I when you have this, you don't I try not to impact others, but you don't I think reading other parents and their journeys with their parents. I thought wow, like you don't realize how many people it does. Impact?

Scott Benner 46:31
Yeah, certainly does. Does your son worry about diabetes? Do you ever talk about that? It's a possibility for him? Or how do you talk?

Lisa 46:37
Um, no, I think he has, he was like, worry. I didn't realize some stuff has come out. But hell. And I think I have a funny story. He, what was it? Well, he knows I think he did a project here. This is going back. Gosh, I don't know how old he was. Grade One, grade two. And they had to fill up something with something for Mother's Day that he had written on there. Like some of the things had to talk about your mom and staff. And he said that. I take a lot of pills and things like that. And I'm like, when he told me I was like, You didn't write that, did you? And then he brought it home. And I said I was like shocked. I'm like, what did your teacher say? And then he told her that Oh, my mom's diabetic. So I'm like, oh, so it is there like he does? I think he does. He does get concerned.

Scott Benner 47:29
Yeah. I hear other stuff that I see sometimes attached to people with type one. ADHD, do you see any of that?

Lisa 47:38
Oh, wow. No, I haven't. I don't know. I could possibly, but I don't know.

Scott Benner 47:44
No, I just mean like in your family, like, like, oh, anything you've known is diagnosed ADHD or just like a lot of other things. Do you have any uncles who are bipolar, for instance? No, nothing. Wow, you guys just got a couple of couple of diabetics sprinkled out over four generations. It's interesting.

Lisa 48:04
Yeah. And who knows? Like, I don't know, I roll. There's so much controversy of like, I mean, my mom did have to have she was sick. Or she had the mumps when she was pregnant with me. So she had to have something that the hospital gave her. I mean, I don't know. You don't know.

Scott Benner 48:24
Back then. Could have been whiskey. Yeah.

Lisa 48:28
So again, you just they can't they don't know themselves, like what the science and stuff like what causes the body to attack itself with this. Whether it's in the genetics, or if it's like some kind of environmental?

Scott Benner 48:46
What about your day to day stuff? So you haven't mentioned? Are you married or no? Yes, you are. Okay. So how involved? Is your partner with your diabetes? Not at all or not at all? Yeah, that how long so how long have you been together?

Lisa 49:03
To one T 21 years. 2020.

Scott Benner 49:06
And he Am I Yeah, yep. Yeah. And he and it's just a it's a separate thing. Is it like is diabetes almost like? Like, do you not get low ever does that? Yeah.

Lisa 49:19
That's just how I manage it. Right. So because like I again, I've had it for so long. And then And growing up and stuff. I was just raised more independent. Yeah. And I think just because the dynamics of the family, my parents went through separation and stuff. So I just I grew up really, really quick. And it was just one of those where yes, they're there to help me but I was just one where I just learned to manage on my own. And again, going through I mean, just And to think if there was, thank goodness, that I haven't had any major complications. So and that's one where I don't like to, yes, I do have my fears of certain things that have caught up like, like, like with my eyes and stuff like that. So I brought my mom with me as a support system. But I tried to kind of work through those things on my own until I get there. And then, yeah, we'll see. Right. But that's why I'm just a huge advocate to do whatever I can to stay proactive and try and do. And that's one of the things too, we're, I mean, I can't control everything. So that's why I'll reach out to my specialists and things like that. So that's, that's what I said, that's been a frustration where, and again, I guess, with this disease and having it so long that you just have to manage and

Scott Benner 50:56
yeah, I don't, I don't find there to be a right or wrong way. I'm just always interested in how people choose to do it. And how, and it makes sense to me the way you you know, the time you grew up in. And you know that you were in basically, you know, on your own a little bit with it that you wouldn't as an adult think to incorporate another person in being would it be helpful to you? Or do you not even feel like you need it for another person to be involved?

Lisa 51:23
No, I think it's just one time to like, No, I don't think it would I mean, yeah, yeah, I think it's just the way I try to manage a lot on my own. It's just one of those where and again, I don't know how you could help. Right. So I'm just trying to get my head around. I just

Scott Benner 51:51
know, it's interesting to listen that it's just such a different thought for you that

Lisa 51:55
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just see. Yeah, because even even when I go into work and stuff, like I don't broadcast it, I'm trying to get more comfortable. But the conversation just gets missed, like I don't know.

Scott Benner 52:09
Yeah, yeah. It's hard to I just sometimes. Yeah,

Lisa 52:13
I mean, and that's kind of been my biggest thing is is not saying anything to people, and then I do have a low and then people are like, Well, what's going on here? Right? So yeah, that's all I'm that's just something where I have to learn to get more comfortable with and be more open about it. Not that I'm hiding it. I just don't I don't want the attention. Yeah. And my sister said that too. She because she asked me not too long ago, she just said, I want to ask you something. And she goes, Why do you never say like, why you never talked about? Or why do you never tell people that you're diabetic? And I was just I didn't have an answer for because I don't know why it's just one of those where they just don't. I mean, I'm getting more comfortable now that I'm working in the industry. Because people you really see them change and open up then to know that you have something like especially the type twos, there'll be talking or even type ones and stuff. And it's it's nice, that that you can possibly relate to somebody,

Scott Benner 53:17
ya know, it gives you a jumping in point. Yeah, it's a great idea. So I know we started late, and I apologize, but I have to jump off in a little bit to get on to another call. So I just want to ask you if there's anything that we didn't talk about, that we that you meant to so that I don't miss anything for you?

Lisa 53:35
No, not at all. I think I've probably touched on like, a lot of things and maybe jumped around a lot because there's Yeah,

Scott Benner 53:42
no, it's fine. I just I don't want to like I don't want to miss anything for you. That's No, no, not at all. Wow. Well, I really appreciate you doing this, like coming on and sharing how you think about things and and your path. It's, it's an interesting look into what happens when you come up one way. And then everything. There's just a paradigm shift, like diabetes just isn't like that anymore. And you got to live in both sides of it. So yes, yeah,

Lisa 54:09
I want to thank you because this is I've never done something like this before. And like I said, I'm still getting comfortable with with this whole, like being more vocal about it. No, and being asked those questions and any, any kind of Yeah, just my thoughts and feelings about diabeetus as a whole.

Scott Benner 54:30
Yeah. Lisa, you're in an interesting position, because you're not, you're not an old person. Right. But you've had diabetes for a really long time. Yeah, and you jump like I said, you jump between two different management. I mean, honestly, three different management, like styles. And it's, um, and your generation diabetes generation, like you said, it's not, you know, not always accustomed to talking about it. And you grew up in a situation that you described earlier, where there wasn't anybody to talk about it with He didn't know whether people that had diabetes to begin with. And so I don't know, I just, I like you being like, it's interesting that you were willing to do it. Like, why did you want to talk? Like, what, what drew you to do this?

Lisa 55:12
I think, because when I was working in the health food store, that was kind of when people would come in, and they'd be talking about type two, I'm still intrigued by type two diabetes, because they have, in my view, they, they have complete, almost, they have a lot of control of how they can make things go for them. So I like listening to them. I like being that little spark of light for them, because they, I know, I'm kind of getting off topic here. But to see somebody who thinks that this is like, there's there's no lights, that really, it really gives me that chance to inspire somebody. Just as because I've lived it, and I can, I don't know, with that, so and then. So that really opened my eyes that there is a real need. And then when I seen this opportunity cop, I thought Oh, heck, like why not? I never talked about this. It's going to again, just get me more comfortable talking about it on a different platform.

Scott Benner 56:26
Maybe, like, let other people know, that it would be okay to share with family members, strangers were or whatever that I think.

Lisa 56:34
Exactly. Yeah. And I'm all about inspiration. I mean, I, I'm inspired by people, I don't think I mean, some people say that I inspire them or motivate that I don't see that. So again, I mean, if I can inspire or be that light for gosh, one person, then that's a huge, that's a huge win for me. Good.

Scott Benner 56:55
Well, that's a perfect way to end. Thank you. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

First, I'd like to thank Lisa for coming on the program and sharing her story with us. And then I'm going to thank BetterHelp and remind you that@betterhelp.com forward slash juicebox. Just by going to that link and signing up, you'll save 10% off your first month of therapy betterhelp.com forward slash juicebox and of course touched by type one.org. And save 35% off your entire order at cozy eartha.com with the offer code juicebox at checkout. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast

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