Scott Benner 4/3/24 Scott Benner 4/3/24

#1167 Curse of the Billy Goat

Eoin is 26, lives in Chicago and has had T1D for 8 years.

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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1167 of the Juicebox Podcast

today I'll be speaking with Owen he's 26 years old, he's had type one diabetes for eight years. His background is in Biomedical Engineering and he'd love to work for Dexcom or insulin. Oh and symptoms of type one diabetes reared their head initially at a Cubs game. 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. If you have type one diabetes, or the caregiver of someone with type one and a US resident, please go to T one D exchange.org. Forward slash juicebox and fill out the survey. The survey will take you just 10 minutes that's how long it took me. The questions are very easy, you'll know the answers to them. And when you do this, you will be helping with type one diabetes research T one D exchange.org/juice box right there from your sofa you can help when you place your first order for ag one with my link you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the contour next gen blood glucose meter. This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you at contour next one.com/juicebox This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by cozy earth.com Cozy Earth is where I get my clothing, linens and towels from they are incredibly comfortable and temperate. I love them. I really do love them. And I love that I can give you an offer code that will save you 40% off of your entire order. Just use the offer code juice box at checkout and you will save 40% at cosy earth.com This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries. G voc hypo Penn Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash juicebox.

Eoin 2:28
Well, hello everyone. I'm Oh in. I've been in type one for about eight years now. And I live in Chicago lived in the Midwest my whole life I grew up in the suburbs. So my background is in biomedical engineering. I graduated probably like four years ago or so. And I've been working in research ever since. And I've been wanting to get into like, you know, it would be it would be a dream to work at like insolate or ducks calm. And I definitely applied for like, at least 10 jobs each at those companies. And I didn't get any of them.

Scott Benner 3:07
Oh, and how old are you?

Unknown Speaker 3:08
Oh,

Scott Benner 3:10
I'm 2626. Okay, and you were diagnosed? Would you say years ago?

Eoin 3:15
Yeah, it was like 2014. About

Scott Benner 3:18
About 18 years. Were you still in high school or out?

Eoin 3:22
So yeah, I was still in high school. I was actually 17 Okay, and I got diagnosed. Mulder like late onset juvenile?

Scott Benner 3:32
Those are words most of us don't use anymore. Juvenile in general is one. I haven't heard that in a while. But eight years ago. Okay. So let's, let's ask a couple questions first. So is there any other type one in your family?

Eoin 3:46
No. So my maternal grandfather had like type two and he had like hypothyroidism and then eventually Parkinson's. But no one else in either side of my family has type one. Okay.

Scott Benner 4:01
But he did have a couple of autoimmune things he had. Yeah, thyroid and probably Parkinson's. I think we could call it on me until at least inflammation based. And that's your grandfather on your whose side mom's side or mom's side? Okay. No one else has hypothyroidism or celiac or anything like that. No, no,

Eoin 4:23
not that I know of, at least for like celiac. I don't. I don't think any of my aunts do. I guess one of my cousins does have some like autoimmune stuff that I don't know exactly what it is. But I know it's auto.

Scott Benner 4:36
Okay. So yeah, I mean, a little bit, not a lot, but still, it's interesting. So when you're diagnosed, what do you remember about that time?

Eoin 4:46
Well, so it was in the summer and my mom is a she's like been a nurse her whole life and kind of does more like admin stuff at the hospitals now, but I I was going to a Cubs game with my cousin and she's a nurse practitioner and driving down Addison like from the highway all the way to the field, I probably had to go to the bathroom like two or three times, sitting in traffic. Of course, it was probably like, an hour almost. And she was like, This is not normal. And like, I've been complaining to my mom for like weeks. And like, asking her for like, I needed like a insulated like, the Hydroflask the really big one, so I can just like fill it up with a ton of water. And so at first when I started showing symptoms, my mom like jokingly was like, you're probably diabetic. And I was like, Haha, okay, but so then that like festered in my head for like, probably two or three weeks. And then I went to the Cubs game. And my cousin was like, Well, I'm gonna check your blood sugar when we get back. And so she never checked my blood sugar. So I was like, I need to find out. And so that morning after I like, texted my mom, and asked if I could, like come in, and she could just check my blood sugar. And so I went out to breakfast with some friends. And then we went to the I went to the like, what's my mom's work because she checked my blood sugar, and it was like, 394. And so then we like, called are called My pediatrician. And then like, she set us up with an endocrinologist. And so then that day, we went to that day, we went first to my pediatrician, they took my agency, and it was like unreadable, obviously. And then, like, the pediatrician passed me on to my first endocrinologist who like, got me insulin, like meter, you know, like, kind of went over the real like, short, little spiel they give Yeah. And I was pretty much on my way I was on, like, MDI, and finger pricks for probably like six months. And then I they put me on the pump, and the ducks calm. I think it was like the G three. When I first had it, I

Scott Benner 7:13
remember G four. And then there was this weird time where there was seven and seven plus, and that somehow came before four. So I don't I don't remember a G three. But the numbering system was a little weird in the beginning. So I don't know how to ever figure that out. But they got you on that quickly in six months. Yeah. Was that your doing? Or did they did your doctor's office push forward?

Eoin 7:38
Oh, I definitely wanted to I like want all the like best new advanced stuff. So like they knew that I wanted if they're like, You need to know how to do all this first. And so I mean, I did. And then like my second visit, my agency was like 10. And then like, kept going down by twos pretty much like every time I would go, yeah. And then like throughout high school, my ANC was probably like in the eights. Because, you know, like, I don't know, I was a high schooler and like, I didn't pay attention as much, probably, I would imagine. But yeah. And like, my parent, I had like a lot of independence. Like, my mom wasn't texting me like, Hey, I see your blood sugar's dropping, have you like had a snack? So I just, and if they knew what to do, I think, would they know how to use the PDM? I don't know. But you know, they know, like, what to look for symptoms. So I mean,

Scott Benner 8:43
they understand kind of high level, but as far as like actual management, you were you were diagnosed at a time where they probably thought like he's old enough to know this. And that. Is that the vibe of outline? Yeah. Also, I don't think that the first the first x columns didn't share like that. So I don't even think they could have followed you back then.

Unknown Speaker 9:04
Oh, yeah. No. Yeah. Right. That's interesting.

Scott Benner 9:07
So gonna ask you a question. A couple of things. Did MDI actually teach you how to take care of diabetes? If you take insulin or sulfonylureas you are at risk for your blood sugar going too low. You need a safety net when it matters most. Be ready with G voc hypo pen. My daughter carries G voc hypo pen everywhere she goes, because it's a ready to use rescue pen for treating very low blood sugar and people with diabetes ages two and above that I trust. Low blood sugar emergencies can happen unexpectedly and they demand quick action. Luckily jeuveau Capo pen can be administered in two simple steps even by yourself in certain situations. Show those around you where you storage evoke hypo pen and how to use it. They need to know how to use Tchibo Capo pen before an emergency situation happens. Learn more about why G vo Capo pen is in Ardens diabetes toolkit at G voc glucagon.com/juicebox. G voc shouldn't be used if you have a tumor in the gland on the top of your kidneys called a pheochromocytoma. Or if you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma, visit je Volk glucagon.com/risk For safety information. That contour next gen blood glucose meter is the meter that we use here. Arden has one with her at all times. I have one downstairs in the kitchen, just in case I want to check my blood sugar, and Arden has them at school, they're everywhere that she is contour next one.com/juicebox test strips. And the meters themselves may be less expensive for you in cash out of your pocket than you're paying currently through your insurance for another meter, you can find out about that and much more at my link contour next one.com/juicebox Contour makes a number of fantastic and accurate meters. And their second chance test strips are absolutely my favorite part. What does that mean? If you go to get some blood, and maybe you touch it and I don't know, stumble with your hand and like slip off and go back, it doesn't impact the quality or accuracy of the test. So you can hit the blood not good enough, come back get the rest without impacting the accuracy of the test. That's right, you can touch the blood come back and get the rest. And you're gonna get an absolutely accurate test. I think that's important because we all stumble and fumble at times, that's not a good reason to have to waste a test trip. And with a contour. Next Gen. You won't have to contour next one.com forward slash juicebox you're gonna get a great reading without having to be perfect.

Eoin 11:52
I don't really know I think I think once I got I know, I got the Dexcom before the Omni pod. So like I think, you know, I've feel like I've heard this a dozen times, like, once you can see you're like how your blood sugar reacts to like, whatever it is you're doing, like really get a better idea of like, how to control it and

Scott Benner 12:12
like, yeah, of course.

Eoin 12:15
So I think MDI wasn't as like, I mean, having to do the calculations, I guess was like, good to like know that. But then I mean, it's obviously so much easier. Just type it in.

Scott Benner 12:28
You think that's that's probably the entirety of it, right? They want you to be able to count carbs. And do the math for how much insulin you

Eoin 12:36
need. Yeah, definitely. I

Scott Benner 12:39
don't know that you couldn't figure that out if you're using a pump to it, but but I guess I guess so. There was no great learning that came from your MDI time. No. Nothing magical happened. You didn't feel like you leveled up or anything like that.

Eoin 12:57
Well, I definitely felt like I leveled up when I got the pump and the ER and the ducks calm. You got all this stuff on your body. I think it looks pretty cool. I know some, some diabetics are like, they'd rather hide it, but I don't know. I think you go for it. Yeah, go for it because I was a server at Texas Roadhouse. Like when I was in college, like, getting up college, and I like, was at this table and their kid was like, newly diagnosed, and to like super, super ashamed, like, embarrassed. And like the mom was like, Look at he's just wearing his, his pump right on his arm like that, like, he doesn't care. Like it's okay. And I was like, wow, like, this is kind of a cute moment, where I felt like, hopefully I could, like, not help this kid out. But you know, at least he had some example of like, someone with diabetes that, you know, didn't let it like, hold them back socially.

Scott Benner 13:58
Yeah. Oh, and I don't know, I think that that helped. You know, like, just, I'm not trying to take credit for it. But it's um, it's a big deal. Like you did that thing you or your device where he could say it, and then it gives him the confidence maybe to not feel so alone or ashamed or however he was feeling so I think it's really nice. Actually. You got and you said you get the pump first or CGM first, CGM first Dexcom first, how long were you wearing? Dexcom before you went on the pot,

Eoin 14:31
I think it was like two or three months so it wasn't long

Scott Benner 14:34
pretty quickly. Okay. How do you know about these things? Your mom you do research online. The doctors talk to you about it. Doctors

Eoin 14:41
and research. Not my mom. Yeah, so like the first endocrinologist I had I really didn't like him. And like, I don't know, I just it didn't I didn't feel like he really cared or like was very involved. But I've been seeing in there were a couple in between And that also were duds. But I've been with the same endo for like, four years now. And she's just amazing. I love her. She's out of University of Chicago health system. And yeah, and she would she was, she was a big part in like, kind of getting me like, the five nominee pot five. And then like, before that she would always, like bring up when she would talk about like, when it was the Omnipod. Horizon. She brought that up to me. So I mean, yeah, me, mostly her and like, just my own research.

Scott Benner 15:35
Oh, and what makes a good endocrinologist versus one that you didn't enjoy being with?

Eoin 15:41
My current one? I don't know. She's just like, very sweet and like, like, mother, like, I don't know what to how to describe it, like nurturing. And like, when I meet with her, you know, we'll go over the, like, the gluco free month printout and like, find trouble areas. I mean, it's hard to say

Scott Benner 16:05
and he's it more of a vibe, then then you just Yeah, yeah. You just sort of get along with this one. In a good way versus some in the past that you haven't. Yeah,

Eoin 16:14
might not even I think it really comes down to that. Okay.

Scott Benner 16:18
Yeah, not even so much maybe about knowledge. It's maybe more about style, personality and stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. It's

Eoin 16:27
like, knowing that or like, thinking that they care more. Like, I just feel like she cared more than she cares more than like the previous ones. And so I think that's like, that's a big, she

Scott Benner 16:42
gives you a feeling that she's actually invested in you. And it feels like a personal relationship. Yeah, yes. Okay. That makes sense. Do you feel like she has more knowledge than you about diabetes? Yeah,

Eoin 16:57
I definitely think there haven't. There hasn't been like a moment with her where she's like, kind of said something that I was like, ah, like, that's not really how it goes. And like, like, if you were actually diabetic, like, I think she really understands what it's like.

Scott Benner 17:13
Excellent. That's really great. And is that dumb luck? You just kind of fell into this one.

Eoin 17:18
Yeah, it was, well, I was really looking around at this point. Because I was seeing one in the suburbs, I was living in the city and, like, go to the suburbs. And so I was like, pretty new to find one in the city. And so I took my time finding her. And, yeah, I actually have an appointment later this month. And it's, I had to like cancel my last one, because I had this appointment scheduled before I had a new job. And so it's been like six months since I've seen the Endo. So that's great.

Scott Benner 17:48
Tell me again, what you went to college for?

Eoin 17:52
Biomedical Engineering,

Scott Benner 17:53
you're doing research, but what is that, like entail? Well,

Eoin 17:57
the research I was doing right out of college was at in a lab at Northwestern, they were like a skeletal, and like cardiac muscle tissue lab. And I was doing like a lot of wet lab experiments. So like, you know, taking tissues from a mouse with muscular dystrophy, because that's like a musculoskeletal disease. And, like, you know, we would give some of the mice like a drug that would hopefully rebuild the muscle, and then like, another group, like, wouldn't have that. So you know, it was like, taking the tissues or muscle muscles from them. And then like, breaking that all down. And then like, analyzing using assays, like, we saw this much more growth, when we gave them this drug. And then like, we didn't see anyone who gave them this. So it was a lot, a lot of like, pipetting, what lab bench stuff, but my current job, it's a medical device company. And so they specialize in like vital sign monitoring. And it's using these like non invasive sensors. I can show you turn my camera Oh. So it's just like a small so this is the adhesive right here, right? And there's like two electrodes on the back part of it. So it can measure ECG, heart rate, respiratory rate, there's a temperature sensor in there. So it can measure core body temperature, and like an accelerometer so it can measure like step count. Soon it will be able to like detect falls. So there's a lot that they can do. Where does that go on your on your chest? Yeah, so like right in the center, right? Like underneath your like where your collarbones okay.

Scott Benner 19:45
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Eoin 20:49
So like I'm the clinical researcher, so like if if they like want to change something on the sensor aisle has to be like validated to make sure that now these changes are actually going to benefit the sensor. So like, I have to like conduct the studies and like compile the data, give the data to whoever. But I've like always been into technology, like my whole life. I remember as a kid, like as probably like an eight year old asking Santa for like a computer. And my parents were like, Okay, you're crazy. It's kind of a good mix of like, hands on sort of like research and then like working with this technology. And like, there's also like, a big part of the sensors, the adhesive. So, you know, I've definitely been handling adhesives for a while now. So I think that's kind of why they hired me was the kind of exposure I've had to this kind of stuff to like the work I do, I really, really like it. I don't know, the sensors are just so cool. They have their own app. So like right now they're FDA approved for clinical research use. And so we're working towards like hospital, like low acuity monitoring. So like, for example, like not the ICU. But like if you know, someone has like outpatient, like, recovering for like, you know, three hours or so it's kind of that application, but there's also so that there's the chest sensor, and then there's a limb sensor. So it's like a wireless pulse oximeter. And so they all connect to each other and will display on an app, the app that is displaying all the data is designed to look like a bedside monitor like panel, giving all of the like information, and like clear, easy to read way. And so then we also have like a small one. Super small sensor. That's strictly motion.

Scott Benner 22:51
So yeah, what is that? Like? Maybe an inch, inch and a half long?

Eoin 22:56
Yeah, yeah, it's probably like an inch long. Oh, but so there's like a lot of applications for this, the accelerometer in it is so high frequency and sensitive that it can detect like, heart rate, like the pulse like from your skin beating like, on to it. So like, this is used for like Scratch, detecting scratch events. So like, when you put it on your hand like this, and adhesive there. There's an algorithm to detect like when you're scratching because we've had clients that want to look into like eczema, like people with severe eczema. They're like how much they scratch themselves at night because some some people will like scratch themselves for awe

Scott Benner 23:40
in their sleep.

Eoin 23:42
Yes in their sleep. Wow. And so like they just want to see like how many scratching events like they have a night and then like another part of it was like there's a like a haptic like feedback in here. And so like when it would detect the scratching, it would vibrate, hoping to discourage it. Wow.

Scott Benner 24:03
But that's and these are more clinical use spaces like they're not for personal use yet.

Eoin 24:11
Yeah, they're not for personal use yet. You can also diagnose sleep apnea with it. And I know that is like potentially that's something you could get like a prescription for like a prescription for our kit. And like get it take it home where the sensor and like where the finger clip no cords no wires and then you just start you just you know start collection go to sleep. You don't have to like go in first sleep study where all the like equipment. Yeah,

Scott Benner 24:42
that's crazy. So I went on your intake. You didn't put much but you but you put was interesting. It says you know that you were diagnosed at the age you were diagnosed but then he just says recreational drugs. Well, what did you want to talk about what was said? You said? What are some of the themes you hope to cover juvenile diabetes, recreational drugs, independent management, and I've never been hospitalized. That's what you're

Unknown Speaker 25:15
okay.

Scott Benner 25:18
What made you want to come on the show?

Eoin 25:19
You know what, Scott? I'm gonna I'm going to be completely honest. I just thought it was so annoying how involved you are in Ardens diabetes care? Okay.

Speaker 1 25:31
We should talk about that then. Yeah, yeah, that's kind of what I wanted to talk about.

Eoin 25:36
I mean, it's just because I feel like I've had the complete opposite, like, experience. And I mean, I think I've been fine. Like, I haven't had any episodes. I haven't like passed out. I'm gonna be hospitalized. Right. And so I don't know when like, nowadays my anyone see is like, my last day Wednesday was like, 6.1. Cool. So I don't know. I mean, I feel like when you don't give people that independence, like, how are they going to know what to do when something comes up like that? They don't know. What how to deal with.

Scott Benner 26:11
Do you feel like Arden doesn't have independence?

Eoin 26:13
I mean, no, she has independence. I just think there's like, oversight. That, like, she has, like, you know, you're you I forget what episode this was, but like you were texting her like, like what I said before, like, hey, looks like your blood sugar's dropping. Are you gonna like correct for it? Right. I don't know. Like, I think that's too involved, like you should, like she should like just be monitoring that herself. Like, I don't understand. I don't know, as an 18 year old. I don't like that just seems completely different to me. No, I mean, I mean, it's fantastic that you're like that. And it's I'm not saying it's a bad thing at all. I just think it's different.

Scott Benner 26:57
Different than what you had. Yes. Is there any part of you that wishes that someone was was helping you?

Eoin 27:03
II? I mean, yes. But I don't think I would want as much like micromanaging.

Scott Benner 27:12
So. So I think that's where it's possible that it's lost in translation a little bit, because you hear a thing in an episode of a podcast, and it probably, you can leave that feeling like that's the entirety of my world. Yeah, you know what I mean? And so, I mean, I have, I'm falling Arden on Dexcom, for example. And my alarm is set between 70 and 120. So let me go back. I'm gonna go back 12 hours. And you tell me how many times you think my phone has alarmed. Three, once. And it was while she was in the shower. So her blood sugar always goes up in the shower lately. So it's not even a thing I paid attention to. So she was getting ready to leave to go to college, to drive home, back home back to school, she's got a 700 mile drive to go back to school. She's actually about I don't know now, four or five, she's probably probably around Virginia now. So maybe she's gone maybe 300 miles or something like that. And I haven't, I haven't looked at my pick the phone up to talk to you about it. But I haven't looked at this Dexcom app, since let me see the last time it got my attention. It got my attention at one o'clock in the morning, when she dipped down low for a minute. And other than that, this is the first time I'm looking at it. So it's 330 in the afternoon now, so I haven't looked at this in 14 hours. Right? And so, but if she's off at college or somewhere else, and I get a low alarm, and I mean, that's going to be 70 I take a look at it. If it's just 70 I wouldn't think anything of it. I mean, honestly, I think if it went to 65 I wouldn't think much about it. But if she looked like it was still falling, and it looked dangerous. Dangerous isn't even the right word. If it looked emergent, like it wasn't going to stop falling, then I might send her a text to say hey, are you okay? But other than that, I mean, I don't know it's a thing you could have heard a year ago or two years ago and it's hard to know exactly. I would tell you that I am as disconnected from diabetes management between her and I as you this anyone probably could imagine. But when I'm on here I'm talking about it. So that's I don't know if it doesn't I guess that kind of get excuse that a little bit. Like Like if you don't let's think of someone else who's pod do listen any other podcasts?

Eoin 29:52
No, sir. No, it's yours. Okay, about diabetes at least Yeah,

Scott Benner 29:57
well, even other ones like you know, if you listen to one from a Comedian or something like that, you know, there plenty of times they're not joking around, you just don't hear it, because that's not what they do on their podcast. And that's my assumption, because I don't feel I mean, forget how I feel I don't look in on our diabetes that frequently. I mean, my my extent of my contact with her diabetes in the last four days, even is, I think she sent me a text once and said, Hey, could you throw a juice in here? Because she was on a call with somebody, and she couldn't get off the call. And she asked me to fill our pump this morning, while she was running around, like putting stuff in her car, she's like, Hey, you fill that pot, I have to put a pod on before I go. And I think that's pretty much it. But anyway, I take your point that when I also, this is not the first time somebody's brought it up to me. And listen, I don't know, right? Because this is me assuming people from, you know, just talking to them. But I've either heard people who had a hard time when they were kids, and no one helped them. And they almost feel like I wish someone would have helped me. Or there are those people who are a little older. And they've really persevered through something. And believe that that perseverance has taught them something and then think if other people aren't thrown into that fire. They don't get to have the outcome. I just think there are a lot of different ways to get to the outcome is my I guess that would be my put my opinion on it. Yeah, yeah. So definitely. But that's fine. You just want to come on here to say that to me.

Eoin 31:29
I mean, no, that wasn't the only thing.

Scott Benner 31:31
I know you have drugs?

Eoin 31:35
I know, I don't know exactly what recreational drugs, I meant.

Scott Benner 31:40
You don't know which ones you meant, or now that you're being recorded? You don't know which ones you want to admit. So

Eoin 31:46
you know, I don't know if I'm going to answer that. No, no, probably just like, like occasional marijuana use. I have like noticed that whenever if my blood sugar is like, normal, or let's say it's like slightly falling. But like not falling to where I'm like worried about it. After I will smoke, it will like drop. And so like if it was falling is going to just fall even more. And I just think in terms of like, I think it has to do like insulin sensitivity. Like when you

Scott Benner 32:22
become so you think you become more sensitive? Is there any chance that you have a low lying level of stress or anxiety most of the time that gets taken away? And then you're not being your blood sugar's not being pushed up by adrenaline and anxiety, that kind of thing?

Eoin 32:37
Okay, well, now that you say that, I have never thought about that. But that very well. Could also does your blood sugar thing that goes into it? Does it fall in the shower? No.

Scott Benner 32:49
Do you find showers very relaxing? Do you think in the shower? Oh, yeah. Yeah. So maybe that's not a relaxing? Shower? So if you say so my thought would be, I don't know how we would make you more insulin sensitive. But I can see how if you were and this isn't top of my mind right now, by the way, because it's back to school right now, while we're recording this, and the number of posts that I'm seeing on the Facebook group, from people whose children are going back to school and they're like, oh, kids, blood sugar is going up in the morning. And as soon as like, that makes sense to me, because they're either super excited to go to school, or super anxious about school or don't want to be there. But they're probably having some sort of a visceral reaction that's pushing their blood sugar up. And then a lot of people will see that pass after the first couple of weeks of school when they kind of settle in. And then some people don't like I can tell you that there was an amount of insulin when Arden was in high school. There was an amount of insulin she needed throughout the day in school to keep her blood sugar down where it was, but almost exactly 15 minutes, 20 minutes after school was over and whatever pressure came from school. Once that was gone, she had to eat something, because all of that insulin that we needed throughout the day to hold down that, you know, adrenaline stress, anxiety spike. It suddenly was still left there, but her stress and anxiety lessen, and boom, her blood sugar would fall. So you had about 20 minutes after school was over for her to eat something every day. And then it was fine throughout the rest of the night. It's just her and she didn't need as much basil when she wasn't in school is interesting, actually.

Eoin 34:30
Yeah, it's cortisone. That's gonna. The cortisol.

Scott Benner 34:37
Yeah, cortisone. What's he gonna He's got good stuff over there you are you injected cortisone. That'll push your blood sugar up by

Eoin 34:44
the way cortisone, Jesus. Oh, yeah. These steroids.

Scott Benner 34:48
Have you ever had one of those shots? No. Arden just got one last month in her shoulder. She has some inflammation in her shoulder and they gave her a cortisone shot. And man, I'm not kidding you like it did not take an hour for her blood sugar to start going up. And yeah, and then it needed. I want to say like 30% more insulin maybe more for like two and a half days, almost three days. That's really something and then you could watch the tail off and and it was kind of back to normal. If not one quick injection it was it was kind of crazy, actually. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Do you know anybody else who has diabetes?

Eoin 35:28
Yeah, yeah, I have a couple. Well, I have one friend, I guess. One die of St. We live right by each other. We've been friends since like high school. But like when I was diagnosed, we weren't like, she was a year older than me. So like she was out of school. And I like didn't really know she was until like later in life, now that we like live by each other. So we like, share, you know, supplies whenever like one of us needs to. And it's weird. Like every time we hang out, our blood sugar's will be like the same. And we'll like compare. So she's like a nutritionist. And I'll like calibrate with her. I'll be like, Okay, wait. So this. So what would you give for like this, like this, like this meal? And she would. And what I'm trying to say is that we would both be. What I'm trying to say is that my carb counting is good. Because Miss nutritionist is always like, right where I'm guessing that. So like, it's nice to have, like a friend like that where you can kind of like really dive in to like each other's data. Right? Yeah.

Scott Benner 36:43
And just check against each other. Like what do you how many carbs? Do you think this is? Or do you like Bolus for the fat and this or not? Or do you get involved in that like Bolus thing for fat and protein in your food?

Eoin 36:55
Yeah, so like if I'm gonna be eating like a high fat meal, like pasta pizza, I'm gonna well since the five doesn't have extent Bolus. I'll just like give an additional like Bolus after after like some of the mealtime insulin that I took kind of like, went away.

Scott Benner 37:14
Yeah, you almost Pre-Bolus The fat rice that's coming. Yeah. What's that? About? Like an hour into the meal?

Eoin 37:21
Yeah, I would, I would honestly say like, maybe a little bit more than an hour? is when I'll see it. Because I would I usually do expect it like around an hour after the meal. But I'm always waiting for it.

Scott Benner 37:34
More like not could be like, I mean, I usually see with people like hour, 90 minutes, like in that space somewhere. But you still have to get the insulin in time to catch it. Or then you're, then you're chasing it and it's high. You can't get it back anyway. Yeah. Let's, and where did you learn to do all that? Is that just trial and error from having diabetes for this long? Yeah, it's excellent.

Eoin 37:55
I mean, I yeah, I haven't had any. I had a diabetes educator when I like was first diagnosed. But then like, for some reason, insurance doesn't cover that question mark. Like when I at least when probably like, six years or seven years ago, at this point, we had to like pay for it. And it was expensive. So it was like, Well, I'm just gonna, like, do this on my own. But you know, it's been fine. No,

Scott Benner 38:24
it sounds like it's going really well. Actually. I mean, six months? Yeah, no, yeah. No, I'm

Eoin 38:28
like, like, I just feel so that I knew a couple other diabetics in high school, and I weren't really friends with them. And I just feel like I have a completely different diabetic life than they do. Like, I just feel like I'm way more in control and like not, I don't know, bouncing everywhere. I don't have any other like complications. And so I know like, I know, that's like not everyone's case. I'm definitely lucky to have a lacks diabetes experience so far. Knock on wood.

Scott Benner 39:00
Definitely knock on wood. Yeah. Do you think that's just because you took it? So seriously, when you were younger? Yeah,

Eoin 39:10
definitely. I mean, my mom, she always says like, if one of my kids were to get diabetes, like it's best for Ellen, because she thinks I'm like the most responsible and like, proactive child. I have. I'm like the oldest of four. And so I mean, she's kinda I mean, maybe, right? Yeah, I just, I feel like I just care for it more.

Scott Benner 39:35
You said early in the beginning, you didn't ask much. So was there a moment that kind of drew you towards doing better or an age something in your life?

Eoin 39:44
Yeah, I think like, halfway through college. I definitely like kind of noticed that I just wasn't feeling like as great all the time. I was a little groggy. I was always stressed. So like, I could literally I would literally make my blood sugar like rise, if, if I like saw it going down, I would, I would try to stress myself out and I swear, I would like be able to bring my blood sugar up. And this was like pre Omnipod. Five. Yeah, just by like, stressing. Well,

Scott Benner 40:18
I have to tell you when Arden was first diagnosed, and she was a little, little kid, like three, I think this story is from when she was maybe three or four years old. And that's going back like 1314 years ago, I realized that if she was getting low, and I couldn't get her to drink something that I could actually pick a fight with her. And like, piss her off a little bit, like almost get into a little argument, and it would catch the low and bring it back. So I think you're talking about the same thing. I actually think you're saying the exact same thing. Yeah, that was it happened the first time by mistake. Oh, and it was just like, you know, this like begging, drink this please. That turned into, like, yelling that turned into her yelling back and being upset. And then I was like, oh my god, it stopped the below. And then there was a handful. There's a handful of times that if we couldn't get her to eat, we would just engage her like that and try to just get him riled up a little bit. And it would stop it. I mean, we didn't do it much longer after she was older, and she could understand a little better. But it saved just once or twice. I'm not gonna lie. That's really interesting. You said that? Yeah. I mean, what is it? I mean, 26. Right. So I don't know how dating is. I'm pretty old. So I don't know how it goes anymore. But But do you? When you're dating? Or if you are? Do you share this with people? If so, how soon into a relationship? Like, what's your level of expectation from them about diabetes?

Eoin 41:46
Yeah, I'm like, not a I would rather like they know. And I like don't care, talking about it, explaining it to them. But in my experience, like, it's been fine. People kind of find it. People that I've at least gone out with, have found it cool. I guess, like not cool. But like, interesting, at least. Yeah, interesting. You know, I have all this stuff for it. Do

Scott Benner 42:10
you go? Do you go into any of the I mean, I guess it depends on how long you're around somebody, right? But like, if you're just if you're just on a first date, you're not going to tell somebody like, Hey, I might pass out here. If my blood sugar gets low, that's not gonna happen. But like, you don't give him that kind of heads up, I imagine. No,

Eoin 42:25
I wouldn't give them that. I mean, like, if it came up or something, or if they like, saw me, they like saw sensor on me. Like i i wouldn't bring it up like just naturally. If it was like part of the conversation, somehow, like, maybe I would? I mean, I have I don't think it's I don't think it's wrong to say that, like, Sure, upon first date. It's just, I wouldn't, and it's like situational. I would say 100%?

Scott Benner 42:51
Have you been in a longer relationship? Do you start to tell them more? Or do they start to ask more? What do you what do you find?

Eoin 43:01
Well, they, they definitely noticed more, I would say as like time goes by. Because you know, like, you can try to teach like them how to like, use the PDM or like, refill a pod. I mean, you can't really like you can tell them all this stuff, but until they like see it and observe it for themselves, like they're really not going to understand. So in my experience, I think it's just taking time for them to like, learn more and notice more, as with like, my friends, of course to like, they definitely can tell like, when I'm low. At least that's an easy one. Yeah, I actually dated this diabetic for a little bit. And it was a little crazy. But just another example of someone who had a definite, like harder diabetic life, then like, then I like struggle a little bit. So it kind of felt bad. But did

Scott Benner 44:01
that lead you to try to help them? Were they not interested? Did they not see it as different? or in need of help? I

Eoin 44:09
think yeah, I mean, I would, of course, like, help out in any way I could. I think there was like insurance issues like happening with them and like, like, possibly like other mental health stuff that definitely doesn't like definitely doesn't help you out. diabetes, but

Scott Benner 44:28
is that incredibly awkward? I mean, when you start seeing it, you think, Oh, they're whatever they're doing or not doing and you think, Oh, I wish they knew or like, do you feel like it's okay to say something or did that not occur to you to do just kind of keep quiet about it or just talk to them? No,

Eoin 44:48
I would talk to him. I mean, yeah, I mean, it really depends on what it is. If it's like something kind of like, serious. Like, I probably wouldn't really be as like forward, like as like suggesting something but like little things and like little habits like that, you know, they could be talking about that I like find wrong or like they could be doing something differently. Like definitely I would like, give a little suggestion. But, I mean, I definitely voiced my opinion and like a hopefully respectful way. Yeah,

Scott Benner 45:24
I imagine what do you think it was uncomfortable for them to see you doing? Better?

Eoin 45:29
Possibly? I don't know. I don't I don't know if that thought went through their mind, honestly. Because like, I don't like there wasn't a point where we like really compared, like, our giant, like, I don't know, like our intimate like data sort of like,

Scott Benner 45:47
so it kind of it kind of stayed more like, on the surface. But you notice your a Pre-Bolus thing, and they're not or something like that. And like that you get you see a spike and they don't do anything, that kind of thing. Yeah, that's up. I mean, was it upsetting to you? Did it impact me? He said there were other issues. But did it impact the relationship? Or were you able to let them do their thing and not bother how you felt about them?

Eoin 46:15
I feel like it did kind of impact our relationship. I don't know. She was like moving. So it'll kind of there were like other things that went into it. So I met her on hinge. And one of her like prompts was, it was like the insulin pump stays on during sex, or was the insulin pump like comes off during sex or something? And so of course, I like commented on that. And I was like, Oh, well, not for me. I have an omni pod. And then it kind of just started from there. Yeah.

Scott Benner 46:49
That's a good hey, listen, you got to find a flirtation, somehow. That's as good as any.

Eoin 46:53
I know. Yeah. I'm gonna use whatever I can get.

Scott Benner 46:58
Like, this ain't easy game. Well, it's gotta be even more difficult now. Right? Because people work from home so much. Do you work out of your home ever?

Eoin 47:08
Not often, but like I can. Yeah. It's tough

Scott Benner 47:12
to meet people. If everybody's working from home or not going out after work. It's the rare Do you meet people as you get to be older? You know, it's tough.

Eoin 47:21
I know. Yeah, it is because I'm not someone to just go to a bar and like, have a drink. Like, I don't have a neighborhood bar that I go to. So I mean, I guess not that I would want to meet someone at a bar. I mean, whatever. I don't really care, I guess. But I don't know. It is hard to meet people like as an adult, even in like a city. But it's like, I feel like you just have to like go out. You have to like do things you have to like, join clubs, sports, rec sports leagues, like it's a

Scott Benner 47:56
lot. It really is. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 47:57
I did a lot.

Scott Benner 47:58
I was graduating from high school. Um, I remember an older cousin telling me he just left the last place. It's easy to meet girls. That's what he told me when I left. And I was like, what? And then I thought, Oh, he's right. Yeah, it's tough man. I just the meeting people part is not forget the like, romantic side of it is, you know, another level, but it's hard to me, especially in your work all day and you're tired. And it's not like you're like you're full of like Vim and Vigor at like six o'clock, right. You're hungry and you gotta get home and you gotta get up again in the morning. It's, it's a grind. I think that's why they call it a grind.

Eoin 48:34
Yeah. I really love the grind.

Scott Benner 48:38
Yeah, I'm sure you do. So tell me something about the jobs you applied for with some of the diabetes companies. Do you think you were just too young you didn't have enough experience? Or why do you think they weren't a thing come back to you?

Eoin 48:53
Yeah, I think I didn't have enough experience at the time. And they want like more than a bachelor's degree. So I mean, I kind of realized that a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering like really gets you nothing. And like biomedical engineering as a major is like stupid because you so BME you you're I took like chemical engineering classes, mechanical engineering classes, electrical engineering, computer engineering. I say chemical engineering, chemical engineering. So like, you're taking all of these classes in the different disciplines of engineering, and you're taking like the first course first or second course. So it's like, your, your what is the phrase? Like? Nowhere or like, like master of none.

Scott Benner 49:47
Oh, hold on a second. Jack of all trades, master of none. Yeah, that's the one right?

Eoin 49:56
That's exactly what it is. Okay. And that kind of leaves you Like, with little knowledge and like all of these different fields, and like, of course, there's like the core biomedical engineering, which was like, physiology like measuring things happening in the body, like flow rates through like the kidneys or like, the amount of force, like the heart is like pumping out, or like the pressure, like, going against like all of your, like blood vessels. So it was like quantitative is very quantitative physiology is how I would describe it. Yeah, don't don't do biomedical engineering kids do something else.

Scott Benner 50:39
Oh, and here's the thing, I've never once spoken to a college graduate who said to me, I loved my major, it was the greatest thing to do. Everyone always goes, Oh, what a waste of time, I shouldn't have done that. I'm not ready to do anything, blah, blah. It's a, that's the, that really, I mean, my son's younger than you, he's 23. He's only been out of college for like, a year or so. But I mean, he's, like, right now at a job where he's like, I gotta move on. He goes, I've gotten everything I can get out of this already. And, you know, he's like, so I gotta take this experience that I have, and Bill and take it somewhere else and build on it again. He's like, if I stay here, this is the thing I'll do for the rest of my life. You know, and, and he's like, there's not that much room for advancement here, etc. And so he's already thinking that direction, it sounds like you are as well. I think the truth is, well, I don't know about nowadays, but in the past, college was supposed to be a measure of your ability to learn, like, Can I throw something new it Oh, and, and they, and he gets it, and then he can apply it later, they used to pick a lot of different majors that way, like, this is a difficult thing that we really don't need this person to know that much about, but it does prove they can read a lot of information, retain it and stick it back out again, right? So so then you got to know that about yourself. And, you know, trust me, you know, where you're really going to learn is that work? In my

Eoin 52:03
job 100%. There were things in the lab, the last lab that I worked in, that I was like, learn actually learning how to do in that lab that I remember learning about in school, but it was like, we read about it, we didn't actually do it. And like it's completely different. Read about something and how it's done. Rather than like doing

Scott Benner 52:27
it. Yeah, it leaves you feeling very unsure. When you're when you're moving into the world, right? Because, yeah, yes, I took this class, I think I understood it, I got a good grade, etc. But I don't know what you do with this thing. Like, I don't like I have this thing. Now. I don't know what the world wants from me, in regards to it. And that's me, I was the heart that was the leap for my son, I was like, you know, you got to just take that job and go in there and have a little confidence.

Eoin 52:57
Fake it till you make it.

Scott Benner 52:59
Listen, learn and repeat and then see if you can learn some more and meet people. And it's a whole, you know, it's almost like it's a little politicking. And it's a little bit of, you know, a lot of a lot of a little things that I think that it's another one of those kind of falsehoods that we we tell each other like where you'll go to college, and when you come out, you'll be a thing. And that's true for some people, like some people go to nursing school, and they come out and they're a nurse. And you know, but that's almost more I've got the wrong phrase in my head. I don't mean blue collar. I mean, like a functional job, like you learn to do a thing. And then you go do that, like you physically accomplish that thing. When you're in a business like the one you're in, or the one my kids looking at, or something like that. There's 1000 things happening. They're just looking for someone to understand some of it, get it done. You know, like it's a it's a really interesting, it's not what you expect when you go into college. That's, that's for certain. No,

Eoin 54:00
it's really not like I was not prepared to go out into the workforce from college. No, it's all a scam truly is like, if I were to do it over, I would go to like a trade school joining union. And I'd be making, like, over 100k at this point.

Scott Benner 54:19
Do you think there's a thing out there that you would enjoy doing that doesn't involve your degree? Yeah,

Eoin 54:23
nothing like technical, I would say like, I love photography and like videography. I love like film and TV. So like, honestly, if I were to like do something else, it would be in that. But okay, I really do like this field. I mean, I wanted to be in like the medical, medical industry, medical device industry and like the company that I'm at, they're, I guess you could say their startup, but they're in like, in no way struggling for money. Okay, so there's like, there's a lot of upward growth for me here too. And so that's really what I'm But I'm happy about because my last job it was like stagnant never work, academia, academia sucks. It's got a toxic environment and like, it's like a dick measuring contest.

Scott Benner 55:16
But about how smart you are. Yeah.

Eoin 55:18
Or like, you know, how many papers have you published are like, no, no. Yeah,

Scott Benner 55:25
I think the key. I mean, honestly, like, it's obvious, right? The key is to do something that you enjoy. That is fulfilling somehow. And I mean, that's not an easy thing to do, I'll tell you that. I count myself as incredibly lucky that I that I do a thing that I enjoy, that I appear to be good at. And that that pays bills. Like, I mean, and it helps people like who? Like, that's a, I mean, I don't usually talk like this. But that's a blessing. Like, how many times do you get to do something where you help somebody you know, and? Yeah,

Eoin 56:00
I mean, it doesn't get better than that. No, it's

Scott Benner 56:02
very, it's very random that works out like, like, if you sat me down and said, You have to tell me how you did this? I don't know. I don't know if I could explain to you. The Unity mean, like, I don't I think that's the same for everybody. I think everybody ends up where they end up. Partially because they, they moved themselves in that direction, and just just wouldn't stop. And partially because the tide takes you where it takes you. You know, it's a little Max, I think. But yeah, I have dude, I have no idea. I have no answers.

Eoin 56:39
I really don't have any either. Just as time and effort. Really?

Scott Benner 56:45
Yeah, you gotta just you. I mean, when people are successful, they often say things like, I just like, you know, I don't think you manifest anything. I think it's kind of bold when people say that, but there's part of it that's true, is that you got to get up every day with a singular focus and do a thing. And, you know, pick up the hammer and swing it hard. Like, you know what I mean? Like, that's no doubt I made this podcast for a long time. And I didn't make you know, anything. And hardly anybody was listening to it. It's, you know, I mean, honestly, man, like I've said this a couple times on here, but the first year, I made the podcast, like 365 days, that podcast had as many downloads in that first 365 days as it had yesterday. Like, I am not kidding. All right. Like, I believe, that's a hard boy that they ended up first year, you're like, What did I just spend 12 months of my life on? Like, yeah, people like it, and they're telling me that they're like, you know, they enjoy everything I'm like, but if this doesn't grow, like, I mean, I don't know what to do, like, a lot of time, you know, next year doubled and doubled again. And then I was like, oh, maybe it's just gonna keep doubling. And you know, like, and then and it kept growing and growing. And I was, like, are right on, you know, like, and to me, that's an indication that people are hearing it and vibing with it enough to share it with somebody else. So and that there, dude, you think it's hard to go to a job and get help? I have zero feedback. I make I make all of my decisions based on numbers that clicked by me every day. And that's, that's the only thing I can use to guide myself. I

Eoin 58:25
mean, you've made it this far. So you've done something right,

Scott Benner 58:29
given up now, man, I think I got I got, I got a handle on it now. But, but it's, but it's just like, at any time along there. I guess my bigger point was, if I would have quit in the first four years, I don't know that anybody could have blamed me. You know, like, it's a lot of work. And there's very little return as far as listen, if if you could put a pot of gold next to me and I could pick out of it when the when the electric bill came, then I'd sit here and make this podcast all day for free. And I giggle about it. You don't I mean, but you got you got to pay a bill at some point. So it's hard man. Like, I don't know. And by the same token, when I hear people talking, like my son talking about the jobs, he's looking for whatever, there's part of me that's like, I would not be good at that. I'm not good at thinking about, like, if you made me a thing. I'd be that thing every day for the rest of my life. That's hard. That's a hard thing for me to swallow.

Eoin 59:24
Yeah, you can't mold yourself to what society wants you to be Scott.

Scott Benner 59:30
Oh, and it's a ridiculous thought. I'm 52. But I am a bit of a free spirit when it comes to stuff like this. Like I just, I swear to you, I had a I don't know how old I was middle school, going to high school. And on the last day of school, the guidance counselor kind of pulled me into a doorway. And he says I have I've always wanted to tell you I thought you'd make a good attorney. And I looked at him. I mean, I was in ninth grade. How old was I? You know? Amen. And, and and I said, but my only response was Thank you. But then I'd be an attorney every day. And he, I think he looked at me like, Oh, this one's dumb, and I didn't realize it, you know, and like, and he's like, and I kind of walked away from him and wished him a good, like happy summer or something. But I don't think he knew what I meant. i What I meant was, I don't think I could do that. Forget being an attorney. Like, I don't think I could do the same thing every day for the rest of my life. That seems hard. Anyway, so now I make a pot. I'm a grown man who has a podcast. Can you imagine my tax return says podcast or on it? When it does?

Eoin 1:00:38
That is so funny. It's very interesting.

Scott Benner 1:00:43
The the gentleman that does Mike, my taxes makes me sound fancy. I'm not fancy. But but the guy that does my taxes. He'll tell me every like, every couple years, they'll say, I work with another influencer. And I'm like, and I always say like, I don't think of myself that way. I'm like, But don't call me. That's a weird word. But okay. Tell me your story. You know. And the other one is always there's a lady who does reviews of kitchen appliances. And I go, I always go, that's interesting. And it sounds like he's never said, I want to be clear. He's never said, but he made it sound like there's a small fortune in that game. And I was like, Wait, I don't understand because like, they'll send her a refrigerator. Then she'll review it. And I'm like, okay, and then she puts up her videos and makes her money off her videos. And I'm like, right. And then she sells the refrigerator. I was like, God, she gets a free refrigerator that she sells the free for. I think this is

Eoin 1:01:45
what you can't sell anything on this. Can you?

Scott Benner 1:01:47
What What am I gotta sell the I mean, I need the microphone. I only have a microphone in the computer. I got nothing left. And I good. You

Eoin 1:01:56
could make like a master class or something or like consult for like us. You don't have a podcast, any credential,

Scott Benner 1:02:03
no credentials. What am I gonna do? Come talk to Scott, you almost got through high school with no trouble. Someone's

Eoin 1:02:10
got to give you an honorary degree from somewhere. And

Scott Benner 1:02:13
now we're on to something. Now. I like the way you're thinking. Okay. Before you're a little judgy about the helicopter anything. But now I like you. I think you're right on.

Eoin 1:02:24
Yeah, I'm sorry, that might have come off a

Scott Benner 1:02:26
little you didn't come off at all or anything like that. You're not nearly the first person to say it to me. So I was happy to talk about don't think anything about it. But yeah, you're right. I need to I need an institution. Alright. Right. So I'm willing to speak at a graduation for an honorary degree. Is that what I'm supposed to say out loud? Right.

Eoin 1:02:42
Yeah. Hopefully someone hears that can make that happen. And then

Scott Benner 1:02:46
I'll just write doctor in front of my name. I'll do that thing like Dr. Phil can't really be. Now I'm searching Dr. Phil. Maybe he is a doctor. I don't know. But that's all I need. I mean, listen, if I'm being honest with you, I have thought that at the end of this, whenever the end of this comes, that it might be an interesting idea to put a like a diabetes masterclass together. And you know, once the podcast dies, I mean, it's gotta go. You know, I mean, it's the ninth year, every year, I say, this has got to be it. And then every year, it gets more downloads. So I don't know, like, but it's got to stop eventually. And when it does, I thought maybe that would be a nice thing to leave behind. But, you know, I don't I don't plan did I'm not good at planning ahead. So yeah. All I can tell you is, is that this little counter here, tells me that in the next day or so, I am going to achieve my 14 million download.

Eoin 1:03:47
Oh my god. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:03:49
And trust me the first four years weren't helping a lot towards that number.

Eoin 1:03:56
Was minuscule? Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:03:58
This year? Best guess I should do 6 million this year. Wow. Yeah. So it's like,

Eoin 1:04:06
population of a big city? Well,

Scott Benner 1:04:10
it's a it's it's enough to, to help people and to let it grow. Like, but the numbers aside, like, like, I can look at people trying to come into the private Facebook group, for example. And they'll tell you where they heard about the podcast or the Facebook group as part of the intake and you're in that group, actually. Oh, yeah. And so it's really cool to hear that people are being sent in by their physicians, by their children's hospitals by each other. It's very, very you know, I was talking to a nurse practitioner, I interviewed a girl the other day she said that her the CDE was just, you know, where she got all her help from so the endos in there talking, talking, talking and not saying anything. And they said no, no walks out of the room and the CD, the CD, the CD turns to her and And she just looks you in the eye and she goes, Listen to me, don't forget this juicebox podcast.com

Eoin 1:05:07
I mean, really, though, like, I started listening to this, like, after I, like had all these habits, if I would have gotten if I would have heard all of this, like, a long time ago, it would have been spectacular. Because I didn't know that there's just so much that goes into it that your endocrinologist or like CDE, like, doesn't get, you know, and helps to really hear people's own experiences with whether they you know, they have a child with diabetes, like they have diabetes. I don't know, it just, you know, I think knowledge is power and like, the more people I mean, I guess this is nosy, but like, the more I know about like, someone's like diabetic life, I have a lot more to go off of if something happens to me and like, you know, no, no, I heard this from there or whatever.

Scott Benner 1:06:03
It's information you can try to apply to yourself, and help yourself with it's fantastic. It's one of the things I was hoping to do when I started the podcast. It's amazing, actually cheese after the way, the way so it's interesting. Oh, and you're, you're like an enigma a little bit. You know that about yourself?

Eoin 1:06:19
I have been, I've been told that.

Scott Benner 1:06:23
So, so I am reading you correctly. That's excellent. Because there's a part of me that like for a little bit, I was like, He's gonna yell at me. And then and then. And then you didn't know I think we had a lovely conversation. And now here, we're at the end. And you're like, I listened to this podcast. And I was like, God, I partially part of me thought like, you didn't listen to this. So that was interesting. Because I, I do talk to people that have never heard, like, I've talked to people who've never heard the podcast. And anyway, sometimes those are really interesting conversations, and I enjoy them a lot. But I thought for sure you are going to be like, like I don't I don't listen, you're silly podcasts got.

Eoin 1:07:06
The last one I listened to was when you were suggesting the like bright or bright ideas and landmines book. I forget. I forget who was on it, like in what's his name or something.

Scott Benner 1:07:18
But oh, my gosh, I know his name. Hold on a second. I'm insulted. I'm insulting him to not know his name. Or I'm gonna look just hasn't been on it a while. Oh,

Eoin 1:07:29
yeah. Adam Brown or brown? Yes.

Scott Benner 1:07:31
I'm sorry, Adam, it took me that long to come up with your name. Again. You go back and listen to the older ones, too.

Eoin 1:07:39
Yeah, I mean, I'll just go back and kind of like read the descriptions. No offense to parents, but usually when it's like a parent, like the child has diabetes, I don't know. I don't really listen to those as much. But yeah,

Scott Benner 1:07:55
they go. And we can dig into that for a second if you want. You know, I mean, I'm making an assumption. But it sounds like you're pissed that your mom didn't help you with your diet. You don't want to hear from ladies who are helping their kids with their diabetes.

Eoin 1:08:09
You know what Scott, you went, you might have just unlocked something. And prior therapists have just not been able to do

Scott Benner 1:08:16
you can send over send over your copay. But I I listened to you would not nearly be the first adult who I've spoken to, who got thrown into the fire, and didn't come out of it as well as they had hoped, want very much to believe that the fight was worth having. And so they think that the way they did it was the best way. But somewhere not that far under the surface. There's a little kid inside of them that needed help, and they didn't get helped and it hurts. So, you know, I think that's not an uncommon story. So I'm not saying that's yours, but it's definitely not an uncommon story.

Eoin 1:08:56
I mean, you could Well, I mean,

Scott Benner 1:08:58
I've been doing this a long time. I had to figure it out like 45 minutes ago, but I think it's insulting to just lay it out that early on there's a reason 14 million times this thing's been downloaded. I love you. Oh, and this has been terrific. You have from the beginning. Your name is not spelled Owen. Le Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 1:09:25
That's a good little PSA. You

Scott Benner 1:09:27
jumped on and you were like by names? Oh, and I'm the voice. Am I a headwind? No, it isn't.

Eoin 1:09:33
Well, you know what, kudos to you for still pronouncing it as ln because most of the time, some, like, if someone hears my name, I'll talk to them. They'll say it fine. But then once they read it, they'll start calling me like Ian or something. Oh,

Scott Benner 1:09:46
how am I have it? I have it written down in front of me. Phonetically like, cuz I was 1,000% Sure I was gonna call you in. So I just like I wrote it down while I was as soon as I started. But ya know, Oh, it's funny. Like, I swear to you that little comic voice in my head was like, I don't think he knows his name.

Unknown Speaker 1:10:06
I didn't like this guy. Like, it was like,

Scott Benner 1:10:08
some weird club kid thing. What am I going to find out? While I'm talking to this guy? Literally, I couldn't figure it out.

Eoin 1:10:15
I never know what you're gonna get into.

Scott Benner 1:10:16
It's hilarious. Is there anything that I didn't bring up that I should have? Because I need to wrap up, but I just wanted to make sure we don't miss anything.

Eoin 1:10:23
No, I mean, honestly, I guess I kind of want to show you my tattoo. I have like one. Like, is it an engine? What is the check engine light? I'm really into cars. You see, it's cool. I love cars. And my dad was like a was a sheetmetal worker and then like, restored cars. And so now he like restores classic cars. So like, I don't know, I've had excellent automobile influence my whole life.

Scott Benner 1:10:50
Check Engine light on there doesn't work. Does it blink when it's going wrong?

Eoin 1:10:53
It's just constantly on I can't I can't get it to turn off.

Scott Benner 1:10:59
Unfortunately, well, and by the way, way to come through in the ninth hour here and the 11th hour, excuse me with a title check. Engine light. Check. I was wondering what we call this one check engine,

Eoin 1:11:13
check engine. Yeah. And then I have this one, too. And

Scott Benner 1:11:17
that's cool. Very nice. Minor, all like Calvin and Hobbes thought into my tattoos, whatever. I do have a big circuit board on my back. Actually. It's all it's old. I don't know. I haven't seen it a long time. I couldn't even begin to tell you what it looks like. I'm not even kidding. There's one time it's it's probably seven by 10. And so I'm sure I've told this story. So I'll go through it very quickly. I used to work in a sheetmetal shop. He was just talking

Eoin 1:11:50
about that. Yeah. And

Scott Benner 1:11:51
one of the welders, I heard him yelling curse. And I looked up and usually people get hurt. So you're like, Oh, he's hurt. You know what I mean? Like, like, so I looked up to see what was going on. And I looked up in time to see his radio flying across the room. So boom boxes back then, like just the square plastic things with two speaker girls in the front had a radio and a cassette player. Usually, this thing is, and by the way, electronics used to be really expensive. This is like a $200 item flying across the room back when $200 was a lot of money, not like now, when for some reason go into Mo's and get in a bowl cost 45 bucks. But like,

Eoin 1:12:30
am I wrong? No, you are not.

Scott Benner 1:12:33
I left the grocery store the other day, I felt like an old lady. I was like they are shaking us down for this crap. But anyway. Oh my god, the radios flying across the room. It hits a wall, it explodes. And I remember his name still. I'm like Carl, what happened? He goes that thing. And he starts talking about how it never works. I was like, I don't know if that was the way to handle it. So like he seemed, it seemed like after a moment, he wished he hadn't done that comforting way, I went over to kind of like, clean it up with him. And I picked out off the ground, this Dolby Noise Reduction board that came like flying out of it. And I said, Can I have this? And he goes, why? And I'm like, I'm gonna get this tattooed on my shoulder. And I took that circuit board to a tattoo artist and I was like, hey, tattoo that on my shoulder, and then burn the skin around it. Like it's underneath my skin. Like, like a terminator kind of feeling. You know what I mean? So that was a part I never really gave any consideration to is it's on my shoulder and I can't say it. So once in a while you'll be drying yourself off. I don't know, I have to say you'll it's me. I'm drying myself off and I look in the mirror wrong. And It shocks me. Like I feel like there's Oh my God, I feel like there's something on me and I almost swat at it. Like what the hell and then your brain goes That's a tattoo you got when you were 20 and I'm like, oh, yeah, nevermind. So anyway, that's that's all my thoughts is.

Eoin 1:14:01
Well, you know,

Scott Benner 1:14:02
I do have a tribal of Calvin and Hobbes around my right calf. Do you know Calvin and Hobbes?

Unknown Speaker 1:14:09
I do.

Scott Benner 1:14:12
I have Spaceman Spiff. I have Calvin and Hobbes and the time machine. I have the superhero what was it the scarlet something I have it when he was doing his homework and he would just any would think of himself as a giant walking through the city. And I have the cover of like probably the most famous book where they're sitting next to each I think it's revenge of the baby set. And and I got one on the side of my calf. And then one day realized it didn't look like it was connected to anything. It felt like it was floating on my leg. I don't know what other way to put that. And so I went back to the guy and I was like here I'm gonna give you have like three more images like do one on each side hemisphere of my calf and like tie it together. So anyway, that's a long time ago. I don't have the money or the time or the patience to get a tattoo anymore. I don't think I already get them lasered off. But yeah, well, listen, these are pretty high audible. But But anyway, alright man, do you have a terrific I really appreciate you doing this. Thank you so much. Yeah, no, of course. Thank you. It really was a pleasure to talk to you. Hold on one second for me

a huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, G voc glucagon. Find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. you spell that GVOKEGLUC AG o n.com. Forward slash juice box. Having an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away. Contour next one.com/juice box. That's right. Today's episode is sponsored by the contour next gen blood glucose meter. I'd like to thank cozy Earth for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and remind you that using my offer code juice box at checkout will save you 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com. That's the sheets, the towels, the clothing, anything available on the website. Lots of people with autoimmune seem to have trouble with their thyroid. And that's why I've made the defining thyroid series juicebox podcast.com. Click on defining thyroid the menu to find out more. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

#1166 Pump and CGM Overview - Part I

Scott and Jenny look at the pumps and CGMs available on the market.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1166 of the Juicebox Podcast.

In this two part episode, Jenny Smith and I are going to do an overview of every insulin pump and CGM that we were able to find on the internet. 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. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com. All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout. That's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. If you're a US resident who has type one diabetes, or is the caregiver of someone with type one, please take 10 minutes to complete the survey AT T one D exchange.org/juice. box you can help type one diabetes research by taking those 10 minutes and answering those simple questions. T one D exchange.org/juicebox. If you're looking for community, check out the Juicebox Podcast group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook, it's a private group with over 48,000 members. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by us med U S med.com/juice box or call 888721151 for us med is where my daughter gets her diabetes supplies from and you could to use the link or number to get your free benefit check and get started today with us met. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the insulin pump that my daughter wears Omni pod learn more and get started today with the Omni pod dash or the Omni pod five at my link Omni pod.com/juice Box. Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Dexcom makers of the Dexcom G seven ng six continuous glucose monitoring systems dexcom.com/juicebox. The I have a list here that I think covers most of like what's available. I mean, and couple things that are in development. So we'll kind of pick through it and see what we can find. I have to admit, we are recording. This is not the thing I usually do. Because this seems very close to like a blog post meant to get you to click on it. But you don't I mean, right

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:49
with all the clicks to the sites to go check it out here. Go look here, go look at this. Yeah,

Scott Benner 2:54
it felt like it always has felt like a blog trick to get you to click as far as I'm concerned. But I keep hearing from people over and over again who think like, I'm getting a pump. I know I am. But I don't know, the first thing about it would be nice if somebody just laid them out for me. And I thought well, we can do that for sure. So yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I'm going to avoid the idea that this feels clickbaity to me, and we're just going to do it because it seems to be necessary. Okay, so I guess we should yeah, God, please do what you gonna do? I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:23
was gonna say to and this, I think this is it, maybe it will come up. But I think what I saw when you when I perused your juice box, and I looked at what people were commenting about this and listing some of them. I know, some of the questions that came up are big ones that aren't specific to brands, but they're specific to another topic that I think is important, unless you've already discussed it with somebody. And that's about the aging population. Oh, I did see that as well. Yeah. Right. And also have and what might be available and who can take over. And then another angle of that. I think that none of what we're going to talk about even addresses at all. Is those with some type of either dexterity vision or hearing issues. No one is addressing that. Yeah. Okay. All right. Just that was a second thought. As I was looking through this, I was like, it's not part of this, but it kind of, ya

Scott Benner 4:19
know, we'll find a way to talk about it for sure. And dexterity. Okay. At this point, there are kind of two different kinds of insulin pumps, right. I'm ARE WE ARE THEY JUST automated and manual? Is that the easiest way to think about it? I think that's the easiest way. Yep. All right. So let's start with manual pumps, meaning they're not hooked to a continuous glucose monitor for reasons of making insulin dosing decisions. Correct? Yes, you

Jennifer Smith, CDE 4:45
can use them separately at the same time, but they don't I guess they don't talk to each other. That's the easiest way to describe manual you are manually telling the pump what to do, and then it does it

Scott Benner 4:58
and they're all gonna have Have like Bolus calculators. So they take your settings, you know, hopefully you put it in with your physician and probably fine tune on your own as time goes on your insulin sensitivity, your carb insulin to carb ratio and your Basal rate, most

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:15
of them, some of the manual ones that we'll talk about. They don't have like ratios in them. They're a very set unit kind of delivery. That makes it really, really simple for those who don't want the extra level of navigation. So we'll go through them all.

Scott Benner 5:36
Yeah, well, why don't we just start with the one you're wearing? That'll be the easiest. So are you wearing Omni pod dash today?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:44
I am wearing an omni pod dash today. Yeah,

Scott Benner 5:47
Omni pod is a sponsor of the podcast. I just want to say that upfront, but this conversation should not really delve too far in any of our opinions, just what it does and what it doesn't do. So Omni pod is a tubeless insulin pump. Which I guess the best way to like help you visualize that if you haven't seen it is that everything you need to get your insulin is within this one device that adheres to your body. So it's not connected by tubing or wiring to a controller or to where the insulin is. Everything's self contained. I guess that's the best word right? self contained, right? Yes. Yes. For your money. What is it? Why are you wearing it? I guess why did you choose it over something else? The Dexcom g7 is sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and it features a lightning fast 30 minute warmup time, that's right from the time you put on the Dexcom g7. Till the time you're getting readings, 30 minutes. That's pretty great. It also has a 12 hour grace period, so you can swap your sensor when it's convenient for you. All that on top of it being small, accurate, incredibly wearable, and light. These things in my opinion, make the Dexcom g7. a no brainer. The Dexcom g7 comes with way more than just this. Up to 10. People can follow you, you can use it with type one, type two, or gestational diabetes, it's covered by all sorts of insurances. And this might be the best part, it might be the best part alerts and alarms that are customizable, so that you can be alerted at the levels that makes sense to you. dexcom.com/juicebox links in the show notes links at juicebox podcast.com, to Dexcom. And all the sponsors. When you use my links, you're supporting the production of the podcast and helping to keep it free and plentiful. diabetes comes with a lot of things to remember. So it's nice when someone takes something off of your plate. US med has done that for us. When it's time for art and supplies to be refreshed. We get an email rolls up in your inbox says hi Arden. This is your friendly reorder email from us med. You open up the email. It's a big button that says click here to reorder. And you're done. Finally, somebody taking away a responsibility instead of adding one. US med has done that for us. An email arrives, we click on a link and the next thing you know your products are at the front door. That simple. Us med.com/juice box or call 888-721-1514 I never have to wonder if Arden has enough supplies. I click on one link. I open up a box. I put the stuff in the drawer. And we're done. US med carries everything from insulin pumps, and diabetes testing supplies to the latest CGM like the libre three and the Dexcom G seven. They accept Medicare nationwide, over 800 private insurers. And all you have to do to get started is called 888-721-1514. Or go to my link us med.com/juice box using that number or my link helps to support the production of the Juicebox Podcast.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:04
So years ago, when I started first using an insulin pump, I was an animus user, which is not even available here any longer. But it was a tube pump. There were no tubeless patch kind of pumps at all on the market. And I'd started doing a lot more exercise, not exercise, I guess triathlons, right where you're in and out of the pool and doing other things and moving on. And I was tired of the disconnection but at that point there was there was just nothing I could do about it. So I had I ran into actually somebody at a weekend conference. They had sort of like a little Expo and I ended up talking to a young woman who was part a of a medical supply distribution kind of company, and she had type one and she was like, You know what, you just wait a couple of months. I'll get you connected with This, you know, representative for him from insolate. She's like, I guarantee this is probably what you're looking for. And so that was a 2005 is when mipad first became available, I mean, it's not the dash obviously the dash is kind of one of the more recent updates to the system, but that's why I chose it. I chose to switch from a tube pump because of the things that I was doing in terms of my lifestyle, and it just met my needs much better. I thankfully at this point, I don't have any issues with adhesive stuff I did. The cannula seems to work really well for me. In fact, I actually have more issues finding the right kind of cannula on a tube pump, kneepads, cannula has never been a problem for me with the angle that it goes in at. Whereas on tube pumps, I actually have to do the best with the steel cannulas. Okay, so that's my n of one as to why so

Scott Benner 10:55
let's see, you can fill an omni pod between 85 and 200 units of insulin. It lasts for 72 hours with an eight hour grace period. Right? What's the lowest Basal rate you can set with it?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:09
Point 05. And I believe with the more recent you can also set a zero with a dash, I believe with a dash you can set a zero. Okay. I think that was the I think it was an adjustment from what was called the arrows, which is either phased out or is being phased out or whatever was the previous to the dash. That only allowed a delivery of point 05 was the lowest that you could actually go, oh,

Scott Benner 11:37
yeah, the only pod dash will be able to deliver a 0.0 Basal rate, okay,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:43
which for those you know, when you're looking at delivery rates, or insulin needs that are really really teeny tiny, you might have somebody who has several hours that they can go without any insulin dripped in as a Basal delivery, and then they might need a pulse of point 05. And then it might be a couple hours again, have nothing. Some of the little kiddos that I work with have sort of an off on it's like 0.05 0.05 to get that in between rate.

Scott Benner 12:14
I guess people honeymooning as well might need that but little kids actually seems where, where it would make most sense to me. There's a controller that comes with it. And that's where you do all of your good Cynthia's put in your, um, having 40 carbs, this kind of stuff, I believe, Omni pod has approval for a phone controller just isn't out yet. Is that right? Yeah. And I mean, that's it right there. It's tubeless. And it's wireless. That's how I listen, my daughter has been using an omni pod since she was four. So that would have been 2006. Maybe. And I mean, I came to a very similar conclusion, I went to an insulin pump show at the hospital, felt like it felt like a baseball card show for insulin pump. And I looked at all of them and not knowing anything about diabetes. My daughter had only had it for two years, maybe at that point. It just the concept of it not being tethered to something seemed attractive to me. I didn't have any of those other big thoughts. I didn't know enough about diabetes at that point to have those big thoughts. I just was like, this isn't attached to something. This makes more sense to me. Right. And me, she's been using it ever since. So that's it for me. I mean, I don't know, like, what people want to hear about these things. Yeah, it's a tubeless pump bit. You can swim with it. It's got a you know, you can go in the tub, you can go in a pool, it keeps delivering your Basal insulin when you're active. You know, I think the high side of not having a tube pump is that you don't have to disconnect for activity or for bathing or for swimming, things like that. And I think the biggest reason for that is oftentimes people forget to put their two pumps back on after things like that. They

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:57
can Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, the manual really is. It's like an easy way of doing injections, right? There's a lot less of the people call it poke the pokes or whatever. Obviously, you only put one pad on every two to three days it lasts like you said 72 hours, but plus that eight hour but some people do find that they might need to change it more frequently than that. But even with that, it's only one poke every two to three days comparative to all the injections. So that's another reason a lot of people might go to a pump to begin with. And then you know, the manual ones again, they really are just, you fill it with insulin you put it on, you are the driver of all of your insulin while the Basal does go in automatically at a set rate. Every Bolus that you take you're you're determining that the pump is not helping you outside of just the calculations with dose settings that you have. Yeah. Today's

Scott Benner 14:55
episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod and before I Tell You About Omni pod the device, I'd like to tell you about Omni pod. That company. I approached Omni pod in 2015 and ask them to buy an ad on a podcast that I hadn't even begun to make yet. Because the podcast didn't have any listeners, all I could promise them was that I was going to try to help people living with type one diabetes. And that was enough for Omni pod. They bought their first ad. And I use that money to support myself while I was growing the Juicebox Podcast, you might even say that Omni pod is the firm foundation of the Juicebox Podcast. And it's actually the firm foundation of how my daughter manages her type one diabetes every day. Omni pod.com/juice box, whether you want the Omni pod five, or the Omni pod dash, using my link, lets Omni pod know what a good decision they made in 2015. And continue to make to this day. Omni pod is easy to use, easy to fill, easy to wear. And I know that because my daughter has been wearing one every day since she was four years old. And she will be 20 this year, there is not enough time in an ad for me to tell you everything that I know about Omni pod. But please take a look. Omni pod.com/juice box, I think Omni pod could be a good friend to you. Just like it has been to my daughter and my family. With all the manual pumps, your settings are in there. So if you tell you know if you tell it, my settings are one unit covers 10 carbs, and I say oh, my meal is 30 carbs, it's going to give you three correct it's not going to back insulin off in the form of basil or make extra boluses or anything like that if your blood sugar should get higher, that's all in sort of the automated side. And honestly, for years, that was the selling point for an insulin pump, you get it in so you don't have to do as many injections and you can manipulate your Basal insulin now because because of manual pump, all these pumps are handling fast acting and slow acting needs in the form. It's all in the same insulin, of course, but you know, you're not injecting a Basal insulin and that injecting your meal insulin like you would with MDI,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 17:12
that's a really important piece to make sure to have, I guess clarify because some people aren't given enough information upfront. And that's not that's not I think disclosed well enough. When you start on a pump, your Basal insulin that you might be using of whatever the various long acting's are at this point, that will sit in the refrigerator in case of a pump failure. But your Basal insulin No longer will be injected?

Scott Benner 17:39
I remember being confused about it. Yeah, yeah, first happened. Now other companies that I think of is kind of the mainstream companies tandem Medtronic, did they make specifically manual pump? Or do they just make an automated pump that you can run manually? Like, do they have any pumps that aren't manual? Do you know I'm saying there aren't automatic. So years

Jennifer Smith, CDE 18:01
ago, absolutely. All the pumps were manual prior to automation coming into the picture with a connection of the pump to some type of a CGM system, right. But I Medtronic, I mean, like I mentioned, animus Deltec. I mean, there are a whole host of insulin pumps that were all manual driven pumps. And at this point, now, there are a couple of other companies that do do manual pumps that have no connection at all, just kind of similar enough to the dash, med tronics, pumps, all of them can be used in manual mode, right? The current ones that are on the market, absolutely. You don't have to use it with the algorithm, if you choose not to, or your life situation dictates that that's not appropriate at this point. So I guess, does that answer what you were

Scott Benner 18:49
I know, you can put a Medtronic pump into manual and you can put a tandem pump into manual but did they make a second? Is Omnipod the only one that makes a here's a pump that's manual. And here's a pump that's automated, like because there's on the pod five?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:02
That's a great yeah, I believe you're right. I believe so. Yes. Okay.

Scott Benner 19:06
Because on the pod has on the pod five, which is an automated system. Yes. But I'm just looking at like our list of manual pumps. And I'm realizing I don't see any strictly manual from those other what I think of as the other two big pump companies. Right. Oh, that's interesting. Okay. I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:23
never thought about that either. I guess that that is that is true.

Scott Benner 19:28
Listener sent these to me. So there's something called a secure pump simplicity. But that's not that doesn't deliver basil, right? Like that's seems to me to be like a an injection. Like it's a replacement

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:40
for injections. And really what it provides is, for those who are less than eager to do so many injections a day or it's really become a point of their diabetes management. That's that's not working well, because they're either forgetting or they just don't really want to this past essentially allows the user to deliver a specific set Bolus, with the little Yeah. pinchable bolt Bolus delivery, right on the device. So

Scott Benner 20:10
this was kind of interesting. It looks like it looks like a giant pill shape. It's pretty flat. And then there's two buttons on either side and you squeeze the buttons together, and it gives you two units. Right?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 20:19
Correct. It's empty yet. Yes. 100. And it's a set you you can't change that.

Scott Benner 20:24
Right. So but I could go like two units, two units, two units, if I wanted to,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 20:28
I do believe so. The other interesting thing is that it comes with, I can't remember what your initial supply order is, you do fill it with insulin, just like you would fill in Omni pass 100 units. Yeah, correct. But then it also has an inserter. And the inserter actually is a device that you keep, which I think is quite an interesting concept. Because a lot of people actually dislike all of the discarded plastic that goes into a lot of our diabetes products. So this actually has an inserter that you keep. And it's just the patch. Part of it that gets discarded. Yeah,

Scott Benner 21:08
I'm just looking here, I'm all on their website, but can be worn worn for three days, water resistant, 200 units. This is funny, it takes less than 30 minutes of training. And how much of the training is how to squeeze the button? That's got to be 10 seconds? What's the rest of it? It's probably

Jennifer Smith, CDE 21:27
kind of fill it with insulin. I would expect that's all

Scott Benner 21:29
Yeah, this is not. I mean, we're trying to list them all. But this is not a I mean, this is not a apples to apples comparison. Obviously it doesn't, it doesn't deliver Basal insulin, you can't do 1.5 or point five, you can't do anything but two units direct. So this, this feels to me like they saw a market of people who were just not injecting because they didn't want to inject and thought maybe this would help them okay,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 21:53
correct. And if they were, you know, if the majority of your time you're taking your basil, but where your excursions are happening are around food or stress or whatever, and you're just not willing or you just continued to forget to bring your your insulin pen or whatever along. This takes care of that. So now you're you're really decreasing their time out of range by just providing a product that allows an easy Bolus

Scott Benner 22:19
okay seek your CE qu our simplicity three day insulin patch if you're interested All right. What is Zealand pharma making? Let's see what this thing is. Vigo

Jennifer Smith, CDE 22:29
that's an interesting one. You go oh, the like Yeah, like that, like Vigo from the creepy like Ghostbusters. Oh,

Scott Benner 22:37
I thought I was gonna say Viggo Mortensen. But that's, oh, he's a good after one of our final years not the point. Okay.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 22:46
V dash g o v go.

Scott Benner 22:48
I don't know, the first thing about this. Tell me about why look at it. Yeah, the

Jennifer Smith, CDE 22:51
interesting thing about it is again, I think it's a marriage of a manual path pump kind of like Omnipod. And then the secure because it does deliver basil. And it allows you boluses. But again, there's set parameters. So your basil is, if I remember correctly, your basil is increments of a certain amount each and every day. And I think they have either 2030 or 40 units if, if that's correct, and it's a set incremental. So this doesn't allow, like Omni pads dash allows you to set a higher Basal at a time of day where you need more, and a lower Basal delivery at a time of day when you need less. This pump is just a set based delivery. So if you needed let's say 24 units in a 24 hour day, that would be one unit per hour and you can't change that rate. Alright,

Scott Benner 23:45
I'm looking at it here. It's also filled with you 100 rapid acting insulin worn for 24 hours. It's showing me the little thing just like you said, like you put it on, it gives you a steady 24 hour delivery of insulin in place of Basal injections. Correct and then delivers a Bolus of insulin with meals or snacks with a click of a button. One click equals two units, two units. Yep. Okay, so this is basically the seat cure. But what else Basil, basil, but not manipulatable it's just gonna give you whatever it says correct,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 24:16
whatever it is, whatever you determine with your clinician, you know, clinical team, essentially, you need this much base baseline insulin. This is the so like I said, it's kind of this weird in between but again, for for someone who really doesn't love the shots component and may also have maybe a lifestyle or a job that is really difficult just schedule wise to remember to bring their Basil with them all the time or whatever. I mean, really, because our baseline Basal injected insulins at this point, they don't go up and down based on our physiologic need either. It's a one injection it goes in it covers baseline, this is essentially doing the same thing. It's just you don't have to remember to take A via injection.

Scott Benner 25:01
It's basically you're injecting once a day, because you're poking yourself the once and then, but you're still limited to squeezing the button for two units, correct? Yeah. So let me let me ask you a question. Cuz I'm not denigrating anything, but I look at these and my brain goes to why would I just not worried different pump? Like, where would you suggest this for somebody,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:22
if I were still working more heavily in the type two population, I probably end depending, you know, there are quite a number of people with type two diabetes who would want more, they would want more of just manual because that's what they're doing. Or they would want an automated system, if they're already using insulin, knowing what the automated systems can do. Okay. But then there are, you know, certainly people like I think about, again, as I mentioned early on, maybe somebody who is in the later stages of life, and may need something that is just a bit more simple. Not necessarily it is easier, but I think it's the simplicity of it makes it less cumbersome. You know, somebody can say I always have this for breakfast, it always takes two or four units. Great. That's a quick, easy, I don't have to do any calculations, I just know that I'm eating the same meal, and I can dose the same way. The same thing with the Basal insulin. Maybe their lifestyle just doesn't really dictate a need to go up and down and they do pretty well on their flat injected basil. Great. A system like this might work really lovely and maybe less cumbersome. Even for a caregiver. Yeah, of someone who's older to navigate to

Scott Benner 26:36
guess we're also eliminating you needing to use a phone or a controller or something like that for people who don't have that kind of oh, okay, so there's the need for it. Okay. It's not a mass market appeal idea, though. No, no. Okay. That

Jennifer Smith, CDE 26:48
the man I would say not the market that I heavily work in, you know, the the people that I heavily work with would definitely I don't think I have one person that I send this to, right but there is if I was still working clinically, again with both you know, kind of

Scott Benner 27:05
cases Yeah, yeah. Okay. Is what's this? Is it soil? S o il Do you know that one? We I think it's we'll we'll Dana diet. diabetic

Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:16
care? Yes, Dana. Diabla. Care. Oh, yeah.

Scott Benner 27:19
What is that one?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:21
So that one actually, again, is a little bit more of a manual. Obviously, it's in our manual kind of comp category. I believe this one has more of a pump. If I remember correctly, this one has more of the typical pump body. It reminds me more of a more of a Medtronic yeah dial if you're aware of the Medtronic body of the pump and this one's tubed this one is to

Scott Benner 27:49
correct and yep, by the way, I don't know who their marketers are but on the front page it says it is real which makes me feel like you're going I can't believe you've and found us Wow, well you heard is true. We do make this insulin. Anyway, I found that funny. Okay, so but it's this is again just like simple buttons. And what does it I'm looking at it right now

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:15
buttons and if I can't remember is this the one well this is a has a specific there's one that has a cartridge that is prefilled

Scott Benner 28:25
even their website is dicey. Sorry, guys. It's no icon based interface makes the pump intuitive and easy to program and easy to learn is less expensive compared to other insulin pumps half the size and weight twice the outcome that's not specific about anything that it does. So I go down to his technical specifications, Bolus increments. point 05 point 1.5 Or one okay, it's got four basil increments you can choose from, it can do an extended Bolus. Dual pattern Bolus bays that's that's okay. That's Bolus features think

Jennifer Smith, CDE 29:04
it's got a small I think it can go from Bolus doses of half a unit all the way up to is it 40 or 50 units.

Scott Benner 29:13
So I just missed the boat. I'm sorry the Bolus features Bolus features increments. point 05 point 1.51. Bolus duration says 12 seconds per unit it takes the pump in extended Bolus 30 minutes to eight hours and it doesn't dual pattern Bolus now Basal delivery rate point oh four units and hours minimum basil delivery rate every four minutes above point 09 And our basil increments point one or point oh one an hour. That's the increments it moves in changes per profile up to 24 temporary Basal rates one to 24 hours for different profiles. It just doesn't really it holds 300 units of insulin says it's waterproof that's got that IPX eight rating button lock mode. But there's no real like, like, it doesn't tell you on the website specifically how to how it's used. And there's so many different products on this website.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 30:15
Why we have it under the manual category? Yeah. Because it also as none of the rest of these do, I think a missing piece that we didn't say, I think it's just assumed none of them connect with a CGM. Yeah. Right. So none of these actually have that piece to them. Yeah. Not that you can't use them at the same time. It's just that they don't talk to each other.

Scott Benner 30:37
Do you want to go check it out? Absolutely. Do you know, but I just wanted to make sure that the ones that were out there that were the people knew about we talked about, but I mean, switching gears to automated now. I think of them as the big three, right? Like on the pod, tandem Medtronic and now the fourth one beta bionics the eyelet is coming, but it's, it's different. So we'll we'll talk about what all that means. Yes, but let's start back at Omni pod because we started there the first time on the pod five is an automated system. It currently hooked up with Dexcom G six. They have I don't know if you know this, they're in LMR on g7. limited market release on G seven. Yeah, actually,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 31:22
I did know that only because of a client that I work with. So

Scott Benner 31:27
So that's, that's coming. I'm gonna guess that. Literally, you could be listening to this right now. And Omnipod five works with g7. Because this is something people will again, limited. Yeah, but I'm gonna guess that the release gets bigger. Pretty soon after we make this ish. I would hope so. Yeah. So Omnipod five is the and just think of the way we describe the dash. It's a the same exact physical appearance. And, but it's married to a CGM that is now telling you, hey, this is your blood sugar. And it's making decisions about basil, and trying to bring down high blood sugars based on your CGM data. So why don't you talk about Omnipod five a little bit because I know you can speak very clearly about how it works. Absolutely.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 32:15
So Omnipod. Five is its algorithm essentially is an adaptive, which means that it adjusts your overall background insulin need over the course of a couple of pods, based on total daily insulin use. So it does not work off of a set Basal. So what you may have been, may have come from with your manual pump. If you were using that prior, it in no way delivers in the same way you're used to your manual pump delivery, it doesn't give you more at a certain time of day, it doesn't give you less based on physiologic need. That's not how it works. It also has an adapted corrective nature. So based on the predicted glucose 60 minutes out into the future, and each new glucose value coming in from your CGM, the algorithm takes a look at the trend up or the trend down and either suspends your insulin, it doesn't temporarily decrease like some of the other automated systems, it will either suspend based on a drop that dictates is going to get lower than it wants you to be. Or it may on a rise in blood sugar based on insulin on board and what it deems you're needing insulin to be, it may actually give you a bit more automated insulin than your set Basal that he has figured out.

Scott Benner 33:42
So And interestingly enough, these all the next ones we're talking about all do this, you could just switch the Omnipod five into manual mode, and you'd be using it just the way dash works. You

Jennifer Smith, CDE 33:54
could the biggest difference. I think that again, from a clearer of a clarification standpoint is that with the dash pump, manual pumps allow you to set a target that all the calculated boluses are going to aim for that target for that Bolus, right? Yeah. When you're using Omnipod, five, its lowest target whether you are in automated, or in manual mode is 110. Okay,

Scott Benner 34:23
so if I set it lower, how low can I put the dash for target?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:28
Oh, that's a good question. I think you can set it. I'd have to look it up. Yeah, but I think it's at least ad.

Scott Benner 34:36
Back when Arden was just doing a manual pump. I never really considered what the pump told me I would just Bolus but I take your point. So if you if your blood sugar's 150, and you say to it, hey, I want to Bolus here because I don't want to be this Hi. Omni pod five is going to shoot for 110 Where is that? You could shoot lower? Okay,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:56
correct. Exactly. I know it's much lower because I have He used a manual pump for both of my pregnancies. And the target is definitely much lower than the automated systems would allow the approved automated systems. I'd have to go back to the manual, because I don't honestly remember what the lowest is. Yeah, definitely. No, it's under 100.

Scott Benner 35:16
Yeah, no, okay. Yeah, if we can find it and throw it in, we will at the end, sure. But just the idea is very, is the idea, which is you can target lower with Dash, okay, so on the pod five, has got like an exercise mode, it has a lot of these pumps are going to have this stuff, right, like you put this in. And if you're going to be active, and we'll shoot for a higher target to try to keep you from getting low while you're being active.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 35:40
Oh, I was gonna say as we're talking about targets, that's another piece that is great. While the lowest target is 110, you can have target 110, you could target a 120, you could target a 131 40 a 150. So that's a really nice piece is that you can actually determine what do you want the pump to shoot for? Right? Right exercise mode, the target or activity mode, the target sets it at 150. But the other piece, just like all other manual pumps also have a correct above feature. So depending on where you have that correct above target set, the pump may not give you extra insulin unless you're above that target, to then get you down to the actual target you're looking for. So I know Omnipod five, a lot of people just have it set a 110 target and correct me above 110. So it's always really aiming tight, hard at that 110. However, with somebody who might have a lot more sensitivity, a little bit more variable rate variability, or might need some adjustments that tells the system don't give me a lot more on rises when I'm being active. Because I don't want to drop so then you can adjust that correct above like up to I believe it's 180 so that the system can't really decide to give you some extra unless you're climbing or predicted to climb above.

Scott Benner 37:04
Yeah, I think you used the word earlier, too, that I thought it was important because you you avoided saying learn because I think some people think, Oh, this thing learns. And if it does not do that, it doesn't work like aI like you are imagining it doesn't say, oh, yesterday, we were really high. So today I'm going to you know, it says it basically it looks at the the insulin usage and then sort of makes predictive decisions after that based on what's happened on the on the last pod to this pod. Correct? Again, it's just something worth saying because I do think some people think, oh, I'll just wear this thing for a week or two, and then it'll just magically understand what to do and do it. And that's not the case. And

Jennifer Smith, CDE 37:43
I'll tell you that that's a that's it's great that from what you clarify there, because I think there are a lot of people initially who may have had a system, like segment adjustment in a manual pump that gave more insulin at a particular time of the day. And again, I've had the question enough, well, why isn't it learning that I just need more insulin at three or four o'clock in the morning, because the system doesn't learn, right? It adapts to a certain base delivery. And that's what it's always going to drip in. Once you start rising, it's adapted correction is also going to help overcome that. But it's going to take a little bit more time than your adjusted basil in the manual profile. It's just not the same thing. And

Scott Benner 38:29
I want to say that I know about Omnipod five that the way you set it up is very important to your initial success, sincerely, and so much so that I have like I have a small series about it. They're called Omni pod five pro tips. But if you're going to start an omni pod five, please listen to those three episodes before you set it up. Because you're because if you come in with poor settings, the results you get back are going to be very confusing to you. And you're going to be left thinking this thing doesn't work. And you know, your settings are wrong. And this is not just from the pod five either it's for it's for tandem. It's for Medtronic, it's for all these systems. Yeah, your settings. And I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 39:05
would say that if you come in without optimized settings, will it adapt? Eventually it will adapt as you make adjustments to some of the things that do go into that total daily insulin consideration for it to adjust from eventually you will get there, but it will be a faster. Oh, I like this. Yeah, if your initial settings that you give it to work with are

Scott Benner 39:30
correct, yeah. And just for clarity, they're like, the idea here is if you come in and say I don't know, my total daily Basil is 10. And my total daily insulin is 20. And it's really, I don't know, 15 at the end and 40 or something like that. That thing's trying to do what you asked it to do, but you didn't give it enough firepower. And then you're gonna go in and go and you're going to Bolus more like you're gonna be like Bolus Bolus Bolus and eventually it's going to look and go wow, the total aliens on when we set up was 35. But I'm singing we're really using more like fifth See, and then you'll have a smoother thing. But you don't want to wait all that time to get to that, you know, if you don't have to what else needs to be said about Omnipod? Five, anything.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 40:07
I think the bigger things about Omnipod. Five are things that people are already in the know of. But for those who are wanting to learn about pumps, it does have an app for the Android users right now. So you can control it that way versus the handheld controller. And I think that's a piece that people would want to know that right now, unless you're an Android user, you will have your phone with you for all of your CGM alerts and alarms. And you will have your controller with you, which allows the system to give you a Bolus or to add corrections. I think another piece of that is to understand your controller does not have to be on your person for the algorithm to run. Yeah, pod holds the algorithm and communicates directly with the CGM that you have on your body. So if you forgot your CGM at home today, or not your CGM, I'm sorry, your controller at home today, and you went to work, you're not gonna be able to Bolus the algorithm working? Correct. The algorithms still gonna keep working. It's gonna keep you safe. You'll be able to see your CGM values on your phone or your app, but you won't be able to Bolus but that's I think it's a piece that still a lot of people are. They're concerned I have to carry around this extra thing. Well, not all the time.

Scott Benner 41:27
Yeah. And I and it's a big deal, actually. So to bring that up is smart. And the I think, again, they have I think they have the go ahead for the app. Yeah, for the iPhone device. app, it just hasn't come out yet.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 41:42
So one lovely thing about the iPhone app that I it's not part of the Android app is the iPhone app is going to have a frequent, like a food list. So you can actually have foods in there look up foods from a database, and that populates right into your carb calculator. Oh, which is a really it's a fantastic feature. If anybody is an age old Omnipod user like myself, it usually it used to have in the really old controller. Remember, it had a food diary that you I mean, it didn't go into your calculation, but at least you could look up if you had no idea what was in a croissant. Right, it was in there. And

Scott Benner 42:24
now I'm going to just say Apple this that and it's going to put it into the calculation through the iPhone app. Oh, that's cool. I didn't know that actually. Jenny Okay, tandem T slim x two that's the most that's the newest version so there's some might be some of you out there still using Basal IQ which is tandems automated pump that is just basically taking basil away to stop a low correct it was a like a speed bump has tried to stop you to get low but they pretty quickly came out with control IQ after that, which is another automated system that's making decisions about restricting and adding insulin. Yep, this one works with G six G seven and something else does

Jennifer Smith, CDE 43:05
G six G seven and do they have libre libre

Scott Benner 43:10
I'm looking right now. I think it's libre eight. Libre two? Libre two? Yes, G six Dexcom G six Dexcom g7 libre two, we're currently we're

Jennifer Smith, CDE 43:18
trying to Yeah, so the control IQ algorithm is different than what we just talked about with Omnipod. Five. For many people, I actually really like the control IQ algorithm. I think it's quite lovely. Because as we talked about settings initially getting started on a system. When you use Control IQ, it utilizes every setting that you put in when you enable control IQ. So if your base Basal profile is well set, and it works for you, but you just want that handholding kind of that Butler behind the scenes helping you out with things riot, control IQ, you can change a Basal at 3am to give you more, you can change it at 3pm to give you a little bit less, that's your active time of day or whatever control IQs algorithm will work off of your settings.

Scott Benner 44:10
Okay. So great old school like a manual pump, tell it from this window in this window here, I want my basil to be one. But in this window, I want it to be point eight, and then the but the algorithm still continues to work off those numbers.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 44:22
Correct. So and so it's it's still aiming for the same target, it's still got that 110 target that it is aiming for all the time. But for many people because of the fact that the set Basal profile is your own known amount of insulin, the way that the algorithm works, it tends to work better for some people again, this is where your lifestyle and what you know about yourself and everything kind of comes into the picture. I've seen it personally and you know, the women I work with in pregnancy. I've seen it actually work pretty nicely in pregnancy because we can dictate settings and still have the protection pain of not being too low, right? It does have automated Bolus in normal control IQ mode. As the blood sugar rises, it's either going to temporarily increase Basal insulin. If it looks predictively like the blood sugar is going to get to 160. But if it's rising faster, and the prediction is that your blood sugar is gonna get up to the 180 it's gonna give you automated correction boluses so, there's another little feature to it that's a little bit different for

Scott Benner 45:32
the Omnipod five, okay, to pump cartridge,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 45:36
yep, the to pump the cartridges and it's an interesting cartridge. It's that like, actually, like most people have used tube tops before the cartridge is like, you know, a cylinder sort of that you fill with insulin. It's either plastic, or like a hard plastic control, like you or the tandem T slim pumps have actually like a little balloon kind of like gets filled with insulin, you can't see it, it resides inside of a plastic kind of cartridge holder. But it also is, you don't see the insulin inside of your cartridge. Some people who came from Medtronic and we're very used to seeing see

Scott Benner 46:12
it, okay. So that's a difference. So it's a cartridge with a balloon inside of it. And they come pre filled, they

Jennifer Smith, CDE 46:19
do not come pre fill you fill it yourself. Oh, okay. Yes. And it, it's not advised to use a Piedra insulin in the control like you are not control IQ the T slim, mainly because of crystallization of that type of insulin. So either Novolog or human LOGG. I have had people using like the faster the more Ultra rapid, like fast and whatnot, but just not a pizza. Okay.

Scott Benner 46:44
It's interesting. I don't think a pager is cleared for Omni pod either. But Arden has been using it for 10 years. And it's also Omnipod you have to fill yourself he comes with a you pull out the insulin from the vial and then you inject it into the Omni pod and it's got its own little tank inside of it. And actually, I didn't we didn't mention this, but the only pods like disposable when you take it off the whole little pot just got done. Yeah, yes. Whereas I'm guessing I'm just gonna keep refilling my mighty slim

Jennifer Smith, CDE 47:14
as you get a new little cartridge each and every time you they are disposable. So you don't keep reusing that same exact

Scott Benner 47:23
thing. Gotcha. Do you know what it holds how much they have a

Jennifer Smith, CDE 47:27
200 and a 300. Pump. So they've got two sizes similar to Medtronic. Medtronic has the smaller fill and the larger fill pumps as well. So this one does,

Scott Benner 47:36
too. So if I wanted to next to the hill 300 units, I'd actually have a larger device.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 47:41
You'd have a the actual pump itself.

Scott Benner 47:45
Yeah. Okay. And then of course, you're going from the pump to an infusion set. And so your infusion sets on you somewhere. And then there's tubing from that, that goes back to the pump, and then that pump has to stay with you obviously, because the minute you just kick from it, you don't have access to the shoreline. Okay, correct. But the controller is on the pump itself. Well,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 48:07
that's another neat feature of the control IQ or the tandem pump is that yes, your controls are are on your pump itself, right. But you also have the app, the app now allows you to Bolus do extended boluses with the newest update. So the app on your phone drives the pump as well. So if you really are somebody who doesn't want to ever pull your pump out or or you know you have it like shoved way down in your pants early, it doesn't look nice to dig in your pants. You don't have to

Scott Benner 48:37
he's never seen me dig in my pants Jenny's very

Jennifer Smith, CDE 48:41
efficient your bra I know a lot of women like when I wear a tube pump I actually used to wear it like on the side of my bra because it was easy to clip in there but then to pull that out business meeting digging down your

Scott Benner 48:52
shirt just pulling your sleeve aside excuse me I'm gonna have I'm gonna have a muffin in a second we we win the break so that makes it really nice now listened plenty of people I've heard from love the tea StarMax to these things are all they're never always going to be right for everybody. Right and we say it's like your lifestyle or buy but some people are just gonna like it or not like it for some reason. So I've heard people say like, oh, I'm the pot is too big, or but I've also heard people say I don't care. I'm not wearing tubing, you know, like it's just it's, it's what works for you. Anything else about tandem that we haven't said the

Jennifer Smith, CDE 49:27
software is you don't have to, like essentially get a brand new pump. Whenever something gets updated or upgraded in it a new feature or whatnot. It is a software upgrade to the device, which you know, you get I don't know exactly the how it works, but it's a code your doctor signs off of it, you get it, you essentially sign in, do a little bit of like online training for it and then you download it right to your pump, which is quite nice rather than having to wait for something in the mail.

Scott Benner 49:54
Nice. Alright, let's move to Medtronic. Now Medtronic has, I have to admit I don't know a lot about eyelets but there's a 637 70 and 780 G. These are, by the way US companies that are US pumps. I should also say that Medtronic is the sponsor of the podcast, not for their pumps just for their company. But let's I just want to say that. So what is the difference here 630 G is what the

Jennifer Smith, CDE 50:17
630 The 670 was really the more automated okay of them. When you're looking at like coming from manual upgrading to some type of automation, there was a suspend feature, much like Basal IQ, if you consider it that right, where it just did a predictive suspend prior to the low or a suspend on a low type of feature. Then we moved into the 670. The 670 gave some true automation with CGM data, right, some increases and decreases to the baseline Basal delivery. Again, med tronics automated systems work similar to Omnipod fives automation, it's an adapted insulin delivery based on total daily insulin view over a couple of days. So and it continues to adjust that. It's not AI, it does not learn, but it does adjust based on your total daily needs. So the newest is of course, there 780. There 780 takes it up a step from the 770 in that it has auto Bolus correction. Similar to what I mentioned about control IQ as blood sugar predictively is going to get higher, it may auto correct rather than temporarily increasing your Basal. And a lot of people actually find that the 780s auto Bolus Correct. Works pretty swiftly. Yeah, in comparison to the other systems that have been, you know, looked at. It works pretty darn nice.

Scott Benner 51:51
I've heard a number of people using the seven ATG who are like I like it, and I'm having good results with it. Now this only works with their CGM, though, right their guardian sensor,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 52:01
correct in their newest is their guardian for sensors, which from the handful of people that I've worked with using it do seem to say that it is a nicer sensor more more often that it's consistently accurate a little bit, I guess nicer to use, essentially, it still has all the taping requirements. I think that's the biggest thing that people don't like, who continue to use their sensors, with good accuracy and whatever they are getting. It's that their sensors require a lot of like, taping down to hold them in place. And people don't like the all of the additional adhesive to get it to stay on your body.

Scott Benner 52:44
Gotcha. It's a weird, I mean, the design is interesting. It looks like Uh oh, gosh, I don't think they're gonna like this. It looks to me, it looks like a tick. It looks like it's got like a big round body and it bites you on one side. Like, does that make sense? We

Jennifer Smith, CDE 52:57
call it a BS bot.

Unknown Speaker 52:58
Oh, no kidding. I

Jennifer Smith, CDE 52:59
didn't know. It's like the it's like the abdomen kind of part of the back end of like, a beach, or like a ticket? Actually.

Scott Benner 53:08
I know it's not, they're probably like, Oh, great. I'm glad we bought ads with you. But no, but it's, it looks a little weird to me. But

Jennifer Smith, CDE 53:15
the part that actually when the front end of it as if it's like the head area of the bog, let's call it right. That's the part that has the center and kind of gets inserted. But unless you tape down that butt area, it flops around and it's going to come out interesting. Okay, so the sensor also is not the sensor itself, but that little that little rounded, but area, it actually gets charged. So that piece Oh, much like the Tran let's call it the transmitter on the G six, right, we have to save that part. That's the same thing with the Medtronic sensors is that piece gets charged. And all that gets really thrown away as the little sensor that you pop under the skin.

Scott Benner 53:56
Oh, I see how. Okay, that makes sense. And this is again is another it's to pump. The tube pump. Yeah. I mean, honestly, in the space of automated what's available right now on the pod is the only two books one right the rest of them have tubing. It is

Jennifer Smith, CDE 54:12
the only tubeless currently on the market. Right? Yeah, yeah. So in terms of everything and automation. Yes, yeah.

Scott Benner 54:20
Now, do we have time for you to talk about the beta bionics I letter? Do you want to stop here and we'll do it next time we come back.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 54:28
I would say we should stop here because that's a great one to like, get into and yeah, I only have about four or five minutes.

Scott Benner 54:34
That's fine. Then we'll talk about fun stuff like personal fun stuff when we say goodbye to the peoples. All right, cool. I'll see in a bit for the next part. My pleasure.

A huge thanks to us met for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. Don't forget us med.com/juice box. This is where we get our diabetes supplies from you can as well use the link or call Call 888721151 for use the link or call the number get your free benefits check so that you can start getting your diabetes supplies the way we do from us med. A huge thanks to Omni pod, not just my longest sponsor, but my first one Omni pod.com/juice box if you love the podcast and you love tubeless insulin pumps, this link is for you. Omni pod.com/juice box, you can use the same continuous glucose monitor that Arden uses. All you have to do is go to dexcom.com/juicebox and get started today. That's right, the Dexcom g7 is sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The Juicebox Podcast is full of so many series that you want and need afterdark s Gutten Jenny, algorithm pumping bold beginnings defining diabetes the finding thyroid, the diabetes Pro Tip series for type one, diabetes variable series mental wellness, type two diabetes pro tip, how we eat oh my goodness, there's so much at juicebox podcast.com. Add up into that menu and pick around. And if you're in the private Facebook group, just go to the feature tab for lists upon lists of all of the series. always free. Always helpful. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes, but everybody is welcome type one type two gestational loved ones. It doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes, and you're looking for support, comfort or community check out Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes on Facebook. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

Scott Benner 1:21:04
it feels like it almost feels like it's coming from the back of your neck. I don't know. Like another way to say that. But yes, yeah, way more talk about how people's voices sound and most people care about I'm gonna say, so I'm gonna let you go now. Most people are like, I have a thought. I don't even bother to think if it's right. And then it comes out of my mouth. That's talking, you people are overcomplicating this, right. So

Kim 1:21:30
when you do it for your living, you know, you have to take care of yourself.

Scott Benner 1:21:35
Yeah, no, it's it's a crazy thing. I usually record every day of the week. So even like getting sick. Like there's sometimes I feel myself getting sick and I'm like, oh, no, no, no, no, that can't happen. Today, Oh, no. You know when that can happen later when I'm dead. Not now. I'm gonna be time for this. Like so. Yeah, I got sick during the remastering of the Pro Tip series. And I have to be honest, the opens are great because that because my voice was like

Kim 1:22:01
extra. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I just

Scott Benner 1:22:06
had to record in like shorter bursts. And then then breathe and then record and then edit it together. So anyway, thank you can I really appreciate you having this conversation with me? Thank you very much. A lot of fun. Oh, good. I'm glad. Hold on for me one second. Sure.

A huge thank you to ever since CGM for sponsoring this episode of the podcast. Are you tired of having to change your sensor every seven to 14 days. With the ever since CGM, you just replace it once every six months via a simple in office visit. Learn more and get started today at ever since cgm.com/juicebox. A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, G voc glucagon. Find out more about Chivo Capo pen at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juice box. They spell that GVOKEGL You see ag o n.com. Forward slash juice box. If you're living with type one diabetes, the afterdark collection from the Juicebox Podcast is the only place to hear the stories that no one else talks about. From drugs to depression, self harm, trauma, addiction, and so much more. Go to juicebox podcast.com up in the menu and click on after dark. There you'll see a full list of all of the after dark episodes. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

#1165 Cold Wind: Healthcare Whistleblower E.M.T.

"David" has type 1 diabetes and is an EMT.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 1165 of the Juicebox Podcast

we're calling today's guest David he has type one diabetes. He also has a child with type one diabetes. And David is an emergency medical technician so we're going to talk about the things he sees as an EMT. Please don't forget 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 or becoming bold with insulin. US residents who are type one or have a child with type one can help the T one D exchange by completing a short survey T one D exchange.org/juice. box you can help type one diabetes research by completing that survey AT T one D exchange.org/juice box. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year supply of vitamin D. Drink ag one.com/juice box. Don't forget to save 40% off of your entire order at cozy earth.com All you have to do is use the offer code juice box at checkout that's juice box at checkout to save 40% at cozy earth.com This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by touched by type one touched by type one.org and find them on Facebook and Instagram touched by type one is an organization dedicated to helping people living with type one diabetes. And they have so many different programs that are doing just that check them out at touched by type one.org. Today's episode is sponsored by Medtronic diabetes, a company that's bringing together people who are redefining what it means to live with diabetes. Later in this episode, I'll be speaking with Mark, he was diagnosed with type one diabetes at 28. He's 47. Now he's going to tell you a little bit about his story. And then at the very end of the episode, you can hear my entire mini interview with Mark. To hear more stories from the Medtronic champion community or to share your own story, visit Medtronic diabetes.com/juicebox and check out the Medtronic champion hashtag on social media. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the ever since CGM. Ever since it's gonna let you break away from some of the CGM norms you may be accustomed to no more weekly or bi weekly hassles of sensor changes. Never again, will you be able to accidentally bump your sensor off. You won't have to carry around CGM supplies and worrying about your adhesive lasting. Well, that's the thing of the past. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox.

"David" 3:01
Podcast Hi. So I'm David. And I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. When I was 16. I was diagnosed I was actually in the UK. So I'm 38 now and that was when I was 16. So we're looking at 22 years ago, no family history at that time of type one at all. And, you know, since then, I have actually a brother in law on either side of the family, like one of my side or one of my wife's side of the family who's married into the family and gotten type one. But nobody at the time when I was diagnosed, but they're not blood relatives, you know, that married into the family. They were not blood relatives at the time. Sure. And since then, one of my nephews was actually diagnosed. He was about 14 when he was diagnosed and my son, which we'll talk about later, it was also diagnosed recently, okay,

Scott Benner 3:54
I was gonna say what next, the next generation is gonna get hit.

"David" 3:58
Yeah, unfortunately.

Scott Benner 4:00
David, how much of your cultural background are we going to talk about?

"David" 4:04
So I'm from the religious Jewish community can talk about as much as you want to talk about it, or as little as you want to talk about it. I

Scott Benner 4:12
just wondered if this was the common thing throughout your community that the autoimmune

"David" 4:18
so that definitely is certain things that run throughout the community, I'm gonna be honest, it might upset some people. I don't think that eating habits are the healthiest. You know, you're going, you've been to that weekend, and you're gonna be going can you see how you eat on the weekend, and it's not like one Thanksgiving dinner a year or something? You know, that's like three times every weekend. You know, and during the week at every party, we're very big into community. So there's always events and parties, and I cannot say that the eating is the healthiest. Definitely a lot of type two diabetes that's prevalent within the Jewish community. Even I have friends that are 45 that already have type two, or they've been told the II diabetes. So there's definitely a huge type two factor type one, again to blame, those types of things wouldn't be first I'm not gonna say, I don't know, you know, just from being around. I've been around for 38 years, there's not a huge surge, you know, of type one. Okay, that, in my opinion, um, from my experience,

Scott Benner 5:21
I have a question about the food, but I want to I made you switch to a corded headset, but the court might be touching your clothing. So if you could be careful about that. Oh, no, no, no, don't be sorry. So this is maybe a loaded question. Do you guys eat that food on the weekends? Because you like it? Because it's what you do?

"David" 5:38
So good question. There's a few answers. Answer number one is, it's good food. We don't eat it because we're hit you know, we're forced to and we had it's definitely good. It has cultural history, you know, it comes a lot of it. It's like Eastern European. And a lot of it was made at the time, because that's what they had available. You know, so oil, and some potatoes, you can make something beautiful. Obviously, it's loaded in oil, but that you know, that fit a family didn't need me. When I actually saw into meat. That's more of a recent thing, a modern thing that the Jewish community got into these meat boards and things like that. Much more into like the carbs, potatoes to that type of stuff. A lot of that is culturally there's no. And it turns out, it's good. I mean, an oil on potatoes. For most people. It's like the good, warm and comforting type of food. Yeah,

Scott Benner 6:26
I understand. I was just wondering, because it's so different than what I've what I eat that when it was presented to me, I was like, I'm gonna go get a sandwich when you guys aren't looking.

"David" 6:35
One of my highlights was hearing it on the podcast describe that food. It was it was great. That was

Scott Benner 6:42
I really did sneak out to a deli. Saturday afternoon, I was like, I'll be back. Oh, great experience. Okay, so you're on the show today, because of something you experienced in your professional life. Is that right? What were you doing?

"David" 6:55
Yeah, so I have volunteered on an ambulance for the last 10 years. And to talk about how I got into that, actually. And then we can go back, you know, which it's all connected. So I was actually wanting one night, I was out with my wife. And we were at this location, it was late at night, it was like 11pm. And some lady came running inside, you know, screaming for an ambulance, her husband had passed now husband has passed out screaming was as much of foreigners then nobody had the right. You know, I called and I didn't know the guy could have been dead, I wouldn't have known the difference. I didn't know he was dead, alive, breathing, not breathing here. Yeah, he's out there. And he's alcohol on the floor. I'm calling the ambulance and they're not there five minutes, 10 minutes 50. I call them back. And I must call them about six times. And they started getting impatient with me how many times when calling, I didn't understand how it works, you know, they have to dispatch someone and someone has to be close by eventually they show up, you know, the paramedics came about 20 minutes later, turns out that this guy actually had diabetes. And his sugars were extremely, extremely low to the degree that he'd gone unresponsive. You know, they gave him an IV of whatever they gave him and some juice. And he after that he was fine. And he was on his way. But it really bothered me the fact that I didn't know anything. And like I could have had I mean, how stupid of me not to think given to check your sugar's you know, in hindsight, I should have that should have been one of the first things I checked. But I didn't. David, I

Scott Benner 8:25
have to say, I don't know about that. I don't know why you would transpose your medical condition on to somebody else's in an emergency situation. You don't I mean,

"David" 8:33
true, I guess now as a medical professional, that would have been one of the first things I would have thought of, especially as someone with type one diabetes, then I didn't, I didn't connect it. But it gave me a strong feeling of I need to know what to do. God forbid a situation like this happens again, I need to know what to do. I'm not the type of guy to stand by iral and watch your burning, building in I'm going to jump in there and help out, right. So right after that I signed up for EMT course, you know, it took about six months. And ever since then, I've been volunteering in emergency medicine for 10 years. And, you know, we'll get to see all sorts of things from delivered multiple babies to midflight emergencies and obviously a lot of diabetes and associated emergencies and illnesses that happen with it. Right. So I do have an inside view of the medical world and I interact with doctors, nurses, hospitals, you know, the gamut. Yeah. in a professional manner, and obviously on a personal manner. Well,

Scott Benner 9:35
it's first of all, it's wonderful. You donate your time like that that's really something that you removed and you actually did something about it and if stuck with it for a decade is is really inspiring, but I don't know, but it's my pleasure. I volunteered for three years as a fireman when I was a kid 16 to 19. And I did it because my father had done it. I you know, I think that's why I started and I just kind of grown up around it. And it's very rewarding. It's a lot of work to the training and the time and time away from your family. All that stuff is very serious. So

"David" 10:06
yeah, I mean, we have to go for monthly trainings in addition to obviously the time we spend on calls. And legally, you know, we have to keep up with the state requirements. And there's tests and every month, we've got to do an evening of training and as practical skills and learning skills and online. So yeah, it's a lot of time, but it's very rewarding being able to help somebody and then a time of need certainly is.

Scott Benner 10:29
How many times have you thought it's time to change my CGM? I just changed it. And then you look and realize, Oh, my God, it's been 14 days already a week, week and a half. Feels like I just did this. Well, you'll never feel like that with the Eversense CGM. Because ever since is the only long term CGM with six months of real time glucose readings, giving you more convenience, confidence and flexibility. So if you're one of those people who has that thought that I just did this, didn't I why we're gonna have to do this again, right now. If you don't like that feeling, give ever sense a try. Because we've ever since you'll replace the sensor just once every six months, via a simple in office visit. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. To learn more and get started today, would you like to take a break, take a shower you can with ever since without wasting a sensor, don't want anybody to know for your big day, take it off. No one has to know have your sensor has been failing before 10 or 14 days. That won't happen with ever since. Have you ever had a sensor get torn off while you're pulling off your shirt? That won't happen with ever since. So no sensor to get knocked off. It's as discreet as you want it to be. It's incredibly accurate. And you only have to change it once every six months. Ever since cgm.com/juice box. Right now we're going to hear from a member of the Medtronic champion community. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Medtronic diabetes. And this is Mark.

Speaker 1 12:04
I use injections for about six months. And then my endocrinologist and a navy recommended a pump.

Scott Benner 12:10
How long had you been in the Navy? Eight years up to that point? I've interviewed a number of people who have been diagnosed during service and most of the time they're discharged. What happened to you?

Speaker 1 12:20
I was medically discharged. Yeah, six months after my diagnosis. Was

Scott Benner 12:24
it your goal to stay in the Navy for your whole life? Your Career? That was Yeah,

Speaker 1 12:27
yeah. In fact, I think a few months before my diagnosis, my wife and I had that discussion about, you know, staying in for the long term. And, you know, we've made the decision despite all the hardships and time away from home, that was what we loved the most.

Scott Benner 12:41
Was the Navy, like a lifetime goal of yours?

Speaker 1 12:44
lifetime goal. I mean, as my earliest childhood memories, were flying, being a fighter pilot,

Scott Benner 12:50
how did your diagnosis impact your lifelong dream?

Speaker 1 12:53
It was devastating. Everything I had done in life, everything I'd worked up to up to that point was just taken away in an instant. I was not prepared for that at all. What does your support system look like? friends, your family caregivers, you know, for me to Medtronic, champions, community, you know, all those resources that are out there to help guide the way but then help keep abreast on you know, the new things that are coming down the pike, and to give you hope for eventually that we can find a cure.

Scott Benner 13:18
Stick around at the end of this episode to hear my entire conversation with Mark. And you can hear more stories from Medtronic champions and share your own story at Medtronic diabetes.com/juicebox. What have you seen over the years that made you reach out about this specific series about being on this cold wind series?

"David" 13:38
Let me go back to my diagnosis. Because I think I already started seeing things that I don't even know that was 22 years ago, I already started seeing things then. And I'm still seeing the same things now. So let me just go a bit back to that story and give you there's been some improvement. So I was I was 16 I was paying like, you know, by the bucket. Tons of way everyone was telling me I remember I went to a family wedding. Everyone was telling me how good I looked at my suit fit me so perfectly. I had no idea. I wasn't trying to lose weight. I just you know last way as as happens, I had unbearable first I was drinking like insane. Now I happen to be in a school I was in at a time. They had a vending machine right near one of the study halls. And so that Fanta was my favorite drink at the time so that I was thirsty as anything. Just I was going through a place six bottles of Fanta eight bottles of Fanta a day. Now in hindsight, I know what that was doing to me but at the time, you know, I had no idea. This whole process wasn't stopping. So I just thought you know it's time to go to the doctor. I called my mom and she made an appointment a couple of days later. As I'm actually sitting in the doctor's waiting room. There's a sign on the wall like one of these ads. I don't know what company it was, whatever it Was it just said, paying a lot. And firstly, I'm paying a lot, you may have type one diabetes. So on the spa, I diagnosed myself, I said, I know exactly what I have. So I walked into the doctor's office. And you know, when they called us and I said, I have type one diabetes. So I had, you know, I said, Well, I'm drinking and I'm peeing in a sign out this is that I have it. Now at the time, they didn't even have a glucose meter in the doctor's office. So he said, Okay, let me do some blood work. I mean, he checked out some other things. I don't even remember why. He said, let me do some blood work. That was it. We left, nothing happened from that we weren't home. It was actually it was in the middle of the summer. I was I was a junior counselor in a camp at the time. Two days later, I get a call from the camp office, you know, we were out in there. Whatever activity we were doing that I needed to come in middle to the camp office, my mother's on the way to pick me up. So she comes and she says, We just got a call from doctors. And at first the blood work came back. I don't even remember what number it was, it was some crazy number. We're heading straight to the hospital. So I was like, Okay, no problem straight to the hospital. So I was there for three, four days. And that's where I really started seeing. I mean, the fact that the doctor didn't have a blood glucose meter is ridiculous. I hope that's changed nowadays. I get to the hospital, and they put me on a drip right away. They told me I have type one diabetes to confirm with blood work. They put me on a drip, you know, insulin and sugar to balance things out for the first few days. Yeah. And then they started teaching me and said, You know, I have to know how to use the shots to, you know, to be able to go home. So I started practicing by males taking insulin. I remember like, the first day I'm taking the shots, it's about you know, I don't care. Let's say it's 5pm. The nurse comes with the with the insulin, and she says you need to take five units. I said, this is the quick acting, I said, Where's the meal? She's like the meals coming soon. I'm like, now get my I've been diagnosed like three days at this point. I know nothing, right? And she's like, No, just just bowlers. Now the meals coming soon. I'm like, no, no, no, that doesn't how it works. They told me it's fine. It's acting, not bolusing unless I have the food in front of me, because I don't know what's gonna happen back and forth this all along. When she goes to check that she's like, Listen, this is what the chart says. The chart says 5pm. I like Dude, I'm not bolusing I don't care. Now. I'm a 16 year old kid. And I didn't know anything. But it just didn't sound right to me. Turns out, well, I'm like, I'm not doing it. And you're not exactly gonna hold me down and eject me. So I didn't take it. Well, the mail didn't actually come till 90 minutes later. Now, that would have been obviously a disaster. bolusing five units newly diagnosed, I don't remember exactly what my ratios were then. But I'm assuming they were very, you know, very low. That would have been an absolute disaster that's already there. And I was ready arguing with medical stuff, which is not good. It's not another good to be in an argument with them. But you know, just because the medical authority, and there were a nurse in the hospital, it doesn't mean anything to me. It doesn't mean they know what they're talking about. Yeah. And that was that. And then basically that night, I went home with just about the same amount of info, I knew nothing. So my first few years was pretty much just nothing going on, like no information, nothing. Just Basal Bolus NMD, I have no idea. I didn't even know the concept of a carb ratio. Because they never told me they just said by meals, I didn't know which foods didn't have carbs didn't I started guessing. And this goes on for the first few years. And then one day and the doctor's visits were a complete waste of time, you know, you go into the doctor, and they're like, Oh, well, why don't you just eat better and exercise? I'm like, what I didn't like, like

Scott Benner 18:42
I have type type one diabetes. Do you know the difference between the two? Also, let me ask you, David, that that interaction in that hospital at that first moment, it's funny because the nurse was right and wrong, like it would have been great for you to inject a little sooner before the food came, but not 90 minutes sooner, obviously. But then Did that scare you off or make you very specific about injecting and eating right away.

"David" 19:05
So I was always a little scared of insulin as a general role. And I actually told this to my son who's actually very into Pre-Bolus. And now, but you know, especially in school and things where if you have an unknown, you know, let's say you're in school in your regular schedule, and it's lunch every day at two o'clock, and that doesn't change the whole year. No prom Bolus while you're in class 15 minutes before but if you're in camp, and it's a topsy turvy schedule, and you don't know what's going on, and you don't have lunch is going to be a two to 30 to 45. Don't Bolus till at least you see some food trays and you know that it's actually lunch coming out happened here. So I wouldn't say I was I was scared, but I immediately got the feeling that I was on my arm and I couldn't trust what I was being told by the medical staff around me. And that pretty much didn't change when I got you know, some of my appointments. It was like the silly appointments. They didn't really give me any tools to tell me anything. It was just like okay, let's do some blood work. Let's Whatever, I pretty much went on for a few years. And then and Kim, I didn't have a Dexcom at this time or a pump anything. I always was into checking my sugars a lot, you know, I had this argument with I mean, the only other person I knew at the time had type one diabetes, I had a classmate who had it since he was like four. And I have memories of like being in his house and he had to pee on a on a stick to go get his sugars. Yeah, that was my, that was the only thing I knew about it at the time. And that's it. So I just had this feeling that I was on my own and gotta figure things out myself. And then they it was a few years later, the hospital started offering this thing that was called a Daphne course they call it a dose adjustment for normal eating. And I was it was like a trial pilot program. David, were you in you?

Scott Benner 20:43
Were you in the UK, then?

"David" 20:44
This is the UK.

Scott Benner 20:46
I've heard of Daphne before, but I thought it was still UK. Okay. All right. I'm still

"David" 20:50
in the UK at the time. This is this was like the pilot of Daphne. I was one of the first participants in the Daphne costs locator. And they offered it to me, I actually changed hospitals, because I realized also that the hospital I was seeing were really useless, which is another thing I see people stuck with the same hospital, same doctor for years. Like if you're not happy, find somebody else, find somebody else who's better. So I changed this other hospital that was offering and then they asked me to staff because I went there was a group of I think we were eight or 10. And they taught us the basics. Like when I say Basics, I'm talking about what Basal insulin does, but Bolus insulin does. What carbs are carb ratio, just literally the basics. And I was like, it was mind blowing. I was like, Oh my gosh, this there's a science that is this actually makes sense. And I got really into it. Now even though I didn't have a Dexcom I was checking my sugar's probably 1014 times a day. And I made my own graph, like I, you know, I put what I wrote down literally on a spreadsheet, what it was in the morning, two hours later, four hours later, six hours later. And together with that, and MDI, I managed to regulate myself together with that knowledge that I had gotten him then. And I got very, very good on MDI, to the point that you know, I had it down to a science. But I also got ticked off because I realized, like, they were sitting on this information for you, like, what would they expecting me to without this information. And then I got upset at myself as I'm like, I could have just google this five years ago, I've found out this information. I don't know if your podcast was around them. But I'm sure I could have found something that you know, this that had the basics. So I really realized at that point that there's nobody going to take care of you, you know, you got to be your own doctor, and you got to get on top of it yourself. Nobody's gonna do it for you, you'll go to every appointment. And they'll just make a comment, like, why don't eat healthy and exercise? Or why don't you just this and why is this that or they'll give you an adjustment, and then I can see you again for another six months. So that's really the, that's really

Scott Benner 22:45
put you in that mindset that I have to take care of myself. And I realized

"David" 22:49
that I mean, I was about 1920. At that time, I was like, there's nobody going to take care of me. Nobody. You know, obviously my parents were willing to help if I needed help with anything. But at that point, I was pretty independent. I didn't I actually didn't want my parents with old I never let them get involved from day one. I'm just more of a private person, that there was nobody going to help me nobody's going to work on my car ratios. Nobody's going to tell me how to adjust Bezos and test and you know, all these things. I realized then that, that I've really got to get into it myself and take my own responsibility and that my opinion hasn't changed. It's only gotten stronger over the years being in the medical field. Yeah. Did

Scott Benner 23:26
you rely on your parents for other things? Was it? Was it specific to diabetes that you wanted to be on your own? Or was that kind of Yeah, so

"David" 23:33
I relied on him for everything else. I mean, I was living at home, I was eating at home, I was sleeping at home and they paid for everything to pay for my tuition. They paid for any extracurricular activities I was doing, they paid. They were pretty much doing everything but specifically with this, I don't know what it is. I just I'm like, you know, I guess it's like, a personal thing on your own body. It's like with somebody else being involved. Definitely at that time. That's how I felt. I'm not gonna say I've changed drastically since then. Yeah, I did not let them get involved.

Scott Benner 24:01
How involved is your is your wife with your care if at all? Oh,

"David" 24:06
so that's a great question. So it's changed actually, since my son was diagnosed I would send in the in the first years of our marriage versus the first 11 years before the son was diagnosed. She wasn't involved in anything she didn't follow my share. I didn't I didn't tell her anything about it. Hi, lol. Because I'm also the opinion that don't use diabetes as an excuse you gotta live you every day to the fullest family time whatever it is like there's no like excuses. Oh, I'm low now I can't do this. I'm high now I can't do that. So I almost consciously didn't get her involved because I'm not like oh now I'm high now I'm low now I'm this now I'm that I can't do this. I can't do that. Like it was a family trip. It's a family trip. Doesn't matter what I am I got to work it out around that. Yeah. And she didn't know much because of that she was very good at doing anything that she knew would help me so like she knew like certain types of food that I stay away from or I have preferences on food she would cook any you know, family meals appropriately. Always make us She had, she wasn't not involved because she didn't care. She wasn't involved because I didn't let her get involved in it not in a bad way. It just I just didn't get her involved. Now that changed a little bit since her son was diagnosed. And I have to say, even though I'm the one with type one, she's taken on most of the brunt of it. You know, she's the one that wakes up at night, I go to sleep, you can hurt a bomb, I won't hear a thing. So like, if he goes low in the middle of the night, she's the one that gets up. She's the one that deals with it. And also during the day a lot, I work I can deal with things. You know, he's got questions, he's texting or whatever she's, she's, she's on top of the game with it, right. And then since then, I realized like, it's also stupid, like, it's actually scary. I've never had a low that I needed somebody else's assistance. But I realized that after that, I should probably have somebody following me, God forbid, if something didn't happen. So since then, I've added her to my fall, but nothing much else. But now she understands that she's an avid listener of your podcast now. And she understands a lot more from you than she got from me. You know, in the last two years,

Scott Benner 26:01
I asked a little because it's okay that I talked about the event last year, is that alright? So I know we're keeping you anonymous, but there's no way that people who don't know you know, you wouldn't know this was you by your story, though, right? You're just worried about the larger audience not being able to figure out who you are. Is that correct? Correct. Okay. I don't know if I talked about this in the podcast or not, but I did a caregiver, excuse me a spouse talk. And I scared the Holy hell out of everybody. And I did not mean to, like, I was just going over what I just thought were like some, you know, obvious things to say about like glucagon. And I could see, like, There's horror on a lot of the wives faces. And I was like, you know, everybody should know how to use glucagon. And maybe once the kids are older, we would tell them, like when we would call 911. If like mom or dad, like, you know, couldn't do it themselves. And I saw the looks on their face. They're like, couldn't do what themselves? Why wouldn't they be able to do that? Then I looked at now, I'm not sure how many people have ever been in this situation. But I was in a room where, you know, the women and the children were on one side, the men were on the other. And they were it's a it's a divided room. So you guys can't see each other. So I see the horror on the wives faces. And then I look to the men, and a lot of them are looking at me like, Hey, buddy, what do you tell them that for? And I thought, oh, gosh, did they not talk about this? It's not for religious reasons. No, I

"David" 27:19
didn't think so. By the way, yeah, it's not and you did the right thing. And it is the right thing. And I myself changed my I actually was not by the event. But I heard feedback from it and changed my attitude as a result that actually from that, you're talking at that event. That's when my wife even though I didn't hear the talk, I heard feedback from friends, and other people with it. And I changed my changed my opinion on it.

Scott Benner 27:41
I'm glad because I was, I'll tell you what, for a minute, I felt like I was I wasn't getting out of the room alive. And then, and then everybody was really kind about actually I spoke to the to the Rabbi's wife later in the afternoon. And I said, I'm so sorry, I never would have imagined and she said no, you did the right thing. She was some people she was some people are upset, but but I think they're just upset with this new knowledge they have not necessarily with you for bringing it. And, and it was fine, actually. But it's nice to hear that that was valuable for people. Very, very valuable. Okay. So when you're out when you're out on that rig, and you're interacting with imagining a lot of emergency rooms, what would we be shocked by to learn about medical staff in a hospital?

"David" 28:26
So you'd be shocked by unfortunate I'm not shocked by it anymore. And I don't want to put a bad name on medical staff. No, no, very good people out there. And these people are dedicating their lives to helping other people. But the knowledge and sometimes their stupidity is at a whole new level that sometimes it's just like, now you have good people out there. And I don't think you have bad actors. You know, I don't want to say in that way, people are intentionally, but just because they have a medical badge and a medical title doesn't mean they know what they're talking about. Yeah. And I saw this 22 years ago when I was diagnosed, and the nurse is trying to force me to take a shot when the food is coming 1990 minutes later. And I see this now, you know, and I see the other side as well, I see patients that that just don't take care of themselves. And I've seen patients over the years who would go one time and the sugars are 202 51. Like did you take your insulin No, like, well, what are you waiting for? And then few years later, you know, come back one day and the leg is amputated. And they just you know, they have the attitude that somebody in the medical field is going to take care of them. They're not going to take care of itself and that's not true. It's never gonna happen. And sometimes the adherence to protocol you know, I give an example we got a cold one night this kid equals we don't always get a lot of information when the calls come over, but it came through as something that you know, diabetes related, became then is Dexcom had done this weird thing. It had shown like he was high and not done back to you know, I don't know We're gonna call it range, but relatively, it wasn't showing high and what was showing like 200 to 300 range. And so we did a finger stick, which, by the way, even that it's only a recent thing that we're allowed to do with finger sticks.

Scott Benner 30:10
I know the I've heard that recently. Okay, shocking.

"David" 30:13
Anyway, we do a finger stick, and I don't remember what it was was 250 or 300. But his doctor, they had been in touch with a doctor and the doctor said, they gotta go to the emergency room. I'm like, what the hell this doctor obviously doesn't have diabetes. Why does he need to go to the emergency room? His sugars are 300 Take a bit of insulin, see what happens in the taxi? No, no, now we can argue with doctors because of the level of hierarchy and authority and ambulance is lower than a doctor. Like if a doctor gives orders for somebody to go to hospital, we cannot argue with the with those orders. If we will deliver the patient home, we will need a doctor's permission to leave the patient, especially a minor. So you know, we took that kid to the emergency room, even though in my heart like this kid doesn't need emergency room, he needs a bit of knowledge, the mother needs to know how to Bolus a lot better. Right. And but on the flip side after the mic, you know, I sort of blame them. Because why do you even call the doctor? I mean, I can I have not called the doctor in 22 years? I'm not I'm not here to show up because I don't think they're going to what exactly are they going to tell you? You call it that these people every two minutes that they're on the phone with the doctor's office? I added this how do i Bolus this? I added that should I split it should I Bolus or should I extend it. If your care plan is to rely on your doctor's office, you gotta get a new care plan. That's not a good plan. Just think, you know, your doctor went to medical school 1015 years ago, and when they were in medical school, they learned knowledge that was probably at the time 1015 years old. Half of them have information that's just ancient, and you're calling them in 2024, when he got pumps, algorithms, and all sorts of things that the better ones keep up with it, you know, they sort of get an update from their local reps as to new features and things like that, yes, but they're giving you information on 2005. And you're calling them out of dollars. I mean, that's not a good care plan, you've got to get a better care plan than that, which is really understanding yourself, listen to the prototypes, just understand it yourself and get a handle of it. Otherwise, you're going to spend your life calling doctors and and being whisked off to the emergency room.

Scott Benner 32:10
And it happens more than we think right? Like more than the even I believe type ones that end up at the hospital for some sort of care happens

"David" 32:20
the whole time. I mean, we have a patient, there's actually two patients in the same area, there was a point they were calling every day One day is like, can you check my sugars and like you don't have a machine. But yeah, but whatever, I just call the ambulance to check my sugars. And then the next one, like, was calling every time he needed an injection, he was calling us, you know, so every night it was like almost the same time consistently 11pm. And then you're at the back, that is when the doctor just says that factor between manual for the most part, I just worried about a lawsuit that's that's in the way they think so the way they think about it is if they give directions for this patient to stay home, and then something happens during the night, they've got a bit of problem on their hands,

Scott Benner 33:01
that person is gonna say the doctor told me to do this and put me in a doctor's

"David" 33:05
much better say You know what, put them on ambulance, take them to the emergency room. And then the emergency room does all their due diligence, they normally just throw them on the side somewhere for six, eight hours, give them a bit of insulin Dong given a bit of insulin, and but that way everyone's covered, they call it Cya in, in the medical field.

Scott Benner 33:22
They call it cya everywhere. But yeah. But

"David" 33:25
it's well used in the medical field. And I think there's a big difference than, you know, knowing when you're dealing with a patient I actually dealing with medical information or you see why. And it really depends with the patient, which is, which is why you know, you can always know some people, you can give them a piece of information and say, You know what, instead of calling the ambulance, why don't you just Bolus and see what happens in two hours. Some people wouldn't know what to do with that information. And they have no idea they'd follow us. And then they call you back in two hours, because they don't know now why now I'm dropping, I'm dropping, I'm dropping, I'm dropping. I mean, I like that like 196 Double down like 196 Double Down is great. That's exactly where you want to be. Call me back when you hit 60 double down and you take in juice and it's not working. That's a different story. But yeah, so So this, you know, we see this the whole time.

Scott Benner 34:09
Now I want to go back to something you said at the very beginning, because I've now made a number of these episodes, and I want to make sure people understand. I'm not saying not to go to the hospital, if you have an emergency. I'm not saying that there aren't wonderful nurses and doctors and even hospitals and you know, any number of health care professionals, I'm just saying that when you don't mean you can't be sure that every time you flip the coin, it's gonna land on heads, you have to know that sometimes it might land on tails and what to do. If you're running to a doctor for an answer to kind of echo your thought, and the doctors only going to do cya that's not going to put you on a good path and you're going to cycle over and over again. Then this is your life then this becomes your entire existence. I don't really know what I'm doing. Nobody's telling me what to do. I wouldn't think to go look for this information because I I'm talking to a doctor and they're telling me what to do. If if the right thing to do you know, the thing that doctor told me, puts me in the hospital every couple of months, well, that just must be diabetes. And so they don't believe there's something better for them. And then they run back to the physician, or the ER thinking, well, here's these are the magic people will put me right back again. And you're telling me that those people are thinking, let's just shelf this person for a few hours, get him stable and get him the hell out of here? Exactly.

"David" 35:27
And you'd be shocked. I mean, you wouldn't be because you hear this, you know, more than me how long people you know, people live their whole life like this, like this is their life. Yeah. It's the difference between not dying and living. I think those are the two extremes, meaning you might not die yet. But that's not alive. I know how I felt when I was, you know, out of control in that the way you fit. Like, I don't know, my last a one study, I just actually got it done last week was 6.20. Good, good job. That doesn't really motivate me a bit to manual, the number. Yeah, then what motivates me is how I feel every single day. Yeah, if I'm high, I'm not living a day. I'm not. I'm not a father, I'm not a husband. I'm not I get very pissed off and stressed when I'm high. I already feel when I'm high of 141 160, I already feel started getting frustrated. If I'm 250. You don't want to talk to me, that motivates me much more than than a one see that I see every six months or something, I could leave it I could be 250 every day, and probably wouldn't die or just not yet. But that's not living. To me. That's not living. And I think that's also the big difference between the different attitudes that people take between Are they are they just, you know, gone to the doctor and doing what they needed to do. And I did that I was in that process for years until I till I took care of myself and realized that no doctor, by the doctor is just gonna keep doing and when it comes to time, like, Okay, now it's time for an amputation, you know, today's like, there's no difference for the doctor like today's. Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting them down. But in that field today, the putting someone on the pump today to amputate in the other person's leg because they didn't take care of themselves for 30 years. They're not going to take responsibility for that person, and the person doesn't take responsibility himself. So I think that's also the big difference. You got to decide, you know how you want to live your life if you want to just not die, but you actually want to be living and feeling normal on a daily basis. Yeah, David, I

Scott Benner 37:18
think I stopped saying don't die advice on the podcast, because I even thought it sounded harsh. But I used to say it a lot like usually the advice you get from a doctor's don't die advice. It's enough to keep you from dying, not enough to help you live well. Correct. I think I brought it up at the talk. And I every time I speak somewhere, I say, you know, you deserve to be who you would be without fluctuating blood sugars. And like you just said, like, you don't want to be around me when my blood sugar's over 250. The other thing is, is that in the middle of that turmoil, you don't really know that about yourself. I don't know if that's something that people can really wrap their heads around like you're altered, and you're acting away that you would not normally, and that if you could see yourself out of body you'd be disappointed with. And yet you don't know what's happening while it's happening. And now you're impacting all the relationships in your life. And like you said, Who else who knows what else? Like, if you're watching a television show with a 250 blood sugar, you may not enjoy it the same way as you would with a 95 Blood shirt. And that might sound trivial, but I don't think it is I think you're experiencing the world differently. And then in turn, the world gets a different version of you one that I don't think you really want to be out there.

"David" 38:28
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I've experienced this myself. And you know, so I didn't really talk about my son yet. But he, you know, he went through various stages, there was a stage actually, unfortunately started in summer camp, where I wasn't he didn't give up. But it was very tough. It was his first time going first, it was first time going away from home at all. And then definitely with type one diabetes and dealing with all different foods and his sugars just started getting into 3d for hundreds every single day. And he sort of gave up he didn't he was still bolusing that's why I don't want to use the word get gave up. But he was not me, I would say model like he was more careless. And this went on for a few months. And and he was just, you know, you don't even realize it as a parent because you see them every day. And then thank God, he calmed down. And there was a few things that I think it was attribute it to, and I kind of talk about him more in a minute. But once just to go back to your previous point, once his sugars got back to a normal level. He was so pleasant. We didn't even realize my wife was like, Oh my gosh, do you realize that he's been so pleasant? He's been nice to siblings. He's been participating in family things. He's been doing amazing at school, and we didn't even realize while we're going through it. So it's it's almost like this subconscious effect. And we didn't even realize till he calmed down and it took us about a normal level. Like he's such a pleasure. He's helping around the house. He's offering to do things. So I couldn't agree more. Yeah,

Scott Benner 39:52
I kicked myself sometimes, because I think I saw my son's Hashimotos before I let it register in my head that that is what it would be. And it was all about his behavior. When his thyroids, not well moderated. He has a short fuse. Yeah. And you think, Oh, he's, he's a teenager or he's upset about something. But then I look back. And I think I wonder how many of his life events, did he not traverse as well as he could have? If we would have, like known about this sooner? And I mean, I know there's not much you can do about it. And I don't I don't dwell on it. But it makes the point that when you're altered, you're altered,

"David" 40:31
right? And I think also parents don't realize things sometimes, you know, when you're with your kids every day, because sometimes that gradual changes, and you don't notice them as extreme as, obviously, somebody who, you know, so and I'll give you an example. It's an unfortunate example of this. I had a good friend, who, when he was eight, he was diagnosed with cancer. That was actually my mother that diagnosed and what I mean by that is, he can, you know, we used to have playdates all time, and he came over to my house. And my mother said, no, no, he doesn't look good. And she called, she called his mother right away. And the mother was like, no, no, he's fine. This is, you know, nothing. They're like, Oh, they took him to the doctor that turns out he actually had cancer. But, you know, thank God, he recovered, it wasn't long, there was a long story. It wasn't just, you know, went on for a while, you can imagine all the treatments and everything. But my point being that his own mother didn't realize that because you know, sometimes you're with the kids every day, or you're with people around you every day, and you think you know what, this is how they are, they're just more rough around the edges. But then you realize, they're actually this is how they are when the sugars are 250 100%.

Scott Benner 41:37
Every day, I've lost like 45 pounds this year. So actually, if we see each other soon, I'm literally 45 pounds lighter than I was when you saw me before. Good for you. No, thank you. But if you asked my son two months into the journey, when I was down in the first 15 pounds, I said, Hey, you know, do you notice anything? I didn't notice a damn thing. And he was living away from home. Then I saw him a couple months later, and I walked in now I was like, 25 pounds lighter. I thought for sure he'll notice something now. Nothing really. And then when I asked him, I said, Do you see that? I've lost weight? He goes, Yeah, I guess I can. And now a year later, if you show him a photo from last year, and now he goes, Oh, my God, I didn't realize, right. Like he didn't know he actually said to me one time, one of the kinds of things he's ever said to me, I don't think of you as a fat person. But I looked at the picture. And I was like, I don't know how you couldn't. But the same thing with the mother, like the mothers with a kid with cancer. Your mom sees him in five seconds goes, Hey, what are we doing here? You don't I mean, and the other person like What do you mean? It's that slow drip transition, I'm telling you that can happen slowly. Over years with weight. It could happen slowly over months with your attitude, and it could happen day to day. If if your blood sugars are bouncing around. You turn into this. I had a friend when we were growing up and he's not with us anymore, but I knew him to be very sweet, lovely person, but I knew some people who met him we thought he was cantankerous and unpleasant. But he wasn't he just he was on regular an MPH and his blood sugar's were high all the time, and then not and you know, like, and he got to live his whole life that way people met him and thought his kids a dick. You know, and, and he really wasn't he was lovely. And and now I don't know, I look back in his life was shortened because of it. And now what did he miss out on even in a shortened life? So I you know, it's very important. So

"David" 43:27
like when our when our son was diagnosed, so we didn't even realize till we looked back at pictures, how much weight he had lost. He was stick thin. Like we didn't even notice. Yeah, it was only afterwards once he was diagnosed and started looking back. But seeing him on a daily basis. We didn't you know, we didn't notice anything, right?

Scott Benner 43:47
No, it's something. Okay, what else do we need to know about? I guess maybe why don't we dig into your expertise for a second type one's call an ambulance. What should we be telling people when they arrive? You know, what's on us? You know, I know I've done an episode where I told people, we had an EMT on I think, who said like, you know, don't count on your diabetes tattoos. You know, you have to be wearing the jewelry. Nobody

"David" 44:14
looks at those. I hate to break the news. But now, there is a difference. If you're out called in a car crash and you're completely gone and they cut all your clothes off. Yeah, then somebody's going to notice you're yet to to but on a regular on a regular call. Don't Don't count on that. Make sure you tell someone what's going on? Yeah,

Scott Benner 44:34
so I call right away. Do I want to say to the dispatcher, I'm calling for someone who has type one diabetes, they're unconscious, they're having a seizure, or I'm calling for myself, I think I'm going to become unconscious soon. I've taken too much insulin. I have type one diabetes. Do you try to tell them I'm wearing a glucose monitor I'm wearing like, do you give them as much as you can? So

"David" 44:53
I wouldn't I would definitely go with the first part I wouldn't get into I'm wearing a glucose monitor and I'm wearing a pump chances are That information is not going to convey over to the actual units that dispatch, but the more information about what's going on for sure, because there's different level priorities and emergencies. And based on the priority that it sounds like when it comes through, they'll dispatch accordingly, which means they'll dispatch you know, priority resources, additional resources, more advanced resources, like in most areas, there's EMTs. And as medics, if you are out called unresponsive, you want medics you don't want to just empty is not by default, they only dispatch EMTs. Even, you know, so if somebody calls on the phone and says, I'm diabetic, and I'm having an issue, they'll just send you to EMTs. Now, that's a big difference between saying, I'm diabetic, and I think I'm going into a coma by default, you're rarely going to get medics in most cases, you know, it's not a guarantee. But in most cases, a good dispatcher will hear that and they'll already dispatch medics. So you definitely want to be giving, you know, the most information as you can over there and always open a lot, you know, we had cases where we can't get in the front door, and then there's a delay, because you gotta get the fire department to take the door down. Yeah. And meanwhile, this person's, you know, that triggers a 1020, or whatever, they're down there on the floor by themselves in the bedroom. So you definitely want to make sure to have a plan for that. And this also goes back to you know, what I was saying before, we've had calls, I got a call one night, for, you know, it was diabetes related. It was 3am. And turns out that this girl, she was fast asleep, and we were bashing, knocking, pounding. Eventually, the husband heard us open up the door. Well, her sugars were low, like the Dexcom was just reading low. She was fast asleep, her mother was following her in a different state. And her mother was following her. This goes into what you were saying before about always making sure you have somebody following you. And she called us and you know, thank God, we got there on time, and we woke her up. You know, the husband heard the dog, we woke her up. And you know, she she took sugar, and she was fine. Yeah.

Scott Benner 46:54
I stopped the load for Arden last night that she didn't hear at 3am. My Dexcom alerted me, I woke up. And I waited one revolution of the Dexcom to make sure she didn't like because it was a weird, it was a weird thing. Like she looked like she went from 80 to like 50 real quickly. And I thought maybe she's laying on a lot. Give her a second. And then it held. So I called her. And she didn't answer but she called me right back. She was hey, what's up, and you could tell she had been asleep for a while. It's funny, I was more aggressive about it last night than I might have been because I spoke to her earlier in the evening. And at dinnertime, she said I'm not very hungry. So I thought, Oh, she's not going to eat much tonight. And that actually stuck in my head. I'll be aware of Lows tonight because her algorithms still going to do what it always does. And she's been eating more the last couple of weeks. And so I thought, Oh, the algorithms being aggressive. And then she more recently moved her GLP up a little bit. And so now she's eating a little less, but the algorithm still getting the vibe. So anyway, I was thinking about Alo, I woke her up. I said, Hey, I think you're low. And she stopped. I could hear her focus herself. And she goes, Yeah, I think I am too. And I was like, Okay, I'm like, Are you going to drink a juice? I said, I could stay on the phone with you to make sure you drink it because then I'll I'll do it. And she hung up. Right? So then of course, David, I lose her data almost as soon as she hangs up. So now, so now I'm like, I swapped over to like Nightscout real quick. Nightscout thought her blood sugar was 40. And I know she drank the juice, right? I believe that she did. I spoke to her. She was clear headed. And I waited one revolution five minutes, it didn't come back. I waited another revolution, five minutes, it didn't come back. And I thought okay, like this is the moment here like she either drank the juice, and she's okay. Or she fell back asleep and didn't drink the juice. And she's in trouble. And I did this thing that I don't know if people know, like I sent her a text to reestablish her connection to the internet. So I don't know if you've ever seen this. But if you lose data sometimes coming from someone else. If you ping their phone, then their phone pings a tower. And that's something and then sometimes you get the data back. So I sent a text it just said, Hey, I can't see your data. Are you okay? I'd never thought she was gonna see that. I figured she was asleep still. And as soon as I did that, I swear to you as soon as I did that, boom, she was 95. And she had and I was like and she had an arrow up and I was like okay, go

"David" 49:16
out. Yeah, it was fun. It was now it's fall he it's actually a little scary. I mean, I myself I don't hear a lot during the night like as I sleep like a log. I don't hear nothing. But I do wake up when I feel low. So even I never wake up from the Dexcom and I have sugar may set to call me. I still don't hear it. My wife is it she she wakes me up. But I like if I'm by myself. I don't hear I wake up from a law like I'm feeling low. My son doesn't. It's actually pretty scary. We wake him up when he's low and we give him juice and he normally doesn't know a thing in the morning. Like, you know you're low last night at 2am. And I'll remember oh yeah, really? Yeah. Yeah, as neither Martin

Scott Benner 49:59
was like kicked out, right until she went to college. And then it was like, once she knew it was on her, she started to wake up. Right? Like, I don't know why she didn't last night, or maybe she would have in a couple of minutes more. I don't know. She's been very, very good about it. And she's almost on her second year of college. She's been very good about it. I'm assuming

"David" 50:16
as he gets all the it's something that he'll just write. And I just said, once you have to take more responsibility than it's just something that will, you know, I'll just get into

Scott Benner 50:25
also when she comes home for her breaks, like she announces to me coming through the door, like, Hey, I'm not waking up for Lowe's. Like, like, this is on you. I need to I need to sign Yeah,

"David" 50:35
yeah. So yeah. So we actually had that with our son. Not not not with that. But without, you know, there was a time he was let me I never went through his full story. Let me tell you the basics of his thing. So he was he was nine, and it just was not feeling well. He was looking like, like I said, the weight we didn't notice, but he just was not feeling well. Every day. He was telling me I'm just not doing good. I'm not doing good. And then it was one morning he woke up and started vomiting. And I'm like, okay, something. I don't know what, oh, I know what actually not only did he not he peed in his bed. So I'm like, okay, something's off. He's not and he wasn't doing that for years already. Something is off. He's vomiting. He doesn't look good. I said, let me check your sugars. I check. And they're like, 250 my heart went through the floor. You can't even imagine. And then I'm like, in my head like, this is all in like five seconds. I'm telling you. Maybe he just as virus maybe it says maybe it's that maybe it's that, you know, I went through 1400 maybes not wanting to believe the truth. So immediately, literally still in the hallway right after I just pulled out a Dexcom from my closet. I had a spurt was a G six at a time transmitter. I just stuck it on him. So yeah, the Dexcom running before we even got to the doctor. You know, I called it the I woke up my wife was early in the morning. We went to the doctor and and you know, they sent us into into the Windows Office and we were there. They thank God we managed to avoid the hospital. He wasn't in DKA. We spent all day in Andrews office getting now but of course I had the experience. They weren't so scared to let me home because they saw right away that I knew, you know how to Bolus and what to do. So they weren't. They weren't too scared. He was extremely sensitive to insulin. In the beginning when I say like his Bezos were like point 10 Like an hour point one and like it was impossible on MDI, impossible. He had such swings, like, give him a tiny Bolus, and he went flying down flying in minutes, right. So I got I couldn't handle it. After a week I called the end though I didn't really I didn't need the permission. But it's always better if you can be not to be in a fight with your medical team. At the end of the day, you know, it's better if you're on the same page. And it's not always possible. But if you can be it's always better to be on the same page. So this is only a week after he's diagnosed, I had a spare tandem with control IQ sitting in my closet. I'm like, guys, you know what's going on over here? You see what's going on? Do you mind if I just stick the pump on him? And I'm not waiting six months for insurance, bureaucracy, and whatever, I'm watching these swings, we're not sleeping, you can imagine what every night it was like, Yeah, you know what you're doing, just stick the pump on him. So a week after he was diagnosed, he was already on the pump. And and then, you know, eventually his pump came through I don't even remember didn't you know, however many months later, but you know, once insurance sorted everything out. And that we saw he was like, in the beginning was actually scared to eat. Like he just we realized after a few weeks that he's barely eating and like you were like, he didn't want to get into the, you know, the Bolus thing and the the highs, the lows and dealing with all of that. And then there was a time when he basically just said to us like, even though we never put it on him. He did like voluntarily offer to like, he's like, Oh, I think I can change my pump myself. So I'm like, okay, sure, change your pump yourself. It's a great thing. And the same with a Dexcom. But then there was a stage where he, I want to call it denial. So he got a little fed up. And he's like, okay, it's just on you. Like, I'm not doing this anymore. So no problem. We're gonna change it pumps, we're gonna change it that sounds we're gonna monitor that we're gonna text you if you need to take something. It's not as there should be no worry on your head. When you're ready. You'll let me know if you want to take over any more responsibility. Right. So I think it's definitely important that kids know that, you know, parents are willing to take whatever responsibility they can after her.

Scott Benner 54:25
Has he done that? How long has he had type one.

"David" 54:27
So now he's 12. So it's about two and a half years now.

Scott Benner 54:30
Has he come to you and said, Hey, I'd like to do a little more or not yet, say yes. And

"David" 54:34
interestingly, you'll find it interesting what I attribute this to he's a competitive type. And he's a bit of a perfectionist. Like I'm a perfectionist, which is not always a great a great thing with type one because you know, like, I get frustrated, like, it's like, you know, if I look back like last 90 days, I'm like 80% and rage. I don't like that because I'm like 80 It should be like 98 Interestingly, you started the gees Seven, which I happen to hate. I'll give you my opinion on that in a minute. So personally, I'm still on the GS six, he started the g7. And what I found out about it, interestingly is that, you know, clarity in the g7 is in the same app, like it's not a separate app, even though he had clarity before on his phone, he never actually would go and check it. But now your timing range, and you know, how much a high and how much you love. It's all right there. So when you're checking your tracks now, now that that's the only thing I attribute it to, cause he started coming to me and saying, like, hey, look, this is how much time whenever you don't have those conversations before, it wasn't even like he's gotten really into this and I hope it lasts. I mean, when I say into this, I'm talking about 7:13am This morning, he texts me and my wife a picture showing 96% time in range over the last three days. He's proud of himself, very proud of himself. And we didn't do a thing for this. You know, we've never told him off before we let them eat whatever he wants to eat. I always just want to eat you got to Bolus I can't you know, Tom, I kind of in my right conscious Tom. He can eat without bolusing. But he got into this himself. And I think it's because of the g7 Seeing because there's nothing else I can attribute it

Scott Benner 56:08
to like a video game to him almost. Yeah, yeah.

"David" 56:11
So I think that's been a game changer. And to degree I mean, here's put it this way. When we came back from the summer from campus a once he was eight, when we went to the doctor's office three weeks ago is everyone see was 6.5 Wow, look at him. That's a huge change. And actually before it was, this was actually a nice thing. Before we actually went into the appointment, I went to speak to one of the CDs she She's amazing. They have have some really, really not everyone over there is but they have you know, we've changed around doctors a few times till we got one that we like and the CD and and I told her I said listen, he has been working really hard. Make sure you guys make a big deal out of it. So she and the doctor came in the room singing celebrating like, oh my god, he wants the 6.5 Who is this kid? I made a whole big deal out of it. And his smile, but he you know, he was brimming from from cheek to cheek. So that was really nice. You know, that was nice to see. And it was nice that they got on board. And we have we didn't do anything like he, you know, he talked us online, he started Pre-Bolus thing. And he started he started you know, just taking note of things. And so that's been Yeah, the last few months have been he's definitely get taken on much more on himself.

Scott Benner 57:22
I'm happy for him. That's wonderful. Because they what it means is that he's in an endeavor to get that time and range better. He's bolusing. He's looking at numbers and going I don't want to let this high blood sugar sit here. I'll knock it down a little bit. Correct. Has to be you know what it means to me. It's made him more involved in his in his Bolus. 100%.

"David" 57:40
Yeah. And he has the, you know, we got him, we didn't have it right away. And this one piece of advice. I mean, we'd gotten him the Apple Watch. That was a game changer. I mean, before that we were paying, like $400 out of pocket a week, because we couldn't get it covered through insurance. For somebody to be in school with him just to basically pass on my messages. They weren't like a CD or something. They were just like a messenger we would take because he doesn't want to take out his phone during class. So he can't see what was going on, like cans of water sugars. He can't see if he's supposed to, you know, take sugar or what he's supposed to do to be paying 40 hours a week for some guy to stand there. And basically just pass in my messages. And we didn't have a choice, you know, no kidding. So what why don't we got him an Apple watch that was a game changer, a game changer. I mean, he sees his texture and class, you know, so if he's low, we'll text him, you know, little bit of juice, who responds right? Also, even if he was low, we had no idea if he dealt with it, because he wasn't going to take out his phone in the middle of class and start texting. Now right away, he just sends a thumbs up. So that's, that's also been a game changer. I

Scott Benner 58:44
have a couple of questions before I let you go. Going back to to the rescue squad to ambulance. First of all, can I pass out type one look like an OD? Yes,

"David" 58:54
yes. And they can also look like drunk. So which is why we never had the protocol to test blood sugars. Like I said before, we weren't even allowed to test for sugars. But because of multiple incidents in the last two years where a type one diabetic was passed out was taken as a drunk or taken as an OD. And meanwhile, the shooting would not combat you know, that's the last thing they need. That's why they brought in the blood sugar protocol. And it's pretty much protocol now that anyone that passes it out, or is obviously unresponsive. First thing is check the blood sugar. That's definitely been a you know, a huge improvement that

Scott Benner 59:35
a nationwide thing. How do they communicate that stuff, too?

"David" 59:38
So it's not that's the silly thing, you know, as much as America is, is one country. It's like every state has its own rules and regulations. It's not a nationwide thing. It goes state by state. So I don't know I can't promise that that's in every state. But I know on the East Coast, that's definitely been a recent change in the last few years.

Scott Benner 59:59
My Last question that I'm not sure how long can articulate it, but I keep having this feeling. So let me see if I can get through it with you. Sometimes I feel like the people who listen to the podcast are either people who are taking very good care of themselves or are on their way to doing that, about the person who's struggling every day, who doesn't understand their insulin well, and all the things that we've talked about. But both people are going to end up calling an ambulance at some point with diabetes likely like the the ones who feel like they have it together and know what they're doing and the ones who are completely lost. What is the ambulance crew expect when they get there? Like, who are you being categorized as when someone's coming through the door? Is that or maybe you're not, I'm just being you know, what I'm asking.

"David" 1:00:40
It depends on the crew that you're getting. It's obviously person to person, there's like a personal attitude thing we try not to. And I'm not just saying that to be PC, we really try not to there's always a human being behind that there's always a story. I'm not blaming somebody, because the sugars are out of control, and they don't know what to do, and they don't know how to Bolus I'm not you know, I will never judge them for being in that situation. I have pity on them. Most times, it's pity more than anything else. Now, I'm not talking about people who are abusive and call us every single day and just don't touch the blood sugar. That's ridiculous. It's just not nice. You using public resources, like just just, you know, work that out. But generally, it's much more of a feeling of pity than anything else.

Scott Benner 1:01:23
I don't get a crew of people coming through the door thinking, Oh, this is diabetes, here's another person that doesn't take care of themselves. No,

"David" 1:01:31
I've never seen that. I've never seen that in my 10 years. I haven't seen I'm not saying it doesn't happen again. This shawanna I haven't seen that for the most part.

Scott Benner 1:01:39
Okay. You know, I mean, I think most things go as people go. So if you get thoughtful, open minded people, you get thoughtful, open minded experience. Because sometimes I think about doctors to like, you know, did did that endocrinologist start off in the first couple of years, just with a lot of enthusiasm sitting down in every you know, every meeting with every patient going, alright, here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna Bolus we're gonna do this, we're gonna get your settings, right. And then one day, it just was like it just too many. Too many people didn't do it. And they just gave up, you know what I mean? or lost their ability to be enthusiastic about something they thought wasn't going to go well. And how much of that? I mean, I think that's another thing that people should try to read through with their doctors. It's like, do I have a hopeful doctor? Somebody who thinks we're going to get to a, you know, a great answer for me, or am I sitting with somebody who's been beaten up by the world? And

"David" 1:02:33
I'll never forget, like, I had a doc. You know, this was back in the UK. He was like, 65 350 pounds, and he's lecturing me about cholesterol, something like, are you serious? I think you gotta change your doctors. I mean, I'm not you know, sometimes it's harder when you're out of town. And you're, you know, there's many options, especially within, but if you're living in any big city, chances are there's not the end or down the road. I mean, just within the practice, that's normally all that it does. I changed my son's Endo. I read from the first point, we were not happy. She wasn't going through this appointment. She wasn't talking about diabetes, or struggles or anything. It was always about something else. And this vaccine and that vaccine, I'm not against vaccines, but she was like, every time I'm like, is this diabetes meeting? Or is this vaccine meeting? Yeah. So I went, I actually changed at the head of the department who was much better. And on my personal doctor, also, she used to be in one hospital, I went through three, four doctors till I found. And then I moved over, she actually moved out to another hospital. So I moved over with her. She's amazing. But like, don't sit on stuff if your doctors burned out and not giving you what you need. Don't sit on them, right changes them. Yeah. Now, I know, there's insurance issues and things like that. But most times, you can work that out. I

Scott Benner 1:03:46
mean, sometimes you have to give more to get more, if that makes sense. You know what I mean? Like, you get stuck with a bad doctor, it's easy to say, I don't have time to work this out. Or I can't go find somebody else. But yummy. You can't afford not to honestly, yeah,

"David" 1:03:58
I just saw this very interesting thing this week. It's called functional fixation. And it's essentially the way human beings just take things as they are. And you know, they gave a lot of examples for but one of the examples they gave is that freezes we're always on top of fridges, for the simple reason that it used to be an ice box on top and the ice used to drip down into the freezer into the fridge to keep things you know, now, once they came out with electronic freezes, nobody thought for years, like hey, maybe we should flip it and and put freezes at the bottom. It just kept it like that. Because that's how it's been. And that's how people are with a lot of things. They're just like, This is how it is, you know, this would be my doctor for 20 years. But like if this is your doctor for 20 years, and you're not getting what you need, nothing's going to like you got to change something. Yeah. If you're fixated on that, you know, the one that's going to suffer at the end of the day. Functional

Scott Benner 1:04:51
fixation is a cognitive bias that limits a person's ability to use an object in more ways than it's traditionally used and it affects in in individual's ability to innovate and be creative when solving challenges about that. There you go. That's something, David. Thank you. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this with me. Sure. I hope you had a good time. Thank

"David" 1:05:12
you so much for what you do. And I can say my control is much better thanks to you. You perhaps even recently, I changed my high alert to 130. I'm not at 120 yet, we'll get there. But that's, that's thanks to you and most of the things that I've learned on your podcast, so I really thank you for what you're doing. And you're reaching out, you have no idea how many people you're reaching. I mean, I dealt with a new family that was just diagnosed a few weeks ago, in other states, some right, they knew right away. But as soon as I said something about the podcast has already been told about it. They're already listening to it. You know, that's a far cry from when I was diagnosed. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:05:45
no, I appreciate that. I have to tell you, I've, I've only been really stung twice, like, the first time when somebody told me you're huge in the Mormon community, I was like, Get out of here, really. And then this, this, when I got the invite to come to the, you know, somebody said, you know, you come and speak at our event, it's very private and everything. And I was like, sure, like, I don't understand how do you know me? You know, because I, I actually, you know, before I got there, I have very closely tied your religious beliefs with like, no technology. And, and then I was like, like, how are they listening to the podcast even. And, but But you guys are really great. Like, if, you know, I don't know, if I mentioned it here ever. But on the last day of the event, I was asked to come up and tell people what I learned while I was there, and, and I said, you know, despite the fact that you dress much differently than I'm accustomed to, and, you know, your religious beliefs are, you know, different than I've heard, you guys are all exactly the same as every other person I've ever met my entire life. And it really was my, my, my experience, you know?

"David" 1:06:46
Yeah, there's definitely a lot of stereotypes. And like, for example, you mentioned about technology. I hear that the whole time. It's not true. It's completely not true. It isn't a version to you know, the healthiness of children having open Internet access, with no filters and you know, accessing things that are completely inappropriate for their age, but the kinds of technology and especially when it comes to life saving and health, you know, we don't use technology on the weekends generally as a as a community as the religious community. That is not when it comes to health. You know, for example, text comes in pumps, and anything like that is excluded. Right

Scott Benner 1:07:22
from that Sunday. Sundown on Friday doesn't take away your Dexcom Correct, yeah. 100%.

"David" 1:07:27
Excellent. And, you know, I have my phone with me on Saturday, and my son has his phone. But yeah, when it comes to the health, so yeah, there is a bit of a misnomer out there about that. But 100% Yeah, that

Scott Benner 1:07:37
was a really it was, I mean, obviously, I said yes to coming back. I had a great time. So it's a you guys are very energetic. I felt like I didn't have a voice by the time I left, because that was the one downside is that there's no microphone from? Yeah, you're projecting your voice. And you guys are so I don't know if this is a like, I actually found there was a Shusher there. Like there was literally someone there. Like if the crowd got loud, that she'd step up and say show everybody she's talking. And I just realized it was so it was kind of interesting, because at first it's off putting because it's not something you're accustomed to it. Yeah. But then you see, like it like I said something, it got people excited, and they kind of broke off into these little coffee clutches and started talking. And they were just really excited to talk about a new idea. I did okay, I thought the guy that I did, I did it with he did well, but he didn't have the personality to be loud for like, 36 hours in a row. He looked a little.

"David" 1:08:32
You have a huge following. Yeah, I said the whole time. So

Scott Benner 1:08:37
nice. Alright, well, thanks so much. Let me say goodbye. I appreciate that. Hold on. Oh, my pleasure.

A huge thanks to touched by type one for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast, check them out on their website touched by type one.org or on Facebook and Instagram. Mark is an incredible example of what so many experience living with diabetes, you show up for yourself and others every day, never letting diabetes to find you. And that is what the Medtronic champion community is all about. Each of us is strong, and together, we're even stronger. To hear more stories from the Medtronic champion community where to share your own story, visit Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box. Don't forget, we still have marks conversation at the very end. It's a terrific kind of mini episode about 10 minutes long, that goes deeper into some of the things that you heard Mark talking about earlier in the show. I want to thank the ever since CGM for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast and invite you to go to ever since cgm.com/juicebox, to learn more about this terrific device. You can head over now and just absorb everything that the website has to offer. And that way you'll know if ever sent to feels right for you, ever since cgm.com/juicebox. A diabetes diagnosis comes with a lot of new terms, and you're not going to understand most of them. That's why we made defining diabetes, go to juicebox podcast.com up into the menu and click on defining diabetes, to find the series that will tell you what all of those words mean, short, fun and informative. That's the finding diabetes. If you're not already subscribed or following in your favorite audio app, please take the time now to do that. It really helps the show and get those automatic downloads set up so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. And now my full conversation with Medtronic champion, Mark. Mark, how old were you when you were diagnosed with type one diabetes? I was 2828. How old are you now? 4747. So just about 20 years?

Unknown Speaker 1:11:01
Yeah, 19 years?

Scott Benner 1:11:03
What was your management style when you were diagnosed?

Speaker 1 1:11:05
I use injections for about six months. And then my endocrinologist at the Navy recommended a pump. How

Scott Benner 1:11:11
long had you been in the Navy? See eight years up to that point? Eight years? Yeah, I've interviewed a number of people who have been diagnosed during service. And most of the time they're discharged. What happened to you?

Speaker 1 1:11:23
I was medically discharged. Yeah, six months after my diagnosis.

Scott Benner 1:11:26
I don't understand the whole system. Is that like, honorable?

Speaker 1 1:11:29
Yeah. I mean, essentially, if you get a medical discharge, you get a commensurate honorable discharge. I guess there could be cases where something other than that, but that's that's really how it happens. So it's an honorably discharged with but because of

Scott Benner 1:11:41
medical reason, and that still gives you access to the VA for the rest of your life. Right?

Unknown Speaker 1:11:45
Correct. Yeah, exactly.

Scott Benner 1:11:46
Do you use the VA for your management? Yeah, I

Speaker 1 1:11:48
used to up until a few years ago, when we moved to North Carolina, it just became untenable, just the rigmarole and process to kind of get all the things I needed. You know, for diabetes management, it was far easier just to go through a private practice.

Scott Benner 1:12:02
Was it your goal to stay in the Navy for your whole life, your career? It was? Yeah,

Speaker 1 1:12:05
in fact, I think a few months before my diagnosis, my wife and I had that discussion about, you know, staying in for the long term. And, you know, we made the decision despite all the hardships and time away from home, that was what we loved the most. So that's what made it that much more difficult

Scott Benner 1:12:21
was the Navy, like a lifetime goal of yours or something you came to as an adult,

Speaker 1 1:12:26
lifetime goal. I mean, as my earliest childhood memories were flying being a fighter pilot and specifically being flying on and off aircraft carriers. So, you know, watching Top Gun in the 80s certainly was a catalyst for

Scott Benner 1:12:40
that you've taken off and landed a jet on an aircraft carrier,

Unknown Speaker 1:12:43
hundreds of times.

Scott Benner 1:12:44
Is there anything in life as exhilarating as that?

Speaker 1 1:12:47
No, but there there's a roller coaster I rode at. I think it was at Cedar Rapids up in Cleveland Sandusky, and they've got this roller coaster that takes you from zero to like, it's like 80 or something, you go up a big hill and he come right back down. So the acceleration is pretty similar. I would say to catapult shot,

Scott Benner 1:13:06
I'm gonna guess you own a Tesla.

Speaker 1 1:13:08
I don't I I'm a boring guy. I got a hybrid rav4 I get made fun of I get called. You know, my wife says I drive like a grandpa on the five miles per hour over the speed limit person. No more than that. So yeah, in the car. I'm boring guy.

Scott Benner 1:13:23
So you've never felt a need to try to replace that with something else.

Speaker 1 1:13:26
You can't replace it. It's irreplaceable. That's what I thought. So up until the point where someone you know, buys me an F 18 or allows me to get inside a two seater and fly it you can't replace it. How

Scott Benner 1:13:37
did it make you feel when you saw or maybe you haven't seen? gentleman named Pietro has his large aircraft license. He's flying for a major carrier. Now he has type one diabetes. Does that feel hopeful to you?

Speaker 1 1:13:48
Yeah, it does. You know, when I when I was diagnosed, that wasn't a possibility. The FAA prohibited commercial pilots who had type one diabetes, but I think it was 2017 when they changed their rules to allow type one diabetics to be commercial pilots. And part of the reason I did that was because of the technology advancements, specifically in pump therapy, and pump management. So I don't have any aspirations of going to the commercial airlines, but one of my sons who has type one diabetes very much wants to be a commercial pilot. So you know, in that respect, I'm very hopeful and thankful. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:14:20
Do you fly privately now for pleasure?

Speaker 1 1:14:23
I do. Yeah. One of my favorite things to do is fly my kids to different soccer tournaments they have all over the southeast us so last week, my wife and I and two of our boys flipped to Richmond for their soccer tournaments up there and Charlie who's my middle child has type one diabetes so you know if I can combine flying family and football and one weekend to me that's I think I've just achieved Valhalla. So then

Scott Benner 1:14:47
it sounds to me like this diagnosis was a significant course correction for you. Can you tell me how it affected your dream?

Speaker 1 1:14:54
Well, I you know, if I guess three words come to mind first, it was devastating. Everything I had done in life Everything I've worked up to up to that point was just taken away in an instant. And I was not prepared for that at all. The second emotion was, it was scary. I hadn't thought much about life outside the Navy, certainly not life as anything else, but a fighter pilot. And Heather and I were getting ready to move to France, I was going to do an exchange tour with with the French naval air force. So we're taking French classes. So pretty quickly, I had to reinvent myself. And then probably the most important thing at the same time that all that was going on, I had to learn how to how to deal with type one diabetes and how to manage it effectively. The third thing that pops into my mind, I guess, is challenging, you know, new daily routines, I had to establish first with injections, and then eventually, you know, through pump management, and then learning how to count carbs and recognize highs and lows, how my body reacts to blood sugar trends based on exercise and stress and those types of things. And my goal at that time, and it still is today is to leverage technology and make sure my habit patterns are effective so that I take diabetes management from the forefront to the background.

Scott Benner 1:16:01
Have you had success with that? Do you feel like you've made the transition? Well, I

Speaker 1 1:16:05
have I mean, I believe in continuous improvement. So there's always more to do. I will say the technology since I was diagnosed specifically with pump management, it's just, it's just incredible. It takes less of me intervening. And it's really done by the pump itself and by the algorithms through the CGM EMS. And to me again, that that should be the goal for everybody is to not have to focus so much on the daily aspects of type one, diabetes management, you know, we should let technology do that for us.

Scott Benner 1:16:34
What else have you found valuable? I've spoken to 1000s of people with type one diabetes, the one thing that took me by surprise, because I don't have type one, myself, and my daughter was very young when she was diagnosed. I didn't really understand until I launched this podcast, and then it grew into this kind of big Facebook presence. I heard people say, I don't know anybody else who has type one diabetes, I wish I knew more people. But until I saw them come together, I didn't recognize how important it was. Yeah, I

Speaker 1 1:17:03
think similarly, I didn't know anyone with type one diabetes growing up as an adult up until when I was diagnosed. And then all of a sudden, people just came out of the woodwork. And when CGM is first hit the market, certainly within the last five years. It's amazing to me and my family, how many people we've noticed with type one diabetes simply because you can see the CGM on their arm. I mean, I would say, a month does not go by where we don't run into someone at a restaurant or an amusement park or a sporting event or somewhere where we see somebody else with type one diabetes. And the other surprising aspect of that is just how quickly you make friends. And I'll give an example. We're at a soccer tournament up in Raleigh, this past Saturday and Sunday. And the referee came over to my son Charlie at the end of the game and said, Hey, I noticed you're wearing pomp. And he lifted up a shirt and showed his pump as well and said, I've had type one diabetes since I was nine years old. I played soccer in college, I'm sure that's your aspiration. And I just want to tell you don't let type one diabetes ever stop you from achieving your dreams of what you want to do. And it's the other man was probably in his late 50s or 60s. So just having that connection and seeing, you know, the outreach and people's willingness to share their experiences. It just means the world to us and just makes us feel like we're part of a strong community.

Scott Benner 1:18:23
So would you say that the most important things are strong technology tools, understanding how to manage yourself and a connection to others. Yeah, technology

Speaker 1 1:18:33
for sure. And knowing how to leverage it, and then the community and that community is your friends, your family caregivers, you know, for me to Medtronic champions, community, you know, all those resources that are out there to, you know, help guide away, but then help help you keep abreast on you know, the new things that are coming down the pipe, and to give you hope for eventually, you know, that we can find a cure.

Scott Benner 1:18:53
You mentioned that your son wanted to be a pilot. He also has type one diabetes, how old was he when he was diagnosed.

Speaker 1 1:18:59
So Henry was diagnosed when he was 12 years old, was just at the start of COVID. We are actually visiting my in laws in Tennessee, we woke up in the morning and he had his bed. And several years before that we had all four of our boys tested for trial net. So you know, predictor of whether or not they're going to develop type one diabetes, and Heather or Henry and one of those brothers tested positive for a lot of the indicators. So we always kind of had an inclination that there was a high degree of possibility he would develop it, but we always had at the back of our mind as well. And so when that event happened, at the beginning of COVID, we had him take his blood sugar on my glucometer and it was over 400 And so right away, we knew that without even being diagnosed properly by endocrinologist that he was a type one diabetic, so we hurried home to get him probably diagnosed in Charlottesville. And then we just started the process first grieving, but then acceptance and you know, his eventual becoming part of the team that nobody wants to join. How old is he now? He's 15 years old. Now,

Scott Benner 1:20:05
when's the first time he came to you? And said, Is this going to stop me from flying?

Speaker 1 1:20:11
Almost immediately. So like me, he always had aspirations of flying. In fact, he out of all four boys wanted to be in the military, that was a difficult part of the conversation, and maybe something that we don't talk about as a community. But there are some things you cannot do as a type one diabetic, and that's a hard fact of life. And unfortunately, joining the military is one of those hard and fast things you cannot be, you cannot join the military as a type one diabetic. So it was very difficult for him and for me and my wife to get over. Then we also started talking about being a commercial pilot. And so I saw that same excitement in his eyes because like me, you know, he can be an NFA teen or a 737 or a Cirrus SR 20 That I fly and be just as happy. So he still has that passion today and still very much plans to eventually become a commercial pilot.

Scott Benner 1:20:57
I appreciate your sharing that with me. Thank you. You have four children do any others have type one?

Speaker 1 1:21:02
They do? My oldest twin Henry has type one diabetes, and my middle son Charlie has type one diabetes as well. The boys are twins. The oldest two are twins. One has type one diabetes. My middle son, who is not a twin has type one diabetes.

Scott Benner 1:21:15
I see. Is there any other autoimmune in your family? There isn't

Speaker 1 1:21:19
I'm really the only person in my family or my wife's family that we know of with any sort of autoimmune disease, certainly type one diabetes. So unfortunately, I was the first to strike it rich and unfortunately, pass it along to to my sons with celiac thyroid, anything like that. Not about nothing. We're really a pretty healthy family. So this came out of nowhere for myself and for my two sons.

Scott Benner 1:21:43
That's really something. I appreciate your time very much. I appreciate you sharing this with me. Thank you very much.

Unknown Speaker 1:21:48
Anytime Scott.

Scott Benner 1:21:49
Learn more about the Medtronic champion community at Medtronic diabetes.com/juice box or by searching the hashtag Medtronic champion on your favorite social media platform. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way. recording.com