Scott Benner 6/4/24 Scott Benner 6/4/24

#1215 Cold Wind: X Ray Tech

"Lindsay" is an X Ray Technologist with diabetes.

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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1215 of the Juicebox Podcast

gonna call today's guests Lindsay. She is an x ray technician who has diabetes, and she's going to tell us a little bit about what she sees in the medical field. From her perspective, 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. When you go to cozy earth.com Don't forget to use my offer code juice box to save big at checkout that's juice box at checkout 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 help out with T one D research at T one D exchange.org/juice box go over there complete the survey. That's all you need to do you have to be a US resident who has type one diabetes or is the caregiver of someone with type one, you'll be helping yourself helping the show and helping everyone else living with type one T one D exchange.org/juice box go fill out that survey this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G seven made for all types of diabetes Dexcom G seven can be used to manage type one, type two, and gestational diabetes, you're going to see the speed, direction and number of your blood sugar right on your receiver or smartphone device. dexcom.com/juice box. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the contour next gen blood glucose meter. Learn more and get started today at contour next one.com/juice box. This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries G voc hypo penne Find out more at G voc glucagon.com. Forward slash juicebox. Don't forget everybody. This is a cold wind episode. So we've changed the name and the voice of the person that I'm talking to. All right, Lindsay, what is your background? workwise? What do you do for a living?

"Lindsay" 2:31
So I am an x ray tech, technically, it's a radiologic technologist, if you want to get specific, there are many different modalities, but I just do

Scott Benner 2:41
X ray. Okay, and what kind of education do you have to have for that.

"Lindsay" 2:46
So you have to have an associate's degree, they go back and forth, if it needs to be a bachelor's, because it's actually three years you have to have a year prior to starting the program in prerequisites. And then it's two full years of clinic and classes. So but it is an associate's degree, and then you have to take a national registry and pass the boards in order to get your license. And then many states most states, I think it's like 45 states in the US require a state license. So it's just taking that national license and registering it with the state.

Scott Benner 3:21
I say, Do you have the accreditation to read the X rays or what is your exact job?

"Lindsay" 3:27
So I do the procedure, the exam, I take the x rays, in order to read the X rays, you have to be a doctor. So a radiologist reads any imaging modality and you have to go to medical school and then go through a residency and radiology and then do additional multiple years in order to read them.

Scott Benner 3:49
I know a doctor who told me that a buddy of his is a radiologist. And it is the fattest job in the world. He said he sits at home, waits for images to come reads them, writes up the notes puts them back in it's his whole life.

"Lindsay" 4:06
Yeah, so there is a few companies that do it digitally. It's becoming more and more especially with the pandemic, they let them have more licensing, openness in order to do it from different states because just like medical practice, in order to do a home health visit with somebody that's in another state, you have to be licensed in that state. I say interesting. So there are some companies that I'm not sure how they go about this and how they do it. But like because our doctors don't want to work overnight. We send it to an off site company and they're specific companies that do that and have the radiologists reading from home or wherever. But there is also procedures that radiologists do in the hospital as well. So we do have radiologists on site as well. Yeah,

Scott Benner 4:59
no, I I'm just saying there's like a job now like to work from home like you imagine being a doctor making a doctor salary and not having to leave your house or talk to patients, right?

"Lindsay" 5:09
There's always a joke about radiologists being mushrooms because and not having people skills. There's several specific doctors that were like Yep. Well, you see why there are radiologists because they sit in a dark room looking at computers all day.

Scott Benner 5:22
I can't believe I didn't get the mushroom reference right away. As soon as you said darkroom, I was like, Oh, why did I not see that? That's nice, though. Maybe they're fun guys.

"Lindsay" 5:31
They are? Absolutely. All right.

Scott Benner 5:36
Well, please, it's hard to mess. It's a ham fisted dad joke from 1973. What made you well, we'll hold on a second. Do you have type one diabetes? Are you the parent of someone with type one? Neither.

Unknown Speaker 5:47
Really?

"Lindsay" 5:49
How do you find yourself to me?

I have type three see?

Scott Benner 5:54
Oh, they snatched up your your business right out of there. How did you lose your pancreas function?

"Lindsay" 5:59
I have neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer and they removed up 30% of my pancreas. I have six remaining tumors that were watching I get treatment every month to they've been stable for seven years. The thought is eventually I'll have the rest of my pancreas removed. But for right now it's stable. So we're keeping it as long as I can.

Scott Benner 6:21
Lindsay, can you hear the conspiracy listeners right now?

"Lindsay" 6:24
The X rays got her right. I actually got it before I started X ray. Ah, yep, X

Scott Benner 6:31
rays are let's be clear with people though, like X rays or give you cancer if you're not shielded from them. And you get them too much, right? Like it's a lot of radiation. Am I right?

"Lindsay" 6:40
So yes, and no good. Clean film X ray, like just going and get a chest X ray or an abdomen or you break your foot and you get foot X ray? is very, very low dose. Okay. Why don't you 30 years ago, when it was film, it was higher. Um, now we know more about it. And with the switch to digital, it's like a quarter of what it used to be. And you get radiation every day of your life from existing. So our bodies are actually very good at recovering from small doses. There's a thing that they called time distance and shielding. So the longer time you're exposed, the more risk, the more exposure in a small time, the higher risk. But a chest X ray, if you go on a six hour plane flight, you actually get more radiation than you do in a tube you chest X ray, interesting, I appreciate you spend a day at the beach, you get more radiation than you do in an x ray. However, when you go to the other modalities, like CT, that is actually hundreds of X rays, taking it in succession. So that CT does give you more radiation. And you do want to be careful not to get too many CTS too close together. You get like one a year your body should be able to recover from that. But if you get one a week, you're gonna get cancer from that.

Scott Benner 8:01
No kidding. My lovely moan when you said day at the beach wasn't because I was like, oh my god go to the beach. And this is how much radiation I just like, oh, maybe we should just go to the beach today. That'd be amazing. Yeah, yeah. Okay, great. not warm enough for that yet. But keep going. I'm sorry, this is fascinating. Tell me as much about this as you, as you know, and you would like to tell me, yeah,

"Lindsay" 8:19
if you go into the O bar and have certain procedures done, sometimes you get some X rays in that they use that we call fluoroscopy, which is Live X ray, it's pulses of X ray. So it's not continuous. Like in CT, it's like you can set it for like three pulses per second per second, or 10 pulses, depending on what they're looking at and how clear and crisp they need it. But usually it's within a few seconds. They do it for a few seconds at a time. So you don't really get that much from that mammography uses X rays. But that is it's more than a plain film X ray. But getting it once a year, it's pretty low compared to a CT. Nuclear Medicine uses a different type of radiation than what you use an x ray. And that can get up to higher doses. So those are things that you want to be careful about getting in succession, and your doctors really should be paying attention to that. And every single different nuclear medicine test is going to have a different dose. And the nuclear medicine technologists are really dialed in to how much dosing I know a lot more about it than I do. And then an MRI doesn't use radiation that uses magnets so you don't get any dose in that. You just get claustrophobia. Exactly. And ultrasound is not radiation, it sound waves.

Scott Benner 9:42
Okay, those are the ways those are the ways we image people right now modern medicine.

"Lindsay" 9:47
Exactly. And every single one of the modalities looks at something different. So it's not like you can say, oh, MRI doesn't use radiation. So that means I never want to get a CT I always want to get get an MRI, but an eye MRI looks at different tissues than CT does. So if your doctor is ordering one or another, it's probably because that is what is best for that specific,

Scott Benner 10:07
right? I can't get I can't get an MRI for a broken ankle.

"Lindsay" 10:13
But it's not going to be it's going to be more expensive. Your insurance, you're gonna have to fight your insurance for approval, because the CT is better and while they'll see the brake, it's not going to be I mean, it's just more involved

Scott Benner 10:28
the values with the actual x ray for that for that injury for example. Okay,

"Lindsay" 10:32
exactly there they would look more like muscle and tendons and things like that in memory.

Scott Benner 10:37
Okay, let me ask you a couple more questions about your own health then we'll move on to your job. Sure. You said there are some tumors left that they're keeping an eye on what does that mean? 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, G vo Capo pen can be administered in two simple steps even by yourself in certain situations. Show those around you where you store Chivo Capo pen and how to use it. They need to know how to use G Bo 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 G voc 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 been at school, they're everywhere that she is contour next one.com/juice box 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/juice box 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.com forward slash juicebox you're gonna get a great reading without having to be perfect.

"Lindsay" 13:24
So I have, I think six tumors right now I get a monthly injection it is every 28 days, right into my butt. It's a deep subcutaneous injection, and it's a subnet of statin analog, which is a hormone that fills the receptor sites on the tumors and does some kind of magic. It is actually off label for tumor suppression. But it's actually supposed to be used for symptom control. But because it whatever it does, it keeps the tumors from growing. That's why I say I've gotten seven years without any growth. And so they'll just I get scans every year to watch the size of it. And once it either symptoms get too bad for me to control or size gets too big, then they'll take the rest of pancreas out.

Scott Benner 14:17
What are the symptoms? Oh,

"Lindsay" 14:18
it depends on what kind of tumor it is. So I have several. Right now I don't know of any hormones they're producing. But as you know, the pancreas produces insulin. If you have an insulinoma your blood sugars will go well. If you have glucagon, Noma, then your blood sugars are gonna go high because it's producing too much glucagon. You also get some rashes. You can have acid producing tumor, so you end up with heartburn. Well, of course my mind is going blank. I actually am pretty well versed in all of the different hormones but

Scott Benner 14:51
you are here I'll ask you a question while you kind of reset a little bit. Yeah, okay. So they give you the injection of the injection for the lack of a term that is technically correct. Keeps the tumor happy. And in its current state, so it doesn't grow or or act up. Is that about right? Yep. Okay. Otherwise you can see any number of those other things that you just brought up. Yep, that can make you feel all different kinds of ways. My question is, why did they take some of the pancreas but not all of it? Originally, because

"Lindsay" 15:22
I didn't go to a specialist. Prior, I just went to a local hospital. And that was the recommendation because I didn't know any better

Scott Benner 15:30
when they're done with that procedure, your type three, see, at that point,

"Lindsay" 15:34
I wasn't actually it was several years before I was the medication that I use suppresses my pancreas. So even though it's suppressing the tumors, suppressing all of the tissue, so my agency has slowly gone up slowly over the years, when it was about 6.5. I tried to get a CGM. And so I could start watching and seeing what was happening. And I was told I wasn't diabetic enough. And so to just keep fingers sticking, I would do good for a few months, and then my numbers would be pretty good. And so I would give it up until I started feeling crappy again, and I'd start finger sticking again and watching what I was eating. And then, about a year ago, I was just really fatigued, really sick. I went in for my shot by a doctor did routine bloodwork, which he did about every three months, and my fasting blood sugar was 363. And they didn't even call me I just happened to see it on the portal, when I went to send them a message. And so I started finger sticking and the next day, my fasting glucose was 430. And so I went to the walking clinic, they took my blood sugar and said, You need to go straight to the hospital right now. On the way my PCP called me back and said, Oh, no, I'm gonna save you an ER visit. Don't do that. I'll put in a prescription for you come to my office, we'll do some blood work. That was on a Friday afternoon, Monday, I still didn't have the results or any medication. Wednesday, they finally gave me a prescription for insulin. And I went and picked it up. And there was no pen needles. So it took until Thursday before I could get a prescription for pen needles. So it was almost a week after my

Scott Benner 17:31
senior doctors, like let me save you an ER visit and then didn't get back to you with the things you needed for six days. Yep. Perfect. Yeah. So today, what's the reasoning behind not just going in there and cleaning out the pancreas and getting rid of the tumors?

"Lindsay" 17:46
I just talked to a surgeon and I told him, You know, I'm insulin dependent. Now I'm on a pump. And he says that yes, well, I do have to control my blood sugar's it is pretty controllable, it's pretty easy for me to handle. If my pump gets occluded in the middle of the night, I can just take it off and go back to sleep. And I'll be okay. In the morning. If you takes my whole pancreas, I will be struggling a lot more, it'll be a lot harder to control. And I'll have to be very much on top of it. And because of all of my other medical issues, he doesn't want to make any of it more complicated and thinks that we should continue to wait.

Scott Benner 18:26
What do you think? I mean, because there's the trade off, right? Like you could basically remove your cancer or have the balance of help from the pancreas. Yeah, what do you think's the best thing for you?

"Lindsay" 18:36
I don't know, I am going back and forth. Because the reason I have this cancer is because of a genetic disease, and which my dad, my grandfather, my great grandmother all died from all from metastasis, which it right now, I am stage one. It's only in my pancreas. And if I could have it taken out and know that I will never have a metastasis, I would do it right the second year. However, they know that even people that have it taken out, it's possible that those cells have already left and implanted in the liver, and just aren't big enough to see. So it's possible it's already spread. And even if I take it out now, it won't save me.

Scott Benner 19:16
I say I'm sorry to ask you this. But how old were your family members when they passed away? They

"Lindsay" 19:21
lived a pretty full life. My dad was 72 and actually died from COVID. My grandpa was 78. My great grandmother was 32.

Scott Benner 19:31
Oh, great grandma. So a couple of generations ago. Yes. You got the magic juice. Now they're, they're popping in your butt. So yes, yeah, exactly. Okay. I appreciate you going over all that with us. So we understand your your context, and your perspective, because I think that's going to like help me pivot into this next bit. Right. So, yeah, you're on a cold wind episode. So obviously, you're here to talk about what you see working in healthcare. My first question is going to be based on the thing You're about to tell me about what you witness at a hospital. Does that impact your ability to be comfortable with your care for your tumors? Like, do you not see doctors the same way I would if I just walked in off the street and I was like, I'm here, I need help. You're the magic guy in the coat, tell me what to do. Absolutely,

"Lindsay" 20:16
I am angry on a almost daily basis about the fact that these people are supposed to be the people helping me. And they don't care. They don't care about my symptoms, they don't care about my quality of life. They just want to check their boxes to say that they saw me in there doing what they should they order my scans, they order my blood tests, I frustrated and angry on a regular basis, about how I know what I need, from being in support groups, being online, doing research, talking to other people dealing with it, who have doctors, who are on the frontlines of creating new treatments. And knowing that there are things out there that could make my quality of life better. But I'm not allowed to give it to myself, because I'm not a doctor. Only a doctor can prescribe that only a doctor can order that. And I spend multiple days a month at doctor's appointments in tears, begging people to

Scott Benner 21:26
help me. Do you think that that perspective of they don't want to help me? Is that coming directly from your experience with your doctors, for your disease in your problems? Or is it because you see them treating other people? You then kind of juxtapose that on to what your doctors must be thinking while you're talking to them? Does that make sense?

"Lindsay" 21:48
It does. I think in my my very specific situation, I have multiple rare issues that they don't see on a regular basis. I think that I demand a higher quality of life, I don't accept, just because I'm sick, this is how I have to feel. And I want the newest, most aggressive treatments there are in order to live the fullest life I can. And even when my doctors do want to help me with that, a lot of times it's outside of their comfort zone, because they haven't done it before. And it's easier to say it's not available, or I don't know enough about that to feel comfortable than it is for them to risk it and do something and get in trouble.

Scott Benner 22:46
Yeah, wonder where their sense of exploration is? You know what I mean? Like, I mean, listen, not for nothing. But Lindsey, you've got a number of people in your family who have died from this thing. You've got six tumors on your pancreas? Like, what's the like, what are we hurt and trying something? You don't? I mean, that is

"Lindsay" 23:05
exactly how I feel. Yeah, exactly how I feel. My PCP is great, and wants to help me. But she admits that a lot of this is outside of her scope. She is a general practitioner. And this is complex, and not something that she learned. Her job is to send me to the other people that do. So

Scott Benner 23:26
the one person you're able to talk into kind of like paying attention to your bigger ideas and concerns is powerless, and the people who are powerful? How do they treat you when you bring it up?

"Lindsay" 23:37
So I actually have had an appointment with a world renowned endocrinologist at one of the top teaching and research hospitals in the US that specializes in one of my issues. He seemed very kind he was very, how are you today? What's been going on? I know it's difficult to get here. You've traveled far, what can I do for you? So I was very hopeful first walking in and talking to him because he did seem very concerned and like he really wanted to help. And as soon as I brought up anything that was outside of what the book says, what The Book says was, that's not helpful. That doesn't really work. He told me that he has patients with this disease that are doing perfectly fine running multimillion dollar companies. And so he's not sure why I'm struggling so much. It must be my diet and exercise or

Scott Benner 24:35
the diet and exercise answer is for everything. They'll say it about anything.

"Lindsay" 24:43
And you're gonna laugh at this one. So I also I had cancer on my adrenals as well. So I had my adrenals removed. So I'm adrenal insufficient. It's not adolescence, because it's not autoimmune. But it's basically the same acts are similar, right? Yeah. So I was asking him if He knew anybody that would do cortisol pump. And he told me that infusion pumping is a matter of choice. And it's just what you want. It doesn't actually help even for diabetics on insulin pumps, it doesn't give you better control.

Scott Benner 25:17
Wait, he said an insulin pump doesn't help you more than MDI. Yes, speaking about diabetes. Yes. And so I mean, can you inject cortisol? You can, but not as specifically, and particularly with measurement and stuff like that. Yeah,

"Lindsay" 25:33
in order to do that, you have to have a doctor order some specific tests, because your cortisol isn't a straight level like insulin. Yeah, there's a range that you want to keep it in. But cortisol peaks at certain times of the day, and then tapers off. And so trying to find that balance, you need somebody willing to do serial tests throughout the day in order to find the correct dosing. And he's just like, well, the average is between 15 and 25. So you go ahead, and the lower you're on the better, so reduce it until you don't feel well. And then when you don't feel well stay there. Or if you don't like this, or you don't feel this, then try this. And it's like, no, it's just up to me just to figure it out. Do

Scott Benner 26:19
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"Lindsay" 27:47
I honestly I don't know I left really upset. And I am not sure where it's coming from. But the thing that pisses me off the most is his name is all over the treatment recommendations that teachers medical art teach in medical school, I say that's what doctors are taught is the correct treatment is being as on them. So

Scott Benner 28:13
everybody's being taught with this with his lens. Yes, yeah. Now, in your job. You sent me a thoughtful note here about this. You said? Can I just I'm gonna say what you said. Okay, you were to remember it was Oh, dear. Okay. Health care behind the scenes working in a hospital. Health care workers are human like everyone else. They have different personalities and different ways of going about treating people as well as different experiences that affect their ability to treat. And I was like, Oh, I wonder if this person doesn't want to come on and talk about like the other side of this conversation. And then you said, in the end, it's a business. And they are just a single entity of a larger system. So as much as they want things to be a certain way the system is against them. So okay, so they're operating inside of a system, they don't have a lot of autonomy, the larger goal is to make money and keep the company open every day unnecessary exams are ordered. Now, do I think those doctors are ordering them to increase revenue? No. But the system is set to cover your ass and support unnecessary testing. So I hear this argument all the time in these episodes, and I find it fascinating because to me, it's parsing words, right? Doctors order these tests, and they're unnecessary. But it's not them trying to make money. It's the company they work for trying to make money, but they know what they're doing. They know they're ordering tests they don't want the answer to but that the protocol tells them to answer. So I mean, complicit is it. I mean, at the very least you're complicit I understand if you can't go against your employer, but it's not like they're like Mary Poppins and the employers the Big Bad Wolf and Mary Poppins doesn't know that the wolf seat and the pigs, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. Okay. All right. There's a difficult balance to be a good provider and not dissolve into despair. Discuss Dr. Death and nurse Colin and how the system they worked in didn't disclose or remove their license. They ignored and covered in order to save their hospitals from negative press, the biggest information that I want to share is that patients must be part of their own, be advocates basically be involved, be heard, you need to feel valued, and understand their medical needs to get the care they deserve. So let's talk about all this for a bit. Okay, let's start with unnecessary tests. What do you mean? What do you say?

"Lindsay" 30:38
So if you come in with a complaint that I have a cough, alright, so I work I work in a hospital setting right now. And if somebody comes into the ER, they walk in, I said, a cough, let's go chest pain, you walk in with chest pain, the triage nurse, in order to get through and get results as fast as possible to find out to make sure you're not having heart attack is going to put in a list of things that's, you know, that they need to run some bloodwork a chest X ray, you have chest pain, you're getting a chest X ray, because I'm not a nurse, I don't know all the things that they put in, but then you get put into a room. Now, the order for chest X ray is put in an F, sometimes it gets made ready for me to go take the chest X ray before the patient's even seen a doctor, okay, in order to try and expedite things and get some answers. However, if you're having a heart attack, the chest X ray isn't going to help very much. Yes, you can see the heart shadow, you can see the size of the heart, you have congestive heart failure, you might have some fluid around it or an enlarged heart. So it is useful. But I've seen multiple times that I go do a chest X ray, take the patient back, and in the notes later find out that the patient fell and hit their ribs. And it's not actually chest pain. It's actually their rib. And so they didn't need any of that blood work. And instead of a chest X ray, they actually needed a rib X ray. They didn't tell the triage nurse all of that because they were just trying to get the basic information. Yeah, in order to get triaged into a room.

Scott Benner 32:15
Okay. So sometimes the the pace of how it works ends up putting people through testing that they don't need if somebody could have triage them better. Yep. Okay.

"Lindsay" 32:24
There's also multiple times that a doctor will put in an order and we'll go check with them. And they're like, We have low suspicion, they fell, they said that their hip hurts now, or their butt hurts. Now, we all know it's not broken, because they're walking on it. But because they're in the ER, everything has to be thoroughly checked out and need out. And in order to 100% verify that they don't have a broken hip, they have to go get a hip X ray. So

Scott Benner 32:49
is that an unnecessary test? Or is it necessary based on society, the system that somebody's going to come back and see you later if you get it wrong? Like it's a little bit of it like that kind of cya. It

"Lindsay" 33:01
is the way to make sure that you are thorough, even though it's mostly, I mean, you could say it is necessary that it's due diligence. But I think that if doctors didn't have that protocol, there's a lot of times that they would skip that. And even if you go into your PCP, if you're complaining about something, and they're not really sure what it is, and they think it's because you're overweight, and you need to eat better, and exercise in order to get you to shut up. They'll just order some tests, just so they can say that they've done something, even though it's not a test that you need. It's just something so that they can say until you well, we looked, we did blood work and everything came back. So see, it must be because you need to diet and exercise.

Scott Benner 33:43
You think that there are some times when there are tests that are run, just that they can shut you up and tell you the thing they want to tell you. Yes. Interesting. And maybe this perspective that they have is what stops them from actually doing like, kind of extraordinary or things like like you're asking your doctor for it, because maybe they just have this experience so often, where the person comes and going, I know what I need, I know what I need. And they're just like a like, you know, you're in a Facebook group. And the Facebook group said that, like it's not real. I went to medical school, even though I went to medical school 35 years ago, and I don't see the need for that. And so, because I wonder if it wasn't for insurance, and it wasn't for people's propensity to sue each other. I wonder if doctors would be more in inclined to just go what you want to try. Yeah, fine. I don't care. Let's try. Absolutely, yeah.

"Lindsay" 34:34
If it wasn't if there wasn't the fear of malpractice and ambulance chasers, I think it would be a lot better. Yeah.

Scott Benner 34:42
People who listen No, I've been taking GLP for weight loss for like over a year now. And I had a real plateau on seven and a half milligrams of zinc bound. And it wasn't even just a plateau like my my weight was creeping up and then going back and it was just I was like, starting to vacillate between like in a fight. pound range, which had not happened the entire time I was on it. I go to a good doctor. I go, I tell her that and she goes, Oh, we'll move you up to 10. That was it just up to 10. Now I'm two pounds lighter. Three days after starting 10 milligrams, most people would get told something not helpful, not accurate. This doctor is saying, Look, I've watched people use this stuff all day long. I see more weight loss at 10 and 12 milligrams will move you to 10 and see what happens. You're tolerating the medication, fine, who cares? You know, it's another couple of milligrams right a week. And I get great results right away from talking to a person who's not afraid. And who is paying close attention to the thing that they're doctoring. They have, like, an intimate understanding of it in a modern sense. But that's not most people situation, like most people are so busy. Like they're part of the mill at this point. Like you don't think of doctors that way. Right? But it's a machine and now they're just a cog in the wheel. Exactly. Yeah. Right. And so they're just trying to do the thing and keep it moving. If you

"Lindsay" 36:04
go in and say, Well, I'm in this Facebook group, or I'm in the support group, or I read this on WebMD, or Dr. Google. I mean, every time you go to WebMD, it tells you, you're gonna die, right? So you come in with all of these expectations and ideas of what it could be. And you say that to the doctor, and I understand why they're getting taken aback and step back a little bit. And it's like, oh, yeah, cuz you read it on the internet, you know, better. And I fully admit that I have been wrong in my assumptions. When I have gone in, there was one of my surgeries I had, I hadn't had a period for like five years because of a pituitary tumor. And I had my adrenal removed. And in the hospital, I started my period. And I started freaking out and called the nurse and was like, I'm bleeding. I'm bleeding. And she just rolled her eyes and was like, Yeah, you started your period. Everyone does it. And I'm like, No, but I don't, I don't, I'm telling you, something's wrong. And it was it was just my period. But you

Scott Benner 37:10
had five years of experience this. It's not, it's not unreasonable for you to not think that was happening right then and there.

"Lindsay" 37:16
And being scared about complications of a surgery that was just pretty invasive. So I mean, I've made mistakes, too. And I've definitely, and so I get why they're on the defensive. I see people every day come in, because there has been hurting for three years. And today was the day they decided to come in and have it looked at instead of talking to their PCP, and things like that. And so I think that you had hit the nail on the head complacency, getting in the day and day groove gets overwhelming. Yeah,

Scott Benner 37:51
I would imagine I listen, I have a family friend who has been an ER nurse for seven years. And in the beginning, their travel nurse, they would actually go to places where there was like more crime because they were looking for like to learn more like gunshots and knife wounds and stuff like that, like really critical stuff. And now seven years later, I was talking to her the other day, and she's like, I gotta get out of nursing. I can't do it anymore. Like, that was like seven years. And she's like, cooked, you know. And so I take that, and I and I'm very respectful of it. And at the same time, it doesn't help you, or me or somebody else in the moment when I'm in the ER having a real problem. And I'm, and I'm faced with a nurses cook. And they're just like, I don't care. Like just follow the checkboxes. I gotta get out of here. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, I asked her, I was like, what happened? She goes, you don't see the people like people anymore. And I was like, she goes, you just you lose your empathy at some point. And she's not on purpose. You know what I mean? It's not like you give it up. It's just how much of it can you possibly take, so I have a ton of compassion for them. But you have such an interesting perspective. Because you work in the setting. You see the stuff happening, right? You see how the doctors are doing what they're supposed to do, or what they're told to do, and how it's not always valuable. But yet, you're on the other side as a patient, and you know what it's like to be ignored by one of those people. So it's interesting, because I don't know if you realize this, but in a half an hour, you are fairly successfully arguing both sides of the argument. I

"Lindsay" 39:24
absolutely know that and it is absolutely insane to me. How many times in a day in an eight hour shift. I judge a patient before I see them. You had started to ask me earlier how I got into this field. And it was because I was a patient. I had an MRI, and the tech was short, and I was 19. I was by myself. I was scared. I didn't know what to expect. The Tech was short and rude, and it made the whole situation worse. And then the next similar I had a couple of years later, the tech was kind took an extra three seconds to explain what was going to happen to me, told me everything is going to be okay. And it alleviated my fears. And it was so easy. And I decided, I'm going to be that person for other people. I see them on their worst day, I'm going to be the comforting word. I'm going to tell them. It's okay, we got you. And that's why I got into it. So the fact that I do still that I do it on a regular basis, will read a patient notes before I go get a patient judged the patient, like, oh, my gosh, why are they here for the seventh time in two months? You know, we have regular frequent fliers, and oh, that person again. And then I get down there and realize, oh, yeah, they are human. And they just want somebody to help. And I'm being the asshole that I hate. Yeah,

Scott Benner 40:56
that's something being a person is complicated. Right? Well, this is interesting lens, isn't it? I like this. I like this perspective. Because you're you're also by the way, and I mean, this not poorly. But you're also at a level in the hospital where I bet you're a little invisible to doctors, too. Yeah, yeah. So they'll be in front of you. And you get to say it. Yeah, I thought that, okay. So

"Lindsay" 41:21
one of the things in my know was, how difficult it is, and how you have to lose some of your humanity in order to continue to do this. And because you do see people in awful situations on a daily basis, and if you took all of that home with you, you would implode, you literally can't save everybody, you can't fix it for everyone. And so you have to compartmentalize things, you have to shut yourself off, I have been in a trauma room with somebody dying on the table. They had a LUCAS device, which is a CPR device, it's like, you know, electronic compression machine, with the patient coding. They're intubating. And the doctor and the nurses and myself are in a conversation about how the director just left and I wonder who's going to take their place it like completely, like not even thinking this is somebody's family member dying on this table right here.

Scott Benner 42:26
You're having a workplace water cooler conversation around this event. Cuz the the machines doing the compressions. You've done everyone's done everything they can do. And now we're just waiting to see what's going to happen. And you guys are basically like, did you guys see the they have turkey sandwiches today in the cafeteria? Yeah. Yeah. About that.

"Lindsay" 42:44
Yeah. So we're waiting for his start heart to start pumping by itself again, so that I can take my X ray and check the intubation tube. And the next sentence after Oh, so and so left, I wonder who's going to replace them as All right, well, we need to get the family in here and explain that he's not gonna make it through this. We can't keep bringing him back.

Scott Benner 43:03
And that person past? Yes, yeah. But your point is, and I think it's an obvious point, but worth repeating. You can absorb all that as a human being over and over and over again and not lose your mind. So you disconnect from it.

"Lindsay" 43:18
I do recognize that if somebody lost their dad and brother and husband that day. And that is sad. And I am sorry to them. But I mean, yeah, I am a little emotional about it right now. But in the moment, completely cut off on emotional. I'm not thinking about it, because I still had to go take X rays for another four hours. I still have to see other patients. Yes, they still herself.

Scott Benner 43:46
Yeah, yeah. No, you you can't go on carrying the weight of everyone's world on your shoulders. That would be That's insane. I don't think any reasonable person's asking a doctor to do that. But you can't disconnect yourself to the point where you're not doing your job anymore. You don't mean or you're not hearing people when they're saying the things. For example, you're saying in your doctor's appointment, that you're being told in response, like no, sorry? No. When I'm off having a different experience with a doctor who's listening to me, am I watching my life exponentially get better, because I have a good back and forth with it. By the way, this is not a doctor who would just blindly say yes to anything I've asked. I've asked questions before to and she'll look and go, I don't think you should do that. And I'll go okay, and then I won't do it, you know, like or like that. I can see that that might be helpful. And it wouldn't be harmful if you tried. So go ahead and try. Like everything's not going to work out. But the things that aren't going to hurt you if you want to try them, try them and you need a person there to help you understand what's the stuff that's worth a shot and what's the stuff that it's not worth the risk.

"Lindsay" 44:51
Yeah, yeah. So another example that I have so I without my adrenals I don't die once electrolytes. Well, I tried drinking electrolytes. But I was having trouble, I had a ton of fatigue. So there is a medical spa where I could pay $150 to get IV fluids. So I started doing that once a week for three months, and my life significantly changed my fatigue. I went from not being able to work 40 hours a week, to working 60 plus hours a week, not even 40 hours a week sitting at a desk to back in the hospital running around the hospital not sitting down for eight hours. And I couldn't have done that without IV fluids. It literally is sailing. Yeah, how it does that much? I don't know. But it did. I have tried to be like, Oh, it has to be a placebo effect. I'll just go a few weeks. But if I go more than two weeks, I am back on the couch. And well, I was paying out of pocket $150 a week. That's not sustainable for me. And I have insurance that I pay 1000s of dollars to get I meet my out of pocket deductible of $7,000 By February, every year.

Scott Benner 46:03
And for $600 a month. They do almost anything that the formulary covers. Yeah, like they would do all that but not the thing that you're actually finding valuable. So

"Lindsay" 46:13
well the leave uncovered that if I could just get a doctor to order it.

Scott Benner 46:16
Oh my god, seriously key? Yes. Okay, go ahead. So

"Lindsay" 46:19
I asked my PCP and she said, No, she wasn't comfortable about it. She didn't understand the benefits of it. And so she wasn't comfortable. And I said, but look, I am going to do this, whether you prescribe it or not, but by you prescribing that I will save some money. And she said No, it's my medical license. If you came in here and told me that doing cocaine made you feel better. I wouldn't give you cocaine. So you can expect me to do do whatever makes you feel better.

Scott Benner 46:49
Wait, she correlated cocaine and acetylene? Yes. Oh, what an order. A great word Smith. That one was

"Lindsay" 46:59
when I saw my oncologist. A couple months later, he went, Oh, that's gotta be expensive. And I went it is he goes, how about I order it for you? I said, Thank you. So I'm getting it covered by insurance now. But it took months.

Scott Benner 47:11
Did you ask him for cocaine too?

"Lindsay" 47:14
No, I didn't. I should next time. I know. He

Scott Benner 47:17
definitely would give it to you.

"Lindsay" 47:18
I'm not sure.

Scott Benner 47:20
I mean, based on your other doctor's

"Lindsay" 47:21
opinion, since he gave me saline, why wouldn't you give me?

Scott Benner 47:26
I swear to God, if someone said that to me, I would just I'd start banging my head on whatever hard surface I was closest to. And then I would say out loud, you're looking idiot. And then I would leave? Oh my god. So anybody can become a doctor. I think it's important to say that

"Lindsay" 47:46
these get degrees, right? These are

Scott Benner 47:48
you're gonna say these nuts. For some reason. I was like, where's this going? Did you go back and tell that doctor that you got another doctor to do it?

"Lindsay" 47:59
No, I'm sure she gets the notes. I haven't seen her again.

Scott Benner 48:03
Oh, I would I would call her on the phone and tell her. Yeah, I'd be like, Yeah, I found a compassionate person. And I'm taking the $600 a month and I'm putting it in the bank or buying food with it or whatever. Well, I mean, the way the world is right now getting a sandwich.

"Lindsay" 48:17
Yeah. Went to the grocery store once and got half a cart. Yeah, I think we

Scott Benner 48:21
live in a world where 20 $25 an hour is the new like minimum wage for what everything costs, you know? Yeah. Anyway, what are we not talking about that we should have so far? Do you have a from work story that if you told it that people listenings balls would shrink to the size of raisins and run back up inside their body? Are you more of a big picture? Yes.

"Lindsay" 48:45
So I mean, the whole reason that what I thought I was going to come on and talk about was, I mean, we've covered most of the points that this gives. But when I first got my license, I

Scott Benner 48:57
Lindsay masterfully because I'm an amazing host. And I've stepped us through this in a very entertaining way. I don't know if you've noticed or not. But oh, thank you. I'm just teasing. I just needed a second take a drink. That's all gonna be take a drink and then I want to hear this guide you you go down that road. Let me hear it.

"Lindsay" 49:16
Alright, so when I first got my license, I actually worked for a physician owned company that had different divisions and I worked for the radiology division. So I worked directly for the radiologists. It wasn't actually taking x rays. I was actually working behind the scenes doing scenes doing administrative work, making phone calls, connecting them to doctors making sure orders were correct and things like that. And this is kind of when I realized that medical is just another business. I got to know those radiologists very well. They know my medical history. I had amazing radiologists that sat outside the CT radiologist cave when you watch TV and use the hungriest Anatomy, the neurosurgeons sitting in the CT waiting for the patient images to come up. That's absolutely ridiculous. They don't walk in, they don't go in those rooms at all. It's a tech. So I actually had a radiologist know, I was getting an exam. And so she actually did Wait, not in the CT ring, but like at her desk right outside and sit down with me and go through the images, I got a very good relationship with several of these doctors. And because I knew them, so Well, I knew that they meant the best, they wanted to do the best for what they were doing, they are trying to diagnose and take care of things. However, they have a business to run and to make money. And the more money they make, the more they all get paid. And they do a lot of great things. They do a lot of charities, charities and stuff. But ultimately, that's what it boils down to. And they would run reports monthly, and wait the different exams, because you can read an x ray a whole lot faster than you can read a CT and body CT a lot faster than you can read a brain MRI. So they wait the average time it should take to read each of those studies, and then pull reports on how many each radiologist completed and tell them this is how many man hours you completed last month. And then they would take all of the people and they would average it and anybody that was below it would have pressure to work faster. Yeah, to go faster, you took more than 30 seconds to read an x ray, that's not good enough, you need to get pumped out more numbers. And there's this constant pressure on them to do more, get more complete more. Because if we're not completing all of the exams, then we're gonna have to hire another person on which is going to reduce the revenue that everybody else is making. Sure, if you want to do less work, and everybody wants to do less work than we can bring on 10 more employees 10 More radiologists split the work between them, you can work less hours, but you're also going to cut your paycheck in half, right? So there's this constant pressure and actual arguing between some of the radiologists that other person's not pulling their weight. Well, I read 359 hours worth of exams last month and you only build 250. So why are we making this thing? Right?

Scott Benner 52:19
Yeah, and keep up or they're gonna hire somebody else that is going to cut in all our money.

"Lindsay" 52:24
Yeah. So that brings it to things getting skipped things getting missed, because you're in a rush, because you've been staring at a screen for seven hours without a lunch break. Because, you know, and every those styles and personalities come into it. There's one radiologist that wants you to code down the image as small as you can to barely get the anatomy because anything extra they're now responsible for, and then other people that want you to get a full picture.

Scott Benner 52:53
And that's the difference between somebody who wants to do a good job and somebody who wants to keep their numbers up, right?

"Lindsay" 52:59
Yeah, I believe they all want to do a good job. But there's outside pressures pushing on them. And after years and years of the same, you've got to hurry up, you got to hurry up, you've got to get more the more we get done. Oh, now this hospital is bringing on another MRI, which means we're now going to have 27 More exams in a day that we have to read. So now you have to squish that in before we get another radiologists.

Scott Benner 53:28
So it's funny because I don't want to see people lose their jobs. Right. But is there not going to be a waiver, like aI kind of thing can read these images much better in the future than a person can? Or is there something about it that needs a human touch?

"Lindsay" 53:43
So there are actually some, especially with breast imaging, they do have some AI software that goes through and will like highlight areas of concern. There will always be a human person over looking at. But there is you know, there's that constant caveat of might miss it too. How long is it going to be before you start trusting that software more than your eye? Oh, because it didn't catch anything. Now you're not going to look at it with the same Yeah. attitude or it is in the works. Yeah,

Scott Benner 54:16
the thing you just described, like, I want to be clear, I don't have anything it's people making money. And doctors, you know, and they're making more than other people but I mean, God bless them. They went to college like you don't I mean, like they they're set up a business they're following the structure of how the world works. I don't have any problem with that. When you're knowingly telling people to go faster. And you know, that means do a poor job. You don't mean to do less quality work, then you have to say okay, well when we can't make as much money or we gotta hire better people are more people are that's a weird decision to make like in you know, we'll skip quality for quantity.

"Lindsay" 54:55
But you just because I played devil's advocate and like you said this whole Interview, I'm playing both sides. And they do have a quality department, they do do quality checks, they will randomly pull exams and have a second person look at them to make sure and if one person is starting to miss too many things, or if they do get a doctor to say, come back years later that something was missed, they do a quality review. And they do a root cause analysis. And so they do the things to catch the other side as well. Yeah. And so it's just they're trying to find a balance. And me as a patient, before going there, assumed that the doctor was taking as much time as they need to thoroughly go through my history and see exactly what they're looking for, and spend the hour or however long I thought it would take to look through my scan. And that's just not the case, they get a few snippets of details about while you're getting the scan, they can if there's something confusing, or if it's complicated, they can go back into your medical history and get more information. They do spend a lot of time consulting with doctors and back and forth. I'm not saying it's completely on an island. But it is not as much as I expected.

Scott Benner 56:15
Yeah, so here's where I'm going to say to you, Lindsay, that people are people, and it doesn't matter what walk of life we're judging them in, you're gonna get about a human job out of them. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm not judging anybody. But you know, there's in every possible thing that we could focus on, you're going to hear stories like this, that mean, part of the reason I started doing this, is because I wanted people to hear from doctors, from nurses from people in health care, whatever. I wanted them to hear like the truth, because people have that feeling that you started with, which is, there's like, there's special different people. And they're, it's just not true. They're not special and different. They're just people like everybody else. And they have shortcomings, and some of them are lazy, and some of them aren't. And some of them care more about money than people and some of them keep care more about people than money. And there's a mix of those people out in the world. And my point is, you don't know which one you're getting. But it's a disservice to you to always imagine that the one you're getting is the bestest one ever. And so you have to pay attention. That's where we end up saying to people, like you need to be your own best advocate. But that's also insulting. Because if I hire a plumber to change out my hot water heater, do I stare at him for six hours while he's doing it to be my own best advocate in case he doesn't sweat a pipe? Right? Like, no, right? Like, you know, watch

"Lindsay" 57:40
a YouTube video before he shows up so that you can make sure he does every step. Right.

Scott Benner 57:44
Right. Exactly. And right. But maybe that is what's happening in health. Yeah, is that people are coming in with their information. And some of its right and some of it's wrong. But ironically, some of its being ignored when it would be very valuable. by a doctor who hasn't heard about this, you know, hasn't, he's been out of school for 15 years. And now suddenly, as hard as it is to believe if you're a physician, there might be someone in a Facebook group who knows more about cortisol pumping than you do. For example, or you might be faced with a person who says, I listen, I listen to a podcast, and this guy told me I should Pre-Bolus like 15 minutes before a meal. And that might not be a thing that you would tell somebody to do. It doesn't make it wrong. And if you're not willing to dive deeper into that, to find out if the thing they're saying is actually right or not. That's where you're doing the disservice. Like I get saying what you heard on a podcast like, oh, boy, let's slow down. i Great. Like I get that if I was a doctor and someone came in and said, I heard on a podcast, I'd be like, Whoa, slow your roll. But I would just dismiss them. In less. I was so burned out that I couldn't. And are we just caught this loop. It's why I genuinely believe that you're going to see people have like personal AI assistants. And it might be for more than just health care, but for health care, and where eventually I think I think it's possible medicine turns into a thing where you go to a physician and you say, Look, I've been plugging in everything. It's been happening to me for the last two months. And my algorithm thinks this is what's going on. And then the doctor is going to be more of less of a physician. You know, a person who sits there and tries to help you figure out what's going on and more of a button pusher says okay, well what's the algorithm think we should do next? Let's try it. And then they'll they'll go over it and say, Okay, I see how it came to all this. But I think the truth is, is that you're going to be able to if you just stop on its face and think about what AI is. It's just like what's chat GPT right. It's a thing that basically has read everything that's available on the internet, and a doctor is up person who we sit in a room for eight years and try to push as much information into their head as we possibly can. Well, you can push more information into AI than you can into a person.

"Lindsay" 1:00:08
And things change, we learn about new things about the body,

Scott Benner 1:00:13
right? And doctors don't generally speaking, even those in like, in specific categories where they're like, I'm only going to pay attention to this, those people end up usually knowing more, because they're surrounded by it all the time. But once you start pulling back, like, you know, a PCP like me, what are you saying, like, they haven't been at school and 25 years, they don't know, they know what they know, they don't go home every day, and continue to read the Internet or continue to take in all the studies. Whereas you can just have this AI just continually keep training itself on new NIH articles and published data and, you know, all kinds of stuff that would actually help you make a better decision. I think you're gonna see healthcare get a lot better in the next 10 years.

"Lindsay" 1:00:56
I sure hope so. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:00:58
but here's gonna be the problem. There are a lot of people making a great living being doctors right now. And they're not going to want to see it happen. And I understand that. I genuinely do. I bet you the my guy who picked up the garbage got really pissed when the trash truck learned how to pick up the cam by himself.

"Lindsay" 1:01:14
My argument about that all the time when people say, Oh, technology is going to take jobs is, but somebody has to do the technology. There has to be somebody behind the scenes, making the algorithms, feeding the software, teaching it new things, still doing the research to add into it. It's just trading jobs. It's not taking jobs, and

Scott Benner 1:01:35
I'll give you a Yeah, but yeah, yeah. But it's like when they told coal miners, don't worry, we'll retrain you for tech jobs, you really think you're gonna take a 55 year old coal miner and teach them how to write Python? That's true. Yeah, that's not gonna happen. You have to recognize that we're not. If we're not in forward motion, then we're here forever. Yeah. And so it's a personal thing, you have to say, Oh, I'm going to become obsolete inside of my adult like money making lifetime, that's going to be tough. That's going to be bad. But instead of worrying about it, I say, I don't know, listen, it's easy to say like, we're moving towards Star Trek, like, don't just want to get up in the morning and put on your foil suit and do whatever you want to do.

"Lindsay" 1:02:13
Have them come scan you with a wand and tell you exactly what's wrong with you

Scott Benner 1:02:17
not want a magic wand. Is that what you're against? No, no. But you know what I mean? Like, like if these things in the short term are taking jobs from people think that's obviously going to happen. Yeah. But that's where you'll start getting involved in the idea of like, both things just happen, you know, maybe people won't need jobs. And listen, we could go down another road and say, Oh, then people are going to become lazy and not do anything. And but there's going to be a lot of growing pain around this. And it's going to go on for 150 years. Yeah, that's true. But in this moment, you are not going to stop the progress that this is. No and and so I think you're watching doctors as an example, just like in a lot of other jobs, you are watching people become obsolete, for good reasons. Because people can't do as good of a job as this thing's going to be able to do at some point. And, you know, that causes a lot of concern. I understand. I would also like a beach house. I don't have one, but I can see where it would be nice. It would be nice. But the point is, is that like you're not stopping this train. There

"Lindsay" 1:03:23
are people out there that are progressiveness, and I just need to find them. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:03:29
Well, that's that's always the tough part. Like me, even finding the doctor that helps me like it was not easy to do. And by the way, she doesn't take new patients. Of course not right, because she's a she's a cache doctor. And then I mean, we turn into our and it's, we're actually very lucky, I pay her cash, and then we get reimbursed like 90% or something like that. So it's not a problem for us financially. Just have to have a little money in the beginning to get, you know, to pay her until it comes back. But the problem is, is like I almost had to like crowbar myself into her practice. And once you get a good doctor like that, and they fill up with enough people, they're not out there in that mad scramble that you were talking about. Because this is a lady who's not trying to become wealthy. She's trying to help you just trying to help the people. She's helping. Yeah. And she's very comfortable and happy doing it. And so she does it. You know, lovely woman, like, I mean, I've seen her home, she's not living in ostentatious lifestyle. She's just helping, she's doing a really good job helping the people she helps. And so I think you're gonna see more of that you're gonna see more of these cash doctors split off. But then the problem becomes is that you're better doctors are going to do that. And then it's going to leave the system full of people who aren't capable of doing that because nobody be interested in paying them. And then, you know, then that maybe is where in the short term you see things get a little worse. Anyway, this has been horrible. Like every one of these episodes makes me feel horrible, right?

"Lindsay" 1:04:52
So I wouldn't mind growing up I had the respect your elders and you know a lot Just respect for other people, I had high expectations, I was the top of everything that I did. And I had the expectation that everybody else was like that. When you walk into the doctor's office, the doctor knows everything about your health, because they went to school for 13 years. They know. I mean, it's so much. So I had this expectation that I thought if I walked into the Home Depot, and said, I need this tool, that any person in that building would be able to walk me straight over to that tool, show me how to use it, tell me exactly everything I needed, because they worked in Home Depot, so they must know every single thing.

Scott Benner 1:05:36
You grew up, sheltered deer. Yeah, very much

"Lindsay" 1:05:41
so. And becoming an adult and realizing that that is not life was a little earth shattering. But also, for people that don't have a lot of medical issues. And they go to their PCP once a year for their annual checkup and say that, yep, you're good. That might still be the case, they might still feel like when they walk into the dark, the doctor's office, their doctor knows everything. Every four years, they get a cold, or a flu, and they go in and they get some antibiotics, and they're better and their doctor fixed everything like that still their life, they still have the expectation that their doctor knows everything. Anybody that has a rare disease, that actually has to go to doctors on a regular basis, starts to realize that they are just human, just like everybody else. And that this is just a job. They only have the knowledge of the experiences that they've experienced. And that's when you have to learn to advocate for yourself to learn to fight and learn the information on your own to take back right and

Scott Benner 1:06:39
plenty people go to the home store and just need a screwdriver. And the whoever they bumped into knows where the screwdrivers are. And they all leave saying, Oh, I had an amazing experience. I'm going to end on this. But this is the thing I've learned one of the things I've learned making the podcast, if you ask people about their health, how's your agency? Oh, it's it's seven and a half. I felt okay. Not bad. Also could come down, right? And you talk for a little while longer. They don't quite understand how their insulin works. They've got some shortcomings and their management ideas, blah, blah, blah. And then you ask them about their doctor. How's your doctor? Oh, I love it's great. Oh, she's fantastic. I just part of my family, like a URI one. C 7.9. You love your doctor. That would be like saying, I went got my tires changed and they put on I don't know, almost all the lug nuts when they put my tires back. And when I said how did you like your tire experience? And oh my god, amazing. Great guy. Why? Because he chatted you up while you were there. Because they had the magazine you liked in the in the waiting room? Like why? Why do you like a person who's not doing a good job for you? Well, they're great. I'm like, okay, they're great. The job they're doing subpar. But that's not how people see people over and over again. I see people do that. They say my doctors fantastic. And no, I drill down with them their cares, not good. Yeah. And I'm like, I don't understand why you told me your doctor was fantastic. They don't know any better. Yeah, they will. And then you know, and then like you said, then people who are not really sick or don't need like, care that that's ongoing. If you ask them how their doctors are gonna say they're fantastic. This is what happens. It's why you can't trust people's reviews of things. It's why people have different experiences when they get there. I just want to end on this because I always want to say this at the end of these episodes. No matter what you heard here today, you fall you break your arm, you have a pain in your chest, go to the goddamn emergency room, there are plenty of things that hospitals are fantastic at and you want to take advantage of those things. Don't become anti doctor, just pay attention and learn more so that you can be you can be more aware of what's happening to you. That's all I'm saying. And

"Lindsay" 1:08:42
take a family member with you. Especially if you're older. Have a second person in the room to listen because if you aren't feeling well, or you get bad news, you're you're shut off and you don't listen. Yeah, anytime you're able have a second person I

Scott Benner 1:08:57
agree. 100% All right. Well, Lindsey, if that is your name, which it isn't. Thank you very much for doing this. I really do appreciate it. And I want to wish you good luck with your with your medical issues.

"Lindsay" 1:09:08
Thank you very much. I want to thank you for everything you've you've done with this podcast. I've been going back and listening to episodes in the hundreds and every single episode I thoroughly enjoy. So thank you for all of the time that you put into this. You really are changing people's lives.

Scott Benner 1:09:26
You made my day. Thank you. That's very nice of you. Hold on one second. Okay.

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 juicebox Arden started Using a contour meter because of its accuracy, but she continues to use it because it's adorable and trustworthy. If you have diabetes, you want the contour next gen blood glucose meter. There's already so many decisions. Let me take this one off your plate contour next one.com/juicebox Today's episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom G seven, which now integrates with a tandem T slim x two system. Learn more and get started today at dexcom.com/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 afterdark. There you'll see a full list of all of the after dark episodes. I just want to remind you one last time what a big deal would be if you went to T one d exchange.org/juicebox and completed the survey. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

#1214 Queen of Pointless Stories

Johnna has type 1 diabetes.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, welcome to episode 1214 of the Juicebox Podcast

today I'm going to be speaking with Gianna she's got like four kids, she made them all in like a very short amount of time. She has type one diabetes, and I don't know what to tell you this episodes about, but I did really like jhana 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. 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/juicebox Want to help Of course you do T one D exchange.org/juicebox complete the survey. That's all I need from you. That's all the T one D exchange needs from you but they might give you a little bit more back than that. You're gonna have to go find out T one D exchange.org/juice. Box complete the survey. You need to be a US resident who has type one or is the caregiver of someone with type one. If you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juicebox Podcast private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes

Alright, I'm gonna have to pull back the fourth wall for a second on these ads. It's coming to my attention online that a lot of you think I don't know how to say FOMO and in the Omni pod ads I'm mispronouncing it. It's the fear of missing out on Omni pod. More O's mu right. So you don't go fo mu that sounds weird because it sounds like fo F a UX mu so you go full mu. I mean really like Don't come at me in the messages. Okay. This this episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod Do you have FOMO fear of missing out on Omni pod? Well, you don't have to go to my link. Omni pod.com/juicebox Get rid of that. FOMO so many emails and messages. Scott, I just want to let you know I think you're you're mispronouncing FOMO. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the only implantable sensor rated for long term wear up to six months. The ever since CGM ever since cgm.com/juicebox. Hello,

Johnna 2:37
my name is Jana sullair. I live in Chicago. I'm 42 years old and I have four kids and I'm a type one diabetic.

Scott Benner 2:44
Gianna, do you know that while your setup for audio was not the longest it's ever been for me with people? It was the most amusing. I'm very happy to hear that. Thank you. I really appreciate it like those little latter part. Those, what would you call this? They're not kerfuffles? Are they? No, no, those moments are more frequent than you would think. If you're listening to the podcast, and people get on and they're just like, I don't know how the machine works. Like like that happens sometimes. And sometimes it goes on forever and ever. But yours was different. Most people's go almost exactly the same. This was a first for me. So thank you very much.

Johnna 3:22
You know, the last time somebody they didn't thank me, but I had to say you're welcome that I remember was when, after my the birth of my first the resident was like, well, now I'm all wet and I have to change my scrubs, which I've wanted to do a couple hours ago. So thank you.

Scott Benner 3:42
It's not really a compliment and you didn't really help. Exactly. I just sorted that's pretty nice. Oh my God, what did you do that poor person?

Unknown Speaker 3:52
I was in a certain position.

Scott Benner 3:54
The wrong one apparently. My gosh. Well, he learned something too. Okay, so you have type one diabetes for how long? I

Johnna 4:02
am at what is this? 20 2311 years now? Wow.

Scott Benner 4:07
23 years? 11 years for you. So what do you do your math

Johnna 4:11
on this one?

Unknown Speaker 4:11
I got 32 Yeah,

Johnna 4:14
so I was diagnosed right before I turned 31. Okay, gotcha. The year I turned 31.

Scott Benner 4:20
Is there any diabetes in your family? There

Johnna 4:23
is not an actually in front of me. I got this out yesterday because I knew you would ask that. I'm adopted. Oh, and so I have very little background for my family. But I have these papers because it was a private adoption, closed adoption. And I have these papers from 1981 that talk about the medical background of my birth parents and the only thing on here it has for my birth father asthma. I believe in his father. It has for my mother epilepsy on her with her sister. Yeah,

Scott Benner 4:58
useless. Those things are once your pinkie. They come up to a person is giving their baby away and like, is there any medical trouble in your family and like the guy was probably like my grandpop don't breathe good. And you know, like,

Johnna 5:13
the hands like died of heart attack died of stroke. But yeah,

Scott Benner 5:18
what does that mean? Did they smoke all the time? Well, and

Johnna 5:21
here's the one that got me on my dad's side, it says mental retardation, rather than special ed classes for reversal problems. He sees things backwards. And I was like, wow, they call dyslexia mental retardation in 1981,

Scott Benner 5:36
and 81. And you see things backwards. Yep.

Johnna 5:40
which I would consider to be dyslexia, which, you know, now is so common. That's gotta

Scott Benner 5:44
be what that meant, right? Yeah. I don't know. I show him an eight. He sees an eight. Where do you know what state you were adopted out of? I

Johnna 5:55
don't want to make fun of people. Sorry. No, that's okay. In Illinois.

Unknown Speaker 5:58
Oh, is that a place where people don't know things?

Johnna 6:03
Depending on what zip code you're and I would say yes. And maybe even block

Speaker 1 6:07
the AES though. I guess you're right. Like Dick's dyslexia, get a designation. Dyslexia

Johnna 6:14
did not become big until I would say mid to late 90s. And then it kept growing. Yeah, cuz I was, I went to I, my undergrad, I did teaching and I started learning more about dyslexia. And like I didn't even learned until after. So it was in the 2000s. I learned there's like, at least three different types, if not more,

Scott Benner 6:37
I have to tell you that you just said that dyslexia didn't become big until is maybe the funniest thing anyone's gonna say to me today. You were like, do you remember when Van Halen really took off? Was that eruption solo, by the way my googling of dyslexia when it began only returned. A Omari isn't enthusiastic is enthusiastic about vegan cooking, and wants to dispel myths about the meat free food is bland and boring. The hell that has Oh, he's a young dyslexic vegan chef, someone, someone with no conscience named this blog post young dyslexic vegan chef in a vain attempt to get clicks and I'm insulted by it. That's all well, kids got a lot of juice on the internet. Good for you. Oh Mari she's He's everywhere. Somebody here back like this kids, like incredibly famous. I'm the only one that doesn't know who he is. Anyway. So you're you have no family background to speak of as far as what could be or what can be that make you ensure you have 1000 kids? So did that make you interested in like doing, like trial and error testing for them?

Johnna 7:51
No, it did not. But I don't know if I would want to do because I've been thinking about that. Because I'm already like, oh my gosh, you peed a couple times more than usual. Yeah. Is this going to continue? You know, I guess if we got negative results, I would be very excited. But if we had more factors, I would be like just waiting even more for the shoe to drop. I think today's

Scott Benner 8:17
podcast is sponsored by the ever since CGM. Boasting a six month sensor. The ever sent CGM offers you these key advantages distinct on body vibe alerts when higher low, a consistent and exceptional accuracy over a six month period. And you only need two sensors per year. No longer will you have to carry your CGM supplies with you. You won't have to be concerned about your adhesive not lasting, accidentally knocking off a sensor or wasting a sensor when you have to replace your transmitter. That's right. There's no more weekly or bi weekly hassles of sensor changes. Not with the ever sent CGM. It's implantable and it's accurate ever since cgm.com/juicebox. The ever since CGM is the first and only long term CGM ever since sits comfortably right under the skin and your upper arm and it lasts way longer than any other CGM sensor. Never again will you have to worry about your sensor falling off before the end of its life. So if you want an incredibly accurate CGM that can't get knocked off and won't fall off. You're looking for the ever since CGM. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. Do you sleep with a bat next to your bed? Is your husband a Viking? How'd you have four kids what's going on? Catholic God Gotcha. What happened?

Johnna 9:42
I wanted a big family and I set out to meet that goal and met it will get you

Scott Benner 9:49
good just setting goals and breaking right through them. It's like the one goal in life that you would think that by the second time you start going yeah, it was I think

Johnna 10:01
My oldest was not old enough for me to own while neither of the two oldest were old enough for me to rethink that.

Scott Benner 10:07
Would you do them in two packages? Are they like kids and kids?

Johnna 10:10
They're just all about two years apart.

Unknown Speaker 10:12
Oh, wow. You're on a schedule. Yeah, yeah.

Scott Benner 10:16
Are you done now? Or is your husband set to have sex again? And nine months? What's going on?

Johnna 10:19
No, I plan to be done. He actually brought up vasectomy. So we'll see if he follows through on that and reaches that goal. But

Scott Benner 10:28
I bet you thought about that. While he was very tired at work one day.

Johnna 10:32
You know, like, oh, yeah, right. He sleeps through the night like nothing. You know, at three I was like, Yeah, you know, what's, what's one more guys, you know? And now that I have four, I'm like, you know, if we have a fifth, we have a fifth. Really? Hopefully we don't. Wow, I will actually work to not have a fifth.

Scott Benner 10:48
Just man you married. Is he super handsome or something? What's going on?

Johnna 10:52
We do make beautiful babies for you. Okay. gratulations.

Scott Benner 10:55
It's nice. I'd be sleeping with a bat next to my bed. If I was you. I'd feel the blankets move. And I'd be like, no, no, no, no, it's not happening.

Johnna 11:03
I'm hoping that with the more kids I have at least one that will take care of me as I get older. Oh,

Scott Benner 11:08
that's a valid plan, too. You think one of them could make a couple of bucks. And then you see that one being smart. And that's where you really lay the Mommy loves you thing. I got you. Daddy didn't want you I fought for you.

Unknown Speaker 11:24
Oh my god, that seems like so many kids to me.

Johnna 11:28
It's a lot of kids. It really is. When I had my third, I was consistently worried that I was going to leave one somewhere. Yeah, I can't imagine not. And at this point, I just don't care.

Scott Benner 11:38
I'm gonna say a thing. That's not anybody's business. But I grew up around a lot of baseball and softball, as a parent, right. So I know it's a weird thing to say I grew up around, but I became a parent. And my kids, my son played baseball since he was honestly just before it was four years old. And then, Artem began to play softball when she was five. So I've been around, like meeting families that you wouldn't otherwise meet, you know, for a long time. Some of them are just incredibly lovely. And honestly, most of them are except for a couple of the monsters and these lunatics that think their kids are going to play for the Yankees like other than that, like everybody's been really cool. This one lady who is as sweet as could possibly be, had four children. The youngest one, whose name I wish him the best nickname in the world that I can't share with you because it'll literally say Who exactly he is if somebody's listening, but he was the youngest. And I can remember being at like baseball fields, I don't mean once or twice, where someone says, Hey, where's blank? And she'd go? I don't? Did I bring him she wasn't joking. She wasn't certain if the child was in her physical presence at the baseball field or at home. This kid must have we thought he was feral. Like the way he just kind of moved around, you know, but if I'm being honest, I think he's the most solid of their four kids. And I don't know what that says about them. Exactly. But um, but this they never knew where he was. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I've watched them look for him for 30 minutes, only to figure out that he was in another location with a different person. So that I don't think is an unfounded fear for you. I think that just it becomes a numbers game at some point. But what about the money and feeding them and putting clothes on them? Did you just wrap them in like brown paper bags? Or,

Johnna 13:31
you know, that's a good idea. No,

Scott Benner 13:35
you're actually buying them clothing. All right, well, you listen, you're independently wealthy. I didn't understand who I was talking to. But okay, I gotta go.

Johnna 13:42
Yeah, I wish and Well, the thing that works out is the oldest two are boy and girl so the younger two can just live in all the clothes they have. No so it's like we only have two kids you know? It's just the the food thing

Scott Benner 13:56
to kids that you care about and to kids that you just wrapping swaddles whatever they I got you, you know, hey, I want to just say to strong possibility that we call this episode young dyslexic vegan chef.

Speaker 2 14:12
Because I could use the clicker. It has the most clicks. I can use the clicks

Scott Benner 14:16
to Alright, anyway, can you imagine if that guy got back to me? And he was like, Hey, man, that's my thing, not yours. Get away from it. Alright. Okay, so you're you've but you were diagnosed as an how many kids did you have when you were diagnosed?

Johnna 14:29
Euro

Scott Benner 14:30
Wait a minute. You've had four children and 11 years? No,

Johnna 14:33
I had four children in six years.

Unknown Speaker 14:36
Six years. Oh my God. Are you okay?

Johnna 14:40
I don't know.

Speaker 1 14:42
You got arrested? Jesus. God didn't cry at the end. We did it. But you said the the the OB had to change. No, no. Wait, didn't you get the OB all wet when you gave birth? Oh, that

Johnna 15:00
was the first Resident so I go to a teaching hospital so it's completely different doctors every time I deliver, okay,

Scott Benner 15:05
I was just making a joke about Gotcha. The OB had to change

Johnna 15:09
like somebody else had to see me in general. change their clothes on

Scott Benner 15:14
the you ruin that joke that was set up. I know it was so good. You have no idea like it made. It made squeamish people upset but they're still like, I get what he's saying. And everyone else is cracking up and then you mess it up at the end. Okay, it's on your phone. Don't worry. We'll get past try not to do it again. We're gonna get past it. We're just gonna let it go. Oh, by the way, before we move on, let's tell people the problem when you were setting up the app is you needed to swipe one way and you were swiping the other way.

Johnna 15:42
Yes, swiping left and right is not my thing. I do not swipe. I'm

Scott Benner 15:45
like it says swipe, swipe left. Like that doesn't work. It doesn't work. But you were moving the thing. Oh my god. Anyway, let's not get over that onto that. But sometimes people move their finger one way. Think about them. Anyway. It's not important. All right. So your what's your oh my god, I've

Johnna 16:01
never been diagnosed as dyslexic so well, not yet.

Scott Benner 16:03
Oh, my God even put that together. Where am I on this? I'm giving you crap for not following it. I'm not following. It was all set up for me and I let it go. Okay, wow. So you were diagnosed with type one diabetes at 31 years old? How did it come on? Let's talk about the first couple of years. And then I want to hear about making all these babies with diabetes. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Omni pod five. And this is for all of you who wrote to me. I'm just gonna say pho mood this time instead of foo, although I like FOMO. But whatever. A lot of people in my private Facebook group, talk about their love for Omni pod five. Have you ever seen those posts and thought, Oh, I wish I could have that experience with an insulin pump too. If you answered yes, you might be experiencing FOMO fear of missing out on Omni pod symptoms may include but are not limited to dreaming about walking past the doorknob without getting your tubing caught. fantasizing about jumping into a swimming pool without disconnecting from your insulin pump first, and wishing you could wear outfits without pockets. There's good news. You don't have to suffer from FOMO. any longer. You can see what you're missing by trying Omni pod fi for yourself. Just visit Omni pod.com/juice box to get started. Is everyone happy now?

Johnna 17:29
Oh my gosh. So this is the other thing. I was like, let me be on this podcast because I haven't heard the story. But then I fully realized I am late. I'm one to come to realizations later on. So I started listening to your podcast maybe a year ago. And I was like, Oh, he's got a lot. I haven't. And then more recently, I was like, I haven't heard any diagnostic stories like mine. Okay, let me you know, get on this. And then I'm like, wait, he's got like, over 1000 podcasts. Now. I

Scott Benner 17:59
may not have just heard that. Well, listen, I'm gonna tell you somebody said something to me yesterday, I had never heard before. And in 1100 G's probably 1200 times recording the podcast. No one's ever swiped the wrong way. And were absolutely sure that they weren't. So you know, new stuff happens all the time. Don't worry about so what's your story? Tell me.

Johnna 18:19
Okay. So I was in my doctorate level program, doing some not fellowship work, but something like fellowship work. We were doing stuff over the summer, we were preparing to do or maybe we were doing it, I think we were already doing it. I don't remember the line of events. I just specifically remember. It was the year my best friend and I, at the time in graduate school had created this preschool program. And so we were running that. And we had to get different clothes, or we didn't have to get different clothes. We just decided like, let's make ourselves wear this like uniform, which was yoga pants and a T shirt. You know, working with three year olds. So we did that. And I don't know if it was right before, right after. But I was an I had lots of dogs at the time. So no kids, lots of dogs. And I would take them for walks. And I'd be like, I'm so out of breath. And even we I would walk across the street to this like dog park lat thing. Just just an empty lot, not a true dog park and let them run around and just walking across the street. I was like, I'm so out of breath, what's going on? And then I started being thirsty and going the bathroom a lot. Nothing registered. Nothing clicked for me. And this was going on for a few weeks. I'm like, let me try drinking some different things. Let me try. I don't know why. But I remember eating licorice. Like red. Twizzlers? Yeah. I don't know why, you know, and looking back and like, Oh, I was drinking orange juice and Twizzlers that really helped. So I'm drinking water going in the bathroom like two The point where I'm like, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna pee my pants I did once. And then a couple times, I was like, I think I'm going to pass out. Well, before that I was also teaching online. So during graduate coursework, so I had to look at the screen and grade papers and things like that. And then one night, I was looking at the TV screen. And I'm like, the TV screen looks a little blurry. And then the next day, I get online to do my course. And I can't read it at all. And like, it's the I'm like, I cannot read, I have to go to the eye doctor, we have like this. Like, I thought I problems were gradual. I don't have any glasses, no context, no vision problems. In 30 years. I'm like, here it is. So I go to a LensCrafters.

Speaker 2 20:45
I don't know why it made me laugh. So I know, right?

Johnna 20:49
Like, go to a LensCrafters. The doctor walks in and examines my eyes. And he's like, here's your prescription. I also remember afterwards, reading all the things on the wall. One of them in particular was about how diabetes affects the eyes, he gives me a prescription for glasses. I go home with them. The next day, I don't need the glasses. My vision is back to normal. And

Scott Benner 21:14
yeah, you're like, oh, this are those self healing glasses. They're fantastic. So

Johnna 21:19
my vision keeps changing. And really soon after. I'm to the point where I'm like, I'm going to pass out. And my husband's like, I'm taking you to the hospital. I don't think you look great. And at the time, we were not married. We did not live together. But he lived in the same building. I did. And I'm just like, okay, so we go to the ER at, it's like, late at night. But we're in Chicago. And at the time, I didn't have health insurance. So I go to Cook County, sitting in the emergency room for hours. I think it's like five hours, and probably like one or two in the morning. Well, you couldn't

Scott Benner 21:59
see the clock. How do you know how long it was? Yeah,

Johnna 22:01
exactly. So I don't know if it was before they sent me to the waiting room, or I had to wait this long to, but I get to like the lady where she was like getting my info and stuff. And she pricks my finger. And as I was thinking about this to tell you, I don't know, if she was telling me like diagnosing me you're diabetic? Or asking, like, asking, like how long you've been diabetic, right? And so I think my blood sugar was somewhere around 800 G's. So that's, you know, I learned in the emergency room, and they're like, we're gonna put you in a bay and get your blood sugar down. And then you can come back and meet with the diabetes team. On what you know, next week, whenever it's

Scott Benner 22:49
fascinating when we went to the little kiosk at the emergency room where we took art, and I remember that we created that confusion unknowingly by saying, Our daughter has diabetes. And what we meant to say, Well, what we meant to say was we just figured out that our daughter has diabetes, and we're bringing her here. And there was like this moment of like, pause I remember pause and confusion, while the person behind the things like do it like that. So what about diabetes? And we were like, oh, no, wait a minute. You know, and then like we just figured out I have a couple of questions. The first one I don't want to sound disrespectful, but it's probably going to be

Johnna 23:24
that's okay, I'm not easily offended. We'll find out.

Scott Benner 23:28
What the hell did that story have to do with you wearing yoga pants?

Johnna 23:31
Oh, because I had lost like, over 20 pounds. And so the size of yoga pants was drastically different than what I like would have gone to buy like if I would have said hey, go get me like this size yoga pants. That's not what I needed. I needed like two sizes smaller. And it didn't dawn on me I'd lost all this

Scott Benner 23:52
weight. Did I not hear you say that? Are you setting up to say that and then never said it? I don't think I ever said it. Yeah, I was like baffled. So I literally just like the yoga pants have to be key important to this episode. By the way keep when I say key important. I'm making fun of Paula Abdul on the first season of American Idol. Anybody old enough to know that? Enjoy your laugh right now. But I thought this must be incredibly important. Like she's telling you like exactly what she was wearing. And then it never came back up again. I was like, it was upset. But my other thing is I think you're the first adult who's admitted to paying themselves before diagnosis. Yeah, so you were right. You wouldn't do anything new. Well, but not then you hadn't even had four kids by then. Don't try to like I saw it you just did there don't try to blame that.

Johnna 24:43
No, I'm like at this point. You know anything goes for me. Yeah,

Scott Benner 24:47
also, I might just call this episode busy decade so serious and

Johnna 24:52
awful. Like the first five years of my 30s my early 30s were like the worst in my life. Because

Scott Benner 24:57
of this diabetes diagnosis or other First, it

Johnna 25:00
started with that. And then I lost both my parents.

Scott Benner 25:03
Oh my god way to bring down podcasts. Okay, how did that happen? How do you lose both your parents in a short amount of time.

Johnna 25:09
So my dad had heart problems in general, he died of a heart attack unexpectedly, but expectedly like, we expected him to have a heart attack at some point, just not as when he did. And then three months later, my mom died of a heart attack. And they actually called it a broken heart. Because she literally had the syndrome where her heart gives out because she misses her husband.

Unknown Speaker 25:31
How old was she?

Johnna 25:32
She was born in 53 and died in 20s 60 370-393-2000 360

Speaker 1 25:37
something right? Yeah, I want to say something right now. This

Johnna 25:45
is 64.

Scott Benner 25:47
I know. We're only one generation removed from your parents. I better not die in my 60s. I better not. So, God, I'll be pissed. Like, I just I've been through so much. And I have fought so freakin hard. And I'm almost there. And I swear to God, oh, if I die in my 60s, I'm going to be I'm going to be so I hope if I die in my 60s, it happens so fast that I don't have a moment to go. You have to be kidding me. Like I just Oh, please, please, either let me live longer or a bus that I don't see one of the other. Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I was also confused by the statement. We knew my dad was going to have a heart attack. Isn't that something we could have gotten ahead of? If we knew was happening?

Johnna 26:33
No. Like we tried. He it was just whatever the issues were with his heart. Like he was it. I don't know if he actually got diagnosed with congestive heart failure. But his heart was going to give out and there wasn't anything they could do. Like with his age and everything else. He was in Vietnam. Oh, oh, he smoked for so long. I don't think he would have ever made it to a donor list if that was even possible.

Scott Benner 27:00
Was he ever near the spring in Vietnam? I don't know. Do you ever talk to these people? Your parents?

Johnna 27:07
I don't know. My dad would not talk about anything related to Vietnam.

Unknown Speaker 27:12
Oh, no. Okay. Yeah.

Johnna 27:14
But I will tell you he he definitely had plenty of monologues, in his drunkenness as I grew up. So I did get a lot of information from him. Just not about his time in Vietnam. PTSD.

Scott Benner 27:27
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm sure the drinking was prevalent.

Johnna 27:31
Yeah, at least maybe maybe just trauma. I don't know if actual PTSD, possibly I don't diagnosis. So don't know all the criteria. The VA

Scott Benner 27:39
recognizes ischemic heart disease as being associated with exposure to Agent Orange.

Unknown Speaker 27:45
So yeah, maybe

Scott Benner 27:48
isn't crazy. Oh, my gosh. But your mom did she? How long were they together? They

Johnna 27:53
had celebrated their 25th anniversary. So they were married in 74. I think they got together maybe a couple years before that. So 7080 92,000. So 30 years? Yeah. I

Scott Benner 28:05
mean, I was born in 71. Well, I was Yeah.

Johnna 28:09
They had to be 30 years because my brother and I were both in our 30s is your brother 40 years? Yes. Yes, he is. His story is crazy. I'll try to make this short because I extend stories longer than I need to

Scott Benner 28:20
know. Just make sure you tell me what he was wearing. And then never tell me why it's important that I

Johnna 28:26
can do that. Although now he's got this trench coat. I think he finally got rid of it. Maybe your

Scott Benner 28:31
brother's a flasher? No,

Johnna 28:35
maybe, but you won't tell us about it. He so my aunt and uncle lived three hours away. My uncle worked as a manager at a grocery store. And one of the baggers said his girlfriend was pregnant. They didn't want to raise the kid because they didn't think they could give it a good life. And my uncle as the manager was like, I actually know people who are looking to adapt, and they worked it out. And that's how my parents got my brother.

Scott Benner 29:02
Well, ironically, if the Bagger would have bagged it, he wouldn't have gotten somebody pregnant. Thank you. I'm on a bad job roll today. Everyone enjoy it. By the way, when you told me that the grocery store was three hours away, I thought this better be pertinent to the conversation. And it wasn't no, no. Have you ever heard me tell the story about my uncle telling stories?

Johnna 29:31
No, do I want to he would ruin as bad as my telling stories. I don't want to

Scott Benner 29:35
know he would ruminate for minutes. But so first of all he could he owned a business. So he would capture us he's dead now. So I can do this without problems. He would capture us like during our break times. You couldn't do anything. He was the boss you know what I mean? So everybody was like Oh, here he comes. Hi. He you know when everybody's really like, please leave me the up. That's my 15 minutes like leave me alone. But he'd come over and hold court wasn't as good at it as he thought he was and would go into like telling a story about going for a ride. And the point of the story was where they ended up, but somehow would spend so much time on the ride and get caught up in what year the truck was that they were driving in. He couldn't quite remember he might go back and forth, he get to the end, and it had nothing to do with the truck. It had nothing to do with what year the truck was. And the voice in my head was sit there going, Oh my god. Why did we just spend 10 minutes on what year that truck was? I want to know, and there was never a reason and you're making me feel that way.

Johnna 30:37
I'm terribly sorry. Do

Scott Benner 30:39
this all the time? Or is this just since you gave away so much of your body to developing for human beings inside of it?

Johnna 30:45
No, I was labeled the queen of pointless stories in high school. Oh, and Queen.

Scott Benner 30:54
Pointless stories is definitely the title of your episode. Congratulations. Let's keep going.

Unknown Speaker 31:02
So this is an affliction you have

Speaker 1 31:05
currently, how many people do you think do this? I wonder? Is this a thing?

Johnna 31:11
I'm not sure. You wouldn't know better than me. You talk to more people. Yeah. So

Scott Benner 31:15
I'm gonna start keeping a checklist next to my next to my desk here. I am so purposeful. When I speak even though it doesn't sound like I am because I do this like, like sing songy back and forth, like Pulp Fiction timeline talking. But I don't waste words. I'm setting stuff up or getting ready or thinking about stuff all the time. But yeah, I don't know. I love you. This is great. Let me ask you another story. So I want to hear more. God, I want to hear more pointless stories. Let's go. So when you're diagnosed, back then what kind of technology do you get?

Johnna 31:49
I was doing vials of insulin and needles, vials and okay, I had no technology. Well, actually, they diagnosed me as type two. So I got pills. And then when I went, I think I went in for a follow up within like a week, because they wanted to see how I was doing. And the nurse was like, we think you might be type one. The doctor wants to do a blood culture or urine culture to check for whatever enzyme in your liver or something. And they're like, Yep, you're type one. So you're gonna need insulin. And then it was the needles, and then I did the pens. And then I switched, actually got a job in insurance and switched hospitals and doctors and then I went to a pump in 2015.

Scott Benner 32:39
John, are you are you? Are you purposely trying to only use words that are important to the story right now? Could you just slow Okay, cuz you slowed down when you were talking? I was like, Oh, I got in her head. I don't mean to do that. I'm sorry.

Johnna 32:49
No, I was trying to think. Okay, yeah, yeah. So. So I went to the pump and 2015 did not do a duck's calm. And then I've been trying to remember I'm like, did my doctor suggest this? And I refused. Like what happened? Because in a lot of your episodes, you guys talk about, you know, the fear being instilled in people. And I do not remember. And maybe it is just how I take things. But never once was I ever scared that I was going to die of giving myself too much insulin. And I remember them asking me every appointment. Do you have somebody that sleeps next to you? Do you? Do you live with somebody? And I'm like, Why? Why does that matter? And they would tell me because you know, at night, you could go low and this could happen. But I was never feared. I never feared that I would die.

Scott Benner 33:44
So you're you're with your husband, but not married to him at that point. Like how did you think of like it? Did you think you were were you living together? When

Johnna 33:52
I was diagnosed, we were not living together. And then we started living together. Maybe a year later. You guys,

Scott Benner 33:59
by the way are either really really in love or incredibly sexually compatible. I wish I knew which one it was. Am I right?

Johnna 34:07
I don't maybe both at some points. I don't know the if the incredibly in love continues every day. No,

Scott Benner 34:13
no, after a couple of years. Don't ruin it for the young people. You'll feel like this forever. Don't worry. You'll never walk into a room again. All right. No, no, I just I mean, like you were you guys waited into your 30s to get married?

Johnna 34:34
Well, we didn't need each other until we were almost 30 Is that because

Scott Benner 34:38
you were chasing the perfect person or a career? Both? Okay. And then I'm trying to say something without saying it. I shouldn't do that. But an adult who waited that long to get married who still marries a person who's diagnosed with a chronic illness. I figure either really loved you really love to have, you know what I mean? Like, so like I'm trying to think, because, yeah,

Johnna 35:05
he really loved me and loves any interaction with me, I would

Scott Benner 35:10
imagine. I just keep thinking you must look like a supermodel as we're talking. And not because people can't. Like, I want to be clear, I don't think people can't love people with chronic illnesses. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that this specific mixture of variables waited a long time older, more mature, maybe more likely to do the math on what this might cost, like, financially. Like, there's a lot of reasons why someone might have backed away, but but they didn't, which I feel like means you were with a really good match. And I'm just trying to figure out what that was. So

Johnna 35:43
I think it's lack of thinking things through.

Scott Benner 35:47
The two of you aren't paying attention. Yes, gotcha. I gotcha. Oh, he's like, No, this will be for kids. So then he did he not? Did he never understand the seriousness of the type one. In the beginning.

Johnna 36:01
It's hard. It's really hard for me to say I think he does. But it's just kind of like it is what it is. I think we have a similar attitude. And you know, this is serious, but we're going to deal with it.

Scott Benner 36:13
I'd say your personalities match up well. Yeah. And you never thought of anything of it. No matter how many times you're like, are you sleeping next to somebody? Are you going to be safe? That kind of stuff? It didn't, you didn't make the leap to wonder why they're asking me if I own a handgun basically.

Johnna 36:28
Well, I mean, they, they mentioned that and it wasn't also it wasn't immediately in the context of if you give yourself too much insulin, you could die, you know, especially during the day, but I just never, I think it was one of those things like, well, that's not going to happen. Yeah, I think it was a denial thing.

Scott Benner 36:46
Okay. Isn't it interesting to you, you kind of cruised over it for a second, but I wanted to go back to it. You said it's maybe in my personality, that I wasn't, like scared by it. I always that's one of the things I wonder about constantly is people's different reactions to the same information. Like what like how can you say something to one person, and it scarred them forever? And another person is just like, Wait, it might kill me. Alright, I'll be careful. And they just keep going. Like, that's fast. You know?

Johnna 37:15
Well, I definitely when they told me I, they wanted to check that I was type one, that type two. That definitely made me go full blown tears crying in the doctor's office, because I was like, what that means I'm going to lose my, my arm or my eyesight or you know, I'm going to be amputated. And you know, if it's type two, I can do better and this and that. And get rid of it. And they're like, no, no, no. Like, you know, and so then I learned more about everything because I knew very little about diabetes. Yeah.

Scott Benner 37:45
Are you the kind of person that watches the show called Chicago Med by any chance? I used to? Does anyone want to give me a minute? Right now? I don't know. You can't send me an award through the the internet. But I heard your reaction to that information and was able to surmise that you would watch Chicago Med. Everyone just wonder how that happened forever. I'm not going to tell you where my brain got that information from? Also, maybe we call this one bad jokes, and pointless stories. I'm still working on. Consider I'm workshopping that still. Oh my god. Okay. So when do you figure out that like type one? When do you How long does it take you to think I know what this is. I know what I'm doing. All these things. I wondered at the beginning. You know, some of them are valuable some of the more how long does it take you to get comfortable with it?

Johnna 38:32
I think it ebbed and flowed after, or right before I started having kids. And it's gotten progressively better since I started listening to your podcast. And how

Speaker 2 38:44
long ago is that than a year ago?

Johnna 38:47
Around there?

Scott Benner 38:47
You've been dumb luck in your way through this for a decade. Yep. Well, and

Johnna 38:51
let me tell you, I found your podcast because I was listening to a podcast, the vagina blog podcast, and you were on that I was there. And I started listening to your podcast. Oh,

Scott Benner 39:00
you must have really liked me if you like me on that podcast. I was very silly on that podcast.

Johnna 39:05
Yeah. Well, there you go.

Scott Benner 39:07
I have to ask you something you so you're already listening to a podcast called The vagina blog podcast, when they bring on a male not a doctor. Do you think why is this happening?

Johnna 39:20
No. Well, for me, I think it's perspective. Right? So I'm a type one diabetic. And that's what you were on there is to talk about type one diabetes and the menstrual cycle with your daughter. Yeah,

Scott Benner 39:29
you must have been the only person who wasn't wondering why am I listening to this? Don't you think though? Other ladies were probably like what's going on here? This is stupid. I don't ever like this guy. Like, he didn't know anything about our vaginas. I just knew about hormones. And yeah, so you found me on that podcast, and then came to this and now this is going to sound like I'm fishing for a compliment. I'm not. I'm asking the question because you literally lived 10 years with diabetes randomly and now It seems like you have it. Like, what's your situation now versus a few years from now? ago? I

Johnna 40:06
would say when I started my agency, I was able to look back at my charts. So 2013 I think my agency was around eight. And then I got the pump in 2015. It still stayed around eight, it might have come down a couple tenths of a point. And then it really came down when I started trying to conceive in 2017. Okay, and since then, it's been, I would say no higher than 6163. And sorry, there's my six week old

Speaker 2 40:37
lady that kids six weeks old. Yes.

Johnna 40:41
So, one of my pregnancies, my agency was 4.9.

Scott Benner 40:46
I love you. I just want to say that out loud right now. Are you gonna breastfeed that baby while we're making this podcast? Or what's going on here? Do you give that up? Uh, well, I got ready to eat for at least another half hour. No one's ever breastfed on the podcast, just saying I bet you know of. Well, I would hope if they were a good podcast guests, they would say, Hey, by the way on breastfeeding, so that I could say stupid stuff about it. And we can have fun. So well, wow, I didn't realize that your youngest was that young? Yeah. You are like a bag of surprises. Okay, hold on a second. First of all, I want to commiserate with you and everybody else this has ever happened to how upsetting is it to go from injections to a pump, and it doesn't move your a one se.

Johnna 41:32
So at the time, I was not even aware or caring about what my one C was? I was aware of it. I just didn't care. And like not to not because I was like lip balm compliant? Yeah. I just, I had no reason to like, you know, my doctors would just say like, oh, you know, you're doing great, blah, blah, blah. They weren't like honing in like, you need to bring your agency down. You need to bring these numbers down.

Scott Benner 41:57
You are a unemployed mother of three living in the United States of America with an eight something a one see, and no one was giving you any direction about that? Nope. I hope everyone's embarrassed. Okay. So, and you had had children with higher frequencies?

Johnna 42:17
No, by the time I started having children, I had brought it down to

Scott Benner 42:21
six. And that happened because the doctor said you have to have a lower one, see if you're going to be pregnant. So the focus has

Johnna 42:28
never and still is not on my agency. Like they take my agency every three months. But it's never like I have to ask what my agency was for them to tell me. You live in a like forest with my agency again.

Scott Benner 42:41
Especially what do you live in the forest? What's going on?

Johnna 42:45
Don't know. But it was the sole conception. You know, I read a few books and the doctors were like, We want your fasting blood sugar to be below 90. And your postprandial is to be you know, less than 120. And so I worked really hard to do that.

Speaker 1 43:01
Oh, they gave you a guideline. Okay, so they gave you God? Did they tell you why? To decrease

Johnna 43:07
birth defects? Risk factors?

Scott Benner 43:10
That's it. That's all somebody had to say to you was? And so why were you able to so effortlessly adjust from eight and a half to six?

Johnna 43:18
I was just paying attention to what I ate. I think better.

Scott Benner 43:21
That's it. It was about us around food. Not even around? Yeah. Yeah,

Johnna 43:25
definitely. Around the food.

Speaker 1 43:27
Are you eating? I don't mean it. Like, what was your diet? Like?

Johnna 43:31
I do not really, I the only thing I remember is, I ate a lot more spinach with my first and probably like, portion things out better. But I don't know that I really changed. Like what I was consuming

Scott Benner 43:47
a Europe for a party. I can tell.

Johnna 43:52
You know, I've, you know, as I've had the kids, I'm like, Well, let me just eat whatever. And now I'm more. It's more about the insulin and controlling things.

Unknown Speaker 44:01
Okay. Are you in my Facebook group?

Johnna 44:04
No. Oh, my

Scott Benner 44:05
God. I'm very upset by that. I definitely wanted to see you. I was just I wanted to go find out who exactly I'm talking to right now.

Johnna 44:12
That's fine. Back on the Facebook. I will join 44,000

Scott Benner 44:15
members 120 new posts today about diabetes. What would you do with that absolutely free by the way.

Johnna 44:23
I would never look at it because I have four kids. And I can only listen to podcasts. Yeah, no,

Scott Benner 44:29
I don't. I mean, quite obviously, you're doing two things with your life and neither of them involve your phone. i Well, maybe one of them does. Who knows? I don't know what you're doing over there. You did not answer me if your husband is incredibly handsome.

Johnna 44:42
I did not answer you.

Scott Benner 44:44
And you're still not going.

Oh, you know what? Don't answer me, John. Now I'm dying out. It'll fuel my entire day wondering if he's just really handsome and you didn't want to say anything? Or if you don't want him to hear that you don't think he's six Did I just let's leave it there? I just want that's what I wanted. That's where I want to live. There's no way my wife thinks to me is handsome, right? Like literally like 27 years we've been married. Now I looked the best I've ever looked right now, by the way,

Johnna 45:13
I think I I'm sure she thinks you're handsome. Oh, no,

Scott Benner 45:16
I think she's just happy that the kids look the same. I think that's why I got this day, actually, because I think she wanted an other kid. And she didn't want them to look oddly different. That was it. There was some time in there. When I was younger. I'm sure she was just like, I'll let this guy hang out a little longer. So the kids are the same. Like that's for sure what she was doing. Oh my gosh, now she's just like, getting pretty successful with that podcast. Maybe I'll see what see what he can buy me when I retire. Maybe that's what she's thinking now. Don't you think? Probably. Do you think young people are like, wait, what's happening? What's gonna happen to me? Oh, that's probably just. Yeah.

Johnna 45:51
I hope she's thinking that Yeah. Oh, randomly.

Scott Benner 45:54
It's probably just Gianna and Scott who have this experience. My experience will be different. Yeah, you're always gonna be an Instagram real Don't worry.

Johnna 46:03
Yes, exactly. Right.

Scott Benner 46:07
Suckers. Okay. Will be whatever you make it. Watch me watch me. prove the opposite point though. Gianna. Would you trade your husband for anything? Pancreas, I was gonna say such a long pause. I said didn't go the way I expected. She was I thought you were doing math. I thought you're going like, like, maybe $400,000.

Johnna 46:31
Oh, no, no, no, I would that? Of course not.

Scott Benner 46:35
But it doesn't make any of the other stuff untrue. Just so everyone listening is focused on what I'm trying to get at. It's gonna be a show, but not so much that you'd want to trade it for something else, which doesn't make any sense. But you'll figure out why

Johnna 46:48
later. Yep. Yeah. And you'll understand why, you know, after 1020 years,

Scott Benner 46:52
yeah, no. 100%. And here's why. In a nutshell, you bought so much stuff? How are you going to move it all out of here?

Johnna 46:59
Well, yeah, you know, unless you want to be the one to move

Scott Benner 47:02
out if you can't afford it. By the way, I think that I think that famous people divorce more frequently, because they can. But that's a really sad thing to say,

Johnna 47:14
Oh, 100% agree with that.

Scott Benner 47:18
Like, because they don't like like, when when t Swizzle moved into the Kelsey boy's house in Kansas City, or wherever the hell that just happened. My wife said, God, that was fast. I was like, she doesn't have to move the stuff. The cost of moving it is meaningless to her. She just said out loud, take some of my stuff that Kelsey is house, I'm gonna live there. And if it goes wrong, she'll just say out loud, Hey, everybody, go get my stuff out of that house and bring it back to here. Like she doesn't have any like, you know, speed bumps at all around that. And I think that allows people to follow their their like knee jerk reactions instead of like actually sitting around and like saying, like, well, let me be thoughtful about this relationship. They don't she doesn't have to be. I mean, God bless her off, but you don't you mean? Exactly. Yeah, I didn't think I'd say anything thoughtful while we were recording, but there it was. By the way, I got a haircut yesterday. And the head set feels so much different on my head. It's freaking me out.

Johnna 48:20
But I'm okay. Little things in life. I

Scott Benner 48:22
had a moment yesterday, I walked into the person who cuts my hair. I'm gonna just tell you. I do have my hair cut in a salon, but I have beautiful hair. So you should all know that. That's why I don't have like a guy's like, you can't just like, hit me with some scissors and everything's okay. I've like wavy curly hair. I need a lady that you

Johnna 48:40
have beautiful hair. You're not balding. But you host a podcast where nobody can see

Scott Benner 48:47
it. Nobody can see it. So it doesn't matter. Meanwhile, yesterday, she's running her new team you can brag about oh, yeah, no. And I have nice broad shoulders too. And again, you don't get to see that either. But I saw like, she's going through my hair. She goes My God. She goes, you have all your color. She's like, you still have so much curl. And you're so lucky. She's like, never complained about this. And I was like, I won't complain about it. She was okay with you and pay you for it. I don't know what she was thinking. I think she was going to eat me or like lock me in a basement hole or something. But I was like, I was like, She's lovely. By the way. She cut my hair for years. I sat down she was what are we doing today? After she told me like how lucky I was. I was like, I hate my hair. We have to get rid of it. So what's wrong? I said, Look how big my head is. So I do have a I do wear a bigger hat like a seven. I don't know, like seven eighths maybe like a bigger hat. Right? Okay, and my head is bigger than some people's heads. I really I hated saying that out loud because I think everybody who listens but hates me secretly is like, oh yeah, we know you have a big head like but that's fine. Like that's good pay. I'm talking about physically My head's a little bigger than it should be. And now that I'm skinny, or it's more noticeable and when my hair gets all fluffy and curly. I will locked in. I was like, Look at how big my goddamn head is. And she's like, I don't know what you're talking about. I was like, look at it. And she's like looking. And I think she thought I was kidding. I'm like, I'm not kidding. My head is huge. I turn and give her my profile. And I'm like, look from the tip of my chin to the top of the back of my head. That's too long. She's like, What are we talking about? And then she looked for me, and she goes, Oh, I see what you're saying. And I was like, right, right, right. And then she just, like, goes into her bag. And she goes, Can I go really tight on the back and the sides and I was like, I honestly don't care what you do. I was like, I'm so I woke up this morning. I was so irritated with how my hair looked. And so I made a last minute decision yesterday. Randori. And I was like, do this. I didn't even have an idea. I was like, just changed my haircut. So anyway,

Johnna 50:45
my head is now I love your haircut, and

Scott Benner 50:48
my head looks more normal. So I'm being my point is I'm vexed. I've got beautiful hair is gorgeous. I don't want to lie to you. It's absolutely fantastic. When it gets too long. I look like I don't know, I look like a dry Q tip that got stuck in your ear. Does that make sense? Is that a visual? Everyone understands. Oh, goodness. Alright, so anyway, my head is too big. And now I have to keep my hair short. Because I lost weight. I don't know. I don't know why I told you that.

Johnna 51:19
I don't know better keeping your hair short than gaining the weight back. Oh, yeah. Oh, listen,

Scott Benner 51:23
here's what I've learned. Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. That's a real thing. Yeah, I don't I went. I told this story in a weego V diary. What will be like six months ago now. It actually made me cry. I'm going to tell you I literally like sitting by myself recording a five minute diary entry. I unexpectedly started crying. And that was really crazy. I'm not I don't feel like I'm going to cry now. But

Johnna 51:50
and you felt so good after, didn't you?

Scott Benner 51:52
Oh my god, I've made my whole day better actually. Yep. I've had a lot of stress about work recently, which I know sounds crazy because I make a podcast but I have. And. And so we went out this past weekend, Friday night. We're just gonna do I think we're just gonna go on like a little shopping jaunt. My daughter actually likes shopping for clothes and not even buying them. She just likes looking at clothing. And so I was like, I'll go with you. Like I've had a long day I need to get out of here. So my wife and myself and my daughter, we all went went to a mall where you're walking around. And I said, I need some new shirts. And Arden's like, well, let's go get you clothes. Then we went into a store and we started shopping and I've probably never shared on the podcast, but I hate clothes shopping. And it because it's because I grew up like a fat kid. And it just it brings back so many terrible memories. I hate the way I look in clothes. I don't like looking in the mirror about it. Like like a lot of like those feelings that people have. They probably don't tell other people about, but I have them like, you know, like my mom bought me jeans at Sears that had elastic waist bands. So that's a tough one. And like like that kind of stuff. But I looked good in the clothing and in colors and and patterns I would never have put on. And I was just so like, happy. I've never once enjoyed shopping for clothing. And I had such a good time. And I was so pleased when I left and and all that anyway, I start telling the story in the week OB diary. And it hits me of how horrible I was to my mom while we were clothes shopping all the time. And I started thinking oh, I wish my mom was alive. So I can apologize to her about this and explain it to her. And then she's not. And then I started crying. And I was like, diary about my weight loss. Like how did this happen? Anyway, I don't know what the hell we're talking about anymore. You got to pump. And you got to CGM making the babies brought your agency down. But what do you mean? Like you got your agency down to make the kids but what so you had three babies without me and one baby with me? Is that right? Yes.

Johnna 53:56
What was the difference? And the agency or in

Scott Benner 53:59
your experience? Your experience having a baby, pre and post podcast listener? It's

Johnna 54:05
hard to say because I think there's more factors. So I use a tandem pump, which has the control IQ technology. And it's not recommended for use in pregnant mothers, or pregnant women. So with my third I had it turned off. So it was just whatever settings I had, that's where I was running man. Most likely, if I remember correctly, I probably adjusted what I was eating, or we just adjusted my settings based on what I was eating. So when I'm pregnant, I messaged my doctors weekly and I'm like, here's my numbers, tell me what settings to change. And they always say, you know if this keeps happening, change it yourself. And then with this one, I had a new so it's always the doctor and then the nurse practitioner. And so it was a new nurse practitioner. Because my previous one who was amazing our first child, we each had our first kid. They have the same birthday And she had three kids, once she had her third, she stopped practicing. And I was so sad. And so all of our babies were born about the same time. So, in getting pregnant with my fourth, I had a new nurse practitioner that was following up with me, in addition to the doctor, and she was not as aggressive as the previous one. Okay, so I started making more adjustments on my own, and less paying attention to what I ate. I'm just like, Oh, I'm gonna make these adjustments. But I will say also, and the adjustments came, also due to listening to your podcast.

Scott Benner 55:29
Okay, so I gave you the courage to make adjustments to your settings.

Johnna 55:36
Is that it? More? Yeah, a lot more

Scott Benner 55:38
frequently than I was prior. And you were focused on it, because you knew it was important for the baby. Yes, for sure. Wow. You're a bright person. I'm so this is gonna sound wrong. I am so stunned that it took all those years for you to like, and then for those confluence of things to come together for you to like, pay attention to it. Like now that you're, you've given birth to what I'm going to assume is your last baby, but God knows. Are you going to keep your agency in the sixes Do you think?

Johnna 56:08
I would hope so. Yeah, that's my goal. What would stop you some other giant health thing? Well, I guess if it were me personally, and it was a health thing, I would then make sure my diabetes was kept in check, and a little agency to not affect that other health thing. But let's say one of my kids develops diabetes

Scott Benner 56:25
or something, it took your attention away, because like, Oh, what, but then maybe,

Johnna 56:29
maybe it would be easier for me to keep mine because then I'd be so focused on what they were eating to keep their agency and stuff. But, you know, management for myself. Unfortunately, I don't follow the aeroplane rules to put the mask on yourself before you put it on others. Yeah,

Scott Benner 56:43
I don't think anybody I don't think anybody does that. That's just the thing we say because it sounds by the way, most of advice in the world is centered around things that we all really know, but don't do. And then we hear somebody else tell us and we think, Oh, they must do it, I can do it, too. And I think that the only difference between a lot of people just talking crap and, and trying to get clicks and downloads and this podcast is like, I'm actually telling you what we do. And those things actually work. And so like, give me like, if you're a podcast listener, you know what I mean? Like, it's easy to turn, like, you know, like, get up every morning at five o'clock and run 20 miles and you'll look like me. Well, yeah. Okay, thanks for the input. I didn't know, I didn't know that being an ultra marathoner would make me in shape. But you've crystallized that for me with your explanation, like there's. So there's a lot of, there's a lot of self help out there. That doesn't actually help anybody. It preys on how you feel, and what you know, is wrong with what you're doing. And you listen to it, because you feel like well, if I listen to this, if I read this, I'll do it. But that's not how it works. And I'm really fascinated and thrilled, by the way that you're so honest, that you're not 100% Sure, if you're a one C will stay in the sixes. And you don't know why other than to say that this is your personality. It's how you deal with things. And it's how you interact with your life. That's pretty much it. Right? Yeah. Well, I

Johnna 58:04
think it will now that I'm, you know, just bolusing more and like, Oh, I'm trending up. So let me get myself a little Bolus. Did you

Scott Benner 58:13
not understand, years ago that an eight and a half a one C was going to contribute to poor health? Or did you know that?

Johnna 58:20
Actually, I don't know that I'd been told that. I don't remember ever really hearing any of my doctors or educators or anybody harping on or even discussing a onesies. You know, it's always about food and post granules and fasting blood sugars. So

Scott Benner 58:38
they're reading to you out of a book. Oh, I'm sure yeah, this is not coming from some personal experience or some like well thought out. Advice. This is absolutely no, I learned this in medical school. This is what I'm supposed to say to you. Wow. Yeah. That's crazy. Listen, I know it's not crazy. I've right. You know, I've been doing this a long time. I know it's almost expected. I Jenny and I are literally six episodes deeper, recording another one this afternoon into making a whole like series about talking to doctors about what they should be saying to people.

Johnna 59:09
And with being pregnant. A couple things that I had never heard the doctors never said, I somebody was on your on one of the podcasts and said at the beginning, the first trimester, your insulin needs go down. And I didn't know that. I also did not experience it with the first three kids. So no doctor has ever said that to me. It did not happen. My fourth it did happen to the point where I was working and they had to call the paramedics.

Scott Benner 59:39
So for three babies in a row, you didn't have that drop in insulin need first and second trimester. And then it bounced up in the third but it happened to you on the fourth kid. Correct? That's bonkers.

Johnna 59:52
And then another thing that I also mentioned to the nurse practitioner and she's like, Oh, as like she didn't know this In your third trimester, not even your third trimester, but like the last six weeks to a month, a month to six weeks of your pregnancy, your insulin needs also go down after drastically going up during the second trimester. Right? And ended the third ping

Scott Benner 1:00:14
pongs. Yeah, you have to really stay. And then did you have in any of those pregnancies, any of them in any of your myriad of pregnancies? Did you? Did you notice your needs? Jump right up after you delivered the placenta?

Unknown Speaker 1:00:30
No, no. Well,

Johnna 1:00:31
I will say the the recommendation was to change everything by 50%. So I did that. But with my second and third, will actually with all of them. I was like, Well, I still need to, you know, change things. And then with my fourth, I was like, I'm not going to do quite 50% Because I seem to be higher than I wanted to be.

Scott Benner 1:00:51
After the baby was interesting. It was so different for you. All right. Definitely the same father for the fourth one. I'm just kidding. Yeah, I would have would have nothing to do with it. But I just yeah. Wow, is that something? I will say this, you're not gonna have any mental health issues around your diabetes? Because you go with the flow? For sure. You really do. By the way, that's something we haven't dug into enough. You have four, four children, and have a job, right? You have a husband, a job for children. You listen to the podcast, you know, many people tell me I don't have time to listen. I'll say to them, like, Look, you don't have to be like to listen to every episode. But check out this bowl beginning stuff, or, you know, dive into the Pro Tip series. I think it'll really help you. And they'll say, I don't have time to do that. And I'm like, What do you like, running a small country by yourself? Like, what? And then you so why do you have time?

Johnna 1:01:44
I don't know, it became when I had two kids. Things were really easy. But you know, when whatever number of kids you have you think that's really the hardest thing ever. And then you have more kids, and you're like, Oh, one last was way easier than this one. So I will say when I had three kids, it was definitely hard. Now that I've got four, you know, he's only six weeks. It's about the same as having three. So what's one,

Scott Benner 1:02:06
you have perspective now that you didn't have before, but

Johnna 1:02:09
the with two I was listening to I would put the kids to bed and then go do the dishes. And I'm the dishwasher, we don't have a dishwasher. So that's when I would listen to podcasts. And then during any commutes my previous job, I used to travel a lot for work, so I could listen to podcasts and traveling. And now it's every once in a while. So when I take the kids to school, I can sometimes listen usually not. But then once I dropped them off, and I'm on my way to work, I can get about 20 minutes in and same thing when I leave

Scott Benner 1:02:41
the next time you feel your husband's hand sliding under the blanket, I want you to say out loud, not until I get a king dishwasher. That's exactly what I want you to say. Okay,

Johnna 1:02:51
well, I ready for one we've been I've been fighting with him on this for the fight. I didn't want one. I'm like our kitchen is too small. We're not you're not putting a dishwasher in here because he could do it himself. But now I'm like, yeah, let's get one.

Scott Benner 1:03:05
No, you say it in that setting. You'll have one the next day. That's the first thing I want to tell you and tell him to let me let me say this. You want a little extra money spent on a Bosch because they're silent. Okay. Okay. You don't care where he gets he better go rob a bank if he doesn't have it. Because a nobody coming on this side of the bed till I get a silent dishwasher. I will tell him that anyone listening, I've just given you the best advice you've ever gotten in your entire life. A silent dishwasher is a few $100 more and will change the next decade and a half of your life. And you're welcome. There. I've done that. This should be my podcast where I just say things you don't know. And they're like three minutes long. Yeah, can you imagine if you flipped on a podcast and the guy's like, Hey, welcome to the podcast. Today's advice. Get a silent dishwasher. Goodbye.

Johnna 1:03:57
You might get more listeners if they figured they could have time to listen.

Scott Benner 1:04:00
Yeah, don't worry. I actually already have a series of short episodes in the works we're working on right now. But seriously that I did it and it isn't done. And then here like a disco Clang, Clang, Clang, clang clang for an hour in your house, is you don't realize how much noise pollution is. I can't believe I just use the phrase noise pollution but it's absolutely true. And there are dishwashers that you cannot hear the inside while they're running.

Johnna 1:04:23
I'm telling you do it. Well. I have four kids. So it might be hard to hear a dishwasher in general

Scott Benner 1:04:27
those kids are going to leave. When they're gone that dishwashers

Johnna 1:04:32
gonna be playing in this house by the time they leave. Oh,

Scott Benner 1:04:35
well that's another thing you can say when you hear the hand move and you go whoa, give me a better house. You made the space problem. Fix it. Oh my god. I don't know what you're doing over there. If you have another baby, I'm gonna yell at you. I just want to say I don't know you've ever defined you and be like China. What are you doing?

Johnna 1:04:56
Well, you know I do have to go so I can catch my husband. On his lunch break, so we can try making that next day.

Scott Benner 1:05:02
Right now. All right, well, you obviously have to go feed that baby. But I have one last question. I'll let you go. We're over time because let's be honest, you couldn't figure out which way was left and right. Are you named after someone in your family? Like your name is literally Gianna? You

Johnna 1:05:18
are correct that I am literally named Gianna. I am not. So here's the story with my name. Nobody in my family is John. They wanted a J name. So both of my parents name started with A J. My older brother who was adopted, they named him his name starts with A J. But he's five years older than me. Six years school. Is that fine? Or no? Yes, six year school wise five, age wise. So when he was in school in kindergarten when they got me, and they realized there were like three other kids with the same name. And they're like, Oh, that's too common. We want our daughter to have a J name, but not common. And like Jennifer was really common at the time. And I don't know what else they were considering. And I guess they were asking around and somebody mentioned Gianna, and they went with it. I'm gonna

Scott Benner 1:06:05
tell you two things that I'm gonna let you first thing is this exact same thing happened to us. We chose Cole. And then when he got to kindergarten, there were like three or four holes. And that's how we got to Arden. We did the same thing. It was like maybe that we thought Cole was different, but I guess it isn't. The other thing is, and this is just, this is food for thought for you to take through your day. The detail about whether or not your brother how old he is more than you? Yes, completely not important to what you just told me. I had to throw it in there. But it doesn't matter. I'm just telling you. I don't think you're going to change and I'm not asking you to. You're pretty perfect the way you are. John, don't don't change. But no, seriously, but that's what I'm talking about. Like you dug into a detail with 10 or 12 words that had no impact on the story.

Johnna 1:06:52
I can't help myself.

Scott Benner 1:06:55
I really do. Love you. I just met you an hour and six minutes ago. You're my favorite person. Thank you so much for doing this. Can you hold on for one second for me? Yes.

Want to thank the ever since CGM for sponsoring this episode of The Juicebox Podcast. Learn more about its implantable sensor, smart transmitter and terrific mobile application at ever since cgm.com/juice. Box, get the only implantable sensor for long term wear get ever since if you're looking for an omni pod dash or Omni pod five, use my link Omni pod.com/juice box. If you click on the link, I'll say fo mu mu. It doesn't really matter to me, we're making up a word. So call it whatever you want. The diabetes variable series from the Juicebox Podcast goes over all the little things that affect your diabetes that you might not think about. Travel and exercise the hydration and even trampolines juicebox podcast.com Go up in the menu and click on diabetes variables. And don't forget, if you have type one diabetes, if you're the parent of someone with type one and you're a US resident, I implore you go help with T one D research by filling out the survey AT T one D exchange.org/juice. box you have to fill it out completely. And when you do you'll be helping me and people living with type one diabetes.

Unknown Speaker 1:08:23
Let me say this.

Scott Benner 1:08:25
It's not going to take you more than like 10 minutes. So the next time you think you know I'm gonna go take one of those Buzzfeed quiz. You don't even like a Buzzfeed quiz. Instead of doing that, go fill out the survey T one D exchange.org/juice. box you'll be helping out. And I mean, then you can take the Buzzfeed quiz. You're just sitting on the toilet anyway. If you were a loved one was just diagnosed with type one diabetes, and you're looking for some fresh perspective. The bold beginning series from the Juicebox Podcast is a terrific place to start. That series is with myself and Jenny Smith. Jenny is a CDC II s a registered dietitian and a type one for over 35 years. And in the bowl beginning series Jenny and I are going to answer the questions that most people have after a type one diabetes diagnosis. The series begins at episode 698. In your podcast player, where you can go to juicebox podcast.com and click on bold beginnings in the menu. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com

#1213 Bad Reviews

Kelly has type 1 diabetes and a son with 2 antibodies.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends and welcome to episode 1213 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Kelly is a 30 year old type one she was diagnosed at 18 and she has a son who is three who has sporadically weird blood sugar tests and is positive for two type one diabetes antibodies. 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. When you place your first order for ag one with my link, you'll get five free travel packs and a free year's 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, 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 or a loved one has type one diabetes, please go to T one D exchange.org/juicebox. and complete the survey when you complete the survey you are helping to move type one diabetes research forward T one D exchange.org/juice box. 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 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. My

Kelly 2:10
name is Kelly. I've been a type one for 18 years. And now I have a son who has sporadic blood sugars and two positive antibodies. But he's not on any insulin or anything yet. So we're just waiting to see what happens. Oh, wait, let

Scott Benner 2:26
me let me get my notes. Here you are, when I

Kelly 2:30
filled out your form, I was going like super fast that I was like I didn't want to miss the time slot, right. And so I just went super fast and didn't put a whole lot of information because I remembered hearing previously that you don't ever, like look at the form. So I was like, oh, whatever, we'll just we'll just figure it out.

Scott Benner 2:47
I I run my eyes over them before I turn the thing on. I don't read them ahead of time. And you are smart. Because you know, I'm not this is not me boasting. Although I'm not above that. I'm just saying this isn't what I'm doing right now. But I think twice a year, say to people, Hey, you can be on the show if you want to. And usually within two hours, I fill up six months of my year. I believe that it's crazy. And then I curse myself for the rest of the year. Because we're so busy. That Listen, it's nice to say I record the podcast pretty much every day of the week, Monday through Friday, a couple of times a year I slip somebody in on the weekends, if that's what they need. I don't mind that it's an hour and a half. I have like an invigorating conversation with somebody. It's no big deal, right? Like I know how to make that work with my life. It's when something comes up. Where I don't know a company comes out with something unexpectedly or someone sends me a message and they're like, here's my story. I'm like, Oh my God, I need to record with you right away. I literally start doubling and tripling up my days then because I don't leave myself any space that I have to do. But as I say that I didn't do it in 2024. And it's still 2023. So I have to plan ahead for 2025 not to have that happen to me. But I'm also not a great planner. So God knows that probably won't happen. I'm sorry. You've had type one for 18 years. Yes. I

Kelly 4:11
was diagnosed in 2005. Five holding, you know, I am all I'm 30 I have a birthday like next week. I

Scott Benner 4:19
am all 30 birthdays coming up. You're Oh wow. So you've had it for since you were like 11 1011 years old?

Kelly 4:27
I was 12. Yeah.

Scott Benner 4:30
And your son is how old?

Kelly 4:33
He is three. He'll be four next month.

Scott Benner 4:36
How did you know he has anybody's just

Kelly 4:39
kind of randomly tested him one day he had peed through his diaper the night before. And that was not typical of him. And I was like, let's just see. And it was right after he ate and he was like 250 or something around there. And I was like, oh, okay, well, that's weird. And so I had reached out to the pediatrician and he had reached out to the, the endocrinologist the pediatric endocrinologist, he did a few tests and then decided to run the antibody tests. I got a call a few days later. And I picked it up. And it was the doctor, it wasn't the nurse or the or the office staff. It was the doctor and I was like, Oh, crap, I know what that means. So he told me that two of his antibodies were positive. And then we entered into trial net. And so they're following him now to and we see the endocrinologist with him every few months, and we're just watching and waiting and seeing what happens. Telly,

Scott Benner 5:34
you know, I think that some people would hear you say, I tested his blood sugar was 250. And I thought, Oh, that's weird. And they think, and they think, oh, Kelly, you have type one diabetes, you thought, oh, he has diabetes. But I think this is a sign of the hopefulness of human beings. I really mean that. They you saw that and just was like, well, this could be potentially weird, but doesn't necessarily mean he has diabetes. And I honestly mean that I think I think that that hopeful nature, even in the face of things like that, I think that's how we persist. So I'm sorry, that happened. I can't imagine how upsetting it must have been. How long ago was that? That you had this experience?

Kelly 6:16
It was over a year ago? He was he was two at the time. I want to say it was like last summer?

Scott Benner 6:26
Do you look at him and think he has type one. Like when you if you were going to be honest with yourself, like when you think about him? In your mind, he has type one diabetes, or he doesn't, but he will or how do you think of it?

Kelly 6:38
Ah, it's kind of in between, like, I think of it like he kind of does like he's he does have a Dexcom. So we got that all situated. We got it all sorted out. We got insurance to approve it. So he wears a Dexcom. So I see that and that's like, seeing what his blood sugar's are doing regularly where he spikes to 300 but then sometimes they'll drop back down to 40. Right. So he's all over the place right now. And so I'm like, yeah, like he's for sure it got some stuff going on. But he's not. He's not being treated with anything yet. So I'm like, I know that he will. And he kind of does, but I mean, I don't I don't know that I have like a clear answer for that.

Scott Benner 7:19
Did you look at tz old?

Kelly 7:21
Um, yeah, but he's only three is too young for that. Right? Yeah. And also I kind of, I kind of hate the, the in between not knowing when it's gonna happen. And, to me, the TZ yield is gonna prolong that at this point. I'm like, can it just happen already so we can get a tackle on like, get start tackling it and then move on. Because it just it feels like this. This weight on the shoulders just waiting for a top and

Scott Benner 7:49
that's what I was gonna ask you about has the last year been difficult for you?

Kelly 7:53
It's gotten better. It was really hard at first because I see him spiking to 300 I know how crappy that feels. And I'm like, I want to do something about that. That does not feel good for him to be there. But you know the doctors I guess it's gonna come down eventually he's fine and I'm like, oh my god, he feels like crap like that's not okay.

Scott Benner 8:13
And giving him insulin would probably cause a low later is that what you're thinking? 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, G voc hypo pen can be administered in two simple steps even by yourself in certain situations. Show those around you where you storage EVO Capo 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 G voc glucagon.com/risk For safety information. 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 to big button that says click here to reorder and you're done. Finally, somebody's 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/juicebox. Using that number or my link helps to support the production of the Juicebox Podcast.

Kelly 10:54
More than likely already he especially if he hits that 300 mark is body overcorrect and he drops to in the 40s. So I can't imagine I mean, I don't know my husband and I have been trying to brainstorm and figure out what there's got to be something that we can do. But I mean, at this point, overnight, he's writing in the 90s, you know, on his own, so

Scott Benner 11:21
does he not always spike with food? I

Kelly 11:24
mean, it depends highly what he eats. But he I mean, we aren't like we don't carb restrict or anything. He's He's three. And if I can get him to eat, I'm happy. So I mean, he'll eat like a bowl of ramen noodles, you know what I mean? And that'll spike him. But

Scott Benner 11:37
where my brain was going on that is, if you got ahead of a spike and stop it from ever happening. Would that not stop your body from trying to bring down a blood sugar? Right? So is it not just the timing? If you used insulin? I'm not saying you should. I'm just I'm wondering out loud. If you use insulin, using it after the numbers big. Now you're doubling up with what the body's like, oh, god, look, I can do something about this. But but if you did it before, and the number will never went up. Would the body react? Yeah. Where does the body still see the food and go, Oh, this is going to create a high blood sugar I need to put in something like I don't know how that would work? Actually.

Kelly 12:15
Yeah, I don't know either. And I've considered just trying it. So he did have my son did have a few days where he was writing. Like, the doctor has the note right now that he if he's over want to say 300 for more than three hours or something like that, like you can give him half a unit. And I'm like, okay, so we had picked up we had filled the human log prescription for him. And so I'm every so often I'm like, what if I just try it and see what happens. But I mean, to be very honest, the reason that I haven't is I'm like, if he has a low and we need help, we need to go to the emergency room, whatever. I don't want to get in trouble or get, you know, get my son taken away because I'm using this where I'm not supposed to.

Scott Benner 13:07
There's a lot of concerns there. Actually, even as I started talking through my idea, I thought, how would the body know that the blood sugar wasn't going to go up? The body is not reading a number, right? It's not reacting to a level. I don't even know now I'm wondering, she's gonna make myself a note how the hell does real insulin work? See ya. Yeah, let's find out about this is

Kelly 13:25
what I'm saying. I wish that his I wish that his antibodies would just take the rest of them and so that we could take over because I know how, you know, I know how injected insulin works. I can do that. But it's like this, this terrible in between that we're dealing with now. I'm like, I don't know how to do it.

Scott Benner 13:41
I don't know. It's crazy. It's terrible. Other children?

Kelly 13:44
I have three Yes. I have two girls. They are five and eight. And then my son is three.

Scott Benner 13:51
And how do you think your your husband's known you the whole time you've had diabetes? Right. So what was his reaction? did he expect this? Was he concerned about it?

Kelly 14:02
Like you mean concern that my? Yeah. Not uh, he was never openly concerned about it. Were you? Um, I mean, it's, it has always, you know, been on my mind, but I don't know that it was like a major concern. Like I just I just knew to you know, kind of watch out for things and that's kind of like what I said when he had peed through his diaper one night. I was like, oh, that's odd. Let's see what his blood sugar's

Scott Benner 14:29
doing. You're ending up other type one in your family. Nope, just

Kelly 14:34
me. I used to call myself the lucky one.

Scott Benner 14:37
Did that get boring? It did.

Kelly 14:39
It feels wrong. Now that like my son has that I'm like, I can't imagine ever saying something like that about him.

Scott Benner 14:45
Funny when it was about you, and that's mean we shouldn't say that. Exactly. Any other auto immune on either side, your husband or yours?

Kelly 14:54
I don't think there's really anything at all on my husband's side. Um, my side I think it's really just me honestly,

Scott Benner 15:05
Kelly, you're Irish?

Kelly 15:07
No, actually. I'm like, I'm like 50% Czech, and I don't know what the rest of it is.

Scott Benner 15:13
Okay, check, please. Can we call this one check? Please? Maybe? That's not a bad idea. Let's write that down. How about on your husband side? What's his background? I have no idea. You married that man. You don't know what he is?

Kelly 15:26
I mean, I know enough. But no, I don't.

Scott Benner 15:32
Really, you're such a lovely person. Okay, so there's no autoimmune on either side that you know of. You're the only one with type one. Got it? All right. I'm clear. What made you want to be on the podcast.

Kelly 15:46
I just I, I had to really listen to quite a bit. And I don't feel like I ever hear about, you know, really small kids are really young kids. And I also don't hear a lot about, you know, this kind of in between diagnosis that we've been talking about where it's like, kind of diagnosed but not really diagnosed and and how to handle it. I

Scott Benner 16:10
guess. I think you're handling it the way you're supposed to handle it. You try not to scream, and then you wait for diabetes to come. Are you prepared with glucagon for myself? In the house just in general? I mean, I have some for myself. Yes. Do you know how to use it on him if he needed it? I

Kelly 16:29
would I mean, yeah, well, it would just be the adult dose because I don't have his but yes, I do.

Scott Benner 16:34
And do you think he feels those lows when he goes to 40. Sometimes,

Kelly 16:38
some of them the other day, it was just a couple of weeks ago, he was low dropping, I have it set, I have his Dexcom alarms on my phone or the follow alarms set that I don't get any alarms until it's 55. Because the endocrinologist said, if his body is naturally creating these lows, don't treat them. And I'm like, okay, that really that's, that's really hard. And so I set it, so it doesn't give me any alarms until it's at 55. And I get this 55 And it's straight down and I'm like, oh boy, it dropped down into the 40s. And all of a sudden he crawls up on me next to the couch, just flat as a pancake and bawling his eyes out just scream crying and I'm like, Okay, I think you're feeling this one. I'm gonna treat it.

Scott Benner 17:27
Oh, God, I'm sorry to even ask this. But how does that make you feel?

Kelly 17:30
I mean, mostly frustrated that I'm not supposed to treat them. Yeah, you might you know what I mean? Like, I'm like, Come on, just give him like two marshmallows at 70 and call it good enough. Like,

Scott Benner 17:41
can I ask you why you wouldn't? I don't know. Because I was told not to. Lie, please. You married a guy without knowing his background. Why are you listening to this thing? Why are you making sense over here and not over there?

Kelly 17:54
I'm just a rule follower. I

Scott Benner 17:55
don't know. I'll give you a new rule. Don't let them get to 40 There's a rule now you can take care of it. Perfect. That's exactly what I needed. Welcome. It's all done now. I mean, in my opinion, anything that's causing him that much distress? I'd want to avoid?

Kelly 18:11
Yeah, usually it's not like that. Most of the time. I don't see the lows. Really at all. It's it's rare that I do see any sometimes I'll just get real cranky with a low and it's not. I mean, I don't who knows if it is or not, he's three. He's kind of a jerk. But

Scott Benner 18:31
he never turns into like a drunk baby kind of video that you'd be like delighted by on Tik Tok or something like that. He's never like dancing with a hat on or something. It's

Kelly 18:40
I don't watch the video. I

Scott Benner 18:42
don't know what you're talking about. Um, and babies that crazy? I don't mean they're really drunk people. First of all, let me be clear, do not let your babies drink if that's what you thought you heard just now, but like when babies like her, you know, like all like goofy and somebody takes a video of him and it's funny like it's never like that. It's either he's crying and screaming or he's low and you don't really notice it.

Kelly 19:01
Yeah, yeah, he definitely doesn't get the goofy lows. Okay.

Scott Benner 19:04
So this is interesting, right? Because you have a firsthand knowledge of what a low feels like for you what a high blood sugar feels like for you. And so most parents when their children go through something medical they don't know what's actually happening so it's easier I would think just to like tell the doctor said this like it's fine but when you really know what a low feels like, that's why you have that Pang inside of you. That's like, I should not be letting this happen. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Well, that makes sense completely. This has nothing to do with your kid. But I thought you find this interesting. This person has not been on the show yet but I'm in contact with them. I'm just gonna stay vague. A girl around 1314 years old, has had type one diabetes for three years. And about I don't know now nine months ago started taking a week go V for weight loss, and is now from something Like 16 units of basil plus meal insulin down to two units of basil a day and nothing else. No way that crazy. So I don't know what to make of that. Exactly. But her mom sends me graphs. Weekly. I look at them, she shows me where the food is. It's It's insane. I can't that's wild. I can't make sense of it.

Kelly 20:22
I wish I could get my insurance to approve that for you. Yeah, for me.

Scott Benner 20:27
Interesting question. Would you want to GLP for weight for insulin, but would you be what were your well? Okay, well, then you can?

Kelly 20:34
I can't.

Scott Benner 20:35
Why have you got crappy insurance?

Kelly 20:38
I have great insurance, but it's TRICARE. So they're really strict about trying to get through drugs that are not on their formulary.

Scott Benner 20:48
Oh, it's not it's not on there. Well, that could change. Listen, I'm no soothsayer, I am also may not even be a person who can pronounce soothsayer exactly right. But I think that these formularies you're gonna have a hard time keeping GRPs off in the near future. I

Kelly 21:05
did just recently start trulicity like, three weeks ago.

Scott Benner 21:09
Okay. That's a pill, right? No, it's

Kelly 21:12
a

Scott Benner 21:13
that's an injection to? Yeah, I mean, is it working for you? Did you notice anything, I

Kelly 21:19
get full faster. But as far as, like insulin adjustments for the first like two days of the very first dose, I was taking, like maybe 50%. Like, typically, my total daily insulin is like 100 units 220. For those first two days, it was at like 56 to 62, like half like it had. But after those two days, it's really gone back to normal. And back on my normal Basal settings, and my normal normal Bolus settings. Everything is, I don't know, I'll

Scott Benner 21:56
share this with you. Although I don't have enough information about it to be thoughtful yet. But I do have the experience of the last two and a half weeks art and began using a GLP. One, she's done three injections so far. And her last injection was like four days ago. So she's two and a half weeks into it. Maybe her Basal has gone from 1.1 during the day 2.8. And her insulin sensitivity has gone from 42. That's one unit moves her 42 to one unit moves her 68. Like that's a huge, a huge reduction in insulin sensitivity. Yeah, it really was a big number. And on top of that, and again, it's anecdotal at this point, but she just had her first period with it. And her acne breakout was, I'd say 90% less than it usually is. Really? Yeah. And she's lost like eight pounds. Oh, interesting. Wow. So that's two weeks on the lowest dose? And those are the those are the impacts we've seen so far. So did she lose the weight? Because she's not using as much insulin? Maybe? Is she losing the weight? Because she's not eating as much? Probably? Is it hard? Because the adjustment period is difficult. It is like it's not easy. You know, there was, I think, a day and a half when she had her period on top of the the injection where she was just like, I don't think she ate for like a day and a half. And now she's getting back into it again. So she's adjusting to the medication, which takes time. I don't know, it's not for everybody. There's people, you know, their stories all over the place. I don't know. You never know all the information behind the stories like some people tell you like, Oh, I got like, an intestinal blockage. And I'm like, Oh, that's terrible. Like, did you already have an intestinal blockage? Like, you know, like, I don't know, like, what the medication does doesn't do to people like what the side effects are? I've been on we go V which is ozempic for like, since March, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October 10 months, I've lost 40 pounds. It's fundamentally changed my life. And other things have happened for me to I don't know how to put into words. I have not made an emergency visit to a restroom in like, a year. So I have not been in the situation where like, oh my gosh, I have to go to the bathroom. And if I don't get there, there's going to be a problem. That was the thing that would occur in my life before it does not happen anymore. I used to have really bad acid reflux. It's gone. Like little things like that, that I can't really explain. Anyway, the point about Orton is, is that she's not even on what they would consider a therapeutic dose yet. She's using point two, five and she's having all these like experiences already. So that's amazing. I can't see how it doesn't end up being something but type ones are prescribed in the future.

Kelly 24:49
I really hope that's the case. i I can only imagine how beneficial it's got to be mean. I had great success for the first two days that I took it And I, it's very possible that they'll have to increase the dose and then I'll start seeing that across the board. If it can lessen the load of the, you know, the amount of insulin that a person has to take, that would be incredible.

Scott Benner 25:13
Yeah, or spikes or your time and range or, you know, a number of other things. Yeah, my

Kelly 25:16
spikes have definitely been a lot more gradual. Yeah,

Scott Benner 25:21
right. That's a big deal. And, you know, geez, now, what's gonna end up happening is that people are gonna say, doctors are gonna, like, freak out, they're gonna be like, Oh, your insulin needs are going away, right. And we can't do that, because I don't know how to adjust your insulin. Like, it's been a thing that I've had to pay attention to, like, We purposely did it while she was home from school. Because I don't know that, like, while she was away, I don't know if she could have handled it, to be honest. Like, because it was it was a really quick like, hey, we need to move this basil, we need to move this, like, you know, she was getting a low for like, two nights in a row. And I'm like, Okay, that's it. I'm calling this thing. I'm changing your settings. And now we're back to good again. But still, like, she had a little bit of a rise the other day, like a 120, or something that stuck for a while. And I watched the algorithm push at it. And she got low, like three hours later, and the algorithm wasn't able to stop it. So that means I don't know exactly yet. Like that is one of those things where like, I don't really know what dial to turn to stop that from happening. So I'm still figuring the whole thing out. But anyway, I wish people luck. It's, I'm not saying it's for everybody. And, you know, I'm sure you can google and find out that, you know, there's like a fifth of what's the one article that somebody tried to point to the other day, when people were arguing about this online, there's been a 15 100% increase in calls to poison control because of ozempic. And I was like, let me look at this. It took me eight seconds of googling to find the story. There has been a 15 100% increase, but it's because people are odd on it, not because it hurts them because they use it like the person tried to make it sound like oh, if you put this in you're in trouble. You have to call poison control. But that's not what's happening. People are either Miss dialing the the insulin giving themselves way too much and slowing their motility down their gut motility down so much. They think they've been poisoned. So do you see what I'm saying? So like, ah, yeah. So what we really do is we have a problem with people who don't know how to use pens and or doctors who don't know how to direct their patients, or maybe people who are just like, if point two five made me lose a pound. I wonder how much three would do. Right, right. Like, I don't know, you'll have that. You know what happens? But it's anecdotal information that people point to and then go Oh, see, there's a problem. Like, I don't know if you know all the facts. I don't either, but I'm not sure you do. Anyway. So you got him a CGM, that your insurance company was like, no problem. Your kid who doesn't have diabetes can have a CGM.

Kelly 27:46
We had to fight for it. The endo had requested it once. With TRICARE, it's easier to fill Dexcom through DME, they submitted it for prescription and they were like, yeah, absolutely not. So they had declined it. And then I think I had asked on your Facebook page, and Samantha was able to help me write a letter and formulate a letter and send it in and say like, Hey, listen, this is something that is really, really needed, we want to watch, make sure that he we catch any, you know, problems before this becomes DKA and hospitalization, and that's gonna cost you all this money, right? And so we were able to submit that and are you with insurance and they were able to, we were able to get it approved. Finally, is Sam not magical? He's amazing.

Scott Benner 28:45
He knows how to write those letters, right? It's not her profession, but it easily could be. It should be honestly, like, she's so good. Yeah, the problem is Kelly is like, Where would who pays you if that's your job? That's true. That's the problem. Because the insurance company, of course, they don't want those letters to work. They wouldn't care. I won some years ago. I don't ever remember what happened to it. But I was like, why don't you work for a company? Like those companies need people to get on their products? And insurance companies stand in the way and these letters get get them through? Like, wouldn't it make sense for the company to have somebody on staff that helped people write these letters? And I don't know, whatever happened to that? I mean, I don't know if it was a good idea or not, but it's just the thing I said out loud when I first met her. Sounds good to me. Sounds like a good idea. Yeah. But she's brilliant at that. And she just really understands or is very good at picking through the documentation. Yes, at the insurance company side. I

Kelly 29:41
know when I told her that we had TRICARE she was like, oh, no, we might not be able to make that happen. But she's really good. She's amazing.

Scott Benner 29:50
I didn't know that's what you did. But that's that's really cool. And another example of why that Facebook group is fantastic. And what really lovely person in there who spent by the way, how much time with you do you think until Oh,

Kelly 30:00
you know, it's been a year and a half. I'm not sure. The phone were

Scott Benner 30:04
you going back and forth and writing? Yeah, we were just messaging. And then did she actually write the letter for you? Did she tell you how to write it?

Kelly 30:11
She sent me what I am assuming is more like a template. And then we kind of work together to fill in the details.

Scott Benner 30:18
That's a stranger doing that with you who you didn't pay. That's amazing. Yeah, that's really cool. Anyway, you guys should check out the private Facebook group. There's people like that in there and a lot more. There's also crazy people. But very few, so don't worry. Right, Kelly, the ratio of lovely to crazy in my Facebook group is very slanted towards lovely. Oh, for sure. Most, most are great. Most are great. That's perfect. But a t shirt most third grade? A few make you question your sadly. Fantastic. So you just want diabetes to come? Because of this weird way of putting it. But yeah, you're like, Please get here. I think this is a very common feeling for people who are in a honeymoon situation, which is technically what you are. I mean, your does your son technically have lotto right now?

Kelly 31:06
That's what I feel like I would call it but I mean, he's three. So yeah,

Scott Benner 31:11
well, we should call it something latent autoimmune. diabetes in little babies. It's, well, I can tell you this, I raised the kid from two years old Till so far, almost 20 who had diabetes, she weighed 17 pounds the day she was diagnosed, there was no Dexcom there was no, I love a pen dorso pumping. Like, I didn't have any of that stuff. And it's okay. I look tired. So, don't expect your like 50 year old photos to look fantastic. Maybe. But, um, but it's doable, you know? And do you work full time?

Kelly 31:51
You don't I stay home. I homeschool my my two older kids at the moment. So you know

Scott Benner 31:57
what? Good? Because, you know, I'm sure this fluctuates constantly.

Kelly 32:06
For sure. It's actually helped me a lot to listen through the podcasts and kind of your story and your recall of you know how it was to raise a type one toddler. And it's very different than when I was diagnosed at 12. Oh, for sure. You know, I mean, it's a whole it's the same disease. And yet somehow there's almost no similarities between me at 12 and him with the exact same thing. At three.

Scott Benner 32:31
Is it frustrating that your experiences aren't valuable right now? Kind of Yeah, you think I have all this like knowledge? And it's like, it's almost right for this, but not quite. Yeah, exactly. There's a great episode that went up yesterday, I think it's just called Anonymous guest. And that person talks about how their father's diabetes kind of poorly impacted their diabetes, because the father had it such a long time ago that like, you know, he would say things to her, like, as long as your blood sugar isn't over 250 You know, and now, you know, she has issues like moving forward, but he thought he was giving state of the art cutting edge information, right, all those years ago. I wonder too, he is not alive. But I did wonder like, if you could say that to him, like you were you thought you were giving great advice, and you weren't. Right. Not that you're not you're stuff that you know, right now, because you're moving with it. Right? Like, yeah,

Kelly 33:25
for sure. Things have changed a lot. I mean, I think what Arden was diagnosed 2006 2006 i It was around the same time I was diagnosed in 2005. Okay, so it's been it's it's been just absolutely wild to see the progression. You know, of course, we're all told, you know, when you're diagnosed like, oh, the cure is coming. Right. And so you get that hope for a little while. But it, you know, that fizzles out eventually. And it's been really, really amazing to watch the technology and just kind of the way that diabetes is cared for the way that that is all changed 18 years, like just in my lifetime alone. Yeah,

Scott Benner 34:10
it's been very quick. I mean, I'm sure if we could look back over other 18 year chunks, and put them in context. They'd all feel like they were moving quickly. But this one with the addition of these technologies, and now like some of these drugs, like it's really leaping and leaping forward very, very quickly. Yeah, it's huge. Before Dexcom figured out that if they had people working in Washington to help understand the process of getting stuff through the system, things did not move quickly. And as a matter of fact, it would take sometimes three years for a meter company just to put out a new meter. And you when it came out, you realize that wasn't really any more accurate. Yeah,

Kelly 34:51
it was no different than the last except for maybe the shape and the color. Yeah, they changed

Scott Benner 34:55
the shape and the color had a light now and they were like look, it's brand new and we were all like, Oh my God, look at this, it's happening. They basically put handles on doors and we were like your recap as you come up with this, you know, like, this is the best thing that's ever happened. But Dexcom stepped up, and they were like, okay, you know, we're making advancements, we need to get this stuff through FDA. And then they, you know, I don't want to make it sound sinister. Like it's not like every pharma drug company has people who understand the the FDA process, and therefore the submission process and, and the, you know, resubmissions that happen, sometimes all that stuff, you have to have somebody on site that understands that those things go smoothly. I think Dexcom was the first diabetes device company to take that seriously. I don't know, I'm guessing, but they probably went to the pharma world and picked out a couple of people who understood device regulation, and brought them over. And now the whole thing just moves so much quicker, just that one of those, like decisions that none of us will really ever know about. That made everything kind of leap. And now, it's to the point where people are online. Dexcom puts out a G six. And I say, hey, Dexcom is coming on to talk about G six. What are your questions? Inevitably someone says, What's this? When will the g7 be out? Like as they're still launching the six, you know? And then the seven comes out, I say to anybody have questions for Dexcom, about g7 wins the g8 coming up, like now people have that like cell phone expectation about it, which is pretty crazy, you know, especially given that Arden had a little meter. Oh, I didn't mean to curse, although I did that nice conversation. She had this little like meter that I had kept for so long. I just threw it away the other day. Like, and it was just this tiny little, probably not accurate thing that look, junkie, and I just tossed in the garbage. I was like, oh my god, I left that in the bottom drawer for 15 years. So sentimental. I don't know what a weird thing to be sentimental about. Right. But anyway, so things have changed. You've moved with them? What's your agency right now? And what how do you manage

Kelly 37:07
6.0? Well, it was my last day once a just a few weeks ago, I use the Dexcom J six, and I have the tandem, I don't know, x two, or whatever they

Scott Benner 37:20
call it. That's control like you. Yeah, with tandem,

Kelly 37:23
I was using central IQ for a few years, I've actually turned it off recently, because,

Scott Benner 37:31
well,

Kelly 37:32
I was having trouble where I'm I know that one of my settings has to be off. But it would suspend, you know, it would say you're going to be able to 70 so it would suspend. And then it would suspend for so long that eventually I would shoot up to like, you know, 160, which is not that high. But then you know, the the algorithm was not aggressive enough to bring it back down. And that was usually happening overnight. And so I would wake up at 160. And I might want to start my day in a really crappy place. And I feel like, you know, I want to wake up at like, 90, that'd be great. And so I just I fiddled with it for weeks. And finally I just turned it off. Because without it suspending I can ride 70 overnight, and it's fine. And I gather I know that it wants to leave you you know, 112 and a half or whatever it is. But it's missing the mark. Okay, and it's not getting me I would be fine waking up at 112. But it's missing that and I'm waking up at 160. And I know that something is wrong, and I can't find what it is.

Scott Benner 38:41
So can I ask you prior to your son's issues? Would you have done more than fiddle with it and then shut it off?

Kelly 38:50
I wouldn't have fiddled with it at all.

Scott Benner 38:53
Oh,

Kelly 38:54
wait a minute, I would have been like Oh 160 Cool, whatever. Oh,

Scott Benner 38:59
are you trying to figure out diabetes better for him?

Kelly 39:03
Probably that's when I started listening to the podcast is after he was well I don't know he technically doesn't have a diagnosis. But after we kind of learned all this about him is when I started listening and I mean it has given me a lot of knowledge that you know, at 12 They give you I wasn't hospitalized when I was diagnosed. So I was at my like the family doctor. It was i They checked my sugar it was like 470 something and essentially the the doctor came in was like hey, you're type one diabetic sent me home. And again you'll go to Children's Hospital in the morning. They sent me for the entire day and then sent me home like they just sent me to do you know the the learning the teaching, like you know they teach you everything and they send you home and tell you to deal

Scott Benner 39:55
with it. What a great hospital they were able to teach you everything about type one diabetes and just today Did I

Kelly 40:00
mean we were fine? We were fine. I never died. That was everything that you really know. And you know, I feel like once you're taught things or or you go to a new doctor, right, and they just assume that the doctor before taught you, and so you don't ever learn more things like you kind of learn everything right at that moment. And yeah, the podcast itself has helped just really teach me some of that in between stuff like, like you said, they they taught me everything they know in one day, and then you never really get more information and more knowledge more, like, just stop there. Fine tuning

Scott Benner 40:40
and listen to you, and art. And we're, like you said, diagnosed around the same time. So it's counting carbs. It's insulin to carb ratio. It's will set your Basal and then you'll go back to the doctor if it has to be changed. And this is how you put an injection in a banana. and launch it get out of here. You're silly kids. Like, yeah, right. That's, that was that's what we got. The first time one of the questions pops up into your head. You know, when you the first time you think about a little broader you go, I don't have enough knowledge to make this next decision. Yeah. And then kind of I called the night Arden came home from the hospital. I called the endocrinologist at four o'clock in the morning and woke her up. No. And she's like, You can call me if you need I bet you should meet at four in the morning. But anyway, I woke her up. And I was like, this is Arden's blood sugar, and I want to give her this much insulin. Is that okay? And she was like, Yeah, I guess it sounds right. Oh, my God, this is the level of help. And that's a woman who was willing to give her personal phone number to me. That was still the level of help that she presented. Yesterday me mean, like, it wasn't any grand breakdown of the situation, or like an understanding of bigger ideas. And I don't think that's her fault either. I think the advent of CGM has really opened people's eyes in general to what blood sugars are doing. I know that we like to think that years ago, doctors just weren't telling you everything because they didn't think you could handle it or you didn't have the tools. I don't think they knew either. Yeah, yeah. I think the first time somebody said Oh, it went up to 300 and came back down. You didn't get low. That's fine. I think they meant that. Yeah. You know, and I was one of the you know, I was the person that would said, How do we stop it from getting highlight that, like, couldn't we do that? And they were like, No, bitch, I could. And then honestly, if you've really listened to the podcast, it's not until Arden's nurse practitioner tells us about Dexcom for the first time by telling us a story about another person. They put the CGM on the kid, he was like a 16, or 17 year old kid, I think. And the kid was like, Oh, I'm going to be able to eat my favorite candy again now, because I'll figure I'll figure out how to do this with this data. So it was that kid's mind. Having that thought, telling the nurse practitioner about it. She used it as a story to try to sell Dexcom to people because she thought she was saying you could eat candy. Like she wasn't being like high minded about it. You know what I mean? And then I heard that and thought, Oh, I understand what that kid is saying. What if we just put that on everything? And not just a snack. And then we start talking about it. Nine years later, you, Kelly, have the news about your child, find the podcast, and you're going to be really ready for him. And it sounds like you're doing better for yourself. So I I kind of wrongly assumed that you've been listening for a while. And you're just now here in your here telling me about your son, but you started listening because of him. So go back five years ago, what was your one C then

Kelly 43:47
five years ago? Let's see I have a five year old. So you gotta go back further. Before I had my first kid. I know you talked about it all the time. Right? Like, Oh, you did it because for another person. When I got pregnant with my first my agency was like, 10.1 I think? How old were

Scott Benner 44:07
you then? 2121. Did the math earlier when you said you're an eight year old? So. So you're 21 your agency's in the 10s and you didn't get pregnant on purpose?

Kelly 44:19
No.

Scott Benner 44:23
Sorry, I don't does anybody get pregnant on purpose? Are there just levels of like, I'm not going to try to stop this from happening. Okay, so that happens and you've you go to the doctor who probably flips out I'm imagining.

Kelly 44:40
Yeah, so I went to the OB I was only like six or seven weeks pregnant like very, very early on. My husband. Well, he was not my husband at the time. Yeah, he was out of town. I take my mom with me or

Scott Benner 44:56
she must have been thrilled.

Kelly 44:59
Is If we don't get along, let's put it that way. We're talking to the doctor and she for whatever reason, tells them like, oh, yeah, she hit over, you know, on the I didn't have a Dexcom at the time. So she tells me or she is talking, I had checked my blood sugar on a meter. And it had said, Hi. So it was over 600 which happened in later pregnancies as well just not at 600. But just ridiculous spikes really early on for me. And so she says that in the middle of the appointment in front of the doctor, and they admitted me to the hospital right away. Like all we got to figure this out, this is not okay. And I'm like, well, you're you're right. It's not okay. But like, I'm not 600 right now. Like, it was at like, 95. Right. I was like, I don't need to be admitted last. That's an

Scott Benner 45:49
average. But thank you. Great average, but it's not Yeah, that was my blood sugar's right now, way to tell me you don't know anything about what you're talking about? Yeah.

Kelly 46:00
I did not stick with that doctor's office.

Scott Benner 46:03
But but so you're so you're smacked immediately with that? Oh, wow, I have to bring my agency down by four points to have a healthy pregnancy. Hmm. How quickly did you do that? And how did you do that?

Kelly 46:16
It was really fast. When I say that, like that weekend that they had it. It made me that a hospital it was down to nine point something already. And by the end of the pregnancy, I was at 5.7.

Scott Benner 46:31
What did you do to lower it.

Kelly 46:32
So the maternal fetal doctor that I ended up going to his wife was type one. And so he actually you would go, I would go in about once a week. And he basically became my endocrinologist. He went through my pump settings, and he would adjust every little thing for me. And he kind of did it all for me at that time.

Scott Benner 46:57
So you met somebody who had some expanded knowledge who looked at you, and were like, you're not getting this done on your own? Basically. Yeah. And so was your higher agency mostly because of settings? No, no. Was it food settings not Bolus thing is it that is like the trifecta.

Kelly 47:15
I would say, and I don't know if this has to do with like age at diagnosis, or just my own mindset from probably age 1421 When I was pregnant, like, I didn't really test my blood sugar, like, maybe once or twice a day would just like, if I felt low, I might check. Sometimes I would just treat. And I mean, I would still take, you know, a Bolus or whatever, just to cover the food, but I wasn't really do ever doing corrections.

Scott Benner 47:53
Were you in the situation where you were diagnosed old enough that your parents are like Kelly's a good girl, she can take care of it. And they left you to your own devices? Yeah. Okay. Something like that. And when you said earlier, you don't get along with your mom really? Well, is that because you don't feel like she looked out for you as a child?

Kelly 48:10
Probably. But I mean, I'm sure there's more.

Scott Benner 48:14
Also crack. No, I'm just kidding. I'm sure your mom did do crack. And I didn't mean to say she did. I was just so that I mean, it's very common story. Like it's it's a mistake a lot of parents make. Yeah. But like that kids old enough for this, because they don't really even understand it. And they can come to the conclusion of like, well, we taught them to give the injections. They know how to do that. So that will just tell them to do it. And they'll do it. Exactly. Yeah. But that's listen, if you're thinking about right now, as a parent, I'll come out and say this, you're lying to yourself, or you're an idiot. That's one of the two.

Kelly 48:51
And it was it was really challenging. I mean, a lot of it is on them. Like they should have taken the reins and dealt with it. But I was also 12 I didn't want them to help me with anything. I wanted to handle it on my own. Like I was like, Oh, well, I know just as much as you do. We sat through the same classes together. Like I got this meaning

Scott Benner 49:11
list to me, Kelly, okay. I know, I've been a parent a long ass time. The amount of things I have to say to my kids that I know they don't want to hear from me is uncomfortable. I know why people don't want to do it. But that doesn't mean you get to skip it. I hate to say something to Arden yesterday, as I was saying it I was like she's gonna be pissed when I say that I was like, but it's my job to say it. Right? So what am I gonna do? Now? If she disregards me, she gets older and older and older, and, you know, sets herself on fire and explodes on I tried, but I can't go oh, she's not gonna like it if I say this to me, or she wants to do it on our own. So like, you have to find a way to communicate

Kelly 49:52
definitely like not pointing.

Scott Benner 49:57
And I'm not saying Listen communication, probably the root of most problem seems like people are poor communicators overall. Like I get that it's not specific to your mom or you know anybody else and I struggle with it. And I, I mean, you can make an argument that I communicate for a living now and still in my private life. I'm like, I'm gonna do this wrong. I know I'm gonna do this. You know, like, it still happens. But Jesus, you were a 10 when you were 21? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you look back. Now, what does that? How does that make you feel?

Kelly 50:27
It just makes me like upset that I wasn't paying attention to it at all. I feel like at that age, you really feel invincible, like nothing's ever gonna happen, like you hear about. You hear about the complications that can happen. And you're like, Whatever, I'm fine. And I mean, I still am for now. But for now.

Scott Benner 50:51
You got to it in time, you know, it means you're pretty young. And hopefully, maybe you're talking about seven years in there, right? With like a double digit day one, say,

Kelly 51:01
when I still lived at home, I think a one sees were seven, maybe eight and a half.

Scott Benner 51:08
And that's a function of your mom being like, Did you test and stuff like that? Probably

Kelly 51:13
not. I mean, maybe I truly don't have a lot of memory of that time. You're

Scott Benner 51:19
probably not cut every mother so deep just now. Because you didn't say, oh, that lady. No, she didn't help me. Kelly, that was something. I took a lot out of those two words. I think I'm right, by the way. Okay, so just maybe because you were in that setting, it was more controlled. Maybe it was just you were following some of your own rules that you knew you had.

Kelly 51:46
Yeah, I mean, even when I am sure. I know that they used to ask me, you know, did you test what's your number? I to this day, I'm very uncomfortable, like I will show you but for whatever for some reason, telling you like saying the words I am you know, 170 Physically pained me at the time. So they would ask and I would probably either lie or just like, throw the meter on the table near them and be like, here, look at yourself. Oh, he's up my ass. Tell me I'm wrong. To bring Steve. I mean, in my head I was but outwardly

Scott Benner 52:33
to go put a second coating of black nail polish on now. Leave me alone. I'm afraid you'll see the whites of my nails if I don't. I hear you listen, it ain't easy. Like right. Like it's not easy to raise a kid who doesn't have anything medical going on? So let's say then this guy knocking you off pretty much saved your life.

Kelly 52:53
I mean, I don't know if you want to give him that much credit. But no, he's he's great. I love him.

Scott Benner 53:01
He's amazing. Yeah. Listen, how can you me you've set your parents at a pretty low bar. So you're I don't know. Honestly, Scott. I don't know if he's great. Or if it's just that he's here and he looks at me. Oh, you're making me reevaluate this. He might be terrible. It's might just be a perspective thing. No, I

Kelly 53:21
will say I have a great relationship with my dad. I love him. He's amazing. And my husband reminds me a lot of my father.

Scott Benner 53:27
Okay, lovely. I'm worried that I just made a bunch of women right now go Oh, my God, I have accepted so much less than I deserve because of how my parents were. Don't all go getting divorced. I'm sure you can fix them.

Kelly 53:38
It's not uncommon for people to

Scott Benner 53:41
Oh, you don't think that's uncommon? Every time you hear somebody say that if one generation of parents just took their jobs super seriously, and they were selfless. It would change the entire world. It's completely true and will never happen. So just too many people. But Bilasa bomber sorry, everybody. So your agency comes down to because you you want to be there for your your first daughter works and then you keep it down or she comes out and you're like, ooh, here I come. 10 What do you do afterwards? No,

Kelly 54:16
it's really stayed down. All of my kids have birthdays in January. So only

Scott Benner 54:21
horny once a year, apparently.

Kelly 54:27
I really enjoy April.

Scott Benner 54:31
I love Easter, Scott. I don't know what to tell you. Alright, sorry. That was inappropriate. I apologize for saying that. Anyway, what were you gonna say? Oh, my kids reporting January what?

Kelly 54:48
I was gonna say it's been nine years since I probably had that 5.7 When I was pregnant with her and I would say the highest that I have seen since then was probably I'm guessing I saw like a 7.8 right after she was born. Okay. And other than that, it's been mostly fives.

Scott Benner 55:14
Wow, good for you. That's really wonderful. I happen to know because you're in the group, but did your thyroid pop after the baby's or did you have a thyroid issue before? No,

Kelly 55:23
I actually got diagnosed with hypo thyroid. The same time I was diagnosed with type one. Oh, well, the same lab work

Scott Benner 55:32
you mind if I quote one of your tweets or one of your posts? Sure. Go ahead. My most recent TSH was 10 ish. Geez. I added site a mil so somebody's not managing your thyroid. Well, either. Yeah. What backwards state are you in? By the way?

Kelly 55:49
Um, we live in Florida right now. I'm

Scott Benner 55:52
sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm huge in Florida. I'm not insulting any of you. I love you guys. So how are you? How long is your TSH been that high?

Unknown Speaker 56:00
This is the only

Kelly 56:02
Well the last time I got bloodwork done was a year ago and it was two or so little under two.

Scott Benner 56:09
Kelly, are you not going for bloodwork every year for your thyroid?

Kelly 56:13
CoreSite? Yeah, what a question.

Scott Benner 56:15
How are you? Um,

Kelly 56:17
I shouldn't be doing it every six months. I usually go once a year.

Scott Benner 56:21
Okay. So you just had a big spike in TSH? It's not that it wasn't well managed before.

Kelly 56:25
Yeah, I've never felt particularly great. They did add the T three, the site ml. And so far, I think it's helping but I also. I mean, who knows? I might just think it's helping. So I don't know, the last time.

Scott Benner 56:43
I love the way you talk. You're like, oh, no, I've never really felt great. You know, when people talk about happy, I don't exactly know what they're talking about.

Kelly 56:57
The last time before now that my T three was checked, and I don't know how accurate like T three bloodwork is. But the last time that I had the T three checked was in 2017. Okay, so they've been checking T four TSH, and I don't know what else, whatever else. But the last time the T three was checked was 2017.

Scott Benner 57:22
They gave you site ml this time. Yeah, that helped anything? I think so more energy.

Kelly 57:29
I do have more energy.

Scott Benner 57:31
You feel more well rested? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay. I love it. I have to say I love it. GLP for you, can we get that? How does that happen? Let's get you out of that insurance.

Kelly 57:44
You know what my husband's getting out of the military in September. I'm so excited.

Scott Benner 57:49
Oh, you see, maybe there's a chance here. There might

Kelly 57:52
be in like, you know, nine Marma.

Scott Benner 57:54
You have a job lined up? No, not yet. I mean, so far, the job of getting you pregnant on a consistent basis. Seems like he's good at that. Because, yeah,

Kelly 58:02
maybe he'll find a job in May.

Scott Benner 58:05
Yeah, when he's all happy. And later. By the way, for everyone wondering, I know, you've heard me say over the years, like, you know, I don't I only let out like a small portion of my sense of humor, because I think if I let it all out, it would just like you guys would all run away. Because I could be clear with you as far as stupid, childish humor goes, not not me as a whole person. But anyway, that that happened to me too quick, like I was already giggling. So my inhibitions were gone. And then you said April, and my, my brain goes Easter. And then it says, say something stupid. That's all that all comes out. Just so you know how it works? In my little head. I'm not apologizing for it. I actually think it was hilarious. But

Kelly 58:49
no, that's all how to present my sense of humor. Like,

Scott Benner 58:52
yeah, I imagine you would have hung up if it was like, and that's where the interview ended. And by the way, if that happened, I would have played it just like that. It just wouldn't come to a dead stop. I would have like in a very serious voice like months from now been like, Kelly left the call and never returned. I don't know what happened.

Kelly 59:12
For some reason we're posting a short episode this Yeah. I

Scott Benner 59:16
don't know what she just I mean, she's no sense of humor on that girl. Anyway, yeah. Okay. I don't know what to do. Now. I'm lost at this point. In case you're wondering. I've lost my way. And I have to record with Erica in an hour. So I'm like, trying to like I stacked my recordings up today before I have to leave. So here's what's happening. I'm leaving. Today. I should say this in the podcast. I am leaving today to go retrieve my son from Atlanta who has now been there for just two weeks shy of a full year. His contract is up on his job. He could have resigned it but he did not want to resign a year long lease. He thinks that he has learned everything he can learn from this position. And that now he is basically just poor forming a task, which there'd be nothing wrong with if that was the job he really wanted. But he was down there to get experience. And he's coming home now to start looking for another job and gain a different experience. He's also considering a master's degree. But anyway, I get to go get my kid. And so when I get done with you, I eat an egg. I record with Erica, I probably get rid of the egg, then I get my car. to Now my afternoon is gonna go I assume I'm gonna go to the bathroom around 1pm. And then I'm gonna head off to Atlanta, and help my son move home. So pretty excited. Anyway, that's my day. Kelly case you. Also, do you think we should apologize to rob for all the cutting he's had to do for the cursing and that other reference and stuff like that? We're sorry, Rob. You

Kelly 1:00:44
know, when I was like mentally preparing for this, I assumed there would be a lot of editing, did you?

Scott Benner 1:00:48
Because you know yourself or because you thought you and I together this would happen at some point.

Kelly 1:00:53
Oh, both. I actually figured I would let some fly too. But I've been I've been preserved.

Scott Benner 1:00:59
Isn't it insane? That the same person who helped you understand diabetes is the same person who said That's stupid. But he's actually find that amazing. There are times when you'll like, here's an example. I was at a gas station once, when a woman walked up to me and was waving her hand frantically in my face. And I put my window down. I was like, Hey, what's up? She goes, podcast. And I was like, Hold on one second. So I put the window back up. And then I finished what I was doing. And I got out of the car. And I was like, Hey, how are you? And she goes, good. I love your podcast. And I was like, Oh, thank you. And I was like, how do you? How did you know me? Like, I'm sitting in a car, you know? And she goes, I saw you out at the traffic light pulling in here. And I was like, Oh my God. That's Scott from the Juicebox Podcast. And I'm like, did you follow me in here? And she's, oh, yeah, maybe. And I was like, that she like, whips her kid out from behind her like, like a Russian nesting doll. She's like, this is my daughter. I was like, holy shit that person come from. She's like, she has diabetes, she starts talking about everything. And it was lovely. By the way, it was a wonderful interaction. And then I got back in my car. And I thought, How am I the person that that's happened to just now? Like, I really I have such stupid thoughts about so many other things. Like how am I that person? It's so weird.

Kelly 1:02:23
I wonder if that's why it's effective. So I feel like so often, like we go to the doctor, and we see them as this person, like up on a pedestal and they're so like, cut and dry. That it's hard, at least for me, like it's hard for me to like really absorb that. And so just being able to like, listen to you as somebody that I would get along with and be able to listen to you and like also have the stories tied into it. It's really effective style of I don't know learning for me, I

Scott Benner 1:02:52
guess you don't think I should over whiten my teeth and talk like a local weather person.

Kelly 1:02:58
Maybe you shouldn't give it a try for one episode.

Scott Benner 1:03:01
Such a headache. If I did that by the time it was over. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I don't put any effort into pretending to be nice or like to shine myself up or anything like that. So I take your point, it's, listen, I know. I mean, there's a person that's popping into my head right now who I won't disrespect by mentioning them. But they're, they're diabetes infos good. They're just not likable. I look at them. And I think, Oh, you're just not a person I'd want to hang out with that sucks because your info was rock solid. But it's that last piece of it in this digital age. It's not enough to just, it's not enough to be right. And you can't pretend to be likable. And by the way, not everyone likes me either. Like there are plenty of people who really don't like that I could read you a couple of reviews right now of people who do not do and that are not going to like the Easter reference either. The same people that left that review call me but will you read some of them? Do you want me to?

Kelly 1:03:57
I really

Scott Benner 1:03:58
do you want me to Alright, so this is how we're going to end Kelly I'm going to read I gotta find them. I didn't know we were gonna do this. Oh God, this is gonna be embarrassing. I've never done this before. One lady I think flat out call me a misogynist. Which by the way I do not agree with how do I get to? You would think I would know. Being the person who does this. I just burped? Could you hear it?

Kelly 1:04:23
I didn't. What a great

Scott Benner 1:04:25
microphone. Mic is amazing. I sometimes cracked my knuckles while I'm doing it. I don't think people can hear that either.

Kelly 1:04:31
I've been popping a I'm holding a highlighter in my hand. I've been popping the cap and I do that

Scott Benner 1:04:36
all day with

Kelly 1:04:37
my I'm hoping that it's not a lot of editing for your editor and he can't

Scott Benner 1:04:41
actually hear it. Okay, I'm scrolling back. Oh, okay. Here's the first one. I'm just gonna Oh, Jesus Christ. I'm just gonna read it. Okay. One star hosts needs to let guests speak. Yeah, okay. We know. I am. Wait, am I the only one that notices how he's talking the majority of the time. I had to unsubscribe, I couldn't take it anymore. He cuts them off all the time. And on more than one occasion he'll make cringe comments that I'm sure. I don't know what she's talking about. He makes cringe comments that I'm sure makes the guests uncomfortable. Were you uncomfortable today, Kelly?

Kelly 1:05:22
No, I'm so much enjoyment. Okay. Well, I'm

Scott Benner 1:05:25
shocked how not enough people have commented on this. Now, interesting enough, this person who left this review about three months ago, I think if you asked me to step out of this, I would tell you that this person has had an experience in their life where joking around things that may be sexual in nature, make her very uncomfortable. And God bless if that's how it makes her feel. I don't certainly don't want her to listen either. I don't know how a person doesn't look at 1300 reviews that are all except for hers and a handful of others five star and say things like my fear and anxiety has subsided. This is a literal lifesaver. This is an excellent podcast. Heavenly best. Like this has been a huge help to me. Like I don't know how you don't look at the other reviews and go i Why am I the outlier here. But now an outlier. Sure but TMI as a diabetic, one star by the way, I by the way, you can't give zero stars where I assume they would. I used to love this podcast as it gave me so many mi two moments of connections with other diabetics out there. But recently, the interviews are peppered with inappropriate content for a podcast about diabetes. Be still a she didn't say be still I said that the poor woman being interviewed must endure jokes about their bodies in their personal and intimate relationships indoor, okay, I can feel the awkward CRINGE CRINGE toys of the guests. If it were me, I might just hang up. Unfortunately, the content has gone downhill. Now. This podcast is nine years old. It's going into its 10th year, it is the largest diabetes podcast in the world. And it is downloaded at the same level as other high level health and fitness podcast, things that are put out by major corporations that have giant businesses behind them. The contents not going downhill. It's not, but it did for her, which is fine. And but by the way, she's actually it's interesting. She's referencing one specific episode, where I know that that this is what this is. And I went back to the person who I interviewed to make sure that I didn't miss something. So here's the here's the layout for how this, this review happens. I'm talking to a girl who's now 22 years old or something like that. And during the course of the conversation, she's telling me how her I think our parents have like a lot of children, right? And her dad works like a bunch of jobs. And I said, Well, yeah, he has to like work a bunch of jobs. He's he's got all these kids, he must have never been home. I'm paraphrasing now, Kelly. But I did say something specifically, like, you must have only known your dad is the guy who came home, swatted your mom on the s in the kitchen, and then went to sleep. And I said that because I thought, jeez, you must be like a real sexualized person have seven kids and only be around each other. Like, it's a lot of kids get up and leg like and I was like, they must just like he's never home. They must either be like, being intimate or sleeping. Like, you know, anyway, the girl laughs and everything. And I think oh, gosh, was she laughing to be polite? So I'm going to make the effort. Because of this review, I was going to make the effort to go contact this person to make sure I didn't make them feel uncomfortable. So I searched my email for them. And what do I find, but an email from a couple of days after we did the interview. And again, I don't know the exact words, but here's the gist of it. Oh my god, I had so much fun doing this with you. I hope that the people listening had as much fun as I did. So this person who left this review, I will say to you as well, your reaction probably has more to do with your personal situation that it does. The person you're listening to on the pious you're making a lot of you taking a lot of leaps here deciding how that poor woman must have felt because that poor woman had a great time and loved being on this podcast. So you know, it's fine with me so I get that that's gonna happen now let's get to the others hold on a second. We're scrolling scrolling. Here's another one about that specific interview said it was creepy. Couldn't you tell she was uncomfortable? She wasn't you just thought she was oh, this ruffled a lot of feathers? Well, that one that one comment about somebody coming in the house and slapping their wife on the button.

Kelly 1:09:53
By the way, do you think it's because you were talking about like her parents and not about her her like her? So

Scott Benner 1:10:00
I think it's because she was in her early 20s. And I talked about her parents, and they probably, I'm gonna guess their parents didn't have a great relationship, or they were watching their parents, like get along in the living room or something like something weird had to happen. You know what I mean? Like they walked in one too many times, while their mom was in weird garter belts or something. Something had to happen. This next one. This one is, I'm sorry, I think this one's funny. One star chauvinist. This is a quote, my wife has two jobs, keep the dog quiet. And think of excuses why not to have sex with me. That is something I said on the podcast that it says safe to say I won't be listening to this podcast again. Now.

Kelly 1:10:48
I don't. But to be fair, just imagine that's like the first episode.

Scott Benner 1:10:53
I'm like, there are times when I say something, I think God if this is someone's first episode, they're not coming back. But so usually, I say, my wife has two jobs, not know when the trash goes out and come up with excuses to have sex with me. But this was a reference inside of an episode, there was a dog, but my dog was barking. And I and I said to the person I was interviewing, I'm so sorry. This is this is my wife's job. She only has two jobs. And I was trying to be funny. By the way, my wife has an incredibly high level job where she helps a lot of people and she's the brightest person I've ever met in my life. But these other two things are also true. So anyway, that person did not like me, either. scrolling, scrolling. Here's one that gave me four stars, and talks glowingly about the podcast. But then says I talk too much. To which I would say to her, this is a podcast. Imagine how it would be if I didn't talk. That's true. And people came on and weren't good at carrying the conversation, which by the way everyone thinks they are, but most people aren't. So this one by the way, the last one that was bad. The call me chauvinist was from Great Britain. This one's also from Great Britain, maybe I don't know well liked. Well, I have I, I have a lot of downloads in the GB but okay.

Kelly 1:12:20
They're just telling all their friends about how bad it is.

Scott Benner 1:12:24
The chauvinist guy talking about diabetes, this one again, one star, I don't think we're at this one. This one doesn't hurt but self centered is the title of this review. I searched out glycemic index on podcasts in an effort to educate myself. Let me say I am not diabetic nor thankfully, are any of my family. Okay? I do however, like to be informed. Like imagine you wake up tomorrow, and you're like, I just really want to understand the glycemic load. Anyway, God bless. I have to say I found Scott irritating and very self centered as he spoke over, this is going to go up, Jenny. While she was trying to make a point, Jenny and I have recorded together about 200 times, we are insanely good friends. And privately that woman has told me that she thinks I'm single handedly saving people with diabetes. This is not in any way reflective of Jenny and my relationship. So I must have just spoken over Jenny mistakenly. And this is what happened when the person heard that. Furthermore, he seemed to boast how when wearing a glucose monitor, he couldn't get his sugar to spike, even though he gorged himself eating two slices of cake. So yes, I wasn't first of all, it wasn't boasting. It was making the point that a person with a functioning pancreas can have two slices of cake and their blood sugar doesn't spike. I'm I'm you understand, well, you have diabetes, you understand? But like she she obviously understand. I left the podcast early. I won't be listening again. 45 minutes of my life, I won't ever get back. And she put a sad face. She's I don't know what to say to that person. You just you you fundamentally misunderstood everything you heard. But in one listening of a podcast felt compelled to go leave a horrible review of it. That part freaks me out. Like I've heard things and seeing things in my life I didn't enjoy. It's never occurred to me to be like, I have to now go tell everybody not to do. That throws me a little bit if I'm being honest, Kelly, are you having fun with this or should we stop? Yeah, I'm good. I'll see if I can find it.

Kelly 1:14:35
Was it my kids aren't here I never have this time.

Scott Benner 1:14:39
By the way, I'm scrolling past I'm not kidding you hundreds of glowing five star reviews to get to these for them. Sort them. What do you think the internet is made for use? Like

Kelly 1:14:49
click on the like, you know at the top like on Amazon or target. It'll say like five stars. 4321 you can click on one it'll give you all the one star reviews.

Scott Benner 1:14:58
I'm the creator. I don't see the internet The same way you do hold on a second, I get, oh, I'm reading. Oh, this person thinks I'm only positive towards paid sponsors products. I don't think that's true. I'm scrolling. This one. I love how matter of fact, this one is two stars helpful information, brilliant information and great tips offered on the podcast. I've gained insight on management, which has resulted in better control of my type one diabetes. And Jenny Smith adds credibility to the material provided. What a great review, right? The host Scott talks too much and cuts people off two stars, hey, how about this brilliant information and great tips offered on the podcast have gained insight on my management which results in better control Jenny Smith adds credibility. Thank you. What about that? Thank you. You know, the

Kelly 1:15:56
guy runs a podcast which he much talk on,

Scott Benner 1:15:59
motherfucker. Just can say thank you and be done with it. Like, oh, you know, this guy. He spends his whole life making a podcast where he takes the breath of his information from the last blah blah blah years have written badminton. And it's helped me immensely I don't love his speaking pattern though. He should go himself you're out of your mind. What a horrible thing. That's all persons this way. Isn't

Kelly 1:16:25
that kind of what you were saying earlier about the other one though, like great information sucks to listen to

Scott Benner 1:16:30
I can't get to the I can't I haven't found the one yet that AI is my absolute favorite one. It's just like I love this podcast. I hate that guy. Can be too much focused on him at times three stars host talks a lot about himself versus interviewing the guests but he can have great content. Pick one you can idiot I'm making the great content you motherfuckers I'm Do you know I interview Kelly. You've been lovely today and most people are but I've interviewed people who are the the entertainment equivalent of dry mud in your Okay. And you don't know that because I made them interesting. You'll never know that they're lovely. You'll never know you won't go back and listen to go this person was not good. I sussed out in three seconds. They weren't going to be good at it and I peppered in more conversation to draw them along. Like you again. Just say thank you. Hold on a second. Scrolling scrolling five stars. Five stars five stars. This one these pisses me off more than anything. This is a glowing review that they they only clicked on three stars. It really bothers me Kelly, I don't know why. Kelly, are you there? Did you die?

Kelly 1:17:42
I'm here.

Scott Benner 1:17:43
Can you hear me? Yeah, no, I can. Well, it's like it

Kelly 1:17:46
doesn't give you what's your like a war overall rating? Like 4.8? Yeah, I'm

Scott Benner 1:17:51
like 4.8 isn't really Yeah, yeah, I'm great. Well, it's a good good. Yeah. This person doesn't like the ads. That's interesting to me. If you don't want the ads, then you're not getting the podcast. So I gotta live to did

Kelly 1:18:05
you get up and running? I thought I had seen in your Facebook group that you are going to be starting a like a subscription one.

Scott Benner 1:18:12
I got it set up. But I hate the idea of it still. It's got right now it has all the pro tips in it with no ads.

Kelly 1:18:20
And I was thinking you're gonna do after dark and it's still

Scott Benner 1:18:24
I decided to do something else this year first.

Kelly 1:18:25
Well, I love the after dark.

Scott Benner 1:18:28
Can I tell you what I'm going to do though? Because by now it'll be out for years, or four months, I'm doing a series called cold wind. And I'm having healthcare professionals on and other people around the healthcare industry. They're speaking anonymously and having their voices changed and they're telling me about their jobs.

Kelly 1:18:45
Okay, just so like endos or just across the board. Anyone

Scott Benner 1:18:50
nurses have an HR professional who talks about how they've been doing how many times they fired somebody over 25 years for having a health issue. Okay, okay, directed by the CEO, stuff like that. This one's funny. There is occasionally some interesting stories or nice tips, but it's pretty much an hour plus long commercial for Omnipod and Dexcom. Omnipod index some of the stuff my daughter wears, so that's probably why that feels that way to you. Because of the words I say

Kelly 1:19:20
Dexcom is also the best there is. I mean, I can't speak on Omnipod I've never used it but Dexcom I just remember ah, it was probably like 2006 or 2007 I was wearing what Medtronic had put out some kind of awful, awful, awful awful sensor. It was not accurate but also like

Unknown Speaker 1:19:45
hard to use and

Kelly 1:19:46
painful. It hurts so bad and then like the you know the transmitter part you would click in it didn't secure in any way except right at the click in part so it would just like flap around. Oh,

Scott Benner 1:19:57
in fairness to them. I've heard really good thing about their new system and their new CGM. So

Kelly 1:20:02
that's great. It was really bad like 15 years.

Scott Benner 1:20:04
I've definitely heard that speaking of like, a long time ago, I've now had to scroll back like four years to get to this bad one. But here is an example of a review that is about you, not me. Okay? Mixed emotions two stars. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this show, as it does a very good job educating diabetics about new technology and experiences surrounding the type one diabetes life. However, what continues to get under my skin is how much the host continues to talk about it. By the way, I don't like it when people use the same word twice in one sentence, but you don't see me writing can review about it. However, what continues to get under my skin is how much the host continues to talk about his daughter to the point of interrupting, and one upping their experiences. This has at times caused me to become frustrated and turn the show off, as it makes the conversations disjointed and pulled off topic. The show isn't about art, and it's about type one diabetes. I suppose if he wants to be about his child, angle it that way. But as it is right now, it feels arrogant and self focused. Oh, so I will say this. I've seen a number of people in this space do this thing where they're talking about raising a child with something, right? They overwhelmingly make it about their kid all the time. It's it's basically like, here's a pretty picture of my kid, give me clicks give me likes, oh, by the way, and

Kelly 1:21:27
there's also only so much you can say about your own kid. Yeah. Also, like no matter how great they may be, I don't

Scott Benner 1:21:32
do that. I would I would venture to guess that 99% of the people listening this don't know what my daughter looks like. Yeah, yeah, I use my experience of helping her to come up with the ideas that I liked that I talked about, and I and I'm really sharing with you what worked for us, I can't share with you what worked for us without sharing how we did it. And so But moreover, this person just does not like my kid being they think my kids being used to make this thing. And she has nothing to do with this and almost no knowledge of it, to be perfectly honest with

Kelly 1:22:08
you. Speaking of though, are you gonna get her back on because I really enjoy those. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:22:12
I'll harangue her to doing it once before she goes back to school. Okay,

Kelly 1:22:15
I remember seeing on the Facebook page like somebody will I don't know if it was the last day she's been on twice right? Yeah. I don't know if it was the last time or the time before but they had posted like oh, I cried so much listen to her tell this story while yada yada and I was like I laughed through the entire thing that did not make me the least bit emotional at all. Like

Scott Benner 1:22:42
she's hilarious really love her perspective. That was great. She's pretty cool. This one's like five years old. I once had a guy named Adam Brown on and I was like shot out of a cannon one day and I talked too much like I absolutely did so I can't like I said it later in another episode or even in that episode God I spoke way too much today I'm super sorry like that kind of thing. But this person says this is a one star review disturbing symbiotic relationship through his daughter's type one disturbing use those again set disturbing twice, they really want to make sure that you knew they were disturbed. It is concerning to me that he speaks as if he were the actual type one and not his daughter. That actually I have to be honest with you. It's just a that's a function of speech. Like when you say I when you're trying to make a point or or us or we or that kind of thing. I've actually been over the years very cognizant to try to break that it's not me thinking I have diabetes. It's just I'm trying to get stories out quickly. This is unhealthy in my opinion. It is also disturbing by the way she is now used to serving three times I get at the source it is also disturbing I struggled to block him out and here the guest and info presented this person wants me to go podcast starting go ahead and talk Kelly hobby back in an hour.

Kelly 1:23:57
That would be I would never have requested to be on Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:24:00
guess what you would have done you would have been like I'm Kelly my kid I don't know what to do. So I'm a long term very educated type one I can tell by how many times you use the word disturbing. I am always searching for the most current information he has great knowledge await he has great knowledgeable guests that I want to hear from but he won't stop talking about himself as the type one not as though I am not talking about myself as I've had diabetes. I have never done that. I don't do that. That is the thing. I think again might be a little more about their sensitivity than about what I did but that's fine.

Kelly 1:24:36
But I think that is very personal though because there are some times I'll see whether it's in a Facebook group or I'll just hear people talking and they'll say like, I don't remember like oh yeah, we we took a shot and I'm like no we didn't take a shot. No

Scott Benner 1:24:50
100% Like I know completely understand that but again, that's your sensitivity because you have diabetes you know everything that comes along with it like if I said you we went to KMart, you wouldn't be like no Oh, she went you sent your credit card like like you don't even like, yeah, if I bought something at Kmart, is Kmart even a thing anymore? Who knows? But I

Kelly 1:25:08
don't think it is. But I went when one of them was going out of sale or out of business I got so many good things on sale.

Scott Benner 1:25:15
I gotta tell you something a sporting goods store went out of business when I was in Georgia with my son playing baseball and I got a $70 Golf umbrella for $5 it's still like one of the best things that's ever happened

Kelly 1:25:25
to me. I like golf umbrellas are $70 Not

Scott Benner 1:25:29
when you pay five bucks for me to go in on a business sale. They're not. By the way, here's the end of this review. He even admits his ego gets in the way when interviewing Adam Brown. So if I joked and said something about like, I know, I'm just my ego got in the way. She's like, see? Proof? Yeah, I'm right. Lady to you. And by the way, I know it's one because of the name in the review. Not because I just assumed that only a woman would complain to me, because I'm not sure. But to her I say I don't care what you think. I am gonna give you one more. And then I'm gonna go because I have to I have to go. And we're actually gonna have to end up calling this interview like bad reviews or something like that.

Kelly 1:26:23
No, it's the very end. Well, what

Scott Benner 1:26:25
was the other one? Check? What do I say? Yeah, you said check. Please check. Please check me bad reviews all figured out.

Kelly 1:26:33
Checkmate for bad reviews. Like that's not bad.

Scott Benner 1:26:37
Good info, but bad host lots of good information, but the host never shuts up about himself and and is a complete egomaniac. You guys might not understand sarcasm. He is also an insufferable, elitist, and elitist. Kind of the best and the worst of most resources. So great information, great information, don't like that guy at all. By the way, I want to just say to this person, I love that you had to listen to me and you didn't like me because it just tickles me inside. But this guy's like my guinea one sees five and a half that I really hate this son of a bitch. Alright, I am not an elitist. There are some times I'm like, Oh, I can be judgy about things. And I complete egomaniac. I think that it's possible that I have a lot of self confidence. And I joke around around it. And that those things can get blended and come off that way. And that's fine. Like I it's fine for me the guy again, you know, I could scroll this thing. And just push stop and just go game changing five stars can't say enough about the game changing strategy Scott shares to help lower your or your loved ones no one sees like I can scroll, hit stop. I've been a type one diabetic for 32 years. And I've learned more from this podcast and for many doctors. So thank you very much. They are also from Canada, Russia, America, like Australia. These These reviews are from everywhere. overwhelmingly people like the podcast and I could find up I could easily find reviews of people who say this is not just my favorite diabetes podcast. This is my favorite podcast. I'm incredibly entertained by the show, but there's plenty of those too. I didn't read them. They're not as much fun because that would be egotistical. The other thing I just did is the opposite of egotistical, but I'm sure someone will find a way to say that I did this on purpose to prove I wasn't an egomaniac. So I look forward to that review. And then I will not pay attention to that one either. So good luck. Kelly, you were terrific. I was fantastic. I spoke way more than you did. And I'm sure that'll piss somebody off. But again, I'm not sure what to do. This is how it went. You know what I mean? You okay, Kelly? Everything's alright. I'm good. I'm just laughing the whole time while you were quiet just you quietly laughing under your breath? Yes. Because people are gonna think here's what somebody will say. See, he asked if she was good and she wasn't but she couldn't even bring herself to say

never left

snowflakes Okay, um, by the way, I don't mean that like a political way. I mean that in a way where I'm Judging You

You should all come to the northeast and and get a good dose of sarcasm so you could live your life in a more fun way. Kelly, thank you very much for doing this. I really appreciate Thank you. Yeah, good luck with your son Arden has been getting her diabetes supplies from us med for three years. You can as well, US med.com/juice box or call 888-721-1514 My thanks to us med for sponsoring this episode. And for being longtime sponsors of the Juicebox Podcast. There are links in the show notes and links at juicebox podcast.com. To us Med and all the sponsors. 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 GVOKEGL You see ag o n.com. Forward slash Juicebox. Podcast 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. 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 the finding 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. The episode you just heard was professionally edited by wrong way recording. Wrong way recording.com