#319 After Dark: Sex with Type 1 Diabetes (female perspective)

ADULT TOPIC WARNING

Alex discusses (with clear and frank language) having sex with type 1 diabetes from a female perspective

Not for children.

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hey, hello, welcome to Episode 319 of the Juicebox Podcast today is an extension of the after dark series. So this is the moment if you're like in the room or riding in the car with your children that you start going La la la la la and and push pause and get back to this later. Because today's show is with Alex and Alex is going to talk about having type one diabetes and doing the foxtrot. The nasty you know playing doctor going for a roll in the hay doing the deed. Hot You know, I'm not saying that one although I used to know a guy who said that but I'm not saying that one. Nevermind. Okay, hold on. Let me get back to this ridiculous list. Can't say that either. Hold on. Oh, stupid list is ridiculous. All right, I'm ruining the mood. A shuck the oyster, ride the Bologna pony, you know, blinking porking if you're not following along, I guess I need to spell it out for you. This episode of the podcast is from a female perspective. It's about having sex and type one diabetes. All joking aside, I believe there are only two bleeps in the entire episode. In this episode, everything is dealt with in a fairly, you know, adult way. It's a lot of euphemisms and talking around things. I still wouldn't like you know, let your kids listen to it. But there's no real dirty words. Although, if you think penis is a dirty word, then there aren't any words. I just don't think it is. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by Dexcom Omni pod and touched by type one. Check out the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor@dexcom.com forward slash juice box can get a free no obligation demo of the Omni pod today at my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box. As always, you can check out touch by type one at touched by type one.org. Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan for becoming bold with si.

Unknown Speaker 2:37
Hello.

Scott Benner 2:38
Hi, Alex. Is that Alex are Alexandra What do you prefer? You can

Alex 2:42
call me Alex? Alex. Excellent.

Scott Benner 2:46
How old were you when you were diagnosed with type one.

Alex 2:49
I was 26. So I was a little bit older in life, I have probably more of a unique story about it. Um, I had nobody in my family that was diabete diet, diabetic at all, like no tie to like nothing. And so my uncle that by marriage, he had type one, but I really didn't know anything about it. And so I actually went in for like a very routine life insurance exam where they draw your blood. Yeah. And I got a letter in the mail that basically was like you're denied for life insurance. And, and I was working for an insurance company at the time. And so the agent that I've been working with was just like, Oh, this has to be a mistake, you know. And so I took the I took the note into the doctor. And he looked to gloat he took one look at me, I'm tall and you know, thin for the most part, and was like, Oh, no, this must be a mistake. They must have, you know, switched your blood results with somebody. And sure enough, they took it they did a two hour blood glucose, you know, tolerance test and came back. I was diabetic. And they at the time, like, you know, my agency, I think was a 10.8. But I really didn't feel bad. I had no symptoms. And the only thing was I had really bad leg cramps in the middle of night, probably because I was dehydrated. And I drink a ton of water all the time. I always have so there wasn't really anything that was blaring Oh man, you you know, you're diabetic, but um,

Scott Benner 4:17
so that first diagnosed by mail?

Alex 4:20
Is it no sign? Hell yeah, exactly.

Scott Benner 4:23
I bet you no one else has that story.

Alex 4:26
Yeah, I mean, it was just like it and then just experience from there was it's kind of awful. I, you know, I was in the at the doctor and they were like, Oh, you must have type two because you're older. Like they just, it was a primary care physician. They didn't really understand you know why I would have it and run my family. And then I finally got with a good endocrinologist and he was like, No, absolutely. This is actually, you know, becoming more and more normal for people you know, that are 26 actually, Jay Cutler, you know, from the Chicago Bears had gotten diagnosed about two weeks before me and he was 26 also So he knew of his story, which I thought was kind of fun, fun to know. But yeah, that that was the story. And then you know, that, like, when you're diagnosed older, there's a lot that you just have no educational tools, because you know, you've got maybe diabetes camp, you've got your parents to, to help you it was just me. And so it was kind of a lonely experience when I was first diagnosed, and I got in with, thank God, I got in with a research study, which was a huge blessing for me, because I then all of a sudden had a huge team of research, you know, doctors and dieticians and all kinds of people I could go to whenever I wanted. And I met other people through that research program that had diabetes, that was super helpful, which is another story but build a little community through that. Yeah, it was great. And I mean, still, to this day, my parents like, my dad asked me recently, if I could go on pills soon to take care of my diabetes, like my parents still do not understand the disease at all. I'm 37. Now, by the way, so it's, it's just been me, you know, doing doing it.

Scott Benner 6:02
Yeah. Wow. Were you Did you have a partner or spouse or anything when you were diagnosed a girlfriend, anything

Alex 6:10
I did. Um, so this is another really interesting part of the story, which I think lends itself well to this episode. So at the time, when I was diagnosed, I had been broken up with my then boyfriend of about four and a half years for maybe a few months. And I'll skip to the end of the story. He, he becomes my husband and we are divorced today. But when I got diagnosed, I was again, I had nobody to really talk to about it. And we had broken up for we've been broken up for a few times, few months, for very good reasons. And he was really the person I turned to, you know, because I was shocked, I didn't have anyone to talk to you about it. And because of that, we ended up you know, rekindling our relationship eventually ended up, you know, becoming engaged and got married. And then really, as soon as our, you know, things after our marriage, you know, after about a year or two, a lot of the problems that made us break up the first time resurface that I feel like the diabetes kind of it created this bond almost, you know, false bond between us, you know, just by my diagnosis and everything. So it's an it's an interesting twist to the story. Diabetes is actually what made me get back together with my boyfriend, who then turned in my husband, who then it was never really a super perfect relationship. And then we ended up getting divorced. Oh, that's crazy.

Scott Benner 7:35
You have all kinds of crazy stories. All right. You're the right person for this. Excellent. Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent. Excited. All right, I have to text my daughter real quick about her insulin. She seems to be ignoring me at the moment. We're not seeing my texts. I would assume kids sometimes do that. Yeah, I think she's just not saying it. But I'm going to ring her phone to try to make her notice that Her phone's vibrating. Hmm. Wow, you've already said a lot. I this is very exciting. Because Because you have layers, because you've, you have so many layers you had you had sex as an adult who was newly diagnosed. And that is a married person. And I'm not painting you in any light right now. But I'm assuming as a single person as well. So yep, you haven't picked up maps today? I wouldn't imagine. So. That'd be amazing. If you're like, you know, what I've decided is really messing this all up. Bob, so So, okay, so let's really start a little more with the diabetes, you're diagnosed at 26. It's so scary. And you're so alone, that you reach out to the only person you still feel reasonably connected to, which happens to be an x. And, and to look for moral support to look for diabetes support, what was it you wanted? Did you just want to not feel alone? Right, then like, what was that?

Alex 8:54
Yeah, I mean, it was definitely I had been with him for four and a half years. And I have nothing bad to say about my ex. He was he was a very good man, still is, he's remarried now. And I'm super happy for him to be remarried. But I really, I didn't know. I didn't know what to do. And so he was definitely wanting to come back and to my life at that point. And so any opportunity he could take, so he was like, do you want me to go to the doctor's appointment with you? And I said, of course, so he those first couple of appointments. He actually went with me to, you know, and then I he was there, I remember doing my very first insulin shot by myself, and he was there, you know, watching me and being like, Well, you know, is, are you doing it? Right, you know, like, kind of making sure that I was following all the orders and everything. So, yeah, it was really just this emotional crutch of I didn't want to do it alone. I didn't want to not have to process all of this information by myself. It was really easy to have somebody to do it, you know, to do it with me to be in my corner at that time. Okay,

Scott Benner 9:53
that makes sense. And he was, as most guys have found themselves in some point in their life. Looking for a way to get back with some girl they maybe felt like they messed up with? Is that about right?

Alex 10:05
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Okay. We've all just stopped exercising and some of the things that I needed to implement. He was like, let's go for a run. Let's go do this pool.

Scott Benner 10:16
Not so so he filled, but he's smart, good for him. You don't realize ox guys, we're just running around like we're ugly and weird and we smell funny. And we're just like, how can we make these girls like us? And then eventually you figure out, you shouldn't be with us. And then we're like, oh, how do we trick them again? How do we how do we get them to give us one more try? But that's amazing that that's kind of the catalyst that made that happen. Yep. Were you on a pump right away? Or were you doing MDI at that point? No.

Alex 10:48
So I am also very old school. So my uncle who is diabetic, you know, he again, he's by marriage, so, but he, he was very helpful. But he's very old school in his approach. And I still am a little old school, my approach, I actually just got on index calm a little over a year ago, I had been doing, I've been testing my blood sugar, the old fashioned way up until that point, if you can believe it, and I'm still on pens, and I am right now about to meet with my diabetes educator to start the process of getting on a pump. And honestly, your podcast is what's been, like putting the pressure on me. Like, I don't know why I'm on a pump. But I can talk more about this. But a lot of the reason I was I've been afraid about wearing something on my body all the time is because I'm single and because I'm a sexual person. And I don't want people judging me for wearing all of this stuff all the time. So that's been it's been kind of a mental block, which is crazy. You know, I could make my life so much easier if I would just

Scott Benner 11:50
get with the program, put the stuff on and then just meet people and go, look, this is me. This is what I got. Yeah. I don't care won't care. And the ones that do care you probably didn't want to be with anyway.

Alex 12:00
Yeah, the Dexcom was, I don't know why I was. I wasn't really super resistant to it. But I don't know why it took me so long to get on the desktop. Dexcom changed my life. I mean, it's amazing.

Scott Benner 12:09
It's pretty cool. Alright, so we'll do some more diabetes talk. Like that's cool. Like, let's find the way it works. Right. So you just started Dexcom a year ago?

Alex 12:19
Yeah, it was two October's ago. So yep. Just a year ago, and I was again, sticker

Scott Benner 12:25
a decade by them. Where's your what what got you to it? Was your a one scene out where you wanted? Were you getting low? A lot? it?

Alex 12:32
Yeah, I feel like and I don't really know the science behind it all. But I feel like I had a really long honeymoon phase of where I was able to really manage everything pretty well, like my agency was always below seven, no matter what, you know, kind of vary anywhere between like a 6.2 and a 6.7. But then all of a sudden, I started to, I hit a seven. And so that's what really scared me a little bit. And I was like, oh, get on a test. I gotta get on Dexcom. Now like this is? What am I doing? Right?

Scott Benner 13:05
That's amazing. Um, it happens to everybody. At some point or other. They're just like, I wish I was doing. Like, you hear something? Eventually you see something or you meet another person has diabetes? Or like, how do they have a six? Like, what? What magic thing? Do they know? And usually nothing magical, right? It's just, you're doing something slightly differently, and it works out better. So have Have you gotten the decrease in a one see that you were hoping for?

Alex 13:29
Yeah, I had kind of a, I as soon as I got the decks calm, I went back down to 6.7. But more recently, I went back up to a Mac. And it's so funny. I'm like, embarrassed to say these numbers all out. It's like, horrifying to me. But I went up to a 7.8 after that. And I just wanted the one to the endocrinologist and I was at a 7.2. So it's gotten better. But I think that's the point right now where I'm with the pump is I I just need I need half units, I need to really control my highs a lot more than I do. I've been I get lazy with them. Yeah,

Scott Benner 14:09
well, isn't it? It's so interesting that you're embarrassed to say the number, right? But you're here to talk about having sex with Type One Diabetes, that you're not embarrassed by this? No. And it's I don't even mean it to be funny. Although it is. I mean it to be telling about how pressure filled that a one c number can feel right? That that's scarier to you than finding to having your voice recorded with another adult that you don't know who at some point is going to ask you if your Dexcom gets in the way during doggy style more so than in a different position. And that you're just like, Oh, I'd be happy to talk about that. It's really, people don't recognize how I mean, you know what, that's unfair. I think most people who have type one diabetes, recognize how hard it is to hear that number when it's not going the way you want it to Would you call like your bigger changes lifestyle? Would you call them the way you're using your insulin? What's changed about your your care? I guess?

Alex 15:09
I don't I honestly, that's a great question. Um, I think that I'm just getting older and I think that my body is just, you know, is changing, I still work out, I'm I've started to do a different type of exercise. I do a lot more HIIT exercises now, which makes my numbers skyrocket, and which is good. It's good. It's healthy for me, but I have not really figured out the best way to address like, I don't go low from exercise everybody else does. I do not. Um, so that's what's kind of crazy. I haven't quite figured it out. So I'm afraid of going low though, so I don't really correct for it.

Scott Benner 15:47
Well, there's a great episode about exercise, if you ever want to listen to it. There's an entire series about managing and so on called diabetes pro tip. And it starts around Episode 210. And it takes you it steps you right through everything, MDI, starting over using shots using a pump using your CGM, all that stuff. So and eventually we get to how to manage your exercise without getting low while you're exercising.

Alex 16:12
I probably Yeah, I probably need to listen to that.

Scott Benner 16:14
That's actually with me and a CDE, who comes on the show sometimes named Jenny. She's amazing. She's had diabetes for like, well over 30 years. So okay, and she's a CPA. So she's just I have her on because she's amazing. And the way she talks about diabetes is, it fits really well with the way I think about it, too. And I just I love how she talks about it. But anyway, that's not why you're here. You're here because of exactly what you just said, like I'm scared to put on a device because I mean, is it as basic as it doesn't seem sexy Omni pod would love to send you an absolutely free, no obligation demo of the Omni pod tubeless insulin pump today. Just go to Miami pod.com Ford slash juice box, fill out a tiny bit of information. And your demo pod will be on its way. They're gonna send you an entire pod experience kit, it's gonna come right to your house. What's that experience going to entail? Well, you can put the pot on and see how you like it can actually live your life with it, get a shower, go for a walk, do some exercise. for keeping with today's theme. Try a new position. How does the pod you know perform in that situation? Miami pod.com forward slash juice box. Check it out today. Because in all seriousness, the Omni pod is an amazing insulin pump. It does not require you to have tubing, my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box, leave it on when you shower, whatever else you're doing. Now, in a few minutes, Alex is going to talk about the rigors of, you know, adult time and type one diabetes. And I think you're gonna find that being able to see your blood sugar pre, during and after, is really important to see the direction and the speed that it's moving. So that you can you know, plan appropriately prepare in ways that make sense. And even catch below the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor allows you to see your blood sugar as it's happening, not just the number, but the speed and direction that it's moving in. And in every aspect of life. That's an amazing thing. But you know, during activity, it's even more important. So if you're kicking a soccer ball or you know, doing something else, you should know what your blood sugar is. And what's one way to keep your diabetes from being invasive during those moments. Whether they be you know, the ones we're talking about today, or just regular old going to the gym, driving a car, just living your life with Type One Diabetes, that is really what we're talking about, right? It's about living a life that is less encumbered. That's more normal, it doesn't get stopped all the time to make an adjustment to your blood sugar. So whether you're looking for an insulin pump that won't get in the way, one that will help you make easy adjustments to temporary basal rates for activity or the glucose monitor that my daughter has been using for you know feels weird invoking my daughter right now. So let's just say the greatest glucose monitor in the world the dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor, go to dexcom.com Ford slash juice box, my omnipod.com Ford slash juice box or you can get those links at Juicebox podcast.com. Always there even right here in the podcast player in the show notes. When you're all done. Go cleanse your palate at touched by type one.org just go see some holes. some lovely things being done with and for people living with Type One Diabetes, you might need a little brain sherbert after this is over, let's get back to Alex. Is it as basic as it doesn't seem sexy?

Alex 20:16
I, when I was, I'll tell you this Yeah, when I was first getting my Dexcom I did have a boyfriend at the time. And it, I had so much anxiety that I picked a fight with him, the first one I had it so that we could we wouldn't have sex. Because I was so scared for him to see it on me. I just felt like it was something that looked weird. And he wasn't gonna accept me, and it was completely in my own head. But I don't think I'm alone in thinking that, especially when you are single, and you're late 30s and you're dating, and you're, and you're meeting people, and I'm not gonna say like, I don't have casual sex on a regular basis. So it's not really who I am. But you're still you're sleeping with somebody when you don't know them super, super well. So you're afraid of what they're gonna think of you, you're afraid that they're not gonna think that you're as beautiful we as women, especially get very sensitive about that kind of thing. So it's a lot of anxiety that goes

Scott Benner 21:10
with it. I don't know that I understand. But I hear what you're saying. Like I I, because the other side of it is I wish you could be in guy's brains. Like, you could probably, you know, wear metal boots, and I don't think anyone would care. Just be like, Oh, sure. I don't know why that girl wants to wear metal boots. Not gonna stop me though. And it but I get it like that idea of like, it's gonna come out. It's gonna be something you can't, you can't, I'm assuming change, right? You want to use the Dexcom. Now, so that's that. And, and you really thought even a guy you were dating? like he'd see that? And just be like, No, I'm not interested.

Alex 21:45
Yeah, I mean, it doesn't make any logical sense, right?

Scott Benner 21:49
No, that's what I want to hear how it feels.

Alex 21:52
Yeah, it does not make any logical sense. But it's like, I'm from Dallas. I'm a southern woman, I was raised to think a certain way that I needed to look a certain way. And and as we grow to adults, it's just this undoing of all of these thoughts that we thought we grew up thinking, yeah, I need to look a certain way. And I need to be in a certain fuzzy shape, you know, or else I can't be naked in front of somebody. So yeah, it doesn't make any sense.

Scott Benner 22:18
So how did the did that ever go into you explain to him? Well, how that night went the way it went?

Alex 22:25
Yeah, he he was, um, I did finally talk to him about it. And he was like, You are literally picking this fight right now. You know, on purpose. And so he talked me, you know, we talked through it and it was fine. But you know, it's funny, even my mother when I was getting the dex calm, my mom and I never really talk openly about sex. But we, we, we do and we don't she, we it's like we talk around it. And she was a matchmaker for years. So she understands dating, and she, you know, we've always like, had an open dialogue about dating and everything. But even she was like, Oh, are you gonna put that on your stomach? And I knew what she was asking me like, isn't that going to get in the way of you having sex? Like, I already knew it? So yeah, all of that stuff. It's just a consideration when you're when you're first getting that Dexcom you're like, well, how is this gonna work? Because I see gonna rip this off of me.

Scott Benner 23:16
Yeah, we're not gentle people, as a as a, as a species, like, you know, and then you get into just the men, we're not even smart really half the time. So in especially in that situation, you really thought those go out the window. So that is one of the concerns, right? Like, is it gonna get knocked off? Is it gonna get ripped off? Are there places where it's safer?

Alex 23:36
Yeah, I typically only I just do stay away from the stomach. I did it like a little bit when I first got it. But I typically only wear it on the back of my arms. I mean, that there's a few reasons I do that. I think everybody feels a lot more comfortable with it on the back of their arms. At least I do. And then I just started putting it kind of right about my butt a little bit. But yeah, I don't want to know my stomach. for that specific reason. Frankly,

Scott Benner 24:00
I'm imagining somebody listening who's like, I'm into bondage and the arms don't work. But yeah,

Unknown Speaker 24:04
maybe.

Scott Benner 24:08
So is it? Did you find yourself mentioning it? Did you find yourself saying, hey, look, my CGM is here. Don't knock it off. Be careful. Did it change the lovemaking at all? Like did it get? Like safer?

Alex 24:22
I'm, I'm more confident like I mean, I think at first you're just so scared of it ripping off. I have written mine off one time when I was doing commodities, which should not feel good. Um, but I don't think a guy really can rip it off. Like it's pretty on there. So you start to just get more confident with it, I think right?

Scott Benner 24:38
Yeah. No, I mean, I think the worst thing can be like banging into it, right? Like pressing on it, like, especially a pumper. And if you just say like you, you would, you know, I'm wondering do you know what pump you're looking into?

Alex 24:50
I'm looking into the Omni pod mostly because your

Scott Benner 24:52
podcast because you talk about it all the time. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah. So put it somewhere where it's just not going to get compressed like that. The bigger issue, right? Because sometimes that could work it and you don't want it to get hit, like, you know, I can't believe I'm gonna bring up my 15 year old daughter in this conversation but like sometimes, like when I see a pumpkin banged into she's like, Oh, I don't know if it really hurts her, if it frightens her that it's going to hurt. I kind of can't tell the difference sometimes, if that makes sense. Yeah, but you know, but she doesn't think about it ever. But if you bump into it, you can see or be like, oh, watch out for my pod. Right? Like that kind of thing.

Alex 25:28
I think it's the anybody who's had one ripped out before especially my apologies machine, you have so much fear that this is going to be the thing that rips it out again. Right?

Scott Benner 25:37
Right. And yeah, right. You've had the experience once and it's unpleasant, and you're trying to protect yourself from it again. Yeah. Right. So now, do you do any adjustments to your insulin? All right, hold on a second. Alex, are all I'm assuming all of your sessions aren't the same intensity? Or length? No. Right. So now, so I guess it's so is there a preparation for I'm just gonna let him do this. So I can go to sleep versus I really like him today. And we're gonna go for it here.

Alex 26:08
Um, so yeah, I think depending on the person I've been with, it's like, I do think that I've handled my diabetes a little bit differently. And it really just is directly related to how long the person likes to have sex or how long I want to have sex. You know, it's, it's definitely related to that I almost never start the process without checking my Dexcom first, see where I'm at. Because there have been it's not pleasant when you have to stop in the middle and get up and get juice. There's like nothing. There's not a mood killer worse than say, and then you're, you know, that Amber Alert going off? That's

Scott Benner 26:46
different walkers. Hi, Alex.

Alex 26:48
Yeah, it's it's awful. So um, yeah, I usually check beforehand. And then I don't, you know, again, I don't have a pump. And so for me to go get a shot or to you know, I have gone and gotten juice, but I wouldn't. If I'm high, I'm just gonna kind of if I'm feeling good, and I'm Hi, I'm not gonna like take insulin before I have sex to bring it down. That doesn't really affect me at all. But I'm definitely I've gotten juice and checked beforehand, because I've learned from that mistake,

Scott Benner 27:16
right? I have to admit, just now when you said if I'm Hi, I was so hoping you were gonna say I just ride it out. I was looking upon there. And then it didn't happen. It's fine. Don't feel pressured upon during this. Yeah. So. So interested seriously for a second. And I'm going to flip flop between being interested in being stupid, probably a lot over the next half an hour, just so you know, when you get low while you're having sex, do you notice i do

Alex 27:41
i i'm really sensitive to being low. So as soon as I get like, 70 to 80, then I'll start to feel it. And it's mostly like, you can't focus, you know, as women, we felt, I personally, if I'm going to have an orgasm, I have to focus on it. And so your focus starts to get clouded a bit if you're low. And so that's something that nobody talks about it for me, at least that's how I feel. So I want to make sure that I'm in a good range before I even start. So I can my brain function is working, and I can focus on how it feels.

Scott Benner 28:13
Okay, well, I have, I've had sex before. And I can vouch for my perspective of a ladies need to focus during that situation. So I think that's, you know, I think it's obvious, right, like, and so if you're a little low, you can't focus, if you can't focus, you can't orgasm, and then you're just caught in a silly loop of this guy mindlessly banging away, you're never gonna get to where you're going. And he's probably thinking, Jesus, how long is this gonna take her? And you're calling this crazy loop when you really just need a juice? Well, is it hard to come back to it after that?

Alex 28:47
Yeah, that's pretty much gonna be Am I at the end? That's kind of well, it's like, it's like halftime, maybe, you know, okay, you take a break, and then have to deal with that, too. You know, it's not it's, it's not as a diabetic issue. Men have their own set of issues sometimes with that kind of thing, where you have to sort of take an intermission or a break and come back to it. But yeah, that's usually like, you need a good 10 or 15 minute break, and then maybe we'll come back to it. Gotcha.

Scott Benner 29:12
And so it has gone either way, where you've just been like, Okay, well, that's the end of this. Right? Do you have you caught any? I'm looking for the right word. I don't anger is not the right word. But have you guys ever felt like hey, this not over? Or is that a different world now in 2020, where they're just like, you know,

Alex 29:35
different world. I'm not gonna date somebody I'll be I'm not gonna be somebody who's gonna get mad or affected by that at all.

Scott Benner 29:41
Okay,

Alex 29:42
nor should anybody else out there hundred

Scott Benner 29:44
percent. Like, I just think that like, I can imagine a scenario where, you know, the guy's worked up and he's like, Yo, I'm not done, like, like, you know, and does that, but it does that feel. I guess my bigger question is, if that happens, do you feel pressure to go do something Extra that you're maybe not up for doing to make them not feel like, hey, sex doesn't end the way it's supposed to end with Alex, do you know what I mean?

Alex 30:09
Yeah, no, I do. I personally have not. And I think it goes, I'm, I mean, I have very strong opinions and views about like, just like, I'm a woman and like, I have my needs and like, my needs are go first, you know. And so it's like, I need to take care of this. And I'm sorry about you. Like, you'll, you'll have an orgasm at some point again, like, you'll you'll be okay. Yeah. So that's just me. And I hope everybody yells kind of feels the same. The same, like they, nobody should ever be putting themselves in this position that they feel like they have to do something for somebody else, because they're complaining, like they'll get over it. I am

Scott Benner 30:47
oddly, and not in a sexual way. But I am in my head thinking like my daughter's 15 I don't believe she's sexually active at all. But she will be one day and like, will like I just found myself thinking like, is she gonna get pressured now? Like, if she gets low while she's having intercourse? Is she gonna get pressured by some guy who's like, yo, come finish this, like, you don't mean? Like, is that gonna happen to her? And so I guess I

Alex 31:07
mean, probably, I mean, if I'm being really honest, it's probably well, and I'm sure that she was raised by you. And she hopefully has a lot of confidence in who she is. And we as women, I just think the whole conversation around sexuality is changing. And it should be just as much for us as it is for the man. And so if you're not fulfilled, he's not fulfilled and vice versa and come back to it, you know, come back to it when you're both feeling confident and ready to do it. But don't do something just because the other person wants to

Scott Benner 31:35
write Have you ever mistaken a low and gotten, you know, situation where you're not capable helping yourself?

Alex 31:43
Thank God, I have not I not to that not to a really significant point, I should say, when I was married a few times, I had my husband, you know, he he needed to get up and go get me juice, I was conscious and everything. But definitely, I wasn't really in my right state of mind. I was very sweaty. And he did have to go get me juice. And then now I make it a point. And this is probably a good segue, I'm making a point, when I am dating somebody new. And we've gotten past that we've gotten to the point where we're having, you know, adult sleep overs, they need to have juice in their house, they have candy, they need to have something for me. And I make that very clear. And I hope that other people do too, when they're dating, because it's, it's not always easy to have a conversation. But I've gotten to a point where I'm confident in myself. And if this person wants me to sleep over at their house, they will go to 711. And they will go get me some juice. Like that's just a basic need.

Scott Benner 32:37
You don't want to have to show up to spend the night with a guy and bring your supplies with you. Right. Agree. Right? That makes sense, right? Yeah.

Alex 32:46
And I always have something with me but it's like, I if in the middle is I use on the middle of night I don't like eating stuff in the middle of the night. I just juice is just what does it for me. So I like having somebody that has orange juice in their fridge. Like Don't be a college frat bro and have an issue about it. Just go get the choose if you know I'm coming over

Scott Benner 33:05
right now mix. I've listened makes sense to me. So my first question, was my brains jumping all over the place? But do you see on their face? Like, are they worried about you? In the beginning?

Alex 33:21
I think the ones I have I am in a extremely wonderful healthy relationship right now. It's only been a few months. But he's amazing. And he was very concerned when I told him and he, you know, wanted to know everything about it. I've had different experiences with that in the past. We know when you're telling somebody and I think people choose different points to tell the person they're with, I wear Dexter on my arm now. So if it's in the summertime, the person usually sees it on the first day. And sometimes they ask and sometimes they don't. But usually the men that I feel like have been good partners for me personally. Are they see it? They want to know about it? They want to understand what their responsibility is in it.

Scott Benner 34:01
What's excellent, really, then, so do you tell them like, you know, I'm, we drop our kids off from school to school when they have diabetes, and we tell them like, Hey, you can look for like, you know, here are the signs that you might look for for a low blood sugar. Do you have to like, do you have that conversation?

Alex 34:17
Um, I think that not immediately, I usually stick to sort of the clinical like, this is what this disease is on a first date. If they ask I never I never really proactively bring it up unless it just naturally comes up in conversation. It is something like when you're getting to know somebody, it's a very personal thing for me. So I actually I'm really curious how other people handle that. If if they just come out and tell people you know, proactively or if they wait for somebody to ask, but I'm typically in the camp of I'm going to wait for somebody to ask. And, and then I and then I kind of go through you know, this is what it is and then eventually, you know, maybe date three or four it'll come up again. I'm having I take shots so I have to take a shot. If we're having dinner, I always do to the table. I'm not embarrassed by it. If they again, if they can't deal with that, and they're probably the person that's, they're probably not the person for me. Yeah, um,

Scott Benner 35:10
you just said something. And I actually booked two of these because I thought, one one perspective might not be enough on this. Yeah. And as I'm sitting here thinking, like, like, what do you say like, Hey, buddy, if my eyes roll back in my head, it might not be because you're a stud just, you know, pay attention to me like a little like, I just that's the part I'm wondering about, like, do you? Like Do I have to? Do I have to come into the bed with you thinking I'm looking for signs of her getting low? Or do or is it smart for you to say, hey, look, my blood sugar is really good. Right now, I don't think this is going to be a problem. Let's bang this out the way you want to like is I

Alex 35:47
I don't put that pressure on the other person. And maybe I should, um, but it's my, you know, maybe this was wrong, but like, it's my disease. And I'm self aware. I'm really, like I said, I'm really sensitive to when I go low. So I usually proactively tell the person like, hey, I need sugar, I need juice, I need something in your house. And then I don't expect exactly explain, like the symptoms that they'll see. until maybe like, I am intimately involved. You know, I've explained that to my boyfriend now. And we've been together about two months. And so he knows, and he actually watches my Dexcom. Now for me, you know, he's my, he's my, he's got the watch app, or whatever it's called, the follow up. And so that's like, a different level of intimacy when you get to that point.

Scott Benner 36:36
Okay, so nuts and bolts questions? Does your blood sugar stay more stable in certain positions than others?

Alex 36:43
I would say it definitely goes down. If I'm on top, I'm doing most of the work. And it definitely I'm in more danger at that point. So I if, you know, I'm not going to get too far into my own situation. But a lot of times I do, I do make sure that I've got, I'm at a good number. And if I'm not, I take some juice before I start.

Scott Benner 37:02
Gotcha. Because my thought was like being serious again, that if you're on top and you're doing more of the work, and it's more like a Robic exercise. Does the exercise get balanced out by the adrenaline? Or is there not after you're certain? I mean, I bet you're an adult, you've been doing this a while, I'm sure you're not excited like a schoolgirl every time you do it, right, like so it's not like oh, my gosh, sex Finally, like, you know, like, I'm so excited. It's so it's not gonna be like that. And so I thought, Well, probably the answer is low. So is there like, do you? Is there an amount of time where you're just like, okay, we're switching now? Or is it not in your head like that? Like, I don't know, obviously, I'm really trying to figure it out.

Alex 37:45
Yeah, it's just not really in my head like that. As far as I was, I will say this, I was in one previous relationship, where sex would last like over an hour, sometimes, like it was heat, this guy was just a little crazy about everything. And I went low more during that relationship than ever. But I wouldn't say like, my norm is really lasting. You know, I don't even know, maybe somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes is probably like an average experience. It's not like an extended experience. And so I don't feel like I have exerting as much energy as if I was at the gym or something like that. So I'm not as worried about it anymore.

Scott Benner 38:23
Look, let me ask you a sex question outside of diabetes for a second, tell them in one hour too much.

Alex 38:30
If you have to be real creative, if you're going to take that much time and this guy was so I'll just say that, you know, for him. Good for him. Exactly. You by the way. You really got to be creative, though.

Scott Benner 38:43
So it wasn't just it wasn't just the the he wasn't just in the center circle. He had the whole big top going there were clowns on one side firetruck on the other. There were elephants coming through? He had a lot going on. It wasn't

Unknown Speaker 38:54
there was a lot. Yeah, there was a lot going on. Sure.

Scott Benner 38:56
Yeah. Well, listen, that's lovely. You know, that that is that seriously, it infers like forethought, right. Like, you know, he's, you know, he's at work in the afternoon going, what we're gonna do is we're gonna start out with this, and then I'm gonna head over to this, and then we'll do that, and then we'll finish up here. You know, like, instead of just bad.

Alex 39:16
I will say, like, I was, I don't think I don't think there are a lot of men out there like that. But that relationship was one of the first after I got divorce. And he and the gentleman had just recently gotten divorced. And so I think both of us were really excited to, to do things that were different than we'd experienced, you know, for it being in a monogamous relationship for nine years. So

Scott Benner 39:36
I hear what you're saying. All right. All right. Good for you. By the way, Alex, you're doing such a lovely job of talking in between this I get I'm assuming you're treating me like I'm your mom. And we're talking about sex. Like you're almost saying stuff and then Not quite. And yeah, I like that very much. I have to tell you, I'm very proud of my own maturity because I thought of something to say earlier that I thought was funny and I thought that's the to Chris, don't say it. And so I held it inside. I found myself thinking, I wish I could get to know Alex, we can become really good friends. And then I could say that, but well,

Alex 40:12
there isn't a lot that surprises me anymore. You know, I'm 37. And I'm Southern. And so I learned a certain way to talk. But I also live in Chicago now, and people are very direct here. So it's a little bit of everything.

Scott Benner 40:22
Honestly, you know, it's funny, he said that it really was more about the directness of what I was gonna say, than the words of it. And so yeah, I actually found a way to say it differently, but, but the way it popped into my head, I thought she's gonna hang up if I say, just be clicked dead silence like, Let's go, Alex. Hello, hello, hello. Oh, a bridge too far? Sure. Okay. So what are your expectations? I can't believe I'm gonna jump back into diabetes talk here. But what are your expectations about having a pump? What are you looking most forward to with pumping?

Alex 40:52
Oh, I'm so and this is, you know, this is very forward thinking. But I, my boyfriend and I, you know, things have been going very well, I'm 37. I am worried about potentially having a baby at some point. And really not knowing how to use a pump, not knowing how to make my blood sugar tighter. So that's sort of in the back of my mind, it's not the reason total reason why I'm getting a pump, but it's like, I want to start to get prepared. if things continue to go very well, my relationship, that I am the healthiest I possibly can be when I'm ready. Like when we want to be ready for that I want to be able to push go and just be ready for that. So I'm, I am really excited about the idea of being able to especially the highs, like just, I get really lazy, I don't want to get up off the couch and go get my pens, because I'm like, you know, ate Chinese food an hour ago, like I just want to be able to easily, easily adjust in small amounts button, I'm pretty pumped about that, actually, well,

Scott Benner 41:53
you're gonna be an interesting place, really, because you're gonna come into this soon. And about the time you figure out what you're doing there. If you stay with on the pod, their algorithms gonna come on the market, and then you're going to have the ability if you want to use a meal, let your Dexcom and your pump together make decisions with an algorithm about your insulin.

Alex 42:12
Yeah, I've been reading about that. Actually, I asked my endocrinologist about it. And she didn't know anything, but I am. That's another reason I'm definitely wanting. Everyone was talking to me about the T slim and about how it already does it. But the idea of having a wire and again, being naked with a wire and all that kind of stuff. It just doesn't appeal to me. I want to not have wire and then yeah, the handle to control.

Scott Benner 42:34
The other thing that people on to its pumps end up having to make a decision about is, am I going to keep this pump attached to me while I'm having sex? Or am I gonna? Or am I gonna disconnect? And now when I disconnect, I'm not even getting my basal insulin anymore. Right? So is every one of my sexual experiences going to end with a high blood sugar? Like, do you know what I mean? Like and is that? Is that going to be an hour or two of me getting it back down again? And at what point does that end up impacting your decision to have sex? Like maybe you're like, yo, I'd love to, but I don't want my blood sugar getting high, they're gonna bring it back down. And then I'm always awake two hours after you're asleep. And like, what if that's that book with it on the pod? You can wear it constantly. Yeah,

Alex 43:12
I would 100% expect that that would play into my decision making about having sex is the the just the pain of dealing with all of that, you know, the pens, the pens have been good for me. But they're a pain in the ass sometimes. So they that is what's preventing me from addressing my highs as much and as quickly as I should.

Scott Benner 43:32
And so if you thought you had to take off a to pump to have sex, you might end up not having sex, because and I'm going to use a term that a friend of mine uses that I don't think I've ever used on here, but it's one of the more I love this term, he always says the juice isn't worth the squeeze. Yes, and I think and this get you don't mean like I'm just not like why am I going to go through all this just have sex with you, then I'm gonna feel not well afterwards. And maybe I won't get my blood sugar back down. And that would be a shame. Really, it would be sad if that was the trade off you started making.

Alex 44:02
And I think I really do believe that like impromptu sex is one of the greatest gifts that we have as humans. Like, I think it's a wonderful thing just to be laying there and then just quickly decided, like, I'm gonna start doing this and, and that the idea of not being able to do that as easily is not appealing to me.

Scott Benner 44:21
Almost like the idea of like, God, you're, you're probably old enough to remember this. And maybe people still do it before Viagra. There were guys who would have to give themselves injections in like the shaft of their penis to get a wreck like that. And you have to plan ahead for it. Like I'm gonna give myself like what happens if you inject yourself and then later people are like, I don't feel like doing this anymore.

Alex 44:40
Like, yeah, what if you get in a fight with your spouse or whatever, it's

Scott Benner 44:43
probably gonna happen when they see you injecting something into your penis. So they're just gonna be like, why did I pick this guy? But But no, but like, the seriousness of it is is that the spontaneity is what you're talking about. And once you lose that, then I guess the magics a little Like dissipated to, you know what I mean? Like, I hear that, like, that makes sense to me so. So do you still do that, but you said you do that though you check your blood sugar a little bit before like so

Alex 45:10
I usually do but like, also, and all, I mean, not to get too specific, but it's like, I'll try check it before I go to bed. And so it's like, I'm checking it already. I'm laying in bed, and maybe I'm talking for a little while with my boyfriend. And then it's kind of like, I don't talk anymore. I think I want to do something different, you know? So it's more of that, like, I've checked it within within a decent amount of time.

Scott Benner 45:31
Okay. Um, I'm sorry, I actually finding myself apologizing before I say this, but I do think it's important for people to hear and I don't know the answer to it. So I'm gonna find a really creative way to talk around it. Does sex that you get to keep your pants on for impact you too

Alex 45:51
much exactly. sure what you mean. But

Scott Benner 45:53
imagine sex you could give to somebody that wouldn't include the loss of your pants? A

Alex 46:02
like orals? No,

Scott Benner 46:03
yeah, I'm not following. When people change your blood sugar

Alex 46:07
sky. I understand. Um, no, it does. Know that. No, it doesn't. That's not like, yes, they call it a job. But it's not a Usually, it's not usually a long enough period of time, for me at least bragging or you brag, baby, but it's usually not that big of a deal. And then honestly, like a lot of men I've been with like, some of them like it, and some of them aren't as into it. And I know you're gonna probably debate me on that. But no, I believe men are just some men are just like, Nah, I'd rather just have sex. And so that's, you know, a different thing.

Scott Benner 46:44
No, I have a friend who did not ever want that. And I didn't understand it. But he was solely how he felt. So yeah, something he was interested in. Okay, I just didn't know if there was enough. I don't know what like adrenaline or like, you know if that impacts your blood sugar, or if it's, you know, if there's actual effort that that goes into it that the you know, I don't have any experience with this one specific thing. Yeah, my head moves in a different direction when I'm doing something similar to that. But it's still I guess, the same idea. Okay, so not that not the thing there where even your mouth wouldn't be involved. That's not a problem. You don't have to plan ahead for that. And you're so good at it. Apparently, it doesn't take very long anyway. So that is that experience, by the way or enthusiasm?

Alex 47:34
I think it's enthusiasm. Yeah, I was

Scott Benner 47:37
one I think.

Alex 47:38
I think that's I think, I think a lot of women, you know, maybe don't like doing it. And I it's never been a problem for me. I don't mind it at all. It's I like the intimacy factor of it. So I think that's 100% gasm. Cool.

Scott Benner 47:54
All right. Have I now here's where we get to the part. I usually say this with a few minutes left, but I'm saying it today with more time left, because I fully expect that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about here. So what am I not asking you that you should be telling me?

Alex 48:08
I think there, you know, and I have shamelessly plug my little Instagram I just started it's really new. It's called dating with diabetes. But I think there's so many nuances when you're dating and, you know, I, I'm 37 I got divorced, I went on dating apps, a lot of people that's most of the time, I feel like how people meet. Now you're meeting basically strangers, and you're meeting people that maybe you've texted with for a few days. And you know, you're going out. And there's a lot of room for people to judge you when you tell them that you have diabetes. And there is a little bit of anxiety that goes with that. And you know, telling somebody that you barely know that you're trying to convince that you're like the greatest woman you've ever, you know, they've ever met, and then saying, oh, by the way, I have this chronic condition. And I think not enough people talk about that and talk about the right time to bring that up in the dating process. And then you get to the really wonderful time that I'm in right now where I'm with somebody who cares so much about me and wants to watch my Dexcom wants to be there watching it and once and then seeing them learn about my diabetes, when again, they don't they haven't known me that my whole life. But they want to learn about this disease. And that level of intimacy is like the level of privacy that like like it's like feel like as good as getting married on your on your wedding day like you the day that I that he was like, Nope, I'm going to start following your ducks calm. I'm getting emotional talking about it. Like it's, it was one of the greatest days of my entire life. And he's he's the second person I've had do that. But it is a different level of intimacy, at least for me because my parents didn't do that for me, that I've never experienced and that is a wonderful thing

Scott Benner 49:56
is that acceptance, it feels like

Alex 49:59
acceptance is But I'm not doing this alone. I've got somebody that has that didn't choose to, like, not only didn't choose to have this disease, but doesn't have this disease that's taking on this burden with me.

Scott Benner 50:13
That's a lot to ask of somebody and, and you weren't married, so it wasn't thrust upon them. It wasn't like they had no choice. Like they have no time doing it.

Alex 50:23
We don't live together, we have, you know, we live about 15 minutes apart. So it's not really very long of a Uber ride. And he, we he's got find, you know, find me on his iPhone, and I can see where he is. And so like, if I'm, if my I'm really low healing knows where I am, you can come get me. It's not that that would really get to that point. But he texts me as soon as it starts beeping, he makes sure that I'm awake. And I'm, I'm aware of what's going on both high and low.

Scott Benner 50:48
Yeah, that's beautiful. It really is lovely.

Unknown Speaker 50:51
It is beautiful. And I think that

Alex 50:54
this is such an emotional, it's an emotional disease. I think everybody feels that way. You feel really high highs and really low lows, excuse upon, but with with intimacy and with using the disease to establish intimacy, or I don't know if that's the right way to say it. with somebody. It's a it's a total like sugar on top, you never know, but somebody else that is does not have diabetes, doesn't have that privilege to have that level of intimacy with somebody. So that is something that we have going for us but other people don't

Scott Benner 51:25
know I yeah, you're letting them in a little further than then just yeah, normal people have to deal with and talk about how did you is that? So? So dating is you're 37. I'm 48. We're not that far apart. But because of technology changing the way I met my wife, and the way you'll meet your husband is completely different. Right? Like I had to meet a person who was within my physical sphere. Right? Yeah.

Alex 51:54
And that's how I met my my first husband. Absolutely.

Scott Benner 51:56
And then that person had to be attractive to you. And then they had to be attracted back to you. And then you had to ask him out on a date. And there was no like, feeling. It felt like a long game. Do you know what I mean? But you're with AP dating? Doesn't it feel more like Alright, we met each other. Now let's have sex and see if this is something we want to keep doing? Is that more the vibe? Now?

Alex 52:18
I don't think it has to be I think for some people, this is what's wonderful about the world we're living in now is that women, I think more than ever have more choices before you're waiting for a guy to come up to you at a bar or to ask you out and I know it can work the other I know it can work the other way around to all my feminist listeners. But for the most part you're waiting around. But we as women now have a lot more choice. And Bumble, the woman has to speak first, you have more opportunity to go after what you want. I feel like women now are more sexually empowered. There's more of a focus on No, we're gonna make sure that we have an orgasm just as much as the guy is, you know, there's just so things have changed a lot with with apps and the control that we have. So I think that's cool. I've never used apps just have sex. That's not who I am. I think that apps aren't that different in the way of, you know, you're meeting somebody at a bar, you meeting somebody on an app, there's going to be a mix of crazies, there's going to be a mix of decent men, and there's going to be a mix of people. You just don't want to ever talk to you again. So

Scott Benner 53:21
it opens up your ability to see people yeah, really? Like, it gives you more people. Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah,

Alex 53:29
there's a lot more people in the mix. Now, I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I think there's also a lot more opportunity you know, you ghosting is a big thing. I don't know if you know that that term, but you go on a couple dates or one date with somebody you think it goes well, and then you just never hear from the person again, because there's infinite opportunity to meet plenty of other people,

Scott Benner 53:49
right. So you can maybe feel like you're mining for perfection more, like like her, but she had a hammertoe, so I'm gonna keep going like that kind of weirdness where there just feels like there's no end to the people you can choose from.

Alex 54:04
Absolutely, like I think about, I used to be a big Seinfeld fan. And I think about Jerry and he would come up with all these weird excuses of you know, her hair is too straight, or whatever the thing was. And a lot of people do that on dating apps. And so when you think about it through the lens of diabetes, you're kind of worried like, well, is this going to be the one random thing that he's gonna be like, now I don't want to I don't want to mess with this girl. She's got a chronic condition that costs a lot of money and might affect my life in some way. I'm just gonna move on to the next person.

Scott Benner 54:32
So let me ask you a question that might be tough to answer. And maybe not. If you're on one of those apps, and you meet somebody, and you get there and they have diabetes, too. How do you feel about that?

Alex 54:44
Oh, my God, that would be the dream. I've been like searching for that my whole life. I've never I don't meet very many people. on diabetes. One of the reasons I wear my Dexcom on my arm actually is because I do have perfect strangers and I like it when Perfect Strangers come up to me and say, hey, I've got diabetes. I had a guy at the gym do that the other day you showed me his Dexcom. It was kind of a cool, it's a cool, it's a cool moment when you get to meet a diet, buddy. I've never, I've never met anybody. I never had it on my dating profile of, Hey, I'm a type one diabetic. I've done little subtle things like, Hey, I support jdrf or something like that of causes I like, but I've never been outward about it on like, just the dating profile aspect of it. But I wish there was a dating app for diabetics. I think it would be really cool to meet another diabetic and live a life together with somebody like that. Doesn't sound impossible, does

Scott Benner 55:36
it? I'm busy, so I can't do it. So if anybody thinks it's a great idea, go ahead and run with it. Yeah, no, but that that's, I listen, you seem like a lovely person. And I thought that's what you were gonna say. But I you know, you meet people who are sometimes self hating and a lot of different ways, and they don't realize it about themselves. Like, like, I just wanted to hear if you would say, Oh, no, I wouldn't want to date somebody with this. It's too much trouble. Like, I already have trouble with my I didn't think you'd be the person to say that, but I think somebody must feel that way.

Alex 56:05
I'm sure people do I think that people probably would need to change their I don't know how you live your life like that. If you're so negative on your disease, like, like, I always try to look for the silver lining. ie we have a way to have a level of intimacy that others don't you know, with with this disease, there's, there's positives to having type one, I truly believe that we have a sense of community that other people don't, there's you get to listen to wonderful podcast, you know, and other people wouldn't. I

Scott Benner 56:33
was gonna agree with you, then you brought up the podcast. Now it just seems like I'm saying something nice about myself. But I, I have absolutely seen things that have benefited my daughter that would not exist without type one. So it's hard to argue with it and you have it, it's not like you can decide not to have it. So you might as well find those good things and lean into them.

Alex 56:52
Absolutely. I remember when I was doing my research study when I was first diagnosed. And that's when my ex husband and I got back together. And at the time, that was a very positive thing. And I would, I was meeting these other newly diagnosed people and I was like, Hey, I, I have a boyfriend again. Because of you know, this diagnosis, you know, you find whatever you can kind of grasp on to that is the silver lining. with anything.

Scott Benner 57:17
I'm going to flip flop again, Alex. Can blood sugars effect? I'm having trouble saying the word like I almost stopped by sight. It's not there's nothing wrong with it just like could it affect lubrication? excitement, arousal, like, Are there blood sugars where you can't be horny? Like, I don't know.

Alex 57:38
I don't know. I don't think so. I'm not a doctor. I feel like I feel like I should ask my doctor that person I guess. Yeah, no, no, I don't think it does. I definitely just as a woman, your menstrual cycle probably affects that more than anything, but no, not for me. Okay. I usually don't have any issues with that.

Scott Benner 57:57
Gotcha. So I could, if you're in the mood, you're in the mood, it wouldn't matter if your blood sugar was 100 or 200. Or a bit, I'm assuming though, there's a blood sugar rate that you wouldn't want to do anything, let alone sex, though.

Alex 58:08
Yeah, if I'm in the three hundreds, I, I'm getting that blood sugar down because I don't feel good. And so I'm not probably not feeling very sexy in that moment. In time, that's probably more so the mental aspect of just the way you feel

Scott Benner 58:20
than anything else, I'm going to ask you to consider that perhaps your boyfriend is just tracking your blood sugar to make sure you're always in range. So you're available to us.

Alex 58:27
That could be you know, that could be the case, I'm sure

Scott Benner 58:30
he's just a wonderful person that cares about you. But you know, if if little voices didn't make up stories in my head while I was doing this podcast, you wouldn't enjoy listening to it. So I just really, you know, either there's somebody out there, it's just like, I got to keep her in the hundreds. She's better than the 150s It's funny, too, because athletes will come on here and talk about their performance. And over 200 they can feel their dexterity lesson, their foot speed goes away, like stuff like that. And, you know, it's just all really interesting, because it isn't a physical activity. You know, I mean, I guess if you're doing it right, right. Yeah. And so it could be what about I just the one thing you said that I wanted to just dig a little more into she said, you would never give yourself a like a shot while you were. If you were high while you were having sex. But do you think of once you're on a pump, if it was just pushing a button, do you think you would?

Alex 59:27
Yeah, I probably would. Okay, so you don't I probably not ignoring

Scott Benner 59:30
it. It's just that the again, the juice isn't worth the squeeze there. You feel like

Alex 59:34
no juice isn't worth the squeeze. And I still am a little bit weird about doing I do my shots at the table. But I'm also not like, Hey, here's my shot. I'm gonna do it right now in front of you. I'm a little bit weird about doing shots in front of other people because everybody feels differently even even though like my boyfriend might be like, Oh, I don't care. like seeing a needle going to somebody else's body is a little uncomfortable and so I just wouldn't want to do that in front of somebody else. In a sexual moment, at least Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:00:04
because it would just it would kill the vibe.

Alex 1:00:07
It would kill the vibe. Yeah, it's a very, you know, it's literally a clinical thing.

Scott Benner 1:00:11
You would let him see it outside of that moment.

Alex 1:00:14
Yeah, I don't really care. But I'm also not like, looking. I don't like to bring my so much attention to myself about it. Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:00:21
So is this fair to say that when you're coupled with somebody, are you a open door pooper or a closed door? Oh, my

Alex 1:00:29
god closed that I that is a whole other thing. You're not sure that night buddy, right? Absolutely not. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:00:34
no, it's just interesting. Because I mean, listen, your imagination can run wild. But I'm seeing every square inch of view in this moment. But the idea of using the needle seems like a bridge too far. Like, I don't want to see that. Do you think he would care?

Alex 1:00:50
about seeing, see me give myself a shot.

Scott Benner 1:00:53
Yeah. And by the way, not to less than the fact that you would care if that's, you know, that's

Alex 1:00:58
fine. No, the boyfriend I have now. No, not at all. I have been on dates with people. This is kind of like a surefire. Like, I'm not sure if this relationships really gonna go anywhere. But if they're like, they're like, yeah, they're afraid of needles, I'm like, get get over yourself. You know, I have an attitude about that. I'm like, you're not a child. People do this every day. And I probably have more of an attitude about it. I had a client one time that made a very big deal. I used to travel with her quite a bit. And I, you know, I'm on the road. Like, there's, I'm in New York City, we're at an event like I'm having to work right now. And I have to give myself a shot. And she would make a huge deal about me going to the bathroom. And I it became kind of a I gotta bring it up to my boss, it became kind of like a work issue because she was so afraid of, quote, unquote, afraid of seeing needles. And so I have a bad attitude about people who say that now I'm like, get over it. I didn't choose this disease. Look away. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:01:53
yeah. How about you go to the bathroom? And I'll stay here and take care of my blood sugar. How's that sound? Right? Unbelievable. Hey, listen, here's a good time to say I'm looking for someone who's been in prison who has type one diabetes, if you have, please reach out, I'd like to do an after dark episode with you. seems really interesting to me. For some reason,

Alex 1:02:10
that seems very injured. I would be worried about that person all the time.

Scott Benner 1:02:13
Yeah, I've just I'm, I'd love to talk to somebody who's been incarcerated for a length of time with diabetes, or even just, you know, in holding for a couple of days, like I would I just want to know, I think that would be very interesting to people. Okay, have we missed anything? Because I've, because Please keep in mind, as you're doing this, I'm not a woman, and I don't have diabetes, I have zero perspective. For my questions, I can only kind of just think of the things that, you know, pop into my head that I'm like, oh, maybe this would be an issue. Or maybe somebody would care about this. Like, I really don't have that experience in any meaningful way. So,

Alex 1:02:51
um, I yeah, i don't i don't i think that i think more so I have something to say about I am, your daughter I know is young. And she should, you know, not have sex until she's ready. But I hope that people don't ever feel like they're less beautiful for wearing a pod or a dex calm, or any of those things. Because I've struggled a lot with that in my life. And I hope that women start, you know, we start to normalize beauty like Doug has done, I work in advertising. So like Doug has done a beautiful job of normalizing what we what we consider beautiful with women and advertising and like, I would love to see, you know, Dexcom I know they listen to this, I would love to see like a Dexcom ad of women in lingerie with x comms or partner with dub or do something like that. But, you know, we have to start normalizing some of these things that we're afraid of.

Scott Benner 1:03:40
Yeah, no, it would be amazing if him back that dove ad as an example of somebody who was wearing some sort of a device and it wouldn't even matter what it was really just No,

Alex 1:03:48
I'd see it, you know, yeah, I was in New Orleans the other day and I was at the Superdome. I do a lot of event work. And there is an ad it's it's I forgot who it's for. But there's one of the athletes and he's wearing an omni pod plastered across like when you're walking into the into the Superdome plastered across his and so and he's, he's diabetic. And so it's for this hospital, and it was a diabetes type of genre of advertising. But I was proud. I took a picture of it. I was proud to see it. You know, it's the first time I'd really seen large scale advertising. Somebody wearing something diabetic. I think that's super cool.

Scott Benner 1:04:23
Yeah, well, we always talk about representation around gender or, you know, sexual, like, you know, the way you identify, but like, that's important for everybody to see yourself in something else. Right. Like it's just, it's incredibly important. Otherwise you hide, and that's absolutely terrible. That is just it's terrible if you're hiding and so I guess what I'll say is that even though I don't feel like I'm talking about sex, I completely agree with you. I don't want my daughter living a life where she's with guys she doesn't mean to be with because of you know, she She doesn't feel good about herself or she doesn't want to speak up, or that she wouldn't do something because she'd be afraid of what somebody saw like that, to me would be horrible. Like, it really is. It's a part about parenting we don't talk about very frequently, but, you know, you parent your kids through all these things. And then they get to like, the sexual part of their lives, and we really don't help them anymore. Right, you know, because of embarrassment or whatever meal maybe on both sides or whatever, but, you know, so there's ways to talk to your children before that time comes up, where you can instill in them a real like, like meaningful self confidence, that should transcend a lot of the different situations in their life. And I think that, you know, hopefully that'll help them with, you know, with being intimate with people as well. That's, uh, that makes sense to me.

Unknown Speaker 1:05:46
Absolutely,

Scott Benner 1:05:47
Alex, you were terrific. Thank you very much. This is not a comfortable thing to do. I wouldn't imagine. Would you tell me, what was it not?

Alex 1:05:55
I think, you know, again, I have a different perspective about it. I wish people talked about sex and sexuality more. I'm very open with my personal life. I think that I tried to do at least I try, I tried to clean it up where I could and be as high up as much decorum as I could. But I felt you make it easy. You make it easy to talk about this type of thing. I'll say that. Well, thank you.

Scott Benner 1:06:17
I have one silly question. Have you ever uttered the words not on my CGM?

Alex 1:06:24
Um, I've definitely I mean, I've, especially with the arm stuff, you know, when I'm worrying about art, I've definitely been grabbed a few times in a good way. Um, you know, and, and I'm like, Hey, watch out, you know, so? No, not those specific words. Have you

Scott Benner 1:06:39
ever covered it in that moment? How do you decide between your hair and the seat?

Unknown Speaker 1:06:46
Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:06:48
Oh, man,

Alex 1:06:50
you know, it's been a while, I think whenever I've been with somebody that has grabbed my arm and kind of, uh, you know, a rougher way or whatever, in a good way. Um, I think they get really scared. And they they're like, Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. You know, it's, it's probably even more of that reaction.

Scott Benner 1:07:05
Yeah, it's, it's very much. You know, so I'm going to tell a story here. And then I will let you go. So this is an incredibly personal story. I wrote a book A number of years ago. And I got to do a book signing in a major bookstore. And it was during the week, and I was excited. I was up early in the morning, super excited. My wife had stayed home from work to help throughout the day, and come to the book signing and everything. And I, we've been married for a fairly long time. And I came upstairs when she was waking up. And I was like, Hey, what's up? And she's like, nothing. I'm like, I have my book signing today. She's like, right on, like, Doesn't that seem like the sort of thing that people celebrate with sexual activity? And she's like, she looks at me. Like, that's hard to say no to that. So he's probably right. So she's like, Yeah, I think so. Right? So in my excitement, because I had been married a really long time, and I thought to myself, she'll change your mind. Like, I have to get to the act before she goes, why am I saying yes to this? So I'd like I sort of leap into bed. And I very much by mistake, pin one of her nipples to the mattress with my hand. Oh, God. And that's what you made me think of when you said sometimes people can grab it and be like, Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Because I just left back. And I was like, Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. And it just, it gave me the same feeling like that idea of, I'm enthusiastic. But I, you know, I pinched you or I, you know, I stepped on your foot or whatever it ends up being like, it's just it's such a shocking thing in that moment. And you are so sorry about it. When it happens. You're just like, and you feel embarrassed to a little bit like, Oh, I can't believe I did that. Luckily, for me, I was able to persist. But it was it was like it gave me that feeling when you said that like that idea of like, you know, Could somebody reach you know, his, his Okay, his hips would probably be a bad place, right?

Alex 1:09:00
Yeah. So I'm wearing it like right about my butt right now. And yes, it's been that sort of isn't the place of where I sometimes I'm a grabbed you know, for sure. And so it's happening probably a little bit right now, more than it has on my arms. But um, it's a real thing. And and, you know, it's hopefully you're hopefully it's on strong enough where it's not gonna just come off or get ripped off easily. And it's and and

Scott Benner 1:09:23
from a purely emotional standpoint, you're beyond it now, right? Like if you started out with your CGM on your back above your butt, and you were on the bottom, and then suddenly, somebody was like, hey, flip over. You wouldn't think oh, but my CGM is there.

Alex 1:09:38
No, I'm sorry. Oh, yeah, I feel like it takes like maybe two weeks and then you're like now that thing's on there. It's not probably going to come off unless you're on a polities machine right and

Scott Benner 1:09:47
and and the same as somebody seeing it also stops bothering you after you realize it's not a problem for them.

Alex 1:09:53
Totally. I think the first I think, well, I don't know the first time you have sex with anybody and they they see you with You know, in your in a sexual situation Valentine's has come Valentine's Day is coming up. And so a lot of women, you know, myself included, you go get maybe a special outfit for that evening activities. And you're worried about like, I when I went and picked my outfit out I was like, Well what's gonna kind of cover up this area? Like I do look for stuff like that. Because I want to be a sexual person to to my boyfriend, you know, I don't want to look like a robot. So I think you you do and you don't you start to care. But then sometimes there's a special occasions where you're like, you're like, I care more, I guess. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:10:37
it sounds like not unlike most of life. It's a balance

Unknown Speaker 1:10:41
real, absolutely.

Scott Benner 1:10:42
Define where you're comfortable and kind of stay in that space. Alright, Alex, I really appreciate this. I thank you so very much. I'm glad you did this. I hundred percent. didn't imagine anyone would when I said it out loud. There have been like, honestly, like the drinking thing. I thought, okay, someone will do that right. And even weed thing I thought that'll probably happen. But you and I are recording. And in two days, there's going to be an addiction episode of this podcast, like a wow, a really serious trauma and addiction episode with somebody. And now you're talking about very openly about having sex from a female perspective, there's going to be a guy that comes on and talks about it from a male perspective. It's really cool that people are willing to do this.

Alex 1:11:27
I think that it's important what you're doing of this, because these are not things that are as one of the reasons I started my dating with diabetes, you know, Instagram, like people just don't talk about this kind of thing. And they should, there are so many resources for parents and for you know, newly diagnosed and that kind of thing. But as you get to be an adult, there's just not as much stuff for us. So it's really nice. And people queued it up sometimes

Scott Benner 1:11:49
when they do it. And that's not what this needs. Like, I really need you to tell me like, Look, you know, while we're doing it in this position, your thing shouldn't be gay. That's what we need, like real like, like, like, real talk, right? Like, absolutely how things are so that people don't have to wonder and let them let them hear it. So they're not struggling, okay. It's just seemed horrible to me that people could struggle with something like this, but you were so eloquent about it. It's a real, emotional decision to make. And, you know, I don't think we give people enough information about that. So seriously, it was really well done. I appreciate it. I'm gonna stop this and ask you one brief question. Okay, thanks so much.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:29
Thank you.

Scott Benner 1:12:33
Huge thanks to Alex for the bravery it showed to come on today and talk about her sex life and having Type One Diabetes equally as brave. The supportive Dexcom on the pod and touched by type one, always huge thanks to the sponsors. There are links in your show notes or at Juicebox podcast.com. But you go to my on the pod.com forward slash juice box dexcom.com forward slash juice box or touched by type one.org. To learn more about the sponsors of the Juicebox Podcast,

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#318 Sarah has Coronavirus and Type 1 Diabetes

Working at a NYC Hospital with Type 1 Diabetes

Sarah, ACAGNP-BC CCRN CCTN. Sarah is working in a New York City hospital, she's had Covid-19, has Type 1 Diabetes and she's on the show to share her experiences.

You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Alexa - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio -  Radio Public or their favorite podcast app.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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

Scott Benner 0:06
Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 318 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today's show is sponsored by Omni pod Dexcom. The Contour Next One blood glucose meter and touched by type one.

Sarah 0:26
I'm Sarah. I'm a 37 year old nurse practitioner who works in New York, which is now kind of the epicenter of Coronavirus. I have two little kids, a five year old and a seven and a half year old boy and I'm married and my husband's a teacher.

Scott Benner 0:50
Sarah reached out to me just the other day wanting to share her experience as a healthcare worker in New York City who's recently been diagnosed with COVID-19. Please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any decisions about the Coronavirus becoming bold with insulin. Just about anything else. This is just a podcast. Talk to a doctor.

You can get an absolutely free no obligation demo of the Omni pod tubeless insulin pump by going to my Omni pod.com forward slash juice box. Find out today about the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor@dexcom.com forward slash juice box and to see if you're eligible for an absolutely free Contour Next One blood glucose meter go to Contour Next one.com to check out the world's most delightful Type One Diabetes organization and the whole of the world at least as far as I've seen. Touched by type one.org. How old were you when you were diagnosed with Type 117?

You've been doing this for a while?

Sarah 2:11
Yeah, I've been around the block a few times. 20 years? Actually, it just was my diversity this week, actually. Oh, well. Congratulations.

Unknown Speaker 2:19
Yeah. big week for you, huh?

Unknown Speaker 2:22
Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Benner 2:24
How long have you been listening to the podcast?

Sarah 2:27
Um, not that long, maybe four months ish. But I like what I tend to do with a lot of podcast is I kind of Bolus a lot of shows. I'm like, oh, wow, this is really great. He's got a lot of great ideas. And I like the way he thinks about things. And you know, I really like some of your guests and stuff. So I listened to a bunch like for a few weeks straight. So I don't know how I would say I've probably listened to about maybe 100 of your podcasts

Unknown Speaker 2:56
like you just just just a small number. Keep going.

Scott Benner 3:01
I'll tell you the the interesting thing that you're seeing around Coronavirus is that people aren't commuting as much and when they don't commute and listen to their podcasts as much. So yeah, I need this Coronavirus thing to be over just like everybody else. But not as much as you need it to be over. So I got a note from you the other day. And you said hey, I have type one diabetes, and I have the coronavirus. And I was like you're getting right on the podcast.

Sarah 3:32
I was I'm thinking about I'm saying something to you about it. And then when you I listened to your one that you talk to Jenny and you were joking with her like, Hey, can you just get Coronavirus so we can talk about it on the podcast. I was like, Oh my god, I have to message

Scott Benner 3:49
you believe she wasn't willing. Honestly. I mean, what kind of a person wouldn't just you know, risk their own death. So I can get a couple extra downloads on one, one episode of a podcast. No, I just really listen. I mean, I really was hoping to get some insight. So So let's do this first. So you you work in a hospital right? Are you in a but yes. Tell me what department is you work in? Is that?

Sarah 4:12
Yeah, yeah. transplant.

Scott Benner 4:15
Okay, so that seems like a place where you wouldn't want anybody to be sick?

Sarah 4:19
Yeah. Yeah, no, our patients are immunosuppressed. So they're actually more at risk of getting the virus. Mm hmm. Then, then even I am. So you know, obviously if you're type one, you're immunocompromised. But we give these patients medications that suppress their immune system. Right.

Scott Benner 4:40
So, so I guess the The question is, do you have a feeling for the epidemiology of like, how you like, you know how you got sick or is it just were you just waiting?

Sarah 4:51
Yes, it was either a co worker or a patient.

Scott Benner 4:58
One of your direct patients

Sarah 5:00
Yes, yeah. So I was, it was it was right before everything got really crazy with everybody being isolated and stuff. Yeah. And we were kind of doing business as normal ish. And then my coworker left work early, had a fever. And then I was going to go on vacation. My husband was going to leave the country. He was going to chaperone a trip but then that got cancelled because of coronavirus. And then so I was home and he was home. So I wasn't even scheduled to go back to work. And then I started feeling a little funny, a little sick, like I had congestion. But then he was complaining that he felt like he had the flu. Now, I've never had any flow. To my knowledge. I could have had it and just not had it. known that I had it. But I've never had like aches, I probably haven't had a fever since the 90s. Like, that's just I'm not I don't get a lot of colds.

Scott Benner 6:02
I haven't thrown up in three decades. So some point you're just like, hey, this doesn't happen to me anymore.

Sarah 6:08
Yeah, I do throw up a lot. Not a lot. But when I was pregnant, it was like, I was like, 30 something weeks pregnant. If I didn't have food on my stomach, I would drop so I do I do tend to vomit but like no fever is never anything I have had in fairness, sir. I've never been pregnant so I can't

Scott Benner 6:27
get apples to apples this with you. So you start not feeling well. Like how so? Today's March 28. How long ago was that? Do you think?

Sarah 6:37
I can give you the dates because I actually had to replicate the dates for a public health nurse called me the day after I was diagnosed. So this was um, I started feeling on well, March 15. But I thought maybe I had a cold. I was there. Last thing on my, in my brain was Coronavirus, because I wasn't really suspicious when the coworker left work. I just didn't really like oh, no, you know, he's probably just had some flu or something because it wasn't a big thing. And they we weren't allowed. I think it wasn't a big thing because nobody was allowed to test anyone. I mean, Trump had I think at that point had just come out and said, Oh, anyone could get tested. But no one could get tested. We couldn't test anyone. It was still I didn't really think people really had it. I mean, I thought it was coming. But I didn't think that it was like pervasive. So I would say Sunday night I felt sick Monday morning. I was like, wow, I have a horrible headache. It feels like I'm getting a sinus infection. I've had a couple of those like I'm over a decade ago. They required an antibiotic. So my husband goes to the pharmacy, he picks up an antibiotic, I have it at home. And I'm just feel like a little a little tired. I felt I had the headache. And then I felt like I couldn't really smell like my sinuses were blocked up hence why I thought I was getting a sinus infection. And then the next day, my husband's like, Oh, I feel worse. And he calls to try to get tested for coronavirus because he's like, I feel like I have the flu. But we all in my house, I'll get the flu shot because I'm type one. I'm a health care provider, we have little kids, we all get the flu shot like immediately when it's offered. We're very vigilant about it. So I honestly, like I'm not that you can't get the flu once you have the flu shot, but it you know, it's much, much less likely. So. So Tim was like, I think I might have it I'm like, I don't know, like maybe but that seems kind of far fetched. But it's all over the news. So like, yeah, that's what, you know, a lot of people jump to, but I'm like, I don't think so. So he calls and they're like, No way because you're too healthy to get tested. You know, he's not short of breath. He just has he had like a subjective fever, which kind of means he had chills and felt like he was you know, having trouble regulating his temperature, and just fatigue like, you know, low energy, they wouldn't test them. And then that night after he had called somebody texted me from work that a patient tested positive.

Scott Benner 9:24
And then all of a sudden it feels very real.

Unknown Speaker 9:26
And this is then I'm like

Scott Benner 9:30
well, this is all really it's so funny how quickly things have moved. So you're describing basically 13 ish days ago. And it really is the night and day difference between what we are thinking of now and what we were thinking of back then back then it was just sort of like hey, it's overseas it'll probably get here we're not sure what's going to happen yet. And and it it just really ramped up so incredibly fast and I guess you can you really at one point when we look back and and pay attention Assuming it would have been here and just not as prevalent, weeks and weeks before we really were thinking about

Sarah 10:07
Oh, yeah, I definitely was, I mean, based on like, where our numbers are now, it was definitely circulating. And I'm sure people had it and just never knew that they did.

Scott Benner 10:16
Right. Oh, hundred percent. Yeah. Do you think you had that thing where you can't smell when you lose your sense of smell or taste?

Sarah 10:22
Oh, yeah, I have that. And that's, I still have that symptom. That's with you pretty much over the other other stuff. But I still have that. And that's actually kind of how much when I cemented that I diagnosed myself as having it was so like, the day after Tim couldn't get tested. Then the next day, I was like, Can you call them back, tell them that your wife was exposed, and they still would not test him. And then later on, I call my supervisor and she's like, I'm try you can do a telehealth visit. Okay, so that's a big thing now, in order to screen people for being tested, but also to see other doctors because we're not sending anybody to see doctors, because that's like a big risk. So, um, I, I saw a doctor online, and I kind of exaggerated my symptoms a little bit, because I was like, based on what I have, I don't think she's gonna test me. But at that point, I also thought maybe my coworker had it. Yeah, maybe because they left with a high fever. But then I also was like, I had a patient who I, you know, admitted to the hospital who tested positive. Tell me,

Scott Benner 11:39
let me jump in. Tell me your thoughts about wanting to get tested at that point. I mean, you, you figure you've got it. Right. You've been in contact with people had it? What did you just want to know? Like, what changes knowing to not knowing

Sarah 11:51
part of me wants just like the public health data, yeah, like capturing a positive. But being more careful about quarantine, because at that point, I've gone to the store a few times, like I've done stuff, or being just being more careful. And also, like not wanting to expose patients, because eventually I was going to have to go back to work. Right.

Scott Benner 12:17
So just having that answer maybe gets you. I mean, it should definitely get you out of work. Is that right?

Sarah 12:23
Well, we'll get to that.

Scott Benner 12:26
Okay. things a little so upside down. It doesn't matter if, if you've got Corona as long as you know how to be a nurse.

Unknown Speaker 12:33
Not

Unknown Speaker 12:34
not Yeah.

Sarah 12:36
So, um, so they still wouldn't test them. They said, if they knew I was positive, they would test them. I did. I talked to the doctor and I kind of told her I had a cough, which wasn't a straight out lie. I probably coughed a few times, but I didn't have a persistent cough at all. Okay. Nothing like they're talking about. I never had a fever. They still want to test him. But they put in an order for me. But then I had to set an appointment. They weren't they're not accepting walkins to get tested at my at my job. So I had to wait for five more days. For once you put in the order to even get testing well. Yeah,

Scott Benner 13:14
well, there's a test at that point. Right. Like they're,

Unknown Speaker 13:16
I think they weren't prevalent.

Scott Benner 13:18
There's a rapid test. I think that's just becoming available today. Is that right? Did you hear about that?

Sarah 13:24
Um, yes, I heard that there is a rapper, I was actually more interested in the I saw there was a I don't know when the blood test is coming up, but Saturn is going to be able to Yeah, yeah, I think that's gonna be really, really useful, both for people that are taking care of the patients and for the patients themselves. If that's what again, if that becomes like,

Scott Benner 13:50
widely available? Well, I think my wife keeps talking about that. She's like, I've just one day I want to find out if I've had it or not, because she's like, I swear I had it like a while ago. And before anybody was talking about it. I am looking at an article right now. Us approves Abbott Labs, five minute rapid Coronavirus test that was six hours ago, this story went up so Oh, wow. Yeah, so this just happened.

Sarah 14:14
When I did finally get tested it only it was a quick turnaround. It was only it resulted like six hours later. Okay. Which was nice.

Scott Benner 14:22
So I guess we have to talk about it. Is that image online? True, does that because that looks like there's a swab on the end of a long wooden stick that goes in through your nose and heads back towards the center of your brain?

Sarah 14:35
Oh, yeah. It's very, extremely uncomfortable. And they really have to turn it around. And that's where some people are, are falsely getting negatives to and that's another reason that it's good to have a blood test. Is this because

Scott Benner 14:50
being done right? Because

Sarah 14:51
Yeah, exactly. But you really have to like turn it around in there and it's very uncomfortable. So if so if if The nurses been properly trained. And that's all they're doing all day long, they're probably doing it right. But we have like any and every nurse in the hospital doing it. So they're not necessarily getting good samples all the time and not and I don't not blaming them, they have a million other things to do. Like if a nurse is just doing that all day long, she's getting good at it. And she's like dealing with the patient's discomfort, because like my eyes were watering, it was very uncomfortable.

Scott Benner 15:25
Again, I just the picture online makes it and there's a description that says, it goes back to being parallel with your ear or something like that. And I'm like, wait, why? Oh, yeah. Like, I don't want that. Please, please. No, but I do like the idea of knowing, too. I mean, obviously, the way the the numbers get skewed constantly, because everybody hasn't been tested. And I mean, do you think that from what you're seeing, is the rate of death going to continue to drop as we find more people have had it? And

Sarah 15:58
oh, yeah, like, I'm sure the the Yeah, the mortality rate would be less if you could actually capture like, more accurate numbers. Yeah.

Scott Benner 16:07
Well, okay, so are you still doing transplants at this point, or have has that stuff's been I guess that's not a elective that needs to be done when it needs to be done? Right.

Sarah 16:18
Um, I think I'm going to talk about it more generally, and not about my programs specifically, right. But I think everyone else is being much more careful about who they do it too. Because you're you're massively immuno suppressing people so much. So I think most programs are are way way, like, doing a lot less only if it's really urgent.

Scott Benner 16:43
So your husband has it, you have it, how do you stay away from your kids? What do you do in that situation? I'm

Sarah 16:48
pretty sure they have to, honestly because then, um, so then and all another clue, germane to to what we're talking about is my insulin requirements went up to

Scott Benner 17:01
Okay, so

Sarah 17:02
um, so that was another reason I thought that I had it not usually when I get colds it doesn't go up.

Scott Benner 17:08
Yeah, Ardennes doesn't Arden's usually goes down a little when she gets sick. But, um, but just something obviously, with your body changed, because you saw your insulin needs change at the same time.

Sarah 17:18
Yeah, diabetes gives you a window to certain things that the layman doesn't necessarily seem to see. Yeah.

Scott Benner 17:25
Because you

Sarah 17:26
can see different changes. So Mike, Mike, that was another kind of thing that muddy the water. My younger son had been sick for weeks. So I kind of thought maybe we had what he had, yeah, maybe we just have some kind of a cold and it's affecting us differently. But his his was like a runny nose, and a cough. But during this time, his cough was getting worse. And so bad, because at that point, he had been maybe sick for three weeks, so I actually had to take them to the pediatrician, right. And at that point, I wasn't tested yet when I took them to the pediatrician. And she basically was like, Oh, I could test him for it, but only a few were positive. And I'm like, Well, I have an appointment in a few days at my job like, you know, I can only control what I can control

Scott Benner 18:22
right? But I have

Unknown Speaker 18:25
Yeah, I just

Sarah 18:28
like I've never felt like this before in my life, but you know,

Scott Benner 18:31
and so having it is like what is it just like every other virus you've ever had, or is it different? How's it been affecting you?

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Having it is like what is it just like every other virus you've ever had or

Sarah 19:48
I would say I had more fatigue

and I don't usually have a blood sugar bomb and I was definitely a little more insulin resistant and And then not being able to smell at all, even when I felt like my nose, like I was maybe congested for three days. Yeah. And then then it went, the congestion went away. But I still couldn't smell and I still can't smell now. And that was actually I have an au pair that lives with me. And actually, when I said that one day, like, I was like, if you guys want to get takeout, that's fine. I sat at home, even though we were trying to be very careful about it. And I was like, I can't smell or taste anything. And he was like, Oh my gosh, that's what they're saying is a symptom of coronaviruses. You can't smell or taste. And that was when I was like, Oh my god, I have 100% habit.

Scott Benner 20:36
That's got to be like a baby to get the test. Right? That's a bad movie, right? Where if somebody turns you slowly and says on the news, they're saying that that's one. And you're like, Oh, I have that? Yeah. Have you freaked out at all? Or like, so you've been a nurse for a really long time, right?

Sarah 20:51
Yeah, I was a nurse for nine years. I've been an NP for five years. Okay.

Scott Benner 20:55
Okay. So you've got a lot of experience in this space. Is this unlike anything you've ever seen before? Or what does it kind of match up with? from your experience?

Sarah 21:06
From what I'm feeling? Or the pandemic?

Scott Benner 21:09
From the work side? Yeah, from what you're seeing in the hospital? Oh,

Sarah 21:11
no, this is way different than I've ever experienced.

Um, yeah, this is completely different.

Scott Benner 21:20
necessary, in your opinion?

Sarah 21:22
Oh, yeah. Because Because of just the amount of Yeah, the amount of people that are that are affected? Yeah. Like, like, they, you know, that's what everyone's talking about flattening the curve, because we there's just not enough ventilators or not enough beds in the hospital to take care of all the sick people, because because no one has any immunity, because like, you know, people have immunity to the flow. There's, there's no immunity to this. And it's,

Scott Benner 21:52
we're all overwhelming new thing for the very first time all together. And yeah, it's moving, is it? It's moving more quickly than we see with other viruses. But that's, we're not sure if that's because none of us are immune to it, or if it's because it has an ability to move more quickly. But it doesn't really matter why. It's just it's spreading. so incredibly fast. Yeah. And, and so when we're all hearing in the media, we take in, that this is about spreading out people's illness so that hospitals can handle it. That really is though the entirety of the goal here, right? Like it's not, we don't think some of us aren't going to get it like we're all going to get it at some point in the next year or so. I'm imagining, you know, by all I mean, a lot of people are going to have it to varying degrees. What is the varying degrees? What are you seeing, like, what would you call your case of it? Like in the mild, mid and harsh like,

Sarah 22:49
I wouldn't say I'm a symptomatic for sure. But I would say definitely mild to very mild, because because I was feeling so low energy and I like working out. I was, you know, lifting weights and stuff at home like I was doing my normal thing I except i was i was just, I could fall asleep in the afternoon and I'm not usually like, I can't usually take naps and stuff. I just would wake up I would drink coffee and it was like I didn't drink any I didn't have any caffeine like like I was just I was very low energy. So my body was definitely fighting something. And the headache Oh, that was another thing that headache. I could Tylenol. And Advil didn't do anything for the headache.

Scott Benner 23:35
What did finally drinking?

Unknown Speaker 23:37
No, no. What did you

Scott Benner 23:40
were you able to alleviate the headache or no?

Unknown Speaker 23:43
I'm

Scott Benner 23:44
not really how long did it stay with you? Or is it still with you?

Sarah 23:49
I would say I had maybe like a two out of 10 headache today. But at the worst I probably it wasn't like severe severe because I've had migraines before this was like maybe a six seven but the fact that like normal pain medicine didn't do anything it was it was pretty obnoxious. Yeah. Luckily, I was at home for a long time.

Scott Benner 24:10
What about at work right now? Are they just using? Is it all hands on deck like Howard? How is this being staffed and and handled?

Sarah 24:19
Well, if you're too sick to work, you're too sick to work. And but you're allowed to come in if you have

seven days after your onset of symptoms,

which I was out of that window when my vacation was over. And honestly I didn't know that I had it when the first day I came back to work was when my appointment was Yeah. So I walked into work and I'm like, I'm pretty sure I have it but we have to get you know, I don't know that I have it. And I wasn't you know, I don't have the fever or the cough so I wasn't like you know having the big name symptoms. So I came back to work, I tested positive and I got the result as I'm walking in my door at night. But I was already out of the window. And the next day we like called everyone to make sure it was okay for me to work, you know, from occupational health to various doctor, you know, infectious disease experts to make sure it was okay. But their policy right now is either 72 hours after your last fever, or after seven days of when your symptoms started, you can go to work, I'm extra careful. Like I really, you know, mask and hand hygiene very, very meticulously, and I and and, and before this even happened, we were staying out of the rooms much more. Yeah, like we're limiting patient contact, worried about you know, getting whatever from them, but but actually more worried about us giving them something because there could be there. I'm sure there's many health care workers walking around with it, and they just don't have any symptoms, or their symptoms are so mild, they don't know. Sure.

Scott Benner 26:11
about you and your husband, like, it might be unfair. You've got a couple of little kids. So maybe you're not running around like smooching every time you see each other but are you like air high? fiving? Or like, what's your level of like intimacy, like, now that you cuz he's through it too, right?

Sarah 26:27
Um, yeah, yeah, he feel he feels 100% I wouldn't say I'm 100% like he had worse symptoms for a few days. But mine have symptoms have been milder, but more like, prolonged No, I didn't really, because I felt like I felt like the, the horse The, the horse was out of the gate. Like, I felt like I had given it to everyone already. Because we were all at home. I was cooking, like, you know, very cuddly with my kids. And I think also because once your, you know, your quarantine in your home. Anyway, I felt like I was more needy with like affection with my family, because I'm not seeing other human beings going anywhere Do you can't like touch anybody. So I felt like I had exposed everyone to it already. I mean, maybe like, I don't think I was sharing as much because I was, we were trying to do more like being a little more careful at home with cleaning, you know, washing things like I was having my kids do the chore of like, cleaning off the doorknobs with a Clorox wipe every day and the light switches, we were doing more like disinfecting at home. But like, honestly, after after I figured it out. Like I was like, it's it's already everybody I'm sure has been been exposed. I mean, maybe I'm being a little like blood about it. But I felt like I have already given it. So I didn't really change much. And it's very hard because my little kids are there not because we've tried to have them have better boundaries, especially the little one before, but he's very bad about it, he'll be very sick, have a cold and still want to kiss you on the lips and stuff. So I'm not very good about it's

Scott Benner 28:10
interesting because your human nature does take over. I mean, I've got two children and when they're sick, you, you do have that feeling like I'm gonna get sick, too. I guess it's okay. You know, like, you don't really stop from doing the things you'd normally do for them, like you don't like kick them into a room, like close the door and go listen, if you're still alive in five days, that'll be great. We'll come back and get a year in there helping them and you know, and doing what they do you have mountain. They're sitting on your lap and watching television. And

Sarah 28:37
well, I think also for Coronavirus, because I researched it enough to see that it doesn't seem like it's hurting children very much. And my children also, you know, they're very healthy. So I was like, I mean, parents overall aren't terribly concerned, I think about kids in general. But I think I was even like less concerned because I'm like, I'm the most immunocompromised person in my house. Like,

Scott Benner 29:02
why is the one concerned about me? Maybe Maybe I should be worried about Mila. But it's very interesting. I mean, the whole thing's really interesting. Because when you hear stuff like oh, you know, it's it's a it's a strange way to talk about it. When you hear them say, Oh, you know, it's mostly people who are older or compromised, you're like, well, that's not nice to say out loud. Because you know, there are people who are older and compromised who are listening to the news also. Yeah, that's not exciting news for them. What you just told them is 100% of you, you know, are having a hard go with this. And so I get what they're doing, trying to keep the masses to become, but then you will see like some I've seen a little kid have it and be on a ventilator already. And, you know, it's just like, I don't think this might be one of the very first times that as a nation, at the same time, we're all conscious of the idea of we don't want to get sick. And if you really look back at how you live, you don't live like that. You live knowing that you're You're gonna get a cold sometimes, or you're gonna have a virus or something's gonna happen to you. Like, I don't know that it's a reasonable expectation to live without being sick. I mean, it sounds pretty impossible to me. And so, like, where do you draw the line then? Like, you see, some people are, you know, on their boats, or there was just an arrest in New Jersey recently, where there was like, some, they somebody, like throw a house party and charged I think, admission, like turned it into a business. And and they got raided, and the guy who ran the party is being charged. And like, so, you know, don't do that, obviously. But like, Where's the line, like, we got food today, you know, like, brought in, and I broke the packaging down. You know, like, I was, like, I was on Breaking Bad. You know, I took everything out of the out of the bags of bags when the trash then you know, someone else brought me plates. You know, I put the food onto the plates. I threw away the packaging for food and everything and then wiped everything down afterwards and wash like 1000 times. And Kelly's looking at me like, what are you doing, man? Like, just relax? I'm like, I don't know, like I said, you know, we don't know where all these things came from. And I just don't want to be sick. Like it keeps for me coming back to. I don't want to end up in a hospital right now. Oh, yeah. Is that a smart thing for me to be thinking?

Sarah 31:16
No, for sure. And that's, that's the thing, even very healthy people are sick on ventilators. So it is it is reasonable for everyone to be extremely careful not only for to not spread it, but so you don't get sick because you don't know even though you have a healthy immune system, some people are just getting horribly sick. Like, yeah, my coworker that had it was way sicker than me and I'm the immunocompromised one. So it's, it's you don't know.

Scott Benner 31:44
Yeah, I think for me personally, in my mind, I'm a not wanting to end up in under medical care, while the hospitals are so taxed. Just because that just seems like you don't I mean, like, you know, if there's, if there's 10 nurses and 10 doctors and 50 patients, I don't feel like I'm gonna be getting like the hands on care I would be hoping for. Not that people wouldn't be doing your best but but it's stretched thin, you know. And then my next thought is, I don't want to be the person. Like, I don't want to live for the rest of my life knowing that like my neighbor's grandmother died and died. You know what I mean? Like for me? Yeah, like, because, because I had to what? kept Chinese food? Like, you know, you mean like that, you know, I that's the thing. And we've been, we've been in this house for like, two weeks now. And I have to be honest, I'm okay with it. Yeah, dude, but you know, and I'm lucky enough to be able to obviously do what I do from where I live, but it's not that bad. You know?

Sarah 32:45
Well, I think with the with the takeout. So for a while, I was resisting at trying to be so good. Well, it was first I felt like I was sick and like, I might have it. But then I also felt like I was scared that all these like local businesses. Were were under such duress that I'm like, oh, maybe we should order a couple.

Scott Benner 33:05
Here, right. You're also trying to support the because you're also looking at your own. But listen, you're still working. But there are people who aren't working people yeah. Backwards financially every day. And and then local businesses are anybody who's ever run a business knows that most of them are barely operating it even. You know, they have to keep moving to work. There are going to be places that don't open back up after something like this.

Unknown Speaker 33:28
Oh, yeah, for sure.

Scott Benner 33:29
It's just very, it's just it's different. I've never experienced anything like that. No,

Sarah 33:35
I yeah, I don't think this has ever been in our lives.

Scott Benner 33:38
Yeah. Now what we want Next, I'm assuming is we're hoping for inoculations for the future. But yeah, sort of similar to the to the flu vaccine? I don't know. But it's really crazy. So have you seen anything? Like, like if I said, you and I'm not asking you to but if I said you tell me a really scary story. You have one for something you've seen at work? Where what's your level of? Like, what do you

Sarah 34:06
um, well, like are specific.

Scott Benner 34:10
I'm just wondering if it's like it is.

Sarah 34:14
To me. Yeah. Yeah, it's it's sir. It's terrific. And I've seen a lot of stuff. I mean, I've seen a lot of awful awful things. You know, I've worked in an ICU I've seen some terrible things that like How can this happen to human beings, you know, people innocently going about their lives. But I yeah, I think what's most, like, hardest as like health care providers, I think sometimes is see because like, it's almost like an expectation to see older people that get really sick with something like this, or people that already have a few other conditions. Get very sick. It's I think it's the hardest when you see people like in their 20s knees, and they were completely fine. like walking around. And now they're like, in a terrible state, you know, they've got a machine for their lungs, they basically, you know, have machines working for the as their heart like, like, like, like horrible like they're next to death. And it feels that's that's the most terrific

Scott Benner 35:22
it is it is. It's how we all think. I mean, it's, you know, it's funny, it's wrong, but it is how we all think like, if you see an older guy, they've lived a pretty decent life, you know, like you, that's your brain and your brain writes

Sarah 35:34
it off. Yeah, but he's 70 something and, and passes away. Not that it's not sad. But like, oh, they've had a chance to live a life someone's in their 20s, you know, that they're just starting

Scott Benner 35:45
out. And so if that's what they're talking about, is happening to with care, right, like once we get down to rationing care. Oh, yeah. That's how those decisions then get made. Right? Is it by age? And hell? Yeah.

Sarah 35:58
Yeah, I actually read it because yeah, I had read about that happening in Italy. But I'm a co worker of mine sent an article about a new jersey hospital. Yeah. Um, I forget the name of the hospital, but it was the article was out there. But the The doctor was talking about already making the just like, the doctors were having to make the decision once the patient goes on the ventilator. Like if they don't look like they're gonna, you know, little while, like, if they don't think they're going to keep going and make it through this. They're just taking them off the ventilator to to sterilize it and give to another patient because it's not fair. You know, because in the ICU, we do incredibly extraordinary things. Every day, we have machines for almost every organ, it's requires a lot of money, a lot of personnel, but we can do and I've seen many, like people that were dead dead for like weeks come back to life. Yeah, honestly. But but there's not the time and the, the, the staff and the more importantly, the equipment to do that for everybody that you want to give a chance to. So the doctor was talking about, yeah, take it, if there's three patients that they took the ventilator away from, because they didn't think the patient was going to make it in the long run, and they couldn't give even give them in this situation now, like that's, that's the thought that you're not going to be able to give these people the chance. So, my job we're talking today about that similar kinds of things, like changing the way we make decisions, and healthcare.

Scott Benner 37:44
So it's, it's really the, it's the equivalent of a war movie, where you've seen where a medic comes along, looks at somebody and goes, he's not gonna make it. We're gonna go to the next one. But that's Yeah, but that person, you

Sarah 37:55
know, yeah. Really good synopsis. Yeah.

Scott Benner 37:57
Right. So you just sort of, you start making these decisions, and then Geez, that, then that has to weigh on, you know, that's not a decision you want to make you want to exhaust efforts. And then if someone passed, yes, right, but you don't want to exactly

Sarah 38:13
what we've been, we've been trained to do, right?

Scott Benner 38:15
Because what if you're wrong? What if you just look at somebody that one's not gonna make it will take the vent, get the vent clean, move it over to this person who we know with events going to do? Well, and, and you're wrong about that? And that's

Sarah 38:28
because you could, you could pick the other person and they might end up passing away in the end?

Scott Benner 38:33
Yeah, it's just their decisions that no one should have to make. And in, in my right to say, in the regular course of medicine, these decisions don't normally have to get made.

Sarah 38:42
Yeah, exactly. They, they don't and I actually have been talking about it, because I thought about it in the past week that like, honestly, a lot of us are going to need some mental health, like support. Because this isn't like the normal, like even the way the units are set up and stuff. Like wait because no visitors are allowed. Or the patients are lonely, if they're, you know, because not all patients are like out of it on a ventilator. There's, there's a lot of like patients that know what's going on in their family can't see them. Like it's a very, it's I want to dystopian, like the hospitals like a dystopian, like, please, because it doesn't seem like this isn't it's completely and there's so few people working they've minimized all the people working in the hospital. Like it's a very weird lonely

Scott Benner 39:34
place. Yeah, that fluorescent lighting is a little otter I would imagine today that it is normal, right? Yeah, just sort of feels like the fourth episode of a zombie television show. We're like everybody's like it's gonna be fine. Still, we're just working hard and we're gonna get past this. Except we except by the way, we are going to get past this it is going to like flattened out and it you know, people are still going to have it but it's, they're going to get to keep their event you know if they need one. Yeah, it's just this. This is the time this is the spiky time right now. And people are people are. I mean, we're not talking enough about the cases that have, you know, resolved and recovered. Yeah. And that's starting to happen. You know, we're starting to see those. I think the last numbers I saw, were like over 120,000 cases in the US, somewhere over 2000 deaths, but also somewhere over 3000 recovered. So, you know, that's hopefully the next bit of news we're going to start getting is, you know, how many of these, you know, I'd like to I'm excited for the day where it says, you know, we have 150,000 cases, and 100,000 of them have, you know, recovered already. And, yeah, so it's just a very, I don't know how you're doing it, honestly, are you? Did you say you're in a hotel right now?

Sarah 40:49
Well, um, they're doing a lot of things. I'm sure they're getting really good rates on hotels, because nobody's traveling,

Scott Benner 40:56
right.

Sarah 40:56
But they're also understanding that we, the commute, and everything is much more stressful, more difficult. And honestly, because every No, it's like, no one wants to take public transit. So the parking lot because I drove to work this past week was crazy to get it. I don't normally drive I usually take public transit. Yeah. But I think they're understanding that, you know, and also like, so then, they're also understand that people don't want to expose their family members, necessarily. So at least, like if you, you know, stay here and between and then if you want to kind of shower off, or I saw a lot of memes about like, nurses being like, I'm just gonna, you know, you're gonna see me stripped down to my underwear before I walk in my house. Just mind you're

Scott Benner 41:49
out front on the on the patio.

Sarah 41:51
Yeah, so so if that's the way you feel about it, like it's a safer place. I mean, I obviously I don't feel like I need to protect my, but it's nice to having like, to, to not have to somewhere you can

Scott Benner 42:03
go. I've heard stories of doctors sleeping in their cars at hospitals, because they don't want to go home. You know, so there's all levels of like, yeah, you don't want to like if you've got a family at home, and they're basically sheltered in place. And they're not ill, as a health care professional. You coming into the house is probably the worst thing that you can do. Yeah.

Sarah 42:24
Yeah. To expose everyone.

Scott Benner 42:26
Right? It really does make you think, doesn't it? Like what is expose everyone mean? Like, you don't mean? Like, you're just touching something like, you know, is it is it as weird as like, I touched the desk and a day and a half later, and my kid touch the desk? And

Sarah 42:40
well, yeah, this this disease is a lot of like, unknowns that everyone's scared about it, because I don't think a lot of it's not that clear. And everyone, stuff, policies and procedures keep changing. And the recommendations keep changing. So it's a very scary, it's a scary disease, because, you know, we've never dealt with this before.

Scott Benner 43:04
I'm finding it really fascinating to watch states that are, where we were two weeks ago, and how they're acting like, Oh, it's not gonna be that big of a deal. And I'm like, is it not like, you know, two weeks from now you're gonna be like, Oh, we should have done something, you know, like, just a very, because, listen, when this was all happening, I was in Florida with my son, and he was playing baseball, you know, he's a college student playing baseball, and we were like, hey, it's springtime, this is great. And then all the sudden, you know, there's these conversations about, hey, you're gonna get sent home from school, or, you know, spring breaks gonna get extended. And now he's, you know, now he's home for the rest of the semester. And my daughter's taking, you know, going to high school in my kitchen. And you know, like, that stuff two weeks ago was just things people were talking about, like, have you heard this might happen? And so I think you're right, there's just not enough. I think there's not enough top down. Leadership, like, like, somebody just needs to say like, these are the rules. Everybody follow them? You know, it seems to me that if we all just started doing the same thing two weeks ago, we'd all be a lot closer to it.

Sarah 44:13
Yeah. Yeah, we'd be in a much better place. But yeah, it didn't come it didn't come from the top because, I mean, the President had different ideas about it from long ago, right.

Scott Benner 44:24
I'm seeing here there's er workers are saying that a quote every man for themselves atmosphere, regarding their protective equipment has kind of like crept into New York City, sort of like you're on your own to protect yourself because we're out of stuff.

Sarah 44:39
Well, yeah, there there's there's a limited supply. I mean, my my hospital definitely has a good amount, but because the amount of patience and like we're going to be expected to go so far above like our normal capacity. I don't know if you saw government Cuomo talking about how we have to increase the capacity. So every hospital has to increase the capacity. So even if you were prepared for the amount of people you have, so many people are on isolation, like it's like an obscene number. So if you're taking care of the, we call them COVID patients, they have a lot of protective gear. But if you're not, you're basically in your limb, you're limited. you're limited to what? They give us some, but you're, it's it's kind of, you have to make it last.

Scott Benner 45:39
So like, if I'm delivering a baby, do I just pull my T shirt up over my nose? Is that? not quite there yet? But, but so you might. So there's a there's a descending order where the gears going?

Sarah 45:51
Yeah, for sure, though, there's, they have like a lot for the COVID patients, but for the rats, but at the same time, the problem is, sometimes you don't like, you know, we've been talking about you don't always know when people have it or not. Yeah. So like, like, you could walk into a room, you know, like I did a few weeks ago, like, not knowing that the patient had it.

Scott Benner 46:15
And that's it. And that's why the I mean, the tellement stuff for other stuff, you know, out in the world. Pediatricians visits, my wife isn't feeling well with something. It's not this. And she did. You know, she had a phone call with a doctor that ended in a prescription. And you know, a month ago, you would have been like, Really? That's weird. But that because that's not really something you ever think of is a doctor, like writing a script from your description over the phone? Yeah, but it was, I guess it's a better decision than asking her to come somewhere.

Sarah 46:43
Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah, my endocrinologist who called me because she got routed my COVID result. And she's like, Oh, yeah, we're gonna do telemedicine and you'll just upload all your stuff and all that I'm like, Yeah. Okay. I guess. I guess it makes sense. Yeah. Although for me, it doesn't really matter.

Scott Benner 47:04
Yeah, well, for you personally, it's interesting, because you have for you personally, doesn't matter. You've had it already. Yeah. And you can't get it again. We should all get like tea. Everyone should get a T shirt who's had it? like, yo, don't worry about me. I'm good, baby.

Sarah 47:21
Well, that's what that was the other reason I want Well, my husband especially wanted to get tested because he felt like, I want to get tested. Because I want to know if in like a few weeks, I can help people if they need help, like if they need groceries or something and I don't have to worry about getting the virus. Mm hmm.

Scott Benner 47:37
I'll tell you the one thing that talking to you makes me feel exceptionally good about is it no matter what I do all these articles and I've had a doctor on already, Jenny's come on and talked about it, you know, and now having you on who has it, and obviously you're doing fine. Not that everybody's gonna have the same experience you're having with it, but it makes me feel better, because there's so many of these articles that are popping up about like, you know, COVID-19 and diabetes, like what should you do? And after you go through, you know, 2000 words, there's always an overview at the end it says so, basically, you know, wash your hands and stay away from sick people and like, clickbait more clickbait, you don't mean like, like, just what a horrible thing to do, like drive people because, I mean, you've had it now you have diabetes, you've been a nurse, you're an MP like, what should people in your opinion with diabetes be doing right now? anything different than anyone else?

Sarah 48:30
So when I was starting to like,

kind of become real, I guess sort of like the end of February when really we should have like started the lockdown. But like things were coming down that soon, you know, Italy was like, saying all kinds of stuff. Now I have like, pretty well controlled, not art and well controlled, but you know, my a one season that the six is, um, and I was like, you know, I think I'm gonna you know, step it up a little bit. Work, get myself a little tighter, and eat healthier, more fruits and vegetables. I've been kind of doing like, vegetarian since January. But I was like, you know, less dairy more fruits and veggies like I was trying because I know I'm immunocompromised and I do work in the medical field to be even more vigilant with being healthy. Right. So that was my biggest intervention. It wasn't like, I didn't buy to be fair. I'm like a mild hoarder at baseline. So in my basement, I already had like, one and a half big things of hand sanitizer. I had some wipes. I had I had enough stuff while but Well, a lot of people were starting to hoard things. I was trying to like, make myself help, like, follow a healthier diet, right? Pay more attention to my blood sugar's that's what I was trying. So while everyone

Scott Benner 49:53
else was looking for hand sanitizer, you're like, I'm gonna have an extra fruit and a sit up here. Yeah, by the way. Line mild hoarder is the T shirt, in case you're wondering. I don't have the time or energy to put that dope fact, but I feel like that is gonna be a big seller in the coming days. Yeah, it's uh, I mean, I threw a couple custom meat in the freezer, and I'm usually more of let's just waiting by it fresh kind of person. But you just thought, you know, listen, the one thing I did while you were doing a sit up is I was refilling ardens prescriptions in February, like I was I was paying attention to what was happening overseas. And I looked at all of our scripts and anything that had a refill available I sent in, I was just like, okay, I'll take more insulin, I'll take more insulin pumps, I'll take anything that you're willing to give me. I'll take right now.

Sarah 50:42
Well, let's be also because I'm a mild hoarder that I have 30 vials of insulin in my refrigerator. I have I have so much pump sites, I have like two insulin pumps. I'm wearing a Medtronic sensor, but I have a Dexcom in the basement that I need to switch over to so I have like, I have excessive diabetes supplies. I mean, I think because I've always tried to, you know, get my get prescribed more, etc, that I've just ended up with,

Scott Benner 51:14
I don't know, extras. On every time I just was like, I don't know, I thought I don't want to need this. Like, I don't know what's going to happen. Like, I didn't know how Cisco knows

Sarah 51:24
for sure. And if you don't have like a ton of stuff. Yeah, definitely. But because I i've always I've just had a CAD an excess of stuff for a while now. I don't know if it's just because I am not using as much and then you keep getting it. You know, I've I've been on an insulin pump for 17 years. So like, you know, I kind of stayed ahead of the curve. And I've had, like, you know, you guys talk about sometimes people like, you know, going between insurances, or they just don't have good coverage. But I've always and that's I think part of the reason Honestly, I went in to the nursing profession having diabetes, because I always knew that I needed really good employment to buy my supplies and good insurance and stuff.

Scott Benner 52:06
So having diabetes made you think I need a really stable job that comes with health insurance?

Sarah 52:10
Yeah, it did. Honestly, I do think it really affected the ways I was thinking about professions.

Scott Benner 52:19
I can imagine I mean it. I don't you know, I don't pressure Arden about it. But every once in a while, I'll be like, hey, see how we all have stuff for you see mom's job? You know, oh, yeah. As you know, everybody needs a job with insurance. I know you have dreams that are nice. I don't want you to not them. You know, don't forget your dreams. But don't forget, you need insulin too. And I'm looking at me, there's no way I'm gonna stay alive much longer. So I'm doing my best here. But I mean, let's be honest, I'm not going to be 95 while you're 40. So, pull it together, do your best. I think it's um, I don't think it's unreasonable to consider, you know what I mean? Like, I think it's smart to think about it. But that's what I did. I was just like, Alright, let me get these. And don't get me wrong. I wasn't hoarding stuff. I was just like, Look, we have prescriptions there up to be refilled, I'm going to refill them now. Because, you know, it's easy to be like, Oh, it's all gonna be fine. And it probably is all gonna be fine. But I just didn't want to get in the situation where Arden needed something. And that company got hit with this virus and got slowed down even, you know what I mean? Like, whatever it was gonna be. I just didn't want that to happen.

Sarah 53:30
Actually, there was an article written because a friend of mine shared it with me, it was a type one diabetic, who, I don't think they I know, I don't know what their job was, I think it was in business, but they wrote it like a, you know, an op ed piece on the wall street journal or something, but talking about how this might affect their disease, because the supply chain might be affected somehow. So it's a big thing to consider, for sure.

Scott Benner 53:57
It probably won't happen. But if it does, it does. And then what are you gonna do? Who are you going to call like, you know, world where you we all basically live a life or anything you need, you can have almost instantaneously, right? Yeah. So all the sudden, you know, what does it mean? If somebody tells you, hey, we're gonna get those to you, but it's gonna be a month from now. You know, here's a bag of needles and a vial of insulin, like good luck. You know, so a lot of us, you know, Arden definitely included. She leans heavily on, on the technology she has, and so she, you know, she needs to stuff to make it go. I don't think we could not do it the other way. I'm, you know, I'm pretty sure that what I, I think I could reverse engineer my knowledge back to MDI pretty easily. But still, it's, you know, no one's looking for that. And I'll tell you what, it would be like getting diagnosed all over again for Arden. Oh, yeah. You know, because she doesn't have any recollection of getting shots. So it would definitely be an on though and so I just thought all right. Let me let me be And, and I did the same not with food like we didn't like, you know we only have a basic refrigerator. It's I don't have like a, you know, I don't have three freezers in my basement or something. You know,

Sarah 55:13
I only I have one deep chest freezer in the basement.

Scott Benner 55:16
See? Well, you are a mild hoarder, then. Congratulations. What's

Sarah 55:21
that one? I know when I was breastfeeding my kids, and like my, my, my refrigerator freezer and my kitchen isn't very big. It can't fit like a very big refrigerator. It's like, it's okay size. But like if you're storing up a bunch of breast milk, so go back to work. This is probably TMI. Not at all.

Scott Benner 55:40
We can hear next week's episode about sex from a female perspective. This is not gonna be too much information good.

Sarah 55:46
No. So like, in a depressed freezer. Breast milk last longer. Yeah. Okay, so I think I got that. I think that my first kid. Yeah, just so I could store more breast milk longer.

Scott Benner 55:59
Gotcha. Oh, that that's a that's a good idea. I mean, now I'm trying to imagine how much breast milk you can pump. But that's a complete we're getting off topic now. Because that seems like a massive amount. But that seems like a really important reason to have one because Kelly's like, should we have one of those freezers? And I was like, I heard they use a lot of electricity. And what exactly are we going to put in it? Five seconds after this is over? You know, what the, that made me feel like and I bet a lot of people feel this way. You know, when there's like a power outage. You know, ever since you know, we've had a couple of hurricanes. Oh,

Sarah 56:31
yes. Irene killed my basement right. And I left her Sandy too. So right which was also a mild emergency, but my my house was okay,

Scott Benner 56:39
but doesn't didn't Sandy make you feel like I should have a generator?

Sarah 56:44
Oh, yeah, we got one. I think we got one after Irene, though. Okay, because that hurt my house pretty bad.

Scott Benner 56:50
And so I had that same feeling. I should have a generator. My wife's like, we need a generator. But I resisted. I was like, we don't need a generator? We don't we definitely don't, unless we need one. But I think we're not going to be able to resist that idea. But this is so do you see? Have you heard what are people talking about? About how long? Like how long is this? Are we at the apex for the New York, New Jersey? Like area? Or is this not it yet?

Sarah 57:18
I don't think it is. Honestly, I might be being a pessimist. But I would love to be proven wrong. I feel like it's gonna be like, another month or two, because the amount of people that have been diagnosed? I, I don't know, I can't imagine and some of these people need to be on ventilators for a very long time, right? I mean, if we get more ventilators honestly, if we don't get a lot of ventilator to

Scott Benner 57:45
go faster, right? Yeah, cuz

Sarah 57:48
not to be very morbid, but yeah, people won't live. But if we got a lot of ventilators, it's gonna last a long time, because some people like I have a good amount of ICU experience. Some people can exist on ventilators for a very long time,

Scott Benner 58:03
that could end up being necessary for some of them who are hit harder, because for you know, while most people are probably going to have your or your husband's experience, the people who have an opposite experience, it's an incredibly severe and dire experience.

Sarah 58:17
And it's I think it's much harder for people who have like a family member that's never been sick a day in their life to imagine like, I think, I think a lot of people who have chronic diseases or family with chronic diseases, you along the way kind of accept certain things. Like if you're like a realistic person, there's a, you know, I talked about it with people and like, like a knee jerk way, like, I could overdose on insulin someday, like, like, I have a more risk of dying than than the average person. And I think like, if you're a wise person, and you have family members with diseases, you think, oh, maybe they're, you know, they have more of a risk and I think they are more likely to be okay with the patient, you know, going passing away because they've dealt with a disease for a long time. But if you go in there and your husband's 40 years old, never been sick a day in his life, and you're like, do everything for them, like Like, there's no reason he's should be dying right now.

Scott Benner 59:26
It's the implications of your life, right? Like you have type one. So there's extra variables around your life. So yeah, sure, right. And, and 65 year old, 75 year old person in a normal everyday setting doesn't have the same implications that they do now that this virus exists. Now they're Oh, yeah, they're, you know, their context is different now. It's a very strange thing to hear. I think that's where some of this consternation is coming from right is that we don't really talk about dying like this ever. We don't talk about About mortality we don't talk about we talk about health, like it's fixable. I know for sure my kids think that whatever goes wrong with them, someone will just fix. Like, again, most of us feel that way. Right? Like, what could what could happen to me until you know, until you get one of those things that nobody can fix? And then your understanding of the world changes. And yeah, you know, so we're just hoping that everybody can stay in their understanding where Oh, it all will work out fine. Like most of us get to live like that for a while. The lucky ones at least. Yeah, yeah, that's really crazy. I really appreciate you doing this. Did we not talk about anything that we should have talked about?

Unknown Speaker 1:00:40
Um,

Sarah 1:00:43
no, I think we did it. We covered my disease.

Scott Benner 1:00:51
By the way, is it a disease? I sometimes I hear people call it a disease, but it's a virus a virus. It is the COVID. Like, I don't understand, do you? Well, I

Sarah 1:01:00
consider it like an infectious disease. Okay.

Scott Benner 1:01:04
All right. Because I always wonder like, sometimes somebody calls a disease on television, and then sometimes they don't, I'm like, well is, is everyone, right? It's no one right. So I appreciate you doing this shark. Tank. Good luck with everything. Huge thanks to Sarah for coming on the show as a type one who's had the COVID-19 virus. Please remember that Sarah's experience with COVID-19 was her own and yours very well could be different. But I thought it would be incredibly comforting to hear from someone who had the mild symptoms that you hear about, maybe not frequently enough on the news. Huge thanks to Omni pod Dexcom. The Contour Next One blood glucose meter, and of course, touched by type one for sponsoring the show. And how about a shout out to Sydney for refreshing all the music that you hear on the Juicebox Podcast. That's right, while the rest of these podcasts are circling the wagons going, Oh, I don't know what to do. Nobody's commuting anymore and listening to my podcast. I'll probably just put out some real short episodes, you know, to make it look like I'm putting out a show. But I'm really not that Juicebox Podcast is coming through with absolutely new music, all new content up to the date information. And next week, we're going to talk about working with Type One Diabetes from an adult female perspective. Please don't let your kids listen to that one. You know what, since you're here and basically the rest of your day consists of leaning on the kitchen counter wondering what time to go to bed. Why don't we listen to all the new music together uninterrupted like thank you so much Sydney, Mahler. your talents make this show amazingly better. Here's the refreshed theme.

Not all podcasts do this, but I put special music overtop of the ads so that you always know you're being sold to. You deserve to know that. And Sydney who by the way is 15 years old. I believe nine the first time she wrote the music for the show. updated the music too.

This last track was a surprise, I only asked Sydney to update the music that I had. But she even wrote a third piece that I love so much. I'm going to use it at the end of the show to use to hear the theme at the beginning of the theme at the end. Now you're gonna hear the theme at the beginning, the add music of the ads and this little ditty, as the show ends.

Okay, everybody do your best to stay. Well. I'll talk to you soon. Like I said, there's another episode coming in just a couple of days after dark episode about female sexuality. Dr. Edelman might be on pretty soon again to update us on the bigger picture around Corona. And there'll be some asks Scott and Jenny at the end of the week. Thank you so much for listening to the Juicebox Podcast, even during tough times.

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#317 Ask Scott and Jenny: Chapter Eleven

Answers to Your Diabetes Questions…

Ask Scott and Jenny, Answers to Your Diabetes Questions

• When do you change basal rates? Basal versus temp basal adjustments.

• What are the most meaningful measures of successful diabetes management?

• What is a good standard deviation?

You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Pandora - Spotify - Amazon Alexa - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio -  Radio Public or their favorite podcast app.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello and welcome to Episode 317 of the Juicebox Podcast. I'm your host Scott Benner. Today, Jenny Smith and I will be answering questions that you the listeners have sent it. Three questions today. The questions three. As you can tell, I've been locked in my house for a number of weeks now, I'm getting a little weird. This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Contour Next One blood glucose meter. And by touched by type one, you can go to touched by type one.org or Contour Next one.com to find out about these wonderful sponsors. My friend Jenny Smith has had Type One Diabetes for over 30 years. She's also a certified diabetes educator. She has a bachelor's degree in human nutrition and biology from the University of Wisconsin. Jenny's a registered and licensed dietitian, a certified trainer on most makes and models of insulin pumps, and continuous glucose monitors. And as you'll find out later, very well may be a person who can talk to wildlife. But one thing Jenny definitely is, is a person who would want to to know that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, she'd want you to always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. We're becoming bold with insulin, and he's just good like that. She's rock solid, you know what I mean? She wants what's best for you. In today's show, Jenny and I are going to talk about when to change bazel rates you know when to do with Temp Basal, and when to put, you know, a firm change into place. We're going to talk about the measurement for success in diabetes management. And what a good standard deviation might be not just for you. But for everybody. Bum Bum, bum bum bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum bum bum. The highlight of my entire week has been that the Costco near me had paper towels.

Hey, sorry, I was moving my microphone stand a little.

Unknown Speaker 2:18
That's okay.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:21
I think I have a like, I think I have like a problem with like, I did a finger stick. Okay. And my finger really hurts. really hurts. Like, like, and it's kind of like, puffy. Like, can you see that? It's like puffy and red again.

Scott Benner 2:42
We're on the top. It's puffy, but you didn't stick yourself?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:46
No, I stuck it on the side where I always does do and yeah, like I can't see anything from it. I also need like bifocals, because I have to go like this every time I have to like see something up close. My son brings me like the directions for a game. And I'm like, like, seriously, who wrote these directions? Like, come on.

Scott Benner 3:09
You have no idea how many times because Arden's a side stick like she sticks on the sides of her fingers, too. Yeah, you have no idea how many times like in the middle of the night when I do it. I'm so close to a cuticle. I'm like, how did I miss that? Yeah, and I looked down at her and she's not awake, and I go ooh, she's never gonna know about this.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:30
never happened before like, and it's it like it hurts it physically. Yeah. I'm like, I can't there's like no hole. I can't tell if there's like gross underneath or anything. But who knows? I don't know. Maybe there's like an alien growing underneath

Scott Benner 3:45
there. Listen, if it's too fast for you to get an infection, obviously. So it's not that I did you maybe just hit a nerve. I just

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:54
responding must have just hit something that was just a much more sensitive spot. Or maybe I hit a spot that I had already hit. It's wrong. It's time it's kind of a favorite thing. Like

Scott Benner 4:07
Yeah, her sleep. Right. This is fascinating. In in Arden sleep, I will try I will go to fingers that she doesn't use figuring she's asleep. She won't know in her sleep. She'll pull the finger back and give me a different finger. That I'm always impressed by because sometimes I'll be like Arden and she's not awake. Right? she just she feels you in her sleep. Take the wrong finger. She's like, No, no, no, this one. Or she'll do two of them. She'll like either one of these is fine, but not like I try to use her thumbs when she's asleep. Yanks him right back holds him up in a fist. I'm like, That's hilarious.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 4:44
That's super funny. So So how are you? How are your older older kids? I hate calling them kids because they're really not kids anymore, but like, how are they doing with everything? I've got 17 nieces in Milwaukee, and they are just like, they're like climbing the wall really learning to up brother in law says they're just like, I cannot be inside anymore. I need to be not near my parents.

Scott Benner 5:13
I'm bored. Well, we're gonna turn your question. You're very kind. How are you question into part of this episode. And here's here's why Arden's insulin needs have gone way down since she stopped going to school.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:27
Do they go down in the summer too?

Scott Benner 5:30
Yes, she doesn't like being at school. That's just what it is. So now this whole the the, the incarceration is actually freedom to her. She can go to bed when she wants get up when she wants handle her work when she wants to. She's much happier. I'm seeing more smiling. I don't think I should ever send her back to school.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:55
The reason a lot of a lot, I've got several people that I work with who homeschool their kids. One who I started working with. I was telling about her she's the pilot. Yeah. And her parents school homeschooled her. She's now like, out of college, she's actually doing an internship with one of the airlines doing wonderful, but she was homeschooled. And they didn't see the fluctuations. Like comparatively with the other kids her age that is working with who were in school. clear difference from a weekend or a holiday away to actually being physically in

Scott Benner 6:33
school. Right now. There's there's been, even the summer takes time for her to like ramp down. Sure. But this was one day, the first day, which she was unsure of how this was all gonna work, her blood sugar didn't change. And then after she got her work in on time, she was just like free and easy and really happy. So it's interesting. Now my son. He doesn't like the lack of activity. Like we were outside in the driveway throwing a baseball yesterday for half an hour. He brought us. He said, He's the my kids are both very good with money. They don't ask for a lot of stuff. And he's like, I need a squat rack. For the basement. He's like, I need to be able to like exercise. And I was like, okay, and the other end, he walked outside just sat on the front step for a while, you know, just the hate, I need to get outside, because he's also a boy. So like, he'll start playing a video game and lose a day to it if he if you let him, you know what I mean? And last night, he told me around midnight, I'm going to get a shower. And then I'm going to read for my economics class. And I was like, Oh, that's great. And he's like, it's not. I was like, why is it not? He goes, because I'm going to read for an hour to get what I could get out of a five minute explanation for my professor. And I tried to do like I did the dad thing. I was like, oh, there's nuance to the reading. You'll appreciate it later. He was looking at me like, I don't care what you're saying. And I was like, I was like, I tried not to be, you know, I just was like, you know, this is it. It's good. And, but he wants that he's also concerned about how much we pay for school. And that now he's basically learning through, you know, yeah, really fancy YouTube videos. So he's like, why are we paying for this? And I said, coal, this time is going to turn. It's one of the strange things about about the United States at least, that I've never understood. Like, why has quality distance learning not become more? I don't know, like acceptable, especially in college. Right.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 8:40
Right. Right. Yeah. I mean, I think it's getting better now. How people viewed the distance learning like the University of Phoenix or whatever it is, yeah, all the commercials for but there, there are quality programs, and my sister in law actually did an online master's degree in business management. And she she does a great job. She's a wonderful job because she did that. So there's nothing wrong with

Scott Benner 9:07
no, no, no, but why is it not more popular? Why? Why not? Yeah, it is. It just is like, his level of embarrassment. Like I went to school, like through the mail. Does it feel like that or something like that? You know what I mean? Like 1960 took a writing course from Hollywood.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:22
Yeah, I don't know. I think I think in today's technology world, it's getting better. Um, in fact, some colleges as I'm sure you've seen with even Cole, I'm sure he probably has some things he needs to submit online and do that way already. But I think it's such a big change from the quality of as you know, in high school and even in college. There's a lot of social networking that goes on that you you don't get that when you have it at

Scott Benner 9:53
school. You just don't and we talked about that. There's, you know, you sometimes meet guys You know, he's playing baseball with or he's met through school. He talked to them a little bit, you know, that's an impressive kid for 20. It's going to be an impressive adult. And you don't know when 10 years from now that kid or your son's going to wake up one day and go, you know, I have a position to fill, you know, who would be great for this? Yeah, yeah, that guy played baseball with 10 years ago. And so there's that piece and there's the social part of it. Like, I'm not, I'm not discounting that. But for some people, they just want their degree. They're not looking for you know,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 10:28
they could care less about sitting in class next to the guy who doodles pictures of his dog.

Scott Benner 10:32
Right? Yeah, I met the most interesting guy in college yet. No one cares. But anyway, it's just it's it's interesting that they both are, they're not happy. We spent a number of hours playing poker the other day. You know, there's, we keep talking about having a movie night, but it hasn't happened yet. Everybody said we're, I think we're kind of quietly keeping things. Activities aside for when everyone loses their mind. And we really, like need the activity. So far. Everybody's been okay. And Kelly's under the weather, but Oh, it's not um, you know, it's nothing related to all of us. Yes. Yeah. It doesn't feel well,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:14
just a normal thing. I know. And that's every time you hear somebody like,

Scott Benner 11:19
like, Oh, my God, get back 30 person get away.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:24
The cough. Maybe they were eating a granola bar that didn't go down the right way.

Scott Benner 11:28
We're doing it on purpose for comedy reasons. Oh, yeah. Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:31
that would be my husband.

Scott Benner 11:32
Yeah, just everybody runs out of the room. Mom's like, Don't touch her. She's like, I just I got a dry piece of wood. Like that bringing us down with you. So, and she cut caffeine out. But she did it too fast. So now she has a caffeine headache, you know, and I gave her a little tea. I'm like, here have a little that's not from soda. And this, she might

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:55
even do better if she if she's willing to do tea. She could even do something like a matcha which has a little bit of caffeine in it and could kind of ease down

Scott Benner 12:03
help her the caffeine.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:05
Because it's also much smoother caffeine than coffee coffees. Like you get this big like, Whoa,

Scott Benner 12:11
yeah, we don't drink coffee. Nobody here drinks coffee. Actually, I think the truth is that I don't believe Kelly ever has, but I've never had a cup of coffee in my life. So I wouldn't even know what it is. Jenny takes a large as well.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:26
I drink tea every morning. Usually a couple of hops, but

Scott Benner 12:30
I'm drinking Earl Grey with a little bit of honey.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:32
Oh, I have a very good friend in Colorado who Earl Grey. And lady grey are like her favorite.

Scott Benner 12:38
My favorite thing? It really is. Alright, so Jenny, we have a ton of ask Scott and Jenny questions. And we are going to do like three recordings in a row over the next two weeks so that we have them all set up. Yes. Before we start, let me tell you that and there's no pressure here. But tomorrow at 3pm I'm doing a like it's just a social meetup online. And if you're free and you jumped in for a couple of minutes, I bet you these people would be very excited to catch

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:07
up on were zooms on zoom.

Scott Benner 13:10
Yeah, you could sit like this, click on a link pop up.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:13
What? Yeah, we zoom for our staff meetings on Wednesdays. But

Scott Benner 13:18
what at what time, three o'clock tomorrow? Three to 430 it's gonna run. It's gonna be like a free thing. Like people can come it's your

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:24
time. So like, two to 330 my time. I should be around. Usually I'm working on emails at that time. So send me the link. I will

Unknown Speaker 13:33
even if you just popped in and you were like, yo,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:35
and send me a quick text while you're doing it so that I remember you

Scott Benner 13:39
will. You're gonna find out what it was like to be Elvis in the 60s.

Unknown Speaker 13:43
Ah.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:46
Interestingly, um, are you recording right now? Of course. Okay.

Scott Benner 13:51
I just wanted to read you want to say something private? Hold on a second. Bye, everybody. Well, Jenny, I hope nobody finds the body. I think you're gonna be okay with where you hit it. I mean, it's Wisconsin. There's so much snow on top of it. No one's ever gonna find it.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:10
We've got lots of bogs, too, you know?

Scott Benner 14:11
Yeah. Should we just start at the top of this list? Or do you have a favorite in here?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:16
No, I the one that I think we had commented briefly the last time we talked was it last week already? Um, was about there was somebody who asked about artificial sweeteners. And that one was curious to me. But there's a good list of questions. So wherever you want to start, it's totally fine to me.

Scott Benner 14:33
Okay, well

Unknown Speaker 14:38
can you like

Scott Benner 14:41
there's so many guys first of all, Rudy was so nice to send in so many questions. Yeah, let's just roll through the top. Okay. Okay. Sarah asks, please address puberty specifically. I think Sarah wants eight question answered for her specifically, but 12 year old, pre period girl spikes and drops are insane. They're on Omnipod Dexcom. So I think the question here is when to change bazel? And just Temp Basal. Okay, so she's seeing drops and spikes. And she's looking for when is this a change I make forever? And when is this just something that's happening? Well, that's interesting.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 15:22
It is. And it's a great, I mean, given the age of the preteen and and you know, her being a female, obviously, there are going to be, as I've talked with a lot of the people I work with who have girls about this age, who have not started a cycle yet. There are often about like a six to maybe 12 month time period before a cycle actually shows up. Okay, that if you start to track these resistant and sensitive times on a month to month basis, you may find anything to answer her question, you may find that it actually flows around the same time every month. And if you can catch that, then yes, you may be able to put a pattern in, you know, Omnipod, all the pumps out there allow you to actually set up different Basal profiles to turn on at certain points. So if you can track enough to say, Okay, this cyclic nature of resistance is always coming around the 15th of the month, or whatever it is, right? If you track a couple of months, and you see that, and you say, Okay, last month, we used 50% more this month, we're using 40% more, you should be able to set up a bazel profile, then that essentially is that much more at least in bazel delivery. And then just enable it for that time of the month and the duration of days that you see it typically lasts. That's you know, that's kind of then going forward into once a cycle does start, you'll be able to utilize that same kind of pattern. And once the cycle becomes regular, which is usually it takes about a year, yeah, give or take for most girls once they start their period to have kind of a consistency to it. So you should be able to use a pattern then, rather than just always employing a temporary bazel. It does take using the temporary bazel up front though, to figure out which amount extra you need to actually create a profile from

Scott Benner 17:28
okay. So last night, I learned that Arden has a name for her period and she won't tell any of us what it is. It has a human name, apparently human

Jennifer Smith, CDE 17:35
name. Yes. Awesome.

Scott Benner 17:36
I think she likes to feel like there's a person who's inflicting this on her so that she can be focused on the person doing the problem that's on the side. Yesterday I showed Arden's friend Jani, who has not been on the show yet, but will eventually she's somebody whose blood sugar on tracking. I showed her how to see that her pod site went bad. So she's rolling along great in the 90s just kind of bouncing, you know, at 996. Like all day long, three o'clock in the morning, it shoots up and levels off at like 220. And just stays that way all night till she wakes up at like four in the morning realizes that Bolus says the Bolus takes her down a little. And then she levels off and kind of rises back up again. And so I just pulled up a 12 hour graph. I showed it to her and I said just look at this. This is a bad site. And she's like, why? And I'm like, doesn't matter. It just is like look at it. Look at it. This is what a bad site looks like all the sudden, your insulin pump is not doing what you expect of it. Mm hmm. Common sense here says bad sighs it is this the last day of your set. And she goes it is and I was like, okay, change your pump. Get yourself down and start over again. The reason I bring that up where it doesn't feel like it maybe fits here is that the way I would handle Sarah's question is I would just do it over and over again until I had that feeling of like, Oh, I know what this is. And I really believe that it's not just me. I mean, I think the podcast has proven that out right? That eventually after you do something enough, you just see it. And then all the thinking goes away Jenny's what Jenny said is all perfect do that. But I think that one day, it'll just be a situation where you go Oh, this is a Temp Basal increase or Wow, this is not giving up. This is more. Right. Sorry. Exactly. long game.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:33
It is a lot. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Yes. entirely. And you know, in the beginning, though, when you're really trying to figure out the difference between a temporary or a true solid adjustment. Yeah. I think you know, when you make let's say you make you decide you're going to make a profile change. Oh, sorry. Ringing it shouldn't arraign I had it turned off.

Scott Benner 19:57
I didn't hear it on the sensor. You're good.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 19:59
Oh, good. Good. Good, good. So, you know, overall, you might make a bazel change. And then you're like, well, what, what gives Three days later, you're like, that's not working anymore. And now I'm way back down that might overtime again, prove, I need to maybe make a temporary adjustment, rather than a permanent kind of an adjustment, kind of similar to growth patterns and kids, you know, where you see a temporary need, because you're now fluxing up and Okay, all of a sudden, this is gone now. And I'm staying a little higher, but I wasn't at the rate of need. Like I was for three days. Yeah, it's come back down a little bit. But now it looks more stable. It's a little higher, but not quite. So. Yeah,

Scott Benner 20:41
yeah, I think that somewhere in between, stay flexible, be and reactive, not in a negative way. But in that sort of, don't wait around way, you know, like, and there's drifts Sarah that you'll start seeing on the Dexcom line. And just by the angle of it, I don't know how to explain it to you. But you'll start to look and go, this isn't going to stop, like this shouldn't be happening here. I'm going to try a Temp Basal increase right here. With Arden's period yesterday, I used a lot of temporary increases yesterday, because she was sitting stable at 190 boluses weren't moving or, and so to me, that meant, you know, bazel jacked it up, it worked a little but not enough, it was the end of her pump. So we swapped her pump, you know, we just went through the steps of you know, what it could be and, but we didn't wait around, like once you saw it, we moved on it. Well, we all have one thing for certain. And that's an abundance of Time, time that can be used in many different ways. You could perhaps spend your time at touched by type one.org. Or maybe you'd go to Contour Next one.com to find out if you can get a free Contour Next One meter by just clicking on a link and filling out some information. So here's what we're gonna do. Touch by type one.org has a mission of elevating awareness of type one diabetes, they also want to raise funds to find a cure. But mostly they're looking to inspire people to diabetes to thrive. They have these beautiful programs and services. They're helping kids all over the world with their D box program. And they put on one heck of a dance program every year in Florida. Go check them out, touched by type one.org. And once you've done that, you know what you need. You need the best blood glucose meter My daughter has ever used. And by best I mean, the most portable the handys fits well in your palm lights up nicely at night super duper accurate. And blood sugar test strips, the little strip things you get a second chance with if you mess up, you know when you go into the blood, sometimes you're like I got it, I got it, and then it doesn't beep and you're gonna throw away the test strip, not with the Contour. Next One, he does dive back in again, beep beep looking at your blood sugar. I absolutely adore this meter as much as anyone could adore a blood glucose meter. But Contour Next One is it. So head over to Contour Next one.com and see if you're eligible today for an absolutely free no obligation meter. And if you know you need a prescription, contact your doctor. They're just sitting in their living room to no one's doing a damn thing. Just throw them an email be like Yo, what's up? Let's try this new meter. send out a prescription. I've got nothing but time. Contour Next one.com touched by type one.org. Those links are in your show notes right there in the app, right that you're listening in now. And it's Juicebox Podcast comm check them out support the sponsors.

Okay, well, it's so funny. It's another Sarah but a different Sarah.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 24:17
There are lots of stairs just like Jenny. Yeah, it was a popular name. So

Scott Benner 24:24
they're even spelled the same way. It's not even helpful. What would you consider the most meaningful metric or measure of successful diabetes management?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 24:33
Oh, that's a good one. I think we've actually got we went over that a really long time ago. Any of the of the pro tips or any of those kinds of things? I think if you're looking at measurement from a site like clarity or one of your pump upload sites that gives you all of the metrics of this is your you know your average or standard deviation. This is what your glucose management indicator showing you what not what's the best indicator is time in range. That's it, I and second to that really would be that standard deviation, right? Because the lower the standard deviation, the more smooth management is rather than the jig up and down kind of Rocky Mountain. But definitely, I would say time in range. Our goal when we work with people is always new, at least 75% time in range less than 5% of the time low. pregnancies a little bit different. But

Scott Benner 25:35
yeah, so ranges, what are the ranges you give people? But is that range?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:40
I work with people on their target range, because everybody is individual. Mm hmm.

Scott Benner 25:45
So okay, so if Do you feel like most people are being told at 180? Something like that? 7180 Yeah,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 25:54
70 to 180. Like, if we look just at tide pool, tide pool has automatically set up as a timing range target, as 70 to 180. You can in your settings, go in and adjust that to get it tighter or make it broader or whatever. But yeah, most most practitioners, I would say, are aiming for about an 80 to 180. That's the most common that I hear. Um, so again, if you just aiming for what the standard is. That's it? Well,

Scott Benner 26:24
I think that these companies should expand this a little bit. I've been thinking about this, I need a time in range. And a time in Nirvana, like kind of mess, right? Like, I want to know,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 26:39
I want to know, the end range, but I really wanted this sweet spot. Like I'm not I'm

Scott Benner 26:43
not, I'm not upset that Arden's blood sugar's 180 for an hour, right? I'm going to get it back down again. But I want to know when I'm 70 to one to one, or, you know, at 130, once we're in there, I want to know when I'm, I even want to know, like 65 really like because if I'm because if she's 65, for a couple of minutes after Pre-Bolus? Yeah, I'm already with that, right. And so I think that everyone needs to remember that when we talk about this stuff, there's context that you need to give it. And you see all the time there's people online, or Look, I was in range 100% of the time today, and somebody will come in and say, you know, what's your range? And then suddenly, they don't come back again? Because you know, they never went over 350. And we're never under 50. I'm in range all day. And even you know, what, if that's for them a success? I'm not taking that from them. I'm just saying that when you're trying to share it out loud in public, you need to tell people what that range is, right? It lacks, you know,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 27:45
weight. And I've even seen something that goes along with it. I've even seen people then question, well, what are you eating? Because when we're looking at sharing our own information, and kind of patting ourselves on the back, what's good for us? Absolutely, it takes work. So go ahead and pat away. But you also have to, when you're putting it out there to the public, you have to give all the information that went along with that. You can't just say look at this nice flat line. Well, people then ask, Well, what are you eating? How did you get that? Because there are so many different variables that go into meeting that.

Scott Benner 28:21
So my blood sugar has been between 82 and 86. All day, I've had four hard boiled eggs yet like, like tell somebody the whole story.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 28:28
Right? Exactly, yeah, because it feels

Scott Benner 28:30
bad. Otherwise, like, otherwise you're looking at it, you're like, Oh, my gosh, you know, this person's blood sugars like this, I try to remember as much as I can to say, you know, ardency, one sees been between five, two and six, two, by the way, coming up now on six years. And she doesn't have any diet restrictions. But I always think the important thing to add is, for all of you that are imagining that her blood sugar is just at three constantly. That is not the case. You know, we just don't look at high blood sugar's very long and she's not low. So, you know, I would say that ardens deviations never where anyone would want it. Hers is usually like 40. You know, and

Jennifer Smith, CDE 29:11
but within range,

Scott Benner 29:13
it's being measured between, it's being measured between 70 and 120. Right. So, you know, and, you know, and I know, I still don't want her to spike up, but she sort of doesn't, right, you know, so. And not that she doesn't ever she does a couple of times a month or you know, a couple times a week or whatever it ends up being, but she just doesn't jump the 300 and stare at it. So I think that while the measurements are really important, the way we talk about them are is possibly even more important. So I don't see anything wrong with a one see if it's being done correctly, meaning no protracted lows that are giving you a false sense that you're a one C is lower. But what Jenny's saying is you do not want your blood sugar bouncing up and down. That is just It's not good for you, it would probably be better for you to be steady at 150 than to go from 70 to 300.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 30:07
Correct. Exactly.

Scott Benner 30:09
Right. So there you go. Actually, the funny thing here is the next question from Nicole, is, what are your thoughts on a reasonable standard deviation for a growing five and a half year old? Hmm.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 30:22
Yeah, that's an, I think you have to have a little bit of expectation that there is going to be more variability in certain periods of life, there will be I mean, kids, I mean, she's is growing five year old kids are growing considerably from birth, I would say, honestly, until about the age of like, 10 ish, things are kind of similar and patterns of growth, they really speed up, I mean, you can see the difference. You know, we've got one of those, like tree growth charts for our boys. And I usually turn every couple of months to see where are you because I know, you look like you've grown or your pants look way too short again. And I swear, I just bought new one last month, you know, but at some point that growth slows down. And certainly the teen years are a different amount of growth, not the same as far as like height or anything, although it could be for boys differently than for girls. But hormones are a bigger impact there in the teen years. for little kids like that five year old age, you can expect that eating for a standard deviation of something like 20 might not be in the cards, because you may have a lot more variability. Even if your timing range is kept very good, you still might have a little bit more variability in there. Because if your five year old is like my who is now seven, when he was five, I mean, he could be like I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to play I want to eat Nope, I'm not going to eat all of that. So when you mix diabetes in there, and you have to bolus and strategize and Okay, now I have taken a little way. And now I have to plan for this and whatever, there's going to be a lot more variability perhaps. But aiming, that's why I said that metric of time and range would be really more what to look at. Yeah, we don't want your standard deviation to be 80. But if it is going up a little bit more, you know, up and down. That's kind of par for the course with littler kids.

Scott Benner 32:30
I think that common sense is incredibly important here too. Because as you're listening to Jenny, explain this, from a clinical standpoint, you're thinking about what is or isn't said to you by the American Diabetes Association, or by your endocrinologist, all that stuff, you have to remember that they're just trying to give, they're not with you, they're not always whispering in everybody's here, right. So they're just giving a baseline like, you know, your standard deviation should be less than blah, your agency should be here, your variability shouldn't go but like, they're just giving you a place to start. I think that it's a, it's kind of incumbent upon all of us to take what looks like the rules, I'm making little quotes with my my fingers, and realizing that that's probably not the best you should be shooting for. It's not It's not the top, they're just trying to keep people. I don't know how to say this. There's a there's a way that if your own? Well, I'm struggling here, anyone, anyone who's been in a position of power in an organization knows that you're giving common denominator advice to your employees to you know, the subjects of your kingdom to like to whom ever you're talking to. And and to hear that advice and take it as gospel, I think is a mistake. Do you know what I mean? Like, you know, yeah, you ever go around a corner and the speed limits 25. But you're in a sports car, and you're like, I could go around this corner of 45. And it would be you know, that's you you're in a different car. They put the 25 there for the guy coming through in the 1975 Datsun like do you mean like his car can't handle this curve at 25?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 34:17
He will roll the car and right yeah,

Scott Benner 34:20
so for us, for instance, my standard deviation doesn't look good on Arden compared to what people say, except those people have a range between, you know, 80 and 180. While I'm shooting for a range between 70 and 120. And so, my I, I know where our standard deviation sets when I'm happy with our blood sugar, right, and I don't care what anybody else says that works well for us, right? And then people are like, oh, but then or health or health or health is going to be great. Like if you tell me that a person growing up with diabetes, who's got an eight one C and the fives constantly eat whatever they want, doesn't spike Hi, you know, maybe sees one ad twice a day for 45 minutes. If you're telling me that's a problem, I don't believe you, you're I mean, like I were, here's this, that's the best we can do. So, you know, we keep trying to tighten it down and make it better. But at some point, that's when you get to the life versus management trade off, like I got to be alive to

Jennifer Smith, CDE 35:24
weed. Right? Exactly. Right. Yeah.

Scott Benner 35:26
And so the problem with asking these questions are and getting the answers is that no one's going to give you a real answer. They're just gonna say what feels safe. Right. And so that's the most part common topic,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 35:39
what I can kind of say about standard deviation, though, even in, let's say, your timing range of whatever range you have set. Even for a five year old, for example, you know, if you're constantly having these big old climbs, and then constantly attacking then and then having a drop that you're getting into the red zone, and then you've climbing again, because of the red zone, and then you're dropping again, even if you're in range in doing that, that standard deviation, still, it requires improvement, right? You don't want this mountain peak, you know, up, down, up, down, up down all day, because even in range, it doesn't feel good for any age person. So the smoother that is, the better the person, the child to whoever feels.

Scott Benner 36:29
And if you're looking it up and down and up and down like that and worried about time and range or standard deviation, you're missing your Miss focusing your concern, your right turn should be Pre-Bolus thing and carb ratio and understanding glycemic index and stuff like that.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 36:43
And also effective insulin right duration of insulin. Yeah, understanding how long is my insulin actually working? You know, we're under I mean, that kind of takes it a step further in that variance that you see that standard deviation, because we're kind of in the understanding that our rapid insulin is rapid. And we've talked about this before, and that it also clears very rapidly. That's not actually the case, if you follow it out, right, there's actually a lingering dribble of impact. So if you are getting that up, down, up, down, up, down, it's very likely that even with using a pump, you might unknowingly be stacking insulin because your duration of insulin has been too short. And with modern day conventional pumps, what you set it at is what it uses, it doesn't know anything else beyond that, right? So it can't say okay, there's still insulin left here, make sure you take some of this off. But yeah,

Scott Benner 37:42
Chinese talking with her hands while I can hear birds outside of her window, and she looks like Snow White. I talk with my hands a lot. I don't mind the hand talking. I'm just telling you like Snow White for a second. Listen, here's what I think. Don't worry about your algebra grade worry about understanding algebra, right? You know, the grade will come if you understand the math. And with this, if you know how insulin works, the standard deviation of calm, the time and range are commonly a one seal come like you can't, don't focus on the grading focus on the work. And, you know, I don't know how many more times I can say this, I keep thinking I'm going to sync the podcast, it's timing and amount. It's understanding how insource use the right amount of insulin at the right time. And the rest of this becomes unimportant, you know, its background all of a sudden.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 38:30
And the important thing about that timing and understanding is that it is individualized right for you not to cut and dry up here. The doctor told me that this should last three hours. So that's what it should last. That might be the case for Johnny. But for Susie over here in the corner, maybe she's figured out that three hours the doctor told me Ah, it looks like it's four hours for me. So it does have to be individualized,

Scott Benner 38:52
right? I don't know where I was where I rolled up into a talk and I told people look, here's the truth. I could have flown in here, got up in the morning, got showered, jumped up on the stage, grabbed this microphone and said, Hey, everybody, it's all about timing and amount. Just understand how insulin works and you and you're going to be fine. Thank you. Good night. I could have left. You know. Well, you know what I left out some of the details about how to get to that but that's still the truth. Correct. Jennifer Smith is available to work with you. Check her out at integrated diabetes.com Thank you very much to the sponsors. Contour Next One and touched by type one. A lot of ones in there. Two ones you know you get when you add up to ones. One on One is equals to.

Unknown Speaker 39:45
I'm completely alone in this room.

Scott Benner 39:48
I just want to go outside, touch a handrail. Don't walk past somebody who sneezes and not have a stroke. Soon, probably a couple more weeks, couple months at the most, it'll be fine. I'm still wearing pants or you don't judge me. Listen, I put this up a little early. Right? Because on March 26, at 3pm going to do a big zoom meetup. And I have an idea for that I think you guys are gonna like, so if you're hearing this in the moment, check it out. And if not, the video will be running on the Facebook page, you can go back to it. But here's what my thought is, when you get a bunch of people together. And we're all going to, you know, just chit chat, see how things are going make sure nobody's like, you know, go and do it because they've been locked in their house too long. And after we all do a little Chitty, chatty like that. We're gonna talk about getting people's bays on its own right. So like a big group thing on everyone's basal insulin. And then we're gonna come back the next week, see how people are doing and then add another step. And maybe during this whole Coronavirus thing, we can bring everyone's variability and standard deviation and a one seat down, when that'd be cool. If we just all got together in a group and did something like that. I hope you think it's cool, because I'm pretty excited about it. March 26, Thursday, 3pm Eastern time. There's links right now on Facebook, I think the links on Instagram, send me a message if you don't know how to get to it, get there gonna go through people's bays or it's just like it's a private phone call. We're all gonna be there, kind of kicking in our two cents, helping everybody out. You know, if the listeners of the Juicebox Podcast can't count on each other during a time like this, then I don't know who we can count on. So while we're all busy being stressed out watching bad Netflix shows, I figured we could spend a little bit of time doing something for everybody's health. I hope to see you there. Hey, last thing if you're not a subscriber to the show, like if you just count on remembering the shows on it would help me out a lot if you hit subscribe in your podcast app would help even more if you share the show with a friend. And if you're not up to like sharing the show, maybe just share the zoom with them get together and maybe they'll see something they like and they'll check it out on their own. The podcast is growing so quickly because of you guys. It isn't even letting down during this Coronavirus thing. I'm super impressed. I thought for sure. Like oh, downloads will slow down but they haven't. And that's really very touching. Oh, by the way, last thing next week. So the next show that comes on. Let me take a look. On the 30th of March, it's going to be an after dark episode. Sexuality from a female perspective. So if your kids usually listen, don't let them listen to that one. Because there's not a lot of bad words in it. But there's a lot of clear talk. So unless you want your kids to know exactly where the round peg in the square hole are, I think you should. I think you should make sure they skip that one. I didn't believe a lot of kids listen to until recently but apparently they do. Which I think is great, but not for this one on Monday. So there's an afterdark coming up on Monday. Make sure you kids. don't hear it.

About Jenny Smith

Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Biology from the University of Wisconsin. She is a Registered (and Licensed) Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Trainer on most makes/models of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems. You can reach Jenny at jennifer@integrateddiabetes.com

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