This is Type 1: Real-Life Type 1 Diabetes

Do you experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the winter months? As T1Ds, we can be impacted far more than the average person by the physical symptoms of SAD.  Learn more about Seasonal Affective Disorder, the symptoms, what causes it, what can help, and strategies as T1Ds you can use to mitigate the effects of SAD in your winter. What to do next... Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Fo...

Diabetic ketoacidosis (also known as DKA) is a dangerous medical complication of untreated T1D.  In this MVP episode, we discuss what causes it, the risk factors for going into DKA, symptoms to watch out for, how to treat it, recovery, and prevention in the future.  We also briefly touch on the difference between diabetic ketoacidosis and nutritional ketosis. This episode was originally aired on J...

Do the holidays stump you when it comes to your diabetes management?  Are you super stressed out during all of November and December and find that your BGs respond in kind? In this episode, Jessie & I talk about common strategies for T1Ds to remember going into the holiday season, especially with American Thanksgiving knocking at our doors this week. No matter how you celebrate during the last...

What do you do when your pump breaks? Are you prepared? What's the process to get a replacement pump?  Both Jessie and I had our pumps break recently, in different ways.  We both had to contact support and get replacement pumps, but in this episode we detail exactly what happened, how we handled it, and what the general process is to rectify the situation. It's not IF, but WHEN. Are you...

Why is it important to foster and keep connections with other people who have type 1 diabetes?  Megan Ehlers joins us on the show to share her experience as a kid with T1D whose first trip to diabetes camp and the exposure to other kids with T1D helped change how she thought about herself. Now, decades later, she's stayed close to those friends she made at Camp Shady Brook, and had an awesome...

Halloween can be a difficult holiday for people with type 1 diabetes because of the emphasis on all the candy and treats.  In this episode, Jessie and I talk about how to approach Halloween as a T1D, stay safe at parties (if you're of the partying age), and things to keep in mind when you're planning your Halloween night out.  T1D can be spooky! Don't let Halloween haunt you! What t...

I have 20 years of T1D kids' camp under my belt, but didn't have a chance to go to a camp just for adults with T1D until this year.  Connected in Motion held their Colorado Slipstream in August 2023, and it coincided perfectly with a work trip, which made it super easy to say YES! I had an absolute blast at this camp.  Check out all the things available at camp, hear what my favorite exp...

Myriam Roy, a T1D from Quebec, Canada, has lived with T1D for over 25 years. With her psychology background and research into the science, she was able to prepare and plan for her pregnancy such that she had a natural, complication-free experience without medical intervention. While all pregnancies have an element of luck involved with whether things go according to plan, Myriam defied the expecta...

At times, we may self-sabotage our diabetes self care and management even if it's not what we want to do long term.  In this episode, Jessie and I talk about what self-sabotage is, what causes it, and what to do about it.  Remember that you are not alone on your T1D journey.  If you need help, please reach out to us or a member of your care team, or someone from the DOC. Join the Half-Dead Pa...

Kaycee Parker, author of Devotions on Diabetes: A 30-Day Journey to Anchor Your Soul, joins us to talk about perspective shifts with type 1 diabetes. How often have you thought that diabetes is a punishment from God? Kaycee's devotional is the answer to that debilitatingly painful question.  Having lived with T1D for over 30 years, Kaycee only just recently (within the last year or so) had th...

I have lived with type 1 diabetes for 28 years as of September 19th, 2023.  This is part two of a two-part series in which I'm sharing 28 lessons from those 28 years.  Many of these lessons we've covered in podcast episodes all to themselves, but it's worth putting them all together in a couple easy-to-digest episodes that summarize the biggest lessons over those almost three decade...

I have lived with type 1 diabetes for 28 years as of September 19th, 2023.  This is part one of a two-part series in which I'm sharing 28 lessons from those 28 years.  Many of these lessons we've covered in podcast episodes all to themselves, but it's worth putting them all together in a couple easy-to-digest episodes that summarize the biggest lessons over those almost three decade...

In this MVP episode with former editor at diaTribe, Adam Brown talks about his experience with diabetes, CGM, mental health, and his work with diaTribe and Tidepool. We also talked about Adam's book, Bright Spots and Landmines. This book is a free resource for type 1 diabetics. Join the Half-Dead Pancreas Club!   What to do next... Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Pod on Insta...

In the past year, I have gone on 30 flight segments. This episode is a compilation of the lessons I've learned across those flights, some of which blew my mind.  What to do next... Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Pod on Instagram Follow Colleen on Instagram Follow Jessie on Instagram

Ben Tzeel is a lot of things: T1D since age 7, registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, strength and conditioning specialist, AND the founder of Your Diabetes Insider. Ben turned himself into a science experiment after diagnosis and went against the grain of what he saw other T1Ds doing and going through. Determined not to let T1D become a "life sentence", Ben pursued his passi...

Jessie shares her thoughts on Ozempic in this solo episode, talking about what it is, who uses it, and why it can be bad.  Remember, this is not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor if you are currently on Ozempic and are worried about it. What to do next... Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Pod on Instagram Follow Colleen on Instagram Follow Jessie on Instagram

Ultramarathoner Nathan Barden has a vision that youngsters with T1D believe they can live normal lives and achieve big goals and dreams.  Nathan's motto? T1D shouldn't stop you from doing anything—and he's a living example. No matter where you're starting with T1D whether as a kid or an adult, it does not have to hold you back. Listen to this interview with Nathan to get inspir...

Ever wonder why you end up on roller coasters that send you from 350+ down below 50 and back up again? It might have to do with big inputs from a combination of inaccurate carb counts, ineffective insulin absorption, and the wrong timing. Dr. Richard Bernstein's book The Diabetes Solution is based around the goal of normalizing blood sugars in diabetics, and the core of normalization revolves...

Patricia Daiker, owner and founder of Better Diabetes Life, joins us to talk about why fighting diabetes is counterproductive and how T1Ds can improve their lives with biohacking. Diagnosed at 26 as an ER nurse, she shares how medical professionals can miss the symptoms in themselves and how deeply many experience the denial of "this can't happen to me".  Learn from Patricia's...

Our follow-up episode to the discussion on insulin pumps, this MVP discusses the different CGM manufacturers and what we knew at the time for what was coming. Since the original episode aired, the Dexcom G7 has been released, but is (as of summer 2023) still undergoing integration with the Tandem t:Slim X2 insulin pump.  Knowing about the different CGM options is just as important (if not more imp...

Rachel Halverson: registered nurse, certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES), and board certified nurse coach.  She's lived with T1D for over 25 years and now helps T1Ds learn how to "radically accept" the diagnosis with mindfulness and resilience. I also have Rachel to thank for a truly mind-blowing T1D travel hack that you'll have to listen to the end for, but...

Lauren Rapaport is the T1D Life Coach.  Having lived with the 'betes for over 43 years, she helps adult T1Ds and parents of T1Ds go from suffering to thriving by showing them how to change their mindsets about living with this condition. I had the privilege of meeting Lauren in person at an event with our mutual business coach, and it was a powerful reminder of the connection T1D creates in o...

Jessie plays Division 1 Women's Rugby for Montana State University, and this year her team went to Nationals in Washington, D.C.!  In this episode, Colleen interviews Jessie about her Nationals experience and what it took to manage her blood sugars not just on the trip there, but during the games themselves. T1D does not have to stop you from playing impact sports!  What to do next... Leave a...

An oldie but a goodie! Back in episode 69, we highlighted the top 3 insulin pump manufacturers, the features of each pump, and what was possibly in the pipeline (as we knew then). The info in this episode is still relevant especially with so many new diagnoses, and especially since many doctors offices and endocrine clinics have financial relationships with Medtronic... which means T1Ds might not...

One of the most annoying thing about testing blood sugar is how much the lancets hurt... and how often we DON'T change the lancets even though we're supposed to. I readily admit that yes, finger pricks hurt, and also yes, I am usually too lazy to change the lancet.  But apparently there are such things as PAINLESS lancets, made by Pip Diabetes Care. Josh Pittman, CEO of Pip Diabetes Care...