Type 1 In Midlife: Perimenopause, Menopause & Type 1 Diabetes

Returning guest Mary Ann Chamberlain is back for an honest conversation about what life with type 1 diabetes looks like after more than 36 years. If you haven't already, be sure to go back and listen to Episode 143, where Mary Ann shares her diagnosis story, life transitions, and the journey that has shaped who she is today. In this episode, we're simply catching up as two women living with type 1...

Have you ever felt like you're doing everything "right" with your diabetes management, but your blood sugars still seem unpredictable? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brooke Shelton, Doctor of Physical Therapy, educator, founder of Dynamic Diabetes, and someone who has personally lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 20 years. Together, we explore a topic that doesn't get enough attention...

What does it really look like to live 50 years with type 1 diabetes? In this episode, I sit down with Ruth Collin, who was diagnosed at just five years old and is now marking five decades of life with type 1. From glass syringes in the 1970s to today's closed-loop technology, Ruth shares how diabetes care—and her mindset—has evolved. We talk about: How technology has transformed diabetes managemen...

Have you ever looked at your body and thought, "I don't understand what's happening anymore?" In this episode of the Type 1 in Midlife Podcast, I'm sharing a powerful conversation from inside our Type 1 in Midlife Coaching Circle about stubborn weight gain in midlife — especially when hormones, thyroid health, stress, sleep, insulin resistance, and type 1 diabetes all collide at the same time. One...

What happens when perimenopause collides with type 1 diabetes? For many women, the answer is confusion, frustration, and feeling like they're suddenly managing a completely different body. In this episode, Melissa sits down with Sascha Vrolijk, founder of Project M(e) and host of the Perimenopause Unfiltered podcast. Sascha shares her personal journey of experiencing brain fog, anxiety, exhaustion...

What happens when you're told you have type 2 diabetes… but your body keeps telling you something isn't right? In today's conversation, I'm joined by Linnea May Huxford, author of the book Success with LADA Diabetes, as we unpack one of the most misunderstood forms of diabetes: LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults). Linnea shares her personal story of being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes...

For years, I thought I was failing at diabetes every single month. Same meals. Same insulin. Same workouts. Yet suddenly my blood sugars were higher, corrections stopped working, cravings intensified, and I felt exhausted trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Then I learned the truth: Hormones change insulin sensitivity. In this episode of the Type 1 in Midlife Podcast, we're talking about...

If your morning number has started creeping up—even though you haven't changed anything—you are not imagining it. This is one of the most common patterns I see in women with type 1 diabetes moving through their 40s and beyond. And it's not about doing more or trying harder. It's physiology. In this episode, I'm breaking down why fasting blood sugar is often the first place midlife hormone shifts s...

What happens when the routines that once worked for your Type 1 diabetes suddenly stop working? In this episode, Melissa sits down with Alyssa Chapman, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 34 and has now lived with it for nearly 17 years. Together, they talk about what it looks like to manage diabetes through midlife, especially when hormone shifts begin affecting blood sugar, energy, sleep,...

Have you ever looked at your CGM and felt confident… only to get your lab A1C back and feel completely thrown off? If your numbers don't match, you're not doing anything wrong. In this episode, we're breaking down the real reason your CGM estimate (GMI) and lab A1C can show different results—and why this disconnect can feel so frustrating, especially after years of doing your best to manage type 1...

What does life actually feel like 3 months after an islet cell transplant for Type 1 diabetes? In this episode, I'm joined by Katie Beth Hand for an honest and hope-filled update on what life has looked like since receiving her islet cell transplant as part of a clinical trial for Type 1 diabetes. Katie Beth was diagnosed with Type 1 in 2013 and is now 3 months post-transplant, sharing what this e...

Have you ever looked at your HRV score and thought… what does this even mean? If you wear an Oura Ring, Apple Watch, sleep tracker, or use any device that gives you heart rate variability data, this episode is for you. In today's solo episode, I'm breaking down HRV (heart rate variability) in plain English — especially for women navigating midlife hormones and type 1 diabetes . Because if your blo...

Have you ever left a doctor's appointment feeling frustrated because your labs were called "normal" … even though you know something still feels off? In this episode, I'm joined by Kelly Schmidt, a registered dietitian, strength coach, and woman living with Type 1 diabetes, for an honest conversation about what to do when your symptoms are being overlooked. Kelly specializes in helping women with...

Muscle Is Medicine Why Strength Training Improves Blood Sugar with Type 1 Diabetes Have you ever noticed that what worked for your body in your 30s doesn't seem to work the same way anymore? Many women with type 1 diabetes begin to notice shifts in their 40s and 50s: Blood sugars become harder to manage Energy drops Body composition changes Workouts that once worked no longer deliver the same resu...

I'm joined by Cassandra Donahue , registered dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and Certified Specialist in Weight and Obesity Management. Cassandra was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just 21 months old and went on an insulin pump at age five. Today, she works in endocrinology and obesity clinical research at UNC, supports vIOP programming with The Emily Program, and p...

Today's episode is a special one — I'm officially announcing my upcoming book: Highs, Lows & Hormones: A Survival Guide for Women with Diabetes — From Monthly Cycles to Menopause. This book was born from years of lived experience, coaching women through midlife, and realizing there simply wasn't one comprehensive resource that connects the dots between: Monthly cycles and insulin sensitivity Perim...

Living with type 1 diabetes means living with autoimmunity. And if you've ever wondered why did this happen? — you're not alone. In today's conversation, I'm joined by board-certified health and wellness coach, pharmacist, and host of Autoimmune Health Secrets , Amy Behimer. Amy lives with multiple autoimmune diagnoses herself, including MS and thyroid disease, and she brings both clinical insight...

If you've started progesterone and suddenly your blood sugars feel harder to manage—especially overnight, during stress, or in the luteal phase—this episode is for you. In this solo conversation, Melissa unpacks a nuance that doesn't get talked about enough: progesterone can be incredibly supportive for many women with type 1 diabetes… and for others, it can quietly increase insulin resistance. Yo...

Living with chronic illness is exhausting enough. Add denied claims, surprise bills, $500 copays, and confusing insurance rules—and suddenly managing your health becomes a full-time financial battle. In this episode, I sat down with Sally Figueroa, a mom of four, chronic illness advocate, and founder of Health Savings Expert. Sally lives with Type 1 diabetes (diagnosed at age 12) and Rheumatoid ar...

Sometimes women aren't ready for hormone replacement therapy. Sometimes access is limited. And sometimes you simply want to strengthen your foundation first. In this episode, I'm sharing three supportive, non-hormonal ways to boost insulin sensitivity during perimenopause and beyond — especially when progesterone and estrogen are fluctuating and your blood sugars feel harder to predict. If your lu...

Are there natural or non-hormonal options for managing perimenopause and menopause symptoms— especially if you're living with type 1 diabetes ? This is one of the most common questions I hear from women, and in this solo episode, I'm breaking it down with honesty and realistic expectations. We'll talk about what non-hormonal options can support, where they fall short, and why the goal isn't perfec...

What happens when you outgrow pediatric diabetes care—but never outgrow type 1 diabetes? In this episode, I'm joined by Kelly Dawes , founder and executive director of Grownup T1Ds , the first nonprofit created specifically to support adults living and aging with type 1 diabetes, including adult-onset diagnosis. Diagnosed in 1981, Kelly brings more than four decades of lived experience alongside h...

What happens when long-term type 1 diabetes collides with midlife change, vision loss, motherhood, and a major life transition? In this deeply honest and encouraging episode, I sit down with Mary Ann Chamberlain , who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 36 years. Diagnosed at age seven, Mary Ann shares her journey through diabetic retinopathy, low vision, parenting, perimenopause, and what it...

What does it really look like to live fully with type 1 diabetes—through careers, marriage, athletics, sleepless nights, and decades of daily management? In this episode, I sat down with my husband, David, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 40 years. From his diagnosis in his early 20s to a 30-year career in fire rescue, competitive athletics, and life on the water, this conversation is a...

If your insulin pump suddenly feels harder to manage, morning spikes, overnight drops, or blood sugars that don't follow the rules, you're not failing at diabetes. In this episode, we dive into basal insulin challenges for women using insulin pumps during perimenopause. Hormone shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol can dramatically change insulin sensitivity, even when your pump technolog...