#221 Katie and the Old Man
Scott Benner
Katie and Scott have their first conversation…
Katie is my new favorite person. Funny, smart, thoughtful and honest. This is the kind of type 1 diabetes talk we need.
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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, everyone, welcome to Episode 221 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today's show is sponsored by the dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor on the pod the world's only to boost insulin pump dancing for diabetes, and real good foods. We're gonna be talking about them all later in the show. But let me just say this, if you love low carb and yummy, you're gonna love real good foods calm and when you go there, don't forget to use the offer code juice box to save 20% on your entire order. And if you'd like to check out the Omni pod, they'd be happy to send you out an absolutely free no obligation pod experience kit. That's right, it's a demo with a pod that you can try in your own home. We'll also be talking about the Dexcom g six and all the goodness that it brings. And of course dancing for diabetes. I love this organization so much I'm gonna fly down to Florida and speak at their event soon. details about that are coming up in their ad. I'm gonna have trouble describing today's episode because I'm gonna sound like I'm selling it to you when I tell you how much I enjoyed my conversation with Katie. Katie was 14 years old and had diabetes for a year when we recorded this. It's you know, a few months later now, but she was just absolutely spectacular on the show. Honest, open, smart, witty. I'm telling you at the end of this hour, if you don't think yourself, there's no way that girl was 14. And that's the most fun. I'm gonna have listening to a podcast this week. That I don't know what I'm talking about. But I tell you right now, I'm willing to bet. Forget it bet. I'm gonna offer you a money back guarantee on this episode. If you don't love it, you get your money back. Please don't forget that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. And to always consult a physician before becoming bold with insulin, or making any changes to your medical plan. Let me take this couple of seconds. I have here to thank you all for the wonderful ratings and reviews that you've left recently on iTunes. Not only do they mean a lot to me personally, but they help the show to be more searchable by people who are looking for Type One Diabetes podcasts. So thank you.
Katie Parks 2:03
My name is Katie parks and I'm 14 years old and I got diagnosed about one year ago.
Scott Benner 2:08
Okay. Katie was diagnosed a year ago. In 2017. Okay, yeah. Do you use any kind of technology?
Katie Parks 2:18
Yeah, I have both an Omnipod Dexcom. Ah,
Unknown Speaker 2:21
perfect. Yeah.
Scott Benner 2:21
So well done.
Unknown Speaker 2:24
They're the best. See that?
Scott Benner 2:27
except we're done. There's no ads in this one. Just listen to Katie. Okay. But no, seriously, how did you? How did you figure out you had type one was it like, did a doctor tell you? Did you get sick or what happened?
Katie Parks 2:39
Um, it was actually pretty crazy. So we were on a camping trip. And my friends were like, let's go on a 12 mile hike.
Unknown Speaker 2:52
And
Scott Benner 2:54
by the way, Katie know, a friend doesn't say to you, let's go for a 12 mile hike.
Katie Parks 3:00
It was up a 14 or two.
Scott Benner 3:03
Means that sounds an incline. Yeah.
Katie Parks 3:04
If it was on a mountain. I would never
Scott Benner 3:07
get that far. Never.
Unknown Speaker 3:09
Never. Yeah. So.
Katie Parks 3:12
And like, before we went on the camping trip, I was feeling pretty crappy. Like, I was thirsty, like, all the time drinking so much water. And you know, like the normal stuff where I'm just like, not excited to do anything and all that. So I was just like, you know what? I'm not going on the hike. It's not happening. And when they thought that was a little weird. Because like, I'm the kind of person who would go on that
Scott Benner 3:40
you normally would have done?
Katie Parks 3:41
Yeah, yeah. And, and so they thought that was kind of weird. But since we were camping, like whenever I had to go to the bathroom, like, we did have like this kind of porta potti thing. But like it was really far away. So I would have to like, there's a river. So we were tubing. So I would have to get out of the tube and walk all the way to the porta potty. Like to go the bathroom and like I was doing it so often.
Scott Benner 4:06
I want everyone who's listening right now to acknowledge that they would have just peed in the river. And seriously, just everyone right now is in their car, they're doing their laundry, they're grocery shopping, and they're thinking, Oh, what a sweet girl I would have paid in the river. Very nice. You know what, there's nothing better than all of the disgustingness of a porta potti with all of the the closeness of a nine mile walk to get to it. So really, really not a good deal. So you're going back and forth back and forth during this trip. You're constantly not up to like doing the things you would normally do. And then your friends left you alone and you smelled like sugar and a bear came after you what happened next?
Katie Parks 4:49
No. Um, so my dad like finally figured out like something's really wrong with me. So he we like we had to drive like two hours. down to like my doctor's office. And they took my took, like took a blood sample and I was high. So, like five or 600? Yeah, yeah.
Scott Benner 5:15
Did they take you right to the hospital? How did they handle that?
Katie Parks 5:18
Yeah, they did they. They drove me right to the hospital, and they got me hooked up to an IV and then yeah, by that time, my mom came down, and we were just, I was only in the hospital for one night. So it wasn't like, instantly bad. But
Scott Benner 5:35
you're in Colorado, right? Yeah. Saw the doctors are high, and they're just very relaxed. Just go home now. It's cool.
Unknown Speaker 5:43
No, Katie?
Katie Parks 5:47
No, thank goodness, they didn't do that. I'm actually up near Denver. And we have this center. It's called the Barbara Davis center. And it's like a, it's a type one diabetes place. And so after I spent a night in the hospital, they sent us up to the Center
Scott Benner 6:08
for your like, your education and stuff like that.
Unknown Speaker 6:09
Yeah, to get okay. Yeah, that's nice. That
Scott Benner 6:12
actually is really kind of cool. So got you out of the hospital quicker, and it got you to more focused. Hey, if you live in the Orlando area, come out to the dancing for diabetes touched by type one event on May 13, you will be able to hear me speak there live about being bold with insulin. Go to dancing for diabetes.com that's dancing the number for diabetes.com. And look for the tab marked events. Just click on touch by type one for everything you need to know. And if you come out, please introduce yourself, I would love to meet you. Let me ask you this question because you're at such an interesting spot because you're 14. But as people are going to hear while you're speaking for the next hour, you're like 75 in your head, you're like an old You're like an old soul. So by the way, loosen up a little bit. And but but no, but but so what I'm saying is, is that you're going to have an interesting recollection of this from a child and kind of an adult perspective. So what was it like, first of all, hearing that, like, what was your understanding? Initially, when they were explaining this to you? Did you really have any perspective on what was being told to you?
Katie Parks 7:21
Well, at the beginning, um, so my grandpa has type two diabetes. So all I knew was that he had to take shots before he ate. And so that was like, all I knew. So we start getting injections. Yeah, yeah. So right away, and I, like I'm not afraid of needles, which thank goodness. So I was like, Okay, I'm prepared. Just give me the shots like, um, but I didn't realize like, all the other stuff. That had to be like, there's so much to it that like you don't even know,
Scott Benner 7:57
like, you just probably felt like, at back then it was probably look at there'll be this regimented thing like, right before I eat, I'll do this thing and everything. You didn't realize everything else that went with it. It's time, which is
Unknown Speaker 8:06
exactly, yeah.
Scott Benner 8:07
How did you figure the rest out?
Katie Parks 8:11
I'm like, What do you mean? Like,
Scott Benner 8:13
when did it start hitting you? When did you go, Wow, I have to count carbs. And I have to wait and like, when did you When did the totality of it come into focus for you?
Katie Parks 8:24
Well, at the hospital, they kind of showed us how to count carbs. And so I was like, Okay, I have to do this now. But then once we went up to the BDC, which is what we call the center. Like they were explaining, like pricking your finger, because I thought that it was just something they did the hospital but like pricking your finger, like the range and like the Lantus and the chemo log and all the, like everything and I'm, I was like, starting to get overwhelmed at the same time of kinda like, just give me the stuff. I'll figure it out. Okay, so
Scott Benner 8:59
you had that app. You had that kind of attitude? How are your parents? Were they holding it together? Were they crying and shifts? What did they do?
Katie Parks 9:07
Um, I never saw either of them cry.
Scott Benner 9:12
Yeah, that's a thing. You'll figure out. When you get older. You go into a different room to cry when you have kids?
Katie Parks 9:15
Yeah, yeah, I know. They definitely did. But my dad was kind of with me. At the beginning, when I was at the hospital, and my friends who were still on the camping trip was saying that my mom was crying. Like when she first heard
Unknown Speaker 9:30
they stayed on the camping trip.
Katie Parks 9:32
No, my mom. My mom was packing up with my sister.
Scott Benner 9:36
I met the friends. Oh, yeah. I agree with what they did. But still the moment it would have been nice. Were you are you live in Colorado? Is that correct? Yeah. Okay, so you so you were on a mountain but you were still within a couple hours here home?
Katie Parks 9:50
Yeah, yeah. And cut. The nice thing was they made me a card. And and they were kind of being like funny. Like like writing funny stuff on the card. And when I got in the hospital, I like, did it understand that they were trying to be funny? Like, I was like, okay, like you think
Scott Benner 10:09
they were like being crappy to you? They were like, like getting picked on what's going on? I just
Katie Parks 10:14
didn't understand like what they were saying. I was like, why are you writing this?
Scott Benner 10:19
Maybe your blood sugar was high and you couldn't understand. That's fine. I can't listen. Plus, they're not you, Katie, you're a special child. You're you're talking to me like you're 93 years old. 47 years old. Something like that. Maybe these are just regular average. 13 year old kids. Do you? What's your schooling situation?
Katie Parks 10:39
Um, so I'm in high school right
Scott Benner 10:43
now. Okay. public high school private.
Katie Parks 10:47
Yeah. public high school. About 300 kids in my class.
Scott Benner 10:52
So small. Definitely a small school though.
Katie Parks 10:55
No, we have like, 1000 kids in this
Scott Benner 10:59
class. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 11:00
yeah. Class. Yeah. Okay. It's um, yeah.
Scott Benner 11:03
So how do you manage? Mom? You know, don't I don't want to get to that yet. Let me let me slow down a little bit. As things are coming into focus, and you're starting to realize they're slow acting insulin, a long acting insulin, I'm counting carbs. And this pokin thing isn't just one time, it's every day and everything. And it's all kind of coming together. Are you? Is that a summer? Are you diagnosed in the summer? Or is it?
Unknown Speaker 11:26
July? July?
Scott Benner 11:27
So you didn't have to go right back to school.
Unknown Speaker 11:29
Right. I had I had a little bit. And what
Scott Benner 11:31
did you guys do? Did you like pretty much have like diabetes bootcamp at your house where you figured everything out and like, tried to pull together some sort of a plan?
Katie Parks 11:39
So, so what they did is they they taught us like the basics, and they send us home. And they said, Come back. I forgot. It was like, tomorrow, like the next day? And then we'll see how you did. And then we'll, we'll give you like the big rundown. So like talking to like a social worker. Like it's a huge center. So we had like a lot of people we had like a nutritionist and a social worker and like the endo. Yeah.
Scott Benner 12:09
It's almost like one of those bad movies when someone gets a makeover and they go from like, person to person like station to station to station, like, let me I'll cut your hair. I'll do your name. Exactly like that. Let me fix your by the time you come out the other side, you're like, boom, new person. Yeah, exactly. So you popped out the other side. You're like, booth. This sucks.
Unknown Speaker 12:28
And yeah.
Scott Benner 12:30
I can't wait to do all this. Do you know anyone else that has type one?
Katie Parks 12:35
I'm actually funny story. So I got diagnosed on my one of my friend's little sister's birthday. And then about six months, like January of this year, she got diagnosed with Type One Diabetes,
Scott Benner 12:51
so they didn't leave the vacation to support you. But they started getting diabetes to support nicer than leaving the vacation. That well that's that's odd, like so you genuinely diagnosed on her birthday. And then a year later, she got it?
Katie Parks 13:08
Yeah, exactly. And she also got diagnosed on another one of my friend's birthday.
Scott Benner 13:14
Must be them. So I'm sorry, I can't curse that kidneys be freaking out.
Unknown Speaker 13:20
I'm pretty sure he is. He's got to be like, I've
Scott Benner 13:23
got one year to like, get diabetes. Oh my God, if that kid gets diabetes, you have to give me his name. I want to have him on the podcast. And also it's possible you live in a magical place. But but like backwards magic.
Katie Parks 13:36
And magic.
Scott Benner 13:37
Maybe you're more right. Maybe it's a curse. But that's, I'm telling you if I'm that kid, I'm like, wait a minute. No, no. What are we passing this around or something? That's that I'd stop having a birthday if I was.
Unknown Speaker 13:50
Well, that's great. So
Scott Benner 13:51
how are you making out? Like, I mean, how do you? How do your days go? Generally? Do you know what I just did? Yesterday, I had to cut my lawn. I feel like you know what that means? Summer is coming. And you want to be ready, don't you? You'd like to have a nice like pair of shorts on or a little shirt. Maybe you got a nice flat belly. You want to show somebody right? You want to wear like a tippy top. Right? A little someday a halter. What do they call it in the 2000s? He's I'm only coming up with words from 1956 here. Anyway, you're gonna want to wear a little less when it's warm outside and you might want to hide your insulin pump. Well, you want to worry about that with the army pod. Well, you because there's no tubes and there's no controller strapped to you. So you can wear it on the pod pretty much anywhere and no one's going to be able to see it. Not if you don't want them to. But if you want them to see it, go for it. slap it right on and be proud. I don't care how you wear. All I'm telling you is that you have choice when it comes down the pod. You can be discreet, or you can be out and proud. It's up to you. You want to know what else is up to you with your Omni pod. How you take your insulin, maybe you'd like to have a temporary bazel increase or a temporary decrease or an extended bolus. You've heard about those and podcasts, haven't you go back and listen to our bolusing episodes with Jenny Smith, you absolutely have the power to stretch out your bolus over time. Maybe to accommodate Chinese food or pizza, or something gives you a stubborn high leader from fats doesn't matter. It's up to you, you're completely in control. You're in control of where you where your pump, you're in control of whether or not you want people to see your pump. And you're in control of your insulin and how you use it with the on the pod. Now let on the pod send you a pod experience kit. It's absolutely free, and there's no obligation. Go to my omnipod.com forward slash juice box and get going right now. Summer is coming. My omnipod.com forward slash juice box are the links in your show notes, your Juicebox podcast.com. How do your days go generally
Katie Parks 15:47
for school? If I have the only pot, it's pretty easy to just pull it out in the middle of class. Like if I'm like I have my high alert at 140. And like my loler at 70. So it's pretty easy to just like pull it out, like give myself a bolus and then be fine.
Scott Benner 16:06
Right? Kind of bump it around and try to keep it Yeah. And so that's your goal to 140 do you mostly Are you mostly able to kind of keep it there?
Katie Parks 16:15
Yeah, mostly, um, schools been throwing me off a little bit, but I'm getting the hang of it now. So
Scott Benner 16:22
good for you. And do you think you're honeymooning still? Or do you think that that's over?
Katie Parks 16:26
Um, I am actually not sure. So I'm actually I'm part of a study that's trying to see if they can prolong or like, maintain the honeymoon phase.
Scott Benner 16:41
Is that trial net?
Unknown Speaker 16:42
Yeah, yeah.
Scott Benner 16:43
So you don't try it? That's excellent. And so you're so right now? How much do you manage on your own? Is it Are you very in like, do your parents still get involved? Like, do they see your CGM? Like, how? How do you guys do that part?
Katie Parks 16:57
I would say I'm 90% in control. Um, I like to talk. Like, I like to talk with my mom. Like sometimes, like if I needed to change like a basal rate or something, or change my ratio, because I am still doing carb counting.
Scott Benner 17:13
It's really impressive, though, seriously, that that's a that's spectacular. Do you if you don't want to you don't have to? But are you having the outcomes that you're looking for? Is your agency near where you were hoping for? Or is it something you're working on? Where do you how do you see that stuff?
Katie Parks 17:30
Well, I'm actually just how long ago was it just like a few weeks ago, we had my agency appointment. And my agency before this appointment was 6.9. And that was around when I started listening to the podcast, and then I had like the whole summer to kind of like, like, get like, get down on it like you're listening in.
Unknown Speaker 17:53
I understand.
Katie Parks 17:54
Yeah, yeah. And so this most recent agency appointment, my agency was 5.8 Yo, oh
Scott Benner 18:03
my god. Congratulations. Yes. Crazy. Good. You, I think now all those people before who were like I would pee in the river now they're like, That kid is doing way better than me. But be happy for listen to everybody. I mean, this I've been thinking about this a lot lately. When you hear somebody say one C or you see their their graphs, and they're better than yours. That's that's just a reason to be hopeful. You should see you should see what's happening to Katie and go Wow, so that's possible. I can do that. So let's tell people a little bit how you do it. You don't eat any food. Right? You stay. You're staying alive on dust. Exactly. Yep. found on the floor. Yeah, exactly. Flintstones, chewable vitamin. Nothing else for the rest.
Katie Parks 18:43
No. Yeah, I'm eating. Probably like a normal person. Like, yeah, would you if I had, well, I don't normally have a doughnut for breakfast. But my
Scott Benner 18:57
apologize for the donut.
Katie Parks 19:00
My grandparents are here. So they, they they bring doughnuts and like treats for like breakfast, which is amazing. So I had a doughnut this morning.
Scott Benner 19:08
Cool. And you were able to keep it from spiking too much.
Katie Parks 19:11
Yeah, my lines actually, like perfect.
Scott Benner 19:15
This this is a good moment for you and a better one for me because I'm very excited for you. So okay, so I'm going to try not to be too excited. So you had it. So Katie, who is 14 and is taking care of her own diabetes 90% ate a doughnut for breakfast without a spike. And your a onesies? What was it again? five, eight.
Unknown Speaker 19:31
I play it. Yeah, cheese as
Scott Benner 19:33
well done. Arden just got hers three days ago and she was five, six, and we'll pass on your excitement. It's funny because this was the toughest three months that we had had in a while. And I still, you know, had I not had the clarity app with Dexcom. If somebody would have said to me, what do you think Arden say once he's going to be for this, you know, this snapshot. I would So I would have thought like six and a half, for sure.
Katie Parks 20:02
Yeah, I use the clarity app as well. And it's amazing. Like, the information it tells you is really cool. I know. So, so useful.
Scott Benner 20:09
Yeah. So because I had the app, I kind of knew where her average blood sugar was, and when where I thought are able to come in, I guess that five, seven and ended up being five, six. But it's climbed. You know, please, I don't want anybody mad at me. It could climb steadily from five to 254 to five, six this year over the last three, the three quarters. And I just realized, like, you know, she's growing and she's, you know, you're probably very similar age like Arden, 14 and in July.
Katie Parks 20:38
I was in May. Okay, so,
Unknown Speaker 20:41
so Oh, my God, why is this happening? Katie?
Unknown Speaker 20:43
No, no, I
Scott Benner 20:45
just bumped my foot on the floor. It's not it's not the end of the world. Everyone relax, it's fine. Basically, you can lay back down, it's okay, buddy. I genuinely just picked my foot up and tap it on the floor. And the dogs like, this is it.
Katie Parks 21:00
My dog used to be like that, too.
Scott Benner 21:03
He's like, he's like over 10 years old. He knows nothing's happening. But anyway, so um, so Arden, you know, just started getting your period this year, I'm assuming you're somewhere in that space as well. And, and things started getting a little more difficult. And we're, we're just I'm starting to realize that, you know, the good I was at diabetes, last year was almost like it was on a different person. Getting I mean, like, so now I'm adjusting on to who Arden is now. Because she's made a pretty big shift. She's grown a lot. She's, you know, she's a lady now. And she's, you know, her life has changed and I'm changing along with it, we're getting, you know, we still see a couple spikes a day. You know, sometimes 151 80 Today was a not a particularly good spike, it went well over 200 we got it back down as quick as we could. But still a five sec's without without crazy lows. So you're not sure I hope people understand you're not trying to be perfect. You're just trying to, you know, stay where you're trying to stay as frequently as possible. When you get out of bounds. Just get it back. So I want you to tell me a little bit about that. Like when you when you both say you would have given yourself insulin for this doughnut this morning, and it would have gone wrong. And by wrong your I mean, your blood sugar goes up, what would you have done next?
Katie Parks 22:20
I would have like, once it hit 114. Well, it wouldn't depend on the arrow. Like it was if it was 140 with like two arrows I would have given myself see probably about five units you would
Scott Benner 22:36
have just put more you would have your mindset then would have been Wow. More. It's a lot more innocent. Yeah,
Katie Parks 22:40
yeah. Cuz I like I obviously didn't give myself enough. So I need more. And then yeah, and if it if it wasn't, like, if it was, like straight and like the line was a little bit curved, yeah. Like I would have give myself like a little bit more insulin, but if it probably got to come down, so Okay,
Scott Benner 23:01
so that's perfect. Let's just say that's for me for my money. That's you've really got this understood. And now you're kind of freaking me out, because you're the second podcast I've done today. And the person before you was also a newer diagnosed person in the last year or so. And she was talking about the same thing. She's like, I don't know, I just I got to the podcast early on in my diagnosis, what you were saying made sense. And now that's what I do. And she, she's on a very similar path, you she thinks about it, like very similarly. And I was just really blown away, to be perfectly honest. I was like, Wow, I can't believe it affected somebody this quickly. But I think you're a great example of what I'm trying to explain to the larger community, you know, which is that if you get to people early with good information, they don't have to go through a whole process of not understanding and and and you know, blood sugar's all over the place and you know, not feeling well. And, and, and having like psychological problems with feeling like they're failing constantly. Like that doesn't have to happen if you just give them good information up front. So yeah, right. And so it sounds like that's what's happening to you. I'm really interested in as much detail as you can say, what about the things we talked about on the podcast struck you and got you thinking the way you're thinking now,
Katie Parks 24:26
I just remember listening in new talking about how Arden's like parameters, were at 130 and 70, or like 80 or something. And I was like, Whoa, because mine, like my high alarm was at 250. So I wasn't even getting notified. And so like, immediately, I, I closed my, like, I close my range, and like it was magic, like it worked. Like amazingly, like immediately I was doing so much better.
Scott Benner 24:58
Yeah, you know, so I'm gonna go into this deepers somewhere else, but I got this message on Instagram today or the other day. And a person said that they found the podcast and things are going great for them. And that one of the things they did when they lowered their high threshold, which just basically means like they've, they've decided that they're going to react and do something sooner with a blood sugar that's going up, right? She said that a lot of the anxiety she had when she she had alarm anxiety, she's like, every time this thing beeped at me, it made her feel, you know, terrible, like she was upset and disappointed and all this stuff. But she realized, at 130 or 140, it was such a small adjustment to get it back again. But now the alarms Didn't they had the exact opposite effect. Instead of hearing a high alarm and thinking, what did I do wrong? She here's a high alarm now. And she realized that she can do something right, and take care of something quickly and be done with it. She said all her anxiety about the alarms went away. And I never considered it that way. I thought that was really insightful that, you know, there's actually a way to, you know, because I think it's, I think what people do is counterintuitive, they push that high alert, so high up, because they don't want to hear it. But then they realize that when they hear it, it's so late, you're in a mess. It really is I've said this before and you're young, you won't maybe this might not mean much to you. But if you get your electric bill on the first day of the month, and you know, it's due on the 30th day of the month, and you think you might not be able to afford it, not opening it till the 29th doesn't change what the bill says. Right? So you pray, I prefer to open it up and go, Oh, that's more money than I wanted to pay for my electric bill. But at least now I know. And now I can start making plans and making adjustments to myself to get things to where I want it, I think of this very similarly, like in a way that it's it's, it might sound like a good idea to ignore it for three weeks or for three hours, you know, but by the time you get to that fourth hour and your blood sugar's 250, or 300, it really would have been much simpler to do something three hours prior. So
Katie Parks 26:59
yeah, definitely. And now, and now you're like struggling to get down to high, instead of just giving like a little bit and not doing anything,
Scott Benner 27:07
right. And now it's a lot of insulin, and you could end up low later, and you probably likely will end up low later off of that, which will then throw you right on that roller coaster. And you'll be going up and down and up and down forever. And just repeating this anxiety over and over and over again, instead of just getting it somewhere and putting a little more effort into keeping it there. Which do you find it to be a lot of effort to keep your blood sugar and your range?
Katie Parks 27:31
No, definitely not like, yeah, like, especially in school, we're in again, with the Omni pod and the Dexcom. Like, I can just pull out my PDM. And just then I'm done. You know, like it doesn't even, like inhibit my learning or anything.
Scott Benner 27:49
Right. It's quick. I try to tell people that a lot when they're like, Oh, I don't understand, like sugar in contact with Arden all day long. I'm like, no, not in contact with her all day long. Like we talk by text. I'm gonna say three times a day on average. And it takes all of 30 seconds maybe? Yeah, no, and that and that's it. It's like, Hey, little more insulin, little less insulin drink half of this dude. Like, that's pretty much it, you know? And,
Unknown Speaker 28:13
indeed,
Unknown Speaker 28:14
what is the thing? Amazing.
Scott Benner 28:18
He's like, we never record in the afternoon. I'm not prepared for this. And so, but but so like, there's that. And I think your point is that you're coming to that. You can take the PDM out, give yourself some in some put it right away, it happens very quickly. It's pretty private, you can be as private as you want about it. There'll be a day where you'll give yourself insulin from your cell phone. I don't know I don't know when it'll be but it'll there'll be a day when that happens. And everything's just gonna be right there. You'll you won't look like you're doing anything different than, you know, everyone else who's staring at herself. Yeah, definitely, no one's gonna notice that. So how do you feel about that? Do you mind people knowing? Or is it just you just trying to say it doesn't interfere with your education? Or do you are you trying to stay private?
Katie Parks 29:02
I don't mind people knowing it's just kind of, it's a part of me. Like, it's kind of like people knowing like my name. Well, not exactly, but it's just another thing that I'm doing and it's just like, I don't really care if people know or not right now, I
Scott Benner 29:17
think that's an incredibly valuable way to think about this. Honestly, it's, it's a, it's a healthy thing to to just say, look, this is who I am. And these are the things I do and I'm not gonna spend any time hiding this from you. Like, it's just it doesn't make any sense. Plus, you really do end up educating the people around you to the point where even if, even if they're weird in the beginning, I mean, you know, after a certain amount of weeks and days and months that they're gonna get accustomed to it as well. They're gonna see that it's not changing. You know anything about who you are, who they thought you were five minutes before they found out you had diabetes. I hear from Arden's teachers a lot, you know, by the you know, first you know, they have those like parent teacher calm As you go in and, and I'm like, you know, they talk about all the academic stuff, and then I say something like, well, how's the diabetes stuff going? You have no idea how frequently they say I actually have to remind myself that she has diabetes sometimes. Because I just can't like nothing happens. She doesn't go to the nurse. You know, she's, you know, there's, she said that they'd say, the beeping You know, there was beeping sometimes, but I got used to that. So yeah, I think it's just like everything else. You just need a little time with it. And then it becomes very average. You know?
Katie Parks 30:31
Yeah, definitely. Boring, actually. Yeah. It's not all that exciting. It's not that exciting.
Scott Benner 30:37
So So you said you like to climb is or other activities you do?
Katie Parks 30:42
Um, yeah. So I play soccer. Which is a whole nother thing with Temp Basal and stuff. And like figuring out, am I gonna get a journal in this game or not? Or
Scott Benner 30:54
does the elevation affect it? Do you think are you guess you always live in it? So you wouldn't really know?
Katie Parks 30:59
Yeah, yeah. I don't really know. Actually, I don't think I've been outside of Colorado since. Yeah, I haven't been outside of Colorado since I've been diagnosed.
Scott Benner 31:08
Well, I don't know how true or not true this is. But there's a person who contacts me once in a while. They're like, I'm sure that elevation has an effect. And I'm like, okay, so I don't that at all. But anyway, be be if you ever, if you ever come down off the mountain. You understand the the knowledge I have if you're like,
Unknown Speaker 31:28
yeah, yeah.
Scott Benner 31:30
Mountains, and that part's legal. That's really all. And so. Yeah, that's basically what it is. I'm over here thinking I'm dumbing down to Colorado. You're like, that's the whole thing pretty much. But But yeah, so look for that. When you you know, if you ever go to another elevation, if you start seeing a weird changes? That could be it. I guess now, I'll have to try to find out more about that. But, but I think it definitely could be.
Unknown Speaker 31:53
Yeah, it's interesting.
Scott Benner 31:54
Can I ask you a non diabetes question?
Unknown Speaker 31:56
Yeah, of course. Okay. Is it?
Scott Benner 31:59
What is it like to grow up where marijuana is legal?
Katie Parks 32:03
Honestly, I'm not, like really affected by it. We live in a pretty like a pretty nice neighborhood.
Unknown Speaker 32:10
Right? So
Katie Parks 32:12
yeah, we don't have a lot of people using it. It's kind of like a joke
Scott Benner 32:16
that you know, of, by the way, but yeah. I mean, what I was kind of getting at was, once it was legal. Did you notice your friends? Are you are kids a little older? You they're going oh my god, it's time to just go bathe? And we'd now like it. Like, was it like a switch was thrown? And they were like, okay, it's we can go? Because I don't imagine it to be that way. But I'm interested. Did you hear people talking about it and suddenly doing it? No, no, not really. Like the only the only thing it's like,
Katie Parks 32:46
I don't know, like the only thing that's really changed? Yeah, I mean, there's nothing like
Scott Benner 32:52
that. And by the way, like, I don't, I don't think that making it legal would suddenly takes you know, millions of people who were never going to smoke in their life, and all of a sudden have them go on. But do it now. Because I just don't think it works that way. I don't think right.
Unknown Speaker 33:06
Yes. That way.
Scott Benner 33:07
So yeah. It's interesting to hear that from a person your age. So thank you. Yeah. Okay. So let's see, you're managing pretty much on your own. You're a one sees You're good. You're still pretty early on, you're doing okay, at school is a little bit of an adjustment. What are the things? Are there things that you're worried about in the future? Like, what are your concerns wrapped around diabetes? Do you think about it? Like, does it worry you when I imagine you, you're not like, seriously dating at the moment? Do you think about that, right? Like when you get older?
Katie Parks 33:38
I haven't really thought about that. All the only thing I'm really a little bit wary of is burnout. Because like, I'm not, I'm not that far into it. But like, I know, it's gonna happen eventually.
Scott Benner 33:53
Like, do you have an expectation that there's going to be that you're going to wake up and think, Oh, my God, not not diabetes? Not today.
Unknown Speaker 33:59
Right? Yeah, I
Scott Benner 34:00
get that one. Do you for a little while? Yeah. Do you talk to anybody? Are you? I mean, how do you think you would handle that if it happened?
Katie Parks 34:10
Um, I think I think that at first, I wouldn't really tell anyone. But then eventually, I would probably tell like, either my mom or my dad, that I'm struggling with it. And then and they've told me like many times that if you don't want to deal with it, we can deal with it for a little while. Like a break. A little hot. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Benner 34:35
Maybe that might be a fun thing.
Katie Parks 34:37
Yeah, the thing is, like, the kind of person I am, like, I would just, I don't know if I'd be able to like, let go. I'd be like so. What jishu like, what are you doing? You know, Katie, what
Scott Benner 34:50
kind of a person are you? What did you mean by that?
Katie Parks 34:54
I'm I'm definitely perfectionist, which is kind of hard with this. But also like, I like to be in control.
Scott Benner 35:05
So you know, and this is weird because this is like a parenting moment for me, which I have no business doing with you, but, but I understand the idea of wanting to like having a perfectionist kind of attitude, and that it's probably really made difficult with diabetes, but you realize that every time something doesn't go the way you want it to, it really is just an opportunity for you to figure something out for next time. Like, please don't think of those things as as mistakes or failures or anything like that. I've had a couple of experiences this week with Arden's blood sugar, where I just did something and it did not go nearly the way I expected. And I reminded myself, I use my I was like, I became a listener of the podcast for a second, I just reminded myself, I was like, this is just great information. Just look at this. And what is this telling you? You know, like, what, what happened is it's trying to show me something like what is it? Okay, yeah, that's how I handle I hope you do that. Because because there's no reason to feel defeated, you know,
Katie Parks 36:02
right. And that's what I have to keep reminding myself like, like, you've said many times before, like diabetes is hard. And I have to, yeah, and, like, kinda like you said, like, it's just learning like, oh, that didn't work. What can I do? What can I do to fix it?
Scott Benner 36:21
Yep. It's I wanted this to happen. But that happened next time. I want this to happen. And what did I learn from this? That would help me make that decision the next time? A little closer to what I was hoping for?
Unknown Speaker 36:31
Exactly.
Scott Benner 36:33
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Unknown Speaker 37:06
Who would even think of that?
Scott Benner 37:08
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diabetes is just too It's variable. And so that to hold yourself accountable for taking variability out of something that has, you know, naturally has variability in it is insane. It. Yeah, it's just it's like if I cut a tree down, and then I stood you next to it, and I was like, right now right now, I put a nice clean cut through it. So it's balanced, but you have to stay here. And if it starts to go, you stop it. Because that's you couldn't do that at the tree, start grow, you know, step back and go, okay, the tree is gonna fall. And yeah, let it go. Now, there's a lot of things we can do to keep it balanced longer. But at some point, you know, the variability is going to maybe get the best of you. And when that happens, you got to be okay with it. And you got to be able to roll with it and get it back as quickly as possible and keep going. You know, ardens ardens, um, graph the other day, I don't have it anymore. I wish I did just look like an upside down. Like the fake Fang, she'd put it in for for Halloween, like, her blood sugar was like 85 9085 9085 985 and 8220, back down to 8599, all the way across, like another 12 hours and boom, did 200 then back down again, it just looked like fangs, like upside down facts. And, and I as I looked at it, I thought, well, that's thanks. But what did I do here? And it turns out, I think there's a misunderstanding between art and AI about when her her lunch starts at school. So we're, we're, I'm looking really looking at our schedule and like, so for most people who, you know, you ever see, I don't know, if you ever see parents online, when it's back to school time, and they've, they've packed like, 9000 like, they could keep 43 kids with diabetes alive for seven days with the stuff they send to school. And, you know, they're writing down like, you know, instructions and having them laminated and, you know, force, forcing the bus driver to go to driver to training, but the bus only drives the kid across the street, like all that. They're all like, it's back to school time. I do none of that. Our back to school PrEP is you probably laugh, but our back to school PrEP is we go to the grocery store, buy a bunch of juice boxes, go to the school and put like three juice boxes in every class. And then that's it. Like we don't, we don't do anything else. You know, and so it's but having back because it's fluidity the whole way. Like, we'll figure out the schedule, I'll figure everything else out. But because we put no pre planning into it whatsoever. I really thought Arden's lunch was at a certain time. And apparently it's like 10 minutes sooner. Juice, you know, and so we're Pre-Bolus seeing it a bad at the wrong time. And so that'll that'll mess you up. Right?
Unknown Speaker 42:41
Yeah, definitely. Right. So
Scott Benner 42:42
we just figured that out. So we're trying to, but it's, it's to show you how kind of relaxed we are about it that no one really quite new, we're just you're just like going along doing our thing. Right, you know, and so, I think that, I think that there can't be anything more important than staying flexible around the whole thing, and just being ready to adjust and make decisions and, and you know, see something happen and then do something. And I think that's really the only thing you can do.
Katie Parks 43:15
Yeah, definitely. It's Yeah. Yeah. So our setup was kind of similar. Like, we definitely, like we talked to the nurse because we haven't had this nurse before. And what she did is for like, the first week, she had me go down to her office, and like, tell her my blood, my carb count, and what I'm bolusing and I was an I don't need to do that. Like, I just need to pull it out, like at the end of the class before lunch, and just give myself a, like a bolus. But um, yeah, so that was kind of really the only prep that we did.
Scott Benner 44:00
And do you do that now? Or as the school year ago? No, no, no.
Katie Parks 44:04
Yeah. After after, after week. I was like, Can I be done? And she's like, let me ask your mom, my mom was like he or she can be done. And so
Scott Benner 44:14
Wow, you're doing really well. Did your friend who was diagnosed? recently? Did they come to you for any kind of advice? Or did how did that go? Did you create like more of a bond over that? Or have you not really spoken about too much?
Katie Parks 44:28
Yeah. So it was her sister is my friend's sister. So we were like we knew each other, but like, we didn't know each other all that well. And now like, we're pretty close, because this is, I mean, it brings people together. I feel like it really does.
Scott Benner 44:44
Yeah, you're 100% right. I know. Arden has friends from you know around the country that she only knows because she has diabetes. Yeah, yeah. And do you have like a Is there like a hand signal or something you do in the hall.
Katie Parks 45:00
No, she she doesn't go to my school yet. Like she's not in the I gotcha. She's
Unknown Speaker 45:04
younger. I see.
Katie Parks 45:05
Yeah, yeah. So, um, so I don't see her. I wish I wish I saw more often, and I will. I think I'm like, tears, I think,
Scott Benner 45:15
oh, she's so she's a couple years younger than you.
Katie Parks 45:17
Yeah, yeah. So I think I'll see her then. And hopefully we can do something cuz, like, she Yeah, she's a little bit younger than me. So she's still working out everything and figuring out. And yeah, I think we're just like, like, I don't mean to brag, but I feel like we're such like a good resource for them.
Scott Benner 45:40
Good. Yeah. Oh, you absolutely are? Of course you are. Yeah. Anybody? Is it just to have any kind of camaraderie around diabetes is an amazing resource for people Plus, you know, you're having, I mean, you really are setting a standard if you you know, people are listening, have to be amazed by what you're doing. I mean, you're inside of a year, you're 14, you're taking care of it on your own. You're a one Caesar terrific. You're, you're you're proving that, that it can be done like this. And, of course, that's an amazing resource, because anything you could tell her would be would be beneficial. You know what I mean? Especially when she's got questions. You know, imagine like, what do you do when you have questions?
Unknown Speaker 46:21
Well,
Katie Parks 46:23
I usually, well, for the study, we've been going up to the BDC, every, like four weeks, like every month, so I usually would just ask them, because there were a bunch of doctors there. I'm
Scott Benner 46:38
sure. favor. So they Yeah.
Katie Parks 46:40
But now we're to the part where I'm don't have to go up as often. So I don't, I don't know yet. I haven't really gotten to that point. Like, I've talked to my parents, but they know about as much as me. If not less
Scott Benner 47:02
than 14 You can find like you can say that about your parents. And it's true. Like I know about as much about this as you do. Do you think do you think that give Actually, I was gonna ask you about other Do you have siblings?
Katie Parks 47:14
I have a little sister. Okay.
Scott Benner 47:16
Is she doing the did she do trialnet as well?
Unknown Speaker 47:20
Yeah. Okay.
Scott Benner 47:21
Did you know if she got back her results? Would that be something they would share with you right now?
Katie Parks 47:25
Um, I think I'm trying to remember. I think they said something that she's not. She doesn't have diabetes, but she's not, like, completely clear, or something like that.
Scott Benner 47:38
She has some of the genetic markers.
Katie Parks 47:40
Yeah. Yeah. But they're not like completely sure. That's interesting.
Scott Benner 47:45
Did they tell her that?
Katie Parks 47:47
I don't know. I think they did. I don't know what maybe you should find out before you let her listen to.
Unknown Speaker 47:55
What's her name? LEAH. Okay. Yeah, we'll surprise.
Unknown Speaker 48:00
You might get it
Unknown Speaker 48:01
diabetes. Well, and
Scott Benner 48:03
probably on somebody's birthday, because that's how we do around here. Yeah, so anyway, so seriously, make sure that she knows this before you get to it. But I think it's I think it's really interesting, because I think Tron that is, it's obviously a pretty personal decision about whether you would want to know if you had genetic markers that would predispose you to type on or not. And I've heard, I've heard conversations on both sides of the argument, I would never want to know, just let me live my life like this until it happens. And then people are like, I absolutely want to know, because if there's something I could do to prolong the, you know, the time it would take to get diagnosed, I would want to do that. Plus time, plus some child that uses all that information for a ton of other good research. It's not just for you, it helps everybody with diabetes. So it's really cool. You did how old is Leah?
Katie Parks 48:49
She's 10. Yeah, she turned
Scott Benner 48:53
10 and 14, you probably don't even talk to her. Right? That's a pretty big
Katie Parks 49:00
we're actually pretty close.
Unknown Speaker 49:02
It's a nice good,
Scott Benner 49:03
I'm gonna give you all it's got nothing to do with her. It's you by the way your parents have done a really good job. I don't know how they keep you in line. If it's like they beat you once in a while. Or what they do is a lot of threats are really sweet. That's excellent. You so seriously, do you know you have good parents? As soon as this podcast is over, I want you to dancing for diabetes, calm that's dancing, the number four diabetes calm, and then go visit them on Facebook and Instagram. I can tell you to do this, this podcast compels you to go to dancing for diabetes.com
Katie Parks 49:39
Yeah, yeah. Um, I mean, like with all of my friends, like we're so we're so tight. And so I don't I don't really know. Like, other parents like all that much. Like Besides, like, the people I hang out with, but I think they're great. Like,
Scott Benner 49:57
they very much.
Katie Parks 49:59
Yeah, I don't really have any Anything to base it off of, but I know that there
Scott Benner 50:02
you've got a limited perspective, let's say they be monsters and you wouldn't know. But my guess that they're not right. Because to give you this kind of Actually, I was gonna say to give you this kind of freedom, maybe they're just like, oh that Katie kid, I don't really want to be bothered with the diaries let her do it. But it doesn't sound like so. So to give you that freedom is really amazing to trust you like that is spectacular, to not give you any weird food feelings about like, you know, don't excuse me, don't eat this don't have a cup. That's all really those are well done decisions. You know what I mean? Because diabetes is a long term thing. And if somebody, you might have less of a shot of being burned out one day, because you're not running around, trying to adhere to all these crazy rules and expectations and, and feeling badly about food and stuff, I'm a big proponent of not causing weird feelings about food. You know, I sometimes I say what Arden had for lunch, and I'm sure some people here that know, like, maybe the kitchen needs something healthy once in a while. She does. But I just think that I just think that there's more value in not being scared of food or seeing food as the enemy because that could really cause a serious eating disorder at you know, earlier in your life or later in your life. He could cause you all kinds of problems with especially with having diabetes and not having diabetes, by the way, you don't want to have an adversarial relationship with them. Right,
Unknown Speaker 51:21
right. Yeah. But okay, so
Scott Benner 51:23
So the reason I asked about your parents is because just the other day at Arden's appointment and it made me feel awkward. We were kind of like finishing up. And the endo, the nurse practitioner looks at art and says, Hey, aren't you have a great dad? And I was like, That's weird. Don't say that. Like, you know, because, first of all, whether I'm a great dad or not, is up to Arden to decide, you know, and secondly, she only knows this about diabetes. Like I could be at home, like forcing her to mined diamonds or something like that. Like, they don't know. The rest of it, right?
Unknown Speaker 51:55
Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Benner 51:56
Look how she is I'm like, Oh, of course, it's because she paints houses overnight. That's how we make extra money. You know, like, like, she's very well worth but but, but it just made me feel awkward for a second. Like, I was grateful for the sentiment that they thought we were doing well, and you know, and we had this involvement, but at the same time, I was like, Hmm, I don't know. Like, isn't that for someone else to decide? Not you. Like, you know, like, I can't run around going. I'm a great dad. Like, that's weird. Yeah, but now I have medical proof of it. So I guess I could get a T shirt if I wanted to at this point.
Katie Parks 52:29
Yeah, my parents. Yeah. They're great. They're just, they're amazing.
Scott Benner 52:33
One of them are you afraid of? You can tell me who's by You went too quickly. My gosh, I hope your mom doesn't listen. Okay. You should have paused sweetie. Just a little bit in between. Which one of you? My mom she's are scared of I'm scared right now. Arjun would have said Kelly too, I think so. We get off lightly being dads, we can just get the joke through things while everybody else is doing the hard stuff. So that's for please do need me to edit that part out. Are you frightened for your life now or Is everything okay? You don't want to get left in that river next year for the trip. Where's Katie? Oh, no. No, no. She's at home. Let's drive back down the mountain and look for just a bandaid on the mountain going. I'm sorry. indies coming over to me. He never does this. What are you looking at me?
Unknown Speaker 53:36
Buddy? That's okay, brother. What's going on?
Scott Benner 53:38
I'm not petting the dog on the podcast. Things have gotten out of hand and they're not interesting at the moment. But, but we have hardwood floors. So when he walks away you just gonna hear him like Click Clack. Go lay down the guy. It's okay,
Unknown Speaker 53:49
guys, you can do it. Are you walking in a circle? Go back and lay down. Good data.
Scott Benner 53:56
I have to ignore him or he's gonna stare at me without cute now basals here bazel. What do you want? Do you want to make a weird noise for everybody? How about? Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 54:10
This is Katie.
Scott Benner 54:10
I'm so sorry about this. You're being you're being infringed upon heartily. Did we have we not talked about anything that you were hoping to talk about?
Katie Parks 54:19
Not really, we kind of covered everything.
Scott Benner 54:21
I do pretty good with this. I don't like but I'm also a good parent. Apparently.
Katie Parks 54:25
You helped me so much like this. I was a little nervous before we started, like I like I mentioned but I'm feeling great. Now like,
Scott Benner 54:33
okay, the secret here in this situation is that I am emotionally not much older than you. So I'm able to relate on this level. Pretty simply, actually, if you want to talk about other stuff, like BuzzFeed quizzes or to find out like Harry Potter character, I just I know about all this stuff. I do I so I guess I I asked you earlier if there are things you're worried about in the future. I thought burnout was a really, like, seriously mature answer. I was thinking like you were going to be worried about dating or driving or something like that. But you went through something really important. And so that I think you listen, you can't tell the future for anybody. Right? But that you're thinking about it now in a thoughtful way, I think is a good indicator that you'll be okay. If it should come. And then if it doesn't come, I wouldn't spend a ton of time worrying about it. You know what I mean? Like, it's, I think you'd be okay, if it did happen.
Katie Parks 55:31
Okay, thank you. Yeah,
Scott Benner 55:32
he's like, I appreciate it's a weird thing to do this podcast, by the way, because sometimes when you're giving your opinion, it's feels like you're telling someone something, and and I always want to, like, be like, Look, it's not my place to say,
Unknown Speaker 55:45
like, right? Yeah.
Scott Benner 55:46
No, seriously, like, I think it's like anything else in life? If you're, if you're kind of thoughtfully aware. And you don't need to, you don't need to sit around worrying about it all the time. Because, you know, I named a whole episode that I think worry is an incredible waste of imagination, you know, like, So, as long as you're ready for when something happens. You don't have to sit and think about it constantly. Can I ask you're using the G six or the G five for the Dexcom?
Katie Parks 56:13
I'm using Digi six. We got it? pretty recently.
Unknown Speaker 56:17
Did you have the G five?
Katie Parks 56:19
Yeah, so we Yeah, so I started with the G five. Like pretty, pretty soon after diagnosis. We got the Dexcom. Like right away. Well, actually my like, right after we got diagnosed. Okay, my mom loves listening to podcasts. Like,
Scott Benner 56:36
does she listen to this one?
Katie Parks 56:37
I think she does. Not as often as I do. I listen every every week.
Scott Benner 56:43
Thank you. And secondly, let's call this one Katie's mom is scary.
Unknown Speaker 56:50
No, she's like,
Scott Benner 56:51
I don't think she would at all. I think that's why it's fun. But there's no By the way, there's no better joy as an adult than to say something to a child who's not yours about their parents and put their parents in lockers situation. It's one of my favorite things in the whole world to do. So I don't I never get to do it on the podcast. I do like to like sometimes, you'd be like a softball game with Arden or something like that. And the kid will be like, Yeah, I just want to go here for lunch. And you'll hear the parent go, No, we can't. And I'll like look at them. I'll be like, you know, if your dad wasn't such a horrible person, I think he really would take you to that. And I think maybe if you just asked him like this and said this, and then I just look over to that. And I'm just waving I don't like, I think I don't know why I just enjoy causing problems for other parents. So, but we're clearly joking. Your mom's your mom's? Yeah.
Katie Parks 57:38
I love her. She's, she's amazing. Well, yeah, I
Scott Benner 57:40
mean, you have to love her because she says, because if you don't, I'm just kidding. I'm totally kidding. Your mom's name? I'm
Unknown Speaker 57:46
sorry. Shell shell. We're
Scott Benner 57:48
just joking. I'm so sorry. It's got a great sense of humor for 14. So that's something good. She, by the way, Katie, you are sarcastic in a way. I don't expect that of West Coast people, which is totally unfair of me to say, and your parents on the East Coast originally by any chance. My dad's from Florida.
Unknown Speaker 58:08
Texas,
Scott Benner 58:09
okay, so they can handle it. They've taught you, right? Yeah. There are some times when my children are having conversations that are only in sarcasm. And I think this is probably not healthy. I think during the middle of them, like we should probably say something real to each other. And not just keep testing each other's ability to joke. But but know you're really like, I just, it is hard for me to think that you're 14 while we're talking. So it's really cool to be able to have like such a fun and thoughtful conversation with you at this age. It's really, it's really something Can I ask you? Do you ever have since since you you can talk on a different level for your age? Have you had any moments yet? Where you like really? Do you get sad ever? Like do you ever think wow, I really wish this wouldn't happen to me.
Katie Parks 58:59
Um, I do sometimes. Like, especially if I like Miss Bolus, or like if, like, for example, like a few days ago, we had like a faulty Center, a sensor. And like, my data was so spotty. So like, I would be like at 16. Like, I'd say I was at 60. And then like, I get no data and then like 30 minutes later, I'd be like 200 something. And so I was getting really frustrated. And I was like, Why do I have to deal with this? No, I
Scott Benner 59:33
I've had an ardent when she was younger, a few times she would. I don't know if meltdowns the right word, but she would just be like, I can't believe this is my life. Like, I don't want this, you know, but it hasn't happened recently and I just didn't know you're such a good person to ask. So when something goes a little out of your control, that that's when it hits you a little harder.
Unknown Speaker 59:57
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Makes sense.
Scott Benner 1:00:00
It really does. I mean, I think you're doing really well. But I mean it to expect to never feel like that is unreasonable, I think, right? You know, it's obvious that things like this are gonna come up. Wow. Well, you're really cool. I would trade Arden for you probably already known her for like 14 years. Right? That's enough. Yeah. My son left when he was 18. He just up and went to college. Like, we didn't even count. He was like, say it was it. But that's it. You're like, by, you know, so this kid really is only gonna give us like four more years, and then she's out of here. So I could start over with you. It'd be nice. I don't ski and I would never call Katie, you would hate living with me. You'd be like, Can we go skiing? And I'd say no. And then you'd say, Can we go for a hike? And I go God, no. Like, don't you just want to watch Netflix? What's wrong with you, Katie?
Katie Parks 1:00:56
Let's go nature.
Scott Benner 1:00:58
Watch One Tree Hill for the 13th time and leave me alone, please. That's completely fair. But But I really don't want to climb up anything. We're coming back down it really fast either. None of that makes a whole ton of sense to me. Just Just so you know. But I'm glad it makes sense to you. How is it managing your blood sugar while you're like doing stuff like that? Like skiing, hiking, those kind of things? Is it just you handle it mostly with Temp Basal?
Katie Parks 1:01:24
Yeah, Temp Basal is a big part of it. The like, the biggest problem is adrenaline. And if I noticed that my line is starting to head up. I'll usually just quit the Temp Basal. And that usually brings it back down. And worst case scenario I just give myself like how you use juice boxes. I use Skittles. Nice. Like, I just give myself enough for five Skittles to cover.
Scott Benner 1:01:49
Do try to combine certain colors for a certain flavor, or do you not think about it?
Unknown Speaker 1:01:56
Um, I know.
Scott Benner 1:01:58
You don't have an immediate answer. You don't know.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:01
A little bit. Well,
Unknown Speaker 1:02:02
I try to like purple with yellow.
Katie Parks 1:02:05
No, I try to save like the colors. Like I have an order that I eat the colors in.
Scott Benner 1:02:10
Okay, do you like the psychiatrists? Is there something wrong? There's an order and there's colors what's going on green
Katie Parks 1:02:15
first, then yellow, and orange, then purple than red?
Scott Benner 1:02:20
I think your mind might want to be scared of you forget them. So you eat them in order like you eat all that all the greens first.
Katie Parks 1:02:30
Well, I eat all but one of the green.
Scott Benner 1:02:35
You're not sounding crazy. Katie. You're crazy.
Katie Parks 1:02:38
But I have it. What is the greens? Like all but one of the yellows etc? And then I have like the five like colors at the end? And then I eat those like all
Scott Benner 1:02:51
the colors of the rainbow.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:53
Yeah.
Scott Benner 1:02:54
Which is going to be the end. That's going to be the title of the episode, I'm assuming. But but that's Wow. Listen, we only have a couple minutes left, but you're not like hopping over like cracks and sidewalks or anything like that. Are you? Okay? All right. Is there any other weird stuff you do that we should maybe Call a doctor about?
Unknown Speaker 1:03:13
Nope, I could think of
Scott Benner 1:03:14
that you're gonna after you heard yourself saying the Skittles thing out loud. You were like, Oh, I should have never said this right? Am I right? Yeah. Can be your new best friend. Even though we're like 40 years apart. I don't think we can be friends. I think that would be weird. But but still. But I am really genuinely, like, I want to say here at the end like this is it's gonna sound like I'm saying something positive about myself. But I'm not. Although I might be. I am the greatest parent in the world. So whatever. I can do what, but but that a podcast, basically run by a 47 year old guy who doesn't have Type One Diabetes that it could reach up 13 or 14 year old girl and do what it's done for you, I think is an amazing testament to how important it is to talk to other people who have diabetes.
Katie Parks 1:04:06
But so amazing. And yeah, that's it. That's exactly it. Like if you just like talk to other people like it helps you so much. Because it's so unlikely. Can
Scott Benner 1:04:15
you imagine if a friend of yours said Hey, what are you listening to? And you're like, oh, there's this old man on the East Coast doing a podcast about diabetes. I love it. Your friends would be like, wait, what's happening?
Katie Parks 1:04:27
When I said to my friends, I'm like, I'm gonna be recording a podcast and they're like, for what I'm like, talking to this old guy about Davies. Did you?
Scott Benner 1:04:38
Did you call me old? It's okay. If you did. I just want to know.
Unknown Speaker 1:04:40
Yeah. Excellent.
Scott Benner 1:04:42
That's so amazing. Because it's exactly what we're doing. Wow. I love this next generation. I wish I could be young again. I like how just obviously honest you are about it. You're like, I'm gonna go talk to a guy. I swear to God, he's like nine times older than us about something like this. They were probably like, why and did they say Why?
Unknown Speaker 1:05:02
I think so. Remember your
Scott Benner 1:05:05
favorite podcast and like, what's wrong with you? And you're like, shall
Unknown Speaker 1:05:07
we just like, smiled and nodded.
Scott Benner 1:05:11
They were probably they probably just walked away and they're like, do you ever see Aretha Skittles? Don't mess with her? Kid, you really are delightful. I appreciate you coming on and doing this. I have to go in a minute. But is there anything at all that you want to say? you absolutely should say it right now cuz we're gonna hang up.
Katie Parks 1:05:31
No, I think this is good. I, I love talking with you. And this hour flew by so fast. Well,
Scott Benner 1:05:36
I would love to hear back from you again, in a year or something like that, like, I'd love to have some more perspective from you. Because I just think you're a really good, you're really good person to hear from to the so if you want to. If you're up for this for as long as you'd be willing to. Maybe every year, we should, like just do this again. And again. And again. Maybe it would be really cool to track like one person's progress to all this.
Katie Parks 1:06:01
And that would be amazing. I think.
Scott Benner 1:06:02
And for anybody else who has younger people who have been on the podcast before that I didn't offer this too. It just occurred to me now. It's not like I've had the IDM and waiting for the right kid. Your kid wasn't the right kid. Nothing like that. Just just it just occurred to me now. Like maybe it would be cool to maybe revisit this over and over again. So let's try to keep that in mind and keep in touch.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:22
Yeah, definitely. Katie, thank
Scott Benner 1:06:23
you so much. Please tell your parents thank you for being good sports, and apologize to your sister if five out of the fact that she might get diabetes one day. I will make sure she doesn't hear that before you know, okay. Okay, I'm gonna say goodbye. What did I tell you? Katie is amazing. And this episode was spectacular. You know what else is amazing and spectacular. Dexcom Omni pod dancing for diabetes and real good foods. Don't forget to get your free pod experience kit from Omni pod just go to my Omni pod comm Ford slash juice box. Speaking about less monies, and I mean, tough to get better than free. But about 20% off at real good foods calm that's 20% off your entire order when you use the offer code juice box. I can't give you anything free with Dexcom but I can give you some free advice. Try it Dexcom g six. It is a game changer. dexcom.com forward slash juice box. And if you want to hear me talk about being bold with insulin, you're gonna have to come to Orlando in may go to dancing for diabetes.com. To find out more, go to the Events tab and then click on touch by type one. There you'll see me and other people who'll be talking but I mean, honestly, you're gonna come from me. If you catch some other people and they're good bonus dancing for diabetes.com that's dancing the number four diabetes.com I'll see you next week.
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