#984 Diabetes Myths: The Pump Will Fix It

August 26, 2023Scott Benner

A brand new series examining the myths surrounding diabetes.

You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Music - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public, Amazon Alexa or wherever they get audio.

+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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 friends and welcome to episode 984 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Jenny Smith and I are back today with another diabetes myth episode today we're going to discuss the myth that a pump just fixes everything. While you're listening, 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 healthcare plan or becoming bold with insulin. If you'd like to hire Jenny, she works at Integrated diabetes that gums that diabetes for over 35 years she's a dietitian, a CTE, she's wonderful, you'll hear integrated diabetes.com Speaking of good deals, use my link drink ag one.com forward slash juicebox. And when you do, your first order will come with a free year supply of vitamin D, and five free travel packs of ag one, you can use the offer code juice box at checkout at cozy earth.com to save 40% off of your entire order. And if you go to us med.com forward slash juicebox you'll be getting a special link just for Juicebox Podcast listeners. And you can get started with us med Alright, let's get to the show shall we?

This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by touched by type one. Now touched by type one is a fantastic organization helping people with type one diabetes. And their big event is coming up on September 16. I will be speaking a number of times that day at the event as will Jenny touched by type one.org. And I believe there are still tickets available. The tickets, by the way are completely free. Touched by type one.org. Head over there now. Get some seats come out and says I mean I've lost all this wait, I need people to take selfies with I hope to see you there. Jenny, welcome back to the myth series. How are you?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:14
I am great today. How are you?

Scott Benner 2:17
I'm good. Actually, I'm gonna I'm gonna bring up a big topic here. How many people do you think get told that just getting an insulin pump will fix everything? Because that happens a lot, apparently. So we're going to deal with the myth today that an insulin pump fixes your diabetes.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:38
I love that word fix Yeah,

Scott Benner 2:39
fixed. It's just gonna fix everything. Right?

Jennifer Smith, CDE 2:43
It's like going to like you got a flat tire, and you get it fixed. Right. And technically, it's fixed. That's that's a fix. That's it's done. But you don't have to worry about it anymore, right? It's totally different. And I think, obviously people with diabetes get that the word fix is clearly not what any type of technology is going to do. But I do think that it comes again from the population of people who have not lived with diabetes, or known anybody in a close manner who has diabetes and truly understands that this is something we navigate on a 24/7 basis, there is no turn off. And just having a pump or any kind of technology doesn't fix anything.

Scott Benner 3:30
I've been on Omni pod for one month, this one says I had a bit of a Hypo. And my sister turned to me and said, I thought the pump was supposed to stop that. Yeah.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:43
Like, oh, frustrating.

Scott Benner 3:45
I mean, these like are grouped together on my list. This is why she's still having those doesn't the pump fix that? This guy says, I was in a meeting. I'm a college professor. And with people my own age, my son's Dexcom Dexcom alarm goes off in a meeting. And I text them, you know, they say what's going on, and somebody in the room looks at them and says, I thought he had a pump. And he said they're confused because they view me as intelligent and capable. And they cannot fathom why I can't figure this out. And and he said meanwhile my son is 95% in range with a normally one se right. And that's something

Jennifer Smith, CDE 4:28
it is and I you know, from a from a broad, I guess visual of this. I don't know at what point in the future we're gonna get to the whole idea from every single person that they understand that it doesn't get fixed. Right fixing is curing, that's fixing, fixing would be even if there's no A true cure from a physiology standpoint, fixing would also be a system that you put on. You don't have to do anything more than fill it with insulin and hit go. And it does the thing like truly closed loop AI, learns what's going on, looks at patterns that would be close to fixed, that would be close to, gosh, the system really catches 99.9% of everything, and does it for me, we are not at that point. And I don't think that people with diabetes. I think they understand that. I don't think it's the broad public that brings in these comments that are so frustrating to people with diabetes. They just don't get it. And I don't know how to educate them that that's not

Scott Benner 5:53
the case. That hearing this will help them a little bit. Yeah, my son's school nurse told me that we don't have to stop a falling blood sugar when he has insulin onboard, because the pump will stop it. But she says that son's not on an algorithm. It's just the school nurses idea of what she thinks the thing is. It's fascinating, isn't it? Yeah.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 6:17
And there is there is a technology, bit of misinformation. Maybe the school nurse has learned about algorithms, maybe from another student that she or he interacts with, and maybe assumes now that that's the technology that's available, and that every single person who has a pump, has an algorithm driven pump. That could be where that came from.

Scott Benner 6:42
I get confused. Because if like just applying common sense to their thought the the nurses thought, like you can't get low because you have a pump on if that was true, then why doesn't everyone have a pump? Like why are there some people just walking around going all risk it like you don't? Really is how this works, then then insulin pumps would be handed out the door and nobody would get nobody would do MDI crack because fix the whole thing. Like, I'm not like, there's a lot of comments here from people saying, Look, I'm not saying it isn't easier with a pump. I'm not saying that I don't have it better than somebody had 20 years ago, like, but it doesn't fix things the way people think. And it's always the same comments. Why do you even have to do that? I thought you had a pump doesn't come take care of that, etc, and so on, like, they go on and on and on. But this person says, Look, you know, I get it. Like, it's easier, but it's not, it's not perfect. Well, I've,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 7:43
I've been in social situations myself, and not eons ago, like, probably in the past couple of years where I've been with friends, but also more, you know, just friends that are friends of friends, right, that I don't really know or see very often and they'll you know, bolusing for a meal, right? Or bolusing for a snack at like a cookout or something? It'd be like, Oh, we you know, you have the pump? And I thought you didn't have to consider that. Yeah, well, the pump still needs to know that I'm putting something in that's gonna affect my blood sugar, or so.

Scott Benner 8:19
I've seen a lot of people, like really have trouble with this, like that this when it's said to them. And I've also seen people be very upset at the misuse of the words artificial pancreas. And this is why they get so upset by it. Yeah. 100% why this person says I'm people are regularly shocked that my daughter's pump isn't an artificial pancreas. And she says, I do get that I didn't understand it before. My daughter had diabetes either. But it now drives me nutty. When somebody says this, I just did watch this happen with what was it there was like a new pump that came out. And people were calling it artificial pancreas and somebody got online. It's like, look, this is not an artificial pancreas. And they were very passionate about it. And now as I'm reading through this list, I realized this is where that passion came from.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 9:12
And if we truly went not only artificial pancreas, but also a true closed loop system would include all of the missing components, it would be more of a if you're talking about fix, it would be more of a true completely closed, mostly non interactive from the user system that does what it needs to do. It would include glucagon, it would include insulin, it would mimic a much of what we're trying to do as our own like brain is trying to think, you know, like our pancreas should be doing that would be a true closed system.

Scott Benner 9:51
Yeah, I'm gonna read this this like statement from this person because I think it indicates how it feels. You really need her on a pump is the quote, it's this belief that everything is smooth sailing and easy just because you have a pump. These people are not talking about an algorithm, and they have no clue about what they're talking about their knowledge is way off. And it's from an adult brother that they only see occasionally who has diabetes, they don't understand that diabetes is a lifelong struggle. And yes, some days are easy, but those who live in understand you can eat the same thing over and over again. And then one day you get one result, the next day, you get another result, that you have to be so flexible, that there's always preparation. And, you know, this is advice that I didn't get previously, finding the podcast, they say, which is very nice. But when they're talking to other people, she's like, No one understands any of this. And you can feel the frustration in her writing, you know, in the end sadness, like there's sadness and what she's saying. It's just, I guess, it's just like the rest of these things, right? You're not going to stop people from saying things they don't understand. But it is interesting that overwhelmingly, and so many people have the same experience with Oh, you got the thing? I thought the thing fixed is that, and I said this in another episode, I'm gonna say it again. There's so much I'm looking at so much technology on my desk. Most of it's not, without its need to be helped. Like, yeah, like, it's, I have very few plugins and forget things in my life. Yes. You know, even like some of these great like, I have a really wonderful computer that I record this podcast on. And there's stuff I have to do to weekly to keep it running correctly.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 11:39
Yes, yeah. And it doesn't turn on and say, welcome. Good morning, when you enter the room, right? Hey, good morning, Scott, how are you? You still have to push the button and sign in and turn it on and make sure that it's remained? I mean, you can have automatic updates, but even sometimes it asks, When do you want to update? You want to do it now? Do you want to do it later? Do you want to delay it? Blah, blah, blah. So that yeah, there's very little technology that's without human interaction.

Scott Benner 12:05
But for some reason, now that it has to do with a hormone and insulin and this and that. They're all like, oh, that must just work fine. This is the last one. My ex mother in law said I thought X mother in law. Wonder how that happened? I thought all you have to do is put in the carbs. And the pump does everything else.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 12:22
Well, that'd be so easy. Like, I think, honestly, wouldn't that be so lovely? Like you just put in the carbs. And the pump figures out the whole rest, you could be off by 20 grams, but at least as long as you put in two grams of carb, it's, I got it for you. It's all okay.

Scott Benner 12:40
I'm paying attention. Don't worry. I can figure the rest out is a pump is here, which is a phrase that I love, which I always think comes from, I always hear it more frequently from people who are older who have had diabetes for a longer time. And my imagination tells me that they didn't have a pump. And they were always promised the pump the pump, because they use it like a title. Yes. Yes. I love it. Yeah.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:06
Funny. I mean, if a pump really did that, man, I'd go to Disney and get the there's a place called Beaches and Cream. And it's got this dessert that's called the kitchen sink. And it literally is it's like a miniature kitchen sink. And it's load. I don't even know how much ice cream is in it. I've only ever been there a couple of times. And I've seen people get it and I'm like, oh my god, like how can you actually have all of that food? Right? It's like a table full of 10 People should actually be eating this stream. Be like, Yeah, let's go

Scott Benner 13:43
to these like they've cured diabetes, I have to get the Florida anyway, there you go. Alright, well, I appreciate you doing this with me. Thank you very much

Jennifer Smith, CDE 13:52
course. Yes.

Scott Benner 13:54
It's funny. I didn't know that. Oh my God. Is it really big like,

Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:00
Oh, it is it's literally like if you imagine it's almost more like a like a bathroom pedestal sink. Yeah, visual, and it has faucets and everything on it. And they have to have I would guess 20 scoops of full fat like custom custard ice cream in this with any and all the toppings, all the whipped cream, the sprinkles. Like it just looks like the desert like if I were going back to kid mentalities. I'd be like that's what I want. And I'm not even like I can turn down ice cream pretty easily. But if I was going to indulge, that would be

Scott Benner 14:43
imagine that three minutes into it. You'd be like this is a lot. Did we fly all the way to Florida for this? I was

Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:51
right. I got four bites. That was good. The kitchen sink was awesome. Fabulous.

Scott Benner 14:55
I could have got a Dairy Queen. I didn't realize.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 14:57
Exactly. Anyway. No, I don't even had to go to Dairy Queen you know I live in the land of of dairy here

Scott Benner 15:03
plenty of ice cream where you are plenty of ice cream yes

I want to thank Jenny for coming on the show today and remind you that she works at integrated diabetes.com. And of course, let's thank touched by type one not just for the good work they do. But for sponsoring the Juicebox Podcast you really should even if you're not coming out to the event, go check out what they're up to at touched by type one.org and find them on Facebook and Instagram. When you support the Juicebox Podcast by clicking on the advertisers links, you are helping to keep the show free and plentiful. I am certainly not asking you to buy something that you don't want. But if you're going to buy something, or use the device from one of the advertisers, getting your purchases set up through my links is incredibly helpful. So if you have the desire or the need, please consider using Juicebox Podcast links to make your purchases. If you are a loved one has been diagnosed with type one diabetes. The bold beginnings series from the Juicebox Podcast is a terrific place to begin listening. In this series Jenny Smith and I will go over the questions most often asked at the beginning of type one. Jenny is a certified diabetes care and education specialist who is also a registered and licensed dietitian and Jenny has had type one diabetes for 35 years. My name is Scott Benner and I am the father of a child who has type one diabetes. Our daughter Arden was diagnosed in 2006 at the age of two. I believe that at the core of diabetes management, understanding how insulin works, and how food and other variables impact your system is of the utmost importance. The bold beginning series will lead you down the path of understanding. This series is made up of 24 episodes. And it begins that episode 698 In your podcast, or audio player. I'll list those episodes at the end of this to listen, you can go to juicebox podcast.com. Go up to the menu at the top and choose bold beginnings. Or go into any audio app like Apple podcasts, or Spotify. And then find the episodes that correspond with the series. Those lists again are at Juicebox Podcast up in the menu or if you're in the private Facebook group. In the featured tab. The private Facebook group has over 40,000 members. There are conversations happening right now and 24 hours a day that you'd be incredibly interested in. So don't wait. So don't wait. Check out the bold beginning series today and get started on your journey. Episode 698 defines the bold beginning series 702, honeymooning 706 adult diagnosis 711 and 712 go over diabetes terminologies in Episode 715 We talked about fear of insulin in 719 the 1515 rule episode 723 long acting insulin 727 target range 731 food choices 735 Pre-Bolus 739 carbs 743 stacking 747 flexibility in Episode 751 We discussed school in Episode 755 Exercise 759 guilt, fears hope and expectations. In episode 763 of the bowl beginning series. We talk about community 772 journaling 776 technology and medical supplies. Episode 780 Treating low blood glucose episode 784 dealing with insurance 788 talking to your family and episode 805 illness and ketone management. Check it out. It will change your life