#166 Patti Makes Me Happy
Scott Benner
Patti struggled for decades before finding her T1D groove...
Patti's story is inspirational!
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Spotify - Amazon Alexa - google play/android - iheart radio - or their favorite podcast app.
+ 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, welcome to Episode 166 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by Omni pod index calm. As always, you can learn more about the Omni pod at my Omni pod.com forward slash juicebox, or the links in your show notes were at Juicebox podcast.com. And the same goes for Dexcom. Except they spell it a little differently dexcom.com Ford slash juice box and those links in the same places. I got this really wonderful note last year from Patty. She told me a little bit about her diagnosis story and the anger she'd carried for a very long time about her diabetes. She actually said that she was not a very good keeper of her diabetes.
sometime last year after finding out that her agency went up, Patty decided to try to do something about it. She'll tell you more in the episode, but eventually she found this podcast. And a little while later she sent me this incredible note that I'm looking at right now. Well, you know, I had to ask her to come on to tell the story because it was just really special. I want you to know two things about this episode. One Patty's a little soft spoken. So listen closely. And to nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making changes to your health care plan. Hey, guys, listen, I was hoping to have my Dexcom g six review for you this week. But Arden has been feeling a little under the weather, her blood pressure has actually been kind of low. And we're in the middle of trying to figure out why that is. So I'm a little behind. So if you can be patient. I'll get to it as soon as I can. I really like it. I think it's very worth upgrading. But I'll get back to you with some more details as soon as possible. For now,
Unknown Speaker 1:50
this is Patti.
Patti 1:53
Okay, my name is Sadie. And I've been a type one diabetic since 1993. I am a registered nurse, and I take care of the geriatric population. And I have a very spoiled cat that wants to kill me on a regular basis.
Scott Benner 2:13
You're very good at this Patty. Excellent. So Oh, and just as we get going, my daughter wants to do our Bolus for lunch. So hold on one second.
Unknown Speaker 2:22
We're gonna Bolus try to remember what was in that lunch box. Let's just call it 10 units
Unknown Speaker 2:31
and
Unknown Speaker 2:35
extend 60% now and the rest over a half hour.
Scott Benner 2:46
And she's back on our way. Hopefully she'll just say, okay, go away. And
Unknown Speaker 2:54
let's see. Come on. She's read it.
Scott Benner 3:03
Okay, so 1993 Sorry about that. 1993 How old were you in 1993 1111 years old? I want you I told you before we started recording, every podcast, I've almost every quarter I say to somebody go ahead, introduce yourself. I'll ask you a question. And we'll get going. And I never know what I'm going to say. Which is I don't know what kind of a truth that is about the podcast. But nevertheless, I don't I don't pre plan it. But for you, but for you. I know my first question. Okay. Okay. Back in 1993 when you were 11 years old. Tell me why you got in the bathtub at two o'clock in the morning.
Patti 3:47
I thought somehow that would help with how thirsty I was. Um, I don't think I was actually thinking very straight at that time. But I figured why not put on a swimsuit and goggles and go for a swim in the bathtub. And now maybe I thought I was asked Moses it would like, help me feel less be hydrated. But
Scott Benner 4:15
so you were looking for any way at all to feel hydrated at that point. Yeah, yeah. And, and even at 11 which, by the way is old enough to recognize that swimming in the bathtub, too in the morning is odd. So so it's not like you were six and you're just like, you know what might work? So you you climb into the bathtub. I think the first obvious question we don't really need the answer to is did that in any way quench your thirst? No, they did not. And who found you in the bathtub?
Patti 4:45
Um, my brother did How old was he then? He's about probably maybe 17
Scott Benner 4:58
years so he was a number of years older than you without Yeah, okay. Brother finds you in the bathtub. I'm assuming he gets your parents.
Patti 5:05
Yeah, he says, you know, this is kind of weird. Maybe you should check this out.
Scott Benner 5:15
You have the best diagnosis. Sorry. So
Unknown Speaker 5:18
so
Scott Benner 5:19
you're in the bathtub you did have goggles. That's not just hyperbole. You were actually had goggles with you
Patti 5:24
I bottles I was on is all about women.
Unknown Speaker 5:28
Oh my god.
Scott Benner 5:30
Okay so your your goggle up here and your swimming suit, you're in the, in the bathtub, your brother finds you, he goes and gets your parents, your parents, I'm assuming look at each other quietly and think, oh god, this one's nuts. But then ask it but then ask you what's wrong? And what did you tell them? Do you remember?
Patti 5:46
Well, um, I think I was pretty honest with them. I just said I felt like swimming in the bathtub. Um, and I really didn't see a problem with it. Although at that time, I was also starting to hit the cosmos. respirations which I think was freaking them out more than the fact that I was in the bathtub with a swimsuit. Yeah.
Scott Benner 6:11
And so you're panting it's obvious that point.
Patti 6:15
Yeah.
Scott Benner 6:16
Okay, so they they take you to the they probably took you to the hospital, by the way to abandon you there. But then when they found out you had diabetes, they're like, Oh, that's okay. Well hang out with other. Can we take her to a fire station? Is she too old? She'll find her way home again, like what do we do? Right? But but so so you said in your note that an hour later you were you were pretty much being diagnosed with Type One Diabetes?
Patti 6:38
Yeah. Yep. All right, took him to the ER. And the doctor, I guess took one look at me and said, Oh, my gosh, she's diabetic.
Scott Benner 6:50
Wow. Well, that. So now that person knew what they were talking about that that's you don't hear that very often. You don't hear a lot of people going in and just getting the answer right away. Which is, okay, so, but you were pretty far along at that point, because you probably didn't end up in the bathtub purely out of like an 11 year old flight of fancy you were probably your blood sugar was pretty high, you probably weren't thinking very clearly.
Patti 7:14
Right? It was a gradual build up. I had totally forgotten about this. But my mom had reminded me that when I was in fifth grade, I was the only fifth grader that demands of a water bottle on my desk, because I was so thirsty all the time. Yeah.
Scott Benner 7:32
How long did that go on? For? You know?
Patti 7:35
I, it felt like it was a week. And when she had reminded me, then I remembered that Yeah, yeah, actually, I did have a water bottle. Yeah.
Scott Benner 7:46
And that's going back even. I mean, 93. Let's do Matt, why don't we do 2003, then another 10 would be 2013 and 2017. Down to those 14 that's took 24 years ago. So I know, you're impressed with my math, Patti, but just try not to try not to, you know, get?
Patti 8:05
I'm not.
Scott Benner 8:07
So it's quite some time ago. Did you? What kind of tools did they give you in the hospital to try to cope with the type on?
Patti 8:19
To be honest, I really don't. They gave me that many. They really didn't explain what they were doing. I do remember, at one point, I had he on a keto strip. And the reading was large. And I looked at this person, I don't know whether they were a nurse or not. And I just said, well, is that good? Or Ill? What does that mean? And? And she kind of gave me sort of? Well, not really, but it didn't really explain why I was doing it. And also, they were testing my blood frequently, and they weren't explaining to me what was going on really, or why they were doing it. And they weren't explaining to my Mom, why they were doing it. And so my mom was starting to get very angry because of the lack of communication. Um, you know, why they were doing?
Scott Benner 9:18
So they were just sort of handling you but not taking any time at all to explain what was happening, why it was happening or anything like that.
Patti 9:25
Yeah. Okay.
Scott Benner 9:29
So you get out of the hospital, that experience you said, within your note that that experience did not sit well with you, and it stuck with you for a really long time. So let me ask you a couple questions like when so when you got out? Did you feel like did you feel like you knew what you wanted to do what you were doing? Did anyone eventually explain to you did anyone eventually explain it to your mom or you just like, Did they give you the old here's your insulin. Here's your needles. Good luck. What did you get?
Patti 9:59
Well Prior to diagnosed I had been a physician assistant. And obviously, I wasn't going to go see them anymore. And they had me go to it trician that specialized in diabetes, a pediatric endocrinologist. And I remember going to, I'm not sure if you want to call them like classes. It was just me though. And I remember they told my mom to have me go, like, run around the playground and letter. What it's like to have low blood sugar before I go back to school, so, um, yeah, they had me fat. So the
Scott Benner 10:50
two so this class told you to get your blood sugar low before going back to school. So you'd know what it felt like when your blood sugar was low?
Unknown Speaker 10:57
Yeah. Ironically, that's
Scott Benner 10:59
not the craziest advice I've ever heard for 23 years ago. It's not good advice. But it's not. It's not the worst actually. It just sounds like there were people sitting in a lunchroom somewhere going, what can we tell these kids? And, you know, and so, but you went into that class without a parent just by yourself.
Patti 11:17
Um, I think my, my mom might have been in there too. But I don't really remember her. Like being in the same area that I was, or if she just sat in the waiting room. I remember, a played this. It was, I don't know what kind of game it was. But they had me play this game where you had to go through the city, and you had to avoid the sugary foods. And then you had to eat the good foods. And I just remember these bizarre looking bananas that were walking down the street. And if you run into them, something would happen to your blood sugar or something like that.
Scott Benner 11:55
Oh, yeah, that sounds exactly like diabetes, you bump into a banana and everything goes wrong. And I'm sorry, your hospital was on Mars. Where was this?
Unknown Speaker 12:08
Yeah. Okay.
Scott Benner 12:10
Okay, so, um, so, how did this initial experience strike you? What I mean, were you left, obviously, at scale, a leading question that we all pretty much know the answer to, but were you invigorated and excited to take care of your type one diabetes? Or what were the first No, no.
Unknown Speaker 12:30
So much.
Unknown Speaker 12:33
Ah, yeah. So
Scott Benner 12:34
kind of tell me a little bit about those first years and how they hit you sort of emotionally and then that side of it?
Patti 12:41
Um, well, I, I was obviously very angry. Um, I'm not sure exactly if I was more angry at being diagnosed so late, or if I was just angry at diabetes in general. I also knew that I was depressed. And I was trying to convey that message to F. And my parents and nobody seemed to really be getting the picture that Yeah, you know, maybe it would have been good to talk to somebody about my experience in the hospital. As I listen to a lot of diagnosis stories, and I mean, I don't hear too many where the doctors telling you that your blood sugar was 1300 and 76. And you know, you're in you were in cardiovascular shock. And I, if I had just slept it off, like the physician assistant told my mom to do, I wouldn't have been around.
Scott Benner 13:54
Patti 1300 and 76 was your blood sugar.
Patti 13:57
Yeah, and I know, I shouldn't be proud of that. But sometimes, like when I tell people diagnosis story at my desk, and I have the highest reading at the hospital. Well,
Scott Benner 14:05
yeah, I mean, I think that listen, the highest aside, it sounds like you were the closest to being dead that you could have been and you're back from it. You know what I mean? Like, that's the that's a heck of a triumph in there. I don't think you had much more time. Like you don't mean like that. Like you said, You didn't really bring it up here but you talked about the note and we're probably confused as to things but that you did go to a doctor prior to the to going swimming in the bathtub. And and they told you like flu like symptoms, go home, sleep it off that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, you're looking at me here.
Patti 14:40
Really. Factor says that. If I had done that, I would have died that night. And they, when I had interviewed the emergency physician who saved my life, in 2015. He was saying that they were very Worried that I wasn't going to make it, I was fair that they were struggling to get been access because I was so dehydrated. And
Scott Benner 15:12
she said, You went back. You went back to talk to that doctor a couple years ago.
Patti 15:17
Yeah, I did. As I, I really struggled. Except I diabetes. And I've been working with a therapist, Mike who's kind of like a cheerleader. So
Scott Benner 15:34
I can't, I gotta be honest with you. If someone would walk around behind me like doing like little like, Sis, boom, bah stuff during the day, I think it would be here.
Unknown Speaker 15:42
I really want good blood sugar. No, forget that.
Scott Benner 15:46
You can make it to the car, you'll go grocery shopping, you won't cry while you're there. Like stuff like that. But But okay, so you see. So this is, I think the interesting part and where we're really going to talk, which is that you're talking about in 2015, you're still you're still digging away and digging away trying to figure out how to deal with this in your life. Because in all honesty for 20 years, you just you by your own admission, you haven't been doing very well. Is that is that right?
Patti 16:17
Or right?
Scott Benner 16:20
This is the depression? Did it stick with you? Or did you find a way through that earlier? Or would you have considered yourself still depressed about in the recent years,
Patti 16:29
ah, still depressed. It was especially bad in middle school was, you know, the addition to hormones and everything else. And I just never really got over that initial experience of being in that in the intensive care unit and waking up with a IV in my left arm and, you know, I, I'd be upset because my parents would have to go home at the end of the night. Because back then, you know, the parents aren't allowed to sleep overnight with their kids. So, you know, it's like, left in the weight room. You know,
Scott Benner 17:11
it was a real trial. It was a it was a serious trauma for you know, Can Can I ask you, did you have any? Did you have any depression prior to the diabetes that you're aware of?
Patti 17:21
Not that I'm aware of. Okay.
Scott Benner 17:24
Okay, so your diagnosis, you know, for a number of really good reasons was was really impactful on you in ways that didn't lead you into exciting times, we'll say. And so for for literally 20 some years, you've been battling with that place that it put you in? Have you had Are you in that time? Are you diligently working towards your diabetes and not having success? Or are you having success? Are you not? Are you not wait, you know, considered? You know, does your doctor feel like you're doing a good so hard to talk around? Because I know some people don't like to hear the words good job and compliance and management, all that stuff. But let's just save it for the, you know, I'm not judging you. But for the for the terms of the conversation. Would you consider yourself someone who spends time every day keeping their blood sugar and range? Or was that not working for you just wasn't going down? How's your day? Like, I
Patti 18:27
guess? I was probably probably the most non compliant diabetic in the state of Michigan, probably.
Scott Benner 18:36
And what does that look like day to day?
Patti 18:39
Um, well, you know, in middle school, I would, I would make up numbers. You know, what, when I was testing my blood, eyelid Of course, the AMC always paid me into a big fiver. But I would also know, I was also on injections up until 2005 when I stopped my first insulin pump. So
Scott Benner 19:15
it doesn't, you know, are you are you injecting? You were injecting for a dozen years then. Yeah. Okay. And so basically, whenever you tested and the number came up, we were just like, it's perfect. And then you rattle off some number that you thought was great if someone asks you, and did your mom just accept that as you know, would you Oh, no, no. So how did they?
Patti 19:38
Well, I'm in the early years, it was kind of like, the diabetes. Um, you know, they didn't want me to go to sleep overs right away because they're worried about my blood sugar going well. You know, I couldn't go to that guy. I played violin. I wanted to go to Interlachen and like, Well, no, you need to go to diabetes camp first. And I was getting very resentful or angry at them because I felt like, you know, all this, as I'm diabetic and one memory sticks out was when I was in for age, and it must have been some like Christmas party or something. And I remember they were like, all these like, desserts and everything on the table. And then my mom's like, and here's some sugar free cookies and
Scott Benner 20:40
sugar free cookies. Those two words don't go together. Have some tasty kale. Right? Yeah, yeah. Right. So it just, I mean, you got the full like snowstorm of diabetes, like it just every time you turn it around, nothing was going your way, basically,
Patti 21:03
pretty much. And I was also I'm still in denial. Like, I, I figured, well, hey, if I just ignore it, it'll go away or, and that will help me be more quote, normal, unquote. But of course, if that doesn't work,
Scott Benner 21:27
don't worry. Well, we'll read a story in six weeks and on in some raggy newspaper somewhere that ignoring diabetes is the way to take care of it. So yeah, so I mean, obviously, it's a childish thought. But it's also a thought that, you know, comes to people when they're not children, if they're have, they've been so overwhelmed by something that they just can't imagine a pathway out of it, right, you just sort of, you don't want to give up, you don't want to say to yourself, I give up. So you go look, you know, and I bet you this will just be okay, if you know, I don't you know, and you get that feeling in your head, like, like doing nothing is doing something almost.
Patti 22:02
And I was also a very teenager, I'm sure my mom would have sold me to the gypsies if she could have. Um, you know, so I, I remember, I would think I was very rebellious, because I would have like a liter of regular coke in my closet. They're like, Okay, I'm gonna drink this, and not really care what it does to my blood sugar.
Scott Benner 22:31
And that was in high school.
Unknown Speaker 22:32
So that was in middle school in middle school. How
Scott Benner 22:35
did High School go? Did you find any clarity there as you got older and you matured more? Or did it just go on a little more of the same? You know,
Patti 22:43
I think with the dip pression got worse. And I really found it hard to relate to other people. I think there were maybe two or three other diabetics in the whole school system. But I never really acted with them. There was one person that I started to get better once they started later on in high school, and then in college. But I've I haven't talked in a way that I could somewhat relate to But yeah, I was just, I, I feel like, part of it was like, as my being depressed, my depression wasn't addressed, that it made just everything else. 10 times worse. No, I
Scott Benner 23:42
mean, that that makes a lot. I don't, I don't feel like I've ever been depressed in my life. But that does make a lot of sense. You know, I mean, if you think about what depression is, and how it can affect you, and then having it on top of something like that type one, just you know, geez, that's magnified a million times. Constantly all day long, right. I mean, that's had to have been what it felt like is that all day long, everything was sort of conspiring against you to make life difficult, I guess.
Unknown Speaker 24:10
Yeah, yeah.
Scott Benner 24:10
Yeah. And then and how do you fight back with it? You don't have the right you're diagnosed 23 years ago, you're not given great tools. The technology really wasn't there to help you. Your mom wasn't, you know, you know, your mom didn't. It's not like she had a firm handle on it. You just weren't listening to her. Right, like so. Everybody was a little overwhelmed by it one way or another. So I'm stunned, amazed and sort of I don't know I found myself feeling proud for you. Like I don't know how you got through high school like you graduated high school and went to college. Oh, yeah. Seriously, it's a it's a heck of an accomplishment when you're battling against all those things. And but you did you went to college. It was college. I don't I don't want to belabor the point. But was college more of the same or did you find a lighter college?
Patti 24:56
Um, were the same.
Scott Benner 25:01
How do you keep going? Like you have the Constitution of a bowl? Seriously, right? Like your blood sugar's all over the place, you're depressed. And you've still go to school graduate, go to college graduate, you're an RN,
Patti 25:17
I yeah, I am, I originally went to school for composition to experience, I have a bachelor's in music. But then when I realized that I couldn't get a job with health benefits, I decided I need to find a career that would kind of help with that. So my got interested in nursing and gradually tested the waters and found that I really liked doing it and but
Scott Benner 25:48
so you hold two degrees that you got while you were depressed with Type One Diabetes that was out of control. Seriously, Patty, without the depression and the diabetes, you'd be an astronaut. And I'm like getting
Patti 26:03
horrible at math.
Scott Benner 26:07
I'm sure the people who you're getting medicine for feel good about hearing you say that. So I don't know, one to four of these, whatever. But but
Unknown Speaker 26:21
but but so,
Scott Benner 26:23
you know, you're the first person that, you know, I get I get a number of, you know, I get a number of emails, people thanking me for the podcast. And some of them I'm just I'm always just like, wow, like, thank you. That's really great. And each one of them makes me honestly very emotional and, and happy. And but yours. I was just like, you have to come on the podcast and tell people this like you. Because you really were just sending me a thank you note, you told me a little bit about your background, and said thank you. And that's sort of the the reason I wanted to have you on this because this right not that your story is not fascinating, not that I wouldn't just sit here for an hour and talking about you swimming when you were 11 years old in your bathtub, because I'm delighted by that. But but because but because I'm forever trying to get across the people that no matter where diabetes has sort of stuck you in your life and no matter how you're struggling, that I do think there are simple pathways to feeling better, doing better, being more healthy. And in the end, it's just me saying it. I think that people who aren't depressed who aren't overburdened by it, hear that and go Oh, that sounds hopeful to me. But I'm also aware that it could sound to other people like bs like oh, yeah, sure. That's not for me. My life doesn't go that way. That's that's your good luck. You know, you were lucky with diabetes the way you hit you the way it struck you the way you understand it the way you know the tools you have whatever it ends up being. But that's not my reality is that is how I feel like it can be seen by some. But your reality is and let's be honest, Patti about as terrible as possible. And so I appreciate that you're laughing. And and yet, tell me tell everybody what you told me at the end of the email. The new dexcom CGM is here the G six has arrived. You can always know your glucose numbers and where they're headed with the dexcom g six continuous glucose monitoring system. By the way, it's now FDA permitted for making diabetes treatment decisions without finger sticks or calibrations. Guys, listen, I gotta tell you, I am working my butt off here on this ad. And I'm just in the worst mood been worried about Arden. Listen, let's just be honest, for a second, no big voices or anything else. If you were a dexcom continuous glucose monitor, you're going to be able to see where your blood sugar is going how fast it's getting there, you're going to be able to make treatment decisions before you run into problems. The new g six has a predictive level alert can actually tell you that in 20 minutes, it expects you to be 55 that gives you so much time to do something with a blood sugar that's like in the 70s you can set your high threshold line like ours is at 130. So that as soon as you bump up over that number, you can make some adjustments to keep you from getting any higher. So when Dexcom will tell you on their website like you know a one see reductions historically, they'll say like historic results here I'm going to read the historic results based on Dexcom G 4g five systems, a one c reduction. The dexcom CGM is proven to lower a one C and reduce hypoglycemic events. That's what their historical data tells them. What I'm going to tell you is, is that when you know your blood sugar is going up and you do something about it, it doesn't go up. And that's what lower Sherry one say. We talked about it here all the time. You guys know what to do. I just I don't have the energy today to be like, hey, by Dexcom but please look into it. You'll be really happy you did. And I'll be happy if you use my link dexcom.com forward slash juice box with the links in your show notes or Juicebox podcast.com tell everybody what you told me at the end of the email
Patti 30:07
well, that I listen to your podcasts, and your, your Outlook, and the suggestions that you gave, I feel like I got more out of that than any endocrinologist that I've ever been into. And that really is the honest truth. I've, I've been really listening to your podcast pretty much every day. And each one I take a little bit from and I can relate to, and especially the one fold with insulin, I think that had the biggest impact on me. Because I've, I've never been fond of the idea of low blood sugar. And so on purpose, I've kept my blood sugar higher than it should be. Just so I don't have to feel low blood sugar. So it's, you know, it's really made an impact on me and, and I haven't always been good about wearing my dexcom sensor. And I've been wearing it now for about two to three weeks. And what I do is a I've been doing a screen capture of like my breath for 12 hours, 24 hours. And I send it to Mike. You chillier. Yeah, my cheerleader. Yeah. And. And when I gradually started sending these ones, where my mind was, like, being steady at 100. And he emailed me back and he's like, Who are you? And what did you do with Patty's?
Scott Benner 32:08
Well, Patti, I want to tell you that I got your email later at night, my wife and I were in bed kind of, you know, at the end of a day, and I read it in bed, and she looked at me and said, Are you crying? And I was like, the whole night crying. I was crying. tears coming out of my eyes. And and she said, Why are you upset? I said, I'm not upset. I'm really happy and and she said Why? And I told her I'm like, I can't even let you read this again. Like, I can't read this twice tonight. Like if I read this twice, I'm gonna I'm gonna fall apart. I was so thrilled for you. And it seriously just really pleased for you. You know what I mean? And, and I did, she did. My wife did wrestle my iPad from me. And she read it. And then she even said something nice to me. And we've been married for over 20 years. And that never happens, Patty. So you got my wife to say something nice to me. You're apparently my cheerleader. By the way. Thank you very much. And, and but but moreover, I can't believe I'm almost gonna I'm almost gonna just be crappy to myself. It's a podcast. It's just like a silly podcast. And and but it really struck you right? So I think that what I'd love to understand what I'd love for other people to hear and I don't know the answer to this question is, what about this turned you because you are a person who in case it hasn't been clear to people, up until a couple of months ago, your entire 23 years with diabetes has been just as you explained your middle school, your diagnosis, your high school, your college, your adult life, it has been a burden and full of depression and not really trying to take care of yourself in a way that you were you even wanted to. And so I just think whatever came out, whatever you got out of this. I want to know what it was like I want to know how it struck you like what what is it that? I mean? How I'm at a loss, honestly.
Patti 34:15
Well, um, you know, I gotta make a disclaimer that happy pills and therapy every week also help.
Unknown Speaker 34:22
Oh, fine. So
Scott Benner 34:23
I've done nothing. I've right away. Patty's here to tell everybody that if you're depressed, take Zoloft or something and and and go to therapy and then a podcast. So the podcast is useless said Go ahead. Okay, so how long have you been? How long have you been using? I'm using you're using like SSRIs or something like that.
Patti 34:47
Um, I was. But now I'm on. I'm kind of a combination. I've got Wellbutrin and Adderall imboca and look,
Scott Benner 35:04
I think one of those makes your hair grow. I'm not sure. I watch a lot of commercials where they say things about Cymbalta. But I'm just kidding, I don't know. I have no idea. But okay, so you've you found a therapist who sort of gotten you into cocktails, it's, that's a better way. Well,
Patti 35:23
it doesn't prescribe any medications, psychologists, but I do have a nurse practitioner that I also work with. And she prescribed monitors and medications for that. But one reason that Mike has been very effective for me is that I can't bs him, like I have with other therapists. Like, it's not possible, like he totally knows, but I'm being a big favor. So please, I kinda need somebody to kind of call you out. Right? Call me out on that. And, and it definitely has not been easy to discuss. And I'm, can be very good at deflecting the diabetes topic and finding other things to distract with. But luckily, he's very patient with me,
Scott Benner 36:23
keeping you on so so. So I guess the first step was finding someone who would be a strong, you know, ally, and at the same time, somebody who would call you out if you tried to deviate away from the conversation. And that that's been very valuable to you. At the same time, you've addressed the depression with medication, which is also been valuable, I think, and did that. Do you think those two things together made you? Did you did you suddenly wake up one day and think, wow, I want to I want to take better care of myself?
Patti 36:54
No, no, I'm actually was a recent visit to the endocrinologist, um, I, anyone see had gone from 9.1 to 9.4. And, you know, when I found your podcast, this was after my appointment, and I wasn't being totally serious with myself. At first, I'm like, well, maybe I'll just go and see if there any podcasts about diabetes. And, you know, just check it out. I wasn't really expecting to change my outlook very much. But the more I listened to your podcast, the more things started to click with me and make more sense. Especially, like, for example, the Dexcom settings, and, you know, your high limit and your low limit, and it made total sense for me to think Well, okay, why would you set your Dexcom to 250, and then get a warning, because by that time, you're super high, and it takes forever to get back down. And just by, so I decided, Okay, I'm gonna adjust that. And I was starting to notice results, and I started adjusting it even more. And I think by getting that immediate, back, of being in it, trying to do like, micro boluses, and pumping down high blood sugars, being able to see that right away, it really made a difference for me, that podcast where you were talking about that, and it really kind of opened my eyes like, Okay, this doesn't have to be like this. And, I mean, just just the way you talk on podcasts, and, and you have a good sense of humor, and, and you always seem he always mentioned, you know, it's not going to always be perfect all the time. There's no such thing is that diabetes land. But you I like how you say to, you know, take what data you have, and try to figure out how that happened and how to make it better for the next time. And just being able to put that into my technology and seeing those results, because I think one of the tricky things with diabetes is everybody tells you about complications and how, oh yeah, you're gonna lose your foot and an eyeball and maybe throw a third arm or something if you don't take care of your diabetes, but you don't see any of that right. away. And, and so you're not getting instant feedback as to what's going on, whereas wearing my CGM and trying these techniques out, I'm seeing Well, yeah, it is possible that I can get it in the range. That is where it's supposed to be. And yeah, I am going to have bikes and stuff, where I need to figure out what happened or if I didn't do the Bolus, right, but it's not the end of the world. And I, you know, I, I know, prior to this, I really define blood sugars as either good or bad. And, and I realized, well, if I keep doing that, you know, I'm just gonna have bad blood tears all the time, and then I'm not gonna feel good about myself. So I'm trying to look at it more from just, it's a number. And I have this goal, and I'm trying out these techniques. It just, the more I realized it was possible to do that, the more I felt, kind of inspired to and motivated to do what you're doing. And I'm trying your best to pick up blood glucose glucoses table as you can. On a daily basis.
Scott Benner 41:38
Well, Patti, I think what you've just said is that I'm delightful. And thank you, I heard you, not just joking you, because you've made me uncomfortable and being so kind to but, but it was, it was I just I just like listening to you talk just now because it, it made me It made me feel lucky, that the things that we talked about here occurred to me, you know, because I just simply could have been, you know, what I mean, I just as easily could have been a person who didn't get a good lead in and didn't have somebody with me to kind of spur me on and, and, you know, it could have been, you know, I mean, you were getting this feedback, your whole life, but you couldn't process it, and nobody was there to help you process it. And you've ended up just making me feel very fortunate. And, and then I'm glad that whatever has happened to me, and my daughter, and whatever has kind of transpired in our lives and stuck to us as as you know, kind of the ways we do things. I'm so glad that it got back to you and that it found you Yeah, I just I'm really pleased for you. And and I'm excited that you're on a new path because this is a very new path for you at the moment and and just to hear you talk about not you know, to bumping and nudging align around and and and wanting to know when your blood sugar's heading up not being told an hour later after it's already 250 you know, that stuff just makes me like I feel like I'm glowing inside. I'm so happy for you, you know? I'm thrilled. I really am I'm saying nothing of value right now because you were so kind just now and that I can't think which doesn't happen very often here so you kind of shut me up Patty podcast if I get this seriously I'm I'm genuinely thrilled for you. So I guess let's talk you know in the time we have left let's let's talk about like some real like nuts and bolts stuff. So you are you Pre-Bolus savvy podcast listeners heard this ad coming a mile away. Guys, I'm in the same mood as I was when I did the Dexcom ad. I will tell you this Arden's blood pressure has been low for a few days, and there's a lot of stuff going on around here, and we're trying to figure things out. Now, a secondary issue on top of diabetes she would think would be overwhelming, but I really have not found that to be the case. Earlier I spoke about the Dexcom. Now I'm gonna tell you about the Omni pod, two percents on pump. These tools make Arden's management so simple is the right word, that I don't feel overwhelmed by diabetes. And when something else in life comes up, it's not like something's piling on top of something else. Arden's having an issue right now we're gonna figure it out. But it's not like I'm being inundated from all sides. And I really believe that her care that our management which is driven by on the pod, and the decisions we can make about her insulin and the delivery system we have for her insulin. It just makes everything more manageable, simpler. And so when something else in life like this comes And I'm all bummed out right now, because I'm trying to figure something out that I don't have my head wrapped around just yet. I'm not also thinking about IVs. And maybe that's the greatest thing I can say about on the pot, is it it really does make your life simpler, a little less diabetes a little more. The other stuff, links in the show notes, links at Juicebox podcast.com, or my omnipod.com Ford slash juicebox. Find out more today, on the pod sends you on a free demo pod, you'll really be able to get a feel for it from that there's no obligation and it's absolutely free. So give it a shot. I've just talked right past the music don't even care. Here's what I do care about. I did spend the other day editing this episode with Patti, she's a real treasure, by I really hope you're enjoying this the way I am. Here she is again, we're gonna ask her if she's Pre-Bolus thing and some of the nuts and bolts stuff that she does around her day to day diabetes,
Patti 45:54
I'm trying to definitely at breakfast I am on lunch, I'm a little bit forward areas because of the job that I work at. It's there's so a crisis that happens at like 11 2019. And if I Bolus, my lunch is probably not gonna be a good idea for me. I have tried it a little bit. But I'm still kind of working out the kinks and trying to avoid low blood sugars, although that's another thing that I've tried to be more vocal about my diabetes at my workplace. And I have some very, very supportive co workers, fellow nurses and seniors who understand what I'm trying to do, and I've used the Dexcom share app. And so if I go low, then I have a few nurses that get notifications. And I also shared it with my mom too. So you know, I'll get a text or they'll come out of their office and be like, are you eating something?
Scott Benner 47:15
Yeah, you have a lot of cheerleaders. And that's amazing.
Patti 47:20
And, yeah, and so it just kind of makes me feel more comfortable to you have that support. And, and they really have asked and looking out for me and I've explained what I've been trying to do as far as getting my blood sugar's under better control.
Scott Benner 47:41
And, you know, sometimes when if I, I know sometimes when I get low blood sugar, I get kind of crabby. And some, sometimes my females will be like, you need to go test your blood, you're getting crabby. So it's it's amazing that the feature on the Dexcom allows you to have have that option with people to just sort of be able to see it in case you don't see it. And to be able to just show their support for you, it's even more fascinating that you knowing that they have the option to see it is making you more comfortable and more kind of bold with your own care. That's so so in the past, you've just felt like if I should take too much insulin here, I'm on my own, and I'm going down. And pretty much Yeah, yeah. Wow. Yeah,
Patti 48:26
I haven't really been vocal about my diabetes and what I'm trying to do. Also, sometimes I'll post a graph on like, a five hour span of my graph on Facebook, kind of make myself also accountable and say, okay, you know, last night was a good night and babies planned or are starting out a little bit rough today, but in my coworkers will also ask, you know, how, how is your blood sugar doing? But your
Scott Benner 49:05
community then? Really?
Patti 49:07
Yeah, and it helps if you work in health care, because they
Unknown Speaker 49:11
understand a little better.
Patti 49:12
They understand it a little bit better, although they're still you know, some individuals who sure have old ways of thinking about diabetes, but we
Scott Benner 49:21
think you ate too much candy when you were 11. And
Patti 49:27
or they mix up all you need to take more insulin if your blood sugar's low and know you don't want to do that.
Scott Benner 49:34
I know somebody like that, that just can't get it straight. Always bringing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Your low. Here's your pump. Your high have this soda. No. Okay, keep that straight. But, but wow, petits you've had a complete and utter turnaround in your life in the last few months. Are you thrilled Are you excited? Like how does how do you feel hopeful? Like, where are you at?
Patti 50:04
I feel hopeful. I've also noticed that I, I physically feel better course. I'm not as tired as much. I'm not having to bathroom as much. I'm also I know that blood sugar mix definitely affects my mood. And so that's always been an eye has also helped with my mood and keeping that good arm or, you know, reasonable and reasonable.
Scott Benner 50:41
I hope people appreciate that when you said that sometimes when your blood sugar is low, you can get crappy that I did not make any kind of a SpongeBob SquarePants reference at all and call your crappy Patty.
Patti 50:52
Do it all the time at work? Yeah, well.
Scott Benner 50:58
God, Patti, I don't even know what you've really just I'm so thrilled listening to what you're saying that I've now become a listener to the podcast that I'm not hosting it anymore. And I apologize to everybody for that. But I but I hope you can understand I just It's never happened before I just listening to you talk about about what start, you know where you were? And how and I guess maybe it's not even where you are right? As much as it is for how long you were there? And then, because I mean, I'm guessing but 23 years into it. I don't imagine you thought this was ever getting better.
Patti 51:35
No, I can, um, I had a pretty grim outlook. And I would always get frustrated myself. Because, you know, I would tell my things like, well, if I can go to nursing school and survive nursing, why can't I take care of my blood sugar? Like, you know, why? Why can I do one area of my life, but it seems like, you know, the diabetes is always an epic fail.
Scott Benner 52:02
So you even your successes made you feel bad?
Patti 52:06
Yeah, yeah, somewhat, or I would go on these, like, spurts where like, I'd be I'd be really focused on tape, or pouting, or whatever. And, but that would only last like a week and a half or something. And then
Scott Benner 52:24
that's why I don't count carbs.
Unknown Speaker 52:26
It bums me out.
Scott Benner 52:27
So lot of insulin, little bit of insulin that took this much last time, that kind of thing. That Bolus you heard me give Arden at the beginning of a podcast. I didn't. I tried to remember what was an early lunch. And then I was just like, just randomly picked the number of insulin not randomly, but I chose a I chose a bolus and we're What are you and I about? Gosh, we're 15 minutes into this. And I didn't talk about it up front. But Arden's blood sugar was a little stuck today. So it was 140 on our CGM, when she said it was time to Pre-Bolus for for lunch. I gave her 10 units, you know, which is meaningless to other people. It's, you know, obviously, the amount of insulin for the amount of food is different for everybody. But I gave her 10 units with an extended bolus. So I gave her 60% of it or six units right away. And I told the I told her to extend it over a half an hour. So they the remaining four units when and over the next 30 minutes. She didn't stop. She didn't start eating for 15 minutes after the balls probably have to take a drink. I'm sorry. Um, she's 120 now. And she's sort of drifting down. She's done eating, I would imagine and now that I've had time to reconsider there where Brock was in her lunch today was yogurt, broccoli to Oreo cookies, a grab bag of blue Doritos. A half a sandwich with Nutella on it. I want to say there was also watermelon a nice slice of watermelon. A iced tea with no sugar.
Unknown Speaker 54:00
And
Scott Benner 54:05
I don't know if there was something else or not. I think that was probably it. But best guess if I sit here and think about it, the bread probably was, I don't know. 18 carbs. And there was probably what? Eight carbs and atella the chips are probably 20 an hour up to like 40 I know the cookies word another 20. So that's 60 watermelon doesn't seem to touch her. She won't actually eat much of her yogurt. So I don't know maybe another 10 there. And then from there, the broccoli nothing and you know, blah blah blah blah blah. And then a unit or so for their blood sugar that I wanted to come down and 10 but I didn't do any of that math when I was talking to you in the beginning or when she was there just yesterday. It took nine units to bring her the nine and a half To get her at lunch, and she didn't have Oreos, and so I add a little more in some this time. gave her a little more up front I did yesterday. I'm sorry.
Patti 55:09
Oh, one. One thing I'm trying to figure out for me is that my mom makes a lot of homemade things. Take things so well yeah,
Scott Benner 55:22
I understand what you're saying. I just went I did you cut up for a second. I wasn't certain that you said cake things. But I got your homemade cake things. Good thing big cake. I understand Krabby Patty all the sudden, ah, yeah, I'm just
Patti 55:33
so and, and I always have trouble figuring out our content in there. And I saw this. There's this scanner out there where you can scan the food and it figures out the chemical emanation and reflect fight back to it. And then you can figure out how much carbohydrate is in this. And you use the weight of it really figure it out? And it actually is, it has worked out pretty well. You have? I do. Wow.
Scott Benner 56:08
Is it a tricorder? Star Trek reference? I
Unknown Speaker 56:12
don't know how that.
Unknown Speaker 56:15
What's it called?
Patti 56:16
I think it's called. Ah, no, or it's spelled i o si. Oh,
Scott Benner 56:24
look at that. That's amazing. Now I would tell you cut a piece of cake. Give yourself some insulin for it. If it takes more insulin to bring your blood sugar back down next time you have a piece of cake use that amount. Right. But then I wouldn't get a cool laser beam. So you know,
Patti 56:40
if I wanted a dinner date or something, I could take out dinner and
Scott Benner 56:47
you can also see how many cards they are. So what is it? I'm now online, we're now doing the least interesting thing on a podcast. I'm going to Google something so what's it called?
Patti 56:56
Um, it's spelled i O.
Unknown Speaker 57:01
It's about carbs. Let's
Patti 57:06
make an app that goes on your phone and you have to select the category that you're scanning. I'm
Scott Benner 57:18
pulling into question my, my Google foo here. It's not going well. Nutrition guidance si. Oh,
Unknown Speaker 57:28
personal training.
Scott Benner 57:30
All right, you're gonna have to send me a link you have a link that you can share with me.
Unknown Speaker 57:34
Yeah, I don't. I'm telling it right.
Unknown Speaker 57:43
I'm just gonna try to try quarter instead while you're doing that.
Patti 57:46
Oh, it's called diet
Scott Benner 57:50
diet sensor. Which by the way is not as I Oh, hold on the sensor. Diet sensor. Oh,
diet sensor calm. Let's take a look. That's not a laser beam. That's a little bit of a letdown Patty, but Okay, it looks pretty. So personal, nutritional advanced, Hillary. Alright, I'm gonna check it out. I am, why not? Give it a shot. So
Patti 58:17
you just always pretend that there's a laser beam. Oh, don't worry. I
Scott Benner 58:20
will. Though. Don't you worry. Patti. There's gonna be a laser beam when I push the button If I get this thing. I'm gonna check into it. I really I mean, why don't you tell me you put you do it and it tells me how many carbs are in my food. If I know the weight of the thing.
Patti 58:36
Yeah, I can stand up bread and it'll give me the amount for a certain amount of weight but then I put it on sale and I just plug in the number for how much it weighs. And then it gives me the amount of carbs for that and I tested it out on a piece of candy and it was very accurate.
Scott Benner 59:03
Is it expensive?
Patti 59:06
Like 240
Scott Benner 59:08
right I'm gonna look into it nobody go get it. Yeah, we'll try it we'll try it out see if we can find our see if we can get him to send us one and give it a shot. Okay. All right, Patty. Listen, we're up towards an hour you are absolutely delightful. I said earlier I was delightful but that's not true you are and and seriously I just really appreciate you doing this I appreciate your reaching out and the thank you note was just really well received on my end I want you to know and i i genuinely appreciate the getting it but your story just in general just it knocked me over and and now that to hear it you know spoken in your words is even it's a little more than I could handle today. Obviously everybody there's gonna be people are going to people who listen to podcast and be like there was minutes where Scott didn't talk, which must have been bizarre. They must have thought my microphone was not broken. I was just just kept listening to what Patti was saying. And thinking Wow, she's she's come so far and and, and your perseverance is seriously admirable because I've I don't know that I could have like slog through 23 years and still found like light at the end of the tunnel I I might have given up so I it's just amazing what you're doing and I want to congratulate you on it and wish you the best of luck moving forward with it.
Patti 1:00:26
Well, thank you for doing these podcasts. Don't stop
Scott Benner 1:00:31
it I won't stop a lot of pressure for me, but okay. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 1:00:36
well listen all the time with them so
Scott Benner 1:00:39
well, Patti, you're in luck. And I joked with somebody the other day. So probably somebody who hear me say this twice. But I've sold ads for the year already. So I'm stuck. I can't stop whether I want to or not at this point, I have a podcast. But actually, you know what, joking aside, that's really great. Because the sponsors, you know, make the podcast possible with my time and and that kind of thing. And in the times when I'm sort of like, Oh, God, Do I really have to do this right now? Like, I go, Yeah, I do. And then you know, and it doesn't happen to me often. But there's, you know, you can imagine that sometimes life will get away from me or I was sick when I had to put one out one day, and I was just like, the last thing I wanted to do was sit down at my computer and, and, and put together edit and upload an episode. But I just was like, You know what, like, I've made promises to people. And so I followed through, not that I need that every day, most days. It's just really cool to talk to people like you. But but but seriously, I appreciate it. I don't I need to stop talking because I sound I know I sound foolish today. So thank you very much. I wish you just a ton of success moving forward. And please, I hope you keep in touch.
Patti 1:01:47
I will. And thank you very much.
Scott Benner 1:01:50
Now you're it's really My pleasure. Thank you so much. I hope you have a great day. Oh my god, Patti is adorable. She really is. My mood just got better hearing her voice at the end say you to listen guys, thank you so much to Patti for being open on us talking about her, her sadness and her anger and all the things that she's done to try to get herself back from those feelings. That's really incredible. Thank you also on the pod at Dexcom for sponsoring the Juicebox Podcast, you guys can go to my omnipod.com forward slash juice box, or dexcom.com forward slash juice box or go to Juicebox Podcast com links in your show notes. Please find a way to get these great devices to try. Next week, we're going to do an episode with all you Instagram folks out there T one Junebug. You're gonna like it a lot. It's really great. and with any luck, I'll have a little update for you about Arden and her blood pressure will be back to normal. I'm hoping knock on some wood here. And that's pretty much it. I'm sorry for my lack of enthusiasm during the ads and stuff that I just there's a lot going on here. I'll see you guys next week.
The Juicebox Podcast is a free show, but if you'd like to support the podcast directly, you can make a gift here. Recent donations were used to pay for podcast hosting fees. Thank you to all who have sent 5, 10 and 20 dollars!