Transcript
amandacberg: Today's episode is sponsored by fieldwork fieldwork is a qualitative research support system that has incentivized research studies across the country you can sign up for their general participant dashboard so you can stay in the loop on upcoming research studies in thirteen of their brick and mortar offices or You can opt in for online only research when signing up. They aren't limited to T1D only. They do type 2 research, which is also needed, plus fast food, to automobiles, medical conditions, to mock trials, and so much more. It doesn't matter if you live with type 1 or take care of someone with type 1, they will likely have a study for you.
amandacberg: Personally, I love jumping in and doing these sorts of research studies. It just makes me feel like I'm giving back to the type one community. A lot of them do have really nice incentives, which is a great perk. um So I just feel like it's a win -win for everyone. And I really encourage you to check out the link in our show notes and also in our Instagram bio and um see if you can participate now or in the future. So thank you, fieldwork.
amanda: Yay!
amandacberg: um I'm also going to disclose I'm in a contracted agreement with tandem diabetes right now. And now to the fun stuff. We have a really, really exciting episode today. We have Nat, who has been working with type one together kind of behind the scenes for a while now um Started as like an intern. I don't necessarily want to call you that anymore now I feel like you know you especially throughout the summer have really been working so much more closely with us and So welcome to the show
Nat: Well, thank you. I'm excited to be on the other side of the screen this week. So that's exciting.
amandacberg: Yeah, so Nat actually edits our podcast episodes and does just so much to help us like cut all the clips and all these extremely time consuming things. So she knows the podcast well.
Nat: Yes, and if I'm not editing clips, I'm listening. So it's just the same the same thing every week, but it's excited to be on the opposite side.
amandacberg: I love it.
Nat: So thank you for having me.
amanda: We're so stoked to have you here. um Okay, let's maybe we just dive into it. um And can you tell people your story about this? Because it's so crazy.
amandacberg: Crazy.
Nat: Yeah so I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a type 1 diabetic summer camp which is kind of a unique situation. Did not expect that to be how my summer was going to go. A lady reached out to me because I volunteered at this summer camp like a year before and she would chat to me and she's like we have this management position open. We would love for you to do like an internship with us and I was like Yes, this sounds like so much fun and I have a cousin that has type 1 diabetes. So she lives in Florida and I live in Ohio, so it's a little bit of a distance between us and I never got to really learn like what it was like for her to live with it. So getting to work closely with these kids, I was thinking, oh, this will be a good way to better understand what my cousin goes through every day.
amandacberg: i don't mean to laugh
amanda: Oh, it's so sad as you're talking about it. It's like poor little, poor little Nat who like didn't know it was coming, but okay, keep going.
Nat: I kind of like knew it was coming though, but not knowing what it was. So about a month before I went to the internship, I was like, mom, I feel like crap.
amandacberg: I
Nat: Like I cannot get out of bed, but I also can't sleep. I'm peeing all through the night.
amandacberg: don't mean to laugh.
Nat: Like I'm peeing, I'm peeing, I'm peeing. And like my mom is in the medical fieldish and my dad's like on the complete opposite side. And so nobody really knew like, why I was feeling this way. They took me to the doctor. The doctor said nothing. So I go to the summer camp and I just like, I'm dreading it the whole like week before. I'm like, I'm not, I can't go. I can't go. I was sunburned. So knowing now how sunburn affects diabetes, that's why I felt like extra poopy, if that makes sense.
amandacberg: Mm.
Nat: And I went to the camp and they were like, First day of staff training, let's all prick fingers and learn how to take children's blood sugars. My friend Sarah pricked my finger and my blood sugar was like 175 fasting. And I had the highest blood sugar out of all the type one diabetics there in the morning, which is very interesting. And they were giving out tattoos to the people with the highest and the lowest blood sugar, like as like a joke.
amandacberg: What?
Nat: Do you know what I mean? So it it was just like, okay. ah And then the healthcare director, she was like, are you sure? Like, like, and this is concerning. And I was like, oh, is it? No, I'm okay. And then she's like, we'll monitor throughout the day. And throughout the day, like we just kept seeing like 200s, 300s. And like after dinner, my blood sugar was 350. It was the end of our work day. They pulled me into the clinic and they're like, you need to go to the hospital right now.
Nat: Like you have diabetes. And I said, no, I don't know. I don't like literally no, I don't. And they, uh, it's so hard to like remember all these things because it was so, so like crazy, but honestly, like,
amandacberg: Wait, so during the day, like while you were monitoring and knowing you're going to keep pricking throughout the day, were you thinking like, Oh my gosh, I might have type one. Like, was it already there? You were just kind of like, ha ha, whatever.
Nat: haha whatever and like all the people around me were like it's okay you're fine like it'll be okay like trying to be so reassuring because all these people around me have type 1 and so it's like going through my head was like i'm fine like never couldn't be me honestly i was thinking more like i'm i'm i got 19 when i was diagnosed so i was like i'm 19 i'm not i don't have type 1 diabetes
amanda: Mm hmm.
Nat: so yeah in my head that wasn't really like it wasn't really a possibility of that going through my brain if that makes sense so yeah who so yes and yes so
amandacberg: Yeah.
amanda: Oh my God. OK, so.
amandacberg: I've heard crazy stories. This has to be the craziest.
amanda: Yeah, so you went to the hospital at night. When were you discharged and did you go back to camp?
amandacberg: Wow.
amanda: Crazy.
Nat: My dad picked me up from the summer camp because he's like, I want to go with you. It was about nine o 'clock, 10 o 'clock when we left there. And it was an hour away from my house. And then the closest hospital was another like 25 minute drive from the summer camp. So we went to the closest hospital. And because I was 19, they put me in a Peds clinic because the adult emergency room was full.
amanda: Oh my gosh.
Nat: Okay. And now this is where to me, this story gets crazier because I'm an hour and a half away from home. I know the nurse that pricks my first blood sugar. I grew up with her.
amandacberg: Whoa.
Nat: And then I know the second nurse that is like doing my IVs and like taking care of me. She is a cousin of a friend that I grew up with.
amanda: What?
Nat: So two nurses at this hospital an hour and a half away are people that I know, which is very ironic. So that's to me where the it gets weird.
amanda: So weird.
Nat: And then we got discharged around like four o 'clock in the morning. I wasn't given any anything. No insulin, no IV fluids, nothing. They just said you have like diabetes mellitus, like we're not sure what kind. If you tell an endocrinologist in our clinic that you were at the ER, they'll have to get you in within a week.
amandacberg: Uh, a weep?
amanda: What?
Nat: Yes. So
amandacberg: Wow.
Nat: Then like the next day I went home because obviously we got home at like five in the morning after driving an hour and a half home I slept and then I just to remember my dad being like okay we're gonna eat eggs and sausage for breakfast and we're gonna walk four miles today and he's like okay dad like he's like and we're gonna prick your finger every like two hours and like that was the most like i don't know just like unsure unsure what was going on and then i got an appointment with an endo and then they were like we think you have type 2 diabetes
amanda: Oh my god.
Nat: And then they did all the blood work. And then I've interpreted my own blood work before I even got a call from an endocrinologist that I had type 1 diabetes.
amanda: a How did you come to that conclusion?
Nat: Well, it was a lot of bothering a lot of the people that worked at the summer camp being like, what does this mean? What is a C -peptide?
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: What does this mean?
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: I don't know what this means. like and then when like the antibody test takes the longest or took the longest for me and that was what was really like the clear indicator because my body still produces some insulin but it doesn't have like like during that time i wasn't in dka i wasn't in like do you know what i mean we caught it in an earlier stage that like i still was producing some form of insulin yeah
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: Thank
amanda: Wow. Oh my word. Okay. I just, so how how, how many days did you like rest at home before you just went right back to camp?
Nat: Probably two. And then I was like, I need to go back and be with these people.
amandacberg: you.
Nat: I said, I don't know what kind of like, what's going on with me. And I don't know how to best deal with this. And I'm not really getting like many answers. So I think that that's like the best place with me, like the best place for me. So after my first endo visit, we drove straight to camp and dropped me back off there.
amanda: So after your first end of visit, did you leave with insulin and supplies?
Nat: No. Uh, I already, yeah.
amandacberg: Shh.
amanda: I'm sorry, I'm like, what the actual F is happening? Why?
Nat: So after my first endo visit, I had, when I, when they took me to the hospital to like see if I had diabetes, well, they knew I had diabetes, but it was like, what kind? Um, a lady at camp made me a little bag that said like Nat's diabetes kit and like gave me a blood glucose monitor and
amanda: Oh.
Nat: like anything that I would need to like, check blood sugar pretty much. I, so I had all that stuff and I left my endo office with the same stuff that I already had, if that makes sense, before I even went there.
amandacberg: Mm hmm.
Nat: When I left the endo's office, all that I left with was a prescription for metformin because they thought that because of my age, I had type 2 diabetes. So I,
amandacberg: Which is like so obviously not that way anymore. Like even JDF changed their name because it's not juvenile diabetes.
amanda: Gosh.
amandacberg: Come on.
Nat: Yeah.
amandacberg: Crazy.
Nat: Yes. So no insulin, no insulin prescription until I called my doctor and I said, hi, I have type one diabetes. Can I please have insulin?
amanda: Wow.
amandacberg: And you would have not known that if you weren't at camp, right?
amanda: Wow.
Nat: No, I wouldn't have known any. They taught me at everything. I didn't go to a diabetes educator. I want to camp. Like that is how that worked for me. and So.
amanda: So when you went back to camp, like, did people share their insulin with you and help you start like narrowing down carb ratios? Or were you just like, I'm going to eat keto until further notice? Like what?
Nat: Yeah honestly like the first couple weeks I think is like kind of trauma blocked from my memories like I'm not gonna lie like a I was working like a lot of hours and be like it was all so new and I didn't know what was really going on so like I
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: don't remember anybody like sharing insulin with me. Like I think legally the camp, I'm almost positive, the camp cannot give me medication that is not prescribed for me by ah them or another doctor, like they them as doctors or another doctor, or they could lose their medical license.
amanda: Yeah. yeah
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: So they were very adamant on like, we're not like like like, not like we're not providing you insulin, but like wait to see what your endo says and see what your test results come back in as. once i got like Once I got those test results, they put me on Lantis. No meal time insulin because they were scared that it was too aggressive as a form of treatment. And I stayed on Lantis for probably three or four weeks. And my blood sugars were between 250 and 350 every day.
Nat: No going under that.
amanda: No.
amandacberg: Oof.
Nat: So then I finally like, I was like, I need to be on mealtime insulin. And this is like when I was like starting to get annoyed and they finally put me on mealtime insulin. And that was when like, if like I needed insulin camp would like provide it, all of that kind of stuff. They have like an excess overflow of that stuff. So they help the staff out as well. But I do remember doing a lot of injections with people, like my first couple injections, like they were very hard and like, a lot of staff that were younger than me that were like becoming friends.
Nat: Like I remember there being a lot of tears and a lot of just like hand holding through all of that.
amanda: and
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: Yeah.
amanda: Did you ah give yourself your own first injection or did somebody else give you your first injection?
Nat: I put my first CGM on before I ever did an injection.
amanda: Oh my God.
Nat: So I had a CGM before I had insulin. So I put the CGM on first by myself.
amanda: Okay, nice.
Nat: My first injection I also did by myself.
amanda: Wow.
Nat: I don't think anybody has ever really done an injection for me only like a Dexcom change or like a site change if like friends or family want to learn.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: um and
Nat: Yeah.
amanda: Wow.
Nat: Yeah. yeah
amandacberg: So crazy.
Nat: you
amandacberg: But also beautiful that you were able to have that community from the very start. And it wasn't even like you had to seek it out like a lot of people do, which also might have come with more challenges. I don't know. um Just being thrown into that right away. But I imagine it'd be kind of cool that like people were there through or with you through it all from the start and able to answer all your questions and stuff.
Nat: Yeah.
Nat: It was really unique because in one way it was lovely. like I love the all of those people. like I have connections with all of them. We all just celebrated my first anniversary together.
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: like They were all at my house.
amandacberg: So cute.
Nat: We were sharing stories and like I feel like all of them feel a connection to my diabetes as well because I feel like they kind of got to like see somebody else literally go through what they went through in real time. Do you know what I mean? How how likely is it, unless you have a sibling that gets diabetes or like a very close family member, that you get to see somebody else live what you went through like with that process?
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: It's very rare.
amanda: Yeah, very true.
amandacberg: True.
Nat: so I'm very lucky that I got to be there with them, but at the same time it was like, you're one of us, you're one of us, like yay, yay.
amandacberg: ah
Nat: it's I feel like I didn't really get to like grieve like everything I was going through until I like left for the summer and like came home and like had to like adapt to like real life with it that I got to like really like feel all the feels, if that makes sense.
amandacberg: in.
amanda: Yeah, totally because you're if you are getting diagnosed and then you're immediately thrown into type one community and you're surrounded by it, it feels I imagine it would feel easier to process or even to just shove it aside, you know, like you're not processing it necessarily.
Nat: Oh.
amanda: It's just like off to the side. like Yeah, I'll poke like the rest of you fun, fun, cute, cute. And then you go at home and suddenly like your solo, you're all by yourself.
amandacberg: Mm hmm.
amanda: Doing everything and you know, and then it's like, wait, no, I'm supposed to go back home.
Nat: Yeah.
amanda: without diabetes because that's how I left my home is without diabetes.
Nat: yeah
amandacberg: Yeah. Okay. So you just had your year diversity. I really don't remember my first year of diabetes at all. So I'm kind of curious, like, just, do you have anything you want to share about what that's been like in the past year? I know you've tried different things. You got on a pump, right? If there's anything in there you want to share about, we'd love to hear.
Nat: yeah yeah so i've been on like a bunch of different types of insulin therapy. So I was on MDI for literally like two weeks. And then I said, I need to be on an insulin pump because this is stupid. So it's not stupid.
amandacberg: Yep.
Nat: It's just how I felt was like, I knew that I could feel so much better.
amandacberg: Yes.
amanda: Yes.
Nat: And I wanted to like, my cousin is on the Omnipod. I had i was around a bunch of people that were on pumps. It was more convenient. I got to see the difference between children that had MDI, an Omnipod, in a tslat and And I swam every day.
amandacberg: and
Nat: I was outside and being active. And I was like, I need to be on the Omnipod. and So I started that and I just think that I didn't get to really like learn how like the algorithm like works with my body. So like it just wasn't something that necessarily I a had time to really devote to because by the time that I was like really frustrated with it, I was like really in deep with school and needed to focus on that. And B, I have a really close friend who has had a lot of success on the T -Slim. So I was like, I want to just try this and see if it works. And if worse comes to worse, like omnipods through pharmacy benefits. And even though I'm in like a warranty with T -Slim, I'll just switch back. And I have not looked back since I like switched to the T -Slim. Like it's been so good. Like my numbers are so much better. And I feel like I feel overall the freedom that I feel like with the pump, like makes
Nat: all the difference to like having a tube and having your screen connected to you and getting it caught on doors and the annoying time that it takes or site changes.
amandacberg: Thank you.
Nat: There's a long list, but I feel like how I feel makes that list like go away.
amanda: Hmm.
Nat: So I've been really like lucky to have success with that and learn how it works a little bit better. but within my first year like those are the insulin things that I've been on and like the technical stuff but like I feel like emotionally in the past year I've grown like a lot as a person and I feel like as a young adult now it's really easy to get like sucked into like a negative like mindset it's like
Nat: We grew up on social media. We grew up like seeking constant validation from people. And then it's like, once you're this age, like a lot of that kind of stuff stops and you have to like kind of learn how to navigate life. And honestly, like before I got diagnosed, I was really like depressed and like trying to figure out like what I wanted to do with my life, where I wanted to go. And then honestly, like my parents and my family would even say like, when I got diagnosed with diabetes, like it completely changed my life. Like, I know what I want to do, like what I'm passionate about.
Nat: like I feel so much more like like drive and like need to like live, if that makes sense. So it gets you out of this like depressive kind of funk because you're like, oh, I have to do these things like in order to survive so I cannot be like in a bad headspace because i'm like in a like i'm I'm moving and grooving.
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: You know what I mean? like I have these things I need to do.
amandacberg: I don't think a lot of people think about it that way and I love that you do. I agree. like I almost think that I'm thankful for diabetes. I say that sometimes even though some people can't believe it and they hate that, but the truth is it has also given me that excitement and like appreciation for life.
Nat: oh
amandacberg: and But you can go the opposite way so easily. right like It can really turn the other way where instead of it
Nat: Oh.
amandacberg: creating less depression and anxiety and all the things that can definitely cause more. So I'm proud of you just like hearing you say that and I love that outlook so much and I hope that parents can take that away too.
Nat: Well, thank you. Yeah, I think that it's really, you're right. It really is. You can go one way or the other, but I feel like from what I've seen working with a like diabetic teens and diabetic adults, like what I've seen is like the more controlled people's blood sugars are, the more you know like they feel good in their, like physically, like mentally, and emotionally, a lot of that stuff starts to feel a lot better.
Nat: And so I think that that could be a result of also why like after I got my sugars like in control, I feel a lot more mentally sound, if that makes sense. But also I feel a lot more drive, if that makes sense. So a lot of there a lot of factors in there.
amanda: Yeah I love that that's so just to echo what Raquel said it's like such a refreshing take and I think that sometimes a lot of people need to like snap out of the woe is me like everything is so hard I think there's always a place to acknowledge how challenging things are and to like let yourself be sad and feel sad but if you are in a constant spiral of that and you like can't pull yourself out of it I don't really know the answer of how to pull yourself out of it but like
amanda: how incredibly yeah beautiful and refreshing to know that there is this alternative way to view your life with diabetes. um Yeah, hopefully that touches a lot of people.
Nat: And I'm not, yeah, I'm not going to lie. It's not been like rainbows and sunshines and butterflies, like, and like, this is making my life so much better because there's been like a lot of times over this past year where I'm like crying, like uncontrollably wondering why, why, why, why me? Why did this happen to me? Why am I going through this? Like all these people that are my age, like, are out having fun, dating, meeting new people, going out to eat. And I like feel all of those things that I just described that are like normal or like the status quo for my age, I don't feel like I want to do them necessarily, but sometimes I feel like I'm missing out of something. And I'm like, do you know what I mean? So at the same time, I feel like
Nat: sometimes it does put people in a rut and puts me in a rut and not everything's sunshine happy rainbows.
amanda: But you can do all that stuff. Are you just talking about like the spontaneity aspect of it?
Nat: Yes, yes, it's like and also like the the responsibility of diabetes in those situations.
amandacberg: i higher
Nat: It's always there and I know like Raquel and I have talked about this personally but like Going out and drinking for us looks way different than it looks for somebody without diabetes like I have to make sure I have this this this and this and like what if my pump comes off and what if Like so now I'm taking this big bag into the nightclub and I look weird.
amandacberg: It's always there.
amandacberg: Hello.
Nat: Do you know what I mean?
amanda: Ha!
Nat: like
amandacberg: Well, it's like the whole point of maybe going out and having a drink is to like let loose and disconnect, right? But then in order to disconnect, we have to almost reconnect with this other aspect of our life even more to be extra careful that something's not going to go wrong. So it kind of just like strips away the fun. Obviously, there's an in between where you can just have a little, you know, but I hear that.
Nat: Yes. Yes. And I'm also like very type A with my management. Like it has to be a certain way. And so for me, even though I could do those things, I, my brain won't let me, if that makes sense.
amanda: Yeah, I'm curious how long that will last because I feel like everyone has like management approaches where you sort of ebb and flow where it's like, okay, I'm gonna dip into a little bit of an autopilot and not be so like strict with myself.
amandacberg: Thanks.
amanda: And like, I'm just too, too tired and too mentally taxed to be 100 % type A the whole time. So I'm curious if that will happen for you at some point and like what that will look like. I don't ever see you getting to a burnout point where you like don't manage well, and just based on what I know about you. and the kind of person you are but yeah I'm curious if like year one it's still full steam ahead and there's some time in the future where it can feel a little less ever so slightly a little less responsibility there I don't know I also can't speak to living with it you know so
Nat: Yeah.
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: Yeah. I can say like with specific friends and like, because I do all of my management, you know, myself and like a lot of that control is within me, which I think instills that like, you know, I need to be paying attention. I need to be paying attention, but like, having really good friends, like I have one friend that has done like, the she knows what kind of pump I'm on, what kind of decks come I'm on. She listens to the podcast every week. She's like so into it and I love it.
amanda: Oh.
amandacberg: That's so sweet.
Nat: And she's like the only friend that I feel comfortable around that like, if anything happens to me, I know I'm safe. And so she's like my go -to person, do you know what I mean?
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: So I feel like with those kinds of people, I can relax more and like not be so like,
amanda: Mm.
Nat: Things need to be a certain way because I'm the only person here that knows what to do in any situation.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: Yes. I think it's also shifted for me more recently that like the more controlled or I don't know like that word, but the more in range close to 100 you are more often than the more you feel those highs, right? So like I think I'm in a place mentally now where it's like, oh yeah, if I go out drinking or something, I don't really care mentally if I'm 200 for a few hours. Like I know that's not going to ruin my life, but I care because I don't feel good.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: And so then I'm like, Oh, I do. Like I don't want to let it get to that point. Um, Do you feel your highs and lows a lot, Nat?
Nat: Yes and no, if that makes sense. So it just depends really like, I feel like it depends on what my blood triggers were before and how like, how much I'm moving up and down. Um, I like, I can recall the first time I was low and being like, this is a feeling that I have never felt before in the world. And like, I was like, crying like i was crying because i'm like i don't know what what's going on like and very like so yes the first time i went low i did feel it and i feel like every time i go low since then like it is a similar feeling if that makes sense but it's not as like extreme unless i'm like
amanda: Hmm.
amanda: Mm -hmm.
amandacberg: That's so interesting because I feel like I've never had a conversation with someone who like lived before diabetes and then lived after and has a lot of memory. And like, I always tell people don't type one, like, oh, I'm sure you felt what low blood sugar is like kind of before when you're just really hungry or tired. But it's interesting that it like was a feeling you had never felt before. And I've cried for many lows before. That's like the one thing that makes me cry still is like if I were really, really bad low, like sometimes they're just so awful. Yeah.
Nat: Yeah and I would say highs like I feel like I did like explain how I was explaining to you like I wasn't feeling good like couldn't sleep like peeing all the time when I have high blood sugar I people ask me what it feels like and I said it feels like my eyes being pulled in like back into my head if that makes sense
amanda: Ooh.
Nat: Like I don't know how to like explain that, but like I'm get so tired and my eyes feel like they're getting literally yanked. Like, I don't know how to explain it other than that.
amanda: That's so gnarly.
Nat: And I just am like constantly in a bad mood, but like that's how I can like feel that. And that's what it used to feel like to me as well.
amandacberg: Hmm, interesting.
amanda: Good Lord, what's the so the low I, I am prone to um coming close to passing out. And I like you know struggled with super severe anxiety for all of my 20s.
amandacberg: Okay.
amanda: And when I think about a low, I think about that, like kind of heart racing, like my limbs would go numb a little bit, vision blurred, um like really tired, just feel very faint. Is that similar to what you guys feel?
amandacberg: I think yes, but there's like one part of being low and one part of being high that I feel like I can never put into words.
Nat: i I always feel like, do you know, like when there's in a movie and like a person standing in a room and there's like a sound, like a specific sound that sounds like silence.
amandacberg: It's just this feeling that feels like nothing else ever that is like the low feeling and the high feeling, but you may have felt that, but I don't know how to communicate it.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: but it's like, that's what it feels like. And like you are alone in a room and like it is like silent to me.
amanda: Yeah.
amanda: You're like blocking out, but you can still see ahead of you.
Nat: Yeah.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: Yes. And sometimes like when I get low specifically, like I become more fun if that makes sense because I just like don't know what's going on.
amanda: Oh my god.
amandacberg: I get really giggly sometimes.
Nat: Yeah. yeah um just like, I don't know.
amandacberg: But that's like before it gets bad.
Nat: Yeah. yes
amandacberg: There's like levels, right? That's like a 60 low.
Nat: yet
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: yeah
amanda: OK.
amandacberg: That's so interesting.
Nat: yeah
amanda: Oh, God. All right. This is good. It's good info for me because I try to ask Caddy, but she doesn't really know how to verbalize this stuff yet. um Yesterday, she ah was it yesterday. I don't know. Recently. We had to change her Dexcom like right as I dropped her off at school.
Nat: Yes. Yes.
amanda: And then her teacher had the wherewithal, thank goodness, to poke her finger literally just 30 minutes later.
Nat: Yes.
amanda: So as I was leaving, I poked her finger. She was 110 steady because like all of her numbers before I took off the Dexcom were around 110. And then she poked her finger just 30 minutes later and she was 48.
amandacberg: Yeah, we were on our call, right?
amanda: And so
Nat: Yeah, we were all together on the call.
amandacberg: What happened?
amanda: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes. God. And so I asked how do you like, you know, when I picked her up, Hey, you had a pretty scary low earlier. Good thing. Miss Kylie caught it. Like, are you okay? And she was like, yeah, I'm good. And I was like, did you feel it, honey? Because when I left her that morning, I said, honey, you will not have a Dexcom reading for two hours. So if you feel funny, you have to tell Miss Kylie, she's like okay mom she goes no I didn't feel it and I was like really it was so low it was like in the 40s and she goes hmm and I was like did you feel it but you just didn't want to stop playing she goes yeah I felt it I just really didn't want to stop playing with my friends mom I was like guide it how do I fix that help me
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: With age, I mean, Hattie's four, right?
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: I've worked with type one, five year olds. That's like the lowest age that camp has. And those are kids that are going to be less like vocal about what's going on with their body and like have experienced a lot of like medical trauma from like a young age that like.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: talking about those things without having an open like parent relationship or a therapist from a young age for a child will be hard for the to express until they get older.
amanda: Mm -hm.
Nat: that
amandacberg: When you first told me that, Amanda, I was originally like in my head thinking about some sort of positive reinforcement thing where like if she does tell her teacher how she's feeling or I don't know what that could be because I've worked with families that have had like a jar of marbles and when it gets to the top, they get to do a fun activity.
amanda: Mm -hm.
amandacberg: But then it's also hard because like I definitely fell into the trap when I was younger of like purposely overdosing myself when I was able to so that I could be low and have the tree or whatever.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: um So that's a really slippery slope. But I think for certain kids, it could work.
amanda: Yeah, Hattie would, I think she would cry wolf because she's so into getting new toys.
amandacberg: a
amanda: She really she really loves new toys. When we ask her what she would like to do for a date, because Danny and I will take the kids out on separate dates just solo, it is always go to Target and pick out a toy.
amandacberg: I can't blame her. Same.
amanda: Um, but yeah, that's interesting.
Nat: Me too.
amanda: I'll have to start thinking about thinking about that. But then it's like, but then it's like the focus of like, you did a good job with diabetes. And then how far of a slippery slope is that where then her like identity is rooted in being good at diabetes.
amandacberg: Well, it's not related to her actual blood sugar, right? Which I think is where it could get dangerous.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: It's not like your blood sugar was 105. You're good. It's like, I mean, the truth is and the reality is you do have to take care of yourself. And I don't think positively rewarding yourself for that. Like, that's why we celebrate diversaries. You're celebrating the hardship and everything you did.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: um
amanda: True.
amandacberg: Not that it's all perfect, but I think it's better to have that mindset around it than the opposite.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: Maybe.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: It's a tough one. um Okay, now I want to hear about celiac as well, because that's another part of your journey, right?
Nat: Yes. That one, this is okay. Type 1 diabetes is hard, but having both is like a trick, Rick. I can't explain it any way other than that. I was diagnosed with but type 1 in June, diagnosed celiac in November, the week before Thanksgiving.
amandacberg: Oh.
Nat: So horrible.
amanda: Oh my gosh.
Nat: I stopped eating gluten before I found out I was celiac because I was like I can't eat this anymore I'm gonna be sick like every time I was eating gluten and then they did all like my blood work and then I went and had a colonoscopy that like confirmed celiac disease because I have to like take a biopsy of your small intestine but honestly like yes
amandacberg: Sounds horrible.
amanda: They put you under for that?
Nat: Yeah, it's just like, a yeah, I was, but the worst part is the before the colonoscopy and then the rest of it, you're fine.
amanda: Okay.
amandacberg: Yum.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: And then after I went out to get Mexican mexican food, so that was even better. um open But i um I just, yeah, it's it's very interesting to deal with diabetes and celiac in the fact that before I knew, I think my blood sugars were a lot worse because my body wasn't absorbing the nutrients that it needed because I was eating gluten.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: And.
Nat: So that could be why only pod five did not work for me because I switched in November to the T -Slim when I found out I had celiac disease.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: So that could be why my blood sugars were like constantly high, constantly, constantly high.
amanda: Yep.
Nat: so it's been interesting and navigating like social relationships with that has been very interesting like going out to eat with friends going out to eat with family family dinners dating people anything that you can have the topic of that has been interesting is interesting with celiac disease like it's different it's different because there is no treatment for celiac so when you feel like crap
amandacberg: more than diabetes, you think?
Nat: you're not gonna necessarily die. It will lead to other health complications. You're not gonna die, but you're gonna feel like crap for a while, and there's nothing you can do. With diabetes, it's a lot more like, okay, I have a low blood sugar, I feel like crap for 30, 40 minutes, and then I move on with my day.
amanda: ah
Nat: Do you know what I mean? My day goes on. Yes, it's scarier in the fact that like it could lead to death. like very instantly, like diabetes, like, I'm sorry.
amandacberg: I feel like we're laughing at all their own things.
amanda: I'm sorry, like I'm sorry, but like that is that is fucking wild.
amandacberg: No, I am too. I am too.
amandacberg: What is our life?
amanda: that we all like what exactly what is our life that's fucking wild like some i I get it it sits with me it lives with me every single day I think about it every move I make every move you guys make is literally preventing death okay all right we're gonna we're gonna skip past that existential conversation there keep going that
Nat: Yeah.
Nat: yeah
amandacberg: Oh god.
amanda: Tell me all about your gut issues.
amandacberg: ah
amanda: I need more.
Nat: i
amandacberg: oh
Nat: um um definitely i think that like being before i had celiac before i knew i had celiac being type one and going out to eat and like doing fun things. I'm a foodie. I like food. I grew up in a house where like we ate dinner together every Sunday and we had family dinners like and that was like every holiday we ate the same food every holiday. Do you know what I mean?
amanda: Mm -hmm.
Nat: And so like going from that like I could have continued that with type one.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: Yep.
Nat: Now I cannot no longer continue that and like I grew up in a like a very Slavic house like
amandacberg: Oh.
Nat: My dad, his family's from Croatia, my grandparents cooked a bunch of Croatian food growing up, and like I can't eat like the food that like I love.
amanda: Mm.
Nat: but And there's nothing that tastes like it. There's nothing that you can replace with it.
amanda: Mm -hmm.
Nat: It's just like it's a missing piece of my heart, you know what I mean?
amanda: Ugh.
Nat: So it's like it's weird.
amandacberg: ah
Nat: So and they're both hard in like within them themselves. but like Being that like we're human beings and I think a lot of like relationships and stuff surround food, having both makes it severely complicated.
amanda: Yeah.
amanda: Yeah, that sounds terrible.
amandacberg: ah the
Nat: Yeah.
amanda: I'm sorry.
amandacberg: Oh.
Nat: No, no, no, no.
amandacberg: Uh. wonder like, because in San Diego, or even in Austin, where I lived before, like it was very gluten free friendly, and like all that stuff's getting more popular everywhere you go, but I'm not sure where you live. That's the same. Is it?
Nat: in I live in the area of Ohio that used to be like steel mills and then all the steel mills like left. And so there's like, I live in a town of 4 ,000 people. The closest grocery store is 20 minutes away. Like, yes, like it's not like, it's not accessible.
amanda: Oh, wow.
Nat: We have like one purely gluten -free restaurant that's within like an hour drive.
amanda: Oh.
Nat: So it's not like very accessible. in like rural America, if that makes sense.
amanda: So are you making your own food a lot?
Nat: Yeah, I make a lot of my own food where I'll like, I'm a snacker. I like ah like snacks. I would rather eat snacks than meals.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: So I'll go and grab like a snack from somewhere that like I know I can eat. and like It's a lot of meats and vegetables.
amandacberg: Yeah, do you have any tips for families that have kids living with celiac like in terms of certain brands you like or anything?
Nat: yeah i oh gosh okay i like there's a brand called Kevin's that has like pre -made meals which i don't think are horrible and i'll get that and like if i'm feeling lazy i'll get that and like Bob Evans mashed potatoes and that'll be my dinner and it's a great
amandacberg: like
amanda: Hmm. Nice. Yeah.
Nat: Um, and I think they're like great. You can put them in the microwave or in a pan. And so it's very simple and easy. I like, I don't know if you guys have Aldi there or I love Aldi.
amanda: Hmm.
amandacberg: Okay.
Nat: And like right when you walk in, they have a great produce section as well as like pre -made meals that like are gluten free.
amanda: Hmm.
amandacberg: Hmm.
Nat: They have like specific ones that are, and that's like what I'll do for meal time. They have a chicken pad thai. That's really good. And like a bunch of stuff like that. And they also have a good, like dry, good section there as well. I love gluten -free brownies. King Arthur's gluten -free brownies are my favorite. I'd eat those like a lot, but it's not ah good for me. But I still would eat them a lot.
amanda: Hahaha.
Nat: And also like for like baked treats, I love to like, we have a lot of like home bakeries that are like good gluten -free bakeries and I'll go and support them.
amanda: Awesome.
Nat: Yes.
amandacberg: Now it makes some videos for us on the honey health app in our super parents community and she's done some on celiac already so if anyone wants to hear like more from that in general but also about celiac you can check out that. um Okay and then since you brought it up I wasn't going to but can you speak to dating with type 1?
Nat: Oh, yeah, sure. So I recently got into a relationship and it's been really good. I know I'm a person for like forever, so he knows me like pre -diabetes, pre -celiac, pre all of this. Like I've known him since I was in high school and we like recently reconnected and like, it's been really interesting to like go over to his house and like his family is so like, we'll make everything gluten -free and like we use the different ban and like his mom also eats gluten -free so like it's really comfortable for like me to go over there and eat and also like you know like just like do daily like like life things with them but I definitely can say that like
amanda: Oh.
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: instead of like going out a lot and like doing stuff, because I feel like like when you go ah like when you start dating somebody, you start going out to eat a lot. A lot of people talk about like relationship weight and like you're like eating out and like going and doing all these things with like a significant other. But like I feel like a lot of our relationship has been like, oh, we're like hanging out with each other's families and like being at home, because that's like the best like options for me to be safe.
amanda: Hmm.
Nat: like
amandacberg: Mm.
Nat: um but it's been interesting to try to like explain all of the things like bolus and basil and you know like the diabetes dictionary and it's like somebody that doesn't necessarily have to understand that but they want to and like it's been an interesting experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
amanda: Yeah.
amanda: Has, has he caught on to like what you're doing and will he be like, Oh, I don't, I don't know. Like guest carbs or, or say like, Oh, I see that you're rising or whatever.
amandacberg: I'll keep her low.
amanda: You know, like, is he doing that?
Nat: Not necessarily guest carbs, like I very much to like when I'm at a dinner table, like I just like when I pump out in like two seconds, it goes away.
amanda: Mm -hmm.
Nat: Like all people here is a beep and then they're like, okay, the Thai is just dosing herself. Do you know what I mean?
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: There's not much discussion around that, but definitely like he follows my Dex comment because I don't wake up
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: at night and nobody in my house wakes up at night to text call alarms. So I have like a few close friends that are on my and I have like my sugar mate calls turned on so like people will keep calling me until I wake up.
amanda: yeah
Nat: um But he definitely like has like called called me when I'm like 47 and I'm asleep and like has woken me up.
amanda: And do you wake up to the phone call?
Nat: Yes, because I have it like, like very loud and vibrate. And like, there's no Dexcom alarm that wakes me up. And I think part of it is like working with diabetic kids and like having their alarms go off all the time. Like, I feel like I have a little bit of like alarm, like blindness now, if that makes sense.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: Like just being around it so much, like that I don't really like recognize it. And I could set it to like a horse name or a baby cry, but kids also have those alarms and they're just the same. They don't work for me.
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: So I don't know.
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: That's like more or less my experience with that, but he definitely is like very hands on when I want him to be because I also am like, this is not yours. Like this is mine.
amanda: yeah
Nat: Like I'm not trying to be like, this is mine, but also like you don't have to worry about this. So please don't because I don't want to give you a headache. So oh yeah.
amanda: Do you feel like, um you know, what Raquel has said before a lot is it really weeds out the people who are high quality versus not so much. You feel like that has proven to be true.
Nat: Yes. A hundred percent. Yes. I feel like with friends too, like friends, I definitely have realized like what friends are like truly true friends by the way that they like not only like reacted to like my diagnosis, but have like in like have like adapted like our friendships because of like things that I can and can't do now or like would do versus do now if that makes sense.
amanda: Hmm.
amandacberg: Bye.
amanda: Yep.
Nat: So I feel like yes, it definitely weeds out the people that aren't like truly there for you and are more like in a relationship or in friendships for more like selfish reasons.
amanda: Right.
amandacberg: Do you ever feel like you don't want to bring up diabetes in front of him?
Nat: Definitely.
amandacberg: Not because he's not accepting or whatever, but I know I even get like that sometimes. Like I'm just like, uh, like it's annoying to me. So of course it's going to be annoying him.
Nat: I feel like that with everybody that does not have diabetes. it's It doesn't matter like who they are.
amandacberg: <unk>e
amanda: Hmm.
amandacberg: and
Nat: it's like And then I feel like when I go to my diabetic friends, I'm like constantly having this inner monologue, like, am I talking about diabetes so much? like I know we're friends, but we're not friends because we have diabetes. But we still happen to both have diabetes, and am I talking about this so much? it's just like
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: I feel more comfortable talking to people that can empathize rather than sympathize. And also I know that they're just as like annoyed or frustrated or like, like feeling all the same feelings that I am. So yes, I definitely like kind of hinder myself from talking to people that like can't empathize about like what I'm going through because they just can't understand. Like sometimes, and that's sometimes all I need is like somebody to be like, yeah, I get it.
amanda: Right.
Nat: Like,
amandacberg: Yeah.
Nat: diabetes sucks yeah i get it you know what i mean and having them say yeah i get it is different than like my mom being like oh honey i know i would take it away from you if i could i'm so sorry do you know what i mean it's different than than a friend being like yeah this is the worst like you know so definitely yes but yes i
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: This was so fun.
amandacberg: We're going to have to have you back for sure.
amanda: Absolutely.
Nat: who
amanda: Yeah.
Nat: Thank you. We could talk for hours, I think.
amanda: Yeah, for real.
amandacberg: Yeah.
amandacberg: There's a reason why you work with us, and it's been the best, and I hope there's a lot more to come. um Was there anything else that you wanted to discuss or share with our community?
Nat: Should I talk about the things that I work on with you guys real quick?
amandacberg: Yeah.
amanda: Yeah.
amandacberg: What are your favorite parts?
Nat: So, oh my gosh, nothing, nothing.
amandacberg: What do you hate about us, Nat? yeah
Nat: Honestly I hate that we're not closer so we can't like work together like in person because I feel like that would be yes I know we've never met in person but I love working on a lot of stuff especially
amandacberg: I've never met him before. It'll happen.
Nat: Lately I'm diving into the team together list, which is very cool opportunity. I got to work with a bunch of kids that have type one diabetes and now I get to help them connect. So it's a cool list that helps people get to know each other that have children in the same area that have type one. And that's like what I work on as well as a variety of video editing, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
amandacberg: so much stuff, honestly. like i didn I'm like like, can you do this?
amanda: Yeah, you cover all the bases, I feel like.
amandacberg: Can you add this email here?
Nat: i
amandacberg: Can you change this on our website? Oh my gosh, the website help is so good.
Nat: Yes.
amandacberg: um But yeah, the team together list is free just for everyone who will put it in the show notes as well.
amanda: what's your yeah um What's your favorite thing to work on for Type 1 together?
amandacberg: It's great.
Nat: o This is hard. Okay, I do like working on like the diabuddy stuff. I feel like that's like fun and interesting and I don't get to do like a lot of it so when I do get to make like videos with patches and like stuff like that it like kind of like makes me feel like a little kid again and like it's like it it makes me feel like cute inside and yes I know england but
amanda: Cute.
amandacberg: Yes.
amandacberg: Oh my gosh, we haven't done that forever. We gotta bring that back then.
amanda: Yeah, I love that.
amandacberg: That's great to know.
Nat: But I like to do honey health videos but I like to edit people's videos because I think it's really interesting to like hear what other people have to say and to like get people's perspectives because honestly like I don't really go on the honey health app and like scroll through there unless it's like specific groups I'm in but like hearing from like people that are like like Tate who's my like around my age who has had type but one for years and years and years that's like a lot more experience that I can benefit from and like learn how to better manage.
amanda: I love that.
Nat: so
amandacberg: Okay, if anyone listening has questions for Nat, because we're always trying to help her come up with different ideas of topics, but it would be even better to hear from you.
Nat: yeah
amandacberg: So feel free to submit questions. You can DM us on Instagram, and Nat will answer them through Honey Health Videos, which is also another free resource we have.
amanda: Perfect.
Nat: okay
amanda: All right. Nat, thank you so much for joining us today. I love chatting with you and learning more about you. It's the best.
amandacberg: I agree.
Nat: Well, thank you for having me.
amandacberg: How do we finish our podcasts?
Nat: Oh, what's your rule call?
amanda: ha
Nat: I'm 108. I'm not even letting.
amandacberg: You know it.
amanda: oh
Nat: I'm 108.
amandacberg: Stop. No way. Okay, that is weird.
amanda: She's so excited.
amandacberg: That is weird.
amanda: That was the best reaction ever to having 108 blood sugar. Hell yeah.
Nat: Yeah, it just hard it had to be. It had to be.
amandacberg: and to be at what the heck
amanda: That's awesome. Where are you, Raquel?
amandacberg: I'm 138.
amanda: Hattie's 111. So we're all kind of close ish, but the 108 man, that's amazing.
amandacberg: I mean something.
Nat: ah
amanda: I love it.
amandacberg: Wow.
Nat: Well, that was fun.
amanda: Yes.
amandacberg: availabl All right. We'll see everyone next week. Thanks for tuning in.
Nat: Thanks.
amanda: Thanks, everyone.
amandacberg: Bye.
amanda: Bye.
Nat: Bye.
