1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: This is Let's Be Clear with Shannon Doherty. Hello, let's 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: be clear listeners. My name is Jen Fessler, and you 3 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: may know me from the Real Housewives of New Jersey. 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: I also co host a podcast with my friend Jackie 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: Goldschneider called Who Jersey Jays. And let me just start 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 1: out by saying that I am so honored to be 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: guest hosting Shannon Doherty's podcast. I grew up really wanting 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: to be Brenda. To unlock my computer screen, it's nine 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: oh two one oh. Every time I unlock it, I 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,959 Speaker 1: think about just Beverly Hills nine O two one oh, Shannon, Brenda. 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: They are such a huge part of growing up for 12 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: me and thinking about her. I guess at that time 13 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: it was like the character, right, So thinking about Brenda. 14 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: I had dark hair, I wanted to look like her. 15 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: I wanted my boyfriend to be Luke Perry. There was just, 16 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: you know, it sort of ingrained in me. Is this 17 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: memory of Shannon acting on nine O two one zero, 18 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 1: And then as I got older, just this unbelievable admiration 19 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: that I had and have for her and what she 20 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: went through and how brave that she was fighting her 21 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: battle and so It is really an unbelievable and unbelievable 22 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: honor for me to be here. And I was asked 23 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: to be here because I do, like all of us, 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 1: I have a story. And I say I have a story. 25 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: It's my story. It's also my daughter's story. So I'll 26 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: tell you that my daughter, at age twelve, was diagnosed 27 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: with a chronic disease. She was diagnosed with type one diabetes. 28 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: And I don't know if any of you listeners either 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: have had HYPE one or have type one yourself, or 30 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: know someone. It's complicated disease. It's an autoimmune disease. It's 31 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: very different from type two diabetes. But let me start. 32 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: I'm just going to kind of tell you my story, 33 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: our story. It's complicated, right, Like I'm always trying to 34 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: figure out how much of this is about me and 35 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: how much of this is about my daughter, Rachel. I 36 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: think probably the answer is it's all about Rachel, but 37 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: it definitely affects me, and it affects our family, and 38 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 1: it's changed all of our lives. So when Rachel was 39 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: twelve years old she is twenty two today, she had 40 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: been feeling a lot of thirst and it just seemed 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: kind of funny and not anything meaningful. But she was 42 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: always thirsty and she was going to the bathroom a lot, 43 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: a lot of urination, and I really didn't think much 44 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: about it. The irony of that is that I'm a 45 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: huge hypochondriac and so and with my kids, I was 46 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: definitely I tried not to be, but I was definitely 47 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: overbearing with them, and any little health issue that they had, 48 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: and any little sickness I would you know, in my 49 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 1: mind it would turn into something huge and scary and overwhelming. Meanwhile, 50 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: I didn't even think diabetes. When Rachel started experiencing some 51 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: of the symptoms of it. It was my husband who 52 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: said to me on a Sunday, she needs to go 53 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: to the doctor. She this is weird and I want 54 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: her to get tested for diabetes. I was like, Jeff, 55 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: please don't be ridiculous. So funny to think back now, 56 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: because every little thing to me, I escalates really quickly. 57 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: Just part of my own mental health but issues. But anyway, 58 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: so I took her to the doctor on a Sunday 59 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: and they pricked her little finger and they said, you 60 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: need to go to the hospital. Her blood sugar is 61 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: five hundred and something. I really didn't know what that 62 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: meant at the time, but that's really really high, a 63 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: high level of sugar in your blood. So we went 64 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: to Valley Hospital here in New Jersey, and there was 65 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: no way that my daughter had type one diabetes. It 66 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: actually is not that far fetched. I'll talk about that 67 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: a little bit because there is type one diabetes in 68 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: my family, but it just never even occurred to me. 69 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: And I can tell you that we were We got 70 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: to the hospital and we were there for five days, 71 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: and it was I have a hard time remembering a 72 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: lot about it because it was such just a crazy whirlwind. 73 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: I remember a lot of doctors, I remember a lot 74 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: of information. Mainly I remember my daughter. It's hard to 75 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: talk about even because I don't think about it that 76 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: much anymore about her. I think about diabetes all the time, 77 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: but not about the initial diagnosis. It was really scary 78 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: and hard. And you know, diabetes is a lifetime disease, 79 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: so you know when you're told that, it's not just 80 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: something that you can work on and you know it 81 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: will go away, right diabetes, type one diabetes is forever. Well, 82 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: that's not true. Who knows what kind of advancements this 83 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: world will come up with but for now, that's what 84 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: it is, and it is something that has to be regulated, 85 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: and there are a lot of different ways that you 86 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 1: have to do that. But it was really, really scary. 87 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: And I remember my daughter and she was very small. 88 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: She was actually it's funny, she was on We just 89 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: put her on growth hormone because she was Rachel was 90 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 1: so so little, and I thought it was the growth 91 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: hormone that cause the diabetes, and I was adamant about it, 92 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: and it wasn't. And but I knew more than the 93 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: doctors at this point. Anyway, I think I was probably 94 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: just in denial. So for five days we were in 95 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: the hospital and a lot of pricking of Rachel's finger, 96 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: a lot of crying, a lot of me trying to 97 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: be strong and my husband and sleeping just at the 98 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: hospital with her in my arms, and you know, it 99 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 1: was I didn't know anything. It was so scary because 100 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: I couldn't even get my head around it. Thankfully, I 101 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: have a lot of good friends still to this day 102 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: who were there for me then and who held me up. 103 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: And I, you know, it's funny, because I talk about diabetes, 104 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: there are things and there are illnesses in this world 105 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: that are harder. There are illnesses in this world that 106 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: are easier. But sometimes I feel a little guilty talking 107 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: about how it's affected me and my daughter, and because 108 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: I know there are worse things. Diabetes is something. Type 109 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: one diabetes is something. I'm trying to be very specific 110 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: because they are very different diseases, type one and type two, 111 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: and they're often mistaken for each other. But type one 112 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: diabetes is something that you can live a long life with, 113 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: and you can live a long, healthy life with. 114 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 2: But it is a very big deal. 115 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: And I always say to Rachel, well, I said to 116 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: her a lot more at the beginning, but no one 117 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: gets away, right, Everyone in life gets something and has 118 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: the challenges. And if this is the one, the challenge 119 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: that was dealt to Rachel, it's okay because we can 120 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: deal with it. 121 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 2: I don't know. 122 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: That's just what I came up with back in the 123 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: day to try to comfort her and to comfort myself 124 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: and to comfort my husband and my son. But so 125 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: we leave the hospital after five days and begin our journey. 126 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: And now all these years later, Rachel's twenty two, it 127 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: is still a challenge. And mainly, let me just say this, 128 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: it is her challenge and as she has said to 129 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: me many times, it is her disease. So I'm you know, 130 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: I'm the mother of somebody with this chronic illness, and 131 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: it it affects me and it's a fact did my life, 132 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: and it's hard, it's really challenging. So and I think 133 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: it's funny because as the years have gone on, so 134 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: we are my immediately immediate family, we're a family of four. 135 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: I think it's affected us all differently. I'm the one 136 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: who is I'm probably the most well. I am, probably 137 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: even more so than Rachel. I'm just emotional and concerned 138 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: and panicky, and that's just nature of my personality and 139 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: being a mom. I think Jeff, my husband, is way 140 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: more He's not always calm about it, but he handles 141 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: it very differently and he is very very on top 142 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: of it in a whole different way. But he also, 143 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: like Jeff, rarely, I rarely see my husband rattle. And 144 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: the times that I have seen him rattled, it's been 145 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: when Rachel has been in danger. And to be honest 146 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: with you, there have been several occasions in which my 147 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: daughter has been in endangered. Type one diabetes is something 148 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 1: that you can control, but it is also it can 149 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: be life threatening and really really scary. So I'm telling 150 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: you guys sort of how it was, how we diagnosed it, 151 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: and some of the symptoms. But I'll tell you a 152 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: little bit about what happens with type one diabetes. So 153 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: unlike type two, you have to be on insulin. With 154 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: type one diabetes, your body does not make insulin, and 155 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: it's an autoimmune disease, meaning that your body attacks itself 156 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: and it attacks the beta cells, which produce insulin. Without insulin, 157 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: you cannot live. So you have to get insulin from, 158 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: you know, an outside source. And technology is amazing and 159 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: it's changed so much even since Rachel was first diagnosed. 160 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: But Rachel wears something called an insulin pump and an 161 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: insulin and censor, and these are unbelievably helpful tool, helpful tools. 162 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: I think that I would tell any buddy who was diagnosed, 163 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: you know, the first thing I would say is look 164 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: into these two tools. I would say that to a 165 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: parent or to you know, a person who was diagnosed, 166 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: because they have helped us so so much. But it 167 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: was complicated. You know, Rachel was twelve years old when 168 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: she was diagnosed, and what she wanted more than anything 169 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: was to fit in and to look like everyone else 170 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: at school and to be like everyone else and not 171 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: have anything that really set her apart. So middle school 172 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: is hard, and this definitely made it harder, and especially 173 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: the beginning because she didn't wear a pump. 174 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 2: And there's a lot that has to happen. 175 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: You have to check your blood sugars every day, at 176 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: least four times a day, and that means pricking your 177 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: finger and seeing what your numbers are and adjusting and 178 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: giving yourself shots of insulin. And you have to do 179 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: it before you eat each time. What you eat is 180 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: very important, right, So obviously sugar is you try to 181 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: avoid sugar if you can, and for a kid age 182 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,839 Speaker 1: twelve thirteen, fourteen fifteen, even an adult, that's a very 183 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: difficult thing to do. 184 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 2: But I don't know. 185 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: We got through middle school. We had some instances that 186 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: were difficult. We had hospital visits. When your sugar goes 187 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: very low, it's a lot scarier than when it goes 188 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: very high. And I'm sorry if I'm using, I don't 189 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: mean to give I hope, I'm not giving too much information. 190 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 1: I don't want to bore anyone, but low blood sugar 191 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: is really scary and is the point. Really is part 192 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: of this that's life threatening and my daughter has had 193 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 1: severe lows where you know, we've called ambulances and we've 194 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: freaked out. We've had to use something called glucagon, which 195 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: is and there's actually something called the squamy now which 196 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: is fast acting glucose too. I don't I mean it 197 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: is what it is. It's save her really in essence, 198 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: and there's so much that you are thinking about all 199 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,359 Speaker 1: day every day to make sure that you have glucagon 200 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:39,439 Speaker 1: on hand, that you are connected, checking insulin levels, all 201 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: of that. 202 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 2: It's a hideous disease. 203 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: So one piece of this that's interesting is how it 204 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: affected our family dynamic. And to this day, my son 205 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: believes that he's probably right. I have baby my daughter, 206 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,119 Speaker 1: and it has not been that has not been helpful 207 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: to her. 208 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:07,839 Speaker 2: My daughter's doing great. 209 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: She lives on her own, she has a job, she 210 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 1: lives in New York City, she has French, she does 211 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: her thing. But I guess that I was a bit 212 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 1: of a helicopter parent growing up. And you know, if 213 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: you ask my son about it, he'll say that she 214 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:31,560 Speaker 1: could have been way more independent. Even now, Like when 215 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: my daughter moved to New York City. I always wanted 216 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: her to uber. I never want her to take the 217 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: subway because I always want to be able to be 218 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: in contact with her. And Zach, my son, was like, 219 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: she's not a baby anymore, Like she's needs to be 220 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: able to take the subway. And you know, my constant 221 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: covering gotten way better at it as she's gotten older. 222 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: But in terms of our family dynamic, I'm sure it 223 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: was annoying. I know it was annoying for her. It 224 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: still is, but I think you know, to my son 225 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: as well. Anyway, So when Rachel was diagnosed, it felt 226 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: like it came so completely out of left field. 227 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 2: In truth that it didn't. 228 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: So I have a sister who is younger than my daughter, 229 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: the whole level of dysfunction that I won't bore everyone 230 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: here with, but my father. She's my half sister. So 231 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: my father had a baby later in life and she 232 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: has Type one diabetes. She was diagnosed, and you know, 233 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: I don't speak to her very often. My father is 234 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: divorced from her mother, and again she's younger than Rachel. 235 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 2: But I don't know. 236 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: It's a bizarre thing that it didn't occur to me 237 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: at all before Rachel was actually diagnosed that it could 238 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: be this. I didn't know that much about it, really, 239 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: so I guess it is, you know, part of my genes. 240 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: I really wanted to blame my husband for it, but 241 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: it apparently came from my side of the family. My husband, 242 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: my husband, my father has chronic kidney disease. I've learned 243 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: that that's autoimmune as well, and a lot of times, 244 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: you know, there's a big umbrella of autoimmune disease and 245 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: you're more likely to have Like not to scare anyone, 246 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: but if you have I think, let's say crones or colitis, 247 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: you're probably more likely to get type one. So they're 248 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: all kind of it can be sort of related. I 249 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: had to get genetic testing done my husband and my 250 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: son did as well, to see what our risk factors were. 251 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: But you know, it felt like something so bizarre and 252 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: that I had no real attachment to or information about. 253 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: Meanwhile that really it's it runs in my family. Well, 254 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: here's another interesting thing about the difference between type one 255 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: and type two. So people think of when they hear diabetes. 256 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: I've noticed that most people think type two diabetes, and 257 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: again there's a big difference. So in type two diabetes 258 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: your body doesn't make enough insulin, or it's making the 259 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: wrong type of insulin not you know, it's not like 260 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: in type one, or your body doesn't make it at all. 261 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: So that's the first thing. And type one is nottoimmune disease. 262 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: Type two is oftentimes comes along with a certain lifestyle 263 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: and you tend to get diagnosed it diagnosed with type 264 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: two over the age of I believe forty, whereas how 265 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: you get type one probably under the age of forty, 266 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: and type two you get diagnosed with usually later in life, 267 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: and people think of it, and they think of a 268 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: lot of times I think obesity. So for instance, my daughter, 269 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: both my kids went to Sleepway Camp and Rachel had 270 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: a had an incident at Sleepoway Camp when she was young, 271 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,920 Speaker 1: probably at this point she was like thirteen, and so 272 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: the ambulance came, she had to go to the hospital. 273 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 2: I had to have a meeting. 274 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: They were not testing her in the right way right, 275 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: So although they knew a lot about type one diabetes, 276 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: and I had a lot of confidence, and my doctor 277 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,239 Speaker 1: recommended that I send her because she had to go 278 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: on with her life and be and do the things 279 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: that she had done previously to being diagnosed. And part 280 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: of that was this wonderful summer camp experience, and I 281 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: would be in touch with the they have, you know, 282 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: a doctor and a nurse at the camp. Anyway, turned 283 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: out that they were testing her blood sugar before she 284 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: ate instead of excuse me, after she ate instead of 285 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: before she ate, which is like a really ridiculous thing 286 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: to do. Blah blah blah. But anyway, so she had 287 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: an instant and she went to the hospital and I 288 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: had to meet with the camp owners and staff, and 289 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: so they said to me that she at one point, 290 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: I'll never forget it. Someone said, you know, she really 291 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: needs to learn how to manage this and she needs 292 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: to know to not eat sugar. Like it was just 293 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: the most ridiculous thing, right, So because that person had 294 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 1: no idea what the difference was, like, even if Rachel 295 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: doesn't eat sugar, this stuff can happen. 296 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 2: This is diabetes. Type one. 297 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: Diabetes is a very different thing. She's not overweight, She's 298 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: never been overweight. You know a lot of times the 299 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: type two you get diagnosed because there's a lack of loactivity, exercise, 300 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: and none of that pertains to my daughter. And that 301 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: was like such a punch in the gut because it 302 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: was almost it almost felt like it was, you know, 303 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: like they were guilting me and Rachel really that we 304 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 1: weren't doing something right, and it's just that's just not 305 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:23,239 Speaker 1: the case with type one. And in this meeting, I 306 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: actually remained very calm, surprisingly and after consulting with my doctor, 307 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: what I wanted to do really was rip her out 308 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: of camp and bring her home and make sure she 309 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: was safe. And my doctor said, you want her. Message 310 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: that you're sending is that she's able to live a 311 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: normal life with diabetes. And now that you figured out 312 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: what was going on and they were testing your blood 313 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: at the wrong time. He suggested to me, he was 314 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: this wonderful doctor. I don't recommend to anyone with diabetes 315 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 1: or if you know a loved one, if you have 316 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:58,439 Speaker 1: a loved one with diabetes, the right doctors everything. And 317 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: we went through a couple before we found the right one, 318 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: and doctor Paul Plievin here in Northern Jersey was the 319 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: most understanding patient, wonderful, concerned pediatric and a chronologist. Anyway, 320 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: you know, we ended up keeping her at camp that summer, 321 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: and I'm really glad we did. I mean, we've tried 322 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 1: to instill on Rachel that you can live a full 323 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 1: life with type one diabetes. You can live a quote 324 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: unquote normal life, whatever that means, but you have to 325 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: be vigilant about your care and it's always going to 326 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 1: be there. So it's funny because people ask me all 327 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: the time how not only Rachel's eating about Rachel's eating habits, 328 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: but also, you know, did we change our eating habits 329 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: when Rachel was diagnosed? And at the first when Rachel 330 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: got diagnosed, I like cleaned out everything in my house 331 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: and brought in it was only protein and vegetables and 332 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: sugar free jello and sugar free this and sugar free that. 333 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: And it's not like that anymore. So type one you 334 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: can regulate what you eat with the amount of insulin 335 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,679 Speaker 1: that you give yourself, and so it's not just a 336 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: matter of if you can't have sugar. It's a little 337 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: harder to regulate with with sugar, but it's not impossible, 338 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: and you can have sugar and you can have carbohydrates. 339 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 2: But at the. 340 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,120 Speaker 1: Beginning, we just didn't understand, you know, we didn't get it. 341 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:34,880 Speaker 2: And so. 342 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: Even I think it was probably even scarier because both 343 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: of my kids all of a sudden, we're on we're 344 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: basically on a keto diet for lack of a better term. 345 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: But and that's changed, right, We've learned. We know so 346 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 1: much more now than we did then. And so Rachel eats. 347 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: She's always been a very healthy eater anyway, but she 348 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: doesn't go through her life without eating carbs. 349 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 2: And when you have low blood sugar and specific you 350 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 2: have to eat. 351 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: You have to make sure you're taking in sugar, so sugar, juice, candy, 352 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: all of that has been you know, there's been such 353 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:19,959 Speaker 1: a huge learning curve. So and I touched on before, 354 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: how thank god for modern medicine. But now with diabetes 355 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: there are things like the insulin hump and like and things. 356 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: There's something called a sensor and type two diabetics also 357 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: use a sensor a lot of times. But a sensor 358 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: back in the day, you had to prick your finger. 359 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: Even at the beginning with Rachel. You know, imagine this 360 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: little girl having to prick her finger and draw blood 361 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: four times a day and then give herself a shot. 362 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 1: Not easy, and it's you know a lot of times, 363 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: it's painful. 364 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 2: I mean, she got used to. 365 00:22:56,040 --> 00:23:02,919 Speaker 1: It very quickly. But now Rachel Weares an insulin pump, 366 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: and the insulin pump you attached to your body and 367 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: it delivers insulin, right, and so there's no more shots 368 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: of insulin for us. Occasionally there is, but it is 369 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: and it's not painful. This device, the pump attaches to 370 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: your body either directly, depending upon which one you choose, 371 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: or through a port and delivers insulin. And you can 372 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: plug it into your phone. So let's say you're about 373 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: to have whatever it is, I don't know, an apple 374 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: or something. You learn very quickly how many carbs things have. 375 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: So like let's say you're having fifteen grams of carbs, 376 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: you plug in the amount of insulin that the pump 377 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: should give you. 378 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 2: But also technology has brought us sensor. 379 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: And a sensor is something that detects what your blood 380 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: sugar is. 381 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 2: It does the job of pricking your finger and testing. 382 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: So with the sensor, I hope I'm not getting too complicated, 383 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: you guys, but it this sensor tells you, Okay, so 384 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: your blood sugar is high. Let's say you need more insulin, 385 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 1: and it connects to the pump to deliver more insulin. 386 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: Or let's say, if your blood sugar is low, you 387 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: need less insulin and it turns off the insulin in 388 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: the pump. All of this is, you know, back in 389 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: the day people got and now I know a lot 390 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: of people with type one diabetes, older people, let's say, 391 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: and they used to give you I think it was 392 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: like pig insulin and there was no way to really 393 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: test it. So I don't know if any of you 394 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: guys ever saw Steel Magnolia's. In it, Julia Roberts plays 395 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,880 Speaker 1: a character that has type one diabetes, and the movie 396 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: took on a whole different meaning for me after Rachel 397 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: was diagnosed and ultimately she dies, and I a long 398 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: time before I could even say Steel Magnolias without just 399 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: freaking myself out. But it was a different thing, you know, 400 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: back then. And I don't know what your movie is 401 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: set in, but I don't know, maybe the early eighties 402 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 1: something like that. And she has some seizures in the movie, 403 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:14,439 Speaker 1: and it's just a different thing, right, And now if 404 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: you have type one diabetes, there's so much more assistance, 405 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: and they've created something called a closed loop system and 406 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: as I was describing, or can they sometime, it's called 407 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:29,239 Speaker 1: an artificial pancreas, And so you have these devices that 408 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: sort of talk to each other and help you regulate 409 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: your insulin levels and your blood sugar levels. With all 410 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: of that being said, it's still every day something that 411 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 1: you need to be thinking about, and not just Rachel. 412 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: So we are connected, my husband and I are connected 413 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: to Rachel's sensor. What that means is that we get 414 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: alerts for Rachel's blood sugar goes too low or too high, 415 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:02,480 Speaker 1: and which is, as you can imagine, a lifesaver, right, 416 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: because sometimes if your blood sugar goes low quickly. 417 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 2: You're just out of it. 418 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,959 Speaker 1: So we've had moments where we get an alert and 419 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 1: we call somebody that we know is around Rachel. First 420 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: we call Rachel whore it gets too low, and if 421 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: anything really scary happens and it drops very quickly and 422 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,360 Speaker 1: we can't get a hold of her, we can call 423 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,400 Speaker 1: let's say, now my son is living in the city 424 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: a few blocks from Rachel or her roommate. We are 425 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: in contact with her friends. That's like a very amazing, 426 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 1: comforting feeling. Thank you to modern medicine and technology. Here's 427 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: the other piece of this. It's easier now than it 428 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:59,199 Speaker 1: used to be. But for Rachel having things attached to 429 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: your body like a pump pump, well, it depends. They 430 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: are all different kinds, but it can look like a 431 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,679 Speaker 1: beeper almost and having a sensor attached to your body, 432 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: which is just like it's almost like a little circular disc. 433 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 2: Maybe. 434 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: I don't know if any listeners have seen people walking 435 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: around with the sensor, but there are lots of them, 436 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: and now, especially because type two diabetics use them. It's 437 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: still something that is that makes you different and so 438 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: not always easy, and especially I think, I don't know 439 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: if it's easier if you're diagnosed when you're really little. 440 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: I would think that as a baby, because people are 441 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: diagnosed with it when they're really little, it's harder and easier, 442 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:46,480 Speaker 1: you know, in different ways. I think it'd be really scary, 443 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: really scary for the parents and maybe for the for 444 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: babies growing up with it, it's so normal, you know, 445 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: it just becomes part of life. Although I feel like 446 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: it has become like that for my daughter as well. 447 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 2: But you know, picture. 448 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: Meeting boys and especially in college, right and not wanting 449 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: to share this really private information all the time, but 450 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: it's out there. It's on your body, the pump and 451 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: the censor and there are times where Rachel's taking those 452 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: things off and it's made us crazy, and we thought 453 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: about it, and but it's obviously, really it's understandable that 454 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 1: she doesn't always want to be having to explain to 455 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 1: people what is, you know, her personal health journey. Something 456 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: that was actually a really fabulous moment for us, for 457 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: all of us, is there was a lot of hiding 458 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: when Rachel was young, and as she got older, you know, 459 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: a lot less hiding. And one of the greatest things 460 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: was that my daughter had just made a decision to 461 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: get tape one tattooed on her wrists. I'm not really 462 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: a tattooed person. Did not like it when my son 463 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: got a huge one on his calf, but it was 464 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: a really good day when my daughter put Type one 465 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: on her wrist. That is a lot of times where 466 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: people wear id bracelets so that if something happens and 467 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: let's say, the ambulance comes, they could see the person 468 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: is a Type one diabetic. And now to have a 469 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: tattooed on her, first of all, it's just this thing 470 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: right where you For me, I just felt like just 471 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 1: so proud that she was not, you know, trying to 472 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: hide who she was. Anymore, and also really happy that 473 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: it would be easily recognizable if she ever had an 474 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: instance where the ambulance for the doctor needed to know 475 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: what was going on with her. But anyway, I love 476 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: that tattoo. I will tell you though, that she has 477 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: had it for years, does not like how it looked. 478 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 2: It was too thick, the writing sloppy. She's getting it. 479 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: She's been the process of getting it removed to put 480 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: a way prettier one on. But the type one tattoo 481 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: is that was a really really happy day. And I 482 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: every time when I think about her, I see her wrists, 483 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm just so so proud. You know, we've I guess 484 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: we've all come a long way. We have our setbacks. 485 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: I have some really scary moments. I have times where 486 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:28,240 Speaker 1: I make her so crazy and we fight and I 487 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: have to step back and I have to tell myself 488 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: and I talk to my therapist about this a lot. 489 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: This is Rachel's disease. This is not my disease. She's 490 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: still you know, I consider her to be a young person. 491 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: In my job as a mother is to just be 492 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: there and and watch, especially you know when your kid 493 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: has a chronic illness. As a parent, you want to 494 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: be helpful on top of it, and that has not 495 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: always been easy in terms of my relationship with my daughter. 496 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 1: And I know that at the end of the day, 497 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: she always understands and she always appreciates it, and she always, 498 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: you know, she always really like knows that she can 499 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: lean on me with this and that we're I want 500 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: to say we're in it together. 501 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 2: I don't know how true that is. 502 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I would take it from her if anyone 503 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: offered it to me, I would happily be the one 504 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: to have it instead of her. And I think she 505 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: knows that. But I do want to give some good news. 506 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 2: If I can. I feel. 507 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: Like hype one diabetes changed my daughter. I mean again, 508 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: she was twelve when she was diagnosed. But my daughter 509 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: is such an empathetic human and I don't know if 510 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: that's necessarily because she's you know, she has a chronic illness. Listen, 511 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: everything makes me cry when I talk about this stuff. 512 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: You know, if there's good news, I think it's made me. 513 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 1: I know it's made me more empathetic. It's it's different, 514 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: you get it. You sort of have a different way 515 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 1: of looking at the world. I think when you when 516 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: you have health issues right, And I know as I 517 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: heard her talk about it that for sure it cancer 518 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: changed Shannon, and I don't I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, 519 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: or type one diabetes, but maybe your worldview changes, maybe 520 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: for the better, Maybe not for everyone, maybe just for us. 521 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: But my daughter is in many ways a typical twenty 522 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 1: two year old, but in a lot of ways she's 523 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: an older soul, and she's been through stuff, and I've 524 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: been through stuff with her. And I think that it's 525 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: easier for us us too than it would have been 526 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: for us to have empathy and to prioritize I don't know, 527 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: to know sometimes what's important, not that we wouldn't have, 528 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: but to we have such our relationship is. 529 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 2: So special to both of us. 530 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: And you know my husband, watching him going through this 531 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 1: and being able to lean on him and watching him 532 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: with his daughter, it has given me such unbelievable respect 533 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: and admiration for him. I mean, he is always so 534 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: steady when I am not, and you know my son, 535 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: knowing that he's now. They live in the city, only 536 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 1: a couple of blocks from each other, and all I 537 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 1: have to is pick up the phone and call my 538 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: son and he runs wherever he needs to run to. 539 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: And they are My son and my daughter are very close. 540 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 1: I'm thrilled to say to report that you know, would 541 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: they have been, Yeah, I hope that they would have been. 542 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: But you know, this family, my family, and it's not 543 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: just type of diabetes. We've been through stuff. I don't know, 544 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 1: it's you know, life is hard, period. No one as 545 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 1: I always as I mentioned before, I always say to Rachel, 546 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:21,280 Speaker 1: no one gets away. Certain things are easier than other things. 547 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: I try, we try to look at this and say, okay, this, 548 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: if this is Rachel's thing, it's manageable. You know, you 549 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,240 Speaker 1: can live with it. And there are things that happen. 550 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 1: And I've had plenty of friends that have had disease 551 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:42,879 Speaker 1: that unfortunately have taken their lives. And you know, shit 552 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:49,080 Speaker 1: is hard and this is hard. And if I how 553 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,839 Speaker 1: to give advice to someone who is either newly diagnosed 554 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: or had a loved one who was diagnosed, I could 555 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 1: speak more to sort of having a child right who 556 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: was diagnosed with type one, and I would say the 557 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:04,800 Speaker 1: first piece of advice I would give is to find 558 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: someone else who was it, or a mom who has 559 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: a child that has it, and that was so unbelievably 560 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,840 Speaker 1: important in my journey because I had a friend with 561 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:23,319 Speaker 1: type one diabetes, and our doctor put us in touch 562 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 1: with other people who had type one diabetes, and I 563 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: joined Facebook pages with you know, type one facebook pages, 564 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 1: and then back then I was not really was an Instagram, 565 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 1: was actually Facebook. But that was helpful just to figure 566 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: out what to do, if, what to do when how 567 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: people were handling it. At times it was too much, 568 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,399 Speaker 1: There was a lot there were certain pages that were 569 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: just filled with gloom and doom and they were too 570 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: scary and not uplifting. But you know, having a support 571 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: system of people that understand what it is, I would say, 572 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 1: is really very important. And I mean Rachel and I 573 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: both tried to pay it forward in terms of talking 574 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: to people that are type one diabetics and people that 575 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:18,320 Speaker 1: are newly diagnosed, and it's really, I think, so comforting 576 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 1: to know that you're not alone, and with type one 577 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,240 Speaker 1: you're not I mean, it's a very very small percentage 578 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: of the population. I want to say, maybe I don't know. 579 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,760 Speaker 1: I actually don't have the exact numbers in terms of diabetes. 580 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: I want to say, like eight percent of diabetics or 581 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: type one and the rest are type two. So it's 582 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:41,440 Speaker 1: a niche, little disease, but there is a lot of 583 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:46,719 Speaker 1: support out there for it, and JDRF is an organization. 584 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: Juvenile diabetes is what. Actually, I don't know if everybody's 585 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: calling it that anymore, because type one is not only 586 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 1: disease that you get when you're a juvenile, but it 587 00:36:56,160 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: is a fabulous organization that has helped so many and 588 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: raised so much money. And we, especially when Rachel was younger, 589 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: we would go on these on these walks, these fundraising walks, 590 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: and you know, everyone there was there supporting a loved 591 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: one or had Type one. There were companies there that 592 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: were talking about pumps and sensors and I don't know, 593 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 1: and just being in big crowds of people like that 594 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,760 Speaker 1: was really really helpful. I think at the beginning, as 595 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 1: you know, a little girl, Rachel was probably more resistant 596 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 1: to that kind of stuff. 597 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 2: But as. 598 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: She's grown up, we all are so appreciative of support 599 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: and of the feeling of community that is absolutely out 600 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 1: there if you happen to have this disease. I don't know, 601 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm I'd love to say something uplifting about 602 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 1: all of this, and there is that I mean, like 603 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,839 Speaker 1: I said, I think that it's changed us, and it's 604 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:00,520 Speaker 1: been a challenge, and it is a challenge every single day. 605 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: But I am so in awe of woman that my 606 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: daughter is. And it's I sometimes don't even give her 607 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,319 Speaker 1: enough credit, you know, I don't have to think about 608 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: it all day. Every day, Rachel is thinking about it, 609 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:19,840 Speaker 1: changing her pump, hunching in her numbers, having juice on 610 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: hand and glucagon or bsquamy on hand just in case. 611 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: And when she goes out, there's a lot of times 612 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: that you know she's had a low blood sugar. It 613 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: looks a lot like actually like being drunk, and so 614 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:35,960 Speaker 1: making sure not to get you know, even when she 615 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: wants to to inebriate it because it could be that 616 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:46,040 Speaker 1: can sort of make you vulnerable to low blood sugars. 617 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: I mean, there's just a lot, and it's it's a constant. 618 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:52,200 Speaker 1: It's something that even though you can live with it, 619 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,399 Speaker 1: it's something that you can't ignore ever, ever, ever. And 620 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,080 Speaker 1: there's a lot of emotional ups and downs, there's physical 621 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,600 Speaker 1: ups and downs. I've never had to sperience, you know, 622 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,239 Speaker 1: high blood sugar and low blood sugar like my daughter has, 623 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,439 Speaker 1: and how that feels physically and that there's a toll 624 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: that it takes on your body. So you know, Rachel 625 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 1: is become a warrior. I think there are also so 626 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 1: many advancements that I'm reading about now and things that 627 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: are happening all the time to make the management of 628 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 1: diabetes easier, and we are so grateful for that. And 629 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: I listen, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I 630 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:35,879 Speaker 1: would say that it's something that you learn to live 631 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:40,839 Speaker 1: with and that you can thankfully live with, and that 632 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:45,880 Speaker 1: is getting easier. And I guess, like all other challenges 633 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,880 Speaker 1: in life, it changes you. And I think, you know, 634 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: it probably has changed us for the better. It has 635 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,360 Speaker 1: I can't I don't want to say probably. My daughter 636 00:39:55,480 --> 00:40:03,240 Speaker 1: is strong, and she is kind, and she is deep 637 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:06,759 Speaker 1: and sees the world, you know, in a way that 638 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,960 Speaker 1: maybe she wouldn't have. So I guess, I guess, you know, 639 00:40:10,719 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: that's the good news, and grateful just to have this 640 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 1: platform discuss it. 641 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:18,960 Speaker 2: I you know, I'm. 642 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:20,680 Speaker 1: On the Real Housewives, or I was in the Real Housewise, 643 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 1: I don't know what's happening with the Real Housewives, but 644 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:25,319 Speaker 1: try to be very careful and respectful of each light 645 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:30,440 Speaker 1: definitely got clearance from her before I, you know, went 646 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:34,160 Speaker 1: on and talked about her disease on this podcast. I 647 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: don't talk about it that often, but it's always with me, 648 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:43,920 Speaker 1: even more so it's with her, and I'm grateful and 649 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 1: I hope, I hope maybe this helped anyone out there 650 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:52,040 Speaker 1: who's listening. My Instagram is Jen two ends Fessler. D 651 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 1: M me anytime, you know, questions or advice or whatever 652 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: it is. I'm definitely that those are DMS that I 653 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:02,280 Speaker 1: want to answer. 654 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 2: And that's it. I guess. 655 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 1: Thank you guys so much for having me. I appreciate it, 656 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,720 Speaker 1: and I'm sending love to all of you, and thanks 657 00:41:10,719 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 1: for listening.