Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories

10 things I wish I'd known sooner about living with type 1 diabetes

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:00:08 +0000

I know what you’re thinking… surely there’s more than 10 things?

You’d be correct.

But if I really thought about all the things I wish I'd known sooner about living with type 1 diabetes, I’d be here forever. Because trying to wade through the chaos that is managing this ridiculous chronic illness is a constant learning curve.

Type 1 diabetes a never-ending game, a quest that is impossible to complete - and one that we’re often left to figure out alone. Despite the best of intentions from loved ones, and even if you have access to amazing healthcare teams, 24/7/365, it’s us.

And we don’t know what we don’t know - until we’re forced to confront it for the first time with critical urgency and a double down arrow…

BUT! I have found that are certain things - tools, information, perspectives - that I’ve gathered in my almost thirty years of living with type 1 diabetes that have helped. A lot. And I’d quite like to go back and give them to my younger self - because she had a tough time of it for a while.

So whether you’re newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or you’ve been doing this for a while, hopefully there’s something in here for you.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED
14 lessons that have helped me to live with type 1 diabetes
The road to acceptance with type 1 diabetes
5 ways I increased my time in range as a person with type 1 diabetes
VIDEO: 24 Lessons In 24 Years with Type 1 Diabetes
The psychology of food and type 1 diabetes with nutritional therapist Beth Edwards

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Choosing the right insulin pump: An expert's guide to automated insulin delivery systems

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:55:08 +0000

‘Think about the 20% of things that make 80% of the difference.’

Last week I spoke about my own experience of using a tubed vs tubeless automated insulin delivery system to manage my type 1 diabetes. But for a full breakdown of the current hybrid closed loop systems on the market, I knew I had to call in some expert help.

John Pemberton’s wisdom and knowledge was made abundantly clear in his recent episode of Type 1 on 1. The diabetes specialist dietician, diabetes technology consultant, diabetes educator, type 1 diabetic and founder of The Glucose Never Lies spoke candidly to me about why he dedicates so much of his time to building an online resource to help people living with type 1 diabetes.

This episode is a special focus on the four main automated insulin delivery (AID) insulin pump systems currently on the market, using John’s helpful superhero personas to take a deep dive into each one, and highlight the most important features among this almighty line up.

Spoiler: They’re all great, and there is no wrong choice.

But if you’re curious about insulin pumps and haven’t yet been able to find a way to compare them all, this one’s for you. The automated insulin delivery systems we dig into in this episode are:

Tandem Control IQ: Control and flexibility aka Spider-Man
CamAPS FX mylife Loop: Highly adaptable and strategic aka Batman
Omnipod 5: Sleek, simple, and futuristic aka Iron Man
Medtronic 780G: Powerful and aggressive aka The Hulk

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

CONNECT WITH JOHN
John’s first episode on Type 1 on 1 (Spotify)
John’s first episode on Type 1 on 1 (YouTube)
More information on CGM Regulation
The Glucose Never Lies: Choosing your AID superhero
The Glucose Never Lies Website
The Glucose Never Lies Podcast on Spotify

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Omnipod 5 or MyLife Ypsopump Loop? My real world insulin pump experience

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:55:07 +0000

Trying to figure out which insulin pump might work best for your needs as a person with type 1 diabetes isn't always easy.

With more availability comes more choice, which is a great thing. I've now used both the Omnipod 5 and MyLife Loop Ypsopump CamAPS hybrid closed loop systems, so today's episode is a little deep dive into the two based on my real world experience.

I chat through some of the similarities and differences as I've found them, from exercise to tubing to changing the pump and alarms, speaking from my personal perspective about how they both fit into my lifestyle as someone living with type 1 diabetes. If you're considering one of these insulin pumps, or a hybrid closed loop system in general, you may find this epsiode useful!

DISCLAIMER
I am not a healthcare professional and nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management. All opinions are my own.

More information on the MyLife Ypsopump Loop: https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/mylife-loop.html
More information on the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System: https://www.omnipod.com/en-gb/what-is-omnipod/omnipod-5

YpsoPump Explorer App: https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/products/infusion-systems/mylife-ypsopump-insulin-pump/ypsopump-explorer.html
Omnipod 5 Simulator App: https://www.omnipod.com/en-gb/is-omnipod-right-for-me/omnipod-5-simulator-app

The Glucose Never Lies Insulin Pump guides by John Pemberton: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/

Changing an Omnipod 5 Pod - Step by step insertion for type 1 diabetes
https://youtu.be/Wr5qJLdKIDY?si=oWVe6u6eLDbccTqo
An introduction to the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System for type 1 diabetes
https://youtu.be/sG_4u435PD8?si=UF7Wz2LsRq-8torV

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

From injecting in school toilets to becoming a proud type 1 diabetic with Ruby Valentino

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 06:55:07 +0000

If you’re a fan of Disney and you live with type 1 diabetes, you might just have come across today’s guest. Ruby Valentino is an actor and singer, and to date she has amassed over 2 million likes on TikTok alone on her path of tuneful advocacy, inspiring others and reworking a few classic disney songs with a type 1 twist along the way.

But for a long time Ruby’s diabetes was far from the spotlight, and in this episode we discuss how she used to hide in the toilets to inject after her diagnosis aged 13, and her struggles to talk about her feelings.

In this chatty episode, we talk about becoming a proud diabetic and a role model for young type 1s, acting school, going viral and using negative comments as fuel to keep making content, finding ingenious places to put your insulin pump, the perks of being a type 1 partner you may not have thought of, and how type 1 diabetes can help you wean out the people that don't deserve a place in your life!

CONNECT WITH RUBY
Follow Ruby on TikTok.
Find Ruby on Instagram.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

The best type 1 diabetes resource you've never heard of with diabetes educator John Pemberton

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 06:55:07 +0000

Please note this episode of Type 1 on 1 contains honest discussion of severe depression at around 1'08", including suicidal thoughts.

No matter how long you’ve been living with or close to type 1 diabetes, it remains an incredibly complex condition to understand. And while there’s a wealth of information out there to dig into, knowing what to pay attention to can be just as daunting.

John Pemberton is a diabetes technology consultant, children’s dietician, researcher and has been living with type 1 diabetes himself for around 20 years.

So if you’re looking for research-backed information about the right insulin pump, want to know why 20 minutes of walking is the magic key to a stubborn high glucose reading, or you just need to start with the basics without getting overwhelmed, his diabetes education platform The Glucose Never Lies could be the answer.

It was created after his young son Jude tested positive for diabetes antibodies, and when it comes to distilling complicated diabetes information and making it make sense, John is a master of the craft.

In this episode we cover an incredible amount - from the professional, including his work with newly diagnosed families, the latest in diabetes research and his love of continuous glucose monitoring, to the deeply personal, including how years of undiagnosed ADHD led to severe depression and suicidal thoughts. After getting the right treatment in July 2025, John has found renewed purpose in taking The Glucose Never Lies to the next level.

CONNECT WITH JOHN
The Glucose Never Lies Website
The Glucose Never Lies Podcast on Spotify
Diabetes Specialist Nurse Forum CGM comparison chart.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Type 1 diabetes embarrassment, dating, travel and more - World Diabetes Day Q&A

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:55:07 +0000

Oh hey, it's World Diabetes Day 2025.

I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a little solo episode based on some questions you sent in, in the spirit of having a little chat about the very real and often ridiculous stuff we go through regularly as people with type 1 diabetes, but that we don't often get to speak about.

I talk a bit about type 1 diabetes and the workplace, then there's some travel chat, and then we get to the good stuff thanks to a question about type 1 diabetes embarrassment. Where do we begin...

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

EPISODES MENTIONED:
Travelling with type 1 and the latest in diabetes tech with Diabetech's Justin Eastzer
Type 1 Diabetes Travel Essentials with Diabetech's Justin Eastzer
46 years with type 1 diabetes - episode with Maryann Croft Maloney
An Introduction to Hybrid Closed Loop: The Technical (Part 1/2)
An Introduction to Hybrid Closed Loop: The Emotional (Part 2/2)

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Is AI a superpower for type 1 diabetes management? With Dropbox's VP of Product & Growth Morgan Brown

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:55:07 +0000

‘Try the tools with curiosity and see where it takes you.’

Today’s guest is Morgan Brown, VP of Product & Growth for AI at Dropbox. Morgan has spent his career helping world-renowned brands like Meta and Shopify unlock company growth, but he’s recently put his AI expertise to work in a specific area of his personal life.

Morgan has been living with type 1 diabetes for the last 20 years. His most recent side project CarbScan, which uses AI to estimate carbs from a photo of your plate, was built for his young son Brooks, who also lives with the condition.

In this episode we dig into how CarbScan works, how the world of product software translates to diabetes technology, and Morgan explains how to get started with AI as a tool for diabetes management with a view to faster, deeper knowledge and some all important time-saving.

DOWNLOAD CARBSCAN
https://carbscan.ai/

CONNECT WITH MORGAN
Find Morgan on LinkedIn.
Say hello on X.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

'Life should be about my family, not my diabetes' with Richard Dixon

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 06:55:07 +0000

Today’s guest Richard Dixon has been living with type 1 diabetes for nearly 40 years.

Diagnosed with the condition at the age of 2, Richard has spent a lot of his life in fear of his next injection due to a debilitating fear of needles.

Every mealtime would cause huge amounts of worry, and the multiple daily injections he had no choice but to take steadily impacted every aspect of his life. Like so many people, Richard believed that insulin pumps were huge, bulky and incompatible with his lifestyle.

He's been amazed to discover that this is not the case, and while deciding to change your diabetes management or try diabetes technology is an individual choice, the changes he's personally experienced in the last couple of years have transformed life for not only himself, but his young family too.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

'Go through the burnout, but come back. You owe it to yourself to come back' with Sane Mazibuko

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 05:55:07 +0000

Sane Mazibuko’s introduction to type 1 diabetes was waking up in hospital after collapsing as a 6-year-old. But as she tells us in this heartfelt episode, being told what to do to manage a health condition is not the same as being told why or how.

Growing up in Durban, South Africa, Sane had moved across the country as an adult before she spoke to her first endocrinologist, and after years of confusing and isolating experiences, she eventually found the support team that allowed her to be honest about her condition.

29 years into life with type 1 diabetes, Sane now uses the information and experience she’s gathered to help others in South Africa and beyond to better understand the life it’s possible to live with the condition, from eating the same foods as everyone else to workplace support, to coming back from burnout. As she says on her social media, Sane’s decision to ‘choose softness daily’, is helping her move through the challenges that type 1 diabetes endlessly presents.

Sane also talks poignantly about educating her young daughter about her mum’s diabetes, including being able to understand Sane’s CGM readings <3

CONNECT WITH SANE
Follow Sane on Facebook.
Connect with Sane on Instagram.
Find Sane on TikTok.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Finding the courage to be yourself with type 1 diabetes with Gavin Griffiths

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 05:00:10 +0000

Adapting to a type 1 diabetes diagnosis is no small thing, and many of you will resonate with the discomfort Gavin Griffiths experienced as he tried to move through life as a teenager in the early 2000s alongside the diagnosis he received at the age of 8.

In this episode Gavin details how after some tough years, a conversation with a younger, newly-diagnosed classmate flipped a switch that would send Gavin on a path of global diabetes leadership. Forming the charity Diathlete soon after it’s still going strong, hosting the renowned League of Diabetes support and education network.

This World Diabetes Day on November 14th it will host a T1D festival and fashion show in London, and you’re invited!

Throughout the years Gavin has led with heart in order to push for change, connection and visiblity for people living with type 1 diabetes across the world. It even helped him to find love with his wife Paula, who also lives with type 1 diabetes.

Dedicated to their mission while juggling full-time careers, the pair’s combined passion and power has rippled, one conversation at a time, to help people’s understanding and experience of living with type 1 diabetes for the better.

The Chronicles of Glycaemia is Gavin’s first book, also due to be released on World Diabetes Day 2025.

Find out more about the T1D Festival.
Get tickets to the T1D Festival on Friday 14th November.
League of Diabetes website.
League of Diabetes Instagram.
Gavin Griffiths Instagram.
Gavin Griffiths Facebook.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

'I gave my adult diagnosis too much of my brain' Adult diagnosis and perimenopause with Isla Munro

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 05:55:07 +0000

‘I’m ready to put more life back into my life.’

Get ready for a beautiful bolt of warmth, wit and wisdom from today’s guest, as we’re digging into the twists and shifts of an adult diagnosis with Isla Munro.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 43 in 2021, her insight into the realities of the emotional side of type 1 diabetes was already more extensive than most of us living with the thing.

Exactly two years earlier, one of the participants of Isla’s renowned art challenge 100 Days Project Scotland had taken up the challenge to work through her own adult diagnosis, creating a striking set of posters to raise awareness of the unseen sides of the type 1 diabetes.

That participant is none other than former Type 1 on 1 guest, graphic designer, illustrator and incredibly talented human Alex Durussel-Baker, creator of Diabetes By Design.

Art lecturer Isla talks through the insight she gained from Alex’s project both pre and post diagnosis, and how she got to grips with what she calls ‘a shift into a different gear’ when type 1 diabetes landed.

From the stark contrast in energy levels to finding power in finding her voice, and the life-changing magic of being able to eat an apple for the first time in years - Isla has found her own rhythm in making the space that diabetes demands.

We also talk about the next shift - into perimenopause, and how diabetes has also given her a different perspective on what her body can do.

Discover the 100 Days Project Scotland.
Read Isla’s blog about her diagnosis - 100 Days-ish of Diabetes.
Follow Isla on Instagram.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Building A Morning Routine: My experience and the habits that have actually helped

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 05:55:07 +0000

Last week I shared an episode with the wonderful Dr Monika Sharma all about cortisol.

We talked about what it is, why we need it, how to regulate it and the role it plays in relation to type 1 diabetes. Within that chat we got onto the subject of a morning routine and what we can do to build healthy habits that can set us up for the day without being overstimulated and sending cortisol off the charts.

I’m super thankful to Dr Monika for her expertise and knowledge, and during that conversation I briefly mentioned how I had recently started to build out a more consistent morning routine, having been a morning routine skeptic and believing it couldn’t possibly help me with my type 1 diabetes.

Of course it’s in no way a replacement for medication, professional guidance or treatment, but I do believe that finding a version of a morning routine that works for me has been a positive addition to my life.

So today I’m sharing my thoughts around a morning routine, and what I’m currently doing (and not doing) before diving into the never-ending to-dos and deadlines.

This is just my personal experience and in no way intended as advice, but I hope you find it interesting!

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED
Tim Ferriss
Hal Elrod’s The Morning Miracle
Dr Rangan Chatterjee on Working Hard with Grace Beverley - Why the first 5 mintues of your day are the most important
Dr Jim Doty on The Mel Robbins Podcast - How to manifest anything you want and unlock the unlimited power of your mind

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

'Cortisol isn't the enemy' - Your guide to cortisol with Dr Monika Sharma

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:00:09 +0000

Social media is making a lot of noise about cortisol right now. But what exactly does this hormone do? How does it interact with other hormones in the body? What should someone with type 1 diabetes be aware of when it comes to cortisol?

Today I’m digging deep with the wonderful Dr Monika Sharma, whose sister’s experiences with type 1 diabetes prompted her to pursue a career in medicine. We’re bringing you the facts away from the social media noise to discuss what exactly cortisol is, why we need it, how to figure out if you’re interrupting its function, what you can do to regulate it, and whether a morning routine really matters.

This is something Dr Monika has personally lived through, shifting her own lifestyle and work routine as a GP to achieve better health. So whether you’re feeling exhausted, stressed out and pulled in 100 different directions, or simply curious to learn more about hormonal health, this episode is for you.

CONNECT WITH DR MONIKA
Connect with Monika on Instagram.
Follow Monika on TikTok.
Take a look at Monika’s YouTube channel.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

The Diaries Check In: Things that go insulin pump in the night

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 06:00:08 +0000

It's been a hot minute but Ami Bennett (or should that be Dennett?) is back for a catch up!

My dear friend and fellow type 1 Ami returns to give us the latest on her diabetes escapades.

There's a lot to catch up on, as Ami's quest for a lower HbA1c has given her a few tales. I discuss the brave new world of tangles that come with a tubed insulin pump, Ami's been dealt a dia-fine and we accidentally invent the Diabetes Girl Guides.

Plus, does anyone name their insulin pump? Asking for two friends...

CONNECT WITH AMI:
Follow Ami on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Why is the UK Government debating diabetes in sport? Meet the man who made it happen

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:00:08 +0000

On September 3rd 2025, diabetes and sport will go under the global spotlight that is a House of Commons debate. In today’s episode the man who made it happen tells us why - and what this could mean for the millions of people living with diabetes in the UK.

Chris Bright is one of the community’s crusaders. As part of his role as Community Partnerships and Events Lead at Breakthrough T1D in the UK, he has put diabetes in sport on the agenda at the highest possible level. The goal? To improve the inclusivity of physical activity for people with diabetes.

The need is clear - the Equality Act that safeguards around 3.5 million people with diabetes classified as living with a hidden disability in work and education does not currently extend to sport. In fact, recent research found that of 184 existing governing bodies in sport, only four have policies in place for people with diabetes.

Diagnosed at the age of 8, Chris overcame stigma and the challenges of a very inflexible insulin regime as a young athlete to represent Wales at futsal. He later used those negative experiences as momentum to build The Diabetes Football Community, bringing young footballers with diabetes together while rewriting attitudes to type 1 diabetes and football.

In this episode we dig into different pockets of Chris’s work, including some new recommendations for travel, airports and airport security. We touch on his personal journey, and he reveals his strategy for successfully creating change in the face of inequality - perfect for anyone who feels as galvanised as I was listening to Chris’s phenomenal story.

CONNECT WITH CHRIS
Follow Chris on Instagram.
Find Chris on X.
Follow Chris on TikTok.
The Diabetes Football Community website.
Breakthrough T1D Community Events Calendar.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Children with type 1 diabetes: Deep dive with senior paediatric diabetes dietitian Lila Digkliou

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 06:00:09 +0000

Senior Paediatric Diabetes Dietitian Lila Digkliou has been helping children and families living with type 1 diabetes for more than 10 years.

She was inspired to move from general diabetes care into paediatrics to help people with not only nutrition, but the perspective and tools needed to manage type 1 diabetes as early as possible in their lives.

This value packed episode is full of tips and takeaways, as we discuss the most common concerns for parents and caregivers, how they differ from what young people are worrying about - and how to find common ground through the many complexities and pressures of type 1 diabetes.

We also look at some interesting ways to encourage diabetes management among school, hobbies and hormones - and bust some common myths about what children with type 1 diabetes can and can't do!

CONNECT WITH LILA
Follow Lila on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

An unboring conversation on the 'boringness' of daily diabetes life with Philippa Robilliard

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:00:07 +0000

The relentless, boring everyday that comes with living with type 1 diabetes can sometimes be overlooked in the stories we see online. While I think any and all achievements should be celebrated, there are days where just making it through without falling over IS the marathon.

In this chatty episode, my guest Philippa Robilliard and I have an unboring conversation about the continual demands of the condition - from not realising you've run out of hypo treats until the next time you're having a hypo, to putting your children's needs before your drastically dropping glucose levels, and building a career with type 1 diabetes while being silently, consistently exhausted.

Philippa also opens up about taking time off work to focus on her health, and 'relearning' type 1 diabetes 20 years into the condition, after she was diagnosed in 1988 at the age of 5.

'I’m not surprised by what my diabetes is capable of anymore,' she tells me. 'I just want diabetes to be nothing. That’s what I’m aiming for.'

If you're grinding through the everyday of type 1 diabetes while juggling career, friendships, relationships and family, wondering where the time goes, how you're going to do the weekly shop and willing your glucose to behave through that important presentation... this episode is for you!

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

'We're seeing a phenomenon of type 1 plus type 2 diabetes' - Dr Jairo Noreña

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 06:00:08 +0000

Dr Jairo Noreña is an Endocrinology Fellow at Stanford University.

After training as a physician in his native Colombia, Jairo moved to the States to continue dedicating his life to medicine. With a triple specialisation in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, and Obesity Medicine as well as long-standing fellowships at prestigious universities including Harvard, Columbia and of course Stanford, to say Jairo has a wealth of expertise in endocrinology and diabetes would be an understatement.

In this fascinating episode we discuss how GLP-1s can help people living with type 1 diabetes, the rise of 'double diabetes' when a person has both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and get back to basics with a helpful exploration of what the endocrine system actually is!

CONNECT WITH DR NOREÑA
Follow Jairo on Instagram.
Take a look at his website.
Subscribe to Jairo's YouTube channel.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

5 ways I increased my time in range as a person with type 1 diabetes

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 05:00:11 +0000

Trying to keep glucose levels within a healthy and safe range as a person with type 1 diabetes is not easy.

In this solo episode I'm talking through five habits I've adopted over the many years I've lived with type 1 diabetes that have significantly improved my time in range, giving me more steady glucose levels which has consequently improved my quality of life. And I do not say that lightly!

The Habits Mentioned:
Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)

Carbohydrate Counting
Pre-Bolus
Trying not to overcorrect hypos
Not eating too close to bed
Lowering high glucose alert threshold

What are some of yours? Head to @missjengrieves or @studiotype1on1 on Instagram and let me know!

THINGS MENTIONED

BERTIE Carb Counting Course.
Solo Podcast Episode: 14 Lessons that have helped me to live with type 1 diabetes.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Reclaiming freedom after adult diagnosis: Justin Eastzer on Diabetech and becoming a global nomad

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:00:08 +0000

After six months of trying to treat his type 2 diabetes diagnosis at the age of 30, it was tech content creator Justin Eastzer’s TikTok followers that helped him to realise he’d been misdiagnosed.

But the very condition that threatened to hold Justin back has since propelled him into a new niche, and today Justin's career is dedicated to speaking to his hundreds of thousands of followers about the latest and greatest in diabetes technology via his Diabetech platforms.

In this episode Justin reveals how his adult type 1 diabetes has changed the pace of his life, what he loves about being embedded in an industry that is constantly innovating, and how he’s managed to reclaim some of the freedom he lost after diagnosis by packing up his life in New York to travel the world.

CONNECT WITH JUSTIN
Follow Diabetech on Instagram.
Discover Diabetech on TikTok.
The Diabetech YouTube channel.
The Diabetech podcast.

Type 1 Travel Essentials YouTube video.
My chat on Justin's podcast.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Managing ADHD, and how type 1 diabetes helped me find myself with Natalie Balmain

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:00:07 +0000

Back in 2017, I was working at BBC Health News Online when I came across an article about a lady who had launched a clothing range specifically for women with type 1 diabetes, designed to help them manage the condition with strategically placed holes for injecting or reaching devices.

Its creator Natalie Balmain had the idea following her own diagnosis at the age of 20. Many years and many further creative ideas later, Natalie joins me as today’s guest.

Whether it’s fashion design, hosting Insulet’s Typecast podcast, winning reality TV shows as a would-be politician, or working in corporate communications, Natalie is a master adapter, but also a crusader.

In this episode we talk about how type 1 diabetes gave Natalie the confidence she never had, learning to let her guard down and build community, and how she manages her ADHD alongside the many demands of type 1 diabetes.

CONNECT WITH NATALIE
Follow Natalie on Instagram.
Discover Natalie on TikTok.
Watch the Typecast podcast.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy. Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections. How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger. If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

Life inside the lab and driving equity in health research with Dr Paida Katsande

Thu, 29 May 2025 05:00:08 +0000

The second you start speaking to Dr Paida Katsande, it’s near impossible not to feel more calm, more hopeful, and reassured about the good of humanity. Her sunshine energy is unmistakable, but coupled with the realities of life experience and a clear mission to establish equity in public health, dismantle stigma and improve health outcomes? It’s all the more powerful.

A former postdoctoral researcher in type 1 diabetes, Dr Paida is committed to her work, but also committed to sharing her research in a way that everyone in every community can access and understand, pushing for greater communication in health both in the UK and her native Zimbabwe.

This chat bounced from light and laughter to poignant and raw and back again, offering the full scope of human experience which Dr Paida unapologetically brings to her work in order to connect science with the human experience.

She lifts the lid on the latest in diabetes research, the link between the circadian rhythm and immunity, collaboration, the realities of a lab day, and how she protects her own health from the challenges of spending your days immersed in complex, life-threatening conditions.

CONNECT WITH PAIDA
Follow Paida on Instagram.
Discover Paida on TikTok.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

Making diabetes technology human with Kamil Armacky aka Nerdabetic

Thu, 22 May 2025 05:00:07 +0000

If you’ve ever googled a specific insulin pump or CGM, you may well have come across Nerdabetic’s content online. His insightful but fun YouTube videos break down the latest and greatest in diabetes technology, helping people with diabetes to understand how they could benefit.

In this episode I’m chatting to Kamil Armacky - the real Nerdabetic. We discuss his personal journey into technology after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2012, how he went from his first Facebook post to meeting royalty in the name of type 1 diabetes, and how his content - and the impact his content having - has evolved since he started posting eight years ago.

Offering personal stories as well as practical tips for the tech-curious, Kamil reveals his top tips for figuring out what insulin pump might work for you, what the diabetes CEOs really think, why the time in happiness is just as important as time in range - and how he ended up serving undercooked chicken on Junior Masterchef...

CONNECT WITH KAMIL
Follow Nerdabetic on Instagram.
Subscribe to his YouTube channel.
Follow Nerdabetic on X.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

'I can be vocal for others, but I hate being vocal for myself' - Celiac and type 1 diabetes with Andrea Limbourg

Thu, 15 May 2025 04:55:07 +0000

Andrea Limbourg is one of the first people in the type 1 diabetes community I spent time with in real life, although we’ve met only a handful of times. I didn’t really realise until we were recording this episode how much of an impact she’s had on my approach to my type 1 diabetes, and I’m excited that you get to experience her wisdom in today’s episode.

Diagnosed in Canada in 1997, Andrea took off to study abroad in Ireland just a few months after her diagnosis. A decision that may be unfathomable to some, but Andrea has always found type 1 diabetes easier to manage in comparison to the debilitating effects of undiagnosed celiac disease that she experienced for years.

Fast forward to 2025 and now living in France, Andrea chats to me about how the two diseases impact both her and her family’s lives, as well as their similarities and contrasts.

‘Diabetes is all about the balance. All of my flexibility is in diabetes, whereas I don't have any flexibility in celiac. There's zero gluten. Not a crumb.’

We also discuss the emotional cost of being vocal about your health, moving countries with type 1 diabetes (for love!) and why despite ongoing advances in access to technology and the best efforts of her endocrinologist, Andrea remains on a DIY open-source insulin pump.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

'I was diagnosed with OCD during pregnancy - and it made life ten times better' with Emily Vilé

Thu, 08 May 2025 05:00:09 +0000

‘I think I've found postpartum harder to manage in terms of my diabetes than actual pregnancy, but I’m literally living my best life as a mum.’

That sentence is pretty reflective of Emily Vilé’s philosophy on type 1 diabetes - not shying away from the realities of the condition she’s lived with since she was just 14 months old, but soaking up all the moments that feel even sweeter for the juggle.

This practical outlook can also be seen in the powerful content Emily posts about motherhood and life in Perth, Australia, as well as in her work as Project Lead for Perth Diabetes Care Mums & Bumps at the Perth Diabetes Care Health Hub to support mums to be who live with diabetes - a career shift that came about after she gave birth to her daughter in July 2024.

In this heartfelt episode, Emily talks all things pregnancy and type 1 diabetes, as well as the recent OCD diagnosis that has helped her to make sense of her life to date.

From careful planning, to adapting to changing insulin needs and strict glucose targets, managing a classroom of teenagers while pregnant to managing blood sugars during birth itself, Emily naturally dealt with a number of fears in her pregnancy journey, but with the help of an amazing inner circle, overcoming these challenges have made for some of her proudest achievements - not to mention life as mum to gorgeous Gia!

A beautiful episode with plenty of giggles along the way - I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did.

CONNECT WITH EMILY
Follow Emily on Instagram.
Connect with PDC Mums and Bumps on Instagram.
Join their Facebook community.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

Screening our children for type 1 diabetes, writing adventure books and giving back with Rhodes and Alana Ritenour

Thu, 01 May 2025 04:55:07 +0000

What is screeening for type 1 diabetes? Who should be screened? Is it right for my family?

In this episode, attorneys turned authors Rhodes and Alana Ritenour discuss the potential benefits of screening and their decision to screen their own children.

Rhodes and Alana are no ordinary couple - they’re also the characters of their own book series, The Adventures of Rhodes and Alana. The series is based in part on Rhodes’ experiences of living with type 1 diabetes since he was diagnosed in 1983 at the age of 5.

One page at a time 8-year-old Rhodes and his best friend Alana turn the challenges of type 1 diabetes into intrepid adventures, normalising conversations about the things that make us unique.

Back to real world Rhodes and Alana, and alongside their positions on multiple advisory boards, founding their own Diabetes Support Group and educating their local community in Richmond, Virginia, the pair are advocates for type 1 diabetes screening - a relatively new autoantibody test that can determine if you will develop type 1 diabetes, giving families a chance to prepare for the transition to life with type 1 in the household.

In this energising and hopeful episode, the pair also chat about becoming authors, how diabetes impacts their partnership as a couple and as parents, giving back to the community and their hopes for the future of type 1 diabetes.

CONNECT WITH RHODES AND ALANA
Visit The Diabetes Support Group website.
Follow The Diabetes Support Group on Instagram.
More about The Adventures of Rhodes and Alana book series.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

The Diabetic Health Coach Vanessa Haydock: 'I'm giving people the help I really needed when I was younger'

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 05:00:08 +0000

At first glance, it may seem that Vanessa Haydock has type 1 diabetes all figured out. The behavioural analyst and health and fitness coach speaks of ‘dominating diabetes’, but it was her struggles to accept her condition and care for herself that have enabled her to help hundreds of others change their health for the better as The Diabetic Health Coach.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a toddler, Lancashire born and bred Vanessa keeps it real - focusing on connection, community and education to give her clients ‘what she really needed when she was younger’.

Having gone through every emotion it’s possible to feel in relation to type 1 diabetes, Vanessa shares how she went from denial to not only acceptance but empowerment and fulfilment. She also reveals the tools you can use to start building your own positive habits and self-confidence - just as long as there are no digestive biscuits!

CONNECT WITH VANESSA
Visit Vanessa’s website.
Check out Vanessa’s Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

The road to acceptance with type 1 diabetes

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:05:21 +0000

Learning to accept and live with type 1 diabetes has not been a linear path in my experience. 29 years of life with type 1 diabetes and there are no hard and fast conclusions here, just a juicy subject to chew on for today's solo episode!

I reflect back on my own journey to discuss how I’ve come to accept living with type 1 diabetes, what that looks like, the relationship I now have with type 1 diabetes and how that’s changed at different points in my life.

I look at the definition of acceptance as it might relate to type 1 diabetes, as well as different keys, tools and perspectives I have that have helped me equip myself for this long and bumpy ride, and in particular the fork in the road that caused me to embark on a new, quite different road to acceptance - finally allowing type 1 diabetes to travel with me in the car! Buckle up, the analogy is strong...

The inspiration for this episode was a conversation I had with Natalie Balmain on the Typecast podcast, which you can find here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xbsZa948wKSoAFFHadivS?si=886470b1dc6b4f72

This is the definition of acceptance that I mention, from Medical professor Jon Kabat-Zinn, sourced via Psychology Today.

“Acceptance doesn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, mean passive resignation. Quite the opposite. It takes a huge amount of fortitude and motivation to accept what is — especially when you don’t like it — and then work wisely and effectively as best you possibly can with the circumstances you find yourself in and with the resources at your disposal, both inner and outer, to mitigate, heal, redirect, and change what can be changed.”

As ever this is just my personal experience, nothing in the episode should be taken as medical advice and your first port of call for all things type 1 diabetes is your diabetes healthcare team. I hope you enjoy this one!

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Find me on instagram @missjengrieves.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

Professional golfer Hannah McCook: ‘We know perfection isn’t possible, but we’re chasing it anyway’

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 05:00:07 +0000

Hannah McCook first hit a golf ball at the age of 6. With the Scottish Highlands as her course, Hannah’s talent for the sport soon became clear.

In the confusion and chaos of a type 1 diabetes diagnosis at the age of 8, it was thanks to a single sporting type 1 role model, Sir Steve Redgrave, that she realised she didn’t have to give up her favourite hobby.

Fast forward more than 20 years and Hannah is now an inspiration to many as a professional athlete herself, handling her type 1 diabetes alongside the golf course, a demanding travel schedule, training, coaching and international competitions.

In this episode of Type 1 on 1 we tune into some 90s nostalgia around Hannah’s diagnosis, chat about why her touring bag is always the heaviest, chasing impossible perfection in both her sport and her health, and why, despite travelling the world with her sport, nowhere can compete with her beloved Nethy Bridge.

CONNECT WITH HANNAH
Follow Hannah on Instagram.
Check out her coaching page.
Take a look at Hannah's website.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

'You don't have to feel bad for saying you hate it' with type 1 mum Abby Lyons

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 05:00:08 +0000

The path to acceptance with type 1 diabetes can be a bumpy one - but what about acceptance for the parents of children with type 1?

It's just one of the topics covered in this episode with business owner and mum of three Abby Lyons, who has published a book to help other families trying to come to terms with a child's type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

Abby's youngest son Rocco was diagnosed at just 2 years old, in 2020. In this episode we talk about the impact of her son's diagnosis experience on the whole family, and the overwhelm she felt and still sometimes feels when trying to make the best decisions for Rocco's health - along with the guilt that can provoke for a parent.

We also discuss how living with health conditions in the family has opened up honest and healthy conversations with her boys about mental health and wellbeing, and how her book, 'What is diabetes, anyway?' has not only helped Rocco move from shame to pride, but has helped Abby process her own experience to spread a hopeful message to others.

CONNECT WITH ABBY
Follow Abby and Rocco’s journey on Instagram.
The ‘What Is Diabetes, Anyway?’ website.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Insulet, the makers of Omnipod tube-free insulin pump therapy.

Using Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery has improved my diabetes management significantly with less diabetes decisions, and of course no multiple daily injections.

How? Well, Omnipod 5 automatically adjusts insulin every five minutes to help keep me in range, allowing life outside of type 1 diabetes to get bigger.

If you want to know more, head to Omnipod.com.

Hypo Hounds: The diabetic alert dog charity reducing children's hospital admissions with founder Jane Pearman

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 05:55:06 +0000

As heart-warming ends to a series go, they don’t get much more heart-warming than this episode.

Hypo Hounds is a diabetic alert assistance charity, helping children with type 1 diabetes by training assistance dogs to not only detect hypos, fetch testing kits or even bring a bottle of Lucozade, but helping children to live with more independence and freedom, and families to communicate better and feel less burdened by the challenges of type 1 diabetes.

The woman behind Hypo Hounds is today’s guest, Jane Pearman. Jane and her husband trained their first hypo dog, Scooby, to help their daughter Sophie after she was diagnosed with brittle type 1 diabetes as well as other major health complications at the age of 9. At the time Jane was checking Sophie’s blood sugars every hour through the night, feeling understandably frightened and exhausted.

They didn’t know it at the time, but Scooby would inspire the journey to founding Hypo Hounds, which has now trained 54 dogs to date, reducing hospital admissions and giving children and their families much-needed independence and relief from the burden of living with diabetes.

Thanks to the help of Scooby and her second Hypo Hound Dori, Sophie, now 22, lives independently and remains an incredible spokesperson for the charity. Heart-warming, emotional, inspiring - I couldn’t urge you to press play on this episode more!

CONNECT WITH HYPO HOUNDS:
Follow Hypo Hounds on Instagram.
Follow Hypo Hounds on Facebook.
Visit the Hypo Hounds website.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The Diaries Check In: 2024 reflections, urine samples, achy kidneys and diabetes wins

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 05:55:06 +0000

My dear friend and fellow type 1 Ami Bennett returns to the podcast to look back at what 2024 has served us from a diabetes perspective.

As always, Ami keeps it very real and regales us with one of her most memorable escapades involving a particularly disastrous urine sample… but to balance it out, she’s elevated her game by entering the world of homemade granola.

Meanwhile I talk about being haunted by a rogue Pod, we discuss ill-timed alarms, drinking out of date hypo juice, attempt to establish what exactly insulin smells like, and we hear some of your diabetes wins of the year!

Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me through 40 episodes in 2024. This podcast wouldn’t exist without you.

CONNECT WITH AMI:
Follow Ami on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

A father and grandmother share differing experiences of 10-month-old baby's type 1 diagnosis with Sharon and Lewis Harrison-Barker

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:50:06 +0000

In this special 3-person episode, I’m speaking to Sharon Harrison-Barker and her son Lewis.

Lewis’s son Marty was just 10 months old when he was rushed to hospital in DKA in 2017, plunging the whole family into crisis and shifting the dynamic of the family forever.

Today Marty is a happy, healthy 8-year-old, but those days in the hospital were the some of the worst of dad Lewis and nan Sharon’s lives, as well as their respective spouses.

The weeks and months after his son’s diagnosis remain a blur for Lewis, and it was the concerned words of a stranger that prompted him to seek help for his mental health. In this chat, Lewis opens up about how from the moment he received the initial call about his son’s declining health, he completely shut down. ‘It sent me into self-preservation mode. I felt like people didn’t need me to be emotional, they needed me to be functional.’

In this episode we hear two different perspectives of the same very difficult experience. Nan and dad tell me how Marty’s diagnosis has changed them as a family, sharing some of their memories with each other for the very first time.

Their relationship is a testament to how clear communication - as well as boundaries - have allowed Marty to thrive through nursery, school and now as a big brother, but have also helped Lewis and his wife Steph to meet the ever-evolving needs of Marty’s condition alongside their own as humans, parents, and partners.

CONNECT WITH SHARON
Sharon's Instagram.

CONNECT WITH LEWIS
Lewis's Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,

Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'Every time my baby was poorly, we worried she was going to get type 1' with Mel Stephenson-Gray

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 05:55:06 +0000

As a young athlete, Mel Stephenson-Gray was forced to travel far and wide to get the information she needed to stand a chance of competing in her sport with type 1 diabetes.

Although she was only a teenager, and newly diagnosed herself, Mel wanted share what she’d found to ensure no-one got left behind, and set up her own peer support group with the little spare time she had between school and training.

A long-standing member of the advocacy community, Mel’s motivation to help others has never faltered. After retiring from athletics she retrained as a nutritionist, and now works in diabetes prevention as well as being a diabetes charity trustee - to give people the access, tools and education they need to ensure no-one gets left behind.

Becoming a parent has strengthened her empathy and desire to help further still. In this gorgeous hug of an episode, Mel speaks to me about the weight of constantly worrying if your baby is moments away from diagnosis, and the studies that have taken that weight off her family’s shoulders.
‘I do think it is a day-by-day kind of condition where you're just managing what's in front of you, because sometimes just a day can feel overwhelming, let alone looking years ahead. It’s ok to take your time with it.’

CONNECT WITH MEL:
Say hi to Mel on Instagram.

STUDIES MENTIONED:
The Innodia Study (Europe)
The ELSA Screening Study (UK)

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'My diabetes was a taboo subject in our house for so long' with Abi Woodliffe-Thomas

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:55:06 +0000

When you meet Abi Woodliffe-Thomas, you meet a thoughtful, articulate, intelligent and confident 25-year-old. But for more than a decade, Abi carried her type 1 diabetes in secret as her ‘biggest insecurity’ - hiding it from everyone in her life.

Abi went through a traumatic diagnosis at the age of just 12, and the experience immediately plunged her into intense feelings of shame around the condition. Still in the hospital bed in recovery from DKA, Abi was also told she would have to give up her beloved acrobatic gymnastics, which she was already devoting 25 hours to each week.

Determined to prove the nurses wrong, Abi returned to training the very next week, and channeled every emotion into her sport. She went onto compete at an international level, all the while keeping her condition out of sight.

Now retired from gymnastics and working as a performance nutritionist, the weight of what she’d been carrying for so long was released when Abi wrote an article about her type 1 diabetes for her friend’s website.

Since her diagnosis Abi has overcome so much, both professionally and personally, and is tentatively hopeful about walking a different, more open path towards acceptance - one conversation at a time.

‘I do still find it difficult to say the words, oh, I'm diabetic or oh, I've got diabetes. But I think it's really helped talking about it and I think life would look very different if I'd spoken about it from the beginning. But it was my way of protecting myself. I know now that anything is possible, even with a pancreas that doesn't work.'

CONNECT WITH ABI:
Say hi to Abi on Instagram.
Take a look at her professional profile, Happetite.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Changing the corporate diabetes world from within - Veerle Huigen on making a difference, misdiagnosis and handling the corporate lifestyle

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 05:55:06 +0000

Veerle Huigen is, it’s fair to say, a powerhouse in the corporate world of diabetes. Successful, determined and focused, Veerle achieved career success in the Dutch charity and tech sectors before moving into the world of global pharma, spearheading huge changes in the future of diagnosis in her role as the North Europe Public Affairs Lead for autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes at Sanofi.

Veerle’s driving force is, unequivocally, diabetes, but more specifically shaping these influential companies from within to help make life better for people living with diabetes, based on her own experiences.

In this episode she describes how the shock and impact of an adult (mis)diagnosis changed her life’s work, and how the stigma she faced through childhood and adolescence because of her weight has put the power of language firmly on the agenda.

We also chat about how she juggles her health needs with the demands of a corporate lifestyle - advocating for herself while travelling, bossing client meetings and dealing with stakeholders - and her unshakeable belief in our ability to change the world, one conversation at a time.

CONNECT WITH VEERLE:
Say hi to Veerle on Instagram.
Connect with Veerle on LinkedIn.

OTHER EPISODES MENTIONED:
The true psychological impact of type 1 diabetes with T1D and psychology researcher Dr Maartje De Wit.
Renza Scibilia: 'I never wanted my diabetes to become anyone else's burden'.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Partying together to make type 1 diabetes better with Kyle Parsley from Type One Community

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 05:55:06 +0000

Today’s guest is Kyle Parsley, marketing manager and one of the DJs behind Type One Community - a collective of radio shows, club nights, events and livestreams that brings people together under the slogan, ‘Where everyone parties to make life with diabetes better’.

Type One Community started out as a celebratory space for people who like a party, and who happen to be connected to type 1 diabetes. The celebration remains, but Type One Community has quickly evolved into a movement that goes way beyond the dancefloor - raising awareness for people living with type 1 to be able to enjoy club nights, festivals and nights out safely.

They’ve put hypo treats in bars, they’ve educated door staff on letting in medication, they’ve created festival hypo kits… but above all else Type One Community knows how to have a good time without letting type 1 diabetes get in the way.

Music lover Kyle, who was diagnosed as a teenager, along with his co-founders Jessica and Sophia are just getting started. He spoke to me about how quickly the Community has grown thanks to its overwhelmingly positive response, as well as how championing this cause has helped him with his own condition, what the trio’s plans are next, and why the magic of a good night out should be for everyone.

CONNECT WITH TYPE ONE COMMUNITY:
Follow Type One Community on Instagram.
Connect with Kyle on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Diagnosed at 50: 'I'm not who I was before' with Shonagh Price

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:55:01 +0000

The average age of type 1 diagnosis is increasing, and studies show that more than a third of people are now being diagnosed after 30.

Today’s guest is Shonagh Price, who was diagnosed at the age of 50 in the midst of the pandemic. Since that very surreal and isolating experience, she’s had to deal with a huge shift in not only her daily life, but her identity.

In this very raw and very poignant episode, Shonagh opens up about losing her freedom, the constant vigilance that comes with the demands of the condition, and the impact on her acting career as well as her relationship with her gem of a partner Iain. We chat about how she’s slowly rebuilding what she deems her ‘broken’ parts into something even more beautiful than they were before.

I’m sure you’ll want to jump through the internet and give Shonagh a big hug. I’m so grateful to her for detailing the realities of an adult diagnosis in a way that doesn’t often get voiced.

CONNECT WITH SHONAGH:
Connect with Shonagh on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The voice of diabetes advocacy in Zimbabwe with Tino Dzikiti

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 05:55:01 +0000

Please note we had a few technical difficulties with this episode! Tino had a power cut at the time of recording, so he was using his phone signal to record and as you will hear, it’s a little patchy at points. But do stick with it because this is a really powerful conversation.

‘I want to be the bridge between the knowledge and my community.’

How do you strike a balance between pushing for change and ensuring the healthcare system is equipped to handle the progress? This is the question preoccupying today’s guest Tino Dzikiti. He is working to bring the latest diabetes research, knowledge and tools to his community in Zimbabwe. ‘There is resilience in the system, but there are huge gaps in the system,’ he told me. ‘We’re trying to make progress with the basics. It’s slow, but there is hope.’

After training in finance, Tino shifted his life’s work to become a Diabetes Advocate, Educator, Podcast Host and Consultant. Aged just 26, he's using his platform and blog to break down complex diabetes topics and the latest findings in a way that the whole community can benefit from.

While sharing knowledge, raising awareness and reducing stigma, Tino is also pushing for more affordable access to diabetes medication. We chatted about the more challenging aspects of making your voice heard, the cost of diabetes care in Zimbabwe and how becoming an advocate for people with diabetes has helped Tino to rewrite his own story, after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 11.

CONNECT WITH TINO:
Say hi to Tino on Instagram.
The Global Diabetes Insights podcast.
Take a look at Tino's blog, The Diabetic Mogul.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,

Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'People say I don't know how you do it, but as a mum, you just do' - Family life with a type 1 teen, with mum of four Angela McMahon

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 04:55:01 +0000

Welcome back to a new season of Type 1 on 1! Series 13, come through!

I always say the parents of children with type 1 diabetes are the unsung rockstars, and today’s guest is no exception.

Angela McMahon is a busy mum living in Northern Ireland with her husband Steven and their four girls. Twins Sienna and Arianna were just 11 months old when their big sister Iszara was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 5, in January 2015. Big sister Tamzin was 12 at the time, so there wasn’t much room for a demanding chronic condition as well, although as you can imagine, sleepless nights were something Angela was more than familiar with when type 1 diabetes descended on their family.

10 years later, Angela spoke to me about the journey she and Iszara have been on, both individually and together as part of a busy, lively household - navigating homework with hospital appointments, and supermarket shops with finger pricks. We chat about having helpful conversations with school teachers, and how Angela is learning to step back as Iszara becomes more independent.

Now 15 years old, Iszara moved onto a hybrid closed loop insulin pump earlier this year and the family have seen incredible changes. For Angela, it’s the first time she’s been able to sleep properly in a decade, while she describes her daughter as more comfortable with her condition, and more happy in herself.

CONNECT WITH ANGELA:
Say hi to Angela on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,

Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

An Introduction To Hybrid Closed Loop: The Emotional (Part 2/2)

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 11:04:12 +0000

The content in this episode of Type 1 on 1 should not be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended as a replacement for professional guidance. They are a true and authentic reflection of the personal experience of the host. Please speak to a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diabetes management, or if you feel you could benefit from emotional support.

This is part two of a two part series looking at hybrid closed loop insulin pumps. The first part is a technical overview, so be sure to start there!

Ok it's time to get personal about all things hybrid closed loop! At first glance it might not seem like an obvious topic - to talk about the emotional impact of using an automated insulin delivery (AID) system to manage type 1 diabetes... it's technology, right? A gadget? A means to an end?

But that ‘means’ is a system that has, for me, taken away so much of the wight and number of diabetes decisions, and that ‘end’ is not only better health outcomes, but a brighter, happier, calmer human who is better equipped to tackle life in all of its forms - being able to focus at work, spend time with family, or head off on the next adventure.

It’s not a cure, it’s not a magic solution, but it is space between my thoughts, time between my alarms and a version of myself that I’d only ever caught glimpses of in my 28 years of living with type 1 diabetes.

In this episode we get reallllly into my journey with type 1 diabetes tools - from injections and finger pricks, to moving onto a ‘regular’ pump, and then my most recent switch to hybrid closed loop and the way it has turned down the volume on a lot of the diabetes noise, allowing me to sleep better, live more and just feel more human.

So if you’re curious about what these gadgets can do for your life, this is the episode for you.

Disclaimer: I use the Omnipod 5 insulin pump with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor as my personal AID system. I have a professional relationship with both Insulet (Omnipod) and Dexcom, but the content of this episode is separate from those relationships. My Dexcom G6 is gifted as part of the Dexcom Warrior programme.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED:
Diabetes UK Diabetes and Emotional Health practical guide.
The blog post I wrote explaining what switching to a hybrid closed loop system has meant for me.
Episode with diabetes and psychology researcher Maartje de Wit.
Episode with Jen’s Mum!

Come and say hi to me on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

An Introduction To Hybrid Closed Loop: The Technical (Part 1/2)

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:49:21 +0000

The content in this episode of Type 1 on 1 should not be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended as a replacement for professional guidance. They are a true and authentic reflection of the personal experience of the host. Please speak to a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diabetes management.

What’s a hybrid closed loop system? How does Automated Insulin Delivery actually work? Why is everyone talking about it? Is it really as good as everyone says for people with type 1 diabetes? What does artificial pancreas mean?

These are the questions I’m hoping to help you with in today’s solo episode! This is the first of a two part series digging into my experience of using an automated insulin delivery (AID) system, also known as a hybrid closed loop system, after 18 years on multiple daily injections and nine years on a ‘regular’ insulin pump.

I chat about the features and functionality of an AID system, specifically the Omnipod 5 with the Dexcom G6 as that’s the setup I use and the only setup I have experience of. We cover what the three parts of the system are, how they interact with each other, how I interact with them and how I use the tool in the best way I understand to achieve improved time in range while doing a whole lot less diabetes business.

In part two I’ll cover the more emotional and psychosocial insights I’ve been able to gather from using the system after 28 years of living with type 1 diabetes. If you want more detail on my personal experience of all of this, I wrote this article that you may find interesting (please note, it cuts right to the feels!) https://notesonamoment.substack.com/p/the-biggest-thing-to-happen-to-me

Disclaimer: I use the Omnipod 5 insulin pump with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor as my personal AID system. I have a professional relationship with both Insulet (Omnipod) and Dexcom, but the content of this episode is separate from those relationships. My Dexcom G6 is gifted as part of the Dexcom Warrior programme.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED:
Listen to The Juicebox Podcast: Omnipod 5 overview episodes.

Come and say hi to me on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'I miss who I was before this big cannonball hit my life' - Taylor Efford on the baffling duality of type 1 diabetes

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 04:55:01 +0000

Taylor Efford is a comedian, actor and content creator from Toronto, Canada.

She’s also a self-proclaimed ‘rat, on a mission to normalise normal things.’ Since 2020 that has included type 1 diabetes, which she was diagnosed with in the midst of the pandemic at the age of 25.

Caught between two identities, Taylor’s humorous and poignant perspective on the many dualities of life is what makes her content so relatable, and has helped her amass over half a million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

Like many of us, she finds type 1 diabetes to be an incredibly contrary disease, and in this episode Taylor candidly opens up about how this ‘cannonball’ has hit her life - from not recognising who she was after her diagnosis, using comedy to help her cope, and reclaiming type 1 diabetes on her own terms for her wedding day by embracing the rat life.

I really love how this conversation naturally evolved from podcaster and guest, to two people with type 1 diabetes chatting about and chewing over some things they’re thinking and feeling. Taylor is a beautiful, smart and astute soul - I hope her chat fills you up as much as it did me.

CONNECT WITH TAYLOR:
Follow Taylor on Instagram.
Follow Taylor on TikTok.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom. Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,

Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The true psychological impact of type 1 diabetes with T1D and psychology researcher Dr Maartje De Wit

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 04:55:02 +0000

Please speak to a healthcare professional if you feel like you would benefit from support with your mental health.

‘Most people just want to feel like they’re being heard.’

Anyone living with type 1 diabetes can tell you that it’s not easy, but how do we transfer that awareness into diabetes care?

The research that Maartje De Wit, senior researcher and principal investigator of diabetes and psychology, and her team are doing at the Amsterdam University Medical Center is providing a growing body of important and pioneering evidence that is not only increasing understanding among healthcare teams and people living with T1D, but introducing new models that are making a practical difference to people’s lives.

In this episode, Maartje discusses the latest findings from her research - including self-guided therapy, the balance between time in range and time in happiness, body image and the idea that ‘every person with type 1 diabetes has a disturbed relationship with food’.

She reveals the importance of - and the challenges around - creating space for mental health conversations in routine diabetes consultations, and takes us through what the many emotional challenges of living type 1 diabetes look like on a day-to-day level.

Although there is still progress to be made, it’s so heartening that these discussions are on the table and this work is being done. This episode is validation for anyone who’s ever felt frustrated by their type 1 diabetes, for any reason, or isolated by the emotional challenges that so many people with type 1 diabetes and their carers carry, often unbeknownst to those around them.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED:
Connect with Maartje on LinkedIn
More about Beating The Blues - Online CBT programme
The Amsterdam University Medical Center - Maartje’s research publications
The MyREMEDY Trial - MyDiaMate Self-Guided App for Type 1 Diabetes and Mental Health
More about the MyREMEDY trial (Dutch)
The Diabetes Body Project

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'You don't know you're asleep until you wake up' - Addiction, sight loss and becoming a conscious diabetic with Brett Taylor

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 04:55:02 +0000

Please note this episode of Type 1 on 1 contains honest discussions around addiction, mental health and diabetes complications.

‘I think type 1 diabetes is a selfish disease up until you realise that the resonant effect of diabetes just doesn't finish with you. I always used to say it's about me, it's my disease, but my wife was the driving force for me to realise my potential and it's all to honour what she saw in me when I didn't see it. I wouldn't be here without her.’

Brett Taylor was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the 80s, aged just four years old. His first experiences were incredibly traumatic, and he felt the heavy weight of shame around his condition for decades. Alongside the rollercoaster of type 1 diabetes in an age without mass information at our fingertips, online communities or diabetes technology, Brett has faced addiction, mental health challenges and diabetes-related sight loss.

Today Brett calls himself The Conscious Diabetic, focusing on taking what he describes as ‘conscious and active control’ of his life one day at a time, with the help of Crossfit and his wife Vicky by his side.

CONNECT WITH BRETT:
Follow The Conscious Diabetic on Instagram.
Follow The Conscious Diabetic pidcast on YouTube.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

From shock and shame to fun and friendship: How creating The Diabetic Duo helped besties Beth and Ellen reclaim their identity

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:55:01 +0000

Get ready for a double diabetes delight, as we spend a delightful hour with Beth McDaniel and Ellen Watson, also known as The Diabetic Duo.

Type 1 since childhood, Ellen was busy living her best university life alongside bestie Beth, when at the age of 20 Beth also joined the type 1 diabetes club. Not too long after, the girls caught the internet’s attention in 2019 when a TikTok video of them getting ready for a night out wearing their matching sensors went viral, and The Diabetic Duo was born.

The girls now have tens of thousands of followers across TikTok and Instagram, and continue using their platform to show others that life with type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to be perfect to be fabulous.

The marketing professionals from Northern Ireland chat about everything from friendship, building community, handling a night out with a cheeky Aperol Spritz or two, to reclaiming their power and being able to empower both themselves and other type 1s through their content. And if you want the secret to a perfect fake tan around your glucose sensor, the ladies have got you!

Beth and Ellen have such an amazing outlook, and their friendship is all the more beautiful for being able to share not only the tougher parts of type 1 diabetes, but the amazing experiences they've had as The Diabetic Duo. From wearing tech with confidence to always looking out for your loved ones, this episode is also a lovely reminder to have fun and enjoy the ride!

CONNECT WITH THE DIABETIC DUO
Follow The Diabetic Duo on Instagram.
Follow The Diabetic Duo on TikTok.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The humanness of diabetes care with Dr Mike Natter, MD

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:55:01 +0000

'You have to care. If you don't care, it becomes a really miserable job. But that strength also means you take it home with you, and it opens you up to being spread very thin.'

Dr Mike Natter is an artist and physician who, through this episode and through his work, centres the humanness of not only the patients in his care, but the peers and the medical doctors working tirelessly alongside him to ensure the people in his care are equipped to live better lives.

Mike is an assistant professor of medicine and clinical endocrinologist, based in New York, and has himself been living with type 1 diabetes since the age of 9. An art enthusiast since childhood, Mike's illustrations are now an integral part of his work as a doctor. In this episode we chat about art's ability to break down barriers, and how this empowers Mike's patients by helping them to understand the physiology of their condition.

Mike talks openly about overcoming imposter syndrome after moving from an arts education into medical school, the gruelling and incredibly emotional experience of being a medical doctor through Covid and the contradictions of a profession that helps people get better while making those who deliver the medicines to feel worse. We discuss the importance of compassion in treatment, what we can expect next from diabetes technology, and how support systems have helped Mike to ultimately become the doctor he is today.

This is an incredible episode, and if you’re anything like me Mike's empathy and insight will stay with you for days after you’ve heard him speak.

CONNECT WITH MIKE:
Follow Mike on Instagram.
Follow Mike on TikTok.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

7 Mindset Tools I Regularly Use On My Type 1 Diabetes Journey (Badass points for everyone!)

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 04:55:02 +0000

This week's audio offering is a solo episode from yours truly, in which I reflect on some of the mindset tools I've gathered up and honed on the long road that is living with type 1 diabetes.

These skills are things I draw on regularly to help me navigate all the weird and wild situations I find myself in thanks to this tricksy chronic illness, on top of the medicine and devices.

I chat about my perspective on and experience with getting uncomfortable, emotional wellbeing, diabetes content and information, trying new things, advocating for myself, self-compassion and shifting into a long game perspective.

None of this is medical advice, but it was fun to reflect on how far I've come, and the tools that have helped me in my 28 years navigating the spicy road of type 1 diabetes. Thank you as always for walking this road with me!

Let me know what you think! You can find me on instagram @missjengrieves, or follow the podcast account below:

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Jonty Brown: The lockdown jog that changed my life

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:55:02 +0000

34-year-old Jonty Brown is a humble Yorkshire man who went out for a little jog in lockdown… and ended up changing his entire life.

He quickly hit marathon distances, and then Ultra Marathon distances - becoming the first person with type 1 diabetes to run across the UK. Jonty’s now an Adidas running coach and co-founder of of Runlimited, a London running community on a mission to create the most collaborative and inclusive running collective on the planet.

Jonty has used his talent to raise awareness for type 1 diabetes, as a way to give back to the healthcare team that looked after him so well after his diagnosis aged 12. Along with his family, they were a huge support when he was diagnosed with diabetes-related depression and anxiety as a teenager. In 2023 Jonty ran 102km around his beloved Victoria Park in Hackney to raise money for JDRF, celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the discovery of insulin.

Jonty chats about his whirlwind journey since 2020, how he credits diabetes technology for taking his running to the next level, his advice for both shorter and longer runs with diabetes, and asking his mates to inject him at school.

Jonty is such a likeable guy doing incredible things; even if you’re not a runner, this is definitely an episode to dive into.

CONNECT WITH JONTY:
Follow Jonty on Instagram.
Follow Runlimited on Instagram.
Find out more about Runlimited.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Divya Joshi: Reclaiming my worth after negative comments about my diabetes diagnosis

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 04:55:02 +0000

Did someone say Season 12?!

My first guest is the lovely Divya Joshi, a university student living in Cardiff, two years into life with type 1 diabetes after being diagnosed in 2022 at the age of 20.

Since her diagnosis type 1 diabetes has not only changed the course of her studies, but she has also had to reclaim her sense of worth after unsolicited comments about her type 1 diabetes diagnosis left her questioning who she was, and even whether her boyfriend should stay with her.

Full of wisdom and insight, Divya speaks from the heart about being rocked by her diagnosis, which led to taking a year off from her studies to focus on getting to grips with the condition - a decision I completely admire and has helped her to move past the self doubt and into a new chapter, becoming a Diabetes UK Young Leader and speaking on the Welsh Parliament Stage.

Now studying a different degree and reclaiming her university experience with a renewed understanding of both her health and herself, we discuss the ways in which diabetes has affected Divya’s life, the resilience it’s built and the purpose she’s found in articulating her struggles through the beautiful spoken word poems she shares on her Instagram page, @creativebydivya.

Divya also offers some practical tips around life at university, and reveals what it was like to appear in the Netflix series Sex Education.

CONNECT WITH DIVYA
Follow Divya on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

‘I treated myself like a science experiment’ with personal trainer Tony Coffey

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 04:55:01 +0000

‘Stop looking for yes and no answers, and start trying to see the nuance. Pay attention to you and knowing yourself.’

Tony Coffey, also known as @trainbloom to his 1 million instagram and TikTok followers, is a personal trainer and co-host of the Fitness Stuff (For Normal People) podcast living in San Diego, California. When he’s not at Chipotle, Tony dedicates his time to combatting the mountain of fitness and nutrition misinformation out there with his no nonsense, informative and very funny evidence-based videos online.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes through primary care as a college freshman, it was very much suggested that diabetes would be a defining part of his identity. Already a fitness enthusiast, Tony’s diagnosis cemented his professional path, and he has used himself as his own science experiment ever since to defy the definition of diabetes he was given at the age of 19.

‘You’re going to go through some crappy, crappy days,’ he says of taking responsibility for your own condition. ‘But once you get a handle on it, I don’t know that anything else could build your confidence as much as type 1 diabetes does. All of the other problems in your life start to seem quite small, and it’s stuff no-one else in my life has had to deal with.’

In this episode we chat about diet, nutrition, taking on and standing out in the fitness industry, and stepping back from the frustrating moments of life with type 1 diabetes. As data driven and research focused as they come, Tony reveals the single easiest thing you can do to help your blood sugar management (and it’s NOT running marathons or becoming a bodybuilder), as well as what Tony thinks of the rising popularity of glucose sensors for those who aren’t living with diabetes. Hint: He’s not a fan.

Please do yourself a favour and take a look at Tony's Instagram account. In a sea of fitness noise and nonsense, his data-driven, research-led content and very clear, very funny delivery really cuts through.

CONNECT WITH TONY:
Follow Bloom Training on Instagram.
Take a look at his TikTok.
Listen to Fitness Stuff (For Normal People) on Spotify.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

46 years with type 1 diabetes: 'I went through pregnancy without a glucose meter' with Maryann Croft Maloney

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 04:55:02 +0000

'You’re more than a blood sugar, and that’s your excellence.’

Today we meet certified diabetes royalty! Maryann Croft Maloney has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1978 - the same year she also got married and became pregnant with her first child. Maryann went through a large part of that pregnancy without a glucose meter, but has always moved through life handling whatever it - and diabetes - has thrown at her without an ounce of self-pity.

Through the incredible lens of living with type 1 diabetes for almost 50 years, we discuss the advances in diabetes management Maryann has witnessed after starting out with only long-acting insulin, but conversely the anxiety that has been prompted by having so much data at her fingertips.

It was 20 years before Maryann met anyone else with type 1, and we really dig into the perspective that living with the condition has given her. From not worrying about the small stuff, to life as a test of resilience, to her quest for perfection and the importance of asking questions in the pursuit of a better quality of life, Maryann's honesty and insight makes for an extraordinary listen.

We also talk about her life-changing experience at Diabetes Training Camp, and the wisdom and relief it has offered her.

CONNECT WITH MARYANN:
Follow Maryann on Instagram.
Find out more about Diabetes Training Camp.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The Diaries Check In: Don't put a glucose sensor on your forehead

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 04:50:02 +0000

My dear friend and fellow type 1 Ami Bennett is back to say hello. So obviously this episode is full of mischief, escapades, hypo gremlins, and guess what? We've STILL both got type 1 diabetes...

We sweep through so much fun (and not so fun) stuff this week, having a good old catch up about everything from turning into hermits of routine by choice, being confronted by security staff about diabetes, dating, shoving Haribo into your face in a public toilet to fix a hypo... it's a glamorous life.

We shoutout some awesome people doing awesome things in the community, and of course The Diaries wouldn't be complete without an appearance from Ami's lovely dog Milou.

CONNECT WITH AMI:
Follow Ami on Instagram.

OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED:
Type One Community's Instagram.
Temi Olonisakin's Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Renza Scibilia: 'I never wanted my diabetes to become anyone else's burden'

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 04:55:02 +0000

When it comes to diabetes advocates, few are held in such regard as Renza Scibilia. And rightly so, as for more than two decades she has travelled the world to ensure the voices of people with diabetes are not only acknowledged, but listened to and understood by everyone from world-renowned healthcare professionals to pharmaceutical bosses.

Diagnosed in 1998, Renza’s activism started out through the Diabetonic blog, published from her desk at home in Melbourne, Australia. But such is her determination and motivation to create meaningful change, she is now Director of Community Building & Communications at Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), Head of Advocacy at #dedoc°, and in her spare time (when she’s not baking or on a plane), she runs a health consultancy.

As much as Renza works hard to makes sure she has a seat at the table, she works even harder to ensure that there are seats for the rest of us too, shaping outcomes for everyone who has been forced through lived experience to cruelly understand what it really means to live with type 1 diabetes.

'When insulin has been around for 100 years, lack of access should not be happening,' she told me. 'It’s perfectly ok to feel overwhelmed by the personal burden of type 1 diabetes and what we are living with, but I do also feel the weight of what type 1 diabetes is on a bigger scale. Sometimes I think it’s ok to feel hopeless because of that, because in many ways it’s what drives me.'

This generous and heartfelt conversation is such a treat, and a reminder of the power we collectively have for change when the right people are shaping the conversation.

CONNECT WITH RENZA:
Take a look at Renza’s blog, Diabetogenic.
Follow Renza on X.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The winding roads to acceptance with Alex Durussel-Baker

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 04:55:02 +0000

Everybody’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis is memorable, but Alex Durussel-Baker’s was particularly far removed from her routine as a 30-year-old business owner living in Edinburgh. Alex was on an aeroplane runway, about to take off for a work trip to the States, when her doctor called with the results of a blood test.

Alex subsequently spent three days in hospital in New York, before attending the work conference anyway. This isn’t a movie, this is Alex’s life, and it was once she returned to Scotland that the reality of both the permanence and the inconsistency of living with this complicated condition took hold.

Since that diagnosis in 2018, Alex’s path to acceptance has taken many turns. During a period of burnout and depression, she started to process events in the way that she knows best - through creativity, specifically graphic design. A 100-day project to make diabetes more visible by subverting famous posters led to the birth of Diabetes By Design.

Six years later, today sees the launch of DByD Fest - a 10 day programme of events, a design exhibition and panel talks all led by Alex. It’s all entirely free for you to visit at Custom Lane in Leith, Edinburgh, from June 13th-22nd 2024. This episode is a celebration of the ways in which this event will address the multitudes of misunderstanding that are unfortunately part of life with type 1 diabetes, but also an honouring of Alex’s lived experience.

We discuss so much in this episode, including motherhood, the effect that diabetes has had on her relationship, and how absolutely messy this all is, no matter how far into the journey you are. You can get involved in Alex’s work by giving your feedback on her soon to be launched Companion Card toolkit, co-designed by healthcare professionals and people living with type 1 diabetes to open up conversations about this undoubtedly messy condition.

Thank you so much to Alex for speaking to me with such candour and humility.

CONNECT WITH ALEX
Find out more about DByD Fest.
Find out more about the Companion Cards.
Sign up to the Diabetes By Design newsletter.
Follow Diabetes By Design on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'I no longer take my daughter to her diabetes appointments' with Tara Humphrey

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 04:55:01 +0000

Business owner, fitness enthusiast and adventurer Tara Humphrey is a woman of action. As the CEO of a primary care management consultancy, wife and mum of three adolescent girls, life is already a juggling act, but the family have also been forced to adapt to not one but two demanding chronic illnesses in the household. And despite the inevitable challenges, adapt they have - with the help of a whole load of pragmatic organisation, communication, teamwork and a generous dose of fun too.

Tara's youngest daughter Tahlia was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on Christmas Day in 2017 at the age of five. Now 12, Tara is balancing steadily letting Tahlia live a little more independently from Mum and Dad, while ensuring she remains safe from the riskier sides of life with type 1 diabetes.

In this insightful episode, Tara speaks candidly about the family's experiences - from herself being given a diabetes textbook as her daughter was diagnosed (and tested before Tahlia was allowed home!), feeling like a failure when diabetes technology wasn't working for them, to delegating diabetes appointments to her husband Mark after some frustrating interactions with Tahlia's care team.

We also speak about the interesting dichotomy between the experience Tara has as a Mum with multiple personal touch-points with the health system, and someone who also lives and breathes primary care in her professional life.

CONNECT WITH TARA:
Follow Tara on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Avani Ved: 'I felt like I was never going to be good enough, but stigma forced me to figure out what's important.'

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:55:02 +0000

When you speak to 27-year-old Avani Ved, you encounter an intelligent, focused, determined and thoughtful woman whose mission in life is to help people. She demonstrates this both in her professional career as a nurse and via her Instagram page, which spreads encouraging messages about life in general, as well as life with type 1 diabetes.

But her motivations come from some altogether more challenging and upsetting personal experiences as a child living with type 1 diabetes. Despite facing stigma and feelings of not being good enough since her diagnosis in 2005, Avani has somehow found the resolve to turn her pain into her power.

‘When I was nine there wasn’t a lot of people in my culture that understood what type 1 diabetes was. That was a huge challenge and a huge barrier to overcome. I heard a lot of comments at nine… but at that age you’re not going to sit there and explain to a 40-year-old woman what type 1 diabetes is.’

Running parallel to those difficult experiences, Avani has thankfully always also had an incredible support network around her, and it’s thanks to positive interactions with medical staff in the hospital she was sent to as a little girl that Avani knew from the day of her diagnosis she was going to be a nurse - despite not knowing what being a nurse actually meant.

There is so much to learn from this uplifting and honest episode, and I’m grateful to Avani for sharing her story as part of her mission to, in her words, ‘become the person that I needed when I was nine years old.’

CONNECT WITH AVANI:
Follow Avani on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Diabetes Specialist Nurse James Ridgeway: I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on shift

Thu, 23 May 2024 04:55:02 +0000

It is apparent from the minute you meet James Ridgeway that he is one of life’s good guys. A Diabetes Specialist Nurse and Education Research Associate living in Leicestershire with his partner Stacey and son Alfie, it was his own type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2012 while on shift as a student nurse that set him on his professional path.

James is incredibly passionate about diabetes education, and as well as supporting diabetes patients in clinic through his role as a DSN, part of his job is delivering diabetes education to other healthcare professionals through the renowned EDEN network. He also runs an innovative Podding peer support group to help people connect with others living with type 1 diabetes.

Through both living and working with type 1 diabetes, James is well aware that on average people with diabetes have just one hour of healthcare professional support each year. With his blend of lived experience, healthcare knowledge and belief in the importance of peer support, this episode offers a unique and encouraging perspective on living a better, less isolated life with type 1 diabetes.

CONNECT WITH JAMES:
Follow James on X.
Find out more about the Eden Network.
Check out James’s Podding peer support group for Omnipod Users.
Take a look at the Language Matters framework.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The schoolboy who set up a diabetes charity with Lochlan and Lesley Murdoch

Thu, 16 May 2024 04:55:01 +0000

My guest today are Lochlan Murdoch and his mum, Lesley.

Lochlan was just four when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now 15, Lochlan has always had a deep love of football, but a serious leg injury at the age of nine left him unable to play his beloved sport. The subsequent impact on Lochlan’s blood sugars and his mental health inspired him to organise a stadium marathon, walking 28 miles in four days around the Scottish Premier Football League stadiums. But that was just the beginning - in 2020, the charity Lochlan’s Legacy was lauched with the aim to break barriers and reduce stigma around type 1 diabetes in Scotland and beyond.

In the few short years since the charity's inception, it's already made an immeasurable difference spreading knowledge and awareness of type 1 diabetes through sport. With the help of some national funding, the support of Lochlan's beloved Kilmarnock FC and his mum Lesley working tirelessly for the charity as well as countless other organisations, there's no stopping Lochlan who says, 'I just want to help people.'

CONNECT WITH LOCHLAN'S LEGACY:
Visit Lochlan's Legacy website.
Follow Lochlan's Legacy on Instagram.
Follow them on X.
Join the Lochlan's Legacy Facebook page.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Australia's First T1D Commercial Pilot Dr Jeremy Robertson

Thu, 09 May 2024 04:55:02 +0000

This is no ordinary episode, but Aviation Medical Officer and Boeing 737 First Officer Dr Jeremy Robertson is no ordinary man.

This undeniably extraordinary story takes us on a 14 year journey, back to 2010 when 31-year-old Jeremy, from Sydney Australia, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes while on a training course in the United States. He was still wearing his uniform when he was told to hand over his pilot’s licence in the doctor’s office, such were the restrictions banning type 1s from flying commercial planes at the time. He was also weeks away from getting married.

Heartbroken, Jeremy returned to Australia the next day, and soon turned his attention to retraining as a medical doctor. Fast forward many years and having gathered an incredible amount of medical knowledge, as well as his own experience as a type 1 and a precedent in regulation changes set by the UK and Canada, Jeremy set about gathering the hundreds of hours of flying data required in smaller aircraft to propose a case to change the medical restrictions in Australia.

Step by step, over many years and with many setbacks along the way (not least a global pandemic that halted the entire aviation industry), Jeremy checked in as the first officer of his first commercial flight in 14 years just a few weeks ago, having successfully changed the restrictions to obtain a class 1 aviation medical. In doing so, he’s changed the prospects for aspiring type 1 pilots in Australia, forever.

I told you it was extraordinary...

CONNECT WITH JEREMY:
Follow Jeremy on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The psychology of food and type 1 diabetes with nutritional therapist Beth Edwards

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:55:02 +0000

‘We can do everything with type 1, but we can’t do everything.’

Beth Edwards is the kind of person with whom you instantly feel safe and seen. Through her work as a nutritional therapist, she encompasses a holistic approach to health, food, stress and type 1 diabetes in order to help people living with the condition reset their relationship with food.

Beth has helped countless people break free of the stigmas, shame and isolation that can overwhelm people with diabetes, particularly in relation to the complex relationship many have with the foods they eat, helping them to discover a sense of empowerment and enjoyment at mealtimes.

Beth has been able to blend her psychological training, nutritional expertise and her own lived experience in her practice, having lived with type 1 diabetes since she was nine years old.

In this meaty episode (excuse the pun!) we chat through Beth’s own journey with her type 1, her motivations for wanting to help people with diabetes in ways that are often out of reach within the time constraints of hospital appointments, as well as ways in which people can start addressing their food and glucose level frustrations. She also offers loads of practical advice around mealtime rituals, dosing timing, insulin sensitivity, sleep, post-meal spikes and so much more.

This episode filled my cup right up - I hope it satisfies your emotional cravings too!

CONNECT WITH BETH:
Follow Beth on Instagram.
Take a look at Beth's services and support guides on her website.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

The Diaries Check In: Ami Bennayyy Says Heyyy

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:55:02 +0000

Look who it is, Ami Bennett has returned to the podcast airwaves!

In a break from regularly scheduled programming, my type 1 friend Ami and co-host of spin-off series Type 1 on 1: The Diaries pops in to give us a little life update, as it has somehow been a whole year since she said hello on the podcast. We have a lovely catch up and hear about how she's getting on with her hard-won insulin pump 18 months in, and then she grills me on my new gadget - the hybrid closed loop system, which it's fair to say has had quite the impact on my life.

It's not all about gadgets though, as in true Jen and Ami style there are plenty of escapades to report and a silly joke or two. We talk about how Ami's disappearing hypo symptoms have conversely made her less anxious about having them, whether there is such a thing as a pleasant hypo experience (chocolate in bed, anyone?) and we find out Ami's less than affectionate names for her different basal programmes. You've got to keep it entertaining, right?

If you fancy some deep chats with a couple of friends as well as a bit of light relief when it comes to the chaos that is type 1 diabetes, you're in the right place!

Here's the article I recently wrote about switching to a hybrid closed loop if you fancy a read.

CONNECT WITH AMI:
Follow Ami on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

We nearly lost our son, and now we're on a superhero mission to help others with Gary Rapson

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 04:55:02 +0000

I am always left completely humbled and in awe when I speak to the parents of children with type 1 diabetes, and this episode is no different. And it brings with it a superhero... by the name of Captain Lantus.

Captain Lantus is the brain child of 10-year-old Max Rapson, brought to life by his dad Gary, today’s guest. Gary and his wife Sarah were plunged into a living nightmare back in 2014 when Max slipped into a coma at just 18 months old. What followed was months of around the clock care to keep their baby happy and healthy after a terrifying type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

When Max was 3, an insulin pump changed Gary and Sarah’s lives, but for Max it was a different story. He would run away from site changes to get away from the device he just didn’t want to be attached to. Aged 6, Max came home from school with an idea that his insulin pump was in fact his superpower, and their children’s book, The Adventures of Captain Lantus, was born.

Since then Gary, Sarah and Max, with the help of some trusty sidekicks and a brilliant community, have been on a mission to get their books to newly diagnosed children all over world to help them to feel empowered by, rather than afraid of, the possibilities of diabetes technology.

This episode covers a lot, from the trauma of that terrifying diagnosis, two parents finding their way in the dark, to the advancement of technology and the mission to make sure no child is scared of it the way that Max understandably was. Now 10, Max is confident and thriving, and the family is working hard to spread the message of Captain Lantus around the world to help newly diagnosed families.

Heartbreaking, uplifting and inspiring - this is a powerful episode and I can’t thank Gary enough for the service he’s done for other type 1 parents by sharing his story.

CONNECT WITH GARY AND CAPTAIN LANTUS:
Follow The Adventures of Captain Lantus on Instagram.
Find them on Facebook.
Visit the Captain Lantus website.
You can support Captain Lantus via their GoFundMe page here.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY We’ve got an Instagram account!
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

'Diabetes makes you dig deep to find out who you are' - Mohammad AlBahar

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:55:01 +0000

Today’s guest is Mohammad AlBahar, also known as @thediabetictraveler. Diagnosed at just two years old, he’s witnessed mammoth changes in diabetes managed since he was diagnosed in 1985.

Moh is the founder of the Diabetes Ambassadors Program, a non-profit in Kuwait that works to empower people living with diabetes by advocating for the needs and rights of those living with the condition.

As well as peer support and education, the foundation is currently working towards establishing new laws for people with diabetes in the workplace.

Moh reveals how existing as the best version of himself possible is the most powerful tool he has to challenge misconceptions, while crucially understanding that changing a person’s perspective cannot be forced.

We also talk about burnout, fitness, the challenges of airport security, the psychology of diabetes and most importantly, why Lego is Moh’s not-so-secret superpower when it comes to dealing with the mental load of diabetes.

CONNECT WITH MOH:
Follow The Diabetic Traveler on Instagram.
Follow The Diabetes Ambassadors Program on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

An IVF journey to motherhood with type 1 diabetes with Katie Pell

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:55:01 +0000

Oh my goodness, this episode <3

Jewellery designer and all-round lovely woman Katie Pell was days away from giving birth when she agreed to speak to me about her road to motherhood with type 1 diabetes.

Primose Florence Pell entered this world with a leap on February 29th 2024, just a week later!

Katie’s journey with type 1 diabetes, not to mention becoming a mum, has had its challenges. It includes some incredibly difficult periods of frustration and despair, not only for her health and mental wellbeing, but for the gap in the system she found herself in between her diabetes team and the IVF clinic Katie couldn’t access until her glucose levels hit an incredibly unforgiving range.

Diabetes technology changed her life. ‘Closed loop is the only reason I have a baby,’ she says, which is as heart-stopping as it is hopeful for anyone on this road.

This is a story about hope, of support systems, of understanding what it means to be human, to have feelings about wanting to be well not only for yourself, but for those in your life - and those you hope to bring into this world.

It’s ultimately a story about love, in all of its forms.

Katie candidly opens up about the decision to start a family, the interactions she had with healthcare professionals, the toil type 1 diabetes has taken on her headspace, her relationship with food and being in partnership when diabetes decides to gatecrash more than one life. She's also an incredible jeweller, so take a look at her work!

CONNECT WITH KATIE:
Follow Crux London on Instagram.
Follow The Workbench on Instagram.
Find out more about nutritionist Beth Edwards.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

The Human Trial: Where is the cure for type 1 diabetes? With Lisa Hepner

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 05:55:01 +0000

Not everyone loves a deep chat as much as I do, but documentary film maker Lisa Hepner really went there with me as we plunged the depths of the rollercoaster that is type 1 diabetes, in an episode I’ve been thinking about eve since we recorded. In a way I felt like I was speaking to someone I already knew.

Lisa knows more about type 1 diabetes than most. Not only has she lived with the condition since she was diagnosed in 1991 aged 21, she spent over a decade filming, writing, directing and producing The Human Trial - a film that closely follows the progress of a radical stem cell trial hoping cure type 1 diabetes for good.

As heart-wrenching as it is inspirational, The Human Trial follows the personal journeys of both the patients and the researchers who risk everything to go first, in a bid change the future for all of us living with this condition. It left me deeply confronted and incredibly hopeful, and in this episode we get the inside story.

WATCH THE HUMAN TRIAL:
The Human Trial website.
Watch The Human Trial on Prime Video.
Watch The Human Trial on Apple TV.
Follow The Human Trial on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

'We are different but not less' - How Moataz Hisham is helping young people to open up about type 1 diabetes

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 05:55:01 +0000

Moataz Hisham is a full-time engineer, part-time fitness coach and unofficial diabetes superhero for young people with type 1 diabetes in Egypt.

Childhood in Alexandria was interrupted when Moataz was diagnosed with type 1 in 1997 at the age of 11, but his pharmacist parents quickly helped him to adapt to not only the physical challenges of type 1 diabetes, but the psychological difficulties too.

Despite this incredible support and unwavering inner resilience, Moataz spent years hiding his type 1 from his friends due to misconceptions he faced from his peers. It would take until 2018 and a DKA experience for him to reach the final acceptance stage of what he calls ‘The 5 Phases of Diabetes’. Throwing himself into research, education and Crossfit, Moataz found new strength to open up about his condition. Using just his phone, he launched an online format called ‘Diabetips’ from his son’s bedroom in 2022 to share some of this wisdom.

But in a very short amount of time, the platform evolved far beyond that bedroom. ‘Diabetetips Talks’ is now a professional studio production in which Moataz interviews young people with type 1 diabetes to make sure children living with the condition can see themselves reflected, showcasing what he describes as ‘the unbreakable human spirit of young people living the diabetes journey’.

This is such an interesting and inspiring episode. Moataz lights up when he talks about sharing stories with young people, empowering children with type 1 diabetes AND their parents to understand that ‘we are different, not less.’

CONNECT WITH MOATAZ
Check out Diabetips Talks on YouTube.
Say hi to Moataz on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Lexie Peterson: We doubt ourselves, but we usually have the answers

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 05:55:01 +0000

'I’m a huge advocate for being your own advocate. This is your life, speak up for yourself.’

Are you ready for some amazing energy, realness and a ton of practical advice? Lexie Peterson, aka The Divabetic, is your girl!

In her own words, Lexie is shamelessly and unapologetically sharing the highs and lows of type 1 diabetes, helping thousands of people online feel more empowered about the imperfections of life with the condition.

Diagnosed at the age of 10 in 2005, Lexie attributes a positive hospital experience and the comforting but non-pitying love of her mum for planting the early seeds of her resilience. Tragically losing a friend to type 1 at college prompted her to start The Divabetic Instagram page as a way to talk to friends about the realities of the condition for the first time.

13,000 followers later, Lexie is proudly encouraging people with diabetes to advocate for themselves, showing the world that living your best life with type 1 doesn’t mean shying away from the tougher moments.

In this episode we cover everything from employee rights to travel, to finding independence and community after divorce, to being able to return the support when her mum was diagnosed with diabetes in 2022. This episode is a lesson in celebrating the small wins while embracing the realities of living a life of trial and error.

CONNECT WITH LEXIE:
Lexie’s bringing people together IRL with her first group diabetes adventure in May 2025! So if the idea of heading to Bali with a bunch of other type 1s sounds good to you, you can take a look at the trip details for ‘Betics in Bali here: https://trovatrip.com/trip/asia/bali/indonesia-with-lexie-peterson-may-2025

Find The Divabetic on Instagram.
Follow her on TikTok.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Harriet Minter: A near-death adult diagnosis forced me to accept my limits

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 05:55:01 +0000

"The doctor said: 'You need to put your phone down because we have to get this drip into your arm, otherwise you're going to die.' And that was my introduction to type 1 diabetes."

Today's guest is Harriet Minter - published author, journalist, coach and gender equality specialist.

Harriet has worked and written for among others, The Guardian, The Times and the Telegraph. She’s a columnist for Psychologies magazine, and created the wildly successful Badass Women’s Hour podcast and live radio show, which she was very much in the throes of when she received that terrfying type 1 diabetes diagnosis on World Diabetes Day 2020, at the age of 38.

That horrifying diagnosis was in the midst of the pandemic, and it has since altered Harriet's relationships with her work, her loved ones, and ultimately herself.

Wise, sharp and insightful, this is an incredibly thought-provoking chat, covering the vulnerability that diabetes forces you to face, the conflict of becoming both more independent and more willing to ask for help, accepting her body's limits, stigma around body size and diabetes, diabetes in the workplace and my favourite new phrase - SOFT POWER. Oh, and don't speak to Harriet about glucose monitoring as a health trend...

This was such a treat to record, I hope you enjoy it! Be sure to check out Harriet's writing on her Substack too - aptly titled We Can't Do It Alone.

CONNECT WITH HARRIET
Subscribe to Harriet's Substack.
Follow Harriet on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1

SPONSOR MESSAGE
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Helen Wills: Letting go as my diabetic daughter starts university

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 05:00:02 +0000

It’s Season 10 of Type 1 on 1, can you believe it? There’s no better person to start the series with than parent blogging and podcasting royalty Helen Wills, better known online as Actually Mummy.

For more than a decade, Helen has helped other Mums and Dads navigate the far-reaching multitudes of parenting through the Actually Mummy blog and more recently her podcast, Teenage Kicks.

As well as all the normal challenges of parenthood and the magic of family life, they’ve faced it all with type 1 diabetes too, Helen’s daughter Maddie was diagnosed at nine years old and the condition forced its way into the entire family’s life.

It’s been a pivotal few months for Helen as Maddie has now left home to start her first year of university; a monumental milestone for Helen after a devastating personal experience when she herself was a student.

We chat about how it feels to have your firstborn leave home, turning off Maddie’s glucose alarms, teenage hormones, alcohol and diabetes, the grief of the diagnosis for a parent and what this new chapter means for Helen, who is currently training to be a counsellor.

CONNECT WITH HELEN
Check out the Actually Mummy Blog.
Say hi to Helen on Instagram.
Listen to the Teenage Kicks podcast.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
You can find me on Instagram @missjengrieves.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.
Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Alone with type 1 diabetes - The 100,000 downloads celebration of YOU

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 05:55:01 +0000

This one's for you, friends! You're not alone.

I know it, because 100,000 downloads of this little baby podcast say it's so, and I know for a fact that's not just my mum downloading her own episode 100,000 times.

This bonus episode, the finale of season 9, is a celebration of you doing everything in your power to get through each day with type 1 diabetes, as you adapt to the fact that every day means something entirely different. Sometimes it's big and bright and bold and powerful, and sometimes it's muted and exhausted. Sometimes it's really lonely. We feel all of it.

This episode is a dive into what I believe is one of the fundamentals of being human - what it means to feel connected, to feel part of something. And therefore, what it means to be alone. And this is SO pertinent to type 1 diabetes, because for me at least, it forces me to confront being alone, to be alone within the experience of our daily lives, each and every day.

Which is also the reason this podcasts exists.

And yet. Look what you made me do, type 1 diabetes. We built a thousands strong collective of people saying 'I get it'. 'I feel it too'. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Thank you, all of you <3 and thanks to my amazing guests, and lovely Ami who features in all of The Diaries episodes. This one's for you if you feel overwhelmed, alone, tired, frustrated, alone. But also if you feel calm, proud, resilient, strong. You can be 'and' as well as 'or', especially when it comes to a condition as complicated and contradictory as type 1 diabetes. I am, and I'm so thankful that you're here with me, figuring it out alongside me.

I get it. I feel it too. You're not alone.

Come and say hi on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Can you thrive with diabetes? With health coach Miriam Santori

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 05:55:01 +0000

Miriam Santori spent years fighting with her type 1 diabetes, frustrated and burnt out by the condition and lacking the support she needed to help prevent regular DKA hospital admissions.

Diagnosed at a pivotal age in her teens in 2004, the condition altered the course of her education and she entered the gruelling demands of the corporate world for more than a decade. While Miriam thrived in her career, she had a feeling it was at the cost of her health and wellbeing.

The pandemic allowed Miriam to start seeking answers, and to finally get the professional advice she'd been lacking since she was 15. Miriam was so empowered by the results that came from taking care of her own health that she underwent a complete career change to become a certified health coach, specialising in diabetes to helping others better understand their conditon on their terms.

‘You have to make a lot of mistakes before you can start to find out the good stuff,' she told me, and Miriam is living proof that it is possible to get to the good stuff and truly thrive with diabetes. This episode is not only a powerful personal story, but it's packed full of advice if you're looking to make some shifts in the grip diabetes has over your life. There's a lot of heart and a lot of help in this episode - I hope you enjoy it!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Diabetes UK - who should qualify for a CGM on the NHS?
Diabetes UK - explaining flash glucose monitors and CGMs
DAFNE online mini-course (BERTIE) from Bournemouth Type 1 Diabetes Education Programme

CONNECT WITH MIRIAM:
Follow Miriam on Instagram

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.
Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Living with type 1 diabetes in Gaza with Mohammed Seyam MD

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 05:55:01 +0000

This is an episode of two parts. The main episode was recorded in September 2023, as my guest, 24-year-old medical doctor Mohammed Seyam was excitedly packing to move from his home in Gaza to London, to start a masters degree in Global Healthcare Management.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 11, Moe is a global diabetes advocate and educator. We spoke about the incredible work he’s done to change not only the cultural perception and stigma of type 1 diabetes, but to help the world live a better life with diabetes. This included playing an instrumental part in creating policy change that provided everyone living with type 1 diabetes in Palestine access to insulin pens.

We discussed Moe’s life growing up in the Gaza Strip, his family, his siblings, his joyful Zoom background full of the faces of diabetes. Moe spoke about how this work to change people’s lives through advocacy has shaped his professional goals - away from clinical medicine and towards policy making - to ensure changes that he makes are not only sustainable in the long-term, but are beneficial to as many people as possible.

Just weeks after we recorded, a humanitarian catastrophe began to unfold in Gaza, and as of December 2023, millions of people are displaced without access to basic needs.

It would have been remiss to publish the episode in its original form, and Moe joined me again this week to ensure that the voices of those living with type 1 diabetes in Palestine are heard, particularly at this time of crisis. He speaks at the beginning of this episode four months after we originally recorded to highlight the current issues facing the people of Gaza, particularly those living with type 1 diabetes, before the original episode is played in full.

This is an ongoing, developing situation, everything stated here is as of December 2023.

Thanks to Moe for his time, courage, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others living with type 1 diabetes.

CONNECT WITH MOE:
Follow Moe on Instagram

HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS YOU MAY WISH TO SUPPORT:
Life For A Child
Unicef
The British Red Cross Appeal
UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine)

Tom Ball: Britain's Got Talent helped me open up about my diabetes

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 05:55:01 +0000

'I didn't want people to notice my diabetes, so I'd go to the music room very often at school, to have my insulin and eat my lunch where no one could see me.'

Until last year, 25-year-old singer Tom Ball was busy spreading his passion for music as a secondary school teacher in his home county of West Sussex. Then he decided to audition for Britain’s Got Talent - and he went all the way to the final.

Going from teaching a classroom of students to performing in sold out venues, to say Tom's life has changed in the past year is an understatement. Tom is not only adapting to life in the spotlight, he's bringing his type 1 diabetes with him - after he was diagnosed at the age of 8.

Despite his day-to-day routine being thrown out the window for all the right reasons, Tom's managed to navigate his chronic condition with the help of his fab support system and some useful diabetes technology. But more than that, life as a singer has given him confidence to accept his type 1 diabetes, and he's now talking about it publicly in a bid to help others, after years of not speaking about it at all.

Tom also happens to be one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of interviewing. If you haven't heard his phenomenal voice, I can only urge you to seek out his music immediately.

CONNECT WITH TOM:
Follow Tom on Instagram
Check out Tom's Website for Music and Performance Dates, including his debut album and 2024 tour dates!
Check out My Diabetes Story on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Grace Shush: 'Drag saved my life, then I saved my health'

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 05:35:02 +0000

Today’s guest is self proclaimed 'international drag pooper star' Grace Shush, also known as Timothie. 9-year-old Timothie was already dealing with more than most when they were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2000. We talk about how they dealt with the diagnosis alongside undiagnosed ADHD and hormonal issues, as well as growing up non-binary in 90s Midlands.

Fast forward to 2023 and as a drag artist Grace has performed all over the world, alongside the likes of Chaka Khan and Melanie C. But for years their type 1 diabetes 'just didn't exist', and it went largely unmanaged while Timothie was developing the drag scene in their university town - and bringing Grace Shush to life.

It wasn't until Covid lockdown that Grace decided it was time to take control of their health. After self-funding a CGM for a year, they're now insulin pumping, pouting and proudly shouting about their type 1 diabetes on Instagram and TikTok as well as in real life.

I live for podcast episodes like this. It’s an honest, heartfelt, real and very funny chat that feels like you're catching up with an old friend - something all too rare when it comes to the ins, outs, tears and triumphs that are life with type 1 diabetes. Listen, enjoy, and then go and send Grace your love:

CONNECT WITH GRACE:
Grace's Instagram
Grace's TikTok
Grace's Website and Show Info

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Molly Bryant: 'I never thought I could achieve my dreams with type 1 diabetes'

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 06:00:03 +0000

Can we have a little moment for Molly please?
A burst of vitality, humility, candour and humour - achieving the dreams she once feared type 1 diabetes would prevent, AND keeping it @cutenchronic in the process!

The TikTok account that Molly started in lockdown gave her a whole new sense of purpose, and allowed her to turn her lack of self-confidence around.

Molly has had two lifelong dreams - to dance professionally and to live abroad - for as long as she can remember, and for a while type 1 diabetes threatened to take that away. Now she is doing both simultaneously, and her diabetes management is better than its ever been.

In this episode we discuss the gruelling schedule of a dancer and how she manages her condition in the heat of Sharm El-Sheikh, the isolation she felt from her friends around the time of her diagnosis aged 12, the confidence she's developed from owning her type 1 diabetes throughout her dance training, what finding the right type of support has meant to her, keeping it real on TikTok, and her next dream of showcasing type 1 diabetes across stage and screen.

It's impossible not to fall in love with Molly, enjoy the episode!

SAY HI TO MOLLY:
Molly's TikTok
Molly's Instagram

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

'I was shamed for taking insulin during my pregnancy' with Suzie Byatt

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 05:00:03 +0000

‘2 hours after giving birth, it was insinuated that I was responsible for my son being in a special care unit.’

Illustrator Suzie Byatt fell pregnant just months after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2022. Still reeling from a type 2 misdiagnosis in the middle of the pandemic, Suzie carefully nurtured her developing son within strict blood glucose parameters alongside getting to grips with type 1 diabetes amidst the fluctuating hormones that come with pregnancy.

She also found herself repeatedly facing unhelpful and judgemental interactions with medical professionals, just when she needed help the most.

Originally from London but now living in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Adam and her one year old son Desmond, Suzie recalls feeling like she didn’t have a voice when it came to her condition, or her birth.

Suzie’s experiences have led to her launching the gorgeous Type 1 Writers global penpal club.
Alongside her sister Zoe, who also lives with type 1, the pair are connecting people living with type 1 diabetes around the world through handwritten notes from carefully matched penpals - helping others connect while helping Suzie to process her experiences, one letter at a time.

This episode is packed full of so much, so please do hit play and then immediately go and send Suzie some love, especially if you’re looking for a penpal!

CONNECT WITH SUZIE
Suzie’s Instagram
Type 1 Writers Instagram
Type 1 Writers Website

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

World Diabetes Day: 14 lessons that have helped me to live with type 1 diabetes

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 05:00:03 +0000

Hello lovelies! In honour of World Diabetes Day on 14th November, please enjoy this special solo episode where I talk through 14 lessons that have helped me to live better with type 1 diabetes.

I've gone from 'surviving' (just) with type 1 diabetes to really living in vibrant, messy technicolour, and while I still have my frustrating diabetes days, I have come a very long way in terms of the tools, structures and understanding I have of my chronic condition.

This episode is designed to be delivered as a big encouraging hug, because we're all doing enough if we're trying - you are enough and you are not alone. There is no actual medical advice in here, but I hope this episode finds the people who need it.

I'll be back next week with another fabulous guest, but let me know on Instagram what you think of this one as it's very different from the usual. And Happy World Diabetes Day for everyone doing their best to gobble up everything that life has to offer despite this chronic chaos. I appreciate you being on this journey with me!

FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM <3

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'Stigmas are harmful to all of us, regardless of the type of diabetes' with Mila Clarke

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:55:01 +0000

'This is a life long process, you’re going to keep tinkering.'

Mila Clarke knows all too well how damaging the stigma that surrounds diabetes is, having been repeatedly undermined both inside and outside of the medical profession through multiple diabetes diagnoses.

Mila was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2016, and after four tough years of managing her condition without the right medication and without a voice within the medical system, she was rediagnosed with type 1 LADA in 2020.

In a bid to reduce the shame and stigma that surrounds the condition, Mila gave up the medical benefits and stability of full-time employment to focus on helping other people with diabetes find their voice, which in turn also allowed her to focus on her own health.

She advocates via her blog The Hangry Woman, her Instagram of the same name, coaching services and app The Glucose Guide, which builds community within a judgement-free zone for anyone living with diabetes, as well as caregivers of those with diabetes.

Through helping others, Mila has discovered the joy of cooking while reclaiming her health, career, purpose and ultimately her life, small step by small step.

HOW TO FIND MILA:
Follow Mila on Instagram
Check out The Hangry Woman blog
Take a look at The Glucose Guide App

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Jay James: 'We're still trying to process that this is forever'

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 05:00:03 +0000

It’s not everyday you meet someone with a heart like Jay James.

The X Factor finalist, one quarter of platinum-selling group The Overtones, songwriter, radio presenter, artist manager and former Royal Navy physical trainer, it’s fair to say that Jay has experienced a lot of what life has offer.

Jay’s first introduction to type 1 diabetes had come early in 2022 when he started to manage singer and fellow type 1 diabetic Tom Ball, after he shot to recognition on Britain’s Got Talent.

But nothing could have prepared Jay’s family for the shock of his son Franklin’s rollercoaster type 1 diabetes diagnosis just a few months later.

There’s a lot of emotion in this episode, as Jay openly admits to still processing not only the diagnosis itself but the longevity of the condition and what it means for Franklin, now 4.

But there’s an incredible amount of hope too, as between the dad guilt, the grief and the pressure to get things right, Jay continues to lead with heart while taking a practical approach to making things better - not only for his family, but for others in the community.

And today, Jay is launching mydiabetesstory.org to do just that - a platform designed to bring people together and show the power of community.

FIND JAY AND THE OVERTONES:
Get tickets to see The Overtones Christmas 2023 UK Tour (use code GOODTIMES23 for a discount!)
Check out My Diabetes Story on Instagram.
Follow The Overtones on Instagram.
Follow Jay on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Racing across the Atlantic Ocean with type 1 diabetes with Jack Trigger

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 04:35:02 +0000

‘You’re just trying to make the balance of your decisions move in the right direction, and you don’t get them all right.’

Those are the words of competitive yachtsman Jack Trigger, who is the first guest of this brand new series! You'd be forgiven for thinking that Jack is referring to type 1 diabetes here, but in fact he’s referring to ocean racing - his sport, his profession, and his first love.

Jack was hooked from the second he stepped into his first boat at the age of 6, and by the age of 8 he was already competing. Not even a type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2015 could throw his fledging career into doubt. Just three years later Jack became the first person with type 1 diabetes to compete in any solo ocean race, traversing 3,500 nautical miles managing a 40 foot yacht alone across the Atlantic - all with his condition in tow.

We discuss the parallels between sailing and type 1 diabetes (there are more than you might think!), going from racing with a crew to the physical and mental challenge of crossing oceans alone, the limits of preparation, trying to inject insulin while being thrown about by the waves, and how his analytical mind has helped him manage his unique lifestyle as well as his condition. Oh, and his plans to race across the entire planet...

I learnt a lot from this chat, and I love Jack's mix of unwavering determination and relaxed, practical attitude to life. It's good to be back!

Say hi to Jack on Instagram.
Check out Jack's website.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

HypoDaddy Luke Watts: 'My 5 year old is the strongest little man I know'

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 05:00:03 +0000

We’re ending this series of Type 1 on 1 with an incredibly powerful episode from Luke Watts, dad of 5-year-old Noah.

After two months of inconclusive GP appointments, Noah was rushed to hospital in DKA in 2018 aged just 11 months - and became the youngest baby in Leeds to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Luke and his wife Katie steadily got their little boy back, but a whirlwind couple of weeks followed in which they had to learn the relentless practicalities of the condition while trying to process their own grief.

The harrowing way in which Luke and Katie were plunged into the world of type 1 diabetes is at times a tough listen, but it’s an important one. And don’t worry, as a Leeds man, there’s of course a good dose of Yorkshire humour from Luke in here too.

Cheeky, happy, resilient Noah is Luke’s superhero, and rightly so - now approaching 5 years with the condition, Noah and his sister Leah have overcome more than two children should ever have to, but what’s clear is that this family are all superheroes in their own right.

We cover a huge amount of ground here - from tech to teaching to family life and the importance of outlets and support networks. The humility, practicality and honesty with which Luke describes his own experiences as well as those of his family has stuck with me, and I’m sure it will stick with you too.

Say hi to Luke on Instagram.
Follow Luke on Twitter.
Check out the HypoBaby blog.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Jen's Mum: 'I was determined we were going to do type 1 diabetes our way'

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 04:30:02 +0000

I’m not sure episodes get much more special than this… This week I had the absolute honour of interviewing my mum, Sandra.

We tore up the interview notes and just had a proper (and really quite rare) mother-daughter chat about how a single finger prick in the doctor’s surgery back in 1996 changed the entire course of our lives.

It was so fascinating to hear about my diagnosis through my mum’s eyes, and how it shaped not only me, but my brothers and my parents too.

Although the experiences and the memories aren’t all rosy, it was a really positive experience to head back to that time, and also an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come, 27 years on.

On or off the microphone, I’d absolutely encourage you to do the same with anyone who’s been involved in your life with diabetes - this is a really special chat and I truly hope there’s something in here for you.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

'I'm the odd one out, so I made it funny' with Kalex Willzy

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 04:00:03 +0000

Kalex Willzy is a radio presenter and content creator from London. When he's not busy with music and radio, he's making people laugh with his relatable type 1 diabetes Reels on Instagram, putting a humourous spotlight on the more ridiculous moments that living with type 1 diabetes brings.

Diagnosed at the age of 23 in 2016, he describes himself as a 'lone ranger' when it comes to figuring out life with type 1 diabetes. After a less than informative diagnosis experience, he's always relied on himself to navigate the literal ups and downs of the condition.

From food anxiety to fitness, to the responsibility of educating his family and navigating dates, Kalex covers it all in this episode that has some beautifully poignant moments as well as a healthy dose of realness - and of course, a generous dose of laughter.

Kalex created his account @typewondiabetes after giving a talk on the condition and realising there was something missing from the online space. He's since made a virtue out of being what he describes as 'the odd one out', and helped thousands of people laugh along the way.

FIND KALEX:
Say hi to Kalex on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

Starting a new life abroad, pregnancy anxiety and figuring it out with Becci Youde

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Becci Youde is a geography teacher living in Hong Kong with her husband and two young children. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 23, five years before she made the move overseas from Somerset in the UK.

I discovered Becci’s quiet courage throughout the course of our chat, which left me feeling a lot of admiration for what she’s tackled.

Finding and securing the job that would enable Becci’s overseas adventure turned out to be the easy part, as she has faced a huge number of diabetes-related unknowns as part of moving to another country.

Her resolve to figure it out along the way has seen her set up life long-term in Hong Kong, navigate two pregnancies (one through covid) and juggle life as a teacher, wife and mum of two while trying to manage her condition thousands of miles from her family.

We dig into the differences in diabetes care overseas, packing six months of supplies because she couldn’t get medical insurance to cover her condition, the pressures of a type 1 pregnancy, and trying to treat a hypo in front of a class full of children!

This episode is packed full of life experience - one for anyone who has an aspiration but doesn’t have all the answers. As Becci demonstrates, you don’t need the answers to give it a try.

FIND BECCI:
Say hi to Becci on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

The Diaries Check In: More Than Your Diabetes

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 05:05:01 +0000

Ami’s Back for Diabetes Week!

It’s an important week in diabetes land, and a important week needs an important guest, so of course it could only be my dear friend Ami Bennett. Fellow type 1 diabetic, fellow media professional, fellow journalist who doesn’t do journalism, fellow dancer who no longer dances, fellow master of escapades great and small.

If you haven’t met Ami before, there are 30 episodes of Type 1 on 1: The Diaries for you to catch up on whereby we have an absolute riot sharing a weekly update on all things pancreatically challenged.

This week is no different, and we have a lovely little catch up about where we’ve been (quite a few places as it turns out) what we’ve been up to (broken insulin pumps, rogue hypos diaversaries and life as a 30-something pretending it’s all fine) and the general joys of trying to impersonate a functioning pancreas.

Ahead of Diabetes Week 2023 in the UK (12-16th June) we take a second to celebrate all that we are outside of our type 1 diabetes, and we encourage you to do the same!

Come and say hi to me on Instagram.
Say hi to Ami on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:

Thanks so much to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/

How to enjoy the foods you love with diabetes dietician Ben Tzeel

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 04:15:02 +0000

Today’s guest Ben Tzeel is a registered dietitian, certified strength coach and diabetes educator, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 7.

Ben’s baseball dreams were snatched from him at a young age because of a lack of understanding about his condition from those around him. Isolated from his team, he set out to prove his coach and others wrong by becoming the best player on the field.

His dedication and a love of health and fitness ultimately led Ben down a professional path, turning those early negative experiences into fuel. Bursting with knowledge, he ditched the end of his PhD to launch his practice Your Diabetes Insider to get that knowledge out to more people.

In just a few years Ben and his team (who all also live with diabetes) have helped thousands of people with type 1 and type 2 achieve better blood sugar control, become stronger and feel better.

In this episode we discuss everything from his pharmacist wife Amelia dosing his insulin pump on their first date (!) to his feelings about the rise of health (mis)information on social media.
You’ll be pleased to know that as a dietician, Ben is more than happy to tell you to enjoy all the foods you love - and yes that does include pizza! Check out his Instagram @manoftzeel for fun videos on how to tackle everything from pasta to cake.

‘Life is too short to not enjoy the foods that you love. You just have to be smart about it.’

FIND BEN:
Take a look at the Your Diabetes Insider website.
Find Ben on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Grieving your child’s diagnosis with Heather Jackson

Fri, 26 May 2023 04:00:02 +0000

'You're allowed to be upset for your child. Just don't get stuck there.’

Heather Jackson is a business owner and incredibly powerful writer who I first came across when she shared a letter she’d written on the anniversary of her son’s first diaversary.

In 2019, Heather was adapting to life as a family of four when her oldest son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just after his third birthday. It understandably turned her world upside down.

Heather, along with her husband James struggled to stay upright as the terror and shock of caring for a child with type 1 who couldn’t yet articulate his needs set in. She describes the grief she felt for both the loss of her son’s health, and the trajectory they were on as a family.

Four years on and Heather generously shares with me how her feelings towards the illness and what it means for her son’s life have shifted, getting to a place of more acceptance and less fear without dismissing the tougher days, and the boundaries they’ve put in place to ensure they remain a strong family unit.

Heather offers so much wisdom, perspective and plenty of advice for any parents of young children with type 1 diabetes. Parts of this conversation are indeed emotional, but it’s Heather’s pride in what they’ve overcome as a family that really shone through for me.

FIND HEATHER:
Say hello on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Raising your hand and asking for help with Jordan Robinson

Fri, 19 May 2023 04:00:03 +0000

Conversations that leave you feeling energised are my jam and sports presenter Jordan Robinson DELIVERS.

LA-based WNBA sports journalist, host and podcaster Jordan started playing basketball as a young child, reaching division 2 in college.

Her type 1 diabetes diagnosis at the age of 23 came at a time of huge change, as she was recovering from injury while building a new career as a journalist. Over time though, her condition has brought her closer to her family and strengthened the beautiful bond between her and her husband Fred.

Off the court Jordan happily now gets to talk about her favourite sport as part of her job, but it’s her desire to become a mum that’s her true motivation for continually showing up to manage her type 1 diabetes.

We talk about why she thinks she was living with type 1 for months before she was diagnosed, her conceptions around pregnancy with type 1, the new love of her life - her automated insulin pump - and why it’s ok to ask for help, no matter how self-sufficient or independent you are.

Jordan is a gorgeous dose of LA sunshine and I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did!

FIND JORDAN:
Say hi to Jordan on Instagram.
Follow her on Twitter.
Check out Jordan’s WNBA podcast, Queens Of The Court.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Hot flushes, hypos and type 1 in pregnancy with Dawn Adams

Fri, 12 May 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Dawn Adams jovially describes herself as ‘chaos’, but in my opinion she is a multi-tasking, time-defying, change-making superhero - with an undeniably soothing voice to boot.

Dawn is a former teacher turned midwife with a specialist interest in diabetes and pregnancy from Northern Ireland. She's is also completing a PhD in type 1 diabetes, pregnancy and wearable technology, and uses any remaining spare minute to advocate for awareness around type 1 diabetes and menopause, after she found a lack of information and peer support to help guide her through her own experience. All of this, plus she’s been handling the not-so-small task of living with type 1 diabetes for 30 years.

Diagnosed at the age of 22, Dawn was one of the first in her hospital to receive a modern insulin injection pen, but in the same week she was told it was unlikely she would be able to have children because of her diagnosis.

That thankfully turned out not to be the case, and she has four healthy boys with the man who proposed to her just weeks after her type 1 diagnosis - a commitment to figuring it all out together.

Dawn’s full time job as a midwife is dedicated to helping women bring life into the world, and her advocacy work gives a mouthpiece to the silenced women who are coping with the life-altering affects of menopause with type 1 diabetes. What an inspiration. I admire Dawn’s spirit, her quiet courage, her belief in working together to make progress and most of all, her attitude to life.

Prepare to fall in love with Dawn!

FIND DAWN:
Follow Dawn on Instagram
Find Dawn on Twitter
The Balance Menopause App

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod Therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days.

Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Jazz Sethi: 'Be vocal about whatever you believe in'

Fri, 05 May 2023 05:00:02 +0000

‘If not you, then who? If not now, then when?’

Jazz Sethi is the founder and director of The Diabesties Foundation - an Indian non-profit turned global movement making those with Type 1 Diabetes feel heard, understood, supported and celebrated.

Jazz was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2009 at 13 years old. 10 years on she'd never met anyone else with the condition, so she tentatively arranged a local meet up. 35 people showed up, and Diabesties was born.

Jazz is a beacon of hope, humility and positivity - but she is not to be underestimated. The Diabesties Foundation is a force for change for children with type 1 in India not only on the ground, but at government policy level - addressing lack of access, devastating stigma and so much more, all to improve the lives of others.

As well as being a prominent voice for advocacy, education and empowerment for the type 1 community, she’s is also a professional dancer, choreographer, theatre artist and a published author who lives by the mantra Live Happily and Bolus Regularly.

What. A. Woman.

FIND JAZZ:
Find out more about The Diabesties Foundation.
Follow Jazz on Instagram.
Say hi to Jazz on Twitter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

The closed-loop system changed my life with Yasmin Hopkins

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:27:08 +0000

After years of trying to get to grips with diabetes technology with frustrating and disappointing results, an NHS clinical trial changed Yasmin Hopkins' life.

In 2022 she trialled a closed-loop system as part of the NHS England NICE pilot study, whereby her insulin pump and CGM sensor constantly communicate to make automated basal adjustments to her insulin doses. Yasmin's HbA1c went from over 100 to 54 for the first time ever, her time in range went from around 30% to 70% in a matter of weeks. The unplanned hospital admissions she'd been dealing with since she was a child stopped completely.

But better than that, she's able to live her life.

Yasmin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2006 at the age of 11. Her journey to tech was not straightforward, having come off her first insulin pump in her teens. Life on injections was equally difficult, but today she is thriving and working to spread the message about closed-loop systems, but advocates for education and 'the right treatment for the right person' - as her experiences show that the latest technology isn't a magic solution.

If you're curious to know more about diabetes technology in a 'real' way, this is the episode for you!

FIND YASMIN:
Say hi to Yasmin on Instagram.
Follow her on Twitter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Misdiagnosis, menopause and the joy of female friendship with Eileen Williams and Shelley Thompson

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Eileen Williams and Shelley Thompson met at a gym 26 years ago, having put their babies in the same creche so that they could take some time to work out.

They bonded as new mums, and what started as a quick coffee soon became a fierce friendship. But their bonds run even deeper, as both have since been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, although receiving those diangoses was far from straight forward.

Eileen was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 1996 while pregnant with her son. Her symptoms continued after pregnancy and she was treated as a type 2 for 12 years, painstaking adjusting her diet and exercising 'obsessively' in a bid to keep her blood sugars within range for more than a decade before she received the correct diagnosis and was finally given insulin.

In January 2019 Shelley was hospitalised with DKA, having presented symptoms a year earlier and been presumed type 2. But even then the diagnosis was not straight forward, and the two have relied on each other through the highs and lows of motherhood as well as type 1 diabetes to laugh at life's challenges and enjoy the ride together.

These two are an absolute JOY, and we giggled a lot despite covering some difficult ground, which really is testament to their friendship. Misdiagnosis of LADA is unfortunately not uncommon, so if you've been in a similar situation please know that you're not alone.

Find Eileen on Instagram.
Say hi to Shelley on Instagram.
Diabetes UK: Menopause and diabetes.
Diatribe - LADA Misdiagnosis.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

OCD, intrusive thoughts and the power of poetry with Duke Al

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 06:39:55 +0000

Trigger Warning: alcohol misuse and self-harm

"OCD is a constant battle of feeling you’re a horrendously bad person. It’s very easy to self-punish."

I have long admired Duke Al’s work, and after listening to this episode I can almost guarantee you'll have an even more powerful appreciation of his words, as well as the man behind them.

Duke is a spoken word artist and rapper from South Wales, who began writing as a young child to try and make sense of the intrusive thoughts that were occupying his brain, later diagnosed as OCD. Using writing as a coping mechanism, he says, has saved him.

“I kept it hidden for years. I felt like the pen and page was the only thing I could tell.”

Afraid of the stigmas around OCD, Duke kept quiet, increasingly turning to negative behaviours as a way to cope until a traumatic experience led to him getting professional help. A type 1 diagnosis at the age of 23 affected his mental health further as the two conditions catastrophically collided.

The pen, again, became his saviour, and Duke continued writing rhymes as self-therapy, until a trip to Zambia prompted him to start sharing his poems publicly via Instagram. Now, just a few years on, Duke has published his first collection of poems, Bittersweet, with a second book on the way. He also now writes and teaches poetry and music full time, inspiring others with his words and ‘making an impactful change, one rhyme at a time.’

“We’re all given challenges, but we’re also all given choices,” he tells me. There is SO much light in this episode, as well as two very special performances. I hope this episodes moves and ultimately inspires you as much as it did me.

FIND DUKE:
Say hi to Duke on Instagram.
Discover Duke’s music.
Buy Duke's book, 'Bittersweet'.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE: 'The more people around me who understand type 1, the safer it is'

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 04:15:01 +0000

How do you manage your blood sugars when you’ve got TWO BILLION pairs of eyes on you?

Well, if you’re as focused as world-renowned cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, it’s just another day. The particular day I’m referring to is playing at the Royal Wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan in 2018. As you do.

Sheku is of the most celebrated and in demand cellists in the world, achieving astronomical success at the age of just 23. But in speaking to him it’s clear that his motivation is purely in the act of playing and sharing his great love of music. That being said, garnering two classical BRIT awards, a GQ cover, collaborations with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians and an MBE to his name while managing type 1 diabetes since the age of 12 more than deserves to be acknowledged.

In this episode we discuss Sheku’s life of travelling and playing, his concert rituals, how the support of his family has helped him deal with his condition, why being open about his type 1 diabetes is important - and how he strategically used to prick his fingers to avoid desensitising his playing hand before moving onto a CGM.

‘Type 1 diabetes has become less of a standout issue in my life,’ he says. Here’s to that.

FIND SHEKU:
Check out Sheku’s website.
Listen to Sheku’s album 'Song'.
Follow Sheku on Twitter.
Say hi to Sheku on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

'Everyone's got something that they're dealing with' with Andy Hartnell

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:00:02 +0000

'You going into the hospital ill, and you think you’ll come out fine.'

Sales executive Andy Hartnell is today's guest. Andy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in his first year of university, and he was so unwell that his mum didn't recognise him - and yet he was turned away by a doctor who believed he had a fever. He was admitted to intensive care the following day with a blood glucose reading of 96mmol/l.

Unsurprisingly it took Andy a while to process his diagnosis, and he didn't open up about his condition for many years, often leaving for work without his glucose meter - unaware of the need to really do anything differently. The switched flipped and he describes 'going the other way', testing 'obsessively' 12-15 times a day.

It's a story that isn't uncommon and Andy's humility is one I believe will strike a chord with a lot of you. We also discuss handling nights out with type 1, how he subsequently found a balance, his 'life-changing' CGM and being brave enough to take an 18 month career break when his workload began to affect his mental health, relationship and social life. Having spent time delivering prescriptions to the elderly, travelling, running marathons and generally taking care of himself, he's now in a new job with a different perspective on what success looks like. I applaud Andy for his courage, and his willingness to share his story on the podcast. He's also just a bloody lovely guy!

FIND ANDY:
Say hi to Andy on Instagram.
Follow Andy on Strava.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Being exposed as type 1 diabetic could have ended my professional jockey career with David Crosse

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Today's guest is David Crosse, a retired jumps jockey who changed the face of the sport for people with type 1 diabetes.

Born in Tipperary in Ireland, he moved to the UK aged 16 for riding and over the course of an impressive 20 year career, secured 207 winners from more than 3,500 rides in Britain and Ireland.

At the age of 22 David was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes - just as his professional career was taking off. He hid his condition from officials in the sport for 13 years, fearing it would be 'career suicide', until he was exposed quite dramatically by an anonymous tip off sent to the Racing Post.
This episode is an almighty gallop (if you will) through David's life and career, and it's a lot of fun thanks to his exceptional storytelling. Enjoy!

FIND DAVID:
Check out David’s website.
Follow David on Twitter
Say hi to David on Instagram
Thanks to Diabetes UK for helping make this episode happen.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Writing through caring for my type 1 son with author Victoria Bennett

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Author Victoria Bennett is today’s guest. Her memoir, ‘All My Wild Mothers’ is a story of motherhood, loss and what can happen when you steadily sow the seeds of new life, as Victoria and her son did on barren wasteland next to the council estate they moved to when her son was five years old.

Victoria was weeks away from giving birth when her world was turned upside down after her sister died suddenly in a canoeing accident. Two years later her son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, in diabetic ketoacidosis after her concerns about his health were dismissed by doctors. This plunged Victoria into a terrifying world of being a carer for a baby with a chronic condition, all while still processing her own grief.

Victoria’s writing is strikingly transportive, and the severity of what it means to raise a child with diabetes really comes through as you move through her world within the book. The evocative retelling of her experiences as a parent will stick with me for a long time, and not only will this book help parents going through similar challenges, but it will do so much to raise awareness of the realities of dealing with type 1 to those who are unaffected by the condition. This is undoubtedly a story of resilience, but also one of great hope.

FIND VICTORIA!
Buy ‘All My Wild Mothers’ anywhere and everywhere!
Visit Victoria’s website: http://victoriabennett.me/
Say hi to Victoria on Instagram.
Follow her on Twitter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.
Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Dr Temi Olonisakin: 'Be louder. It's worth advocating for yourself'

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Imagine this: you’re a junior doctor, getting to grips with life on the ward in the early stages of your medical career, working long shifts under a stretched system. You’ve got a chronic illness to manage while you care for patients, and you’ve been training for this your whole life. Then, a few months in… a global virus strikes and you find yourself on the front line of the NHS as a pandemic shuts down the entire world.

That is the experience of this week’s guest, Dr Temi Olonisakin.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on the floor of a train station in 2012 at the age of 17, Temi’s sights had been set on medical school since she was a child. And while her diagnosis didn’t stop her getting there (although others advised her to reconsider), she found herself struggling to accept her diagnosis for a long time.

Despite dealing with daily darkness at work while she tirelessly cared for COVID patients, it was the pandemic that gave Temi the space at home to finally extend that same compassion to herself when it came to her type 1 diabetes. She turned the anger she’d been carrying into a sense of power, leading her to create her Instagram account, @temidiabeticdoctor.

We discuss all of this, plus the aspects of diabetes that Temi believes have made her a better doctor, going from a huge fear of needles to a massive advocate of diabetes technology, representation in the diabetes space, and her advice for fighting for your needs as a patient to get the tools to improve your quality of life.

“It’s not because I’m a doctor, it’s because I decided not to give up.”

Say hi to Temi on Instagram.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Rob Howe: 'I would adjust the way I spoke to myself'

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:00:02 +0000

'Be intentional with every moment of your life.’

Ohhh we’re playing in the big leagues today! Rob Howe - entrepreneur, former professional basketball player and founder of the Diabetics Doing Things Platform is today’s podcast guest.

A seasoned podcast pro with over 1 million downloads to his name, we talk about everything from school rumours that he’d died (!) after being diagnosed at the age of 16, to being vulnerable in order to bring people together, to maintaining discipline and intention in all aspects of your life - including of course, with type 1 diabetes.

I particularly loved Rob’s thoughts on how our perspectives can shift over time - you don’t have to feel the same about your diabetes forever, or even from one day to the next.

This is a solid hour of wise words from a man with a really big heart and a whole lot of focus. Warm and calm and thoughtful, Rob is exactly the type of person I’d want around in a crisis - diabetes-related or otherwise! But make no mistake, Rob is an achiever - as a business owner, athlete and someone who spends a lot of his life in service helping others living with type 1 diabetes feel better about what we’re dealing with. I love his ethos of community, creating change and making sure no one is left behind.

PS… get your sleep!

Find Rob at the Diabetics Doing Things website and podcast
Follow Rob on Instagram

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

The Diaries Check In: Would You Take A Cure?

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:00:02 +0000

Hold onto your insulin... Type 1 on 1 is back!

I'm so excited to return for another season, and it was only right that we get the MVP of this podcast on for a little episode 1 check in, you know?
That's right, The Diaries co-host Ami is coming through with the REAL talk, and she spills the tea on the all important insulin pump update now that she's been wired up to her gadget for three whole months. Hint: It's going really, REALLY well and having seen what Ami's taken on since her diagnosis, I can say with a bit of a bursting heart that I am one proud friend.
We get in the mood with the usual sexy chat - missing toenails, blisters, and spots that simply won't heal because type 1 diabetes has KO'd our immune systems. It is Valentine's Day after all...

It's good to be back! Thanks so much for joining me.

SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Insulet, the founders of Pod Therapy - only found with Omnipod.

Pod therapy uses a tubeless, wearable and waterproof Pod that continuously delivers insulin for up to three days. Controlled wirelessly by its handheld companion, the personal diabetes manager, it allows you to personalise your insulin doses according to your own daily needs - no multiple daily injections and no tubes.

Head to https://www.omnipod.com/ to find out more.

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - We've completed diabetes… with a raging thirst

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 04:00:03 +0000

Ami’s officially on an insulin pump! Just in time for the 30th (!!) episode of Type 1 on 1: The Diaries, we get the DL on Ami’s new lease of life on an Omnipod. Kendrick Lamar’s involved, but so is a raging overnight high glucose. You can’t win ‘em all.
You CAN however, send us your diawins, and send them you did! We get a few nice little pick me ups from the listeners as well as the return of some dia-science facts, while Jen’s very busy consuming large amounts of tapas and stealing batteries out of remote controls to save her insulin pump from dying…

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

And thanks to you lot for supporting our escapades with your messages! Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Your warm and fuzzy dia-wins!

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 04:05:01 +0000

Get ready for all the feels - this community has delivered yet again!
In spirit of injecting (oohhhh get it?) a little bit of positivity into the often frustrating world of type 1 diabetes, and inspired by the fab news that as we publish this, Ami is officially, finally hooked up to an insulin pump (!) we asked you to send us your dia-wins and diabetes milestones so that we could celebrate everyone out there doing their best to handle this mad bad chronic condition.

 Jen’s heart but did some full bursting as we read out your wins, ranging from lower HbA1cs to being able to eat all the food on holiday without a big fallout on the BGs, to taking steps to accepting a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. This is a real treat and it’s all thanks to you.

Elsewhere, Jen’s on the move around the world AGAIN, and Ami’s got some real kid-at-christmas vibes as she tries to think of new ways to jazz up her diabetes stuff. Glitter, anyone?

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - A case of the Podgies… and send us your dia-wins!

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 04:00:02 +0000

Lovely listeners - we need your help, again!

It can be easy to moan about this type 1 life (and with good reason), but this week Ami’s celebrating her imminent switch to an insulin pump after a three year ‘journey’ to get approved. In the spirit of us all cheering each other on, please send us your dia-wins on Instagram and tell us any goal you’ve accomplished this week/year/life! There’s no win too small, we want to spread some good stuff and get them read out on the podcast. Bonus points if you can weave a funny tale in there too…

Elsewhere Jen’s HbA1c has gone officially AWOL and ghosted her after 26 years, and she’s finally got to the bottom of her dodgy Pod investigation (Podgies if you will).

Ami’s pretty jazzed to have an insulin pump in her possession! But like a kid at Christmas, she’s got a few more weeks of looking longingly at the parcel before she can open it and hook herself up. What a tease! She’s still got time for a little rant too, because no one puts Ami in the corner.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Listener escapades... come through

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 03:00:02 +0000

We asked for your escapades… and you delivered!
From passing out on a plane to taking a long-acting dose of fast-acting insulin (!), we’re very grateful to hear it’s not just us who get themselves into the odd type 1 diabetes related pickle. Please keep them coming, we’d love to hear more!  Elsewhere Ami’s feeling pretty done with type 1 diabetes this week, while Jen spent a whole 24 hours out of range which was not so fun. But there’s good news as Ami anticipates her insulin pump start, and after a long road, Jen’s retinopathy seems to be going in a more positive direction. Light and shade people, light and shade.

If you want to say hi or send us an escapade, head over to Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Send Us Your Escapades!

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 03:00:02 +0000

We hope you’re strapped in tight this week, the diabetes rollercoaster is GO.

Jen’s got a little update on the horror wrist injury (spoiler alert: it’s broken) and the resulting cast is forcing a bit of a slow down on the usual escapades, which is probably no bad thing.

Meanwhile Ami’s had a weekend of frustration after losing her insulin pen in a restaurant and not realising until said restaurant was closed… BUT there’s good news too as she’s finally got the pump-date we’ve been waiting for!

To help us feel a little better about these escapades, we’re looking for some reassurance that we’re not the only ones getting ourselves in these type 1 pickles… so, can you relate? Have you got a tale of adventure that’s happened as a result of your type 1 diabetes? Please slide on into our DMs and tell us your tales - we’re here with a knowing nod and a lovely hug, and we can keep you anonymous if you wish. We’ll treat your stories with care, promise. Send us your escapades and we might have a chat about them on next week’s podcast.

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Do you require special assistance?

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Woah Nelly, they're at it again!
The giddyness hits as Jen and Ami are reunited after a couple of weeks apart, and Jen's swollen, purple hand is somewhat of a distraction. But like every great injury, there's a great story attached, and it's kiiiiiind of type 1 diabetes related.
Ami's having some issues with her sharps bin, but after consulting the good people of Instagram, it seems that she's not alone.

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - This is a sexy little episode

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Bom chica WOW WOW!! Get ready ladies and gents, this week’s episode of The Diaries is a TIME. Ami is another year older and marked her birthday week with the mother of all type 1 escapades, naturally. Thanks to some quick-thinking she was able to jet off to Spain without too much panic, but the escapade came back to bite her once she was back in the UK...
Jen’s finally topped up all her long overdue diabetes admin with two appointments in one week, can you imagine? First a trip to the retinopathy clinic (if you know you know), followed by clinic appointment featuring an absolute revelation, as the usual urine sample ‘difficulties’ are no more. Told you it was a sexy episode…

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Let's do a little dia-quiz!

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Cue the theme tune, it’s dia-quiz time! We’re taking it back to the introductions this week and offer up a little getting to know you style fun with a little quiz about all things diabetes, so whether you’re new to this podcast or you’ve been listening for a while, you get a little bit more of a flavour of our individual type 1 diabetes stories. Diagnosis tales, pump vs pen and a couple of interesting hypo experiences, pull up a chair and get to know us a little bit better - it's the quiz that none of you asked for!

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - A glass of wine and a matching hypo

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:00:03 +0000

Drum roll please… Not only are Jen and Ami in the same country, but they're in the same room! 
It’s a special day for Type 1 on 1: The Diaries because for the first time ever, Jen and Ami are recording together IRL. Jen’s back from her adventures around the world just in time to help Ami pack for her holiday, Spanish diabetes vocabulary included - although the excitement is temporarily interrupted by a couple of matching hypos. Cute.

Ami reflects on her approaching 3rd diaversary, and gives Jen a hard time for her sleeping habits. All is well though, as the pair are rather giddy to be back together at last!

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - The abdomen doesn't get much action

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 03:05:02 +0000

Another week, another flight, and Jen and Ami are finally on the timezone! Although Jen can’t actually say the word ‘timezone’ because she’s rocking that jet lag. But she’s very happy to be back in the UK, and now you lot don’t have to listen to yet another travel story every single week…

This week we’re talking about balancing type 1 diabetes with the demands of a day that hasn’t gone to plan, as Ami’s had a busy one. Is there a balance when it comes to life and type 1 diabetes, really?

There’s cause for celebration though, as our wonderful NHS have come through and Ami’s got herself a fully funded Dexcom, hurrah! She did have to climb into a bin to get it, but we should be clear that that was neither Dexcom nor the NHS’s fault. It was about time we had another bin story on the podcast anyway.

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Dexcom UK & Ireland for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.dexcom.com/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - I had a bit of a hairy hypo

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Bienvenidos! We’re back with more type 1 diabetes chat, and this week we’re talking about being defiant when it comes to allowing yourself to slow down because of the small matter of handling a chronic illness.  What do you think?

Ami’s miraculously had an escapade free week despite enjoying a bank holiday weekend, and Jen’s finally giving the hikes a rest to enjoy the bright lights of her new favourite city, although walking 15km in a day did result in a rather spicy hypo…

We get to reminiscing about starting university - good luck if you’re heading off in the next few weeks! Our only advice is to try and make sure your drink of choice doesn’t look radioactive…

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Can we go to the insulin factory?

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Jazz hands at the ready, we’re feeling a bit showbiz this week…
After a little dancing reminisce, we finally get to the real topic - type 1 diabetes. Jen’s had a shocker with her blood sugars and after going round the houses with the possible culprit, it all becomes very clear. Oops.

Ami’s in the mood for some science (read: not scientific at all) this week as she tries to understand a bit more about the magical properties of insulin. She is not, I repeat NOT a medical professional, despite ticking a box on a webpage to say otherwise…

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - A Deeper Shade Of Bruise

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 03:16:58 +0000

The tables have turned this week as Ami’s voice is back in action, but Jen seems to have caught the lurge through the airwaves. Undeterred, there are more stories to share, not least having crossed 4 countries in two days.
Ami’s having another week of bruises, and despite staying in the same city in the same country, she’s collecting all the escapades and then some. Dodgy needles, misplaced injections and more crashing hypos - just another week with type 1 diabetes.

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - An insulin injection to the face

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 03:00:02 +0000

We’re channelling the chill vibes today as poor Ami has lost her voice, and whatever she’s fighting off is sending her blood glucose soaring. Jen’s also struggling with high glucose readings that are sneakily creeping up on her after she’s gone to sleep. Rude.

We discuss the psychology of feeling guilty for choosing certain sugars from one day to the next, and while there’s no full escapades this week, Jen had an *almost* incident with her only remaining full, very fragile vial of insulin…

There’s also talk of a few needle mishaps, as anyone who’s lived with type 1 diabetes for any amount of time can understand. Word of caution: don’t wave an uncapped needle anywhere near your eye on a moving vehicle.

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - An insulin pump AND a husband?!

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Get ready, Jen is feeling CHATTY this week… there’s an update on the many cuts and bruises she’s collecting on her adventures, and with the extra stress of being immuno-compromised, she’s turned to the carbs to get her through.
Ami’s got high hopes for a rom-com with a type 1 diabetes storyline, but she’s slightly baffled as to how the main character manages to bag herself both an insulin pump AND a husband… Elsewhere Jen’s lost an insulin pump to a vigorous suncream application, but she did fight off a snake at the same time (not exaggerating AT ALL…), and there was a mighty rollercoaster blood sugar day featuring a bowl of fruit and the new love of her life, Peloton.

Just another low-key week with type 1 diabetes…

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Diabetics in the wild

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 03:05:02 +0000

There’s an awards ceremony on one side of the world this week, with a lost Libre and a few celebratory gins for Ami who was arguably more excited about spotting a fellow sensor-wearer in the wild than she was about her collection of trophies, while over in Central America Jen’s been contending with a volcano (casual) and managed to collect a series of unrelated cuts, bruises and scrapes in the week since they last spoke. It’s all for the story, right?

They discuss why said cuts and blisters take an AGE to heal as someone with type 1 diabetes and how cruel that is given that by default, having diabetes means you have to make yourself bleed most days.

Jen also reminisces about all her mortifying experiences as a school kid with type 1, including getting locked in the nurse’s office, and bursting into tears for taking her insulin at first break instead of lunchtime on her very first day. Happy summer holidays if school’s out for you this week!

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Sweaty behind the knees

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 16:58:57 +0000

Oh it’s a hot one this week! Between the UK heatwave and moving house, Ami’s insulin requirements have unsurprisingly disappeared. Jen’s still sweating away in Central America and is feeling a little bruised after her first surf lesson, which came about from meeting another person with diabetes in the wild. We love to see it!

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - The Girl From Insulina

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 04:11:17 +0000

We do eventually get to some actual type 1 diabetes content this week, promise. It’s been a week for Jen and Ami, who are both on the move! Hypos abound for Ami as she packs up her flat to move house, while Jen has crossed into a new country with her case of diabetes stuff in tow.

The heatwave in London hasn’t helped matters, nor did Ami’s upsetting encounter with a ‘you don’t look disabled’ person on a bus. Jen’s had better luck with the humans of this world, meeting an absolute angel who put a fridge in her hotel room just to store her insulin. *heart explodes*

There’s also a bit of chat about what a wild, wild condition this really is. But we knew that already, didn’t we?

Thanks so much for listening and supporting us and our rambles, this community is the best!

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Pancrei, the plural of pancreas

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 03:00:03 +0000

There’s a rude interruption to proceedings as Jen’s beeping insulin pump distracts the chat, and we ponder how much extra knowledge we’re holding in our little brains because: type 1 diabetes.

We’re feeling a bit dia-tired this week between Ami preparing to move house and well, dealing with a chronic illness every single day, and there hasn’t been much sleep between these two ladies. But we’re doing it! We’re here! We’re living! Right?

We also talk about whether, despite the moaning and the frustrations, we’d actually change our diagnosis if we had the chance. Would you? It’s a little bit reflective in parts this week, but there’s a few cheap jokes in there too of course so WORRY NOT! We’ve got it all covered.

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - I had my knickers and my hypo things

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 05:54:16 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

This is a bit of a howler, so we hope you’re ready for a touch of nonsense this week! A bit of fun is very necessary when dealing with type 1 diabetes, right?

Ami’s still trying to tackle type 1 diabetes and swimming, and while it resulted in yet another escapade this week, two lovely kind strangers came to her rescue and restored all faith in humanity. Jen’s been stuck with a consistently high blood glucose and hasn’t really done a whole lot to try and fix it (oops).

Meanwhile Ami’s been for her first visit to the diabetes therapist and they’ve got a very helpful theory to discuss - if only they could figure out their primary colours first…

More about Paul Gilbert’s emotional regulation systems: https://mi-psych.com.au/your-brains-3-emotion-regulation-systems/

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Just a short story...

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 20:45:28 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

The highs and lows extend beyond type 1 diabetes this week, as Jen and Ami have both had an accident involving their shorts which, it turns out, are less robust than their diabetes devices.

We desperately bring it back on track to discuss just how much our pancreases are to blame for the lapse in brain concentration. Ami’s had a bit of a wobbly one after a few laps of the pool, and there’s a vivid walk down memory lane as Jen relives that one time she had a hypo on the side of a motorway in a broken down car in a three mile tailback with not a grain of sugar in sight. Buckle up.

This week’s pump journey update isn’t the best

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - A double dose of dilated pupils

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 05:58:57 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Hands up who realllllllyyy doesn't love their retinopathy screening? Yep, it's the one where you get your pupils dilated and are forced to sit in a room and contemplate your illness for hours on end, before strutting out wearing sunglasses on what will inevitably be the darkest day of the year. The fun never stops with type 1 diabetes.

As you might have guessed, we've got an eye screening escapade this week. Jen's scared to articulate that her blood sugars seem to actually be ok for once... that is until she bolused for her lunch in a meeting that then got extended by half an hour. Oops.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Are you dia-beaten?

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 04:26:15 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

We’re back for more and it’s an absolute gallop through diabetes land this week, with a tropical jungle rainstorm thrown in for good measure (please excuse the audio!)

We discuss whether a low or a high blood sugar is worse to experience, Ami’s still fighting with her long-acting insulin, Jen’s busy regaling us with tales of being caught out by her insulin pump expiry when it happens AGAIN mid-tale, and we realise that trying to describe the different parts of an innocuous little needle is in fact, impossible. Oh, and speaking of the impossible, there’s a lovely bit of miraculous pizza bolus success to bask in (while it lasts). If you know, you know.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - You scratch my pancreas, I scratch yours

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

This week’s ramble takes us from discussing the chemical energy of ‘diabetic’ chocolate vs eating the real deal, falling foul of type 1 diabetes admin and appointments (decidedly more stressful if you’re leaving the country in 36 hours), the case for eggs being the perfect food, and what happens when you realise you need to change your basalt.

We also dig into the advice we were given at diagnosis, which unsurprisingly had evolved somewhat between 1995 and 2019, and Ami gives us a nice juicy update on her quest to get on an insulin pump which you might find interesting if it’s something you’re flirting with or are curious about.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Swimming in stinky bin juice

Fri, 27 May 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

This week we're really coming in with a whistle-stop tour of what a week of living with type 1 diabetes can entail. From discussing the labels that come with a chronic illness (if it is indeed an illness), we chat through our feelings towards diabetic vs person with diabetes, the idea of being disabled and the constant tension of living with a disease that (mostly) still allows you to do the things you want to do.

There’s a real low moment for Jen when she finds herself wading through a rotten bag of rubbish in search of a misplaced vial of insulin, and as Jen turns another year older in diabetes years, we discuss whether a diaversary is cause for celebration or not. Just a simple little medical condition this, isn’t it?

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - I've got a bit of an escapade

Fri, 20 May 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

Ami’s sadly not won any more awards this week, but she is very busy recovering from an escapade involving a forgotten injection, a missed bolus and a sad, forkless salad.
Jen’s a bit over the whole type 1 diabetes malarky after one of THOSE days leaves her feeling unusually angry, but the funk is soon forgotten when Ami delivers some rather wonderful HOT OFF THE PRESS news from type 1 diabetes land.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - My blood sugars are quivering

Fri, 13 May 2022 03:00:03 +0000

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Pickled onion urine samples

Fri, 06 May 2022 03:00:02 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

3 episodes into the beautiful chaos and there's no signs of stopping as Jen and Ami discuss the challenges of giving a urine sample at the hospital and some of the more innovative vessels they've had to improvise with. Ami's had a nightmare of a blood sugar morning thanks to some inappropriately timed emails and an incident with 2kg of dog food, while Jen's loving life after being reunited with her insulin pump - although she's got a liiiiittle bit ahead of herself when it comes to what it's *actually* capable of. Oops.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - Claggy, crunchy, sweaty hypo gremlins

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 03:00:03 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

It’s episode 2 and Jen and Ami are both feeling slightly delirious thanks to a combination of jet lag, tiredness and late night podcast recording. Or is it just a hypo?

Jen’s given up coffee and it’s caused a few issues with her sleep, while Ami’s had an interesting hypo experience involving a branch of M&S and a sweaty gremlin. They discuss the special kind of hypo hanger that only comes in the middle of the night… no kitchen is safe.

There’s talk about fanny fires (100% related to type 1 diabetes, honest) and they discuss the tricks and challenges of travelling with type 1 diabetes. There’s plenty of laughs in this one, we hope you enjoy!

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Type 1 on 1: The Diaries - It's toilet week for type 1 diabetes

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 03:00:03 +0000

Welcome to Type 1 on 1: The Diaries! Writer and broadcaster Jen Grieves and producer Ami Bennett are good friends - who both happen to live with type 1 diabetes. For this special spin-off series of Type 1 on 1, nana diabetic Jen (25 years) and baby diabetic Ami (3 years) chat through the frustrating, funny and challenging experiences they’ve faced each week thanks to this ridiculous condition. All in the hope that their stories might help you too.

It’s a somewhat dramatic first episode as Ami tells us why dinner with friends resulted in a (short) hospital stay, and Jen’s blood sugars have pretty much been in the toilet as she handles the idiosyncrasies of switching to a different type of insulin thousands of miles from home.

We dive into the vulnerabilities of having a big fat hypo in front of someone for the first time, discuss how long it’s acceptable to use the same needle on your insulin injection (fatty lumps come through), and why we’re firm believers in always eating the dessert if you want it.

Thanks so much to Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare for sponsoring this episode.
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/

Come and say hi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/
https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore/

Fiona Moss: You First x Type 1 on 1

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:30:06 +0000

In this final episode of season 3 of Type 1 on 1, which coincides beautifully with World Diabetes Day, we have a special collaboration. Creator of the You First podcast Fiona Moss interviews me about what the concept of 'You First' means and how that's been shaped by my experiences of living with type 1 diabetes. We chat about at how someone living with type 1 diabetes has to use resilience and courage in their everyday lives, and why putting 'You First' isn't selfish, especially when it comes to dealing with a chronic illness. I reflect on how my many colourful experiences, mishaps and challenges have slowly but surely given me the confidence to make bold decisions in life; accepting that there will be bad days with type 1 diabetes no matter what - and how that helps me to appreciate the good even more.

This episode is designed to inspire you to put You First, in whatever way that makes sense for you. Fiona fervently believes that putting You First isn’t selfish, quite the opposite, and that within the constraints of life, and even with a chronic illness to consider, we DO still get to choose our own adventure. I hope this helps you to let more light into your life, even when type 1 diabetes threatens to cloud you with darkness.
Check out Fiona's podcast You First: https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/resilience-courage-purpose-with-fiona-moss/id1572252040?i=1000539941999&l=ro
Follow Fiona on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionamoss_/
Check out Fiona's website: https://fionamoss.co.uk/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare.

Mat Carter: Adapting to fatherhood with type 1 diabetes

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 06:35:54 +0000

Today’s guest is Instagram influencer, creative genius and one of the nicest guys I've had the pleasure of talking all things type 1 diabetes with, Mat Carter. Mat is 32 and runs a creative agency, wonderfully named Ginger Nuts, and is also a qualified personal trainer, having recently worked with Anita Beckwith, the lead dietician for diabetes at Kings College in London.

Diagnosed at the age of 13, Mat uses his Instagram platform, where he has more than 70,000 followers and counting, to openly showcase the realities of life with type 1. In this episode we discuss everything - from the wonders as well as the challenges of being a new dad with type 1 diabetes, his relationship with his brother who also lives with type 1, to raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night and the impossible task of not overcorrecting a nighttime hypo. There's also the time Mat's fiancé Chessie King thought he'd had an 'accident' on the bedsheets thanks to the risky combination of a low blood sugar and some chocolate ice cream...

Mat is so genuine, thoughtful and a real conversationalist - I loved this chat and I hope you do too!

Say hi to Mat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathewlcarter

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Andrea Deck: Life, love and loss with type 1 diabetes

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 13:37:10 +0000

Homeland actor Andrea Deck is my guest for this very special episode. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager, Andrea chats about growing up in a household which was 75% diabetic, what it was like to move countries with a chronic illness and the ingenious places you can hide an insulin pump in your costume on a film set. Andrea's beloved dad Larry lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 60 years, and we talk about his legacy and how our respective experiences of acute grief turned everything, including our type 1 diabetes, upside down. We also dive into the fun world of diabetes into dating, and Andrea reveals how her type 1 has actually strengthened her relationship with her fiancé David. I can't thank Andrea enough for her willingness to dive into some difficult experiences with me. This is a poignant episode, but also one full of love, light and warmth - such is Andrea's strength and grace, and we truly hope it helps anyone who needs to hear it.

This one's for you, Larry and Sarah.

Say hi to Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shesdiabetic/
Check out Andrea's YouTube channel, She's Diabetic: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShesDiabetic

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Boo Dendy: You've got to get it wrong in order to get it right

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Living with type 1 diabetes for nearly 40 years, today's guest Boo Dendy has seen and experienced it all when it comes to handling this wild condition, but from the early days of his diagnosis he felt like it was something he had to handle alone. Today's episode is a vivid, whistle-stop tour of Boo's life - from raving and rebelling to balancing his love of chocolate and cava with a love of cycling, as well as dealing with mental health challenges and the important role that communication plays in being able to cope with the demands of a chronic illness.

"Just as you think you’ve got it right, something will happen and tip it all over," he says of both life and type 1 diabetes. Speaking publicly about type 1 for the first time in his 40 years with the condition, Boo is open, real, warm and not afraid to tell us about the mishaps and the mess ups - which is exactly what this podcast is all about!
Follow Boo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asboluv/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Dr Sufyan Hussain: Living and working with type 1 diabetes

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Dr Sufyan Hussain is a Consultant Diabetes and Endocrine Physician at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital in London, and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London, as well as a father of three and self-confessed 'granola addict'. Passionate about improving care for diabetes, he has also lived with type 1 diabetes for almost 30 years - offering an incredibly unique perspective on what it means to live with type 1 diabetes from both inside and outside the NHS.
Sufyan was 10 years old and living in Karachi in Pakistan when he was diagnosed. In this episode we talk about the honeymoon phase in those early years, his esteemed 20 year career in medicine, and why he chose to work in a field he was so personally tied to. Documenting his own challenges with type 1 diabetes, from new hospitals and night shifts to hypos at the operating table, Sufyan also talks about how these experiences have impacted the support he offers to those in his care. We also discuss disparities in the healthcare system, how the pandemic has impacted the NHS, and his own interest in DIY looping. This is a fascinating episode and I'm very happy Sufyan could share some of his renowned expertise with us, as well as his own personal story.

Follow Sufyan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sugarydoc

Disclaimer on behalf of Dr Hussain: Dr Sufyan Hussain has not received any financial remuneration or honorarium for this podcast and the sponsors have had no involvement in the recording.

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Alex Haighton: The traumatic consequences of a type 2 diabetes misdiagnosis

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2019 at the age of 50, Alex Haighton finally began treatment for type 1 diabetes seven months later - but not before she became so ill she could no longer work. By the time Alex was taken to A&E, her organs were shutting down. As she approaches her two year diaversary Alex, who lives in London and works for a medical charity, has chosen to speak out about her difficult experience in the hopes of raising awareness around misdiagnosis, highlighting that type 1 diabetes can occur long after the peak age of diagnosis as a teenager.

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Luma & Jane: From anger to acceptance - family life after diagnosis

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 06:54:30 +0000

I'm welcoming not one, but two guests to Type 1 on 1 for the first time! Luma is 24 and a youth worker and DJ from South East London, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in December 2019. She joins me with her mum Jane to talk about how her diagnosis has affected not only her, but her loved ones too. Speaking publicly about her illness for the first time, Luma openly discusses grieving the life she knew before her diagnosis, and how it's made her a better person as she's learned to accept life with the condition. Showing incredible empathy for those outside of herself, Luma details the challenges she's faced over the last 18 months and the way they have affected not only her, but her family and friends. Luma is wise, fierce and resilient, and what I love is that she recognises this in herself. This is such a warm, special episode and I hope it resonates with you whether you live with type 1 yourself, or live with it through someone close to you

Eoin Costelloe: I wouldn't change my type 1 diabetes diagnosis

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Pop the kettle on and join us, this week’s podcast episode is a chatty one! My guest Eoin Costelloe was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2012 at the age of 19 at home in Dublin, Ireland. Since then he’s grown an incredible online following with his approach to what he calls ‘redefining’ diabetes, setting up a personal training business specifically for diabetics, and in 2020 he launched The Insuleoin podcast.
This episode is much more of a two way dialogue and incredibly relaxed one at that, because Eoin has a natural way of making you want to talk to him - as all the best interviewers do. With that in mind you should definitely check out The Insuleoin Podcast if you haven’t already! Warm, open and gregarious, Eoin discusses his approach to life with diabetes and how structure, perspective and some wisdom from his dad helped him tackle his condition head on from the start. We chat about what he means by 'redefining' diabetes (and why it needs redefining), how he manages the demands of living with the condition alongside being in the diabetes space professionally, and why he wouldn't change his diagnosis - such is the extent of the fulfilment he gets from helping others to live better with type 1 diabetes.

Follow Eoin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insuleoin/
Check out the Insuleoin podcast: https://www.insuleoin.com/podcast

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Reba Redmond: Guilt as a type 1 parent, DKA, mental illness and celebrating the ordinary

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

I can’t tell you how much I love this week's chat - for so many reasons!

Reba Redmond is a writer, public speaker and diabetes advocate living in Ontario, Canada. I hereby declare her a Diabetes VIP too, as she’s a distant cousin of Sir Frederick Banting who co-discovered insulin in 1921 and is the reason anyone with type 1 diabetes is alive today. But Reba is also a rare and brilliant human - one who can articulate the complex and unique challenges of a life lived with type 1 diabetes (and many other difficulties) without any sense of grandeur or call for pity. From a derailing diagnosis as a teenager, living with multiple mental illnesses and an episode of DKA that nearly ended her life, to overcoming needle phobia, the need for perfect blood glucose levels and dealing with the gut-wrenching guilt of being a parent with type 1 diabetes, Reba takes us on an incredibly heartfelt, eloquent yet pragmatic and humble journey of what it means to be human in this episode.

“We spend so much of our lives with diabetes focussed on numbers that we get lost as people,” she says. Her honest, authentic writing on both her blog A Soul Is A Resilient Thing and her Instagram account @rebaredmond is a breath of fresh air in a curated virtual landscape of filters and so-called ‘straight liners’. I hope you enjoy Reba’s generous truth and wisdom as much as I did.

Follow Reba on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebaredmond
Check out Reba's blog: https://asoulisaresilientthing.com

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Mr Motivator: My daughter's diagnosis changed my perception of health

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 05:48:34 +0000

A breakfast TV icon to kick off season 3 of Type 1 on 1? Oh go on then...

Derrick Evans MBE, better known as Mr Motivator, is this week's guest. King of the lycra-clad small screen throughout the 90s, he got the UK moving in their living rooms each and every morning with his uplifting workouts and memorable catchphrases. His daughter Abigail was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 19, causing a huge upheaval in her life - switching career paths and bringing her parents back to the UK to help her navigate the mental challenges of life with type 1 diabetes. Unfalteringly hopeful without shying away from the tougher parts of life with type 1, it's no surprise that Derrick brings the ultimate dose of motivation to this new series, as well as a huge amount of humility for the way that Abigail's experiences have challenged his own perceptions of what it means to be healthy. We also discuss the many challenges Derrick has faced in his own life, and what his long-standing career has taught him.

Follow Mr Motivator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmrmotivator/?hl=en

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Type 1 on 1 | Season 3 Trailer

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Type 1 on 1 Season 3 launches Tuesday 14th September 2021! More brilliant, generous guests will join me, Jen Grieves, each week to chat about what it REALLY means to live with type 1 diabetes. I can’t wait to share these incredible stories with you - some are funny, some are emotional, but they're all REAL and will hopefully help you feel less alone when it comes to tackling the good, bad and the ugly parts of living with this complex chronic condition. Subscribe now to take a seat on our cosy, welcoming virtual sofa as we discuss all things type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 101: Jen’s Story

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 09:01:59 +0000

It’s the final episode of Type 1 on 1 season 2 and my guest is… me.

After 10 weeks of chatting in depth with some incredible people about what exactly it means to live with type 1 diabetes, my astute and incredibly kind friend Will Hardy turns the tables to find out allll about my life with type 1 diabetes, and how my feelings towards living with the condition have changed over the 24 years since my beta cells gave up the ghost.

We cover diagnosis, careers, dating, if you can ever really have it all figured out (answer: no), and whether I would do it all again without type 1 diabetes if I had the choice. JUICY.
You were potentially hoping for a more high profile guest for a season finale but this leaves the door open for a bonus episode or two if we get to hang out in close proximity this side of Christmas.

With that I just wanted to say that being accountable for producing this podcast during the coronavirus outbreak has honestly saved my sanity on more than one occasion. While I’ve been so comparatively lucky compared to many, it's not to say I haven't had my fair share of wobbles, and I’m not entirely sure what I would have done without this podcast and my guests who have offered up their experiences so generously. Thank YOU, seriously, for keeping me connected to the world through your comments and feedback, and I hope there’s also been some small amount of comfort in it for you too, because as we all know living with type 1 diabetes is difficult at the best of times, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic. Thank you also to my fantastic sponsors Ypsomed mylifediabetescare and Dexcom UK and Ireland.
Sending all the love, and see you in another corner of the internet soon for more ridiculous, hilarious, emotional and real chats about this life of chronic chaos.

Come and say hi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missjengrieves/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Muhammad Ali: Fighting for a professional boxing licence with type 1 diabetes

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 03:00:00 +0000

Muhammad Ali made history in 2018 as the first British professional boxer with type 1 diabetes. Three years earlier, his licence application was rejected because of his condition, threatening to end his career. We talk through how he went about convincing the British Boxing Board of Control that he was fit to fight and how advances in diabetes technology helped to get him there - along with a huge amount of resilience and determination!

Ali was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 5 and always played sports, but after watching Ricky Hatton fight at the age of 12, he knew boxing was the one for him. His dad wasn't convinced, and so his mum ended up sneaking him to his first boxing session! Ali speaks inspiringly about how his diabetes and boxing go hand-in-hand, and how having diabetes has given him discipline both inside and outside of the ring. He also chats about being made to feel different because of his diabetes, and how he now uses his platform on the world stage to motivate children with diabetes to achieve their dreams, and satisfying his sweet tooth while on an athlete's diet!

Follow Muhammad Ali on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuhammadAliBox
Say hi to him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muhammaddkali/
Check out his website for upcoming fights and info: https://www.muhammadaliboxing.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Rory Douglas-Speed: Learning to laugh at type 1 diabetes

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 03:00:00 +0000

The incredibly down to earth and absolutely hilarious Hollyoaks actor Rory Douglas-Speed is this week's guest. With an art for storytelling, Rory recounts some of his most embarrassing experiences since his type 1 diabetes diagnosis 20 years ago, including a trip to diabetes camp that put him off speaking to other type 1s for years, and how hypos will just always appear during sex.

There are so many points in this episode where I should be asking a question but I'm too busy laughing, and it's so refreshing to hear Rory's take on the ridiculousness of type 1, but also the admission that he wouldn't take a cure for his diabetes even if there was one. Rory also reveals how his fiancé Nadine prompted him to want to take his condition more seriously after years of pushing his body to its limits, and chats about his doubts over whether his illness would prevent him from being a good dad to his son Reggie. Rory is just so much fun - enjoy!

Say hi to Rory on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rorydouglasspeed/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Living with diabetes after lockdown: Covid-19 Q&A with Partha Kar

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 03:00:00 +0000

We've got something a little different for this week's episode - it's a diabetes and Covid-19 'special' with none other than the voice of reason and action for diabetes in the NHS, Professor Partha Kar because I don't know about you but I'm feeling a bit unsure at the moment.
As lockdown restrictions start to ease we're all tentatively and gratefully emerging from our homes. But with coronavirus still in our midst and those living with diabetes at increased risk of severe illness, Partha deftly reassures us about what we do and don't need to be worrying about when it comes to Covid-19 and rejoining society.
Partha is an incredible change-maker within the NHS, and he and his team have expertly and efficiently adapted to this unprecedented time of increased demand and risk. He covers off a multitude of topics in this episode, many of which were raised by people with diabetes via Twitter and Instagram (thank you!). He discusses whether children should be returning to school, pregnancy and Covid-19, whether you can request to keep working from home, working in group settings, shielding, socio-economic and racial disparities in healthcare outcomes, increased access to technology and the likelihood of a second wave, as well as the potential long term positive outcomes of greater flexibility and more digitally-focussed diabetes care that have evolved as a result of the pandemic. I hope it goes some way to assure you in these uncertain times.

Resources Mentioned
ALAMA Covid-19 Medical Risk Assessment: https://alama.org.uk/covid-19-medical-risk-assessment/
Coping with Coronavirus Self-Help Guides from University College London: https://www.copingwithcoronavirus.co.uk/self-help-guides.html
My Way Digital Type 1 Diabetes E-Learning Platform: https://mytype1diabetes.nhs.uk/
Digibete App and Website for under 18s living with diabetes: https://www.digibete.org/digibete-app/
Diabetes UK Helpline: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/helpline

Contact Partha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/parthaskar
Follow Partha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhssugardoc/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Claire Panchal: The impact of miscarriage and building a business from diabetes

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 03:00:00 +0000

Claire is the founder of Organising Chaos, which sells a range of products and accessories to help people decorate their diabetes. Claire was diagnosed with type 1 in 1997, and in her words has been on a journey from ‘diabad to diabadass’ in the past 23 years.

We cover SO much in this conversation, from a 10 year period in which Claire decided she no longer had diabetes and barely took her insulin, to relearning what it means to live with type 1, finding the online community, diabetes technology, how gross diabetic chocolate really is, diabetes in the workplace and ultimately how her toughest challenges prompted the start of a thriving business based on the very illness she refused to acknowledge for so long. Claire also speaks openly about her two miscarriages, and how her diabetes affected - and was affected by - her experience.

This is a very real but also a very hopeful story - Claire has shown incredible resilience through so many hurdles and I feel like there is something for everyone in this chat!

Say hi to Claire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_organising.chaos
Check out Claire's fab business Organising Chaos: https://www.organising-chaos.com

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Emma Bowditch: Experiencing Hypoglycaemic Hemiparesis

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 03:00:00 +0000

27-year-old Emma Bowditch is today's guest. Emma suffered an episode of hypoglycaemic hemiparesis in her early 20s, during which half the body is paralysed as an additional symptom of a low blood sugar. Yikes! Emma didn't have a label for what happened to her for years after, and reached out to me in a bid to raise awareness of this relatively undocumented experience.
Emma also offers a ton of insight into how effectively shutting down from talking about her diabetes from when she diagnosed aged 12 has impacted her life - and from that how's she's only relatively recently felt equipped to engage more with everything that having type 1 diabetes entails. From having different Instagram accounts for the days when she wants to separate from type 1, to climbing her own personal Everest that has nothing to do with mountains, Emma articulates so astutely a lot of the fear and apprehension that comes with confronting your illness.

Say hi to Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmabowditch/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Dave Sowerby: 40 years with type 1 diabetes and dealing with his daughter's diagnosis

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 03:00:00 +0000

This week I speak to Dave, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 40 years after being diagnosed at the age of three. Dave talks through his memories of growing up using glass syringes and steel needles, and not being able to test his blood sugar because glucose meters didn't exist. The tables were turned somewhat when his daughter Martha received a type 1 diagnosis in 2019 at the age of 12, and Dave chats about the impact of that on not only her, but the rest of the family. Dave has long been a great voice of reason in this community and it was fascinating to cover 40 years of life with type 1!

Dave blogs at The Tangerine Diabetic: http://thetangerinediabetic.blogspot.com/
Say hi to Dave on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SowerBee
Follow Dave on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_sowerbee/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Dan Newman: The pressure of diabetes perfection and the stigma of complications

Tue, 26 May 2020 03:00:00 +0000

This week’s guest is 34-year-old Dan Newman. Dan went through a period of diabetes distress and burnout in his teens after being diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 10, and later developed chronic kidney disease in 2013. Dan takes us on an incredible journey, and after a successful kidney transplant and overcoming his own pressure to be a ‘perfect’ person with diabetes, he now is very open about talking about his complications in a bid to reduce the taboo and stigma that can surround these challenges.
I was so taken aback by Dan's wisdom and sense of perspective - not to mention the fact that he has the most soothing voice on earth! Which is handy because he hosts his own awesome diabetes podcast called The Talking Type 1 Podcast - definitely go and have a listen!

Find Dan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/t1d_dan
Find Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t1d_dan
Follow The Talking Type 1 Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtype1podcast/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Ami Bennett: When type 1 diabetes gatecrashes your busy adult life

Tue, 19 May 2020 03:00:00 +0000

My guest this week is executive radio producer, co-founder and all round boss babe Ami Bennett. After months of misdiagnosis, general feeling-kinda-rubbish-but-not-quite-sure-why and two hospital admissions, Ami was diagnosed with type 1 in December 2019 at the age of 33 - and for just a minute it threatened to topple the independent life she's worked so hard to build. The permanence of type 1 diabetes took a little while for Ami to process, as did the amount of space it demanded in both her very busy lifestyle and her brain.

I've had the absolute pleasure of calling this frank and funny woman my friend for around six years, and in the six months since her diagnosis she's shown her type 1 that she has no intention of backing down when it comes to running her own show. In this very real and open chat we talk about everything from being forced to slow down, dating, body acceptance and being naked with bionic bits. It's a juicy one!

Say hi to Ami on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amilovesyoumore

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Nina Wadia: The guilt of diagnosis and finding the why

Tue, 12 May 2020 03:00:00 +0000

Actor Nina Wadia is the first guest of season 2, and what a way to start the series! Nina speaks passionately about her son Aidan's life-changing and quite terrifying diagnosis at the age of 10 and how they've adapted as a whole family to everything that life with type 1 diabetes brings.

From her guilt around his diagnosis in 2017, finding other parents to help her process the situation, not sleeping properly for two years until diabetes technology came to the rescue, Aidan's frustrations as well as his remarkable resilience, to finding purpose in campaigning to raise awareness and find a cure, Nina takes us on such a vivid journey of the experiences of parenting a child with type 1.

Find Nina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nina_Wadia
Find Nina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina.wadia/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Type 1 on 1 | Season 2 Trailer

Tue, 05 May 2020 03:00:00 +0000

The Type 1 on 1 podcast is back for more!
Each week another brilliant guest will chat about what it means to live with type 1 diabetes and the experiences that have shaped them. These people are not scaling physical mountains, nor do they have ‘perfect’ blood sugar control (note: nobody does), but they are REAL and they are being extraordinary in their own way: tackling the baffling mayhem of a a wild, relentless and at times infuriating chronic condition as best they can. Oh, and there is PLENTY of hope in there too.

Nadia Pye: Being a type 1 mum, adult diagnosis and hypo anxiety

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 05:15:00 +0000

In this week’s episode business owner and mum of one Nadia Pye talks candidly about juggling the demands of parenthood with the demands of type 1 diabetes, and the challenges it has brought to her life.

Nadia, who was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 35, has severe hypo unawareness, and her fear of hypos expanded into a crippling anxiety after some terrifying low blood sugars while home alone with her baby Noah. We also discuss how type 1 diabetes impacted her pregnancy and of course the immeasurable reward and joy that comes with being a mum.

I so admire Nadia’s humility and candour while discussing everything from resisting starting insulin to her harrowing hypo experiences. I hope this resonates with those who sometimes find it hard to acknowledge that you’re doing a good job, especially when it comes to managing parenthood alongside chronic illness.

Find Nadia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MySweetLife/
Check out Nadia's new business, Ambika Social: https://www.facebook.com/AmbikaSocial/

This is the final episode of series 1! Thank you so much for all your messages, feedback and support and all being well, Type 1 on 1 will return in 2020.

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Tine Trommer: Mental health struggles with type 1 diabetes

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:00:00 +0000

My guest this episode is the fabulous Tine, a video producer from Berlin who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a student in 2013 at the age of 22. We discuss her experiences of depression and the relationship between mental health and living with type 1, and the major part that hormones play in managing the condition.

Tine is fierce, frank and fabulous, and not afraid to tackle subjects on her blog that many people avoid, all in the hope of breaking down the stigmas around type 1 diabetes and raising the collective voice for those who don't feel they can. Through her blog and Instagram Tine constantly teaches me things about myself, my condition and my place in the world as a woman and a diabetic - I highly recommend you give her a follow.

Tine blogs at https://www.icaneateverything.com/
Follow Tine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saytine
Check out Tine's blog: https://www.icaneateverything.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Pete Davies: Type 1 diabetes before insulin pens and blood glucose meters

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week I chat to Pete Davies, a retired teacher who was diagnosed with diabetes in 1956 at the age of 2 - that’s some 63 years strong with type 1. He didn’t have an insulin pen or glucose meter until he was in his 30s.

Growing up in Kenya in the 1960s, Pete would inject using glass syringes and needles that needed to be boiled and sharpened between uses. There were no blood glucose meters, so Pete and his family would use urine tests and a colour chart to gauge glucose levels - anything below 10 mmol/l was considered 'low', and the results would be four hours behind his current blood sugar levels.

Having discovered the diabetes community more than 50 years after his diagnosis, Pete now spends his time sharing his experiences with other type 1s and healthcare professionals, having witnessed huge advancements in treatment and technology over his lifetime. It was fascinating to hear how far we've come in just a few decades, and speaking to Pete made me feel a lot calmer about the day-to-day incessant nature of living with type 1. Above all else Pete is a lovely, lovely man and one we're very lucky to have within the community.

Find Pete on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeteDaviesType1

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Jacq Allan: Diabetics with eating disorders

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Please note: This episode of Type 1 on 1 contains honest discussions around diabetes, diabulimia, eating disorders and death which some listeners may find emotionally challenging or triggering.

Jacq Allan is the founder and outgoing director of the charity Diabetes With Eating Disorders, the only current charity in the UK that supports and advocates for people that struggle with both type 1 diabetes and any kind of eating disorder. She's been working tirelessly for the past decade to get diabulimia, a condition in which diabetics omit insulin to lose weight, officially recognised as a mental illness as well as other forms of diabetes-related eating disorders. Jacq has lived with type 1 diabetes for 15 years. She has a PhD in psychology and is currently training to be a clinical psychologist with a focus on eating disorders and diabetes.

Jacq is a formidable woman who, despite dealing with a huge amount of grief and her own mental health issues, has fought to make sure that healthcare professionals and charities wake up to the reality of diabulimia and other diabetes related eating disorders. This chat is brutally honest, incredibly emotional and deeply personal.

This conversations is so, so important: 60% of females with type 1 will have experienced a clinically diagnosable eating disorder by the age of 25. It will likely hit you in the heart, and for that reason I urge you to give this one a listen.

Find Jacq on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrNotDrYet_Jacq
Follow Diabetics with Eating Disorders on Twitter: https://twitter.com/diabeticswithed

Support and Resources
Diabetics with Eating Disorders: http://dwed.org.uk
Diabetes UK support forum: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/community/diabetes-support-forum
T1 Resources: https://www.t1resources.uk/home/
Digibete - For Young People and Families with type 1 diabetes: https://www.digibete.org/
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): https://www.thecalmzone.net/
Mind Mental Health: https://www.mind.org.uk/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Jade Byrne: Taking type 1 diabetes to the stage

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 03:00:00 +0000

Jade is an actor and comedian from Darlington, and has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was 4 years old. In 2018 she took her play Pricks, which journeys through her life dealing with over 70,000 medical pricks, to the Edinburgh Fringe, and this year embarked on a UK tour.

Jade is frank and funny as she recounts her experiences of living with type 1, from hiding in the hospital from the doctors and nurses so they couldn't give her an injection, her motivation to reduce the misconceptions and misunderstandings around diabetes in the media by writing Pricks, and how writing the play has changed her perspective of what it means to live with type 1 for both her and her family.

Jade's view that 'type 1 is a hurdle, not a barrier' is a wonderful takeaway from this heartfelt episode!

Find out more about Pricks and get tickets at https://www.prickstheplay.co.uk/
Follow Jade on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JadeByrne_Actor

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Partha Kar: Inside the NHS

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 03:00:00 +0000

National Specialty Advisor for Diabetes NHS England and Consultant in Diabetes & Endocrinology Partha Kar lets us peek into the world of type 1 diabetes in the NHS for this week's episode.

Partha does not live with type 1 diabetes himself but spends his working life trying to help those who do. He shapes diabetes treatment and care across the NHS as well as working as a consultant in a diabetes clinic in the South of England. He has led the charge in changing the dialogue between consultants and patients, encouraging individualised care within a wider NHS framework.

He can be found tweeting: https://twitter.com/parthaskar

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Annie Astle: Parenting a type 1 baby

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Mum of three Annie Astle is this week's guest. She recalls a dramatic start to her daughter Mimi's life with type 1 diabetes after a hospital admission for DKA at just seven months old turned her family's world upside down.

From wading terrified through the complete unknown, learning to micro-dose with syringes to being able to spot a hypo just by the pallor of Mimi's skin, Annie recounts with grace and poignancy both the harrowing and uplifting experiences that type 1 has brought to their lives as Mimi has grown from a very tiny, very unwell baby to a healthy, feisty, hilarious teenager.

Annie blogs at https://theunderstudypancreas.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Dave Rogers: Misdiagnosis and managing diabetes with cancer

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 03:00:00 +0000

Dave Rogers has had type 1 diabetes for 30 years, but spent the first three years trying to manage a misdiagnosis of type 2. A now retired investment banker, Dave has been undergoing treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia since 2014, after successfully beating testicular cancer in 2004.

Dave talks through his colourful life experience with huge openness, discussing how he's dealt with a wealth of challenging illnesses, and the devastating impact losing his sight had on his outlook as well as his diabetes management. Dave has an incredible sense of perspective and his mantra of 'live life large' helps him to keep moving forward.

Please excuse the variable background noise in this episode (sorry!)

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Ella Marsden: Life as a type 1 teenager

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 03:00:00 +0000

17-year-old Ella from Leeds was diagnosed when she was nine years old. Ella is an incredible force who isn’t letting her type 1 diabetes stop her from doing all the things her mates are doing, whether that be sitting exams, going on nights out or heading to festivals. Having to challenge the odd teacher or losing her insulin pump in a festival field has not stopped Ella from maintaining her independence and living life the way she wants to! She recounts her experiences with sincerity, honesty and humour, and alongside her mum Debbie, Ella is also doing incredible work to raise awareness as well as funds to help fund research towards that elusive cure.

This episode highlights that with a bit of planning you don't have to be afraid of life with diabetes, even if you don't get things 100% 'right' - because experiences and memories will last a lot longer than the odd wobbly blood sugar.

You can find out more about Ella’s fundraising at https://www.facebook.com/thepromiseball/
Follow Ella on Twitter: https://twitter.com/T1Ella

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare.

Ed Gamble: Finding the balance and advocacy through comedy

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 03:00:00 +0000

This week’s guest is stand up comedian, writer and podcast king Ed Gamble, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13.

Taking what he calls a ‘more than relaxed’ approach to diabetes management in his teenage years, the pursuit of better physical health a decade later led Ed to the unattainable pursuit of blood sugar perfection. He chats about finding a balance between the two approaches, managing diabetes with a demanding schedule and using stand up comedy as a way to normalise the obscurities that life with type 1 diabetes can bring. Oh, and there’s that time he had to stop a taxiing plane to prevent his insulin from freezing in the hold…

This episode highlights the humour that can be found alongside this very serious and at times debilitating chronic condition.

For Ed’s latest live dates, head to https://edgamble.co.uk/

This episode is sponsored by Dexcom and Ypsomed MyLife Diabetescare
https://www.dexcom.com
https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com

Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories with Jen Grieves

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 03:00:00 +0000

Type 1 on 1 is a podcast that delves into the obscure, complex and challenging world of life with type 1 diabetes.
Writer, broadcaster and type 1 diabetic Jen Grieves talks to compelling guests about how living with type 1 has shaped them.