Diabetics Doing Things Podcast

This is first episode of its kind. Not only am I interviewing two parents of a Type 1, in Kristina and Greg Dooley, but I also get to interview Isa herself, the girl behind the @inspiredbyisabella account on Instagram. 

Isa and I talk about what she likes about Instagram (Sid Sharma, Mary Lucas & Libby Russell, just to name a few) but also some things that people have said about her pump and even though she got a little shy I think it gave a really poignant look at what it’s like to be a kid living your life with Diabetes (hint: it’s not always easy). 

Isa asked me if I had a name for my pump, and I didn’t have one, but I told her I’d come up with one. So my pump’s name is (drumroll please) Wilford (for Wilford Brimley tha gawd). 

Once Isa runs off to play, Kristina and Greg take me through Isa’s diagnosis story, why raising triplets is hard enough, but it can get especially challenging when one has T1D and challenges new parents of T1D children have to deal with on a daily basis and why they’re the true heroes. 

Kristina and Greg are a real inspiration not only for T1D parents, but also for T1Ds. I found our conversation to be particularly enlightening, and if we all looked at the world with the empathy and perspective they do, I think we’ll all be in a better place. 

Kyrra (@kyrrarichards on Instagram) Richards, founder of @Myabetic joins the podcast to talk about her journey as a Diabetic Fashionista, her background as a professional dancer and how she has pushed forward as an entrepreneur and #GirlBoss as the leader of Myabetic. 

Kyrra’s diagnosis at age 24 was a bit unique compared to many, because she was traveling on a military tour in Afghanistan as a dancer. During her trip, traveling back and forth from base to base, Kyrra experienced the typical symptoms many T1Ds go through but because of the grueling dance schedule and hot, dry climate she didn’t think there was too much to worry about. After her return from Afghanistan, Kyrra thought she had injured her bladder from resisting going to the restroom, so she went to her family physician who told her she didn’t have a bladder problem, she just had Type-1 Diabetes. 

Kyrra and I have a great conversation about the various tours we’ve been on as athletes, and then she gives us a unique behind the scenes look at the early days of Myabetic, where the inspiration came from and how they’ve grown since. 

It’s so interesting to me that the idea of Myabetic stemmed from wanting to feel good about your Diabetes, because it aligns with what I truly believe about living in a T1D renaissance, and I think Kyrra and Myabetic are a big part of why it’s now cool to be a T1D. 

Have you ever wanted to talk to a Diabetes Educator (CDE) who was also a T1D? Well Melissa Gaynor (@mybroknpancreas on Instagram) was that person for me. Besides being a super dope person, Melissa is an incredible person because she went BACK to college to get a second bachelors degree to become a CDE. 

We talk about how to distill junk science, what she learns from her patients and what they're dealing with, the confusion of nutrition labels in health and diet. She also talks about the difference between a Nutritionist, and a Certified Diabetes Educator with an emphasis on nutrition because of the science base (you can also go through your insurance for a CDE, which is a pretty nice benefit). 

Melissa and I also talk about the importance of being proud of who you are with your T1D and the emergence of the "Diabetes is cool" movement, which I attribute to BeyondType1. We also talk about Libby Russell, who just happens to be one of Melissa and I's favorite people. 

We also talk about how important it is for T1Ds to see other people doing amazing things, like being NFL quarterbacks, pageant queens, pop stars, etc. which of course made me so proud to be able to tell the stories of all the amazing Diabetics Doing Things. Melissa is so great and our conversation has been one of my favorites. Shout out NYC for some of the best T1Ds out there.

This post was written in support of Beyond Type 1’s Power Up Campaign that’s engaging a global T1D community to help educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes.