Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.