Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

'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/

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/

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/

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/