Diabetics Doing Inspiration with David Mina

[00:00:00] Rob Howe: Whoa! New intro, who dis? Welcome back to the Diabetics Doing Things podcast, where we're telling the amazing, untold, wacky, weird, and inspiring stories of type 1 diabetics from across the world. I'm your host, Rob Howe, and I wanted to let you know that we now have over 500 years of living with T1D on the podcast, and we're on track to be over 1,000 by the end of the summer, which is pretty exciting. I also wanted to chat about my new email series, Friday T1D Feels, where I send you a personal note, no fancy graphics or anything like that, about what I've been thinking about in the world of type 1 diabetes during that week. If you're into that, just go to diabeticsdoingthings.com and sign up. I'd also like to take a minute to talk about hashtag coverage to control. JDRF is raising awareness around the fact that most of us don't get to pick the insulin pumps we have, just the ones our insurance will cover. Just imagine if your cell phone was like that. Except this isn't a phone, it's what keeps us alive. So let your voice be heard and tell your insurance company that T1Ds and their doctors should decide what kind of pumps they use, not the company's. I'm looking at you, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield. Let's get this right. Okay, enough chatter. Let's get back to the episode. Hello, welcome back to Diabetics Doing Things. We're here telling the amazing stories of type 1 diabetics across the world. My guest today, I'm very excited to introduce to you. His name is Dave Mina from California, but you guys may know him as type1livabetic from Instagram. Dave, welcome to the show.

[00:01:37] David Mina: Thank you for having me.

[00:01:39] Rob Howe: Yeah, so glad that we were able to connect. Likewise. For those of our listeners who may not know who you are, maybe not be familiar, give us a little bit of a background.

[00:01:50] David Mina: Well, I'm a type 1 diabetic from California. I've had diabetes for nine years now. And recently, a few years ago, I created an Instagram page to just connect other type 1 diabetics so we feel united as a group. and we're able to share openly our feelings about diabetes and struggles and the things we like about it. So that's my goal, and that's what I've been doing for two or three years now.

[00:02:27] Rob Howe: And what sort of prompted you to start doing that? I think a lot of people, when they reach a point in their diabetic journey where they just feel like it would be helpful to talk to more type 1 diabetics or people who are kind of going through the same things. Kind of walk us through that mindset for you. What made you start to do that?

[00:02:49] David Mina: Yeah. So when I first got diagnosed, I personally didn't know as much about diabetes. I didn't have the proper knowledge. And I was diagnosed at the age of 11, so I was fairly young. And I really wanted to know more about it and be a voice to people who have diabetes. I wanted to share my daily life as well as others. And I remember back then when Instagram first came out, I would just post things on my personal account to people who didn't necessarily have diabetes. And I don't think they were able to relate as well to me as I did. So that's when I decided I'm just going to create a whole new Instagram dedicated to just living with diabetes, but not just diabetes, but making it in a positive way that people can look at it and hopefully be inspired to even do something in the diabetic community. in terms of inspiring others and trying to make a difference. So over, I believe I created that in 2014, so it's been about three years now. So over that time period, I noticed a big group of people who are constantly following me and responding in positive ways. they will message me or comment on my photos and tell me how much of a difference just these simple photos are making to their life as a diabetic. And that is something that pushes me to continue because as most diabetics know, every day isn't always a good day. There are bad days and we all fight every day to make each day better. So it's not just a positive account. I try to make it as real as possible. So I will share on my bad days as well as my good days. And I just feel like that community kind of helps keep us together and keeps us going as diabetics or else me personally, If I didn't have that, I don't know how I would have been up until now. So I just feel like that community has been really helpful.

[00:05:31] Rob Howe: It's so inclusive, I think. And, you know, I think a lot of people, and you mentioned that there's a group of people who continually follow and engage with you. That group is for sure growing. I mean, especially in the last year and a half or so since I've been a lot more involved with that community. I just see more and more names like every day there's a new there's somebody new that either follows me or or or comments on someone's post about you know a struggle or a victory and like people who are willing to jump in and celebrate those things or sort of be a shoulder to lean on one of the guests that her episode hasn't gone live yet but literally like two hours after we got off the the interview she like went to the hospital because she had an infection and And I don't know. I think it just because she was willing to share her story and like seeing how many people were reaching out to her and just just to say, hey, you know, we're all here for you. Everything's going to be fine. Makes a huge difference. So, yeah, talk about, I guess, I know there's there's the group that you said that are pretty consistent. Talk about some messages maybe from people who are really struggling or people who, you know, hey, that have reached out to you maybe more on a one off basis. and what kind of conversations are those that you're having?

[00:06:50] David Mina: Yeah, well, a lot of people recently, I've been getting a lot of messages just on, you know, the littlest things like what kind of meter do I use or what kind of pump do I use? But then there are some bigger questions that people ask, like, you know, they're trying a new system or a new way of doing their diabetes, and they ask for my advice. if I've gone through something like that and what advice I give them. There was this one parent that their child was in the hospital due to a high blood sugar and they were constantly trying to bring it down and it wouldn't come down. So they were asking any advice I have and whether I'm on the pump or not. And just that ability that I've been given that people are asking me these questions, it's kind of something that helps me continue to push further in spreading awareness because I feel like a lot of people know the general about diabetes. But when you actually communicate with someone who has it and lives it every day, it makes a big difference to people's lives. Other messages are just, you know, how to live day to day, or some of them are just thanking me for, you know, sharing something that they needed to know or wanted to know. And yeah, I just feel like that has been a very important aspect in what I do on Instagram.

[00:08:34] Rob Howe: And I think it's so important to focus. And it seems like more and more of my guests and I are talking about Instagram and the impact that the technology has had on the diabetic community. because it used to be you'd had to be super involved with either JDRF or another organization or organize like your own meetups so that type ones could ask you questions or just interact with other people with type 1. And I think JDRF talks about the importance of seeing someone who's living and thriving with type 1 early on in a diabetic diagnosis because you're hearing so much, especially as a young adult or a child, you're hearing so much from your doctor, you're hearing a ton from your parents, and it's nice to have that person who's kind of not your mom, not your dad, not your doctor, but somebody who really knows what they're talking about and really is dealing with the disease day to day and still thriving, still managing to have a relatively normal life. And I think Instagram has given a lot of people that opportunity in a really authentic way. Yeah, definitely. So talk about, you know, let's talk a little bit about and kind of back up a bit. You were diagnosed at 11. Talk a little bit about what that was like. I'm sure you probably remember a life before diabetes a little bit, but, um, but what maybe stands out and then, um, you know, from the get go, you know, what were the things that you did to sort of adjust your life?

[00:10:12] David Mina: Um, well I was, yeah, in the sixth grade and I, I honestly don't remember the time that well, but, um, I, I guess I had the typical symptoms that most type 1 diabetics get before the diagnosis. So I had lost a lot of weight and was constantly drinking water and going to the bathroom right after and something just didn't look right about me. I was constantly tired and you know my parents being parents worried what was going on so they had me get a blood test and a few days after I I was just getting ready for the day, and we got a phone call from the hospital saying that you need to come in now. They didn't even say why. They just said they needed you to come to see the results of the blood test, and then sure enough, they told me I had type 1 diabetes. So that really scared me at first. The word type 1 diabetes just kind of really, like, punched me in the face, And it was like a reality check. And like as any child being diagnosed with a disease, I did begin to cry right there in the hospital. And they were trying to make it better and say it's going to be OK. But back then, like I said, I didn't know hardly anything about diabetes. So they said, you know, just go home, grab a few things because you're going to stay in the hospital for a few days and head on over to actually a further hospital at the time. So that's what I did. And then we got there and right away it was like the crash course on type 1 diabetes, like how to take shots and insulin, how to measure the right dose and count carbs and all that stuff. So, yeah, it was definitely a very overwhelming experience, probably one of the most overwhelming experiences I've gone through in my life. But I feel like at the time, being a child, I got a lot of support right away from my parents, from my family, from my class at school. I had to go back to school two weeks after my diagnosis. So people had been wondering where I was for two weeks. And so when I came back, and I think everyone started to figure out why and what had gone wrong in those two weeks. And so, yeah, at the time, it was very, like, real to me, like, this is a disease that I have to take care of. And if I don't, there are consequences. So My parents were helping me at the time to adjust to it and figure out how I'm going to live my life with a disease that is going to affect every moment of my day. But I believe that that was what pushed me to do what I'm doing now. so after a few years of messing around with diabetes and you know we all have had our our share of moments where we felt like giving up and we felt like you know is it really worth it to keep doing this every day but at one point I really don't know what it was but something hit me and said like you're here for a reason and you're here to help others and my mom had always told me since I was in the hospital that you're going to use this disease to inspire others. And at the time, I didn't really understand what she meant by that. But now I'm definitely seeing what she meant. And my goal is to now show that you can come from a rough spot with your diabetes or just in anything in life, and you can overcome it and make something great out of it.

[00:14:25] Rob Howe: to share to other people. And that's such an important lesson to learn that early in your life. I'm, I'm pretty involved in like, I guess for the last two years now, I have talked at the type 1 nation summit. This year, I'm the panel moderator for the teen panel. But last year, I was on the panel. And I think they say that most of the same kids come back every year because they're, you and, you know, diabetes doesn't vary. Obviously, there's no cure, so it's the same kids almost every year. But I was so surprised that at age 12, 13, 15, the, like, level of maturity that diabetes forces you to put on because, like you said, it's a life-changing disease. Like, you have to manage it every day. And I think for that same sentiment that you talked about from being really overwhelmed because they were throwing so much information at you right away. That can be really hard. And you mentioned that your parents kind of helped you through, and I certainly would not be the same diabetic I am today without my parents as well. You know, what else helped you get through that? Was it conversations with your doctor? Was it just asking questions? Was it just kind of trial and error? How did you find your footing early on?

[00:15:52] David Mina: Well, honestly, like I said in the beginning, I didn't fully understand everything. And there was a period of time, a couple of years, where I really felt lost. I felt like I was just doing what I had to do for my diabetes just to stay alive and to live every day. but I didn't have like a sense of community or support other than family to really motivate me. And I know I say this a lot, but I really think Instagram was something that really helped me find a light at the end of the tunnel because I had tried several things to just feel like I'm not alone with diabetes. I had gone to support groups at the hospital, but for some reason it didn't click with me. And, you know, I had tried to find other diabetics, whether in my school or, you know, close by, but none of them, none of those techniques really stuck with me. And I think when I found Instagram and found that there's a huge community of people who go through the exact same struggles as me and know what I'm talking about and I don't have to sugarcoat anything, I can be real. they um that has really helped me to to feel like like I'm not alone and I feel that um you know getting all the response I get and the comments and um direct messages from Instagram those what the the people say to me and how kind they can be has really pushed me and motivated me I always tell my fans on Instagram that they are why I keep doing what I'm doing because they're the ones who push me every day. Because I could sit at home and say, like, I'm not going to do anything anymore for the diabetic community. I'm not going to push for diabetes awareness and a cure one day. But I wouldn't be doing my job and I wouldn't be of any help to the diabetic community. So I feel like just having that support has really helped shape me to be who I am now, not only as a diabetic, but just as a person. I'm able to relate with other people going through something difficult in their life. And I'm just able to have that sense of empathy with them. And that just that has really helped me a lot. So that's why I look at diabetes as not all bad and that there is some good in it, even when it doesn't look like it, but there is at the end.

[00:18:53] Rob Howe: I couldn't agree more. I think it's amazing to see out of something that can be so devastating and overwhelming at the beginning, the things and I guess the fruit it can bear out of it, out of that sort of storm. I certainly wouldn't be the person that I am without it. I know you feel the same way. And because of that, we're able to, you know, talk to people and help people through a difficult time and navigate something that's not always so clear. I want to talk a little bit about your diet, because I know from your Instagram that you're a vegan. Yeah. And I want to just talk about, you know, your decision to do that and the effect it's had on your diabetes and how you feel.

[00:19:38] David Mina: This actually began about a year or two ago. I had been deciding for a while if I wanted to go about this diet, and I had looked into it a little bit and played around. But really over a year ago, I decided that I'm going to become a full vegan. there are two factors that made me want to go vegan one of them was for health benefits just I felt like that would help regulate my blood sugars more I've been on this health kick that would make my diabetes the best it's ever been so I felt like that diet was going to help me the most and the other factor was just animal rights a lot of people feel that animals should be treated humanely. And I agreed with that because ever since I was little, I've loved animals. So I felt like I wanted to contribute to that diet for animals and for my health. Over time, I noticed that my blood sugars are much easier to manage. They're a little more stable and don't have the fluctuation that they had before I became vegan. And yeah, a lot of people messaged me saying they're thinking about going vegan, but don't know how. And they want to know how that affects my diabetes. And I think it's a personal choice. And it definitely is a lot of work and effort. And when you go out to eat, you really have to know what's safe to eat and what's not. And I think that that has just helped me because I already have something to deal with, and that's diabetes. And having that plus a diet to stick with, I think just ties in together and helps me to think more and to put more effort and creativity into my life and what I'm doing with my life and what I'm putting in my body. And I just want to be a healthy person and live a long life and help my diabetes to be manageable in the long run. And I like thinking about the future, how I'm going to be health-wise. And so I feel like this diet personally is going to help me to live a longer, happier life.

[00:22:25] Rob Howe: I love that. I think I'm in the same boat. I want to live until I'm like 120 minimum, right? I want to... Yeah. They're going to have to pull me out of here like kicking and screaming. I'm ready to stay. Yeah. And I think also I want to be... It's interesting, and I know you're a little bit younger than I am, But as you get into your like mid to late 20s, like people just stop or start to give up on their health and like feeling good. And they just like work and they sit at their desk and they, you know, start to get fat. They start to eat whatever they want and start feeling bad. And then like the worst part is they get OK with feeling bad. Yeah. And, you know, I just want to be I just want to feel good. I want to feel better. And like, you know, I feel like we're we're here to do, you know, to and move our bodies and like to be healthy and to have like. be able to have no limits basically. So to say, hey, I might wake up and like want to go on a hike or want to go ride a bike or, you know, go swimming. And I want to do that right now. So might as well be ready to go do it. And so, yeah, I think it's super important. And like the discipline that you talked about with transitioning and transferring the discipline that it takes to be a type 1 diabetic to applying that to your diet, they're very transferable. but also difficult. It's like, it's not easy. Um, but something that I heard recently and I really believe in is that all the meaningful, uh, gains in your life come from compound interest, uh, whether that's financially or physically, um, or in relationships, like through that compound interest, like a little bit over time, just consistently doing the same thing is going to get you those big results in the long run. Um, I want to shift gears just a little bit. Um, So you reached out to me and you and I have followed each other for a while and just as a part of the diabetic community. But after I wrote the type 1 and manhood article for Beyond type 1, you reached out and we were able to get your interview scheduled. let's talk about that for a minute because there aren't as many uh male figures in the type 1 community especially in the sort of like influencer or ambassador type uh areas there's a few um but compared to the women i'd say it's probably like 80 percent women 20 percent man if i was gonna take a stab in the dark um why do you think that is um and um you know how do we how do we get our type 1 diabetic brothers to be more open?

[00:25:03] David Mina: Well, over time, just looking into diabetes, and I have seen how both men and women are with it, I do see that it is something you kind of have to be a little more open with, and I agree that women tend to be more open about these things. but you know I've always wanted to be a voice for something and I felt like diabetes was that calling and being a guide I wanted to show others that you know diabetes isn't isn't based on men or women it's based on both and we're we're all um able to to show something um i personally can post about certain things about diabetes that might affect guys more and um i i hope that guys who see um what the content i'm putting on social media that that will inspire them to hopefully want to do something similar and show that it's for whoever wants to share and educate and it's not directed to anybody specifically that we can all have a say in what happens with our diabetes.

[00:26:30] Rob Howe: Right, because I think diabetes doesn't discriminate between males or females. I think the last research that I saw, it's almost 50-50. and I think part of it too for me is you know for guys who are out there and maybe a little bit more quiet about their disease or a little bit more introverted or just want to handle it on their own there's nothing to be gained from that but there's a ton to be gained from being open and having the opportunity for someone, anyone to be affected by it and I think that was the mission for me when I started Diabetics doing things was like if one person was able to get some sort of inspiration or insight or who was able to help them, then it would be worth it. Yeah, definitely. And I think that, you know, if we all, I think everybody agrees with that, like fundamentally, but, um, I just don't know if, um, people realize necessarily the power that of their voice as a diabetic and what it can mean to somebody who's struggling. Um, so yeah, I, I'm, uh, I'm glad that I have another diabetic type 1 brother out there who's willing to put that out. And I think obviously there are others as well. Neil Greathouse came on. He does an awesome job. He actually put a video out this morning about diabetic jokes, which is the funniest thing I think I've seen over the time. I saw that. Also, I know on the – just shifting gears again, maybe a little bit more on the entrepreneurial side. I know you're involved with Lifebulb. Yeah. Talk a little bit about that.

[00:28:10] David Mina: Yeah, well, a few months ago, they reached out to me and asked me to write an article for them just on my overall mission as a type 1 diabetic, which was to inspire others. And, you know, I wrote the article for them and shared a few of my photos from Instagram with them. And then they featured me on their website. And just seeing something that, you know, that I wrote and seeing my life actually written out and published on their website just kind of really spoke to me. And it felt real, finally. And it felt like, like, wow, others can now read this stuff and and hopefully be inspired by it. So, yeah, over the course of the next few months after, I reached out to them a little more and asked them if they would like it if I helped them out in spreading awareness about them or helping them out in any way. So recently, I guess they collaborated with a famous artist to create their t-shirt design, and so they wanted me to promote that for them. And I did that about last week, I think. And yeah, and then since then, they've made me their light bulb ambassador. So, yeah, that's been a great privilege to me. I felt like now my mission is expanding and I'm going to be able to spread even more awareness and be part of a bigger organization that I can share my thoughts and my insights on. And, yeah, I think that being a part of some organization for something like type 1 diabetes is very helpful because you don't feel like you're alone and like you're doing diabetes by yourself. You feel like you have a group that you're with and a team that you can work with and they all understand what you're going through in your life. And, yeah, I think that sense of community with them and working with them has been helping me to just, you know, push forward and continue to be an active voice in the diabetic community.

[00:30:58] Rob Howe: And that's cool, isn't it? Like, you start to see your, you know, what started as your personal mission grow and start to affect other people. It's pretty awesome. and congratulations with that. I think Lifebulb is obviously very cool and for those of you who don't know about them, check them out on Instagram, Lifebulb, L-Y-F-E-B-U-L-B. Pretty neat organization, highlighting and creating awareness for type 1 diabetes and through the creators and the people who are making cool things happen. So very, very, very neat. Yeah. Okay, so I always ask these questions. to my guests, and I'm working on them to try to see if I can get some different answers out of them because they're mostly similar. But the first one is, what are you most excited about in the future of type 1 diabetes? And yeah, I'll let you go ahead in that one before I ask the

[00:31:58] David Mina: second one okay well um i can i'm assuming that most people say um a cure but i personally just am excited about the future of connecting with more people and actually meeting more type 1 diabetics now um most of what i do i meet them just through social media but i would actually like to um meet people as we as we try to work towards a cure um in all the events and organizations that happen um so yeah i think just just connecting with more people and expanding on

[00:32:41] Rob Howe: my mission as a type 1 diabetic yeah it's great and isn't it always it's cool to connect with people on social media but when you actually get to meet them in person it sort of becomes real It's very interesting, kind of a surreal experience. And the second question that I ask, and this is the one that I get sort of outside of, and you're right, the first answer is almost always like a cure or technology or whatever. But the second one is if there's one thing that you could tell someone who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, what would it be?

[00:33:15] David Mina: I was actually asked this question this past week. I would just tell them, and I know that it sounds very like, you know, we've said it to several people before, but it gets easier. I know once you're diagnosed, that day feels so real and it really sucks, but it gets even better. Once you get out of that dark phase in your life, once you figure out what you're actually doing, it gets so much easier. And you figure out ways to make it even easier every day. And you end up seeing that it's not so bad and that it is manageable. If you're consistent in putting the effort and work into it, it's not as bad as it may seem at first.

[00:34:11] Rob Howe: That's great. And you're right. It does get better. and I think the community is also getting better and like you said technology is getting better and awareness is getting more broad and I think that's causing more people to be open about it which is growing the amount of people that we can touch and growing the community of people that we you know that we interact with and I think you know if 20,000 new people or 40,000 rather new people in the US are getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year. That's 40,000 people who can look and now have so many more resources to interact with or connect with than people did when we were diagnosed eight to 10 years ago. So yeah, that's exciting to me. And I'm really happy that you came on the show. Thanks so much for taking the time. Yeah, thank you for having me. Well, I'm happy to do it. And I'll include the links to your social platforms in the show notes so that everyone can connect with you. And yeah, I look forward to continuing to help spread the awareness and build the community together. Thanks for listening to Diabetics Doing Things. Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly emails and behind the scenes content. And if you or someone you know has an amazing story to share, send an email to rob at diabeticsdoingthings.com.