Diabetics Doing Sugarless Clothing with Cody McChesney

[00:00:00] Rob Howe: 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 and welcome back to another episode of Diabetics Doing Things. We're telling the amazing stories of type 1 diabetics all around the world. Today, I'm very excited to introduce my guest, calling from the Bay Area out in Oakland, San Francisco area, California, Cody McChesney. Welcome to the show.

[00:01:34] Cody McChesney: Thank you for having me. It's great to finally get to talk to you.

[00:01:37] Rob Howe: Yeah, man. This has been in the works for a little while, and I'm glad that we were able to connect. Cody, for our listeners who may not know you, give us a little bit of background. Tell us about yourself.

[00:01:49] Cody McChesney: My name is Cody McChesney. I've been a type 1 diabetic since about I turned 18. Just going through the motions, going through the struggles of diabetes, it's been a tough road, but I wouldn't be the person I am today without going through that.

[00:02:07] Rob Howe: Yeah, you had mentioned kind of before we got on the air, we should be able to put diabetes on a resume, right? Because of all the extra work it entails and like thought and planning.

[00:02:19] Cody McChesney: Yeah. I mean, being a type 1 diabetic, I know other type 1 diabetics, I know pretty much what we have to go through. We have to go through a lot. It's pretty much a second job.

[00:02:31] Rob Howe: Yeah. It's, you know, just thinking about, I know I was talking to someone recently who looked at it like a pet almost that you have to just always keep in mind. So, you know, you can't go on vacation without thinking about them. You can't leave the house without thinking about them. You got to, you know, make sure that you're, they're kind of always on your mind.

[00:02:50] Cody McChesney: Pretty much everything we do is circled around taking care of our diabetes.

[00:02:58] Rob Howe: So, yeah, at 18, you're diagnosed at 18. So you live, you know, obviously a good chunk of your life, you know, without type 1. Kind of walk us through those days before your diagnosis.

[00:03:09] Cody McChesney: I was always an active kid. I was a heavier set. I was a fat kid growing up. Played football. Just loved to be on my bike outside all the time. A lot of people's common misconception about diabetes is that we're lazy. We did this to ourselves by eating too much sugary foods. And it's just not really the case at all.

[00:03:33] Rob Howe: It's right. Your awareness level is pretty low as a non-diabetic because you don't ever have to think about it.

[00:03:40] Cody McChesney: Right. I didn't know what diabetes was before I had it. You know, it's a common misconception, and it's up to us to educate the people around us.

[00:03:51] Rob Howe: So in that time, were you in high school, headed to college, you know, kind of in those – that's a tough part of your life anyway. And I think a time that a lot of diabetics and parents of type 1s kind of fear, especially because there's a lot of unknown, right? You're potentially leaving the house. You're going to a new phase of your life. And then you throw this type of diagnosis in the mix. What was that like for you and your family?

[00:04:20] Cody McChesney: It was scary, to say the least. It was pretty scary. I went from being 220 pounds to dropping down to 113 pounds through mismanagement of diabetes. And my parents really didn't know how to react to it, didn't know how to cope with it. and they weren't sure what we were supposed to do. I was actually misdiagnosed. I was misdiagnosed as a type 2 diabetic through my doctor, and that's what caused the mismanagement.

[00:04:53] Rob Howe: So they sort of prescribed you in oral medication or a different regimen that obviously wasn't working.

[00:05:00] Cody McChesney: Correct. He prescribed me. I was on oral medication, and just no matter what I did, no matter what I ate, it wasn't doing the job. that had to be pretty frustrating I imagine I was it was pretty scary um going from you know 220 a big boy as a lineman from a high school football team to 113 pounds my you know my girlfriend weighed more than I did it was uh it was a scary time so I mean just that difference right like

[00:05:28] Rob Howe: that's almost 100 pounds right or more than 100 pounds yeah well and I mean you know most people I mean, just in general, that's not something a lot of people go through. What was your mindset like, like waking up every day, just trying to keep on fighting, trying to find the cause or just frustration? I'm sure you battled with depression and lost a little bit of faith there, I imagine.

[00:05:53] Cody McChesney: Oh, it was really tough. I didn't know what to do to turn it around. But as a diabetic, you're just automatically, you're a warrior. You're waking up every day and fighting for your life. Part of your body has given up, but you can't. You just got to keep going. So just had to keep figuring out what was going on. I was getting into arguments with my doctor saying, this isn't working. Something's got to change. And finally he told me, if you don't trust me, you go see a different doctor. So I did. And right when I walked into her office, it was my first time seeing an endocrinologist. when I walked in her office, she said, you're a type 1 diabetic, not a type 2. We need to get you on insulin today. And from that day forward, it was a 180-degree turnaround.

[00:06:42] Rob Howe: That's unbelievable, right? So you kind of called his bluff. What was the conversation with him like after that, or was there one?

[00:06:50] Cody McChesney: Oh, there wasn't one. That was pretty much it. He said, if you don't trust me, go see someone else. And I did, and she changed my life and probably saved my life.

[00:06:59] Rob Howe: No question, man. That sounds like a, man, I'm just itching for that conversation to happen. It's just like, hey, you remember me? Like I was going to die. I was in here just, you know, and couldn't get this right.

[00:07:11] Cody McChesney: Yeah, I've looked for her since then, and she's actually changed offices, and I haven't been able to thank her for that. But hopefully one day I'll be able to.

[00:07:21] Rob Howe: Yeah, that's, man, you know, not an easy job, obviously. And there's so many cases that we hear about of misdiagnosis for one reason or another. whether it's lack of awareness or thinking it's one thing or not the other. I've, you know, heard of people going years, like six, seven years with a type 2 diagnosis and just, um, you know, fortunately for them, their pancreas was slower to react than some people's, but, uh, how long was it before you got that, you know, true, like accurate diagnosis?

[00:07:49] Cody McChesney: Um, it was six months. It was, uh, six months. And within that six months I had lost all that weight. So I knew, uh, and I knew something was wrong. It looked like I was, I was headed for

[00:08:01] Rob Howe: my deathbed. It didn't look good. Yeah. That, uh, you know, a hundred pounds in six months. That's amazing. That's obviously in the wrong kind of like devastating. Um, you know, um, what, how did you feel? I, you know, when I was diagnosed, I remember this like beautiful nurse walked in and like getting like hooked up this sailing, like saline bag to get me rehydrated and gave me this shot of insulin. I just remember feeling so good because that's what my body needed was fluids and insulin. What did you feel like when you finally got your blood sugar even headed in the right direction?

[00:08:34] Cody McChesney: It felt amazing. It just energy. I felt energy come back to me. I felt like I came back to life. I was able to start thinking more clearly. I was able to just start basically living life again. I wasn't constantly mad or upset. You know, it was just it was a big relief. Felt great.

[00:08:56] Rob Howe: So from then, you know, you're in the hospital, you've got the right medication, you're feeling better. I'm sure your confidence just kind of came back as like you finally had an answer for what you've been looking for. You know, what happened next? You know, you get some diabetes type 1 education now. You're a little bit more prepared for what's going on. um you know were you i imagine you were able to gain some of the weight back and

[00:09:21] Cody McChesney: start living normally yeah yeah exactly so uh they put me in a bunch of classes to learn about type 1 diabetes and i i feel like i know more than most nurses now and as i should i live with it um once i started to learn about it and figure it out everything just started kind of clicking but that's not to say that it was easy at all. It was easier, but it's still ups and downs. With the age I was, I was about 19, but when I was diagnosed type 1, and it's a rough age for a kid, you know, moving out on your own, living on your own, and you want to do the same thing that your friends do well at you know 19 2021 what are your friends doing stuff that you can't do you know um partying drinking and uh so that was it's really tough not to say that i didn't do that didn't drink or anything but you gotta be aware of what you're putting into your body and uh yeah you want

[00:10:23] Rob Howe: to try to keep up i want to talk a little bit about that because it's something that i haven't talked about in great detail on the podcast before um but i think that we can have a you know pretty open and candid conversation about it. So you go to college, right? You're an 18 year old guy. And 18, 19, whatever the case, you got new friends, you're in a new place, everybody's doing new things, you're hanging out with older people, everybody's kind of, you know, drinking and partying and exploring that part of your life as, you know, becoming an adult, basically. But always in the back of your mind is that conversation about, hey, I, you know, I'm type diabetes. Like this isn't good for me. I know that, but I also want to be normal and have a high quality of life. So were there conversations with your friends or their conversations with your

[00:11:11] Cody McChesney: parents? Um, you know, what was that like? Um, yeah, my parents were really, really worried about me. Um, you know, just being out on your own, uh, with this, with this new type of lifestyle, um, conversation with friends was pretty easy. My friends were pretty easy going. They may not have really understood it, but they could, you know, they helped me out. Not to say that I didn't go out and do things that I shouldn't have done. I didn't, you know, I went out and I, you know, drank too much and wound up in the hospital more than once. And it's just an eye opener. You really got to take it seriously. It's not anything to joke around with or play with. there's certain things your body just cannot handle that other people can. And for a while, it was a little bit rebellious and a little bit of, you know, I'm just going to do whatever I want to do. And unfortunately, I suffered the consequences.

[00:12:14] Rob Howe: Yeah, and I think it's really important to talk about this, right? Because, you know, you're going to be rebellious as a 19-year-old without diabetes. You're going to be rebellious in that, but maybe not have as many consequences. Certainly, there are always consequences. But from a health perspective, you go in and it's so easy to tip the scales in the wrong direction on an avalanche, right? So you're at a party. People are passing around shots or whatever. You're drinking too many beers or whatever the case may be. And I'm not trying to just paint this picture of this crazy party lifestyle for Cody. Like I don't really even know you that well yet, but I think this is something that I don't get to talk about too much with other male diabetics as well. So like for me, um, I was an athlete in college and so I got to go to all the part, whatever party I wanted to go to. My friends and I were, you know, big, big fish in a small pond. And for me coming from a small, I went to a small private school. I didn't, uh, I didn't even drink in high school or anything like that because at my school, if you did that, someone would snitch on you and you get expelled. That was pretty much how it worked. But so I get there that there's none of that. I'm on my own. I can make decisions and I'm like in control of my own like destiny there. So it's like, you know, nothing, everything's good. But then you get into those times where it's either finals or you're done with my, I was done with basketball season and you start to party a little harder. And I had a lot of really, really harsh conversations with my parents because I was like a thousand miles away and they couldn't really can tell me what to do. And I felt like I was in control. and then I got some higher A1C numbers back from my endocrinologist and they were like well this is because of this and I was trying to tell them a different story and so it was hard yeah it's

[00:13:59] Cody McChesney: it's definitely not easy um I do feel like this is important to talk about you know because there are diabetics out there that are going through this right now and I didn't have anyone want to talk to this you know talk about like this um it was it was tough just being that age i think like you said you're rebellious anyways and then being in a different you have to take care of yourself you have to watch everything that you're in taking anyways but at certain points you're you just you know you go through the phase of i don't care whatever but you really got to understand the consequences i recently um have had complications and it's due to how i was living my life before and not really taking it as seriously as i should so i think these conversations are great to have and uh everyone out there is you're not alone in this this is where i'm trying to get at yeah for a long time i felt like i really was until recently uh the diabetic community. I've finally started getting involved and I just realized we all go through the

[00:15:09] Rob Howe: same stuff. We're a family. I mean, really, because I think, um, it's sometimes like the, you know, people joke about family, right? Like you can't choose them. You don't get to right. And the same thing with type 1 diabetes family, you don't get to choose these people. And they didn't choose to be here. It's just kind of how the cookie crumbled. Right. So So I do want to say because of I wrote an article recently for Beyond Type 1 about type 1 diabetes and manhood, like being a man, because there's a I think a special blend of, you know, testosterone and hormones and all that when you're turning and you're becoming, you know, growing up and becoming a man, going from a boy to a man. and uh you know you don't you're trying to tough guy and you want to be confident and you want to look cool and you don't want to be different uh you don't want to act like you need help and you know i i don't know i just want to say like if there's anybody out there feeling that way it can always reach out to me um and i'm sure you feel the same way as well because it's uh it's hard to have that conversation with your parents i know i yell i yelled and screamed

[00:16:16] Cody McChesney: and over the phone and it was hard yeah oh it's definitely hard um they don't really know what you're going through either they they're my for me my parents didn't have diabetes my parents parents didn't have diabetes i'm the first one so they they knew kind of what was happening but they didn't they've never gone through it so they didn't know how to talk to me about it um the way i see it is if you're having that you know everybody has bad days but everyone has good days not every day is going to be bad so you know tomorrow that that good day might come if you're having one of those bad days definitely reach out talk to somebody somebody can can turn that around for you maybe and if i'm having one of those bad days that's what i do i reach out to the diabetic community and i've never been turned away and that's uh that's so

[00:17:06] Rob Howe: new too like the community is so like the social media community especially in the last year or two has been extraordinary, like the amount of growth and the amount of inclusion. And I think even for people who aren't diabetic, like you said, my parents are not diabetics either. And we didn't, I'm the only one in my family. For a type 1 parent or guardian or grandparent or even friend, it's hard. Like it's hard to have that develop that level of trust because you care so much, right? And you want what's best for that person. But I think, too, like a little bit of gentleness and a little bit of like blunting those edges a little bit makes that and building coming from a place of caring and acceptance is hard because you care so much and you don't want them to get hurt. And you see this is so black and white. But as a young person and as somebody who's trying to either fit in and, you know, is, you know, peer pressure is what it is. But you're going through that phase in your life where you're trying to decide who you really want to be. and you know there it's hard to say never to things you know never do this never do that but it's also you know everything in moderation and making sure that you don't lose you don't lose who you who you are and what you're trying to be and you set sort of an intention like hey i'm gonna go live my life and i'm gonna live without limits and i'm gonna live beyond if the steel type or beyond type 1 slogan but also i'm gonna take care of myself and i'm gonna be safe and I'm going to have, uh, you know, tools and pieces in place to make sure that I'm okay.

[00:18:40] Cody McChesney: Exactly. We still, just cause that we're diabetic doesn't mean we can't do whatever we want to do. We can still do whatever we want to do. We just got to make sure that we have what we need to,

[00:18:52] Rob Howe: to survive. And that's interesting because I think right now there's a big, I don't know if you've seen a couple of these articles recently, there was like a viral post where a guy is some restaurant in New York put up a sign that said, you know, if you're going to inject your blood sugar or inject your insulin, check your blood sugar, please do it in the bathroom. Um, which sparked some outrage, like as it should. And then, you know, the guy came back later and apologized after he got like 50,000 negative reviews on his restaurant, right. Totally ruined the guy's online business. But, um, you know, he just, that's lack of education. That's like maybe, you know, one customer complained and he kind of overreacted managed by exception. And then there's another story recently about a kid on a Disney cruise that was bringing the Skittles or whatever into a group activity where they technically were not supposed to be allowed, even though his mom had checked with the cruise director and it was all approved, but was told to leave. So a little bit of discrimination because I think by two things, like, and I'm talking a lot on this episode. Sorry, guys. But sorry, Cody. But I think when I was a kid, I was very recently diagnosed probably like in the first summer after I was diagnosed and I went on a cruise. And they told me that I couldn't. I filled out, you know, diabetes on my health form. And they told me that I couldn't go on the scuba diving thing. I remember, like, I cried and I was mad. And I just from then decided that, like, well, they don't know me. I'm never going to tell anyone on a cruise that I'm diabetic again because I can handle it on my own. Now, I'm not saying that that's the right way to do it. That's just my own personal approach. I'm certainly not a doctor. But then on the other end of that, like having to, you know, commit and keep that to yourself and say, like, I have the confidence to test in public and to give myself an injection in public. And I'm not going to be discriminated against. but also I'm going to manage this with myself and, um, and say, you know what, I'm in control. I don't need anybody's help to tell me what I can and can't do. So there's a fine line there. And I think, you know, medical professionals may disagree with me on some of this stuff and that's fine. I welcome that conversation, but you know, I wanted to be a professional basketball player more than anything else I've ever wanted. Um, and there was a sliver of a chance that if a team saw me play and liked me, but then saw me give an injection on the sideline or test my blood sugar that that would trigger something that I was, you know, a potential downside in their mind, because they would have to worry about taking care of me if I was over there. So I chose to just hide that I didn't I didn't tell them anything. And you know what, it worked out. I'm not saying that it wouldn't have in the other in the other direction, they certainly could have been but I don't know, I owned that piece of it. And I tried to own that frame of the conversation. So there's a lot of ownership that comes with being a type 1. I think that's what you meant

[00:21:40] Cody McChesney: earlier when it's like taking a second job yeah definitely definitely it's uh you know i've had i've had uh problems i work construction so on job sites you're not you know you're in a new building it you're not allowed to have food or drinks in there um usually though what i've run into is as long as i explain myself and explain why i have a gatorade or why i have this or why i have that um usually they're very understanding and and i've never really had a problem with i've been lucky. I've actually, I was on a plane one time and they weren't serving any food on the plane. It was just a, it was a short ride. I got up, I walked to the back, talked to the stewardess and I explained to her, you know, I really just, I'll pay for it. I just need a couple of snacks. I'm going through a low right now. And without hesitation, she just started handing me food and didn't make me pay for it or anything. I've come across people that have been very understanding but i also have got those looks when i'm in a restaurant and i i want to you know take i need to take some insulin i've gotten those looks and it's just uh it's just ignorance and it's on us unfortunately to to teach people teach who are people the people around us

[00:22:54] Rob Howe: god it's such a tough balance right because you you're like i'm the one dealing with this Right. And in the past, I used to get very defensive. And I think, you know, but the other piece is just like you mentioned, like they don't know any better. We didn't know any better before. So kind of like handling that with a little bit of education, a little bit of grace. And I think something that a lot of people, especially younger people, don't realize is that most people, whether in any situation, whether it's work related or health related. But I think especially when your health is at risk, if you ask for help, like most people are happy to help. Right. But you, you know, and so that's that balance of do I handle this on my own or do I have the confidence to look somebody in the eye and say, hey, I need your help and, you know, make sure to see if they will respond.

[00:23:43] Cody McChesney: yeah and unfortunately it's a for most of type 1 diabetics i know it's a pride thing and

[00:23:48] Rob Howe: we don't like we don't like help from anyone else gosh ego is such a it's such a trickster man it's tough it is tough so um i'm gonna shut up still i'm gonna i'm gonna shut up a little bit more because i've been you know just uh just spewing uh stuff here but i love this conversation so So now you've had type 1 now for a few years. Your diagnosis is back. You're living your life the way that you want. What's the difference? Obviously, we all have our good days and bad days. But for you, how do you approach every day?

[00:24:25] Cody McChesney: Basically, what I tell myself is there's a little saying I like to tell myself. I actually have it inscripted on a type 1 diabetic bracelet. And it says, if one truly loses hope, one would not be on hand to say so. If I truly gave up, I wouldn't be around to tell you. It just lets me know every day that it's a struggle, it's a fight. But like I said earlier, you're a type 1 diabetic, you're a warrior.

[00:24:54] Rob Howe: That's strong, man. That's strong. and uh you know in those in those moments where you're having that down you know you just you have that there to look at and to uh and to remember yeah it's just uh some sometimes it

[00:25:07] Cody McChesney: takes that little that little kick of motivation sometimes you know you don't want to sometimes you lay down and i i don't want to get up and take my insulin right now but you know tomorrow if you don't take that right now you know tomorrow's going to be that much worse so sometimes it just takes a little a little kick of inspiration uh fortunately for me i have a great uh support system shout out to my team uh they've just been awesome and and they don't let me fail

[00:25:36] Rob Howe: that and that's so key as well right those relationships that you have as a type 1 whether that's a significant other or parents or doctor or just friends um what what's your team made of who are those people to you and uh you know give them a shout out but also you know how do they you know how do they impact your day-to-day uh all my friends and family have been really

[00:25:58] Cody McChesney: supportive um uh basically i if i'm doing something if i'm out and sometimes it does get a little annoying because you you know you're you're out you're going to eat hey you did you take your insulin do you take your insulin i'm i'm a grown man i know what i'm doing but sometimes you do need to be told, hey, watch what you're eating or go take your insulin. So like I said earlier, type 1 diabetics seem to me to be real proud people. And sometimes we just got to let that guard down.

[00:26:35] Rob Howe: You do. And I think, you know, like we said, that ego is tough. You know, I have some friends here in Dallas that are my close comedy friends who are all type 1 diabetics. So like, it's, it's very weird. Like we have this great comedy community and within it is this awesome, even smaller community of type ones. Um, and that's really the first local group of diabetics that I've ever been able to be plugged in with on a personal level. Obviously like, um, the online community has been amazing and, and, and I interact with a lot, but you know, somebody who you actually know, and you can look in the eyes, like, you know, for some of us, like they've had their diabetes for almost 20, 25 years. and you know they still get very uh wrapped up in it very like um bristled at any sort of um you know misconception or uh somebody offering advice and again like it's just that ego talking to you man like uh so yeah it's tough to take advice from somebody or like hey you shouldn't eat that it's like again like i can do whatever i want you start to have those like it's that same reaction like if your parents tell you to do something you know so yeah that one's tough man

[00:27:45] Cody McChesney: Oh, what are you doing eating cake? It's cake. Of course I'm going to eat it. Nobody turns on cake.

[00:27:50] Rob Howe: Right, yeah. I just gave myself a fat bolus for this thing so that I can eat it.

[00:27:55] Cody McChesney: Exactly. Yeah, it's tough. What I really love about the online diabetic community is how real everybody is. It's not just, oh, check out my 100 reading. Check out my blood glucose at 98. You get the realest of the real. Everyone's showing you what their real numbers are. and it just it makes me feel like okay I'm not the only one like I've I've seen stuff on online and they're like I don't get it I didn't even eat anything that bad and I'm at 250 what's going on I'm like oh my god thank god I'm not the only one right because we've all been there right you

[00:28:32] Rob Howe: we've had to eat the same thing and then you know not even any you're not even stressed out you're like having a good day and all of a sudden you're just like what what's going down exactly it's just

[00:28:42] Cody McChesney: crazy and and the open arms of uh the online community is just the support has been awesome

[00:28:50] Rob Howe: so uh kind of in that same vein um talk a little bit about and i'm and i don't want to spoil the surprise here so uh like you have your own clothing brand um uh you know specifically geared towards type ones and the type 1 community so tell us a little bit about that

[00:29:08] Cody McChesney: yeah yeah so I have a clothing brand and it's called sugarless clothing um basically I wanted to do something to give back I wanted to spread awareness um I didn't know what to do I wanted to get involved and I didn't know how uh so I basically came up with the a design idea um and it took off it's it's flying off the shelves it's going crazy uh I can't express how thankful I am for all the support that I've been given. Basically, I want to get to a place where I can start donating all the proceeds to diabetics who can't afford their supplies, who can't afford their insulin, who can't afford the test strips. It's crazy the cost that these people are trying to charge us for everyday things that we need to live. So my goal is to be able to donate all profit to a charity or some organization that helps out the people who can't afford their diabetic supplies.

[00:30:19] Rob Howe: That's fantastic. And I think such an important mission, an important thing to raise awareness to because I think I know, you know, there's there's teams of people who go to Washington and talk to their congressmen and, you know, very organized groups here in the US, as well as worldwide in an organization I can't say enough of about T1International. We had their founder, Elizabeth Rowley, on the podcast. She's amazing. The work that they do around the world to raise awareness for insulin reform is just just phenomenal. So that's amazing, man. And I, you know, what an admirable mission to go out with.

[00:31:01] Cody McChesney: Yeah, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to start, but everything just kind of fell into place. And we're just working on getting to that point.

[00:31:14] Rob Howe: so uh what what sort of prompted you to not only start a clothing brand but also to you know launch it with the mission of helping out uh type ones um basically i was one day i was looking

[00:31:34] Cody McChesney: online for shirts uh type 1 diabetic shirts just looking on google and i just everything that came up, I was like, eh, that's kind of cool, but I wouldn't really wear that. So I wanted to make a shirt that related to type 1 diabetics and something that the younger kids would like to wear, you know, not just script on a shirt. I wanted to develop a brand. So I came up with this idea. It looks like, how ironic, it looks like a a gummy bear and he's, uh, given himself some, an insulin shot.

[00:32:15] Rob Howe: Well, and I think it's, uh, you know, for me personally as well, I, I, uh, I recently spoke with another like design conscious, like very kind of young, cool, uh, fashion, high fashion sense, diabetic type 1. And we were talking about, we should start like a movement to just end the terrible, uh, branding and terrible like fonts on t-shirts about type 1. because it's, I mean, they're everywhere, right? And of course, they all have good intentions and good, and I would never, you know, be mean to them. But it's just like as a person who is fashion and design conscious, you know, we got to have options out there for those types of people.

[00:32:52] Cody McChesney: Yeah, diabetics are coming all forms, you know. People don't really necessarily want to wear all one type of shirt. And there's a limited market for type 1 diabetics. people aren't making a broad array of shirts for for us you know and i just wanted to wear something that that i thought looked cool and that i thought would get attention and so far it has i get people all the time coming up to me like oh that's that's a cool shirt is that a is that a band or something i'm like actually no and it sparks the conversation you know i give them my card and and uh people have taken really well to to the design so you've got you know you've got a great

[00:33:32] Rob Howe: start. Um, and you know, as you guys, what's your, what's your vision for the brand? Are you, uh, you know, continuing to, you know, new designs or is it events or is it, you know, continuing to spread awareness about not only about type 1 diabetes, but also the people who, um, you know, need assistance and getting the supplies that keep them alive.

[00:33:51] Cody McChesney: Yeah. So basically all the above, we are coming out with new brands, uh, or, uh, sorry, new designs as we speak. I'm gearing the shirts more towards trying to make a statement. I want to make the statement of it's criminal what they're doing, charging people an arm and a leg for diabetic supplies that they need to live. We don't want to get too political with statements, but we're coming out with new designs. We're going to start doing more events. We want to be more active and involved with the diabetic community itself um we're still so small we just you know don't really know which direction to go yet so we're uh we're always uh always studying

[00:34:37] Rob Howe: and always looking always paying attention no man that's that's a fantastic mission and um you know the like you mentioned before there's a huge need in the community for you know for people to step out and do the things that they're good at and with the eye for design and that sense of entrepreneurialism. There's a lot of room, I think, in the diabetes community. You know, when you look at other chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease, things that affect, you know, obviously a larger number of people than type 1, but they've been at it a little bit longer at some of these people who are raising money and raising awareness and these events. And I think there's a huge opportunity for people like yourself to just take that leap and put themselves out there. And kind of back to what I said about asking people for help, I think you'd be surprised when you really put – you take your skills and things that you're good at and your passion and you put something out there. I think for me, it was a big risk. It felt like a big risk for me to start diabetics doing things, and I was very self-conscious about what could happen. And, um, but then once I got over that, like it was, I met all these amazing people and, um, you know, I've been very fortunate to have conversations with diabetics all over the world. Um, and if I hadn't have taken that risk and like just put myself out there a little bit, I never would have gotten any of that. It's been so worth it. So, um, what would you say to somebody who's like thinking about starting, you know, not necessarily a clothing brand, but, um, you know, a special project to help out diabetics.

[00:36:08] Cody McChesney: Do it. just see what you got to do, get your foot out there. I've been told several times by people like, so what does that shirt even mean? That doesn't mean anything about diabetes. It doesn't say anything to me. Well, then you know what? The shirt isn't for you. I didn't make it for you. I made it for me. I made it for the people who love it. If you're out there and you want to make a difference, you want to do something, just put yourself out there and don't be afraid to fail because that's part of success. You have to stumble around first. I certainly did, and I still am. And I don't see it clearing up anytime soon, but hopefully one day.

[00:36:46] Rob Howe: Yeah, when I get it all figured out, I'll be sure to let you know, right? Exactly. It's just a huge, it's just a big journey. And I think once people become more comfortable, I guess more comfortable getting uncomfortable, bowl, which is a weird thing to think about, but, you know, getting outside of that comfort zone and being okay with people, um, you know, judging their stuff. There's a lot of, a lot more positive people out there than you think. Um, you know, when you're, when you're sitting on those

[00:37:15] Cody McChesney: ideas, it's been overwhelming. Uh, the support I've gotten, uh, when you have, uh, something like this for such a good cause, uh, everybody is willing to help. You know, I've sold a ton of shirts and most of the people I've sold shirts to aren't even diabetic. People want to help.

[00:37:36] Rob Howe: It's in their nature. It is. And sometimes we forget that. Yeah. So in the spirit of help, how can our listeners get involved with Sugarless Clothing? I know you're on Instagram as Sugarless Clothing. We'll certainly include a link. But if they wanted to buy a shirt,

[00:37:57] Cody McChesney: where do they go uh sugarlessclothing.com uh the website right now is it's still under construction i need to update it but um yeah you can go to sugarlessclothing.com we have our shirts up there we also have women's shirts that aren't actually up there um but they are on my instagram so instagram is pretty much the best way it seems like yeah for right now instagram has been the way

[00:38:21] Rob Howe: to go for me. Great. Well, uh, it's same, same for me. I think it's, and for a lot of other type ones as well, whether they're, um, you know, doing their own projects or just trying to get involved with people and, uh, and have a conversation. Yeah, it's been great for me. Um,

[00:38:36] Cody McChesney: it's, uh, besides the, the sugarless clothing, just, just talking to people, opening up, having conversations, uh, Instagram has, has done a lot for me, uh, in the way of the diabetic community. They're just really awesome people out there. And like I said, people want to help.

[00:38:57] Rob Howe: So Cody, I always ask this question to my guests. So you may be ready for it. And I'm sure you'll have a great answer. You had a tough diagnosis. And I mean, everybody's is tough, but I think yours specifically and others who have been misdiagnosed, it's a tough time. And you start to question a lot of things. What would you tell someone who was going through kind of what you went through early on? What's the one thing you would tell them? Reach out, ask for help.

[00:39:29] Cody McChesney: That's the biggest thing I would say. Cause that's what I was scared to do. I didn't, I didn't really know anyone with diabetes and I didn't really talk to anyone. Um, and I should have, and it would have helped out a lot better, a lot sooner.

[00:39:47] Rob Howe: Yeah, man, I totally agree. And I think, like you said earlier, you're not alone. We're all out here. We all have our bad days. So there's no reason to keep it bottled up. Ask away. There's a lot of organizations. There's a lot of people out there who are willing to help.

[00:40:03] Cody McChesney: Yep, I agree totally. I wish I would have done it sooner.

[00:40:09] Rob Howe: Well, man, I'm glad that you reached out via Instagram. I'm super glad that we got connected. This was a fantastic conversation, and I'm really excited to get it published. Any parting thoughts sort of before, you know, as we go and sort of go our separate ways for now? Any parting thoughts before we jump off?

[00:40:32] Cody McChesney: Just like we touched on before, you know, if you're having a bad day, there's the good days right around the corner. and if you are having that bad day, reach out, tip me up. If I'm having that bad day, I'll do the same and we got to lean on each other.

[00:40:48] Rob Howe: Yeah, a feedback loop goes both ways, right? Because, you know, that's the important part of community.

[00:40:55] Cody McChesney: Exactly.

[00:40:57] Rob Howe: Well, man, you definitely say what's up to the Bay Area for me. It's been too long since I've been out there and I got mad love for it.

[00:41:06] Cody McChesney: Yeah, the Yay Area of the universe. That's right. Yay Area, yay 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