Diabetics Doing Advocacy with Christine Fallabel

[00:00:07] Rob Howe: Welcome to the Diabetics Doing Things podcast. We've been telling the amazing stories of type 1 diabetics all across the world since 2015, and we have over a thousand years of living with T1D on the podcast. The interviews range from incredible feats to everyday victories, and we celebrate them all just the same. Thanks for listening. And if you want to get involved even further, just send me an email at rob at diabeticsdoingthings.com. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Diabetics Doing Things. We are telling the amazing stories of type 1 diabetics all around the world. And my very special guest today, calling from Denver, Colorado, is Christine Fallabel. Welcome to the show.

[00:00:52] Christine Fallabel: Hi, thanks for having me.

[00:00:54] Rob Howe: So great to have you. And you and I connected on Instagram, I guess a couple weeks ago. And Christine, why don't you, you know, my favorite part of sort of these shows is right at the beginning is the, you know, what qualifies you and how did you find yourself into this type 1 diabetes family? Give us the diagnosis rundown.

[00:01:14] Christine Fallabel: Yeah. So I was diagnosed with type 1 on June 20th, 2000, actually on the East Coast. I'm originally from Pennsylvania. and I was on a family vacation in Virginia Beach when I found out. So pretty much the worst family vacation ever. My blood sugar was around 700 and I was 12 years old. And it kind of changed the path of my life. Ever since diagnosis, I just became really interested in healthy eating and active living. I went on to do social work and then get my master's in public health. And so I've always kind of been just fascinated with how food and exercise affect diabetes, you know, and then combining that with the diabetes online community. You know, I joined Twitter and Instagram probably around seven years ago now. And it's just been, you know, an amazing community of support. And it's just been, you know, a great resource to have being a young adult navigating the waters of type 1 diabetes.

[00:02:25] Rob Howe: And it's something that can be so challenging, right? You know, your life changes. I think you're the second person, I'm trying to remember who it was, the second guest that I've had that was diagnosed during a family vacation. and it's funny like I was in a mentor JDRF mentor like training a couple years ago and everyone was standing up telling their diagnosis stories and like nine out of ten were diagnosed on some sort of major holiday or while on vacation so it's always funny when those when those moments sort

[00:02:57] Christine Fallabel: of strike yeah and you know seventh grade is pretty much the worst time to be any kind of different. So, you know, I left school normal, and then I come back to school, and I have this condition that's constant, and middle schoolers, of course, think they can catch it, you know, so

[00:03:17] Rob Howe: it was a hard time, for sure. Yeah, and, you know, I want to talk about that a little bit, too, like, you talked about the stark change in your life, and I remember going back into middle school, I would never, I wouldn't, it would take, I don't know, the entire world. You couldn't give me the world to go back to middle school because it was just so vicious and kids are so tough. And going back and thinking like, you know, that moment where your life changed and you were diagnosed, what were those first few months and those first few experiences like going back to school, talking with your friends, going through those sort of adjustment periods?

[00:03:58] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, well, I made my mom pinky promise that she wouldn't tell any of my friends' moms that I had a disease now. And of course, she went behind my back and told everyone. But, you know, I was on the cheerleading squad. I didn't tell anyone for months. And I remember just thinking like, okay, I'm 12 years old. I have about eight years left until I go off to college. I don't have to do another sleepover until college. Like I'll tell people when I go away to college. You know, I don't need to see friends. I don't need to take shots overnight at people's houses. I'll just like, you know, hunker down and keep to myself. That was the promise I made with myself. And it didn't last very long. I opened up once I got to high school, which thankfully my friends were very accepting as I got a little older.

[00:04:50] Rob Howe: Well, and I think that maybe not that drastic or that type of conversation, but in my own journey with type 1, I took a similar path. Not necessarily that I wasn't going to do things, but that I just wasn't going to look at diabetes as a burden. I wanted to be like everybody else. And I don't know if that was my own just type A nature. But then as I softened my edges and got a little bit older, got a little bit more open and obviously, you know, discovering and getting involved with the diabetes online community, just how much easier it is to not live that way. Yeah. And to open yourself up to other people. So not necessarily share the journey, but just being it's just an acceptance level.

[00:05:35] Christine Fallabel: Yeah. And it's, you know, it's kind of like a badge of courage now. And, um, I, I mean, thinking back to when I was a teenager, I would try and hide it. I would go to the bathroom to take shots. Um, but eventually I broke through that. And when I was like 22, I was like, I really want to wear my diabetes like a badge of courage, um, because we're so brave and we do so many things where, you know, we've, we're acting as a pancreas, a human pancreas. And so, you know, I got a diabetes alert tattoo that says in big letters, diabetes. And, you know, it helps break the ice when I meet new people. But it's also like the tattoos as permanent as the diabetes. And I just have to live it and accept it. So that was kind of my own like coming full circle.

[00:06:20] Rob Howe: Right, because it's, you know, and I think everyone has the great rhetoric about the cure. And I think we're all encouraged that this is the best time to be living with type 1. But you still have to live with it every day. It's not something that goes away. And like a tattoo, it's something that some days you notice and other days you don't really, you know, but it's always there.

[00:06:41] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, for sure. So that was pretty cool.

[00:06:45] Rob Howe: So you're 22. You're wearing your diabetes more in the public eye, more, you know, focused on, you know, being accepting your walk with it and being more open. How did that change for you professionally? You mentioned, you know, at one point you were on the East Coast. And now kind of fast forward to today where you're doing great work with the American Diabetes Association. Where did that journey take you?

[00:07:12] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, so I was, you know, I finished up grad school. I was working as a social worker in Philadelphia. And then I've always wanted to head west. So I headed west to Denver, Colorado, and just really started working in public health policy. And so I was at the state health department for a few years and then I worked at Colorado Medicaid and I kind of just labeled myself as the diabetes person. I was the diabetes coordinator at the state health department. And then at Medicaid, I was the public health liaison. But I just focused on, you know, better diabetes policies for people with the condition and getting better services covered and diabetes prevention programming, diabetes self-management education, nutrition therapy, that sort of thing. And then that just kind of spiraled into my position at the ADA currently, which is Director of Advocacy in State Government Affairs, where we actively protect people against discrimination because of their diabetes. So, you know, in a few states, you can't, you have to register yourself if you have diabetes with the local DMV or, you know, kids can't carry their insulin and glucometer with them at school. There's no protections for kids at schools. And so we work to change laws to help people with diabetes. And it's just been an amazing experience because more than anything, it's the work of my life. And I'm super passionate about it and just super thankful that I get to work for them and promote our cause every day. So it's really pretty amazing.

[00:08:51] Rob Howe: And like when you think of, because I think a lot of us as either T1D adults or, you know, living in states where those types of actions aren't necessary or registration. What are some of the success stories or some of the stories that stick out to you in your time working in the advocacy programs?

[00:09:10] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, so we're really just like raising awareness about diabetes and fighting for more funding for the NIH and the CDC. We're asking for more funding for the diabetes prevention program just to really protect people throughout their whole lives. And then individually in all of our states, I cover nine states for the mountain region. Um, we're doing a lot of safe at school activities, helping to, you know, protect kids in schools. So what we're seeing a lot of the times is, you know, a kid, um, needs his insulin throughout the day, right? So if he has lunch, he needs his insulin, but no one, but a nurse is allowed to administer that insulin, not even the child. Um, and so we're working to change laws. So volunteers can give him insulin during the day. so his parents don't have to come into school three times a day every time he needs a correction bolus if he's not on an insulin pump. So things like that. It's really empowering students to take care of their diabetes, empowering others, really coming together as a community. Because more than other conditions, diabetes is self-managed and you don't see a doctor for every kind of dosage you have and every change in your day-to-day activities and how much carbohydrates or insulin you're taking, it's all on the self. So we really work to empower people to just live their best lives and, you know, paving the way so they're not being discriminated

[00:10:38] Rob Howe: against in doing that. And that's something I want to talk about a little bit, the self-management piece, because I think every type 1 listening to this right now would be with sort of smirk and remember their first days in the hospital where you use an alcohol swab before every test. and then use another one before you administer insulin. And then you prime your syringe and you count every single carb, you know. And like you don't have a snack because you can't have more than 15 carbs between meals and all those different, you know, measurement like barrier, I guess the constraints that they put in place early on while you're still learning. And then you go back to today where, you know, you're licking blood off your finger to clean it and you're in line. And, you know, you have your pump and you're counting carbs and you want to have a snack. and you, so you have a snack. Um, and you know, you don't measure out eight ounces of orange juice when you're treating a low, you just have, you know, two lemon bars or whatever it is. So, um, and I know that, you know, partially just joking there, but, um, you know, when you're that journey between, you know, how do you, how do you talk to, you know, families who are either with kids who are really young or, um, you know, teens like you were when you were diagnosed in seventh grade, all the way up to adults, it's like that it gets better and then you'll sort of find your feet. And like one of the challenges, especially talking with physicians, because like it's so self-managed that in some ways, you know, you can pick up some bad habits or just maybe not recommended or sort of off the beaten path, like living with type 1, even if you're living, you know,

[00:12:12] Christine Fallabel: 100% healthy. Yeah. And that's really tough because, you know, you meet a new family who was just diagnosed and they're doing everything right. And they have a thousand alcohol swabs in their bathroom and they change their syringe after every single dose. And it all seems so sterile because it has to be, but it's also very isolating. And I think, you know, chatting with them and just encouraging them to go out and meet others in the community and just really seek like a kinship with a support group or your local ADA office, your local JDRF office, and just meeting other families and learning from each other. And I think one of the most empowering things that I did as a kid, and I think every kid with diabetes should do is go to diabetes camp. And you just meet best friends for, you know, your life. My best friend from diabetes camp was in my wedding party. And it's just an incredible bond that you form that you can't find elsewhere that easily and that readily. And I think, you know, you, those habits of like licking the finger off of your blood and everything, every other kid is doing that diabetes camp. And then you see that that's okay. And that you can still manage a condition, but be quote unquote normal and, you know, have a really close friendship with other people who are going through the same thing. And it doesn't have to be so sterile and isolating. So I think just reaching out and seeking those communities and then, And, you know, as kids get older and finding the, you know, support forums online and the online community, I think, is also super helpful. I wish there was a diabetes camp for adults, but I don't think it's out there yet. If there is, I want to sign up. But, you know, anyway.

[00:13:58] Rob Howe: It's interesting because I was going to bring that up, too. Like now I think there's more conferences. That's like the adult version of camp is like a trade show or a conference. You know, we're very, very polished adults. Um, uh, someone I interviewed recently was talking about, there's like a diabetes athlete performance camp where you like go for a week and you just learn what it's like to ride a bike or, you know, a long distance or how to prepare for a triathlon or play basketball or like, you know, just do whatever, or if you want to run a marathon, um, and you know, they kind of, whatever you want to do, they sort of watch you and take you through that. And same idea, you know, all type ones there, you know, just going through and learning more about their bodies. But I think to echo your first point about going to diabetes camp, I think I did not go because I was diagnosed when I was 16 and I was much too cool to do anything that anyone recommended to me. so but everyone I've ever talked to about going to diabetes camp which is a lot lately is absolutely still friends with almost all of their close group from that camp like they still talk regularly or they're friends on Facebook or they're friends on Instagram and they have regular conversations they have a group chat where they talk about you know what their numbers are and what they're doing and just how powerful that is to have somebody like you who understands what you're going through and can just identify or relate to what you're going through on a day-to-day basis.

[00:15:26] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, it's really out of this world. It's amazing.

[00:15:30] Rob Howe: Because, you know, on my end, I've not, and this sounds sometimes like I feel weird saying this, but I haven't really struggled with my diabetes as much. I've had definitely frustrating moments, but my numbers have always been relatively good compared to, you know, a lot of people who have really, really struggled, and I don't want to downplay that at all. But for me, like I had never been around anyone that was my friend who had type 1 until I met. I have a close group of friends who I perform, who do improv together just randomly. There's like four of us who we just have a text group now. So whenever someone's having a bad day with type 1, we just talk about it, relate. And just having that as an option is super. I didn't realize how helpful it was. I still resisted it even like a year ago. And yet having that sense of community, having that sense of openness and trust and kinship just makes a huge difference.

[00:16:27] Christine Fallabel: For sure. Yeah. It's night and day. It's amazing.

[00:16:31] Rob Howe: And I imagine for you, like going into, you know, having your career associated with type 1 and you talked about like you just became the go to diabetes advocate, diabetes person. You know, from from there, what kind of effect did that have on you? How did that change things for you?

[00:16:49] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, it's really interesting because so my husband works in children's health policy as well. And so it's pretty much 24-7, you know, work all day, diabetes all the time. But it's just really interesting because, and I'm sure you have too, you've gone through phases in your life where diabetes isn't a huge part or, you know, a major player in your everyday life, whether that's college or you're going, you know, study abroad. There are just other things competing. And so I think working in diabetes advocacy has really brought my health to the front and center because it's really hard to go around the mountain region and, you know, talk about how important it is to take care of yourself if my blood sugar is high or I'm not feeling well and that sort of thing. So it's really, you know, it's actually improved my health a lot. My A1C is the best it's ever been. I find myself like being a little stricter with what I'm eating and like being super cognizant of always having my Dexcom on me and always being, you know, calibrating and being on it. So I think it's only helped me. And I think I think about the daily struggles of others so much more because I hear their stories and I'm working with it every single day. So, yeah, only good things so far.

[00:18:04] Rob Howe: Well, and you talked about, you know, going around the Rocky Mountain region or the mountain region and talking to people and, you know, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being active. You told me in your email to me that you're that you have a goal of the very ambitious, very fun goal to climb all the 14ers in Colorado. Yeah. Tell us a little bit about that.

[00:18:30] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, so I would say it started around six years ago when I first moved out to Colorado and fell in love with the mountains, fell in love with hiking. You know, I always loved running and trail running, and I just thought hiking was such a nice meditative way to explore the outdoors and get exercise. And so I kind of had this epiphany. It was on my anniversary, and I was in Rocky Mountain National Park, and it was around sunset. I really didn't have much street smarts at this point. I was pretty young. And I wanted to do something big for my anniversary. So I'm like, I have to hike a mountain tonight in Rocky Mountain National Park. And I had maybe an orange and a fruit leather, like not many low snacks. My blood sugar was like 96. So like, not, you know, super safe for starting a hike. You know, it was like 5 15 at night and I'm like I gotta do something to celebrate like my 11th anniversary and so so silly you know I wasn't very smart but I hiked this trail and it summited a mountain in the park and you know I started to dip down go low but I kept on going it was getting dark and I made it to the summit and I just had this moment where I felt so accomplished and I really realized that diabetes could never hold me back. And I'm just gonna, you know, do the best I can to live like my best life. And whatever that looks like. And so ever since then, every anniversary on June 20, I hike a 14er. And so my husband loves hiking 14ers as well. And we're super outdoorsy. And so we've just made it this thing. And now we make signs for whatever year it is. This year was my 17th anniversary. And we just hike a 14er on the top and take a picture at the top. And it's always very emotional because it's super hard and it's extra super hard for someone with diabetes. I feel like I eat 400 grams of carbs just to make it to the top, but it's always this moment of like, I can do it. You know, I can do anything and it's not going to stop me. And so I guess, you know, over the years we just formulated this goal and we're like, why can't we do all of them? Um, hopefully I don't have to, you know, we've done 10 and so hopefully there's 58, hopefully there's not 48 more years of me celebrating a diversity. So I'll have to do more than one a year, but, um, it's just really awesome. And it's just, you know, it really, as cliche as it sounds, it's the journey and it's just, it's such an exhilarating way to celebrate it instead of, you know, feeling sorry for myself or like getting down about it. I'm just like, I'm showing diabetes who's boss really.

[00:21:13] Rob Howe: Well, I love it. And I think like, you know, I don't want to downplay how difficult it is to climb a 14 or anyway. Yeah. I want to give a shout out to my one of my college buddies, Chris Reynolds, who after my junior year, maybe after my sophomore year of high school or of college, we woke up one morning like really early. And it's funny you said that you decided to climb a mountain in the evening because that's like pretty much no one does that. Yeah. So right. So like it's like 3 a.m. we drive out and we climb the crags trail of pikes peak uh which is the shorter in terms of distance but it's much steeper um we got all the way up there and i am not a person who loves distance activities um i was a basketball player i love being in that like 94 feet of basketball court because like that's that's it like i'll run up and down in there as much as i want because i know i can leave so um my patience sort of wears thin and i get kind of no fun to be around but But so like I'm going through and we're going through the journey. We get all the way to the top and like the top is really cool. They got the visitor center and things up there. And then we're going down. And as we're going down, which what happens every day in Colorado in the summer is a giant storm rolls in and it rains and it's beautiful. And, you know, as long as you're not in a lightning zone, you're totally fine. But then I remember like getting down the mountain after, like you said, eating 4000 calories throughout the day and not taking any insulin almost. Yeah. Like I just like slept for 18 hours. I should remember being so exhausted. Yeah. And your body just goes through a lot. And then as a diabetic, you know, going through and, you know, testing your blood sugar at different altitudes and getting up at 14,000 feet and being like, okay, like this atmospheric pressure is different up here. And, you know, my snacks are all weird now because I walked from the, you know, from the parking lot with them. So, you know, what kind of, I don't know, for you, like, obviously those journeys are very emotional and transformative. Um, but also like not to be downplayed from a physical standpoint, like those are always, those challenges pop up. Do you remember any specifically other than the first sort of ill-prepared trip up Rocky Mountain National Park that, uh, that you remember that anything

[00:23:23] Christine Fallabel: that stands out? Well, I do remember it was more like a period of time. So around three years ago, I decided to get Invisalign, which is the invisible braces for adults. And it was, it was Looking back, it was a great experience, except you have to brush your teeth after every time you eat something before you can put the aligners back in. And the aligners have to be in your mouth for at least 22 hours a day. So it's basically all the time except when you're eating. And when you combine having the Invisalign with having diabetes and hiking a 14er, I just remember hiking Mount Massive, which is an 18-hour hike. It took forever. It's 15 miles long. And my blood sugar kept on going low, going low, going low. but I had this, you know, in my mind, I'm like, I need to keep my Invisalign in the entire hike. And so, of course, because I'm crazy, I packed my toothbrush and my toothpaste and mouthwash and floss. And I brushed my teeth on the side of that mountain probably 15 times because I would have the Invisalign in and then I'd feel like I'm going low and I'd have to take it out and eat all my snacks and then brush my teeth and then put it back in. And people were hiking all around me thinking I'm crazy. And so I just remember after I finished having the braces for like two years, I felt so free having to hike a 14 or with only diabetes and no Invisalign. So that was an experience to say the least. And I don't wish Invisalign on anyone if you have

[00:24:54] Rob Howe: diabetes and you're trying to hike a 14 or so. Right. Just another wrinkle in the everyday walk with type 1. Yeah. So for you, I think, you know, because you're so close to, to T1D, you have, you're around it all the time. I mean, even more than an everyday, you know, regular run of the mill type 1 diabetic, diabetes burnout is a real thing. How do you make peace with that, with yourself or overcome those challenges in your life as you kind of go living your at home, merging your home life with your work life, with your passions, with diabetes?

[00:25:32] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, I think it's really just finding a lot of good hobbies that you find therapeutic. So for me, if I'm feeling burnt out and I don't want to look at another food label, I don't want to think about insulin, I think just getting out in nature is super helpful for me. Another thing I really love to do is paint. I think just having those hobbies that can take your mind off of it can really help with burnout. And then, like you said before, just having that community, those people that you can text, that you can call, that you can kind of vent and complain with, I think is super important. And it's really, like, refreshing. And you learn that other people are going through the same things. And I think at the end of the day, if you just remind yourself that you're not alone. I mean, in the U.S. alone, there's 29 million people with diabetes. That's a ton of people who are dealing with this kind of stuff.

[00:26:23] Rob Howe: That's like 10% of the population almost, right? Or, you know, a little 8%, right?

[00:26:28] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's just interesting to think about. I mean, I still have moments where I need to take a shot in public or I need to test in public. And I'm like, I wonder if like people will be weirded out. And I'm like, literally every person that you see knows someone with diabetes or knows someone who knows someone with diabetes. Everyone's touched by it. And so you're not alone. And I think that really helps me remember to just keep my spirits up and it really helps with burnout. So that's helpful for me.

[00:26:59] Rob Howe: Answer me this because I think you just brought up a question that's never been or a thought that I've never really had on this podcast or talked much about is the relationship between type 1s and type 2s. And obviously the name of the disease is the same, but it is a little bit different. but what I want to focus on more like the attitudes towards each other. Um, because I think sometimes there are people type ones, uh, like, uh, in particular get defensive. Um, because I think a lot of people, because there are more type twos dramatically more, um, more people have encountered them and more people are associate type 1 with stereotypes of type 2, which is not fair to people with type 2, uh, either. But, uh, just, just talk about the, I don't know, like the, the, the, the relationship between the two and how, you know, we really can help each other rather than, you know, taking that sort of taking offense to those different things or, you know, placing blame or look or better or worse, or, uh, you know, one has a cure, one doesn't or, or in, in some, some place in the middle type of conversations.

[00:28:09] Christine Fallabel: Yeah. And that's such a tricky, um, subject because I've noticed it and I kind of wear two hats, right? Because I have, you know, my degrees in public health and public health, um, is a type 2 issue, right? And it's not type 1, type 1 is not a public health issue. Um, it's an autoimmune disease and type 2 is genetic, um, and environmental, right? But then type 1 is also environmental and genetic. And so they share so many similarities, but they're so different. And I think type ones, we get this, like, it's like territory wars, right? We're like, you're not suffering as much as we are. So you can't claim that there's no cure or, you know, and then type twos are, they think that there's this stigma that type ones are putting on them. And I think, you know, working for the ADA, the ADA serves both type 1, type 2, gestational, pre-diabetes. You know, we serve everyone. And I think at the end of the day, no one wants any form of diabetes, right? It's like, no one wants to have to think about how many carbs are in that croissant that you just ate? Or can I go for a walk, even though I just took my medicine, whether that's metformin or Humalog? No one wants a world with diabetes. And so I think if we can just get over the classifications and being, it's a little like petty, right? If I am judging someone because they don't have type 1, they have type 2 or, you know, that sort of thing. And I think it's you kind of have to step back and be like, well, is any diabetes good? And can we all just work together to make it better for everyone? Yeah. And I think that's helpful. It's really and I've seen it from both sides. You know, the public health community doesn't focus on type 1. And then I'm in the type 1 community and the public health community. So it's really it's really a fascinating thing. and it's kind of silly, right? I mean, I don't know.

[00:30:07] Rob Howe: It is. And I think, you know, you just get that focused sort of myopic point of view and you're just oblivious to other things that aren't affecting you. And then, you know, it's easy to get defensive of something that's very personal. And I think, you know, it's just a – it's just a – like you said, we all have diabetes. None of us would choose it one way or the other if we could go back and make the choice, you know. Right. Right. So, you know, it's just something that I think of whenever I, you know, talk with different people or different groups. It's like I don't want people to have type 2 diabetes. I don't want people to feel like they're inferior because of that. But I also don't want, you know, type 1s to feel like they have to defend themselves and things like that. So I know there's just, you know, especially in the online community, there's a lot of, you know, meme pages. And there's a lot of, you know, different conversations of like, you know, relatable things that are always said to you that, you know, are just misconceptions. And I think oftentimes they can be geared towards type 2s. And I think that that's mostly just it's not intentional, but it does happen. And I hope our type 2 brothers and sisters out there don't take too much offense to it.

[00:31:14] Christine Fallabel: Right. Yeah, I know. And that's my worry too. But I think as long as we can spread the message that no one wants any form of diabetes, I think that's the best thing that we can do.

[00:31:25] Rob Howe: Right.

[00:31:26] Christine Fallabel: or blame like the scientist who named the two conditions the same name except just put a

[00:31:32] Rob Howe: different number can we can we talk about that that's just like could could not be more different um we have plenty of names out there they just that was lazy i think lazy on their part right yeah like i don't know yeah i think we gotta you know that conversation needs to be had more often than any of the other type 1 versus type 2 type points of view. Exactly. A hundred percent. Since you are so close in the medical community, public health community, autoimmune disease community, what things are you hopeful for on all sides of that conversation as we head into the near and far future?

[00:32:15] Christine Fallabel: um well i would i would just say the biggest game changer for me um from the autoimmune standpoint was the dexcom that has totally changed my life um i opt not to be on the pump um surprisingly enough everyone is like shocked that i'm not on a pump um i don't like the wires i just prefer shots and so shots without the dexcom was pretty tough control for me um but since getting the Dexcom about three years ago, which has been amazing. So I'm looking forward to an artificial pancreas that can maybe talk with the Dexcom and maybe like an Omnipod, Bigfoot Biomedical, I'm really excited about, Encapsulated Stem Cells, I'm really excited about. So I think it's a, like you said before, the best time to be someone with diabetes, if you have to have diabetes, is now. I think technology is moving so quickly, and we're just seeing all of these advancements like coming down the the pike and um you know it's just uh it's exciting so uh well it is I couldn't agree with you more it is super exciting

[00:33:23] Rob Howe: um and I totally believe that it is the best time you know that's it's a tough thing to hear when you're recently diagnosed but I really do believe it also I have to give you props because you say coming down the pike and I say that as well um and I often get weird looks because both phrases coming down the pike and coming down the pipe are now universally accepted. But I know this because I dove down a Google rabbit hole, but coming down the pike is the original. So definitely give you some props there for using coming down the pike. Sorry. I had to come down that rabbit hole. Right. Well, I appreciate that. So another, you know, the question that I sort of always ask towards the end of interviews on my on the show, I'm really interested to hear this answer from you because I think you think about these types of things a lot. If you were, and this is the context is really important. If you're in an airport and you have 30 seconds before they're going to shut the door to your gate and you can't miss your flight, you got to be on it, but you run into somebody who's either been recently diagnosed or is struggling with their type 1, what do you tell them? What's the one thing in that 30 seconds that you leave them with?

[00:34:35] Christine Fallabel: I'd probably leave them with my card and say, call me.

[00:34:40] Rob Howe: Cheater.

[00:34:43] Christine Fallabel: No, I would tell them to go to diabetes camp, connect with other people as soon as you can, and just own it. You really have to own it. It's not going away. It's nothing to be scared of. It's not contagious. The middle schoolers who make fun of you maybe won't get it. you know who drinks regular soda anyway right like diet is fine water is great it's not that different and I'd always I would also say that everyone is suffering with something there's no one on this earth that doesn't come with any baggage that hasn't suffered you know grief or loss or is dealing with a condition or disease every every single person is something and so you're not that different. And if you, you know, had to get something, diabetes is manageable, and you can do anything you want. It's not going to stop you from doing literally anything. And that's an amazing thing. And so just own it, make it your story, be your own advocate, always stand up for yourself. And don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything.

[00:35:49] Rob Howe: That's what I would say. I love that. You know, I think you really hit the nail on the head. And And I assume that you would because of all these – you've had a lot of time to think about this, right? Yeah. And something that I want to talk a little bit about as we sort of wrap up is you mentioned Diabetes Camp. You mentioned getting involved as quickly as you can. And today, because of the diabetes online community, people who previously maybe didn't have anyone near them or close to them can now reach out and connect with other type ones sort of throughout the world because of social media and because of these different groups and organizations. for me personally I like I said before I never really struggled struggled hard with my diabetes but before I was more active and involved and connected with other type ones just you know and more just publicly facing my a1c was about 7.3 so not out of control but a little bit up there elevated and really with not not a not a significant change in my lifestyle you know I didn't like totally cut a million things out. I haven't moved to a new place. I haven't, you know, I still work the same amount. I still work out about the same. Uh, now my, my A1C is like 6.1. Um, and I really like someone, a friend asked me when I made that announcement, I just put it on my personal Facebook page and a friend who's not a diabetic was like, well, what would you attribute the change to? And I hadn't thought about it yet, but really it is, it's just interacting with more type ones. It's a heightened focus on what I'm putting in my body and how, and, you know, whether that's insulin or food, uh, how often I'm checking my blood sugar, what I'm, you know, it's just, it's just more, um, a part of my life, I guess. And so, you know, for, it's not a, it's not a direct correlation, scientific evidence of getting involved. But I think for me personally, it's like, when you look at the numbers and you say, oh, I'm not really living as that different, but look at this difference on paper, you know, that's, that's made it worth it for me. Yeah. And, you know, I would encourage anybody to do that and just give that a chance.

[00:37:57] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, for sure. And I think it's just having that supportive community. I mean, for me, my A1C went from a nine to a 6.2. And it's just the tiny little changes throughout the day. And it's just being comfortable in your own skin. So it's like, if I look at my Dexcom and I'm 190, 90 if I'm not comfortable with my diabetes and I'm ashamed of it and I'm around people who don't really know or don't really understand, maybe I wouldn't correct. But if I own it, I'm like, oh, I need to take like a unit and a half right now. And so those tiny little changes that improve your health. You know, if you are comfortable just ordering water, if your blood sugar is high and everyone else is ordering a margarita, that's, you know, it's these tiny little changes. and like owning your exercise. Like every day I have to go on a run because if I don't, my A1C is going to be high and I'm not going to feel as healthy. And just being unapologetically healthy for yourself, I think that's the most important thing for me. It's like sometimes yoga isn't optional. I have to do it. And that's kind of awesome to just own it and just, you know, just unapologetically own it. That's really nice.

[00:39:06] Rob Howe: Well, and I think, you know, like you said, owning it and sometimes it's not an option and accepting that and, you know, say, hey, I'm going to do this because it's good for me. And I know that if I do it, I'm going to be better off. Like having that tangibility, I think really makes a difference. Otherwise, you know, some people without any sort of chronic illness like that, it's easy to let yourself off the hook. So I love that accountability almost to, I have this accountability with myself to test my blood sugar five times a day, to give injections, to count every carb, to exercise more often than most people, to not have a margarita, to have water, to not snack on appetizers at this happy hour because I want to make sure that I'm not out of whack. That type of discipline is really inspiring to me to see from other type ones. Yeah, for sure. Well, Christine, thanks so much for coming on the show.

[00:40:02] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, this has been awesome.

[00:40:03] Rob Howe: Yeah, I really appreciate you taking the time and for reaching out. I love that, you know, we're able to reach out and just make this stuff happen.

[00:40:11] Christine Fallabel: Yeah, it's super cool. So let me know if you ever need anything in the future. I'm here for everyone with diabetes.

[00:40:18] Rob Howe: I definitely will. For our listeners who don't follow you on social media yet, where can they find you?

[00:40:25] Christine Fallabel: I'm on Instagram and my handle is C Fallabel F A L L A B E L. The great Italian name that it is. Um, and I'm also on Twitter just as

[00:40:37] Rob Howe: Falabel. So find me. Yeah. Well, I'll definitely include a, uh, a link to your profile in profiles in the show notes when the, when the episode goes live. Cool. Thanks so much.