Diabetics Doing Call to Congress with Basma Adams

[00:00:01] 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 Coverage2Control. 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 companies. 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 are telling the amazing stories of type 1 diabetics across the world. And my very special guest today is Ms. Basma Adams calling from California. Basma, how are you?

[00:01:30] Basma Adams: I'm good, Rob. Thank you so much for having me.

[00:01:33] Rob Howe: Well, it's my pleasure. And I'm really excited for this conversation. You reached out about a month ago, and we've been able to chat kind of back and forth. And I'm really excited that we were able to find the time.

[00:01:44] Basma Adams: Me too. I'm really excited about this. I love what you're doing with people with diabetes and just showcasing everything that everyone does around the world. So thank you. I'm excited.

[00:01:54] Rob Howe: So kind of in that vein, let's talk about how you ended up in your life's journey to be qualified to be on Diabetics Doing Things. What's your T1D diagnosis story?

[00:02:06] Basma Adams: Well, I was diagnosed when I was three years old. I'm now 20, so I've had diabetes for 17 years now. and it's genetic so it runs on my dad's side of the family and so yeah I was diagnosed I had a rough start you know with the with the complications and just not knowing what it was and so thankfully I overcame all of that and I really started when I was five I went to Camp Wana Kura here in San Diego, California and that was really what showed me not only that i wasn't the only person with diabetes because i really thought i was the only child there was no other person in my elementary school that had diabetes and so i actually thought i was the only one in the whole world with diabetes being five years old it's kind of hard to comprehend at that age but that's where i really learned that i really wanted to do something when i grew up and when i got older and i knew i would be associated with helping others with diabetes for a long time well first of all i i've never

[00:03:06] Rob Howe: heard of Camp Wana Kura, but I love the name. That's fantastic. It's pretty amazing. I have a lot of conversations with type ones, obviously. And of all the ones who mentioned going to camp, they always talk about how it was a huge transformative moment to spend that time with other T1Ds and just to learn that you're not alone. And then also the like a common theme is that they're still friends on Facebook or in actual real life with people that they met their first time at camp. Are you still in contact at all with any of the people from your first camp?

[00:03:39] Basma Adams: Oh my goodness. My two really, really close friends. Shout out to Sarah and Madison. I mean, we still see each other. One of them is actually from Florida and the other one is here from California as well, but we still see each other. We catch up at camp. We hang out outside of camp. They've become really close friends to me because we have a lot that we share. And honestly, like you said about camp, it was life changing to me. It really did change my life in the course of

[00:04:05] Rob Howe: where I am today. So let's go back a little bit because you mentioned that type 1 runs on your dad's side. So who else in your family is a type 1? Honestly, no one that is my age, no one that

[00:04:20] Basma Adams: is like close to me. It's like more like his, his grandparents and great grandparents and that kind stuff. But I was the first one that kind of like it like reemerged kind of in my in my in myself. So it's just me right as of right now. Oh, so so it wasn't a situation where, you know, somebody

[00:04:41] Rob Howe: in your immediate family has it and maybe your parents were more sensitive to the, you know, to the symptoms. So they were sort of learning on the fly, just like, you know, another set of

[00:04:51] Basma Adams: Honestly, yeah, they it was, you know, because like I said, so it's more down the line in his side of the family. But yeah, it wasn't like we knew it was going to happen, or we even thought it was going to happen. It was so far fetched, not even in our minds. So when it happened, it was definitely we have to learn everything. And it was a very new, scary kind of ordeal for us.

[00:05:13] Rob Howe: so you know you mentioned that uh you know things are a little bit rough at first which they often are for for younger children with with type 1 because it's you know you need somebody to take care of you a whole lot anyway you know much less when you have a chronic illness um so you know who is that person for you is uh you know obviously you know your parents uh you know your mom and your dad building that relationship um and sort of caretaker role early on i i mean i say this

[00:05:40] Basma Adams: whenever I give my speeches and whenever I talk to anybody. But honestly, I am so thankful for my parents. They have been the backbone, especially in the beginning. I mean, my mom slept by my side for eight years after my diagnosis. It was just one of those things. I'm the only child. And so it was a very, very scary ordeal. And the fact that we really didn't know anyone else that had diabetes. And so my parents took the brunt of it. They learned everything. You know, they stay, we stayed in that hospital for that first week and we just learned everything they could. And me being three, I didn't understand anything. So they went to all the classes. They had all the meetings with the endocrinologist, the nurse practitioners, the dieticians. And it's really helpful that my mom actually has a background in a little bit of medicine and dietary health. And so she definitely knew that aspect of it, but really learning how to give a three-year-old, you know, a shot and to kind of calm them from the constant tantrums and the screaming, all 100% my parents. And, and I owe them a lot for for being there for me and still continuing to help me because, I mean, as anyone can tell you with diabetes, no matter how old you get, it's still going to be really hard and really tough. And they're always there for me. So yeah,

[00:06:56] Rob Howe: definitely my parents. That's fantastic. I think, you know, there's so much to be said for, you know, the backbone of your family and your support system. And, you know, really, you know, especially like you said, when you're three years old, you can't really do much for yourself. So they effectively take on type 1 diabetes as well. So I echo that 100%. Like I wouldn't be the type 1 that I am without the support of my family, especially early on. Yeah. So,

[00:07:25] Basma Adams: oh, I'm sorry, go ahead. Oh, no, I just wanted to say, like, it's really true when they say diabetes doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone around you. And that's a big just proof of how much it affects, especially those who love you. It's they take on the disease as well.

[00:07:43] Rob Howe: And I think that's a good, you know, a good transition, because, you know, as you're three years old, you go three to five, you have your bumps in the road, you're just getting your feet wet, you're really learning how to live with the disease. And then you go to camp and you come back, what things changed if you remember I mean it's a long a long way to remember back for you but over the next five to ten years you know how was your life different because of that experience

[00:08:08] Basma Adams: wow yeah no I definitely remember um when I was three before you know or even when I was four and right before I had gone off to camp um you know I didn't want to give my shots I gave tantrums because I didn't understand why I needed shots but my friends didn't I didn't understand why I I could eat things while others, or I couldn't eat things while others could. And so it was just me not understanding that this doesn't just affect me. It affects thousands of people, millions of people, and it affects people my age, younger and older. So that was something I didn't understand. When I went to camp, my mom dropped me off the first day, you know, for the first time, leaving me all by myself. And she was very nervous. But over the course of that day, I saw kids my own age. I saw teenagers that I looked up to that were my role models. I saw adults. I saw, you know, I mean, I saw women carrying their babies that also had type 1. Of course, they couldn't go to camp. But, you know, they were still volunteering and gearing up to send those future kids to camp. But what really changed was I finally understood I wasn't the only one with diabetes. And that was the big change because I knew I wasn't alone. And with a disease like this, that word alone is really scary because you see a little a lot. But that's where I learned I wasn't alone. I gave my first shot second grade. I began giving my own injections. Kindergarten, end of kindergarten, I started pricking my own and checking my own blood sugar. So there was just a lot of things that kind of waterfall snowball effect that just helped my life become so much easier. And from that summer on, I changed completely.

[00:09:44] Rob Howe: and and you brought up an amazing point um talking about you know the power of the word alone and like loneliness and that feeling um it's you know really from birth because you know that that's a learned thing is you looked at your friends and you you know were told no or told that you had to do things like you resisted that because that's what kids do right but then when you see other people that have to do the same thing you know what a difference that makes it was amazing i

[00:10:10] Basma Adams: it brings tears to my family's eyes whenever I retell the story of when my mom came to pick me up. So Camp Wana Kura is a day-long camp, so it's not overnight, but she came to pick me up at the end of the first day. And, you know, she was afraid I would, like, be crying and want to go to her, but I actually, I still remember this. It's one of my earliest memories, but I ran to her, sprinted, and I screamed in, like, the loudest voice I could, Mommy, Mommy, I'm not alone. Look, Everyone here is just like me. And she just burst out in tears. And it was one of those moments as a mom, my mom tells me, as a mom, she knew that I was going to be okay and that this was manageable.

[00:10:48] Rob Howe: Yeah, what a transformative moment. I think super impactful. And I think on a smaller scale, I mean, that's obviously, as a child, I can't imagine what that would feel like for a mom to hear. from another, you know, from another perspective, people who are maybe older or, you know, older children, teens, young adults, adults get a similar feeling sort of when they start to be more open about, about their walk with type 1. So in my, so this, that includes myself, like, you know, once I got more involved in the T1D community, I just began to feel differently about my disease and be more open and be more, I don't know, just be more giving and softer edges towards the way I looked at the disease. And I think, you know, I know you're very involved with various organizations. What's that done for you now as you enter the next phase of your life as an adult, young adult? What's it like for you to be sort of involved in the T1B community from that perspective?

[00:11:51] Basma Adams: Absolutely. It's funny because you say being more open. I was growing up before I really, really got involved in advocacy and I wanted to share my story. I was actually very hesitant about, you know, sharing that I have diabetes. And I think it was just because of all the stigmatism around diabetes. It was at that point where not a lot of people understood what it was. And so I always thought that it was something that not necessarily I should hide, but just not bring up. And it was when I became the 2014 National Youth Advocate for the American Diabetes Association, where I was like, this is sort of my job. I mean, it's, you know, school is my job and advocacy is my job. And I want to be able to go around the country proudly displaying the knowledge that I know and helping others, but I have to be comfortable with that myself. And so that's when I really became more comfortable. And now I think it's just second nature. I think that traveling the country and being able to give speeches, but also just helping at a local level, it's really important to show the confidence. Because I think that once you have confidence accepting your own journey with diabetes, it transforms your whole life. It allows you to really accept that this is not going to dictate who you are. You are going to dictate who you are. You have that power, but diabetes doesn't have that power. So that's what I try to do when I go to camps, other camps, and I go to speeches and events, I really try to help, especially the young children, teens and young adults. I really try to help them because that's the hardest part about growing up with diabetes is just being able to be open and being able to accept that it's just a part of life and you got to live your life, but not let that hinder you.

[00:13:36] Rob Howe: And I think I want to focus on the confidence piece because I think it's really integral to your story as well, because you were talking about, you know, you were sort of bearing that cross on your own, right? You weren't really outgoing about it, weren't really sharing that. But then in 2014, you made a change. So obviously, you don't become the 2014 National Youth Advocate by accident. What made what made you shift and decide to, you know, be more open and more

[00:14:06] Basma Adams: outgoing, more forthright about your T1D? So since middle school, around age 10, I've been with the ADA. So I would go, we have a local office here and I would go and volunteer and I'd help them, you know, I'd help them with walks and Tour de Cure and that kind of thing. And I'd help them with flyers and organization. And I would really do anything that I could to help and feel like I was making a difference in that office. And that's where I was seeing so many dedicated, passionate, selfless people that really were putting their all and who didn't even have diabetes, some of them. And that's when I really knew that I had such a potential in helping people because I do have diabetes and I know what it feels like. And, and I wanted to give back to those who do so much. And so I started getting more involved. I started doing more. I had a, a diabetes awareness, a diabetes awareness club in high school. And I just realized, you know what, I want to reach out and do more. And I've already been, you know, I like to volunteer in hospitals and, and in labs and stuff. I'm very health minded. And so I said, you know what, this is something I want to do. I want to go for it. I want to help others that are like me, because it's a big burden, because I've known what it felt felt like before. It's a big burden to feel try to feel alone. I have the support of my my close friends, and of course, my family and my parents, but I want everyone to feel positive about their diabetes. And so that's what really shifted me

[00:15:36] Rob Howe: was volunteering with the ADA. And now, you know, from that initial decision and getting more involved and obviously being, you know, on the national circuit and very in the public eye from the ADA's perspective and impacting people. And what are some of the things that have come out of that? Some of the people you've interacted with where you said, hey, you know, I think I feel like I'm really doing something, you know, something really impactful.

[00:16:07] Basma Adams: Yeah, it's it's amazing what what this national youth advocacy has done for me in meeting other people. I mean, I have gone over to D.C. where the headquarters of the ADA is, and I've met the big people that, you know, really that work hard from the background, you know, and the people that make everything possible. It's been amazing to meet the people that really make the ADA who they are. And I get to do that every single day, even here in my local chapter, going to speeches and events and things like that, where I meet the people who do have diabetes, who live with diabetes and have been able to do so much in their lifetime but I also meet the people who have some sort of link through family or friends who have diabetes who still have that same passion and so I think it brings us all together all together in a way that we become a community and we're stronger because of it because we all share one thing that really unites us and so I would say that that really because of what I've been able to do that has changed my whole outlook on not just diabetes but so many other diseases as

[00:17:18] Rob Howe: well. I think the power of community is pretty exceptional. And you brought up a good, an interesting point, like going to the ADA headquarters and like, you know, interacting with some of the higher ups. I imagine like, you know, it's funny as a diabetic, you think it's like, oh, is it this giant HQ, you know, with like, you know, this big corporate building, but, you know, what's it like to kind of be on the front lines with those people and be able to be a, you know, real life example of, oh, it looks like your dog's trying to get famous. I'm sorry. Oh, no, no, it's totally fine. But just to interact with those people on the front lines who are doing so much for type ones.

[00:18:01] Basma Adams: It's, if I could, if I could put it into one word, I'd say magical. The people that I've been able to see, the higher ups, the in between, I mean, everyone, they work such such long hours and they do such tedious work but it's not like like you said it's not like a headquarter where everybody's you know just like in their cubicles working and no one's talking to each other it really is like a community of their own they there's so many that um you know they all have to work together obviously diabetes is a huge thing and it affects millions of people and so it's amazing to see them all work together i was i was lucky enough to go in and i stopped in in different offices and I saw this, I met the CEO and, and I got to see like meetings and phone calls and just how everything that they do is teamwork. It truly is teamwork. And that's what, that's the biggest thing that I took away from me, take away from that trip was in order to, you know, defeat this stigmatism and beat this disease is really to work together. And I think, especially in a time like now, everybody just needs to come together because Because we can do so much more if we all join hands. And so it's amazing to be able to see those people do exactly that.

[00:19:15] Rob Howe: It is. And I think there's so many different voices and organizations and hashtags and campaigns. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of all of them, right? Yeah. One in particular that I know you're working on with the ADA is the call to Congress. So why don't you tell everybody a little bit about that initiative and sort of how you were involved?

[00:19:38] Basma Adams: Yeah. So Call to Congress is a basically it's like a biannual Call to Congress Advocacy Day. It really is more than an event. It's honestly a movement that we raise our voices and we really fight for what we believe in. And that is to make living with diabetes much easier on the millions of people that are affected by it. And I was lucky enough to be invited and asked to go to call the Congress and give a speech at one of the meetings. And basically, more than 180 of us from over 34 states all gathered. And we advocated on behalf of the millions of Americans living with diabetes and included our children. I mean, there are children, there are teenagers, there are young adults, there are elderly. There are people who are in, you know, people that are scientists, there are doctors, there are just regular people like you and I, there are physicians. I mean, there's everybody that you could honestly think of that are affected by diabetes in some way. And what we do is we go to Congress and we sit down with our legislators and our representatives and we tell them what we are looking for to be changed, to be modified, to be made better. We're joined by 32 members of Team Tackle, which is this amazing group of professional football players from the NFL. And they all also have some link to diabetes. And so we're all split into groups. We have a physician and a scientist with us and an NFL. And then we have people who actually have diabetes. And so this event was called a Congress. It was amazing. I sat down with people like Representative Scott Peters and Susan Davis and Darrell Issa, and I actually face-to-face told them what it's like to live with diabetes, but also how the legislation that they're voting on actually affects my life. And I think that something like this is such a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity. I mean, it's not every day you get to sit with people like this. And it's amazing how just talking and communication really opens so many doors, and you see them really realize what it's like to be living with diabetes and the struggles and the ups and the downs and quite literally highs and lows of what it is like to have diabetes. And not only that, but we're not, you know, they see brochures and they see pamphlets on type 1 and type 2 diabetes all the time, but they can't ignore it when they're right in front of you, you know, breathing, living people with type 1 diabetes. And so it's amazing to advocate for, you know, increased funding and insulin affordability and transparency and those kinds of things. It's really great to actually be in D.C. on the forefront of where that happens and fight for it.

[00:22:24] Rob Howe: So when you're interacting with these, I think you mentioned Scott Peters is one of them. Yeah. When you're interacting with these like senators, congressmen, like leaders, are there moments that jump out where it actually clicks for them? Is there, you know, what are those interactions like?

[00:22:38] Basma Adams: There are. So I was able to talk about living with diabetes as a college student and knowing that I'm going to be taken care of, whether, you know, under my parents' insurance or not, you know, when I do plan to have my own insurance plan and all of that. And so it honestly, you see it in their eyes. I think I'm big on reading people's faces. And you see it in their eyes when it clicks that I'm a teenage student, I'm 20 years old, I go to college, but I also have this disease that I don't like to call it a disease. But I mean, quite honestly, it does affect a lot of a lot of what I do. You know, it affects me at times where I am taking an exam. It affects me when professors, you know, tell me, oh, well, why didn't you tell me that you were going to go low or high six months ago? And why don't you tell them these kinds of things and you show them the proof of how it happens from day to day? It's like it's like they finally know what diabetes is. They finally understand how big of a problem this is. And it was really funny. So for Susan Davis's office, we also got to speak with her lovely office rep. And he turned around and he was like, wait, like my girlfriend, she has she she just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. And it's like that's the connection that you're looking for is that they also get a glimpse into what it's like. And, you know, he brought her down and it was amazing. It was just that realization where he knows someone with it. And so it's that much real. It's much more real to him. So it's like things like that, you know, they're what you see in their faces and stories that they'll tell you. It's a really like very heartfelt, real moment that you share between them.

[00:24:24] Rob Howe: That's interesting. And I think, you know, very important, obviously, to, you know, to have those conversations with the people who have the actual means to make an impact. in that in that sort of answer you brought up something that I think you know because it's very still very new for you when you were going off to college like and dealing with your parents and answering those questions about you know going away to school or you know communicating with your university about your type 1 you know first of all what was it like for your parents and then second of all you know how was your how did your school provide support did they provide

[00:25:02] Basma Adams: support, what were those conversations like? So I am lucky that I go to college in my home state, so I am still living with my parents. That being said, though, of course, I've taken on a lot more responsibility, like ordering my own medication and making my own appointments now that I'm older, because I do know that eventually I am going to have to move out on my own and kind of be independent in that way. And so, of course, my parents and I, you know, we sat down before knowing where I went to college and moving away was a very real possibility. But I knew that whatever I did, I would have to be very upfront with my college. And so even though I am at home, of course, I did go to my college, I went to, you know, the doctors that are on campus, I spoke to the office. And I think that honesty is really key. Because once you're honest, and you're upfront about, you know, this, you know, what you live with, and that diabetes is always going to be a part of you, it's very, it's much easier to come to a balance in between, you know, your university and yourself. And so they've all been very receptive. I have plans, you know, set. Of course, that doesn't mean that you don't run into, you know, problems from time to time or certain professors that just don't understand it, things like that. But I think that as long as you make the effort to try to really show them, then that's what really matters. It they really appreciate that. And I've had amazing professors. I've really not had much problems, and I'm lucky for that. I've had professors that I've really been understanding and I've

[00:26:36] Rob Howe: been able to talk to and that they get it. Yeah. And I think, you know, communication, right, is the, it's almost the solution to 90% of all problems, organization related, relationship related, whatever the case is. So, you know, important to have those conversations as much as you can up front and to find the fit that's right for you, right? There's so many options. I think when you're a kid, like I think about this all the time, you're asked to make pretty big decisions with limited amounts of data and, you know, limited experience about where you want to go to school, what you want to study, and things like that. And, you know, type 1 is just another wrinkle in that. It's sort of another step in a very long, sometimes complex process.

[00:27:22] Basma Adams: Exactly, yeah. I mean, it's especially going off to college. It's a big moment in your life. And, you know, you're really excited about it. When you have diabetes mixed up in that, it can be a little difficult because you have to take so many other things into consideration. But I believe that it's more than possible. You just need time and you need patience and an open, you know, open communication between everyone.

[00:27:46] Rob Howe: So let's let's shift gears a little bit. But I want to talk a little bit more about, you know, so you and your perspective and your outlook as we move towards the middle of 2017, which I think is, you know, as good a time as there's ever been to have type 1. There's a lot of technology. There's a lot of great companies doing a lot of research. So what are the things that you're hopeful for as a type 1 looking to the future?

[00:28:14] Basma Adams: Wow, that's that's a great question. I think I'm most hopeful for two things, obviously. Like you said, technology. There are amazing things that are coming out. The artificial pancreas and so many other innovations like CGMs that can now be implantable in you and you don't have to actually wear on your body. There are things that are really coming out that are changing our lives every single day. And so I'm hopeful that that stuff is successful, but I'm also hopeful that it actually makes it out to millions of people. It's sad that not everyone can afford technology that can be lifesaving. And so I really hope that so many people are able to benefit from things like that. But I would think that I think the second thing that I'm most hopeful for is less stigmatism about diabetes. I mean, the things that we have been able to accomplish and where we've been able to get to so far is amazing. But I think there's still a lot left to do in the fight against stigmatism and the fight against just how people think of diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. And I think it's important that things and events like called a Congress are so crucial in showing others in the world how we can better align together to make this a better outcome for others. And so I would say a lot of lawmaking and helpful things like that can really be helpful.

[00:29:47] Rob Howe: Yeah. Yeah, and I kind of want to shift gears to another question again is, you know, as you've lived your life with type 1 almost your entire life, who are the people who have been most influential to you and that you look up to and you're grateful? Maybe other than your parents, you know, the type ones or friends with type 1 or, you know, just friends that have been there for you throughout the whole process.

[00:30:11] Basma Adams: Of course. So, yeah, like you said, my parents for sure for number one. And I would say that the other people that I really look up to, my doctor, first of all, my child endocrinologist, I grew up 17 years with him. And he became family to me. I think it's really important that as a doctor, and especially in endocrinology with children, you really be willing to work together and not just say like, oh, I'm the doctor. And so I know what's good for you. And so I would say my doctor has been really influential. and the people at Camp Wana Kura, especially the people that run it and that really put that forth. I wish every child with type 1 diabetes could be able to have an experience like Camp Wana Kura because it truly is life-changing. It truly shows you how to manage and live with type 1. And it truly sets the tone how to go into school and elementary school and middle school and high school and beyond and how to manage life with type 1. I would say the people that I've met as well from the ADA through my speeches and through my advocacy and nationally and locally have been huge players in where I have become today because they have encouraged me. I've become to know them as well like family. And there are so many of them who have seen me grow up and into the person I am today. So I honestly, all of these people have been such key influencers in my life. And I don't, I wouldn't take my diagnosis back for anything because I think it truly has changed me and made me into the person I am today.

[00:31:50] Rob Howe: Yeah, I think, you know, a lot of people go through those different stages of like acceptance, right? Yeah. You go through that and it's like at some point you have to be grateful for, you know, being introduced to this world and this community where you're able to have an impact. we're able to connect with people over something um and at the same time be like you know what this does suck and like i wish i didn't have this but because i do i'm able to um you know make an impact because of it help somebody out uh and maybe it's like you know this did happen for a reason or i was put in this position because i'm able to make a difference exactly that's my favorite

[00:32:28] Basma Adams: thing is uh i believe everything happens for a reason and it's so true how you say that because I wouldn't be able to touch so many people's lives and make a difference in others if I didn't have diabetes. And so I'm thankful for that. I'm grateful for it. And my last question, my typical,

[00:32:48] Rob Howe: this is like my, everyone who's ever been on the show gets asked this question. So I want to, I want to like put a little context to it because I know you've talked to a lot of people. So you're, you know, you're very polished in terms of your answers, but you're in the airport, you got like 30 seconds before they're shutting the gate. So high stress situation, you're running, and you run into somebody who's either struggling with their diabetes or has recently been diagnosed. And you have one thing that you can say to them before they shut the door and you miss your flight, which you can't do because for whatever reason, what's the one thing that you say to that person?

[00:33:26] Basma Adams: wow I've never been asked this kind of question but I love it um so I have one thing to say to that actual person before I go on my flight that's it yeah well yeah just not one word

[00:33:37] Rob Howe: necessarily but like one one one last like leaving thought I think I would say

[00:33:46] Basma Adams: it might not be easy now but I promise you in at least a year from now you'll be stronger than the person you are in this very moment. That's powerful. Thank you. I honestly believe in it. I think that I've been able to grow and mature and be a much stronger woman than I ever would

[00:34:06] Rob Howe: have thought I would be. And, you know, it's interesting as time goes on, it's not that it's sort of like habits, right? You just start to build, you know, you get used to things, You become more familiar. And then before you know it, maybe you meet somebody new or you're just talking with someone who knows you but maybe hasn't seen all the different pieces or all of the thoughts or processes that you're juggling. And you realize, oh, yeah, like this is a lot of stuff that I'm doing all at once. And you're able to be like, yeah, this used to be really hard.

[00:34:37] Basma Adams: Exactly. There are things that, you know, will scare you in the beginning that don't scare you as much because you know how to handle them. There will be situations that you used to think where, you know, oh, my God, this is like this is it. Like, what if I just drop low right here? But then you learn how to prepare for those kinds of situations and always be ready for whatever might come your way.

[00:34:59] Rob Howe: Definitely. Well, you know, Basma, thank you so much for for reaching out and for coming on the show. You know, your story, obviously, you're touching and impacting a lot of people. and for somebody so young, I can only imagine what that's going to lead to for your future.

[00:35:16] Basma Adams: Thank you so much. I had an amazing time. Thank you for doing your part and showcasing everybody that lives with diabetes and does amazing things and how amazing you are as well. It's been an

[00:35:27] Rob Howe: honor to be on the show. Well, it's my pleasure. So for our listeners who would like to connect with you via social media or online, what's the best place to do that?

[00:35:37] Basma Adams: Yeah. So my Instagram is at Bas the Boss. So B-A-S-T-H-E-B-O-S-S. And I actually have a blog where I talk about all things type 1 diabetes, but also fun things, you know, advocacy, things that let me live easier with diabetes. And that's Voice for Champions. um it's the link is also in my instagram but the website is basmaadams.wixsite.com slash voice for champions so i really do a lot of my you know tips and tricks on diabetes on my

[00:36:14] Rob Howe: website well we'll definitely include a link uh in the show notes uh so that everybody can click through and find that uh they want to check out more thoughts from you thank you great well uh Thanks again for coming on the show, and we will talk soon. 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.