Episode 071 - Diabetics Doing Type One Type Happy

The time has finally come! My guest is Gretchen Otte (@typeonetypehappy on Instagram) and we were finally able to get some time to do her first podcast interview! This was an interview nearly a year in the making, and although many of you know a lot about her, this interview was nothing short of incredible, and had surprises around every turn. 

Although she experienced some surprising T1D symptoms at the start of a worldwide trip in New York City, Gretchen was actually officially diagnosed by a doctor on a cruise ship! But her doctor didn’t know much about T1D, so she had to go to pharmacies on the cruise destinations to get her supplies and learn about how to treat her T1D. 

Gretchen’s dad is also a T1D, but before her diagnosis they hadn’t shared much about the day to day life with Diabetes until after she was diagnosed. 

An avid runner before she was diagnosed, Gretchen recently completed her first marathon since being diagnosed with T1D as a part of the #BeyondTypeRun team during the #NYCMarathon. She outlines how she trained for the marathon, and the challenges that she and other T1D runners had to overcome while preparing for the race. 

Gretchen is an incredible representative of living well and happy with Type-1 Diabetes, and I’m glad we have her as a leader in the community. She frequently hosts meetups in Southern California, and also works for Diabetes fashion brand Myabetic. Check out her site at TypeOneTypeHappy.com. 

Gretchen will also be joining me at JDRF Dallas’ Type One Nation event on January 28, so if you are in the area and want to hear her story in person, come join us! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-typeonenation-north-texas-summit-registration-39967011407

This episode is sponsored by HealthIQ. Health IQ is making life insurance fair by unlocking the value of health consciousness for the 50 million Americans who take responsibility for their health. This is especially relevant for me, because as a Type-1 Diabetic, I have been denied life insurance coverage by other providers even though my A1cs are in range, I eat whole30 and can still kill guys 10 years younger than me on the basketball court. HealthIQ can give people exclusive rates through their HealthIQ quiz, and they even take into account data points from things like fit bits and other trackers. You can learn more about HealthIQ and get a free quote at Healthiq.com/DDT

Episode 070 - Diabetics Doing Traveling Nursing with Samuel Foarde

I treasure the interviews that change my perspective. Perhaps no interview has been as impactful as this one. Samuel Foarde (@sir_registered_nerd on Instagram) joins the podcast and tells about his life as T1D and how it influenced his current career choice of being a traveling nurse. 

So what challenged my thinking in this interview? I asked Sam about how he chooses the next destination he'll call home for a few months as a traveling nurse, and he told me he likes to target rural hospitals because he feels he can have the biggest impact with the patients there because they are typically much less aware of proper health treatments and prioritize a healthy lifestyle much less than many of us city-dwellers. 

It challenged me to take a step outside the amazing, supportive, aware T1D online community, and remember that of the 1.5 million Americans and millions of other T1Ds around the world, many of us lack the support, education and focus to be the best T1Ds we can be. This is an awesome, impactful interview and Sam is as engaging as they come. Enjoy! 

Episode 069 - Diabetics Doing T1D Like Me with Jacob Kaufman

Jake Kaufman (@T1DLikeMe on Instagram) joins the podcast from Illinois to talk everything from his diagnosis at a cross country event, to founding T1D like me and we even take a moment to let me air out my dirty laundry against Jay Cutler! 

Jake and I met via Instagram this summer and he has been a big supporter of Diabetics Doing Things, so I want to make sure to give him a shoutout in the bio of his own episode. Definitely go check out all the awesome stories on T1DLikeMe, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this 21 year old entrepreneur. 

Jake and I also have a great conversation about T1D and exercise, and he gives his best tips and tricks for going on long runs (he’s a former competitive cross country runner and currently is an assistant coach for his High School team). 

This episode is sponsored by HealthIQ. Health IQ is making life insurance fair by unlocking the value of health consciousness for the 50 million Americans who take responsibility for their health. This is especially relevant for me, because as a Type-1 Diabetic, I have been denied life insurance coverage by other providers even though my A1cs are in range, I eat whole30 and can still kill guys 10 years younger than me on the basketball court. HealthIQ can give people exclusive rates through their HealthIQ quiz, and they even take into account data points from things like fit bits and other trackers. You can learn more about HealthIQ and get a free quote at Healthiq.com/DDT

Special Episode - 2017 in Review

This is the first episode of its kind where Rob Howe takes the mic and rolls solo. This episode covers all the ground Diabetics Doing Things has covered in 2017 and where we're planning to go in the future. 

On the podcast, Rob covers the journey from 11 episodes in 2016 to 60 episodes in 2017 and crossing the milestone of over 1,000 years of living with T1D on this podcast. 

Then I do my best to answer the most popular questions that I get via social media and email. I talk everything from exercise and T1D, whole30, whether or not I still play basketball, what I use to treat my diabetes, the vitamins and supplements I take, my hot sports opinion on the word "diabetic" and then a little look behind the curtain as to what the future holds for Diabetics Doing Things. 

I'm grateful for everyone who has continued to listen to this podcast over the past year, and I can't wait to share the new stuff with you in 2018. The best is yet to come!!!!

Episode 068 - Diabetics Doing Interviews with Podcast Legends with Vinnie Tortorich

Last summer, I was very fortunate to be introduced to Vinnie Tortorich, who I had admittedly never heard of, but in our two conversations (on back-to-back days) I learned a great deal. Vinnie has been podcasting for much of the last decade, and I was fortunate enough to appear on Episode 933 of the Fitness Confidential Podcast.

Vinnie isn't a T1D, but he has worked and trained with some of the best sports & nutrition minds in the industry, and has a unique perspective that I think can add a lot of value to our listeners. Be sure to let me know what you think of this striking interview with an awesome character of the podcast world. 

I'm very grateful to Vinnie for carving out 4 hours over two days to spend with me, it was a great time that I won't forget. 

Episode 067 - Diabetics Doing Medtronic Diabetes with Chief Patient Officer Louis Dias

Back in October, I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Medtronic Diabetes campus in Los Angeles California. While I was there I was able to spend some time with Chief Patient Officer Louis Dias, and interview him for the podcast. 

We discuss his responsibilities as Chief Patient Officer, and why that position is very unique and innovative to Medtronic. We also talk about how when Louis accepted the position, he immersed himself in Medtronic technology because he's not a T1D or T2D and wanted to learn more about the patients he and the company serves. 

We also talk about many of the global initiatives Medtronic is spearheading to help patients have more affordable opportunities to get Medtronic products. 

I think the most rewarding part of the interview for me was how seriously Louis and Medtronic take patient feedback. They are really working hard for their patients, and that was really great to see. 

I've learned a lot in my first year as a Medtronic Ambassador but the time I spent at Medtronic HQ tops the list. I'd spent 10 years as a Medtronic patient and it was great to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes. I'm very grateful to Louis and his team for taking the time to make this happen. 

Episode 066 - Diabetics Doing Comedy with Craig Rowin

Earlier this summer, a few of my improv friends who are T1D mentioned they heard Craig Rowin (@craigrowin on Instagram) on the Improv4Humans podcast talk about his recent T1D Diagnosis. (Disclaimer: Lots of adult content on this episode of Improv4Humans so only listen if you're 18+, Craig's story starts at 12:55).

With actual proof that the world is super super small, Sarah from the Diabetics Doing Things team reached out to Craig in LA and he agreed to do an interview. 

Craig and I talk about his diagnosis in his early 30's, adjusting to life with T1D, and then proceed to riff and do bits for the rest of the interview. Craig was super kind to devote time to do the interview and I'm really grateful to be able to publish this very funny interview. 

Episode 065 - Diabetics Doing College Football with Anders Hill and Kyle Castner

This episode is very special because I'm joined by two young men who are setting an incredible example for T1Ds everywhere. Anders Hill (@andershill12 on Instagram ) and Kyle Castner (@thekylecastner on Instagram) join the podcast to talk about their upcoming Columbia Football season, which just ended a few weeks ago. 

Together with the rest of their teammates, the Columbia Football team reached new heights as a program, and finished with an 8-2 record, good enough for second in the Ivy League. Quarterback Anders Hill was named Second-Team All-Ivy, while setting the school record for completion percentage while leading the team in overall offense. 

Outside of Football, both young men have found in each other a resource for dealing with their Type-1 Diabetes. Anders was diagnosed in High School and Kyle has been living with T1D nearly all his life. They have an amazing perspective as athletes and teammates, and talk about how important having a good support system is to success as a T1D. 

I'm grateful they were to find time to do an interview, and I want to give a special shout out to Columbia Football for being so great to work with on this. 

Episode 064 - Diabetics Doing Bikini Competitions 3 with Hollie Smith

Hollie Smith (@Hollie_Louisee on Instagram) joins the podcast to share her T1D journey, as well as her competitive fitness and bodybuilding background. Hollie and her younger sister both have T1D, and were diagnosed at 17 and 8 years old respectively. 

Hollie's platform is built on facing your Diabetes vs. running away from the problem. It's a view that many share, but can be difficult on a day to day basis. From the moment she tested her blood sugar on her sister's meter and self diagnosed her T1D, Hollie credits T1D for bringing her relationship with her sister much closer and giving them someone who truly understands what you're going through. 

I feel the same way about the Diabetes Online Community, and I'm grateful that I now have such a strong community of people who I can share my journey with. 

Hollie takes us through a program she went through called DAFNE, or "Dosage Adjustment For Normal Eating" and shares that the best part of it was being in a room full of T1Ds who were all trying to learn tips, tricks and tactics to improving their day to day blood glucose levels. 

I get a lot of questions from people about tactics, approaches and programming around exercise, and Hollie takes us through how she prepares for competition. It's helpful to have so many great resources available to us, and I'm glad she was able to share them. 

Hollie is a great resource, so be sure to reach out to her with any questions, and she's also overcoming an injury so be sure to wish her well! 

Episode 063 - Diabetics Doing Advocacy with Christine Fallabel

Christine Fallabel (@cfallabel on Instagram) joins the podcast from Denver Colorado to talk about her diagnosis in the year 2000 on a family vacation and how a passion for the Type-1 Diabetes community spurred her towards a career in Diabetes advocacy. 

Christine is currently the Director of State Government Affairs and Advocacy at the American Diabetes Association, so she spends a lot of her time working with the individual issues of T1Ds across the United States and has a lot of great perspective on the work the ADA and others are doing for T1Ds.

Christine and I talk about the mental wear and tear of a life with Diabetes, even if you don't necessarily "struggle" with it.  She is a staunch supporter of Diabetes camps, and she and I joke about how there should be a Diabetes camp for adults. 

Christine is an awesome resource and has personally helped me out with a few introductions and I'm super grateful we have such a great advocate in our T1D family.

Episode 062 - Craig Kasper Takeover! Interview with Rob Howe

I'm super excited to introduce part 2 of the Bravest Life x Diabetics Doing Things collab with my friend Craig Kasper (@CraigKasper on Instagram). Craig takes over the podcast to interview me, Rob Howe, about my diagnosis with T1D, my travels around the world chasing my dream of playing basketball and the origin story of DDT. 

Craig does a fantastic job of owning the Diabetics Doing Things podcast format, and really making it his own. From starting at diagnosis to finishing the episode with the one question every guest has to answer, Craig and I cover a range of topics INCLUDING what I would consider my favorite interview to date. 

Give it a listen, and be sure to tell Craig what an awesome job he did. 

Episode 061 - Diabetics Doing Mastering Diabetes Through Insulin Absorption with Robby Barbaro

Robby (@mindfuldiabeticrobby on Instagram) Barbaro joins the podcast to share his lifestyle and his journey as a T1D. 

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is in no way an endorsement of the interviewee, it is intended to create awareness of the different lifestyles T1Ds have available to them and give the leaders of those lifestyles a platform for open dialogue. 

Robby is the youngest of three brothers, two of which have Type-1 Diabetes. Robby’s family was in the process of relocating to Florida when Robby’s symptoms of T1D began to surface. Because his brother already had T1D, his mother told him via phone to test his blood sugar on his brother’s meter where he discovered his blood glucose was over 400. 

Since then, Robby was a successful competitive tennis player, was very active and disciplined in his approach to perfecting his craft which translated into what he now does with his coaching program Mastering Diabetes. 

Robby is committed to healing Type-1 Diabetes, and uses the example of Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile after so many people said it was impossible, and then after he broke it, people starting breaking the four minute mile every day. 

Robby’s journey into the raw food world began with Gabriel Cousins which led him to meet Dr. Cyrus who became his partner in Mastering Diabetes. After nearly 10 years of mastering his diet and filtering out all the things that would be considered detrimental, and he now believes that the cure for T1D is not limited to just diet, but would require some other form of healing or stimulus. 

Robby’s program is very interesting, and I appreciate his willingness to leave no stone unturned until he finds a solution for T1D. I also believe there are many false stories out there about “healing” T1D, but when you really talk to the people who are doing the hard work and research around insulin absorption and natural healing methods, they are not convinced there is a “cure” formula, but they are committed to continuing to test until they find it. 

Robby says it best, “I’m just just trying to live healthfully, and obviously manage Type 1 Diabetes. I do it every single day, I do it quite well, and I’m trying to heal in a healthy way.” 

I’d encourage you to listen to his perspective and then go do some research yourself on some of the amazing discoveries some of the so-called “health extremists” (which is a label I hate) are doing for the T1D community. I hope they have a breakthrough and we’ll celebrate it all together. 

Episode 060 - Diabetics Doing Worldwide Adventures & Commitment with Oren Liebermann

Oren Liebermann (@orenliebermannnews on Instagram) joins the podcast from Jerusalem to talk about his incredible diagnosis story and the events that immediately followed, and shaped his outlook on T1D and the mindset he committed to in order to truly live beyond. 

You’d never know it from talking with him, because he’s so down to earth, but Oren is an Emmy award winning journalist, author of a fantastic Diabetic book titled “The Insulin Express” and a CNN correspondent in Israel. 

Oren’s story is particularly profound. He and his wife were traveling on a worldwide adventure across the world, and while they were in Nepal and doing a lot of hiking, Oren started to experience some of the classic symptoms (dry mouth, extreme thirst, weight loss, fatigue) but chalked it up to a lot of hiking, travel and dry climate. But what transpired was a very dramatic story of going from doctor to doctor, in different cities across Nepal and ultimately Oren getting diagnosed with T1D at the age of 31 and having to go back to the US. 

While he was back home, he and his wife had a choice to make. They could either cancel the rest of their journey, or choose that Diabetes was not going to define what they did and continue on the journey. Which is exactly what they did. 

Their journey wasn’t without hurdles, but Oren and his wife managed to finish their trip and learn a little more about themselves in the process. 

Oren is a fantastic interview, and his story is so great and we’re lucky to have someone like him as a recent addition to our T1D family. 

Episode 059 - Diabetics Doing Raising a T1D with Kristina and Greg Dooley featuring Isa

This is first episode of its kind. Not only am I interviewing two parents of a Type 1, in Kristina and Greg Dooley, but I also get to interview Isa herself, the girl behind the @inspiredbyisabella account on Instagram. 

Isa and I talk about what she likes about Instagram (Sid Sharma, Mary Lucas & Libby Russell, just to name a few) but also some things that people have said about her pump and even though she got a little shy I think it gave a really poignant look at what it’s like to be a kid living your life with Diabetes (hint: it’s not always easy). 

Isa asked me if I had a name for my pump, and I didn’t have one, but I told her I’d come up with one. So my pump’s name is (drumroll please) Wilford (for Wilford Brimley tha gawd). 

Once Isa runs off to play, Kristina and Greg take me through Isa’s diagnosis story, why raising triplets is hard enough, but it can get especially challenging when one has T1D and challenges new parents of T1D children have to deal with on a daily basis and why they’re the true heroes. 

Kristina and Greg are a real inspiration not only for T1D parents, but also for T1Ds. I found our conversation to be particularly enlightening, and if we all looked at the world with the empathy and perspective they do, I think we’ll all be in a better place. 

Episode 058 - Diabetics Doing Fashion, Dance and Entrepreneurship with Kyrra Richards of Myabetic

Kyrra (@kyrrarichards on Instagram) Richards, founder of @Myabetic joins the podcast to talk about her journey as a Diabetic Fashionista, her background as a professional dancer and how she has pushed forward as an entrepreneur and #GirlBoss as the leader of Myabetic. 

Kyrra’s diagnosis at age 24 was a bit unique compared to many, because she was traveling on a military tour in Afghanistan as a dancer. During her trip, traveling back and forth from base to base, Kyrra experienced the typical symptoms many T1Ds go through but because of the grueling dance schedule and hot, dry climate she didn’t think there was too much to worry about. After her return from Afghanistan, Kyrra thought she had injured her bladder from resisting going to the restroom, so she went to her family physician who told her she didn’t have a bladder problem, she just had Type-1 Diabetes. 

Kyrra and I have a great conversation about the various tours we’ve been on as athletes, and then she gives us a unique behind the scenes look at the early days of Myabetic, where the inspiration came from and how they’ve grown since. 

It’s so interesting to me that the idea of Myabetic stemmed from wanting to feel good about your Diabetes, because it aligns with what I truly believe about living in a T1D renaissance, and I think Kyrra and Myabetic are a big part of why it’s now cool to be a T1D. 

Episode 057 - Diabetics Doing The Diabulimia Hotline with Erin Akers

Erin (@thediabeticdragon on Instagram) Akers joins the podcast from Seattle Washington, at the recommendation of Rebecca Ryan (Episode

Erin was one of the rare stories where she was diagnosed two weeks after her brothers diagnosis with Type-1. As such, her symptoms were caught very early, and her blood sugar was around 250. 

Erin’s Diabetes advocacy began around her relationship with food, and spurred her to start the Diabulimia Helpline. 

Erin talks about the advantages of growing up with someone else with T1D alongside you and how important it is to have peer support in your T1D journey. We also dig deep into some of the amazing stories behind the Diabulimia Helpline and how it has grown into an incredible resource for T1Ds and their relationship with food, insulin and T1D in general. 

Episode 056 - Diabetics Doing Diabetes Education with Melissa Gaynor

Have you ever wanted to talk to a Diabetes Educator (CDE) who was also a T1D? Well Melissa Gaynor (@mybroknpancreas on Instagram) was that person for me. Besides being a super dope person, Melissa is an incredible person because she went BACK to college to get a second bachelors degree to become a CDE. 

We talk about how to distill junk science, what she learns from her patients and what they're dealing with, the confusion of nutrition labels in health and diet. She also talks about the difference between a Nutritionist, and a Certified Diabetes Educator with an emphasis on nutrition because of the science base (you can also go through your insurance for a CDE, which is a pretty nice benefit). 

Melissa and I also talk about the importance of being proud of who you are with your T1D and the emergence of the "Diabetes is cool" movement, which I attribute to BeyondType1. We also talk about Libby Russell, who just happens to be one of Melissa and I's favorite people. 

We also talk about how important it is for T1Ds to see other people doing amazing things, like being NFL quarterbacks, pageant queens, pop stars, etc. which of course made me so proud to be able to tell the stories of all the amazing Diabetics Doing Things. Melissa is so great and our conversation has been one of my favorites. Shout out NYC for some of the best T1Ds out there.

This post was written in support of Beyond Type 1’s Power Up Campaign that’s engaging a global T1D community to help educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes. 

Episode 055 - Diabetics Doing Acting and Advocacy with Anita Nicole Brown

Anita Nicole Brown (@anita_nicole_brown on Instagram) joins the podcast to share her incredible story of a life with T1D. Diagnosed during her annual physical before her senior year of High School, Anita had been concerned with consistent weight loss despite a very strong appetite from her background in athletics and sports. She learned that there were "two kinds of Diabetes" as she was diagnosed, and was forced to face the realization that many T1Ds face that they now have a disease they've never heard anything about. 

Anita's glucose levels were over 1,000 mcg/dl and suffered from diabetic nerve damage as a result, and lost the ability to walk for 1 year. However, Anita was able to recover and walk again, and she takes us through her mindset during this especially difficult time. 

Anita lives in Chicago and works as an actress, if you follow her on Instagram you can keep up with her career as she currently is preparing for multiple roles in both stage and screen performances. 

This post was written in support of Beyond Type 1’s Power Up Campaign that’s engaging a global T1D community to help educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes.

Episode 054 - Diabetics Doing Athletics and Sport with Dan Allison

Dan Allison (@the_athletic_diabetic on Instagram) joins the podcast from Beverly, England to talk about his Diagnosis at age 10 and how athletics and sport have played such an instrumental part for him in living a successful life with Diabetes. 

Besides having so much in common from an athletics perspective, Dan and I both attribute much of our success with Type 1 to our Mothers. Dan's mom is a nurse, my mom taught nutrition and fitness for over a decade, and both of them were instrumental into forming our lives with T1D. 

We also talk about how important it is to be open about your T1D, especially in athletics, because it gives you a sense of belonging to have other people who know what you're going through. So get involved! Reach out and comment, message, email! It'll be worth it. 

This post was written in support of Beyond Type 1’s Power Up Campaign that’s engaging a global T1D community to help educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes.

Episode 053 - Diabetics Doing Strange Diagnosis Stories with Kayla Chorley

Kayla Chorley (@instakay.14 on Instagram) joins the Podcast from Canada to talk about her journey with T1D. Diagnosed when she was 12, she shares her particularly funny, and very unique diagnosis story before diving deep into how she's overcome her diagnosis to live a full life with T1D. 

Despite her rocky diagnosis, Kayla's prognosis has always been positive. She and I take a deep dive into the importance of the rhetoric of doctors, nurses and Diabetes educators at diagnosis and (without any direct research) the effect it has on the success of the patient living with Type-1 Diabetes. 

Kayla and I are very like minded, and she and I talk at length about taking T1D one day at a time and to not expect perfection. We even talk about T1International, and all the great work Elizabeth and her team are doing globally for Insulin reform #insulin4all. 

This post was written in support of Beyond Type 1’s Power Up Campaign that’s engaging a global T1D community to help educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes.