SPEAKER_01 0:00

I was basically sent home from the hospital with a vial of insulin. Not really. I had to go try and track it down. Um and some syringes and said, here, I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. I went from syringes to the pen to my diabetes educator at the time said, You need to be on a pump. You're all over the map. The alarms were going off at all hours of the morning. And I need sleep. When you're going through chemo, you need sleep as well. My uh endocrinologist was basically, well, you're doing great for what you're going through. You know, and and maybe to them it was great, but to me it wasn't. Um, I'm not ready to throw in the towel by any stretch.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

I just love this attitude of what I can do. You know, like I'm gonna figure it out. And uh if no one's gonna help me, I'll do it myself.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Before the program, my time and range was basically about 68%. Right now I'm at 91%. My A1C fluctuated from 7.3, 7.2, and now I'm at 6.6.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Keep going and keep up the fight. All right, I'm so excited to have you here, Jill. For anybody who doesn't know, Jill has some really exciting news for us on numerous fronts, really. But uh today we get a chance to talk about type 1 diabetes, what's been going on. Uh, Jill, to give our listeners maybe some context, can you tell us maybe how long you've had diabetes? I got a pump or shots, a little bit like that.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Um it's been just shy of three years. Uh, it was caused from immunotherapy treatment for cancer and killed the pancreas. And I was basically sent home from the hospital with a vial of insulin, not really. I had to go try and track it down, um, and some syringes and said, here, I knew nothing, absolutely nothing. And when I went into the hospital, um, my blood sugar was 850. And when I left, I was about 250. But again, I knew nothing. Numbers meant nothing to me.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Goodness. I I hate that we have basically the same story. They forgot to give me insulin as well. I was sitting at 400. That's absolutely insane. Um goodness. Well, glad that you knew something was off and did something about it. So uh you said you've had it for three years, and uh, I believe you're on a pump now. So, what has that been like for you? Is it a tricky learning curve or has it been helpful?

SPEAKER_01 2:52

It was very helpful. I I went from syringes to the pen to my diabetes educator at the time said, You need to be on a pump. You're all over the map. Because I was undergoing chemotherapy with steroids, I was everywhere. So um I got hooked up with the omnipod later down the road. We wanted to I wanted to tighten up the numbers, and I heard that a tubed pump would tighten it up better. So I switched to a mini med through Medtronics, which did not work for me. Uh, I did it for three months and I went back to Omnipod. Um, yes, it did keep my numbers tighter, but psychologically I couldn't handle the alarms were going off at all hours of the morning, and I need sleep. When you're going through chemo, you need sleep as well. So I went back to the omnipod, and um that's been a learning curve with steroids because you can jump up to four and five hundred before you know it, and trying to get that down rapidly. There is no rapid. So back on the omnipod. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

And good. Well, and I know you've been on the omnipod both during coaching but also before coaching. So tell me a bit about what you were struggling with before hopping into the program.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Um, a lot of that had to do with the steroid use. I just I could not fine-tune the numbers enough to keep it from going up. I finally got it, I set up a program in manual mode for steroid use, but it just didn't seem to be enough for me. And nobody could really tell me what is enough insulin, what is too much insulin. I didn't know. So I was still struggling at 275. It would occasionally go to 300, um, which then turned around and affected my kidneys, which they're already bad, but that made it worse. So um I saw you on Facebook, I got your book, I started reading it. I could relate to so many things that you had gone through, and it's I, you know, just wanted to slap myself. It's like, wow, there's other people out there that have had the same issue. So that's what led me to you was um reading the book and watching some of the things that you post on Facebook. Um, when you have cancer and you're retired, you really don't have a lot to do. So you you're on Facebook a lot.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yeah, I see. Well, I'm glad you found us. Uh, but also I can imagine that that must have been frustrating. Um sounds like you were looking for help but not getting a lot of answers when you were sitting at, like you said, 275, 300, no one able to tell you how much more insulin to take, but also not go low, you know, like the the balancing point. And I mean, at least in my experience, it seems like that's one of the big gaps in the medical system is having dynamic advice instead of just static, standard generic advice. Is that what you found as well?

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Yeah, my uh endocrinologist was basically, well, you're doing great for what you're going through. Oh, you know, and and maybe to them it was great, but to me it wasn't. Um, I'm not ready to throw in the towel by any stretch, but I also knew that if I couldn't get those numbers down, because I would have chemo treatment every 21 days. So on day 20 is when I start steroids, day 25 is when I stop steroids, but they stay in your system for a good 10 days before you can get them out. And when you're running high like that, that's when it's going to start affecting your kidney function, uh, ketoacidosis. You know, that was the last thing I wanted. I already had kidney issues that I'd managed all my life, and now they were out of control. Um, but everyone said, Oh no, what you're going through, you're doing great. No, that wasn't good enough for me.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

So that attitude right there, I think it's a rare attitude. Like those of us who refuse to settle or be complacent, I think it's because most of their patients are kind of complacent, you know, and so they they feed into it with being gentle, which I can respect. They don't want to push people away from the medical system. But uh, I think that those of us who hold ourselves to higher standards, knowing it can get better, so why wouldn't I try? You know, that that's not a common experience for them. So it's like we have to go and find our own home elsewhere, which is obviously where the program exists to fill that void. But what a frustrating experience to be told it's good enough and when you're feeling like that. I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

I would continue to reach out to the diabetes educator, and I would I just wouldn't take no for an answer. And I would just go in and say, okay, help fix this, fix this, make this pump work better. How do I fix the numbers? You know, you could call omnipod, you could call Dexcom, you can call those places, but they're not going to tell you anything because they're not physicians, they don't, and I understand that, but tell me how do I tighten this up? How do I do this? And when I had brought up to my endocrinologist, hey, you know, I'm reading some stuff, and and I understand that we're supposed to be factoring in protein and fat along with our boluses, and I got the deer in the headlight look. Like, I don't really want to go into that.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Really?

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Yeah. She she said, Well, yeah, and that was it. I I okay, so I started googling things, you know, how do you do this? What you know, and and I pretty much winged it, but I'm getting it under control. And my husband says, You need to start a blog because you know this, and I do, I know this pump inside and out now. I, you know, now granted, I needed some help to figure out a um a basil program in there so that I can actually do my basil testing correctly.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Right. Well, I just love this attitude of hand do, you know, like I'm gonna figure it out. And uh, if no one's gonna help me, I'll do it myself. And then obviously you sought information online, which can be conflicting, but then you found us, yeah. Yeah, I'm curious as well. What concerns did you have before jumping into the program?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

About the program or just yeah, um, I really didn't have any concerns. Um I thought it was very informational. Um, I had a really good meeting today um with Lindsay. Um, probably the best one. I I think that was my third one because there was a gap. Like I said, I'm behind the eight ball because I got really sick. So um kidney stones on top of it is not fun. So um, but you know, I I just wanted to make sure that I'm understanding this and going forward, I can control my life. I don't have to rely on somebody else to tell me you're doing great.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Yeah, stop trying so hard, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:09

You know, if if I can keep the cancer away and keep the diabetes under control, which they're gonna go together somehow, some way. I know they're gonna go together. If I don't manage the diabetes, that cancer is gonna find a way back in. I know it will. So I don't want that to happen. I'm not ready for that.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Well, I love that. Um, you know, you mentioned your your meeting with Lindsay today. So, for those who don't know, Lynn, we have a team of specialists. Lindsay's our CD CES or diabetes educator, and she's a dietitian as well. Fantastic coach, honestly. We're lucky to have her. Um, what stood out to you from that meeting with her? What was uh like a golden nugget?

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Um, it was probably me uh because I finally decided I'm not gonna get anywhere if I don't start asking these questions. And I was listening to a newcomer who had just joined last week. And you know, he's really moving forward. Some of his questions led me to go, okay. No, I need to ask about this. So I started stepping in and asking questions, even though I felt a little bit like I should know this, but luckily I shouldn't have known it because it was had to do with a tandem pump. I'm like, I don't know what this means, and I didn't realize that I needed to be in manual mode because my numbers were doing so well. Um, and I was steady all night last night for the first time in months. Wow, which is kind of ironic because I had treatment yesterday, but it was just immunotherapy, so there's nothing that went along with it.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

So um waking up this morning after a night of sleep.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

It was fabulous. It was I I got up, I started moving. I don't know, you know, if there's an attitude change now. I'm I'm not really sure, but it's I feel good. I feel like okay, I'm gonna be controlling this.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

That's huge.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

Sleep is sleep's amazing uh when you get it, and it's terrible when you don't. It's wild how much of an impact it has. Uh, I'm jealous because I had some CGM errors last night that woke me up five times, a little bit frustrated about that, but usually I have pretty good sleep. But it does make a very big difference in attitude, but also in blood sugars and recovery. So man, I'm happy for you.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

That's and the night before I had the CGM issues, you know. I actually went high the night before, and um, you know, I'm laying here, my poor husband is like with the alarm going off. So I just get up and go to the couch because it will continue to go off as you drop until you get below the 180.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

Right.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

And it's like so I just stuff it under a pillow and and hopefully go back to sleep.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

But the interrupted sleep is just as bad.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

It is, you know, it's tough. So I mean, obviously, last night, let's let's continue that trend as long as possible, keep getting good sleep. I'm curious though, what was the moment that you realized the program was working for you? What was the first time something clicked?

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Um that's kind of hard to well, when my numbers started staying steady, and again, that had to do with fixing the correction factor, the insulin to carb ratios, something that matched me. Um, not well, this is what most people do. No, that that doesn't work for me because I'll tell you, I I know what I put in there and it's working, but I don't know that anybody else has those kind of numbers in there.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

But they're working for you know, um I just I didn't I didn't know how to do that.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

I didn't know how to ask the questions. And um I think the program has helped me with that. I have to be I have to be open, I have to let leave myself out there 100%.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I I think that there are two key components. I mean, I've seen hundreds, if not thousands, of people go through our programs and two big things. One is do the work, like be willing to implement and actually use the information. But two is this attitude of curiosity and being willing to ask what you perceive as maybe a silly question, even though it's not. There are there are no bad questions, right? But being able to ask the questions and then do something about it, that's kind of the formula for success, you know, in terms of mentorship or coaching. So love that you're able to think through those things and just open yourself up, like you said. That's a big deal.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

Yeah, yep. But that's what I'm gonna continue to do because I'm gonna get I I think I have a handle. There's still a lot more that I have to learn, but at least I've got a handle on it. And for now, without those steroids, it has made a huge difference.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Love that. Well, and speaking of a handle, so we were talking about this a little bit previously, but what do the numbers look like? Let's say A1C and time and range before the program, and where are they at now?

SPEAKER_01 16:45

Before the program, my time and range was basically about 68%. Right now I'm at 91%. My A1C fluctuated from 7.3, 7.2, and now I'm at 6.6.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

Wow. Oh my goodness, that is so exciting! And like you said, we're not even done yet, right? Like that's what's crazy to me is we're not even like at the finish line. It's gonna keep going. Um, how do you feel different? Like, do you feel energized or is it less stressed mentally? Where does that show up?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

Yes, it's it's much less stressed mentally. Um, I you know, I'd hear an alarm and I would panic. Now, you know, I'm used to the tones, so I know which is high and which is low. Um, and it's like, okay, and I have them set so that it gives me on the low side, it gives me time to catch up before I actually go too low. Um, and again, my concern isn't necessarily the lows because I don't have a big issue. Mine is the highs because of the kidney situation. I want to make sure that I keep those highs down or get them down as quick as I can. A lot of times when you eat, yeah, you're gonna go up to 200, 220 because of what you ate. Maybe you didn't calculate right, but I'm trying to get that under control as well. Um I've I've become a calculator in my head.

SPEAKER_00 18:19

Yeah. Well, chop chopping off the highs too. I can totally understand where you're getting at with that. We can chop off the highs, the A1C improves, time and range improves, but kidney health, just systemic health, those are all important too.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Yeah, but I do have um, I have found in the last since uh probably September 14th, I have felt much more energized, um, very calm. I I don't stress out now. It's like I'll fix it. And I do because I know how to fix it now.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Well, and that is the key distinction, isn't it? Um, because that was for me as well, where I used to get actually very upset and mad and frustrated when blood sugars wouldn't cooperate because I didn't know what to do about it, just felt like a chaos machine. But then when you have direction, it's like, okay, yes, it's high or it's low, but I know why and I know what to do to fix it, and you just get back on track, right? Very different. Well, that is very exciting.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, so but you know, in in Lindsay's class this morning, I I got a kick out of some of the people talking, and they're talking about um, you know, these coffee drinks that they're drinking, maybe an alcoholic drink that they're drinking. And I'm sitting here thinking, what am I doing wrong? Because I don't do that. I don't do caffeine, I don't do sugar, I don't do alcohol, but I do decaf coffee, I do sugar-free syrups, and I account for my half and half. So I can still have a good coffee, like you said in one thing, you wanted you were running a little bit low, and you wanted to get to your mom's and have a good coffee to bring it back up.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

It's true, yeah. Well, for for context, everybody, I I wasn't actually low in driving, but I was gonna get there. So my mom has fancy coffee at her house with some very sweet tasting uh additions, and it was tasty. It worked, yeah. Yep, it was amazing. Uh well, very exciting. It has your husband noticed any differences, less alarms or a difference personality.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

My husband is a type two. Oh so um he doesn't practice it very well. I try, but he, you know, he doesn't. But yes, he has noticed that the alarms aren't going off as much. He recognizes them if I happen to have stepped away. He'll come and get me saying, You're going a little bit low, you're going a little bit high, because he knows the tones now, too. So, you know, usually I walk around with something stuck in my pocket, but sometimes I don't. Um I'm gonna uh starting my goal is Monday. Yes, I know I could have started tomorrow, but my goal is Monday. I'm going to start um a walking program. Uh, I will be walking, I'll start with one mile a day with my dog. It's a twofold. I can train her on the leash better because she's used to being off leash. So she'll be on the leash, and I'm gonna start moving again. This cancer is not coming back, and this diabetes is gonna be controlled.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Amen. Love that. Well, and I'm curious too. So, your experience here, obviously, we're still working through things and improving and compounding these results. It's amazing. But talking to somebody who might be on the fence, somebody who is looking in from the outside, what's a message you would give to them?

SPEAKER_01 21:58

I would say this program is extremely helpful, it's very helpful. Um, it's definitely worth looking into. If nothing else, read the book, get get something out of it, and and you may decide from that that you want to join. I think it's I think it's excellent. I have to get back into it because for two weeks I've been under the weather, so I have to hurry.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Um yeah, I mean, well, I don't love the fact that you were sick. That's a bummer. But yes, jumping back in, 100% support that. And uh actually for those listening, so she mentioned the book, the program. I'll put some links in the description for you guys so you don't have to scour the internet, just make it easy to check the description. Uh, but as we wrap up, Bill, any other golden nuggets that you feel like would be helpful to share?

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Um take notes. Take notes. I write everything down in my in the meetings. Um just just be mindful that it can get better and it will get better as long as you learn how to do it. And I don't think you're gonna get that from the medical field because everybody is different, and you have to adjust diabetes control yourself. They can't tell you you can't tell us this will work. You have to get the numbers yourself, you have to figure out what works for you, and you know that that's kind of it. And I think that these courses really help you.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

I love that. Yeah, I will say to maybe summarize what your key points were, it's to be coachable, right? Because you're asking questions, you're showing up to coaching calls, but it's also to do something about it, to implement. And I think you're a great example of that, Jill. You've shown up, you've asked questions, and now you're seeing the rewards of you taking action. So I just want to say kudos and congrats to you for putting in the work. You know, we can tell you what to do, but you're the one that did something about it. So you are the secret to your own success. And I'm proud of you. Very excited for the road ahead. Yes, I am too. That's a big deal. Well, very cool. Uh, Joe, really appreciate your time today coming on, sharing your story. I I find it inspirational, and I love doing these interviews because we get to explore hope ultimately and deliver hope to other people. Uh, so for everybody watching this, like I said, I'll put some resources in the description of this one. Uh, the book, if you're looking for it, it's called The Blood Sugar Freedom Formula. You find it on Amazon, but we'll link it up as well. Uh, and the training that I know a lot of people find helpful that covers blood sugar formulas as a generic topic and kind of introduces you to our world is uh free training at diabetesinaction.com. So, Jill, again, thank you so much. Really a fantastic interview and excited for what's ahead for you.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

You got it. Everybody else, thanks for watching. Be sure to check out the links in the description. And we'll see you guys next time and keep up the fight.