S2E6 | Vacation Mode-ish: Part 2

When you’re managing Type 1 diabetes, somehow everyone has an opinion. Your endo has recommendations, your spouse may see things differently, grandparents and caregivers have their own comfort levels, other T1D families swear by what works for them, and the internet definitely isn’t short on advice. And now, with automated insulin delivery, sometimes the tech gets a say too.But at the end of the day… who actually gets to make the diabetes decisions?In this episode, we’re talking about navigating all the voices that come with raising a child with T1D, figuring out whose input actually matters, and learning to trust yourself as the person making hundreds of diabetes decisions every single day. We get into the gray areas where there isn’t one “right” way to manage T1D, when we trust the tech versus when we override it, how our own approaches have changed over time, and what happens when the people (or algorithms) involved in your child’s care don’t necessarily agree. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

Welcome back to RT1 Unfiltered!No outline, no perfectly planned topic, and absolutely no guarantee we stay on track.In the first Unfiltered episode of Season 2, we’re catching up, talking about what’s been happening in our T1D lives lately, and going wherever the conversation takes us. The wins, the frustrations, the random side quests, and all the things we’d probably be texting each other about anyway.Basically, it’s Raising Type 1 with the filter completely off. Come hang out with us! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

We’re back for Part 2, and this time we’re getting into the side of traveling with type 1 diabetes that you can’t exactly fit on a packing list.We’re talking through vacation “what would you do?” scenarios, the unexpected decisions that come with managing T1D away from home, and what vacation really looks like from the caregiver perspective. We also get into the pressure we put on ourselves to make these trips magical for our kids, even when blood sugars aren’t cooperating and diabetes refuses to stay in the background.Because sometimes the hardest part of vacation with T1D isn’t figuring out what to pack or how to dose the food. It’s learning how to let go of perfect, roll with what diabetes throws at you, and still make the memories you came for.If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, start there for all the practical stuff: food, packing, theme parks, flying, road trips, and how we plan for traveling with T1D. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

Vacation is supposed to be a break… but type 1 diabetes definitely doesn’t take PTO.In Part 1 of this two-part episode, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to travel with T1D in tow. From navigating theme park food and meals away from home to deciding what to pack, planning for the unexpected, and figuring out the logistics of road trips versus flying, we’re sharing the thought process behind how we approach vacations with our T1D kids.Because traveling with diabetes takes a little more planning, a lot more supplies, and sometimes just accepting that you can prepare for almost everything… and T1D will still find a way to keep things interesting.And we’re only getting started. Part 2 continues the conversation with vacation “what would you do?” scenarios, the caregiver side of traveling, and the pressure to give our kids the perfect vacation while managing diabetes through all of it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

Managing type 1 diabetes comes with a whole lot of trial and error, and somewhere along the way, you pick up a few tricks that make life just a little bit easier.In this episode, we’re sharing the T1D hacks we actually use in real life, from food and blood sugar tricks to supplies, devices, school, travel, nighttime management, and all the random little things we’ve figured out along the way. We’re also sharing some of YOUR favorite hacks, because sometimes the best advice doesn’t come from a manual. It comes from another T1D family who has already been there and figured out a better way.Some are genius, some are ridiculously simple, and some might have you wondering why nobody told you about them sooner. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

There’s a whole side of parenting a child with type 1 diabetes that happens after the rest of the house goes quiet.In this episode, we’re talking about the T1D night shift: the alarms, the middle-of-the-night blood sugar checks, treating lows half asleep, correcting stubborn highs, site failures at the worst possible time, and those nights when you’re technically in bed… but you’re definitely not sleeping.We get into the mental load of being the person who is always listening for the next alarm, the decisions we make at 2 a.m. that somehow feel completely normal now, and the exhaustion that can follow you straight into the next day.Because diabetes doesn’t clock out when our kids go to sleep, and neither do we. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

This week on RT1, we’re putting ourselves in the “T1D Hot Seat” with a mix of What Would You Do scenarios, This or That questions, and some very specific T1D situations that made us realize just how quickly we think we know our answer… until we actually have to choose.We’re talking through the kinds of decisions that come up all the time when you’re raising a kid with type 1 diabetes, along with a few completely hypothetical situations that had us debating what we would actually do. Some answers were immediate, some we definitely didn’t agree on, and others sent us down a rabbit hole we weren’t expecting.There’s no right or wrong answer here, and that’s kind of the point. So much of life with T1D is figuring out what works for your kid, your family, and the situation you’re in at that exact moment. This episode is a little lighter, a lot of fun, and basically one big conversation about all the weird, frustrating, funny, and very real decisions diabetes throws our way.Listen along, play along, and see how your answers compare to ours! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

We’re back for Season 2, and apparently a lot can happen during a little podcast break…In our first episode of the season, “Plot Twiist: Where We’ve Been,” we’re catching you up on life lately and diving into one of the biggest changes in our diabetes management: our experiences with the twiist insulin pump so far.We’re talking about why we decided to give twiist a try, what the transition actually looked like, the learning curves we didn’t necessarily expect, and the features that have stood out to us along the way. We’re sharing what we’ve loved, what has frustrated us, the adjustments we’ve had to make, and how our experiences have compared to the systems and routines we were using before.Because, as always, diabetes technology can look incredible on paper, but living with it day after day is a completely different story.This isn’t a polished review or a “here’s the perfect pump” conversation. It’s two T1D moms sharing our real-life experiences managing our kids’ diabetes with a newer system, including the wins, the hiccups, the learning curves, and everything we’re still figuring out.So grab your coffee, settle back in with us, and let’s catch up. Season 2 starts now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

Flat lines. Perfect graphs. “What works for us.” In the T1D community, it’s easier than ever to feel like you’re falling behind.In this episode of RT1, we’re diving into the comparison trap that so many diabetes parents quietly struggle with but rarely talk about openly. From social media highlight reels to judgment around different management styles, we unpack the pressure to chase perfection and the emotional toll that can come with it.We talk about the obsession with flat lines, comparing your child’s numbers to someone else’s, and the guilt and burnout that can happen when diabetes management starts to feel like a competition instead of survival. We also get into the reality that social media rarely shows the full picture. Behind every “perfect” graph are the lows, the rebounds, the mental exhaustion, the fear, and the moments that never make it online.This episode is honest, nuanced, and maybe a little controversial at times, but it’s a conversation that needs to happen. Because there is no one size fits all approach to T1D, and what works beautifully for one family may not work for another.At the end of the day, this isn’t about who has the best graph. It’s about raising healthy kids while trying to protect their childhoods and our own mental health along the way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com

Sun, Spikes, and Starting Over: Part Two is all about what comes next as both boys get ready to transition to the Twiist insulin pump.Starting a new pump always brings a mix of hope, nerves, and a whole lot of questions. In this episode, we’re talking through the prep that happens before the switch, the expectations we’re trying to keep realistic, and what it feels like to once again hand over a little trust to new technology.From setting changes and learning curves to the emotional side of starting over, we’re sharing what this transition looks like in real time and why new diabetes tech can feel both exciting and exhausting all at once.Because with Type 1 Diabetes, every new device comes with the same goal: more freedom, better management, and hopefully one less thing to fight with every day. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingtype1podcast.substack.com