Let me introduce you to Drew Miller, who gives a riveting account of his recent diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes, and the unexpected advantage of having a mom who's been managing the same condition. Drew's candid sharing of his journey takes us from his initial shock and confusion to his gradual acceptance, in a narrative that is as heart-warming as it is enlightening. What's more, you'll hear about his time at Camp Hamwi, where he found a unique support system in the form of fellow diabetics that he didn't know he was looking for, and how this social interaction became a pivotal point in his management of the disease.
Don't forget to check out Ancient Bliss an herbal supplement company. Use Discount Code KEN20 for 20% off at check out.
Have a question or comment, send me a DM or email. I'd love to connect and answer any questions you have.
You can find the show on any platform you listen to your podcasts!
Don't forget to click on that subscribe button and leave a 5-star review on any platform you listen to the podcast, so you're notified when new episode drop.
Questions about diabetes, don't hesitate to reach out:
Instagram: @CoachK3N
Instagram: @thehealthydiabeticpod
Twitter: @thehealthydpod
Tik Tok: @thehealthydiabeticpod
Facebook: @Simplifying Life With Diabetes
Email: ken@simplifyingdiabetes.com
Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your diabetes management.
Speaker 2:
Welcome back to another episode and another Camp Hamway episode of the Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I am your host, as always, coach Ken Kenness. Just a friendly reminder nothing that you hear on this podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise. Please always consult your medical team before making any changes to your diabetes management. Okay, before we get started into the guests I have for this episode, I got to sit down with Drew Miller. But before we get with Drew, I want to just remind you to make sure that you like subscribe to the podcast. You're notified when new episodes are dropped every single week. Okay, I'm done with my rant Now.
Speaker 2:
Drew Miller Drew is a brand new, spanking new diabetic. I mean, when I met Drew back in what was it? July, when I worked diabetes camp at Camp Hamway, he was actually in my cabin. So this is a really special episode for me because I got to talk to Drew in depth about his diabetes all week long, not just in this you know 10 minute conversation that I had with him. So it's just an incredible, incredible individual. Drew's mother is also type one which will hear that story, which she she really helped him when he was first diagnosed. So I'm just really excited for you guys to listen to this, this really really cool episode with Drew. So, without further ado, let's get with Drew Miller. What's up, drew?
Speaker 2:
How you doing Good? I'm doing good. Man, how are you feeling? I'm doing all right, that's good man. So we're at camp. You're actually one of my campers this week, which is super cool. Tell me about your story. Tell me your diagnosis story.
Speaker 1:
So I don't know for sure, but I think I was living with it for about a year, maybe two years, because my blood sugar was sitting at 600 when, when they rushed me to the hospital and I felt nothing, Absolutely nothing, and I never went into decay deep. Sorry, what is it? Decay? Decay either, and I don't. I don't. I think I was just living high and just got used to it Thought as you said, exactly, and I never never noticed anything wrong.
Speaker 1:
And I do remember feeling shaky once or twice, and just never really. And I before that I had tested my blood sugar once or twice years before. But and then we rushed to the hospital and I was already kind of annoyed going to the hospital because I'm like why am I here?
Speaker 2:
I'm fine, this is nothing, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
And then they said diabetes.
Speaker 2:
Did you know what diabetes was?
Speaker 1:
My mom's had it.
Speaker 2:
Type 100.
Speaker 1:
Since she was eight years old and so I never asked any questions. But she actually confronted me a couple of years ago. It was like well, why have you never asked me any questions about this? It was just what mom has always done, yeah, and I just never inquired about it. And now I wish I had. Why do?
Speaker 2:
you wish you had.
Speaker 1:
Well, I could just would have simplified it now, but now she's easily the best teacher there was that she's like the queen of diabetics.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, she's perfect. Yeah, that's awesome. That's great man. What being at camp? This is your first year at camp. Yeah, how long. When were you diagnosed?
Speaker 1:
About probably going on three months. Yeah, so you're brand new.
Speaker 2:
You're a little baby to the journey. Little baby to the journey. What has what has been the most impactful thing that you've learned from when you were first diagnosed and how, being at camp?
Speaker 1:
I think I know it's not a very original answer, but I think it was the people who just kind of I've seen a bunch of people walking around with CGMs and that kind of thing, the social aspect of it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
And you know, not feeling alone that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, have you felt alone the last two or three months before you came to camp?
Speaker 1:
No, because my mom and my, my uncle and my grandmother had type two, which I didn't know about that either, but I've never really felt super alone in it. But yeah, so you've had a lot of support, which is good.
Speaker 2:
What did you did outside of your mom? Did you have a bunch of education when you went to the hospital? Have you sought out education in terms of whether it's podcasts, social media, other people? How's that been going?
Speaker 1:
I did follow a diabetes community and that's about it. I don't think I never really looked into it too much, but I was only at the hospital for about a day and a half just because my mom knew all about it and doctors kind of rushed us through it and so that definitely simplified the hospital thing. But but I don't know, I wasn't super confused, maybe a little bit about certain aspects of it, but I think I got it.
Speaker 2:
I love it. What do you think your mom would say about you right now? What, being a type one? Have you had that conversation with her?
Speaker 1:
No, not really.
Speaker 2:
Guess what do you think. What do you think her initial thought would be? I think this is very fascinating. You've lived with your mother being a type one for a long, long time.
Speaker 1:
I actually, actually I do know, I think she would be excited. I think she would be excited because she's always wanted to kind of coach someone in it and I think it was her opportunity in that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, her opportunity to be able to do that.
Speaker 2:
The reason I think that's amazing is because I have thought about this so many times with my own two kids, my own two girls, and when they were first born, it would keep me up at night thinking that I was going to wake up one day and start noticing symptoms from them, and I was deathly afraid of it. And it took my wife, who told me if they do become diabetic, if that is their ultimate destiny to be in that, to go down that journey. Who better To be there for them? Then diabetes coach, someone with a diabetes, and then someone that is such a big advocate for this, this condition, and After that conversation with her, it was like the light bulbs went out. Light bulbs went off and Now I'm not fearful of it.
Speaker 2:
Then the fact that you've been able to go through that journey with your mom and you have that support because a lot of the people in this audience they've got amazing emotional support and They've got amazing emotional support from their family members and their friends that aren't Diabetics. And I think that is why this camp is so impactful and powerful, because we we talked to two very important siblings earlier and Kayo is amazing in terms of him being able to be there for his sister, but he will never understand what diabetes really feels like day by day. Only she will. And, on top of that, being at camp, now that you guys all of Every single one of one of you guys in this audience is able to connect with each other and talk about your specific Symptoms, your specific things.
Speaker 2:
This is what happens when I go low. This is what happens when I go high. This is what I do when I go low. Oh, I do that too. All of those things are very impactful, and the fact that you have that in your house is something that a lot of Diabetics can't say that they have right, which is awesome, which is awesome. What are one or three things that a piece of advice and you're still a baby pieces of advice that you could give to someone listening About diabetes and and your journey so far with it.
Speaker 1:
I think a big thing for me was wanting to to be able to control a man which obviously can't help with a lot. But don't rush into it. If you need the help and the coaching, then then take it because, like you said, not everyone has it. I don't know, I guess don't rush in, you know.
Speaker 2:
I like that because a lot of us do rush in and we want, we feel like we want to know it. I know I did, I want, I wanted to know it, I want to know, I want to know it and I thought I did, I didn't. And it's really cool because you, being someone that's three months in and you can ask any one of these guys that have been more than a year, more than three years, more than four years, that They've learned so much more and there's so much in better control and there's so much emotionally Different than they were when they first started. We're gonna be really cool thing for you, especially having the support that you have, so it's awesome. Thank you so much for coming on. This has been great. I'm glad that I got to connect with you. You've been in my cabin all week. We've talked a little bit about this, so I'm glad we got to get it on on record and talk about it.
Speaker 1:
Thank you.
Speaker 2:
All right, thank you. Thank you so much for listening, for tuning into this Special episode, the special campaign way episode with Drew Miller. I really appreciate all of your support tuning in listening to these episodes. I really hope that, especially these camp campaign way episodes, that if you're a caregiver, that they're giving you some much needed Grace and much needed support in terms of like hearing these kids stories, knowing that you're not alone. And then same thing if you're a young, a young person or a newly diagnosed person, because a lot of these kids are no more than one, maybe two, maybe three years into their diagnosis. Some of them, I think, are a little bit farther along. But yeah, I just really hope that you're getting some really good value out of these episodes. Please make sure that you are sharing the podcast, sharing these episodes with someone that you believe is going to get value out of it.
Speaker 2:
I just I know there's so many people that are struggling out there with you. Know, whatever it is with diabetes I mean diabetes, such a complex, complex condition and we need all the support that we can get every single day. No, regardless, whatever that support needs to be, whether it's you know you'd love to do some coaching with me, whether it's you just want to keep listening to the Podcast and you're getting these really good nuggets. Every single episode that you can, you know, put towards your management style. Whatever, whatever it is, I just really, really hope that you are sharing this with someone that you know is going to get some good value out of it. Thank you so much for listening and I will see you next time.