In this episode, Dr. Mark talks with Trent, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 40 years. Growing up in the 1980s, Trent’s parents focused on helping him feel “normal”—but over time, he discovered that ignoring the reality of T1D came at a cost. He shares the emotional journey of learning to balance resilience with humility, the challenges of navigating life transitions like college and parenthood with diabetes, and how he grapples with the constant mental burden of managing T1D. If you've ever felt like you're carrying an invisible weight—or wondered how to reconcile living fully with the reality of diabetes—this conversation will hit home.
Grab your FREE copy of the Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It audiobook HERE.
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38:30
#244: What Happens When T1D Burnout Collides with Parenting?
In this episode, Dr. Mark talks with Casey, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 25 years. Casey was misdiagnosed with type 2 in his mid-20s, leading to a year of frustration, failure, and worsening symptoms before he got the correct diagnosis. That experience shaped how he approached T1D, and later, how he supported his son, who tested positive for antibodies and eventually developed type 1 himself.
Casey opens up about the emotional toll of T1D, his challenges with skin reactions to diabetes tech, and the overwhelm that makes consistent management feel impossible. Together, he and Dr. Mark explore simple, doable ways to rebuild consistency, starting small, using accountability, and finding a rhythm that works without adding more stress.
Grab your FREE copy of the Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It audiobook HERE.
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47:06
#243: Why Accepting T1D Is Harder Than You Think
In this episode, Dr. Mark talks with Kristen, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17—just months before graduating high school. The adjustment was rocky. Fear of lows led Kristen to stop taking insulin entirely during her honeymoon phase, and eventually, she ended up in the hospital again with DKA.
That second hospital stay marked a turning point. Kristen began to accept her diagnosis, change her mindset, and reframe how she saw insulin—not as something to fear, but as something that keeps her alive and thriving.
Now 19, Kristen is learning to trust technology, navigate new challenges with her Medtronic 780G pump, and even planning to get SCUBA certified—without letting fear get in the way.
Her story is one of resilience, reflection, and reclaiming freedom with T1D.
Grab your FREE copy of the Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It audiobook HERE.
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45:18
#242: Balancing Safety and Freedom
In this episode, Dr. Mark talks with Katherine, a registered nurse who has lived with type 1 diabetes since childhood, and who faces the rare challenge of having seizures at blood sugars as high as 60. Katherine shares how this reality has forced her to intentionally keep her blood sugars high, especially during exercise and horseback riding, to avoid potentially dangerous lows. She talks about how her service dog Blaze has given her more safety and independence, but also about the mental burden and emotional toll that managing T1D takes every day. Through coaching, Katherine explores how to find freedom and flexibility in areas she can control, even when some aspects of her condition may always require extra caution.
Click HERE to get your FREE copy of Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It (just cover shipping).
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47:21
#241: What Happens When You Stop Believing You Can’t
n this episode, Dr. Mark talks with Molly, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just before her fifth birthday. For years, Molly felt stuck — overwhelmed by the burden of T1D, isolated from others, and convinced she couldn’t manage it. That belief kept her from asking for help, and made every step of care feel like an uphill battle.
With time, therapy, and support, Molly has started rewriting her story. She’s learning to move past old patterns, sit with discomfort (even those dreaded lows), and take meaningful steps to prioritize her health — especially as she prepares for the next season of her life: becoming a mom.
If you’ve ever felt like T1D was too much to handle, Molly’s story will resonate and inspire you.
Click HERE to get your FREE copy of Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It (just cover shipping).
Welcome to the LiveFree with T1D Podcast where we coach you to build your T1D stress-management plan like a sailboat. You are the captain. The hull is your diabetes knowledge and management. The sails are your mindset. The rudder is your behavior and the crew is your support team.
If you build the five parts of your stress management plan correctly, you'll find smooth sailing with T1D. Every week we help a person with T1D just like you optimize their sailboat.
Ireland