Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories

I know what you’re thinking… surely there’s more than 10 things?

You’d be correct. 

But if I really thought about all the things I wish I'd known sooner about living with type 1 diabetes, I’d be here forever. Because trying to wade through the chaos that is managing this ridiculous chronic illness is a constant learning curve. 

Type 1 diabetes a never-ending game, a quest that is impossible to complete - and one that we’re often left to figure out alone. Despite the best of intentions from loved ones, and even if you have access to amazing healthcare teams, 24/7/365, it’s us.

And we don’t know what we don’t know - until we’re forced to confront it for the first time with critical urgency and a double down arrow…

BUT! I have found that are certain things - tools, information, perspectives - that I’ve gathered in my almost thirty years of living with type 1 diabetes that have helped. A lot. And I’d quite like to go back and give them to my younger self - because she had a tough time of it for a while.

So whether you’re newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or you’ve been doing this for a while, hopefully there’s something in here for you.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED
14 lessons that have helped me to live with type 1 diabetes
The road to acceptance with type 1 diabetes
5 ways I increased my time in range as a person with type 1 diabetes
VIDEO: 24 Lessons In 24 Years with Type 1 Diabetes
The psychology of food and type 1 diabetes with nutritional therapist Beth Edwards

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

‘Think about the 20% of things that make 80% of the difference.’

Last week I spoke about my own experience of using a tubed vs tubeless automated insulin delivery system to manage my type 1 diabetes. But for a full breakdown of the current hybrid closed loop systems on the market, I knew I had to call in some expert help.

John Pemberton’s wisdom and knowledge was made abundantly clear in his recent episode of Type 1 on 1. The diabetes specialist dietician, diabetes technology consultant, diabetes educator, type 1 diabetic and founder of The Glucose Never Lies spoke candidly to me about why he dedicates so much of his time to building an online resource to help people living with type 1 diabetes.

This episode is a special focus on the four main automated insulin delivery (AID) insulin pump systems currently on the market, using John’s helpful superhero personas to take a deep dive into each one, and highlight the most important features among this almighty line up.

Spoiler: They’re all great, and there is no wrong choice.

But if you’re curious about insulin pumps and haven’t yet been able to find a way to compare them all, this one’s for you. The automated insulin delivery systems we dig into in this episode are:
Tandem Control IQ: Control and flexibility aka Spider-Man
CamAPS FX mylife Loop: Highly adaptable and strategic aka Batman
Omnipod 5: Sleek, simple, and futuristic aka Iron Man
Medtronic 780G: Powerful and aggressive aka The Hulk
DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

CONNECT WITH JOHN
John’s first episode on Type 1 on 1 (Spotify)
John’s first episode on Type 1 on 1 (YouTube)
More information on CGM Regulation
The Glucose Never Lies: Choosing your AID superhero
The Glucose Never Lies Website
The Glucose Never Lies Podcast on Spotify

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Trying to figure out which insulin pump might work best for your needs as a person with type 1 diabetes isn't always easy.

With more availability comes more choice, which is a great thing. I've now used both the Omnipod 5 and MyLife Loop Ypsopump CamAPS hybrid closed loop systems, so today's episode is a little deep dive into the two based on my real world experience. 

I chat through some of the similarities and differences as I've found them, from exercise to tubing to changing the pump and alarms, speaking from my personal perspective about how they both fit into my lifestyle as someone living with type 1 diabetes. If you're considering one of these insulin pumps, or a hybrid closed loop system in general, you may find this epsiode useful! 

DISCLAIMER
I am not a healthcare professional and nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management. All opinions are my own.

More information on the MyLife Ypsopump Loop: https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/mylife-loop.html
More information on the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System: https://www.omnipod.com/en-gb/what-is-omnipod/omnipod-5

YpsoPump Explorer App: https://www.mylife-diabetescare.com/en/products/infusion-systems/mylife-ypsopump-insulin-pump/ypsopump-explorer.html
Omnipod 5 Simulator App: https://www.omnipod.com/en-gb/is-omnipod-right-for-me/omnipod-5-simulator-app

The Glucose Never Lies Insulin Pump guides by John Pemberton: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/ 

Changing an Omnipod 5 Pod - Step by step insertion for type 1 diabetes
https://youtu.be/Wr5qJLdKIDY?si=oWVe6u6eLDbccTqo
An introduction to the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System for type 1 diabetes 
https://youtu.be/sG_4u435PD8?si=UF7Wz2LsRq-8torV 

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

If you’re a fan of Disney and you live with type 1 diabetes, you might just have come across today’s guest. Ruby Valentino is an actor and singer, and to date she has amassed over 2 million likes on TikTok alone on her path of tuneful advocacy, inspiring others and reworking a few classic disney songs with a type 1 twist along the way.

But for a long time Ruby’s diabetes was far from the spotlight, and in this episode we discuss how she used to hide in the toilets to inject after her diagnosis aged 13, and her struggles to talk about her feelings. 

In this chatty episode, we talk about becoming a proud diabetic and a role model for young type 1s, acting school, going viral and using negative comments as fuel to keep making content, finding ingenious places to put your insulin pump, the perks of being a type 1 partner you may not have thought of, and how type 1 diabetes can help you wean out the people that don't deserve a place in your life! 

CONNECT WITH RUBY
Follow Ruby on TikTok.
Find Ruby on Instagram.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.

Please note this episode of Type 1 on 1 contains honest discussion of severe depression at around 1'08", including suicidal thoughts. 

No matter how long you’ve been living with or close to type 1 diabetes, it remains an incredibly complex condition to understand. And while there’s a wealth of information out there to dig into, knowing what to pay attention to can be just as daunting. 

John Pemberton is a diabetes technology consultant, children’s dietician, researcher and has been living with type 1 diabetes himself for around 20 years. 

So if you’re looking for research-backed information about the right insulin pump, want to know why 20 minutes of walking is the magic key to a stubborn high glucose reading, or you just need to start with the basics without getting overwhelmed, his diabetes education platform The Glucose Never Lies could be the answer. 

It was created after his young son Jude tested positive for diabetes antibodies, and when it comes to distilling complicated diabetes information and making it make sense, John is a master of the craft.

In this episode we cover an incredible amount - from the professional, including his work with newly diagnosed families, the latest in diabetes research and his love of continuous glucose monitoring, to the deeply personal, including how years of undiagnosed ADHD led to severe depression and suicidal thoughts. After getting the right treatment in July 2025, John has found renewed purpose in taking The Glucose Never Lies to the next level.

CONNECT WITH JOHN
The Glucose Never Lies Website 
The Glucose Never Lies Podcast on Spotify 
Diabetes Specialist Nurse Forum CGM comparison chart.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
Come and say hi @studiotype1on1 on Instagram.
Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
Subscribe to the Type 1 on 1 newsletter.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use.