Advertise on podcast: Reclaim Your Rise: Type 1 Diabetes with Lauren Bongiorno

Pregnancy with type 1 diabetes comes with tighter blood sugar targets, changing insulin needs, more appointments, and a whole new level of attention to your diabetes. But what does it actually look like to go through the entire experience? In this episode, Lauren sits down with Risely Coach Katerina Harmon, who recently welcomed her daughter, Lydia, to talk through her experience from preparing for pregnancy all the way through labor, delivery, breastfeeding, and the first few months postpartum. Katerina went into pregnancy feeling confident in her diabetes management, with an A1C of 5.9 and months of preparation behind her. But even with that foundation, there was plenty she had to figure out along the way, from insulin needs that changed dramatically throughout pregnancy to advocating for herself, preparing for labor and delivery, and finding a new rhythm with T1D once Lydia was here. WHAT WE COVER: What Katerina did months before trying to conceive to prepare her blood sugars for pregnancyHow her insulin needs changed throughout each trimesterWhy knowing how to recognize patterns and confidently adjust insulin became so importantKaterina’s experience using manual mode during much of her pregnancyAdvocating for yourself with your endocrinology, MFM, and OB teamsHow Katerina prepared her husband to help manage her T1D during laborHer 44-hour labor, induction, epidural, and four and a half hours of pushingWhat happened to her insulin needs after giving birthBreastfeeding with T1D and navigating postpartum lowsWhat Katerina wishes women with T1D knew before beginning pregnancy prep If pregnancy is something you’re thinking about in the next year or two, you’re actively preparing, or you’re already pregnant, this conversation gives you an honest look at what the experience can actually look like with type 1 diabetes. WHAT’S NEXT: 🤰 Preparing for pregnancy with T1D? On October 14th, Lauren is working with a small cohort of women with type 1 diabetes who are preparing to get pregnant in 2027/2028. The 12 week group coaching program is designed to help you get your blood sugars ready for pregnancy while building the skills, patterns, and confidence you’ll need to sustain tighter targets through the changes pregnancy can bring. If you’re interested, apply through the Risely Health Coaching Application and note that you’re specifically interested in the high touch Pregnancy Prep Program. Stay connected with us:  📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Pregnancy with T1D can come with a lot of “How am I ever going to do this?” If this episode made it feel a little more doable, subscribe and leave a review to help another T1D find it when she needs it.

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Dara Melnick, a licensed therapist who has lived with T1D for 38 years, to talk about the side of “good” diabetes management beyond the numbers. Dara spent years trying to keep her numbers as perfect as possible. She tested her blood sugar up to 30 times a day before CGMs, developed strict rules around food, and eventually stopped eating breakfast to avoid the spike. Her A1C looked great, but managing T1D was exhausting.  Through Risely coaching, Dara learned how to loosen those rules without sacrificing the blood sugars she had worked so hard for. Today, she has a 5.7 A1C while eating based on what her body is asking for, salmon and sourdough or Cheez-Its and pretzels. Lauren and Dara also get into what 38 years with T1D has taught Dara as a therapist, a mom, and a woman, from using the “power of the pause” when diabetes goes sideways to why asking for help can be one of the most powerful things you do for yourself. WHAT WE COVER: How trying to keep her blood sugar “perfect” led Dara to a 6.1 A1C, testing up to 30 times a day, and eventually skipping breakfast altogetherThe Risely secrets that helped Dara go from strict food rules to a 5.7 A1C while eating what she craved, when she craved itWhen “good” diabetes management crosses the line into diabetes controlling your lifeWhat led Dara to ask for help even though she’s a licensed therapist who’d managed T1D for decadesThe “power of the pause” and how Dara uses it to respond instead of react to CGM readingsWhat T1D has taught Dara about raising her 10 and 13-year-old kids, including the lesson they learned when she suddenly went low on a family hike WHAT’S NEXT: 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Dara’s story made you realize you can have great blood sugars without letting T1D dictate when, what, and how you eat, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

In this episode of Reclaim Your Rise, Lauren sits down with Kelsey Lynn Stokes and Francesca Spinello, co-founders of Calycanthus Lingerie, a company creating feminine, functional insulin pump holders for women who wear tubed pumps. Kelsey’s story with Risely started years before Calycanthus existed. After living with T1D since age 13, she came to Risely at one of her lowest points with diabetes. Through 1:1 coaching, she brought her A1C from 8.1% to 6.3% and began changing her relationship with T1D. Now, she’s taking an insecurity she remembers having as a 22-year-old woman starting on an insulin pump and turning it into something that gives other women more choice in how they dress, date, celebrate, and express themselves. Plus, Kelsey takes us behind the scenes of her career in film and television as a script supervisor, and how living with T1D has given her a unique perspective on diabetes representation on screen. WHAT WE COVER: How Kelsey went from an 8.1 A1C and nearly in tears asking for help to a 6.3 and building a company for the T1D communityThe heartbreaking question Kelsey asked the night before getting her first insulin pump at 22How losing a dress on a train in Italy eventually led to a patented product for women with T1DWhy Kelsey once wondered, “Who’s going to love me if I have this on?” and the emotional side of wearing an insulin pump while dating and being intimateThe difference between hiding your diabetes and simply not wanting it to be the first thing people seeWhat TV gets painfully wrong about T1D, from someone who works behind the scenesWhy Kelsey says her 13-year-old self would have been “less scared” if she could see her life now CONNECT WITH KELSEY + CALYCANTHUS: Kelsey Lynn Stokes(founder): @thewanderingdiabetic Calicanthus Lingerie: @calycanthuslingerie Shop Products WHAT’S NEXT: 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Kelsey’s story made you want to stop letting T1D call the shots, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

Jasmine Jones was five months into treatment for an aggressive form of breast cancer when she ended up in the ICU with DKA and heard another life-changing diagnosis: Type 1 diabetes. As a CrossFit athlete, coach, and military veteran who had always built so much of her identity around health and strength, Jasmine suddenly found herself learning how to manage insulin while she was still going through chemotherapy. In this episode, Jasmine sits down with Lauren to talk about navigating two life-changing diagnoses in less than a year, from being discharged from the hospital scared to give herself insulin and seeing blood sugars in the 300s, to eventually going from 52% time in range to consistently reaching 85–90%.  She also opens up about rebuilding her relationship to food, , her identity, and how she went  from thinking, “This can’t be life,” to feeling like she was back in the driver’s seat. This is one of our favorite conversations of the year. Enjoy. WHAT WE COVER: How Jasmine was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just five months after her breast cancer diagnosis, while still undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapyWhat it was like to leave the ICU with a new T1D diagnosis, a sliding scale, and very little understanding of how to actually manage insulinHow Jasmine went from an 8.4 A1C and 52% time in range to 85% consistently, all while still recovering from cancerThe exact mindset shift that took Jasmine from terrified to give herself insulin to confidently adjusting her own settingsWhat she did to rebuild her confidence with food after a diagnosis sent her relationship with food into a tailspinWhy this lifelong athlete had to completely rethink what “strength” meant after cancer and T1D changed what her body could doWhy Jasmine believes finding people who understand T1D changed the trajectory of her first year with diabetes WHAT’S NEXT: 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Jasmine's resilience reminded you that you're capable of getting through anything, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

Every pump user knows they should have a backup plan. But how prepared are you actually if your pump stops working tonight? Lauren found out the hard way when one task she’d been putting off left her without a working pump and scrambling to switch back to injections before bed. What seemed manageable quickly turned into a middle-of-the-night diabetes disaster and a reminder that having backup insulin isn’t the same thing as being prepared to use it. In this solo episode, Lauren shares what went wrong, what she wishes she had done differently, and the simple backup plan every pump user should have ready before they actually need it. She also gets into the aftermath of a really rough diabetes night and how she moves forward after riding the rollercoaster. WHAT WE COVER: How a supply pickup Lauren kept putting off snowballed into a sleepless night fighting blood sugars in the 300sThe small mistake that left Lauren without a working pump at the worst possible timeHow a seemingly simple switch back to injections turned into blood sugars nearing 400 overnightThe backup-plan mistake Lauren didn’t realize she’d made until 3 a.m.The 4 things every pump user should have ready before something goes wrongHow Lauren handles the physical and mental “blood sugar hangover” after a really rough diabetes day WHAT’S NEXT: 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Lauren's rough night made you feel less alone in your own messy diabetes days, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find these conversations.

Elizabeth Elder knows what it means to carry a lot as a mother. Her two oldest children were born with a rare genetic condition, and in 2021, she lost her daughter Annabelle to complications of that condition at just eleven years old. About a year later, her son Clark, her third child, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age five. For Elizabeth, who had already spent years navigating the world of medically complex parenting and had even founded a nonprofit to support other moms walking similar roads, the diagnosis felt like one more heavy thing to hold. In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with Risely's Director of Coaching, Abby Cooper, to talk honestly about T1D motherhood: the mom guilt, the pressure to get everything right, and the quiet weight of feeling like your child's numbers are a reflection of you. She shares what shifted when she joined our T1D Mom Coaching Program, from learning that you can't get an A in diabetes, to letting herself receive support for once instead of being the one who always gives it, to the community of moms who are still showing up for each other long after the program ended. It's a moving conversation about grief, grace, and finding a way to carry T1D that leaves room for you to actually live. WHAT WE COVER: Why a stomach bug with no fever was the clue that led to Clark's T1D diagnosis at 5, almost exactly one year after Elizabeth lost her daughterWhat her 5-year-old said to comfort her in the hospital, in the middle of the scariest moment of her yearThe number 1 belief that helped to reduce mom guiltWhy you can't get an A in diabetes, and the reframe that finally freed Elizabeth from treating every A1C like a report cardHow "time in happiness" became just as important as time in range, and the pediatric psychologist who introduced her to itBeing the mom who holds everyone else together, and what it took for her to finally let herself be the one supportedClark's first-ever sleepover 3.5 years after diagnosis, the exact blood sugars Elizabeth watched from home, and how she let him go anyway WHAT’S NEXT: 👩‍👧 Our 8-week T1D Mom Coaching Program is back, starting September 9th. It's live group coaching with Lauren and Abby, built for moms raising kids with Type 1 who are ready to trade the overwhelm for real confidence. Learn more and apply here. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Elizabeth's story made you feel less alone in the weight of T1D motherhood, subscribe and leave a review so more moms can find their way here.

Drew Mendelow was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13 and left the hospital overwhelmed by how much he was suddenly expected to learn and calculate on his own. So he built the tool he wished he’d had: T1D1, a free app that takes the mental math out of insulin dosing for people who are newly diagnosed or managing with injections. Now a student at Georgia Tech, Drew joins Lauren to talk about what’s actually next in diabetes tech, from AI and continuous ketone monitoring to smarter pump algorithms and the apps making daily life with T1D easier, while asking an important question: as diabetes technology gets smarter, how do we make sure people with T1D still feel informed and in control of their own management? WHAT WE COVER: Why Drew built T1D1 after being diagnosed at 13The diabetes tech Drew thinks could change T1D nextWhy continuous ketone monitoring matters, even when blood sugar is in rangeLauren’s scariest low in 25 years with T1D and what caused itThe diabetes app Drew recommended that Lauren immediately wanted to downloadWhere AI and smarter pump algorithms could help, and where they could take away too much control WHAT’S NEXT: 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto! 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode got you excited about where T1D tech is headed, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with diabetes can find these conversations.

Lauri Beale never imagined a routine visit would end with her 5-year-old daughter being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. What followed was an 11-month honeymoon phase that left her family in a constant state of uncertainty. While her daughter was still producing some insulin, every day felt unpredictable, and Lauri found herself waiting for the other shoe to drop. In this conversation with Risely's Director of Coaching, Abby Cooper, Lauri shares what the first year after diagnosis really looked like. From the mental load that consumed every conversation with her husband to learning how to parent as a team without letting diabetes take over their family, she opens up about the challenges most parents don't expect. She also shares how expanding her toolkit through coaching, prioritizing her own mental health, and reframing blood sugar data helped her move from fear to confidence. If you're raising a child with type 1 diabetes and wondering whether life will ever feel manageable again, this episode offers practical hope from someone who's been there. WHAT WE COVER: What an 11-month honeymoon phase practically looked like with insulin dosing The simple communication rule that stopped diabetes from taking over every conversation in their marriageThe three things that helped Lauri stop living in survival mode after her daughter's diagnosisThe biggest frustrations with their endocrinology appointments, and how they got the confidence to stop waiting in between appointments to make changesHow they started building diabetes independence in their 6-year-old without putting too much on her shouldersThe mindset and management changes that helped increase their daughter Regan’s Time in Range from 65% to 85% WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise

Kenna Porter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13, and for years she did everything she thought she was supposed to. She followed a strict paleo diet, worked out consistently, and built her life around healthy habits. But every time she went to the endocrinologist, she still couldn't seem to get her A1C below 7%. Together, they talk about the frustration of feeling like nothing was working despite doing everything "right,", learning to let go of control, navigating pregnancy and motherhood with Type 1 diabetes, and the tangible shifts that helped diabetes finally feel lighter to live with. WHAT WE COVER: Why doing everything "right" still wasn't enough to get her A1C below 7% and what she had to do instead The shifts that helped Kenna stop chasing perfection and find a more sustainable approach to diabetesThe role comparison played in keeping her stuck, and how she finally broke free from itWhy Kenna avoided connecting with other people with Type 1 diabetes for nearly a decadeThe realities of pregnancy, postpartum, and emergency C-sections with Type 1 diabetesKenna's experience navigating miscarriage with Type 1 diabetes and the message she wants other women to hear WHAT’S NEXT: 📲Follow Kenna's journey with T1D + motherhood on IG! 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Kenna's story made you feel less alone in the parts of T1D you've never spoken about, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with this can find the support they deserve.

Last week, Lauren went for a 30-minute run and left her phone at home. No CGM. No way to check her blood sugar. Just two glucose tablets in her pocket, a plan she trusted, and confidence in the patterns she'd learned about her body. For most people living with Type 1 diabetes, our phones are never more than an arm's length away. They're where our CGM lives, where we bolus insulin, and how we make hundreds of diabetes decisions every day. While that technology is incredible, it can also make it difficult to truly disconnect. In this impromptu solo episode, Lauren reflects on what happened when she intentionally stepped away from her diabetes technology for just 30 minutes. She shares the blood sugar strategy that made it possible, why the experience felt surprisingly emotional, and the question she's now asking herself and every person living with T1D: When was the last time you intentionally spent 30 minutes away from your diabetes technology? WHAT WE COVER: What We Cover: The blood sugar strategy Lauren used before heading out for her runWhy leaving her phone behind felt both scary and incredibly freeingHow learning your body's patterns builds confidence beyond your CGMThe difference between using diabetes technology as a tool versus relying on it as a crutchA simple challenge to help you build more confidence in your own diabetes management WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode made you want to challenge yourself to be a little more present with T1D, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with this disease can find it.

When your child's CGM alarms at 2 a.m., does your body go into panic mode before your brain has a chance to think? If you're raising a child with Type 1 diabetes, you know the constant mental load. The carb counting, the overnight alarms, the second guessing, and the pressure to get every decision right. In this episode, Lauren and Risely’s Director of Coaching, Abby Cooper, sit down after spending  three days at the Friends for Life Conference to share the seven things they wish every T1D caregiver knew. Not carb ratios or pump settings, but the beliefs, nervous system patterns, and relationship dynamics that quietly shape everything about how T1D feels to manage as a family. Including why shielding your child from the burden of this disease can work against them, why your nervous system matters just as much as their blood sugar, and why time and happiness deserves just as much weight as time in range. WHAT WE COVER: Highlights from the Orlando Friends for Life ConferenceThe surprising difference between teaching diabetes management and helping your child build a healthy relationship with diabetesWhy your child's nervous system often mirrors yours, and practical ways to stay regulated during stressful diabetes momentsThe mistake many parents make when trying to "protect" their child from diabetes, and how to build confidence through age-appropriate independenceHow diabetes quietly creates resentment between partners, and the conversation most couples never realize they need to haveWhy T1D Facebook groups can leave parents feeling more anxious than informed, and how to know when it's time to step awayWhy one family with 93% Time in Range still felt like they were losing, and the powerful concept of Time in Happiness that completely reframes success as a T1D caregiver WHAT’S NEXT: 🎓 August 4th and 5th Free Live Workshop: How to Stop Letting T1D Run Your Family's Life Without Second-Guessing Every Decision or Living in Fear. Register for free here: [LINK] 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode made you feel less alone in the weight of T1D parenting, subscribe and leave a review so more caregivers can find it.

Kate Makinson has lived with Type 1 diabetes since 7th grade and has spent the last 33 years building a life of absolute adventure. She’s a PE teacher, runner, mountain biker, and someone who has always found a way to figure it out, whether that meant finishing a half marathon with a failing CGM or managing nine days in Europe after her insulin pump broke with nothing but short-acting insulin. After 12 years away from the diabetes community, raising two kids and focusing on her career, things started changing. When perimenopause hit, the symptoms looked so much like long-term diabetes complications that Kate convinced herself that was exactly what they were. That fear, after three decades of managing T1D with confidence, sent her looking for a T1D community she’d never thought she needed. She found it in Risely's group coaching program, where her average blood sugar dropped from 171 to 155, her time in range climbed from 61% to 75%, and her A1C improved from 7.5 to 6.9. But more than the numbers, Kate walked away with a mindset she hadn't had in years: that no matter what diabetes throws at you, you've got this. WHAT WE COVER: The specific habit that helped drop her average blood sugar from 171 to 155 and bring her time in range from 61% to 75%What it was like to spend nine days in Europe after her insulin pump broke with nothing but short-acting insulin, and how she managed to keep adventuring anywayHow a failing CGM in the first mile of a half marathon forced her to run 13 miles on instinct, gels, and sheer determinationWhy perimenopause symptoms convinced her she had long-term diabetes complicationsWhat brought her to Risely coaching after 33 years of managing T1D largely on her own, and why she says it was the support she didn't know she neededHer best travel tips for flying, international trips, and staying prepared without letting diabetes overthink the adventure WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode made you feel like the best with T1D really is yet to come, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with this disease can find it.

Chris Roome was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 12 after waking up in the ICU, but for years, managing his T1D wasn’t his priority. Through his teens and early adulthood, he struggled with teenage rebellion, addiction, an A1C of 12, and eventually reached a turning point that changed the course of his life.. Within a year of getting sober, his A1C dropped to under 6. Today, Chris has completed multiple marathons, 50+ mile ultramarathons, and founded Project InsulNation, an organization leading backcountry expeditions exclusively for adults living with Type 1 diabetes. In this episode, Chris sits down with Lauren to  share how recovery transformed the way he approached T1D, the exact insulin and fueling strategies he uses during ultra-endurance races, the moment his pump site ripped out halfway through a 50-mile trail run, and why he's on a mission to help more adults with Type 1 diabetes discover they're capable of far more than they've been led to believe WHAT WE COVER: What it was like waking up in an ICU at 12, going months without checking his blood sugar, and what finally forced everything to changeThe direct connection between getting sober and getting his A1C from a 12 to under 6 in one yearThe exact fueling and insulin strategy he uses to run 50-plus miles without his blood sugar crashingWhat happened when his insulin pump ripped out in the middle of a race, and how he still crossed the finish lineWhy endurance sports gave him a completely different perspective on living with Type 1 diabetesThe inspiration behind Project InsulNation and why he's creating outdoor expeditions specifically for adults with T1DWhat it looks like to join a Project InsulNation expedition, and who it's for WHAT’S NEXT: 🏔️ Interested in joining Chris and Project InsulNation on their August Grand Teton expedition? Learn more and apply at projectinsulnation.com or follow them on Instagram at @project_insulnation. 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If hearing how Chris went from an A1C of 12 and active addiction to running 50-mile races made you rethink what's possible with T1D, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with this disease can find it.

Audrey DeGuerrera was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2022 while working as a management consultant at McKinsey, averaging 80-hour weeks and traveling four days a week. The physical demands were a lot, but it was the mental load of suddenly living with a chronic condition that hit hardest. When she turned to her endocrinologist for support, they offered antidepressants. That's when she started questioning whether the healthcare system was built to actually support people with T1D, or just manage them. Now pursuing her MBA at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and a former Risely coaching client, Audrey attended this year's American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions and left with a lot of insights and questions she brought to the conversation. In this episode, she and Lauren dig into why 70% of US counties have no endocrinologist, why only 1 in 4 people with diabetes are meeting their care targets, and why insurance companies aren't incentivized to fix any of it. Audrey also shares what's giving her genuine hope, and why she believes team-based care could be the most important shift the diabetes world makes in the next decade. WHAT WE COVER: Being diagnosed with T1D in the middle of 80-hour weeks at McKinsey, and what happened to her insulin needs when she finally leftThe statistics from ADA 2026 that stopped Audrey in her tracksWhy the endocrinologist shortage isn't just a rural problem, and who it's actually affectingThe reason insurance companies aren't built to care about your long-term T1D outcomesThe single change Audrey believes could shift the entire diabetes care ecosystemWhere AI fits- and where it doesn't-in the future of T1D care WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this conversation made you feel less alone in your frustration with a medical system that wasn't built for you, subscribe and leave a review so more people with T1D can find it.

Alex Tolwinski… known online as @TypeOneAlexx… built a pretty recognizable T1D presence on social media by doing what everyone told him he couldn’t do: feasting on Crumble cookies, Chinese buffets, and dirty sodas, and posting every blood sugar along the way. But behind the funny viral videos is a guy who spent years feeling completely alone with his diagnosis, and who eventually found his way back through community. In this episode, Alex joins Lauren to talk about what it actually looks like to live boldly with T1D, why he'll never delete a negative comment, and the moment in college that made him realize he didn't have to figure this out by himself. In this episode you'll hear: Why Alex intentionally ate 6 Crumbl Cookies in one sitting, and what happened to his blood sugar afterwardThe terrifying 24 mg/dL and 28 mg/dL lows that led to paramedics, police officers, and complete memory lossWhat Alex says is the hardest part of Type 1 diabetes (and it’s not high blood sugar)How Alex handles the comments that claim he doesn't take care of himselfWhy he answers "what does reclaiming life with T1D mean to you?" with just one word WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Alex's story felt like the permission slip you didn't know you needed, subscribe and leave a review so more people find this show.