After a traumatic pump recall and malfunction, today’s guest and 2024 Risely graduate, Emily Hawkinson, shares how she overcame her debilitating fear of lows and technology failures. From the time she would carry jugs of juice wherever she went to discovering sustainable diabetes management, Emily gets real about what living with trauma was like. She shares how, after 25 years of living with type 1, finding community and coaching helped her finally reclaim hope, freedom, and confidence.

Time Stamps:

• (03:43) The Turning Point
• (06:22) Traumatic Pump Malfunction and the Psychological Impact
• (11:10) Navigating Conversations with Her Endocrinologist
• (14:11) The Role of Fear in Daily Life
• (17:24) Community and Vulnerability in Diabetes Management
• (20:25) Finding Hope and Empowerment Instead of Shame
• (30:51) Integrating Mind and Body in Coaching
• (34:08) Sustainable Management and Overcoming Perfectionism
• (41:10) Rewire Your Brain for Success
• (47:45) Overcoming 35 and Miracles of Transformation

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. Doors are open for the January 2025 round of our signature group coaching program. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

Today, we're diving into the intersection of diabetes and the healthcare system with an incredible guest – Natalie Bellini, who brings over 50 years of lived experience with type 1 diabetes and expertise from the forefront of diabetes care. As an Endocrine Nurse Practitioner, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES), and Program Director for Diabetes Technology at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Natalie is also the host of Diabetes Dialogue: Technology, Therapeutics, & Real-World Perspectives. Throughout her career, she has been a trailblazer in advancing diabetes care, publishing studies on topics like GLP-1s and groundbreaking diabetes technology, and speaking nationally and globally to advocate for the community. In this episode, we discuss key issues in the doctor-patient relationship and what needs to change, the role of technology in improving outcomes when patients are empowered with education, the challenges many people with type 1 diabetes face, and the critical importance of early screening for type 1.

Time Stamps:

• (02:58) "Diabetes kind of found me, I didn't find it."
• (03:30) The Evolution of Natalie’s Career
• (05:57) Being Diagnosed 50+ Years Ago & the Technological Advances Made Since
• (12:50) How the Education Around T1D and the Complications Have Changed
• (14:00) Balancing Patient Care with Healthcare System Demands & The Growing Crisis of T1D Misdiagnosis with Adults.
• (16:00) Emotional and Psychological Aspects of Diabetes Management
• (16:41) Barriers to Effective Diabetes Management
• (19:54) “You should never say you’re fine when you walk into an endo’s office.”
• (20:25) Why So Many T1Ds Are Still Struggling (With or Without Technology)
• (32:00) The Importance of Addressing Emotions in Diabetes Management
• (34:55) The Truth About AID
• (40:26) The Importance of Early Detection
• (41:00) “In the US, they are recommending first-degree relatives be screened and people aren’t doing a great job of it because we need to educate the right people.”
• (42:26) The Science of Understanding Antibodies
• (52:49) Finding the Support You Deserve

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. Doors are open for the January 2025 round of our signature group coaching program. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve.
3. Be ready to treat very low blood sugar with Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection). To find out more, go to GvokeGlucagon.com/Risely

See Important Safety Information: https://www.gvokeglucagon.com/#important-safety-information

See Full Prescribing Information: https://bit.ly/3baHqAO

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

Named by Apple podcast’s Best Shows of 2021, today’s guest, Sarah Stewart Holland, is a mom, author, speaker, and podcaster of Pantsuit Politics. In today’s conversation, Abby sits down with Sarah to share her family’s journey with Type 1 Diabetes through her son Felix’s diagnosis at the age of seven. Coining the term “The Chaos Lottery,” Sarah talks about her positive mindset approach to living with T1D, along with the impact diabetes has had on Felix’s siblings, how they travel to places like Japan with low anxiety, keeping a healthy relationship to CGM technology, delegating tasks as parents of a child with T1D, preventing diabetes from taking over your relationship with your child, and the one thing she wishes she could look back and tell herself at the onset of diagnosis.

Time Stamps:

• (03:40) Coining “The Chaos Lottery”
• (06:46) Diabetes Impact on Siblings
• (09:15) Traveling With Your Child Who Has T1D
• (13:04) Projecting Anxiety Onto Your Kids
• (14:17) The Reality of Parenting
• (17:53) How She Manages Her Fear & Anxiety as Mom of a Child with T1D
• (22:25) Navigating Diagnosis
• (24:37) Understanding Food Management
• (28:00) Technology is a Blessing and a Curse
• (31:16) Communication and Delegation as Parents
• (36:18) Maintaining a Healthy Parent-Child Relationship
• (38:17) “If you could look back and tell yourself something at diagnosis, what would it be?”

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. Be ready to treat very low blood sugar with Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection). To find out more, go to GvokeGlucagon.com/Risely

See Important Safety Information: https://www.gvokeglucagon.com/#important-safety-information

See Full Prescribing Information: https://bit.ly/3baHqAO

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

I’m back for my second-trimester update. This recap includes the FULL spectrum of feelings that have happened over the last 12 weeks - including both the beautiful moments like starting to feel the baby kick and a traumatic flooding experience that completely knocked me and my husband off our feet. I’ll share the whole crazy story while also discussing the impact of trauma on my health, managing insulin resistance during pregnancy, why I got coaching support, what adjustments I needed to make, pump tech during pregnancy, and two tips from my second trimester along with a play-by-play of my doctor’s appointments as we prep for the third trimester and nesting!

Time Stamps:

• (04:40) Croatian Summer Heat, Blood Sugar, and Stress
• (07:26) Disaster on a Sunday Night
• (12:53) The Impact of Trauma on My Health, Sleep, and Food Intake
• (13:55) Managing Insulin Resistance and Blood Sugars During Pregnancy
• (17:31) “I realized I need a coach” and Making Adjustments
• (23:16) Insulin, Pump, and Tech During Pregnancy
• (24:30) Doctor’s Appointments and Baby Growth
• (26:38) Two Tips From My Second Trimester
• (28:50) The Beautiful Moments from My Second Trimester
• (29:23) Prepping for the Third Trimester and Nesting

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. Last chance! The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK November 1st. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024.
3. Access our Pregnancy + T1D Workshop on demand HERE

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

In this week’s episode, we take a deep dive into nervous system regulation with world-renowned thought leader Dr. Brooke Weinstein. We explore the intersection of emotional regulation and living with type one diabetes. Dr. Brooke weighs in on how stress and trauma affect those with T1D. We also discuss masking emotions, avoidance tendencies, re-wiring your brain to form different responses, and what steps you can take to stop people-pleasing and live more authentically.

Time Stamps:

• (05:02) Brooke’s Journey
• (10:33) Understanding Psychological vs. Neurological Health
• (12:28) Emotional Dysregulation for Everyday Life (not just extremes)
• (16:53) The Impact of Type 1 Diabetes on Emotional Health
• (22:36) Tools for Managing Blood Sugar and Emotions
• (31:47) Rewiring the Brain for Self-Care instead of People Pleasing, Fear, and Procrastination
• (46:10) The Concept of Masking and Its Impact
• (50:38) Releasing Perfectionism and Embracing Authenticity

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024.
3. Find Dr. Brooke on her website or on IG.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

In this week’s episode, we’re focusing on focus, pun intended! Joining me is Risely Coach Megan Baumley, who also works outside of Risely as a speech-language pathologist. Between 4-5% of adults in the US are believed to have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, and yet fewer than 20% of them are diagnosed and treated, with women often going undiagnosed. In today’s episode, Coach Meg shares practical tips for how to use your unique executive function strengths to support our T1D management. Abby and Meg also discuss topics like the nervous system, repurposing time, offloading, task initiation, and the benefits of working with a coach as a T1D with ADHD.

Time Stamps:

• (03:51) Statistics on ADHD Diagnosis
• (05:23) Impact of ADHD and Working Memory
• (08:01) “How can you use your executive function strengths in your T1D management?”
• (10:45) Daily Type 1 Diabetes Management Challenges
• (13:33) “Repurposing Time”
• (15:21) Offloading Information
• (18:14) Importance Vs. Interest-Based Nervous Systems
• (22:42) Practical Tips for Simplifying Type 1 Infrastructure
• (26:49) Importance of Support and Accountability
• (29:28) The Benefits of Coaching to Help Manage T1D + ADHD
• (32:30) Meg’s Main Takeaways

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024.
3. Check out our book recommendations from the episode: “How to ADHD” by Jessica McCabe and "Extra Focus" by Jesse J. Anderson.
4. How To Get Diagnosed With ADHD: 7 Steps for Adults To Get an Accurate Evaluation https://add.org/how-to-get-diagnosed-with-adhd/

On today’s episode, I’m joined by former NBA player and dad, Gary Forbes. Having grown up in a family of professional athletes, Gary immediately leaned on his dad, who also has diabetes, for encouragement. In this conversation, Gary talks about his journey with using a CGM, how he conquered his fear of needles, the challenges of managing diabetes with basketball, and why he believes T1D has made him a stronger athlete. He also candidly discusses his approach to break chronic health stigmas in sports and how he learned to become more transparent in the NBA about his condition.

Time Stamps:

• (02:17) “What phase of diabetes are you in on your journey?”
• (05:15) Pushing Against Stigma of Diabetes Diagnosis “I chose to go plan A and plan A was to make plan A work”
• (07:18) The Influence of Gary’s Father
• (08:34) Olympic Family History and Athletic Background
• (10:12) The Relationship to Diabetes and How You Approach Challenges
• (14:07) How He Worked Through Fear of Needles
• (19:35) “Diabetes made me a better athlete”
• (20:51) Learning & Adapting to Diabetes Management
• (22:34) Managing T1D as an Athlete: “I’m managing this so I can achieve this”
• (28:07) Transparency and Breaking Stigmas in Sports
• (38:20) Sole Survivors

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024.
3. Follow Gary on IG @garyforbes_ and check out his work to help children with health challenges to boost their self esteem @thesolesurvivors

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

Joining me today is Keary Cheney, a mama of four and the host of Spill The T1D Podcast with a wild, inspiring story that will have you on the edge of your seat! She tells her diagnosis story that started in Africa and landed her in a coma. Keary shares the anxiety and steep learning curve that came with adjusting after her shocking diagnosis. We talk about her adoption journey, how diabetes has shaped her and her daughter’s relationship, diabetes education overseas, her T1D pregnancy, and how she’s using her experiences to support other families.


Time Stamps:

• (03:58) Running the NYC Marathon
• (06:04) Her Relationship to Training and Being An Example To Her Daughter
• (08:38) Africa, Coma, and Her Diagnosis
• (13:21) “I’m super healthy, I can’t get diabetes”
• (15:44) “I had no perspective on what having T1D meant”
• (17:16) Adopting Her Daughter From Uganda Who Has T1D
• (20:53) Managing Diabetes Overseas
• (23:25) The Sonia Nabeta Foundation for Diabetes Education and Support
• (26:24) “I knew everything I was doing, she was watching”
• (29:52) “If she can live with joy with Type 1, then I can too”
• (31:28) The Decision to Have Their Own Baby
• (39:40) The Differences in Her Pregnancies with T1D
• (48:49) Home Birth
• (54:53) Her Anchor

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024.
3. Check out Keary and her podcast on Instagram @graceandsalt + @spilltheT1D.
4. You can support children in Africa living with T1D by donating to the Sonia Nabeta Foundation for diabetes education and clinics.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.