Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D

Blue Circle Health
  • 4.8 (6)
  • Medicine

The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. Learn more at BlueCircleHealth.org

  1. 5d ago

    Erika Szumel on Building Confidence to Do Hard Things with T1D

    Erika Szumel has lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years, works on the Blue Circle Health community engagement team, and is currently training for another marathon. But this episode isn’t really about running. It’s about doing hard things with type 1 diabetes. Scott and Erika explore what confidence actually looks like when you live with T1D, and why it’s often not something you have before you begin. Through stories from marathon training, diabetes management, setbacks, and self-doubt, Erika shares how confidence is built through experience, experimentation, adaptation, and simply taking the next step. Along the way, they discuss the fear of failure, learning from mistakes, the value of community, and why waiting until you feel completely ready may keep you from doing things that matter most. Whether your challenge is athletic, professional, personal, or diabetes-related, this conversation offers encouragement and practical perspective for moving forward even when the outcome feels uncertain. What You'll Learn Why confidence is something you build, not something you need before you startHow marathon training helped Erika rethink challenges both inside and outside of diabetesThe role experimentation, adaptability, and self-trust play in living well with T1DWhy setbacks and frustrating diabetes days don’t mean you’re failingHow community and shared experience can make difficult goals feel more achievablePractical ways to approach intimidating goals one step at a timeWhy perfection isn’t required before pursuing something meaningfulHow lessons learned from doing hard things can carry into every area of lifeKey Quotes “Living with diabetes is already an incredible challenge that you take on every single day... Anything else is nowhere near as challenging as diabetes is.” – Erika Szumel“You don't need to climb the whole staircase, you just need to take the first step and that's it.” – Erika Szumel“The more you go on, the more you trust yourself and feel that confidence.” – Erika SzumelResources & Links Diabetes Nerd podcast episode - https://youtu.be/4WKjILgEtVMType One Run on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/typeoneruncommunityBreakthrough T1D Teams - https://www2.breakthrought1d.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=run_homepageAmerican Diabetes Association Teams - https://diabetes.org/event/2026-team-diabetes-chicago-marathonTeamCWD - https://childrenwithdiabetes.com/events/teamcwd/Beyond Type 1 - https://beyondtype1.org/marathon-team/Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.orgWhat is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

    36 min

  2. May 27

    Kathryn Ward, LCSW: Simple Ways to Build Emotional Resilience in T1D

    Kathryn Ward, a licensed clinical social worker at Blue Circle Health, joins Scott to talk about emotional resilience: something many people living with type 1 diabetes feel but don’t always have words for.  Kathryn works closely with people navigating the emotional side of diabetes every day. In this conversation, she and Scott explore what emotional resilience really means, what it doesn’t, and how to navigate burnout, self-criticism, and tough diabetes days with more self-compassion.  They talk about burnout, shame, and the pressure to “do diabetes perfectly,” along with simple, realistic ways to nurture emotional resilience in everyday life with diabetes to find a more realistic, compassionate approach that helps you keep going, even when things feel heavy. If you’ve ever felt exhausted by diabetes or wondered how to keep showing up for yourself without burning out, this episode is for you. What You'll Learn What emotional resilience actually means in the context of type 1 diabetesWhy “pushing through” isn’t always the answerHow small mindset shifts can reduce burnout and self-judgmentPractical ways to respond to tough diabetes daysHow support (from yourself and others) can change everythingKey Quotes “Remember that this is a moment in time. How do you slow down, nurture yourself in this moment, and take care of your blood sugar in a way that's going to keep you safe?” – Kathryn Ward“Acceptance is a repetitive process I have to go through. I’m accepting of it right now, but as soon as something happens that throws me off track, or if I’m having a hard time, I have to go through that process of reaching acceptance again. It doesn’t feel like a one-time thing for me.” – Scott K. Johnson“Being able to allow painful emotions… that’s where we start to take our power back.” – Kathryn Ward“Burnout is normal, overwhelm is normal… it’s actually an expected response to this full-time job of being a pancreas.” – Kathryn WardResources & Links Beyond Type 1’s Mental Health + Type 1 Diabetes Resources - https://beyondtype1.org/mental-health-type-1/Behavioral Diabetes Institute’s Diabetes Distress Assessment & Resource Center - https://diabetesdistress.org/Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.orgWhat is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

    35 min

  3. May 6

    Matthew Garza: What It Takes to End Diabetes Stigma

    Matthew Garza, Director of dStigmatize at diaTribe, joins us to unpack a topic that so many people living with type 1 diabetes feel—but don’t always have words for: diabetes stigma. From subtle judgment to systemic bias, stigma can shape how people see themselves, how they interact with healthcare, and even the outcomes they experience over time. Matthew shares what diabetes stigma really is, why it’s more than just “a bad joke,” and how it shows up everywhere: from doctor visits to media portrayals to policy decisions. But this conversation isn’t just about naming the problem—it’s about what we can do to address it. We talk about the real impact stigma has on mental health, self-care, and engagement with the healthcare system. We discuss how small shifts in language, community, and confidence can start to change the story. This is a powerful, validating conversation for anyone who’s ever felt blamed, judged, or misunderstood while living with diabetes, and an important reminder that none of this is your fault. What You'll Learn How stigma goes beyond hurtful comments to influence healthcare, research, and policy decisionsThe connection between stigma, shame, burnout, and disengagement from care Why negative healthcare experiences can create a cycle that’s hard to breakHow language choices (like “control” or “compliance”) can unintentionally reinforce stigmaSimple ways friends, family, and providers can be more supportivePractical ways to push back against stigma in your own lifeWhy your lived experience with diabetes is real expertise—and deserves to be respectedKey Quotes “Diabetes stigma is everywhere, and as soon as you start to notice it, you see just how insidious it is.” – Matthew Garza“It can feel really dismissive and make people want to disengage.” – Matthew Garza“When you find those allies, that helps it feel a lot less lonely and a lot less isolating.” – Matthew Garza  Resources & Links End Diabetes Stigma Pledge – https://enddiabetesstigma.orgdStigmatize – https://dstigmatize.orgdiaTribe – https://diatribe.orgBlue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.orgWhat is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

    33 min

  4. Apr 15

    David Panzirer & T1D: From Changing His Family to Changing the System

    David Panzirer is a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the father of two adult children with type 1 diabetes. In this conversation, he shares what it was like to go from knowing almost nothing about type 1 diabetes to becoming deeply involved in improving care for people living with it. In this conversation, David reflects on the early days of fear and uncertainty, what it really feels like to support a child living with diabetes, and how his perspective has evolved over time. He talks openly about the emotional weight carried by parents and caregivers, the importance of listening to people actually living with T1D, and why the healthcare system still falls short for so many. David also shares how important it is to listen to lived experience, and how he turned his fear and concern for his children’s well-being into advocacy, change, and a deeper mission to improve the lives of everyone living with type 1 diabetes. What You'll Learn What the early days after a type 1 diabetes diagnosis can feel like for parentsHow fear can evolve into purpose and advocacy over timeWhy listening to lived experience changes how we think about supportThe tension between wanting control and learning to step back as a parentPractical ways anyone can advocate or support someone living with diabetesKey Quotes “Fear can be a very good motivator. And I was scared.” – David Panzirer“If you were trying to design a system that would make life really difficult for people with a chronic disease, you’d have exactly what we have here in the US.” – David Panzirer“Allow yourself some grace. Allow your child some grace who may be dealing with this.” – David PanzirerResources & Links The Helmsley Charitable Trust - https://helmsleytrust.orgChildren with Diabetes - https://childrenwithdiabetes.comBlue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.orgWhat is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D?The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

    39 min

  5. Apr 1

    Dr. Bill Polonsky: What the World Still Hasn’t Heard About Emotional Health and T1D

    Dr. Bill Polonsky, President and Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, joins Scott to talk about dealing with the emotional side of living with type 1 diabetes. This isn’t about burnout as a buzzword or a clinical label. It’s about the real, day-to-day emotional weight of managing a condition that never lets up, and how that weight can quietly shape how we think, feel, and care for ourselves. In this conversation, Dr. Polonsky helps unpack what diabetes distress actually is, why it’s so common (and so misunderstood), and what we can do about it. If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at diabetes, or just tired of the constant mental load, this one will likely hit close to home and hopefully offer some helpful strategies. What You'll Learn What diabetes distress really is (and what it’s not)Why “trying harder” often makes things worseThe difference between depression and diabetes distressWhy experiencing diabetes distress is normal for those with type 1 diabetesPractical ways to reduce the emotional burden of diabetesWhat actually helps when you’re overwhelmedKey Quotes “It’s this very common feeling… where you just can feel this sense of pressure and burden of living with diabetes every day.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky“We used to think that depression was extremely common in people with type one diabetes… and what we now realize is that was wrong.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky“People were scoring high on depression questionnaires, but what we were really picking up was how overwhelmed they were about their diabetes.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky“Don’t do diabetes alone!” – Dr. Bill PolonskyResources & Links Learn more about diabetes distress at http://diabetesdistress.org/Learn more about the Behavioral Diabetes Institute at http://behavioraldiabetes.org/Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.orgWhat is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health (https://bluecirclehealth.org/), a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes.

    31 min

  6. Mar 18

    A More Flexible Approach to Nutrition and T1D with Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES

    Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES,  joins Scott for a thoughtful and practical conversation about nutrition and type 1 diabetes—and how to make it a lot less overwhelming. Rita is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at Blue Circle Health who has spent decades helping people navigate food, blood sugars, and the challenges that can come with both. In this episode, Rita and Scott talk about why nutrition advice can feel so complicated when you live with type 1 diabetes and how the constant stream of “shoulds” around food can lead to unnecessary shame, stress, and confusion. Together, they explore a different way of thinking about nutrition—one that replaces rigid food rules with curiosity, flexibility, and self-trust. Rita shares how small experiments with food can help people build confidence, why balanced meals can support both satisfaction and steadier blood sugars, and why “good enough” nutrition is often a healthier and more sustainable goal than perfection. If food has started to feel like a math problem, a test, or something to fear, this episode offers a gentler path forward—one where nutrition becomes another supportive tool in your diabetes toolbox. What You'll Learn* Why nutrition can feel especially overwhelming for people living with type 1 diabetes* How shame and judgment often get tangled up with food choices* Why there is no single “right way” to eat with type 1 diabetes* What “good enough nutrition” actually looks like in real life* Why small food experiments can be more helpful than a complete dietary overhaul* How predictable fallback meals can make daily life easier* Why learning to listen to your own body is an important nutrition skill Key Quotes* "What could be more personal than the food we choose to nourish our bodies with?" – Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES* "The biggest misconception is that we are all the same and we’re not." – Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES* "Make time to eat. Give yourself that gift of making time to have a meal." – Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES* "Listen to your own body. What is it saying to you? Rely on your own wisdom more than those external messages coming through everywhere." – Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES Resources & Links* American Diabetes Association Food Hub - https://diabetesfoodhub.org* Blue Circle Health on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@BlueCircleHealth* Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D?The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

    35 min

  7. Mar 4

    What's it Like Participating in Blue Circle Health? Featuring Keshia Cannon-Peak

    Scott K. Johnson talks with Keshia Cannon-Peak, a former Blue Circle Health participant who lives in Delaware and has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1984. Keshia shares what her diagnosis was like when she was 11 years old, the isolation she felt growing up without knowing anyone else with type 1 diabetes, and how technology and online communities changed her relationship with diabetes over time. Keshia also walks us through how she found Blue Circle Health on social media (and why she initially thought it sounded too good to be true), what it felt like to add Blue Circle Health alongside her existing endocrinology care team, and the small, practical “game changer” tips that continue to help her today, about a year after she completed the program. She also spoke about a bigger shift: giving herself permission to ask for help, admitting when it’s hard, and giving herself grace. Keshia also shares that her experience with Blue Circle Health inspired her to go back to school with a new focus.  What You’ll Learn Why living with type 1 diabetes can feel isolating—especially when you don’t know anyone else who “gets it”How Keshia navigated childhood, teen years, and adulthood with T1D (and what support looked like for her)What changed when she realized there’s a whole world of people living with type 1 diabetes, and how community can helpHow Blue Circle Health can work alongside your existing care team and collaborate togetherWhy small, specific tools (like right-sizing low treatments) can make a big difference over timeKey Quotes: “I'm not alone. There are people like me.” — Keshia Cannon-Peak“I learned how to navigate, how to do things differently. Understanding what the charts mean, asking the questions why, and recommending what I should change as far as a basal rate and things like that. So I learned that from Blue Circle Health.” — Keshia Cannon-Peak“It's okay to say you need help,it's okay to say you're not having a good day, and it's okay to be overwhelmed sometimes” — Keshia Cannon-PeakResources & Links Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up): https://bluecirclehealth.org/Touched By Type 1 – The D-Box (free t1d starter kit): https://touchedbytypeone.org/What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D?The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with t1d. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/

    33 min

  8. Feb 18

    Why Community Matters in Diabetes Care with Mila Clarke, MS, NBC-HWC

    Mila Clarke, MS, NBC-HWC, joins Scott to talk about something many of us feel but don’t always say out loud: diabetes can be incredibly isolating, and community can change everything. Mila shares her own diagnosis story, including years of being misdiagnosed and the exhausting fight to be believed. From there, the conversation explores what makes a community truly supportive (and what can make it feel unsafe), why “lurking” is a legitimate and valuable way to begin, and how to take one small step toward connection even if you’ve been managing diabetes alone for a long time. What You'll Learn Why diabetes can feel so isolating, and why stigma makes it worseWhat it’s like to advocate for yourself when necessaryHow to spot a community that’s supportive (and avoid one that’s not)Why moderation and “tone-setting” matter in peer spacesThe value of “lurking” as a low-pressure entry point to connectionA simple first step to building peer support: one DM, one friend, one connectionKey Quotes “It took so much fighting, and it took so much energy and effort, just trying to be believed in a system that already doesn't believe people who look like me.” – Mila Clarke“I felt like I'm in this prison of my own body and I just want to know what's wrong.” – Mila Clarke“I think that community is so vital, truly, like our shared experience means so, so much.” – Mila Clarke“Just don't give up on community because it can be so amazing.” – Mila ClarkeResources & Links Mila’s recipes + work: https://hangrywoman.com/Glucose Guide community: https://glucoseguide.app/Community Partner Spotlight: You’re Just My Typehttps://yourjustmytype.org/What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? People with type 1 diabetes fight two wars: one against a relentless 24/7 condition, and another against a healthcare system that makes it difficult and expensive to stay alive. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

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The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. Learn more at BlueCircleHealth.org

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