#305: Diabetes Resilience through Divorce & Breast Cancer - Jenna Smith

·1 hr 45 min·5 clips

17 years into type 1 diabetes, Jenna Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her biggest fear was what chemo would do to her blood sugar.

Host Coach Ken Kaniss introduces the episode by highlighting guest Jenna Smith's journey through type 1 diabetes, divorce, and breast cancer. Jenna begins by recounting her type 1 diagnosis at age 26 in 2007, prompted by her father's concerns about rapid weight loss. She describes the diagnosis process, starting insulin immediately, and her pragmatic, non-emotional initial response. Jenna discusses her resistance to diabetes technology, initially refusing an insulin pump until her endocrinologist suggested the waterproof Omnipod, which she has used for years. She later resisted a CGM, only to be told she wasn't a good candidate after finally trying one. The conversation shifts to exercise management, with Jenna and Ken comparing strategies for handling lows during workouts. Jenna reveals her 2023 breast cancer diagnosis, detailing her fear of how chemotherapy and steroids would disrupt her tightly controlled blood sugars. She underwent five months of chemo and 35 rounds of radiation, continuing to work and parent throughout. Jenna explains that the emotional fallout hit hardest after active treatment ended. Ken and Jenna critique the medical system, arguing endocrinologists often rely on textbooks rather than individualized patient assessments. The discussion then turns to intimacy, dating, and diabetes. Jenna shares a humorous story about a medical resident remembering her from a panel where she discussed using diabetes to avoid sex. She talks about past relationships, including one with a fireman who helped during a low, and her current supportive boyfriend. Jenna discloses that chemotherapy caused menopause and vaginal atrophy, severely impacting her sexual health and adding to her feelings of isolation. The episode concludes with Ken suggesting she use social media to find community support for these specific challenges.

As heard by us

A candid conversation about type 1 diabetes, cancer, and relationships reshaped by illness.

An unnamed guest reflects on life with type 1 diabetes through the lens of relationships, illness, and everyday resistance. The story moves from a short first marriage strained by her diagnosis to a later relationship marked by more understanding, then into a breast cancer…

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Why you'd press play

You will hear how type 1 diabetes, a short-lived first marriage, breast cancer, and a complicated CGM turn can reshape a life.

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