#321: From the Dark Ages to Present Day: Carrie’s 45-Year Journey With T1D

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In this episode, I sat down with Carrie Neher, who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since 1981 — long before CGMs, pumps, carb ratios, or even finger-stick meters were available. Diagnosed at 14 and hospitalized for two weeks, Carrie learned to manage diabetes in what she calls “the dark ages.”

She shares what it was really like growing up using urine testing tablets, one daily shot of mixed insulin, and zero real-time glucose feedback — and the emotional weight that came with high A1Cs despite doing everything “right.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Diabetes management before CGMs and meters required intuition, resilience, and guesswork.
• Shame and confusion were common because the tools simply didn’t exist to understand blood sugar.
• Exercise dramatically improves circulation, insulin sensitivity, and long-term health.
• Fear of lows is often rooted in one traumatic low event — and can be reframed with a plan.
• Gradually lowering your comfort range (ex: 150 → 130 → 110) is a powerful way to rebuild trust.
• Modern T1Ds often underestimate how life-changing today’s tools truly are.
• Community, encouragement, and support matter just as much as insulin and devices.
• “Bloom where you are planted.” Your circumstances don’t define your potential.

Carrie's Instagram:

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
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💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
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