3 Wild Stories of Life with Type 1 Diabetes: Digger Drama, CGM Fails & Gollum Foot

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Life with Type 1 Diabetes isn’t just numbers, needles, and carb counting — sometimes it’s absolute chaos. In this episode of the We Are T1D podcast, Mike and Jack share three wild stories that prove diabetes doesn’t hit pause when life goes off the rails.

From a one-tonne digger landing on Jack’s foot to Mike’s classic hypo-brain “logic” moment with a CGM sensor, this episode is equal parts dramatic, hilarious, and painfully relatable.

🚜 Jack vs. The Digger (a.k.a. Gollum Foot)

Jack’s week started fine — sugars in range, basal dialled in, feeling confident. But then, a freak accident at work turned everything upside down.

While standing by a digger, the machine pivoted, and the hydraulic blade landed squarely on his foot. Cue horror-movie screams, panic, and a mad dash (or rather, crawl) to safety. To make matters worse, Jack had injected 10 units of insulin for lunch just minutes before the accident. Hypo + crushed foot = not ideal.

With no ambulance coming, Jack downed half a bottle of Coke to rescue the low and somehow kept himself stable until reaching hospital. Diagnosis? A minor fracture, severe bruising, and ligament damage. The good news? He still has his toes. The bad news? He’s now forever nicknamed Gollum Foot.

📉 Mike’s CGM Fail & Hypo Brain Logic

Meanwhile, Mike had his own moment of chaos. Mid-hypo at work, he managed to knock his CGM sensor off. In true low-blood-sugar fashion, he thought: “I’ll just stick it back on — it’ll work again.”

Spoiler: it didn’t.

Still, he kept it on all day just so he’d “feel normal.” If you’ve ever been hit by hypo brain, you’ll know exactly how ridiculous and relatable this is.

🐝 Wasp Wars (Because Why Not?)

Just when Jack thought things couldn’t get worse, moving the digger unearthed a wasp nest. So there he was: foot mangled, blood sugar dropping, phone in hand calling 999 — while wasps swarmed his van.

It was less “construction site” and more “comedy sketch.” Even Mike admits it sounded like a Laurel & Hardy routine.

💬 Type 2s, Sensors & Misconceptions

The lads also talk about the rise of Type 2s using CGMs. More people are investing in sensors to monitor their blood sugars, which is brilliant for health awareness. But it also leads to some wild misconceptions in public: from “nicotine patches” to “fat trackers.”

📊 Time in Range & Overnight Oats

Despite the drama, both Mike and Jack ended the week on a high note with strong time in range results:

Mike: 77%
Jack: 85%

Jack credits diet tweaks and basal adjustments — though being stuck at home with a busted foot means he’s less active and a bit stir-crazy. The debate of the week? Whether “overnight oats” should really be called “overnight sandwiches” if you prep them in advance. Classic We Are T1D banter.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

👉 Tune in to the full episode here:

🎙 On Spotify: Listen here
🎙 On Apple Podcasts: Listen here

📦 Key Takeaways

Diggers, wasps, and hypos don’t mix well with Type 1 Diabetes.
Hypo brain leads to very questionable decisions (like re-sticking sensors).
More Type 2s are using CGMs — a positive step for awareness.
Small tweaks to basal and diet can transform time in range.
Never underestimate the chaos diabetes adds to everyday life.

🔗 Links & Resources

Check out Mike’s Story here
Join the Diabetes UK Wellness Walk: Diabetes UK Walking Events

✅ Final Thoughts

This episode sums up life with Type 1 Diabetes perfectly: unpredictable, occasionally ridiculous, and always better when shared with a laugh. From digger disasters to CGM fails, Mike and Jack prove that while diabetes never takes a break, neither does their sense of humour.

💬 Got a story or tip to share?
We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Email: wearet1dpodcast@gmail.com
🌍 Website: www.wearet1d.com
📸 Instagram: @t1d_mike & @t1d_jack
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