8. Beth and Ellen aka The Diabetic Duo: Best friends living with type 1 diabetes and how they have used TikTok to spread awareness

In this week’s episode I speak to Beth McDaniel and Ellen Watson aka The Diabetic Duo. Beth and Ellen are best friends and both live with type 1 diabetes. Beth was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2019 and Ellen when she was six years old.

The duo are lifelong friends and the friendship has grown stronger as they both living with the ups and downs that type 1 diabetes brings. In our chat, we speak about how Ellen living with type 1 diabetes for over 10 years helped Beth when she was diagnosed, how the best friends support each other and their advice to others living with type 1 diabetes.

The Diabetic Duo have become household names after their video showing the diabetes technology on the social media platform TikTok gained over 600,000 views. You can watch the video here. 

We also discuss: 

Beth and Ellen’s diagnosis stories and how Beth’s diagnosis was shortly after her younger sisters type 1 diagnosishow being best friends who both have type 1 has helped their friendshipEllen overcoming her fear of not talking about her type 1 diabetesthe awareness raising their videos on TikTok have created and how this has helped the diabetes community

Having a friend who understands what you are going through when living with type 1 diabetes is great but when that person is your best friends it makes it that tiny bit better. 

Useful links:

Diabetic Duo TikTok profile: Diabetic duo (@diabeticduo)
Diabetic Duo Instagram profile: Diabetic duo (@the_diabetic_duo)
Beth on Instagram: Beth McDaniel (@bethymcdaniel) • Instagram photos and videos
Ellen on Instagram: Ellen Watson (@456ellen)

If you would like to ask a question or be a guest on the show then you can email Daniel at [email protected]. I read all my messages and might include your question in a future episode. You can find me on Instagram: Dan | Type 1 Diabetes Blogger (@t1d_dan) and Twitter: Dan (@t1d_dan)

A bit about the show and host
The Talking Type 1 podcast by Daniel Newman brings to you interviews from members of the diabetes community sharing their journeys of the ups and downs of living with type 1 diabetes. You’ll hear from those who live with type 1 diabetes, provide care to those living with type 1, healthcare professionals and experts in their field. 

The interviews will be an open and honest insight into life with type 1 diabetes that you can relate to and also provide the opportunity to learn more about the condition. Daniel will share his insights into his life living with type 1 diabetes. Daniel has lived with the condition along with for over 23 years. He also lives with diabetic retinopathy and received a kidney transplant in 2018. 

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