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Oct 9, 2017

My guest on today’s show is Peter Hagen. Peter’s history with diabetes is very similar to mine, in the fact that he was diagnosed with type 1 as an adult. In this conversation, he takes us through his chance diagnosis following a routine health insurance exam, which ultimately revealed an HbA1c of close to 13%. While it was a shock to Peter, he recalls being misdiagnosed with a list of illnesses and also experiencing some classic symptoms that he pushed aside leading up to that diagnosis. 

In our conversation, Peter is also vocal when it comes to the landscape of health insurance, coverage for basic required supplies, and how pre-existing conditions come into play when it comes to the insurance world. We also discuss the challenges he has faced when it comes to getting diabetes testing supplies and insulin, as well as the super creative ways in which he was able to get what he needed to stay healthy.

We then transition to Peter’s experiences volunteering at a camp for kids living with diabetes, what the kids at camp have taught him about diabetes and life, and how that flipped a switch for him to start competing in triathlons. We discuss mindset as well as motivating factors when we hit a wall and we try to convince ourselves that we’re done.

Peter also describes meeting pro snowboarder Sean Busby, the founder of Riding On Insulin, and how that prompted him to start volunteering his time to help kids gain confidence through snowboarding and skiing. Peter shares his amazing experiences on the mountain as well as lessons learned that can help us all succeed in everyday life.

This is a conversation of giving back and contributing to the world, and how we can find life’s lessons in the most unusual of places.