Reclaim Your Rise: Type 1 Diabetes with Lauren Bongiorno

Dana was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 6 and has now lived with it for over 24 years. As an ICU nurse working long, intense shifts, she found herself bouncing from the 50s to the 300s, feeling exhausted, ashamed, and frustrated that she couldn’t “get it together” — especially as a medical professional. In this episode, she shares how she went from an A1C of nearly 11 to 6.4, what finally helped her break through the “stuck at 7” plateau, and the mindset work that let her feel in control of her diabetes for the first time. If you’ve ever felt alone, burnt out, or like your body is failing you, Dana’s story will give you both hope and tools.What we cover:What it’s really like to manage T1D while working 12-hour ICU shiftsThe shame of being a nurse with “uncontrolled” numbersHow Dana went from an A1C of ~11 down into the 6sWhy she stopped going to her endo for a season — and what changedUsing the A1C Shift Method + coaching to finally break past 7.0The power of pre-bolus, pattern-tracking, and reflection (not perfection)How sleep mode on her pump changed her overnights and energyMoving from diabetes controlling her life to her feeling in chargeKey takeaways:1️⃣ Mindset is the first tool. Before anything else shifted, Dana had to move from “I can’t do this” to “I can figure this out with time and support.”2️⃣ You can’t treat a complex condition with 15-minute visits alone. Endo appointments gave tiny tweaks. What really moved the needle was education, ongoing support, and accountability.3️⃣ Small wins add up to big change. From celebrating a 110 fasting BG to turning on sleep mode, Dana’s transformation came from consistent small shifts, not one giant fix.What’s next:🔗Take the A1C Shift Method Course: https://www.riselyhealth.com/a1c-shift-method  🔍For More on Today’s Topic: Click Here!  [Link past episode and/or free resource here] 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.Stay connected with us: Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthTikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthYT: Reclaim Your Rise Subscribe and review:If Dana’s story made you feel less alone or more hopeful about what’s possible with T1D, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.

When Shannon’s 7-year-old daughter, Raelynn, went from gymnastics practice to the ICU in DKA within 48 hours, her family’s world flipped overnight. In this episode, Shannon shares the real story behind their viral TikTok family: the trauma of diagnosis, the mental load of T1D parenting, the role of their diabetic alert dog Spy, and how she and her husband found a rhythm that gives their daughter both safety and independence. If you’re a parent navigating Type 1 — or worried about your other kids’ risk — this conversation will make you feel less alone and more equipped.What we cover:The day a “virus” turned into an ICU DKA diagnosisHow Shannon and her husband divide T1D responsibilitiesThe impact of T1D on siblings and family dynamicsWhat their diabetic alert dog Spy actually does day-to-dayHow their TikTok community started and what it means to themThe emotional weight of screening another child for T1DKey takeaways:1️⃣ You don’t have to be fearless as a T1D parent — you just have to keep showing up.2️⃣ Kids with T1D often grow up faster, and that maturity can become a powerful advantage later in life.3️⃣ Community, tools, and support make the mental load of T1D lighter and your decisions clearer.What’s next:🔗 Follow along & learn more about the Bogg's journey  💻 Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧 Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.Stay connected with us: Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthTikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthYT: Reclaim Your Rise Subscribe and review:If this episode supported you as a T1D parent, subscribe and leave a review so more families can find these conversations

In this episode, I sit down with Shaylin Fuller, a Muay Thai fighter and Risely 2025 coaching graduate, to talk about what it’s really like when the thing you love most starts to feel dangerous because of type 1 diabetes. After experiencing a terrifying low during training, exercise stopped feeling empowering and started feeling like a constant risk she had to manage. We talk about how that fear followed her far beyond the gym and quietly began running her life. Shaylin opens up about the moment she realized she couldn’t keep choosing between her sport and her health — and how coaching helped her rebuild trust in her body. You’ll hear what it took to move from 47% to 88% time in range, and why real change happened slowly, imperfectly, and in the “messy middle.” This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t about control — it’s about reclaiming your confidence, your freedom, and your rise.💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve. 🫂Stay connected with us: DM takeaways/ episode requests or email [email protected]   IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthTikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthYT: Reclaim Your Rise 

In this special 200th episode of Reclaim Your Rise, I sit down with Risely coaching alum Layne—an ICU nurse practitioner who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years—to explore a struggle I know so many in our community quietly carry: the weight of comparison, perfectionism, and those triggering “perfect” flat-line graphs. Even with an A1C of 5.8, Layne shares how she felt mentally drained from micromanaging every detail of her diabetes and questioning whether true freedom and stable numbers could ever exist together. She opens up about the years when flat graphs came only from restriction, and how that left her wondering if peace was possible without losing herself again. In our conversation, Layne reflects on how she learned to redefine progress, shift her mindset, and rebuild trust with her body in a way that finally brought her steadier days and more ease. I’m so excited for you to hear this honest, raw, and deeply relatable story. And to celebrate episode 200, I’m hosting a special giveaway for the community—details are inside!

In today’s episode, I’m boiling down everything I’ve observed in 7 years of coaching people impacted by T1D into one essential takeaway. In my experience, there is this ONE thing that is at the base of every T1D transformation, no matter who the person is, when they were diagnosed, or what their story is. I've seen it for myself and I've witnessed it for every single one of our clients here at Risely. Today, I’m sharing the number one thing that YOU can do to lower your A1C.  If you're waking up every day frustrated and feeling like you're not getting any closer to creating positive change in your life or with your diabetes, then this episode is for you!