Is This the Beginning of the End for Type 1 Diabetes? ft. Katie Beth, Eledon Trial Patient-9

What if Type 1 diabetes could actually be cured — not in five years, not in a mouse, but RIGHT NOW in real people? Katie Beth Hand is Patient #9 in the Eledon clinical trial, and she joins Coach Ken for one of the most powerful conversations in the history of this podcast. She's off insulin. She's eating pizza at midnight. And she's on a mission to make sure every Type 1 diabetic knows this is real. In this episode: Katie's diagnosis story — misdiagnosed as Type 2, sent home from the hospital with no real education, and nearly didn't survive How a frustrating blood sugar day sent her down a clinical trial rabbit hole — and changed her life What the Eladon trial actually is, how it works, and how Katie got in as Patient #9 Tegaprubart (Tego) — the targeted drug that protects islet cells WITHOUT destroying your immune system Why you can fly on planes, sit in crowds, and live a completely normal life on this trial The difference between Eladon, Vertex, pig islet cells, and the eyeball trial (yes, really) How islet cells communicate with glucagon — and why Katie doesn't go low anymore The Islet Cell Act — the legislation that could fast-track this for millions, and why it's stalled What needs to happen before this is available to everyone — the real roadmap The pizza story. You need to hear the pizza story. Why staying healthy NOW matters more than ever — so you're ready when the cure arrives This is the most hopeful episode we've ever recorded. Don't miss it. 📅 Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction to Episode 337 00:37 – Intro to Katie Beth Hand: Patient #9 in the Eladon Trial 01:45 – How Katie Went Viral (The Facebook Post That Broke the Internet) 03:38 – Katie's Intro: Who She Is and Why She's Here 04:05 – How Many Podcasts Has She Done?! 06:20 – Ken's Reaction: Did I Miss My Chance to Get Her? 07:38 – Diagnosis Story: The Free-Spirited 26-Year-Old Who Got Blindsided 09:32 – Misdiagnosed as Type 2, Then the Code Red Phone Call 10:53 – DKA, the ER, and the Grief of Diagnosis as an Adult 11:16 – Why Adult Diagnosis Is a Different Kind of Trauma 12:20 – Ken's Diagnosis Story: 450 Blood Sugar, No Hospital, Just Sent Home 14:07 – What Happened Next: No Education, Just Set Loose 16:12 – The Fire Hose of Information After Diagnosis 16:40 – Ken's 3 Years of Depression, Denial, and Isolation 17:34 – Is Adult Diagnosis Getting Better? (Spoiler: Maybe Not) 18:20 – Why C-Peptide Testing Should Be Standard at Diagnosis 20:13 – Post-COVID Diagnoses and Islet Cell Transplants That COVID Destroyed 22:50 – The Pivot: What Is the Eladon Trial? 23:13 – Why Ken Was Always Skeptical of Immunosuppressants 24:00 – Katie's Rabbit Hole: Vertex, Eladon, and Extreme Skepticism 26:27 – Flying to Chicago, 5 Days of Testing, and Meeting the Team 27:47 – How the Islet Cell Transplant Actually Works 28:41 – Alpha Cells, Beta Cells, and Why She Doesn't Go Low Anymore 29:08 – The Surgery: A Tiny Incision and a Bandaid 29:34 – Tegaprubart (Tego): The Drug That Changed Everything 30:22 – What Are the Restrictions? (Basically None) 31:45 – What She Traded: Constant Highs & Lows for an IV Every 21 Days 33:07 – Other Trials: Vertex, Pig Islet Cells, and the Eyeball Study 34:54 – All the Pieces of the Puzzle Coming Together for the First Time 36:13 – "I Don't Believe These Kids Will Have Diabetes Their Whole Lives" 37:12 – Patient #10, Chris: How They Connected on TikTok 39:35 – How Long Is the Trial? It Keeps Getting Extended 40:33 – Could the Drug Get Even More Lifestyle Friendly? 43:28 – Would You Rather Have T1D or an IV Every 21 Days? 45:10 – One Transplant or Two? How the Islet Cell Process Works 47:40 – Cadaver Cells vs. Lab-Grown: The Scalability Problem 48:14 – The Two Hurdles: The Islet Cell Act + Making It Scalable 50:51 – When There's Enough Demand and Not Enough Donors 52:12 – The Road Ahead: Real, But Long 56:06 – What Criteria Did Katie Have to Meet for the Trial? 57:20 – Phase 2: Including Patients With Kidney Dysfunction 58:30 – The Cure Is Coming — But Stay Healthy in the Meantime 59:00 – Should Mental Health Support Be Part of These Trials? 1:01:25 – "Do I Still Think of Myself as a Type 1?" 1:02:32 – The Identity Question: Who Are You Without Diabetes? 1:04:17 – You Still Have to Take Care of Yourself (Reframe!) 1:05:33 – The Pizza Story 🍕 1:08:52 – The GLP-1 Parallel: Exciting But Scary From a Health Perspective 1:09:15 – Ken's Two Biggest Takeaways for the Community 1:11:13 – Thank You, Katie — and What's in the Show Notes Nothing in this podcast should be considered medical advice. Always consult your medical team before making changes to your diabetes management.