After spending 48 hours in the emergency room last summer, doctors diagnosed me with Type 1 diabetes at 27 years old, a rare case of an autoimmune disease that hinders the pancreas' ability to produce insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels as you go about your daily life.

I've spent the last year learning my new body, but I still have so many questions about how to manage this relentless disease. Luckily, comedian Nick Callas (who performed in Portsmouth last month) is an expert on the subject because he's had it since he was six years old. And in today's bonus episode, he and I swap our diabetes stories, talk about how to manage it, and what YOU -- the non-diabetic -- can do to help make the diabetic in your life feel more at ease.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 98,505 of New Hampshire residents have diabetes (8.7%). In Maine, it's 113,186 (10%). The total cost of managing diabetes in New Hampshire each year is $1.3B, and in Maine it's $1.4B. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says 38.4M Americans are diabetic (11.6%).

In Part Two of our conversation from his home office in New York City's Financial District, Nick and I get into:

• My Type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2023 (00:00)
• Diabetes statistics in NH/Maine (05:17)
• Nick Callas on his T1 diabetes experience (06:52)
• How to manage diabetes (10:23)
• How you can help the diabetic in your life (26:26)
• Why Nick Callas is a T1 diabetes advocate (35:10)
• What is your mission? (37:05)

Nick Callas is a New York City-based actor, rapper, and comedian. While playing at several prominent country clubs across the country, Nick has opened for comedy stars like Colin Jost, Dana Carvey, and Tracy Morgan.

Currently on a comedy tour that's taking him to big cities like Austin, TX, and Chicago, Nick has also appeared in Portsmouth and Portland (ME), with plans to hit Auburn, ME, in July. His first comedy special, "Wolf Pup," premieres June 27 on the popular YouTube channel, 800 Pound Gorilla.

--To watch Nick's comedy special on June 27, subscribe to the ⁠800 Pound Gorilla YouTube channel⁠ so you get notified when it's live. And for more hilarious content from Nick, you can give him a follow on Instagram⁠ @MrNickCallas⁠.

--To support the telling of more incredible Seacoast Stories, please FOLLOW this podcast on our ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ and/or ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ feeds.

****Programming Note: This is a BONUS episode of the podcast. Standard episodes (like with ⁠Courtney Perkins ⁠and ⁠Maggie Sutherland⁠) will air every MONDAY. Moving forward, bonus episodes like today's will publish on occasional THURSDAYS as the opportunities present themselves.