Living with chronic illness is exhausting enough.

Add denied claims, surprise bills, $500 copays, and confusing insurance rules—and suddenly managing your health becomes a full-time financial battle.

In this episode, I sat down with Sally Figueroa, a mom of four, chronic illness advocate, and founder of Health Savings Expert.

Sally lives with Type 1 diabetes (diagnosed at age 12) and Rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's disease, chronic sinusitis, and the long-term impact of multiple surgeries

She's also supported loved ones through endometriosis, Lyme disease, and amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS). For over two decades, she's been navigating the healthcare system—not just for herself, but for others.

And what she discovered?

Many of the ways to lower medical costs already exist. They just aren't widely shared.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Manufacturer copay programs that can reduce prescriptions to $0
• Prescription discount cards like GoodRx and how to use them strategically
• Why insurance doesn't always mean affordable
• What to do when your medication is denied
• Organizations that advocate for patients behind the scenes
• The emotional weight of chronic illness + financial stress
• Why community storytelling can save families thousands

Sally created Health Savings Expert as a hub where patients share real-life savings stories—so no one must figure this out alone.

Because while we wait for policy reform or future breakthroughs, we still must manage today.

💻 Visit Sally's website:
HealthSavingsExpert.com

Explore the resource hub, read savings stories, and consider sharing one of your own. Saving $20 on supplies matters when you're living with a condition that never takes a day off.

You can also find Sally on:

Website: HealthSavingsExpert.com

Instagram @Sallyfigfry

YouTube @Health Savings Expert

Every shared story creates a ripple effect.

Join the Type 1 in Midlife Circle for weekly support, hormone clarity, gentle accountability, and a place to stop guessing about your midlife health.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2025

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

Sometimes women aren't ready for hormone replacement therapy.
Sometimes access is limited.
And sometimes you simply want to strengthen your foundation first.

In this episode, I'm sharing three supportive, non-hormonal ways to boost insulin sensitivity during perimenopause and beyond — especially when progesterone and estrogen are fluctuating and your blood sugars feel harder to predict.

If your luteal phase feels stickier…
If fasting glucose is creeping up…
If workouts spike you more than they used to…

This conversation is for you.

We cover:

• How Vitex (chasteberry) may support progesterone signaling and improve luteal-phase insulin resistance
• Why improving HRV (heart rate variability) and activating the vagus nerve can lower stress hormones and support fasting glucose
• The powerful combo of strength training followed by steady-state cardio to improve muscle glucose uptake and reduce post-workout spikes

These are practical tools you can begin implementing right away — always in partnership with your healthcare provider.

Remember:
These strategies are not replacements for medical care.
They are foundational habits that support steadier blood sugars — whether you pursue hormone therapy now, later, or not at all.

You don't have to figure this out alone.

Mentioned in this episode:
I'm proud to spotlight Diabetes Sisters, a nonprofit offering education, peer support, and community for women living with diabetes.
Visit diabetessisters.org to join—it's free and a wonderful resource.

👉 Want deeper support?
Learn more about my Type 1 in Midlife Coaching Circle, where we meet weekly and focus on one area of health each month to support hormones, blood sugar, and long-term wellbeing.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2026

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a woman who's navigating this season—you never know who needs to hear it.

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

*Visit diabetessisters.org to join. It's free, easy to use, and a great place to find community and support.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

Are there natural or non-hormonal options for managing perimenopause and menopause symptoms—especially if you're living with type 1 diabetes?

This is one of the most common questions I hear from women, and in this solo episode, I'm breaking it down with honesty and realistic expectations.

We'll talk about what non-hormonal options can support, where they fall short, and why the goal isn't perfection—but steadiness. I share my own experience navigating perimenopause, plus what I've seen work (and not work) with the women I coach.

In this episode, we cover:

• When non-hormonal options may make sense
• Prescription options that don't include estrogen or progesterone
• Why sleep, stress regulation, strength training, and nutrition matter no matter what
• Herbs and supplements like magnesium, omega-3s, Vitex, black cohosh, and maca—who they may help and who should be cautious
• Why "natural" doesn't always mean safe or predictable
• How your hormonal stage changes what works

I also share why I believe lifestyle support is the foundation—whether you eventually choose hormone therapy, non-hormonal options, or a mix of both.

As always, this episode is educational and based on lived experience. Take what you learn here back to your healthcare provider and decide what's right for your body.

🎧 Mentioned in this episode:
I'm proud to spotlight Diabetes Sisters, a nonprofit offering education, peer support, and community for women living with diabetes.
Visit diabetessisters.org to join—it's free and a wonderful resource.

👉 Want deeper support?
Learn more about my Type 1 in Midlife Coaching Circle, where we meet weekly and focus on one area of health each month to support hormones, blood sugar, and long-term wellbeing.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2026

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a woman who's navigating this season—you never know who needs to hear it.

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

*Visit diabetessisters.org to join. It's free, easy to use, and a great place to find community and support.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

What happens when you outgrow pediatric diabetes care—but never outgrow type 1 diabetes?

In this episode, I'm joined by Kelly Dawes, founder and executive director of Grownup T1Ds, the first nonprofit created specifically to support adults living and aging with type 1 diabetes, including adult-onset diagnosis.

Diagnosed in 1981, Kelly brings more than four decades of lived experience alongside her certification through the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES). We talk about why adulthood can be the most isolating phase of type 1, what's missing for midlife and older adults, and how in-person, peer-to-peer connection can be life-changing.

You'll hear why diabetes support shouldn't end after childhood, how Grownup T1Ds is filling a long-ignored gap, and why visibility, validation, and community matter more than ever as we age with this condition.

If you've ever felt like you don't quite fit into the diabetes world anymore, this conversation is for you.

🎧 Share this episode with someone who needs hope and community today.

Connect with Kelly Dawes on IG

@kellyuselesspancreas

@grownupt1ds

Visit Grown Up T1D's https://grownupt1ds.org/

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

What happens when long-term type 1 diabetes collides with midlife change, vision loss, motherhood, and a major life transition?

In this deeply honest and encouraging episode, I sit down with Mary Ann Chamberlain, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 36 years. Diagnosed at age seven, Mary Ann shares her journey through diabetic retinopathy, low vision, parenting, perimenopause, and what it really looks like to rebuild your life—without giving up on yourself.

Now in her 40s, Mary Ann opens up about:

• Growing up with type 1 diabetes before tech, CGMs, or online support
• Navigating low vision while continuing to manage diabetes daily
• Becoming a mom while learning to ask for help (and receive it)
• Moving to a brand-new city and rebuilding community with confidence
• Midlife hormone changes, insulin resistance, and advocating for care
• Why thriving with T1D doesn't mean perfect numbers—it means grace

This conversation is full of wisdom, humor, and the kind of reassurance only lived experience can offer. If you're navigating change, burnout, complications, or midlife shifts with type 1 diabetes—this episode will remind you that you are not broken, and you are not alone.

🎧 Share this episode with someone who needs hope today.

Join the Type 1 in Midlife Circle for weekly support, hormone clarity, gentle accountability, and a place to stop guessing about your midlife health.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2025

Connect with Mary Ann Chamberlain:

IG @owningt1dwithma

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

What does it really look like to live fully with type 1 diabetes—through careers, marriage, athletics, sleepless nights, and decades of daily management?

In this episode, I sat down with my husband, David, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 40 years. From his diagnosis in his early 20s to a 30-year career in fire rescue, competitive athletics, and life on the water, this conversation is a real-life reminder that a chronic condition does not get the final say.

We talk about:

• Being diagnosed with type 1 as a young adult
• Managing diabetes in high-stress, high-risk careers
• Marriage when both partners live with type 1
• Nighttime alarms, CGMs, pumps, and MDI decisions
• Athletics, adrenaline, cortisol, and blood sugar swings
• What's changed—and what hasn't—after 40+ years with diabetes
• Faith, mindset, and why we still believe anything is possible

This is an honest, hope-filled conversation for anyone living with type 1 diabetes—or loving someone who does.

Join the Type 1 in Midlife Circle for weekly support, hormone clarity, gentle accountability, and a place to stop guessing about your midlife health.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2025

Connect with David Slemp on IG, see his talents on the water @firstcoast_efoiling

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

If your insulin pump suddenly feels harder to manage, morning spikes, overnight drops, or blood sugars that don't follow the rules, you're not failing at diabetes.

In this episode, we dive into basal insulin challenges for women using insulin pumps during perimenopause. Hormone shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol can dramatically change insulin sensitivity, even when your pump technology hasn't changed.

You'll learn:

• Why pump settings that worked for years may suddenly feel "off"
• How perimenopause affects basal insulin needs hour by hour
• When manual mode can be more helpful than automated mode
• How to use temporary basals to stay ahead of hormone-driven highs and lows
• What to know if you're starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

This episode is about understanding your body, using your pump as a tool—not a source of frustration—and gaining confidence to advocate for better care.

🎧 Part 2 of the basal insulin series. If you're on daily injections, listen to Episode 140.

Join the Type 1 in Midlife Circle for weekly support, hormone clarity, gentle accountability, and a place to stop guessing about your midlife health.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2025

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.

If your basal insulin suddenly feels wrong, morning highs, overnight lows, or afternoons that make no sense, you're not imagining it, and you're not failing at diabetes.

In this solo episode of the Type 1 in Midlife, I'm breaking down why basal insulin becomes a moving target during perimenopause, especially for women on multiple daily injections (MDI).

We'll talk about how fluctuating estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol change insulin sensitivity hour by hour—and what you can do about it.

I share real client examples, explain why basal timing matters more than ever, and walk through options like split dosing, midday basal, and choosing the right long-acting insulin for this stage of life.

You'll also hear how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can influence insulin needs, why "low and slow" matters, and how tracking patterns, not single days—can help you feel steadier again.

🎧 This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Part 2 in Episode 141 focuses on basal settings for pump users.

Join the Type 1 in Midlife Circle for weekly support, hormone clarity, gentle accountability, and a place to stop guessing about your midlife health.

https://www.abundanthealthwithmelissa.com/joingroupcoaching2026

Hit the subscribe button and rate and review to help this podcast reach more people. Be sure to share this episode.

What to do now:

*Join the book pre-launch list for early access, bonuses, and 2026 launch updates. Grab my free guide, HRT and Type 1 Diabetes Everything I wish I knew in perimenopause.

*Follow me IG @Type1.in.midlife stay in the loop on upcoming episodes. DM me with any feedback or suggestions on topics you'd like us to cover.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.