#42 Mr. Brooks: Child Actor with Type 1

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This is episode 42 of the sugar mamas podcast. And today I get to talk with Hannigan Hannigan, his mom to Brooks Roseberry, who was a child actor. That's been living with type one diabetes for the past three years. You guys are going to love hearing about life with this family, their youngest son Brooks, who's the T one D. So many fun theatrical activities. He does stage acting, film, acting he's into stunt choreography. He dances, they have their own ninja warrior course in their backyard. The list goes on and on, and he is not the only one in the family who is involved in the. Their entire family is creative, artistic, theatrical, musical, or something along those lines. I'm just going to go ahead and tell you now that you're definitely going to want to follow them on both Instagram and Tik TOK. Their handle is at Hannigan underscore Mr. Brooks. Alright, sit back and enjoy. Hannigan is going to tell us all about what it's like living with a kid with type one who loves to perform. Enjoy.

Katie: 1:11

You're listening to the sugar mamas podcast, a show designed for moms and caregivers of type one diabetics here. You'll find a community of like-minded people who are striving daily to keep their kids safe, happy, and healthy in the ever-changing world of type one. I'm your host and fellow T one D mom, Katie Roseboro. Before we get started. I need you to know that nothing you hear on the sugar mamas podcast should be considered medical advice. Please be safe, be smart, and always consult your physician before making changes to the way you manage type one diabetes. Thanks.

Hannegan: 1:57

Okay. Hi everybody. Hi Katie. Thank you so much for asking you to be part of this. It's been a lot of fun to connect with other families and moms and individuals over the last year. Through Instagram. So thanks for this opportunity. My name is Hannigan and I have three sons and my T one D is our youngest, too many people know him on social media as Mr. Brooks. So we have three boys ages, 17, 15 and 12, and Brooks is our youngest. And this week actually will be his third diver three on Friday. So we started Three years ago, very unexpectedly. I grew up actually with my mom, insulin dependent as a diabetic. And so I I'm in that camp of, I thought I knew things about diabetes because I grew up watching my mom take shots and deal with that. And it, it's amazing how much you don't realize is going on with the non-stop. Digital lens required to care for somebody who is dealing with type one diabetes. And so it's breakfast diagnosed. It was a great bonding experience that we never asked for with grandma she engaged in that process with us and she was right along our side, alongside with us as we learned how. Do all of the things she'd been doing for 40 years and they would lay out their insulin pens next to each other on the table before having a meal together. And she said about six months after he was diagnosed, she had her best A1C that she'd had in 30 years. I must be paying more attention to it. Now I've got a little one watching me.

Katie: 3:40

So Brooks diagnosis motivated her to take It, up a as far as her management,

Hannegan: 3:46

It, did she? Yeah. You get comfortable and you find your norms and, you know, she doesn't deal with that. She's been amazed by all of the, the newfangled technology works with the bionic boy with a Dexcom and an Omnipod insulin pumps. And she still does her MDI management. She's just shocked all the time. She does her long acting. Her short acting insulin and that's it. So she is fascinated by all of the medical technology that's come along. She's so glad that it exists, but she's also like, well, I've got my own ways of doing things. I don't know if I can adapt this many decades into all these new, new tools that are available.

Katie: 4:26

I know, not even a CGM. Have you talked her into a CGM yet?

Hannegan: 4:30

We've talked about it and she says, I can tell what my sugar is. She can just feel it. So for better or worse, you know, she is, I feel like way more tuned into her highs and lows than Brooks at least is at this age. Cause he doesn't maybe have to pay as much attention to the physical sensations because you've got alarms going off. That's why I say for better or worse, but I'm grateful for those technologies for sure.

Katie: 4:55

I know I've the podcast before, but part of me feels like it might less stressful to have it some days, cause you're kind of like glued to it and always watching it. But then, but I don't, I don't try I'll just keep it,

Hannegan: 5:09

Yeah, the alarm's going off into the love, hate relationships after my myself, how grateful I am. Every time sugar mate calls me at 2:00 AM to go do something. I, I curse. And then I say, thank you technology for allowing me to care for my child. Better. So love, hate relationship.

Katie: 5:26

absolutely. So I'm curious his diagnosis story with your mom being a type one diabetic. Did she, was she the one that kind of picked up on signs and symptoms? Or how did that go down?

Hannegan: 5:37

You know, I would love to say that I was tuned into all of the things because of having a, you know, an experience growing up, watching it, but now it caught us all off guard. Nobody was expecting it. And I think, you know, we, we share our experience with it whenever we can, because I think it's so easy to miss. And especially if you have a kiddo who is an active kid, you can explain a way of so many of the symptoms. And so. Works with diagnosed on September 24th. But as we tried to retrace our steps of how did we miss this? How did we not see this kind of. That there were some signs that started probably June or July prior to this diagnosis. We had a few months of increasing what we now know were, were indicators and symptoms, but the school year in our area starts the first week of August. And he was doing a musical at the time at the high school. And so he was nine years old at the time and he is a dancer and an actor. And so he is used to being very. And this was a very rigorous high school production of Matilda, the musical, which is a funny sentence to say Matilda, the rigorous physical activity, but it was, it's a lot of dancing for the kiddos. And so he was dancing two or three hours a day. And it's August and it's the beginning of a new school year. So of course he's exhausted and thirsty and he appeared to be losing weight, which was concerning because he has a bit of a, he describes himself as a spaghetti noodle body type. He's a very, very slim kiddo. So he just started looking skinnier and skinnier and. Had a checkup schedule because he had, you know, kind of shadows under the eyes and was just looking really rough. We're like this musical is taking it out of him. And I don't know if it's a mom intuition thing or. Growing up watching my own mom, but I did have in the back of my mind, the slightest curiosity, if we might be dealing with the diabetes thing and I'll never forget it, it was a Monday at school and I am also we're all theater people in our health. So I'm a high school theater director as well, but this is a different high school. So Brookstone. You know, doing a show at a, at a neighboring high school, but I'm at my own theater rehearsal. Afterschool. My husband came to pick up Brooks to take him to an appointment at like one 30. And it's one of those days you remember every minute of the day, your kid is diagnosed with a thing that changes your life trajectory and, and your. I sent a post-it with my husband that said, ask about type one diabetes. And I didn't even want to say it out loud because I am a little prone to overthinking things and such and can be a bit neurotic. And I own that. So I'm like, I didn't even want to be ridiculous and say that out loud in front of him, because of course I'm being ridiculous. Set the post-it with the husband, husband. Yeah, slide that over to the pediatrician. And he said, she looked at it and kind of raised their eyebrows at him, but it was like, there's a little finger panic. And she left the room, came back in a minute or so later and said that can't be right when you need to check something again. And Brooks has no idea what's going on. We've never talked about diabetes other than yeah. Grandma takes shots and that. That was the extent of his experience at that point. And so she finger pricked again and his sugar was over 600. And so he, you know, then you go into the slow-mo next few hours there, but she said right now your fastest route to the hospital is just getting your car and drive. I can call an ambulance, but right now, are you more comfortable just in Jason? My husband is like, oh, we're getting in the car, calling me at school. And then they went over. The bridge, we're near a big city that has a children's hospital. So over the bridge to the children's hospital, and I get the phone call while they're driving. And he says, Burke says you were right. He has type one diabetes. We're going to the hospital. I don't know what's going on and meet us there. And I remember just walking out of my high school theater rehearsal, going 40 teams looking at me going, I have to leave. I'll see you all. We'll see you all later, I'm going to leave. And we were a very tight knit, amazing school community. And another teacher jumped in. Everyone's go, go, go, and get to the house. I can go through that whole process then, and then, you know, you check it on a Monday, you'd get a life-changing diagnosis. They send you home on a Wednesday telling you all these things you have to do to keep your kid alive. And you're going, this is real. This is how this happens. I am not quiet. I can't talk. What do you mean? I'm going to be giving injections to keep my child alive. And so I, you don't know. Lots of other medical things to compare it to. But I do feel like that was such a shock to be given such an enormous responsibility. And what felt like, I mean, they did a nice job training us, but this was it. Didn't. I was like, no, we need to stay here for at least two months till we learn how to do this. So, so off we go on a Wednesday, but Brooks bless his heart that night he's in the house. And he is very emotional that he's missing dance, choreography, rehearsal that night. They're learning one of the big songs for Matilda. And how is he going to get to be in the phone because he has to get to rehearsal and we're going, oh honey, oh honey, we're going to hold a minute here. We're going to let your director and choreographer know. And this is most important right now is slowing down and just getting oriented. And he was back at rehearsal a week later learned that choreography that he missed and got right back in there. And as absurd as saddle felt, I think there was something really stabilizing and probably confidence boosting about getting right back into life right away. And I'm not saying that's a routine that works for everybody because when I look back and I go, oh, right away, we were in a show and doing all the things and. My husband and I were performing in a show at the time. I'm like, wait a minute. Not only was he in a show, my husband and I are in a show that opened the Wednesday. He got out of the hospital opening night

Katie: 11:58

left the and went and got onstage.

Hannegan: 12:01

and perform. Yup.

Katie: 12:03

goodness.

Hannegan: 12:04

we're never in shows together. We take turns. We're like, are you kidding me? We're in a show. Together is in my husband's the lead. I'm like the secondary, like supporting lead. So I'm like, do you use. These are the things that I'll show up on opening night and I'll know my stuff and it'll be fine.

Katie: 12:19

Oh, my

Hannegan: 12:19

And again, I look back and go, holy crap, that was out of control. What were we doing? But you know, I feel like the universe has a hand in things sometimes. And I feel like it was such a blessing to be foisted right back into the things we were doing, including a trip to New York to the city a few weeks later. And we were like, should we cancel? We don't know what we're doing. Should we cancel? And we decided to go ahead and go for it. And right away, we had to perform those two weekends. We had to get my husband's mother. So the other grandma involved with Brooks's care immediately out of the gate. And it was so scary. But my, my point was, I think, had we been enabled to just stay at home and hole up? I feel like our fear would have been so hard to move through and. It would have been terrifying to let someone else care for him or to go and do anything again. Cause it all would've felt so scary with this new set of circumstances. But we were, you know, we were in a train that had already left the station. So we had to keep going, keep the balls in the air. And a lot of confidence came from that right out of the gate. We wouldn't have necessarily chosen or planned it that way, but when I look back. I'm grateful that it all kind of unfolded the way it did. It was going to have to happen. It was a trial by fire that has, has shaped. I think our actions since then,

Katie: 13:45

I, oh, no, it definitely does. And I think that, know, I think every family is different. I think that that would have totally what am I trying to say? I think that would have totally stressed some to be involved in all these things, but I feel like the people. Yeah. But I feel like the people might've really thrown for a loop probably wouldn't in all those place. You know what I mean? they might've might not have been involved in like, you know, Two different major production stage productions at the same time. So I feel, I just feel like everybody has a different tolerance what they life and, you you know, if you need to cancel everything. Yeah,

Hannegan: 14:24

Exactly. And sometimes that's absolutely what you should do. So I definitely say that that is not the way I would necessarily recommend anyone diagnose go about things. But if there is a lesson there, I guess the lesson that I hope could be universal would be to not let fear rule your world with your kiddo and what are they? Very scary. Unpredictable. Circumstance. So type one diabetes, you can be so good at it. And then people who are go with it, we laugh. So like there's no such thing as being good. It changes all the time, especially if your kiddos are little and still growing. I joke that Brooks has a different body every week right now. So his, his numbers and his needs change every week. And you really don't know until you deal with it up close and you see how very difficult it is. So people type one, diabetics are rockstars and the people who care for them are doing so much all day every day and make it look you see, but we know what the labor looks like. So it's very, very demanding.

Katie: 15:28

gosh. So demanding and people really have no clue and I don't them to a clue unless they're living it. I feel like people get up in arms a little bit sometimes. know, when people maybe questions that seem ignorant, but I mean, they don't, just don't know they're living it every Like we are we see it up close 24 7. I love what you said about not fear your decisions. That's definitely our mottos too. And

Hannegan: 15:51

Yeah, because you could easily let cause it is scary. You could easily let that rule your world. So you have to actively kind of push back on it and make sure. You get to do the things you want to do and let your kid empower them to not be scared of what they're dealing with. And it's we try to work together as a team to do.

Katie: 16:11

I know had to listen not too long ago and asked me about vacation. She had planned with her fairly new, newly diagnosed type one. And she was kind of thinking what do I the trip? feel like we shouldn't go. No, say whatever you just go on the know it's scary and know like you know you're doing, but like do not, I would not show your child that like, you know, we're all these things just because you have type one. I, I told her, I like, look, as you boxes, and candy, like you are going come out of thing. Oh. alive and well. And kids probably having great time, like the numbers probably aren't going to great, but. Like just live life and you can figure out later.

Hannegan: 17:00

They'll come, they will come.

Katie: 17:01

exactly. Well, tell me about Brooks's as because he, mean, what I see on he does all sorts of He's actor. He does a lot work. like into ninja warrior course So I want kind of want to know a little bit about everything, but when did he start acting? I mean, obviously he was nine, I when he was in that show. So before then.

Hannegan: 17:23

Right. Well, it, you know, and he and I, I was showing him your questions this morning and we were getting a kick out of it. Just kind of like thinking about. When did this start and you know, he's he's at all. Three of our sons are fascinating, unique individuals where we feel very fortunate to get to parents, to them. They are wild men and they've got a lot of different things going on. But Brooks, you know, happens to be the one that people might know because some of his activities that he engaged us with, you know, demand an audience. So you can infer what you like from that. He's the baby of the family. They'd be, the family tend to like it, but. So we started doing our social media escapades, like so many folks did during the pandemic and we, our school went virtual and we were virtual for a good year and a half. We just went physically back into the building this last month. And so we're a house full of theater people, as I said. And so. Theater people stuck at home without an audience need some creative outlets. So that's where we ended up kind of teaming up and having a lot of fun on first pick talk, and then later Instagram, and now we kind of juggle both and have fun with it. But he, the two of us are the extroverts of the household. So there are five of us, but my husband and our older two sons are very much fine without an audience. They would prefer to do their creative endeavor. Behind the themes are in the visual arts world. So Brooks and RPS in a pub. So we were climbing the wall, stuck at home and hence the social media fun, which has been a really fun bonding and creative outlet for us. So go figure that's one of the few silver linings of the, what's been a very challenging year. So with the pandemic anyway. So when did he get into acting? I asked him that the throat and he was like, huh, well, oh, I first put, you know, like a little old man. He's 12 years old way back in the day. He said, remember I was championed beauty and the beast. And so his first his first theater production, he was three years old. And. He was, it was at my school. I was directing beauty and the beast, and we're like, we need an ADB darling chip to cue the reaction at the end when he's my mama, you know, I'm a boy again. And so I should have known, this is the moment we've created. A future thespian because hearing that crowd go and you're a little freer, forget it. It was, that was a done deal at that point. But really it was probably even prior to that he said, well, probably you all. Because my husband and I've met in college 25 years ago we were both musical theater, performance majors since, so we met and built our world around doing showtunes together. And such, we're both fingers and actors and now, and now both of us prefer to direct and I also musical direct and teach other people to sing. And we find a lot of joy and purpose in yeah, helping others to find their joy on stage and to, to find their talents and such. So. All three of our boys have grown up surrounded by theater productions because daddy used to be a high school theater director too. So mommy be teaching voice lessons in one room and daddy in the next room at school would be directing the play. Or I was pregnant with all three of them and in a show all three times. So the oldest I was doing secret garden, the middle and other show Brooks and other show. And so we. Even in utero, they were surrounded by show tunes. Cause if I wasn't on stage, I was playing piano and singing and teaching other people to sing show tunes. So they all came out with jazz hands instantly, but we had to have very funny conversations with each of them, probably around five or six when they had to have the realization that what do you mean everybody doesn't sing? Because their experience of the people in their home and the people who came and hung out with us or going to school and seeing us, teaching everybody sang and dance. And that was what it meant to be a human. And I think what a beautiful way to look at the world that the world is full of people, singing and dancing and working through emotions on stage. That's how you do it. So,

Katie: 21:51

love it. I would love it. If people actually live life like a musical, like just all of a just broke out into song and dance. I think the world would be much happier place.

Hannegan: 22:00

I'm telling him we would work it out. You do the power ballads, you do the angry, you can do it all. The whole range of emotion can be sung and we would all be a lot healthier for. So, uh, so Brooks truly, you know, was going to shows and seeing things and sitting in rehearsals, you know, from the moment he was. And a baby carrier, you know, heading to things. And so beauty and the beast with his first time actually performing. And then he would go to little camps and workshops and things like that. And so his trajectory is, you know, he, all three of our kids have been great teachers to us in terms of. Are very much a follow the child kind of family. We're a Montessori family as well. We go to a Montessori. I teach at and my sons go to a Montessori school and that's a whole other podcast, but Montessori philosophy, if you had to boil it down to one sentence is follow the child. And it's all about empowering and cultivating individual interests and pursuits and incorporating those into their education. I can see the impact that Montessori education has had on them as curious young people who know how to question and pursue information. And so Brooks, as we go back, you know, circling back here you mentioned he has all these various interests and things that you will get to see a little window into, through social media, but all that curiosity comes from. His educational background. And so when he's wondering about something, he will follow that wild hair and exhaust himself creatively through research and studying people. Thank goodness for technology. Um, when I look at YouTube and what I would have done with YouTube 30 years ago, cause I was that way, but we didn't have the resources. Then you had to go to the library and get an encyclopedia. You got one paragraph, if you were lucky and now. Through Instagram and YouTube and tick talk. If you want to learn how to do every kind of stunt fall under the sun or how to do fight choreography, you have access to the pros and they're sharing their passions and the things that they know how to do, they share them. And then the next generation can study it. And so he is a Renaissance man in that way. But we are theater people. We are not film actors. So Brooke's crossed over into this other world. That's been a lot of fun to learn about because it's all acting, but theater people and stage performers are often, especially musical theater, stage performers. We're a very different kind of. Energy, then the subtle two required of a film. So me, I would be a hot mess on film because I just there's too much happening too much space, too much everywhere energy, but Brooks was one of those kiddos who can adapt and can pivot between the two worlds really well. And so he's been dancing and doing theater camps and things since he was 80 bitty. And then he. We got an opportunity to sub in, at a professional Shakespeare production when he was fixed, he got to do one performance. That was it. It was a production of a Midsummer night's dream. And there's a changeling boy, for those of you who are Shakespeare fans, you're like, oh yeah, yeah. To Tanya and Oprah on they're fighting over the boy. So he got the sub in one night for this kiddo and we were we were nervous. We're like, well, he doesn't appear to. Nurse or anything, but he's a tiny child and this is a huge outdoor performance space. And the role required him to be the first person on stage. He had to come out and his little Victorian nightcap and long night dress and come on out and hit all these various marks has opened up this treasure box and do all these things. He screws up the whole thing. And we're not saying any of that, you know, we've got our actor faces on our shore. Yes, honey. Have fun. Oh my gosh. And then at the end of the show, the last person on stage with this actor is this wonderful man who played puck, who had like horns. And he was really kind of creepy, magical looking. And it's three hours passed at that time. You know, 10

Katie: 26:15

gosh.

Hannegan: 26:15

Are you kidding me? Six years old. He had the best side of his life. He loved it. He hit all of his marks, but most importantly, he loved hanging out with the actress backstage. He brought along his doctor who book and his book about world war II. And they talked about world war II and Dr. Who the whole night and these wonderful professionally. We're awesome to him. And I, I do feel like things just kind of happen how they're supposed to, that led to another friend reached out and said, oh, I need to do a photo shoot. I need a kid for this magazine. And I know you've got your little one. Can he just come and do this thing? And so he went and like did a modeling thing where he was supposed to be the son of some dads and, you know, did this cute little funny photo. And afterwards, he was like, hi, really liked doing that. And we said, modeling, what is, I don't know anything about that world. Do you have interest in that? Like what even? And he said, oh yeah, I'd love to do anything like that. So that led to more curiosity. And we, we reached around or put out feelers to the actors that we know out in the community. And there's, I feel. Lucky things. And that, as I said, we live in proximity to a big city. It's not a huge city, but it's a big enough city to have some access to opportunity. And we happen to have a really fantastic talent agency. We've got several in our area, but the one that we signed with happens to be 10 minutes away. Yeah. Many of the actors we know said, oh, I work with Haman. And so Haman talent agency is linked like at our Instagram bio and they've got multiple locations around the Midwest and they do fantastic work. And so we, we reached out and said, we've got the little one, he does theater. He does dance. He kind of like the modeling thing, although really acting. Yeah. He loves. And they said, well, come on over and we can talk. And that, that all just kind of snowballed from there. The really cool way. He was eight when we signed with them and we went and we met with them and they interviewed him and then wanted to sign him at the end of the interview. But like, this is a whole new world to us. I knew nothing about it. We didn't have any expectations. It was just, let's go learn more. And that's the philosophy. We've tried to keep through all of it as these are all. Learning experiences. And as long as you are enjoying yourself and having fun, then we'll, we'll go have fun and support it. If it becomes stressful or we start to like ride an emotional roller coaster with it. Cause we're trying, we're protecting his tiny heart and he's eight years old. Adults who know that being a professional performer means rejection 95% of the time. And every once in a while, you get to do a show. So we're going, oh my gosh, we don't want you to get into this world. That's going to hurt your heart or put you at risk of worrying about, am I good enough for this? Am I go to Beth for that? And so we had lots of chats with him early on and I'm so pleased that four years in, he still looks at all the experiences I asked. So I'm going to learn more. I get to go share things that I enjoy. And he'll even say to other people, you go to a million auditions, you don't get most of them. You let it go after you do it. And every once in a while, you get to do a cool project and then that's it. He goes to list this life. It

Katie: 29:44

a

Hannegan: 29:44

has. Been really good to see and anybody who is interested in getting into performance, I highly recommend. That approach because you don't want to ever, especially if you're parenting a young performer, you don't want them to ever put their value or sense of self in the hands of the people on the other side of the casting table. And that's not to knock the casting people. They want you to be great. They want you to beat. Cause I I've cast lots of shows. They want you to be the person they're looking for. Everyone's doing the best they can. My testing is all about putting a puzzle together. And there are factors in that you can control, but there's lots of factors you can until you can't take it personally. It's just out there. It's just an opportunity to share what you enjoy doing, but then shake it off and go do something fun afterwards. You know, you let it go. And sometimes you get to do cool things.

Katie: 30:34

that's awesome. It sounds like type one has not stopped him at all, not held him back at But I, I'm just curious to know, like when you go an audition for whatever it do you like offer information to the are casting? Like, by the way know, he does condition, he has type one diabetes, or do you just kind of not and it either, either ones, I don't really have an opinion about either. I'm to know. Well, well, well, what is this fun new music in the middle of the show? Well, I wanted to start something new with you guys and each week feature a new resource or product that is helpful to my audience, moms and caregivers of type one diabetics. I know a lot of you out there are also type one diabetics. And these resources and products will help you too. So to kick off our product of the week feature, we're going to start with the digital food scale that I use in my own home. It is the tech city food scale, and you can find it on Amazon. I will leave an affiliate link in the show notes, so you can just click on it and see it for yourself. But you guys I'm telling you having a food scale in your kitchen is a game changer. When it comes to carb counting and calculating proper boluses for meals. I love this food scale so much because it allows me to waive foods that are hard to bolus for like breakfast, cereal, and pasta. And I find that when I'm using the actual weight of the food, To convert that into how many carbs are in that serving our blood sugar management is just so much better. Plus this particular food scale comes with a bowl, so you can just drop whatever it is you're measuring into the bowl. So you don't have to pull up it right down on the surface of the food scale. You can throw the bowl in the dishwasher when you're done and call it a day. You also don't have to use the bowl that it comes with. You can put a plate on top of it. You can put a bowl from your cabinet, a coffee cup. I don't want to get whatever you want to put on top of the food scale you can do. All you have to do is push a little button that zeros. And then you can put the food inside that you want to measure. It's battery operated, which I know might sound a little annoying, but I'm telling you, we have used this food scale for the past year, actually more than a year, and the batteries have not died on me yet. And that's pretty amazing. So go check it out again. It's the E tech city food scale. I'll put an Amazon affiliate link in the show notes as well as in the blog post for this episode, which you can find on the web. Www dot sugar, mommas podcast.com. I also want to let you guys know that I recently created a buy me a coffee page so that listeners like you could have a no strings attached way to support the podcast. The joy that creating this show and connecting with you guys brings me every week is huge. And it has been such a lifesaver as we navigate this beast of a disease. And while you may think that I have a giant team behind. Helping me get everything done each and every week I don't. It is just me and that's okay. But the truth of the matter is it does take a ton of time and effort to network with potential guests every week record, edit, publish, and manage the podcast website and social. Accounts you are buy me a coffee donation can be a one-time gift, or you can sign up to be a member. There are memberships as low as $1 a month. And of course you guys know, I came up with super fund names to go along with each level of membership at $1 a month. You'll be at the bronze bolus level at $3 a month. You would be at the silver sugar's level at $5. You'd be at the golden glucose level and at $10 a month, you'd be at the diamond diabesity level. Plus some of the levels come with some pretty awesome perks and rewards. Go check it out at, buy me a coffee.com forward slash SugarMomma. I will leave a link in the show notes so you can check it out. Your donations will go towards purchasing and maintaining the. Software and virtual space necessary to make this show come to life each week. I just want to say a huge thank you in advance to anyone who would consider supporting the show in that way. So from the bottom of my insulin cartridge, thank you. All right. Let's get back to.

Hannegan: 34:37

Right. And I think it's a great question. And it's one that it's a conversation we've had with his agency. And he also now has management that is LA based. So he works with his Midwest agents. And then additionally with a team that's in LA to do That scale of project as well. And so we've had this conversation and we have it time and again, because I think each audition and each opportunity is you're weighing pros and cons of different things. And so ideally, you know, you would not worry about any of that. And technically, you know, there are they are. You can't say I'm not going to hire somebody because I see their medical devices. You can't say that of course. But we try to weigh that process from the casting side, you know, because again, my husband and I both have casting experience. If somebody has something distracting going on to where I'm going to be. Looking at that and wondering about that, and then it's taken me out of their audition. Like I'm not listening as you know, isn't in gauged up a manner as you want, you get, you're like 10 seconds with the casting team. So if they're wondering the whole time about what that thing is, then you've lost them. And so in that instance, it's sometimes the best to lead with it and just demystify the process. Because I think it shows. Like there's so many things that as a person casting somebody that, that impresses the heck out of there's the grit resilience component of look at this pardon me? You can edit this out, look at this. Bad-ass cutting in here doing the thing. Wow. Look at them. And with acting, you know, almost all of the time costuming can handle any of those, you know if you happen to have an insulin come or, or a Dexcom, but Other times, you know, he will, and I let him choose what he, what he wears it, auditions and things too. And so some of it is if he's wearing a t-shirt that day and he's swinging his arm around and you see it, we just don't worry about it because film auditions aren't in person, you're filming it. You know, you submit a video, whereas the theater audition you're up there dancing around. They see you you're live in the same space. And so in that instance, Let, you know, if he wants to wear something that's showing, then rock it out, man. And we, we just let it go. And we don't say anything about it. And then other times he will share that and have that conversation ahead of time. But once he's cast in a production, whether it's a theater production or he's going on set for a film production, then we do have the conversation. So once you're you're hiring. Then it's important that people know what's going on, but he just shot he was just on set for a Netflix TV show just a few weeks ago. And it was a one night only thing. It was a show that they were in post production on they've already shot it. It's an animated production. So we'll share what the title is once they like put it out in the spring. You're not supposed to say title ahead of time. You know, he just was doing this fun one night only doubling in thing where he had to run for. Oh, it was about three hours. He's the only kid. He's the only actor on. It was 103 heat index and he had to run from here to there over and over and over wearing a flannel fleece lined shirt, jeans, and a button up shirts. And I'm going okay without diabetes. That is a nightmarish physical challenge and I'm going, oh my gosh. So I have just got pounds of like fruit snacks and we've got water and the production team was great. So they've got like, everybody's surround with like water and fans and towels. And so after each shoot, he would come back like a box or go into the corner and I'm throwing sugar in his mouth. And one of the costuming people is patting him down and everybody's around trying to keep him well. We didn't tell them that ahead of time, we just got on set and said, here's the deal. He's a diabetic. He's going to be eating a lot of sugar. We'll let you know if there's an issue. And they're like, what? So, and it went great. He's in a production right now. He's in a theater production. And theater is actually harder than film

Katie: 39:02

Yeah, you can't stop.

Hannegan: 39:04

can't stop. You can't just not go on for your entrance. You can't, you can't stop. Has done quite a few shows since being diagnosed about three years ago and each time it's been a different experience because he's at a different age in life and hormones, you know, we're 12, we're almost 13. So we're, we're riding the whole rollercoaster body changes. So this show each night, we just make sure and my husband and I take turns being backstage with him. He's the only kid in the show as well. So he doesn't have like people to hang with. So we just take turns being backstage with him and we turn off all of his alarms. And then one of us is just watching on the decks, the follow app the whole time. And two of the last three bites we've had performances. He's been, if those of you who have a Dexcom gonna know what it means, a hundred, 107 double arrows down like minutes before curtain. And we're going, oh, we're just spending insulin. We're 10 bays laying down. We're throwing fruit snacks and then cheese crackers. And you're just trying to get it back up. Two nights ago, we ended up then dealing with a rebound high the whole night overnight, forget sleeping, but last night it went better and he just hung right around one 60 ish the whole, after we got out of that initial low. And so it's got turned off all those alarms and just watch it. Cause you can't. That was our fear is going out. You're entering. It's a very serious show. And now

Katie: 40:32

Yeah. Right.

Hannegan: 40:34

yes.

Katie: 40:34

Yeah. That's true. I guess the only alarm you don't choice over is the urgent low. They turn that one on for good reason. think that's

Hannegan: 40:42

for good reason. And so we just sit there and just pass. Fruit snacks the whole time. And he was at a show at school a few years ago, and I had a high school student who is going into nursing. And so we jokingly, but also like good future experience. Put her in charge of him backstage as the, his medical assistants. And this gal is now a senior and she's about to graduate and is going into that field and she'll tell people, oh, I had backstage theater experiences, the medical assistants. James and James and the giant peach, like I was his person. So he'd come off stage and she'd check all the things and did a great job. And so I think it's good to know that having people on your team, that you can build little support, pods, you whatever you're doing in life. You've got to know how to self-advocate know how say what you need and then keep people informed. But it's still a high wire act when you're on today.

Katie: 41:40

know my daughter does not do any acting. I mean, she does other actually not too long ago. She was mommy, I think when I grow I want to be an actress and I was oh, okay, great. Well, we probably to get you. Well, I like, oh, well we probably need to get you into like classes and voice lessons. And she's like, No, I don't Then I'm like, okay. I don't think you really understand the work that has to go into wanting be an actor or an actress You grow up. But does dance in, she's, it's, that's totally different. Cause with theater, you, you might have long time dance. You're usually in and out like to five So, so yeah, that was her, her first recital cup back in June little for just,

Hannegan: 42:23

I remember seeing those posts. Yeah.

Katie: 42:25

you just don't want send her out she's to have low, But really happen in course of five minutes? Like not whole lot. So I, I had to keep reminding only stage five minutes. if she some sort of. Treatment, know, she'll be, be off soon, but you know, but like there's so excitement being on stage and like, you know, it's the whole Yeah. Yeah. Nerves. Yep. I

Hannegan: 42:54

And you know, if they're getting older too, like I, you know, I find myself now worrying about things. Taking a test in class, you know, he's going to be 13 this year. And so he's still in middle school, but he takes algebra up with the high schoolers. And so this is his first kind of like adult to you're looking academic class and all of a sudden, you know, I'm going, oh my gosh, he's taking a test to sugar 240 right now, is that affecting? I don't know. You know, he's not done that kind of academic more traditional looking academic work that way before. And so there's so much. Every year, you know, it's a new set of challenges that you're figuring out. And it's really hard adjusting back to in-person. School has been really hard this year. Like our numbers have been a mess this month and we're three years in like we're on a call with the endocrinologist every couple of days right now going, okay. Here's what we're seeing now because I like to try to keep numbers as tight as I can. So I do get frustrated when I see.

Katie: 43:54

Yeah.

Hannegan: 43:55

Figure it out, you know, have like, I've been doing this for two years. Why don't I have an endocrinology agree degree back to remind myself yeah, you, you do the best you can, but sometimes you've just got to get help and get the pros to sort things out. So,

Katie: 44:11

Oh, yeah, And then just you've said, like, obviously so much Like kind of in those changing quickly and all the time his age and getting ready to hit the teen years then this huge transition to school, you know, I think I think, I think that's totally normal to have. Some weeks where everything We definitely experienced that at the beginning of the year. It was just hot the first couple of weeks. But you know, we, know what do now to get it it's frustrating while you're trying to it out,

Hannegan: 44:44

Oh, yeah. And I'm definitely prone to like rage bolusing. Like, well, if you have a stubborn high or then a stubborn low, so that, that roller coaster where you overcompensate, because you're frustrated because why can't I just care enough to fix this for my kid? I think that's one of the hardest. Part of parenting, it is why can't I just care enough to fix this? And that's just not how it goes. So now it goes to, you've got to be kind to yourself and be patient with the process. Cause it's hard.

Katie: 45:13

I know. what do you think? do you think favorite? Thing he's done recently, I guess I can't say his whole career. Cause that started when he was three years old, but like do you think prefers theater or prefers prefer, it sounds he just kinda little bit of everything, but like on more. What

Hannegan: 45:31

Yeah, well, that's a great question in him. He is very socially motivated. So I would say anything he gets to do that has other kids involved, whether it's, you know, we're, we're the group of kids and Matilda where you're off stage together and you're on stage together. He loves a social scene. He very much derive energy from other folks. Who's a true extrovert. So the experiences in theater, he, you know, he was in a production of Macbeth a few years ago, which you would not think, oh boy, what a delightful show for a child. it was a really. They were inspired by the horror movie, the ring, which I haven't even seen, but I know it's got like the creepy little girl with like the hair ever face. So they cast three teen girls as the three witches and Macbeth. And they did like the very much like the ring, the hair and the white nightgown, super creepy. And they went like splasher gore fast, like blood splattering on wall. It was a Berry. Impressive production. And we have a professional theater company in the city that we're 10 minutes away from. That is like an internationally renowned theater company. I'm not giving names. Cause I don't like to give low you get it. Yeah. Locations, location.

Katie: 46:46

No worries.

Hannegan: 46:47

So he was like a child soldier in it. They were only on onstage for probably less than 10 minutes, but there were about a dozen boys, his age and they were all about this was pre diagnosis. So I guess this would have been when he was eight, that first year he signed with this agency. So all these little boys hanging around just getting to have the best time ever backstage. And then they got to go out and be part of this very creepy production. But when. About some of the things he's into now, which is fight choreography, stunt performing, I think back to that show and go, oh my gosh, he loved to stand in the wings and watch these amazing, full grown men with their giant. Broadswords doing astounding five choreography and he loved it because it's dance to people who do it. And so you would think of how on earth would a show tonight? Dancer boy ended up doing this, but it's all choreography. And when he wants to see his videos and he watches people learn how to do it. It's just like learning dance. You know, everybody has to be exactly where they're supposed to be and you have to count. You've got to have all your moves just right. So to him, it's all part of the same world, but he loved watching those guys fight. And he would tell me about like the different, special effects each night. Well, the intestines tonight did this, which sounds very dark and horrible, but it's hilarious if you're involved in theater and he, you know, he didn't find any of it scary because he's like, this is mommy. They have a baby pool backstage where they rinse the blood off the, if you thought it

Katie: 48:23

amazing, sweetheart.

Hannegan: 48:25

it's amazing. So the intestines hit the ground. You say. So he loved being in Macbeth. And then as far as film projects, his favorite one that he's been in in terms of like, he loves the finished product too. Like he loved the movie is a movie called ICU that starts Helen Hunt. So if you remember Helen Hunt,

Katie: 48:48

Twister

Hannegan: 48:49

so yeah, All the things you. So the movie I see you, everyone should go see it. His eye MDB is linked in our Instagram. If you want to go look up a few titles and such, he's gotten to do some good ones, but I see you was the win-win because he got be with another little boy. And so he, and this kid, this kid is. Young, Sheldon. Why at McClure is his name? He's a great kid actor. He's on young Sheldon. So it was he and why it had the best time just hanging around on set. And they got to work with a stunt choreographer, which now works us. Like I want to go back in time and ask that man, everything. Cause this was pre pre stunts, Spencer like a, this year thing, but they got to work with a choreographer because they had to run through the. That was it. There's just running, running through the woods, but they had to, you know, there was safety things. They had to keep in mind who they're renting and they got to paddle around on like railroad tracks and things like that. So it's just a handful of little flashback scenes, but he had such a great learning experience. The end had a lot of fun with the other kiddo. So every time he's onset, he loves learning. You know how they set up all the scenes and like being, being in films. It's a very slow process. You sit around on set for 12 hours to shoot for less than 15 minutes.

Katie: 50:09

Oh, my gosh.

Hannegan: 50:11

So you've got to really be interested and patient to do that, that process. And so for him, it's just learning everywhere. You're looking at how they're lighting it, how they're solving problems, how they're doing continuity things. And so for a curious person, it's a masterclass. Learning how large-scale collaboration and patients over time, how, how that all comes together to make a finished product and is very much that way as well. That'd be very patient and comfortable with chaos.

Katie: 50:42

Yes. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I, have no idea. Honestly. I've been in the, I did theater when I high school, but I've never film world, but yeah, it a huge production. My and I are watching all the Harry movies now, or like the books and then watching the movies and we watched Yeah, we watched a little bit like the making kind of like behind scenes And just when, when you were talking about all of I was just thinking like the scenes and how massive all that was. it just

Hannegan: 51:12

it's incredible

Katie: 51:14

Hey, I got to

Hannegan: 51:14

forever.

Katie: 51:16

Oh, I know. curious because has he Cobra Kai on Netflix?

Hannegan: 51:23

Oh, we love Coca-Cola.

Katie: 51:25

And I'm sure he does. He know that Mary can't even remember her name on the show, but that's her name in real life? She's a T one D

Hannegan: 51:32

Yeah. She's a T one B he figured that out. Actually. I didn't know that. And so he found that out somewhere and now we follow her on Instagram as well. I would love to know how they. Yeah, handle the sugar with all the action sequences and things. I'm sure, you know, it's the same way. The rest of them all too. You just have to plan ahead. I was telling my mom this morning that, you know, Brooks goes to a par core class each week and his par core class starts at seven 30 and nights. We start getting ready to go at five. We start temp bailing back, and start slowly getting your sugar up because you can go in there with your sugar and great range and be 50 double arrows down within 20 minutes of flipping and jumping and running. And so I'm sure she has to handle it all the same way. You just gotta start planning ahead of time to make sure you land where you need to land at the right time. But some of the fight sequences incredible. So good.

Katie: 52:29

I feel like that would be right up his alley. Not only is it like choreographed fight sequences, but she's also type one that sets. awesome. So how do you, I, I know I just got up before we sign off. got to know like, how do You guys handle it when he's like set for something, with your, with your work and everything? how do you, cause you have to be there. right? assuming

Hannegan: 52:49

have to be there. Yes. Yeah, one of us has to be there. Yes. And so my husband, we're fortunate in that he has a job that can be flexible. And this was before everybody was working remotely, his company, he was able to work remotely a few years ago. So when the rest of us all signed on to zoom for the first time, he's like welcome to our world. This is what we've been doing. And he has, he has a wonderful job and he's in a position. He has the precedent in his company. And so he has some flexibility and freedom. He works his butt off, but he's able to do it wherever. And so when Brooks has had to do things that are out of state, I mean, it kills me because, you know, Brookside the little peas in a pod. So it kills me. I want to go so bad. And if something is within an hour or so, and it's just a day or two, then I can do. But if it's something that's going to be a couple of weeks or more of than my husband is the one that gets to go do it. And so they go, they have a wonderful adventure. They keep me posted, but teaching is not a flexible job. And so you know we definitely have to rely on my husband's job being more flexible because somebody gotta be able to go. You got to go with. And move. And you don't often have a lot of notice, especially with film theater, you see it coming and there's a rehearsal schedule. There's a process we're filmed. You can audition and forget about it. Cause we always just forget about it. After you submit, we go on with our lives, what that was fun, move on. And then you get a call and you need to be on set in a day and it's, you know, you got to travel, you've got to figure it all out. And so it you do have to figure out a way as a family. Keep some level of flexibility and that's hard, but we also, you know, we try to make sure that this is one part of his world and he is one member of our family. So we also make sure that our family is very balanced and that, that isn't the centerpiece of our world. And I say that with love that, you know but I know some families make choices. Have like a live in a different city for part of the year and things like that. And they kind of like make the child's career, the center of everything. And we have definitely made a choice as a family unit to not do that. And no judgements people who do, but our interest is healthy, happy, mentally. Well, young men, if they move into adulthood and we feel like being balanced with your interests and balanced with your family is what we find to be the most important. So

Katie: 55:21

Oh yeah, definitely.

Hannegan: 55:22

that makes sense.

Katie: 55:23

I, Yeah. it definitely does. It's a great

Hannegan: 55:25

So it's a fun adventure. It is not the centerpiece of his world. And that is by choice because we feel like that's part of taking care of him. Yeah.

Katie: 55:33

think that's have really loved having you on, hearing about your family and about Brooks and, and you guys cannot see, but there's also, there's been a co guest this whole time, little miss DocSend has sitting on Hannigan's lap and She is so cute. I had doxins growing And so that's bringing back.

Hannegan: 55:53

approves of all of this. Yes.

Katie: 55:55

sh she clearly does. She is like, love living it up. She's like snuggled up to her shoulder. I always get so jealous of people with small dogs, because I love my dog so much. And I would just be so excited if He, could sit, sit in my lap right now while I'm talking to you, but he's 80 pounds and it would

Hannegan: 56:12

He, yeah, well, she's our, she's our big, tiny dog, and this is how tiny shoes, but we have a Chihuahua, half her thighs, a little bunny that you sometimes see on Instagram. And then our big dog is a whopping 20 pounds. The Boston terrier Tucker and. Bonnie and Tucker tend to end up on Instagram more than the queen. The queen is very much, I'm not a big fan of social media. So if you get camera out, like she will like scoff and doxins are very, very smart. That's right then. Yes The 12 on Boston terrier, their game, they love the Instagram and the pig talk. So.

Katie: 56:50

I, love it. Speaking of Instagram and tick talk, I will definitely put in the notes and I'll mention it in either the intro or the ultra of the show where people can find you guys and I'll put a link

Hannegan: 57:00

Oh boy.

Katie: 57:01

if

Hannegan: 57:01

Yep.

Katie: 57:01

with it, I'll put a link to Brooks's. I am DB and

Hannegan: 57:05

yeah, I think that's delightful.

Katie: 57:07

you're comfortable with, but

Hannegan: 57:09

Yeah, I think that's lovely. Well, thank you so much. This has been great fun to actually get to see you and chat with you. So thank you.

Katie: 57:16

you're welcome. All right. Well, you

Hannegan: 57:18

I'll look forward to hearing it then. You say hi to your little.

Katie: 57:23

I will. don't even doing right now. Dad. I rarely record on the weekends. It's a Sunday right now for those people listening, but not sure where they, I feel like tried get him out of the though I, or they're watching football. I'm not sure if one or the one or the other.

Hannegan: 57:37

very quiet here too. I'm like w where is everybody? So enjoy it and join the peace and quiet mom.

Katie: 57:43

Exactly.

Hannegan: 57:44

All right, well, I'll see you on Instagram them.

Katie: 57:47

So you're there. Well, that's it for our show today. I hope you guys love that conversation with me and Hannigan. I just so badly want to be adopted into their family. I was a thespian in high school and I just love all things related to theater and musicals and the arts and, and bonus. They just went on a giant trip to Disney world and I'm a huge Disney fan. So. If you guys are ever looking for like bonus family members or extra family members, Roseberry family I'm available. I'm just, just throwing it out there. I'm available again. You guys need to go follow them on Instagram and Tik TOK. There are lots of fun to follow. Always doing fun, silly, goofy stuff, and really amazing stuff. Their handle is at Hannigan underscore. Brooks, I will put a link to that in the show notes as always. Okay. Sugar mamas have a fabulous week.