Ep. 79: How to Stay Resilient During Health Struggles with Taylor Efford

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Imagine this: you’re young, active and healthy, with ambitious goals. Then, suddenly, you have to rethink it all when you receive a life-changing health diagnosis. How do you come to terms with it? How do you keep pushing forward? That’s exactly what Taylor Efford—a Toronto-based content creator, comedian and actor with a large social media following—had to confront last year when, at 25 years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Instead of carrying on like nothing had changed, she discovered a renewed strength and sense of purpose, sharing her journey with her followers to raise awareness about the disease. This week, she sits down with Dr. Jack Muskat, clinical director of mental health at Medcan, to talk about her story.

LINKS

Find Taylor Efford on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. 

You can also watch her talk about her experience with diabetes here and here.

Learn more about Type 1 diabetes.

INSIGHTS 

One of the first things Efford wants to share with everyone? If you really feel like something is not right with your body, you need to push to get answers. When Efford first wasn’t feeling well, and she visited a walk-in clinic, the health professionals brushed off her concerns. A doctor said her fatigue was a normal symptom of someone living an active life. When she went back with numbness in her left leg, she was told it was most likely a pinched nerve. Finally, after becoming increasingly anxious, Efford went back to the clinic and demanded she get more in-depth tests done. It was only then that she received a proper diagnosis. “Your experience is valid, and no one can really advocate for that except for you,” she says. [04:22]

So what is it really like living with Type 1 diabetes and having a pancreas that doesn’t function properly? “You have to be switched on 24/7—my brain does not get a break,” Efford says. She’s constantly monitoring her blood sugar levels, has to adjust times when she eats and works out—nothing is the same. “There’s no perfect way to do it, which I think is the most frustrating part of the disease—just accepting that you’re never going to be as good of a pancreas as your original pancreas.” [14:37]

When receiving some kind of medical diagnosis, it’s natural for people to wonder “Why me?” Efford didn’t let herself get caught up in that question. Instead, she turned to her social media platforms and started sharing her journey with her followers, hoping to educate and raise awareness about the disease. “I wanted to open up about this because I was so shocked about how little I knew about Type 1,” she says. “I’m one of those people that thinks the universe sends you stuff for a reason, so I was just like, ‘The universe sent this to me to communicate it. … And that helped me because I thought … ‘Maybe that’ll make having this worth it.’” [18:17]

How did Efford come to terms that the life she knew no longer existed? “I definitely had a mourning period … and people can stay hung up on that. But what I kept asking is, ‘Who can I be now?’ I just kept switching the language. ” she explains. “I got a real fast ticket to learn how short life can actually be, and so I was just like, ‘I choose life.’ … I got to remap my brain as to all the things I thought I would have—they’re different now. But what beautiful things can I find in that difference? Because I only have this life, so I can still find the beautiful moments.” [24:00]

One key part of Taylor’s resilience was her belief that she was in charge of how she reacted to her diagnosis. “Life is actually like a video game, and you’re holding the controller,” Efford says. Only you can control how you manage certain situations—you are in charge. Once Efford accepted that—with some help from her support system, which is always good to have—she knew she could get back on track and push through the ups and downs of her diagnosis. [25:30]

If someone in your life is dealing with an illness, the best thing you can do is listen to them. “Let them guide you on what language they would like to hear—if they’re ready for positives, they’ll let you know,” Efford says, adding that trying to remain positive from the beginning can actually deter the person you’re trying to support. And if you’re the person with the illness, you need to be able to communicate what you need to your support system. “Giving people the opportunity to let you know how they need help is really key.” [27:57]

EPISODE 79: HOW TO STAY RESILIENT DURING HEALTH STRUGGLES WITH TAYLOR EFFORD

FINAL WEB TRANSCRIPT

Christopher Shulgan: Welcome to episode 79 of Eat Move Think I'm executive producer Christopher Shulgan, and I'd like to introduce you to someone: Taylor Efford, a Toronto-based content creator, comedian and actor. Some of you may already be familiar with Taylor—and if you're not, your kids may be fans. She has an impressive following on social media, particularly on TikTok, where she shares candid videos about skincare and beauty.

[00:00:36.12]

Christopher Shulgan: Last year, after a series of health issues, Taylor was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 25 years old—in the middle of a pandemic, no less. Her life changed immediately, and she suddenly found herself thinking about her diet, body and mental health in a new way. Many people would have collapsed after such an ordeal, but Taylor didn't. Instead, she's drawn strength from her experiences. Now she uses her social media platform to share her Type 1 journey with her online following, raising awareness around the disease.

[00:01:09.15]

Christopher Shulgan: Taylor's story is a case study in resilience. It's one that has takeaways for all of us. So this week, we asked her to sit down with guest host Dr. Jack Muskat, clinical director of mental health at Medcan, to talk about her journey, and the way she's triumphed over adversity. Here's that conversation.

[00:01:31.11]

Jack Muskat: Hi, I'm Dr. Jack Muskat, clinical director of mental health at Medcan. I'm here today with Taylor Efford. Last year, at 25 years of age, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which is more commonly diagnosed in childhood, but can develop at any age. Taylor, thank you for joining us today.

[00:01:49.16]

Taylor Efford: Thanks for having me. I'm really excited about any opportunity to talk about type 1.

[00:01:54.23]

Jack Muskat: Great. And tell us a little bit about the difference between type 1 and type 2. I understand that type 1 affects 10 percent of the population, and type 2 is what most people commonly think of as diabetes?

[00:02:04.21]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, it's really funny that they're linked. But basically, the easiest way to say it is everyone's got a pancreas. And in your body, your pancreas is supposed to make insulin for you. In type 1, the pancreas shuts off, and she stops making that insulin. Whereas in type 2, the pancreas is still making that insulin, it's more so the cells aren't as able to access it. So that's where the diseases kind of differ. Like, both very serious, but yeah, in type 1, we've got a complete failure on an organ.

[00:02:33.05]

Jack Muskat: Right. Tell us what was life like before type 1.

[00:02:35.22]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, before type 1, like, I was just like, you know, Miss Energizer Bunny, trying to just do everything and anything. And I was living a really healthy lifestyle, which I think a lot of people—like, it's a common misconception. Like, they think like, "Oh, you ate too much sugar, and that's what happened." And it's actually not at all the case for type 1s. It's like, I was extremely healthy. I was working out, I was eating just like a health nut. And it just kind of snuck up on me.

[00:02:59.13]

Jack Muskat: So you had a very energetic life and no problems in childhood with any health, any concerns around energy, any other concerns?

[00:03:07.10]

Taylor Efford: Nothing like that, though when I hit university, that's when my health started going downhill. And it's still a bit of a mystery. Like, I've talked to a lot of doctors and they're like, "Man, you're an edge case. Like, you're weird." So in university, I got diagnosed with celiac disease, which is another autoimmune disease in which you can't eat gluten. So that's when I noticed, like, a little bit of wavering in the energy. But then once I cut the gluten, everything seemed to be fine. And yeah, seven years later after that, that's when things really came to a halt.

[00:03:32.19]

Jack Muskat: Right. So it sort of started in university. And as you said, it was uncertain what it was, and you were trying different things. What was happening to your health at the time? Were you experiencing different kinds of symptoms?

[00:03:43.10]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, different kinds of symptoms, just in terms of energy, and just general pain, I guess, because the body's quite inflamed, autoimmune diseases and stuff. So little bit of a difference. But again, you're 20 years old, so you don't really, like, pay too much attention. And you're going about, you know, university and all that, and you think every university student's tired or, like, you know, whatever. And I was in a theatre program so, you know, such long hours, and so I didn't think too much of it until I think I passed out one day, and that's when my dad was like, "Okay, let's go see someone about this." And that's when we kind of started diving in.

[00:04:13.28]

Jack Muskat: So take us through the process, because what you're describing is something that, as you said, could have just been normal exhaustion for an active theatre student, but it was more than that.

[00:04:23.13]

Taylor Efford: It was more than that. And it's funny because you do have to—especially with autoimmune diseases, like, they're so tricky, because you can kind of still go about your day, and you don't really know what a normal body is feeling. It becomes very normal. So that's why they're so sneaky, because you kind of just get used to the way you're living, and you don't really know what someone else's bodily experience is. So you think, "Oh, I guess it's normal that my stomach hurts all day." And then when you start going to doctors, they start asking you like, "Well, you know, how much sleep do you get?" And it kind of goes around all these windy ways of not getting tests done for you. So my first advice is you really do have to push. If you feel something's wrong, start pushing, start asking for tests, because your experience is valid, and no one can really advocate for that except for you.

[00:05:06.15]

Taylor Efford: So that's when we started saying like, "No, no. Something's wrong." Like, my dad was really helpful when I was younger. Like, he would come to the appointments with me and bully a bit, like, "No, no. If she says she's not feeling well, she's not feeling well." But it's also different, like, living in an outwardly-looking healthy body, right? Like, a certain active level. I eat healthy. And doctors hear all this, so they just kind of don't really assume that anything could be wrong.

[00:05:28.22]

Jack Muskat: Right. So you look too well to be sick.

[00:05:30.19]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, and even when I was getting diagnosed with type 1, like, that was the craziest. Like, I was feeling the sickest I had ever felt in my life. Like, just bizarre. Like, I couldn't take 10 steps without sitting. I was extremely nauseous, like, all the time, shaking, sick, you know, waking up constantly in the night. And I'd go to the doctor, and it was always just like, "Oh, well, like—" you know, especially I think women, like, they're apt to say like, "Well, is it that time in the month?" And you're like, "Oh, I don't know. I'm not a doctor." So you leave, and then something else goes wrong, and you come back. And I was experiencing numbness in my leg, which looking back on is so dangerous because diabetes, you can lose limbs, like, that is a very real reality. And I was experiencing numbness in my left leg. And the doctor goes, "Well, you say you work out a lot." And I'm like, "Yeah. Yeah, I do." And he's like, "Oh, you pinched a nerve in your hip." And so I left again, you know?

[00:06:21.27]

Jack Muskat: Right. And where was this? Because you seem to be suggesting—and I want to get into it, because it's a very important thing you're saying that if you're—it's not even a question of being believed as much as a question of we want to discount the symptoms. You know, when we hear hoof steps, we don't want to think zebras, we want to think horses. So what is the most common probable cause of what it might be? And in your case, you're describing this doctor or the doctor, but was it a GP? Was it—like, how did you get to the next level where you could actually get diagnosed properly?

[00:06:49.12]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, so it was a GP that I just kind of been seeing throughout the summer. I just went to a walk-in clinic, like, I don't have a family doctor, because I just moved to Toronto two years ago. So it was just a general clinic, and I would just go in. And they're friendly. You know, I don't think they're trying to shoo you out the door. But it is a little bit of that. Like you say, it's like, we don't really want to just jump to zebras when we hear hooves or whatever. And that's a great way to say it. So what happened is I started getting, like, massive anxiety, and I'd never been anxious before. And so that kind of started feeding into my overall health. And one day, I just kind of snapped, like, in my apartment, my partner, my boyfriend, I started just saying frantically, "I need a blood test." Like, it was almost just like gut instinct was like, "No, something is so, so wrong." Like, I look back on the photos, I had lost 20 pounds. Like, I was so thin. I had someone come up to me and call me "Chicken legs" in the street because there was just no meat on my body. And I was like, something's so wrong. And so ...

[00:07:42.26]

Jack Muskat: You're wasting away.

[00:07:43.26]

Taylor Efford: I was wasting away. I was, like, literally dying, you know? Because, you know, you can die without a pancreas function. And it could have been worse, could have ended up in emergency. But I just said, "I gotta get a blood test." So I went to the thing. I said, "I want a blood test." They gave me the papers. I went the next morning. And I call on the Tuesday or whatever and I say, "Great. I'm just calling in about my blood test." And the doctor on the phone goes, "Yeah, Taylor, like, so how long have you had type 1, by the way?" And I'm like, "I don't?" And she's like, "You need to come in immediately."

[00:08:12.04]

Taylor Efford: I'm like, just immediate tears. Because, like, you're not used to a doctor speaking to you in that tone. Like, doctors your whole life are really calm and collected, and then her tone just flipped. And just like, you're so taken aback, because you never really think it's going to be you that's getting the scary call from the doctor. But yeah, it was a blood test that really got to show me everything that was wrong. And everything was wrong. Like, they thought I had cancer because my blood was just so messed up. But it's just because I was so sick.

[00:08:41.03]

Jack Muskat: So it triggered something. How did you know where to go to get the blood test? And maybe you could tell our listeners what that was like?

[00:08:47.27]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, so all you really have to do is when you feel like something's wrong, you got to go, even to a walk-in clinic. Because again, I went back there because they had all my previous kind of visits. And I was like, great, they know something's wrong. And so I said, "I want a blood test. Something's wrong." And kind of of the attitude I'm not leaving today, 'til you allow me and, like, grant me a blood test. Like, something's really wrong. And so that's kind of the vibe I gave off. Like, very frantic. And I think that's what kind of made them go, "Uh, okay. Just let's just give this girl a blood test." Whether they think I'm crazy or not, like, she's anxious, and she's concerned. And so finally, they gave it to me. And those results were sent to that walk-in clinic, and that's the doctor I dealt with on the phone again. Came in for another blood test. We did four blood tests that week. They just kept bringing me back in because they were like, "We actually don't know what's wrong with you. Like, there's several red flags coming out in this diagnosis right now." And then finally, they set me up with an endocrinologist, and that's when I started getting specialized proper help for my type 1.

[00:09:40.27]

Jack Muskat: So just to get the chronology, was this pre-pandemic?

[00:09:43.24]

Taylor Efford: No, this was right smack dab in the pandemic.

[00:09:47.04]

Jack Muskat: So you're new to Toronto. You're from Alberta, is that correct? You don't have a doctor.

[00:09:52.01]

Taylor Efford: No.

[00:09:52.18]

Jack Muskat: And we're now under lockdown.

[00:09:54.13]

Taylor Efford: Yeah.

[00:09:54.28]

Jack Muskat: And you're supposed to manage your care.

[00:09:56.13]

Taylor Efford: Exactly. And you're supposed to ...

[00:09:58.12]

Jack Muskat: And nobody wants to see you because of COVID.

[00:10:00.11]

Taylor Efford: Mm-hmm. And it's really tough. Because you're supposed to have, like, a lot of in-person visits, I think, with your endocrinologist, like, at first. And I got one in-person visit, which is great. But, like, you know, it's just like the craziest experience. Like, they're handing you a needle in their office and they're like, "Right, can you just put that in your stomach, Taylor?" And you're like, "I'm sorry, what? You know, I don't know how to do this." But I tried to be brave. And I was like, "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." You know, and just shove it in my stomach, because I didn't want to be a chicken in his office, because I was trying to be so brave through all of this just, like, bulldozing my way through all these diagnoses because I felt like if I took one second to breathe, I would crumble.

[00:10:36.27]

Taylor Efford: And so that was just kind of my attitude. Like, just keep plowing, keep plowing to fix this, and don't really let it sink in yet until we know all of our answers. And it is weird. Like, even you're supposed to have a nurse practitioner, and they're supposed to be your best friend in type 1. I've never met mine. You know, I have calls with her and they're awesome, but it would have been cool to just have someone sit with me, because it's so much math, so much numbers. Like, type 1 is such an involved disease. And I'm dyslexic, so they're explaining this carb-ratio math stuff on the phone, and I've got a notepad trying to understand everything. And the added challenge of a pandemic was just unreal.

[00:11:16.24]

Jack Muskat: Right. And you were doing your research on type 1, and that wasn't very encouraging.

[00:11:21.07]

Taylor Efford: No, that was scary. Like, being told, like, an organ's down is, like, really surreal. And you just feel like, you know when you have a cold and you're like, "Oh, I took for granted when I could breathe comfortably through my nose." You know, like, everyone kind of has that feeling because you miss how you could breathe through your nose. It's like that when you lose an organ function. You're like, "All those years I just took for granted. I would just eat, no problem." Now eating is so complicated, you know? And day-to-day life is so complicated, and you just miss the ability to just live, you know?

[00:11:51.03]

Jack Muskat: Most of us sort of understand diabetes, if we're not part of it, in a very general and maybe misinformed way. Either you have too much sugar or not enough. You should either eat a candy bar, or you've had too much sugar. You're describing type 1, which is really saying that the pancreas isn't producing any insulin, and that you basically have an autoimmune disorder where your body is attacking itself, is that correct?

[00:12:12.20]

Taylor Efford: That's correct. Because I think we all, like, were in elementary school, we knew one kid that had type 1. And we all thought, "Oh, that sucks." But you had no idea that this kid was actively keeping himself alive day to day. Like, it's amazing. And I think we all just kind of like brush it over because we can still walk and move and do everything that everyone else is doing. It's just there's this whole behind the scenes of a balancing scale of your sugars, because you're completely in charge of those now, and the pancreas used to be. And so when you lose that function, yeah, you're pretty much your own organ at this point in terms of your brain activity. Like, you have to be constantly acting as your pancreas, because he's not doing his little job anymore.

[00:12:49.08]

Jack Muskat: Right. So tell us about the treatment then, because it's an interesting way of saying that you're now the conscious pancreas that has to manage your blood sugar and keep it even throughout the day.

[00:12:59.08]

Taylor Efford: Exactly. But in terms of technology today, because, you know, a hundred years ago, this was a death sentence. You know, type 1 was death. And so I'm really lucky about insulin. So shout out Toronto for, you know, inventing that one. And then even now, like, I've got a CGM, which is a continuous glucose monitor. And that is amazing. It's on my phone. I have a Dexcom G6, and it like, just goes to my phone and lets me know at all times what my blood sugar is. So, like, we could check right now, it's so simple. So I'm at 12.8, which is very unhealthy. So kind of bad numbers right now. Yours would be sitting between a four and a seven, and mine's at a 12.8. But it's okay. Like, I'm still functioning.

[00:13:35.16]

Jack Muskat: And does it mean you have to do anything right now?

[00:13:37.12]

Taylor Efford: It would mean—if I was at home, I would take my insulin pen and give myself insulin. So this means, like, the sugars in the blood are a little bit high. And then you can also experience lows, so that would be under a four. And that's when you really feel sick. That's when you could pass out. Lows are quite dangerous. And they say, like—I haven't experienced this yet—knock on wood—but I've also been in my house during the pandemic, but type 1s will typically have kind of like an emergency room moment once a year, on average, just in terms of, like, trying to catch that low. It can get really risky and dangerous. But yeah, the highs are cured with insulin, and the lows are cured with sugar, which is weird.

[00:14:13.06]

Jack Muskat: Right. So you have to have both. And yet, even as we're talking—and for those of our listeners who can't see Taylor, she's very alive and very vital and very full of energy. And you don't look like there's anything wrong, but how has it affected your exercise, your movement? Like, how do you have to live your life in terms of non-medicinal or non-treatment type things? What do you have to do to be chill?

[00:14:38.21]

Taylor Efford: You just have to be switched on 24/7. Like, my brain does not get a break anymore. You know, you're constantly wondering what are my numbers at, you know? And so in terms of exercise, you have to play a really smart game with your numbers. Because if you work out, you can't work out on a low. Like, that's just gonna drop you and get quite dangerous. And you can't work out when you're too high. Like, right now at a 13, you wouldn't want to do a workout either, because again, it's in a danger zone. So already, you have to make sure you're in the good area. And then, you know, if you're leaving your house, you have to always have sugar. Like, there's a handful of rocket candies in my bag right now, you know? Can't leave the house without that. And especially if you're doing exercise, you know, you've got to have a juice box or whatever. What I do is I skip breakfast now so that I don't have to take insulin, because I'm quite sensitive to insulin. Like, the second it goes in, I kind of end up having a low. So right now, I would be at a lower number. So this is a constant game that you're playing, and you're really in charge. And there's no really perfect way to do it, which I think is the most frustrating part of the disease is just accepting that you're never gonna be as good of a pancreas as your original pancreas.

[00:15:47.07]

Jack Muskat: Right. And what about sleep?

[00:15:49.11]

Taylor Efford: Yeah. So I mean, that's the really scary thing. And I don't know how anyone does type 1 without a CGM, but in Canada, they're not always covered. So it's like, when I go to sleep at night, this device, this Dexcom, if I go low, a huge alarm goes off and wakes me up and I go and I drink juice.

[00:16:05.23]

Jack Muskat: Has that happened?

[00:16:07.03]

Taylor Efford: All the time, all the time. I'm waking up to that thing all the time, which is tough. And, you know, it's just—yeah, it's a very involved disease. And again, like, back to anxiety, like, I've never been anxious, but now with all this responsibility, you know, you look at your numbers before bed, and you're like, "Okay, I'm at a 4.6. Maybe if I have, like, three sips of this juice box. Yeah, three sips. Then I might get a full night's sleep." But you don't want to overdo it, because then you wake up in the morning and you're at, like, a 12, which is not great. And you want to try to stay in that healthy pocket.

[00:16:39.15]

Jack Muskat: So it's driving out a lot of other thoughts, because you're really spending your day and your night trying to anticipate how much juice do I drink before I go to bed so I don't run out before the morning? It's sort of like the water stations when you're running so you're not running on empty. I want to ask you, because this would be very remarkable for us to hear, how did you manage with that plus the pandemic fears that we all had? How was that impacting you?

[00:17:03.16]

Taylor Efford: My family will tell you, like, I was a wreck. I was convinced I would die if I got COVID. I was so anxious about that. Because I feel like everyone just has, like, this innate trust in their health—as you should. Like, don't go around thinking something's gonna go wrong. But I love this quote, like, "Health is a crown only the sick can see." You know, like, when you're healthy, you don't really realize, like, how gifted you truly are. And when someone takes a piece of your health, you just lose faith in your body. And that's like a weird dynamic, because we all kind of go around, like we're kind of invincible, we all kind of do our things. And when that was taken for me, and then it was also, like, this risk of getting sick from, like, walking out your front door, I was like, "This is truly too much for my brain to handle." And I became really paranoid about everything, and just tried to stay really safe. Didn't see my family too, too much, which is another sad thing. Like, I had to go to the emergency room twice over the pandemic just because of type 1 things and, you know, no one's in there with you and, like, it's just the worst time. It's the worst time to get diagnosed.

[00:18:06.26]

Jack Muskat: So tell us how you became a content creator and shared your story on social media, and how that is helping with your journey. And also, what messages you have for us.

[00:18:18.17]

Taylor Efford: Yeah. So I mean, I do want to be an actor. So I remember, like, four years ago, when social media started picking up, I was like, "I think I should start this. Like, start putting some stuff out on this. I don't know, maybe you get a gig that way. Like, who knows?" And so I slowly started then, and then when the pandemic came around, and I couldn't do my acting, I just was like, "Well, maybe I'll just practice my improv on TikTok. And so TikTok was where I first kind of blew up. And then yeah, by the time it came to my diagnosis, I just decided I want to be open about this, because I was so shocked at how little I knew about type 1. I'm, like, ashamed of how little I knew. And I had friends in university who had type 1, and I was never there for them in the way I would be now, knowing what I know. And I just couldn't believe how misinformed everyone was on type 1.

[00:19:02.23]

Taylor Efford: So that kind of fed my urge to be like, no, if someone says they have type 1, they're a frickin' hero. Like, they're so cool. They're a pancreas. Like, their brain is doing all this work, they're doing all this math just to live a daily life that you're living rent free, you know? So I just decided to really open up, and then I got really good feedback from people who were going through it, and said that they it really helped them to hear that someone else was struggling. So I was like, okay, if that's—I'm kind of one of those woo-wee people that thinks, like, the universe sends you stuff for a reason. So I just thought, "I think I was sent this to communicate it." Like, that was just kind of my feeling. I was like, "I think the universe sent me this because I have an ability to share my energy." Like you said, I'm an energetic person, so I thought I can be a spokesperson for this. Like, I don't mind. And that's just how I kind of thought of it. And it also helped me because I thought, "Okay, cool. Like, I don't have this for no reason," which is always nice, like, to find a silver lining. It's like, "Well, okay, this sucks. But hey, maybe I can help some other people. Or maybe I can educate people, and maybe that'll make having this worth it."

[00:20:07.20]

Jack Muskat: And the kind of feedback you've been getting, the kind of comments you've had, what were the most surprising things you heard that were inspiring to you?

[00:20:15.14]

Taylor Efford: So many just shocking messages. I had one young girl write to me saying, like, this is so silly, but it means a lot to me, but she said, "I'm wearing a bikini to the pool party next week." And she wears like medical equipment. And she said, "Because you show yours off and you said, you know, to not be ashamed of wearing that." And, you know, she's like, "Normally I'd wear one piece and try to hide it, and I'm gonna just show it off." And, like, that just warmed my heart because it is nothing to be ashamed of. It should be normalized. You know, you should be able to wear this stuff and not have someone come up and ask you, "What's that on your arm?" Or things like that. Or I had someone else say that their mental health was in a really low place, and me opening up helped them kind of survive the summer. And that was really impactful to me that I touched someone's life so deeply in that sense. And it's just been really amazing and overwhelming.

[00:21:03.07]

Jack Muskat: Right. And the social media, we were talking earlier before the show, and you told me that it was a whole other world. And someone who's actually very close to it as you are, could you tell us a little bit more? For those of you who haven't had a chance to see Taylor Efford's YouTube channel, it not only has an incredibly moving video of her journey through the type 1, where she says that people who are healthy should feel like billionaires, although you then did say that you feel like a millionaire. And I want to talk about where you get your positive energy for that. But you also have a bunch of videos on make-up, fashion, acting, working out, and it's like a whole universe. Are you getting feedback on that too? How do the two interact: your health concerns and you're what I call a regular life?

[00:21:51.06]

Taylor Efford: Yeah. Yeah, I guess, like, basically on TikTok I'd, yeah, just kind of been comedy and skincare and make-up. But when I started opening up about myself, I think people realized that I was a real human. It kind of bridged that gap of just being a social media figure to, like, oh, wow, she is just like me. Like, she's just as dorky or whatever. Like, when you open up on social media, like, if you're able to—and I know it's not for everyone, and that's totally fine. But when you do, yeah, people just actually think you're their best friend. And you've never met them, and you had no idea that this person is following your life like a best friend would. And, like, it's such a cool world in which you can connect with so many people or inspire so many people or be inspired by people. And even the type 1 community, like, when I came out with that video, my DMs were flooded with advice. Silly advice, like Rockets are so convenient, because they're individually wrapped. And, like, it just opened up all these connections. And I just think it's so powerful and cool.

[00:22:46.22]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, there's just like a neat community to have out there, aside from, like, the yucky aspects of social media. Like, it's not all roses, obviously. But in terms of connecting people from all over, it's really neat.

[00:22:56.16]

Jack Muskat: But I think what you're saying is so critical, because so many of the patients that I see and that others see, are feeling isolated, feeling alone, feeling—not even that nobody cares, but that you're not listened to, that you're not heard. And in the beginning, it was like that for you. You were misdiagnosed or undiagnosed or ignored. What advice could you give our listeners around whatever problems you have, because I think this is general good advice for all of us, not so much to get your own YouTube channel and be on social media, but to reach out, and then find that you're not alone.

[00:23:29.24]

Taylor Efford: It's hard, because, like, one piece of you just thinks everything's over. Like, you know, life as I knew it is definitely over. And I definitely had that kind of mourning period of the girl I used to be. Like, I like to joke—they're not nice jokes, but I like to joke "She died." Because I can't be her anymore. And people can stay hung up on that. But what I kept asking is, "Who can I be now?" And it's just that kind of language switch. And it's just looking forward. Because, you know, it's like they say, like, the past, I think is, like, depressing. The future can be anxiety inducing, but that can also be exciting, you know?

[00:24:01.12]

Taylor Efford: And I just kept switching the language. Anytime I caught myself getting down in the dumps, I would just say, "Well, what do you have now?" You know? Or, "What opportunities is this gonna bring you now?" And just keep pushing for the positives. And I know some people preach toxic positivity, and I'm maybe on that side, but I'd rather hang out on the positive side, because life is short, and I was just taught. I just got a real fast ticket to learn how short life can actually be. And so I was just like, you know what? I choose life then. Like, I choose to seek out whatever I can find in this life. And it's gonna be different, and I got to remap my brain as to all the things I thought I would have. They're different now, but what beautiful things can I find in that difference? Because I only have this life, so I can still find beautiful moments and all these things.

[00:24:49.04]

Jack Muskat: Your maturity is awesome, because so many of us need help and support. I don't know whether you were getting any professional help, but what you're doing in terms of your own self care, in terms of saying, you know, I have to reimagine my life. Ironically, many people who don't have the physical problems that you've experienced but who are struggling with anxiety, with depression, with low self esteem, with fear of the future, are also asking themselves at—is it 25? Is this what my life's gonna be?

[00:25:19.17]

Taylor Efford: Yeah.

[00:25:20.23]

Jack Muskat: And so in a way, there's a kind of—you have a real thing to worry about, which has forced you to, I won't say grow up, but grow a different perspective, which is what we need to do.

[00:25:31.00]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, exactly. It's just kind of like, kind of realizing that life is actually like a video game, and you're holding the controller. Like, stop looking at life like it's washing over you. Grab hold of life, and that's just kind of—yeah, I got the fast track in that, in that they were like, "Hey, I'm gonna take your pancreas," and then you're like, "Whoa, I gotta wake up here." Things can happen. But at the end of the day, I'm still in charge of how things happen. Like, even in terms of getting the proper equipment, my endocrinologist almost fell off his chair because three weeks in, I came with this on my arm. I'm like, "I Googled this and it looked good. And people online said this CGM, like, Dexcom's great. So I got it." And he's like, "You're the first patient to have ever done that without asking me first." You know? And he was just really happy for me, because he's like, "You're gonna be just fine." You know? Because I decided to just take the reins on this. And I was like, "All right. What do I need to get back on the good track here?" You do have to push yourself. Like, there is an aspect of push. And I'm really lucky because I've got a great support system.

[00:26:28.12]

Jack Muskat: And we're seeing a lot of young people, kids, if you will, the Gen Zed or Gen Z, that are from 12 to 24 or 25, where we see people in their early 20s just kind of falling apart. They've gone through university, they've gotten the best grades, but they didn't get into the right graduate school, or they didn't get into the right relationship, or they're upset about something. And we sort of look at it and go, "Well, they don't have enough emotional resilience, and they don't seem to have coping skills." Are you seeing that in your generation? And what advice can you give them, because it would be far more credible coming from you than from me?

[00:27:01.29]

Taylor Efford: Yeah. I mean, I had a bit of a different—even just in terms of, like, the way my acne journey went, like, I had to realize at a young age that I was more than my skin. Like, it's almost like those who have the safety net for too long, it does almost a disservice to you, because finally when something does hit the fan, it's shocking, right? And the thing is, though, is just realizing that you're so much more than any earthly thing. Like, you're so much more than that. Like, you're so much more than your body, you're so much more than your skin, you're so much more than the clothes you wear. And I think that's the ticket. When you look in the mirror and you don't look at your appearance, you look in your eyes, and you realize there's a human in there, and they're pretty cool, you know? And whoever they are, get to know them. And I know that sounds weird because you're talking to yourself, but that's the journey I had to be on. I had to look in the mirror and find myself. And I think with social media and all these distractions in life right now, I don't know that people are taking the time to find themselves. And if you can get comfortable with who you are, life's gonna be good.

[00:27:58.17]

Jack Muskat: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us that we haven't talked about that would be relevant to our listeners today?

[00:28:03.11]

Taylor Efford: I think just know that if you have someone who gets sick in your lifetime—hopefully they don't, but if they do—let them guide you on what language they would like to hear. If they're ready for positives they'll let you know, but just jumping into positives right after a major diagnosis might not actually be the most helpful thing for them. And I really think—and this goes for the sick person too—communicate what you need, because people won't necessarily know what to do with you. And that's what I kind of learned.

[00:28:30.22]

Taylor Efford: And it's kind of unfortunate, but you, the sick person, has to be the strong person because your support system actually crumbles first and they panic first. And you kind of have to pretend like nothing's wrong. But give people the space to have the proper emotions. And it might seem silly, but I appreciated it when people would ask like, "Hey, like, what do you need to hear today?" I still do that with my partner, sometimes he'll just do a check in, like, "Hey, like, how are you feeling about your health right now?" And just giving people the opportunity to let you know how they need help is really key. And if you don't know how to help, it is okay to ask, instead of just assume that saying, you know, the positives, which sounds backwards, but can be hurtful.

[00:29:07.24]

Jack Muskat: It makes a lot of sense. And mostly, I find that people who don't step up to the plate, it's not because they don't care or because they're self absorbed, it's because they don't know what to say, they don't know how to say it. They don't want to be hurtful or ignorant.

[00:29:21.20]

Taylor Efford: Yeah, I mean, like, even with my family, I had to tell them because well, like, when the Big C was being thrown around and then I got the type 1 thing, a common sentence everyone would say, "Well, at least it's just  diabetes." And that just actually really hurt. Because I was like, "Oh, I know great that it's not worse. But it's not 'just' diabetes to me. It's diabetes! Like, it's still really big." So, like, you can call people out, but nicely, because you know that your support system loves you.

[00:29:49.04]

Taylor Efford: But you can let them know, "Like, actually, guys, when you say it that way, it kind of hurts my feelings." I would just rather hear, like, "Everything you're feeling as valid, and we're gonna tackle this together," kind of language instead.

[00:29:59.13]

Jack Muskat: You know, as we're talking and as we're wrapping up, I'm thinking what's coming across during our discussion is almost that you are a director and a script writer, and you've created a space where you're letting me know or you're letting us know or anyone know that you have a condition, but it's not you. It's something you have, and we have to accommodate that. But you're an actress, and you're going to do your stuff, and you're going to get your juice when you need to, and that's not the defining feature of who you are. Who you are is this other person who is you, the real you.

[00:30:30.10]

Taylor Efford: Exactly. I'm so much more than my disease. And we're all more than our issues, and you never want to be othered. You know, like, you never want to be othered as the sick person, and sometimes I have to catch my dad on that, because he'll be like, "Did you eat today?" And I'm like, "It's cool. No one else is eating right now." And it's funny, but yeah, you just have to kind of take control and get what you want out of this life.

[00:30:49.14]

Jack Muskat: Listen, it was a pleasure and an honour to meet you. And don't let anyone ever tell you you're just an actress. Because we're looking forward to seeing you perform or wherever your career takes you. And it was a distinct pleasure having you here. And I have to say I really admire how open you are with your story, and how important it's been for you to share it with others, including us. For our listeners, you can find Taylor online at TikTok and Instagram @TaylorEfford. Taylor, thanks so much for your time today.

[00:31:19.05]

Taylor Efford: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

[00:31:22.07]

Christopher Shulgan: Hi, folks. It's Chris here from the top of the show. We just finished listening to Dr. Jack Muskat's conversation with the content creator Taylor Efford. Now we're going to talk to Jack about the takeaways he drew from that interview.

[00:31:36.04]

Christopher Shulgan: So Jack, that was great. I really enjoyed your conversation with Taylor Efford. What struck you from her experience with type 1 diabetes?

[00:31:44.03]

Jack Muskat: Taylor is an amazing young woman who has turned what could be life-debilitating illness into something that she can work around. What I found most revealing about Taylor was her absolute confidence in herself as a person, as who she was. And that stays through her whole experience of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and not making it define her. It's something she has, it's not something she is. And her ability to gain support for what she needed, to get help. And her journey was quite fraught, but she kept on and she kept the fighting spirit going.

[00:32:20.26]

Jack Muskat: The other thing that I found very interesting about Taylor is, given the somewhat negative perceptions many of us have about Gen Zed, that they're a pampered generation, that they're not emotionally resilient, that they're easily anxious, that she's created a very happy and adaptable life for herself, given the ups and downs, both in her diagnosis and in her daily life. So her tenacity, her honesty, her ability to be open minded and balanced in what she's saying. I also appreciated the fact that she doesn't want people to make her feel good, that she doesn't need to have that kind of fake positive psychology that sometimes people use when they don't know what to say, and saying, "Oh, it's only diabetes," or "You're going to feel better," when she really needed people to let her just express how she felt at that time.

[00:33:16.18]

Jack Muskat: And the other thing that I think is really important and impressive is that she has a strong social network, she has a relationship, she has friends, she uses her social media not just as a way to promote herself, but for a way to interact with a community that's larger than who she is.

[00:33:33.06]

Christopher Shulgan: So the pandemic was difficult for all of us, but in particular, it was difficult for Taylor, who was undergoing this just profound health journey during it, and did not collapse. So she's found purpose in her experience. She said was about—she was going to provide exposure for type 1 diabetes. So she drew some sort of meaning from that, and then drew purpose from it. Is that important to resilience overall?

[00:34:00.26]

Jack Muskat: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think the biggest problem that young people face is they get so focused on one outcome. So if they don't get into the school they want to get into, their life is over. If they don't get into the right relationship, then what's going to happen to them. And they're filled with catastrophic thinking as if their life depends on one or two things that's going to happen. Whereas Taylor's had to be very adaptive. She said, "I've had to become my own pancreas." So she's turned what was a deficit in her body to to now saying, "I'm now going to be managing that, and in so doing, I'm not going to let that define me, and why did I get that?" We're all asking ourselves, "Why me?" for anything in our life. And maybe it's because we have something to teach others. And her generosity of spirit to turning it into something that she's going to teach people, help people to get over the issues that they have. But more importantly, just be a role model, an example.

[00:34:53.14]

Jack Muskat: What I really appreciated the most about Taylor is that you can see what she's doing in real time. She's not preaching, she's not telling you what to do. She's telling you what happened to herself and her own experience. She is very funny, but her humour is used in two ways. One is to make others feel better, but also it's to make herself feel better. Because, you know, otherwise, you're gonna cry. So it's better to laugh, because that's sometimes all we can do.

[00:35:17.07]

Christopher Shulgan: The other thing that really struck me in terms of resilience, and I want to get your take on this one, is her statement about life as a video game, and we all have the controllers. That she is not a passive participant in her life, but she is dictating the terms of her life. Is that important to overall resilience?

[00:35:38.15]

Jack Muskat: Yes, of course. And what she said before that which was even more revealing is that she said, "I choose life." And if you look at people's experiences, we can either sit with our grief and our loss or we can say, "No, I choose life. I choose to live. I choose to make the best of what I have in front of me," as difficult as it is and as difficult as it will be every day. And having said that, she could then say, "I'm now going to be able to use that in a positive way, and use that in a way that will allow me to live to the best of my ability." I will add one more point, Chris, you know, when I was commenting at the end that many of us live in our own prisons, and a lot of mental health is the invisible prisons that we put ourselves in. But we have to look at what our own obstacles that we have to overcome, what are the things that are with us every day, that we have to monitor our own sugar levels to make sure that we're balanced and that we're not going off the edge, and that we're not mismanaging our own lives.

[00:36:40.05]

Jack Muskat: So, you know, there but for the grace of God, go all of us. And we can learn from Taylor that if we apply her resolute mindfulness to her daily sugar count, and if we can apply that to our daily behavioural and thoughtful account, that's very much what Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is, being aware of what you're thinking, and being able to make changes so that you're not doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.

[00:37:08.07]

Christopher Shulgan: That strikes me as a great place to wrap up the show. So Dr. Jack Muskat, thanks so much for your insights about Taylor Efford and her health journey.

[00:37:18.14]

Jack Muskat: Thank you. A pleasure, Chris.

[00:37:23.06]

Christopher Shulgan: That was Dr. Jack Muskat, Medcan clinical director of mental health, sharing his insights with me, executive producer Christopher Shulgan, after his conversation with social media star Taylor Efford. We'll post more about where you can find Taylor online at EatMoveThinkpodcast.com, as well as a full episode transcript.

[00:37:42.05]

Christopher Shulgan: Eat Move Think is produced by Ghost Bureau. Senior producer is Russell Gragg. Associate producer is Patricia Karounos. Social media and strategy support is from Chantel Guertin, Andrew Imecs and Campbell MacKinnon.

[00:37:54.07]

Christopher Shulgan: Remember to rate and subscribe to Eat Move Think on your favourite podcast platform. Follow our host Shuan Francis on Twitter and Instagram @ShaunCFrancis—that's Shaun with a U—and Medcan @Medcanlivewell. We'll be back soon with a new episode examining health and wellness.

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