So I was recently at Ryan’s home and all of the sudden he mentions his pump site was ripped out while getting comfortable on the couch. My immediate thought,“that has got to be painful!” He heads to the restroom and inserts a new one. I was amazed by how quickly he made it happen while talking to me in the living room. He made it seem effortless.
I’ve been against the idea of a pump for quite some time and feel I need to justify my lack of excitement for a device that has changed the lives so many T1Ds. When considering switching over, a number of scenarios keep me from taking the plunge.
- Where do I put it if I am wearing a dress?
- Is it attached to my Spanx or thong underwear?
- What if I go commando?
- Where would I put it if I want to walk around the house naked for the day?
- Sex…?
- If I want to have “wild” sex, do I have to keep moving it? I laugh at this statement because I’m not really sure what I mean by wild.
- I hate it when my headphones get in the way when I jog. Would I constantly be irritated with a similar wire attached to me at all times?
Hi! My name is Jenn, I’ve been a type 1 diabetic since 2004. Ryan is a childhood friend of my boyfriend. Anyway, I’ve just recently started using the pump. Maybe going on 6 months now. I had all of the same exact concerns you are having. I was so against the idea for years. I will say, it’s a life changer and my diabetes has never been in better control. You find places to put it when you want to wear a cute girly dress. (Clipped backwards in my bra, a trick I learned from my diabetes educator). 😉 You find ways to make it apart of your life and daily routine. Sometimes, I don’t even hide it. If I’m wearing jeans or pants I just have it clipped right there like a pager. I will say, as diabetics we find what we are comfortable with. And I say if you are happy with out the pump, good for you!
Jennifer – Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing your story. It is nice to hear your success story about recently switching to the pump. It sounds like you have the “what ifs” under control and I applaud you for being so brave. I would love to continue to hear feedback on a “newbies” stories of challenges and solutions. I also want to thank you for your last sentence “And I say if you are happy with out the pump, good for you!” Sometimes it is hard for others (pumpers) to be at peace with someone like myself and my resistance to convert.
I’ve been wearing my pump for 11 years now and at this point it’s like a third arm. I could not imagine life without it. I recently got a continuous glucose monitor as well, and am still getting used to that being attached to me all the time.
But as far as being in pump prison?? I think insulin pumps free you from diabetes prison. I can do basically anything I want all day without having to run to the bathroom to inject myself, or carry insulin around in my purse.
I wear spanx every time I wear a dress, and when I wear a dress I stick my pump in my bra. I’d actually say that 95% of the time people don’t know I’m wearing a pump, even when I wear it on clipped to my pants.
My pump seriously has become a part of my family. The day I got it my cousin named it Peter.. If I’m having a bad blood sugar day, my friends and family always ask, “is peter being a little bastard again??”
But seriously to answer the rest of your questions, let’s just put it this way… I’m 25 years old and I live my life exactly the same way the rest of my friends do. My boyfriend is very understanding about everything (which really helps), but at the end of the day I wouldn’t give my pump up for anything.
Ps. I just take my pump off during sex. You can remove it for up to an hour before it starts to affect you!
Ali – Thank you for being brave enough to share your thoughts on my pump prison post. Your comment gives me a first hand look into my “what if” scenarios and I applaud you for being so candid. That is what the Diabetes Daily Grind is all about – sharing a real life look into the disease. Please keep the DDG in mind as other scenarios pop up because your input is incredibly valuable in helping others conquer the daily struggles.