Rachylou...insulin pump wearers

Freckles

Do you find that your pump gives your pants lines and wrinkles like they don't fit when you wear them? I'm having a problem with this and it is driving me crazy, but I do wear softer fabrics.

Also when you wear a dress where do you put the thing? I got another pump holder this week that I thought would work and it is a fail...

Tia

13 years ago

Dressing

6 replies

Latest reply was from Freckles

rachylou

Veteran

When I wear a dress I either stick it in my bra or wear a Thigh Thing (tm). I don't find it makes fine lines, but it is a lump in the pocket. Most if the time I out it in my bra. They sell ones with pockets but I don't have one. I treat it like a pager or cell phone. I work in hi tech so gear is not an unusual sight.

What materials exactly do you like to wear most?

13 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

I wear a Minimed Paradigm so it is quite thick.

I have tried it in my bra two ways. Under my arm which drove me batty and under the bust sort of centred which gave me horrible uniboob. It looked like I wore the worst bra ever invented. Do you wear it a different way?

I tried a thigh thing with my pencil skirt (pic 1) but on the inside of my leg couldn't walk without rubbing and making my walk weird and on the outside it stuck out and looked funny. I'm used to seeing it on my waistband though making a lump through my top so maybe it is just something I am not used to.

The one dress I currently have is a bodycon drapey and spandex mix. Tried the thigh thing with that too and it really showed through, but honestly anything would show.

My pants don't have pockets so I clip it to my waistband. The pants fit and look perfect without the pump but once that small thing is clipped see how they look in pic 2. I mean honestly, it weighs practically nothing...how can it do this?

I wear a rise just under my navel with a side zip if I can get it. My pants tend to be a polyester/rayon mix with a touch of spandex thrown in. I prefer wool crepe and a side zip but the two do not go together lately. It isn't as bad with wool flannel pants but haven't seen those at all in a style that looks good on me to buy more of.

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13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Mm. I use an Animas pump. My doc wanted me to go with a different one (the Deltec Cozmo) and thought I would because it was more techie, but I went with the Animas because I thought it would be more liveable. It probably is (more liveable)... but I can't say I can really recommend it technology wise. It might have been better for me to get the other one.

Anyways, I'm not sure that the Medtronic and Animas are not similar in size. Do you have the Revel? But maybe they are, because I don't get uniboob or irritation wearing it under the arm... Well, I wear it a little forward of under the arm. I stick it under the bra strap, so really it's in front.

I hear you about trying to wear the pump on the inside of the leg. My mom made me a little pocket that I pin on the inside of waistbands sometimes. That works well enough for me (although it's a little troublesome to whip the thing in and out).

I don't see the pump in pic #2, but on the other hand you do look a "little bit pregnant." (Haha, maybe a person can be a "little bit pregnant" after all - with an insulin pump!) Have you thought about wearing it more to the side? Near the hollow of the hip bone? Also, I will show off my pump, like do a half-tuck where it is if it's gonna make my top lumpy.

Outfit #1 is gorgeous btw!

Oh, I just thought of something... I actually wear the "Calf Thing" too, up just past my knee. I find it 1) doesn't slide down as much 2) doesn't make it impossible to walk and 3) makes it easier to get to the pump.

If I don't put the pump in my bra, I will note I don't tuck my shirt generally. I also like to wear it up top, because I find it falls out of pockets all the time.

My oldest friend, diabetic of almost 35 years now, has never gone on the pump because it really annoyed her. She's a more classic dresser, which I would say you are too. I, of course, am a crazy dresser... My swingy sweaters and oversized boxy tops may make the problems less noticeable to me.

How long have you been on an insulin pump, Freckles? Have you just been living with the irritating factors a long time?

13 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

Thank you Rachylou. Yes, I find the Animas and the Minimed to be very similar in size and weight. No I don't use the Revel but the 722 as my pump is a bit older and that was the latest at the time I bought it. The Cozmo really doesn't do much more than the ones we are using. You probably do what it does automatically in your head.

I will try it under my bra strap sort of in front of my arm. That would be much more comfortable and look better. I think it would work really well with the blouse in pic one or some dresses. It would probably work with the softer fabric pants that I wear too.
I have this dress that dh loves on me and have only worn it once. I was thinking of trying dresses for my day to day life in the summer. Depending on the neckline of the dress when worn in the bra or on the calf (I had forgotten about the calf thing) you would be able to whip it out to use it. The calf thing sounds like it would be great in the blistering summer heat.

Pic 2 is showing how my pants wrinkle funny and don't look like they fit once I put the pump on my waistband. Yes, I look a little bit pregnant, that is just my current body shape.

I got those turtlenecks in a smaller size than I would have usually as they are much warmer that way and in the hockey arenas and they will be under a sweater coat anyhow. They actually fit very well, I usually size up in my clothes and that looks really frumpy to me especially when combined with being a classic dresser. My newest mission is to buy clothes that fit. I wear all my tops untucked except when wearing a skirt, which is practically never.

When I'm at home, doing errands or with family/friends I wear the pump centered at my neck or the hollow of my hipbone. In my day to day life the pump is like a part of my body. It is when I get dressed up for a wedding or something that I want the pump to be less noticeable.

I've been on the pump about twenty years or so. Back then the pumps didn't do nearly as much but they were much thinner and so therefore subtle in their appearance. I was much younger then and didn't care that it was noticeable. I also got the most gorgeous pump cases from California in many colours to suit my outfits. We are unable to do this anymore as with the stupid medical crap between Canada and U.S., they are not allowed to ship to Canada. I thought of them kind of like an accessory when I got dressed.

Thanks so very much for your help, I really appreciate it. I will try it in the bra as you suggested and see if I still have that calf thing. I really had no idea what to do with it when wearing a dress as everything I had tried was a disaster.

13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Hope it helps!

Re. the pants wrinkles - That seems really odd to me. Although, I personally have (big time) problems with wrinkling when it comes to rayon in general. Where are you wearing the pump in the pic?

(p.s. Hope I wasn't too offensive re. the "little bit pregnant" comment. At the bakery X-mas party, my crew was all sitting around thinking everyone was pregnant. Women are round, and peplums and sweaters were doing us in. We're a terrible lot. We're Night Crew. We do all the present stealing when it comes to the White Elephant gift exchange.)

13 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

The pump is not in the pic but it is off the front of my body entirely and on the side. I often do this when I first buy an item to judge the fit of something, I move the pump around my body while I'm looking at it or stick it on my neck. I never wear it there but the pants do the same thing when I wear it where I usually do. The waistband of the pants drop down about two inches when I attach the pump.
Rachylou no offense taken at all, I always describe myself as having a pregnant belly. It's an accurate description of what is there.

13 years ago

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