When you first start on an insulin pump there is a lot to learn and adjust too. But sometimes it’s the small things that make the most difference to feeling comfortable with wearing an insulin pump.
Here are a few fun facts I have picked up along the way :-
DO feel comfortable being seen wearing the pump it’s looks like an iProduct anyway and people always have though’s out in public.
DONT forget when pulling your knickers down that you have a pump clipped to them. Otherwise be prepared for a quick set change (pump set not a set of knickers) or worse the pump going for a swim in the toilet bowl!!!
DO take note of alarms when they go off. Beeping boobs will get odd looks if you have the pump clipped to your bra!!!!
DONT forget when you get in a car to check that you and the pump are both on the same side of the closed door.
DO get a cover and screen protector for the pump. You wouldn’t leave your phone at risk of bumps and scratches so treat your pump to an outfit too protect it.
DONT take the pump off to shower and forget to put in back on. No mystery to a high BSL if you have showered, made a coffee, put the washing out and taken the kids to school all while the pump was still on the bathroom vanity.
DO buy/wear kickers with a thicker waste band if you wear the pump on your hip. As not much fun tearing the elastic out of your favorite pair of undies.
DONT cook yourself and the pump with an overly hot electric blanket as it will effect the insulin’s effectiveness if done over a period of time.
DO what makes you feel comfortable when it comes to “intimate” times when it comes to leaving the pump on or taking it off. Personally if Daniel Craig comes knocking I think I could lose the pump for our “special” time together.
DONT try to txt or Facebook from your pump even with NBN it’s not great at txting or social media. Only expection to this rule is if your sugars are low then you are allowed a 20 second window of staring at it wondering what the hell Apple changed with the last update.
DO try out which alarms you want sounding when you are wearing a sensor/CGM. A sleepless night because you turned them all on could really make that “special” time with Daniel Craig a disappointment.
DONT forget how lucky you are to have a pump (especially if it’s a MiniMed 640G) and the life changing and saving technology pumps offer type one diabetics.
DO ask lots of questions of Dr’s, educators and healthcare professionals you may find out that they can learn as much from you as you can from them. So be a team.
DONT let your pets chew on the pump or its bits. The cat chewing though the tubing at 2am requires a set change which is the last thing you want to be doing.
DO leave the pump on your hip (or wear it elsewhere) while you have a seatbelt on. As checking it can lead to you becoming a tangled mess with the seatbelt.
And yes all of these things I have had to deal with or done since starting on a pump (not the Daniel Craig “special” time but a girl is allowed too dream!!!)
July
18
2015
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