This question is especially for the Women pump users, or any Medtronic representative, or actually anyone who may offer a solution. I've worn my Medtronic Veo pump using the clip, usually on outside of my bra, for over 3 years now its begun to hurt and distress me, it just feels like a heavy weight, I'm shackled to the machine. My niece calls it my 'Iron-Man thing', specially when it lights up green and becomes visible thru my clothing! Its so uncomfortable because it places pressure below my sternum and onto my stomach which sits over my pancreas. This creates problems with digestion, I really notice it after eating, makes breathing feel more constricted, and leaves this dull pain with this lump pressing on and depressing me. Anyone else found this wearing it on your bra? Its really insidiously made its presence felt. Damn thing! I can't/won't wear it there now. The photo on Medtronic's Online shop shows the lycra bra pouch sitting on the bra strap. Who wears that? Does it stay there for you...not me! Or clipping onto skirts or trousers works OK if the clothing has a strong waistband...but some dresses/skirts are lightweight for summer and don't support a pump's weight. In my pocket it sticks out or catches when I sit down or tends to fall out, such a nuisance! Does anyone wear the waist pouch on a waistband, and if you do is it just as constrictive too? It just looks so heavy & cumbersome. These expensive pumps are fantastic BUT HEY...the accessories are so awful & bulky and they're just not wearer-friendly! So unhealthy for you wearing elastic on legs, around waists, or having a machine ticking above your heart/chest ...hmmmm! Medtronic - we need them to be SMALL, ideally not much bigger than double the cartridge of insulin, & ighter and will someone PLEASE design more sensible, bearable accessories! Anyone else frustrated with what's available for wearing the pump?
Hi Anne! I've been pumping for 8 years and I wear my Medtronic in my bra. But unlike (apparently) most women, I have always worn mine on the side. The "girls" are a bit too close together to make it comfortable to wear it in the center. I slip it into a baby sock (to keep it from "sweating" against my skin) and tuck it under the side band. It's very unobtrusive there and no one ever knows I'm wearing it. And since the tubing is all under my clothing it never gets caught on anything. When I get home and put on a soft, unstructured bra I switch it to the center or tuck it under one breast just for a change. I know what you mean about the weight. I can't be comfortable with it under my right arm, for some reason, so it's always on the left. In fact, I am on a few months' pump vacation right now because I just got so tired of wearing it all the time. But I'll go back on soon, since it is still the best way to keep close control. Hope this helps. (I use toddler size socks and cut the ankle cuff off. Works very well, and I have a few thicker, fleecy ones to wear when exercising or gardening to soak up extra sweat).
There is also a website: uniaccs.com - for pump wearers (and dogs, go figure) They have a lot of ingenious things, including the T-shirts with a special pocket that I wear to bed.
Hi Bron, Thankyou :-) Your sharing and words make for very welcome solace. How have you found returning to injections? I get a sense of relief just thinking about it! You're right, pump-wearing is my best option so its about how to manage the distance (or manage myself). Taking a break from pump is a sensible solution and I remember now when I connected to pump my Diabetes Educator mentioning 'Pump Holidays'. What an empowering idea! Freedom from the Machine! The Great Mother that Beeps! Removal of plastic clips and introduction of soft fabrics sounds like the design of Woman, thanks again for your thoughtful response and I'm checking now to see what I can find.
Good luck! I agree that leaving the hard plastic/velcro out of the equation equals much more comfort.I'm sensitive to seams and harsh material so I give a lot of thought to that.
Being back on injections full-time was surprisingly easy to accomplish. My endo helped me to determine the amount of Lantus to take before bed, based on the total of my basals over 24 hours. And I had a few days of rollercoaster sugars as I re-worked my boluses. But by the end of a week I was back on track. The only down side is that I am setting an alarm 2x a day - once for the evening Lantus (I get into reading or TV and tend to forget) and at 6 AM, to wake me up to check and inject to prevent Dawn Syndrome. No handy basal increase! But that works fine and I can usually get back to sleep until the regular alarm at 7:30 or 8.
Hi Anne. I have been a pumper for at least 15 years now. I wear a Minimed Paradigm. I wear mine clipped to the right cup of the bra at the top of the cup slightly below where the strap begins. I put the pump inside the bra and the clip on the outside. I used to wear it in a static free leather case that had the back clip removed (by me..not that easy.)and would just tuck it into the bra but the velcro on the case hurt and damaged the bra. I find it pretty comfortable the way I wear it now and it does not press on my stomach as it does when I try to wear it at my waist. I haven't tried to wear it under my arm but I think many women do. I totally agree with your comments about improving the design. Here Here!!
I've been pumping for 13 years, and I agree that the Medtronic is bulky and heavy. The first thing I did was eliminate the holster, because that "doubles" the size and weight. It's REALLY much lighter and smaller without it.
Second, I almost always wear jeans, and it's comfortable in the FRONT pocket and I just coil the tubing and tuck it in the waistband. I never use the back pocket, nor do I ever clip it on the waist, because both of those are painful and restricting.
When I wear a dress (rarely), I might put in in my bra under my arm, NEVER in the middle, because then it looks like I have 3 boobs!! Again, without the holster, it's much smaller and lighter. Some of my dresses have pockets, and I cut a small hole in the bottom of the pocket and thread the tubing through the hole, and it stays in the pocket. You are right that it weighs down the pocket of the dress, though.
I know one woman who got some girdles, and keeps her pump in the girdle. A little inconvenient, but it works for her -- she was very concerned about hiding the pump because she doesn't want anyone to know she has diabetes.
I'm sure there are other solutions, too -- good luck!!
I put mine in my pocket or tucked in my waistband. With the lower waist pants and shallow pockets, I find that it falls out a lot. Often it happens when I'm getting out of the car/van and then it falls and crashes into the metal. It's awkward and embarrassing when it's slips out of my waistband and dangles out of my skirt. Not an easy task to put it back when you’re walking around an office or church. Occasionally I wear it in my bra but there isn't much room in there. :) If I position it just right, it can be comfortable for an extended period. Again, if it falls out, it's dangling out of my shirt. Sigh. The worst part about that position is that it is difficult to get to in public! The remote would be handy but it does not utilize the bolus wizard feature at all, thus no accurate bolus calculations. I've found that extra cases and clips just make it feel more bulky and cumbersome to me. I also have issues with it pulling my skirt (particularly those light weight one's you referred to) or pants down if it's clipped on the waist! I have a waistband pouch (purchased 10 yrs. ago) but don't use it much anymore. It can be useful if you have nothing to attach your pump to and it is comfortable for a while. Mine does get itchy though.
I'm glad I am not the only one to feel that this is a legitimate issue. I nearly switched pumps so I could find one that was more easily tucked away somewhere. I ended up with the Medtronic Paradigm anyway, but the sales rep. "poo poo-ed" my complaints on this subject as if they were a nonissue. He explained how a co-worker wears hers on/in her bra and has no issues. Good for her, if that’s true. But then his few days of wearing a pump and CGM device himself convinced him that they were pain-free, even with his intense workouts at the gym. That has not been my experience. Sometimes they are rather painful. After over a decade of pump use, I think I know that there are some issues that are not just "cosmetic" as he put it. There are real issues here. If your pump is falling out of your pocket and banging on the side of your car or the tubing is getting caught on things, that's a problem.
Sorry about the little rant there. :) He made me quite angry by the time the lengthy conversation was over.
All of that aside, I love my pump and would not stop using it unless I had to!!!
I hope you find something that works for you.
I know this sounds weird, but I wear mine in my underwear. I always have, so it is fully comfortable. It's below the waistline of my pants and the tubing stays tucked away. I always thought is was funny that I have to dig into my pants to get it. (I gave up on embarrassment long ago.) It is horribly uncomfortable to wear in the side of my bra, under my are and it sticks out and looks strange. I am slender so wearing it where you say you do looks really strange as well. I don't have much boobs to hide it. So, in the unders it goes. It doesn't slip out, it is easily accessible, and it is hidden. No one ever knows I have it on until I pull it out to bolus.
I cannot imagine life without it, so I hope you find something that works for you. I have pumped for 15 of the 18 years I've had D, so shots just seem like a hassle to me. Good Luck!
I don't think it sounds weird at all
. I do that sometimes when I'm wearing skirts (when I said I tucked it into my waistband I actually meant either underwear or skirt) and at night. Sometimes I forget it's there and wear it with jeans too. Reaching up your shirt to get it out of your bra is much more embarassing in public. :D
Oh, I love the website that you mentioned. I have used their products for years, and I can wear my pump anywhere that I would like! There are even bra pouches, now. Check it out! The company is called, Unique Pump Accessories. You can call and ask for a free brochure of their products!
Love and pumps to all!
Lisa
I, too, use the form fitting panties/girdles/shapewear with dresses, and I also wear tights with long sweaters or sweater dresses...even summer/lightweight dresses. I just tuck the pump under the waistband, and it stays there, perfectly. You can't see it or even feel it for that matter!
Good luck, and happy pumping!
I just figure - go with what works. Wearing the pump in your underwear sounds like a good idea! I was told about one woman who had it worked into her updo for her wedding!
That said, having a remote really does help when you want to wear your pump hidden under your outer clothing. Occasionally I have had to dig my pump out at a restaurant, and it's always a bit embarrassing! Since I don't use the Bolus Wizard feature much, it works for me. You have to be prepped to know carb counts and how much insulin you'll need, though. And of course eating pizza is a whole different ball game - then I need that Bolus Wizard to program another, later delivery.
In her updo?! lol. No unsightly bulges in the dress! I'm so curious how she got it to stay up there?! How creative!
My doc actually really hates it when I use the manual or easy bolus. She wants to see that the bolus wizard is being used instead on the reports. My ratios are such odd numbers, varying throughout the day, that the calculations are much more complicated than they used to be. Would rather put in the carbs and let the pump calculate it based on the ins. to carb. ratio for that time of day, on-board insulin, etc. It's just easier on the old brain. :) BUT I really did like being able to use a remote!
Does anyone put it in their sock, down their pantleg? Just wondering about that one. hmmm.
I keep my pump in the front pocket of my jeans most of the time. At work, I keep my pump in my dress socks. I quite like it there!
i wear mine in a little zippered pouch attached on a belt either over or under my blouse, shirt, sweater, etc...my pump is part of my body not my clothing, so, when i undress, my pump stays with me.no pump clip for me.
I just wear it, without the clip, in the upper part of my bra cup toward my arm. I’ve been on it about 11 months, and am keeping pretty tight control, so it buzzes a lot. I usually wear skirts and blouses, and the real estate on those waistbands is taken up with a phone and a pager. It’s very easy to reach in, kind of like taking something out of the breast pocket of a suit. I used to park the meter in the space between the underwires, but taking it out from there really did cause funny looks.
yes, I wear mine there too. It is comfortable and won't fall out. I don't seem to have the kind of problems I am seeing on here. Maybe it's cause I've only been a pumper for 6 weeks??? lol