I’m growing up (apparently) and am getting ready to interview for some jobs at law firms for the summer (yep, I’m a law student…you can crack jokes if you want). I’m concerned though because the suits I’ve been trying on haven’t exactly been accommodating for my pump.
I usually wear it with a clip on the waist of my pants, but for some reason my “suit pants” have a much higher rise than my jeans and my pump looks awful attached to the waist of my pants. It looks way bulkier than normal and my suit jacket has a funny looking bulge I tried sticking the brick in my bra, but I’m somewhat less endowed, so no dice…do any of you have a suggestion as to where I could somehow discretely wear this thing with a suit?
The law is such a conservative profession so I’d really really like to be able to hide it (at least for my interviews). I usually never feel self conscious about it, but I’m afraid that my interviewers will judge me based on what they think my pump is (a cell phone/beeper/etc) and I’d rather not disclose the 'beetus until I’m actually working somewhere.
Have you tried clipping it on the back side of your suit pants between the middle of your back and your side, like TV reporters wear their microphone equipment .
Another option is to run the tubing down your leg and buy a leg pouch and hoping you don’t need to bolus while interviewing.
Although not ideal, and depending on the length of the interview, you could remove the pump for a short while. Another thought, although not as comfortable as the waist, is clip it to your bra in the arm pit area. Good Luck with the interviews!!!
I like to use a leg pouch (Minimed makes one that goes around the calf). Just put the pump on vibrate and you can do a quick bolus through the pant leg pretty discreetly.
I take off my clip and put it under my arm. I don’t do it often since I don’t like not being able to access my pump, but it is okay for a little while.
Also, sometimes I just put it in my pocket. With a suit jacket, it should hide the tubing and not be very noticeable.
I have so been there-- law school, interviews, the whole bit!! When I was interviewing at firms, I usually wore a suit with a skirt. This may sound weird, but I would put my pump on the inside of my stockings, at the waist band, so that the pump buttons were against my body, and the side of the pump that has the clip was facing outward (I hope that makes sense). I didn’t have a whole lot of room left in the waist band of the skirt, and it wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but it would fit in there. I met another pumper recently who wears hers on her back, clipped at the waist, like Karen suggested. Just be careful when you’re getting ready to go to the bathroom-- you don’t want to drop it in the toilet!
Good luck with the interviews!! Drop me a line if you ever want to talk about law school/the bar/practicing (the biggest tip I can offer is to get permission in advance to bring juice or glucose tabs into the bar exam-- I got low during the first day of the exam and got worried that I wouldn’t pass! Sheesh).
I also have occasions where I want to hide the pump, then I use a “thigh thing” (http://www.greatmedicalsupplies.com/supply~insulin-pump-supplies~thigh-thing-insulin-pump-holder-7300764.htm) and I usually wear panty hose over it to make sure that it stays in place. I use a deltec cozmo and I am able to use the “touch bolus” button, and if I need to correct, I guess the approx right amount and do a meal bolus. But I only due this when I want to keep the pump hidden (which isn’t too often).
But if the only problem is to make sure that the jacket doesn’t stick out, then I use cell phone holders that have a loop that allow the cell phone to hang (I think that they are intended to be attached to a purse). I hang it from the belt loop (if there is no belt loop, then you can hang it from the side zipper, which many suits have OR from your underwear-- with an appropriate style underwear). I use this everyday and LOVE it. When I sit down or move around, I don’t even notice the pump is there. They can be hard to find, but I found someone on ebay who makes them, and she will even customize it if you email her. (http://stores.ebay.com/Gettn-Creative) There are mostly pretty funky colors, but you can find black and brown too!
I just ordered an invisapump-- so I will let you know when I get it! Best of luck!
I know what you are talking about with the higher rise on the suit pants! I have some jackets where the bulge is much more noticeable. I am also smaller-chested and had the same problem with the bra, but the one solution I found for that (and someone mentions it above) is to remove the clip, put the pump in a baby sock (or cut the toe part of a thin sock) and put it in the side of my bra, under my arm. I can position it pretty well so it doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve done this with fancy dresses, too. It is only for these special events, though, because I have the CGMS and like to look at my pump frequently.
(I got the invisapump, but it doesn’t quite work for me because it is a very obvious lump in the front of my work pants. But I am all about supporting diabetic products, so I don’t mind!
It’s a hassle for me too. I got the black leather case for my pump from Minimed, which looks good but flops around a little on the high waists of my suit pants. The thing about the leather case is that if people look at it very quickly they don’t stop to think about what they’re looking at. I do what Karen suggested for interviews - the “microphone” trick partway around the back. Having a brick on my back also keeps me sitting forward in the chair during the interview, which is helpful, because I appear very eager. ; ) I did the bra trick today (with the clip removed) and my chest started vibrating during church (2 hour reminder after breakfast). Ah well.
Have you looked at the suits that have the lower waisted pants? You could also try to clip the pump to the inside of the waist of the pants as opposed to the outside. Just a thought. I do not have a pump, but I do wear the CGMS by Minimed, so I do know the bulk of which you are speaking.
oh no…wait the CGMS by minimed is not a glucowatch??? I’m going on that Jan 3rd and I assumed that it wouldn’t add more crap to my waist, lol. Now I’m gonna have to whip out the google!
The CGMS I have by Minimed is essentially the pump but without the pump. I think it can be a pump though if made to be that way…does that make sense? In other words, you can see where the syringe would be housed if it were the pump.
I know they have an insulin pump that also has the cgms in it, so maybe they will just switch you over…its combined.
I hope I am making sense. I took something for pain as I am recovering from surgery, so if I am not making sense, please let me know. I will try and explain it better :).
I wear my infusion set on my thigh and use the 23 inch tubing so when I wear a business suit, I snake the tubing down my leg and stash the pump, sans clip, in my trouser sock. This makes it essentially invisible. I do this almost every day.
If you are wearing your site on your abdomen or higher, you could also clip the pump to your pants, at the small of your back. It’s not so comfortable to drive with it stashed there, but for an interview where you will be sitting up straight and at your posture-finest, it’s again undetectable.
Good luck with your interview, and let us know how it goes!
I tried sticking the brick in my bra, but I’m somewhat less endowed, so no dice…do any of you have a suggestion as to where I could somehow discretely wear this thing with a suit?
When I was interviewing at firms, I usually wore a suit with a skirt. This may sound weird, but I would put my pump on the inside of my stockings, at the waist band, so that the pump buttons were against my body, and the side of the pump that has the clip was facing outward (I hope that makes sense). I didn’t have a whole lot of room left in the waist band of the skirt, and it wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but it would fit in there. I met another pumper recently who wears hers on her back, clipped at the waist, like Karen suggested. Just be careful when you’re getting ready to go to the bathroom-- you don’t want to drop it in the toilet! 
