Pump Accessories

Hey guys! I am a new pumper (as of yesterday) though I guess I am not a FULL pumper yet, as there is only saline in my pump and no insulin until Tuesday. lol

Anyways, I have an Animas 2020 and I wanted to know the best sites or places to purchase accessories for it. Anything that can add some color to it (carrying cases, “skins” etc…) Also, I will be in a wedding next month and need some way of carrying it under my dress and the educator told me there were things that allowed me to wear the pump under my dress.

Thanks so much.

Hey Katrina!! Congrats on getting your pump.I am still on MDIs but in the spring I will see my doctor about a pump.I can’t wait.I wish all the best for you.

http://www.pumpwearinc.com This is wear we go to get pouches and I know there are ones that go around your leg that would be great for under a dress. I know animas has belts as well that you could order we have a couple of those too.

Thanks Dee. I was on Animas’ website earlier and they have a PINK pump now! I am sooo mad. lol I mean, I’m not an extreme girly girl, but out of the choices of blue, black, silver and pink - I would have DEFINITELY gone w/ pink. :frowning:

I got my leg wrap pump carrier through Minimed. You can check it out on their website.
Toni

Me too!!! I definitly would choose pink over any of the other colors.

I bought the “thigh thing”. It is like a spandex cuff with a garter belt. Also some cutesy things. I love the groovy patches. www.groovypatches.com These are great!

Welcome to pumping Katrina!! Once you pumping and get acquainted with pumping I think you’ll like it. I have been pumping for 8 years and after 40 years of shots I was due for a change…you think? Anyway welcome!

Aside from purchasing directly from pump companies (I wear a Cozmo now and wore a MiniMed for ~5 years before this one, so I’ve never worn an Animas), you can try http://www.diabetesnet.com/ . This is know n as the “Diabetes Mall” and seems to have a lot of great stuff, at reasonable prices.

If your pump comes with a clip (which I’m guessing it does), I’ve had success wearing my pump clipped inside a regular garter. And by “inside”, I mean the pump is next to my skin, with the clip over the garter. Does that make sense? Also, if your dress is amenable to it, you could wear your pump in your bra. To do this, I take the clip off the pump and just stick the pump in between “the girls”. Some people stick their pump in an iPod Nano sleeve/sock or in a baby sock when wearing it here so that it is more comfy, but I have yet to try that.

Congrats on going on the pump! You’ll find that you have a lot more freedom (and a lot fewer pokes) now that you’re on it. Not to mention better control. Keep us updated on how you like it, and keep the questions coming!

Jenni

I just got an Animas 2020 about a month ago. I’m loving it so far… makes your life so much more flexible. If you check out the animas website & click on “accessories” there are tons of cool little things that make it easier to carry the pump. However, the only thing I’ve found the best is the actual little clip that comes with it. I find the leather case too bulky… and for a couple weeks I’ve had to deal with not having a clip because I broke it at a rodeo (ugh)… so (believe it or not) I’ve been tucking my pump in my bra. All day & all night. Works the best for me. Although I got a new clip int he mail today, so I’m back to clipping to my clothes. heh.

Oh & theres also a cool thing in that accessories section on the website called the “leg thing” I think. You can strap your pump to your leg so nobody can tell you have it under your dress! kewl, hey?

I have a thigh thing, but I never use it because it always falls off! For daily use, I just wear the pump in the pocket of my jeans. When wearing a dress, my favorite pump accessory is a slip with a pocket sewn in for the pump. The downside to the slip is that the entrance to the pocket is all the way at the top of the slip. It was interesting the first time I tried to bolus at dinner! I made it more accessible by cutting an extra slit closer to the bottom. The great thing about the slip is that the pump hangs between your legs, so nobody sees an odd little bulge in one spot on your dress.

I also have worn my pump in my bra, which is much easier in a sports bra than a regular bra. That’s usually where I put it when lounging around the house, especially when wearing sweat pants with no pockets. I also sometimes slip it into a baby sock (sock made for babies, not just a tiny sock) and use a safety pin to secure it to my clothing. Again, that’s a method I mostly use while hanging around the house.

My favorite accessory for sleeping is none at all. :slight_smile: The pump just hangs out in bed next to me, and somehow it moves whenever I do. There may have been one time when it fell out of bed, but the adhesive on my infusion set is so strong that it didn’t even pull it out!

I use the Cozmore pump, and I almost went with the atomic purple. In the end I ordered the slate grey, but sometimes I think the purple would be more fun. :slight_smile:

I have been using the Animas 2020(silver) for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I absolutely love it. My cousin was thinking about the pink one but ended up deciding on black. In the long run you will probably be happier with the “less than flashy color”. So here’s the thing, I don’t wear a bra:) ,and I am always looking for innovative ways to sleep with, and just wear the pump. I have resorted to wearing pajama pants and using the belt clip. Also, I realize I have turned down playing basketball and I ride my mountain bike easier in fear of damaging the pump or ripping out an infusion set. Will this fear wear off? BTW, what will you women be hiding in your bras next? I always thought it was just all our money!
Kevin

I had a purple “flashy” pump for years and LOVED it! Now I have a green one. If pink had been an option, I totally would have gone with pink!! I think this is 100% a personal preference. I don’t hide that I wear a pump at all. Sometimes I hide the pump for fashion’s sake, but never because I don’t want people to know I’m diabetic, or that I wear a pump.

Regarding being cautious with the pump. It certainly wore off for me. I just make sure my tubing is tucked in really well, and I keep the pump clipped INSIDE my jeans (or skirt or pants or whatever) pocket. If there’s no pocket in my pants, then I keep it tucked inside the back of my waist band. The reason I keep it inside is that I feel I’m less likely to run into something, or for it to fall out. I wouldn’t say I’m an “extreme” anything, but I have ridden lots of horses (not well trained to well trained), done cheerleading and gymnastics, etc with the pump, and I don’t have any horror stories to tell. The one time my site has ever been ripped out was because it was in my hip and I walked too close to the latch on a door jamb and that pulled it out. I’ve been wearing a pump for 5 or 6 years now, so once in that time ain’t bad.

When sleeping, I either do as you said, and keep it clipped inside my waist band (like, with the pump screen facing my skin) at the small of my back, or I just let it hang out next to me. As another poster said, the few times it has fallen off, the adhesive was plenty strong enough to hold it…no problems whatsoever. The biggest problem I’ve had with sleeping this way is when the tubing wraps itself around my waist because I toss and turn.

At the risk of over-sharing, when sleeping, very rarely am I wearing an item of clothing to clip the pump to. Just let it sit in bed next to you. I promise it won’t walk away!

For sports, I usually recommend clipping it to the inside of a sports bra, but I guess that won’t work in your case. :slight_smile: I have a waist band that is pretty comfortable that I use sometimes while exercising. It’s made out of elastic and velcros around your waist, either under or over a t-shirt. If your basketball games have been known to get physical, there is a risk of pulling out an infusion set, but I wouldn’t worry as much about damaging the pump. I know I have dropped mine a time or two, and it’s still ticking!

Depending on how active you are during the game, you can also just take the pump off for an hour or so. Cozmore just added a disconnect bolus feature, but even if you can always mimic that if your pump doesn’t have the feature. Just give yourself a bolus equal to the amount of your basal before you disconnect. If you’re disconnecting to do physical activity, you can give half of the half basal before you disconnect and give the other half after you reconnect.

The beauty about the pump is its flexibility, and I would hate to hear of any pumper not engaging in activities for fear of damaging the pump. Live your life! With a little ingenuity, the diabetes care can almost always be integrated into whatever activities you choose to do.

I agree with Sara and Jenni, Kevin – you will definitely get over the fear of damaging the pump. I’m not sure about Animas, but I was told that my Minimed is made out of motorcycle helmet material – which is a good thing, considering I have a habit of walking into doorjams, or at the very least clipping my pump on them on the way 'round the corner. I guess I still haven’t gotten used to the extra couple of inches on my belt even after 8 years :wink:

When I play basketball or other contact sports, I usually disconnect the pump and put it in my bag, so long as it isn’t in the sun. Especially with the group of guys I used to play with – they didn’t make any exception for girls!! I removed it entirely for two reasons: 1, didn’t want someone to catch on the tubing and rip it out; and 2, I don’t need the insulin while playing, too much physical exercise. I usually replace the bolus afterwards, if necessary. Just remember, the pump is supposed to make it easier for you to be normal and do the things you want to do when you want to do them – don’t let it hold you back!! (Isn’t it great being able to sleep in?? :wink:

You said it, sleeping in (without paying dearly) is SWEET! I hope you all understand that I was not being down on the pump. It’s just that there are pros and cons to everything and I just thought I would share my current thoughts and concerns. It will be 3 weeks tomorrow. I haven’t broke the 200 mg/dl barrier in two weeks. Bottom line - I feel better than I have in years. Best decision I have made in a long time. Thanks Sara, Jenni and Kat. for your help.
Sincerely,
Kevin

Katrina, you may want to try out this website that i just found, i have ordered things for my daughter and she loves everything! The thing that i like is that they have just about everything you can think of for a person who uses a pump and they just added some beautiful awareness t-shirts, check it out at www.pumpwearinc.com

keri

Hello, I will start pumping on Tuesday and I am sooooo excited. (20 years of MDI) I am having the Cozmo pump and although I have probably got ahead of myself I have rushed out to buy some ‘cases’/‘skins’ for it. I have attached the picture of the wrist bands and mobile phone socks that I bought in Claire’s Accessories (together with some 100% cotton baby scratch mittens for wearing in my bra from Next-I’m not sure if this shop exists in the US) Wrist bands are in fashion over here in London so I can’t wait to get more :slight_smile: Dee
8750-PUMPCASES.JPG (1.79 MB)

Congratulations Dee I’m sure you love it like I do!

A great place to find pump cases,t-shirts with pump pockets,leg and arm bands and i think just about everything you can possibly think of for wearing the insulin pump is www.pumpwearinc.com we have used them quite a bit and i have been really happy with the product and the service is excellent. They also have a great weekend that they are doing where you can recommend your family its on their home page under a caring and sharing weekend, a friend of a friend went to it last year and raved about it, I sent my recommendation in for this one, keep fingers and toes crossed we get picked. k