All the Cool Kids are Doing it!

Since being diagnosed with type 1, the insulin pump has been in my purview.

Medtronic Insulin Pump and Constant Glucose Monito

In fact, it was one of the first things anyone related to diabetes (doctors, nurses, educators, diabetics!) would say to me. My limited knowledge of the pump and (let's be honest) diabetes, in general, left me a little clueless. A pump? For what? I had never heard of it before, let alone had the faintest idea what one looked like and how I would feel to have it attached to my body.

Either way, I gave myself the deadline of 6 months to get one. Why six months? Who the hell knows? It was an arbitrary number that I considered to be a milestone. I was creating a goal for myself, something to work towards and look forward to as I grapple with BEING A DIABETIC. Seems dramatic in all caps, no?

And now, 6 months has arrived. Hallelujah, I survived...and all my limbs are accounted for!

I went to the Certified Diabetes Educator for more information on the pump. I asked if I could borrow one, wear it for a few days, just to see how it felt. And, truth be told, it was weird. The cumbersome wire getting caught on things. The way that Jerry would double-check that I didn't have a bug on me each time his hand grazed the infusion set. The beeper-sized pump fitting uncomfortably in my pockets with no real place to be if I didn't have pockets or a waistband.

Despite knowing the other benefits of the pump (i.e. better blood sugar control, less intrusive injections, etc.), I still hesitate. My vanity is getting in the way. With summer approaching, I look forward to sundresses and bathing suits. Outfits without pockets or waistbands. Hours spent on the beach, in the sun, swimming in salt water.

I am going to be diabetic for the rest of my life. Give me one summer where it's not advertised on my body.