Wearing a pump with a suit

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Ref

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Other Type
I've been doing some research and reading since requesting a pump and I'm thinking about what my pump requirements are.

My question is in the title - how do you wear a pump with a suit (which I have to wear for work)? None of the websites seem to have this information - they show people wearing pumps with swimwear, long tops or no top but not with a suit.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks
 
Giving this a <bump> I don't have a pump, but I know a lot of people either wear them on their belt (like a pager - remember them? 😱) or just keep them in their pocket. I believe there are also various belts that would allow you to wear the pump under your shirt, should you wish 🙂

Hopefully, some actual pump users will be along to help! 🙂
 
In the past I have simply put the pump tubing out the bottom of my shirt and put the pump into one of the pockets.......

its not ideal as the pump is large in a pair of suit trousers, but I cant see any other option.....
 
You could look at a patch pump ( omnipod) which doesn't have any tubing, it just sticks to your body, so clothing not so much of an issue
 
Thanks🙂. I was hoping there was some neat trick or technique not obvious to the uninitiated.:(

I've seen the belts you can wear under your shirt. Anyone tried them? I have a feeling they would be uncomfortable? especially during the summer on hot trains. From what I've read I don't think the omnipod has the range of options for multi-bolus I'm going to need but I'll bear this in mind and discuss with the 'pump nurse' when I see her. I can see me ending up with the tube coming out of my shirt and the pump on my belt - nicely positioned for me to catch on door handles etc.🙄
 
On the belt isn't that bad to be honest, thats where mine lives every day.......

it isn't on show however, where as with a tucked in shirt, it would be visible.....

and as far as door handles go, prepare to be caught on a few regardless of where you end up putting it....😉
 
Roche make a soft thin stretchy fabric 'Bra hanger' which their pumps fit in and the flexible, flat clip literally hangs onto the side of a bra with the pump below it at the side of the ribcage and the tubing coming out of the base of the container. The pump is totally enclosed because all functions and calculations are done using the meter/remote control.

Not a girl? No problem! I've frequently worn the pump using this, attached to the waistband of a skirt or trousers, pump on the inside (just move it round the waistband until it's in a comfy place for sitting, driving, walking etc) and being as the clip itself is transparent it is literally hardly noticeable.

The access aperture is tiny though and quite a struggle sometimes to get the pump into it - but nowhere near as difficult as trying to fit a new door seal on an automatic washing machine ! LOL

As it fitted the Combo as well as it does the smaller Insight, one assumes it would fit any make of pump. But - utterly useless if you need access cos the bolus etc calculator is on the pump itself.

If trousers - or skirts - have a side pocket, just stick it in there with the 'spare' tubing stuffed back down the inside of the garment.
 
Thanks - as I read your first para, I thought you were going to suggest I start wearing a bra :D. Just looked up the accessory you're referring to and I can see what you are getting at.

It's good to have options so I'll just have to wait and see what pumps i'm offered.
 
I haven't had to pay for one so far - freebies from my diabetes clinic!
 
Ref said:
I've been doing some research and reading since requesting a pump and I'm thinking about what my pump requirements are.

My question is in the title - how do you wear a pump with a suit (which I have to wear for work)? None of the websites seem to have this information - they show people wearing pumps with swimwear, long tops or no top but not with a suit.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks
Click to expand...
In Trouser pocket
 
Just thought - Bloke I met at a DUK meeting (at their main office I mean) had a Combo same as me at the time and used the ungainly horrible 'hard case with bright blue clip' they used to supply with every one - ghastly ugly thing that it was - with the clip on the waistband of his suit kecks in the middle of his back. I was horrified and chucked him my soft latex 'pump skin' also with clip, to have a play with across the meeting room table.

They really were the best thing since sliced bread after pumps themselves - but they were specifically Combo and they don't make one for the Insight. However I believe they are commercially available for other makes of pump. (Have a look at 'Funky Pumpers' website maybe?)
 
Thanks
Exchanged emails with my consultant and DSN this morning. I do have a choice of pump and the process will speed up if I make a decision and let them know what I prefer.

Neither thinks the omnipod is suitable for me. My consultant mentioned the Medtronic (640g I assume) and the DSN suggested the Animas (Vibe I assume). I've said I'll make a decision this weekend and let them know on Monday.

As far as I can gather there isn't a massive difference between the two and most people like the pump they end up with - is that a fair assessment?
 
I wear mine on my waistband 90% of the time. The only time I tried it in a pocket for a whole day, the tubing managed to disconnect itself from the pump. It also concerns me that the pump would come to rest with the tube uppermost so bubbles would get into the tubing more easily.
 
Do you just have the tube coming out between the buttons of your shirt?
 
Ref said:
Do you just have the tube coming out between the buttons of your shirt?
Click to expand...
It depends on whereabouts my cannula is. The tube is quite long so it doesn't usually need to go between the buttons, it will often reach around the hem of the shirt.
 
trophywench said:
Just thought - Bloke I met at a DUK meeting (at their main office I mean) had a Combo same as me at the time and used the ungainly horrible 'hard case with bright blue clip' they used to supply with every one - ghastly ugly thing that it was - with the clip on the waistband of his suit kecks in the middle of his back. I was horrified and chucked him my soft latex 'pump skin' also with clip, to have a play with across the meeting room table.

They really were the best thing since sliced bread after pumps themselves - but they were specifically Combo and they don't make one for the Insight. However I believe they are commercially available for other makes of pump. (Have a look at 'Funky Pumpers' website maybe?)
Click to expand...
good luck, in a few months you will think why you did not get one sooner 😎
 
I generally wear mine on my belt, but I have found on the rare occasions that I wear a suit that it doesn't help the way the jacket hangs (probably depends on the fit of the suit and whether you button your jacket.

Whenever I have been wearing the jacket buttoned, I have passed the tubing through gaps between shirt buttons as if wearing on belt but then pop 'Threepio' into one of the lower inside pockets in my jacket. Just have to remember to swap back to belt when I take the jacket off!
 
Ref said:
As far as I can gather there isn't a massive difference between the two and most people like the pump they end up with - is that a fair assessment?
Click to expand...

Yep. That's pretty much it! More difficult to move from one existing pump to another I think as you will have got used to liking certain things which another may handle differently.

Each pump has it's own foibles, of course, and some of the slight differences are deal-breakers for some people (eg whether or not is has a fully functioning remote) but by and large they all do the same thing and all do it well.
 
Thanks. My digestive system likes to be kept busy otherwise it kicks up a fuss so I have to eat something every couple of hours (not always carbs but sometimes that's all there is available) so I need to work out which one has the most flexibility around different bolus patterns and bolus on bolus calculations.

Interesting point about the remotes. I had assumed that you could do everything from the remote that you can do on the pump but I guess not.

I may give them both a ring.
 
You can bolus upon bolus on the Insight if necessary - so say I've done a bolus - even a multiwave or extended one - if you want to eat more carbs or miscalculated and you realise you ate more carbs than you jabbed for, you just retest and recalculate and the handset does all the sums and then you tell it what type of bolus you want - eg possibly you decide to have a pud - say something mega sweet, sticky toffee pudding and custard, you know that will have sugar too cos you're at the pub - so you'll probably need to have the insulin for that immediately even though the original one will still be delivering for another hour cos it was a fatty main course - just say you want a 'standard' blus this time - and after you've pressed the necessary 'OK' buttons, wham, it's in.

I can't think of anything you can't do on the handset - apart from changing the cartridge and the pump AAA battery of course! And the handset's rechargeable and the opposite of phone batts - it MUST be charged 'little and often' - NEVER run down to zilch, else it will DIE very shortly. LOL And it is definitely slower than the Combo one - but it is more complicated and after a year I just say eg Gerron with it FFS and Allelujah and things, when at home LOL It certainly isn't a thing that would make me rip it out and go back to MDI !
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top