34 Comments
Have you ever altered your clothing to accommodate T1D devices?
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For a wedding, I wore a dress with pockets. I normally don’t wear dresses because of the pump but I deliberately wanted one with pockets to put a hole in the pocket so I could put my pump in it. It worked great.
I like a pocket for my pump in my pajama top
I had an inside pocket added to a suit jacket to hold my pump.
❥ Starting on a pump in 1996, I put a small 1/4″ hole in every right pants pocket, since I invariably carried the pump in my right pocket. I suppose my clothes will be given to a thrift store after I die. Wonder what the recipients will think about each right pocket having the same hole in the same place in them? ❥
Every time I buy a new pair of pants, my wife slices the inside of the right pocket and sews on velcro. to enable it to be closed after I put my pump in. My night shirts are all pocket tees to accommodate the pump while I’m sleeping.
I stopped wearing dresses after I got the pump. Which is fine because now I only wear 👖. Warmer, easier, go with anything. Of course I wear tops too!
I donated all of my sleeveless dresses and tops because of the Abbott Freestyle Libre sensors worn on the upper arms. I have seen Theresa May of England in a sleeveless top, and her Freestyle sensor showed on TV. So I know she is wearing one and I could identify with this lady. She probably is public with her takng of insulin too, and we need to get over being secretive with our condition and treatments.
I’ve cut small holes in the pockets of dresses/rompers for the tubing of my pump
I have altered little but I choose certain clothing to accommodate my insulting pump. I have to admit I have considered changing my pump to a pod due to the tubing issue and clothing with the pump but the continuous loop is not an option with the pod yet.
No- alterations are beyond my pay grade. Just use the belt clip.
I try to choose clothing with pockets. I will often cut a hole in the pocket to accommodate tubing. I sometimes sow a pocket in a bra or leggings to accommodate my pump.
I answered “other”. When I was on the pump, I stopped wearing dresses. But a year and a half ago, I went off the pump (after 24 years, scarring prevented infusion sets from working properly) so I can wear anything now. I wear my Dexcom pretty much anywhere including my bare arms and have actually met others wearing CGMs and I’ve enjoyed that. I don’t mind being “public” with my T1D.
I have pods and I don’t care if they show, so my answer was no. Clothes were one of the reasons I chose the pods. I know you can strap the pumps to your leg for dresses, but then what? You lift up your dress to give a bolus? I didn’t care for that idea.
I started my first pump in 1986 and they were so large that my grandmother sewed pockets in all my pants custom made for the pump.
I wear pods. Their tubeless design is one of the main reasons I chose them over a tubed pump. I use a DIY Loop which allows my iphone to collect my Dexcom readings and use a RileyLink to send instructions to my pod. It is pretty sweet. I have been Looping almost 2 years and have never experienced such ease of blood sugar management.
My wedding dress! They added a pocket for my pump!
For some dresses I simply wear lightweight men’s boxers underneath – nice waistband. I have also taken the side bands from worn out bras, cut them off the old bra and use them to make pockets in the sidebands of new bras. Easy access to the pump via my neckline. Of course most of the time, I wear pants so I use the clip.
Yes, I no longer wear one piece clothing like dresses, jumpsuits, etc. unless I have to. Then I have to have it altered so that it works for me & still lays correctly.
After the 30-lb weight loss that was one of the symptoms that caused me to self-diagnose as diabetic at age 72, I don’t have enough real estate around my waist to support a system of rotating sites for sensors and infusion sets (Medtronic). So I use my thighs for those placements, and I’ve had button-hole style openings made inside all my front pants pockets to allow the pump in my pocket to connect with the infusion set internally.
No. Most men do not have to for a simple reason: pockets. I use a belt clip most of the time but pockets other times. I feel for women on this, because it is far more of a challenge, esp with more formal attire.
I have cut holes in pockets to run the infusion set through… sometimes I like to have my pump in my pocket without the line going out of my waistband….
Hated the pump line coming out of my pocket routed to the infusion site! I had a tailor put button hole style pockets in my suit pants so it did not show.
I have had pockets added clothing and holes on pockets for tubing. I have had pouches made for bras for my pump. I have also added a slim clip attached directly to my pump so the pump sits closer to my clothing so the pump does not protrude as much.
No but I buy clothing to accommodate my pump and supplies. All clothing must have pockets. Many times multiple pockets.
Yes, I’ve cut slits into pockets so my pump can fit through and my inset line won’t be hanging out so much. It tends to get caught on door handles, cabinets and my purse if I don’t.
Dresses now have to have buttons up the front or not have a high neck in order to be worn. This would be the only alteration in my clothing I can think of.
Al the time! I make holes so that I can feed the cannula from apimp in a pocket Tomy flesh.
A pump!
To my!
Every pair of pants has a hole in the top of the right pocket to run my pump tubing through.
Occasionally. I mostly adapt and make due with whatever I choose to wear. I often just slip the pump into a pocket or clip it to the waistband of whatever I am wearing. T-slim has a pretty slim profile. If wearing a one piece dress sometimes I just stick it into my bra.
Oh my gosh, I almost laughed at this question. Only because of the daily modifications I go through for all of my attachments. Not for looks but for convenience. Judging from the results of the answers, it is not that way for half of us. I have other T1 complications that also have attachments so I’m sure that adds to the ordeal.
When I was wearing a pump with tubing I would cut a hole in the pocket to run the tubing through. I even thought about starting a clothing line with a hole already there and call it something like “Hole In My Pocket.” Then I started wearing an Omnipod which is tubeless -YES!!! So in the winter I wear Jeanne Pierre sweaters that many times have 2 small pockets at the bottom of the sweater (I ONLY buy the ones with pockets) and in the summer I wear dresses and skorts and shorts with pockets. I need the pockets for my CGM and PDM. Oh how I’d love a cure!!! (57 years and counting)
Fitted dresses rly bother me with the pump on my waist so I try to use the thigh pump band but so far they slip. Let me say that while that’s annoying it’s nothing compared to how angry I get trying to wear a jumper. Nowhere for the tubing to come out! Unless I’m wearing my set on my arm but then the tubing is running down my body on the outside of my clothes which rly irritates me!