Going out on the beach with my pump

I used to be very self-conscience of my pump on the beach or by the pool. Now what I have learned is yea, people stare if I saw someone with something attached I would stare too. And after 9 yrs, I really don't even care anymore. Let them stare. It keeps you healthy and from being sick.

Some tricks I have learned along the way is:

If you wear a bikini try on the bottoms and rotate your site below the bikini so it is hidden under your bottoms. The backside works best. Like others have said. I try avoiding my stomach area all together in the summer. When you are laying out just keep a towel close by to hide your pump under and out of the direct sunlight. If you are going in the water the best thing to do is either keep it under the towel or put it inside something like a cooler but not ontop of ice.

If you are going to take a walk on the beach just hook it on to your bottoms or throw on a pair of shorts, it will look like a cell phone.

Ignore ignorance.

Th for the advide and tips Gina!

~Brittany~

I have an Omni-Pod which is tube-less.  The insulin pod sticks to your skin.  I use the back of my arms as one of my alternating sights and with summer and tank tops, it is ALWAYS noticeable!  I was very self concious at first but now, in my mind, I don't have to take 7 shots a day thanks to this wonderful little pump so I shouldn't mind showing it off to the entire world!

Oh, I get the stares and I stare right back as if to say 'if you want to say something, go ahead' but they seldom do.

I did have one lady at my daughter's preschool ask me 'are you ok?' and I said 'oh, yes!' and that was the end of that!  Makes me laugh!

Best of luck to you!  Kathy

All these stories and pieces of advice...  Now I can't wait to show off at the beach!!!

I know me either!

~Brittany~

Wouldn't it just be so funny if we got a whole group of us pumpers together, say 25 of us, and all went to a beach together?!?  Just think of the stares then!!!

(BTW, sometimes I have a slightly twisted sense of humour...  does it show?)

That would be funny. Have like a huge line of people with pumps walking side by side down the beach. People really would be staring then! lol. It kind of shows sometimes.

i have me and my best friend lindsey alwys go to the beach and i just change my site like i put it low on my sides so i can pull my bathing suit bottoms ovr it and no one sees it but yea at first people were staring at me but i just tried to blok it out

I have one funny story on this topic.

My wife and I went on a snorkel trip on vacation several years ago.  My infusion set was connected to my abdomen, and I disconnected from my insulin pump.  After about an hour of checking out the fish, we swam back to the boat.  One of the crew was assisting us up the ladder, and he frantically swatted my infusion site with a flipper.  "Dude!" I yelled, "What the heck are you doing? That's for my insulin pump?!"

He got the most embarrassed look on his face and said, "I am so sorry.  I thought you had a jellyfish attached to you."  He was sooooo upset, but I filled him in, thanked him, and we all had a really good laugh over it.  

In my many years of insulin pumping, that's the only weird experience I have ever had in the beach environment.

Jaybear,

That is hysterical! I don't think I have ever heard something crazy like that b efore LOLOL

Jaybear, you're right - that is indeed a funny story!