Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Pump In The Wild.

Hey hey, it's #dblogcheck day! Go leave a comment on every blog post you read in the diabetes community today - even if it's just a simple, "Check!". Read more about it on A Consequence of Hypoglycemia.

We were just killing some time; Aaron pushing the baby Rabbit in her stroller and me right beside, walking up and down the sidewalks of a local shopping area. I was too preoccupied with being uncomfortably hot and staring longingly at the window of the Fossil store (they used to make great cases to house diabetes gadgetry, but apparently no more), I suppose. But Aaron didn't miss a beat.

Real casual: "Hey, that guy has an insulin pump."

A dramatization
My eyes darted around a few seconds before they landed on a loop of clear plastic, happily bouncing in the breeze and moving briskly ahead of us. This gentleman had so many gadgets on his waistband (maybe he worked security somewhere?) that I didn't even see a pump, but that tubing couldn't be anything else.

I almost yelled, "SHOW ME YOUR PUMP", but then realized 1. he may have no idea what I'm referencing, and 2. I wouldn't (comfortably) be able to reciprocate as mine was clipped to my bra and okay maybe kind of an awkward way to introduce myself.

And so I said nothing.

There's really no moral to this story, except to point out that it seems my husband's pump sighting skills have now surpassed my own.






58 comments:

  1. Flash forward five years: The D-Community has embraced a new trend, of carrying around pictures of themselves wearing their insulin pumps. Or maybe just smartphone pics of themselves that way. So, in the situations where the pump is not worn or in not-so-accessible places, there's an option to #ShowMeYourPump ... and with that, I'm out. Thanks for the post, Kim!

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  2. That's awesome. I love when I, or my husband, spots an insulin pump in the wild. Or something that might be one. I've never approached these strangers but it's nice just knowing.

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  3. I'm super impressed by A's spotting skills!

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  4. Oh hi! Check!

    In unrelated news, I need to have a serious sit-down with whomever is running the show at Fossil these days.

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  5. I love diabetes in the wild sighting stories!

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  6. Check! (I rarely leave my feedly these days...)

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  8. I see someone with a pump and I get excited. my non-d sister doesn't get what the big deal is she says there are lots of people with pumps.

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  9. I would have given you five dollars if you had yelled that at him. Too funny!

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  10. Yeah, maybe pulling stuff out of our bras in front of perfect strangers isn't really the way to go. LOL

    #dblogcheck

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  11. I'm the kind of person to pull stuff out of my bra in front of a perfect stranger...but that's probably because the older I get, the less I care about being proper LOL. :D

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  12. I barely talk to people I notice if my pump isn't in my bra, so definitely don't blame you on that one. It still doesn't take away from the great feeling of seeing someone in the wild with diabetes.

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  13. I'm always excited to spot a pump. Doesn't happen very often!

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  14. It would have been even weirder if you just walked over and shimmied, saying, "You know what's in my bra? BE MY FRIEND!!!!!" But then again, perhaps not. ;)

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  15. So exciting to see diabetes in the wild!!

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  16. Check :).

    Have to say, I do like it when I spot other PWD in public :)

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  17. I love this! Whenever I see another PWD in the wild I feel like running up to them, hugging them and jumping around. But I don't :)

    Check!

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  18. I had a "wild" sighting with one of my tenants a few weeks ago. It was so exciting! Lol

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  19. I chicken out all the time...

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  20. No pumpers in our house, but 2 with Dex. We have started noticing Dex and pumps, but don't say anything either most of the time.

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  21. Pretty cool that your spouse has become so adept at spotting such things. Just sayin'. Check!

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    1. Some d-spouses are pretty awesome. Just sayin' :)

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  22. My husband is about as observant as a cardboard box, but every now and then he surprises me. Like, he recognized our T1 neighbor at the pool one day (whilst I was blinded by the sun and water) way before I did. He's still a good egg :) CHECK!!!

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  23. I still haven't seen any yet :/ Check ☺

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  24. We're never sure if people will be creeped out by us accosting them when we notice a pump...or if they'll give us a hug:)

    #dblogcheck

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  25. We were on a charity motorcycle ride and while sitting in a bar waiting to head to the next stop on a run my husband looked over and says, "that guy has a pump on" I wanted so badly to go over to him and say "I know what you have" but didnt figure that would go over too well in a bar full of bikers lol

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  26. Aww, I love that your hubby is spotting them! I'm not sure my husband would be that observant haha

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  27. My husband is an excellent pump spotter as well. I think there's a real gender thing at play though, because he only spots pumps that men are wearing and I seem to only notice pumps that ladies are wearing (unless I'm actually in a conversation with the pump wearer). [Check!]

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  28. He has learned from a wise woman! Jess hasn't quite got the skill down, but I have faith that he will! Thank you for sharing this account, hilarious as usual! <3

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  29. Love your blog!
    Jason T1D 22 years

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  30. I'm a newcomer to your blog but have added it to my 'list' of regular reads--keep up the good work!

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  31. I'm absolutely awful at spotting PWDs in the wild. It's been years since I've noticed anyone.

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  32. People look at me like I'm crazy when I try to talk to them. check :)

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  33. Even if you did acknowledge each other's pumps, then what? I one was in a store with my family, and saw another family with father and son both wearing one. The conversation was something like this: "Um, excuse me... is that an insulin pump?" "Yes it is; we both have one" "So do I!" "Uh huh" "Umm..." "OK, have a nice day" "Bye".

    Just because that one thing in common is there, doesn't mean anything else will be.

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  34. The few times I've mentioned a pump sighting to a guy, they've never been interested in chatting. Mention it to a woman and she becomes your best friend in 2 minutes. Check!

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  35. My favourite times are when a younger child spots mine, and comments about it. Usually it has something to do with being a robot, and that always makes me smile.

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  36. :-) Cheeeeck! In 2004 my mom got really excited thinking she'd seen insulin pump tubing sticking out of a student's clothing. Nope, it was an iPod cord, but I gotta respect her for knowing that it could have been a pump!

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  37. Checkity check! Sadly I've never noticed others but plenty notice mine in the wild.

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  38. Haha... I have so many pump spotting stories aas well--in both directions. Always leads to an interesting conversation.

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  39. I honestly wish I had more pump in the wild situations! #dblogcheck

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  40. Ally loves it when she spots an insulin pump in the wild! Check!

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  41. I love spotting pumps. LOVE IT!!!! Every time I even suspect it could be a pump, I become slightly stalkerish...staring...staring....staring....

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  42. Love pump sightings! Love it even more when my non D friends tell me they saw one :)

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  43. My kids are getting good at spring them, too, even though I don't wear one. Some of their friends/schoolmates do (plus several of Mom's friends). I saw a disconnected infusion site once but didn't say anything since I didn't see any tubing. #dblogcheck

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    1. And we now know that Sue is commenting from her phone, not checking what autocorrect decides to mess with. Ignore the typos please.

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  44. I think you really need to be worried with your kid notices a pump and you don't. #check

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  45. I must say I'm a little bit jealous, I never spotted a pump in the wild. Or another PWD, for that matter. On the other hand, I always spot discarded test strips. On the sidewalk, at the bus stop, in restaurant toilets, around my building's trash containers. So I KNOW there are other PWDs around :)
    #dblogcheck

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  46. I don't often spot pumps in the wild, but I'm often spotted! I don't know how many times people come up to me impressed that they know what it is, and eager to share how they know what a pump is (relatives, friends, etc. with pumps.) Though I have to say, I'm more of a BG meter spotter; I hear those highly distinguishable beeps and my head starts whipping around like I'm trying to spot a falcon, haha!

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  47. Check! "Show Me Your Pump" is like the diabetes equivalent of Mardi Gras. We should have beads to give out to people who comply.

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