November is National Diabetes Awareness Month (amusingly, “national” seems to include the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, at the very least), and today I’m reflecting on the relationship between my type 1 diabetes and sewing.
First up, a quick introduction and a quick primer on type 1 diabetes! I’m Anne, and although I do occasionally sew, I generally identify more as a knitter. That said, here in the sewing world, I’m probably better known as Gillian’s sister! I’m also one of the team who proofread/copy-edit Sewcialists posts in the background.
Modelling mittens that I designed with friends.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that means that my body’s immune system has attacked my pancreas, and killed off all the cells that produce insulin. Without insulin, the energy from food (broken down into simple sugars) can’t get from my bloodstream into my cells, and without that energy, my body shuts down. (I ended up in the critical care unit at the hospital for several days last year after a pump site mishap meant that I didn’t get insulin for about 18 hours.) I’ve been diabetic for nearly 20 years now. Although I spent most of that time doing “MDI” or multiple daily injections, I have been wearing an insulin pump for about 4 years now and I mostly love it.
The insulin pump is a small device, about the size of a pager, which connects via tube to a cannula that allows the pump to deliver a continuous dose of insulin into my body — and I only have to change the cannula every few days, instead of giving myself multiple injections every day. It gives me a slow trickle of insulin 24/7, and then when I eat, I input how many grams of carbohydrates I’m having and it does the calculations to give me additional insulin to cover the meal and to correct for any highs or lows. The tubing and pump can unclip from the actual pump site (the cannula has a clip that lies flat against the skin) for things like showering and dressing.
My insulin pump. Really, truly, it does look an old-school pager.
I also wear a sensor on my arm that monitors my blood sugar around the clock, and I can scan it at any time to get a picture of not only where my sugar is at that moment, but where it has been — am I going high or low? Should I eat something more or correct with more insulin? With the sensor, I don’t have to prick my fingers as often to check on my blood sugar the old fashioned way, with a drop of blood on an electrode strip.
All of this means that I am pretty much a cyborg. It’s incredibly freeing! Except, of course, it means I have these two devices attached to me around the clock, and dressing to accommodate them is a fact of life. Thankfully, Gillian is an extremely generous and thoughtful sister, and keeps me well supplied with the kinds of clothes that suit not only my style but also my medical needs.
My insulin pump has a belt clip on it that allows me to attach it to my waistband or pocket, if I’m wearing separates, and I just tuck the tubing into my clothing so it doesn’t catch on things. Separates are easy — and also allow me easy access to the pump site on days when I need to change it. (I attach my pump site on my abdomen.) I do have to be a bit picky about the depth of the waistband, as the clip is relatively shallow and tends to slip off if my pants or skirt have a particularly deep waistband. I’m also, like Gillian, a devotee of stretchy waistbands, especially because sitting down with a pump jabbing me in the gut due to a tight waistband is really not my idea of pleasant.
I really don’t feel shy about my insulin pump when it’s at my waist/hip like this. When I’m wearing a dress, though, the waistband clip is not an option, so I have to get creative by stashing the pump in my bust. I do like to camouflage it then, if possible.
Dresses, though, are another matter. Here’s where being a curvy person actually comes in handy! I can clip the pump to the gore of my bra, and as long as the bra has a relatively low gore, the pump is more or less hidden by my bust. However, this means that I have to be really picky about necklines. No plunging Vs or deep scoops here! And since I do have to fish the pump out occasionally to input a dose, tight/high necklines are also problematic. A shallow scoop or a boat neck tends to work particularly well, as does a cowl neck. Two of my favourites are the Cashmerette Rivermont, because of its boat neck combined with a heavier fabric (lighter-weight fabric shows the pump lumps more clearly), and their Turner, because the bodice is fully self-lined, which also adds camouflage. I also do, as a knitter, have an abundance of shawls and cowls to toss around my neck when a neckline might tend to reveal more than I want.
Can you spot the pump? Nicely hidden in the Cashmerette Turner bodice. I believe that Gillian raised the neckline for me on this dress, so nothing is peeping out that shouldn’t be!
A friend of mine, who has the same insulin pump I do, lacks the “bust capacity” (ha!) to hide her pump against her bra. She has, very cleverly, determined that adding a buttonhole to the pocket of a skirt or dress means that she can thread the tubing through the hole, clipping it to the cannula on the inside and leaving the pump in her pocket on the outside. I keep meaning to try this myself, since it would be a nice discreet option compared to reaching into my cleavage to grab the pump at a formal event! (All clothes should have pockets, right?)
As for the sensor on my arm? I’m not really shy about revealing it, but I have definitely found that it tends to come unstuck more quickly if I wear sleeveless or cap sleeve tops. Keeping it protected under a sleeve seems to help it stay on for its intended lifespan. Oh, and the sensor on my arm comes with a scanning device, so again, pockets are extra handy.
The perfect outfit? Maybe! A Cashmerette Rivermont, with plenty of bust space to stash that pump, pockets to carry my sensor scanner, sleeves to protect the sensor, and an enormous shawl to pull it all together.
Whether you deal with diabetes or another chronic (or temporary) illness, making your own clothes can be a powerful way to help manage your condition and to help you feel more at home in your body even when it sometimes feels like it’s betraying you. I’m a big fan of the Sewcialists’ sister Instagram community, @ChronicallySewn / #chronicallysewn.
Do you make any adjustments when you are sewing to accommodate your body’s unique health and mobility needs?
Anne is a conference planner by day, and an occasional knitting designer by night. You can follow her yarn- and dog-related obsessions on Instagram at @anniebeeknits. (She and her husband adopted a rescue dog in October and she might be a little overzealous with the dog photos. You’ve been warned.)
Thank you, Anne, for writing about this.
When reading Gillian’s blog I found myself wondering several times how do your cyborg superpowers (or insulin pump) work but would never ask. So thank you 🙂
I’m glad if I could dispell some of the mystery! There is some AMAZING technology behind the pumps, and a lot of even more incredible new innovation progressing towards readiness — life as a diabetic (and the ability to maintain good control over blood sugar) is getting easier, even if we’re still nowhere near an actual cure.
That’s one great post, Anne, thanks for sharing this info. I knew NOTHING about insulin pumps and the challenges diabetics face that use them. I wish you all the best!
Thank you! I’m glad if I can open up some conversation about the realities of life with a pump — and the larger conversation about adaptive clothing for various health issues, too.
As a mother of a daughter with Type 1 diabetes, thank you for raising awareness of this unrelenting disease. What people often don’t realize is that unlike most people with Type 2 diabetes, people with Type 1 make NO insulin, that is why they
MUST get an external form of insulin through a pump or shots. My daughter is 16, diagnosed at 6. In those 10 years there have been wonderful advances; I still hold out for a cure sometime in her lifetime.
My heart goes out to you and your daughter! I consider myself incredibly lucky because I didn’t develop diabetes until I was almost 19, so I got to do all the usual childhood stuff around Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, birthday parties, and so on, unimpeded — not to mention the daily grind of testing and checking and correcting and eating to stay in balance. The impact this disease has on families, especially when the patients are young, is just impossible to overstate.
I struggle with the ‘what do I do with my insulin pump’ as well but I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!!! I developed type 1 diabetes at 54 and have had to make many changes in my life. I know I am lucky to have gone most of my life without the struggles that other type 1 diabetics have. Separates are definitely the easiest way to go – I tend to make matching skirts and tops I look like I’m wearing a dress but have the ease of my pump clipped to my skirt. The Rivermont dress is just my style and every time I see one I say to myself I WANT that dress. I think I may just have to try the pump in the pocket trick.
Matching separates is a really clever solution. I might have to think about that for myself! And do try the Rivermont, it’s my ‘dream dress’ and it’s so comfortable to wear. It already has lovely deep pockets as drafted, so do try that buttonhole trick (and report back)!
This is a great post! And thanks for the @chronicallysewn shoutout. <3 <3
Thank YOU for what you do with @chronicallysewn! Representation is so important. <3
Annie Bee, thanks for enlightening me of how you adjust your clothing for your insulin pump. I have several patients with insulin pumps. With your permission, I would like to print your testimony to encourage them with options for clothing solutions. You look great in your clothing. I never considered what people go through with camouflage of their pump or ostomy bags.
Oh, by all means, please share away! I feel pretty lucky that I only have an insulin pump to deal with — an ostomy bag is so much more challenging to camouflage. And I don’t HAVE to hide the pump (and I often don’t), but I doubt many ostomy patients want to display that. The only person I know who has an ostomy bag is a delightful aging hippie type, whose style revolved around long, full skirts and flowy tops long before her health issues required the colostomy, so I don’t think she has much difficulty disguising anything — but people with other styles must have some real challenges. I was hoping that someone with that type of experience might speak up!
That was incredibly educational! Thank you for sharing!!
I adore your shawl <3 and the Rivermont is so perfect on you.
Aww, thank you! <3
I never make alterations for my pump and sensor. Haven’t even considered it actually! I wear my pump in a little bag that is fastened to my bra. Sometimes you’ll see my sensor outlined on my belly, but my pump seems to be pretty invisible.
OOH. I’ve seen those pump bags online but never really seen one in person. I’m super intrigued (and have considered making my own…) Where do they attach to the bra? Are they comfortable to wear? How do you access the pump — or do you use a remote? (Ha, sorry for ALL THE QUESTIONS.)
I agree, the sensors are pretty invisible under clothes — for me, it’s more of an issue of keeping them protected so they don’t come unstuck.
I can wear my sensor only on my belly, something to do with systemic fluids.
I attached a little hook to my pump bag and hook it on the gore or the wings of my bra (my daughter sometimes wants me to move the pump so she can cuddle on my chest). I still wear all sorts of necklines, I apparently have no shame about reaching into my decolletage to get it out 😂. Early next year I’m going to get a new pump that’s basically going to do everything on it’s own, mimicking the pancreas. Really excited about that!
SO JEALOUS. I’m due for a new pump (we get funding every 5 years) next spring, and I’m waiting to see what’s available by then — the technology is improving so fast, but the approvals are slow.
Thanks for the idea of the hooks on the pump bag — I may just try that out!
Hi, with regard to pump bag, my friends granddaughter has type 1 since 5 years old. When she got a pump , her mum had bought a couple of belts, one with a bag attached and one made with a stretchy fabric ( jersey) , two layered , like a soft yoga pant waistband with part of it left open ( with Velcro fastening) big enough to hold the pump. She could only get them from USA and were quite expensive so I made her some. I’ll try and find a picture. Could this be an option? I’m not sure if she has a sensor , I believe she still checks it with the prick test here in UK , hope this is some help x
Oh, that’s fascinating. I’ve seen those stretchy belts here in Canada too, usually in a really stretchy lycra like you’d use for a bathing suit or leotard. I never thought about making one, though! And the idea of having multiples (for laundry purposes and to go with different outfits) is appealing… I’d love to see what you made!
Great article. I shared several quotes with my husband, who wears a pump. The funniest challenge we faced came up when we visited a nudist community. No belt. No pockets. We found a beautiful zip pocket with a long rope to loop around his neck. The pocket is embroidered with a picture of our favorite dog breed, a Labrador Retriever. Pretty cool because the index card sized pocket also signaled something very close to his heart. He gets at least as many comments on the pocket as the pump! I’m thinking there may be ways to adapt the “insulin pump pocket as art piece” approach to almost anything with front buttons. Again, thanks for sharing your solutions. I really love people who focus on solutions.
Oh my goodness, I just laughed out loud in the middle of my office! Yes, a nudist colony WOULD pose some challenges! Your pocket solution is brilliant. (I’d still be worried about getting the tubing caught on doorknobs and so on, without clothes to tuck them into…) And yes, I do like the art piece pocket idea — these lifesaving devices deserve to be celebrated, not always hidden.
Thank you for the insightful post! It’s so cool that sewing empowers you and gives you a greater ability to work with/around your condition. I’m sure that this post will help a lot of people.
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Isn’t it wonderful to have both your daughters working so well together? I’m a proud father indeed!
D’aww. Thanks, Dad!
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