Monday, May 26, 2008

Summah Summah Summah Time.

Following my discovery of the mantra "Life is not as serious as my mind makes it out to be," I got to thinking about a summer-time happening that many a women dread many months in advance...the bathing suit. Shopping for bikinis, tankinis and one pieces is one thing, actually trying them on and finding one that is acceptable (and if you're lucky, fabulous) can be a trying experience. Add an insulin pump into the mix, and the experience may find you wondering if sweatpants could pass as acceptable beach wear.

So my friend from high school who basically taught me everything about being a fabulous diabetic before I even had diabetes sent me a message recently that got me thinking. In the past, I have gone through every effort trying to hide my insulin pump/site under a bikini. Seriously, trying to hide it under a piece of fabric the size of a dish towel or smaller. How INSANE! I've only worn the OmniPod once under a bikini and it resulted in water slide disaster 2007. Clearly, I'm ready for a fresh start with my swimwear.

So in keeping up with the idea that nothing is as serious as it appears in my mind, why not wear my pod where ever the heck I feel like it? Not to be corny, but isn't hiding my insulin pump really hiding a part of who I am? When my doctor and I first began discussing the option of switching to OmniPod, he told me a story about this woman he saw at a Red Sox game. He said he noticed her because she was wearing a midriff baring top and had some serious abs but what really struck him was that she had her Pod stuck smack dab on those rockin' abs for the world to see. I thought, WOW, nice thought but not for me.

I know it's a lot harder to actually do it but honestly, why do we hide it? The thing is, I know there are women out there who possess the self-confidence to wear tight, revealing clothes with their pump and I've never been one of them. I've decided that I am going to work up the GUTS to wear my insulin pump and "let it all hang out," so to speak. And when I start to chicken out, all I have to do is scan the beach and I'll be sure to find some wrinkly, orange-glo woman in her metallic gold thong...and that will be all the assurance I need that no one really cares if my pump is showing.

I'm pretty fired up about this whole bathing suit thing and I realize that this theory is a whole lot of talk at the moment so what I really need is your feedback. I know that myself and my friend Erin could definitely use a pep-talk from one of you ladies who bares their betes on the beach. It may seem silly but I know to some of us T1 ladies, this can be really traumatizing and difficult to deal with. Let me know what you think, what your experiences are.

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