Get Your Pump On (or How to Look Cool!)

Insulin Pumps.

You have to wear them.  Everyday.  All day.  24/7. 

Youngest daughter has been pumping insulin for five years - with no time off .  That means, she has been wearing a pump for 1,760 days straight. 

She has been with her pink Pumpy since she was three years old.

Oldest daughter started pumping a little later in her life as she wasn't diagnosed until age 8, when she started immediately on Pumpster. 

Having been through raising an 8 year-old once, I am familiar with the ever present need of feeling good about one's self.  These are the pre-teen years, often referred to as tweens. 

A few months ago, we re-distributed some of my girls' once much-loved pump pouches to other friends with children who have type 1 diabetes.  We said good-bye to her beloved Hello Kitty pouch and her Elmo pouch.  SpongeBob left along with an adorable doll-faced pouch.  Anything consider "babyish" to the tweens went right out the door. 

It was a little sad to see and I resisted the temptation to stuff one of the pouches in the baby box.  No, these pouches needed to be used to help other children feel good about themselves and carrying around their own Pumpys (or Pumpsters).  Just like it did when mine were younger.

Then, this week, we found something new...

See that adorable little panda bear on youngest daughter?  Oldest daughter is wearing an owl (hidden behind her hand).  Well, those pouches are considered cool. 

After school, both girls came home chattering about how great it is to wear an insulin pump because of their cool pouches.  Apparently, it was the big deal of the day and both girls were so excited to tell me that their friends wanted to buy one to wear to school the next day.

Which really makes day 1,761 of wearing an insulin pump so much better!  Because the lesson for these two Naturally Sweet Sisters is this...

Often what makes you feel different is what everyone else wants in order to fit in.