Water

Darien Lake - Pump Clipped On & Ready to Swim!

Alright, so I am sure the people on injections and people who once wore Animas insulin pumps will feel like this blog post is old news; however, since Medtronic made the leap to waterproof pumps back in April 2017 (in Canada) I must say, anything to do with water has made managing diabetes and enjoying water much easier.

Previous to wearing a waterproof pump, going to a waterpark meant throwing my insulin pump in a locker or bag and praying that it wasn't stolen.  It meant being without insulin for a period of time and likely dealing with rising blood sugars long after due to not
getting insulin for an extended period of time.   I almost dreaded going swimming because I knew I wouldn't be getting insulin during that time, or would have to force myself out to hook back up to the pump.

Now that Medtronic has a waterproof pump in Canada (630G)  I can wear my pump into the water without any worries about missing insulin or dealing with a missing (stolen) insulin pump. The first time I wore my pump into the water was when I went to a conference in Toronto and stayed at a hotel with a pool. Since it wasn't quite summer, I hadn't actually tested out the waterproof aspect. I figured I might as well try before we headed to Mexico.   It literally felt like freedom to just walk into the water without worry, just like a normal human being, except with my pancreas clinging onto the bottom of my bathing-suit.

Mexico - Totally wearing my pump!

Fast forward to Mexico, I wore my pump in the swim up bar for hours on end.  I was able to drink, eat, and float around without having to get out of the water to hook back up, or make sure my pump was still in my bag. It was on me the entire time, able to give myself insulin and also give people the time, because no one wears watches in the pool nor brings their phone in.  This was making diabetes and water possible.

Fast forward even more to the past weekend we spent at Darien Lake, I was now going to wear my insulin pump on water ride, lazy rivers, wave pools, the options were endless.  I didn't have to pay a exuberant amount of money to lock up my pancreas, I didn't have to stress about someone taking it, I had no worries about managing my diabetes and water. I was good! I had my pump, I had my sensor, I had everything I needed on me in order to enjoy life in the water.



Kayla