Another Thing to Carry Around . . .

It’s been about a month since MiniMed Connect began shipping.  I was fortunate to be part of a pilot group testing MiniMed Connect before it’s official launch, so I’ve actually been using it for about two months now.  (Disclosure: As part of the pilot group, I received my Minimed Connect free of charge, in return for providing feedback about my experiences with the system.)  I’ve done a post for The Loop about my first impressions, which you can find here.

One of the most frequent concerns I hear about MiniMed Connect is that the uploader is just one more thing to carry around.  And I’ll admit, that was a concern of mine too.  Not just for the hassle, but for the fear of losing it.  The first time I put it in my jeans pocket I could see this wouldn’t be a secure place to store it.  My DKNY jeans have ridiculously shallow pockets and it seemed like it would be way too easy for the uploader to fall out.  So I came up with another way to carry my uploader that feels both secure and hassle free.  I use a cell phone charm strap!



First, I perused Amazon and found 100(!!) straps for about $5.  I’ve actually broken one so far, but I’ve got 98 more on hand should the one I’m currently using break.  Anyway, I threaded the strap through hole in my phone case for the mute switch thingie (official technical term - not!!).



And then I attached an old key chain loop to the top of the uploader and clipped that to the charm holder.
 

And it’s been working perfectly.  The uploader just needs to be within about 6 feet of my pump, which is fine because my phone is usually just a few feet away.  The only problem I’ve had is when my laptop is between my phone and my pump.  Some electronic devices can disturb the frequency, but solving it is as easy as moving the phone next to my pump instead of next to my laptop.

There you go, my solution to the “I don't want to carry around one more thing” dilemma of the uploader.  It’s now part of my phone, which I’m carrying around anyway!

I’m hoping that between this post and the Loop post, I’ve answered any questions you might have about MiniMed Connect.  But if I’ve missed anything, leave your question in the comments and I’d be happy to share my experience!

** My Medtronic disclosure can be found here. **

Little Droplets Everywhere . . . . .

It’s happened to me time and time again, and I’m willing to bet it’s happened to most of you too.  I test my blood sugar, like a good little PWD, and am rewarded for my efforts by finding a blood-inked fingerprint on my clothes / keyboard / phone / cat.  (Okay, not really on my cat, but you get it, right?)  It’s destructive and also pretty gross.

How does one contain those little droplets that get everywhere?  For a while I stashed a tissue in my meter case, ripping off small pieces to wipe my fingertips after each test.  Yes, it worked.  But yes, I also started to find tiny messy tissue shards everywhere.  So I was intrigued when an email from Diabetic Dabs landed in my inbox.


Diabetic Dabs are small pads of absorbent sheets to wipe up those little blood droplets.  Here’s a bit of background from the company:

“Liz Sacco, the founder and inventor of Diabetic Dabs, is a mother to four boys, including David who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2011. While helping David with his blood glucose tests, Liz realized there was a constant struggle to find a clean and easy way for her son to wipe off the excess blood from his finger, and prevent him from wiping the blood on his pants. Two years later, Liz developed Diabetic Dabs.

Diabetic Dabs are non-toxic, highly absorbent sheets that are designed to fit conveniently into any blood glucose testing kit. With Diabetic Dabs, David’s daily testing process got easier, and his clothes stayed blood-free.

Liz believes that if she can relieve just one worry from the lives of diabetics or their parents, she’s succeeded.”

I was intrigued, so I happily accepted a sample to test out and TWO MORE TO GIVE AWAY!  Let me tell you, for someone as OCD about wiping her blood as I am, these Dabs are a dream come true.  They suck up those droplets like nobody’s business, leaving my clothes (and cat) blood stain free.  They are generously sized to even handle those gushers.  For a normal finger prick I find ripping off about a fourth of the sheet is very easy and absorbs perfectly - without leaving behind that pesky tissue shard fuzz.  Each pad of Dabs comes with an adhesive backing so you can stick it right to your meter case (as shown below).  I don’t use a conventional meter case but the pad of Dabs is sized perfectly to slip into my meter’s pouch.



I’m now a big fan of Diabetic Dabs, and was thrilled to hear that the company donates some of the proceeds to diabetes research:

“One thing we're very dedicated to is that we donate a part of all net profits from Diabetic Dabs back to diabetic research, specifically the American Diabetes Association. We love that it provides not only ourselves but our customers an avenue to be able to pour back into an organization dedicated to helping take care of a community we're an integral part of. “

So what do you say?  Would you like to try out Diabetic Dabs for yourself?  You can order them here, but I also have two boxes to give away!  Each box contains four packets of Dabs, for a total of 200 absorbant little sheets per winner.  To enter for your chance to win, just leave me a comment and tell me how you, or your loved one with diabetes, currently deals with those little droplets everywhere.  I’ll close the contest at midnight EST tomorrow, Jan. 30th, and announce the two winners on Friday.

Never Say Never . . . . .

As a teenage girl with diabetes, I developed a strong hatred for medical i.d.  For one thing, back in the 80’s medical i.d. was downright ugly and most certainly clashed with my oh-so-fashionable lace fingerless gloves, big jewelry and even bigger hair.  Of course, my i.d. disdain went much deeper than that.  I suspect the real reason I refused to wear medical i.d. was that it felt like a huge sign hanging off my body reminding me and everyone else that I was different from my friends, at a time when I just wanted to be like all the other teenaged Madonna-wanna-bes.

My teen years are long behind me now, but I still never wear medical i.d. - a fact that got me scolded during the Diabetes Hope virtual conference.  I did buy a cheap silicone bracelet marked “Diabetes” to wear at the gym, but other than that I figured I’d never wear medial i.d.

Well, never say never!!  I was contacted by Lauren’s Hope asking if I’d be willing to try one of their medical i.d. bracelets and write a review.  I figured it was about time I acted like a responsible grown woman instead of an insecure gawky teen (even if I still am more insecure and gawky than responsible and adult).  As I browsed through the women’s selections I was surprised at the huge array of styles available to meet everyone’s tastes and needs.  I had a hard time picking my favorite but in the end I went with a really pretty stainless steel bracelet (that is unfortunately out of stock for the foreseeable future.  Although this is it in white and also this one is very similar).  I was pleased to find that Lauren’s Hope also offers a bunch of different choices for the medical i.d. tags, so I didn’t have to settle for the (ugly to me) red style of years gone by.

Here is my finished bracelet and the tag.



Tara from Lauren’s Hope helped a lot in suggesting useful info to include on the five lines for the tag.  I’ve got my name, “T1 diabetes on a pump”, my parent’s number listed as “ICE” (or in case of emergency), my home number, and NKA (or no known allergies) and instructions to see my wallet card.  (Ummm, yeah, which I still need to fill out and put in my wallet.)



So now I have my bracelet, how has it been going?  I’m pretty surprised to tell you that I love this thing!  I’ve worn it every day.  I even tried sleeping in it - it didn’t bother me that night, but by the next afternoon it was really bugging me so that may be a bit of an adjustment.  It has been hot here so almost everything touching skin feels uncomfortable but when winter rolls around I’ll try keeping it on overnight again and I have a feeling I’ll get used to it pretty quickly.



I will admit that I’ve taken to wearing the bracelet with the i.d. tag turned in on my wrist, as shown above.  I’m not embarrassed to wear medial i.d. but I do like it to look more like “real jewelry”.  In fact, the first time I wore it to my parent’s house I kept waiting for my Mom to ask about it.  Turns out, she thought it was just a regular bracelet until I showed her the tag.  And my Dad, who used to be an Emergency Responder, was glad to see me wearing it because on calls he always checked the wrists first for medical i.d.

My biggest worry now is breaking it, because I’m a pretty big klutz.  Luckily, Lauren’s Hope has a great repair policy:

“Regarding the repair policy, we are proud to have the most generous and comprehensive repair policy in the industry. A medical ID bracelet is of no use to anyone if it's broken in a drawer. If one of our bracelets breaks, we really want our customers to send it in so we can fix it and get it back in use. :)

1. In the first six months, repairs are free. Period. We have only a $7.25 shipping and handling charge, and that's it. Doesn't matter what happened to it; we fix it. We also offer ONE free resizing in this time period, with the same shipping charge. This is super helpful for people who experience a weight change or find that they simply want their bracelet to fit differently.

2. After the first six months, repairs are only $10 plus the same $7.25 shipping and handling charge. Much less expensive than replacing your whole bracelet!
Also, it's important to note that Lauren's Hope allows people to order replacement ID plaques without bracelets and vice versa, something most companies do not allow. This is very important if your ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers, diagnosis/es, or other information changes and you just need a new tag, not a whole new bracelet. 

There are some exclusions. We cannot change a custom engraving once it's been done, nor can we add colored fill to your engraving after the fact. The repair warranty only covers your bracelet or necklace, not accessories such as charms.”

So this girl, who said she’d never wear medical i.d.?  She’s not only wearing it . . . . she is loving it.  She also might have her eye on a second one that she’ll strongly hint would make a wonderful Christmas gift from her husband!  (And she needs to stop referring to herself in the third person because that’s just kind of creepy.)  Never wear medical i.d.?  Never say never!

** Disclosure: I was contacted by Lauren’s Hope  and provided my choice of bracelet and engraved tag at no charge.  I was asked to consider posting a review, which I was happy to do because I was obviously very satisfied with the product.**

Extend Snacks Review and Giveaway

After being diagnosed in 1979, when sugar was 100% off the table for people with diabetes, my mom always bought me snacks that were labeled “for diabetics”.  They were full of artificial ingredients and didn’t taste very good, but at the time a mediocre cookie seemed better than no cookie at all.  (Unless I snuck the "real" cookies, not that I ever did that.  Much.  *lying*)  Anyway, today we have better insulin and carb counting and such, and I usually run screaming from anything labeled “diabetic friendly” because I assume they are laden with chemical substances.  But when a representative from Extend emailed asking if I’d like to sample their products, I made an exception.  And I did so because the Extend line was created by Dr. Francine Kaufman, past president of the ADA and chief medical officer at Medtronic.  I’ve been lucky enough to meet Dr. Kaufman when I attended the Medtronic summits.  I really respect Dr. Kaufman and I know she is an advocate for healthy food choices.  According to Extend, the products are “clinically proven to help control blood sugar for up to 6-9 hours”.

I was interested in trying either the Crisps or the Drizzles, and they were kind enough to send me a sampling of both.  The first ingredient in both products is soy, which I’m not a huge fan of so the first bite I had each time was kind of weird tasting to me.  BUT only the first bite, then my taste buds adjusted and the snacks were quite tasty.  My favorite was the White Cheddar Crisps.  They kind of remind me of SmartFood, which I love!  When I ate the snacks before bed I did find my CGM graph stayed level overnight with no pesky alarms.  For me, the single serve packs work well too, because crispy snacks are a huge weakness of mine and I will tend to eat way more than one serving at at time.  I also like that I can easily toss a bag in my purse for a snack on the go - the rest of my stash will be great for travel snacks as I head to Friends for Life next week.

Would you like to try Extend products for yourself?  Well, Extend has offered a wonderful prize package to be given away to one of you!  It includes:

• Your choice of 5 bags of Extend Drizzles (Caramel Bliss and/or Chocolate Dream)
• Your choice of 5 bags of Extend Crisps (Cinnamon, BBQ, Zesty Ranch, Italian Herb, White Cheddar, or Variety)
• Your choice of 5 Extend Shake mixes (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, or Variety)
• And your choice of 15 Extend Bars (Chocolate, Peanut, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Apple Cinnamon, Mixed Berry, or Variety)

I’m going to make it really really easy to enter - just leave a comment on this post and you are in!  Yay!!  The contest will close at midnight tomorrow and I will announce the winner on Wednesday.

As part of the promotion, Extend has also offered a discount code that will save you 20% off your entire order with no minimum purchase.  If you order more than $42 worth of products you’ll also get free shipping!  Just use promo code KARENG at checkout to get your discount.

** Disclosure - I received this sample Extend products free of charge.  The give-away and discount is also provided by Extend.  As always, my opinions are my own. **

Lilly Glucagon Mobile App

I’ll admit it . . . .  glucagon scares me.  So far I’ve been fortunate enough to never have needed a loved one to administer it to me, but that doesn’t make me any less scared.  The thing with glucagon is that it comes with a fairly detailed set of instructions that must be followed precisely before it is ready to administer.  And it gets injected with a huge needle.  In the event that I passed out and needed glucagon, it’s likely that Pete would be the one to give it to me.  I can’t imagine the stress he’d be feeling if I was in an urgent enough situation that glucagon was needed. Now let’s add in the fact that he is extremely nervous about needles - he doesn’t even like to prick my finger for a blood sugar check. My heart breaks to picture him frantically trying to unfold, read and follow the larger printed sheet of instructions in a glucagon kit while knowing my life depends on him and that huge needle.

A glucagon kit that is easier to use would be great, but until then there is a new mobile app out from Lilly which, according their press release, “serves as a teaching tool and can provide guidance for treatment with Lilly Glucagon for Injection (rDNA origin) during severe hypoglycemic events".  The press release also notes that the app includes . . .

• "Information about severe hypoglycemia and Glucagon
• Simulated practice demonstrating how to prepare and inject Glucagon
• Visual and audio emergency instructions
• Tools to keep track of kit locations and alerts for expiration dates
• Important safety information"

  I downloaded the app to take a look.

Screen shots from the Lilly Glucagon Mobile App

I think this app is a really good idea.  The first screen shot shows the intro screen detailing some of the features noted from the press release, the second shows the home screen, and the third is a shot of the emergency instructions.  I particularly think the Manage My Kits log is a fantastic idea - since we’ve never used our glucagon I sometimes forget where we stashed it and honestly, I’m pretty sure it has expired.  This app will allow me to set one or more reminders of the expiration date - one month before, two weeks before, and every day for the last week before the kit expires.

When Pete gets home tonight, I plan to load this app on his phone too, and go through the tutorial with him.  In reality, it may not keep him any calmer if he ever needs to give me glucagon.  But the fact that he can familiarize himself with the steps on a simulator before hand, and will have emergency instructions easily accessible on either of our cell phones, does help me worry a bit less.

Expo Hall Highlights

I have to admit, I really love the CWD Friends for Life Expo Hall.  Not really for the S.W.A.G., but for the chance to check out new products and get demonstrations of all their nifty features.  Although in all honesty, I was quite thrilled at the OneTouch booth when the rep gave me a Verio IQ after showing me its cool features.  Other highlights were watching the excitement at the You Can Do This booth, seeing and touching the Tandem t:slim, the opportunity to vote on some new glucose tablet flavors (while begging them to bring my favorite Green Apple back!!), and learning about the new Bayer meter coming soon that’s similar to the Contour USB but with greater accuracy and the ability to wirelessly send the results to my Medtronic pump.

But perhaps the highlight of the Expo Hall this year was getting to see my GlucoLift friends.  I first met the founder, Christopher Angell, and his father at TCOYD in February, but soon learned I already new Chris from the DOC and his blog.  (He stopped posting there after creating GlucoLift so as not to create a conflict of interest).  I always have a fantastic time chatting with Chris and his dad Phillip about GlucoLift, diabetes social media (yup, they Tweet and FaceBook), and everything else under the sun.  I was happy to meet Christopher's lovely wife this time and she was ever so gracious after Pete fumbled his cup of water and practically splashed it all over her.  (My man is smooooth around pretty women.)



Even if I didn’t love the people behind the product, I’d seriously love GlucoLift.  Because these all-natural, non-GMO tablets are healthier than your average glucose tablet, and they taste so much better.  I can attest to this because Chris is always kind enough to gift some to me when I see him.  I’ve finished the whole bottle of Cherry flavor, and I usually hate anything cherry flavored but these were really good!

I told Chris I wanted to post about GlucoLift and asked if there was anything he’d like me to share.  Here’s what he had to say:

“Knowing I was never going to be the person to cure diabetes, I'm happy if I can make one of the more unpleasant necessities of managing it a little better for people. For me, the main point is that I always felt the fact that the 'other guys' ' tablets were made with unnecessary artificial junk, left a chalky finish, and were flavored as though people were going to eat one (and not 3, 4 or 5) meant that they weren't designed or evaluated by the people who actually have to use them. That just made me upset and frustrated. There are a lot of frustrating things about having diabetes, but some of them you excuse because it's the best we can do right now. Icky glucose tablets do not fall into that category!”

I hope you know me well enough to know that I’m not posting about these because Chris gifted some to me.  I’m posting about them because I really love the idea behind a healthier glucose tablet.  And because these things taste good!  After Pete tried one in the Expo Hall, he told me“Wow, those didn’t taste like the icky tablets you’ve let me try before.  Those taste more like candy”.  Which means I’m probably going to need to start hiding my glucose tablets.  And also ordering more from the online store or through Amazon.  (Just a tip: if you are ordering your own, I’d consider picking a combo that comes with a travel tube. These tablets are slightly bigger than the “other guys’” glucose tabs, and they don’t fit in the tubes I try to recycle from my other tabs.)


Have you tried GlucoLift?  I’d love to hear what you think.

Glooko for You (a giveaway!!)

I used to be excellent at logging my blood sugars and food and all of that other stuff important to diabetes management.  Used to be is the key phrase in that sentence.  In the past few years I’ve fallen out of the logging habit.  I can download all of my CGM info from my pump.  And I am pretty good about always entering my blood sugar readings into my pump, so I can download that info as well.  As for the food . . . . I just don’t log any of that anymore.  But I’ve been using a new tool / app that may get me back to being a good logger.

You may have already heard of Glooko, a logging app for iPhone and iPod Touch.  A while back I signed up to help beta test the Glooko IR Adaptor, which adds Accu-Chek to the list of meters compatible with the system.  I downloaded the free Glooko app to my iPhone and my cables arrived in the mail.  I’m currently using both Accu-Chek and OneTouch meters, and it was so easy to upload my blood sugar readings from all four of my meters into one logbook using Glooko.  I simply plug the cable directly into my OneTouch meters, and use the Adaptor to transmit the data from the Accu-Cheks.

There is a pretty extensive food database in the Glooko app that I haven’t played around with too much yet, but it could get me back on the food logging wagon too!

Once you’ve got all of your info entered or downloaded, you can view the logbook on your phone or you can email logs to yourself, your doctor or anyone you choose.


If being better about logging is one of your diabetes goals, I think the Glooko system is an excellent tool to make this easier - both in the logging itself and the sharing of the information.  My only wish, which I’ve shared with the Glooko team, is that there was some kind of graphing or charting included because for me, the visuals help me spot trends and problems more easily.  However, the data can be emailed as a .csv file which can then be charted in Excel.  (Not that I could figure out how to chart it, but my Excel-whiz engineer husband could probably do it for me.)

When I signed up to help test Glooko with my Accu-Chek meter, I was sent the cable and adaptor free of charge.  I was not required to post about it, but I’m happy to share the information with you.  I’m also happy to share the Glooko system with one of you!!  I accidentally received two sets of cables and adaptors, and when I asked the Glooko team how I should go about returning the second set, they graciously told me to keep it for myself or give it away to a friend.  So if you’d like to try Glooko out for yourself, leave a comment on this post with the words “Glooko Giveaway” and I will enter you to win the extra set!  I’ll draw the winner next Monday and announce it here.  Good luck!!

Mission Accomplished . . . .

I was in the beverage isle of the grocery store last week looking to replenish my supply of Mott’s for Tots Juice Boxes.  Because if you have to be low, it helps to have some smiley cute fruit friends to get you through.  Anyway, as I scanned the shelves for my Strawberry-Banana buddies I overheard a girl nearby utter a magical (also made-up) word to her Mom  . . .

Trop-A-Rocka

I marched over, butted in (I’m so rude) and exclaimed “Did you say Trop-A-Rocka?  I’ve been looking for that forever!!”  They politely pointed it out on the shelf and promptly ran away from the Crazy Tea Lady.

I was a bit disappointed to see it was only being sold in six-packs.  I was hoping I could buy just one bottle and sample it - because frankly, the combo of flavors sounded kind of weird and I wasn’t sure I’d like it.  Green and black tea, mango, pear, peach, vanilla, cinnamon - I think those are the flavors in it and I thought it sounded like an odd mixture.  But a six-pack was my only choice and I went for it.



You know what?  I like it.  No, wait, I might even say I love it!!  Picky, fussy me.  The girl who doesn’t like mangos and isn’t all the crazy about peaches.  I was shocked, but something about this odd mix of flavors really worked for me.  And if it tastes good now, jut think how refreshing it will be on a hot summer day?

At long last, my mission to sample Trop-A-Rocka has been accomplished.  Hey Snapple, just promise me you’ll keep making it, okay??

Jammie Days . . . .

We’ve had lots of cold, rainy weather here last week and part of this week.  As a result, I spent most of last weekend with a stuffy head, sore throat and aches - curled up on the couch in my jammies.  And my favorite jammies when I’m feeling under the weather (and also when I’m feeling fine) are PJs for the Cure.

Yes, this is what I look like - even when I'm sick.  NOT!

What are PJs for the Cure?

“Komar, the #1 sleepwear manufacturer in the country, launched PJs For The Cure in 2009 as a means to raise awareness and funds to support Juvenile Diabetes. PJs For The Cure was founded by Charles Komar, CEO of Komar, after his wife was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes). Komar has specially designed women’s and children’s pajama sets in an effort to raise $1 million to support the JDRF. What’s so great about PJs For The Cure is that 100% of all sales go directly to the JDRF. For more information about PJs For The Cure please visit www.pjsforthecure.org.”

The cause isn’t the only thing that is great about these jammies.  My pair sports the WDD blue circle.  They are snuggle soft and they even have a built in pump pocket!  I love mine so much that I packed these pajamas when I went to BlogHer in August.  You see, I knew my room-mate LeeAnn was packing hers too.  We were matching jammie buddies, because we’re cool like that.  (Okay, yes, I’m dorky.  But LeeAnn is cool!)

I bet after I’ve gushed so much about these PJs, you’re wishing for a pair of your own or for your child, right?  Well, I’m happy to tell you that I was contacted to host a give-away for one pair of PJs for the Cure.  Simply leave a comment on this post between now and midnight on Tuesday.  I’ll announce the winner on Wednesday.  Good luck!

Sweet Surprise

I will be the first to admit that I don't drink enough water.  So I've been making caffeine free herbal iced tea to tempt myself into not getting dehydrated - especially since we're "running" about three times a week in the terrible heat and humidity.

Today I tried a new flavor.  Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice.

My cat does not like tea! **

I took my first sip.  Mmmmm, spicy.  And . . .  oh no . . .  sweet.  Quite sweet.  I could taste the sugar in there.  Or perhaps it was honey?  I wasn't very happy because I usually chose drinks I don't have to bolus for.  (Kindly refrain from pointing out all past martini mentions.)  What exactly was in the tea?

Actually, what is in the tea is exactly what the box lead me to believe.  A blend of herbs and spices.  No sugar or honey.  No carbs.  So I must give a tip of my hat to Celestial Seasonings for a delicious cup of tea with a yummy honeyed flavor.  And not having to bolus for it was a very sweet surprise.

** Seriously, it took FOREVER to get that picture of K.C. next to the tea. Every time I put the box down near her, she got scared of it and ran off. (Because yes, a box of tea is terrifying! I would've thought she'd dig the tiger on the front.) I followed her around the house until, I guess, she got too tired to run any more and let me take my stupid picture.

Summer Dresses . . .

A couple of months ago I felt like summer weather would never get here.  I guess I was wrong because we certainly got a taste of it this week in New England.  Summer weather makes me want to throw on cool pretty dresses - but I struggle with how to stash my pump.  I haven't done the bra-thing since the night it killed my first pump.  I've tried "shapewear" but found it extremely uncomfortable.  Shapewear is also too hot in summer weather and doesn't hold my pump for more than 30 seconds anyway.  I tried buying an iPod thingy and wearing it on my leg, but that felt like a torture device.  I did manage to find a couple of dresses with pockets, but those are few and far between.  So I continued my quest to find a good way to secure my pump while wearing a cute summer dress.

Then I remembered hearing about t&j design.  Or more specifically, their leg cuff.  There are a couple of things I liked about this cuff even before I ordered one.  The first is that each leg cuff is custom made to your own thigh measurement.   This eliminates the need for a Velcro closure, which always tends to twist around on me, leaving the scratchy part digging into my skin.  I also liked the cleaver use of a non-slip headband to help the cuff (hopefully) stay up.  I decided to place my order right away.

In about a week, my custom-made leg cuff arrived!  Joan, the business owner and cuff maker, emailed me several times to keep me apprised of my order status.  She also asked me to let her know how the cuff fit and if I was satisfied with it

I decided to really give the cuff a serious test run by wearing it to my ballroom dance lesson.  When I first put on the cuff, I felt like it was sliding a bit and I'll admit I was nervous that it wouldn't hold through a 45 minute cha cha lesson.  However, it must have just been settling into place, because for the remainder of the day the cuff stayed put.  Even through some so-called dancing.

*** In this video, we are practicing a cha cha routine we'll be doing at an event for our studio.  The dancing is not good - don't expect anything even close to Dancing with the Stars.  When this video was shot, we were still trying to get the steps straight, so we have a long way to go on technique and polish.  (Plus our dancing isn't that great anyway.)

This cuff is awesome!!!! It stays put without that "cutting off my circulation" tourniquet feeling.  In fact, I found I'd forget it was even there.  And it stayed put, even through swivels and lock steps!  My struggle with how to comfortably wear my pump with a dress is over!  Thank you, Joan, for a wonderful product and awesome customer service!!!

If you've struggled with a dependable yet comfortable way to wear your pump with a dress, I HIGHLY recommend checking out t&j design.  I'm thrilled that I did!