Hid-In - insulin pump accessories

Easter Holiday News and Eggs-ellent offers:
I will be out of the office:
Weds 1 - Weds 8 April

LAST POST goes out TOMORROW MORNING.

So, today, as an incentive to get your order in before I leave, here’s an Easter code for 10% off everything

10HIDINEGGS

Live now until 9am tomorrow

In addition, to celebrate Easter stripes, I’m dropping the price of Pick ‘n’ Mix Adjustable Bands to £9 each today, so grab some colour while you can!

Just give me 5 mins to upload!
And watch this space for more offers as I’m in a happy holiday mood 🐣 😊

Gift Boxes - bringing colour, comfort and a carb counted chocolate biscuit 🍪

To receive a parcel in the post can be a lovely thing.
I send out a lot of parcels and gift boxes are my favourite.
I put time and thought (perhaps a little too much!) into making sure that it’s a surprise and a pleasure for the person opening it.
(I love this sunset wrapping paper - it reminds me of Lily’s tea set)

In a world of noises and numbers, screens and sites, highs and lows, I feel these accessories soften things a little, physically and mentally, bring a smile and some colour as well as comfort.
They answer some of our “where do I put my pump” questions, they give options, help us to stay active.
They can help transform and streamline our sometimes clonky “medical aids” making them feel like positive lifestyle choices. They can alter the way we feel about the tech that shares ours lives, even encouraging pump uptake by making them part of our activities, integrated rather than being “stuck on”

My hope is that those on the receiving end of them feel the good intentions and love, from one Type 1 to another… 📦 💝 🎉

Mother’s Day…
The day that mothers everywhere get a day to sit back and enjoy some family time.
A day off…

We had a very action packed day planned with a masquerade costume party, a long luxurious bath and a roast lamb dinner planned.
Unfortunately, even before my coffee and cards in bed had been delivered, and whilst my secret cake and breakfast were being made and flowers arranged, my lay in was interrupted by a hypo alarm!

Take a day off Type 1!
Anyone else have their day interupted?

Yesterday Lily and I completed the Seven Sisters T1 Trek with

At over 13km it was the longest walk that Lily had ever done, the thick fog made it cold and hard going and, especially early on in the day, took away the beautiful cliff views. But it didn’t dampen our spirits!

We shared stories, snacks, technology and treatment tips, we also took turns with shared dogs and a baby!
The age range was 6 months to 70+ and we helped each other across the challenging highs and lows of the rolling hills and through the even more challenging rolling blood sugars… and as we walked and talked and shared the fog lifted and everything got lighter, brighter and a lot clearer. If that’s not a Metaphor for our diabetes journey I don’t know what is!

As always, I learned so much, lots to take away as well as great memories. I really love that these walks are so welcoming to those who support those with Type 1, all partners, friends, relations and cheer leaders, everyone is welcome.

If you haven’t already connected with your Type 1 community do it today.
This walk was organised by League of Diabetes.
Please use the comments in this space to add a link to a Type 1 group that you are part of and let’s make some connections today. Joining my Type 1 community was the biggest turning point in my diabetes journey, as it was for many of us on the walk.

If you would like to donate to this brilliant charity you still can!

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/t1d-seven-sisters-hike

White window Body Bands, Finally!
A year in the making…

Manufacturing these little insulin pump pouches should be simple, right?
They’re just a few components, a bit of sewing, how hard can it be?
It has taken over the best part of a year to set up this order with a new manufacturer. “On boarding” a new maker from tech pack to production is a lengthy process. There have been countless import and export issues and escalating costs.
Fabrics - we only use the best recycled nylon microfibre out of Italy and importing these has become difficult.
Hooks and slides - they are to such a tight spec that the coating we use to dip them in affects their fit and function.
Elastics - this season we have redeveloped to make them stronger, have better shape retention and less bobbling whilst staying as soft as ever.
Then all the samples need to be worn with a pump and wash tested over several weeks.
All this to get a new order so I can keep my customers happy!

You might think that being a small business with small quantities would make things easier, but actually it would be so much better to have larger orders! The truth is that many manufacturers just don’t see diabetes accessories as a market large enough to be worth their while, so they add small order charges and MOQs (minimum order quantities) that make progress difficult.

That said, we got there! I found a fantastic new manufacturer and White and Beige Body Bands are fully back in stock. All sizes and types, with and without windows, Pick ‘n’ Mix and Classic, Adult and Child size…
Get them while they’re hot!

manufacturing

Getting ready for Valentine’s Day?
Hot date? Long term love? 💕

Question: When you’re Type 1 how naked is naked?
As the lights go down, and shoes get kicked off, do you keep your pump in place?
Kecks off, techs off?
Nothing wrong with a little pump ‘n’ grind?
I’d love to get your thoughts…

My Body Band only ever comes off in the shower, how about you?
There might be some pump starters out there who would love to hear about your experiences so Please, please share…

Reduce, reuse, recycle ♻️
Looking after the planet can take many forms.
At Hid-In, in addition to using fabric made from recycled fishing nets for all our pouches, we also try to be creative with recycling.

Rather than throw packaging away we recycle it, sometimes we play with it between uses. Because of this, my wholesalers are often on the receiving end of deliveries that arrive wrapped in a letterbox, rainbow suitcase or a recycled den-cupboard.

Here are a couple of examples that made me smile this week

♻️

The Type 1 to do list ✅

Yesterday, in addition to my ‘Work’ to do list, and my ‘Family’ to do list, I ticked a lot of things off my T1 to do’s.
I had a doctor’s appointment to go through my diabetes checks, then an eye appointment which also screens for diabetic changes.

✅ Blood test:
✅ Kidney
✅ Liver function
✅ Cholesterol
✅ HBA1C
✅ Feet
✅ Cannula sites
✅ Blood pressure
✅ Eye check (back of eyes, retinopathy)
✅ Flu jab
✅ Discuss diet, weight, statins
✅ Book follow up appointment

Not to mention the endless checks, measures, tweaks, kit and site changes, calibrations, calculations and corrections…

I always carry in the back of my mind the dark cloud of fear that one day the results might not be so positive... diabetes rarely offers an health improvement, the best we can hope for, with our endless efforts, is ‘Normal’

It’s satisfying to get all these done for another year, but just part of the unseen job of being Type 1. Until I got in the shower this morning, I had all the physical reminders…

A Special Offer for you tonight, sending out tomorrow in time for Valentines delivery in the UK:

Best Selling Classics,
One Size and Small,
Black and Beige - £16

Please SHARE x

Sometimes an email comes in that stops you in your tracks. This one, from mum Christina, was one of them:

“Your your package arrived on a very stressful diabetes day, and receiving the belt was SUCH A JOY. I think I cried in relief and joy seeing it on Noelle’s tummy. We just switched from a tubeless pump to a tubed one, and this belt is a gift from the Lord. We LOVE not having to put more adhesive on her body and the belt is so cute. Thank you for making something very not-cute (pumps are ugly!) into something that she and I love. It’s just a small bit of fabric and sewing, but truly, it’s so much more than that. It’s hope. 

thank you from the deepest part of my diabetic-mama heart.”

xo, Christina Priolo

Thank you Christina, from the deepest part of my diabetic-mama heart. Although my 2 children are not T1, as a Type 1 person, and their Mama, I can completely relate to what it means to have a tough T1 day made a little easier. I’m so pleased to be able to help. Your words make it all worthwhile.

Places you don’t want to have a hypo… at the top of the Monument.
Reaching the top of the very narrow 301 spiral staircase steps only to hear the bee-bee-bee-bee-beeeep of crashing a crashing BG.
Talk about spoil the moment!

Confirmation emails, Apologies!

If you placed an order recently there’s a chance that you were confused by the lack of a confirmation email. If so, sorry!
Orders were still coming in and being sent out, and I could see what was going on, but you couldn’t.
I finally managed to get to the bottom of the problem (the bots had to try and fail a LOT of times first) and the issue is now fixed.

Whoop!

So please, go ahead and order with full confidence and I can Confirm (!) everything will now ping into your inbox as well as your letterbox, thank you!

And, in the end, it had nothing to do with me removing any cookies 🍪