Diabetic Pants

[drummingfool]

I've been thinking and discussing with some people, and I'm considering contacting the ADA about funding, assistance, whatever.

My idea is that Type 1's need to inject in public places, but if you're in public, you have to drop your drawers to get to a thigh injection.

My idea is a pair of jeans that has a zipper, clip, button... something in the leg just above injection sites that you could simply unzip a zipper that is about 2-3 inches long on the thigh, swab, inject and zip up again.

Any ideas?

PS - PLEASE dont take this idea... I'll know. :) Honesty rocks.

[shiftzor]

Problem is finding a spot that doesn't hurt, recently I realised the more I go biking the less fat and the harder it is to use my thighs. I guess it would be different for different people. A better idea would be one of those infusion sets with tubing that has an attachment for an insulin pen. Something similar has already been developed I-Port (http://www.pattonmd.com/product/) but doesn't have any tubing attached to "extend" it allowing you to inject without lifting jumper/pants. Also I imagine giving yourself enough slack so its comfortable walking could be a problem, don’t want the tube being tugged. :D

[Lizzie G]

hmmm....interesting idea but mixed feelings for me.

firstly, i think us diabetics have enough paraphenalia (spelling?!) to deal with which makes us feel different so to actually have special clothing takes this a little further for me, others may disagree!

secondly i think the fashion police might be knocking on your door although it might look cool for skate kids.

i guess main point for me is i prefer not to inject in public but in situations where it cant be avoided i tend to be able to discreetly do myself in the stomach or arm, or as recently discovered i can do it through tights/pantyhose whatever you call them, so on the practical side i dont really have use for such a product.

all this said i can see how this idea might really appeal to a lot of people, probably more men than women? its kind of quirky and might catch on, however, i suspect that like me many people no not actually NEED something like this.

lastly how would you market these...ok so say you design a pair of jeans that actually look cool, its something of a niche market, and the only real place to market them when you are capturing your target audience is somewhere like a medical supplies website, and thats not where anyone goes to buy cool clothing....i suspect this point might be your biggest difficulty but good luck if you turn it into a venture.

[CarrieB]

Hmm, sorry but I won't be buying.

I just use a bit of my stomach that I can easily reach around my waistband. If I'm eating out I make sure I have clothes on that will make that easy (trousers or skirt and top rather than a dress)

[owlyn]

Not for me, either, for all the resons listed previously. Sorry. Besdies, you can inject right through clothing. I don't do it, but I know that some do.

[techgirl12]

i personally would probably not like the idea, however i have an idea for you.

take an old pair of jeans, buy a zipper from a store.
then cut a hole into the jeans.... sow the zipper... and test it out to see if it works for you... just another idea though.

[mazea]

Oh absolutely No. No I do not think I would be getting something so undignified. I wouldn't want to feel more different. Keep inventing though as I met an inventor once( a multi millionaire now) so inventors are sometimes successful!
I want someone to invent a small wipes container that doesn't dry out. Something like my diabetes Ezy container and wipes which keep drying out because the lid isn't airtight.

[notme]

I am also and injector through clothing. Terrible, I know. I have never had a problem doing it and if I was still on MDI, I know I will still be shooting through my clothes.

[drummingfool]

My main issue with injecting through clothing is as follows:

2 years ago I went to the doctor with a staff infection... they blamed it on injections through clothing.

Since then, I've never injected through clothing.

[blue_eyed_devil]

oh my god you swab your sub cuts?~? OUCH!~!

when i was on MDI i always injected though my clothes, and i NEVER swabed my sites, ever... (in nursing it's REALLY bad practice too). never had any infections (at my sites), ever.

ironically, i now swab as i'm on a pump and i've had three infections... it goes without saying - i don't put them in through my clothes!!!

[notme]

I suppose that an infection is always a possibility no matter how you inject. The question asked if we would use pants with zippers and I know I would not. Thankfully, I am on a pump now and I don't have to worry about the injection issue anymore. I might have given myself a nasty infection by now! ;)

[Tattoo azz]

i have always injected through my clothes (even jeans) and have never had a problem, also i've never swabbed. I don't have a problem with injecting in public and once when i was a kid i was arrested because someone saw me shooting up and thought i was a druggey, i was in the cells for a few hrs before the cops believed me, lol.

[dbdb]

I think it's a perfectly good idea. Maybe a brand like REI or Ex Officio that has pockets all over already.

[DeusXM]

I'd be more interested in blood resistant clothing. It's so annoying when you put on a new white t-shirt, then a couple of hours later inject through it and stupidly hit a capillary, leaving a nice little red dot for all to see.

[notme]

Oh now isn't that the truth. I had to make sure not to inject in thighs if I was going to put my pants right on (or through pants) as those sites always bleed. My upper arms also bleed more often. I can't even imagine how many times I sported the blood dot look.

[lilituc]

I'd be more interested in blood resistant clothing. It's so annoying when you put on a new white t-shirt, then a couple of hours later inject through it and stupidly hit a capillary, leaving a nice little red dot for all to see.

Peroxide.

I've never had this problem, either. I would either inject through my clothing, or pull my shirt away a little.

I don't see how you could get a staph infection from injecting through clothing. Don't most people get staph infections because staph was already hanging out on their body somewhere and then they had an immune system dip?

[shiftzor]

Morale of the story is don't inject through clothing, its definitely not a good practice. When you inject through clothing you are pushing clothing fibres into your skin which can't be a good thing. I wouldn't bother with alcohol swobs, doubt there is much risk of infections as a new needle is used every time.

[w5wjp]

I still have shirts that look like I was blasted with bird shot from a shotgun, but I would not wear pants with a zipper!! Thank God for pumps!!!!

[Mich]

Well, I was pretty sure you were going to come up with PUMP PANT with the little slit in the back top of the pocket already cut :)

I will certainly give you points for creative thinking though. We need more like you. Keep doing it.

By the way, the 46 years before my pump, I frequently injected through jeans, and dark colored clothing. Nary an infection. I'm sure I'd have noticed and plastered it with Neosporin. For reasons previously stated, if I was wearing light pants I picked a spot above my waistband and walked around with a kleenex tucked in for a while until I was sure I had prevented the dreaded blood dot.:eek:

Back to the old drawing board...you've got a willing captive audience. :)

Mich

[PepsiLvr]

Through the clothing too. I think there is too much emphasis on infections anyway. I've had a small one from a site I left in too long but nothing major. As long as you haven't been rolling in dirt all day just go right through the pants. Very discrete! I wouldn't be buying any fancy pants either. That's my .02 though. Although with the economy the way it is, .02 isn't worth much! LOL

[DeusXM]

Peroxide.

What about with coloured clothing - wouldn't peroxide bleach out the colouring too?

When you inject through clothing you are pushing clothing fibres into your skin which can't be a good thing. I wouldn't bother with alcohol swobs, doubt there is much risk of infections as a new needle is used every time.

I'm asking for trouble. I inject through my clothes, keep the same needle on for the duration of the entire cartridge (that's like a week and a half, or about 40 injections) and I never swab.

Oddly enough, I don't get ill very often - just my biannual cold that's gone within 3 days or so each time. I'm a subscriber to the hyper-hygiene theory - the cleaner your environment, the more likely you are to get sick because you're not used to fighting infections.

[drummingfool]

The problem with injecting through clothing AND with not swabbing your I.S. is that if there is infection on the area you're injecting through (which infection germs are, like, everywhere), you're pushing it into your body with the needle. The doctors who treated me are positive that's what happened. Staph on the skin.

And I will say that since I've started injecting with swabs and not through clothing, I havent had a single site get infected.

Also, I think the thing with the pants may be being perceived incorrectly.

The zipper on these pants would be on the seam of the leg, and basically invisible unless you were looking for it. :)

[notme]

I understand your concern about infection, but I know that if I was still injecting, I would still not use alcohol and would probably still inject through clothes occasionally. As a woman the first thing that would matter to me would be the fit and style of any special pants. :D

I injected for 16 years at least four to eight injections a day without an infection and I was pretty careless. Somewhere, someone did a study and found that people who used alcohol got more infections than those that didn't. I don't know. I don't recommend my bad behavior for anyone. It worked for me and I never got caught.

But, heck, what could it cost to get someone to put a hidden zipper in a pair of pants and try out your idea? You may find you LOVE them.

[drummingfool]

I think I'm going to give it a try today. I'll head to walmart and buy a zipper, rip the hem and sew like crazy. :)

[davef]

PS - PLEASE dont take this idea... I'll know. :) Honesty rocks.

Just something to check, as far as I know the forum you posted this in (Type 1 Diabetes) is a public forum and so anyone can read it, you may want to ask for this thread to be moved to chit chat which I believe can only be viewed by members, which will provide some protection.

One other thing to note, I don't think you will now be able to seek a patent (if you were thinking of that) as you have posted the concept in the public domain.

Best of luck with the idea.

[drummingfool]

BLARG!

Dangit.

Oh well. I guess as long as it benefits people. If it does.

...I dont know. :)

[Dewey]

Drummingfool, I like your idea. I have some OCDs, and personally, cannot stand to inject through clothes (that is, when I have to inject due to high sugars, etc.). I've only had to inject through clothing once or twice, but each time, all I could think about were the germs on the clothes. Having pants or a skirt that had a zipper like that would be useful. Heck, it wouldn't even have to be hidden, provided it was brightly colored! :)

:thumbsup: to you for thinking, being innovative & bringing forth a good idea.

[davef]

I certainly don't want to put you off, just wanted to make you aware of the points.

It is so difficult to decide whether or not to embark on a new venture and getting feedback for potential user/customer is always worth doing.

One thing it might be worth doing, for some copyright protection for any such ideas is to write down the idea in as much detail as possible then put it in a sealed envelope and mail it to yourself, do not open the envelope when you receive it. This way you can (if you ever needed to) provide proof of when you had the idea as the envelope will have a date stamped on it by the postal service.

[drummingfool]

Ah, the poor man's patent. Which is perfect, for I am such a man lol

I appreciate everyone's feedback, I really do. I just think that if I can do something to make life easier for people who already have so much going on with their diabetes, it'd be worth a shot.

[Mich]

Ha ha ha. You're a pretty punny guy, DF :D

[drummingfool]

Yay! I'm punny!

Like, funny? Did you intend to use the word "pun" while making a pun?

...Thats awesome. :)

[Mich]

Sorry :o I tried, but just couldn't resist when you said you would "give it a shot" :cool:

[drummingfool]

HA! I didnt even realize I said that... lmao

Its always the subtle, unintentional humor thats the most awesome.

[nicole]

Well I can honestly say that I don't have a problem doing my shots in public. I have the Insulin pens and the pen tips that I get are made to be used through your pants, yes even jeans.

Some of the syringes can be used through your pants now too. There making them thicker now, so there more convienent to use.

It makes quite a difference for me now when I go out. So theres no need for special pants to do your shots. Imagine how ugly they would be, lol. Because when it somes to something like that there going to make the cheapest thing they can and say they don't care how ugly it is, at least it works :)

[drummingfool]

Maybe I've developed a phobia... I just cant bring myself to inject through clothing.

But it has become obvious! I dont think the pants thing would ever catch on.

The feedback is much appreciated! :D

[sable_032592]

though the idea, in principle, is a good one, somethng to make injecting in public easier and less noticable, but the thigh thing, it's not really me either... especially when you're outdoors, either walking or whatever, if you inject in the thigh, the odds of having a low because you did too much activity with the leg you injected into, the risk is too much for me... it's like injecting in your arm and then sleeping on it, or lifting weights with it... i was told it makes the insulin react faster and can send your levels downwards...

but the need for the idea is good, perhaps just not the pants idea... how about a bag or purse to hold you insulin, meter, strips, swabs, pills, etc... i know there's a place online that has them, but first off, they're too expensive, and they aren't the nicest things out there...

[nicole]

Maybe I've developed a phobia... I just cant bring myself to inject through clothing.

But it has become obvious! I dont think the pants thing would ever catch on.

The feedback is much appreciated! :D


Hey don't let us get your hopes down :)
They may be on the market someday, you never know. People surprise you with new things all the time.

[EeyoreButterfly]

Just for the record, the poor man's patent does not work in the U.S. snopes.com: Poor Man's Copyright (http://www.snopes.com/legal/postmark.asp) .

I don't inject or anything, but your idea is intriguing, and I'm sure there are people on other injectable medications who might like it. The only concern I have other than style is the possibility of chafing! If you put it on the inner thigh seam, I would imagine that could become very uncomfortable!

ETA: Oops! It may work for patents, but not for copyrights. I suppose it helps if I read it closer. Bottom line, I wouldn't count on it as a surefire method of obtaining a patent.