LIVINGLIVING
there queried why I wasn't on a pump.
So after years of being put off pumps
elsewhere, I was thankfully in a place that
was pro-pump."
She soon started on an Animas Vibe,
some years after going on a DAFNE
course. However, not long after came the
news that Lifescan were no longer going to
support or supply any of the Animas pump
range, but Leighton admits, "I wasn't upset
-I'd already seen an Omnipod pump and
was really keen to give that a try. Like
everyone else in the UK, I'd been waiting
for my four-year pump change date to
come up before starting a discussion
about trying a patch pump. I was advised
by the clinic that I could choose between
three alternative pumps. I researched them
all, but in my heart I was already sold on
the Omnipod. I found wearing a pump
with tubing had meant I had to continually
think about how I was going to wear it.
I'd thread the tubing through holes I'd cut
in my clothes so I could keep the pump
in my pocket. Dresses and skirts had to
have suitable pockets in the right place or I
couldn't wear them."
Becoming a podder
Leighton started on her first Omnipod
Insulet 'pod' in November 2018. "I was
very excited to move from 'tubing' to
'no tubing'. It's been a relief," she says,
"I thought wearing a pump 'pod' would
look and feel lumpy under my clothing,
but I really don't think it's visible at all and
it doesn't feel bulky. I think it's less obvious
than having a pump in my pocket, nor do I
have to unhook it if I want to take a shower,
a bath or a swim. I've even called myself a
'podder' once or twice!"
Now she's even happier to be using the
Omnipod alongside Dexcom CGM. She
self-funds the Dexcom G6, which sends
blood sugar data directly to her iPhone.
She says, "I think counting carbs is vital
and wish I'd had the opportunity to learn
about carb counting much earlier. Until I did
DAFNE I could not get my HbA1c under
8mmols/L, then I started on Dexcom and
got it to less than 6.5mmols/l and these
days it's even lower. The technology has
been transformative for my diabetes
control, and given me much freedom to
live my life and have a family safely."
Having started
up a chocolate
business, Leighton
is also a published
author, having
written Glimpse, a
'ghostly romance',
which was
published in 2014.
It was inspired by
Alfred Noyes' poem
The Highwayman
('When she inherits the infamous
Highwayman Inn, Liz hopes the move
will be a fresh start.'). Aimed at the young
adult market, the novel is 'something
I did on the side' when not running the
chocolate company. Leighton says, "I
wrote the book for young adult or teenage
market as I'm a fan of that age group and
the fiction aimed at it, which is actually
read by just as many adults. I hope to do
a follow-up soon.
www.kendraleighton.com
Brief
encounter
SPONSORED CONTENT
To download a brochure about
moving from Animas to Omnipod,
click the image to the right.
"After years of being put off pumps elsewhere,
I was thankfully in a place that was pro-pump.
The technology has been transformative for my
diabetes control, and given me much freedom to
live my life and have a family safely.
©2019 Insulet Corporation, Omnipod, Podder and the Omnipod logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Insulet Corporation in the United States of America and other various jurisdictions. All
rights reserved. INT-41763-ENG AW R1 03/19