Not your mother’s insulin pump

I am too cool for selfies unless we’re talking about durable medical equipment and in that case I’m a full-on exhibitionist.

*Dexcom CGM w/ overpatch, 2023. Photo by Josh Madson, who, to be fair, brings out the exhibitionist in us all.*

Shameless.

*Classic syringe-w/-orange because that’s how the nurses taught me back when you didn’t get discharged until you could give yourself a shot without freaking out.*

Heavy early Omnipod which I did not love, 2012.

Those are nothing compared to how I feel about my current technology. I love it so much, mere exhibitionism wasn’t enough. I made a self-portrait about it and put it in the Arts Center of Saint Peter’s 2025 Member Show.

The edge of the skirt was all Omnipods covered in tiny mirrors and gemstones. Honestly it was beautiful.

You can’t really tell here, but cardboard-me is painted in green with the full text of The Algorithm is my Shepherd: A Rewrite of Psalm 23 and a Love Letter to My New Insulin Pump. Also available in convenient zine form.

I made about 100 for gallery visitors to take, and they did, and sometimes I’d be working the desk and see somebody take a zine and tell them I’d written it, and they’d tell me about their diabetic friend or kid or whatever, and it felt so good, I got why people make art about the most personal things. That’s not usually what I do. I usually just show off how hilarious I am. This was different and lovely. If you’re interested in meeting up with a small group of people to bitch about managing chronic illness and then make some art about it, please be in touch because now I’m on a roll.