Ball Gown, But Make It Diabetes-Proof

I’m not saying year 12 ball prep is stressful normally, but add an insulin pump, a CGM, and a dress that costs more than my car and suddenly I was spiralling.  Like… how do you do “formal elegance” when you’re also basically a cyborg? 

Three weeks before the ball, I was standing in a change room staring at myself in the dress. It was perfect. Snatched waist, smooth fabric, no pockets (rude), and definitely not designed with “please accommodate medical device tubing” in mind. I clipped my pump to the inside seam for five seconds, took one step, and the whole thing yanked. Nope. 

So I did what any sensible teen does: panic-googled, asked other type 1s online, and built a plan. 

Step 1: I found a pump spot that wouldn’t ruin the vibe 

Most people in dresses go for a thigh garter/leg pouch. It’s basically a soft band with a pocket that sits under your dress, so your pump is hidden, secure, and you can still reach it. 

I ordered one and tried it on with the dress. Game changer. My pump sat mid-thigh on the side, tubing tucked upward, and nothing pulled when I moved. 

Tip I stole from the internet: put the pouch on the leg that’s less likely to rub when you walk/dance, and make sure it’s snug but not cutting off circulation.  

Step 2: I “armoured” my CGM 

I love my CGM, but formal fabric + sweat + dancing = betrayal potential. People swear by adhesive helpers like Skin Tac, barrier wipes, and overpatches/medical tape to keep sensors on through big events. 

So the night before ball, I: 

• cleaned the site properly 

• used a tacky adhesive wipe 

• added a clear overpatch 

It looked neat and I felt way less paranoid. 

Another tip: avoid placing your sensor where the dress will constantly rub, especially straps or tight sleeves. Pick a spot you know behaves.   

Step 3: I did a full dress rehearsal 

Two days before, I put everything on: dress, shoes, garter, pump, CGM, hair half-done so I felt official. Then I literally walked around my bedroom like a lunatic and danced to a playlist. 

Good thing too… because my tubing caught on the dress zipper once and I nearly had a heart attack. I re-routed the tubing under my underwear line and taped a little slack loop down with body tape so it couldn’t snag.   Problem solved. 

Ball night: the moment of truth 

When I got to the venue, I was so focused on “don’t fall over in heels” that I forgot about my devices completely… until dinner. 

We were halfway through mains when my CGM started yelling at me. I wanted to crawl under the table. I’d switched alarms to vibration, but apparently not all of them. So I did an extremely subtle “excuse me I am totally normal” move, checked my phone, and did a quick bolus. 

No one cared. Not even a little. 

Later, on the dance floor, I was jumping around with my friends and suddenly thought, wait… is my pump still there? Yep. Secure. Invisible. Living its best life in the thigh pouch while I pretended to be in a music video. 

What I’d tell any other T1D teen going to ball 

• Use a thigh garter or leg pouch if you’re in a dress. It’s secure and hidden.   

• Reinforce your CGM with an overpatch/adhesive so dancing doesn’t rip it off.   

• Do a trial run in full outfit and dance around. You’ll find snags before they find you.   

• Bring a tiny kit (tabs, a spare site/pen tip, whatever you usually need) in a clutch or with a friend.   

• Set alerts to vibration if loud alarms would stress you out, but double-check your settings.  

• 
  

Honestly, I spent weeks worrying diabetes would wreck the night. It didn’t. My pump stayed put, my CGM stayed on, and I got to just… be a regular year 12 idiot in a fancy outfit. 

Which is kind of the whole point of ball anyway.