20 February 2008

Diabetic or Drug Dealer?

Lifeline or social suicide? After serving a kindly type-1 diabetic two helpings of pasta, several glasses of red wine, a cookie the size of your head, and some sort of a death-by-chocolate concoction, Georgetown socialite and TURer was shocked when her insulin-challenged guest pulled from his waistband what appeared to be a beeper.

"Are you a drug dealer? Why do you carry a pager,” she asked. And who could blame her: pagers were so eight years ago.

Which leads me to the age-old question: ‘let glucose-producing carbs ravage my body or try to fit in?’ Why should diabetics have to make those hard choices? Tighten up Medtronic!

Originally praised for developing a pump with pager-like qualities in a convenient size, insulin pump producer Medtronic claimed “only the trained eye can tell the difference (from a pager)”. Well guess what?! Wearing one of their so called “pager-like pumps” is socially reckless and could easily be cause for blacklist.

In short, couldn’t the smarty-pants at Medtronic keep up with the times and make their “life-savers” look like relevant consumer electronics? Not tight. A sensible nano, blackberry, or Wii would be way cooler and at least you wouldn’t have to choose between friends and diabetes-induced comas. Suggestions for a redesign welcomed and strongly encouraged.

Oh, and Medtronic - in case you can only read pager: 8444836 87!

8 comments:

The Becca said...

I will kill you. Twice. You are going to get double killed by me.

Anonymous said...

A lot of people who work in the medical field (ie-hospital staff) still use pagers.

Pepper said...

Many people in the medical field do still use pagers, but when a person known not to be in the medical field pulls one out--or even if they are in the field--I don't think most people's first impression is one of respect.

mandy said...

The medical profession beeper usage is funny. While archaic -- doctors would have a much easier time if they could just text each other -- there's the problem with some medical equipment in hospitals. You know, that whole cellphone-magnetic-interference thing (though apparently this isn't such a big deal with newer phones).

Anyway, I have a pal who is absolutely mortified by her beeper and I've always found it funny. I kinda forgot about the drug-dealer association.

It would be neat if Medtronic made their dispensers look like something innocuous like an Altoids tin or an iPod shuffle.

Oh, and anonymous: if you're the same "anonymous" who's been consistently commenting, get a Blogger profile! :) You don't actually have to tell us who you are or anything, but it'd be nice to know if you're the same person or a smattering of anonymous readers.

Teddy Ruxtable said...

Clearly I was kidding anyhow and merely poking fun at the hostess with the mostest…not Medtronic's lack of design appeal. I am vain but not that vain. Okay, I am that vain but I can sympathize with others…sometimes. That said, I like the Altoid tin concept – nothing bad could come of that. So people think you have fresh breath instead of a bag of weed in your sock. Perhaps an iphone or an itouch.

Anonymous said...

my bad...I guess I deserve a TU for posting as "anon". No, I'm a recent follower and have only commented a few times. I'll post as such from now on.

mandy said...

Nice to meet you, Mr. Tight! And see, now you've saved yourself from association with that left-field comment here.

Anonymous said...

That left field comment was just messing with you. I'm a friend of the TUR-Actually I know a few of you. Don't take everything so personal Pepper.