"FDA study: Insulin pumps linked to injuries, deaths in teens"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080505/ap_on_he_me/insulin_pumps

This article talked about the dangers of having an insulin pump. I agreed with a lot of what the author of this article discussed; the flexibility an insulin pump offers and the dangers of having that freedom. Even from my own experience I've noticed that having an insulin pump is riskier than taking shots because of the freedoms you have. With an insulin pump you could eat practically anything you'd like as long as you bolused, (covered the food you ate by dialing the correct amount of insulin). The problem with that is that diabetics with insulin pumps begin eating foods that even healthy or 'normal' people shouldn't eat. Another issue with the pump is forgetting to bolus sometimes; you eat food and don't dial up any insulin. One of the biggest problems with insulin pumps, which had been discussed in this article, is having a blocked tube that cannot deliver the insulin you inject; most times when that occurs you only know due to the symptoms of a high blood sugar.. when it is too late. Lowering that high blood sugar takes time and often makes people feel sick.

What was most shocking in this article was a line that read, "There were two possible suicide attempts by teens who gave themselves too much insulin, according to the analysis." Attempted suicide by use of an insulin pump?! That is the wildest thing I have ever heard! Some teens actually used insulin to harm themselves by causing a blood sugar that was low enough to actually kill them. That's absolutely terrifying and sad.

Although there are downsides to having an insulin pump, the pros of having one surpass the cons; I really hope this article doesn't have a negative effect on diabetics regarding the decision of whether they should get an insulin pump. I read this article on the home page of yahoo.com so I am sure millions of readers are going to see it. As long as people take care of themselves and use their insulin pumps properly, it is a great thing to have.