I was somewhat surprised to see an article on the web about a college-age girl who stopped wearing her insulin pump and tried going back to the old-fashioned insulin shots. I'm surprised because the pumps seem to be the gadget for diabetics and I have assumed young college-age kids would go for the latest technology over syringes every time. "It was rough at first," says Rachel Beckner (19) of Richmond, Virginia. However, she persevered for a year without it because she was unhappy with the way the insulin pump looked. I guess she felt self-conscious about it. A year later, though, Beckner has returned to the pump. She admits her blood sugar levels were not as stable on shots as they had been with the pump. It was also a question of convenience versus aesthetics: ultimately, convenience won out!

Beckner has had diabetes since age seven. The article in which I read her story also touches on the fact that she is just one of thousands of teenagers heading off to college who also have to deal with chronic medical conditions. For the first time in their lives, away from their parents, they have to handle the responsibility of managing conditions like diabetes alone. "My parents aren't there to monitor what I eat, or ask me if I've checked my blood sugar and done my shot, and I really have to be responsible about that," says Beckner. "It was harder in the beginning," she admits, but also says "I learned that I could take care of myself on my own, and I could deal with my diabetes and not have to rely on [my parents] for everything."