Technokids?: Insulin Pumps Incorporated in Young People’s Bodies and Lives

In 1981 Dr Pickup and his colleagues at Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London, pioneers in insulin pump therapy, published reactions of the first 15 diabetics after trying the ‘portable syringe pump’ for a period of three weeks (Pickup 1981). Most patients had better metabolic control with the pump, they also felt better, appreciating the greater flexibility of diet and insulin delivery rates. Many patients reported that carrying a device that was noted by others made them more aware of being a diabetic. Moreover, relying on a mechanical device for the delivery of a life-supporting drug caused uneasiness. Some patients