Broncos QB Jay Cutler reveals he has type 1 diabetes
observer
---
QB Jay Cutler, recently diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes at the age of __. I've had
it for over 47 years, since age 5, so know-
ing the challenges that reside ahead for
Jay, all my best to him regarding dealing
with this condition.
---
May 1, 2008
http://cbs2chicago.com/sports/jay.cutler.diabetes.2.714058.html
---
Excerpt:
Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler
told CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver's
Vic Lombardi Thursday night he has been
diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
...
--- end excerpt ---
observer
"observer" <obse...@shinyfeet.com> wrote in message
news:8tSdnaqt_O_AE4fV...@pghconnect.com...
>
> ---
>
> QB Jay Cutler, recently diagnosed with
> type 1 diabetes at the age of __.
He was diagnosed a couple of weeks
ago, at the age of 24, but he just turned
25.
> I've had
> it for over 47 years, since age 5, so know-
> ing the challenges that reside ahead for
> Jay, all my best to him regarding dealing
> with this condition.
>
> ---
> May 1, 2008
> http://cbs2chicago.com/sports/jay.cutler.diabetes.2.714058.html
> ---
>
> Excerpt:
>
> Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler
> told CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver's
> Vic Lombardi Thursday night he has been
> diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
>
> ...
---
May 3, 2008
http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/620519.html
---
Excerpt:
...
Wilson can relate
Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade
Wilson could relate to the news when
Denver quarterback Jay Cutler an-
nounced he has diabetes. Wilson was
diagnosed with the condition when
he was 25 but played football until
he was 39.
"It's a tough deal," Wilson said. "But
I tried to relate it to the discipline it
takes to play professional football.
That has to be applied to managing
your diabetes. It's a daily thing you
have to deal with."
Wilson said as long as he was able to
"get it under control," playing with
diabetes never affected him. But he
took shots then and still does, as well
as exercising and monitoring his intake
of sugars and high-carb foods.
--- end excerpt ---
Comments:
Every type 1 diabetic has a common
experience, as a type 1 diabetic, and
a unique experience, regarding how
the disease impacts them and regarding
how they deal with the consequences
of having this disease.
Some type 1s get it very young, as
early as birth, and some get it very
late, well into adulthood. Most get
it young, 'tis why it once went by
the name juvenile diabetes.
The cause, genetic in nature. Type 2
is also impacted by genetics, but an
additional factor in type 2, for some,
is weight.
Some convey they enjoy what Wade
referred to as 'discipline', give multi-
ple daily injects (4 or more), test their
blood sugars often (up to 8 times per
day).
I suspect that most, regardless of their
public pronouncements, have a less
than thankful and a less than positive
position regarding the disease and its
impact.
Some die very young from the disease.
Some die prematurely due to the com-
plications, which vary from person to
person, or due to having a low blood
sugar event causing an accident or from
having a high sugar event which can
cause a coma/unconsciousness and
death if the person does not receive
medical attention in time.
Recently, I read about a type 1 diabetic
who was not diagnosed as a type 1
diabetic on a military ship, and who
died in a high blood sugar coma.
Many die prematurely (estimates are
that the life expectancy for type 1s
are 15 years less than for the general
populace).
Here's an article I wrote in a blog a
few weeks ago (watered down a bit
in this post, to cut down on the nega-
tive I was feeling at the time I wrote
the following) regarding my personal
experience as a type 1 diabetic, in re-
sponse to a newly diagnosed 44-year
old type 1 diabetic who was feeling
the loneliness of having this disease:
--- [my post at a diabetic blogsite] ---
I've been type 1 since the age of 5, for
going on 47 years and counting. Treatment,
initially, was 2 shots per day, NPH and Regular.
Now? 2 shots per day, NPH and Regular.
Blood Sugar Tests at the time I got the disease?
A visit to the Doctor, as the only test available
at home was urine testing, not helpful and at
the time, I didn't view it in a positive light. Now?
Same view, unchanged despite the diabetic
community, by and large, promoting the stick-
test motif to 'manage' the disease, as if.
Needless to say, I've got psychological issues
with having the disease that I've yet to 'fix'.
I battled depression my whole life, 'til a couple
of years ago, borderline suicidal mostly as a long-
term impact of a most unwelcome divorce, but also
as a result of having chronic depression since the
age of 8, as best I can recall. I happened to get
lucky, and found a doctor that prescribed the
'right' drugs for me. Fixed the suicidal depression,
and I've been off that for quite some time.
The depression didn't recur in that persistent
unrelenting unable to be 'cured' way, -but- one
of the side effects of the medication was a long-
lasting hypoglycemic unawareness -and- a propensity
to have low blood sugars at work, at home, on the
road --- yikes, but fortunately, the two times that
happened in the last two years, no wrecks, though
many years ago, I had an insulin reaction and flipped
my convertible Mustang 6 times -- my daughter was
in the back seat, protected by a roll bar I purchased
for that very purpose, but my ex-wife ...
... well, needless to say, whatever chance I had to
spend sufficient time with my daughter, it was lost
then and there
[actually, my ex-wife allowed me to see my daughter
at Christmas, when I was still able to pay child sup-
port though I'd been unemployed for quite some
time, but later, unable to pay when my funds ran dry
and when my life-long depression problems were so
strong that later, I sunk into the state mentioned above,
she cut me out of my only child's life for several years]
when she was 10, about 5 months after I was fired by
my ex-friend, probably due in no small part to my hav-
ing an insulin reaction in his new truck.
That hypoglycemic-unawareness lasted for many
months -after- going off the meds. That seems to
have passed, recently, so now I'm back to being
more worried about highs than lows, though lows,
as type 1s well know, are always a risk for those
on injections.
However, I found out, from a comment from a
parent of a type 1 at work, that being on an insulin
pump, her child has a much greater risk of highs. Oh
well, can't win for losing with this damnable disease.
On a bright note, research into a cure is out there,
but as most type 1s will tell you, it's been a long
time coming and many (most?) are losing hope in
that regard.
I found this group [one of the diabetic groups with
blog capability] by searching for info on Brett
Michaels (ex-lead singer for the rock band Poison).
Funny thing, I was a big Poison fan from their start,
-but- had no idea that Brett was type 1 'til, I dunno,
a few years ago.
... [skipped comments which, upon reflection,
were honest, but which, I feel, might be unhelpful
in this particular post]
... I just seem trapped by this disease, no matter how
much / many like to convey that it's merely a hardship
that, with the 'right' amount of effort, one can ... how
should one characterize their optimism ... oh well,
I'll let the optimists take care of that, as my life exper-
ience has been far removed from theirs.
The cure? I still hope for it, and all I can tell you is that
for some, like me, this disease is a living hell, a constant
unrelenting nightmare, from which the only escape is a
bonafide genuine cure
(as this disease and the manner in which the burden for
its maintenance falls overwhelmingly on the individual,
requires 24X7X365, 366 every leap year, guarding
against and dealing with lows/car wrecks/accidents,
guarding against and dealing with highs / potential
comas, trying to prevent heart attacks, strokes, impo-
tence, blindness, kidney failure, and other such delights).
Sorry for the downside look, just trying to be honest in
differing with the overly (in my view) optimistic views
of those who submit that there is not a very high cost
(emotionally, socially, psychologically, financially,
health-wise) of dealing with type 1 diabetes
(for whatever length, and of note, I just read about a
type 1 who got the disease at age 11, in 1937, and lived
to be 81, a very long life, most of which was lived in a
day and age prior to finger-pricking your way to happi-
ness[?]).
Best of luck.
--- [end of post at a diabetic blogsite]