Jay Cutler, No Matter His Performance, Is Still an Inspiration
Published by GB Bongiovanni on September 9, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler may have to prove to the NFL this year that he can lead the Bears in the right direction after a sub-par 2009 season, but diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2008, he still is an inspiration to those with the disease no matter his performance.
In April 2008, Cutler was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and it has changed his life forever.
The disease has affected the way he lives his life and is constantly challenged by keeping his blood sugars level and at a stable point to ensure that he does not have complications when he is older.
Jay Cutler was in his first season as starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in 2007 and his 3,497 passing yards ranked as the seventh best single-season performance in team history.
Experts were starting to refer to Cutler as the next Peyton Manning or Tom Brady but in the later stages of the 2007 season, Cutler did not feel like himself.
He lost over thirty pounds, felt lethargic, and did not know what was wrong with him.
It was then that Jay Cutler would realize he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a disease that affects millions world-wide.
Cutler went through a period of time where his pancreas was turning off on him, what most people call the honeymoon period.
It’s where your pancreas shuts down and will stop creating insulin for your body, which causes your blood sugar or glucose levels to rise.
One who suffers from high blood glucose can feel sick, and if high enough, could eventually turn deadly.
By administering insulin, a diabetic is able to somewhat control their blood glucose level through careful monitoring and eating regimens.
There are two types of diabetes and Type 1 is less common than Type 2.
Type 2 is usually brought on by being overweight and eating poorly. Type 1, also called Juvenile Diabetes, is a genetic disease that a cause at the current time cannot be explained.
Approximately over three million Americans suffer from diabetes and Jay Cutler is no different than any other person with the disease, except he is an NFL star.
He carries a blood glucose monitor; he tests himself by pricking himself numerous times throughout the day and administers insulin to control his levels.
I am unfamiliar with how Jay Cutler does these procedures, but he like every other type one diabetic, struggle with the constant up and downs of their blood sugar levels.
While I applaud Jay Cutler and believe that his status as a professional football player will help the disease it’s sometimes tough to watch that it takes a person of his status to raise awareness of a disease that affects so many.
I tip my hat to the inspiration that he has become to thousands of little boys and girls who one day want to be a professional athlete.
One can hope that he is able to raise millions of dollars to find a cure but with all the technology and improvements made over the years, why haven’t we found a cure?
Why haven’t we found a cure for diabetes, cancer, or another deadly disease that takes too many lives away from their loved ones?
At the beginning of the 2009 season Jay Cutler being a diabetic was a big story. They talked about it in the preseason, they talked about it on Monday Night Football, and during the season.
Let’s not let 2010 be any different and let’s not forget the positive that Jay Cutler brings to the NFL.
As a father of a daughter who suffers from Type 1 diabetes, I use Jay Cutler’s story as a story of success.
Someone who puts forth efforts on educating kids and adults on the long-term affects of diabetes and struggles just like her on a daily basis checking her blood and keeping the levels correct but still able to lead a professional football team like the Chicago Bears.
One day there will be a cure…
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