Posted on 05/02/2008 4:25:47 AM PDT by Perdogg
Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, his business manager Marty Garafalo confirmed Thursday night.
The 25-year-old Cutler found out about two weeks ago that he was diabetic and needed daily insulin injections, Garafalo told The Associated Press.
He said Cutler was managing his disease and "in no way is his football career jeopardized."
Some 21 million Americans have diabetes, meaning their bodies cannot properly turn blood sugar into energy. Either they don't produce enough insulin or don't use it correctly. With the Type 1 form, the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing pancreatic cells, so that patients require insulin injections to survive.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.google.com ...
With proper care and discipline there is no reason he cannot have a long productive career. Ron Santo who played for the Cubs in the ‘70s comes to mind.
ping
Here’s hoping that the experimental adult stem cell implantation works to cure all diabetics.
News came out about using the stem cells for heart disease and diabetes thru direct implant into the organs.
I don’t have a link, came out months ago. Early trials only.
thanks, bump for later
He’ll be fine, I should think. So far, I think he’s turned out to be arguably the best QB in his class. Young throws way too many picks, and Leinart is too inconsistent and could be injury prone. Cutler certainly has room for improvement, but I think he’ll turn out fine for them. The Broncos got a good deal.
Jay Leeuwenburg had a successful NFL career while dealing with Type I diabetes.
Isn’t he a bit old for Type I?
Or is it that his pancreas failed and that’s what categorizes it as the type?
It is less common for persons over twenty to get Type 1.
But it does happen.
His pancreas still works, just not for producing insulin. Lots of other things come from the pancreas.
It is less common but certainly not unheard of. The oldest person I ever treated for new onset Type I diabetes was a 37 year old Air Force fighter pilot.
Ouch. That’s the end of one good career.
I presume they don’t let diabetics be fighter pilots.
Correct. He remained on active duty but his flying career was over.
I would expect the Air Force to do right by him.
Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter was an insulin dependent diabetic. He worked hard to increase awareness about the disease when many still thought it was a death sentence.
My wife became type 1 after a medication she took damaged her pancreas.
I was diagnosed Type 1 at 37. No family history. Endo said I could have been zapped by a Gamma ray. I say it was my late nights in my early 20s and stress at work in my 30s.
My daughter was diagnosed Type 1 at 7 yo.
I was just at UCSFs research symposium for diabetes patients. There are a lot of clinical trial opportunities available for recently diagnosed diabetics. As a recent onset diabetic, he probably still has ~20% functional beta cells. If they can arrest the immune response against those cells, he may reach a point where he can continue to produce some insulin (not to mention amylin, etc...).
One of my buddies on my HS football team was a diabetic. Didn’t slow him down at all and he was one of our best safeties, he would just have to hook himself up to his pump during halftime. He went on to play in college in fact.
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