Diabetes and the NCAA Tournament...athletes can live with it too!

Diabetes is a condition that affects all walks of life, young and old, people of all backgrounds, and even.... athletes. With the brackets and the NCAA tournament the talk of everyones lips, it is little known that Georgetown guard Austin Freeman was diagnosed with diabetes last season when he missed a home game loss to Notre Dame with what was originally thought to be a stomach virus. The "virus" continued to plague him, and he was just not getting better... and that's when the doctors knew it was something much more. This condition is not expected to affect his career; many athletes lead successful college and pro careers with diabetes. They just have to take careful consideration when training and playing with the conditions that diabetes presents, which is something all diabetics have to face whether a trained athlete or not. He will have to carefully monitor his blood sugars and make sure that he has enough hydration when on the court. Diabetics are not able to convert sugar to energy because the body can't properly use the insulin it produces, or, the pancreas just quits making insulin. In his case, he is a type 1 diabetic, and in his case, he no longer produces insulin. This means he needs daily insulin injections or the constant delivery of insulin through an insulin pump.

But the important thing is that one can live with diabetes with a lifestyle change, as demonstrated by Austin Freeman; it can be done.

Bret Michaels is a diabetic

Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the rock band Poison, is a type 1 diabetic. This is also called early onset or juvenile diabetes, because of when he was diagnosed at age 6. He is now a spokesperson and was selected as the face of diabetes by the American Diabetes Association. He has a public service announcement, and even incorporated his diabetes into his VH1 reality show "Rock of Love" where he tested potential matches by having the ladies practice injecting insulin into an orange!
His face as the face of diabetes is a good choice. It shows how mainstream diabetes really is... and that it is a disease that you can live with for a long time if you take precautions such as diet, exercise, and monitoring blood glucose levels very closely. Bret says he is used to using blood glucose monitors and it is part of his rock star touring lifestyle. He still uses insulin shots instead of the pump, but he says that is for "cosmetic reasons." Many diabetics use a pump that eliminates the need for insulin syringes and injections; that is his choice. He truly shows that diabetes has many faces... any many choices in managing it.

Can I start an Exercise Program?

In my office, I see a lot of diabetics for preventative foot care, and each and every one of them inevitably will ask me my opinion on exercising and the proper way to start. If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, or if you are overweight, it is important to speak to your pirmary care doctor before you start and exercise program, no matter how slow you start out.
Here are some other tips to keep in mind as a diabetic:

-Make sure you have proper fitting shoes. Very often our patients have prescription accomodative orthotics, or insoles, in their shoes to prevent areas of pressure from building up. Also, many of our patients have prescription diabetic shoes, either walking shoes or gym shoes, that are fitted by our certified medical assistants to make sure there are no pressure spots. We urge our patients to break in the shoes by wearing them an hour or two and gradually increasing the time worn each day, inspecting your feet for areas of redness or pressure.

-Make sure you have proper socks. I recommend a cotton blend with nylon or another material that "wicks moisture away" from the skin. This will prevent blisters in pressure areas, and also prevent fungus or athletes foot.

-Start off slowly, with a low impact activity such as walking. Build up the time gradually, either by distance or by time. If you have joint problems, consider swimming or aqua aerobics

-Keep water near by, and keep well hydrated, especially on hot days

-Always wear an ID tag indicating that you have diabetes to insure proper treatment in case there's a problem when you're exercising or you have an injury.

-Try to exercise at the same time every day for the same duration. This will help control your blood sugar. Exercise at least three times a week for about 30 to 45 minutes.