Every now and again someone publishes an article about a high-level athlete living with diabetes.
It’s nice.
Since this is the start of World Cup 2010, I went in search of the same type of article highlighting a World Cup player with diabetes. I didn’t find it, but I didn’t look long or hard so I still think there are some out there.
But I did find one article about two college soccer players who both live with type 1 diabetes. http://tinyurl.com/yal3ytg
I’m the kind of person who can’t easily get past the practical aspect of things. I don’t like to shop for something if I don’t know where I’m going to PUT it. I can’t get behind a plan unless I can see the major parts fitting together from the very start. So articles like this about athletes with type one diabetes require me to understand: (1) how do the athletes take insulin: shots or pump and (2) where do they put their pump.
If they are on a pump and don’t wear it during games, do they leave it in their locker and simply disconnect? Do they leave it at home and remove the entire infusion set? If they leave their pump in the locker, has the professional athlete told the support staff what that crazy beeping is that comes from their locker every 15 minutes?? If they are on shots, do they even have a pump? Do they have “pump days” and non-pump days?
I played rugby for a season, and took off my pump for the games. My grandpa sent me an article about a Chicago professional football player who takes shots. I think there are two professional baseball players on the same team who both live with type one. I don’t think they wear a pump during games, either. Or maybe they wear that newer Omnipod pump without tubing.
I think it would be hard to be a professional team athlete competing while wearing a pump. My pump tube catches on door handles as I walk down the hall (only when I’ve forgotten to tuck the tubing in my waistband)! It doesn’t usually bother me to roll around on my sites themselves, but when I roll over on my pump the corners and edges hurt sometimes. I’m sure a football player has padding and extra protection for all his tackles, but still. I don’t think I’d wear mine during a football game. If I were a baseball pitcher or batter, the pump would get in my way unless I could secure it someplace behind me; but then what if I needed to see what it was alarming for??
I guess if I were a professional athlete I’d have a lot of incentive to figure it out.
Playing sports is a passion when you get started and I admire those who are committed and talented enough to make it and turn it into a job at such a high level. As a person living with type one diabetes, I appreciate those athletes who get special recognition for doing it all while living with the disease. I can’t say I admire them any more than any other person I know living with type one and figuring out how to make it all work, but it’s still fun to know they’re out there.
Go team.
the OmniPod is great for sports….I’m no team athelete but for all my extreme sports, the Pod works great. It’s amazing not to have to disconnect to swim laps, or go kiteboarding, or waterskiing.
yes, I have ripped a pod or two off, but it realy is an awesome thing, I can imagine that playing basketball or other team sports would work well too!