Name: Doug Burns
Diagnosed: At 7 years old
Profession: Former Mr. Universe
Quotes:
“I also felt alone because no one else in my neighbourhood had it. Later I met one kid in school with diabetes, and that helped.”
“In the beginning I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted to ‘fit in’ but after a while I told more people.”
“If you’re not very active, even though you have insulin regulated, you’re not helping yourself.”
Name: Sean Busby
Diagnosed: At 19 years old
Profession: Professional Snowboarder
Quotes:
“Everything needs to be in control prior to an expedition… I will never go on an expedition with my A1C over 7 percent. If I’m not in control, I put my expedition members at risk.”
“I always try to have a diabetes message: Anything is possible. You can go to the most remote ends of the earth if you want to.”
“I believe I was given this disease for a reason, and that’s to show others anything’s possible.”
Name: Mike Echols
Diagnosed: As a teenager
Profession: NFL Player (Cornerback)
Quotes:
“It was hard at first because everything in your life changes—you change your eating habits, learn to give yourself shots, things you haven’t had to do. My family and friends made the transition easy.”
“I guess I probably check my sugars more than most people with diabetes. Football is a strenuous sport, so my blood sugars fluctuate. You have to know where your sugars are constantly throughout a game or through practice. Making sure I monitor a lot has helped.”
“Kids need to take the disease seriously. You need to make sure you do the things you need to stay healthy, to live a healthy, full life. Also, you shouldn’t get down because you have diabetes. You can become a stronger person because of it.”
Name: Scott Verplank
Diagnosed: At 9 years old
Profession: PGA Golfer
Quotes:
“Testing is my best remedy to stay on top of my control, and then I adjust my insulin and food to my results while I’m out on the golf course.”
“Adrenaline and stress can change my blood glucose quite a bit, I get on less of a roller coaster after the round is underway. I continue to check and adjust to stay steady throughout the day.”
“My eyes are good and my overall health seems to be pretty good. I don’t have a lot of signs of any kinds of complications—just normal signs of being 41.”
“You can live with diabetes and you can control your own life and your own destiny. You don’t have to let diabetes control you—you have a better chance to be in charge of it.”
“I check 10 minutes before tee time, targeting about 150 before going out to play… I’ve been playing professional golf almost 20 years, but I still have an adrenaline rush on the first hole, so I always have to take a little insulin at the second hole.”
“On a normal day I take about 32 to 34 units. On tournament days, I’m more in the mid- to high 20s. I’ve been lucky to be able to keep it down. Since I switched to Novolog, I’ve been able to take less insulin. I’ve gone down about 3 or 4 units a day, which is fairly significant over the long haul. It just works very efficiently in my body.”
Name: Amelia Lily
Diagnosed: At 3 years old
Profession: English Pop Singer (X Factor Contestant)
Quotes:
“Adrenalin uses a lot of energy, so I need to decrease my insulin before I perform. It’s hard to get the balance right but I always decrease my insulin just before performing to be safe.”
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard at times and I think any diabetic would agree with me. But it does get easier and it becomes part of your daily routine. You have to stay on the ball to keep yourself healthy. I did question myself for years. ‘Why me? Why can’t I go one day without having to have an injection?’ but now I believe it’s made me stronger. I think it has helped me to cope with the whole X Factor experience. I had to mature at an early age and I had to learn to be strong.”
Stories & quotes from Type One Diabetics.