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JAB IT FOR SIX!
So, I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes for 21 years and 6 months, (to be precise). From peeing the bed and being diagnosed at 7,
stuffing my face with takeout as a typical uni student. Now at the age of 28, I have learnt that I need to control my Diabetes so I can live my best life!
As an International Cricket Coach, I have been fortunate to coach high performance cricket in England, India and UAE. This isn’t as straight forward when you’re insulin dependent. I’ve had my ups and downs (and I’m not just talking about my blood sugars.)
(Taking my Jab on my wedding day, Maharaja Style)
This is my journey with Diabetes and Cricket… (and how I have to regularly jab it for six).
HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD DIABETES? It started when we went to Disneyland Florida. Rather than running around, I had no energy, which just wasn’t right for a 6 year old in the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’. When we got home, I was literally drinking JUGS of water and peeing the bed, my Mum realised something was up. (yeah, my blood sugars?)
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU WERE DIAGNOSED? I guess, my Childhood doctor who diagnosed me, said in my first week of being diabetic... 'you can eat everything and anything… but in moderation.’ Take that as you will. He wasn’t right but he wasn’t wrong.
I was given a VHS Tape of a cartoon explanation of what diabetes was. (Basically, I didn’t have a clue. Just that my mum and dad kept jabbing me with injections)
HOW HAVE YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES & TEAM MATES REACTED TO YOUR DIABETES? My Mum was a nurse, so was pretty clued up on it. She knew it was going to be a life changing condition for me and the family. My Parents and my Brother took it well and just educated themselves about it. My wife, when I met her, just tried to learn as much as she could and still to this day she checks if I have taken my insulin or checked my bloods (it’s kinda annoying, but sweet at the same time!)
I feel my extended family struggled with it. To them, it seemed like an illness similar to Cancer. They had heard horror stories (and basically thought I was going to die) They didn’t quite know what to do if I stayed around or if they looked after me for the day. I think as they saw me managing it and living like a normal boy (apart from needing a Lucozade when I ran around too much) they saw that it was controllable and not life threatening. It did give me more attention from the family, which has its pros and cons.
I’ve been quite lucky when it has come to school and sports, no one has really ever said anything negative or offensive. When it came to Cricket, I just told my teammates that I have Diabetes and that if I looked like I was dying, they just needed to get my sugary drink from my kit bag.
HOW DID YOU MANAGE YOUR DIABETES WHEN PLAYING CRICKET? I started playing when I was around 8, and my parents were always with me. Matches/sessions were only a few hours long, and they made sure I have frequent breaks, my blood testing kit, some food and a sugary drink, like Lucozade, in my kit bag.
As I got older, I made sure I always had sugary snacks and drinks (this made me popular, especially when I used to give my biscuits away. Sorry Jamie Oliver!) But when I got to 15ish, my Diabetes dosages and Insulin changed. (Hello Carb Counting!) I became a bit more serious about controlling my Diabetes and noticed the affect it had on sports performance.
(You can see my bottle in this picture, scored 54* runs RESULT!)
DID YOU HAVE A ROUTINE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER PLAYING CRICKET? My dietitian told me to test my sugars before, during and after training and matches. And that I’d perform my best if my blood sugars were hovering around 8mmol. I probably didn’t really check as much as I should have. In hindsight, I can now see the benefit of my bloods being below 7mmol and its effect on my practice.
Before I’d make sure I had a small carby meal, as a wicket keeper & batsman, I needed to perform. And right before my game, I’d eat a banana, for a slow release of energy. I was a panic player, but the pressure would make me want to succeed. These chemical reactions would confuse my body, and I’d get symptoms very similar to being hyperglycaemic, so testing was VITAL!
During During the teas, I’d try not to eat too much as my bloods would spike, I’d try to aim for carbs, to give me energy for the second innings. (But a good English Cricket Teas is sometimes hard to resist)
I’d used to pay the price for indulging, resulting in poor performance,
(more often than usual. whoops). If I became Hypoglycaemic or ‘low’, I’d get symptoms like cold sweats, shaking, weakness and blurry vision. (not ideal when you’re a Wicket Keeper and Batsman). If I became Hyperglycaemic or ‘high’, I’d become sleepy, thirsty and therefore need to pee. (I can’t be running off the pitch for a
wee every 5 mins).
Tip: I used to give the umpires my bottle of Lucozade. I became a bit more serious about controlling my Diabetes and noticed the affect it had on sports performance.
(I used to get some funny looks but a Diabetic has to do what a Diabetic has to do!) After After my games, I would check my bloods, and eat a good meal with enough carbs to give me some energy.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR DIABETES NOW AS A COACH RATHER THAN A PLAYER?
Pretty much the same I did as a player.
As I’ve got older, the more consultants I’ve had, the more knowledge I have gathered about Diabetes and its effect on performance.
I mean, I definitely don’t know it all, and everyone’s Diabetes is different,
but I have a pretty good idea what works for me.
(This makes me look like a good diabetic)
In the last 3 years, my Diabetes has changed, where I was living in a hot climate (by hot I mean living in an actual desert, Dubai) and this made me question my knowledge, Here, I was diagnosed with ‘Double Diabetes’, a mixture of type 1 & 2. I’m now taking Metformin as well as Insulin. Oh and the wonder Jab, Trulicity. This is a once a week injection that makes me loose weight which then makes me take less insulin. (I have to keep it away from my wife.) It’s something new I had to learn in order to keep my bloods controlled.
Climate plays a MASSIVE part. Coaching in England would affect my body differently to when I was coaching in the blistering heat of Dubai. (Gatorade should have paid me for the amount of it I drank)
As a Coach, I still need to be as fit as healthy as I was when I was training myself. Coaching at a high level is still quite physically demanding. (Continuous throwing, hitting or sidearming can be quite challenging as a Diabetic). In my opinion you don’t have to be as fit as the players, but you have to be fit enough to be able to meet the physical demands of the job.
I carb count a lot better when I eat home cooked food,
but I still struggle with carb counting when eating out. (who doesn’t love a maccies?) but you can't be too hard on yourself.
Working out what works for me and my blood sugars, and what doesn’t.
Stress levels also affects Diabetes drastically. I think I am now exploring ways in which I can relax more as the demands of being in high performance sports can affect your state of mind. My wife has got me into yoga. (still currently trying to align my chakras).
The main thing is that I keep on testing my blood sugars. I notice what makes my bloods change, and how I need to react in order to keep them within a safe a range.
(Probably asking for a Gatorode here, Grumpy Coach)
AS A COACH, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A DIABETIC PLAYER? Firstly, get yourself a great Diabetes team behind you, especially a team that can teach you about the affect Diabetes has on sports. Do your own research too, you can never know enough.
Secondly, test your bloods ALOT! You’ll start to understanding your body and its needs. Testing before and after practice, and learning when and what to eat when playing. Keep carb counting, and taking the right amount of insulin during and after the game.
REMEMBER, taking more injections a day doesn’t mean your Diabetes is out of control, in fact its under BETTER control, with more insulin to manage your Diabetes. There is nothing wrong with having to ‘Jab it for six!’
All in all. Making sure you aren't militant about it all. Don’t dwell on it too much rather than concentrating on the task. If your bloods are slightly high or you had an cheeky muffin at tea, It’s Okay. Remember what my first consultant said... "You can eat everything and anything but in moderation"