Cutler May Be a Wimp but…

So if you’re a Chicagoan, you’re like me– pissed that the Bears didn’t make it all the way to the Super Bowl. At the same time though, there’s a sigh of relief as to what our Super Bowl fight would have looked like. I’m pretty sure the Steelers would have just walked all over us, kind of like what the Colts did to us in 2007. So, basically, I’m glad that the Green Bay fans will have to endure that kind of torture and not us… again.

Anyway! So, above all of that it was brought to my attention that people called out Jay Cutler’s manliness after the game, calling him a softie because he took himself out of the game, saying he couldn’t go on because of his knee. Props to the Bears for sticking up for the QB, namely Urlacher who told everyone else to shove it. I like them all for that. There were still some who disagreed, but again, who was playing in the NFC Championship? Right, not you.

Now, I’m the first person to tell you that all of us people with diabetes are not the same, that we don’t need special treatment and that we can do anything you can do… better (I had to do that). But when it comes to injuries, there’s something that you all should know. No matter how well you take care of your diabetes and especially if you’re Type 1, you have to be sure to give extra time to healing processes.

If anyone knows me, they know that when I have a cold, I die and resurrect from the dead some three or four days later, develop a cough and don’t become completely cured for another two weeks after that. Also, stress has a lot to do with how your body is affected. Granted, Cutler should be on top of all of these things with doctors and specialists up his behind, but with his party-hardy attitude, there are still somethings that can slip up.

I’m not trying to ease up on the fact that Cutler might have been able to finish that game but 1) he was already sucking it up pretty bad and 2) you have to understand what it’s like to have that kind of stress. I’m not saying Cutler is a baby either, I’m just saying, there are some things you have to understand. If there is a tear, it could tear more and he could suffer bigger consequences than just pulling himself out of an important game, which was honestly a smart thing to do. Who cares if you could’ve continued? If you knew that you weren’t going to be playing your best, why put that on the line when you can give it to a perfectly healthy second string… I mean third string QB who obviously had some pent up energy and talent to show off.

The other thing is, is that when it comes to nerves and joints and all that, it’s very easy for PWDs to get infections and end up with more severe problems. Neuropathy is one big issue in PWDs who are not athletes so for an internal injury like this, Cutler does have to be careful about the amount of stress placed on this knee. Neuropathy can affect sensory nerves, motor nerves controlling movement, autonomic nerves, which control involuntary or semi-  involuntary body functions or a combination of all three, according to HealthCentral.com.

“Nerves farthest from the brain and spinal cord are usually the first to malfunction. Pain and other symptoms often appear on both sides of the body, beginning in the feet and progressing toward the center of the body,” states the website.

Injuries are the most common reasons why this happens to a PWD. “Neuropathy occurs when illness, injury, inflammation, medication, or other factors disrupt the ability of nerves outside the spinal cord to relay messages between the brain and muscles, skin, nerves, joints, or internal organs,” states the website. I’m not saying that this can happen to him right now, but with time, like any other hard hitting sport, things like this can come up.

Neuropathy deals with nerves you say, but there are no nerves in the knee! Au contraire, mon amour! There are and they’re extremely important nerves that travel to the lower half the leg. The one major one is called the popliteal nerve, which then splits just above the knee into two other nerves called the tibial nerve and the peroneal nerve which can be damaged from injuries to the knee. I’m no genius, I got this all from OrthoPod.com!

There are a lot of cases of amputations in diabetics due to neuropathy.  A lot. Look at Ron Santo who had both of his legs amputated.  So this is why it is so important to note if there is severe pain or tingling sensations to the touch, especially after injuries.

Now, after ALL of that, do you understand why it was important for Cutler to pull himself out? I mean, not to say that these tears and such couldn’t happen to anyone else, but because of having diabetes and taking a longer process to heal, it is important to be cautious and careful when dealing with internal injuries.

Have any injuries like this or stories about problems with your knees? Leave a comment and let me know what’s going on!