Diabetic Pro players and competeing....

genomachino

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't know if alot of players know this but Larry Nevel and Shawn Putnam are both kind of exceptional players, not only because of the level that they compete at but because they do it with one of the most difficult diseases in the world, Diabetes.

I know myself how difficult it is being diabetic myself. It's tough enough just to play but to try and manage your blood sugar level for a whole tournament is nearly impossible. Stress, not enough sleep, what you eat, to much excersize or not enough can all effect the blood sugar drastically.

Most diabetics can't be in the smoke. It's just one more problem to add to the list that makes it hard to manage the disease.

Larry Nevel and Shawn Putnam are heros to me. And I know that all you AZers that are diabetic must feel the same way. How do they do it?

Most players start out the day with a full tank of energy when their day starts out in a tournament. Diabetics many times start out with only 1/2 tank of energy and it can get worse and there is nothing you can do about it. It's all a guessing game trying to balance the blood sugar. You just have to try and guess good and say Oh well. Here we go............

My hat is really off to these 2 professionals because I personally know what they are dealing with. Larry Nevel played a great tournament and Shawn at this time is still going strong. Amazing to say the least.

There are many AZers on here that are diabetic. Could you share your thoughts on the subject and shed a little light on how difficult you feel it would be competeing at any level being diabetic.

Thanks for your comments ahead of time. Geno...........
 
Type 2. I eat a small Snickers bar at the first sign of dropping sugar. Relief lasts a couple of hours and is often enough to carry me through. I have one in my cue case and my wife usually carries a few in her purse (heaven only knows what else is in there!). Works for me.

Without that little candy bar, when the sugar drops I shake like a leaf, sweat profusely, and get so weak I can hardly stand. Not fun and certainly no time to try to play competitively.

ps: the smoke does not particularly bother me since I'm a smoker for the last 50 years or so.
 
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Stop smoking........

Underclocked said:
Type 2. I eat a small Snickers bar at the first sign of dropping sugar. Relief lasts a couple of hours and is often enough to carry me through. I have one in my cue case and my wife usually carries a few in her purse (heaven only knows what else is in there!). Works for me.

Without that little candy bar, when the sugar drops I shake like a leaf, sweat profusely, and get so weak I can hardly stand. Not fun and certainly no time to try to play competitively.

ps: the smoke does not particularly bother me since I'm a smoker for the last 50 years or so.
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I used to smoke. I quit a long time ago. Now that I'm diabetic I can't even be in it for 30 minutes and i have real trouble with controling my blood sugar.

Being diabetic , smoking is the worst thing you can do for your health but you probably already know that .

Good Luck geno.............
 
Add Sarah Rousy to the list of diabetic pros. She's type 1, if I recall correctly.

I'm type 2...67 years old, so I just don't enter tournaments. Don't belong to league, either. I dunno how much is the diabetes, how much is age, but I simply don't have the stamina. So, I'm strictly a recreational banger who quits when I get too tired.
 
genomachino said:
I don't know if alot of players know this but Larry Nevel and Shawn Putnam are both kind of exceptional players, not only because of the level that they compete at but because they do it with one of the most difficult diseases in the world, Diabetes.

I know myself how difficult it is being diabetic myself. It's tough enough just to play but to try and manage your blood sugar level for a whole tournament is nearly impossible. Stress, not enough sleep, what you eat, to much excersize or not enough can all effect the blood sugar drastically.

Most diabetics can't be in the smoke. It's just one more problem to add to the list that makes it hard to manage the disease.

Larry Nevel and Shawn Putnam are heros to me. And I know that all you AZers that are diabetic must feel the same way. How do they do it?

Most players start out the day with a full tank of energy when their day starts out in a tournament. Diabetics many times start out with only 1/2 tank of energy and it can get worse and there is nothing you can do about it. It's all a guessing game trying to balance the blood sugar. You just have to try and guess good and say Oh well. Here we go............

My hat is really off to these 2 professionals because I personally know what they are dealing with. Larry Nevel played a great tournament and Shawn at this time is still going strong. Amazing to say the least.

There are many AZers on here that are diabetic. Could you share your thoughts on the subject and shed a little light on how difficult you feel it would be competeing at any level being diabetic.

Thanks for your comments ahead of time. Geno...........
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Gene so u are saying it is that much harder for 1 to play pool if they r diabetic,weather they r playing pool or shopping they still need to keep it under control,it becomes a normal part of everyday life after awile,people ajust,they get better at keeping it under control,now if they had this problem and didnt know it,and wasnt be medicated,then that would b a different story!
 
richiebalto said:
Gene so u are saying it is that much harder for 1 to play pool if they r diabetic,weather they r playing pool or shopping they still need to keep it under control,it becomes a normal part of everyday life after awile,people ajust,they get better at keeping it under control,now if they had this problem and didnt know it,and wasnt be medicated,then that would b a different story!
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You are so wrong on this. Diabetes effects many prople in alot of different ways. Meds certainly don't always keep things under control, Under pressure stress sometimes takes over and creates problems that you can't get under control for days. Many have mood swings that change them completely. Some people are much more severe then others. You really don't seem to understand what it can do to some people.
 
Most misunderstood disease in the world........

richiebalto said:
Gene so u are saying it is that much harder for 1 to play pool if they r diabetic,weather they r playing pool or shopping they still need to keep it under control,it becomes a normal part of everyday life after awile,people ajust,they get better at keeping it under control,now if they had this problem and didnt know it,and wasnt be medicated,then that would b a different story!
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Hi there,

i didn't understand how rediculous diabetes was until I was diagnosed. I did run around for a long time not knowing it and for some reason went undiagnosed for about 10 years. 5 years was my fault but after that I was seeing doctors.

Had a stroke around oct 2008. They found out I was diabetic in Jan 2009.

I thought, Oh well, now I got to take a pill and everything will be ok. Not so simple.

A normal persons blood sugar can be anywhere from 95 to 115, 120. Somewhere's in there. The pancreas makes the right amount of insulin to keep it from going any higher. As soon as mine goes up to 150 I feel like I'm kind of brain dead. just can't think very good but you still think your ok. Other people can tell your not though.

You get frustrated very easily and are very impatient. Some people have levels that are up around 200 plus all the time. i don't know how they survive.

Then I'll go for a walk or get some excersize and it will go crashing right down to be a little low. Then i get the shakes and feel terrible. Real weak. So you go from one extreme to the other. this really messes with your mind also. You just don't think right but you can't even tell your not thinking right.

If I'm playing pool I might shoot at the wrong ball. Play shape for the wrong ball. Any number of things can happen. You just have to be careful.

If your playing someone a set and you go too low you might as well quit unless you can get some food. If you eat too much it goes too high.

If you experience a too high and then a too low you are pretty shot for that day. Kind of like a healthy person was out in the wind on a boat all day with no food. Now you come in all wore out from the day and now let's play the final match of the US Open.

If Shawn Putnam gets to the final it's an unbelievable act as far as I'm concerned. If he wins this thing I consider him on the Superman level.

I guarantee this, when it's all over his energy tank will be completely empty.

I hope this makes sense. Unless your diabetic and you are trying and i say trying to control your blood sugar just to survive and have as normal of a life as possible it's hard to understand.

An old Indian saying is don't judge a man until you walk a mile in his moccosins. That is so true with diabetes.
 
Maybe I'll get flack for this, but diabetes is probably one of the easiest diseases to prevent. All you have to do is control what goes on the end of your fork. Do you think it's a coincidence that both nevel and Putnam are obese and diabetic?

Eat a paleo diet and you won't get it. And if you already have it, a paleo diet will keep your insulin levels more even throughout the day and make managing the disease easier.

I have diabetes in my family. No way I'm going to get it because I eat a paleo diet and lead an active life.

If you want more info on paleo it's all over the web and there is a link to a good 5 min video describing it in my signature.

End.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Maybe I'll get flack for this, but diabetes is probably one of the easiest diseases to prevent. All you have to do is control what goes on the end of your fork. Do you think it's a coincidence that both nevel and Putnam are obese and diabetic?

Eat a paleo diet and you won't get it. And if you already have it, a paleo diet will keep your insulin levels more even throughout the day and make managing the disease easier.

I have diabetes in my family. No way I'm going to get it because I eat a paleo diet and lead an active life.

If you want more info on paleo it's all over the web and there is a link to a good 5 min video describing it in my signature.

End.
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I'm sorry but another incorrect post. I have dibetes and got it from agent orange not from what I eat, weight etc. No history in my family. U.S. government has admitted this a side effect from agent orange. Many causes and many different effects on people. Not all diabetics are obese. I wish people would not judge others without knowing the facts.
 
diabetes

im type 2
last year i ran a fever 14 days 104.5 went into a come 6 weeks latter and 70lbs lighter
woke up out of a coma not knowing anything and on life support
i tore the the hoses out of my throat and i guess my lungs, i guess i was a hand full took 6 people to get me under control i dont remember
i went through seeing and hearing things that wasnt there for months
and i was told i was type 2 diabetes blood suger over 450
my eyesite has changed and my feet and hands tingle all the time.
im thinking of carving out a kinda like brass knuckles with a loop or
eyelet for my left hand so i can have a bridge and play pool for a little longer. and if i can get shape on the table and keep the cue ball within 4 feet from the object ball i have a good chance winning.
diabetes will flat put your _____ in the dirt
shakes
tired in a heart beat
blurry vision
hands feet tingle
and mood swings
and if i dont eat im sick to my stomach
if i do eat im tired
cannot focus on learning.

other than that and a few other major medicial problems im great:rotflmao1:
and ready to kick ass, right after i take a nap:thud:
 
ginsu said:
I'm sorry but another incorrect post. I have dibetes and got it from agent orange not from what I eat, weight etc. No history in my family. U.S. government has admitted this a side effect from agent orange. Many causes and many different effects on people. Not all diabetics are obese. I wish people would not judge others without knowing the facts.
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No, my post is correct. Separating the disease from you and me (to not get personal), if an individual got the disease by a military chemical that is unfortunate but is in a tiny percentage of ppl with the disease.

The disease is caused by what you put in your body, via food and drink, for the vast majority of ppl who have it.
 
iusedtoberich said:
No, my post is correct. Separating the disease from you and me (to not get personal), if an individual got the disease by a military chemical that is unfortunate but is in a tiny percentage of ppl with the disease.

The disease is caused by what you put in your body, via food and drink, for the vast majority of ppl who have it.
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Learn before you speak.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-1/
 
iusedtoberich said:
No, my post is correct. Separating the disease from you and me (to not get personal), if an individual got the disease by a military chemical that is unfortunate but is in a tiny percentage of ppl with the disease.

The disease is caused by what you put in your body, via food and drink, for the vast majority of ppl who have it.
Click to expand...

Many different facets of diabetes. Different types and causes and effects. It is a very narrow outlook to say "most people" without a wealth of background knowledge.
 
iusedtoberich said:
The disease is caused by what you put in your body, via food and drink, for the vast majority of ppl who have it.
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You're wrong, and deadly wrong, offering such medical misinformation regarding a deadly disease is reprehensible. Diabetes is not one disease anyway, none of them is easy to prevent, and none is "caused by what you put in your body".

Type 1 diabetes is primarily autoimmune and likely related to a coxackievirus infection. Type 2 is familial, meaning it has a strong genetic component. Both are actually multifactorial in etiology and both have genetic components. Neither fully defines the spectrum of diseases we know as diabetes and there are other newer classifications.

That said, I have helped numerous diabetics get through med school and their licensing boards. That is no small task and makes playing pro pool look like a walk in the park. Being an athlete and a diabetic is more than a challenge and I applaud all those who endeavor to do it.

I am not diabetic myself.
 
I do agree with genos first post. It is SUPER STRONG for a diabetic player to do as well as Putnam and nevel have this event.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Maybe I'll get flack for this, but diabetes is probably one of the easiest diseases to prevent. All you have to do is control what goes on the end of your fork. Do you think it's a coincidence that both nevel and Putnam are obese and diabetic?

Eat a paleo diet and you won't get it. And if you already have it, a paleo diet will keep your insulin levels more even throughout the day and make managing the disease easier.

I have diabetes in my family. No way I'm going to get it because I eat a paleo diet and lead an active life.

If you want more info on paleo it's all over the web and there is a link to a good 5 min video describing it in my signature.

End.
Click to expand...

Your statements are offensive to myself and every diabetic who will read them as they are completely incorrect. Please keep your assumptions and absurd diet recommendations to yourself. If you put in as much time as you do pushing paleo into researching diabetes you may one day actually have a clue. No response required or wanted.
 
I wonder if I'm diabetic. The other day I drank a highly caffeinated soft drink before heading to the pool hall. Around an hour later, I had to eat something in the middle of a match or I would pass out from starvation. I'm guessing this is one of that positive side effects of caffiene...If not than I'm diabetic?
 
Everything Geno has said is true I am type 2 and find it very hard to control while competing. To play in a tournament where you dont know exactly when you are playing is nearly impossible, You can go from shooting perfect pool to missing a ball by 6 inches in a matter of seconds and not know why. I personally go through swings where I cannot focus, vision is blurry, sweat profusley, feel weak, to when the sugars are correct you cannot miss a shot.
 
We have a great player in our region -- a chicken farmer from Delaware, as I recall. Brilliant player, nice guy, Kevin West. :smile:

Diabetes is hereditary for some. Others get it late in life due to diet and/or genes.
 
Would drinking light corn syrup help cease a diabetic incident in humans like it does for dogs?
TX Poolnut <----ignorant of fact
 
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