ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

HONOLULU -- Other than that prankster Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler's diabetes has not been an issue this season.

After adjusting beautifully to the shocking revelation that he had become a Type 1 diabetic at the age of 25 and breaking out on the football field, the Denver Broncos' quarterback unexpectedly had to deal with his diabetes while trying to relax poolside at the Pro Bowl this week.

	Dale Zanine/US Presswire
	Faced with the uncertainty of playing as a Type 1 diabetic, Jay Cutler responded with a Pro Bowl season.

Manning had a couple of the offensive linemen on the AFC team indoctrinate the first-time Pro Bowler by tossing him into a swimming pool. Problem was, Cutler's blood sugar monitor was in his pocket. The surprise dunk ruined the monitor.

But monitors can be replaced, and Cutler is moving on with his life as an insulin-taking diabetic.

While celebrating making the Pro Bowl in his second full season as a starter, Cutler took time to reflect on living with the most serious form of the disease. He spent a lot of time before this season wondering how he would deal with being a diabetic on an NFL field. But he is relieved to say he had very little to report.

"Not once was it an issue during a game," Cutler said. "It's a major relief. We didn't know what it would be like until I went through it, but not once was there an issue. At this point I think it's a dead issue. I went through a whole year, and it went great. I don't think it will ever be an issue."

Cutler admits there were some dark moments during last spring when he didn't know if the disease would affect him on the field. Cutler was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last April after a scary six-month span in which he lost 35 pounds, mostly during the final two months of the 2007 season.

Cutler, who maintained his weight around 230 pounds this season, had all the typical symptoms of diabetes, including intense hunger and thirst and frequent urination. Yet, the disease wasn't diagnosed until after he took a physical for the Broncos' offseason workout program in the spring. Once diagnosed, Cutler said he, his family, the coaching staff and the Denver medical and training staffs dove headfirst into learning and trying to deal with the disease. While he felt prepared to try to play with the disease, he knew there were no guarantees.

"I was nervous about it," Cutler said. "I wasn't sure if it was going to work out. I wasn't sure if I could play to the ability I expect myself to play. It was unknown. Everybody said I'd be OK, but they're not me. I didn't know how my body would react to playing a game with this disease.

"Not only did I have to worry about if the defense was in Cover 2 or Cover 3, I also had to wonder what my blood sugar was like. It was scary going into it, but once we were playing, there were really no problems."

Cutler said the key was that he was diagnosed several months before the season, so he was able to figure out what his needs were during games and practices. He went through minicamps and training camp without any trouble so he was confident there wouldn't be any issues during the season.

Cutler said his blood sugar dipped fairly close to a dangerous level once during the season but it was quickly rectified. He praised the Denver training staff for working with him.
Cutler said he routinely checked his blood sugar five times in the first half of the game and then once in the second half, and immediately after the game. He will have to do that for the rest of his career, and he'll have to take insulin shots every day for the rest of his life.

To help celebrate his first Pro Bowl trip, Cutler played host to about 20 local children who have diabetes. On Wednesday, the children were at the AFC practice and spent time with the quarterback afterward. Cutler has his own foundation and has worked with children in Colorado and around the country since being diagnosed.

Cutler said his entire lifestyle has changed, but the best part is his football life has not.

"It's all about getting used to it," Cutler said. "Like I said, I know that I can do this and I've had a whole season without any problems. I know I have my diabetes under control."