New England Patriots cut Kyle Love after diabetes diagnosis

QMI Agency ^ | May 16, 2013

[righttackle44]

I have Type II diabetes. I know that my own amateur athletic efforts began to suffer shortly after I was diagnosed.

My endurance began to decline; it took longer to heal from injuries; there were days when I simply didn't feel good--I wasn't deathly ill--I just didn't feel good. In a professional athlete, those things could be disastrous.

Plus the fact that my docs--yes, I have several including a PCP, a podiatrist, a pulmonologist, a nephrologist, a gastroenterologist as well as a general internist, and an ENT--have told me of well-controlled diabetics who have suddenly fainted or otherwise lost consciousness. They went down while driving, exercising at the gym, out walking or jogging, eating in a restaurant, and other such places. One, a television cameraman, went down and rolled off the upraised platform on which the camera was mounted.

I'm sure that there are professional athletes who have Type II diabetes.

But the Americans with Disabilities Act is of little use to an athlete who might be prone to fainting, or even dying, at inopportune athletic moments.