mythsdec2005

Myth - It isn’t safe to drive if you have diabetes.

If you have good control over your diabetes, you are just as safe as
any other driver out there. An idea for safety is to test your blood
sugar level before getting behind the wheel so that you know where
your level is. If you are on a driving trip, stop and test occasionally to
make sure you aren’t getting too low.

Myth - People with diabetes can’t play sports.

Hogwash. There are medal winning Olympians out there. Two of
them are swimmer, Gary Hall, Jr.,and rower, Steve Redgrave . Other
professional athletes who have/had diabetes are: Billy Jean King,
tennis; Jackie Robinson, baseball; Michael Sinclair, American
football; Dale Weightman, Australian football; and Per Zetterberg,
member of the Swedish National Soccer Team. If you are careful and
treat your diabetes accordingly, you can play sports. You just need to
take a little more care when doing strenuous exercise. You need to
keep glucose tablets and/or high sugar snack foods available in case
of lows and test when you can. If you are on insulin, you may need to
lower your intake when you are participating in sports activities. Also,
discuss any new sport or exercise activity with your healthcare team
before you participate.