Ron Santo-A True Inspiration

Five gold gloves, nine All-star appearances and 342 home runs (more than all but two third basemen in the Hall of Fame) says it all about Ron Santo's credentials for the Hall of Fame.  What's more amazing is that he did all that while battling Type 1 diabetes. 

Imagine what those numbers might be if he didn't have diabetes, and didn't go through bouts when blood-sugar levels were not going up and down like a yo-yo.  Think what those numbers would be if the management tools in the 1960s and '70s were what they are today.  He played before blood-sugar monitors, insulin pumps or even much knowledge about the disease.  He kept Snickers bars in his locker when he felt blood sugars running low.

During  most of his career, he asked his teammates to keep his disease a secret.  He didn't make it public until 1971.  "I feared that if the Cubs found out and I slumped badly, they would attribute it to the diabetes and send me back to the minors-or worse, release me," Santo wrote in a 2003 article for Guideposts.

Judging by his Hall of Fame numbers, Santo didn't have many slumps and with the possible exception of Brooks Robinson, I doubt if anyone ever fielded the position better than Santo.

The only shame is that Santo's induction into the Hall of Fame came almost two years after his death.  Santo, who was a Cubs broadcaster after hi playing career and one of the most colorful figures in baseball's history, would have given a heck of an induction speech.  He very much wanted his family to be there and enjoy it.  Well...I suppose it's better being late than never.  Although he's no longer with us, Santo's accomplishments will live forever.

But as much as he did as a baseball player, Santo did even more to promote diabetes awareness and raise funds for juvenile diabetes research.  He continued to broadcast Cubs'games, even after heart attacks, a quadruple bypass surgery, two leg amputations and diminished vision-just to show he was not going to let the disease beat him.  According to the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation, Santo helped raise more then $60 million toward efforts to cure, better treat, and prevent Type 1 diabetes. 

"It's funny.  I always thought I'd make my biggest mark as a ballplayer but it was after I started speaking up about diabetes that I really made a difference," he wrote in the Guideposts article.

With his induction into the Hall of Fame, Santo still is making a difference more than a year and a half after his death.  Complications from diabetes ultimately took his life.  But he stands as proof that there are no limits to what a person with Type 1 diabetes can accomplish, even with that horrible disease.

My Birthday

Today is my 62nd birthday, which really isn’t noteworthy except that complications from diabetes almost killed me seven years ago. Considering all that, I’m thankful for every birthday that comes up.

At this ripe old age, I feel better than I have in decades — certainly, better than any time in my 50s when I was writing editorials for the Idaho Statesman. Viewing old pictures from my mid-30s and early 40s — when I weighted around 235 pounds — I look much better than I did then (it’s amazing what losing 50 pounds can do for appearance). I play quite a bit of golf (almost always walking the course) and I have started to play slew-pitch softball — which I haven’t done since I was 46.

The moral of the story is that diabetes is not a death sentence. The disease can be managed and the effects can be reversed. But it certainly wasn’t easy, and I know enough about this “silent killer” to realize that I can’t take good health for granted.

The mortality rate for diabetes is astounding. Worldwide, 4.6 million people die from this horrible disease every year — which equates to one person dying every seven seconds. Considering the complications — heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations – death becomes a welcome relief for many, if not most, of those 4.6 million people.

I can speak with some authority about complications, because I have experienced my share. They include: 

• A toe amputation — a procedure that often leads to more serious amputations for people with diabetes.
• Substantial loss of eyesight, which cost me my career nine years ago. The human resources manager at the Statesman told me to “go home and get well,” and that was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received.
• Five-way heart-bypass surgery in November of 2004, less than a year after I left the Statesman. During a routine visit to my doctor, I mentioned in passing that I had experienced shortness of breath during workouts on the exercise bike. A few days later, a cardiologist told me I was a prime candidate for keeling over with a heart attack. He estimated I was within six months of dying.

There’s a happy ending to this story. My heart is as healthy and strong. My vision has fully recovered and I don’t need glasses, except for reading (I’ve had procedures and surgeries along the way, but there’s no logical explanation for this full recovery). My missing toe does not interfere with my golf game. And … here’s the kicker … the Statesman hired me back on a part-time basis, which fits perfectly with this “semi-retired” stage of my life. The limited schedule allows me to spend more time with Lions Clubs International in promoting diabetes awareness.

Folks have their opinions about the Statesman, both good and bad, but I’d like to say this: People at the Statesman have been on my side every step of the way, and it’s a pleasure for me to work alongside some of my best friends. A special thanks goes to Opinion Page Editor Kevin Richert, a class person who has been a friend and colleague for more than 25 years.

So what caused this dramatic turnaround with my health? I’ve paid more attention to diet and exercise, which is something that anybody diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes should do. Beyond that, I can’t explain why I feel better at 62 than 32. I thank God for the new me, or maybe I’m just lucky.

Either way, it’s sure nice to be celebrating another birthday.

Diabetes and Me

I have been in the newspaper business for more than 40 years and have some accomplishments to show for it in the form of writing awards. But I’d say my greatest accomplishment was writing editorials for the Statesman and Herald-Bulletin (Anderson, Ind.), with complete thoughts and complete sentences.

That’s what diabetes was doing to me – even before I knew I had diabetes.

At both places in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, I remember going to work with the feeling that my head was full of cobwebs. On most days, I felt my mind was in a fog and I wondered how I would make it through the day.

My co-workers, of course, didn’t have a clue what was happening to me. I looked the same as always, my demeanor was about the same and I was continuing to crank out the editorials as usual. But the “silent killer” was doing its damage. I had the symptoms of prediabetes – losing a lot of weight without trying, an insatiable thirst for Gatorade and numbness in the feet. I ignored those symptoms, and dismissed the chronic “mind in a fog” condition to work-related stress. The condition probably had more to do with blood-sugar readings that were going through the roof.

My world changed during a cold, windy March day in 2000. My wife and I were participating in a golf event and during the course of play I developed blurred vision. By the end of the round, I couldn’t see the fairways, the greens or even the cup once I reached the green.

Ironically, I hit some of my best shots of the day during my state of blindness – with the help of my scramble partners. I felt fine, aside from the fact I could hardly see beyond my nose. The next day, I went to an eye doctor, who suspected that I had diabetes. A physician confirmed it. Life has been a roller coaster ever since.

I will discuss my complications in a later entry. But I’d like to leave this post with this message: If you should experience some of the symptoms I described, don’t ignore them. If you are overweight, or have a family history of diabetes, then you are a prime candidate for the disease.

Regular checkups are a matter of life and death. 

Sweet Kids Go to Camp

Almost anything can happen when you get about 60 children (ages 3-7) together for a three-day event. One thing for sure, I’d hate to be the babysitter.

St. Luke’s Humphreys Diabetes Center is taking on this brave task, with help from about 30 nurses, dietitians and volunteers, by hosting the Sweet Kids Day Camp on July 24, 25 and 26 at Julia Davis Park Pavilion 1 (across from the playground). The deadline for registration is July 13. The camp, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. all three days, will have the appearance, and much of the feel, of any event for children.

But this is no ordinary summer camp. It’s for children with Type 1 diabetes (and siblings) – and it’s free of charge. If you have children, or know anyone who has children of that age range with Type 1 diabetes, then for goodness sake GO. Humphreys Diabetes Center has a number of outstanding community-service events, and the Sweet Kids Day Camp is one of the best.

According to information provided by Humphreys, “Sweet Kids Day Camp provides an opportunity for children to make friends with others who are ‘just like them.’ The activities are designed to teach the children about diabetes and help them develop the skills they need to maintain good health. Many of the campers learn how to inject their own insulin at camp by first practicing on brave Humphreys’ nurses.”

It’s one thing for a 60-year-old guy, such as myself to talk about Type 2 diabetes, which often is self-inflicted. But as great as my challenges are in managing the disease, it is much more difficult for children with Type 1 diabetes. They have to manage diabetes for the rest of their lives, and parents have to be especially attentive to their children’s dietary needs.

The wonderful thing about the Sweet Kids Day Camp is that the children know they are not alone. Lots of life-long friendships can occur from an event such as this.

The good news is that diabetes – whether it’s Type 1 or Type 2 – does not equate to a death sentence. A child with Type 1 diabetes can lead a perfectly normal and healthy life, and can do just about anything he/she wants – including becoming a star athlete. Jay Cutler, a star quarterback for the Chicago Bears, is one of a long list of athletes – past and present – with Type 1 diabetes. I’ll write more about him as the NFL season approaches.

For more information about the Sweet Kids Day Camp, call 331-1155, or visit www.hdiabetescenter.org

War on Diabetes

I am declaring war on diabetes.

I can’t think of a better army to fight this war than the Lions Club. There are no doubts in my mind about the urgency of this war. Aside from declaring World War III, I see no greater threat to America’s health and safety than diabetes.

I have had my personal battles with this “silent killer.” It almost ended my life seven years ago. So there’s no shortage of motivation as I take on the assignment as the District 39 W diabetes chair. I look forward to working with District Governor Ashley Seymour to raise awareness about diabetes. For the last year, I have been speaking to Lions Clubs, talking about my complications and the disease on a broader scope. My hope is to speak to all Lions Clubs in the district and encourage fellow Lions to join me on the front lines of this “war.” I also will use this space to explore the issue in greater depth and promote organizations such as St. Luke’s Humphreys Diabetes Center and dedicated individuals who are making tremendous efforts to make the Treasure Valley a healthier community. 

Diabetes awareness is one of the centerpieces of the Lions Club’s overall mission, given the connection between the disease and eyesight. That’s why I joined the Lions Club a little more than a year ago, and that’s why I want to take diabetes awareness to a higher level.

I am a native Idahoan and spent more than 40 years as a newspaper editor writer – including work with what is now the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, the Post Register in Idaho Falls and the Idaho Statesman, where I am doing part-time work. My wife, Vicki, and I have been married for almost 22 years and have lived in Boise for 13 years.

So why is diabetes such a threat to America’s health and safety? The proof is in the numbers, both at home and worldwide. One person dies from diabetes every seven seconds, accounting to 4.6 million deaths a year worldwide. In America, almost 26 million people have this horrible disease and another 79 million people have this ticking time-bomb called “pre-diabetes.” The annual cost for treating diabetes is $174 billion. It is swallowing up our Medicare and Medicare budgets.

We cannot count on the president, Congress or state legislatures to solve the problem. But we can count on organizations, such as the Lions Club, to put in the time and effort it takes to move these alarming numbers in a more positive direction.