Jay Cutler's New PR Girl?
Anyone who knows me is clear that I am not a Chicago Bears fan. And I'm not a Jay Cutler fan. And maybe everyone is finished eviscerating Jay Cutler for getting hurt in the NFC Championship game and then not continuing to play or not "acting injured enough" on the sidelines afterwards. But I'm still angry, and NOT at Cutler. Who do these people think they are to say he should have gone back into the game, despite what was later diagnosed as an MCL tear? I have had my fill of people telling ME about MY chronic illnesses and how I should behave and feel in the midst of them. This includes family members, doctors, pastors, and friends. I actually live inside my body and experience what it is like to have chronic illness that interferes with my life 24/7. And I've been doing it for over 17 years! I might know a little bit more about what I can handle and what my limitations are than other people.
First of all, I have personally injured my MCL, ACL, and LCL multiple times in my life. If you haven't had an injury to a knee ligament, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. It is very painful, and for the first hour or so after the injury, you may feel nauseated, dizzy, and disoriented. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may be able to stand or bear some weight on the leg, but you can't pivot or shift your weight. And a partial tear is much easier to recover from then a more severe tear. So if you have a tear, you're an idiot to go back out there and injure yourself worse, possibly ending your career.
Secondly, Jay Cutler has diabetes. For a diabetic to be a professional athlete is a feat in and of itself. My husband has been a diabetic for over 30 years, and I've been a part of his life for half of that time. A diabetic's body operates completely different than a healthy person's, and small things can have a huge effect. A sudden injury can even suddenly bring on insulin shock due to stress, adrenalin, etc. Could this have something to do with why Cutler appeared to some to be "disengaged" on the sidelines after his injury?
The point is, you don't know what's going on with someone else's body. I've borne the brunt of the most ignorant comments and thoughtless questions about my chronic illnesses. People want to know why I don't "just" exercise or eat less since I'm overweight. Little do they know that I gained 70 lbs in 6 months from one narcolepsy medication, had untreated or improperly treated thyroid disease for 15 years, my body produces 5 times the amount of insulin it's supposed to in response to food - which causes me to store food as fat rather than burning it as energy, and when I perform mild physical exercise like standing or walking for short times and distances my muscles go limp suddenly due to cataplexy. Not to mention that I eat healthier than 99% of the population. You skinny people would DIE if you had to eat the way I need to just to have the energy to bathe and dress myself!
Why don't I drive? Why don't I have a job? Why don't I attend 12 church services a week? Why isn't my house clean and my laundry done? Why don't I have children...do I not like kids? Why do I need a wheelchair to go to a mall or ballpark? It's GOTTA be that I'm just too fat and lazy, right? After all, I'm "too young" to have all these health issues. I'm probably faking it for attention. Or maybe I'm just depressed. Probably I'm not right with God. And I don't have enough faith to be healed. Blah blah blah blah blah.
The bottom line? We can't look at someone and know what's going on "under the hood." And it's really none of our business unless we really care enough to be a part of that person's life as an encourager, a helper, a real friend, and a prayer warrior. If you're just a critic who attacks people because it makes you feel better about yourself or an "armchair quarterback" who didn't have what it takes to make the playoffs, just keep your mouth shut. I say this with all the love of Jesus and a healthy dose of plain truth. Sow some seeds of kindness and compassion. You never know....some day you or someone you love may have an injury or illness. And when that day comes, you may need that harvest in your own life.
"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." -I Peter 3:8
