Cherry Creek’s Andrew Sachs balances football and living with diabetes.
• Sachs was diagnosed with diabetes in March 2000. His parents thought he had strep throat, but doctors cued into the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.
• He has four or five blood-sugar tests and insulin injections periodically each day.
• He drinks lots of Gatorade and eats power bars to help raise his blood sugars.
• Blood sugars can be affected during a game by adrenaline highs and stress.
• A normal teenager’s blood-sugar levels range from 70-140 mg/dL. Sachs tries to keep his from 70-180. Before a game he opts on the side of caution, starting his blood sugar in the high 100s. He says he performs best in the 110-150 range.
• During a game, Sachs tests his blood-sugar levels in the locker room, right before kickoff, twice a quarter and at halftime.
• Sachs has an appointment once every three months at the Barbara Davis Center to test his blood, vision and reflexes, all of which can be damaged by diabetes.
