Saints key forward Paddy McCartin was told he had Type-1 Diabetes when he was just eight years old.

Undoubtedly disappointed by the news, the now 22-year-old McCartin has never forgotten his parents’ words of encouragement that day.

“The first thing Mum and Dad said to me was, ‘Don’t let it stop you doing anything’,” McCartin told Triple M’s Friday Night Huddle.

But for the first time, McCartin also opened up in depth on how he juggles professional football as well as living with Type-1 Diabetes.

“It is a really difficult illness to deal with, because it’s 24/7,” he said.

“Every time I eat, every time I drink, any time I do anything – sport, go to sleep – I have to think about it, and that can be difficult.”

READ: Conservative approach for McCartin

Having spent six weeks on the sidelines after a Lisfranc strain in his left foot, McCartin has found time to focus his energy into managing his blood sugar levels.

“I’ve had (Type-1 Diabetes) for about 15 years, and my management in the last six weeks has been as good as it’s ever been,” McCartin said.

“I haven’t had a ‘hypo’ – which is when my blood sugars go low, and I have to have lollies – for about six weeks, so I’ve lost about three of four kilos in that time, so that’s put me on a good path to … come back in pre-season raring to go.

“At times, playing can probably send (my blood sugars) a bit up and down because of adrenaline and things like that, so there’s probably a little bit more stability, but I’ve just been working really hard on it and it’s going well.”


McCartin wears his new blood sugar level sensor underneath a patch on his arm

McCartin’s diabetes means he’s vulnerable to experiencing either hypoglycaemia (“hypo”), or hyperglycaemia (“hyper”), which means the blood sugar levels are either too low or too high respectively.

“Having a hyper is like feeling hungover, so you feel terrible, you’re lethargic and feel like you’re going to be crook … so that can last up to an hour, because you have to give yourself insulin so it counteracts,” he explained.

“When you’re hypo – so when you’re low – it’s pretty weird … it’s sort of like being drunk, you don’t really know what’s going on, you’re spaced out, you can’t really concentrate, and you get a bit agitated. You’ve just got to treat it with lollies, so that’s what most people sort of connect diabetes with.”

Observant Saints fans would have noticed a new addition to McCartin’s look in 2018; not his protective helmet, but the subtler patch he wears on his left arm.

Underneath the tape he sports on gameday lies a sensor with a built-in electronic swipe reader, allowing trainers to instantly and non-invasively calculate McCartin’s blood sugar level movements in real-time.

“It’s brilliant for me because previously, even in my first two years in the system, I used to have to come to the bench, prick my finger and get blood out and put it on a little meter, and that would tell me what (my level) was.”

“Whereas now, I can just do it out there and it tells me what (my level) is, so it saves rotations I guess, and I can find out straight away.”

Although frustrated, McCartin can see the upside to his extended stint on the sidelines.

“It’s been a bit of annoying, five weeks not being able to play, but there’s been a few positives from it as well,” he said.

“Part of being a diabetic is that you have hypos, and the last five weeks I’ve been able to manage it really, really well, probably the best management I’ve ever had, and I haven’t had (any hypos) at all, so it’s definitely helped.

“If you asked any diabetic in Australia how many hypos they have over a six-week period, they’d probably say anywhere between 10 and 20 potentially, so not to have any for the last six weeks has been really good, and it’s something I’m really positive about.”

While a return to senior football in 2018 looks unlikely at this stage, Paddy McCartin remains focussed on continuing to increase his training load in the coming weeks.