Diabetes is a disease that doesn’t discriminate. And could there be a more unlikely candidate than budding AFL star Nathan Bassett, then a super-fit 20-year-old rookie for the Melbourne Demons?

Thirteen years on, Nathan looks back on a career that has spanned 210 games, including a premiership flag with the Adelaide Crows in 1998, and being named in the All Australian side in 2006. Today, Nathan is a proud husband, father and successful footy coach. And all this from someone with type 1 diabetes.

A life-changing moment
“Halfway through the game’s second quarter, I felt something move in my chest. I kept playing, but soon couldn’t run, and after that couldn’t stand. My sternum was broken. I needed to have it wired up. Worse was to come…” That was 1997, and when Nathan was
released from hospital, he lost a startling amount of weight – 12 kg in only two weeks. “I got sent to the specialist and yeah, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, insulin-dependent diabetes,” Nathan recalls. “It was a huge shock.”

The shock of diagnosis
“To be told you are going to need up to four injections a day for the rest of your life, have to test your blood glucose levels regularly, and watch what you eat and drink – not to mention the longer-term complications – is a lot to take in at any age, let alone 20.” However, armed with a strong resolve and the support of family and friends, Nathan returned to the Adelaide Crows, to start a regime and life where his diabetes must be managed and kept under good control.

Nathan’s game plan for successful diabetes management
The key is knowing where your blood sugar levels are at different times of the day (too high or low, and you’re in trouble), as well as the impact diet, exercise and medication can have. “Monitoring and measuring blood sugar has come a long way in recent years. Like everything else, it has become computer-based,” he says. Nathan uses the Accu-Chek® Mobile meter to test his blood glucose levels, and then downloads the results to his computer using the Accu-Chek® 360° Diabetes Management System software.
The information appears as meaningful graphs and charts, so he can easily identify patterns, and understand the interaction between blood glucose levels, medications and lifestyle. “The meter is excellent and the software is incredibly useful,” Nathan says. “Using both, I can check my levels, then look at it onscreen and see where the highs and lows kick in, make any necessary changes, and with my doctor, work out the best way to manage my diabetes.”

Living with diabetes
“I don’t necessarily see diabetes as something bad that’s happened to me. It’s actually opened up a lot of doors for me and helped me on my journey in life.”