Spotlight on Jay Cutler in season opener against Green Bay

Like his teammates, quarterback Jay Cutler will spend time conferring with coaches and comparing notes with other members of the offense while he's on the sideline during Sunday night's season opener in Green Bay.

Unlike the other Bears, Cutler will also be frequently testing his blood sugar to make sure it stays within an acceptable range. He was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes in April of 2008.

"Now that I've had a whole season to go through it," Cutler said, "we've just got to stay on top of it and make sure I go into the game with a good number and maintain it throughout the game. It kind of jumps around early, but the training staff here has done a great job of helping me keep everything under control."

Non-diabetics usually have a fasting blood sugar of about 100-110, and after eating it could go up to around 160. Diabetics, especially those who don't regulate their diet and insulin intake, can experience a much greater range of blood-sugar levels, which can have dangerous side affects.

For a diabetic involved in strenuous exercise, the danger is in experiencing low blood sugar, which requires eating a snack or consuming beverages that contain sugar.

The number of times that Cutler must check his blood sugar depends on different factors.

"It depends how we're going, how hot it is, how intense everything is," he said. "(Whether it's a) long drive, short drive; it can range a lot."

Sometimes Cutler can sense if he's high or low before he even tests, but sometimes his sensitivity can be obscured or clouded.

"Game day it's a little tougher because there are a lot of emotions," he said. "There's a lot of stuff going on, so we just like to check probably an abnormal amount, a little bit more, just to make sure everything's all right."

This year, Cutler has partnered with Eli Lilly and Co. in the Touchdowns for Diabetes to help send diabetic children to summer camps, where they learn about managing the disease and that it doesn't have to define their lives. For every touchdown Cutler throws this season, Lilly will donate $1,000, the cost of sending a child to diabetes camp for a week. Lilly will also donate $100 to the American Diabetes Association Camp Scholarship fund for every pass Cutler completes.

"We visited a lot of hospitals and talked to a lot of those kids," Cutler said, "and they really thought a lot of the diabetic camps. We wanted to get involved (and) Eli Lilly jumped on board, (so) I think it's going to be a great thing."

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