Jan. 28, 2009
Catchers always envelop themselves with more responsibilities on the baseball field than their teammates. The same holds true for road trips as their equipment bags are twice as heavy when loading up the bus. While having to concentrate on making sure his catcher's mask and chest protector are ready for gamedays, UCF senior Brandon Romans also needs to worry about a far more important item: insulin.
Since the age of 14, Romans has been living with diabetes. He discovered the condition during his first few days at Cocoa Beach High School, dropping 35 pounds in one week.
Like everyone first thought, this certainly was not a bad case of the flu.
Doctors informed Romans he was a type 1 diabetic where his body does not produce insulin, which converts sugar and food into energy. If no cure for diabetes is found, he will have to live with the condition for the rest of his life.
Romans quickly learned from his doctors on how to continue living a normal life, however that would mean making drastic changes to his daily routine.
"At first I had no clue about the disease," admitted Romans, who was born in Cocoa, Fla. "But with a week-long stay in the hospital along with education about diabetes, how to take care of it, and meeting with numerous nurses, doctors and nutritionists, I began to understand the disease I just attained. I had to write down everything that I ate for months after I was diagnosed. I started to count carbs because carbohydrates turn to glucose in your body which in turn affects your blood sugar levels.
"Currently I have to check my glucose levels 8-10 times a day and then give myself four or five shots every day. I take two different types of insulin: LANTUS and Humalog. I take LANTUS in the morning because it works in my body for 24 hours, keeping my sugar at the appropriate level. Then I take Humalog on a sliding scale every time I eat depending on what my blood sugar level is before the meal. I go to the doctor every six months for my routine check-up for a blood test and just so the doctor can make sure my glucose levels are on target."
College athletes may hear about the term discipline from their parents, professors or coaches throughout their academic career. Students certainly need it to survive hectic schedules. When it comes to simply surviving, though, Romans took discipline to a whole new stage.
At a time where he was evolving into a Division I ballplayer, Romans successfully overcame the initial obstacles with dealing with diabetes and met its challenges head on. Instead of walking away from baseball, his motivation to get better at the game he loved only grew.
"At a young age, I played lots of sports like soccer, basketball and golf, but I enjoyed baseball the most," admitted Romans. "In high school was when I saw myself playing at the next level. So I worked hard in the weight room and on the field so that vision could turn into a reality.
"If anything, my diagnosis inspired me. Physical activity is one of the best things for a person with diabetes to do, and playing a sport like baseball helped me cope with the disease. Sometimes my sugar levels would drop during a practice or a game, but I was always prepared and drank grape juice and went right back out there."
Those preparations enabled Romans to smoothly transition from Cocoa Beach to the college game. He attended Birmingham-Southern for one year before playing in 42 games and batting .274 as a sophomore for UCF.
The interpersonal/organizational communication major followed that up with a .329 average in 36 contests in 2008. A first-team All-Space Coast member at CBHS, Romans connected for six doubles and a pair of homers last season.
Although he may have some extra duties to concentrate on during game days, Romans has never let those get the best of him, even when there are moments of adversity.
"With this disease when your blood sugar drops, which happens when you administer too much insulin and don't eat enough, your body becomes very weak and shaky," explained Romans. "A lot of the time you are basically out of it when that happens. You may be talking to someone but you don't really know what is going on.
"I don't look at dealing with my condition while playing baseball as tough, because this is how I have always taken care of myself. I believe that every player in the county does certain things to make sure they are ready to play that day. The only thing that is different about me and how I make sure I can play at a high level is that I just have to check my glucose levels, and make sure they don't drop during a game.
"I always check my sugar right before the game starts to see if I need to eat or drink anything. During the game I check my sugar to make sure it has not dropped. And right after every game I always check my sugar, take a shot and get something to eat."
Romans has not rode solo in his journey with diabetes. His family has joined him every step of the way.
"My family has been very helpful throughout my life," said Romans. "Especially my mom and dad, they have been so supportive of me playing baseball and helpful with my disease. My mom knows that being diabetic I can't eat like most college students. So almost every weekend my mom cooks for me so I eat well during the week of school and baseball. I consider myself very blessed to have parents like them."
A close support staff is always crucial to a student-athlete's college experience. And from gloves to cleats, having the right equipment ready for game days builds success as well. Only Romans' locker is filled with a few more essential objects that are necessary for him to survive every day.
- Brian Ormiston