Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears is not only a gunslinging Pro Bowl quarterback; he's also probably the highest-profile athlete today with diabetes. A lot has happened since Cutler's October 2008 interview in Diabetes Forecast: He left the Denver Broncos and signed with the Bears; won a $30 million contract extension through the 2013 season; joined with Eli Lilly & Co. to send kids to American Diabetes Association Diabetes Camps; and has educated football fans about diabetes while being a role model for kids with the disease.

Cutler gave Forecast a mid-season update:

How has playing football been different since you were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2008?

Well, I had to learn a whole new routine—taking insulin shots, checking and regulating my blood sugar, just getting used to being a person with diabetes. The first couple months were tough. But I did have a good season after I was diagnosed. A lot of that has to do with my teammates and good coaching, but some of it—I just wanted to prove people wrong. Now it's just becoming part of who I am.

How do you manage your blood glucose on game days?

I check my blood sugar about four or five times before the game—try to stay around 150 to 160 [mg/dl] before kickoff. Most of the time, I prick my finger every time we come off the field, especially in the first half. There are definitely dangers out there—we try to avoid them at all costs. That's why we check as many times as we do. I think the worst thing imaginable would be to get really low and pass out in the middle of a play, or in the huddle. That would scare a lot of people. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but it's still a reality that could happen.

How have your new teammates and coaches on the Bears reacted to your diabetes?

Everybody's been great. The Bears' medical and training staff has helped keep my diabetes management seamless, and the whole organization is committed to diabetes causes thanks to the work Coach [Lovie] Smith does with the [American Diabetes Association]. But hopefully no one on the team thinks about the fact that I have diabetes. On the field, I'm just the quarterback.

How satisfied are you with the Bears' performance this season thus far?

We've had some good games but still have some things to work on as an offense. We're all working to make the playoffs, so hopefully we'll get there.

If you have an off day, do teammates, the media, or fans look to your diabetes as a reason?

I hope not. I don't want sympathy—I want to be judged like every other quarterback. But living with diabetes in the public eye does make it harder. If I go out and my numbers are off and I have a bad game, I know I'll be criticized for it. I just try not to worry about it and go out and play my game.