Oil Kings GM beats back diabetes
Unhealthy lifestyle takes its toll
You won’t find Bob Green diving into any of the Edmonton Oil Kings’ pregame hockey spreads.
“Lots of pasta with two different sauces, mounds of chicken, caesar salad ... it’s 2,000 calories and I don’t need that,” said the Oil Kings GM, who got very sick in San Francisco after his club’s run to the Memorial Cup, and after driving a while with his girlfriend, she insisted he go to hospital when they got to Anaheim where doctors determined he had Type 2 diabetes.
“I thought I had food poisoning or stomach flu ... I’d never been that sick before in my life,” said Green, who leads a high-stress life as a Western League general manager, with long days and nights, eating at the wrong times, not exercising enough.
The weakened Green and his lady friend were going to Disneyland, but he never saw The Magic Kingdom.
“We drove to L.A. and after a couple of days there, she said I needed an IV to get some life back in me. The doctors said they knew right away what I had because they could smell sweetness on my breath,” said Green, a stubborn guy who wouldn’t have gone to hospital unless told to do it.
He was in hospital in Anaheim for five days, two in intensive care, his bloodsugar way out of whack.
He knew he was run down after the 2011-12 WHL season because his club had played from September to May, about 100 games, but figured it was an occupational hazard of running a hockey club. He never dreamed he had diabetes.
“One day we were on holidays, I woke up, showered and shaved and looked at myself in the mirror and said ‘Holy cow, you really need this break,” said Green, who had to give himself shots of insulin for three weeks after the California doctors diagnosed the diabetes, and now takes daily pills for it.
He’s had a major lifestyle change, but that’s fine.
“To get it at my age, 51, is probably good. I get a kick in the rear end, otherwise there’s other complications,” he said. “Being on the insulin for three weeks ... and to think of people who have to do that every day? Poking yourself is tough. I feel lucky.”
Green looks very good now.
Tall and lean. Lots of colour in his face. Hearty laugh.
He eats lots of fruit and almonds for protein around the rink.
Small meals, lots of them every day. He’s walking a lot. “Been a while since I’ve been this healthy,” said Green, who, since getting the diabetes diagnosis, has run into lots of similar sufferers.
“You get this job though and your life changes a little bit. It’s a hard business. Your stress level goes up. You’re spending more time on the road, you don’t work out ... I really dropped the ball there,” he said.