Gut it out: After tough offseason, Jake Diekman is ready to talk about his disease
There’s a special tattoo on Jake Diekman’s wrist. Three words, eight letters: “Gut it out.”
To the casual observer, the message probably has something to do with Diekman’s role. As a reliever for the Texas Rangers, he’s going to experience many ups and downs throughout the course of the season. Sometimes, he’ll strike out the side and play the hero. Others, he might give up the game-winning hit.
[On this week’s StewPod: Jose Altuve joins us to talk about the surprising Astros.]
It’s been more of the former lately. The 28-year-old has put up some strong numbers since joining the Rangers following a midseason trade from the Philadelphia Phillies. Through 16 1/3 innings, he’s posted a 2.76 ERA with 16 strikeouts.
Looking down and seeing the tattoo on his glove hand is a constant reminder that he needs to deal with the stress of his job, even when things get tough.
But for Diekman, the phrase has a far more important meaning, one that extends beyond baseball. The slogan is a constant reminder of Diekman’s battle with ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease of the large intestine that impacts nearly 700,000 Americans, according to CCFA.org. There may be other players in Major League Baseball dealing with the affliction, but Diekman is the first to publicly talk about his condition.
Symptoms of the disease can include frequent trips to the bathroom, inflammation, weight loss, fatigue and loss of appetite, among many other things. The disease can go into remission with the right amount of care, but symptoms will eventually return. Colitis is very similar to Crohn’s disease, though there’s one major difference. Colitis only affects the colon, Crohn’s can impact any part of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Both afflictions are known as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
After a nasty offseason flare up, Diekman decided it was time to make people aware of his disease. He’s become somewhat of a spokesperson for ulcerative colitis, meeting with kids who suffer from the same affliction as he does throughout the season. Diekman also created shirts to advance awareness of the disease.
Through Athletes Brand, Diekman was able to sell shirts featuring the phrase “Gut It Out.” Proceeds from the shirts benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
“The shirt was an offseason idea during a flare up,” Diekman says. “I was just sitting on the couch with my girlfriend and my buddy, and I’m like ‘I’m think I’m going to come out with a shirt.’ It was so random.”
Diekman was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when he was around 10 years old, but it was his most recent incident that inspired him to start talking about the disease.
“I had a flare up this offseason, three or four weeks before spring when I was switching medications. I lost, like, 20 pounds in two weeks.” He adds, “I was like, ‘wow, that’s enough.’”
An emergency colonoscopy revealed that his disease was active, and surgery was an option. Had he undergone the procedure, Diekman likely would have missed the entire year while recovering.
That wasn’t the case. Diekman was able to change medication, and managed to avoid surgery. By spring training, he was back on the mound for the Phillies. If you were unaware of Diekman’s condition, it was nearly impossible to tell he was sick.
He was also inspired to open up about his battle after seeing so many young kids dealing with the same issues. “When I get my infusions and stuff. Seeing 8, 9, 10-year-olds and you’re just like, ‘this sucks.’ I know what you’re going through, and you shouldn’t have to go through that.”
Diekman is currently taking Entyvio, a medication administered via infusion every couple of weeks. His infusions do not interfere with the team’s schedule. Diekman will often receive his medication early in the day, and still have plenty of time to get to the ballpark in order to prepare for a game.
Talking about the symptoms of colitis can be an embarrassing topic, especially for young children battling the disease, but Diekman has reached a point where that no longer matters to him. “I’m 28, I really don’t care. I’ve had this for more than half my life, so whatever.”
Thus far, the response has been “really, really good.” The shirts have already raised over $9,000 for the CCFA, according to the Athletes Brand website, and Diekman has been hearing from a lot of people who are also dealing with the disease. He’s received a number of messages on Facebook, and he’s hoping to respond to those once he has more free time.
After a tough offseason, things are looking up. Entyvio has worked for Diekman so far, though he admits he’s still probably 15 pounds under his normal weight. Mostly, it seems as though his symptoms are under control. A quick nap here and there can help him deal with fatigue, and making sure he’s properly hydrated has also been a key.
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Things are looking up on the field as well. After pitching for one of the worst teams in the majors, Diekman is now in the middle of a pennant race. All of that, however, seems trivial compared to what Diekman has battled off the field.
Diekman’s willingness to discuss his story has already increased awareness of the affliction. Though colitis can be a tough thing to discuss, Diekman has some words of encouragement to those battling the disease.
“It’s easier to talk about than you think.”
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
