Former Packers General Manager Ted Thompson released a statement on Tuesday announcing that he has been diagnosed with an autonomic disorder.
Thompson, who was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame last weekend, said in the statement that he has consulted with team doctors and outside physicians about the disorder. The autonomic nervous system controls the human body’s involuntary functions and, per the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of disorders can include “problems with the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, perspiration, and bowel and bladder functions.” Fatigue, weakness and cognitive impairment can also be symptoms.
In the statement, Thompson, who played 10 years in the NFL, said that complications related to the disorder contributed to his decision to step down as G.M. after the 2017 season.
“I have been diagnosed with an autonomic disorder,” Thompson said in the statement released by the team.”I feel that it’s important to mention that based on the test results and opinions of medical specialists, they feel that I do not fit the profile of someone suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. … Late in the 2017 season, [Packers president] Mark Murphy and I had a conversation about my health and future with the Packers. At that time, we mutually agreed that it was in the best interests of myself and the organization to step away from my role as General Manager.”
Thompson said it is his “hope and belief” that he can overcome the disorder. We wish him all the best in those efforts.