#125: Chad T. Lewis | Doing Diabetes Differently

Chad T. Lewis’ new book, “Doing Diabetes Differently: Empower a Healthier You,” breaks the mold of traditional diabetes care. In this episode, Lewis touches on his Type 1 diabetes journey and thoughts on the diabetes care hierarchy. This provocative interview, comments from reputable sources referenced in the book, and takeaways, will have you thinking about your diabetes management – differently.

BIO: Chad T. Lewis spent a career in higher education, at different times, as a counselor, dean, and professor. Chad earned two graduate degrees, one in business, the other in education. He coauthored business courseware and management textbooks for major publishers, and published research in peer-reviewed journals in human resources, management, and education fields. He became a Joslin Medalist in 2018, having survived type 1 diabetes for more than 50 years.

Chad just published Doing Diabetes Differently: Empower a Healthier You (River Grove Books, 2022). He wrote to help people to do the disease differently and better. He also wrote in the hope of expanding the conversation within the diabetes community, especially among care providers. His book isn’t a “If I can do it, so can you!” trope, nor does it slam diabetes standard practice and conventional wisdom and, in the process, invent The One Best Way. Rather, it’s a place to find, by topic, a diabetes answer; a question the reader might ask a care provider to get one, or a reference to consult to find one.

An important goal of the book is to help readers to have more active and productive conversations with care providers. Chad accomplishes this objective by occasionally but respectfully bouncing off established positions and published work of the American Diabetes Association and various experts. But he doesn’t grind an ax. We are all in this together.

Chad also wrote to give back. Sales from Doing Diabetes Differently will benefit the Diabetes Daily Grind.