67: Chet Galaska – Causes and stigmas of diabetes

Chet Galaska discusses everything you need to know about diabetes from the perspective of those who have it. It’s not as well understood by the general public as you’d think and this can lead to stigmas being placed on those who have the disease.

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Chet Galaska graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After working in several industrial operations, he co-founded and was president of a company that produces stainless steel castings for heavy industry.

He has had type 1 diabetes since 1981 and has managed it well. Because of this he was asked to participate in a long term study by the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard University.

Chet isn’t a health care professional. He is simply a person who understands diabetes and sees the disease from the perspective of those who have it. It became clear to him that messaging about the disease underlies misperceptions that have damaging consequences. This is a huge problem in the world of diabetes that doesn’t get recognized, let alone addressed. He realized that people need to know the facts if we’re to motivate diabetics to do the hard things the disease demands. As a first step, he wrote The Diabetes Book: What Everyone Should Know and spoke to many groups about it. He then developed the Challenge Diabetes Program which was presented in participation with college, medical, civic, business, church and other organizations.

In recognition of this work he was presented the Heroes Walking Among Us Award by the Massachusetts Foot and Ankle Society. These are doctors who deal first-hand with the consequences of diabetes ignorance. His purpose is to create an informed and supportive social environment that respects diabetics who fight the beast and encourages those who don’t to take it seriously.

He appears on podcasts to reach as many people as possible.