Ignorance on self management?

[Denthezen]

I am not pre judging anyone, but....
.I went on an NHS funded self management course, I waited 4 months to get on it. We were sent a letter to remind us a few days before and to contact the admin if you couldn't make it so that someone else could get the opportunity. there were 12 people invited 6 men 6 women. On the day two women failed to turn up! It was an excellent course with professional dieticians and doctor there. After lunch another two dropped out 1 woman 1 man with comments such as "I don't like vegetables" "I've tried to stop smoking" "I can't do exercise" "my tablets don't work" "I love a fried breakfast" by the afternoon tea break another (woman) left. The course finished with 7 people 5 men and 2 women. The complications to your health with diabetes caused by ignorance, and head in the sand scenario is frightening. I am lucky I seem to be managing ok, thanks to the advice I've taken.

 

[dawnmc]

I suppose looking at it another way, at least 7 were still there, if it were self funded no-one would be there.

 

[Denthezen]

I suppose looking at it another way, at least 7 were still there, if it were self funded no-one would be there.

problem is they are thinking of stopping the course to save funding, which is unfair to people who seriously care about their own health. My experience far too many people use up NHS resources without looking after themselves first. I'm lucky to live in Scotland where prescriptions are free regardless of ailment. How many people would fill up surgeries if they had to pay. People who have diabetes will suffer because of the ignorant few.

 

[Patricia21]

I went on the X - Pert diabetic course ,three month wait,It was three hours every week for six weeks,there were 12 of us at first and only 4 of us left at the end,I did note it was the younger people who left in the first weeks.
I enjoyed the course and the lady was intresting ,she did her job but would not engage in any conversation.
What I know now from what I have learnt from this forum their eating plan is not so good,to many carbs ,very low fat

 

[DeejayR]

the lady was intresting ,she did her job but would not engage in any conversation.
What I know now from what I have learnt from this forum their eating plan is not so good,to many carbs ,very low fat

I found the same on the DESMOND course which was split into 2 half-days and only half the 10 turned up for the second session. No one asked about their diabetes, only about food. They were all quite elderly and we oldies don't like to contemplate change. Luckily I'd already found this forum otherwise I'd have been more pessimistic about my diabetes when I came out than when I went in.

 

[noblehead]

Agree with Dawn, at least 7 people got some use out of the course.

I can't understand how anyone can say they don't like vegetables, what does there meals consist of I wonder

 

[graj0]

My cousin recently attended a DESMOND course in Portsmouth, they're a bit crafty down there, one day, no escape. Seems they even told people to watch their carbs and didn't poo poo the voices of some who obviously had been reading the diabetic forums and the lower carb approach. I'm not going to call it LCHF because the HF bit confuses the issue, it's the LC bit that helping us.
I find it very disappointing that people can afford to say "I don't like vegetables" when a change in diet helps so much and we don't get the complications of poor control. I despair.

 

[Brunneria]

I think that very often, getting people to change their diet choices is like getting them to change their religion.

It's such an emotive issue. Comfort. Security. Love. A lifetime's habit. Family resistance. Don't tell me what to do. Addiction. Fear. Insecurity.

Plus of course the fact that someone standing at one end of the room yacking about how they should lose weight and exercise... Well, they know that. They've been told that by their doctor for years. And they've probably tried. Possibly very hard. They've probably joined a gym. All the best intentions. And here they are. Bigger. More miserable, and feeling even more powerless. And now they have diabetes too. (Obviously, I'm not talking about the course on carb counting for type 1s here!)

If someone WANTS to change/transform their lifestyle, through personal choice, then they don't need a free NHS run course to do so. There are 6 million books, websites and 'systems' out there. Finding out the information for yourself, reading, learning, planning, shopping, etc. are part of the process that helps to make the change into a longterm lifestyle choice.

Besides, the dietary advice given on those courses is not always stuff that I personally agree with.

I have no intention of going on one of those courses - unless I will be labelled non-compliant, if I don't.
I can get better, longterm, more supportive dietary advice on here. Or any one of dozens of books.
And I would disagree with most of their NHS approved diet suggestions.
Far better to give my place to someone else.
Except that then they would get the bad advice...

 

[DeejayR]

@Brunneria Well said there ... I'd just add that if I'm invited to go on a course or whatever, I'll go because I don't want a note on my record that I "wasn't co-operating". Also I believe in the butterfly effect, or infinite ripples, or whatever you call the benign part of the law of unforeseen consequences.

 

[phoenix]

I can't imagine how people in the UK would feel about what happens around here.
The type 1 and some of the T2 courses are in patient and last form days to a week. (actually if you are very uncontrolled and overweight they can be individual and last several weeks)
I think that they make them in patient because of the distances involved in a very large rural area but it has another consequence; once you are on the course, it's difficult to leave
To get the time off work and I think it applies to benefits too., you need an Arret de Travail ie a certificate to say that you can have time off work for medical reasons. Unlike in the UK, these are loaded with restrictions. about where you are allowed to be .Normally you aren't even allowed to leave your house between 9 and 11 and 2 and 4, nor leave the departement (county) without special permission. If you do and they find out then you loose payments.
So you are stuck in the hospital for the whole course! I know one of the guys on our course needed to go home for one night and had to get permission to 'sortie' from a doctor.

Whilst on the course diet and exercise comes as part of the package. so you are a completely 'captive' audience.

 

[Denthezen]

Not really knowing what to do as I hadn't discovered self support forums. I took the Desmond course to be informative and helped me change my lifestyle to the good. Yes too many people do have their head in the sand and don't want to make changes. If you can find advice and follow it to the good brilliant. I have certainly found this forum beneficial and supportive in the few weeks I've been on it.

 

[DeejayR]

I went on the X - Pert diabetic course ,three month wait,It was three hours every week for six weeks,there were 12 of us at first and only 4 of us left at the end,I did note it was the younger people who left in the first weeks.
I enjoyed the course and the lady was intresting ,she did her job but would not engage in any conversation.
What I know now from what I have learnt from this forum their eating plan is not so good,to many carbs ,very low fat

Well now, I've been invited to an X-Pert course as well, although I had to hunt around the internet to find it's called that, being run by self-management uk. It says it will give me the tools to feel in control of the condition. A test meter and strips? I expect not.

 

[secundaw]

I was referred to do the Desmond programme but they have stopped it where I live,the doctor said they encouraged the doctors to refer patients which they did and now it's stopped.:-(

 

[eddie1968]

I did the Desmond course years ago and found it helpful as a start but knew more research and putting what I learned into practice was going to be hard. All the cut-backs and patient ignorance and excuses will come back and haunt the NHS and patients involved. More cost more diabetes complications

 

[DeejayR]

Well now, I've been invited to an X-Pert course as well.

Er, no it's not, it's a general one about managing long-term "conditions" so it could cover anything, or nothing effectively. I declined politely since I have no problems with pain, tiredness, depression or relationships. And I already know about the NHS "healthy diet" from following it rigorously for a year from pre-diabetes into Type 2.
However from recent posts on this forum I can see the workplace can be a challenge. It seems that this is where anyone with a "condition" meets prejudice and ignorance head-on and it must be very stressful. Support groups in this area are a priority, I would have thought, if only to emphasise our legal rights. (I've been retired 15 years so I have no soap-box to stand on meself)

 

[CollieBoy]

Er, no it's not, it's a general one about managing long-term "conditions" so it could cover anything, or nothing effectively. I declined politely since I have no problems with pain, tiredness, depression or relationships. And I already know about the NHS "healthy diet" from following it rigorously for a year from pre-diabetes into Type 2.
However from recent posts on this forum I can see the workplace can be a challenge. It seems that this is where anyone with a "condition" meets prejudice and ignorance head-on and it must be very stressful. Support groups in this area are a priority, I would have thought, if only to emphasise our legal rights. (I've been retired 15 years so I have no soap-box to stand on meself)

Yep, Did that one as well (as a distance course as local trust won't fund it face to face!) found it good as i could adapt the coping strategies to my situ. Only prob was that self management UK wouldn't recognise my e-course as experience to train as a leader on further courses even the e-courses.

 

[novorapidboi26]

I am not pre judging anyone, but....

I would be judging all the way home in this situation............

these people are risking their own health by leaving, so its all on them............

education is the key, as much as you can get , from any source.......

 

[airsair]

Why dont they just film the course and put it on line. Be cheaper and you can do it in your own time.