Carbohydrate counting

[Fred_Mc]

Hi,
I am to go through an education pogramme with regards to carbohydrate counting, think known as DAPHNE, not sure of correct name,,has anyone completed such a programme or is there anywhere I can find more information on this,there is a waiting list of almost one year.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/education/dafne.html

 

[therower]

@Fred_Mc. Welcome to the forum.
DAFNE ( Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating)
It's usually a week long course, sometimes available as a once a week / 5 week course. A one day follow up after about 6 weeks.
If you need to know how to carb count and have better control of your diabetes I would say it's a great course.
Hands on, practical, informative and fun.
If you get the chance to do the course then do it. Not only is the course great, meeting fellow T1's is unusual but very comforting. I had another 9 T1's on my course, it was a great week.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I've seen many posts from people who have been on DAFNE - many positive. To have a week long course for this is a bit absurd but it does cover a lot. My DN covered carb-counting with me when she started me on insulin in 15 minutes. Admittedly it focussed just on getting the Bolus ratio right and gave me a leaflet of typical foods and carbs. That was all I needed but I'm not everyone.

 

[Madmaureen]

Completed the DAfne course and learned exactly how to adjust.and carb count what I should have been doing years ago!
The educators are so keen to help and educate and made me realise what I had to do and not what I had been doing for 40 years!!
It has changed my whole life no more hypos or falling and needing help at night my life is brilliant now I am coping so well.
Take the course.if you are offered it - you will not regret it.

 

[leahkian]

I was asked to attend a DAFNE course before they would allow me a insulin pump but i told them i could not go and i had been counting carbs for over 35 Years at the time. At first they refused to give me a pump so i had to go to PALS and was going to meet the hospital management but the i got a phone call saying that i could do a half a days course instead. I did the course and they gave me sheets about DAFNE and i started my pump in Nov but i had been classed as a very brittle diabetic and had the worse Xmas ever. They then took me into hospital in Feb to try and get the sugars under control but i said when i get out of here i will not be lying in bed, in the April i went to my GP's and asked to be sent to see a consultant at Newcastle. I went through to see the consultant and my local hospital sent a A4 sheet of paper when i had 3 thick files, i was in a hour and told to go back next week and all my notes were there. He turned to me and asked why i did not go on the DAFNE course and i told him due to work i could not go and how long i had been counting carbs for, He explained to me the research that had gone in to the course and that it was only a guide as there are no two diabetics the same and if there was treatment would be easy.. We sat down and made a plan on what next to do with my pump, i went away with hope something that i had not had for over 10 years. I went back again the following week with just a couple of minor issues, so we corrected them and when i went back the week after my BG was between 6-8 which they had not been at for over 30 years and he asked me if i wanted to stay at Newcastle or back to my local hospital. I said i am stopping here he asked me would i help him in a presentation that he was doing, i said yes. The presentation was on diabetes courses and that some people benefit from different ways of teaching. I know that people have had a positive effect on them but i went with the consultant to talk to some young adults 16 -23 and explain of my life with diabetes and how i would need a transplant soon. The different courses were brought up and many of the people thought that sitting in a room would be no use as 5 days would be to long and they would become bored. They asked me what i thought i told them that 16-23 many things change in your life and these alone can take there toll on you, i said that now every thing in on the internet and they could look at it in there own time but if they were on a pump to check with a DNS before they went and changed anything. The thing that struck me as i was over 10 years older than the oldest was how still they still hid their diabetes away and i could relate to them as i had done the same. Hope you find the courses a benefit but remember there are still others you can try.

 

[Fred_Mc]

I too Have been carb counting since I was intrduced to the new pens years ago, working in catering for years and at present managing a cafe, I was always careful, my early year 16-21 Didn't much bother, but then changed and took my diabetes more seriouly. I was admitted to hospital in September for unrelated illness, the doctor there said I was " too well contolled" and that I should "relax" a bit concerning my diabetes. I was asked to return to diabetic clinic, I was there on Thursday, saw the doctor, spent 20 mins talking about changing my insulin, then decided not too, maybe look at that next appointment she said ( which is March 2019), saw down she was happy how I run my life and diabetes, but still want me do Dapne course, which has 1 year waiting list? I have no objection doing the course, but do feel that time frame to start course and worse still to see the doctor defeats the purpose.thanks

 

[Snapsy]

I learned to carb count in 1986 when first diagnosed - and that was so I knew how to work out that I was having the set-in-stone-with-no-variation-ever 50g CHO for each breakfast, lunch and tea, and 20g CHO for three snacks a day.

It wasn't until I did DAFNE in 2006 (actually it was my local hospital's equivalent) that I was taught about carbohydrate to insulin ratios, and given the power to actually eat what I wanted when I wanted. I'd been experimenting for years (since starting on MDI in the 1990s) but it was not based on anything concrete.

I found DAFNE absolutely invaluable, and was so so pleased to have had the revelation that I could at last and to some extent make my diabetes predictable.

I was reticent about doing the course, thinking I already 'knew it all'. How very wrong I was!

 

[porl69]

I did a course here in sunny Wales 10 years ago DAFYDD (Dose Adjustment For Your Daily Diet), typical Welsh. I found it invaluable. Been diabetic since i was 6 years old, well controlled by my mother. When in my teens my diabetes went out of control. I KNEW BEST!!!! Am now 51 years young, lost the sight in my left eye and am stage 4 CKD.
DAFYDD really helped me get back on track. Would definitely do the DAPHNE course

 

[Fred_Mc]

I shall be doing the course despite what I feel I know already, it' a year at least before I get a place on a course. I was looking around internet to see if I could learn about it before then, there wasnt much that i could find.
Thanks everyonefor input.
Fred

 

[Snapsy]

I shall be doing the course despite what I feel I know already, it' a year at least before I get a place on a course. I was looking around internet to see if I could learn about it before then, there wasnt much that i could find.
Thanks everyonefor input.
Fred

This might give you a glimpse of the sorts of things that are covered, @Fred_Mc .
https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/

 

[novorapidboi26]

DAFNE was life changing for me, but only because I was coming from a mixed insulin with no experience of matching insulin to carbs.....

It gave me a good understanding of how to evaluate blood sugars and make subsequent changes to my doses [basal/bolus/corrections]....

Those methods are still a very strong part of my daily control, despite being on a pump and never writing anything down on paper anymore.....[only when evaluating a dose]

I wouldn't say you need to go and learn anything before attending......just go and start a fresh to get the best benefit.....

 

[Fred_Mc]

Thanks for the link, it confirms that I have been carb counting all this time, my ratios do change, dependant whether at work or not, most of the stuff at bertieonline was covered years ago and I have used the carb to insulin each time, I am going on course, you can always learn something knew,, as I said it be a year or more before I do course, meanwhile I will continue carb counting- to insulin ratios, see it more now as a refresher course for me,,20 plus years operating this way,,hasn' failed me yet..
Very nteresting comments too and it' clear everyone benefits from it,, see a lot of folk on insulin pumps these days too
Fred

 

[Bluey1]

The big problem I find with carb counting is knowing the portion size. With raw whole food it's easy, once you get into simple processed food e.g. Mashed potato it becomes a lot more difficult. I know you are supposed to use cups to measure it all, but I just want to eat it. I seem to have a really good knack at looking at something and coming up with a unit dose based on BSG what I have been doing and get it right on nearly every occasion. The measuring really doesn't work for me as I need to take my insulin about 20min before I eat otherwise I get a massive spike, then a fantastic hypo.

 

[goalie]

Look at DAFNE online. Its much much more than just carb counting.

 

[therower]

Look at DAFNE online. Its much much more than just carb counting.

Apologies if I'm incorrect. I was led to believe that the only way to get access to DAFNE online was after attending the course, at which time you would be given an access code.