Poll: Which diabetes course(s) have you attended?

[Administrator]

This month we're taking a look at structured diabetes education courses in the UK and how well they work.

Have you taken one since you were diagnosed? If so, how helpful did you find it, if at all?

If you haven't taken any courses - is that because you've never been offered a place, or because you just felt like you didn't need it?

Would you recommend the course(s) to any of your friends if they were to get diagnosed with diabetes?

 

[zand]

I am type 2. I have never been offered a place. The only advice I have really been given by my GP and DN is to cut down on sweet things and to avoid Heinz tomato Soup and pears.

 

[novorapidboi26]

Diagnosed in 1999

DAFNE in 2009

Was completely in the dark about carb counting and the effect of insulin and carbs on the blood sugar........

Changed my life.........

 

[noblehead]

I'm a DAFNE graduate, the course was very worthwhile and I'd recommend it to anyone with type 1 diabetes.

 

[AndBreathe]

I haven't attended any. None have been offered, although my circumstances at the point of diagnosis would have made attendance tricky, and from first follow-up I have been in the non-diabetic range, so perhaps was considered unnecessary.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I am Type 2. I was offered a place on an X-Pert course but declined because the course was being presented by my own DN. Having previously been told by her to eat jacket potatoes with baked beans, plenty of mushy peas,wholemeal bread and low fat I decided not to bother. Also, by the time the course was being run I had been a member of this forum for 8 months where I learnt about the disease and was finding great success with my low carb diet.

 

[cold ethyl]

I went on the DESMOND about 9 weeks post diagnosis. Can't say it was helpful as full of outdated dietary advice and a bit simplistic, though i guess it is hard to pitch it at a suitable level as a wide range of ages and abilities, both physically and mentally, attended mine.

 

[anna29]

3 months (over 5 years ago) after being diagnosed I was offered the DESMOND course .
I self referred myself for the XPERT just 2 years ago .
After hearing I could self refer for this via my local diabetic clinic .

Looking back at the DESMOND course it was very basic
and certainly a carb heavy promoted course .

I stuck to my own diet/routine with having my bowel/digestion conditions and issues .
Found out since am Coeliac so makes a lot more sense to me .

 

[Kat100]

I attended the Desmond course ...
There were some useful tips to get me started ....

However the professionals presenting the course ....had a few problems going on between them ...
I reported it back to my health centre ....the courses cost money , and the problem I hope won't happen again ...just a blip but it should not have happened ....feedback was neccessary.....and the blip was followed up ...so that was a good outcome.

But yes it really did help because at that time I had started reading forums, and books of my choice, I was overwhelmed with information , a few basics really did help ...I also felt I was not alone ...I remember being in total shock at the time ....it was just before christmas 2012

I was also given a support contact number to ring the hospitals unit if I had any questions at anytime which I thought was a nice touch ...an extended supportive intervention ...support by phone but I considered that fine ...because I did not know what to expect ...
Some case history stories were shared , very good to hear ...
You are entitled I believe to be offered a place on the course ...I wanted to learn more information ...

If you don't get offered a place I would question the reason , and if you do then take questions with you and you may get something out of it ...
A few basics really helped me... Less can be more at times ....not now though ...I am always looking at new ideas ....recepies , reading experiences that sort of thing ...
But what I don't do is read all the research links ....so many fors and so many against,s .. For me that can be to much at times ....but a cure for everyone that would grab my attention

 

[tim2000s]

I was given the choice of DAFNE or BDEC by the clinic I attended in 2003 or 2004. Due to the timing issues with DAFNE (basically having to take a week off work or 5 days individually, which I hope the NHS will realise DOESN'T WORK WHEN YOU HAVE A FULL TIME JOB), I elected for BDEC. As I had been carb counting for a long time, I found it useful to pick up the correction bolussing details.

 

[mutti]

I have been on the 'heidi' course in the Scottish highlands. It was a very good course and we were given a accucheck aviva expert meter which I have found invaluable for carb counting and insulin units.

 

[Moosepig]

on diagnosis i was offered a DESMOND course and Healthy-i, which i found more helpful. I was also invited to see a dietician which was useful and my DN is very helpful as is this forum.

 

[himtoo]

I am a DAFNE graduate from 2004
I had pestered my hospital for about 2 1/2 years before they started offering it -- was on their first course.
and echo @tim2000s thoughts on it being a full 5 day course ( i took holiday as I was desperate to do it )
It was quite useful

 

[ally1]

i attended the desmond course but didn,t find it helpful
i found coming on here to be more benificial

 

[dancer]

I attended my clinic's own 2 day version of DAFNE on the advice of my DSN. She suggested that maybe I'd fallen into some bad habits in my carb counting.

This was the first time in over 20 years that I was given an alternative to using the fixed number of 10g exchanges I'd been told to use after diagnosis. Even when I'd been trying unsuccessfully to lose weight, and saw a dietician, I wasn't offered DAFNE - she just told me I could cut out the snacks and lower my insulin (using trial and error till I found the correct dose).

I get the feeling that the clinic doesn't offer courses unless there's no alternative. Maybe I'm being unfair but that's the impression I've been given - for those diagnosed for many years anyway.

It turned out I hadn't fallen into bad habits after all but the course did lead to me going on the pump.

 

[teecee46]

Waiting to attend a DESMOND course!

 

[cookiesT2]

I was offered a DESMOND course had to say no because of the trouble I would have getting a day off work and losing pay too.

 

[Sancho panza]

I went on the DESMOND about 9 weeks post diagnosis. Can't say it was helpful as full of outdated dietary advice and a bit simplistic, though i guess it is hard to pitch it at a suitable level as a wide range of ages and abilities, both physically and mentally, attended mine.

I'm T2 and cold ethyl has put down my thoughts exactly

 

[cairnlady]

Went on Dssmond a few weeks after diagnosis to be told that my blood levels were not diabetic and should not be there! So sent home at lunchtime! Went back to GP who stressed I was diabetic and the people taking the course did not seem to know new guidelines so she would contact them and arrange for me to finish course but never heard any more. The morning was just about what diabetes was and not very interesting so not sorry to miss afternoon as that was about the diet as per NHS.

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

I was offered the Desmond course but declined it. My dietician was such a wind-up merchant that it put me off going on a course.