DAFNE course

[erroneous]

I just finished a DAFNE course and i would recommend it to anybody with type 1 diabetes (as it seems not to be proposed for type 2 even on insulin) (don't really know why though), even for people who have good control over their diabetes.
It's intensive but that's what we need to distinguish patterns on our blood glucose tests that we are supposed to do 4 times a day. And there's a lot to learn. It's very empowering and helps getting rid of the guilt you can feel as you discover that nobody has perfect control.
Feel free to ask questions if you want to know more

 

[Anonymous]

I am doing the DAFNE course in May this year and I am really excited about doing it

 

[SweetGuy]

I think one of the problems with DAFNE mentioned when we discussed it earlier was that is was not avilable in large parts of the country.

 

[Abi]

DAFNE is great. But it is the sort of information that should be dripfed from diagnosis rather than sometihng that people have to wait for, for an incredibly long time. It is not as revolutionary as many people make out- A similar approach was available in Dusseldorf in the early 1980s, whereas most people in the UK were expected to lead a regimented life and have practically zilch control over their condition ( and then often get blamed for it), although a few enlightened health care professionals did encourage people to be flexible. But you do need a few numerical rules to start off with

 

[erroneous]

I'm quite a new type 1, only diagnosed one year and 2 months ago and i don't think i am the one in the course that learnt the most. There was no contradiction between what i was taught at the diagnosis and what i saw in the course.
But most of the people there were diagnosed 30 years ago and they went through lots of different "advices" from doctors which made them really confused. DAFNE gives you a new framework to work with and teaches you the basics so that you can treat yourself and not be some kind of guinea pig for you doctor.
I think it's good for everybody.
And yeah, the program comes from Germany and has been extended through Europe. It's being made available for more people in the UK as well apparently.
Take care guys.

 

[sugarless sue]

Would someone who has done the course like to map out the basic principles?

Knowledge is the key to control

 

[Abi]

I agree with you Sarah- absolute negligence to expect patients to take insulin without being at least offered instruction in carb counting, and its benefits. And now- with the availability of glucose monitoring- negligence to refuse to allow people a reasonable number of strips- to monitor pre meal and bed, and before driving etc.

Were you actually encouraged to vary the amount of insulin and carbs- surely this would be more tricky unless basal and fast acting insulins are completely separate.I thought people were encouraged to eat a fixed number of "exchanges"- which while limiting has got to be far preferable to telling people to eat a healthy meal with plenty of starch and not worry about couting the carb at all. But being expected to eat at the same time of day for me would be more of an issue than being expected to eat the same amount of carbs- I absolutely do not expect to have my routine dictated to me by my diabetes regimen

Can you vary your meatimes- I mean is your bovine long acting more or less titrated according to your basal needs so you could just take that and eat later, taking soluble insulin then?

 

[erroneous]

Well, i was the only new diabetic of the team and at least 5 of them had had diabetes for 15 to 30 years and apparently most of them were taught bull**** when first diagnosed. They went through a phase were they were taught to carb count. Then a few years later not to have carbs at all or to reduce their intake dramatically. And so on.
I was surprise to discover people who had no idea of what the complications were or basic facts about diabetes. When i was diagnosed i rushed on books to find answers concerning everything about diabetes. I guess some people'd rather forget about it. :?
The basic principles are that you should test before every meal and so determine the ratio you need compared to the intake of carbs + add a correction or "undercorrect" according to your BG level. You determine patterns by testing always at the same time and then share it every morning with everybody.
I always thaught the slow-acting insulin was useless. I'm the kind that need to see the result straight away but i could see that it does its job. You are also told that if you have a hypo during the night you should decrease your slow acting insulin straight the day after by 10 or 20%.
You are told not to check after 2 hours from a meal because your insulin (quick-acting) is still working and the result may be confusing. The quick acting can effect for 2 to 5 hours.
We were all on quick and slow acting insulin so i can't give advice to people who are on a different intake but i'm sure it would be covered by the team if the case presented.
I have to go now. I'll try to come back later. I'm not english so forgive my grammatical mistake(s)
Take care.

 

[erroneous]

Another thing i can tell you is the subjects that are covered during the week:
-explanation of diabetes
-food and introduction to carbs
-diabetes control, BG, ketones
-hypo treatment
-severe hypo treatment
-eating out and alcohol
-insulin action, choice of insulin, injectyion technique
-principles of insulin dose adjustment
-physical activity
-food recipes and labels
-sick day rules
-healthy eating, weight management
-social aspects of diabetes (pregnancy, driving...)

You also meet a doctor twice who explains complications, what they're looking at when blood testing (creatinine, HbA1c, cholesterol...) and urine testing. The second session is for our eventual questions. She gave us very reassuring and concrete numbers about what we could expect for complications (i was quite scared about blindness :x but it's not that widespread).
You spend lots of time doing exercises of carbs estimation, dose adjustment practice and reviewing of our BG levels.
You eat out once and spend the other lunchtime meal in the hospital canteen.
Voila! I've said it all.

 

[erroneous]

It is taught at diagnosed. But it's good to review it sometimes, isn't it? Especially for people who were told different things through the years of treatment.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree 100% it should be tought at diagnosis. When I went to the meeting I was so close to not getting my name put down for a course because all the dates got filled really quickly but luckly I got a date and its in May I think the reason they cant teach it at diagnosis is because the places get full so quickly and I not everyone would get a place.