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

Which of the following structured diabetes education courses have you attended?

  • DAFNE

    Votes: 122 18.8%
  • DESMOND

    Votes: 122 18.8%
  • X-PERT

    Votes: 70 10.8%
  • ASPIRE

    Votes: 3 0.5%
  • Freedom4Life

    Votes: 2 0.3%
  • Other (Please state in a post)

    Votes: 67 10.3%
  • Never attended one

    Votes: 291 44.8%

  • Total voters
    650

kazam401

Active Member
Messages
28
Being a diabetic since 1981 I got my 1 & only course in 2017 the DAFNE course. I found this invaluable - it was the 1st time I had actually been told how to control my levels via the carb counting. I am still pretty disgusted that it took my Health Authority so long to get me on this course & I feel that before then the health care I received was very very lacking. Unfortunately I live in an area of the UK that has very poor health care & this should not happen.
 

FUD

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I did the DAFNE course at Salisbury (great team) 2012 about 18 months after being diagnosed.

It was great. When first diagnosed my I was instructed to keep regimented timings and specific amounts of food which was awkward and dull.

I appreciate there is the honeymoon period and some self learning to do but the sooner you can get on these courses the better.

They explain everything, and also show you to do whatever you want and adjust accordingly.

Refresher 1/2 days every now and then are also useful to go over certain points.

Because of that course I’ve been able to travel loads for months at a time self sufficient, increase my exercise and stop letting diabetes rule your life.

Go DAFNE

#FUD
 

misspinky1984

Well-Known Member
Messages
67
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Horrible people
Being a diabetic since 1981 I got my 1 & only course in 2017 the DAFNE course. I found this invaluable - it was the 1st time I had actually been told how to control my levels via the carb counting. I am still pretty disgusted that it took my Health Authority so long to get me on this course & I feel that before then the health care I received was very very lacking. Unfortunately I live in an area of the UK that has very poor health care & this should not happen.

Hey I completely agree with you I was diagnosed with diabetes 1988 I was 4 years old and did DAFNE course 2012 , very frustrating
 

Injebreck

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
None. Nobody has ever suggested one. The closest I ever got was my review the Christmas before last when one of the nurses said she'd just been on one (which, incidentally, caused me to change to a low carb diet).
 

michita

Well-Known Member
Messages
479
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
None. DAFNE has been offered but i declined. I can’t imagine having to take a week off from work for this (can they not do a weekend course) and also I don’t know how my low carb diet fits well with the course. They might all think I’m crazy eating low carb ?
 

dpoet

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
None. DAFNE has been offered but i declined. I can’t imagine having to take a week off from work for this (can they not do a weekend course) and also I don’t know how my low carb diet fits well with the course. They might all think I’m crazy eating low carb ?
I am going on the DESMOND one day course, they can't fit me in until August though.
I have heard some bad things about the quality of the advice on this course, I don't want the Doc to think I am resistant to change. I may learn something anyway.
 
D

Deleted member 308541

Guest
I have just got a invite to "Live Your Life Forum" in Bundaberg arranged by the NDSS and Diabetes Queensland. It cost $15.00 for the day which includes a a bag full of goodness to take home.

The supplied food and drinks are a bit sus, plenty of choice but no LCHF,

I am not going as I have better things to do on a Saturday.

aWSsPTh.jpg
 

Fearless36

Well-Known Member
Messages
112
So I did a DAFNE course last October (2018) and recently had a HB1AC test and my results have not reduced but doubled. Not happy or impressed and my Gp and hospital are absolutely useless in helping me to rectify this. I have a feeling I am going to have to do this alone without their help which is a joke. Not happy or impressed at all.
 

philly1991

Well-Known Member
Messages
151
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Managed to book onto DAFNE in December, really looking forward to it and hoping I take something good from it.
 

ert

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,588
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
diabetes
fasting
I'm on a DAFNE course starting Monday. I started insulin seven weeks ago. There was an introductory session last week. One person had had diabetes for 28 years and has never been on a course. I'm the most recent insulin user.
 

Route 66

Well-Known Member
Messages
205
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I recently attended an EMPOWER course.

It lasted for 4 hours and by the time you get a place on it, you have already learnt all of what they cover.

They did cover most of what you would expect, and the last two hours was spent discussing EATWELL.

I surprised to see that of the 12 people who attended, only three of us had any determination to deal with the diagnosis. The remainder really didn't want to make any lifestyle changes.

The last 15 minutes was thrown open to questions and the Trainer did seem out of her depth when answering some of them.

Everyone was asked to leave their email addressses and were told they would be sent login details for ongoing support at MAPMYDIABETES. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but three weeks later and no sign of any login being sent.

It strikes me that the NHS can now tick a box that 12 more people have been through the system.
 

becca59

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,856
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
DAFNE I loved every minute. Learnt shed loads about coping with illness, how to get the best out of consultant appointments, not over treating hypos, and to treat properly with pure sugar so that it works quickly and efficiently. They checked how we were injecting made sure that people were rotating sites. Not everyone was. Just meeting other Type 1s, some who had had it donkeys years was brilliant.
 

Pauline17136

Newbie
Messages
2
I went to nurse appt with hubby today. He lost a lot of weight by low carb and higher fat and asked for another cholesterol test etc.

Nurse was adamant at carbs for every meal and fat such as cream, cheese etc were bad.. Just hoping that his tests when he gets them done in 4 weeks proves her wrong!

I get so fed up with healthcare professionals that do not update their knowledge since they were trained. Its scary.
 

Pauline17136

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi folks. I was d T2 in Feb. 2917. I am now 65 and have been following a Low Carb/ Healthy Fat diet and lost 2 stone 7 lbs. I have had virtually no help except from healthy cookery books and my nurse within my GP centre. This forum is my lifeline.
 

sausage91

Member
Messages
15
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?
I went on X-pert. It was amazing and brilliant and not only taught me everything to get my Hba1c down which I have done to 40 - it also lifted me out of the depression that the diagnosis put me into. I would recommend it to everyone. Unfortunately the funding has been axed from CC for it where I live which is sad - I would have liked others to be saved like me.
 

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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.
Oh shoot!! Have had a craving for tomato soup and have been eating it by the ton!!
 

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Sounds like they're a waste of time from all the comments
I went on the Desmond course and found it very informative. I had been diabetic for about a year when I went. That was down to the fact that the place I wanted to attend was booked on the dates I could go (I go away a lot)
 

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi folks. I was d T2 in Feb. 2917. I am now 65 and have been following a Low Carb/ Healthy Fat diet and lost 2 stone 7 lbs. I have had virtually no help except from healthy cookery books and my nurse within my GP centre. This forum is my lifeline.
I find information from my surgery very confusing. My diabetes nurse told me to follow the heart diet and my diabetes doctor said no! The Desmond course was very helpful for me.