Hello folks

[Loraines]

Where I am they do a CHOICE (Carbohydrate(CHO) and Insulin Calculation Education) course, I went on it some 40ish years after I was initially diagnosed , I was apprehensive about going cos I thought 'well what the heck can they tell me that I don't already know' however it was actually really useful and whilst I had the carb counting thing already sorted it was the other bits that helped - namely they helped me sort out my doses, which helped immensely when I changed my fast-acting not long after as I knew how to work it out now.

Mine was a day a week for 5 weeks and was so interesting that I didn’t want it to end. They go through your numbers and suggest adjustments to your basal, ratio of bolus to carbohydrates, food choices, effect of exercise, dealing with potential side effects with neuropathy, how to avoid hypos, treatment with glucagon, carb counting, using a pump, cons, water intake, etc. All very thorough and as said earlier, great to chat and share ideas with other T1s.
This course should be compulsory!

 

[localshop]

The Libre is brilliant - a revelation. My Diabetes Consultant said to me 'The most significant advance in the management of diabetes in the 20 years doing my job'. Analogy. Before, using finger pricking, it is like sailing a boat close to a rocky coast and only being able to check your depth every 4 hours or so with a lead on the end of a rope. After, with the Libre, it is like having an electronic depth sounder fitted - you can watch the depths all the time, from the comfort of the bridge. Make sense? In my neck of the woods, Sussex, once you have had the Libre prescribed you can't/don't get it until you have attended the introductory course - which may be the DAPHNE Course, can't remember. Mandatory, not optional. So to some extent it doesn't matter 'what it's like' - you gotta be there!! Run in my case by a lady from Abbott with local diabetic Specialist Nurses in attendance. Which is fair does. They are expensive and you need to have some tuition on how to use it to best advantage. I found it is a good course and was delighted to get going with the Libre.

Yep same here in Yorkshire. No DAFNE, no Libre. It’s just a shame the next DAFNE isn’t until mid Feb.

 

[localshop]

I've been T1 since I was two, 1958 and have just been booked on a DAFNE course, but have two years to wait...

Two years?!? That’s ridiculous.

 

[porl69]

Hi...

I heard the Miao Miao runs with the freestyle libre fine but my nurse needs to see the data..

Reason I wanted libre was to make my life easier in many ways including uploading of data but with miaomiao hows it done? --- take a screen shot then email my nurse? Just trying to make life with T1 more life like and not a burden

Dom.

You would need the nightscout app which you can then send the data to your DSN. I have not a clue on how you go about doing that mind!

 

[noyahO21]

Hello
I found the DAFNE course (in 2012) to be a life changer. Fantastic. Highly recommend it. I've been a Type 1 diabetic for 52 years since the age of 3. Sadly, I found the Freestyle Libre to be completely inaccurate. Very disappointed. My HbA1c rose from 6.4% to 7.8% in 6 months. I did paired Libre and finger pricking testing for 6 weeks and found that the Libra was reading between 3-5 mmol lower than my actual bsl reading. I have stopped using the Libre. My daughter too, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 years ago at the age of 19, also experienced the same problem with the Libre. She too has stopped using it. She too though, found the DAFNE course to be excellent. I've informed Abbott about the discrepancy with the Libre. I've met many diabetics who have stopped using it because of its inaccuracy. If you do consider using it, I recommend that you do a few weeks of paired testing, ie Libre and normal bsl finger prick testing. Best wishes.

 

[localshop]

Hello
I found the DAFNE course (in 2012) to be a life changer. Fantastic. Highly recommend it. I've been a Type 1 diabetic for 52 years since the age of 3. Sadly, I found the Freestyle Libre to be completely inaccurate. Very disappointed. My HbA1c rose from 6.4% to 7.8% in 6 months. I did paired Libre and finger pricking testing for 6 weeks and found that the Libra was reading between 3-5 mmol lower than my actual bsl reading. I have stopped using the Libre. My daughter too, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 years ago at the age of 19, also experienced the same problem with the Libre. She too has stopped using it. She too though, found the DAFNE course to be excellent. I've informed Abbott about the discrepancy with the Libre. I've met many diabetics who have stopped using it because of its inaccuracy. If you do consider using it, I recommend that you do a few weeks of paired testing, ie Libre and normal bsl finger prick testing. Best wishes.

that's very interesting. Thanks, as and when I get the device I'll do just that.

 

[Redpanda]

Probably should have put this in the 'introductions' thread but never mind. New to the forum but been T1 since 1988. I've just been booked on to a DAFNE course (they have said if I do that then I can get a Freestyle Libre) and was wondering what people's thoughts were on the course and the device? Cheers Nick

I have done the DAFNE course and have had my libre about 5 months. The course is very good and you will probably learn something even though you have had T1 for sometime. As for the libre! Very ‘liberating’ to say the least! I hardly ever need to finger prick as it tells me all I need to know so would now hate to be without it. I’m sure you will soon be a Libre convert