Xpert Course

[anna29]

Hi All.

6 - 8 months after being diagnosed I was asked to attend the DESMOND course.
Which I did - along with my mother in tow!

Now I have recieved a letter this morning inviting me to attend the XPERT course .
Next january 2013 - with 6 x weekly 2hour sessions 2-4pm at a local conference centre .

Anyone done this ? What was taught or learned on this ?
Am curious and pleased to be offered a place on this course .

Anna.

 

[mazbee]

My husband attended the xpert course 2 years ago, as he has severe C.O.P.D. He thoroughly enjoyed this course.
It involved people of all ages with different types of long term disabilities to be able to understand how our disabilities may affect us and how to learn to set short and long term goals to help keep you possitive.

My husband often brought little freebies home, like stress balls, tape measures etc.
He also made lots of friends with whom he is still in contact with since this course.

Both he and myself are now booked on this course for March next year. (he was told he could attend again after 2 years)
We are looking forward to this. :thumbup:

 

[anna29]

Hello mazbee.

Thanks for your reply .

Did the course cover - discuss diabetes ?
It covered other long term disabilities ?

I like the thought of meeting others and maintaining friendship/contact with them also.
That would be nice :thumbup:

Anna.

 

[CollieBoy]

Anna,
Course was :
Week 1: What is diabetes?
Digestion and blood glucose
Exploring medications and how they work
Health results – what do they mean?
Week 2: Eating with diabetes
Physical activity
Weight management
How to assess your diet
Week 3: What are carbohydrate (starchy and sugary) foods and their effect on blood
glucose?
What carbohydrates are you having
Week 4: Shopping for foods
Reading and understanding food labels
Understanding the traffic light system, guideline daily amounts and nutritional
labels
Dispelling the myths
Week 5: Low and high blood glucose levels
Prevention of the complications of diabetes
Special considerations when living with diabetes
Week 6: Are you an X-PERT? game – questions and answers
Making plans and setting goals for change

From my perspective at the time (T2 on basal/bolus insulin) I found that the leaders were geared up to recite the program but couldnt answer my questions re Insulin as everyone else was on diet/exercise or oral meds so found large parts uninspiring.

Therere is in some areas an XPERT INSULIN course which may cover those on insulin:
A brief overview of each session:
Week 1: Diabetes, insulin and healthy living
What is diabetes, the role of insulin and the diabetes health profile
Healthy living: eatwell plate and physical activity
What I am eating
Week 2: All about insulin
Insulin-specific challenges with self-managing diabetes
Hypoglycaemia / hyperglycaemia – Ketoacidosis (DKA) & HONK
Exploring insulin – onset, peak and duration, regimens and devices
My insulin injection technique
Week 3: Know your carbs
Identification of carbohydrate foods and drinks
Carbohydrate counting – estimation, calculation and reading food labels
Self-monitoring blood glucose, meters, frequency of testing technique and safe sharps
disposal
My “what should I do?” scenarios
Week 4: Inspiration for insulin
Troubleshooting: strategies to take control
“Inspiration”: a game for insulin X-PERTs covering everyday scenarios
What troubleshooters may work for me?
MATCH IT challenges

Week 5: MATCH IT – taking control
MATCH IT: My diary, my diabetes – A day in the life of…
A chance to learn and share
Apply troubleshooters to MATCH IT challenges
Week 6: Are you an insulin X-PERT?
Game: MATCH IT 24/7 to challenge real “living with diabetes on insulin” situations
What did I learn from troubleshooting the MATCH IT challenges
The way forward

 

[mazbee]

Here is a link to the expert patient program my husband attended.

http://www.expertpatients.co.uk/

I got it mixed up with the xpert course, I shall have to learn to spell..... :shock: :lol:

http://www.expertpatients.co.uk/course- ... t-diabetes

Please accept my apologies for mixing this up. :?

 

[anna29]

Hi .
Mazbee
Not to worry - it still sounds the sound when said out loud isnt it :thumbup:
Thank you for the links to the other expert course - will read up on these also ...

FergusCrawford
They have told me that I have to attend the Xpert course first - complete it .
Then they will book me onto the Xpert Insulin Users course
Apparantly in my area I cant just do the xpert insulin users course without having
done the Xpert course first .
Dunno why like ? but this is what they specified to me ... :roll:

 

[CollieBoy]

Hi .


FergusCrawford
They have told me that I have to attend the Xpert course first - complete it .
Then they will book me onto the Xpert Insulin Users course
Apparantly in my area I cant just do the xpert insulin users course without having
done the Xpert course first .
Dunno why like ? but this is what they specified to me ... :roll:

I know what you mean Anna, I'm not too far away from you in Lancashire but further east, and they couldn't even provide the +1 yr follow up day course :crazy: mind you, the meeting other Ds was the only real value I got. The forum taught me all the diabetes management I have got, and knowing the questions to ask, and where!
Good luck on the courses.
F :thumbup:

 

[Montana]

Re: Massive Change and improvement

Hi Anna I have only read a little about the DESMOND course but would like to know more about it. When I've tried to access info I keep reading that the waiting lists are very long and usually not many places in Solihull or Birmingham that do them. I have to rely on public transport which sometimes proves difficult to get to some venues but if anyone out there can offer me info on where there courses are in my area I would be real grateful. Linzi-Montana

 

[hanadr]

I've done the X-pert course
I don't think I acually learned anything, but I'm still friends with one of the other course members. She was waiting for a hip replacement. It probably helped some people as it focussed on dealing with your own feelings about things and dealing positively with Healthcare professionals. One of the class leaders was a T1 diabetic. I introduced her to the idea of controlling/reducing carbs. when the course finished, she thanked me for that!
Hana

 

[anna29]

Hi All.

My winter Xpert course was cancelled with the snow and icy weather in the beginning of january.
Have recieved my new dates to attend now...
These will be end of june/july 2013 now.

No chance 'them' of cancelling these given its in the summertime 'yay' :thumbup:

Anna.

 

[anna29]

Hi All .

My new Xpert course starts on monday june 3rd .
I am looking forward to it too .

We are even going on a shopping trip :shock: in this course .
It is a 6 week course so I am getting quite curious as to "what it is 'all' about " :?:

Anyone done this course here - since my last post ?
Please add in what was good/bad about it all .

Thanks Anna.

 

[anna29]

Hi All .

Tomorrow is the 1st day of this course for me :thumbup:
[ my mother is coming along too ]

Am looking forward to meeting other diabetics.
Learning,sharing fresh new education,experiences and developments .

Will let you all know how things go .

Anna .

 

[Spiritus70]

Hi Anna. I've never heard of this course, but it sounds really interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[kenbro]

Hi,
I am attending my 4th week of this course on Wednesday (5th June) and have found it very interesting and informative. All folks there are diabetics having been diagnosed ranging from 10 years until a few months ago, one type 2 just started on insulin.
A dietician and a diabetes nurse are running the course and seem to know what they are talking about so hopefully will finish the course far more knowledgeable about how to deal with everything.

 

[HazelD]

I am starting the Xpert course on 26th June, looking forward to it.
Was only diagnosed T2 on 26th April.

 

[Thommothebear]

I started on my Xpert course yesterday here in Medway. First impression is very good and much better than I had anticipated. The presenter seems quite OK with low carbing as a personal strategy, merely pointing out that it may not suit everyone. She also more or less admitted that many of the guidelines are out of date and there has been a lot of advice given in the past which may not have been the best. The principle seems to be provide information so informed choices can be made rather than offering prescriptive solutions like strict diet sheets.

I had not realised before that a diagnosis of glucose intolerance is usually followed by a full diabetes diagnosis within a couple of years so I'm quite pleased that I managed to fend off full diabetes for around 7 years after I was first informed about the intolerence. Also pleased that my cholesterol is back under control having changed from simvastatin, less pleased that I have to have another HBA1c test less than a week after than my last one because the sample had been put into the wrong container by the nurse so was unusable.

Looking forward to next weeks session now

 

[martwolves]

Good luck! Wolves FC my team do this, but I was unable to attend! I do know it's largely aimed at type 2s though. Please feedback. Good luck and be well! You can do it!

 

[Thommothebear]

Three weeks in and somewhat less impressed now. They are still touting that you must not eat less than 135g of carbs per day. according to them your brain requires this as a minimum to function. Oh, really?

Otherwise I'm finding it a bit too simplistic generally, have not heard anything since the first session which I did not already know from my own researching here and on other sources. Will stick with it as my doctor will otherwise assume I'm not taking diabetes seriously and i'm not risking giving them an excuse to reduce my test strips any further