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

Phlogiston

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Gestational
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Diabetes, ofsted inspectors, uninvited phonecalls
Would guess that pears are high GI and sugary.
A good vegetarian diabetic diet would need careful planning as pulses have carbs as well as protein. But it's not impossible.
 

Eileen 21

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Birds
I attended the expert course in Blackpool. I have been diagnosed about 4 years ago and was given no education. This course has changed my life now feel much more confident when dealing with my diabetes. Its just a shame I wasn't offered the course sooner. I have changed my diet and have started to loose weight again I am now a low carb follower which is great. I have now lost nearly 5 stone which has taken me 4 years but have managed to keep it off. If you get chance to go on one of these courses GO. I thought I was managing my diabetes well but have learned so much and have really enjoyed it.
 

Awelford

Newbie
Messages
1
I was diagnosed just before Christmas last year and I was invites to attend DESMOND which I found very useful. I'm still in touch with some of the people I met there.
 

Deskdoll

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
I thought DESMOND was useful and informative .................. but that was before I read about LCHF on this more informative site!
 

CollieBoy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,974
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Hi carb Foods
Re-did Xpert (originally done 2009) directly via Dr Deakin. Finished this Mon.
17:30 -20:00 for 6 weeks on a Mon Night.
It was excellent & got a lot more than with the original course.
Plenty of adult discussions and recipes were ones I could eat.
 

Phlogiston

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Gestational
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Diabetes, ofsted inspectors, uninvited phonecalls
Recently attended a Desmond. I was not shown a picture of a plate, although it did feature inside the Diabetes UK booklet we were given.
I didn't learn much from the Desmond, I think most of the other participants were more biologically vague than me so it was targetted well at them.
The main message of Desmond was weight loss through reduction of saturated fat and that "No carbs are bad", but they did grudgingly acknowledge that if I wanted to reduce my HbA1C then yes I did need to control my carbs. They supported the lady who wanted a meter to find the impact of diet on her BG "as long as it was just for that". They felt that 3 monthly tests were mostly sufficient.
Can't argue with the need for weight loss - I'm not even convinced that any coherent strategy for controlling weight through saturated fat limitation (if you still believe in that) was sufficiently developed for any of the participants who wanted to go down that road.
Mrs P was hoping that I would come back readier to eat carbs. I don't know why as I'm not stopping her eating carbs.
I also found out that my HbA1C on diagnosis was 108. I'm expecting it will be lower in May
 

She22

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Not much
I'm going to an educational course on diabetes in the morning and for the next three weeks. It's run by Diabetes Ireland and has been offered to me because I won't get to see a DN in the clinic until July! I was diagnosed a month ago T2. I am looking toward to it though and I should pick up some good info.
 

Eileen 21

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Birds
I'm going to an educational course on diabetes in the morning and for the next three weeks. It's run by Diabetes Ireland and has been offered to me because I won't get to see a DN in the clinic until July! I was diagnosed a month ago T2. I am looking toward to it though and I should pick up some good info.
Hope all goes well for you let us know how you get on.
 

Tinmis

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
illness
Never offered a course (T2 9/2014) learnt most things from here and reversing diabetes book and if nothing forth coming will either go for a private course or dietician advice consultation. The current NHS advice doesn't seem to reflect the advice on the forum, which would make me question value of an NHS course. If someone has been on an NHS course (T2) would like to hear if they felt it added value.
 

Tinmis

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
illness
Ignore the added value bit just read some of the more recent posts which have confirmed my initial reaction.
 

scottish-jim

Well-Known Member
Messages
615
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I attended DOTTIE (Doncaster Type Two (Diabetes) Informative Education) back in 2010.

If I knew then what I know now I would have paid more attention.

I think it was spread over two days but found it too much to take on board.

Thankfully I seem to have my T2 under control now partly thanks to this forum. :)
 

rae65

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Diagnosed t2 on the 10th of march, waited 3weeks (feeling very scared) until I seen my dn, a 10 min appointment!!!!.... going to Desmond course on 14th may 9.30-4.30.....I have learnt more from you guy's since joining 3weeks ago......:)
 
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ck18

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Diagnosed a year ago. Saw Hospital DSN for about 10 mins on first day, luckily 'adult, daughter was with me or I wouldn't gave taken anything in, given paperwork to read and told I'd already seen hospital dietician so no problem , and I should ring her for advice if BS figures drop below 4 or go over 10.

Re admitted a week later and in for 3 weeks -she came to see my day before I came home, saying she'd tried to ring my and only realised I'd been readmitted by chance -once again was told I'd seen dietician so no problems. (In the 3 weeks I'd had major surgery, been in intensive care, had my lung punctured by mistake while trying to drain my spleen and been diagnosed with kidney problems - Dietician had only seen me as I wasn't eating - agreed I'd drink milk rather than the horrible tasting fruit drinks). spoke to DSN twice on phone to discuss readings.

July : Was called in for appt with GP DSN who couldn't do anything for me as I'm still under hospital DSN but told me I should have been on DAFNE course and be calorie counting, but only hospital can refer me - I ended up giving her more info than she knew about diabetes (having read up on Internet, informed DVLA etc already. I came out feeling really depressed so I rang hospital DSN & left message. She rang back in Sept - DAFNE (or anything similar) not run in our area for last 5 years! Arranged to see me at next hosp appt in Dec.

in Dec I saw a Doctor who told me he could put me on metaformin, but no he'll check the figures in 3 months and see how things go,...he could put me in statins, but no - he'll leAve it 3 months and see how it goes...., he could take me off insulin and see how it goes but he better not do that in case I'm readmitted to hospital... ( I wished he'd stop thinking aIoud). Went looking for her, but she was in main hospital and couldn't be contacted.

She rang me in jan & told me how pleased the last Dr was with my last set of results & she needed to see me urgently. Arranged to see her at next hosp app (in March) as I couldn't take time off beforehand for a quick chat! Finally saw her in March - useful meeting - lots of new info-they are running DAFNE (equiv) courses now but only for those whose diabetes isn't under control and mines stable so apparently I don't need it! They still haven't diagnosed if I'm type 1 or 2 or somewhere in between. Have told me not to worry as its so stable the main concern is to keep everything under control to ensure no future health problems. When I pointed out the dietician had only seen me as I wasn't eating, not for general advice, she was surprised but stated diet obviously isn't a problem.

Hospital specialist told all the results are excellent - see me in 6 months! Am eating a bit more carefully than before, not snacking so much, and still have the odd sweet but no major changes. Have had a few hypers but can usually identify the cause - the odd glass or 2 of wine, or an enjoyable desert, but all very occasional. We went away last summer and had 5 course meals every night - I had deserts which were really sweet but only ate a spoon or two, rather than the whole dish - I enjoyed what I ate and my BS figures remained within normal range!
 

KateA

Well-Known Member
Messages
271
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Meat and now sugar and carbs!!!
I am quite new, so haven't been on a course yet. Having discovered this site with all the fantastic advice and links to more advice, I am wondering if the NHS course will be a bit of a yawn. Of course I will go but I am worried I won't be able to keep my mouth shut if they tell me not to test my BS levels.
 
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Eurobuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
356
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Just wondering is there an online/video/YouTube of any of these courses? Or is it something you have to 'interact' with. I would imagine there would be people that would attend and not say anything? I was diagnosed last May & told I would get a letter for Desmond, which I did last October, but couldn't go. I was told they would get back in contact with me in the new year, so far they haven't. I did mention that Id started cutting the carbs out & that I was going to Professor Taylor's talk at Newcastle (which didn't go down well), maybe that's why they haven't been in touch!
 

Gadgetman52

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
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 Nevern been offered a place, or because you just felt like you didn't need it?
In 15yrs of being a type 2 diabetic, I've NEVER been told about any courses like these.Where or who do I need to fibd out more about them plz?

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

Kassiedent

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I did DAFNE approx 8 years ago x it was good to be able to meet other people and I did learn a lot tho some of the ways I've used the info don't meet with aims of the course!
 
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fleurtess

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
spiteful people, noisy naughty kids
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.........:)
I was struggling and in tears until I did the DAFNE course. Suddenly I understood about carb counting, insulin. Totally changed my life the sun shone again
 
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SkintDiva

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not being able to eat what I want to! American tv programmes
I was diagnosed. Type 2 in 2007. Attended a 2 hour session with a dietician along with others newly diagnosed. That is all I have been offered.