DAFNE course

Hi Chip,

I think most people on this forum who have been on the DAFNE course found it very useful. I seem to be the only one who didn't. I went to the first day and didn't find it helpful, but that's just me. It depends what your going there to learn about. Each person is going to be different. Hope he finds it useful!

The main things the course offers are:
- an understanding of the way insulin and carbohydrates interact, and guidelines to help you adjust insulin doses yourself
- the biology of the way diabetes works
- info about what all those numbers/tests mean when you go to annual review, and what you are entitled to
- ongoing support, if you want it, from a dietician and a diabetes specialist nurse in a more intensive way than you'd probably get normally
- the chance to feel normal because you're in a room of other T1s
- the chance to learn from other T1s' experiences

if someone's already happy with the way they are self-managing, and don't feel they'd get anything from spending time with others with Type 1, then DAFNE probably isn't worth it. Having said that, as Elc says, most feedback does seem to be very positive. Personally, I was happy with the way I self managed, but I still learnt a lot of useful stuff about what I was entitled to, and I'm still friends with some of the people I was on the course with; I found it really good to talk to others in the same situation.

NB: some DAFNE centres offer the chance for partners/loved ones to attend the severe hypo session if they want to. If you have the chance, take it - I wish I'd made my partner go to that bit. It's well worth it and it will also help you understand what kinds of things your boyfriend is learning.

Hi there, i have done the DAFNE course twice and found it very helpful, when i first did it i didnt really stick to carb counting but the second time round i did and have found its changed my life. If your boyfriend has an i phone tell him there is an app to download called carbs and cals, i know DAFNE reccomend it, its brilliant, no need to weigh food on the go when carb counting, it has the majority of foods stored in it to hep you estimate ow many carbs ur eating.

I hope he enjoys the course, i know i did

Regards

Nicky x

Definitely positive chip!

Although the course came highly recommended by HCP and from people who had already been on the course I was still apprehensive prior to the course starting, after day one I realised I'd made one of the best decisions of my life and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learnt a great deal from the experience.

You can view the DAFNE website by clicking on the link below:

http://www.dafne.uk.com/387.html

Let us know how your boyfriend gets on after the week is finished.

I loved my DAFNE course. I started off carb counting as a child then the diabetes clinic said I didn't need to do that, so I ate exactly the same things every day and injected exactly the same amount to go along with it. I hated my diabetes. I just kept putting on weight, or cutting down what I ate and having massive hypos so would eat more and feel like ****. I'd go out drinking and end up in comas the next day. I felt like a fat - even though I was only a size 14 but I have skinny friends - lump and couldn't do anything about it.
I lost a stone in the first few months of starting on DAFNE and it has really sorted out my diabetes. I've been on it for about 7 years now and it's just so easy for me to manage compared to how I used to be. I can't really say anything bad about it because it's worked out brilliantly for me. I can eat what I want, I inject what's needed and I even went down to a BMI of 20 - doctor told me to put on a bit more weight so I'm up to 21 something now. My HbA1c's are between 6 and 7 generally when they were at 11 before.
I hope he does well on it! Good luck!

Hi there

My boyfriend did the course in November and found it quite helpful although he knew most of what they discussed before he went as we have been carb counting for a while now. He did get a new meter from a company that did a talk on his last day, it tells him how much insulin is still active in his body and whether he should have more or not, he just enters the carbs into the meter and it tells him how much to take, it's brilliant.

I think he liked the fact that he was with people who go through the same things he does on a day to day basis and he's kept in touch with some of them which is nice.

LL
x

For me the DAFNE course was 40 years too late, but still the most logical way of handling the curse.

All good stuff Chip, pleased you learnt something from the course too!

I went on DAFNE coursr about 18 months ago and found it very usefull I have no problem in eating what ever I want to eat , Play golf , have sex no problem at all

rasik500 said:

Play golf , have sex no problem at all

Click to expand...

...at the same time?

I did the DAFNE course back in 2006. Having had T1 diabetes for nearly 35 years I have to say it completely re-educated me. I found it interesting, informative and quite eye opening. I used to carb count back in the 'good old days' but in later years was told not to bother with this method. The course taught me to inject insulin according to how many carbs I was taking in and now I do try to keep down the carbs (partly because I get sooooo bloated eating too many carbs!!) so just inject accordingly. Unfortunately as I am a 'true diabetic' (hospitals words not mine) I have to have some carbs with each main meal as I cannot 'skip' insulin if eating a non-carb meal, this usually ends up with me having ketones! My partner did attend the session on hypo's and found it very useful, however, thankfully even after all these years I still do have early hypo warning signs.

The only thing I'd disagree with was a comment made by Snodger

the chance to feel normal because you're in a room of other T1s

Click to expand...

I feel quite 'normal' in a room of non-diabetics and in fact, most people who meet me would never know I'm diabetic until after quite some time. I've worked with people, who after a period of some months, find out I have diabetes and comment that they didn't kow I was. I don't hide it at all but I don't flaunt it either (sorry, please don't take offence to that Snodger :shock: I wasn't being horrible )

Sorry to digress but in short the DAFNE course is great and well worth doing (in my humble opinion)

This thread should become remain at the top of the type 1 forum

Done

DAFNE changed my life for the better!! I'd put it off for years an years as I was in denial that I even had diabetes but omg if you told me years ago that I could change my life in 5 days I'd have told you you were crazy! But no it's completely changed my life, and just meeting other type 1s made me feel so "not alone" you should go along to sessions if you're allowed to! When I done DAFNE my fiance came to the hypos session and another so it's a really good idea to go! Good luck to you both

Where do I start I did the course but as I suffer from dylexia and being a type 1 I'm struggling with the understanding of carb counting and how much insulin to take my blood sugars have a mind of there own I do like dafne but just basic maths to work out HOW MUCH insulin is a problem I have had bs at 24.0 and with my meter it says HI I know it shouldn't be I don't want to revert back because if I ever get allocated with a pump you need to have done dafne to qualify for one there next plan is to try me on metformin as well as insulin don't know what that will do but its a just wait and see

I'm dyslexic as well, but I don't get problems with carb counting or the maths side of things..

What meter do you use?

As now you can get meter's that have bolus wizards such as the Roche new 'Expert' meter this would make the calculation easier for you..

As to carb counting, is there anybody who can help you out, with verbally explaining some of it or putting the information into a form that you able to work with better? I would ask your clinic for more one to one time, so they can help with more support towards carb counting..

As to pumps, no you don't have to done dafne, but if you'll struggling with carbs counting then it's likely you are going to struggle with a pump, as carb counting is what the pump is all about..

This thread has really pushed me to do the course, having been to my diabetic clinic today and told that my Hba1c was 10.4 (the highest its been for years although i'm gyming, eating healthier than ever and taking more care of myself - raging with fustration) I was told that i MUST attend a 4 day course, it isnt DAFNE but it is similar and run specifically for Type 1s. Having had diabetes since i was 5 and am now 26 I'm at the end of my tether, I'm adamant that the Apidra insulin isnt working as it should be in my body but I've been told by the doctor and nurse that this course will make a big difference, we shall see how I come out of it but its reassuring knowing that so many people who have been in my position have benefited from it, thank you all, its nice to know I'm not alone x

I attended a 5 day DAFNE course back in July last year, which was my 7th year as a diabetic.

Until that point my BG levels were all over the place, usually much higher than they should be.
I had very little control, I wasn't very sensible with how I handled things and I had no clue when it came to hypo treatment. My hypo treatment was to eat as much sugary food as I could find in the kitchen in a panic and worry about bringing my levels down later.
My morning readings were often around 16 to 20, some days.

10 months on, I am the one in control of my condition.
I can eat what I want, when I want (within reason, of course). My morning levels are around 5 to 6 and I feel great.

I cannot recommend this course enough, this should be mandatory for all diabetics because it literally changed my life for the better.
This is the best I have felt since being diagnosed.

You will see positive changes within that first week.
It can be tough at first, getting your head around the concept, especially if you have been diabetic for a long time and used to your current treatment regime, but it's worth it.