DAFNE

I haven't been on a course recently but I used to do the sane sort of things when I was a teenager, meeting other diabetics, getting advice from nurses and dieticians and they were always really good to do. A chance for everyone to get together and discuss day to day life with people going through the same thing, particularly useful as a teenager in todays world.
Kim

Sweetpea,

Have you ever thought of running a diabetes support group in your local community? There are probably others just like you who would welcome the opportunity to get together to compare notes on their condition, their medication, their progress, their problems, and just to have a natter!

I'm sure that if you approached your GP he would support you. You could meet weekly, and could make the group an informed one by getting in a different guest each month to meet the group (e.g. the GP, a consultant oncologist, a chiropodist, an optician, a dietician, etc).

Hi Sweetpea,

I was really thinking of a group just for type 1s because type 2s tend have a number of different problems to deal with than type 1s. Best place to start would be to sound out your GP. Let him know you would be interested in trying this if the practice will support you and get him on your side. He has all the details of who his type 1 patients are and might be prepared to write to them to invite them to an inaugural session - he would not be able to give you their details because of patient confidentiality.

I don't know whereabouts you live, but if there is more than one GP practice in your area, tout the idea round all of them. This can actually be a great help because GPs don't like to think that another doctor is offering a better service than they are. If they think that patients from more than one practice will be comparing notes, it just might keep them on their toes in terms of offering the sort of treatment and service we all expect to get (but sadly we often don't get!).

Who knows, maybe there is also a type 2 who would be interested in running a group specifically for type 2s in your area?

<i>Sorry that post was from me
Dennis</i>

Hmmm, diabetes confused with gastroenteritis. He probably gets influenza and ingrowing toenails confused as well!!

Sounds like my doctor I walk in the door sit down say nothing and get a prescription for antibiotics!

Kimmy

I went to the doctor feeling awful , with all the symptoms of diabetes, told the receptionist i needed blood test as i thought i had diabetes and got told "we don't do blood tests on a friday, you'll have to come back monday" . went back monday hardly able to stand ,as extreamly ill by this time, had urine test which showed +++glucose and ++++keytones and doctor said "we don't want to label you diabetic just yet ", and sent me home with diabetic pills (just in case), no information on diet or anything. Then two days later i get a phone call from another doctor from the practice saying "your bg is dangerously high, stop the pills they're for older people and come and get a prescription for insulin". my husband literally had to carry me to the car by this time , to get me to the hospital to start me on my insulin regime. As it turned out i had type 1 so the pills wouldn't have worked anyway. looking back I should have taken myself to hospital much sooner before I got into such a state but you do tend to put your faith in a doctor. I asumed he knew better than me, but obviously not , I avoid the first one I saw at all costs and always ask to see another one . a box of pills isn't always the answer.I think they just dish them out to keep you quiet, then they moan about all the medicines being wasted.

Hello Sweet_Pea,
I have been on DAFNE. It was one of the best things i could have ever done, It taught me so much about how to manage my diabetes, Where did you do DAFNE?

Hi
Just finished the Dafne course today, fantastic course over the five days i am already seeing improvements. If you set up a Group for type 1 DAFNE graduates that would be great.

hi guys

im on a waitin list for the dafne course and just wondered does it actually change ur life?

cause i hear alot of good reviews about it!!!

what makes it soo different than if u didnt go on the course??

wb cheers

xxx

Every time someone mentions this I think of Scooby Doo!

what makes it soo different than if u didnt go on the course??

Click to expand...

Hi litto-miss-loz, It depends how long you have been a diabetic. It can be a bit basic for some people who all ready understand what carbohydrate counting is, as this is the main thrust of the program. The best thing that I got out of it was the interaction with other type 1 diabetics and how they were coping, or not coping as was the case.

On my course there was people who had been diabetic more than 30 years and could not get their bs under 8mmols/lt, others had been diabetic only 1 year. By the end of the course (it was spread over 6 weeks, one day per week) you could see every one had made vast improvements in their day to day management. For this alone it was well worth going.

actaully dafne is only meant for type 1 . For type 2 there is desmond or dafydd.

Hi ally5555, Just to correct part of your statement, DAFYDD (Dose Adjustment For Your Daily Diet) is for type 1 diabetics only. It is the Welsh version of DAFNE.

oh rite i c ! kool

well it sounds interesting as I would like to have the chance to meet other people living with the condition aswell.

So does it help to reduce the amount of hypos u have ?

did the course help to bring down or maintain ur blood sugars ?

thanks for all ur feedback everyone

xx

Yes everyone on my course showed improvement in the management of their condition over the six week period and had a better understanding of what is needed for good control. But it meant a lot of hard work for some, as there was a lot of maths involved in working out their I:C ratios (insulin to carbohydrate ratio) insulin sensitivity, carb counting etc. but it was well worth it in the long run.

Geoff said:

Hi ally5555, Just to correct part of your statement, DAFYDD (Dose Adjustment For Your Daily Diet) is for type 1 diabetics only. It is the Welsh version of DAFNE.

Click to expand...

That must be nonsense :!: What is the Welsh for "Dose Adjustment For Your Daily Diet :?: "

Hello Ian. I quite assure you DAFYDD is the Welsh version of DAFNE. All they have done is to rearrange the letters to give it a Welsh identity. It has nothing to do with D not being the same in Welsh. I did the course in Wales, and it was all in English!! Think laterally.