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Desmond and Dafne courses

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paula1974

Well-Known Member
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114
Location
West Sussex
Hi,
Im a type 2 on insulin. Although been diagnosed for 2 years ive only just started to take control.
Ive heard people mention desmond and dafne courses.
Could someone please tell me what they are, what they're about and would I qualify?

Thanks, Paula
 
Hi Paula,

The DAFNE course is mainly for type 1's (insulin users) and teaches them to carb count and match their insulin to the food they eat without the usual high's and low's. As you are using insulin yourself, ask your diabetes nurse if you are eligible to go on this course.

The DESMOND course is for type 2's, and although I don't have any first-hand experience I believe it also teaches patients to carb count, hopefully someone with experience of the course may tell you more.

Regards

Nigel
 
Hi Paula

My daughter is 19 and T2 insulin dependent. I have been trying to get her on DAFNE, but she is being refused because she is a T2. She is having a lot of problems counting carbs and taking the insulin and I tried explaining this when I called the DAFNE programme, but they were not at all helpful. They just told me that this was only for T1's. I just don't understand.
 
nilemthakrar said:
Hi Paula

My daughter is 19 and T2 insulin dependent. I have been trying to get her on DAFNE, but she is being refused because she is a T2. She is having a lot of problems counting carbs and taking the insulin and I tried explaining this when I called the DAFNE programme, but they were not at all helpful. They just told me that this was only for T1's. I just don't understand.
Click to expand...

Not used this myself, but the following link is to a carb counting site and it is endorsed by Diabetes UK..... so may be of help to you and your daughter:

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/

Nigel
 
Hi Nigel

Thanks for that link. I just registered and viewed it briefly. I think I am so thick to understand all this, but will try and learn from this. I think I am a kind of person who needs someone physically to help understand carbs and units of insulin. Thank you so much again. I will try in the morning when I am wide awake and am able to get my head around it.
 
nilemthakrar said:
Hi Paula

when I called the DAFNE programme, but they were not at all helpful. They just told me that this was only for T1's. I just don't understand.
Click to expand...

It's supposed to be because " There is no evidence that intensive insulin therapy is of benefit for people with Type 2 diabetes." - this is from the DAFNE website.
This seems to me to be a crazy reason, I have to say. For a start, where's the evidence that it is NOT of benefit to type 2s? And secondly, why put type 2s on insulin at all if it's not about the best kind of insulin regime? and thirdly, DAFNE is about more than the kind of insulin therapy you're on, it's also about diabetics supporting each other - in fact there's lots of evidence that peer support leads to better health outcomes than nurse support, and it sounds to me like you/your daughter arent getting either!
What injection regime is your daughter on? the 'intensive therapy' regime is (as far as I know - others please correct if I'm wrong) to do with injecting several times a day to match your food intake and lifestyle. So if she's on, say, only 2 injections a day at set times, it's not intensive therapy. But if she's on a long-acting 'basal' insulin and then injecting short-acting insulin several times a day to cover mealtimes and snacks, then you can go back to the doc and say that she IS on an intensive therapy regime so she needs to learn how to do it properly.
What are the names of her insulin(s) and how often did they say to inject?

Oh, and most importantly: DON'T feel thick. It's a steep learning curve. Doctors take years to learn this stuff, we get chucked in the deep end. You don't have to do it alone, though - you've found this forum!
 
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