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Desmond course - 6 month follow up?

Kingmob

Active Member
Received a letter earlier in the week telling me I have an appointment on Tuesday for a 6 month follow up to the Desmond course. I've never heard anyone here mention or discuss such a thing, would anyone know what I should expect?

I was diagnosed at the end of August with an hba1c over 100, mid 40s by October and 36 early March. My DN has been delighted with my progress and we'd agreed to cut my metaformin in half (500mg a day) and stop after next visit if hba1c stays low.

I thought the first half of the Desmond course was reasonable given that it needs to be accessible to a wide range of people but hated the second half. The team presenting the course asked if anyone tested blood sugar then berated me and tried to use me as a bad example to the other people there when I said yes. Apparently you can't test without proper training. Also spent the final hour doing a terrible goal setting exercise where I was ranted at because I said I'd been making lifestyle changes in the months prior to the course and was happy sticking with those. This wasn't good enough Is wi HAD to write something like "I will eat toast for breakfast" like the others.

The wording of the letter implied this be my last interaction with the "education team". I'd already booked the day of work to do something else so I don't mind going but if not going to be of any benefit may as well cancel.
 
With such a massive improvement in numbers (brilliant in fact) and the resistance you've met, you know the answer. Starts with an "N", ends with an "O"
 
I will be invited to a follow up education course next month, the only difference is that it’ll be twelve months after the initial one. I work flexible hours so I won’t need to take a day off work so I’ll go as I’m curious to see if thinking has changed at all there. My first course did teach categorising foods into low, medium and high carbohydrates and they encouraged the lower ones. However they fell short of stating exact levels of carbs to aim for when I asked. They did ask about testing and a taxi driver on Gliclazide and I put our hands up, the nurse then focused on him not me, talking about driving and hypos!
It’ll depend how brave I’m feeling on the day as to how much I speak up!
 
Thanks, will ring and cancel tomorrow. Was first time I've ever heard of follow-up after 6 months.

Ordinarily "No" would have been my initial thought but my interactions with everyone except DN since diagnosis has been a real eye opener. Been fortunate to have had minimal interaction with my Doctor but astounded at the badgering to get a flu shot, having to jump through hoops to get prescriptions and receiving a nastily worded "reminder" when I hadn't booked an appointment exactly 3 months after my October appointment.
 
I agree it is unlikely to help you but you might influence the people giving the course and be an inspiration to the other participants. Also bearing in mind the attitude of your doctor, you might be marked down as non-compliant, which is unreasonable but possibly worth avoiding.
 
Tophat1900 said:
You could go and educate the education team.
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If I thought that would be productive I would be glad to do that but based on the original course I feel it would be wasting everyone elses time and potentially confusing. Not sure how others feel about the course but I found it quite negative, from the start T2 was described as chronic and inevitably will get worse. If I get pestered to attend, will attend and see how it goes.

During the original course, was also one other person with T2 who replied when asked about testing but they were okay in the eyes of the presenters as they had been given the equipment while in hospital. I pointed out that I self tested as I find being aware helped me to understand and control things but felt the key message they wanted to get across was to stop people from considering it.
 
Kingmob said:
but based on the original course I feel it would be wasting everyone elses time and potentially confusing.
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Hi Kingmob,
Not telling you what to do but if it was me I would go.
I assume looking at your numbers, well done by the way, that you have lost weight during the last 6 months also.

I agree the course would be a wast of your time.
Trying to educate the educator's is a futile gesture they have to follow the government guidelines, no matter what they believe.

But the reason I would go is for the other diabetics in the group.
There has got to be others in the group who are following the advice and struggling, they might come over to you in the coffee break and ask "what's your secret?"

If by just begin there you could inspire someone else to make difference choices, that's got to be worth giving up an afternoon of your time.
 
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I am glad I didn't do the Desmod Course. At my second appt with the DN she asked if I had had a letter inviting me and when I replied that I had and had thrown it into the bin she tried to get shirty with me. I told her the truth, that in my opinion a lot of these 'educational' courses are not fit for purpose and they are often so broad in their aims that individuality is lost.

The point about having to be trained to use a glucometer? What utter rubbish! It took me longer to learn how to access Kodi than it did to learn how to use a glucometer and interpret the readings. Patronising twerp!
 
I would go for the hell of it, just to see what they would say, maybe something like " you have inappropriatley reversed your diabetes, would you mind going back to "normal" eating so that we can tell you to increase the medication, we've got stats to maintain don't you know - please show some consideration.
 
I'm rather with @There is no Spoon on this one. There may be others coming back for this catch up course who haven't made the progress you have and be curious how you have managed to achieve so much.

In my experience that sort of visual presentation, with your NHS HbA1c results in the background is very powerful messaging.

You are no longer, "you read on the internet of all these things, but nobody actually does it", you are a living breathing rightr in front of them example.

Even if one person who hadn't made the progress they hoped for showed an interest in trying a different way to improve things for themselves, I'd call that a winner.

In my view, change doesn't happen by running away from issues.
 
Kingmob said:
Been fortunate to have had minimal interaction with my Doctor but astounded at the badgering to get a flu shot,
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GPs are paid £7.64 per flu jab per patient. However this does have to cover admin. costs eg writing to the patient to badger him/her.
 
Guzzler said:
The point about having to be trained to use a glucometer?
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Well, when I began using my meter I was VERY nervous and so wasted several strips before I got the hang of things. However, going on a course would have used up far more of my precious time than a bad quarter hour in my bathroom. On the other hand, there must be people out there who feel much worse about sticking a lancet into themselves than I did. Being phobic about needles and blood is a very common problem. For them, getting started with support on a course might be the only way they'll do it at all. IMO we constantly forget here that we are a self-selected band (I was going to say, elite, but that's too boastful!) with very particular strengths and competences AND we have the support of each other, which most newly diagnosed people don't.
 
My reaction on diagnosis? "I am not eating rabbit food and I am not sticking pins in myself all day long." I was lucky enough to avoid having to inject but phobias or no I would have had to if my A1c hadnt come down.
 
Why are they wasting NHS money repeating the same old bad advice. I really dont want to waste another day like that. Also if they are “marking our cards” for not complying with it and keep us having us back it will never end.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Does it also have to cover the cost of the vaccine, syringes and accessories, nurse time, etc?
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The GP parners has to pay ALL their staff costs and building costs, they get paid a fixed amount for each person on thier list, more if someone has type2, then additional payment for vaccines if they choose to offer that service.
 
Thnaks all, I'm off work on Tuesday to go househunting anyway, so may as well head along and see what is said. Don't plan to be argumentative but can be honest about my experiences. Had been thinking about the people I'd met on previous course and think a few would be interested, although was also a few who just wanted to be told what pills to take.

I assume my GP has a target for flu shots. I originally received a letter Oct/Nov time offering 3 appointments, two would have required a time machine and the third was the next day. Was out of the country for a few weeks at start of the year, received two letters during that time and two calls recently.
 
I went to the Desmond course nearly 4 years ago. I was told if I didn't, t attend then the surgery would,nt treat me for my diabetes. I was so naive that I went.
To me it was a total waste of my time, they spoke alot of ****.
Have never been called for a follow up. If I had been called for a follow up, it would be a great big NO.
 
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