Desmond Course, Waste of Time

Most people only know don't eat sugar. For people without Google and a forum. I think it's worthwhile ,even though at a course I went to. All they wanted you to eat was carbs

This time last year we refused to attend a Desmond course, having seen reports similar to yours. The doctor said, in his usual sarcastic tone, "You don't know everything there is to know about diabetes", to which I replied, "No, and I'm hardly likely to learn it in a one day mixed ability class". Just tested, read up on things and before we knew it, blood sugars back in the normal range and medication dropped. No, you don't need Desmond if you are the sort of person who works things out for themselves. I'd do the garden if I were you!
Sally

NeilC said:

Spent yesterday afternoon being talked to like a six year old and found out that Coke and Lucozade contains lots of sugar. Gosh!

Sorry for anyone who found the course useful but my time would have been better spent working on my garden.

Apparently I am a pariah because I bought a blood glucose test machine. Again sorry but I can't be doing with advice like "eat one less potato and wait three months for an HbA1c test result". When I said that it had identified Pizza as spiking my glucose level the response was "We could have told you that". OK when were you going to tell me?

I'll go to session 2, perhaps it will get better. I'm not hopeful though

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hi, I haven't had mine yet, have seen many mixed reports, but what if you being there and sharing what you do helps someone else on the course do better, the NHS is like turning a big tanker it takes time, also there's a lot of full steam ahead and ****** the icebergs.
if you get mad then they will not listen take a print out of some evidence and ask to discuss it, you never know what small changes you can make and all small changes add up, could be others there come to this forum, the people who need help need to feel they can have support not everyone can do things for themselves.
go see if you can make session 2 a better one Jill

i,ve been referred to the desmond course, not sure that i will go

ally1 said:

i,ve been referred to the desmond course, not sure that i will go

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I would go Ally.

The courses have mixed reviews, some find it really helpful and some think they learn nothing that they did not already know. A lot depends on how the course presenter comes across and his/her reaction to people asking questions.

You will meet other people with diabetes and it makes you understand that you are not alone. You may even strike up a rapport with someone who lives in your area and you could arrange to meet for a coffee and have a chat. Speaking to other diabetics socially means you can discuss the things that worry you and they can discuss the things that worry them. Non diabetics do not understand what a diagnosis of diabetes does to people.

thank you catherine. i,ve got so much to learn about diabetes

I was offered a diabetes awareness course when first diagnosed, however as I was diagnosed with high cholesterol just before diabetes it seemed that I was just being told that I couldn't eat anything I enjoyed, first no butter, cheese or red meat, then no pasta, rice etc, as for chocolate, cakes biscuits etc, even looking at them was forbidden. I wasn't ready to learn then. Now is a different matter, if offered a course, I would give it serious thought, but I am one of those that when I decide to find things out I do so.

Ally, you have already made the decision to find out more, which is why you are here, so my advise is to go, listen to what is said but also remember all the good advise you have received here. Much of the NHS is still behind regarding low carbing but if you don't go, you will always wonder if they might have said something that strikes a chord and would have helped you.

...I'd never heard of a Desmond Course, didn't even know what it was until people mentioned it in here....it seems to me that people like me diagnosed quite a few years ago are not kept up to date with what's going on...but then the more I see the more I learn that diabetes is a complete minefield and very individual and thats what's worrying.....just as a for instance, I can eat rice till it comes out of my ears with no spike but most diabetics can't, potatoes and pasta are a different matter ...

..I worry, I really do, about diagnosed diabetics who don't find this forum and rely just on what they're told by HCPs and take it for granted that they're being given the right advice...all of us must be on here because we question what we've been told and are seeking more advice...?

I think we learn from this forum that its best to not take anything for granted, and what we learn is only the tip of the diabetes iceberg, we're not all the same, test test test is my motto...so much for the NHS saying we don't need meters...

Don't let someone else's bad experience of Desmond Course put you off attending. I'm sure you will learn something and it's a good experience just talking to and meeting others in the same situation as yourself. Yes, they may go over some very basic stuff but treat it as a refresher and remember, 99% of diabetics don't enjoy the luxury of a forum like this !

mo1905 said:

Don't let someone else's bad experience of Desmond Course put you off attending. I'm sure you will learn something and it's a good experience just talking to and meeting others in the same situation as yourself. Yes, they may go over some very basic stuff but treat it as a refresher and remember, 99% of diabetics don't enjoy the luxury of a forum like this !

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Amen to that.

It's always best to go on these type of courses with a open-mind, we have had many members over the years post that they have had a positive experience from being on the Desmond Course, I'm sure Neil at least enjoyed the experience of meeting other people with diabetes, I know I did when I did the DAFNE course

thank you for all the replies