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DESMOND course....

P

Paul1976

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East Midlands
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The puzzle that is Asperger syndrome that I still can't fit together.
Hey guys!

I was wondering if anyone had any experiences good or bad about the DESMOND course? When I was diagnosed type 2 around new year,The "Nurse" referred me to go on this course and last week I recieved a letter and leaflet informing me and my wife,that I had a place on the 4th may followed by a second one on the 18th may-I phoned up the number on the letter asking if I really should be going on this course as I'm a now recently diagnosed LADA and they said it's fine and I would still find the course informative and useful so I'm going even if it's to chat with local,fellow diabetics BUT I'm worried it's going to be all 'Food plates' with pictures of big piles of spuds,bread and Banana's on them and "Drink diet coke and no sweets and loads of starchy carbs" and I'm not sure I'll be able to bite my tongue!.....Is it like that or am I just being pessimistic? :think:
(I think it's called Xpert in other parts of the UK)
 
I asked to go on the course, but then when I got the literature through about with a stupid questionnaire about how I felt about diabetes I had a word with my GP and she said that I didn't need to go as I was already doing everything right as my levels were down and I'd lost weight, so I cancelled. I felt it would have been a waste of NHS resources and I didn't want to go and talk about my feelings about having diabetes. I don't know if the courses are the same in Scotland and England.
 
That sounds like the literature I got through with the depression questionaire to fill in prior to the course along with current blood pressure,waist measurement,hba1c and cholesteral but I haven't filled it in either as I don't see the relevance unless it's so they can chastise people about their levels{sigh} I suppose at the very least I might meet some new people as I don't really do that often.
 
I just hated the questionnaire. It was as if they wanted you to be depressed about being diabetic. It reminded me of the time that the local representative of the National Childbirth Trust phoned me after my son was born asking me if I wanted to discuss my guilt feelings about having had a section rather than a natural birth which was just ridiculous. I had no guilt feelings at all and it had never even entered my mind to have any. I was just over the moon to have a healthy baby and told her so in no uncertain terms.
 
The practice nurse asked if I wanted to go on the course, I refused. Apart from anything else I couldn't spare the time but I think I may have been tempted to tell them what to do with their Eatwell plate. :wink:
 
I'm having visions of that too-Might be my shortest course ever! I'm now at about 30-40g of Carbs a day and I think they're probably going to blow a gasket when they hear that! :twisted:
 
It would depend on how your LADA was being treated if you'll using insulin then a bit pointless...

Desmond is about learning what a Carb is and where it's hidden too! And with any course you've got to have a framework to work from, and yes it's the eat well plate... But it also provides the information about your care, when reviews should happen, what types of tests and screening etc you should be having and why it's important to turn up for your eye screening! And translation of some of the lingo behind treatment, such as what is HbA1c...

Yes they do use props, two reasons it helps people visualise carb content, and make things a bit more interesting so you pick up more information, than sitting in front of somebody having drilled into you verbal information...

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Being open minded, and understanding both sides means, that you make your own choices that suits you as an individual
 
Have you personal experience of a DESMOND course yourself Jopar? Unless you have had personal experience of one of these courses then you are only going by what you have read or heard second-hand and shouldn't really be telling Type 2's what is actually provided.

Sorry just an edit-being open minded is one thing, having to follow harmful advice blindly because that is all that is offered is something else entirely.
 
jopar said:
[mod edit: unhelpful line removed]
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Jopar if someone is doing VLC then the whole point if I understand it is to do the ketosis thing. So to do that most of them check with the Ketostix to see if they are running "purple". If they ate 3 or 4 or 5 times the carbs they would soon see they weren't vlc'ing wouldn't they?

Either that or they can't do simple maths or aren't intelligent enough to understand what they are trying to achieve. Is that what you mean?
 
Jopar..I'm not sure if you meant me or people in general but I personally RELIGOUSLY carb count everything I eat and drink so when I say I'm now on 30-40grams of carbs a day,I actually am as it would be pointless otherwise.
 
ladybird64 said:
The practice nurse asked if I wanted to go on the course, I refused. Apart from anything else I couldn't spare the time but I think I may have been tempted to tell them what to do with their Eatwell plate. :wink:
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My GP offered me a place, I refused, I think he was rather glad I did :wink:
 
ladybird64 said:
I may have been tempted to tell them what to do with their Eatwell plate. :wink:
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What is this Eatwell plate thing? Someone else was banging on about that the other day. Can't remember who and where though.
 
I believe it's like a Pie chart with pictures of all the fruit and starchy carbs they say we SHOULD be eating. :roll:
 
xyzzy said:
What is this Eatwell plate thing? Someone else was banging on about that the other day. Can't remember who and where though.
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It is, depending on your opinions, either:
A theoretical plate depicting how your food intake should be divided
OR
A theoretical plate depicting how your food intake should be divided in order to maximise your risk of weight gain and ensuing diabetic complications. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
 
I'm guessing though that the food intake on the plate is all the wrong kind of foods for us?
 
Yep far too carby even for me, and i,m not THAT low carb :lol: :lol:
 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Well tommorow is sure going to be an "Education" one way or another! :lol:
 
Paul1976 said:
Well tommorow is sure going to be an "Education" one way or another! :lol:
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Indeed!! You must report back and let us know what you taught them :lol:
 
:lol: I sure will!! I just need my mini 'Tie camera' as well to film it then I'll be good to go..."Ah,so THIS is the Eatwell plate?" :mrgreen:
 
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