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Desmond - worthwhile - or bite lip for 6 1/6 hrs?

I

ianf0ster

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
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2,768
Location
Harpenden, Herts, England
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
I have been referred to Hertfordshire Diabetes and got a letter inviting me to 'Diabetes education' course - called Desmond.

Since dietary advice from 'Diabetes Nurse' was same old, same old.
I am tempted to label it a waste of time and rely on Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose and Diabetes.co.uk for real education etc.
I am 68, have CHD ( 3x CAB over 2yrs ago, but no 'heart attack'), but not overweight and otherwise in decent health.
 
Ah. The Desmond. Waste of time?

I will try and work that in to my practise PPG meeting next week....
 
I managed to avoid it by agreeing to see a dietitian instead, so only wasted an hour being told to eat more carbs.
 
Hi,
I personally found the courses a waste of time, it's great you've come here for advice.
Do have your six monthly checks at your Drs practice, as they check your feet etc.
Take care
 
I think a lot depends on the course leader. Some are more knowledgeable about low carb than others. It is pot luck. But you will get tea and cake at the interval :rolleyes:
 
ianf0ster said:
I have been referred to Hertfordshire Diabetes and got a letter inviting me to 'Diabetes education' course - called Desmond.

Since dietary advice from 'Diabetes Nurse' was same old, same old.
I am tempted to label it a waste of time and rely on Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose and Diabetes.co.uk for real education etc.
I am 68, have CHD ( 3x CAB over 2yrs ago, but no 'heart attack'), but not overweight and otherwise in decent health.
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I attended and it was a waste of tome. They told me I was very symptomatic, which I was but my sugars were stupidly high still.

I learned nothing other than how the hba1c worked which was useful.

The food advice was complete tosh.

But I think I would go again if nothing else just to show I am willing to work with dr etc and not be seen as resistant.

I’ve since just followed advice from here.

As well as their nonsense they were going to refer me to a nutritionist to help with food choices due to my job and that was in October. I’ve heard nothing since!!
 
Listlad said:
Ah. The Desmond. Waste of time?

I will try and work that in to my practise PPG meeting next week....
Click to expand...
Bear in mind that people come to the course with different levels of knowledge. On the DESMOND type course I attended there were those who didn't know what diabetes was, let alone the difference between T1and T2, didn't know what insulin did, had no idea what HbA1c meant and didn't know about diabetic complications or why their eyes or feet should be checked. The second half day covered diet, once again, there were those who didn't know what carbohydrates were or how they equated with sugar. Hardly anyone understood nutrition labels and although some of the information was based on the Eatwell guide, even that was an improvement on some attendee's diets. We were offered coffee or tea but they made a point of saying there wouldn't be any biscuits. Although I didn't learn much, it was worth attending as you don't know what you don't know. For most of those I spoke to afterwards the course had been vital.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Bear in mind that people come to the course with different levels of knowledge. On the DESMOND type course I attended there were those who didn't know what diabetes was, let alone the difference between T1and T2, didn't know what insulin did, had no idea what HbA1c meant and didn't know about diabetic complications or why their eyes or feet should be checked. The second half day covered diet, once again, there were those who didn't know what carbohydrates were or how they equated with sugar. Hardly anyone understood nutrition labels and although some of the information was based on the Eatwell guide, even that was an improvement on some attendee's diets. We were offered coffee or tea but they made a point of saying there wouldn't be any biscuits. Although I didn't learn much, it was worth attending as you don't know what you don't know. For most of those I spoke to afterwards the course had been vital.
Click to expand...
Mine was much the same. There were the majority that knew nothing beyond simple sugar being a problem. Luckily the course leader allowed me to talk about how I’d gone from 54 to 44 in 3 months ie lchf. She privately supported me but wasn’t allowed to teach it herself. In fact she was working her notice bought about by frustration at the system. The dietician however even when we chatted quietly in a break was convinced I’d miss vital nutrients if I cut starchy carbs but couldn’t answer what I’d miss that I couldn’t fairly easily get in other foods.
 
Well, I have successfully avoided any diabetes training courses over the last 15 years. I recently re-read my East & North Hertfordshire Diabetes Handbook for fun and as expected it recommended loads of carb, low-fat and so on. It's possible they have re-educated themselves more recently but I wouldn't bet on it.
 
I have to say that the Desmond course I attended did consolidate a lot of the information I learned from this site.

The bit that stuck in my mind was regarding wounds, bugs love sugar and invite friends and family to the party.

Fortunately, I had learned enough on this forum to disregard dietary advice.

When the team were asking questions, I spoke up for LCHF. The observer, overweight, spike to me during lunch.

Lunch was horrifying. Out came the white bread sandwiches, fizzy pop, bananas. The lady next to me was furttling around in her bag. I asked her what she was eating. Pickled gherkins! I showed her my bag of cheese, olives and walnuts. I told her how to find the recipe for fat head dough for pizza and garlic bread.

The lady with the banana said she would look into low carb.

A few months after the course, I got a follow up phone call to see what I thought of it. I said that the dietary advice was incorrect. Keto, in my case, brought BG down from 122 to 35 in 4 months.

The lady on the other end of phone had trouble speaking. Nuff said.
 
xfieldok said:
I have to say that the Desmond course I attended did consolidate a lot of the information I learned from this site.

The bit that stuck in my mind was regarding wounds, bugs love sugar and invite friends and family to the party.

Fortunately, I had learned enough on this forum to disregard dietary advice.

When the team were asking questions, I spoke up for LCHF. The observer, overweight, spike to me during lunch.

Lunch was horrifying. Out came the white bread sandwiches, fizzy pop, bananas. The lady next to me was furttling around in her bag. I asked her what she was eating. Pickled gherkins! I showed her my bag of cheese, olives and walnuts. I told her how to find the recipe for fat head dough for pizza and garlic bread.

The lady with the banana said she would look into low carb.

A few months after the course, I got a follow up phone call to see what I thought of it. I said that the dietary advice was incorrect. Keto, in my case, brought BG down from 122 to 35 in 4 months.

The lady on the other end of phone had trouble speaking. Nuff said.
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Well, at our next local PPG meeting I am going try and tackle that sort of thing. I have established contact with the right person and am trying to team up with a low carb friendly GP. See how it goes.
 
Listlad said:
Well, at our next local PPG meeting I am going try and tackle that sort of thing. I have established contact with the right person and am trying to team up with a low carb friendly GP. See how it goes.
Click to expand...

Does your area use the DESMOND course? Not all do. My area uses the X-Pert course, and there are several other ones around the country.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Does your area use the DESMOND course? Not all do. My area uses the X-Pert course, and there are several other ones around the country.
Click to expand...
It seems it does.

The PPG meeting included a visit by an individual working for the NHS who had been tasked to organise support groups and support for and amongst the patient community. She went through a list of items but ironically did not get as far as Diabetes. Over the page on her list were Desmond courses. Most of the meeting was taken up by elderly represents focussing on elderly care in the community and so Diabetes didn’t get a look in at the meeting that day.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...group-meeting-soon.163083/page-3#post-2050772
 
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