Desmond

[Julesatnotts]

When I was first diagnosed as T2 last October the nurse asked me if I wanted to attend a "Desmond" course, I agreed and was amazed that the people holding it tried to tell me that there is the same amount of calories in a salad as in a jacket potato! I said that the carbohydrate content was more important but they dismissed this and said it was ok to eat anything I wanted in moderation, I tried to tell r

 

[bulkbiker]

And that is exactly why we have an epidemic of Type 2 in the UK. Awful advice given out by HCP's .. it makes me so bloody angry..

 

[Art Of Flowers]

There is a six week diabetes education course that runs local to me. I am thinking of not bothering to attend as all the useful education I need regarding diabetes can be found online from sites like this. Health professionals in the UK seem to give the advice that you should cut out sugar and do some exercise and do not fully understand the impact of carbohydrates on diabetics. They also think that diabetes slowly gets worse with time, which is typically the result of their bad diet advice.

I know my diabetes nurse was surprised to see my HbA1C drop from 99 to 59 after I started a low carb diet. I think most of their patients still eat way to much carbs and consequently suffer from high blood sugars and need increasing levels of medication to control it. Hopefully, the low carb message will eventually filter through.

 

[Goonergal]

I have my Desmond course in a couple of weeks. Not looking forward to it - and tempted not to go, but want to see if there is anything useful. Not expecting any sensible dietary advice, but maybe there will be some other good tips. Or is that being too optimistic?

 

[Mbaker]

I was told on my course that only drugs lower blood sugar; at this time I was taking measurements after a 30 minute static cycle and dropping my readings by 3-4 mmol. There were 2 hcp''s professionals present when one of them challenged my view on this.

 

[Robkww]

I have to say my diagnosis in October 2016 being my first real health issue has opened my eyes to the shortcomings in healthcare standards which I expect are not limited to diabetes - bottom line has to be you need to gather knowledge and, with the available medical advice, plot a sensible course.

 

[berylc]

The only thing I can remember about the course I went on, run by the Orkney Health Board was that I could eat home made jam as it had less sugar than shop made... I started to follow their 'advice' on diet and my levels went up and up!

 

[Julesatnotts]

When I was diagnosed I knew nothing about diabetes so I looked online found this forum and learnt loads, my level has gone from 110 to 45 in 4 months and I have really cut the carbs since then and now my morning BG is around 5/6 down from 7/8. My brother in law is also T2 but has had no help from his GP and he is still getting high readings 3 years after being diagnosed, he didn't even know about HbA1c when I spoke to him today, he has only ever had a reading of 5.4 once despite taking Metaformin and Gliclazide and was amazed that I only take a 750g slow release Metaformin a day and average 5/6 by eating to my meter.

 

[Mbaker]

When I was diagnosed I knew nothing about diabetes so I looked online found this forum and learnt loads, my level has gone from 110 to 45 in 4 months and I have really cut the carbs since then and now my morning BG is around 5/6 down from 7/8. My brother in law is also T2 but has had no help from his GP and he is still getting high readings 3 years after being diagnosed, he didn't even know about HbA1c when I spoke to him today, he has only ever had a reading of 5.4 once despite taking Metaformin and Gliclazide and was amazed that I only take a 750g slow release Metaformin a day and average 5/6 by eating to my meter.

Well done @Julesatnotts, you are almost at non-diabetic readings in such a short period of time. I am sure your brother-in-law will appreciate your route 1 advocacy.

 

[Julesatnotts]

I should have said in my original post that I was only diagnosed as T2 after going to the doctors for the first time in 15 years as I was extremely tired every day after work and thought I might be anaemic, the dr was amazed as I'm not overweight, 5ft and size 8/10, weigh around 8 stone and walk around 8/10 miles a day at work so not much body fat!
I'm determined to get my HbA1c down again in the next 2 months so trying the "blood sugar diet" recommended by Dr Michael Mosely

 

[Dollylolly]

I've the dietician on the 15th the joys!!!

It's still the eat well plate which I don't follow at all

At my review all they heard was fat in your diet oh no you need starchy carbs that'll sort it all out. I mentioned Dr Moseley and she pursed her lips and said mmm.

I want to go to see if the low carb has filtered down yet.
I was dx November last year and buried my head in the sand for a bit but knuckled down to sorting the weight and the spikes in my sugar levels
I first got a monitored for just that. Which I was told wasn't needed and I refuted this saying yes it is how else can I tell what to eat and not to eat. I got the you can eat anything in moderation. I ignored that and hunted down info and researched and read and reread everything. Sugars spiking me crabbit, tired, peeing the whole lot.

I found a few forums and diet doc and I was set

Out went bread, pasta, rice, bananas, grapes, melon, root veg

In came green veg, above ground veg, I kept the red meat as it wasn't processed, cream, butter, eggs lots of eggs, chicken, fish and experimenting a lot.

In the beginning I was 15-20
Now sitting at 6-9

All by changing my diet to the horror of my nurse.

Lost a stone in weight too and she dismissed my reason how that happened.
Next time I will be refusing her but there is no DN just PN.
The care is dismal and lacking in most areas I've noticed.

 

[philstaffs]

This is my first post. I've been T2 for around 10 years or so.

I found my in-practice GP support well meaning but poor on actual action. I stopped seeing the nurse because it was (diplomatically) unhelpful.

I went to see the GP and demanded a consultant appointment. Saw the professor, he was very helpful and I'm making progress. However, the best piece of advice was to do the DESMOND course. I went on Wednesday. Lots of the info I already new but the one stunning insight was to stop focussing on calorie reduction/low fat and focus on BS reduction. They said that only carbohydrates will increase BS. Fats and protein do not raise BS. So, to cut BS simply cut down on the carbs. Yesterday morning I've had two sausages, two eggs, tinned toms and baked beans. Tinned salmon on rice cakes for lunch. Shared a chinese takeway for dinner swaped the rice for some noodles. Started today in a similar way

Today, my BS has been 7.8 and 8.1 - it hasn't been this low for years. I also feel that I have eaten well.

Early days I know - is there some light on the horizon

 

[berylc]

Desmond had a barrow in the market place I believe.....
Beatles Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da. 1968