Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything similar?

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

DESMOND course. Toed the NHS line about eating carbs with every meal. Told Diabetes is progressive and nothing I can do to stop it. Told using a meter is bad for my mental health and pointless as there is nothing I can do to lower by blood sugar levels anyway. Told to cut down sugars, not worry about carbs too much, and switch to brown bread, rice and pasta. And got heavily told about how being obese causes diabetes, despite there being 4 people, out of a room of 10 of us, who were slim and were slim at diagnosis. When they challenged the obesity line, they were not answered.This was 10 months ago.

Yeah, really helpful.

The only good bit was about portion control and hidden sugars. And the diagrams explaining how Diabetes affects all of my body and why. And the info on how to read labels on foods. And the explanation about insulin resistance and how it happens and works.

Thank heavens for this forum and other like it.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Never even heard of these courses until I joined this forum, are they for type 1's only?

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Like LucyLocket61, I attended DESMOND and had VERY similar experience - TOLD we MUST eat lots of starchy carbs at every meal (30% of plate), told NO NEED to self test as T2, told to cut out fat and "bad" cholesterols, told to lose weight and avoid sugar.

T2 was being 'blamed' on us being Fat or Eating Sugars. Strange, when only 20-25% of rrom were overweight, and at least 50% of us said we never take sugar in drinks or drink fizzies or eat sugary foods or processed foods/junk. Also sstrange, that over 80% of attendees said there was family history of T2 - but this was never discussed as possible cause!

On the whole, found the course quite patronising and basic and I was not alone in getting frustrated by their refusal to discuss issues which were not the "official agenda" (such as self-testing or low carbs etc).

If all T2's followed DESMOND's dietary advice, most of us would be in hospital with complications within 10-15 years (I did say that on the course.. went down like a lead balloon with the trainers).

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

World Hereafter said:

Like LucyLocket61, I attended DESMOND and had VERY similar experience - TOLD we MUST eat lots of starchy carbs at every meal (30% of plate), told NO NEED to self test as T2, told to cut out fat and "bad" cholesterols, told to lose weight and avoid sugar.

T2 was being 'blamed' on us being Fat or Eating Sugars. Strange, when only 20-25% of rrom were overweight, and at least 50% of us said we never take sugar in drinks or drink fizzies or eat sugary foods or processed foods/junk. Also sstrange, that over 80% of attendees said there was family history of T2 - but this was never discussed as possible cause!

On the whole, found the course quite patronising and basic and I was not alone in getting frustrated by their refusal to discuss issues which were not the "official agenda" (such as self-testing or low carbs etc).

If all T2's followed DESMOND's dietary advice, most of us would be in hospital with complications within 10-15 years (I did say that on the course.. went down like a lead balloon with the trainers).

Click to expand...

I'm not obese either and yet that's what they were trying to push as the cause.
All the processed **** we've been eating over the last 50 years has messed with our bodies and made this happen. That's my theory.

Sent from my KFTT using DCUK Forum mobile app

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

DAFNE in 2009, did I find it useful................YOU BET!!!!!

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

I did a FEFI (Flexible Eating Flexible Insulin) course last June which used some of the DAFNE course material but seemed to be much more up to date regarding carbs etc It dropped my HbA1c's from 10.6 to 7.1 in the months since. I did enjoy it and like noblehead found it very useful.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Haven't heard of DAFNE/DESMOND but I went to a course, when diagnosed in 2009, called DOTTIE [Doncaster Type Two (Diabetes) Informative Education].
Was quite informative but I've forgotten most of it by now. Maybe I should ask to go on it again.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Never done this. What is it

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Did do a dafne course about 4 months after diagnosis. Dose adjustment for normal eating. Extremely useful in counting carbs to learn insulin to carb ratios and about basal testing. Also learned a bit about how to adjust for excercise but ever is no set rule for that really. Everyone reacts different to excercise so a case of testing to see what works for yourself. Also enjoyed meeting fellow diabetics.

Sent from my GT-S5360 using DCUK Forum mobile app

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

I completed a Desmond course 6 months after being diagnosed. At the time I thought it was useful - in retrospect having learned much more elsewhere I think it was pretty pants in terms of helping people squeeze the best out of their new situation.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

i have been on dafne since i became i diabetic 7 years ago, i couldnt imagine a world otherwise. My dad has diabetes too and it was horrid when he was young, my heart goes out to you peeps.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Currently on an X-PERT course, have never heard of the other two, must admit to having a normal appetite, never any weight loss or excessive thirst, going to the toilet normally. No clue about my blood sugars, of course, not every diabetic is the same.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Hi everyone

I'm new to this whole forum thing, but anyway I thought I'd just share my experience

Last week I went on the DAFNE course on recommendation of a diabetic dietician. After having been on Novomix 30 for 6 1/2 years I finally took the plunge to go onto multiple daily injections. I cannot thank the course teachers enough for the amount of information and confidence I got after going on the course. I basically had zero knowledge given to me when first diagnosed at 18, but I now feel positive for the first time about managing my condition and leading a normal life like everyone else. Unfortunately my doctor who prescribed the MDI had no idea as to what doses of Novorapid (quick acting insulin) and Lantus (background insulin) to take. As a result of this I had my first diabetic seizure or severe hypo where I ended up in A&E. I was just lucky that my fiance was with me at the time and knew what to do. Since the seizure I have been terrified of it happening again, so when I went on the DAFNE course it gave me the confidence to adjust my insulin according to what I was eating etc and this has helped reduce the number of minor hypos. One thing I would say is that there is a hypo awareness session on the course where you can bring in a partner or friend who may need to know what to do in the event of a hypo. My partner came along and shared his experience of my seizure, everyone including me were absolutely shocked as to what actually happens with a severe hypo, but found it very useful when explaining to their partners how they can help (I cannot actually remember anything, apart from waking up with a very badly bitten tongue).

So if anyone if offered the opportunity to go on the DAFNE course, or wants to go on the course I would highly recommend it. It is one week you will definitely not regret giving up holiday to attend.

If anyone wants to ask any questions please feel free too

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

DAFNE ALL THE WAY! I was diagnosed 2 years ago and was on novamix30 for the first year and I found that very restricting and my levels were like a yoyo! having to "eat to inject" at set times and so on... ill be honest iv never been the best at sticking to times and regimes. But then I was offered DAFNE and I knew a little about it from a old friend that went on it so I booked the weeks holiday and it was the best week on my current life it's a really eye opener. Life is so much nicer *injecting to eat* so ok I check my blood more but if in not hungry I don't have to eat and if I'm hungry ill eat and it's less restrictive on foods because DAFNE explains how to calculate the foods you are going to eat iv never had a bad hypo Iv been low but I think everybody does from time to time.

My advice is if you have not been offered DAFNE ask for it! It's your life and your health there not gonna say NO surly.

Glenn in Hertfordshire

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

After 42 years of being diabetic and about 40 years on Insulin, my GP finally decided I must be Type 1 and I was finally allowed to go on a DAFNE Course. I had already done quite a lot of Research on my own but found it extremely informative and helpful. I have since been on a RESHAPE Course at Rotherham Hospital and am trying my best to lose weight. I have found that short bursts of exercise and low carb eating are the best for me, but its trial and error all the time. If anyone hasn't been on a DAFNE Course, it will make a big difference to your life and give you more confidence to try things.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

I went on a Desmond course and took along my partner just to instil awareness to type 2 luckily he is fairly healthy .

We found it extremely patronising and centered round the obese yet most people there were slim .

All we gained was the knowledge of reading food labels but no advice on carbs !

They stuck strictly to their script as per NHS guidelines we were told that we would progressively get worse complications and be type 1 on insulin in the end ( not very comforting ) .

When seeing my doctor a few weeks later he enquired about this course and I told him it had the required effect of terrorising me into action and he found this very amusing !!

To anyone going in these courses I would advise to be open minded and possibly for some it could be beneficial .

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

To be honest, I haven't heard of either course, though I attended a 3-hour 'course' when I was first diagnosed as type 2 in 2007. I was diagnosed when I changed doctors after moving.
There were about a dozen people, some with a relative or friend. We were talked at by a 'trainer' who READ ALL of the handouts that they gave us. It was very confusing and difficult to follow, even on completing the 'test' at the end. We were allowed to ask questions, then told to ask more from our diabetic nurses at the surgery.
I was told by my diabetic nurse and the doctor that I didn't need to worry about anything. Just eat sensibly and attend the nurse once a year for a foot check. I was discouraged from testing my blood.
I admit to having moved around, due to work, but one would asume the same healthcare exists throughout the country. Obviously not.
Since then I have been on Metformin, having the dose increased bit by bit. I felt so ill and my doctor (at the time) continually assured me that he had experienced everything that I was telling him. I asked if I could come off my medication to see if it made a difference and he said 'yes, that's fine, we'll check on you in six months'. Needless to say, I began to feel worse and worse so I went back to the doctor and went back on Metformin. I had a bad reaction to it so I was prescribed Glypizide and had blood tests every three months. My blood sugar readings were 120mols. After a year of this and my sugar levels still being over 100, (not to mention feeling so ill that I thought I would die!) last May (2012) he referred me to the Diabetician at the hospital.
She put me straight onto Novomix 30 twice daily, with training and lots of support. All over my notes there is written 'badly managed'. I am being investigated for scaring on my liver which has appeared in the last three years and gastric problems, which I feel should have been investigated before, had my doctor actually FELT my stomach.
I still attend the hospital clinic and have changed the doctor at my surgery as well as finding a fantastic diabetic nurse who actually cares about my health and treatment. I'm still knackerd, but not exhausted. My blood sugar testing is showing varied readings, mostly still in double figures, but my two-monthly checks are down to 9.4 which is great!
Before being diagnosed I was healthy and fit. I felt well and had a fullfilling life. In just over five years I feel older than my years. Does this happen to everyone?
The 'training' is not sufficient and seems to be a 'one size fits all' deal, with no follow-up as the disease progresses.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

Hello,

I was diagnosed type.1 in 1982, I got most of my information from my Balance magazines, but in 2011 I attended a DAFNE course which I would recommend to anyone. After 31 years of being a Diabetic I have seen many changes and have been told lots of different Information on how to control my blood sugar levels. It was good to speak to other Diabetics and find out how little poeple know about our condition (Diabetics and non-Diabetics), you can read all you like about how Insulin makes you feel when having a hypo, but to talk to others that have had hypos makes you feel normal and not the odd bod who is always grabbing the biscuit tin.

All I would say is make time and do DAFNE, you will learn something from it even if you have been a long time Diabetic.

Re: Have you done the DAFNE/DESMOND courses or anything simi

It seem many Health Areas, do not provide these courses, and in my experience they fail to tell people that they are available elsewhere either!

I cannot believe a regime that is PROVEN to save the NHS money is not available nationally!