• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Just Been Sequestered Onto A Desmond Course

KevinPotts

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,606
Location
Cambridge
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Unkind people, failure to take personal responsibility.
What should I expect?

As a T2 who's metabolic markers have all come into line over the past 6 weeks since diagnosis, following LCHF, exercise and weekly intermittent fasting, should I applaud LCHF, should I be an evangelist or should I keep my gob shut and just look sweet?


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
Depends on if the others want to do the course, or watch a fight really.
 
SunnyExpat said:
Depends on if the others want to do the course, or watch a fight really.
Click to expand...

Ha ha..... It is really likely to be that bad eh


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
If I ever get offered one (unlikely) I will be really torn.
Go, question everything, become the object of frustrated exasperation from the trainer whilst saving another person from the bad info.
Or not go, let someone else go, get the bad info, and enter into a life of T2 decline and complications.

However, some people have said that they come back having learned a lot, so the trainers and courses must vary a great deal.
It probably depends on a lot of things - the trainer, the area, the funding, the rest of the people on the course...
 
.......... and take your own lunch/morning or afternoon snacks. All you get are tea, biscuits and cakes.

My area doesn't do the Desmond course. We get the Xpert course. I declined my invitation 2 years ago when I saw the course teachers were the 2 diabetes nurses from my surgery!
 

Hi @KevinPotts, if I remember correctly, you're from Cambridge. So am I and I did it 2 weeks ago. I had to take annual leave. If I had thd choice again, I would go if I wasn't working but not sure I learned enough to use up a day of holiday. It was better than I thought, but I didn't learn much because I'd educated myself here.

The nurse running it was adamant that testing was a bad idea and didn't recommend it but several people on the course extolled the virtues of testing, including me.

There was quite a bit of biology, which I did find useful. Ie the role of the beta cells etc. And meeting other newly diagnose people was interesting. But overall, I didn't think it was great.

The course I went to was at the Chesterton Medical Centre - parking was a pain.
 

Ah, a fellow Cambridgeite....I think mine will also be in Chesterton, so I'll probably go with my wife then feed back here and we can then at least compare notes


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
I did one, a long time ago.
It depends on your viewpoint.
If you're sat in a room, with everyone else eating cakes, and mars bars, and crisps, and these are out of their own supplies, I believe the first step is going to be down a long road.
Cutting the amount of food, overall, and instigating the change, and imprinting the idea that cakes, mars bars, crisps, aren't the ideal food is enough for one day.
Arguing that replacing them with fat would be an interesting, but possibly a detracting idea to most.
(Also, it's something that doesn't entirely work for me, I need to be very selective, and I didn't get there overnight, so again, not something I'd encourage as the one size fits all solution)
 
DESMOND this Thursday...The Lord help them when they meet me...I've become an LCHF evangelist


Diagnosed 13/4/16: T2, no meds, HbA1c 53, FBG 12.6, Trigs 3.6, HDL .75, LDL 4.0, BP 169/95, 13st 8lbs, waist 34" (2012 - 17st 7lbs, w 42").

14/6/16: FBG AV 4.6, Trigs 1.5, HDL 2.0, LDL 3.0, BP 112/68, BPM 66, 11st 7lbs, waist 30". Lifelong migraines and hay fever gone.

Regime: 20g LCHF, run 1 mile daily, weekly fasting.
 
And I thought my T2D interview next Thursday will be bad enough. The diabetic nurse told me a few months ago chips made from spuds were low carb!!! D.
 
Good luck @KevinPotts I went on mine 3 weeks after diagnosis. I felt in that short time I knew more about diabetes than some of the people diagnosed 2 years ago! I found it useful to a point. It will be interesting to see you argue LCHF with the tutors when they drag out the Eatwell plate - can you fix up a webcam
 
When you say 'sequestered' - are they making you go on it? I asked if l could do one, thinking I really needed to understand the science more, but it was driving me mad after 3 weeks, the pace was already slow, but the number of people on it who were unable to understand the simplest thing and kept asking stupid questions. The nurse started off saying 'there are no stupid questions' but I'm sure she changed her mind. "Do Jaffa Cakes count as fruit'? "I've been told you can eat all the fruit you like, but not pineapple", "Should cheese go in the 'sweets' section if it has Lactose in it?"

I wish I'd known about LCHF then because I would have asked some very awkward questions and had a great time undermining it probably.
 

Yes my doc really wanted me to go on it and report back.

He said "you're already a graduate" but wants to expose me to it as I am considering being trained by the NHS as a Diabetes Educator and will then volunteer one day a week at my local surgery for support and education.


Diagnosed 13/4/16: T2, no meds, HbA1c 53, FBG 12.6, Trigs 3.6, HDL .75, LDL 4.0, BP 169/95, 13st 8lbs, waist 34" (2012 - 17st 7lbs, w 42").

14/6/16: FBG AV 4.6, Trigs 1.5, HDL 2.0, LDL 3.0, BP 112/68, BPM 66, 11st 7lbs, waist 30". Lifelong migraines and hay fever gone.

Regime: 20g LCHF, run 1 mile daily, weekly fasting.
 
Wow @KevinPotts you really are committed! That's great. I've been a bit evangelical among my friends about beating diabetes - would be good to explore teaching if I had time .... and if I didn't have to promote the Eatwell plate

But, I guess we are all different - and I saw different attitudes on my Desmond course. Are you a good diplomat?
 

I'm not bad, but I am unremitting if people are talking patent nonsense


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
What is a Desmond course?
My type 2 was diagnosed 17 years ago, so that's probably why I've never done one.
 
It's an NHS educational and support T2 course. You'll find varying views about its effectiveness on here. I'll report back in detail on Thursday evening


Diagnosed 13/4/16: T2, no meds, HbA1c 53, FBG 12.6, Trigs 3.6, HDL .75, LDL 4.0, BP 169/95, 13st 8lbs, waist 34" (2012 - 17st 7lbs, w 42").

15/6/16: FBG AV 4.6, Trigs 1.5, HDL 2.0, LDL 3.0, BP 112/68, BPM 66, 11st 5lbs, waist 30", PWV 7.0. Lifelong migraines and hay fever gone.

Regime: 20g LCHF, run 1 mile daily, weekly fasting.
 
Your doctor will easily be able to get you in one, should you be interested.


Diagnosed 13/4/16: T2, no meds, HbA1c 53, FBG 12.6, Trigs 3.6, HDL .75, LDL 4.0, BP 169/95, 13st 8lbs, waist 34" (2012 - 17st 7lbs, w 42").

15/6/16: FBG AV 4.6, Trigs 1.5, HDL 2.0, LDL 3.0, BP 112/68, BPM 66, 11st 5lbs, waist 30", PWV 7.0. Lifelong migraines and hay fever gone.

Regime: 20g LCHF, run 1 mile daily, weekly fasting.
 
Thanks Kevin..................but I think I would go off on one if they recommended brown bread and pasta!
 
Jasperville said:
Thanks Kevin..................but I think I would go off on one if they recommended brown bread and pasta!
Click to expand...

Me too....haha...ill have to record my interactions


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…