Poll: Which diabetes course(s) have you attended?

[Eurobuff]

I was diagnosed exactly a year ago this week and found this forum a few weeks later, I followed a lot of the advice and recipes, cut my carb intake and lost two stone in as many months . My DN was amazed at how well I did. Then in November I did the Expert course and they told me to do the opposite of all I'd been doing, eat 5 to 15 portions of carbs a day, cut the cheese, use skimmed milk, eat as much fruit as I wished, increase my veg intake including potatoes and increase pasta meals yeh right
Then came the Expert turnaround advising low cab and Trudi Deakin admitting she got it wrong
Yesterday I had a letter inviting me to do a refresher course in July "when I will be given the chance to remind myself what I had learned on the Course and see how I am progressing, revisit the 7 lifestyle factors for better health and make some small changes with the help of new recipes"
Following my first experience I am undecided whether to go or not but it might be interesting to see just how they have adapted the course.( For better or worse) and whether they now know if what they are teaching is good for type 2 diabetics.....maybe just for curiosity

Maybe the "refresher" course is to "remind" you that you should be eating fewer carbs, in other words "oops we've got it wrong, we'll better get them back to tell them the correct info"

 

[poohtiggy]

Maybe the "refresher" course is to "remind" you that you should be eating fewer carbs, in other words "oops we've got it wrong, we'll better get them back to tell them the correct info"

That's what I thought when reading the letter but then the last paragraph said "please bring your Expert handbook with you" that is, the handbook that told me all the wrong stuff and said 'no food was banned' up the carbs lower the the fat change white grains for brown etc I have decided I will attend if only to contradict them

 

[Eurobuff]

That's what I thought when reading the letter but then the last paragraph said "please bring your Expert handbook with you" that is, the handbook that told me all the wrong stuff and said 'no food was banned' up the carbs lower the the fat change white grains for brown etc I have decided I will attend if only to contradict them

Maybe they will take your book off you & give you an "updated" one

 

[Mia_Malaney]

I have been T1 for 18 years and wasn't even aware there were courses :-o

I have been on this site for a little over a week and have learnt more than the last 18 years from the various care teams I have been under, worrying but true!

 

[CollieBoy]

Maybe they will take your book off you & give you an "updated" one

More likely for me would be that I would go along and throw a "hissy fit" that they STILL weren't teaching what the updated XPERT course was saying!
BTW unlikely to get an updated course as my CCG has abandoned XPERT in favour of a cheaper course, EMPOWER

 

[CollieBoy]

I have been T1 for 18 years and wasn't even aware there were courses :-o

I have been on this site for a little over a week and have learnt more than the last 18 years from the various care teams I have been under, worrying but true!

@Mia_Malaney
might be an idea to press for a course and see what you can glean from it!

 

[Shirl Bill]

I have never been on a course was told T2 gave me tabs Metformin that was it see doc every 6mnths that was 2yrs ago and struggling with T2 I can't get below 13.5

 

[Shirl Bill]

Would love to go on course I really need help don't no about carbs don't do courses in my area

 

[Eurobuff]

Would love to go on course I really need help don't no about carbs don't do courses in my area

I am low carbing. I've learnt about 99% of the stuff I know from reading thins forum and asking questions. I haven't been on a course either but by judging what my DN says and what others have said about theirs I don't think I'm missing out that much.

 

[PatsyB]

Never been on a course either and never been offered one

 

[the old bodger]

This month we're taking a look at structured diabetes education courses in the UK and how well they work.

Have you taken one since you were diagnosed? If so, how helpful did you find it, if at all?

If you haven't taken any courses - is that because you've never been offered a place, or because you just felt like you didn't need it?

Would you recommend the course(s) to any of your friends if they were to get diagnosed with diabetes?

Never been offered any course or information picked up what I know of the internet and by word of mouth
Have been diabetic for 5 years now

 

[Dizz]

I'm newly diagnosed T2 and have been offered a 4 hour session called 'Type 2 Diabetes Education Conversation Maps'. It's not until September and at present I'm undecided if I'll go, as others have said, I've learnt a lot in this past week from this site and so far my reduced carb diet and the meds are slowly bringing my BG levels down. The DN at my surgery rang me yesterday to see how I was getting on, I'm quite impressed with that....

 

[Marling]

Have been on a 5-day DAFNE course many years ago, and on yearly follow-up courses. It changed my life, I really can and do eat normally and the knowledge about carbs and the corresponding insulin dose has been very liberating and I feel I'm in control of my diabetes. Yes, I would recommend this course to any T1, although, it must be said, it is not easy at first and takes time and determination to learn.

 

[MosheBenYehuda]

I am low carbing. I've learnt about 99% of the stuff I know from reading thins forum and asking questions. I haven't been on a course either but by judging what my DN says and what others have said about theirs I don't think I'm missing out that much.

Same here. T2, and learned all that matters on THIS forum. I became a low carber and seen my BG down from around 10 to around 5 in a month, also my weight from 19 stones to 18 in the same time. I am lucky to have a flexible and supporting GP and family. I just got a call today and will attend X-pert from mid July. Truly looking forward to seeing what's all about, but no one can change my mind about what I achieved. I started in March with "Metformin & eat healthy(?) and no testing needed" and frustrated in May about heavy feet, low mood, twitching and pain in my lower legs, blurred vision etc, and discovered a new life on this forum. Daily testing, lowest carbs, small meals... Still fighting my way through, with little support where I was hoping for more, but seeing the results, I hold on to a new sense of hope. After all, I am 52, but my youngest one is just 8 and hope to see her growing a bit more.
I am not optimistic, as I have seen too much in this life, but realism helps me value even the little bits to what they are: small gems of greater value than the sometimes hopeless average lot;-)
I'll come back and post about the course. :-D

 

[hemsley15]

This month we're taking a look at structured diabetes education courses in the UK and how well they work.

Have you taken one since you were diagnosed? If so, how helpful did you find it, if at all?

If you haven't taken any courses - is that because you've never been offered a place, or because you just felt like you didn't need it?

Would you recommend the course(s) to any of your friends if they were to get diagnosed with diabetes?

Hi. Just finished aspire course which I found really helpful. I was diagnosed last year with type 1, which at 53 ,came as quite a shock. This course has helped me to fully understand carb counting, how to hopefully minimize future complications as well as meeting other fantastic people who have type 1. The nurse, dietician and doctor couldn't have been more helpful and nothing was too much trouble. If you get the chance to attend one of these courses I feel you would find it beneficial.

 

[Stuart1957]

Have been on a 5-day DAFNE course many years ago, and on yearly follow-up courses. It changed my life, I really can and do eat normally and the knowledge about carbs and the corresponding insulin dose has been very liberating and I feel I'm in control of my diabetes. Yes, I would recommend this course to any T1, although, it must be said, it is not easy at first and takes time and determination to learn.

This is a fantastic course that should be available to everyone

 

[Stuart1957]

6 mths after DAFNE now on a Pump. Never felt better in 40yrs Type 1

 

[Astronomer]

Have you taken one since you were diagnosed? If so, how helpful did you find it, if at all?
Didn't know there were such courses!

If you haven't taken any courses - is that because you've never been offered a place, or because you just felt like you didn't need it?
I have never been asked to go on one!

I have been diagnosed T2 since 2006, despite the medicine, still tended to have high HbA1c. I have OnTrack app on my smartphone. I have now got control, according to OnTrack, HbA1c has come down, now stands at 6.2 after a long time at 7 or more.

 

[Eurobuff]

Have you taken one since you were diagnosed? If so, how helpful did you find it, if at all?
Didn't know there were such courses!

If you haven't taken any courses - is that because you've never been offered a place, or because you just felt like you didn't need it?
I have never been asked to go on one!

I have been diagnosed T2 since 2006, despite the medicine, still tended to have high HbA1c. I have OnTrack app on my smartphone. I have now got control, according to OnTrack, HbA1c has come down, now stands at 6.2 after a long time at 7 or more.

Can I just ask what phone you've got, I've got an iPhone and thought I'd look at the app your using, only when I search under that name I get train timetables!

 

[Astronomer]

To give it the full name, I use the Medivo OnTrack Diabetes app, and I use it to track BG, BP, weight, estimated HbA1c, pulse, medicines and exercise. I have an android phone, though I think it should be available for iPhones. Try looking in health & fitness category if you have one in the app store.