Has anyone or know of anyone who's been on a DAFNE course?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi there,
I've not posted on the diabetic section before so a bit of background.
I'm based in the UK, female, 56 years old and have had Type 1 diabetes for the last 20 years.
Last blood test (Aug 19) HbA1c IFCC reading was 90. It should be between 20 - 41 and my daily blood glucose readings range from anything between 9 and 26. My history is that my blood sugar is always too high. I was diagnosed with a blood sugar reading of 51.2.
I have tried so hard - counting carbs, adjusting my insulin dosage, stopped drinking alcohol and to be honest I feel that I just can't do this anymore as nothing makes sense as I just don't understand, for example I'll go to bed with a blood reading of 13.7 and I'll wake up in the morning with a blood reading of 21.3 after having taken my normal dose of levemir the night before.
So I am now booked onto a 5 day (40 hour) NHS DAFNE course (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) at my local hospital and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as to whether I am going to be able to take it all in!! It's intensive - 8 hours a day, so I'm just wondering if anyone has been on one or knows anyone who has, and how they found it? My consultant says it's life changing so I'm not sure why I've been left to struggle for years and years without going on one before. Anyway that's a different story!!
I am feeling positive that this course will help me and my aim is to hopefully be considered for an insulin pump so I need to go on this course first.
Any insights or advice would be much appreciated.
Many thanks!!
Claire xx
0 likes, 5 replies
rvp50mufc HumptyDumpty43
Posted
I don't know much about what's happening to you but I'm a male 56 type 1 diabetic and I don't suffer so much with eating food my Hb1Ac is 50 but my doctor tells me he wants it lower my daily blood readings vary from 2.8 to 16.0 to 26. but mostly there between 7 and 10 I get where your coming ever since I got diagnosed over 20yrs ago I have never had any help any info it's only just be recently since my son also got diagnosed with type 1 that I've heard about all these things but that's not the root of the problem the problem is no one understands what it feels like to have this decease and the complications that comes with it have you tried asking your GP Glucose monitoring device you still have to prick your finger but not as much because the device helps control your blood sugar levels and it's supposed to help with long term blood count as well also maybe if your blood sugar is high at night maybe up your dose a little and see if that brings it down or maybe not eat anything if you do I know everyone is different but try little things it may help and also talking to someone who knows how you feels helps as well let me know what you think.
Simon.
jx41870 HumptyDumpty43
Posted
HD, I don't know this course, but I'm guessing that if you are already pretty educated as you seem to be, that you are the perfect student for the course and will learn everything they have to tell you.
I'm type2 and don't know a lot of type1 stuff, but I guess there's always the keto diet even for type1's, is that right? Don't know if the course will even cover that, but it might.
Good luck, and maybe you can post again after the course and tell us how it went!?!?
Thanks.
mjf3814 HumptyDumpty43
Posted
Hi
I'm newly diagnosed Type 2 and will shortly be doing my course, equivalent to DAFNE. One thing I have found so helpful has been the Diabetes UK website. There is one training module which is the year in the life of a Type 1 diabetic. I haven't seen it, as I watched the one specific for Type 2. But if it's half way as helpful, it will cover the DAFNE course. The other thing you can do, if you haven't already, is register for their Forum, and ask the same question there. Being dedicated to diabetics you will probably get a far greater number of responses. There are quite a few people responding there who do have the insulin pump. I wish you all the best.
HumptyDumpty43
Posted
Thank you all so much for your replies.
Yes I will definitely let you all know how I get on. I thought I knew a fair bit about Type 1 but something always seems to rear up and throw up exceptions to the rule for me. I think I do know what I am meant to do, but when put into practice it just doesn't give me the results I think I should be getting. I did subscribe to the Diabetic UK magazine so registering on their website and posting this on their forum is a very good idea so I'll do that shortly and watching the Type 1 video will be very helpful.
I just get so overwhelmed as one consultant will tell me one thing and the diabetic nurse will tell me another. When I prick my finger and take my readings and they are really high then literally 3 mins later I'll take another reading using a different finger and the reading will be
significantly lower. I've been through so many different makes of glucose monitors to test them that I'm really beginning to think it's just me and that I'm a medical phenomena!!
Anyway the course sounds very informative so if it delivers and helps me with my daily confusion then it will have been well worth while.
Once again, thank you all for your replies and input.
Wishing you all the best
Claire xx
mjf3814 HumptyDumpty43
Posted
So many people on Diabetes UK have said exactly the same things that you are saying. The medical profession seems to have forgotten we are all individuals, react differently and should be responded to differently. Pete Seeger's song "Little Boxes" comes to mind!! I have the GP, the Nurse Practitioner and the allocated dietician all telling me different, conflicting and confusing things. So I'm ploughing through trying to work out what's right for me. I have my course in 10 days and hope that helps me, not add to the confusion!