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DAFNE?

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K

KleboldKlan

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I've been thinking about it for a while and I just wanted to know a bit more about it.

When I asked about it at the diabetes clinic a few months ago, they said that it may not be best for me as I don't talk to people, (social anxiety), Do you have to talk or can you just listen and learn and do whatever they tell you to do? I didn't think talking mattered as long as you take something from it, I want to control my diabetes more instead of having it control me.

What do you have to do during the DAFNE program? I need to know really before I talk to my DSN about it, (if she ever gets back to me).
 
I haven't done DAFNE, but I did do a diabetes education course run by my local clinic. My experience of this, and courses generally, is that you don't have to be particularly chatty, but I think with DAFNE there is a certain degree of participation giving your blood sugar readings etc. Hopefully, some of our members with first-hand experience of DAFNE will be able to fill you in with more details.

If you feel that you really can't deal with a face-to-face course, there is an online version of BERTIE, which is a carb-counting course similar to DAFNE, which you might want to take a look at - not quite the same as a course where you can get feedback from an instructor, but certainly better than nothing. Details here:

https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/
 
My experience was that you are encouraged to talk, but nothing is forced so if you want to be quiet you can. The class size for mine was small, just 6 of us. I’m not sure what the usual size is.

You are invited to ask questions, discuss levels from the previous day etc but personally I felt that they want you to get as much as you can out of it rather than make you feel uncomfortable.

It’s a great course and I learnt a lot (I’d been diagnosed less than a year at the time).
 
Northerner said:
I haven't done DAFNE, but I did do a diabetes education course run by my local clinic. My experience of this, and courses generally, is that you don't have to be particularly chatty, but I think with DAFNE there is a certain degree of participation giving your blood sugar readings etc. Hopefully, some of our members with first-hand experience of DAFNE will be able to fill you in with more details.

If you feel that you really can't deal with a face-to-face course, there is an online version of BERTIE, which is a carb-counting course similar to DAFNE, which you might want to take a look at - not quite the same as a course where you can get feedback from an instructor, but certainly better than nothing. Details here:

https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/
Click to expand...
Thanks for that link Alan, as you know I am not “allowed” to go on a DAFNE as I am not Type 1! Have had a quick look at it and although I did know most of it, the correction bit was interesting and the info re splitting your bolus for high fat meals was a revelation. Only just started module 2, I won’t be doing the “ tests” and printing off my certificate, those days are long gone for me. But if anyone couldn’t face going on a course I think this would be ideal, not only because you can do it at your own pace but also can keep referring back to it. I had to register but thank goodness they didn’t ask me to swear an oath I was Type 1 or else I would have been scuppered! 😱
 
Bertie is an excellent resource, and it’s great that there is an online version so that people can access it even if it’s not offered in their area.

DAFNE is unique as far as structured education courses offered in the UK goes as it has the best published research evidence that it actually works. I would imagine that in any group there are quieter members and more contributing members - I understand that the interactions and discussions tend to add lots of value to be teaching/curriculum. My feeling would be that if you can get on the course @KleboldKlan (and understand that discussion forms part of it) that you may gain additional support from the discussions/interactions even if you remain quiet yourself.

When discussing with DSN would be good to see if you could speak to the educators/course leader so that they are aware of your anxiety and know not to pressurise you. I would think the course could be adapted to suit your needs, but the educators would know for sure.
 
I just had a couple of sessions with the dietitian and also did Bertie which did the trick for me.
 
Lots of the local courses (eg UHCW 'Carbs 4 1' course or George Eliot's 'GERTIE') are actually based on BERTIE and BDEC have trained the local trainers.

There were about 12 of us on 'my' course - some were talkative like me and others weren't. Thing is of course it's important to be able to say eg Hang on - I didn't quite understand that - could you explain again please? - and not be embarrassed asking - because you DO need to be able to understand it, don't you? Do you think you would be able to say that sort of thing if needed?
 
If you know what foods contain carbs and what dont.
If you know the difference between type 1 and 2.
If you can multiply 20 by 2 without a calculator.
If you can determine without too much effort how many carbs in a dish....

This may not be the course for you.

I have been diabetic for 25 years... Oddly during that time I learnt from all the information available online and via doctors ... As a result this course was a very long and patronising waste of time.
 
Tb87 said:
I have been diabetic for 25 years... Oddly during that time I learnt from all the information available online and via doctors ... As a result this course was a very long and patronising waste of time.
Click to expand...

I found the one I went on to be valuable. (Not DAFNE, but I imagine it's the local equivalent.) But now I think of it, I had to miss the first evening (it was over several Wednesday evenings), and this course was specifically for people who'd been diabetic for years (they said it was the first time they'd run the course for such patients). So maybe if I'd been sent on one with relatively newly diagnosed people that would have been more annoying.
 
I personally loved DAFNE and went with an open mind. There were obviously bits I knew about, but others that were knew, or different ways of looking at things.
On the course I did, you did have to share your numbers at the beginning of every day, as a learning point for you and everyone else. But I guess you could just hand them in and ask the DSN to present them if you explain your issue beforehand.
 
We had plenty of time for discussion and being 12 ladies ranging in age from 20ish (Uni student) to a lady of 65 (no not me, I was mid 50s then) there were shedloads of different topics like hormones at both ends of their scale and preg/b.f. plus exercise of various intensity, work and other stress, illness of various intensity too, etc.
 
Tb87 said:
If you know what foods contain carbs and what dont.
If you know the difference between type 1 and 2.
If you can multiply 20 by 2 without a calculator.
If you can determine without too much effort how many carbs in a dish....

This may not be the course for you.

I have been diabetic for 25 years... Oddly during that time I learnt from all the information available online and via doctors ... As a result this course was a very long and patronising waste of time.
Click to expand...
This is an old thread but most reports I have read about this have been postive and people have got something out of it despite many having had Diabetes for many years in some cases.
 
Tb87 said:
If you know what foods contain carbs and what dont.
If you know the difference between type 1 and 2.
If you can multiply 20 by 2 without a calculator.
If you can determine without too much effort how many carbs in a dish....

This may not be the course for you.

I have been diabetic for 25 years... Oddly during that time I learnt from all the information available online and via doctors ... As a result this course was a very long and patronising waste of time.
Click to expand...

Sorry that you didn’t have a very positive experience of the course @Tb87 - Diabetes is very individual and what suits one person won’t necessarily work as well for someone else.

I understand that one of the benefits of DAFNE alongside the carb estimation and dose ratio tools (where they often start people at a fairly straightforward 1:10 before encouraging them to adjust and adapt for their own needs at different times of the day), was the information about adjustments around hypoglycaemia, exercise, illness, activity, stress and alcohol.

Perhaps the folks who led your course could do with a bit of a refresher, or perhaps the group that you were in included people with slightly different needs who needed more time to be spent on the basics that you grasped quickly?
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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