Dear DAFNE- an apology

[cherrypie]

Dear Dafne
I am sorry if I seemed critical of you yesterday, I did not mean to be. I have not had the honour of meeting you and perhaps I was feeling a little sorry for myself about this. I would very much like you to meet my daughter and I but understand now why this is not possible. Perhaps one day you will be blessed with a child of your own, and then our two children could become friends and learn from each other about their lifelong companion Diabetes.

Until that happy day I hope you will be able to continue the excellent work I often hear that you do

Best Wishes
MeanMom

Hi Mean Mom,

I did some research yesterday and tried to find a carb counting course for kids. I did find one for 11 - 16yr olds that had been successfully piloted in Sheffield. It is called Kick-off. Here are some links,
http://www.google.co.uk/search?clie...oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=zXKiTsbpM8Wq8QPv59jvBQ

Might be worth asking your Consultant/DSN about this course and even a letter to DUK to see whether it is going to be rolled out across the U.K. I wonder if the SHA's and PCT's are keeping a lid on it because of costs?🙄

 

[Marc]

When ever any one grumbles about the costs of treating diabetes I remind them of the costs of treating complications. Ie ?17,000 a year for kidney dialysis plus money for kidney transplant. Makes a ?4000 for a pump seem small.

Marc

 

[Nyadach]

Really winds me up how the company's get away charging ?4k etc for a pump. It's pretty criminal really when the tech involved in them is so ancient they are knocking them together for about ?30. I was reading some of the tech off a Swiss company who designed some pretty nifty (very small) and very cheap pumps who license the designs out and expected the pumps to sell for the sub ?200 range. Sadly though, no ones licensed them Guess it's the usual NHS in lets buy off the shelf at way over the odds pricing than just licensing some tech and getting them built ourselves for next to nothing.

As for children on DAFNE it should be pretty standard I think for every one who's diagnosed, regardless of age. I can still remember when I was 4 and getting a Balance book. A huge phone book thing that was ring bound (am sure it's in a drawer somewhere) with pretty much everything in it so I could look up the carb values. Over the years you learned stuff slowly and it just becomes part of you. At a early age I think it really helped improve my maths skills no end also due to heavy use of maths all day every day.

Over the years things have changed though, and it was great to go on DAFNE and it is really fantastic. It brought me back up to date and smoothed over many things. But basic carb counting, maybe not dose adjustment really is something that would be great for primary kids. And the whole thing for teenagers etc would be great for them to control there own lives and allow them the freedom all kids should have. And not have to bother about what they do eat or go and do just as long as they are honest with themselves what they are eating.