EXPERT course

[Ellie Jones]

Vince,

I suspect it's a bit of short-hand involved... More so your treatment regime is more akin to T1 treatment.. Your actual diagnoses in your medical records will be still T1.5/LADA...

I've only done the DAFNE course, I was under the impression that XPERT courses run in our area, where based more of tackling the coping stragities (sp) side of things rather than specific treatment/medication side of an chronic medical condition! Could be wrong though..

As to MDI..

Yes, DAFNE is based on mulitply injections a day, don't be put of by the carb/ratio calculations as if you set up how you collect your data right then this cuts out a lot of the hassel.. After you've got the carb/insulin ratio sorted calcuating carb intake and bolus, isn't that bad because really it's surpising how small our pallet of food is, and how constantly we eat same portion size, and how automatically you can add or subject dose for know activites.. And more meters are coming out now with bolus wizards on which are also very helpful...

I have got a slider scale for bolus/carb and correction which I was given when I started on the pump, which I am more than happy to pass it your way, I've never used it and now I've got my meter with my pump, I'm not going to use it.. Just give me a shout..

As to injecting side of things, I only injected into my stomach, I now only use my stomach for my infusion sets.. Due to similar reasons as yourself as when I had to inject into my thighs same sort of build... Our consultant actually descibed me as being of 'extremely slender build' in a letter to my GP, but skinny and rake comes to mind😱

If you are experiencing pain, I know the nurses would have gone through the needle size options to get one that suits best, but I ponder perhaps you might need to explore needing having to several needle sizes for different areas of the stomach you injecting too.. As the fat area will be different thicknesses over the stomach area.. And not having the best of coverages for injecting could mean that one needle size may be fine in one area, but inject into another area of the stomach then it's not!

 

[Caroline]

I am confused now there was an X-Pert course aimed at people with type 2.

Here is the page from Diabetes UK

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Professi...tructured-Education-for-people-with-Diabetes/

Then there is the Expert Patient programme - aimed at people with chronic conditions but they appear to have developed a course called x-pert diabetes.

http://www.expertpatients.co.uk/course-participants/courses/x-pert-diabetes

It all seems set up to confuse unless the original programme has now become part of the Expert Patients Programme.

I think the XPert diabetes is run by a different company, but it is flagged up as another option for people with diabetes to consider. It is specififc for people with diabetes.

There is also an generic Expert Patients course which covers a range of things and one for pain management and for a number of other things too.

Personally speaking I think it is worth exploring to find which one you want to do and then decide.

 

[vince13]

The paperwork I've got on it says it's "an Expert Patient Programme, a free course designed for adults living with any long-term health conditions. The EPP aims to help you take more control of your health by learning new skills to manage your condition better on a daily basis. Topics that the course covers include managing tiredness and pain: coping with feelings of depression; relaxation techniques and exercise; healthy eating; action planning and problem solving techniques; communication skills with healthcare professionals, friends, family and colleages. It is a 6 week course, each session lasting 2hrs 30 mins. It is facilitated by trained tutors who, typically, are also living with a long-term condition and have become good self-managers."

I may give them a ring and see how it is run but if it a group thing I don't want it and if we are just going to talk diabetes, then (as I see my diabetes as the root of all my problems at present) I think it would be self-defeating because I want to switch off concentrating all the time on how I feel about the Big D.

Do I make any sense to any of you ?

 

[Northerner]

The paperwork I've got on it says it's "an Expert Patient Programme, a free course designed for adults living with any long-term health conditions. The EPP aims to help you take more control of your health by learning new skills to manage your condition better on a daily basis. Topics that the course covers include managing tiredness and pain: coping with feelings of depression; relaxation techniques and exercise; healthy eating; action planning and problem solving techniques; communication skills with healthcare professionals, friends, family and colleages. It is a 6 week course, each session lasting 2hrs 30 mins. It is facilitated by trained tutors who, typically, are also living with a long-term condition and have become good self-managers."

I may give them a ring and see how it is run but if it a group thing I don't want it and if we are just going to talk diabetes, then (as I see my diabetes as the root of all my problems at present) I think it would be self-defeating because I want to switch off concentrating all the time on how I feel about the Big D.

Do I make any sense to any of you ?

Ah, then that is different to the Xpert course that people have been talking about, it is the one that margie suggested earlier and nothing to do with carb-counting and possibly not even diabetes specifically.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I may give them a ring and see how it is run but if it a group thing I don't want it and if we are just going to talk diabetes, then (as I see my diabetes as the root of all my problems at present) I think it would be self-defeating because I want to switch off concentrating all the time on how I feel about the Big D.

Makes perfect sense to me Faith.

While I am positively sparky about the benefits of forums and the D-OC online (blogs/twitter et al) I still find the prospect of a local group meeting, and also to some extent, a structured d-education course absolutely toe-curling. Whenever I feel a bit 'under the kosh' with D this is doubly so.

With forums etc I can dip in and out whenever it suits me, and leave abruptly any time if I fancy it without having to worry about anyone else's feelings.

These things are offered as a support/help - if you know deep down that you will not feel comfortable with it then any potential benefit is likely to be obscured.

M

 

[vince13]

Thanks for that !

Now, of course, I pluck up courage to get in touch (albeit online) and they say there are no such courses avilable in my area at the present time !!! Oh well, they say half your troubles never happen......

 

[vince13]

Thanks for the offer, Jo. Can I leave it for the moment and contact you as/when I get to MDI please ?

I have both the 4 and 5 needles and surprisingly find the 4 make me bruise/bleed more than the 5 where-ever I use them. Odd, eh ? Having met you, although I think you are slightly taller than me from recollection, we are much the same build (and have the same great consultant too !) but now you are on the pump that cuts out a lot of the digging about many times over I assume ?

Thanks for the contact anyway and all good wishes, 🙂

 

[heasandford]

The paperwork I've got on it says it's "an Expert Patient Programme, a free course designed for adults living with any long-term health conditions. The EPP aims to help you take more control of your health by learning new skills to manage your condition better on a daily basis. Topics that the course covers include managing tiredness and pain: coping with feelings of depression; relaxation techniques and exercise; healthy eating; action planning and problem solving techniques; communication skills with healthcare professionals, friends, family and colleages. It is a 6 week course, each session lasting 2hrs 30 mins. It is facilitated by trained tutors who, typically, are also living with a long-term condition and have become good self-managers."

I may give them a ring and see how it is run but if it a group thing I don't want it and if we are just going to talk diabetes, then (as I see my diabetes as the root of all my problems at present) I think it would be self-defeating because I want to switch off concentrating all the time on how I feel about the Big D.

Do I make any sense to any of you ?

I have been on one of these, it is a group based course, some of it I found useful, I was the only one with diabetes, lots of different conditions. Think we were all feeling a bit fed up with life in general, cheered me up, anyway! No need to speak if you didn't want to.