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The DESMOND experience!

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
C

CathyB

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
i attended my DESMONDcourse today, it was amazing to hear other people’s experience of diagnosis and journey so far, I was amazed though at the fact that I was the only one in the room who had researched through diabetes.uk and this forum, also realised just how much I had learned here. During the break I was talking to the lady next to me who was so baffled about food, I told her about the forum and just how much I had benefited, suggested she look at the thread ‘what did you eat last night’ and some of the others, immediately one of the facilitators jumped right in and snapped my head off with “you need to be careful on forums, those people are not experts or professionals so don’t really know what’s right”........I was gobsmacked!! Firstly how bloody rude, then how dare she make such assumptions about something she has never looked at (yes, I did ask). The poor woman I was talking to looked horrified! I responded that with respect, I had learned from those with lived experience rather than textbook theory (couldn’t help that one) and that the key learning point for me had been that everyone responds differently to various foods, hence why testing was so important. I also stated that no one on the forum declared themselves to be ‘experts’ so that was rather a condescending assumption to make.........I was furious!
 
Ralph-YK said:
My GP practice DSN has actually told me to come on here!
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I am so pleased to hear that, I don’t understand her attitude at all, a word of caution might have been ok but at least respect the lived experience. At no point on here has anyone ever told me what to do, I have simply been offered information to make my own mind up. Her advice about food was low cal low carb, any fruit....including grapes, and any veg!
 
CathyB said:
i attended my DESMONDcourse today, it was amazing to hear other people’s experience of diagnosis and journey so far, I was amazed though at the fact that I was the only one in the room who had researched through diabetes.uk and this forum, also realised just how much I had learned here. During the break I was talking to the lady next to me who was so baffled about food, I told her about the forum and just how much I had benefited, suggested she look at the thread ‘what did you eat last night’ and some of the others, immediately one of the facilitators jumped right in and snapped my head off with “you need to be careful on forums, those people are not experts or professionals so don’t really know what’s right”........I was gobsmacked!! Firstly how bloody rude, then how dare she make such assumptions about something she has never looked at (yes, I did ask). The poor woman I was talking to looked horrified! I responded that with respect, I had learned from those with lived experience rather than textbook theory (couldn’t help that one) and that the key learning point for me had been that everyone responds differently to various foods, hence why testing was so important. I also stated that no one on the forum declared themselves to be ‘experts’ so that was rather a condescending assumption to make.........I was furious!
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I've been on a DESMOND Course Cathy and I certainly knew more than the facilitators that took my course...good for you for putting her straight...agree with you rude & arrogant.
 
I went on a three session educational course and am only sorry that I was in such a poor state after taking Metformin and a statin which really impaired my mental state that I could not make much of an argument. There were some really worried and rather ill people there, and they were blithely advised that baked beans and potato would be fine for them. I was feeling more argumentative by the third one, and armed with my second test results but there was no one from the previous sessions there.
 
Drummer said:
I went on a three session educational course and am only sorry that I was in such a poor state after taking Metformin and a statin which really impaired my mental state that I could not make much of an argument. There were some really worried and rather ill people there, and they were blithely advised that baked beans and potato would be fine for them. I was feeling more argumentative by the third one, and armed with my second test results but there was no one from the previous sessions there.
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Ah the curse of Metformin..that stuff did not agree with me one bit!
 
So pleased you were able to share your positive experience of the forum @CathyB. Shame that the course educator was so negative :( Maybe they have had experience of people having a bad time or getting poor advice elsewhere?
 
Jeandp said:
Well done @CathyB for sticking up for yourself, and all of us. Makes me glad my promised course never materialised.
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Jean I doubt you missed much...the courses are designed for the newly diagnosed...are basic...some find some of the information useful...many don't there have been several threads to that effect...as you say you were fortunate to have missed it😉.
 
It seems that different DESMOND courses run by different educators are quite different. Several members here have had similar experiences to yours Cathy, but others have had much more useful information from more helpful course leaders. Feels like they need to review the ‘fidelity’ of the course and re-educate the educators!

I *think* members here have found the X-pert course more consistently helpful, but I don’t have the right diagnosis to get any personal experience of either.
 
CathyB said:
i attended my DESMONDcourse today, it was amazing to hear other people’s experience of diagnosis and journey so far, I was amazed though at the fact that I was the only one in the room who had researched through diabetes.uk and this forum, also realised just how much I had learned here. During the break I was talking to the lady next to me who was so baffled about food, I told her about the forum and just how much I had benefited, suggested she look at the thread ‘what did you eat last night’ and some of the others, immediately one of the facilitators jumped right in and snapped my head off with “you need to be careful on forums, those people are not experts or professionals so don’t really know what’s right”........I was gobsmacked!! Firstly how bloody rude, then how dare she make such assumptions about something she has never looked at (yes, I did ask). The poor woman I was talking to looked horrified! I responded that with respect, I had learned from those with lived experience rather than textbook theory (couldn’t help that one) and that the key learning point for me had been that everyone responds differently to various foods, hence why testing was so important. I also stated that no one on the forum declared themselves to be ‘experts’ so that was rather a condescending assumption to make.........I was furious!
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If there is an opportunity to provide feedback on the course, then please let them know what you felt about the response, and how such blanket statements could cut off what is a very valuable source of information and support for people living with diabetes and all its complexity. I do agree that you need to be cautious with forums and information on the internet generally, but if a forum is well-moderated then it will weed out any potentially harmful advice.

Well done for standing up for us, and what you believed to be right based on actual experience of using a forum, and not just dismissing them offhand as the educator was doing 🙂
 
kentish maid said:
Have I lost the plot, or did I see some where that there is an online course along the lines of the Desmond course?
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If there is I hope that's more informative than the one I attended KM.🙂
 
I'm amazed that people diagnosed with diabetes don't do any online research or find this forum. I know there is a lot of dodgy info on the net, but there is also a lot of useful info too. I joined here the day I was diagnosed & learned so much.
 
Mark Parrott said:
I'm amazed that people diagnosed with diabetes don't do any online research or find this forum. I know there is a lot of dodgy info on the net, but there is also a lot of useful info too. I joined here the day I was diagnosed & learned so much.
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People often don't know this & other forums exist Mark...some do not appreciate the seriousness of their conditions...you had a pro-active GP...got some good advice...directed here...some are told to take the medication...then come back in three or six months...one of the GP's at our practice told me I was T2 in a phone call...then added as an aside 'oh have a look on DUK' just as he ended the call...it's a lottery Mark...if you're lucky you're pointed in the right direction...it shouldn't be but it is.
 
I wasn't told about DUK as such on my course, but they handed out folders of information and one of the booklets was the DUK one Your Guide to Type 2 Diabetes, along with a record card for the nurse to complete when I attend appointments, a leaflet about foot care and one about advising DVLC and some other odds and ends. So I came home, went online, and as they say, the rest is history
They were supplied by the Paula Carr Diabetes Trust
 
I think I remember joining DUK, or another organisation, after diagnosis 17 years ago. The hospital team then recommended it. I joined for a year &, it was the early days of the internet & I didn’t have it because of ancient phonelines not yet changed, everything was through the post, snail mail.

I received a “Balance” magazine every month. It was quite heavily geared towards type 1’s but, I remembered reading a newbie’s diary entries in “Balance” as she progressed from T1 diagnosis, her initial reactions, adjustments to her work & home life, her adjusting menu, the challenges, her ups & downs: warts & all pieces in the magazine! I can’t remember why it was only a year but, after that I didn’t get anything else.

I was also passed back to my GP practice after that first year & just left with an annual diabetic review, with HbA1c tests & feet checks for 13 years. Then my mum’s sudden death from cancer hit me hard in 2015 & I was still struggling in Feb. 2016 after the GP practice nurse didn’t know what to do anymore, referred back to the hospital team. Got things under control again with their help. Then just over another year, more health problems when I was in hospital May 2017 & refferred to hospital team again, still under their care! Had difficulty getting test strips after a sudden change in prescriptions, bought some on the DUK shop, saw the forum & joined, again?
 
Mark Parrott said:
I'm amazed that people diagnosed with diabetes don't do any online research or find this forum. I know there is a lot of dodgy info on the net, but
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We are out there. I have met fellow D's in other places. There are groups on other forums and IM apps for Diabetics.
It doesn't help when hcp are against us getting info. My dietician told me not to come here as it just confused me!
 
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