Worth doing DAFNE?

Hi,

My daughter was offered a DAFNE course last year but couldn't do it because of work. However, her shifts have changed so she is wondering if it's worth asking about the course. She wants to be sure that it's worth doing though, as it would involve an hour and a quarter commute each way to clinic Monday to Friday for the course, before working 5pm-10pm on Friday and 2pm to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday as a care assistant.

She currently counts carbohydrates using a combination of packet information and weighing food, when possible, and estimating based on experience when it's not. She uses an insulin pump and has set the basal rate through testing (her BGs are level if she does nothing and eats nothing ). Her meal bolus ratios have been adjusted for each meal and correction factors also vary through the day as a result of testing. However, she still has wildly fluctuating BGs and her HBA1C is around 8.5%.

As a child we managed to keep her HBA1c at around 6.5%. But that was obviously before driving and university/work.

What do people think?

Also, is it possible to see a copy of the course materials, as this might help her decide.

Thanks,
Jos

I'm probably not the best person to answer since I help run the site so I'm evidently biased, however I would say yes. There are loads of fringe benefits to doing the course including being in a room with a group of fellow diabetics and so realising you are not alone with any issues you have and everyone has the same problems. It also joins the dots over a lot of diabetic related things including carb counting and not over compensating for highs and lows in BG's.

I'm afraid you can't view the course materials unless you have done the course. You have to sign a contract in blood and offer up your first born as security I'm only half joking here, they are VERY protective of the materials and we had to sign legal documents to host them on the site.

Thanks for the advice Marke, I'll pass this on. Any other opinions?

BTW, how do they justify the secrecy over the materials?

Hi, Without boring you rigid with the details. Its political , the materials are 'owned' by one particular NHS trust who have copyright on them. For the next version of DAFNE being developed now, I hope they won't make the same mistakes and one part of the NHS won't own it but it will be owned by the programme. I'm not sure I will hold my breath though, ALL big organisations run on bureaucracy not just he NHS

Hi Jos

Having just completed a DAFNE course last week I would definitely recommend your daughter goes on the course. Prior to the course I was also carb counting in the way you describe and had good control. Nevertheless I still learnt loads and I should hopefully now have the tools to achieve even better control. Also, a major benefit of the course is meeting and discussing experiences with other type 1s. This was absolutely invaluable and something which can't be gained from simply reading the materials.

Best

Simon

I'm with you Simon ! I never would have guessed 8 years or so ago when I did it where it would lead me. I met interesting people on the course and have continued to meet Diabetics and Medical professionals since then that have taught me more than I ever would have guessed there was to know about Diabetes. It is difficult I appreciate for anyone to do the course, even without the commuting but I think most people get a lot out of the course in many ways.

Ok sales pitch over

I think she should take the course. This sounds similar to me pre-Dafne – flunctuating BG, HBA1C out of range causing blurred vision, (incorrect) carb-counting. Dafne worked for me, though I still have periods of low & high BG (less extreme) but no blurred vision, and HBA1C in range.

If BG is flunctuating implies something may not be correct so this would be an opportunity to look at this. It could be QA or BI (or both) need tuning. External factors such as stress, driving, work-patterns may also contribute.

Dafne does require self-discipline to monitor and react to obtain full benefit. Then there are other aspects like sick-day rules (potentially very useful), interactions with others, confidence boost in the control.

Hope this helps,
J

All worth it, especially if she has not had any similar education

Im so glad ive read your answers as i have just booked a dafne course and the answers have given me more confidence im 62 years old and only confirmed as type 1 for a year .