Type 2 & DAFNE - DAFNE Online

October 30, 2009 13:45

megramsey DAFNE Graduate
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust 4 posts

My husband was diagnosed as a type 2 at the age of 40. I did the Dafne course as I am a type 1 (and by the way I take metformin as well as insulin) and he did it by proxy along with me. He has now actually been tested with the GAD test which has actually proved he is in fact a type 1.

October 30, 2009 15:01

marke Site Administrator
South East Kent PCT 681 posts

hi, as is my style I will preface what I'm about to say by making clear I am a Diabetic NOT a HCP/consultant/DAFNE Educator.
I don't think you can actually prove you are Type 1/Type 2/ or any other type, because life just isn't that simple :-( DAFNE is aimed at and works best with people
who are NOT insulin resistant and require multiple injections of background and quick acting insulin. Some DAFNE Educators are happy to include people with Insulin resistance and some are not. Ultimately the course is NOT aimed at people with insulin resistance and the issue is if you include such people they can skew the course because they have issues that the rest of the attendees do not. However as I say people with insulin resistance are not by default excluded and at some DAFNE Centres may be able to attend DAFNE.

October 31, 2009 09:04

megramsey DAFNE Graduate
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust 4 posts

Marke there is now a way to tell if someone is Type 1 the GAD test can prove it with antibodies being found in the blood -hence the change of diagnosis for my husband.
I wanted to make the point that a type 2 diagnosis in the past is not necessarily proof someone is type 2 so if someone wants to try Dafne and it works that is good news whatever type they may have been diagnosed as which I think is in agreement with you in a way.

November 01, 2009 16:57

marke Site Administrator
South East Kent PCT 681 posts

Meg, Sorry but to me the test just proves that your immune system has attacked the insulin producing cells and that you therefore don't produce much or any insulin. You can also be insulin resistant which is what type 2's are, which is another problem entirely. I know we are just discussinig semantics here, however as I said previously insulin resistance can cause 'issues' with DAFNE because the person in question may have completely different issues than the rest of the attendees on the course.
That said, I DO agree that all Diabetics benefit from diabetes education and some DAFNE Centres DO take people with insulin resistance. In addition there may be a possibility to run a DAFNE Course with a number of people who have insulin resistance so that everyone is tackling similiar issues.
I also agree that its not as simple as being Type 1 or Type 2, which is what I was trying to get at originally. I wish ALL Type 1's ( and 1.5's) could do DAFNE and get its big benefits !!

October 30, 2009 13:45 megramsey DAFNE Graduate East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust 4 posts	My husband was diagnosed as a type 2 at the age of 40. I did the Dafne course as I am a type 1 (and by the way I take metformin as well as insulin) and he did it by proxy along with me. He has now actually been tested with the GAD test which has actually proved he is in fact a type 1.
October 30, 2009 15:01 marke Site Administrator South East Kent PCT 681 posts	hi, as is my style I will preface what I'm about to say by making clear I am a Diabetic NOT a HCP/consultant/DAFNE Educator. I don't think you can actually prove you are Type 1/Type 2/ or any other type, because life just isn't that simple :-( DAFNE is aimed at and works best with people who are NOT insulin resistant and require multiple injections of background and quick acting insulin. Some DAFNE Educators are happy to include people with Insulin resistance and some are not. Ultimately the course is NOT aimed at people with insulin resistance and the issue is if you include such people they can skew the course because they have issues that the rest of the attendees do not. However as I say people with insulin resistance are not by default excluded and at some DAFNE Centres may be able to attend DAFNE.
October 31, 2009 09:04 megramsey DAFNE Graduate East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust 4 posts	Marke there is now a way to tell if someone is Type 1 the GAD test can prove it with antibodies being found in the blood -hence the change of diagnosis for my husband. I wanted to make the point that a type 2 diagnosis in the past is not necessarily proof someone is type 2 so if someone wants to try Dafne and it works that is good news whatever type they may have been diagnosed as which I think is in agreement with you in a way.
November 01, 2009 16:57 marke Site Administrator South East Kent PCT 681 posts	Meg, Sorry but to me the test just proves that your immune system has attacked the insulin producing cells and that you therefore don't produce much or any insulin. You can also be insulin resistant which is what type 2's are, which is another problem entirely. I know we are just discussinig semantics here, however as I said previously insulin resistance can cause 'issues' with DAFNE because the person in question may have completely different issues than the rest of the attendees on the course. That said, I DO agree that all Diabetics benefit from diabetes education and some DAFNE Centres DO take people with insulin resistance. In addition there may be a possibility to run a DAFNE Course with a number of people who have insulin resistance so that everyone is tackling similiar issues. I also agree that its not as simple as being Type 1 or Type 2, which is what I was trying to get at originally. I wish ALL Type 1's ( and 1.5's) could do DAFNE and get its big benefits !!