Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Aug 11, 2009

Daisy1 2 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Diabetic Birth Stories

Hello Im a new graduate to the DAFNE course and trying to get the best information on becoming pregnant, at the moment I am struggling to get my HbA1c down, any help would be very very grateful. Thank you x

Aug 10, 2009

LizB 23 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Do periods mess up your blood sugars?

Hi Jenny - yes!
I totally identify with what you're describing, but now the Doc has been able to see my BGs over a sustained period (no pun intended) and I have labelled each week of the cycle with Wk1, Wk2, Wk3 etc, we see the longer term patterns more clearly and are starting to unravel the code. This should mean that in future I'll be able to make changes ahead of time (like Hazel mentioned) rather than constantly re-acting to the bad results I just had!
Good luck in finding a way to tackle your own story.

Aug 10, 2009

LizB 23 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Introductions

Hi,

I'm 39 and have had diabetes for 36 years; and was lucky enought to go on one of our PCT's first DAFNE courses back in January this year (2009).

I had heard about the existence of DAFNE about 2 1/2 years ago and had been working with my DSN on using some of the DAFNE principles whilst waiting for the local DAFNE Educators to receive their initial training and get funding so they could run these courses. Anyway, my point is that I wanted DAFNE, asked for DAFNE and was delighted with the enlightened approach to my care when the actual DAFNE course still wasn't quite available in my area.

DAFNE has given me a sound foundation of understanding of my condition and the tools that I craved to make informed choices about my own day to day care â€“ and the changes this is bringing to my life are gradually revealing themselves as things â€œbed inâ€. [If you read my post on the development site about how useful the graphs are, you'll appreciate that I still have a lot of work to do to get where I want to be, but a least I now have something to work with!]

Crazy isnâ€™t it that itâ€™s taken 36 years to get to this point!

Good luck and good learning to everyone who's done or doing DAFNE.

Aug 10, 2009

LizB 23 posts

Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference

Hi Simon,
I do compare my graphs and at the moment by base period is Monday to Sunday each week, as it is one page of DAFNE diary results. I think it would be helpful if Iif we could view graphs fortwo time periods (perhaps each with it's own date selection?) side by side on screen.

In answer to your second note, I do select my own dates quite often but having some frequently used options available would probably help speed it up. Personally I like to have the freedom to choose a non-standard period if I feel like it alongside having quick and easy options.

Hope that helps and I look forward to seeing what other people have to say.

Thanks again for your hard work on this.

Aug 10, 2009

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference

Also, as a general question - how do people use the graphs? More specifically - do you ever specify your own date range, or would you prefer easier to use options such as

View trend graph for: Last 7 Days | Last 14 Days | All Entries

Aug 10, 2009

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference

Hi Liz,

Thanks for the feedback on the graphs - glad you are finding them useful.

From your post it seems you like to compare your results with the previous week - would you like it if there was a 'compare with previous' week option so you could see the current and previous week's graphs side by side? I'm sure this is something we could work on.

Thanks,

Simon

Aug 9, 2009

LizB 23 posts

Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference

Hi

I've been using the online BG diary and playing with the graphs for about 6 weeks now and I'm finding them invaluable. The graphs help me pick out patterns that I just couldn't see in a list of numbers that seemed to me to be totally random and unpredicatable.

Using the graphs I can plan which parts of the day I need to to tackle first to make improvements - i have a feasible strategy at last! And, most importantly, they also provide a result of what my efforts have achieved.

For example, I started off with the targets pie chart, which gives a great overall view of how I'm getting o. In my heart I knew too many of my tests were too high but really had no grasp of the proportion of tests that were high or low or within target. The targets pie chart shows me the proportions (slices of pie) and the percentages (marked on the graph)and these images have made sense of what's happening.

I admit the first time I looked it was alarming to see that 73.5% of my BGs were above target and only 20% within target! But, what that did was give me something to aim for. Now each week I look at the targets graph and the trend lines for the week just gone and draw the pie chart in my DAFNE book so I can compare it with next week's results.

The first week I did this I came up with a broad goal for myself of reducing the number of above target results. After about three weeks it is now at 44% above target and 35% within target, which is a great improvement.

Next I will be looking at levelling out the trend line so that it doesn't have such dramatic "hills" at the beginning and end of the day. After that, well who knows, but I just wanted to share and say thanks for providing something that really makes a difference in terms of finding a way through the maze of diabetes managent.

Cheers.

Aug 9, 2009

lucy 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Diabetic Birth Stories

Hello! I'm looking for personal experiences about giving birth as a type 1 (especially how you got on being on an insulin/glucose drip during labour). I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my first baby & well controlled thanks to DAFNE training & the support of the team at QEH London. I'm eager to have the most natural birth experience possible. Let me know how pregnancy/labour/birth went for you! Thank you!

Aug 9, 2009

lucy 3 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Giving birth without an insulin/glucose drip

Hello! I'm looking for further information / personal experiences about giving birth without being on an insulin/glucose drip. I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my first baby, DAFNE trained & well controlled. I'm eager to have the most natural birth experience possible. Thank you!

Aug 7, 2009

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado

Hi John,

That's a really good point about the low GI foods being included - maybe a separate list could be added to the Carb Counting book. I'll feed this back to DAFNE Central.

Thanks,

Simon

Aug 7, 2009

John Roscoe 14 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado

Simon,
As I understand it some things aren't included because although they contain carbohydrate they have a low GI and are so slowly absorbed that they aren't counted. So this then leads to confusion between things not included because they don't contain CHO, things that are CHO containing and low GI and therefore should not be counted and things that just haven't been iincluded yet. In some ways it would be good if the low GI, CHO containing items were added with a note saying you don't need to count them. Sorry if I have confused things but I have been caught out with this in the past.
Cheers
John

Aug 6, 2009

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado

Guys,

It's true that the Carb book we get on the DAFNE Course doesn't have everything in - this is unfortunate but understandable as the people who make it can't possibly sample every type/brand of food out there, in much the same way that a dictionary doesn't have every word in the English language. If something is missing and you go on to find out the CP value of a portion, you can add your findings to the online carb counter we have here on the site. You never know - it may feed into the paper based diary in the future.

Simon

Aug 6, 2009

John Roscoe 14 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado

Hi Bill,
I think you are right as I believe Avacado has a very low GI and so will be absorbed very slowly so therefore you don't count it.
However your comment touches on a wider issue that if something isn't included in the DAFNE carb counter can you automatically assume you don't count it. This is the one weakness with the carb counter as it doesn't cover everything. I raised this at a recent DAFNE follow up meeting with our dietician and there doesn't seem to be an answer other than it is recognised that this a weakness of the system.
Regards
John

Aug 5, 2009

Buffalo Bill... 1 post

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado

Hi there,

anybody know if you need insulin for an avocado? My gut instinct tells me no but I checked it online and it has 12 g CHO for 150g of avocado. Anyone any experience of this to share?

Can I presume if a fruit is not in the DAFNE carb counter book, then it is a 0 CP food?

thanks,

Aug 5, 2009

marke 681 posts

Topic: DAFNE Graduate Group (DGG) / DAFNE user group first meeting

I am posting this here because we haven't had time to create a specific area on the site for the user group as yet.
As soon as time permits we will have a dedicated area for the DAFNE User Group. Anyway, in the spirit of keeping you all
informed, the minutes of the first meeting of the DAFNE User Action Group (DUAG) are here.
The group is intended to represent YOU and your views (DAFNE Graduates) to the steering groups within the DAFNE Programme.
The minutes give a much better summary of the group and its current state, so I will leave you to read them :-)

Aug 4, 2009

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Site Development / Can User lists topics be alphabetically listed?

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the site and thanks for your feedback - its always good to hear what our users want. I'd just like to get clarification on some of your points:

What do you mean when you say the page index links - is this the list of forums/topics or something else?

I assume when you say link you mean by attaching your blood glucose meter to your computer. In practice the site is set up to do this as we can accept formatted data, extracting the data from meters is more difficult as meter manufacturers don't seem to want third parties to access data on their devices directly - meaning that they use obscure access methods which different from meter to meter. If you have contacts with meter companies who may be able to assist us with APIs/other access methods to the device data that would be most welcome as this is a feature we'd love to have on the site.

Thanks again for your feedback, and we hope you find the site a useful resource.

Simon

Aug 4, 2009

tonyd 9 posts

Topic: Site Development / Can User lists topics be alphabetically listed?

Hi there Admin Team!

As a new user great site and credit to you for your hard work and efforts in getting the site this far already guys.

Any chance that page index links can be listed alphabetically rather than by numbers?

Will bloods eventually be able to downloaded by link rather than manually? Do you need any contacts with meter companies?

Apologies if this is all in the pipeline or has been asked for already or cant be done.

Aug 4, 2009

tonyd 9 posts

Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE in peril at the Wirral

Its a terrible decision but what happened to the complaints made? Did anyone ever get a reply from the Trust?

Aug 3, 2009

marke 681 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increasing awareness of this fourm.

Widster,
Thanks for your positive actions, I agree it would be good if others could do the same with such positive results. To this end we will be approaching members of the site in the near future in the guise of the DAFNE User Action Group. This is the elected 'users group' for the DAFNE programme. The group has only just had its first meeting and is still getting orgainised, but in the near future there will be more information about the group on this site and requests for your involvement in publicising and moving DAFNE forward.

In the mean time thank you again for your efforts !

Aug 3, 2009

JayBee 587 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increasing awareness of this fourm.

I asked my DAFNE nurse about getting a code because I lost my original letter telling me I was a graduate, which from what I understand the code was on it but I couldn't work out where it was on the leaflet before losing it. Has anyone else had this trouble? Unfortunately, the new code the nurse gave me was incorrect so I will be asking again....

I do recommend DAFNE to those that I know just incase they know someone who might need it... I really ought to think to recommend this forum too! I shall in future.

Aug 3, 2009

Derek Brown 32 posts

Topic: Site Development / Online BG Diaries

Hi Simon

That's exactly what I was after Smile

Thanks again

Derek

Aug 2, 2009

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Site Development / Online BG Diaries

Hi Derek / All

You are now able to add the ratio when entering diary entries - this is possible when entering them one at a time, using the multiple entry page and via the mobile site too. The ratio of a diary entry is displayed in the tabular view for that entry.

Hope this is what you were after - let us know if not / there are any problems with the update.

Thanks,

Simon

Jul 31, 2009

Widster 23 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increasing awareness of this fourm.

Thanks for the comments Simon. Just to let you know that the educator at Leicester has today sent out an email to all the Leicester DAFNE graduates, past and present, giving a link to the site and also giving the registration code. I'm really pleased that she has done this as others may now benefit from the site and we will benefit from their input.

Also, one other way i have thought of to get increased coverage of the forum would be a write up or comment in 'Balance' magazine.

Jul 31, 2009

Derek Brown 32 posts

Topic: Site Development / Online BG Diaries

Hi Simon

I'd prefer the manual input option personnaly.

I think that removing + or - correction values would make readings confusing as well, unless I'm not understanding this corectly.

Jul 31, 2009

ABennett 2 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins

I've always had my own sharps bin, since my diagnosis in 1991. Unfortunately my local council has recently changed its policy on how I dispose of full ones, so I now can't take them to my doctors surgery, but instead have to ring up a private contractor who will deliver a new one (and take away the old one) within 3 weeks! Luckly, the system at my university is better organised and I can just take them into my surgery and get a new one. Its worth asking about a prescription for one as its much less hassle than trying to explain why you need one to a pharmasist who won't believe you're diabetic!

Aug 11, 2009 Daisy1 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Diabetic Birth Stories Hello Im a new graduate to the DAFNE course and trying to get the best information on becoming pregnant, at the moment I am struggling to get my HbA1c down, any help would be very very grateful. Thank you x

Aug 10, 2009 LizB 23 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Do periods mess up your blood sugars? Hi Jenny - yes! I totally identify with what you're describing, but now the Doc has been able to see my BGs over a sustained period (no pun intended) and I have labelled each week of the cycle with Wk1, Wk2, Wk3 etc, we see the longer term patterns more clearly and are starting to unravel the code. This should mean that in future I'll be able to make changes ahead of time (like Hazel mentioned) rather than constantly re-acting to the bad results I just had! Good luck in finding a way to tackle your own story.

Aug 10, 2009 LizB 23 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Introductions Hi, I'm 39 and have had diabetes for 36 years; and was lucky enought to go on one of our PCT's first DAFNE courses back in January this year (2009). I had heard about the existence of DAFNE about 2 1/2 years ago and had been working with my DSN on using some of the DAFNE principles whilst waiting for the local DAFNE Educators to receive their initial training and get funding so they could run these courses. Anyway, my point is that I wanted DAFNE, asked for DAFNE and was delighted with the enlightened approach to my care when the actual DAFNE course still wasn't quite available in my area. DAFNE has given me a sound foundation of understanding of my condition and the tools that I craved to make informed choices about my own day to day care â€“ and the changes this is bringing to my life are gradually revealing themselves as things â€œbed inâ€. [If you read my post on the development site about how useful the graphs are, you'll appreciate that I still have a lot of work to do to get where I want to be, but a least I now have something to work with!] Crazy isnâ€™t it that itâ€™s taken 36 years to get to this point! Good luck and good learning to everyone who's done or doing DAFNE.

Aug 10, 2009 LizB 23 posts	Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference Hi Simon, I do compare my graphs and at the moment by base period is Monday to Sunday each week, as it is one page of DAFNE diary results. I think it would be helpful if Iif we could view graphs fortwo time periods (perhaps each with it's own date selection?) side by side on screen. In answer to your second note, I do select my own dates quite often but having some frequently used options available would probably help speed it up. Personally I like to have the freedom to choose a non-standard period if I feel like it alongside having quick and easy options. Hope that helps and I look forward to seeing what other people have to say. Thanks again for your hard work on this.

Aug 10, 2009 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference Also, as a general question - how do people use the graphs? More specifically - do you ever specify your own date range, or would you prefer easier to use options such as View trend graph for: Last 7 Days \| Last 14 Days \| All Entries

Aug 10, 2009 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference Hi Liz, Thanks for the feedback on the graphs - glad you are finding them useful. From your post it seems you like to compare your results with the previous week - would you like it if there was a 'compare with previous' week option so you could see the current and previous week's graphs side by side? I'm sure this is something we could work on. Thanks, Simon

Aug 9, 2009 LizB 23 posts	Topic: Site Development / Graphs - now I can really see the difference Hi I've been using the online BG diary and playing with the graphs for about 6 weeks now and I'm finding them invaluable. The graphs help me pick out patterns that I just couldn't see in a list of numbers that seemed to me to be totally random and unpredicatable. Using the graphs I can plan which parts of the day I need to to tackle first to make improvements - i have a feasible strategy at last! And, most importantly, they also provide a result of what my efforts have achieved. For example, I started off with the targets pie chart, which gives a great overall view of how I'm getting o. In my heart I knew too many of my tests were too high but really had no grasp of the proportion of tests that were high or low or within target. The targets pie chart shows me the proportions (slices of pie) and the percentages (marked on the graph)and these images have made sense of what's happening. I admit the first time I looked it was alarming to see that 73.5% of my BGs were above target and only 20% within target! But, what that did was give me something to aim for. Now each week I look at the targets graph and the trend lines for the week just gone and draw the pie chart in my DAFNE book so I can compare it with next week's results. The first week I did this I came up with a broad goal for myself of reducing the number of above target results. After about three weeks it is now at 44% above target and 35% within target, which is a great improvement. Next I will be looking at levelling out the trend line so that it doesn't have such dramatic "hills" at the beginning and end of the day. After that, well who knows, but I just wanted to share and say thanks for providing something that really makes a difference in terms of finding a way through the maze of diabetes managent. Cheers.

Aug 9, 2009 lucy 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Diabetic Birth Stories Hello! I'm looking for personal experiences about giving birth as a type 1 (especially how you got on being on an insulin/glucose drip during labour). I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my first baby & well controlled thanks to DAFNE training & the support of the team at QEH London. I'm eager to have the most natural birth experience possible. Let me know how pregnancy/labour/birth went for you! Thank you!

Aug 9, 2009 lucy 3 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Giving birth without an insulin/glucose drip Hello! I'm looking for further information / personal experiences about giving birth without being on an insulin/glucose drip. I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my first baby, DAFNE trained & well controlled. I'm eager to have the most natural birth experience possible. Thank you!

Aug 7, 2009 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado Hi John, That's a really good point about the low GI foods being included - maybe a separate list could be added to the Carb Counting book. I'll feed this back to DAFNE Central. Thanks, Simon

Aug 7, 2009 John Roscoe 14 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado Simon, As I understand it some things aren't included because although they contain carbohydrate they have a low GI and are so slowly absorbed that they aren't counted. So this then leads to confusion between things not included because they don't contain CHO, things that are CHO containing and low GI and therefore should not be counted and things that just haven't been iincluded yet. In some ways it would be good if the low GI, CHO containing items were added with a note saying you don't need to count them. Sorry if I have confused things but I have been caught out with this in the past. Cheers John

Aug 6, 2009 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado Guys, It's true that the Carb book we get on the DAFNE Course doesn't have everything in - this is unfortunate but understandable as the people who make it can't possibly sample every type/brand of food out there, in much the same way that a dictionary doesn't have every word in the English language. If something is missing and you go on to find out the CP value of a portion, you can add your findings to the online carb counter we have here on the site. You never know - it may feed into the paper based diary in the future. Simon

Aug 6, 2009 John Roscoe 14 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado Hi Bill, I think you are right as I believe Avacado has a very low GI and so will be absorbed very slowly so therefore you don't count it. However your comment touches on a wider issue that if something isn't included in the DAFNE carb counter can you automatically assume you don't count it. This is the one weakness with the carb counter as it doesn't cover everything. I raised this at a recent DAFNE follow up meeting with our dietician and there doesn't seem to be an answer other than it is recognised that this a weakness of the system. Regards John

Aug 5, 2009 Buffalo Bill... 1 post	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Avocado Hi there, anybody know if you need insulin for an avocado? My gut instinct tells me no but I checked it online and it has 12 g CHO for 150g of avocado. Anyone any experience of this to share? Can I presume if a fruit is not in the DAFNE carb counter book, then it is a 0 CP food? thanks,

Aug 5, 2009 marke 681 posts	Topic: DAFNE Graduate Group (DGG) / DAFNE user group first meeting I am posting this here because we haven't had time to create a specific area on the site for the user group as yet. As soon as time permits we will have a dedicated area for the DAFNE User Group. Anyway, in the spirit of keeping you all informed, the minutes of the first meeting of the DAFNE User Action Group (DUAG) are here. The group is intended to represent YOU and your views (DAFNE Graduates) to the steering groups within the DAFNE Programme. The minutes give a much better summary of the group and its current state, so I will leave you to read them :-)

Aug 4, 2009 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Site Development / Can User lists topics be alphabetically listed? Hi Tony, Welcome to the site and thanks for your feedback - its always good to hear what our users want. I'd just like to get clarification on some of your points: What do you mean when you say the page index links - is this the list of forums/topics or something else? I assume when you say link you mean by attaching your blood glucose meter to your computer. In practice the site is set up to do this as we can accept formatted data, extracting the data from meters is more difficult as meter manufacturers don't seem to want third parties to access data on their devices directly - meaning that they use obscure access methods which different from meter to meter. If you have contacts with meter companies who may be able to assist us with APIs/other access methods to the device data that would be most welcome as this is a feature we'd love to have on the site. Thanks again for your feedback, and we hope you find the site a useful resource. Simon

Aug 4, 2009 tonyd 9 posts	Topic: Site Development / Can User lists topics be alphabetically listed? Hi there Admin Team! As a new user great site and credit to you for your hard work and efforts in getting the site this far already guys. Any chance that page index links can be listed alphabetically rather than by numbers? Will bloods eventually be able to downloaded by link rather than manually? Do you need any contacts with meter companies? Apologies if this is all in the pipeline or has been asked for already or cant be done.

Aug 4, 2009 tonyd 9 posts	Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE in peril at the Wirral Its a terrible decision but what happened to the complaints made? Did anyone ever get a reply from the Trust?

Aug 3, 2009 marke 681 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Increasing awareness of this fourm. Widster, Thanks for your positive actions, I agree it would be good if others could do the same with such positive results. To this end we will be approaching members of the site in the near future in the guise of the DAFNE User Action Group. This is the elected 'users group' for the DAFNE programme. The group has only just had its first meeting and is still getting orgainised, but in the near future there will be more information about the group on this site and requests for your involvement in publicising and moving DAFNE forward. In the mean time thank you again for your efforts !

Aug 3, 2009 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Increasing awareness of this fourm. I asked my DAFNE nurse about getting a code because I lost my original letter telling me I was a graduate, which from what I understand the code was on it but I couldn't work out where it was on the leaflet before losing it. Has anyone else had this trouble? Unfortunately, the new code the nurse gave me was incorrect so I will be asking again.... I do recommend DAFNE to those that I know just incase they know someone who might need it... I really ought to think to recommend this forum too! I shall in future.

Aug 3, 2009 Derek Brown 32 posts	Topic: Site Development / Online BG Diaries Hi Simon That's exactly what I was after Thanks again Derek

Aug 2, 2009 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Site Development / Online BG Diaries Hi Derek / All You are now able to add the ratio when entering diary entries - this is possible when entering them one at a time, using the multiple entry page and via the mobile site too. The ratio of a diary entry is displayed in the tabular view for that entry. Hope this is what you were after - let us know if not / there are any problems with the update. Thanks, Simon

Jul 31, 2009 Widster 23 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Increasing awareness of this fourm. Thanks for the comments Simon. Just to let you know that the educator at Leicester has today sent out an email to all the Leicester DAFNE graduates, past and present, giving a link to the site and also giving the registration code. I'm really pleased that she has done this as others may now benefit from the site and we will benefit from their input. Also, one other way i have thought of to get increased coverage of the forum would be a write up or comment in 'Balance' magazine.

Jul 31, 2009 Derek Brown 32 posts	Topic: Site Development / Online BG Diaries Hi Simon I'd prefer the manual input option personnaly. I think that removing + or - correction values would make readings confusing as well, unless I'm not understanding this corectly.

Jul 31, 2009 ABennett 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins I've always had my own sharps bin, since my diagnosis in 1991. Unfortunately my local council has recently changed its policy on how I dispose of full ones, so I now can't take them to my doctors surgery, but instead have to ring up a private contractor who will deliver a new one (and take away the old one) within 3 weeks! Luckly, the system at my university is better organised and I can just take them into my surgery and get a new one. Its worth asking about a prescription for one as its much less hassle than trying to explain why you need one to a pharmasist who won't believe you're diabetic!