“Well, it came around quickly. Too quickly for me to be honest. I have just got home after the final day of my DAFNE course.
It has certainly been educational. Not only have I learnt new things about the condition I live with but I have also learnt how to manage it, give myself the correct amount of insulin and I have also learnt that I am not alone.
Meeting regularly with people who have Type 1 Diabetes (like me!) was a daunting prospect a first. Why? I was afraid that they would have it all under control; that they would look at me and wonder what I had been doing all this time. Worst of all, I feared that once we were all in a room together that we would just talk about diabetes, that we would just focus on the negatives. How wrong was I! I have met some of the nicest, funniest and caring people ever. They shared their stories, good and not so good, about living with ‘the D’ and the more they spoke, the more I spoke and, you know what? I discovered I wasn’t alone and that people had come across the same problems I had and they had tips, advice and new knowledge to share with me. We became friends, not because we are diabetics but because we had something in common (just like making friends because you all support the same football team or all like going to the gym).The DAFNE educators who deliver the course, as I’ve said before, are compassionate, understanding of the ‘real world’ and are eager to take the time to share their knowledge and to help. I even discovered today that one of the people who lead the course (the dietician) doesn’t even work on a Thursday (the day we attend the course) but comes in, unpaid, to lead the course! Woah! We asked why and she looked at us and smiled and said that it was because of patients like us – those who come on the course, embrace the principals and whose control, mental health and outlook (one or all of these!) improve because of what they learnt during their time on DAFNE.
Is DAFNE for everyone? I couldn’t honestly say. I can only speak from personal experience. When I was diagnosed I was certain that it wasn’t for me, that it was too overwhelming. Now that I’ve completed the course (we all received a certificate too!) I don’t honestly know how I made it this far without the knowledge. One thing I can say is that you should definitely inquire with your healthcare team about DAFNE and what it involves and decide for yourself.
After today, we don’t meet up again for six weeks – we’re flying solo. Well, not quite solo, we have all the DAFNE information, an app and the contact details of our health care team and the DAFNE educators. I still have complete my food diary, count my carbohydrates and give myself the correct insulin dose but now, I feel more confident than ever before.
Is it the end of my DAFNE journey? No. It’s the beginning of a new journey, a new adventure: the adventure of my life in control of my diabetes.
Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read my blog. I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram:” @coeliacanddiabetic
For more information about DAFNE (the people who are responsible for the course materials that were given to me today and feature in my photographs) you can visit: http://www.dafne.uk.com
Stay tuned for a product review from Daniel, he will be testing out his new Novopens 5 and Echo. See our Reviews page.