It has truly been a life changing experience. I have learnt such a lot and so many different kinds of things. I really feel that it has provided me with the tools to do the job of managing my condition. It has been an enjoyable experience that has had a liberating effect. Thank you.
I think that your style in running the course is highly appropriate to the task and it certainly worked for me. There is a lot of information giving but you also allow room for questions and exploring assumptions and beliefs. This really helps to clarify the issues and get the concepts clear. There is also a comfortable atmosphere with relaxed relationship building, humour and so on. This helps us to learn from each other. It is actually encouraging when you and Sarah were open about the things you were not so sure of ì this inspires confidence in what you say you are sure of.
I really wish I had done this course a long time ago. It throws into sharp focus the limitations of the system I have been used to where your consultant tries to adjust your dose for you during the inevitably hurried and infrequent reviews. As you know, I have been trying to adjust my doses of insulin for a few months now, but basing my judgments on false assumptions and muddled thinking about the effect of the food intake and its relationship to the dose of insulin. I really feel that I now have both the information I need and the understanding of the processes. It has given me confidence and a real sense of hope that I can make the treatment work.
Strangely, I have been quite depressed and very tired for most of the week and it is hard to work out the causes of this. I don¯t think it is because of any concerns I have had about the DAFNE approach or about the experience on the course. I suspect that it may be partly because I don¯t normally spend all week thinking about being a diabetic and partly because changing the doses of insulin may have an effect on the way I feel. There may be other factors that have nothing to do with the course or my diabetes of course. In any case, even when feeling depressed, I have still felt very positive about the course and I wouldn¯t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
I really like the idea of a follow-up as we are going to do. I know that this will give me a chance to consolidate what I have learnt and see if I can build these principles into my daily life successfully.
Finally let me say thank you once again for an excellent course and for your care and attention. I am truly grateful. I am also grateful to Sean Dinneen for putting me forward for the course and for having the conviction to develop it.
DAFNE Graduate February 2004