Daphne Who?
D.A.F.N.E – Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating. If you have Type 1 Diabetes and haven’t yet done this course, get your butt in gear and sign up!
DAFNE is 5 days of learning important details; asking every question imaginable; analysing your blood glucose; meeting awesome, like-minded people; transforming your diabetes management and pretty much saving your life.
I won’t lie to you, the first day was kind of awkward. 9 experienced diabetics sit around a table in a small hospital conference room, thinking “why have I given up a week of my life to listen to a patronising non-diabetic tell me I’m wrong for 8 hours a day?” But Friday comes, and we realise that we’ve learnt so much, become more confident in managing our condition, grown really close as a group and seen such a change in our blood glucose readings. The ‘patronising non-diabetics’ were right, after all.
In the past, my diabetes nurses have always been vague about lots of things, “it’s not an exact science,” “well, everyone’s different,” “it’s okay, your HbA1c isn’t really that bad.” But DAFNE totally changed that. I learnt that diabetes is precise, mathematical, has universal effects, and that HbA1c’s are flipping important. I can now understand and closely predict my BG readings, and –dare I say it- actually look forward to my next HbA1c test. My glucometer screen is no longer my enemy!
Freedom is found in surrender – a lesson God has taught me time and time again. By accepting my diabetes and allowing it importance and attention, I gain good health and ‘normal eating’. By accepting Jesus as Lord and allowing him my whole focus, I gain salvation, eternal freedom and life to the full. (Mental, right?) An odd comparison, but a fascinating paradox.
(p.s. I promise I was not paid to say all that nice stuff about DAFNE….!)