dp47

BRAVO!!!

Thank you for sharing!! I'm pre-op and I much appreciate your story and others -- helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'll start trying these meal ideas now not wait for surgery. Your post about ice cream makes me realize I have one tip to offer though maybe you've heard it before. I'm lactose intolerant so I don't do ice cream but a great substitute is banana. Just banana. Peel and freeze ripe bananas (works best with very-ripe or almost-too-ripe). Run the frozen banana through the blender, nothing else just the banana. It comes out silky, creamy and delicious. The rich/light mouth feel totally satisfies when I crave ice cream. If you cut the bananas before freezing it's easier to make small portions.

I should clarify . . . I am pre-WLS, pursuing Gastric Sleeve, not yet scheduled as I am working through the pre-requisites.

Sure. It was more than 10 years ago, but here are the highlights. After sleep study I was prescribed CPAP. The "respiratory therapist" from the home medical equipment supplier brought the machine, mask, etc, and showed me how to use it. First night was good. Second night was great and I felt great! After a couple weeks though I started having a hard time with sinuses that seemed to be both dry and congested at the same time. Also I'm a side sleeper, the mask was pressing against my face and making sores. The respiratory therapist was worthless, had no helpful advice, and the next available appointment with my doctor was months later. So I researched in forums like this one (but for sleep apnea of course) and learned about other kinds of masks, etc. I bought and tried several kinds of mask until I found what worked for me -- nasal pillows, specifically Mirage Swift. I avoided the type of CPAP with humidifier for a while because I had heard stories of people getting infections, etc. But then I finally got a new CPAP with humidifier and it eliminated the remaining nasal problems. Just have to use distilled Water and clean it regularly. The main point is that the CPAP was a life-changer but I had to do a lot of homework on my own to make it work for me. I expect WLS will be similar in that regard.

For me the CPAP was and remains a immediate life-changer. After a couple nights I felt better than I had felt in years. Then I started having difficulty with dryness, nosebleeds, sinus congestion, sores from the mask, etc. The CPAP supplier was worthless, I figured out what to do by reading sleep apnea forums. After some trial-and-error I finally found the right mask for me and eventually got my machine changed to one with humidifier. It's been a resounding success ever since.