mlt45

Keelhaul Eliza

Hi,

My name is Marcia. I'm from Eastern Kentucky, Lowmansville to be exact. Is anyone else from this area?

NEWBIE HERE!!:eek:

What is PB?

The "number" they are looking for is what pressure to set your CPAP machine on. We do CPAP titrations for that. You are started out on the lowest pressure, 4cm, and then bumped up until you stop having respiratory events and your 02 levels are not dipping into the 80's anymore.

My husband's number is 11, mine is 8. It's a good idea to go back and be retitrated every once in awhile, especially if you are losing weight. The number might keep going down while you are losing and one day you may be able to sleep without the machine at all!

In some instances losing weight helps, but sometimes you still have sleep apnea despite the weight loss, but losing definitely is a plus!

I am a sleep Lab technician, and I also have sleep apnea. So does my husband.

My husband suffered 4 heart attacks, by-pass surgery, and now has a pacemaker because of the damage done to his heart. We didn't know he had sleep apnea until after the by-pass surgery. The damage had already been done by then. He now sleeps with his CPAP every night and even during his daytime naps.

After his heart surgery and before the CPAP, he was going to his appts. in a wheelchair. Now he is fishing again, even 4-wheeling on his good days. He still has a damaged heart, but he feels so much better with his CPAP.

The reason the physicians want us to have a sleep study done is because you can run into problems during and after your surgery. If you have sleep apnea, not only do you have respiratory events where you have no air flow, but your oxygen level can go down drastically. That leaves you open for blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, etc. My physician says he has almost lost some patients right after the surgery because of untreated sleep apnea.

I have watched oxygen levels go to 59% in some patients, and their heart rates go down into the 40's. That's not healthy folks.

Sleep apnea can cause so many things in our body, from depression to weight gain. How about that? Headaches, irritability, problems concentrating, decreased sexual drive, just to name a few.

sleeping with a small nasal mask is such a small thing compared to sleeping with a pacemaker or oxygen or even becoming paralyzed with a stroke.

There are many companies that make CPAP masks and you don't have to wear the first one the medical supply company fits you with. Shop around, there are even nasal pillows, which is what my hubby wears now. Much more comfortable. Gel masks are great too.

I tell my patients that wearing a CPAP is like sticking your head out the car window or riding in the back of grandpa's pickup truck. Sure it's aggravating, but like the others have said, once the weight goes, the sleep apnea is controlled even better.

Having sleep apnea won't kill you, but letting it go untreated will cause some major damage and will kill you eventually.

Reggie White (NFL player) was diagnosed with it and after his death his wife said he refused to wear the CPAP.

Watching someone come in who has it and hear them say after they are titrated "WOW, I feel better than I have in years!" the morning after is the best part of my job!

I'm 6' and the doctor says I need to aim for around 175-190.

I was down to 225 once a few years back....I think 200 would be a good weight for my height, but I will try for the range the doctor thinks best.

Thankfully my husband is very supportive of the surgery. But as for the rest of the family.....well, I haven't told anyone I'm having it because they would doom me to fail with their words and attitudes. It was the same way whenever I tried dieting, there were always words of doubt and criticism instead of encouragement.

I have told one friend and even she is shying away from me at this point and requested that I not tell her anything more about the lapband. She recently lost 25 pounds and says I should be able to also without having "something put inside of me". Needless to say, we don't talk much anymore.

The weight loss physician I go to has a very large waiting area and most of the people that are there for gall bladder disease, etc. wait on one side, and those of us for weight loss surgery are on the other due to the doors we each go through when our names are called.

The last time I was there, a guy was there with his wife. He kept talking about everything under the sun, commenting on the news show on TV currently playing in the office. Finally he looks around and in a big voice asked his wife why all the "FAT" people were on one side of the room. His wife tried to SHHH him, but he asked again. She explained that we were there for surgery to lose weight. He began laughing and said, "HEY, I can save you all some money, just shut your mouths and move your bodies, then you will not have to have the surgery"...and began laughing.

One of the ladies I was sitting with went up to the front desk and asked to speak with the receptionist privately....after a few minutes, she came out and the husband and wife were called back for their appt. a little bit earlier. The receptionist slid open the window and apologized for the disturbance to all of us, but the anger, hurt, and embarrassment stayed with me all day, and still does whenever I think of it.

People should be more tolerant of others, but all we can do is stay strong with one another on this forum. I haven't posted much, I'm a newbie and still waiting for my surgery date, but I want to let everyone know how much your posts and encouragement means to someone like me. The only support system I have is my hubby, my physician, and now all of you. THANK YOU!!!:clap2:

I am a education junkie, 2 Associate Degrees, one in Science and one in Business. Two years ago I obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. I am also a Registered Nurse.

Currently I am employed as manager and technician of a local sleep Diagnostic Lab owned by a company in Oklahoma.

Other issues that might be considered are: joint pain, high cholesterol or lipids, high sugar levels. These will show up in the labwork that your doctor does. Good luck with your search. ChampVA paid for part of my banding.

I am new, my first appt was this week, how much did ChampVA pay? How much did you have to pay? I know it will be different according to what state and what dr. but I was just curious.

I have to pay up front $300 non-refundable for the psychiatric evaluation and dietician class with this doctor. I don't know how much more.

I am also insured with ChampVa. Thank you for this thread, I will inform my doctor's office tomorrow about the letter needed. They have never taken a patient with this kind of insurance before. I have a secondary policy also that pays 25% of what ChampVa pays after I receive my EOB.

I had my first appt. today, thank you again for the info and the code.

Marcia

Hello all, I am also from Kentucky. I had my first doctor appt. today. WOW, all the appointments I now have in June...gezz!

I am glad I found this board and look forward to reading and posting. The doctor says I need to lose between 100-120 pounds to be healthier. I am determined I will.