7 months out & my sleep apnea is cured!

[eriadne 6]

Hi all! Just wanted to drop in and share my good news -- I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2006, when I weighed about 270 lbs. My pressure was pretty low, 4cm/H2O, but adjusting to using a machine and a mask every night was not great. I was only 26 years old then, and the idea of using a mask every time I slept for the rest of my life was just depressing and sad to me. By the time I was trying to meet my insurance requirements for surgery, I was up at 300 lbs and I had to get retitrated and my pressure went up to 10cm/H2O!

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, about 7 months after from my surgery date, when my mask broke and I found out I couldn't get a replacement without a prescription -- so I had to go back to my sleep doctor. He congratulated me on my weight loss and put me in for a split-night study, where I'd be woken up and have a mask put on me if I still was having apneas.

Sure enough, they never had me put a mask on during my sleep study and my technician told me in the morning that she didn't see anything eventful, but that it would be up to the doctor what that meant.

I went in today and he told me "No apneas, very minimal snoring... everything looks good. You cured yourself with the weight loss. You don't need me anymore!" I am just super-happy about that! It means one less doctor, one less thing to worry about when traveling or visiting people, one less risk factor for heart disease, stroke, etc. and one less "life-long" ailment... and one less piece of headgear and hose keeping me from cuddling with my husband at night!

Just one more check in the 'pro' column for VSG. I had been stepping my pressure down on my own as I lost weight (I learned how to change the settings on my CPAP and after using it for years, I could tell when I needed to adjust downwards) but I never thought I'd be rid of my CPAP, or at least not this soon! I was going to wait until I was under 200 to go back to see if I was 'cured' yet, but I am glad my mask broke when it did!

If you do have sleep apnea, just know that things can get better as you lose the weight. Definitely check in with your sleep doctor regularly so you can be re-titrated as you lose weight (too high a pressure can cause apneas too) and you might be able to lose the CPAP altogether sooner than you might think!

Hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy and staying positive!

[TijuanaPlication 87]

Congratulations. BTW I love the pics on your blog - you look so different!

[seniorsleever 17]

That's great! My CPAP is at 17mm right now, and feels a little too high, so it may need to come down. I am really hoping to get rid of mine too. Congrats on a great NSV!

[Rootman 1,101]

Congrats! I too use a CPAP and look forward to someday being without it.

BTW: It's not strictly true that you can't get a new mask without an RX, I buy my online usually at this place: http://www.directhomemedical.com/ you can get masks, hoses, fitting etc.

[pumpkin07 32]

Congrats! I have the cutest NSV related to this ever...if you heard it I apologize.

My son is was 2 when I had the surgery last February. A few months later, he might have been 3, he woke up during the night in his room, next door to ours. The house was dark. I found him quivering on our bed, obvious he had been awake for some time but never cried. I was like "Benjamin! What is wrong baby?" My husband jumped up, he was so upset, just shaking and could barely talk. He finally cried and said "I LOST MY FAMILY!". I was like, what? No you didn't baby, we are right here. And he is still quivering and says, "But I couldn't HEAR you.". My husband and I looked at each other like WHAT? and we both realized at the same time it was because I wasn't snoring anymore. I was his sonar in the night I guess...who would know he would find out bed by listening for his momma snoring.

I asked him later how he finally found our bed, and he said his nanny (he called her by name) came and got him by the hand and brought him to our bed. She wasn't even there! But I knew then she is his angel, or maybe my grandma was his angel and he thought it was her. But how sweet his guardian angels watch over him while he sleeps. He was very scared.

[ouroborous 519]

Congratulations! I just got back from the sleep doctor an hour ago with the same news: my apnea is cured! Isn't it great?

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

lotusflower - CONGRATS TO YOU!!! Isn't the sleeve such a wonderful thing!?!? Good luck to you and here's to many many more successes along the way to goal!!!

[sunnyd 32]

CONGRATS on your great news!!! What a great NSV!

[Georgia 2,908]

Congrats! I also had severe sleep apnea with a cpap. I am also free of it now! I am also seven months out and reached goal 2wks ago with 95lbs gone,

[sleeve 4 me 910]

Awesome news