Need some advice or something....

Hi everyone...well I went today for my follow-up from my sleep study....now let me tell you that I have researched about WLS and comorbidities until I am blue in the facebut not once did I really think that sleep apnea affected me until the Dr said the dreaded words that I have severe sleep apnea......I did not really prepare myself to hear that but there I was stunned completely...ok maybe I thought I might of had it mildly but never SEVERELY...he said I stopped breathing 33 times an hour when I was in a regular sleep and that I stopped breathing 70 times an hour when I was in I believe they call it the rehm sleep (sorry not sure of the spelling) needless to say this has totaly scared me and freaked me out...I am now waiting on the hospital to call me with my appt for the next sleep study with the cpap machine on...I don't want to ever again...told the dr next time he saw me I would have black bags hanging under my eyes to my chin...oh well "THIS TOO SHALL PASS!" more then ever I can't wait to have this surgery now...please those of you that have had or now have sleep apnea tell me what to expect with the machine, the surgery, after the surgery? thank you each and everyone of you...and thank you for reading I know I am probably shook up for nothing but this really has scared me... April

April, Take a deep breath here, girl. Be glad you know what's going on and why you're probably tired all the time, and irritable and depressed and not able to keep your mind on one thing for long. There's a lot of side effects to sleep apnea and when you get your CPAP machine, you'll have to get used to it, but you'll find out what a good night's sleep feels like! Don't worry too much about sleeping either, because chances are if you made it through last night, you'll make it through tonight without dying in your sleep! This is going to get fixed!! By the way, REM sleep refers to the stage of sleep when your eyelids flutter. You see that in dogs and cats too, and the REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Hang in there and do NOT panic!! Jan

HEY THERE GIRLY - JUST CHECKING IN ......... Just think how you will feel when you have a good night sleep --- I do not have sleep apena I was told that I ama shallow breather in the night - They had to come in and make sure that the thing was still hooked up right --- good luck and yes ---- THIS TOO SHAL PASS ---- Misty

Oh April it's been a long road for you. I never had sleep apnea but one thing I can tell you is the feeling of having a good nights sleep is wonderful. I didn't sleep for years due to my hiatal hernia. I am sleeping great since surgery and it seems to have helped every ailment but my spine. So hang in there it's almost your time.

Hi April, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about a year before I had surgery. It was a drag to have to go to the hospital for two "sleep overs", but we have to do what we have to do, right? AND getting a good night's sleep was worth the hassel of wearing the cumbersome mask. I was so happy to have, really, because it helped me to sleep, but admittedly, a year into it I was ready to be rid of it for sure. They will give you all the information you need when you go back and the hospital and doctor orders you a machine of your own. One thing you need to use distilled water, keep it in the fridge after opening or it will go bad. Don't leave home without your c-pap. Esp. when you go to the hospital take it with you.. The anesthesiologist pre-op told me how important it was to have it on after surgery. When I was on the bed ready to go in, I had it with me. I woke up in the recovery room without it on and no one, literally, had a clue. ... I found that to be a common thread there.. I saw where you changed MD's. Good Luck and remember where ever you go you have to look after and stick up for yourself and when you can't make sure you have a someone who can "watch your back" so to speak... I think I went off on a tangent.. oh well. LOL Good Luck, keep posting.

April- The second part of the sleep study is pretty much like the first part except in addition to being all wired up like you will also wear a CPAP mask that is connected to a CPAP machine. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine works by gently blowing pressurized room air through the airway at a pressure high enough to keep the throat open. The logic is that if you keep the throat open -- the person will breath. While obstructive sleep apena is the most common there are two other kinds of sleep apnea, Central Apena, this is where the brain fails to send the signal to breath and mixed apena which is a combination of obstructive and central. When you go to sleep the machine will be set at a very low pressure, then through the night the tech will adjust the pressure on the machine to the point where you are having very few if any apneas. When I had my sleep study I was not even aware that the tech was making the adjustments. Some people have no trouble getting used to a CPAP for others -- well lets just say they think the thing is a tool of the devil. I believe it is much easier to get used to using the machine if you buy into the idea that you need it and that you will benefit from it. One thing is for sure you will never get used to it -- if you wear it five minutes and say "man this is uncomfortable" and rip the thing off. I will admit. some mornings I did find my mask in some very strange places those first few weeks, but at least I was wearing it when I went to sleep. Now I can not sleep without it. I do not even take a nap without it. Much of the information I have written here came from the American Sleep Apena Association web site. You can get more information there if you would like or of course I am always here for you. Red http://www. sleepapnea.org/info/index.html