Yesterday was a bad day!

Hi there, Just writing to share with someone about my day yesterday! It started out great! I was logging my food intake and still really pumped and excited about the future. Last Tuesday's meeting had me really excited. Then as afternoon approached things turned around drastically. I went to my PCP to do the monthly follow-up that was suggested at the support group. A 15 minute appointment turned into and hour and a half. I was feeling pressure on my left side of my chest but I was relating that to possible weight lifting. I told my doctor and she wanted to do an EKG. She found something "slightly abnormal" and is scheduling me to see a Cargiologist. Then she proceeded to talk to my husband about my sleeping habits. Based on what my husband said about my sleep, she really thinks I may have sleep apnea which could be why my EKG was off. So now she has me scheduled for a sleep study! She also did an X-Ray. Then she said that my blood test and ultrasound of my liver showed signs of fatty deposits and now she has scheduled me to see an Gastroenterologist! But the thing that broke my heart the most was that I got a call from my fathers' nursing home and they informed me that they thought he may be having a heart attack. They rushed him to MMC. I went up there and was there until 2:00 a.m. Fortunately, it did not appear to be his heart afterall but he was in the beginning stages of pneumonia! Since he is a nursing home resident they released him back to the nursing home and the nursing home is treating his condition. He is such a great dad and it broke my heart to see him there. Watching your parents get older and more frail really stinks. Anyway - just needed to vent! Needless to say my diet that I was starting slipped yesterday and today. I need to control the emotional eating! I guess it is a work in progress!

Lisa, in a strange way some of yesterday's events were actually a GOOD thing! The fatty deposits are very common in us obese people and you're already working towards resolving that, so don't worry too much about it.... The sleep apnea and being set up for a sleep study is really a very good thing. When you get to your 1st appointment with Dr. Cobean/Wolff, this is an issue that would DEFINATELY have come up. You would have been set up to do the very same thing by one of them, before you could even be scheduled for your 2nd appt. This will save you time in the long run because it will already have been done. AND..... if you do have sleep apnea, which sounds likely, it's more ammo to use towards getting approval from CIGNA, same as the fatty deposits! Everyone I have ever talked to that has sleep apnea, and uses a CPAP machine for it, says they feel sooooooo much better. Once the weight starts coming off, most people find they no longer have the problem and no longer need the machine. I'm sorry to hear your Dad isn't well, but glad it wasn't a heart attack. Sounds like he's going to have good, around the clock care for his pnuemonia and soon be on the mend..... Try not to worry, think of it as a blessing to be getting these things 'found' and on the road to being taken care of NOW, so it saves you time later..... and honestly, the more ammo you have documented to use for insurance approval, the better! Best wishes for your Dad. Julie

Not sure if I responded to your response or not! The past few days have been hectic. Dad is doing better. This week we will be celebrating my parents 60th anniversary at the nursing home. Hope dad will be feeling better so he can enjoy the day. All of us kids will be there along with all the grandchildren so it should be real nice for them. I am set up to meet my cardiologist next Wednesday. Glad to get that over so hopefuly I can start doing some exercise again. The sleep doctor is set up for September with a consult so I am not sure when the actual sleep study will take place. They want my husband to attend the first meeting to learn more about my sleep habits. I called Dr. Cobean/Dr. Wolffs office and asked why I had not received a letter from them yet stating whether or not I was on the waiting list. I asked again if it would be a years wait and they said most definitely. I was so discouraged. I don't mind doing the psych. eval and nutrition eval as long as things were progressing. But having to wait a year or more before anything starts happening was really frustrating. I considered checking other doctors in the area. But it is a serious surgery and I don't want to make a mistake by going to someone who may not be as experienced. Anyway, I heard from Susan and she told me that her first referral was in December and her first appointment was in June so that was six months. Anyway I am not sure what I will do. I really need to not be home bound! I need and want to take my son to see some colleges and I don't know how I will travel! Also, next summer my mother and father in law would like to come to take a tour along the coast of Maine! I don't want them to know of my problems and I don't want company that may learn of my inability to take care of personal hygiene! I could really kick myself for not being more aggressive with my old doctor. He himself weighed in the mid 300's and he did not have problems with his weight. Whenver, I told him I was miserable he just brushed it off. He was an exceptionally intelligent doctor but just not open to discussing weight problems. I am so glad that I have my new doctor. My only problem is that I have been three years fighting the hygiene problem and I hate to think I have to deal with this another year or more! Sorry I guess I just had to vent! Anyway, I will wait till I see the letter and try to determine whether I need to make other choices. Thanks for the letter! It was helpful to look at my last doctors appointment through another persons eyes. I guess having the sleep study and cardiology appointments now will prevent more delays down the road so I am taking that as a positive sign thanks to you. I plan on attending the 1st Tuesday meeting again in Sept. I does give me help! Talk to you later! Lisa

Hi Lisa, Do not let your day get you down. I also had sleep apnea, fatty deposits and chest pains. I took it upon myself to get the sleep study done and I did end up with a cpap machine. I dearly loved it. It was a little getting used to. The first time I used it was the most refresing sleep I had in years. Anyway, it is a good thing to have it so that you will be prepared for the surgery. The fatty deposits in the liver scared me to death the first time I heard it. I had never heard of it before. I have since found out that it is common in obese people and will correct itself when you get your weight down. Sorry to hear of your Dad, I know it must have been quite stressful for you. I hope all is well. Keep your chin up, this process your going through has a reason. It will be much more ammo for the insurance company.

Thanks for your letter. I have an appointment for a consult with the sleep doctor in September. I see a cardiologist next Wednesday. I have heard the CPAP machine really helps to give people a good nights sleep! I don't know if I will tolerate it with my skin allergies but I will definitely give it a try. Also, I hope the machine will not keep my husband up. Though it is probably no noiser than my snooring! HA! My dad is doing better now though still weak. He and my mother celebrate their 60th Anniversary this Saturday. All of their kids will be there along with all the grandchildren. It will be held at the nursing home in a private area that has a complete kitchen. All of us kids are bringing pot luck meals. We have a special cake for them. By having it at the nursing home dad can go back to bed if things are too much for him. Anyway it should be a nice day. For now it is a waiting game. I am getting very dissapointed some news I got from Dr. Cobean/Dr Wolffe's office. They said it may be a year before I hear from them about the surgery. Not sure I want to wait so long. The past several years of weight problems have made me fed up! However, I don't want to go to a doctor that may not be experienced so I will not jump the gun. I'd rather wait and hope for a procedure without complications than go to someone and regret it. Anyway, thanks for the letter of support!