newly diagnosed with OSA- Hope to be on the road to WLS!

I had my initial consult with surgeon regarding vertical sleeve about 3 weeks ago. He sent me to have a sleep study and low and behold, I have OSA. I had 238 interruptions and my oxygen sats dropped as low as 62% I will be scheduled to go back and have another sleep study with CPAP :/

Im guessing I need to be on CPAP for a certain amount of time before surgery.. This all makes me anxious. I haven't scheduled my EGD yet. Wonder if this will affect that in any way? 

Wow, that's scary! Fortunately CPAP is usually incredibly effective at treating OSA as long as you wear it every night. For most people, it completely eliminates apnea and keeps oxygen sats where they need to be (the mid-high 90s for most people).

My husband and I both wear CPAP, and he just had an EGD yesterday. They just wanted him to bring his CPAP with him in case he was still drowsy after the procedure. I'm sure it will be especially important for you with how severe your apnea is. They'll ask you to bring your CPAP in for your surgery, too. I don't know if insurance companies have a set amount of time they require you to use CPAP before surgery (it might vary by company), but they will definitely want to make sure it's well-treated beforehand. It will be very important to use it consistently after surgery too, especially when you're on heavy-duty painkillers. A lot of people are able to get off CPAP after they lose a really significant amount of weight, but that's not a guarantee -- lots of skinny people have sleep apnea too. Another test a few years down the line is the only way to tell. Even if your OSA doesn't resolve, your settings are likely to change. When I was 60 lbs heavier, I stopped breathing 21 times an hour. I had another test recently that showed me stopping only 7.3 times an hour -- under 5 is considered normal, so I'm still wearing my CPAP, but the pressure is a lot lower than it used to be (I use an auto-adjusting machine).

Good luck! My husband and I are both in the camp of "I didn't realize how bad I felt until I learned how much better CPAP could make me feel." It's certainly a lifesaver, and better sleep = more energy, which helps with weight loss too. I'm sure you'll do great, and congratulations on being well on your way to a healthier you!  

THANK YOU!!!! All of this helped me so much. This is so new to me! I scheduled for my 2nd sleep study with CPAP... No wonder I always feel so darn tired! Instead of being bummed about it (because I feel like this is several steps back) I will try to be positive about it all. Again, thank you!

You're very welcome! Let me know how your CPAP study goes!

I always knew that i had OSA. I refused to believe it though. I went in for my sleep study early December of 2014. I had the machine home with me towards the end of December. That's the same time that I talked to my primary physician about weight loss surgery. So i don't think the amount of time you have the machine should make a difference about when your surgery will be. You will feel great after you get used to using the machine. I won't even nap without it. It has made such a huge difference in my energy level. One thing i learned is that the strap from the mask would dig into the back of my neck. I bought a couple pairs of super soft socks and cut a hole in the toes. I put the strap through the socks. It doesn't dig into my neck now and the velcro doesnt scratch me. Hope you enjoy your CPAP!