New "lightweight"

Hi everyone.  I had a surgery consult for wls.  My BMI is 36 according to this site, but according to the dr's office I was 35.  I know it doesn't make a difference since I am still required to have two comorbiidties with either numbers.
 
I need to get a Sleep Apnea study.  Has anyone ever had this done?

I  have a lot of doubts...mainly because the people I have told have given me mixed opinions.  The more I think about it the more I really hope that this happens for me. 

Thanks for listening and great group.

Welcome to the LW's!
The only advice I can give you is to research and learn all you can, the good the bad and the ugly about LWS.
Then its between you and your doc and dont forget the insurance company.
This is a great site. There are alot of people here that have been out awhile from surgery and alot of us newbies that have just had surgery. So sit and read awhile.
Maria

Welcome aboard!

I had just about every test...anyway, the sleep study was one of the clinchers for insurance, I think. Turns out I had pretty bad sleep apnea requiring a CPAP machine. I recall actually waking up a couple of times gasping for breath as if I'd been drowning but usually I just woke about every 15 - 30 minutes throughout the night. Snored up a storm when I was asleep.

Get as many tests as you can done to document your comorbidities. The key ones are sleep apnea, high blood sugar or diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteo arthritis... 

Good luck!

--gina

Good luck on your journey and welcome to the LW forum!  Please let us know how you're doing with your process to getting approved for surgery.

Thank you, Maria, Gina, and Lee.  I felt the support before posting.
And i sure will update you all on my journey.  I know it might help someone else along the way. The way you all did for me.

Welcome!~ 
I'm technically a newbie too....I started my journey through insurance hoops back in January and had surgery two weeks ago.

I had to have quite a few tests but they were scheduled all together on one big day so it wasn't so bad.  I had to do a 6-month physician monitored "diet" too.

It's aggravating to have to wait but the six months really does fly by and it gives you plenty of time to research and get prepared mentally and emotionally!

Good Luck!!

Welcome to the board. I'm not sure how tall you are but it sounds as if you and I have about the same amount to lose. I'm at a 35.5 BMI this morning. I'm trying to keep my weight above 35% because I have heard that some companies look at the weight you went into surgery for final determination.

I've actually had two sleep studies. Once was back in 2002. I am so weirded out about the cpap I asked if there were another way...was told surgery, in my case, might help. They gave it a 70% chance of working so I opted for the UPPP w/Tonsillectomy. They also did an earlier surgery to fixed my nasal cavity. I was sleep apnea free until about 2 years ago, I went thru another study. They told me it was marginal and didn't YET require a cpap but if I didn't get my weight down I would end up needed one and a second surgery was not an option to fix that issue.

Other than 1) being in a strange bed 2) being wired up and 3) KNOWING someone is monitoring you all night, it wasn't too bad.

Like I said, wearing a cpap mask weirded me out but my husband swears by his. He won't sleep without it cause if he does, he's miserable. And I am too, LOL. He's also going thru WLS, his BMI is a 38%. But the one issue we don't expect the surgery to cure is his sleep apnea. His dad snored like a freight train and was skinny as a rail. So that is one issue we don't expect any resolution on him. Maybe tho he will be able to change his number to a lower amount.

Wearing a cpap can save your life so if you need one, please use it.

Liz

Wow! Thanks for all the info.  I am 5' 0" so any little weight makes a difference.  i have been fluctuating between 185 and 190 and wouldn't you know it the day of my consult, I weighed-in at 181.  I asked if something was wrong with their scale, but they thought I was joking.

At first, the conversation was leaning towards traditional weight loss regimens, but I think I stopped him by telling him I had tried everything and I have.  He then explained how he understands our frustration of being in such a gray area and I felt much more at ease.

I keep reading how some people go through the psychiatric exam, and nutritional classes before they are even approved by the insurance. Is this correct?

Thanks, Peyton and Liz, have you gone through the surgery already?

Most insurance companies require a psych eval and nut consult (just one visit), but, even for self-pays, most surgeons require those too.

Not yet for me...

I'm still getting the insurance approval for my new surgeon. I was approved for the RYN but went looking for a surgeon willing to do a DS on a LW. I found one but have to go thru all the insurance paperwork again. Thankfully, all my other stuff is transferable.

I have some serious co-morbidities that manage to keep the doctors office on track. I am a type II insulin dependent diabetic. And have PCOS. Both are only "cured" thru WLS. It isn't really cured but placed in remission...but the remission rate for the DS is higher and there were other factors in my decision.

Liz