Question:
HI evryone, I've got a couple of questions Im hoping someone can enlighten me on.

I'll try to keep this short. First the facts, Im 37y.o. weigh 407lbs and have severe sleep apnea and lymphedema in my legs and abdomen. I have had S.A. for at least 5 yearsnow but cant tolerate the cpap Im supposed to use.Ive also had the lymphedema for as many years,but its gotten worse. for years drs. said it was cellulitus and gave me lasix, but my new doc says its only cell. once it gets inflamed which happens occ. but is always swollen grotesquely. I went to my pulmonologist today and he tells me that 1. he wouldnt recommend me having the wls until I had sucessfully mastered the cpap OR had a tracheotomy for 6months to 1 yr! Because he said theyd have a hard time with me breathing and the pain meds would make it worse. I do have breathing problems so that really scares me. Then he tells me that even after I lose the weight chances are I'll still have the lymphedema! I thought it was caused by my weight. I cant imagine being "normal" size and having these huge deformed looking legs!When I asked about the lymphedema in my tummy area he said he couldnt be sure about that but that once I lost my weight I'd have "a ton" of loose skin and would need another surgery for a nip here and a tuck there. I left his office in tears. I dont know what to do. I wanna have this surgery to take care of my health problems, I know I'll never be a playboy centerfold or a dallas cowboy cheerleader, but I would like to look normal. Please help!!    — justaboutkrazy (posted on August 1, 2003)

August 1, 2003
Mary - please check out my profile and also the page that I put on my website (http://www.geocities.com/[email protected]/oneyearout.html). I talk about my problems with lymphedema. I was hospitalized 6 times in 2001 and 2002 (including a week and a half after my RNY) for cellulitis in my left leg. I also was hospitalized in January 2002 with blood clots in both lungs which the vascular surgeon most likely came from my bad left leg. Well, since the surgery and keeping my leg elevated as much as possible, the lymphedema is 95% plus gone. Oh...I have discoloration of the leg (if you have LE, then you know what I am talking about) and there are some tissue areas in the back that are semi-hard, but I've got a functional left leg again. <p> I had several doctors tell me that I was heading toward amputation with this left leg and now that is *not* going to happen!! I am still on Lasix for chronic venous insufficiency and wear compression hose, but they are fashionable off-the-shelf hose (actually from Dr. Leonard's mail-order catalog) rather than prescription. <p> I am concerned that you are not compliant with the CPAP. I've had sleep apnea for over 10 years (yes, I still have it post-op but not as severely and I *will* get off it for good someday soon) and I've used it from day one. If you cannot handle one style of mask, you need to find one that you can tolerate. The stress of the sleep apnea is putting a stress on your heart that it really can't handle too well along with the morbid obesity. <p> There's a good chance that your lymphedema will improve post-op and your sleep apnea will get better. But you really need to get complient on the CPAP machine so you'll be able to handle the stress of the surgery. If you want to e-mail me to discuss this more offline, please e-mail me at [email protected] (open RNY 07/17/02 -182 pounds)
   — John Rushton

August 1, 2003
I have not had the wls yet but I do have lymphedema. Most people I have talked with that have had surgery and have lypmhedema report none to 100% improvement. I think it depends on the stage u are at and the treatment u are getting. BTW lymphedema has nothing to do with being obese. Skinny people have it too. It is a lymphatic disorder. Obesity does not cause it but it can aggrevate it. There are still alot of drs. that don't like to acknowledge that lymphedema IS NOT caused by obesity. AMPUTATE your leg! What is wrong with him? What kind of treatment are u getting? If you have not been referred to a PT who specializes in lymphedema then you need a new dr. who is serious about treating lymphedema. I noticed one poster stated they are taking Lasix for lymphedema. Not a good idea as fluid pills can cause lymphedema to get worse over a period of time, because it pulls fluid but leaves the protein to clog so it can't flow out. I have a website that I have started that gives info about lymphedema and treatment you might want to check it out and I have oodles of info that I haven't gotten to putting on it yet. If you like I can send it to you email. http://geocities.com/njcrom1/JudysLymphNotes
   — njcrom2

August 1, 2003
Judy - I did have 12 weeks of MLD and I thought it absolutely worthless. As far as the amputation, it was the combination of the cellulitis (especially when the MRSA - methacillin-resistant staph aureus got in there) along with the lymphedema and the chronic venous insufficiency. It was the vascular surgeon that recommended the Lasix so I have every confidence in his judgement - he's one of the top vascular guys in the suburban Phila area. When I would be hospitalized for the cellulitis, they would put me in the hospital for a week of bedrest, IV antibiotics and IV lasix. I would lose as much as 40 pounds of fluid out of my system during that one week I was in the hospital. Over the course of the next three months, the leg would eventually fill up again, the skin would get stretched so taught that I'd end up with open wounds and the cellulitis would set in again. Believe me, I *don't* need your education on lymphedema - I've lived through it for the last 5 years and the WLS is the *only* thing that has had any long-lasting positive impact on my lymphedema. BTW, since my last hospitalization at the end of July 2002 (my left leg was actively leaking serous fluid for the 2 weeks leading up to my RNY), I have not been in the hospital. This after 7 hospitalizations (not counting my WLS) over an 18 month period...JR
   — John Rushton