Question:
Can I get approved and a date set for WLS BEFORE I am actually dx'd with Sleep Apnea?

I *KNOW* I have sleep apnea and I know I would not be able to bear a CPAP for anything! I am extremely sensitive to anything touching my face when I sleep. Since WLS can improve my apnea, why go through the torturous testing? (sounds like torture!) So, has anyone else been approved for WLS with a comorbidity of "indiagnosed" Sleep Apnea? Will a doctor diagnose based on what the patient describes?    — Linda V. (posted on July 11, 2001)

July 11, 2001
I thought the same thing. I'll hurry and get the surgery done and get out of sleeping with that thing on my face. Well let me tell you very few of us are able to hurry up and get that surgery done so I decided to quit waiting and damaging my brain cells. I have memory loss and it's getting worse.I am feeling much less irritability and have a little more energy. Not sure how old I will be when I get "the surgery". I am hoping I get enough time to lose the weight and enjoy it before I go.
   — buhret

July 11, 2001
Hello, in response to what Anonymous said about getting your sleep apnea "cleared up" before surgery...sleep apnea doesn't get cured or cleared up. You have to use a CPAP monitor to regulate your oxygen during sleep. Even if you've used your CPAP for months, the minute you go off it, your sleep apnea comes right back. So it never "clears up". Weight loss usually helps with curing sleep apnea...usually, not always. Doctors cannot diagnose sleep apnea from how a patient describes it. You have to do a sleep study and have your oxygen level and other factors measured during the night by being hooked up with sensors to a monitoring device that you wear while you sleep. Many people snore but don't have actual sleep apnea...which is actually stopping breathing while you're sleeping. Having a documented study and being dxed with sleep apnea does give one a greater chance of being approved for WLS, though, since it is considered a life-threatening co-morbidity. Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]

July 11, 2001
I have severe sleep apnea that wasnt diagnosed till recently in pre op wls testing. I have NO symptoms, not tired, dont nap, none of the typicals except snoring. see my profile. Now 3 years ago I had knee surgery with dura morph to the spine. It worked fine, no pain. Except I quit breathing and they had to give me narcam, a anti narcotic to get rid of the moriphine. It depressed my breathing a LOT. I got so scared in recovery they had to give me versid for a panic attack. It was so scarry, I thought I was going to die. They were yelling breathe, breathe, breathe. Dont ever want to do THAT again:( Well it took over months and 2 sleep tests but they have a pressure for me, 17. I honestly dont tolerate the machine at all.... With it I dont sleep well, gives me a noseache, got a earache, my nose is permanetely stuffed from allergies as it is. Machne makes it 10 times worse and with Gerd I am scared about using a full face mask. besides I am clasttrophic. But for the surgery I am STUCK, and have decided they are goin to do lots of things I dont like, and this will be just one of them. I just hope everyone does a good job and keeps me alive. Its a necessary evil in the hospital. When I get home it will likely not be used. As for the test, its not so bad, they can give you a adams nose thing and bipap if your confirmed to have apnea. Just assume you will get NO sleep, have someone ride you home for SURE, and if you occasionally take something to help you sleep take it immediately before your test.They will NOT give you anything to sleep and you may be unlucky like me and have to do it twice:( Try to schedule a thursday night, take friday off too. It took me two days to get back to a regular sleep shedule and feel human again. For immediately post op you NEED the stinkin machine or they miht intubate you. I dont want a tube down my throat. The nmachine is the better of two evils.
   — bob-haller