Sleep Apnea

My bariatric doctor, Dr. Boyce, requires that patients who are not currently on cpap machines to have a sleep study. It was a take home sleep study and the easiest I have ever had.

Before my first surgery I had severe sleep apnea. Those who use cpap have a love hate relationship with it. It is annoying, cumbersome, and awkward. It also provides quality sleep and basically saves your life regularly. I used it like I was supposed to.

As I lost weight the need for the cpap decreased. about two years after my first surgery I had another sleep study. You can imagine how overjoyed I was that my apnea had resolved and I didn't need the cpap any more.

Now the converse has happened. I gained weight and the home study indicated that I, once again, have severe sleep apnea. I stopped breathing 55 times in an hour and my oxygen saturation levels were dangerously low throughout the night. No wonder I am always tired, have trouble focusing, and lack motivation during  the day...I am sleep deprived.

I got my new cpap machine yesterday. It has a lot more bells and whistles than the last one did. It auto adjusts the pressure I need and wirelessly sends my data to my doctor so that adjustments can be made as needed (and so that they can measure my compliance for insurance purposes).

I slept with it for the first time last night. It is going to take some getting used to for sure. I am usually a stomach sleeper...not possible with a cpap.

I'll hang in there. It is the right thing to do in preparation for surgery and for daily health.

Revision

It has been 9 years and 9 months since I had lap-band surgery. It was a life saving surgery. Yet somehow, I know how, I'm nearly back where I started. 5' 10", 305 lbs, BMI of 43, severe sleep apnea, way out of shape...generally a human slug.


Within a few years after lap-band, I started making bad food choices. I figured out how to cheat my band and eat what I wanted. I've learned that I have a very destructive rebellious streak when it comes to food. It isn't healthy. I've also had some complications with my band. I've also learned that the band is simply a restrictive procedure that doesn't increase satiation or have any of the hormonal benefits of other bariatric procedures. You just don't feel full like you should, with the band. There is point when you know to stop eating, but the feeling of fullness is very different than without the band.

There is a lot of shame getting to the place where I am. Why would I regain health and then purposely eat it all away? It makes no sense and the shame is real.

So...I'm having a revision surgery on January 18, 2016 from the band to the gastric sleeve. I am 100% aware that this will not fix my emotional addiction to food. It will, however, get the problematic band out of me and offer a fresh start with a different procedure. The fresh start will involve: counseling, exercise, different choices, and an effort to forgive myself.

It's all complicated...emotionally complicated.