New Bicycle happiness and Sleep Apnea question

I never did the water thing so this has never been an issue (although since the surgery I notice that I can get very dry unlike before but this has improved since I get a lot more fluids in post surgery).  I can't imagine going ANYWHERE without my CPAP...it's like my safety blanket...especially to a foreign country and on vacation...but you have to decide that for yourself with or without medical expert advice.  I will say Sleep Apnea is very serious and I would never go without using my Cpap for long periods of time without a sleep study because of the serious side effects (such as death) but that's just me.  I always have my cpap in my carry on and don't even check it in because the one and ONLY time I did that the bag ended up in Atlanta and I ended up in Florida...luckily it was on the first plane to Florida the next morning but I did not sleep at all...which was ok because I got to see Dawn while sitting on the Beach!  Good Luck!

I had OSA and it was liked to weight issues. I am down 65 Lbs and Apnea is as good as gone. I used a CPAP for a month prior to surgery didnt need it post surgery

I used a CPAP for years and years - it traveled the world with me.  This summer, when I was down to about 160 pounds (5'4") it started to malfunction on me, so in order to get it repaired or replaced, I had to do another sleep study.  I don't know why, but I was surprised when they told me I no longer had apnea!  I remember being teased when I was 10 about snoring, so I guess I assumed I had it forever.

Believe it or not, it was harder to quit using the CPAP than it was to learn to use it.  It took me several weeks to sleep without tossing and turning all night.  The CPAP had become my security blanket!

I move to Minnesota for 5 months every year, and so was going through my standard to-do list recently.  "Pack CPAP" has been on there for many years, and I did a little jig when I removed it permanently from the list!

I bet if you have a sleep study you'll find that you're good to go - schedule it now!

That is so AWESOME!  I know how excited you were to permanently wipe that off your list!  I love to travel and it can be bothersome to have to worry about electricity and where a plug is in relation to the bed, etc.  Especially because I love to camp and be outdoors...it is really limiting.  And having to worry about outages or emergency situations and not being able to use my Cpap.  Anyway, congratulations and yes, I am calling this week to schedule for a couple of months from now...thank you for the positive words!

Congrats on the bike!  I got one a couple of weeks ago too.  Those hills really are tough!

I agree with mmmesser. Sleep Apnea is a serious condition. Why not just wait for a sleep study before playing around with your settings? I have had Sleep Apnea for 9 years. My last sleep study I was told I could have my settings anywhere between a 16 and 18. I chose not to lower it to 16. There is very little difference between a pressure of 16 and 18, so why take the chance? I was told my OSA was due to my weight and my tonsils and narrow throat. Because of these other issues, I am planning on having a sleep study when I lose another 50lbs but I would be surprised if I was totally cured. I know it can be cumbersome to use a CPAP (personally, I don't mind it at all and would be surprised if I could ever sleep without it) but I have known 2 people who have died from OSA and so I am not ever taking a chance.

I wish you luck, this is just my humble opinion.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about four years ago with a pretty high setting of 16.  That was one of the things that made me think about wls seriously.  I have gotten down to my goal weight of 145, from a high of 259.  I am scheduled for a sleep study in a few weeks.  My sleep dr did turn my setting down to 12 6 months ago, and I  have been sleeping great.  He told me that 60% of sleep apnea is weight related and the rest is anatomical.  When he looked in my throat he said he doubted I could completely get off it by how  my throat looked. So we are going to do the study to see what my setting should be at, and on the off chance I can get off it.  He was pleased that my surgeon told me to get retested as the local surgeons in the area( I went out of town) just tell their post ops to quit using it. 

I tried sleeping without it the other night and felt TERRIBLE the next day.  So I think that is my answer. Of course I am totally psychologically attached to it, so that may have been why I slept so bad.

It bothers me when doctors marked WLS as a cure for OSA when it always isn't.

Anne

My sleep apnea went way down and I am close to not having it any more. My sleep doctor prescribed me a machine that adjusts it self as I am sleeping. So no sleep study is needed. Just a thought.