sleep apnea

so i went to my pulmonologist appt today to get cleared for surgery...doc was so excited about how healthy i am and assured me That I wouldnt have any problems with surgery...then she looked in my throught and said, oh you probably have sleep apnea, by the way the anatomy of your throat looks....ugh! I am so dissapointed, I have to wear a monitor tonight and turn it in tomorrow, to see if I do indded have it...I' m bummed...any words of advise out there? 

My partner has sleep apnea and getting a CPAP changed his life.  He sleeps so well now and isn't tired all the time and it's absolutely amazing.  So don't worry too much - if you do have sleep apnea you'll feel so much better if it's diagnosed and treated!

Don't make it into a big deal.  If you have it, you have to deal with it!  Maybe you'll have to use a CPA****il surgery, but there are other options later.  I've heard advertisements for mouthpieces instead of CPACs - might be something you can ask about.

In any event, good luck to you.

For me, it was a long involved process, consisting of two (count'em two) sleep studies, one for the diagnosis and one to get the settings for the machine. For the sleep studies, I had to stay overnight at a sleep center where I was wired up like Frankenstein's monster. Next I had to get fitted for the machine (which is not that big of a deal) and then demonstrate compliance for 30 days. Only then did I get the clearance. It sounds like your Pulmonologist took the quicker path, which is good news.

In terms of the condition, wearing the mask does take some getting used to it, but now  putting on the mask is just one of the things that I do at night to get ready for bed. I got the "nasal pillow" mask which is the lightest smallest version so I am able to put on my mask, put my eye glasses back on and then watch tv before turning off the tube.

In turns of feeling super better after wearing the mask, I must tell you that the improvement is subtle, but real. I can't say that I wake up  each morning ready to jump out of bed and get started, but I am certainly less tired in the afternoons that before.

Assuming you  do have it (and the Dr. told me its probably very under-diagnosed), be sure to be clear what your Dr. and program consider compliance to be. I have seen it vary from wearing the mask 3 hour a  night to 6 hours a night and make sure you wear it for that period of time. I was determined to get clearance ASAP so I wore it at least 5 hours a night from the very beginning even though I was advised to go slow. It was annoying in the beginning but there was no way I was going to let compliance be delayed.

Hmmm, I'm going on and on here so I'll stop for now, if you have any other questions I'm glad to answer.

Hi Nicki--don't be too bummed.  I too had to do the monitor at home and it said I had mild sleep apnea.  My doctor said weight loss would fix it (and it has) so I didn't need to do a cpap or anything.  They just needed that diagnosis for surgery so that they were aware in case I had any problems.  I know all these hoops that you have to jump through are a pain but they have good reasons.  They want to make sure you are at your healthiest during this journey so that you are successful.  good luck!  Lisa

thank you for all the replies...makes me feel better...its just that the scariest part of the surgery for me is the anestesia (sp?) and I think the apnea puts you at greater risk for complications...and ive never had surgery before, so i dont know how i will respond in the first place..

I have super severe apnea. Getting diagnosed and a CPAP is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I feel like a million bucks compared to before.

As for the surgery, you will be intubated. The apnea should not increase your surgical risk much, because the machine will be regulating your breathing and holding your throat open. If you have apnea, you will certainly be much safer with a diagnosis and the ability to wear a CPAP while sleeping after surgery.

Good luck!

I believe they intubate you for surgery, so no worries about your airway collapsing like it does in sleep apnea. If you do have to get a CPAP, it may change your life. I lived with undiagnosed apnea for many years, and when it was caught it was so severe I was having 130 episodes an hour. That's basically every breath; I only get the partial restriction, not the full obstructive apnea...but even that way, my O2 levels got down to 85 before they rushed in and put an emergency mask on me. I only got four hours of sleep that night with the mask on. But I felt so much better almost immediately!

I have been on a cpap since 2006. Sleep like a baby wearing it. If they find that you need one, don't hesitate to get it and use it.

I've been on a CPAP for about 10 years.  I have had acute sleep apnea, and my father (who was also very obese) had it for years back before they were diagnosing it very much.  I think years of untreated apnea also shortened his life and lead to mini-strokes--  that was part of why I accepted the damn mask. No, it isn't cool or sexy, not unless someone really has a thing for Darth Vader.  But, it -really- helps and I can tell when I don't use it (which is almost never).   Masks and machines have gotten quieter, smoother, smaller, more comfortable, etc.   When I did my sleep study, they taped it and showed me that I was their all-time record holder in a several areas-- episodes/hour, shoring noise, etc.  I am just thankful my kind wife didn't just have me whacked to shut me up back then.  Since the VSG (June 2,2014) I'm down more than 60 lbs, and just broke under 300-- where the snoring/apnea seems to start for me.  I can probably get by without 'Darth Vader' now, but I'll keep on with it for another 50 lbs or so.  Don't sweat the small stuff-- it makes you sleep better and you will function better and live longer because of using it.  According to my doc, the sleeve should free me from the mask, which is, I believe , pretty common with bariatric surgery patients. They count the things the surgery fixes as "co-morbidities cured"(wins)  via the surgery, so a little sleep apnea gives them an almost certain post-surgical success story. Win win.   Good luck and congratulations on the courage and foresight to take control of your life and do this.