I thought I had blogged!

I came to see if there were any comments that I needed to address, and found that I hadn't blogged about the sleep study, at all! I really thought that I had already posted about this. Then I found a draft that I had started, but only had a couple of sentences, so I must have gotten interrupted and forgot to get back to the post. Sorry for making you wait if there is anyone out there who actually checks this blog.

Last Tuesday, I went to the sleep lab a little before 8:00 PM. I sat around reading until almost 10:00 PM. Finally, they attached enough wires to computerize me, plus a few other gadgets that I can't explain and then told me to sleep well. Yeah, right. Surprisingly, I fell asleep quite quickly, as I had stayed up very late the night before and got up early hoping that it would help me sleep during this test. Unfortunately, the tech came back in the room for something and opened a drawer that squeaked loudly and startled me awake. I couldn't go back to sleep for a few hours after that.

At 6:00 AM the tech came in to remove the wires and I asked her how I did. She said it was a good sign that she hadn't had to come in and put me on the cpap machine. She then said that I was incredibly restless and didn't sleep much. I asked her if I had sleep apnea and she said that the doctor would contact me after he examined my test results. That was it.

Yesterday I received a card from their office telling me that my follow up appointment had to be changed to a different date and time. What follow up appointment. I hadn't been notified of the appointment to begin with. Apparently I have to wait until June 29 at 2:15 PM to find out the results of the sleep study. I am hoping that since they are waiting so long that it means there isn't anything seriously wrong with my sleep. I mean, I would think that if I had sleep apnea, they would want to address it in a more timely manner. Maybe that's just me.

If anyone has any questions about the process I am going through to get this weight loss surgery or anything else, please post the question in the comments and I will be happy to address it. I know that this can be a scary prospect for anyone considering it and I thought about it for a few years, but it can be the right decision for some people. If I can help you to understand more, then I am glad to do it.

Cholesterol

This morning I got a call from my PCP's office letting me know that the bloodwork that was done on Friday came back with my cholesterol as too high. They had told me previously that they thought it was a little high due to my thyroid being off and that a few months of thyroid replacement would fix that. Apparently they were wrong. Even losing weight didn't bring it down.

So, now I have to take Simvastatin. This is the 7th prescription to make it into my daily routine. Eleven pills per day, plus multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, calcium with vitamin D chew, and fish oil supplements. I can't begin to express how tired I am of all this. A palm full of pills every morning is not the way I want to start my day. I just hope that the weight loss surgery will take some of them away.

Tomorrow night is the sleep study. Wish me luck in getting to sleep.

Nutrition Class and PCP

Wednesday, I went to my nutrition class. It seemed very redundant, as it went over a lot of the same things that were covered in orientation. I was a bit surprised at how many of the people there didn't seem to be aware of some of the basics that have been stressed at orientation, and in the literature. Perhaps it is just me who is obsessed with knowing as much as possible about this surgery and what to expect after.

I did get home work to do. I have a questionnaire to fill out about my lifelong weight history so I can bring it with me to my dietitian. Also, I am required to start practicing the eating techniques and acquiring the items that I will need after surgery, such as measuring cups, spoons and scale, as well as protein mixes and supplements. I purchased small salad plates so that I start eating my meals on smaller plates to better control portion size. I have a timer on the table, because I am supposed to take a full 3o minutes to eat my meals. The most difficult one of all is that I cannot drink anything for 30 minutes prior to a meal, during the meal or 30 minutes after my meals. Also, I have purchased chewable supplements, such as chewable multivitamins and Viactiv.

My to-do or to-change list:

• Eliminate carbonated beverages. (done)
• Chew food better to prevent blockages after surgery.
• Eat Slower. Meals should take 30 minutes. (using timer)
• Reduce portion size. (smaller plates)
• Stop drinking fluids for 30 mins. before meals, during meal, and 30 mins. after meals.
• Good posture while eating.
• Stop eating in front of the television.
• Exercise every day. Start slow and build up endurance.

I am sure that this list will be amended as time goes on.

This morning I saw my PCP (primary care provider). I think she must have a magic scale because it said that I have lost another 6.5 pounds this month! That is a total of 21.5 pounds lost since February 20th. I know that it is slow weight loss and I have a very long way to go, but it is progress and I am happy with it. My PCP says that she is very pleased with my progress. I had blood drawn to recheck my TSH and cholesterol levels, and I will get the results on Monday.

If anyone has any questions about anything I am doing or going through, please ask. I am glad to help.

Sleep Consult

Yesterday, I had my sleep consult appointment. The purpose of the appointment was to determine if I need to go through with a sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea. They have decided that I do need to participate in a sleep study, ugh! The date for that little slice of hell is:

May 19th at 8:00 PM to May 20th at 6:30 AM

I have trouble falling asleep in my own home, so I can just imagine how difficult it will be to sleep in a lab with wires and other monitoring devices attached to me and people observing me (yes, I know it is via camera). The creep factor in all this is really high for me and triggering my anxiety. Also, I haven't slept in a bed for a few years. I sleep in my lift chair, because it allows me to adjust the position with the push of a button when I am in pain and it assists me in standing up. Fortunately, the specialist I was speaking with informed me that I could have an adjusting bed or a recliner to sleep in, so that may help.

What bugs me the most, is that I had to go to this "consult" appointment at all. They had me fill out a questionnaire before hand and then simply confirmed my answers at the appointment. They could have just made the decision from the questionnaire, but nooooooo. They had to get the hundreds of dollars from medicare, by requiring me go to an extra appointment. I suppose it keeps someone employed, but the money and position could be better used elsewhere. Health care costs are so outrageous and the health care system either doesn't get it, or just doesn't seem to be willing to change. Consequently, many services are denied or unavailable to many people who truly need them. I wish I knew the answers to this problem. I'm sorry for the rant.

I would like to let you know that giving up my diet soda went surprisingly smoothly. I have missed it a few times, like when I was eating out, but I got water and that was it. I have not, however, been good about what I eat, especially at night. I have made more than a few after midnight raids of the kitchen and I am sure that it will be reflected on the scales. I wish I could get Ray to padlock everything in the kitchen for me. I will try harder. Where have I heard that before?

My next appointment is tomorrow morning for a nutrition class. I will let you know how that goes.