Does anyone here have diabetes or sleep apnea?

[vix]

I have both and am curious if anyone else has these conditions and how they have to change things because of it?

For the diabetes, I am worried because I am afraid that my liquid choices will be even greater pre and postop. And, for my sleep apnea, I have to wear a C-Pap mask and am worried about surgery and my breathing.

If anyone else shares these conditions, please let me know how you have handled them. Thanks much!

[jena]

Don't worry about your sleep apnea during surgery. Your breathing will be monitored. If your spending the night at the OCC, bring your machine with you.

About the diabetes, just make sure to monitor your sugar closely after surgery.

[mona-camille]

I have sleep apnea and sleep with a machine also. ANd you must bring it with you!!!!! You will wear it right after surgery and most likely they will be giving you breathing treatments before and after surgery too. Those are no big deal, just breathe medicine through it. But, if you are bringing it as a carry-on, just be prepared that you will have to take it out of your luggage and when you go through security and they will be doing a test on it. A drug test. I guess sometimes druggies hide their wares inside the machine so they test them all. Just don't let it out of your sight when they take it because they dropped mine and broke it and I intend to make them pay for it.

As for the diabetes, I don't have it, but one of my sisters does and my neice. You will just need to make sure and drink diet drinks and keep a close watch and test your blood often to be able to cover the difference if you take insulin. Most people are no longer diabetic after lap band, so unless you have type 1, one day you should be free from it!

My neice has type 1 (juvenile diabetes) and unfortunately, with that one she will never be able to give up the needle. Well, unless she get a pancreas transplant that is. So, depending on which on which one you have, you could be rid of it soon!

[Chrissyw]

I also have type 2 diabetes. I've had it for about 1 1/2 years. I'm scheduled to be banded in October as I need to lose 35-40 first. My primary doctor expects this to actually cure the diabeter. He believes that banding when you are morbidly obese is the only way for long term treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome in general. I just talked with Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Miranda yesterday. Diabetes concerns me more than anything because of the long term damage that is done.

I know after the surgery I'll be able to start cutting down on the medication. I'm on metformin and when this weight loss happens I may be able to cut down to 1. I can email my primary with results and he'll help with all of this.

Chrissy

[richardsbaby]

Hi my name is Anna. I have diabetes and sleep apnea I have an insulin pump and have already decrease my basal rate down by 1.5units per hour. I will be banded 8/15/08 yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!can't wait. Hope to talk to you soon

[Paula Bee]

Please take your sleep apnea machine with you. I had a former student, age 24, die last Friday from sleep apnea. He had been partying and was too drunk to put on his mask. He died in his sleep, in his fiancee's arms. She was my daughter's best friend for a number of years, and they are all just devastated... all because he didn't use his machine.

He was about 200 pounds overweight, and sleep apnea is a weight related problem. Check with your sleep Doc as you lose the weight, and have sleep studies done about every 30 or 40 pounds.

I know that many, many people have been cured of sleep apnea by weight loss, and it is a goal of mine.

Oh, and I had stopped using my machine, as my sinuses were so bad that I couldn't breathe through my nose. I am using it again now.

[julieburns]

I too have sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes, just since being fat the last 5 years.

During the liquid phase I just monitored my BS alot more than usual. I did drink regular fruit juices cut in half by water. You need some sugar, or at least I did for the calories and little boost of energy. I used about half and half sugar free stuff and regular stuff. I take 1 metformin 2 times a day prior to surgery. During my liquid phase I only had to take 1 many days. Now after my 1st fill I also am only taking 1 on most days. It's amazing how quickly my body has headed back to normal. Now mind you my diabetes was never way out of control, never a sugar over 200 after eating so each person will vary.

Now about the sleep apnea. I have a different kind that isn't a true apnea where I stop breathing. From all the medicine I had to take for my fibromyalgia my oxygen sats actually dropped while I slept because I didn't breathe deeply or enough. This respiratory depression is from the medication. As I have lost weight and became more active my pain is better and I am now taking far less than I did last summer when I started to lose weight. I KNOW as I lose more weight I will go in and have another sleep test to see if I need it.

So the news is good for you too. These 2 things can and will most likely be helped with weight loss!!

[Paula Bee]

I too have sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes, just since being fat the last 5 years.

During the liquid phase I just monitored my BS alot more than usual. I did drink regular fruit juices cut in half by water. You need some sugar, or at least I did for the calories and little boost of energy. I used about half and half sugar free stuff and regular stuff. I take 1 metformin 2 times a day prior to surgery. During my liquid phase I only had to take 1 many days. Now after my 1st fill I also am only taking 1 on most days. It's amazing how quickly my body has headed back to normal. Now mind you my diabetes was never way out of control, never a sugar over 200 after eating so each person will vary.

Now about the sleep apnea. I have a different kind that isn't a true apnea where I stop breathing. From all the medicine I had to take for my fibromyalgia my oxygen sats actually dropped while I slept because I didn't breathe deeply or enough. This respiratory depression is from the medication. As I have lost weight and became more active my pain is better and I am now taking far less than I did last summer when I started to lose weight. I KNOW as I lose more weight I will go in and have another sleep test to see if I need it.

So the news is good for you too. These 2 things can and will most likely be helped with weight loss!!

ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! What meds? lyrica? what else?

[Dontondan]

Just let them know about the Diabetes and they will monitor you while you are at the OCC. They came in several times to check my sugars and also gave me a shot of insulin at one point (I was pretty loopy at the time, but remember this). Since the surgery my diabetes is pretty much gone and they are talking about taking me off of my Metformin soon. So the lapband can help you control your diabetes! Yipee! Good Luck!

[vix]

Thanks everyone! It sounds like as with everything else, OCC has it all under control. I plan on packing my machine in my suitcase because I don't want to mess with it on the plane. Since I was diagnosed with sleep apnea almost 2 years ago, I have never slept one night without out, so no worries that I won't take it!

As far as the diabetes and the meds, I am not on insulin, but I take 4 different diabetes medications a day and the fear of having to go on insulin was one of the reasons I decided to do the lapband surgery.

Thanks again for always answering the questions so thoroughly and with such sensitivity. I am just so thankful that I found you guys!

[banded4life]

I GP told me that he was sure I had sleep apnea based on info I gave him. He wanted me to have a sleep study done. My father had sleep apnea and had to wear that mask. I never had the seep study done because I was afraid they would make me wear one. I sleep propped up on six pillows and take Simply Sleep to help me. This post has made me think twice about that.

[mona-camille]

I GP told me that he was sure I had sleep apnea based on info I gave him. He wanted me to have a sleep study done. My father had sleep apnea and had to wear that mask. I never had the seep study done because I was afraid they would make me wear one. I sleep propped up on six pillows and take Simply Sleep to help me. This post has made me think twice about that.

I fought the sleep study for years because I just KNEW I couldn't wear a mask. For one thing, I breathe out of my mouth, not nose. Plus, I have always had terrible burning sinuses and cannot stand air up my nose. All that does it make them burn worse. Well, when I started falling asleep at work I knew I had to do something. THe sleep study indicated that I woke up 55 times an hour! That means, basically never sleeping at all! For years! My doctor told me in no uncertain terms that sleep apnea can and does kill many people every day. I told him I would TRY the mask but no promises. Well, LO AND BEHOLD, they make masks that cover both your nose and mouth so that takes care of one problem. As for the sinus burning,......my machine has a hydrator on it and surprise surprise, my sinuses never felt better! It'sd what I needed all along! I learned that the reason my sinus burn is because of the horrendous snoring I was doing was hurting my them and causing the burning. Well, no more! I never need naps anymore, I feel well rested, the morning migraines have disappeared and I can fall asleep and stay asleep! I FELL IN LOVE WITH MY MACHINE! I have not once slept without it since I got it 2 years ago.

THe moral of this story is...........if you want to live, get the study and wear the mask. It might just end up being the best thing you ever did for yourself. And you might even learn that you actually love the thing! And there is an even better 3rd reason - lots of people with sleep apnea lose weight just by going on the machine. And that is because you will finally be getting a good night sleep!

Come on, DO IT!!!!

[vix]

I GP told me that he was sure I had sleep apnea based on info I gave him. He wanted me to have a sleep study done. My father had sleep apnea and had to wear that mask. I never had the seep study done because I was afraid they would make me wear one. I sleep propped up on six pillows and take Simply Sleep to help me. This post has made me think twice about that.

Oh...definitely please do have it checked out. You will feel so much better when you are getting your sleep. I felt the same way and didn't think that I could sleep with a mask, but the mask I use has a little strap that goes under your chin, so when you start to open your mouth, it holds it closed and also you get used to it. I was a mouth sleeper forever and it was just a few days til I was able to breathe through my nose. The difference in how I felt during the day was absolutely amazing. I am hoping to be able to get rid of the mask at some point after I lose a lot of weight, but even if I don't, I feel so much better with my mask that many times I wake up at night and have to feel to make sure my mask is on because I can't feel it.

And, I also have known someone who died from sleep apnea and she was only 39 and not as overweight as I am.

I wish you the best...you will discover how much better you feel.