sarrah345
12-06-2006, 10:29 PM
Hello Everyone,
I am a newbie to this site and Dr. Allam (I see him for the first time on Dec 19th). I'm not a newbie to this subject, as I have been contemplating this surgery for years and my health is so poor now, I HAVE to have the surgery. Both my PCP and Pain Management Doctor told me I MUST have gastric bypass surgery.
I am 310 lbs and don't even recognize myself anymore. I have so many health problems and I have never been so ill in my life. I have such bad sleep apnea that my airway closes completely 68 times an hour! I just had a second sleep study last sunday with the CPAP and I was told I did great. Not only that, but my pulmonologist spoke with my neurosurgeon and he said to her that my oxygen levels during the first sleep study were in the 50s!!! It scared me to death. I was told with the CPAP my oxygen levels were in the upper 80s to low 90s. Much better. I still have to wait another week to get my own CPAP machine.
I have herniated discs in my lumbar spine and c-spine and have fibromyalgia. I still have terrible pain, even after having a surgery to correct the bulge in the lumbar spine, because of my weight and the doc told me it wouldn't get better unless I lost a massive amount of weight.
Found out yesterday that my lungs are only functioning at 60 percent, and that my lungs are squished to half their size because of my weight. The doctor used the word squished.
I have high blood pressure, acid reflux, gout, and I can't breathe very well. I can't bathe without a shower chair or else my back kills me. I had pneumonia this summer and my health has just spiraled out of control.
Tried all the diets, ad nauseum.....don't work. Now I can't do anything.....at all.
My sister in law is JeanM and she had surgery 18 months ago and I think has lost 140 lbs. She's doing so well! I've asked her a million questions, and told me all about Dr. Allam and his staff plus this website. I am so glad to be here and I see Dr. Allam soon! Not soon enough though!!!! I am SO ready for this surgery!
Since November 3, I almost killed myself by driving. I was on Valium and Percocet for the pain relief from the back surgery and that mixed with the sleep apnea......I drove to a doctor appointment and swerved all over the road, couldn't stay awake. My husband said I was slurring my words. Somehow I made it in one piece to the appointment. I don't remember the appointment, but I fought with the therapist because she didn't want me to drive home. I left anyway and called my husband at work. I had my cell headset on and drove almost all the way home the way I drove to the appointment. Swerving all over the road...couldn't stay awake. My husband told me to pull into a Hess station about a mile from our apartment and he said not to go anywhere and he picked me up, turns out he left work, panicked, and he picked me up, drove me home and called my doctor (PCP). He said to bring me to the hospital. So we went to ELIH. Was in the ER for hours and hours, had a head CT and chest x-ray and bloodwork to rule out a heart problem or tumor in my head or something. Finally at 12 am they admitted me.
Next day, I saw the doctor and he thought I was way overmedicated. I know I am. I take 15 meds and at that time, I was taking 19. They kept me overnight that Saturday and released me Sunday. Doc said no driving until I saw a neurologist (I have a seizure disorder, but have been seizure free for 15 years).
Pain doc took me off the percocet and valium right away, plus oxycontin that I have been taking for about 5 years, and he replaced it with a low mg pill so I wouldn't have opiate withdrawls.
I've been seeing doctors and having a jillion medical tests since then. Pumonary doc says no driving until after I get my CPAP machine and have been using it for at least 2 weeks. It's been really hard and I've come to the end of my rope.
Here's where one life ends and another begins for me.
Sheila was wonderful and listened to my story......and I can't wait to see Dr. Allam. I have good insurance so I hope I can get a date for surgery in the next 2 to 3 months.
So, that's my story, so far.
I would love to get e-mail from anyone who wants to talk to me or give advice. I've learned a lot here so far. Thanks for reading my long post.
Hugs,
Cathy
sarrah345@aol.com
I am a newbie to this site and Dr. Allam (I see him for the first time on Dec 19th). I'm not a newbie to this subject, as I have been contemplating this surgery for years and my health is so poor now, I HAVE to have the surgery. Both my PCP and Pain Management Doctor told me I MUST have gastric bypass surgery.
I am 310 lbs and don't even recognize myself anymore. I have so many health problems and I have never been so ill in my life. I have such bad sleep apnea that my airway closes completely 68 times an hour! I just had a second sleep study last sunday with the CPAP and I was told I did great. Not only that, but my pulmonologist spoke with my neurosurgeon and he said to her that my oxygen levels during the first sleep study were in the 50s!!! It scared me to death. I was told with the CPAP my oxygen levels were in the upper 80s to low 90s. Much better. I still have to wait another week to get my own CPAP machine.
I have herniated discs in my lumbar spine and c-spine and have fibromyalgia. I still have terrible pain, even after having a surgery to correct the bulge in the lumbar spine, because of my weight and the doc told me it wouldn't get better unless I lost a massive amount of weight.
Found out yesterday that my lungs are only functioning at 60 percent, and that my lungs are squished to half their size because of my weight. The doctor used the word squished.
I have high blood pressure, acid reflux, gout, and I can't breathe very well. I can't bathe without a shower chair or else my back kills me. I had pneumonia this summer and my health has just spiraled out of control.
Tried all the diets, ad nauseum.....don't work. Now I can't do anything.....at all.
My sister in law is JeanM and she had surgery 18 months ago and I think has lost 140 lbs. She's doing so well! I've asked her a million questions, and told me all about Dr. Allam and his staff plus this website. I am so glad to be here and I see Dr. Allam soon! Not soon enough though!!!! I am SO ready for this surgery!
Since November 3, I almost killed myself by driving. I was on Valium and Percocet for the pain relief from the back surgery and that mixed with the sleep apnea......I drove to a doctor appointment and swerved all over the road, couldn't stay awake. My husband said I was slurring my words. Somehow I made it in one piece to the appointment. I don't remember the appointment, but I fought with the therapist because she didn't want me to drive home. I left anyway and called my husband at work. I had my cell headset on and drove almost all the way home the way I drove to the appointment. Swerving all over the road...couldn't stay awake. My husband told me to pull into a Hess station about a mile from our apartment and he said not to go anywhere and he picked me up, turns out he left work, panicked, and he picked me up, drove me home and called my doctor (PCP). He said to bring me to the hospital. So we went to ELIH. Was in the ER for hours and hours, had a head CT and chest x-ray and bloodwork to rule out a heart problem or tumor in my head or something. Finally at 12 am they admitted me.
Next day, I saw the doctor and he thought I was way overmedicated. I know I am. I take 15 meds and at that time, I was taking 19. They kept me overnight that Saturday and released me Sunday. Doc said no driving until I saw a neurologist (I have a seizure disorder, but have been seizure free for 15 years).
Pain doc took me off the percocet and valium right away, plus oxycontin that I have been taking for about 5 years, and he replaced it with a low mg pill so I wouldn't have opiate withdrawls.
I've been seeing doctors and having a jillion medical tests since then. Pumonary doc says no driving until after I get my CPAP machine and have been using it for at least 2 weeks. It's been really hard and I've come to the end of my rope.
Here's where one life ends and another begins for me.
Sheila was wonderful and listened to my story......and I can't wait to see Dr. Allam. I have good insurance so I hope I can get a date for surgery in the next 2 to 3 months.
So, that's my story, so far.
I would love to get e-mail from anyone who wants to talk to me or give advice. I've learned a lot here so far. Thanks for reading my long post.
Hugs,
Cathy
sarrah345@aol.com