Sleep Study = AWKWARD!

Sleep study was Monday night.  I didn't quite know what to expect although everyone told me how nice the facility was at AMH's Warminster Campus.  I heard the rooms were like "hotel rooms" with flat screen tvs and tempurpedic bed and that secured my place of choice.  When I arrived, the hospital was empty....lights on, lobby tv on, but no people anywhere.  I ventured up the 3rd Floor and followed the signs in the empty hallway to my destination:  The Sleep Center.

I open the door and walk in peering down an empty blue hallway.  I searched for someone...anyone and when I reached the office, a young guy in scrubs popped out and pointed to the door just across the hall marked Sleep Room 3.  I asked if it was my room and he eagerly said yes and led me in.  The room was FREEZING.  He had turned the air on for me because it had been very warm in that room he said.  I asked if he could turn it off.  He pointed at some paperwork and told me to fill it out, get my pajamas on and open the door when I'm done.

Let's talk about the "hotel room" really quick.  Because it wasn't anything like the hotel room I pictured in my head.  The walls were painted this horrible blue color. The flat screen tv was like  19", hospital style flat screen tv.  The bed was tempurpedic but it was still a hospital bed - no question.  Defintely wouldn't recommend that place on hotels.com.  But I digress...

I filled out the 10 pages or so of papers, got my jammies on and waited for him to come back.  I hadn't noticed anyone else so I asked if there were other patients doing studies and he said only 1 other person was scheduled and they hadn't shown up.  GREAT.  So it's just him and I alone on this entire floor?  I just got a little more uncomfortable.

Wires, wires and more wires were hooked up to my face, head, chest, and legs and straps wrapped around my chest and waist.  It isn't pretty, but I promised to be real in this blog so here is a picture of me with all that crap hooked up:

I watched TV briefly but felt like I might be able to fall asleep so I tried to get cozy.  But the longer I laid there, the more urgently I had to pee....of course.  Now, he told me to just call him if I had to go - and by call, he meant call out because there was a mic in my room so he could hear me.  Ahhh....yeah weird.  So I fidgeted wondering if or how I should alert him to my bladder issue when in the darkness I hear..."Everything okay??"  O.M.G.  CREEPY!!! He really was watching me on the big camera over my bed and must have noticed my fidgeting.  "Ummm...I have to go the bathroom."  I didn't realize they watched it the whole time.

So after my bathroom visit, it felt like HOURS....YEARS before I fell asleep.  Before I knew it he was waking me up at 5:10am.  Try having tape ripped off your face when you're half asleep - not fun.

He told me that I DO snore alot (no kidding) and implied I may have slight sleep apnea but it might not be enough to warrant a machine.  We shall see.  I'm still waiting for the pulmonary folks to call and schedule an appt.

So that was my adventure!  Let's hope that's the only one I have to do!

Nerves!!!

I have had moments of sheer terror thinking about RNY and the fact that my body will be FOREVER changed.  I started to feel sorry for myself thinking about not being able to enjoy my daughter's wedding cake when she gets married in 20-some years (lol...I know but I do think about stuff like this).  So I panicked and wrote Dr. B a letter asking to change my surgery to VSG anyway. 

He wrote back that night (another reason why I love IMBS) and told me that it's natural to be scared and that he would gladly do a VSG but that my insurance only approves VSG in combination with an RNY or DS anyway - which I did not realize.  I had my tears about it and even considered going to Mexico and paying out of pocket (DH nixed that idea REAL quick).

So I have made my peace with RNY and accepted that in order to make a really important change in my life, my body will have to change too.  But it won't just be changing inside....the change will be visible on the outside.  The change will also happen in my lifestyle...change will be everywhere.  And I need a change.  So it is scary and I'll probably have a few more moments of panic between now and surgery day (whenever that may be).  But I have to keep reminding myself that I'm doing this to save my life and so I can enjoy life right now.

Exhausted!

Yesterday was a big day for me.  I had all three of my consult appointments in one day!

I met with Dr. B and he told me that I was a great candidate for surgery.  Although I did get some bad news because he told me that I am borderline diabetic and that he would even be comfortable saying I'm diabetic.  I also have a fatty liver which is not good and I have to lose some weight before surgery.  Since I snore like a mofo, I also have to go for a sleep study now to determine if I have sleep apnea.

I had my heart set on the VSG, however, he recommended I go with either the RNY or the DS because I will see better results and they fit better for my needs based on the fact that I have more than 150lbs to lose and other issues.  I was very disappointed and even considered begging for VSG but then I thought that he has a much better idea what would be best for me based on his years of experience. 

I'm going to take some time to accomodate the idea of an RNY before I decide what to do.   The psych and NUT appointments were relatively easy.  Just answered ALOT of embarrassing questions about my relationship with food.

I went to the support group meeting again last night and it was helpful.  It's nice to see some people who have gone through surgery and had success.  I'm REALLY nervous now.

Surgeon appointment is finally here.

Meeting with the surgeon tomorrow.  It feels like it's been months since I made the appointment (in reality it's only been a little more than 1 month - lol)

I'm so stinking excited about it and I'm trying not to be because there is always the possiblility that he will tell me that this surgery isn't right for me.  And of course, THAT would be depressing.  But I'm going to be positive and remember that everything happens for a reason and if it's not meant to be then there's a reason for it.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Update on last test

Had the ABG test done on Monday - a warning on it would have been nice.  I assumed it was a normal blood draw but apparently arteries are finnicky things and the respiratory therapists have to dig around for them.  I just about passed out.  I started sweating really heavily and panting.  They didn't have anywhere for me to lay down - it was AWFUL!!  Then my fingers and face started to tingle and I couldn't move either of them.  They almost took me to the ER but a doctor came in, calmed me down and then I gradually started feeling better.  I thought for a second I was having a stroke - terrible...horrible feeling. I'm so glad that's done with.   I better buck up though because surgery isn't any cake walk either.

I am so excited for my appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday!  It's almost here!  I wish DH could come with me but he'll be in training at work and can't switch his schedule around.

One test left before my appointment

Got my EKG done on Saturday - which was normal.  They told me they don't do the arterial blood gas test on Saturdays....sigh.  And it's only done until 3:30pm M-H.  So, more time off from work.  The weather is supposed to be nice on Thursday so maybe I'll do it then.

Been following the forums on obesityhelp.com and that's been keeping me motivated.  DH and I had a big blowout about my portion of spaghetti the other night which I was assured by friends was not "enough to feed an army" as my dh had indicated it was.  This does not help me and I get so frustrated bc he picks the weirdest times to have these battles.  I told him that I won't start dieting until my surgery is approved - I want my BMI to be high enough to get approved. 

It's so frustrating trying to explain things to someone who has never been fat.

Short Update

Nothing new and exciting as of yet.  Had my bloodwork done and specimen turned in on Monday.  They took 10 vials of blood!  Wasn't sure if I was going to be woozy since I also hadn't eaten! 

Tomorrow I have an eye doctor's appt but I'm thinking of stopping by the hospital afterwards to get my final two pre-surgeon appt tests done (EKG and Arterial Blood Gas).

At first I thought this appointment was coming too fast but now it seems so far away.  I just want to get this thing going.  I'm ready to start this journey to a new life!