Sleep Deprivation and a question for the ladies...

Okay, so the people who know me are wondering...WHAT'S THIS??!?!?  The old lady is AWAKE at nearly 10pm?!?!?!  HA HA.  My sleeping patterns are all whacked out.  This week has been growing increasingly difficult for me and finally today I placed a call to my sleep disorder center.  I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea about a year ago and I started using "my snorkel" ("LUKKKKKE, I am your father"...anyone who uses a cpap will get this reference... HA HA) I have used my cpap religiously since the day I got it and I swear by it!  But, It's the weirdest thing, I think losing weight and getting healthier may have improved my apnea and now my cpap is not properly set.  I suspected that I would eventually need to get it adjusted or hopefully one day not have to use it when I reached goal, but I'm surprised but the sudden lack of results I'm getting over the last two or more weeks.  It was like BAM, all of a sudden, my migraines were back, the fatigue is setting in and just sleeping with the darn thing strapped to my face is awful.  My nose hurts, my throat hurts from the dryness, UGG.  I'm absolutely exhausted right now but can't bear to go to bed because I know I'm going to be tossing and turning all damn night.  :(  :(  Enough *****ing...sorry...  I hope my doctor calls me back tomorrow.  I have the added frustration that they are no longer accepting my insurance, so I'm attempting to get advice on what to do over the phone vs an appt out of pocket.  Especially since the office lady woudn't give me a clear out of pocket cost of a followup appt.  She said it could run anywhere between $41-$173!!  Geez.  If I don't hear from the doctor by tomorrow, I'm going to be forced to look for a new doctor that is a provided.  I really hate to change doctors though because I'm afraid a new doctor will want to do a new sleep study and that is no fun being all rigged up and asked to sleep in a strange bed.  :( Onto my WLS related question.  Have any of you ladies seen changes in your menstrual cycle after surgery?  I was SO riding the happy train of no periods for six months after have an IUD put in, but then WHAM, the day I went into surgery I started getting my periods again.  Now the buggers are back and in full force.  I know that you can still have periods with an IUD, but know from my experience with other long term devices or hormonal birth control treatments that I almost never had periods.  I really think it has something to do with eating less or losing weight or something.  It just has to be.  If it's like this for everyone, NO WONDER they warn you about being a fertile myrtle after WLS and taking BC very seriously.  That was my main reason for considering Mirena, I needed a long term option with a very low failure rate that would successfully get me through my entire WLS transformation before we start trying to have kids after the suggested 18month post-op waiting period (we are thinking more like 2+ years realistically).  Any comments? 

Lauren, You wil need to get you cpap adjusted as 100lbs lost will make a signicant difference in your settings - hope you can get advice over the phone but they will probably have to see you before they can make any adjustments - so you might be wanting to bite the bullet and find a new doctor asap..... I have never stopped any periods when I had an IUD so I can't answer that.... but I know after my first plastic surgery I didn't have a period for three months - I was so happy - thought I was going through the change of life but they did come back again lol! It is best to wait a couple of years after WLS  before getting pregnant as all your levels have to be monitored so your malabsorption can be checked so the baby  - and you - do not get dangerously low on anything - so good plan! Jackie

Thanks Jackie.  You are right, I really need to get to a new doctor before I continue to waste my time and literally my energy.  I'm trying to go the cheap route, but what do I really expect for my free phone call?  Ends up the doctor did call me back, but called me at home (day time) so I mised the call.  He mentioned he would be out of the office until Monday, so I'll try one more time, but this weekend I'll go on the insurance website and find out who else is a in-network provider.

I swear...you are a riot! No answer ont he CPAP as I never had that problem.  BUT...my sirgery initially made my period more regular.  But when I started exercising more intense (starting last summer) they came in and out.  When I had PS this past fall, I had my period every 2 - 3 weeks (WTH!!!)  The, I started running agin in Jan, no period in Feb, total date change in March, so I'm waiting to see what April brings... If it gets really bad, I would go and see the doc, just to make sure that all is well.....

My goodness!  You're cycle has certainly been all over the place.  I guess we will all be a bit different and you never know what you're going to get.  I suppose I should just be happy that it's regular even if it did start back up again.

Ooooh Gosh.  Does this mean that surgery will maybe make me have my period again?  If it isn't the prednison stopping them, then it's the depo shot I get.  Which is one huge reason I chose the depo shot was the side effect of stopping the menstrual cycle.  Once I asked my doctor if it was bad to not have a period and said it wasn't, not having one became a wonderful thing.  Now I just get the shot every 3 months and don't worry about it.  I hope after surgery that it doesn't change, lol.  Hugs to you baby doll! Theresa

I don't know?  Man, I loved Depo when I was able to do that.  It was so easy and like you said, no periods.  Unfortunately, about a year into using it, my body did the a "NO MORE!!" scream for help and I started bleeding and never stopped for around a months time.  It was horrible.  My obgyn had to give me all these hormones to get my cycle back on track and suggested that I discontinue using Depo.  Then again, I'm always the weird one, I have never heard of anyone ever having major issues with Depo other than breakthrough bleeding. Like I said to Jill, we are all going to be different so you just don't know.  I hope surgery doesn't change it for you too.  :)

Hey, Lauren:  I had never had a CPAP until the sleep study I had to have -- then I got the "contraption" for mild sleep apnea.  When I got it, the doc said to come back in about 5 months to have things re-evaluated.  He said that a 50 lb. weight loss could make a significant difference, and I might not need it any longer.  (Yeah -- I have to make that appt.!)  I would suggest you find another doc if that one is no longer available to you through your insurance and get it checked out -- like Jackie said, 100 lbs. makes a big difference!  (You go girl!)  As far as the other -- yeah, changes in mine, but I am also dealing with the perimenopause stuff, so every month is a guessing game.  So much fun....:D  Nothing like being a teenager the second time around!

50lbs...good to know.  That was pretty much the kind of information that I was trying to gain from the doctors office or doctor.  I figured that would be the case but was just trying to confirm.  Of course if they had told me right off, yes, if you lose more than Xlbs come in for a followup visit and cpap adjustment and i wouldnt' have thought twice aobut looking into another doctor.  Last night before bed I saw that the voicemail message light was on... ends up the doctor did call me back, but called me at home (in the day time) so I mised the call.  I'll go ahead and look through the provider list this weekend to see who I can schedule a new appt with.

Good am Lauren, Cute! "Luke I ammmmmmmmm your father!"  Yes, your CPAP will need adjusting for sure. As for doing another sleep study is probably in your favor to be honest with you. Sleep is important in our journey (trust me its been a PIA for me). I'm now off my CPAP and sleep is still troubling at times. I would of course speak with you doc(s) first but I would suggest you trying Tylenol PM and see how that works for you. Its pretty powerful at times. Then other times I have a med I take for sleeping but its rare these days.  Ahhh the Red Fairy! Even before WLS surgery I had whacky/crappy periods and after surgery they improved strangely enough for a time then went nuts. In a nutshell, BC pills, tests, pokes, prodes and several procedures later they DIDNT work. So, in an effort to banish the Red Fairy I had surgery. I'm happy to report that its worked wonders! I had a health issue related to the Red Fairy so hopefully you're "normal" and you can find the right combination of things to work for you. Now about the preggers journey. We got preggers and had our 2nd bugga AFTER WLS. I was given the go ahead by my OB and WLS surgeon at 16 months. It took us until 18 months to get preggers which worked out anyway. I do suggest waiting and in the meantime check out the Obesityhelp post-op pregnancy forum. There is a wealth of information there.