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Well I got all hooked up again.  The mask was a basic resmed mask, but I actually liked it better than my comfortgel masks and the 2 fisher paykel masks I have tried (full face and just nasal).  So I am going to see about ordering it from now on. 

Well when I woke up the sleep tech told me that at 6 and 7 the apnea was good but there was still snoring, but at 8 the snoring stopped.  So she said that more than likely 8 will be my new number!!  How exciting, that is almost half of what it was (15).  In only 4 months my apnea has improved that well! 

Now I have to wait for their Dr to review everything, then it get faxed to my Dr who then looks at it and then faxes the info to my medical supplier who gives to the CPAP nurse for her to look at and then call me to come in with my machine to reset the titration levels. 

I think I will just call my CPAP nurse myself, LOL

Well it seems the dreadful stall I was stuck in has finally disappeared.  My scales started moving again a few days ago, and sicne then it has been a nice steady downfall, except when I weighed tonight.  I weighed 30 minutes after I ate, so even though I added it to my OH Weight Tracker, I am going to reweigh before I go to bed and if it is lower than I will change it. 

My face seems more rounder, and my stomach, around the hanging bottom part is definitly becoming much more softer.  I can get  into some 28's without a problem which makes me happy.  Wearing a 28 means I can find some jeans at the store to wear.  I am still wearing a 4x shirt though.  I have not tried a 3x shirt yet, and I don't think I am ready to yet.  I have so many 4x and some 5x shirts and really don't see wasting them.  I have always liked my shirts a bit baggy anyway.

Just seen this on the news, the Merriam-Webster word of the year (2007) is WOOT which is an exclamation of happiness.  Yes, I have used woot many times when posting online, especially when making a happy post, like Woot!  I lost 10lbs Woot Woot!  Well how funny to see the dictionary making it the word of the year.  Not sure if I entirely agree with it being a word of the year though. 

Well they did the complete Sleep Study.  I didn't have my CPAP or any oxygen on, which caused me to wake up with a horrible de-sat headache (desaturation: when your o2 levels drop low).  But I understand that they needed a true reading, so I didn't complain about it.  They said that for most of the night my sats stayed at 95, but when I fell into the REM sleep (which was a few hours before they woke me up) they dropped to 85.  I remember moving aorund and being asleep but not dreaming and being aware of things around me, and that sometime after 2 (I woke for a drink and checked my cell) I fell into a deep sleep and started having some random weird dreams, which the sleep techs said they could tell when I started dreaming.

 Good thing they can't see what I was dreaming, hahaha.  No for real though, it was wierd, it was like I was on the set of a movie, and we were all doing our lines, and then at a break, I snuck a smoke and one of the other actors was like you cant smoke, and then they snuck one too and next thing everyone on the set was huddled together sneaking smokes, LOL  How wierd huh, but I guess I dreamed that because the Sleep Tech remembered me from when I did my sleep study 2 years earlier and asked if I still smoked.  Which I proudly beamed and said NO it will be 2 years smoke free come New Years eve.

So anyway, I go back on the 16th for the Sleep Study again where I will wear the CPAP and o2, and they will do the different settings till they find my CPAP "sweet spot". 

The only thing I didn't like was the glue they used to stick the things to my head.  Last time they used stickers of some sort, this time they used this paste glue that really stuck to my hair, and as I tried getting it out, it smeared and what I did pull out, some of my hair came out with it.

I am going to call before I go for the next one and see if they can't use something else for my hair, I have enough trouble with it coming out as it is, and I am always trying to be careful when shampooing and conditioning, brushing it or even putting it up, as some hair always seems to come out. 

Robbie dropped me off at the ER entrance and I had to wait about 30 minutes before the Sleep Techs came down, there were 3 others, 1 other woman and 2 guys.  I was woken up at about 5:15 am, and I took my time getting washed and dressed since I knew Robbie wouldn't be coming to get me until atleast 6 to 6:15.  I called him and asked him to be sure to bring my updraft machine, since I was having much difficulty breathing when I woke up.  He remembered, I was happy.  I also went to SOnic and got a regular breakfast burrito.  I had no trouble eating the egg and sausage in it, I didn't touch the tortilla, I never do, just eat whats inside.

I will make another blog after the other Sleep Study and let everyone know how it went.

I got this in the mail Nov 3rd.  Thought I would share here what the costs were.  I had Medicare and Medicaid QMB (which pays the 20% Medicare doesn't pay) so if there are any out of pocket costs it is only because Medicare or Medicaid didn't pay for that particular service.

DESCRIPTION                                  AMOUNT (in U.S. Dollars)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Care                                            $ 1,960.00
Pharmacy                                             $ 1,202.25
Pre-Op                                                  $    192.29
Narcotics                                              $    335.05
Neurological Exams                          $    649.00
Cardiac Monitoring                             $    546.00
Recovery Room                                  $ 1,231.00
Central Supply                                    $    274.59
Respiratory Care                                $    378.97
Surgery                                                 $ 18,554.45
Adjustments                                        $ 14,794.41-
Insurance Payment                            $ 10,444.19-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL CHARGES                                  25,323.60
PAYMENTS/ADJUSTMENTS                25,238.60-
BALANCE                                                         85.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here I am getting weighed at the Dr's office today.  This is the first time since Sep 2005 that I could weigh on a standard Dr's office scale.  This was a very exciting moment for me, and made sure that my sister took a picture, so I can remember this day!!

And now here I am here, sharing it with all my friends on OH. 

I had my 3 month post-op pic taken last night and thought I would share it with all my friends.  I just stared at the pic and I think it may have finally hit me that I have lost weight.  Even though I see the numbers moving, I just haven't felt like I lost anything, but looking at this picture tells me, Hey you lost a bunch of weight, you are looking good!!

Also, I went to my primary dr for a rash I got on my finger, and for the first time in over 2 years I was able to weigh on a regular dr office scale.  I had my sister take a pic as they were weighing me.  I just felt so good being able to get weighed there and not having to bring my own scales with me.  My Dr hasn't seen me since I was a few weeks post-op and she was so glad at how well I was doing.  She said ever since I had surgery she hasn't had to worry about me anymore. 
She worried before because I had so much trouble breathing with all the fat on my neck and chest.  She really made me feel good !!

I have been spending more time outside in the last few months, then I have in the last few years before surgery.  My roomie, Robbie, and I have been going camping several times, and also going fishing during the week when we have some extra time.  I also like to go out and walk places more now as well. 
I just can't believe the energy I have to get up and go somewhere.  It's like a different me. 
To date I weight 313lbs, which is a total weightloss of 87lbs, 57lbs lost since surgery and the 30lbs I lost before surgery on the pre-op liquid diet.

Some of my problems that I am currently working on are liquids and protein.  My eating isn't the best, all though my food is healthy, I just don't think I am getting enough.  Some days I only eat 2 meals, and for some reason I just don't feel great after I eat.  I am following the rules, eating slowly, chewing 30 times (sometimes more with certain meats), not drinking with meals, etc.  

Meats seem to be my biggest problem with eating, I just dont' feel well after I eat.  Ground meats, such as hamburgery or turkey or sausage seem to be hard.  On other meats, I use a meat tenderizer and try to cook it juicy so it will be soft and easy to eat. 

On liquids, I don't think I am getting my 64oz, but I think that some of that may be because sometimes I don't wake up until like 2pm and then half my day is gone and I have a late start to getting my liquids in.  But for the majority of days I do get most of my liquids in.  I don't drink apple juice everyday though, I don't really care for juices, to be honest.  I prefer my water and flavor packets. 

I am still eating 3-4 tablespoons per meal.  If I am lucky I will get most of my meal in.  I haven't thrown up in a long time, so that is a good thing.  I just don't know why I just don't feel well after I eat.  It's not anything in particular, I just don't feel good and feel like I should lay down for a bit.  My sister says she works with a girl who had surgery as well, and she never feels well after she eats and lays down to.

Well that's all for an update about me for now.  I go back for my 3 month checkup on Nov 16th, I will post again then and tell everyone here how it went.  I need to make sure I talk to Dr. Baker about my eating to. 

Well today I am 8 weeks post-op.  I can't believe how fast time has gone by. 

I have had trouble with food lately and have gone back to eating more softer foods and even pureeing some foods.  Maybe I am not chewing enough, I would think that I am, because your supposed to chew 30 times, but sometimes I swallow early, I can't really help it, I just swallow. 

Also could be the texture of the food or really maybe my stomach doesn't like it, even though my mouth does.

My weight is now 332, so that means I have lost almost 70lbs since my pre-op diet.  40lbs since surgery. 

On other news, I spent last weekend camping and fishing, I had a lot of fun.  I couldn't bring my cpap or oxygen with me, but my updraft machine has a car plug in so atleast I had that.  I think my updraft machine is the coolest, it is ia Pari Trek S made by Pari and is it very small and compact.

My mondays are now busy as I have my little niece Caitlin from 6am to 3pm every Monday and this week I also had her Tuesday.  My sister and her husband both have to work Mondays.  I enjoy the time I get to spend with her, I really get to bond with her.

Well that is all for this update, I have been pretty busy so I haven't been online much.  But I will try to post again soon.

Well I got my "CMS Medicare Summary Notice" in the mail yesterday for my pre-admit testing I did at Baptist on Aug 3rd.  I thought I would share what they charged to medicare and how much.

Pharmacy - 7.98
Med-Sure Supplies - 7.48
Hepatic functional panel - 501.00
Assay of vitamin D - 115.50
Assay of calcium - 105.00
Assay, blood carbon monoxide - 99.00
Vitamin B-12 - 136.50
Blood folic acid serum - 179.50
Assay of iron - 106.50 (medicare did not pay this)
Assay of parathormone - 31.50
Assay of serum potassium - 77.00
Assay of vitamin B-1 - 83.50
Complete cbc w/ auto diff wbc - 113.50
Blood gases: pH, pO2 & pCO2 - 266.50
Chest x-ray - 287.00 (medicare only paid part of this)
Lung function test (MBC/MVV) - 53.50 (medicare only paid part of this)
Electrocardiogram, tracing - 115.50 (medicare only paid part of this)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLAIM TOTAL - $5,286.38  

Well there have been a few minor milestones lately with my weightloss, and well life in general. 
First off, I went to my pain managament Dr Monday (I go every month for refills on pain meds) and I was weighed on their scales.  The significance in this milestone: I haven't been weighed on a normal Dr scale in 2 years.
The next thing that happened was that after talking to my Dr, we decided that a longer lasting medicine that I take once daily would be better and easier on me.  So I am now taking a low dose of Methadone.  I am having great results with it. 

Okay the second milestone was that I shaved my legs.  The significance in this milestone:  I just hadn't cared enough about my legs to bother shaving. 

Next...The next day I wore short...in public!!  Significance: I haven't worn shorts in public in like forever :)

Yesterday I finally fit into a pair of jeans that I have not worn since I received them from the Clothing Exchange.  I wore them to Wal Mart last night.  I kept asking my room mate many times if they looked okay on me, and he was like they look fine, you look good. 

So my self-esteem and confidence is getting much better.  I hadn't really cared the last few months how I looked, because my weight had gotten out of my control and I just felt fat and ugly (which I never had felt before in my life) but I felt like that because I didn't fit in anything I owned but a pair of sweat pants and some shirts.  So now that I am shrinking and am able to pull some old clothes from my dresser, I am being more careful of my appearance in public.  LOL 

I kind of feel like how horselady must have felt when she was excited to finally be able to wear her special jeans her husband had bought her. 

Thanks for reading, and I will post again when something cool happens to me.