After 5 years on CPAP, Apnea is completely gone!
Question:
>"Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote: >>I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no >>longer have sleep apnea! >>I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now weigh 145 and just need to >>keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come back.
145? Wow! How tall are you? I am 6′2" and weigh 185. Most people say I look thin. If I lost 10 pounds I would still look thin; 20 pounds and I think I would look anorexic. But if I really belived that weight loss would help me the way it has helped you..BOY would I be motivated! Bruce – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Lee Babcock <leebabc…@pathcom.com> wrote: > Michael….. congrats on your sucess and your story points out that > everyone can be different. Also, points out how so many medical > specialists can only see their specialty. Surgery for anything should > be a carefully considered treatment, and in some cases, only as a last > resort. > Keep in touch with us here and provide some inspriation to others > Regards
Second the congrats. Lee, sort of reminds me of the old carpenter’s saying about measuring twice and cutting once. Or as an ortopedic surgeon told me, "Lets try a few things first, we can always cut later if we have to." You cannot un-cut a surgery. :-)> Ross Bernheim
Response:
"Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote: >I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no >longer have sleep apnea!
Fantastic! >I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now weigh 145 and just need to >keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come back.
Be sure to keep an eye on your sleeping as well as your weight. I sincerely hope that controlling your weight continues to treat your apnea, but apnea often get worse as we age. 
At the very least though, you’ll have a respite from CPAP, and maybe even be able to avoid it until a better treatment’s found. 
Tom
Response:
> Congratulations, so tell us, what did you do to help in your weight loss?
Thanks for asking. I lost the weight through a combination of nutritional counseling, healthy eating, and daily walks on my lunch hour. I am a Network Administrator at a local hospital and began seeing the nutritionist at the hospital for nutritional counseling on a weekly basis. The service is offered by the hospital as a free service to anyone from the community. I really wanted to lose enough weight to rid myself of sleep apnea. The nutritionist gave me advice on healthy eating and I gave her food logs and exercise logs every week. Basically she had me focus on healthy eating. I just ate food that was good for me and focused on eating less. It really all boils down to eating less. Calories really do count. It took me a little over a year to lose the weight. But that is not really the whole story. This all started with finding out about sleep apnea and starting to feel better about five years ago. That is where all of you wonderful people in this group come in. You helped me with finding the right mask and gave me other advice without which I would never have been successful with the CPAP. After I started feeling better physically because of the CPAP, I discovered I was also suffering from depression. When I was first diagnosed with OSA I thought I was depressed because of sleeping problems. I did not want to accept that I was also depressed because of mental illness. It wasn’t until about a year of using the CPAP before I finally accepted that I was also suffering from depression. I started anti-depressants for a year and finally started individual therapy. After about three years of individual therapy for depression, I got off the anti-depressants and also started feeling good enough about myself to want to lose the weight. I believe that once I got the issues in my head worked out that were causing me to overeat, it made it much easer for me to lose weight because I no longer had the emotional reasons to eat too much. That is why I tell people that for me the weight loss was all in my head. Eating can be an intensely emotional act and when the emotional reasons to overeat are removed, it is easier not to overeat. I do not know if that makes sense to you but it does to me. I had a lot of help over the last five years and I am so thankful for all of you. Now, I just have to maintain the weight and keep up the exercise. I realize that the OSA may come back if I put the weight back on. That should keep me motivated to keep the weight off. Michael Miller "Shane Welker" <swelker…@chartercomic.net> wrote in message
news:upa74b5g36u272@corp.supernews.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> "Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message > news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > > Hi Everyone > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > > longer have sleep apnea! > Congratulations, so tell us, what did you do to help in your weight loss?
Response:
Michael Miller wrote: > Hi Everyone > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss and > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead of > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
Michael….. congrats on your sucess and your story points out that everyone can be different. Also, points out how so many medical specialists can only see their specialty. Surgery for anything should be a carefully considered treatment, and in some cases, only as a last resort. Keep in touch with us here and provide some inspriation to others Regards Lee in Toronto —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
Response:
Janet wrote: > What are turbinates???
Use GOOGLE to search ‘turbinates diagram’. This link will give you some initial info http://www.aafp.org/afp/980901ap/slack.html > Also I just had a endoscopy for acid > reflux
That’s called an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD for short). I will be having one soon. They also do endoscopies of your airways, a simple office procedure, where they look at everything, including the turbinates. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->…..doctor wanted to make sure I had no ulcer, no > cancer……fortunately I turned out fine…….put me on protonix for the > reflux…..this was several months before I went to doctor complaining that > I got very sleepy driving, watching TV, reading, etc……..mainly > driving……that was scary……..that was when he sent me for sleep study > and discovered the apnea (also my husband complained about loud > snoring)…….so here I am…….. > — > "NormC" <no…@socal.rr.com> wrote in message > news:3D94B084.A286E0D5@socal.rr.com… > > Janet – If you have physical airway obstructions, such as enlarged > turbinates, > > it is unlikely that loss of weight will cure your apnea. It is possible > to > > determine if you have such obstructions with standard diagnostic > techniques, > > such as endoscopy, xray, MRI, etc. > > When I learned the above here on this newsgroup, I set out to determine if > I > > had any airway obstructions. Finding out provided me with a much more > > realistic expectation of the future. > > HTH. > > Janet wrote: > > > Congratulations, that’s wonderful…….Oh to be able to sleep without > the > > > cpap again……..you are an inspiration to those of us who have a > > > considerable amount of overweight……..they keep telling me that no > matter > > > how much weight I lose I will still have the sleep apnea……but now > that I > > > know what you have done………I am going to try it………thank you, > > > thank you, thank you and again congratulations………… > > > — > > > "Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message > > > news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > > > > Hi Everyone > > > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I > no > > > > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial > Surgeon > > > > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight > loss > > > and > > > > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > > > > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery > instead > > > of > > > > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying > to > > > > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. > I > > > now > > > > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will > > > come > > > > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so > helpful > > > > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the > CPAP > > > > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so > wonderful.
Response:
What are turbinates??? Also I just had a endoscopy for acid reflux…..doctor wanted to make sure I had no ulcer, no cancer……fortunately I turned out fine…….put me on protonix for the reflux…..this was several months before I went to doctor complaining that I got very sleepy driving, watching TV, reading, etc……..mainly driving……that was scary……..that was when he sent me for sleep study and discovered the apnea (also my husband complained about loud snoring)…….so here I am…….. — "NormC" <no…@socal.rr.com> wrote in message
news:3D94B084.A286E0D5@socal.rr.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Janet – If you have physical airway obstructions, such as enlarged turbinates, > it is unlikely that loss of weight will cure your apnea. It is possible to > determine if you have such obstructions with standard diagnostic techniques, > such as endoscopy, xray, MRI, etc. > When I learned the above here on this newsgroup, I set out to determine if I > had any airway obstructions. Finding out provided me with a much more > realistic expectation of the future. > HTH. > Janet wrote: > > Congratulations, that’s wonderful…….Oh to be able to sleep without the > > cpap again……..you are an inspiration to those of us who have a > > considerable amount of overweight……..they keep telling me that no matter > > how much weight I lose I will still have the sleep apnea……but now that I > > know what you have done………I am going to try it………thank you, > > thank you, thank you and again congratulations………… > > — > > "Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message > > news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > > > Hi Everyone > > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > > > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > > > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss > > and > > > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > > > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead > > of > > > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > > > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I > > now > > > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will > > come > > > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > > > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > > > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
Response:
On Fri, 27 Sep 2002 11:21:01 -0400, Michael Miller wrote: > Hi Everyone > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > longer have sleep apnea!
Michael, that is wonderful news indeed! I was under the impression that Apnoea cannot be cured, only controlled. BTW, how did you manage to lose all that weight and how long did it take you to do that? I weigh 240 and need to get back to 175. Cheers — Mohan in Hamilton, ON – Windmills exist for me to tilt at.
Response:
"Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message
news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > Hi Everyone > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > longer have sleep apnea!
Congratulations, so tell us, what did you do to help in your weight loss?
Response:
"Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message
news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > Hi Everyone > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss and > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead of > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
That’s great news! Way to go. I lost about 86 pounds but didn’t help my apnea at all (don’t know why it didn’t help and neither did doc). I’m assuming you had very mild apnea? Could you post your Apnea Hypopnea Index/Respiratory Disturbance Index? Congrats again 
) Mike
Response:
It would be interesting to know what percentage of surgeons document their recommendations for surgery. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Michael Miller wrote: > Thank you. I am confident you can lose the weight. As for the wacky > surgeon, he verbally recommended surgery and gave me only one option – > maxilio mandibular advancement. He did not offer me a written report. > After he said there was no point in losing any more weight, I thought about > it for a while and decided there is no way anyone can really know for > certain whether that was true. I thought that if I lost enough weight, my > neck would become smaller and it might could have an effect on my throat and > airway. I figured that losing weight was a better alternative to surgery. > Michael > "NormC" <no…@socal.rr.com> wrote in message > news:3D949A90.21F78B7D@socal.rr.com… > > Michael Miller wrote: > > > Hi Everyone > > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > > > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > > > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss > and > > > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > > > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery > instead of > > > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying > to > > > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I > now > > > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will > come > > > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so > helpful > > > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the > CPAP > > > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so > wonderful. > > How wonderful to hear. Since I am ~55 pounds overweight and don’t have > any > > recognizaable/determinable airway obstrutions, I’m hoping that I too will > > accomplish what you have accomplished. > > As for the maxial faciale surgeon…. the one I went to said my tongue was > > large (not too large), my uvula was large (not too large), etc. and told > me > > about what surgical options were available. I merely told him to put it > in > > his written report. > > And, guess what, not a word in the report about finding anything…. or > need > > for surgery. AAMOC, did your surgeon write a report? Did you read it? > Did > > it recommend surgery.
Response:
Congratulations, that’s wonderful…….Oh to be able to sleep without the cpap again……..you are an inspiration to those of us who have a considerable amount of overweight……..they keep telling me that no matter how much weight I lose I will still have the sleep apnea……but now that I know what you have done………I am going to try it………thank you, thank you, thank you and again congratulations………… — "Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message
news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi Everyone > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss and > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead of > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
Response:
Congratulations! You are wonderful example of tenacity and hard work. You are an inspiration for those that can achieve what you have done. Just keep up the good work. The best exercise is walking and only one better and that is more walking. There is a lot of recent studies in the medical literature to support walking. I am not overweight so can’t do what you have done but for the last 10 years keep battling with PAPs, Nose , throat and epiglottis surgery and still with the PAP. Jack "NormC" <no…@socal.rr.com> wrote in message
news:3D94B084.A286E0D5@socal.rr.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Janet – If you have physical airway obstructions, such as enlarged turbinates, > it is unlikely that loss of weight will cure your apnea. It is possible to > determine if you have such obstructions with standard diagnostic techniques, > such as endoscopy, xray, MRI, etc. > When I learned the above here on this newsgroup, I set out to determine if I > had any airway obstructions. Finding out provided me with a much more > realistic expectation of the future. > HTH. > Janet wrote: > > Congratulations, that’s wonderful…….Oh to be able to sleep without the > > cpap again……..you are an inspiration to those of us who have a > > considerable amount of overweight……..they keep telling me that no matter > > how much weight I lose I will still have the sleep apnea……but now that I > > know what you have done………I am going to try it………thank you, > > thank you, thank you and again congratulations………… > > — > > "Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message > > news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > > > Hi Everyone > > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > > > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > > > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss > > and > > > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > > > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead > > of > > > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > > > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I > > now > > > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will > > come > > > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > > > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > > > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
Response:
Thank you. I am confident you can lose the weight. As for the wacky surgeon, he verbally recommended surgery and gave me only one option – maxilio mandibular advancement. He did not offer me a written report. After he said there was no point in losing any more weight, I thought about it for a while and decided there is no way anyone can really know for certain whether that was true. I thought that if I lost enough weight, my neck would become smaller and it might could have an effect on my throat and airway. I figured that losing weight was a better alternative to surgery. Michael "NormC" <no…@socal.rr.com> wrote in message
news:3D949A90.21F78B7D@socal.rr.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Michael Miller wrote: > > Hi Everyone > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss and > > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead of > > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now > > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come > > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful. > How wonderful to hear. Since I am ~55 pounds overweight and don’t have any > recognizaable/determinable airway obstrutions, I’m hoping that I too will > accomplish what you have accomplished. > As for the maxial faciale surgeon…. the one I went to said my tongue was > large (not too large), my uvula was large (not too large), etc. and told me > about what surgical options were available. I merely told him to put it in > his written report. > And, guess what, not a word in the report about finding anything…. or need > for surgery. AAMOC, did your surgeon write a report? Did you read it? Did > it recommend surgery.
Response:
Janet – If you have physical airway obstructions, such as enlarged turbinates, it is unlikely that loss of weight will cure your apnea. It is possible to determine if you have such obstructions with standard diagnostic techniques, such as endoscopy, xray, MRI, etc. When I learned the above here on this newsgroup, I set out to determine if I had any airway obstructions. Finding out provided me with a much more realistic expectation of the future. HTH. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Janet wrote: > Congratulations, that’s wonderful…….Oh to be able to sleep without the > cpap again……..you are an inspiration to those of us who have a > considerable amount of overweight……..they keep telling me that no matter > how much weight I lose I will still have the sleep apnea……but now that I > know what you have done………I am going to try it………thank you, > thank you, thank you and again congratulations………… > — > "Michael Miller" <mmil…@usaor.net> wrote in message > news:an1ssb$afg9e$1@ID-117595.news.dfncis.de… > > Hi Everyone > > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss > and > > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead > of > > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I > now > > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will > come > > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
Response:
Hi Everyone I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss and to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead of weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
Response:
Michael Miller wrote: > Hi Everyone > I just had my last and final sleep study. After losing 100 pounds, I no > longer have sleep apnea! This is in spite of the Maxilio Facial Surgeon > telling me that I would NEVER get rid of sleep apnea through weight loss and > to not bother losing any more weight (at the time I had lost about 50 > pounds). He said I needed maxilio mandibular advancement surgery instead of > weight loss. Well, he was completely wrong and it was very satisfying to > call him and tell him that. I am so happy to be free of sleep apnea. I now > weigh 145 and just need to keep the weight off or the sleep apnea will come > back. I also wanted to thank everyone in this group for being so helpful > over the years. I do not think I would have been successful with the CPAP > without all the help of everyone in this group. You are all so wonderful.
How wonderful to hear. Since I am ~55 pounds overweight and don’t have any recognizaable/determinable airway obstrutions, I’m hoping that I too will accomplish what you have accomplished. As for the maxial faciale surgeon…. the one I went to said my tongue was large (not too large), my uvula was large (not too large), etc. and told me about what surgical options were available. I merely told him to put it in his written report. And, guess what, not a word in the report about finding anything…. or need for surgery. AAMOC, did your surgeon write a report? Did you read it? Did it recommend surgery.
