Hello from Titrator

[bdp522]

I have often wondered how you were doing, thanks for coming back to let us know! I hope you find time to stop in every once in a while(at least). I'm so glad everything is going well for you. Just to be sure you know...you WERE missed!

Brenda

[NotMuffy]

WB, Ted!

Good to hear from you.

[ablong]

Hello Ted
I was wondering where you were . I am so glad you dropped by and hope you can stop by more often.
allen from arlington tx.

[Madalot]

Hi Ted,

Congratulations on your success! What an inspiration your story is.

I've only been here about a year, so we haven't met, but I look forward to getting to know you. I look forward to seeing you post more.

[gulfpearl]

Congratulations Ted you look so much different in your new avator. Keep up the good work. Keep posting we miss you around here.

[RDawkinsPhDMPH]

Ted

As an RPSGT you know, weight loss alone often does not cure sleep apnea. It is a common misconception among the general public, and even the less informed medical professionals, that OSAS is just a problem of weight. That is unfortunate.

Over the years we have tested thousands of people before and after gastric bypass. Generally, under an age of about 35 there seems to be a good chance of curing the apnea after 100-200 lb weight loss to a near normal BMI. After the age of about 45, I have rarely seen the apnea cured but the pressure requirement almost always goes down.

You should be an inspiration to your patients.

[rested gal]

RDawkins, I've been noticing your posts for some time now -- favorably, btw!

Just now added you to my informal list of "good'uns"... sleep professionals who post on this forum and who are "good ones" in the way they try to offer their help:

viewtopic.php?p=442957#p442957

[davecpap]

Titrator, I'm curious how you feel after having lost so much weight? Do you have more energy, require less rest, etc? Do you attribute it solely to the weight loss?

Looking for motivation to lose some weight

[SleepingUgly]

As an RPSGT you know, weight loss alone often does not cure sleep apnea. It is a common misconception among the general public, and even the less informed medical professionals, that OSAS is just a problem of weight. That is unfortunate.

Over the years we have tested thousands of people before and after gastric bypass. Generally, under an age of about 35 there seems to be a good chance of curing the apnea after 100-200 lb weight loss to a near normal BMI. After the age of about 45, I have rarely seen the apnea cured but the pressure requirement almost always goes down.

Why do you think that is? Do you think it's a function of how LONG they were overweight in the first place/how long they had OSA, and consequent damage that is done?

[Titrator]

My pressure definitely went down, but it was not a cure for me. It may be if your AHI is mild or moderate and you go through as much as I have done, but as my ENT said before the sinus surgery. You can pretty much expect your AHI to be cut in half by having a turbinate reduction and deviated septum fixed, so even if you cut mine in half at that point you end up with an 8 AHI, no matter how much I lost and how much work I had done, I still had it. I am guessing that I always had it to some degree and it was undetected at the time. As a kid I tended to be overweight so the less I weighed the better I slept, but it is nothing as good a what I can achieve with a cpap machine. I am damn lucky to have stumbled upon sleep medicine. It changed my life and then that changed my career. I am fond of the time spent at cpap.com. I went back and looked and I am the third person to register for the site. Johnny was 1, Adam Robison was 2 and I was 3. Theo Cho was very much instrumental at getting the software to run, but it was the rest of us that made this place and now since it is #1 in the world, I look back with great pride. It is you folks who make this site great.

The first conversation I had with the senior owner, John Goodman, he spoke about a need to support the growing customer base and at the time the company was growing in a big, big way. He wanted to be able to serve more patient questions and make it interactive. That is how I came on board with cpap.com with the idea of making this site happen. And I am pleased to say with the people above and all of you, we did it... Yes we can!

TJ

[Titrator]

Davecpap,

Since I have lost a lot of weight... 50lbs, after leaving cpap.com, I do feel a lot better, like a whole new person. There is a huge social stigma that surrounds people of weight. Somehow I don't get called big guy anymore. That feels good. I don't worry about fitting into airplane seats. There are many many ways that my life has been enriched. For me, the Gastric Bypass was great. But it is a huge change in lifestyle that is not a maybe I will, maybe I wont. Once you go through the process, you have what you just did,forced yourself to commit. There have been people who have died in the process. My Primary physician's main nurse died a couple of days after the surgery, done by the same hospital and same surgeon. I will never forget the look on his face the first time I saw him. Since the surgery, I had seen the bariatric center's primary to make sure I was doing everything I needed to. I was then released back to my primary. It had been so long since I had last seen him that he was reading my chart in front of me to get caught up... He came to the part about the gastric bypass and I said.. Yes, I had it done at Georgetown... I saw the look on his face turn to sadness, when it reminded him of his nurse. He kept his composure, but the lady left a loving husband and 3 loving children behind. It is no small choice... but I was ready to make it. I am happy I did.. my life is different... I can't say that I will live any longer, but the quality of life is already so much better. I am more steady on my feet and pride myself in ordering the smallest steak on the menu and then taking half of it home.

Good luck,

TJ

[Big S]

I've only been a cpap user for just over four months but I recogized your name. I often start at the the last page of topics and work my way in to see if any of the problems of several years ago are still with us today. Many are. In recent postings, I have read that cpap users often learn how to deal with the quirks of the therapy and disappear from these pages, but surprisingly, there are those who have been offering advice and unfailing support to anyone struggling or needing assistance over the span of time covered at this site. I hope in the years to come I can be one of those persons. Stay healthy, you have obviously touched many.

[Bookbear]

Congrats and welcome back, Ted! Good to hear you are well. Best wished for a joyous Solstice!

[felineperson3]

So happy to hear you have been so successful with your weight loss & even though you didn't get to quit your sleep system at least you have seen much improvement. Kudos to you. I seldom get on this site anymore either & realize that when I get another Happy Birthday to roll around At first in 2004 when I found the site I was on it as regularly as I checked my e-mail trying & hoping for a way to adjust this new way of sleeping. I am indebted to this site for my success & continuation of faithfully using my gear & equipment. This forum will always have a soft spot in my heart & I wish each & everyone of you here a blessed Christmas season & God's blessings in the new year. Newbies, you all hang in there if you're having any problems as you will succeed with the wealth of information to be gleaned from this forum. <3

[SleepingUgly]

You can pretty much expect your AHI to be cut in half by having a turbinate reduction and deviated septum fixed

I'm curious where you heard that, because my ENT said the same thing, but other than from her, I have only heard that it would reduce pressure by about 1-2cm.