This could be me....heck...it could be you!

I am so excited to be going to a retreat this weekend in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. October offers the finest in North Carolina weather. 70 to 80's in the day and 50 and 60's at night...and not a cloud in the sky. This season is my favoite time for the beach, warm days, cool night, no humidity, breathtaking sunsets, no crowds and ....you get the picture! The retreat features encouragement and inspiration for weight loss surgery patients who are a year or more out from surgery.

Looking forward to great time of fellowship with gals who are walking the same path along the weight loss trial, woops, I meant trail...those who have experienced first hand what life after weight loss surgery is all about...along with rest, relaxation, success tips galore from some of the pros (including a professional chef) and a whole lot of just plain fun. I’m packing a “pamper me” kit to take along and my swimsuit…heated pool...Go ahead…be jealous!

I’ll be back on Tuesday with some great info, inspiration and maybe some photos of all the fun.

Give yourself a break…yes, you can…you have many more miles to go!

I don't usually blog about things other than weight loss related issues, but this was the exception. 

I heard my daughter talking about her friend today that was facing a challenge adopting a baby...I couldn't hold back the tears...what a great story of love.  When I saw this precious child...it really melted my heart.

Thought I would share the story and if you feel led to lend a helping hand...this sounds like a great opportunity.  They only have less than 24 hours to change the life of a child...

You can find the story and the need on Millie's blog.  

If you can't help with a monetary gift, I'm sure your prayer will be appreciated !

I haven’t missed too many meeting since I first visited the support group for weight loss surgery about 3 years ago, but I remember one of the things that impressed me, was how healthy and beautiful those who had lost weight looked, for the most part I couldn’t believe those who had reached their goal weight, were ever overweight. They had healthy skin and I didn’t recognize any thinning hair or hair loss. Most of the time when we are going through hair loss stage of weight loss, we think it is evident to everyone, but fact is, most of the time it’s not obvious to others.

Good news…it may appear that all your hair is falling out, but it’s not, and you won’t go bald.

Now the not-so-good news…No one knows why you lose your hair after weight loss surgery, and there is no cure for it.

About 20 to 30 percent of patients experience hair loss of some sort after banding, and a majority after gastric bypass. But no one goes bald…

There is a theory that the reason for hair loss is due to hormonal changes and as weight slows down, hair loss slows down. As you lose weight your body is going through major changes and stress could be a factor. Surgery and the medication itself are stressful on the body and can cause hair loss.

This can help…make sure you are getting at least 60 grams of protein each day. There is no proven scientific evidence that vitamins have an effect on hair loss, but it can’t hurt to try them, including zinc, vitamin E and biotin, (which is a B vitamin). B and B complex vitamins help your body deal with stress.

Be encouraged, most of us had weight loss surgery to regain a healthy lifestyle, so eat a well balanced diet, get in your protein, and take your vitamins to ensure overall healthy for a lifetime. Even though losing your hair is concerning, rest assured, getting to your goal weight and regaining your health is worth it. Yes, you can….you have many more miles to go!

Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair

Food No. 1: Salmon or one/two tablespoons of ground flaxseed, both loaded with omega-3 fatty acid, needed to support scalp health.

Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables are high in iron and calcium.

Food No. 3 : Beans provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin.

Food No. 4: Nuts , especially Brazil nuts are one of nature's best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp.

Food No. 5: Poultry has high quality protein they provide will help give you the healthy hair you crave.

Food No. 6: Eggs are high in protein and also contain biotin and vitamin B-12, which are important beauty nutrients.

Food No. 7: Whole Grains have a healthy dose of zinc, iron, and B vitamins.

Food No. 8: Oysters are high in zinc -- a powerful antioxidant.

Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products are great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. They also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources.

Food No. 10: Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which promotes a healthy scalp along with good vision

Finally, I have my new CPAP machine and looking forward to a good night's sleep. They used to say that you could not “catch up” on sleep, but studies show you can, that is according to Mark Harrell, who used to be involved in sleep study research. Mark is married to my cousin, Wendy, and has been very instrumental in helping me understand sleep apnea.

Mark, who is now a PA, helped me decipher my sleep study reports and just as suspected, even though I am at a normal weight, I still have obstructive sleep apnea. My sleep pressures remained the same even though I don’t have as many episodes as before weight loss, I still need my CPAP machine. After a while of not using my machine some of my symptoms had returned, such as morning headaches and tiredness.

I would encourage you if you were diagnosed with sleep apnea before weight loss surgery, do not give up your CPAP machine until you have been rechecked. Mark says too much pressure can be as bad as not enough.

First ask your physician to give you a prescription for the “auto trial”. After the trial, if you need to continue your CPAP, you will want to find out if your insurance company will pay for an auto titration CPAP machine, or you could pay the difference. You can request that your physician prescribe this auto-adjusting machine, which adjusts the pressure, as you need it.

I’m really hoping that going back to my CPAP will help with maintaining my weight loss and restore my energy. I’ll keep you updated of how things are going…Sweet dreams!

Last week I had an “auto titrating study” done to detect if I still have sleep apnea. I’ll share my results in an additional post later.  I will get my new CPAP this morning and find out more information on my sleep apnea results.

However, I think it's important that we stay informed so here are some statements copied from several sources included Webmed and Reuters Health quoted the recent study done and reported by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In people who are obese, weight-loss surgery will likely lead to an improvement in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) but it won't eliminate the nighttime breathing disorder. Many patients will have residual OSA one year after weight-loss surgery results of a study indicate.

"There are numerous benefits to weight loss by any means, (including) a reduction in the severity of OSA," study leader Dr. Christopher Lettieri of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, told Reuters Health. "However, patients and their physicians should understand that OSA can occur in the absence of obesity, and losing weight, even if substantial, may not resolve OSA."

OSA is a common problem, particularly among the obese, in which tissues in the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep causing numerous, brief episodes of interrupted breathing. It can be effectively treated with a special "CPAP" breathing device that alleviates the blockage by pushing air into throat.

In a study designed to clarify the impact of bariatric surgery on OSA, 24 morbidly obese patients underwent overnight sleep studies before and 1 year after bariatric surgery.

All of them had OSA at the start of the study and surgical weight loss resulted in substantial improvements in the severity of OSA, Lettieri and colleagues report in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

However, all but one patient had persistent OSA despite their weight loss. "In fact, the majority still had moderate to severe disease, which would require continued treatment," Lettieri said. Two people had a worsening of their OSA despite significant weight loss.

"OSA," Lettieri said, "is associated with numerous adverse effects on health and quality of life, especially in those with moderate to severe disease. If present, it should be treated."

These findings emphasized the inappropriateness of relying on weight loss as a "cure" for obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Lettieri and colleagues said. Failing to recognize or treat persistent obstructive sleep apnea may significantly impact health and quality of life, leading to ensuing weight gain and increased cardiovascular risks," they wrote.

Patients having weight-loss surgery, he added, should not assume their OSA has resolved and should have a repeat sleep study prior to discontinuing their OSA treatment.

Although obesity can be a complication with OSA, about 40% of people with sleep apnea are not obese. It has been thought, and previous studies have shown, that OSA will get better if people who are obese lose weight.

Most patients thought they'd stopped snoring after bariatric surgery -- only 29% reported snoring postoperatively -- but 95.8% snored during their follow-up polysomnography.

OSA may itself promote weight gain through ineffective sleep, impaired glucose metabolism, and hormonal imbalances. Bariatric surgery may not correct sleep disorders associated with severe obesity.