Steve S.

Age Range 45-60

Got Inspire on January 17th 2023

I received my Inspire implant on January 17th, 2023 at the Edwards Hines Veteran's Administration Hospital. My implant was activated on February 15th, 2023. I currently live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Inspire has been the best thing to happen to me in my fight against Sleep Apnea. With CPAP, I couldn't get a good nights sleep, I would wake up tearing my mask off because I couldn't breathe, and after fighting with CPAP for a couple of years, I just stopped using it. Today, I sleep well, I don't snore (according to my wife), and I wake up feeling rested and ready to face the day. I am not grumpy anymore, and my family really enjoys that. Inspire has been a real game changer for me.

Interests: Fishing, reading, walking my dogs, camping, hiking, cooking, meeting new people.

Why I chose Inspire therapy to treat my sleep apnea: With CPAP, I could not get a good nights sleep, I would wake up tearing my mask off because I couldn't breathe, and after fighting with CPAP for a couple of years, I just stopped using it. After I had been off CPAP for about a year, I was given a new pulmonologist who introduced the idea of getting the Inspire implant to me. I did a lot of research, read studies, watched videos of Inspire recipients, and ultimately decided that Inspire was the best option for me.

In a few short words, I would describe Inspire therapy as: I am usually asleep by the time my implant turns on, but when I am awake and it activates, I feel a little buzz in my tongue from the hypoglossal nerve being stimulated. Other than that, I don't feel anything and get a good nights sleep.

Why am I a patient ambassador? I am a patient ambassador because I feel that it is very important to be able to communicate my experience with Inspire to those who are looking for a better way to get restful sleep, may be worried about having surgery, or have an electronic device implanted to help them sleep.