Al Pierce felt exhausted and developed brain fog due to the severity of his obstructive sleep apnea.

Nothing seemed to help, including his Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, and the issues began to affect more than just his sleep.

Pierce’s family already complained about his snoring for years, and it created problems when they took family trips together. Pierce even tried to sleep sitting up in a chair to stop his snoring and allow others to rest.

There was hope on the horizon, however. Pierce was selected to participate in the Inspire® therapy STAR clinical trials in 2011, and this is the moment everything changed.

It was over a decade since Pierce felt this kind of life-changing relief.

“From the get-go, Inspire worked beautifully,” Pierce said.

Pierce first realized something was wrong back in 1999 when he was on a fishing trip with a client. His snoring caught the attention of his client, Pierce was convinced to see a doctor.

He had a sleep study and was diagnosed with OSA, with a CPAP machine being his first treatment option. It was not the solution he hoped for.

Pierce tried multiple masks but could only sleep about 30 to 45 minutes each hour. Pierce also woke in the morning with uncomfortable mask marks on his face. He was just not feeling well rested enough during the day.

These struggles went on for a while, and Pierce routinely searched the internet for better masks or other options. It took about a decade, but one night an internet search allowed Pierce to discover a newer option: Inspire therapy.

Inspire was still in clinical trials in 2011, and after a few interviews, Pierce was chosen to participate.

Pierce received the Inspire implant, and he was already sleeping better the first night of activation.

Pierce’s apnea events were at zero during a follow-up sleep study, and he is still sleeping well throughout the night after 10-plus years.

Successful results like Pierce’s led to Inspire therapy getting FDA approval in 2014 as a second-line therapy to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Pierce now wakes up with more energy each day.

He said his quality of life improved so much that he now has the energy to throw a baseball or kick a football around with his grandson for over an hour, something he attributes to Inspire therapy.

Pierce also upgraded to the current Inspire model (3028) a few years ago when it was time to replace his battery.

The Inspire battery lasts approximately 11 years, and the battery replacement procedure is a simple outpatient procedure, such as other implantable devices like pacemakers.

Pierce said his battery replacement was easy, and he had no issues. He is now excited for the next decade.

“It’s been a great journey,” Pierce said.