Arizona woman finds relief from sleep issues with Inspire® therapy

“It was not only life changing, but it was also lifesaving.”

Joanne Zeoli uses Inspire^® therapy to treat her obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) today.

Sleep did not come as easy before 2019. And it led to scary health problems with her vision.

Joanne’s eye health came into question when she felt extreme pain in her left eye one day. She could not close her left eye. The pain worsened, and she rushed to her ophthalmologist’s office.

Joanne Zeoli with her family at her daughter’s wedding in September 2024. She said she has more energy to enjoy life since treating her obstructive sleep apnea with Inspire® therapy.

After several laser surgeries and tests, she learned she had an optic stroke. She lost 80 percent of her vision in her left eye.

Her provider told her she could totally go blind in her left eye and that the vision in her right eye could also be in danger.

Her ophthalmologist said she needed to get her OSA under control.

“I was so scared to fall asleep thinking if I fell asleep, I could have another optic stroke because my oxygen levels were going down into the low 70s even with CPAP on,” Joanne said.

Joanne could not tolerate her CPAP mask and only slept a few hours each night.

Joanne Zeoli visits Sicily In June 2025 to see the place where her mother grew up and met her father 70 years ago. She said she lives her life to the fullest since treating her obstructive sleep apnea with Inspire® therapy.

She snored loudly and gasped for air at night. She also struggled to stay awake during conversations and while driving.

Her memory worsened, and exercise, or even just getting off the couch some days, became difficult due to her exhaustion.

“The first time I fell asleep at the wheel, I thought it was a fluke,” she said. “The second time it happened, I knew it wasn’t. And I wouldn’t drive more than five miles at a time for fear of hurting myself or someone else.”

She later learned about Inspire therapy as an option and attended a free health seminar to learn more about the treatment option.

She ended up qualifying but needed to wait for insurance approval. The waiting didn’t help.

“A lot of times, I slept on a chair because I was afraid to lay down and have those apneas and was, of course, afraid for my vision,” she said.

Joanne received the Inspire^® implant in October 2019. She hasn’t looked back since.

Joanne Zeoli volunteers for the Breakthrough T1D organization, formerly known as JDRF. Joanne, who also has type 1 diabetes, said she loves to give back and help others more with the increased energy she has since treating her obstructive sleep apnea with Inspire® therapy.

She started sleeping eight to nine hours a night after her provider turned her therapy on and following a few additional adjustments.

Joanne regained her memory. She also lost 20 pounds and now feels energetic when she wakes up.

“I call it my fountain of youth,” Joanne said. “The first night after activation, I slept eight hours, got up the next morning and walked five miles because I had so much energy.”

Best of all, her vision is not deteriorating anymore.

Joanne sees her ophthalmologist every three months. She said it is the scariest appointment she goes to.

But so far, she said she feels blessed to get only good news.

While the vision in her left eye will never improve because of nerve damage, her eyesight is not worsening anymore.

“I just kept saying that one day I want to see my daughter get married and one day see my grandchildren,” she said. “And because of Inspire therapy, my daughter got married last year, and I was able to be there. Next is the grandchildren.

“So far, knock on wood, continuing to use Inspire therapy keeps me from getting any worse.”