Finding sleep relief: One pastor’s journey with sleep apnea

Those trips take him away from his Indiana home for months sometimes. This became a challenge for many years due to Strohkirch’s lack of restful sleep.

He received his diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) about 25 years ago. It wasn’t until he found Inspire® therapy that his life changed.

“I had no reservations with it whatsoever,” Strohkirch said. “I really enjoy it, and it’s been a good experience for me.”

The 25 years before Inspire therapy were a different story.

Strohkirch went for his first sleep study when his wife noticed he stopped breathing at night. She also couldn’t sleep due to his loud snoring.

Strohkirch received a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine at first.

He tried multiple masks with different machines. He didn’t feel like anything worked.

He worried about forgetting the machine, as well. He also feared that the power could go out during one of his trips.

“If I heard there was going to be a power outage, it panicked me,” Strohkirch said. “How am I going to sleep tonight? I need this thing to at least fall asleep.”

Strohkirch first heard about Inspire therapy on the radio. He talked to his sleep doctor before starting the process.

He later qualified and he received the implant in 2021.

Strohkirch began getting restful sleep and felt like he had more energy within a few months.

He no longer snores as loud as he used to, is more alert for his work and isn’t nervous about going to bed each night.

“When I learned I qualified, I was very happy because I was tired of CPAP,” Strohkirch said. “Right off the bat, once I got off CPAP, I never went back.”