Temecula mom finds obstructive sleep apnea relief with Inspire® therapy

Laura Witz has zero regrets about treating her obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with Inspire^® therapy.

“I used to wake up in the negative every morning with a headache and feeling exhausted.” she said. “Now, I wake up and feel normal.”

Laura struggled for years before finding relief. Her lack of restful sleep led to a health decline.

The former athlete and theater performer woke up feeling “almost hungover” each morning despite not having alcohol.

The first sign of OSA came when Laura’s husband told her she snored like a truck driver.

Laura Witz is a mother of six, a grandmother of nine and a high school soccer coach. She said she can keep up with her life since treating her obstructive sleep apnea with Inspire® therapy.

Her memory and concentration also declined. This affected her day-to-day life.

Memorizing play scripts and phone numbers became much more challenging. And then there were the headaches.

“I struggled to remember people’s names and had a hard time concentrating at work and while I coached soccer,” Laura said.

Sleep anxiety didn’t help.

Laura stayed up longer than the rest of her family due to the fear of going to bed.

A sleep study later confirmed she had OSA.

She used a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine first. It made her feel worse, however.

“My eyes were dried out,” Laura said. “I was bloated. I was claustrophobic from the mask, and I was still exhausted.”

Laura Witz (right) said she can keep up with a busy lifestyle, which includes coaching high school soccer for 20 years, since she started treating her obstructive sleep apnea with Inspire® therapy.

She next tried a mouthpiece on her CPAP and later a new mattress. Nothing helped.

Laura developed high blood pressure.

It affected her mental health too. Her only dreams were about drowning.

“I realize now those dreams probably happened when I was gasping for air,” Laura said.

She eventually found an Inspire-trained provider in her town.

Laura had an initial consultation and decided to go through the qualification process.

She received the Inspire^® implant in 2019 and hasn’t looked back since her provider turned her therapy on.

Laura Witz said she has more energy since treating her obstructive sleep apnea with Inspire® therapy, which helps her continue to be a high school soccer coach. She has been a coach for 20 years.

Laura noticed her memory had improved. She doesn’t have scary dreams anymore either.

She has more energy, as well.

“I didn’t think I’d make it to my youngest child’s wedding,” Laura said. “For some people, their memory and health begin deteriorating and they never get it back.

“I feel lucky to have gotten mine back.”