From No Sleep to Sound Sleep
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Imagine waking up after a full night’s sleep and wanting to take a nap. Or being frustrated by constant lack of concentration from exhaustion.
That was the reality for health care administrator Melissa Corona of Lathrop. For as long as she could remember, she suffered from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a chronic condition that disturbs the sleep cycle and prevents oxygen from reaching vital organs. It can raise one’s risk of heart attack or stroke, and cause arrhythmia, and even death.
The National Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that approximately 26 million Americans have OSA, and it’s considered an underdiagnosed condition. In sleep apnea, as people fall asleep, airway muscles relax, and in some cases, the tongue rests into a position that blocks breathing. As the body tries to solve the problem, a person awakens and falls asleep many times, disrupting the sleep cycle. People wake up feeling like they never slept.
“I woke up tired – completely exhausted – my entire life,” says Corona, the mother of three grown children. “I never felt rested, and it had been like this forever.”
CPAP Wasn’t Comfortable
She was officially diagnosed with OSA seven years ago, and over the years attempted to manage it on her own. Corona tried the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, the gold standard breathing device for OSA, but couldn’t tolerate it. “I didn’t like it and never used it,” she says. CPAP involves wearing a face mask attached to a hose that was uncomfortable for her.
Last year, Corona sought a permanent solution. “I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to live like this for the second half of my life.’” She went to see Washington Health otolaryngologist Jason Van Tassel, MD, an ear, nose and throat specialist, and head and neck surgeon, who had the right solution for her. After surgery to fix her deviated septum, Dr. Van Tassel suggested she consider Inspire, an implantable device that gives pulses to airway muscles to keep them open so people can breathe regularly and sleep soundly.
The two-hour surgery has improved a lot over the past few years, and involves implanting a miniature computing device under the skin in the chest. The device’s nerve stimulator is connected internally to control the nerve to the airway muscles and tongue if it falls into a place that blocks breathing. The device then sends a signal to the tongue to move it out of the way, alleviating the obstruction, while also coordinating with the patient’s natural breathing cycle. The patient uses a small remote control to start, stop, or pause the device.
“It’s so easy to use,” explains Corona. “I push the button on the little remote control before I go to sleep, and I’m asleep before it starts doing its thing. When I wake up, I turn it off.”
Feeling Better with Inspire
Corona is happy to report that she has a lot more energy now and feels rested. “Before this, I was tired all the time. It was extremely discouraging. I couldn’t do anything. I wanted a nap the minute I woke up. I felt like the majority of my life was spent napping (or wishing I could!). I didn’t feel like I was able do the things I should. It wasn’t a good lifestyle.”
Now, she feels much better, and has a lot of energy for life, including playing with her two grandchildren.
“Inspire has been life-changing,” she adds. “If I had known about this earlier, I would’ve gotten it a long time ago. I feel like I can concentrate and be who I am.”
Her advice for others suffering from OSA is to talk to their doctor and ask about Inspire. “Don’t overthink it” she urges. “You won’t regret it. It has changed my life. Now I look forward to getting adequate sleep.”
For more information on Dr. Van Tassel and the Inspire procedure, visit