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Melanie Cole (Host): Welcome, today in our patient’s story we have Laura Witz. She’s a patient of the new Inspire procedure done now at Temecula Valley Hospital. Laura, how glad we are to have you join us today. Tell us your story please and how you came to Temecula Valley Hospital.

Laura Witz (Guest): Thank you for having me. It’s my pleasure to share my story. I think a lot of people, when you think of someone with sleep apnea or snoring problems, I don’t fit in the category. Apparently I started snoring many, many years ago as a young woman and have done many procedures to try to help my breathing, help correct the snoring just because that alone was embarrassing or it had to change and alter my life flying or staying at a hotel or going on a family event because I was embarrassed and worried that I would keep everyone up because of my snoring. On the other hand, I did realize how much it was affecting my life and my health because not only was I just a loud sleeper and snoring, I wasn’t breathing. So when we found out that I did have apnea – sleep apnea, I tried several things. I had, I think it’s called a deviated septum. I had one side of my nose fixed at one point. It did make a big difference. I was shocked at how much that helped for a while, but it still didn’t correct the sleep apnea. Then obviously went to a sleep study test, found out it was fairly severe and tried the CPAP machine. I tried a few of those. They were horrible. I actually would sleep all day long after I had the sleep – the CPAP on that night. So that was no help at all. I tried mouth pieces. I tried different things, sleep sideways always and not sleep on my back. We bought a bed that helps tilt you up. I think I did almost everything and I just felt almost hopeless and that I was probably not going to make it to my youngest daughter’s wedding. My health was deteriorating and you don’t know why. I was a very elite athlete when I was younger. I was fabulous health. My blood pressure was so low, I mean all these things and all of a sudden my blood pressure was in prehypertension. They put me on medication. There was weight gain, all of these things that were just – you know anxiety was setting in. I would be afraid to sleep. I literally was afraid to go asleep. So I would stay up until I literally just couldn’t stay awake any longer. So many things were affecting my life, and every time I heard something about snoring or sleep apnea I would always try to see would that work for me? Nothing ever worked. Finally I heard about Inspire and I didn’t realize exactly what it was so I did some of my own inquiring. There was no information really out there because this was a couple of years ago, and when I saw that there was a doctor here in my hometown of Temecula that would do this at Temecula Hospital – Temecula Valley Hospital, I was thrilled and inquired further. That was basically the first step of inquiring.

Host: So tell us a little bit about the procedure. What did it require on your part? And was it uncomfortable? Tell us about what happened after you decided to approach them and figure this all out.

Laura: Well I did make an appointment with the doctor. Since my previous sleep study test was several years ago, they asked me to do another one, but it was very simple. It was just one that brought it home, just to show how many episodes of basically when you stop breathing during the night. And again it was fairly – it was very high actually, and then they have you go into the hospital, and they say it’s only going to be five minutes, they literally put a little probe down your throat while you sleep – put you under so you fall asleep, put the probe down to see what kind of obstruction is actually happening, is it your tongue, is it your throat? There’s several different kinds apparently. It literally was, I said hello to the doctor and then all of a sudden I’m saying hello to the doctor again. I was out, done, it was so quick, it was nothing, which was great, and then at that point they say yes or no, that you are a candidate for this because of the type of obstructive sleep apnea that you have. Mine was I think it’s like the tongue literally just cuts off your breathing. So at that point, I said well I’m just desperate. I’m going to – I’m going to give it a shot even though there was not a whole lot of information out at that time, but I did go – I even had second thoughts but I had had a couple of really bad episodes prior to deciding to do this procedure and that’s when I said I have to do it or I’m not going to live a long healthy life. The procedure itself, we went in – it only takes a few hours and it just depends on the patient themselves. There are three different incisions that are made. One is obviously where they put the implant in which is very similar to a pacemaker in size. It’s very small. It’s generally put on the right side just in case there’s someone who does have a pacemaker or later you need one. So they generally will put it on the right side of your chest, and again it’s very small. So there’s an incision there. There’s an incision on the right side, same side as the Inspire machine. They’ll put it near your lung, and that’s a probe and a wire that monitors your breathing so it’s near the lung under a rib, and then the third incision is under your chin, kind of the creep of your neck where they obviously have to put the other – another probe or wire that’s attached to – I wish I could give you the technical name, I should have looked it up before, but it is a nerve on the tongue that helps contract the tongue and then that was it. So I took a week or two of just relaxing. I was very thankful that my family was so helpful there. It’s not – it’s three incisions, one near your rib and one near your neck, so it does take a good week or two to kind of recover from that. You really do need to take the time, and depending on the patient there’s different things that could bother you or not. I would say that at a month after when I was going in for what they call the attrition, they actually will check in and turn on the machine and monitor all that I was feeling pretty good, and now you wouldn’t even know. I have no – there’s no difference in how I felt prior and having that now, but that’s kind of how the actual surgery itself went.

Host: Wow, what a story. What a great description. You really helped other patients to understand really Laura what you went through and how it felt and how easy the procedure was. So how do you feel now and tell us about the staff at TVH and what was the most positive part of this experience for you?

Laura: I’ve actually had an opportunity to share with a few other people who are inquiring. My health feels so much better. One thing I noticed was my memory is much sharper which is great. When I spoke to some of the people – the staff was fabulous, they’ll even call a day after, two days after, checking in on you, but some of the things as far as my health goes was my memory. Someone had asked me and said – I would wake up without headache. I didn’t realize how bad that was. I woke up every morning with a terrible headache and it was because of the lack of oxygen. Well now I don’t wake up with these headaches anymore, which that was huge to me. You’re starting your day off at normal versus starting it off five steps back, and then he asked if I realized I was having any dreams and I had not had dreams for years. I can’t remember. The only dreams I ever had was when my body said take a breath and I was drowning, so there was always drowning water dreams, that was it. So I’m actually having dreams again. So it really has changed my life, and I’ve been able to share with people that at Temecula Valley Hospital, when I went in they took such good care of me. They had little details that you wouldn’t even think of just to make sure you’re getting the best care that you can. They put things on your legs so while you’re under for just a couple of hours because it helps your circulation – things that even years ago weren’t even thought of. Little tiny details, even just the comfort of your back, if you’re warm or you’re cold. The staff was so kind, so sweet, very professional. I was afraid to go in. I really, really was. It’s a scary thing to have to go under general anesthesia. You’re going to be out for a couple of hours. You know, all of that. They made me feel so comfortable and safe, and again followed up later. I was very pleased and happy with how I was treated at Temecula Valley Hospital. Even walking in that morning, they were so chipper, everyone, everyone there from the doctors to the greeters were just so kind. You can tell that they love what they’re doing.

Host: Wow, isn’t that wonderful for you? So what would you like to tell your doctor and other patients about your experience with the hospital, how they helped you? If you could tell them something, what would you tell them?

Laura: Well that’s a good question. You know it’s difficult to go into a hospital because it’s usually – it’s usually not a good reason why you’re there. You’re sick or there’s something wrong. They made me feel so comfortable and safe and I felt like I was really in good hands. My doctor, Dr. Leech, who happened to do my procedure is so knowledgeable and he’s very excited about this whole thing too. It’s a whole other world now. I felt claustrophobic with just the CPAP. It seemed like there’s just one answer, try this and oh maybe this will if you put a mouthpiece in or something too, but to have another option and to have a hospital here in the valley that really cares about their patients, I feel very blessed to be a part of that.

Host: We’re so happy for you Laura, I mean what a great story and how you tried so many other things, all those lines of defense that we hear about and that this is what worked for you and that your experience was such a positive one. Thank you for coming on and sharing your story with us today. That wraps up this episode of TVH Health Chat with Temecula Valley Hospital. Head on over to our website at temeculavalleyhospital.com for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. If you found this podcast as interesting as I did, and what a story, please share with your friends and family on social media. I’m sure that you know someone that has sleep apnea that maybe is looking for the help that Laura got, so please be sure and share it, and check out all the other interesting podcasts in our library. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Temecula Valley Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole.