Debbie's Story
The Fear and Fatigue
When I first learned I had sleep apnea, I was beyond exhausted. As a teacher, I’d come home too tired to do anything but collapse. Some days, I even had to take off work just to rest. My doctor told me I was stopping breathing around eighty times an hour — and that frightened me. I knew my health was in danger, not just from exhaustion, but from things like stroke or memory loss. I’d watched my own father suffer and eventually pass away from Alzheimer’s, and I had read that untreated sleep apnea could increase that risk. I didn’t want that to be my future. When I was prescribed a CPAP, I actually felt hopeful — I thought, finally, there’s something that can help me sleep and feel like myself again.
When Hope Turns to Frustration
That first night, all that hope disappeared. The mask felt awful — tight, sweaty, and uncomfortable. The silicone stuck to my skin. It made squealing noises, like a balloon you pull to let the air screech out. I’d wake up frustrated, yanking it off my face and throwing it on the floor. I kept trying for a few weeks, but the truth is, I started to dread bedtime. I wanted to be compliant because I knew my health depended on it, but it was miserable. I wasn’t sleeping, and every night ended in tears. I remember telling Bob I didn’t think I could do it anymore.
Bob saw how badly I was struggling, and it broke his heart. He’s a builder — a fixer — and he couldn’t stand watching me suffer. One night, after I threw the mask off again, he sat up and told me he thought he had an answer. He’d been praying for help, and in the middle of the night, God's idea came to him — to create something soft that would sit between my skin and the mask. He cut a small piece of fabric and asked me to try it. I didn’t want to. I was too tired, too discouraged. But the next night, I gave in. The second I put it on, I could feel the difference. It was soft. It felt human. I rolled over and fell asleep almost instantly. That night, I didn’t wake up once. When Bob woke me the next morning, he was terrified — I hadn’t moved all night. But I felt amazing. I had dreamed — in color — for the first time in years. The doctor later explained that I hadn’t been reaching deep sleep before because I was constantly being jolted awake. That night, I finally did.
