Mary Jo’s story

“The first time I used CPAP, I woke up headache-free. Soon, I didn’t have to sleep the minute I came home. It was great.” — Mary Jo

Life Prior to Therapy:

Mary Jo is a mother of two with a challenging career as a school administrator. She thought it was normal to be exhausted every day. As soon as she walked in the door, she had to take a nap. It was when she developed chronic daily migraines that she sought help from a neurologist who ordered a sleep study. Mary Jo was found to be suffering from severe sleep apnea. Her sleep doctor recommended that she begin CPAP therapy right away.

Mary Jo struggled with the recommendation that she needed to use a CPAP machine. She couldn’t imagine having to sleep with her husband at the same time she was using her CPAP. It was a colleague at school, because of his father’s own success with CPAP, who convinced her to try using her machine right away.

Situation Today:

The first time she used a CPAP machine at the sleep Centre, she woke up headache-free. But once she got home it took two weeks to adjust to therapy. During the first week, Mary Jo kept ripping the mask off as soon as she fell asleep. Gradually, she was able to keep the mask on for longer periods of time. Soon, Mary Jo was headache-free and found she didn’t need to sleep the minute she came home.

Today Mary Jo has more energy for life than she has ever had. In addition to her family and career, she now has time for riding a bicycle. When Mary Jo travels to visit family, she always takes her CPAP with her. She says travelling by car or Aeroplane has become so much easier for those who need to take their CPAP with them. Mary Jo believes that if she never received support from her colleague, she might not have committed to CPAP therapy. It’s in this spirit that she believes it is important to support others with their therapy.

Hometown: Wallingford, PA

Symptoms: Fatigue, chronic daily migraines

Years on Therapy: 2

Mask Type: Nasal Pillows

Hobbies: Cycling, travel, visiting family