Suzanne Curyer

Suzanne Curyer lives in South Australia and has Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

I was diagnosed with OSA in 2016 after many years of experiencing symptoms and the significant impact on my quality of sleep and life. Fortunately, I participated in the national trial for surgery to manage my OSA and the result has been life changing. I also have severe restless leg syndrome. I believe that these two sleep disorders have constrained me in reaching my full potential over the past 10 years.

I would like to pay it forward by contributing my lived experience. I had little awareness of OSA. I would  often report my tiredness to my GP and thought it was due to my busy work schedule as a senior executive and the extensive work travel I undertook.

I was diagnosed by chance thanks to a very observant and empathetic doctor  when I presented to a hospital emergency department. He suggested I get a sleep study referral. This led to a 'slap dash' one size fits all approach by  a specialist recommending a CPAP machine and no follow up whatsoever. I struggled with the CPAP trial and could not use one. I was not advised of any alternatives and left to struggle along on my own until I saw a tiny ad for the trial in a local paper.

I would like to contribute to raising the awareness of the health industry and the public of how important sleep health is and how to best help those to get diagnosed in a timely manner and offer effective solutions.