Letter dated July 2002 Reads:

Dear Dr. Shapira:

I must admit that at my first appointment with you I was very apprehensive about your alternative option to the CPAP machine.

I thought that the mouthpiece would never work for me and I was very concerned about the hook that attached the upper and lower mouthpieces together. I have claustrophobia.

I decided to give you a chance to prove me wrong and you certainly did do that.

I made an appointment and went to your office. I had my mouth fitted with lots of plastic and that dreaded bar on the lower appliance and the dreaded hook on the upper appliance. That very night I tried the appliance with my CPAP because I was very nervous about my apnea. My husband, Andy, was out of town and I felt that I needed someone to monitor my sleeping. I drooled a lot that night just like you said I would.

When Andy returned, I tried the mouthpiece without the CPAP and he told me that I did not snore and that I had a restful night’s sleep.

I have had a sleep study done at Condell Hospital and I was told that the “Dr. Shapira device” passed with flying colors-Hallelujah!!!

Dr. Shapira, thank you for your patience with me and thank you for inventing this wonderful plastic mouthpiece that will free me from my CPAP machine.

I travel quite a lot and my new appliance lets me sleep without the machine; I am able to hear the birds chirp in the morning; I am able to smell my fresh sheets; I can hear thunder approaching instead of only hearing the long noises when the storm is directly over my house; I do not look like a Martian when I am sleeping with my CPAP over my face; I can fall asleep on an airplane and not worry about disturbing fellow passengers; and I can go camping with my grandchildren.

Thank you again,

AS