@bethunger I think you speak for a lot of us. We would all like to get back to doing some of our former activities. I've found that is not really possible for me so I try to find new activities that I can do and enjoy. I've had idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy for 20+ years that I know of but only recently had the diagnosis in 2016. I also have obstructive sleep apnea which was diagnosed a couple of years ago but I'm pretty sure I've had the symptoms most of my adult life as I have always been a big time snorer. I've read that not all people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea but most people who have sleep apnea snore. I did find some information that might shed some light on your question does sleep apnea have anything to do with neuropathy.

Obstructive sleep apnoea: an underestimated cause of peripheral neuropathy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2117642/

I think it takes about a year of steadily using a CPAP before you really reap the benefits of not being exhausted often. Have you thought about looking into something like the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center to see if it would help with the pain? - https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/sections/overview/ovc-20481691

@bethunger
Hi Beth, I do understand what you mean about missing former abilities and pursuits that are now not possible. My wife Linda has debilitating PN and she is very fatigued more often than not. She, and I as her only source of care, both lead a lifestyle that has been seriously curtailed. I particularly miss our little trips/vacations. Because of our current lifestyle, adjusting to covid lockdowns was a piece of cake.

Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that Linda had sleep apnea for many years, I would estimate at least 30 years during our marriage. She would always say she woke up more tired in the morning than when she went to bed. Due to our ignorance we did not think about her tiredness being due to a sleep disturbance. I knew she snored and often gasped for breath while sleeping but did not realize it could be so bad for her as to be life threatening. Anyway, after we realized (finally) that something needed to be done for her, she tried a number of things (e.g. breathe rite strips, etc.), none of which helped. She resisted a cpap machine and also did not seek medical advice, just figuring she'd lived with it this long, just keep on doing so. Finally, one of us got the bright idea to have her try to elevate her upper body using a sleep wedge pillow. If you do not know what I mean, here is an example from Amazon (not the kind she got but looks very similar): https://www.amazon.com/Pillow-Stylish-Jacquard-Sleeping-Heartburn/dp/B082XKFYLJ/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=sleep+wedge&qid=1613053384&sr=8-9

As soon as she started using it (about 2 years ago) her sleep apnea completely disappeared. She has been getting great sleep ever since (except for occasional insomnia, sometimes PN related). I can tell her energy improved generally after this change was implemented. Perhaps you might want to give a wedge a try, if you can stand sleeping being slightly elevated. Linda has slept on her back since her 2014 mastectomy so it was not a difficult transition, as it might be for a side sleeper. Anyway, thought I'd pass this along for what it's worth. Best of luck, Hank

Beth, all I can say from my disability is that whether you do or not does not mean life is over or less. What it does mean is that life is different. But was your life before, when you were an Educator, the same as when you were a child romping through life? No, it was different. Now you have new issues on your mind, concerns to deal with just like the Educator had over the child.
Do we want the pain, the fatigue? No, but it comes with the challenges. And the joy if we make the effort to find that as well.
I’ll be praying that you find it all including the mission.