Mild apnea & oxygen levels.

Zoocrew really expanded my over all thoughts very well so I have no need to go there.
Instead I will say that I do understand where you are at and if I were in your shoes I would likely be having the same thoughts because despite my successful therapy and the machine and mask is second nature to me....I would really rather not use it.

If I thought for one minute that side sleeping itself might let me sleep "normally" then I would probably want to try it if for no other reason than to answer the famous "what if" question. What if side sleeping was enough to keep my OSA within acceptable levels.
Keeping OSA within acceptable levels would include all the other stuff we talked about here though and that means more than just O2 levels or AHI numbers.

I guess what I am trying to say is go into this with an open mind (which it sounds like you are) understanding that there's more to OSA than just O2 levels or AHI or snores or not. It's a whole bunch of little things that individually might not be all that remarkable but added together makes for potentially disturbed sleep quality.
Don't let yourself get on that slippery slope of relying on just one thing being okay so that you can justify going without cpap just because that one thing isn't all that remarkable.