Narcolepsy an Introduction

It's lunch hour at work.  I generally don't do anything overly productive, but got my reminder to submit a piece for this week.  I've been starting all kinds of pieces over the last month, but it all has subsided.  Then the little light bulb in my head went on its full 100watt capability for a Wednesday.  I decided I would like to inform people about something I battle with every moment of my life...well at least over the past 4 to 5 years.  

For all those who think that me having Narcolepsy means that I sleep with dead people or have seizures, I would like to set you straight.  First of all, I do NOT sleep with dead people, gross!  Secondly I do not start shaking.  You are thinking of necrophilia and epilepsy.  

I cannot speak for every person with Narcolepsy, but I can inform you about my experiences which are likely similar to others who experience this battle with the sandman. I would like to share how it affects me day-to-day and that it will likely be a life long companion of mine. It's not nearly as fun as Mr. Bean, I mean Rowan Atkinson makes it out to be in the movie Rat Race.

For years I had been going through the motions of life as an undiagnosed Narcoleptic.  I would fall asleep anywhere at any time.  No matter how much cuddle time I was able to provide my bed, I would feel incredibly unrefreshed in the morning.  I was likely the equivalent of a zombie, assuming there may be intelligent ones out there.  My life seemed to coast by on autopilot.  Easily flowing through the motions I was programmed to do, as it was my schedule for a couple years already.  Go to work.  Look coherent. Try not to fall asleep during meetings or during any part of the day (though this truly lacked no control).  Head home.  Likely miss my streetcar stop and back track.  Do it all over again.  Every minute of every day was and still is a battle.  I fight the sleep demons that are so alluring and want to steal time, life, etc away from me.  I lead a very healthy lifestyle and couldn't think of why I would be like this.  I wasn't depressed or under slept and I tried herbal solutions, changing my diet, exercising, more sleep, sleeping pills, etc.  Nothing changed how I felt.

I have fallen asleep in the most likely and least likely places you can imagine.  I would fall asleep in meetings at work.  You can envision the impressed looks you get from people when you just conk out during a meeting in a room full of Dr's, your manager, other team members and sometimes clients family members.  I've woken up to an unimpressed girlfriend thinking our make out session was so boring I zonked out.  I've fallen asleep on the transit a countless number of times and woken up well past my stop.  I've found myself in the streetcar storage area and had a grumpy streetcar driver give me attitude.  Sleep attacks have been so irresistible that I've curled up on a speaker pumping body shaking drum n bass music and passed out.  When the wave of sleep comes, there's no stopping me.  Honestly, I remember what tired feels like.  This is nothing like that.  Think of how you feel like when you've only had 2 hours of sleep each night for one week.  You get into that crazy strange delirious, beyond tired now awake but messed up mode.  Well that's been me for over 4 years!  My world is constantly like that.  

More tales of a narcoleptic to come.