A blog change, a life change... | olivej27's Blog

Hey anyone and everyone who may ever read anything of mine... well as you can see i havent been on very much at all in....forever it seems like... well thats because so much has happened. And it has me thinking i should try something new and try to maybe help myself and others who might be like me. What am i talking about you say? Well over the past couple of months i have learned the cause of all my problems. Not tipical teenage problems though mine include.....
1)Never Sleep at night
2) have to take naps everyday
3) no matter how much sleep i get im always tired
4) sleep just about anywhere
5) weird/ scary vivid lifelike dreams (especially with medications)

And pretty much the list is endless. Well my mom and aunt both have similiar or worst simptoms than me and also my little brother has had signs of these to. My aunt who is a highly intelligent single woman wanted to figure out what this was that has caused her so much problems ( she having it worst out of us all) it took her 5 years to convince her doctors to see what she really had. Nothing to do with stress nothing to do with hormones or anxiity it was all because of a disease called narcolepsy. If you have no idea what narcolepsy is dont worry theres only about 1% of doctors who even remember or know some about it. Its a sleeping disorder most doctors throw in the cornor and forget about. A dictonary definition of narcoplesy would be:

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks.

The sleeping attacks it talks about it called cataplexy which pretty much paralizes you and you are "Wide awake" but your body thinks your sleeping.... so you are paralized, fall unless someone catches you, you cant talk or see, yet you can hear, feel, think, and understand all thats happening around you. Its like your trapped inside your own body. The length of time cataplexy lasts depends on many differnt things 1) if there are people panicking around you it seems to make things worse. 2) breathing (position of neck) if you cant breathe it makes it harder to come out of it 3) the rest is up to your body

As for me right now I dont have the cataplexy my aunt does tho. She explains what it is like and how she feels when it happens. Not all narcoleptics have the cataplexy but it is very common.

Another thing is that it is all highly hereditary which explains how my aunt (my moms sister) my mom, me and my brother all have it. And most likly the line of my moms side had it also. There is no cure. There are medications that make it a little easier to live with narcolepsy. But the day to day struggles of it make it hard to be the standard "normal"

Like for me a teenager with narcolepsy:
1) I must draw, write, talk, move, or something active in class or i will fall asleep when the teacher is talking. It doesnt matter if its something i love i still could fall asleep.
2) It allows me to have sleepless nights and for school I must get up early which means not much sleep
3) Every evening I need to take short naps for me to function right.
4) Homework, projects, work, friends, boyfriend, family,clubs are all hard to keep up with when you tend to sleep a lot.
5) Since class is enough to put me to sleep, tests are even worse. I am never able to concentrate or keep my mind from dreaming while taking a test.
6) Dreams and dreaming during the day can be a struggle because you can mix what you were dreaming with reality. Its like daydreaming but more lifelike and real.

Other random things i have learned: for a normal person to feel as tired as a narcoleptic does everyday they have to stay up at least 72 hours. Narcolepsy can start when puberty does. (Usually does)

Im not saying this for anyone to feel sorry for me or anything close to that nature. I feel as though since its so rare and noone seems to have a clue what it is...that maybe i can help someone else if they have narcolepsy....you are NOT alone. there are others out there who understand. People who dont have narcolepsy this may help you understand us a little more and know what to do if you meet someone like me. Please no hate but questions are totally and greatly acceptible. I dont have a horrific case of it and i thank God for that. But for the sake of people who do i think its good for others to know. From now on ill write what its like to be a teenager to grow up with this condition...and of corse there will be normal teenage stuff to.

Any questions feel free to ask me:) till next time:) byeee Ps. Ik i suck at spelling lol sorry:)