Many years I had no idea what was wrong with me!! I would wake up and not be able to move my arms and legs. When I was around years 6 old was the first time I remember. As a child my family thought that it was just away to get some one to carry me to bed.. I was the 5th child and female! I have 4 older brothers! I often did things to get addition! As the years went on I only had a few times this happened to me!!
This same year my Parents split up and then got remarried!
In the years to come allot happened to me! I lost two grandfathers! I finished High School and got out in the real world! I started a new jobs! I became depressed around 1993 and the stress sent me to thoughts of suicide.
In 1994 I met the love of my live. We had a healthy baby boy!! My family didn't care much for my son's father. To me he was my world but I has to pick him or our son.. It was then I found myself a single parent! I often found myself sleeping when my son was.. I think this started a pattern of events that brings me where I am to day. I tried to work. It came to where ever job I got I did have child care for him. My parents helped as much as they could. I wasn't getting child support! I was trying to stay home with him as much as I could!
! 1997 my son started Head Start!! I went to school. After about 6 months the Head Start added me to there staff where I worked for 5 years. I could tell that the drive there was really hard for me it took 45 min... Also the nap time was hard. I wanted to sleep when the kids did!!
I was talked in to getting my School Bus licen. October 2001.. At this time i changed jobs I went to the Wilkes county school system as a Bus Driver.. Where i worked 8 years. I had promble's missing stops! and other things.. I would blow it off!! In 2008 i had a spell going to work! My eyes didn't want to stay open! It wasn't like i was asleep but almost like seizers... When I came out of it i was almost under the back of a 18 wheeler. My speed was around 80mph. I made it to work this day. I don't remember the drive. I do remember falling asleep in my car about 30 Min's... When waking up i had a really bad head ache.. I talked to a co-worked, and there was lots more going on other than my head hurting my eyes was messed up!! One was turned looking out the other one look straight..
After all this i found myself in and out of the doctors. There was so many test done I lost count of them...
I no longer stay home alone! I never drive very far with out someone with me!!
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder!
The cause of Narcolepsy is not know!!
My symptoms:
I fall asleep in 2.5 mins. the normal person falls asleep in REM after 90 mins.
Sleep Paralysis
Hallucinations- when very sleep
Automatic behavior- "no memory of what I have said or done when awake!"
Falling asleep when eating and other activity's
Difficulties waking up
Excessive daily time sleep
sleeping 10 or more hours a day
sleep drunkenness
Cataplexy
" This is the hardest part of being this way. I wake up and can only move my head and eyes..
Trapped inside my body is my most feared place."
sudden loss of muscle tone
feeling week
loss of voluntary muscle control
slurred speech
triggered by intense emotion
surprise
laughter
Anger
stanfordhospital.org/.../narcolepsy.html
