I was diagnosed with narcolepsy when I was 12. While some narcoleptics really have a tough time of things, I consider my case fairly mild. Plus, over time, I’ve become quite the expert at managing the Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) and all of narcolepsy’s other bizarre symptoms: cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations. I’ve learned to adjust my routine, always make sleep a priority, read my body’s warning signs, schedule regular naps, and ask for help when I need it. My father has narcolepsy, as well as his father. More often than not, in the middle of talking with my dad, I’ll instantly recognize his eyes-glazed-over look. Ah, yes, the sleepiness of it all!

My dad and I will make jokes. “Michelle,” he’ll say, “Did I ever tell you about the time that I was leading a meeting at the office, and I fell asleep? My chair rolled right out from under me.” ha hah! We start laughing.

“And when Granddaddy was having a dream during church,” he reminds me.

“He called out right in the middle of the sermon!” we both laugh together.

Inevitably, one of our arms will go limp as the cataplexy (loss of muscle tone due to strong emotion) sets in. “Oh my goodness, Dad, look at my arm!” I giggle. “Cataplexy!” ha haah!! A few minutes later I’ll say, “Hey, Dad, did you know there was a narcolepsy convention going on?”

Half-awake he replies, “I’ll bet that’s a lively group!” ha haaah!!

My narcolepsy will be with me forever — so why not learn how to laugh about it? While at times I truly get frustrated, wishing that I could just barrel through a day without needing a nap, or that I didn’t need to rely so strongly on caffeine, I remember that we all have things about ourselves that we wish we could change. And, now that I think about it, I’d miss out on so much laughter and storytelling if not for the sleepiness of it all!