Not related to narcolepsy, but...

...welcome to every teacher's fantasy world:

Worst Case Scenario

Hi __________s!

First of all, let's have a contest. Whoever comes up with the best nickname for my followers will win a prize. I'm torn between a one year member to the Narcolepsy Network ($30 in value) and a framed picture of me sleeping at a coffee shop (priceless). You know what, YOUR CHOICE! So post a comment with whatever you think I should call y'all and we'll see who wins what.

Anyway, today I spent 4.5 hours at a place that I am convinced was built by someone who hates narcoleptics. It is a perfect storm of sleep induction. That place is...

...Toyota of Watertown (Service Department)

Now, I have been here 5 times now and I believe I have napped there 3 of those 5 times. There are four main reasons that resistance is futile here.

#1. TV - Television is actually a stimulant and can make it hard for anyone to fall asleep. If "Wipeout" or "How to Catch a Predator" is on, I am glued to the screen! However, at T.O.W., the TV is always playing "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and/or "Oprah." Now, those of you who have any critical thinking skills whatsoever are probably saying, Well Rachel, why don't you go at some other time of the day? You are a jerk for assuming I'm that stupid. I swear to you, I've gone early morning, midmorning, early afternoon, and late afternoon. It is ALWAYS one of these shows and I am always lulled into an Meredith Viera induced coma.

#2. Free coffee - Is it opposite day or something? Why would coffee make you tired? Well, http://www.beinghealthy.tv/archives/coffeearoma/ reflects results of a study showing that the aroma of coffee reduces stress. Relaxation = sleepiness (which is why I often fall asleep in Starbucks, which is a not-so-glowing endorsement of their product).

#3. The chairs - No joke, these are the greatest, most cozy chairs in the world. Even the one's next to tables, meant to keep you sitting up feel like a vertical bed. Once my ass hits one of those seats, lights out.

#4. The wait - If I am stationary for 4.5 hours ANYWHERE I am going to pass out. Fact.

I almost forgot; there's a #5 - The massive head injury sustained after slamming my head against a nearby Prius upon seeing this:
(Sorry it keeps flipping it sideways, but it's a bill for $699.97)

So what did we learn today: If you are trying to stay awake, stay away from boring TV, places the smell nice, and comfy seats. Try to move around, and it is better of you to slap Jim the service guy than it is to attack the Prius, which did nothing by love Mother Earth too much.

Anyway, this provided a nice study break from another thing that makes me sleepy, nomenclature in the early Victorian education plot. And yet, to that I must return.

Don't forget our contest!

Welcome to Narcolypso!

Hello friends. I'm creating a photo blog to bring attention to the severity and the hilarity of my narcolepsy.

For those who don't know, narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes sufferers to feel extreme drowsiness and fatigue during the day, often so severe that we HAVE to sleep and/or cannot fight off sleep. It also messes up sleep cycles at night.

Many of you are probably familiar with this youtube gem (if not, it's worth watching): http://youtu.be/-zVCYdrw-1o

Rusty the dog actually has what's called narcolepsy with cataplexy, which I do not have. Cataplexy causes a person to lose muscle tone when feeling extreme emotions. The terrible catch-22 of it all is: you hear a funny joke and laugh, causing you to fall down (since you have cataplexy); subsequently, you hear Carrie's mom in your head screaming, "They're all gonna laugh at you!" the extreme shame of which causes you to fall again; the cycle continues.

Sometimes the cycles ends more quickly though. Say you are being chased by a bear. That scares you. You lose muscle tone. You fall. Bear eats you.

Bear - 1 : Narcoleptics with Cataplexy - 0

Luckily, I do not have that...

Anyway, I hope this proves mostly educational, but also kind of silly. No, my narcolepsy will never go away, but it won't kill me either. It won't even cause physical pain per se. It sucks a whole lot and it is certainly inconvenient, but hopefully sharing my narcolepsy experiences with you will help me deal the stress of this disorder and will help readers understand how narcolepsy affects a person's daily life.

Feel free to post any questions you have about narcolepsy or bear attacks.