Lazy and Not Smart

It took many years to get diagnosed with narcolepsy.

Stigmatized with Narcolepsy

I was told that I was lazy and was not as smart as other students in high school.

I was told many times to go to my room and study or get my reading done if that was the homework. I would loose my train of thought or fall asleep.

As a teenager I was made to go hunting with my father for deer. I would fall asleep and get reprimanded on why I was sleeping when I should be hunting. As I got older I ended up with a thyroid condition for a doctor that as treating me for migraine.

I had my thyroid taken out and then ended up with a back injury from work. This is when it was found that being on heavy meds for the pain I was sleeping all the time.

They ended up giving me a sleeping pill on top of the other meds. I didn't have a life.

Finally diagnosed with narcolepsy

Then I met my second wife that I am with now. She said something is wrong when I get up have my coffee and fall asleep again without pain meds.

That is when I had the sleep study and found out I had type 2 narcolepsy. I was 39 years old, now 61.

Life is so different after you get diagnosed. I end up try to be my own patient advocate.

Now I know there are more people living with this condition and I don't have to be alone anymore. Thanks for communinity forums like this.

Always Sleepy.