This semester I've decided to take a much needed break from my university life to try to feel like a human being again. Can you believe it, a college narcoleptic that feels less than human?? Crazy, I know.
Things were getting to be too much for me and I was struggling with my grades pretty badly. This for the girl who always was a stellar student before getting narcolepsy is a little tough to swallow, let alone admit out loud to other people. So I mostly kept it to myself, suffered in silence, and tried to find new ways to be successful. Unfortunately that's not as easy as it sounds when your college disability office is being less than helpful and making your life harder rather than easier.
But this summer my friend Katie (another PWN) was telling me about her recent success with Xyrem, the narcolepsy "miracle drug" for many. I finally decided to give it a try... and now I am indebted to Katie forever for convincing and encouraging me to see how Xyrem could help improve my life :)
I honestly feel better than I have in years! After almost 4 years of having narcolepsy and cataplexy, with nights full of sleep paralysis, terrifying nightmares, and disturbing hypnagogic hallucinations, I feel like a new person almost. I can function almost like a normal person again, and its an amazing feeling.
So now I realize that taking a break is probably the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I am currently working at my former Montessori school, working in the office and around the school helping wherever I am needed. And in January I plan on transferring to the University of Toledo to finish my degree and feel good about the grades I earn. I'm even interested in going on to get my Master's degree as well, but let's wait until after my first good semester at UT to talk about that... :)
