You're Fired!

Two minutes into my appointment my narcolepsy specialist basically pulls a Donald Trump and tells me he no longer wants to be my doctor. Why? Because he just found out I'm taking hydrocortisone for severe adrenal fatigue. He tells me there's no such thing as adrenal fatigue and that I'm getting "bad information" from my doctor. He said, "You do NOT have adrenal disease. Have you ever SEEN what a person looks like who ACTUALLY has adrenal disease"? To which I reply, "Yep. Every time I look in the mirror." I also told him that I was not asking his advice on hormone-related issues, just as I don't ask my hormone specialist to treat or advise on my narcolepsy.

I've butted heads with this doctor before over my holistic and integrated approach to medical treatment. But he's used to "knowing everything" and having patients just blindly accept his advice. The problem is, the drugs he had me on caused me to gain 70 pounds, made my depression worse, gave me kidney stones, atrial flutter, stomach ulcers, tooth enamel damage, etc. At one point, I had to decide that the pharmaceutical cocktails were only making me worse. He's had a bee in his bonnet ever since.

Ordinarily, I would have already said "sayonara" to a doctor with such an obvious god complex. I mean, I don't drive ten hours round-trip to see this guy because he's so warm and fuzzy. The problem is, he's the only doctor I've found that is knowledgeable about narcolepsy with cataplexy and is willing and able to prescribe Xyrem, the medicine I take that helps me to get restorative sleep. It's the ONLY narcolepsy-related pharmaceutical that I take, and I have found NOTHING else that comes to close to working well for me. In addition, I'm smack-dab in the middle of my Social Security Disability case, and he's the main doctor that is providing documentation of my disability.

So three minutes into my appointment, I go into a full cataplexy attack. Meanwhile, he's telling my husband that 5-htp, which I'm taking instead of antidepressants to help treat catapexy, killed a bunch of people several years ago. Total lie. And that it comes from China. Total misinformation. I don't know if he learned his scare tactics from the democratic party or what. There was a tainted batch of L-tryptophan that killed some people many years ago. But 5-htp is NOT L-tryptophan. And the company that makes it does not get their ingredients from China.

Two cataplexy attacks later, I leave with the answer to only ONE of the narcolepsy-related questions I needed addressed at this semi-annual visit. So he did at least decrease my Xyrem dose to address the sleep eating problem. Apparently this is common when your dose is too high. Who knew? I've gained about 15 pounds since I started sleep eating, so at least one positive thing came out of the visit. But now I have start all over with a new doctor, after I had to fight my HMO to get special permission to go outside my service area to see THIS winner. If anyone knows of a narcolepsy specialist in the Northeast Florida area that doesn't have H.U.B. Disease, AND is knowledgeable about Xyrem, please let me know!

Hearing Voices

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." -2 Corinthians 10:5

I spent two hours this morning listening to The Voices. Don't call the men in the white coats! It happens to all of us sometimes: we hear the replays of something hurtful that was said - something that cut us to our very soul. We feel rejected, ashamed, worthless. But then I heard another Voice speaking Truth and Love into my heart...

"I CAN'T BE FRIENDS WITH YOU FOR AWHILE."
"I will never leave you or forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO YOU OR BE YOUR FRIEND BECAUSE YOU'RE SO NEGATIVE."
"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." -Psalm 56:8

"SOME OF US DON'T GET TO SLEEP IN UNTIL 10AM EVERY DAY OR LIE DOWN AND REST WHENEVER WE WANT."
"...for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." -Psalm 103:14

"I'M TIRED AND DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU RIGHT NOW."
"You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You perceive my thoughts from afar. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely." -Psalm 139:1-4

"NOW'S NOT REALLY A GOOD TIME TO VISIT; THERE'S JUST A LOT GOING ON."
"Whoever comes to me I will never drive away."
-John 6:37

"YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ALL DAY. YOU DON'T CONTRIBUTE."
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

"IT WAS NICE TALKING TO YOU, BUT I WANT TO GO SAY 'HELLO' TO SOMEONE [more interesting]."
"The Lord your God...will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17

"EVERYONE'S BAILING ON YOU RIGHT NOW, AREN'T THEY?"
"I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God." -Isaiah 41:9-10

"OH? YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR 5 WEEKS?"
"You know when I sit and when I rise. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" -Psalm 139:2,7

"Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will learn to listen and believe the Voice of Truth." -Casting Crowns

Narcolepsy for Dummies

NARCOLEPSY FOR DUMMIES - By Fellow-Narcy, Andrea Clark

Narcoleptics (pwns – person with narcolepsy) suffer from an auto-immune disease whose onset is typically in adolescence, but sometimes earlier. There appears to be a trigger, whether it be a virus or a stressor put on the body, which can cover a multitude of things, but as yet researchers have not been able to really pin it down. It is at that time that the brain appears to destroy a part of itself, which researchers have labeled Hypocretin, or Orexin in some circles. Hypocretin is the ‘control’ chemical that regulates our sleep center in the hypothalamus. Pwns no longer have hypocretin, as the brain has destroyed it during childhood/adolescence.

Let’s use the analogy of the sleep center being much like the automatic transmission in a car. Hypocretin is, for the sake of argument, transmission fluid which helps it move smoothly through the gears. The fluid is necessary to have a properly working transmission and without it the sleep center continually ‘slips’ gears. The brain tries to make educated guesses based on levels of other chemicals.

It becomes a catch-22 because we no longer get consolidated sleep, so the levels of the remaining chemicals in our brain are altered. Our sleep center then becomes active 24 hours a day. Using the analogy of slipping gears, the brain is putting us into REM when we’re awake (giving us hypnogognic and hypnopompic hallucinations); it paralyzes us when we are just falling asleep or awakening, creating Sleep Paralysis. It puts the brain into a state of sleep, but our physical bodies are awake, we are talking and moving about, but have no recall of any of it, creating thus we have Automatic Behavior. It is during automatic behavior that our conversations may or may not be cohesive, and we put the dishes away in the refrigerator, the laundry in the oven, for example.

Regarding cataplexy, which is triggered by emotions and stress, the brain is taking those triggers and ‘guessing’ they are a part of REM, thus causing us to collapse and become paralyzed, just as a normal brain paralyzes us during dreaming so we do not act out our dreams. For those with prolonged cataplexy attacks, breathing becomes shallow and slower, because the brain takes over breathing for us, just as it does during REM. The need for ‘air’ is reduced to a level that is sufficient for little more than the body’s automatic systems to keep running. This can create anxiety which only prolongs the attack. Remembering this will keep you calm. Realize the body is not going to let you suffocate.

Hypocretin can be reproduced in the laboratory, but researchers do not know the mechanism it requires to tell it how much to release and at what times. Currently the only way to get hypocretin to the brain would be through daily injections into the spinal column, as they do not at this time know how to get it to pass through the blood/brain barrier.

Memory and cognitive ability are affected because the brain does not have consolidated restorative sleep. Without us realizing it, the time spent in consolidated restorative sleep is just about the most important part of our day as this is the time the brain does its all important maintenance, which is necessary to process memories and retaining what it learns. It is also the time that the brain puts out the order across the body for all our neurotransmitters that are ‘out of whack’ to snap to and get back into sync with one another. It ferrets out what parts of the body needs healing and sends appropriate messages for the body to work on healing.

It usually takes several years, and in some cases decades, for a pt. to be diagnosed with narcolepsy. Most often they are diagnosed with depression because EDS is considered a symptom of depression. They receive little understanding or support and are often considered lazy, unmotivated, or malingerers. Mild cataplexy is often diagnosed as MS, however tests reveal there is no demylanization.

Hypocretin is the all important crux of the problem. It is a major control chemical and when it is missing, the brain will try to make decisions based on other available information, however misguided that may be. However, with the loss of consolidated restorative sleep, thus being sleep deprived, the levels of other chemicals are all wrong. Therein lies the conundrum – hypocretin would help the brain keep those chemicals at their working best. Our body depletes itself of those chemicals throughout the day and ideally they would return to proper levels when we get truly good sleep. Instead the brain can only guess, and does not restore enough of some chemical or over produces others.

Staying with the car analogy, let’s imagine that the computer system of your car relies on your transmission running properly. If that isn’t happening, you are going to be getting all kinds of wrong information, and you may start to put premium gasoline in your tank, the highest grade of synthetic oil, etc. All nice things which makes the car somewhat pleased in the short term, but let’s face it, if your tranny isn’t right, you’re going to find yourself on the shoulder of the highway, waiting for the tow truck because as it stands, you aren’t going anywhere.

Repost: Cataplexy 101

Reposted for National Sleep Awareness Week

The following is some information I pieced together from various sources, including my own experience, to explain what cataplexy is and what to do if I have an attack. Most doctors have never even heard of it and have no idea what to do. I started carrying information sheets around with me to hand out to people and especially to give to all my doctors. Feel free to duplicate this information; we need to educate people about this disease.

WHAT IS CATAPLEXY?
Cataplexy is a feature of the sleep disorder narcolepsy. It is a condition whereby the sufferer, or cataplectic, experiences a total loss of muscle control and postural tone. It is likely to be more severe when a person is tired, under stress, or experiencing strong emotions. It is extremely unpredictable both in severity and frequency. The attacks do not necessarily have a fixed schedule; they may occur occasionally but may also occur multiple times a day. Patients may be prescribed antidepressants to control the attacks and may also take a night-time medicine called Xyrem, the pharmaceutical equivalent of GHB, to produce the quality of sleep needed to help control the attacks. It is important for cataplexy sufferers to adhere to a strict sleep and medicine schedule to avoid severe, prolonged attacks.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CATAPLEXY ATTACK?
Cataplexy is often confused with epilepsy. The nature of the attacks may vary from individual to individual. The following characteristics of an attack can occur alone or in combinations with others: perceptible slacking of the facial muscles, dropping of the jaw or head, knee buckling, slumping of the shoulders, slurring of speech, blurred vision, or falling to the floor. When falling to the ground, the cataplectic may appear to lose consciousness but simply remains motionless for a few minutes before resuming normal behaviors or drifting into some prolonged sleep. There is no loss of consciousness or awareness of surroundings; the person can still hear, feel, and sometimes see things that are going on during the attack.

WHAT CAUSES A CATAPLEXY ATTACK?
Cataplexy is often caused by strong emotions such as exhilaration, surprise, fear, anger, stress, shock, laughter, anxiety, etc., but these do not have to be present for an attack to occur. For this reason, a person suffering from cataplexy will not benefit from “revival methods” often used on an unconscious person. Actions such as yelling, slapping, or shaking should be avoided, and sternum rubs or ammonia inhalants will not be effective and can, in fact, make the attack worse by causing anxiety to the patient.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR A PATIENT DURING AN ATTACK?
1. It is most important to stay calm, remembering that the cataplectic is conscious and aware of your behavior and that your anxiety can affect the severity or length of the attack.
2. Be sure the individual will not injure themselves by falling and that their airway is not obstructed by the position of their neck/head. There is no need to move the person unless one of the above circumstances presents itself.
3. Unless the person has stopped breathing, has no pulse, or has injured herself in some way, CALL THEIR EMERGENCY CONTACT BEFORE CALLING 911. This contact will know more about the disease than almost any medical personnel and can advise you more on how to respond. If they feel emergency medical personnel should be called, that is the time to call.
4. Avoid drawing undue attention to the situation, which can cause embarrassment and discomfort to the individual.
5. Sufferers have different preferences about what onlookers can do to help. Some prefer to be left alone, while others my need to be supported or helped up. It is common for the person to prefer being left alone to recover of their own accord.

HOW DOES THIS DISEASE AFFECT LIFESTYLE?
Cataplexy can be disruptive to daily living. It can cause embarrassment, loss of confidence, and even detrimental consequences to the patient. Further, it can impair most desired activities such as driving, working out at the gym, or even holding a child, because one can never know when the attack might present itself. Because this is a rare condition, most medical personnel will not recognize it or know how to treat it. For this reason, the patient and their regular caregiver should be relied upon greatly for information about both the condition and also that patient’s particular regimen of treatment.

Memories

I have short term memory loss. I have short term memory loss. I have short term memory loss. I have short term memory loss. I have short term memory loss.

Or at least, that's what I tell people. Actually, I have narcolepsy. And one of the symptoms I experience from the disease is automatic behavior. The best way to describe that is my brain takes little naps throughout the day while my body is still able to function somewhat normally. You may be having a seemingly routine conversation with me, but I probably won't recall it later. There are entire blocks of time for which I have no memory. Family members and friends will refer to something I said or a fun activity we enjoyed, and I will have no idea what they're talking about. I once washed, dried, folded, and put away a load of laundry and spent hours the next day trying to find my pile of dirty clothes.

But lately it's just been getting scary. I've been leaving the stove burners on for hours, forgetting to shave one of my armpits, and forgetting to finish things I started - not knowing they weren't finished. I even answered a business call the other day where the person told me her name and I followed up immediately with, "May I ask who's calling, please?" I'm starting to feel like an elderly person with dementia that shouldn't be left alone.

But this morning I discovered a horrifying new aspect to my automatic behavior: sleep eating. When I walked into the living room this morning, there were crumbs all over the place - I walked through a big pile of what appeared to be chocolate cake crumbs, and there were crushed crackers all over the chaise lounge. While I was getting angry at my husband for making a mess I suddenly remembered a dream I had last night. I dreamed I had fallen asleep on the chaise and woke up with a piece of cheese stuck to my chest and crackers stuck to my thighs. *Light Bulb!*

So my next thought is, "How long has this been going on?" I drastically changed my diet last year to eliminate grains, sugar, and other foods that feed fungus in the body. I lost over 40lbs and greatly improved my chronic health conditions. But then the weight loss came to a crashing halt. I had my metabolism tested, I keep insisting to my doctor that my thyroid must still be off, and I've had some relapse in my health. Is it because I'm eating God-only-knows-what while I'm asleep? You've got to be kidding me.

I guess I need to put locks on the fridge and pantry at night. And get an alarm that warns my husband when I get out of bed. This is getting ridiculous! Anyone have any other ideas? P.S. If you give me a great idea, don't be offended if I don't remember it later. :) I wish I were joking.

The Secret Life of the American with Chronic Illness

My house is an absolute wreck! I live in constant fear that someone will stop by my house and find out that I'm not Susie Homemaker. I like things very neat, clean, and uncluttered. And I'm a classic germophobe. So it's not like I'm oblivious to the mess or don't care to address it. At the moment I'm just overwhelmed. Last month I was hospitalized for heart problems, and my sister came from Michigan and stayed with me for about a month to help out. While she was here, she did nearly all of the cooking and cleaning. Then, it took me about a week or so just to rest and recuperate from her visit. (And if you have chronic illness, you know what I'm talking about: is there anything that DOESN'T take a week of recovery?) Also, she and I tended to stay up late at night talking, watching movies, playing board games, etc., which is great except for the fact that it wreaked havoc with this narcoleptic's sleep patterns.

I look around and see piles of laundry that needs folding, furniture that needs dusted, carpet that needs vacuumed, and dishes that need washed and put away. And I don't know where to start. Of course, telling you about it isn't getting it done either. I guess I just felt I needed to confess the huge secret mess that is behind my front door. You probably think less of me now than before, when I seemed perfect and you thought I had it all together. But this is my reality. Sadly, there will probably never be a time when I will be caught up on all of the household chores and would feel great if unexpected company just showed up. That's just a part of my life that I have to learn to accept. I don't know that I'll ever be completely okay with it.

So today it is my goal to get ONE room in my house clean and clutter-free, and if I can accomplish this through God's strength, then I will choose to be content in that. And if you happen to stop by and see all the other rooms in my home, please don't judge me too harshly. I'm doing the best I can, and everything else will just have to stay messy until I get to it.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" ~Colossians 3:23

Cataplexy 101

I was surprised recently to learn that most of my immediate family did not know what to do when I had a cataplexy attack at a family gathering yesterday. The following is some information I pieced together from various sources, including my own experience, to explain what cataplexy is and what to do if I have an attack. Most doctors have never even heard of it and have no idea what to do. I started carrying information sheets around with me to hand out to people and especially to give to all my doctors. Feel free to duplicate this information; we need to educate people about this disease.

WHAT IS CATAPLEXY?
Cataplexy is a feature of the sleep disorder narcolepsy. It is a condition whereby the sufferer, or cataplectic, experiences a total loss of muscle control and postural tone. It is likely to be more severe when a person is tired, under stress, or experiencing strong emotions. It is extremely unpredictable both in severity and frequency. The attacks do not necessarily have a fixed schedule; they may occur occasionally but may also occur multiple times a day. Patients may be prescribed antidepressants to control the attacks and may also take a night-time medicine called Xyrem, the pharmaceutical equivalent of GHB, to produce the quality of sleep needed to help control the attacks. It is important for cataplexy sufferers to adhere to a strict sleep and medicine schedule to avoid severe, prolonged attacks.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CATAPLEXY ATTACK?
Cataplexy is often confused with epilepsy. The nature of the attacks may vary from individual to individual. The following characteristics of an attack can occur alone or in combinations with others: perceptible slacking of the facial muscles, dropping of the jaw or head, knee buckling, slumping of the shoulders, slurring of speech, blurred vision, or falling to the floor. When falling to the ground, the cataplectic may appear to lose consciousness but simply remains motionless for a few minutes before resuming normal behaviors or drifting into some prolonged sleep. There is no loss of consciousness or awareness of surroundings; the person can still hear, feel, and sometimes see things that are going on during the attack.

WHAT CAUSES A CATAPLEXY ATTACK?
Cataplexy is often caused by strong emotions such as exhilaration, surprise, fear, anger, stress, shock, laughter, anxiety, etc., but these do not have to be present for an attack to occur. For this reason, a person suffering from cataplexy will not benefit from “revival methods” often used on an unconscious person. Actions such as yelling, slapping, or shaking should be avoided, and sternum rubs or ammonia inhalants will not be effective and can, in fact, make the attack worse by causing anxiety to the patient.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR A PATIENT DURING AN ATTACK?
1. It is most important to stay calm, remembering that the cataplectic is conscious and aware of your behavior and that your anxiety can affect the severity or length of the attack.
2. Be sure the individual will not injure themselves by falling and that their airway is not obstructed by the position of their neck/head. There is no need to move the person unless one of the above circumstances presents itself.
3. Unless the person has stopped breathing, has no pulse, or has injured herself in some way, CALL THEIR EMERGENCY CONTACT BEFORE CALLING 911. This contact will know more about the disease than almost any medical personnel and can advise you more on how to respond. If they feel emergency medical personnel should be called, that is the time to call.
4. Avoid drawing undue attention to the situation, which can cause embarrassment and discomfort to the individual.
5. Sufferers have different preferences about what onlookers can do to help. Some prefer to be left alone, while others my need to be supported or helped up. It is common for the person to prefer being left alone to recover of their own accord.

HOW DOES THIS DISEASE AFFECT LIFESTYLE?
Cataplexy can be disruptive to daily living. It can cause embarrassment, loss of confidence, and even detrimental consequences to the patient. Further, it can impair most desired activities such as driving, working out at the gym, or even holding a child, because one can never know when the attack might present itself. Because this is a rare condition, most medical personnel will not recognize it or know how to treat it. For this reason, the patient and their regular caregiver should be relied upon greatly for information about both the condition and also that patient’s particular regimen of treatment.

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: Narcolepsy with Cataplexy
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2007
3. But I had symptoms since: 1993
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: to let things go. I can't do everything I want to do, and I can't do it perfectly. I have learned I have limitations.
5. Most people assume: I'm lazy or just enjoy sleeping a lot
6. The hardest part about mornings are: getting ready to leave the house is a HUGE undertaking. I have to take a break after every step. Take a shower; take a break. Get dressed; take a break.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: Mystery Diagnosis
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: motorized wheelchair
9. The hardest part about nights is: getting myself ready to go to sleep. I have to take a bunch of medicine, set two alarms so I can wake up in 4 hrs to take my second dose of meds, clean my CPAP mask and put water in the machine, plus all the normal stuff like brushing my teeth, etc. When I'm so tired I can hardly stand up, it's a nightmare.
10. Each day I take 21 pills & vitamins.
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: have found that they cannot be used to the exclusion of traditional treatments and vice versa.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: visible because then I wouldn't have to explain myself all the time.
13. Regarding working and career: I can NEVER work a normal 9-5 job because I don't have the stamina and can't be depended on to be somewhere at a certain time. I work from home and help with my husband's business as much as I can.
14. People would be surprised to know: how much I struggle with feeling inadequate and unproductive
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: having to admit I can't do things and having to depend on others to help
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: graduate college. It took me until I was 29, and I dropped out, dropped classes, and asked for extensions more times that I can count. But I did it!
17. The commercials about my illness: what commercials? Most doctors don't even know what cataplexy is. I carry info sheets with me wherever I go in case I have an attack.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: DRIVING!!!
19. It was really hard to have to give up: singing in the choir and singing specials at church
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: bird watching
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: not know where to begin. It's been 16 years since I've felt "normal," so I don't know if I would recognize it if it actually happened.
22. My illness has taught me: to be compassionate and empathetic toward others
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "It must be nice to stay home and relax all day!"
24. But I love it when people: offer to pick things up from the store for me or take me out for an afternoon
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: it's normal to grieve over the loss of your health and your dreams and goals for your life. Don't worry about putting on a brave front. God sees your pain; don't be afraid to let others see it so they can love you and hurt with you.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: no one will ever understand completely what it is like for me to live with my illness, so I cannot expect that from people
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: came over and cleaned my house and didn't make me feel bad about how dirty some things were
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: there are so many hurting people that are feeling alone in their illness, but spreading awareness can bring hope to those people like it brought hope to me.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: that you love me enough to learn more about my struggles.

Find out more about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week and the 5-day free virtual conference with 20 speakers Sept 14-18, 2009 at www.invisibleillness.com

The Birthday, The Bald Dog, and the Billy Goat - Part I

I'm sure there's been a time in your life when you thought, "What else could possibly go wrong?". I quit asking myself that question a long time ago because there always is something else. It seems like the month of May has ushered in a whole series of "something else" for us. First, I took my husband out of town for a little birthday weekend, a much-needed time of rest and perspective for him during the busiest, most stressful time of year for our business. While we were gone, our most experienced employee decided he didn't want to work for us anymore. We had already paid to stay in our hotel Sunday night and planned to check out in the morning, have a nice breakfast, and start a leisurely drive home. After this bombshell hit on Sunday evening, we had to rush home to make sure we had a supervisor to take over that crew, especially since another of our key employees was to be on vacation that whole next week. So we got home at 3am Monday, feeling stressed, emotionally spent, and angry that our special time together had ended so badly and abruptly.

During the next few days, we were also hit with a family-related situation that added another level of anxiety. It was one of those situations where people feel caught in the middle of a drama that was caused by someone making an ill-timed, poorly-planned decision that had devestating effects on several family members. I was particularly hurt by the way things happened and went through a whole range of emotions. Because stress, lack of restful sleep, and strong emotions can cause cataplexy (an aspect of the sleep disorder narcolepsy, which causes loss of muscle tone, often leaving one temporarily unable to use some or all of the body's muscles), I have spent the past 9 days at least partly incapacitated and had a few prolonged attacks of cataplexy that lasted hours.

I don't know if the animals have been responding to the stress, but it seems they have all begun acting out in ways they haven't since they were babies. One of the cats has begun urinating in one corner of the dining room every morning, which is a lovely thing to wake up to and step in while still in a morning stupor. And then I discovered that one of the dogs had been going "potty" on the guest room carpet for a couple days, which we didn't notice until I was in there putting guest towels away. We also have a six-week-old puppy that is kept in an area where there is only tile floor, but that area requires clean-up every day to refresh the bedding and the newspaper where he "goes" until we can begin potty training. And of course he needs a lot of attention and care throughout the day. So in the midst of everything, I feel that the house is in a constant state of chaos, which of course leads to more stress, which leads to more cataplexy.

To be continued...