I'm a 25 year old girl who lives on the outskirts of metro Sydney, NSW, Australia. I am currently working as a veterinary nurse and have an immense passion for animal welfare, particularly birds, particularly Australian native parrots. I live with two housemates, a dog, a ridiculous cat called Hugo and two lorikeets called Molly and Beaker.
I have a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and I'm currently studying science through Charles Sturt University, after battling through an Ornithology degree in 2009 that was basically just too over my head. I was a musician for about 10 years before changing everything in 2008 and heading into the animal industry. I love learning and being around animals and people who are interesting.
I was diagnosed with narcolepsy in June 2009. In December 2008, I was driving to work, a half hour drive I was doing every morning and afternoon about 5 days a week. I had reached a set of lights and decided that I needed to close my eyes, just for a little bit. The traffic was still moving slowly, about 5kms an hour. I closed my eyes and drifted off and was woken up by a sudden thump of my car hitting the back of the car in front of me. There was no damage, but it still frightened me when I realised that there had actually been quite a few incidents somewhat similar to that in the past and that I had been incredibly lucky that more damage had not been done. I went to the doctor that morning and got a referral to a neurologist.
The neurologist conducted an MRI and an EEG. He advised me that the results indicated I didn't have epilepsy, OR narcolepsy and so he wasn't sure what to do. I eventually was referred to a sleep specialist. She immediately booked me in for a sleep study in hospital, and advised me to stop taking my anti depressant medication a week before the study. Turns out these medications can mask the neurological signs of narcolepsy. I did an overnight study, which involved connecting me up to a whole lot of electrodes all over my head and body, from which they determined I didn't have sleep apnoea. The following day I took four moderated naps, each lasting 20 minutes. I actually even snuck in a few other naps while I was waiting in my room, which I wasn't supposed to do. It was a very tiring day.
The next week I went back to my sleep specialist, who had to call the hospital while I was there just to make sure that the results she was looking at were correct. After this, she said that in my four naps, I had hit REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep during every single one, after about 10 - 15 minutes of being asleep. A conclusive diagnosis requires REM in at least one, maybe two at the most. Apparently I was one of the worst cases she had ever seen. Looking back, it's something I've probably had since about Year 11 in high school... I had been falling asleep here, there and everywhere for a long time.
So now... I live with narcolepsy (among other bits and pieces) and I take Modafinil every day. I also sleep for as long as possible during the night, and take as many naps during the day that I can. This blog will hopefully chronicle my efforts to manage it and be a way for me to think out loud and manage this in the best way possible.
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5/12/2013
A slight update on this.....
I am now a 29, soon to be 30, year old woman who lives in South Sydney, New South Wales. After a few years in the animal industry, I returned to teaching, which I now really enjoy. I'm currently the Music/Dance/Drama teacher at a primary school in Sydney's Inner West and it's great fun. After realising that science wasn't really my forte, I switched to a Master of Music Education at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, which I hope to complete next year. However, I still love learning, animals and people who are interesting!
I have a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and I'm currently studying science through Charles Sturt University, after battling through an Ornithology degree in 2009 that was basically just too over my head. I was a musician for about 10 years before changing everything in 2008 and heading into the animal industry. I love learning and being around animals and people who are interesting.
I was diagnosed with narcolepsy in June 2009. In December 2008, I was driving to work, a half hour drive I was doing every morning and afternoon about 5 days a week. I had reached a set of lights and decided that I needed to close my eyes, just for a little bit. The traffic was still moving slowly, about 5kms an hour. I closed my eyes and drifted off and was woken up by a sudden thump of my car hitting the back of the car in front of me. There was no damage, but it still frightened me when I realised that there had actually been quite a few incidents somewhat similar to that in the past and that I had been incredibly lucky that more damage had not been done. I went to the doctor that morning and got a referral to a neurologist.
The neurologist conducted an MRI and an EEG. He advised me that the results indicated I didn't have epilepsy, OR narcolepsy and so he wasn't sure what to do. I eventually was referred to a sleep specialist. She immediately booked me in for a sleep study in hospital, and advised me to stop taking my anti depressant medication a week before the study. Turns out these medications can mask the neurological signs of narcolepsy. I did an overnight study, which involved connecting me up to a whole lot of electrodes all over my head and body, from which they determined I didn't have sleep apnoea. The following day I took four moderated naps, each lasting 20 minutes. I actually even snuck in a few other naps while I was waiting in my room, which I wasn't supposed to do. It was a very tiring day.
The next week I went back to my sleep specialist, who had to call the hospital while I was there just to make sure that the results she was looking at were correct. After this, she said that in my four naps, I had hit REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep during every single one, after about 10 - 15 minutes of being asleep. A conclusive diagnosis requires REM in at least one, maybe two at the most. Apparently I was one of the worst cases she had ever seen. Looking back, it's something I've probably had since about Year 11 in high school... I had been falling asleep here, there and everywhere for a long time.
So now... I live with narcolepsy (among other bits and pieces) and I take Modafinil every day. I also sleep for as long as possible during the night, and take as many naps during the day that I can. This blog will hopefully chronicle my efforts to manage it and be a way for me to think out loud and manage this in the best way possible.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
5/12/2013
A slight update on this.....
I am now a 29, soon to be 30, year old woman who lives in South Sydney, New South Wales. After a few years in the animal industry, I returned to teaching, which I now really enjoy. I'm currently the Music/Dance/Drama teacher at a primary school in Sydney's Inner West and it's great fun. After realising that science wasn't really my forte, I switched to a Master of Music Education at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, which I hope to complete next year. However, I still love learning, animals and people who are interesting!