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Lucky To Be Alive... Narcolepsy All Of My Life

by Jeff Wiley
(Los Angeles, CA, USA)

I have had narcolepsy all my life. I am 50 years old now and although i never knew what the disease was until i was around 45 i went through most of my life just thinking i was tired all the time.


I remember when i was 16 years old i couldn't drive a car for more than 15 or 20 miles and i would be severely dozing and it was at that same age i had wrecked a brand new 1978 Corvette on the 91 Fwy here in LA.

Fast forward a little bit and i could explain many times being pulled over for lane straddling and once ticketed for wreckless driving as well as countless near misses on the freeway. I finally decided to go see a doctor after i had just purchased a brand new 2007 Corvette and wrecked it shortly thereafter and having my head go through the windshield.

My dad reminded me of all the wrecks and police confrontations i had through all the years and had mentioned it to his doctor which is now mine as well and he talked me into going.

I can't believe i went through all of my life just thinking i was lazy. I couldnt even watch a short tv show or stay awake at a simple church event. I would be sitting at the counter somewhere and all of the sudden my head would drop on the counter hard. Many knots and black eyes from that type stuff happening.

I now know what i'm up against and after trying spray bottles of water to keep me awake while driving to sunflower seeds and many other things i am now on adderall 60 mgs a day and sometimes that don't help. One day they may find a cure. I'm hoping.

Jeff

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Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

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