Living with Narcolepsy

I remember falling asleep during Physics and Psychology in high school and I thought maybe I just stayed up too late or the class was especially boring those days. In high school I was never in bed past 10pm.

In college I slept through many a Psych and History class despite LOVING my history class. No amount of NoDoz did the trick, I actually slept more solid with the NoDoz than without. I often went to bed early and often neglected to finish homework for fear of staying up too late and missing out on sleep.

After leaving college after one year, marrying and starting a regular job and raising kids, I was still always tired.
I took YellowJackets working 2nd shift to help me stay awake into the night and still found myself falling asleep standing up stacking parts or grinding burs off pieces at the worktables.

I would lay down during the day in the doorway of my then 1 year olds room as she played so if I fell asleep which I knew I would, she would wake me up when she tried to crawl over me.

I dread having to drive my kids or myself to doctor appointments more than 30 minutes away because consciousness will be a fight the whole way.

I now work at a warehouse 30 miles from home and every drive to and from work I fight to stay awake. I have fallen asleep while people have been talking to me face to face, I have fallen asleep scanning items standing at work, asleep driving a forklift and walkie as well as briefly while operating a small overhead crane.

Forget about sitting on the couch to read or watch a show, I am out in seconds. My husband has to get to bed before me if we are wanting to make love because if I hit the pillow before him, I am out like a switch.

I am afraid if I have a sleep test they will tell me I am just depressed, if I have any depression it is from trying not to be so tired all the time.