Narcolepsy Network Conference

My favorite weekend of the year is during the Narcolepsy Network Conference. I get to spend the entire weekend with 200+ others who are just like me - sleepy, scattered, irritable, cataplectic... Its also great because it makes me realize how well I handle my Narcolepsy. I have come a long way over the years and I hope that my presence at the conference can inspire others.

My first NN Conference was in 1999 and I slept through the whole weekend with my eyes wide open. I remember being so embarrassed because I couldn't stay awake. I was always so worried people would see me dozing. My mom was at this conference and I asked her, "I keep falling asleep, can you tell?" She said "look around Nicole, everybody is sleeping". That is when I realized I was not the only one in the world who felt so sleepy and exhausted. This was also the conference where I first witnessed a cataplexy attack. Sure, I had been having them every day for years, but I had never actually seen someone else fall over from excitement. Wow!! Since this conference in 1999, I attend every year. I have also changed drugs many times and learned to pay attention to my body. Its been a long haul, but I feel GREAT and hardly ever have cataplexy.

So this past weekend I was in San Diego at the 2007 Narcolepsy Network Conference. Had a great time visiting with old Narcolepsy friends, learned about the latest research, and best of all...spent time with others like me. So educational, inspiring, and real. Narcolepsy is a daily battle that I am lucky have a grasp on it.