The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

May All The People Who Have Been Diagnosed With Cataplexy Be Blessed With A Cure

by Joanne Petti
(Cortlandt Manor, NY)

Im the mother of my amazing daughter Jennifer, who at 25 one day in August...after living a year and a half in NYC on her own to be closer to work...we asked her "How are you doing Jenn..living here in the city....and she replied, "Oh...I am so happy with my life"...Less than a month later, one day in August 2012, she was complaiing how fatigued she was feeling at work...and she was not sleeping well and having bad nightmeres....


We assumed she was just under emotional stress, after all there were no other symptons leading up to this. She was healthy... And one day she was not....

After seeing a few Dr's and telling her she is suffering from acute stress.....She called us one weekend to tell us she lost feeling in her left side....We took her to the emergency room..And after all her tests came back normal we were told to take her to a neurologist....I quickly made an appointment..The sheer panic i felt was so indescribable....To even go there and think there might be something wrong with my child....After seeing her hooked up to wires..And be put through the variety of tests...She was diagnosed with cataplexy...And put on lexipro....

This was all a nightmere..I never heard of this and began researching on the internet which frightened me even more....Being away from my daughter while she continued to push herself to get up and go
to work was hard for me. Not to be near her so that i can take care of her....I have to say....Being that we took her to Columbia presbytarian in the city the care she recieved from Dr Warner and Dr Basil was so uncompassionate and uncaring....It was only when they prescibed medicine for her that caused her to get convulsions that i left and found Dr Sethi from weil cornell in the city. Dr sethi is not only intelligent but has been compassionate and caring......

This illness kills me a little bit everyday.....Watching my daughter suffer ...Is a pain i cannot descibe.....The fact that i cannot fix this is my biggest struggle.....I pray and hope that one day there will be a cure to this horriffic illness.....

My husband and i have been blessed with two daughters, my younger daughter jessica has been such a source of strenght through this...And watching my daughter Jennifer deal with this illness just proves to my husband and I how truely amazing she is.

Why this happened to us will always be an unknown.....There have been times of such despair through this....And i know i have to be strong for my daughter to get through this everyday....Until the day she is restored with good health. And i have to hold on to that hope....We are all in this together....May all the people who have been diagnosed with narcolepsy/cataplexy be blessed with a cure.

Comments for May All The People Who Have Been Diagnosed With Cataplexy Be Blessed With A Cure

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 27, 2013
You are not alone
by: Tay

Thank you for your heartfelt story. Sadly, I am also a mother of a narcoleptic with cataplexy... only difference is that my child is only 7. She was diagnosed with severe narc and cataplexy at the age of 5. It's been a difficult journey and we've mourned the life she's lost - so much potential that may never be realized. It breaks my heart. You can read my story here at "end your sleep deprivation" at this link: http://www.end-your-sleep-deprivation.com/what-does-it-feel-like-my-child-with-narcolepsy.html

Good luck to your daughter Jennifer. She is very lucky to have such a devoted mother and sister.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Narcolepsy Stories and Thoughts.




Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

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.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?


A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.