32 replies to this topic

[sleepyavon]

In my experience with severe Cataplexy, aka, before my magic combo Xyrem and Effexor XR and when I am not on them, I find my Cataplexic Episodes to be funny pretty much only after the fact, because I don't like the feeling of being paralized or falling. However, they do make funny stories after the fact... like the time I was paralyzed for well over a half hour, and my Dad wanted to see If I could really hear when in Cataplexy, so he said, "Rachel, the secret word is Pomegranite" I did keep going in and out of cataplexy, because I found my Families's words and reactions funny. When I finally was able to gain my composure back again, I said to my Dad, " The secret word is Forbidden Frrruiiii.....", as I fell again into cataplexy. That is the best cataplexy story I have to tell. I reinacted it at a NN conference just the year before last when it was here in Dallas, TX. Mostly cataplexy is only funny when told in the context of a story. Cataplexy itself, has never really been funny to me. It was ruining my life, and I was afraid to leave.... before my Xyrem and Effexor XR combo, of course! Now my cataplexy is much more mild, unless if I ever have a lapse of my meds, usually when I run out and have trouble getting more, because our copays are high. You have to have no RX insurance to get the PPA help.

[greatbig47]

Oh....hehehe...This poll is GREAT!!!!

[Toph4er]

Luckily my C is pretty mild, but it is fun to see people "panic" when the more dramatic ones hit. I think my best was sitting out with some friends at lunch and then I just kind of collapsed at the table a little before the bell rang. So, after a bit of my head being down...one of my friends looked over I guess and said "Oh my God, Chris are you alright?" in a bit of an awkward way, not real panicky, but definitely uncomfortable. I kinda looked up and he relaxed a little when the bell rang...it was funny to me...which didn't really help me recover to quickly, was a tad dizzy and unsteady when I got up .

Chris"Toph4er"

[greatbig47]

Just when I think my cataplexy is almost gone, I have a weekend like this last and I get to laughing...leading to "that feeling"
The joy of it was I never felt so safe when it happened.

[sleepyavon]

I am glad you felt safe, Stu. When you are around people you trust, who know how to respond, etc., it can make all the difference. My husband and sister are the ones who help me the most... like making sure my neck is up so I can still breathe, etc.

[Cryopathic]

Awwww.....Your lucky to have a family that helps you.

[Cryopathic]

Im feeling in a Huggy mood today so every one here is getting a hug! yay! hugs!




HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG

[Cryopathic]

On a scale of 1 to 10 of how much I love my NN family I give a 9.999999999

[Andrea Egan]

On a scale of 1 to 10 of how much I love my NN family I give a 9.999999999

Not a 10?

[Cryopathic]

Im only joking Id give a 21... lol

[sleepyavon]

Im only joking Id give a 21... lol

Awww.... I heart you all, too! The feeling in Mutual and all that Fluff LOL!

[Cryopathic]

Yay! I wub you guys!

[Julie A]

This is a great topic!
ok. . . 2 quick stories. The first time my husband, boyfriend at the time, witnessed my CAT, he ran to the fridge and rubbed ice all over me trying to keep me conscious. He was hysterical. I finally told him what was going on when I came to. OK maybe that one wasn't that funny but this one was great.
I was at a concert/festival when I was 16. I was standing in line at the conscession area and boom. . . When I could finally speak, the paramedics with their ambulance golf cart were there asking my boyfriend what I had "shot up." I laughed, but got fuzzy again. Finally, I got up and when we explained what had happened, I signed a release not to go to the hospital (at 16 I don't know how that one flew), so they put my boyfriend and I on the ambulance/golf cart thing, turned the lights and sirens on, and drove us over the entire yard, through the crowd, right in front of the stage. It was great!

[Tuckered]

My worst CAT episodes all seem to happen while I'm laughing. I have a few funny CAT stories but the best one so far is: one day while walking behind my son, I noticed his pants were slowly dropping down lower and lower (he wasn't wearing a belt) and just as I was calling out to him to grab his pants .. whoosh there they were pooling around his ankles!! My gutt was hurting from laughing so hard, my knees started buckling and if it hadn't been for the tree right there for me to hold on to I would have been a "pool" myself on the ground ... however to everyone else in the parking lot it looked like I was humping the tree!

[Toph4er]

lol, I was at Disney's grad night last Thursday. I told my friend's girlfriend about my N and she was paranoid that I was gonna collapse and fall into irreversible sleep. A few times i did nod off some, but the best was when I fell asleep on the Matterhorn . She was a car ahead of me, and when she looked back when she was getting off the ride she looked back and saw me asleep, well kind of waking up. She was entirely at a loss at how I could fall asleep on that. Really, I think I fell asleep on every ride some, I think it was the excitement of them, but that still doesn't explain Alice in Wonderland . Yea I think I did nod off on each ride...Alice, Matterhorn, Thunder Mountain, Pirates, Splash Mountain, Autopia (my cousin works that ride so I had to say hi, nearly ran off the tracks!), Haunted Mansion, the spinning rocket ride (at the same time as fireworks even), the Buzz Lightyear thing, and whatever else we went on.

Ah so fun.
Chris"Toph4er"

[nanasus]

After attending the neurologist, while waiting in a very quiet hallway for the elevator, I started to wonder how people would react if I walked into the elevator, smiled at everyone, asked each individual how their day was and didn't turn around to face the door. In other words give them my full, caring attention. By the time the doors opened, I merely collapsed against the door frame and the elevator left without me. (They probably realized that most of the neurologists were located on that floor.) It still makes me weak in the knees to think about it. Is a quirky sense of humour common among people with narcolepsy? I think the dumbest things are funny but before I can explain why, I usually have another episode. My family looks very uninterested when I drop, only because I have told them to leave me alone, I find it easier to "come out of it"if people aren't flapping about.

[Marcianna]

Does anyone have any not funny stories or is it just me?

I am a wreck when people die. And funerals are really embarrassing.
I had to go to one last week of my friend who was robbed shot and killed at the bar he worked at.
I always have to be careful to not go to close to the caskets so I dont fall in.
Not only would that be horribly devastating for the families and me if it were to ever happen...
I am totally afraid of dead people... so it would make it worse I'm sure.

[Marcianna]

After attending the neurologist, while waiting in a very quiet hallway for the elevator, I started to wonder how people would react if I walked into the elevator, smiled at everyone, asked each individual how their day was and didn't turn around to face the door. In other words give them my full, caring attention. By the time the doors opened, I merely collapsed against the door frame and the elevator left without me. (They probably realized that most of the neurologists were located on that floor.) It still makes me weak in the knees to think about it. Is a quirky sense of humour common among people with narcolepsy? I think the dumbest things are funny but before I can explain why, I usually have another episode. My family looks very uninterested when I drop, only because I have told them to leave me alone, I find it easier to "come out of it"if people aren't flapping about.

I have a pretty bizarre sense of humor too. when I was reading your story I about lost it! That is totally something I would do! Not because I truly care about them but because it would make them uncomfortable. And that to me is funny! But to answer your question... I don't know. My quirky SOH comes from my dads side of the family. we are all a little crazy. It's great cuz it drives my mom nuts!
I also have told people to shut up till I get up. mostly cuz I stop breathing alot during my cataplexy. So even if I dont land badly, it still hurts really bad.

[Marcianna]

I totally stabbed myself with scissors last night so today cataplexy is not funny. It was messy and gross and hurts like all kindsa crazy. I was outside trimming some plants and someones very big dog got loose and scared me. I ended up in the ER.
Maybe tomorrow I will be able to laugh at this. Right now I am still sick from the tetnus shot. ARGH!

[browneyes091686]

Hey! I'm totally new here. Just signed up a minute ago cuz I thought it would be cool to talk to people like me!

Anyway, most of my attacks are funny if I'm with other people. But if I home alone or something there are just annoying and sometimes scary. Does anybody else have a problem when you are trying to be really witty and make a good joke? It's like my body has a spike of, idk, something and sometimes I can't even finish the funny thing I'm trying to say! So annoying! Oh and I have no idea if this has anything to do with cataplexy or not but I have a bad reaction to adrenaline. Even just a little dose or it (like when I'm a little excited about a new movie I've been wanting to see) makes me start shaking all over. It's really weird.