Narcolepsy Type 2. Cataplexy.Restless Leg Syndrome. Sleep Paralysis. Hallucinations. 

Content List

1. Alarm Clock- This clock has an adapter that vibrates my bed, while the alarm screams at me to get up and go to class.

2. Lamp.

3. Mug.

4. Ceramic Pot.

5. Glasses.

6. 5 Books- One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey.

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov.

The Book of Human Emotions: From Ambiguphobia to Umpty- 154 Words From Around The World For How We Feel, by Tiffany Watt Smith.

Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult.

Dust, by Patricia Cornwall

Content of Drawers

7.  Prescription Medications.

8. Vitamins.

9. Pill Organizer.

10. Notebook.

11. Eye Cover.

Managing Narcolepsy

It took nine years, and several misdiagnosis, before I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy type 2, with mild cataplexy. Narcolepsy makes me suffer from horrific nightmares, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. I take a nap, or two, every day, and they can range anywhere from 2 to 8 hours. The biggest thing about Narcolepsy is that no matter how much sleep the person gets, they will never feel fully rested. The comparison that is often given is that the average, healthy person would have to stay awake for 48-72 hours to feel the exhaustion that a person suffering from Narcolepsy faces every day. I have had excruciating nightmares for 9 years, and often wake up multiple times a night because of them. I very much value the rare nights that I have a good dream. Narcolepsy takes a toll on my friendships, daily accomplishments, activities, work and school life. On top of being tired, restless leg syndrome (they often go hand in hand) can keep me up at night and cause me to need to walk around during class. I  Staying awake during the day without a stimulant is nearly impossible. To manage my condition I rely heavily on medications. I have intense nerve pain in my feet from a medication that I previously took, and this side-effect hasn't gone away, and may never. 

My anxiety and depression levels vary from day to day, so yoga, hiking, meditation, and an arsenal of vitamins help to center me and provide a little boost when I very much need it. Some of my medications include heavy appetite suppression, and I've lost over 30 pounds in the past year, so it's important that I try to remind myself to eat. Focusing on school can be difficult, and as an architecture student, this can be incredibly frustrating. However, I try to deal with everything through humor. I am a human sloth. I am a human Koala. I might need 20 hours of sleep a day to survive, but those 4 hours I have left are some of the best.

Everything that I need lives in my nightstand for the days that I cannot get up. The intimacy of my nightstand and all of its contents are very near and dear to me, and sharing this private part of my life with others feels liberating.