Narcolepsy

Gayle's Own Story

Narcolepsy (nar'ko-lep"se) recurrent uncontrollable desire for sleep. Narcolep'tic.adj

Sometime in 1977

I stood there in his office, looking at an obese, man, setting behind his desk hoping that he would have some answers for me. He was my neurologist. I had just finished a battery of test, hoping to find out what was wrong with me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was confirmed, yes, I have Narcolepsy. He pulled a pill bottle out of his drawer and said, "Here, take these and let me know how they work for you." I didn't attempt to reach for them so he got up out of his chair and came over to me, and made sure it tood them. I was still in shock.

He was irritated, and said,

"I don't know what is the matter with you, Everyone has something wrong with them!!!"

I looked up at him and thought. "I haven't taken a drugs, an aspirin, a soda, junk food, sugar or anything that I thought would harm my body since I was 22, I am now 29. I thought, "I have 4 children under the age of 11 to support, and you want me just to take some pills that you know nothing about, and let you know how they work!!?"

I had hoped for more of an answer. Something that would help me understand this disorder. What I got was more uncertaintenty.

Narcolepsy (nar'ko-lep"se). That is what I had. A recurrent uncontrollable desire for sleep. Narcolep'tic.adj That was me.

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I didn't know how to "fix or cure it" Yet, for the past 7 years I had cured or recovered from many physical illnesses, and disorders.

At one time I was very ill, but once I learn about nutrition, food, sugar, vitamins etc. I was able to turn my health around. I was considered a "health nut" to all my friends. I delegated myself as my own family doctor. I took charge of my health and the health of my children. But here I am, single mother, no support from the dads, parents etc. and all I knew was, I couldn't be sick. Who was going to take care of us?

I knew it would be only a matter of time and I would have a serious car accident, burn down the house by leaving the stove on, or not be awake if something tragic happened to my kids. With Narcolepsy, you fall asleep and you don't even know you are out.

I couldn't stay awake long enough to go through a day, let alone an hour. I was already having serious problems at HP where I worked in production. I would get lost walking to or from the bathroom.

Fall asleep at my desk, waking up only to find I have nearly caused an accident. I could only drive for about 1/2 minute and I would be asleep. Many times I found my self-waking up, just in time to keep from running into a ditch or hitting another car.

My kids would get up in the morning to get ready for school and before I knew it I was waking up from a deep sleep. I would be terrorized, I didn't know how long I had been asleep, or where the kids were, or had I have left something cooking on the stove…. My god, anything could have happened.

I tried to get help from SSI. But I couldn't stay awake in there office long enough to fill out the forms, and I couldn't remember my appointments or what documents to bring to my appointments. I finally had to quit HP.

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I didn't know about disability. I didn't want anyone to know I had a problem so I said I had a better job, and quit. I was on ADC in between jobs. A lady in the employment office was so kind, she knew how much I wanted to work, she did everything she could to help me find a job.

I would find work, and I would be ok for the 1st few days. Because it was new it would work out. As soon as the job became a routine, I would start falling asleep again. I didn't take the drugs the doctor had given me.

The day he gave them to me I took them to a friend who was a DA at the sheriffs department. He taught me how use Medical Reference Dictionary. He said, "if the information is written with regular print and the article is short, the item is somewhat safe.

However, if it is written in bold, or large print it is not as safe. When we looked up this drug, it had two pages of bold large print that said, "Warning, this drug is dangerous. Warning: Do not administer without medical supervision at all times. Warning this drug depletes bone marrow, warning."

The DA then said, "I am sure this is the same drug that killed my brother-in-law, last month."

I didn't know what to do. I began to contemplate finding homes for my children. How was I going to be able to take care of them? Sharee was 5, Shane was 6, Brion was 9 and Kari 11.

I believe God helps all whom ask. And I knew, "if I could stayl alive long enough, I would find a cure".

In 1980 I had met a man, got engaged and went with him Tahoe California from Boise Idaho.

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Together we tried to find doctors that might help. No luck. But I didn't have to worry about supporting my kids. He had a plumbing company in Tahoe and he began to teach me that trade.

I would go to work with him, and learn what I could. But more days than not, I would find myself waking up in the seat of the truck, or underneath a house, (yes, I crawled houses with him), or not make it out of our house on days I was going to work with him. I didn't have the stress of being a single mother any more, but that didn't change my condition.

I still couldn't drive, read, or set sill for more than a few moments without going into a deep sleep.

For those of us who have narcolopsy, when we fall asleep, we skip the first 2 stages of sleep and go deep into the 3rd stage. It isn't restful. I felt detached from my body. I had to teach my kids how to bring me back from this "place" that I would go.

They would quietly talk to me, look for a movement of my finger. This was the only way I could communicate. I didn't know where I was, but I knew I wasn't completely in my body like most people. So waking up was very difficult. The kids would look for a movement from my hand or finger, ask if I wanted to wake up, and then stay with me and gently talk to me until I could "come back". It was a very scary thing.

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Because if someone didn't come and help me wake up, I couldn't. It was very difficult. So being married and not having as much stress in my life helped, but it didn't cure the Narcolepsy.

Then in 1982, a friend of mine sent me a "colon cleansing product" She didn't know I had narcolopsy. Her husband was an Iridologist and Nature Sunshine Herbs. I took them; they were awful.

A few months later our family drove to Seattle where my friend and her husband were and they taught me how to use the products. He did an iris reading for me, and then we returned home.

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I didn't have to worry about working and was fascinated with Iridology so I sent away for the correspondence course. During the time I was still taking this colon-cleaning product. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get though the course, because it was so difficult for me to stay awake while reading. But an amazing thing happened.

What was suppose to be a year course, I finished in 6 weeks. I wasn't falling asleep. I was having problems with my marriage, and took the kids on a trip to Vernal UT. I drove 12 hrs. at a time, and only stopped because I was "tired". I didn't fall asleep. Not one time.

I went to see a girlfriend and from there drove to Boise Idaho, to visit family and friends. I then learned about a wonderful product called Barley Green. After a few days there I drove 10 hrs. back to Tahoe. I was about 85% to 90% cured from Narcolopsy.

During the time I was taking the correspondence course, I learned about cleaning the colon with water. I bought a home style system, called a colema board. It was wonderful. Colon Cleansing saved my life.

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Why do I think colon cleansing save my life? Let me ask you. If you only had a bowel movement once in 10 days, how sick do you think you would be? Since childhood when my mother questioned doctors about this condition of constipation they said, "That is normal for her."

Do the math. In one day - 3 meals in, 1 meal out in 10 days? If you, or any one you know has Narcolopsy share this testimony with them. This disorder nearly took my life. Today I have 10 grand children and a wonderful life.

InternalAwareness.com

GayleMarie Bradshaw