10May 2019 by Kayla No Comments
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Mindset
 You may THINK you know more than you actually know. It may sound like common sense. But once you start thinking about it, it's actually a little bit more complicated than it seems.  What do I mean by that? There are lots of things that we believe are facts.  We probably learned them when we were small children, and we stored them in our mind as fact when they are actually beliefs.  We don’t think about why we believe these things are true. We are not made to question what we have already accepted. Think about it.  When was the last time you tried to prove yourself wrong? Here are some examples. [caption id="attachment_1042" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Image by White77 from Pixabay[/caption] Beliefs About Sleep Sleep is for the weak. That is…
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03May 2019 by Kayla No Comments
Unconditional Positive Regard

Unconditional Positive Regard

Mindset
You may know about unconditional love, but have you heard of unconditional positive regard? When you wake up in the morning, do you ever think… “I really want to make some people mad today! I’m going to piss them off, hurt their feelings, and really make them feel awful.”  I doubt it. I honestly doubt I know anyone that wakes up and thinks that. Sure, I’m not going to argue that there are people like that who exist, but in the circle of people that I interact with, I haven’t seen them. So why is it that we all come across situations where we do piss people off? We do hurt people’s feelings, even when it's not our intention. Often it feels like it's out of our control.   [caption…
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19Apr 2019 by Kayla No Comments
Mindfulness Increases Energy

Mindfulness Increases Energy

Lifestyle, Mindset
I never realized how much energy was burnt by the thoughts running through my head, until I found that mindfulness increases energy. Recently I disclosed to a friend how much I have battled with my body over the years.  I have never had an eating disorder. But I have always felt as if I was taking up too much space. I wanted to make myself disappear, or shrink into a miniature version of myself. But I never knew how. I’ve hidden my insecurities and self-harm for years. But recently, I decided to live a more authentic life and talk about things that most of society keeps under wraps. Body Issues When my friend and I discussed this issue, she told me she didn’t know my generation still had this problem.…
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16Apr 2019 by Kayla No Comments
Choosing Life

Choosing Life

Personal Story
Choosing life didn't even feel like an option when I was depressed...  One morning I heard my alarm ringing. I buried my head under the pillow, like covering my head in cotton would make the day dissipate. My roommate threw a book at my legs to get my attention. I regretted that the sound was also disturbing her rest, so I sat up and turned it off.  As I hunkered there below the ceiling taking shallow breaths, exasperated before even leaving my lofted bed, I vowed to myself this wouldn’t go on much longer. I was 18 years old, and for the previous months, I had been applying to colleges. But I didn’t see myself [caption id="attachment_976" align="alignright" width="225"] This was me in April 2010[/caption] there. I didn’t see myself…
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29Mar 2019 by Kayla No Comments
Narcolepsy Coaching

Narcolepsy Coaching

Mindset
Narcolepsy Coaching is a new concept.  Interested in finding out what it's all about? Are you tired of feeling tired?  Do you dream of waking up and feeling like you slept? Is your goal to get out of bed with purpose and not snooze your alarm? Do you wonder how much of your fatigue is normal, and how much is because you are living with narcolepsy? If any of these apply to you, then you are in the right place. [caption id="attachment_317" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me in awe of a beach in Tanzania, 2017[/caption] What do I want to offer? I want to help you get from just coping with your symptoms, to living your best life.  Sure, I recognize there is no narcolepsy cure (although I try to keep up…
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23Mar 2019 by Kayla 2 Comments
Letter From a Person Living with Narcolepsy

Letter From a Person Living with Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy, Personal Story
Dear friend, Do you remember that time we had big plans to do something amazing on the weekend? I told you at the last minute that I really wanted to go but I just couldn’t do it.  Well, I remember it. Because it was hard for me to make the decision to take care of myself instead of going to do something fun that I was really looking forward to. What did I do that day? Instead, I spent the day making sure I had healthy food lined up for the week. As part of my self-care routine, I took a few short controlled naps. Focused on physical and mental health, I drank a gallon of water and meditated. I arranged my calendar for the week so I would not…
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27Feb 2019 by Kayla No Comments
How to Treat Narcolepsy

How to Treat Narcolepsy

Diet, Lifestyle, Narcolepsy
There are a million resources out there that will tell you how to treat narcolepsy medically including various stimulants, or other medications like Baclofen, or Xyrem. There are also some new medications being tested that sound promising, but I don't have any personal experience with those. For some people, when they receive the right combination of medications, their narcolepsy is managed well and they go on with their life, which is amazing.  But for many of us, the medications alone don’t give us the results we desire. Physically our bodies are all different and mentally we are all in different places as well. So, it makes sense we all need different things to treat narcolepsy symptoms. (more…)
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14Feb 2019 by Kayla 4 Comments
From Self-Hate to Self-Love

From Self-Hate to Self-Love

Mindset, Personal Story
Her small hands hesitate just the slightest bit as they brush over the thick pink scars.  Brown eyes meet mine and then immediately flick back down to the rushing water of the pedicure chair. Her eyes pry, "What happened to you?" or "Who did this to you?" I can't be sure which. (more…)
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01Feb 2019 by Kayla No Comments
Tell me how you take time to love yourself!

Tell me how you take time to love yourself!

Narcolepsy
Write down the five things that are most important to you in the whole world. I'll wait a moment while you do that…. If you are anything like me, your list may include values like independence or peace; it may consist of goals or aspirations, or people like your family or friends. But tell me, are YOU on that list? (more…)
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03Jan 2019 by Kayla No Comments
My New Year’s Revolution

My New Year’s Revolution

Mindset, Narcolepsy
Most New Year's Resolutions I have made in the past have been about changing myself.  They could be changing my appearance, like losing weight or taking better care of my skin. Others have been about making more money or saving more money in the hopes of feeling a certain way.  Some have been about exercising more, doing more meditation, or reading more books. But this year I am going to try something different. (more…)
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12Dec 2018 by Kayla 4 Comments
Breaking up with Keto – Stopping the Ketogenic Diet

Breaking up with Keto – Stopping the Ketogenic Diet

Mindset, Personal Story
So, I've got a theory about stopping the ketogenic diet.  It is a theory that I am ready to test out; my mind is more powerful than my body.  You see, my whole life I've worked to try to fix my body, trying to do things to it to make it better, to change it.  For as long as I can remember, I have fought with my body. Today I've decided to surrender. Narcolepsy My parents and I searched for something to explain my insurmountable sleepiness and lack of energy. When I was about 13 years old, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy.   Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that disturbs the sleep-wake cycle.  But little did I know, its more than just feeling sleepy.  I took that diagnosis and wrapped it…
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13Nov 2018 by Kayla No Comments
Cataplexy in a Cathedral

Cataplexy in a Cathedral

Narcolepsy, Personal Story, Travel
Sharing a plate of fried watercress, a heaping dish of tea leaf salad, and a bowl of eggplant curry, I found myself saying more about my chronic illness than I ever expected to disclose on a first encounter. I heard myself explaining things my body does in words I had never strung together verbally before. Maybe it was the second glass of wine, or maybe it was the humid air, the colorful Myanmar decor, and the attentive listener on the other side of the able. He seemed genuinely interested in how a person with narcolepsy had come to travel as a lifestyle choice. (more…)
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31Oct 2018 by Kayla No Comments
Scared of the Dark: The Narcolepsy Symptoms That Nobody Talks About

Scared of the Dark: The Narcolepsy Symptoms That Nobody Talks About

Narcolepsy, Personal Story
One night around age eight, I was lying in bed thinking of the fun I had had that day with my family. I opened my eyes slowly to see a huge, hairy, manlike monster hovering above me on the ceiling. His appendages stuck to the plaster effortlessly, like a giant spider, and I could see his gigantic teeth waiting to sink into my flesh. I was completely paralyzed. So much that I couldn’t even scream. I lay there on my Care Bear sheets, trapped in my own body, unable to even clench my fists, or turn my head away from the terrifying sight above me. He dropped onto my chest, and I could feel the enormous pressure of his weight. The next thing I knew, it was morning. As a…
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