narcolepsy Archives — Kayla M Douglas

21May 2021 by Kayla No Comments

How to Grow in a Pandemic

Life Coaching

From the beginning people were talking about ways to grow in a pandemic. They suggested learning a language, picking up that hobby you never make time for, and lots of other ways to distract ourselves. While many of us were not in the mental space to grow our skills, personal growth was still taking place as we faced our challenges. The pandemic has been on our minds for over a year now. We all are coping with it in different ways, and many of us are even thriving. A number of people are going through a spiritual awakening and experiencing huge amounts of personal growth. Image by pedro_wroclaw from Pixabay Adapting to Change Adapting to change is one of the challenges when it comes to personal development. When we want…

21Apr 2021 by Kayla No Comments

Is Keto the Best Narcolepsy Diet?

Diet

There is no perfect diet for narcolepsy, just like there is no perfect pill for it. But food is an important part of my narcolepsy symptom management. So how you can find out what is the best narcolepsy diet for you? Experiment While I don't believe there is any specific diet that works for everyone, there is a lot of evidence that the ketogenic diet is good for narcolepsy. But we are still all unique individuals. I believe some of this could be due to our metabolic types. Some people have a harder time processing carbs than others, and those are generally the people who benefit from keto. It makes sense that some of them would have narcolepsy, but that not everyone with narcolepsy has this same metabolic type. A…

12Apr 2021 by Kayla No Comments

How to Accept a Chronic Diagnosis

Mindset

I see it over and over again. We fight to get a diagnosis from a doctor and then we have no idea how to accept the diagnosis. We wanted validation that what we were experiencing was real. But we didn't know how much baggage was going to come with it. Many of us go through stages of grief if it is said to be a chronic or life-long illness. It's important to honor that. Image from unsplash.com Some of us lose our sense of identity. That is hard, and painful, and while you are going through it, you deserve support and compassion. But you may not find anyone who can offer you what you need. That is okay. You can offer it to yourself by choosing to acceptance. This is…

21Mar 2021 by Kayla No Comments

How to Treat Migraine Naturally

life hacks

Quick Tips for Migraine Management I'm going to assume if you are here right now, you might be in some stage of a migraine so I will try to keep this as short and sweet as possible! Please feel free to ask questions, comment, or challenge my ideas about how to treat migraine naturally. I am not a doctor and these all come from my own experience living with migraine and narcolepsy. Photo by Yomex Owo on Unsplash 1. Hydrate Think electrolytes so add some lime, cucumber, salt, whatever replenishes you best. Water is my medicine of choice for treating migraine naturally. But if you are drinking plain water, it is possible to go overboard and flush out too many electrolytes. Be aware more is not always better. 2. Ground…

25Feb 2021 by Kayla No Comments

Wake Up Happy with Narcolepsy

Mindset

I'm a morning person, so I wake up happy every day. And I have had narcolepsy most of my life, if not all of it. When I tell people my best hours are first thing in the morning and I'd be happy to meet them online at 7am my time, they seem baffled. How can a person with narcolepsy also be a morning person? And how does anyone wake up happy? Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash For a long time I thought I wasn't a morning person and I definitely wasn't a night person? Could I be an afternoon person? But the afternoons are best for naps! How could I find a part of my day that was really my best time when I felt tethered to sleep? Well…

25Jan 2021 by Kayla No Comments

Have you tried L-CM for Narcolepsy?

life hacks

Perhaps you have heard from another PWN about using L-CM for Narcolepsy. If you are not on Facebook, you may have had trouble finding the information you desire about this alternative treatment. L-CM stands for L-Citrulline Malate. Luckily, the inspiring man that came up with this simple and unique intervention has started his own YouTube channel to share the information far and wide! While I am not the expert on the subject, I have tried L-CM for Narcolepsy. I will share with you what I experienced. Image by Brian Remmerde Medical Disclaimer Of course before starting a supplement, its always important to discuss the implications with your doctor. Everyone's health situation is unique, and you need to confirm if any of your medications or health conditions might have contraindications. In…

18Dec 2020 by Kayla No Comments

My Experience with Depression and Narcolepsy

Personal Story

Ten years ago I never would have said I was grateful for Depression and Narcolepsy. I felt like they were ruining my life. I was the victim and there was nothing I could do about it. But today I am living a completely different story. Depression and narcolepsy were catalysts that forced me to take a harder look at what I’m doing in life. Eventually they propelled me to create a life worth living. It didn’t happen overnight and it wasn’t magic. But it has lead me to live a magical life. Diagnosed with Narcolepsy But let's start at the beginning. I have had narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects the sleep-wake cycle for as long as I can remember. When I started full-day school, it was hard for me…

14Oct 2020 by Kayla No Comments

What Causes Narcolepsy – A Natural Theory

Narcolepsy

I picked up Louise Hay's book, Heal Your Body: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Metaphysical Way to Overcome Them. I wasn't thinking about what causes narcolepsy, just about healing in general. For the most part, I have a good handle on my health. I don't feel like narcolepsy has much impact on my day to day life anymore, and the migraines get better each time I face them and look at the underlying cause. But I figured looking at one more approach won't hurt me. This book lists a variety of ailments, suggests an emotional cause, and then gives an affirmation to help you heal the emotions that might be manifesting at the symptom. Screenshot of Author's Kindle Notes Louise Hay's Message "For us to become whole…

07Oct 2020 by Kayla No Comments

Taylor Schilling Claims to have Quarantine Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy

Less than two weeks after World Narcolepsy Day, I see the term "quarantine narcolepsy" on my newsfeed. When I learned that it was a reference to narcolepsy on Late Night with Seth Meyers, I was vaguely curious. Image by Christo Anestev from Pixabay Seth Meyers asked Taylor Schilling, known for her role as Piper in Orange is the New Black, if she has developed any new coping mechanisms during quarantine. She responded, "I think I've become a bit of a narcoleptic person like I hear like oh 'plague and pestilence' and then I go [ugly face] and I pass out again. [laughing] Like I just leap or I'll fall asleep in different areas and new places, it's uncomfortable." Seth responds, "That's interesting. So you just think you have like an…

17Sep 2020 by Kayla 3 Comments

Paula’s Story of Living with Narcolepsy

Personal Story

Keeping Illness Invisible "In 1979, fresh out of high school living in Atlanta, I was ready to start my life," says Paula. "Going to school full time, working part-time, and enjoying a full social life, I never felt there was anything wrong with sleeping every moment I could. It was even okay when my friends started teasing me for always falling asleep." As far back as college, Paula remembers sleeping a lot. "Back then I blew it off as being young, clubbing, and drinking too many Pink Champales." Paula worked part-time, did her school work, and didn't think anything of spending her Tuesday nights enjoying Ladies night at Cisco's on Campbellton Road, in Atlanta. As they piled into the car, her friend Veronica would say, "Paula is going to…

28May 2020 by Kayla 3 Comments

Learn How to Live with Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy

On Sunday, I was on a Facebook live chat with Project Sleep to share how I live with narcolepsy. First I read an article I wrote as part of the Rising Voices of Narcolepsy program. Then, Julie Flygare asked me some questions about how I manage narcolepsy and what my experience has been like. You can watch that here. Our conversation helped me realize that I have done a whole lot more than I ever realized to live with narcolepsy. Things that I just see as part of my habits and daily life now are actual strategies for treating Narcolepsy. I know there are plenty of things that I didn’t think of mentioning in the hour we had Live. So I’ve tried to list them out simply below. This has…

08May 2020 by Kayla No Comments

Can you really reduce migraine with hypnosis?

life hacks

A journey of self-understanding I was at a point where I would do anything to reduce migraine symptoms. I had tried everything from continuous birth control to the ketogenic diet and they had come back yet again. That's why I turned to some alternative methods that I had never considered for physical symptoms. It turns out, even my physical symptoms often have emotional roots. Before you read further, I will clarify I am not a medical doctor. I'm not trying to claim that it is anyone's fault that they have a medical disorder. Usually, I talk about narcolepsy, but today I'm going to share a bit about migraine. I had been trying to answer the question, "Why me?" when it came to my physical pain and suffering. But after years…

23Dec 2019 by Kayla No Comments

Are you authentic?

Mindset

And what does it mean? “Who are you?” I was asked that question in an interview on Monday. I fumbled a lot because I have this definition of WHO I am, but I didn’t feel like it was the answer my interviewer was looking for. What did I say? I answered that I was a life coach, an American living in Myanmar, a former ESL teacher, and a person with narcolepsy and chronic migraine. Why? The interview was for a volunteer position with the Migraine World Summit, so that’s what seemed relevant. We’ve been trained to show the sides of us that make us most qualified for a position in life, to get the job. Even though I know better, my training kicked in, and I said what I had…

19Nov 2019 by Kayla 2 Comments

Mindful Coloring

Mindset

This week I met with some wonderful people to talk about mindfulness and how we can be more mindful throughout the day. The first technique we talked about was to remove the words "no" and "not" from what we tell our brain to do. For example, instead of saying, "Don't forget your sunglasses, you can say, Remember your sunglasses." The brain receives the message better that way and you are more likely to actually remember them. We also discussed observing the barrage of thoughts in our heads like a train. You can either be aware and watch the train go by or you can get on the train and visit all the emotional states the train takes off to. Everyone was encouraged to choose a trigger point, something you do…

15Sep 2019 by Kayla 4 Comments

Connecting with Positivity on Instagram

Uncategorized

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a tough battle.” This is one of many quotes that Jill Hetrick, a 41-year-old woman from Erie, Pennsylvania lives by. Jill has a mission to help others who are living with narcolepsy better their lives by improving their outlook. Jill Hetrick, 2019 Jill was diagnosed with narcolepsy in 1996 after years of symptoms dragging her down. During college, she found ways to cope with her sleepiness, not realizing it was beyond the realm of what a normal student would experience. She was determined to be a good student. “If I had a group meeting, I took a five-minute nap before the meeting and showed up. I didn’t want to let other people down.” Jill had supportive roommates that were in many of…