Finally An Answer

I had my sleep studies on September 22nd and September 23rd.

It took the tech 45 minutes to hook me up to all those bells and whistles and then I simply went to sleep without much difficulty.

The daytime, multiple sleep latency test, was a lot more challenging. They woke me at 6:45 and I had to change into my regular clothes. Every two hours they let me nap for 15 minutes. It was hard to stay awake and one time I fell asleep. It was eerie as they yelled at me through the ceiling to wake up.

I saw my pulmonologist and he told me that I have excessive daytime sleepiness, or narcolepsy! It felt so good after all these months to have a real diagnosis and that it wasn’t just in my head!

The bad news about this scenario is that the number one choice to treat narcolepsy is Nuvigil, with the copay for my insurance being $239.00. I just can’t swing that. I’m going to call my doctor and see if there is anything cheaper that I could go on that works nearly as well.

Another cause for concern is that some of these drugs can affect my mental illness. I am also going to call my psychiatrist to see if she recommends these types of drugs.

My pulmonologist did say I will not feel better right away. I do feel worried that nothing will work for me and I will have to live like this forever. I want to get my life back, want to be in control and want more energy and awake time for Tyler. I slept much of the day away today.

But as I said, there is such a relief to know what is wrong with me. My worst nightmare would have been them saying that my tests were normal!

I will keep you posted as I continue this journey.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

About mamasick

Emily Cullen is a pen-name. I suffer from chronic illnesses and diseases which include Bipolar Disorder, Asthma, Diabetes and Fibromyalgia. I had battled Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis but there is no longer evidence of me having these diseases and my Rheumatologist has declared them to be "burnt out" of my system. I am separated from my husband, “Grant”. Our son, “Tyler” was born in September of 2006 and suffers from tics and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and is delayed in fine and gross motor skills. In my blog I seek to let sick moms know that they are not the only ones going through this, and to educate people about what can happens when one becomes catastrophically ill. I also strive to break down stereotypes of what a “Welfare Mom” is like. Anything that I have gone through due to being sick, is written on the pages of Mama Sick.

View all posts by mamasick →