I have type 1 narcolepsy, initially diagnosed as type 2. This man and his work has given us so much hope in future treatment options starting with oveporexton hopefully coming into the market this year.
Little is known or understood by the general public about this condition besides the comedic tropes in the media. They’re so pervasive I, and a few doctors I’ve seen since, have doubted my condition since I don’t fall down dramatically any time I laugh (and my cataplexy isn’t triggered by positive emotions anyway). However, Narcolepsy has a lower quality of life even compared to other chronic illnesses like diabetes, MS, or epilepsy.. A third of narcoleptics, including me, lose their job because of it. And because this is an invisible chronic illness, usually we’re just accused of laziness instead of taken seriously.
It’s just such a stigmatized misunderstood and debilitating condition I’m glad he decided to dedicate so many decades to finding us an answer even if there’s still so much we don’t know about narcolepsy and hypersomnia.
N2 here. It was mild all my life, down at the “quirky” level, so I wasn’t diagnosed. Everyone who had ever lived with me knew something was weird with how much I slept, but not enough to be a concern.
Then a year and a half ago it ramped up to devastating over the course of a couple weeks. I lost my job but luckily was able to find a new, less stressful one. After cycling through multiple sleep doctors and multiple tests that take months to get, I’m finally on two daytime meds. They help, but nowhere near enough. I have another in December and then hopefully I can get on Xyrem and/or oveporexton.
Anyway, I just want to say I get it, it sucks how much of your life it takes away, and I hope that better treatments are found for all of us.