100/365 - Miriam Lanigan, Shankhill, Dublin.

Dublin

8 Apr

Miriam didn’t always have narcolepsy, she developed it when she was in her 40s. It sounds like an incredibly debilitating disorder to have. It affects her ability to drive, to work and to just partake in the simplest of life’s tasks. She is battling with tiredness the whole time she’s awake.

She also suffers with cataplexy, which she describes as almost being drunk, your legs just go from under you, you lose control of your muscles, and you cannot speak to let those around you know that you’ll be fine in a few moments.

With all of this going on, it’s hard for Miriam to travel, to visit her son and his family in Canada. She’s fearful of airports and high stress situations that can bring on the cataplexy. However, she’s still positive. She feels that out of all the neurological disorders she could have gotten, this one was the best.