Thanks to narcolepsy, Brianne had an unusual childhood.
She began having the symptoms of narcolepsy around the age of seven.
As a young girl, Brianne would sleepwalk into the kitchen and start fixing something to eat…only you probably wouldn’t want to eat what she was preparing.
One time, it was a blob of butter in a bowl covered with water.
Over time, school became more and more difficult–Brianne couldn’t stay awake long enough to retain any information.
Eventually, her narcolepsy forced Brianne to give up.
She left high school during freshman year. Brianne’s intent was to complete a GED, but even that proved too hard because of her excessive daytime sleepiness.
Not too long after ending her education, Brianne became a single mother to a baby girl. While she struggled to make ends meet through waitressing, she wanted a better life for her daughter, and thought she’d found just that when a position opened up in a local family-owned business.
Brianne was hired to take care of the administrative aspects of the company, but again, falling asleep at her desk created friction with her managers. Luckily, the owners of the company supported Brianne and she held onto that job. That is, until the company closed down.
Brianne took the news in stride, and immediately enrolled in a GED program because, by that time, she was on a treatment that was working for her. She is currently one class away from being awarded the long sought degree.
Through the years that she suffered with narcolepsy, no one ever seemed to know anything about the condition or the struggles Brianne went through.
Now, Brianne is changing that by sharing her story and getting involved with narcolepsy organizations.
