Imagine what it would be like to feel weak every time a strong emotion took hold.
Of course, we all know that feeling when our knees feel weak or our stomachs turn into a net of butterflies when we are falling in love. But what if it is was every emotion.
- Say goodbye to a loved one, fall into a heap on the ground.
- Nervous about a presentation, can’t stand up, can’t even sit up in the chair.
- Ecstatic your favorite soccer team beat their biggest rival, arms won’t punch the sky in victory.
21-year-old Annabelle knows this all too well, because this real-life sleeping beauty suffers from narcolepsy.
This young lady from Buckingham, England, can nod off into dream land as many as 20 times in a single day.
Annabelle was first diagnosed with narcolepsy when she was just a teenager. Doctors seemed to think it was the result of a complications involving a swine flu vaccination. Her classmates teased her, as teenagers are frequently unforgiving of differences in classmates.
Narcolepsy throws various parts of her life into chaos.
She has fallen asleep during meals, in class, at the gym, even during exams. The place that she dreads the most is while on a date. Her first serious boyfriend, when she went off to college, ended up dumping her because he wanted her to be able to eat an entire meal and stay up late with him.
A few years later, when she was afraid she’d never be able to find a guy who would accept her for who she was, she was hit with another life altering diagnosis. At just 19, she was told she suffered from cataplexy, a sudden weakening of muscles. Her episodes are brought on by experiencing strong emotions. These two conditions frequently present together. As if one rare disease wasn’t enough!
Now, with two strange and little-known conditions, her prospects seemed to her, to have vanished.
All of that was about to change.
While with her family on vacation, she met a guy. He asked her out. While on their first date, she drifted off to sleep. Luckily, this new Dutch beau was very understanding and supporting when she awoke and explained her conditions.
They’ve developed certain habits to cope with her conditions. He makes sure that he holds her tightly when they say goodbye, in case her knees give way. Sometimes, he holds the base of her neck so that her head doesn’t droop when they kiss.
It looks like this Sleeping Beauty has finally found her Prince Charming.
Let’s hope they have a storybook life together. Read more about Annabelle and her boyfriend Miekal by clicking here.
