When you’re competing in an important golf tournament, the last thing you want to worry about is narcolepsy and cataplexy associated with narcolepsy — but those are two very big hurdles LPGA golf pro Nicole Jeray has had to deal with throughout her career.
Nicole began to fall asleep in class during her college years but explained it away by thinking everybody is tired in college. She was sleepy for about five years before being diagnosed. Her excessive daytime sleepiness got worse and worse, and at times, she would even fall asleep while driving a car; but it wasn’t until the cataplexy kicked in that she became serious about finding help.
Cataplexy is when a person loses voluntary muscle control and it’s usually triggered by emotions. When Nicole hit a great golf shot, she’d have to redirect her focus immediately or be struck down by cataplexy.
Finally, her doctor referred her to a neurologist who, after running tests, said Nicole had a “textbook case of narcolepsy.” She was thrilled to have a name for what was wrong with her; she was so happy that she had a cataplexy attack on her way out of the neurologist’s office.
Since being on treatment, Nicole has been able to lead a normal and productive life. She continues to play professional golf, but she also speaks out about narcolepsy to help raise awareness.
