Afraid to laugh on Christmas Day

My mum has disabilities called Narcolepsy and Cataplexy. The first is a sleep disorder you may have heard of. It means Mum’s sleep cycle isn’t on a 24-hour loop like ours. She is awake some of the night and needs to sleep some of the day. Cataplexy is much rarer and only occurs in a minority of those with Narcolepsy. Cataplexy causes Mum’s muscles to stop working when she experiences emotions, for example she will collapse if she laughs or cries.

An excerpt from my memoir:

I thought back to the first time I saw Mum have a Cataplexy attack.

I was stood in the kitchen doorway, looking at her sat at the table. We were laughing and joking when things took a sharp turn.

Mum’s eyes started to twitch, and her head fell forward. Her chin was resting on her chest as she fought to breathe. I knew I needed to do something. My feet were planted to the floor as fear pulsed through me. She couldn’t breathe.

I snapped out of it and rushed towards her. I lifted her head back and our eyes connected, all I could think was, ‘I’ve got you mum.’

Disabilities don’t disappear on Christmas day. Mum hates that she needs to have sleeps on Christmas Day. It pains me to see how hurt she is when she walks up the stairs to have a sleep and leave her (this year) 9-year-old downstairs.

Narcolepsy sucks. Mum having to miss out and have sleeps sucks. But, cataplexy, that is a horrific and cruel disorder. A couple of Christmas’ ago we were playing our yearly family bingo game. Yep, we are that family, we love a good family game. Things got out of hand and people started drawing on each other with markers. Mum laughed and lost control of her arm. It fell down like a dead weight and crashed into the table, bruising her wrist badly.

I see it in Mum when we play games. Nervous to join in. Worried to collapse and be embarrassed, especially if it isn’t just her own children present. As we have got older and in laws are now at the table, it has become more difficult for Mum to brush it off. Her four adult kids are, heartbreakingly, used to it. We ensure her safety, then divert attention away while she recovers.

I would give anything to take Narcolepsy and Cataplexy away from Mum every day. But on Christmas Day, Cataplexy breaks my heart.

This post has been written with Mum’s full backing and we both wish it to be shared and spoken about with your friends and family. Don’t laugh at people that have fallen asleep in public. Please have an awareness of Narcolepsy and Cataplexy and what they do to people’s lives.

No one should feel guilty for their disability on Christmas Day. Please don’t allow your family members to feel that way.

Found this blog helpful? You can support my writing and say thanks by buying me a coffee 🙂