Random Sickfics

Jack(Narcolepsy)

It was an average Monday afternoon and I was so tired. I had been feeling extremely tired lately, I had been getting at least 9 hours of sleep every night but nothing was working. I continued walking with my friends towards the cafeteria.

My girlfriend, Zoe. and my friend, Michael, continued talking about something from class. As we entered the line and grabbed our trays an overwhelming feeling of tiredness came over me. Zoe nudged me to keep walking but I felt my legs give in and I fell to the floor succumbing to darkness.

Zoe's POV

I grabbed my tray and loaded it with food. Michael continued rambling on about what our history teacher said. I looked over at Jack, he yawned and was dragging his feet. I nudged him "Jack, keep the line moving," I said but he didn't answer.

Suddenly he fell to the ground I reached out to grab his arm but there was no luck. His tray was launched through the air along with mine during the attempt to catch him. "Someone get the nurse," Michael yelled. I turned him onto his back cleaning up some of the food.

"Excuse me, excuse me," the nurse said making her way through the crowd. With her assistance we lifted Jack into the wheelchair. The lunch duty teachers cleared out the children and a hold was issued. An ambulance was called and I phoned his parents.

When the paramedics arrived I was allowed to ride with him. Everything looked normal, normal blood pressure, blood sugar, and his vitals are fine. "What's going on?" I asked panicked. "We don't know yet, everything seems fine.They're going to have to do more tests when we get there," the paramedic explained.

Once we arrived they did millions of tests and scans but still nothing.

Jack's POV

I slowly opened my eyes, the tired feeling was lingering but I felt sort of better. Where am I? I thought to myself. "Jack? Are you awake love?" A voice asked. I turned my head and saw Zoe sitting beside me holding my hand. "What's going on? Where am I?" I asked her. "It's okay, you're okay. You're at the hospital. You passed out at school."

"My head hurts," I whined. At that moment a nurse walked in. "Ahh, I see you're awake, I have a few questions for you." I nodded and she continued. "How did you feel before you fainted?" She asked me. "I don't know. I didn't feel dizzy or anything. Jus' tired," I said squeezing Zoe's hand.

"Ok, we think we might know what's going on but we have a few more tests to do before we finalize the results," I sighed as she left.

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After hours of tests, phone calls, and sleeping the doctor came in with results. I held Zoe's hand tightly, my mother stroked my forehead and the doctor gave a sad smile.

"I've got good news and bad news. What do you want first?" He asked me. "Good," I said and he nodded. "Good news, we know what's wrong and we can help. Bad news, you have type 1 narcolepsy. This type can cause Cataplexy Attacks, which means It's not curable, but there is medicine you can take to reduce attacks," I looked over at my mom, tears in my eyes.

"Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles. you may feel rested after waking, but then feel very sleepy throughout much of the day." (thanks google) I nodded slowly and he continued explaining .

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Once I was released from the hospital I received much support from friends and family. I was given medication to help prevent the sleep attacks. It's been about a week and my parents are finally letting me go back to school.

I walked into the building, along side Michael and Zoe. I'm feeling a bit nervous and I'm feeling pretty tired today. I can feel the attack coming as I walk into the building. Before I knew it my legs buckled and I fell to the floor. Zoe and Michael caught me around the waist and lowered me to the ground.

I was shocked by the sudden weakness. I felt an overwhelming sense and grew tired as I fell asleep in Zoe's arms.

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When I awoke I was in the nurses office. 'Way to go, on the first day' I thought to myself. I looked around and the nurse smiled and walked over to me. "Good, you're awake! Think you can go back to class?" She asked me.

"Yep, I'm ready," I announced, collecting my pass. I walked to class and endured the pain of school.

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When school let out I was feeling just as tired as when we started. "How was class honey?" My mother asked as I climbed into her car. "It was okay," I replied with a yawn. "I'm just really tired."

My mom glanced over at me with concern. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Maybe we should call the doctor and see if there's anything else we can do to help manage your narcolepsy."I nodded, realizing that maybe I needed to explore other options to cope with my condition. As we drove home, I made a mental note to schedule an appointment with my doctor and discuss different strategies for managing my sleepiness.

Over the next few weeks, I worked closely with my doctor to find the right combination of medication, lifestyle adjustments, and coping mechanisms to help me navigate through my day-to-day life. It was a gradual process, but eventually, I started feeling more stable and in control.I also decided to be open about my condition with my friends and classmates. I explained what narcolepsy was and how it affected me, hoping that they would understand and be supportive. To my surprise, they were incredibly understanding and empathetic. They offered to help me in any way they could, whether it was reminding me to take my medication or helping me catch up on missed classwork.

With the support of my loved ones and a newfound understanding of my condition, I began to embrace my narcolepsy as part of who I am. It no longer defined me, but rather became something I learned to manage and live with.

As time went on, I discovered various strategies to help me stay awake and focused throughout the day. I made sure to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, practiced good sleep hygiene, and took short power naps when needed. I also found that regular exercise and a healthy diet helped improve my energy levels.

Though there were still occasional challenges and setbacks, I refused to let narcolepsy hold me back from pursuing my dreams and aspirations. I continued to work hard in school, participated in extracurricular activities, and eventually went on to pursue a career in psychology to help others who may be facing similar challenges.

Looking back, that average Monday afternoon when I collapsed in the cafeteria turned out to be a turning point in my life. It was a wake-up call, both literally and figuratively, that led me on a journey to success despite my challenges.