Before I Knew
The years before it had a name
Long before narcolepsy was written on anything official, there was a quieter story: explaining yourself constantly, assuming the problem was character rather than biology, and building an entire life around a symptom nobody had named yet.
This collection is about that period. It exists mostly for people who are still in it, and for the people who love them.
Only finished, readable pieces are listed here. More may be added over time.
Available to read
The collection
For the Longest Time, I Had Narcolepsy and Didn't Know It
I spent most of my life believing constant exhaustion was something I simply had to manage. Receiving a Type 1 narcolepsy diagnosis gave me an answer—and an entirely new question: now what?
The shorter pieces are still in review
The rest of this collection — the private explanations, the hiding, the appointments that went nowhere, and what changed afterwards — is written and waiting on Anne's approval before it is published. Nothing is listed here until it is finished and readable in full. The essay above already covers those years end to end.
Where to go next
If this sounds familiar
Start writing it down
The most useful thing available to you right now is your own record. The journal takes a date and a type — nothing more is required.
Open the journalNot sure what's going on?
There's a gentler pathway for people without a diagnosis, including how to prepare for an appointment without needing the right words in advance.
See that pathwayPlan the day you actually have
The Daily NAP Planner doesn't ask for a diagnosis, an account, or a wearable. It asks how today feels.
Open the planner