01Nov 2021 by Kayla No Comments
Thoughts About Death and Life on Earth

Thoughts About Death and Life on Earth

Mindset
On the Day of the Dead I want to share my thoughts about death for those that may be sad when I am dead. I likely won't have a chance to share a message when it's my time to go, and as that can come at any minute, the day of the dead seemed as good a day as any to share my personal thoughts about death. To those who may be sad when I am dead, Don’t be. There is no such thing as death. Hear me out-  What is death? If you know me at all, you know I didn’t like the whole go into a church, kneel and stand, sit and kneel routine. Organized religion wasn't for me after a point, but I am a spiritual being.  On…
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29Oct 2021 by Kayla No Comments
Avoiding Emotions with Narcolepsy

Avoiding Emotions with Narcolepsy

Mindset
Years back, I had gotten really good at avoiding emotions with narcolepsy. I was so distant from my own emotions, I didn't actually have a lot of opinions about things. I was okay with whatever happened. This neutrality prevented me from feeling those emotions that might trigger cataplexy, one of the lesser-known symptoms of Type 2 Narcolepsy. (more…)
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21May 2021 by Kayla No Comments
How to Grow in a Pandemic

How to Grow in a Pandemic

Life Coaching
From the beginning people were talking about ways to grow in a pandemic. They suggested learning a language, picking up that hobby you never make time for, and lots of other ways to distract ourselves. While many of us were not in the mental space to grow our skills, personal growth was still taking place as we faced our challenges. (more…)
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18Dec 2020 by Kayla No Comments
My Experience with Depression and Narcolepsy

My Experience with Depression and Narcolepsy

Personal Story
Ten years ago I never would have said I was grateful for Depression and Narcolepsy. I felt like they were ruining my life.  I was the victim and there was nothing I could do about it. But today I am living a completely different story.  Depression and narcolepsy were catalysts that forced me to take a harder look at what I’m doing in life. Eventually they propelled me to create a life worth living.  It didn’t happen overnight and it wasn’t magic.  But it has lead me to live a magical life.  Diagnosed with Narcolepsy But let's start at the beginning. I have had narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects the sleep-wake cycle for as long as I can remember. When I started full-day school, it was hard for me…
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07Oct 2020 by Kayla No Comments
Taylor Schilling Claims to have Quarantine Narcolepsy

Taylor Schilling Claims to have Quarantine Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy
Less than two weeks after World Narcolepsy Day, I see the term "quarantine narcolepsy" on my newsfeed. When I learned that it was a reference to narcolepsy on Late Night with Seth Meyers, I was vaguely curious. Image by Christo Anestev from Pixabay Seth Meyers asked Taylor Schilling, known for her role as Piper in Orange is the New Black, if she has developed any new coping mechanisms during quarantine. She responded, "I think I've become a bit of a narcoleptic person like I hear like oh 'plague and pestilence' and then I go [ugly face] and I pass out again. [laughing] Like I just leap or I'll fall asleep in different areas and new places, it's uncomfortable." Seth responds, "That's interesting. So you just think you have like an…
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08May 2020 by Kayla No Comments
Can you really reduce migraine with hypnosis?

Can you really reduce migraine with hypnosis?

life hacks
A journey of self-understanding I was at a point where I would do anything to reduce migraine symptoms. I had tried everything from continuous birth control to the ketogenic diet and they had come back yet again. That's why I turned to some alternative methods that I had never considered for physical symptoms. It turns out, even my physical symptoms often have emotional roots. Before you read further, I will clarify I am not a medical doctor. I'm not trying to claim that it is anyone's fault that they have a medical disorder. Usually, I talk about narcolepsy, but today I'm going to share a bit about migraine. I had been trying to answer the question, "Why me?" when it came to my physical pain and suffering. But after years…
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27Jan 2020 by Kayla No Comments
On Being Unf***withable

On Being Unf***withable

Mindset
I am consistently hearing people talk about being fuckwithable. Sure, they don't use that word, but they say things like, "You make me so mad! " or "This makes me feel sad. or "I know he is just a guy from Tinder, but I still obsess over why he hasn't texted me in 3 hours!" In many cases, people are handing over control of their emotions to other human beings. When you say, "you make me feel.." you are giving power to someone else, whether you realize it or not. That means you have the option to take back the control. In the case of someone not calling us back, we know rationally that the reaction is silly. But maybe we don't feel in control of changing it. There are…
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10May 2019 by Kayla No Comments
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Mindset
 You may THINK you know more than you actually know. It may sound like common sense. But once you start thinking about it, it's actually a little bit more complicated than it seems.  What do I mean by that? There are lots of things that we believe are facts.  We probably learned them when we were small children, and we stored them in our mind as fact when they are actually beliefs.  We don’t think about why we believe these things are true. We are not made to question what we have already accepted. Think about it.  When was the last time you tried to prove yourself wrong? Here are some examples. [caption id="attachment_1042" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Image by White77 from Pixabay[/caption] Beliefs About Sleep Sleep is for the weak. That is…
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27Feb 2019 by Kayla No Comments
How to Treat Narcolepsy

How to Treat Narcolepsy

Diet, Lifestyle, Narcolepsy
There are a million resources out there that will tell you how to treat narcolepsy medically including various stimulants, or other medications like Baclofen, or Xyrem. There are also some new medications being tested that sound promising, but I don't have any personal experience with those. For some people, when they receive the right combination of medications, their narcolepsy is managed well and they go on with their life, which is amazing.  But for many of us, the medications alone don’t give us the results we desire. Physically our bodies are all different and mentally we are all in different places as well. So, it makes sense we all need different things to treat narcolepsy symptoms. (more…)
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01Feb 2019 by Kayla No Comments
Tell me how you take time to love yourself!

Tell me how you take time to love yourself!

Narcolepsy
Write down the five things that are most important to you in the whole world. I'll wait a moment while you do that…. If you are anything like me, your list may include values like independence or peace; it may consist of goals or aspirations, or people like your family or friends. But tell me, are YOU on that list? (more…)
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22Jun 2018 by Kayla No Comments
Healthcare in Auxiliar Program Spain

Healthcare in Auxiliar Program Spain

Narcolepsy, Personal Story, Travel
In 2014 I applied for the Ministries of Spain Auxiliares program on a whim. I didn't know the healthcare in the auxiliar program in Spain would be so great! I was also considering teaching in Asia for programs like EPIK and HESS. I had promised myself I was going wherever I got an offer first because I had to get out of the USA. The day the email came telling me I had a position in Spain I couldn’t believe it. I was going to be living in Ibiza! Everything happened pretty quickly since I got my carta mid-summer. I had to quit my full-time job, sell all my furniture, get the Spanish student visa in Chicago, and physically move to Spain! But of course, there were some worries. I…
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