Things That No One Tells You About A Narcolepsy Study

So after being told that I don't have sleep apnea, the doctor wanted to rule out narcolepsy too.  When I think of narcolepsy, I think of those people that are walking and then randomly fall down because they fall asleep.  It's something that they can't control.  While I do have excessive day time sleepiness, I'm not that bad.  I just wanted to get it over and done with and was under the impression that it only took 45 minutes and consisted of 4 sessions.  Well, apparently I missed the memo on the following things that I wasn't told:

It's an all day test - You're there from 8 a.m until about 3 p.m.  I couldn't believe it.  I was so aggravated because I was told 45 minutes.  Someone clearly doesn't know anything about Narcolepsy studies.

It's a tedious, boring test - It consisted of 4, 40 minute sessions of sitting in a dark room as still as you can and try not to fall asleep.  You get an hour in between to do what you want -- watch t.v, play on the phone, go to the bathroom, etc.  It's a lot harder than I thought to stay awake in a dark room, not being able to do anything but sit still.

You get screamed at through a box in the wall - At the beginning and end of each test, the girl screams through this box in the wall that literally scares the shit out of you because it's so unexpected.  You have to do an equipment check at the beginning and ending of each test where they have you do things like sit with your eyes shut, sit with your eyes open, look up and down with your eyes only 3 times, look side to side with only your eyes 3 times, blink 5 times, and pretend you're chewing 3 times.  It gets old after awhile.

They feed you better there than you eat at home - That's no lie.  I had a cheap version of steak, vegetables, a baked potato with sour cream, dinner roll, fruit, and pudding cup with a sweet tea.  It was great.

There is a mandatory drug test - Not that I have anything to worry about, but there is a mandatory drug test half way through, after lunch to make sure that none of the prescription drugs you're on are making you sleepy...so they say.

You get to put on your own personal freak show - I had to walk half way through the hospital with all these wires attached to my face where I had to sit in a waiting room where people were staring at me because apparently they never seen someone attached to a bunch of wire before.  I had to wait to be called to have my drug test done.

Other than that, I get released tomorrow to go back to work.  After the doctors, I have to bring my release form to my "employer" and see if I still have a job.  I was told that I have to reapply, but we'll see.  I have no clue what tomorrow is going to consist of.  I'm in the middle of my semester and college and one of my classes is very, very hard for me.  I'm very stressed out lately.  I hope I can find time to blog at least a few times a week in between full-time school and full-time work.  Very nervous to see what tomorrow holds.